LIAMI've never been this restless and unsettled. I guess it's because I always knew she was safe, but now being in the police station just crested this sense of hopelessness in me.“I shouldn't be this way, I have to get her out there and not mop around," I mumbled to myself as I got to the car.I feel all shades of useless right now, I can't wait to up my game in the business world and have enough power that speak volumes than ordinary words would.It was not for anything but for Shawna. I want to be useful to her, not just anyone who would be pushed away from her anytime something comes up.We've been through so much to still be suffering at the hands of people to not come out victorious. I honestly can't wait for both of us to be successful.But for now, I have to get out of there and make Eugene suffer for what happened today. I drove towards the penthouse and got there in no time.I entered the apartment to see Shawna's mother pacing the room. She rushed over to me the moment sh
DAMIENI heard some kind of commotion outside while I was inside, I tried to ignore it, but whoever it was still probably going away.But at this point, I had to just stand up. I told my security men at the gate to not let anyone in, I didn't just want to receive any visitors right now.But who could it be? All I just had to do was go downstairs and stand by the porch. I called the other guy at the gate over, leaving the other one to deal with the person.“What's going on there? What's causing the commotion?" I asked him."Someone is out there, he said he wants to see you. He refused to go away, saying it's very urgent.” He answered.A frown came up on my face at his explanation. I'm not expecting any visitors, most especially a male.“What's his name?" I asked him.“He didn't say, but he said it's concerning… Shawna I think.”That has to be that guy who's always with Shawna, it's no one else but him. Liam, that should be the name.“Let him in," I ordered him. He nodded briskly, runni
SHAWNA“Are you ready for your daily dose, bitch?" The man whose face I've come to be very familiar with said as he stepped into the cell.I no longer flinch at all, I've lost count of the number of times he has come into this place after Eugene left yesterday. My body is shredded all over with little or no spot left untouched.“What now? You can't talk again?" He taunted as he walked further into the room.“Just do what you want to do and get out already puppet," I said with a tone I almost didn't recognize. It was so cold, without any atom of emotion in it at all.“Did you just call me a puppet? What even gave you the audacity to talk back at me?” He asked me with anger bare in his voice, he lifted the whip in his hand immediately.The contact the whip made with my skin wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, maybe today's beating isn't really hard or I'm just getting tired of it already.I feel myself getting weaker each minute I'm awake. I was hungry and parched, I kept getting bea
DAMIENI left Shawna alone with frustration thrumming through me, I just don't understand why someone has to be that stubborn. I saw her friend's car pulling out of the premises too just in time.It's just so obvious right now that she isn't the heiress, yet she keeps insisting on being the heiress when she's not. The most infuriating part is how she prefers to stay there and suffer.The only reasonable explanation for this is if she's there's something more to this.Because the only thing I think is holding her back from what Eugene said she has to do is that she doesn't want to be the one who loses in the end.Appearing on live television and then apologizing for the same thing that has made her popular in the space of that time wouldn't be easy on her.I drove over to the house of the only person who could get her out of there. I hate to admit it, but technically, Eugene has more power than me currently.The Lancaster Empire isn't a small one at all, they're so big. The biggest in
EUGENE“Really? That's good news. Meet me at my house in an hour.” I told him with a normal voice, but a bright smile was plastered on my face. He ended the call immediately I said that and I immediately squealed out in excitement, I jumped up so high that I felt my legs ache immediately my legs met the ground again.This just feels like the best news I've received this year, I've been looking forward to this day. The day Damien would willingly accept to be with me.Well, technically he didn't willingly agree. He just didn't have any other choice, he wanted to help Shawna so badly. Thinking of her soiled my mood all over again.I honestly don't understand what he sees in her that's not in me, is it because he was married to her? Or has he found out that those children are his?No, it can't be. There's no way he'd find out that he's the father of her children and be this calm. Maybe he's just still attracted to her.“Well, that's bound to change once I get my time with him today, I'm
DAMIENI had raised my hand to knock on the door when I heard a familiar voice from inside, Shawna's mother.“Joseph, you aren't going to say anything? You'd just stand there and watch your daughter rot in jail because of your wife and other daughter?"That's her voice, what's she doing here? I pressed the doorbell just in time for the door to be opened. The same woman I was contemplating if she was the one who was pushed through the door.I caught her before she could fall, steadying her. I looked at her face and saw that she was okay before looking up at the devil's incarnate before me.Eugene looked more than shocked to me here.“Damien, I- I didn't know you'd gotten here. Come on in." She smiled.I looked at her with nothing but anger thrumming through me, I didn't say anything to her. I just led Shawna's mother outside, away from them.“Thank you for saving me, I'd have fallen so hard if you hadn't caught me. I appreciate it." She smiled sadly at me.“You're welcome. And I want y
SHAWNA I wouldn't even say I've lost hope in getting out of here, but it looks like I'm not getting out of here normally anymore. I've moved from just being in here to serving a term with prisoners. I now serve punishment with people who have gone through courts and are only serving their term. Since I was a child up until now, I never thought a life like this existed. It's so rougher than I even imagined. Waking up every morning before sunrise and then going back to sleep late at night with body pains because of working all night. I woke up this morning to cold liquid dumped on me, I had just slept one hour ago only to be woken up now. I opened my eyes to see an officer with a bucket in his hand, he just dumped it on me. “Wake up, criminal." He sneered. My whole body ached a lot, my head was banging so hard due to stress and lack of sleep. And to top it all, those scars are getting much worse, I've not even gotten any one of them treated. He dumped the remaining of the water o
EUGENEWaking up was euphoric, I felt the happiness in me before I woke up at all. Last night was just too blissful, it feels like a dream come through for me.With my closed eyes, I stretched out my hand and tried to feel his body but my hand met with the cold bed. My eyes flew open, did he leave already?I looked around the room to see him dressing up, he was almost done.“Are you leaving already? It's still so early." I yawned, my hand covering my mouth as I sat up on the bed.“You promised to let Shawna go after this, let's go there already.” He buttoned up his shirt and turned to me.Anger thrummed through me as he mentioned her name, it just served as a reminder that the only reason he's doing it is because of Shawna and not just willingly.Can't she just die already? Argh! I just want to squeeze the life out of her, watch life leave her body so she can just leave this earth and stop disturbing me.“Do we have to go now? Let's just do some more things before we leave.” I tried t
DAMIENI couldn’t move. My legs felt cemented to the floor as Shawna’s words echoed in my head. Who had her children? Our children. The weight of it all pressed down on me like a crushing wave, and yet, I couldn’t form a single coherent thought.“Damien!” Shawna’s voice cut through the fog. She stepped closer, gripping my arm tightly. “Who has my kids?!” Her voice cracked, panic lacing every word.I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. How was I supposed to explain this? The truth hadn’t even settled in my mind yet. Instead, I turned on my heel and motioned for her to follow.“Get in the car,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.“What? Damien, no! Talk to me! Who—”“Shawna, just get in the car!” I snapped, my tone sharper than I intended. Her eyes widened in hurt, but she didn’t argue. She stormed past me and climbed into the passenger seat.The tension in the car was suffocating. Shawna’s voice, sharp and demanding, cut through my thoughts like a blade. “Damien, what is going on?
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