LOGINSAINT VICTORIA HOSPITAL — VIP SUITE — EVENINGThe sound of the slap echoed through the luxury suite.Amelia’s head turned with the force of the impact. For a few seconds, she simply stood there, too shocked to react. Slowly, she raised a hand to her cheek and stared at Ariana in disbelief, as if she could not believe her best friend had actually slapped her.Ariana was trembling. Tears streamed down her face, and the hand she had used to slap Amelia was still raised, shaking badly.“Don’t you ever talk to me like that again,” Ariana said, her voice breaking. “You have no idea what I’ve been dealing with. You have no idea how hard this has been for me.”Neither woman spoke for a moment. The room fell completely silent except for Ariana’s uneven breathing and the faint hum of the city outside the hospital windows.Amelia slowly turned her face back toward her. The shock in her eyes disappeared, replaced by cold anger.“Did you just slap me?”Ariana swallowed hard, but she did not look a
DAMIAN’S MANSION — FOYER — 8:00 AMLeo walked down the grand staircase wearing his new school uniform. He hated everything about it. The stiff collar. The expensive fabric. Even the way everyone in the mansion kept looking at him as if putting him in a fancy uniform had suddenly changed his life.Damien was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. The moment he saw Leo, his face brightened. “Wow,” Damien said, looking him over. “You look great. Like a real Blackwood.”Leo stopped halfway down the stairs and gave him a cold look. “I’m not a Blackwood.”Damien’s smile faded slightly. “Leo—”“I’m a Favino,” Leo said firmly. “Stop trying to change that.”Damien took a breath and nodded. “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You look great, that’s all I meant.”“Then just say that next time.”Leo continued down the stairs and walked straight past him.Damien quickly followed. “Your headmaster, Mr. Harrington, is expecting you. He’ll give you a tour of the school, introduce you to your
Ariana’s face flushed slightly. “About a week.”“A week?” Amelia stared at her in disbelief before letting out a small laugh. “Riri, that’s fast. Really fast.”“I know,” Ariana admitted with a nervous shrug. “But he’s been really supportive. He helped me through a lot when everything started falling apart.”Amelia glanced at Marco again, studying him carefully. She didn’t trust people easily anymore, especially after everything that had happened to her and Ariana. Still, Ariana looked genuinely happy to have him around, and Amelia didn’t want to ruin that moment.“Hi, Marco,” she said, keeping her voice polite but guarded. “Nice to meet you.”Marco smiled warmly. “Nice to meet you too, Amelia. Ariana has told me a lot about you. She says you’re more like a sister than a friend.”Amelia returned his smile, although there was still a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “That’s sweet of her.”She looked at his crutch and bandaged leg before turning back to Ariana. “But can you give us a few m
Ariana flinched and pulled the phone slightly away from her ear as Amelia’s angry voice filled the room.“Amelia, please—”“I left my son in your care!” Amelia shouted. Tears immediately filled her eyes as she paced across the room, her free hand trembling as she ran it through her hair. “I trusted you, Ariana! Out of everyone, I trusted you with my child!”“It’s not what you think!” Ariana quickly replied, her voice filled with panic.“Then what the hell is it?” Amelia demanded. Her voice cracked as another tear slipped down her cheek. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you betrayed me too. I thought you were my friend!”“I am your friend!” Ariana insisted, her voice rising with desperation. “Amelia, please, just listen to me. I can explain everything.”“No!” Amelia snapped. She shook her head furiously as she wiped the tears from her face. “I don’t want to hear another excuse. You betrayed me too!”Ariana closed her eyes and took a shaky breath.“After everything I’ve b
DAMIEN’S MANSION — LEO’S ROOM — 7:00 AMMorning sunlight streamed through the tall windows of Leo’s room. The walls were still cream-colored, but Damien had already ordered ash-gray paint for the room. It was a small change, but it was one of the few things Leo had actually asked for.A knock sounded on the door. “Leo? Are you awake?” Damien asked.Leo sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the expensive school uniform laid out in front of him. The navy blazer, white shirt, gray trousers, and polished shoes looked completely out of place in his room.The Blackwood Academy crest was embroidered neatly on the blazer.He had never owned anything that expensive before. Another knock came. “Leo, we need to leave soon. School starts at eight-thirty.”Leo sighed before getting up and opening the door.Damien stood there holding a tray of breakfast, looking almost nervous.“I made breakfast for you,” he said, forcing a small smile. “Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and orange juice.”Leo looked at the
Elena's voice dropped to a whisper as she added, "How much longer am I supposed to wait for you, Daniel? How much longer am I supposed to be your secret?"There was a long silence on the other end. Then Daniel spoke, his voice cold and dismissive. "You're not my secret, Elena. You're my lawyer. And you're a tool I'm using to get what I want. Don't confuse the two."Elena's face went pale. "What?"Daniel's voice was flat. "You knew what this was when you signed up for it. You're getting paid. You're getting what you want. Don't make this into something it's not."Elena's voice cracked. "I don't believe you. You don't mean that."Daniel's voice was ice cold. "I mean every word. Now focus on the case. Make sure Ariana loses. That's all I care about."The line went dead.Elena stared at her phone, her whole body shaking. Tears streamed down her face.She had just given Daniel everything. And he had thrown it back in her face.She was nothing to him. A tool. A pawn. Nothing more.She threw
Marisa jabbed a finger at Amelia. “Yes. You.”The room went quiet.Alejandro tensed. “Mother, don’t.”“No,” Marisa said, her voice cold. “You don’t get to shield her. Let me speak.”She stepped closer to Amelia. “You show up here… and suddenly the Guerras strike. You have ties to the Blackwoods. To
THE FAVINO ESTATE — LATE MORNINGThe house felt different after Marisa left.Amelia noticed it first.The servants moved softly, avoiding eye contact. Phones were kept on silent. Even the sunlight pouring through the tall windows felt restrained, like it didn’t want to interrupt whatever storm was
VIVIAN OFFICE~ NEW YORK Then she saw Mia’s expression puzzled, a little worried, waiting for her boss to recognize her own approval. Vivian’s survival instinct kicked in, cold and swift. She could not let Mia know.She forced a weak, dismissive laugh and rubbed her temple. “Oh, for heaven’s sake.
KATHERINA APARTMENT ~ NEW YORKRyan’s voice dropped, turning cold. “Good. I’ll send you a secure line. Nobody can know we’re working together. Not Damien. Not the board. No one.”Katherina smirked and leaned back in her chair.“Please. Damien has so many problems piled on his head, he wouldn’t noti







