Sheila's POV When I opened my eyes, the bright white walls and the sterile smell of disinfectant immediately told me where I was. The hospital.....I was in the hospital.I tried to move, but a sharp pain throbbed in my head, forcing me to groan softly. Turning my head carefully to the side, I saw someone seated beside me. Their arms were folded on the edge of the bed, and their head was bowed down, resting on their forearms. The figure looked tired, as if sleep had come to them after a long, restless night. My vision was blurry, making it hard to see who it was. I blinked a few times, but it didn’t help much, so I used my hand to gently wipe my eyes. Once my vision cleared, I reached out and lightly touched the person’s arm. The figure stirred, jerking up in an instant. Andrew’s face appeared, his features haggard and his hair slightly disheveled. He looked like he hadn’t slept properly in days. As soon as he saw me, he started shouting in his half-asleep state. "Doctor! D
Andrew's POVI stepped back as Sheila’s mother burst into the room, calling her name with tears in her eyes. She enveloped Sheila in a tight hug, her voice shaking with relief.Without saying a word, I quietly turned and stepped outside, easing the door shut behind me to allow them their mother-daughter moment. I leaned against the doorframe, letting my head rest lightly against it as I closed my eyes. The ache in my chest felt heavier than I’d expected. I knew Sheila would reject me. In fact, I’d prepared myself for it—or so I thought. I knew I’d hurt her deeply, more than I could ever make up for. But even with all that knowledge, hearing her say those words... “I can’t accept your love.”...it cut deeper than I imagined. Her question kept replaying in my head, like a haunting echo I couldn’t silence. “Did you realize your love for me now because Evelyn confessed her love for Simeon?” The truth was indeed hard to tell. It had taken Evelyn’s confession to rip away the blinde
Simeon’s POV I stepped into the room, letting the door close softly behind me. “Sheila,” I said softly, drawing their attention. Sheila turned her head, a small smile forming on her lips. “Simeon. Hi.” Mia also turned and stood up to hug me warmly. “Simeon,” she exclaimed and held my hand, bringing me closer to Sheila. “How are you feeling, Sheila?” I asked, stepping closer. “I’m fine now,” she replied, her voice steady but subdued. “Thanks to you.” Mia turned to me, her eyes brimming with gratitude. “Thank you, Simeon,” she said earnestly. “For saving my daughter... for saving me. If anything had happened to my daughter... I don’t think I would have survived it.” I shook my head lightly. “Nothing will happen to either of you. And it wasn’t just me. Andrew deserves just as much credit. He mobilized his men and put everything into the rescue.” At the mention of Andrew, Sheila’s smile faltered. Her expression grew distant, her gaze dropping to her hands. I sighed qui
Sheila's POV "Sheila, go to table five and take their orders. It's been very busy today, and you've been standing around doing nothing. Sheila, are you even listening to me?" "Sheila!" I was startled when I heard someone shout my name. I didn't realize I was being called. I was just lost in my own world, drowning in sadness. "Are you alright?" Diana, my coworker, asked. I quickly wiped away the tears that had slipped from my eyes and forced a smile, "Yes, I'm fine. What did you say?" She glanced at me for a moment and shrugged, "Well, you need to fix your face and go take the order for Table five." "Okay, I'll do that right away. Thanks." I went to the restroom, and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I started crying again at the sight of my sad reflection. How could he do this to me? What did I do to deserve this kind of betrayal? I took out my engagement ring from my pocket and stared at it, mumbling, "Why is life so unfair to me?” and my mind wandered back to
Sheila's POV “Alan…” I whispered unbelievably. He froze and turned to meet my gaze. “Sheila! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?” He said and got up to quickly dress up. Phoebe scowled at me and used the bed sheet to cover her nudity, refusing to move an inch or show any atom of remorse. She even had the guts to try to drag Alan back to the bed but Alan refused and wore his shorts, looking at me with a surprised expression. “Why?” That was the only word I could say to Alan as I stared at the only man I had ever loved in my life. The pain of his betrayal was too much for me to bear as I collapsed to the floor looking at him with tears in my eyes. I had gone through a lot of phases in my life but this one right here was very hard for me to accept. “I..I…We…” “You don't need to explain anything to her, babe,” Phoebe suddenly interrupted Alan and glared at me. “What were you actually thinking, Sheila? That you would eventually marry Alan and play the Cinde
Sheila's POV "Are you still here, Sheila? What's wrong with you? If you weren't feeling well today, why did you come to work? You are making the other girls do your job!" Diana shouted angrily at me, snapping me back to reality. I didn't even realize how long I had spent in the resting room. "Sorry," I mumbled and quickly fixed my face. Even though I wanted to stay with my mother at the hospital today because I didn't feel like coming to work, I had no choice but to show up because my job was all I had at the moment. I stared at the engagement ring Alan had given me one last time before flushing it down the toilet. Good riddance to bad rubbish! I left the restroom and headed over to Table five to take their orders, but another waitress was already attending to them. Feeling relieved, I started to head back to the kitchen when I was asked to take Table Seven's order. Why couldn't I just get a break, and have a moment to myself? Switching into my professional work etiquettes, I pu
