Ximena/Angela’s POV
Rita left immediately for New York City, while Nevaeh gave me my medication before heading out to meet Eleanor. Although those two were never close, Nevaeh still couldn’t help but take care of her aunt and ensure she was well looked after. I lay on the bed, reflecting on what Kane had said. He mentioned a witness; someone who could have come forward after all these years. Who could it be? Who else might have witnessed Camila’s death? Could it be Harper? No, she would never do something like that, not even under threat. I trust her that much."People can change overnight, Ximena," my inner voice warned.But Harper isn’t one of those people. Could the witness be Alberto? I paused, recalling all his schemes against Hudson. But how could a fugitive walk into a police station to report a murder? He would be afraid of spending the rest of his life in jail. If it’s not him, then who? Eleanor? No, she is here, and she can barely find her way tXimena/Angela’s POVI couldn’t breathe; I was suffocating under the weight of my helplessness. The doctor said Tristan didn’t need to be admitted until we found a matching donor since his condition wasn’t critical yet, but he was put on medication.“We have to see Hudson, one way or another,” I told Nevaeh, who sat brooding beside me in the living room. She had just been denied access to her father today as well. Something wasn’t right, and we needed help, but how?“The most infuriating part is that plump, red-haired old hag!” Nevaeh snapped, startling me. “I felt like ripping off her stupid head and strangling her! She looked so ridiculous in that uniform,” she ranted, clearly frustrated.“You need to calm down, okay? We need a solid plan to see Hudson. He is the only one who can explain exactly what happened to Camila,” I said, trying to steady my voice.“But how?” Nevaeh turned toward me. “How do we see him without the officers’ permis
Ximena/Angela’s POVNevaeh sat down beside me in the hospital chair after receiving a call. Tristan had been successfully put to sleep.“This is the hardest and most confusing time of my life,” Nevaeh said wearily. I could feel the burden she carried. “I just got a call from Attorney Kane. My dad’s first trial is tomorrow, but there’s no strong evidence to defend him. The only option is to challenge any evidence presented by the witness or the police. Right now, I’m starting to think my dad will be jailed for a long time,” she sighed heavily.“Do you think he did it?” I asked softly. Hudson is part of my life too, but I had too many burdens of my own to worry about him right now. If he is innocent, he will be vindicated. That was all I could think for now.“Does it even matter what I think? Who would listen to me in court? I was only ten years old when it happened. They will just say my memory isn’t reliable or that I have forgotten important details. I’m just so tired,” she said, her
Ximena/Angela’s POVAunt Sadie remained silent until Penelope had finished with Raven and put her to sleep. “I don’t know why, but I feel the need to help Hudson get out of there. Something tells me that if he doesn’t get out soon, something terrible might happen. Remember how Mila ended up,” Aunt Sadie explained after Penelope left.“Do you think Adeline’s ghost is involved?” I asked awkwardly.“I don’t believe in ghosts or resurrection. Adeline is gone, but her conspirators are still alive,” she said firmly, as if she knew exactly who was behind everything.“Do you know who her conspirators are?” I asked curiously.“I don’t know for sure, but we can find something that could clear Hudson’s name.”“Do you think Adeline killed Camila?”My question was met with a deep, ear-piercing silence. “What do you think?” Aunt Sadie’s retort made me gasp.“Adeline killed Camila?” I blurted out, quickly covering my mouth in
Ximena/Angela’s POVOn my way, I received a call from Nevaeh. “How is Raven feeling?” she asked, concerned.“She’s getting better. I just left the cathedral. How is Tristan?” I asked in return.“He is sleeping peacefully. Mister Kane called me. He said the case has been adjourned, but we need strong evidence to counter what the police have,” she explained, sounding a bit excited about the delay in the case.“That’s great. I’m glad we have more time to gather evidence. Can you visit him tomorrow?” I asked, excitement building inside me. A part of me believed he would be vindicated.“I will try again tomorrow. Will you come with me?” she asked. “Maybe they will listen to you.”“I will be at the hospital tomorrow. We can go from there,” I agreed. “Take care of yourself and get plenty of rest. Don’t stay up late. Tristan will be fine,” I reassured her.“Hmm, you sound so positive. I can’t wait for all this to be over. I want
Ximena/Angela's POV I sat on the veranda, or whatever they claimed to have led me to, but the fresh air helped ease my worry a little. The day was passing by quickly, and nothing seemed to be working out. No solid evidence for Hudson’s case, and no matching donor for Tristan’s transplant. Maybe the fresh air wasn’t enough; if it was, I wouldn’t be thinking so deeply right now. But the most frustrating part is the fact that I couldn’t see. If I had my sight, I’d be up and running, calling and visiting anyone I knew to help. How did I even lose my sight? The fall wasn’t that bad, compared to the one before I regained my memory. Is this some kind of divine test?“Your phone is ringing, ma’am,” Penelope said, handing the phone to me.“Who is calling?” I asked.“Aunt Sadie,” she replied.I picked up the call. “Good day, Aunt Sadie,” I greeted, my tone lightening up.“Good day, Angela. How are you doing today?” she asked, concerned.
Ximena/Angela's POVAndrew helped me out of the car when we reached Aunt Sadie’s house.“Are we there?” I asked him.“Yes, ma’am.”Just then, Aunt Sadie came rushing over. “Where is the pianist, Angela?” she asked, grabbing my hand and leading me inside.“Do you expect me to find a pianist in thirty minutes?” I retorted. “It’s not like there’s an opera house nearby where I could just drag one out.”“What are we going to do now? I can’t play either,” she said, helping me sit down on the couch. She sat beside me.“Can you explain what this is all about?” I asked.“There’s a piano hidden in a safe house on the outskirts of the city. It always baffled me why Adeline would go there just to check on the piano. And the strangest part is she had guards posted at a lonely safe house. That piqued my curiosity. I tried many times to sneak in there alone to see what was in the piano, but I failed,” she explained, then pause
Ximena/Angela's POV“I never knew,” I told Nevaeh after her explanation.“It’s okay. It’s in the past now, anyway,” she sniffed, wiping her tears, I believe. “So, what’s the sudden interest in a piano?” she asked.“Um, I’m not sure, but Aunt Sadie claims to have seen a VHS cassette in a piano that Adeline used to play occasionally.”“What does a VHS cassette have to do with anything?”“She believes there is a hidden truth in it,” I replied.“So, what now? Does she need someone to play the piano or something?”“Exactly. There is a code that unlocks a drawer in the piano where the VHS cassette is kept. I hired a pianist earlier, but none of his tunes could open the drawer,” I explained, feeling overwhelmed.“Well, I don’t know. Besides, I don’t trust that woman. She is not trustworthy.”“I know, but we have to give it a try. What if it’s the key to setting your dad free?” I tried to persuade her.
Ximena/Angela’s POVAunt Sadie was on about the pianist again. She said he had arrived, and I should hurry to the safe house.“I have to go out, Nevaeh. Aunt Sadie found another pianist, and she wants us to give him a try,” I told her after hanging up the call.“I will come with you. Just give me a minute to change,” she said, heading to the bathroom. She paused and looked back at me. “You should stop calling that woman ‘Aunt.’ She doesn’t deserve that much respect,” she added before going in.In about thirty minutes, we arrived at the safe house. “Is he making progress?” I asked Aunt Sadie as soon as we entered.“He is just getting started,” she replied.The pianist began playing, hitting the keys, over and over, just like the first one.“I think it’s time we grab an axe and crack this thing open. What do you think?” I suggested, feeling frustrated. “My legs are aching.”“Not as badly as mine,” Nevaeh added.
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