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Imogene Scott Damien refuses to speak to me for the rest of the trip. I don’t blame him, I really messed up and it has once again cost us our relationship. I try to keep my thoughts occupied with Lily throughout the remaining twenty four hours that the storm persisted. Even throughout the flight home, we didn’t say anything to each other. The moment we touch down in LA, I feel the gnawing guilt that has been growing in my chest again. Damien and I have barely spoken since the incident with Jace. His hands grip the steering wheel tightly as he drives, but his eyes are fixed on the road ahead. I glance at him, wanting to say something, but the words don’t come out. Instead, I just stare out the window and let my mind by consumed by one thing—Lily.By the time we pull up to Aces penthouse, stomach is in knots. I practically throw the car door open, not waiting for Damien as I rush into the building. The walk across the lobby feels like forever but I finally walk into the elevator. D
Imogene Scott As soon as we buckle Lily into the backseat, I can feel my heart squeezing in my chest. Damien and I slid into the front seat and he starts the engine. But his gaze flickers to me before pulling out of the parking lot. "It's going to be fine," he says, but I can hear the tension underneath. He’s trying to reassure me, but all I can think about is how wrong everything feels. I look back at Lily through the rearview mirror. Her tiny body is slumped slightly and her eyelids flutter as if even staying awake is too much effort.I force myself to breathe, to keep it together, but the sight of her pale face, the way her little hands rest limply in her lap, is too much for me to take in. "She's too warm," I murmur, more to myself than to Damien.My hand is hovering over her forehead again as if I could do something—anything—to make her feel better. Damien reaches over, squeezing my knee gently. His eyes briefly meeting mine. "Kids get fevers. Kids get tired. We’re just
Damien Shaw The drive home feels suffocating and hands grip the steering wheel tighter to ease the tension in my shoulders. I glance over at Imogene. She’s staring out the window. Her eyes are red from holding back tears. She hasn’t said a word since we left the hospital. She doesn’t need to—her pain is written all over her face.I hate this feeling. This helplessness. I don't give a damn about what happened with Jace anymore. Right now, none of that matters. The only thing that does is Lily. And Imogene. I look in the rearview mirror at our little girl. She’s still too pale, too fragile and her head is resting against the car seat. Seeing her like this... it cuts me deep in ways I can’t even articulate. She’s so small. Too small for this kind of fear.When we finally pull into the penthouse, Imogene unbuckles her seatbelt but doesn’t move for a moment. I reach out, placing my hand on hers. “We’ll get through this,” I say.She doesn’t respond, just nods slightly, then gets out
Imogene ScottThe first light of dawn filters through the curtains as I lie in bed, staring at the ceiling. I haven’t slept, not really. Damien is beside me, his breaths deep and steady, but I know he didn’t sleep much either. His arm is across his chest and his face is turned towards me in his sleep. Quietly, I slip out of bed, careful not to disturb him. The floor is cold under my feet as I make my way down the hall to Lily’s room. The door is slightly ajar and soft light is spilling in from the curtains. I step inside and I see Lily. She’s still asleep, curled up on her side with her favorite stuffed rabbit tucked under her arm.I stand there for a moment, just watching her. Her tiny chest rises and falls with each breath, and for a fleeting second, it’s like everything is normal again. Like she’s just sleeping peacefully, like any other morning. But then I see the faint bruises on her arms and the knot in my stomach tightens. I feel so helpless. My baby girl... she’s so small
Damien Shaw The drive to the oncologist feels endless. Imogene is in the passenger seat, her face turned toward the window, but I know she’s not really seeing anything. She hasn’t said much since this morning, since the call. I glance at her, her hand resting limp in her lap, and the sight makes something twist painfully in my chest.Lily is quiet in the back, strapped into her car seat, her small voice asking every now and then. I force a smile, looking at her through the rearview mirror. “Almost there, sweetie,”I grip the steering wheel harder, my knuckles turning white, trying to hold myself together for both of them.The closer we get to the hospital, the more my stomach tightens, a knot of dread that’s been growing since the blood test results came in. I can’t shake the thought—the possibility—that today’s the day everything changes. That we’re about to hear something we can’t unhear.When we finally pull into the hospital parking lot, Imogene turns to me. There’s fea
