I stared at the water rippling around my legs, the cold liquid soothing against my skin. The moon reflected on the surface like it was mocking me, reminding me how pathetic I was sitting here, half-drunk, with three empty beer bottles lined up beside me. I swirled my foot in the water, watching the tiny waves it created, and chuckled bitterly. “Three bottles, Eloise,” I muttered to myself. “And you’re still not drunk enough to forget his face.” His face—desperate, broken, pleading. I took another sip of beer, the bitterness matching the taste in my mouth left by his words. Elijah. Damn him. “Of all the men in the world…” I whispered to the night air, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “It had to be the one who ruined me twice.” I leaned back, propping myself on my elbows as I gazed at the sky. The stars were bright tonight, like they were putting on a show for me, but I couldn’t care less. Everything felt heavy. My chest, my head, my heart. Especially my heart. “Why does it alw
The first rays of sunlight were barely peeking through the curtains when I heard the relentless knocking on my bedroom door. I groaned, burying my head deeper into the pillows, hoping whoever it was would get the hint and leave me alone. No such luck. “Eloise! Open the door!” Farah’s voice rang out, sharp and insistent. “We need to leave early if we want to find the perfect dress!” I peeked out from under the covers, squinting at the clock. 9:12 AM. Too early for this nonsense. “Farah, go away,” I called out groggily. “I’m not leaving until you get up!” she shot back. I sighed, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. This was Farah—relentless, energetic, and annoyingly persistent. “Fine!” I yelled. “Give me five minutes!” “Make it three!” she replied, her footsteps retreating down the hallway. Grumbling, I dragged myself out of bed and shuffled toward the bathroom. As I splashed cold water on my face, I caught a glimpse of my reflection—messy hair, puffy eyes, a
ELIJAH"Do you really need to say it right to her face?" I muttered, feeling the irritation boil inside me.Michelle was in the car, humming like she hadn't just pulled some passive-aggressive stunt in the boutique. Her little jab at Eloise had been so obvious that I couldn’t even look at her without getting annoyed.“Don’t act like it’s a big deal, Elijah,” she replied, her voice light, as if she hadn't just done what she did. “It’s just Eloise. You know, I’m just having some fun.”I shot her a glance, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. "Fun? That was some grade-A cattiness, and you know it."Michelle rolled her eyes, leaning back against the seat as if she couldn’t care less. "Oh, please. She can take it.”I clenched my jaw. “It’s not about that, Michelle. Why push it? She’s already dealing with enough, and you—" I stopped myself before I said something I might regret. The last thing I wanted was to drag this into something more than it needed to be."I don't really get it.
I walked into the office, the smell of fresh flowers hitting me before I even reached my desk. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the bouquet sitting on my table. A note was tucked into the arrangement, the paper crisp and clean, as if someone had put in extra effort to make this as annoying as possible.I should’ve known. It was a message, plain and simple.I ripped the note out and read it, trying not to roll my eyes as I did.“Eloise, I know you’ve been thinking about it, but you haven’t said yes yet. I’ll be waiting for your answer. Noel.”Of course, everyone at the company already knew that Noel had been relentlessly asking me to be his date for the anniversary event. They were all probably giggling behind my back, thinking it was some sort of romance. It was driving me crazy, the way everyone was so eager to gossip about something so trivial.I didn’t even bother throwing the note away. I just crumpled it and shoved it into my bag, walking to my desk to get started on work.
