*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 future.
But not anymore.
I took a long, hard breath, and saw myself carrying the full weight of my past everywhere I went.
"You can shove the inheritance down your ass, Aunty," I answered back without stopping to think.
Immediately I said those words, I felt a heavy slap on my cheeks. The slap rang with no sympathy throughout the room. It was a sound to which, justly or not, one can become accustomed.
I staggered, I was very surprised; my cheek felt burning; my heart was incessantly thumping against my ribcage.
I tasted blood.
But the blow is a minor part of the whole story.
What I found most surprising was—
For her, being violent was okay as long as it meant that I was in my place.
Rachel gasped beside her mother, eyes wide in feigned shock. But it was there, hidden behind the act, satisfaction.
"Mum!" Rachel shouted, moving closer. "How ungrateful of her! Just let me—"
She raised her hand to smack me, too, but I managed to grip her wrist in midair.
Definitely not today.
I threw her back quickly, hard, and she fell backward.
Aunt Mildred came in between us. "Enough, Rachel," she said with a quiet, strong authority, stretching a little the words she said. "If she pleads to go, let her go. But remember, Naomi—"
She marched ahead slowly, her presence seeming to cut off my very air. There's no place for you in this house anymore, not even at your father's company. From today, her lips arched, and she spoke the final word. "To us, you are gone."
Dead.
The term fell in the silence of the air like dust.
I thought I'd be hurt by all this drama, but strangely it didn't.
Nevertheless, this was not the most horrible moment.
Not after the way Alexander and Rachel had betrayed me.
I realized that Alexander was standing there. He was supposed to be my man.
He stood there quietly, watching everything, not even saying a word while I I was experiencing all that.
Coward.
I swallowed my emotions down through the tightness of my throat.
With my shoulders squared, I studied both of them.
Rachel was leaning back with her smug, self-satisfied grin.
Alexander dared not say a word. It was a weakness in him.
I gave a slow breath and reserved this moment.
Soon enough, however, I would make them pay.
I will be back.
I didn’t say it aloud, but I kept the promise deep within me.
Then, without another word, I just turned and left.
...
The air outside was very cold and sharp, I breathed in as the air can burn my lungs and seemed to fill it to the brim.
This is it.
Freedom.
Nothing, no home, no money, no hope.
I was left with nothing.
I walked toward where my garage was all of a sudden, I stopped.
Of course, it won’t be there.
I didn't own any car, not even one.
I was just disowned.
Everything I had ever known, the wealth, the privilege, the security, was locked behind that door.
I laughed for just a moment, with a hint of bitterness.
Yesterday night, I was on my way to make the necessary arrangements for my wedding.
Now I was standing on the sidewalk with my suitcase, trying to figure out where the hell to go.
I swallowed the lump that came in my throat and pulled my coat tighter around me.
I must get moving.
I should leave this place and get away from the scenery of life, which is no longer mine.
I carried my suitcase and moved away from the mansion, from my past.
I took the first step
Then another.
And only after that, with no looking behind me.
...
I walked for hours.
The city vanished from view, glowing street lights, honking cars, and people passing through their sanity, while mine had collapsed.
I barely felt the cold anymore, all I could feel is pain.
The treachery.
The disgrace.
The rage.
I walked deeper and deeper until my knees were numbing and were hurting.
Somewhere on the road, I came across a boarding place, and it was a wreck of a motel.
I stopped and found myself in a difficult situation for the first time.
“It's not like I had any other options.”
I dipped my hand in my pocket and saw a few crumbled notes that I had snatched while going out.
A meager sum.
But enough money for tonight.
I closed the door behind me.
The receptionist barely looked up as I handed over the cash.
"Room 206," he muttered, sliding a key toward me.
The door creaked as I pushed it open.
The room was interestingly filled with the smell of dust, which made it seem like it had never been cleaned. The bed was hard like it was made of bricks, and the wallpaper was already peeling.
The world that was outside was not what I was used to.
But it was mine, For now, at least.
I Sat at the corner of my bed, I put my head on my hands and closed my eyes.
Everything happened so fast.
In one moment, I was a bride to be, the next moment, I was a woman “with no home, no family, no future.”
I forced back the tears that wanted to drop and I tried to breathe.
I won't cry.
I couldn't.
Shedding tears meant I was breaking and I'm not broken.
Not yet.
Raising my head, staring at my reflection in the tiny mirror across the room.
My face was still very red from the slap.
My face had never been like this, swollen, from all the pain I had experienced.
But I was not a coward.
I clenched my fists, inhaling sharply.
"I’m not done," I said.
This was not the end.
This was only the beginning.
I am homeless today as I have lost everything.
Despite the situation, I would bounce back.
And one day—
Rachel and Alexander would regret ever betraying me.
I would make them pay, no matter what it takes.
I promised myself.
I would survive this.
And I would become victorious.
I quickly transferred some of the money I had before aunt Mildred will freeze my account.
And with that I booked a ticket, out of this country... My past.
*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 POVThe photo shook in my hand.Miranda.On the swings,she was laughing, not noticing the shadow in the background.I flipped it over again. Read the message twice, no, three times.“Keep lying to her—and she disappears next.”My chest tightened, I was scared.They knew, Someone knew.And they were watching her.I turned to Raymond, He looked like he’d been hit with a steel pipe—rigid, eyes wide, jaw clenched.“Who sent this?” I asked.He shook his head. “There’s no return address. It was slipped into the envelope with the test results.”“Then it wasn’t just about Miranda’s paternity.”Raymond nodded slowly. “Someone wants us rattled, wants us exposed.”My hands balled into fists, “She’s not even here, She’s with Betty.”“They know that,” he said, “Which means they’re following Betty too.”The thought made my stomach turn, I was going to get crazy. Miranda, In danger, all because of me.I pulled out my phone, already dialing Betty’s number. My thumb trembled so badly I nearly
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