LOGINGabriel stood stiffly in the foyer, looking out of place as he waited for Eric to appear.“Gabriel, it’s the weekend. You know my policy about being disturbed on weekends,” Eric said the moment he descended the stairs. “Don’t you have a personal life? What is it?”“It’s very important, sir. We can’t speak here in the open,” Gabriel replied, clearing his throat.Eric studied him for a moment, noticing the way his eyes kept darting around the room.“Alright. My office,” he said, already turning and leading the way.Once inside, Gabriel shut the door and locked it. Eric raised an eyebrow at the behaviour but said nothing. He simply leaned against the desk with his arms folded.“Speak. What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until Monday?”“It’s about Madam, sir.”Eric’s body stiffened at the mention of her name. “What about Autumn? What happened to her?” His voice carried that familiar sharp edge.“It’s not what happened to her,” Gabriel said carefully. “It’s what ‘will’ happen to her.
Sophia walked steadily through the dimly lit hallway. The air smelled of mildew and grime, and she felt a wave of repulsion at her surroundings.*I am doing all of this for a reason.* The words repeated in her head like a mantra.She was doing this for the position of Mrs. Kingston — to stand beside Eric as his wife and the mother of his children. For that dream to become real, Autumn had to disappear.She knew Eric was still hung up on her, no matter how much indifference he displayed.She saw it in the way he surrounded Autumn with round-the-clock security. She saw it in the way he reacted whenever something happened to her. She saw it in the way he tensed when he heard she had been spotted with another man. She saw it in the way he still put her first, even when he pretended not to care.The final proof had been the children’s play centre.She had seen the original plans with her own eyes. The site had been intended for a restaurant or a luxury hotel. Eric had scrapped ever
Sophia was seething.It had only been a few days since Eric ordered the PR team to release that clarification statement — written in the most brutal language possible. She could barely show her face in social circles anymore.Most of her time was spent at the office, burying herself in work. But the moment she left, she drowned her humiliation in alcohol. She turned the situation over and over in her mind, and every time she reached the same conclusion:She didn’t deserve this. None of it was her fault.She had simply loved a man who never loved her back — despite everything she had done to stay by his side.And every path of her rage led back to one name.Autumn Martins.Even though they were divorced, even though Eric was single again, Autumn still haunted her and ruined every chance she had.“Just like *her*,” Sophia spat bitterly, swallowing another mouthful of wine.Her anger hardened into something colder. That was how the plan formed.She spotted the man she had come to see — t
Autumn arrived at the address Gabriel had sent her. It was a children’s play centre.Her expression soured slightly when she realised she hadn’t brought anything for her son.The moment she stepped onto the premises, she noticed the men dressed in black stationed around the area. It wasn’t hard to tell that someone important was inside.*He really pulled out all the stops to make sure nothing happens to him,* she thought, taking in the tight security.*He’s his heir and only child.* She had almost forgotten that crucial detail. Finn was still a Kingston. That was the main reason Eric had demanded sole custody — he didn’t want his son’s life put at risk.And as much as she hated to admit it, he had been right. He had seen a danger she hadn’t fully understood at the time.She showed her ID to the attendant at the door and stepped inside.The place was massive and brightly designed. Laughter and the sound of children playin
Autumn woke up feeling fresh and relieved.Her mood was lighter, more relaxed. She couldn’t help smiling to herself as she ate breakfast.“Good morning, ma’am,” Anita greeted her with a warm smile, immediately noticing the change in her expression. She had to do a double take. This was not the same woman she had left the afternoon before.“Good morning, Anita,” Autumn replied, still carrying that same peaceful look.“Had a good sleep, ma’am?” Anita asked, more out of curiosity than courtesy.“Wonderful rest. I haven’t slept like that in days.”“You look like you did.” Anita gave her a longer look. “You look really good this morning, ma’am. Really beautiful.” She added a small wink before turning back to the counter she was wiping.“Oh—thank you,” Autumn said, a little surprised. A faint blush rose on her cheeks at the compliment.She finished her breakfast in silence while scrolling through her emails. Out of curiosity, she switched to her front camera. She did look better. Her hair s
At King’s Construction Eric’s foot tapped rhythmically against the floor, each tap sharper than the last, feeding his growing annoyance. *Why do I need to be here?* He drummed his fingers on the armrest. *Why can’t they just handle the meeting and send me the minutes?* The boardroom was filled with executives from both Omni Core and King’s Construction, but Eric’s mind was nowhere near the presentation. It was on Autumn. He wanted nothing more than to drive straight to her apartment and see her with his own eyes — to make sure she was okay. The thought of another man taking care of her while she was vulnerable sat like poison in his chest. *What if he…* The unfinished thought alone made his blood boil. The idea of Ezra using her moment of fragility to get closer to her was enough to make his hands itch for violence. He would break the man’s hands if he ever found out something like that had happened. Concentration was impossible. Every time Gabriel reported another on
Autumn stood before the ornate mirror in the foyer, checking her reflection one last time. She adjusted the strap of her bag, her fingers lingering on the leather. She felt like herself again.Chloe, ever the observant shadow, wandered into the foyer with a bowl of sliced fruit, munching slowly. Sh
The car pulled up to the Seta by Antonio Guida, and we were led through the sleek, turquoise-accented halls of the hotel to Seta by Antonio Guida. Eric had reserved a private section, a secluded nook that felt worlds away from the bustling streets of Milan. The lighting was low, the air filled with
"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







