ISLA’S POV“What!” I cried into the phone as the words of my manager floated into my ears.The words.Crisp.Fire.Destroyed.“Can you hear me?” the manager asked, and I had to shake the glistening tears away from my eyes to get back into reality.“Whatever you do, don’t look at the news,” came his response, and goosebumps engulfed my body.“Everything will be under control, but I thought I would warn you first. Things are not looking rosy in the office right now, and your attention is heavily needed, but I can hold down my own just until you finish your leave. I can do damage control just until you come. Maybe it would have been a bit better if you came down last week? But I’ll handle everything, I promise,” he said.I didn’t give him a chance to speak another word, and I ended the call for fear of the worst.Damage control, he said.What control could he possibly have for such a ghastly calamity?Somehow, I knew this was my fault. If only I had gotten there last week, like he said.
ISLA’S POV“Hi?” I spoke up as Dante answered on the first ring.“I wanted you to know that I would be at the office and may need you to come in. The crisis - just make sure you attend. Please,” I said, trying not to sound too desperate.“Sure. Anything else?” he asked, and my brows furrowed.I mean, I get that he was upset with me and that we had unfinished business, but did he have to be that cold?“The kids send their greetings,” I said, too obvious a lie that Axel turned in his seat from the driver’s side and looked at me for a bit before grunting.Dante scoffed, “Right, see you at the office.” Then he hung up.I stared at my phone in disbelief at what had just happened before turning to Axel, but he only gave me a look from the side but said nothing.I remember when I happily made Dante on my board of directors in the company, how it felt right to have the man I owed my life and my success story to be a part of it. Now, I didn’t know if that decision was going to bite me in the a
ISLA'S POV"Are you ok?" Axel suddenly asked me, tapping my shoulder lightly.I looked at him and nodded my head, trying to pretend as though I wasn't hurting.Last night, after the awkward confrontation, Axel left me to go to a hotel, and Dante finally agreed to let me inside the house.I tried to start a conversation with him, but nothing seemed to be enough, and just when I thought I had gathered enough courage to speak again, he announced that he was going out and didn't return till morning.Axel had picked me up from the steps just as he had dropped me off yesterday. I had texted him and my manager earlier because I needed to know what exactly had been destroyed.I directed Axel towards one of my fashion storage houses, and the white smoke that forced itself into my nose made my stomach churn, but it wasn't from the intensity. It was from sadness.After he had parked, I got down from the car, and my eyes began to water.I walked toward the rubble, and my eyes made out a figure -
TRISTAN'S POVStephanie finished making the call and passed a grin towards the kids."Who's hungry?" She asked the kids, and Tessa immediately raised her hand excitedly at the mention of food, whereas Tristan was as silent as a mouse.Stephanie noticed and immediately came beside the boy, hoping to get an answer from him."What about you, Tristan? Won't you eat?" She asked him, trying to sound as lovely as she could.Tristan was about to shake his head to say no when he looked into Stephanie's eyes and saw them change color, and his own eyes widened in shock as he backed up a little."I take that, as a yes?" She asked Tristan sweetly, squinting her own eyes for effect, and Tristan nodded his head visibly in discomfort."Great! Follow me." She sounded childlike, and Tess was immediately behind Stephanie while Tristan started to wring his fingers.'Mommy would never treat me like that,' he thought to himself.He looked at Tessa all of a sudden, feeling the urge to talk to his twin about
ISLA’S POVMy heart skipped a beat, and guilt filled every part of it as Dante looked down at the picture and then at me with empty eyes.Axel snatched the picture from Dante’s hands and took a closer look, making me feel more uncomfortable. What did he want to see aside from what was already there, a normal picture of me placing my hands across Dante’s neck while I posed with him, showcasing my engagement band?Instinctively, I placed a hand on my ring finger, and I saw Axel’s eyes catch my movement.Axel looked at me and frowned.“Why is there a picture of the two of you buried in the ashes, and how did you know about it?” he asked Dante, but he ignored him and then Axel started to strain his eyes and flipped the photo, and his demeanor changed immediately.“What is it?” I asked, my mind already weak with worry.“You have to see this,” he said, giving me the picture.I flipped it, and a gasp escaped my lips before Dante snatched the photo from my hand and started to read aloud.“You
ISLA’S POVMy body ached, and I was sore all over.I managed to lift Dante's hands off my core and sat up, my body craving some form of relief from last night's experience.I was plagued with memories of everything that had happened, from Axel's accusations to Dante's sex.It still wasn't making any sense. Despite Axel having his claw marks in Dante's name, it still didn't add up because Dante could never do anything that would harm me. After all, harming me would be harming himself.But if I didn't know the assailant, who did all of this? I wish there were a way for me to go back in time and make everything right.I looked over at Dante, his sleeping form very peaceful.Suddenly, it occurred to me.There was a solution, and it was sitting right outside of my door.I quickly got off the bed without waking Dante, my steps light, and movements swift.I nearly ran towards my goal, my legs increasing in pace.My hands touched the doorknob that led to my home office. It pained me that it t
