DAMIENI placed my empty glass of wine on the table, my eyes falling close as I leaned into the couch, the fatigue I felt slowly dissipating. It had been weeks since I arrived at Hudsonview High, a small city in New York to oversee the acquisition and renovation of an old, historic hotel into a luxury resort.I owned quite a lot of businesses in the city and the hotel would add to it. Everything had gone according to plan and yet I felt a sense of loss that made no sense to me. I was to attend a dinner before leaving tonight so I came to get a suit at one of the stores I owned in the city. I could have sent someone but I was passing by and just wanted to spend some time by myself.“What is wrong with me?” I muttered as I buried my face in my palms. I sat up, running my hands through my hair as my lips curled downwards. “And what's taking them so long when it's just a suit?”As though they heard me, I heard a knock on the door and after a few seconds, the door slowly swung open. “Sir
DAMIENIt didn't make any sense. I wasn't going to assume anything anymore, after all, that was what got me into that situation with her. There was only one way for me to find out. Nervously, I walked towards her, my eyes on the kids that were excitedly chattering.Just when I was a few steps from her, the little girl pointed in my direction and Shawna’s face fell when she saw me. Shit! I quickened my steps but she was faster.“Shawna!” I called out to her as she held the children and bolted towards a car I hadn't noticed . When the kids entered the car, a sigh of relief washed over her face and she turned to face me. “Stay away,” She mouthed before getting into the front seat.I finally got to the car but before I could open the door, the car drove off. I had noticed a man inside though I couldn't make out his face. It made me wonder if she was married because it definitely wasn't a taxi. “I didn't see a ring on her finger,” I recalled. I ran my hands through my hair as I paced bac
EUGENE“I thought he'd never leave,” I muttered in annoyance when I heard the front door shut and immediately rushed towards the folder I'd watched him put on the table.Although Damien had restricted me from coming to his house, I still knew how to get in without the password. I hadn’t been curious about the folder, but after hearing it was about Shawna, it took everything in me not to grab it immediately and burn it.She was someone I'd been all too happy to get rid of and I couldn't afford her coming back into our lives when I hadn't made Damien mine yet. “It's been five years so why is he suddenly trying to find out about her?” I picked up the folder, my heart beating against my chest wildly. Damien had done everything he could to find Shawna when she left him but with Kyle's help, I was able to get rid of her traces and prevent him from ever locating her.I'd finally forgotten her and yet he was trying to bring her back. I couldn't allow that.“No! How is this possible?” I mutte
DAMIEN“That asshole had better not have done anything to the report,” I muttered as I ran out of my car. I checked my watch to see that I was a few minutes late. Roger wasn't one to frequently make empty threats so I couldn't put it past him to set the report ablaze.He could always get another but I was too curious and anxious to wait anymore. “Sir, you're back earlier than expected,” Suzy said as she handed me a glass of water, concern etched on her face. “I was going to drink that but you look like you need it more than I do.”“Thank you,” I said as I guzzled the entire glass of water. “I really did.”“Are you sure you're okay, sir?” She inquired. Since Shawna left, she'd been the one looking after me, though it took raising her salary thrice to make her stay when Eugene lived with us.I nodded. “I'll be fine. Thank you.” I impatiently made my way towards my home office.“Sir,” She said, running after me. I turned to her with a raised brow, impatience chipping away at me. “Your br
SHAWNA“He’s not your father!” I hated myself the moment those words left my lips as I saw how Billy’s expression crumbled. I picked him up and gave Damien a scathing gaze before I walked inside irrespective of the fact that he didn't stop staring at me and Billy. “Mommy said he's not our dad,” Billy cried, jumping out of my arms when we stepped inside. He and his siblings ran inside the room crying and I stared at my mother, the feeling of exasperation threatening to ruin me. “I don't know what else to do, Mom,” I cried. My mom sighed as she walked up to me and pulled me into a hug while I sobbed into her chest. “I hate lying to these kids, it breaks my heart,” I cried. My mom sighed, “You aren't doing anything wrong, Shawna. You just need to start thinking of only yourself and your kids.”I sighed, “That’s what I've been doing for the past five years.”“Why don't you take a break today, Shawna? Go see Liam,” my mom suggested. I frowned, “What about the kids? They're upset wi
SHAWNA“You have a grandfather?” Liam asked me. I shook my head, my face still contorted in confusion ever since the call ended. “No, I don't,” I answered. “But you told me the person asked you to ask your mother,” Liam pointed out. I sighed, “Yes, and I’m going to ask her right now just to clear my mind and make sure that it’s a prank call.”Liam nodded at me, “Call me if you need me.”“Alright, thank you, Liam,” I smiled at him. I left the office and headed back home. I was wondering about the phone call I had received. I knew there was no way that could have been a prank call since it was an elderly man’s voice. But my mom had told me that her father was dead and my dad’s father was dead. I didn't have any living grandparents so who could have called me? “We’re here, Miss,” the cab driver announced. I paid for the cab and stepped out of the car heading inside the house. My mom frowned when she saw me. “Why are you back early?” she queried. I shrugged, “Where are the kids?
