when tragedy strikes, carmilla finds her life turned upside down as she returns home after hearing the devastating news of her brother's untimely death. In a twist of fate, she is thrust into an arranged marriage with the affluent family her brother was to unite with. As carmilla begins her new life, she uncovers a web of secrets and the lies that harbored within the lavish halls of her new family's estate. Can she navigate the treacherous web of her new family's deceit or will she become the next victim of their ruthless ambition.
Lihat lebih banyakCarmilla leaned back in her pushed office chair, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder. She stared out the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the hustle and bustle of the city below. The sounds of car horns , chatter and construction created a familiar symphony that usually energized her, but today it felt like background noise.
“ I'm telling you, Mia, I'm so done with these meetings and investors,” carmilla said, rolling her eyes. “ I feel like I'm just going through the motions.” She let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of her responsibilities as the CEO of her company.
Mia's laughter echoed through the phone. “ It's not only you, cam.even my job as a model can be tiring sometimes, especially when I'm trying to outshine someone over here.”
“ You're just stressed, you need a vacation, carmilla .” Mia has been carmilla's best friend since college and she knows carmilla's tells better than anyone.
Carmilla chuckles. “ I wish. Maybe someday soon, together with you as usual “. She glanced at her watch, realizing she had a meeting with a potential investor in an hour. She made a mental note to review the presentation one more time.
Just as carmilla was about to respond to Mia's next comment, her personal assistant, Sandra, knocks on the door, carmilla raised her left eyebrow, wondering what Sandra wanted. She knows better than to interrupt her calls.
“ Sorry, Mia, I have to go,”. Carmilla said, already sensing something is off.
“ Okay, girl, talk to ya later, ”. Mia replied before carmilla ends the call.
Sandra enters the room, after the response of carmilla, her expression somber.
“ Ma’am, I'm sorry to interrupt, but….. there's an urgent call for you”. Mia's voice trembles and carmilla's instincts kicks in.
Something is wrong.
She nods, signaling for her to put the call through.
“ Hello?” Carmilla's voice was professional, her tone changing from a normal one to serious in an instant.
“ Carmilla, it's your father”. Comes the somber voice on the other end of the line.
Carmilla's heart skips a beat. She doesn't communicate with her family frequently due to their Past and unresolved problems, on the other hand, her father rarely calls her at work, and and his tone was enough to send a shiver down her spine.
“ What's wrong?”. She asked, her voice betraying her worry .
“ It's your brother, Julian . He's…he's dead”. Her father's voice suddenly broke and carmilla could hear the tears in his words.
Carmilla's world came crushing down around her. Julian was her twin brother and even though she did not have a healthy relationship with her family anymore, Julian was exceptional. She loved him dearly.
“ What exactly killed him?”. She asked with her cracked voice.
“ And when did he die?”.
“ He was found dead yesterday, and the police said he was killed by a gunshot”. He replied firmly.
“ Given this situation, I expect you to come back home. Even if we did not have a healthy relationship, we can use this situation to change that”. He added with his voice full of fear of rejection.
“ How could I not come home. I'll make the necessary arrangements and fly back home”. She replied, with her voice steady.
“ That good. I'll also make arrangement to ease your way back home”. With that, the call ended.
Trying to gather herself and process everything, carmilla knows that she has to return home at this moment. Feeling a wave of grief wash over her, threatening to engulf her, carmilla pushes her chair back as she stands and walk over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined one wall of her office. She stares out at the breathtaking view, feeling like she's drowning in a sea of emotions.
Julian was more than just her brother, he was her best friend, crime partner and so much more. If not for their resemblance, people will think they were dating.
“ Who will stand by me now in front of the family”. She thought to herself.
As she stood there frozen and shocked, Sandra walked up to where she is standing lost in thought.
“ Ma'am, I'm so sorry”. She said with her voice like that of someone that is crying.
“ Is there anything you want me to help you with”. She asked.
On hearing this, carmilla turns to face her assistant, with eyes brimming with tears, threatening to spill, but she blinks them back. There was no time to grief, business can wait, even in the face of tragedy. Yet, the thought of returning home after years sent shivers down her spine.
“ Cancel all meetings for today, I'll handle them when I'm back. As for the investors, come up with something that will make them wait ….just like you handle others well, do the same now”.
“ Also mia must be busy by this time, I won't be able to reach her. Help me contact her manager and deliver the news to her directly”. She replied firmly.
“ I'm going to return home as soon as possible, make the necessary arrangements for me”. She added, with her eyes staring at her office that she will leave soon.
Sandra nodded taking note of every instructions mentally.
“ Anything else Ma'am?”. Sandra asked, with her face staring at carmilla.
“ No, that will be all. I just need you to handle this company while I'm gone. Try not to handle major and difficult task , because I won't be working from home. I've to show my family that I came to mourn with them”. She replied .
“ Okay ma'am”. Sandra answered.
“ I trust that you can do this”. Carmilla responded with a smile of encouragement as she walks back to sit on her leather chair.
“ I can't believe that the vacation I'm going to have is traveling back home. Why did this have to happen now? , Julian, why did you have to go now?.
All this thought ran through her mind as she sat on her leather chair.
“ I'm going home? . But why now, I'm not ready to face mom again after all this year's.
