KYLE I arrived in New York in no time, driving straight to the Lancaster Company. That's definitely where Eugene will be. It's even kind of weird to come here to look for her. Being the heiress of this big empire is one of the things that made me realize how smart Eugene can be when it comes to things like this. And that is why I won't let her go in that easily, Damien can't just have her. She's very useful to me. “Sorry sir, you can't just go in like that. Who are you here to see?" A lady who I presumed to be her secretary asked me, I already lied at the reception downstairs and found my way here. With a glare on my face, I moved closer to her a bit. I didn't want to embarrass myself and it'll be better if Eugene knows I'm here at least. "Eugene," I answered curtly. “You mean Miss Eugene Brown?" She frowned, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever, just let her know I'm here," I said, still glaring. She looked at me tentatively before picking up the cell phone before her, she
EUGENEIt's taking everything in me to hold the anger thrumming through me, Kyle is getting more and more annoying as each day passes.“Why don't you just let me handle this like I said instead of probing into it like you've been doing?" I asked, almost snapping.“Like I said, I don't want you handling everything alone. You have to put me on too, we're meant to be in this together." He said.“Okay, now that you're back, who's handling things in England? Who did you tell to stay back and watch over things?”His eyes flashed even more in anger, "You can go to hell, I don't fucking care about that.” he snapped.“Really?” I asked again."Yes, I don't care. I'm not your errand boy and I'm no longer interested in whatever you're planning again!” He snapped.“You don't want to do this anymore? Are you being serious right now or it's just a joke? You want to leave?" I had to ask again.“Read my lips, Eugene. I. Do. Not. Care. Anymore." He made me read his lips, emphasizing each word said.“Yo
SHAWNAThe remote in my hand was thrown away as I watched the drama in the name of the proposal showing on the television. I've been trying so hard to just flip to a television channel that's not talking about them but it's hard.Everyone and everything in the country seems to be about them, I can't scroll on my phone for five seconds without seeing them.I had to create a parody account in case it's the algorithm of my normal account that's working. But boy, was I wrong? It's even worse there, it's even worse there.I tried to watch a normal movie the other time but I was feeling more like watching a reality show, and that was what brought me here.And the remote was thrown at the fucking television that kept showing them while I huffed in anger. The sound of the remote being thrown must have alerted my mom because she came out of her room.She went straight to the television first, turning it off then turned to look at me.“What's going on with you?" She asked.“I'm fine," I replied
SHAWNALiam's words made me stop but it only made me confused. I don't understand what the correlation between the two of them is and I looked at him to explain.“Don't worry, I'll explain later, just let us in please,” Liam said and I obliged, opening the door wider for the both of them to come in.They both walked in and Damien heaved a sigh of relief, obviously relieved to be finally allowed in. I closed the door behind them and went further into the room.They both stood in the middle of the room but Liam greeted my mom normally. Damien was the only awkward one in the middle of the room.“Good afternoon ma." He greeted her and she mumbled out s response to him. She stood up and gestured at me that she was going into the room.We were left alone soon enough and I turned to look at them, raising an eyebrow at Liam specifically.“When did you both turn to friends that you're now walking together?” I just had to ask. The last time I checked, Liam didn't like Damien, and vice versa.Se
SHAWNA“That shouldn't be a problem though. I didn't impregnate her normally because I made sure I used protection." Hearing him say that felt weird, images started coming up in my head and I had to squeeze my eyes hard to get rid of them.He seemed to notice that I was uncomfortable because he immediately re-explained himself.“I mean, the sex wasn't mutual in the first place, I did it because she gave it as the prerequisite to get Shawna out of there. She sure didn't get pregnant through that.”"She took my sperm from the sex and implanted it in herself, it wasn't the normal way. So the court will surely find her guilty of that." He explained.“But how are you so sure that's the way she got pregnant and not from the sex you both had? I mean, condoms don't fully prevent pregnancy." I asked out loud.I just think she can’t get pregnant normally, they had sex afterall.“We investigated that too, she met with a doctor who helped her with the implant and all. She didn't get pregnant norm
SHAWNA“Are you sure about this? How sure are you?" I had to ask, what he just said didn't sound like what I wanted to hear because we all believed that she was pregnant.“Yes, the insemination failed. She can't be pregnant. We even tried other semen and the IVF failed. There's no way she's pregnant unless she used other means which I doubt she did because we still checked days ago and she's not pregnant.”To say I'm mortified would be an understatement, I'm more than shocked as it is. I always knew Eugene was crazy but I didn't see this coming.Damien and Liam were equally shocked as I was, they both had shock written on their faces. But Damien's soon morphed into anger.“I should have known she's capable of pulling a stunt like this, she did something similar to this five years ago!""I should have just known she'll never change, she just keeps getting worse. How can someone keep getting schemes like this? Eugene is the devil herself.” Damien hissed.It seems he just knows what she'
