•ELIJAH•"I can bet everything I have, Elijah, that those children are yours. The uncanny resemblance between you and that boy Will is insane," my mother scoffed as we closed the door behind us after walking Darla and the kids out. "Do you even think it's a coincidence that she named that boy William?" She asked. "I didn't know his name was William. She introduced him as Ryan when I first met them." "That's exactly my point. Why would she hide the boy's name from you if she knew that the name wouldn't raise questions in your head?" "I don't know, Mother. I guess I would never know. I failed to get the DNA tests, and now I have to wait until she and I have a stable friendship before bringing up the subject." "You don't have to ask for DNA tests. You have to demand them," she turned to me in the hallway and looked at me. "I am your mother, and I know that those twins are yours." "Can we focus on the funeral before we find a way to deal with this?" I sighed. "You have to talk with
•DARLA•"Mommy, who is that lady with your friend, and why did she say that I look like your friend and her husband?" William asked after pulling outside our house.I looked at him and sighed as I unstrapped him and his sister from their car seats and went inside the house with them. "It's normal for someone to look like someone, Will. It doesn't mean anything. There are over 8 billion people in the world, and chances are, each of us has at least 7 or 8 people that we share an uncanny resemblance with." "He's not our father?" He asked, and I felt my stomach forming a knot at his question, and I gulped. "Of course not, baby. Mommy would've told you a long time ago if my friend, Elijah, was your father. We just went to his house today because he lost his sister, whom I used to know before you came into my life." "Oh, I thought he might be our father," Maddie replied as she sat down on the couch and sighed. I sighed as well as I drew the kids closer, sat them down on my lap, and smi
•ABIGAIL•"Where are you now?" Diego asked on the phone after I pulled up outside the hospital where Poppy was. "I just want to make sure that the police did not suspect any foul activities in the car when Poppy got into the car accident," I answered as I parked the car and hopped out.I looked around me and breathed as I wore my sunglasses so that no one would see me. "You're at the police station?" "No, silly. I'm at the hospital. Poppy's doctor has all the information, I'm sure. I just want to clear my name in case Elijah and his mother think of conducting research on what could've happened with the car." "That's a very stupid move, Abigail. At this point, I think that you're trying to get yourself arrested. You're just acting all jumpy, and trust me, you would be the first suspect for everything." I rolled my eyes. "I don't find that surprising. You've never seemed to be supporting any decisions that I make lately." "Because they're dumb." "Bye, Diego." I hung up the call a
•ELIJAH•"Thank you for listening to me today, Abigail. I really needed your companion, and you didn't disappoint. Do you think we can go out again tomorrow?" I asked, looking at her. She looked so uncomfortable and probably couldn't wait to get out of the car after I had just pulled up outside her apartment. "That's very sweet of you," she forced a smile on her face as she avoided direct eye contact. "I guess you'll text or give me a call when you want us to meet again. I'll be available any time for you." "That's what I wanted to hear," I answered and then unlocked the doors. She flashed me a smile before she hopped out of the car and headed inside her apartment. I looked at her until she got inside the front door and just wondered why I even brought her back to her apartment. I felt like she knew that I knew about what she did to Harper.Before reversing the car and driving away, I picked up my cell phone from my seat and called Jason. Luckily, he picked up the call on the sec
•ETHAN•"Hey, Uncle Ethan," Maddie pouted as she came to me on the balcony. "When is Mommy coming here?" She asked."She'll be here very soon, baby, okay? Besides, I'm here with you and will make sure that you and your brother are safe with me. Okay?""I know. It's just -" She sighed. "Mommy hasn't called us the whole day now, and you know Will, he gets grumpy when Mommy isn't around." "Where is he? He shouldn't worry himself because you're with me. We are in Grand Forks having fun. Isn't this what you and your brother wanted from me and your Mom?" I felt a little pissed that the kids were starting to be a little difficult to deal with. I just wanted us to enjoy our time in North Dakota and give Darla some little time to figure out what she really wanted in her life. I didn't want to scare the kids and make them think that they were kidnapped, but boy, they sure did try me sometimes. William was way too old to be a mama's boy, which was annoying. "I'll go and get him." Maddie ra
•DARLA• "Morning." I greeted the officer when I arrived at the police station after three days my kids had been missing. I decided to come to the station myself because they didn't seem to be doing a good job on the phone. I was so angry at how they didn't prioritize finding my children when they had been missing for three whole days, which was very alarming. "Morning, ma'am." The officer responded without bothering to look up at me. I pursed my lips into a line, trying to get myself under control and not cause a scene at the police station. "I'm here to report my missing children. My son and daughter have been missing for three days now, and the officer I was talking to on the phone hasn't bothered to notify me about the search. I am losing my mind at every passing second that my kids aren't home." "Oh. Miss Darla Sullivan?" He asked as he looked up at me, and I scoffed when I realized that he was the one that I was talking to on the phone. "Why haven't I been notified a
•ELIJAH• "The twins are your children." Her voice kept ringing in my head, and I didn't know what to do with myself. It was Poppy's funeral day, but the only thing I was thinking about was Darla's confession. I was so angry yet sad that she had to do everything on her own when she found out that she was pregnant with my kids. I felt robbed of a chance to be there for them and know them. At the same time, I knew at the back of my mind that I deserved it. I broke Darla's heart and filed for divorce because I thought that I was expecting a child with Abigail and thought that I would raise the child with her as a couple. "Elijah, can I come in?" My mother asked outside the door. She and I haven't been talking for a few days now, and though I opened the door for her, I didn't know how to react to seeing her. "Yes?" "I just wanted -" She walked inside my room and sighed. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for being such a disappointing mother. I didn't know that you would find ou
•SONIA• "Now that the boy is mourning his sister, I want you to be there for him. Be his shoulder to lean on and create a safe space for his vulnerability. It's time you show this family gratitude for everything that we've done for you." "Yes, Daddy." I bowed my head a little and nodded as a tear slipped down from my eye. "Are you crying?" "No!" I exclaimed as I quickly wiped the tear from my eye and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Dad." My father sighed as he got up from the couch across from me and looked at me. "We'll talk when you come back home." He then walked out of the living room and went to his study. I closed my mouth and released the tears that I was holding behind my eyes. I was so scared of failing my father and our family. More than anything, I was scared of losing Philip, the only man who loved me for me. My father never approved of him because he didn't come from a good family background. His family was poor, and he earned an average salary. "Miss -"
•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