Edrick I was too taken aback by Kelly’s proposition to even speak. Was she the one who paid off the tabloid to keep the photo up, just so she could manipulate me into having a fake relationship with her? Or did someone else put her up to it… Like my father? “Well?” she said, batting her eyelashes in front of me. “What do you say?” “I…” I paused, blinking incredulously as my head reeled. “I need a drink.” Without another word, I turned on my heel and headed back toward the door to the banquet hall. “At least think about it!” Kelly called after me in a sing-song tone of voice. “I’ll be waiting to hear your decision!” I sighed as I stepped back into the banquet hall, letting the music and the noise of the guests wash over me. Why couldn’t I just enjoy the banquet? Why did it seem as though these sorts of things always had some sort of political connotations behind them? As I headed over to the bar, I tried to push my conversation with Kelly into the back of my mind. She was already
MoanaI was still staring into the fountain, utterly taken aback by Ethan’s sudden decision to kiss me when I just needed a friend to confide in, when I suddenly heard the sound of heels clicking across stone.My heart dropped when I looked up and saw who was headed straight for me: Kelly.She had a devious smirk on her face that told me everything I needed to know. She was up to something. I would have tried to get up and walk away, but she clearly saw me already and it was too late.“Hey, Kelly,” I said, forcing a faint smile. “How are you?” I tried to be polite and ignore the fact that she was clearly wearing the exact same dress as I was, even though it made me uncomfortable to see her like that. I kept telling myself that maybe it was just a coincidence, as the store that Edrick took me to did seem expensive and popular, but I knew Kelly just enough to sense that it was completely intentional on her part. She clearly even had the dress altered to sit more tightly on her abdomen,
Moana With my face still burning from Kelly’s slap, I needed to get away from the banquet before anyone saw me and started gossiping even more. If anyone saw me crying, I knew that Kelly would be satisfied as well, and I didn’t want that. As I gathered what little dignity I had left and started making my way through the gardens, the sound of the music and the partygoers talking and laughing slowly began to fade, replaced by the sound of the crickets chirping and the sound of the fountains. I eventually found a quiet garden not too far away with a fountain in the center and rows of peach trees circling the perimeter, their sweet fragrance filling the air. I leaned against one of these trees and bowed my head, finally letting the tears flow now that I knew I was completely alone. All my life, I only ever wanted to create a beautiful family of my own. After spending my childhood in an orphanage, I always wanted to bring a child into the world with two loving parents who would never l
Moana “The water feels nice,” Edrick said as he stood barefoot in the fountain in front of me. “I promise.” My eyes were wide with disbelief. What had changed in the Alpha billionaire’s demeanor that night? He was suddenly acting more playful than I had ever expected, and the way he held his hand out for me with an almost childlike expression on his face made me smile. I hesitated, but he only kept holding his hand out. Finally, I kicked my shoes off with a sigh and lifted my skirt. I took his hand and climbed up onto the bench, then stepped into the fountain with him. He was right; the water was nice and cool, and it felt soothing on my hot, swollen feet. Standing there, I couldn’t help but let out another sigh of relief and shut my eyes for a moment, tilting my head back toward the sky as I felt all of my frustrations wash away with the water. “It’s nice, isn’t it?” Edrick asked. I opened my eyes and met his gaze. His gray eyes were soft and gentle — something that I sorely ne
MoanaAs soon as Edrick and I stepped out of the fountain with our clothes dripping wet, we came face-to-face with Verona. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth hung agape, making me wonder just how much she saw of that entire interaction. She hadn’t been there the whole time, had she? Even just thinking about her seeing our kiss made my heart race.All at once, Edrick and I both began to stutter out an explanation for ourselves — but Verona only held up her hand and shook her head.“I don’t need any explanations,” she said with a slight chuckle. “Come with me. Let’s get you both some dry clothes.”Edrick and I shot each other a glance before following Verona, who almost seemed to be hiding a bit of a smirk as she led us across the garden and into a colonnade. We entered the mansion through a wooden door on the side of the colonnade and came out into a dimly lit, empty hallway.As we followed Verona through the hallways, I couldn’t stop thinking about my kiss with Edrick. It was a mis