Before I could even take another step, he grabbed my arm. We both froze, his fingers warm against my skin as our gazes simultaneously dropped to where he held me.My eyes darted back up to him, and I shot him a deadly glare. "What do you think you’re doing?" I hissed, yanking my arm free.Elijah quickly let go, almost like my touch had burned him. His expression shifted into something unreadable, a mix of surprise and regret flashing across his face before he masked it with his usual calm demeanor."Relax," he said, his voice low, almost teasing. "I just wanted to make sure if you're comfortable working for Noel—"I cut him off, my tone sharp. "We already talked about this, Elijah." He sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose before closing his eyes. "I know. I just can’t help it, okay? It’s... frustrating." "Then do something about it. Idiot." I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to hide my irritation, and spun on my heel to leave. As I walked away, I heard him mutter som
The company event day came faster than I anticipated. I sat in the back seat of the car, watching the city blur by as Michelle talked beside me, her voice laced with excitement."Remember, Elijah, appearances matter. We need to look like a power couple—confident, unstoppable," Michelle said, adjusting her makeup in a compact mirror. She glanced at me, her lips curving into a smirk. "You're not planning to mess this up, are you?"I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I get it, Michelle. We're here for the show, not because I want to be."Her smirk deepened. "Relax, darling. You’ll thank me when this works out in your favor."I didn’t respond. Instead, I shifted my gaze outside the tinted window. We were close to the venue now, and the flashing lights of cameras waiting at the entrance became visible. Paparazzi swarmed the doors, eager for shots of the evening’s big arrivals.Michelle leaned in slightly, adjusting my tie as if she were perfecting her masterpiece. "Smile for the cam
I slammed the door behind me as soon as we entered the private room. My blood was boiling, my hands trembling at my sides. “What the hell was that, Edmund?!” I spat, my voice echoing in the room. “Engagement? With Noel? Are you out of your damn mind?” Edmund, on the other hand, sat calmly on the leather chair, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. He looked completely unbothered, as if this was just another day for him. “Sit down, Eloise,” he said, his tone infuriatingly steady. “We need to talk.” I don’t want to sit!” I snapped, my fists clenching. “How could you do this to me? Announcing something so insane without even telling me?!” He finally looked up at me, his face as calm as ever. “I don’t see what the big deal is. Noel is a trusted ally. This is for the company, Eloise. You’ll thank me someday.” I looked at him in disbelief. Oh my God. Is this really my father?! "Fuck... I don't even know what to call him anymore! My adopted brother... My husband's mistress or my fucking f
I sat on the cold bathroom floor, my head buried in my hands as the pieces of last night played over and over in my mind. "Shut up and just kiss me!" "If you don't touch me, I will literally go out there and find another man to touch me!" "Please... I'm begging you..." The words echoed in my head, each one more painful than the last. My stomach churned as I clutched the blanket tighter around me. I was still naked underneath, my body trembling—not just from the cold but from the shame crawling up my spine. How could I say those things? What happened to me last night? Outside the door, I could hear their voices. "Eloise," Elijah called, his voice tense but controlled. "Open the door. We need to talk!" Then Noel’s voice followed, calmer, but no less pressing. "Eloise, stop hiding. Let’s sort this out." I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block them out, but their voices kept pulling me back to reality. My breathing hitched as panic bubbled in my chest. I didn’t want t
I hummed a lullaby softly as my son slept peacefully in my arms. His tiny chest rose and fell with each breath, his little fingers twitching every now and then. It was… surreal. This little human—so small, so fragile—was mine. Ours. Eloise was watching us from the hospital bed, her eyes filled with something unreadable. Love, maybe. Or maybe disbelief, just like me. I glanced at her. “We still haven’t really decided on a name.” She bit her lip, thinking. “I’ve been thinking about something…” I raised a brow, waiting. She took a deep breath. “Eloah.” Eloah. I looked down at my son, testing the name in my mind. It felt… right. “Eloah Hart-Dawson,” I murmured. Eloise nodded. “It means 'God is my light.'” I swallowed, my arms tightening slightly around my son. Eloah. My light. Our light. I looked at Eloise again, and this time, I didn’t hold back my smile. “It’s perfect.”As I drove us home from the hospital, I kept glancing at the rearview mirror, watching E
I never really thought about what it would be like to give birth. I mean, it’s just one push, right? The baby comes out just like that—simple, like… pooping.Well, I was fucking wrong. This was nothing like pooping. The pain was unbearable—like my body was being ripped apart from the inside. I was sweating, panting, gripping the hospital bed so hard my knuckles turned white. I wanted to scream, curse, throw something—anything to make this stop. "You're doing great, Eloise!" one of the nurses said, her voice way too cheerful for my liking. "Great?!" I snapped, glaring at her. "If this is great, I don't want to know what bad feels like!" Farah was beside me, holding my hand, her face pale but determined. "El, you can do this." "I can't!" I groaned as another wave of pain hit me. "Just knock me out! Get this baby out of me already!" And where the hell was Elijah?! "He's on his way," Farah assured me, reading my mind. He better be, because if I was suffering through this
