As Grandpa began to tell me about what had happened to my family over the past six years, I couldn't believe my ears.It all started with the day my three brothers didn't make it to the airport and were spared from the airplane crash that took the lives of so many others.It was a miracle that they had missed their flight, and that changed their lives.My mother, Alicia Stone, had made it onto the plane that day, but the crash had left her severely injured. Her face was disfigured beyond recognition, and she had to undergo major plastic surgery to reconstruct it.Grandpa warned me that she looked completely different now, and I might not be able to recognize her once I saw her.I was shocked to hear that my mother had taken on a new identity, Camilla Everheart, after marrying Edward Everheart, my father's best friend.Mom had managed to make it big in the business industry with little help from Edward, and now she owned chains of restaurants, hotels, and resorts all over the world. Sh
"You're still a crybaby.” I heard a voice, and my attention was immediately drawn to the door."Louis!" I gasped, almost not recognizing his face. He seemed so different from the tall, skinny boy I once knew. The slim arms had been replaced by muscles, and the boyish charm had transformed into a manliness that could make girls weak in the knees.Tears welled in my eyes, and my lips quivered with emotion. "I never thought a moment like this would ever come," I sniffled."Have I told you that you look ugly when you cry?" It was David, my youngest brother, with whom I was close but didn't get along so well because he never wanted to play with me when we were kids.David and I, being close in age, often ended up spending a lot of time together in the house. Whenever we got into arguments, Louis would always step in as a referee to prevent us from tearing each other apart.Through my tears, I pursed my lips. "You're even uglier when you cry. That's why you're trying to hold back your tears
Camilla sat on the bedside, her heart breaking with every word coming from Elizabeth's lips.It had been six long years since she had held her daughter like this, and now, as she listened to her recount the events of her life, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of regret for all the time they had lost.Her heart ached with the pain of knowing that she had missed out on so much.She had missed Elizabeth's graduation, her first job, her first love. She had missed out on all the little moments that made up a life.Elizabeth's voice was soft and tired, the words flowing out in a slow, steady stream. She spoke of the struggles she had faced, the challenges she had overcome, and the acquaintances who had stood by her through those difficult times."But you know, Mom, the pain of being shunned as an outcast by almost everyone for years was nothing compared to the hurt I felt when my own best friend betrayed me.”Camilla reached out and took her daughter's dainty hand, offering comfort a
When I woke up Mom was gone. I had expected her to be there and felt a little disappointed that she left the room already.When I got up, the beautiful French evening white dress laid out on the edge of bed caught my attention. It was stunning, with delicate lace detailing and a flowing skirt. Next to it were sparkly silver shoes. There was also a note that read: Please put on the dress, sweetie. Love, mom.The dress and shoes fit perfectly. I felt like a princess and spun around in front of the mirror.Leaving the presidential suite, I noticed how quiet the halls were. No footsteps or hotel staff anywhere. Walking through the long halls, I found a rose on the floor. Then another one a few steps away.Following the roses, I reached the banquet hall. The silence behind the door felt strange.I pushed the door open, the darkness inside made me pause, causing me to briefly doubt if I should enter at all.When I turned to leave, the lights suddenly flickered on, the grand banquet hall was
Four years later."Daddy! Daddy! Celestine bonked my face!"A little girl, with shoulder-length curly blonde hair, dressed in a pink sleeveless lace dress, hurried past the doorway and approached the chair where her father sat. Her emerald green eyes filled with tears as she buried her face in his lap."She did what?" Her father asked calmly, but his eyes simmered with hidden anger, like a volcano ready to explode.Standing up, the little girl mimicked a slapping motion with her hand. "She did it like this," she demonstrated, her palms colliding with her right cheek.At only four years old, the child exhibited an impressive ability to converse like an adult, a trait likely influenced by her limited interactions with children her age and constant company of older people.Her father gently lifted her chin to look at her face. Sure enough, there was a red mark on her cheek."What happened, sweetheart?" he asked, his voice ominously composed."I spilled juice on her favorite dress! I didn
"Elizabeth Everheart, will you marry me?"I blinked in astonishment at the question. It was the fourth proposal I had received in a week, making it the 150th one in the last four years.Since arriving in the US, my family—brothers, Mom, and Dad—had persistently set me up on blind dates, which I occasionally declined.The blind dates eventually fizzled out, but my family's desire for me to settle down did not wane. Soon enough, marriage proposals were coming at me one after another. After turning them down I was branded the 'ice queen’. This should have deterred further proposals, but it only seemed to make other admirers persistent."Elizabeth, you're 28 years old, for heaven's sake, it's time to choose a man and settle down," Mom would constantly urge me to get married.However, I would always manage to win the argument by pointing out that if Louis, Henry, or David finds a wife first, then I would find a husband. Fortunately for me, none of them were in a rush to settle down just ye
