The door to Wendy's room burst open, and Isla, Sasha, and Lindsay, rushed in, their faces beaming with excitement. "Wendy! Oh my God, it's finally here!" they squealed in unison, rushing to hug their dear friend.
The friends surrounded Wendy, congratulating her on her wedding day. "Mrs. Jackson, huh?" Isla teased, wiggling her eyebrows. "You're going to love being a Jackson!" Sasha chimed in, making Wendy blush.
As the makeup artist finished the final touches, a woman appeared at the door, smiling warmly. "It's time to bring the bride to the aisle," she announced.
Wendy's friends accompanied her downstairs, with Lindsay and Isla on either side of her. As they descended the stairs, cameras flashed, capturing the moment for live videos of the luxurious wedding. The atmosphere was electric, filled with anticipation and joy.
At the bottom of the stairs, Wendy's father waited, beaming with pride. He offered his arm, and Wendy took it, her eyes locking onto Drake Jackson's. Drake couldn't take his eyes off his bride, his gaze drinking in every detail of her stunning appearance.
As Wendy's father walked her down the aisle, the crowd erupted into a collective "awww." Drake's eyes never left Wendy's face, and when her father handed her over, Drake's face lit up with adoration.
The priest smiled, his voice warm and gentle. "Please face each other," he instructed. Drake lifted Wendy's veil, revealing her radiant smile. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion.
The crowd "awww"ed again, and the priest began the vows. Wendy and Drake repeated the promises, their voices filled with conviction and love. They exchanged diamond rings, sealing their commitment to each other.
Finally, the priest announced, "I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Jackson. You may kiss the bride." Drake's lips met Wendy's, and the cameras captured the moment, freezing it in time. The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as the newlyweds shared their first kiss as husband and wife.
"Ahhh!!" Wendy exclaimed happily as she flaunted her beautiful ring to the camera.
Isla was arranging some flowers alone in the passageway when she felt big hands cover her eyes.
"Hey!" She yelled and when she turned, it was Cade smiling before her.
"You're here!" She got up and hugged him tightly.
"Why didn't you reply to any of my messages? I was so worried, I thought you were still angry about the fact that I...I didn't want to keep the pregnancy."
"I'm still angry, Isla. But I missed you." He held her.
"I missed you too. I...I don't think I'm ready to do this." She touched her belly.
"C'mon Isla, what are you saying? We talked about it. I'm not allowing you to risk your life and get rid of my seed growing in you." Isla blushed a little.
"You... don't be so selfish. At least think about my career first. If I lose shape, I lose my career. Rhea will be better than me, and she'll make sure i never rise up again. I can't let that happen, right?"
"That will never happen to you, baby. I'll support you."
Julie was alone in her room, snapping selfies in front of the mirror, when suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her belly and back. She cried out, clutching her abdomen, and fell to the ground. Her water broke, soaking her leg, and she let out a loud scream as another contraction hit.
She labored on the ground, trying to reach out to her phone, which she had tossed aside when the pain started. Her fingers scraped against the floor, but it was just out of reach. Julie's cries grew louder, more desperate, as the pain intensified.
The maid heard Julie's anguished voice and rushed upstairs, her heart racing with concern. She saw Julie writhing on the floor, her face contorted in pain. The maid quickly grabbed the phone and dialed Lucas's number, trying to stay calm.
Lucas was in the middle of a meeting when his phone rang, disrupting the discussion. He glanced at the screen, saw it was the maid, and picked up, his secretary assisting him in answering. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice tight with worry.
"Madam Julie is in labor, sir," the maid replied, her voice trembling. "She's on the floor, and she's in a lot of pain."
Lucas's expression changed, his eyes widening with concern. "I'm on my way," he said, standing up and calling the meeting to a close. "Get the car ready, now!" he ordered his driver.
Tensed and anxious, Lucas rushed out of the building, his mind racing with thoughts of Julie and the baby. He got into the car and urged the driver to hurry. "Drive fast, we need to get to the hospital now!"
The waiting room was tense, filled with anxious energy. Lucas paced back and forth, his eyes fixed on the door to the labor room. Sasha and Lindsay sat beside him, trying to offer what little comfort they could.
