Chapter 34:I was bewildered and couldn't believe it. How could someone be so mean to do such a thing to me. Landon broke the silence, his voice laced with concern, "Mommy, does that mean someone tried to hurt you?"Lana's face contorted with worry, her petite hand gripping mine tightly. "Don't worry, Mommy. We won't let anyone hurt you," she reassured me with determination beyond her tender age.Trying to stay composed for their sake, I managed a weak smile. "Thank you, my brave little superheroes. Mommy's safe because she has you."Damien's eyes burned with anger, mixed with a protective instinct. "We'll get to the bottom of this," he vowed, his tone leaving no room for doubt.Damien turned to the mechanics and expressed his gratitude for their help. Lucas, who had listened intently but remained quiet, finally spoke up. His voice held a hint of concern as he suggested, "Perhaps we should inform the police about what happened. It might be the safest course of action." His brow fur
With a pounding heart, I picked up the photo, my eyes darting around the empty office, searching for any signs of who could have left it there but there was no soul. The silence was deafening, amplifying the fear that coursed through me. Something inside me told me to turn the picture and as I turned it over, my fears intensified as I read the chilling message scrawled on the back: "You'll not get out of it next time, idiot."A sense of terror washed over me, and I immediately reached for my phone, dialing Lucas's number with shaking hands. "Lucas, you need to come to my office right away," I pleaded urgently, my voice quivering with fear.As Lucas sauntered into the room, a smug grin played across his face. "Well, well, where did you manage to find my number, darling?" he quipped, his tone dripping with arrogance.My nerves were frayed, and I snapped at him, my voice laced with anxiety. "This is not the time for jokes, Lucas," I stammered, showing him the photo. "Look at this! Someo
With my heart pounding rapidly in my chest, I hastily fumbled for my phone, attempting to call Damien for solace and guidance. However, my trembling fingers only found despair as each call was met with the cold monotony of his voicemail. Panic began to consume me, and I pressed on the gas pedal while keeping the phone clutched tightly to my ear, hoping against hope for Damien to answer. To my dismay, the car behind me followed suit, accelerating effortlessly as it continued its unrelenting pursuit.Frustration mingled with my anxiety as I dialed Damien's number once again. My pleas for him to pick up became desperate as I silently muttered to myself, "Pick up, please...pick up, please." But the ominous silence on the other end of the line persisted. Strengthening my resolve, I pushed the pedal harder, urging my car to its limits, all the while never breaking eye contact with my pursuer in the rearview mirror.In the midst of my frantic attempts to reach Damien, the sudden blare of a p
The next morning, I found myself sleeping a little too much and was woken up by the gentle touch of Damien. As I opened my eyes, a wave of disbelief washed over me. I couldn't fathom having slept in so late. I usually woke up at 6 in the morning, like clockwork, but when I glanced at the clock, it was already past 9 o'clock. "Damn," I muttered, still attempting to gather my senses.Damien, with his warm and caring smile, noticed my confusion and chuckled softly. "Good morning, love. Did you have a good night's sleep?" he asked, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my face.I shook my head, still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I had overslept. "I can't believe I slept so late. My body must be making up for all the hours I missed last night," I mumbled groggily.Just as I was beginning to comprehend the situation, Damien's words hit me with a surprising revelation. "By the way, I already took the children to school," he said casually, as if it were an everyday occurre
38 Taking a deep breath, I barged into his office without knocking, not even bothering to greet him.Lucas looked up from his work, surprised to see me bursting in unannounced. Before he could utter a word, I unleashed a tirade of furious words. My voice carried the weight of betrayal and hurt as I questioned him about his callous disregard for my feelings."Are you happy with yourself, Lucas? Toying with me like some vulgar, cheap plaything? Did you think it was fun to use and discard me?" I demanded, my voice shaking with anger.Confusion flickered across Lucas' face as he tried to comprehend the gravity of my accusations. "What are you talking about Lil?" he asked, a hint of mischief creeping into his expression.Realizing that Grace had spilled the details of their "wild night", an insidious smirk spread across Lucas' face. With a devilish glint in his eyes, he brazenly admitted to his actions. "Ah, so Grace couldn't resist sharing the juicy details, huh? Well, she was merely an
39With a sense of urgency, I hurriedly entered the house and called out to gather my children. Damien, turned to look at me with wide eyes, sensing that something was amiss. Lana, Landon, and Liam, our triplets, gathered around me, their innocent faces shining with curiosity."What's going on?" Damien asked, his voice filled with concern.I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. "The kids really want to go out, and I thought, why not take them to the amusement park?" I said, a hint of excitement in my voice.A chorus of excited squeals erupted from the triplets as they jumped up and down, their little bodies filled with joy. Damien's face hardened, and he categorically refused. "Absolutely not," he said firmly, his voice betraying his worry. "You know the risks we're facing. They tried to kill you once, Lili. We can't take such chances."Tears welled up in Lana's eyes as she looked up at Damien, her voice trembling with emotion. "Please, sweet Daddy, we really want to
