EUGENE“Where the fuck are these boys?" I asked angrily, pacing around. They were meant to be here since we agreed that we'd meet here actually.They were even meant to follow my car when we drove out of that bar but they decided to go the other way. There's even no way Damien would have caught up with them.They were both just pussies, now I'm here waiting for them. The most infuriating part is that they're not picking up their calls.“They’re never without their phones, something must have happened to them.” The lady with them who got into my car said, worry grappling her entire form.I don't even care if they're personally alright, all I want from them is Shawna. I can't make more plans now without them, and the more we waste time, the closer we are to being caught by Damien.They took his car after all and he can track it in minutes. My investigator sent two more boys to come meet me here so the work will be faster.“Just pick up the damn phone!” I yelled, resisting the urge to th
SHAWNAA groan escaped my mouth as I opened my mouth, the bright lights of the room weren't helping matters either. My head aches a lot and my head is so blank.And to top it all, the room looks so strange, I can't even remember how I got here.“You're awake." A familiar voice said, startling me. The person soon came into view and it was none other than Damien.“Where is this?" I found myself asking.“It's my house. You don't remember anything that happened?" He frowned.Shaking my head was a big problem on its own, and the headache worsened. What could have caused this? I can't even remember anything, my head is so blank right now. “No, I don't." I had to do it verbally. “Here, this should help your hangover." He handed over the glass of water in his hand with a pill to me. Hangover? That only happened after excessive intake of alcohol right? What's he talking about? The frown on my face ebbed away when I vaguely remember myself going into a bar.I took the pills from him and swal
SHAWNA“You can't keep me here, I'm carrying your baby," Eugene said. Those words have to be the craziest thing I've heard in a while.I looked at her face, expecting her to laugh or something but she looked very serious, dead-ass serious. “What? That's not even possible." Damien scoffed, looking as shocked as I was."I'm not lying. I'm pregnant and you're the father.” Eugene shrugged, looking unbothered with a smirk on her face. She looks so confident, the kind of confidence that comes from having planned something out.“What are you even saying? I used a condom.”Those words made my heart shatter immediately, the warmness I was feeling towards him immediately turned into a very cold one. Condom? They had sex?“You both had sex?" I asked out loud.“Yes, he didn't tell you? We've been doing-" Damien cut her off with a glare on his face."Shut it Eugene, I only did it because you said that was the only way to get Shawna out of prison.” He snapped."You had sex with her because you wan
SHAWNAI lifted my head from my mother's shoulder as Phoebe walked further into the room. I cleared my throat and wiped the tears off my face.“Hey baby, I didn't see you there." I forced out a smile."Did our daddy make you cry, Mom?” She asked me with a little frown on her cute face."Why do you think so? Not, I was just being emotional.” I moved closer to her, bending down to her level."But I heard you say it.” She immediately ran away from me. I assumed that she was upset or something till she came back with her brothers.“Mom, did our daddy make you cry? Have you found him already? Who is he?” Jasper asked.I was speechless, I didn't know what to say or do. They looked like they wanted nothing but the truth from me and I knew I couldn't look them in the eye and lie to them again.But at the same time, I'd never tell them that Damien is their father. This is just so complicated, more complicated than I ever thought it would be.These kids deserve to know who their father is. But
LIAMShe looked at my face for a response, my head and face went blank immediately and I just had to calm down my nerves and then look around the room.“Let's go to the balcony, I don't think it's good if we talk about this here." She said, referencing her children, those kids act like adults at times and I won't be surprised if they heard us.“Okay," I mumbled and we walked over to the balcony, the cool evening breeze blowing our skin. It's a very pretty sight from here but that's the least of my problems.“Why did you ask that question though?” I asked her and she sighed."I feel like he deserves to know technically that they're his. But at the same time, seeing as he has gotten someone else pregnant makes me want to repel. A lot of things are at stake right now and my kids deserve to know the truth too.”"It's not just that, I thought I was getting somewhere with him then this happens. We were good, I thought he was changing for good really.”"I just don't know what to do right now
LIAM“What the actual fuck, man?" Damien growled, his eyes flashing in anger. The anger that's coursing through me is more than the one in him, the alcohol seems to be amplifying my anger.“I warned you, you're the last person I want to see right now," I said, going to sit down back. I wasn't able to sit properly before he dragged my back by the collar.He punched me squarely in the jaw, making my head loll to the side. A metallic taste appeared in my mouth which is blood.I didn't let him rest too, I didn't even wait to revel in the pain of the punch, I just punched him back. The fight got pretty much more than it was intended to be we were separated by policemen.When did they get here and who called them? The bartender standing behind them made me realize that he must have called them.I threw a glare his way as we were dragged away by the cops, neither of us tried to resist them, we just followed them peacefully.Arguing with them or resisting will only draw attention to us. We we