When Sapphire and I got back home, it was already past midnight.I headed straight to my room, taking a quick shower before changing into my favorite pajamas and collapsing face down onto my cozy queen-size bed.Despite feeling exhausted from the day's work and partying, sleep eluded me. My thoughts were consumed by Flintstone City and what awaited me there upon my return.Unfortunately, Grandpa couldn't go back to the city with me as he had passed away a month ago. He peacefully died in his bed, surrounded by friends and family. Grandpa lived a happy and fulfilled life, which may have been the reason he lived longer than the doctor had anticipated.However, before his death, I couldn't resist asking him the question that had plagued me for a long time: Who was responsible for Philip Phoenix's death?"Let go of what happened in the past. Uncovering what's buried will not do you any good." That's what he said to me.Grandpa had been unjustly scorned and accused of a crime he never comm
Crimson couldn't shake Cleo's words from his mind; they felt like a puzzle he needed to solve, with the most important piece still missing.He pondered the idea that the child may have misheard what Celestine had said. However, his four-year-old daughter insisted with absolute conviction that she had correctly heard her name being mentioned.“You can ask Suh-les-teen’s pet. She knows it too,” Cleo had challenged him.“Suh-les-teen’s pet?”“You don't know, Daddy? The one who follows her like a doggie wherever she goes.”Crimson had trouble believing what came out of his daughter's mouth. The words seemed surreal and detailed, making it hard to dismiss the possibility that the child was telling the truth.If his assumption was correct, Cleo must have been talking about Amy, Celestine's personal assistant, who constantly moved like her shadow and complied with her every command.But even if he were to question Amy about it, he doubted she would ever reveal anything. As he could see, she
Crimson pulled his pants back on, much to the disappointment of the audience, who had been enjoying his beautiful body. He gathered his shirt and also put it on.The game continued. Crimson spun the bottle.“Please, not me,” I mumbled under my breath.Finally, it stopped, pointing at a girl, making me heave a relieved sigh.“Truth or dare?” the master of the game asked.The woman in pink, wearing a halter top, laughed nervously before standing up. “Dare.”The master of the game grinned mischievously before saying, "I dare you to approach the man you have a crush on and confess your feelings."The woman's eyes widened, but she took a deep breath. With soft, hesitant steps, she slowly made her way to the young man seated next to Crimson.“I—I l-ike you,” she muttered, her cheeks a deep tomato red.The man beside Crimson broke into a smile. “I like you too, Dolly, ever since we were kids,” he confessed .The whole room erupted into cheers, watching the couple hug each other.I couldn't h
“Brother, you should have let us know you were coming! I had no idea,” I exclaimed, rising from my seat to greet him.Louis, whom I hadn't seen in a month, flashed me a smile. “It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you,” he replied, giving me a hug.I glanced over at Sapphire, who had also risen from her seat to greet our brother. She looked just as surprised as I was, indicating that she had no idea he was coming.“Have you eaten? There's a lot of food tonight. It's Samantha's birthday.”“I've eaten on the plane, Liz, so I'll pass, but I would appreciate a drink.”I gestured for the server to come over and requested a bottle of wine. He nodded and momentarily excused himself to fetch my request. Upon returning, he brought four glasses and a sealed bottle of wine.We all settled back into our seats.Out of the corner of my eye, I felt like I was being watched. I glanced around the room, trying to figure out who it was, until my gaze landed on Crimson. He was taking a sip of whiskey, res
The next morning, Chief Dallas informed me that he had obtained the plate number of the car involved in the ambush. However, after running through the search data, it was discovered that the car had been stolen, making it impossible to trace it back to the real culprits.I assumed the Chief must have told Crimson the same thing since he had asked for our contacts before we left the police station yesterday.I couldn't help but feel frustrated by the news. However, there wasn't much that could be done except to wait.As I strolled through the penthouse, my mind was occupied with Sam's birthday preparations.Sam's birthday, as she had requested, was a small gathering of close friends and family. She wanted to keep things low-key, without any extravagant decorations or elaborate party planning.I first suggested that the venue could be in the banquet hall, but as expected, the birthday celebrant gently declined because the place was too grand and big for the occasion.When Sapphire sugge
