The Billionaire and His Dreamy Shining Bride

“Evelyn, Eve! Wake up, what’s happening to you?” The urgency in Grandmother Diana’s voice clawed at the edges of my consciousness. Her hands, weathered from time’s relentless march, trembled as they traced my form, seeking a sign, any sign, that I was still with her. Tears, each a silent testament to her fear, cascaded down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails on her time-etched face. “Mommy, Daddy! Please, don’t leave me,” I gasped, my words choked by a grief that clung to me like a second skin. My fingers clenched the bedsheet with a desperate strength, as if I could fight off the specter of death that loomed in my fevered dreams. A sheen of sweat cloaked my body, and my breaths came in ragged spurts, my fever spiking and crashing like the tumultuous waves of a storm-wracked sea. “Eve, my child, I’m begging you,” Diana’s voice broke, a fragile whisper against the tempest of my anguish. “You’re all I have left.” Her hands, warm and steady, enveloped mine, grounding me. She knelt, her head bowed, a silent sculpture of regret and sorrow. “Grandma,” I managed to utter, my voice a mere wisp of sound. “Eve, my darling, you’re awake.” Diana’s eyes, awash with tears, met mine as she steadied herself, her relief palpable. She brushed my forehead with a gentle touch, seeking the fever’s telltale heat, her lap a cradle for my weary head. “I can’t endure this any longer, Grandma,” I whispered, my eyes fighting the weight of weariness, my voice a discordant note amidst the chaos of my thoughts. The nightmare was a relentless echo of the past, replaying the terror of that fateful night. The cacophony of screams, the stark glare of headlights, and the final, deafening silence haunted me. I recalled my mother’s smile, a fleeting harbinger of love and regret as our world spiraled into darkness. Then, in a breath, her warmth vanished, leaving a void where her smile once lived. “Where has the smile gone?” I cried, the pain lancing through me. Clinging to my grandmother, I was a child once more, lost in the aftermath of that night. “I remember it all, Grandma. Can I ever escape this? Will these nightmares ever release their grip?” My gaze sought hers, a silent plea for the comfort only she could offer. In my grandmother’s arms, amidst the echoes of a past that refused to fade, I found a fragile thread of hope—a promise that perhaps, in time, the nightmares would loosen their hold, and healing could begin. “Evelyn, it will all be fine, my child. You’re a strong-willed woman,” Diana said, her voice a bastion of conviction. “You survived the terrible accident that claimed your parents, and you’re still here, still fighting.” Her words were like a spell, breaking the chains of my despair. I rose, a sudden clarity washing over me. In that moment, I remembered that she was my kin, the sole remnant of family I had left. “I love you so much,” I whispered, my smile a fragile thing, coaxed from the depths of my pain. I reached out, and our embrace was a refuge, our hearts keeping time with one another in a silent symphony of shared strength. The shrill sound of my phone cut through the silence, its insistence impossible to ignore. “Beep beep,” it went, a herald of the outside world beckoning. “Where is it?” I muttered, scanning the room with urgency. “There it is, Eve,” Grandma Diana’s voice guided me, her finger pointing toward the chaos of the table. With a burst of energy, I leaped from the bed, my feet finding the floor with a purpose. I snatched the phone from its hiding place amidst the clutter. “Hello, Evelyn,” came the cheerful voice from the other end. “Oh, Baileyyyyyy!” My voice soared with delight, a smile breaking across my face like the first light of dawn. Bailey was more than a friend; she was my confidante, the sister fate had forgotten to give me. Her calls were like rays of sunshine piercing through the gloom of my routine life. I could almost hear her rolling her eyes as she chuckled. “Ha ha ha.” “What’s taking you so long?” Bailey’s impatience buzzed through the line like a playful jolt. “Alright, alright, Miss Bailey, I’m on my way,” I replied, my tone a mix of amusement and reassurance. “Humph! You better be, or else” She didn’t finish her threat, but she didn’t need to. “Don’t worry, Bailey, I’ll be there in a jiffy,” I interjected before she could escalate her mock indignation. “Grandma, I’ll be back soon. I need to be at the design workshop hosted by Valmont Jewels,” I called out, gathering my hair into a hasty ponytail, the elastic band around my wrist serving its purpose with a snap. My eyes darted around the room in a frantic search. “Where the hell are you hiding now, you godforsaken shoes?” I grumbled, my frustration mounting with each passing second. “There you are,” I sighed in relief, a chuckle escaping my lips as I slipped into them and tied the laces with practiced speed. But before I could take another step, a voice, firm and laced with an authority I hadn’t heard in a long time, froze me in my tracks. “You’re not going anywhere today, Eve!” Grandma Diana’s voice was a thunderclap, commanding and resolute. I spun around, my confusion etched in the furrowed line of my brow, to face her. It was Diana collins, her stance as formidable as the tone she had just used, an unexpected obstacle in my path Before I could ask what was wrong, her body gave way, and she collapsed to the floor, her limbs trembling uncontrollably. “Grandma!” I screamed, rushing toward her. The room blurred, my breath catching in my chest as I fumbled for my phone. The echoes of my cry filled the room, and all I could think was, Don’t take her too!