The next day went by in a blur, and Eve wasn't really aware of what was happening.The night Axel came to her room and gave the most horrible explanation she had ever heard in her life, she stayed up all night and did nothing in her room.In the morning, she had morning sickness so bad that she sat in front of the toilet for hours. Her stomach was cramping, and her legs were weak. She thought she was going to pass out because she was shivering from the cold in the bathroom, but she couldn't use her legs to walk. However, she was thankful that she didn't actually faint there because Cassy came and helped her in the nick of time. She helped her change her clothes because her nightgown was soaked with vomit that she couldn't stand it. It was a mess, and she was embarrassed about it. However, Cassy reassured her that she didn't mind, and she helped clean up the mess in the toilet because Eve had dropped a few bottles of soap as she tried to stand up by holding on to the toilet cabinet.Du
It was already midday when Eve came out of her room.Some maids looked at her with surprise, but they became casual after a while.The first thing Eve did was to fill her glass with water because she needed warm water if she didn't want to be nauseous all day. She saw an apple in the fridge, but she ignored it and quickly left the kitchen before getting more attention from the waitress.She didn't see Taylor and Cassy anywhere, and it looked like she didn't need to find out where they were.She quickly made her way to the back door and out of there while tightening her winter coat. She had brought a thick blanket with her because it wouldn't be warm enough if she only used her coat to run through the snow.The end of the year was fast approaching, and she could count on her fingers the days until Christmas.Her plans were a bit messed up, and she didn't know how to get back on track.Last night, she had called Kaira and said she was returning to New York and had lost her cell phone at
The dining table that night was full of food, and Eve was rather surprised when she saw that there was an apple pie there.Oh, her stomach churned, and she tried hard to keep the sound of her stomach from being heard by anyone—especially Axel, who was sitting at the head of the table.All day, she didn't see Cassy and Taylor. Even though she knew that they wouldn't be at the table during dinner time, honestly, she had a kind of hope that Axel would surprise her by inviting them all to eat together like a few days ago.Right after their conversation at the stables this morning, Eve decided to come out of her room at dinner time. She's not sure what she's doing, but right now, she wants to... try doing something new—something she never thought she'd do with all the perfect life plans she's had all her life.And getting up the courage to go back to dinner with Axel was the first step she took."Sit down and start eating, Angeline." Axel pulled out the chair to her right, and he had no ch
Cassy's words were still spinning in Eve's head even though she was very far away from her—far from Axel's mansion and now in the middle of a crowd she had never thought of before.Eve almost dropped her lips when she recognized the place—a nightclub that was the same as her first meeting with Axel one month.Just like her last memory, the club had a bar counter that greeted her as soon as she entered through the main door.Eve stopped there and ordered a whiskey that kept her drunk all night. She talked about a lot of things with Axel, and she doesn't remember any of the things they talked about other than the fact that she woke up in his bed the next morning.Well, back then, she wasn't interested in anything in this place, so she didn't think to go inside and explore every corner. However, tonight, she passed by the bar counter and continued to walk through the passageway that was so crowded with people. There was a dance floor in the center and a stage with spotlights illuminating
Eve remembers that the first time she knew Andres was when she was doing the last practical of her medical school before she finally took the graduation oath. One of Andres' coworkers had gotten into an accident, and he happened to be the one who drove him to the hospital.Their relationship went like many romance stories published in a novel. They got to know each other, exchanged phone numbers and fell in love a few months later.Her parents knew Andres well, and they couldn't have been happier to learn that she had an interest in a romantic relationship alongside her obsession with books and her studies. Andres was the only boyfriend she introduced her parents to, and it made all the difference to her.She had dated a few guys before Andres, but those brief relationships only lasted for a few months before she finally gave up and ended the relationship in the same way and for the same reasons. With Andres, however, things were different. He didn't make her have to prioritize their
Axel first held a gun at the age of 12—the day after his birthday. He got the gun from his mom's drawer and thought it was the coolest thing he had ever found on a woman's dresser. His mother, Beatrice Murdoch, was raised in a much harsher life, and she grew up to be a woman who was... awesome. Until the end of his life, Axel could never express how much he admired his mother, and that is something he regrets to this day. Long before he entered his uncle Rafael Wagner's ElWagner training center, he had received some basic training from his father, who was also part of the ElWagner clan led by his uncle. Throughout his life, Axel thought that he would join ElWagner and become one of the clan's secret leaders to replace his father, as he had no other siblings. Rafael Wagner had one son and one daughter, but his mother only had him, and he had been preparing to join the clan since he was 15 years old. However, years later, after a long training program at ElWagner's training grounds,
