Raven was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her discharge papers. Brian and Damon stood by her side, as the doctor went over the instructions. "Remember, no strenuous activities," the doctor warned before turning to Damon and Brian. "Make sure someone’s always with her, we need to take a few extra precautions. If she starts having headaches that won't go away or has any dizziness or abdominal pain, bring her straight in. It could be nothing, but considering her accident and her pregnancy, we need to keep an eye out for signs of a miscarriage." Damon’s eyes widened, but he said nothing. Brian nodded as the doctor spoke. Raven kept her eyes away from Damon, not ready to see the look on his face. She knew he'd be angry and she couldn't deal with it right now. She only just found out about the baby, too. What could she say? Once Raven was discharged, Brian insisted that she stay at his place for a few days. "You're coming with me. I'm not leaving you alone after what ha
Mason sat in his car, his fingers trembling as they hovered over his phone. He had just gotten an anonymous message and it contained a voice recording. Candice had been lying to him from the start. She had never been pregnant. The recording contained the cold truth in the form of Candice’s voice. She was laughing, talking to Blair about how easy it was to convince him of her pregnancy. How she had fabricated the miscarriage to keep him attached to her and guilt trip him. He had started to get excited about having a baby, he had given up everything to take care of his child, even willing to take Candice back to give the baby a complete family. He had tried to do the right thing, and it had cost him everything. Raven had left because he had refused to give Candice up when her pregnancy had come to light and it had all been a lie! He remembered how sad he had been when Candice miscarried. He was still mourning for a child that never existed, knowing that didn’t help the pain of losi
In New York, Candice was on FaceTime with Blair, who had told her everything that happened at Justin's house. "Mia isn’t as naive as we thought. She’s playing her own game with Justin, and it’s working. We need to get rid of her before she tells Mason everything." Blair’s voice sounded through the phone. "You're right, I should have gotten rid of that Mia a long time ago. She knows too much. I never imagined she'd go against me like this. She needs to be out of my way," Candice nodded in support. "I can't risk her telling Mason anything, not when I finally have him all to myself." As they spoke, Mason entered the room, his expression was furious. Without a word, he yanked the phone from Candice’s hand and threw it across the room. It clattered against the wall and fell to the floor, the screen shattering. "Mason! What are you---" Candice started, but her words died down in her throat when Mason held up his phone. He pressed play on the recording, and Candice’s voice filled the ro
Mason grabbed his keys and headed to the door to leave for work - he had some crazy meetings to get through before he could go to Australia to see Raven, but he froze the instant the door opened. Standing in front of him was a dead woman... that was less than dead. Margaret. Standing at his front door. Her face was mostly hidden behind oversized shades and a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck like the stereotypical woman hiding her identity in a bad television movie. Mason's heart skipped a beat. Everyone thought she was dead, but here she was alive and breathing. "Margaret?" Mason asked, his voice filled with disbelief and anxiety. "I thought you were---" "Dead?" Margaret interrupted. "I'm not, not that anyone seemed to care that much. But - can I come in? I'm rather conspicuous standing out here." Mason stepped back, allowing her entry. "What - I don't -" "Shut your mouth, Mason, you'll catch flies," Margaret smiled, affectionately. She had never felt much for her step
**PRESENT DAY: MASON’S LIVING ROOM** Mason sat frozen as Margaret paused. "Lenora knew about the arrangement between Michael and Charles," Margaret continued. "Lenora didn't care about Michael or anyone, she just wanted the Prescott fortune. She was already pregnant, and when she gave birth, she made it seem like the child was born prematurely. She refused to name her daughter." Mason clenched his fists; he could see where this story was heading, but he decided to let her continue as he couldn't trust himself to speak. Margaret took another deep breath before continuing. "Michael finally told his parents about Susan. He brought her to the family home when she was nearly due. His mother was furious, but there was nothing she could do. Michael told his family he was diagnosed with cancer and he didn’t have much time to live. He died a few weeks later, but I don't think he died from cancer." Mason shook his head, having trouble keeping up with the insanity of Margaret's story. He
Mason glanced at his phone, seeing his father’s name flash across the screen. Steadying the wheel, he shifted the car into cruise control, pressing the phone to his ear as he sped down the highway toward the airport. It was finally happening, he was finally going to get his wife back. "Dad," Mason greeted, keeping his voice steady. "Mason, where are you? I've been trying to reach you for hours," Charles’s voice came through. "I'm heading to the airport. I'm going to Australia to bring Raven back home," Mason replied with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He didn’t mention Raven’s pregnancy to anyone yet, he wanted her with him so they could share the news. "How did you know where she is? I'm guessing Damon saw her?" "So you knew all this time, Dad, and you didn't tell me… wait, Damon knew???” Mason sighed. "Well, it doesn't matter how I know; all that matters is that I'm going to get my wife back." Charles grunted approvingly. "Finally! That's good news, son. I'v
