ELOISEI opened one eye a crack but the shaft of piercing light forced me to shut it again. My headache was a low throb, and the pain in my jaw more pronounced.“Mrs. Kate?” a soft female voice said.That name again. Oh, God, why did it seem wrong? My eyelids fluttered open and I winced against the blaze of light, then realized the light has been turned down low, the blinds drawn, the room is now semidark.“Do you know where you are?”I nodded. seeing the ECG and the pungent smell I'm perceiving the IV and all. I couldn't be in a full body spa section receiving a body massage. My mouth tasted terrible, my skin itched from lying in bed and my hair felt stringy, my scalp gritty. Slowly, the blur that was the nurse’s face came into focus.“This is The Hospital, and I’m Jessica” The name tag on her pale blue jacket verified the information with an RN tacked on. Tall and blonde with crystal blue eyes, she offered a smile of straight white teeth. “Glad to have you with us.”I swa
LUCIANO“A hell of a homecoming, isn’t it?” Alex said to someone I just met for the first time but it seems they've known each other for long. Re guy looked rough with tattoos. . “Eloise in the hospital, another woman dead, a trucker burned and dead and her family business in trouble.”He offered him a smile that was somewhere between tenderness and crafty calculation. “Whatever the reason, it’s good to have you back, Nicholas.”I took a sip of his drink. The smoky Scotch slid down his throat as easily as water, an acquired taste he’d been told, but one he seemed to have been born with."Who is here?" I asked. I hated the fact that without asking my permission, Alex had invited a fourth party yeah together with Laura to my hotel room. Of all the buildings we are own. Why would my suite be our secret operation room or was it hideout? His answer was that because no one would suspect that and when they find out. They'd ask the same question I just did.." He's a colleague, a buddy
ELOISEFor the next few hours, a nurse had bustled into my room, given me a quick sponge bath, and straightened the sheets. I'd just breezed out the door when my family arrived in mass. Smiles, hugs, kisses that seemed strained were rained upon me by strangers. All strangers. I forced a grin that I didn’t feel and tried like crazy to remember these people, only to fail. Only their voices had seemed less foreign to me, their faces sparked no memory whatsoever.“It’s so good to see you awake and have you back with us,” my mother-in-law said, dabbing at her eyes with the corner of a handkerchief.She's A petite woman with grey-shaded hair and small even teeth, she wore high heels that matched her purse, a gray wool suit, pearl-colored silk blouse and a print scarf in tones of red and gold.“Thanks.” I stuttered. Carolina cleared her throat. “That big old house has been empty without you.”My heart melted and I smiled. Three adorable children of almost same age stood staring
LUCIANOST. AUGUSTINE HOSPITAL –11:47 PMThe night smelled like damp asphalt and cigarettes. A light drizzle coated the streets, the neon glow from the hospital sign flickering in the reflection of the pavement. Nicholas parked the van two blocks away, just outside the hospital’s blind spot—an alley between an old pharmacy and a construction site. It was a quiet night, except for the occasional honk of a passing cab. Inside the van, I checked my watch. 11:47 PM"Alright," I muttered, glancing around at the crew. "We go in, get her, and get out. No noise, no mess." Nicholas smirked. "You say that like Laura could ever get in and out without a mess." Laura rolled her eyes. "That’s because you have the subtlety of a goddamn sledgehammer." Alex ignored them both, adjusting the earpiece we’d synced to our comms. "Security shift change is in thirteen minutes. That’s our best shot. After that, the next patrol comes through, and it’s a shitshow." I nodded. "Positions?" "Laura
ELOISE "Of course you want to go home," Damon said, his voice gentle but firm. "But it’s impossible." "Why?" I asked, my throat dry. "I think he wants to run a couple of routine tests. Your vital signs, that sort of thing. No big deal," he replied with a reassuring smile. "A big enough deal to keep me in here," I snapped, my frustration bubbling over. "You just woke up, honey," he reminded me, placing a hand on my arm. His touch was meant to soothe, but it only made me feel more trapped. "But I want to go home," I repeated, my voice sharper this time. "Now." A tense silence filled the room. Damon shifted uncomfortably, exchanging a glance with Carolina. She had been fussing over a Christmas cactus but now busied herself with a vase of flowers, plucking out the wilted roses and dropping them into a nearby wastebasket. Her hands trembled slightly, but she avoided my gaze. "Listen, dear," Carolina stepped closer to the bed, her expression hardening. A few moments ago, her
LUCIANO12:07 AM – DAMONMy phone buzzed on the nightstand. I almost ignored it. I’d just gotten back from a late meeting, and exhaustion clung to me like a second skin. The city skyline stretched beyond my window, the glow of streetlights casting long shadows across my bedroom. Then I saw the caller ID. St. Augustine Hospital.Every trace of fatigue vanished. A cold, sharp feeling cut through my chest as I grabbed the phone. "Yeah?" My voice came out rough. "Mr. Huxley?" A woman’s voice sounded..it was too hesitant, too cautious. Something was wrong. I sat up, my fingers tightening around the phone. "What is it?" There was a pause. Then— "I… I don’t know how to say this, sir, but… Mrs Kate is gone." The room tilted. I swung my legs over the bed, already reaching for my keys. "What do you mean, gone?" "We went to check on her a little after eleven. The bed was empty. The IV line was pulled out. She’s—she’s not here, sir. Someone took her." The words barel
