Eve barged into the study room, her heart pounding and her body shaking. The three people in the room looked at her. Her grandfather and father looked enraged, and Ethan's eyes flashed with confusion. "Evelyn, good thing you're here. Why didn't you tell us anything, you silly girl?" Her grandfather gave her a disapproving look."You went through that and you hid it from us. Poor girl, did you think we won't stand up for you?" Her father walked forward and hugged her. "D–Dad, Grandpa. A divorce?" Eve pulled away, her eyes going to Ethan. "Yes, Evelyn!" Her grandfather nodded. "I am at fault for forcing you into this marriage. If I wasn't great friends with his grandfather, I wouldn't have agreed to that.""Evelyn." Her father pulled her attention. "You were greatly wronged, and we feel responsible. Don't worry, such things will never happen again. You will not see him anymore. After the divorce, I'll even take you out of this city.""Ah! No, Dad!" Eve gasped and hurried to where Et
Ethan's expression faltered and he gave her a narrow look. "Evelyn–""Shhhh." Eve placed a finger on his lips then pulled him towards her room. She made him sit on the bed then turned around and locked the door. "If I didn't say that, did you think Grandpa would have changed his mind?" Eve folded her hands and pouted. "Ethan, please, for goodness sake, that is not how you fight for your love. Were you planning to do nothing until Grandpa separates us? Weren't you supposed to draw out a sword and sweep me off my feet?"Ethan's eyes wandered around her room, and his gaze strayed to a corner. "Argh! Are you even listening to me, Ethan?" Eve strode forward and stood in front of him. "Yeah." Ethan held her waist and pulled her into his lap. "That was a good show you put up. But what if he finds out it's a lie?""Then we must work hard, Ethan." Eve wrapped both hands around his neck. "Make me pregnant before our cover is blown."Ethan's eyes strayed to that corner again and Eve followed
"Calm down, Eve." Ethan held her in place and made her stand properly. They both barged into the study room and met the two old men engaged in a glaring contest. "Grandpa, what's going on?" Eve looked from her grandfather to Ethan's grandfather. Of course, she didn't need to be told what was going on."It is this old man. Can you believe he doesn't want to apologize, Evelyn? He is even backing up his grandson's misconduct.""Nonsense! That is not misconduct. If you were in his position, you would have done the same," Ethan's grandfather hollered. "Did they give you a hard time, Grandson?" He faced Ethan. "If this Old Man doesn't want to give you back your wife, I say we should leave here and find you another girl immediately.""Ah, Grandpa!" Eve rushed to him and tugged at his arm. "Don't do this to us. Ethan and I love each other. Separating us is like sentencing us to death.""Shut up, Silly girl. How could you spend a night with another man! Isn't my grandson enough for you?""You
"Ethan, can you please make a stop at the police station?" Eve asked as the car drove out of the residential area. "The police station?" Ethan frowned and glanced sideways at her. "Who do you want to meet?""I have a bone to pick with Cole. Please take me there, Ethan." And her mind wouldn't be at ease if she didn't confront that rotten liar. Ethan opened his mouth to speak but Eve's phone rang at that moment. She brought the phone out of her bag and her eyes widened at the sight of the contact display name. "Erhm, Hello?" Eve answered the phone and whispered. "You are truly commendable, Mira. Those photos you sent are great. I have underestimated you again. The Ambitious Employees Club has never gotten such an ardent member.""You're being humble, Amanda." Eve laughed nervously. "I didn't do anything extraordinary.""But seducing the president is an extraordinary thing." Amanda laughed. "Now that you've accomplished this mission, you are fully eligible to know everything the Ambi
Eve woke up the next morning and her hand wandered to the empty space beside her. 'Urgh! Ethan.' wasn't he supposed to stay in bed until she woke up first? He'd even ditched work yesterday to spend the whole day with her. Wouldn't he at least extend the sweetness?Eve left the bed and entered the bathroom. She came out later then got dressed and headed downstairs. "Madam, good morning." The Stewardess met her on the way and greeted with a wide smile. "Good morning, Elena," Eve mumbled. "By the way, where's Ethan?""The Young Master went upstairs after eating his breakfast. I've not seen him come down since then.""Ethan ate his breakfast without me?" Eve's hand gripped the railing. "I've kept yours aside, Madam. It is still warm.""Urgh." Eve turned around and walked up the stairs. She headed to his study room and pushed the doors open. Ethan was sitting across his work desk, deeply engrossed in whatever document he was reading. "Ethan, Argh!" Eve grabbed her hair and stomped fo
Her head was pounding again. Why couldn't she feel her limbs? Eve forced her eyes open and a blinding light flooded her vision. She let out a groan and turned her back to the window. The mattress beneath her was too hard, and her body ached. "You, Ethan, how many times must I tell you to stop opening the window?"Her hands wandered to her side– she couldn't move her hands. Why did she feel as if they were bound with a rope?"Huh?" Eve frowned and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing that appeared in her vision was a not-so-familiar ceiling with a chandelier, followed by the face of a man."Ahhhhh!" The room shook with her screams and she struggled to sit up. Both her legs and hands were tied."You have a peculiar way to say good morning, Eve," Wade said, grinning. "That is among the best things I like about you."Eve wracked her brain and the memory flooded back to her senses. She was at the driving lesson, then she went to the washroom... And then...Damnit! This scene looked fam
