《Billionaire, Let's Divorce!》


 Chapter 0001

    I received a pornographic video. "Do you like this?"


    The man speaking in the video is my husband, Mark, whom I haven''t seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can''t see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the pping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts.


    "Yes, yes, fuck me hard, baby," the woman screams ecstatically in response.


    "You naughty girl!" Mark stands up and flips her over, pping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!"


    The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed.


    I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It''s bad enough that my husband is having an affair, but what''s worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Be.


    I let the video y, watching and listening to the two of them having sex, my disgust being provoked time and time again. Every time I hear their moans, my heart feels like it''s being stabbed.


    The cheating continues. After a few more ps, he grabs her buttocks, thrusts his penis deep into her vagina, and starts pounding vigorously.


    After a few more thrusts, Mark and Be moan together as they climax. They copse on the bed, kissing and caressing each other''s faces.


    "Do you treat my sister like this in bed too?" Be''s coquettish voice rings out,


    "Don''t mention her," Mark''s ruthless voice echoes, "I haven''t even kissed her, she can''tpare to you at all."


    "I knew you only loved me!" Be smiles satisfied, hooking Mark''s neck, leans in to kiss him, and says, "I want to do it again!"


    Seeing them rolling together again, I feel a wave of nausea and can''t watch anymore. I angrily press the pause button, swallowing hard.


    I am very clear, this video must have been sent by Be. She wants to tell me that she still holds Mark in her grip, and I am powerless against it. Apart from a certificate and title, Mark and I don''t resemble a married couple at all. Be indeed knows how to twist the knife further.


    Three years ago, on that fateful day I never imagined was going to begin the worst turning point of my life, all was made ready to celebrate the union of Be and Mark. It was only mere minutes to the wedding when Be disappeared (or at least found out she was gone. Be was nowhere to be found.


    My parents, who were desperate to salvage the embarrassment and save face in front of the guests or whatever it was they were trying to protect that day, turned to me. They told me to put on my sister''s wedding dress, to take Be''s ce at the altar.


    There was no room for argument, neither was I given the choice to say no. I was to be the figurehead, the stand-in bride who''d fulfill the ceremony in Be''s absence. There were no words of blessing and no well-wishes for a happy future. Instead, all I received were instructions to "be a good wife."


    This was how it all started.


    I was left numb, standing there in the borrowed wedding dress to exchange vows with a man I barely knew. It felt as though my dreams and aspirations were suddenly overshadowed by the harsh reality of my circumstances. Like my life had been snatched away from me in an instant, and I barely recalled what happiness felt like after that day. I was constrained in every sense of the word.


    Did I say this was how it all started?


    No, I think it actually dated way back to when I was three and had unfortunately gone missing. For eighteen long years, I lived away from my home and family. Growing older. As I grew older, from being a child, to a teenager and then a young adult, I kept searching for my roots again. And when my long-awaited dream of reuniting with my family became reality, it was nothing like I''d expected.


    There was no joyous reunion, no tears of happiness.


    Instead, I was met with something close to indifference.


    As if I were a stranger who had wandered into their lives. My parents seemed to have moved on from me after all those years I was gone. All the love they had was for Be; barely any left for me.


    I guess there was nothing left, in fact, because if there was, I would at least be pitied enough to have been told that Be had returned from abroad and had somehow found her way into my husband''s arms. Almost immediately, my phone buzzed with an iing video call from Be. I didn''t want to answer it at first, but ended up swiping green. Be''s face popped up on the screen, sitting in the same room from the video with a towel wrapped around her body.


    "Hi, hope you''re having a happy day over there," Be chirped with a smug smile.


    She moved the phone''s camera around to show more of the room, and in the background, I caught a faint glimpse of Mark walking into the bathroom.


    "Guess who''s going to die a pathetic old virgin? Not me!" Sheughed callously.


    I silently clenched my teeth. I was reeling with annoyance from the insult.


    "He doesn''t deserve you," she added "He deserves better. And I''m what''s perfect for him, darling."


    There was no way I was going to listen to any more of that. I angrily ended the call and flung the phone to the bed, then burying my head in my hands.


    I''d had enough. I wasn''t going to sit still and let myself he dragged to the ground like a piece of rag any longer.


    By the time Mark would return to the house, it was already well into the night. I sat on the cold tiles of the living room, hanging my chin on my palm and nearly dozing off when I heard the sound of the front door clicking. That familiar musky scent of his followed him in as well, and I could swear I could smell Be on him too.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    My eyes blinked open, and I raised my head, locking a nk gaze with his face. There was that brick-hard look on his face which he always had when I was around. To think of how he was grinning from ear-to- ear earlier with Be.


    After our marriage, everything I''d been told by my parents to do, I did. Both taking care of his food, his daily life, and several other things that couldn''t be counted, all for three years. It started happening frequently, that it became a ritual, like a dance of habit ingrained in my daily routine. Mark also epted it without question. But not for one day did Mark spare me as much as a second nce.


    Mark shut the door behind him and began walking into his room. Treating me as usual like I was invisible, and for the first time, I spoke.


    "I want a divorce."


    He turned to face me, an incredulous look on his face.


    "What are you talking about?"


    "I don''t want this title of wife anymore," I answered without mincing words.


    That day three years ago, when I stood in that white dress, and him in his tuxedo, a congregation behind us and a preacher in front of us and saw that calm look of restrained anger in his eyes when he saw that it was not Be behind the veil, but me.


