POV HENRY
The event had already begun. Theodor was left in the care of his grandmother, Lauren’s mother, while I made my way to the main hall, where the ball unfolded with its usual extravagance. I adjusted my tie in front of the mirror, straightened my suit jacket with a single tug, and stepped onto the stage with firm strides, immediately feeling every eye in the room turn toward me.
The upright posture, the silence of the crowd, the subtle flashes… everything was calculated. I owned that room.
“Good evening,” I began, my voice steady, confident, and intentionally measured. “I want to thank everyone who took time out of their day to attend this charity event. The Carters Industry fundraising account has already collected a significant amount, which will be directed to low-income families and communities in vulnerable situations.”
Some nodded in agreement; others raised their
POV: HENRYThe disgust I felt at that moment was physical. My stomach turned, my muscles tensed.“Stay away from me,” I spat the words with restrained anger, releasing her arm roughly. “Since I’ll have to put up with your presence here, at least do something useful—donate.”“I’ll give you anything you want, my love,” Mia replied with a smug smile, smoothing her hands over my shoulders as if she hadn’t understood the message. Then she walked away, swaying her hips provocatively like she was on some private runway.I closed my eyes for a second and clenched my jaw tightly.“From you, all I want is distance,” I muttered through my teeth, barely holding onto control.I pulled my phone from my pocket and unlocked the screen immediately. I opened the message history with Lauren. Several texts had been sent, but no respons
POV: HENRY“Give me one more chance, Henry. Just one,” Mia said in a whiny, sickly-sweet voice. “Let me love you the right way…”I stepped back, firm. I held my posture—rigid, unshaken.“I already have a wife.” My voice came out clear, without a single tremor. “I’m completely in love with Lauren.” My throat tightened just from saying her name out loud. “We’re having a daughter. And we’ll raise Theodor together.”I took a deep breath and puffed out my chest with pride. Every word came with the strength of an unbreakable truth. I looked down at Mia as if she were nothing more than a pathetic threat to what I had built with Lauren.“I have a family. Whole. Beautiful,” I added. “And I’ll do everything—absolutely everything—to protect them. To love them. To keep them far aw
POV: LAUREN“James, please…” I begged through sobs that tore at my throat. The tears were already falling uncontrollably, soaking my face. “I'm begging you… please, don’t do this to me… don’t touch my baby. I’ll do whatever you want… anything…”“Anything I want, Lauren?” His voice echoed, laced with malice, low, with a perverse pleasure dripping from every syllable.I nodded with difficulty, swallowing hard. The taste of fear coated my mouth. A cold shiver ran down my spine, locking up my muscles in pure terror.“Y-yes…” I murmured, my voice trembling. “Just… just don’t touch my baby…”James slowly turned his face to the masked man standing in the back. A silent command, given only with a look and a slight nod.My stomach twisted viole
POV: LAURENThe air vanished from my lungs. I was trembling. Cold sweat covered my skin. My heart was beating so fast it hurt.“I keep wondering…” he murmured, lowering his face over mine, his hot and repulsive breath making me turn my head away. “What it must feel like to be inside you?”“NO!” I tried to scream, but my voice failed. The scream died in my throat.His hand moved upward, slowly, toward my most intimate part.“Is it as warm as it looks, Lauren?” he whispered, sliding his fingers along the path I was desperately trying to keep protected.I cried, sobbing. My whole body trembled.But my mind was screaming: DO SOMETHING!“Please… don’t do this…” I whispered through tears, my entire body shaking. My voice came out broken, stuck in a thr
POV: LAURENMy stomach turned. My breath caught in my throat. My blood bubbled in my veins. I clenched my fists tightly, trying to ignore the pain still throbbing in my arms, my abdomen, and my soul.He laughed.“That angry little face of yours…” he mocked. “It looks even prettier like that.”“You sick piece of shit!” I screamed, the voice coming from somewhere deep inside, fueled by pain, rage, and the pure instinct to survive.I sprang to my feet, my body staggering, but driven by pure impulse.Furthermore, I lunged at him.James widened his eyes for a second, surprised by my reaction—and then laughed even harder.Before I could hit him, he grabbed my arms forcefully and shoved me with brutal strength. I was thrown against the wall, the harsh impact echoing through my entire body.
