Not every family stuck with each other forever. But forever is like asking for never. They'd all had their ups and downs. The brothers quarreled, not once, not twice, and definitely not thrice. Yet, at the end of the day, they always came back together, standing strong as one family. As Eve lounged on a recliner, staring at the vast ocean ahead, her mind couldn't help but wander to a few years back. Ethan left the company for Wade, but only to manage the one in the other city, as that city was much closer to the island. Well, they frequented here, and often, the whole family gathered here for vacation. "Mummy, I want more." A tiny voice came from her lap and Eve looked down at the baby. She'd almost been convinced that he was sleeping. Her fingers ran through his hair and she removed the straw from her mouth and let him sip the coconut juice. "This is your last sip, Evan. You can't have too much coconut." "Uhuh." The boy nodded and took a sip, but he didn't let go of the stra
Pain. It hurt. Her whole body ached so much as if her bones were breaking inside. Eve opened her eyes and through her blurry vision, the white ceiling loomed above. Her head pounded as she tried to remember where she was. But it was so hard to recall anything when the ache in her head kept increasing. The soft mattress underneath her moved as well as the bedsheet on her. What was she doing on a bed? Her heart stopped beating for a second then it all began coming back. The last time before her eyes closed, Eve could remember herself drowning. Her hands and legs were bound with hard ropes and she was blindfolded. She couldn't even struggle as she helplessly drowned to her death. But now... This pain in her body didn't feel like that of someone who had drowned. In fact, this pain felt familiar as if she'd experienced something similar before. The bedsheet moved again and Eve was now aware of her surroundings. Her eyes strayed to her left and she held her breath to stop
Eve spaced out, and she had the urge to touch him again to make sure he was real. There was a stark difference between his current appearance compared to the last days of their marriage. Because she had caused him so much trouble, Ethan had a hard time focusing on his business affairs despite his resilient attitude. Slowly, he changed from a fine gentleman whom everyone admired to a grumpy drunk whom everyone was afraid to go near. "Eve!" He seemed to be calling out her name for quite a while now because his voice got louder, snapping her out of her reverie. "I said get ready, we're going to the ancestral mansion." His anger had cooled off because he even addressed her the usual way he did. Without waiting for her reply, Ethan walked into the closet. The ancestral mansion.... The memory was as clear as day in Eve's mind. That time when she drugged Ethan, he'd asked her to follow him to the ancestral mansion the next morning, to apologize to his grandfather for leavin
"You've been acting weird since you woke up, unlike your usual self. Tell me, have you developed a new way to achieve your divorce goal?" Eve swallowed and let out a nervous laugh. "Who said I wanted a divorce?" Eve flashed him her sweetest smile. "You're my darling husband, and my only goal is to make you happy. And to achieve that, I must make your family happy, especially your grandfather." Ethan looked more confused than ever. His pupils expanded and he looked as if he was going to have a heart attack. The driver lost control and the car almost slammed into the gates. Eve was thrown off balance and the impact made her collide with Ethan's body who wrapped both arms around her protectively. Her heart hammered against her chest and she could also feel Ethan's heartbeat. "Do you want to lose your job?" Ethan said darkly to the driver who had already regained control of the wheel. "I– I am so sorry, Young Master. Please forgive my mistake," the driver apologized profusely
On hearing the voice, Eve was stunned for a few seconds. The burly man's hand stopped mid-air. "I should believe that you're not trying to harass this lady. Otherwise, I'll be forced to get the authorities," that voice continued. It was none other than Cole. Eve gulped and slowly turned around, her gaze landing on the young man with a gentle smile on his face. The last expression she'd seen on Cole's face was an evil smile as he and Mia revealed all their plans to her before leaving her to her misery. Seeing him now, Eve was forced to recall that memory. "It is not what you are thinking, Sir." Taking in Cole's appearance, the attendant's bitter expression transformed into a friendly smile. "You see, this lady here is a scam. She entered this store not with the intention of buying anything, but to waste our time and make a scene. That is why we are dealing with her." "How much is the painting?" Cole smiled, slipping both hands into his pockets. "Ahh, are you trying to save
The car arrived at the ancestral mansion and Eve jumped out with the painting in her hands. Ethan also left the car and a servant approached them. After greeting them, the servant told them Ethan's grandfather was in the garden behind the mansion, soaking up the morning's atmosphere. "The garden is this way, where are you going?" As Eve was about to dash into the house, Ethan said in confusion. Eve stopped walking and held tight to the painting. She must replace this gift with the one she'd presented last night fast. As the mansion seemed calm and the servants worked in harmony, it meant the old man hadn't opened her gift yet. "Ethan, Darling." She turned around and put on her best smile, holding her stomach. "You can go see Grandpa first. I'm pressed and must use the washroom immediately." Ethan frowned and glanced at the painting. "I'll hold it for you. Be fast." "N–No no no." Eve shooked her head. "Since this gift is from me to Grandpa, I must give it to him hand to hand.
Eve's lips twitched slightly. She released his arm and sighed inside. If she could remember correctly in her past life, Matt and his other bad friends would end up in jail just a few months from now. They would be caught by the authorities in drug trafficking and money laundering. That incident made headlines in the city, tainting the family's name and bringing down its reputation. Although Matt had always been a troublemaker, no one expected that he'd go to that extreme. It was also at that time that the family found out he hung out with bad company. However, it was too late as the authorities didn't take the situation lightly. No amount of money and connection could bail him out. The incident affected his grandfather so much that he ended up on his deathbed earlier than anticipated. Matt confessed that he was manipulated into the act by his friends due to his rich background and wild ways. He'd always lived in his brother's shadows and felt useless in the family. All his ac
Lunch was already prepared by the time Eve got home and she ate her food dejectedly. Wishing that Ethan would come back home with her was like asking for the impossible. Their relationship was so sour that he rarely spent his days at home and he spent most of his nights at the company. "M–Ms. Maxwell— I mean, Madam, Isn't the food to your liking?" Elena said, looking worried. Eve looked sideways at the house stewardess. She could also see fear in the woman's eyes. Blowing out a sigh, she shook her head. "The food is great, Elena, thank you. And when will you start calling me by my name? Do you want me to remind you again and again?""My apologies, M–Ms. — Madam. I'll do whatever you say.""Oh, don't force yourself." Eve finished her food and sighed again. "You can call me by my name whenever you're comfortable with it. But from now on, you can't call me Ms. Maxwell."Without waiting for the woman's reply, she left the dining area and wandered all day at home. Her fears came true in