LOGINThe clock on the wall read 3:47 PM. Ryan had been in meetings since eight that morning. Four back-to-back sessions. Two with investors. One with legal. And the last one with the marketing team who could not agree on anything. His head throbbed from the work. He rubbed his temples. Naomi sat across the conference table taking notes. She kept glancing at him. “You okay?” she asked. Ryan nodded. “Fine. Just tired.” He wasn’t fine. Around 5:30 PM Naomi appeared at his office door with a steaming cup. “You look like you need this,” she said, smiling. Ryan barely looked up. “Thanks, Naomi. Just leave it on the desk.” He was reviewing documents, squinting at the screen. His vision already felt fuzzy from exhaustion. Naomi set the cup down. Her fingers lingered near the rim a second longer than necessary. “Drink it while it’s hot,” she said softly. “You’ve been running on empty all day.” Ryan grabbed the mug and took a sip. It was good. Strong. Exactly what he needed. Or so he thou
Ryan walked into the company lobby without saying a word. The receptionist greeted him with a bright smile. “Good morning, Mr. Carter.” He gave a short nod and kept walking. His expression alone was enough to make everyone lower their voices. The office, usually filled with quiet conversations, became almost silent. Employees exchanged nervous glances. “What’s wrong with him today?” one whispered. “No idea,” another replied. “Just stay out of his way.” Ryan entered the elevator. As the doors closed, he loosened his tie and shut his eyes. Bella’s face flashed through his mind. Then Marcus. His jaw tightened. The elevator stopped on the top floor. He stepped out and headed straight for his office. His secretary was already waiting. She stood the moment she saw him. “Good morning, Mr. Carter.” Ryan didn’t slow down. “Morning.” She followed behind him. “I’ve arranged your meetings for today. The board meeting starts at ten. Your lunch with the investors is at one. The legal tea
Marcus stared at the doctor, barely breathing. The words “She’s alive” kept repeating in his head. Then he noticed the man’s serious expression. “There is something you need to know.” Marcus’s heart tightened. “What is it?” The doctor folded his arms. “Your wife suffered a severe fracture to her left leg. We managed to stabilize it for now, but she’ll need another surgery to insert metal plates. It isn’t life-threatening, but recovery won’t be easy.” Marcus listened without speaking. The doctor continued. “She also has three broken ribs and a concussion. The good news is that the bleeding in her head has stopped.” Marcus finally released the breath he had been holding. “So… she’s going to be okay?” “We’re hopeful.” The doctor paused. “But the next twenty-four hours are critical. We’ll keep her under close observation.” Marcus nodded slowly. “Can I see her?” “Not yet.” The answer came gently. “She’s still unconscious.” Marcus lowered his head. “Thank you, Doctor.” The doc
“Sir! Please step back!”Marcus barely heard the paramedic.He was already on his knees beside Sophia, his hands shaking as he reached for her. Blood trickled from the side of her head, dark against the cracked asphalt, staining the road beneath her. Her eyes were closed. She wasn’t moving.“Sophia…”His voice cracked. He called her name again, louder this time. “Please… wake up.”A woman standing nearby covered her mouth. “Oh, God…” Another man crouched beside him and spoke firmly. “Don’t move her. She could have injured her spine.”Marcus pulled his hand back at once. His chest tightened until it hurt to breathe. “No… no…”The ambulance siren grew louder until the vehicle screeched to a halt beside the gathering crowd. Two paramedics jumped out with a stretcher. “Everyone, give us space!”People stepped back. One paramedic knelt and checked Sophia’s pulse. “Pulse is weak.” The second carefully examined the injury on her head. “Get the neck collar.”Marcus tried to move closer. “I’m
I stood in front of the mirror and forced myself to smile. It looked fake. I kept trying because I'll be going live soon and I don't want anyone to notice my smile is fake. I sighed and picked up my phone. No matter how I felt, my fans were waiting. I had already postponed one livestream this week. If I disappeared again, they would start asking questions. I took a deep breath and pressed the Go Live button. Within seconds, thousands of people joined. Comments flew across my screen. “Bella!” “We’ve missed you!” “You look beautiful!” “The Queen is back!” A small smile escaped my lips. “Hi, everyone.” More comments poured in. “How are you feeling?” “You seem tired today.” “Is everything okay?” I laughed softly. “I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well.” It wasn’t a complete lie. I spent the next twenty minutes talking about healthy meals, simple workouts, and staying confident even when life became stressful. The smile stayed on my face. But inside, I felt empty. Then one c
Clara’s heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears. Her eyes stayed glued to the dark screen of her phone after the video ended. Bella. There was no mistake. She could recognize her brother’s wife’s voice anywhere. The words still echoed. “Marcus… don’t stop.” Clara swallowed hard. Her fingers trembled around the phone. “What have you done, Bella?” she whispered. She wanted to believe she had misunderstood. She wanted to believe the woman in that video wasn’t Bella. But she knew the truth. The bathroom suddenly felt too small. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, trying to calm the shaking in her hands. Then— Knock! Knock! “Clara?” Jake’s sleepy voice came from outside. She gasped. Without wasting another second, she pressed the power button and locked the phone. “Yeah?” she answered, forcing her voice to sound normal. The bathroom door opened slowly. Jake stood there rubbing his eyes. “You’ve been in here for a while.” “I know.” He looked at her carefull
My heart hammered so hard I thought it might burst. Marcus was still buried deep inside me, both of us breathing like we’d just run a marathon. Sweat covered our skin. I felt him twitch one last time before the sound hit me. The garage door. Ryan was home. “Shit,” I whispered, pushing at Marcus
The second session came faster than I expected. Marcus texted the night before to confirm, and I found myself checking the clock every ten minutes that morning. Ryan had already left for work, which made things feel a little lighter. No eyes judging every move.Marcus showed up right on time, weari
I checked my phone for the tenth time that morning, heart beating a little too fast. Marcus was supposed to arrive at ten. Ryan had taken the morning off work just to be here for the start. He kept saying it was to make sure I didn’t slack off, but I knew he wanted to see if this trainer was any go
I scrolled through the comments on my latest Instagram post, forcing that big smile I always wore for the camera. “Bella, you’re a goddess! Those curves are everything!” one girl wrote. Another dropped heart emojis and said, “You make me want to rock my body too. Thank you queen.” The likes poured







