Please, please don't!" I begged. "You can have me" "I am yours, just leave my mum alone" tears streamed down my eyes as I pleaded. All the time I feared Jake could hurt me, I never once thought he would try to hurt my parents. "Now you are talking babe" he said moving back to his seat. "I love you" he smiled staring at me for an answer, I sobbed as I responded, "I love you too" before he hung up.As soon as he hung up I dialed my father's number. "Hey sweetheart" my father said picking up the call. "Is mum in the hospital again" I wondered, I had no idea my mother was back in the hospital, when we spoke the day before everything was fine. "yes dear, we didn't want to inform you" my father explained, his voice laced with concern. "but I thought the doctors said the cancer is gone?" I asked."yes, don't worry about it dear" my father said with a low tone, his voice laced with sadness. "Please tell me what is going on" I pleaded, I hated how my parents kept their problems from me,
His eyes traced my body, "Surely, you know, you have to pay for using me" inhaling the air, "You still smell like Vanilla" he smirked, he was so close to me, that I could feel the bulge in his pants. "I can't get you off my mind, Iris" he continued, his anger suddenly turning to lust, I could see it in his eyes, he focused on every inch of me like he wanted to take me in. My mind was lusting too, if I had Iris's mask on I would have pleaded with him to take me, punish me, I would have submitted to the part of me burning for his touch, but I had no courage. "You shouldn't have used me" he growled, stepping back and composing himself."I am not someone to mess with" he continues his voice getting calmer as he moves back to his table. "I expect your resignation letter on my desk before you leave, and I suggest you stay away from my son and New York," he said.My brows furrowed, "what" I exclaimed, I saw this playing differently in my head. "This is me treating your offence lightly,"
My jaw dropped at the sight of Ethan and Irene kissing."Excuse me!" I yelled, feeling a surge of anger rise through me. "I am sorry sir, she barged in" Beatrice apologized standing right behind me"It's okay" Ethan waved at Beatrice to go back to her job. "I am guessing you saw my message?" He said casually, releasing Irene from his grip. "What message," I frowned glaring at them as they stood in a compromising position. "I asked Alfred to deposit in your account, my apology for yesterday" he smiled as he looked at Irene who blushed close to him."I thought she was you," he said placing a peck on her cheek, the sight of him kissing her was sickening as I tried not to throw up. "She is Iris" he introduced her to me, she had a wide grin on her face but I could tell she was clueless. How could he fall for that shit?"Really!" I exclaimed, glaring at her as she nodded."I am the masked girl he was with at the fundraiser, I had no idea he was searching" she said turning to face him,
Three days later. "Good morning," Jake said, sitting beside me."good morning" I yawned struggling to clear my eyes, after Irene's words I decided to take the break Ethan suggested, going to Ashville to spend time with my family.Jake was still there, after seeing how amazing he was with them, I considered giving us a second chance. "Mum is getting out of the hospital today," he pointed out placing a plate of sandwiches by the bedside."Uhum" I nodded staring at the sandwich, I still had trouble trusting him, especially after he had shown me just how crazy he could be. "Aren't we going to take her home?" He asked and I nodded sitting up from the bed and slowly grabbing the plate, I observed the sandwich, before staring at him as I took a bite. "umm, this is great," I said munching down the amazing grilled cheese sandwich, Jake was an excellent cook."Thank you" he blushed, taking the plate from my lap, "Get ready okay" he placed a kiss on my cheek before walking out of the room.
