LOGINZara slowly opened her eyes.Pain spread through her entire body. Every breath felt heavy, every movement unbearable. Her face was wrapped in thick bandages, and when she tried to focus on the room around her, her vision was blurry.She weakly lifted her hand and touched her face, feeling the layers of bandages.A man in a doctor’s coat quickly stepped closer.“Calm down,” he said gently.Zara looked at him through half-open eyes. Something about him felt familiar, but she was too weak to remember where she had seen him before.Then suddenlyHer memory rushed back.The car.The panic.The brakes failing.The crash.And Lilly.“Lilly!” Zara cried weakly.Her heart began racing.“Lilly… where is Lilly?” she shouted, her voice trembling. “I want to see Lilly! Let me see my daughter!”Tears rolled down her cheeks.“I want to see Lilly!” she kept repeating desperately.The man tried to calm her.“Please, Zara, calm down ”But it was useless.Just then, the door opened and Marcus rushed ins
Sunday AfternoonBella lay comfortably across Dante’s lap as they watched television in the living room. The atmosphere was lazy and calm until the news suddenly interrupted the program.The screen shifted to a serious-looking reporter.“We have sad news to report today,” the reporter announced. “Zara Ashford has finally passed away after remaining in a coma for several days following the tragic accident.”Dante froze.For a moment, he thought he had misheard.“What?” he whispered.He shot up from the couch so quickly that Bella nearly fell.“Mum!” Dante shouted loudly.Upstairs, Margaret heard the panic in his voice and rushed down the stairs.“What is it, Dante?” she asked breathlessly.Dante didn’t answer.He simply pointed at the television.The reporter continued speaking.“The burial ceremony will take place tomorrow. According to the Ashford family, it will be extremely private and secretive, with only close family members attending.”For a few seconds, the room fell into stunn
Dante’s POVWhen Dante discovered that Zara was the lost sister of the Ashford family and that Rosey had been nothing more than a fraud, something inside him snapped. The humiliation was unbearable. One by one, companies began cutting ties with his. Partnerships collapsed overnight, and the reputation he had spent years building crumbled before his eyes.Anger consumed him.For days, he refused to step outside. He stopped going to work entirely, choosing instead to hide inside his bedroom. Every news channel seemed to be talking about him, dissecting the scandal piece by piece. The paparazzi camped outside his house like vultures waiting for scraps.One evening, as he lay staring blankly at the ceiling, a knock sounded on his door.“Son,” his mother’s voice called softly from the other side.Margaret stepped inside when he didn’t answer immediately. She looked at him with a mixture of concern and impatience.“You haven’t left this house in a week,” she said. “The company needs you.”D
Marcus sat in the hallway, feeling completely stranded, his mind blank as he tried to decide what to do next. Just then, he saw his mother walking toward him.He immediately stood up and rushed to her side.“Mum… are you feeling better? How did you even get out of your room like that?” he asked anxiously.Mrs. Ashford looked pale and fragile. The cannulas that had once been attached to her arm were gone, as if she had pulled them out herself. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.“Tell me this is a dream,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Marcus… tell me this is just a dream. My daughter and my grandchild… they are okay, right?”Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wiped them away with shaking hands.“I want to see them now,” she said desperately. “I want to confirm that this is all just a dream… because it can’t be my Zara and Lilly. It just can’t.”Marcus felt his chest tighten, but he forced himself to stay calm.“Mum… please calm down,” he said softly.But deep inside, he
Marcus was driving while Mrs. Ashford sat quietly beside him. They were heading back home after seeing Victor off.The highway was unusually crowded.Up ahead, a group of people had gathered around something on the road.Mrs. Ashford frowned.“What’s happening there?” she asked.Marcus leaned forward slightly, trying to see through the crowd.“I think there’s been an accident,” he said.He slowed the car.“But people are just standing around watching,” he added with frustration. “What if someone is dying and needs help?”He sighed and pulled the car over.“Mother, I think we should go see what happened.”Mrs. Ashford nodded firmly.“I raised you well, my son. If you had just driven away, I would have been very disappointed.”Marcus parked the car and they stepped out.“Let’s go,” she said softly. “Maybe we can help.”They walked toward the accident site.A badly damaged car sat near the side of the road, twisted from the crash. Marcus glanced at it briefly.For a moment, something abo
Zara stood beside Victor on the stage as cameras flashed brightly around them.Employees filled the hall, smiling and clapping as the historic moment unfolded.Victor stepped forward and spoke clearly into the microphone.“I, Victor Ashford, officially hand over my responsibilities and position to Zara Ashford as the new CEO of Ashford Company.”The cameras clicked rapidly.Applause filled the room.Marcus cheered loudly from the crowd, while Mrs. Ashford clapped proudly. Maya smiled warmly, and even little Lilly joined in with her tiny hands clapping excitedly.Zara stepped forward and hugged Victor tightly.Then she straightened herself and faced the audience.“Thank you, everyone,” she said confidently. “Thank you, Victor… thank you, Marcus, Maya, Mum… and my little girl.”She paused briefly before continuing.“With this new responsibility that has been entrusted to me, I promise I will not let any of you down.”Zara smiled.The crowd erupted into applause once again.After the cer
“I’ve signed the divorce papers.”The room froze. Shock rippled across every face. Before any of them could utter a word, she lifted her chin and continued.“Don’t panic,” she said calmly. “I don’t want a single penny from either of you.”They stared at her, confused, trying to understand what she
She went to the restaurant with a heavy heart, but she wore her calm armor. It was her first day and she refused to mess it up. When she arrived, they had just opened. Zara greeted everyone softly, then quietly slipped into her work, cleaning tables with careful focus.Halfway through, a voice slic
“So… did you successfully buy the restaurant?” Margaret asked with a wide, satisfied grin.“Yes,” Zara’s boss replied with a proud nod.“I am so proud of you, Benita,” Margaret said, practically glowing.“That’s what friends are for, right?” Benita laughed lightly. “When you told me about her behav
Zara returned to the hotel room, gathered their suitcases, and settled the bill before leaving. The luggage was a bit too heavy to carry, so she booked a cab. When they finally arrived at the place Sarah had told her about, Zara unlocked the door with the key she’d already been given.She paused at







