SHAWNA“What happened? What's the problem?" Liam's voice traveled to my ears. Different thoughts were appearing in my head.I didn't even realize that my phone had fallen off my hand till Liam gave it back to me. His voice brought me out of that reverie and back to reality. “Grandfather, there's an update on his health." That was all I could say, nothing else came to my head at the moment."You mean Mr Bryan?” I nodded at his question, still numb. It suddenly occurred to me that the update could be something good or bad."We need to go over to the hospital now! The nurse only said I have to come right now!” I rushed out the words suddenly, urging Liam to hurry up.“Okay, okay. Let's get going then." He said, walking over to his car. We both got in and he drove off immediately. My mind wasn't at rest at all, it was just spiraling out of control.I badly want to be optimistic about this but I'm failing woefully, different what-ifs keep coming to my head. But on the other hand, it could
DAMIENMy face looks so relaxed and my body so calm but my internal body is racing. Shawna should be here any minute from now, and for some reason I'm nervous.I don't know if it's because this is the first time we'll be meeting up willingly since we separated. The other times are either coincidental or for a reason.But this time, I don't think there's much to say again. Everything is settled now so she's coming here for a random conversation.She soon walked in through the door, looking around immediately after she got in. I waved her over so she could see me. She looked as beautiful as she had always been.But I couldn't help but notice that she has lost weight, the recent happenings took its toll on her and it's so obvious.“Hey, welcome," I said when she got to me.“Hi.” She mumbled at me.She sat down across from me, her face looking around the restaurant. It's one of the most quiet places around here, people just mind their business.That could be because only rich people can a
SHAWNA“Do you think he's still coming?" We've been waiting here for quite a while and it just seems the private investigator we're meant to meet here isn't coming again.“Let's just wait for five more minutes, after that, we're gone," Liam said. He said this five minutes ago too, but this time around we're leaving if the man doesn't show up.I sipped the drink before me, it's almost finished now since that's what I've been drinking since we got here.I kept quiet and kept looking around the lonely cafe, it's one of the most low-key ones right now. It only gets filled up when it's weekend, morning, or evening. But it's at its best at this time of the day.“He's here." Liam's voice brought me out of my thoughts, I looked in the direction he was looking to see a man dressed in a blue polo shirt and black trousers coming towards our table.He got to us and sat down on the third chair beside us.“I'm very sorry for coming late, something held me down outside, it would have been violent if
SHAWNA“Please come over to my-" Her panicked voice went off just as it came, it's almost like the phone was snatched from her or something. I tried to call the number back immediately but it was switched off.There's something wrong with this, something is fishy. She sounded like she wanted to tell me something before the call ended.“What's wrong? Who was that? Are you okay?" Liam asked me after I dropped the phone. I looked at him with a frown etched into my face."I don't know, a woman called just now saying she's the lawyer's wife. She was panicky and all and she said she needed my help with something before the call ended abruptly.” I told him."The lawyer who just died?” He asked and I nodded."This is serious, and the call ended abruptly? That sounds suspicious.” He frowned."Exactly, it sounded like the phone was yanked away from her before the call disconnected. Now she's unreachable.” I felt restless. Anything could be going on with her right now, or is this some kind of p
EUGENE“What do you want to eat today?” My mom asked me, she had just walked out of the kitchen with an apron around her."I honestly don't know, I think I'm fine with anything.”I shrugged then went back to my phone.I was chatting with someone very important, his text came in earlier, saying that he had something to say to me. Even though the number is unsaved, I know who he is.My mom said something again but I wasn't even listening, my whole mind was on the phone I was pressing. After waiting for his follow-up text and I didn't get any, I dialed him directly.The phone rang and he picked up immediately, “Why aren't you replying to my texts?" I asked him."I was kind of busy. And I wasn't so sure about what I saw, I wanted to confirm.” He said."You should have just texted me that instead of raising my hopes.” I hissed.“I'm sorry ma." “Do whatever the fuck you have to do, that's what I'm paying you for after all. And don't keep me waiting." I ended the call with him.I huffed in f
DAMIEN“What you're telling me now is that you still haven't found out who the woman in question is?" I asked my doctor.“It's proving harder than I thought it was, whoever it was did a hard job of keeping themself hidden. It's not meant to be this hard actually." He answered.What I don't understand is why anyone would want to use my sperm to formulate a fetus. I have an intuition on who it could be but I don't just want to conclude yet.“What are you going to do then? I need to know who's doing this.” I was trying so hard to keep myself at the moment, I badly wanted to lash out at him to just do his job.But I know how hard it can be to uncover things like these too.“Just try harder, you know how important this is, just do your thing,” I told him.He tensed up a bit, "Yes, I'll try more. And once I get any information, just anything, I'll let you know immediately.” He said.“Yes, and-" I was interrupted by the ringing of my phone, I looked down to see that it was Eugene calling me.
