SHAWNA“We've come to the end of the shareholder's meeting, I look forward to actively working with you all. Have a nice day and week." I rounded up the meeting.As I made the final remarks, they all started mumbling within themselves, just greeting each other and smiling warmly at each other.I have a feeling that working with these people will be so easy. Well, that's excluding Stacey. She left minutes into the meeting with the excuse of having something important to do.She did that dramatically too, she made sure everyone knew she was leaving so I wouldn't be able to say anything. I didn't even respond to her till she left.Seeing as people were leaving already, I turned to Cara, my assistant.“Since when did Stacey become a shareholder here, and how am I just starting to know about this?" I asked her, I thought I had the name of everyone who just bought shares from the company directly.I'd have known if I saw her name, I know her very well and the name would have surely rang her
SHAWNA“What? How can a woman overpower you to this extent? How crazy could she have been?” I couldn't help but ask. Hearing that a female injured him that way is just kind of unbelievable.“She's that crazy.” He mumbled, looking at anywhere else but me."Why didn't you report to the authorities? I'm sure there's something you could have done or someone you could have told before signing off your shares.”There are just a lot of ways he could have gone about this without having to sell off the shares like that. And this man before me looks like he's hiding something.It felt like there's more to this than what he's letting off."She has something she's using against me, she used that to get me to sign the papers too. I didn't have any other choice but to do her bidding after she said she knew about it." He said, sighing as though he just let off something heavy from his chest.“And what's that? Why didn't you say that from the beginning?" I asked him."I don't think you want to know t
SHAWNA“Do you think it's a good idea to tell Damien? You talked about how much he was into her that day, do you think he'll read meaning into this?" Liam asked.The call disconnected, meaning Damien wasn't answering it at all. Maybe he's busy or something.“You think that? Well, I want to let him know now so he won't be blackmailed by her in the future. I don't think I'll forgive myself if I let this slide without letting him know about it." I replied as I dialed his number again.I thought about texting him about what I wanted to tell him, but it wouldn't be as effective as telling him on the phone.“I still think you shouldn't tell him though, I just have an inkling that it won't go the normal way,” Liam said.“But I won't still let Stacey manipulate him, I've done my part once I tell him about it. I still want to tell him.” I said stubbornly."I was just saying, you're free to do anything you like." He shrugged.Just as I was about to put another call through to Damien, a call cam
SHAWNAMy mouth hung open in shock, the phone in my hand about to fall off with how loose it was. Stacey just insinuated that she was the one who took Billy.I jolted back to reality as someone tapped me, it was Liam.“Who was that? Is it about Billy?" He asked me, looking at my phone and then my face.“Stacey, it was Stacey. She has them. She's with Billy, she took him.” I said breathlessly."What the fuck? How's she that fast?” He asked me, his eyes widening in shock.“I guess she has been watching all our moves, she must have been tracking us," I mumbled, my head reeling with a lot of thoughts.“That's just the most reasonable explanation for this right now, she's so proactive. What do we do now? Did she say anything else? Maybe something you can do to get Billy back?” Liam asked."She said I shouldn't tell Damien about the shares issues,” I stated. That lady is something else. It seems she's almost as crazy as Eugene because I don't think there's anyone as crazy as Eugene at this
SHAWNAStacey gasped immediately when she saw Damien come out of the car, and she threw a subtle glare in my direction.“You betrayed me, you said you weren't going to call Damien. He's here now." Her eyes looked like she was thinking of a lot of things at the moment.It seems she just realized that it's over for her already and she already lost on both ends as what she's trying to prevent just showed up before us.“How about you just relax and watch this play out?" I asked her with a coy smile on my face.Damien got to us with his eyes trained on Stacey. He glared hard at her before he looked at me. His eyes swept me over as though he was trying to see if I was physically okay.“I thought you've changed, Stacey. I thought you were just back in the country to make amends like you said. Why are you going around destroying people's happiness again?" Damien asked her immediately after he got there.“Wh- I can explain.” She stuttered."Explain what? Explain how you kidnapped an innocent c
SHAWNATo say that I was shocked would be an understatement, my mouth hung open in shock as the phone was about to fall from my hand, I was that shocked.Eugehe breaking out of prison just means a lot of problems, I honestly don't understand why everything has to keep going south.“What happened? Are you okay?" I jolted back to reality when someone tapped me, It was Damien. He had a frown on his face as he tried to read my facial expression.“Eugene is gone, she broke out of prison and they don't know where she is," I said, my voice still sounding shocked.“What the actual fuck?” He cussed.A sound came from the phone and I looked down to see that the call was still going on, I never ended the call.“Ma'am, are you with me?" The person who just called said.“I am, how did she go missing? What has been done to fish her out of her hiding place right now." I asked her."We're doing everything in our power to get her, we've not seen her, but we're working actively on it.” She answered."Y