SHAWNA“I love you, Shawna. And I'm tired of hiding it from you.”I choked on my cough immediately after he said that the words caught me by surprise.“What? What are you saying?" I stuttered.“I love you, I'm deeply in love with you." He repeated those words.“You don't know what you're saying. You're drunk at the moment, you need to sleep." I said, nodding at myself for coming up with that ideology.“I'm drunk but not drunk to not know what I've been harboring for years now. I'm madly in love with you, I've been in love with you for a while now.”"I mean every word and letter of everything I've said and about to say. I don't think I can live without you at this point. You intoxicate me, Shawna. My heart skips a beat each time I see you, it beats for you.”"You don't seem to understand how crazily in love I am with you, I love you with reckless abandon,” he concluded.I couldn't even maintain eye contact with him, the intense look in his eyes was too much for me. It felt like he was
LIAMWaking up has never felt this peaceful, I feel so different. A happy kind of different, the scenes of last night started replaying in my head the moment I woke up.The person in my arms was just like my dose of happiness, her cologne wafted into my nostrils and I was more than happy to sniff it even more.On opening my eyes, I was met with her thick brown hair and her very beautiful face. She's currently sleeping in my arms and she looked very peaceful.A smile came up on my face as I remembered how her pretty face morphed into pleasure as I rammed into her last night.We only stopped when I saw how tired she was, she fell asleep somewhat early while I cleaned her up then slept off with her in my arms.I stared at her all through the night and up till now, I can't just get enough of her. I almost can't believe that we did all that and she's in my arms right now.She stirred in her sleep a bit and I stilled till her eyes opened, clashing with mine. She looked confused at first til
DAMIEN folded my arms and leaned against the table, eyeing the man who claimed someone had plotted to kill him. The old man, my grandfather, met my gaze squarely, his expression unreadable.“So, let me get this straight,” I said, trying to keep the disbelief out of my voice. “You’re saying my father, your son, tried to have you killed so he could take over your company?”Grandpa nodded, his expression unchanging. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”I couldn’t help it, I laughed. A short, humorless laugh echoed off the walls of the dimly lit room. “Even for Dad, that’s a bit of a stretch.”His lips curled into a smirk. “Is it?”“You do realize how ridiculous that sounds, right?” I shot back, gesturing vaguely toward him. “Dad’s a lot of things, but a murderer? Come on.”“Ridiculous or not, it’s the truth,” Grandpa said calmly, resting his hands on the head of his cane.I rubbed my temples, pacing back and forth. “And what, you think I’m just going to take your word for it? I mean, sure,
SHAWNAAs the old man continued his cheerful banter with Damien and my children, I felt my patience wearing thin. My arms were folded tightly across my chest, and I tapped my foot against the floor, letting the tension seep into my movements. This wasn’t a family reunion I signed up for; it was an unexpected disaster.“Thank you for finding my children,” I said abruptly, cutting into the conversation. My tone was polite, but there was no mistaking the edge in my voice. “I’m grateful, truly. But we need to leave.”The old man’s jovial expression faltered slightly. “Leave? But we’ve just met. Surely you’d like to stay a while, Shawna. The kids seem to be having a great time.”I shook my head firmly, glancing at Phoebe and Billy, who were now clinging to him like he was their long-lost best friend. “We’ve had enough surprises for one day. Come on, kids, let’s go.”Phoebe and Billy exchanged a glance before crossing their arms and planting their feet firmly on the ground. “We’re not leavi
DAMIENI couldn’t move. My legs felt cemented to the floor as Shawna’s words echoed in my head. Who had her children? Our children. The weight of it all pressed down on me like a crushing wave, and yet, I couldn’t form a single coherent thought.“Damien!” Shawna’s voice cut through the fog. She stepped closer, gripping my arm tightly. “Who has my kids?!” Her voice cracked, panic lacing every word.I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. How was I supposed to explain this? The truth hadn’t even settled in my mind yet. Instead, I turned on my heel and motioned for her to follow.“Get in the car,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.“What? Damien, no! Talk to me! Who—”“Shawna, just get in the car!” I snapped, my tone sharper than I intended. Her eyes widened in hurt, but she didn’t argue. She stormed past me and climbed into the passenger seat.The tension in the car was suffocating. Shawna’s voice, sharp and demanding, cut through my thoughts like a blade. “Damien, what is going on?
