جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 170

NyelleBefore the disaster..."Don't you think you were a little too harsh on him?" I signed as the car rolled to a stop outside the racing station, then looked at Nico with a sigh. "Having him arrested while he was asleep... wasn't that a bit cruel?"Nico unfastened his seatbelt and turned to me, one brow raised."You still care about him that much?" he asked, sounding almost offended. "The man broke into my house, fought me, refused to leave, and acted like a lunatic all night. He seriously thought waiving my rent for a year would magically fix everything." He snorted before pushing the door open. "Trust me, he deserved every second he spent behind those bars."I lowered my eyes without replying.Did I still care?I wished the answer were no.But the truth sat heavily inside my chest, refusing to disappear no matter how much I hated it.Nico noticed the silence but wisely said nothing else. Instead, he walked around the car and opened my door for me. I climbed out slowly, one hand u

NyelleMrs. Vale stood frozen, her tear-filled eyes searching my face as though she were afraid I would disappear if she blinked. The shock of hearing my voice still lingered in her expression, but slowly, that shock gave way to something far more painful, guilt.I lowered my eyes, the memories rushing back before I slowly gathered the courage to speak.After the accident with Cassia, they had wanted to send me back to the orphanage. I couldn't bear the thought of going back there. I'd already been abandoned many times, taken away, brought into a family that never truly accepted me, and now I was about to be abandoned all over again. I was terrified that if I returned, no one would ever come for me again.So I made a choice.I pretended to be mute.I became quiet, fragile, and obedient, hoping they would pity me enough to let me stay. When everyone blamed me for Cassia's accident, I never defended myself. I simply accepted every accusation because I was afraid that if I spoke, they'd

VincentFive days later...The first thing I heard was the steady beeping of a heart monitor. It echoed through the room, slow and rhythmic, pulling me out of the darkness one painful breath at a time. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and every inch of my body throbbed as though I'd been run over by a truck. I forced my eyes open anyway, blinking against the bright hospital lights until the blurry figures around me slowly came into focus. Doctors surrounded my bed, speaking over one another as they checked the machines beside me. One flashed a light into my eyes while another held up two fingers."Mr. Hale, can you see this? How many fingers am I holding up?"Before I could answer, Ronan's relieved voice broke through the room."He's awake! Boss is finally awake!"Within seconds, more doctors gathered around me, checking my pulse and asking questions, but none of their voices registered. None of it mattered. There was only one person I wanted to see.Ignoring the sharp pain that ripp

Vincent Five Years Later..."Mr. Vincent hasn't smiled once since I started working here five years ago."The young employee lowered her voice as she sorted through the stack of files in her hands, stealing a nervous glance toward the CEO's office at the end of the hallway. Even from where she stood, the atmosphere surrounding that office felt heavy enough to make it difficult to breathe."Why would he?" another employee replied quietly. "His wife died five years ago. I heard it was tragic. She used to be his secretary before...""Shhh!" a third employee interrupted in a panic, looking around to make sure no one was listening. "Do you want to get fired? Stop talking about Madam Nyelle. Mr. Hale hates hearing anyone gossip about her. He's fired so many employees because of it."The hallway fell into an uneasy silence. Then came the unmistakable sound of polished shoes striking the marble floor.Step. Step. Step.Every employee turned around at once.My expression remained unreadable a

VincentMy lips trembled uncontrollably as my eyes searched every inch of her face. My gaze moved from her eyes to the bridge of her nose, then to her lips, and every familiar feature sent another violent wave crashing through my chest. My heart pounded so hard it almost hurt. She looked exactly like Nyelle.It was as if the woman I'd buried five years ago had somehow walked back into my life. Before I could gather my thoughts, she pulled her wrist from my grasp, her movements calm but firm, as though she wanted nothing more than to put distance between us.Panic consumed me.Before she could take another step, I reached for her again, my trembling fingers closing around her wrist. This time, I held on just tightly enough to stop her from walking away.Before I could even process what was happening, the little boy beside her tugged gently on my hand."Daddy..."The tiny voice froze me where I stood. My heart slammed violently against my ribs.Daddy?The little boy wasn't looking at me