My heart skipped a beat after what Kim said. It was all a plan.
I leaned closer to listen to their conversation while keeping myself from being seen by them.
Mother sat beside her and touched her cheeks gently, "We won baby, we won. We have gotten Rachel out and that's all that matters."
Kim drew away from her mother and shook her head, "Mother, Noah is supposed to be mine. We didn't win. She won instead by taking the man I love." She stood up and dug her fingers into her hair.
"I don't know how this happened. Noah wasn't supposed to be in that room that night. I had it all planned out and my plan was going to be successful. How did he end up in that room? That should have been the man we hired instead."
Oh my goodness! My heart seized for some seconds and my head spun. I covered my mouth to prevent myself from screaming which I wanted to do.
I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe my sister would go that far in destroying me. How could she? So it was all a plan after all.
I have been so stupid. Why did I miss the details? She said there was little alcohol in the drink she gave me when there shouldn't have been any. And then, when I got drunk, she took me to a specific room in which she must have preferred the cameras down, but unfortunately for her, the room was already occupied by he boyfriend.
How come she didn't check up on me after she left me in the room? How could I believe her flimsy excuse? I should have known, but then, I would never suspect the sister I love so much would do this to me.
I sucked in a deep breath and released it out. Tears flow down my cheeks. Tears of pain, of anger, of my foolishness.
For the past few days, all I have done was worry about someone who had betrayed me instead. Set me up? Why would she go that far?
My chest was tightened and a pressure was built in, threatening to explode.
"Mother, Rachel can't get married to Noah, my life would be ruined. I can't marry Kelvin but I want him to hate Rachel so she would remain unmarried." She told her mother, facing her completely, with urgency in her voice. "Let's get this solved as soon as we can, mother."
"Don't worry baby, I've got a plan." She drew closer to her, "Noah will be yours forever. You will only take the good stuff and good people and leave the breadcrumbs to Rachel. What about we kill Rachel tonight and make it look like an accident?"
The woman who I loved so much, who was the mother I looked up to. How could she go this far in betraying me?
I gagged but quickly covered my mouth tightly. They had stopped talking. They must have heard me. I don't know what was leading me, but whatever it was, it was warning me to run.
I took to my heels, left the door, and ran out of the house. Running as fast as I could before they catch up with me. I had no time to pick up anything that would be useful to me.
All I wanted to do was to run to Noah and tell him the truth. It was never my mistake but Kim's and my stepmother's evil plan.
When I tell Noah about it, we would think of what to do and then I will talk to Kelvin too.
I took a cab to the company and luckily for me, he was in his office.
"What are you doing here? Do you still think you will be able to work here again after what you did?" He questioned immediately after I walked in.
I ignored his questions and rushed over to where he was. "Please listen to me. I just found out something about what happened that night. It wasn't my fault to begin with." I exhaled deeply and went on. "That night, I was drugged. When I was too drunk to think, I was taken to a room, which was the same room you were in. The plan was to get me to sleep with a man and my photos would be leaked. But unfortunately to them, you were that man. That was a failure on their side too." I explained, watching him for his reaction but the man was as still as steel.
I went on nevertheless, "I overheard my mother and Kim talking about it. They both planned it and made it happen. You have to believe."
The man paused for some minutes. Did he believe me? He wasn't saying anything but just staring.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" I questioned.
He suddenly laughed and pressed forward, "I see you are a liar now and you have come up with your crazy tricks." He snapped his fingers and pointed at me. "Oh, now I get it. You came up with all these crazy plans so I will be with you and not your sister? That's a lie girl, I will never leave Kim no matter what. You should be punished for this instead."
I drew my brows together in confusion, "What are you talking about? I will never do that to Kim, trust me. This was all a setup and I wouldn't have believed too but I overheard them."
He rolled his eyes and slammed his palm on the table. "Stop lying!" He snapped. "What do you think I am? A fool?"
I shook my head, "You have to believe me please."
He picked up his telephone and dialed a number. "Come get this girl out of here!" he ordered.
"Please Noah, listen to me. This was all a plan."
The security rushed in and held my hands. "Please believe me!" I yelled out but it fell on deaf ears. If only I had evidence.
I was pushed out. Having no place to go to. This is it for me. I can't go back home. I turned back and started to leave but someone pushed me behind to the busy road.
It was too late. A st was moving towards my direction. Before I could register what was going on, I got hit by the car, which sent me flying.
'What about we kill Rachel tonight and make it look like an accident.' Mother's words resounded in my ear and it all occurred to me.
They won.
