EDENThe morning came too fast and I wish it never did. I woke Belle up and got her ready for Alicia to come pick her up.I didn't sleep early last night. I stayed up all night, thinking about how long this was going to go on for. I needed to be back to my cabinet as quickly as possible. My kids were growing up without me and I didn't want to lie an important part in their lives.I stared at Belle as she slept, not knowing when next I'd get the chance to see her.I brought out her phone and hit the record button.“Listen baby, I need to tell you a couple of things. Roman has a severe allergy to nuts, any kind so make sure that he doesn't eat that and also an allergy to shellfish. His feet get really cold sometimes so make sure to tell your dad to rub his feet and he must be wearing two socks.”She nodded so I continued.“Also, for Ethan, make sure that his sweater and mittens are always in his bag when he goes to school. Also, he gets sugar rush easily so don't give him too many swee
ROMANNothing new was popping up on the radar. The connection was just all over the place and we couldn't get an exact signal.“It’s been doing this since last night, Roman. I don't think it's going to give us anything new.”I knew she was saying the truth but I didn't want to give up.“How about we call Henry? I mean, he's the one who made the damn thing right?"That won't do any good. He had already gone and there was no telling when he would be back.“He’s out of the country for now and there's no telling when he'll be back.”That was the lie we were going with.“Okay then maybe we can call him and ask him how to work this thing or better yet, he can track her down himself."None of that was going to work because as far as I could tell, he wasn't going to pick any calls.I felt so exhausted as I didn't sleep last night. All night, I waited for it to get an exact location but nothing came up.My eyes were drowsy and I hadn't eaten yet.I stood up from the computer desk.“Don’t forget
LILITH“Hey! What's going on here?”My eyes widened when I heard his voice and I immediately turned around to see me.He was obviously shocked because he didn't expect me here.“Eden, what are you-” He turned to that stupid woman who had nothing better to do than to disturb me. “She's my friend. It's okay.”I stuck my tongue out at her and rolled my eyes, turning back to Kian with a smile.He took my hand and pulled me past the crowd and my heart stared racing quickly. He was holding my hand.He took me into the office and close the door and I thought he was going to kiss me right there and then but he didn't.“Have a seat.” He showed me to a chair and then he sat across from me.I thought he liked Eden. That was why I came as her, so that he would be able to see her and things would be easy for me. So why was she acting like this?Or was he acting hard to get? I mean, I could chase him if that's wa swhat he wanted. I would chase him to the ends of the earth as long as I would have him
ROMANI went back home feeling rejected, angry, stupid and hurt.Even after what I'd seen, I still didn't want to believe that it was Eden, so I went outside to look really well.I made sure to check all the things I knew about her and it was her. After almost a month of leaving the house and leaving me with our three kids, she had the guts to be here in another man's arms, kissing him.I should have gone over there to speak to them but I couldn't bring myself to. I couldn't bring myself to look her in the eye and ask her why she did that to me. To us.Why did she leave our kids and come all the way here? What was it she wanted that I couldn't give to her? Why did she feel the need to come to that man to give her happiness?By the time I got back home, the kids had returned and that's what I'd been avoiding. I blinked away the hurt in my eyes and smiled as Ethan ran I to my arms“Hey, little buddy. How was school today?”How could she leave these beautiful kids? Or maybe it was me, ma
EDENMy body hurt when I woke up. I felt like a huge boulder had dropped on top of me.What the hell had happened and where was I?Whose house was this?.The last thing I remembered was-A sharp pain passed through my head, causing me to pause my thoughts. What was wrong with me?I looked around the house, I didn't know where this was so how did I end up here? I was sure that I had never been in a place like this before.So many flowers and leaves. Or did Alicia rent me another apartment? No, I would have remembered. The fact that I had blacked out only meant one thing.That woman had finally come out. But what did she do this time around?I stood up to look around the house. Who the hell lived here?My throat was dry and I was very hungry but right now, I needed to find my way out of here. I wonder if there is anyone else in the house.Maybe I should just leave. I tiptoed across the room, not wanting to make any noise or draw any attention to myself. I'll be lucky if I get out of thi
ROMANI didn't go anywhere today. I wanted to spend the day with my kids, just being with them and playing with them.School was back in session and it felt good that they came back home to me. Since it was just me for now, I didn't have a choice but to look after every aspect of their life even down to little details.Quinn says I should let the maids handle it but I can't. I can't leave my kids to other people to take care of them. I felt the responsibility to be there for them when they needed me.I didn't have anyone to take care of me. My father didn't exactly give two shits when it came to me and I didn't want a life like that for my kids.I wanted them to know that their father thought about them and loved them. My kids were the only reason I did everything I did, they were the reason I worked hard to be a better man.. I wanted to show them just how much I cared about them.As for Eden, I don't even know what to do about it. I didn't know what to say about her and I didn't wan
ROMANI went back to my room and played the recording and when I heard what was on it, tears rose in my eyes.I couldn't believe it. I spent the entire night listening to it again and again and I couldn't help but feel like a fool.Falling asleep to her voice, I waited till morning till the other kids went to school.“Dad, why didn't you wake me up for school? Where's Ethan?”“Belle, you're not going to school today. We need to talk."She looked at me then immediately took off her bag and searched through it.“You have my phone, don't you?”I dropped it on the table and she gave up, and sat on the chair.“Are you going to tell me what's going on?"“Okay, but you have to promise not to be mad at mum, okay? She did it because she was scared and she didn't want anything to happen to us.”What in the world was my six year old saying?“Belle, I've been looking for your mum for a month. I just want her back home. I'm not mad at her and I would never be. Please just tell me.”By the time she