Axel knew that Eve's hands had trembled when she unbuttoned his shirt in a hurry. Her breathing was ragged, and Axel could feel her heart beating fast when his hand touched the tip of her neck. This was hard to believe. Axel could hardly believe that his hands were actually on Eve's skin, which was so soft. His eyes were still unsure of what he was seeing, but his hands assured him that he was actually touching Evangeline's body—the body that had appeared in his dreams every night for the past month. The long kiss Axel placed on her lips gave her the answer to what she wanted—what she needed. From the moment he touched Eve, Axel knew he had to be... careful with her. Eve wasn't the same woman he'd spent many nights with. She was... different. Only he had ever been there. Only he had ever touched her all over in the way she had always craved, even if she didn't really understand what she needed. He knew what she wanted, but for a moment, he tried to convince himself that she wanted
Eve didn't remember anything.She didn't remember what happened after she drank the glass of poison and... Axel grabbed her body to throw the glass and immediately carried her out to the car.However, she swore that she had to try hard not to scream when she opened her eyes and found that there was something—an arm that felt heavy when it was wrapped around her waist.Oh no...Oh no...This is a bad thing. Eve knew something bad was happening because she... could feel she wasn't wearing anything under the covers. She was naked and... someone was holding her.The last time she woke up naked, she found that she had given her first experience to a stranger she met at a nightclub. Then, this morning, she slept in her room at Axel's mansion and found that an arm was holding her. She faced the window and could see the light filtering through the curtains that were still closed.A memory formed in her head as she tried to breathe slowly over and over again—trying everything to make her a lit
Eve spent many years of her life thinking she might end up with the man who became her fiancé months ago. She never felt that there was anything wrong with her life or the plans she had laid out in her mind. Everything went normally, but perhaps she had to accept the fact that in her life, she not only had to face heartbreak but also witnessed a great betrayal that left a deep scar.Despite all the bad things that had happened in her life—loss, disappointment, pain, and sorrow that crushed her—he would never forget any of it. She would embrace every wound she had endured and carry it with her throughout her life, keeping a part of it alongside every happiness she might experience with the man she chose.And she was certain that happiness would be perfect if she spent it with Axel—together with all the flaws and scars they had faced together.The bright morning sun with white clouds adorning the blue sky was the best thing she could ask for on her happy day—one of the happiest days of
As Axel said last night, he had indeed been at her house since this morning. Eve had to admit that he woke up earlier and came to her house before she even had a chance to wake up.Well, her sleep was not as sound and easy as before—just as she thought last night. However, she managed to sleep by 3 AM, which was a decent achievement considering she once thought she couldn’t sleep until morning.“You always wake up late,” Axel teased her with a playful smile as he spread chocolate spread on his whole-grain bread. “You like chocolate spread, don’t you?” He asked while placing the bread on Eve’s plate.Eve knew her parents were quietly observing what Axel was doing. And it seemed they were also trying to find answers to their conversation last night—a conversation that was still not fully resolved.“The maid didn’t prepare much because Eve didn’t say you were coming for breakfast. If we had known, we would have prepared better.”“That’s not necessary at all, Mrs. Meadow. I like what’s pr
Eve still remembers every detail of the streets in New York even though it has been a long time since she visited her hometown. This place still remains a part of her life, although she realizes that another part of her life has settled in Seattle with all the complications she left behind.Her parents welcomed her as Axel's car entered the spacious yard of her family's mansion. There are a few details that are different from what she last remembered, but this place is still the mansion where she grew up from childhood to adulthood. She recalls every dream she once thought of as she walked through the mansion's yard. She remembers planning to leave her parents' mansion and live on her own—flying with her own wings.Now, she is no longer a teenage girl who carries a notebook everywhere to write down everything she wants to do. Now, she chooses to live freely—following whatever is in front of her and trying to get through each day with slow steps. Not because she has lost her dreams and
