Ellise smiled to herself, taking a deep breath before opening the door to Xandre's room. It was already a few minutes past nine in the morning and Dre was still pretty much in bed. It was his birthday and Ellise thought that it was probably the reason why he'd decided to stay in bed. Usually, he would've awoken before nine am.
Nevertheless, she decided to wake him up. She opened the windows, shaking her head with amusement when she noticed that he was still asleep. His hair was everywhere and he was sleeping in starfish style, the blanket bunched up around his waist.
Grinning to herself, she walked up to his bedside, brushing his hair away from his face. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, but his eyelids remained shut. She pressed butterfly kisses on his upper back and face.
Then, he stirred, his eyes opening by a tiny fraction."Good morning, Dre. C'mon, haven't you slept enough, bAlexandre sat in his study, legs crossed atop his desk with a cup of coffee in hand. At the sound of someone knocking on the door, he set down the cup on the desk."Come in" he said not taking his eyes off his notepad.Dominic walked in with Dmitri, a nervous smile on their faces."Hey, boss" Dmitri said, lowering himself onto a couch. Alexandre lazily tapped the surface of his desk with the tips of his fingers as he leaned back on his swivel chair."Do you have any updates? Is that why you're here?" Dre queriedThey both cleared their throats nervously."Yes, we have updates. But, apart from that, we just wanted to pay our friend a visit" Dominic said and Dre looked up, a quizzical look on his face. "Really?""Just for old times sake, that's all" Dmitri added.Dre put down his notepad and leaned back on his chair."Did anyone put you up to this?" He suddenly asked."Of course, no
"Penny for your thoughts" Ellie said, giving her man a warm smile."Just thinking of how lucky I am to have someone as amazing as you are" he replied, tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. She grinned, running her fingers through Dre's dark hair."I'm glad you feel that way because I feel just the same way. You have become everything to me" she said, gazing into his eyes with so much passion and admiration."How did your game with Dom and Dmitri go? Did you loose?" She teased him."No, I didn't loose. We had a long conversation though" he said to her. They were both lying in each other's arms in the bed."Really? What was it about?" Ellise asked, her eyes lighting up with interest. He chuckled, gently caressing the side of her face as he appreciated her beauty."Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, raising a brow. "You're beautiful" he responded and her cheeks turned pink."Well, you're gorgeous to
Awakened by the contact of something cold on her forehead, Ellise opened her eyes. She felt like absolute crap. Her head was pounding, her throat was sore and she was aching literally everywhere."Sh...lay down. You're burning up" Dre said, stopping her from sitting up. "How are you feeling, princess?" he said, stroking her hair. "I feel horrible. What time is it?" She asked, peering up at him through her lengthy lashes."9:30am" he replied."W-What? How did I sleep so long? I guess I'm really sick" she mumbled."The bad news is that you're really sick but the good news is, I have managed to get your fever down by a couple of degrees" he said. She huffed in annoyance."I hate being sick""I understand how you feel...""I need to help Cece..""Of course not. You're staying in bed and that's final""Okay, I want to take my bath" she insisted. He sighed as he helped her sit up."Fine. C'mon let's get you to the bathroom".
A month passed in a blur. Everything was going fine and Ellise was content with the way things were going."Hey, El" Amelia said, nudging her."Yeah?""Have you done Mr George's assignment?" She asked."Not yet. I'm pretty confused as to how to go about it" she responded, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, Helen has done hers""Really? How?""She actually asked Gabe to do it for her""Who's Gabe?" Ellise asked."You don't know? He's a nice guy and he's in our department. I asked him to do mine for me and he did. You can ask him too and he'll do it. It's as simple as that" she said."Oh, he does everyone's homework?""No, it depends. You should just ask him and see what he has to say. There he is...Gabe! Over here!"A tall blonde haired guy with blue eyes and dimples began to walk towards them."Hey, Amy" he said to Amelia, giving her a charming smile."Hi, Gabe. This is my f
Regret was what Alexandre felt when he saw the devastated look on Ellie's face. The look in her eyes said it all. "I didn't mean it like that" he said. "No, you meant it. This just proves that you actually don't trust me. There's no relationship without trust. I can't believe you would say that to me" She said, tears filling her eyes."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you..." Alexandre said, reaching out to touch her. But, she moved away from him, wiping her tears away angrily."If you have to know, Gabe is not having an affair with me! He just helped me do my assignment, that's all. He's just a friend, nothing more. I have always loved you, only you!" She said and stomped off."Ellie, wait...."Dre said, rushing towards her. She glared at him and opened the door, moving towards the exit door of the house."I need some space" she said through gritted teeth when he held her hand."Please, don't do this. I didn't mean those t
Alexandre narrowed his eyes as he took in the sight of his twin brother in his room. Xanthis was obviously just as cocky and nonchalant as he'd always been."Surprise, surprise. Aren't you going to welcome me?" He said, smirking at his brother. "Why are you here" Dre asked, glaring hotly at him."Ouch that stings" Xanthis said, feigning hurt."You haven't answered my question, Xanthis" his brother snapped."Why? Is my lil' brother really going to kick me out of his luxurious mansion?" He pouted, his eyes glinting mischievously."Besides, I just wanted to see how you're doing. I wanted to make sure you're alright. Even though mum and dad don't care about you, I do. You're my other half, why shouldn't I care?" He said, running a hand through his hair, his gaze steady. For a moment there, Dre nearly fell for what he assumed to be his pretentious words."Who's this beautiful lady? I see you've moved on from Lacey. Ah, it runs in