DAMIENAfter getting off the phone with my investigator, I entered my car and drove off without having anywhere in particular in my mind.I didn't have anything to do again for today, why don't I just go over to a bar to cool off? That's the only relaxing way I could think of after the stress of the week.I steered my car towards the direction of a bar around here, it's not the one I go to normally. But I guess I'll just try this one out today.I got there in no time, it's not so far from Eugene's office. On getting in, I was wowed by the interior, no one would have thought it would be this good.These organizations need to start working on their exterior looks too, doing it for just the interior wouldn't do anything to attract customers.I walked further into the bar and picked a seat on the far right side of the bar. I sat down with my legs crossed and face relaxed, patiently waiting for a waiter or something.Looking up, I saw a slouched-over figure directly before me. I had no ide
EUGENEI stormed away from him with anger thrumming through me, he had some nerves to ask me that question. I get it that he saved me from being embarrassed.But even at that, that question just did something to me, it annoys the fuck out of me. I don't know if it's because it's true, or I'm just mad at myself for going to him for help in the first place.If my stupid assistant had just said why my attention was needed in the office, I'd have escaped all these. I'd just have to come up with a reasonable excuse, I wouldn't have shown up at all.I'll visit my assistant's case later, I need to take care of Shawna now. Maybe I'll just transfer all the aggression to her. I dialed my investigator's number, he'll have to ask me one or two for me.He picked up almost immediately, “Help me find Shawna's current location, I need to pay her a visit.” I said."On it ma'am, I'll text you the address once I get it.” Then he hung up. This is one of the things I kind of hate about him, no one hangs u
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
RAMONI leaned against Phoebe’s desk, watching them argue like they were the only ones in the room. Triplets. Identical in almost every way, same fiery temper, the same stubborn streak, same protective instinct over their little sister. It was almost entertaining at first. Almost.But now? I was bored.“Guys,” I said again, keeping my tone light and calm, but it was like I didn’t exist. They didn’t hear me. Or maybe they just chose to ignore me. Typical.“Jasper, can you just stop already?” Phoebe snapped, stepping in before things got even messier. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking annoyed.“I’m trying to protect you, Phoebe!” Jasper shot back, his voice rising. “You don’t even know who he really is!”I watched Phoebe’s jaw tighten, and I could tell she was about five seconds away from losing her cool. Jasper, as usual, wasn’t letting up. This was a regular scene with them, but it still felt like walking through a minefield every time.Billy, standing a little behind Jaspe
PHOEBE“Wait… Ramon?” Billy frowned, glancing between me and him like we’d just announced we were getting married or something.“That’s right,” Ramon said, stepping forward with a small, polite smile. “Nice to officially meet you both.”Jasper gave a short, dry laugh. “Yeah. Officially, huh? So this is a thing now?”“It is,” I said firmly, crossing my arms tighter. “And I’m not going to hide it, so you can drop the attitude.”“Attitude?” Jasper raised an eyebrow. “We don’t have attitude. We just… didn’t expect this, that’s all.”Billy nodded slowly, but his eyes stayed on Ramon, like he was trying to figure him out. “You move pretty fast, don’t you, Ramon?”“Billy,” I warned, my voice sharp, but Ramon just chuckled, brushing it off like it was nothing.“I get it,” he said smoothly. “I know I’m not exactly your favorite person. But I care about Phoebe, and I hope you can respect that.”Jasper snorted, crossing his arms like he was gearing up for a fight. “Oh, sure. Respect. That’s easy