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
I don't think I've been this happy in s while, my grandfather is now back home with me. I had to bring him home with me, I couldn't leave him alone in his house.And I think it's better if he comes to the penthouse with me. That way, we'll watch after him while also bonding with him, he looked so happy to see everyone that I found myself smiling.“Hey little munchkins.", he greeted the triplets as we got in. They all looked at him with confusion etched on their faces, they sure didn't recognize him.“Who is this, Mom?” Phoebe asked me, her little eyes looking up at me.They've seen him once, but that was before he went deep into a coma. He has changed physically because of the number of days he hasn't been awake.If I didn't know him before, I might have recognized him too. I think it's the poisonous substance that was given to him too but he now looks older than he was.“This is your grandfather," I told them.“Grandfather Bryan?" Billy asked out loud, taking another look at him."Ye
SHAWNAWe both looked at each other as the phone rang, it was just the three of us as my mom and grandfather with the kids were in their world.“What do we do? Should we answer it?" Liam asked out loud and we all looked at one another with confused expressions on our faces.We were still contemplating till the phone stopped ringing. I sighed in relief when it stopped, it was as if it was a huge issue that was just a preferred solution."I guess I can leave now. Or is it better if the phone is in airplane mode? That way there'll be no distractions from it.” Liam asked.But before either Damien or I could reply to him, the phone started ringing again. Hearing it ring made my heart skip, I don't know if it's because I don't know what to expect about the call.What do we even do from here? And it's a strange number calling, there's no name on it.“Let me have that,” Damien said, taking the phone from Liam. He swiped right on the phone and picked up the call, my entire body was so anticipa
SHAWNAA coy smile came up on my face as I stood upright, I honestly didn't expect him to ask that question. But I think I'm ready to tell him the truth now.He should know about them, right? And we honestly don't have any beef, neither do I see anyone coming that'll make him want to take them away from me.“Maybe I'll tell you," I mumbled.“I can't wait then, let's just get Eugene over with then." He said.Now I know he'll want to do anything in his power to get rid of Eugene at this point. There's just something about his smile that draws me to him, I don't know what it is, but I'm entranced by it.Maybe it's the small dimple that pops out when he smiles or the way his eyes glint when he looks at me and then smiles.I didn't know when he stood up till I felt his finger on my jaw, he just steered my head to look in his direction very well.“You're beautiful." His deep voice that makes me so hot said to me. His voice alone can do anything to anyone, especially to me.Then when he said
KYLE“What's the meaning of what just happened? Why are you this troublesome?” My dad asked almost immediately after Damien left.I looked at him with anger bare in my eyes, did he just blame me without hearing both sides of the story? The anger I was feeling doubled.“You didn't even hear from both sides before concluding, how can you just conclude that I was the one at fault?" I asked him.“Because you're the one who causes trouble every time, Damien is calm and would never start a fight.” My mom butted in.Why are they both pointing fingers at me? I don't even know if it's possible for me to hate someone how I hate Damien right now, I loath him so much.He has always made our parents see me as the bad person, they've been choosing him over me for years now and he has been revelling in that since.“He started this one first, you both should always try to hear what happened before pointing fingers at me," I said."We've known you for years, Kyle. You're the one who can cause that fig
PHOEBEI couldn’t tell where we were going. I could barely think.“Car. Now,” Ramon ordered, his voice sharp.I barely heard him over the shouting, but I nodded, running when he did. We pushed past people, dodging debris. My heart was hammering so hard it hurt.Finally, we broke through the crowd. Ramon yanked open the car door, practically shoving me inside before slamming his own door shut.“Lock the doors,” he said, breathless.I did.For a second, we just sat there. The chaos outside continued, but inside the car, it was silent except for the sound of our breathing.My hands were shaking. My whole body was shaking.Ramon’s jaw was clenched. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “That was bad,” he muttered.I let out a shaky laugh, though there was no humor in it. “No kidding.”He exhaled through his nose, his grip loosening just a little. “We’re going home.”“No.” My voice was stronger than I expected. “Take me to my mom.”“Phoebe…”“I’m not leaving her there.” I tur
PHOEBEI was halfway through reviewing the latest architectural sketches when my phone buzzed, vibrating insistently against the wooden desk. I barely glanced at the screen before answering."Hello?""Phoebe, have you seen the news?" Billy’s voice was tight with urgency.A strange sense of dread curled in my stomach. "No, why? What happened?"There was a pause, too long. My fingers tightened around the phone."Check now," Jasper’s voice cut in, sharp with worry. "It’s bad. Really bad."I fumbled for the remote with one hand, my other gripping the phone like a lifeline. My heart pounded as I pressed the power button.The screen flickered to life, and I felt my breath hitch.Lancaster Empire was plastered across every channel, the words BREAKING NEWS flashing in bold red banners beneath a flurry of images. Protesters flooded the streets, waving signs that screamed MURDERERS and JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS. News anchors spoke in grim tones, standing in front of the remains of our warehouse,
SHAWNAI gripped the edges of my seat as Zaverio, my company consultant, maneuvered through the crowded streets, the Ministry of Works building looming ahead. My mind raced with unanswered questions, frustration simmering beneath my skin.“How the hell did this happen so fast?” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.Zaverio, calm as ever, kept his eyes on the road. “That’s what we’re here to find out.”I exhaled sharply, trying to steady myself. The moment we arrived, I wasted no time marching into the grand marble building, Zaverio right behind me.We were immediately met by our contact, Jonathan Pierce, a man who had been working within the ministry for years. His expression was grim as he led us into a private office.“Jonathan,” I said the moment the door closed. “Talk to me. What’s going on? How did this spiral out of control overnight?”He sighed, rubbing his temples before meeting my gaze. “Shawna, as of now, Lancaster Empire is under mandatory shutdown.”My stomach twiste
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