Trina's POV
Back at the mansion, I took a deep breath before entering the house that hadn't felt like home for the past several years. However, what I heard echoing from the living room made me freeze on my tracks. “So, was your mission accomplished last night, princess? Did she fall for it?” It was Dad. “Of course!” giggled Stacy, “She's just so naive! She really thought I was trying to make her enjoy her first posh party!” “Well done, darling!” chimed in Emily, “You did a tremendous job. I knew her beauty will come in handy sometime. I’m sure the investor will be pleased. Now all we have to do is wait for his call! We nailed this gig!” “Thank you, mom. But you were the one who did the most splendid part. That aphrodisiac you gave me to spike her drink with is the bomb! You should have seen how she passionately jumped his bones like a she-wolf on heat! I had to turn off the live stream of the micro camera I placed on her dress when they started ripping off each other's clothes!” “Oh yes it's the bomb! The vendor assured me that the aphrodisiac is so powerful and so potent that it can turn even the most saintly and chaste virgin into a desperate wanton siren! That goody-two-shoes, sweet and maidenly step-sister of yours never stood any chance of resisting the inevitable!” As soon as Emily said that, a wave of vertigo overcame me so I quickly pressed my back against the wall. Naive? Beauty coming in handy? Investor? Drink? Potent aphrodisiac? No wonder I behaved like a wanton, sex-starved b*tch upon just seeing an insanely attractive man! The pieces of the puzzle have now all come together. It was a set-up. They had planned this. Everything was part of their plot and I blindly and foolishly fell hook, line and sinker into their well laid trap! Mason had warned me but I didn't listen to him and now, look where that has landed me. I lost not just my virginity but also my pride, my dignity all for nothing but the greed of my selfish, materialistic, conniving and wicked family. By now, I should have gotten immune to getting hurt and feeling betrayed, after all that these people that call themselves my family have put me, my mom and Mason through– usurping my mom’s multi-billion dollar company, divorcing her, making her fall terribly sick and treating us like trash in our own mother’s ancestral home. But alas, I guess they still possess that power of hurting me because I felt pained. Really pained and furious… I don't know when I burst into the luxuriously furnished living room, crying out, “Dad, how could you? How could you do that to your own daughter?!” The room instantly fell silent as they turned to face me, surprise etched on their faces. “How could you do that to me, dad? Why? What did I do to deserve that?” I lamented, tears of anger and betrayal gushing out of my eyes. Adrenaline coursed through my veins while my heart kept pounding at an alarming rate as my blood boiled with rage. Despite knowing how cruel these people are, I still couldn't believe what my ears just heard. The betrayal cut deeper than I ever imagined. Stacy was the first to regain her voice as she smirked. “Aw, poor Trina! Sorry you had to hear that. You were just a pawn, you see, so you were never meant to know.” “Shut up!” I don't know when I screamed at her, my anger getting the better of me. As she retreated a step back in reflex, Dad addressed me. “Calm down, Trina.” “Calm down? You're seriously asking me to calm down after what you did? After selling me out?!” “You don't understand, Trina” interjected Emily, in her characteristic smooth but cold voice, “It's for your own good. What you did was for the company and hence, for your future. You should be thanking us for helping you secure your future.” I don't know when I snorted. “Thank you for throwing me to some stranger? For selling my pride, my dignity, my v-card? You must be out of your f*cking mind to say that!” I could see the shocked looks on all their faces and I know it's because of my unusual rebellious outburst. But I don't give a damn about what they think anymore. There's a limit to everything and I have surely exceeded my tolerance limit. I'm done being their door mat! I have always been the sweet, obedient and docile daughter and step-daughter to them but not anymore. I'm truly done taking anymore of their bullshit! “Katrina!” Yelled my dad, “Is that the way to talk to your mom?” “My mom?” I let out a derisive snort. “This greedy witch can never be my mom!” “Katrina Jacqueline Ryder!” My dad barked, and that was the only warning I got because the next thing I felt was a sharp, stinging blow against my face… The slap stung and momentarily blinded me but as my vision returned back to normal, I saw Mason rushing towards us and in a matter of seconds, he was standing right there in front of me like a shield, with both hands spread out in the air, protectively. With a defiant look in his eyes, he looked up at our much taller dad. “Leave my sister alone! How dare you hit her? Haven't you guys done enough already?!” Though Mason is just thirteen, he's much more bolder, courageous and daring than I could ever be. Most times I have to step in and stop him before he provokes our violent father or evil stepmother. “Stay out of this, young man.” Dad ordered him, “Go back to your room. Now!” But Mason is persistent. “No! I'm not moving an inch from here without my sister! I won't let you hit her ever again.” From my peripheral view, I saw Emily signal to the two burly bodyguards standing by the door frame. And within seconds, my younger brother was firmly in their grip, screaming and dangling his legs in the air, trying his best to break free but to no avail. They