I stilled.I fucking stilled!Eloise's hug made my heart jump out of my chest. Never in my life did I think I could still be this close to her after everything that happened—after all the chaos and the lies. Yet here she was, holding on to me like I was her lifeline.Slowly, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. I felt her trembling, her body so small against mine, and it shattered something inside me. She was scared—no, terrified—and I hated that I couldn't protect her sooner.Slowly, I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. She was trembling, her small frame shaking against mine. "The baby... My baby... Edmund..." she whispered, her voice breaking. I clenched my jaw, feeling the fear radiating off her. She was struggling to speak, her words barely making it out. "Shh," I said softly, brushing a hand over her back. "You’re safe now. Just breathe." She clung to me, and I held her tighter. No matter what, I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her or the
Months passed, and Edmund didn’t bother anymore. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.At first, I thought I’d feel relieved. No more unwanted confrontations, no more exhausting arguments. But as time went on, his silence became something else entirely—an eerie kind of absence that I wasn’t sure how to feel about.Did he finally give up? Or was he just waiting for the right moment to strike again?I hated that I even cared enough to wonder.Shaking the thoughts away, I focused on the present. My pregnancy had started to show, and with it came a mix of changes I wasn’t entirely ready for. The cravings, the exhaustion, the constant need to pee—it was all overwhelming.But the worst part? The hormones. I often see myself for the past few weeks crying over petty things—like when I dropped my spoon on the floor or when my blanket didn’t feel soft enough. Yesterday, I cried because my ice cream melted too fast. The day before that? I teared up watching a dog in a commercial. A
I gritted my teeth before I followed Elijah with heavy footsteps. Unfortunately, I'm Eloise Hart, and I will never let you dismiss me like that! Never!Instead of heading to Elijah’s room, I turned toward Noel’s door, which was slightly ajar. The sound of retching filled the silence of the penthouse, followed by a sharp gasp for air.I froze mid-step, my frustration with Elijah momentarily forgotten.What the hell?Curiosity—and maybe a bit of concern—pushed me forward.I stepped inside and immediately spotted Noel hunched over the toilet, gripping the edges as if his life depended on it. His back was tense, his breathing uneven as he heaved again, cursing under his breath.“Noel?” I called out, my voice softer than I expected.He stiffened at the sound of my voice but didn’t turn around. Instead, he let out another heave, gripping the edges of the toilet like it was the only thing keeping him from collapsing.My annoyance with Elijah took a backseat as concern took over. “What the h
I felt the world tilt beneath me. My legs wobbled, and I had to grip the back of a chair just to keep myself standing. Twin brother? No. That’s impossible. I would have known. I should have known. I shook my head violently. “You’re lying.” My voice came out hoarse, almost desperate. Edmund smirked. “Am I?” He took another sip of his coffee, completely unfazed. “Tell me, Eloise. Have you ever truly *looked* at him? Have you ever noticed the differences? The little things? Because you should have.” My mind raced back to every moment I had spent with him—Noel. The way he carried himself, the slight differences in his mannerisms, the things he didn’t know that Noel should have. The blonde hair in that hospital document. The missing childhood memories. The way he changed after disappearing for years. Oh my God. I felt sick. My stomach twisted painfully as I took a shaky step back. “Where… where is the real Noel?” My voice barely came out. Edmund’s smirk grew wider. “N
Two weeks. Fourteen fucking days, and still—nothing.No signs of Eloise. No leads. Nothing but dead ends and frustration.I ran a hand down my face, exhaustion creeping into my bones, but I couldn’t afford to rest. Not when she was still out there, not when I didn’t even know if she was—I swallowed hard, shoving the thought away.Jace and the others were doing everything they could, but it wasn’t enough. Every hour that passed without news was another hour of hell. And as if that wasn’t enough, my family was falling apart.Victoria was getting worse.She refused to take her meds, spiraling deeper into whatever darkness consumed her. She kept muttering Eloise’s name, her obsession bleeding into full-blown delusions. I had known she hated Eloise, but I didn’t think she’d actually—No.I should have known.I should have seen it coming, should have stopped it before it ever reached this point. But I was too blind, too fucking wrapped up in my own world to notice the signs. And now… now,
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
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
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 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