    I remember my chest tightening behind the diamond ne I was wearing. The way his stare burned. How stupid and helpless I felt in that dress. How my parents smiled like they''d not just pushed me out there against my will and the congregation cheered with probably no idea of what was going on.


    "You may now kiss the bride," the pastor announced.


    Mark leaned closer towards me, but not for a kiss, he merely brushed his face past my cheek and spoke into my ear, "The only thing you can get is the title of wife."


    And that title is what I was giving back to him. I didn''t want it anymore. I wished I''d never let myself take it in the first ce. I''d let go of too much of myself and endured more than I needed to. It was the height of it already.


    "I want to get a divorce, Mark," I repeated myself in case he didn''t hear me the first time-even though I knew he''d heard me clearly.


    He stared at me with a frown before answering coldly, "It''s not up to you! I''m very busy, don''t waste my time with such boring topics, or try to attract my attention!"


    How typical of him to believe that I was trying to get his attention. I hadn''t attracted that so-called attention of his for over three years and it when I mention a divorce he remembers it.


    Thest thing I was going to do was argue or bicker with him.


    "I will have thewyer send you the divorce agreement," was all I said, as calmly as I could muster.


    He didn''t even say another word after that and just went through the door he''d been standing in front of, mming it harshly behind him. My eyes lingered on the knob of the door a bit absentmindedly before I pulled the wedding ring off my finger and ced it on the table. Don''t even ask why I had it on in the first ce.


    I grabbed my suitcase, which I''d already had my things packed in and headed out of the house. The wind outside felt different afterward, like a heavy burden was being lifted off my shoulders for the first time in a very long while. The feeling of the night breeze blowing through the strands of my hair was immacte.


    Grabbing my phone from my purse and swiping my fingers quickly across the screen, I put the phone to my ear, hearing it ring.


    "I am divorcing,e pick me up."

 Chapter 0002

    The soft wind of the night continued to whip my hair to and fro while I stood outside with my suitcase next to me. I was already out of that house, finally. Not quite far ahead into the streets, I noticed the headlights shing brightly in my direction, and a faint smile quirked up my lips because I recognized who it was in an instant.


    The mboyant red sports car pulled over right in front of where I stood, and an even more mboyant woman was in the driver''s seat twiddling her fingers at me as she wound down the windows.


    It was Grace.


    Grace was not only my best friend, she was also my business partner. We''ve been inseparable since our college days. And because we both shared a passion for fashion, we both decided to turn our dreams into reality by co-founding Luxe Vogue, a fashion-forward online shopping website that quickly became a favorite among young trendsetters.


    Grace had a keen eye for design, so she was in charge of designing stunning clothing collections, while I focused on designing jewelry at our equally jointly-owned studio, Atelier. Atelier was a high-end fashion studio catering to elite clientele. Our business acumen and creative vision catapulted us into the world of high-ranking millionaires.


    I knew right when I saw that grin on her lips that she was going to tease me next. yful banters for us were as natural as breathing. I stepped into the passenger''s seat of Grace''s car, sighing and immediately clicking my seatbelt in.


    "Finally willing to leave that bastard and return to work?" Grace quipped with a mischievous grin.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    "I really don''t understand why you would waste three years of your life to be a housewife, taking care of an asshole who doesn''t love you at all."


    I rolled my eyes, "Because I was blind, but now I can see. Heard of that song?"


    Grace chuckled, starting the car. "Well, I''m d your eyes are wide open now. We''ve got a whole lot to run, we can''t have you distracted by some guy who doesn''t appreciate you."


    "You know, Sydney, I have to say this again, that whole ''married''...with that guy? I hated it on you!" She nced briefly at the gate of Mark''s house. "Gosh, I''ve been dying to say that."


    I chuckled, resting my elbow tiredly on the car door, "Oh please. From the onset, Grace had always hated my marriage to Mark. She had tried, in her way, to convey her disapproval, both indirectly and directly. There were times when she woulde open about it, and other times, it was more subtle, like the way she would hesitate before congratting me on another anniversary or the way she would change the subject whenever I brought up something rted to my marriage. I was d we could finally freely talk and make jests about it.


    "I mean, what was with all those frumpy dresses and sensible shoes? Eww!"


    "Grace!" Iughed again.


    "Mr. Wrong really had an influence on your wardrobe? I''ve never seen you in so much beige in my life. And the day I saw you wearing ts with a cocktail dress, trust me, I nearly died."


    I burst outughing again, shaking my head, "Oh,e on. You know I was just trying to fit into the whole ''perfect wife'' image. Never again."


    "Thank goodness you''re back out of that hole."


    I still thought the things she''d said earlier were funny, so I yfully swatted at Grace.


    "Hey, but I thought I looked pretty good in those dresses though!"


    "Huhn?" Grace funnily raised her upper lip, "Maybe to a blind man."


    This reminded me of a function I had attended with Mark, wearing a dress I''d thought was elegant, which heter deemed too revealing and promiscuous for a wife. Not only did his insults hurt, but what hurt even more was the public humiliation I faced when others witnessed it too. The incident had reached my parents'' ears and led to further embarrassment. I think that''s when my wardrobe began to change. I''d been trying to please everyone, especially Mark and my parents. What a fool I''d been.


    I sighed, "Goodness. I missed us."


    Grace nodded. "Yeah, me too," she said, stepping on the gas pedal, and as she did, the engine roared to life before dashing out into the road and merging into the flow of traffic.


    "So, where are we headed now?"