POV: HENRYI slammed the car to a stop in front of the Bouvier mansion. The engine was still running, but I couldn’t hear a thing. My hands gripped the steering wheel, so tightly the knuckles turned white. Rage consumed me from the inside—hot, corrosive—filling every inch with my body. My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it. I wanted to get out. I wanted to walk into that house and rip the truth out with my own hands.But the phone vibrated on the console.Unknown number.I frowned. My stomach twisted. I knew it could only be them. The damn kidnappers.I answered.“Speak,” I said. The word came out dry, thick with tension. My throat felt like it was made of broken glass.“Mr. Carter,” said a distorted voice, digitally altered. Robotic. Cold. “We have your wife.”The air i
POV: LAURENIt was a cold and rainy night. I had spent the entire day planning something special for Ethan and me. After so many days of him seeming distant and indifferent, I thought maybe a thoughtfully prepared dinner could help us reconnect. I made his favorite dish and set the table perfectly, with candles and flowers. The aroma of the roast still filled the house when I heard the front door open.“Ethan?” I called out excitedly as I walked out of the kitchen.He entered without even glancing at me. He took off his wet coat and threw it over the back of the sofa, heading straight for the stairs. Furthermore, he looked exhausted but also detached, as if being home was a burden.“You’re home earlier today. I made dinner. I thought we could eat together,” I said, my tone hopeful.Ethan stopped in the middle of the room, finally looking at me with his deep-set eyes and raised chin. His expression was filled with disinterest as he wrinkled his nose.“I already ate. I had a long meetin
POV: LAURENI grabbed the keys with determination, ready to confront Ethan. The photos on my phone clearly showed that woman sitting on his lap, laughing and drinking with him as if they were a couple. Was it because of her that he had changed so much?Ethan's cruel words echoed in my mind, each syllable a blow to my heart:“You will never be enough for any man. Your infertile womb makes you incomplete. You're incapable of making anyone happy.”My anger exploded, and I screamed into the emptiness of the car:“I made you happy for three years, Ethan! This isn’t fair!”I pounded on the steering wheel, feeling the pain throbbing in my wrists, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my chest. My eyes burned from the tears welling up, but I refused to let them fall.I looked at the photos on my phone again, my lips trembling, and my heart crushed with pain. The words escaped in a desperate whisper:“Please tell me this is a misunderstanding. Tell me you're not destroying our marriage li
POV: HENRYI slammed the car to a stop in front of the Bouvier mansion. The engine was still running, but I couldn’t hear a thing. My hands gripped the steering wheel, so tightly the knuckles turned white. Rage consumed me from the inside—hot, corrosive—filling every inch with my body. My jaw ached from how hard I was clenching it. I wanted to get out. I wanted to walk into that house and rip the truth out with my own hands.But the phone vibrated on the console.Unknown number.I frowned. My stomach twisted. I knew it could only be them. The damn kidnappers.I answered.“Speak,” I said. The word came out dry, thick with tension. My throat felt like it was made of broken glass.“Mr. Carter,” said a distorted voice, digitally altered. Robotic. Cold. “We have your wife.”The air i
POV: LAURENMy stomach turned. My breath caught in my throat. My blood bubbled in my veins. I clenched my fists tightly, trying to ignore the pain still throbbing in my arms, my abdomen, and my soul.He laughed.“That angry little face of yours…” he mocked. “It looks even prettier like that.”“You sick piece of shit!” I screamed, the voice coming from somewhere deep inside, fueled by pain, rage, and the pure instinct to survive.I sprang to my feet, my body staggering, but driven by pure impulse.Furthermore, I lunged at him.James widened his eyes for a second, surprised by my reaction—and then laughed even harder.Before I could hit him, he grabbed my arms forcefully and shoved me with brutal strength. I was thrown against the wall, the harsh impact echoing through my entire body.
