EDEN The thought that I should have gone to Quebec crossed through my mind for the first time since I got here.That would even increase my chances of getting far away from Roman. As I walked out of the hospital, into the hot downtown sun, I let out a sigh. The baby and I were fine and I had been given my birth date. December 15th. My baby was going to be born during Christmas. I just knew this kid was going to bring smiles and joy into so many people's lives. The doctor said that the baby and I were healthy. She asked me if I wanted to know the sex but I refused to know. Maybe it was because of Roman's threat, maybe I was still too scared of what the baby will turn out to be. The past week has been quite eventful for me. During dinner with Kian, he confessed. He confessed to having feelings for me and he hoped that we could be in a relationship. Not wanting to turn him down, I told him that I needed to think about it because I needed to be sure I was doing what was right for b
EDENI was staring at the steaming hot cup of coffee with my mind no longer in this world and my hands placed lightly on the keyboard.Even though I wasn't working, I had to look like I was sincase the manager walked by. He was always walking around, something to have to do with meeting the required steps per day.Someone needed to tell him that if he kept up his unhealthy diet, he'd add even more weight than he was trying to lose.I stayed up all night trying to work on a proposal for the quarterly general meeting. It was a big thing because that was the only time we got to see the CEO and I heard that was the only time he came around.So I knew it was serious.My company markets and manages projects for other companies who need publicity. We have the proper means to get the goods out there so all they need to do is come to us.This time around, I was thinking that we should go to them. Recently, I caught wind of a clothing company that gained fame after a product of theirs gained f
EDENAlicia walked into the restaurant later than three pm that afternoon because of the kids.Isabelle was over at her house for a sleepover so we just left the kiss with her husband so she could be here.“And here I am thinking I was going to have to put out a BOLO on you.”She frowned as she sat down.“What’s a BOLO?”I swallowed my water before shaking my head.“It's a police term. “Be On the LookOut.”“Of course, you would know something like that. Anyways, I left the kids with Henry. He's going to be so surprised when he wakes up and sees two little demons running around."She had an evil look on her face like she had just done something so wrong.“You left the house without telling your husband that you left the kids with him? What if he goes out?”She scoffed loudly and I caught a few people looking at us.“He won't go out. He's grounded. That's what he gets for watching Star Wars 9 without me."Alicia's marriage was… different.I called the waiter and we ordered food. While w
EDENYou know the saying, “Don't start what you can't finish”?It should be for me.It's been six weeks since I started this project. The CEO approved it finally and they made me head the project. Even though that didn't sit well with some misogynistic fools in this office, that was okay.I worked hard for this, it was my idea and I deserved to head it.I was happy at first, but that was because I hadn't got to the hard part. The part where I had to start scouring for The littlest of things to make sure everything was going well.This week, I was meeting with Evolve, the company I'm proposing the merger to. I've been told the CEO is a difficult person but I don't want to bring myself down..If I start thinking negatively even before meeting them, I'll never achieve anything.That is why I was putting all my energy into making sure that things were perfect to a “T”.There was one knock on my door before it swung open.“Sam, there's someone here to see you.”I told Patricia to let them
EDENKian understood when I told him I couldn't make dinner. In order not to make him feel bad, I killed two birds with one stone and invited him over so we could have dinner at my house.That seemed to work out because while I worked, he offered to make dinner and we used that time to talk.“Come and eat. You can work later.”Why didn't I feel like I could work later? Either way, we had dinner and truly, I was happy I told him to come over.Kian was a good person. A good friend.So I didn't know how to feel when he moved in to kiss me. I wanted to push him away, to tell him that things like that would complicate our friendship.But I didn't. I let him.Did I regret it? I hadn't thought of it yet. Not because I didn't have time but because I was avoiding it. I would probably hate myself when I realize that I didn't stand my ground on not trusting another man.I knew that I trusted Kian and it went against everything that I had been working towards. I didn't want another man in my life
EDENI was probably going to get a speeding ticket at this rate but right now, I don't care.If Roman was in this city, then it meant he was coming after me . I need to get to Isabelle before he gets to her. Or else it would be the last time I would ever see my baby.But then, if he was following me then that meant that going to her school would be leading him straight to her. If he knew where he was, then he would have taken her a long time ago and Belle hadn't mentioned that any strange man was speaking to her at school.I needed to get out of the city. And I needed to get out fast.But I needed a way to get my daughter first. Oh, I know. I'll go and ask Alicia to pick her up. I changed my route and made my way to Alicia's house.Could she have been the one who reported me? Maybe she was a spy that he sent? But then he would wait five years to come and get me if he knew where I was.Besides, if he knew that the baby was a girl, he wouldn't still be coming after me.I trusted Alicia
ROMAN“Cancel my flight. Get me coffee, black.”“Yes sir."Since we were no longer in the pack, Quinn had to act like she was my Personal Assistant.How funny life could be. Who knew that things would end this way?I had actually wanted to reject this deal because I didn't accept deals from companies that reached out. I did my own research first and then decided who we should work with.So when this offer was brought to my table, I barely even looked at it but Quinn pressed and pressed and asked that we must consider this.So I opened the file and looked through it. The presentation looked good, too good and as much as I didn't want to accept it, I liked what I was seeing.I looked down as the proposing Publicist and saw her name.Samantha Callahan.Good.“Get back to them. Tell them we need to see more before signing the contract. Set up a meeting as possible.”She squealed for joy and I frowned, wondering what she was happy about.I had completely forgotten about the meeting until a
EDENAs much as I hated the idea, it was the only one we could come up with at this moment. Not just that, It was the only one that seemed like it would work on Roman.He wasn't stupid. He was actually really smart so it won't be able to trick him into not noticing that Belle was alive. If we could convince him that Belle was dead, then that would take care of everything.“ But how would we do that? I mean, how would we convince him that she's de-, that I never gave birth to her? Roman is very smart, he would dig deep.”I hated saying that she was dead. Even though it wasn't true, it still made me uncomfortable.“Remember that you gave birth in a hospital I used to work in? I still have a couple of friends there, I guess I can call in a favor for a fake death certificate. And then, Henry won't ask questions if we ask him to help us fig a fake grave and make a fake headstone, would he?”Henry was a craftsman, and a very good one.It sounded like it could work. If we could get everythin
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