Chapter: Chapter 490PHOEBESix months later…The air smelled like home.The moment Ramon pulled into the driveway, I pressed my palm against the glass window, smiling. The house hadn’t changed. The paint was still chipped in the corners. Mom still had the old wind chimes hanging by the porch, and there were fresh flowers by the steps. God, it felt good to be back."You okay?" Ramon asked gently, parking the car."Yeah," I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. "Just... this is where it all started."He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Then let’s go make more memories."I giggled softly. "You’re such a sap now."He grinned. "You made me this way."Stephen came out behind her, smiling as he carried a tray of drinks.“Ladies, slow down before you both go into labor,” he joked, walking carefully so nothing spilled.Winnie rolled her eyes. “You try being pregnant with a baby that feels like he’s doing karate inside you.”Stephen chuckled and leaned in to kiss her forehead. “You’re doing amazing, babe. Both of
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: Chapter 489The day of the wedding dawned soft and golden.It wasn’t held in a grand church with tall stained-glass windows or a fancy hotel ballroom with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. No, this wedding was different, quiet, meaningful, and full of heart. The ceremony took place in the countryside, on a wide, open field where nature was the only decoration they needed. The air smelled of fresh earth and wildflowers, and the soft wind danced between the trees like it, too, had come to celebrate.Tall oak trees stood around the field like gentle guardians, their leaves swaying softly as golden sunlight filtered through their branches. It was the kind of setting that made people feel calm just by standing in it. In the middle of the field stood two white arches, simple and elegant, placed side by side. They were carefully decorated with twisting green vines, pale pink roses, and white lilies, creating a picture so beautiful it felt like a dream. One arch belonged to Ramon and Phoebe. The othe
Last Updated: 2025-07-30
Chapter: Chapter 488STEPHEN The wind was quiet that evening. The kind of quiet that made you feel like the world had finally stopped spinning. Maybe just for a moment. Maybe just for us.I stood beside Winnie, Phoebe, and Ramon as we stared at the small patch of land. The soil was still fresh, the grass barely starting to grow back. No headstone. No flowers. No mourners. Just dirt, silence, and the memory of a man who had haunted every one of our lives in his own way.Winnie reached out, slipped her hand into mine. I held on tighter than I meant to. Ramon didn’t speak. He just stood there, eyes fixed on the grave like he was watching something finally disappear. Phoebe was close to him, brushing his arm with her fingers every so often, like she needed to make sure he was still real.I looked at the unmarked grave."He’s really gone," I said softly.Ramon nodded. "He is. And I’m still here."Phoebe leaned her head against his shoulder. "You made it."He let out a slow breath. "We all did."We stayed a li
Last Updated: 2025-07-29
Chapter: Chapter 487PHOEBEI dropped to my knees beside Ramon, my hands trembling as they pressed over the wound in his side."Ramon. No, no, no... Stay with me. Please."His blood was everywhere. On my hands. My jeans. The ground. It soaked through my fingers, warm and terrifying.He groaned, his eyes flickering open, barely conscious."Phoebe…" he whispered, a faint smile trying to form.I shook my head, choking back a sob. "Don’t talk. Save your strength. You’re going to be okay. Help is coming."From the corner of my eye, I saw Richard move.At first, I thought it was just a twitch. Maybe a death spasm, just nerves firing off one last time. But then I caught it again, his hand. Slowly dragging toward his coat.My heart stopped.That bastard, he wasn’t done.“Ramon,” I breathed, pressing my hand harder against his bleeding side, but my eyes stayed on Richard. “He’s not…. he’s not dead.”Ramon groaned softly beneath me, his blood soaking through my pants, my hands, my soul. “Phoebe… go…”“No. I’m not l
Last Updated: 2025-07-29
Chapter: Chapter 486RICHARDI sat in the dark room, my fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of the knife I kept on the table beside me. The cold air bit at my skin, but I didn’t feel it. All I felt was bitterness. That deep, festering kind that clung to your soul like rot.Footsteps echoed from the hallway.So, he came.I didn’t move.The door creaked open slowly, and there he was. Ramon. The boy who used to follow me around like a shadow. The boy whose mother I loved more than life itself. And now? A man. But a weak one. A traitor."So you came," I said flatly.He stepped in, jaw tight. "I want answers."I laughed, low and sharp. "You want answers now? After everything? After you ran off with that girl like some puppy?""Her name is Phoebe. And this isn’t about her. This is about Mom."My blood boiled. I stood slowly, my joints aching with every movement. "Don’t talk to me about your mother. You don’t get to pretend you care. Not when you’re sleeping with the enemy.""She’s not the enemy.""She is!"
Last Updated: 2025-07-28
Chapter: Chapter 485PHOEBEI stood by the hallway, just out of sight, my back pressed against the cold wall as I listened to the sharp click of metal. Ramon was in the room, loading his gun. I could hear every movement, every shift in weight, every breath he took. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might echo down the corridor. I didn’t want to interrupt him. I didn’t want to distract him. But I couldn’t stay quiet anymore."You don’t have to do this," I said, my voice soft and shaking.He didn’t turn around. He didn’t even pause. “I do.”“Ramon…” I took a step forward.He finally looked over his shoulder. His eyes were dark, cold, and determined. “Phoebe, please. Not now.”There was something final in his voice. Like he’d already said goodbye in his mind.I swallowed, my throat dry. “Why won’t you let me come with you?”He sighed through his nose. “Because it’s not your fight.”I hated that answer. It didn’t matter whose fight it was. He mattered. His life mattered. If anything happened to him, it wo
Last Updated: 2025-07-28
LOGIN