His regret. His regret was ending her? Eve blinked, her lips parted but no words came out. Her eyes lingered on his face, on the serious look in his eyes. How– how was that possible? Wade claimed he ended her. In her past life, she didn't know who was her killer... Did that mean...?"Eve." Wade touched her hand and she flinched and shifted back. Her heart pounded wilder than before, she could even hear her own heartbeat. "M–Mr, Hudson," Eve stammered. "What you just said now...""I am sure you heard me right." Wade sighed heavily. "I regret what I did to you, Eve. I shouldn't have made you part of the mission. I should have planned something for you instead, just like I'm doing now."Plan something for her? As in love her? "P–Please stay away from me, Mr. Hudson. I– I..." Eve trailed off. She was completely speechless. She'd never imagined that she would meet her killer this way. And why had she never seen him before in her past life? "How can I stay away from you?" Wade's serious
Before she could register anything or even be surprised at how he knew of her pregnancy goal, his hard frame towered over her, then the door slammed open and someone barged inside. "Bad news! Bad news! Young Master!" The middle-aged-looking man trembled. His eyes were wide with fear. "What is it, Butler? Can't you see I'm busy?" Wade put on an irritated look and stood up. "Young Master, it is the police! They have surrounded this house!" "What!?" Wade exclaimed. Eve jolted out of her shock and her eyes darted between the two. On hearing the word police, she didn't think twice before jumping off the bed and pushing Wade aside. She sprinted past the middle-aged man then rushed down the stairs and headed straight for the door, her heart thumping and drumming at once. Police sirens reached her ears as she approached the gates. The security man look flustered. They banged on the gates from the outside and Eve pushed him away then fiddled with the chains used to lock the gate an
Not every family stuck with each other forever. But forever is like asking for never. They'd all had their ups and downs. The brothers quarreled, not once, not twice, and definitely not thrice. Yet, at the end of the day, they always came back together, standing strong as one family. As Eve lounged on a recliner, staring at the vast ocean ahead, her mind couldn't help but wander to a few years back. Ethan left the company for Wade, but only to manage the one in the other city, as that city was much closer to the island. Well, they frequented here, and often, the whole family gathered here for vacation. "Mummy, I want more." A tiny voice came from her lap and Eve looked down at the baby. She'd almost been convinced that he was sleeping. Her fingers ran through his hair and she removed the straw from her mouth and let him sip the coconut juice. "This is your last sip, Evan. You can't have too much coconut." "Uhuh." The boy nodded and took a sip, but he didn't let go of the stra
"Eve, please c–calm down. Your babies must not be far," Elena tried to coax her as Eve sat on the bed the next morning, bawling her eyes out. Ethan had ransacked the whole hospital last night. They'd even alerted the authorities, and all the staff that worked in the nursery were investigated, but... Her babies were nowhere to be found, they were still missing. And the surveillance cameras caught nothing. Everywhere was dark. "Eve." The Stewardess rubbed her shoulders. "Please don't cry, it can affect your health. Even if that person is cruel enough to kidnap the babies, I don't think they'll have the heart to hurt them."Hurt her babies? Eve cried harder. "That is what I'm scared of, Elena. What if they harm my babies!?""Shhhh, it's okay." Elena hugged her and patted her back. "Don't cry, Eve. Let's keep praying. Nothing will happen to the babies, the Young Master is out there with the authorities searching for them." "M–My babies." Eve's lips trembled and she sniffed rapidly. "My
Swapping her with another baby? Eve pulled away and stared at the woman in astonishment. "Mum, what did you just say?" "I'm horrible, right?" Her mother covered her face and sobbed. "I understand if you don't forgive me, Eve. I don't think I deserve it. I wasn't in my right mind, I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought..." She trailed off and kept on sobbing. Eve opened her mouth, but no words came out. The accidental swapping wasn't an accident? Her Mum did that? "M–Mum, why did you..." Eve held back her tears from falling, trying her best to control the sudden grief compounding her heart. "Mum..." "Please don't call me that. I feel bad when you call me by that name. After what I did..." "Do you really hate me?" Eve sniffed. "What did Dad do for you to hate me so much? What did he do for you to abandon me?" "I don't hate you now, Eve." Her mother shook her head and looked up. "I am just ashamed to come near you. I am ashamed to be close to you after what I did." Eve
