Nothing quite fit right but upsetting her right now was like stepping on a tiger's tail. "Raven, calm down. This is Mia, Justin's girlfriend." Julie tried to explain. "Mia? Aren't you Candice’s assistant? Did she send you here?" "You're supposed to be resting at home," Julie said softly. She shot a glare at Damon. "Why did you bring her here, Damon?" "Believe me, I tried to keep her home but she was going to come here with or without me," Damon said to Julie. “I figured if she came with me, it would be the safest option.” Raven ignored them, turning her focus entirely on Justin. "You’re the reason all of this happened. If it wasn’t for you, Mason would never have been in the car that day. He would never have had to go to the airport, he wouldn’t be in that bed, and Charles would probably still be alive. But you got what you wanted right? Are you happy now?" “Raven-” Julie gasped, glancing at her cousin. Justin had changed, he didn’t even look like the same person. Justin’s thr
Damon walked around the kitchen, glancing at the stovetop where the pot simmered. He stirred the fragrant chicken soup, the delicious scent filled the air. Damon was concerned about Raven; he had been for some time because Raven had barely touched her meals in the past few days; she'd become very picky with food and kept telling him she was fine, that she was merely tired. He didn’t believe her; he knew it was more than that, but he didn’t want to explore his feelings around the stress they shared as someone they cared about lay unconscious in the hospital. In a coma. With no idea whether he would wake up, Damon was losing hope and that made him angry with himself, as if his loss of faith would be Mason’s downfall. Raven and her emotions were unpredictable. One moment, she was smiling; the next moment, she was crying profusely. He had been doing some reading, the traditional book, “What to Expect when Expecting”, to make sure he would know how to take care of her just as well as Maso
In the evening, when they had gone home after seeing Mason, Raven stood in front of the open fridge, her brow furrowed as she searched the shelves. Damon leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching her. "Something wrong?" He asked, though he already knew the answer. Raven slammed the fridge door shut, her eyes glistening with tears. "There's no ice cream," she whispered, her voice trembling. Damon quickly crossed the room; concern etched on his face. "Hey, it’s just ice cream. We can get more tomorrow," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. But Raven wasn’t having it. She sat on the floor, her back against the fridge as she sobbed. "I just wanted some ice cream, Damon," she choked out between sobs. "Why can’t I just have that? I want Mason, but he's in a coma, and now I want ice cream, I can't have that either?" Without hesitation, Damon crouched beside her. He gently rubbed her back, his voice soothing as he spoke. "It's okay, Raven. I’ll go get some right now if you want.
It was soft at first, one that could have been brushed off as a moment of comfort. But when Raven kissed him back, it became something more. Something dangerous. Her lips were warm against his, and for a brief moment, Damon allowed himself to forget. He forgot that this was his best friend’s wife. He forgot about the guilt that had been eating away at him for weeks. All that mattered was the way she felt in his arms, the way her hands gripped his shirt as though she needed him. She pulled him closer until he stood so close and wrapped her arms around his neck. He ran his hands down her back as he deepened, their breathing becoming shorter as they melted against each other. Damon had gripped her waist while her finger began undoing the button of his shirt. The moment his grip tightened on her waist, they both froze and pulled away from each other. Raven dropped from where she sat and moved away from Damon, her eyes wide with shock. "I... I can't," she stammered, her breathing errati
Blair’s hands shook as she clutched the phone to her ear, hearing Mr Clinton’s devious voice so cold it sent shivers down Blair’s spine. "You better come back now, Blair. Or else, your mother’s going to rot in jail. Mark my words." Her breath hitched and her heart hammered in her chest as the call ended. She knew her mother and Mr. Clinton had some sort of connection from years ago, but she didn’t know what it was about except that it made Lenora willing to sell her off to the disgusting, sweaty old man. She was going to give him Raven but that had never bothered Blair. Until now. Blair felt sick when she realized what they had put Raven through for her entire life and wondered why her mother hated her so much. Blair wasn’t even sure what she, herself, had against her simply that it was the way she was raised. She was envious of Raven, but she never really knew the real reason behind her mother’s hatred for her. Blair realized, as she climbed into the car to make her way back to
Later that evening, Blair paced her apartment, her mind swirling. She couldn't help hearing Mr Clinton’s voice, the things he had said about her and her sister, and couldn’t help watching the video over and over again. She couldn’t believe her mother, Lenora, for everything she may have done over the years… Blair couldn't believe her mom could do something so horrible. Blair couldn’t let herself become a partaker in this crime. She refused to let herself be anything like the woman her mother had been in Blair’s memories, and certainly not the real Lenora Mr Clinton knew so well. Blair’s fingers shook as she sent an anonymous tip to the police, attaching the video file. Her heart ached as she did so, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She wasn’t just doing the right thing, she was taking hold of herself, taking control of her life for the first time. ~~~~ The next morning, Blair went straight to her mother’s agency. She walked into the office without knocking as she alway
"What are you doing here?" Raven asked, standing up abruptly as if she had to be ready to fight to protect herself if her sister was around. Blair hesitated at the doorway. "Please, can we talk? I don’t have anyone else to go to. I know you hate me, and you don't want to see me, but I'm sorry." Raven crossed her arms. "If you’re here to talk about getting Mom released, then I’m sorry, but I don't think I can help. Wait, no… I don’t want to help. I don't even know what goes on in your lives, so how do you expect me to help you?" "I was the one who reported Mom to the police, which led to her being arrested." Blair swallowed, her voice trembling. "When I saw the video, I didn't know what else to do... I thought I was doing the right thing, but now... I don't know." Both Raven and Julie’s eyes widened in shock. "What?" They said in unison, sinking into their seats. “You? You reported her?” Raven asked, confused. “But… how… why…” “Mr Clinton said he’d report her if I didn’t marry
Raven held onto Mason’s hand, squeezing it lightly as he lay unconscious. He was pale, his eyes kept shifting behind their lids and he kept frowning. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only reassurance she had that he was still in there and was trying to come back to her. He was fighting through whatever was holding him back, keeping him from her.His hand shifted.“Did he move?” Blair asked, recognizing the look Raven gave as one of stress and hope… she hated to admit that she had seen the look so many times before, but she saw fear.Mason muttered Candice’s name again."Candice," he kept whispering, groaning as if he were in pain.Raven’s chest tightened at the sound. Why was he saying her name?Julie’s eyes widened with worry. "I'll go get the doctor," she said, rushing out of the room.Moments later, the doctor entered with his team, gently urging everyone else outside.The door closed behind them with a soft click, leaving Raven, Julie, and Blair in the corridor. R
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