Eureka sat opposite Raymond in a five-star restaurant, nestled in the bustling city of Paris. Her focus was fixed on the transparent glass, lost in thought. What if she had married the man who truly loved her? Would she have experienced the beauty of Paris to the fullest? Would she be among those who praise the remarkable city of romance? She sighed, overwhelmed by everything.“Eureka?” Raymond’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. She looked at him. “You seem lost. What would you like to eat?” he asked as the waiter waited on them.“Anything you’re eating,” she replied simply, returning her gaze to the glass. Raymond placed the order, and the waiter left.“Eureka,” Raymond called again, this time with frustration in his tone. “I thought you said we should act like a couple to avoid suspicion. Why are you lost in thought? Don’t you like it here?” he asked calmly.“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “The place is nice, I like it,” she added simply, keeping her attention on
“Let go of me!” Eureka yelled as Raymond dragged her into the house. She struggled to free her hand from his tight grip. He shoved her roughly onto the couch, making her cry out in pain.“What do you think you were doing with him?” Raymond snapped, his irritation boiling over. “How could you behave so shamelessly in public? You’re my wife!”His words ignited Eureka’s anger. She shot to her feet, shoving him back and causing him to stumble.“Don’t you dare try to manhandle me!” she fired back. “What gives you the right, Raymond? You flirt with Cassandra and then flare up when I talk to your cousin? What do you take me for? From now on, I’ll flirt with whoever I want, and you won’t do a thing about it. Watch me,” she declared, turning to walk away.Raymond grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him again.“You’re my wife!” he growled through gritted teeth. “I own you, and you will obey me. This is the last time I want to see you with Harvey. Do you understand?”“Pray you don’t find me in
From the day of the slap, Eureka avoided crossing paths with Cassandra and Raymond. She barely gave them a chance to complain, quickly fixing meals and cleaning the house. She had become a housekeeper on her own honeymoon. When she suggested staying in a hotel, her father-in-law insisted they use an apartment he had reserved for them. Now, here she was. On this particular day, she plugged in her headphones, listening to music while cleaning the living room, when her phone buzzed. It was Raymond’s father calling. She hesitated, her mind racing to conjure lies that could convince him the honeymoon was going perfectly well. “Good day, Uncle,” she answered, her tone filled with feigned excitement. “Good day, dear. How have you been? Sorry I haven’t called since the wedding. I hope everything is going well with you two,” Raymond’s father said, his voice full of concern. He had taken a liking to Eureka ever since the day she gave him a ride when his car broke down. He believed she wa
The ringing of Eureka’s phone pierced the room, jolting her awake. The soft glow of sunlight filtered through the light curtain, brightening her face. She yawned, sat up, and stretched, her body aching. She rubbed her eyes while feeling around the bed for her phone. A sharp soreness between her legs made her wince, and she realized she was naked, covered only by the duvet. Memories of last night flooded her mind, but as she scanned the room, she noticed Raymond was gone. He had left her. “Who the hell is it?” she groaned as her phone continued ringing nonstop in her handbag, still on the vanity table. She scrambled out of bed, wrapping the duvet tightly around herself. Taking out her phone, her eyes widened at over 50 missed calls from Harvey. She gasped, stumbling back as she remembered she was supposed to attend the Paris Fashion Week event with him. “Shit,” she cursed under her breath. As if on cue, Harvey’s call came through again. She didn’t know what excuse to give, but she a
"What the hell is going on, Eureka?" Harvey asked as she pulled him away from the house. “Who is in there?” Eureka didn’t answer until they were back in Harvey’s car. She tried to compose herself, searching for a believable lie, but her emotions betrayed her. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. “Talk to me, Eureka. What’s the problem?” Harvey’s voice was soft, almost comforting. She glanced at him. “It’s nothing… I’m fine,” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. Harvey reached out and held her hand, making her look at him. “You know you can always talk to me, right? What’s wrong? Who are the couple in the house, and where is Raymond?” His questions only deepened her despair, and she broke into sobs. The idea of having a husband who openly cheated on her was her greatest fear, and now it was her reality. “It’s okay,” Harvey said gently, wiping her tears. “Just remember, I’m here for you whenever you need someone to talk to.” She nodded. “Thank you,” she m
