Blurb Naomi was blissfully preparing for her wedding to Alexander Darlington, the man she believed to be her one and only true love since high school. And what should be a romantic visit to his apartment, she unexpectedly finds clues. Rachel's clothes and overheard conversations that reveal a shocking betrayal. Instead of a fairy tale ending, she had always dreamed of, Naomi confronted the painful truth that Alexander had been unfaithful. Leaving her world shattered just before her wedding day. In a desperate attempt to escape reality, she had a one-night stand with a stranger who happened to be her fiancé's elder brother, Raymond. Running away from the marriage, she came back to claim back what rightfully has to hers, and to achieve that, she must enter into a contract marriage with Raymond Darlington. Does she forget her revenge plans, or does life have a different plan for her?
Lihat lebih banyak*Naomi's POV*
Today is the happiest day of my life and obviously Tomorrow will be even better.
"Aren't I the lucky one?" I asked my designer as she adjusted the fabric of my dashing wedding dress.
"Yes, you are, ma'am. Not everyone gets to be with the love of their life," she replied and smiled.
"Well, I guess I am," I murmured, running my fingers over the fancy, delicate dress. The dress was elegant, and had nice designs and gosh—it was perfect Just like my love for Alexander.
I sighed, the only thing missing was my cousin, Rachel.
"I just wish Rachel was here. At least she would have helped me get fitted, we'd have had fun fitting this dress. She always does all the hyping and all.”
"Don't worry, ma'am," my designer reassured me. "She said she'll be back later for your bachelorette party. No need to worry."
I forced a smile. "Yes I know. Alright, I'll leave you to continue your work."
"You should rest, ma'am. Tomorrow is such a big day. You need enough rest, so you can have strength."
"Thank you ma'am, I'll rest once I get home."
As I left her store, I felt strange, and I couldn't say why exactly. I brought out my phone to call Alexander, I wanted to hear his voice.
The phone rang twice before he answered.
"Hi, hi, darling husband-to-be."
"Oh, Naomi, my lovely wife to be" he said, his voice warm. "How are you doing? I can’t wait to see you tomorrow."
"Yeah, me too," I said, feeling a rush of love. "So, what's your plan?"
"Plan? For what?"
"For tomorrow, silly. Our wedding."
He chuckled. "It’s a surprise, Naomi."
I started blushing, all my face turned red. "Wow, that’s so romantic, I can't wait to see all of it. So, are you home or out with your friends?"
"No, I’m home alone, preparing for you, my darling wife."
Home alone. I bit my lip, a naughty idea crossed my mind.
"Okay," I said, grabbing my coat. "See you tomorrow."
But tomorrow felt too far away. I wanted to see him now, I wanted to surprise him.
The ride to his house was quick, my heart was filled with excitement. I was already imagining the look on his face when he sees me. Would he scoop me into his arms and kiss me? Whisper how much he loved me?
The thought made me giggle like a child as I got to his entrance. I was about to knock when I noticed it was slightly open.
That was strange.
I was reluctant at first but curiosity got the better of me. I stepped in, quiet as a whisper. And then the next thing I heard sent shivers down my spine.
"Ah, yes, harder," came a very familiar feminine voice from his room.
I froze.
Rachel?
I moved forward, every step making my stomach twist.
"Oh, yeah, baby, don't stop, oh… I wish I could steal you from that wretched girl, Naomi," Rachel said while moaning.
I was shocked.
"Oh baby, don't ruin the fun," Alexander responded.
No. No, no, no.
"I wish I could have you all to myself and not Naomi, but you know she's the key to the inheritance."
That instant, it was as if the ground should open and swallow me. I couldn't breath, it was as if all the air in me had been taken out. I felt suffocated.
I kept shaking my head, I wished it was a dream, a hallucination. But then the moans and their bodies on each other, reality hit me like a slap.
Their tangled bodies, The sheets, the way he held her, whispered to ears—the way he touched her like he once touched me, the way her nails dugged into his skin.
I almost fell,
I couldn’t breathe.
I couldn’t think.
I turned and ran.
It was late already, so I turned to leave. I had no idea where I was headed, I just knew I found myself at the one place I had sworn never to return to.
The bar. I used to love coming here, especially Friday night, T.G.I.F. After a stressful week at work, I'd just come to the bar to chill and relax. But Alexander doesn't like that, I wanted to be a better person for him, so I stopped.
The smell of alcohol and regret wrapped around me as I pushed through the doors.
"This is your sixth bottle, ma'am," the bartender said, snatching the seventh before I could grab it.
"Killjoy," I said mumbling.
The world tilted, My mind was in chaos. But the more I drank, the heavier the betrayal sat in my chest.
"Another," I said in my drunken state.
"No."
I glared at him. "Aren’t you just interested in the money?"
