SHAWNAHe walked over to the front of the room, avoiding my eye contact. Maybe I heard wrong, or he meant to say ‘Shawna’ instead of the ‘Eugene’ he said.Because there's no way he just declared her as the heiress, he signed those documents himself. And I'm very sure he couldn't have forgotten my face, I don't even resemble Eugene one bit.“I have the documents to back up my claim here.” He said as he went to stand beside Eugene. She still has that smirk plastered on her face."Barrister John?" I mumbled, but it came out very loud that he looked up from those papers.“Yes, how may I help you ma'am?" He asked me casually, so formally."I think you made a mistake with the names, I'm Shawna and not Eugene, I think you forgot or something,” I said to him,"Allow the lawyer to do his work, don't disrupt him. Please go back to what you were doing." Eugene's mother interrupted and the lawyer did just as she said.“What's going on, Shawna?" Liam stood up from the chair too, confusion bare in
EUGENEExcitement thrummed through me as Shawna was dragged away by the policemen, she wasn't violent but she was fighting in their strong grip.I heaved a sigh of relief as she was eventually dragged away, it felt like a major problem in my life was being taken away. At least I won't have to worry about her for a while.“Congratulations Miss Shawna. You're good for the position already, it fits you." The guy who was exchanging words with Shawna earlier said, he had a huge smile plastered on his face.“Thank you.” I mustered up a fake smile at him, he just irks me in a kind of way. I don't know if it's because he just admitted to wanting to get married to Shawna before, he had even declared her children as his.Or if it's just because I'm not currently attracted to any male at the moment except for Damien of course. I won't rest till he realizes that I'm the right person for him.“Congratulations Miss Shawna, welcome onboard.” The man who anchored the meeting said to me as he left the
SHAWNA“Let me go! I'm not guilty! You all should do your fucking job and investigate this instead of just arresting!!" I spasmed around in their hold.It was like I wasn't even saying anything, they didn't stop till we got to their car. Liam wanted to come after me but he was pushed back.After I was forced into his car, I saw him starting his car and coming after the police car. That didn't make me relaxed, it just provided a kind of mental assurance that I'm not alone in this at all.The least these retards would have done is to carefully look into this, but no! Eugene has bought everyone with Lancster's money.Even the lawyer who's meant to be the one who says the truth and erases the confusion is working for her. Am I ever going to get out of this? Now the whole country knows me, everybody has seen my face and heard everything. I feel more weak and helpless than ever, I just want to end it all already.But the thought of leaving my kids behind makes me rethink that decision. And
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
SHAWNAI watched as Damien loaded the last of the suitcases into the car, his movements quick and efficient. There was something about the way he handled everything that made me smile. He had a way of taking charge, but at the same time, he always made sure I was comfortable with every decision."You know," I said, folding my arms and leaning against the car. "I never thought I'd be this excited to leave. But I am."Damien turned to me, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh? And here I thought you’d be all sentimental and teary-eyed about leaving everything behind."I shook my head. "Not a chance. I’m ready for a fresh start. No baggage, no bad memories, no regrets. Just you, me, and a new beginning."His smirk widened, and he pulled me close. "That’s what I love about you, Shawna. No hesitation. No second-guessing. Just full speed ahead."I looked up at him and grinned. "Speaking of full speed ahead, you do realize you haven’t mentioned any honeymoon plans, right?"Damien blinked, then ru
SHAWNAThe day had been long and full of emotions. Damien had disappeared early in the morning with the kids, leaving me to spend time with my mother. I appreciated the quiet moments with her, but I couldn't shake the curiosity about where he had gone. He hadn’t said much before leaving, just kissed my forehead and told me he had plans.Later in the day, I was surprised when Damien’s mother showed up at the house. I had expected tension, maybe another disagreement, but instead, she looked almost... apologetic.“I owe you an apology,” she said, sitting across from me in the living room.I blinked, surprised. “For what?”“For how I spoke to you yesterday. I wasn’t being fair. I was so caught up in my own vision of the wedding that I didn’t stop to consider what you and Damien truly wanted.”I exhaled softly, the weight of our previous conversation still lingering. “I appreciate you saying that.”She sighed. “I see how much Damien loves you, how much the kids adore you. I was wrong to tr
DAMIENI stood in the middle of the beach, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore filling the air. The sun was beginning its descent, casting a golden glow over everything. It was perfect. Simple yet breathtaking, just the way I knew Shawna would love it.The gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean, blending with the faint fragrance of the flowers we had carefully arranged along the aisle. White chairs stood neatly in rows, facing the beautifully decorated arch where we would say our vows. Fairy lights twinkled in the early evening light, creating a magical ambiance. The entire setting was intimate, just family and a few close friends, exactly what I wanted for Shawna.“Dad, are we sure this is enough?” Phoebe asked, looking around with excitement. Her small hands clutched onto the hem of her dress as she took in the scene.I turned to her with a smile, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.“It’s perfect,” I assured her, ruffling her hair. “Your mom doesn’t
