“What—what are you doing in my office?” I cleared my throat so my voice could come out properly.
“Office? Let me remind you that this is my husband's company, so by law, I have the right to be anywhere I want,” she said. I walked close to her so I could face her. I didn’t want her to think I was afraid of her or that her threats scared me.
“I don’t know if your husband told you, but I’m the highest shareholder here, actually the only one, this won’t be a company without me,” I told her with the same courage she spoke.
Damian came between us and pushed my guard away from Cassie. Cassie was now crying, pretending to be hurt, and Damian examined her wrist.“She's so evil, she asked him to hit me,” she lied, and I rolled my eyes.“Have your parents not taught you never to touch a woman?” Damian turned to my guard.“I was only doing my job, and that was to protect Ms. Reid,” my guard defended himself.“And hitting another woman makes you a good guard?” Damian sounded angry. Of course, he would do anything for Cassie, it was not news t
~SIERRA~“C? But when did she get time to send this, and why does she want to meet me?” “Ms. Reid, is everything okay?” My gatekeeper asked, and I didn't even realise that I was talking out loud.“Yes, everything is fine; please excuse me,” I said as I walked inside the house.“Mommy! Mommy!” My kids ran to me as soon as I entered. I kneeled to level with them and hugged them; they didn't even wait for a turn as they both ran into my arms at the same time.“Okay, I see you missed Mommy,” I said, standing up."Yes, Mommy, we prepared lunch. Come, let's eat,” Ingrid said, pulling me towards the dining room. I could not refuse, as I was hungry and wanted to spend time with them.“Ms. Reid, welcome,” Lana greeted, and I nodded. She was dishing out the food.“How's Nana?” I asked and took my seat while the kids got in their seats as well.“She's doing fine; Beatrice is with her,” she said, and I nodded. As much as I was trying to act normal, the note disturbed me. Was it Cassie or someone
~DAMIAN~I woke up with a stinging pain. “Fuck!” I cursed as I examined my head and walked to the bathroom. I don't even know why I drank when I knew this was what it would give me the next morning.After Sierra ended the call in my ear last night, even when I told her I loved her, I couldn't help but drink. It helped me forget about her for a few minutes, but now the alcohol was out of my system, and I couldn't help but think of Sierra again. I don't know what was wrong with me or why she suddenly became everything I thought of. I can't even go a second without a thought of her.
~DAMIAN~I couldn't believe it was Sierra. I never knew five years could change a person the way it did for Sierra. She was just a sweet, loving woman when she became tough and bossy.“Do I need to remind you that I own this company?” “And it would be nothing without, I'm the reason you can still call it a company. That aside, what did you want to talk about?” She coldly responded. I didn't know what to say because she was right—this wouldn't be a company without her.“Why did you end the call in my ear last night even after I told you that I love you?” I changed the topic.“Because it's my phone, and I chose who to speak to,” she said, and continued to scan through the document. I took steps toward her. “So you're telling me that you don't want to talk to me?” I asked, and she stood up, faced me, and answered.“Yes, do you want me to spell it for you? I don't want to talk to you, why don't you get that and focus on your marriage?” She calmly said. “What marriage?”“I don't know, w
~SIERRA~I don't know why I felt uneasy when Damian chased after Cassie. “I thought he was begging for a second chance,” I said to myself as I paced around. What bothered me the most was his guts. How could he ask me for the reason I ended the call? Was I obligated to answer his calls?“Sierra, what's wrong?” Lily's voice shook me out of my thoughts.“Nothing, how are you?” I walked to my chair.“I'm good,” she said as she walked in. “But are you good?” she suspiciously asked.“Yes, I'm fine, Lily,” I said and cleared my voice. “What—what did you want?” I pretended to work on my computer.“Nothing, I just came to remind you of lunch, remember?”“Oh yes, don't worry, I'll be there, it's at one, right?”“Twelve, I'll come and get you,” she said, and I smiled and nodded. “Okay, I guess I'll see you later,” she said, and turned to walk out but stopped. “Are you sure you're okay? I mean, I saw Cassie...”“I'm fine, Lily, I'm just a bit busy. See you at lunch, okay?” I was not in the mood
~SIERRA~When we arrived at the bar, Ethan parked, and we got out of the car and walked in.I was not a bar person, but with the recent stress and the threats, I needed to unwind.“We are having fun tonight,” Lily whispered in my ear, and I faked a smile as I looked around. There was no doubt the bar was for classy people, everything was expensive, and the watches, diamond earrings, and necklaces the people wore were proof of that.
~SIERRA~I closed my eyes as the images of my kids played in my head. They only had me, I knew Gilbert was there, but they were too young to become orphans.‘Maybe I should tell Damian,’ I thought, opening my eyes. I reached for my phone intending to call Damian, he was the father. I know he didn't want anything to do with them, but if I was going to die, then I had to tell them. As I struggled to take my phone from the table, someone crawled under my table.“Keep your hands down,” he whispered. It was Damian.“Wh—what are you doing here?” I asked, and he shushed me. It was embarrassing for him to see me so scared and shivering, but I couldn't hide it. I didn't fear for my life but for my kids. “There's something I need to tell you,” I said, and he shook his head.“Not now,” he said, remaining under the table. “Let me have your ring.”“What?” Of course, my voice was low.“For once, can you do as you're told, please?” He sounded serious. I removed the engagement ring and gave it to him
~SIERRA~“What are you saying, Lily? I mean, Damian is anything but planning an attack, no, it must be a mix-up.”“Oh Sierra, I know Damian well, and I know he's capable of this. I'm going to your house now, I'll see you there,” she said, ending the call. I stood frozen as I thought of what she told me. How could Damian plan this, and for what possible reasons? I was still standing by the exit door thinking when I heard my driver's voice.
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