ALBERT AND RUEL were getting frustrated as they searched the dark warehouse for Vince and Vera. “Those sneaky little brats! This is why I don’t want children! Alex better pay me enough money after this,” Ruel uttered as he looked for the twins. “What a pain in the ass!” Albert seconded.Ruel’s patience was wearing thin, and Albert, usually the calmer one, was starting to show signs of agitation as well.The place was a maze of crates and shadows, and every corner seemed to hold another hiding spot. Alex stood by, watching the two of them fumble through the search. Her anger was building with each passing second. How could two kids manage to slip through their grasp like this? It was infuriating. Alex had never been one to let anything or anyone get the better of her, and she certainly wasn’t going to start now.She reached into her coat and pulled out her gun, her fingers tightening around the grip. If those brats thought they could outsmart her, they were in for a harsh lesson.
VIVIENNE“This is the location Vince described. It’s a secluded area, just outside the city,” an expert said as he suddenly pinpointed a location on the map. Right after Vince called us, we immediately took note of the description he said to us to be able to tell where they really were.My heart raced as I saw the spot. I leaned in closer, my eyes fixed on it. “That’s it,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.Ezekiel and I exchanged a quick glance.“We need to go now,” he said firmly.I nodded, feeling the urgency in his words. “Let’s not waste any time.”And without wasting any time, we rushed out of the building, heading straight for the car.The car was waiting outside, and as soon as we got in, Ezekiel started the engine, and we sped off toward the location, our minds racing just as fast. Police cars followed us. As I got into the passenger seat of Ezekiel’s car, I couldn’t help but overthink. Alex’s refusal to let us hear the kids’ voices was bugging me. What if something ha
EZEKIEL“Hold on, baby!” Vivienne kept uttering as we both held each of Vera’s hands. As soon as we arrived at the hospital, we immediately rushed her to the emergency room. Her tiny body was so still, so lifeless, and the sight of her covered in blood made my chest tighten painfully. I could barely breathe as we raced down the corridor, my mind were filled with panic and desperation. This couldn’t be happening. Not to her. Not to our little girl.When we reached the doors of the emergency room, the nurses took over, guiding Vera's stretcher through the doors. But as Vivienne and I tried to follow, one of the nurses stepped in front of us, raising her hand to stop us.“I’m sorry, Ma’am and Sir, but you can’t go any further,” she said gently but firmly.“No, please,” Vivienne begged as her voice broke. “I need to be with her. Please, let me go in with her.”The nurse shook her head sympathetically. “The doctors need space to work. We’ll keep you updated, I promise.”Before they cou
VIVIENNE"I'm sorry to inform you," The doctor began slowly as he looked at us with a serious expression. His eyes were filled with a kind of sympathy that made my stomach drop. "But your daughter Vera is in a coma. We don't know when she will wake up."What?Did I hear the doctor right?I felt the world around me blur. My knees gave out, and I sank into the nearest chair. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Comatose. Vera was comatose. Oh God!"No, this can't be happening," I whispered, my voice barely audible.Ezekiel placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to console me from the devastating news. "Doctor, is there anything else we can do?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady even though I knew even he was devastated by the news.The doctor shook his head gently. "At this point, we need to wait and monitor her condition. We're doing everything we can."Ezekiel nodded, his jaw clenched. "Thank you," he managed to say."I'll give you some time," the doctor said before w
VIVIENNE"Vivienne," my mother called out as soon as I opened the hospital doors for them. I could see the worry in her eyes. She quickly approached me, and the anxiety was obviously etched on her face. "We were so worried about you, darling. Why didn’t you call us sooner?""I—" I began, but before I could finish, my father came forward, his eyes shifting to the beds where Vera and Vince were."How are the children?" Dad asked in his usual stern but concerned tone. He looked over at Vera, still lying there in a coma, her little body so still it broke my heart all over again. Vince, thankfully, was just sleeping, his injuries much less severe."They’re... managing," I replied softly, my voice cracking. "Vera hasn’t woken up yet."Someone tapped my shoulder which made me look back. It was Jeremy which I didn’t notice right away. I didn’t expect he’d come here with my parents, but I couldn’t deny I was glad to see him.“Hey,” Jeremy uttered. “I’m sorry for what happened.” Since I did
EZEKIELAfter walking my parents outside the kids’ hospital room, I tried to get my thoughts together. My mom was still fuming. I could see it in the way her lips were tight, and the way she crossed her arms. She probably hadn’t encountered someone who would answer her like that the way Mrs. Alice Lancaster did. “Ezekiel, you can’t expect me to just let this go,” she said, her voice sharp. “That woman and her family—”“Mom,” I cut her off before she could say anything worse. “This isn’t the right time. Please, respect Vivienne and her family.”She huffed, clearly not happy with what I was saying. “But they act like we’re the enemy. You can’t just push your own family aside!”I kept my voice calm, even though I was starting to get frustrated.“I’m not pushing anyone aside. But we’re here for the kids, not for a fight. I’ll call you when things settle down, and I’ll explain everything at home. But right now, I need space.”She gave me a look that made it clear she didn’t like my answer
