BENJAMIN MOORE'S HOUSEBenjamin was at home when the front door creaked open. He was standing at his private bar. He poured himself a glass of wine without turning around.“You’re late,” he said evenly.It was one of his thugs, the one he sent to get information on Scott. He walked in and shut the door behind him and cleared his throat. “Sorry, boss. Traffic was—”“Save it.” Benjamin took a slow sip. “I assume you have something to tell me. Something worthwhile. The man in the photo. Who is he?”There was a long pause. The man shifted his weight from one foot to the other.“That’s… that’s why I’m here, boss. I...I didn’t get much.”Benjamin turned his head slowly.“What?”The thug held his ground, though his fingers twitched by his side. “I went to the mall, like you said. Showed the picture to all the workers in the store, the attendants at the entrance, even some of the cleaners. They either didn’t recognize him or pretended not to.”“You bribed them?”“I did. A few took the money.

Benjamin touched her face slowly, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw as if savoring the texture of her skin. His voice dropped low."You know... for some reason, you turn me on so badly right now," he murmured, his eyes burning into hers.Lisa froze. Her body tensed under the weight of his touch, but she didn’t move, didn’t flinch...because she knew he liked reactions, fed on resistance. He inched closer, his lips just about to crash into hersAnd then, mercifully, his phone rang.RING!Benjamin paused, exhaled in annoyance, and pulled the phone out of his jacket. “What?” he barked, not bothering to check the caller ID.“Sir,” came his assistant’s voice, a little shaken, “it’s almost time for the meeting. You’re supposed to represent the Moore family, because Mr. Marcus is out of town. He asked me to remind you.”Benjamin groaned and pressed the bridge of his nose with frustration, pulling away from Lisa. “I swear, this family politics is going to kill my vibe one day,” he mutter

As the footage continued to roll, the room fell into a hush. The air was heavy with tension, everyone focused on the grainy security feed. There, clear as day, was Scott leaving the store with a lady. But it wasn’t Lisa.The lead thug narrowed his eyes. “That’s not miss Raymond.”“No, sir,” the technician confirmed. “Different woman entirely.”“Rewind,” the thug ordered, stepping closer to the screen.The footage reversed frame by frame until it showed Scott and the lady approaching the checkout counter. Just moments before they paid, the lady turned and exchanged a quick but familiar conversation with one of the store attendants. A brief laugh, a light touch on the arm...it wasn’t just small talk. There was history between them.“There,” the thug said, tapping the screen. “She knows her. Get that attendant in here now.”It didn’t take long. Tonia, Leah’s friend who had secretly warned her the first time these men came asking questions—was escorted into the back room, her eyes flickin

SPAAs Laura and Camilla stepped out of the car and approached the entrance of the spa, something across the street caught Laura’s eye. She stopped abruptly, her hand shooting out to block Camilla’s path.Camilla raised an eyebrow, confused. “What is it?”Laura narrowed her eyes at a familiar figure leaning casually against a car across the road, speaking into her phone. Even though the woman wore glasses and had her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, Laura recognized her immediately.“That woman,” Laura said under her breath, pointing subtly at Cara. “She was with Scott the day he showed up to tell me and Gale that he’d won the stupid bet and we needed to hand over Harrington mansion.”Camilla followed her gaze, frowning in confusion. “Are you sure?”“I don’t know her name,” Laura said, her tone darkening. “But I remember her face. She attacked me that day, grabbed my hand like she was going to break it. Scott just stood there, pretending like he was trying to stop her. It was clea

After checking her vitals and gently pressing along her ribs and shoulders to assess the bruising, the doctor stepped back with a reassuring nod. “You’re not in any danger,” he said calmly, meeting Tonia’s eyes. “You have some soft tissue bruises and swelling, but no fractures or internal bleeding. The scans all came back clear.”Tonia let out a quiet breath of relief and winced slightly as she shifted on the bed. The doctor continued, “I’ll prescribe a combination of anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers. With a few days of rest and consistent medication, the pain should ease off significantly. You’ll need to avoid any strenuous activity for a while.”Just then, the door creaked open and the manager walked in, holding a plastic tray with a bowl of warm soup, bread, and a bottle of water. His face looked strained, like he hadn’t rested either. “I thought you might be hungry,” he said gently, placing the tray on the bedside table. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s warm.”“Thank y