HER ~LIFE ~IN ~A ~NUTSHELL

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CHAPTER 9

[•ROYALTY•PRIDE HOSPITAL•An hour ago•]

The ward was empty with only Naomi laying on the bed with the sound of the machine.she was fast asleep,her breath was steady until the door opened and he stepped in.

Lewiston.

His face blank showing no emotions, steps commanding and aura dangerously cold. Each steps he took his face turned deadlier,his jaws tightening and his lips twitching.

The more closer he got to Naomi,the more the air in the room got heavier. He finally got to her side, staring at her with contempt and a flicker of worry flashed across his dark cold eyes. His hands shot out,as if he wanted to strangle her.

Naomi's eyes opened slowly,turning on her back slightly to face Lewiston. The unmistakeable hatred flashing across her pale face.

She sighed,and muttered sickly.

“Lewiston Carl,I didn't die” She stared at his outstretched hand

Lewiston's expression still remained the same even when she said those words.

“Remember what I told you last,I promised to make you pay what you owe me. I don't go back on my words you of all people should know that” she looked so pale.

“Ahh! I remember very well Nami,” Head slightly bent.

“But—i think you need help right now and not revenge” He smirked,then withdrew his hand inserting it in his pocket.

He left her side and went to the end of the bed,her eyes following his movement. He held the foot of the bed and stared at Naomi.

By now,caramel and Silas already left the hospital and lily was with her grandparents. Even Gerard left too,so he could help caramel and Silas.

So it was only Lewiston that waited behind.

He continued looking at her like a predator who found its prey,his smirking never falling off his face.

“Help? What do you mean by that? Don't you dare play any trick with me Lewiston,what did you do?” Veins popped on her neck as she panicked,confusion swirling in her eyes.

“I didn't even need to do anything. Someone else already did and by now, everything should have been ruined” He replied.

“Uh? What are you saying?” She asked again.

He didn't reply this time,he only took out his phone,pressed for some second and handed it to her.

“See for yourself and tell me what you actually need now. Help or Revenge?” His voice came.

Naomi's

eyes reddened as soon as she saw the news,but the tears dropped when her eye caught Lily's picture and beauty. She sharply took her eyes back to Lewiston.

Eyes incredibly wide.

“What's she doing here? Why is my baby's picture here?!” She half yelled.

Anger rose in her eyes and she lifted herself up,she was surprisingly strong as she grabbed his collar,glaring hard.

“Why the fuck is Lily's picture there,you this fuckin devil,tell me the heck you did,coz I'm sure you did something” She shouted crazily,shaking lewiston of which he allowed. Her hold on his collar tightened as veins crossed his neck.

“So—the little kid who called me father,is indeed your daughter” He said with faked amazement.

“I think ‘our daughter’ would be the right word to use in this situation, right?” His voice took a different edge.

Naomi let go of his collar instantly,falling back on the bed weakly. How—How did he find out?. Maybe he was just joking around.

“Our daughter?_” she paused, chuckling and masking her worries with it.

“That's one hella joke Lewiston. That's not your daughter,get your mind off it”

“Not mine? You're sure she's not mine?”

“Yes.She's not yours,at all” She lied.

Lewiston laughed, so fuckin loud. Thankfully,the ward they're in was sound proof.

“Great,fucking great” he nodded his head,his expression going back to the way it was before.

“I know we both hate each other,so fucking much. But I'm willing to help you out of this and you would get the real perpetrator who's behind all of these chaos.” His voice was extremely low.

“Help—from you? Beats me. I'd rather be dead than take your help” She spat.

“Hmmm—,” He sighed,looking helpless.

“Since you're so adamant about not accepting my help,why should I help you then. I'll just watch you get dragged,and if you think your stupid worthless fans would sort it out,jokes on you. You'll make your little kid also fall victim of this.”

“And oh—heard your little lily was poisoned by her nanny,she might just die since she's already in danger. Don't you think?” He chuckled and released his hold on the bed foot,he turned walking away when she talked.

Forcing the words out of her mouth,she said—

“Help Me” Those two words,while it crushed Naomi,made Lewiston so fucking proud.