Kelvin's POVI stormed into the house, slamming the door shut behind me. I was fuming in rage, but it wasn’t from what anyone thought it was. It was something else, and as usual on entering, My parents, the Pattersons, pounced on me as usual.“Can you see the humiliation that girl has caused us!” my father said angrily, rising from his chair.“I had always known she was a good-for-nothing,” my mother chimed in, glaring at me as if Rachel's issue was my doing. “She tends to cause problems wherever she goes.”I stood there watching them say all sorts of things about her, letting their words stab me at various angles. The actual problem here wasn’t Rachael. She was never the problem. I know I should feel angry for what she had done, or at least pretend to be hurt, but deep down, I was amused. I loved it I wasn’t mad at Rachel for sleeping with Noah. It was just the perfect excuse, an excuse for me to finally be free and distance myself from her and whatever mess she'd caused herself. Al
Rachel’s POVMy eyes slowly fluttered open, the light blinding them as I slowly adjusted to the room around me. My head felt heavy like it was hung to a weight, making me breathe heavily with extra Where... where was I?The room wasn’t so grand but a bit comfortable, it had plain walls, a few not-so-new wooden chairs, and a bed that creaked as I tried moving due to my weight. The air felt cool but a bit dry, and there was a faint scent of lavender.Before I could move, the door creaked open. A girl, not more than 13, peeked her head in. Her eyes widened when she saw me awake. “Mom! Mom! Come quick! She’s finally awake!”Her voice echoed down the hall, and a few minutes later, a woman’s voice responded, though softer. “Rayna, what have I told you about yelling?”The girl gave me a quick smile before darting back out of the room. I was still struggling to process what was happening when a woman, who should be in her early forties, entered. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, and th
Rachel's POVWeeks went by in a blur and while the pain in my head was gradually subsiding, the fragments of my memories slowly came back in bits but were disjointed and confusing. Sometimes it felt like trying to piece together, solving a puzzle with missing pieces. All I could see were faces, words, and feelings all jumbled up, they all drifted in and out, but nothing solid yet.Sophia and Rayna had been very kind to me, keeping me safe indoors. Every time I asked why I wasn’t allowed outside, Sophia would shrug it off, saying it was “for my good.”Rayna, on the other hand, was a darling, not making her bored for a single moment. She filled the long hours with chatter, stories, and games, always trying to keep me away from thinking too much. Her laughter was so contagious and her presence helped distract me from the endless questions running through my mind.I sat by the window, one afternoon with Sophia, I absentmindedly felt the necklace hanging around my neck. It felt familiar s
Rachel’s POVI suddenly jerked from my sleep gasping for air as tears flowed freely down my face. The remnants of the nightmare came hunting me, dark and suffocating. My head could still hear the echoes of those annoying words, feel the weight so heavy pulling my chest so hard."How dare you, Rachel! How could you do this to your sister?" Those words kept replaying as I struggled to wake up from my nightmare.I forced my eyes open, trying to break free from the fear that had gripped me. Cold sweat formed beads on my skin, and my breaths came in short, heavy gasps. As my vision cleared, I realized I saw her seated beside me.Sophia was right by my side on the bed, gently cleaning my face with a wet cool, damp washcloth. Her eyes were filled with concern, her movements slow and comforting, I felt a move at her kindness.“The stress yesterday was too much for you that you passed out from exhaustion,” she said quietly. “ I hope you feel better now?”I blinked slowly, my mind still cloude
Rachel’s POVI started considering Sophia's suggestion to leave the country, the decision weighing heavily on me. My mind, went back and forth, thinking about every possible outcome, But in the end, I finally agreed to Sophia’s advice.It wouldn't be easy, saying goodbye to the place where I had spent my entire life, where every memory, both good and bad, was embedded. But Sophia made it possible, determined, her support was unwavering as she helped pack our belongings, making arrangements for a fresh start.As we gathered the rest of our things, something hit me, hard. A sudden realization sets in making my breath stuck in my throat.I have not had my monthly period in a while.I froze as the thought finally settled in, cold and heavy. I tried to recall the last time, but my mind came up blank. How had I not noticed before? Or maybe I was just ignoring the signs, I had been feeling thoroughly weak and had been vomiting all through the week. The struggles of the past few weeks, oversh
Rachel’s POVI could feel the cold breeze brush against my face as soon as I stepped off the plane. A kind of familiar feeling, the one that brought back to me, the memories I’d long buried within me. But I wasn’t the same Rachel in the past, who had left this country in tears, pain, and humiliation. I had returned different, with a purpose, and nothing could sway me now.It's already been five long years since I ran away from everything that tore me apart, but now I was back, to return to every one of them, the things they had done to ruin me, even if it was just the weight of an atom, I am here to reclaim the honor I had always deserved.The airport was alive, with various people, I remained focused as I walked past them, heading straight for the car that was waiting to pick me up outside. It was a sleek black SUV. Sophia stood there with a bright smile plastered on her face. "Welcome Rachel, how was the trip" she left the door open to let me in. My fashion company had taken off in
