༺RAYNE༻ “How do I look?“ I stand in front of Kim, my hip cocked to one side, one hand resting on it. I smile and bat my lashes, waiting for her approval, my fingers drumming against my hip, my shoulders squared. Kim gasps theatrically and puts a hand over her mouth. “Oh my goodness, dear! You are breathtakingly gorgeous! You're going to steal the show and make Mr Everhart forget his name!” she chirps, grinning from ear to ear. A soft pink tint spreads across my cheeks and I turn back to stare into the full-length mirror. I really do look good. I have a very long, silky black evening dress on, kind of like a ball gown, with a thigh-high slit that lets my long, lean leg do all the talking. The back of the dress plunges down into a very low, daring V, highlighting every slope and arch of my back. I smooth out the silk of my gown and put my mask on, a black velvet masquerade mask with pretty feathers and tiny, glittering gems stitched along its edges. Tonight, we're attending Sabrin
༺RAYNE༻ “The late Oliver Everhart, your son... was my father. I'm his son and your grandson.” The words of the waiter resound in the room over and over in the midst of the stunned, deafening silence. The atmosphere has immediately turned stiff and still, heavy and ridden with collective shock and unasked questions. Daniel is the first one to break the silence with a loud, bitter roar. “This is absurd! This is an insult! You think you can worm your way into our family’s fortune with this outrageous claim? How dare you?! You’ll pay for your audacity, you worthless nobody!” With no more than five long, angry strides, he closes the distance with Oscar and snarls, “Get out! Get out of our sight before I lose all control and rip you to shreds! There's no place for bottom-feeding leeches here! We already have one worthless freeloader siphoning off our family's wealth and we don't need another!” The last barb was a direct shot at Liam. And it leaves its imprint on Liam because when I gla
༺RAYNE༻ Yesterday was a scene straight out of a cliche soap opera like Leo said. Oscar showing up like that out of the blue and dropping a bombshell about being Lucas' long lost grandson raised more questions than answers last night. Lucas has decided to conduct a DNA test and even expedited the process, demanding results within the next 48 hours to put an end to the uncertainty. I heard it would be done in a very private lab to ensure the results would remain confidential. Oscar's DNA samples were collected last night and they'll be compared to Lucas' DNA, as well as the family's archived DNA records from Oliver's personal belongings. And now we're all waiting anxiously for the outcome. But no one is more anxious than Liam. He's been utterly quiet since we left the party after Oscar's whole earth-shattering claim. His silence screams louder than words, his eyes mostly fixed on some invisible point, lost in thoughts I can only begin to imagine. It's as though Oscar's presence has
༺RAYNE༻ “The DNA test results between Oscar Montenegro's DNA and Lucas Everhart's DNA, as well as the family's archived DNA records, indicate a...” Dr Samantha Gable takes a deep breath, her hands clutching the paper tightly. What on earth is wrong with her? Why's she stalling like she's afraid of our reactions? The suspense is killing me already and I'm not the only one. Someone tell this woman to spit it out already, for goodness' sake! Let's just get this over with. There's no reason to torture us with any more suspense. Dr Gable's eyes lock on Lucas when she finally says, “A match.” And then, those same eyes wander to Oscar. “It's a 99.99% match, confirming Oscar Montenegro as Lucas Everhart's biological grandson.” “What?” Lucas and Daniel say in perfect sync, their faces pale and their jaws slacking open. Liam just stays frozen, his gaze falling to the floor like he knew for a fact that Oscar's words weren't just empty claims and that the results would turn out to be positi
༺RAYNE༻ Lucas welcomed Oscar into the family, warmly and wholeheartedly. He pulled him into a tight embrace, apologized for never getting to know him and promised to make up for lost time. I could've sworn I saw a tear slide down Lucas' face that day, which was odd for a man who was always tough and mostly kept his feelings locked away. Him hugging Oscar like that was a beautiful, heartwarming sight. But I know three young men who'd blatantly disagree. When Lucas spoke to the family that Oscar was one of the Everharts now and that he ought to be treated as such, Liam, Daniel and Leo stared at the guy with pure hatred, like they wanted him to be dead for just existing. They all glared at Oscar like he was a disease infecting their family, their cold, hard stares boring holes into Oscar's soul. For the first time, the three of them have a common enemy. For the first time, the object of their hatred isn't each other but an outsider whose existence is threatening to reshape their fut
༺RAYNE༻ Days later... I just finished showering and I slip on the first nightie I can get my hands on, a short, soft, silky lavender dress. It's only after I've worn it, I realize how thin and transparent it is. My nipples are practically poking right through, very visible and my areolas are also noticeable too, dark rosy circles with a mild puffiness. My eyes bore into the mirror as I dry my hair with a towel and keep checking myself out. I've never worn this nightdress before. I think I bought it on impulse on one of my shopping sprees with Sabrina. She made me buy it. It's been sitting in the drawers ever since. A deep sigh leaves my lips as I think of Sabrina. It's been a while since we spent time together or even chatted. Ever since my memory loss, she's been keeping her distance. She came to visit me once though, when I was really suffering from amnesia but then I found her presence suffocating and overwhelming. We struggled to reconnect. She sensed my discomfort and detach