“Good” He said.

~~~

[•Present•Time~Lewiston’s Apartment•]

Naomi squinted when she remembered what he had told her to do.

She had called her mom,asking her to tell the doctor that she needs to be discharged. Her mother didn't want to but she eventually agreed.

Naomi would do anything, anything at all to keep her daughter and her career safe. She wasn't surprised to know it was Ruth that was behind the news but what she was dead curious about was ‘how did Ruth get to know she had a daughter?’ The shit was not adding up at all,she suspected lewis as the one who told Ruth but then, Lewiston doesn't even know the girl before so how.

“Bastard! She's the reason my father is lying in his own pool of blood,why the fuck did you save her?” Ruth's annoying voice broke the earlier silence.

And that was when Gerard went to naomi's side. He held Naomi on her shoulder and shifted her gently away from Lewiston. Although,Lewiston wasn't really resting on her body anymore,she still held his arm tightly.

“You're hurt wifey, let's get you out of here” He whispered.

“Hurt,I would have been if he didn't save me. I'm not the one who's hurt,he is.” She faced lewiston,making sure no one saw what she did and mouthed.

“How does it feel?”

Ruth scoffed angrily,with her half shaved her,making her look like a witch. Mucus were all over her face.

“If anyone told me Cindy would be this stupid, I'd definitely deny it. He stabbed you! Lewiston is the one that stabbed you! Why the fuck won't you listen? Just because I helped to make it public y'all think I'm the real criminal? Where the heck is that Naomi I was knew. You think he is innocent?,jokes on you,watch how he pla—” Sh continued to rant. Saying gibberish after gibberish until the door opened again and cops flooded in.

Ruth was relieved when she saw the cops,sh ran to them.

“They all killed my father. Mr alessandro shot him on the chest and he fell dead. I didn't do any—” The cops cut her off before she could finish.

“Miss Ruth Sylvester, you stand charged with doxxing Miss Naomi Alessandro Cindy, sabotaging her creative work, and repeatedly stealing her books. Your actions are criminal and disgraceful.” An officer,Thomas said.

“What are you even talking about? You’re all exaggerating. Naomi should be grateful I exposed her. And I didn’t steal anything — don’t make it look bigger than it is.” She seemed defiant.

“I warned you before, Ruth. Do it again, and you won’t recognize the life you have left. Stay away from me.” Naomi said coldly.

“W‑wait— Naomi, don’t start acting like you’re some victim. You always exaggerate everything. I didn’t do anything wrong, so stop pretending you’re above me.” Ruth yelled crazily.

Bianca stepped forward and slapped Ruth across the face, the sound sharp and final.

“Ruth Sylvester… I used to like you, I truly did. But now I’m deeply disappointed in the person you’ve shown yourself to be. After everything you’ve done to Naomi and her work, hear me clearly—one more step, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life, because I will make sure of it.” She said,voice cold.

“Ruth staggered back, clutching her cheek, eyes wide with shock.

“Are you insane?!” She snapped, voice trembling more from fury than fear. ‘

“You think you can just hit me because of your precious Naomi? Please. Neither of you scare me. You’re both overreacting and obsessed with playing the victim.”

At this point,Lewiston stepped away from naomi's hold still holding his bleeding chest.

“Ruth. Stop. Now. You’ve caused enough damage already.” His expression was unreadable.

Ruth froze, her face twisting with a mix of fury and disbelief.

“You… you can’t do this! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

The officers stepped in, handcuffing her as she struggled and shouted, but it was no use.

“You’ll regret this! All of you!” she screamed, being led away, still defiant to the very end.

~~~

[•N•M•C Library]

After leaving Lewiston’s apartment, Silas and Caramel made their way back to NMC.

The sun was still high, casting warm light through the library’s tall windows, but inside, the atmosphere was far from calm.

The NMC Library was in chaos.

The Shadow Nightmares—Naomi’s most toxic fans—had flooded the halls, shouting, snapping pictures, and jostling anyone who got in their way.

Books were scattered across tables and the floor, chairs had been overturned, and staff rushed around, trying desperately to calm the crowd, their voices barely cutting through the din.

As Silas and Caramel stepped inside, they immediately spotted Bet, leaning casually against a bookshelf near the reference section.

Her smirk was sharp and confident, and she seemed entirely unfazed by the chaos surrounding them.

“Well, well,” she said, her voice low and teasing.

“Silas, Caramel… surviving the apocalypse just fine, I see.”

Silas’s lips curved into a small grin.

“Bet. You seem very… at home amidst all this madness.”

Bet’s smirk deepened as she stepped just slightly closer. “Maybe I like watching you flustered, trying to play hero. It’s… entertaining.”