Andrew's POV Earlier that day… Today was definitely a bad day for me. Returning to this city after five years was proving to be a huge mistake. I was informed that my grandmother was very ill and was at the brink of death and demanded to see me. I left everything I was doing just to fly back home to realize it was all a lie. “I don't understand, father. Do you know how many business deals I had to sacrifice just to be here? Why would you lie about Grandma's health?” “It's all your fault, son. Your mother and I have been urging you to come back home, but you kept procrastinating and we rarely see you. This was the only thing your mom could think of to drag you back home,” my father replied nonchalantly. I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. Of course it would certainly be my mother that would come up with this idea to bring me home. “I'm here now, father, what do you need me for? The company is doing okay, I always make sure to keep tabs on the general running of
Andrew's POVI answered the call, and her voice was filled with anger. "Son, can you believe these people? They had the audacity to do this! Can you imagine?""What are you talking about, Mother?"“The Grayson’s family! They are the family your grandparents wanted you to marry from due to their long time friendship with the bride's grandparents. They had the nerve to call me and inform me that they'll be sending the older sister for the marriage alliance instead of the younger one as we discussed. Can you believe it? They must have heard the nonsense news about you being disinherited and decided their golden daughter was too good for you! They decided to send the older one!”She continued, “If it weren't for your grandfather's insistence that you marry from that family, I wouldn't have even agreed to accept them. Their family is way beneath us, compared to the other families your father and I selected, yet they have the audacity to look down on us!”I had to suppress a laugh as my mot
Simeon’s POV I stepped into the room, letting the door close softly behind me. “Sheila,” I said softly, drawing their attention. Sheila turned her head, a small smile forming on her lips. “Simeon. Hi.” Mia also turned and stood up to hug me warmly. “Simeon,” she exclaimed and held my hand, bringing me closer to Sheila. “How are you feeling, Sheila?” I asked, stepping closer. “I’m fine now,” she replied, her voice steady but subdued. “Thanks to you.” Mia turned to me, her eyes brimming with gratitude. “Thank you, Simeon,” she said earnestly. “For saving my daughter... for saving me. If anything had happened to my daughter... I don’t think I would have survived it.” I shook my head lightly. “Nothing will happen to either of you. And it wasn’t just me. Andrew deserves just as much credit. He mobilized his men and put everything into the rescue.” At the mention of Andrew, Sheila’s smile faltered. Her expression grew distant, her gaze dropping to her hands. I sighed qui
Andrew's POVI stepped back as Sheila’s mother burst into the room, calling her name with tears in her eyes. She enveloped Sheila in a tight hug, her voice shaking with relief.Without saying a word, I quietly turned and stepped outside, easing the door shut behind me to allow them their mother-daughter moment. I leaned against the doorframe, letting my head rest lightly against it as I closed my eyes. The ache in my chest felt heavier than I’d expected. I knew Sheila would reject me. In fact, I’d prepared myself for it—or so I thought. I knew I’d hurt her deeply, more than I could ever make up for. But even with all that knowledge, hearing her say those words... “I can’t accept your love.”...it cut deeper than I imagined. Her question kept replaying in my head, like a haunting echo I couldn’t silence. “Did you realize your love for me now because Evelyn confessed her love for Simeon?” The truth was indeed hard to tell. It had taken Evelyn’s confession to rip away the blinde
Sheila's POV When I opened my eyes, the bright white walls and the sterile smell of disinfectant immediately told me where I was. The hospital.....I was in the hospital.I tried to move, but a sharp pain throbbed in my head, forcing me to groan softly. Turning my head carefully to the side, I saw someone seated beside me. Their arms were folded on the edge of the bed, and their head was bowed down, resting on their forearms. The figure looked tired, as if sleep had come to them after a long, restless night. My vision was blurry, making it hard to see who it was. I blinked a few times, but it didn’t help much, so I used my hand to gently wipe my eyes. Once my vision cleared, I reached out and lightly touched the person’s arm. The figure stirred, jerking up in an instant. Andrew’s face appeared, his features haggard and his hair slightly disheveled. He looked like he hadn’t slept properly in days. As soon as he saw me, he started shouting in his half-asleep state. "Doctor! D