were too strong for him. As the bodyguards forced Mason to quieten down, Emily walked over to me with a calculating, cold look on her face, like a predator advancing towards its prey.Trina’s POV Standing right before me, she spat, “I tried to be lenient with you but I guess you and your rebellious brother want it the hard way so I will just cut to the chase.”She paused just a little before going on. “The family lawyer has already prepared all the documents so all I need is your signature. Hand over all your shares of the company and also that of Mason’s. He is still a minor and since your vegetable of a mom made you his legal guardian, you’ll have to sign for both of you.”Another wave of vertigo overcame me once again. I couldn't believe my ears. Our shares? They want us to hand over our shares– the only source of livelihood that remains for me, my brother and our ailing mom after they usurped the company she inherited from her family?!"Y…you can't do this!" I stuttered, my voice trembling with a mixture of rage and desperation. "These shares, they are all we have left! You can't take them away from us!"But Emily's lips only curled into a cruel smile. "Oh, bu
Nine Months Later - (Paris, France) Trina’s POV As I reached for the bottle of water on the table, I felt a sharp pain on my lower back, making me wince. “Careful there!” Justin’s concerned voice drifted to me, as I held the edge of the tiny kitchen table for support. I quickly put on a reassuring smile on my face as I looked at my classmate-cum-best friend, Justin Myers. His eyes were fixed concernedly on my swollen stomach. “Don't worry, Justin. I'm fine, truly I am. It's just that I get these cramps most of the time since my due date is near. But the doctor assured me that it's quite normal.” Upon hearing that, his face finally relaxed as the frown of concern vanished. "I still can't believe you're due any day now," he said, his eyes now bright with excitement, unlike before. "It feels like just yesterday you showed up in our hotel management class looking lost and overwhelmed." I don't know when I laughed out loud at that, with my hand absentmindedly rubbing my sw
Trina's POV With both of my hands gently caressing my swollen, heavily pregnant belly, a gesture that has become second nature to me over the past nine months, I carefully perused the array of cheeses displayed at the Le Fromage Fantastique section. (A variety of the best French cheeses). To any onlooker, I appeared to be engrossed in selecting the cheese but deep down, my mind was elsewhere, buzzing with different thoughts of what the future entails– for myself, for my unborn baby, my bedridden mom and young brother. Perhaps if I wasn't so engrossed in my thoughts, I might have heard a sound that could have forewarned me. But alas, from out of nowhere, I just felt a gloved hand cover my mouth while a strong arm grabbed my waist in a firm grip. Out of reflex, I tried to scream but the sound was muffled due to the hand covering my mouth. And to my horror, I suddenly felt myself above ground as whosoever it was pulled me off my feet and began dragging me backwards. Panic surged
Mysterious Man's POV The sterile operating room was very quiet except for the quiet hum of machinery as a tall, masked man adjusted his hand gloves. In the medical world, he was an enigmatic figure, who is both feared and revered by all. He looked at Trina who was now lying completely still and unconscious on the operating table. He felt a flicker of something— perhaps pity, but quickly shoved it aside. Despite his years of experience, there was something about this particular case that left a sour taste in his mouth. However, he pushed the feeling aside and focused on what he had to do. "Scalpel," he requested, holding out his hand. As he made the first incision, the masked doctor couldn't help but speak out what's in his mind "It's quite fortunate that Mr. McAllister is the most clever, most cautious and most meticulous person I’ve ever encountered. This woman must have deliberately slept with him just to get pregnant. They're all like that. Imagine, she even came this far ab
Trina's POV Justin's face instantly whipped in our direction upon hearing Eleanor’s voice and even though I saw the surprise on his face which is undoubtedly due to the name she addressed him with, his eyes lit up at the sight of her. He quickly flung the sign he was holding aside before meeting Eleanor halfway and scooping her in his arms. And just as he always does, he began spinning her around, eliciting giggles from the delighted little girl.“There's my little princess! I missed you so much, pumpkin!”“I missed you too, Daddy!” She responded, emphasizing on the “Daddy” while stealing a furtive glance at the gorgeous blonde. Holy macaroni! What on earth is my little mischievous angel up to? Surely not I’m thinking! I know she's very fond of Justin and even though she never said it out loud, her actions speak clearly enough– she wants him to be her dad. She had gotten that notion so much into her head that she hated to see him with other women— just like now. Unfortunately, I wi
Trina's POV "Excuse me," I quickly said, standing up. "I need to use the restroom. I'll be right back."Justin's face instantly whipped towards me, and his brows furrowed into a frown. He’s my friend and knows me as well as I know him, so I'm sure he figured out the real reason why I’m excusing myself but nonetheless, I simply smiled and walked away. There's no question about it, I’m certain that I can't give Justin what he wanted from me– what he really deserved. But who knows, maybe this fan of his, or someone like her, could…With my mind preoccupied with thoughts of Eleanor alone in the car with the chauffeur, I absentmindedly pushed open the door to what I assumed was the women's restroom. I don't trust chauffeurs at all, afterall, my dad was once the chauffeur to my mom's extra-rich family who pretended to fall in love with her and see where that landed us!Upon entering, I realized that the restroom was empty and silent, much to my preference.I approached the sink, the sound
