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
“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
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
"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
“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
“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
“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
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
PAST“I’m already here! I’ve done everything you said!” Stephanie fought the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. At 5AM sharp, she put on her most casual clothes and cover-ups so no one would be able to track her. She made sure to go to the airport quietly and leave her so-called family in favor of a better future. "You fucking told me that you’ll fetch me here yourself.” Stephanie’s heart was banging loudly on her chest as she tried to contain her emotions and the volume of her voice. She’s starting to gather too much attention. But how could she calm down? He told her to leave Keith and Raven. He promised her a secured career. A new beginning. And now…“You’ll be fine. I have my own shits to deal with. You’ll still be under my wing.” He responded nonchalantly and his voice over the phone grated her nerves. "What about your son, huh? What do you think will happen if I expose the news to the Desmonds that Keith is yours?” She tried her best to sound intimidating but the
BAM! BAM! BAM!"T-Therese...Please, I know you're in there. Let me in!" Raven slurred, his vision blurry because of the alcohol he chugged a few minutes later. Despite Jayce's protest, he found himself heading towards Aly's apartment and banging her gate. The doorbell was useless in catching her attention anyway. "Dude. Cut it out. What if someone sees you and makes a mess of your reputation again?" His best friend was having a hard time ripping his practically glued figure to the gate. He looked around to confirm that there are no prying eyes that would put them in danger. Jayce concentrated on pulling Raven's shoulders with all his might but the miserable man wasn't budging. "Fuck, you're as heavy as a boulder." "I need to...hick...see her, Jayce! I need to t-talk to my girlfriend! Hick!" Raven sniffed two, three times before wiping away the stubborn tears that kept intensifying his blurry vision.BAM! BAM!"Therese! T-therese, baby...Open the door and hear me out! I didn't do a
“Are you busy?” “Not really.” There was urgency behind Nelle's voice that Leonor found hard to ignore even if the line of the call was a bit choppy. Today, they had their daily video call at 9AM as the DesmondTech CEO was getting ready for his flight to see her again. He set up his phone while he had his things inside his luggage. This time, he plans to stay longer with Nelle in her hometown so it was given that he would need a lot of clothes to bring. A month or two...yeah, that would suffice his hunger for her presence for now. "I need to tell you something. Do you remember the man who attacked us with a gun?" Leonor stopped folding one of his jackets midway as he focused his attention to her image. "What about him?" Nelle took a deep breath before angling her camera closer to her face. "Well, it seems like the authorities have finally squeezed something out of him. He said he works under a woman named Stephanie White."He furrowed his eyebrows at the name. "Does it ring a be
"Ugh! Were you always this heavy?" Stephanie struggled to breathe as she dragged Raven's unconscious body towards the bed. Well, she realized she shouldn't be complaining when the drug worked wonders! Just one sip from the tea and he was knocked out like a horse in a tranquilizer. She took a mental note to thank that desperate man from Nelle's hometown. He was the one who delivered the drug she now likes to call the wonder sleeper. "Hngh! I..should have..." Stephanie pulled and pushed her ex-boyfriend's body until they reached the entrance of her door. Before executing her plan, she thought of asking one of her men for help but it was too risky to reveal such detail. If she wants to succeed, she must do this alone. "...led us near the bedroom instead, damn it!" She pulled up her curly hair in a bun when she managed to place Raven's body over the mattress, the foam bounced when she practically threw over. Wiping a bead of sweat that travelled down her temple, she proceeded to work
PRESENTRaven was in the middle of analyzing the latest data from their med booths when all of a sudden, his phone rang violently. He grabbed the device absentmindedly and looked at the screen to see an unregistered number dialing him.“Hello? Who’s this?” He furrowed his eyebrows as he continued browsing on the printed graphs on his table.There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line that almost made him hung up. Sighing in annoyance, Raven thought that it was just another one of those prank calls he often receives from random people."I don't have time for this. If you don't speak anytime soon, I'm blocking you." He gave the caller another second to speak. And when they didn't, he pulled his phone away from his ears and was about to finally press the end call button. "Goodb--""Wait. It's me....It's me."He froze. Slowly, he placed his phone again on his ear to confirm that he wasn't being delusional. "Stephanie? How did you get my new number? I obviously changed my ol
PAST“W-what…what…” Raven stammered as he held the pregnancy test showing two lines with trembling hands. His eyes flew open as he turned her head to an equally shaken Stephanie who was so close to crying. “I bet you know what those two lines meant.” She said as her gaze slid past him towards the window, a faint blush covering her cheeks. Raven saw the muscle on her neck contract as she swallowed hard. "I was just finding the right time to tell you..." "Since when?" "Two weeks ago." Raven felt a lump at the back of his throat. He took a look at the lines again and finally, reality sank in. He's going to be a father! God, he's going to start his family with the woman that he loves. A wave of pure happiness washed over him, causing his eyes to sting with unshed tears of joy. "Hey, w-what do you say? Would you like me to keep--"This is their chance to start again. Raven chuckled and rushed to hug Stephanie who was flabbergasted by his action. He was too happy, too shocked to notic
PASTSLAM! CRASH!Raven threw a glass of water on the wall, making sure that it was reduced to shards. He was buzzing with anger. Today, he caught Stephanie in the arms of another man after she promised him that she would finally change. That she would take their relationship seriously. It turned out that everything that came out of her mouth when they made-up was nothing but bullshit.“You told me you won’t do that anymore!” He screamed at the top of his lungs, his strong emotion getting ahead of him. He couldn't stomach the image of Stephanie making out with an older man just to boost her career. "I believe you! I can't believe I fucking believe you!" Raven was prepared to throw the second fragile object his hands would touch. But Stephanie suddenly matched the volume and rage in his voice. "For fuck's sake Raven! I told you I will secure this deal and that was it! Couldn't you be patient enough?! Now you ruined my one last shot at the show I've been eyeing since the beginning!"
PRESENT.“Welcome back to CelebTV, the home of the hottest and latest gossip in the world of famous faces!” The reporter exaggeratingly gasped for air as she covered her mouth and elbowed her blonde partner. “Have you heard about this, girl?”“What is it, girl?” “Stephanie White, one of the country’s most successful and prettiest runway models is back! After making names and stirring waves abroad, it seems like our girl would like to settle in the country for good. I swear to god, she’s perfect in every way. How I wish…” Therese grabbed the remote control and lowered the TV's volume as she scooted her back closer to Raven in bed. The reporter's voice faded in the background as her boyfriend snaked his arm around her naked torso. She could still feel the delicious ache in her muscles from their love making. "I saw your reaction, you know?"Raven sighed heavily, hiding his face on the crook of her neck. "What reaction?""Back when we had dinner and we saw Stephanie. You looked like y
From that point on, Raven saw red. “You motherfucker!” He yelled with his tone full of anger as he stormed inside and landed one solid punch on the bastard’s face. The force was so strong that the man instantly fell on the ground with a bleeding nose. "Oh my god, Raven, wait!" Stephanie's anxious voice faded in the background.When he saw the man struggling to get up and blinking his eyes rapidly as if he was trying to regain normal vision, the young Desmond wasted no time and took the opportunity to further his damage. He straddled the man while grabbing him by the collar. "You fucking stinky pervert....What have you been doing to my girl?!" He asked in gritted teeth and a pair of bloodshot eyes. It's ironic how he uttered such a question in hopes for an honest answer only to allow his body to move on its own without hearing him first. "Cough...cough...""DIE!" Raven kept punching him, again and again. He made sure that there are no surface of his skin that was left clean. His le