Four Years Later
Ximena/Angela's point of view. “It was the reason you were allowed into his heart in the first place,” said the annoying woman in the white robe who always haunted me. “Stop bugging me!” I yelled at her. “Dead or alive, you should save your so-called husband and child. And for the record, I’m not in anyone’s heart,” I groaned. “Get out of here!” I pushed her back, frustrated. “Mommy?” I heard Tristan’s voice and opened my eyes. It was just a dream. I sat up in bed with a broad smile. Here stood my source of joy and strength. His eyes, like two shimmering hazelnuts, gazed up at me with a deep, ancient wisdom. Their golden-brown rims and mossy green centers sparkled with a sense of wonder and curiosity. Flecks of brown, green, and gold danced across his eyes, glowing with a brightness that seemed to hold a secret truth. It always amazed me because neither his father nor I possessed such captivaXimena/Angela's POVI swallowed hard, my voice lost under his intense gaze. God forbid I cheat on my husband, but this man was pure temptation. His eyes were an enchanting blend of earthy brown and mossy green, a hazel hue that shimmered like a sunlit forest glade, radiating warmth and depth that seemed to draw me in. His lips, a soft blush of rose petal pink, curved into a gentle smile; inviting and warm, like a summer sunset on a tranquil shore. They seemed to promise tender kisses and sweet surrender. I swallowed hard again. My eyes drifted to his biceps, straining against his sleeves. Everything about him captivated me effortlessly. And the bastard had rolled-up sleeves; my weakness in every man. Damn it.“What’s your name?” he asked after a moment of awkward silence.“I’m...my name is Angela,” I stammered.“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Angela. May I sit with you?” he asked. I nodded before I realized it. Damn it.“It’s rare to see a
Ximena/Angela's POVI blinked, disoriented as I slowly woke up. My head throbbed, and when I reached up, I felt bandages. I was in a hospital, and the room spun as I tried to focus."Sweetheart?" Davey's voice called out faintly. "Are you okay?" He gently helped me sit up. "Be careful.""What happened to me? Where is our baby?" I asked, my voice shaky."Tristan is at home. How do you feel now?" he asked, concern etched on his face."Ouch! It hurts so much, Davey," I cried as sharp pain shot through my forehead. I pressed my hands against my head, feeling like it might split open."Hang on, I will get the doctor," he said, rushing out of the room.The pain was unbearable. My vision blurred as tears streamed down my face. "Davey! Argh!" I wailed, writhing on the bed as the pain intensified."Babe? Doctor, what's happening to her?" Davey's terrified voice returned as he entered with the doctor."Why does m
Davey’s POVA few weeks later after Ximena was admitted, she was still in a coma. I sat by her side, praying and hoping she would wake up."Hello, Mister Davey?" the doctor greeted as he entered."Hello, doctor," I replied, shaking his hand."Try not to stress yourself too much. She is going to make it," he assured me."Thank you so much, doctor," I said gratefully. Just then, my phone rang. "Excuse me," I answered the call. "Yes?""Sir, a girl named Nevaeh is here to see you," my cook informed me."Nevaeh? What does she want?""I don’t know, sir," she replied, and I hung up. At that moment, I realized that if Ximena woke up, her family might come after her."Doctor, when will the face transplant surgery take place?" I asked."Are you sure you want to do this, Mister Davey? It’s not necessary. Her face isn’t badly damaged," he said."I have my reasons, doctor. Can you start the surgery
Ximena/Angela's POVIt has been a week since I discovered my true identity, and ever since, I haven't felt normal. The only thing on my mind when I go to sleep and when I wake up is revenge. It has become my daily mantra, consuming my every thought. I have mapped out a plan for revenge, and I hope everything goes as expected. I was packing my bags to move back to San Francisco—alone.“You don’t have to do this, sweetheart,” Davey objected, walking into the room.“Do what?” I asked, moving over to the closet to pack more clothes.“You know what I mean. What about Tristan? He can’t sleep without you,” Davey reminded me.“I know. That’s why I’m taking him with me,” I stated firmly.“What? Are you serious? Do you want to endanger our son over revenge? Don’t you see how dangerous this is?” he tried to reason with me.“It’s clear this isn’t as important to you as it is to me, because you are not the one they messed with. Do yo
Ximena/Angela POV"Look who we have here. Come on in," Hudson greeted, standing up."Good day, Sir," I replied, feigning politeness as if we were meeting for the first time. Confusion washed over his face. "My name is Angela. I'm here for the interview," I said politely."Have a seat, please," he said and I sat opposite him. "You are confusing me, Angela. What are you talking about?" he asked, settling into his chair."I received an email from The Miles about an interview today," I explained."That’s what’s confusing me. How can you be here for an interview? Didn’t you tell me you owned a hotel? Now you are here for an assistant interview?" His confusion deepened."Oh! My God!" I exclaimed, feigning shock. "That’s the problem with having an identical twin. It’s so frustrating.""What are you talking about? Angela doesn’t have a twin. And even if she did, why would she have the same name as you?" he pressed."Oka