I couldn't help but show a faint smile as I nodded."Yes, Chief Dallas, it's me," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the rush of emotions. He was one of the few people who remained kind and welcoming to me despite my ruined image years ago, and I will never forget how he helped me in the past.He studied me for a moment, his eyes flicking over my face as if trying to piece together how I had changed over the years. "You've changed; I almost couldn't recognize you! I thought a Hollywood actress just walked into the room. Look how beautiful you are.”I blushed at the compliment. "Well, it has been a while, sir. I'm happy to see you well and healthy.”The older man nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His gaze softened. "I never thought I'd see you back here, Elizabeth."“It was unplanned…. Something happened on our way back home… we have to report an incident.”“We?” he asked. For the first time, his eyes finally settled on Crimson, who had stayed qu
It was the longest time of my life.The car whooshed, feeling one with the wind. My eyes remained closed, fearing that when I opened them, I'd see a long river surrounded by exquisite flowers.When I opened my eyes the sound of a gunshot piercing through the air, causing my heart to jump in my chest. My hands tightened even more on the seatbelt, as if it could provide the strength I needed.I was amazed I hadn't fainted yet, considering how scared I was.Bang! The car window at the back shattered, tiny fragments of glass glinting on the dark floor.I pressed my fingers to my lips to stifle a scream. I’m not yet married, nor have I seen the man I want to marry and have children with, so I'm not ready to die yet.Crimson pressed harder on the accelerator, desperate to put as much distance between his car and the one following behind us.He cursed under his breath as another gunshot rang out.“Cling to whatever you can hold on to!”He suddenly made a split-second decision, veering off o
Crimson's surprise was palpable in his voice as we spoke over the phone. He asked me why I had called, and I quickly provided him with a brief explanation of what had occurred. After listening attentively, he understood the situation and instructed me to wait.I crossed my arms underneath my chest and stared at the men present. Someone will be losing their jobs today, I thought to myself, annoyed that I had to be there to be watched by them like a specimen in a science experiment.“Why are you smirking? Do you believe you'll get out of this situation easily?”My gaze bore into the man, filled with enough intensity to pierce him with imaginary bullet holes. Just because I was dressed in a plain t-shirt and faded jeans, they felt justified in judging me.“Just watch,” I replied.Crimson arrived a few minutes later. He must have been nearby when I called him because he arrived so fast. With an air of confidence and elegance, he strode into the room, and it suddenly fell eerily quiet.The
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, revealing the grand penthouse perched atop Queen's Courtyard. No one had access to that room except for me, Samantha, and Sapphire. Cleo's small hand gripped mine and Crimson’s tightly as she skipped alongside us, her favorite teddy bear backpack bouncing behind her. The stunning views of the city skyline were visible through the expansive windows. The sunlight looked ethereal, like a painting displayed in a grand museum. Cleo let go of our hands and ran toward the large, plush couch in the center of the room, giggling as she plopped down onto the soft cushions. “Just a minute. I'll give the child something to do so she won't disturb us.” Crimson strode towards Cleo, opened her backpack, and produced a jigsaw puzzle. The child sat down on the plush carpet, and Crimson placed the puzzle pieces within her reach. I shifted my gaze to the window, watching the view and wondering why I felt something was missing in my life, even thou
The man stepped onto the terrace.His eyes were a deep shade of blue, and he had a scar just above his left eyebrow. His hair was a tousled mess from the gentle breeze.I found myself staring, trying to piece together where I had seen him before.Was it on the streets? At a mutual friend's gathering? Maybe he had been a guest at the hotel during my days as a humble waitress. The more I tried to remember, the more elusive the memory became."Have we met before?" he asked, looking at me with the same confusion. “There's something about you that feels familiar."For a brief moment, neither of us spoke while we observed one another, and then memories started flooding back. Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks: we had indeed met before!We spoke at the same time.“Grey Cameron?”“Elizabeth Stone?”Grey took a seat in the chair I offered. His eyes were the same piercing blue I remembered, regarding me with curiosity. “You disappeared suddenly without a trace. How have you been?”"I'm go
I had expected Celestine to run after me, but it didn't happen. She must have been so shocked by my words.The parking lot was empty, and the sound of my heels seemed to echo across the vast space. Before I got into my car, I sensed someone watching me.The drive back to Queen's Courtyard was a blur. Soon, I reached the hotel and parked in my usual spot.“What happened in your meeting with Celestine?” Sapphire asked the moment I sat down on the upholstered sofa inside my office.I never realized how thirsty I was until she handed me a chilled cucumber juice. I took a long sip, and by the time I put the glass down, it was empty.“She denied everything,” I replied, making a face. “But I got what I wanted.” I rummaged through my handbag until I found what I was looking for and handed it to my stepsister.A strand of hair in a zip lock.“That's Celestine's. I want you to send it to the DNA testing center along with Cleo's hair sample.”Sapphire understood and nodded. “You can trust me wit