Royce's POV My whole body felt paralyzed and I could barely breathe when I heard everything Vera said to me. I saw the anger in her eyes and it was like fire burning through my veins. Vera and her companions already left but I chose to stay inside my car for a while. I don't know how to bear this pain but I couldn't blame her because it was all my fault. Now, I'm paying the prize for hurting her and accusing her of the things she never had done in her life. But I won't give up on her, no matter what! I took my cellphone and dialed Vince's number. "Hey bro, wazz up?", I heard my friend speaking on the other line. "Uhm, Alexa was with Vera a while ago. She accompanied her to an Oby gyne clinic". "Uh--I see. She told me, she need to see Vera because she wanted to ask her, why Vera canceled her flight to Canada." "She would be flying to Canada bro, with whom? with Dave?", I asked continuously and my voice got a little louder. "Hmm. Dave? Who is he, bro?" A long deep sigh esca
Royce's POVNow I'm certain that Reid knew everything about Margaret's plastic surgery before he got into an accident. But why he did not tell me when we talked in the hospital? I asked, at the back of my mind. I looked at him silently, waiting for him to say something more."That time when we talked in the hospital, I said it was Andrea. I wanted to tell you, it was Margaret who stole Andrea's name, work, and identity. But I was worried about you then that you might not be able to control your anger and that our plan would go awry. Besides, I don't want anything wrong happen to you while I'm still in the hospital. I know how much you've done your part on my behalf. And for that, I'm truly grateful to you bro.""It's okay bro. Don't mention it. All my life, you've always been a good brother to me. And even though I have many shortcomings, still you understand me. So I wanted to make it up to you bro", I softly said.Suddenly, I remembered the sound recording stored on Reid's phone. I
Royce's POV Many things were revealed when we talked to Andrea's mother for half an hour. But the most shocking part was that Andrea looked exactly the same as Vera. I couldn't believe it when her mother showed us her picture. And then, she let us read Andrea's letter that was written a day before the murder took place. There she said, Margaret made her a deal to copy her face in exchange for 80, 000 dollars. Due to extreme necessity, because her mother had to go on a heart bypass surgery, she accepted the offer. But she was told to hide somewhere after her mother's operation. She just told her mother that she was hired to work for a certain company in Washington and so, she would be away from home. But as soon as she visited her family, she received death threats but just ignored them, until it happened. And there's only one person I thought responsible for it---Margaret! I took a quick glimpse at Reid who was just silent while his eyes were focusing on the road. I knew he was al
Vera's POVIt was already eleven in the evening but still, I couldn't sleep. So many things were lingering in my mind. I was thinking about Dave's offer. He said he would be willing to be a father to my baby. Well, Dave is a good man so eventually, I would learn to love him someday. I shook my head and heaved a deep sigh. Then suddenly, Royce's face flashed in my mind and anger rose in my heart. I hate him and I continue to hate this man until my last breath!Wanting to have someone to talk with, I reached for my phone and dialed Alexa's number, hoping she's still awake this time."Hello gurl, sorry for calling you this very late hour", I spoke on the line."It's okay, gurl. What's wrong?""Nothing too serious, gurl. It's just that I can't go to sleep. I kept on thinking about Dave's offer", I said."So? Have you made up your mind? Well, Dave is a good man. I know he could be a good husband to you and a good daddy to your child.""Isn't it unfair gurl?", I grunted."Yes, it may be u
Royce's POVIt was my alarm clock that woke me up from sleep. It was already six in the morning. I remember, Reid asked me to go with him today. Well, I couldn't believe I'm still needed in META now that he's back. Suddenly, what happened last night came back to my mind. Our lives were close to danger, at the hands of those people yet, we were still lucky, we have survived. I know my family and I were no longer safe, so we need to be very careful because we don't know yet, who were our real enemies.On the other hand, tomorrow would be Uncle Sam and Charles' first trial in court. I couldn't wait any longer for them to be convicted so they have to pay for the crimes they have committed. Suddenly my phone rang and it was my best friend Vince. It's been a while, we haven't seen and talked to each other. He was also busy with his parents' business. I'm glad he decided to take life seriously this time rather than going out with friends in bars and nightclubs. "Hello bro! Waz up man?", V
Royce's POV After Margaret's arrest, Reid called for an emergency meeting. While I remained to be in the office and looked for something inside Margaret's file cabinet. I'm just hoping I could find more shreds of evidence against her. I want this to end soon so I could fix everything with Vera. I swear to win her back, no matter what the cost. I tried to open Margaret's PC, but it was protected by a password. I tried to input Andrea's name in upper and lower cases, but it wasn't working. I don't have any idea, what could be the password, so I stopped. Then I looked for Margaret's planners and notebooks. I scanned the pages one by one until I saw something. It was a picture of her and Walter, eating in a certain restaurant. I closely looked at it to make sure it was him. It's really Walter---Reid's bestfriend. So many questions were lingering in my mind. Why do they have a picture together? I sat on the couch near Margaret's desk while in deep thought. Then I remembered the last t
