MasukSophia struggled against the restraints, trying to break free as she was dragged forward. Her protests turned into muffled noises. Her hands were bound behind her back, but she still fought. *How?!* she thought as they pulled her from her hiding place. *How?! How did they find me?* She had taken every precaution, yet she had still been caught. The house came into view as they dragged her toward the front. From here she could see it more clearly the long, winding driveway, the carefully decorated porch. It looked rustic, yet every detail screamed wealth. She knew it must have cost him a fortune. Buying something this beautiful and furnishing it so carefully for that “Joanna” woman. The love and care were evident in everything, and it made her jealousy burn even brighter. She couldn’t understand what Joanna or Autumn had that made him do all of this for them. Even the house he had thrown her out
True to her plan, Sophia staked out King’s Holdings headquarters again. Just like before, she waited for the minivan that was loading medical equipment.“It’s probably for that woman and her children,” she thought out loud, remembering the conversation between the two nurses.And just like before, she waited for the van to move so she could silently trail after it.When the van finally pulled away, she followed at a careful distance. This time she was more precise. She already knew where they were headed.“This is all for formality,” she told herself. “I just need to be sure they are still there.”Her plan was simple. Using the van as a distraction would make it easier to move around without being noticed. If she had gone directly to the house on another day, the risk of being caught would have been much higher.They drove past Surrey, leaving the main road that led to Kingston Manor and heading deeper into the woodlands. Sophia’
His words froze her solid. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.*Mirabella’s death was because of him.*“My daughter died because of you?” she asked, her voice sounding distant even to her own ears.All this time she had fed herself with guilt for moving out of the house. For pushing for the divorce. All this time she had believed it was her fault.*It was his fault… not mine?*The anger returned, more intense than before.“It was because she had Kingston blood coursing through her veins. That was what killed her,” he corrected her.Autumn couldn’t hear anything else he was saying. Her mind was consumed by the nights she had cried herself to sleep under the weight of guilt while he had known the truth the entire time and still let her carry it alone.“You blamed me for it,” she said, her voice taking on an edge.“You blamed me for the death of our daughter even though you knew the truth.”He looked away from her in shame.“Yes, I did,” he admitted. “Particularly because it was—
“Eric?” she spoke in surprise. “What are you doing he—”Her words were cut off by a firm grip on her forearm.She gasped at his actions. “Eric, what the hell are yo—”He tightened his grip and pulled her into the car, shutting the door behind them. She landed sprawled across the leather seat, trying to catch her breath as she glared up at him through the curtain of her hair.Silence filled the car. The only sounds were their breathing hers more laboured and the light rain splattering against the windows as the vehicle began to move.“Are you crazy?” she finally spoke after collecting herself.His gaze shifted from the road to her.“I’m crazy?” he asked, his voice tight with barely restrained anger. “Are you speaking for yourself or for me?”“You are actually crazy.” She tried to sit up. “No normal person would kidnap another person just because he feels like they are his property.”“I have work, Eric!” she raised her voice. “I was working. My whole life doesn’t revolve around you.”
The tall, rusted gates of the old estate greeted her as she stepped closer. She looked around, trying to see if there was anyone nearby, but saw no one.She pushed the gate open. It gave off a loud squeak. She walked in slowly, taking cautious steps as she glanced around for any sign of life.“Hello?” she called out. “Is there anyone here?”*There has to be a groundskeeper or someone looking after the property.*She walked further in. Her boots sank slightly into the swampy ground. She took out her pen and notepad and began jotting down her observations.“Who goes there?” a rough voice suddenly called out, startling her. She dropped her pen.She bent down to pick it up, shaking off the mud. “Sorry to barge in like that. I’m with the Ministry.” She pulled her badge from her purse and showed it to him. “I’m here for an inspection.”“Ah, yeah. I heard about it.” He lowered the gun in his hand. “I was told one of you would b
A knock sounded at the door, drawing the attention of the person on the other side.“Who is knocking so damn loud?” Gus said with a scowl on his face.He marched over to the door, ready to give the person a piece of his mind.“Weren’t you taught basic etiquette—Autumn?” His expression shifted from annoyed to a pitying look as he took in her appearance. “What are you doing here so early?” he asked, moving aside to let her through.Autumn just laughed softly at his words. “For you it’s early, Gus,” she said, taking a seat and dropping the offering she had brought for him. “It’s almost ten o’clock. The rest of London has already started their day.”“I’m actually on my way to inspect a parcel. I’ve been swamped with inspections the past week,” she sighed tiredly. “It’s out of town and the last one on my list. It’s the Blackwoods’.” sighing at the end.“You know I’m not a morning person.” He sat down opposite her, taking the paper bag
"No, no, no!" the man shrieked, his voice hitting a pitch that probably had the neighborhood dogs howling. "Dear God, I am going to die of a heart attack from how unceremoniously ugly your taste is!" He began fanning himself dramatically with a silk-bound lookbook, his face twisted in a mask of the
The day after the gala, the Headinberg estate was enveloped in a deceptive quiet. The morning sun filtered through the high windows, but the atmosphere inside was thick with the aftermath of the previous night’s revelations. In the morning room, the large television was tuned to the entertainment n
It had been two days since the wedding fiasco. Two days of radio silence from the outside world.While the media was undoubtedly setting itself on fire—speculating about Chloe, Fin, and Kingston Dynasty—we had been tucked away in the safety of the Headinberg estate. Eric had decided to work from ho
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