Axel seemed to have forgotten the last time he visited his parents' graves. He used to come here every time he visited New York on his birthday—exactly on the anniversary of his mother’s death. He would come with a single flower and place it on his mother's tombstone, leaving his father's grave empty because he didn’t know what flowers the man liked. After all, his father probably wouldn’t care about any flowers placed on his tombstone since the only thing that mattered to him was being reunited with his wife, Beatrice.However, this time, Axel did something different. Instead of a single red rose, he brought a large bouquet—something he clearly did not buy based on his own decision. And not just one but two bouquets with the same content and size as if they were intentionally made to be identical.“Ah, if Aunty Beatrice knew the mess Axel has made recently, I’m sure I’d see him scream in pain from pinching him. He deserves a spanking for troubling everyone,” Cailynn complained like a
Waking up early and starting her day ahead of her usual routine was highly unpleasant for Eve. If she could, she would have preferred to lie in bed all day, wrapped in her blanket. Sunlight was beginning to filter through the window, but she would have ignored it, keeping her eyes closed all day.Unfortunately, last night, she made a promise she couldn't break, and she had no intention of breaking it."Wait," Eve turned her head, somewhat confused, as Axel led her towards a helicopter parked on the mansion's helipad. "We're using a helicopter?""Do you mind?" Axel extended his hand and helped her into the helicopter, which was all black—a signature look for anything associated with Axel."I don't mind helicopters." She shrugged. "Aren't we taking Cailynn with us?" She furrowed her brow as Axel climbed in and sat next to her, closing the helicopter door."She's already there," Axel answered calmly. "We'll meet her later."Eve had no other questions to ask, so she remained silent in her
"It's funny because these horses look so excited when you come here and give them apples."Eve turned her head and saw Cassy walking towards her with a few apples in her hands, joining her in feeding the horses from a close distance."I often come here in the morning when I don't have work. However, they seem uninterested in my apples, whereas now I see them scrambling for a chance to get apples from your hand." Cassy extended her hand, and magically, none of the horses scrambled to eat the apples from her hand. "See? They really frustrate me, and I promise I won't come here to give them apples anymore," Cassy said while laughing briefly.Eve snorted and took the apples from Cassy's hand, then started feeding the horses.She didn't know how long she had this new habit of giving apples to the horses. However, she felt she liked this new habit very much. It felt delightful to see the horses in front of her finish the apples and water she provided."Winter is over. Don't you want to go h
If Axel had known that life would lead him to a complicated fate and life story, he might have chosen not to let himself get too deeply involved in a life he always called a duty. Whatever he did in his life, he only went through everything because he knew it was his duty. He never had the opportunity to make decisions, no one ever gave him a choice when Lucas decided to give him the leadership of the clan, no one ever asked if he liked his life full of dangers that always followed him, and no one knew if he wanted the life he was living. Everything that happened to him was what he could never decide. He got everything because it was destined for him—all the things he had to go through, even if he didn’t want them.Then, for the first time in his life, he let himself be immersed in his desires—something he longed for with all his heart and mind. Did he know that this desire would lead him to a life full of complexity? Did he know that the consequence of his desire was that he brought
Eve has loved silence her entire life—as far back as she can remember.She loved the quiet she found at her desk with piles of books and a pen in her hand. She loved the breeze that blew her hair as she spent the afternoon on her bedroom balcony with a cup of tea and a thick book on her lap. She cherished every quiet corner of her mansion, far from the hustle and bustle of New York and the paparazzi cameras. She appreciated the silence her parents offered because of their guilt over what New York society had done to her.Yes, Eve loved every definition of silence because it was the hardest thing to obtain throughout her life.Years passed, and she hoped she would find the silence—the peace she craved—once she moved from New York to Seattle with every dream and hope in her grasp. She had big plans and was confident they would succeed as long as she worked hard.However, time taught her many things, and now she understood that not everything she desired could be obtained with her hands
Axel glanced at the round watch on his right wrist—ensuring that everything was in order according to the calculations he had made over the past week.Midnight came, and there was a change of guards throughout the base. At that moment, the first assault would certainly proceed a bit easier due to their complacency. But what about the second assault? Of course, the second assault would be much easier if the first team had completed their mission."What are you doing here?"Axel turned his head when he heard Adeline's voice behind him.Adeline...Whatever crazy notion was in this woman's mind that led her to remove Andres and become the leader of the rebellion was hard to fathom. It was difficult to believe that this was the same woman who had saved him and brought him to the secret base—far from Andres' reach with no access to this territory.Compared to Andres, Adeline was much more terrifying.She harbored secrets and immense danger—something hidden behind her angelic face."Nothing,"