Vera's POVThe name "Venice" kept popping in my head, the reason why I did not get enough sleep last night,Who is she? And why do we have her birth certificate?I looked at my watch and it's already seven in the morning. I guess, my brother has not yet left for work so, I quickly jumped out of bed and was about to flip the doorknob when I remembered the birth certificate. I stepped back and took it from the drawer, and then I went out.My brother's room was just a few steps away from my room. And as soon as I reached the doorstep, I softly knocked on the door."Boo? Are you still there? Can I get inside?", I asked."Yes, sweetie come in."I opened the door and went inside. I saw my brother focusing on his laptop, so I guess, I got the wrong timing. "Yes sweetie, what is it? Are you okay?", he asked while his eyes were still focused on what he was doing.I came closer and stood near his table. He looked at me and smiled. Then he told me to sit on the couch near him."Boo--I'm sorry,
Royce's POV After I answered some questions from the police about the incident, I left the place. But as I looked at my sleeve, it was stained with blood so I took it off, and put on my jacket. Luckily I left it in the car, otherwise, I would have had nothing to wear. As soon as I was finished, I started the engine and pulled the driveway going back to META. I giddily looked at my watch, and it's almost twelve noon. I took my cellphone from my pants to check if I got messages, but there was none. But in no time, it rang and it was coming from Reid. "Hello bro, where are you now? I heard the news about the murder incident. I got worried when I saw you there", my brother spoke first. "Are you okay?", he asked anxiously. "Yes, bro. I'm fine. I'm on my way to META now. We'll just talk later", I responded and then ended the call. While I was on my way, I couldn't help but think about what Roxette told me when she was already dying. What's there in the flower vase she had mentioned? Wh
"Congratulations Mr. Miller, your wife has delivered a baby boy and a baby girl!", the doctor smiled. "Wow! You have twins!", Vince and Alexa spoke together. "Thank you doctor", Royce said in excitement. "Congratulations bro!", Vince tapped Royce's shoulder and shook his hand. "You are now a Daddy bro!", Alexa chuckled. Soon after, they went inside the private room to see Vera. Royce kissed his wife passionately and held her hand gently. "You delivered a twin babe! Thank God! You are safe." "Congratulations Vera!", Vince said. "Gurl, congratulations! You are now a certified Mommy!", Alexa uttered and kissed Vera's cheek. "Thank you. How about you? Are you not planning to get pregnant?", Vera asked. Vince and Alexa looked at each other as if there was something they wanted to tell. "Gurl, what is it?", Vera asked in confusion. "Uhm, the truth is---I am one-month pregnant gurl!" "Oh really?", Vera exclaimed in surprise. "Wow, bro congrats!", Royce hugged Vince and tapped
Vera's POVOne week had passed after my last conversation with Royce yet the sting of our farewell was still present. I thought it would be easy for me but with each passing day, I felt an inexplicable sadness and emptiness deep within. I was supposed to be happy with my decision but it did not turn out as I expected to happen. Until I found myself aimlessly scrolling through my phone, ending up in the recycle bin. The photos of Royce and me, which I had previously removed, were still there. As I looked at them, my tears began to flow one by one, as I yearned for those times we spent together.Dave on the other hand was just waiting for me to say 'yes' to his marriage proposal. I was supposed to accept his offer a day after I said goodbye to Royce but suddenly I found myself in a state of confusion. "What's wrong sweetie?", Harold asked anxiously while we were having breakfast one morning."I noticed that you've been like that for a few days. Do you think your Mom would be happy to k
Vera's POVI was resting in my bed, yet sleep eluded me. I kept on thinking about Royce and how he took the bullets that were intended for me. I was just thankful that nothing bad happened to him, otherwise, I couldn't find peace of mind in my lifetime.Reid and Mrs. Miller asked me to stay in the hospital until Royce woke up. But I decided to leave since I did not want him to see me. I was eternally grateful to him for saving me and my baby, and for that, I had already forgiven him. That was all.Meanwhile, I was thinking about Margaret. Finally, we got justice for Andrea. Her life imprisonment would be enough to pay for all the things she did to me, to my sister, and Roxette. Suddenly, Harold was knocking at the door. I knew that it was him since he usually knocked three times."Yes boo, come in!", I said.Harold entered my room and sat on my bed. "How are you, sweetie?""I'm fine boo.""Uhm, what do you want to do now sweetie? Are you still planning to go to Canada and settle the