The moment her lips left mine, I smirked. “I didn’t know you already suck at kissing.” Eloise shot me a glare, still slightly breathless. “Excuse me?” I leaned in again, my lips barely brushing her ear as I whispered, “You pulled away first.” She scoffed and crossed her arms. “Because I need energy. Unlike you, I’m carrying a whole human inside me.” I chuckled, reaching for her waist, but she stepped back and grabbed her coffee like I wasn’t just kissing her senseless a few seconds ago. Damn, this woman. “You’re really just gonna act like that didn’t happen?” I teased, watching as she took a slow sip from her mug. Eloise raised a brow. “Act like what didn’t happen?” I narrowed my eyes on her. “Unbelievable.” She shrugged, turning away as if she wasn’t affected, but I didn’t miss the way her fingers slightly trembled against the mug. She was so full of it. I smirked, stepping closer behind her. “You can deny it all you want, Eloise…” I leaned in, my voice low. “But
I was laughing at another ridiculous scene from Friends when Elijah suddenly placed a glass of milk on the vanity table beside me.I glanced at him, raising a brow. “What’s this for?”He shrugged, sitting down next to me. “For you. You need it.”I rolled my eyes but took a sip anyway. “You act like I don’t drink enough milk.”“You don’t,” he said flatly, making me laugh.Elijah leaned back, watching the TV with mild interest before turning to me. “You’ve seen this show a million times. It’s, what? Twenty years old?”“More than twenty,” I corrected with a grin.He shook his head. “So why do you still love it?”I sighed, hugging a pillow. “Because it’s comforting. It’s funny, lighthearted… and no matter how many times I watch it, it still makes me happy.”Elijah hummed, considering my words. “So it’s like your comfort food, but in TV form?”“Exactly.”He smirked. “So if Friends is your comfort show, what does that make me?”“The father of my child.”Elijah went completely silent, and I
ELOISEWithin three months, a lot of things happened.I can't say our situation is really okay now, but at least it was far from before. The weight on my chest wasn’t as heavy, the nightmares weren’t as constant, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could breathe again. Victoria was sent to a mental hospital.It was inevitable. After everything she had done, after the chaos she left behind, there was no other place for her to go. The last time I saw her, she was sitting in a quiet corner of the facility, staring blankly at the wall. Her once sharp, calculating eyes now seemed distant—empty.A part of me wanted to hate her, to curse her for every wound she inflicted on me, on Elijah, on Noel. But standing there, watching her so lost in her own mind, I felt… nothing. No anger. No satisfaction. Just an eerie sense of finality.Edmund, on the other hand, was in prison.Justice was swift, and there was no escaping what he had done. The trial had been exhausting, dragging o
It has always been me. Those words hit me harder than any bullet ever could. I stared at her, my mind refusing to process what she just said. After everything—after years of regret, after watching her slip through my fingers, after forcing myself to accept that I had lost her—she was telling me this now. I clenched my jaw, my hands curling into fists. “Eloise…” My voice was hoarse, like I had been drowning for years and was finally gasping for air. She loved him. She admitted it. But all this time, it was me. I was the one she gave away when I walked away first. I let out a shaky breath, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. “Then why…” I swallowed, trying to steady myself. “Why did you never tell me?” Why did you let me believe I had already lost you?She smirked before lowering her head. "I was scared… but then again, what is life without a little fear?" I watched her, my chest tightening. Fear? Was that what kept her from telling me? From reaching out? "Eloise..." My v
For years, I carried the weight of unanswered questions. Why did he leave me? Why did he let Matthew take his place? Why did he make me feel like I was never enough to fight for? I never got the answers—not from him, not from anyone. Just assumptions, just pain. The airport buzzed around us—people rushing, announcements echoing, luggage wheels rolling against the floor—but it all faded into the background.We sat on the cold metal bench, side by side, facing the massive glass wall that overlooked the runway. Planes took off and landed, coming and going, just like everything in my life."Elijah," I whispered, steady but firm. "No more lies. No more excuses. Just tell me… why?”The orange light from the sun reflected on his face, casting soft shadows over his sharp features. He looked tired—drained—but there was something else in his eyes. Something raw.He smiled… I stared at him, waiting—needing—to hear more. Elijah leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his finger
I smirked. I needed to compose myself. There was no room for fucking drama right now, Elijah. We needed to focus. We needed to prioritize Eloise. Even with the gun pointed at me, I took a deep breath and let my smirk widen. "Go ahead, Eloise," I taunted. "Shoot me." Her grip on the gun was steady. Her expression was cold—unwavering. "You think I won’t?" she asked, voice sharp as a blade. "I know you can," I said, stepping forward. "But will you?" She didn't move. Didn't even blink. "You're standing beside the man who destroyed your life—”"But also," she continued, her voice unwavering, "the man in front of me pointing his gun is the brother of the woman who killed my brother and husband!"She was talking about Veronica.My fingers tightened around my gun, but I didn't move."And don't forget, dear, the reason why he distanced himself away from you it's because he choose Veronica than you—" “Shut the fuck up you old man!” I couldn't help it anymore. I feel like I lose
In this lifetime, I was never given the privilege to just exist.I had to fight for every damn thing—my name, my place, my worth, and even my love for Eloise.God really humbled me. I used to be so damn proud of myself, thinking that my success was solely because of my hard work. And yes, I did work hard. I bled for the life I built. But now, I realized that no amount of power, no amount of wealth, can protect the things I truly care about. Because in the end, the truth still came crashing down on me. Edmund Hart’s words that night never left my mind. You’re not a Dawson, Elijah. That one sentence ruined everything I thought I knew about myself. I remembered the way he looked at me—calm, collected, like he had been holding onto that secret for years, waiting for the right moment to shatter me. You are the product of your mother’s betrayal. The man you call your father? He knew the truth all along. He just loved your mother too damn much to let her go. I laughed bitterly, shaki