I instantly regretted yelling, "Is everything okay?" My father asked."It's just too much," I said glancing at my father before staring at Jake who had his devilish smile.His smile scared the shit out of me, "What do you want me to stop darling" His voice echoed, the voice he used when he was about to show his crazy side. My heart raced as he asked, "It...it's, just a little too much" I stuttered as my parents watched in quietly. "I think what Emily is saying is, you are doing too much for us son, it's overwhelming" My father explained. "I know you love our daughter dearly but, you two a still just dating, getting her parents a restaurant is much" My mother continued, they both always finished each other's sentences. "This is from my father and not me, Emily knows how much I love her, my love for her has no bounds," He says to them pulling me by the waist."Right baby?" he asked, and I nodded only out of fear. "Yes," I replied trying to put my parents at ease."I was just a lit
Ethan surfed his computer feeling restless, he had finally found Iris yet he didn't feel as satisfied as he expected to.He felt no spark. Instead, he found himself thinking about someone else. “She is your son’s girlfriend,” he reminded himself, as he stared at Emily's table.There was something about her that made his heart flutter, from the moment he set his eyes on her. he wished she was Iris. A Knock on the door interrupted his train of thought, he raised his head to find Irene by the door with a wide grin.“Are we still on for dinner?” she asked.He looked at the time. he had spent the whole day thinking about Emily, “sure” he replied, grabbing his coat and getting to his feet. “Instead of Dinner” Irene said walking towards him.“I was thinking we could go to your place” she suggested closing the gap between them and leaning in for a kiss.“No” Ethan replied bluntly, he was starting to get irritated by Irene. Irene was taken aback by his bluntness her eyes widened in shock. “
I raised my head to find Ethan smiling at me, " What are you doing Emily!" He smirked standing by the door. My heart sank."Ah!" I screamed with eyes wide open, searching for a way to cover myself, I put my hands over my body scanning the room for anything to cover myself up but there were none. "Close your eyes, look away" I yelled at Ethan who was gawking at me, "Sorry" he chuckled turning his face and allowing me the chance to run upstairs. As soon as I got to my room, I slammed the door burying my face in my hands.How embarrassing. I wished the floor could swallow me. I am just going to sit here until he goes back to New York. "Babe" I heard a gentle knock on the door, I moved away from the door, burying myself in piles of clothing. "It's me babe, can I come in" Jake asked, Ethan must have told him what happened. You fool I berated myself. who sits naked in front of a door. I felt like a fool."I am coming in" Jake said, pushing the door open, foolish me forgot to lock the d
What. My heart fluttered. Tongue-tied, I blushed like a fool, "I have this desire to make you extremely happy Emily, not because you and my son are dating, but because you deserve all the happiness you could get".As Ethan declared, my mind was in a state of turmoil, what was he saying? Is this a love confession? "I am having dinner, with some clients at The Ballroom, I think you should get a new dress," He said changing the topic, like he didn't just say the sweetest thing I had ever heard. I nodded not saying another word, I wished I had courage, I would have persisted. I sat quietly smiling to myself, 'Don't get the get the wrong idea, he is just being nice' I warned myself.I bit my lower lip trying to contain my thoughts as we got to "Pink" a boutique in the centre of town. "Here you go," Ethan said, handing me his palladium card as he settled into his seat. I paused staring at the card, I had never seen one up close before. "Get whatever you want" He said pushing the card
"What are you waiting for? Don’t leave the poor guy hanging," my father teased, raising his fist in the air. "Say yes," he said, joining the chants. The moment those words left his lips, it felt like the world paused. Everything I had ever wanted, everything I had ever hoped for, was falling into place. My father’s approval was the last piece of the puzzle. With a heart full of joy, I turned to Ethan, my voice shaky with excitement. "Yes!" I said, extending my hand to him. Ethan's smile widened as he slid the ring onto my finger. He lifted me into the air, swirling me around, and I giggled, my heart fluttering with excitement. It was a moment of pure bliss, as though nothing else existed in the world but us. When he finally set me down, I noticed Jennifer walking toward me, a soft smile on her face as she held a beautiful white dress in her hands. "You always said you wanted to get married in your mother's dress," she said, holding out my mother’s wedding gown, now perfectly alte
"What's going on, Dad?" I asked, my voice rising above its normal pitch, my heart starting to race. "Just come home, Emily. Now!" he yelled, ending the call abruptly. I stared at the phone, my mind blank. What could possibly be the problem? I couldn't think of anything, except maybe, like my mother, my father was sick too. I took a deep breath, dialing Ethan's number to inform him that I was getting on the next flight to Ashville."My dad just called me. He sounded really panicked. I think something is going on, and I have to go home now," I said as soon as Ethan picked up the call."Is everything okay? Did he say what was wrong?" Ethan asked. I shook my head as if he could see me."No, he just said I should come home. I'm going to the airport now to get the first ticket home," I felt the need to keep him informed."Just hold on. I'll call the pilot to take you," Ethan said, reminding me that he had a private jet. "I'll call the driver to take you to the hangar right now," he added,
"Long story short, his parents aren’t dead," Ethan said as he pulled into one of his mansions."What?" I exclaimed. "Don't shorten the story! Please, tell me the full details," I demanded, watching him park in the underground garage.Ethan sighed and turned to face me. "Wayne’s parents are not dead," he repeated.I narrowed my eyes, waiting for more. "They're at the island," Ethan continued.My eyes widened. "When I took you to the island, I used the opportunity to see them. They've been hiding from Christof because he wanted them dead. They stole from both me and Christof," Ethan explained.I nodded, starting to piece things together. "And the video?" I asked.Ethan smiled. "Faked. It was a video I made to convince Christof they were dead. He was starting to doubt my kills," he said with a shrug."And you didn't tell me? You let me judge you all this time?" I said, feeling a pang of guilt."Your judgment wasn’t far from the truth. I have killed people, Emily," Ethan said, locking eye
"So, tell me," I said, staring at him, my eyes glistening with curiosity.Ethan smiled. "A very important person owed me a favor. When Rose called, I decided to cash it in," he said.I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Who is this very important person who could easily turn a death sentence into nothing?" I wondered aloud.Ethan chuckled. "That’s my little secret," he teased, and I smiled."But," he added, "it wasn’t exactly changed from a death sentence to nothing. Someone else took the blame."My eyes widened, and I shot him a sharp glance. "An innocent man took the blame for you? That’s not fair!" I scolded."I wouldn’t call him innocent," Ethan replied casually, his tone so nonchalant it made me roll my eyes."I thought you said you’ve changed," I huffed, folding my arms across my chest."I have changed," Ethan insisted, but I just rolled my eyes again."Then tell me exactly what happened," I demanded, noticing he was only giving me snippets of the story. My eyes stayed fixed on him,
"Please, let's be a family," Ethan pleaded, kneeling before me and pulling out the ring, the same ring he had proposed with over three years ago. I watched him, a weak smile tugging at my lips. "I don't think this is the best place to propose," I said softly, glancing around the hospital room. "Besides, the floor isn't exactly sanitary. Please, get up." I said everything except what he wanted to hear."Well, answer me so I can get up," he replied, a smile playing on his lips. I glanced over at Jennifer, who nodded, urging me to say yes. I looked back at Ethan, my sweet Ethan, still on his knees."I love you," I said slowly, "and I would love to have a family with you. But I can't marry you." The words felt heavy as they left my mouth. I helped him to his feet, but I could see the hurt in his eyes."Why not, Em?" Jennifer’s voice cut through the silence that followed my answer."Marriage is... too heavy," I explained, feeling the weight of my father’s disapproval bearing down on me.
