Marie stood up and led Bethany through the house, down a hallway that opened up a door leading to the lawn laid out outside. Bethany could see a large backyard with a swing set and a small sandbox. And there, in the middle of the yard, was her daughter. The sight of her nearly brought Bethany to her knees. Her daughter, her little girl, was sitting on the grass, playing with a toy horse, completely unaware of the turmoil unfolding around her. She looked so happy, so content, and that only made Bethany’s heart ache more. As she approached, her daughter looked up, her face lighting up in recognition. “Mommy!” she squealed, dropping the toy and running toward Bethany with outstretched arms. Bethany’s heart broke and healed in the same instant as she carried her daughter up in her arms, holding her tightly as if letting go would mean losing her forever. She could feel the warmth of her little body, against her, it was a moment she never want to let go of. If she could freeze i
William D’Cruz can be seen pacing about in his office, looking very restless for someone of his caliber. He clenched his fists and jaw in determination. It had been months, years even, of failed attempts to bring down his brother. Everything he had ever done was leading back to one truth; his brother, Terrence Bentley, was untouchable, his company Blue Net Group was untouchable. The company had become an impregnable fortress, its walls fortified by layers of security and a network of allies who owed Terrence everything. But William D'Cruz was far from defeated, he felt he must find his way to make sure everything he had worked so hard for must come to pass. He threw himself into his chair, opened his laptop, and began scrolling through a series of encrypted files. His fingers then scrolled and stopped over a document labeled 'Plan Disfunction'.He had created dozens of these so called ‘plans’ and each one had ended in disaster in other words, a dead end. Terrence had buil
William D'Cruz lowered the gun but didn't let down his guard. "You’re lucky I didn't put a bullet in you," he muttered. "What are you doing here at this hour?" Thomas Miller closed the door quickly, locking it behind him. "We have a problem," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "Your brother… he knows everything. I don't know how, but he’s watching every move you make. I think he has someone on the inside, someone who tipped him off." William’s eyes narrowed. "Inside where? My team is airtight. No one would risk crossing me like that." Thomas Miller shook his head, swallowing nervously. "Not your team, his. Someone inside Blue Net itself, feeding him intel on anyone who tries to bring him down. You’re not the only one who’s tried, William. But Terrence has… ways of dealing with people who come too close." William D'Cruz felt a chill run down his spine. "What are you saying?" Thomas Miller ’s voice defeated, “He calls them his 'shadow operatives.' They’re people you’d nev
Two nights later, William D'Cruz found himself in the corner of a lounge, holding a drink as he watched bodyguards and bouncers patrolling, other people walked in and out of the bar. His eyes never left the door, finally after what seemed like an eternity, the one he was waiting for stood in front of him, Anna Kim. She entered with care as she was scared of being seen there by someone she dreads, Terrence Bentley or his men. So her eyes kept sweeping through the entire room before she took another step. William D'Cruz waited a bit and then approached her, making his movements casual, almost accidental. He slid onto the stool beside her, giving a slight nod. "Anna Kim," he greeted smoothly. "Interesting choice of place." She stiffened but didn’t turn to look at him. "Who are you?" "Just someone with an offer," he replied, his voice low but confident. "Someone who knows what it feels like to feel trapped in Terrence’s world." Anna Kim’s expression wavered, but she kept h
Few days later Anna Kim swinged into action, she was scared but she felt this was the only way to gain her freedom, to be free of her terrific boss (Terrence Bentley). Over the next several days, Anna Kim worked carefully and quietly, sneaking around, doing her best by slipping bits of information to William D'Cruz when she could one at a time. Although she knew this was betrayal and that if she was caught, it won't be so easy to come out of it. So whenever she passed the smallest of details to William and every time she entered Terrence’s office, her heart raced, terrified that he would see through her lying face and just shoot her down right where she stood. But then William has assured her that they would be very careful and that Terrence’s watchful eyes wouldn’t catch on. Even after such assurances from him, she was still filled with anxiety that whenever she stood in front of her boss, she became clumsy. But then every thief eventually gets caught and unfortunately for
The next day, early morning, as the sun casts its first light, Terrence Bentley was very much awake, he needed to do things, especially with his employees being all nosy and his most trusted worker betrayed him for his brother, he needed to be up and running and to make sure he doesn't overlook any details. A few hours later, he was sitting in his office, his back against the wall of windows that overlooked the Blue Net headquarters. He was very much lost in thought, until a knock was heard at the door, it brought him back to reality. "Come in," he called, The door opened, and his son, Logan Hudson Bentley, walked in looking bright and sharp. Logan was very ambitious and determined, even cold much to Terrence's satisfaction and of course loyal, it is his son after all. Logan had recently been promoted within Blue Net’s security division and had proven himself capable of handling even the most delicate issues that came with the family empire. Logan looked at his father, s
In the basement of where has turned to her prison beneath the headquarters of Blue Net Group in Amsterdam Netherlands, Anna Kim sat on the cold concrete floor, the dim glow of a lightbulb was her only source of light. There was nothing to prevent the cold as she was shivering from it. Her little hope of William coming to save her began to waver at each passing hour. She hadn’t seen another soul since they had thrown her in there, but she knew Terrence’s eyes were on her, there was no place his eyes couldn't reach. As she sat there in silence, the heavy steel door creaked open, and Logan walked in, his tall figure strodded gently in there. He looked down at her, his eyes fixed on her and was filled with a mixture of pity and disdain. “Anna," he greeted, his tone was quite gentle; "How has your stay been?" She glared up at him, refusing to let him see the fear in her eyes so she uttered; "I know why you’re here, Logan. You want me to turn against William. But it won’t happen.