LUCIANO“The memory loss is severe,” the doctor explains, his voice calm but firm. “Eloise is experiencing post-traumatic amnesia. It’s common in cases like this, and while some memories may return, there’s no guarantee of full recovery.” His words sit heavy in my chest. I glance toward the bedroom bed, where Eloise sits, staring at her reflection in a mirror. The bruises and stitches stand out against her pale skin. With her free hand—the one not attached to the IV—she reaches up, fingers brushing over the shaved patch on her head. She swallows hard, her jaw tightening as she traces the row of stitches, her expression unreadable. “Oh, God,” she whispers, blinking rapidly. Her spine straightens, a feigned strength settling over her. “I . . . I don’t think I’d even pass as the Bride of Frankenstein . . . you know what they say, always a bridesmaid, never a . . .” Her voice falters. She tries to smile, but it’s shaky, failing before it even fully forms. Watching her like this—so
LUCIANOI narrowed my eyes at Laura. Something wasn’t right. My gut twisted, warning me that whatever she wasn’t saying was something I wasn’t going to like. “Laura,” I said, my voice dropping an octave. “Where are the kids?” She opened her mouth, then hesitated. A cold sensation ran down my spine. “I—I left them at the house,” she finally said, but the way she shifted on her feet gave her away. “Alone?” My voice was dangerously low now. “No! Of course not! They’re with the maids.” A sharp knock at the door cut through the thick tension in the room. I turned to glare at whoever was interrupting, but before I could say a word, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I fished it out and froze when I saw the caller ID. Damon.My grip tightened around the device. The entire room went dead silent as if everyone had seen the name pop up on my screen. I didn’t answer. My jaw clenched as I swiped to accept the call and pressed the phone to my ear. “Luciano,” Damon’s voice came thr
ELOISE"Eloise . Are you sure you want to do this? We have not pinned your accident's culprit on anyone. We should be careful since something worst could happen. I will handle everything my own way" Luciano pleaded "No I will do it. And I will be fine. Obviously these people would try to cover everything up if I give the flash to the FBI or press. Thankfully I have this journalist friend of mine that wouldn't stand the injustice " I said to assure Luciano that I would be fine. I didn't exactly know if truly this man wouldn't come after me. Infact I'm sure he would but then everyone will get a glimpse of his true nature and after all I have my husband and Alex by my side. We settled in the living room, the low hum of the television was the least of my concern as I picked slowly on the bowl filled with popcorn. Luciano was warm beside me, the scent of his cologne grounding me in a way I hadn’t expected. His arm rested along the back of the couch, close enough that if I leaned just
ELOISEBy the time I got home, the sky was already turning that deep shade of orange Valerie’s words stayed with me the entire drive back. I hadn’t expected that. It was one thing to hate the man who raised you, However it's another Story entirely to hand over the evidence that could destroy him. As I stepped into the house, the familiar warmth o wrapped around me, but it didn’t settle the unease in my chest.The kids were already in their pajamas, curled up in the living room. Giana was half-asleep against Nicole’s shoulder, Kiara’s fingers tangled in her own curls as she watched a cartoon with so much attention. I took a deep breath and forced a smile while they hugged me tightly “Hey, miei amori. Long day?” Nicole barely looked up. “Yes ” I chuckled, ruffling his hair before pressing a kiss to Giana’s forehead. “Alright, just a few more minutes, then dinner. I will go fix something up now” Kiara nodded, but her eyes flicked up to my face,. She always knew when something
ELOISETwo days later I got up from the wrong side of bed again today. All I wanted was to grab a stranger by his collar and get a fight with him. And I obviously know whom to drag every single hair out of his hair to feel better. Josh. My so called cousin. He's been invisible for the past few months after I've reported him of house burglary. He had disappeared from the very face of the earth ever since , even Alex couldn't find him. My phone vibrated on the nightstand, the sound slicing through my tangled thoughts. I grabbed it, barely awake, and blinked at the screen. It was Dr. Vera that texted me 'Eloise, I’ve been thinking about our last session since it helped greatly, I want to try something better today, a more traditional method. This time, you’ll choose which part of your memory to recall. I believe it could speed up the process. Can you come in this morning?* A slow exhale left my lips. Choosing which part of my memory to unlock? The idea sent a chill down my spi