Eureka shut the door behind her as she walked into the hotel room with Harvey.“Why do I feel like you’re stalking me?” she asked, leaning against the wall and folding her arms across her chest. “You seem to be everywhere I go all of a sudden. Why is that?”“Are we fighting? Why are you talking like that?” Harvey asked nonchalantly, pulling a stool to sit on and crossing his legs. “Is it my fault we keep meeting by coincidence?”“It’s not by coincidence, Harvey. I just left Paris two days ago, and now you’re here. You didn’t even tell me you were leaving Paris.”“I didn’t because you weren’t taking my calls,” he said, leaning against the vanity table. “I think I need a drink. Can you place an order?”His casual demeanor irritated Eureka, but he didn’t seem to care. “Can you leave, please?” She pointed at the door, clearly upset with him.“What’s with this attitude?” he asked, confused. “I left Paris the same day we went out. I tr
Raymond entered the room behind Eureka, pulling her suitcase along. As he placed the bag in the closet, he noticed Eureka standing frozen, staring at the photo frame. “What’s that?” he asked, moving closer to her. “Who is this, Raymond?” she asked, turning to face him. “My great-grandmother,” Raymond said dismissively, taking the frame from her and placing it back. He turned to leave, but Eureka stepped in front of him. “I’m serious. Who is the boy in the photo?” she pressed. Realizing she wouldn’t give up until he answered, he sighed. “Me,” he replied simply. “You…you’re Ray Black?” she whispered, her voice trembling as she cupped his face with her hand. Raymond swatted her hand away. “What has come over you?” “Yes or no?” she persisted. “What kind of dumb question is that, Eureka?” he snapped, pushing past her to sit on the bed and take off his shoes. “What’s the difference between Raymond Blackwood and Ray Black?” Eureka sat beside him, her excitement bubbling. “
"You’ve lost your mind, Eureka," Melissa said in disbelief. "How can you love a beast? Ray has been arrogant, selfish, and self-centered since childhood. We all knew about your painful crush on him. I remember vividly that he rejected you. He didn’t want anything to do with anyone from the gutters. And now you love him enough to endure his hostility?" Melissa exclaimed. "He will never love you. He’s too arrogant to consider you. Besides, didn’t you tell me he loves Cassandra? Do you think he’ll ever leave her for you? Wake up, girlfriend. You just graduated. You should focus on building your career instead of wasting your precious life on that lunatic." Eureka sighed, knowing Melissa was right. She was fooling herself, trying to fix something broken for years. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, her heart aching. “I’ve heard you,” she muttered. "Don’t cry, sweetheart. Stop sacrificing so much. You need to focus on yourself too. And don’t forget to divorce that
Kailani withdrew her hand from Kaiden's, stumbled back, turned, and took to her heels.“Hey, wait!" Kaiden rushed after her. “What's wrong, Kayla? You need to stop."Kailani didn’t stop. She ran as fast as her trembling legs could take her, pushing past people and crashing into their shopping carts.“Sorry," Kaiden apologized to the shoppers. “Wait up, Kayla!"Kailani stumbled upon a staircase, falling to the floor with a soft thud. That didn’t stop her. She swallowed the pain, scrambled to her feet, and tried to dash off when Kaiden grabbed her hand."Let me go!” she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks."Stop, Kayla. You need to relax,” Kaiden said gently."I want to go home, please,” she sobbed."Fine, let's go,” Kaiden agreed, leading her out of the mall."What's wrong? Where are your shopping bags?” Raymond asked as the twins reached the parking lot."Just drive and stop asking silly questions,” Kaiden snapped, opening the door for Kailani. She quickly got in and buckled up. Raym
Eureka sat by Kailani's side on the bed after she regained consciousness. The therapist had to leave, advising Eureka to make the girl see reasons why she needed her service. Eureka promised to try."I'm sorry, Mom," Kailani apologized, her voice quiet."About what, honey? You did nothing wrong," Eureka said warmly.Kailani glanced at her, her eyes beaming with tears. "Mom, can I tell…you something?" she asked, her voice shaky."Always, sweetheart. I'm all ears."Kailani swallowed a lump, the ugly torture she was subjected to flashing through her mind. "When I was…with those people," she paused, watching Eureka's concerned expression. Kailani scanned the room, shifting closer to her mother as her hands began trembling."Relax…you're safe with me now," Eureka assured her, draping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "I'm here for you.""Mom, the principal…at my school connived with…with that…there was a woman, she was wicked to me," she stuttered, her body trembling slig
Kaiden walked into the room after leaving to get some snacks for Kailani, but she had already fallen asleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, his soft eyes trailing her from head to toe, then he held her hand, squeezing it gently.“I knew something was off when that bitch entered the class on that ugly day," he thought. “The energy felt different. She had your voice, your face, but she didn't have your heart. I wish I had pointed that out, I wish I could have looked her in the face and told her she was not my Kayla. How could I? She bloody had your face and there was no way you would be two in the world with striking resemblance,” he paused as she stirred. He patted her arm gently and she relaxed again.“I'm deeply sorry, Kayla. The second time you need me and I wasn't able to help you. Even Mom couldn't. We all couldn't, probably because we didn't know evil exists to that extent. You'll heal perfectly, okay?” he said with a warm smile appearing on his face.