SHAWNAThe smile on my face was so bright, there was no way I could have even contained it. A squeal wanted to escape my mouth but I had to control that.“Are you for real? This is a lot! I'll come over right now!" I exclaimed.“Yes, ma'am. He's awake. And we'll be expecting you." The nurse said.“Thank you so much," I said then ended the call.“What happened? Who just called?" Liam asked me and Damien looks like he wants to ask me the same question too.“Grandfather is awake. I just got off the phone with his nurse now who said she's waiting for me. I have to go over now. This is a good news!” I squealed this time around.I'm even happier talking about it than when the nurse called. It's so good to hear that he's now awake. I just hope he's okay and he doesn't go back to a coma again.“Are you both ready to leave too?" I asked them both with a voice of urgency and they both nodded at the question."Of course." They said simultaneously. At this point, I think they both have a lot more
DAMIENA small smile came up on my face as I entered the car. I hadn't expected her to allow me to hug her. But then again, it might have meant nothing to her while it meant something to me.“You can drive now," I told Roger. He was the one who brought the car for me, he did a thorough check to make sure we weren't being followed before he came.His eyes glanced at me from the mirror above his head, I must look foolish with this smile on my face right now. I tried so hard to control myself so I'll at least not look like a fool.“We aren't going to my house, go to my father's house instead," I told him when we joined the highway. Liam and Shawna already went the other way."Okay, noted.” He mumbled. It's been a while since I went out with Roger, he's always almost busy at the office while I run errands like this.We spoke a bit till we got to my parent's house. I just thought it would be realistic if I let them know about the wedding plans.I'm sorry, but I'm not also sorry for them. T
SHAWNAI stared at the legal documents spread out before me, my fingers gripping the edge of the table so tightly my knuckles turned white. The words blurred together, but their meaning was crystal clear. We weren’t just being sued, we were being accused of cutting corners, of using substandard materials that led to the warehouse collapse.“This is insane,” I said, my voice low but sharp. “Why would we sabotage our own investment? That warehouse was one of the most expensive projects under Lancaster Empire. We spent billions on it.”The words tasted bitter on my tongue. The mere thought of someone accusing us of negligence, of deliberately cutting corners, made my blood boil. The Lancaster name had always stood for excellence, precision, and integrity. Now, all of that was under attack.Bryan, my grandfather and one of the sharpest legal minds I knew, sighed heavily. He adjusted his glasses and ran a hand through his silver hair. “That’s what makes this accusation dangerous. The publi
SHAWNAThe moment I stepped out of the car, the chaos hit me like a tidal wave. The warehouse was in ruins, steel beams twisted unnaturally, jutting out like broken ribs from the collapsed structure. Massive chunks of concrete lay scattered across the site, some partially buried in dust and debris. Smoke still curled into the air from small fires that had been mostly extinguished, leaving behind the acrid stench of burnt metal and chemicals.The ground was uneven, littered with shattered glass, splintered wood, and remnants of what used to be the warehouse walls. Emergency floodlights cast long shadows over the wreckage, giving the entire scene an eerie, almost dystopian look. Sirens wailed in the distance, a constant reminder of the devastation.Workers who had escaped unscathed stood in groups, some whispering in shock, others sobbing into their hands. Medics rushed around, tending to the injured, their uniforms already streaked with dust and blood.And in the middle of it all, stan
SHAWNAI sighed, watching Damien walk out of the office, his expression still mildly suspicious. I knew him well enough to know he wasn’t going to drop it, no matter how much I told him to. But for now, at least, he was gone.Barely five minutes later, the door swung open again, and Eugene strode in, looking exasperated. "Are you avoiding me, Shawna? Because I’ve been calling, and you haven’t picked up."I groaned, rubbing my temples. "It’s not like that. I’ve just had a lot on my mind."Eugene crossed her arms, giving me a skeptical look. "Oh really? Try me."I hesitated. Over the years, Eugene and I had gotten much closer. She was one of the few people I trusted with my thoughts, no matter how irrational they seemed. I exhaled and finally admitted, "It’s about Phoebe. And that man who was pushed into the pool."Eugene frowned. "What about them?""I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off," I confessed. "Phoebe is different. She’s been distracted, and now she hires a guy who out
