SHAWNA“Are you sure about this? How sure are you?" I had to ask, what he just said didn't sound like what I wanted to hear because we all believed that she was pregnant.“Yes, the insemination failed. She can't be pregnant. We even tried other semen and the IVF failed. There's no way she's pregnant unless she used other means which I doubt she did because we still checked days ago and she's not pregnant.”To say I'm mortified would be an understatement, I'm more than shocked as it is. I always knew Eugene was crazy but I didn't see this coming.Damien and Liam were equally shocked as I was, they both had shock written on their faces. But Damien's soon morphed into anger.“I should have known she's capable of pulling a stunt like this, she did something similar to this five years ago!""I should have just known she'll never change, she just keeps getting worse. How can someone keep getting schemes like this? Eugene is the devil herself.” Damien hissed.It seems he just knows what she'
SHAWNAThe smile on my face was so bright, there was no way I could have even contained it. A squeal wanted to escape my mouth but I had to control that.“Are you for real? This is a lot! I'll come over right now!" I exclaimed.“Yes, ma'am. He's awake. And we'll be expecting you." The nurse said.“Thank you so much," I said then ended the call.“What happened? Who just called?" Liam asked me and Damien looks like he wants to ask me the same question too.“Grandfather is awake. I just got off the phone with his nurse now who said she's waiting for me. I have to go over now. This is a good news!” I squealed this time around.I'm even happier talking about it than when the nurse called. It's so good to hear that he's now awake. I just hope he's okay and he doesn't go back to a coma again.“Are you both ready to leave too?" I asked them both with a voice of urgency and they both nodded at the question."Of course." They said simultaneously. At this point, I think they both have a lot more
DAMIENA small smile came up on my face as I entered the car. I hadn't expected her to allow me to hug her. But then again, it might have meant nothing to her while it meant something to me.“You can drive now," I told Roger. He was the one who brought the car for me, he did a thorough check to make sure we weren't being followed before he came.His eyes glanced at me from the mirror above his head, I must look foolish with this smile on my face right now. I tried so hard to control myself so I'll at least not look like a fool.“We aren't going to my house, go to my father's house instead," I told him when we joined the highway. Liam and Shawna already went the other way."Okay, noted.” He mumbled. It's been a while since I went out with Roger, he's always almost busy at the office while I run errands like this.We spoke a bit till we got to my parent's house. I just thought it would be realistic if I let them know about the wedding plans.I'm sorry, but I'm not also sorry for them. T
I don't think I've been this happy in s while, my grandfather is now back home with me. I had to bring him home with me, I couldn't leave him alone in his house.And I think it's better if he comes to the penthouse with me. That way, we'll watch after him while also bonding with him, he looked so happy to see everyone that I found myself smiling.“Hey little munchkins.", he greeted the triplets as we got in. They all looked at him with confusion etched on their faces, they sure didn't recognize him.“Who is this, Mom?” Phoebe asked me, her little eyes looking up at me.They've seen him once, but that was before he went deep into a coma. He has changed physically because of the number of days he hasn't been awake.If I didn't know him before, I might have recognized him too. I think it's the poisonous substance that was given to him too but he now looks older than he was.“This is your grandfather," I told them.“Grandfather Bryan?" Billy asked out loud, taking another look at him."Ye
SHAWNAWe both looked at each other as the phone rang, it was just the three of us as my mom and grandfather with the kids were in their world.“What do we do? Should we answer it?" Liam asked out loud and we all looked at one another with confused expressions on our faces.We were still contemplating till the phone stopped ringing. I sighed in relief when it stopped, it was as if it was a huge issue that was just a preferred solution."I guess I can leave now. Or is it better if the phone is in airplane mode? That way there'll be no distractions from it.” Liam asked.But before either Damien or I could reply to him, the phone started ringing again. Hearing it ring made my heart skip, I don't know if it's because I don't know what to expect about the call.What do we even do from here? And it's a strange number calling, there's no name on it.“Let me have that,” Damien said, taking the phone from Liam. He swiped right on the phone and picked up the call, my entire body was so anticipa
SHAWNAA coy smile came up on my face as I stood upright, I honestly didn't expect him to ask that question. But I think I'm ready to tell him the truth now.He should know about them, right? And we honestly don't have any beef, neither do I see anyone coming that'll make him want to take them away from me.“Maybe I'll tell you," I mumbled.“I can't wait then, let's just get Eugene over with then." He said.Now I know he'll want to do anything in his power to get rid of Eugene at this point. There's just something about his smile that draws me to him, I don't know what it is, but I'm entranced by it.Maybe it's the small dimple that pops out when he smiles or the way his eyes glint when he looks at me and then smiles.I didn't know when he stood up till I felt his finger on my jaw, he just steered my head to look in his direction very well.“You're beautiful." His deep voice that makes me so hot said to me. His voice alone can do anything to anyone, especially to me.Then when he said