Noah's POVEverything flew so fast; well, you can't blame me, my company was at stake, so I had to do what I did, the best.It was kind of difficult at first to find Rachael's replacement but with the help of Mike, my P. It was easier.No matter how much I tried to drift to the past, I was always in awe of how I let Kim slip through my hand. I made sure to try everything possible to win back her love. It just kept proving abortive; it was late, after all.It has been five years already and I think she is now Happy with Houston. I might not know much about that jerk but I knew him well enough to keep Kim happy and safe no matter what.I can't help reminiscing the past, the site I was scrolling through wouldn't stop blabbering and rambling on and off how elegant their wedding was.Just before I could scroll up, an image caught my site on the page written boldly on the front page;"RA. Levantado!!" with the name rolling so cool on my tongue, I can't stop admiring the brand.They started
Kim's POV.I chose to take today off from work; I have been having some difficulty in running the company with the old fools that were still there, even when I tried to relieve them of the stress that has probably won their thinking over Dad wouldn't allow that.Gulping the whole bottle down my withering throat after some early jogging is the only activity that has kept me alive since a few years back.I thought my marriage with Kim was going to be a castle on air, never have I imagined it could turn to hell just in the blinking of an eye.My wedding with Kim was the talk of the city, such a waste of money and my precious time; Our mom wouldn't stop bluffing, seemed they were a perfect match though.Kim and I had a misunderstanding and she has been avoiding well a blessing in disguise." huff" I sighed in relief as the water did justice to my throat burning of thirst.Footsteps echoed through the revealing Kim to the sight, as usual, she passed by me expecting me to say some things th
Noah's POVOne week later...I stood beside Racheal, who was propped up on the hospital bed, still struggling to fully recover. The sterile scent of antiseptic hung in the air, but it was the sight of her fragile form that gripped my heart. Kelvin and Bella had flown back to New Coastal two days ago, insisting on leaving after Racheal woke up. Their departure felt like a hollow echo of the chaos that had consumed us.Juliet was locked away, and sentenced to life imprisonment. I made sure of that. She deserved every bit of it. A maniac like her wasn’t meant to walk among the living.As I watched Racheal adjust herself, attempting to sit upright, I instinctively reached out to help her. But she slapped my hand away with a surprising force. The sting of her rejection hit me like a cold wave. She had done the same thing when she first woke up, and it scared the hell out of me. I rushed to the doctor, fearing she was suffering from amnesia, but my worries eased when he assured me she had b
Kelvin's POV"You left us, remember? You gave us hope, Ana! You let us all believe you would come back! We waited for you, Ana. I waited. Mom waited... You broke your promise! You broke your fucking promise because of your selfish interest, your lust for revenge!"I pulled Bella into an embrace, which she calmly accepted. Juliet, whom I now realized was Anabella, had recently been caught at the same tournament Bella had described. She had a lot on her mind and plenty of tools at hand. If not for Bella, we would still be in the dark; no one would have thought that this old tournament, long neglected, would be used to commit such a devious act.Just two days ago, Bella had been crying in my arms. So much was uncovered—so much I hadn’t expected at all.After coming to terms with the fact that Bella was Juliet's younger sister, it occurred to me that Juliet wasn't who we thought she was. Her initial aim in entering R.A. was to cause harm to the Houston family. As she had said moments ago,
Kelvin's POVI was on the brink of tears the moment I set my eyes on Kim. The fact that she was breathing with the aid of oxygen wasn't enough; she was hooked up to a life-support machine. I felt a flicker of irritation that Noah had signed the forced labor consent form, but perhaps I was wrong—maybe that was the best decision.Bella had a tough time going back to sleep after mentioning a random name that only gave me a hint amidst the shattered debris of my thoughts. I tried not to force any conversation on her, at least keeping my promise to Noah until she opened up. Until then, I remained silent.We couldn't go into the ward, so we decided to stay back, looking through the transparent glass that separated us from the lobby lawn. Bella couldn't control her tears anymore; I had been hearing her trying to stifle the sobs since we arrived. Her soft gasps said it all. It made me reflect on my decision to stay outside; I didn’t think I could keep my emotions in check once we entered.Lin
