SHAWNAThe three of them looked at me with a look that said they were not going to back down, I couldn't even sideline them at this point.“Yes Mom, who's our father this man, that man over there, or Liam," Billy asked me, his siblings nodded after what he just said, agreeing with the question.Before I could reply to them, the guy beside me butted in.“My name is Paul, I'd love to be your father if you would all allow me, it's nice to meet the three of you. I guess this would be the first time you're all seeing me.” He said.I was more than gobsmacked at what he just said, I just couldn't say anything. My children were looking at me, almost as if they were asking if he was being real.I couldn't even say anything, I just kept looking at them like a deer caught in headlights."Mom?" Phoebe asked me, dragging me out of that reverie.“How about you all sit down there and I discuss with him? I promise I'll tell you everything after this." I told them."Promise?” Jasper asked me, his mout
EUGENE“Let's go," I said to my driver, leaving the school with him after I had watched Damien leave with Shawna. The way he interfered and talked back at me made me so angry.I'm mad that he's still after her despite everything that has happened all these years, he doesn't even know that those children are his, yet he's still after her!What does he even see in her that I don't have? There's nothing special about her at all, she's just normal, absolutely normal!I have everything he can ever need, money included. I'm not poor and won't even be a financial problem to him, but he still wants someone as poor as that.“Ma'am?" My driver’s voice drew me out of that reverie, I'd been standing before the car, my eyes going over to the same spot where Shawna was standing with Damien and her three spawns.My assistant had to leave rapidly earlier with the other guys so I'm just with my driver.Can't she just focus on that guy that has been following her everywhere? They fit each other so damn
SHAWNALiam has been keeping me waiting here for some minutes now and I've been here since, he just kept telling me that I should please hold on for him.The most annoying and infuriating part of this is that he's not telling me what's keeping him waiting, he just keeps telling me to calm down.I sipped on the coffee before me with anger thrumming through me, I'm trying so hard to suppress the anger in me right now but nothing seems to be forthcoming.He said we should meet at a coffee shop and now I'm on my second cup of coffee yet there's nothing from him. I just kept scrolling through my phone till I felt a presence before me.I looked up from my phone to see Damien standing before me, he had his hand dipped into his pocket.“Damien?" I mumbled, almost as if I couldn't believe that he was standing before me.“Can I sit?" He asked me, gesturing at the chair opposite me, the one he was currently standing beside.I didn't even know what to say, Liam could come in anytime soon, and if
SHAWNA“What the actual fuck?" I cussed out loud, frozen on the spot with my mouth hung open. Liam acted immediately, he ran past me and started running after the guy.I couldn't even move at some point, it got to a point that I had to move. Just as I wanted to run after Liam, I saw him running back without my bag in his hand. He was panting heavily as he got to me, his eyes still looking around as though he was looking for someone. “You didn't see him?" I asked him with my heart racing. “It's as though he vanished into thin air, I didn't even see anyone that looks like him at some point." He replied warily. This just looks like a movie to me, the bag got collected from me in not up to five seconds and now it's gone just like that? Just vanished into the thin air.His eyes glanced down to my hand and a relieved look came up on his face.“Thank God your phone is with you, is there anything valuable in the bag?” He asked.I didn't bring the debit card with me today, "No, just a litt
SHAWNAI was more than shocked at her words, I was speechless for some seconds till she made a sound from the other end of the phone.“Of course, yes! When is the meeting starting? I'll be on my way now.” I rushed out the words."It's in thirty minutes. Make sure you come with enough documents to back up your claim, it's not going to be an easy session at all,” She said.“Of course, I'll be there very soon." She hung up almost immediately. Liam was looking at me with a look that was asking me to explain everything to him already.I told him everything she said and we were out of the hospital building in no time."I need to confirm if the document I had in that bag was the original one, or even if I put it there at all. I need to confirm now because I need the document." I narrated to Liam as he drove. “I’ve been thinking about it too, and I don't think you'd put something as important as that in the bag. Let's just keep hoping and praying till we get back home." Liam said back.“Exac
SHAWNAHe walked over to the front of the room, avoiding my eye contact. Maybe I heard wrong, or he meant to say ‘Shawna’ instead of the ‘Eugene’ he said.Because there's no way he just declared her as the heiress, he signed those documents himself. And I'm very sure he couldn't have forgotten my face, I don't even resemble Eugene one bit.“I have the documents to back up my claim here.” He said as he went to stand beside Eugene. She still has that smirk plastered on her face."Barrister John?" I mumbled, but it came out very loud that he looked up from those papers.“Yes, how may I help you ma'am?" He asked me casually, so formally."I think you made a mistake with the names, I'm Shawna and not Eugene, I think you forgot or something,” I said to him,"Allow the lawyer to do his work, don't disrupt him. Please go back to what you were doing." Eugene's mother interrupted and the lawyer did just as she said.“What's going on, Shawna?" Liam stood up from the chair too, confusion bare in
