로그인The governor looked at the ring, then back at Amelia. For the first time, her voice softened just a little.“You’re stronger than you think,” she said.Amelia gave a small, tired smile that didn’t reach her eyes.“I have to be,” she replied. “Because from now on, I only have myself.”She turned and walked out of the office without looking back.The door closed behind her with a quiet click.For the first time since she had been locked up, Amelia didn’t feel like crying.She felt something else.She felt free.FAVINO PENTHOUSE – KITCHEN – 7:15 AMThe morning sun poured through the tall windows of the penthouse kitchen. Everything was clean and white and expensive. Alejandro walked in wearing only black sweatpants, his hair messy from sleep. His feet were bare on the cold marble floor.Gabriella stood at the counter in one of his white shirts. The shirt was too big for her, hanging off one shoulder. She was making coffee, her hips swaying slightly to music only she could hear.Aleja
The 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
ALEXANDER BLACKWOOD PENTHOUSE Back home, the apartment was quiet except for the soft clink of Vivian’s wine glass against the marble counter. Golden light from the pendant lamps spilled over the kitchen island, catching the stack of crisp black-and-gold invitation envelopes she’d been sorting. S
The ambulance doors swung open, and Alexander was rushed inside on a stretcher. Vivian ran beside him, her face pale, tears streaking her cheeks. The ER was chaos flashing lights, beeping monitors, nurses and doctors moving fast.“Sixty-eight-year-old male, severe chest pain, possible heart attack
COURTYARD DINNER PARTY ~ SpainThe courtyard glowed under the evening sky, lanterns casting warm light over a long oak table piled high with paella, jamón ibérico, and chilled albariño. Glasses clinked, laughter bubbled, but behind the smiles, the guests were predators old money from Madrid and Ba
ALEXANDER'S MANSION - LATER THAT NIGHTThe heavy oak door slammed behind him, echoing through the mansion like a gunshot. Alexander Blackwood froze in the foyer, gripping his car keys so tightly his knuckles turned white.The drive home had been a blur. Amelia’s words kept replaying in his head: “S







