ANMELDENBy the time I finally stopped crying, my eyes were puffy and sore.I was back in the room now, sitting with his jacket draped over my shoulders and a mug of warm tea resting between my hands. I wasn't drinking it. I just stared into the cup, my thumb moving in slow circles around the ceramic as I listened to him taking a call behind me.I couldn't make out who he was talking to, but from what little I heard, I suspected it had something to do with someone in jail.When he finally ended the call, he came back and sat beside me. He reached for my free hand, taking it in his before gently brushing his thumb over my knuckles.I lifted my gaze to him. His cheek was still faintly red, my fingerprints practically stamped across it. I almost wished I could leave the same kind of mark on his stupid heart.That would hurt a lot more than his cheek. I lowered my gaze to the mug again."Is something wrong?" I asked."No..."I immediately looked up and shot him a glare, silently daring him to lie
CHARLOTTE’S POVThe cold wind brushed against my skin as I stood on the terrace, with my hand crossed under my breast, staring out at nothing because that had been the only thing I could do for the past two days.I couldn’t even close my eyes or get a proper sleep. I kept hearing her voice, the fire, and everything.My memories had all come back, and right now, part of me wished they had somehow stayed buried. Because it hurt.It hurts so much.I heard the soft creak of the door opening behind me. My ears had become unusually sensitive to every little sound lately, and my body was constantly tense, as though I were always on alert, waiting for some kind of danger.But I didn’t even turn. As I could already guess who that was.They said he would come two days ago but he never showed up. As if he knew that if he had dared to show his face then, death would have been the only thing waiting for him.But still, did he honestly think showing up two days later would somehow ease my anger or
Hearing those words come out of her filthy mouth sent a wave of rage surging through me, but I fought hard to suppress it.It was becoming clear that she had completely lost her mind. And judging by everything she was saying, she was more than capable of actually going through with it.And that alone, made something that I thought I wouldn’t feel. So I had to calm down, and change my tone towards her.I pulled my hand out of my pocket and raise it slightly in front of me, silently gesturing for her to calm down.“You see, everything you’re talking about is something we can work out together. There’s no need for you to take things this far.” I took a careful step forward. “Look at the poor girl in your arms. She’s terrified. The mother she’s always dreamed of meeting is now holding a knife to her throat. Can you just stop and think about what that must feel like for her?”“That changes nothing. She never liked me in the first place.”“She never liked you because you’ve never been ther
“I promise. She’ll be back soon.”She looked at me for a while, as though trying to find even the slightest trace of deception in my expression.“Come on, did you really think I will lie about that? You have no idea how much I also want her back in here.”She almost rolled her eyes at me and I wondered where she had learnt that from.“Okay, fine.” she finally said, turning. “Good night.”“Good night, sweetie.”A smile spread across my face as I watched walk toward the door, heading back to her room.She growing up everyday, and becoming more…i didn’t even know what to call it.But would you believe she told me she would properly thank me for saving her when Charlotte comes back? That she was the one beside all through.I couldn’t help but chuckled at the thought of that.But just as she was about to step outside, she suddenly stopped. She stood there for a moment before slowly turning back to me, her little fingers fidgeting with the hem of her pajamas.Her eyes remained fixed on min
“Alright. Thank you.”The call ended, and I slid my phone into my pocket. Then I lifted my face toward the sky and took a deep breath, feeling as though something heavy had finally been lifted off my chest.Finally.Everything was over.“Are you really not going to see her?” Julius asked.“No,” I replied, a faint smile spreading across my face. “If I show up there now, I’m pretty sure she’ll kill me on the spot.”“But you did everything for her. She’ll understand.”I chuckled. “You have no idea how bad her temper can be.”I let out a heavy breath and looked across the entire estate, already imagining Charlotte's reaction if she first saw me again.Yes, I knew I deserved every bit of her anger. Even her wanting to kill me was the least of her ways to vent her rage. In fact, I should be grateful if that was all she did. But I had done it all for one reason.To protect her.And in order to do so, I had stood by and watched every humiliation she endured, every accusation thrown at her, a
He paused a little, his expression growing heavier, his face pale. "The fire was so big. And because it happened in the middle of the night, and the penthouse was in a secluded location, nobody noticed it until it was too late. By the time help arrived, the building had almost burned to the ground. There was hardly anything left that could be recognised. After a thorough investigation, they eventually recovered the wife's body. It was so badly burned that identifying her was almost impossible. But there was no trace of the little girl. Nobody knew what had happened to her. Nobody knew about the miracle that had taken place that night. All they had left was the possibility that the child had somehow survived.” He dinged, his gaze shifting to mine that had already frozen, looking at him in horrr. “No.” I shook my head, refusing to believe any of it, although there are already flashes of memory running through my head. “No. That can’t be possible. It was…it was a car acciden
I stared into empty space, the blood test result trembling in my hand. The words on the paper blurred together, but their meaning remained crystal clear, burning into my mind like a brand.The test results didn’t just reveal that Genevieve wasn’t mine—they revealed traces of long-term fertility-su
I quickly looked away from him, so he wouldn't see me checking him out but curiosity tugged at me again, and before I could stop myself, I tilted my head slightly, sneaking another glance, my hand absentmindedly scratching the back of my neck. And just then, our eyes met again. As if he had never
“You shouldn’t have come here,” Clyde said flatly, irritation flickering across his face. “You weren’t invited.” My hands curled into tight fists.“Is that the only thing you have to say to me right now?” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury. “I shouldn’t be here? For my own child’s recital but…
***CHARLOTTE’S POV*** The moment the meeting ended and the contract was signed, I pushed back my chair and rose to my feet, ready to leave. But just as I reached for my bag, “Ma’am,” my secretary called. “You still have another meeting in two hours. And you’re scheduled to personally pick up our







