The Devil's Sweetheart

Since their university days, Leena Reese Jane shared millions of memories, thousands of jokes, and hundreds of secrets. Though they quarrel often their quibbles would be sorted out in one hour. They treasured the tears, treasured the laughter, and most importantly treasured the memories.

"I have missed you a lot. It's been a month I have not seen you both." A strange feeling of excitement filled in Jane as she watched her friends. "Didn't you miss me?"

"I missed you a lot, Jane." Reese dramatically wiped her imaginary tears.

Releasing the hug, Leena looked at her for a while to come up with a witty reply. "Even I missed you like how I miss my phone whenever I forget to take it with me to the bathroom."

"Yucky shameless girl." Jane spanked her back for always coming up with weird explanations.

Ignoring her, Leena looked at the little figure who was playing with Carrot already.

"Tootie!" Leena winked revealing the gift she bought with her to grab the attention. "I bought the gift which you asked for."

Noticing the gift, Cutie's eyes twinkled in delight. She left playing with Carrot and tried to snatch the gift, but Leena raised it beyond Cutie could reach her hands. "You know what to do right?"

Cutie nodded her head and jumped on Leena to kiss her cheek. Only then Leena allowed her to take the gift.

Grabbing the gift box, Cutie rushed inside the house and threw the gift on to her father's hand to unbox it.

"She is just like you, Leena" Jane shook her head and walked into the house along with her friends, and right when she reached the hallway, Cutie was screaming and running around the house.

"Eena bought Dabbid toy, mommy!" She shouted in excitement and escaped into the bedroom to play with the newfound toy. Left with no choice, Carrot followed behind since she likes to play with Cutie a lot.

"Hey Crazy Leena, aren't you greeting your brother?" Wilbur asked when he was not getting the attention from his sister.

"I would love to greet you, but the Crazy Leena told me to say no."

"You bratty_"

"It's been a long time we chatted, Will. We are going to our room." Jane cut him off in the middle before the Dakota and Dallas start their quarrels. "Make something and bring it to the bedroom."

"I am not making anything. Go and do it by yourself." He yelled at the top of his lungs. Every time these three are together, he has to work his fingers to the bone tending to their orders.

"Jane." Leena turned to face her friend. "Do you know what happened when my brother was in_"

"Aish you brat. Why do you always bring that topic in front of my wife?" Wilbur threw his laptop and got up. He has been holding a secret which he did not want his wife to know and Leena has been cashing it and threatening him.

"How long will you threaten him with that? If he comes to know that I am aware of his secret, he would kill you along with me." Jane chuckled recalling the secret that Leena has told her already. It was not even a big issue in the eyes of her but she doesn't know why Wilbur is embarrassed to talk about it.

"Let's worry about that later, Jane" Leena dragged Reese and Jane to the bedroom. She has more pressing matters to discuss with them.

....

"What? Are you in a relationship with Devin?" Jane widened her eyes in shock when Leen started explaining the incidents that happened in Seattle. Out of blue, Jane's eyes scooted on her daughter's face who was playing happily with the rabbit toy. 

"Didn't I text you yesterday?" Reese butted in.

"You didn't tell it was Devin." Jane started arguing with Reese.

"Are you sure about him?" Jane's greatest concern was the fact that Leena would be miserable if something happens like in the past. She never liked it when Leena was in a relationship with Ethan. But she couldn't object to her either at that time.

"He is a very good person, Jane and I like him a lot." Leena doesn't know why she couldn't wholeheartedly accept Ethan in the past. Even after he was behind her for four long years, he couldn't imprint his footsteps into her heart as Devin did effortlessly.

"Fine. I trust in you because you made the right choice picking that diamond. So, did you tell your brother and Francis?"

"Not yet. I will bring him directly and surprise them." The three were gossiping on Devin when Wilbur entered the room. Smelling the delicious aroma, their faces brightened up instantly.

