Rebecca Knowles stepped out of her sleek black car, her sharp stilletho heels clicked on the stone pathway that led to the orphanage. This time, she was with her lawyer, Samuel Denton, and he followed closely behind he. He held in his hand while he walked confidently, a leather briefcase. The orphanage director once again met them at the entrance. Rebecca hid a smile. Her poor soul. She was obviously unaware of the cold storm that brewed beneath Rebecca's poised demeanor.She probably didn't read the news or listen to gossip. That was good thing...at least for Rebecca.“Ms. Knowles, we’re so glad to have you back,” the director greeted. “Kelvin is eager to meet you again.” she told her. Rebecca’s face softened, but only slightly. Of course it was only a mask, one she had perfected over the years. She shook the director’s hand, her eyes flicked toward the door, she was so eager to get the process over with. “Thank you, Ms. Peterson. We won’t take too much of your time today I promi

It had already been one heck of a long day for Ashton. He had spent the rest of the afternoon avoiding the onslaught of messages, calls, and the constant buzzing of his phone as the fallout from Rebecca’s TV interview spread like wildfire. He watched it himself. He wondered how on earth he was ever in love with that woman. She was the devil herself. Every media outlet seemed to have picked up her story, and now, everywhere he looked, it was 'Ashton Pearce, the absent father'. He let out a deep sigh as he clenched his fists tightly while he paced back and forth in his office. The sun was beginning to set in the sky. If had already made long shadows to reflect through the window, and ironically it mirrored the growing feeling of unease within him. His mind raced with conflicting emotions—anger at Rebecca for going public with such lies, guilt for not having seen this coming, and, beneath it all, a nagging doubt about the child she claimed was his.Because up until that moment, he stil

Rebecca sat in her sleek car, her fingers drummed rhythmically against the steering wheel as she drove. She glanced at the office building of who had now become her one and only long-time confidante, Myles Jameson. She wasn't going to lie, she had been surprised to have received a call from him and that had stirred a glimmer of hope within her chaotic day. Don't get her wrong, she was over the moon with Ashton's recent misfortune and her role in it but she still felt shitty here and there and this day was one of those unlucky days, you know. As she entered his office, she was greeted by Myles' calm yet determined presence. His suit was immaculate, his expression was carefully neutral. He stood up as she walked in and extended a hand which she took."This had better be something good like you said over the phone." She said with an eye roll. “Aww, it's good to see you too, Rebecca,” he greeted her. “Glad you could make it on such short notice.” He added with a smile. Rebecca only smi

The next morning, the sun had barely risen to the sky when Rebecca found herself pacing around her office losf in thoughts. It had been a while since she had been there but that day she felt like visiting the place, just for old times sake at least. The once-empty space of her office was now cluttered with so many papers, folders, and charts that detailed the remnants of Knowles Corps—all of her life's work. She hadn't slept all night. How could she anyway? Who would? Miguel Dominguez’s proposal still weighed heavily on her mind and it disturbed her, and the clock was ticking fast.She stood at the window and watched the city stir to life beneath her. It felt like a world that was far away from the dangerous undercurrent in which she,not so unfortunately, was caught in. Her fingers drummed against the glass and the sound somehow merged with the hum of the city. She could still feel Miguel's eyes on her, the way it was calculating, cold, and eager to see her fall into his trap. But th

Rebecca’s pulse raced and her grip on the door tightened. She forced herself to appear calm, despite the turbulence that inadvertently swirled within her. Ashton’s sudden appearance at her door was..... unexpected, but it wasn’t unwelcome—yet. She had spent so much of her life tangled in his orbit that moments like this felt inevitable. Still, his presence tonight, after everything, was somehow unsettling."Ashton," she repeated, her voice was steady as she stepped aside. "What brings you here at this hour?" She asked him. Not that she didn't know that of course. Ashton didn’t move immediately. His eyes, which were shadowed in the dark hallway light, flickered over her, as if he wiegeed every aspect of her existence in that moment. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he stepped inside. His movements were deliberate, slow, as though he was trying to contain something beneath the surface.Rebecca shut the door she had her back pressed against it as she watched him survey the a