Eden had a suspiciously long nap during the thirty-minute drive from Willow Hills to her apartment in Forrest Creek, an artsy neighbourhood in the east of Rock Castle, jerking awake when the car skidded as they hit a pothole on the road.
She yawned and stretched as she looked outside her window, feeling oddly embarrassed for passing out on her Uber driver. The last thing she remembered was him asking her if the air conditioning in the car was okay.
She couldn't decide if she was brave or just plain stupid for falling asleep in the back of a stranger's car, especially when she was dressed in nothing but a man's shirt and her coat.
She shifted in her seat and crossed her legs demurely, praying she hadn't inadvertently opened them while she slept. Going commando wasn't as liberating as she thought it would be. She felt vulnerable and well, naked.
Now that she had time to put some distance between her and last night's terrible decisions, she had to figure out the mystery surrounding her missing underwear. It wasn't in her trench as she'd expected, and it was most definitely not in Liam's room when she left.
Did he hide it from her on purpose, was he a weirdo who stole women's underwear and kept them as memorabilia to eternalise all his conquests?
The longer she thought about it, the more convinced Eden was that the massive walk-in closet she'd noticed to the left of Liam's room, next to the frosted glass door she'd assumed led to his ensuite, was filled with thousands of women's panties in all shapes, colours and sizes.
Just how many had he collected over the years? And of all the perverts at Crush what had possessed her to choose him?
"Gosh!" She moaned in her hands, her brown hair cascading in waves around her face.
"Are you okay?" Jude asked, his eyes boring holes into her through the rearview mirror.
Eden shook her head. She wasn't okay. She would never be after last night.
"We're almost there," Jude checked the ETA on his phone and threw her a reassuring smile, completely misunderstanding the reason for her misery.
She wasn't eager to get home, not with the Spanish Inquisition awaiting her. It was unavoidable, judging from the way the group chat was blowing up, but she would delay it as long as she could.
"Drop me off at the corner over there, please," she told the driver, pointing at a busy intersection up ahead.
He turned in his seat, his face laced with concern. "Are you sure?"
Yes, she was. She needed carbs. Lots of them. And maybe Plan B. She could never go wrong with Plan B.
"Don't forget to rate me five stars!" Jude called after her as she slipped out of the Toyota Quest.
Did he deserve five stars though, Eden wondered as she crossed the road and made her way to the bakery on the corner of 5th Street and Main Avenue.
It was just after 8:00 AM, but the neighbourhood was already a flurry of activity with people going about their Saturday morning errands and market vendors pushing their carts, getting ready to make a killing at the flea market at the rooftop of the Civic Theatre.
As the Arts District, this side of Rock Castle was not in short supply of galleries, trendy coffee shops and rooftop gardens. Anything your artsy, indie heart desired, from poetry recitals to exhibitions and private culinary experiences, you'd find it all here.
Eden shuffled forward in the queue, already anticipating the way the chocolate croissants would melt in her mouth.
She couldn't remember who'd suggested it, but since they all had a passion for the arts and various Honours Degrees to back it up, moving to Forrest Creek made sense at the time. They all had dreams of making it big in their respective careers. But three years on, they were still waiting to catch their big breaks.
She still hadn't struck gold as a children's book illustrator.
Lydia's acting dreams hadn't soared yet, but her vlogs had thrust her in the limelight. So that was something.
The only columns Sienna ever wrote were for Forrest Creek Times, a glorified newsletter, disguised as a free community newspaper.
As a pastry chef, Cassandra was still trying to come up with a dessert recipe that will turn the culinary world on its head.
But despite the slight delay in all their dreams, they were all happy here. Leaving her parents' overpriced penthouse at the heart of Rock Castle and moving in with her friends was the best decision Eden had ever made. If she still lived under their roof, she'd have to face more than a Spanish Inquisition. Her parents were still getting over their bitter disappointment over her failed engagement; a one night stand would send them to their early graves.
At last, she made it to the counter but sighed with disappointment when she saw everything, except bran muffins, was sold out. She didn't want bran muffins, but she was depressed. And it's a rule to gorge yourself till you pass out when you're depressed.
She bought twelve and ate two as she walked three blocks in the opposite direction, away from her flat, to the obscure pharmacy on Diagonal alley.
The girl behind the counter was nice. She didn't ask too many questions and didn't give her a judgy look as she discreetly handed her an inconspicuous looking box. Even though they were alone, Drew-that's what the name tag on her coat said-gave her instructions on how to take the pill, in hushed tones, as if the aging, peeling walls had ears.
