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
TWENTY YEARS AGOCharles Barrett and Michael Prescott sat across from each other in the drawing room of the Barrett family estate, the room was decorated with dark wooden panels. Charles leaned back in his chair, a glass of whisky in his hand, while Michael gazed thoughtfully at an old painting that hung on the wall. Both men sat across from each other in the drawing room, their expressions filled with anticipation."This has been the best idea we've come up with so far," Michael said with a big smile spread across his face as he broke the silence. "So it's settled, we've come to a decision." Charles began, his voice holding the same excitement as Michael's. "This alliance between our families will guarantee our family's union for generations to come."Michael nodded thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on a particular painting on the wall. "The marriage would be between our firstborns, your son Mason, and my unborn daughter." He replied, his voice holding hope.Charles took a sip of his whi