All Chapters of Ripples And Hills: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Elviira Hills.New York. Wednesday, 25th June. Next day.Scarlet’s attending physician quietly checks her vitals. Her eyes aren’t lidded this morning like the other mornings. Not since yesterday, when I gave the order that I be the only person administering her medications. And now, there’s significant improvement.“There’s noticeable improvement, Mrs. Hills. Thank God you listened to me over the phone and made the prompt changes.” Doctor Andy beams. I nod, recalling his call from yesterday morning. My body still inwardly shudders at the memory.‘Elviira, if you want, we can have only one person giving her medication. No one else is to come in with anything. If possible, have security feeds discreetly installed in her room.’I had paled at the suggestion. Found it odd. Such thoughts didn't belong in my family.‘We’re family, Andy. Why would anyone among us want to give Scarlet hallucinatory drugs or depressants?’ I had echoed his unspoken suspicion. But with my permission, he had alr

Pier.Hearing her say she’d miss me is like cold water on a hot skillet.Hissing, intense, electrifying. The very words I’ve been aching for. I kiss her gently, my heart pounding at the thought of being inside her tonight. We’re alone. Dinner was perfect. What more could I want?I’ve been drowning in meetings for days, distracted, exhausted. But I couldn’t let tonight pass without seeing her. I wasn’t expecting her to be alone. I only wanted to take her out. But this… this is better.I lift her into my arms and carry her upstairs. Her warmth pressed against me, her breath soft against my neck. In her room, I lay her gently on the bed, then follow her down, my lips brushing every inch of her skin. She arches beneath me as I undress her slowly, reverently, trailing kisses down her thighs. Her scent intoxicates me. Her body responds to every stroke, every kiss. I bury my tongue between her folds, lapping her up, groaning as her taste coats my tongue.She cries out, clutching my shoulders

Tana.Later…I’m done with work for the day and heading home. I live across town, and it gets tiresome having to board buses every evening. But I have no choice. My car broke down two years ago, and between my house mortgage, Mum’s hospital bills, and Dad’s gambling debts, I haven’t been able to replace it.I’ve had my eyes set on this fabulous blue car, sleek, simple, elegant. I would have been able to afford it if I had completed the task Miss Ashley gave me. She promised a handsome pay if I kept feeding her mum those pills. Well, so much for dreams.I sit on the bus now, staring at the car’s photo on my phone, silently saying goodbye. I didn’t know the pills were wrong. I genuinely thought I was helping. But now that I do know, I feel sick. No car, no comfort, no luxury is worth destroying another person’s life.I draw in a shaky breath, choking slightly on the mix of exhaust and the sour scent of unwashed bodies crammed into the bus. This isn't the life I imagined. I wanted to be

Anniika Grevelstoke.Present day. Friday, June 27th.New York. 11 p.m.Ring! Ring! Ring!I groan in frustration, reaching blindly for the phone. Exhaustion washes over me in heavy waves. Who calls at this hour? When I glance at the screen, I freeze. Helia Ripples. Mum’s lawyer.I frown. Why would he call this late? Business hours ended hours ago.“Brian…” I nudge my husband. “Helia Ripples is calling me.” I eye the screen warily.“Mm… answer it, Ani. Or just switch it off.” His voice is a groggy mix of sleep and irritation.“What if it’s something about the business? You told me their firm’s expanding our ship building operations overseas,” I whisper. That gets his attention. He peeks one eye open.“Shouldn’t he be calling me instead?” He mutters. We exchange a look before he snatches the phone and calls Helia back.A second later, he passes it to me. “He says it’s for you.” His face is unreadable.My stomach drops. The last time I got a late-night call like this, Richmond died. Then

Ashley.Evening.I’m lying in Hulio’s bed, his strong arms draped protectively around my bare waist. His warmth wraps around me like a shield. For a moment, I let myself believe this is peace. Yet, I know I can't have peace with him, because he can't give me what I need.Then my phone vibrates on the nightstand again. This time, I turn to it.I shift carefully, trying not to wake him. When I check the screen, my stomach sinks.I slide out from under his arm, grabbing his shirt and slipping it on as I pad downstairs. In the kitchen, I answer the call on the fourth ring.“Hi.”“What the fuck is wrong with you? You had one of my boys kill your grandmother?”The voice on the other end chills my spine. My body trembles. “No…NO. She isn’t dead. She survived…”“You better pray she does. If she dies before naming her successor, everything goes to waste.” His tone is hard. I feel it settle over me like ice. Dripping with menace.He’s right. Grandma hasn’t made her final declarations yet. I let