•DARLA•"Go back to your rooms," I told the twins as I walked up the stairs to my bedroom. Just as I was about to close the door and go and have a long shower, my cell phone rang in my handbag. "Amee, hey." I answered the call as I sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey, when did you leave?" She asked. "Oh, we left this morning. I'm sorry, it was urgent. Madison was sick, or so we thought she was." I rolled my eyes, just thinking of how the twins and Penelope tricked us into coming to California for some silly game. "Oh, my God, is she okay?" "She was never sick. I'm angry at them right now. Can you believe that they conspired into getting Ethan and I back so that they could play matchmaking on us?"Amelia laughed. "Aww... They don't know that you guys are together already? How did they react when you told them that you and Ethan are dating?" I scratched my head and sighed. "I didn't want to tell them that. They grew up knowing that Ethan is my good friend and their uncle, and I
•ELIJAH•"Elijah, you came!" My mother squealed with joy with her arms wide open as she walked toward me. "Mom, hi." I greeted her as I hugged her for a moment before pulling away and walking to the living room with her.I wanted to deal with whatever she called me for and then find out after that why Darla didn't come to work or call me regarding the flowers and box of chocolates that she received. I expected Ethan to be the one to retaliate about the flowers, but he also didn't show up at the last conference meeting. "What's going on, Mother? Is Harper back from Manchester?" I asked as I sat down on the couch opposite her. "Is it bad for a mother to call her son just to see him again?""I was with you like yesterday." "Come on, I have only one son, and if I want to see you, then I will see you. So, tell me, have you resolved the issue with Abigail?" The whole setup with my mother calling me on a Monday evening to see me seemed suspicious. There were not only two glasses of ha
•DARLA• "What's going on?" "I'm going to Atlanta. My father was admitted to the hospital due to kidney failure." I answered, packing the twins' bags. "You're going with the kids?" "Yes. My father might as well see them now." "Can I come with you?" Ethan asked as he walked inside the twins' room. I sighed after packing the last bag and putting it down. He and I were not good, and I didn't want to complicate things even more when my father accidentally addressed him as my husband in front of the kids. "We'll be okay, don't worry yourself." I walked past him, heading for the door when he said something that stopped me right where I was. "You're still angry at me, aren't you? Trust me, I get it, Darla. I fucked up and thought that things were just going to work themselves out between us and forgot that I failed to deal with Rachel the right way. If I was able to set boundaries with her from the beginning, she wouldn't have come back to disturb our peace." "But you didn't d
•ELIJAH•"Jason, can I call you back later? There's someone at the door." "Alright. When you get time, you can text me the location, and we will see what we'll do. We have to get this done before the month's end." "That's right. I'll call you." I hung up the call when I got to the front door and opened it. When I saw Abigail, I wished to punch myself in the balls."Abigail?" "Hey baby, can I come inside?" Before I could answer her, she shoved her way inside the house, and I was forced to let her be and close the door behind me. "Baby, I'm sorry about last night. I was angry, and I overreacted," she said when I turned to her. "I shouldn't have gone to your mother's house and insulted her. Please tell me that we can still fix this. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." I rolled my eyes and scoffed as I walked to the bar to get myself something to drink before preparing to go and see Jason. "You shouldn't be here, Abi. I got my PA to pay you a monthly allowance just until you g
•DARLA• My breath halted when I looked down at his hand on my wrist. When he saw that I was uncomfortable, he quickly removed it and leaned closer. My heart was racing, but I did very well with hiding it. I didn't want my kids to think that there was tension between us. "I see that you're in a hurry, I promise I won't hold you up for too long." He explained as I pulled the kids to my side. "I don't have time to talk right now." "Are the kids yours?" He asked, and I chuckled. Gosh, if only he knew. "Yes, they are mine. We were here to see my father, and now we are going back home. "Hey, little ones." He knelt to their level, and the kids giggled as they answered him back. "My name is Elijah. What are yours?" "I am -" "Madison and Ryan," I quickly answered for them as he straightened up and looked at me. "It was a pleasure to meet you guys. Don't worry, your mother and I were old friends and are now working together. She told me a lot about you," Elijah directed to th
•ABIGAIL•"Miss Hayes, how can I assist you today?" I took out the brown envelope from my handbag and placed it on top of his table. When he saw it, he took down his eyeglasses and looked at me. "What is this?" "It's enough to keep our business confidential." I leaned closer to the table. "You're a very good doctor, Dr. Bowes. I've heard good reviews from people who do business with you, and I'd also like to be among them. We know how strict the law is when it comes to doctors who break their principles and make side hustles with their licenses, but I wouldn't want to take away your only livelihood." He took the envelope and slid it inside his drawer under his table before turning to me. "What do you want me to assist you with?" ***After my appointment with Dr. Bowes, I drove straight to Elijah's apartment and opened the door with the spare keys that I had with me. I wanted him to come back and find me in the house. He and I had been together for a long time and were not going
