~Nella~The sound of my heels clicking against the marble floor of Blackwood felt oddly nostalgic. It had been months since I walked these halls with a badge on my lanyard and a tablet tucked beneath my arm. And now here I was again—knowing I will be next to Roy.Roy was standing at the far end of the corridor when I arrived, his arms folded across his chest, dressed in slate-gray, like he belonged to a world I was still trying to re-enter. When his eyes met mine, something unspoken passed between us. Relief. Longing. Gratitude.“Princess,” he said, voice low but unmistakably warm.“I still know my way around,” I replied with a smile, raising my brow as I stopped in front of him.He chuckled, stepping closer. “That’s not why I’m standing here. I just wanted to see you walk in. I’ve missed that.”He led me to his executive suite. My desk had been cleared, polished, waiting. There was now a personalized nameplate sitting on the edge and I smiled seeing my name boldly written on it.The
~Nella~Ashley noticed the shift in my expression immediately.“What’s going on? Are you okay?” she asked, concern lacing her voice.I glanced down at my phone, my brows still furrowed. “I just got a message… and I honestly don’t know who it’s from.” I handed the phone to her.“We could go check it out together,” she said, casual as ever. Brave, bold Ashley—she hadn’t changed one bit since we were kids.“Alright,” I murmured, slipping off the bed and dragging my feet into my slippers. Ashley was already by the door, waiting.The living room was empty—no sign of Payson or Mom. Only Lauren remained, hunched over her canvas, completely consumed by her painting. She didn’t even glance up as we passed.We stepped outside. The quiet wrapped around us like a thick blanket. No one was at the gate. We peered down the street. Still nothing.We were about to turn back when I heard it.A whisper.My name.I turned sharply to the left, scanning beyond the parked vehicles. And there he was—Sam—half
~Nella~“Mrs. Tiffany… what are you doing here?” Mom’s voice cracked, her eyes wide with shock and something darker—fear.The expression on her face said more than words ever could. Eva’s grandmother wasn’t just a visitor—she was a storm, a threat wrapped in cold elegance.Mrs. Tiffany didn’t bother with pleasantries. Without a word, she strode forward and sat down as if she owned the place. But the true insult came when one of her bodyguards silently laid a pristine towel on the worn couch before she settled, as if the fabric itself might sully her.Mom’s jaw clenched, her voice sharper this time. “What are you doing in my house?”I glanced at Mom, confused. “You know her?” I whispered, but she remained frozen, staring at the woman like she was trying to read a dangerous script. Swallowing hard, I said, “This is Eva’s grandmother.”Mrs. Tiffany smiled—a slow, cruel curl of her lips that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m pleased to see you still remember me, Mrs. Keith. At the very least, I
~Nella~Where Am I?A dull ache throbbed at the base of my skull as consciousness crept back in. My limbs felt heavy, like I’d been buried under sand. My mouth was dry, and a bitter taste lingered on my tongue. I blinked slowly, willing my vision to focus—but all I saw were unfamiliar shadows dancing on cold grey walls.I sat up with effort, a low groan escaping my lips. The room was dimly lit, the only source of light seeping through narrow, barred windows near the ceiling. Panic didn’t hit me all at once—it arrived slowly, growing with every heartbeat, curling cold fingers around my throat.Where am I?The last thing I remembered was stepping out to take the trash… and then that van. That smell. That hand.I stumbled to my feet, swaying slightly as the blood rushed to my head. The floor was hard concrete, and the air held a sharp sting—sterile, like bleach and silence. I rushed to the windows, peering out in vain. There were no buildings, no street signs—just endless trees and fadin
~Nella~I didn’t wait a single second. I stormed out of the store and quickened my pace toward the house, my heels striking the pavement with purpose.“Nella!” Sam called behind me, but I didn’t stop. I had no intention of listening to him—not anymore.He didn’t give up. Instead, he ran up and blocked my path.“We need to talk,” he said, panting slightly.“We don’t have anything to talk about, Sam. Just leave me alone,” I snapped, my voice laced with fury.“I’m sorry…”“I don’t care. That’s in the past—you’re in the past. Move on.”“Then at least tell me what’s going on with you online. I saw some things—”“That’s none of your business,” I hissed, trying to shove past him, but he stood his ground.“I could help. You know I’m good with tech, Nella. Just let me help.”I stopped cold, staring at him like he’d lost his mind. “Oh, now you remember you’re good with tech? Funny how those ‘skills’ never helped us while I was struggling to get things together.”“Nella… baby, please. I’m sorry
~Nella~My heart skipped a beat when I saw the tweet flash across the screen in bold letters:EXCLUSIVE: CEO ROY-WILSON-LOGAN DATING HIS EX-SECRETARY, NELLA KEITH!Sources confirm that the powerful Blackwood Industries executive is now romantically involved with none other than his former assistant, Nella Keith—yes, that Nella. More details loading…It was from the most viral gossip blog in the country. A million likes. Thousands of comments. My fingers trembled. My face drained of colour.“That’s not all,” Hannah added, visibly shaken. “The press and media are outside—full force. It’s chaos, Nella. This is bad for Elevé.”Her words tightened around my chest like a noose.“What’s going on, Nella?” she asked, worried.“I don’t know… I—I’m not sure what to do.” My voice cracked. This… this was the last thing I wanted. And then another headline hit the feed:THIS MIGHT BE THE RETURN OF MR. KEITH… LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER?With Nella Keith now making headlines alongside Roy-Wilson-Logan