CHAPTER 66H U G OWhen I drove my way to the hospital, I was completely bothered with what Rose has asked me. I couldn't even answer her and I don’t know what to answer her too because if I were Landon, I wouldn't know what to do too if I were in that kind of situation. I wouldn't know if I could forgive her or my very own best friend and bandmate to cheat behind my back.What we did behind Landon's back was total betrayal and I know I was at fault majorly with the whole situation that happened. I'm always at fault because I always do things that could lead to making Rose sin too.But when I think about it thoroughly and try to realize more things in a broader perspective, it's so hard to be in Landon's shoes, even right now. It's so hard to just act like nothing happened and knowing the fact that he accepted everything Rose had done is just pure love.Everything that we did behind his back and all those times I hurt him, he still treats me like a dear friend and a brother. Hell, I d
CHAPTER 67M I R A N D AThe doorbell hasn't stopped from ringing the second I was giving Bethany a bath. I was rushing on drying and clothing Bethany and putting diaper on her as the doorbell continuous to ring repetitively.I grabbed one of Hugo's robe and wrapped it around me as I carry Beth over my arms and rushed to the front door. The doorbell still hasn't stopped and as soon as I swing the door open.I expected her."Randy?" Dominique arched an eyebrow at me while she looks at me from my head to my feet."Dom, hi." I greeted as calm as I could."What are you doing here... In Hugo's pent?" She asks and walks inside the house without having second thoughts.I watch her as her eyes scans and searches for Hugo around the entire house. "Hugo's not home." I tell her.She halts and stares at me suspiciously. "I hate to be rude but... What are you doing here Miranda? You're even wearing Hugo's robe. And where in hell is Hugo?" She asks, as if she's the wife."He's at the hospital with
M I R A N D AThe doorbell hasn't stopped from ringing the second I was giving Bethany a bath. I was rushing on drying and clothing Bethany and putting diaper on her as the doorbell continuous to ring repetitively.I grabbed one of Hugo's robe and wrapped it around me as I carry Beth over my arms and rushed to the front door. The doorbell still hasn't stopped and as soon as I swing the door open.I expected her."Randy?" Dominique arched an eyebrow at me while she looks at me from my head to my feet."Dom, hi." I greeted as calm as I could."What are you doing here... In Hugo's pent?" She asks and walks inside the house without having second thoughts.I watch her as her eyes scans and searches for Hugo around the entire house. "Hugo's not home." I tell her.She halts and stares at me suspiciously. "I hate to be rude but... What are you doing here Miranda? You're even wearing Hugo's robe. And where in hell is Hugo?" She asks, as if she's the wife."He's at the hospital with Landon. Ben
CHAPTER 69H U G OAll of a sudden, I felt nervous for no reason when Rose left the car. I know she wanted to tell me something but she just stopped herself because of Dominique. But what could it be? What have she seen?"You okay Hugo?" Dominique glances at me while she sways Bethany."I'm fine. I'm just..." I trailed off.I glance at Bethany and noticed that she has been crying since Rose left. "What do I do Hugo?" She asks me.I stepped on the brake, "Take the wheel and hand me Beth.""I can tame her down, trust me on this." Dominique insists."Bethany's face is already turning red and she's already crying too hard. Let me carry her." I stepped out of the car and walked to Dominique's door.I opened it for her and gently grabbed Bethany. Dominique stares at me before she walks to the driver's seat. I carefully climbed inside and watch Dominique getting pissed. She slams the door and starts the engine of my car as I stare at her and she's just absentmindedly looking straight ahead.
