SHAWNAI looked away from him when I heard another groan from Liam, he's bleeding again, blood was seeping from the bandage and he looked like he'd lose his breath anytime soon.“Stay with me, Liam. You have to fight this with everything in you, you have to keep your eyes open now." I tried as much as possible to keep my voice stable even though I was practically shaking.I looked up from Liam when I heard departing voices she footsteps. It seems the people Henry said were around us just left.“They're gone." He said and I went back to being relieved a bit, Liam is my utmost priority now, we need to find help for him.“Did Damien say he's coming for you?" Henry asked."Yes, he's the only one that can get us out of here now. He said people are coming to get us out of here.” The tears were falling on my face freely.I've never felt this useless, it just feels like I'm just here useless while he's dying. I should be able to do something to help him, he has always been the one helping me,
SHAWNA“I think I'll just present it to my grandfather now, he's inside." He'll know what to do to the evidence.“Who’s your grandfather?” Henry asked, frowning.“He's someone you know, but I'd rather not say it. Just know that he'll be able to get Eugene out of the way with this." I smirked.“Okay then, just do anything that'll get her locked up for good.” He shrugged."Yeah, so I guess it's a goodbye turn,” I said, looking majorly at Damien."Unfortunately, I'll miss you so much. I wish we had more time now." Damien mumbled, he sounded so much like someone sad.“We'll still see tomorrow or something," I said.“We will, it's just not today. Goodbye anyways, I'm leaving with him." He pointed at Henry.I bade them goodbye then I ran into the house with a bright smile on my face. I really can't wait to tell Grandfather about this, he'll be so happy.I went upstairs and got to our floor in no time, opening the door with my card. They were all settled before the television, watching a sho
SHAWNAI stared at her with nothing coming to my mind as a response to her, she had a smirk on her face and was assessing me as if she expected me to lose my cool or something.Because of that look, I had to suppress the emotions coursing through me. I cleared my throat and put on the best smiling expression I could come up with.“When is the wedding? When is it meant to hold?" I asked her.“In two days, I'm doing it with the company's anniversary. So, you're specially invited, here's your invitation card." She collected a card from the person behind her and handed it over to me.“Here you go." She said as I took the card from her.I stared at the said card, the design was beautiful, obviously made by one of the best graphic designers in town.“So I'm expecting you as my maid of honor, you'll have everything you need, including dresses delivered to you before the day. Just come and be behind me as my maid of honor, sister."That last word sounded more like a mocking one from her, she
EUGENEThe kind of anger that surfaced through me when I saw Shawna and Liam at the mall was unmatched, I just wanted to smash their faces, but I had to control the anger.Smiling with her was harder than I thought it would be, especially when all I just wanted to do was end her existence.And Kyle told me that they've been taken care of, I've been waiting for the news of their death since I've been expecting to hear that they were killed in a gang shooting or something.Only for me to see them at the mall when I came to get something, I was more than shocked to see them there.But maybe I'll just end Shawna's chapter when she comes to the event.I didn't think twice before inviting her to the wedding, I just knew I'd have to do something about her when she came there since Kyle was too useless to do that.“Ma'am? Are you okay?" The lady I came here with is meant to assist me all through today with my dresses and other things I'll need to be said.“Do I look any different? Just do you
EUGENEI picked up my phone immediately after Kyle left, dialing my assistant. I put her in charge of that man and I expect to hear about it if there's any update on him at least.“Good afternoon ma'am." She said as soon as she picked up the call.“What's the update on Bryan Lancaster?"There was silence on the other end of the call immediately, I even heard a sharp breath, like a gasp.“Ma, I can explain." Those words just meant that what Kyle said was right. He's gone.“You better do, and don't you dare tell me that you can't find him, I won't take it lightly with you if you tell me that.”“He disappeared, he left the hospital without any traces and he hasn't been found since then. I wanted to find him myself before telling you that he was gone." She rushed out the words as if she didn't want me to interrupt her.Lines of profanities left my mouth as she said that, I was fervently hoping that it wasn't true and she still knew where he was.“What you're trying to say in essence is th
SHAWNAIt's today, the wedding ceremony and anniversary that I've been anticipating for so long. The hall used has been decorated so well since it serves two purposes and it's meant to work for both.As Eugene's maid of honor, I'm meant to be with her before she goes up, though I'm currently on my way there. She already sent the room number to me, so I'm on my way there.On a normal day, we should do all the planning and dressing up together. But things between me and Eugene are never normal.She sent the dress to me yesterday, and I didn't even bother to wear it, I went for the one Liam and I later went to check yesterday, and he said I couldn't wear the one I picked two days ago.I opened the room with the pin she sent to me, stepping in to see her all ready and dressed up even though there were a lot of people in the room with her.“Why are you dressed this way? You aren't the one getting married here? And why did you not wear the dress I sent over yesterday? It's way prettier than
SHAWNAThe door to the hall was opened and my grandfather stepped in. The way he walked in made everyone look back, a lot of people let out shocked gasps.Eugene looked like she wanted to jump into the nearest well or something. She just looks so ashamed and shocked at the same time.Grandfather walked majestically to the front, stopping by the board members who occupied the front seat. They all just looked more than shocked to see him.“Okay, I think I like this kind of surprise, you all look so shocked to see me that it's funny." He chuckled dryly, definitely not humorously.“And that makes me wonder if it's because of the things that are going on in the company currently or basically how you all have let me down?”He didn't even need a microphone for his voice to be heard, the hall was quiet enough for that. I watched as they all shrunk back into their seat, each of them trying so hard to not look at Grandfather in the face."You all really disappointed me, I won't even lie. I made
EUGENE“I swear that I've seen this face somewhere before I was locked up before." One of the ladies walking past me said.What she just said made the other girls walking with her stop too. I just ignored them, going back to scratching my legs.The air around here and everything here was just so different from what I'm used to. I've not tasted water or anything since I came here.“Same here, I recognize her. You know I was telling you this same thing yesterday.” The other one said.They walked closer to me, all with their eyes trained on me. I just hope they go their way because there's no way I'm letting them go if they insult you."Hey, the loner. What's your name?” The one at the front asked me."Just go away," I said, gesturing at them to go away with my hand too.“Even the voice sounds familiar, it sounds like that of someone I hear on the news. What's your name? What do you do normally?” The other one asked."Wait, is this Eugene Brown?” The third girl that haven't said anything
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