"Ah! Ethan, wait wait!" Eve gasped as Ethan suddenly lifted her and flung her over his shoulder. "Stop stop stop, Ethan, put me down!" Eve screamed and beat at his back, her heart hammering so hard that it could fly out of her chest. "This isn't the proper way to treat your wife! Mr. Anderson! Ethan, put me down!" But despite Eve's yells and screams, Ethan did not put her down. He even spanked her several times commanding her to shut up. He left the servants' quarters, heading straight into the house, and he took her upstairs. "Ethan, wait. I'm hungry, please let me eat dinner." Ethan strode up the stairs, ignoring her. And instead of stopping at the bedroom, he took her to his study room before putting her down and locking the door. "Ethan." Eve gasped and ran to a corner. "Don't even think about punishing me, I did nothing wrong. I– I didn't come to the company because I was tired. I spent the whole day learning how to drive.""You're lying." Ethan stood at the door, glaring
Eve opened her eyes the next morning, and her gaze fell on the man who was sleeping at the farther end of the bed. Ethan's back was to her and he'd pushed down the sheet that she put on him last night. Eve sighed and reached out with her hand to touch him, but her hand halted mid-air. Ethan was still mad at her, she could feel it radiating from him. She sat up on the bed and turned on the bedside lamp. Her eyes went to the tiny clock. It was four in the morning. Eve left the bed and wobbled into the bathroom, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She came out later and got ready for the day. On leaving the closet, her eyes landed on the bed. Ethan was still fast asleep. She walked out of the bedroom and headed downstairs to the kitchen. "Good morning, Madam. You're awake early." Elena and the two maids greeted. Eve covered her mouth to suppress a yawn, nodding to their greetings. "Are you cooking breakfast?""We are about to, Madam." "Great." Eve walked forward and stood in front of t
Eve sat in the passenger seat of Ethan's car, hoping more than anything to disappear. "You still won't say anything, huh?" Ethan gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles bright. "Evelyn, if you dare cause any trouble this time–""I– I didn't cause any trouble, I swear. It's just a matter related to the taxi incident.""The taxi incident again." Ethan glanced sideways, his anger increasing. "How many things are you hiding from me, Eve? Why are you needed at the police custody?"Eve grimaced and looked out of the window. They arrived at the police station several minutes later, and she hurried out of the car but Ethan came to her side and gripped her hand."Stop it, Ethan. I didn't do anything wrong. And you'll find out in a moment." Eve wriggled her hand free and gave him a helpless look.Ethan gave her a skeptical look. She followed him into the station and they met her father sitting on a waiting chair. On another chair sat the taxi driver who was handcuffed. While Cole stood in a
"It's you again.""It's you again."Mia and Cole said at the same time. The man walked toward where Eve stood with Ethan, and he stood beside her. "It is me, yes." He glanced at Cole and Mia. "And I have come here, not to waste my time on you two insignificant people, but to actually see you." His gaze strayed to Eve. "Eve." Wade brought a device out from his pants pocket and showed it to her. "I forgot to give you this at the coffee shop. I guess we were both carried away.""This man again," Ethan said in a low tone. "Evelyn–""It– It isn't what you're thinking, Ethan." Eve quickly shook her head. "Mr. Hudson, I thought you would respect my request and never stalk me again. Why did you come here?""Ah! Evelyn. You're really something." Mia folded her hands and scoffed. "So this man is in collusion with you. It's no wonder, he stood up for you that night.""I can see that you have found another man, Evelyn. You now claim that Mr. Anderson is enough for you, but I don't see it that
"I swear I don't know that Mr. Hudson, Ethan. Don't let his words get to you. There's nothing going on between us." It was as if Ethan was suddenly mute. Despite what she said, he didn't glance at her or say a word as he drove them back to the Villa. "Ethan, don't tell me you're angry. I didn't know Cole would deny the accusation. I thought Dad would be able to take care of him.""Ethan, I know I didn't tell you all that happened regarding the taxi incident. But it doesn't matter, as Cole and the driver are now arrested. They can no longer do anything to me.""I know you care for my safety, Ethan. And I promise you I won't get into any more trouble. Come on, Honey. You can't stay mad at me for long."Ethan sped into the Villa and the car came to a screeching halt in the parking lot. The impact was too strong that Eve's head almost hit the car's window despite wearing her seatbelt. "Ah! What is wrong with you, Ethan? Why can't you be more careful?" Eve left the car, her body shaking
"You must be careful next time, Madam. The Young Master has a temper that no one dares to tick him off. Even his grandfather avoids him when he's very mad.""Ouch! Elena! Be careful." Eve whimpered as the Stewardess rubbed ointment on her. Her body ached all over, she couldn't even lift her hand. After Ethan left her alone, the Stewardess had to come in and peel her off the bed. Eve couldn't even take the warm bath herself until Elena helped her. "Is Ethan's body made of steel or what? Why is he so heavy, Elena?" The heartless man wasn't even fat, but his body weighed heavier than a rock. "The Young Master has spent several years in the military, Madam. You can't expect him not to be strong. Just heed my advice and please don't upset him anymore. Despite you looking like this, I think the Young Master held back some of his strength.""Ah! I think I'm dying, Elena." Eve shuddered as the Stewardess rubbed ointment on her waist. "I swear if anything happens to my precious uterus, I
"Madam." "Madam." "Madam, what are you doing?" Eve snapped back to her senses and looked away from the mirror. She had been deeply engrossed in decorating her face that she didn't notice the maid's presence. "Hey, Camila. Do I look good?" "You look great, Madam." The maid had on a small frown. "Are you going somewhere?" "Yep." Eve rose to her feet and picked her bag up from the vanity table. "I'm resuming work today. Is the breakfast ready?" "Yes, the breakfast is ready." The maid nodded. "But you aren't well enough, Madam. Are you sure you can go to work in this condition?" "Why not?" Eve dropped both hands on her waist and twirled around. "Don't I look as fit as a fiddle? It has been almost a week now. If I didn't recover, wouldn't you question my resilience?" Besides, Ethan hadn't been home for three days now. He spent the night at his company with the excuse that an important project was going on which needed his strict supervision. Eve would be expecting him to return
Eve dropped the large box on the couch and sank down beside it. "Eve." Ethan looked surprised for a few seconds before he retained his nonchalant look. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be recovering?""I should stay back home so you can goof around, right?" Eve folded her hands and stood up. "Ethan, are you a child to not buy your own clothes?"Ethan sat on the couch and unwrapped the box, revealing a business suit. "You got it from Jessie?""It is Jessica!""Eve." Ethan looked up. "Are you here for trouble?"Eve sighed and sat beside him. "Of course not," she grumbled. "I'm here because I've resumed work. Ethan, you could at least call me and ask about my health." Ethan scrutinized the suit and picked it up. "Take this to the thrash." He nudged the box towards her before standing up and disappearing into his private suite. Eve's eyes left his back and she grumbled some words before picking up the box. She walked out of the office and disposed of it in the trash, 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