SHAWNA“So, you can take her home now. She's very fine now, the antidote worked wonders on her." The doctor told me.“Thank you, we'll take her home now." I stood up and walked out of his office with a warm smile on my face. I'm happy that Phoebe is back, I'm very happy she's fine but I don't think I regret saying those words to Damien.To think that I was contemplating what to do, I didn't want to tell him that kind of thing and at the same time didn't want anything wrong to happen to my daughter.I went to make all the necessary arrangements I had to make before I could take her out of there, we didn't need to pay since the hospital belongs to us.After that, I walked into my daughter's room to see her awake already, she looked at the door as I entered and smiled on seeing me.“Hey, baby." I smiled, walking closer to her. I'm happy to see her back and healthy, I don't want anything to happen to her at all."Mom.” She mumbled, smiling weakly at me."I was looking for you, where did y
SHAWNAI stood rooted on the spot, Phoebe is now standing before me and she looks like she needs a response immediately. My throat suddenly felt clogged and I didn't know what to do or say next.Everyone before me was awaiting my response but I was too gobsmacked to let out any sound.“Baby, how about you go in to meet your brothers first? This is a grown-up conversation. I'll come and meet you all later." I told her, trying as much as possible to sound normal even though I'm a mess internally."No, mom. All I just need is a yes or no. Is he our father?” She asked, looking at me like a mother would look at her child when they want to go through a rigorous questions session."But now is not the best time to say this, just go for now.” I pressed harder but it seems she's just as stubborn as her father. It didn't even seem like it, she was as stubborn as her father."You're my dad." She said, facing Damien now. Neither I nor Damien debunked what she just said and that was enough for her
SHAWNA“What? What's she looking for this time around and how did she know this place?" I asked with a shocked expression on my face.“I also don't know, my assistant that I asked to keep an eye on her just texted me to tell me that," Liam answered.“What if she's just visiting someone in this building and not us, we're not the only ones living here," I said.As if on cue, the doorbell rang. We looked at each other with an alarmed look on our faces. She's right here outside the door! I looked at Damien first, he had to hide.“Come with me." I grabbed his hand and took him to my room. There's really no way Stacey would know he's here if he stays here.“Don't come out till I say you should," I told him, walking back to the living room to see my children gone too, they left with my mother so I'm just alone with Liam now.I looked at Liam and he nodded at me before I went to answer the door. Truly, Stacey stood at the other side of the door. I wouldn't just allow her to come in like that.
EUGENE“Only God knows where she is and what she's up to right now," I mumbled to myself as different thoughts started running in my head.Stacey brought me to this penthouse and left minutes after, she only said she was ‘going to settle things with Shawna’ and nothing more.It's so different with her now, all she's talking about now is getting Damien back. She seems to have taken care of Shawna already and all that matters is Damien.And that's the problem, I have a very huge problem with that. I paced the floor of the room she gave me with my hand running through my hair.My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by the doorbell. A frown came up on my face at that. Stacey already told me to not go out or answer the door for anyone.But that doesn't mean I won't still check who it is, I want to know who's behind the door so badly. I looked through the peephole and saw that it was Kyle.Kyle? I should be able to open the door for him, it's not like he doesn't know
STACEY“Just leave and never return here again. I don't ever want to see you around my children and the house at all." Shawna said.“You aren't even receptive at all, all I did was just to come and check up on you and your children. I didn't even do anything wrong, you're the bad person here." I mumbled, faking hurt.“Just get out of here, I'll be forced to do something drastic to you if you don't leave now.” She went to hold the door, gesturing at me to use it.I glared at both her and that boy following her around then walked through the door.“I'll be back," I promised her before she closed the door behind me. At least I know the hell hole she's living in now. I even wonder how she was able to afford the place before she attained the position of a heiress.I've been tracking her for some time now and I know she wasn't anywhere close to rich. The sudden change was surprising.Well, that's her business. I have other things to take care of right now. I got into the car I brought here
DAMIENWe all rushed over to the said house, the policemen went in their cars and I had to once again endure being in the same close space with Stacey.She's currently beside me, her face crumpled up in a frown. She looks so much like she's trying to figure out a lot of things at once.“Do you think there's something important attached to that text? It could have just been a prank or someone who doesn't want to see us together." She said out loud at some point.Of course, I expect her to be very fidgety and all, that house might have something to do with her. I have an inkling that it's the place she's keeping Eugene.“On the contrary, I think it's very important that we investigate it properly. That text message could be more dangerous than we thought. That's why we have to see who sent it by going to the house.” I answered her.My eyes were solely on the policemen before me, I was tracking them since they were the ones with the address and not me. I just have to make sure I don't lo
STACEY“Yes," I mumbled, my voice sounding so small and almost inaudible.The policemen looked at me like they didn't believe me. But they just had to believe it since it was Damien who said it. I still can't believe that he stood up for me.“Okay then, I think it's all clear to us now. We'll work with everything we have now and continue investigating.” Their boss said."Okay then, just let me know once you get anything on her whereabouts, I'd love to know about the outcome,” Damien told them.As if I'll allow them to get to the root of this, I'm not also dumb to the extent of not covering up this little slip-off. And Eugene better be ready for what will hit her next, she dared to text that message to Damien.“Okay then, we'll leave now.” The policeman said and they all walked away. I heaved a sigh of relief as they left, I just can't imagine going to the station with them as they arrest me just because I was seen with Eugene before."Thank you for butting in earlier, thanks for helpi
SHAWNAGoing to the office today was kind of hard for me to do. I wanted to just stay at home with my children, it's been long since I had time for them.But I just had to come, I have important things to do at the office. I've not been there for some days because of Phoebe's sickness.Now I just have to rush up things at the office, there's only little my assistant can do. I left for the office late even though I had a lot to do.“Good morning ma'am, I thought you were inside already." Cara greeted me as soon as I got to my floor. She seemed to be on her way to the kitchenette on the floor.“I just got here what do you mean?” I asked, walking towards my office with her behind me. She had a shocked expression on her face, but she was more confused than shocked.“What's wrong? Why did you ask if I wasn't inside?" I asked her.She swallowed thickly as I opened the door, I stepped into the office to be met with the least person I wanted to see. Stacey."This,” Cara mumbled. I stopped at
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