Lewis sat at the edge of his bed, dripping with sweat even though the morning air was cool enough to raise goosebumps on his skin. His breath came out in short bursts, uneven and shaky. His wife, who had just stepped in with a towel in hand, paused when she saw the way his hands trembled around the glass of water he was clutching. For days now, she had watched him spiral — barely sleeping, flinching at shadows, jumping at the sound of a car horn or footsteps outside their gate. But last night… last night had been the worst. He had jolted awake three times, gasping, eyes wide and wild with his T-shirt soaked. The nightmares replayed the same scene: masked men breaking into their home, dragging his wife and their children away while he stood rooted in place, powerless, begging them not to hurt his family. The screams felt so real that he woke up shaking long after the dream had ended. This wasn’t how he used to be. Lewis had always been resilient, calm under pressu

Sophia pushed her front door open with trembling hands. Her chest still burned from the reports, the countless calls, the investigations, and the heartbreak of the day. She felt drained… hollow… furious… and utterly defeated.Ryan was in the living room, lounging on the sofa with the television remote in hand. The moment he heard the door slam, his head jerked up sharply.“Babe?” he called.Sophia didn’t answer. She walked forward slowly with her purse dangling loosely from her fingers. She could barely breathe, let alone speak.Ryan stood up immediately. “Sophia? What happened? You look terrible.”Sophia exhaled shakily and finally lowered herself onto the sofa. She pressed a hand to her forehead as if trying to physically hold herself together. Exhaustion seeped into her bones, dragging her down.“It’s Aurora Beauty,” she whispered, barely audible. “It’s… it’s collapsing. Everything is collapsing.”Ryan stiffened instantly. “What do you mean collapsing?” He sat beside her,

Brandon was finishing his morning coffee in the study, when the first officer rang the gatebell.Not long after, his assistant rushed into the study, breathless and pale.“Sir, we have law enforcement officers outside requesting your presence.”Brandon’s lips pressed into a thin, controlled line. He straightened the sleeves of his shirt. “They probably made a mistake. Just follow protocol. Ask them what they need,” he said.Moments later, the sound of firm footsteps approached the front door. Brandon rose from his chair, smoothing out his expression.When the door finally opened, he saw more officers than he expected—four in total—standing with unreadable expressions.This was no routine check.The officers stepped inside calmly but with unwavering authority, presenting the arrest warrant.“Brandon Scott,” the lead officer announced, “you are under arrest for suspicion of conspiracy, financial misappropriation, and aiding in unlawful activities against Aurora Beauty.”For a momen

Sophia arrived at the police station like a storm.Her heels struck the tiled floor with such force that officers turned to look before she even reached the front desk. She was breathing fast, her anger boiling through every cell of her body. Her hair was a bit disheveled and her lipstick smudged from rushing.She slammed her palm on the counter, startling the officer behind it.“Where is Detective Samuel?” she demanded, her voice vibrating with rage. “I need him right now. You people have made a mistake. A very big mistake.”Before the receptionist could answer, Samuel himself stepped out from the hallway, his face tightening when he saw her.“Ms. Bennett,” he said calmly, “I expected you might come.”Sophia marched up to him. “Good. Because I need you to correct the nonsense you said earlier. Ryan didn’t do anything. Brandon is the one behind everything that happened to my company. I don’t know what rubbish you saw or what lies he told, but I need you to fix this. Right now.”Sam

When Sophia finally arrived at her mother’s house, she stumbled in, barely holding herself together. The moment her hand pushed the door open, it swung against the wall with a loud slam that echoed across the sitting room.Ava and her friend, Doris, who had been chatting quietly on the couch, immediately turned toward the noise. The shock on their faces lasted only a second before it twisted into concern.“Sophia?” Ava called out.But before either woman could stand, Sophia’s legs buckled. She collapsed to her knees with her hands trembling violently against the tiles.“Mum… Mum…” she sobbed, sounding like a child calling out from the depths of a nightmare.Ava shot up instantly. “Jesus! Sophia!” She ran to her daughter, dropping to the floor beside her. “What happened? What is it?!”Doris hurried over too, her expression tightening with alarm. “Sophia, speak to us! You’re shaking all over!”But Sophia couldn’t answer. She opened her mouth, but no words came. Only raw, strangl