KYLE“What's the meaning of what just happened? Why are you this troublesome?” My dad asked almost immediately after Damien left.I looked at him with anger bare in my eyes, did he just blame me without hearing both sides of the story? The anger I was feeling doubled.“You didn't even hear from both sides before concluding, how can you just conclude that I was the one at fault?" I asked him.“Because you're the one who causes trouble every time, Damien is calm and would never start a fight.” My mom butted in.Why are they both pointing fingers at me? I don't even know if it's possible for me to hate someone how I hate Damien right now, I loath him so much.He has always made our parents see me as the bad person, they've been choosing him over me for years now and he has been revelling in that since.“He started this one first, you both should always try to hear what happened before pointing fingers at me," I said."We've known you for years, Kyle. You're the one who can cause that fig
EUGENEMy heart missed a beat as he said those words. If what he just said is true, then we're in deep trouble. His phone truly has all our secrets and schemes, there's no way it can go missing right now.“Come with me." I took his hand and dragged him into the elevator.We got into the elevator and soon got to the floor, I couldn't say anything when we were in the elevator because we weren't alone.I badly wanted to talk from there but I knew I had to get him into my office first, no one must know what we're about to say, or else it'll start raising suspicions.The moment we got into my office, I locked the door behind us and faced him.“How did the phone go missing? Why are you so careless?" I asked him.“Why won't you hear what happened before jumping to a conclusion? Why's everyone just blaming me? Damien fought with me at my parents' house and took the phone when I wasn't watching.” He rasped, anger evident on his face.I looked at him with fury still thrumming through me. And no
PHOEBEThat morning, I woke up to the quiet hum of birds outside the window. For once, I didn’t have to rush to work or pretend everything was fine. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying not to think too much.The soft floral curtains swayed gently with the breeze, and for a moment, everything felt peaceful. But that peace didn’t reach inside me. I felt like I was just floating, present in body, but far from okay. My eyes were heavy from lack of sleep, and my chest ached from holding in tears all night. Still, I stayed there, wrapped in Winnie’s guest blanket, letting the silence stretch as long as it could.Winnie had helped sneak me into her house late last night, and I was grateful."Are you going to tell your parents you’re here?" she asked softly that morning as she came into the room with a cup of warm tea.I sat up slowly, blinking away the crust from my eyes. "There’s no need. They’ll just ask questions I’m not ready to answer."She nodded and handed me the cup. The mug
RAMONI stood there for a long time, watching Phoebe walk away. Her words echoed in my head like a sharp slap: “I never want to see you again.” I wanted to chase after her, to make her listen, to explain everything. But I couldn’t. Not when I didn’t even have the answers she needed.Not when everything in my life was already broken beyond repair.Maybe she was right to leave. Maybe this was the best thing for her. That’s what I kept telling myself as I dragged myself back to my uncle’s house. It was late, and the street was too quiet, like even the night wanted nothing to do with me.When I stepped inside, Uncle Richard looked up from the couch. He was lounging like a king in his robe, glass of whiskey in hand, the flickering TV light painting shadows across his aging face. He looked too calm for someone who had just helped me destroy the only thing that ever made sense in my life.“Well, look who’s back,” he said, a slow smile curling at the corners of his lips. “I take it she finall
PHOEBEMy whole body was sore. My dress was torn, my wrists burned from the ropes, and my eyes stung from crying. I was huddled in a corner of that cold, dark room, shivering as the last of the men ran out like rats. One second, they were setting up cameras, saying the most disgusting things, and the next, they were gone. Just like that.It made no sense. None of it did. Why would they leave me? What scared them off?I was too weak to stand, too confused to think straight. My head was pounding, and I could still feel whatever they had drugged me with swirling through my system. My heart was racing so fast I could barely catch my breath. My legs were pulled to my chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, as if I could make myself disappear if I just curled up small enough.And then I heard footsteps.Fast. Heavy. Coming closer.My eyes shot to the door.I froze.My heart shot to my throat.Were they back?Did they forget something?Were they going to finish what they started?I couldn’t
