Welp, grief is funny like that.
“How dare you pull something like that?! You made me worried sick!” “Aww!” Anthony rubbed his right arm which Therese punched heavily. She didn’t care if he was sitting on a hospital bed with a cast on his left leg. She’ll beat him up for almost giving her a heart attack. “I told you…it wasn’t my fault. The nurse just panicked when I lost consciousness for like five minutes. You know how everyone is anxious here.” He defended himself. It turned out that Anthony fell miserably from a metal ladder while he was repainting the ceiling of the cafe’s bar. It wasn’t a serious accident, yet it left him with a broken leg. “Still…” Therese looked at him with worried eyes. Now that her head was clearer, her heart didn’t flutter anymore when Anthony flashed an embarrassed smile at her direction. The butterflies in her stomach were nowhere to be found too. Worrying for him is like worrying for a brother. She knew that now. “About the emergency contact thing…sorry about that. I did it when I
"You did a great job helping my best friend. You deserve a reward." She kneeled down, immediately flattening her tongue along his shaft."H-hah...I didn't do it only for Therese. 'twas for the b-both of them." He stammered when he felt her slender fingers teased his balls. "Mmmm. Since you saved Therese big time, I'll make you feel good tonight. I'm proud of you." His jaw dropped and his stomach flipped at her words, though he would rather die than let her see the effect of them on him. "Can we not talk about other people when we're fucking? You're gonna kill my boner."She giggled. "Aye, aye, Captain!"Jayce was by no means a saint. He had his fair share of hookups here and there, tasting the unique sweetness of every woman he encountered every chance he got and he adored all of them. In that sense, maybe he was no different from his best friend. After all, how did the saying go again? Right. Birds of the same feather flock together. But being with her was different.“S-shit…” H
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DETAILED NARRATION OF RAPE AND KIDNAPPING. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.---------Black Raven: What do you think about the dress?Me: It’s beautiful! But I told you, you don’t have to buy me something expensive. Black Raven: How about the birkin bag? The iPad? Did you like them?Me: Yes! But again, sooooo expensive T___TBlack Raven: Don’t you dare worry about money. You’re my girlfriend now, let me spoil you…mmkay?Therese heaved a defeated sigh before smiling from ear to ear at her exchange of message with him.She knew that if Raven is like this, there’s no arguing with him anymore. Although she would admit, her heart was jumping out of joy from all the attention she’s getting from her boyfriend.Boyfriend. The word sent her blushing like a teenager. What can she say? She’s just a girl. She can’t wait to see him and Keith again later. But for now, she has all the time for herself. “I think I’ll treat myself today.” She muttered to no one, walking around
Why are you ignoring messages? Did you forget that you still have another son? How cruel.Leonor read his text, over and over again as he swivelled his office chair. It’s not that he forgot about him. In fact, he spent every night being haunted by the ghost of him. He would never tell anyone how every waking hour of his life was nothing but a silent battle with monstrous guilt that kept eating him alive.He thought about it a lot. Reaching out to him and his sons' mother. Wondering about the person his other son has become. Asking them about the life they’ve lived after that…night. But, every time he tried to face his computer or phone to send a simple "hello," the force of extreme shame was pulling him back.Because how could he ever face them again after what happened?So no, he never forgot that he had another son. How could he, when everytime he looks at the empire he has built and the cost of his mistake, he was being reminded by the collateral damage he willingly stepped on with
2 Months Later“I wonder if I’m wearing the correct attire…”Therese bit her lip while staring at her reflection in the mirror. She wondered if a backless, sparkly blood-red gown was enough to make her look expensive for the night. For the Desmond ball. If she was being honest, she was torn between looking forward to the event and dreading it. Because for starters, she’s never attended such an expensive, elegant party for rich people before. She felt like she would just embarrass herself with her lack of finesse or be out of place due to her clumsiness. But on the other hand, she was excited to feel pretty too! Just the other night, Raven told her that he can’t wait to flex her as his girlfriend. He couldn’t wait to show the world that he had the most beautiful woman as a date for the night. She remembered not being able to hide her blush at his words. Now, she was nervous. “Whatever! I’ll just fake confidence ‘til I’m not faking it anymore.” She mumbled to herself before slidin
PAST“Congratulations! You have twins!” When the doctor entered Nelle’s room, Leonor almost fainted in nervousness. But hearing the cries of his newborn babies were music to his ears. The face of the woman he loves was filled with exhaustion, yet he could tell that she was fighting the heaviness of her eyelids just to see their sons. “Oh my goodness, Leonor! They look just like you.” Nelle cradled the twins in her arms naturally, placing soft kisses on their foreheads with her eyes brimming with joy. Soon enough, tears streamed down her face while she smiled and looked up to him. If he was being honest, the fact that he became a father at the age of twenty two was not sinking in just yet. But slowly, the young billionaire gulped, reaching for the two swaddles with trembling hands. When he looked down to gaze at his babies’ faces for the first time, his heart found peace. Tears welled from the corner of his eyes and he cowardly sniffed them away.“We’ll call them Warren and Raven.”
