LUCAS' POV The court room was in total uproar by now with everyone scurrying outside for their safety. Despite knowing Elena and I were far from harm of any kind, my arms still held her tight to my sides protectively with my gaze following her slithering figure while the dumb officers forced Adrian and Robert to the ground, should they have had ulterior motives. “Let's go out through the back”, I whispered, still keeping my eyes at the direction she went through and leading Elena out following the opposite direction. Luckily, the nosy media was too occupied murmuring about the gun shot inside and asking questions they would never get the answer to, so Elena and I snuck peacefully among them and finally caught up with the ‘snake’. “What are you trying to prove now, sister?”, I asked on sighting her from behind, once we were a few inches apart. She slowly turned around, uncovering her face which still had that air of mysteriousness to it, making me raise my guard up as soon as I let
ELENA'S POV ***Flashback Our legs swinged in rhythm as we sat on a pavement which subconsciously became ours ever since I stopped him from being bullied by Adrian and his annoying cliche. After fighting them off with my words, I'd asked him what he was doing at a secluded part of the school and he only handed me a sandwich in response. Since then, we had always met up here and since the other kids found my interaction with Lucas weird, it became our own little bubble to hide away from the world. On this sunny afternoon, I was reading my favourite novel at the time out loud to us as we ate from my lunch pack which was now double my usual size than before. And the best part about having my lunch with Lucas daily was he made sure I actually finished my food, including the crumbs. “There are people dying to find those crumbs Elena. Appreciate what you have now that you have it”, he always said while spoon-feeding me. “Well, all the more reason to leave the crumbs and let them find
LUCAS' POVHer hair swayed lightly on her shoulders, tossed left and right by the cool evening breeze and even from a mile away, the disappointment still oozed strongly around her…and a bit of sadness. A sharp pain stung my rapidly beating heart as I realized the reason for her countenance was me. It was ironic how no matter how good my intentions were, she still didn't find the sight she stumbled upon justifiable. Especially after I'd mistakenly pulled the trigger but luckily didn't murder him. My shock on seeing her greatly exceeded the involuntarily shot at the judge, perharps because somewhere deep down in my heart, I already believed he deserved it. Plus my status and connections could easily hide the truth from the public but Elena's sudden prescence inside the room felt like I was draped in a huge clothe of sin and dirt. The disappointed look in her eyes was like the mirror I could barely look at each day, dismantling the perfect facade I always tried to keep on whenever I
ELENA'S POVAfter last night's charade with Lucas, all I wanted to do was sob bitterly in my mother's arms but my reality told me otherwise. As much as I was heartbroken at his words the previous night, a small, tiny voice in my head agreed with him. He was right. If my father really cared about his family and all his hard work, he really would have come back a long time ago. But up until now, there was still no single news of him. So why should I have cared about upholding the family's assets? Why did I let myself break to keep my family together? And where did all that effort leave me? Homeless and an orphan. The sun softly broke through the light silk curtains in my old room with a damp smell that came from the walls as it had been empty for ages now. I broke into a long yawn feeling sapped out of every sort of energy to go through the day already. To begin with, I had nowhere to go, no job and a divorcee who's been sort of famous on the news. How great could that be? My on
ELENA'S POV We waited outside the white doors revealing nothing but just a blinking red light as I constantly stared at it with increasing worry each minute. From her test results, it seemed she had gone into a state of shock as she was unable to resist the force of the bastard I now found out to be her father. “If she doesn't wake up,I swear I'll–”, I furiously muttered underneath my breath, slamming my fists into each other. “You knew about this and didn't think to do something?”, I faced Lucas, leaning silently on the wall and more quieter since we arrived at that scene. The more I tried to imagine what would have happened if we hadn't gotten there on time, the more my blood boiled in anger and I felt the goosebumps creep up all the way around my skin. I turned to look around my surroundings, clicking my teeth in regret as Nathan still hadn't returned from taking care of Eloise' father. He deserved to be lashed at even more. Finally, the doors opened redirecting my restless m
LUCAS POVI leaned onto my car, staring patiently at the entrance of the gate where Nathan was to walk through soon. Even though I had let him take over handling Eloise' father, it still didn't mean I would let him be as well. He had lots of chances to help Eloise but his immaturity and nonchalance had caused him this result and I knew how Elena would be hurt because of this.I never chose to meddle as I had trusted Eloise' care to him and somehow, he'd still managed to fumble this. And it all started from that night…***Flashback ***“Where have you guys been since?”, I asked, emerging from my car which was parked outside Nathan's apartment. I had found it suspicious for Eloise not to show up at the court, especially when I'd reassured Nathan about Elena that night. “And where is Eloise? Is she okay?”, I asked again, looking behind him suspiciously for any sign of Eloise just in case. As if reading through my expressions, he replied gloomily, “she’s not here Lucas. She storm
