Masuk“I am not leaving without my mother!” Annabelle cried, struggling as the security guards dragged her toward the door.Unlike his sister, Xavier said nothing.He held himself together and followed them out in silence, though the disappointment in his eyes was impossible to miss.Their mother had failed them—just as their father once had.For so long, he had believed she would do better. He had wanted to believe she could be both a mother and a father figure to them.But he had been mistaken.And a part of him was consumed with remorse.He had done most of the things she asked of him, obeyed her unquestionably, and now this was the reward for all of it.Not only had they been humiliated in front of the maids and the guards, but they were also leaving with nothing.Their allowance had already been cut off.At this rate, they might even have to transfer to another school.“Please!” their mother cried, her voice cracking as she reached for Salvatore. “You can't do this to me. They can't le
That morning, the chaos downstairs jolted Adrian awake. At first, he assumed it was too early for whatever drama was unfolding in the house. But when he reached for the clock on his nightstand and saw the time, he shot upright in bed.He had overslept.That rarely happened.Without wasting another second, he got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, intending to rush through his morning routine before leaving. But the moment he reached the restroom door, he stopped.There were enough security guards and household staff in the mansion to handle almost anything. So if the noise downstairs had something to do with his father, then it was serious enough for him to step in.He turned away from the bathroom and left his room, making his way downstairs instead.The closer he got to the living room, the louder the voices became. He could hear his stepmother clearly now.But who was she arguing with?The moment Adrian stepped into the living room, the scene before him made him pause.His
The very person they had been talking about walked into the house. At once, every gaze in the room turned to her.Layla froze, unease creeping into her chest.Why was everyone staring at her like that?Then her eyes landed on her mother.Natasha's face was pale, tear-streaked, and visibly swollen from crying. It was impossible not to notice.“Is everything okay?” Layla asked the question, slipping out before she could stop herself. She stepped further into the room, her heart pounding hard against her chest.Natasha rushed to her and pulled her into a tight embrace, breaking into another sob.That only made Layla panic even more.She gently pulled away and held her mother's hands, searching her face anxiously.“Please don't tell me this has something to do with me.”Natasha shook her head at first, tears streaming down her cheeks.Before she could say anything, Joshua stepped forward and gently pulled her away from Layla, gathering her into his chest so she could cry there instead.“Y
“The phone has been ringing for a while now. Who keeps calling you?” Ethan asked, prompting Ryan to lean forward and glance at the screen.Ryan usually never answered calls once he was done for the day—unless it was an emergency. And for emergencies, only a few people had the private number reserved for that.“It's Joshua,” Ryan muttered. “I don't know if something happened.”“Don't pick it up,” Ethan said quickly, grabbing the phone before Ryan could answer. “He's probably calling to find out whether you're with me.”Ryan frowned, clearly confused.That didn’t sound right.“Just let him answer the call,” Adrian said as he stepped into the room, immediately drawing their attention.He was the one they had been waiting for, and at last, he had finally shown up.“What took you so long?” Ryan asked, clearly irritated. “We've been waiting for almost an hour when I should have been home resting by now.”“Calm down,” Adrian replied with a gesture. “I had to help Father put a few things in p
That evening, after the news reached the Harthwore family, Natasha swore she would not let it slide without confronting Ruth. She needed answers—why would Ruth want her daughter dead?Her husband tried to stop her, telling her there was a better way. They could gather evidence, expose her, and ensure she paid for every crime she had been involved in.But Natasha refused to listen.She arrived at Ruth’s office shortly after. The receptionist immediately informed Ruth that she had a visitor.As longtime family friends and well-known figures, it didn’t even take five minutes before Ruth came downstairs.“Natasha!” Ruth greeted warmly, opening her arms wide.They embraced briefly, as though nothing was wrong. Her demeanor gave nothing away. No hint that anything was amiss. No sign of guilt or tension.Just familiarity.They laughed, exchanged light jokes, and carried on as if it were an ordinary visit.Eventually, they made their way up to Ruth’s office.“Should I get you something to dri
Sophia's heart thundered in her chest as she tried to process what her friend was suggesting. Her in-laws, that meant Ruth and her daughters.“Don't you want to revive the company?” Mrs. Salvatore pressed. “Or are you telling me you still care about that so-called marriage between them?”A dozen thoughts crashed through Sophia's mind at once, leaving her unable to decide what to believe, or what to do.She couldn't betray Ruth.Ruth was more than just an in-law; she was a friend. And no matter how much bitterness existed between them all, Sophia wasn't sure she could drag her into something this dangerous.Not even for Layla.“Think about it,” Mrs. Salvatore continued, leaning closer. “Your son gets out of the hospital, takes control of the company, and rebuilds it from the ground up. Then what? Do you really think he has to stay tied to Ashley forever?”Sophia's head began to spin.Everything was happening too fast.Every possibility seemed to open the door to another disaster.“He c
Harthwore stared at his watch, patiently waiting for the rest of the family to gather in the living room.He had informed everyone that there would be a family meeting, yet no one had shown up—except his daughter, who was lying comfortably with her head on his lap.Layla was busy scrolling through
“Do you remember the last time I was here?” Sophia began, taking slow strides around Layla. “The first time I came to congratulate you.”She chuckled softly as she examined her perfectly manicured nails.Layla shook her head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.Someone who could lose e
The door slowly creaked open, and Sophia walked into the room. The moment Ashley saw her, she rose from the couch and stared at her mother."Mother! You didn't come home last night."Sophia merely nodded and changed the subject."How is he feeling?" she asked, stopping beside the bed to check his v
The crowd erupted into cheers as Layla was announced as the third-place winner.A wave of emotions washed over her, making it difficult to contain her excitement.Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined standing on the podium with a medal hanging around her neck. She had attended the competiti