STACEYI parked my car at the warehouse that's so secretive that no one would have suspected that the warehouse was there.“Stupid Shawna, she thinks she's so smart and she has done something significant by sending me off," I mumbled under my breath as I got out of my car.“I'm going to deal with her, she'll regret ever crossing paths with me. She'd be the one pleading with me as I deal with her ruthlessly.” I added.Anger like never before gripped my entire form, I just wanted to kill her already. I've been watching them for years, I watched when they were married for years.I just stood by the sidelines watching. I knew then that Damien didn't like her, I know him so well that I know him when he's in love.That's just the main reason I didn't bother about their union at all, I know she has nothing on him.But when I saw that they were getting closer than normal, I watched and I realized that it seemed Damien had fallen in love with her. He can't love her, he's mine and mine alone.I
KYLEI wiped away the blood on my nose, glaring hard at Damien. He was still breathing heavily like I was too. I dusted off the dirt on me before looking at both of them.“I'll do my research and get back to you two, also let me know once you find anything. I'm leaving now.” I said as I walked away from them."You better pray that we don't find out that you have a hand in her disappearance,” Damien said, still sounding so mad.All I did was look back and give him a pointed look before going out to where I parked my car. I'm not even shocked that he jumped right to a conclusion when he saw me. It would look like that to anyone.I was being truthful when I said that I had no idea of her disappearance. But I do have an idea of who would have helped her escape.It can only be Stacey, she's the one who can do this. I dialed her number immediately after I got into the car. She didn't answer the call at first but she did anyway.“Someone finally remembered that he brought someone into the co
RAMONThe moment I shut the bedroom door behind Phoebe, I turned back to Richard, my blood boiling. Heat crawled up my neck, my muscles tensed like a coiled spring, ready to snap. But Richard, he stood there, completely at ease, that smug little smirk still plastered on his face. As if he hadn’t just overstepped his boundaries. As if he hadn’t just dragged my past into the open like it was his story to tell.My hands clenched into fists at my sides. Every part of me burned with the need to wipe that expression off his face. To make him understand that he had no right. No right to bring up my mother. No right to stand in my home and act like he still had power over me.I didn’t bother lowering my voice. I wanted him to hear the fury in every syllable.“Get out.”Richard let out a low chuckle, a slow, deliberate sound that only fueled my rage. He didn’t flinch, didn’t even shift his weight. He just stood there, completely unfazed, watching me like he had been expecting this reaction.Li
PHOEBEI didn’t realize how tightly I had been holding onto my emotions until I finally let go in Ramon’s arms. The moment he wrapped his arms around me, the fight inside me melted away, leaving behind exhaustion and the weight of everything that had happened. My body trembled slightly, the aftershock of my anger and frustration still lingering, but at least I wasn’t shaking with rage anymore.Ramon didn’t say much. He just held me, rubbing slow circles on my back, his warmth steady and comforting. For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t have to explain myself. I didn’t have to argue, to defend my emotions, or to pretend I wasn’t as upset as I really was. I could just breathe.“Do you want me to take you to another hotel?” he asked softly, his voice calm, careful.I shook my head instantly. The thought of staying in another hotel made my stomach twist with unease. Hotels didn’t feel safe anymore. The unfamiliar walls, the hollow silence of a space that didn’t belong to
PHOEBEI frowned at the sound coming from the door. A slow, deliberate rattling. Like someone was testing the handle.I sat up in bed, my heart already picking up speed. "Housekeeping?" My voice came out shaky, uncertain.No answer.I cleared my throat. "Hello?"Silence. Nothing but my own breathing and the distant hum of the city outside. But the sound at the door didn’t stop. If anything, it got worse, more forceful, more urgent. The handle rattled, harder this time. My stomach dropped.I swallowed hard, forcing my shaky hands to reach for the hotel phone. My fingers fumbled over the buttons as I tried to call the front desk."Come on, come on," I muttered, my pulse pounding so loudly I could barely hear anything else. I pressed the call button, lifting the receiver to my ear. A second passed. Two. Then…The lights went out.I gasped, nearly dropping the phone. The entire room was swallowed by darkness, the only light now coming from the faint glow of the city outside, filtering th