As I scanned the crowd with my sharp eyes hidden beneath my dark glasses, searching for Grace and Lucas, a wave of frustration washed over me. After what felt like an eternity, among the sea of people, I finally caught sight of them. "Yeah, found!" I exclaimed under my breath, quickly grabbing my triplet children - Lana, Landon, and Liam - and heading towards Grace and Lucas.We reached the entrance to the roller coasters, and a line had already formed. As we stood in line, I couldn't shake off the anger that simmered within me when I saw Grace and Lucas together. Trying to maintain my composure, I took a deep breath and focused on calming my children.The line stretched ahead with about eight people between us and Grace and Lucas. My children, full of energy and excitement, couldn't keep their voices down. I could feel the eyes of those standing nearby on us, drawn in by their rambunctious behavior. Tension started to grow within me, and I had to fight the urge to slap them. Instead,
41As I felt the sudden tap on my shoulder, I turned around, startled, only to find Lucas standing there. My heart sank. "What was he doing here?" I wondered.Lucas looked at me with a smug grin and asked, "Oh, fancy meeting you here! Are you here to have fun with your children like me and Grace?"I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. "Yes, I am," I replied, trying to hide my annoyance. "But honestly, I had no idea I would encounter you two here."Lucas chuckled. "Well, it hadn't occurred to me either, but since you mentioned it, I guess it's just a real coincidence then."I realized I had been talking too much, and my children were tugging at my sleeve, urging me to leave. Feeling the need to escape this awkward encounter, I quickly said to Lucas, "Well, we're heading to the carousel. It was nice seeing you, but we have to go."I turned away, hoping to distance myself from him and the strange situation. However, before I could take a step, Lucas called out to me, getting my attentio
98Lilian My heart sank at his words, but I forced myself to stay calm, though every part of me wanted to lash out. “Why?” I asked, my voice almost breaking. “Why would you do that, Lucas?”He gave me a look of exaggerated disbelief. “What? A guy like me can’t settle down?”“You and I both know this isn’t about settling down,” I said bitterly, trying to keep the anger from spilling over. “You’re playing a game, as always.”Lucas shrugged, completely unbothered by my accusation. “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. What does it matter? Grace is head over heels for me, and I thought, why not? Might as well have a little fun.”“Fun?” I repeated, my voice rising despite my best efforts to keep it steady. “You’re talking about someone’s life, Lucas! Grace actually believes this is real!”“And whose fault is that?” he shot back, his smirk fading just slightly. “She chose to believe what she wanted. I never promised her a fairy tale.”“You proposed to her!” I spat, unable to contain my frustration a
97Lilian I stood there, frozen for a moment after Grace left, her excitement lingering in the air while I was trapped in a whirlpool of my own thoughts. Damien hadn’t said a word since she left, but I could feel the storm brewing inside him. His shoulders were tense, and he kept running a hand through his hair, something he only did when he was stressed beyond measure.I cleared my throat, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Damien, what’s going on?" I asked softly, stepping closer to him. "You’re clearly not fine."He stopped pacing, his eyes meeting mine, and I could see the frustration brewing behind them. "Lilian, we need to talk," he said, his voice low but sharp. My stomach clenched. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what was coming next."What’s wrong?" I pressed, hoping to keep the conversation calm.He took a deep breath, rubbing his temples like he was trying to gather the right words. "It’s about the money."I blinked, confused. "The money? What about it?""You’ve been
96Lilian A few days later, I sat on the sofa, half-watching a TV show that I wasn’t really invested in. My mind kept drifting back to Lisa’s situation and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that had gripped me since my conversation with Rebecca. The tension in the house was palpable, but I was trying to distract myself, anything to escape the weight of reality for a little while.Suddenly, I heard a loud knock at the door, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone letting themselves in. Before I could even process what was happening, Grace came barreling into the living room like a whirlwind."Lilian!" she shouted, her voice brimming with excitement as she practically leapt at me. I barely had time to react before she was hugging me tightly, her energy infectious. “Grace, what—?” I started, trying to get a word in as she pulled back and thrust her hand in front of my face. I blinked, trying to focus on what she was showing me.Her eyes were practically glowing with joy as
