The guy looked like a ball right out of hell. Eve couldn't react on time, and by the time she did, Matt had been restrained by Ethan. Ethan grabbed his collar and pulled him away. "Big bro, let me at her! She's gone too far by calling me a chicken!"Eve gulped and hid behind Ethan. When did she call him a chicken? She only warned him not to chicken out. "If you dare touch a hair on her body." Ethan gave him a warning look. "Argh! Big Bro!" Matt whined. He swayed and pointed at Eve. "I swear she started it! This stupid girl dares to call this Young Master a chicken. Tell her, Big Bro, have I ever backed off from any argument?" "Don't believe him, Ethan," Eve squeaked. "He's just bluffing, I didn't start anything." As weird and wild as Matt was, she never expected him to race down here. Hadn't he always been cautious about setting foot here? "What's going on, by the way?" Matt swayed again, pointing at Cole. "Who's this dumb-looking guy?" Cole straightened up and folded his hands
Despite Matt's screams of pleas, he ended up with one or two bruises. "Big Bro," Matt grumbled, holding his arm. He had also sobered up after the beating. "This isn't fair. She is supposed to be beaten and not me. Besides, I got rid of that nuisance for you."They were now in the living. Ethan sat on the couch while Matt was kneeling in front of him. As for Eve, she stood beside Ethan, maintaining her distance. Because whenever she attempted to get near him, his glare made her think again."And your second punishment." Ethan patiently tapped his finger on the couch. His anger had worn off. "You barged into my house without notice, you even insulted my wife more than three times.""Big Bro, she started it." Matt put on an offended look. "I was minding my business this morning when she called and rained insults on me." "But that doesn't give you the right to insult her.""Big Bro–""That's right, Ethan. Your brother has gone too far. I'm not much older than him, but he should give me
As expected, Ethan headed straight to the study room. Eve didn't go after him this time. She went straight to her own room and entered the closet. She picked up every cloth on the racks and folded them before dropping them into her luggage. Several minutes went by while she emptied the closet. When she was done, she came out to the living room and packed all the cosmetics and perfume from the vanity table into a box. She entered the bathroom and packed all her toiletries. "Madam." Elena entered the room and her expression paled. "M–Madam, what is happening? Why are you packing?" Eve straightened up and placed both hands on her waist, panting heavily. "A–Answer me, Madam. Please don't pack and go away. If you and Young Master have a little misunderstanding, you should try and sort things out. Marriage is not a bed of roses, it will break his grandfather's heart if you separate."Eve flicked off the sweat on her forehead, struggling to catch her breath. "Help me, Elena. Also, get t
"Sign it." 'That's so fast.'Eve sat across Ethan the next morning. Ethan left bed before she did and she wondered where he was at breakfast. Then he summoned her up here to his study room where she also met his lawyer. "After signing this contract, Mrs. Anderson, you will be forever bound by it. Think again before you sign it. Mr. Anderson will not bear any consequences if any problem arises in the future."Eve took the printed-out document from Ethan's hand and went through it. She read the conditions. They were the same words she uttered last night. Ethan did not leave even one word out. "Evelyn." Ethan held her gaze as if daring her. "Are you going to sign it?" He looked at her as if expecting her to suddenly have cold feet and back out of it. "Of course, I'll sign it." Eve smiled. "But this is a contract that involves two people, my dear husband. Don't you think you're being partial by imposing the rule on me only?""Mrs. Anderson," his lawyer said. "This contract is per your
Three days went by and Ethan had been strictly abiding by her rules. As it was the weekdays, he no longer spent the night at the company, and he also returned home early. Eve shook her head and chuckled. It appeared he liked the idea of making his Grandpa happy by working hard on the project. Why then had he not touched her yet? Eve's brows creased into a frown and she stared into her reflection for the umpteenth time in the mirror. In her past life, Ethan had only slept with her once. That was the night she'd drugged him at his grandfather's birthday party. Was he planning to repeat that? Had he ever desired her?If she hadn't drugged him, would he have even thought of touching a woman? She had threatened him not to think of touching her in the past, and he didn't show any hint of concern. Wait a minute...Was Ethan...'What am I thinking?' Eve slapped her forehead and shuddered. Ethan readily agreed to marry her without any resistance, so that meant he was normal. "Madam, is so
"Elena, Ethan won't take me to the mall." Eve went back into the house, devasted. "Oh, no. That's so sad, Madam." Elena sat her down on a couch in the living room. "It's alright, wipe off that sad look on your face. It must be that Young Master has something important to take care of."But wasn't Eve his wife? Hadn't they agreed that he would prioritize her over everything else? "Even if Young Master follows you to the mall, I don't think he will be of much help, Madam," Elena sat beside her and said. "He can't choose your clothes for you, right? He also might not be an expert in female fashion."But at least he would help her carry her bags. Wasn't that what loving couples do? Eve gazed at the ceiling and sighed. "You know what, Madam," Elena spoke again. "Let me accompany you to the mall. Since I'm an expert and I know the things you need, it will be easier for you to shop around."Eve's eyes left the ceiling and they landed on the Stewardess. "That will be so nice of you, Elena
Eve let out a loud scream and quickly zipped up her dress then covered her shoulders. "W–What are you doing here?" She took several steps back as the figure stepped forward. "Stalking you. What else does it look like?" His lips curled into an evil smirk. Eve's heart pounded and her eyes darted to every corner. "A–Are you crazy! Have you lost it! Where is the staff?""Passed out." He shrugged and caged her in between the wall. "Look at you, Eve. You thought I'm just gonna let you go like that? Why don't I show you that trifling with someone like me is the biggest mistake you've ever made?" "The biggest mistake I've ever made is believing your lies, Cole. I swear if you don't get out of here, I'll make sure you end up behind bars." "Oh, I'd like to see you do that after we do something nice to entertain your dear precious husband." "W–What are you gonna do?" Eve wrapped both arms around herself, shrinking against the wall. "I– I'm warning you, Cole. Don't try anything crazy. I swea
Some of Eve's anger had cooled off by the time they got home. After resting for a while, before the evening approached, she set to work on herself. "Madam, it's almost time for dinner. Can't you wait until you've eaten?" "No, Camila. I'm not hungry," Eve plastered a mask on her face and replied. The lunch she'd eaten hadn't even finished digesting yet. And she had a lot to do, so she'd better start early. The maid nodded and left. After waiting for the mask to dry off, Eve headed into the bathroom. Hours passed by. She shaved, scrubbed, and washed herself again and again.She put a conditioner in her hair and allowed it to settle for thirty minutes. "Eve."Eve had almost dozed off when a knocking sound came from the door. How long had it been? She frowned. "What are you still doing in there, Eve?" Ethan's voice came again. Eve checked out her hair. It wasn't done conditioning yet. "Just give me a few minutes, I'll be out soon," she called out. The knocking sound stopped and Ev
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