ISLA'S POVMy world spun around and collapsed on my head as I raced back inside the house, desperate to understand what the hell had just happened.How did everything fall?I grabbed my phone, looking for someone to call, for anybody to listen to me as my mind played the voice of Dante screaming over and over again how this was my fault and how my mind betrayed me in believing it."Hello?" I said, my voice breaking as more tears streamed down my face."What happened?" Axel's voice came through from the speaker, and sobs raked my body."I'll be there," he said, my body already collapsing before he hung up.Almost simultaneously, my phone rang, and I hurriedly picked it up, my eyes catching a glimpse of the caller ID and seeing that it was unknown."Hello?" I asked, trying to mask the fact that I was crying before."Is this Ms. Isla?" A man's voice pushed through the speaker, and my body tensed."This is she," I replied, running at my eyes to still my tears."You have to come down to th
STEPHANIE’S POVI smiled against the door frame and watched the children sleep after letting them consume more than twenty potion-induced sandwiches.After ensuring they were genuinely asleep, I marched towards my own chambers, my steps carefully placed in front of the other.It was high time I checked in with my master.I carefully closed the door and locked it before standing in front of the mirror. Then, I began to wave my hands, and my voice changed.I started to recite some incantations, and my body began to deform. The once beautiful skin I was wearing seemed to melt away from my skin, the smoothness of it fading rapidly as pain shot through me.Grey hairs stood still as I continued the incantations.When I was done, I placed a now shriveled hand on the table, and my reflection showed my true nature, and a wicked smile crossed my face.I stood back, this time taking a knife and slicing the inner part of my palms and allowing blood to coat my fingertips. Then I went back to the m
ISLA'S POVDante was back once again.It was like he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.“I’m back, my love,” he slurred, moving close to Axel and me. “Did you miss me?”I inhaled a stench coming out of his mouth. He was drunk.“Guards!” Axel called out. “Take this man out of my palace.”“Axel, he’s in a poor state. I don’t think -"“- He needs to go!” Axel interrupted in a firm voice and then turned to face his guards. “Seize him.”They bowed their head before turning to apprehend Dante forcefully, and then they dragged him out of the palace.“I’m going to be back, and I’m not going to stop until I prove to you that I’m worthy of your forgiveness.”“This is madness!” Axel said once Dante had left our sight, “Pure madness.”“If you say so!” I said calmly.“It seems his little act is beginning to soften you!” He arched a brow.“It’s not. I want him to be as far away from me as possible. But it’s dark, and he’s in a vulnerable state. We can’t just leave him out there like that.”“Whe
ISLA'S POVI was glad that Dante obeyed my words and left, and my only concern was if he would truly stick to his words.“I will see that he lets you be.”Axel's voice drew me out of my thoughts, and I faced him with a smile.“Thanks.”I closed the door behind me, and I was finally able to take the nap I desperately needed.The next time I woke up, the sun had gone down, and I was confused about how long I had fallen asleep.I was still trying to figure it out when I heard a knock on the door, so I drew my dress tightly around my body and proceeded to the door. When I opened it, my anger resurfaced.“Dante! I made it very clear that you should leave.”“I know you did, but then I realized that you haven’t rested after everything that happened. That’s why you acted that way,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. “We are adults, Isla, and matters like this can be handled with any fuss, and I got you this.”I didn’t realize that his hand had tucked behind his back until I saw him str
ISLA'S POVThe scene in front of me was devastating.I might have hated Stephanie for betraying me and pretending to be who she wasn’t, but I couldn't shake off the thought that she was once a friend as I turned to look at her.She had changed and didn’t look like the person I had known. Her features were different.“Throw her into the woods,” Axel instructed his guards, “And make sure you don’t leave until she’s eaten by some animal.”The guards nodded, carrying Stephanie away, and then Axel turned to face me. He moved closer, wrapping me into an embrace.“I’m so glad that you’re safe,” He murmured before placing a kiss on my head.It was the sweetest thing I had seen Axel do. Maybe the fact that he had almost lost me made him realize a lot of things.“How did you even find me?”“I used the mate haunt. I discovered you were missing after I sent Ray to inform you about the kids.”“The kids? What happened to the kids?”“Stephanie had tried to drown them,” he deadpanned.My face fell. “W
