DAMIENThis can't be true at all, there's no way this is true, I don't just know what to believe, but what Shawna said just made me believe that it's not true at all.“No, no, no! Shawna can't cheat on me." I shook my head repeatedly as I tried to grasp the fact that she said it herself.I've known her for years since we got married, and the little time I spent with her when we got back together wouldn't make me believe that she did that.She wouldn't cheat on me with anyone, maybe what she was trying to say was that she got together with him when we were divorced.Even at that, I don't want to believe that she got with him. Was she under pressure to say it? Could she have been forced to say it?Do I have to do something? I'll try to see if I can get something from my end. I mumbled as I brought out my phone. I immediately called my private investigator.He picked up the call almost immediately, he's just one investigator I am newly employed, and he's pretty good through.“Boss, good
LIAMShit, that was a very hard slip-off, I shouldn't have said or let that out at all. He released me immediately I said that, glaring very hard at me. I looked at him, fervently praying within myself that he wouldn't ask me anything.“What did you just say? What do you mean by believing that trash” He asked me, looking at me pointedly. I swallowed thickly and tried to come up with a response, I needed to reply to him."Forget it, I was just spewing rubbish. You also weren't helping matters with how you held me up by the collar.” I tried to divert the topic.He surely didn't believe that, I racked my head to think of another response to that. He glared hard at me at my last response."Don't even try to tell me that, it wasn't a mistake. You're hiding something from me.” He said to me. I let out a very deep sigh and ran my hand through my hair.To say that I'm frustrated would be an understatement, I should have just calmed down and allowed him to leave.If I hadn't replied to him, he
DAMIENI just wish life wasn't this hard, I wish things were different and it's just a world where I live in peace with Shawna and my children.My children, that just sounds right. I honestly should be happy about that information, but I'm mad because our world isn't in any way normal.This just feels like a fairytale or something, but in this context, my fairytale is just me and my family. I imagined a world and situation where it's just me and them.I drove out of Liam's premises and went to the flower shop. I picked one of the random ones I could lay my hand on. It's not like they're not all beautiful.After paying for the flowers, I drove to the airport straight up. I just hope there's no traffic or anything that'll slow down this journey at all.I just want to get this over with already, I don't know if I'll still be able to stand Stacey after everything I heard from Liam, I don't even think I'll be able to do that.With a hardened mind, I got out of the car after getting to the
DAMIENI drove us around the city before I realized that I didn't know where I'd take her.“Do you have anywhere you’re going?” I asked her.Instead of replying to me, she started sobbing. I had to pull the car into a mall I saw.She was sobbing so loud that anyone who saw her would think I had done something to her. Tears flowed freely down her face as she sobbed loud.“What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I asked her, a frown etched into my face. She kept crying even more as I asked that question, and the frown on my face deepened even more.“Are you going to talk or what? You're scaring me at this point, why are you crying?” I asked things as much as possible to not sound like I was mad.She stopped crying a bit, hiccups took over the sobs in no time.“Can I have a tissue please?" She asked, her voice sounding cracked. I took some tissues from the ones I have in the car, I have such necessities with me here."Thank you." She said, dabbing her face with the tissues. I watched as she j
SHAWNA“So, you can take her home now. She's very fine now, the antidote worked wonders on her." The doctor told me.“Thank you, we'll take her home now." I stood up and walked out of his office with a warm smile on my face. I'm happy that Phoebe is back, I'm very happy she's fine but I don't think I regret saying those words to Damien.To think that I was contemplating what to do, I didn't want to tell him that kind of thing and at the same time didn't want anything wrong to happen to my daughter.I went to make all the necessary arrangements I had to make before I could take her out of there, we didn't need to pay since the hospital belongs to us.After that, I walked into my daughter's room to see her awake already, she looked at the door as I entered and smiled on seeing me.“Hey, baby." I smiled, walking closer to her. I'm happy to see her back and healthy, I don't want anything to happen to her at all."Mom.” She mumbled, smiling weakly at me."I was looking for you, where did y
SHAWNAI stood rooted on the spot, Phoebe is now standing before me and she looks like she needs a response immediately. My throat suddenly felt clogged and I didn't know what to do or say next.Everyone before me was awaiting my response but I was too gobsmacked to let out any sound.“Baby, how about you go in to meet your brothers first? This is a grown-up conversation. I'll come and meet you all later." I told her, trying as much as possible to sound normal even though I'm a mess internally."No, mom. All I just need is a yes or no. Is he our father?” She asked, looking at me like a mother would look at her child when they want to go through a rigorous questions session."But now is not the best time to say this, just go for now.” I pressed harder but it seems she's just as stubborn as her father. It didn't even seem like it, she was as stubborn as her father."You're my dad." She said, facing Damien now. Neither I nor Damien debunked what she just said and that was enough for her
SHAWNA“What? What's she looking for this time around and how did she know this place?" I asked with a shocked expression on my face.“I also don't know, my assistant that I asked to keep an eye on her just texted me to tell me that," Liam answered.“What if she's just visiting someone in this building and not us, we're not the only ones living here," I said.As if on cue, the doorbell rang. We looked at each other with an alarmed look on our faces. She's right here outside the door! I looked at Damien first, he had to hide.“Come with me." I grabbed his hand and took him to my room. There's really no way Stacey would know he's here if he stays here.“Don't come out till I say you should," I told him, walking back to the living room to see my children gone too, they left with my mother so I'm just alone with Liam now.I looked at Liam and he nodded at me before I went to answer the door. Truly, Stacey stood at the other side of the door. I wouldn't just allow her to come in like that.
