Broken and shattered to the bone, my heart ached. I bolted out of Paula's house with eyes blurry with tears, dashed into a waiting cab, and went back home.My head buzzed with several thoughts and voices saying everything at the same time.I pressed down the window and shot my nose out for air. The morning breeze filtered through my expressions and emotions, working them out gradually.The cab alighted in front of Navy's wide gates and I sighed. "It's fine..." I urged myself. As I stepped down from the cab, a sharp pain pierced my ribs and I stopped abruptly."Ah!" I gasped, "Aaah!" The sharp pain intensified.The cab driver jumped out and caught me before I fell to the ground, and that was the last thing I remember.I blinked my eyes open and found myself in a room vaguely familiar. I looked around more intently and noticed an IV attached to my wrist, yet the surroundings didn't seem like a hospital ward.Unexpectedly, a voice quite hoarse and firm bellowed in the air, "Are you awak
The earthy tone theme of my room felt like a bad idea when Doctor Martin’s voice echoed, everywhere suddenly turned dull evoking nausea from within me."The only problem is that her fetus is not growing as it should... She needs to rest more, eat more..." The doctor's voice resonated in my head and I remember exhaling sharply.The terracotta-toned walls seemed to be closing in on me, suffocating the breath in my lungs.Elodie's eyes blazed with unimaginable, her glare fixated on me, and my confidence faltered under her scrutinizing glare."I'm sorry, Elodie... I can explain." My voice strained with despair."No, you can't!" She countered, her eyes flared with rage, causing my heart to clench painfully against my chest.The silence between us deepened with each passing moment along with my regret."I can please, give me a chance to explain...""You lied to me, Navy. How could you do that to me? Why would you put me through such pain? Is that what you want? Do you really want me to lose
NAVY’s POVOn my darkest days, on my happiest days, on the days I felt desolate, on the days I needed a shoulder to lean on, on those nights when the sound of my ticking clock was the only thing keeping me sane, I secretly wished, secretly prayed that God sent someone my way. But life seldom unfolds the way we plan it. Most times, our plans do not even happen, other times when they happen, they do so in the most agonizing ways.I stood by Rosé's door, deliberating on whether to knock or not.The echoes of her tearful conversation with her mom haunted me all day.It was because I heard her sobbing painfully that I stood outside her door with a cup of soothing tea torn between barging in to comfort her and waiting for her to come to me.Neither of those options was likely to happen. Elodie would not come to me. She wouldn't ask me for help, and I wouldn't barge into her room. I wouldn't do anything to upset her more. So, I made a turn with the mug of tea now chilling in my hand. As
ROSE’s POVTears streamed down my face as I grappled with the overwhelming memories of my past. “I didn't do it.” The words even though whispered, lost their value in the midst of the heaviness lingering in the room.I didn’t kill my father. Yes, I lied to him. I lied that I never knew him but that was because I wanted to forget. I wanted to forget anything that had to do with him. I wanted to forget that part of my life ever happened, but who knew it would come back to haunt me? Who knew Cecilia would haunt me with my almost forgotten memories?Navy paced the living room restlessly. I could tell from his hardened features that he was slowly losing patience. He wasn’t only losing his patience, he was losing his mind too. His company was just recuperating from the fire case, he couldn’t have other news that his fiancée was an accused murderer.“How could this happen?” He murmured, his voice betraying the fear of uncertainty gnawing at him.I wanted to say it, I wanted to go to h
NAVY’s POV“I knew you would make the right choice…” Cecilia smirked mischievously. Elodie flinched.My heart ached for her. Cecilia moved towards me with calculated grace.Elodie deliberately kept her gaze from my direction. “Answer when I call, will you?” Cecilia purred, caressing my face with her long synthetic nails.“Stop it…” I demanded, pivoting my face away from her touches.“Okay, okay!” She squealed, “I’ll go…”“I still have a lot to do anyway… I was thinking since things have turned out this way, I might as well move to Washington…”“Cecilia, I don’t care what you want to do, please leave!” I bellowed. She refused. Cecilia was like that. Stubborn, unyielding.I watched Elodie silently walk away from the living room and my frustration intensified.“Don’t be prickly, Navy. If you annoy me, I don’t know what I would do.”“Okay, that’s it!” I bellowed. Just then, the doorway fell ajar and my stepmother emerged. “Navidad, who’s your friend?” Maya asked, giving Cecilia her us
ROSÉ’s POV“Please, go” I whispered meeting Navy’s piercing gaze with resolve. Cecilia would not stop her tantrums if she didn’t get her way and he knew it too. Reluctantly, he left. Cecilia tagged along, leaping excitedly beside him as they walked towards the waiting car. Suddenly, my phone rang and I was startled. “Paula, hi..” I said, evidently unhappy. “You finally picked up, thank goodness…”“You literally just called,” I interjected,“Nope, this should count as the fourth time.”Lost in thoughts, watching Cecilia take Navy away, I didn’t even hear my phone ring.“Let’s go to a party, Rosé” Paula chimed.“I’m pregnant, Paula. No one wants me at a party” “Rosé, your stomach is barely protruding. No one’s going to notice. Please, I don’t want to go alone… it’s a work thing and my co-workers don’t like me very much”“Paula…” I groaned,“Pleaseeee,” she pleaded, “it’s tomorrow, so you have enough time to prepare…”“It’s tomorrow?” I repeated,“Yes, see how important it is tha
