EDEN“What did you say?” I sat up on the couch.“Henry told me that Roman came to him asking for a duplicate of a ring."Why couldn't he just collect the one he gave to Selena? Or was he too in love with ber to want to get the ring back?The possibility of the latter being the case hurt me badly.“Oh well, that's up to him. I don't care any more.”That was such a lie.“But something doesn't make sense.” Trust Alicia not to let it go. “Why wouldn't he just collect the one he gave to her?”I'll be damned if I know.“Also, why would he give it to her when hell only just come back to ask for a duplicate?"The questions she was asking made sense but I didn't want to think about Roman. I'd been thinking about him since I came here a week ago and I needed some peace.“Why dont you go ask Roman? Or better yet, ask Selena. I'm sure she'll be willing to give you all the details of their night together.”I laid back down on the couch, trying very hard to push thoughts about either one of them ou
ROMAN“Get out! Take it and get out!”I flung the tray across the room and it hit the wall, getting the food all over the walls and the floor.I'd told this new cook over and over that I didn't like spicy food but for reasons best known to him, he kept bringing me spicy food.I'd fired my old cook last week for making a stupid mistake I didn't expect him to make. He'd been my father's cook for so many years and he'd been in the family for so long so I didn't understand why he would have done something like that.“What the hell is-" Quinn walked into the room and saw the mess.“I'm sorry, Alpha. Sorry Beta, I'll clean it up immediately.”“Well if you keep apologizing like a fool, you won't actually get it done! Get out! Get the maids to clean it up! I don't want to see your face."He ran out of the room like a coward. I shouldn't have hired him. I didn't trust any of them anymore.“Roman, what is going on? What is the meaning of this?”I didn't answer her. My alcohol had finished so I
ROMAN.I couldn't kidnap her. Trust me, that has crossed my mind countless times. It wouldn't solve the solution. It would only worsen it but it would get me what I wanted back.I was talking about Selena, of course not Eden. I didn't want to force Eden into anything. Hearing the news of her pregnancy and getting a confirmation from Henry made me rethink my attitude towards her.I know she hates me right now so it bothered me, what exactly she was thinking. Was she happy that she was pregnant? Wa she ever going to tell me or was she going to end up disappearing again like last time?I'd taken the tail off her, I didn't want her to feel too pressured to do anything. I'd been going to see Belle after school just like last time and she had a lot to ask me..“Why did we leave, daddy? Mummy said it's only for a while for we've been with Aunt Alicia for so long. When are we coming back?”If only I knew the answer to that question myself.“Um, there's something wrong with my house. Apparentl
ROMANWhen Quinn handed me her file, I didn't think there would be anything interesting.But as soon as I got to the second page of her file, I knew I had her locked in. I stood up and went to her office. The day was already over so I caught her in the parking lot. She was speaking to someone so I decided to wait. Something like this shouldn't be rushed.I knew she had the ring, she wouldn't have lost it. She needed it as a trophy for her troubles and possibly something to blackmail me with seeing that I had come to look for it..But that was okay, we were equal now.The guest she had finally left and she smiled when she saw me. Once I returned her smile, hers faletered a bit. I hadn't smiled for once since I began looking for my ring. So she knew something was up.“You look extra happy, what the occasion?”I leaned on her car and crossed my armsI stared deep into her eyes to make her uncomfortable.“Oh nothing, that was just my lawyer telling me that I'd soon be getting my share o
NORAI should have known that something was up when Alicia took extra time cleaning the house this morning.Not that she didn't clean the house, but she was whistling a gone while doing it and she was cooking.Since we both found out that we were pregnant, our eating habits had changed so she barely cooked. Henry did most of it.“What's the occasion?"She turned from the pot to look at me.”What are you talking about?”I walked into the kitchen and rested on the counter.“Well, you're cooking. Not just one dish. So what is going on?”“I don't know what you're talking about. I'm simply cooking for my family."I let it be because I thought that she was probably planning to surprise Henry.But when the door rang that afternoon and she rushed to get it, I put down the magazine I was reading and when I saw who walked in through the door, I lost the breath in my mouth.“Roman, what are you doing here?”I was going to kill Alicia. She saw the look on my face.“Um, I'll leave you guys to talk
EDENI wasn't surprised when I walked into my office this morning and saw roses covering every inch of my table.I'd been reinstated into my former office and Roman sent flowers as a congratulatory gift and every day since then, he'd send flowers, the amount of the roses increasing with each passing day.I had to call Quinn to ask her to help send someone to take them home for me. As soon as I ended the call with her, my phone rang, the culprit of this romantic mess being the caller.“You know, I could have you arrested for stalking me."He laughed.“I see you've gotten my present. Have you read the card too?”“There’s a card? Well, excuse me for not being able to see through the rose garden in my office. People are beginning to talk!"I could see the stares and hear the whispers when I walked past. The fact that Roman had just been involved in a scandal just a few weeks before with a now convicted felon wasn't helping my new image as Roman's woman.The fact that the news got to the o
EDENQuinn said she had not sent anyone to come collect the flowers. I found it weird that someone would actually have the guts to come into my office and scan me of my flowers.When we told Roman, he thought it weird but he didn't say anything about it.Actually, I forgot about it too because I was too focused on my new assistant.Emily…she was quiet, petite and reserved. Her big eyes were further enlarged by her round glasses, making her look almost like a chipmunk.Everyone at the office adored her, even Quinn said something about her when she came over to my office to check the security cameras so she'd see the guy that came by to get the flowers.Obviously, they hadn't allowed her to have access to the footage because it was against company policy… obviously.So she said she'd have to get it the illegal way then. And that's what she did.I didn't even have time to ask her how far she'd gone with the investigation because I had so much work on my table.The project that had landed
ROMANWhen I got the call that morning, I didn't want to pick up.Especially because Eden was still sleeping in my arms and also because I thought it was work.Actually, I didn't care who the hell was calling me at seven in the morning on a Saturday.Even if the world was burning down, I wouldn't pick up.But when the phone kept ringing and ringing, I didn't have a choice.Without looking at the caller, I slapped the phone to my ear.“What?” May heaven help this person to say something that isn't important.“Roman, it's me. Leo!” I almost jumped up from the bed but remembered that there was someone on my arm.“Leo? What's going on? Is everything okay?"It had been a while since he contacted me. And I knew Leo didn't contact me unless there was an urgency.“Roman, I don't have a lot of time. You have to listen. The wolves, they're planning something. I don't know why it is but you have to come pack, Roman. They're going to come after you.””S-slow down, Leo." I tried to push Eden's hea
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