ELOISEThe moment the door clicked shut behind Valerie, I exhaled, releasing the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. But few minutes later. as I turned to Luciano, ready to dissect everything that had just happened, the sound of soft knocking interrupted me. I narrowed my eyes, already knowing who it was. Luciano groaned, rubbing his temple. “Of course she wouldn't leave untill a call the police on her. " With an exaggerated sigh, he yanked the door open. There stood Valerie, looking as smug as ever, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers. “Forget something?” Luciano asked dryly. Valerie grinned, rocking on her heels. “I forgot to beg.” Luciano sighed started closing the door, but she slipped past him with ease, making a beeline for the couch. She plopped down dramatically, stretching her legs out. “Luciano, please,” she drawled, batting her lashes up at him. “I swear, I’ll be so quiet you won’t even know I’m here. I can be very, very invisible.” I
LUCIANO..I looked around and noticed the rose petals that were on the dinning. I couldn't help but smirk. Eloise must have had a long day regretting but her ego didn't let her to leave me a text. "Is today a special day?" Valerie asked once she noticed were my gaze was at. "No!" Eloise replied immediately. Her face showed all kinds of disappointed expressions. "Come on! What special day? It's not valentine and ... Is it your birthday Luciano or the triplets?""That didn't answer the question I asked earlier. Why the hell are you in my house?"Valerie clicked his tongue. " Here I am worried about you" she directed to no one in particular " Worried about whom? Him or...me?" Eloise muttered.."Him ofcourse. Why should I worry about you?" Valerie replied fiercely ..I gave her a stern warning look. She dare not talk to my wife like that. "Your parents would be worried. Go home Valerie.""Luciano, didn't you hear what I just said? I'm going to crash at your place for a few days ".
ELOISE Most times we'd things we end if regretting, but changing the clock backwards to correct or mistakes has never been possible. Ever since I left Luciano's office I've been restless . Probably due to guilt. No matter what he did, I shouldn't... I had no right to slap him. I've been fed with a whole lot of things this past few days and I'm just not sure who to believe but my heart would never lie to me. I know deep down that Luciano wants what's best for me. I paced back and forth in the living room, my heart hammering against my chest , and I kept glancing at the clock on the wall. Did he run away from home? There's no damn way a grown ass kan would do that. Luciano said we needed to talk, and I had convinced myself that this conversation would change everything. Would he forgive me for slapping him? Would he finally tell me the truth? Or was I just a fool The sound of that passcode being wrongly entered echoed in my ear. Was he drunk? I swallowed hard, smoothing
LUCIANO"You need to see this boss" James said as soon as Jonathan left. "I did my own research and looking at the land registers..." I brought out a landscape and placed the photo in my desk.."Do you remember the VIPs at the museum opening party?" He asked and I nodded. "Their name came up quiet often on the register" James said with total certainty. I couldn't help but scoff. This was exactly what i guessed. It was weird enough that the museum that had no visitors at all suddenly got flooded on the opening party even though all those that Eloise invited turned down her invitation. They ended up coming. I should have know judging by the fact that they all arrived at the same exact time..So to them it was like land surveying Instead of open party? Those scumbags! "Sir... I'm sorry to bring this up again. Your grand father insist you visit him today"..I raised a brow in annoyance and then leaned back in my chair, drumming my fingers against the desk. Of course my grandfather
LUCIANO"I don't know why she's here but it's definitely unlike her. She never visited you before" James said trembling on his feet. "Well let her in ofcourse" Eloise was probably trying to get to know more about herself. She was always busy running her museum and I am always the one visiting to help out and strategize but today she came and I am glad she found time to visit. "I wasn't expecting you El" I said with a smile ushering her to seat at the cushion while I abandoned my work to join her. However instead of reciprocated smile, I got a slap on my cheek instead and I could only scoff. "Did you know about this?" She asked and hands her tabs over to me. " If you were going to lie to me, to deceive me just because of money, you could have atleast had a rethink. I almost died but all you and your family care about is purchasing every piece of land around the museum "I got really annoyed but I won't blame her. She was at her most vulnerable state that she could easily be decei
ELOISELuciano wouldn't have sex with me and it still bothers me. Does he chest on me or something? I'm sure I know men enough to realize that they never keep their stuff under their pants. I didn't want to lose my husband to the hands of a random slut . Even though I insisted that we stay in the same room, he sleeps on the couch and leaves the king sized bed for him But tonight I won't let him. I'm a human too and I'm sure he is! I was about to break the king silence before luckily he spoke up. "It's unlike you to insist on sharing the same room with me. I guess the accident really messed with your head" Luciano said with a chuckle as he lay on the couch close to the television. " No. I just feel a married couple should share a bed. I don't know how shitty my personality have been while we are married but I do appreciate that you saved me from my ex-husband. That asshole would have manipulated his way into my life again" I said . I already heard from the news about all that hap