Slowly, Ellise entwined her fingers with Dre's fingers, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest at every inhale and exhale.She could understand why he'd passed out. Everything had happened too fast and it had been more of a shock, especially to someone who has a heart condition. The doctor had said that his blood pressure had skyrocketed, leading to his minor heart attack which resulted to his slipping into unconsciousness. It would have been even more fatal, considering the nature of his condition. She reached out, allowing her free hand to gently stroke the dark strands of his hair. She watched him sleep, a worried look on her face.Sighing softly, she let her gaze wander to the hard planes of his bare chest. He was wearing a golden pendant with the symbol of a crowned lion. Ellise couldn't help but worry. Especially because of the series of events that had happened a few hours ago.Dre was hers at the moment but, wha
Ellise opened the door to the kitchen, her stomach rumbling loudly. She froze when she saw Xanthis. Apparently, he was making a phone call. He seemed to be very tensed and pissed as he spoke using Italian language. Narrowing her eyes, Ellise moved behind the counter, making sure to stay out of plain sight.The only word among Xanthis' statements that she was able to understand was 'Emperor X'. She found it odd that he was talking about 'Emperor X'.Immediately he noticed her presence, he became very jumpy and nervous.He coughed into his handkerchief."I didn't hear you come in" he said, smiling nervously.She returned the smile half-heartedly."Who was that? You sounded very upset" she said.He cleared his throat awkwardly."Oh, it's nothing. I'll just go and have some rest" he said and left her alone in the kitchen.As she brought her glass of water to her lips, her thoughts wavered...... 
NOELLE "Hey, mum" I turned to look at my thirteen year old daughter as she sauntered into the kitchen, dressed in a pink dress and a bow tie on her hair. "Hey, sweetie" I said as I closed the cupboards."Dad isn't home yet" she said, leaning on the counter.I shrugged."He'll be home soon. Hope you remember that we're heading to your grandparents' home for Thanksgiving dinner?" I said and she beamed."Nope, I haven't forgotten. Rick is being such a lazy boy. He wouldn't get ready for dinner" she frowned."I'm not being a lazy boy, Hayden. You're just being insensitive" Richardo, my eleven year old son said as he strolled into the kitchen wearing a pair of dark blue jeans."Mum! Richardo just called me insensitive!" Hayden exclaimed."Rick! That's not a nice thing to say to your elder sister!" I scolded.He frowned, staring at the floor."Apologize to her" I said."But-""I said, apologize to her""I'm s
Ellise let out a sigh, leaning against the wall as she watched different people move around in a lively manner. The whole place was nicely decorated. Men and women of high class moved about with glasses of champagne in their hands.She sighted Valentino in the far corner of the hall. He didn't look happy despite the fact that a celebration was going on. Noelle was standing beside him with her head on his shoulder as she talking to him. Ellise watched him sigh and embrace her, his eyes slipping close. She felt a painful jolt in her heart watching them embrace. She could picture herself in Noelle's position with her Dre replacing Val. It was so hard to look at her husband's brothers and not break down. At the other end of the hall stood Xanthis, he looked just as gloomy as Valentino. Tasha had embraced him from behind, whispering something in his ear. Flashbacks of her doing the same to Dre appeared in her mind and she bit her lips trying to stop the tears. A strang
Dre's knees buckled and Ellise went down with him, cradling his head in her arms."El-""Sh, save your strength" she said, tears filling her eyes.He shook his head, more blood pouring out from his mouth."I'm s-sorry. It isn't supposed to end like this" he rasped, tears filling his eyes."Stop saying that!" She cried, trying to stop the bleeding."Y-you don't understand... I don't think I c-can survive this" he wheezed.She was sobbing at this point.Xanthis hurried to Dre's side, his face paling at the sight of his brother.Valentino had dialled 911.Dre coughed again, more blood staining his lips and chin."B-but I want you to know that- none of this is your fault. I-I might never see my kids again b-but I want you to raise them like the good mother you are-"He gasped, his eyelids slipping close. "T-tell them that I love them" he croaked, his bloody hand weakly grasping he
Ellie had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched Zack and his brother pull out guns. All she could think of was the possibility of loosing Dre tonight. She tried to take her mind of it but it wasn't working. Some other men walked into the room, fully armed. The fight had begun. She wasn't scared.She was purely terrified.She hugged her arms to herself as the cold air hit her skin. The thin hospital dress did nothing to warm her up. The temperature in the room had dropped considerably, she was shivering. Through the rising fog, she tried to find Dre to make sure that he was safe.All she could think of was his safety.She needed him alive.She needed him safe.She grimaced at the sounds of pained groans and moans coming from the room. She nearly gagged as the unmistakable metallic scent of blood hit her nostrils.The fog was clearing and she could see the number of bodies lying on the floor, unconscious.