"Please endure it, Mrs. Anderson. We'll soon get to the delivery room."Eve couldn't register what happened next. All she knew was that she was being wheeled down a long hallway and the pain in her stomach kept expanding with each second. "Eve, please keep up with the pain. I know you can handle it." Ethan continuously stroked her hair while wiping her sweat with the other hand. "It's too painful, Ethan. I think I'm gonna die!" Eve cried. How could she handle this pain? It was the most agonizing experience she'd ever gone through. "You can do it, Eve. I believe in you." Ethan's reassuring words were accompanied by the fear in his voice. It took forever before they finally wheeled her into the labor room. Her gynecologist appeared and the staff lifted her on a bed. "Help me, please! I don't wanna die, Doc!" "You aren't going to die, Mrs. Anderson. It's a momentary pain. Luckily, you're already opened.""C–Can I start pushing?""Yes, please. You can start pushing.""Ahhhhh! I can'
As if they were being chased out of the island, the private jet arrived that evening. No one carried anything with them, just their clothes and phones. When the plane descended on the helipad at the rooftop of the hospital, Ethan literally jumped out before it came to a complete stop. "Th–That was dangerous, Ethan!" Eve shouted amidst the blaring sound of the plane. The gynecologist helped her out and she held his hand. "Ethan, please calm down. Let's hope nothing bad happens." The man wasn't looking at her. His mind seemed to have wandered off, the same condition he'd been in since they left the island. Ethan brought out his phone and fiddled with it. Then he made a quick phone call before holding her tight and heading down the rooftop with her. "You can go home, Eve." "No, I must see Grandpa." Her heart was racing and her nerves were wracking inside. She couldn't just go home like a coward. And Ethan wasn't himself, she'd rather be with him. They appeared on the top floor
But Ethan wasn't being too sensitive, he was just smarter than her to see the gynecologist's actions coming. As the weeks passed by, Sara's actions became bolder and more provocative. She'd even resorted to dressing in short dresses without shoulder straps. Sometimes, she'd even walk around the house in a tiny bikini, claiming she was going swimming. But even after returning from the pool, she'd take a long time before changing out of the bikini. And the worse thing was... She would use the pretense to speak about Eve's health in other to spend time with Ethan. Sometimes, they'd be discussing until midnight as she explained some difficult medical terminologies to him. "Eve, I know I'm not supposed to butt in, but you must take action before this girl snatches your husband." Elena came to her room one day and advised, and Eve found it hard to handle the bitter truth. "You also noticed it, Elena?" "Everyone notices it," Elena whispered. "Even the maids speak about it, Eve. S
Eve made sure all the things they would need were set in place three days later. After bidding their families goodbye, they set off to the island in Ethan's private jet and arrived the next morning. "This house is very huge, Madam," Camila said as they toured the mansion."I can't believe we're going to live here until you put to bed.""Won't you miss the city life?" Eve's eyes wandered around the large living room. It was even more luxurious than the one back at the Villa. "Not at all, Madam. Compared to the noises and buzz of the city, this place can be considered a paradise.""Mmm. I also like it." Eve nodded and caressed her bump. "And I think my babies like it also." They didn't kick a lot today, unlike recently when they'd been nothing but active. "This is a generous gift from their great-grandfather. Of course, they'd like it, Madam." One of the maids looked at her stomach and smiled. "Where is Elena, by the way?" Eve's brows furrowed as she asked."She must be in the kitc
Like the sand in an hourglass, the months slowly trickled by. While Ethan worked hard day and night to stabilize the company, Eve couldn't ward off the lingering fear that Wade was lurking in the shadows. Sometimes, she would forget he existed, and other times, the thought of his action and promise made her wake up with a start in the middle of the night. Such as this night. Eve reached for the glass of water on the bedside table. She took a sip of it, patting her chest to ease her frantic heartbeat. Her eyes squinted in the darkness and she turned on the bedside lamp then looked sideways at Ethan. "You're awake?" Ethan turned and opened his eyes. "Is it the nightmare, Eve?"Eve sighed and slowly nodded. "I told you to stop worrying about it. He can't do anything.""We're not sure, Ethan." Eve shifted and rested on his arm. "That man is dangerous, we must be wary of him.""He can't do anything," Ethan repeated, caressing her bump. "I'll make sure he never comes near you."Eve wasn
"You, Evelyn! You think you have finally made it in life! You think you can bully others and do as you please!? Unlike you, I won't go to the authorities. I'll take the matter into my hands and make sure you're dead!"As Mia charged toward her with a knife, Eve stood still, unable to react. But Ethan acted fast and knocked the knife out of her hand. "Ahhhhh! Leave me alone! Let me at her!" Mia screamed as two bodyguards hurried forward and seized her. "I said let me go! You are all bunch of fools and cowards, hiding behind the authorities! If you don't fear me, Evelyn, let's fight barehanded. I'll poke out your eyes and make you regret ever thinking of harming Cole.""This crazy girl. Why did you come here?" Eve's grandfather stood up with his cane. "You have lost your mind by thinking that you can harm my granddaughter.""Are you sure that she is your granddaughter!?" Mia yelled. "You have always hated me, Old Man. I wasn't surprised when you wanted to kick me out. What stupid blood