Angelie woke to the sound of birds.
Not her alarm. Not Lucas’s voice.
Birds.
For a moment, she forgot where she was. Forgot everything.
Then the ache set in. A slow, pulsing discomfort across her thighs and back. Like she'd run a marathon or something worse.
Her eyes fluttered open.
She was in her room.
In the Lu estate.
Alone.
Still wearing her robe, half-slipped off one shoulder, the sheets tangled around her legs.
She sat up too fast. Her head spun. Her mouth was dry.
What time was it?
The wine.
Last night.She remembered the knock. Julia. The tray. The two glasses. The way Julia hadn’t met her eyes.
She remembered one sip. Maybe two.
Then, nothing.
Her breath caught.
She touched her lips, then her chest, then her thighs.
A slow chill crept into her bones.
She didn’t remember coming to bed.
Didn’t remember undressing.
Didn’t remember anything after that first sip of wine.
Her heart raced.
Was it just sleep? Or something else?
Something she didn’t want to name.
She got out of bed slowly and went straight to the bathroom.
Locked the door behind her.
And stood under the hot water for too long.
Trying to shake off something she couldn’t see.
**********
Jeffery woke before the sun.
His head throbbed.
His limbs felt like dead weight.
He sat up in bed, running a hand through his hair, eyes darting to the clock.
4:26 a.m.
He never slept this late.
And he never forgot entire nights.
But this time?
Nothing.
He looked around.
He was in his penthouse suite downtown. Alone. No signs of guests. His phone was face down on the side table.
He picked it up.
No messages.
No calls.
No clues.
The last thing he remembered was pouring himself a drink at the hotel bar. Something had tasted off. Just slightly. Not wrong. Just… sharp.
And now this.
His jaw tightened.
He stood and crossed the room, grabbing the shirt off the floor.
Something on the sleeve.
Lipstick?
He stared at it for a beat too long.
Then tossed it on the bed.
**************
At the Lu estate, Angelie moved slowly through the halls like a ghost, avoiding staff, avoiding Lucas, avoiding mirrors.
Everything felt off.
Her body. Her breath. Her skin.
She hadn’t eaten. Couldn’t.
When she reached the back garden, she nearly turned around. But it was empty.
She sat on the bench by the fountain.
The same one from that awful press photo shoot. The same one Jeffery had stood beside weeks ago.
The air was cold, but her skin was clammy.
She pulled her robe tighter.
Something had happened.
She just didn’t know what.
******
Across the city, Lucas adjusted his cufflinks in front of a full-length mirror.
He was humming.
Jimmy stood a few feet behind him, arms crossed. Watching.
“You hear from her yet?” Lucas asked.
“No,” Jimmy said.
Lucas nodded. “She’ll be quiet. She always is after big moments.”
Jimmy didn’t answer.
Lucas turned. “You worried about your conscience again?”
Jimmy’s jaw tensed. “No.”
“Good,” Lucas said. “Because we’re just getting started.”
*************
At Lu Corp headquarters, Jeffery walked into his office without saying a word to anyone. The receptionist barely had time to stand.
Fred Chen was already waiting inside.
He took one look at Jeffery and frowned.
“You look like hell.”
Jeffery tossed his phone on the desk. “What happened last night?”
Fred blinked. “You tell me. I figured you were with a client.”
“I wasn’t.”
Fred watched him. “You forget?”
Jeffery didn’t reply.
He loosened his tie and sat down slowly.
“I blacked out,” he finally said. “And I don’t black out, Fred. Ever.”
Fred’s brows drew together. “You think someone..?”
“I don’t know.”
But his tone said otherwise.
Fred nodded slowly. “Want me to look into it?”
Jeffery was silent.
Then: “Quietly.”
*********
Somewhere uptown, Anita Wong was finishing her third espresso.
Her stylist stood beside her, rambling about new bookings.
She wasn’t listening.
She was scrolling through a news blog.
“Jeffery Lu returns to SF amid rumors of family tension.”
Her thumb paused on a photo of him at the Lu estate, tight smile, perfect suit.
And beside him?
Her.
That girl.
The one from the press conference. The nobody in ivory.
Angelie Smith.
Anita’s gaze sharpened.
She closed the blog.
And finally spoke.
“Cancel Tokyo. And call the agency. I want a campaign in San Francisco. Anything fashion-forward. High visibility.”
Her stylist blinked. “Uh… okay?”