Imogene Scott The oncologist’s words blur together. It’s a stream of medical jargon that I can’t fully grasp. “Bone marrow transplant… a match… family members…” It all echoes around me like I’m underwater, and everything else seems distant. I stare at Lily who’s now sitting on the hospital bed. Her little fingers are clutching the toy we brought from home and she’s smiling at it, making it bounce in her lap.My throat tightens. How is this happening? How is this our reality? Lily shouldn’t be here. She should be playing outside, laughing, not lying on a hospital bed with tubes in her arms. The doctor is still talking, but every word hits like a sledgehammer to my chest. "We need to find a match,” he says, and I nod because I know I’m supposed to, but my mind is still struggling to comprehend. A match. We need a match.Immediate family. That’s us. Me. Damien. Maybe one of us can save her. “We’ll start testing as soon as possible,” the doctor continues, his eyes flicking between
Damien Shaw I volunteer to be tested first. It’s the only thing I know how to do in this moment, the only thing that makes sense. “We’ll both do it,” I say, glancing at Imogene.She’s now quiet again I feel this ache in my chest because I don’t know how to fix this. I’ve always been able to fix things for us before, but this? This is beyond anything I can control. The drive to the lab is a blur. We’re accompanied by one of doctor Whitman’s specialists. Imogene is quiet, staring out the window like she’s always doing. I keep my hand on her thigh, squeezing it every now and then, but she doesn’t react. I’m terrified of what’s going through her head, of the distance growing between us, even though I know it’s not me she’s pulling away from — it’s the weight of all this.When we get to the lab, the smell of antiseptic hits me hard, and I hate it. I hate that this is our reality now, that this is where we have to be because our daughter is sick. I glance at Imogene again as they l
Imogene Scott It was hard to focus on the dull ache in my lower abdomen, because I’m in a constant reminder of how close I’d come to losing everything. Abortion pills. The words echo in my mind. How? Why? I didn’t take anything like that. I wouldn’t.“Your gynecologist recommended drugs to you?” I nod, confused and uncertain at the same time. Yes, Dr. Pepp had prescribed something, and I’d taken them without hesitation, trusting they were for the twins' health. I can still see the disbelief in Damien’s eyes, the storm building behind them before he stormed out of the hospital room. Now I’m alone, left to piece together the scattered fragments of what had happened.I sit up slightly in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the door Damien just stormed out of. The words still echo in my head. It doesn’t make sense. I only took what Dr. Pepp prescribed. My hands tremble as I press them to my belly, trying to anchor myself to the reality that my babies are still safe. I can’t sto
Damien ShawThe office feels suffocating tonight. It’s past 9 p.m., and I’ve been waiting all day for feedback about Gerald’s latest screw-up. Patience isn’t my strong suit, and right now, it’s wearing thin. I glance at my phone for what feels like the hundredth time. No messages. No missed calls. Not from Imogene. That’s what surprises me the most. She always checks in, even if it’s just a quick text. Maybe she’s just tired. The drive home is quiet. When I pull into the driveway, the house looks the same as it always does. I step out of the car and into the cool night air. Inside, the aroma of something faintly sweet greets me. Sheila’s in the kitchen, wiping down the counter. She looks up and smiles when she sees me. “Evening, Mr. Shaw,” she says cheerfully. “Long day?” “Yeah.” I drop my briefcase by the door and loosen my tie. “Where’s Imogene?” “She’s been asleep since this afternoon,” Sheila says. “I didn’t want to disturb her. She looked so tired.” I frown. “That’
Imogene Scott The air inside the car feels suffocating as I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles white against the leather. The phone call is still replaying in my head including my conversation with Lila. It wasn’t her that made the threatening call. I’m sure of it now. But if it wasn’t her, then who was it? I force myself to focus on the road ahead. My fingers tighten around the wheel as I take the familiar turn toward the hospital. The parking lot is half-empty. I pull into a spot near the entrance and kill the engine. For a moment, I sit there, staring at the hospital entrance. Six months. I rest a hand on my stomach to feel the faint stir of life within me. “We’re okay,” I whisper softly, but the weight in my chest doesn’t lift. I climb out of the car, the cool breeze biting against my skin as I cross the lot. The hospital doors slide open with a faint hiss, and I step into the sterile, overly bright lobby. When I reach Dr. Pepp’s office, she’s waiting for me. H
Damien Shaw I walk into the office that morning, lost in thought. I can still feel Imogene’s body next to mine from last night. I wanted to ask her about Ville Road, but I don’t know how to do it without sounding accusatory. Without making her feel like I’m questioning her. Hell, I’ve never been good at that—asking the hard questions, digging into the things I want to know but don’t always want the answers to. I close my eyes briefly as I move down the hall. What the hell was she doing there? I tell myself I trust her. I do. I reach my office, push the door open, and step inside. The moment I do, I stop dead in my tracks. Kia’s pacing in front of my desk, her heels clicking against the floor. Her brows are furrowed, and she doesn’t even notice me until I clear my throat. “Mr Shaw,” she says, stopping. “Gerald dropped by earlier this morning.” I feel relief at the mention of Gerald’s name. “Gerald?” I repeat, still standing in the doorway. “I told you he was only caught u
