“Who is Atlas?”I looked at Nana, who now covered her mouth with her hands, regretfully.“It's one of the guards, yes, he rarely laughs, it surprises me that he laughed today,” I lied, but she didn't buy it.“That's not true, why would you care about a guard? Do you have another..”“That's the truth, Ava, why would I lie to you?” I sidestepped. I didn't want her to think too much about it; she might end up figuring it out.“If you say so, I can'
“Excuse me, who's this?” I sounded calm and pretended to be clueless.“I know you recognize my voice, Sierra, why are you acting as if you don't know me?” He sounded irritated, I could tell from his voice. I held the speaker so he could not hear me as I spoke to Lana. I asked her to finish up and make sure the kids slept. I walked out of the room and headed to the kitchen.“You dialed the wrong number,” I said and attempted to hang up, but his pleading stopped me.“Please hear me out.” I rolled my eyes. I wanted to know what he wanted, so I stayed on the line.
“Sierra, welcome back. I can already see the two of us getting along. Love C.” I reread it as I didn't understand what it meant, but still rereading it didn't help. I thought of a name that starts with C, but I couldn't figure it out.“Could it be Damian? Why will he say, ‘getting along,’ with how I ended the call in his ear?” I stood up and paced around. I couldn't figure this message out.“Wait...Cassie, yes, her name starts with C,” I said out loud. “Of course, I can't believe I let it get to me.” I face-slapped and took my phone from the bed. I dialed the detective's number.“Ms. Reid,” he picked on the first ring, “I was about to call you.”“Good, what did you want to tell me?”"No, you can go first.”“There is a woman named Cassie, I will send you all the details, I want you to find out everything about her.” If she was trying to play a game with me, then who am I to stop her?“Okay, you just need to send me her picture and any relevant information, and I will have one of my men
~SIERRA~“Damian, how—what are you doing here?”“That's not important, are you coming or must I come in?” He didn't sound like he was joking, and one thing I remember about Damian is that he never joked. “Your house is quite big and impressive, now should I come in or you…”“I'm coming, wait there,” I said and hung up. I couldn't let him come in, he might come across my kids, and I didn't want that. I ran out of the dining room and headed outside.
“Cassie, what are you doing here?” Damian asked her, and I cleared my throat because I was not going to argue with Cassie, not over Damian. “Excuse me? Is that all you're going to say, Damian? What am I doing here?” She looked at him. I didn't want them to cause a scandal, I didn't like unnecessary attention. “Sierra,” Damian said, taking my hands into his. I didn't understand what he was doing, so I didn't react. “As I was saying, I want you ba...” “Don't you dare say it!” Cassie yelled. Damian didn't look bothered, but I was. I had a reputation, and this could ruin it.
~DAMIAN~I dragged Cassie out of the restaurant because I didn't want us to argue in front of people.“You're hurting me,” she struggled, but I only tightened my grip. "Damian, if you don't let me go, I'll scream,” she threatened, and luckily we were already outside, knowing Cassie, I knew she was capable of that.“Why did you come here?” I asked as we reached my car. My eyes looked around with hopes of seeing Sierra, but I was disappointed as I didn't see her. I knew it was difficult to get to her again.“You left me in your b
~DAMIAN~“What do you mean, Bruce?”“I won't let you deny it, you love her, you...”“I don’t know Bruce, I’m as confused as you, but love is a strong word.” I didn’t want to seem desperate.
