CHAPTER 1

Harvey stumbled into the room, reeking of alcohol and unpleasant odors. The atmosphere grew tense as everyone's gaze fixated on him, filled with disgust. Margaret, seething with anger, had meticulously planned her 50th birthday party for a whole year, only for her disrespectful son-in-law to ruin it.

Whispers filled the room, "Quick, get your husband out of here!" commanded George to his daughter.

She approached Harvey, intending to calm him down, but he snapped at her, "Don't touch me! I'm sorry for being late, but I didn't even receive an invitation. Can you believe it? I, the son-in-law, excluded from my mother-in-law's birthday celebration!"

Margaret's eyes scanned the room, disappointment etched on the faces of the distinguished guests. "You ungrateful fool," she declared, her voice dripping with authority. "Leave this place immediately, or you'll regret it."

"Listen up, Harvey. If you dare bring any more shame upon my daughter and our family, your marriage will come crashing down. And then we'll see what becomes of you," Margaret coldly warned.

Fed up with his behavior, Margaret had reached her breaking point. Harvey seemed determined to be a constant embarrassment to her family.

"Fine, Margaret. I'll leave. But mark my words, this is the last time you'll ever threaten me," he scolded before turning to make his exit. However, a voice from behind interrupted him. "Let him stay. I want to witness the downfall of my cousin, the once great and powerful Harvey Price. Oh, how the mighty have fallen," Richard Darby sneered, shaking his head.

Richard Darby was one of the few people Harvey despised the most. He had endured immense suffering after the tragic death of his father at the hands of Richard’s family, an experience that had left him scarred and fueled his animosity.

Avoiding eye contact, Harvey knew that meeting Richard's gaze would only reopen old wounds. He hastily made his escape, the echoes of laughter and mocking names ringing in his ears.

"Don't you even think about it," Richard commanded, as Halle attempted to chase after Harvey. Within moments, the party resumed as if nothing had happened.

Devastated, Harvey contemplated how much longer he could endure this torment. His marriage to Serena felt like a dance with the devil. Margaret and George seemed determined to pick up where the Darbys and the rest of his family had left off.

Lost in his thoughts, Harvey failed to notice a car barreling towards him. Suddenly, the vehicle screeched to a halt, and a pleasant-looking lady rolled down the window.

"Harvey Price, your father must be rolling in his grave. His once esteemed son, now reduced to a mere laughingstock by those who wouldn't even dare utter the Price name in his presence."

Stunned, Harvey had never encountered this woman before. "Who are you, and how do you know my father?" he questioned.

"It's not about who I am, but what I can offer you," she replied, handing him a contact card before speeding away. Deep down, he knew she was right. How had he gone from being at the top to becoming the prey?

The Price name used to strike fear, but now Harvey had tarnished his father's legacy. It was time for him to get his act together and restore the honor of the Price Dynasty. Uncovering the hidden secrets that everyone was keeping became his top priority. He had been kept in the dark for far too long.

Harvey was certain that the mysterious lady held the answers to Monica's sudden disappearance and all the strange occurrences surrounding him. Allies had been formed to keep him down, preventing him from living up to his father's expectations. But he was determined to prove them all wrong.

He quickly dialed a number on his phone and then headed home to freshen up for his upcoming meeting. Upon arriving, he spotted Halle standing in front of the apartments.

Halle held a special place in his heart. She was the only one in the Crawford family who treated him with genuine kindness, unlike Serena, who never showed him any respect.

"Harvey, I apologize for earlier. My mother had no right to speak to you that way. And your cousin? Let's not even go there. He's just a pompous jerk, reaping the benefits of your father's hard work," she said, her words captivating him.

As he listened, he couldn't help but wonder what had truly happened. He had known Halle before Serena came into the picture, but he could never comprehend the sudden change in Halle's behavior that had led him to marry Serena.

"Your concern means a lot, but you should go before Serena arrives. You know how she reacts when she sees us together," he said, his voice filled with worry.

"That's because deep down, she knows we're meant to be," Halle replied. This had always been the truth for Harvey, but every time he asked her why she did what she did, she grew fearful and insisted on keeping her secrets locked away.

This time, he would give her one last chance to come clean. "Halle, it's time you tell me everything you know. There are no secrets that can stay hidden forever. Eventually, they will come to light," he said, looking deep into her eyes. He could see the tears welling up, almost ready to spill over.

"This burden has weighed on you for too long, Halle. It's time to let it go. I know it's about me, and that's why it hurts you every time I bring it up," he urged, his voice filled with empathy.

"You may feel like you betrayed me, but I don't see it that way. You were backed into a corner and had no choice," she stammered, searching for the courage to speak those words. Suddenly, without warning, she took off, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

"I can't be the one to expose this. I just can't," she muttered through tears. He tried to chase after her, but he knew it was futile. His meeting was too important.

He quickly arranged for a car from a rental service. He couldn't take any chances with his own car being tracked. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to discover the truth.

As he arrived at the shady location, he was taken aback to see the same woman from before. He had intended to call her after he finished here.

Before he could approach her, he noticed Mike, the person he had come to meet, shaking hands with her. He couldn't help but interrupt, exclaiming, "You again?"

With a mysterious smile, she responded, "Well, the fact that you're here means you're trying to do what's expected of you. Let me leave you with this: your problems didn't start with the Darbys and your family. They're just the tip of the iceberg. Your true troubles lie with the Crawfords." And with that enigmatic statement, she walked away, leaving him with more questions than answers.