“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
“Let’s cut the bullshit, Warren. What did you do to Therese? What do you want from me?” Raven desperately tried to keep his voice low but his temper wasn’t keeping up. He saw a few guests raise their smartphones in secret to steal a quick snap of him and his brother. Once again, Warren took a sip from his glass of wine until the alcohol was almost gone. “Let’s just say I gave her a nice time.” There was a sinister glint in his eyes as he thought about the memoirs of that night. Anger flared in Raven’s chest but he didn’t say a word. He let his brother continue. “And what I want from you is simple. Everything.” “What?!”“Everything that you have. I’m going to take it all and ruin it.” His blood ran cold. How could he appear out of the blue after all these years just to turn into a monster? Raven’s chest ached as he thought about the older brother he admired when they were little. He gritted his teeth and willed himself not to lose his composure. That brother was gone. The man stand
“Hello. I’m your uncle Warren. I heard your name’s Keith?” Keith gawked at him like an innocent, little bird. He grasped the edge of his baby blue backpack strap so tight, his knuckles turned white. The kid swallowed hard in an awkward silence as he sensed something bad towards the guy. “Does dad know you’re going to pick me up?” He settled for a casual question.The kid looked around the school premises. Everyone was being picked up by their guardians. He wasn’t sure if he could call his uncle his guardian. Sure, he’s heard about his name a couple of times at home but this is the first time he saw him in flesh. He looks just like his dad. But there’s a different air around him and Keith didn't like it. Warren snickered before kneeling to level with Keith. He flashed his signature wide grin with his eyes disappearing as his facial muscles were lifted up. “Of course. In fact, he asked me to personally fetch you. He wants us to have our uncle-nephew time so we could get to know eac
“The DNA from the specimen and from the fetus’ blood is 99.9% matched.” Aly tightened her hand around Therese’s shoulders while the latter tried her best to not fall apart by the doctor’s words. She released a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Her fingers went cold and her whole body trembled. “That means that…that person is the biological father of your baby.” “I…I see.” There was a faraway look in her eyes as she countered her hold on Aly’s hands with the same force to ground her racing mind. As the two watched the doctor walk away, fresh tears of agony streamed down Therese’s face. She would never cheat on Raven like that. She knew she was taken advantage of. She was raped. She just has to remember when. "I'm so sorry, Therese. Let's go to the police...or let's arrange for your abortion. I will help you!" Therese considered her options for a moment, her tears continuously falling. If she was being honest, going to the police was as difficult as swallowing a jawbreaker c
“I knew it was the right decision for us to invest in your potential! You’re a lot more promising than your brother!” “Well, thank you! You flatter me.”“I’m looking forward to our future partnership, Mr. Desmond.”Warren flashed a victorious smirk at seeing his plan come to life. It only took a few bundles of cash and manipulative eyes before the stupid old men in suits were crawling on him, licking his feet. Maybe the way he painted his father's reputation played a role too. And now for the grand finale...“I don't normally show this to people, but...my concern about the company would never tolerate my brother's disturbing behavior." He feigned a concerned expression by sighing heavily. Warren crossed his left leg over his right, leaning back on his expensive sofa before pulling out his tablet and clicking the play button. The investors exchanged looks of confusion before they focused their eyes on the clip. "Goodness gracious!" “Oh my! Is that the supposed heir of Leonor?" Th
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
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
Therese stood in front of the mirror, admiring her dream wedding dress. "You can do this!" She encouraged herself to calm her nerves. Her hands smoothed the elegant pleats of her gown before they went to caress the beautiful bouquet that sat silently in her hands. A sense of overwhelming love and happiness flooded through her. At last, the day has come. She couldn't be more excited and anxious at the same time. But it's Raven who she's going to get married to. Nothing could go wrong. Time has already tested their relationship and she knows that they have each other for better or for worse. All she has to do is walk down the aisle and say I do. "Let's go?" Aly stood beside her wearing a proud smile while her eyes brimmed with tears of joy. She reached to hold her best friend's hand and led her to happily ever after.----Therese thought that she was not the emotional type. But as soon as their wedding song played and the door opened to reveal her groom, her heart clenched in an ove
2 WEEKS LATER“Please, come here…” Therese begged as she cupped Raven’s cheeks, ushering his naked body upwards to press over hers. Under the dim yellow lamplight, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Therese..." Raven uttered his name and she brushed her fingers over his cheekbones, nose, and lips, burning the image of his face in memory just in case she was dreaming again. Raven leaned down to capture her lips in a tender kiss. "I'm real. I'm here." He whispered in her ear before sucking on the column of her neck, making sure that she could feel his teeth and tongue on her skin.Therese pulled him down as he embraced him tightly. She buried her face on the crook of his neck, smelling his familiar scent that she missed. "Say my name again. I want to hear your voice." Raven brushed his erection over her stomach, making her moan. She closed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed by emotions and Raven was there to kiss them away. Two weeks have passed since he woke up. Two weeks since the
DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains mention of suicide and self-harm that might be triggering to some readers. Read at your own risk. 2 MONTHS LATER"Will you be going to the hospital?" "Where else would I be?" Therese smiled sadly at her best friend's inquiry. They were on the way outside the campus since they just finished their major. Aly sighed, avoiding the elephant in the room. "Jayce and I could take turns watching over him, you know? You don't have to push yourself too much. You need to rest too." Her best friend snaked her arm around hers as she looked at her with genuine concern. She appreciated her offer, she really did. But Therese couldn't bring herself to say that there is no better rest in this world other than being by Raven's side, awake or asleep. "I'm fine, Aly. Besides, his parents are there to take care of him too." Still, Aly tightened her hold around her arm. "Just call me if you need anything, alright?""Thank you, though. You've always been there for us...