AXEL'S POVI didn’t want Isla to find out that I was going in search of the children. I told her I had important things to do, and she seemed to have bought it because she didn’t question me.I was glad I didn’t tell her they were missing, as I could only imagine how she would have felt seeing her daughter in that state.As I pulled myself out of my thoughts, my eyes landed on my daughter’s body, which appeared so lifeless, and my heart ached so badly.I wrapped her in my hands, heading to the nearest hospital with my men and Tristian by my side.“Drive faster!” I shouted at the driver, and my hands, which were wrapped around my daughter, were quivering.He didn’t respond, but he increased the car's speed, and I kept staring at my daughter, pushing her hair backward.“You’re going to be fine!” I said as I continued to caress her hair. “Hang in there for me.”“Is she going to be okay, Daddy?” Tristan’s voice met my ears. He sounded afraid.“She’s going to be alright. You don’t have to
TRISTIAN'S POVTristian watched as Stephanie grabbed his sister’s hair. He was frightened, but he knew his sister would get hurt if he didn’t intervene.“Let my sister go!” Tristan stood up from where he was and moved in Stephanie’s direction.As he got closer, his eyes reflected sternness, but the next thing that happened took him by surprise. He didn’t expect it and knew he couldn’t stop it.Stephanie grabbed him by the hair, and her fingers, or rather claws in Tristian’s description, dug into his skull. He felt pain radiate through his body at that point and yelled above his lungs.He wasn’t the only one yelling. His sister was also shouting and fussing, trying her best to free herself from Stephanie’s clutches.Tristian didn’t have it in him to kick, so he just kept yelling, increasing his tone every second, and he hoped someone would come to save them - probably his dad, mom, or some guard.In his six-year-old mind, he was hoping for a miracle. Actually, he was wishing for someth
STEPHANIE’S POVMy plans were working.The euphoric feeling pumping through my blood couldn’t go unnoticed, as every step I took away from Isla was rhythmic. The sad look on Isla’s face caught my eyes, and I felt very satisfied. I couldn’t wait for the final plan. The pain Isla was feeling couldn’t be compared to the pain she would feel once she discovered that her kids had been drowned.As for Axel, little did he know that his life had crumbled. The kids are gone, and Isla is about to have the shock of her life and die from a heart attack when she finds out about the death of her kids. Gosh! How much I loved how everything was playing out. I was having a good day, and it was only going to get better. I was going to see Axel, and I planned to visit him looking like Isla.Before heading out, I went to see Isla again. Her head was hung low when I entered, but she seemed to have heard my footsteps because she looked up, gnawing at me. “Hey! Hey!” I said, moving closer to her. “You do
STEPHANIE’S POVI heard a knock on the door and stood up quickly, hoping it wasn’t Isla. My cheeks hurt from fake smiling all day and pretending I cared about her.I couldn’t wait for the hour when the sun would set so I could execute my plans, and I smirked just thinking about it, but the smirk left my lips the second I heard the knocking sound.I walked to the door and opened it gently, and the pissed look on my face faded after my eyes landed on Isla.As I questioned her, my cheeks were hurting from smiling, but I had to keep up the act.“Yes, how do I look?”I gave her a reply, and I watched her giggle like a happy little kid as she walked away. I couldn’t wait to wipe that smile off her face and watch her beg for mercy and the kids. How could I forget how I would make those little angels suffer?Isla and Axel would never know what hit them. It would be like a storm crashed into their life and wrecked it all.I laughed and shut the door behind me as I moved close to my bed and dro
ISLA’S POVI headed to my room with joy spiraling in my heart. The fact that Axel had apologized made me so happy. I didn’t expect him to make that move, but I was glad he did, and the minute my eyes landed on my room door, a smile caressed my lips.I pulled it open quickly, walking in the direction of my wardrobe right away. I didn’t have any idea of what I was going to wear, and as I pulled open the wardrobe, I realized deciding what to wear would be a very difficult task.I took a deep breath before digging into the pile of clothes in my wardrobe, and I started with a black dress with a cute slit, but it didn’t look appealing when I tried it on, so I decided to try on another cloth with a similar design but a different color.When I stood in front of the mirror, I wasn’t very pleased with my appearance, so I removed the gown and sat on the bed.I hated this.I wondered why I was dressing up for Axel. I wanted to just try on something simple, but this was the first time Axel and I w
AXEL’S POV“I feel like a bad mother,” Isla said, and the sadness in her eyes caused my heart to churn. The stern demeanor I had on dropped that instant.“The kids hate me. That’s why they are mad at me and why they’re not talking to me and rejecting my food. And things feel so weird.”“I think you’re overthinking it.” My voice sounded a bit edgy.“I’m not, Axel. I could feel that distance between us, and Stephanie also communicated their feelings to me.”“I understand,” I said, feeling her pain. “But you don’t need to let that bother you. I’m sure they would come around.”“How can I not? My own children hate me,” she continued speaking. “A mother is meant to be a role model to her kids, but I’m nothing of that much.”“You’re Isla. You have always been a role model to your kids.”“Well, I don’t think they feel so, and you’re only saying these words to make me feel better.” She sighed sadly, a sign I wasn’t doing an excellent job of helping her feel better.I wasn’t really good at coax