“Think about my offer. I’ll only give it to you once.”Leonor pondered over his father’s words when he got home that night. There was a hollow in his chest as he spent the whole night looking out their bedroom’s window, like a fish stuck in a bowl. It was cruel.Looking back, he thought that the life he chose wasn’t bad. He had no regrets leaving his mansion in exchange for a smaller house with his wife and kids around. Hearing their laughter fuels him everyday and he knew in his heart that he would choose this over and over again, given the chance.“Darling…cough…” Nelle’s husky voice pulled him away from his head.Leonor rushed over to her side, soothing her back with gentle touch. “Hey, don’t push yourself too hard.”“Tell me what’s bothering you.”A beat of silence passed between them as Leonor studied her wife’s tired, sunken face. The moonlight from the window illuminates the love hiding behind the bags under her eyes. It was as tender as yesterday before her suffering came."Not
PRESENT, DESMOND BALL.There was the voice in her head again.“Ngh...I can't blame him, though. You look magnificent. I'm itching to ruin you."Therese looked around and focused on Raven’s figure beside her at the same time. The warm lights that perfectly matched her mood earlier were now making her dizzy. The music coming from the sound system became too loud for her preference too. Everything made her want to pass out.A few minutes passed and she realized that she couldn't make sense of what was happening around her. She just knew that after a strange man walked in, Leonor said something and exited the stage, motivating the guests to continue enjoying themselves for the night.If she could trust her judgement, she could tell that Raven barely moved an inch since then. “Are you okay?” Jayce was the first to notice her. “Yeah. I’m good.” She lied. She didn’t want to worry anyone, after all. “You look pale.” She believed him. Her skin felt cold but there was a burning sensation ins
It was chaos the moment they sent their feet off the plane. “Aren’t those the Desmonds?” They didn’t get to give them the raisin bread they bought on the way.“What are they doing here?!” Therese’s fruit basket lay untouched.“So they’re here to bring down our town with them in the dirt, huh?!”Keith’s chocolate cake that he personally picked for the people is now melted.“Mayor, what’s the meaning of this?” "We just saw the news! Mayor, what do you take us for?!"Instead of being greeted by warm welcome, Leonor didn’t expect that daggers and glares would be thrown their way straight at Nelle’s office door. “Listen to me. I have good reasons why I brought them here, alright? Let’s talk this out in a proper meeting.” Nelle pinched the skin between her brows. She was tired from the flight and this kind of greeting wasn’t helping at all. “Tsss.” Raven looked around his surroundings. If it weren't for the atmosphere that her mother's subordinates set on their family image, he would
“Are you sure this is okay?” “Mmmm. It’s fine. They’re all asleep.” Raven swallowed whatever protests Therese was about to say with hungry kisses. He cupped her cheeks and pressed their bodies together in the cramped space of the aircraft lavatory. It was hot, narrow, and thrilling. It was getting harder to draw a breath hearing her moans and feeling her chest pressed against his skin. The moment the plane steadied its flight on air, Raven secretly held her thighs on their seats before motioning towards the lavatory so they could sneak from his parents and kid. He pushed the small lock sidewards, making sure that no one would catch them in an awkward situation.He gave her butt cheeks a few squeezes, never cutting their tongues' circling motion against each other. Therese wasted no time and hiked her left leg up to snake it around Raven's torso. His knees pressed against her mound. He knew where to seek her pleasure."Ah!" A certain lewd sound came out from her when he carried her
“I’m so glad that you’ve been living in a comfortable house like this.” If it was a different person that said those words, Raven would have felt irritated. But hearing his mother’s voice devoid of any sarcasm or mockery made all of his emotions mix together in a whirlpool of joy and guilt. If he was being honest, he had already forgotten how sweet her voice was until he heard it again now. "It's not a big deal, mom." That must be the wrong response."It is for me! I needed to know that my son was doing well in my absence." He swallowed hard. How could she look at him with the same loving eyes? How could she not resent him?Her mother was oblivious of his longing gaze. Raven watched her side profile silently as her face lit up the moment she drank in his house's interior luxury. Her mother was a lot older now. there were crow feet in the corner of her eyes everytime she smiles that weren't there before."Have you learned how to cook?" She asked with a teasing grin when they reache
“A mayor in that small town, really?” He stared at her. He drank her long, brown locks and small dimples that appear just below the corner of her rosy lips every time she smiles. Nelle's cheeks were no longer hollow and the crow feet that rested on the sides of her eyes that weren't there before added to her aged beauty. She was as beautiful as the years they spent together. “Yup. I know I don’t look like the type so don't start with me."Leonor laughed. He laughed! He didn't know he still had it in him to laugh. Grasping his teacup gently while hiding his shaky hands was no easy task. He couldn't believe that his conversation with Nelle would be this easy, light-hearted, after all these years. "No. I just...you surprised me. That's all." And I am proud of you, he added in his head. He was afraid to blink for he fears that if he does so, she would disappear again. In his dreams, he often sees her wearing a look of contempt and hatred strong enough to torment him even in his wak