    "To the airport, of course. I''ve got a sudden urge for a short trip.''


    "Wow, I thought you were going toe over to my ce at least for the night or something," Grace remarked.


    I shrugged. "Just want to get away for a bit."


    Grace leaned back in her seat, resting a hand on the car door while the other stayed on the steering wheel. "Well, needed anyway."


    "That reminds me," Grace said, "Apany is interested in buying the website. And I kid you not, it''s an insane offer. I''m tempted."


    "I''m really not in the mood for work right now. We''ll talk about that when I return," I said, ncing at Grace. Grace nodded understandingly. "Totally get it."


    I really needed this trip, to get my mind out for a bit, to revel in my freedom from Mark and the suffocating routine I had fallen into. I knew my parents were going to be mad; they always were when I tried to break loose from their demanding decisions. But I couldn''t even care less for whatever was toe. The thought of finally leaving everything behind was just liberating.


    Grace pulled into the airport. As the car came to a stop, I unclicked my seatbelt and reached for my handbag, eagerly taking out my phone. I dialed a number and held the phone to my ear.


    "I''m here now, where are you?" I spoke first. "Alright, alright," I added as the receiver responded before ending the call.


    Grace looked at me curiously. "Who was that?" she asked.


    "You''ll see," I grinned cryptically. Grace gave me a suspicious look, but didn''t probe me any further.


    While we waited in the car, a man in a sharp suit approached the car, carrying a briefcase. Immediately recognizing him, I told Grace, "Wait here," before getting out of the car to meet him. "Good evening," He greeted me professionally and I returned the pleasantries with a nod.


    He was thewyer I had called earlier to help draft the divorce papers.


    Thewyer opened his briefcase and took out an envelope containing the papers. While he did, I nced back at the car and saw Grace watching curiously.


    "Here," he handed me the papers. I nced through them one after the other, feeling an overwhelming feeling of finality wash down on me.


    "Do you need some more time to go through them?" The man asked. I shook my head, determined. "No, where do I sign?"


    He pointed to various areas on the pages, "Here, here," flipping through them, "over here and here," he directed. Then, he handed me a pen.


    I signed each page and spot that required my signature. Finally handing the papers back to him along with the pen.


    "I''ll have Mr. Torres receive a copy as well and will send yours too," he said as he ced the papers back in his briefcase.


    "You can have them sent to my mail."


    "Will do," he said.


    I nodded, "Thanks," shaking his hand.


    "It''s my job," he replied, smiling.


    As I got back into the car and shut the door after me, I let out a heavy sigh. It felt kind of warmer in the carpared to outside.


    Grace looked at me, immediately asking, "So, are you going to kill my curiosity now?"


    I looked at her and replied, "That was thewyer. I signed the divorce papers."


    Grace''s eyes widened, and she let out a dramatic scream, "Are you crazy? You''re actually giving up on asking him for alimony? He''s a billionaire, you could get a hundred million in alimony!" I chuckled bitterly, "It doesn''t matter. I just want to divorce him as soon as possible! I''m a millionaire by myself; I don''t need him to raise my value."


    Grace shook her head, "But still, a hundred million..." she looked so pained, so much so I nearly chuckled.


    I shrugged, "Let him keep his money to himself; we''re bigger than that anyway. I just want to move on with my life."


    "Aww, girl. I totally get it." Grace reached out and squeezed my hand, "I''m here for you, no matter what."


    "And that''s all that matters to me," I smiled and squeezed her hand in return. We must have looked like two typical best friends acting in some kind of soap opera for a minute.


    Grace snapped us out of our little emotional moment. "Alright, let''s get your things," she said, getting out of the car to help me pull my suitcase from the backseat and raising the handle tall. "Tell all the eligible bachelors in town, the Queen is back!" I announced loudly into the wind


    "Woo-hoo! The Queen is back, everyone!" Grace hooted after me.

 Chapter 0003

    MARK POV


    I pulled into the driveway, exhausted. Another long day of both work and fun had left me drained, and all I wanted was to unwind and rx. I stepped out of the car and loosened my tie, eager to get inside and finally rx. When I entered the house, I saw Sydney sitting there, staring at me with her usual nk look. I barely spared her a nce while heading straight for my study.


    "I want a divorce," Sydney said before I could even reach the sanctuary of my study.


    Divorce? Ridiculous was the first word that came to my mind, and ridiculous it was indeed. The family business of Sydney''s parents had been lent to the GT Group, which I owned. This was a contract that benefited both parties in every sense of the word. Sydney was only a woman I''d married, who depended on her parents and me for survival.


    Divorce, huh? It was obviously her new way of crying for attention, like she was fond of doing. It used to be the pitiful demeanor she carried around her, which was enough to convince an outsider that she was being treated wrongly, even though that had never been the case. We''d been keeping up the married couple facade for three years already.


    Now she was pulling a new stunt, which I wasn''t going to fall for.


    The next morning, I entered the dining room to have breakfast before leaving, but all I was met with was an empty table. A frown creased my brow as I asked one of the workers I was able to find lingering around.


    "Where is she? And where''s my food?"


    "I''ve not seen her this morning, sir," the worker replied. Later on, I got a report from eyes who''d happened to see her leaving with her suitcasest night. Most of her things were also gone from her room. Oh. This perhaps had to do with the divorce thing she brought up. Did she expect me to fall for it or talk to her about it?