“You said she would be fine, doc. What the hell is wrong with my daughter now? Why is she so scared? What does she see?” Eureka asked as she barged into the doctor's office.“You need to relax, Miss Bennett. Please have a seat," the doctor said calmly. Eureka hesitated before sitting down.“Your daughter is traumatized. She must have experienced some ugly events that are causing her reaction. You need to understand that it takes time for her to get over that scene. That’s why I suggest she starts seeing a psychotherapist,” the doctor explained."Are you saying that my daughter has a mental disability? She spoke just fine to us, then all of a sudden she started reacting strangely.”"Your daughter is emotionally affected. Psychotherapy doesn’t mean she’s crazy. I can assure you that with her medication and therapy, she will be fine in due time. You just have to be patient with her, and make her feel safe again," he stated.Eureka took a dee
Eureka entered the doctor's office, gently closing the door behind her. “You asked to see me, doc. What's the condition of my daughter?" she asked, sinking into the visitor's chair opposite the doctor.The doctor sighed, closing the folder he was holding. “What I'm about to tell you is temporary, so relax, Miss Bennett," he said."I'm calm, doctor. Just assure me my daughter will be fine,” Eureka stated softly."Your daughter was diagnosed with Chlamydia.”"I don't even know what that means.”"It's a type of sexually transmitted disease, Miss Bennett,” the doctor said.Eureka's heart caught in her throat as she shifted forward on the chair, her stomach churning. "What…what are you saying?" she stuttered, her voice trembling.“We discovered signs of sexual abuse on your daughter. She had injuries around her genitals, bruises on her thighs and wrists. Trust me, Chlamydia is treatable,” he explained.Tears rolled down Eureka's cheeks. "You're saying that my daughter suffered sexual abuse
“Kayla?” Kaiden muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He dropped on his knees in her front, cupping her face, his hands trembling. “Kayla, can you hear me? It's Kaiden," he said, then untied her. He checked her pulse, listened to her heartbeat, but heard nothing. Silence. The kind that paralysis someone with fear. Her body? She was cold; eerily cold. “Kayla, I'm here now, okay? I came to take you home. Are you listening? You have to say something to me. You have to get angry, to scold me, to tell me how disappointed you are. I should have protected you as I promised but I failed again. I'm sure you'll forgive me, so say something, please,” he begged, tears filling his eyes as he stared into her closed eyes."Kaiden?” Raymond called, barging into the room. He staggered closer, freezing on his spot."What's happening, Mr. Raymond? Why is she not responding to me?" Kaiden asked, his tone filled with sorrow as tears slipped out of his eyes.Raymond took a deep breath, composing him
"Slow down, goddamn it!" Kaiden yelled, his grip on the handle tightening as Raymond sped through the street. "I thought you enjoy speedy rides like this." Raymond smirked, not yielding to his request. "Says who?" "Says your passion, Jackie Chan," Raymond teased, a smug smile appearing on his face as he slowed down slightly, then pulled up in front of a mini bungalow. Kaiden stepped down, leaning against the car, catching his breath. "You see why I'll never like you?" Kaiden groaned, relaxing. "I only thought of treating my son to what he likes. Sorry if I made you fear," Raymond apologized, locking the car door. "Fear? You wish," Kaiden scoffed. "Where is this place?" he demanded. "Kaiden..." Raymond walked to Kaiden's side, meeting his serious eyes. "We're here to rescue your sister, that's if we haven't missed our chances yet. My candid advice is for you to follow my steps when we step into that house. They might be bad guys and I don't want to answer to your mom if y
Kaiden jumped back abruptly, landing on the hard floor with a thud as a black car swept past the spot he had stood just seconds earlier. Blood seeped from his elbow, which had been bruised by the rough marble floor. His head spun for a moment, his vision blurring. Hayley rushed forward, crouching beside him. “Kaiden, are you okay?” she asked, checking his arm. Kaiden regained himself, leaped to his feet, and pulled his hand away from her just as his driver ran over. "Don't touch me!” he snapped, startling Hayley, who trembled a bit. "Go inside!” "What did I do? Why are you mad at me?” Hayley asked, her voice shaking. "I said go inside! Don’t you listen?” he yelled, and she quickly rushed inside, locking the gate. “Are you fine?" Kaiden's driver asked. “Isn’t it obvious?" Kaiden retorted, walking back to the road. “Did you get the plate number? What car was it?" he asked as they crossed the road, this time looking carefully. “It’s a black Chevrolet, but I couldn’t get t
Kaiden stood along the street, leaning against his car, waiting. He stamped his foot on the ground, his attention shifting from his phone to the house before him. His driver stood nearby, patiently waiting on Kaiden. They had been there for over an hour, yet nothing. Kaiden said nothing, just staring at a certain house, while his driver, choiceless, didn't utter a word either.Kaiden straightened from the car, relief washing over him as Hayley stepped out of the gate across the street. She looked left and right before crossing over to him. "Hi, Kaiden,” she greeted, a broad smile plastered on her face. "It took you ages to come out,” he hissed, opening the car door for her. "I'm not entering. Do you want to kidnap me?” He hesitated. "There are better people to kidnap out there. What would someone do with you?” he sneered. “Are you entering or not?” "I wish I could punch you… so hard!" she groaned, entering th