*Raymond’s POV*
I woke up very early in the morning, the room was lightly lit, and there she was, the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. She was sleeping so peacefully, the pleasing smell of her perfume filled the air —floral, intoxicating, and already fading.
I started smiling as I ran a hand through my hair, forcing myself to remember everything.
She had walked into my life last night like a storm, her eyes looked sad, her voice unsteady, yet her resolve was clear.
"All I want is for you to make me feel good," she had pleaded.
I didn't have the intention of touching her. She was clearly heartbroken, drowning in whatever betrayal had shattered her.
But the moment I kissed her, I was gone.
Last night was magic.
The way she moved her body, the way she responded to my touch, she wasn't desperate, I could tell it was something deeper, something raw. She had trusted me with her body.
And damn, I was glad I said yes, because that was the best night of my life. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.
Finally I stood up from the bed, not wanting to wake her up, I had to pick up my suit for my brother's wedding. It was happening today and I couldn't get it last night because I was with an angel. And not to lie, it was worth it.
I left her a note, along with some cash in case she needed anything before I got back.
But now, she was gone.
I looked around the room and I saw the note I dropped for her on the floor, she already squeezed it.
I bent down to pick it up and straightened it and then I read what I wrote. "Thanks for last night." That was when I realized I had made a silly mistake.
Then I saw the money on the desk, she barely touched it.
Oh no.
She must have misunderstood. I was really angry with myself.
I only left the money so she wouldn’t feel stranded, not because I thought she was a damn prostitute.
"Shit," I muttered under my breath, rubbing my face.
I should’ve stayed, I should've waited until she woke up.
But now she was gone, and I didn't even ask for her name.
Idiot.
I exhaled sharply and checked the time.
My brother’s wedding was today and time was not on my side.
I picked up my phone, quickly getting dressed, I adjusted my tie, straightened my cuffs, and checked my watch.
It was already late morning hours.
I typed out a quick message to Alex.
"Hey man, meet you up shortly."
His reply came almost immediately, as if he had been waiting for my message.
"The wedding has been cancelled. Meet me at home. Mum and Dad are also waiting."
I froze.
What?
A cold wave rushed through me, my grip tightening around my phone.
Cancelled?
What the hell happened?
A million questions ran through my head, but none made sense.
Alex had refused to introduce us to his fiancée, he kept her identity hidden like a damn government secret.
Had she run away?
Or worse, did something bad happen?
I clenched my jaw, stuffing my phone in my pocket before grabbing my keys.
I used my morning time reminiscing about a woman who had already left and I don't know how to get her.
Now, I had another problem to deal with.
...
The ride home was a long one.
The city buzzed outside the tinted windows, but my mind was elsewhere.
Why was the wedding cancelled?
The closer I got to the Darlington's Estate, the more I grew curious.
When I finally arrived, the atmosphere was heavy.
The grand house, usually alive with movement, felt like a damn mourning hall.
I stepped out of the car, fixing my suit before heading inside.
The moment I stepped inside the house, all eyes were on me.
My parents sat on the couch, their faces unreadable.
Alex stood near the fireplace, his back stiff, his expression dark.
Something was very wrong.
I exhaled and forced a smile. "Hello, Mum. Hi, Dad."
My father barely looked at me. My mother pursed her lips, her gaze cold.
I adjusted my tie. "Okay, so what the hell happened? Why was the wedding cancelled?"
The silence stretched.
Then, finally, Alex met my gaze.
Just for a second.
Then he said, “I caught her cheating on me."
His voice was flat.
Emotionless.
Dead.
I blinked.
"What?"
Alex exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off the weight of his own words.
"I can’t marry a cheat."
The way he said it sounded like he was so certain, so sure of it.
Something felt off.
My mother sighed. "We always warned you, Alex. Marrying a woman from a different class."
"Your Dad and I told you this would happen," she continued, shaking her head. "You should’ve listened."
