Night had settled fully over the city.Outside the Lorenzo estate, darkness wrapped itself around the grounds, softening the edges of the world beyond the windows. Inside the study, however, the air was anything but calm.A heavy silence lingered.Not empty.Weighted.The kind that carried too many thoughts at once.The long table stood beneath the warm glow of the chandelier, its polished surface reflecting faces that had yet to recover from what they had just heard.Ivy stood near the head of the table, her posture straight—but not rigid. Controlled—but strained.She had just finished speaking.Every detail.Every word from the boardroom.Every shift.Every moment that had led to what now hung over them like a storm cloud waiting to break.No one spoke at first.Then—A breath.Soft.Unsteady.“Impossible…”Elissa’s voice broke the silence first.Her hand rested against the table, fingers lightly curled, as though anchoring herself to something real. Her eyes were wide, disbelief wr

The bar was alive long before Moses decided to leave it.Not just busy—Alive.Laughter spilled over itself in waves, glasses clinked without rhythm, and voices rose and fell like a restless tide that refused to settle. The air was thick with heat, alcohol, and the kind of careless energy that only came when people had decided—consciously or not—not to think too deeply about anything.And at the center of it—Moses.He stood near the counter, one hand resting lazily against the polished wood, the other lifting his glass just slightly—not to drink, but to acknowledge.To accept.Because they were watching him.All of them.Not just glancing—watching.The bartender had leaned in moments ago, eyebrows raised in quiet confirmation.Moses had only nodded once.That was all it took.And now—The room knew.“Drinks on him!”The announcement had cut clean through the noise, sharp and immediate.For half a second—silence.Then—An eruption.Cheers broke out from every corner of the bar. Laught

Vivian didn’t move or say a word after Moses made the statement. She just stood and watched as Moses turned and walked away. Daniella followed him without a word.Behind them, the door opened again, and Vivian stepped out. She stopped just short of the hallway's end.She watched as they reached the street and stopped right in front of the SUV waiting at the curb.As they got in, the doors closed and the engine started. The car soon pulled away, and only then did Vivian break.The tears came unrestrained, her body folding slightly under the weight of it as the reality settled in.Moses had dumped her.-------Inside the car, the silence held only for a moment."I love you baby," Daniella said, leaning in. "Love you too," Moses replied.Their lips met and forged a long kiss. Moses' hand came up instinctively, pulling her closer as the car continued down the street."Where to, sir?" the driver's voice cut in. Moses pulled back just enough to answer, his breath slightly uneven."The mos

Derrick remained beneath the large apple tree just a moment longer, the weight of what he just heard settling into him in a way he could neither ignore nor fully process.It surely had added a sharp twist to the situation.He reached up again, picking two more apples from the low–hanging branch. The motion grounded him and gave his hands something to do while his mind continued to turn over the same questions.Who was Pa Lorenzo speaking to? And who would not know what was coming for him?Derrick exhaled slowly as he released the branch. Then he turned back toward the house, his steps careful as he crossed the vast garden.The morning still held its gentle calm, the breeze moving in its usual softness through the leaves. By the time he stepped back inside, his expression had settled into its usual composure.He made his way upstairs, noting how the door of his room was slightly ajar. He pushed the door open and stepped in.Elissa and the others were there, gathered around Ivy. Jane s

Derrick looked at Pa Lorenzo once before he pushed his chair back and rose to his feet."Ivy," he called as he went after her.He reached their room just as the door shut."Ivy–" he called again, opening the door without waiting for a response.She stood just a few steps into the room, her back half-turned and her shoulders tense. When she finally turned slowly to him, the sight of her hit him harder than he expected.Tears streamed freely down her cheeks."My love..." His voice softened immediately as he crossed the space between them.She said nothing."I'm sorry," he said quietly as he reached her. "That was completely out of place."Her lips parted, but no words came. The emotion sat too thick in her chest."He shouldn't have said that," Derrick continued in a gentler voice. His thumb brushed carefully beneath her eye, catching a tear before it could fall further.She let out a small, uneven breath."Its not just what he said," she murmured in a fragile voice despite her effort to