Ximena/Angela’s POV
“Are you okay?” Hudson kept asking as we drove home.“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, my head resting on the headrest, but my heart kept racing. “Thank you for coming for me,” I added some minutes later.“You shouldn’t be thanking me. I’m glad you are safe,” he said, glancing at me. “You have a mole down there.”A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed hard. “I… I do,” I stuttered, keeping my gaze out of the window. I felt his hand on mine, which was on my lap, and I shivered as a spark rushed through my veins. The car came to a stop.“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice barely audible.“What are you talking about? Why are you sorry?” I still kept my gaze away from him.“I knew you had something to do with my past,” his words got my heart racing faster as if competing to win a race. I turned my eyes to him. “I know words aren’t enough to express how sorry I am. They aren’t enough to turn back the hands of timeXimena/Angela’s POV“What?” I exclaimed, not believing my ears. “He wants to commit suicide and make it look like the surgery wasn’t successful?” I asked.“Something like that,” he affirmed, and I gasped again.“Has he lost his mind? Tell me you wouldn’t do it,” I shifted forward in my seat.“That’s why I’m telling you.”“So, I will agree or disagree?”“No, I’m telling you because Hudson seems traumatized. He didn’t appear to have slept overnight. After the surgery, I want you guys to watch him closely. If there’s anything that bothers him that made him think of such, please help him through it,” he said.Tears streaked down my cheeks, and I wiped them away. “Thank you, Doctor. I’m grateful for this,” I said and left his office.“Dad is selfish, is he not?” Nevaeh asked as I returned to her. She had tears in her eyes.“What are you talking about?” I asked, sitting beside her.“He wants to kill
Ximena/Angela’s POVHudson was awake. His first instinct was to look at us. I was overjoyed to see him back, and tears slipped down my eyes.“How do you feel now?” I asked, not leaving Tristan’s side.“I’m okay. How is he?” he asked after Tristan.“He is alright now. Thank you.”“Mommy?” Tristan called me.“Yes, baby.”“Tell Mister I love him.”He wrote. My stomach churned as I hesitated, looking between Tristan and Hudson.“What did he write?” Hudson asked, forcing himself to sit up.The look on Tristan’s face showed he was confused about why I was hesitating. “Mommy,” he called me again.“Um, sorry baby. He said he loves you,” I told Hudson, and a faint smile appeared on his face.“I love you too, baby boy.”“I want us to play soccer again.”Tristan wrote while I interpreted.“Me too. Let’s leave this place first,” Hudson said, and they both smiled
Ximena/Angela’s POVA knock on the door jolted us, and we scrambled to our feet. “Dad?” Nevaeh called.“Don’t let her see me like this,” I whispered, scrambling to the bathroom.“Yes… hold on, sweetheart,” Hudson answered, rushing to open the door. “Do you need something?” he asked.“Can’t I come in?” I heard Nevaeh’s voice.“No, you can. I’m sorry.”That’s awkward. What is Hudson thinking?“Where is Angela? I heard her voice here,” Nevaeh asked. Her eyes must be roaming the room now.“Angela? She is… I don’t know. Have you checked her room?”“Do you think I would come here without checking her room?” she retorted.This girl really needs to learn how to talk to elders once again.“Well, she is not here. Maybe you should check outside,” he said, his voice becoming calm.“Fine, when she comes out of hiding, tell her I want to show her something. There’s no need to hide; I like your relationship,” she said. I heard the door open and close behind her, I believe.“She’s gone, Angela,” Huds
Nevaeh’s POVThe driver dropped me off at the party. The house was bustling with guests trooping in. The music blared in my ears the moment I stepped out of the car. I adjusted the hem of my dress before walking up to Zoe, who was already fidgeting impatiently.“You are late, Nev!” she snapped even before I reached her. “You kept me waiting. You said you were on your way over an hour ago.”“My dad held me up. He wouldn’t just let me leave without changing my dress,” I yelled, the wind drowning my voice in its symphony.“Change into this or another?” she asked, yelling too. Can't they just turn down the volume? Are they calling the whole city to a birthday party?“Into another, of course. My dad would never select this kind of dress for me.”“Your dad needs to know you are an adult. What’s wrong with him? Why is he so overprotective and annoying?” she whined, interlinking her arm with mine and leading me inside.“Enough o
Nevaeh’s POV “What’s the matter, Nev? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Zoe asked, supporting me on my feet. “That... that guy,” I pointed my trembling hand toward the stage. “That’s Remi’s boyfriend. What about him?” “That is... that’s Fred, right? Just tell me I’m dreaming,” my lips quivered as I spoke, tears filling my eyes. “You’re not dreaming, Nev. He’s handsome, right? I admit it, but you don’t have to swoon over him—he’s taken,” she babbled, oblivious to my emotions. “That’s Fredrick, dumbass!” I snapped, jerking my hand away from her. “That’s my boyfriend, Fred!” “Oh-oh! Is that the Australian Fred?” she asked, bewildered. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry, girlfriend. He fooled you,” she said. I wiped my tears, anger surging through me. “Nobody fools me!” I growled, storming off, ignoring Zoe’s calls behind me. I pushed through the crowd just as Remi and Ryan were about to cut th
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
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
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
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