SHAWNAThose words came from the television and they left my head reeling with different things. I looked at Damien who looked more shocked than I was, his eyes glued to the television.As if he felt my eyes on him, he looked away from the television and looked at me.“I swear it's not how it looks like, this isn't true." He said.If there's anything everyone knows, it has to be that only real things are broadcast on television.“Fuck you, Damien," I said through gritted teeth then stormed out of his house, ignoring his calls for me. I was more mad at myself than I was at him, how could I have fallen for one of his tricks again? He just wanted to mock me.I should have just stayed at home, or better still kept ignoring his calls instead of disgracing myself that way. He's getting married to Eugene, it's even clearer now that it has been announced on television.He must have planned it in a way that the restaurant would be impossible for us to talk in then we'll have to come to his hou
DAMIENShawna's children didn't only send me away, the triplets themselves didn't make their distaste about seeing me at their doorstep hidden.They successfully sent me away and I couldn't even do anything because they were right, all I do is make their mother cry.They already see me as a bad person as it is, someone who only knows how to hurt their mum. The last thing anyone would want is to be on the bad side of kids.As soon as I got into my car, I only had one thing in mind and that was going over to Eugene's. This isn't even a transfer of aggression but something that had to be done.She has done enough and should be stopped at the point, she might be pregnant but I'm never taking responsibility for it or getting married to her. I didn't nut in her for a reason.Never will I get married for the sole purpose of something like this, my first marriage happens to be some sort of contract and it was nothing less than toxic even though I was the toxic one in the marriage.But I can t
DAMIEN“I'm not reverting anything, do you think I'll get married to someone who's so schemy as that? She formed that pregnancy as a way of setting me up, I didn't impregnate her willingly."The fury that was thrumming through me was so hard that I crushed the phone in my hand, definitely leaving s crack on the screen.“That doesn't matter for now, just take care of this mess and get this bad publicity away from us, we're at the stake of losing everything we've built for years because of you." He growled.“Then we should be looking for other ways to tackle this, not bending to her whims, we're not weak dad, we've never been weak. We should stand up for ourselves.”I just needed a way to divert his attention away from the marriage stuff, I just can't get married to Eugene, I badly don't want to.She has been getting away with a lot of things and it's high time we put a permanent end to this. We never had problems with any company up until now when she assumed the position of the heires
EUGENE“So, what I think we should do is to analyze their sales and then we'll see where we go from there.” My assistant rambled off while I had my legs on my desk and my eyes focused on my nails.I'm currently painting them and one single mistake can ruin them, I don't want that to happen, might even snap at her if she allows what she's saying to disrupt this painting.“Ma'am, is that fine by you?" Her voice got to my ears and I had to look up, that was after I had made sure the brush was off my nails.“Do anything you think is good." I shrugged, it's not like I understand a word of what she has been talking about and I don't think I want to stress myself about knowing things about business.I mean, what's the use of an assistant if she can't make decisions like these? I just want to sign whatever she brings, bask in the public attention then get the money and influence this position brings.“But I need to know your response about this, we need a direct response before we proceed wit
DAMIEN“Will you marry me, Eugene?"She squealed, a squeal so loud that I almost covered my ears. Then she ran over to me and stretched out her hand at me.“Yes, yes, yes." She said continuously.I slid the ring to her finger and stood up, she immediately jumped on me, still squealing. I resisted the urge to tell her to shut the fuk up already, my ears were almost ringing.“Thank you so much, I didn't expect this." She said into my ears. I did my arms in a way that she just had to come off my body and she did.Camera sounds and the flashes from them made me compose myself, knowing that any gesture could be misinterpreted as something, so I had to play along.Different reporters soon started asking us questions, there were so many that there was no way we could hear any of them’s questions properly.“Did you reject her proposal as a form of surprise before?”"For how long have you two been dating?”"Is there anything you want the public to know?”The question goes on, I didn't even hav
KYLE“Oh, yeah, just like that." The whore above me groaned, she's currently grinding me, going in that motion that only females enjoy while I just lay there.When I saw that she reached orgasm through that, I was even generous enough to have allowed her to reach orgasm, I switched positions and had her underneath me.She moaned at how rough I was handling her, I just started thrusting into her immediately, not minding that she just reached orgasm.Just as I was about to reach orgasm, my phone started ringing, slightly diverting my attention. If I saw the person calling me physically now, I'd shoot them in the head.I ignored the call and continued thrusting into her, reaching my orgasm. The phone had stopped ringing but it started again almost immediately.With an angry growl, I got off the lady and pulled out of her warm clit. I angrily picked up the phone and picked up the call, it's one of my men calling. He better have a valid reason for calling me or he's ready to die.The call
