JULY 2022DAX'S POVI knew that Lana and my brother were once lovers. I knew the day I decided to sign the contract with her since I already had people dig up her past and everyone she had been with. I knew that signing the contract with her would not only make things awkward between my brother and I, but I knew that I also wanted her. The thought of them being in the same room together somehow seemed to hurt my feelings more than I thought it would. Even when I realized that what I had done might end up badly someday, my curiosity to be with her for my brother to see felt satisfying. And when I finally had her, I wanted her to myself. I wanted to keep her to myself and never think that she could be with anyone else, but me. She was exactly right for me. She felt made for ONLY me. And I wanted her to profess that only I was allowed to enter her and make love to her. But when she called my brother's name when we were about to make love, it felt like a punch in the gut. I wanted that
LANA'S POVMy head felt heavy as I opened my eyes slowly to a white ceiling and white walls, and then a beeping machine by my side. I knew exactly where I was. The place was quite familiar, and I could feel the drip middle that was connected inside my inner elbow. I groaned in distress. Dax and this unknown doctor rushed to my side. And then Xavier on my other side. I sighed, disappointed that I wasn't dreaming. It was true that they saw the video tape together. In my mind, I was convinced that Dax was going to cancel my marriage contract with him. "You're awake." Dax beamed by my side. "You gave us a scare." Xavier jumped in. I looked between them and just wished that I hadn't woken up yet. I saw my shame in their eyes. Xavier didn't seem bothered to see me after seeing the video tape we had. He seemed very relieved and happy to see me. I mean, that was expected of him. If this was going to destroy Dax and I, he was going to be over the moon. "How do you feel, dear?" The doctor
LANA'S POV"There's a sex tape of you?"I looked at them in horror, my eyes filling up with tears. "Show us the video, Lana." Dax roared, his eyes burning with anger. They stood up and looked at me expecting me to show them the video. "The video is- is of me and..." I looked at Xavier, "Xavier."They looked at each other. They looked confused at first, and then their countenance changed to anger. I still did not understand why they were acting so strange. They were both mad instead of Dax being the one to burst about the video and curse at me and Xavier. I expected him to even storm out of the room after telling me on my face that the contract deal was off."When was the video taken?" Xavier asked. I swallowed hard. "2 years ago, before you left college." "Tell me you know the sick fuck who sent you that video?" Dax snapped. "Is it leaked?" Xavier asked, going through his cell phone."I think Sasha sent it to me." I confessed, taking out my cell phone to show the video to them.T
LANA'S POVAs we entered inside the house, Dax let go of my hand before I awkwardly let go of Xavier's. My heart was pounding hard against my chest because I knew that something was going on. I didn’t want to think what I was thinking without hearing everything from them first. But something was wrong somewhere. Dax allowed Xavier to hold my other hand while he held the other, that was very strange. Dax's relaxion about his brother's behaviour made me nervous, and I had to ask. "What's going on? You both came to get me from the clinic, and now you were both holding my hands. Is there something that I should know?"They turned around and looked at me. And then at each other. It was as if they were communicating something between them that they didn't want me to know. Xavier took a step forward and cleared his throat. "Take a seat, we will explain everything to you." He answered. I furrowed my eyes in confusion. "You're scaring me. What's this about?" I got even more anxious.I did n
LANA'S POV19 YEARS AGO..."Amalah, come down already!" My mother's voice called from the living room. I was still in front of the mirror, fixing my hair. "Coming, mom!" I answered, trying as much as I could to be quick enough. My mother made my hair, but I wanted it to be perfect. I was 5 years old. I loved to see flower decorations in my hair whenever we went out. It reminded me of my grandmother before she passed on. She used to tie her hair up with flower ribbons when she was little. My mother had an album of her pictures when she was my age.Her face was not vividly clear in my mind, but I missed her so much. She was the only person closest to my heart like my mother was. She made me laugh all day. She knew my favourite dish and always made sure that I was fed and full. My father was driving that day when we were going to town. They usually took me with them when they wanted me to get dresses for myself and toys. As usual, I was sitting in the backseat, holding my teddy bear cl
LANA'S POV After hanging up the call, I sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. I wanted to control my breathing because my heart was beating fast. Amalah James was in my past and I didn’t want to go back there. It took me years to forget about her and start my life afresh. It required me to attend countless therapist sessions at my school to be where I am today. Even after the day I bumped into Pepper, I was not able to remember all the details because I had my mind wired to forget everything that happened before I turned 14. Nothing was ever the same for me since I moved to Highwaters. So, the thought of my past creeping up on me scared me. Just when I thought I had everything in control, this proved to be a setback. I just wanted to forget about Amalah James… ***The next day, I had rethought things and knew just what I needed to do. "Can I talk with you guys?" I said to them when I found them in the kitchen together. They were making breakfast, laughing, and singing
LANA'S POV"Should I carry you inside, or you're now sober enough to walk by yourself?" Dax said when we arrived outside the driveway of the Salvatore mansion.I just looked up at him, feeling my head getting lighter. It was weird. I wanted to fall asleep. I realized that I might have been sleeping all the way to the house, and he just woke me up when he stopped driving."Are we home yet?" I asked stupidly. He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Well, I guess I have to carry you inside, then." And just as he was pulling me out of the house, I realized what he was doing. I hated it when he treated me like a baby. As if I could not think for myself. I also didn't want to be touched by him anymore after he ruined such a fun day for me. He had no right to come out of nowhere and think that he can dictate my life. "Put me down, Dax!" I yelled but could not kick. I was too drunk and could not even lift a finger to save my life.He did not answer me. And before I knew it, we were inside the livin
LANA'S POVThat night, I couldn't sleep. No matter how much I tried to close my eyes and clear my mind of anything that could trigger my insomnia, nothing worked. My mind was racing. My heart was beating fast against my chest. I felt like I was going to get a panic attack. My hands were trembling. A lot happened during the day that triggered so many unwanted memories. I could not escape from my own mind.I was confused. Lost, and did not know how to make of what I was told about my real father. It shook me to my very core, and my mouth kept falling to the floor. It was hard to believe that there was a man out there who was a father I never knew about. I just had so many unanswered questions about how he even knew where to look for me, and how that orphanage was able to get my cell phone number. As much as I believed that my father had died, I still wanted to see this man. I wanted to prove a point to him and to myself that he had no right to come and make false claims when he was not