Rise and shine

Tom's POV As the night draped itself in a cloak of darkness, I remained on my knees, enduring the searing pain and the crimson stains of blood. Cradled in my arms, my son, Liam slept soundly, oblivious to the turmoil unfolding around him. My determination held strong—I refused to rise until they reconsidered their decision. "You're still here, but this changes nothing. The verdict has been passed," Ariana uttered with a mix of frustration and resignation. "How could you do this? I placed my trust in you, and yet you... you abandoned our son," I mustered the last remnants of energy within me to speak. "You are despicable. You are poor. My love for you remains, unchangeable. But I cannot bear being dragged down into the mud," she responded, tears streaming down her face. "Can't you plead with your father on my behalf? I'm certain he will listen to you," I implored, desperately grasping at any sliver of hope. "Listen, you just don't understand. My father has already forced me to ch

Tom's POV Now faced with the daunting question of where to go, my mind swirled with uncertainty. I had no place to call my own, only that old shabby grandma's hut, even a pig can't survive there. This predicament should have been mine alone to endure, but now it involved both me and my son, Liam. Determined to find a temporary refuge, we continued walking towards the bus terminal, our only hope of escaping the encroaching darkness that would soon cloak the city. "Dad," Liam called out, his young voice filled with a mixture of fear and hope. "Everything will be okay," I reassured him, trying to offer comfort in the midst of our dire circumstances. Although he was only four years old, Liam possessed a keen understanding of the gravity of our situation. Yet, deep down, I knew that "okay" was a distant concept—a luxury we could no longer afford. Liam groaned in pain, clutching his stomach tightly. "Dad... my stomach hurts," he whimpered, his distress growing more evident with eac

Max and Ariana arrived at their home, with Max visibly agitated and his anger palpable on his face. He glared at Ariana, his eyes filled with intensity as he confronted her with a sharp tone. "So, you want a divorce?" he asked, his voice carrying a mixture of hurt and frustration."Yes, Max. I want a divorce," Ariana replied, her words tinged with resentment. "I regret spending my entire life with you. You've wasted my years. We rarely make love, and you show me no care or affection. All you do is work late into the night."Max retorted, his voice filled with defiance. "You're not getting that divorce. It's impossible. It's between me and your father.""You're nothing but an animal," Ariana shot back, her regret for choosing Max evident in her words. "I shouldn't have made that decision to be with you.""Oh, so you regret choosing this life because of poverty? Why don't you choose him, then? Because you know that if you had followed him, you would have ended up a beggar, just like he

Tom's POV We've gathered valuable information against Mr. Johnson and Aiden, but now we need to find a trustworthy reporter. "Her name is Allison; she's known for being truthful, though she's been let go from three broadcasting stations and is now working independently," Riley explained. "That sounds promising, but how can we get in touch with her?" I asked. "Don't worry about that," Riley assured me. "We just need to act quickly, as time is against us. Tiger has messed up, and they know someone is onto them." **** "What did you just say?" Aiden groaned at him. "Are you serious? Someone knows about us and the launch" "We might have to stop everything." "Stop? What do you mean? I've invested a fortune in this!" Aiden yelled. "I understand, but we have no choice. Let's pause for now and continue once everything is resolved," He replied. Aiden reluctantly downed his drink.you better don’t say my name if you anything goes wrong” he said and left him.**** Tom's POV "Who are y

As the door swings open, Aiden and Max step into the room. The weariness etched on Aiden's face is evident, a consequence of a long and difficult day in lockup.Upon catching sight of Aiden, Mrs. Ray is taken aback and immediately filled with sympathy for him.She can't help but express her concern, saying, "Oh no," as she approaches him, gently guiding him to take a seat.Max follows suit, pulling up a chair and joining them in the room. With genuine gratitude, Mrs. Ray turns to Max and says, "Thank you, Max."As the room settles into an air of tension, Mr. Ray, seated with a cup of tea in hand, suddenly lifts his head and delivers a stern remark, his tone laced with authority and dissatisfaction."You better be careful next time before you waste my hard-earned money on something unreasonable," he warns Aiden, who respectfully bows his head and replies with a simple, "Okay, sir."It's evident that Aiden has somehow managed to misuse or squander Mr. Ray's funds, an act that doesn't si