EUGENEExcitement thrummed through me as Shawna was dragged away by the policemen, she wasn't violent but she was fighting in their strong grip.I heaved a sigh of relief as she was eventually dragged away, it felt like a major problem in my life was being taken away. At least I won't have to worry about her for a while.“Congratulations Miss Shawna. You're good for the position already, it fits you." The guy who was exchanging words with Shawna earlier said, he had a huge smile plastered on his face.“Thank you.” I mustered up a fake smile at him, he just irks me in a kind of way. I don't know if it's because he just admitted to wanting to get married to Shawna before, he had even declared her children as his.Or if it's just because I'm not currently attracted to any male at the moment except for Damien of course. I won't rest till he realizes that I'm the right person for him.“Congratulations Miss Shawna, welcome onboard.” The man who anchored the meeting said to me as he left the
SHAWNA“Let me go! I'm not guilty! You all should do your fucking job and investigate this instead of just arresting!!" I spasmed around in their hold.It was like I wasn't even saying anything, they didn't stop till we got to their car. Liam wanted to come after me but he was pushed back.After I was forced into his car, I saw him starting his car and coming after the police car. That didn't make me relaxed, it just provided a kind of mental assurance that I'm not alone in this at all.The least these retards would have done is to carefully look into this, but no! Eugene has bought everyone with Lancster's money.Even the lawyer who's meant to be the one who says the truth and erases the confusion is working for her. Am I ever going to get out of this? Now the whole country knows me, everybody has seen my face and heard everything. I feel more weak and helpless than ever, I just want to end it all already.But the thought of leaving my kids behind makes me rethink that decision. And
EUGENEThe moment Kyle’s car taillights disappeared into the night, I turned to Shawna, frustration bubbling in my chest. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.“Why didn’t you just give him the contract?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. “It could’ve avoided all this mess!”Her head whipped around so fast that I almost took a step back. Her eyes were blazing, and her posture was tense. “Excuse me?” she said, her tone icy. “Risk my company to protect you and your mom? Are you serious right now?”I swallowed hard, but I wasn’t going to back down. “It’s just one contract, Shawna,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “One deal, and he’d have nothing to hold over us anymore.”She let out a bitter laugh, throwing her hands in the air. “Do you even hear yourself, Eugene? One deal? That’s not just a ‘deal’—it’s my business, my reputation! I don’t owe you or your mom anything!”Her words hit like a slap, and I flinched despite myself. I opened my mouth to argue, but she wasn’t done
SHAWNAKyle was sneaking around, and I wasn’t about to let him ruin everything we had worked so hard to set up.“Are you sure about this?” Liam whispered. His breath fogged in the cold air as he looked at me concernedly.I nodded, my jaw tight. “We can’t let him figure out what’s going on. If he does…”Before I could finish, Kyle took a cautious step away from the car, glancing around like he expected someone to pounce.“Now,” I hissed, grabbing Liam’s arm.We darted out from the shadows, Liam grabbing Kyle by the arm before he could take another step.“What the—!” Kyle yelped, stumbling as Liam’s grip tightened. His face twisted in surprise, his eyes darting from Liam to me. “Shawna? What the hell are you doing here?”I crossed my arms, glaring at him. “I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you sneaking around?”Kyle’s shock quickly morphed into a sly grin. “Sneaking around? Oh, come on. You’re the ones lurking in the dark, pouncing on people like some secret agents. What ar
SHAWNAI sat on the couch, my fingers drumming nervously on my lap as Mom sat across from me, her gaze sharp enough to slice through my thoughts. I could feel her impatience radiating across the room.“Well?” she asked, tilting her head slightly and narrowing her eyes. “What did Damien say?”I sighed heavily, leaning back into the cushions. “He hasn’t told me anything yet,” I admitted, my frustration bubbling just under the surface. “He’s…hesitating.”Mom’s frown deepened, and she crossed her arms tightly across her chest. “Hesitating? About what?” she snapped, her voice climbing a notch. “Shawna, this isn’t some casual decision. This is your life we’re talking about! Your safety. The kids’ safety!”“I know!” I shot back, running my hands through my hair. “Do you think I’m not aware of that? He just… he’s not ready to commit to a plan yet. I don’t know what’s holding him back!”Before she could say anything else, Grandpa Bryan cleared his throat from his spot near the window. His calm