Logan’s eyes narrowed, his tone growing colder. "Stubbornness won’t save you, Anna, the longer you hold out, the worse this will get." But she refused to give them any details, she wasn't going to speak so as not to lose her remaining hope. "I’m not giving you anything, if I say a word I am dead, and I will keep this so that when William comes for me, I will tell him how much I held our little secret.” Logan’s patience snapped, his face twisting with frustration. "You think William actually cares? You think he’s out there, planning some grand rescue for you?" He leaned in and continued; “He’s gone, Anna. He has left you to rot in here because that’s all you are to him, a tool, a means to an end. So stop pretending you’re anything more than that as it's demeaning and it doesn't speak well of you.” "Then why are you so afraid of him?" She blurted out loudly in anger. "If he is as selfish as you say, then why are you so desperate to stop him?" “Logan clenched his hands, he was
On one beautiful sunny morning when Elizabeth woke up, a sharp, unfamiliar sensation rippled through her body. She sat up as her breath quickens as she placed a hand on her belly. "Liam," she whispered, nudging him gently. "What’s wrong?" He asked gently. "I think... I think it’s time," she said, her voice trembling with equal parts fear and excitement. Liam sprung out of bed like a bolt of lightning he asked; "Are you sure? How far apart are the contractions?" Elizabeth winced as another wave of pain hits her as she pants heavily; "About ten minutes," she managed to say as she, grips the edge of the bed. “Okay, okay,” Liam said, running a hand through his hair as he began gathering their things. “Hospital bag, keys, phone…” He rattled off a mental checklist as he helped Elizabeth to her feet. “Liam… breathe.” she uttered amused by his doing. He paused, looking at her with a sheepish grin; “Right… breathing, got it.” The drive to the hospital was that of a
A few weeks later, Elizabeth and Liam found themselves back at the clinic, this time for their first ultrasound. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the machine as the technician prepared for the scan. Elizabeth lay on the examination table, her hand gripping Liam’s tightly. Her heart raced, a mixture of excitement and fear passing through her veins. “Alright, let’s take a look,” the technician said, her voice kind and professional. The screen lightened to life, and a grainy image appeared. Elizabeth held her breath as the technician did her job her face was focused. Then, suddenly, the rhythmic sound of a heartbeat filled the room, it was a rapid, steady beat that seemed to echo in Elizabeth’s chest. “There it is,” the technician said, smiling. “That’s your baby’s heartbeat.” Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears as she stared at the screen. “That’s… our baby,” she whispered, her voice trembling with awe. Liam leaned closer, his eyes wide with wonder. “Th
Over the next few weeks, Elizabeth and Liam embarked on what felt like the most challenging chapter of their lives. The days became ones of consultations, tests, and procedures. Every appointment brought new questions, new possibilities, and sometimes, new fears. One chilly evening, Elizabeth sat at the dining table, surrounded by pamphlets and brochures the clinic had given her. She stared at the medical review, her eyes tired from exhaustion. Liam Miller walked in, carrying two mugs of tea, and set one in front of her. "You’ve been at this all day," he said softly, sitting across from her. "Maybe it’s time for a break." Elizabeth sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It’s just… there is so much to think about. IVF, hormone therapy, alternative treatments. And none of it guarantees anything, Liam. What if we spend all this time, energy, and money, and I still can’t..." Her voice cracked, and she pressed her palms to her face, trying to hold back the tears. Liam reach
The glow of the sunset shone bright through the windows, casting a golden light across the room. Elizabeth sat on the edge of the couch, her hands placed on her laps. She was deep in thoughts. Her delicate features were calm, but her eyes told a different story, one of desperation and unyielding hope. Across from her, Liam watched in silence, his face softened with love and understanding. He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on hers. "Elizabeth, I hope you know that nothing, absolutely nothing, changes how I feel about you. You're my everything. A child or no child, I love you just as you are." She smiled faintly, but her lips quivered. The tears she had been holding back spilled, as they ran down her cheeks. "I know, Liam, but I can't let it go. I can't. It’s not just about us. It's about me. It’s about... proving something to myself, to the world." His brow furrowed as he moved closer, kneeling before her. "Elizabeth, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone
