Hudson’s POV
I grunted at the terrible pain in my head. Opening my eyes, they fell on the hanging heads. The silence in the room was as heavy as a lead weight. I sat up quickly, hissing at the sharp pain in my leg. My shin was strapped. What the fuck happened to me?“What’s going on here?” I asked, drawing everyone’s attention to me.“Dad!” Nevaeh exclaimed, enveloping me in a hug. “I thought I lost you, Dad. How are you feeling now?” she asked. Her voice was a melody, soothing my racing heart.“Sweetheart?” I pulled out of her hold, cupping her teary cheeks.“I am fine. You aren’t going to lose me, okay?” I soothed.She nodded and I kissed her on the forehead. The next person I noticed was Ximena. She was moving as slowly as a snail in a marathon toward me. Her eyes gleamed and tears leaked out of them.“Hudson?” her voice was brittle, laced with guilt and regret.“I’m glad you are awake, son,” Mother sat besXimena’s POVI wanted to end it all. I wanted to just die. The pain tugged hard at my heart, leaving nothing but bruises. Everyone blamed me, just like I have always been blamed.I was at the back of the house, in the yard, burying myself between the flowers. I wished the scents of nature could heal my wound and take it all away. Tears trickled down my face, releasing not even an iota of what I was feeling inside. Who would understand me? Who would listen to me? I have no one in this world. Everyone points accusing fingers at me, even when all I do is sacrifice myself for the safety of my family. What did I do to deserve this?“Just take me away, God. I don’t want to be here anymore. I want to be with my momma!” I whimpered, pulling my knees into my chest. I wrapped my arms around my knees to support my quivering self.“Ximena?”The low voice and gentle touch of a hand on my shoulder startled me. I looked over my shoulder and Nevaeh came
Ximena’s POV“I love you,” I let the words out, letting it echo between us. And our heartbeats were rhythms, blending melodiously.Hudson stiffened under my touch. His blazing eyes sparkled like diamonds and his Adam’s apple bubbled.“You made me feel things I never knew were possible. Despite my trials to let go and think that I hate you, I just couldn’t. I will never hurt you, believe me,” I confessed.“Why should I believe you?” he asked. A smile lurks around his lips.“Maybe you need evidence,” I smiled. I lifted my body on my toes and brushed my lips against his.“That’s not evident enough,” he said, stroking his thumb down my cheek.I wrapped my hands around his neck and jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his torso. Maybe this is what I need to release the tension.“Then show me,” I purred.He grunted and lay me down
Harper’s POV“What do I do? What do I do?” I kept chattering as I moved back and forth in my room. I know Alberto could be many things: a Casanova, a greedy fellow, a gambler, among many others, but I never imagined him being a murderer.Speak of the devil and he appears.Alberto stormed into the room, startling me. He rushed to the closet, pulling it open and rummaging through his stuff.“Where the heck did I put it?” he mumbled.“We need to talk, Alberto,” I said, moving closer to him.“Have you lost your sight? Can’t you see I’m busy?” he groaned, pulling out the drawers and slamming them back in.“Why did you do it?” I asked, ignoring his harsh tone.He looked at me with knitted brows like he was having eyebrows fighting competition.“I saw you, Alberto,” my voice was merely a whisper. “I saw everything you did a few days ago. Explain the reason to me right now,” that was a demand.
Ximena’s POVI was in the room, taking a shower when I heard a smashing sound. Who could be smashing something in the room? I ignored it and finished up. Suddenly, I heard my name. I rushed out of the bathroom into the bedroom, flitting to the closet and taking out my clothes. Then I heard Harper yelling my name. I quickly slipped my gown over my head and rushed out only to hear something tumbling down the staircase. As usual, my curiosity beat me to it and I hurried to the staircase only to see the faint figure of Harper lying at the landing. My heart leaped to my throat and I let out a terrified scream.“What have you done?” someone groaned beside me and I swiveled my head only to see Alberto. “You pushed her?” he yelled.Just then, Mrs Miles and Eleanor rushed into the scene. “Oh, my God! Who did this?” Mrs Miles cried.Alberto rushed downstairs while I was left frozen in my spot. “Harper!” he shouted.“What happened to her,
Ximena’s POVBut my expectations and excitement vanished the moment I saw my visitor. My heart caught in my throat.Alberto?He stood up, smirking evilly at me. “Come on, have a sit, jailee,” he sneered.Because of the officers, I quietly took a sit opposite him. “What are you doing here?” I asked between gritted teeth.“Hey, take a chill pill, will you? Is it a bad thing to visit my wife’s murderer?” he asked, more like mocking me.“Hold on a minute. Tell me you didn’t do it,” I said, my eyes popping out of their sockets.“It’s fine, I won’t tell you if you don’t want to hear it.”“Alberto!” I groaned.“Do you want to add to your current condition?” he sneered. “I warned you, remember? I thought things were going to be easy with you, but then, it turned out you were only going to obstruct my plans. So, I diverged the plan to put you in a place where you wouldn’t hinder my plans, but you managed to esca
Nevaeh’s POVI moved back and forth in my room, grooving the floor with my trampling feet.“Why the heck is nobody doing nothing?” I groaned, swatting my books off the desk.Ximena shouldn’t be in prison. How is she faring? Are the cops hitting her? What the heck state is she in?“Dad!” I yelled, dashing out of my room.I stormed into my dad’s room. “Dad!” I yelled again, slamming the door and flitting to his side. He was seated in front of the desk, working on whatever. He returned the same day I visited Ximena in jail, yet he hasn’t gone to visit her.“What is it, Nevaeh?” Dad asked, turning to face me.“Tell me why you haven’t bailed Ximena out of jail. She can’t sleep there one more day,” I said, raising my voice on him.“Mind your tone while you speak to me, young lady,” he snapped. “I have told you countless times to stop mentioning that name beside me, do you get it?” he fired back.“Da
Nevaeh’s POVAfter whatever Grandma presented to Dad which I never got to see, he clenched his fist and growled. He almost smashed Grandma’s phone on the floor if she hadn’t snatched it from his hand.“You have to calm down, son. I know how you feel,” Grandma said.Without a word, Dad dashed off, running back upstairs. What the heck did Grandma show him? “Grandma? What did you show my dad?” I asked, staring curiously at her.“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Your dad will be fine. Run along now, you don’t want to go late to school, do you?” she said with a smile, stroked my cheek, and went off.I stood in the living room, looking confused.“Nevaeh? You are running late,” my driver said, entering the room.“Yeah,” I nodded and went off.Throughout the entire time in class, I was bothered. Why did Dad get angry after whatever Grandma showed him? Was that evidence that Ximena truly pushed Harper off the staircase
Ximena’s POVI was broken into pieces. My world has finally crumbled. It felt like my heart was pulled out of me and I was stabbed endlessly. The pang in my heart kept shooting like an arrow. How could Hudson do this to me? I don’t deserve this.I dropped to the cold floor of the cell, whimpering and praying for death to locate me. All I ever did was try to protect the ones I love. Why don’t I get the same love in return?“I hate you!”Hudson’s words rumbled in my head, making my head pound heavily. I grabbed my head with both hands, hoping it wouldn’t explode.“Aaaaagh!”I let out an agonized wail which shook the walls of my cell.***“Someone is here to see you,” one of the cops came to my cell.I sprang up from the bed, hope glittering in my eyes. “Really? Is it Hudson? Is it Nevaeh?” I asked eagerly and excitedly.“If it’s any of them, we shouldn’t be going to the visiting room, but the bai