Novels by Anoushka

Shan remained on the ground, gasping for breath.He cautiously looked up at Hudson, who was still staring down at him with a cold expression. Shan swallowed hard before finally explaining, “I honestly don't know the details either. It was an order from the family, so I just followed it.”Hudson frowned slightly.From Shan's expression and the way he spoke, Hudson was certain he wasn't lying.He had originally thought that he could force the truth out of Shan and finally understand what was going on. He hadn't expected to discover that Shan was nothing more than a pawn.Still, Hudson's instincts told him that the Rodriguez family's involvement was far from simple.After a brief moment of thought, he said coldly, “Get lost.”Relief immediately washed over Shan's face.He struggled to get back on his feet and quickly left with his guards.Ira and her husband, who had been watching everything in fear, immediately tried to follow them.“You two stay.”Hudson's cold voice stopped them in th

The people who stepped out of the cars were none other than Ira and her husband, the same couple who had been taken away by the police the day before.Under normal circumstances, they should have been behind bars by now.The fact that they were already standing here meant something had changed. But they weren't the only ones who had arrived.A young man stepped out of one of the vehicles. He had delicate features and long hair, and at first glance, he could easily have been mistaken for a woman.Ira and her husband didn't immediately approach the Esteban family estate. Instead, they stood behind the young man and waited for him to move first.When he finally started walking, the couple followed closely behind him.Their attitude was noticeably different from the day before. They kept their heads slightly lowered and followed him respectfully, looking more like subordinates than a married couple from a wealthy family.The sight made Hudson frown. Yesterday, Ira had claimed that she had

Not long after, Rolan returned with the test report and the specially packaged chicken bones.After reading through the report, Aurora took the initiative to call the police. Things had already gone too far. She knew her relationship with her sister had completely fallen apart, and there was no going back.She might have been soft-hearted, but she wasn't stupid.Once could be a mistake. Twice might still be forgiven.But three times?After everything that had happened, it was obvious that her sister was determined to kill her husband and take control of thefamily fortune.If Aurora continued protecting her sister because of their family ties, there was a real chance her husband would die the next time.If that happened, she would lose two people she loved.Making the hard decision now meant losing only one.“Aurora, please don't call the police!” Ira pleaded, her voice trembling. “Please! I know I was wrong. Don't call them!”The moment she saw the test report, the uneasiness she had

To Hudson, this stranger had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, without leaving the slightest trace of where he had come from.Everyone in the office froze for several seconds before finally reacting."Who are you?""What are you doing here?"Ira was the first to recover.She immediately rushed toward Hudson and reached for his phone. She knew he must have recorded everything she had just said.If that recording fell into the wrong hands, it would become serious evidence against her. But taking something from Hudson was easier said than done.The moment Aurora's fingers touched his hand, she felt a sharp pain, as if she had grabbed the tip of a needle. She immediately jerked her hand back.Hudson looked at her calmly."By the way, I should introduce myself. I'm Aker's friend." He gave her an innocent smile. "I just happened to step away to use the bathroom. I never expected to overhear something like this. Hurting your own brother-in-law and forcing your sister to sign over the family

"This..."Rolan's scalp prickled as he watched the stray dog collapse to the ground. It struggled for less than ten seconds before going completely still.Rolan stared at the dog in disbelief."If those bones were poisoned, then why did the young master...?"He couldn't understand it.If Hudson already knew there was something wrong with the wild medicine, why had he still eaten all the soup and the entire chicken?Wasn't he afraid of being poisoned?Rolan remained crouched on the ground, thinking about it for a while, but he still couldn't come up with an answer. In the end, he had no choice but to let the matter go.As for Ira sending poisoned wild medicine and specifically ordering that it be served only to her brother-in-law, Rolan didn't suspect her at all.As the Cael's family's steward, he had seen enough family conflicts to know that things like this happened when there were disagreements over power and inheritance.To him, it didn't matter who ended up in control. Getting inv

Aker gave a helpless chuckle. "I really don't have much of a choice. I hope you can understand."His plan was simple. Under normal circumstances, Hudson would step in and handle things on Aker's behalf.At night, however, Aker would have to appear in person because he still needed to interact with Aurora. During those times, Hudson would stay hidden and let Aker handle everything himself.Aker clearly intended to see this through to the very end.After all, he had already gotten involved, and he wanted to help as much as he could. Seeing how determined he was, Hudson could only nod and say nothing more.At the same time, another concern crossed Hudson's mind. If he revealed his true identity and openly presented himself as Aker's friend, he might end up bringing trouble to Cael's family.This area was territory controlled by the Tipcan Sect, and Hudson was already in conflict with them.Although Raden City wasn't the main urban center in California, that didn't mean the Tipcan Sect wo