EUGENE“Only God knows where she is and what she's up to right now," I mumbled to myself as different thoughts started running in my head.Stacey brought me to this penthouse and left minutes after, she only said she was ‘going to settle things with Shawna’ and nothing more.It's so different with her now, all she's talking about now is getting Damien back. She seems to have taken care of Shawna already and all that matters is Damien.And that's the problem, I have a very huge problem with that. I paced the floor of the room she gave me with my hand running through my hair.My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by the doorbell. A frown came up on my face at that. Stacey already told me to not go out or answer the door for anyone.But that doesn't mean I won't still check who it is, I want to know who's behind the door so badly. I looked through the peephole and saw that it was Kyle.Kyle? I should be able to open the door for him, it's not like he doesn't know
RAMONI stood in the garden, massaging my temples and trying to figure out what just happened. I hated seeing Phoebe hurt. I hated that I was the reason for that look in her eyes, the one that made my chest ache. I wanted to run after her, fix it, explain everything better.I had just taken a step toward the house when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Billy and Jasper coming out. Great. Just what I needed right now.They stood there awkwardly for a second before Billy cleared his throat."Hey, man," he said, not meeting my eyes. "We, uh... we just wanted to say sorry."I blinked, surprised. "Sorry?"Jasper shoved his hands into his pockets. "Yeah. For looking down on you. We didn't know... well, we didn't know you were who you are."I sighed, not really wanting to have this conversation. "It's fine," I muttered, even though it really wasn't."But," Billy added quickly, "we still think you're hiding something. And honestly... we don’t think you're worthy of our sister."Tha
PHOEBEThe second everyone was distracted inside, I grabbed Ramon’s hand and tugged him gently toward the garden. I was buzzing with excitement, my heart beating way too fast. I needed a moment alone with him, away from all the heavy stares and questions."Come on," I said, smiling at him. "Let’s get some air."He smiled back, letting me pull him along. The night air was cool and smelled faintly of roses. The garden lights made everything look soft and dreamy.Once we were far enough from the house, I stopped and turned to him, crossing my arms playfully. "So..." I began, raising an eyebrow. "You’re secretly rich, huh?"Ramon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess so.""You guess so?" I laughed, nudging him with my shoulder. "Why didn’t you tell me?"He shrugged, looking a little sheepish. "I was going to tell you... eventually. I just wanted you to like me for me, you know? Not for anything else."I looked at him, my heart softening even more. His voice sounded so honest, s
PHOEBEI felt like I’d been holding my breath the whole night, but when Uncle Richard finally gave his answer, it was like the air rushed back into my lungs.“Well,” he said with a small chuckle, wiping his mouth with his napkin, “the truth is, we’re a wealthy family. Very wealthy. Ramon chose to keep that hidden because he didn’t want gold-diggers. He wanted someone who’d love him for who he is, not what he has.”There was a beat of silence.Then Billy blinked. “Wait… you’re saying Ramon’s been pretending to be broke?”“Not broke,” Uncle Richard clarified with a grin. “Just… simple. Down-to-earth.”Everyone at the table was stunned. I couldn’t help it, I let out the tiniest giggle. Then a bigger one. And before long, laughter started to ripple around the table. Even Jasper cracked a smile. It was like the whole room finally exhaled.I glanced at Mom and made a small, sneaky wink. She caught it instantly. Her lips curved just slightly, and then she gave a quick nod.“Phoebe,” she said
RAMONI didn’t expect her to say that.“You want to invite my uncle to dinner?” I asked, blinking like I didn’t hear her right.Phoebe nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Yes. I think it’s time. Everyone’s going crazy over him, and I just… I want to clear the air. If they meet him, maybe they’ll finally stop judging.”I rubbed the back of my neck, confused. “I mean, sure, I guess, but… I don’t know. He’s a quiet guy. He doesn’t do… dinners with strangers.”“Then ask him,” she said, giving me that look, half hopeful, half determined. “Please, Ramon. It matters to me.”I sighed and nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll talk to him today. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”“Thank you,” she smiled, squeezing my hand.Later that evening, I made my way to Uncle Richard’s place. He was outside on the porch, drinking tea like always, flipping through one of those thick history books he loved. I walked up and dropped into the chair beside him.He glanced at me over the top of his glasses. “Y