Anita leaned back in the chair, a sly smile tugging at her lips.
“You chase what’s yours. Everyone knows that.”
***********
By late afternoon, Angelie still hadn’t seen Lucas.
But she found a note on her bed.
“Press dinner tomorrow night. Wear something elegant.”
No greeting.
No warmth.
Just orders.
She sat on the edge of the bed, holding the note like it might burn through her fingers.
Her phone vibrated beside her.
Julia: You okay?
Angelie stared at the screen.
She didn’t respond.
She didn’t know how to answer that.
Instead, she typed one word.
“Did anything happen last night?”
No reply.
Not right away.
Just dots.
Then nothing.
The message vanished.
Angelie set the phone down slowly.
Everything was too quiet.
And somewhere inside her, she knew, this wasn’t over.
Whatever had happened last night…
It was just the beginning.
“Hold on, Martha, I can’t run more than this… I might as well die before the rescue team finds us.”Angelie’s legs gave way and she slumped against a tree trunk, panting like someone who had been running from a lion.Martha knelt beside her, holding her hand tightly. Her chest was rising and falling fast.“I know, I know… rest small, but we can’t stay here too long. If Mr. John sees us, I’m dead, and you, kiss your family goodbye.”Angelie looked around the bushy path they were hiding in. Everything felt surreal. She still couldn’t believe how fast it had all happened. Just an hour ago, she was in her room. Then Martha burst in, eyes wide, whispering for her to follow her. She didn’t ask questions. She just moved.And now here they were. Hiding in the heart of the island.“What if they don’t find us?” Angelie’s voice trembled, barely escaping her dry lips.“They will,” Martha said, gripping her hand. “I sent another message to that same number. They’ll track us. They’re already on the
“Good morning, Ms. Angelie. You need to get up now, have your bath, and get ready for your clothes fitting.”Angelie’s eyes fluttered open. Her vision was still blurry, but she could make out the figure of a young lady standing beside her bed. She looked unfamiliar. Blonde hair, soft face, close to her own age, if she guesses right. She blinked again and sat up slightly.“Who are you?” her voice came out dry. “And what do you mean by cloth fitting?”The girl smiled and bowed her head a little. “Pardon my manners, Ms. I’m Leina. I’ll be your stylist for the wedding coming up tomorrow. I know you’re heavily pregnant, so I came prepared with different clothing ideas. Mr. John wants everything to be perfect. Congratulations to you.”Angelie just stared at her.“Wedding?”This wasn’t how she imagined waking up. She remembered Damien saying something about marriage, but she didn’t think he’d actually go ahead with it.“Leina, right?”“Yes ma,” she answered politely.“Go and tell Mr. John o
“Mr. John, Ms. Angelie is in severe pain. You need to see her now!”Damien dropped the sheet of paper instantly. His eyes widened, and he rushed out without a second thought.Back in the kitchen, Martha exhaled heavily. Relief washed over her like a wave. Thank God she came in when she did. A second later she'd be caught. There was no time to destroy the evidence properly, so she did the unthinkable.She chewed the paper.It tasted awful, bitter, and dry, but she swallowed it down like medicine, she couldn't afford to leave traces, and she might not live to tell the story.******Angelie was on the bed, one hand on her stomach, carelessing her stomach . When Damien rushed in. “Are you okay? Are you going into early labor?” he asked in a panic, gently placing his hand on her belly. “Martha told me you were in serious pain.”“Martha?” she repeated, caught off guard.“Yes, the chef,” he said, almost breathless.“Ouch….yes. The baby kicked… hard. Almost drove me insane,” she winced. “The
“Love me… what do you mean?”Jeff’s voice came out low and confused, he blinked his eyes continuously. He turned to Flora, waiting for her to complete her statement.“Yes, she does…” Flora replied quietly, hesitating. “She only got….”Suddenly, the system let out a sharp beep.BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!Their attention went over to the beeping system and they ran toward the screen in sync. The signal had finally come through, clear and strong this time. A small blinking dot on the map confirmed it.Jeff’s fingers moved fast across the keyboard. He quickly jotted down the GPS coordinates, not removing his eyes from the screen. “Got it.” He bookmarked the location and snatched his phone. Dialing Mathew and Fred, he didn’t even wait for them to greet him.“Mathew, look into this GPS coordinate. Send me the location, not a second wasted. I don’t know what he’s up to the next minute.” Jeff hung up the phone, storming out of the room like a man his house was on fire.******The dining table was fil