NAVY'S POV.The door creaked as I pushed the door open expecting the familiar sounds of home. I was greeted by an unexpected quiet. It was 8 am, the day after I pretended not to have seen her at Finn's restaurant.Was she jealous? Was she hurt? I craved a glimpse of her expression, I wanted to see her reaction to me not coming home last night, but unfortunately, it didn't seem like I was missed.Receding footsteps echoed on the stairs and I impulsively coughed to call attention, silently hoping that it was her.The footsteps stopped and came in my direction instead. I peered around and my gaze locked with my brother's."Just coming home?" Lumbar asked.I nodded, slightly disappointed that it wasn't her.Lumbar headed towards me and plonked onto the couch. "You all must be having a lot of fun, that you can't even come home..." "You all? Who else didn't come home last night?" I asked, my curiosity piqued."Rosé didn't, neither did Mother...""Huh?" "It is just us in this house," Lumb
Loud music blared from four speakers positioned on every corner of the hall. When Paula said the party was a work thing, I never imagined a hospital was organizing a fund-raising rave.Paula had been trying to have a private time with me, and I figured she wanted to apologize on behalf of Lydia, but really, I wasn't ready for the conversation. Song after song played and the crowd went wild, wriggling to the beat and other people sang along loudly. I stood there looking lost and out of place, my petite frame a sharp contrast to the energetic surroundings. Worse still, Paula had been busy working and I knew nobody else."I can't take this anymore" I muttered to myself. I held my hands over my ears, squirming uncomfortably amidst the crowd of people. I made my way towards the exit but halted when I felt a firm grip on my wrist.I twirled around, searching for a face behind the hand."Isn't it too early to leave the party?" The stranger yelled over the music.I looked over at the tall
It was a cheat sheet, or something like that. But the evening was set. A house wedding, one I had never seen. Mother would turn wherever she was if I ever attempted something like this. Alexander called it a parlor wedding. It was happening right in my living room. We redesignedput my minimalist style living room aesthetic to good use, the chandeliers above creating a dimly lit room as dawn set in.Guests trickled in, their murmurs mingling with our choice of music.Alexander stood by the makeshift altar, being the head of two long feast tables, placed at the center. I stood behind him taking in the sight of everything we had done together.The scent of fresh flowers filled the air, the vibrant colors of the floral arrangements contrasting beautifully with the muted tones of the room.Soft candlelight danced on the two-tier cake, sitting at the center of the table.Alexander was particular when he said there were twenty people coming. As his parents arrive right on time, I couldn
Rosé’s POVI left Amelia straddled to his forefront, with a direction of how the rest of the day would go for her. Navy asked a million questions, yet before we left, Alexander asked the same questions all over again.“Is there anything that comes as an instinct to men?” Paula asked, shaking her head in disbelief.Finn stepped into the driver’s seat with my sister right beside him in the passenger’s seat. Paula instantly exclaimed, “I’m getting married tonight, please let’s focus on the road.”A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I glanced at Finn, “she’s burning you,” I teased, Finn nodded agreeably, “I am searching for a good comeback…”Paula broke into a soft laughter, flailing her arms in the air. “What are we buying first?” “A wedding dress first, before the bridesmaids dresses. We haven’t even decided on the color. We’re wasting time!” Grace exclaimed, strangely motivating us in the right way.“Pink,” Paula replied, her voice cracking with emotions, suddenly she broke down in
Chapter 146Rose's POVAs we all know, every story ends. Sometimes a new story begins where the old ended, other times, it is really the end. Grace's life was about to turn to the next chapter. I could already see the fire in her eyes, she could accomplish anything. I wasn't interested in fighting for her before, but seeing her want things like every normal girl her age felt fulfilling, striving to have a purpose told me we were alike in more ways than just blood. "Maybe having you as my legal guardian won't be so bad," Grace's voice boomed into my thoughts, her excitement evident in her bubbly tone."I was worried about us, about the kind of relationship I would have with you." She continued in a tone calmer than the first.I glanced at her with an eyebrow raised. "She told you about me?"Grace nodded, her gaze softening as she glanced at me. "There are only two people mamañ talks about you, and her mother.""She was always complaining about you." Her voice shivered faintly as she
