Chapter 1

Serena's POV

" Mum! Daniel has a girlfriend!" Luna's voice boomed through the room followed with a tremendous clatter.

I opened my eyes slightly, turning my head toward the spot they stood, and a strong smell of coffee hit my nose. Oh gawd, they just broke my new jug once again, damn. Am I really the one that gave birth to these kids?

The neat marble turned brown immediately. My eyes twitching badly, as they started burning me, tears welled up in my eye. I felt the tear wanting to make its way out of my eye lid. I closed my eyes again, my head throbbing really hard.

" Mum, Luna sneaked out of the house very late last night!" Daniel yelled, his voice boomed through the living room.

My brain released a tiny explosion, forcing my eyes open again. I pressed my palm against my temples as if I could physically hold them together.

And despite being old enough, they find it hard to be friendly with each other. Those twins burst my brain everyday. Plus, my muscles were already weak from the whole night hunt. And my head exploded from the loud bang from last night.

I wanted to close my eyes once again, under the pretense of not being able to hear them. I felt like crying, but I just held myself together. They know nothing about what's happening inside of me.

My plan went in total vain. Daniel scrambled onto the couch with Luna on his heels, he lost his balance and landed on me with an oomph, driving the air from my lungs. I flew into rage. " Are you okay?!" Landing a tight slap on his butt. And the other knocks on his head.

At that moment, Luna also stopped. " Aren't you guys old enough to stop this nonsense?" I yelled, staring at both of them as Luna plastered a wide smile on her face. My head is pulsating really bad.

" Mum, he started it." Luna pointed fingers at him.

" No, you started it." He did the same.

And they were about to start the ruckus all again. " Eh! If I get you, you will regret it big-time. Now. Back. To. Your. Room." I yelled.

Immediately, they both scrambled out. I stared at them as they both headed out of the sitting room.

" Those brats." I said, slightly shaking my head as I leaned back into the sofa. Letting out a deep breath, I closed my eyes trying to take off from where I had left that snoring journey.

"Mum." Her tiny voice jolted me back to reality. I let out a deep sigh, frustrated. I turned my head to the spot where the voice had come from. My eyes wide open, " what again?" I asked my voice to come out more like a groan.

" Has dad called?" She asked,her hands slightly fidgeting. She stepped closer to me. I could not help but feel something shattered in me. She misses her dad.

" Hey what happened?" I said softly. Bringing her into my arms. Before gesturing for her to sit beside me.

" Mum, I have a bad feeling that dad will not come back tonight." She said,

" Don't say that, your dad will come back. Now let's go back to your room. It's late already." And with that she gave a curt nod.

I stood up, and we both headed towards her room. Slowly, steadily. With every second that died, my mind drifted back to her words. Although I wanted to doubt it, I could not. Her worries were something that would always come to pass. And this time I hope it does not.

We stepped into her room, and I had to tell her bed time stories to get her back to sleep...

After some time, she had slept off already, so I headed on to check on the twins. My steps slow, " Theodore, where are you? Rose is waiting, I am waiting, we are all waiting for you." I muttered, my voice low as I slowly made my way toward Daniel's room.

As soon as I opened the door, my eyes glued straight on the bed, Daniel and Luna were fast asleep already, but we're in the worst position ever. Luna had her head over Daniel's butt. And being a flexible person. Her right leg was on his face. I just wondered how she managed to do that so cleanly.

How do they even manage to sleep together on the same bed without ever fighting? But, when they are awake, they fight a lot. My lips spread widely, a wide grin tugged on my lips. No matter what, they will forever be my happiness, including their sibling, Rose.

I turned towards the whole room, my face reddened immediately. There were clothes everywhere. Daniel's underwear is hanging around. I slammed my fist against the door.

" Get up now!" I yelled, heading towards the bed. Landing a strong smack on both their asses. " Oww." They both said. The whole room was a mess. " I said wake up!" I yelled once again. This time, I smacked both of them once again.

" Ow." They both jumped out of bed.

" Get your ass out of bed and clean up this whole mess." I said storming out of the room. " And when I get back, I do not want to see that mess!" I yelled, my voice loud enough so they could here

I headed back to the sitting room. Slowly, I made my way down the stairs, step-by-step, and with each step, my eyes remained firm and glued on the door. Hoping he will just come in ending all my worries. I shook off Rose's words from my mind, not wanting to think negatively.

