I'm in the backseat of Damien's car.He has a new driver. I won't even bother asking what happened to Hans. I don't think I want to know. Now that I told him about everything, I feel a little better. I got it out of my chest. He has no idea of who this brother of his might be, but I have no doubt in my mind that he'll want to figure this out. I'm not too concerned about that, however.What I want is for him to get rid of Ferdinand.I need that man out of my life.He's caused enough trauma to my mother, and he's using her life to get me to do whatever he wants. I can't keep living like this. I can't do whatever he pleases; I'm not a puppet.Some days, I can't believe he's my father.This has been a never-ending nightmare ever since Damien found out the truth. But he surprised me tonight, I won't lie. However, I expected this. It's the only reason why I decided to risk it, why I didn't turn back when he stepped inside the shower. I knew that he wanted me, that he'd somehow figured it ou
Damien has never been this furious in all his life.He's still registering everything Amelia told him. It sounds like something straight out of a horror novel. He wonders how the fuck his father got Daisy George pregnant and no one in the family ever found out about it. His mother was aware of each and every one of his affairs, that's what Theo said. She was their mother's confidant. Perhaps he'll ask her about this. He'll also have to talk to Ethan. Maybe he knows something, too, but he sincerely doubts it. Ethan wouldn't have known and not told him about it.That's just not how their relationship works.He sits back and relaxes, and allows himself to think about Amelia for a moment before he goes home. He didn't see that coming, that's for sure. When he saw her at the club, she was still furious. He could see it in her eyes, they never lie. So seeing her in his bedroom was the last thing he expected. He could sense that she was being sincere about the way she felt about him, and he
"Don't forget to smile," Ferdinand says to me as we climb out of the car. I roll my eyes when he isn't looking.It isn't enough that I have to be here against my will? I'm reaching my limit. I don't know how long I can keep living like this, doing as he pleases. I'm an adult, yet I can't make my own choices. Every time I look at him, I feel disgusted. Whenever I remember what mom told me last night, I feel like killing him.I saw her earlier at the hospital. She's getting better, and the doctor said she would be discharged tomorrow morning, but I could tell that she didn't like hearing that at all. She doesn't want to leave. I can only imagine how hard all of this is for her, and she still had to pose as Ferdinand's wife the other night and I crucified her for it. She's been making sacrifices her entire life; she had to giver her newborn son away to keep him safe. If that isn't strength, I don't know what is.I'm worried about her, though. Her health is deteriorating, it has since Aar
It really is Devon.He's right where the waiter said he would be. It seems like he's going to be rescuing me from these 'events' often. It happened the last time, too. I wonder if he sensed that I needed to get away from that place and those uppity people. In any case, I'm so grateful that he's here. I'll even forget all about him not telling me the truth. I'm letting go of my anger towards him. It's in the past.He sees me approaching and says, "Get in the car. We'll talk once we're away from this place. There could be people watching."I don't give Ferdinand a second thought as I climb inside Devon's car. There's a terrible pain in my chest that won't go away. I can't stop imagining the two of them together in that dark corridor, lips locked. She was pressed against the wall, he was holding her arms. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.Devon speeds away from the parking lot. I breathe a lot easier now that I'm out of that restaurant. I think of my brief encounter with Ethan. He wa
Ethan shakes his head as he watches the spying cunt drive away with that fuck that hired her.She had him fooled for a minute—she's good at that—but this has shown him that she's an excellent actress. She looked hurt when he mentioned Damien and Kathy, and their son, but that must've been an act, because what is she doing with him? Maybe she never stopped spying. Maybe she's trying to find a way to get to Damien again. He needs to figure out if Damien's seeing her again. It's possible—his cousin transforms into an absolute dick when he's infatuated.He tosses the butt of his cigarette in the bushes. He's going back inside. He intends to find Damien and get the fuck away from this place. He doesn't give a fuck about Robert Dean, and he most certainly doesn't like being surrounded by hypocrites. That's what they all are—fucking hypocrites. They'd all kill each other, if the opportunity presented itself. This little gatherings serves to create the illusion that they're all united and on
I don't kiss him back at first.My lips just won't move. I'm so shocked that this is happening, that he's kissing me and holding me close. I break the kiss before he deepens it. "Devon, no."He holds me close, not letting me take a step back. "Why not? You want this. I can practically smell your need.""This isn't right," I say. I've known him for so long. He was Aaron's friend. This is wrong, so wrong. Yet, I don't say this with conviction, and I think he senses it. He always does."We're adults," is his response. "I want you, I'm not going to stand here and fucking lie through my teeth. What's the matter? Is it that Keller fuck?"I frown and immediately say, "No," even though it is. Of course it's him, and I hate that. He was kissing that woman, the supposed mother of his child. I feel used, and I don't want to feel that way. I can tell by Devon's heated kiss that he wants me, so why not? Why should Damien be the one to call the shots? Why should I suffer when he doesn't give a fuck
