“What?” Eva asked in disbelief. “Are you sure?”“Absolutely certain.”The girl stared at the infant quizzically. Then, her eyes searched for Sophia frantically. What was going on?“But… But… Sophia said… You slept with her… And she had the baby… She submitted the paternity test as proof…”Victor nodded. “Fake paternity tests would be easy to procure for a doctor of her influence and renown. About sleeping with Sophia… I wouldn’t say I didn’t have sex with her. It’s just that I don’t remember.”Eva looked more confused than before.“These matters are separate,” the man added. “All I told you was that this particular baby isn’t mine. If it were, my senses would recognize it.”Eva rubbed her forehead, trying to understand Victor’s words. “My head is really muddled now. You say you probably slept with Sophia but are confident the baby isn’t yours? How does that work?”Victor led Eva away from the crowd and found a private corner table. He handed her a glass of wine.“You don’t need to get
Carol stayed in the washroom for ten minutes before leaving. She threw up several times. The young woman felt incredibly sick from the gourmet feast's smells and sounds. Do women get such powerful nausea a few weeks into marriage?On the other hand, Carol was insatiably hungry. Didn't that happen during the second trimester? She decided to go home. She'd rather have a home-cooked meal than fancy foods whose names she couldn't pronounce.Carol already had investors, lobbyists, and supporters lined up to meet her. After all, the young woman was one of the more credible mayoral candidates. Besides, she was the city hero's ex-wife, and people were excited to see what she was capable of.However, Carol wanted to slip out of the party at the moment. She somehow managed to dodge out of the banquet and walked down the corridors of City Hall.Carol noticed Josh standing in a corner, flirting with girls. She pursed her lips angrily. Where did her family run off to when she needed them?"My sist
Carol let out an ear-splitting scream in utter desperation. She couldn’t believe something so randomly horrifying would happen to her all over again. All she did was walk into an alley and find herself cornered by hyenas!Angelo immediately covered Carol’s mouth with a big, dirty hand. Even though nobody was around at this time of night to hear her calls for help, why take the risk? While the others held Carol against the wall, he whipped out a razor and held it to her gut.“Bitch!” he growled, running the edge against her soft skin. “If you scream again, I will rip through your pretty little belly button and find your intestines! Is that clear?”Carol winced as a shallow cut appeared over her belly. Suddenly, a strange realization hit her, and her eyes widened in terror. She looked at her attacker and nodded silently, streaming tears. Carol wasn’t worried about her own life anymore. Her only concern was the survival of Victor’s baby!Angelo cackled loudly. He and his gang often hung o
Claire Holt's Lamborghini cruised into the driveway of City Hall. It had to wade through a crowd of protesters behaving like hooligans. Outside the City Hall, a perimeter had been set with barbed wire, and armed soldiers stood close to the fence. Only essential personnel or authorized guests could enter.As Claire's vehicle passed through the crowd, they booed at her and hurled obscenities."Mayor's bitch!""Crony capitalist!""Get lost from our city!""Army whore!"Claire ignored the insults and asked the driver to speed up. Things had changed dramatically over the past few weeks. The Springfield Rapids Project had begun manufacturing weapons and defense systems on a large scale. This sudden decision created havoc in the populace because many housing projects were abandoned.The Interim Mayor, Victor Cromwell, postponed elections indefinitely. People blamed him, the Triumvirate, and the billionaires involved in the project for everything.Claire read the placards that the protesters
Victor recognized the vigilante named Roadkill because he was, in fact, Roadkill. When he first arrived in Springfield as Victor Cromwell, he immediately noticed the societal change. People were bolder, more outspoken, and political. On the other hand, something was uncanny about the steep rise of both crime and criminals.Even after the military boosted security and restored the economy, public order continued to worsen. It meant certain forces were actively inciting crimes. Robberies, burglaries, and murders were frequent.As soon as the sun set, a hush fell over the city. People were scared to go outdoors in the dark. Anti-social elements hung out in the alleys. Drugs, smuggling, and trafficking were at an all-time high. It was dangerous for women and children to go out alone after dusk.Victor decided to take matters into his own hands. He walked the streets and alleys himself to investigate the cause of this anomaly. Since he couldn't publicly reveal his identity and face, he dis
Victor Damone barged into his father-in-law's house, searching for his wife. "Where are you, Carol?"Rushing into the living room, he saw her seated between her middle-aged parents, Ronald and Martha. Both in-laws made sour faces as soon as they saw him.Carol looked gorgeous as always, with her chocolate-colored hair and dark-brown eyes. Her brother, Josh, a chubby guy in a sports jacket, relaxed on a couch sporting a smug expression.The setup looked as if they were prepared to confront him. But he had had enough of their antics. This time they had crossed a line."Where is my money, Carol?" Victor asked, glaring at his wife."What is the meaning of this?" Ronald barked, getting to his feet. "How dare you come into my house without my permission?"Ronald Atelier used to be a billionaire, heir to his father, Reginald's company. But he lost most of his inheritance through bad investments and mismanagement. Moreover, making his spendthrift son the CEO was the final nail in the coffin. J
Victor’s noble gesture had proved pointless. Carol had backstabbed him by taking his money and mortgaging the only precious asset born out of their marriage. The same house they lived in! And all that for her spoiled brother who never cared for her!Did she even care about their marriage? What sort of self-serving family had he married into? All he wanted was to live a simple life. But his circumstances had gotten worse with time."Isn't your grandfather over ninety years old already?" Martha muttered. She had been silent all along but decided to voice her opinion, now that she saw her son-in-law lose his bearings. "Let that old man kick the bucket. There's no point in patching him up at his age. Josh is young and can make better use of the money."Victor shot his mother-in-law a murderous glance, but she stared back at him defiantly. How could the hag say something so terrible? His mind raced, and he suspected something was definitely wrong. His in-laws appeared more aggressive than
The doorbell rang, and Ronald hastened to open the door with enthusiasm. It was as if he had been expecting guests. An immaculately dressed man stepped in with two guards accompanying him. He wore an expensive Armani suit, and a gold Piaget watch jingled on his wrist."James?" Carol exclaimed, recognizing the stranger. "What are you doing here? You look… different."The billionaire put on a charming smile. "Hi, Carol. I'm so glad you haven't forgotten me. I came to this locality to sign a five-million-dollar housing project and decided to visit you while I am here."Ronald and Martha's eyes lit up. The billionaire talked about five million dollars so casually, which meant his net worth was several billion.James was heir to the Colberts, the fifth most wealthy family in Springfield city. Recently, he was made CEO of the company and now exerted much influence. In fact, they had invited him to their house that day to meet Carol."You are always welcome here, Mr. Colbert," Martha and Ron