LOGINZYRAN'S POV By the time I pulled up outside my daughter's school, the woman was gone.I drove the car into park, barely giving the engine time to settle before I climbed out and headed straight for the gate. My eyes swept across the sidewalk, the parked cars, and the small group of parents gathered near the entrance, but there was no sign of a red-haired woman."Where is she?" I demanded as I approached the gateman.The older man looked up from his chair, apparently unimpressed by my sudden appearance. He was wearing a faded blue uniform, and a small radio crackled beside his elbow."Who's that, sir?""The woman who was standing here a few minutes ago. Where did she go?"The man leaned back in his chair and gave me a look that immediately got under my skin."You mean the woman who was here asking about the children?""Yes, her." I stepped closer to the gate. "Where did she go?"He shook his head and clicked his tongue."Ah, sir, you people like to wait until the last minute before yo
ROOSEVELT'S POV The office door closed behind Maya, leaving an uncomfortable silence left between me and Nixie. Nixie stood beside her desk for a moment, her eyes lingering on the door before she finally turned away and heaved a sigh of relief. I couldn't tell whether she was still thinking about the handbag or simply trying to put the conversation with her cousin behind her. Either way, I decided not to ask. We had enough unanswered questions without adding assumptions to the list. So, I reached for my phone, intending to call Daniel again to know if any news came up, when Nixie spoke interrupting me. “Roosevelt?” I looked up. “Yes?” “Would you mind if we went out for lunch?” I stared at her, wondering whether I'd heard correctly. “Lunch?” “Yes, lunch.” She gave me a small, almost embarrassed smile. “An actual meal. Just somewhere we can just cook off a bit.” Despite myself, I laughed. “Are you suggesting we abandon our responsibilities in the middle of the workday?” “I
Nixie's POV My phone rang while I sat staring at my laptop, trying to make sense of what we'd discovered earlier. That alone was troubling enough, but what bothered me most was the possibility that the person had copied Roosevelt's documents without anyone noticing.I opened the folder again and checked the files one after another. Everything appeared to be where it should be. Nothing had been deleted, and there was no obvious sign that anything had been changed.That should have been reassuring, but it wasn't.I'd already explained that Maya would never do something like that. She was my cousin, and as far as I knew, she had no interest in anyone else's work. She was more interested in parties and having a good time than getting involved in company business.I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my forehead.Maya had been in my office the previous day, but I had already explained why I didn't believe she would do something like this. She was my cousin. I knew her well enough to know
ROOSEVELT’S POV"Nixie!! Nixie!!" I shouted as Nixie hurried into my office at the sound of my voice."Roosevelt! What is it? Why are you screaming my name like that?" She asked, surprised at the tension she saw on my face."Nixie, come and look at this screen and tell me if I am losing my mind," I growled, pointing my finger straight at my monitor.Obviously since yesterday I did not sleep for one second last night because of that picture of my house sent to my phone, so my eyes were bloodshot and my whole body was shaking with anger.My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest as I yanked my desk drawer open and grabbed my drawing book and slapped the book down on the desk right next to the screen because I wanted to prove to myself that I was not crazy.Nixie leaned over my shoulder so close that her breath was hot against my ear, her hands gripping the wooden desk."This is impossible, Rose," Nixie whispered, her breath smelling of coffee as her eyes jumped back and forth betwe
ROOSEVELT’S POVThe next morning, I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the message on my phone for the hundredth time. The threat was still fresh in my head, and my eyes were burning because I had not slept all through the night. I kept asking myself who could have done this. Every small sound outside the window made my skin cold, but I knew I had to pull myself together because my children needed to eat and get ready for school. I forced my legs to stand up from the bed, and went straight into Lorna's room to wake her up."Wakie! Wakie!”“Wake up, my sweet girl, it is time for school," I whispered softly into her ear, sitting on the side of her mattress and rubbing her back gently with my hand.Lorna moved her body under the blanket, rubbed her sleepy eyes with her fist, and looked up at my face with a smile."Goodmorning mama” “Goodmorning my love, how are you feeling this morning?” I asked, beaming with smiles all over my face. “Mama, my throat does not hurt so much today,
ROOSEVELT’S POVMy soul was torn into pieces, and my whole body was shaking because I had no strength left in my bones to see Lorna lying helplessly on that hospital bed.I closed my eyes, rested my chin against the edge of the mattress, and buried my face in the blanket. Every breath inside my chest felt heavy, and I made up my mind right there that if my daughter's heart stopped beating, I was never going to find joy again in this life.The fear in my head was so blinding that I could not even hear the nurses moving around the room. I reached out my trembling fingers and squeezed her hand as tightly as I could."Please, Lorna! Do not leave your mother in this world," I whispered into her pillow, my tears soaking through the bedsheet. "Julian is at home waiting for us, and I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you again if you just open your eyes for me."I stayed in that position for a long time, listening to my own ragged breathing and praying with every single part of m
ROOSEVELT’S POV“As soon as this Gala is over, and the press calms down, I will have my lawyers draft the divorce papers. I promise, I am bringing you home.”The audio played again, and again, and again.I sat on the sofa, my hands covering my mouth to muffle my sobs. The pain felt like a heavy sto
ROOSEVELT’S POVI stared at the paper in my trembling hands. The black ink blurred as tears filled my eyes.It's definitely for mina I glanced at the black box on my table. The necklace sparkled under the light. Just minutes ago, I had felt so happy. I thought my husband was finally choosing me.B
I stared at the blueprints laid out on my desk. 1402 Lakeview Drive.I didn't cry. The shock was too deep for tears. Instead, a cold knot formed in my chest, making it hard to breathe.I grabbed my laptop. My hands trembled, but I managed to open the browser and log into the city’s public property
My body ached. The excitement of being back at work had faded, replaced by a dull throb in my ankle and the exhaustion of hiding a pregnancy. I unlocked the heavy front door of the Safe House, expecting silence and a cold, empty hallway. Instead, laughter filled the air. "Oh, look at you! You ar







