Ethan's POV"Good morning, my love!" I wake up Jade, who was already almost awake."Today's the day, right?" she asks, somewhat disheartened.I sigh. "Look, my love," I approach her and touch her face. "I can't ask you to come with me, but what I can say is that I would truly be happy if you were with me. If I stay, Tyler will kill me...""He wouldn't do that, Ethan, you know he wouldn't. He had several chances to kill you and didn't.""Emily?" I get up. "If not him, it will be others.""WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GET INTO THIS KIND OF BUSINESS TOO, HUH? YOU RUINED YOUR OWN LIFE.""Wow," Caitlin enters the room clapping. "I warned you, Ethan, she's the type of girl who always sides with the winning team.""Caitlin, I've put up with you for too long, but you don't have the right to interfere in my relationship with your brother," Jade says, addressing her. "Get out of the room.""I warned you, Ethan," Caitlin continues to insist."I TOLD YOU TO GET OUT.""Look here, you wannabe...""No, Caitl
Justin's POV"Justin," Sara, Ingrid's niece, comes running to hug me as soon as I walk through the door."No one can hold her back," Ingrid comments, smiling faintly, a somewhat sad smile."Sara, it seems like you've grown in a few days. Wow!" I joke, looking at her."I've been jumping around. Do you want to see the drawing I made?" she asks excitedly."Of course!""I'll get it for you," she says and heads towards the room."I told you not to come to say goodbye, Justin!" Ingrid says sharply."I didn't come.""So, does that mean you're not leaving anymore?" she asks ironically."It means I'm not going alone."She shakes her head."You walk into my damn life and make me like you, make me have hope, and then you just say you have to leave. Now you come here insinuating that you want me to go with you? Just to hear that I can't go and you can go on with your life without guilt?""No, Ingrid, it's not like that," I stand up and walk to her."Then what is it?""I want you to come with me,
Tyler's POV"I should kill you," Josh yelled, stressed out."Relax, Josh," I responded, lightly tapping his shoulder."Relax? Do you have any idea what it's like driving here with Anne yelling? I'm lucky to be alive.""No one told you to get her pregnant," I chuckled. "And what about Justin?""He's coming as soon as he sorts out a few things," he replied."A few things or Ingrid?""Give him some time, Tyler. You know he won't abandon you.""I'm just worried Ethan might try to do something to him, that's all," I said."You really love us!" Josh said, all emotional.I gave him a fake laugh and finished grabbing the last bags from the car trunk."Have you thought about how you'll manage life in a small town like this?" he asked, helping me."It's not that small, but I know we'll do fine," I said, emphasizing 'we.'"Why do we still chase after you?""Because we're your only family, Uncle!" Olivia appeared, speaking and smiling at the same time.The feeling of seeing her smile is so reassu
Pov Emily "What are the chances of you coming out of this on top? Wake up, Caitlin!" "I didn't authorize you to speak," she says, searching for something in her bag. "You know our reputation, huh? Nobody messes with our family and lives to tell the tale." "Well, I hate to disappoint you, but that's not up to my family. Ethan is still fine. Alive and well!" "For now," I mutter. "Damn it!" "Something out of the plan, Caitlin?" I tease. "There is... you! It wasn't part of my plans to leave that damn hospital and find Tyler married to you, the beautiful and coveted Emily Parker. I know the history of your family, always taking what belongs to others." "So, Tyler was yours?" I mock."You don't deserve everything you have, not at all," she throws her bag on the floor and sits in front of me. I stop trying to untie myself at the same second."What do you intend to accomplish with this, Caitlin?" I ask."I'm going to tell you a story, Emily... my story." "I don't like clichés!"She
Emily POV "You know Ethan won't give up on revenge," Justin says as he gets up with David, who had fallen asleep in his lap."Yeah, we know," Tyler grumbles.I run my fingers through his hair and settle back on the couch. "Justin, stop worrying about it. Go give attention to Ingrid; she's alone in the room," I say. "I just want to warn you. It's okay that you want to live away from the drug trade and all, but it's not time to let your guard down," he says, turning around, and quickly his image disappears from the room. "Did you notice the way David fell asleep on his lap? I thought it was so..." "Cute?" I ask. "Yeah, that's it."Men.What's the difficulty in saying a word? "I miss when Olivia used to rest her head on my lap, like you're doing now," I say, stroking his face. "Do you want me to leave?" "No, you brute, you can stay. I like it when you do that too." "I love you," he says, turning to my belly. "And you, little one, I love you too." "Don't be so sure it's going t
(...) Months later.Tyler's POV"Congratulations, David!" Olivia says, handing the present to her cousin. "Now you're the same age as me.""Now it's just you left, Sarinha," David says to the younger girl."She just turned six; something tells me it's going to take a while," Ingrid laughs.You could tell how downcast she was; her sister had just passed away, and the doctors said that the disease she had was hereditary. This leaves the possibility of her or Sara having the same illness. She thinks Justin will abandon her. But he's preparing a surprise for her."You look so beautiful," Josh says to Anne, who was wearing a loose pink dress. She's already seven months along; her belly is huge. The twins are a girl and a boy. Meanwhile, Emily is already six months pregnant; it's not an easy pregnancy. To give you an idea, we've had three false alarms this month. We don't know the sex. Emily didn't let it slip; she wants it to be a surprise."Isn't that right, Tyler?" Justin's voice chimes