CHAPTER 70H U G O1:31 AMI feel uneasy.It's already getting late and I have to wake up early for work later but here I am sitting on the couch with so many thoughts in my head.I feel sleepy but I just can't sleep for no reason and it's really weird because my gut feeling makes me anxious. I'm fucking tired but I can't sleep and this is new to me. I don't know what's wrong with me but I can't stop thinking about Rose.She fills my mind and all of a sudden I feel nervous after our phone call.Was it because I was frightened that Landon might have had heard the conversation I had with her earlier?I've been watching TV but the shows don't seem to satisfy me and my mind was completely bothered and elsewhere. I carefully turned off the TV and carried Bethany the second I found her asleep on my arm. While I was carrying her and staring at her, she clearly reminds me of Rose and it makes my heart hurt.Even when she's asleep, she reminds me of her mother. She's the spitting image of Rose
CHAPTER 71H U G O"Hello?!"I groan."Rose! Hello!!"I pulled my phone away from my ear and noticed that I'm still connected with her phone. I feel getting more troubled because she's no longer answering me and I can no longer hear her.I put my phone back to my ear as I feel myself beginning to get more nervous of what's happening. "Rose?"She's not answering me but all I hear from the other line is her voice, screaming for help and it crushes my heart for being here but being useless. Every time she screams for help, my heart aches. Every time she screams for help, I don't feel good. Every time she screams for help, I feel bad for not being there.I want to go but I cannot leave Bethany here.I hear Rose trying to shout and she's telling someone to let her go while my heart aches so much and my heart longs for her. I know she's talking to someone but I just don't want to know if they were alone or not. I just wish she won't get caught or her phone won't get noticed. I wish she will
CHAPTER 72H U G OFrom: @HugoedwardSaintclare94Detective Johnston, please send two of your men to my penthouse right now. I need someone to guard over my child sleeping here. I need them as soon as possible. Thank you.I grabbed the hotel phone and called in for two hotel maids to guard Bethany while I look for Rose. As soon as they arrived, I instructed them well about babysitting my child and that there will be men guarding the room the entire night who are policemen. Detective Johnston quickly sent me Rose’s tracked location and warned me that I needed to be careful because they are trying to use Rose as a bait.I can't wait until tomorrow to save Rose. We need to go right now. We need to move fast just to save her or else she'll be more in danger. "Hugo..." Landon speaks from the other line. "Where's Miranda?" His voice sounds so sad and lost.I groan."Hugo tell me where she is?" He asks."You've done so much. You've still forgiven me a lot of times even after hurting you more
CHAPTER 73M I R A N D AI was all alone and I think it's already two in the morning more or else. I have not slept a single wink of sleep and I don't want to sleep either because I don't want them to do something to me while I'm sleeping.I don't trust these men that are around here. Even though they were all busy playing cards, I'm sure they already planned something. I was just hanging here as I began to feel the head of my femur aching like my joints were beginning to feel being ripped from my body.I glance at Dominique, her blood has dried and she is still bleeding but she looks pales. She's being surrounded by men that were obviously disrespecting her and touching her. She can't do anything about it because she's tied so she let them touch her body disrespectfully since she obviously looked weak from her gunshot wound.Worst scenario is, I can't believe Ridge is letting them touch his own sister.From the corner of my eyes, I see Audrey walking up to me with a tray of foods and
87 T H E A Sebastian committed suicide. He ended his own life with a gun in his head. No one even knew how he had a gun in the first place and no one had any idea he was going to do that. He was supposed to meet Ben and the others tomorrow for a reunion. He was supposed to live a new life after being sentenced in prison for seven years. He was supposed to live in a tropical place and start a new life for himself. He was supposed to live a life filled with dreams now that he is out in prison. Sebastian was supposed to live. I was supposed to forgive him. The autopsy report stated that it happened around twelve midnight which means just a few hours after he left our home. I have never felt so depressed in my entire life that I wasn't even able to tell him a lot of things that I wanted to say. I didnt know what I was exactly feeling, completely lost in my thoughts and emotions after Sebastian's passing. I knew that there was something wrong in his eyes when he talked to me becaus
86T H E A"How have you been?" He asks.Sebastian wore blue, white and light pink plaided top, a pair of faded jeans and a dirty white sneakers. He looked older than the last time I saw him and his hair has gotten longer too. He looked different, but those eyes still frightens me.Those merciless eyes.I couldn't stare at him longer and I had to look away from his gaze. I clear my throat, "I have been well." I answered."I'm really glad that you are." Sebastian tells me."Um, do you want to drink something Sebastian? Tea?" Ben offers.I quickly held his wrist, stopping him from leaving me alone in here and stared into his eyes as I said to him. "Please don't leave me here."Ben stares intently at me before he turns to Sebastian who speaks, "You dont really have to offer me anything."I bite my inner cheek and breathe in some confidence before I faced Sebastian. "What are you doing here?"Sebastian stares at me eagerly."What do you want?" I asked firmly."I came here to see if you ha
85T H E AI couldn't sleep the entire night as I was bothered about Sebastian's release happening in just a few hours.Thoughts were filling and piling inside my head one over the other and I don't know if this was going to let me sleep at all.So I slipped out of the bed where Ben was sleeping soundly and headed out of bedroom to get myself a glass of wine from downstairs. I hate myself when I turn to alcohol every time my thoughts are fogged up and fucked up. I hate when there are questions left unanswered and my solution is alcohol.I hated it.I hated it so much I hate myself too.I finished two glasses of wine and spent almost thirty minutes just sitting on a chair where I tried to drown and sort my troubled thoughts. I finally pulled myself up and headed back to my bedroom only until I saw Xavier heading out of his room, crying. I rushed to his side and wished that he wouldn't smell the stingy scent of alcohol from my breath."Xavier." I cooed. "What happened?""Mommy I had a n