"Clear...Shocking on three. One, two, three!"Therese followed the creaking sound of the emergency bed's movement where Raven was laid bloody and unconscious. Her feet numbed from walking and running all day. Her head felt like it was floating. Her heart..."Check rythm. Do we have a pulse?"Her heart sank to her stomach, making her feel like she's drowning. Therese watched the doctors try to revive her dying lover in slow motion. Two electric metal devices that she doesn't know the name of, pulled Raven's chest upwards again and again. And again. Yet, everytime...Raven wasn't budging. "No, no..." She shook her head as she clutched the handle of the bed as the medical personnel kept moving it towards the ICU. Her vision started becoming watery as the weight of reality slowly sinks in her mind. "Starting manual CPR now!" The doctor who climbed on the bed to pump his chest using her hands desperately clung onto the weak pulse point and his heart's fading beats. Soon, they placed an
BANG! BANG! It was almost funny how fast the turn of events took place. One moment, Stephanie was offering her son's internal organs to the man who lent her billions of dollars, the next, gunshots were heard around the yacht. "Show yourself, Stephanie. We know you're in there." She didn't know when they arrived or how they managed to sneak past her men but her ears weren't deceiving her. That voice was of Raven's. "Right, right...I'm here, you got me. Geez! No need to be so dramatic." She rolled her eyes before walking up the stairs, hiding her gun underneath her dress just in case. Stephanie showed up, hands in the air. A part of her was startled to see Raven and Therese with a bunch of officers guarding them as they rode three boats a few distance away from the nose of the yacht. Yet, another part of her had already expected for this to happen. "How did you know where I was?" She smirked mockingly, tilting her head to the side as she eyed the anxious couple. Raven dismissed h
“When is she going to get here?” Keith stared at his toy truck for the hundreth of time as he waited for Stephanie's promise. He still refused to call her his mother at this point. The small circular window that allowed the small room of the yacht to breathe was the only solace he had in his miserable days. At least he gets to see how the sun kisses the ocean good night."Have patience, my son...She'll be here soon." Stephanie entered the room, eyeing the untouched toys and food that scattered around. She took a step closer and knelt before his son who was pouting and glaring at her. "I'm not your son and you have said the same thing since we got here! I wanna go home." He protested bravely, throwing the truck on the wall with much force and making it break. CRASH! Stephanie's patience was wearing thin. She closed her eyes and held herself back from striking his silly little face that resembles his asshole of a father. Fuck, speaking of the Desmonds, why isn't Raven taking her b
“I’m way past revenge. If that’s all you have to tell me, you can scram away.”Warren laid on his prison bed, arms raised to cover his eyes. He contemplated Stephanie's words and their conversation when she visited him.Yes, he was an asshole but not the kind who will use his own flesh and blood for his benefit.He had sinned enough."Warren! Stephanie desperately called for him the moment he turned his back on her. The glass partition almost shook in the intensity of her voice and all eyes in the area was suddenly on them."Have you forgotten about me, then? Don't you remember how you left me in the dirt after you promised me heaven?!" She knocked her hands on top of the table as angry tears started forming at the corner of her eyes. Looking at the state she was in, Warren couldn't help the guilt that rose up his throat. "I was doing just fine! I was...Raven and I were fine. How could you barge in and tempt me with my c-career and..." Stephanie looked down as she bawled her eyes out
“Hello, you must be Keith!” Stephanie flashed a friendly smile towards her son, the mini version of Warren Desmond. And if she squinted a little, she could tell that his eyes were no different from Raven too.Well, it doesn't matter.What's important is the kid's uncanny resemblance to the Desmonds gave her the success of her plans until now. He would exploit it over and over again if it meant furthering her said success. She doesn't feel an ounce of love or attachment to her own son."Who are you?" Keith inquired, tilting his head to the side as he took a bit of his apple bun. After all, he is the product of all her past mistakes. "Oh, your father didn't tell you?" It was after school. Thanks to her men, she found out what school Keith was enrolled at. It wasn't easy. Being the youngest Desmond in the family, his security was top notch. It was a great challenge infiltrating his school. This is a one in a million chance that she must ensure the success of. Stephanie kneeled and r
As much as she tried to hold back her tears, her heart and mind wouldn't cooperate. "Hush, it's okay...I'm not blaming you." Raven gently cupped her cheeks and kissed the trail of her tears starting from her eyelids down to both sides of her nose until he reached her lips. The moment Therese tasted his tongue on hers, she gave in. "'Mmmm sorry. I'll make it up to you." She uttered in what she thought was the most genuine her voice ever sounded. She tangled her tongue with Raven, swallowing his every grunt and groan as she explored the inside of his mouth she once memorized.The rain should have helped drop the temperature inside the car. But it seems like their heavy and passionate kisses and rising body heat dominated the cold. Therese's chest and neck was flushed red while the tips of Raven's ears were tainted pink. "I thought I'd lost you." He mumbled between the kisses, snaking his hands around Therese's neck as he pressed her face closer to her, diving down to suck on the colum