"You have to take it as a single dose, within twenty-four hours for best results," she said earnestly, her moss green eyes wide with panic for her.
"Thanks," Eden mumbled as she flashed her cheque card and Drew rung her up.
Eden circled back to her apartment and unlocked the fourth-floor unit she shared with her friends. She took off her shoes and snuck inside quietly, careful not to bang the door in case she woke everyone up. But when she turned around and found three pairs of eyes, shining with anticipation, her plan of making a quiet entrance went up in smoke. "Hi guys," Eden grimaced, her face as red as the angry birds T-shirt Sienna wore over her grey pyjama pants. "It smells like a walk of shame in here," Lydia sniffed the air dramatically, and the other two broke into peals of laughter. "Tsk tsk," Sienna clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "So much for saving yourself for marriage!" "We've revoked your sainthood," Cassandra chimed in as she took the muffin box from her, scowling when she peeked inside. She hated any store-bought goodies because she knew she could do a way better job. But today her disappointment, as she loudly made it known, was not with th
It was past midday when Liam finally came out of his postcoital coma. He expected to find Eden beside him; it wouldn't be the first time his hookups overstayed their welcome.But when he turned onto his side and found her spot empty, he was strangely confused.He sat up and groaned. His pounding head made worse by the glaring light bursting through the floor to ceiling windows as his butler flicked the switch on the wall to draw the blinds."Christ, Dave, do you mind?""I'm sorry, Sir, you have been summoned to the house. Your father wants to see you immediately.""Tell him I can't see him today," Liam groaned as he gladly accepted the hangover cure and two Aspirins. He had a feeling he'd need something stronger than an Aspirin if his father has his way."He needs you home in an hour," Dave said and turned to leave.Liam stopped him, "Handle Eden for me.""She's gone already, Sir.""What do you mean gone?" Liam asked, st
As Liam cruised through the quiet, jacaranda tree-lined streets of Glen Eagles, an affluent suburb north of Rock Castle, it wasn't the meeting with his father that occupied his thoughts. He was still fuming over Eden, bewildered that she had the nerve to leave him.It would have been comical if it wasn't so mortifying.He stopped outside the massive, black iron-wrought gate in front of a sprawling mansion on the cul de sac, rolled down his window and jabbed at the intercom irritably.He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently to the beat of the fast-paced dance tune shaking the metal walls of his Ferrari as he waited for one of several housekeepers and butlers to buzz him in. The Lamborghini he drove last night was at the garage. He vaguely remembered Steven, his driver, mention something about it needing maintenance before he left.Within seconds the gate squeaked inward, and Liam eased into a circular driveway surrounded by manicured lawns
With several bookshelves and thousands of books lining the wood-panelled walls and the dark furnishings reminiscent of a centuries-old gentleman's club, his father's study was probably the most intense room in the house. But, it was also one of Liam's favourite places. He remembered all the rare times he, Willow and Holly had spent in here, crowded on the floor while they read or played with their toys, happy to have their father home and wanting to be as close to him as possible because they never knew when they'll see him again. Clarke was always out of town, out of the country, chasing one big fish of a client after another. He missed so many important days. Probably why most had ended up as snapshots lined up on the fireplace. Liam and his sisters never resented him, though. When Clarke was present, he was the best father in the world, and when he wasn't, he spoiled them rotten with insane gifts flown from all over the world to make up for his absence. "T
The call came just as Liam left the race track. When he saw the name flashing on the screen, he ignored it, and his sister went to his voicemail. He wasn't in the mood to listen to Willow go off at him about his irresponsible, selfish actions. They'd had a lot of such calls in the past several weeks, starting when Senior first brought up his succession plan. His phone pinged again. This time it was a text from Holly, the youngest Anderson child. As the baby of the family, Holly was the most spoilt and self-entitled. Their parents could never refuse her anything. Liam figured being a renowned ballerina helped, because no matter how ridiculous her demands were, Clarke and Lois would bend over backwards to cater to her every want and need. When Holly wanted her very own private ballet studio, Clarke had bought a warehouse and refurbished it specifically for her needs. When she demanded a six-bedroom penthouse in Rock Castles' prime location, an a