RAMONI sat there, staring at the door Phoebe had just slammed shut. The air still felt thick with her frustration, her anger. I had called out to her, but she hadn’t even hesitated. Just walked away like I was no better than the rest of them.I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face. I wasn’t trying to control her. I wasn’t trying to stop her from living her life. But she didn’t see it that way.“She’s got fire, that one.”The voice made me tense. I turned, watching as my uncle stepped out from the back room, his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes. Something that made my stomach twist.“Why wouldn’t you let her leave?” he asked, stepping closer. “You getting soft?”I scoffed, leaning back in my chair, trying to act unfazed. “It’s not like that.”He smirked, tilting his head like he didn’t believe me. “Sure it’s not.”I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “Phoebe doesn’t deserve to get caught up in all this.”“All this,” he rep
PHOEBEI folded my arms, leaning against the wall of Ramon’s tiny apartment. The space was cramped, barely big enough for the two of us, but that wasn’t what was bothering me. It was him, his expression, his tone, the way he was looking at me like I was making some kind of terrible mistake.“I don’t get it,” I said, shaking my head. “Why are you so against me moving out?”Ramon let out a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked tired, like this conversation was wearing on him. “I’m not against it, Phoebe.”“Sure feels like it,” I shot back.His lips twitched, but it wasn’t a smile. More like a reflex, something bitter. He let out a small chuckle, but there wasn’t any humor in it. “I just know what it means to be without a family. And trust me, it’s not something you want.”I frowned, crossing my arms tighter. “So what? I should just stay there and let them control my life?”His gaze flickered to mine, steady, unshaken. “No,” he said. “I’m saying don’t make decisions when you
PHOEBEI stood outside Ramon’s door, my heart thudding in my chest like I’d just run a marathon. I wasn’t even sure why I had come here. Maybe it was the way I’d stormed out of Mom’s office, my frustration boiling over until it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Or maybe it was just because I needed to be somewhere I felt… safe. And for some reason, that place was here.Before I could change my mind and turn around, the door opened.Ramon stood there, blinking at me in surprise. His dark hair was tousled as he’d just rolled out of bed, and his black T-shirt clung to his chest in a way that made it impossible not to notice how toned he was. He wasn’t trying, wasn’t even aware of how ridiculously good-looking he looked, and somehow that made it even worse, or better, depending on how you looked at it.I swallowed hard, my brain short-circuiting for a second. His dark brown eyes were fixed on me, curious and maybe a little sleepy, like he hadn’t expected anyone to show up at his door, let alo
PHOEBEI waited until Phoebe walked into my office before I spoke. She was humming, looking happy like nothing in the world could bring her down.“Phoebe, can we talk?” I said, closing the file I was working on.She frowned a little but came over. “Sure. What’s up?”I leaned back in my chair, choosing my words carefully. “Eugene came by earlier.”Her face hardened immediately. “Oh. And let me guess….she had a lot to say?”“She’s worried, Phoebe.”“Of course, she is,” Phoebe muttered, crossing her arms. “She’s always worried about something.”“She’s your aunt. She cares about you.”“She doesn’t like Ramon, does she?” Phoebe’s voice was sharp.I sighed. “She has concerns. And, honestly, so do I.”Phoebe’s eyes widened. “Wait….you too?”“Phoebe, we’ve never even heard of this guy until recently, and now you’re spending all your time with him. Don’t you think that’s a little… fast?”Her jaw tightened. “I knew it. No one actually wants me to be happy.”“Phoebe, that’s not what this is abou
EUGENEI’ve seen Phoebe mad before. I’ve seen her throw tantrums over little things, like when the coffee wasn’t hot enough or when her favorite show ended on a cliffhanger. But this? This was different. This wasn’t just a flash of irritation or some harmless grumbling. This was something else entirely.I stood there, watching her storm out, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor like gunshots in the silence of the house. She didn’t say much, just muttered something under her breath as she snatched her purse from the couch and headed straight for the front door with Ramon. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know what had set her off this time.“Phoebe, where are you going?” I finally called out, hoping to stop her. But she didn’t even look back. She just pushed open the door, stepped outside, and slammed it shut behind her. Hard. The kind of slam that makes you flinch, like it’s meant to hurt you as much as it does the doorframe.I followed her, but only as far as the win
PHOEBEThe office buzzed softly around me, but my focus was entirely on Ramon. We’d wrapped up the whole argument with the triplets, and now it was just us, enjoying the quiet. He leaned back in the chair across from my desk, arms folded casually, his dark eyes watching me with that familiar smirk.“Can’t believe you stuck around after all that,” I teased, raising a brow.He chuckled. “You think I scare that easily?”“I don’t know,” I said, tapping my pen against my notebook. “My brothers are pretty intense.”He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Trust me, Phoebe, I’ve faced worse.”There was something in the way he said it light, but with a shadow underneath. His voice was easy, casual, but it carried a weight I couldn’t quite figure out. It wasn’t the first time I’d noticed it either. There were layers to Ramon, ones he wasn’t letting me see just yet. I tilted my head, debating whether to push him a little, maybe ask what was really going on behind that smile.But the