SHAWNAWalking into Damien’s house, I felt a mix of nerves and determination swirling inside me. This conversation with his mother needed to happen. I couldn’t keep pretending to be okay with her making every decision for our wedding.As we stepped into the living room, his mother turned to face us, her expression unreadable. “To what do I owe this visit?” she asked, her tone clipped.I took a deep breath and smiled politely. “I wanted to talk to you about the wedding.”Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Oh? Have you finally realized that I know what’s best?”I shook my head. “Actually, no. I wanted to let you know that the plans I have for the wedding are different from what you want.”Damien shifted beside me, but he didn’t say anything. This was my fight to handle, and he knew it.His mother exhaled sharply, clearly displeased. “Go on,” she said reluctantly, folding her arms across her chest.“I want a beach wedding,” I announced, watching her closely for a reaction.Her brows lifted. “A
DAMIENI watched Shawna pace back and forth, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The frustration in her eyes was impossible to miss, and I hated seeing her like this.“Maybe,” I said carefully, “we’re moving too fast with everything.”She stopped mid-step and turned to look at me, her lips pressing together in thought.“Are you saying you don’t want the wedding anymore?” she asked, her voice softer than before, but there was an edge to it.I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I want to marry you, Shawna. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all of this. If you need a break, we can take a step back.”She let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I do want the wedding, Damien. I really do. But I feel like we need to change our environment. Just get away from everything, from everyone. Just for a little while, so we can focus on us.”I studied her, understanding exactly what she meant. “You mean away from my mother.”She gave me a pointed loo
DAMIENI watched Shawna pace back and forth, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The frustration in her eyes was impossible to miss, and I hated seeing her like this.“Maybe,” I said carefully, “we’re moving too fast with everything.”She stopped mid-step and turned to look at me, her lips pressing together in thought.“Are you saying you don’t want the wedding anymore?” she asked, her voice softer than before, but there was an edge to it.I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I want to marry you, Shawna. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all of this. If you need a break, we can take a step back.”She let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I do want the wedding, Damien. I really do. But I feel like we need to change our environment. Just get away from everything, from everyone. Just for a little while, so we can focus on us.”I studied her, understanding exactly what she meant. “You mean away from my mother.”She gave me a pointed loo
DAMIENI watched Shawna pace back and forth, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The frustration in her eyes was impossible to miss, and I hated seeing her like this.“Maybe,” I said carefully, “we’re moving too fast with everything.”She stopped mid-step and turned to look at me, her lips pressing together in thought.“Are you saying you don’t want the wedding anymore?” she asked, her voice softer than before, but there was an edge to it.I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I want to marry you, Shawna. I just don’t want you to feel overwhelmed by all of this. If you need a break, we can take a step back.”She let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair. “I do want the wedding, Damien. I really do. But I feel like we need to change our environment. Just get away from everything, from everyone. Just for a little while, so we can focus on us.”I studied her, understanding exactly what she meant. “You mean away from my mother.”She gave me a pointed loo
DAMIENThe moment I walked in, Mom turned to face me, arms crossed, her expression already set in irritation.“What did you say to Shawna?” I asked, my voice calm but firm.She scoffed, shaking her head. “Oh, so now I’m the villain?”“I didn’t say that,” I replied, crossing my arms as well. “I just want to know what happened.”She let out a dry laugh, her eyes flashing. “You should be certain you want to marry her, Damien. It seems like she’s still holding onto the past.”I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay composed. “You’re not making things any easier by controlling every little thing about our wedding. This is supposed to be for us, not you.”“For us?” she repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. “You mean for her. Because it seems to me that she’s getting everything her way while I’m being cast aside. Do you think that’s fair?”I exhaled sharply. “Mom, Shawna isn’t trying to push you out. She just wants to have a say in her own wedding.”Mom scoffed again. “A small wedding?
SHAWNAI could feel the weight of it all pressing down on me. The constant decisions, the expectations that seemed to build up faster than I could keep track of. I just wanted a small wedding, simple and quiet, with the people who mattered most. But it felt like every step I took toward what I wanted was met with resistance.“Shawna, you need to speak up if you’re not being treated the way you deserve,” my mother had said earlier, concern thick in her voice. “You can’t let them walk all over you.”“I’m not being walked all over,” I’d snapped back, though I wasn’t sure if that was entirely true. “It’s just... the wedding. It’s a lot of pressure.”She sighed, her hand resting gently on my shoulder. “I know it’s a big deal, but you need to be honest about what you want, honey. If they’re making you uncomfortable—”“I’m fine, Mom,” I cut in, though I wasn’t. “I just want a small wedding. Is that too much to ask?”“Nothing wrong with that,” she said, squeezing my shoulder. “You deserve to