INICIAR SESIÓNSerenaThe moment Ethan was discharged from the hospital, I felt like a huge weight finally left my chest.Even though he still looked pale sometimes and couldn’t move too fast without feeling pain, at least he was home.With me.That alone made me feel better.The ride home was quiet because Ethan kept insisting he was perfectly fine while I kept glaring at him every five seconds.“I can walk on my own,” he complained for the hundredth time as one of the guards tried helping him out of the car.“You almost lost half your blood,” I snapped immediately.“I’m still alive.”“That’s exactly why you should be careful.”Ethan sighed dramatically.“Serena, I only got shot in the arm.”I stopped walking and turned toward him slowly.“Only?”One of the guards quickly looked away to hide his smile.Ethan immediately realized he said the wrong thing.“I mean...”“You know what?” I interrupted. “Next time somebody shoots you, let me know so I can clap for them.”The guards almost choked trying no
MarcusThe moment Kelvin threw himself into my arms, I hugged him tightly without thinking twice.My chest tightened painfully.God…He felt so small. So fragile.Kelvin held me tightly like he was scared I would disappear again.“Daddy…” he cried loudly against my chest. “Take me with you please.”My throat burned painfully.I gently rubbed his back while trying to calm him down.“It’s okay,” I whispered emotionally. “I’m here now.”He cried harder. “I don’t want to stay here anymore.”Pain twisted violently inside me again.I pulled back slightly and wiped his tears carefully.His small face looked pale and tired.The bruise near his arm made my chest ache badly.“Okay,” I whispered softly. “You’re coming with me.”“Really?” His eyes widened immediately.“Yes.” I nodded.Relief instantly flooded his little face.He quickly held my hand tightly like he was afraid I would change my mind.I swallowed hard and stood up slowly.“Let’s go." I said. But before we could leave“Marcus?” I he
MarcusThe days passed slowly after everything that happened.My injuries gradually started healing.The bruises faded little by little. The cuts hurt less now, and I could finally move around properly without feeling like my body was tearing apart.But even though my body was healing…My mind wasn’t.Some nights, I still woke up suddenly from nightmares.Sometimes I would wake up breathing heavily only to realize Nadia was already beside me asking softly if I was okay.She had been taking care of me nonstop.Honestly…I didn’t know how to repay her anymore.Every morning before leaving for work, she made sure I ate properly and took my medicine.Every evening, she came back exhausted but still checked my wounds first before even resting.And my mother visited almost every day too.She would bring fruits, food, and sometimes sit quietly beside me while rubbing my head like I was still a child.I knew she blamed herself for everything.But honestly…I blamed myself more.That afternoon
Sarah“Is the food not done yet?!”The loud angry voice from the living room made my heart jump violently inside my chest.Fear instantly crawled through my body.“I-I’m almost done!” I replied quickly while washing the last plate with shaky hands inside the small kitchen.God…I needed to be fast. Very fast before Mason got angry again.I swallowed hard and quickly rinsed the plate.The tiny kitchen felt hot and uncomfortable. The sink was leaking again, soaking the lower part of my old skirt. Dirty water covered part of the floor, but I didn’t even care anymore.I just wanted to finish before Mason entered the kitchen.Maybe if I finished quickly enough…He wouldn’t hit me today.Tears burned my eyes immediately at that thought.How did my life become like this?After Kelvin was discharged from the hospital, I had nowhere to go.Nobody wanted to help me. Nobody wanted to take me in. Not after everything I did.Mason was one of my old boyfriends. Back then, he used to act sweet and c
EthanDarkness, that was the first thing around me. Heavy darkness. Then slowly… I started hearing voices.Faint at first, then clearer. “Ethan…”My heart tightened painfully as I heard Serena's voice.She was crying.Even in my unconscious state, I could recognize her voice immediately.The sound of her crying pierced deeply into my chest.“Please wake up…” Her voice sounded broken and fearful.My fingers twitched slightly.Everything around me still felt blurry and heavy, but hearing her cry made me fight harder to wake up.I hated hearing Serena cry. Especially because of me. Slowly, I forced my eyes open. Bright light hit my face immediately.I blinked weakly. The first thing I saw was Serena sitting beside the hospital bed. Her eyes were swollen red from crying.The moment she noticed my eyes open.“Ethan!” Relief instantly flooded her face.She grabbed my hand tightly. “Oh my God…” Her voice shook badly.I frowned slightly from the pain in my arm.“What happened?” I muttered we
MarcusThe ride back to Nadia’s apartment was quiet.Rain still poured heavily outside while the car moved through the empty roads.My entire body hurt badly.Every movement felt painful.The bruises on my ribs burned, my face throbbed endlessly, and my wrists still felt sore from the ropes.But somehow…None of that scared me as much as the memory of Dave’s face.That man was completely insane.I leaned my head back weakly against the seat and closed my eyes.Beside me, Nadia kept glancing at me worriedly.“You’re bleeding again,” she said softly.I looked down.Blood had stained the side of my hoodie again from one of the cuts near my stomach.“It’s nothing.”Her brows tightened immediately.“You almost died tonight and you’re calling it nothing?”I didn’t reply.Honestly…I still couldn’t believe I was alive.If Ethan hadn’t arrived on time...I pushed the thought away immediately.My chest tightened painfully.A few minutes later, we finally arrived at Nadia’s apartment building.
Serena I turned toward the doorway.Ethan stood there, his face dark with fury. His eyes swept across the room, taking in the scene—Natasha's red face, my calm expression, the terrified servants.All the servants immediately started trembling.Natasha's tears increased immediately. She ran toward
Serena The next morning, I walked into my office feeling like a completely different person.I was wearing a sharp black suit, my hair pulled back neatly, my heels clicking confidently against the marble floor.People greeted me as I passed, bowing slightly."Good morning, President Lawrence.""Go
SerenaThe sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of sleep.I groaned softly, my eyes still closed as I reached blindly for it on the nightstand. My fingers found it, and I brought it to my ear without even looking at the screen."Hello?" I mumbled, my voice thick with sleep."Good morning, Mrs. A
Ethan AshfordI walked into my office building, my mind racing faster than my feet.The security guards bowed as I passed, but I barely noticed. My secretary, James, rushed toward me with a tablet in his hand."Sir, you have three meetings this afternoon and...""Cancel them," I said, cutting him o