Just then, Isla arrived, her face etched with concern. "How is she?" she asked Lucas, who immediately stood up and approached her.
"Is Julie's condition still normal?"
"I think so," he replied.
"Let's wait for the doctor to come out and update us."
Lucas nodded, biting his lower lip as Julie's screams echoed from the labor room. Lindsay reached out and touched his arm, trying to tease him out of his worried state.
"You regret it, right?" she asked with a smirk.
Lucas nodded, his expression worried. "It's my fault, I landed her in all of this," he replied, flinching as he heard Julie's yelling grow louder.
Her friends exchanged worried glances, discussing in hushed tones that Julie had never felt so much pain in her entire life. Sasha felt so bad for her, tears welling up in her eyes. "I don't think I've ever heard her scream like that before," she said, her voice trembling.
Just then, Julie's screams stopped, and an unsettling silence fell over the waiting room. The friends exchanged anxious glances, wondering what was happening behind the closed doors.
About 20 minutes later, the doctor emerged from the labor room, a hint of a smile on her face. Lucas immediately stood up, his eyes locked on the doctor's. "How is she? What's happening?" he asked, his voice filled with anticipation.
The doctor smiled. "Congratulations, Mr. Lucas. You've welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world."
The friends exclaimed in unison, their faces lighting up with joy. The doctor held up a hand, asking them to be patient. "Let me just finish the paperwork, and you can see them both soon."
"Ahhh!!" Wendy exclaimed.
"Our princess is here."
"I'm coming over right now!"
"Hey, hey. Stay with your husband. You just got married." Lindsay advised.
"But... Julie, did you see her?"
"We are on our way to see her right now!"
"Julie!!!" The girls exclaimed. They giggled to see an exhausted Julie, whose smile was faint.
"Shit, Julie. You don't look too good." Lindsay shook her head.
"Where's the baby? Have you seen her?"
"She's getting wrapped....somewhere. Lucas chose to see her first. He didn't even care to know if I died."
"Don't say that Julie. You are alive, your baby is alright too. He was so worried about you." Sasha told her.
"Did you scream so loud.... because of the baby? How was the experience?" Isla was curious.
"It was... It was... I'll explain later. I... I'm hungry."
"Hungry?" They joked.
"I don't know how I feel. Where's my husband?"
"Julie!" He went to her and held her hand gently.
"I saw our baby. Oh my gosh, she's so beautiful." He said softly and Julie rolled her eyes, slipping her hands off his.
"Why did you do that?"
"How could you do this to me? I went through so much pain all because of you and you dare put a baby before me? I didn't know you were so pathetic!"
"Hey, hey. You're in a condition where you're closely monitored by nurses. I don't want you to get angry and worsen your health." She frowned at him.
"You look scary when you're mad. Just smile."
"I can't smile because I'm still very angry with you." He took her hand and kissed it.
"What are you doing?" She blushed slightly.
"This is all your fault. I don't want to get pregnant again, ever. All this nine months of absolute suffering, I actually feel free. I don't ever want to be in this condition."
"What do you mean by that? Isn't Lucy getting a younger brother?"
"We agreed on an older girl and a younger boy. But not anymore, honey. Those nine months weren't too fun for me."
"They were fun - if you ask me. The pregnancy kind of brought us closer. I left work stuff and would always be with you. It made me love you more."
"Oh.." A blush crept up her cheeks.
Rhea Sinclair lounged on her plush couch, sipping expensive wine as she scrolled through her social media feed. She came across a post about Julie welcoming a new baby, and her expression remained impassive. She wished them nothing but trouble, her eyes narrowing slightly as she thought about the potential implications.
As she continued scrolling, she saw a live video from her daughter Isla Sinclair. Isla's face lit up the screen, excitement radiating from her very being. "Hey, babes! I have some super exciting news to share with you all. I've been seeing someone special, and I'm planning to introduce him to you all at my next fashion week! Stay tuned, you won't want to miss it!"
Rhea's eyes widened in fury as she realized who Isla was likely planning to reveal – Cade. She couldn't let that happen. She quickly dialed Talia's number, her fingers moving with a sense of urgency.