“Everyone wears a mask, Andrei.”Michael’s voice was calm, yet every word carried crushing weight.“Yours is called idealism. Due process. A spotless sense of morality that stands in broad daylight, judging everyone else.”His voice echoed through the livestream, spreading across the internet and reaching millions of viewers. Every sentence dug deeper into Andrei’s already fractured state of mind.“But what’s hiding underneath that mask? It was you. When that fire broke out, you locked the doors to all sixteen wards so you could escape alone. You chose yourself over everyone else. You ran for the exit without looking back while those psychiatric patients pounded on the locked doors, screaming and begging for help.”Michael's gaze never wavered. “You're not condemning me because I betrayed my ideals.”A cold, almost cruel smile touched the corner of his mouth.“You're condemning me because you're jealous. You're jealous that I had the courage to face the darkness... that I was willing

A flicker of anger flashed across Andrei's eyes.It was gone almost as quickly as it appeared, hidden beneath his usual polished smile.Then, slowly, he began to clap."Brilliant." His applause echoed through the office. "A truly brilliant defense, Professor Aliyah."His voice remained as warm and composed as ever, but beneath that calm exterior, something darker was beginning to surface."Occupational hazard..." He let out a faint, humorless chuckle. "That's certainly... an original argument."This time, he abandoned the theoretical debate entirely. Instead, he played his strongest card."Since you believe that's all this is," he said, "allow me to ask you one more question."He picked up the remote control on the table and pressed another button.The livestream split into two screens once again. On the right side appeared surveillance footage.The location was instantly recognizable.Platform 7.The infamous haunted platform. A wave of unease swept through the millions watching.The

The livestream began. In an instant, millions of eyes were fixed on Aliyah's sunlit office.The screen split neatly into two halves.On the left was Aliyah, composed and elegant, every bit the gentle psychology professor. On the right was Andrei, impeccably dressed, wearing the calm, confident smile of a man who belonged among society's elite.The viewer count skyrocketed.Thirty million.Then it climbed even higher at an astonishing speed.The live chat exploded, comments pouring across the screen like a river bursting through a broken dam."The Final Trial is starting!" "No way! Who is this Andrei? He looks incredible!" "He's judging Michael? Seriously? Michael's my idol!" "Stop being blinded by fandom! Read the title, this is a psychological trial. They're using professional analysis!"Andrei ignored the flood of comments completely.His attention never left Aliyah. There was just enough regret in his eyes to make him seem sincere, and just enough determination to convince the a

Ashley's heart shot into her throat. Then, at last, a woman's voice came through the phone.It sounded remarkably like Ashley's, about seventy percent alike, but it was clearer, calmer, and carried not the slightest hint of fear."I need five minutes. I'm going to the restroom."A satisfied smile tugged at the corner of Michael's lips."Good."Aliyah sat behind the spacious rosewood desk in her office, her posture graceful and composed.Warm afternoon sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, wrapping the room in a soft golden glow. A cup of freshly brewed black tea rested in front of her, thin wisps of steam rising into the air, filling the office with its rich aroma.To anyone passing by, it looked like an ordinary afternoon. Only Aliyah knew how deceptive that appearance was.Hidden beneath the collar of her blouse was a pinhole camera no larger than the head of a pin. Buried against the bone behind her ear, a flesh-colored bone-conduction earpiece quietly relayed Micha

Michael's words struck Ashley like a bolt of lightning.Her entire body trembled violently, and her mind went completely blank.Her sister. Aliyah.The little sister who had always trailed behind her since they were children, timid and quick to tears. The quiet scholar she had always protected, someone she believed was too innocent and sheltered for the harshness of the world.A fear buried deep in her instincts seized her heart in an instant. Cold spread through every inch of her body, leaving her limbs stiff and numb. Almost on reflex, she reached into her pocket for her phone. She needed to hear Aliyah's voice. Right now.But her hands were shaking so badly that she couldn't even hold the phone. Again and again, her trembling fingers slipped against its cold metal frame."Calm down."A hand reached over and gently covered the back of hers.It wasn't a large hand, but it was unbelievably steady. The simple touch stopped her frantic, futile movements.It was Michael.Only moments ago

"That incident became a wound buried deep in your heart," Michael said. "And because of it, when you grew up, you chose to become a police officer. You've spent your whole life chasing control and order with almost obsessive determination."Ashley stared at him without speaking."Every time you try to help me," Michael continued, "every time you try to drag me back onto what you think is the right path, you're not saving me."He stepped closer, leaning toward her just enough that only she could hear his next words."You're trying to make up for your childhood regrets."His voice dropped even lower."You're trying to save that powerless little girl you used to be."Ashley's body stiffened.She staggered backward until her shoulders struck the side of the mobile command vehicle. For a moment, she nearly lost her balance.Her face was drained of color. Her breathing became shallow. Disbelief filled her eyes.He was right. Every word of it.As she looked at Michael, she finally understood