~Genevieve~"Here are the drugs, Ryder, you need to take them now." I said arriving back in the bedroom with a cup of water. After bringing Ryder home, I decided to go get drugs and probably prepare noodles so he'd eat something before taking the drugs. I was surprised he lived in this kind of place. Was he that broke that he was unable to get a good apartment for himself or was it he decision to live here in the slums?"It's okay, Gen. Just leave them there and go home. You shouldn't even be here any longer. You've done enough. Just go home. I'll take care of myself.""Oh really? Just exactly how are you planning on taking of yourself in this condition? How? When you're dead? Stop with the bullshit and take these drugs already. Please."He sighed, sat up and collected the pills and glass of water from my hold. "You're so stubborn, you know."I heaved a sigh when he finally swallowed the pills. " And you're far worse. Here," I picked up the plate of noodles and placed it on my lap. "Y
~*Mirabelle*~"Aren't we there yet?" Gabriel asked from the backseat of the car. "No, still a few minutes away. You hungry?" Mariano turned back and asked him."I'd be grateful if I could get a packet of fries and a cup of chocolate ice cream." He muttered from behind. I gaped at him. Was he being shy right now?"What about you, Belle?""I'm not hungry." I tore my gaze away from his."Okay. Just wait here then. Both of you. I'll go get some food." He said and got out of the car."Exactly, how close are you to a stranger like him?""He's my friend. He's not a stranger,""Well, you don't know him that well, do you?""He's the brother of the man who's trapped you your whole life. You shouldn't trust a person so easily, kid.""I'm. Not a kid. Okay? I'm four and I'm no longer a baby.""Oh, you're a baby. You're mom's baby. You're my bab---""I'm not your baby, you took me away from mom." He said and scowled at me."To protect you, of course.""I don't...need your protection.""You annoyin
*~Mirabelle~*I came back in the bedroom to see Mariano busy with the sheets. "So, I'm really going to sleep here, ain't I?""Listen, I can leave if you want---""Leave.""What?""You said you can leave if I want. And now, I want you to leave. Go outside. Sleep elsewhere. Anywhere except here.""Mira---""Just leave! Mariano, stop making this harder for any of us. It's obvious I don't trust you so leave.""Fine." He tossed the bedsheets aside and picked his jacket from the wooden chair sitting beside the bed. "I'll leave." With that he stepped out of the room. When I appeared back in the living room, I saw Gabriel interrogating him. Quickly, I grabbed him and he flung away from my hold. "No! Let me go! You're sending him away, why? He brought us here. How could you do this to him?""He should leave, Gabriel. I cannot and will not endanger your life, our lives by letting in a total stranger!""He is not a total stranger! He is my friend. He was there for me when you or Dad wasn't. You
*~Mirabelle~*"Mariano!"It was the loud shriek that woke me up from sleep. When I had managed to rub the sleep off from my eyes, I saw a blond woman, all wrapped up in Mariano's arms."What the---""Um, I.. Belle, this is Greta, Lola's daughter. And Greta, this is Mirabelle--""..the mother of your child?""What?" Mariano and I both echoed in unison. Then I realized she probably thought so because of Gabriel who was still sleeping on the bed beside me. "No, no, she's just a friend. And the little boy beside her is her brother. We're just here for safety.""Oh." All of sudden, she jumped to where I was and held out a hand, startling me. "Nice to meet you, Mirabelle. We're going to be great friends.""There would be no need for that since we'd be leaving today." I stated, getting up. "Any news of how I can reach my parents, Mariano?"He shook his head. "Great! Just great! At least, what's for breakfast then?"~*~Few minutes later, Gabriel and I were having breakfast with Lola, her a
*~Mirabelle~*I jerked off the bed in a panic, my hand moving to calm my racing heart that looked like it would burst out of my chest any moment from now. I was safe. Safe. Alive. It wasn't until I ran my fingers through my hair that I noticed my bandaged wrist.So he does care huh?But why does Mariano care about me so much? I mean, he doesn't even know me that well... we don't even get along and worse, it's only been for a short period of time and seriously? He cares about me so much? What exactly could be his reason?I got up from the bed, hastily changed my wet clothes into another Lola had left earlier this morning and stepped outside. Mariano was outside talking to Lola and he was shocked when he saw me..all dressed up."Belle?""Take me to him." I said, totally ignoring Lola's presence."What?""I said, take me to him! Take me to Luciano. Now!""You really are insane.""Um, I..will excuse you two for a moment." Lola cut in, gave a brief nod and walked out of sight.Mariano grip
~Thirteen years ago~"Mama! Mama! Come see what I found!"Vivian came running out of the house, the moment she heard Mira screaming. Vivian followed as Mira led her deep into the woods, miles away from their house."Christ, Mirabelle, what hell were you doing here?""I just came to fetch some snails when I found this,"Vivian's eyes rose when she saw the sight before them. "It's a boy. The hell is he doing here?" Quickly, Vivian ran to where the boy was and noticed he was injured badly. He had a wound on his left leg and his abdomen was bleeding badly, like he had been stabbed. He also had a minor scrap on his forehead, like he was stabbed and dumped here to die. But who on Earth would do this to a child? What on Earth had he done to deserve dying this way?"He's badly injured, mama, we should take him home.""No! Your father would kill us both when he finds out we brought a total stranger into our home. And worse, the people who did this to him could come after us if they find out we