Kelvin's POVI couldn't believe I had given in to my lust once more. The last time something like this happened, I apologized and vowed it would never repeat itself. Now, as I sifted through the files Noah sent me, I still struggled to admit that Juliet and Bella might be sisters. Our alliance was built on a shared goal, and the last time we had met like this was to reveal the truth behind RA. Now, we were here because of Racheal, but my purpose was to uncover Juliet's identity.*I didn’t start this relationship on a clean slate just to end it because of a culprit sharing her blood.*“You seem early!” Noah remarked, his voice laced with sarcasm.“And you seem late,” I shot back, eyeing him. He looked lean and disheveled, a total mess compared to the Noah I knew.“Is she with you?” he asked.“Why would I bring her with me?” I replied, my irritation rising.“You have no reason to call me here, then—”“What makes you think they’re related? Even if they are, I doubt she knows about her ex
Bella's POVEvery part of my body ached from the journey, and I could barely feel my legs. But it was worth it. It had been a long time coming—discussing the idea of flying down here to visit Kelvin's parents. He had been overly protective, worrying I wasn’t ready for this. Yet, here we were, on our way to meet both my idol and his parents. The former excited me; the latter filled me with dread.Kelvin noticed my uneasiness and pulled me into an embrace, planting a soft kiss on my forehead—a gesture I had grown so accustomed to. We had just landed, and as we headed to the lobby, I spotted Kelvin shaking hands with someone I didn’t recognize. Others bowed slightly to him, showing their respect.*What should I expect?* I thought. *He is one of the youngest renowned businessmen, linking a channel between New York and the USA is no small feat.* I mustered a smile for those who acknowledged me.We would head home before leaving early to visit Racheal in the hospital. My gaze was caught in
Kelvin's POVI had barely settled back into my office when the news hit me like a freight train. Rachael had been in an accident? My heart sank as I slumped into my chair, the weight of the world crashing down around me. I had just returned, hoping to find some semblance of normalcy, when everything spiraled out of control again.“Kelvin, are you okay?” Bella asked, moving toward my chair, her eyes scanning my face for any sign of reassurance.“No, not really,” I replied, rubbing my temples to ease the pounding in my head. She could see how close I was to Racheal, and I knew she understood my worries. “Rachael is in critical condition. I need to get down to New York,” I added, my voice strained.“Do you want me to come with you?” she offered, concern lacing her tone. I hesitated for a moment, the urgency of the situation clashing with my instincts to protect her. “No, I’ll travel alone,” I said, pushing myself to my feet. I grabbed my phone and shot a quick message to my secretary,
Kim's POVI could remember feeling utterly drained when I returned home, free from Kelvin's silence, the weight of everything pressing heavily on my shoulders. My parents welcomed me with open arms, their warmth almost overwhelming. My dad, who had been distant for so long, embraced me tightly. The love in that moment nearly brought me to tears.“Kim, we’ve missed you so much,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve missed you too, Dad,” I replied, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. It was a bittersweet reunion, knowing what lay ahead. I wasn't expecting such a reaction from my dad and hearing how he missed me made me feel like I was close to my endThe last time I went to the clinic for a check-up, I had received the results I had dreaded. I had known, deep down, that choosing to keep the baby while battling cancer was a gamble. The odds were stacked against me, and I felt the looming shadow of my mortality.My mom had sensed something was wrong, even when I tried to keep
Racheal's POVI couldn't take Noah's silence anymore. It was suffocating me, and it was terrible for Ariella to witness all of this. My heart raced as I stormed into Noah's study, furious and desperate for answers. My hands trembled with anger and confusion as I stumbled upon a collection of files and documents, all centered around Juliet.I picked up every picture I could find. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the images of Juliet and her family. There was one of a man smiling lovingly at a woman—Juliet's parents, I realized. The man’s coat struck a chord in my memory, though I couldn't pinpoint why it seemed so familiar. As I traced the photos, my eyes fell on a little girl who looked strikingly like Juliet. It had to be her sister. A shiver ran down my spine as I pieced together the fragments of my discovery. But then, my gaze landed on a guillotine with a body labeled "XAVIER'S." My heart dropped. I was about to open it when Noah’s voice shattered the silence.“You're
Kelvin's POVThe air between us hung heavy with unspoken words. I could see Bella processing everything I had just said, her brow furrowed in thought. I took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to bridge the gap that had grown between us.“Kelvin, I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me sooner. I could have helped you,” she said, her voice steady but filled with a hint of disappointment. “I thought I was protecting you,” I replied, my frustration mixing with regret. “I didn’t want you to be dragged into the chaos of my life. But now, I realize that keeping you in the dark only hurt us both.”She fell silent, staring at the ground as if searching for answers in the cracks of the pavement. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but I hesitated, unsure if she would welcome my touch again.“Do you think this is something I could just forget?” she finally asked, her voice breaking slightly. “You made me feel like I was special, and then you pulled the rug out from under me.”