OSCAR GRAY “Okay, I get it,” Grandpa said for what must have been the tenth time that evening. “Alicia entered, and Tilda ran off.” He paused at the exact spot he always did, just as he had every other time he retold the story—like he couldn’t believe it, like he was still trying to give me one last chance to make it right.He gave me a hard look, his eyes lined with disappointment. “No, that’s not it. You did nothing and watched her leave—after hearing the truth from Alicia. Then, somehow, she made it back to her place before you, even though you used the restricted lane. And by the time you got there, she had already left with the quadruplets… who turned out to be hers.”His stare was unwavering, burning straight through me. Then, just like clockwork, he asked again, “Tell me, boy—how long did it take you to finally start looking for her?”I opened my mouth to reply, but he didn’t wait.“You say you tried. You say you’ve been sear
TILDAThe horrible smell from the truck was the least of our problems. There was nowhere to properly rest, and the kids made do with the broken plank, Diamond already curled up and sleeping with her head resting on Denzel’s thighs.“Mom, some insects are biting me,” she whimpered.“Come here, dear,” I reached out and lifted her gently into my arms. “You have to manage for now, okay? This won’t last forever.”“But can’t we go in already, please? I really want to lie on a bed,” she pleaded, her voice soft and tired.Her words pierced through me. I wanted nothing more than to grant that simple request. But I knew James too well to take chances—not now.“Don’t worry, Princess,” I soothed her, brushing her hair back. “As soon as it gets a little darker, we’ll go in. I promise.”Miranda sighed. “Maybe we should’ve brought our phones. I could’ve called Grace first. If you’re so worried about James, hearing from her would’ve helped. With her assurance, we’d be inside already.”I shook my head
OSCAR GRAY“This is all your doing, Alicia,” I snapped, breath ragged. The mere sight of her churned my stomach with disgust.She raised her eyebrows in mock innocence. “Me? No, Oscar. I’m not the one trying to force you to raise someone else’s bastards.”Eddy came downstairs then, holding his phone in one hand. His voice was grave.“Sir, I think… I think she’s moved. The kids too. It seems they packed the important stuffs and moved.”My heart sank. “No. No, that’s not possible,” I whispered, staggered.It all started to make sense—the timing of the move, how distant she had suddenly become, how I never got to see the kids and her together at the party. I should have realized. I should’ve known.Didn’t she trust me enough to tell me about them?“She’s been exposed,” Alicia said triumphantly. “Of course she ran. That’s what she’s good at—running and hiding.”I ignored her taunts and turned to Eddy, my eyes burning.“We must find her. Where would she go with the kids? She can’t just van
TILDAWithin minutes, we had gathered almost everything we needed and assembled in the sitting room, each of us holding onto a piece of our hurried escape.“Where are my things?” I asked Miranda, glancing around.“Just this,” she handed me a small travel bag. “I couldn’t pack much. There just wasn’t enough time.”I unzipped the bag and rummaged through it. The first thing I pulled out was the red satin dress—Oscar’s gift. Without hesitation, I dropped it onto the sofa.Miranda’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Tilda! What are you doing?” she asked, her voice tinged with alarm. “You’re not just going to leave those behind, are you?”I kept my expression blank as I continued to pull out the rest of the items Oscar had given me—jewelry, the white rose, the teddy—and placed them all beside the dress.“He should have them,” I replied coldly. “He’ll find them when he gets here.”“But... um... maybe you should just take them,” she suggested, more gently this time.I turned and gave her a look th
TILDAIt was all falling apart—and I never saw it coming.Oscar had taken me for a fool. There was no other explanation. What kind of twisted game had he been playing? Why would he attempt to propose to me while still involved with Alicia?She had lived with him, cared for him, and had even been by his side when I thought I was the only one. She said all of this right in front of him—and he hadn’t even tried to deny a single word.I sped down the highway, ignoring the traffic signs and honking horns. My hands gripped the wheel tightly, fury and heartbreak battling inside me.If only Oscar had been honest. If only he had warned me that Alicia was back—or that she had never truly left—I could have handled this differently. I wouldn’t have felt so blindsided, so utterly humiliated.And now James and Kristie likely knew where I was. All thanks to Oscar. Everything I had tried to shield the kids from was about to catch up with us.I parked a block away from the house and jumped out before
OSCAR GRAYI dashed off, not caring about the curious stares from my workers. Let them watch—I didn’t care. Tilda didn’t need to run anymore. I was here now, and James couldn’t hurt her. I’d protect her with everything I had—everything.If anyone should be scared, it should be James and Kristie. They were the ones who wronged her. They were the ones who ought to feel shame, not Tilda.I knew the truth. Tilda never pushed me to go after Petal Towers. If anything, she made me return the house at Whalelane Quarters—for Shantel’s sake, a little girl she didn’t even owe anything to. That was who she was. Tilda was the victim, not the villain.“Tilda!” I shouted, waiting desperately for the elevator.“Sir, is something wrong?” Sam appeared behind me, concerned.I didn’t answer. I shoved past him. The elevator was too slow—I couldn’t afford to waste another second. I sprinted toward the stairs.My heart pounded violently in my chest as I flew down the steps, terror gripping me. What if... wh