KYLEI leaned against the door, watching the scene between Damien, Stacey, and my father unfold with mild disinterest. These dramatic exchanges had become routine, and I was tired of being caught in the middle of their endless tug-of-war. Stacey was barking out retorts like her life depended on it, while Damien’s father looked ready to burst a blood vessel. It was all predictable until I noticed Damien’s left hand.Twitching.He tucked it behind Stacey as casually as possible, but I’d seen it. Damien’s finger only twitched when he was lying. Always had.What could he be lying about?I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes as I tried to decipher his face. But before I could piece anything together, Damien called a truce and walked off with Stacey into the garden.That evening, I decided to join them.“Mind if I join?” I asked, plopping down on the chair before Stacey could get a word out.Her eyes narrowed into slits, and her lips pressed into a thin line. If looks could kill, I’d be six f
STACEYThe moment I stepped into my penthouse, my phone buzzed incessantly, but I ignored it. My focus was on the mess at hand. Eugene had slipped through our fingers, and I was fuming. I slammed my bag onto the glass table, and the sound echoed in the silent room.A man, sitting calmly on my couch, raised an eyebrow at my outburst. "I take it things didn’t go as planned?""They lost her!" I snapped, pacing back and forth. "How incompetent can they be? They let Eugene escape, and now she’s out there, God knows where probably plotting something!"The man didn’t react much, just leaned back, crossing his legs. "And you’re sure it was a clean break? No one saw her?"I glared at him. "That’s not the point! The point is they let her go! I told them to keep an eye on her, and they couldn’t even manage that!""Relax," he said, in a tone that made my blood boil even more. "You’ve still got Damien, don’t you? Isn’t he the whole reason you’re doing this?"I took a deep breath, trying to calm do
SHAWNADamien’s hand rested lightly on my shoulder as he led me outside. His touch was supposed to be comforting, but all it did was remind me of the chaos my life had become.“Shawna, calm down,” he started, his voice soft but firm.I yanked my arm away, my frustration boiling over. “Calm down? Damien, don’t tell me to calm down when everything’s falling apart!”He sighed, running a hand through his hair, his face etched with concern. “That’s why we’re talking. I need you to see the reason. Your aunt…”“Don’t you dare bring her up!” I snapped, spinning around to face him. My chest was heaving, and I could feel the heat of anger rising in my cheeks. “If Eugene and her mother hadn’t barged into my life, none of this would’ve happened! None of it! I wouldn’t be in this mess, and I sure as hell wouldn’t be dragged into Stacey’s madness!”Damien raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I know you’re upset, but—”“But what, Damien?” I interrupted, my voice cracking. “What is there to reas
SHAWNAThe moment the bail papers were signed, Damien was already pacing like a caged lion. His voice came out sharp and cold. "Get out of my sight, Shawna. You and your lover." The word dripped with disgust. "Go home. I don't want to see either of you again."I flinched, but I didn’t say a word. I knew better than to argue with Damien when he was like this. Liam gently took my arm, guiding me toward the exit. We left the station in silence, his grip steady, but I could feel the tension in every step.When we got home, I called my mom immediately, desperate to hear her voice. “Mom, it’s over. The bail went through. We’re out.”“Oh, thank goodness,” she breathed, and I could hear her relief. “Are you okay? Where are the kids?”“They’re fine. We’ll be home in a few minutes.”By the time we pulled up, the kids were already waiting at the door. My mom ushered me inside, her arms wide open. “Come here,” she said, wrapping me in a tight hug.“I’m okay, Mom,” I whispered, but my voice cracke
EUGENEThe voices grew louder, and I could feel my heart pounding in my ears. My mom’s hand was still clamped tightly on my arm, and I could feel her fingers trembling slightly.“Mom,” I whispered, barely audible. “What are we going to do if they find us?”“Stop talking,” she snapped, her voice barely more than a breath. “And stay still.”“This is insane,” I mumbled, my voice shaking. “Hiding behind crates? What’s your plan if they look here?”“Eugene, for the love of everything, shut up,” she whispered fiercely.The air felt heavier with every passing second as I crouched behind the crates, my chest heaving with shallow, nervous breaths. My mom’s hand rested on my shoulder, her grip firm yet trembling. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing, but it was useless. The footsteps were getting closer now, crunching on the gravel like a countdown to disaster. Every sound felt amplified, the distant hum of a car engine, the faint sound of a radio, and the heavy boots drawing nearer.
EUGENEThe car came to a sudden stop, jerking me forward in my seat. I felt my heart race as I looked at my mom, panic rising inside me. “What’s happening? Is this part of your plan?” I asked, my voice tight with fear.She looked at the road ahead, her grip on the steering wheel tight. “I must’ve taken the wrong turn,” she muttered, her voice low.I felt a wave of panic hit me. “The wrong turn?” I repeated, my voice shaking. “Mom, we can’t be here! If they find us, you’ll end up in prison. We need to leave. Now!”My hands started to shake, and I grabbed her arm, my eyes wide with fear. I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “You don’t understand, they can’t see us here.”She glanced at me, her eyes sharp. “Eugene, calm down,” she said, but her voice was strained. “Just give me a minute to think.”But I couldn’t calm down. Every second we stayed here, I felt like we were making it worse. “Mom, we’re sitting ducks! We’re exposed!” I said, my words rushing out. “Yo