“Go and catch them!” Tina said, shoving Xavier toward the door.
Xavier realized he had to catch the twins quickly. He needed to get the photos deleted before they accidentally or intentionally ended up on social media. The last thing he needed was a scandal that could ruin not just his reputation but the entire Donovan family’s name. He could already imagine the headlines—disgrace, scandal, humiliation.
“Wait! Stop right now!” Xavier shouted, his voice a mix of desperation and anger.
The twins ignored him and continued racing toward their cabin.
After a frantic chase, Xavier finally caught up as they slipped into their cabin. He lunged forward and grabbed the door before it could close.
“Xavier? What’s going on?” Leila, standing in the middle of her cabin, looked at the breathless Xavier with surprise.
Ignoring Leila’s question, Xavier fixed his glare on the twins and said, “Your niece and nephew just took some very inappropriate photos of me. I need that phone. Now.”
Leila’s expression shifted to one of concern as she turned to the twins. “What? What did you two do?” Her gaze was stern.
The boy, still holding the phone, smirked slyly, though his bravado didn’t quite hide his nervousness. The girl, arms crossed, looked indifferent and ignored her aunt’s intense stare.
Leila sighed deeply, realizing the gravity of the situation. “Give him the phone, now. This behavior is completely unacceptable.”
The twins hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances and communicating silently. Then, the boy slowly handed the phone to his aunt.
Leila took the phone and said in a firm tone, “Why have you two been so mischievous? You used to be good kids. What’s gotten into you?”
The girl rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with the lecture, and said, “We don’t like him,” giving Xavier a sharp look.
Leila blinked in surprise and asked, “What? Why?”
The boy looked at Xavier and explained, “Because he looks at us with anger and hate. He’s so mean. No one else on this cruise dislikes us. They laugh at our jokes and pranks, but he acts like we’re annoying.”
Xavier shot the twins a look of frustration and irritation, choosing not to engage further.
Leila sighed deeply and said, “That’s no excuse for such reckless behavior. Apologize to Mr. Xavier, now.”
The twins exchanged glances but remained silent, their stubbornness evident.
Leila, seeing their serious faces, handed the phone back to Xavier. “Here. Delete whatever they took. I’m really sorry about this. I’ll handle them.”
Xavier nodded and quickly began scrolling through the photos. His chest tightened as he saw images of him and Tina in an intimate moment. He deleted each one, double-checking to make sure nothing was left behind.
“It’s done,” Xavier muttered as he handed the phone back to Leila.
“You should keep an eye on them. They’re quite ill-mannered,” Xavier said with a hiss before leaving the room without waiting for her reply.
Back in his cabin, Xavier found it empty—Tina had gone. He collapsed onto his bed and exhaled deeply. Just as he was about to head for a shower, he heard a notification ding from his phone.
He picked it up and saw a message from his sister: “When will you be back? I need to tell you something really important.”
Xavier read the message and tried calling her, but the phone was turned off.
“What’s going on?” he thought, feeling a twinge of concern. A shiver of unease ran down his spine.
You’ve heard of instant coffee, instant noodles… but what about instant twins? Yes, twins! In a twist of fate, two twins and one stranger are about to discover their lives are more connected than they could ever imagine. Curious? Dive into this extraordinary story and find out what happens next!