•DARLA• "Please don't run, guys!" I warned the twins as they ran to their rooms as soon as we walked inside the front door. I scurried up the stairs, desperately trying to find Ethan so that I could tell him everything that happened at the hospital, including the part where Anthony commented that William looked like Elijah. It was already late when we got home, so I suspected that he was already in bed trying to sleep. But when I walked in and found the bed empty and the shower running, I headed to the bathroom and opened the door. "Hey, stranger. We are back," I announced as I went to peek inside the shower, and when I saw him in the shower with a woman, my handbag slipped out of my hands and fell on the floor. "Ethan?" I was in disbelief at the sight before me. I couldn't understand how he sneaked Rachel inside our house and dared to sleep with her in our bedroom. "Darla!" He panicked as he leaned back from her, grabbed his towel near the shower, and wrapped it around his
•DARLA•"What happened?" "His vital organs failed before the surgery was completed. I'm sorry, Miss Miller. Our condolences to you and your family." The lady on the phone said before she hung up the call. I laid my cell phone down on the bed and couldn't believe that he was dead. When I tried to remember my last memory with him, my eyes filled with tears because I never got a chance to understand why he never treated me like his child. I felt unworthy of love because the first man who was supposed to love and protect me failed when Belinda started to ill-treat me.When I picked up my cell phone to call Amelia and inform her of the news so that she could advise me about what to do, a text came through on my phone. Text: "As you know that Abigail and I are engaged, I want you to know that I love her as I always did when you and I were married. She's the only woman that I want and wouldn't want you to take my kindness for anything serious. I'd also appreciate it if you respect her a
•DARLA•"I think I might know who did this," Elijah replied as he got up from the couch. "I think with this new evidence of him trying to tarnish your name with nonsensical theories, we have a chance to get him in jail.""You know who did this?" I asked as I wiped off my tears. "It's Ethan, of course. Who else would've leaked the information about how you got the Millers Properties Lifestyle? Or how you inherited everything from your father and banned your stepmother and brother from the company? It seems pretty obvious to me." I looked at him and realized how much sense he had made. Yet again, I failed to see Ethan for who he truly is. "Then what now?" "I know how to get him to confess to this and also get him to get this article off the internet. So don't worry, I'll take care of him for you. He will never bother you again." For the first time in forever, I let down my guard and decided to trust Elijah. Even though it was hard for me to admit that I needed his help when I came
•ABIGAIL•"Don't worry, I'll call you. Yeah -" My heart skipped a beat when I heard Diego on the phone when I walked out of the restroom. We were in New York and had withdrawn the money for our fake passports, which made it weird about who he might be talking to on the phone. He made my mind and heart uneasy because of his constant attention to his cell phone, which wasn't a problem until a few hours ago.'Fuck. He better not be cheating on me,' I groaned as I walked back to the bathroom and went to look at myself in the mirror and reapply my makeup. I sure wasn't going to let Diego use me to get a fake passport and then turn around and want to bring his whore with us. I had to make sure that he didn't even think about stabbing me in the back after all the things that he did with me and to me. When I was done patting myself on the back, I walked out of the restroom and found him waiting for me. He looked a bit agitated. "Is everything okay?" He asked when I walked toward him as
•ELIJAH•"I want your best flowers and the best gift box you got. Make sure that they are as romantic as they can be. I want them delivered to the address that I sent you. Yes. Thank you." I hung up the call and sat down on my couch. I was in one of my apartments so that I could have my own space and also get my mission accomplished on time.After receiving a file from my private investigator about Ethan's fraud with his former Arab business partners, I realized that it was going to help me get him under my control, and also get him to pay for kidnapping my kids.My cell phone rang, and when I realized that it was Harper, I got up from the couch and answered the call. "Hey, Jason sent me a text that Diego called and told him that you found them. Is Abigail with you?" I asked. "Yes, she's here. We are still keeping her in our hotel room. Jason hasn't called his cop friends, has he?" "No, but they are waiting for something. Abigail has to be captured, and since they had a lead, it h
