SHAWNA“So we don't know when he'll wake up." The doctor said to me, but my eyes were glued to the television, my throat was dry and no word seemed to come out.“Are you listening to me, ma'am?" The doctor said as he tapped me gently.“Yes, I am. Nothing can be done till he wakes up right?" I asked and he nodded, my mind wasn't even in what I was saying anymore.“Yes, we'll keep you posted as time goes on. We'll let you know as soon as he makes any improvements, but for now, nothing can just be done."I didn't even know when he left, all I saw was Liam coming towards me, he stood before me then his arms wrapped around me slowly."What do we do now?” He asked me, his voice felt so far from me even though he was before me.“I honestly don't know. It's now online, now everyone thinks she's the heiress, it's on the news now for f*ck’s sake!" I yelled with angry tears rolling down my face.The numbness in me before turned into anger almost immediately. The fact that it's now on the news me
DAMIENI watched as she left with the guy, my fists balled up subconsciously. I envisioned myself pummeling that same fist into his face with how tight their hands were.They entered the car and they drove off, I looked at the car till it left the premises, and that was when the suppressed groin left my mouth.I came back to have some words with Eugene, only for me to get here and to see her leaving. I wanted to go after her car when I saw Shawna, I didn't even think twice before I asked Roger to drive in.Then she ended up angry at me, I don't even know what I can do to make her talk to me at least at this point, it's like she gets angry at the mere sight of me now.“Drive me to my father's house, he has been blowing up my phone," I said to Roger as I got back into the car.“Copied." He mumbled then put the car into drive immediately then pulled out of the premises.“That was Shawna, right? What's she doing in Lancaster corporations?" Roger asked as the car joined the highway."Yes,
EUGENE“You do know that everything we've done will eventually catch up with us, Mr Bryan will eventually wake up, and he'll know that he didn't make you the heiress." Mom said as we drove home."Yes, but we'll get what we want in the end. If most of the investors even like me, he might end up making me the heiress." “But for now, let's just enjoy the moment, everyone now knows me as the current heiress of the Lancaster's empire, it feels too good to be true." I chuckled, using my hand to fan myself.Mom smirked too, but I could still see worry lurking in her eyes and her shoulders weren't relaxed either.“Mom, just calm down. Trust me this time around, we'll come out victorious this time around.” I assured her."Let's just hope. What was Shawna saying back then anyway?” Mom changed the topic."Trash, just like she is,” I stated."She's going crazy, first she came into the conference room and declared herself as the heiress, then she called you an imposter, isn't it funny?” she said.
KYLEI walked out of the house with Damien before me, he didn't acknowledge me at first till I followed him to his car, that was when he stopped and looked back.“What is it, Kyle?" He asked me.“I'm going with you." I declared simply. "What's your concern with what I'm going there to do now?” He asked me back. "I'm going there with you, and that's final.”He was so calm, nothing like what Damien always looks like whenever it comes to an issue concerning the both of us.“It's none of my concern anyway. You'll continue with what you want to do with Eugene once I've handed her the file, just don't disturb me." He said then got into his car.I squeezed my fists tight as anger thrummed through me with what he just said, his mentioning the file made me even more angry, I'm meant to be the one who gets married to Eugene, she's my girlfriend.And how the hell is Eugene the heiress to the Lancaster empire I don't know. She didn't deem it fit to inform me even with how we've been discussing
EUGENE“Uh, can you stay here please, I need to have a conversation with Kyle. When I come back, we can discuss what you came here for." I said to Damien as I got outside.“No problem, just make it quick. I have other things to do." He said and started looking at his phone immediately.I ran out of the house after Kyle, he was about to get into his car when I went to jump before him.“Get out of my way, Eugene." He ordered me.“No, we need to talk," I said, crossing my arm over my chest.“How about you go in there and talk to the person you were talking to before you noticed that I even came with him?” He asked back, almost snapping.“Why are you being this way, Kyle? You should know already that I do most of the things I do for a reason, you should know that there's a reason I was giving him preferential treatment over you in there.” I said."Really? And why were you being that way with him if I may ask." He asked, looking at me with his jaw clenched.“I'm going to get something from
SHAWNA“Mom, are you okay?" Jasper asked me, his voice broke my line of thoughts.“Of course baby, why wouldn't I be? I'm very fine." I squeezed out a smile at him, he looked at me like he knew I was lying."Then why weren't you answering me when I called from the door? Is anything bothering you, mom?”"Come here.” I dragged him to myself and hugged him, I placed a kiss on his hair as I tried to force back the tears that were pricking my eyes."I'm fine, honey. I was just thinking about something concerning work which I'll figure out in no time, you have nothing to worry about.” I assured him."Okay, I trust you.” He smiled at me."So, how has school been with your brother?” Phoebe still can't go to school, for now, she's still healing.“School is fine, all of our classmates are very nice to us, we even made some new friends. Phoebe will like it there." He sounds so certain.“That’s very good, I'm glad you're making new friends there. Now, where's your brother?"“He's with Phoebe." He
SHAWNAI watched them both with my mouth agape, they were both laughing out their butts as though they were saying the funniest thing in the world.“Honestly, I can't wait. She said we'd meet on Monday for the final contract, which would seal the fake deal she doesn't know she just greedily signed." Mr Robert said.“The funniest thing is how eager you said she was to be working with you, we put up some good impression to the outside world though.” the other man laughed.Their laughter was so disgusting that I just wanted to bash their heads together with how much they were deriving joy from another person's misery.“I have to do something," I whispered to Liam.“You want to confront them? You're sure you want to do that?" He asked me back.“I don't have a choice, what they're doing is not good and they need to be called out for it," I said back.“You think they don't know that already? What you're about to do can turn out to be more risky than you'd think, I'd say we should just leave
DAMIEN“Aren't you coming anymore? I've been expecting you." Eugene's voice came on my phone for the umpteenth time this morning.It's safe to say that I've had a not-too-good morning already because her annoying voice was all I kept hearing.“I'm on your street already, you'll see me soon," I said and ended the call.Her call woke me up this morning, she called to tell me that she had drafted out the contract agreement and I had to come pick it up so I could sign.She has been disturbing me ever since I started to think that she's talking about me coming for another thing and not just the contract.Just as I got to her house premises, a familiar car drove past me, it looked like the car of the guy that's always around Shawna, it was even the one of I'm not mistaken.I honked when I got to the big gates of her house which was opened for me almost immediately.I parked my car haphazardly since I won't be spending too much time here anyway.Just as I got out of my car, I saw two guards
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