This is really bad, "I can't even imagine
how much embarrassment this family will face when this news goes out. How will I face the world now," mother said.
Alex didn’t respond and just watched everyone. Now that the wedding has been cancelled, I'm pretty sure all the pressure will come back to me now.
Just like I thought, my dad that hasn't said a word since I came in finally spoke up. "No need to cry over spilled milk, the did has been done, now is the time for Raymond to take over the responsibility he has been running away from for a very long time. I can't keep going to meetings with my old age."
"As for Alex... Go on a break to clear your head first." My dad added.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or lose my damn mind, I already expected this. I turned to face him "I'd only accept to run the company and all the things you want me to do if only I'm not pressured to get married or find a wife." I only said that to get him angry because my father always believes that behind every successful man lies a woman.
The old man stood up almost like he was going to hit me with his stick, "nonsense, Raymond, you will get married and you will run the company, Playtime is over."
"If not I will will everything to your younger brother, since he seems more responsible." Alex smirked at dad's words.
*Noami's POV*There was only a second of silence in the room; then, it was as if the enemy dropped a bomb."You cannot do this, Naomi," Aunt said with disbelief, her face contorted by the stress. "This wedding is beyond your power to walk away from!"I rose and took my suitcase, which was held up with my hand tightly, I gripped on the handle as though my knuckles turned white due to holding it that tight.Yes, I did.My tongue gave me a flawless intonation filled with coldness.Aunt Mildred was burning with rage. She was trembling and pointed fingers at me. "If you do this, then I will take your father’s inheritance as the first thing."I knew she was threatening me not to go Well, but I was determined not to allow all that to get to me.Aunt Mildred had been my guardian since I was fourteen, ever since the accident that took my parents away and left me alone with nothing but memories of a vanished life.For nine years, she had been the one to rule over and the decisions regarding my
*Raymond's POV* Five years had passed, but I still couldn’t erase the memory of that beautiful woman. The stranger from the bar. I had spent countless nights trying to recall her face, but all I ever remembered were her deep, sorrowful eyes and the way her body melted into mine that night. She was wild, desperate, and breathtaking. And just like a storm, she had disappeared by morning. I sent out men after her, using the little information I had, but no one could find her, there was no name, no identity. Just a ghost of a woman who had burned herself into my soul. But I guess fate had its own plans. Five years had passed, and everything had changed. Alexander had moved on and married Rachel. Our father was proud, boasting to everyone about how his "perfect son" had settled down. He even gave Alexander time off from work to enjoy his marriage, while I was left behind to shoulder the entire weight of the company. I didn’t mind at first, Hard work was all I knew.Until my
Naomi’s POV"What's the best way to get to your enemy? By being close to them."That was the first plan that ran through my mind as soon as I set foot back in New York. It had been five long years since I left—years filled with pain, heartbreak, loneliness, and emptiness. But now I was back, and everything outside this city was in my past. Those years had built the new me, the me that was ready to take back what was mine. I wasn’t returning as Naomi anymore. I was coming back as Erica Smith—a new identity that would help me get revenge on Alexander. Yes, Alexander. The one person I had trusted completely, the one I loved since childhood. He’d done everything to win me over, and I even changed my life for him. I quit drinking and stopped going to my favorite bar just to impress him. But just a day before our wedding, he went and humiliated me by sleeping with my cousin, Rachel. And believe me, Rachel wasn’t going to be left out of my plan for payback. She always acted like