•DARLA• "I can't believe that you had sex with Elijah," Amelia commented after I closed the door behind Elijah. I rolled my eyes as I turned around and walked to the living room where the kids were happily playing together. "I don't know what you're talking about. It's so crazy that you think I did such a disgraceful act with Elijah. I'd do that with anything walking around with a dick, but Elijah. My goodness," I answered when we got to the kitchen. "I'm sure you think that you're fooling me right now, but I can literally smell and see a person who just had sex." "Oh, yeah?" I chuckled after pouring myself and her a glass of apple juice. "Your pregnancy does that?" "Yeah, and your shirt is turned over." I gasped as I looked down at my shirt and instantly felt overwhelmed with embarrassment. I was so sure that even the housekeeper and Penelope saw that and knew what I did when Elijah was in the house. "That -" I sighed as I tried to think of an excuse. "I didn't see it
•ETHAN•"Morning, beautiful." I smiled as I brought Meghan a cup of coffee in bed. She looked so beautiful, and I couldn't believe my luck in bringing her home from the bar after a failed attempt two nights ago. "Fuck," she groaned.She didn't look so impressed when she saw me. She got up from the bed, dressed up, and took her handbag from the floor. "I'm sorry, but I've got to hit the road. I'm sure we had a lot of fun last night, but I'm not the romantic type to do breakfast in bed, talk, or whatever you thought was going to happen." I placed the cup of coffee down on the pedestal counter and turned to her a little disappointed. She didn't seem like someone who only did one-night stands.I was even thinking that maybe she didn't like me as much as I thought she did when she came home with me. "Wait, what's wrong? You were happy when we came home and you seemed interested in me. Did I read all that wrong?" I asked as I leaned toward her. "It's not you, honestly. But I can't do
•DARLA•"Say it again, Darla. I want you to tell me that you don't love me anymore, but I want you to look me straight in the eye this time when you say it." "What difference will make it, Elijah?" I scoffed. "It won't change the fact that I don't want to be with you anymore. Getting me the cool pink car, jewelry, bags, and shoes is never going to make me forgive you for all the shit that you put me through!" "Are you going to say it?" "Fuck you!" I snapped. "You left and abandoned me when I was pregnant with your kids! How dare you think that you can come back into my life, and I'll just forgive you as if you didn't leave me to be with another woman?! You're a motherfucking cunt, Mr. Houston!""I know that I lied, cheated, and divorced you on claims that Abigail was pregnant! I know that I was an asshole who doesn't deserve sympathy from you, but I love you!" He sighed. "I love you with all my heart, and nothing makes sense to me right now than you." He breathed. "You're the only
•HARPER•"Hey, are you okay?" I breathed, packed my bag, and took a sip of my lemon juice on the table. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired of being here and not getting anywhere. Abigail seems impossible to find." Alec smiled as he came to sit down next to me on the bed. "Don't you trust me anymore? I brought you here with me because I know that we can find her. I know Abigail and how she thinks. Chicago is not big enough for her to hide." "Yeah, and we've been here for a day already. We should be getting somewhere, but it seems like we aren't getting anywhere, Alec. What if she's no longer in Chicago? I don't think that I can stay here any longer chasing pavements!" I snapped and then sighed. "Something's going on with you. What's wrong? You know that you can talk to me about anything." "There's nothing wrong! Stop with your interrogations, Alec, and get me, Abigail!" I snapped again as I stood up from the bed. "I'm starting to feel like you don't want me to find your bitch anymor
•ELIJAH•"This better be good," I sighed after answering Diego's call in the morning. I was sleeping when he called me at 5 AM. I had a long night and slept quite late because of a research that I was conducting. "I'm with Abigail, Sir. We met last night in Chicago and will be on our way to New York this morning for some cash. I just need a little more time before turning her in." "My sister and her friend are in Chicago searching for her. When you come back from your New York trip, please give me a call. She has to be captured tonight. That's how much time I'm going to give you." "Yes, Sir. That's okay. I'll make sure that she's captured. I just want to make sure that Harper gets back the remaining money that Abigail took from her." I got up from the bed and sighed. "Alright, give me a call when you're back." "Sir?" "Yes?" "Does our deal still stand? You get Abigail and let me go? You promised not to harm me or my family if everything goes your way. Please, I hope nothing wil
•SONIA•"Hey, Mom. It's me again," I sniffed as I sat down on the carpet floor in the basement. This was where I spent some of my time whenever I needed to feel close to my Mom, even though I didn't really have any memories of her.Before my father had his life devoted to his work, he and I used to have a weekly tradition whereby we would watch videos he took with my Mom before she died. They looked so happy and in love together, which made sense why my father never remarried after her death. She was the love of his life."I know that we barely know each other, but I have no one right now. You're the only person who can listen to me without any judgments, and I really need to vent right now," I sighed. "Was it ever this hard when your parents wanted to get you married to someone else when you were with Dad? Was it this hard because they didn't want you to be with someone who wouldn't be able to take care of you?" I silently cried and wiped my tears before they could reach my cheek