EDENI woke up knowing something good had happened. I didn't exactly know what it was but I felt a lighter way in my heart.And then I saw him.The first thing I did was to run to him and throw mysf into his arms. The tears came immediately and I didn't know if I felt sad or happy.“Roman, you're here.”He kissed my hair.“Yes, my love. I'm here. Eden, gosh I missed you."He didn't know how much I missed him. It felt like I was losing it. Having to deal with something like this on your own seened more of a greater problem than I'd initially thought.Roman was always the one who helped through a lot of issues that I had and doing this without him felt like the time when I had to run away from him when I was pregnant with Belle.“Why didn't you tell me something like this was going on? I felt so out of everything when I had to hear things from our six year old daughter.”“Belle told you?"he nodded.“She told me after I found your recording on her phone. She fell asleep while listening
THIRD PERSON POVWhile everyone back home was looking for Roman, he was on the other side of the town, looking through his pockets and swearing that he carried his phone.The minister noticed that he was distracted.“Is there anything you need? Are you looking for something?”Roman looked up.“Yes, I'm sure that I carried my phone but now, I can't find it.”Roman knew that he would have gotten so many calls. He'd left the house very early and no one knew where he was.He didn't take any guard with him either.“Maybe it fell on the way."Of course, it did. With all those bullets raining on his head, why won't it fall out?It had been pure luck that he had escaped. He was almost at the minister's house when he noticed a car that he was sure he'd seen when he got off the highway.He'd rolled his eyes, not wanting to be involved in any of this today.“Can we do this in a week? I have something to do today.”What should he do now? He knew he couldn't avoid them.To make sure that he was ri
EDENIT was already seven pm and I still couldn't find him. I was ready and so was everyone else but he was nowhere to be found.I'd called him and so had Quinn but he wasn't picking up his calls at all.“Edem, are you sure he didn't tell you where he was going?”I thought back to last night and scrolled through our conversation.“No, I don't remember him saying anything about going anywhere. After I told him about the officiating minister, that was where the conversation ended. Nothing more happened.”Quinn came back.“His phone is switched off.”Wonderful, just great. Roman was missing on no other day than our wedding day.Where could he be? Even if he was stuck in traffic, he could at least pick up his phone.Or maybe he truly wasn't interested in getting married to me.But then he would have just said it then when I brought it up. Why didn't he say anything? He had the choice to reject me last night but he didn't.”Eden, don't worry. We'll find him in time for the wedding.”Alicia
EDENI woke up early that morning.Well, we didn't sleep after that.. we stayed up the entire night talking about everything we'd been through and it touched me.Eventually, I fell asleep on his shoulder and I didn't even know. I was sitting in his lap and I woke up on the bed.Alicia was standing above me .“Hey, wake up. Let's get you ready. Roman left the house really early this morning and I have to go back home to get a dress for myself. I mean, I can't wear this.”She had eye bags and her face was very dim. She has started crying again sometime during the night.”Alicia, sit down. We need to talk.”She was avoiding my eyes.“Eden, there's a lot to be done today. I mean, you don't even have a makeup artist or a hairstylist either. Your dress isn't here yet and the food isn't ready. There's a lot to be done.”I knew that all that wasn't truly her concern. She was just trying to avoid talking about me.“Alicia, please -”“Eden, there's no time. We need to get ready."I had to get
EDENWhen I finally got into the house later that night, I couldn't sleep so I just stared out the window at the stary night.Alicia had fallen asleep while feeding the kids so I would break the news to her tomorrow.I'd had to tell Quinn what had happened.“Really?! Was that why you were staring into the dark?””Yes, she was standing there. I'm not going to die, Quinn. I'm going to be here with my kids.”She pulled me in for a hug and held me tightly.“I'm so happy, Eden. You don't know how terrible I felt when you told me that. How can you die without watching your kids grow up?"I was just happy that I hadn't rushed to tell Roman anything that was going on.He was clearly exhausted because he didn't even wake up when I entered the room and when I got in the bed. I was equally so tired because I had spent a lot of time getting things ready today.My body was tired but my mind was still awake and buzzing.I was going to get married tomorrow. I should have told Quinn that we should ju
EDENWe got back home late that night.Mostly because we needed to pull ourselves so that we won't show that we've been crying.Everytime we finally stopped crying, Alicia started again and we started another whole process of consoling each other.“Please stop crying. I don't know what I'm going to do if you're like this.”She finally pulled herself together and we got into the car and drove back home.“Are you really not going to tell Roman?"“I don't have a plan to. I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to tell him. He will be shattered, Alicia.”She still wasn't fine with it but she didn't say anything else until we got home.Alicia went into the house to check in on Roman and the kids while I went to the back of the house to check in on what Quinn was doing.She was actually on a chair and table with her legs up while eating everything she brought from the restaurant.“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”My voice frightened her.“Sorry about that.”“You guys surely took your time..