"I am," he admitted, "but not with your safety on the line. I don’t want the cops asking me questions after your death."
I laughed bitterly. Death. Wouldn’t that be nice?
I stood up from the stool, my legs wobbling, I was seeing double. The walls seemed to breathe, the lights too bright, the floor too unsteady.
I needed more, maybe somewhere else.
Anywhere but here.
As I tried walking out, my head started spinning, I was seeing stars. My legs twisted. And then—
I bumped into someone.
"Whoa!" A Strong arm caught me before I fell to the ground.
"Hey, miss," a deep voice said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," I muttered, swaying. "I'm fine."
"You reek of alcohol."
"And you don't," I smiled at him.
"Where do you leave?" The handsome guy asked, "Cause you are in no driving state," he continued.
I giggled, poking his face. "Why should I tell you where I live?"
"My mom warned me about strangers." I smirked tightening my grip around his neck.
He sighed. "Maybe because this stranger is your only way of getting home safely tonight?"
I didn’t know where or how I got the boldness, but I leaned in, my voice dropping into a sultry whisper.
"Can I have a feel of you inside me tonight?"
His grip on my waist tightened, his jaw clenching.
For a moment, the air between us crackled.
Then, he exhaled sharply. "You’re drunk."
I pouted. "So?"
"So, I don’t take advantage of drunk women."
His words sliced through me.
I stared at him—at the sharp lines of his face, the storm in his eyes. Something about him felt… safe. Even as my world spun, even as my heart shattered, he was steady.
"Come on," he said, slipping an arm around my waist. "Let’s get you out of here."
And for the first time that night, I let someone hold me without breaking me.
Naomi's POV The morning sun spilled golden across the kitchen and shined on the ingredients that were being placed on the table in the kitchen."Pancake day!" Miranda shouted, flinging herself over the counter where the apron was tied around her.I was laughing, feeling light-hearted, I turned to face her and said “what do we need to do first?”“First we need to wash our hands”, she said as she moved towards the sink and started singing a particular nursery rhyme–”wash your hands du-du-du,” as she washed her small little hands.Raymond was at the stovetop attempting to flip a very wobbly pancake while muttering under his breath."You're burning it," I teased, resting against the counter.He gave me a look over his shoulder, pretending to be offended. "I am a multi-talented fellow. Pancake flipping isn't just one of my skills."Miranda giggled wildly and kicked her small feet. "Daddy needs lessons!"He sneered. "Indeed, I'd learn from youShe nodded seriously and then snatched up a s
Naomi's POV The days were more calm now.No alarm.No secret messages were left under our door.No hints of trouble lurking around the corner.Nothing but sunlight spilling through open windows, the smell of pancakes from the kitchen, and the laughter of Miranda echoing through the corridors.It was, for the first time in a long while, normal.And somehow it was even scarier than all we had suffered.……….I was barefooted, standing amidst the dewy lawn of the garden, as I saw Miranda running with a yellow kite. I heard her laughter carry into the warm atmosphere, a high clear note. Raymond stepped up close to me, his arms wrapped around my waist, his chest a solid, heat-filled wall against mine.She's happy," he muttered into my hair.I sat up straight, letting the brutal truth of that statement seep deep into my marrow.She deserves it, I murmured.So do you.I rolled over against the curve of his chest, looking for his face. He stared at me as he always did—LIKE I was the beginnin
Naomi's POV The house was silent, except for the soft tick of the clock and the gentle hum of Miranda's steady breaths while sleeping. The world has finally, finally, came to a standstill for us.I sat by the window, I was only wearing a robe, arms folded across my chest, watching moonlight stream across the garden.I heard his footsteps, slow and steady, behind me.RaymondMy anchor, my storm.We had not had a moment by ourselves like this in what seemed like forever.No enemy lying in hiding.No experiments waiting to take our daughter away from us.Just us.And then suddenly, I couldn't breathe.……..His strong, warm hands wrapped around my waist from behind. He placed his chin on my shoulder and just like that I could feel his breath on my body and my body immediately responded to it. All the hairs on my body stood and I just rested my head in his."You are tensed," he whispered.I closed my eyes, leaning back into him. "It’s hard to stop looking over my shoulder.""You don’t have
Naomi’s POVThe sun rose differently now.It wasn’t the same pale, uncertain light that crept over battlefields and broken dreams. It was now richer—warmer—pouring into our home like it had been waiting for us to be ready and I'm glad we are happy.I stood at the kitchen window, my hands wrapped around a coffee mug, watching Miranda chase butterflies in the garden. Her laughter lifted into the morning air like a song. Now my daughter is now a child once more. Raymond sat on the porch steps, pretending to read but smiling every time she shrieked with joy, what a lovely sight to behold.We were breathing again.Not fighting.Not hiding.Just living.And for the first time in what felt like forever, that was enough.Being with my family, most especially my daughter, was enough for me.---One Month After Project Eve EndedThe world never found out about the Eve project and we feel it's better that way.Beatrice’s connections helped us erase the final traces, ensuring the children could g