Simeon's POVI couldn’t believe my eyes. Evelyn! Out of nowhere. A second ago, she was gone, claiming a migraine. Now, she was here—staggering, falling forward. My stomach twisted painfully as realization struck. She had thrown herself in front of Andrew, taking the bullet meant for him. “Evelyn!” Her name ripped from my throat, my voice hoarse with panic. I ran toward her, knees buckling as I dropped beside her crumpled form. Blood bloomed across her back, seeping through her clothes. The world became a blur. The distant shouts, the chaos—they faded into white noise. All I could see was Evelyn. “Stay with me,” I pleaded, pressing my trembling hands against her wound to stop the bleeding. My voice cracked as I helplessly watched her blood pooling beneath her. “Someone call the ambulance! Or get the car! Please hurry!” I yelled frantically. Andrew, having regained his senses from the shock, stumbled to her side and knelt beside her, his face ashen and stricken. “Evelyn…
Andrew’s POV“Move,” Gina said coldly, pointing the gun in my direction. Simeon’s arms were stretched wide in front of me. He didn’t even flinch. “No,” he said firmly, his gaze steady. “If you want to kill him, you’ll have to kill me first.” The words jolted me. Of all people, Simeon? I couldn’t understand it. The same man I had spent years resenting, the same brother I had accused of betrayal and despised for years… was now risking his life for me? “What are you doing?” I muttered behind him, confused by his actions. He glanced at me over his shoulder, his expression calm. “Saving your life,” he said casually, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. “Why?” I demanded, the question slipping out before I could stop it. He smirked faintly, his voice dropping so only I could hear. “Maybe I’m tired of being the villain,” he said. “Maybe I want to be the hero for once.” His words sounded light, almost teasing, but I knew better. Behind that smirk was something de
Gina’s POVI stared at my son, Simeon, my hands outstretched, my voice soft, almost pleading. I had hoped—no, prayed—that he would see reason. That he would join me, and together we would destroy the Walkers. The same family that ripped him from my arms, turned him against me, and left me to rot in despair. But when he muttered “no,” a quiet, cutting rejection, my heart clenched. I took a step forward, trying to convince him. “Simeon, please. This is our chance. Don’t you see? The Walkers have torn us apart for too long. We can bring them down together.” For a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes—hesitation, perhaps—but it was gone in an instant. “No,” he repeated firmly. The word hit me like a slap. I blinked, struggling to keep my composure. “No? Simeon, I’m your mother. I’ve fought for this—for YOU—all these years. Don’t you understand? Everything I’ve done has been for us.” He shook his head, his gaze cold and unrelenting. “You haven't done anything fo
Simeon's POVI couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. Evelyn. The woman I thought I knew so well—the woman who had stood by me during storms, yet had silently waged a war I never asked for. Her confession tore through the room like a blade, its edge sharper than any betrayal I could have imagined. She had done all of this for us, for our love, or so she claimed. But if that were true, why hadn’t she come to me? Why hadn’t she trusted me to protect what we had? I glanced at Andrew. His face was a mask of pain and rejection, his laugh hollow and bitter. He didn’t even try to respond to Evelyn; he didn’t need to. The silence between them spoke volumes. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Evelyn,” I said, my voice tight with anger, “why did you think it was your responsibility to make these sacrifices for us? Why couldn’t you trust me enough to fight for us?” Her lips parted, but I wasn’t finished. “Do you have any idea how disappointed I am? You went behind my back. You
Evelyn's POVAndrew’s expression froze, and I saw the flicker of disbelief in his eyes. “What are you trying to say, Evelyn?” he asked quietly, though there was a sharp edge to his tone.I took a deep breath, forcing myself to continue. “It was all planned. Gina gave me all the details about you—everything I needed to know. I knew where you would be, what you liked, and what you didn’t. I studied you, Andrew. I had to. I needed to know how to act, what to say, and how to get your attention that day.”Andrew stared at me, his jaw tightening as he processed my words.“I knew you loved the aquarium,” I said softly, feeling the weight of my confession crush me. “I knew you enjoyed spending time at orphanages. I forced myself to like those things, too. Everything I said, every moment we shared—it was all designed to draw you in. To make you trust me.”I watched as the realization dawned on him, his shoulders slumping under the weight of betrayal. He ran a hand through his hair, his breathi
Evelyn's POVThe anger simmered in my chest as I stared at Sheila tied up to the chair with a gun pointed at her head. Things weren’t supposed to go this way. Simeon and Andrew weren’t supposed to show up together, let alone to save her. How could this happen? They despised each other—always had. So why were they suddenly allies, working together to save Sheila? Why must it always be Sheila! Sheila! Sheila?!Andrew’s hard voice immediately cut through my thoughts. “What documents are you talking about, Evelyn?!” he demanded again, his tone sharper this time.I glanced at him, and the guilt that I’d tried to suppress clawed its way to the surface. Andrew. Sweet, innocent Andrew. He was the one person who truly didn’t deserve any of this. Both brothers were victims in this twisted game, but Andrew… he was the one I’d hurt the most. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. It was time to tell the truth. I couldn’t keep hiding anymore, not when everything was already unraveling before