EDENWe'd ended up at a restaurant because the bar we wanted to go to was closed.Roman had already called me four times to ask Alicia questions about the twins and he sounded like he was about to lose it.“Let’s eat so much that we won't be able to walk again.”And that's what we did. I think we ordered everything in the menu and we basically had the chef at our call to make anything that we wanted.That was the first time I would be eating so much food in one day and it felt so good.“I don't think I can eat anymore. I'm so full.”Quinn had been the one to bring us here and now she was already full. Alicia's mood had changed and she wasn't speaking anymore.Quinn's phone rang and she stood up to answer it.“Alicia-”“What’s going on, Eden? And don't even tell me not to ask questions. Because you can't keep doing this. I'm your best friend. You have to be truthful.”What was sj to do at this point? I had no other choice than to tell her the truth.She deserved that much.“Balari came
EDENAlicia did come over that evening.And we stayed in the room throughout.“It’s fine. I'll take care of the kids. You guys just do what girls do. Whatever it is that you do.”Roman took the twins and left us.“What in the world happened? Why did you faint?"I acted like I had no idea what was going on.“I mean, I don't know. I just felt weak and tired and next thing I know, I'm waking up in a hospital.”“Woah, that is crazy.. but you're fine right? I mean, yorie okay?"“Yes, I'm fine.”I needed to change the topic.“Hey, about Henry, I've spoken to Roman about it and he had no idea that Henry wasn't home. He said he was going to help track him down.”I actually hadn't spoken to Roman about it but I just needed to say something that would make her forget about the previous topic.“Thank you. I just hope we won't have to go through everything we went through back then. He'll surely come back.”Surely, he will. He's probably just busy.Speaking of Roman doing things, I still needed t
EDENI'd come home the day after that. The doctor said that I was free and healthy to leave but I didn't feel free.“Why the long face? Aren't you happy to come home?”I turned to Roman who was driving.”Oh no, it's nothing like that. I'm just tired."What was the point of being happy when I knew what was coming? And I couldn't tell him. I didn't want him to feel responsible for it.Roman is very quick to blame himself and I didn't want him to. I should just die peacefully so that he would have the guts to move on from me.If I told him that it was because of him I was going to die, then I would mess things up.I recalled my last conversation with Balari.“Are you sure it's what you want, Eden? Men are not worth it. You can live with your kids and raise them in your own way. You don't have to do this.”But it seemed like the more we spoke about it, the more determined I was to do it.“I do, actually. I love Roman, I can't let him die for something he has no hand in.”“And you have a
EDENWhen I woke up, it was dark.Why was it dark and where was I? I knew this wasn't my room, and it surely didn't smell like this.I tried to move my hand and when I saw the IV line shake, I sighed. The hospital.How did I end up here and why didn't I remember anything?Me being here meant that something had happened to me but for the life of me, I couldn't bring myself to. I felt so weak so I just relaxed in my bed.I didn't even have the strength to call for help and eventually, I slept.The next time I woke up, the sun was out thankfully and my eyes didn't feel as heavy as a boulder.My stomach was hurting badly, partly the fact that I hadn't eaten in a day and half. I needed food or else I might actually die this time around..I sat up in my bed, clutching my stomach tightly. I also needed to pee. I've never been to the hospital before.Roman was born in the pack and Belle?Well, Belle was born at home because I had no idea I was in labor and since Alicia and I had never been mo