I open the door to my mother's room and I see Ferdinand standing beside her.Her eyes are wet with unshed tears, and she snaps her head in my direction sharply. His eyes are narrowed and his brows are furrowed. I pause at the door momentarily before closing the door. "What are you doing here?""You seem to like disobeying me," he says. "You get it from her."I look at my mother briefly. She's stiff, and her lips are pressed together. "What did he say to you? Did he threaten you?""I told you not to leave." He's standing upright, like a soldier. "You can't keep doing as you please. Do you really think I won't follow through with what I said?""You can't do anything to her, not in here." I say this, but I'm not so sure. I don't like the energy he's exuding. I look at my mother again, but she's not trying to communicate with me at all. What's going on here?"Don't be so sure." He reaches inside his blazer and retrieves a shiny revolver. My heart sinks. He presses it to my mother's temple
Gary takes a seat in front of Damien.He gets fatter by the week, it seems. That's something Ethan would say to his face, if he were here. He left after making it clear that he wasn't in agreement with Damien regarding this brother of theirs.Damien didn't expect this from him.His father had numerous affairs over the years, but he's never fathered a child out of wedlock. This son he had with Daisy is absolutely unexpected. Perhaps he's the reason why his father chose to be careful with other women? Damien wonders why he didn't interfere. Why didn't he save his son from Ferdinand? Damien can't understand for the life of him. The man he knew would never let Ferdinand Cooper kill his son. A Keller is a Keller. He taught him these words, made him repeat them out loud for everyone to hear. It's the reason why he never abandoned Kathy, why he kept supporting the boy even though he never met him.A Keller is a Keller.Blood will always be blood.Yet he left his son to die, his firstborn son
Six months have passed.They've been peaceful and for the most part, quiet. Tremendously busy, but I'm used to that part now. Working alongside Damien is the best part about it. I get to be with him all day and make sure that he isn't exerting himself. He has a lot more work now; he had to take over Ethan's duties. Theo helps, but there are certain things only Damien can handle. When Ethan was here, he took care of it, but he's been gone for half a year and there's no one capable enough to replace him. I think that deep down, Damien doesn't want anyone to take over Ethan's job, but he'll never admit it out loud. I help him whenever I can. There's a lot I still don't understand, but I'll get there.It's only a matter of time.He doesn't ever ask me to go home when there are people coming over to meet with him. We never talked about what happened with Ash, but it changed a lot of things. I gained some respect after I killed him. I see it in the way people look at me whenever we're at so
I help him peel his blazer off.This day has been mentally exhausting for him. He rarely leaves the office early, but I'm glad he did today. I'm glad, because at least we have the whole day ahead of us. It's going to be just the two of us. Theo rarely comes here, she prefers to stay in the city. It's closer to everything else. I love it here, because it feels like we're all alone in the world. I stare out the window and all I see is the vast sky, green hills, nature. I don't even see the guards surrounding the house. They're invisible to me.It's peaceful here, and breathtakingly beautiful. It's home. I understand why Damien is so attached to this place. It's not simply because he grew up here. I feel safe, here, untouchable. The first time I was here, I felt like an intruder. Our relationship was so different back then, I can't help but marvel at how everything is so different now. I never would have guessed that we'd end up here, closer than ever, madly in love. We've come a long wa
Today's an important day.I've been on edge all morning. Damien has called for a Keller family meeting. We're all going to be there, including Ethan and Penelope.He announced that there'd be a meeting only last night during dinner, and he asked Theo to give Ethan a call. I was startled by the news and so was she. He didn't tell me what he'll say to Ethan, but we can guess what it is. He wants closure. Ethan owns a third of everything, and that matter needs to be resolved. I doubt that Damien will allow him to return to the company. I just don't see it happening. Ethan himself never mentioned it to Theo, not that he'd dare to.Theo told me that he's out of the hospital. She said he hasn't left the country yet because he wants to see Damien first. Damien, however, wanted nothing to do with him until yesterday. He's asked after him, but he didn't want to see him. He's still hurt by what Ethan did to us, his betrayal is a wound that will never quite heal for him. And if it ever does, it'
