The next morning, Elijah woke up at his usual time, early. It was a Saturday, and he could’ve used this opportunity to sleep in, but old habits die hard. The house was quiet, and it seemed Eleanor was still asleep. Elijah put on his shoes and jacket, sliding his phone into his pocket. He stepped out of the house, approaching his scooter. He got his scooter fixed a day after the storm. It wasn’t as good as new, but it worked. He was going to the cemetery. It was quite a distance away from the Stone mansion, a quiet cemetery, away from the busy city, nestled between a grove of trees. The atmosphere of the cemetery was always different, gloomy, but peaceful nonetheless. He walked into the cemetery, the dried leaves beneath his shoes crunching with each step. His hand tightened around the pieces of roses in his hands as he stopped in front of Esther’s grave. The name on the headstone a reminder of who laid in the grave. Placing the roses gently on the ground, he stood in silence

It has been several days since Candice’s show at the guest house. The Stones were working themselves day and night, especially Marcus and Carlos.Failure to secure the contract with the Windsors wasn’t an option, and their hard work seemed to be paying off, they were sure the contract was in the palm of their hands, the Windsor executives were reacting positively, and they had already began to brag to Mr Stone, reassuring him they were on the right track.It was late at night, and eveywhere in the guesthouse was dark expect for the kitchen, where the voices of Elijah and Eleanor were audible. They both found themselves in the kitchen, attempting to bake cookies, which was unusual at this time of day.Elijah was leaning against the island while he read from a recipe book, “Apparently, we need butter, sugar, and eggs…” He muttered under his breath, scanning the book. Eleanor, who stood beside him had already gathered all the ingredients, tossing the ingredients into a bowl.She paused

The gala was everything Eleanor despised and everything her family adored. It was a grand hall, expensively decorated. A massive crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, flooding the hall in light.Every corner of the hall held influential people and families. People who didn’t need to be introduced, their presence alone was enough to identify them. Every corner screamed wealth and extravagance. There was a huge banquet stationed at the farthest wall of the hall, holding all kinds of luxury foods and drinks.Stepping into the hall was the Stone family, Mr Stone stood in front, with his hands calmly crossed behind his back, his presence imposing.Behind him followed his five children, and behind them the grandchildren of the Stone family, including Eleanor. The hall fell silent as stares turned towards the doors. Low mumbles and whispers broke across the crowd, “That’s the Stone family.” “I heard a lot about how charitable they are.” “I also heard they’re aiming to sec

KINGSLEY MANSIONMarylin sat on the bed of her room, seemingly looking at the mirror across from it, but in reality, she was lost in thought. Her thoughts were beginning to consume her these days, and the guilt was not any better.She hasn’t even been sleeping well. Ever since her conversation with Liam in the garden, his words would ring through her head whenever she attempted to close her eyes.THREE DAYS AGO She stood in the garden with Liam, her heart beating so hard against her chest, to the extent it began to feel like it would pop out.“What are you taking about?” Marylin asked Liam, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest.Liam’s smile fell, any amusement that sat on his face a few seconds ago disappeared. He took a few steps closer, though still keeping distance between them.“Mary.” Liam began, his voice serious as he looked Marylin dead in the eye. “In this world, manipulation is a common game. We twist things to get what we want. I’m sure you know that already.Li

Elijah sat at the edge of his bed, the worn photograph of Esther in his hand. His thump traced the picture. The grief in his heart felt fresh.He saw Marylin yesterday in the graveyard, standing in front of Esther’s grave, he couldn’t get the sight out of his mind, she looked so… guilty.Elijah knew since the beginning, that Marylin had no involvement or knowledge of the proceedings of the heart. But seeing her at Esther’s grave made him wonder just how much she found out, how much did she know.Was her guilt really sincere?Three weeks. That was all the time he had left before he had to go to London, before he met his grandfather, before he uncovered the truth about how he ended up in the orphanage.He had told himself that all his plans would fall into place after his return from London, his plans of justice for Esther, and making all the people responsible for the life they had regret.But now, as he stared at Esther’s picture, he was torn. Standing at a junction, and he had no ide