EdrickI couldn’t deny the fact that Moana’s kiss was exactly what I wanted in that moment. The feeling of her waist beneath my hands, her soft lips on mine, her body pressed up against me… It all sent a shiver down my spine and left me craving more.But it was a mistake.As I got changed into dry, clean clothes and dried my wet hair, I knew I would have to push that memory of the kiss out of my mind. I simply couldn’t be with Moana, and it seemed that our undeniable attraction to each other was only making that even more difficult.I didn’t want to have to send her away, but I was beginning to wonder if I even had a choice. Between my father and Kelly, along with this, I was feeling as though I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I couldn’t be with Moana because of our glaring differences, but at the same time, I couldn’t have her around because of our lust for each other. Maybe it really was time for me to start considering the possibility that I would have to buy her a penth
MoanaEdrick took me utterly by surprise as he suddenly dropped the glass containing his drink, letting it shatter all over the floor, and took off in the direction of Ethan’s studio. I knew now that Kelly had indeed shown him the picture of Ethan and I kissing, but I didn’t expect him to react like this. He believed me so willingly when I admitted that Ethan kissed me without my consent, which was not something that I ever would have expected from the Alpha billionaire. Now, he was storming off… And I didn’t know what he was going to do to his brother when he saw him.“Edrick!” I called, lifting my skirt and running after him down the dark hallway. “Where are you going?!”Edrick didn’t answer. He only kept storming away, his fists clenched at his sides as the clicking of his shoes echoed loudly on the marble floors. He didn’t stop me from following him, though, and I was determined to make sure he didn’t do anything rash.“Edrick, it was only a misunderstanding with Ethan,” I insiste
Moana“Well then,” Michael said, striding into the room with confidence and brushing past me as though I wasn’t even there, “perhaps it’s time you think about what I said earlier.”The room fell silent. Verona held her ground between Ethan and Edrick, but it was clear that Edrick’s fury was no longer directed toward his brother.As I stood there, looking at all of them and feeling Kelly’s vindictive glare boring into the side of my head, I couldn’t help but wonder if Ethan, Kelly, and Michael were all working together somehow. Kelly and Michael I could see working together… But Ethan? He had done nothing thus far since I’d met him to make me think that he was anything but a good friend, aside from his more recent attempts to become more than that. But was that alone really enough reason to think that he was in cahoots with Kelly and Michael to get me away from Edrick? I didn’t want to believe it, but thinking about the way he looked before he saw me, the dark smirk on his face and the
MoanaI couldn’t help but laugh as I thought back on the beginning of our relationship.To think that, just a year prior, I was just Edrick’s one night stand who also became his nanny… And now, here I was, standing in front of the mirror in my wedding dress.The dress that I picked out was beautiful. We planned to have a late summer wedding to commemorate our meeting,six months after little Daisy was born. My dress was a blush pink color. It was soft and flowy with a beautiful floral embroidered pattern, and sleeves that fluttered in the breeze. It hugged my waist in all of the right places and made me feel more beautiful than ever.Daisy was six months old now, and Ella often mentioned how she no longer looked like a squished little grape. Ella had just turned nine, and thought that she was a grown-up, although she still liked to
MoanaAfter ten hours of intense and grueling labor, little Daisy was born.“She’s so tiny,” I whispered as I held the little crying bundle in my arms. The doctor weighed her at just six pounds and twelve ounces, but she was as healthy as an ox.Edrick, who hadn’t left my side throughout the entire delivery, leaned over my shoulder with a wide grin on his face and held his hand out to touch her cheek. Almost instantly, Daisy’s little hand shot out and gripped his index finger with a relentless force for such a little thing.Her eyes were squeezed shut, and yet she still had an instinct to keep her father’s finger in a vice grip.I couldn’t help but laugh, but I also wanted to cry.When I was on the cliff with Michael, I saw my parents at my birth. I did the same thing to my father, and I also wouldn&
MoanaThe time between Michael going to prison and Daisy’s birth were such a whirlwind of activity that the months practically flew by.Ethan and Kelly wound up being transferred to a mental health facility. I think that was better for them in the long run, as the things that they did were ultimately the result of Michael’s brainwashing. I didn’t hold any grudges against them; in fact, Edrick and I visited them on a monthly basis, and the medication and therapy that they went through seemed to be helping a bit.Of course, Kelly could never get over her obsession with Edrick. Nor could Ethan get over his obsession with me. It was very likely that they would spend years in that place, but at least we could have somewhat normal conversations with them when we went to visit.Michael, however, had no visitors and I didn’t feel the least bit bad about it. Verona ev
