LOGINMaya’s POVI held the tiny black device in my palm. The small blinking light made my stomach twist with fear. Liam stared at it too. His face changed from soft after our passionate moment to hard and alert. We stood in the quiet lounge. My clothes still felt messy from what we just did.“What is that?” Liam asked. His voice came out low and worried. “Maya, where did you find it?”I showed him the small tracker again. “It fell from under my collar,” I replied. “Someone put it on me. Maybe Julian during the kiss. Or earlier in the office. I feel sick, Liam. Someone is always watching me.”Liam took the device carefully. He turned it over in his fingers. “This is professional,” he said. “High quality. We need to destroy it but not here. They might have backup signals.” He crushed it under his shoe. The plastic cracked. The light went dead. “There. It is gone now. But you are right. Someone is always watching. We must be more careful from now on.”I nodded slowly. My
Maya’s POVThe lounge door stood open. Liam filled the entrance with his tall frame. His sharp eyes burned with anger as he stared at us. Julian’s hand still held the back of my neck. His lips were inches from mine after that aggressive kiss. I pulled away fast. My heart slammed hard against my ribs.“Liam,” I said quickly. My voice shook. “This is not what it looks like. We were just talking about Sarah. About the diary.”Liam stepped inside. His fists clenched at his sides. “Talking? With his mouth on yours?” he replied in a cold, dangerous tone. “I trusted you, Maya. I showed you proof last night. And now I find you here with him?”Julian stood up slowly. A smug smile crossed his handsome face. “Calm down, cousin,” he said smoothly. “Maya came to me for real help. Unlike you, I do not hide behind lies. The documents I gave her prove everything. You helped cover up her sister’s death.”Liam moved forward fast. “Those documents are forged,” he growled. “You twis
Maya’s POVThe rumor spread faster than I expected. By the next morning, my phone would not stop buzzing with notifications. Annabelle’s social media story reached many people in our circle. Whispers followed me when I walked into the office building. Two secretaries looked at me and stopped talking suddenly. I kept my head down and went straight to my small desk. Mr. Havisham was already there, typing on his laptop with a calm face.I sat down and tried to focus on my tasks. My cheeks felt hot. Everyone seemed to know something. Chloe had not replied to any message. The post tagged her, and now our broken friendship looked public. I checked my phone again. More comments appeared under the blurred photo. “Office secrets exposed,” one person wrote. “Powerful men always get what they want,” another added.Mr. Havisham looked up from his desk. “You seem distracted again, Maya,” he said in his low voice. “Is it the little social media noise? Ignore it. People talk but they forget fast.” I
Maya’s POVThe next morning felt heavier than usual. I walked into the office with my head down, my body still sore from the night before. Mr. Havisham sat at his desk like nothing happened. He gave me a small nod but said nothing about the diary. I sat at my small corner desk and tried to focus on emails. My mind kept replaying Sarah’s words and his warning. Then the door opened fast. Chloe stormed in. Her eyes looked red and angry.“Maya, we need to talk right now,” she said loudly. She stopped in front of my desk. Her blonde hair was tied back tight. “What I saw yesterday. You and my dad. Explain it. All of it.”I stood up slowly. My hands shook a little. “Chloe, please sit down,” I replied softly. “It is not easy to say. I wanted to tell you before but I was scared.” She crossed her arms and stared at me. “Scared? Or ashamed? I saw you bent over his desk like it was normal. My best friend. With my father.”Tears stung my eyes. I took a deep breath. “I needed the job so badly,” I s
Maya’s POVThe hidden safe stayed open in Mr. Havisham’s dark office, I held my sister’s diary with shaking hands, the leather felt warm against my skin, tears already blurred the words on the first page, Sarah wrote about the pregnancy, about carrying Mr. Havisham’s child, about her fear growing bigger each day, I flipped the pages slowly, my breath caught in my throat as more entries appeared, she described the nights he kept her late, the way he touched her without asking, the control that made her feel like a prisoner in pretty clothes.I read one entry out loud in a whisper, “He says I belong to him now, the money he gives me comes with chains, I tried to leave last night but his men brought me back, the baby moves inside me and I wonder if it will know this pain too,” my voice broke, the room felt colder, I kept turning pages, Sarah wrote about escape plans that failed, about secret calls to friends for help, about hiding bruises under makeup before meetings, “Maya must never kn
Maya’s POVMorning light came through my small window too soon. I forced my eyes open after a night of broken sleep. My hand still hurt from the glass. Liam had left early with promises to check on the children. I stood up slow and looked at myself in the cracked mirror. My warm brown skin looked pale. Dark curly hair messy around my face. I could not skip work. Mr. Havisham would ask questions. Questions I did not want to answer.I dressed in a simple white blouse and black skirt. Nothing too tight. Nothing that would remind me of yesterday. My legs felt heavy as I walked to the tall building. The elevator ride to the top floor made my stomach twist. Chloe might be there. Or worse, she might tell everyone. I took a deep breath and stepped into the office.Mr. Havisham sat behind his big desk already. He looked up with that calm smile. “Good morning, Maya,” he said. “You are on time today. After yesterday’s drama, I wondered if you would come back.”I nodded and kept my eyes low. “I n
Maya’s POVI left the office with heavy legs that night. The streets blurred under street lights as I walked home. My phone felt like fire in my pocket after that video. Chloe’s hurt face kept flashing in my mind. I pushed open my apartment door and stepped inside. The small space felt too quiet. T
Maya’s POV I stood in the middle of the dark room. The fake Sarah pointed her gun at Liam. Why does my life stay full of pain and touches from strangers? I just want peace with the people I love. Liam looked at me with strong eyes. “Maya do not listen to her. She is not your sister.” The fake Sa
Maya’s POVThe car raced through the dark streets. Liam kept one hand on the wheel and the other near his phone. My fingers still gripped the screen with Julian’s message. The photo of the sleeping children made my chest tight. We had to get back fast.“We are almost there,” Liam said. His voice st
Maya’s POVThe parking garage felt darker than before. Annabelle stood too close. The ultrasound photo shook slightly in her hand. I stared at the small gray shape. My sister’s baby. My stomach twisted into knots. I could not breathe right.“Explain this,” I said. My voice came out rough. “Now.”An