"He,y Crazy Leena." Putting the snacks in front of them, Wilbur added. "Come to my study room quitting your sallies."

"I think he would lecture you for ruining that date," Reese mumbled right after Wilbur walked out.

"As if I would give a monkey to him." Leena was too busy to mind him. After all, Devin is in front of her. But with Jane's continuous nagging, Leena reluctantly got up to meet him.

Not even bothering to knock the study room, she straight away went into his room. Hearing the footsteps, Wilbur put down his file and looked up.

"What did you do to Tom?" Wilbur asked referring to the date he has set up.

"I scared him away," Leena said as if it was a matter of fact.

"Your craziness has reached peaks that even media is talking about it. At this rate, I am not sure if I can find someone even if I will sell all my wealth." Wilbur yelled, getting intense with the topic. He has been searching for equally non compos mentis to match with her craziness but all the searches are becoming futile. After knowing her insanity, people stopped meeting him when he brings Leena's marriage topic and the ones who daringly went on a date with her ended up not talking with him. Francis is not even bothered by her insanity and he always says that he has found someone already for Leena but he would never bring that person.

"I am only twenty-five, Will. Not everyone will get married at a young age unlike you." She argued back. "Leave my matter. Why did you go to Europe for one whole month?"

"Work-related." He shrugged.

"Don't fib. I know you went there to investigate aunty and uncle's death." Leena has been keeping an eye on his movements from the day he landed in Europe. She knew he is up to no good when he told her that he is going to Europe for a month.

"I_I..." Wilbur sighed and slumped on the chair. "I have a hunch that it was not an accident." Right after a year of Leena mom's accident, Wilbur's mom and dad died when they went on a Europe trip. Both Leena and Wilbur were supposed to go along with them, lucky or unlucky, they stayed in New York with Francis and the tragedy happened.

"You know what? Even I don't feel any good, Will. Mom's accident followed by uncle and Aunt's death and recently there was an assassin attack on you. It seems someone is targeting us. Did something happen in the past? Should we ask Francy?" Leena would have assumed that even her accident was connected to the tragedies happening in the family if she didn't know Ethan was the one connected to her accident.

"Do you think he would tell? In fact, Francy will try to keep us away. But we have to find it before something happens to us again." Wilbur was scared that they would target his family again. He has built a happy family of three and he was terrified that it would get shattered into pieces if he is not careful. The recent assassin attempt was a reminder that it was no done yet. Lucky that he escaped.

"We should be forever grateful to Francy and grandmother, Will," Francis was an easy-going and cool person until his brother and sister-in-law died. Their tragic death devastated him completely. He has to shoulder the responsibility of the giant company along with two kids all alone.

"Don't tell you that you are grateful to him. He doesn't mind if it comes out of my mouth but he would flare up in anger if it is you."

"Of course, I wouldn't anger him. After all, I am the apple of my Francy's eye." She wished he would have become her father instead of that scum. Leena doesn't know what her mom has seen in that scum father. She felt that she has hit her brain to love that womanizer.

"Narcissist brat. Always bragging about yourself." He flicked her forehead. " It's been a long time we have been here. Let's go. Jane would get worried."

Right when he got up to leave, Leena hugged Wilbur surprising him. For a moment, he stopped thinking. How long it was? Was it five years? She would get mad even if someone accidentally touches her. But now...

"What happened suddenly?"

'Devin happened' Leena kept the thought to herself. She wanted to surprise his brother by bringing Devin directly here.

"I am trying to come out of that zone." She quietly said.

"Good that you are progressing." He returned the hug and patted her head.

"Leena, Ethan contacted me again. He wants to speak_"

"I don't want to talk to him, Will." Leena sternly declared. Not after he made her life living hell twice.

"Listen first, Leena. Even if you want to, I will not let that happen." Every day Wilbur has been receiving a message from Ethan asking for a meet-up with Leena but he has turned a deaf ear to him. Although he was a good friend of him in the past, his actions were negated.. He has cut all the ties with him from that day.