Eureka burst into her room, tossing her handbag to the floor and dropping onto the bed in tears. She had just returned from the place where she was told she could find a clue about her daughter’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, the woman she was supposed to meet had died some months ago.“Someone should tell me my child is okay, please,” she sobbed, burying her face in her palms.Kaiden walked in, standing by the door and watching his mother for a few minutes before approaching her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jolted slightly, lifting her teary eyes to him. He sat beside her.“What did she say?” he asked.“The woman is dead, Kaiden. I can’t find Kelsey,” she cried.“You need to calm down, Mom. We’ll keep looking, and I’m sure we’ll find her soon. Stop crying,” he consoled her.“Why did they have to take my child away from me?” she continued crying. “I gave birth to her in that damn hospital. They didn’t even allow me to see her. They didn’t let me h
“Have a nice day, gentlemen,” Eureka stood, picking up her handbag. She just rounded up a meeting with some of her new investors.“Same here, Miss Bennett,” two of the investors responded, except for the third who requested to see her privately.Mr. David Mathews was a tall, athletic, and lanky CEO of a multinational textile company. Eureka couldn’t help but notice the piercing gazes he sent her way during the meeting. He was also the first to buy the idea she proposed, and he promised to render an immense support to her forthcoming campaign.“What’s the meeting for, Mr. Mathews?” Eureka asked, trying to sound polite, though she hates being called aside like this.“I’ll go straight to the point, Miss Bennett. This is not another round of business meeting,” he said, his piercing eyes boring into hers. Eureka was forced to divert her gaze. “This is me restating the obvious. You’re enchanting, and it takes everything in a man not to fall for you at first sight. I’ll love to take you out.
Eureka went grocery shopping. Kaiden insisted she prepare his dinner herself.“What exactly are we shopping for, son? What do you want me to cook?” Eureka asked, turning to face Kaiden, who was following behind her, filming them. She disliked cooking these days, unlike when she was still married to Raymond. But whenever Kaiden insisted, she never said no.He paused the video. “Macaroni and cheese. Fried chicken and cornbread,” he listed, caring little about his mother’s annoyed expression.“You know something, Kaiden?” She turned back to the produce shelf. “I can only fix macaroni and cheese for you. Mildred will do the rest,” she said.“Why, Mom?” Kaiden creased his forehead. “Since we got to this city, you haven’t prepared any meal for me. You have to make everything, or I won’t eat tonight.”“I guess you enjoy starving,” she teased, picking a vegetable from the shelf.“Mom!”“Just kidding. But this is going to be the first and last time I make a meal for you this year. Is that a de
Kaiden, on the other hand, found Kailani’s textbook in the car. It had slipped from her hand while he was kissing her. “Clumsy girl,” Kaiden smiled to himself. “Let’s go back, driver. She’ll need the book over the weekend,” he said. The driver didn’t object and took the nearest U-turn.Kaiden was allowed inside after introducing himself as Kailani’s friend and Eureka’s son. As he entered the house, he stumbled back as Kailani bumped into him at the door. She couldn’t bear the torture anymore—she had to run.“Kayla?” Kaiden called out in shock, holding her in place. She was drenched in sweat, blood trickling down her broken temple. The back of her shirt was stained from the hot iron Delilah had used on her.“Where’s that slut?!” Delilah groaned, running out of the kitchen and halting abruptly at the sight of Kaiden. Kailani flitted behind him, hiding from her tormentor.“What the hell is this?” Kaiden was too stunned to even shout. His voice was barely audible, his heartbeat drumming i
Raymond entered the house, holding a shopping bag for Kailani. He had promised to get her new clothes on his way back. “Kay!” he called out, closing the door behind him.“Hey, honey,” Delilah said, walking out of the kitchen with a broad smile. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “How was work today?” she asked.“It was fine.” He pulled away from her. “Where’s Kailani? I got her a present.”Delilah’s eyes dropped to the shopping bag he was holding, and she sneered. Looking back at Raymond, she forced a smile. “She hasn’t returned from school,” she lied. “I called her, but she didn’t answer, so I thought you went to pick her up.”Raymond checked his wristwatch. It was past 10 PM. “She’s not back at this time?” His forehead creased in confusion. “Okay, take this to her room. I’ll try calling the principal,” he said, handing her the bag. She reluctantly took it and headed upstairs.Raymond didn’t call the principal. Instead, he entered the kitchen, expecting to find the cook.“Welc
Eureka stood near her mighty gate, her arms folded firmly across her chest as she held Raymond’s gaze. “How may I help you, Mr. Blackwood?” she asked, her tone firm.Raymond swallowed. He had no right to demand Kailani, but he needed to be sure she was okay. “I’m sorry for coming over so early. Can I see your son, please?” he asked calmly.“Why do you want to see him?”“Please, Eureka. I know your son knows the whereabouts of Kailani. I really need to see her. She’s under my care,” he said.Eureka scoffed. “You have no right to come to my house and demand anyone. And who the hell is Kailani, by the way? What business does my son have with her?”“He was at my home last night, and he left with her. Let me speak with your son, please,” he begged.Eureka was almost moved by his plea, but she knew Kaiden would get mad at her for letting Raymond in, so her resolve didn’t falter.“My son knows nothing about Kailani. And don’t ever come looking for my son again. I’ll be forced to call the cop
