VICTORIA’S POV “Ms. Hayes…” A voice called out, but I was deeply lost in my own thoughts; everything replayed over and over in my mind. Lexie said she had broken off things with Damian, but that was so suspicious to me. It was too easy? I expected her to put up a more challenging fight, although I didn’t know if she truly loved him or was just after his money. She did seem really bitter that I broke his heart; I wish I could tell him the truth. And what she said about Damian not caring enough to let me know they weren’t together? It stung more than I wanted to admit. “Ms. Hayes?” The voice repeated, and I snapped back to the reality of the familiar voice. I blinked, finally focussing on the figure opposite where I sat—my doctor, Parrish. “Sorry, Doctor Parrish,” I murmured, feeling a bit embarrassed for zoning out like that. ‘That’s alright,” he said gently, but his eyes were sharp as he studied me. “Quick questions: have you been taking your pills consistently?” I didn’t
DAMIAN’S POV I sat in my office as I stared down at the stack of documents in front of me. There were contracts to approve, decisions to make—things that usually commanded my full attention. But as I read them, the words seemed like mere alphabets to me. Particularly because my attention wasn’t there, no matter how hard I tried to focus, my mind kept drifting back to the one woman who can make me feel that way... Lexie…. Her name echoed in my thoughts, a constant distraction that I couldn’t seem to shake off. I have been trying to keep her out of my head for weeks, telling myself that it was over and that whatever we had didn’t matter anymore. But did we even have anything at first? Apart from the contract and the sex? She wanted more; I knew that, but I couldn’t give her what she wanted. But every time I closed my eyes, it was her face I saw, her voice I heard. It was starting to drive me insane! Just then, the door to my office opened, and Cassie walked in. I barely even r
Hey guys, so this is a time jump to... Two years later. LEXIE’S POV I paced back and forth in the living room, in the house that I shared with Landon. I still couldn’t believe that a year had passed and I was now a mother. My arms cradled my baby as he wailed into my shoulder; he had woken up a little cranky this morning. I had rushed to carry him from his crib when I heard him crying; his little bonnet I used to protect his hair was lying on the floor; he had thrown it. I remembered when I took him to see my mother; she couldn’t contain her excitement. Despite how she was gradually getting her strength back, she still wouldn’t allow anyone to hold him except her. My back ached from carrying him all morning, but I couldn’t put him down. He refused to stay in his crib, and every time I tried, his cries would only grow louder, more desperate. And I guess all mothers could relate to how piercing a baby’s screams could be. I was running out of ways to calm him down; I just f
DAMIEN’S POV Time had flown by so fast, I wondered where it was running. Two years, and all I did was focus on work. I had put all my might into the company, so much that I got home late at night and still woke up early in the morning to drink whisky instead of coffee. I fell sick actually, and I was down bad. But I still got out of bed when I wasn’t supposed to; I couldn’t be contained in one particular space. The nurse assigned to me had been so stressed, Valerie had to move in for a while. Only she could partially handle my tantrums and disobedience of doctors orders. I didn’t attend a lot of parties; I attended more business-related events. But Dante came back to stay permanently in New York, and he made sure he dragged me down to the club on most nights. So having mindless sex was also included in my two years. But they were never good; none of the girls could be as good as Lexie. The soft chime of the bell above the door greeted us as Valerie and I walked into the
WARNING ⚠️⚠️ This chapter contains explicit descriptions of mental illness, drugs and depression VICTORIA’S POV It’s been two years, but nothing has changed. Two years, but all I remembered was being trapped in the jail my brother had set for me. Two years, and I had been totally disconnected from Damian. He wouldn’t take my calls, he wouldn’t reply to my texts, he didn’t even want to me, and every gift I send to him ends up back on my doorstep. The way my heels echoed against the marble floors was the only sound that filled the expanse of the office building, a place that symbolised my jail and everything I never wanted. The cold and harsh walls of the company I was forced to run seemed to mock me with each step I took; maybe it knew I had no mind of my own; I wasn’t my own person; I was my brother’s. I hated it here; I hated it so much. I hated how the walls, the interior, the people—how everything looked so perfect, so normal. It was a constant reminder of everythi
LEXIE’S POV It’s been two days since I saw him, the father of my child, the man who once had such a hold on me, Damian Valour. And I couldn’t get my mind off him; I even dreamt about him. Seeing him again made me realise that the saying was true—that the past could never be truly buried. But what if I could still change how things turned out? All I had to do was avoid him, right? It was easy. Anyway, I had woken up quite early because of Cam; he was the only one who had enough sleep after he succeeded in keeping me awake most of the night. “Cam, baby, you’re the one pulling your own hair,” I murmured softly in frustration as I watched my son’s tiny fingers digging into his curly locks, tugging at them with strength I never knew he had. His face scrunched up in frustration, and tears threatened to fall from his cheeks. Why was he always so cranky in the morning? “Oh, Cam,” I exhaled, before I gently removed his little chubby fingers away from his hair. It wasn’t easy—his grip
“Thank you, Ms. Sinclair. I’m quiet…” Before Roman could say anything more, another voice cut through the conversation with a smooth and commanding tone. “It’s quite a beautiful place you have here, congratulations.” I froze, The voice couldn’t be mistaken—the kind that had once sent shivers down my spine and it made my heart race—the voice that once made every fibre of my being fall at his command. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to stay calm and not to react. Fuckkk! I didn’t think he was going to be here; how could I face him? Without thinking, I just turned away and walked towards the nearest bathroom to escape. I didn’t even bother to excuse myself, and I was sure that Landon was startled, but I just needed to get away. My heart pounded in my chest as I pushed open the door and slipped inside. As soon as I closed the door, I could barely hear the noise of the event, and it was a relief. I needed to breathe; why wouldn’t the universe just leave me alone? Why bring
******************** I noticed that on our ride back home yesterday, Landon was quiet different. In fact, he was giving a totally different vibe all night, and I didn’t want to ask him what was wrong. Because if I was being totally honest, a part of me knew what was going on. But I couldn’t ask, because even I myself was feeling some type of way about last night either. Jenny did a good job babysitting Cam; they were both fast asleep when we came in yesterday. I checked his bottles I kept in the fridge; he had drunk most of them. Jenny fed him well too. Earlier this morning, Landon had suggested we take Cam to a children’s park. The idea of taking Cam out of the house didn’t sit quietly with me, since now that I was aware that Damian could be anywhere, on second thoughts I just gave in. The park was filled with sounds of laughter and play. As children ran around with boundless energy, their carefree joy just lit up my mood. How I wish I was a kid again, with not one wor