~Kurt~"Boss, they're there. We've surrounded everywhere. Should we start action now?" Phil asked as I gave orders to some of men.I lifted a finger, stopping him immediately. "No, wait! Let's give Luciano a hell of a surprise, shall we?"He smirked and nodded. " Hold on a second. Something's not right. Gabriel's not with them."No. "They're probably going back because they thought Luciano would still be holding Laurel captive. Quick, is there no way we can inform Mariano about this? Mira?!""I'm afraid not. A signal. Maybe we could send a signal to a passing connection that any standby phone could pick up.""But won't that pulled them into a more bigger trouble?!""At least it would be worth the risk.""Fine. Do it."~~*Laurel~*"Come on, it's this way." Kaitlyn led and I followed as we escaped out of wherever Luciano may have taken me. The moment we got out, some of Kurt's men were waiting for us and quickly I entered the car."We need to leave. Now!" Kaitlyn ordered."Wait! Gabrie
*Four months later*~Mirabelle~"....to everyone here, I just want to say thank you. And to the most important people in my life; my wife, my daughters and my son..I would love to say thank you very much. For all the times you stood my me help turn me into this man I've become today, I would really love to say thank you. I know these past few years hasn't been easy for us but with God and his infinite mercy upon our lives, we were able to overcome it all, together. Thank you Laurel, thank you Mirabelle, thank you Genevieve and thank you Gabriel. I love you all very much. And once again, happy birthday to my wife and happy birthday to my twin daughters."Claps and cheers revolted in the air. I didn't know I was crying until dad pulled me close and brushed the tears off my face. "Happy birthday baby," mom pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheeks."Happy birthday, mommy."She sniffled, smiled at me before moving to Gen and doing the same.As soon as mom moved down from the stage with d
*One year later*~Genevieve~"Hey. You ready?"Mason asked me as he walked into the room."Do I look okay in this dress?" I said, referring to the floral gown I was wearing. "I feel... really heavy, you know. I think this baby is using my energy to do kicks, don't you think?" I asked him, placing my hand over my eight months and two weeks old belly.Mason smiled and walked over to me. "You look beautiful, darling. And besides, I'm always here to lend you my strength whenever you feel too tired to carry our little Gael." He knelt before my bump and caressed it over the skimpy dress I was wearing. "Hey buddy, don't give mommy a hard time, okay? We know you wanna come out so badly but patience, little buddy, patience." He looked up at me and I smiled. Then he got up and closed his mouth over mine. "I love you, Genevieve Kenton King."I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him. "I love you too.""Now come on. Before we arrive late for your dad's birthday dinner." He held my hand as walked o
~Genevieve~Just like that. I couldn't believe it. She was gone.Gone forever. We weren't going to see her ever again.Some of the soldiers that had ran into the smoke, came out few minutes later with Gonzalez men. One was half-dead, the other was injured but very much alive. They put them both in the van and walked around to see dad. He was saying something in low tune to dad when another set of military men walked out of the already burnt and collapsed building with a burnt, unrecognizable body that seemed to have ropes attached to it. A body that was perhaps tied. Then I recalled Mirabelle being tied up before Ryder threw me out."No! My Mira...." Mom was already shaking in tears as they placed the body on a stretcher. Dad dropped to the ground in tears, mom was wailing profusely, Mariano remained stiff and unable to move, Mason had tears rolling down his eyes...none of us could even touch the body. It was Natasha who mustered up the courage to run to where the body was and embrace
~Mirabelle~"What are we going to do? He's going to kill her!" Mason exclaimed out of frustration as he plopped down on the couch, running his fingers through his hair. Mom has been trying to calm him down ever since. But it seems all her words of assurance were falling on deaf ears."My men are searching the entire city as we speak." Dad who had been on the phone came back few minutes later to the living room and said. "They couldn't have gone far. We'll get them in no time.""Hey," Mariano knelt in front of me and places his hand on lap. "Are you alright?"I shook my head."Belle, listen to me, this is not your fault.."I was trying to hold back my tears. "Yes, it is.""No, it's not. Gonzalez has been planning his escape from prison for a long time now. And it so happened to fall on the same time period of your return so none of this is your fault, okay?""Grandpa, are you going to give me to him? The bad guy?" Natasha who was in mom's arms asked Kurt who had been restless."Of cour
