SHAWNAI brought down my phone immediately and looked at him with my heart aching like it had just been trampled upon by something really heavy.He was looking at me like I just said the funniest joke of the year.“I'm not joking," I said to him plainly but I doubt that did anything to him.He continued laughing but this time he was more controlled, it wasn't that mocking laughter, it was the one that was just normal.I've never felt more embarrassed, I felt like entering the ground or just hiding away somewhere in shame.“That can't be true, it has to be a joke. Lancaster is just too wild, you didn't even stop at your father's company, you jumped right at Lancaster.” He laughed once more."But I'm not even joking, why would I lie about something like that? Do I look like a liar to you?”He coughed into his hand and cleared his throat, he drank some water to clear his throat too. "I'm not saying you're lying, you're joking. Say something else, just not that, I know that can't be true
SHAWNAI got to the penthouse and Liam was there, waiting for me just like he said.“What are we going to do now? I don't even know what to do at this point, she fucking threw me out of her house when I went there." I rasped.“She threw you out of the house? I told you that I wanted to go with you but you refused, that lady needs to be put in her place.” Liam said with anger on his face.“That's why we need to get into that event she's organizing, we need to get in. That way, we might get something from the party, it might be one of the shareholders who control the company, I just need to meet someone." I said.“How do we get in then? How about I call the girl grandfather told me is my assistant? Maybe she can help me with something." I suggested.There's still no word from the lawyer and grandfather isn't waking up anytime soon.“You think she'll help?" He asked.“I'll just try." I shrugged and brought out my phone.I scrolled through my contact list for her phone number, i don't rem
DAMIEN“A letter came in for you, Damien," my mom said, handing me a paper that made me frown.I'm not even meant to be here right now, dad just asked me to come to see him for something.“Who is it from?” I asked as I opened it up."I don't know, open it first.” She shrugged and I opened it up to see that it was an invitation letter to an event taking place at Lancaster's grand hall.You're specially invited to the grand ball taking place today, we'd love it if you acknowledged this request and showed up, your presence would be highly appreciated. We apologize for the short notice, thank you. And it has the initials of Eugene at the end of the letter which just means that she's specifically inviting me.“The Lancaster Grand Hall? It has to be a very big event." Mom said as she looked into the letter with me."Yes, but I'm not going,” I mumbled, pocketing the letter."Did I just hear someone say something about the Lancaster event?” I rolled my eyes when I saw Dad come up to us.He c
SHAWNA“I’m not going anywhere with you.” I eventually talked to him, I've been ignoring him since he got here, I've not even said a word to him, but I just had to now.“Really? I'm only trying to help you here, you know you can't come in after I've gone in.” he looked shocked, really shocked at my response."Go ahead, I don't need your help," I said again, this time with so much confidence in me, the last thing I want to do right now is to be with him after what happened earlier today.“Fine, do this your way then." He mumbled then walked away from us. The moment he turned his back, Liam pulled me to him and started chastising me."This is the only way we can get in, Shawna. If you go in with him now, I'm very sure Eugene wouldn't even dare send you back since you're with Damien, you know how she adores him.” He whispered.“So?"“Go with him now, he's about to get to the door. You have to put aside whatever you have against him for now because we need him. Don't worry, I'll be fine,
DAMIEN“How are you enjoying your evening?" Eugene asked me as soon as she pulled me away from Shawna.“Good, I was busy before you pulled me away, do you want to say anything?" I asked her straight away.Eugene rolled her eyes, “Relax, Damien. She's not even here any longer, she has already excused herself."I looked behind me to see that Shawna truly wasn't there, where did she go to just now? She was right behind me.“She said she was going to the restroom. She can look after herself, relax." She wrapped her hand around mine and wanted to drag us back to the dance floor.“I’m not dancing with you.” I removed her hand from mine, stopping just before we got to the dance floor.“People are watching, Damien. Do you still want the contract between us? We can't afford to let people know what's going on between us."People were looking at us, nosy lots. It's like we're the center of attention at the moment.I glared at her and then grumpily followed her to the dance floor, her hand went t
EUGENE“Where the fuck are they? Where's the stupid Shawna he came in with? Now I can't find either of them." I growled as I looked into the third room since I started looking for them.What if they're in a corner having sex currently with the aphrodisiacs that's not meant to be for either of them working?Shawna is meant to be with the person I sent to her and Damien with me, they're not meant to be together at all.“Did they leave already? No, neither of them can drive in that state. They'd be too overdriven by the substance in them to even do anything other than make out with someone of the opposite sex.And as far as I'm concerned, Damien would have found her by now already which means they're together somewhere.“Arghhhhh! Can she just die already? Why's she everywhere in my business? She should just get the fuck out of my way already!” I yelled angrily.Luckily, no one was around me to hear what I just said. I've never felt this angry and frustrated for anything in a while, I've
SHAWNA I've never felt this way, my head is so foggy and my eyes feel so heavy to be lifted on their own. I tried to open my eyes to at least get where I am currently, I can feel it within myself normally that I'm not in my room at home at all. Opening my eyes proved to be another big problem, it was like something hard was tugging my eyes to just stay that way. My head is banging so hard and my entire body hurts. Where the fuck am I? I tried to recall everything that led up to me being here with me, and although it's hard to get, I remember myself being cornered against the female’s cubicle in the restroom. “Who are you?" I asked, my voice sounding so low that I could barely hear myself. My body is so hot and I just want to be touched by someone, just anyone in a lot of places. What's going on with me? I didn't even drink a lot of alcohol for me to get so tipsy. “You need something, baby?" That male voice said in my head, I can't even place a name on my face. “Who are
SHAWNAThe question hung in the air as I just looked into Damien’s face, my eyes looked directly into his and it looked like he was staring directly into the windows of my soul.I couldn't find my way to say anything to him, with how much I'd planned it up in my head to talk back to him if he dared ask me anything like this again.It's almost like my mouth was caught up in some kind of trap or something, I couldn't just say something.Suddenly, his eyes moved from my eyes down to my face, the glint in his eyes made my body feel like it was on fire, which made it harder for me to say something.Just as I opened my mouth to say something, my phone started ringing, effectively breaking the trance-like state I was in.The vibration of the phone against the bedside table and the loud ringing tone made me run away from under Damien's hold, he let me go this time and I rolled over to pick up the callLiam's name was displayed on the screen and I picked up the call immediately, I didn't wast
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