Kaiden sat on his bed, his back reclined against the headboard as he scrolled through his Instagram page. It had been a week since he last checked his account because of Kailani’s illness, and he had spent over two hours replying to messages.“Get some rest now," Eureka said, walking in without him noticing. He glanced at her while typing a reply. “You've been on this since morning." She sat beside him.“Just a minute," he gestured with a finger. When he was done, he put down his phone and turned to his mother. “I've replied to all my messages."Eureka ran her fingers through his hair. "You're stressed out,” she said. "I know this isn't the best time to say this, but the company needs you. We're advertising our new collection, so we need you for a shoot on Monday evening.”"It's not a big deal," Kaiden said, his voice firm. “As long as you pay me," he added, and Eureka smiled.“Also, Mildred has prepared a guest room for Kailani. She'll be staying there from now on," she said.“Is tha
Kaiden stormed into his room, slamming the door shut. He dashed to the bedside table, grabbed his phone, and dropped onto the bed, dialing his manager’s number. “Cancel the interview. I’m not attending,” Kaiden said firmly.“What? Why? We already made arrangements. The press will be at the office this evening,” the manager explained.“I don’t care. And I suggest you hire another model. I quit!” he declared and hung up. The manager called several times, but Kaiden rejected every call.“Kaiden?” Kailani called, entering.“Lock the door, and let’s continue,” he said, picking up the textbook from the couch. “Where were we?” he asked.Kailani sat beside him, studying his expression as he opened the book. She hesitantly cupped his face, turning it to hers. “I’m sorry, okay?” she muttered. “She honestly didn’t mean to hit you.”Kaiden removed her hand from his face. “I think we stopped here: electrolysis.”“Kaiden,” Kailani called again. She knew he was hurting, just pretending to be fine. “
Eureka sat opposite Mr. David Mathews in a hotel room, sipping from a glass of red wine, their eyes locked onto each other.“I’ll do anything just to get what I’m seeing,” Mr. Mathews spoke first, putting down his glass. “What do you want, Miss Bennett?”“What can you offer, Mr. Mathews?” she retorted.“Anything a woman deserves: money, influence, and fame. Which do you need?” he asked, and a soft smile appeared on Eureka's face.“I have all,” she said. “Tell me something interesting.”“What more does a classy woman like you need?” he asked, his eyes narrowing on her.“Hmm… revenge?” she suggested.“Tell me it’s on another woman, and I’ll support you.”“Do you hate women?”“No man in their right mind would wrong a woman like you, so I don’t believe your revenge can be on a man; it definitely has to be on a woman,” he said.“You’re interesting, Mr. Mathews,” she smirked. “There are lots of men in this world who would do many things to hurt women like me, so your belief is unconventiona
“No, I don’t want that,” Eureka said as Raymond held out a dress for her. They had gone shopping together over the weekend.“But it’s red. It’ll suit you perfectly,” he argued, pressing the dress against her body. “Isn’t this lovely?”“You clearly don’t know my size. I’d barely be able to breathe if I wore that,” she said, walking away.“Is that so?” He returned the dress to the shelf and followed her. “You seem to be getting even more…”“Are you saying I’m gaining weight?” She spun to face him. “What the hell, Raymond? I go to the gym once a week, sometimes diet, and—”“You’re getting me wrong, babe,” Raymond cut her off, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. “That’s not what I meant.” He pressed his lips to hers briefly. “You’re just perfect. I was only referring to your…” He trailed off, squeezing her ass cheek. She gasped.“You’re so naughty,” she pulled away from him. “What if someone sees you doing that?” Her eyes scanned their surroundings.“Do I care?” He s
Raymond sat on the couch in the living room, his laptop resting on his lap as his fingers moved effortlessly over the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the screen. The doorbell rang, pulling his attention to the door. One of his servants went to answer it. “Who is it?” Raymond asked in a deep tone. Then, Eureka entered, walking with such grace that it captivated him. His heart skipped a beat as she stood by the entrance, her eyes piercing his with an indifference he couldn’t read. “Eureka?” he called in disbelief. She hadn’t visited him since she arrived in the States. “Hi, Raymond,” she waved like a princess in a fairytale. As she moved closer, an inexplicable feeling settled within him. Her tone was different, unlike what he had gotten used to. She sounded friendlier, more familiar than Miss Bennett. “How have you been?” she asked, sitting beside him. “I wasn’t expecting you,” he said, closing his laptop. “You love surprising me with visits, so I decided to return the favor to