    I shrugged off the thought, grabbed my suitcase and jacket, and headed out. She had probably just gone to her parents'' house. Where else could she go? They would surely knock some sense into her head about how to be a good wife and send her back.


    My eyes darted up from the files in front of me when my assistant entered the office. Without a word, he ced a file on the table in front of me with a curt bow.


    "I think you need to see this, sir," he said before stepping back.


    I took off my sses and pulled the file closer, flipping it open to find the emboldened words "Divorce Proceedings." I frowned, continuing to scan the papers. She had already signed them.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    "Thank you, you may leave," I said to my assistant, who bowed again before exiting the room.


    Sydney had taken the first step in what seemed like a smart game to her, but to me, it was nonsense. Did she think I had the time for all this?


    GT Group was not only my pride and joy, but also proof of my years of hard work and dedication. It was arge private equity firm based in Europe that specialized in investing in a variety of sectors like consumer goods, services, fashion, medical, and technology. With over 250 investment projects under our belt, we were a force to be reckoned with in the business world.


    It was our third round of fundraising. We needed to secure a staggering $5 billion from investors worldwide. This was a critical moment for my firm, and the next month was going to be a whirlwind of activities. With me having to crisscross the globe and meet with potential investors from New York to Tokyo, London to Hong Kong. The next six months for me were packed with meetings, presentations, and negotiations.


    And here someone was, bringing some useless papers to my table.


    I angrily gathered up the papers and marched over to the shredder in the corner of my office, feeding them into the shredder and watching the machine devour every single one of them, before settling back down in my seat to resume what was a hundred times more important.


    It had been three long months of hectic fundraising for GT Group. I finally returned home to find that Sydney still wasn''t there. My nose was hit with a gust of stuffiness when I pushed the door to her bedroom open, and the way everything waspletely covered in dust, I could tell that it had been left unupied for a long time.


    She''d not returned yet?


    I angrily stormed out, picked up my phone and dialed her phone number.


    "Sorry, the number you''re trying to call is no longer in use," came the automated voice through the speaker.


    I dialed again.


    "Sorry, the number you''re trying to-" I cut the call with a grit to my teeth.


    "Find her immediately," I turned to my assistant. Get in touch with her parents, whatever you need to do."


    The man bowed hurriedly and scurried off, while I retreated to my room, both tired and exhausted. She''d sessfully added more fuel to my already foul mood. I went into the shower, turned on the tap, let a torrent of cold water rain over my head, and wished all that iciness could take away all the fatigue and frustration I felt.


    Eventually, my assistant returned with the news that Sydney''s parents were also unaware of her whereabouts and hadn''t heard from her for a long time. Despite all, I still felt that Sydney''s disappearance was part of her borate scheme to get to me, and it did seem to be working because it seriously got on my nerves.


    I could only really take care of this after the next 3 months when I returned from my second trip. Before boarding the ne, I gave strict instructions to my assistant, "Find her before I return. If you fail, you''ll lose your job."


    My assistant nodded at my words and hurried to assist with my suitcase. I paused, turned my head back because something on the table in the corners caught my hand. When I moved closer to see, it was the wedding ring. The ring that was initially meant for Be but ended up on Sydney''s finger.


    The ring lost all significance to me since that day three years ago, which was supposed to be one of the happiest days of my life. My bride was not Be, the woman I loved, but Sydney, her sister. I felt like such a fool back then, standing in front of the congregation like nothing was wrong. I just had to keep the show going on, and I made it very clear to Sydney that I wasn''t going to be epting her as my wife. She could keep the title for all she cared.


    As soon as I''d stepped down from the altar and worn thest round of fake smiles at the guests and photographers at every corner, I got into my car and pulled the damned ring off my finger. In fact, I didn''t remember where I''d kept it after that day. I probably flung it off in annoyance.


    But Sydney had decided to wear hers. Now that I saw that ring lying there in its own full circle of dust, I couldn''t help thinking, maybe Sydney was serious about the divorce after all.


    My jaw clenched briefly again before I turned from that table, leaving the useless relic there and walking out of the door. I still had a lot more work to do than upy myself with this drama.


    I arrived at the airport, immediately pulling on my sunsses before stepping out of the car. I was quite popr, and a couple of people would often approach me, stare, or gawk because they recognized me from television or some other outlet.


    "I''m sorry, are you so-and-so?" That kind of thing. The sses were a minimal disguise, but they still did the job to an extent, with me having to add some bizarre mysteriousness to my outfit. While sometimes I''d nod with a smile and try to keep the interactions brief. I was particrly not in the mood today.


    I headed towards the boarding gate, through the bustling airport crowd, at the same time checking my wristwatch, when a woman brushed past me. The trail of her perfume danced over my face and slowly into my nose. The citrus and flowery scent were insanely familiar. It almost made me feel nostalgic in a strange kind of way.


    I stopped slowly in my tracks. I tried to fight the urge, but I couldn''t resist turning my head. Her figure was receding into the distance behind me, and I could not tell if she was someone I knew.


    I didn''t recall ever seeing that face before.

 Chapter 0004

    SYDNEY''S POV


    As soon as I returned to the airport, I could already see Grace waving eagerly at me from the other side. Enthusiastic smiles and grins curled up my lips the closer I got to her. My short trip hade to an end, and might I say that those were the happiest three months of my life in a very long time.


    I wheeled my suitcase faster behind me and rushed, also waving back at Grace and rushing to meet her where she was standing. I hadn''t noticed for a second at first, but someone familiar walked quickly past me. I couldn''t help stopping to turn; I could swear I knew that back. No one could tell me otherwise, it had to be Mark. It was him.


