Masuk“Alexander!”Gabriella’s voice echoed through the darkened hallway as she rushed toward the source of the crash.Her heart hammered painfully against her ribs.The only light came from her cellphone, as she waved it around frantically.“Alexander!”No response.Fear tightened around her chest.She followed the direction of the sound until another flash of lightning revealed the scene before her.The ladder lay on its side.Alexander was sprawled on the floor beside it.For one terrible second, Gabriella couldn’t move.The world seemed to stop.Then she was running.“Alexander!”Dropping to her knees beside him, she carefully turned him onto his back.A small streak of blood ran down the side of his forehead.Gabriella’s breath caught.“No… no, no, no…”Her hands trembled.He wasn’t moving.Panic surged through her.She immediately dialed 911 on her phone.Nothing. The call didn’t go through.The storm was messing with the cell service as well.Her stomach dropped.She tried again.“Co
Miranda sat across from Dennis in his home office. Her phone balanced in one hand as she scrolled through her contacts.Meanwhile, Dennis remained quiet as he carefully inspected several photographs spread across the desk.Miranda straightened in her seat and dialed a number.She was too focused on the call she was about to make.After a few moments, Gabriella finally answered.“Hello?”“Hey Gabby,” she replied.“What's up?”“So I was just wondering…” There was a hint of mischief in her voice.“About what?” Gabriella asked.“A bachelorette party.”There was a pause.“I don't think so.”Miranda switched the phone to her other ear.“Why not? “Every bride deserves a bachelorette party.”“I don't think I have enough friends for a party,” she replied softly.“That's not a problem, Gabby,” she said. “It can just be you, Khloe, and me. Just like before.”“But it's not necessary and…”“You’re getting married,” Miranda cut her off. “This is a big deal.”On the other end of the phone, Gabriella
By the next morning, the events of the previous night still lingered quietly in Gabriella’s mind.The warmth of Alexander’s hand against her waist.The look in his eyes when he caught her.The strange silence afterward.She had spent far too long replaying it before finally falling asleep.And now, standing in front of her mirror while fastening her earrings, she found herself thinking about it again.Annoyingly.Gabriella exhaled softly and grabbed her bag from the bed.She needed to stop overthinking everything.When she stepped downstairs a few minutes later, Alexander was already near the entrance speaking on the phone.He wore a charcoal suit today, the dark color making him look sharp. One hand rested inside his pocket while the other held his phone against his ear.Alexander glanced up the moment he noticed her approaching.For a brief second, his gaze paused on her.Then he ended the call.“The driver will take you to the office,” he said.Gabriella’s brow furrowed.“You’re no
The house was silent.Most of the lights had already been turned off hours ago, leaving only the soft glow from the dining area illuminating the darkness downstairs.Alexander sat alone at the long dining table, his laptop open in front of him, while several folders lay scattered nearby.It was almost two in the morning.And he was still working.His phone rested against his ear as he stared at the files spread across the table.“I’m outside her house right now,” the man on the other end said.“Anything unusual?” Alexander asked quietly.“No, Sir.”He leaned forward.“Keep tailing her,” he said. “And let me know if you notice anything even slightly off.”“Understood.”The line disconnected.Alexander stared at a photo of the woman from the protest on his phone.Kristyn Pratt.Her account continued posting attacks against Kingston Enterprises online.Enough to keep public attention focused on the company.Enough to slowly damage credibility.Something was up with this woman. He could f
The wedding was fast approaching.Somehow, between company scandals, emergency meetings, and everything else that had happened, time had continued moving forward.Now it was only days away.The realization felt strange.Gabriella stood near the center of the reception hall, studying the nearly completed venue as afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall windows.Fresh floral arrangements lined the walls.Elegant table settings had already been arranged for inspection.Workers moved around quietly, making adjustments while the wedding planner enthusiastically reviewed her notes.“I think we’re finally getting somewhere,” the woman said with a relieved smile.Gabriella laughed softly.“You sound like you’ve survived a war.”The planner placed a hand dramatically against her chest.“You have no idea.”That earned another laugh from Gabriella.Throughout the day, they finalized the remaining details.Flower placements.Guest seating.Menu selections.Small things that somehow felt enor
Gabriella didn’t move from where she stood.The office still felt heavy with what Alexander had just said.He turned slightly away from the window, finally speaking again.“Remember the woman from the protest?”Gabriella looked up.“I had her looked into.”His voice was controlled, as always, but there was something sharper underneath it now.“She wasn’t a victim of anything. No robbery. No incident report. Nothing tied to the crisis at all.”Gabriella frowned slightly.“But she seemed pretty passionate about the cause.”“Not just that,” Alexander said. “She also owns the account that posted the video.”That made Gabriella go still.“The one attacking Kingston Enterprises?”“Yes.”A pause settled between them.Alexander walked back toward his desk, picking up a folder but not opening it.“And the account wasn’t random,” he continued. “It was created around the same time the crisis began escalating.”Gabriella absorbed that slowly.“So we can assume it was created just to drag the comp
Gabriella watched as Alexander’s face relaxed into a calculated smile. He had won. Not like he gave her much choice on the matter. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.She felt anger towards him for using her financial situation against her, but at the same time, she couldn’t expect anyt
As the work day drew to a close, the office floor became eerily silent. There were only a few other employees on this floor, mostly those who worked closely with Alexander. Now at 5 PM, the occasional soft chuckle or hushed conversation between employees had died down.Gabriella sat at her desk, st
“What do you mean you’re moving in with your boss?” Khloe screeched, her voice echoing off the apartment walls.Gabriella winced at the volume, her hands flying up in defense as she tried to calm her friend down.“Khloe, calm down..Geez.”“Calm down? Calm down? You just said you’re going to live wi
Gabriella barely slept. Tonight, she would meet the parents of the man she was pretending to be in love with. She knew deep within her that this wasn’t going to be any ordinary dinner.She had dressed carefully, choosing something professional but subtle, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to