As the battle and issues escalated, both sides prepared for a climactic showdown or change. Malcom, who was feeling great by his victories, pushed harder, taking greater risks. Wren, ever the strategist, cautioned him to stay on the course. “We can’t let emotions cloud our judgment,” Wren warned one evening. “You mean my judgment,” Malcolm snapped and continued; “Don’t you forget, Wren, I am the one who has everything to lose here Patricia would hate me for sure.” “And I’m the one ensuring that you even have a chance to win,” Wren shot back, she continued; “Remember who put you in this position, Malcolm. The council doesn’t and would never tolerate failure or in your case, insubordination.” Malcom glared at her but said nothing. She was right after all, if not for the impute of the council he wouldn't have even been able to shake Blue Net Group the way he has. So rather than get cocky, it would be better to keep a low profile for now as the Council is who he could rely on to g
Over the next few weeks, Malcom and his mysterious ally who he had just met, began working in the shadows, unraveling secrets that could bring Blue Net Group and Logan Bentley to their knees. But Logan wasn’t oblivious to what was happening, with the help of Sean they began to dig. He began noticing cracks in his perfect world, his supposed business partners withdrawing support, contracts falling through, whispers of his father's past being dug up, his as well being married before. Late one night, Patricia found him pacing in his office, his face filled with worry. “Logan, what’s wrong?” she asked very concerned about him. “I don’t know yet,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “But I think Malcom is back.” Patricia was quite confused, she uttered; “Isn’t he and his father in jail? Even if he is out, what do we do?” Logan turned to her, and uttered; “We have no choice but to fight. Whatever he is planning, we have to stop it, for good this time.” “I will b
****A Week Later**** The boardroom of Blue Net Group was buzzing with tension. Logan Bentley, tall and confident with charisma, stood at the head of the table, addressing his team. “Our reputation is about to be punctured if it hasn't already we need to make all those horrible rumours disappear like it never happened,” Logan said, his voice steady. “But we need to ensure that there are no loose ends. I want every department to triple-check and make sure it all goes away.” As he spoke, Patricia Howard entered the room, her presence like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. She smiled at Logan, and for a moment, Malcom, watching through a concealed security camera feed, felt his rage ignite anew. “Look at them,” he hissed, his voice dripping with venom. “So perfect, so untouchable. I’ll wipe that smug look off his face if it’s the last thing I do.” William D'Cruz chuckled beside him as they were both in the same supposed holding cell, but they have never lost contact with the w
When Bethany got home from the photo studio, she had no idea that she was being followed by Troy. Inside her apartment, Bethany lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. After having a long day and the fact that she saw someone she didn't expect to see, gave her instant insomnia. Sleep wouldn’t come, Troy’s face, his words, his pleading tone they way he looked at her, all of that kept playing in her thoughts endlessly in her mind. She sat up with a frustrated sigh, wrapping a robe around her shoulders. She needed some water so she moved to the kitchen after pouring herself a glass of water. She heard the faint sound of a car door just outside her house, well it made her pause. She kept the glass down and moved to the window, peeking through the curtains and surprisingly, there he was. Troy, leaning against his car, his face turned up toward her building. Bethany’s pulse quickened, a mix of anger and unease knowing that he didn’t leave. She grabbed her phone and s
Bethany’s breathing was quite rapid, her chest rising and falling as she stared at him. Memories of how she was longing for him came flooding. Her mind also raced with images of sleepless nights and searching faces in every crowd or movment until she finally found her daughter. “They could’ve been monsters,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “You gambled with her life, Troy. With my life, all of our lives.” “I know,” he murmured, his voice soft, he knew the magnitude of what he has done; he added; “I know I don’t deserve forgiveness. But I had to tell you, I needed you to know I never stopped thinking about you or about her.” Bethany shook her head, tears streaming freely now. “You don’t get to do this right now. You don’t get to come back and play the victim. I’ve rebuilt my life, Troy. Without you without any of your excuses.” “Bethany, please,” he begged, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not asking for anything. I just wanted to see you. To say I am sorry.” She took