VIVIENNEJeremy walked beside me, holding his iced coffee as I sipped mine absentmindedly. My mind was still foggy from everything that had happened. I could barely focus on the conversation.Fortunately, Ezekiel was able to convince his parents to go home for now because I don’t think it would be a great idea to have both of his parents and mine in one room.“So, I ran into your parents earlier,” Jeremy told me. “Right as I was trying to find the room where Vince and Vera were admitted. That’s why I arrived with them.”I nodded, trying to absorb his words, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I could hear him speaking, but my mind kept drifting back to the hospital room, to my kids. Jeremy had been explaining how he came across my parents, but I couldn’t focus. “Vivienne?” Jeremy’s voice snapped me out of my daze. “You alright?”“Yeah, sorry,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “I’m just… my mind is all over the place.”“I get it,” he said softly. “When I heard about the kids, I was so wo
VIVIENNEVera was awake! What a piece of news!Ezekiel and I rushed into the hospital room as soon as Dad told us the good news. My heart hammered so fast and my eyes went straight to Vera’s bed as soon as we stepped in. My breath caught in my throat.Her small eyes were open, blinking slowly, and for a moment, I felt like my entire world had stopped. Thank God! Vince was sitting beside Vera, his eyes teary as he gently held her hand, checking if she was okay. The sight of him being so protective made my heart swell.I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I rushed to Vera’s side, my legs almost giving out beneath me. “Oh baby! Thank goodness you’re awake!” I sank down into the chair next to her bed, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch her face.“Thank God,” I kept whispering while the tears rolled down my cheeks. “Thank God you’re okay.”Ezekiel stood next to me, his eyes glued to Vera. He seemed just as shocked, but I could see the relief wash over him too. After a momen
EZEKIEL NEVER THOUGHT he’d feel so nervous, yet here he was. He couldn’t help but pace back and forth in the hospital room while Vivienne lay on the bed, breathing deeply as another contraction hit. His palms were sweaty and his heart was racing so damn fast. He couldn’t even sit down for a second. This was nothing like the business meetings, nothing like the deals he’d spent his life preparing for. This was something else. He’d missed the birth of the twins, and he knew he couldn’t miss a second of this moment with Vivienne.He’d missed the birth of the twins, and he knew he couldn’t miss a second of this moment with Vivienne. Back then, he hadn’t been there to hold her hand, to see the twins take their first breaths. This time, he’d promised himself he’d be present, no matter how terrifying it felt. Vivienne noticed his restless pacing and reached out to catch his hand, tugging gently. “Zeke, calm down,” she said, chuckling despite her pain.He stopped, looking down at her, his
VINCE WAS SITTING alone in the school canteen while he was lost in his own thoughts. Unlike his twin sister, he wasn’t worried at all about having a new sibling. In fact, he was excited. He couldn’t wait to have someone younger around to teach things to, especially about computers and coding. He’d already planned it out in his head that he’d show their new sibling all the basics, and someday, they’d be able to talk about complex stuff too. Just the thought of it made him smile.As he stared into space while planning all the lessons he’d someday teach, someone placed a small box in front of him. Vince blinked when his train of thought was interrupted. He looked down at the box, noticing it was wrapped neatly with a bow on top. Then he looked up and saw Maesei, the little girl he, Vera, and Genesis had helped when she was being bullied a while back.Maesei was standing there, looking shy and nervous. Her cheeks were red and she avoided his gaze, looking down at the table instead.Vin
GENESIS SPOTTED VERA sitting alone on the bleachers, looking lost in thought as she watched Vince at his soccer practice. She was unusually quiet, her small frame slumped forward, and her chin rested on her hands. Genesis found this strange. Usually, Vera was energetic and loud, always cheering for her brother or chatting away.With a grin, Genesis walked over and sat down beside her. “Hey,” he said, nudging her gently. “Why do you look so sad? Thinking too hard?”To his surprise, Vera’s lip started to tremble, and before he knew it, tears spilled down her cheeks. She let out a small, choked sob, and then it came—all the tears she had held back, spilling out in big, messy drops.Genesis's eyes widened and he instantly panicked. “Whoa, hey, hey—what’s wrong, Vera?” He fumbled, trying to figure out what to do. He’d never seen her cry like this before. “Did something happen?”Vera shook her head but kept crying, covering her face with her hands. Feeling helpless, Genesis reached over