Xavier reclined on the sun lounger, soaking in the warmth of the sun. He glanced over at Bella, who was applying sunscreen to her legs in a two-piece bikini. Bella looked up, a curious expression on her face, and asked, “Where’s Tina? I thought you two were inseparable.”Xavier tilted his head and continued, “If you’re her friend, I figured you’d have a better idea of where she is. I just met her a couple of days ago.”Bella looked at Xavier with a playful smirk and asked, “Why do you always focus so much on Tina? There are plenty of people around who might offer you something even better. Why not give them a chance?”Xavier raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He chuckled and replied, “Well, if someone’s name starts with a ‘B’ and they’re wearing a flowery bikini, I’d have to say I’m all in.”Bella’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she tilted her head, the sun catching her sun-kissed skin. She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper,
Tina burst into the cabin like a storm, eyes narrowing as she took in the scene.Xavier, his shirt hanging open, belt unbuckled, stood there looking like a deer caught in headlights. Bella, panic written all over her face, was frantically trying to wrap the bed sheet around herself, but the more she pulled, the more it slipped, leaving her looking like she was fighting with a curtain.“Well, isn’t this just perfect,” Tina said, her voice cold and dripping with sarcasm. “Xavier, seriously? Bella?”Bella shot Xavier a desperate look. “I told you to lock the damn door!”Xavier, flustered and half-dressed, waved his hands in surrender. “I didn’t think the twins would just barge in—”Xavier snapped his attention to the twins, who were giggling like it was the best prank they’d ever pulled. “What are you two doing in here? This isn’t a game room!” He pointed at the door, trying to regain some control.The twins just grinned wider and, with one final look at their handiwork, bolted out of the
“Xavier!” Bella hissed, her voice shaking with frustration. “Why didn’t you lock the door?”Xavier looked up, his relaxed expression turning to confusion.“Why do you keep going on about it, Bella?”“You’re such an idiot sometimes!” she snapped, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.“We were—” She cut herself off, blushing harder. “We were having sex, and you left the door unlocked.”Xavier’s jaw clenched. Her sharp tone sliced through the room, and he felt his anger start to rise.“If I forgot to lock it,” he said coldly, “then why didn’t you lock it?”Bella’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious right now? You expect me to be thinking about locking the door when you’re the one who’s supposed to handle stuff like that?”Xavier stood up abruptly, temper flaring. “Oh, so now it’s all on me? You could’ve locked it just as easily. Why are you acting so helpless?”“Because of you, I had to face that humiliating situation!” Bella shot back, her voice growing louder.“You left th
Xavier glanced at his phone and saw Logan’s message flash across the screen."Where the hell are you, man?"With a heavy sigh, Xavier dialed Logan back. It didn’t even take two rings before Logan answered.“Finally! I’ve been trying to reach you for hours!” Logan’s voice was a mix of concern and exasperation.Xavier got up from his bed and flopped down onto the sofa, rubbing his temples. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been… occupied.” He let out a sigh, trying to shake off the stress.“Occupied? Dude, you’re supposed to be relaxing. I didn’t force you onto this cruise just so you could stress out over more stuff. You need a break.”Xavier let out a half-laugh, half-groan. “Well, it hasn’t exactly been the stress-free escape you promised. It’s a mess here.”Logan’s voice softened, shifting into his professional tone. “Okay, what happened? You sound like someone just told you the pool bar ran out of rum.”Xavier sat up, running his hand through his hair. “I invited this girl, Bella, to my room. We
Xavier stepped onto the deck of the cruise ship, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The cool night breeze brushed against his skin, but his mind was preoccupied.“Where is Leila?” he muttered under his breath.He looked around again, but she was nowhere in sight.“She said she’d meet me here,” he whispered, a frown creasing his forehead. “Or at least, that’s what the server told me.”He took a deep breath, his frustration rising, and turned back toward the interior of the ship. “Let’s ask the server again,” he said to himself, ready to retrace his steps when suddenly, a splash of cold, vibrant liquid drenched him.Xavier froze, his designer suit now soaked, the coldness seeping through his clothes. He looked down at the colorful water dripping off him in disbelief.“What the—?!” he shouted, spinning around, eyes wide with anger.Standing behind him, grinning mischievously, were Zane and Alana, the notorious twin siblings. They held oversized water guns, and the moment their eyes met
The morning sunlight spilled over the deck of the cruise ship, casting a warm golden hue on the calm ocean waves. Xavier leaned against the railing, exhaustion clear on his face. He hadn’t slept well; the night had been a restless one, haunted by the argument with Leila and the chaos caused by Zane and Alana. Every time he tried to close his eyes, those memories played on repeat, gnawing at him with a heavy guilt. Now, as dawn broke, he felt the weight of his thoughts pressing down, the peaceful ocean a stark contrast to the turmoil churning inside him.“Maybe I was too harsh with Leila,” he thought to himself, running a hand through his hair.Should he apologize? He knew he’d acted out of frustration, not considering Leila’s situation. With a deep breath, Xavier headed toward where he knew she’d be.Leila sat in a quiet corner of the deck, staring out at the horizon. The twins were nowhere to be seen, and Xavier noted the calm on her face, though her eyes seemed heavier than before. H