POV: LAURENThe air vanished from my lungs. I was trembling. Cold sweat covered my skin. My heart was beating so fast it hurt.“I keep wondering…” he murmured, lowering his face over mine, his hot and repulsive breath making me turn my head away. “What it must feel like to be inside you?”“NO!” I tried to scream, but my voice failed. The scream died in my throat.His hand moved upward, slowly, toward my most intimate part.“Is it as warm as it looks, Lauren?” he whispered, sliding his fingers along the path I was desperately trying to keep protected.I cried, sobbing. My whole body trembled.But my mind was screaming: DO SOMETHING!“Please… don’t do this…” I whispered through tears, my entire body shaking. My voice came out broken, stuck in a thr
POV: LAUREN“James, please…” I begged through sobs that tore at my throat. The tears were already falling uncontrollably, soaking my face. “I'm begging you… please, don’t do this to me… don’t touch my baby. I’ll do whatever you want… anything…”“Anything I want, Lauren?” His voice echoed, laced with malice, low, with a perverse pleasure dripping from every syllable.I nodded with difficulty, swallowing hard. The taste of fear coated my mouth. A cold shiver ran down my spine, locking up my muscles in pure terror.“Y-yes…” I murmured, my voice trembling. “Just… just don’t touch my baby…”James slowly turned his face to the masked man standing in the back. A silent command, given only with a look and a slight nod.My stomach twisted viole
POV: HENRY“Give me one more chance, Henry. Just one,” Mia said in a whiny, sickly-sweet voice. “Let me love you the right way…”I stepped back, firm. I held my posture—rigid, unshaken.“I already have a wife.” My voice came out clear, without a single tremor. “I’m completely in love with Lauren.” My throat tightened just from saying her name out loud. “We’re having a daughter. And we’ll raise Theodor together.”I took a deep breath and puffed out my chest with pride. Every word came with the strength of an unbreakable truth. I looked down at Mia as if she were nothing more than a pathetic threat to what I had built with Lauren.“I have a family. Whole. Beautiful,” I added. “And I’ll do everything—absolutely everything—to protect them. To love them. To keep them far aw
POV: HENRYThe disgust I felt at that moment was physical. My stomach turned, my muscles tensed.“Stay away from me,” I spat the words with restrained anger, releasing her arm roughly. “Since I’ll have to put up with your presence here, at least do something useful—donate.”“I’ll give you anything you want, my love,” Mia replied with a smug smile, smoothing her hands over my shoulders as if she hadn’t understood the message. Then she walked away, swaying her hips provocatively like she was on some private runway.I closed my eyes for a second and clenched my jaw tightly.“From you, all I want is distance,” I muttered through my teeth, barely holding onto control.I pulled my phone from my pocket and unlocked the screen immediately. I opened the message history with Lauren. Several texts had been sent, but no respons
POV HENRYThe event had already begun. Theodor was left in the care of his grandmother, Lauren’s mother, while I made my way to the main hall, where the ball unfolded with its usual extravagance. I adjusted my tie in front of the mirror, straightened my suit jacket with a single tug, and stepped onto the stage with firm strides, immediately feeling every eye in the room turn toward me.The upright posture, the silence of the crowd, the subtle flashes… everything was calculated. I owned that room.“Good evening,” I began, my voice steady, confident, and intentionally measured. “I want to thank everyone who took time out of their day to attend this charity event. The Carters Industry fundraising account has already collected a significant amount, which will be directed to low-income families and communities in vulnerable situations.”Some nodded in agreement; others raised their
POV: LAURENHis eyes dropped to my body with a filthy, shameless gaze, stopping at the hem of the white nightgown that barely covered my legs.“You look beautiful like this,” James said, wetting his lips with disgusting malice.He approached slowly, leaning forward slightly and reaching his hand toward the hem of my gown. I reacted instantly, curling my body and landing a firm kick on his hand.“Don't touch me, James!” I shouted in disgust, my heart pounding in my chest. “Have you completely lost your mind? What are you doing? Where’s Lucian? What did you do to him?”He let out a loud, sinister laugh, as if my distress was the highlight of his day.“Don’t worry, your little friend just took a blow to the head. He’s fine… relatively,” he replied, turning his face and glancing mockingly toward the door.A tall man was standing there. He wore a surgical mask and a surgeon's cap. His face was almost completely covered. That figure gave me instant chills.“She’s always been like this… full
POV: LAURENFurthermore, I felt rough fingers tangle into my hair and yank mercilessly, forcing me to my feet. It felt like my scalp was tearing. I whimpered between tears and gasps.“L-let me go… Why… why are you doing this to me?” the question escaped in a weak whisper, as my eyes filled with tears of pain and outrage.“Oh, sweetheart, you're so dramatic, aren’t you?” I heard the mocking female voice above me.I jerked my head up instinctively, my heart pounding, and found myself face-to-face with Violet. Her hands were twisted in my hair, yanking it without an ounce of compassion. Her eyes gleamed with pure venom and wicked amusement.“How about we shut her up, huh?” Violet suggested, smiling in a way that sent a cold shiver through me.“What?” I stammered, my voice breaking with fear and the panic rising uncontrollably inside me. “What do you want with me? Let me go!”I felt my throat tighten, my breath hitch. My skin was slick with cold sweat, and every cell in my body screamed a