As Harrison stepped into the luxurious Gulfstream G700, the gentle thrum of the Rolls-Royce engines enveloped the private hangar. Outside, Monday's gray sky unfolded over New York's skyline, with clouds drifting lazily across the horizon. The new week dawned, bringing its share of spotlights.Harrison moved with calm assurance, dressed in a sleek, custom-tailored Tom Ford suit in charcoal gray, paired with a crisp white shirt and a silver-toned Omega watch. His tailored black trench coat was draped over his arm, exuding modern sophistication. At the foot of the cabin stairs, his personal assistant Rachel waited, portfolio and handbag in hand.“Good morning, sir,” Rachel said with a nod, following him into the cabin as the stairs folded away and the door sealed shut behind them.Inside of the jet was surrounded by its sleek and modern interior. The comfortable leather seats and shiny metal accents gave it a luxurious feel. The large windows showed the clouds outside, and the soft light
It was well past midnight in the crumbling neighborhood tucked beneath the shadow of New York City. The city’s hum was distant here, muffled by the low groan of trains overhead and the occasional siren echoing like a ghost in the night. Beneath the dim glow of a broken streetlight, Thomas stood in front of a worn-out three-story tenement, his clothes still stained with dried blood and dust from the earlier chaos. He clutched his side, his ribs bandaged haphazardly beneath his jacket, and his eyes red—not just from pain, but from the truth that weighs him down.This was Marco’s home. A two-bedroom apartment in a run-down brick building with rusted fire escapes and windows patched with duct tape and plastic sheets. He’d been here once, long ago, back when Marco brought him around as a brother. But tonight, there was no warmth in this visit—only purpose.Thomas raised a shaky hand and knocked firmly at the door.From inside, there was movement. Faint footsteps padded across the wooden fl
A CALL BENEATH THE HILLSThe moon hung low over Beverly Hills, casting a soft silver glow over the manicured hedges and palm-lined streets. From the floor-to-ceiling windows of her penthouse suite along North Alpine Drive, Carmilla watched the lights of Los Angeles flicker beneath her like a sea of gold.Her apartment, pristine and tranquil, was filled with quiet opulence—Italian marble floors, soft jazz humming in the background, and a fireplace flickering gently in the modern living room. She’d just set down a glass of white wine on the edge of her sleek coffee table and was curled into one end of her cashmere-covered sectional, the city shimmering far below.On the counter, her clutch lay open beside an elegant ivory envelope: the Global Best Business Awards invitation, embossed and heavy with importance. She had been nominated. “Innovative Businesswoman of the Year.” A part of her still hadn’t fully processed it. She had only been in business not up to six years and she was gettin
The blaze at 181 Eldridge Street had started its death rattle.By 10:47 PM, thick jets of water had finally begun to outmatch the relentless flames. What was once a roaring inferno was now a wheezing furnace, its last embers clinging to warped beams and shattered masonry. The acrid scent of smoke hung low and heavy over the Lower East Side, mixing with burnt rubber, fuel, and something else more visceral—flesh.The FDNY’s Battalion 8, working with two aerial units and three pump crews, had contained the fire after a brutal two-hour fight. Sheets of blackened steam hissed from the collapsed roof, and water trickled down the street in greasy rivulets, swirling ash and soot into nearby drains.Chief Peterson stood beneath the burnt remnants of a fire escape, his hands on his hips, jaw set tight. His coat smelled like smoke now. The brick wall beside him was charred a deep obsidian, blistered in some places, and split in others. Behind him, the fire department’s structural engineer stood
Outside St. Mary’s Hospital, twilight draped the city in shades of orange and violet. The air was thick with the tang of antiseptic and summer humidity. Sirens still hummed faintly in the distance, remnants of the earlier chaos on the 6th Street Viaduct, now cordoned off with floodlights and barricades. Inside the hospital’s fourth floor, the atmosphere was calmer—but only just.Detective Ling sat upright in her hospital bed, a pair of crutches leaning against the wall beside her. Her ankle was now stabilized in a clean cast, and her bandaged knuckles rested atop the thin white sheet like silent testaments to survival. She stared blankly through the window, her thoughts somewhere far away—maybe on the bridge, maybe on Leo, maybe on the blood she had washed from her hands hours ago.Chief Peterson stood near the foot of her bed, speaking softly with the attending nurse. His badge glinted faintly under the soft overhead lights, and his posture—normally commanding—had slumped under the w
AFTER THE CROSSFIRE The wail of sirens cut through the afternoon air as the ambulance finally surged onto the 6th Street Viaduct, weaving through the makeshift police barrier. Chief Peterson rode close behind with his escort SUV, blue lights flashing, sirens blazing. The aftermath of the assault lay strewn across the concrete span: smoldering bullet casings, shattered glass, and the bodies of fallen officers and assailants—all lying under a cruel, indifferent sky.Officers from both teams swarmed the scene, corralling anxious bystanders and reporters. Uniformed men and women in gloves and masks hastily marked locations, gathered debris, and pulled yellow crime-scene tape tight between orange cones. Some officers physically held back anxious civilians, their voices low but firm: “Please step back… don’t cross the line.”Amid the chaos, paramedics rushed between bodies, checking for signs of life. A few groans answered their prayers; more lay silent.Chief Peterson got out of the SUV,
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Komen