KYLE I arrived in New York in no time, driving straight to the Lancaster Company. That's definitely where Eugene will be. It's even kind of weird to come here to look for her. Being the heiress of this big empire is one of the things that made me realize how smart Eugene can be when it comes to things like this. And that is why I won't let her go in that easily, Damien can't just have her. She's very useful to me. “Sorry sir, you can't just go in like that. Who are you here to see?" A lady who I presumed to be her secretary asked me, I already lied at the reception downstairs and found my way here. With a glare on my face, I moved closer to her a bit. I didn't want to embarrass myself and it'll be better if Eugene knows I'm here at least. "Eugene," I answered curtly. “You mean Miss Eugene Brown?" She frowned, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever, just let her know I'm here," I said, still glaring. She looked at me tentatively before picking up the cell phone before her, she
EUGENEIt's taking everything in me to hold the anger thrumming through me, Kyle is getting more and more annoying as each day passes.“Why don't you just let me handle this like I said instead of probing into it like you've been doing?" I asked, almost snapping.“Like I said, I don't want you handling everything alone. You have to put me on too, we're meant to be in this together." He said.“Okay, now that you're back, who's handling things in England? Who did you tell to stay back and watch over things?”His eyes flashed even more in anger, "You can go to hell, I don't fucking care about that.” he snapped.“Really?” I asked again."Yes, I don't care. I'm not your errand boy and I'm no longer interested in whatever you're planning again!” He snapped.“You don't want to do this anymore? Are you being serious right now or it's just a joke? You want to leave?" I had to ask again.“Read my lips, Eugene. I. Do. Not. Care. Anymore." He made me read his lips, emphasizing each word said.“Yo
RAMONThe moment I shut the bedroom door behind Phoebe, I turned back to Richard, my blood boiling. Heat crawled up my neck, my muscles tensed like a coiled spring, ready to snap. But Richard, he stood there, completely at ease, that smug little smirk still plastered on his face. As if he hadn’t just overstepped his boundaries. As if he hadn’t just dragged my past into the open like it was his story to tell.My hands clenched into fists at my sides. Every part of me burned with the need to wipe that expression off his face. To make him understand that he had no right. No right to bring up my mother. No right to stand in my home and act like he still had power over me.I didn’t bother lowering my voice. I wanted him to hear the fury in every syllable.“Get out.”Richard let out a low chuckle, a slow, deliberate sound that only fueled my rage. He didn’t flinch, didn’t even shift his weight. He just stood there, completely unfazed, watching me like he had been expecting this reaction.Li
PHOEBEI didn’t realize how tightly I had been holding onto my emotions until I finally let go in Ramon’s arms. The moment he wrapped his arms around me, the fight inside me melted away, leaving behind exhaustion and the weight of everything that had happened. My body trembled slightly, the aftershock of my anger and frustration still lingering, but at least I wasn’t shaking with rage anymore.Ramon didn’t say much. He just held me, rubbing slow circles on my back, his warmth steady and comforting. For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t have to explain myself. I didn’t have to argue, to defend my emotions, or to pretend I wasn’t as upset as I really was. I could just breathe.“Do you want me to take you to another hotel?” he asked softly, his voice calm, careful.I shook my head instantly. The thought of staying in another hotel made my stomach twist with unease. Hotels didn’t feel safe anymore. The unfamiliar walls, the hollow silence of a space that didn’t belong to
PHOEBEI frowned at the sound coming from the door. A slow, deliberate rattling. Like someone was testing the handle.I sat up in bed, my heart already picking up speed. "Housekeeping?" My voice came out shaky, uncertain.No answer.I cleared my throat. "Hello?"Silence. Nothing but my own breathing and the distant hum of the city outside. But the sound at the door didn’t stop. If anything, it got worse, more forceful, more urgent. The handle rattled, harder this time. My stomach dropped.I swallowed hard, forcing my shaky hands to reach for the hotel phone. My fingers fumbled over the buttons as I tried to call the front desk."Come on, come on," I muttered, my pulse pounding so loudly I could barely hear anything else. I pressed the call button, lifting the receiver to my ear. A second passed. Two. Then…The lights went out.I gasped, nearly dropping the phone. The entire room was swallowed by darkness, the only light now coming from the faint glow of the city outside, filtering th