Navy’s POVLove only took a moment, and I was witnessing that moment right before me.Finn had no notice of the heart that was not beating for him, fascinated by his mere presence.My gaze flickered from Rosé to Finn, before returning to Grace. It was only then I noticed her striking semblance to her sister. Her gaze captured the depth of her desires, her long wavy hair began to bounce as she jumped in surprise, startled by an incident we were yet to see.The server had over poured the coffee, spilling the hot drink on her dress.Finally the incident that would bring them together had finally presented itself. Just the interview was his opportunity to retain Rosé.“I apologize for that…,” Finn paused, swiping his gaze on the features of the inconvenient customer to be certain of the status. From the look on his eyes, it was obvious that he was stricken by her. In that moment, I wondered what could have drawn him to her, I wanted to know if it was her beauty or her smile.I couldn’t
Chapter 144Navy’s POVThe sister’s fight had ended the moment Grace face was flooded with tears. Rosé fragile as usual gave in to her emotions too, joining her in tears. The morning sun was yet to show his face, yet the sniffles from her mother and aunty must have woken my daughter, her presence now contributing to the chorus of tears in the room.I fell into a state of chaos, torn between racing to my daughter or my wife, not knowing who to console first.Amelia got louder, hurling me towards her direction.“I’m sorry,” Grace’s soft voice echoed in the room, “please, let me rely on you… as a sister. I have no one else.”Cradling my daughter on chest, I turned to face them. Rosé was quivering slightly, her face flushed with a mix of tears and relief. “Hmmm,” I exhaled softly, looking between mother and daughter.“Such crybabies.” I remarked, stirring a blush on Rosé’s face.“I think she is hungry…” Grace croaked, her voice barely above a whisper.I nodded, “I think so too… and I f
Chapter 143Navy’s POVI blinked my eyes open, perturbed by the noise in the house. It was barely a minute since I closed my eyes, my eyes were heavy from the the lack of sleep.The first image that came into my view, was an image of Rosé packing a luggage, and instantly, my heart plummeted at the sight of it, thudding against my chest.“Baby, what’s going on?” I asked, the drowsiness in my eyes was completely gone as I jolted to my feet, making my way to Rosé.“Please, tell me, what’s wrong? Please…” Rosé turned to me, her eyes blaring with something I had never seen before.“Let’s go to Paris… let’s go today, now, let’s just go!”“Why?” I asked, “I’ll do whatever you want me to do but I need to understand why first.” “Mamañ, she’s gone…” Rosé replied, her voice quivering as she spoke, “She left Grace here and disappeared, just like me… she’s abandoned her. You think she’s still going to change? You think we still have a chance to her support? That woman deserves to burn in hell!”
Chapter 142ROSE POV Navy sat on the armchair in my spacious room, observing me as I paced agitatedly around, seething with anger at mamañ.“I can’t believe her!” I breathed, “The message Andre sent to us is a clear threat, yet she perceives it as him seeking her. What’d I tell you? She would choose Andre over anyone at any time.”“Elodie,” Navy’s soothing voice interjected, imbued with longing. As our eyes met, I could not help but notice the desire in his gaze. His gaze steadied on me, the intensity of it sending shivers down my spine. Despite my anger at mamañ, in that moment, all I could focus on was the sudden pull between us. His presence filled the room, wafting around me like a curl of smoke.“Rosé,” Navy murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, but it echoed loudly in the silence between us.“Uh,” he cleared his throat, “She is just in love… could you look at it from that perspective?“A wave of disappointment struck me as the desire in his eyes faded while he spoke.I
ROSÉ’s POVA soft exhaled escaped me, as my eyes crinkled with tears, a lump formed in my throat as I struggled to speak.“What… what do you mean, Maa?” Grace spoke out finally, breaking the silence.The answer to that question I already knew. Mamañ had acted as expected.“Henry Benoit,” she sighed sadly, “I’ve wronged him in so many ways. Andre tried to kill him once, or twice…” Our eyes met briefly moment, and I could tell from her expression that it was more than that. “Only the truth mamañ.”Mamañ bowed her head in regret, memories flooding back.“Rosé, Andre tried to harm him so many times that Benoit got a restraining order against him.”“But he didn’t stop, did he?”Mamañ shook her head sadly, her tears welling up.“He didn’t, he tried every means possible.”“Why didn’t he just arrest him?” Navy’s voice boomed into the air, shifting our attention to his tall figure emerging from the hallway.“I put her back to bed,” he explained, planting a peck on my cheek as he joined the
As I stayed in his arms, breathing in his faint fragrance and warmth until a soft coo of a baby interrupted the silence.“It’s Amelia!” Navy gasped, excitement bubbling in his voice.“Wait, you called her Amelia?” I exclaimed, surprised. “Well, I figured she could have two names.”A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I stepped out of his arms. “I’d love that…”Navy nodded, cupping my face in his hands. “I’ll take care of her, you go to the dining.”Taking a deep breath, I made my way back to the dining room, where mamañ and Grace were still seated, their conversation paused as I stepped in. Grace’s appearance was nothing like mamañ’s, and the more I studied her features, I was more convinced that she wasn’t Andre’s daughter.“Mamañ, Grace,” I began, my voice steady, despite the turmoil within, “let’s talk,”Mamañ raised her gaze to me, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.“Where have you been?” I asked, my voice demanding nothing but the truth.“Here and there…” Mamañ replied, dartin