Justin's POV"Uncle, the birthday is over," Sara approaches the tree.I had decorated it completely, with lights, hearts, and everything."It's a surprise for your aunt/mom, Sarinha," I reply, finishing hanging the last lights.I left David in charge of keeping Ingrid occupied.I was practically trembling.Sweating cold.There's a good chance she'll say no and still be mad at me.I started thinking about me and Jade.I guess maybe deep down I knew we wouldn't end up together; I spent six years and never thought about proposing to her. Not that I didn't love her, I loved her very much. But the courage I have now to have a family is different; I never felt secure enough with Jade.But Ingrid..."DAD, THE BOMB IS GOING TO EXPLODE."That was the code we agreed on for when she was approaching.OK.OK.OK."Justin, what is this? Are you planning to have a backyard party now?" she asks, approaching."I think you're misunderstanding," I start. "This isn't just a backyard party... it's our par
Emily POV.Finally.The wedding of Josh and Justin happened after three months of waiting. I must say it was beautiful; I think the fact that it was a double wedding made everything even more beautiful. They chose an outdoor park, very beautiful. The twins had already been born. The sad thing is that one did not survive; Anne blamed herself with all her might. She was sad for weeks, I believe she still is. But the wedding and the girl who remains are giving her strength. Cassie came to live with them; she said Anne still cries in corners, but Josh is doing the impossible not to leave her alone and to lift her up. I can't imagine the pain she's feeling; I lost a baby that wasn't even formed yet, and it devastated me. Imagine the pain of carrying a child for nine months and having to bury him the day after birth. The pain of seeing the room prepared for two babies and only having one to breastfeed. Thank God this didn't cause the wedding to be canceled; in fact, I found it even more fit
### Pov Olivia"Are you ready, my daughter?" my mother asked, gently tapping on the door.I finished putting on my hat and nodded. She took my hand and led me to the car, where my father was already waiting in the driver's seat. We arrived early at the cemetery, and for now, only Justin and Ingrid were there, both with expressions heavy with sorrow as they gazed at the coffin.We approached slowly, and they greeted us with somber looks."We're burying him in an hour... you didn't have to come so early," Uncle Justin said sternly, trying to hide the anger and pain in his voice."She wanted to come say goodbye," my mother replied, looking at me with an encouraging glance. She signaled for me to approach the coffin.With a heavy heart, I took a few steps toward David's coffin. Each step felt heavier than the last. Ingrid placed her hand on my shoulder and tried to muster a smile. "He would have liked to see you one last time. He loved you, Olivia," she said, her voice trembling but since
### POV Olivia"Antony..." I murmured nervously, looking at his body lying in front of me. Tears blurred my vision, but I couldn't waste any time."Come on, Olivia, we don't have much time. Forget about Antony, he's gone now. You need to live!" David said, gripping my arm tightly and dragging me towards the trees."How did you find me?" I asked in surprise, hearing footsteps of people running after us."I tracked your phone," he said seriously, looking for a place for us to hide."But it's turned off. They removed the SIM... and there's no internet signal here..." I grumbled, confused."I put a tracker on your phone," he replied."Oh my God, you creep, why did you do that?" I let go of his hand, stepping back in fear.David took a deep breath for a moment and looked at me seriously. "Olivia, I did it because I love you. I couldn't stand seeing you pining over Peter. That day, when I saw you kissing him at your father's house, since that day I felt hatred, resentment. I wanted to kill
### POV Tyler"Are you crazy? That man is a scumbag! How can you do business with him?" Emily nearly vomited with indignation when I told her who my new ally was."I know," I replied, trying to stay calm. "But if we want to get our daughter back, he's the only person who knows Ethan's location. Remember when I asked Antony to check all the warehouses in the city? We found out that guy was the only one Ethan was doing business with. The frequency and his employees were so discreet it was almost imperceptible." I shrugged and collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. "Any news from Josh and Justin?" I asked, noticing the worried look on Emily's face. She shook her head, confirming there wasn't."Anne can't stop crying. She's having to deal with everything alone. To make matters worse, Noah keeps saying Ethan is his father. She's devastated, and Ingrid can't stop looking for her kidnapped niece," she replied sadly, the pain evident in her voice."That's all the more reason I need to rip the hea
### POV Tyler"So, what do you intend to give me in exchange for this information?" the fat man with his cane asked suspiciously, his small, calculating eyes fixed on me."I'll release some of your men I've captured and stay away from your business for at least three months. You'll have carte blanche to do whatever you want during that time," I replied seriously, taking a sip of the whiskey on the table."Tyler... Tyler... who would have thought that after all this time, you'd come to me proposing a deal..." He laughed cynically, his eyes gleaming with malice. "What do you want with Ethan?