RAMONI sat there, staring at the door Phoebe had just slammed shut. The air still felt thick with her frustration, her anger. I had called out to her, but she hadn’t even hesitated. Just walked away like I was no better than the rest of them.I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face. I wasn’t trying to control her. I wasn’t trying to stop her from living her life. But she didn’t see it that way.“She’s got fire, that one.”The voice made me tense. I turned, watching as my uncle stepped out from the back room, his arms crossed over his chest. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes. Something that made my stomach twist.“Why wouldn’t you let her leave?” he asked, stepping closer. “You getting soft?”I scoffed, leaning back in my chair, trying to act unfazed. “It’s not like that.”He smirked, tilting his head like he didn’t believe me. “Sure it’s not.”I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “Phoebe doesn’t deserve to get caught up in all this.”“All this,” he rep
PHOEBEI folded my arms, leaning against the wall of Ramon’s tiny apartment. The space was cramped, barely big enough for the two of us, but that wasn’t what was bothering me. It was him, his expression, his tone, the way he was looking at me like I was making some kind of terrible mistake.“I don’t get it,” I said, shaking my head. “Why are you so against me moving out?”Ramon let out a deep sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked tired, like this conversation was wearing on him. “I’m not against it, Phoebe.”“Sure feels like it,” I shot back.His lips twitched, but it wasn’t a smile. More like a reflex, something bitter. He let out a small chuckle, but there wasn’t any humor in it. “I just know what it means to be without a family. And trust me, it’s not something you want.”I frowned, crossing my arms tighter. “So what? I should just stay there and let them control my life?”His gaze flickered to mine, steady, unshaken. “No,” he said. “I’m saying don’t make decisions when you
PHOEBEI stood outside Ramon’s door, my heart thudding in my chest like I’d just run a marathon. I wasn’t even sure why I had come here. Maybe it was the way I’d stormed out of Mom’s office, my frustration boiling over until it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Or maybe it was just because I needed to be somewhere I felt… safe. And for some reason, that place was here.Before I could change my mind and turn around, the door opened.Ramon stood there, blinking at me in surprise. His dark hair was tousled as he’d just rolled out of bed, and his black T-shirt clung to his chest in a way that made it impossible not to notice how toned he was. He wasn’t trying, wasn’t even aware of how ridiculously good-looking he looked, and somehow that made it even worse, or better, depending on how you looked at it.I swallowed hard, my brain short-circuiting for a second. His dark brown eyes were fixed on me, curious and maybe a little sleepy, like he hadn’t expected anyone to show up at his door, let alo
PHOEBEI waited until Phoebe walked into my office before I spoke. She was humming, looking happy like nothing in the world could bring her down.“Phoebe, can we talk?” I said, closing the file I was working on.She frowned a little but came over. “Sure. What’s up?”I leaned back in my chair, choosing my words carefully. “Eugene came by earlier.”Her face hardened immediately. “Oh. And let me guess….she had a lot to say?”“She’s worried, Phoebe.”“Of course, she is,” Phoebe muttered, crossing her arms. “She’s always worried about something.”“She’s your aunt. She cares about you.”“She doesn’t like Ramon, does she?” Phoebe’s voice was sharp.I sighed. “She has concerns. And, honestly, so do I.”Phoebe’s eyes widened. “Wait….you too?”“Phoebe, we’ve never even heard of this guy until recently, and now you’re spending all your time with him. Don’t you think that’s a little… fast?”Her jaw tightened. “I knew it. No one actually wants me to be happy.”“Phoebe, that’s not what this is abou
EUGENEI’ve seen Phoebe mad before. I’ve seen her throw tantrums over little things, like when the coffee wasn’t hot enough or when her favorite show ended on a cliffhanger. But this? This was different. This wasn’t just a flash of irritation or some harmless grumbling. This was something else entirely.I stood there, watching her storm out, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor like gunshots in the silence of the house. She didn’t say much, just muttered something under her breath as she snatched her purse from the couch and headed straight for the front door with Ramon. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t even know what had set her off this time.“Phoebe, where are you going?” I finally called out, hoping to stop her. But she didn’t even look back. She just pushed open the door, stepped outside, and slammed it shut behind her. Hard. The kind of slam that makes you flinch, like it’s meant to hurt you as much as it does the doorframe.I followed her, but only as far as the win
PHOEBEThe office buzzed softly around me, but my focus was entirely on Ramon. We’d wrapped up the whole argument with the triplets, and now it was just us, enjoying the quiet. He leaned back in the chair across from my desk, arms folded casually, his dark eyes watching me with that familiar smirk.“Can’t believe you stuck around after all that,” I teased, raising a brow.He chuckled. “You think I scare that easily?”“I don’t know,” I said, tapping my pen against my notebook. “My brothers are pretty intense.”He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Trust me, Phoebe, I’ve faced worse.”There was something in the way he said it light, but with a shadow underneath. His voice was easy, casual, but it carried a weight I couldn’t quite figure out. It wasn’t the first time I’d noticed it either. There were layers to Ramon, ones he wasn’t letting me see just yet. I tilted my head, debating whether to push him a little, maybe ask what was really going on behind that smile.But the