Caramel’s jaw tightened as she watched them, irritation prickling at her. The flirtation between Silas and Bet was obvious, and she didn’t like it one bit.

Silas leaned slightly closer, voice low. “You enjoy chaos too much, don’t you?”

“Maybe,” Bet replied, her gaze locking on him for a heartbeat longer than necessary. “But I also like seeing you try to keep up.”

Around them, staff struggled to manage the Shadow Nightmares, shouting over megaphones, guiding fans away from the shelves and tables. The library, usually a sanctuary of quiet study, had become a battlefield of shouts, scattered books, and tense glances.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in, but it couldn’t brighten the storm brewing within the library—a storm of flirtation, rivalry, chaos, and secrets.

“Entertaining? More like pathetic. Keep your fake charm to yourself, Bet. Nobody asked for it.”

Caramel’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward, her voice cold and cutting.

Bet’s smirk faltered for a brief moment, just enough to show a flicker of surprise at Caramel’s sharp interruption. She quickly recovered,and said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.

“Careful, Caramel… you might actually bruise someone’s delicate ego.”

Caramel’s jaw tightened, a flash of pain crossing her features, but she didn’t respond.

Silas stepped slightly between them, his tone calm but firm, directed at Bet.

“Bet… enough. Don’t start anything else right now. Focus.”

Caramel froze for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise.

A pang of pain hit her chest—Silas had never spoken to anyone that way, never with such measured calm and authority except to her. Her heart fluttered with a mix of hurt and longing, and she struggled to hide it, biting her lip.

Bet’s eyes lingered on him for a heartbeat, a hint of flutter betraying her usually composed demeanor. “

Fine,” she muttered, though the smirk still tugged at her lips.

Caramel exhaled sharply, still tense, and looked between them.

“Can we just… focus on what’s happening?”

Her voice was strained but commanding, forcing the moment back to the chaos around them.

Just as the tension between Silas, Caramel, and Bet simmered, the rumble of an engine cut through the chaos outside. Everyone in the library turned as a sleek black car rolled to a stop at the entrance.

The doors opened, and Naomi stepped out, her steps steady but her face pale, a faint trace of pain in her eyes from the stabbing incident.

Beside her, her daughter Lily clutched her mother’s hand tightly, and her fiancé Gerard walked protectively, his presence commanding and alert.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the Shadow Nightmares. Phones were raised, cameras clicking, people shoving to get a better view.

“Naomi’s here!” someone shouted.

Another cried, “Lily! She’s so cute!”

At the same time, notifications pinged across multiple screens.

Ruth’s words, her threats and insults, alongside videos of her being arrested, had gone viral.

Screens lit up with updates, retweets, and posts, flooding everyone with the truth of what had just happened. Comments poured in:

“Finally justice!”,

“Ruth deserved that!”,

“Naomi, we stand with you!”I mean to this one

...

...

The notifications and social media feeds exploded, each phone pinging endlessly. Alongside the outrage over Ruth’s arrest, a new wave of comments focused on Gerard Roberto.

“Is that Gerard Roberto?! Young master of the Roberto Perfume and Wine empire? 😍”

“Naomi’s really moving in elite circles… Gerard looks like he could crush anyone in a duel and still look flawless.”

Meanwhile, Ruth’s reckless behavior had also become a trending topic:

“Ruth Sylvester is pure chaos. How does someone think this is acceptable?”

“This woman needs lessons in humility. Naomi deserved better!”

“Finally, justice for Ruth. That arrest was long overdue.”

Some comments expressed shock and disbelief:

“I’ve always trusted Naomi… and to think it was Ruth Sylvester behind all this? Can’t believe it. 😳”

“Ruth? The Ruth Sylvester who’s an actress favorite of so many people? How could she stoop this low?”

“I never thought Ruth would behave like this… Naomi deserves better than this kind of betrayal.”

“I’ve followed Ruth for years and… wow. Just wow. She really crossed the line.”

Silas and Caramel instinctively checked their own phones, eyebrows raising at the sheer volume of attention. Even Bet paused, her teasing smirk replaced with a flicker of interest as she scrolled through the feeds.

Caramel whispered, voice low but sharp, “It’s everywhere… Ruth’s done for.”

Silas nodded, jaw tight. “Yeah… everyone’s seeing it now.”

The library was a mix of chaos, awe, and the hum of countless phones. Naomi’s dramatic, fragile presence with Lily and Gerard, and the viral fallout from Ruth’s arrest had turned the afternoon into a spectacle no one there would forget.