RAMONI leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms as I watched Phoebe study me. She had that determined look on her face, the one that told me she wasn’t going to let this go without a fight. I had seen it before, back when she had insisted on explaining the whole misunderstanding that had gotten me arrested. And now here we were again, another battle I didn’t ask for.“I appreciate the offer, Phoebe, but I don’t want you hiring me out of guilt,” I said evenly.Her brows furrowed. “I’m not hiring you out of guilt.”I arched a brow. “Really?”“Yes, really.” She exhaled and leaned forward. “I own this company, Ramon. I make the decisions here. And I think you’d be an asset. That’s why I want to hire you. Not because of some misplaced guilt.”I studied her for a moment, trying to gauge if she was being honest. But Phoebe had never struck me as the type to pity anyone. She was far too blunt for that.She smirked slightly. “Besides, I wouldn’t just hand you the job. You’ll have to go throu
SHAWNAI followed Damien out of the boardroom, my heels clicking against the marble floor as I sighed exaggeratedly. "I feel like all we do is attend parties," I complained, shaking my head. "First, it was the gala, then the investor's dinner, and now we have to prepare for the annual company ball?"Damien chuckled, adjusting his cufflinks as we walked. "Well, at least we’ve stopped running around dealing with crises. I’d say that’s progress.""If you say so," I muttered, though I wasn’t entirely convinced. "Three days is such short notice. I don’t even have a dress yet.""Oh no, whatever will you do?" Damien teased, smirking. "It’s not like you have an entire wardrobe filled with designer dresses."I rolled my eyes. "You don’t understand. The annual company ball is different. Everything has to be perfect. It’s not just about looking nice, it’s about making a statement. People notice everything."Damien chuckled, clearly amused by my dilemma. "Shawna, you could show up in a garbage ba
PHOEBEThe moment I saw him, I didn’t even think. “Ramon?”His head snapped up, his dark eyes narrowing as they locked onto mine. “Phoebe?”I stepped closer, weaving through the line of applicants as a few people turned to watch. Ramon looked like he wanted to disappear. “What are you doing here?” I asked, still in disbelief.He crossed his arms. “I should be asking you that. What, are you stalking me now?”I rolled my eyes. “Oh please. I work here.”His brows shot up. “You? What could you possibly be doing here? Applying for a job you don’t need?” His lips curled into a smirk. “Figured you’d get bored of spending Daddy’s money eventually.”I laughed, shaking my head. “No, actually. I’m not here for an interview because this is my company.”The amusement in his expression vanished. “What?”“This…” I gestured around the office space “is my company. Lance Industry. I built it after I finished school.”Ramon stared at me for a second, his mouth slightly open as if trying to decide whethe
PHOEBEI sighed, rubbing my temples as I tried to explain everything to my parents. “Ramon left… angrily,” I said softly, still feeling guilty.Mom frowned, sitting up a little. “Angrily? Why?”I bit my lip, trying to find the right words. “Because when we got to the hospital… the police thought he had kidnapped me.”Dad’s face darkened instantly. “What?”“They arrested him right there at the entrance,” I admitted, my voice laced with frustration. “They didn’t even ask questions. They just assumed the worst because of how he looked.”Mom gasped. “Phoebe… that’s horrible.”I nodded. “I tried explaining that he saved me, that he was just helping, but they wouldn’t listen at first. It took a lot of convincing before they finally let him go.”Dad ran a hand down his face. “So that’s why he left upset.”Later that evening, mom was discharged and she told me to lead them to Ramon’s place. As soon as we pulled up in front of Ramon’s house, I could already tell this was a mistake. The place w
PHOEBEMy hands trembled as I read the messages over and over again, my vision blurring with panic. My heart pounded against my ribs. Mom had passed out because of me. My mother was in the hospital.I stumbled to my feet, grabbing Ramon’s arm. “Take me to the hospital. Now.”Ramon frowned, his hands still stuffed in his pockets. “What?”“My mom—she’s in the hospital. I need to get there,” I choked out, barely able to breathe.His face shifted slightly, from irritation to something else. Concern? Annoyance? I couldn’t tell. “What happened?”“Because of me!” I snapped. “She passed out because I left. Please, Ramon. Just take me there.”He exhaled sharply but grabbed his keys. “Fine. Let’s go.”The ride to the hospital was silent except for the rapid beating of my heart in my ears. I kept my eyes on my phone, but I couldn’t bring myself to text my brothers back. I was too scared of what they might say.As soon as we arrived at the hospital parking lot, I barely waited for the car to stop
PHOEBERamon led me into his house, and I immediately took in the small but neat living room. It wasn’t extravagant, but it had a cozy, lived-in feel. A dark brown couch sat against one wall, a small television across from it. A few shelves held books and random trinkets. The scent of coffee and something faintly musky lingered in the air."Nice place," I said sincerely, turning to face him.I watched as Ramon scoffed, tossing his helmet onto the couch with a careless thud. His place was small but neat, dimly lit by a single overhead bulb. The faint scent of leather and motor oil clung to the air, a stark contrast to the floral and citrus-scented halls of my home.“Don’t flatter me, princess,” he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “I’ve been to your house. One of your bedrooms is bigger than this entire place.”I blinked at the bitterness in his tone. “That’s not what I meant. I was just—”“Just what?” He turned to face me fully, arms crossed, eyes dark with something unr