“Where are you taking me?” the woman cried, struggling against Eureka’s men as they dragged her toward the car. “You have no right, Eureka! Tell them to let me go!”The men shoved her into the car, trapping her between them. Eureka stood by the door, her gaze cold and piercing. The woman had caused her too much pain. “You deserve a more comfortable home, stepmother,” Eureka smirked, then the door slammed shut. She watched the car drive away before stepping into her own and speeding off.“To everyone who hurt and abandoned me, be prepared. To those who died before tasting their own medicine, I hope you rot in hell,” Eureka whispered under her breath, her eyes filling with tears. “These will be the last tears I shed because of you all. And to my dearest mom, even though you changed at the last minute, I still love you. Rest in perfect peace, Mom,” she sobbed as tears rolled down her cheeks, blurring her vision.Suddenly, a car swerved into her path. She slammed the brakes, jerking forwa
Eureka recoiled as the woman staggered to her feet, dropping her cigarette butt to the floor."Eu... Eureka?" the woman stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper. A chill of fear trailed down her spine as she curled against the wall, feeling overwhelmed and lost.Eureka’s eyes shifted from the woman to the framed picture on the wall. There was something about the man in the image that drew her in. Her heart skipped a beat, a wave of nostalgia washing over her. Disjointed memories and streams of disconnected words flooded her mind, making her head throb painfully. Her bag slipped from her hand, landing on the floor with a soft thud. Her body trembled, her heart pounding as she fought to compose herself. But she couldn’t. She wailed, clutching her head as if trying to keep it from exploding.“What’s wrong?” Mara asked, trying to hold Eureka, who sank to the floor, unable to support herself any longer.“Get... get her out of my house!” the woman snarled. “I don’t want to see her,” she
“Everything feels so wrong now, Dad,” Aveline whined, holding her phone to her ear. “I’ve spent over a month in this house, yet nothing has changed. I can’t go to the office, I can’t get close to Kaiden, and worst of all, nobody even knows I’m her daughter. What’s the point of all this if everything is working against me?”“I understand how you feel, dear. You’ll be out of there soon. Just give me more time,” her father said.“What time, Dad? I want to come home tomorrow. They’re driving me crazy in this house! Besides, it’s my birthday. What am I supposed to tell my friends? What will you say happened to me?” she grumbled, stamping her foot.“You didn’t inform me before getting involved with that witch, so why do you need my help now? I’m sick of living a lie. I can’t pretend anymore. If you don’t do something by tomorrow, you’ll wake up and find me right at the door,” she snapped and hung up. Turning around, she gasped, stumbling back as she saw Eureka standing behind her.“M…Mom?”
Eureka returned home, dragging her feet against the floor as if they were in shackles. Her heart was heavy. She had never regretted anything in her life as much as she regretted sending Kailani away. Kailani’s face loomed over hers, her teary eyes pleading for her to listen. The memory haunted her, making her heart skip beats. Tears brimmed at the edge of her eyes, and she fought to keep them from falling.“Mom?” Aveline called, meeting Eureka on the staircase. “Did he refuse to come along?” she asked.“I want to be left alone,” Eureka muttered, walking away. She could barely contain her emotions. Her conscience stabbed at her like a dagger to the heart. Aveline watched as Eureka trudged upstairs, burdened as if the weight of the world had been dropped on her shoulders.As she entered her room and closed the door, she let herself collapse into her own little world. Her emotions shattered her. Her bag slipped from her hands, and she dropped onto the stool, allowing the relentless tears
Eureka burst into the house, her bag slipping from her hand at the sight of her servants gathered in the living room, trying to revive Aveline, who was slumped on the couch.“What happened to her?” Eureka rasped, dropping down and cradling Aveline’s head in her lap. Hearing her mother’s voice, Aveline opened her eyes, her chest heaving, heat coursing through her body.“Mom?” she muttered, trying to steady her breathing.“I’m here, sweetheart. What happened to you?” Tears rolled down Eureka’s cheeks, fear coursing through her veins.Aveline sat up with Eureka’s support, her hand clawing at her chest. “She… she tried to…” She pointed a shaky finger at Kailani, who stood with a worried expression, rubbing her clammy hands on her skirt.“She poisoned… my food,” Aveline gasped. Kailani staggered back, her eyes widening in shock. “She wanted to kill me, Mom.”“Kailani?” Eureka’s voice was barely audible as she looked at Kailani, who was already trembling. “What… wh
Kailani sat on a swing in the backyard, staring at the lush, kaleidoscopic flowers. The wind was a soothing sensation against her tender skin. A soft, sorrowful smile spread across her face as her eyes wandered into the wilderness.“I wish you were here, Dad,” she muttered to herself, her tone filled with longing. “You would have been preparing for my birthday party by now. I miss our moments together—our laughter, our bond, and the way you loved me. Maybe Mom wouldn’t have turned out this way if you hadn’t left.” Tears rolled down her sunken cheeks. “I wish we could talk right now. I don’t know how long I can hold this secret in my heart. Miss Bennett is a good woman; she deserves to know the truth. Am I being selfish for not telling her she’s harboring the wrong child? Is it wrong to prioritize my own safety over the family that took me in? What if Aveline is up to something? What if she wants to harm Kaiden and his mom? Will I be able to forgive myself if anything happens to them?