There were several guards stationed throughout the floor and two outside Clarke's private ward. Their only job was to keep the media out. The last thing they wanted was stories of his father, true or otherwise, making the rounds. A CEO on his deathbed wasn't good for business and share prices. Lois flew to him when they walked in. He hugged her, and she wept harder as he gently patted her head. It all made sense now, Liam thought, her lack of inspiration, the listlessness, the faraway look in her eyes. It wasn't that she couldn't paint. His Mom didn't want to. How could she when her best friend and soulmate was staring death in the face? "Oh Mom," Liam whispered in her hair as he squeezed her. "You should have told me." "You are here now," Lois gave him a shaky smile as she sat down again and took his father's hand. Liam reluctantly approached the bed, a visceral feeling of terror bubbling at the pit of his stomach. He couldn't understand how Clarke h
The next several weeks passed in a blur as Liam adjusted to his new role. He was constantly sitting in various meetings, attending numerous conferences in and out of the country and making sure his father received the best treatment. His days began as early as 4:00 AM and some nights he'd only drag himself to bed after 2:00 AM. He was cranky and short-tempered, not surprising since he was running on two hours sleep at the very least. In those first few weeks, he made a lot of enemies in and out of the company; as a result, his security detail had to be ramped up following anonymous death threats. Liam found the endless army of guards annoying, but the board didn't want to take any chances, not when Anderson Logistics’ share prices took a beating following the news of his father's illness. He wasn't their best choice, but for now, he was the only Messiah who could safely wade them out of shit-creek.He made a lot of shakeups internally. He disbanded the
Crush was hopping when Liam finally made it there almost an hour later.There were people everywhere, grinding and stepping on each other. Liam was glad his cousins had a VIP booth. He couldn't handle all the rowdiness tonight."You made it!" Julian hiccupped over the loud music; his speech already slurred as he stood and hugged him, almost toppling him over."Easy buddy." Liam pushed him back on the sectional couch and turned to Matthew. "How much did he drink?""All those," his cousin pointed at a line of empty shot glasses lined up on the bright yellow cube."What happened?" Liam asked as a scantily dressed waitress appeared at his side. He ordered the most expensive bottle of bourbon. After the hellish day, no, few weeks he's had he deserved every drop."He got dumped," Matthew said. "She left him for a wealthier, older man.""Ouch!" Liam touched his heart dramatically and rolled his eyes heavenward."How's the old man?"
[Six Months Later]... After months of preparations, Eden's weeklong exhibition at Fugue was a smashing success. She even managed to sell two of her paintings. But with all the smiling and pandering she had done to Rock Castle's uber-rich, she would not have expected anything less. So when Saturday rolled around, the only thing she wanted to do was to crash on the couch and put up her feet. Not a lot for a girl to ask. But she wasn't destined to enjoy the little things in life. Having tried every trick in the book to get her to give up her spot on the couch and leave the house with him, Liam finally let the cat out of the bag. Her friends had tasked him with the sacred job of dropping her off at Heat for a surprise baby shower. Eden didn't want to go anywhere, but she would never hear the end of it if she didn't show up. So she threw on a pair of black leggings—the only thing in her closet that still fit her— and Liam's denim
As Liam watched Eden slowly make her way to him, he was overcome with emotion. The whole day he had tried to keep it together, and he had lost track of the number of times his cousins had had to stop him from running to her guest suite to see her. And now that she was here, and they were so close to the start of their next chapter, hard as he tried to blink away his tears, Liam couldn't. He choked back a sob, unable to believe how lucky he was. He had never seen that many brides before, but Eden took the number one spot from the few that he had. She looked incredible in her dress, a vision of grace and elegance and beauty, exactly how he imagined a real-life princess would look. But then again, she was his Princess, his hell, his paradise, and her slow progress down the aisle wasn't working for him. He crossed the room in few quick strides, and in a heartbeat, he had her in his embrace as he kissed her fiercely, much to everyone's surprise and cheers.