ELENA'S POVEloise remained in the hospital for about a week more with me consistently by her side as I also had nowhere to go. Lucas never came by to check on us which was beginning to make me worry but I also had to consider how busy he was as the owner of a huge, successful company. Only Nathan showed up a few times showering Eloise with different gifts but was still refused to be acknowledged by Eloise. She was still hurt and seemed to have every right to be, based on my judgement from her side of the story. Somehow, the thought of starting my life afresh with someone made me happy and eager to begin already. With just the both of us in our world, it would be a lot easier to keep my mind off Lucas for a while. Lucas. To be honest, the undeterred determination he portrayed in order to get me out of the abusive and toxic contract marriage with Adrian managed to restore some life back to my numb, aching heart. All my life, I was the protective and determined one but seeing Lucas
LUCAS POV For days, my head remained entirely stuck on nothing but the words she said that day. Was there really nothing between us anymore? It wasn't just the words she said, but the emotionless tone underneath them. I stared blankly at the numerous texts she kept sending, hearing the concern through each one. How could she act like she gave two fucks about me when she was the same person who spat out those words coldly? “Mr Lucas”, a voice broke through my wandering thoughts, jolting me back to the present and I looked up to see the shareholders giving me disappointed stares from where they sat on the other end of the round, conference table. Shit. Once again I had zoned out on another meeting. “Mr Lucas, there hasn't been much progress with this meeting for a week now. From my observations, this could be a, a medical condition and it seems to be greatly affecting your efficiency as the CEO of this company. It just might be best if you, maybe hand it over to someone else for no
LUCAS' POVEverything else faded into oblivion the moment she walked in through those doors. The memories of last night flooded my head and just when I imagined tearing off from my seat and kissing her publicly to let everyone know she was mine, Sofia leaned into my ears to whisper, “Do you see that red dot on her shoulders?”, she asked, making me squint a little before I could see it. “My father wouldn't mind turning this into a blood bath once he senses any form of embarrassment from the both of us. I've already lost the one person I love and I can tell you it's not a pretty experience Lucas”, she said, a loving smile spreading on her face while her eyes pierced coldly into mine. I turned sideways to face her, returning the cold smile while caressing her cheeks to distract the public from the gun on my other hand poking her stomach below. “Then your father will not be the most scariest man you know, because if she goes down, you do…starting with the bastard in here”, I replied, wi
ELENA'S POV A soft sound of the door creaking open awakened me from my light sleep filled with only memories of the past. Despite the spur of the moment last night leading to everything Lucas said, somehow there was just no space to believe in them anymore. Maybe he meant it at the time but the sneaking bastard now quietly shutting my door proved me right. Perhaps if I was the angry antsy teenager he met, I'd be screaming his head off while overflowing with regret and lots of unknown emotions flowing through me, but I'd had enough to care anymore by now. Okay, admit I cared apparently. We were both matured adults and last night would forever remain forgotten and unspoken. I rolled to the other side, finding a note on the drawers next to the side he laid on last night which said only three words, “I’m sorry Elena”. Son of a b****! How convenient of him to suddenly regret his actions now he was starting a new life. “Breathe Elena”, I tried to calm myself, regulating my breaths and
ELENA'S POVThe ride back to the event's location was silent, mostly with me brooding and on the edge while Dave's was to avoid provoking my sharp claws. As we arrived at our destination, my eyes widened in surprise then excitement, taking in the view of the most beautiful and expensive hotel in the city. Before everything went south in my family, most of my private clients bitterly complained on how difficult it was to book this hall. Hmmm. Whoever got this place definitely had to be related to the president, I thought. Dave and I walked inside while he introduced me to the managers, informing them of my job here and as I beamed uncontrollably, still floating in my head, a lady walked up to join the circle, staring at me harder than normal. My eyes narrowed into slits feeling uncomfortable with her unapologetic stares and just when I had reached my limits, she blurted out, “Are you by any chance Elena Bradford?”, she asked. My stomach sank realizing the tone in her voice but I c