Naomi’s POVThe words echoed down the hall loudly: “LINK ACTIVATED. ALL EVE SUBJECTS RESPONDING.” My breath caught in my throat as the metal walls around us vibrated, It was as if the building itself were coming alive, humming with that low, electric pulse that pulsed through my bones.I held Miranda’s hand, her small fingers warm and real in mine. Behind us, the glass chamber housing six of the Eve girls glowed an eerie blue. In just a single heartbeat, they snapped upright, moving in perfect synchrony—eyes glowing, heart monitors spiking, A hum filled the air.“Raymond yelled something behind me, but I couldn’t hear him. Couldn’t move.Because Miranda… was glowing too.Her eyes, her fingertips, even the edges of her hair shimmered with the same unnatural light.She blinked, not Once but Twice.Then whispered, “Mama… I feel them all.”Raymond’s POVI shoved past the guards, gun raised, shouting for the team to secure the server room. Victor stood calmly behind the master console, a
Naomi’s POVThe new girl in the west wing didn’t speak.She didn’t run.She didn’t knock.She just appeared—like she was always supposed to be here, and she acted like she was being controlled.Security hadn’t seen her enter, she just appeared like a ghost from nowhere.None of the staff had let her through.She stood barefoot on the marble, curls identical to Miranda’s, wearing a pale gray dress that clung to her thin frame like it had been sewn on. My goodness, the sight wasn't anything I could say, she was too young for all this happening.I moved slowly towards her even though my legs were numb, I just needed to go.When I approached, she said only one word.“Three.”Three?Then she turned and walked into the shadows, disappearing like a ghost.And somehow, deep down… I knew exactly what she meant.…….That night, I entered Miranda's room and I noticed she couldn’t sleep.She sat in bed, holding her wolf, eyes wide and unblinking, looking all scared.“They’re louder now,” she whi
The Gathering StormNaomi’s POV“Can I invite them over?”The words floated in the doorway like a smoke, Innocent, Soft.But they hit me like a punch.Miranda’s curls were damp with mist, her pajamas sleeves too long, the edges dragging across her tiny fingers as she clutched her stuffed wolf. She looked like any child asking for a playdate, that was my Miranda.But the girls she wanted to invite weren’t ordinary.They were Eve children, they were more exposed than she was. They had seen more of the world than she has.And one drawing—tucked safely in my robe pocket—said Miranda was supposed to rule them all and they were meant to follow her lead.Raymond stood beside me, stone silent. I could tell he was sick and tired of everything happening but he wanted to remain strong for his family. We locked eyes for one heartbeat too long. He knew what I was thinking even without uttering a word.“Sweetheart,” I said gently, crouching to her level, trying not to show weakness, “what do you m
Naomi’s POVOnly one can rule.The words on Eve’s drawing burned into my vision like they’d been carved there.Seventeen children. One crowned.And in the center—Miranda.My daughter.My hands trembled as I folded the drawing and slipped it into the inside pocket of my robe before I used my tears to damp the paper. I sat beside the bed, staring at both girls—sleeping peacefully. I used my hand to play with their hair and pecked them goodnighy. They were unaware of the war being waged around their very existence.I brought out my phone to dial Raymond's number because as usual, he was my safe haven. “Raymond,” I whispered into my phone. “We need to talk. Now please.”Ten minutes later, we sat in his office. I handed him the drawing. He didn’t speak for a long time.Then finally he said something, “They’ve chosen her.”I nodded. “Or programmed so that the others follow her.”He dropped the paper onto his desk. “Victor’s not just building children, He’s building a future.”“A future wit
Naomi’s POVShe’d drawn twelve of them.Twelve shadowy figures.All with Miranda’s face.I sat on the nursery floor with her sketchbook open in my lap, heart racing as I traced each crayon outline with shaky hands. They weren’t all identical—some had shorter hair, others wore different clothes. But the eyes… the eyes were definitely mine.And that’s what terrified me most, it was scary to get answers to them.“Sweetheart,” I whispered as Miranda played with blocks nearby, trying to keep my emotions in check, “who are these?”She looked up, smiled innocently. “My sisters.”I tried to keep my voice calm, Your sisters? “Where did you see them?”“In my dream,” she said simply. “They were waiting.”---Raymond found me ten minutes later, sitting in the dark nursery, shaking. I cried my eyes out already, I was really hurting and shattered. Raymond knelt before me and just stared into my soul, he didn't say anything but I could feel the comfort. He pulled me in for a hug and I just felt safe
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