Vera's POV While the jury was still deliberating about Margaret's cases, we took first a break outside. Vince approached us while Royce remained seated on a couch a little distant from us. "Hi babe!", Vince greeted Alexa with a kiss, and then he turned to me. "Hi Vera", he said and hugged me. "Hello, Vince. It's good to see you here! Uhm, by the way, this is my Mom. I mean, my biological mother and my younger sister", I said. "Hmm. Yes. Alexa told me about it", Vince responded and greeted Mom. "Hi, Aunt Olivia. Hello, little girl!", he messed up my little sister's long hair. She was a shy-type girl but according to my mother, she was not like this before when Andrea was still alive. She was attached to my twin sister so until now, she still couldn't move on from what happened. "Uhm, Vince let me introduce to you my friend Dave." "Dave, this is Vince, Alexa's boyfriend." Vince smiled and greeted him with a handshake. "Hi, bro! Nice meeting you." Dave returned the smile, but s
Vera's POV It was my alarm clock that woke me up from sleep. Despite the early hour, I had to get up due to Margaret's impending trial, a day I had been eagerly anticipating. I was hopeful for a just verdict that would make Margaret accountable for her actions. After this, I would be staying in Canada for good. This had been my plan before but it did not realize because I still wanted Margaret to pay for Identity Theft and most importantly, for killing my sister. My mother and I had already concurred on this. I would be living with her and my younger sister to make up those times we were not together. And--- Dave unexpectedly crossed my mind. I pondered over the possibility of accepting his marriage proposal. After all, he was a decent man, and eventually, I would learn to love him. But what if I fail? Everyone advised me to accept Dave's proposal for my baby's sake. Yet, I harbored doubts, as I didn't want to take advantage of his kindness. It would be unfair to him. A phone ca
Royce's POV For us to avoid the media men, Reid and I took the elevator going to the basement. "Bro, are you okay?", I asked and tapped his shoulder, Reid just let out a heavy sigh, instead of answering my question. "Are we going home now bro? I think you need to take some rest", I said as I started the engine. "Nope, bro. Let's drop by at the police station. I wanted to see that traitor friend of mine!", Reid gritted his teeth as he emphasized the word 'traitor'. I did as what I was told to do but I did not bother to talk to him while we were on our way. I knew he was not okay. The corners of his mouth turned down in a sad frown while his brows furrowed. His complexion paled as if the blood had drained from his face. His gaze was a mixture of pain and anger for being betrayed by his best friend. A few moments later, we arrived at the police station. Reid got out of the car first so I hurried to get out as well. We entered at the entrance door and the first thing that caught ou
Royce's POV Finally, the stars were aligned with us. With the help of our competent detectives, the police were able to catch the other kidnappers involved in Reid's kidnapping incident. We also found out that one of them was the driver who bumped into Dad's car, so, that person was indicted in a murder case. The police asked him the reason for killing my father but he said he was just following an order from his 'boss'—something that was baffling in my mind. Moreover, Nicholas Monet, also known as 'Simon Morris' was caught by the authorities at the LA Cruise Terminal when he was about to board a cruise ship. This time, I would make sure that this fucking asshole would be put behind bars and pay for all the crimes he committed. However, the person who ordered him to illicitly withdraw funds from our account was not yet identified. Until now, I still couldn't figure out who was behind it. On the other hand, Uncle Sam and Charles were already convicted of embezzlement and attempted
Royce's POV As soon as mom saw us at the door, she felt a sense of relief that was like a soothing balm, easing the worry that gnawed her heart from the time Reid was kidnapped until I left to meet the kidnappers. She quickly ran towards us and opened her arms. "Reid! Oh! God Thank you so much!", mom exclaimed and hugged us while tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. "Are you okay son? Did they not hurt you?" "I'm fine, mom", Reid responded softly. "Royce! Thank you for fulfilling your promise to bring your brother back home. I'm glad you are both safe!", she said as she wiped her tears away. Her face lit up with a bright smile whispering words of love and joy as she embraced us warmly. But despite her smile, restlessness was evident in her eyes, indicating the need for her to get some rest. So Reid and I accompanied her to her room and waited until she had drifted off to sleep. Together we left mom's room, moving quietly so as not to disturb her. "Bro, I think you need to take
Royce's POV The ransom demanded for the release of my brother was already inside the money bag. Everything was set ready, but still waiting for the kidnappers' call to provide the precise location of our meetup. They insisted that I would come alone and I had to follow them for my brother's safety. However, the police had organized a backup team that would support me in carrying out my plan. Suddenly our residence telephone rang. I hurriedly picked it up for I thought it was coming from the kidnappers. "Good morning sir. This is from Ally Bank. We would like to inform you that your family savings account is temporarily frozen because we noticed suspicious activity", the bank personnel spoke intently. "What do you mean suspicious activity sir?", I asked in confusion. "After you had withdrawn the substantial sum of 100 million dollars, another transaction took place, depleting 500 million dollars from the account. It was only later when we discovered that Reid Miller's signature wa