Jeff pushed the phone across the desk, the screen still lit up with the message. Fred leaned forward, squinting at the text like he wasn’t sure if his tired eyes were playing tricks on him.Unknown: “Save me, Jeff, from Damien. Currently on an unknown island. Go to Flora, she knows who Damien is.”Fred sat upright immediately.“Damn! The girl was right!” he exclaimed.Jeff was already up, throwing on his jacket.“Start tracking this number, now, I need to go somewhere.”“Where?”“To Tim’s house. If anyone has pieces of this Damien puzzle, it’s him.”Fred didn’t argue. He was already tapping on his laptop, setting up the software, while Jeff stormed out of the room like a man with fire in his hands.*****Back in the mansion, Angelie sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes constantly fixed on the door. It had been five minutes since Damien left.She was still shaking, but she was gradually calming down her nerves. Tonight, the woman who served her food did something different, she had r
“Are you okay? You’re sweating.”“I’m good,” Angelie said, forcing a small smile, though her lips trembled a little. “I’m just tired. I was about to sleep before you came in.”She tried to stay still, not giving away the panic pulsing under her skin. She had just tucked the hidden phone under her pillow, hoping he hadn’t noticed the shift in her breath, the tightness in her voice.Damien looked at her for a moment, his eyes went from her face to her body, searching for signs of any discomfort. She hoped he wouldn’t see through her act.“Sorry, my love. I’ve been away for a long time. Daddy had some business transactions to take care of. But I missed you; come with me, let’s take a walk. The doctor said you need to exercise often.”She nodded.Anything that would get her out of the room, even for a moment, she was on board.The moment they stepped outside, the cool breeze welcomed her face. If she wasn’t brought here like a hostage, if she wasn’t slowly suffocating with fear, she would
"Do I know you?"The woman removed her veil and sat down without waiting for his permission. Her movements were confident, unshaken."That isn't important now. Angelie is. I'm Flora, Angelie's roommate back in school. I know you. That's what's important, Mr. Jeff."Jeff squinted at her face. It rang a bell, but it wasn't what mattered now. Angelie did, like she clearly said earlier.”"I'm sorry, Ms. If I came off harsh. Thank you for coming.""Not an issue."Jeff tried to keep calm. He was itching to shout at her to get to the point, to spit out whatever she came to say. But he kept himself still, watched as she caught her breath like someone who had run from the street to his office."What I am about to tell you now is my instinct, and trust me, it's usually right. Ninety percent of the time, at least. My grandmother said it's a gift."Jeff was just nodding his head, but deep down in his heart, this wasn’t what he needed right now. But he remained calm.As though she heard his though
Tim is my friend, and he works in our company. I work under him. He has been the one teaching me everything... A small world indeed," Isabella said, her mouth hanging open as the realization hit her fully. She shook her head slowly, a chuckle escaping her lips in disbelief.Flora clutched her handbag, eyes wide. "Do you know where he stays? My friend might be there. Maybe she is sick or..." She paused, as if her tongue refused to say what her mind feared. "Has she given birth already? This should be it. She should have given birth."Isabella looked at her carefully, weighing her next words. Telling her the truth might trigger something dangerous. Flora's pregnancy wasn't yet stable, and the doctors had strictly warned her to avoid any stress. But how was she supposed to lie convincingly now?"Let’s just go home, Flora. I’m sure Angelie will call you when she’s back. Maybe she just travelled for a while."Flora wasn’t convinced. She was already tapping her foot, arms crossed."There is
"Yes, it's me... It's your Uriel." The words tumbled from Pat’s lips like a sacred prayer finally answered. Her hands trembled so hard that she nearly dropped the tray of food she was carrying.Sister Monica’s eyes widened with disbelief. “You’re alive? Is that you, Uriel?”Pat stood still as Monica reached out, touching her face with shaky fingers, as if trying to confirm this was not another hallucination sent by her ailing mind.Tears spilled freely from Pat’s eyes, hot and unstoppable. The kind that came from the deepest place in the heart. She didn’t wipe them. She let them flow. It was victory, relief, and pain all at once. This was a moment she had prayed for, dreamed of, and envisioned on long nights filled with longing and questions. And now, it was here.She sat beside the frail woman and helped her take a few spoonfuls of food, then her medication. For once, Monica didn't protest. She ate in peace, slowly, with a small smile that never quite reached her eyes.“I’m full,” sh