All Chapters of From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. : Chapter 381
- Chapter 390
393 chapters
380. Coincidental Meetings
The week had started quietly, which was exactly how Van liked it. The company was in good shape, Ivy was busy with the kids and the final stages of merging her business into his, and his own schedule felt… balanced.That sense of balance was something he didn’t take for granted anymore. Years ago, He might have called it boring, maybe even complained about it. Now, it was the one thing he wanted to protect.On wednesday morning, he decided to stop at his usual café before work. The place was a little hole in the wall spot tucked between a flower shop and a stationery store. The smell of freshly ground coffee beans hit him before he even opened the door.“Good morning, Mr Van,” the barista, Mia, called from behind the counter.“Morning,” he replied, returning the smile. She was already preparing his usual drink— black coffee, extra shot, no sugar.He was halfway through paying when I felt it —that quiet but unmistakable sense of being watched. He looked up, and there she was.Bianca.
Last Updated : 2025-08-09
381. The Charity Event
The glass atrium of the Everest headquarters had never looked so alive. A sweep of soft golden lights wrapped around the marble pillars, glinting off the crystal chandeliers and illuminating every corner in a warm, celebratory glow. The air hummed with the quiet murmur of voices, the soft clinking of champagne flutes, and the gentle strains of the quartet playing near the stage.Van stood near the balcony railing, scanning the scene below, not as the CEO tonight, but as a host watching something personal come to life. This wasn’t just a company event. It had been Ivy’s idea from the start, a joint celebration of their companies merging into one powerhouse and a fundraiser for the community orphanage. A merging of legacies, both personal and professional.It was also, in many ways, a celebration of their love and unity.Ivy was across the room, talking to Isadora and Brandt. She was radiant in an emerald gown that seemed to catch the light with every step, her hair swept up in a way t
Last Updated : 2025-08-10
382. A Request To Meet
The week after the charity event was a blur of meetings, follow ups, and the usual avalanche of post event reports. Van was glad the evening had been a success— both financially for the orphanage and as a public celebration of the merger between his company and Ivy’s. The press coverage had been flattering, the guests seemed genuinely engaged, and all the employees left with that extra lift in their steps.But there had been one unexpected element.Bianca.She’d shown up like she’d been invited— graceful, well dressed, and smiling as if she belonged there. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to be annoyed or indifferent, but Van noticed her hovering in his personal space far more than he cared to admit. What was stranger, though, was how she handled Ivy— no tension, no pointed remarks. If anything, she was overly polite. Too polite.Ivy didn’t bring it up that night, and he didn’t either. They had both learned, over the years, that some conversations were best saved for the right moment
Last Updated : 2025-08-11
383. Double Date
The restaurant Ivy chose for the double date was a warm, candlelit place in the city, the kind of spot where the low hum of conversation and the faint notes of piano music made it easy to relax. Or, at least, it would have been easy if the entire evening hadn’t been so bizarre.Van arrived with Ivy a little early. He’d agreed to the dinner only because she’d explained Bianca’s request in careful, measured words, insisting she could handle it. Still, Van didn’t like the idea— Bianca had always been unpredictable, and “closure” didn’t usually involve elaborate dinners.Bianca arrived a few minutes later, her hand on the arm of a tall, sandy haired man with an easy smile.“This is Daniel,” she introduced brightly, as though she and Van were old friends meeting after years apart. “And this,” she turned to Daniel, “is Ivy, Van's beautiful wife. You remember her right?”“Of course I do.” Daniel shook Van’s hand politely before turning to Ivy with a smile that lingered just a second too long
Last Updated : 2025-08-12
384. Uninvited Guest
Ivy’s phone buzzed once, twice, then three times in quick repetition. She had been going over Billy and Chloe's homework at the dining table, the hum of the dishwasher in the background, when she glanced at the screen.It was a number she didn’t recognize.The preview of the first message made her pause.> “I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since the double date. You’re stunning and I can’t stop thinking about how beautiful you are… and the way you speak, so intelligent and graceful, it’s haunting me. I have to see you again.”Last Updated : 2025-08-14Read more
Last Updated : 2025-08-14
385. A Warning