"Then don’t do it," Jennifer urged softly, her voice steady but filled with concern. I shook my head, tears streaming down. "I have to," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I don’t have enough love to give them at the moment. They deserve more than a broken mother," I thought to myself. The nurse, standing nearby, remained silent, her face professional yet kind. She quietly placed her Doppler aside and handed me a tissue to wipe my tears. “You can head back to the doctor’s office,” she instructed gently. Jennifer and I both nodded, and we made our way down the hallway, my heart heavy with each passing moment.As we got to the doctor's office, we pushed open the door without knocking, only to stop abruptly. Another patient was seated inside. “Oh! Sorry,” Jennifer exclaimed, starting to close the door, but the doctor’s voice cut in. “No, Ms. Sanders, come in,” the doctor urged, his tone serious but also welcoming. I hesitated at the door, reluctant to walk in or speak about my choice
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jennifer’s voice was soft, yet filled with concern as she held my hand tightly. We walked into the clinic, the sterile smell of the place overwhelming my senses, and my heart raced in my chest. I could barely focus as I tried to take deep, steady breaths. "Yes, Jen," I replied, though the words felt hollow, like I was trying to convince myself just as much as I was convincing her."You just found out you're pregnant," she continued, her eyes searching mine for any flicker of doubt. "Wouldn’t it be better to wait? To think it through a little more?" Her voice was gentle, but beneath it was a plea.I shook my head, biting my lip to keep the tears at bay. "I don’t want to change my mind." The words came out firmer than I expected. I didn’t want to be swayed. I couldn’t be. I needed to do this before the weight of everything crushed me completely."I’ll go in myself," I urged, my voice quieter now. "Wait in the car with Irene and the others." I couldn’
“What!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening in disbelief. I turned to Jennifer, who looked just as shocked. “It can’t be,” I stuttered.Jennifer turned her head towards me, confusion etched across her face. “I thought you said you and Jason never…” she wondered.I nodded. “Never,” I echoed, panic rising within me.Jennifer looked back at the doctor, her voice firm and certain. “You must be mistaken, doctor. My friend has been celibate for over three…” Before Jennifer could finish, I cut her off. “I haven’t been celibate!” I whispered, feeling the heat of shame wash over me. My mind flashed back to the afternoon of her wedding, the memory of Ethan flooding back, the heat of the moment, our impulsive connection, and my frantic rush to escape afterward, forgetting the after pill.Jennifer’s expression shifted to one of motherly concern. “Who?” she asked, her voice firm. I bit my lip, avoiding her gaze, my eyes darting to the doctor, who was watching our exchange intently.“Ethan,” I murmured,
Six Weeks Later: The Final Hearing"Please, don't go through with it," I pleaded, my eyes fixed on Ethan as we stood together just before the trial. For almost six weeks, he had refused my visits, and this was the first time I'd seen him. He looked thinner, worn down by time in custody."You look pale. Are you okay?" Ethan asked, concern flickering in his eyes.I shook my head. How could I be? I had been feeling sick constantly, throwing up, dizzy, and suffering from headaches."Are you eating well?" Ethan’s voice softened. "Isn't Jason taking care of you?" He asked and I frowned at the mention of Jason. "We broke up," I whispered, my voice barely audible. After Ethan turned himself in I couldn't bear be with Jason, i was always sad around him, never giving him the time and attention he deserved, hence i had to break up with him, but he didn't takes it well, he insisted he could wait for me to heal and feel better, but i knew from the bottom of my heart that I could never love him. N