EUGENEI had just arrived home from destroying evidence at Damien’s place to find out that my father was furious. He was yelling at my mother when I stepped inside. “Speak of the demon spawn and she appears!” he yelled when he saw me. I frowned, “What happened?”My mom sighed when she saw me, “What did you do to upset your father again, Eugene?” I frowned, “I didn't do anything. I've been a good girl as always.”“Bullshit!” my father snarled. “What happened now, Papi?” I queried. “What did you do to piss off Damien? His father canceled the contract we have with him,” my father snapped. I sighed, I knew Damien would react but I didn't know he would go as far as trying to ruin things with my father’s company. “I’m sorry, Papi. I'll make it up to you,” I said. “How?” he quizzed, “The only other company bigger that can boost the business is Lancaster Empire and no one has been able to get through to them.”An idea suddenly formed in my mind when I stared at my mother. “Mom, weren
SHAWNAI have never felt so embarrassed in my entire life as I felt today. As the cab drove back home I couldn't help but let the tears flow down my cheeks as the memory of what happened with Kiara and Eugene kept playing in my mind.“Stop it,” my mother hushed me but I was too sad to care. I noticed how the cab driver kept throwing me pity looks and it made me feel worse. Finally, the cab pulled up in front of the house and I got out, running into the bedroom to cry. I was very glad the kids were still sleeping so they wouldn't see me like this. My mom didn't bother me. She gave me time to bawl my eyes out and when I was done I went back to the sitting room to see her. She looked very sad and it broke my heart. I felt like a failure who couldn't take care of my children and my mother. “Mom, I'm so sorry I upset you today,” I apologized. My mom shook her head, “You didn't do anything, Shawna.”“Is this why he called us? To embarrass us before Eugene and Kiara?” I asked my mom. M
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
SHAWNAThe moment I got the news about Cara, I felt like the ground had shifted beneath me. I couldn’t believe it. She was gone, and with her went any chance of getting the answers we so desperately needed. My chest felt tight, and my mind raced with the realization that we might never know the full truth.Back home, I couldn’t sit still. I kept pacing, my thoughts spiraling. “We were so close,” I muttered to myself, frustration bubbling to the surface. Damien tried to comfort me, but I brushed him off gently. “I need to clear my head,” I said before heading back out.I drove to the hospital where Cara had been taken. I wasn’t ready to let this go without a fight. When I arrived, I demanded to see someone who could give me more information. A nurse led me to a stoic government official who barely flinched as I unloaded my questions.“I need a detailed report,” I said, my voice sharp but steady. “What happened to Cara? And Stacey—where are their bodies?”The man sighed, shuffling some
SHAWNAThe news hit me like a tidal wave—Stacey was gone. The police confirmed her death while we were still processing the chaos of the ambush. I didn’t know how to feel about it. Relief? Anger? Sadness? Maybe all three, or maybe nothing at all. It was hard to say anymore.Cara, on the other hand, had survived but was facing court as an accomplice. A part of me felt vindicated, but another part wondered if she’d planned on pulling something else even from behind bars. Damien didn’t seem concerned about her anymore.“Do you think we should keep running?” he asked as we sat on the edge of the bed in his quiet apartment, the evidence of the last few weeks weighing heavily in the air.I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “We’ve been through hell here, Damien. Maybe we deserve a break.”He nodded slowly, his hand resting on my knee. “Yeah. You’re right. We’ve fought enough battles for a lifetime.”We sat in silence for a moment, the kind that felt heavy but necessary. Just as I w
SHAWNACara swallowed hard, her throat bobbing visibly. “I don’t know if I have anything useful,” she admitted, her voice cracking. “She didn’t tell me much. She kept me in the dark most of the time.”“Think,” I pressed, my tone cutting through the tension like a blade. “Anything you’ve heard, seen, or even suspected could be the key to stopping her.”“I… I do have some texts,” Cara said hesitantly, pulling her phone from her pocket. “She sent me instructions sometimes. And there’s this file she left at my place. She said not to open it, but I… I couldn’t help myself. It’s all in there, her plans, the names, everything. I took a picture of it with my phone”Damien and I exchanged a glance, a spark of hope igniting between us.“Good,” I said, nodding. “That’s a start. You’re going to hand everything over, and we’ll take it from there. But Cara…” I stepped closer, lowering my voice. “If you’re lying, or if you’re holding anything back, there won’t be a next time. Understood?”She nodded