RAMONI stood in that hotel lobby staring at the manager as if he'd just announced a death. Maybe he had. Because knowing Phoebe had been taken right from under my nose felt exactly like that, like something had died inside me."She was in your care!" I shouted. "She was supposed to wait for me here!""Mr. Ramon," the manager said nervously, "we thought it was authorized…""By whom? My uncle?" I spat. "You took her because my uncle said so? Did she look like she wanted to leave? Did you even ask her that?"No answer. Just that sick, silent guilt on their faces.I didn't waste another second. I turned on my heel, stormed out of the hotel, jumped into my car, and sped straight to Richard's estate. My hands gripped the wheel so hard they ached. My mind was a storm, rage, fear, regret. I kept seeing her face in my head, her smile, the way she had trusted me. And now...She was gone.When I got to the mansion, the guards at the gate crossed their arms."Sir, Mr. Richard said not to let you
RAMONI was dead tired by the time we finished the meeting at the company. My shirt clung to my back, and my head was pounding from all the numbers and back-to-back discussions. All I wanted was to check my phone and unwind, maybe see if Phoebe had texted.I reached into my pocket. Empty.My heart skipped.I checked the table, the chair, and even under the folder I’d used. Nothing.“Where the hell is my phone?” I muttered.My uncle, sitting across from me, raised an eyebrow. “Lose something?”“My phone. I had it before we came here.”He shrugged. “Maybe you dropped it at the house.”I didn’t like how quick he was to answer.Still, I forced a calm nod and stood up. “I’ll go check.”The ride back to his place felt like it took forever. My mind was racing. Phoebe. Had she called? Texted? What if something was wrong? My gut wouldn’t calm down.When I got to the house, I tore through every room I had been in earlier. The living room. The guest room. Even the damn kitchen. Nothing.My uncle
PHOEBEThe hotel was breathtaking, with marble floors, chandeliers sparkling like stars, a scent of roses, and money hanging in the air. My heels clicked softly as I followed the receptionist, who wore a perfectly polite smile. My coat was still wrapped tightly around me, hiding the dress Winnie helped me pick out. My heart fluttered with a mix of excitement and nerves.“He’ll be with you shortly,” the receptionist said sweetly, opening a suite door for me. “Please, get comfortable. There are refreshments inside. Make yourself at home.”I gave a shy nod. “Thank you.”The door shut behind me.The suite was luxurious, with soft couches, a large table with drinks and fruit, and dim romantic lighting. I let out a small breath. “Wow…”I walked slowly to the table, brushing my fingers along the glass rim of a wine glass. Red wine. A chill ran up my spine, and I shook it off. Maybe he asked them to pour it before he arrived. Maybe this was his way of setting the mood.I pulled out my phone.
PHOEBEI slammed the front door a little harder than I meant to when I got home.Winnie looked up from the couch, raising an eyebrow. "Whoa. Somebody’s in a mood. What's wrong, sunshine?"I dropped my bag by the door and flopped onto the armchair with a loud sigh. "It’s Ramon," I said, pouting like a child.Winnie immediately perked up. "Ramon? Spill. What happened?!"I buried my face in my hands for a second before looking up at her. "We kissed. Like... really kissed. It was amazing. He kissed me like he needed me to breathe or something."Winnie squealed, hugging a throw pillow. "Oh my God! Finally!""Yeah, it was incredible," I mumbled, my cheeks heating up. "But right after that, he got a call. Emergency at home. He had to leave. Just like that."Winnie’s face softened. "Oh, babe...""I know he had no choice," I said quickly, fiddling with a loose thread on the armrest. "But... it sucks. I’m losing my mind over him, Winnie. I’m slowly going crazy. I want him so bad it hurts."Winn
PHOEBERamon’s eyes burned into me like I was the only thing he could see. I felt my cheeks heat up under his stare, and I shifted awkwardly on my feet.“Phoebe,” he said, his voice low and rough, “I want all of you…every part of you. I’m not afraid of being with you. I’m just... trying to restrain myself.”My heart pounded so hard it hurt. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out at first. Then I swallowed hard and said, "I want all of you, too, Ramon. I’m not scared."Something snapped between us.Ramon closed the space in a single, hungry heartbeat, grabbing me again and crashing his mouth onto mine. This kiss wasn’t soft. It wasn’t sweet. It was rough, fierce, almost desperate, like he had been starving, and I was the only thing that could satisfy him.His lips crushed against mine, demanding and urgent. I could feel the heat pouring off his body as he kissed me like he needed me more than air. His hand slid up, fingers threading into the hair at the nape of my neck, then wrapping
RAMONI tossed and turned all night. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t sleep. My mind kept racing, full of everything Uncle Richard had said... and Phoebe. Always Phoebe.I was falling for her. Hard. It scared the hell out of me, but it also felt so right. I didn’t just like her, I needed her. Every smile, every look, every word she said stuck in my head like glue.When morning came, I dragged myself out of bed, showered, and dressed like a man on a mission. I didn’t even think twice. I was going to see her. I had to.No more running. No more hiding.When I got to the worksite, she was there already, sorting through some papers, looking so focused and beautiful that it made my heart twist. She looked up and blinked like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing."Ramon?" she said, her voice small but full of surprise. "I thought... I thought you weren’t going to be available anymore."I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling awkward and stupid all at once. "Yeah, about that. I’m