Julie’s legs nearly gave way beneath her. She didn’t know what to do. Both her father and her brother were now fighting for their lives, and she was powerless to help either of them. She didn't know how to face this on her own. Everything was happening so fast and she had never had to deal with anything like this before. Her father and Mason always took care of everything, and when they weren’t around, Damon... Damon! Her hands trembled as she pulled out her phone, dialing Damon’s number with shaking fingers. She needed someone to tell her what to do! The phone rang twice before Damon picked up. "Hey Julie, how are you?" His voice was calm. Julie’s voice cracked as she tried to speak, sobbing a moment before she managed to get her voice under control. “Damon?” Julie whispered, not sure what to say. “What’s wrong, kid?” Damon asked, falling directly into big-brother-protector mode. “Where’s Mason?” “Damon, please... I don't know what to do. Dad had a heart attack. I saw him col
Raven and Damon hurried through the automatic doors, her stomach churning as the sterile smell of the hospital greeted them. Raven's heart pounded in her chest, echoing louder with every step. Julie was sitting in the waiting room, her face buried in her hands, trying to muffle the sobs that still managed to escape. Emily sat beside her, holding her tightly and whispering soft words of comfort, but it was clear that nothing could ease Julie’s pain right now. The moment Raven saw Julie, tears brimmed in her eyes. She hadn't realized just how much she missed her until now. Raven rushed over, wrapping her arms tightly around her bestie. Emily moved aside to allow the friends to be close together. Julie was startled a bit, but when she saw who it was, she began to cry even louder, holding on to her tight. "Raven, where have you been? I missed you so much!” “I know, I’m sorry,” Raven’s voice was low, for Julie’s ears only. “I'm so scared right now; I don't know if Mason or Dad's going
One Year Later The Barrett estate was filled with life, laughter, and warmth. It was the twins’ first birthday, and the garden had been transformed into a magical wonderland with twinkling lights, pastel-colored balloons, and flowers. The scent of freshly baked cakes and savory treats prepared for the celebration filled the air. Raven stood in front of a large mirror in her bedroom, adjusting the delicate lace dress she wore. The gown hugged her figure in all the right places, a testament to how well she'd recovered after giving birth. She had lost some of her confidence after having the babies – her body had gone through so many changes, and she had hated looking in the mirror for a long time until Mason wouldn't allow her to anymore. The thing she was most self-conscious of was the scar from the surgery she had had to have after the babies were delivered. Mason bought matching lingerie and sexy sleepwear and refused to let her question how stunning she was. Every time he saw her h
When they returned to the mansion that evening, the house was eerily quiet."What’s going on?" Raven asked. "Where'd everyone go?""What's that over there?" Blair pointed to a small bouquet on the table. Attached to it was a note that read, Come to the garden.Raven’s heart skipped a beat. She followed the note’s instructions, and when she stepped into the garden, her breath caught.The garden was transformed into a romantic paradise. Twinkling fairy lights adorned the trees, and a path of rose petals led to a small table surrounded by candles."Mason did this," Raven whispered, her heart swelling. Suddenly her aching feet had disappeared, the back pain that had hit her while they were in Victoria’s Secret and signalled the end of the trip. Her exhaustion was gone and she was smiling so much her cheeks hurt. She was already close to tears as she took it all in.Just as she took a step forward, looking for Mason, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She grabbed her stomach and cried
Later that night, Raven was on a call with Blair, discussing the transformation of Lenora’s modeling agency."I was thinking we could add a design department," Raven suggested. "That way, we can focus on both modeling and fashion."Blair’s excitement knew no bounds. "That’s a great idea! I’ll handle the modeling side, and you can oversee the designs.""Deal," Raven said.After a brief pause, Blair asked, "You sound a bit down, not yourself. What’s wrong?"Raven hesitated. "Nothing, I’m worried about Mason.""Why? You two have been great lately, you’re perfect for each other. You’re even closer than before."Raven bit her lip. "I thought he’d ask me to marry him again by now. But he hasn’t mentioned it and I'm starting to get anxious. What if he doesn’t want me? What if the babies are scaring him off? What if he thinks I’ll be like Candice? What if-"“Raven, breathe. Have you talked to him about it?" Blair asked."No. That’s not something you can just bring up," Raven said.Blair chuck