~SIERRA~“You don't need to know my name for now, but you will get it very soon. Did you get my welcome message? Are you ready to play?”“What do you want?” I gathered the courage to ask, I didn't want to sound like I was intimidated.“Wow, this is going to be so much fun. I love your courage,” he said. I stood up from the sofa.“Listen, I don't know who you are, but it's crazy of you to think I'll be scared of you. Stop throwing empty threats and leave me alone because this is not funny anymore.” I don't know where I got the courage to say this, but I was fed up. I was not going to live in fear.“Watch your tongue, darling, if I were you, I would lower my voice for my children's sake, their lives could be endangered,” he threatened and started laughing. I didn't respond, as my heart started beating. If this person knew that I had kids, then it was easy to use that against me.“That's what I thought. Talk to you soon, beautiful.”“Who—what do you want? Is it money? Just say it, please
FLORIDA, ST. AUGUSTINE 2023~DAMIAN~Ingrid did a good job keeping Sierra out, as it has been over two hours and they haven't returned to the house yet.The sun was setting and everything was perfect; we didn't need to do much, just the colorful lights, as the house was clean already.“Bottle is here,” Nathan excitedly said as he brought the bottle of juice. The bottle was the same as the one for champagne, and since they were too young for alcohol and Sierra was in that condition, we decided to settle for juice.“They are coming,” Atlas, who had been at the window, alerted us, and I quickly stood to my feet and hid the little box."Okay, wish me luck,” I said, and they both nodded, then Atlas switched off the light so that the candles could stand out.“Let us know when she says yes,” they said in unison before they hid behind the sofa.I was nervous. I've never been this nervous, even when I was handling court cases. I never got nervous, but Sierra, God, her reaction scared me.As I
FLORIDA, ST. AUGUSTINE 2023~DAMIAN~Whoever said love was a drug was damn right because I was high on it. Watching someone sleep for over an hour and simply enjoying the view is crazy because for the past week that's all I've been doing—watching Sierra sleep. It somehow gave me peace.After Sierra was released from the hospital, we stayed a week so I could sort everything.Ethan took over the head at the Winters, Sierra, and Thomas caught up as he left the detective work since Sam was not happy with it. Sierra gave them one of her restaurants in Texas, and they moved there—living in Sierra's home while Jane and her family moved into Sierra's mansion, the one in Georgia. Beatrice and Lana took mine as I wanted to express my gratitude for helping Sierra raise my children.After sorting everything, I booked tickets to Florida for a vacation since the holidays were in a month. We were still choosing a place to settle and start a family, as Georgia and Texas held bad memories, so we were
~DAMIAN~The first days we used protection, but after a few, we just couldn't control ourselves as we would get in the moment and only think of protection afterward. I didn't need protection; Sierra was my wife, but she always brought it up.Well, I was just so happy that we were going to have a baby—that Sierra gave me another chance.I walked to her bedside, kneeled, and started apologizing.“I'm sorry, I...”“It's okay; I know you did it to protect me.”“Still I hurt you; I should have told you; I shouldn't have pushed you away like that.”“And I understand; I forgive you; I do.” She was now holding my hands. “Please get up.”“Sierra I…”“Now Damian,” she demanded, and so I was left with no choice but to get up.“I'm really sorry; I promise that was not my intention; I was just trying to protect you and our kids. Ava called me; she threatened me.” She nodded her head in understanding and then squeezed my hand in a comforting manner.“Do you want to feel her heartbeat?” she asked, a
~DAMIAN~ “I was not planning to kill you, but...” Ava said as she walked close to Sierra, the burning matchstick still in between her fingers. My hands were now in the air, pleading with her. “Please… Whatever I have done, please just... Just let Sierra go, punish...punish me.” "Oh, sweet Damian, my cousin is in love,” she mockingly said, “but this is not about you; it's about her, her mother!” she yelled. “Actually,” she calmed herself, “it's about the both of you; your father did my mother dirty and her mother did my mother dirty, and so you are both going to pay.” It was not the Ava I knew; this woman sounded crazy. “Ava…” “Kneel!” I didn't want to argue, as I knew trying to reason would not work, so I kneeled my eyes on Sierra and the matchstick between Ava's fingers. “Good,” she mockingly said and blew to the matchstick so the fire could go as it was below her finger. “Do you want to hear a little story?” She asked as if I had a choice. Then she started talking about h
