LOGINIt was the weekend for Autumn — no work, and a chance to take it easy and relax.Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t. Her mind had been plagued by Ezra’s words. They played on repeat, tormenting her until she finally managed to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning.She was already prepared to spend the rest of the day overthinking and micro-analysing everything, trying to find where she might have given him the impression that she was interested in him as more than a friend.Luckily for her, she didn’t have to torture herself any longer. That sweet relief came in the form of Eric — or more precisely, Gabriel.“Sir wanted me to inform you to be at the estate grounds before 10 a.m.,” he conveyed.“Is there a reason I should be there on a weekend?” she asked, biting back a yawn and trying to keep her eyes open. “I don’t have any business with your boss.”“Sir said you should come to the manor to spend time with young master Fin.”He had told her that Eric had permitted her to sp
Ezra returned home — not to his family’s estate, but to his own place.He tossed the car keys onto the coffee table, discarded his jacket, and slumped onto the sofa. Running a hand through his already messy hair, he let out a frustrated breath.“Fuck. I’m a coward,” he chastised himself. “I couldn’t just say it. I couldn’t look her in the eyes and tell her that I loved her.”He punched the cushion. Hard.“This is the exact same shit I did that made her get involved with that man.” He buried his face in his hands.“Am I going to keep quiet? Not tell her how I feel until she gets back with her ex?”The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. The idea of letting her go back to Eric was something he couldn’t accept. He stood up, grabbed his keys, and stormed toward the door.Then he stopped.He thought about the way his family had treated her tonight — the open disdain, the venom in their words. Was he willing to subject her to that?He couldn’t protect her from them.“If only I was the
“Aunt, Autumn is going nowhere.” Ezra stepped to her side, shielding her from the onslaught of words.“You dare defy me?” she yelled, pointing a trembling finger at Autumn. “Because of this harlot?”“Aunt, please refrain from speaking to Autumn like that,” he said, his voice respectful but laced with clear disappointment. “I already told you she is my friend. Someone I cherish. I do not appreciate you speaking to her that way.”“And I told you not to bring this woman here. Whatever is said and done is because of you,” she huffed.“Mother, there is no need to get yourself worked up over trivial matters like this,” William’s wife said, moving to stand beside her and taking her hands.“Deborah, you are such a sensible and well-mannered child… unlike some low-class social climbers.” Her words were aimed directly at Autumn and her status.Ezra simmered with silent anger. He had wanted to introduce Autumn to his family so they could meet the woman who held his heart. Seeing her so utterly
The door to the back seat opened. A pair of slender legs appeared, followed by delicate fingers wrapping around the outstretched hand. He helped her out, the skirt of her dress gliding behind her. As she stepped out, Autumn took her time taking in the architecture of the Sterling estate. Even though it paled in comparison to the Kingston estate, it was still breathtaking. She couldn’t help but marvel at it. It was true old money — riches passed down through generations. “Are you ready?” Ezra whispered gently, drawing her attention back to him. “Yeah.” She turned and smiled at him. “Your family home is beautiful.” They walked together toward the main entrance. She saw people crowded together, talking and exchanging words. She felt painfully out of place. It was the same feeling she used to get when she attended these kinds of events with Eric. Ezra took his time introducing her to a few of his friends and acquaintances. “You know this doubles as an art show,” he said, pulli
It was a bright early morning. Thanks to Ezra, she had spent the previous day slowly getting used to feeling better.She pulled herself together to face the outside world. She couldn’t afford to keep being a Debbie Downer over Eric’s unfairness.Letting it control her mood would only do more harm than good.So she got up, got dressed, and headed to the ministry.The moment she stepped through the double doors, she felt every pair of eyes on her. Soft whispers followed her across the lobby.Most of it was probably because of the disastrous gala a few days ago. Only a handful of people had been present, but she knew that had been more than enough.She could already imagine the scandalous things being said about her. Was she the greedy ex-wife who married only for money, or the victim of the Nexus Corp CEO’s schemes?She would never know, and she preferred it that way. She had never liked involving herself in workplace goss
Sophia gritted her teeth as she stepped into the rundown part of the city once again. This time, instead of the smelly basement, Sebastian had given her the address of a bar.The place was filled with shady-looking people who looked ready to pull a knife on her for her belongings. She felt both terrified and disgusted as she made her way toward the booth he had mentioned.For the past few days, the only thing on her mind had been how to dig herself out of the hole she was in.Eric had sent her to supervise a collapsing business he had bought simply because he could. He had no real interest in it — just like he seemed to have no interest in her.She saw the transfer as a punishment, a way to keep her away from him because of the recent rumours. Part of her was relieved he hadn’t discovered her involvement. If he had, this would have been a lighter sentence.So she managed the company. She wanted to quit and return to America, but another part of her kept insisting this was a test. A te
The morning sun filtered through the high windows of the estate, casting long, golden rectangles across the breakfast table. It was the first morning since the hospital that the air felt light. "Chloe, this will help you feel better," I said, gently setting down a bowl of special steaming porridge
The " Neon Light" motel she described was even grimmer up close. It was nearly midnight by the time Eric’s tires screeched into the cracked asphalt lot. The place looked like it had seen better days decades ago; now, it was just a graveyard for broken dreams and people who were hiding from life and
We talked late into the night, the television long since forgotten. The conversation had drifted from the disaster of the wedding to safer, quieter topics—Finn’s new school, the security protocols for the house, the logistics of living under siege. I yawned, a jaw-cracking sound that I couldn't su
Silence overtook the entire garden. It was a heavy, suffocating silence, the kind that usually precedes a natural disaster. The birds seemed to stop singing; even the wind died down, as if nature itself was holding its breath to witness the carnage."Rebecca, how dare you say such things at a ti