    I was right, I confirmed with myself when I actually stopped and turned back to look at the person. It was Mark, I couldn''t have missed it, walking with those fast strides of his as usual. He probably didn''t see me? Or if he maybe didn''t recognize me again? I''d been gone for just three months, but if that was enough time for him not to know who I was again, from just a nce, then it meant that I''d done a fantastic job with erasing that woman he used to know from my life. Sure. I wouldn''t look like his ex-wife with the way I looked now.


    My outfit was different from what I used to wear (that style he was familiar with), changed my hair, they weren''t in those ugly buns and up-styles anymore. My hair was down in long luscious waves. My face shone elegantly bright with both good skin care; also had some makeup on. A right red body-con dress that hugged my curves in all the right ces. In all, I was looking like a better and beautiful version of that self I left behind as "Mrs. Torres". I chuckled, proudly and pushed my sunsses down from my hair, down to my face, before swinging my head back to the direction I was heading at and pulling my suitcase behind me again. By this time Grace was already walking towards me, so I had to let go of the suitcase and wrap my hands happily around her.


    "Jeez, girl. I missed you so freaking much!" She squeaked as she squeezed me.


    "Me too!" I cooed, sighing when. We disengaged and I brushed off some strands from my face. "I almost didn''t want to return," I added.


    "You must be joking," Grace jokingly frowned, "so you meant to not return today?"


    "The in truth," I shrugged with a giggle.


    "Then I probably would''ve had toe drag you back here myself," Grace said, smiling. She leaned down to pull my suitcase for me. "Come on, let''s go."


    We both walked to Grace''s car where it was parked. It was a different car from what she''d dropped me off with thest time; a ck jeep.


    "You got another car?" I asked on our way to it.


    "Yeah," she answered dly like she''d been waiting for me to pop the question. "Glorious isn''t it?" She added.


    "It sure is glorious," Imented. "Should probably get a new one too," I added.


    "F*ck you mean probably? You''re definitely getting a new one."


    I nced at her andughed a little incredulously, "Gosh you''re so dramatic."


    "We should go tomorrow. It''s almost the weekend anyway."


    I merely nodded to her suggestion and waited for her to click on the car remote before settling into the car. Then she came in next after she''d put my suitcase at the back.


    We''d driven quite some distance from the entrance of the airport when I finally broke the news to Grace, although the most casual way, "I saw you-know-who on my way here." She spared me a nce from the steering, "Huh? Who?"


    "Mark."


    "Really, when was that?" She didn''t sound too surprised. Maybe it was because she was trying to swerve into the highway.


    "We practically brushed past each other while I was busy waving at you?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The tires finally settled perfectly on the road, now practically gliding. I could see the funny expression on her face.


    "So he didn''t recognize you?" She chuckled, "Man, why am I so happy to hear that?" Her voice rose again until she beganughing so heartily I had no choice but to join in.


    "You needed to see how much I swelled when I noticed too. I must have been looking too good to be true."


    After the long drive of talks andughs, we finally drove up the winding road to our shared vi. Grace pulled up to the entrance, she turned to me.


    "I''ll just drop you off here, darling," she said.


    "Going somewhere?" I asked her and she nodded.


    "Yeah, just remembered I was invited to this party. Not the most enthusiastic about it, but I just have to attend it for a few minutes at least."


    "Oh," I nodded, unclicking the seatbelts.


    "Then I''d be back to hear you tell me every single detail about your trip!" She piped at me when I got out of the car.


    "You bet!" I smiled, shutting the door after me and pulling out my suitcase, before I watched her turn the car back in the direction we''d juste from.


    With a sigh, I gazed up at the imposing structure of our home. It was a stunning residence halfway up a mountain overlooking the sea; a yground for the wealthy elite of the city. It was so good to be back home. I''d missed everything so much. Even the fresh and exotic smell in the air was the best touch of spice to everything.


    I climbed the stairs to our house. The cool evening air brushed against my skin as I reached for the doorknob, pushing the front door open with a soft click before stepping inside.


    But before I could fully immerse myself in the familiarity of everything I''d returned to, a shot of fear danced its way sharply through my veins. I felt it before I saw it; that cold, hard object pressed against my waist from behind.


    I froze in fear, feeling the harsh thumping of my heartbeat everywhere in my body. I knew instantly what that thing at my side was, though I couldn''t see it. It was more like a gut feeling. "Don''t make a sound," he whispered in a low and threatening voice, the man with the gun behind me.


    Every fiber of my being screamed at me to run, to scream for help, but I knew that was a foolish move to make. His presence was engulfing behind me and his breath was hot against my neck. Then the scent of fresh blood reached my nostrils, also mixing with the fear that had already taken hold. I realized then that the man behind me was injured. That metallic tang of blood was in the air. I instinctively raised my hands in surrender as a silent plea for mercy. I knew that any sudden movements could provoke him further, so I stood there with my eyes closed, trying to steady my breathing. I didn''t dare look at his face. Seeing the face of a criminal often meant being silenced, permanently. I had heard enough stories at least to know that much.


    I felt his shadow loom over me. The dark presence of him sent more shivers down my spine.


    "Open up," he snarled.


    I was too scared to even understand what he meant, so I kept my eyes closed.


    "I said open your eyes," he snapped in annoyance and I jolted, now opening my eyes to see his figure outlined in front of me against the dim light filtering through the window.


