LOGINTaylah remembered only fragments, the blur of headlights, the road winding beneath trembling hands, the desperate urge to escape. She had managed to get into the car, managed to drive, managed to hope… and still, here she was Caught. When Arjan opened the door and appeared before her like the very end of her world, her breath snagged in her throat. For a heartbeat, she couldn’t even blink. His fingers clamped around her wrist painfully, possessively and he yanked her out of the car. The gravel bit into her feet as she stumbled, and there she was: Dia. Standing with that filthy smirk stretching across her lips. Wherever there was poison, Dia was the one who mixed it. Arjan must have called her the moment he learned Taylah had run. Run with his child. “How dare you lie to me, Taylah. Are you tired of living?” “Don’t shout at her, Arjan,” Dia murmured, her voice slithering like a devil’s whisper. “I think she didn’t want you to know about the pregnancy.” The words were gasoline. A
Despite the lavish spread of dishes across the table, no one in the Davier family felt hungry, Taylah included.“My proposal for an investment with the Montclair family was flatly refused by the chairman,” John said, drawing everyone’s attention.“And do you know why?” he continued, his gaze snapping toward Dia, who remained angry, eating as though nothing around her mattered. “They are deeply disappointed in how I’ve disciplined my sons.”“What does an investment have to do with our discipline?” Ethan asked sharply, irritation lacing his voice, resentful of being judged, even though he knew the consequences of their own actions.Hannah sighed, already sensing how this dinner would turn into something she never wanted to. “Why don’t we talk about this after we eat?” she suggested gently. “Everyone must be hungry.”“It needs to be addressed now,” John replied firmly. “This is the right time.”“And Ethan,” he continued, his voice hardening, “in the business world, privacy means nothing.
Arjan merely clenched his fist, not following Taylah to hurt her. He never did this holding himself back, he violated Taylah because of hi poor anger management. But today, he slammed his hand against the table, the sound loud enough to reach Taylah. She flinched instinctively. She hadn’t expected anything less from Arjan. Yet, strangely, he didn’t follow her or act on his rage. “Sir, your file,” the butler said, handing it over before quietly walking away. Arjan remained seated, his thoughts drifting back to what had happened earlier that morning. Ethan had stormed into his office without warning, his face flushed with anger. He had slammed his hands on the table and snapped, “Why the hell didn’t you bring Taylah to her birthday party? She deserves better, Arjan.” Arjan scoffed, his brows knitting together at the accusation. “And who are you to speak?” he snapped. “Why didn’t you treat her better back then? Maybe if you had, I’d never have laid a finger on her.” “You—” Ethan’
Taylah was sleeping soundly in her room when the butler knocked on the door, gently waking her. She stirred up from the sleep, rubbing her eyes as she slowly opened them, trying to steady herself for the day ahead. Sunlight streamed through the window, flooding the room with a soft glow. The distant chirping of birds should have been calming, yet it barely soothed her restless mind. Her thoughts circled endlessly around Arjan. It had been nearly two years now, and still he hadn’t changed. For the past few days, he had been leaving the mansion before she woke and returning only after she had fallen asleep. Sometimes, he didn’t come home at all. And when he didn’t, she knew exactly where he was... always with Dia. She had been assaulted a few days ago, and that had been the final blow. He hadn’t touched her since, yet his words continued to wound her, stripping her dignity piece by piece, humiliating her without mercy. She longed to reach out to her grandparents or even to Laurenc
Taylah was playing chess with her grandpa, already teetering on the edge of defeat. “Grandpa, go easy on me,” she pleaded. “Bargaining already?” Mr. Russell chuckled. “If this old man didn’t have a few complications while making his moves, the game would’ve been over long ago.” Taylah puffed out her cheeks, pouting and sulking, her eyes darting between the board and her opponent as she braced herself for the loss she knew was coming. That was when the maids announced the arrival of a guest. Mr. Russell rose from the sofa and walked out of his study to see who it was. Taylah followed closely behind. She froze the moment she saw him. Arjan? Had a month already passed? No… not even close. With a shivering body, she followed her grandpa. “Arjan… how have you been?” Mr. Russell asked. His firm tone went completely unnoticed by the latter. However, Mrs. Russell beamed from ear to ear at the sight of her grandson-in-law. Little did she know… “Coffee or juice?” she asked cheerfully
“Is your father still angry with us?” A sudden gloom settled over the dining hall, thickening the air. “You know how stubborn he can be.” Taylah stood there, confused, lost in the fragments of a past she didn’t fully understand. Laurence let out a soft chuckle and gently explained. “Your mother and I were close... close enough for my father to believe we were romantically involved. He went as far as publicly announcing our so-called relationship. But that was already the time Evelyn was seeing Edwards.” His voice grew heavier. “It caused an uproar. I was furious with my father for not telling me beforehand, for letting such things be announced without my consent. I made a scene… and soon after, I was sent abroad.” "When I returned, she was already married and she had you." Taylah didn’t know how to put words to the storm inside her. The elderly couple’s faces fell. They were still mourning their daughter, still aching from the loss. They had raised her with boundless love, c







