EDENI never thought I'd be saying this but I'm so glad that Roman is awake. After forcing him to go see a doctor, he resumed work the next day.Seeing him this serious about protecting Belle warned my heart. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't stand up to Ryker. At least, not in the way Roman would. I don't have money, nor do I have connections nor do I have people to help me fight him when he comes.The most I can do is to run away and even that won't do me much good because he would eventually find me and he won't stop until he's gotten what he wanted.I can't even go to the police because for him to get through to Nelly in prison, he had to have people on his payroll. Right now, I couldn't trust just anyone.He upped Belle's security, making sure that someone was always watching her at all times even when she was in school. The moment Belle told me that she got a new teacher at school because her art teacher moved away, I knew that it was Roman's doing.I wasn't left out ei
Eden“And you're sure it's the same bracelet?”I was currently sitting with Roman, Quinn and Alicia, telling them what happened at work.I nodded.“Yes, I'm sure. That's the bracelet I gave him.”Him and Quinn shared a look.“If he's gotten to her, that can't be a coincidence. He's looking for a way to get close to you. He knows where you work now.”Of course, he would stalk me. I just didn't think he would go for Selena though. If he wanted to get close to me, he would know that Alicia was the best person to go to.“He really isn't backing down, is he?”I don't think he will. Ryker will give up until he has gotten what he wants.“Just like the douche who keeps coming in and tries to talk to me. He doesn't understand that I'm not interested in speaking to me.”Roman had been silent throughout.“Roman, what're you thinking about?”He sat upright, like his mind has been somewhere far far away.“Yeah. I mean no, I understand what you've all said and I'll work with it.”He stood up and wa
EDEN“I told you to stay out of it!”I had to take a couple steps back so that he wouldn't throw what he was holding at me.“Roman, I-"“What the hell is wrong with you? Why don't you ever listen and do as you're told?! Why do you always feel the need to do things your own way?!”The backstory was that I had found his mother. Henry was my go to guy for everything and when I told him that I was looking for Roman's mother, he said he'd help me out.He didn't even ask for anything, just Roman's full name.I'd gotten in touch with her this weekend. We met in a coffee shop just outside the house.”So you say you're Roman's girlfriend?" She was a little lady, a lining of silver hair gracing the middle part of her hair and just enough smile lines to let you know that she's lived a life.“Oh no, I'm not. I just have a child for him.”I'd never seen anyone go pale as quickly as she did.“You have a child… for Roman?”I nodded.“ A boy?" She tried to fake a smile.“No, a girl.”She sighed heav
EDENRoman and I aren't on speaking terms.He was still very mad at me for meeting his mum behind his back. Truthfully, I should have just trusted his judgment and minded my own business.Just like he said, I was just the mother of his child and I shouldn't interfere with his life. However, he asked Quinn to tell me that he thought about what I said about Nelly's mother attending her funeral and he may have a plan to get her here.He said he would take care of it so I should stay out of it and just move on with my life so as not to alert Ryker.I had no idea what he wanted to do but I just hoped it worked.“Oh Belle, who gave you that?”She was holding a key chain with a fairy on it. It looked familiar for some reason but I couldn't figure out where I'd seen it.“I have a new friend at school. Her name is Lacy. She's really nice.”“Well that's nice. So you're all friends. You, Lacy and Coco?"Her smile dropped for a bit and she stopped toying with the keychain.“Coco doesn't like Lac
EDENThe clouds had gathered in the sky that morning.I feared that it was going to rain because it hasn't rained for a week.Maybe it was the fact that I knew I was going for a funeral or maybe it was the rain but I felt heavy.It felt like someone had placed a heavy object in place of my heart and now, I was walking around with it.Roman had managed to meet up with Nelly's mother and according to him, everything had gone according to plan.She had gotten the message and the spy that Roman had placed in her, informed him that she had entered the city he day after he left.“Are you ready?” Quinn poked her head into the room.I nodded immediately, grabbing my bag on the way out. I didn't even care about what I wore or how I looked. Quinn was the one who felt I should buy this dress.I f
EDENI'd completely forgotten about it. I would have felt like an absolute fool and hated myself so much if I'd actually missed it.“Happy birthday, My queen.” Roman handed Belle a bunch of flowers that she struggled to carry and placed a crown on her head.He bowed slightly and gave me a look. I had forgotten my daughter's birthday.I'd been with her for five years and for the first time ever, I'd forgotten her birthday.“Mummy, look at my flowers.” She handed them to me to carry because I was sure I was looking at over a hundred roses.I felt something in my hand and turned to see Quinn wink at me. It was a bag and I didn't even know what was in it.“Is that for me?” Belle pointed at it.I didn't even know the answer to that question so I looked at Quinn who nodded.
EDEN“Get my coffee, make sure it's very hot. Now.” I almost rolled my eyes at her tone.I wonder why she drank coffee anyways, it's not like she got any work done around here. She was probably using it because it helped lose weight.But I didn't have a choice. As I looked down at her coffee cup that she said she'd bought in France, all I wanted to do was haul it across the street through the window. She was irritating me to no end without effort.Thankfully, she hadn't really spoken to me today. Maybe it was because she hasn't even stayed in the office. She'd come in very late and since then, she'd been on the phone, laughing so loudly at whoever was on the other end.I made the coffee and the sudden urge to spit in it overwhelmed me but I wasn't as petty as she was.The office was empty when I got back. Her coat and her bag were gone so I knew she wasn't coming back. That little twig… why did she have me make it when she knew she wouldn't be here?Either ways, I dropped the coffee o
EDENThere were bugs on my desk.Three little cameras, hidden in my pen case, my flowers pot and my computer. He had been keeping a very close eye on me.When the men dropped the cameras on the table in front of Roman and I, I couldn't push down the nausea anymore and I ran out of the room to the toilet, letting the contents of my early dinner go down the toilet.What the hell was wrong with Ryker? Why couldn't he just leave me alone? Tears fell down my eyes at wil and I didn't even bother stopping them.How had my life resulted to this? First, I had run away from the pack because of Nelly and then I'd run away again because of Roman. Now, Ryker was chasing me because I was the subject of his sick fantasy .Why couldn't he just be obsessed with someone else?There was a knock on the bathroom door and I went to open it.Roman stood there with a tissue box in his hand.“How’d you know-”“Sixth sense. Come on out."I closed the door again, wiping my face and my mascara that had got a bit
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