    The first thing I saw was his chest and the trail of blood marred the fabric of his shirt. Then my eyes traveled upward to look at his face for the first time.


    Surprisingly, the man was handsome, with chiseled features and dark, piercing eyes. There was an air of authority about him, a confidence that spoke of someone ustomed to being in control. He looked like someone who could easily pass for a member of a mafia.


    He thrust a wad of fabric into my hands, and as I unfurled it, I saw that it was a bandage. I didn''t need to be told what he wanted me to do next. I gathered my resolve with trembling hands. He pulled off his jacket and then his shirt. Now I saw the wound on his torso. It was a gunshot wound, the skin around it was raw and inmed.


    It looked like he had already removed the bullet himself, but the bleeding had not stopped.


    "S-Sit," I stammered.


    Heplied and sat down heavily on a nearby chair.


    I took a deep breath, "Do... do I get the first aid kit?" I asked.


    "Just do it," he grunted at the bandage with pain.


    I sat by him and began to dress his wound. If only someone saw how terribly my hands were trembling as I worked. He grunted in difort and grimaced as I moved, but he did not protest, until Ipletely tied the bandages as tightly as I dared.


    The loud chime of the doorbell split through the silence. I nced at the man''s face. He didn''t do much but quickly moved to hide. I took this as a cue to answer the door, although I was sure he was probably still nearby and ready to st my head off if I did anything stupid.


    I opened the door cautiously. Mark was standing there. He must have recognized me at the airport after all followed me here.


    Mark grabbed my hand.


    "Come home with me!" he urged.


    I shook off his hand.


    "Didn''t you receive the divorce agreement?" I asked pointedly.

 Chapter 0005

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I threw that damn agreement into the shredder," he spat. "I''ve already canceled an important meeting for you, I can''t waste any more time."


    He hadn''t changed one bit. He was still that angry, impatient man I''d left behind who thought the world revolved around him. Rather, "my world". If he didn''t want his time wasted, why the hell did he follow me back there?


    Whether he threw the documents into the shredder, or burnt them to ashes with a lighter from his study, or kept them somewhere, none of that was my business.


    I stepped back from the door and stared angrily at his face.


    "My intention to divorce you is serious and solemn. If you don''t ept a divorce by agreement, then I will have to file awsuit for divorce. That will only waste more of your "precious" time, Mr. Man!" I made that much clear.


    At a point, my mind would slide back to think about the man who was probably still hiding somewhere in the house. I was also standing in front of the door and making sure to block Mark from taking a peek inside and seeing something he shouldn''t. The case might just escte further from an ex-couple bickering over divorce documents into something more dangerous.


    Mark climbed even closer towards the door. But I couldn''t move an inch back at that point because it was the furthest I could go in protecting the entrance. But I silently reveled in the fact he was affected that I wasn''t stepping away from him anymore.


    Mark gritted his teeth and said, "I''ll say it onest time, whether we divorce or not is not up to you!"


    He even had the nerve to tell me that I had no say in the matter. That I had no right on my part to break off the alliance? Thanks to Mark, the fear I''d been feeling initially, due to the man from earlier, had now turned into annoyance.


    How dare he presume to dictate my choices, to deny me agency over my own life? I had tolerated his domineering attitude for far too long, but now I had reached my limit.


    But I realized sooner that there was no reasoning with him. In fact, I didn''t have that much time on my hands either, to spare for arguing with him. Mark would always be stubborn like that.


    I swallowed hard and bit back the next words I''d intended on hurling at him.


    Instead, I sighed and asked, "You really want to talk about this?"


    "Yes, and you''reing with me now!" he demanded. His tone brooked no argument.


    I stood there for a moment, exhausted and rubbing temples tiredly before reluctantly agreeing, "Fine, if you''re so interested in wasting your time talking, why not."


    After taking a quick nce back into the house and. Not seeing that man anywhere in sight, I thought to myself that stepping out at that time would probably be in our interests. He probably also needed to leave.


    I walked out of the front door and shut the door behind me.


    "After you," I said to Mark.


    He turned from me with a frown and stepped off the porch, while I followed behind him.


    I walked slowly behind Mark, who was striding angrily ahead of me, and while he continued to march ahead, my eyes caught a pole lying in the garden close by. It was a simple metal pole, but at that moment, it was the perfect tool I needed.


    ncing back at Mark, who was still a few steps ahead of me, I took a deep breath and stepped away from the path to pick up the pole from the ground


    .


    The object was quite heavier in my hands than I''d imagined, but that was less of the problem. The problem was right in front of me


    I began walking behind Mark, the pole held tightly in my hands. I positioned myself right behind him and waited for the perfect time to strike. When he stopped to look at something on his phone, I saw my opportunity, and with all my strength, swung the pole.


    I hit him hard at the back of his head.


    I hadn''t expected him to get knocked out that quickly. Despite all his bravado, he crumpled to the ground, unconscious after one blow to his head. Look at all that aggression sprawled on the ground with him. After dropping the pole, I went to meet his assistant waiting outside the gate.


    "Come and take your boss out of my premises," I said.


    The assistant sat up in the driver''s seat.


    At first, he didn''t seem to have understood what I was saying. Then, he looked behind me and sprang out of the car when he saw Mark lying on the floor.


    "Mr. Torres, Mr. Torres!" he eximed, rushing to Mark''s side, checking for any signs of consciousness.


    Mr. Torres was out, unfortunately.


