~SIERRA~Nana rushed to my side and helped me stand, as my knees were weak. “What's wrong?” she worriedly asked. I only looked at her as she wiped tears from my cheeks.“H-he wants to take them from me,” I said in a low tone."Ow, baby, you know that's impossible,” Nana said, helping me sit. “Beatrice, please get me a glass of water,” Nana said, but I was not in the mood for water. Damian was trying to take what was mine after denying it, and I would not let that happen.“Don't worry, Ms. Reid, the court will be in your favor,” Beatrice said, giving the glass of water to Nana, who tried to force it on me as I turned my neck.“I don't need water,” I said, wiping my tears. “What I need is to find Damian and tell him he will never be the father of my children.” I sounded violent.“Sierra, you should calm down, maybe wait for Gilbert and...”“I can do this on my own, they are my kids, Nana, not Gilbert’s.” I stood up and walked up the stairs. I just had to change from the nightgown to cas
~SIERRA~I knew he was pretending to be clueless, even if it was Ava who filed for custody, I'm sure she informed him first. “What are you talking about?”“I’m not here to play games, Damian, you’ve been warned if you try this custody stunt and it fails, I will...”“You will not do anything,” he said, sidestepping me. I looked at him, confused. “They have my blood, and I would rather die than watch them call that man their father.” He walked to me, and I held my neck high and faced him.“Then death is what you'll get.” I was not joking.“How dare you threaten my…”“Stay out of this, Cassie!” Damian yelled, sidestepping Cassie."Oh, it seems you have too many problems, Mr. Winters. I'll leave you to that,” I deadly-eyed Cassie. I was not scared of her and didn't need Damian to defend me. “Have a lovely day, mother and father-to-be,” I said, then turned to the door, but Damian held me by my arm.“We can solve this without involving the law.” He sounded serious, and my lips curled into a
~SIERRA~Gilbert looked shocked, he couldn't believe that I was reconsidering. He left my hands and shook his head. “Gilbert...”“Don't tell me you want to get back with him.”“What?!” “Sierra he…” He stopped midway as the waitress returned with our order. Gilbert didn't have a welcoming face, so I thanked the waitress and asked her to go as she attempted to help us with the leads and salt. “So what? Are you going to rekindle your marriage?”“I'm not marrying him, Gilbert.”“Then why are you refusing to marry me?”"Well, I think it's too soon, especially with what happened in Houston…”"Oh, you are going to use Houston as an excuse.”“You think what happened in Houston is an excuse?”“I know what I did was wrong, but it’s not like I owed you anything, we were not together, and we are still not together. I’ve been alone for years and…”“Have you forgotten the promise you made me and the kids that you wouldn’t get married until they were old enough.” I knew reminding him was selfish of
~CASSIE~Damian hadn't slept at home, I thought he slept at the office. That’s why I woke up early and came here, but he wasn’t here either. I knew he would come here, so I decided to wait for him, but Sierra got me so upset when she came in. Why did she come straight to his office? It got me thinking that maybe they had decided to forgive each other, but when she mentioned her children's custody, I understood and realized she was here for that. I was upset with Damian as he didn’t tell me about filing for custody, but I didn’t show it to Sierra as I acted unbothered and asked her to leave. I blamed her for returning because if she had remained in that pathetic state, Damian could not find out about those damn kids. Well, I was supposed to be shocked by her confidence. From what Damian told me about her, she was weak and would do anything for his love.But even when I didn’t personally know her or spend time with her in the past, I knew she was strong and confident because, when I ga
~CASSIE~Well, I didn't get why they were laughing, but I was happy with whatever they had planned so when one of the guards gave me the glass of water, I took it and gulped it down my throat with no hesitation. The woman nodded before she took the phone from the guard. “Dr. Sanchez, right?” She made me realize she was talking to the doctor. I couldn't hear what the doctor said. “Good, that's what I thought now, no more blackmailing, Ms. Robertson. You don't want me to remind you of what happens, do you?” I wondered what would happen if he disobeyed her. "Good, I’m giving the phone to Ms. Robertson now, you know what to say to her,” she said, then gave me the phone. I took it with trembling fingers. The last calls I received from the doctor were blackmail, asking me to send him money, or he would call Damian and expose me.“Hello?” I said, in a trembling tone.“Ms. Robertson, please forgive me for blackmailing you. I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have, but I promise to return every cent I t
~CASSIE~I stared at him without responding, then looked back in the magazine and continued paging, and with every passing second, he seemed to be getting even more worried as his voice now trembled: “Please say something. Did anyone come here? Cassie!”“Damian.” I closed the magazine and stood up from the couch, and he stood to his feet too. “Why are you even here?”“You called me.”“But you didn't pick.” I knew it was not my calls that brought him here, but I decided to play along.“That's because I was in an important meeting.”“With who, Sierra?”“Cassie…”"Cassie, what, Damian? Okay, I understand you don't love me anymore and that Sierra is who you want now, but we are expecting a baby, a baby Damian!” I raised my voice, “It needs you to be here. I need you.”“I’m...I'm sorry, Cassie, did anyone come here?”“What are you talking about?” I pretended to be clueless even when I knew that the mysterious woman might have scared him with something.“I…” he scratched his forehead. “Neve
~DAMIAN~I didn't give up on seeing my children, even when the teacher didn't allow me to see them yesterday. I was sure she would allow me to see them today, so I went again. Since I slept at the office, there was no Cassie to delay me with her unnecessary arguments, but upon arriving there, I was shocked to see that it was not Sierra who brought them to school but that strange man, Mr. Sparks. I felt so bad seeing how my children were clinging to him and how he comfortably played with them, even knowing he was not their father.I didn't want to create any problems, especially with them around, so I started my car and drove back to the company. I expected Cassie, as she always looked for me when she hadn't seen me in two days, but Sierra, I didn't expect to find her there, so I confronted her about letting a stranger take them to school, which I regret, as the answer she gave me will forever be with me, she told me he was the father they knew, I couldn't blame them if they started ca
~DAMIAN~It was difficult to admit, but seeing the ring on Sierra's finger made me realize I was too late for a second chance. Luckily, before I could say something stupid, Jane stepped in and asked them to sit down. I swallowed my jealousy and focused on why they were there.Jane proposed to them the deal of seeing the children at least on weekends and spending a holiday with them but they both refused well Sierra did and Mr. Sparks just went with the flow, whatever Sierra wanted which again reminded me of the past, I never gave Sierra a chance to choose, I never even listened to her, it made me realize that he was the right man for her, that maybe this divorce happened in Sierra’s favor but still I couldn’t let her take my children from me so Jane brought our conditions down that at least they spend one holiday with me since they are two in a year and that if they spend one weekend with me the next it will be with her, with this she would get to spend more time with them but they st
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