SHAWNA"Damien, Liam, I think something's wrong," I said, my voice trembling. "I can't find Billy and Phoebe anywhere."Their faces paled. "What do you mean you can't find them?" Damien asked, his voice sharp."I mean they're gone. Vanished. I've looked everywhere, and they're just… not here."Liam's eyes widened. "Maybe they're playing hide-and-seek?" he suggested, trying to sound optimistic."Liam, they wouldn't play hide-and-seek without telling me," I said, my heart pounding. "This isn't a game."We raced back to my mother's house, finding her frantically pacing the living room. "Jasper!" I cried, pulling him into a tight hug. "Where were you, darling? You scared me to death."Jasper simply shrugged. "I was playing in the garden," he mumbled.Then, his face crumpled. "But I can’t find Phoebe and Billy," he cried out, tears welling in his eyes. His lower lip trembled, and he buried his face in my skirt, sobs racking his small frame.I knelt beside him, my heart aching. "Oh, sweetie
PHOEBE"Come on, Billy!" I tugged his hand, practically dragging him down the stairs. "We gotta go!""Where are we going, Phoebe?" Billy whined, his lower lip trembling."To find Daddy!" I said, holding up my tablet. "I ordered a car. We're going to his office."The car arrived, a big black one. The driver looked at us suspiciously. "Where are you little ones going? And who's with you?""We're going to find our Daddy!" I declared. "We can take care of ourselves."Billy mumbled something about wanting ice cream, but I ignored him. "We're going to his company," I told the driver, giving him the address.He looked at us for a long time, like he didn't believe me. "Your parents know you're going alone?""We don't need them," I said confidently. "We're brave."The driver sighed. "Alright, get in."Billy was so excited, he tried to open the door himself. But it was stuck! "Stuck!" he yelled and started to cry a little. I tried to open it too, and I pushed hard. Finally, it opened with a LOU
SHAWNAThe house was quiet now, but the tension still lingered in the air. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the photograph of my kids on the nightstand. Their bright, innocent smiles seemed a world away from the chaos that had unfolded earlier. I couldn’t ignore it anymore. This situation was spiraling out of control, and I needed to fix it before it broke something we couldn’t put back together.Taking a deep breath, I stood up and made my way to the living room, where the kids were sulking in different corners. Jasper sat on the couch with his arms crossed, Phoebe was curled up in the armchair with her face buried in a book she wasn’t reading, and Billy was sprawled on the floor, fiddling with a toy car but clearly not playing. The tension between them was palpable.“Alright, you three,” I began, standing in the middle of the room. “We need to talk.”Jasper looked away, Phoebe’s book snapped shut with an audible thud, and Billy groaned, dragging himself into a sitting positio
LIAMThe sound of laughter filled the park as Phoebe and Billy raced each other across the grassy field, their giggles carrying on the warm afternoon breeze. Jasper, however, stood a few feet away, kicking at the dirt with the tip of his shoe, a deep frown etched on his face.I approached him cautiously, knowing that pushing too hard could make things worse. "Jasper," I began gently, crouching down to his level, "what’s wrong, buddy? You’ve been quiet all afternoon."He stopped kicking and glanced at me, his little face set with a stubborn pout. "Why can’t I choose who I want as my daddy?" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.The words hit me harder than I cared to admit, but I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. "Jasper," I said, my tone steady, "I know this is hard for you. It’s a big change. But Damien is your dad, and that’s not something anyone gets to choose. It’s just how it is."Jasper crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the ground. "But I do
SHAWNAI returned from the mall, juggling groceries and feeling pretty pleased with myself. The house was supposed to be quiet; I’d promised the kids a movie night later, and I figured they’d be playing. Instead, I walked into the sound of crying—loud, heart-wrenching sobs.Dropping the bags on the kitchen counter, I rushed into the living room to find Jasper on the couch, tears streaming down his little face. Phoebe and Noah hovered nearby, looking worried, while Damien sat awkwardly on the armrest, running a hand through his hair like he didn’t know what to do.“What happened?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.Damien stood as soon as he saw me, his face a mix of guilt and frustration. “It’s... a long story.”“Mommy!” Phoebe rushed over, tugging on my arm. “Jasper doesn’t want Daddy to be Daddy!”I blinked, utterly confused. “What?”Noah chimed in. “We were helping him plan something, but then Jasper got mad and started crying.”I looked between them, then at Damien. “Helpi
DAMIENI sat on the edge of Kyle’s couch, watching him casually toss clothes into his duffle bag, his movements unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, my thoughts raced a mile a minute, the small box in my hand feeling heavier than it had any right to. I turned it over in my fingers, the weight of what it represented settling like a stone in my chest.Kyle glanced over, his sharp eyes immediately catching on to what I was holding. His brows shot up, and an all-too-familiar smirk spread across his face. “What’s that?” he asked, leaning slightly forward. “A magic trick?”I rolled my eyes, already regretting having the box out in the open. “It’s a ring.”“No kidding,” he said, his smirk widening into a full-on grin. “You planning to propose, or are you just trying out jewelry for fun?”“Yes, I’m proposing,” I snapped, gripping the ring tighter in my palm.Kyle froze for a second, then let out a loud, boisterous laugh that echoed through the room like I’d just told