As soon as Vaughn went out of the door, Alina started packing her belongings. The tears streamed down her face as she zipped her bag, looking at the empty room that she lived in for the past three months. She sat down on the bed and allowed herself to cry. This was okay, right? For so long, she hasn’t cried because of her situation. Working day and night for her family never made her break down. Yet a guy—a stupid guy whom she had grown to love so much managed to make her cry. She looked around the room and the memories flashed in her mind. All of the sweet words, fake acting, and intimate acts they shared together stayed in her heart. And at that moment, she knew that she couldn’t stay here anymore. Not in this house. Not in this city. But she didn’t know how she’d manage to move without anybody else’s help. She saw a small piece of card on the bedside table and decided to call the number. Xavi did tell her to contact him whenever she needed help. It only rang a co
Vaughn hummed as Alina wrapped her arms around his bare body. They had just finished making love, but he couldn’t take his mind away from Eloise’s expression just a while ago. “You seem distracted,” Alina said, tracing the depths of his muscles. “Hmm,” he hummed. “Did you do it?” she asked. “Did you break up with her?” He nodded his head. “I’ll have my lawyer take care of the divorce papers as soon as possible.” “Good,” she muttered against his skin. Alina couldn’t help but smile as she imagined the look on Eloise’s face when Vaughn asked for a divorce. She wished she would have seen it in real life. It didn’t take a genius to find out that the poor girl had fallen in love with Vaughn. “I never really liked her anyway,” she honestly said. Vaughn frowned. “What do you mean?” “Well, she agreed to do this because of your money! And she looked to be in love with you, Vaughn.” “She was?” he softly asked. While it is true that the girl did treat her more warmly by the end of thei
Vaughn grasped the divorce papers in his hand and gazed at the beat-up apartment. He had tried calling her number numerous times, but she never answered. And even now that the divorce papers are ready, she still hasn’t answered his call. So, he opted to go to their house. He stood in front of their apartment and knocked on the door. There was a strange feeling in his heart. After not seeing Eloise in two weeks, he wonders if she’s still alright. After a while, the door finally opened, and an unfamiliar woman looked up at him with confused eyes. “Umm, hello?” the woman said. Vaughn frowned and looked behind the woman. “Hello? Excuse me?” she asked once more. “Are you looking for someone?” “Is Eloise not here?” he asked. “Eloise?” the woman frowned. “Nobody is named Eloise here. I think you got the wrong unit.” He glanced at the unit number and shook his head. “She lives here,” he insisted. The woman glared at him and scoffed. “Weirdo. You’re looking for a per
“Why don’t you stay at home, dear?” Eloise’s mom said with a concerned look on her face. “It’s only one month until your expected delivery date, right?”Eloise nodded her head. “It’s okay, mom,” she smiled. “I’m still as healthy as ever. Besides, the loan won’t be paying itself, hmm?”Jane looked down to the ground and sighed in disappointment. “I’m sorry, honey. I’ll try to ask our neighbors if they need someone to clean their house again.”“No, mom,” she smiled. “It’s okay. I’m still feeling good, so I don’t want to waste my time just sitting at home. I promise I’ll tell you when I feel something strange, okay?”Although her mom was still concerned, she eventually agreed with Eloise since she knows that she can never win over her daughter. “Just make sure to greet Cameron when he gets home,” Eloise added. Jane smiled and nodded her head. “I will, honey. I’ll cook your favorite dish, too.”“Thanks, mom,” she smiled, placing a kiss on her cheek. Eight months have passed since El
“Mommy, up!” the cute little boy smiled up at his mother. Eloise looked down at the cute child and carried him in her arms. She observed his face and wondered how he only got the color of her eyes. Any other feature came from someone else—someone she doesn’t want to talk about. “My baby Ollie,” she cooed, kissing his chubby cheeks. “I thought you were a big boy already?” He shook his head. “I’m mommy’s baby forever!” he exclaimed. “That you are,” she pinched his cheek. “Is the little rascal awake?” Cameron asked as he came out of his room fully dressed. Ollie smiled up at him with glee. “Good morning, Uncle Cammy!” “Morning, Ollie,” he smiled, walking over to his sister to show her his undone tie. Eloise shook her head and helped him put his tie on. “It’s been months since you started working at a corporate job, yet you still don’t know how to fix your tie.” “It’s because you always do it better,” he smiled. “Have you gotten the email, by the way?” he asked, sitting d
“Be a good boy, okay?” Eloise said as she kneeled down to her son’s level.“I will, mommy,” Ollie smiled. “Good luck with your work!”Eloise nodded her head. “Are all of your things ready?”“Yes,” he excitedly said. “I have my toys and snacks with me! I will share them with a friend if I see one,” he boasted as he pointed at his small, yellow backpack. He also had a yellow cap on, so he looked like a little duckling at the moment.Eloise couldn’t help but smile in endearment. “That’s good,” she smiled. “But don’t go around and make trouble for your aunt Cadence, okay?”“Hmm!” he nodded his head. Eloise stood up from the ground and let out a shaky breath. “Is this really okay?” she asked Cadence. “Yes,” the younger girl responded. “I already asked my direct superior if I can bring a child, and she agreed. We wouldn’t be doing much today anyway.”“Thanks, Cadence,” Eloise said. “It’s nothing,” Cadence smiled. “Just focus on the reading, alright?”She nodded her head. “I’m so nervo
Eloise felt like her world came to a halt. As Alina entered the room with her signature sweet smile, Eloise remembered everything she went through more than four years ago. “It’s Alina Jenkins,” Kath whispered beside her. “And look! Grayson Williams is also coming in,” she giddily said, fawning over the handsome actor. If this was any other situation, Eloise would have fangirled alongside Kath, but after Alina’s arrival, everything seemed to be a blur. Alina still hadn’t noticed her presence, which she was thankful for. “Alright, I feel like everything is here. Good day, cast. I am Hugo Hudson, the director of Dreams Come True.” Everybody clapped as a sign of welcome. Hugo Hudson is one of the most iconic and famous directors of all time, and Eloise is sure that almost everyone in the cast, including the main and side roles, would want to get on his good side in order to land more of his projects in the future. “I’m delighted to inform all of you that today marks the sta
“My mommy’s name is—”“Is that him?” Ollie was interrupted by Xavi coming inside Vaughn’s office. Vaughn frowned when he saw his friend come in along with a woman behind his back. “Cady!” Ollie exclaimed in glee as soon as he saw his aunt. “Oh, there you are,” she said, gently pinching his nose. “Where did you go, young man? I was worried sick.”“I’m sorry,” he said with wide eyes. “I was just trying to run after my ball.”Cadence sighed and kissed his forehead. “It’s okay. Just don’t do it again, alright?”He nodded his head and gave Cadence a hug. Vaughn watched their exchange and felt a sense of relief and disappointment. Even after just one meeting, he already feels so connected with Ollie. So, he thought that maybe they would somehow be related to each other. But he’s never seen this woman before in his life, so maybe everything’s just a coincidence. Xavi, on the other hand, froze right beside him as he looked at the little child. “You guys—” He went back and forth fro