"We were wrong, Dre. We were so wrong. Look, Fletcher had three sons. They were fucking triplets! The names.... It was just to confuse us, they were three different people! Their supposed last names seemed different because they were only using their first names and middle names! There was no accident. Zack is Zack. He didn't have a face transplant. As I'm speaking to you right now, we've got two of them with some psycho men, trying to barge into the base. I don't know where the last one is but I have a bad feeling that something isn't right. Are you still at the hospital?" Xanthis asked through the phone."Yeah" Dre replied, distantly. He turned away from the exit, changing his mind completely. He needed to get back to Ellise."Go back to Ellie, mate. Things are pretty much unstable right now""I know, but you sure you guys are okay down there?" Dre asked, hurrying towards the ward."Yeah, for now. They are psychos for real. This is harder th
'Okay, breathe Ellie.You can do this' Ellise thought as she stifled another scream. She'd woken up from a nap, only to find her sweatpants wet. The babies were coming and she was so scared. The contractions were increasing and it hurt so bad."Oh God, I can't even walk" she muttered, picking up her phone to call her husband. She bit her lower lip, her eyes glassy. When she dialled his number, he picked the call."Ellie?""Dre...oh thank God. I think the babies are coming" she croaked, sniffling weakly."Oh shit" Dre cursed under his breath. "It hurts, Dre" she whispered."Keep breathing, honey. I'll be right there in a few minutes. You can do this" he said and she nodded frantically, placing a hand on her stomach."Please, keep talking to me. I'm... scared" she whispered."I'm right here, baby. You're going to be a wonderful mother. You're going to make me a proud father. You're okay. You're doing great" he said.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?" Val asked, gazing into Noelle's eyes. She smiled, giddily."No?""Then, I'm saying it now. Your eyes are stunning, Elle" he whispered.She blushed hard."Your eyes are beautiful too, Val" she said, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "But, yours are more beautiful" he winked. "I'm not having an argument with you" she pouted.He laughed."Well, we've been dating for months but I feel like I've known you far more than that. I- I just.... I don't deserve you, you know. With everything that-"His voice was shaky with emotion, her heart ached for him. She stroked the scarred side of his face. "No, don't say that. You deserve even more than me, Val. You're a great guy. You have a big heart and you're so sweet. I couldn't have asked for anything less. You're perfect" she said, caressing his face. Tears filled his eyes and a tear rolled down his left cheek. "Don't cr
"I don't get it. How is this happening right now? How did I not recognize him? I dated him for nearly a year but..... Elvis.... This is giving me a headache" Ellise frowned, pacing back and forth as she rubbed her temple."Hey, hey. You have to calm down. Stress isn't good for the baby. I'm sure there must be an explanation for all of this. Why would your ex do something like this?" Alex said, sitting her down on the couch. She frowned, biting her lower lip."Why would he send Cornelia? Why would he send her to do his dirty job for him and why did she do it?" She said."It just doesn't make sense. Cornelia has been ranting about her wanting to avenge Gomez's death. What does it have to do with him?""I guess we're about to find out" Valentino said walking in with a file. Dre stood up, giving him a puzzled look."What's in there?" Ellise asked."Information. Everything you need to know about Zack Thompson is here"Dr
Shocked to silence, Ellise stared at her husband who was showing her the dark part of him for the first time since she'd married him.He seemed to have become a different person entirely. He looked so relaxed and he had a very evil smirk on his face even while he was bleeding a lot. Ellise found it rather scary.Cornelia cried out in pain when another knife lodged itself on her right thigh."How does it feel? Tell me, do you like it? It's called pain. The pain you caused me can't be compared to this. I know you're insane but I'll punish you. I warned you, didn't I?" Dre said, plunging the blade of another knife into fire until it became red hot. "Please" Cornelia whimpered."What did you say?" He whispered, mockingly.She remained silent, tears rolling down her cheeks.Ellise almost felt sympathy for her but when she remembered what she'd done to her family, how she'd almost killed her husband, she felt no remorse, n