CHAPTER 393. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. Childhood MemoriesChiara fell silent, her eyes widening as he shook her hand with a gentle greeting.“Hanover...?” It wasn’t a common surname, and she knew a Hanover. “By any chance, do you know... Oskar, Oskar Hanover?”Oskar Hanover had been one of Asterion Bank’s most important regional managers for many years, and her father had held him in high regard.“Yes, Oskar is my father,” Viktor smiled. “We crossed paths a few times in the halls of Asterion when we were kids, but well... you were always with your twin sister, and I was a bespectacled little nerd.”Chiara smiled nostalgically and nodded, remembering those beautiful moments from her childhood.“Please don’t be so formal with me. I literally couldn’t be in a worse position for you to maintain such courtesies,” she murmured.In response, Viktor pulled out a chair, inviting her to sit, and instead of going behind his desk, he sat across from her with a familiar gesture.“Alright, then, no fo
CHAPTER 394. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. An Easy ChoiceJhon arrived at his apartment, tired and angry after a whole day of threatening, pleading, and eventually forcing his way into Noémi’s office. “You have to tell me where she is!” It had been a week, and what Jhon felt went beyond mere desperation. “Get out of here, Jhon.” “I need to see her, Noémi! I have to get her out of there! Please help me see her, help me find her!” “You just don’t get it, do you, Jhon?” his ex-sister-in-law retorted. “Chiara doesn’t want to see you! You were the person she trusted the most in the world, and because of you, our family is on the verge of bankruptcy. We’re going to lose my father’s life’s work, and she’s in prison. Because of you! If you can’t see everything you’ve caused, then you’re even worse than I thought. Please leave. I won’t tell you where my sister is unless she asks me to herself.”Jhon left with his heart pounding wildly. He felt confused and lost. He could use other methods, could
CHAPTER 395. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. I’m going to find you“Well... when you sacrifice your wife and child, call me, and we’ll talk.”The news that Jhon Hopkins was leaving the CIA spread like wildfire. Within minutes, there was an uproar outside his office, and his closest team confronted him about abandoning them. But Jhon knew he no longer fit in a place like that. He had sworn to protect his country, and in that, he had not held back. But he hadn’t sworn to condemn innocent people for his or his superiors’ benefit. He gathered what little he had in the office and said goodbye to those who had truly served alongside him with integrity. He left to empty his apartment in London, but not half an hour had passed when there was a knock on his door. Jhon saw Billy, Speedy, two other tech specialists, four highly trained field agents, and a professional interrogator. “Guys? What are you doing here?” he asked, puzzled. Each of the men carried a black suitcase, which they set down around t
CHAPTER 396. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. RejectionChiara sat on the bed with a sigh, trying to focus her vision. She had barely slept the night before and felt utterly exhausted. The first trimester of her pregnancy was hitting her hard, and even though her room was cozy and didn't resemble a prison cell at all, it didn’t take away the pain of everything that had led her there.She made herself some tea and sat by the window, watching the weather turn colder outside. “Are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to call the nurse?” Viktor asked as he approached, but Chiara wiped her tears before turning toward him. She didn’t like showing her vulnerability, not even in front of a friend like Viktor. He had been the one helping her through the last few days, making everything somewhat bearable, but that didn’t mean she could easily trust anyone again like she had trusted Jhon. “It’s nothing, just the usual dizziness from the pregnancy,” she muttered. “Thanks for your concern.” “It’s nothing,
CHAPTER 397. A CAGE FOR THE QUEEN. I’ve got a job for you.“The man responsible for her being here says that?” Viktor growled. “I’m also trying to get her out.” “Then you clearly haven’t listened to her. You don’t even respect her.” “Excuse me?” “If you respected Chiara’s reasons for being here, she wouldn’t have gone to prison in the first place!” Viktor hissed, stepping up to Jhon. “But let’s be honest, you don’t care about anyone’s opinion, not even hers. So I don’t care what you know about me or what you want. I’m not letting you see Chiara because she doesn’t want to see you.” “I’m the father of her child!” “Congratulations on your sperm donation! But the best thing a man can do for his child is love their mother, and you didn’t do that,” Viktor stated coldly. “The moment Chiara tells me she wants to see you, I’ll personally send for you. But until then, get out of my damn prison before I accuse you of the first thing that comes to mind.” Jhon was about to respond when a g
CHAPTER 1. More than one way to break a heart**JANUARY SEATTLE**"How could you do this?!" Zack Keller's furious roar stopped his girlfriend right at the door as soon as he saw her arrive.Giselle saw a piece of paper in his hand and had no idea what he was talking about, but she had never seen him so upset as he was at that moment."I don't know what you're talking about...""Of course you do! You aborted my child! You lost it on purpose!" he accused her angrily. "Did you at least have the damn intention of telling me anything?!"The woman in front of him turned pale."How... how do you know...?"Zack threw the paper in her direction and looked at her with disappointment."Do you forget you're on my company's health insurance?" he spat, approaching her. "As soon as your last name appeared in the payment records, they notified me. Imagine my joy when I found out the insurance had paid for a pregnancy test and then for an ultrasound!"Giselle stepped away from him, her face red with e
CHAPTER 2. Something is Very Wrong...**NOVEMBER. VANCOUVER**"Andrea! To my office! Now!"The shout from her boss, a middle manager at SportUnike, made her jump in her seat, anxious because she knew he was in a very bad mood that day."Is this a damn joke?" he growled, throwing a folder of documents at her face. "I clearly told you I needed the budget reports for the water sports division from last month!"Andrea's eyes widened."But... Mr. Trembley... I'm sure you said you wanted this month's reports...""Don't argue with me, you useless idiot!" her boss snapped. At fifty years old, Peter Trembley was as unpleasant as his bulging belly, but Andrea had to endure him because she had barely managed to get a job as his assistant, and she and her daughter depended on it to survive. "Don't you realize what's happening? SportUnike is gone! A Swiss bastard bought it, and now we'll just be a part of his company! Do you know what that means?"Andrea knew. The arrival of a new owner had create
CHAPTER 3. A Possible AllyBut if Zack thought something was wrong with the company, his instincts went on high alert when he went down to the parking lot and saw the woman leaning against one of the walls. She was trying to change from high heels to low sneakers, but her hands were shaking.He was tempted to go talk to her, but something in him still resisted getting involved in other people's problems. He had a new company to run; if he wanted Andrea to feel better, he just had to fix his company, not the woman's personal life.Finally, he saw her adjust her coat and step out into the cold street.He watched from a distance and saw she didn't take a taxi or a bus, so she probably lived nearby. He had no idea how wrong he was because Andrea didn't live remotely close; she simply couldn't afford any form of transportation.For forty minutes, the young woman walked through the cold of a Canadian winter, and by the time she finally reached her building, it was almost dark."Good evening