THE WRATH OF HILLARY HOUSTON

GRANDMA HILLARY POVI pulled my sunglasses down as the Rolls eased through the iron gate and I watched that ugly house come into view. Move faster, I barked at the driver. This is a 2025 Rolls, not a snail. He muttered something and kicked the gas. Good. Keep going.My hand .. my left hand, the one with the old ring … kept clenching against the seat. I thought of that little girl, all alone in that place. For years I argued with Isabella. For years I said cruel things. I called that baby a bastard when I was angry and foolish. I will own that. But now? Now I don’t care what words were said before. That child is my blood. My great-grandchild. They will not touch a hair on her head.Those Gustavo people better have not laid a filthy hand on her. If they did anything—if anyone so much as breathed on my family in the wrong way—I'll show them what the wrath of Hillary Houston looks like. I heard my voice in my head like an old warning: you cross a Houston, you pay.We pulled up by the driv

LIES

XAVIER POVThe waves crashed softly against the shore, their rhythm echoing the chaos inside my chest. I stood outside the cabin, staring at the water as the wind tugged at my shirt. The night was quiet…too quiet. Only the sound of my heavy breathing filled the air.I didn’t mean to hurt her. God, I didn’t. But why couldn’t she just forget that damn Drake? Why couldn’t she see that all I ever wanted was peace, just her and me?I bent slightly, running my hand through my hair. The thought of her looking at me with fear earlier replayed in my mind like a cruel movie. She had flinched when I raised my voice. I hated that look. I wanted her to love me again, to look at me the way she once did before Drake came back into the picture.“I just wanted us to be happy,” I whispered to the dark water. “A quiet life… just the three of us. I was even ready to accept her daughter. Our daughter now.”A bitter laugh slipped from my lips. “But she messed it all up.”She shouldn’t have doubted me. She

SHATTERED

ISABELLA'S POVEverything happened so fast.One moment Xavier was standing there, his chest heaving, his eyes wild. The next his grip loosened and his body went forward. He crashed to the floor with a sick, hollow sound.I gasped and pressed my palm to my mouth. My fingers came away wet. There was blood on the back of his head. A dark red smear on the floor where his skull hit the wood.I turned and saw her. That same lady.She stood a step behind the small shed, a wooden plank in her hands. Her clothes were torn, her hair a mess, and she had that hard look in her eyes. Up close, my breath caught. She looked like me. Not similar … the same face, the same sharp nose, the same stubborn mouth. It was like seeing a mirror that moved and breathed.Her eyes were full of something I did not know at first. Fury, yes. But also pain. Her face was streaked with dirt and old tears. She stepped closer, the wood held like a tool.“Get out of here. Now.” Her voice snapped me back into motion.My leg

DEATH

DRAKE’S POVThe scream still echoed in my ears…Loud and painful…when I found the body of a lady lying flately dead. She looks so much like Isabella that I got scared at first.It made my chest ache in fear and I moved quickly, quietly through the trees, the smell of gunpowder still heavy in the air. The ground was wet with broken leaves and fear. Then I saw her…Isabella…stumbling forward, her gown torn, her hair a mess of panic and exhaustion.Before she could run again, I wrapped my arm around her waist and covered her mouth gently.“Shh…” I whispered, my voice low and steady. As she struggled in my arms. “It’s me, Isa… it’s Drake.”She froze. Then slowly, her trembling body softened against mine. For a few seconds, we just stood there, breathing in sync, her heart pounding against my chest. The world went silent except for the wind moving through the trees.When I was sure Xavier was gone from the area, I loosened my hold. She turned, eyes wide and wet with tears.“Drake…” she whisp

FINAL

ISABELLA POVEverything felt like it was happening in slow motion. My hands were trembling as I held Drake’s body, shaking him, begging him to open his eyes. “Don’t leave me, please… you have to survive… don’t leave me,” I cried, my voice breaking apart like shattered glass. My tears fell endlessly, soaking his blood-stained shirt. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry for not trusting you… please, just open your eyes,” I whispered, my voice lost between sobs. Broken.My whole body was vibrating, my heart racing so fast it hurt. I could barely breathe. Everything around me became a blur..voices shouting, footsteps rushing closer, lights flickering through the trees.“Madam, let’s take him to the hospital! The helicopter is here!” someone shouted. Their voices felt distant, echoing through my head.They lifted Drake’s limp body onto a stretcher. I stumbled after them, tears clouding my vision. His hand slipped from mine, and I grabbed it quickly, refusing to let go. “Don’t take him away from me!” I sc

EPILOGUE ( THE END)

ISABELLA POV The air was calm, yet heavy with memories. I stood quietly in front of the grave, my fingers trembling as I dropped a white flower on it. The petals brushed softly against the stone before falling to the ground. My eyes blurred, and before I could stop them, tears slipped down my cheeks. It had been a rough month. Everything that happened felt like a dream I hadn’t fully woken up from. Xavier’s trial had been the hardest part. He was finally paying for his crimes … for the deaths, for the lies, for what he did to me and all those innocent girls whose lives he ruined. During the trial, it was discovered that he was mentally unstable. The psychiatrists confirmed what everyone already knew ..that he was a sick man, completely consumed by his obsession. And Madam Hilda… she got the worst punishment of all. Her son was locked away in a psychiatric hospital. The mighty Gustavo name had fallen into dust. Their empire collapsed overnight … investors withdrew, shares plummeted