“Alan! What’s your deal lately? Are you just planning to ghost me for good?” Winona tossed her bag onto the glass table with a loud thud. Chin raised, her pretty little face was full of sass and attitude. She wasn’t leaving until she got answers—that much was clear.
Alan sat upright, overly formal, like he was attending a board meeting. His tone was stiff and serious. “I just think... it’s better if we keep some distance.”
“Why? You’re disgusted by me? This is about me kissing you, isn’t it?”
Alan froze, as if her bluntness caught him completely off guard.
A flush spread from his ears all the way down his neck. He avoided eye contact and stammered,
“I-I did not! Y-You’re making things up!”Winona’s eyes narrowed with amusement. She grinned.
Sliding up onto the glass table, she sat facing him directly—no
Skye held her phone in one hand while placing a heavy bag of expensive tonics and gifts onto the table in the foyer.“Teacher, the Ria you recommended—is she really the young lady from the Mortensen family?” he asked.“Yes. I saw her perform live. I was honestly shocked by her talent. I know you love percussion, but it’s been hard finding someone truly gifted.”“I trust your judgment, of course. It’s just… the Mortensen family…”Skye climbed the stairs without slowing. “You’re worried?”“I am. A little, yes.”“No need. I wouldn’t introduce trouble to your door.”A pause on the other end—then a frustrated sigh.“That’s not what I meant! You’re the person I respect most!”Skye laughed, knowing her student couldn’t take a joke. “Relax, I did
“She’s in the room, Miss McKenna. I’ll take my leave now.” The maid bowed slightly and hurried down the stairs as if fleeing something terrifying.Briella raised an eyebrow at the woman’s panicked retreat and turned toward the closed door.‘Huh. So this Miss Ria Mortensen was… intimidating?’She lifted her slender hand and knocked three times.Silence.She knocked again—louder this time.Still nothing.With a faint sigh, Briella rubbed her chin in thought, then boldly grasped the handle and gave it a turn. The door creaked open just slightly.There was a sound—sharp, rhythmic. Drums?She pushed the door open wider and stepped inside.It was a modern-style suite, like a small apartment. A compact living area opened into three bedrooms. The sound grew louder as she walked in.It was drums.The source came fro
“Paige… I’m your biological father!” Emmet clutched his stomach, collapsing onto the ground. Blood gushed through his fingers. His face was ghostly pale, drenched in fear.Paige lowered her gun with eerie calm and slowly stepped closer.“D-Don’t! Stay back!” Emmet panicked, dragging himself backward. His body smeared a streak of blood along the dirt as he desperately tried to crawl away.But Paige’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes clear and glowing with satisfaction. She crouched beside him and casually flipped her hair, the picture of elegance twisted into something dark.“Funny… you remember I’m your daughter now?” she whispered sweetly. “But where were you these past few days, Daddy?”She lifted the gun again—clumsily, but with purpose.The barrel traced from his chest to his face… and stopped, cold and firm, against his forehead.This
“Bosses! I brought the girl, just like you asked! That one over there—heh heh heh…”The man in black sunglasses pulled out a wad of cash from his suit pocket and tossed it onto the ground with a grin.“Now scram,” the lead man said coldly.“Right, right! We’re gone!”The men dropped to their knees, scrambling in the dirt to collect the money like rats. Their dust-covered faces were twisted and grotesque, not the least bit ashamed.Once their greedy hands were full, they scurried out of the alley like vermin.Paige awoke in total darkness, tied to a wooden chair.Her hands were bound behind her back, her ankles tied tight. She struggled, but the ropes only dug deeper into her raw skin.Her wrists were bleeding.Biting her lip, she shouted in panic, “Who told you to kidnap me?! I don’t have any money! The Sawyer family is finished! My father abandoned us!&r
Briella stood on the balcony of the villa, letting the cool night wind brush across her pale face. It wasn’t until droplets of drizzle landed on her cheeks that she finally blinked out of her daze.Slowly, she took out her phone and dialed.“Preston.”“Skye?! Is that really you? Where the hell have you been? Audrey and I were losing our minds! You scared the life out of me!”Preston's voice was frantic—equal parts relief and panic.“Calm down. I’ll call Audrey first and let her know I’m safe. I’ll get back to you in a bit.”“Fine, fine, just don’t vanish again.”She ended the call and immediately dialed again.“Audrey.”“Where the hell have you been?! Do you know how panicked Jules and I were when we got the news?”Audrey’s tone remained mostly steady, but the anger in her voice was unmistakable.
That night, Audrey sat in her study, immersed in tasks—organizing the upcoming launch for Axoryn pill, and preparing to speak with Jules.Her schedule was packed. She barely had time to breathe.Suddenly, loud, frantic knocking rattled the study door—so violent it felt like the wood might splinter.“Audrey! Audrey! Something’s happened in Solandra—something big! Preston’s involved!”The shout sent a chill through her skull.She jumped up from her seat, dazed, and opened the door.Jules stood there, panic etched across his face.“What did you just say?” she asked, her voice shaky.“It’s Preston! The news from Solandra is all over the internet!” he said, thrusting his phone into her hands.Audrey forced herself to calm down as she answered the call. “Preston, what happened?”“…Audrey…”