“You didn’t tell me, where’s their father?” Xavier asked again.He noticed a look in Leila’s eyes—something deeper than the words she was saying. It was as if the pain she carried wasn’t just from a stranger’s story. It felt personal and intimate, and it pulled at him in a way he couldn’t explain.“He’s living his life, unaware of his two children,” Leila replied, her answer vague.Xavier could tell she didn’t want to talk about the man, so he said, “He must be pretty irresponsible.”“I think so too,” Leila said, nodding.“You must love Zane and Alana a lot,” Xavier said.“I’ve raised them with love,” Leila continued, her voice soft but filled with emotion. “Everything I do, I do for them. They’re my whole life.”Xavier felt a strange admiration for her in that moment. Here was a woman who had taken on the responsibility of two lives, with no one to share that weight. He looked down, feeling an unfamiliar tightness in his chest.“I have a sister too,” Xavier said, breaking the silence
Xavier paced back and forth in his cabin, the weight of anxiety pressing down on him. Stuck on the cruise, with no way to reach Calla directly, an idea suddenly hit him.“I’ll call Dad. He’d know where she is,” Xavier thought, grabbing his phone. Despite their complicated relationship, his father, Thomas Donovan, had always been closer to Calla. Unlike him, Dad actually showed her love—though that affection never seemed to extend to Xavier. Their relationship was nothing but rocky, strained by years of bitterness and neglect.He dialed his father’s number, anxiety making his fingers move faster than his thoughts. The phone rang… and rang… and rang. No answer.“Come on, pick up,” Xavier muttered under his breath, frustration starting to build. He tried again, gripping his phone so hard his knuckles turned white.On the fifth attempt, Thomas finally picked up, his voice rough and annoyed. “What do you want, Xavier?” His words were slightly slurred—no surprise there.Xavier didn’t waste
The soft glow of the morning sun filtered through the windows of Xavier’s office as he sat behind his desk, reviewing documents. The silence of the room felt oddly suffocating today, as if the weight of something unspoken lingered in the air. Just as he leaned back in his chair to clear his mind, the sound of a knock at his door startled him."Come in," Xavier called out, his voice strained, tired.The door creaked open and his lawyer, Mr. Curtis, stepped in with a stern expression. "Xavier, I have something important for you," he said, holding up a letter, its edges slightly crinkled, as though it had been through a lot.Xavier's brow furrowed as he took the letter. "What is this?" he asked, eyeing the envelope, his fingers already starting to feel a twinge of anxiety.Mr. Curtis handed him the letter, his tone serious. "It’s a court summons," he said, taking a seat in front of Xavier's desk. "It claims that a man named James Tyler is asserting that Zane and Alana are his biological
The car pulled into the long driveway of Xavier’s mansion, its tires crunching against the gravel. Bella sat in the passenger seat, her hands resting over her stomach protectively. Her heart pounded against her ribs, yet her lips remained pressed together in silence. She was home. Or at least, she was back in the place she left to save her dignity.Xavier glanced at her from the driver’s seat, his usual stoic expression giving nothing away. “We’re here,” he said, but his voice lacked warmth.Bella didn’t respond. She simply opened the door and stepped out. The cold evening air brushed against her skin, making her shiver. This house held too many memories—some she wanted to cling to and others she wished she could forget.Before she could take another step, the front doors burst open. Two small figures ran toward her, their cries echoing through the night.“Bella!” Zane’s voice cracked as he threw himself into her arms.“Bella, you came back!” Alana sobbed, clinging to Bella’s dress as
The heavy sound of the front door slamming echoed through the quiet mansion, and Calla barely glanced up from the book she was reading in the living room. She knew exactly who it was—Drake, stumbling in with the unmistakable scent of alcohol on his breath. He had been drinking again, and she could already feel the tension building in the air.Drake wobbled into the room, his eyes bloodshot, his movements unsteady as he leaned against the doorframe for support. He let out a low laugh, clearly intoxicated. “Calla,” he slurred, his voice rough. “Come to bed with me.”Calla didn’t flinch. She had seen this scene too many times before. His drunken advances, his attempt to control her, to drag her into his world of manipulation and pain. But not tonight. Not anymore.“No, Drake,” she said quietly, her voice firm, unwavering. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”Drake’s face twisted into a scowl. He staggered forward, trying to close the distance between them, but Calla stood up and stepped ba
The sterile smell of the hospital room mixed with the dull hum of machines, creating an atmosphere that felt too suffocating for Bella to bear. She lay on the hospital bed, a drip running through the vein in her hand, her body still weak from the sudden collapse earlier. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her vision was blurry for a moment before it cleared. As she took in her surroundings, the reality of her situation hit her like a ton of bricks.She left Xavier's home, because he couldn't defend her. She thought that after the night of intimacy something had changed and she had gained some importance in Xavier's life. But the way Ember insulted her and Xavier remained silent, it made her realize she was wrong. She had no place and value in Xavier's life. So she left his house to safeguard her dignity. But even after leaving that place, she couldn't get peace. As Jacob didn't let her do so. He kept on pinching her ego and self respect so badly that her body and mind couldn't bear it an
When Xavier finally arrived at the apartment complex, he parked his car hastily, barely taking the time to straighten it. His breath was shallow with anticipation as he jogged up to the door of Jacob’s apartment. He knocked sharply, his mind already running through the words he would say.Jacob opened the door, a lazy smile on his face that quickly turned into a frown when he saw Xavier standing there, looking serious and determined."Xavier?" Jacob said, his tone cautious. "What are you doing here?""I’m here to take Bella back," Xavier said firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Alana’s sick. She won’t take her medicine unless Bella’s here. I need her to come back."Jacob raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You’re here for Bella, huh?" He stepped aside and let Xavier in. "I thought you were done with her."Xavier didn’t respond. He couldn’t. Not when the sight of Bella standing in the living room—looking weak, pale, and thinner than he remembered—stole his breath away.
