MasukKARL
I stared at Jennifer, then shifted my gaze down to the steaming cup of coffee in her hand. She smiled gently when our eyes met, completely unfazed.
“How are you feeling now?" she asked, her voice soft in the quiet room. "I got you some coffee.”
She pulled a wooden stool closer to the edge of the bed and placed the ceramic cup on the bedside table.
The scent of caffeine drifted toward me, but I didn't touch it.
“Stop a
KARLI stared at Jennifer, then shifted my gaze down to the steaming cup of coffee in her hand. She smiled gently when our eyes met, completely unfazed.“How are you feeling now?" she asked, her voice soft in the quiet room. "I got you some coffee.”She pulled a wooden stool closer to the edge of the bed and placed the ceramic cup on the bedside table.The scent of caffeine drifted toward me, but I didn't touch it.“Stop all this, Jennifer,” I said, my voice sounding rough and gravelly.Her smile faded slightly, the warmth leaving her eyes. “Stop what?”“Whatever this is.” I gestured around the pristine, white room, the movement making my head throb violently. “How did I end up here? What the hell happened last night?”She stared down at me, her posture instantly stiffening as her expression changed from concern to pure disbelief.&
KARLMy eyes fell to the necklace lying at my feet. It sparkled against the cold floor. Three point eight million dollars, and Leila had thrown it away without a second thought. She didn't care about the money, or the fact that it was a gift from me. I stood frozen in the middle of the crowd, my breath trapped in my chest. She was in George's arms. He held her tight against his chest like the most precious thing in the world, and Leila didn't even try to pull away. Their daughter’s small hands wrapped around her neck, making them look like a perfect, happy family. A dark sensation twisted inside me, squeezing my heart until I couldn't breathe. I hated George. I despised him more than anyone else on this earth, and right now, I had to watch him enjoy the exact life I had lost. He had my woman. He had the family I was supposed to have. He had everything. The sight filled me with a burning hatred that I could barely contain. Part of me wanted to scream and tear the museum apart,
LEILAI turned to face him, keeping my expression composed.Up close, Karl looked exactly as I remembered him. The same sharp features. The same confident posture. The same eyes that had once made it difficult for me to remember all the reasons I should walk away from him.For a brief moment, the familiarity caught me off guard. Then I reminded myself that the man standing before me was part of a life I had already left behind.His gaze moved over my face, lingering before settling on mine. Something shifted in his expression, but I had no interest in figuring out what it meant.“You look beautiful, Leila.”“Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne,” I replied with a polite smile. I turned and continued toward the exit.My heels clicked against the polished floor, and the music from the ballroom followed me into the corridor. I had barely taken a few steps when I heard his footsteps behind me.“Leila, please. Can we talk?” He quickened his pace until he was walking beside me. “I just need a few minut
LEILAThe makeup artist tilted my chin toward the light. “One last touch, Mrs Stonne.”The sound of music drifted through the dressing room, mixing with my team's voices and the distant hum of guests arriving downstairs. My gown shimmered under the lights, its elegant neckline leaving my neck bare. My hair was swept into an updo, and the makeup artist brushed the final touch of color across my lips.“Perfect,” she whispered, stepping back. “Absolutely perfect.”Before I could admire the result, the door opened, and Doreen hurried inside with a delivery woman carrying a large gift box and a bouquet of white orchids.“Delivery for Mrs Stonne,” the woman announced.My smile widened at the sight of the flowers. White orchids. My favorite.Of course. George. Who else would remember something so small and make it feel so special?Doreen sighed dramatically. “How I wish George would leave you for me. A man like that is wasted on you.”I burst out laughing, shaking my head at her. “Doreen!”“
KARLLeila's face filled the television screen.I sat on my couch, a glass of wine in my hand, watching an interview about the museum she had spent the past two years working on.She looked beautiful in her fitted cream dress, her hair falling neatly over her shoulders. There was a confidence in her voice that hadn't been there when we were married. She spoke about the museum's design, the challenges she had overcome, and what the completed project meant to her.And I was proud of her.The interviewer asked her what she hoped people would remember about the project.Leila smiled. “I want people to walk through the museum and feel that every detail has a purpose. I want them to see the work behind it and understand that something meaningful can be built even when the process isn't easy.”I lowered my glass.For a moment, I forgot about the room around me. I was back in the days when I could have sat across from her at dinner and listened to her talk about her work. Back when she would
GEORGETwo Years Later........Leila had been busy preparing for the museum’s grand opening, leaving me in charge of Mila for most of the day.If anything, I enjoyed having my daughter all to myself. She had kept me busy since morning, demanding my attention every few minutes and refusing to let me out of her sight. By the time she finally fell asleep, I felt as though I had just survived a battle.I carried her into the bedroom and lowered her carefully onto the bed. She stirred, her tiny fingers curling around the edge of her blanket, but she didn’t wake. I smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.“Finally,” I whispered. I had barely straightened when someone knocked at the door. I frowned as I stepped out of the bedroom, closed the door quietly behind me, and went to answer it.Theodore’s lawyer stood outside. For a second, neither of us spoke. I hadn’t seen him since the day Theodore was laid to rest, and I certainly hadn’t expected him to show up at my house.
EVELINA The corridor felt different when I stepped out of Dr. Yuen’s office.People were moving faster. Reception staff straightened behind their desks. Nurses glanced toward the entrance like they were expecting someone important.A name passed quietly through the hallway. “Aria Vance.”I kept wa
EVELINA The notification was still on my screen when I woke up.CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE QUALIFIED FOR THE APEX URBAN PRIZE. Final submission window: 7 days.I stared at it through a few hours of broken sleep and the dull ache climbing up the back of my neck.Outside the studio windows, the sky h
EVELINA “Sign them whenever you’re ready.”A white envelope landed on my keyboard. For a second, I thought it was another batch of revisions from Sterling Group. Then I saw the words on the front.Divorce Agreement.Julian Sterling stood across from me in his charcoal suit, still buttoned up. His
EVELINA Dominic.For a second, I thought it would be Julian. Or Theodore. Or nobody.Hotel hallways were always full of people coming and going. Most of the time, nobody looked twice at you.But Dominic was walking toward me. His hands were in his pockets, his expression flat and unreadable. He st







