PHOEBEBilly grabbed my arm as I zipped up my suitcase. "Phoebe, think this through. You’re acting reckless."I yanked my arm free. "No, I’m acting like an adult who’s tired of being treated like a child. I need space. I need to breathe."Jasper crossed his arms, his face unreadable. "And you think running off in the middle of the night is the way to do that?""I don’t care what you think," I shot back, dragging my suitcase toward the door. "I’m leaving tonight."Shawna stepped in front of me, her eyes pleading. "Phoebe, please. At least wait until morning. It’s late, and—""No." I shook my head, my grip tightening around the suitcase handle. "If I don’t go now, you guys will find a way to guilt me into staying. And I refuse to be guilt-tripped any longer."Everyone fell silent. I could see it in their faces—hurt, frustration, helplessness. For a split second, my resolve wavered. Then I reminded myself why I was doing this. I needed to be on my own. I needed to live my life without th
PHOEBEThe men laughed, their cruel amusement echoing in the dark alley. My breath came in shallow gasps as I took another step back, but there was nowhere to go."You really thought someone would help you?" the stocky one sneered. "You’re in the wrong part of town, sweetheart. No one’s coming."The tallest one cracked his knuckles again, his grin widening. "Might as well stop screaming. Save your energy."Panic clawed at my chest. My heart hammered as they advanced."No! Get away from me!" I screamed, thrashing as hands grabbed my arms. I kicked my foot connecting with someone’s shin. He cursed, but another pair of hands yanked at my jacket. I felt the fabric rip, the cold air hitting my skin as my shirt followed.Terror surged through me. "Please, stop! Let me go!"A deafening roar filled the alley. Not a scream. Not a shout. An engine. A motorcycle.The hands-on me hesitated, just for a second, before a blur of movement shot through the dimly lit alley.A figure in black jumped off
SHAWNAI paced the living room, my arms wrapped around myself as I stared at the phone in my hand. The call had gone straight to voicemail. Again."She's not picking up," I whispered, my throat tightening. "Her phone is off."Jasper frowned, his own phone pressed to his ear. "Mine too. She's not answering anyone."I turned to my husband, my chest constricting. "This was a mistake, wasn’t it? I never should’ve let her leave. I should’ve stopped her."My voice cracked, and before I could hold back, tears spilled down my face. My husband, Damien, was beside me in an instant, pulling me into his arms."Shawna, she’ll be fine," Damien assured me, rubbing slow circles on my back. His voice was calm, but I could feel the tension in his muscles, the worry he was trying so hard to suppress. "Phoebe’s smart. She’s strong.""But she’s alone!" I pulled back, my voice rising despite my best efforts to keep it steady. My heart pounded against my ribs, my hands trembling as I clutched at his shirt.
PHOEBERamon led me into his house, and I immediately took in the small but neat living room. It wasn’t extravagant, but it had a cozy, lived-in feel. A dark brown couch sat against one wall, a small television across from it. A few shelves held books and random trinkets. The scent of coffee and something faintly musky lingered in the air."Nice place," I said sincerely, turning to face him.I watched as Ramon scoffed, tossing his helmet onto the couch with a careless thud. His place was small but neat, dimly lit by a single overhead bulb. The faint scent of leather and motor oil clung to the air, a stark contrast to the floral and citrus-scented halls of my home.“Don’t flatter me, princess,” he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “I’ve been to your house. One of your bedrooms is bigger than this entire place.”I blinked at the bitterness in his tone. “That’s not what I meant. I was just—”“Just what?” He turned to face me fully, arms crossed, eyes dark with something unr
PHOEBEMy hands trembled as I read the messages over and over again, my vision blurring with panic. My heart pounded against my ribs. Mom had passed out because of me. My mother was in the hospital.I stumbled to my feet, grabbing Ramon’s arm. “Take me to the hospital. Now.”Ramon frowned, his hands still stuffed in his pockets. “What?”“My mom—she’s in the hospital. I need to get there,” I choked out, barely able to breathe.His face shifted slightly, from irritation to something else. Concern? Annoyance? I couldn’t tell. “What happened?”“Because of me!” I snapped. “She passed out because I left. Please, Ramon. Just take me there.”He exhaled sharply but grabbed his keys. “Fine. Let’s go.”The ride to the hospital was silent except for the rapid beating of my heart in my ears. I kept my eyes on my phone, but I couldn’t bring myself to text my brothers back. I was too scared of what they might say.As soon as we arrived at the hospital parking lot, I barely waited for the car to stop
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
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
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
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
PHOEBEMy hands trembled as I read the messages over and over again, my vision blurring with panic. My heart pounded against my ribs. Mom had passed out because of me. My mother was in the hospital.I stumbled to my feet, grabbing Ramon’s arm. “Take me to the hospital. Now.”Ramon frowned, his hands still stuffed in his pockets. “What?”“My mom—she’s in the hospital. I need to get there,” I choked out, barely able to breathe.His face shifted slightly, from irritation to something else. Concern? Annoyance? I couldn’t tell. “What happened?”“Because of me!” I snapped. “She passed out because I left. Please, Ramon. Just take me there.”He exhaled sharply but grabbed his keys. “Fine. Let’s go.”The ride to the hospital was silent except for the rapid beating of my heart in my ears. I kept my eyes on my phone, but I couldn’t bring myself to text my brothers back. I was too scared of what they might say.As soon as we arrived at the hospital parking lot, I barely waited for the car to stop
PHOEBERamon led me into his house, and I immediately took in the small but neat living room. It wasn’t extravagant, but it had a cozy, lived-in feel. A dark brown couch sat against one wall, a small television across from it. A few shelves held books and random trinkets. The scent of coffee and something faintly musky lingered in the air."Nice place," I said sincerely, turning to face him.I watched as Ramon scoffed, tossing his helmet onto the couch with a careless thud. His place was small but neat, dimly lit by a single overhead bulb. The faint scent of leather and motor oil clung to the air, a stark contrast to the floral and citrus-scented halls of my home.“Don’t flatter me, princess,” he muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “I’ve been to your house. One of your bedrooms is bigger than this entire place.”I blinked at the bitterness in his tone. “That’s not what I meant. I was just—”“Just what?” He turned to face me fully, arms crossed, eyes dark with something unr