" What is keeping you so long?" I murmured, stepping down fully from the stairs. A sharp coffee smell hit my nostrils. I lowered my gaze only to find the coffee jug broken shards, and the hot coffee stained the white marble as well.

Damn! My muscles were throbbing badly, tired. Now I have to clean this up? Oh son of a biscuit eater. I dragged myself towards the red sofa by the right. As soon as I bent over, sitting on it, my phone began buzzing.

My hand swam through the air, I grabbed the phone from the small table in front of me, I checked the caller's ID only to find out it was Theodore's assistant. "Hello?" I said as soon as I pressed the green button, tilting my head slightly to the left, while the phone was pressed to my right ear.

" Good evening, Mrs Stilinski." He greeted, " I just thought I should check up on you, and yes extend my greetings to your husband." He said.

" Okay dear," I answered, but then it dawned on me. Joseph will never extend greetings if Theodore was with him. "Didn't Theodore come there?" I asked, my fingers raked through my hair, frustrated.

" He did," he answered. " He might have gone out for other business deals, he said he would be anyways. I just wanted to check up on him." He explained.

I let out a deep sigh of relief. "Okay," I said, " I am tired, please inform Sarah to come clean up for me. I am not in the mansion though." I explained, my thumb pressing the red button below.

I stared at the door hoping it would just swing open and he would come in. I called his phone, but it didn't go through. My mind slowly drifted back to what Rose had said earlier. But I shook my head, not wanting to think negatively at the moment.

After some time, he didn't come back so I slowly closed my eyes to sleep a little...

The next morning, my eyes fluttered open. I shield my eyes from the morning sun, it casted the shadows at the corners of the room, shooting into my eyes as burning Lazer. "Argh." I yawned, stretching. My hands flew into the air back bent slightly backwards.

On the pretext of sleeping a little, I actually slept till morning. Argh, how dumb.

" Good morning mum." Daniel's voice came through the stairs, jolting me fully awake.

" Morning dear... You and your sisters should get ready for school." I said, my voice low. I moved towards the dining area to pour myself a cup of water.

" Rose!!" Daniel yelled, rushing back up the stairs. Oh, that boy screams as if he is dead to hear himself.

Almost immediately, a firm, authoritative knock rattled the front door. Not a friendly tap. A knock that demanded an answer. I quickly dropped the cup in my hand, heading toward the door.

I opened it to find two uniformed officers. Their faces were grim, their posture rigid. The lead officer held a pair of handcuffs loosely in his hand.

"Serena Stilinski?" he asked, though it wasn't really a question.

"I am. What is this about?"

"You are under arrest."

My heart hammered against my ribs, but my attorney's mind erected a wall of calm. "On what charges?" I asked, my voice remarkably steady.

"We have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Theodore Stiles Stilinski."

The name—his name—hit me like a physical blow. Murder. The word echoed in the silence. Theodore.

"Let me see the warrant," I demanded, my hand outstretched.

He passed me the document. My eyes, trained for a decade to find flaws, skimmed over the legalese. The judge's signature was there. My name was spelled correctly. It was real. This was really happening.

I stepped back, holding the door open. "You'd better come in." My children were here. I would not be dragged from my home in cuffs in front of them.

The officers filed into the sitting room I had just left. They didn't sit.

"So," I said, the paper crumpling slightly in my clenched fist. "You'll forgive me if I find this... difficult to believe. My husband is missing. I was about to call you. And you're here to arrest me for his murder?" I said legs crossed, I let out a deep breath, my arms crossed above my chest, I leaned into the sofa. Unprovoked.

The lead officer's gaze was pitiless. "It's not a question of belief, ma'am. A report was filed. The evidence we've seen is substantial." His voice firm, chin straight as if speaking to a criminal.

"What evidence?" I pressed, my mind already racing through possibilities. What could they possibly have?

"That will all come out in the investigation. Your fingerprint was on the weapon, Mrs. Vale. And there is video evidence placing you at the scene at the time of death."

The world didn't just crumble. It evaporated. I sat up, my eyes glued on the man in front of me, I couldn't show my pain yet, or else they would miss interpret it as fear.

The two most damning pieces of evidence in any trial. And they were pinned to me.