Trina’s POV My heart was racing as I hurriedly made my way back to our table at the coffeehouse. However, to my surprise, both Justin and his fan or rather, lady admirer were nowhere to be found. Without wasting another second, I quickly exited the coffeehouse and walked as fast as I could to Justin's waiting car. As soon as the Mercedes came into view, I saw Justin and Eleanor high fiving each other with huge grins on their faces. Hmm, something seems fishy here… I quickly scanned my eyes all over the area, searching for the lady who had been fan-girling over Justin earlier but she was nowhere to be seen and that only heightened my suspicions. Momentarily forgetting about the embarrassing scene I just left behind, I asked them in a suspicious tone. “What's going on here? And where's that pretty lady I left you chatting with, Justin? Your huge fan?” Running a hand through his blonde hair, Justin chuckled, "Oh, she already left. You wouldn't believe what happened." My head
Trina’s POV Early the next morning, I stood in front of the mirror, checking and rechecking my appearance for the umpteenth time and taking deep, calming breaths. I need to look as presentable as possible because this interview is very important to me. It is the ticket to the independence I so much crave, and also, my chance to show my evil conniving family what I am capable of. It's also my ticket to power and getting back what's rightfully mine. With one last intake of breath, l grabbed my portfolio and headed out of the door.The Sunnyville hotel truly lived up to its reputation. It was indeed a sight to behold, with its grand, magnificent building radiating opulence, adorned with elaborate chandeliers and marble columns that nearly reached for the skies. Each step I took inside felt surreal, just as if I was walking through a dream. I was both awed and determined as I walked into the opulent lobby. I’ll definitely do my best to get this job!Just then, a smartly dressed middle-a
Trina's POV I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart as I watched Eleanor orchestrate yet another "family" scenario. This time, she had Jayden and Zane himself setting up a picnic in the sprawling gardens of the McAllister mansion. It was quite surreal, seeing the cold and aloof, highly charismatic and intimidating billionaire– The enigmatic Mr. Zane McAllister doing something so domestic as laying out a checkered blanket while his equally aloof and charismatic son, Jayden McAllister, carefully arranged a basket of sandwiches on the spread blanket.As I watched them from afar in awe, I suddenly heard my mischievous little munchkin’s voice break into my thoughts."Mommy! Daddy says we need your famous lemonade for our picnic!"For the umpteenth time, I felt a flutter in my stomach when I heard Eleanor call Zane 'Daddy,' even though I have been hearing it for over a week now and I also know it was all pretend. Forcing a smile on my face, I replied to her. "Lemonade coming
Jayden McAllister's POV I could feel Eleanor's excited eyes on me, trying to get an eye contact so we can celebrate our mini victory but I refused to allow the contact since Dad's highly perceptive eyes were on me and I don't want to risk him finding out about our plan.Later after breakfast, as we made our way to Dad's sleek black car, I couldn't help but notice how Mom hesitated before taking the front passenger seat. And when he drove us to the school, I noticed that Dad's knuckles were white on the steering wheel, as if he was also nervous about the whole thing but keeping cool about it like the aloof and indifferent billionaire everyone knows him to be.Unlike her usual self, Eleanor was very quiet during the ride to the school and from the rearview mirror, I could see Mom stealing glances at her with a concerned look on her face. When she could no longer handle it, she turned in her seat to look back at us. "Aren’t you excited, Ella sweetie? First day at a new school is always
Jayden McAllister's POV I must give my twin sister her well deserved accolade– she's indeed a master when it comes to plotting and mischievous pranks, especially when she sets her heart into doing something. And she has not only set her heart, but also her mind and her soul into bringing our parents back together after whatever it was that separated them in the past. On that fateful day when Dad announced we were going on a family vacation to his hometown, I had caught Eleanor's eye across the breakfast table. She gave me that mischievous look of hers– the one that said she was up to something– and I knew right then that our lives were about to get a whole lot more interesting! And when I said my goodbyes and set out to go to school, I had lingered at the door, only to hear her say to them in her characteristic chirpy tone."I'm going off to my kingdom as well but before then, remember what my big bro just told you; practice makes perfect. Jay-jay and I have already started our ow