The house felt like a hollow shell without her.Xavier’s footsteps echoed through the empty halls as he made his way into the living room. The sharp sound of his shoes clicking against the polished marble floor only served to deepen the silence that had settled over the mansion since Bella left. He had been trying to keep himself busy, trying to focus on anything other than the aching void left by her departure, but it was impossible.Everything around him reminded him of her. The warmth she brought to the house, her laughter, the way she had taken care of Zane and Alana with such tenderness—it all felt so far away now.He sighed heavily, dragging a hand down his face. But it wasn’t just the house that felt empty. It was his heart. He had tried to ignore it, tried to bury it under layers of responsibility and guilt, but the truth was undeniable. He missed Bella—more than he cared to admit.As he entered the kitchen, he found Zane sitting at the table, looking distracted, his eyes vaca
Bella walked out of the small bedroom in Jacob's apartment, feeling the emptiness in her stomach grow with each step. She had barely eaten all day, too consumed by the whirlwind of emotions surrounding her to care about anything else. But now, hunger was gnawing at her, and she hoped to find something simple to prepare for dinner. Her mind was heavy with thoughts of Xavier, Zane and Alana, and the life she had left behind. It was all too much to bear, but she had no other choice than to press on.As she stepped into the living room, she saw Jacob lounging on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV. The sight of him made her stomach twist in a way that had nothing to do with hunger. She knew Jacob wasn’t the kind of person she could trust, but she had no other options. He was family, and she had come to him for help.The moment he laid eyes on her, though, his expression hardened. He immediately turned off the TV and stood up, his voice laced with anger. "Look at you, Bella," he
Xavier sat at the edge of his bed, the room dimly lit by the fading afternoon light. He had been spiraling for days now—caught in a tug-of-war between duty and desire, between family expectations and the life he truly wanted. Ember's presence, her insistent demands, had made everything worse. But it wasn't just Ember that consumed his thoughts. It was Bella.The way she had walked out of his life, her tear-filled eyes haunting him, had left a gaping hole in his heart. And now, Zane and Alana's distress only compounded the ache. He wanted her back, but the guilt of his commitment to Ember gnawed at him relentlessly.There was a knock on his door. He didn’t need to guess who it was."Come in," he muttered, his voice tinged with weariness.The door creaked open, and Calla entered. She closed the door behind her and stood still for a moment, her eyes studying him. "Xavier," she began softly, "I need to know something."He didn’t look up at her, but he already knew where this conversation
The house felt unusually quiet after Bella left. It was as if the air had thickened, the weight of her absence pressing down on everyone. Ember, on the other hand, seemed to breathe a little easier. She had gotten what she wanted—or so she thought. She walked around the house with a confident, almost smug air, knowing that the storm she had caused had left a ripple in Xavier’s life.She thought now was the time. The time to make Xavier see that she was the one who belonged in his life. She approached him in the living room, her eyes filled with something between desire and determination."Xavier," Ember purred, stepping closer. "Now that Bella’s gone, we can finally have things the way they were meant to be."Xavier barely looked up from his thoughts. His mind was still consumed with the image of Bella walking away. He was reeling from the argument, from Ember’s cruel words, and from Bella’s decision to leave. He wasn’t ready for Ember’s advances. He wasn’t even sure what he wanted."