    Even when the assistant tried to lift Mark up, he was too heavy. But he eventually was able to lift Mark over his shoulders and carry him away.


    Mark''s hands dangled ridiculously over the man''s shoulders. With some effort, the assistant managed to shove Mark''s body into the backseat of the car.


    Then he returned to me after closing the door


    "Mrs Torr-"


    I held out my hand to silence him.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    "A newdy will soon inherit that title, please call me Miss Turner. Also, tell your boss that I will resend him a divorce agreement, please sign it as soon as possible, so we don''t waste each other''s time." The assistant nodded with the kind of expression that said, ''I don''t mean to get involved''. He turned after a curt bow.


    "Have a good day," I said into the wind after him as he settled into the car with his boss and started the engine.


    I waited until the car had zoomed off into the distance before I finally turned away from there. And when I saw my front door again and remembered who was still waiting inside, the tension and fear that had left me earlier, returned.


    At first, I thought to myself. Should I just take this opportunity to run away?


    But something held me back, I didn''t know what. I kept on walking to the door.


    I pushed the door open after a deep breath and stepped inside. But I didn''t go too far from the door, only using my eyes to search around for any signs of him. But he was nowhere. I walked even further into the house and looked around a bit more dedicatedly.


    He really was gone.


    I wouldn''t have been able to exin the relief that descended on me right there and then, as well as the immediate anger that someone had actuallye into my house despite the tight and expensive security.


    Angrily, I marched to thendline and dialed the number for the securitypany.


    "I need to upgrade the security system for my vi," I snapped as soon as I reached the other end, not bothering to sound friendly. "Vi number 27, in the hills. Your security system failed me tonight, and I won''t tolerate it any longer. My life was in danger just moments ago."


    The operator on the other end of the line was saying something but I was already too annoyed to listen patiently.


    "We apologize for any inconvenience, ma''am," the operator apologized, "We will send a team to upgrade your security system as soon as possible."


    I gave them my vi number again. "I expect your team to be here first thing in the morning," I added and hung up the phone with a frustrated sigh. The events of the evening had rattled me already in a matter of minutes. Just when I thought I could finally rest, my phone rang. I nced at the caller ID and sighed. It was my dad. I answered the call reluctantly.


    "You muste to my birthday party this weekend with Mark!" Dad''s voice roared through the phone, and before I could respond, he hung up.


    I rolled my eyes in speechless frustration. Dad had always been adamant about me being with Mark, despite my repeated attempts at showing how much I hated it.


    I pulled out my phone, opened the call log, and found my dad''s number. With a firm press of my finger, I brought up the options menu and selected "Block Number." A confirmation message popped up, and I tapped "Confirm." The number disappeared from my contacts; outrightly banished from my phone.


    I dropped the phone on the couch, sank down to the floor, my back against the soft cushions and rested my head tiredly on the arm of the couch.


    Despite how angry and upset I was, I knew I still had to go back for a visit this weekend. It was dad''s birthday, and it wouldn''t be the perfect opportunity to announce my divorce from Mark. They needed that I was really serious about outing myself from it all.

 Chapter 0006

    MARK''S POV


    I groaned as I turned in bed. My head throbbed dully and I held it as I slowly rose from the bed. I looked at my surroundings and wondered why I was at home. I should be at work.


    I dropped my head in my hands and tried to remember. It didn''t even take a second before the memories rushed back.


    My assistant had been able to locate where Sydney was and I had left every work I was doing to speak some sense into her. I remember that I had ordered her to follow me then... I frowned. Everything had gone ck.


    "That witch! How dare she hit me?" I gritted as I got off the bed. I glimpsed some medication on the drawers as I staggered out of my room.


    What was wrong with her? Why was she taking this far? I thought.


    The sound of wood banging against walls reverberated through the house as I threw every door open.


    "Where the heck is she?!"


    The staff of my household just stood there speechless. Some of them flinched each time the door banged.


    I had asked where she was about a dozen times and they had all answered me a dozen times that they didn''t know where she was. They repeated what they told me that morning. Thest time they saw her was with a suitcase when she waltzed out of my house. I remember that day too. I had been slightly surprised. I wondered what gave her the guts and had thought she was going to get over whatever was happening with her ande whimpering back.


    My stomach growled as I continued to m the doors closed. I even checked the garage. It honestly felt like I was running mad. My growling stomach coupled with my throbbing head and my frustration grew. I stormed back to my room and took a calming shower that did nothing to calm me but only washed off the dirts on my skin.


    When I finished getting dressed, I used a painkiller from the medicines on my drawers to stop my head from aching.


    I picked up my car keys, shrugged into my suit jacket and left the house.


    As I drove to work, my grip on the steering wheel was strong and I pressed hard down on the pedal. I was past the speed limit but it was the only thing I could do not to drive back to that house she was in and strangle her.


    She wanted my attention. Now she fully had it.


    "Where is she?" I bellowed to my assistant the moment my assistant closed the door behind him.


    "I don''t know, sir," he voice quivered as he spoke. "I left her at the vi and rushed you to a nearby clinic before I took you home. I left the medications they prescribed on your drawers."


    He cleared his throat before he continued. "But she did tell me to not call her Mrs Turess but Miss Turner, she said that a newdy will soon inherit the title."


    I just stared at him as he spoke, my rage built with each word he dropped, ready to explode.


    He took a step forward, a file dangling in his hands, "She also said she''d re-send the divorce agreement, here''s it," he ced the file in front of me. "I received it just before you came in. She wants you to sign it as soon as possible so you don''t waste each other''s time."


