Nevaeh’s POV
I 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, makiXimena/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
Attention ❗❗❗ Ximena is a Spanish name pronounced as Himena. In Spanish, it is known as Jimena, with the J being pronounced as an H. Ximena’s POV Pushing my bag across the floor, I shuffled into my aunt’s abode. I paused suddenly, my gaze fixated on the opulent Mercedes-Benz GLA-class parked in the compound. A man in a white dress shirt and black trousers stood beside it. My heart skipped a beat. Could this be another potential suitor? It wouldn't be the first time Aunt Sadie has tried to arrange my marriage to wealthy men. She wants me out of her home and possibly out of her life. I still remember my last potential groom, who called off the supposed union when I informed him of my modeling career. Since then, Aunt Sadie has forbidden me from attending any modeling gigs. "Are you alright, Miss?" the man's question snapped me out of my reverie. I looked up to find him staring at me. "I'm fine," I replied curtly and made my way inside before he could say anything else. As I e
Ximena's POV Having put forth an attempt to alleviate Mila's crying, I offered words of comfort in the sterile confines of the hospital. We both occupied seats, awaiting the doctor's report. Despite Aunt Sadie's less-than-ideal character, she remained a member of my family. The one who fulfilled my basic needs, providing nourishment, clothing, and shelter. Should I dwell on her attempts to trade me off to men and harbor resentment towards her? Or should I focus on her acts of kindness, inviting me into her home and empathizing with Mila's tears? I believe the latter option would be more suitable. "Don't fret, Mila. Aunt is a resilient woman. She will pull through," I assured her. Mila nodded, her tears showing no signs of stopping. “Mila?” the doctor called, walking toward us. “How is she, doctor?” we inquired, speaking in unison. "Unfortunately, her condition has deteriorated over time, Ximena," the doctor reported. "She requires immediate surgery, or we might lose her." "No, do
Ximena's POV As I accepted the current state of affairs, it had been a little over a week since Aunt Sadie's collapse. Thankfully, she had been discharged and was now under good care. However, my own life had been thrown into turmoil. I found myself in my room, dressed in all-white attire, with a makeup artist perfecting my hair. Today was my wedding day, a moment that most women eagerly anticipate, but for me, it was a different story. I was destined to marry the most despicable man I had ever heard of - Hudson Miles Lucas. Despite never meeting him in person, his name was often on everyone's lips in California. As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, I had to admit that the makeup artist had done a decent job. My long, wavy black hair was styled in a way that secured my veil on top of my head. The cost of my wedding dress alone could sustain my family for generations to come. This was the reality I was facing today. If only my mother could be here to witness this day. Not the fac
Ximena's POV Refraining from any musings on the ongoing events, I finally uttered the words "I do." As much as I would like to escape this situation, I have come to terms with my fate. It is best for everyone if I accept the inevitable. After all, I have willingly signed my life over to this marriage. Yes, you heard correctly. My cunning, so-called mother-in-law manipulated me into signing an agreement stating that I must marry her son if I want to receive the promised money. There is no way out of this predicament.Blah blah blah. The familiar phrase, "You may now kiss the bride," resounded in the room. But wait a minute, who is supposed to be kissing whom? My gaze shifted to Hudson, his expressionless face now twisted into a look of disgust. Do I disgust him? Well, newsflash, baby boy, you annoy me too. And kissing you will certainly not be on my to-do list. At least I didn't agree to that in the contract.I could hear murmurs among the guests, most likely my Aunt Sadie, fuming with
Ximena's POV "Who are you?" I inquired, propping myself up. "One moment. Aren't you the woman who defended me from the bully at school while I was waiting for my driver?" she asked, her tone bright and her puppy eyes genuine. "I don't recall what you're referring to, young lady," I responded, reclining on the bed. Perhaps this is her way of embracing the madness that runs in her family. "Come on, I never got the chance to thank you for that day because you ran away," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. She took hold of my hand and I gazed at her as though she were an alien sent to make my life a living nightmare. "Thank you so much for that day. When I told my father about those hooligans, he made certain they were dealt with," she added. The excitement in her voice was still evident. "I see," I murmured. "The girl in the black suit with the white undershirt, standing in front of St. Michael Academy?" I asked, trying to recall. "Exactly, Miss. I didn't realize you were the
Ximena's POV"Excuse me," I exclaimed, urgently trailing after Harper as we finished breakfast. She turned, her cheerful smile still plastered on her face."Hello there. Is there something you need?" she inquired."Um, may I ask you a question?" I hesitantly inquired. I hope this isn't a mistake."Of course, what is it?"I quickly scanned our surroundings, feeling like a criminal on the run. I stepped closer to her, whispering in her ear, "Could we talk in private, in my room?""Okay, that's fine," she agreed, leading the way as if she owned the place. I followed suit and we shut the door behind us."I realize this may seem like a far-fetched inquiry, but I'm simply curious," I stumbled through my words awkwardly. She simply shrugged, giving me permission to continue. "So, um, were you coerced into marrying Alberto?" I finally blurted out.Her brow furrowed in a frown, her smile disappearing from her face. I knew this was a bad idea."Um, never mind. Please forget I asked, I understand
Ximena's POV "I can help you for a small price," I turned my head towards the person.Alberto Miles Lucas.I raised an eyebrow, glaring at him. He was studying me from top to bottom, and the most bothersome part was that he was licking his lips. Oh Lord, what have I gotten myself into?"What do you mean?" I inquired, standing up.He reached out his hand and ran it through my hair. He licked his lips and smirked. "How about we put Adeline in her place?" he breathed in my hair. "We can work together, you know?""Get your hand of me!" I swatted his hand away from my hair. "Are you intoxicated, Alberto? Do you realize you are speaking with your cousin's wife?" I challenged, shooting daggers at him.He chuckled. "You and I both know you don't view him as your husband. And it so happens that you two share mutual feelings," he stated."Leave my room!" I groaned, pointing at the door."Playing hard to get? You and I both know you require me. Just say it. When you come to your senses, you know
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
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
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