Naomi’s POVI turned sharply,my heart racing.And there he was.Raymond Montego.The man who had just changed my fate.He leaned casually against the doorframe,his piercing gaze meeting mine. He was tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a fitted black shirt with the top buttons open, and carried an aura of effortless domiminance. He looked every bit the man who wields power–and now, over my life.I swallowed , forcing my voice to remain in composure.” I didn't expect you to be here.”A smirk spread across the corner of his lips.”And yet, here I am.” The air between us grew heavier as he stepped into the room.“ I assume you read through the contract?”Glancing at the untouched papers in my hands. “Not entirely.” He chuckled. “Then let me make things clear, Mrs. Raymond. This arrangement is purely business. You get to play the devoted wife in public, and in return, You get my protection and access to the Montego name.”With crossed arms. “And what do you get?”His expression darkened slig
Naomi’s POVI was just beginning to adjust into the reality of my new life as Mrs. Raymond, If I was going to be a pretend wife, it would be much easier if I would be bathed in this luxury. Raymond had spoiled me with a mountain of designer clothes, bags, purses, jewelry, and shoes. I couldn’t help but run my fingers over the soft fabrics and admire the sparkling gemstones. Every piece made me feel more special.As I stood there, trying to decide what to wear, my mind was full of thoughts about my goals for that evening. I needed an outfit that was stunning enough to impress my “in-laws” and sexy enough to make Raymond fall for me. After looking through everything, I finally settled on a sleek blue dinner gown. It hugged my curves just right—simple, yet powerful. Wearing it, I felt confident and beautiful. My hair was brushed into a simple bun,almost like I had styled this morning but this time, accessories. A diamond necklace sat on my neck. Was it too much for dinner? Certainly
Naomi’s POVThe hallway echoed under my heels as I made my way toward the library. I wasn’t looking for a book—at least not the kind you read. I needed silence, a place to think. But more than that, I needed space from him.Raymond.Ever since the dinner, he’d been acting differently, not cold—but careful. Like he was watching me and not just with his eyes. With his mind.I pushed the door open and stepped in.The smell of leather and old pages wrapped around me, dust motes floated in golden slivers of light. Everything about this place screamed power and legacy, Darlington legacy.Not mine.I traced my fingers over the spine of a book I didn’t bother reading and stared out the window. Somewhere down that winding driveway, the world moved. But up here, time felt like it held its breath.And then—“I didn’t peg you for the reading type.”The voice. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.Alexander.He strolled in, hands in his pockets, wearing that smug, unreadable expression he was
Naomi's POVThere was an almost electric silence between us.I held the envelope tighter, but I didn't break it open. Not yet. My eyes were locked on Raymond's. His face was expressionless, but his fists, clenched tightly in his sides, betrayed him."You knew," I repeated, now softly. More of a question that was not to be answered.He slowly shut the door. Click.He replied, "I didn't."Liar"I was beginning to suspect," he corrected. "But I wasn't certain, Not until that."He motioned to the box of pictures.My own hands were shaking. "Did you follow me five years ago?""No," he replied, speaking softly. "Those weren't from me. They were anonymously delivered."I gazed at him, hoping his face would twitch. It did not."I got them two days ago," he continued. "That was when I sent that sample from lost-and-found at the hotel. A hairbrush that you probably left there."My stomach twisted.You tested Miranda."I tested the child who was a carbon copy of the one who disappeared from me f
Naomi’s POVThe video stopped.Still frame. Alexander’s face.Smiling.I could feel my stomach aching.No, no, this can't be true.I replayed the clip again, heart pounding harder with every second. The angle was shaky, like it had been captured from a phone tucked in someone’s coat. But it was clear enough. My drunken laugh. My stumble. And Alexander—offering a drink, steadying me, leading me out.Not Raymond.Or was it?I pressed pause. Zoomed in. The man’s profile was so much like Raymond’s—same strong jaw, same confident stride. In the haze of heartbreak and alcohol, I could have confused them.Had I?No. I remembered the dragon tattoo.Except… Did I really?I shut the laptop, hands trembling.Everything I thought I knew was cracking. Miranda. Raymond. Me.If that night hadn’t been with Raymond… then everything was a lie.---I slipped out of the room and down the hallway. I needed air, but more than that—I needed answers.I saw Raymond in the gym, shirt buttoned up on his chest w
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