NATHAN'S POV It was crazy how rarely I visited Lucas' company despite being his business advisor for years now. According to my knowledge as well, Lucas was also hardly ever here as well. More than half of the employees definitely didn't recognize me but I could care less anyways because I wasn't here for them - I was here on an errand from that cunning motherfucker, Lucas. The door to my office automatically opened as there was a face detector on it, making it the only office in the company that couldn't be compromised. Lucas had refused to increase the security into his office, saying dumb stuffs like “They'll just fine another way to break in without my knowledge, but you”, he patted me on the shoulder like it was supposed to be an encouragement. “They wouldn't give you much attention so they wouldn't see me coming…at all”. Just as I stepped inside the office, barely taking in the fresh scent of lavender and the breathtaking view from my large window occupying the entire east s
ELOISE’ POVMy heart ran wild and was continuously filled with chaotic thoughts yet releasing different words from my mouth. The mix of beats surrounding me through my heavy headphones all sounded distorted, making me feel like I was drowning and there was no one coming to save me. “...Hold on cause I'm letting go. I'm gonna—” I paused abruptly, noticing the heavy silence around me which wasn't a good thing. Spending half of my day behind a glass filled with lots of impatient and expectant eyes while I performed was not at all included in my expectations to be a part of the entertainment world. I could feel the glares piercing through the glass like lasers and imagined them drilling into my skin just like Elena's betrayal. Actually, hers stung more than this.Why was it so hard to support me? Just when I finally started to have something for myself. If she could go through her toxic marriage with Adrian, get heartbroken by Lucas and pick herself up then why couldn't I? What was it
ELENA'S POV My eyes flurried open, gradually adjusting to the soft beams of sunlight resting on my face. I stretched more comfortably, suddenly pausing as my body finally sensed the unfamiliar surface where I laid. Turning my face to take a look, my lungs gave way to a shrieking sound but thankfully, sighting Dave laying peacefully on the sofa opposite mine made me swallow the panic rising to my throat. How could I have done this? Yanking the covers off my body, I jerked into a sitting position trying to make sense of the situation with a lot of questions buzzing around my head. How had I fallen asleep in a stranger's house? How did I not scream myself awake somewhere in the middle of the night? This was all too much for me, I had to get out of here. With light and careful steps, I finally stepped outside racing all the way to my house and collapsing on my couch, breathing hardly. “Elena?”, Eloise' voice came from behind me, circling me with suspicion in her eyes. “Oh Elly, w-wh
LUCAS' POV Not so surprisingly, the recordings from the cameras in my office had been wiped out, making me order for all the cameras to be removed. There was no use for them anyways since their locations had been found already. The culprit could have been Henry or any other pawn and despite how impatient I felt in digging out the root of the case, I knew it would only do the opposite of the results I really wanted. ‘patience, patience, Lucas’, I chanted repeatedly underneath my breath with my knuckles resting on my desk as I watched them dispose all the cameras, not knowing whether to be angry or sad. Despite my tough and cold exterior that night as I threatened him - meaning every of those words still, the sting from the betrayal still hurt deeply more than anything. I'd thought giving him a promotion and making him the acting CEO during times when I was out the country for a meeting or business dinner would make him realize my sole trust in him and recognition as my brother.
ELENA'S POV Dear Miss Elena, we sincerely appreciate your offer to design the hall for the party. Please take a look at the contract details below and let us know if you need any clarifications. We'd be happy to help! I blinked twice at my screen still in awe at Dave's commitment to helping me soothe my frustrations and bring my dreams to life. How come he still went ahead with this plan even when I'd asked him to stay away from me? No. This was just too unfair. He didn't have to do all these because my response was still the same. The past few years of my life had been traumatic and still overwhelming at the slightest thought of it. No one, not even Eloise knew about my constant nightmares and the pills stacked up under my pillow that helped me sleep soundly. That's right! I had ran out of those and needed to restock soon. “Hey Lena”, Eloise said, jumping in on the bed and snuggling up to me. My eyes froze into the empty space in front of me, surprised at her sudden entrance whi
NATHAN'S POVThe Brooks family was among the top five wealthiest in Atlanta - a city known for its beautiful summer sights and most times, a substitute of Vegas. Casinos, drugs and trafficking thrived bountifully underneath the beautiful women and all the fun you could find there. Despite my family always emphasizing my addiction to fun and lots of women flicking around me, somewhere deep down inside my heart accused them for bringing me up here in the first place. My father for instance, was never a better example than any of us as we - my brother and I grew up to see different shades and sizes of women leaving his bedroom every morning. At a very young age, we made countless trips to the casino watching how he handled deals with a few of his ‘businessmen’ and how we feared he might lose his life sometimes. Fortunately, it didn't take long to get used to the tense atmosphere mixed with thick smoke and the smell of pipes and drugs in the air. Not so surprisingly, it soon became m