Wedding fever hit town as soon as the press release about Eden and Liam's impending nuptials went out. For days the announcement, posted on Anderson Logistics website and all the company's socials, was the number #1 trending topic on all social media platforms. The internet was in disbelief. Thousands of Liam's adoring fans couldn't accept that the day they had dreaded was finally upon them, and the Three-Month Prince was officially off the market. Well, almost off the market. Like most people who have an unhealthy obsession with their idols, they had to share their outrage and sadness with strangers on the internet. Overnight, Eden became the villainess, the woman who had ruined all their fantasies, and they couldn't understand why, out of all the beauties in the universe ready to fall at his feet, Liam would choose her. She had to have used some kind of witchcraft or love spell on him, they said. And when Sienna's exposé on t
Liam headed straight to his study as soon as they got home and spent almost an hour on the phone with his father. Like he'd expected, Clarke was against the meeting and even more disturbed when he brought up the idea of dropping the charges. "Are you insane?" His father barked on his end, and if they were in the same room, Liam knew he would have likely throttled him. "We almost lost you. You almost died! How can you even think about this?" "What other choice do I have, Dad? He's watching Eden. We're getting married in three weeks. I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder. What kind of life will that be for Eden and our children?" "James told you there's a way to handle this. Aleksei and his brother are dogs. They should be put down." "And what will that make us?" Liam asked sadly. "I didn't call to ask for your permission. I was simply informing you the meeting with Andrei is happening." He clicked off before his father could pus
The botanical gardens were in the northern part of Rock Castle, and on a good day, it would have taken them under ten minutes to get there from Van Holt Industries. But, it took them almost twice as long because, by the time they left the doctor's rooms, every man and his dog was out and about, running their morning errands. By the time they arrived, the place was almost packed to capacity. Everywhere they turned, they were greeted by people on their picnic blankets with their wicker baskets; others were on camping chairs under big shady umbrellas, already sipping beers and turning sausages and steaks on their braai stands even though it wasn't even 10:00 AM yet. "Look at this place," Eden murmured, her eyes flitting everywhere. "We can't let Aiden out of our sight. I don't want a repeat of the aquarium. What if Aleksei is here?" "He's in jail, remember?" Liam reminded her as he lifted her chin. "He can't hurt us." "But his brother is around—"
Liam never thought he'd survive two weeks in hospital. But he did. With lots of patience, tons of reports and proposals to keep him sane and an endless supply of meds to ease his pain. Before he knew it, the dreaded family fun day, months in the making, finally snuck upon them. However, Anderson Logistics' big day coincided with his hospital release and their first check-up with Dr Emily. Eden was highly strung, anxious out of her wits when she came to pick him up. "There's so much to do today," she wrung her hands as they watched James scoop Aiden up and grab Liam's travel bag. It was amazing how much stuff he had managed to collect over the past couple of weeks. His duffel bag was now heavier than it was when Eden first dropped it off. "Tell me what's wrong," Liam said as he wheeled himself around the room and paused in front of her. He didn't need the wheelchair now, but he found it very comfortable, way better than sitting on the stiff bed. "So, what's wrong?" he pulled her do
The thought of spending an indefinite amount of time in the hospital did not please Liam at all, so as soon as they returned to his ward after their brisk walk, he tried every trick in the book to get Eden to speak to the doctors and get them to discharge him. But she refused to do his dirty work, much to his dismay. He thought she would want him home as soon as possible. "Whose side are you on?" He glared at her. "Yours, of course. I don't want to take any chances, you know," she said as she helped him up on the bed. Their son was now sitting on the floor, craning his neck at the blank TV screen in the corner and sipping his boxed juice. Liam had never met a kid who loved TV as much as Aiden, and he wondered if it was normal. Maybe spending all that time with Brenda during the day wasn't such a good thing. Maybe he needed to start going to school to get his mind stimulated. "I'm someone's fiancée now, you know, and I need the groom pr
Later that evening, when Eden walked into Liam's ward with Aiden in her arms, she was surprised to find him clean-shaven and fully clothed in joggers, sneakers and a hoodie as if he was ready to go somewhere. "Dad!" Aiden shrieked with joy as soon as he saw his father rolling around the room in a wheelchair. Liam roared right back at him, his voice thundering through the room as he opened his arms. "Kool-Aid!" Eden set their son down, and he ran to his father. Liam scooped him up despite his visible agony but yelped out in pain when he tried to throw him up in the air. Eden was instantly at his side, worry dancing in her eyes, the travel bag in her hands falling at her feet with a dull thud. Aiden, too, look just as concerned. "I'm okay," Liam assured them, but the anguish on his face told a different story. "Why are you even out of bed?" Eden scolded him, much to Aiden's disapproval. "Mom, no!" He shook his hea
Eden looked up, startled out of her mind to see his eyes were open. "Liam!" She was instantly on her feet and kissing him on the lips as she sobbed so loud she thought she'd wake the patients in the neighbouring rooms. "Oh my God, it's true. You're awake! I was starting to think they lied." "If you keep crying, I might just pass out again!" He growled and patted the empty spot on the bed. "Come here!" She sank beside him, and he drew her closer and placed his hand on her tummy. "How's my little warrior?" Eden burst into tears again at his words. "You heard everything I said that night?" "Of course I did," he smiled tearfully as well. "I may have been dying, but I'm not deaf, you know." "And you're not angry?" "Why would I be angry?" Liam asked. "Because you just found out about Aiden and now—" "Now our family will be complete," he pulled her down, and she nestled in his arms, careful not to touch his wound. "I l