Naomi stepped forward, her voice steady despite the faint pallor from her injury.

Everyone… please calm down.”

She paused, letting the crowd and the cameras focus on her.

“I know there’s been a lot of chaos today, but I want to clarify something important. Gerard,” she said, glancing at the man by her side,

“is my fiancee.”

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Phones clicked and flashed incessantly as reporters and fans alike recorded the revelation.

“Yes,” Naomi continued, a touch of vulnerability in her tone, “this is Gerard. And my daughter Lily and I are safe now, thanks to him and… everyone who

stood by us today.”

Gerard stepped closer to Naomi as the gasps and flashes of cameras erupted around them.

He slipped one arm securely around her waist, pulling her slightly closer. The fans held their breaths,awaiting the what's going to happen.

Naomi hesitated for a moment, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes, but then she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. Carefully, she guided her daughter Lily’s eyes closed with her free hand, shielding her from what was about to happen.

Then Gerard pressed a deep, consuming kiss to Naomi’s lips. It was intense and possessive, a mixture of protection, passion, and reassurance, and he didn’t hold back. Why would he,when he had been dreaming of having those lips to himself alone.

Naomi’s body stiffened briefly at first, but as the kiss continued, she relaxed into him, letting herself be consumed by the moment.

Every movement was measured yet hungry, every pull and press of lips conveying dominance, intimacy, and safety at once.

She let out a soft, breathy purr, a sound of surrender and relief that seemed to escape despite the chaos surrounding them. Gerard’s hands held her firmly, as if to anchor her in place, and the kiss deepened, consuming them both in a storm of quiet intensity.

Comments from onlookers and fans erupted almost immediately:

“Did you hear that purr?! 😳 Gerard is really taking control… wow.”

“Naomi finally letting him… they’re intense together!”

“The way Gerard kisses her… possessive but protective. So hot, Go baby!! Woooohooo”

“She’s letting him in… Naomi isn’t used to this. You can see it.”

And meanwhile,,,inside the car. Beauty watched with an hurt expression,her chest tightened. She loved Gerard alot but he had never looked at her for once. He had always been into Naomi.

.

~~~

[•DEATH•VILLA•]

Lewiston sat in the shadowed room, watching the live feed of the library chaos on a massive screen.

His bandaged chest was being caressed absentmindedly as he exhaled smoke aggressively, the harsh lines of his face illuminated by the flickering light of the screen. His eyes followed every reaction, every comment, every glance, calculating, analyzing, always observing the ripple effects of his and others’ actions.

The library’s drama, Naomi’s fragile yet commanding presence, Gerard’s unexpected reveal, Ruth’s viral downfall, and the astonishment of the fans—all of it unfolded perfectly for Lewiston’s sharp, calculating gaze.

“So this is how it unfolds… Naomi, fragile as ever, parading her new life with Gerard by her side. Everyone sees her safe, untouchable. But she doesn’t know the storm I can bring, the chaos I can orchestrate. Ruth’s fall was only the beginning. And soon… very soon… they’ll all see what happens when I decide a game isn’t finished. I’ve bided my time, and patience has its price. Let them enjoy their moment. Let them breathe easy… because it won’t last.”

As he watched the kiss deepened,his eyes darkened further, the flickering light of the screen reflecting the storm inside him. His fingers dug into the armrest of his chair, the smoke from his cigarette curling around his sharp features.

A low, dangerous growl escaped his throat, barely audible over the crackle of the live feed. The sight of Naomi surrendering to Gerard—letting him take control so completely—stirred something cold and burning inside him, a mixture of envy, rage, and obsession.

His bandaged chest throbbed, a reminder of the pain Lewiston had endured, yet it only sharpened his focus.

He slammed his fist against the table, the sound echoing in the room, as his mind raced with calculated fury.

“So, she lets him… lets him claim her like that,” he thought, voice cold and dangerous in his own head.

“No one takes what belongs to me. Not Gerard, not anyone. This… this isn’t over. I’ll make them all pay. Every glance, every purr, every touch—they’ll regret seeing this. And Naomi… you’ll remember my name when it’s my turn to take what’s yours.”

Lewiston leaned back, letting the smoke curl around him like a shroud, his eyes never leaving the screen. The scene playing out in the library wasn’t just chaos—it was a provocation, and he was already planning the storm he would unleash.

★ ★ ★