Talia answered on the first ring, and Rhea wasted no time. "Isla's planning to reveal Cade at her next fashion week," she spat, her voice venomous.
Talia's response was immediate. Rhea could hear the sound of things breaking in the background, and Talia's breathing was heavy with rage. "What is that psycho thinking?" Talia growled.
Rhea's smile was cold. "I don't know, but we need to stop her. What are we going to do?"
Talia's fingers moved rapidly, likely typing away on her phone as she thought of a plan. "Don't worry, I know exactly what I'll do. But I need your assistance, Rhea."
Rhea's eyes gleamed with interest. "What do you need me to do?"
Talia's voice was confident. "I'll tell you soon."
"But in return, I need you to do something for me."
Rhea's smile grew wider.
"Name it."
Talia's response was immediate.
"Deal. At your place."
The two women finalized their plan, their voices dripping with malice as they conspired to ruin Isla's plans.
Isla's car sped in a quiet environment, on it's way to the mall. Dora was also in the car and they discussed about the beautiful and tall buildings they saw.
The car pulled to a sudden halt.
"What happened?" Isla asked.
"Erm....it broke down." The driver replied.
"What??" Isla and Dora were alarmed. They looked around, and the environment was silent, with no sign of people or moving vehicles.
The driver got down and checked.
"We ran out of fuel."
"Oh." Isla gave him her card.
"Go get some. And be quick. This place isn't safe." The driver's eyes scanned the area.
"I don't know where to get any fuel here."
"Just... Just walk down. You'll... you'll get it." The two men left, leaving Isla and Dora alone in the car.
"I'm hungry..." Dora complained just few minutes later.
"Just hang on. Eat these..." Isla gave her chocolate.
"How the hell did we even run out of fuel?" Isla wondered.
She heard a bus and peeped out the window. Before she knew it, some thugs ran towards them with weapons and broke the car door ruthlessly.
"Ahhhh!!! Who the fuck are you?!" Isla yelled and tried to protect Dora. They pulled her roughly and one of the men, masked lifted Dora on his shoulders as she screamed and kicked.
"Stop it, little girl or lose your life!"
"What do you want? Is it money? I have money - just let us go."
"Shut up!" They tightened their grip on Isla.
"Let me go! Someone help us!!!" Isla shouted as they seized her into their bus.
They threw them in and sped off. One of the men tied Isla's hands and legs. She had bruised her head and Dora was unconscious.
"What did you do to the poor girl? Why is she unconscious?!" Isla snarled.
"Isla Sinclair, you'd better keep your mouth shut." The thugs laughed at her.
"Isla is so beautiful in real life. I feel so honored doing this job with you, my lady." They touched her.
"Stop! Who sent you to do this to me?"
"Your enemy." Someone popped into her head. How could her mom be such a wicked snake?
"How could you agree to work for such an evil woman? I'll call the police and you will all rot in jail!" A slap flew across Isla's face and her cheeks turned red.
"HOW DARE YOU?!!"
"Rhea Sinclair! What's your problem? Why are you this jealous of me? You gave birth to me! Why do you want me dead?"
The masked woman threw her head back and laughed cunningly.
She removed her mask and threw it in the air.
"Hey." Isla's eyes widened.
"It's you! Talia, why did you send these men to kidnap me?"
"Cade only came to work for you - and somehow he fell in love with you. Now, you're planning to introduce him to the world as your boyfriend? You or your boyfriend, one has to die. All those fans who are anticipating - they will all lose you."
"I'm not afraid of your threats! All I'll do is remind you - you left Cade when he needed you most. After six years, you're back, asking him to be your Mr. Right again. I can't allow Cade to get back with you. Cade needs a family, Cade needs a wife he truly loves, Cade needs a future. And these things, I'm giving it to him. You were a big mistake!"
"Oh really?"
"Yes. He has always been...." Isla suddenly clutched her belly, blinking multiple times, feeling a little uneasy.
"Ahhh.." her voice trembled and her lips quivered.
"What's wrong, huh?" Talia yelled, unsure of why she wasnt speaking anymore.
"Blood?!!!" Talia was taken aback.
Isla's eyes closed and the last thing she heard was some people bursting into the dark building with torches.
"Drop your weapons!"
"Handcuff them all!"