MasukMINA’S POVI stood still by the sink, holding Zyran’s coffee mug in my trembling hands. A slow, victorious smile crept across my face as I listened to his heavy footsteps fade down the hallway.He didn’t yell at me, he didn’t look at me with that terrifying disgust. He actually defended me right in front of his precious wife, this meant my plan was finally starting to work.Thedoor of the kitchen creaked open, I quickly dropped my smile and forced my shoulders to slump forward as I turned to face Roosevelt."Mina, you can stop washing the dishes now," Roosevelt said softly, walking into the kitchen with a kind smile. "Are you sure, Roosevelt? I really don’t mind doing them, and I want to make sure the kitchen is clean for you," I whispered, keeping my head bowed and my voice as meek as possible."I’m sure, just leave the mugs in the sink and go downstairs to take a break," Roosevelt insisted, stepping closer and looking down at my bandaged hand with pity. "Your hand is still healing,
ROOSEVELT’S POV"Mama, can I have extra syrup today?" Lorna asked, kicking her feet under the kitchen island."Only if you promise to eat all your strawberries first, bug," I smiled, placing a warm plate of pancakes in front of her.The swinging door of the kitchen slowly pushed open, and Mina walked in with her head bowed low."I am sorry, Roosevelt, I didn't know you were in here," Mina whispered, shrinking back against the wall and clutching a dusting cloth to her chest."It is fine, Mina, you can clean the sink," I said softly, taking a sip of my ginger tea.footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Zyran walked into the room wearing a navy suit."I am leaving, Mr. King. I am going to the basement right now!" Mina cried out, her voice cracking with fear as she tried to rush past him."You don't have to leave, Mina," Zyran said, his voice surprisingly soft and calm, showing no anger.I froze completely, the spatula slipping from my fingers as I stared at my husband in shock."Excuse m
ZYRAN’S POVThe doors of the mansion clicked shut behind me as I stepped into the house. I pulled my tie loose after a brutal day of board meetings and endless negotiations. The first sound that reached my ears was the sweet, high-pitched giggle of my daughter coming from the living room."Daddy is home!" Lorna cheered. She dropped her crayons and ran across the floor as fast as her little legs could carry her, throwing herself into my arms with a smile."There is my beautiful queen," I laughed, scooping her up and kissing her cheek. The exhaustion of the day melted away because she was the brightest light in my world, holding her made everything else disappear."Did you bring me a present, Daddy?" she asked, wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her head on my shoulder."I brought you all the hugs in the world," I smiled, walking into the living room. There was Roosevelt sitting on the sofa, she looked stunning in a simple white sweater, and my heart fluttered just seeing her
MINA’S POVI walked down the sidewalk with the blue pickup card in my pocket, the thrill of victory rushed through me because Roosevelt had actually given me her most prized possession, but as I approached the corner bakery, a realization hit me hard, causing me to stop in my tracks.I pulled out my burner phone and dialed Mateo's private number. After two rings, his deep, impatient voice came through the speaker, demanding to know if I had the kid yet."Is she in the car?" Mateo asked quickly, his voice thick with desperation. "I have the secure video link ready on my laptop, so just put the phone on the dashboard so I can see her face and talk to her for a few minutes.""We have a problem, Mateo, and I am calling the car off," I whispered, stepping into the shadow of a brick building so no one could hear me. "We are not doing the video call today, so tell your driver to leave.""What the hell are you talking about, Mina?" Mateo growled, his anger spiking. "I arranged that car just s
MINA’S POVThe sharp edge of the ceramic cut deep into my palm.Blood quickly welled up, dripping down my fingers and splashing onto the tiles. The pain was intense, but as I looked at the blood, a wicked idea flashed in my mind.I didn’t grab a towel but didn’t try to stop the bleeding.I pressed my hand against my chest and let out a loud, pathetic cry."Ah!" I whimpered, closing my eyes and forcing my body to tremble.I heard Roosevelt’s quick footsteps rushing into the kitchen."Mina!" Roosevelt gasped.I opened my eyes, she was staring at the blood dripping onto the floor, she didn’t seem angry about the broken plate, her caring, overly kind instincts kicked in right away."I’m sorry!" I cried, shrinking back against the sink, making my voice shake with terror. "I’m so sorry, Roosevelt! The plate was slippery! I didn't mean to break it! Please don’t tell Zyran!""Forget the plate," Roosevelt said quickly, her cold, strict tone was gone. "Let me see your hand.""I can clean it up,
ROOSEVELT’S POVThe house was quiet.I sat on the living room sofa, holding a cup of warm tea as I watched the woman across the room.Mina was on her hands and knees, her hair was tied back in a messy knot, she held a wet cloth, scrubbing the baseboards near the fireplace.She didn’t look up, she just scrubbed the wood intently.For the past two days, this had been her entire life, she woke up before the sun, cleaned the house, washed the clothes, and kept her head down. As soon as her chores were done, she ran back down the stairs to the basement and locked herself inside.She was terrified of Zyran and was terrified of me.The doorbell suddenly rang.Mina gasped loudly, she dropped the wet cloth and scrambled backward, pressing her back against the fireplace. She pulled her knees to her chest, shaking violently."It’s just the door, Mina," I said calmly, setting my tea down. "You don’t need to hide.""I’m sorry," Mina whispered, her voice cracking as she kept her head down. "I will
ROOSEVELT’S POVI sat in the back of the SUV, pulling Zyran’s suit jacket tighter around my shoulders as I shivered.I watched him through the tinted glass staring at his phone screen.Suddenly, his whole body went rigid.The phone slipped from his fingers and he didn't even try to catch it. He jus
ROOSEVELT’S POVMy head snapped to the side. A sharp, burning pain shot across my face. I stumbled back, hitting my hip against the table. I tasted warm copper in my mouth.For a moment, the room was silent."What the hell are you doing?!" Zyran roared.His deep voice shook the crystal glasses on t
The ride back to the mansion were moments of tears and exhaustion.When my cab finally pulled up to the iron gates, the house was dark except for the bright light coming from the living room window.I took a deep breath and placed my hand over my flat stomach, drawing strength from the tiny heartbe
ROOSEVELT’S POVThe cold night air hit my face, but I struggled to breathe.The pain in my stomach felt like a hot knife twisting inside me. I grabbed the rough brick wall of the building, my fingers scraping against the stomach as I shut my eyes tight.Please, no, I begged silently. Not my baby. P







