The Warehouse
Inside an abandoned warehouse, a man—barely alive—hung upside down from a chain. His blood dripped steadily to the cold concrete floor, his breaths shallow, rasping.
The rusted door creaked open.
The devil himself walked in, dressed in an all-black suit. Beside him stood Adrian—his closest ally.
The air shifted immediately.
Ayden's presence was undeniable. Cold, silent, commanding. His silver-grey eyes glinted like steel, devoid of emotion.
He approached the nearly lifeless man. One of his guards moved to set chairs, but Ayden and Adrian remained standing.
"We've got better things to do," Adrian muttered. "Let's make this quick so this bastard can rest—for good."
Ayden stared at the man. "Peter. You've worked with me for over three years. And now… betrayal?" His voice was ice.
"I'm sorry, boss," Peter gasped. "Please—please forgive me."
"Forgiveness?" Ayden raised an eyebrow. "You know that word doesn't exist in my world."
Flashback – Earlier That Day
Ayden was in his office, reviewing shipment documents when a knock came at the door.
"Come in," he said.
Ryan, his PA, entered, looking troubled.
"Boss… there's a problem."
"Get to the point," Ayden snapped.
"Your shipment was hijacked by Ace's men."
Ayden's jaw tightened. His expression darkened like a brewing storm.
Ace. A rival mafia boss—ruthless, older, and obsessed with power. He'd always hated that a "small boy" like Ayden now ruled the underworld.
Ayden's father had once led the underground empire. But when age caught up, he stepped down. Everyone expected Ace to take over—everyone except Ayden.
Though uninterested at first, Ayden saw the threat Ace posed. He stepped up at just 18, shocking the entire network. Even his father, who had once admired Ace, had no choice but to hand the crown to his blood.
Humiliated, Ace formed his own organization. Since then, he had done everything to bring Ayden down.
"How did they know about the shipment?" Ayden asked, voice sharp.
"Someone leaked the info," Ryan said quietly.
"You have 30 minutes. Find out who."
Ryan nodded and rushed out.
Within the hour, he returned.
"It was Peter," he said.
Silence. Ayden said nothing, just stared at Ryan—dead calm, which was far more terrifying.
"Boss… what do you want me to do?"
Ayden turned slowly. "Call Adrian. Tell him to meet me after hours."
"Yes, sir."
Back to the Warehouse
"Why'd you do it?" Ayden asked, arms folded.
"He threatened my family," Peter cried. "I didn't know what else to do."
"You knew me, Peter. If you had told me, I would have protected your family with everything I've got. But instead, you chose betrayal. Do you know what I've lost today?"
"I'm sorry, boss. I know you hate disloyalty. And I know you don't give second chances. Just… promise me you'll look after my family."
"You have my word," Ayden said coldly.
A single gunshot rang out. One of Ayden's men had pulled the trigger.
Peter's body went limp.
Ayden didn't flinch.
"Tell Ace he'll hear from me soon," Ayden said, turning to leave.
He paused. "Call the buyers. Tell them their delivery will be delayed until the end of the week. If they can't wait, they can go f**k themselves."
"Boss, seriously?" Adrian frowned. "You're supposed to calm them down, not curse them. What if they pull out?"
"My generations can't go broke—even if I stop working today," Ayden replied, stepping into his car.
"Call Xander. Make things right with him. He's only worried about you," Adrian urged.
Ayden gave him a side glance. "Have you been talking to my mum lately? You're starting to sound like her."
He shut the door.
Adrian sighed and followed him into his own car. They both drove off.
Bree's Apartment — The Next Morning
Bree and Avery woke early, got ready for work, and entered the living room where Braddy had just come out of the kitchen.
"Good morning, Mum," they both greeted.
"Good morning, angels. Sit—I made breakfast," Braddy said with a smile, returning to the kitchen.
"Thanks, Mum. Where's Betty?" Bree asked.
"She's still sleeping," Braddy replied.
"At this hour?" Avery blinked.
"I'm here," Betty yawned, walking in from the hallway.