MoanaThe months in between Michael going to prison and Daisy’s birth were a whirlwind of emotions and unexpected turns. After the incident with Michael, where he was sentenced to prison for his attempt on my life, my world took another astonishing twist.The news outlets revealed a shocking revelation: Moana, the seemingly ordinary girl who was raised in an orphanage, was, in fact, the legendary Golden Wolf.I never imagined my life could become so entangled in a web of fame and attention.Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of me. All sorts of brands and non-governmental organizations bombarded me with invitations and tempting monetary offers. It was overwhelming, to say the least. My inbox was flooded with messages from high-profile companies and influential figures, all hoping to capitalize on my newfound fame.It felt like the world had changed overnigh
EdrickWithin an hour, Moana and I were nervously walking up the front steps to my parents’ mansion.We left Ella with Selina just in case we walked in on anything sinister. The house was mostly dark, which was out of the ordinary. As I slowly opened the front door, I felt my heart catch in my throat.“Hello?” I called out, holding Moana’s hand as I stepped into the large foyer. “Mom?”There was no answer. Moana and I exchanged nervous glances and walked in a little further.“Verona?” Moana called, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her voice travel further. “Are you there?!”Still no answer. We decided to head into the sitting room, where my mother often liked to be during her free time, but it was dark and empty. At this point, I was starting to get even more nervous.
MoanaA little while later, Edrick and I were standing in the front doorway of the mansion and looking out at the scene before us.The security guards were leading Michael, who was cuffed, over to the car. His nose was still clotted with blood from Edrick’s punch, but something about it was satisfying to see. I enjoyed seeing Michael finally face some consequences for his actions, and I especially enjoyed watching Selina scold him like a child.What was even more satisfying, though, was seeing him being shoved into the back of the car to be driven down to the police station.Kat was found by the guards, too. Not long after Edrick punched Michael in the face, Kat was found hiding in the woods. As it turned out, Michael paid her a pretty penny to get close to me and lead me off into the forest to get lost so that he could kill me. She looked ashamed as the guards cuffed her, and
EdrickI hated to say it, but Moana looked more beautiful than ever as she practically assaulted my evil father on the back lawn.“He’s no threat,” she said as she released her grip on his shirt and let him fall back to the ground, then turned and walked back to meet me. “The knife is gone. He’s just an angry old man now and nothing more.”Moana was right; the knife was indeed gone. It shattered when Michael tried to stab her with it.During those moments when the knife was plunged into her belly, it felt as though my heart stopped. I watched in horror as the knife disappeared into her belly. When my father pulled it out, it was covered in blood and he had a maniacal grin on his face.But something happened then. She became enveloped in that golden light again, only this time it was even brighter and more blinding than before.
MoanaEveryone froze and stared at each other with wide eyes as the sound of the groaning and shuffling came closer.“Daddy?” Ella whimpered. “Who is there?”Edrick slowly sat Ella down, then walked toward the door. He gestured to the security guards, but before anything could be done, the last person we expected walked into the doorway.“Thought you could kill me, huh?”Michael stood in the doorway with an evil smirk on his face. Selina, the maids and I all let out a collective gasp. Selina suddenly grabbed Ella by the arm and shoved her behind us to keep her protected.“Michael,” I said, taking a step forward, “you were dead.”Michael just laughed. “I was indeed,” he said. “But not for long. I guess you didn’t realize that I was waking
Moana“Can you trust me to take care of him?” I asked.Ella began to sob, but I somehow knew exactly what to do. It all felt so natural now… I didn’t even really need to think about it. I just knew to wrap my arms around Ella and comfort her, although whether it was my abilities or simply my nurturing instincts, I couldn’t be entirely sure.Suddenly, Ella stopped crying.“Okay,” she whimpered after a moment, stepping back and wiping her tears out of her eyes. “I trust you. Please take good care of my daddy.”I managed a weak smile and nodded at Ella, taking her little hands in mine. “I will take good care of him,” I whispered as I looked into her eyes, still using my pacifying ability to keep her calm. “Don’t you worry.”Ella nodded and stepped away, allowin