로그인ElenaA Year Later“Mom, do you need anything? Diego and I are going down for football practice.” Ryan gave me a concerned look.“No, sweetie. I’m fine.” I smiled and leaned back to rest my pregnant belly. At 34 weeks, I had difficulty moving around. But with everyone taking care of me, I sailed through the pregnancy successfully. Ryan and Damien pampered me, taking care of my unborn baby girl and me. Ryan was the most excited, having already named her Rayne.“Why don’t you lie down a little? You’ve been working on your laptop for the last two hours, Mom. I think Rayne wants to rest.” He held my hand to help me to bed.I smiled and allowed him to help me. He wouldn’t go without ensuring my comfort. With Damien at work, Ryan looked after me since the moment he returned home from school.I rested my tired back and smiled at him. “I’ll catch up on some sleep. You can go for your practice, sweetie.”He hesitated a little. “I can’t leave you alone, Mom. Hang on, I’ll call Aunt Serenity and
DamienI was more excited than my son as we drove home. He was bubbling with questions, but we didn’t mind. “How many cousins do I have, Dad? Is there someone like Angela?”I smiled at his connection with Angela. “No, but you have a big brother, Diego. He can play with you.”He was very curious about Diego, and we discussed him all the way home. Ryan loved our condominium more than Alex’s building. “Wow, it’s enormous, Dad. Will we live here now? What about Rochester? Won’t we go back there?” “Yes, we will live here from now on with my family. I’ve sold off the Rochester apartment and moved here.” I glanced at him, feeling apprehensive about his reaction. “Oh, great! I didn’t want to go back. Then I couldn’t meet Angela every weekend. She needs me to protect her.” I glanced at him, realizing what he needed: a sibling. Elena held my gaze for a second, and I knew she was thinking along the same lines. She blushed and looked away, making my heart gallop with excitement. I couldn’t wa
Damien I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. When I opened them and focused on my mom, I knew this was my only chance. I had to do this tonight. “Mom, Grandpa, I’m sorry I have hidden something from you.” Grandpa nodded, waving me off. “Yes, we know about the post-traumatic stress disorder you were suffering from. I’m sure you’re better now.” I sighed, feeling more confused. They had no idea what else I had hidden from them. “Yes, I’m better, but that isn’t the only thing I have hidden from you.” Grandpa’s eyes widened as he waited for me to elaborate. Mom, however, sat patiently. Somehow, I had the feeling she knew about Ryan. “Goodness, Damien! You’re a sly one. How many secrets have you kept from us?” Drake winked at me. It was a relief Dominic wasn’t back from Santorini yet. Or he would have taken offense. “Just two secrets, that’s all.” I tried to smile to lighten the atmosphere. “Alright, let’s hear it, son,” Aunt Sarah chimed in.“I have an eight-year-old son, Mom.”
Damien After A Month“You could have asked your dad to attend the graduation ceremony.” I turned towards Elena as we walked towards our car. This was the day we had been looking forward to for a long time. We had returned to Rochester from Bern to appear for our final assessments. Although Elena wanted to return home to New York City, my decision was made. We would grab our degrees, bid farewell to Rochester, and return home forever. With the apartment sold off, now I had nothing in Rochester to make me want to return here. “No, Dad would have been ashamed of my score. I’m not the class valedictorian like you.” Yes, I had topped the batch, but it didn’t matter at all to me. I hadn’t even informed my family about my achievements. “But you cleared it. Why wouldn’t he be proud?” She shrugged and got into the car. “Nothing I do seems to matter to him. Ever since we left Bern, he hasn’t answered my phone calls. I think he hasn’t forgiven me yet.” I frowned and steered the car toward
ElenaMy heart sank with despair. I didn’t want to hurt my dad after what he was going through. But I couldn’t agree to his wishes. “But that’s not what I want, Dad. I can’t do justice to your business. There’s too much interference from Uncle Gerard and his family.” Uncle Gerard was my dad’s domineering youngest brother. He and his two sons handled the business successfully. There was no place in it for a novice like me. They didn’t want my presence, and I wasn’t interested in battling it out with them.“I want you to take over, Elena.” He sat with a grim look on his face.“But I can’t do it. I’m not capable enough, Dad.” Why couldn’t he do it himself?He shook his head, giving me a disappointed look. “Why are you backing out without listening to my proposal? I know what I’m doing. Just agree, and things will go smoothly as planned.”I was instantly wary of his plan. “Okay, I’m listening.”He leaned forward excitedly as if he had been waiting for this minute all the time. “Good. You
ElenaAfter a strenuous flight followed by a train ride, I closed my eyes as the car sped from the train station in Bern towards my father’s mansion in Gstaad.“Coming here had always been a dream when you were here, Lena. I wanted to come here and whisk you away with me.” Damien’s voice brought me out of my dazed state. It made me feel rejuvenated despite the fatigue.Ever since Dad called me last night, I have been stressed. He was unwell and wanted me to return at the earliest. Thankfully, Damien insisted on accompanying me on this trip, or I would have been totally at a loss.After the wedding, while the family left for New York, Damien and I left Santorini for Zurich. A short train ride later, we reached Bern, ready to face my dad. What could have happened to him? I had no time to update my mom. Anyway, they weren’t on talking terms.“Oh, maybe things would have been different if you had.” I smiled and snuggled into him. I would have fallen asleep here if I weren’t so stressed.“
Damien“Thanks for your help, Damien. I’ll disturb you no more. I think I can manage now.” Elena rose to leave. It seemed like the farewell I wasn’t ready for. “You aren’t disturbing me. We can study together if you want to.” I was desperate to make her agree. The entire month, she had been coming
DamienA Year LaterI watched Elena and Liz walk towards Cayden after class. They were going out to lunch at the Crimson Mug. It was their everyday ritual. I walked away towards the main gates, feeling defeated and hopeless. I had stopped bothering her since that fateful night when she left after r
Elena Weeks passed, but there was no change in the situation. Damien pursued me. Cayden tried his luck with me. I knew it was all in jest, but Damien didn’t know that. They fought like cats and dogs in the classroom, on campus, at Crimson Mug, and everywhere they went. Sometimes Tobias got involve
DamienAfter Alex left, I couldn’t relax. The news of Everly and Sebastián’s arrival in New York City had me worried. Why were they here? Did they follow me here? I repented not having listened to Alex’s warning earlier. Now, how would I save Ryan? I was protected in this facility. But Ryan wasn’t







