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Chapter 85: Ten Years in the Dark
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2026-03-22 06:29:02
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The Night Before Christmas Chapter 85: Ten Years in the Dark
Third Person POV“Breaking News: Evans Grant, one of the city’s most powerful billionaires, was arrested this evening. Reports indicate he is under suspicion for financial fraud, coercion, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and the unlawful detention of Ms Aria Whitmore.”The television light flickered against the polished marble floor of the Whitmore living room. Marian stood rigid before the screen, remote clutched in her hand as though pressing buttons might alter reality.She changed the channel.The same headline.Changed again.The same footage.Police vehicles. Flashing lights. Evans being escorted out in cuffs.Her breath grew shallow.“This person calling himself Desmond Howard is behind this,” Marian said sharply. “I want to know why the real Desmond Howard is silent while some imposter uses his name to pull strings.”Helina entered the room just then, her heels clicking softly against the marble. Her handbag slipped from her shoulder and hung loosely from her wrist.“Helina,”
The Night Before Christmas Chapter 84: Untouchable
Third Person’s POVThe back seat of the police car smelled faintly of vinyl and stale air freshener.Aviel Beckham sat upright, wrists secured in polished steel cuffs, her posture impeccable despite the confinement. Streetlights slid across the window in muted streaks, catching the reflection of her face in the glass. She watched herself watching.There was no tremor in her expression.No visible calculation.No fear.Too composed for a woman facing multiple charges, conspiracy, custodial interference, fraud, offences that could quietly bury a person for the remainder of their natural life.The city blurred past.The officers did not speak.After a moment, Aviel tilted her head slightly, as though considering something minor rather than monumental.“I need a smoke.”The officer driving glanced into the rear-view mirror. The one beside her in the back shifted, turning to stare at her as though she had just requested champagne.“You’re very brave,” the driver muttered. “Asking for a smo
The Night Before Christmas Chapter 83: The Woman Who Built the Board
Desmond’s POVThe estate announced itself long before we reached the gates.Not through splendour, Aviel Beckham was too intelligent for vulgar displays of wealth, but through intention. The road narrowed deliberately as it approached the property, forcing vehicles to slow down. The trees were arranged in symmetrical formation, not wild growth but cultivated presence. Even the silence felt curated.“She wants control of the atmosphere,” I said quietly as the car rolled forward.“She wants theatre,” Aria replied.No.Aviel did not waste energy on the theatre.She built architecture.The gates opened before we reached them.No guard stepped forward. No intercom crackled to life. The message was unmistakable.You are expected.James’ voice filtered through the comm in my ear. “Thermal readings confirm three active bodies inside. One adult female. One adolescent male. One child.”David?So she had brought him into this.“That’s deliberate,” I murmured.“She wants legitimacy,” Aria said,
The Night Before Christmas Chapter 82: Another War
Aria’s POV“She’s been taken.”The words did not explode. They did not echo. They landed with terrifying precision and seemed to still the air inside my lungs.For a heartbeat, I genuinely thought I had misunderstood him.“Taken?” I repeated the syllables, scraping against my throat.The officer standing a few feet away did not look uncertain. He looked trained, composed in crisis, careful with language, but there was a strain beneath the professionalism.“Your daughter was collected from school this afternoon. The pickup was authorised.”The world tilted.“Authorised by who?” I demanded.He hesitated, just long enough for the dread to deepen, before replying.“By you, Miss Whitmore.”I stared at him.“That’s impossible,” I said slowly. “I’ve been here.”“We know,” he replied gently. “The authorisation was submitted digitally three days ago. It included your verified signature and facial confirmation.”Three days ago.Three days ago, I had still been untangling the fractures in my mem
The Night Before Christmas Chapter 81: The Basement Where I Broke, And Refused To Stay Broken
Aria’s POVThe basement did not feel like a room. It felt like a decision.Cold concrete beneath me. Damp air clinging to my lungs. A single bulb humming overhead, flickering just enough to remind me that even light could be unreliable.My wrists burned.The rope had been tied too tightly the first time. When I struggled, it tightened further. My shoulders ached from being forced behind me. My legs were bound at the ankles. I had counted the cracks in the wall three times. Counted the seconds between the guard’s footsteps. Counted my own breaths when panic threatened to swallow me whole.Time did not move here.It stretched.It mocked.The door opened.I didn’t look up immediately. I had learned that looking up too quickly gave him satisfaction.“Still stubborn?” Evans’ voice drifted down the steps.I lifted my head slowly.He looked composed. Almost cheerful.There was something cruel about cheerfulness in a place like this.“I have news,” he said, holding up his phone.I said nothin
The Night Before Christmas Chapter 80: The Fall
Desmond’s POVThere is a particular silence that comes before collapse.Not panic. Not shouting.Certainty.The kind a man carries when he believes he is untouchable. Evans Grant had been living inside that certainty for days.By the time the warrants were signed, I was already in position.The operation moved without spectacle. No media leaks. No dramatic confrontations. Just documentation, signatures, authorisation. Years of quiet evidence threaded together into something sharp enough to cut.Financial fraud. Illegal asset transfers. Coercion. Obstruction of justice.And beneath it all, conspiracy.Aviel’s shadow lingered, but today was not about her.Today was about leverage.And Aria.The police vehicles arrived at Evans’ building at 18:07.I watched from across the street, seated in the back of an unmarked car. James was beside me, earpiece in place, monitoring the coordination channel. Two plain-clothed officers entered first. Uniformed units followed seconds later.No sirens.J
The Night Before Christmas Chapter 26 : The Official Story
Aria’s POVBack in my room, with the horrific image of Sandra and Samuel still on my mind, I heard my phone buzz with a notification. I checked. News.The headline hit before I could brace for it. It was everywhere.Splashed across my phone screen, duplicated endlessly as I scrolled, different font
آخر تحديث : 2026-03-21The Night Before Christmas Chapter 25: Aftershocks
Aria’s POVThe corridor smelled of expensive perfume and polished marble, but all I could taste was bile.Evans’ laughter still echoed in my ears long after he disappeared back into the ballroom, leaving me pressed against the wall like something discarded. The music inside swelled again, violins,
آخر تحديث : 2026-03-21The Night Before Christmas Chapter 27: Lines of Fire
Third Person POVDesmond left home for work, but didn't go to the office. James joined his ride, and they drove to his club. At the club, the driver waited in the car at the car park, while James and Desmond headed for the office inside the club. "Is he coming?" Desmond asked, unlocking his office
آخر تحديث : 2026-03-21The Night Before Christmas Chapter 24: The Engagement Trap
Aria’s POVSaturday came too early.By six a.m., I was already awake, lying stiffly on the bed, staring at the ceiling as thoughts spiralled without order or mercy. By evening, the whole world would know me as Evans Grant’s bride-to-be. The idea sat in my chest like a stone, heavy, suffocating.I d
آخر تحديث : 2026-03-21
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