"Good morning, everyone. Bree, do you have any painkillers? My head is pounding," she said, rubbing her temples.
"Check the cabinet in my bathroom," Bree replied, continuing her meal.
"Okay. Mum, where's my food?" Betty asked.
"In the kitchen."
She grabbed her plate and sat down to eat.
After breakfast, Bree and Avery left for work, promising to return early.
Betty cleared the table, washed the dishes, and cleaned the kitchen. But as she stepped out, her headache intensified.
She collapsed onto the couch beside Braddy, who was watching TV.
"Mum… could you help me get the drug from Bree's room? It's in her bathroom cabinet."
Braddy nodded and headed toward the room.
Inside, she opened the cabinet and began rummaging. The painkiller wasn't immediately visible, so she started pulling everything out.
Something dropped from a plastic bag and hit the floor.
She bent down—and froze.
It was a pregnancy test strip. Two of them. Both positive.
Her hands trembled as she picked them up.
She found the painkiller, rearranged the cabinet, and walked out with the drugs—and the tests.
"Here," she said, handing the pills to Betty.
Betty took them, laid back, and closed her eyes.
"Mum, you look like you've seen a ghost," she said.
Braddy didn't respond. Instead, she placed the strips in Betty's hands.
"I found these in the cabinet."
"Could be Aunt Avery's," Betty offered.
"What if they're both pregnant?" Braddy whispered. "There were two strips. Both positive."
"Maybe they bought two to be sure it wasn't a false negative," Betty replied quickly. "Besides, both of them can't be pregnant. Right?"
Braddy frowned. "Why do I feel like it's Bree?"
"Don't jump to conclusions yet. Just wait till they return and ask," Betty said.
The rest of the day passed with movies and quiet tension.
Evening
After work, Bree and Avery stopped to get groceries before heading home.
"I'll see the doctor once Mum and Betty go back to California," Bree murmured in the car.
When they arrived:
"Mum, we're back!" Bree called out.
"Welcome back! How was work?" Braddy asked, stepping out of the kitchen with Betty.
"Great. We picked up groceries," Avery said, handing Betty the bags.
"Wonderful. Go freshen up—dinner's ready," Braddy instructed.
They did.
Soon, everyone sat around the rarely used dining table. A short prayer was said, and dinner began.
Silence filled the table. No one dared break it.
After dinner, Braddy turned to them.
"I need to speak with you both."
Betty stood and excused herself. She already knew what was coming.
Bree and Avery sat together on the couch. Braddy sat across from them.
"What's wrong, Mum?" Avery asked, already nervous.
Braddy placed the test strips on the table.
The room shifted.
Bree froze. Avery gasped, covering her mouth.
Bree's heart pounded. She hadn't expected her mum to find out—not this soon.
"Mum… I can explain," Bree whispered, tears brimming.
"I knew they were yours. My instincts were right," Braddy said, clearly hurt.
"I didn't mean to hide it. I was just scared. I didn't know how to tell you."
"When were you planning to tell me?"
"When I had the courage."
"Who's the father?"
"I don't know him," Bree lied.
"For Christ's sake, Bree! How can you be pregnant and not know who the father is? Wait… were you—?"
"No, Mum! I wasn't raped." Bree cut her off quickly. "It was the night of our graduation. We went clubbing… we got drunk. That's how it happened."
"You didn't recognize his face when you woke up?"
"I did."
"Did you try to find him?"
"I did. But he made it clear I meant nothing to him. If I told him I'm pregnant, he'd probably pay me to get rid of it."
"That doesn't mean he'll reject the child," Braddy argued, her voice rising.
"I don't want him involved! I can raise my child on my own."
Braddy turned to Avery, voice heavy with disappointment.
"Avery, I expected better. Even if Bree didn't want to tell me, I didn't think you'd help her hide this. Talk to your friend."
Avery had been silent the whole time, consumed by guilt. She was the one who'd dragged Bree to that club in the first place.
"I'm sorry, Mum," she said quietly.
Braddy stood up.
"Good luck with your decision, Bree."
She walked into the bedroom and closed the door, leaving a heavy silence behind.