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
EUGENEMy heart missed a beat as he said those words. If what he just said is true, then we're in deep trouble. His phone truly has all our secrets and schemes, there's no way it can go missing right now.“Come with me." I took his hand and dragged him into the elevator.We got into the elevator and soon got to the floor, I couldn't say anything when we were in the elevator because we weren't alone.I badly wanted to talk from there but I knew I had to get him into my office first, no one must know what we're about to say, or else it'll start raising suspicions.The moment we got into my office, I locked the door behind us and faced him.“How did the phone go missing? Why are you so careless?" I asked him.“Why won't you hear what happened before jumping to a conclusion? Why's everyone just blaming me? Damien fought with me at my parents' house and took the phone when I wasn't watching.” He rasped, anger evident on his face.I looked at him with fury still thrumming through me. And no
LIAMI got to the house of the person who'll provide an answer to the questions we have about the phone. The guy is my friend from college and he helps me with things like these.I knocked on his door and he opened the door in no time.“Hey, you're here already." He said, looking shocked.“I told you how urgent this is, I can't afford to waste any more time."He stepped aside for me to get in and I did, this place is just like his house and office combined. He uses it for the two. He leads me into a room that has a lot of computers set up.“Where's the phone?" He asked and I handed over the phone to him.He assessed it for a while before connecting a cable from one of his computers to the phone, he then started pressing some things on the computer.“This is it, the information on the phone. Is there anything in particular on the phone that you'd like to know?” He asked. I moved closer to the computer and saw the things on the phone just there."The messaging app first, just go to the
DAMIEN“This one's for me because I love trains, and this one is for Billy, he loves flying objects so he has a lot of airplanes," Billy explained as he showed me their toys.They've been explaining every one of their toys to me, we've been talking for quite some minutes now. I realized that I haven't been giving Phoebe attention and she's currently sulking.“Okay boys, your toys are cool. You both have all the cool stuff in here. But it's time for us to see your sister's collection together." I said.They both pouted as if they didn't like what I just said.“No, you won't give me that. We all have to check them out together.” They nodded simultaneously but they looked like they'd rather be anywhere than be near their sister’s toys.We've had so much fun already and it's safe to say that these kids are so smart. They're really smart for their age.We were halfway through Eugene's toys when my phone rang in my pocket. Who dares interrupt when I'm having fun with the kids right now?I w
DAMIEN“What do we do first now?" Shawna asked."England of course, that's where we'll get all our answers and gather more evidence on them,” Liam said.Getting to England at the moment wasn't a problem for them as all I had to do was to make a few calls and we’ll be on the flight."That's good then, let's prepare. I'll just get to some people so we can get there quickly. I'm assuming that you both have your international passports ready.” I asked.“Yes," Liam answered for them, he knew about Shawna so much that she could decide to fly out of the country anytime soon.The fact that he even answered for her made me feel somehow, but I just overlooked that, it's probably nothing.“Okay then, I'll need that to get us out of here. Let's get ready, shall we?" I asked and both Shawna and Liam nodded.Just as we were about to walk into the cars we came with, my phone rang. It was the doctor calling. Not just any doctor but the one working for Eugene.“It's the doctor," I said out loud, alert
SHAWNAWe arrived in England in no time, the journey was just smooth, with no unnecessary stopover. It's just like everything was working together for our good concerning that.We haven't been able to contact Damien, but I'm sure he'll contact us once there's something we need to know, so we're all good for now.“Are you good?" Liam asked me as we got out of the plane, on our way to the part where we looked for the car Damien already prepared for us.“Of course, what about you?” I asked him back."I'm okay, it just kind of feels good to be in another land even though we're here for something rather important.” He said."Right…" I mumbled as I looked around, the place is fine, people here are just minding their business, just the way I love it.We recognized the car in no time, the driver was just like Damien described with the clothes and everything. We hopped into the car.Liam brought out the papers he had with him, the one that had the address of the house we were going to lay befo
EUGENEHe looked at me tentatively before handing over his phone to me, he didn't look comfortable with that but he gave me the phone anyway.“Here it is." He said and took the phone from him. I took it from him with a smile on my face.“Thank you. I'm just going to…” I trailed off as I did the things I wanted to, I already prepared everything, all I needed to do on his phone was to accept it there.I was done in a minute and handed over the phone to him.“I just resaved my name on your phone, that was all," I said when I noticed that he wanted to check his phone to see what was going on.I did change my name on his phone to make this more believable. He stopped looking at the phone immediately I said that.“I think you should go to the registry to book a date for us so we'll get married as soon as possible,” I told him.“I don't think I understand you, why do we have to rush?" He asked.“Didn’t you agree to us getting married immediately?" I pouted, hoping I just gave him my best pou
SHAWNATerror gripped my entire form as whoever was with the gun started chasing us, the gunshots were getting closer and we kept running too.“Go faster! They're getting closer! You're both too slow!” Henry yelled. I felt like I was holding them back, especially Liam. He's a great runner, but right now he's being so slow.I tried to rub as fast as I could but it just felt like I wasn't doing enough, those people are too fast.At some point, it seems we lost them because no one was behind us anymore. I wanted to stop but Henry was greatly against that.“Don’t stop till I say you should.” He said, proceeding further. It's just that he seems to know about this very well and we just have to follow his instructions if we want to get out of here alive.He soon stopped at some point, the place was just in between two stores, one could run if they wanted to here, it's an open space. Going forward would be a street while going back is that alley.“Why are you two even here? You're only compli
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
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