95Lilian As I pulled into my driveway, I was surprised to see Damien’s car parked outside. It took me a moment to remember that today was Wednesday, his usual day to come home early. I entered the house and found Damien in the living room, lounging on the sofa with a book. He looked up as I walked in, his eyes narrowing slightly with concern. “Hey, Lilian,” he said, setting the book aside. “You’re home early. Everything alright?”I hesitated, trying to concoct a believable excuse. “Oh, um, I wasn’t feeling well, so I decided to come back early,” I said, forcing a weak smile.Damien’s expression softened, but there was a note of reproach in his voice. “I told you not to push yourself too hard. You should really take it easy. If you’re not feeling well, it’s better to rest up for a few days.”“I’m fine,” I insisted, though I knew it was a lie. “I didn’t think it was that serious.”“No, Lilian,” Damien said firmly, rising from the sofa and walking over to me. “You need to stay home a
94Lilian Once I was in my car, I pulled out my phone and quickly searched for the best private detective agency in town. After a few rings, a calm, professional voice answered.“Good afternoon, Zenith Investigations. How can we assist you today?”“Hi, this is Dr. Lilian Grey,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I need to hire a private detective to investigate someone. It’s urgent.”“Certainly, Dr. Grey,” the receptionist replied smoothly. “May I ask for some details? Who is the subject of the investigation, and what exactly are you looking for?”I hesitated, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “Her name is Grace Walters. I suspect she might be involved in something... illegal. I need someone to dig into her background, her recent activities, everything.”“Understood,” the receptionist said. “We’ll assign one of our best detectives to your case. When would you be available for a meeting to discuss this further?”“Right now,” I said, not wanting to waste any more t
93My jaw tightened as I struggled to keep my composure. “That’s great to hear, Grace.”Lucas looked at me with a mixture of surprise and unease. “Lilian, I didn’t expect to see you here.”“Apparently,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended, “neither did I.”Grace’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. “Well, Logan and I have been working through things. He’s taking responsibility now, and I really believe we have a future together.”I fought to keep my eyes from rolling. “I’m glad you think so.”Lucas shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting between Grace and me. “Lilian, I—”“Don’t,” I interrupted, my voice cold. “I don’t want to hear it.”Grace’s eyes widened, her enthusiasm dimming as she sensed the tension. “Is everything okay, Lilian?”“No,” I said, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “Everything is not okay.”Grace looked between us, her confusion evident. “What’s wrong?”I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions. “Lisa Hackerman is in jail, and yo
92**Lilian’s POV**I sat in my car, the engine humming softly, and stared at the police station. The building loomed in front of me, a cold reminder of the mess everything had become. I took a deep breath and forced myself to get out of the car. I needed to see Lisa, to understand what was happening from her perspective. With a determined stride, I walked to the entrance and was met by a stern-faced officer.“I’m here to see Lisa Hackerman,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the knot of anxiety in my chest.The officer raised an eyebrow, his gaze scrutinizing. “You’re allowed five minutes. Follow me.”My heart pounded as he led me through the maze of corridors. I tried to ignore the gnawing worry that threatened to overwhelm me. Finally, he stopped in front of a cell and unlocked the door. As it swung open, Lisa looked up, her face lighting up with a mixture of surprise and hope.“Lilian!” she exclaimed, her voice cracking slightly. She rushed to the bars, her eyes wide
91I stood there, staring at Lucas, feeling the frustration and anger boiling inside me. The tension between us was thick, and I struggled to keep my voice calm as I asked, "So, you’re still with her?"Lucas nodded, avoiding my gaze, and that small movement made my blood boil. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "Yeah... for now. I need to figure things out, Lilian. Everything’s so messed up right now."I clenched my fists so tight that my nails dug into my palms, trying to control the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. "Lucas, this isn’t just about you figuring things out. Grace deserves to know the truth, and so does Lisa. You can’t keep stringing everyone along like this."“I know,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes met mine briefly, filled with guilt and weariness, before he looked away again. "I know," he whispered again, almost like he was ashamed to admit it. "But I’m stuck, Lilian. I don’t know how to make this right."I could feel the frustration a
90Lilian's POVThe next day, Damien left early for work, his usual confidence masking the tension that still lingered between us. I felt a knot of frustration tighten in my chest as I watched him go, his words from the night before still echoing in my mind. I couldn't shake the doubt he’d planted, but I also couldn't let go of my belief in Lisa's innocence. I needed to talk to someone who might understand, or at least help me see things more clearly. I decided to visit Lucas. I had to know what he thought about Lisa’s arrest. Maybe he could offer a perspective that would ease my troubled mind. As I walked to his apartment, my heart pounded with a mix of anxiety and determination. I wasn't sure what I was hoping to hear, but I knew I needed to talk to him.When I reached Lucas’s door, I hesitated for a moment, my hand hovering just inches from the wood. Finally, I knocked, the sound echoing through the hallway. A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and there he was, looking a l