LOGINThe governor didn’t blink. “Because your husband made it clear he wants no contact with you,” She said coldly. “He doesn’t want to see you. He sent a formal request to the prison stating that any visits from you would be unwanted. We are required to respect that.”Amelia’s bottom lip began to tremble. She pressed her hand against her belly. “He said that? He actually said he doesn’t want to see me?”“Word for word,” the governor said. “I have the paperwork.”Amelia felt the room spin. She gripped the edges of her chair. “But I have questions. I need to talk to him. I need to know why. He owes me that much. He owes me an explanation.”The governor opened a drawer and pulled out a white envelope. She placed it on the desk between them.“I tried to deliver this letter to you earlier today,” she said. “But you were unconscious in the medical unit. So here it is now.”She slid the envelope across the desk. It made a soft scraping sound against the wood.Amelia stared at it. Her heart
WENTWORTH CORRECTIONAL CENTER – MEDICAL UNIT – 3:45 PMAmelia opened her eyes. She was lying on a hard bed with a thin blanket over her legs. Her cheek still stung where Aurelia had slapped her. She couldn’t stop seeing the photos in her mind Alejandro and Gabriella together. The images felt burned into her brain.A middle-aged nurse sat beside her, wrapping a blood pressure cuff around her arm.“You gave us quite a scare,” the nurse said softly. “You fainted hard. How do you feel?”Amelia stared at the ceiling. Her eyes were red and puffy.“I want to see the photos again,” she whispered.The nurse frowned. “What photos?”“The ones those women showed me,” Amelia said. Her voice was rough and weak. “I need to look at them again. I need to know if they were real or fake.”The nurse shifted in her chair. “The guards said some visitors left the photos behind. But they took them when they left. I’m sorry.”Amelia turned her head away. More tears fell down her face.“He slept with her,”
PRIVATE HOSPITAL – ROME, ITALY – 2:00 AMThe room stayed dark except for the soft green glow of the machines. Tubes ran into Miguel Favino’s arms. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm, but that was the only sign of life. Scars covered the place where six bullets had torn through him one year ago.Lucas sat on one side of the bed, elbows on his knees, eyes bloodshot from another night with no sleep. Enzo sat on the other side, arms crossed over his big chest, tattoos shifting every time he moved.Lucas rubbed his face hard. “Twelve months today, Enzo. Twelve fucking months. The doctors said if he didn’t wake up by now, he probably never would.”Enzo kept staring at Miguel’s still face. “He’s the strongest bastard I’ve ever known. If anyone can fight his way back, it’s the boss.”Lucas let out a bitter laugh. “They shot him at the altar, man. Right in front of Amelia. Six bullets. He was dead when we got him here. They even pronounced him dead back home. How the hell di
Sophia shrugged like it didn't matter. "Once the story spreads, no judge will ever give you custody of Leo. Or this one." She pointed at Amelia's stomach like pointing at a bug. "You'll look like a monster. A mother who can't even stay out of prison while pregnant. How tragic. How disgusting."Amelia slammed her hand on the table so hard the glass rattled. The guard near the door looked over but didn't move."You're evil, Sophia. Pure evil. You think you can just take everything? My freedom? My son? My baby's future? Damien will never let you get away with this. He knows what you are."Sophia laughed louder this time. It bounced off the dirty walls. "Damien? He's already halfway on my side, you fool. He's tired of fighting for a woman who keeps ending up in handcuffs. Soon he'll see the truth—that I'm the better choice. The stable one. The one who can actually give Leo a real home. Not a cell."Amelia's eyes burned with tears, but she swallowed them down. "You're trying to break
LANGSTON LEGAL OFFICES – PRIVATE CONFERENCE ROOM – 5:00 PMRebecca stopped at the door and turned around. Her eyes were cold as ice."I'd rather be broke and starving," she said, "than rich and rotten like you two."She reached into her bag and pulled out a thick envelope. She slapped it on the table."You have twenty-four hours to call off Aurelia Jones from Amelia's case. Or these psychiatric files go to every news outlet in the city. They prove you're a psycho who belongs in a hospital, not running a law firm."Sophia's face finally cracked. Her lips trembled. "You wouldn't dare."Rebecca smiled, but it was ugly and hard. "Try me, you snake. I'll bury you so deep you'll never see daylight again."She opened the door and walked out. The click of the door sounded like a gunshot.Sophia sat down slowly, her knuckles white on the table. "She's going to be a problem."Gerald nodded, his jaw tight. "Handle it. Quietly. Break her if you have to."Sophia picked up her phone. "I'll crush
LANGSTON LEGAL OFFICES – PRIVATE CONFERENCE ROOM – 4:30 PMThe room felt colder after Aurelia walked out. Gerald Langston watched his daughter for a moment, then asked in a softer tone.“How is your husband doing, Sophia? How is Damien?”Sophia’s face changed. She looked away for a second. “He’s… struggling. He’s still asking me to help Amelia. He even suggested I use our lawyers to get her out. He says it’s for Leo.”Mr. Langston raised an eyebrow. “And what did you tell him?”“I told him no, of course,” Sophia replied. “But it’s causing tension. He’s torn between his past with Amelia and his life with me. Sometimes I feel like he still loves her a little.”Her father leaned back in his chair. “That’s dangerous. A man who still has feelings for his ex-wife can be unpredictable. You need to keep him under control.”Sophia sighed. “I know. I’m trying. I told him I’d look into helping her, but only to keep him calm. He’s been distant lately. He even slept in the guest room the other
“It’s… it’s Mr. Favino, ma’am.” The voice on the line hesitated.“Photos. Of Mr. Favino. With another woman. In New York.”The world seemed to tip sideways. Amelia closed her eyes.“Send everything again,” she said, voice calm too calm. “And clear my schedule.”“Yes, ma’am.”The line clicked dead.
Alejandro looked at the envelope. He could go to his lawyer. He could go to a PR crisis manager. He could call his mother and read her the medical terms.But there was only one person who needed to see this first.“The Stone-Favino building,” he said. “And step on it.”---THE STONE - FAVINO BUILDI
She slipped it into her pocket without a word.When she got back to the penthouse, the elevator opened to a heavy silence. Maria was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and getting dinner ready. In the living room, Leo sat on the floor, Lego pieces spread everywhere.“Mom!” He jumped up and wrapped
SOHO APARTMENT ~ NEW YORK Gabriella paced the small living room of her rented SoHo apartment. The city lights flickered through the half-closed blinds, throwing shadows across the bare walls and borrowed furniture. An open suitcase sat in the corner, clothes spilling out. Nothing here felt perman