༺RAYNE༻ I laugh nervously, trying to cover my slip. “My instincts just kicked in. I think I must've learned it... somewhere.” I shrug casually. I have to think before I speak else Liam might figure out I've been pretending all along. I keep massaging him, applying gentle pressure on the soft spots in his temples. I feel him relax and flex his neck, his head lolling slightly as he lets out a soft sigh. His eyes drift closed, his breathing slowing. My lips curve into a smile. I'm glad I can help him relax even if it's just a little bit. As I'm working my magic on him, Liam nuzzles his face between my breasts and takes one of my nipples with his teeth. I shiver and giggle. “Liam!” He looks up at me, locking eyes with me but doesn't let go of my nipple. He takes his sweet time, sucking it and nipping at it with his teeth. I gasp and weave my fingers through his hair, pressing my chest to his face. The eye contact while he's swirling his wet tongue around my nipple and areola is insa
༺RAYNE༻ My gaze on Genevieve tightens, my eyes constricting. A fresh wave of anger sweeps through me, making my muscles tense, my fingers clench involuntarily and my chest heaves with agitation. What the hell is this woman saying? “Liam asked you to come?” My tone is ridden with scepticism. I scoff. “That's a lie. My husband would never ask you to come anywhere near me. He'd never ask you to set foot in our home.” “Oh, but he did.” She twirls her hair and smoothes it with her manicured fingers, leaning forward. My mind is spiralling with so many questions. Why did this woman show up out of nowhere after being out of our lives for a long time? Why is she here? Did Liam really ask her to come? Why would he ask her to come here without telling me? Why does he want to see her? It doesn't make any sense. I fold my arms and shake my head in disbelief. “I don't believe you.” “Believe what you want. I don't really care. Please let Liam know that I'm here. He's the one I have business w
༺RAYNE༻ Liam catches me from behind and wraps his big arms around me, his lips finding their way to my neck. My lips curve into a full smile and I lean back against him, my hand instinctively reaching up to hold his head. My heart does a triple flip, like a gymnast performing an impossible routine. It’s always been like this—this magnetic pull between us, the chemistry that could launch a thousand ships. He's really here. “Liam?” I breathe, not quite believing my eyes (or ears). I mean, how can this be? He's not back until two months from now. That's what he told me. But now, here he is, arms wrapped around me and smelling like home. He chuckles against my neck, his lips tickling the skin. “Surprise.” “Daddy!” Lucas squeals as if only just seeing him. Liam's arms tear away from me and spread out to our son as he leans down. Lucas jumps into his arms, giggling like a little maniac. Liam lifts him up and tosses him up a bit, making the kid laugh even harder. I just smile at the
༺RAYNE༻ FOUR YEARS LATER... “Lucas! Get down from the couch right now!” I shout, trying to catch my son's attention as he climbs and jumps around on the furniture in our living room. My little ball of energy is at it again. He acts like the house is his personal jungle gym, always trying to give me a heart attack with his death-defying antics. It's like he thinks he's part monkey. “No, Mummy! King of the mountain!” he booms, smiling and puffing his chest. “Lucas! You're going to break something, either the furniture or yourself! Get down, this instant!” I sprint across the living room, my feet pounding the marble floor. Lucas' loud giggles fills the room when he darts to the left, his brown hair bouncing with each jump. Just as I think I've got him cornered, he leaps on the coffee table and uses it as a springboard to launch himself on the floor. I swoop down, arms outstretched but he's too quick. He zigzags around the couch cushion, his grey eyes glinting. “Look, Mummy!” He's
༺LIAM༻ “You'll only get it over our dead bodies,” a voice booms from the shadows, making everyone snap their heads in that direction. Finally. They're here. Thanks to the distraction, I snatch the gun from the fucker who's supposed to keep me in check and point it at him. He staggers backwards, his hands up in surrender when I point it at him. “Took you long enough,” I say to none other than Daniel and Leo as they walk in. Both their heads are held high, shoulders straight and their faces contorted in rage. They take their places at my sides, flanking me. Sabrina's goons all aim at us, ready to fire but none of us are fazed. “Better late than never,” Daniel replies, his furious gaze darting between Sabrina and Oscar. “You turned out to be a bottom-feeding leech after all, Oscar, a worthless nobody, like I thought you were from the very first day I saw you. But I never would've thought that you were Sabrina's pussy-munching weasel, feeding off her cunt and her scraps just to kee