Ximena/Angela’s POV“I have got something for you, sweetheart,” Davey said, sitting beside me on the couch, surrounded by files. A cold cup of coffee sat on the table.“What is it?” I asked without looking up.“A warm cup of coffee…” I gave him a glare.“… and some important files,” he finished.“I figured as much,” I said, taking the files from him. “What are these?”“These are transaction reports on Mrs. Adeline Miles Lucas. I thought they might help with your mission,” he explained.“You are a darling, Davey. These are more than helpful,” I said, appreciating him.“That woman is dangerous, with too many skeletons in her closet. Be extremely careful around her, sweetheart,” he warned.“I have got this under control. Nothing to worry about,” I assured him.“Good morning, Sir,” I greeted Hudson with a cheerful smile as I entered his office with a cup of coffee.“Good morning,
Ximena/Angela’s POVWithout wrapping up, he gathered his things and turned to me. “Come on,” he said.“Sir, what if they are outside?” I asked, my voice trembling.“Don’t worry. I will handle them,” he reassured me, taking my hand. I couldn’t stop staring at him. If only he had been willing to protect Ximena and not just Angela. The fact that he had a child with Mila tormented me.I abruptly pulled my hand away, and he stopped, turning to look at me.“What is wrong?” he asked.My chest rose and fell rapidly. 'What isn’t wrong? Do you promise to protect every woman who crosses your path? Why didn’t you protect me? Why did you let me die?' I screamed in my head, but none of the words escaped my lips.“Are you okay?” Hudson asked again.“Calm down, Ximena,” my inner voice warned. “You will expose yourself before you expose your enemy. Is that what you want?”I took a deep breath and relaxed. “I’m sorry, si
Ximena/Angela’s POVI left my room after some time. My stomach grumbled, and it seemed like the family wasn't planning on having breakfast today. As I walked through the hallway, I heard voices coming from Hudson's room. I moved closer to eavesdrop. He was fighting with Mila again. Do they do this all the time, or is my presence causing it?"Point of correction, we are not married. You seem to forget that fact every single day. The sooner you stop poking your nose into my affairs, the better for everyone," Hudson snarled.I couldn’t believe it—Hudson and Mila were never married. That means I was his last wife. The thought made me giggle.“What are you doing?” A voice behind me almost made my heart stop. I slowly turned around to see Adeline glaring at me, her eyes even darker than usual, making her look eerie."Um... I was just... I mean, I was about to see Hudson. But he seems busy, so I will just go get something to eat," I babbled, try
Ximena/Angela’s POVIt’s been a year since all the incidents. Life has become more peaceful ever since. To Hudson, Morris and Alexa were our last enemies. They had masterminded Hudson’s confiscated goods and his arrest.I lost my supposed father to liver cancer a few months ago. I thought I was going to hate him forever for what he did to my mom and aunt, but as he battled with his own life, I had to let it go. I showed him how much I cared about him being my father; I wanted him to die a peaceful and happy death.My siblings, Remi and Ryan, have been wonderfully sweet. They loved me like we had known each other since childhood. I bet their mother must be one of a kind. I know some stepmothers can be a pain in the ass; I’m glad she wasn’t, even though I never met her. As for Nevaeh, she went for her master's alongside Remi and Ryan. They have been moving on well ever since.I have never been so fulfilled in my life.“Be careful,” I told Tristan, who was supportin
Nevaeh’s POVI knocked on the door, and Alexa opened it, her eyes flashing with evil as usual. I was holding a baby. They had wanted me to bring Raven to them. They intended to use her as bait to get whatever they wanted from my dad. I believed everything they said, so I obeyed them.“Welcome, sweetheart,” she grinned, leading me inside. “I thought you weren’t going to do it,” she said.“She has the Miles Lucas blood flowing through her veins; she couldn’t have gone against what would benefit her,” Morris said, standing up and walking toward me.“You said I was adopted,” I said, stepping back from him. “How do I suddenly have the blood of Miles Lucas running through my veins?”“You were raised by Hudson, so you must have inherited something from him,” he smiled, reaching out to take the baby from me.I stepped back. “What do you want to do with her?” I asked, my chest heaving.“Give him the baby, Nevaeh!” Alexa demanded, her voice tightening.“Not unt
Ximena/Angela’s POVI paced back and forth in the living room, my heart pounding in my chest. Rita’s number wasn’t going through, and Raven was missing from the house. I strongly believed Rita didn’t go out with her; she had never done that, but others said she might have, so we’ve been waiting for her.“Just calm down, Ma’am. She’ll be back soon,” Penelope said.“For how long? She’s been out for almost an hour, and her line isn’t reachable. I hope it’s not what I’m thinking,” I said, both anger and fear exploding within me.“Mommy?” Tristan called, entering the living room. “What’s wrong?” he wrote on his tablet.“Nothing, baby. Just go freshen up and change,” I told him, and he nodded, running upstairs.“What’s the matter, Angela? You sounded so urgent,” Hudson said as he rushed into the house. I was so scared I had to call him.“My baby is missing, Hudson. Someone took my child.”“How is that possible? We have security men in the house. Who took he