THE AFTER-PARTY was winding down and Piper was more than a little tipsy. She leaned heavily on Jeremy, her bubbly personality even more vibrant after a few too many glasses of champagne. Jeremy sighed, his arm steady around her as he led her through the crowded room.“Come on, Piper,” he said while rying to sound patient. “Let’s get you home.”Piper let out a laugh as she rolled her eyes. “Oh, Jeremy, you’re so lame! Why didn’t you drink anything tonight? There were bottles of wine that cost more than you’d make in a month! You could’ve at least had one!”Jeremy shook his head, guiding her carefully through the doorway. “I don’t drink much. Besides, someone had to be responsible for you,” he said in a calm voice. She threw him a mock offended look, then smirked. “Oh, please. Responsible? You’re missing out! Once-in-a-blue-moon kind of party, and you’re just standing there, drinking water. So boring.”He just nodded, too tired to argue. He knew she was half-joking, half-serious, but
EZEKIELForgiving isn’t easy. It’s one of the hardest things you can do, especially when the person who hurt you is someone you once trusted, someone you loved deeply. I’d always respected people who could forgive the ones who wronged them, who could find it in their hearts to let go of pain and bitterness. And tonight, watching Vivienne, I felt my admiration for her grow even more.I thought I’d reached the limit of how much I could love her, but seeing her forgive my mother—that changed things. Vivienne had already forgiven me before, a forgiveness I never thought I deserved but clung to, knowing how lucky I was to have it. And now, she was doing the same for my mother. I looked at Vivienne, her calm expression, her steady gaze, and I couldn’t help but feel grateful. She was truly incredible, a woman who could forgive despite the hurt, and in that moment, I knew I was the luckiest man alive.After my mother’s apology, we found a quieter spot away from everyone else. I turned to V
VIVIENNEIt was never too late to rise up again after you’ve hit rock bottom. I’d learned that lesson over and over, but standing here now, it finally felt real. So many times, I thought that scandal with Aton would destroy everything I’d worked for. I worried people would only ever see me as the woman caught up in a messy scheme, but here I was, with a new chapter in front of me. This was my second chance—not just to clear my name, but to make it stronger than ever. Viatrix. That name still had power, still had life.I looked around the room, taking in all the smiles and congratulatory handshakes. Ezekiel and I had just launched our fashion line that we had been working on, and the event couldn’t have gone any better. Everywhere I turned, there were people celebrating with us, praising the collection, the designs, the way we had merged our ideas and brought something beautiful to life. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly proud of myself and what I had accomplished ag
EZEKIELIt was never too late to change. I knew that now. I wouldn’t deny to myself or to anyone else that I had made mistakes before. Too many to count, honestly. I’d been an ass. I didn’t know what I really wanted back then. I wasn’t sure of what the right thing was or how to treat Vivienne the way she deserved. I’d lost sight of things, caught up in my own mess, letting my insecurities and past hold me back. But now, standing here in Switzerland, away from the noise and all the misunderstandings, I felt something I’d never felt before—a clear sense of certainty. I loved her. I loved Vivienne in a way that was different, in a way that wasn’t clouded by doubt or fear. She was the woman I wanted to spend my life with, and I’d failed to see that in the past. But I had the chance to make it right, and I wasn’t going to let it slip by.The soft breeze carried the scent of lilies as I stood at the end of the aisle, waiting for Vivienne. My heart pounded, and I could feel the tears gather
VIVIENNEBefore, I was just dreaming of a good husband. A husband who would love me, who would prioritize me, who would stand by my side no matter what. It felt like a faraway wish, something I’d only imagine late at night. When I first married Ezekiel, it wasn’t like that at all. He only married me because he felt he had to; it was a shotgun marriage after all, coming right after the surprise of my pregnancy.Back then, Ezekiel couldn’t even get over his ex, Alex. I knew it. Everyone knew it. I always felt like a stand-in, a shadow, never really the one he wanted. I was just a substitute. But now, looking at him today—seeing him boldly defend me, even against his own parents—I can’t ignore how deeply he’s changed. Before, Ezekiel always followed his parents’ words without question, like he was bound by some invisible chain. They had such a hold over him, and I’d come to accept that their influence would always come first. So now, seeing him stand up to them—for my sake, no less—fe
EZEKIELMy fists balled as I scanned through each line of conversation on Vince’s laptop. Each word felt like a punch. And I gritted my teeth, trying to contain the anger boiling within me. Genesis had been right. It was real that the contents from Aton’s phone had transferred over. Everything was here—messages, plans, and schemes that Aton and my own fucking father had discussed. Each message was worse than the last, detailing how they intended to bring down Vivienne and tarnish everything she’d worked for. I could feel Alice and Ronaldo leaning in, reading over my shoulder. Alice gasped, covering her mouth as her face turned pale. She shook her head. “I can’t believe they could plan something so evil,” she whispered, horrified.Ronaldo’s expression darkened, his eyes sharp and filled with rage. “This won’t slide,” he said firmly, his voice low and steady. “I won’t let them get away with this.”His words fueled my resolve. I nodded, swallowing hard, though my mind was racing. Ju