~Mirabelle~"Mama, where are we? What is this place?" Natasha asked me as Mariano pulled the car to a stop. I got out and so did Natasha, who looked inquisitive, looking around the place."Hello, Natasha."She turned to stare at the people standing few metres away, her whole face lightening up. "Grandma! Grandpa!"In a blink of eye, she was running into dad's open arms. "My lil baby. She looks just you, Mariano." Dad said to Mariano who was standing beside me as he ruffled her hair playfully, picking her up from the floor."I'm quite heavy, you know. Mama feeds me with good stuff." Natasha said jokingly."Well then, it's a good thing I have quite the strength then." Dad smiled as we walked into the house."Camilla," I greeted Camilla who was standing with the other servants. "I see you're still here." I said, moving into her arms. "Thank you.""Always, Mirabelle, always." She responded and we pulled away. "I'll make coffee and some toast."I nodded and she walked away. "It feels good
~Genevieve~He wasn't in bed with me when I woke up.I got up, stretched and slipped on his shirt. Then I got up and went on a mission to go look for him.I heard noise coming from kitchen area and do I just decided to follow my instincts. To my surprise, he was standing in front of the cooker, flipping something in a pan, shirtless in an apron and in a pair of sweatpants. He turned around and our gaze met."Hey. Good morning."I smiled as I made my way toward him. "Good morning. You're up early.""Yeah, I got up to make breakfast. Come on, have a seat. Breakfast is ready."I did as he told me and sat put as he served me. Breakfast was bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes and maple syrup.As I ate, I noticed he was stealing glances at me. "What?""You're very beautiful, Gen. Very very."I snorted, hoping that was a joke. "I'm sure I look like a mess.""You look breathtaking."I met his gaze and he smiled. Then he got up from where he sat and walked around to where I was, then to my surpris
~Mirabelle~A lot of people were hovering over me when I woke up. Mom, Mariano, two women, a man, Natasha...."Natasha." I called out gently and she was the first to notice as she ran into my outstretched arms."Mama! Mama, you scared the hell out of us all." She was already crying as I brushed the tears away from her face. "Mama, we were so worried...I was so worried. Promise that you won't ever make us worry like that again."I smiled and pulled her close, her head was resting gently on my chest. "I'm fine, sweetie. I'm just...scared." I admitted softly."But why are you scared, mama? We are here for you, remember? Don't be scared, okay? Daddy is here for you. I am here for you. Grandma is here for you. Don't ever feel scared, okay? You're my best friend. I wouldn't know what I'd do if anything were to happen to you. I can't ever live without you, mama."I couldn't help chuckling as I wrapped my arm tightly over her. "Oh my sweet little red haired baby. I love you so much my darling
~Mirabelle~I stood there and watched as Genevieve expressed how she felt about Mason to Ryder. Ryder on the other seemed to be furious but he looked as if he was holding back from lashing out all on his anger on Genevieve. The moment he walked out, I decided to stay for a while. This was bad. I should be with her right now. She had just made a life-changing decision that would probably require a shoulder to lean on and here I was, hiding behind the wall.All of a sudden, she stood up. She glanced at the mirror and then stopped. But just before she could turn around, a hand grasped mine, pulling me into the shadows."What on earth do you think you're doing?""Mariano, she's my sister. I should be in there with her right now. I should--""Then what's stopping you?"I stared into his eyes."Go on. Go to her. She's your sister, right? She needs you. You should be with her right now. So why are you here?""I--I don't think that's a very good idea. She's down right now, I can't afford to a
~Mirabelle~The congregation was filled to the brim. The people present were mostly friends, elites, actresses, musicians, business elites and government officials from all over the world. From where I was seated, I could see Mariano, my friends, Gabriel and even mom. Natasha and I were both at the back row. We didn't want to draw much attention so we just hid there.Then there was Ryder at the altar, waiting like the gentleman he was. Although, there was something about Ryder. Something off about him, he didn't seem quite the man for Genevieve anymore.And then, there was the bride. Walking towards the altar with dad's arm strapped to hers. On getting to the front row, she quickly hugged mom and Gabriel before proceeding to kneel in front of the altar with her soon to be husband. After a short prayer, they were back on their feet as they proceeded to the ring part and then the exchanging of vows.Well, now it was time to declare them husband and wife."If anyone have reason why these
~Mirabelle~I was trying out the dresses, mom had brought earlier for Gen's wedding tomorrow. There was a silver splayed gown with emeralds, a beautiful black straight one with deep cleavage curve and split up the right thigh and a pink short one with diamonds stashed all over. According to her, the theme of the wedding was black and pink, if I wanted to fit in to be noticed, I'd wear pink but if I wanted to remain anonymous and hidden, I'd wear black.At first I didn't want to go. Mom and Mariano were the only ones who knew about my existence. Mariano had argued with mom about telling dad about me but she had slid him off, telling him the consequences that would result from my dad abruptly finding out about my existence. According to her, she would wine and dine him after Gen's wedding then tell him about me. As for now, I still have to remain hidden and try as much as possible to apply heavy makeups contrary to my skin tone, wear sunglasses and colored wigs. That way, they would nev