~DAMIAN~“Speed up!” I yelled, and Thomas agreed with me as he asked the driver to drive faster. Each second we were wasting was ticking as Sierra's life was in danger.When Atlas returned, he told me about the people who kidnapped him and how they told him that I was his father. I knew it wasn't the right time, but I took him upstairs to his siblings and told them the truth—that I was their father and that Sierra and I were once together.I didn't tell them about the contract as I thought it might be complicated for them, and so I told them about making a horrible mistake that made Sierra walk away. They were understanding, as they didn't judge; instead, they were happy that I was their father.I was not in a better mood, so I forced them to eat and helped them get ready for bed before I left Mrs. Woods with them as Jane had to get home to her baby. Sam and Thomas stayed downstairs with the officers, who came to help check for clues, and waited in case the kidnappers called—they thou
~SIERRA~Ava explained planning Damian’s parents' deaths because, as she said, the company and everything the Winters owned belonged to her. She explained how she got Damian on a drug so he would have terrible headaches. “I haven't been giving it to him lately, so he seems to be overcoming it,” she added. Then she explained using Carl to have her revenge on Mr. Reid since Damian’s parents were out of her way now."Oh, and the second man who left my mother couldn't be found. Turns out my so-called father wasn't useless as he took him down, leaving his son and wife in the streets.”“Son?”"Yes, your brother.”“What?!”“Ow, don't tell me the detective hasn't told you that you're his sister; that's why he has been protective over you; it's because you're his little sister.”“What?!” again I asked, as this was too much. How was it possible that Detective Thomas was my brother? Okay, nothing was making sense.“The man your father was cheating with was Thomas’s father.” She said, but I shook
~SIERRA~I haven't seen Ava since forever; she said to be in New York working with patients. How was it that she was here? My eyes roamed the room, and I realized, unlike where Lily took me, this place seemed like a home as I was on a sofa. I was almost relaxed, but when I saw that both my legs and hands were tied, I panicked.“W-what's going on? Why am I here? And…”“This is not the time for questions, Sierra; trust me.” Ava cut me as she picked a glass of wine on the table and took a sip before she placed it down and then stared at me.I still didn't understand what was happening, but something was clear: Ava tied my legs and hands, which meant she was the one who caused that accident; she was the one who kidnapped me.“Ava I…”“I will shut your mouth for you if you don't shut it; it's me to talk, not you.” She calmly said, and I nodded my head. Then she stood up with the glass of wine in her hands and said, "See, years ago, Rosemarie was just an innocent girl who didn't know the w
~SIERRA~I cleaned my cheeks and then walked toward my car. My driver was standing out as he opened the door for me. “To the station,” I told him as he waited for my instruction."Yes, ma’am,” he said and then started the car.Again, I found my hand traveling down to my flat belly. I never planned for this, and now that Damian didn't want the child, I was not going to keep it. I haven't seen myself pregnant for over five years, especially with Damian's child again.Or maybe he knew that I fell pregnant and he was doing the same thing he did years ago, running away. I closed my eyes and tried to focus. No, I couldn't let this distract me; I won't let it get in my way of finally having peace.“Ms. Reid,” the driver's voice shook me out of my thoughts. I then realized we had arrived at the station. “Should I come in with you?” He asked as he opened the door for me. I shook my head and told him to wait for me there; he just worked for me; I didn't need him to mix with my problems.When I
~SIERRA~No, this was not happening; I won't let it happen again. So I banged once more and the door flew open, and Damian, who looked healthy like he was not just in a coma, opened and asked me to come in. I could tell by his facial expression that something was wrong.“Do you want anything?” He asked as I took a seat on the sofa. No, I was calm. I was not the same Sierra from years ago who burst when he started acting like this. I was a mature, respectful woman. I couldn't act on my emotions, so I asked him for a glass of water.He walked away to the kitchen, and my eyes couldn't help but roam the area; it was just the same as I left it, in Cassie's style.“Water,” Damian's voice made me turn to him. I took the glass from his hand and thanked him, then placed it on the table.“Okay,” I cleared my throat as he looked restless like he wanted me to leave. “The doctor called me and told me you left without his consent.”"Yeah, I'm feeling fine; why should he keep me there?” He sounded r