Nevaeh’s POVI was driving to their place when a car swerved into my path. I pressed down on the brake abruptly, lunging forward. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. I was ready to go scream the person’s head off when I saw Ryan stepping out of the car. He walked up to me, knocking on the window. I slid down the window, glaring at him.“Hey, psycho. What’s up?”“Have you lost your mind, scum?” I groaned.“I was looking forward to that,” he smiled, leaning on the window. “I was bored at home, so I decided to come have some fun with you. Can we go out?”“Get your bloody hands off my car!” I yelled.“Should we go in my car or yours?” he winked at me. “I promise it will be fun.”I clenched my fists, my chest heaving with anger. Zoe’s call came in at the same time. “He likes you, Nev, give him a chance,” Zoe said.“You set this up?”“If he betrays you, I will be the first to kill him. Have fun,” she said, hanging up.“Bar or park?” Ryan asked, maki
Nevaeh’s POV I stormed into my room, slamming the door. I grunted, swiping my makeup box off the vanity table. Everything he said was true. All they want to do is hurt me. How can she mingle with my enemy? How dare she? “I hate you all!” I yelled, kicking the bed. I was seated on the bed, my head in my palms when someone knocked on the door. “Can I come in, please?” Angela said. I didn’t answer, but she entered. “Can we talk, please?” she asked. “Get out of my room!” I snapped, lifting my bloodshot eyes to her. “Just listen to me, Nevaeh. I won’t take much of your time,” she said, moving closer. She came to sit beside me. “Uh, I know you don’t want to see me and my kids in your dad’s house; we have made plans to leave. You don’t even have to accept me as Ximena. Forget I ever told you that; you can see me as Angela only, nothing more. I just want you to return to being the loving Nevaeh I used to know. Remember that we all love you,
Ximena/Angela’s POVThe revelation of me being Ximena didn’t settle well with Nevaeh. Instead of being happy that she finally had me back, she chose to be scared of the possibility. It has been over a month now, but the more she looked at Ximena’s picture, the more she doubted the possibility of me being her.“Hey, girl. How was your night?” I asked, setting the table. “I prepared your favorite.”“Ximena never cooked,” she declared, heading out.“Nevaeh, please,” I hurried to block her path. “I didn’t tell you the story to distance yourself from me. I thought it was necessary for me to be transparent. Besides, my intention was for you to learn from my story; to know that you can forgive Fred and be happy again. If you don’t want us to stay, we will go. Just stop making it awkward,” I said.“Then leave,” she said coldly, brushing past me.I stood frozen, unable to believe my ears. I knew she had been acting weird for a while, and I thought it was because of he
Nevaeh’s POVI headed out of my room with Angela. I was going to see Zoe for our little discussion. “Don’t do anything you will regret, Nevaeh, please,” Angela said.“I’m already regretting a lot,” I replied.“Where are you headed?” my dad asked as he approached.“I’ll see you later, Angela,” I ignored my dad and walked out.“I’m talking to you, young lady. Why are you ignoring me?” he grabbed my hand, pulling me back.“Let go of me!” I groaned, pulling my hand away from him. “Everything is your fault. If you had allowed me to go with Fred to Australia, this wouldn’t have happened. You’re always ruining my happiness,” I confronted him angrily.“Don’t talk to your dad like that, Nevaeh,” Angela interjected.“The sooner you stop taking his side, the better for us,” I declared and stormed out of the house.***I met Zoe at her house. Her parents were out, and she was in the living room, watching TV and eating popcorn. I went straight to the bar, poured myself a glass of liquor, and retur
Nevaeh’s POV The moment Fred opened the door, my heart skipped a beat. It had been a while, and I still felt this way. Without thinking, I embraced him. “I missed you,” I said, my voice low and uncertain. He pulled away. “We need to talk,” he said coldly, walking back into the living room. I followed suit, my heart still beating faster. “I didn’t know you got a new house,” I said, sitting on the couch as he sat down too. “Without wasting much of your time, Nevaeh,” he began, my throat knotted. This wasn’t the same Fred I used to know. He would never speak coldly to me. “Won’t you at least offer me something? Is that how to welcome your girlfriend?” I asked, tilting my head. He tapped his foot for over a minute before standing up and returning with a glass of red wine. I collected it from him and took a sip. “I didn’t like the attitude you pulled out there, Nevaeh,” he said. “Why would you start a fight at someone’s birthday party? I was
Ximena/Angela’s POVI couldn’t believe Nevaeh could be this naïve and gullible. How could she trust that bastard so much to love him like this? After crying so much, she dozed off, and I returned to the living room. I didn’t find Hudson there, so I thought he had gone to bed. I turned off the TV and sank into the couch, relaxing my head against the headrest.“How is she?” Hudson asked suddenly, startling me. I gasped, looking at him. He sat beside me, holding out a glass of water.“Thank you,” I collected the water from him, taking a sip. “She’s asleep now,” I informed him.“Do you know who the guy is?” he asked, crossing his legs and facing me.“Of course. It’s the same Frederick, her childhood friend,” I replied.“Frederick Archer?” he asked, and I nodded.“Frederick has been away for so long. How could she still harbor feelings for him? Besides, they were just teenagers when they separated.”“Love doesn’t kno