PHOEBEI slammed my door shut behind me, fuming. My chest felt tight, and my head ached. I couldn’t believe they all did that behind my back. Like, I couldn’t think for myself. Like, I didn’t know what I was doing.I threw myself onto my bed, letting out a long sigh as my face sank into the pillow. I wanted to scream. Maybe cry. But I didn’t. I just lay there, sulking in silence, trying not to overthink the whole night.A gentle knock came on my door about an hour later. I rolled over, expecting maybe my mom or dad. But to my surprise, it was my grandmother.“Can I come in, sweetheart?” she asked softly.“Yeah,” I muttered, sitting up.She walked in slowly, her warm smile softening the tension in my chest a bit. She sat beside me, her hand gently rubbing my back in that calming, rhythmic way only she could manage. Something about her presence always made the storm inside me feel a little less wild.“I heard there was a little storm downstairs,” she said lightly, trying to lift the moo
SHAWNAThe moment we stepped into the house, I knew something was wrong. The air felt thick, voices were raised, and all I could hear was arguing coming from the living room.“What’s going on here?” I asked, stepping in with Damien right behind me.Phoebe, Billy, Jasper, and Winnie all froze. The tension in the room hit me like a wall. Phoebe’s face was flushed, her arms folded tight across her chest. Winnie looked caught in the middle. Jasper had that tight-lipped, stubborn look, and Billy’s hands were resting on his hips like he was trying to keep himself from saying something worse.“Can someone explain this?” Damien asked firmly, eyes scanning all of them.“It’s nothing,” Phoebe said quickly.“It doesn’t sound like anything,” I said. “We could hear the shouting from outside.”“It’s about Ramon and his uncle,” Jasper muttered.Damien raised a brow. “Ramon?”Yes,” Winnie jumped in. “I told Billy and Jasper something earlier…about Richard, Ramon’s uncle. I recognized him from years a
PHOEBEI was tired. I just wanted to get home, take off my shoes, and crawl into bed. But the moment I walked into the house, I felt the tension hit me like a wall.Winnie was sitting on the couch.And my two brothers, Jasper and Billy, were standing next to her, arms crossed like bodyguards. The look on their faces said everything.“What’s going on?” I asked, closing the door behind me.Winnie stood up slowly. “We need to talk.”“I can see that,” I said, dropping my purse on the side table. “But what I don’t get is why you’re here… with my brothers.”“Phoebe,” Jasper started, “Winnie told us about the man you ran into at the mall. The one holding hands with that girl.”I blinked. “Richard?”“Yes,” Billy said, stepping forward. “She said he looked familiar and he happens to be Ramon’s uncle.”I froze, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest. “She told you that?”“Yes,” Jasper added with a serious look on his face. “And we think you need to be careful with this whole issue. It seems lik
RAMONMy uncle, Richard, stepped in like he owned the place, as usual. He looked around briefly and then narrowed his eyes at me.“She’s gone?” he asked.I nodded and moved to sit on the couch. “Yeah, just left.”He shut the door behind him and walked over, not wasting time.“What’s going on with Winnie?” I asked before he could even sit. “She recognized you at dinner. She’s not some random girl, you know. She’s sharp. You’ve been warning me about staying focused, but you’re the one slipping now. What exactly is happening?”My uncle paused by the chair, but didn’t sit. He rubbed his chin like he always did when he was buying time.“She just arrived,” he finally said. “I wasn’t expecting her to recognize me. It’s been years since I last saw her, and even then, she was still in school.”“So she does know you?”“Yes,” he sighed, finally sitting across from me. “Her father is one of my business partners. We’ve done deals together, some clean, some… not so clean.”I leaned forward, frownin
RAMONThe night started simply. After Phoebe told me everything that happened at the mall with Richard, I could tell it had been weighing on her. I wanted to take her mind off things, so I asked her out to dinner. Just something nice, somewhere quiet. I picked this cozy little restaurant I liked on the west side of town. Nothing too fancy, but it had a warm vibe, soft lights, and good pasta.Phoebe seemed excited when I picked her up. She smiled the whole car ride, playing with the radio, teasing me about my terrible playlist.“Ramon,” she laughed, “do you only listen to '90s rock ballads?”I chuckled. “Hey, don’t disrespect greatness. This is vintage mood-setting.”She rolled her eyes, but I could see the blush on her cheeks when our hands brushed on the gearshift. I liked her. A lot. And tonight, I just wanted it to be easy. Normal.When we got to the restaurant, Phoebe told me she’d invited Winnie to join us. I paused for a second.“She’s still suspicious of me, isn’t she?” I asked