"Dad, is it true?""I don't know who leaked that fake news. It wasn't true."But people wouldn't believe them, of course.Raven gripped his phone tightly, a sense of little relief washed over his flaring anger the moment heard his father's reassuring voice."I'll meet with the team today. We've got this under control. You and Therese must lay low for now. Got it?""Right. I'll talk to you soon." He ended the call.Pressing his lips in a thin line, Raven headed towards the curtain-clad window where the sounds camera flashes and various media devices were heard. The moment that fake news broke, hundreds of media personnel immediately swarmed outside his house, hoping to land a statement from him. Their breakfast was long forgotten."Why don't I go out and talk to them?" Therese peeped at the smallest crack with a worried look on her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her face paled in anxiety. Raven closed the window entirely as he embraced her from behind. "That will not be a good i
1 MONTH LATER“Did you know about mom?” Leonor stared at Raven with an unnerving look he saw in his father's eyes for the first time. If he squinted a little, he could tell that he was sweating profusely under the collar of his suit. The older Desmond clenched his jaw. "Are you here to deliver some bad news?" This time, it was Raven's turn to gawk. His eyebrows were pinched as he opened his mouth to ask his father what he meant, only to close it again when he realized he must have the wrong idea. "Did you read in one of your brother's letters that something bad happened to your mom?" "No, dad. Listen--" "I reached out to her, you know." Leonor stood up and walked towards the window of his office. He hid his hands in his pockets while staring at the magnificent view of skyscrapers in midday. "When I sensed that things were going bad, I snuck out a letter addressed to them only for it to be sent back to me." His father's honesty caught his attention. Whatever explanation Raven was
“W-what? What do you mean I…I lost the baby?” Therese knew what the doctor meant. She was just not ready to accept the truth. Her lips quivered when silence met her question. She felt Raven snake his arms around her tighter. “The fetus was not strong enough to endure the stress that you’ve been subjected to. If you’re planning to get pregnant again in the future, I suggest that you take it easy.” The doctor said before excusing himself and giving the couple their much needed privacy. Therese bowed her head and let her tears fall. The pain in her abdominal area might have disappeared now but a different kind of ache sparked in her chest. She was a failure. She couldn’t protect her child. “It’s not your fault, baby. I’m here.” Raven pulled her head to his chest, letting his clothes get soaked by her tears. She clutched the end of his shirt as she sobbed the content of her hearts out in the open. "I...I didn't even think of a name yet and now, they're g-gone." Her own saliva choked
PAST"A letter from the other kid, madam." Leonor's wife rolled her eyes in annoyance. If her memory isn't deceiving her, she was sure that this was probably the tenth letter that Warren kid has given to the house, addressed to his brother. Over her dead body, she will allow Raven to see it. "These pests are getting on her nerves! Is it not enough that we've shouldered that stupid woman's medical expenses already?! Now, they're clinging onto us for more riches!" She rambled before stepping forward and pulling the envelope from the butler. She didn't bother opening it anymore. Lifting it in the air for one final judging gaze, Alliah was about to tear the paper apart when Leonor's voice echoed around the big room. "What are you doing, Alliah?" Her eyes widened in panic. A cold sweat ran down her spine as she forced a genuine smile before turning around and facing her husband. "Leonor! I didn't see you there." She hid the envelope behind her dress. He stomped angrily across the roo
The moment those words left her mouth, Warren wasted no time and sent her his address. First step of the mission, done! “Be careful on your way, if anything bad happens, you know what button to press.” Raven kissed her forehead and held her in a loving embrace to soothe her bubbling anxiety. Behind them, Leonor spoke the reassurance she badly needed. “We’ve got your back. You have nothing to be scared about.” He handed the recorder to be hidden in her clothes. Therese smiled as she looked around the space, seeing a few police officers setting up their laptops and radio frequency devices. Inhale. Exhale. She got this. They will take down that monster no matter what.“I’m ready.” —-----"I can't reach her. Do you think she will be fine?"Aly bit the corner of her nails in anxiety. She heard about the plan from Jayce. In fact, the two of them offered some help but Raven and his father told them to stay put for now. "Trust in them, baby. Therese is a strong girl. You, out of all peo