SHAWNAI got to the penthouse and Liam was there, waiting for me just like he said.“What are we going to do now? I don't even know what to do at this point, she fucking threw me out of her house when I went there." I rasped.“She threw you out of the house? I told you that I wanted to go with you but you refused, that lady needs to be put in her place.” Liam said with anger on his face.“That's why we need to get into that event she's organizing, we need to get in. That way, we might get something from the party, it might be one of the shareholders who control the company, I just need to meet someone." I said.“How do we get in then? How about I call the girl grandfather told me is my assistant? Maybe she can help me with something." I suggested.There's still no word from the lawyer and grandfather isn't waking up anytime soon.“You think she'll help?" He asked.“I'll just try." I shrugged and brought out my phone.I scrolled through my contact list for her phone number, i don't rem
DAMIEN“A letter came in for you, Damien," my mom said, handing me a paper that made me frown.I'm not even meant to be here right now, dad just asked me to come to see him for something.“Who is it from?” I asked as I opened it up."I don't know, open it first.” She shrugged and I opened it up to see that it was an invitation letter to an event taking place at Lancaster's grand hall.You're specially invited to the grand ball taking place today, we'd love it if you acknowledged this request and showed up, your presence would be highly appreciated. We apologize for the short notice, thank you. And it has the initials of Eugene at the end of the letter which just means that she's specifically inviting me.“The Lancaster Grand Hall? It has to be a very big event." Mom said as she looked into the letter with me."Yes, but I'm not going,” I mumbled, pocketing the letter."Did I just hear someone say something about the Lancaster event?” I rolled my eyes when I saw Dad come up to us.He c
SHAWNA“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I eventually talked to him, I've been ignoring him since he got here, I've not even said a word to him, but I just had to now.“Really? I'm only trying to help you here, you know you can't come in after I've gone in.” he looked shocked, really shocked at my response."Go ahead, I don't need your help," I said again, this time with so much confidence in me, the last thing I want to do right now is to be with him after what happened earlier today.“Fine, do this your way then." He mumbled then walked away from us. The moment he turned his back, Liam pulled me to him and started chastising me."This is the only way we can get in, Shawna. If you go in with him now, I'm very sure Eugene wouldn't even dare send you back since you're with Damien, you know how she adores him.” He whispered.“So?"“Go with him now, he's about to get to the door. You have to put aside whatever you have against him for now because we need him. Don't worry, I'll be fine,
DAMIEN“How are you enjoying your evening?" Eugene asked me as soon as she pulled me away from Shawna.“Good, I was busy before you pulled me away, do you want to say anything?" I asked her straight away.Eugene rolled her eyes, “Relax, Damien. She's not even here any longer, she has already excused herself."I looked behind me to see that Shawna truly wasn't there, where did she go to just now? She was right behind me.“She said she was going to the restroom. She can look after herself, relax." She wrapped her hand around mine and wanted to drag us back to the dance floor.“I’m not dancing with you.” I removed her hand from mine, stopping just before we got to the dance floor.“People are watching, Damien. Do you still want the contract between us? We can't afford to let people know what's going on between us."People were looking at us, nosy lots. It's like we're the center of attention at the moment.I glared at her and then grumpily followed her to the dance floor, her hand went t
EUGENE“Where the fuck are they? Where's the stupid Shawna he came in with? Now I can't find either of them." I growled as I looked into the third room since I started looking for them.What if they're in a corner having sex currently with the aphrodisiacs that's not meant to be for either of them working?Shawna is meant to be with the person I sent to her and Damien with me, they're not meant to be together at all.“Did they leave already? No, neither of them can drive in that state. They'd be too overdriven by the substance in them to even do anything other than make out with someone of the opposite sex.And as far as I'm concerned, Damien would have found her by now already which means they're together somewhere.“Arghhhhh! Can she just die already? Why's she everywhere in my business? She should just get the fuck out of my way already!” I yelled angrily.Luckily, no one was around me to hear what I just said. I've never felt this angry and frustrated for anything in a while, I've
SHAWNA I've never felt this way, my head is so foggy and my eyes feel so heavy to be lifted on their own. I tried to open my eyes to at least get where I am currently, I can feel it within myself normally that I'm not in my room at home at all. Opening my eyes proved to be another big problem, it was like something hard was tugging my eyes to just stay that way. My head is banging so hard and my entire body hurts. Where the fuck am I? I tried to recall everything that led up to me being here with me, and although it's hard to get, I remember myself being cornered against the female’s cubicle in the restroom. “Who are you?" I asked, my voice sounding so low that I could barely hear myself. My body is so hot and I just want to be touched by someone, just anyone in a lot of places. What's going on with me? I didn't even drink a lot of alcohol for me to get so tipsy. “You need something, baby?" That male voice said in my head, I can't even place a name on my face. “Who are
SHAWNAThe question hung in the air as I just looked into Damien’s face, my eyes looked directly into his and it looked like he was staring directly into the windows of my soul.I couldn't find my way to say anything to him, with how much I'd planned it up in my head to talk back to him if he dared ask me anything like this again.It's almost like my mouth was caught up in some kind of trap or something, I couldn't just say something.Suddenly, his eyes moved from my eyes down to my face, the glint in his eyes made my body feel like it was on fire, which made it harder for me to say something.Just as I opened my mouth to say something, my phone started ringing, effectively breaking the trance-like state I was in.The vibration of the phone against the bedside table and the loud ringing tone made me run away from under Damien's hold, he let me go this time and I rolled over to pick up the callLiam's name was displayed on the screen and I picked up the call immediately, I didn't wast
EUGENE“Where are you going? You barely slept overnight." Mom asked me as I got downstairs, she was standing by the door.“I'll sleep when I come back, I have to see someone now and it's kind of urgent,” I said and made my way towards the door when she stopped me again."Is it Kyle?” Who do you want to go and see?" She asked me, raising one of her eyebrows with her arms around her.“No, I need to leave now Mom," I whined.“Do you still think it's wise to keep secrets from me? Is there anything you do that I don't end up finding out about? Just spill already.” She said,I sighed, knowing she wouldn't allow me to leave without telling her what she just asked me."Damien, I'm going to see Damien. Can I leave now?”"Oh, is there something I don't know here, why are you going to see him this early?”I resisted the urge to say the words that wanted to come out, but I just had to shut it. I calmed down a bit before replying to her.“I didn't see him at the party yesterday, I need to see him
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