Christiana’s POV
I sat at the edge of the hotel bed, staring blankly at the empty space in front of me. The room was quiet, painfully quiet, without the usual chatter of my kids. For the first time since they were born, Ethan and Emma weren’t with me, and it was eating me alive. I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to push away the rising anxiety that threatened to overwhelm me.
Just one night, I
I had always been the one to tuck them in, tell them stories, watch their eyes flutter as sleep took over. But tonight, they were with Alex. I had given in, letting them stay with him for just one night, and yet… the emptiness gnawed at me. reminded myself. “It’s just one night, Christiana. Get a grip.
The phone on the desk buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was Glory, my P.A
“Ma’am, I’ve got some updates from the police, Glory’s voice was sharp, businesslike, but there was a hint of concern hidden beneath it. I sighed, leaning back on the bed and holding the phone to my ear.
“Go on,” I said, keeping my voice steady. I couldn’t afford to let anyone, not even Glory, know how much the situation was rattling me.
“They’re still looking into the source of the fire, but it’s confirmed now–someone did set it. They’re narrowing down suspects. but no one’s been caught yet. They think it was done from the air–possibly a helicopter. Whoever it was, they were professionals.”
I gritted my teeth, the anger bubbling up in my chest. A helicopter. Someone had gone to such lengths to destroy my home, to hurt my children and me. My heart ached just thinking about it. I glanced at the window, my heart was doing dangerous backflip in my chest. Who could have wanted us dead?
“Did they trace anything else?” I asked, trying to focus on the task at hand,
Glory hesitated. “Not yet, but they’re looking into it. They suspect that whoever was behind this has connections… maybe event resources close to you.”
The statement hung in the air for a moment, and I clenched my fists. I knew exactly what she was hinting at. Mrs. Margret Alistair. Alex’s mother. The woman who had never hidden her disdain for me, even when I was pregnant with the twins. But then again…would she go that far? Would she risk hurting the grandchildren she supposedly loved just to get rid of me?
“Keep digging.” I ordered, my voice sharp. “I want updates as soon as you hear anything new. And tighten security around the hotel. No one comes in or out without proper vetting
“Understood, ma’am.”
I hung up the phone, tossing it onto the bed. My mind raced. The idea of Margret being behind the fire made sense, but it was also absurd. Why would she endanger the kids? Still, something told me she wasn’t entirely innocent either.
As I mulled over the possibilities, I couldn’t ignore the pit in my stomach. My instincts told me this wasn’t over–far from it. And while the police were still piecing things together, I had to keep my guard up. For the kids‘ sake. For mine.
I stood up and walked to the window, staring out at the skyline. Normally, I found solace in the view. It reminded me of how far I’d come, the empire I had built from the ground up. But tonight, the weight of everything felt too heavy. The absence of my children pressed down on my chest like a physical ache.
The knock on the door startled me.
“Come in,” I called, turning as Glory stepped into the room. She had a file in her hand, probably filled with the latest reports on the investigation
“Ma’am, just a few more things,” Glory said, her eyes darting between me and the papers in her hands. “The legal team wants to know how you’d like to proceed with the insurance claims. Given the extent of the damage…”
“Send them everything they need,” I said with a wave of my hand. “I’ll deal with the rest later.”
Glory nodded, but she lingered for a moment. “Ma’am… are you okay?”
I glanced at her, taken aback by the question. “I’m fine, Glory. Why wouldn’t I be?”
11:54 AM
Chapter 53
She gave me a soft, almost pitying smile. “It’s just… with the kids gone for the night, and everything going on, I thought…”
“I’m fine,” I said more firmly this time, cutting her off. “Go ahead and handle the insurance. I’ll be ready for a meeting in the morning.”
Glory nodded, and with that, she left the room. I was alone again, standing in the middle of the empty space, the silence deafening. My kids were everything to me, and not having them close felt like someone had ripped out a piece of my soul. 1 wanted to believe they were safe with Alex, that they were okay. But that didn’t make the loneliness any easier to bear.
1 rubbed my ankle absently. The injury was healing, but it still throbbed with a dull ache. I’d been so busy handling business and making sure the authorities were doing their job that I hadn’t had much time to think about my own recovery.
Sighing, I glanced at the clock. It was late. The kids were probably already asleep. I pulled my phone closer, hesitating for a moment before dialing Alex’s number. I wasn’t calling to check on him–I just needed to know they were okay.
The phone rang twice before he picked up. His voice was low and calm. “Christiana.”
I cleared my throat, pushing down the lump of emotions that threatened to spill over. “Are the kids asleep?”
“They’re fine,” he replied, and I could hear the slight softness in his tone, one that wasn’t meant for me but for the kids. “They’re already in bed. They wanted to stay up longer, but I had to tuck them in.”
For a moment, I imagined Ethan and Emma in Alex’s arms, their faces pressed against his chest as they drifted off. I could almost hear their sleepy voices, asking him to tell them one more story.
“Good,” I said, my voice tight. “I just wanted to check,”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I could sense Alex wanted to say something more, but I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. “I’ll pick them up tomorrow.”
“Of course,” he replied. “But… Christiana, if you need—”
“I don’t need anything from you, Alex,” I snapped, cutting him off. “Just keep them safe”
He didn’t argue. Instead, there was a brief silence, and then he said, “Goodnight.”
I hung up without another word, tossing the phone onto the bed once more. My heart felt heavy, but I pushed the feelings away. I had work to do. There was no time for emotions right now.
I walked over to the desk, grabbing the file Glory had left behind. I needed to keep my mind focused. The kids would be back tomorrow, and I would face this fire–both literally and figuratively–head–on
I sat back on the bed, trying to immerse myself in the paperwork scattered across the desk. The file Glory had left behind was filled with reports, contracts, and proposals, but my mind kept drifting. No matter how hard I tried to focus, the weight of everything felt heavier than usual
Just as I was about to bury myself in the next report, a sudden knock echoed through the room. I froze, my hand hovering over the paper. Who could it be at this hour? My first thought was the kids–maybe something happened. But I had just spoken to Alex, so it couldn’t be them.
I got up slowly and walked to the door, peeking through the peephole. To my utter surprise, it was Daniel standing on the other side, holding a bag of what looked lik
e takeout. My brows furrowed as I opened the door, staring at him in disbelief.