Imogene Scott I sit frozen on the edge of the bed, staring at my phone screen, the words "Unknown Caller" still burned into my mind. The robotic voice from the call plays over and over again. “Whatever you think you’re doing, stop it now. Things might get ugly.”A chill runs through me, and I rub my arms, trying to shake it off. My mind races. Who was it? How do they know what I’m doing? And why now? The door creaks open, snapping me out of my thoughts. My heart jumps in my chest, and I instinctively clutch my phone tighter. But it’s Damien. Relief floods me, but only for a moment. His face is drawn. Something about him feels off. “Hey,” I say softly, rising from the bed. I move toward him and wrap my arms around him. He hugs me back, but it’s not the same. His body feels stiff, like he’s holding something back. I pull back and study his face. “Are you okay?” I ask. “Just work stress,” he mutters, brushing past me. Work stress? I know Damien better than that. He’s hid
Imogene Scott The city stretches out in front of me as I drive. My fingers drum lightly against the steering wheel. How am I supposed to find out what this key unlocks? From what I’ve seen, Lila will continue to be tight-lipped. But at least I know how important the key is amd whatever “this is bigger than you.” threat she spilled isn’t going to scare me. I grip the wheel tighter. The dashboard clock flashes 2:45 PM, and I realize it’s almost time to pick up Lily. I push my thoughts aside, turning the car toward her school. When I pull up, I see Lily. She’s standing by the gate, clutching her little pink bag. Her mouth set in a pout. Normally, she runs to me the moment she sees the car. But today? Today, she walks. Slow. When she reaches the car, she opens the back door herself and climbs in, offering me only a quiet, "Hi, Mum," before clicking her seatbelt into place. When did my baby girl become such a grown up?"Hi, sweetheart," I say softly, turning in my seat to look at
Damien Shaw I pull into the parking lot of Shaw Tech. I’m a little stressed from all the drama this morning. Between Lily's tantrums of her avoiding Imogene and Imogene’s sudden emotional distance. I can’t seem to focus. It feels like I’ve been juggling too many balls, and any minute now, one of them is bound to drop. I grab my briefcase from the passenger seat and step out, adjusting my tie as I walk toward the building. The elevator ride up is quick, and when the doors open to my office floor, Kia is already waiting by my door. Her crisp blouse and tightly pulled-back hair are as perfect as always."Good morning, Kia," I say as I step into my office. "Morning, sir," she replies, following me in. "We’ve got a problem." I drop my briefcase onto the desk and loosen my tie slightly. "Don’t tell me. Let me guess—Gerald still isn’t here." "You guessed right," she says. "Three days now without any notice. And sir, I don’t think it’s just a personal issue." I pause mid-reach
Imogene Scott As soon as Damien and Lily leave the house that morning, I take a moment to gather my thoughts together. From what I discovered yesterday, Terry and Lila used to be together but Lila left him to get married to my father. My question now is why Lila would date someone who had nothing, someone like Terry. Could it be because she needed access to something? The key he made for dad? I mean Terry made the key which is something seemingly important so that’s the only explanation.I shove the thought aside as I rush into the bathroom. The water in the shower is scalding, and I let it sting my skin as I hurriedly scrub myself clean. I need to see Lila again.After a quick change into dark jeans and a simple blouse, I head downstairs and I spot Sheila walking in through the front door. She’s carrying a small tote.“Good morning, Imogene,” she greets me.Her smile is bright and unnervingly warm. Something about Sheila stirs an uneasy feeling in me, though I can’t place it.
Note: the last two chapters have been edited. Read them before proceeding.Imogene ScottI wake up to the sound of water running in the bathroom. The spot next to me in bed is cold, Damien already gone. The faint hum of the shower fills the room, but it does little to distract me from the heavy knot of guilt in my chest. Last night’s events play on a loop in my head—Damien’s disappointment, Lily’s tears, Sheila stepping in where I failed. I sit up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and glance at the clock on the nightstand. It’s just after 6 a.m. Damien’s workday will start soon, and I don’t even know how to approach him after what happened. But more than that, I don’t know how to face Lily. I take a deep breath and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The floor is cool against my bare feet as I walk to the closet. Pulling open the door, I automatically grab one of Damien’s pressed shirts and a tie, laying them neatly on the bench by the foot of the bed. The shower contin