The dining table was filled with different breakfast dishes: fluffy pancakes topped with berries and syrup, scrambled eggs with herbs, smoked salmon on toast, and fresh fruit bowls. In front of Raven was a large bowl full of bacon, strawberry jam, and chocolate sauce – her strangest and most intense craving.Mason sipped his coffee, stealing glances at Raven as she hummed softly, her hand occasionally resting on her baby bump. He had become more attentive than before – which was already overboard according to Julie. He was more proud, more focused, and a lot more protective. Watching her scoff down her food now, still looking as sexy as ever, made his chest hurt a little. So much had happened; she had been through so much; he just wished the worst of it hadn’t been because of him.She sighed and looked up at him, offering him a genuine smile.“What are you looking at?” she asked, but all he could do was shake his head and smile back at her. “Well, you’re being very strange.”“Yeah, bu
Justin found Mason sitting quietly in Charles’s office. He didn’t sit at the desk, rather, he sat at the sofa to the side where they had argued so many times. He stared at his father's desk as if he could still see him sitting and working as they watched when they were children. It was the only thing he and Mason had ever been able to do together without fighting. Thinking back to those moments, Justin couldn't understand why he always felt like he had to one-up Mason, why they couldn't have been friends.He turned to leave him in peace when Mason spoke up.“Remember when we'd just sit here and watched Dad working?” he asked as if he had sensed his presence.“I was just thinking about that.”Mason looked up at him with tears in his eyes, shocking Justin with the vulnerability in the other man's eyes.“Did he suffer?” Mason asked softly, trying to hide the sob that threatened.“No,” Justin said, sitting in the seat across from him. “He just sort of… went.”Mason turned back to look at
Mason pulled up to the Barrett mansion early that morning. He had deliberately left his penthouse early, avoiding Candice while she packed her belongings. The last thing he wanted was another confrontation. He wanted no part in her theatrics, they just made his headaches even worse than the blinding migraines he often suffered with.He exited the car and made his way inside.He had barely entered the living room when he spotted Justin coming down the stairs as if he owned the place. He looked… smug.Smug?Or something else?Mason couldn’t quite place it, but it rubbed him the wrong way to see him in his father's house. Justin had never been anything more than a snake in the grass, always waiting to take what Mason had."What the hell are you doing here?" Mason demanded, narrowing his eyes and letting the door close louder than necessary behind him. "Here to gloat about your little affair with Candice? Or measuring the curtains – you know you’re not inheriting the place, right? I’m sti
Mason hesitated."Did you and Damon?"Raven shook her head as tears sprung to her eyes."He wanted to wait, to make sure I was thinking about him, not you.""Oh," Mason muttered. "I’m… I’m sorry.""You don’t have anything to apologize for," Raven said, hurt and… anger filling her voice. "We’re not married, anymore. And… you are in a relationship with her. I should have expected-""Raven, stop. You’re going to pass out if you don’t breathe!"Raven took a deep breath, steadying herself."I need to go," she whispered, getting to her feet. Before she left, though, she made a decision. “Mason... would you like to come to the ultrasound? We’ll find out the sex of the babies.”He smiled at the thought of being part of the moment. "I’d love to.""Okay, I'll text you the details."Raven left.~~~When Raven returned home, her mind a racing with emotions. Damon was waiting for her in the living room, his expression unreadable as she walked in."How did it go?" he asked.She sank into the couch,
Taking a deep breath, Raven stepped out of the car. Damon watched her until she disappeared inside. Before he drove away, he spotted Mason waiting for her. He wanted to run inside and stake his claim on her but he couldn’t. He took a deep, shaky breath and pulled out into traffic, leaving her to face the man who had once been her everything. The soft chime of the door announced her arrival, and Mason looked up from his seat. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her surprised at how radiant she looked, her pregnancy giving her an ethereal glow that left him momentarily speechless. He was pretty sure there was more to his feelings than how she looked, but he wasn’t ready to explore that right now; he still had Candice at home, waiting for him. "Hi," she said, her voice tentative as she approached him. Mason stood and pulled out a chair for her, his movements stiff but courteous. "Hi." She smiled faintly and sat down. "Thank you." They placed their orders, the silence between t
The sound of Damon’s car filled the silence between them as they drove toward the Barrett mansion. Raven stared out the window, watching the city blur past, her hands resting on her growing belly. Damon occasionally glanced her way. He wanted nothing more than to take her pain away and regretted the decision he had made. Their conversation broke his heart and he wanted nothing more than to crawl inside and beat the crap out of himself for being such a dick. He knew he had done the best thing for Raven and the babies, but it made him wish he could have been more selfish and held onto her."Are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Damon nodded, his hands steady on the wheel. "Mason agreed to meet with you, this is what you wanted. It’s what you need to do.""What about what you want?" she pressed, turning to face him, tears shimmering on her cheeks. "Don’t you want to be with me?"He sighed, his gaze fixed ahead, and reached across to hold her hand. "Of cou