༺LIAM༻ “I'm here,” I rasp, holding my phone to my ear and staring at the papers in my hand. I've just gotten out of my car, now in front of a crumbling shithole of a building that's barely standing. It's the location I was given. It seems like a rat-infested dump with broken windows, rusty metal beams, and a door that looks like it hasn't been opened in years. There are overgrown weeds and trash around it, the perfect hideout for the sick fuck who's got my wife. I can't fucking believe that they'd bring Rayne to this shithole of a place. It makes my blood boil. The son of a bitch on the other end of the line, the same altered, robotic voice, chuckles and then replies, “Good. Now follow the lights inside. Walk straight, don't look around.” I do what I'm told. Not because I'm scared, but because they’ll harm Rayne if I don't. It's the only reason I'm not charging in and getting my wife out. It's the only reason I'm not burning this building down to the ground. And it's the sa
༺RAYNE༻Fuck! My head hurts!That stupid bodyguard hit me hard on my cheek with his freaking sledgehammer of a fist. I fell and hit my head on the ground. I can swear I heard my own brain rattle against my skull.I'd kicked him in his groin while trying to get away and that's what earned me the slap that knocked me out cold. Thankfully, my baby is safe, or so I pray, since I don't feel any sharp pains.Opening my eyes, I realize that I've been brought to an unknown room with dingy walls and a single flickering light. I'm tied to a chair with ropes too thick and rough to slip out of.How long have I been out? And Liam! I know he's definitely looking for me right now. My heart squeezes painfully at the thought that I might not make it out of here alive. That I might never see him again.I'm scared for myself and for my baby. After seeing how Sabrina disrespected Lucas and after overhearing her and Oscar, I don't think she would think twice before getting rid of me. She might not even ba
༺LIAM༻ “We've searched the entire building, boss. We couldn't find her.” Another useless report. I drive my fist into the nearest wall and clench my teeth as I feel my knuckles burn from the impact. This is nothing though, compared to the pain of not being able to find my wife. And my unborn child. “What do you mean you couldn't find her?” I glare at the imbeciles in front of me. “She's in the goddamn hospital, not a fucking maze! How hard is it to track down one woman?” The men around me look down, avoiding eye contact like a bunch of fucking idiots. Useless, every last one of them. I don't even know why I bother wasting my time with these incompetent fools. “Get out of my sight!” I bark at them. Pacing like a caged animal, with my fists clenched and my hair ruffled, my mind is going all ape-shit with worry. I'm losing my mind, in fact! Everything was fine minutes ago. Rayne went back to my grandfather's room to get her purse while I answered a call from the office. I stayed
༺RAYNE༻ Lucas Everhart. The man who took Liam as his own and raised him to be the confident and successful man he is today. That same man is actually my grandfather, my only living blood relative. It still sounds unbelievable. I'm sitting beside him, holding his hand in mine and watching his chest gently expand and contract. The hospital monitors are tracking his every heartbeat. There are so many tubes and wires attached to him. The sight is heart-wrenching. “I just found you,” my voice breaks in a fragile whisper, “please don't leave me now. You can't.” This man has been kind to me since day one and now that I know I'm his granddaughter, I feel a deep connection to him. But Lucas... He's always felt that kind of connection to me. It's like he sensed it all along. Even Liam was stunned by how Lucas treated me. I still remember the old man's reaction the very first time he laid his eyes on me. He froze, wide-eyed and dropped his cane. Then he told me I looked familiar and asked
༺RAYNE༻ “Do you remember what Dr Gareth said about your HLA compatibility with Grandfather?” Liam asks, after keeping me in suspense for almost a minute. I nod and muse, “Yes, he said I was an exact match, 10/10 HLA compatibility, which is extremely rare, especially since we're not biologically related.” That's exactly how the doctor said it. But I don't understand why Liam's suddenly interested in that. Could it be that the doctors made a mistake and the transplant wasn't successful, like we all thought and Lucas' condition is worsening? Oh God! “What has that got to do with what you're about to tell me, Liam? Did the doctors find something abnormal in the tests they ran after the transplant, something that changes everything?” That has to be the only explanation. It's Liam's turn to nod. “Yes but it's not what you think. It's a lot more complicated. I don't even know how it's fucking possible.” He sighs and clasps both of his hands around mine. “Rayne, you're not who you thin
༺RAYNE༻ “Well, Doctor? What does it say?” My anxiety is killing me. Despite Liam's refusal and the doctor's warnings, I got tested for the bone marrow transplant. The results are out, apparently and Dr Gareth has been frozen since he summoned us all. “Are you going to speak or not?” Liam's impatient, angry voice snaps, making Dr Gareth almost jump. “Come on, doc, spill it already!” The doctor lifts his eyes from the reports and stares at me. “Ma'am, the results indicate that you are a match.” A loud gasp tears out of my lips. Even though I hoped I'd be a match, it's so hard to believe it. I'm an actual match! Liam's eyes are too wide, he's having a harder time believing it. And the same goes for the rest of the family. None of them can process it either—they're all stuck in shock, staring at me like I'm the miracle they never thought would happen. And I am. “Did you just say that my wife is a match?” Liam's face crumples. Dr Gareth nods in astonishment. “Yes, that's right. And