84T H E A“Why didn’t you tell him?”Benedict's question still lingers in my mind.Why didn't I tell Sebastian back in the day?I have been asking myself that same question over and over again for the past couple of years. I used to tell myself that I wasn't ready and I know I wasn't ready. I lied to myself when I said I was ready to confess to him about our child but I was absentmindedly denying the fact that my mind was filled with so many thoughts as soon as I faced Sebastian.When I saw him, I was reminded of how he raped me mercilessly. When I saw him, I was reminded of how dirty of a woman I was. When I saw him, I was reminded of how I didn't want this baby to be born if only it hadn't been for Ben.Ben has always been my rock and my strength after everything that happened to me. All these years, he accepted me no matter what and I have been beyond blessed to have a man like that in my life.That kind of love and care he showed me is going to be something I didn't want to waste
83T H E AI stare at my own reflection in front of the mirror, I gained weight but I look different compared to the old me a few weeks ago. My eyes travelled down to my baby bump and as I turn to my side, I feel more anxiety building in the back of my head. I am not confident enough that I will be a good mother to this baby once it’s out when I know this baby came from a man who I trusted so much but just raped me. My bump is starting to show now and I know I have a lifelong responsibility waiting ahead of me. I just hope I will be responsible enough.I rub my hand over my small tummy then smiled at myself.“You will be fine.” I told my baby.Ben is here for me and for us. He always has. He made everything feel better. He made me better and happier without asking too much in return. He is a very selfless man and I owe him my life. My everything and all that I have left.I breathe out heavily and tucked my hair behind my ears as I stare at myself wearing this white dress and white ba
82B E N E D I C TShe stands by the balcony sliding door, staring at an empty space wearing my shirt and some pajamas. Standing here afar from Thea, looking at her, I can see and I can feel that her mind is full. It’s full of endless thoughts and worries. I wish I could take some from her restless bothered thoughts and I wish I could help her with what she is going through.Thea is strong but I don’t want her to have another breakdown. I hope I can share the pain and confusions she is going through right now. I wish, at least I could make her happy despite of what has happened lately.But I don’t know what to do as well.I am bothered too, restless, anxious, troubled and angry. I still have this growing hate in me and unwillingness to befriend Sebastian.I hate him.I walk towards Thea and wrapped my arms around her. She didn’t budge but still sets her eyes out the window. “There are no stars tonight.” I say.She sighs heavily.“Aren’t you hungry sweetheart?” I ask.She didn’t answer
81B E N E D I C T“The CEO of Saintclare Enterprises , finally off the market!!”I read mentally the newspaper’s headlines as soon as I got into my office. I scan through the magazines which were also over my desk, and the headlines were also all about me.I sigh. “I knew this was gonna come out first thing in the morning.”The phone on top of my desk rings, I quickly picked it up, “Yes.”“Mr. Saintclare everyone is calling in for an interview with you. They’re all asking if you have any available time.” I can hear telephones ringing from my secretary’s background.“Cancel all interviews. Tell them I have a busy schedule up until next week.” I hung up.Suddenly the phone in my pocket rings. I stare at the screen and it was Mrs. Brown, my PR.I sigh as I answer, “I know what you’re going to say.”“It’s everywhere. My phone has been ringing since six o’clock this morning. I don’t know what to answer them.”“Did you say anything about Thea?”“No. Not unless you tell me to. I’m only wait
80BENEDICTI stare at Thea, and she has been looking out of the window for minutes now. I know she still has a lot of things in mind with what has happened lately and I’m sure she’s tired of thinking about it too. She has talked to Khaleel and I have had talked to him too. Despite her past, we wanted to keep it to ourselves than letting the others know about it. They wouldn’t understand what she went through to survive and it isn’t our story to tell.I have asked myself a couple of times why she had to choose such job but then I didn’t have the courage to ask her. I don’t want her to feel bad about herself and the more I ask about her past, the more she would think it bothers me.Honestly, it has been in the past and we all have had done crazy shit a thing or two. All of us deserves a second chance and women like Thea who strives hard to change herself to become a better woman deserves more than that. I am proud of her and she knows it.A smile creeps on her face as soon as I rubbed
79THEASometimes, in our lives there are instances when you just want to disappear because of awkward situations or embarrassing moments. And right now, that’s what I want to happen. I want to teleport to another place far from here.It feels like everything inside my system malfunctioned and brain feels dead. I have never felt more disgusted of myself and my past than how Sebastian is embarrassing me right now in front of Ben. No one has ever made me feel so little of myself, only Sebastian.This bastard. This one of a hell man. I wish he dies.My tears were just flowing from my closed eyes and I feel this growing pain against my chest. I try to breathe in but the pain grows as I exhale so I remained quiet. I don’t want to face anyone or see how they look at me with disgust and filth. I just want to disappear like one pop of a bubble or run out of this house and never look back.But I cant, I know I have to face them now. I have to face Khaleel. I have to face Benedict even if it’s