The house was unusually quiet for a Wednesday afternoon. Ivy had just gotten the twins down for a nap, and Leona was curled up on the couch flipping through a storybook when the sound of the doorbell echoed through the hall.Ivy looked up from her tea, surprised. Van wasn’t supposed to be home until later in the evening. He was meticulous with his schedule— Wednesday afternoons always stretched long for him at the office. She rose, smoothing her dress, half expecting that maybe he had forgotten a file or returned for a call.Instead when she opened the door, it wasn’t Van’s tall figure that stepped into the foyer. It was Daniel.He stood there awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot, a bouquet of red roses in one hand and a box of heart shaped chocolates in the other. His expression flickered between determination and panic, like a man who had made a decision in haste and was already regretting it.Ivy froze, unsure what to say. He hadn’t been invited. He hadn’t called. And t
Last Updated : 2025-08-16
386. The Plan
When Van decided to send the message, his fingers hovered over his phone for longer than he cared to admit. Bianca. The very name felt like it belonged to a past life, a remnant of chaos and unanswered questions. He had sworn he wouldn’t let her worm her way into his family’s life again, yet the circumstances now were different.Daniel.Van could still recall the smug way the man leaned back during the double date, his eyes drifting toward Ivy with a boldness that set Van’s teeth on edge. Ivy had smiled politely through it, but Van noticed the slight stiffness in her jaw, the way she kept reaching for her glass as if it were a shield. And then there were Daniel’s careless remarks —jokes that to anyone else might have sounded harmless, but to Van, they were red flags waving in the middle of dinner.So when Daniel’s drunken words reached Van— claims that Bianca wanted Ivy gone —it was enough to make his blood run cold. He didn’t know whether to believe it, but the weight of responsibili
Last Updated : 2025-08-16
387. Second Thoughts
That night, Ivy sat curled up on the couch at the mansion, Leona in her lap while the twins played on the rug. The children’s laughter filled the room, but she couldn’t relax. Every sound from outside made her tense. When Isadora walked in, carrying a basket of fresh flowers from the garden, she noticed immediately.“Ivy?” she asked gently, setting the basket down. “You look pale. What’s wrong?”Ivy hesitated. She hadn’t told anyone yet —not even Isadora, who was practically her confidante. But the worry etched across her face made the words spill out.“There’s this man. Bianca’s… boyfriend, I guess. He’s been following me. Today I was sure of it.”Isadora’s expression darkened. She sat beside Ivy, reaching for her hand. “And Van knows?”“Yes. He confronted Bianca about it. But now it’s worse —she suggested something insane. She said I should let them use me as bait to catch him.”Isadora’s eyes flashed with anger. “Over my dead body. You’re not putting yourself in danger. Not for her
Last Updated : 2025-08-16
388. A Friendly Warning
Van had barely settled into his morning when his assistant buzzed him, her voice unusually stiff.“Sir, there’s a man insisting to see you. He says it’s urgent. His name is Daniel.”Van’s jaw tightened. He hadn’t expected to see Bianca’s date again —especially not after last night’s conversation with Bianca and the disturbing revelations about Daniel’s past. The fact that he was here now, uninvited, made Van wary. He told his assistant to send him in.The office door opened and Daniel stepped inside, dressed casually, but his posture carried a forced calm that didn’t match the flicker of excitement in his eyes. He looked almost pleased to have been granted entry into Van’s domain.“Heg Van,” Daniel said smoothly, offering a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”Van didn’t offer a handshake. Instead, he gestured toward the chair opposite his desk. “You said it was urgent. What do you want?”Daniel sat down slowly, folding his hands in h
Last Updated : 2025-08-17
389. Bitter Sweet Dessert
The day was quiet in the mansion, the kind of stillness that settled after a long workday when the children were at school and the household slowed its pace. Ivy had just finished arranging fresh flowers on the dining table when the doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting anyone, so she walked to the door with a trace of curiosity.Standing there, her smile bright and eager, was Bianca. Her hair was perfectly styled, her dress tailored to flatter her figure, but her hands clutched a wicker basket wrapped in soft linen.“Hello, Ivy,” she greeted warmly, almost too warmly. “I was hoping to catch Van, but since you’re here—”Ivy masked her unease with practiced grace. “Van isn’t home,” she lied, her voice even. The memory of Van’s warning the night before echoed like a whisper in her mind; If Bianca ever shows up with food, don’t eat it.Bianca’s smile deepened. “Oh, that’s a shame. Still, I wanted to bring this over.” She pulled back the cloth to reveal a golden, freshly baked pie. The butt
Last Updated : 2025-08-17