Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 241 - Chapitre 250

QUEEN pulled up at the grand, shadowed driveway of Oswald’s mansion just as the sun dipped behind the estate’s towering walls. The iron gates slid shut behind her with a low rumble that made her jaw clench tighter than it already was.The mansion that once made her feel so smug, so close to the Escobar crown she believed she deserved, now felt like a prison she had foolishly chosen to chain herself inside. She stepped out of her car, her heels clicking briskly against the stone driveway. No Nathan at the door waiting to greet her. No Oswald standing in the foyer, arms crossed, pretending to tolerate her presence. Nothing but the soft hum of the estate’s security lights flickering on as dusk swallowed the last traces of daylight.Queen marched through the massive double doors, her head held high even though her pulse thrummed with frustrated rage. She didn’t bother to glance around, every painting, every marble floor tile, every polished piece of antique furniture, none of it meant any

QUEEN sat hunched over the edge of her cream leather couch in her San Francisco penthouse, her laptop perched on her crossed legs, phone on speaker beside her as she flipped through a document that desperately needed her sign-off before the next board meeting. The glow of the late afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows behind her, but her mind wasn’t here, it was still half with Oswald, half with the mess piling up at the company.A faint voice crackled from the small TV mounted in the corner, background noise she had left on to keep the silence from swallowing her whole. She barely paid attention until a single word snapped her head up so fast it nearly sprained her neck.“Orlanda Grimes…”Queen froze. The newscaster’s voice rang out, clear and smug:“—a missing domestic staff of the Escobar household. A handsome reward has been announced by the billionaire heir Oswald Dino Escobar for anyone with information on her whereabouts. Orlanda Grimes is described as—”Q

THE whole city was buzzing, as if the very air carried Oswald Dino Escobar’s name on every whisper, every conversation, every news headline that rolled across TV screens in bars, restaurants, bus terminals, and public squares.The grand announcement had spread like wildfire. The billionaire who never bared his private affairs, who ruled his empire with an iron hand and a tongue so sharp his own board trembled, had put out a public search for a girl, a maid. Not a socialite, not a lost heiress, not some priceless art, but a young maid named Orlanda Grimes. And not just a search, he had promised a handsome reward, a sum so tempting that people from every corner of the city now claimed they knew her, had seen her, or could find her.In bus terminals, homeless people shouted about it. Women at roadside food stalls gossiped in hushed voices between scooping hot lasagna into plastic bowls. Office workers in his skyscrapers leaned over cubicle walls to speculate, their eyes wide with shock t

ROB lingered at the door a moment longer than he should have, staring at Orlanda like she was a ghost that refused to fade. The stale air in the small room pressed against his skin as he took in the sight of her, curled up on the thin mattress, eyes half-closed, breathing shallow but steady. Alive.His eyes darted to the metal tray he had set down the previous night, approximately fourteen hours ago, the same tray he had carried in the poisoned meal last night. It was empty. Clean. A faint whiff of rice and gravy clung to the air, mocking him.“You ate it, didn’t you?” Rob asked quietly, testing her. He took a slow step forward, but Orlanda didn’t flinch. She stayed still, her lips dry, eyes dull with a weariness that could pass for poison’s work if he hadn’t known better.He bent down, fingers brushing the cold tray. His other hand slipped into his pocket where his phone buzzed once, then fell silent. He ignored it for now.“Look at me,” he demanded. Orlanda slowly lifted her gaze. T

QUEEN Wilberforce’s sleek black car crawled to a stop at the circular driveway of the Escobar mansion. The moment she stepped out, the wind tangled her carefully styled hair, but she barely noticed. She was too busy clutching her handbag to her chest like it was the last thing holding her together.The heavy doors swung open before she could even knock. It was the butler who greeted her with a stiff bow and ushered her in. The grand foyer was silent, the hush of a house that seemed to swallow up any hint of life.Queen barely muttered a greeting as she strode inside. She didn’t need to ask, she already knew Oswald wouldn’t be here. If he were, she wouldn’t have dared show up like this, mascara smudged, eyes puffy, desperation rolling off her like perfume.Lady Frances Escobar sat in the smaller sitting room off the foyer, a soft shawl draped over her shoulders despite the warmth of the room. Her eyes lifted when Queen appeared at the doorway, eyes that held both surprise and a flicker