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious."That's none of your business! It's personal... I want to know if you accept my deal," I responded curtly, shrugging, not caring about his suspicions."Tyler... Tyler... you’re as arrogant as ever!" He shook his head, thoughtful. "Do you think I'll let you come into my house and deceive me? Have you and that worthless Ethan made some kind of deal to take me
**POV Olivia**I woke up again feeling dizzy, with lapses of memory, alternating between waking and falling asleep without being able to keep my eyes open for long."Look, the little princess is awake!" Alana entered the room with a cynical look, while my hands and feet were tied to the chair, preventing me from escaping."This won't end like this. What have you done to me? Why do I feel so..." I couldn't finish the sentence. My lips were numb, and my mouth tingled."Sedated? Perhaps because you're under the effect of sedatives. We already know you're a match, but we had to run a lot of tests to check if your bone marrow is in good condition, considering the amount of alcohol you consume at your father's parties. We'll need at least two more days to detox you from all the medications. Don't worry, this is the last sedative!" She winked, applying that greenish liquid into my bloodstream again."My bone marrow? What do you want with it?" I asked, trying not to succumb to the anesthesia c
**POV Tyler**"Tyler... Tyler, wake up!" I heard a female voice beside me, shaking my body. The voice seemed distant, and I felt weak. After much insistence, I slowly opened my eyes. The brightness hurt my retinas. The room was all white, filled with equipment. I tried to move, but felt something attached to my arm. Then, a gentle touch on my face and a tight hug."Tyler... I thought you were dead. I'm so happy you're alive!"I opened my eyes and saw Emily in tears, her face red and swollen, looking like she had been crying for hours. I looked around and realized I was strapped to a hospital bed, with various machines monitoring my vital signs."What happened? How long have I been here?" I asked desperately. Emily stepped back, swallowing hard."Seven days. You've been in a coma for seven days. Josh and Justin still haven't woken up. The doctor said they're in critical condition, worse than you... we don't know when they'll wake up," Emily replied, lowering her head."No... that's imp
**POV Tyler**With my heart racing, I got into the car and started the engine. As I drove through the nearly deserted streets, a fierce determination took hold of me. No matter what it took, I would bring Sara back safely. Josh and Justin were my closest friends, and I knew I could count on them.When I arrived at the meeting point, I saw Josh and Justin already waiting. They looked at me seriously, ready for what was to come."We're going to get Sara and make sure she comes home safely," I said, looking at both of them."We're with you, Tyler," Josh replied firmly. Justin nodded, the same determination reflected in his eyes.We arrived near the warehouse, having meticulously planned every detail. There were a few men at the back of the building, and I had positioned some patrol cars at key points on the streets to prevent possible escapes. After rescuing Sara, the plan was to interrogate one of Ethan's men and find out what he was planning and why he was so fixated on Noah."Let's go
**POV Olivia**"It's better this way, honey. We need to trust your father. He wants the best for us," my mother said, smiling and stroking my hair as I lay on the bed, crying in anger.She wiped away one of the tears running down my face and suggested, "How about we watch a movie together? It's been a while since I arrived, but we haven't had time to do normal mother-daughter things. We've been apart for so long... I want to know more about you," she smiled, excited."Thank you, Mom... I would love that," I replied, a slight smile forming on my lips, and she nodded.As soon as she left the room, I sent a message to Peter, asking if he knew anything. I fiddled with my phone to pass the time while my mother made popcorn in the microwave. Finally, I received a message."Do you want to find that bitch Sarah? And your dear friend David, who betrayed you? Come to Xavier Marques Street, near the dark alley. I'll be there and take you to them..."There was no sender. It was another one of tho
**POV Tyler**"Okay... Does Emily have a twin sister that her father sold to a couple when she was born?" I asked again, shaking my head, unable to believe my own words."Yes, Alana Parker was a victim of human trafficking..." Olivia replied seriously, while Emily swallowed hard. "She helped me find my mom, but now it seems like she wants some kind of payment for her help..." Olivia finished her sentence."What does this crazy woman want? Money? Could she be working for Ethan?" I stood up from the table nervously, unable to stay still."I don't know... I didn't go with her... but she really wanted me to," Olivia muttered, hugging Emily, who didn't want to let go of her."Alana is dangerous. I always suspected her and doubted she was on our side. I don't know what she wants, but we have to protect our daughter, Tyler!" Emily said nervously.The anguish in Emily's eyes was evident. She clearly didn't want to lose Olivia after already losing so many years of raising her."Emily, we will