I'm afraid of opening the door.I've been standing here for a full minute with my heart in my throat. My hand is on the knob, ready. I can't bring myself to turn it, though, simply because I know that Damien's on the other side. There's a lot we need to talk about, so much in fact that I wouldn't know where to start.I hold my breath and close my eyes. I've been standing out here for too long. I remind myself that he's my husband, he's the man I love, and we'll get through this. We'd get through anything together. I've been in a far worse position before. This time, I was actually focusing on the well-being of our family.I open the door slowly.Only the bedside lamp is on. I see him right away; he's seated on the couch across his bed. He's staring out the window with a distant look in his eyes. I take a few steps towards him, my eyes on his handsome face. My heart's thumping against my chest. I'm overcome with emotion, but I put a hamper on them for now. He's a little pale, I notice
Amelia's going to hate him for this, but that's okay, because he doesn't plan on ever seeing her again.He means it this time. He's done with this shit. He had his chance, he fucked it up a hundred years ago. It's time to get over it. If there was ever a part of him that thought he'd get a chance with her, that part of him died a while back. She loves Damien Keller. He lost her a long time ago. That doesn't necessarily mean that he's content with the outcome, but he'll admit defeat. Staying here is slowly killing him.She's going to be alright. Leaving her back there was a dick move, sure, but he stands by what he said to her; when everyone finds out that she did it, there will be no revenge. He helped her along the way, but no one needs to know that. The Huntingtons won't dream of touching her, especially when the truth about Damien comes out. It would be an entirely different story with him.He glances at his watch. Five more minutes in there and he'd miss his flight. He can't miss
I've never been so glad to see him in all my life."Devon," I say, the word a gasp. "How did you—"He doesn't let me finish. "Did he hurt you? Are you hurt?"I shake my head. "No, but how did you—""I'll explain later," he assures me. "Right now, we've got to get this asshole tied to that chair. Quickly, before he wakes up. Bring that chair over there. I have rope under the bed."I grab it and Devon grabs a duffel bag from under the bed. He opens it and fishes out rope and a couple of knives. He's been lying under the bed the entire time. It's clear that he planned this thoroughly.He didn't abandon me. He said he'd help me kill Ash and here he is. I tell him, "I thought you weren't going to show up. I thought you tricked me.""I don't blame you for assuming the worst," he says, looking up at me. His eyes are glinting with mischief and something else, something I won't dare name. He points at my gun. "You know how to use that thing?"I stare at it. "Yes."He's watching me intently. "A
It's quarter to midnight.The clock is ticking and my heart is racing. I'm ready, my small gun is hidden in my underwear. I've made sure to wear an extra tight pair just for the occasion. The dress is scarlet and flowy, perfect for tonight.I'm waiting for him in the lobby. This time, I'm early. It makes me feel more in control of the situation even though that's far from the truth. I take a small sip of champagne and look back at the entrance. My heart's in my throat, making it hard for me to breathe. I have to remain cool, though. There's a lot at stake.Everything depends on this."Anything else?" the bartender asks me while pouring someone else a drink. I shake my head, I can't even speak at a time like this.I'm taking another sip of champagne when I finally spot him. There are two men walking behind him. He's saying something to them as he looks around. For me, no doubt. I fix my gaze on him and hold my breath as I wait for him to see me. He doesn't, which is fairly disappointin
"Leave," Damien says to the nurse. She scurries out of the room as soon as he mutters the word.He's in a terrible mood and he doesn't want anyone around him. He has finally moved from that awful, desolate place and he's home. He made sure that they didn't change any decorations. They lost a lot of antiques and furniture that was in their family for decades, but he's made sure that everything else remained the same. He's sure that he'll recover in no time here, he already feels better. He's not in bed, he's sitting on the sofa beside his bed. He's supposed to be resting, but he's done enough of that.He can't sleep when he's worried sick about Amelia.The fact that no one gives him any news is a bad sign as it is. They're hiding something from him, he can feel it. The last time he spoke to her, she told him that she wasn't going to turn back, that she'd go ahead with the plan. He has no idea of what her plan might be, but he knows it won't be anything he'll agree with. He wonders if p
I can't stop chewing my thumbnail.I force myself to put my hand down. I'm in agony; I don't know what to do and I'm running out of time. I'm supposed to be meeting Ash tonight. This was supposed to end it all, according to Devon, but he let Ethan go so what happens now? The only reason why I'm agreeing to everything is because of him. It isn't, but that's what Ash thinks. Am I still expected to show up? Why would he do this?I can't figure it out.I wish I had a way of contacting Devon to let him know that everything went to shit, but I don't have his number. I don't know where he's currently residing. I don't think I'll be seeing him anytime soon; tonight, maybe but not earlier. In the meantime, what do I do? I can't ask anyone's advice. My family is against me entirely. Theo probably thinks that our negotiations with Ash have come to an abrupt end, but she doesn't know half of it. I'm planning on killing him once and for all, I made a promise to myself that I would.For Damien.I h