Trina's POV “Mr. McAllister comes from a middle-class family in Dripping Springs, Texas. His father, Donald McAllister owns and maintains a ranch there. The ranch is a family heirloom, it's been in the family for generations. Zaynie is his only son."This time around, he didn't bother to correct his slip of tongue and that made me realise that Mr. McAllister and him might be closer than they appear to be if he calls him by a nickname."Zaynie's mother died immediately after giving birth to him, and his father remarried early… too early if you ask me.”I shook my head as I said, “That's so sad. So he grew up without knowing his own Mom!”Randolph let out a grim smile as he heard that, before saying, “Yeah, but what was even more sadder was the way his father and stepmom treated him. You see, my family worked for the McAllister ranch for generations and so I grew up there, working as the dairy person in charge of milking all the cows. So I have known Zaynie ever since he was born. As a
Trina's POV Time seemed to slow down as I sensed Zane’s hand a fraction of an inch away from my face. With my heart pounding so hard like never before, I held my breath, waiting for the touch of his fingers on my skin...However, it never came.Instead, I felt a slight movement of air as his hand reached past me. My eyes flew open just in time to see him grab his suit jacket from the hook on the wall behind me."Then you better start practicing about how to act as a caring wife," he said, his voice calm and cool as if nothing had happened. "I'm off to the office."And just like that, he was gone, leaving me pressed against the wall, with my heart still pounding dangerously and my mind reeling.I stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened– or rather, what hadn't happened. Had I imagined the tension? The heated look in his eyes? The way his gaze had lingered on my lips?Shaking my head, I pushed myself away from the wall and took a deep breath. This arrangement
Trina’s POV Eleanor's eyes widened as big as saucers, and even Jayden looked pleasantly surprised. But before I could process their reactions, Zane quickly added, "As a pretend family." He paused, his gaze sweeping over all of us. "I've made an arrangement with… your mother that will benefit us both. And to make this… venture successful, we will need your maximum cooperation."I watched the children carefully, trying to gauge their reactions. To my surprise, Eleanor and Jayden exchanged another look, this one filled with something I couldn't quite decipher. Was that... a wink from Eleanor to Jayden? Hmm, judging from her hyper excitement from earlier and her actions now, I know my mischievous little munchkin was definitely up to something. But the question is, what? And how on earth had she managed to thaw the usually cold and aloof Jayden like this?"A pretend family vacation?" Eleanor asked, her voice dripping with innocence that I knew was entirely feigned. "That sounds like fun!
Trina's POV As my little munchkin and I made our way to the McAllister mansion, I couldn't help but notice her unusually bubbly demeanor. Even though my little firecracker was always full of life, today she seemed to be practically bursting with excitement. I’ve never seen her being this restless and excited over anything. As if she read my mind, she hyper excitedly squealed, “Mommy, hurry! I can't wait to see everyone!"I chuckled, before glancing at her in the rearview mirror and asking, “Calm down, sweetie. We go there every day, remember? Tell me, what's got you so hyper this morning?”She flashed me one of her famous mischievous grins before responding in a fake innocent tone. "Oh, nothing, Mommy. I just have a feeling today's going to be a great day!"Alarm bells instantly rang on my head so I quickly said. “Ella sweetie, remember the promise you made to me when we started going to the McAllister mansion? You wouldn't break it by playing a prank on anyone in the house, would
Jayden McAllister's POVEleanor's reaction was nothing short of explosive. She hugged me so tight I could barely breathe as she let out a very loud squeal of delight that made me wince involuntarily. I quickly shushed her, reminding her not to draw attention to us. She clapped a hand over her mouth for a split second as she finally released me from the fierce hug.But Eleanor being Eleanor, she couldn't contain her hyper excitement and it took several minutes and gentle reminders before she finally calmed down enough to speak coherently.Her brow suddenly furrowed as if she just remembered something. She then asked me,"But Jay-jay, if we're twins, and Mom is your mom too, why don't you live with us? Why does Zane Daddy... I mean, Dad, say that your mommy is in heaven?"I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "That's what we need to figure out, Eleanor. Something strange is going on, and I think it's up to us to uncover the truth."Eleanor nods solemnly, her usual playfulness replaced
Jayden McAllister’s POV I kept pacing around in my spacious room with an anxious look on my face. For the umpteenth time now, I checked the time on my limited edition Bugatti smart watch and when I saw that it was a quarter to three, my anxiety grew even more. I quickly pulled out my phone from my jeans pocket and refreshed the email box but to my chagrin, the long-awaited email was still not sent.The previous day after lunch, I had deliberately volunteered to clear the table after having lunch with my father, Trina and Eleanor. When I ensured that nobody was looking my way, I had sneakily wrapped the cutleries we used with paper napkins and pretended to go to the kitchen, only to make a detour to my room.I hid the samples well in the large pockets of my hoodie before leaving the house under the pretext of going for a walk.Even the bodyguards Dad assigned to me didn't bat an eyelid when I told them that I wanted to walk in solitude. And they didn't question me, they never did. Aft