    And that was it. That darned word. In blind rage, I gripped the sheets of paper and flung it across the room.


    "If I hear the word ''divorce'' one more time, you''re out!" I told him sternly. If she wants me to sign the papers she had better bring it herself.


    My hands clenched and unclenched as I struggled to hold in my anger. What exactly was she ying at? Has she gone crazy? Wasn''t it enough that I let her stay in my house and feed? I wondered on what grounds she''d say she was filing for a damned divorce.


    "I do not want to hear that word again, ever! Am I understood?"


    "Yes sir!" His stance straightened and I suspected that he almost saluted.


    Just then, the door creaked open and Be stepped in. The instant I set my eyes on her, my anger evaporated to an extent but I could still feel it, I could still feel the itch to shred those papers into pieces, the urge to punch something or...someone.


    It was either Be didn''t notice the tension in the room or she decided to ignore it as she sashayed her hips toward me and perched on myp, her elegant arms shooting out to wrap around my neck.


    She ced a quick kiss on my lips. She pulled back, pouting when I didn''t return the gesture. "You''ve been working all month. We haven''t seen each other for a long time," her pout deepened, her brows furrowed feebly and her eyes slightly glistened.


    In my peripheral vision I could see my assistant picking up the papers and shuffling them together. Then he silently left the room.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    For a moment, I thought of asking him to hand over the papers so I could shred them like I did the previous ones but then Be''s presence stopped me.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I focused on the feeling of her soft asscheeks pressed on my thighs, her fingers intermittently fiddling with my cor and grazing the skin at the back of my neck. I breathed in and out, I tried to rx.


    My arms circled her waist, and I pulled her closer. I should forget about Sydney''s stunts and desperation for attention and focus on the woman in my arms right now, the one I actually wanted and would readily give my attention anytime.


    I opened my eyes and her lips were jutted out as she looked at me. My heart momentarily skipped a beat and my lips stretched into a reflexive smile. God, she was so beautiful.


    "I''m sorry, honey. You know it''s work."


    She rolled her eyes, "You should always find time for me."


    "I''ll work on that," I shifted my head closer to hers and my lips grazed hers in a brief kiss. "So what shall I gift my queen so she''d forgive me?"


    I could see the twitch on the corners of her lips as she struggled to keep her pout in ce. Her pupils rolled up as she thought of what she wanted. "I want a jewelry," her eyes were on me now, "one designed by Atelier studios."


    "Atelier?" I raised a brow.


    Her head bobbed up and down, "Atelier designs the best jewelry. All the girls in the upper levels own one, I want one too."


    My arms further tightened around her waist. "Done. I will make sure it''s specially made for you."


    Her face broke into a smile and my heart swelled. "Thank you!" She squealed and pulled me in for a hug.


    I made a mental note, as I hugged her back, to get one for Sydney too. It would shut her up and make her feel she had the attention she desperately begged for.


    Be suddenly pulled back, her eyes peering into mine. "This Sunday is my dad''s birthday, you remember, right?"


    I did not remember. My head was too upied to amodate the date of someone''s birthday. I nodded, "Yep! I do remember."


    She smiled. Thest thing I wanted right now was for her to get mad. "It''s actually why I''m here. He''s throwing a party and I want you there. I''m sure dad does too," she looked away and ransacked her tiny bag that was sitting primly on my table. Her hand emerged with a white card. She pped it on my desk, "That''s his invitation card. You''reing," she turned to me, "right?"


    I hesitated. There was a lot to do. Myst business trip had got me more investors which equaled more money and more money equally meant more work. I couldn''t afford to ck or spend time attending events that didn''t aid the growth of the firm.


    I opened my mouth to exin to her why I wouldn''t be present but I stopped. If I could make time to attend this party, I could aplish two things; get to speak with Sydney''s father and please Be.


    Even if it were for a few minutes, I''d be able to speak with him and let him know how urgent he needed to knock some sense into Sydney''s head and remind her that our unfortunate alliance was a win-win so she had to stop yapping about divorce.


    I decided. Perfect, it will be a few hours away from work but it would be worth it.


    I smiled at Be, "I''d make time and attend." I ced a kiss on her cheeks and she blushed.


    "I can''t wait!" She chirped.

 Chapter 0007

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I couldn''t stop theugh that burst out of me as I took in the fourth special order for the day.


    Usually, Atelier receives a bunch of orders on a daily basis, and our employees take care of these orders. But if the jewelry order were to be custom made, the orders came directly to me.


    Right there on my screen was an order for two pieces of jewelry from Mark''s assistant. It had been included in the preference space for it to ''stand out'' from any of our jewelries, then he ended it with ''just name your price''.


    Typical. Only Mark would be so egotistic to make a request sound insulting. It was Mark''s assistant that ced the order, but I was sure the order was on behalf of Mark. There was no way his assistant would be able to afford Atelier''s custom-made designs for himself.


    I swiveled in my chair, whistling, "Time to make some extra millions."


    I turned back to myptop''s screen and reread thest phrase. My grin widened, "Oh. I am so going to name my price."


    Briefly, I wondered who he''d be gifting and only Be came to mind. "A," I cooed, wiping the fake tears trying to escape my eyes. He wants to gift her two custom-made jewelries at once? So sweet.


    There was no better way for my day to go than an order from Mark. I was ready to make a fortune from him. After all, I didn''t ask for alimony.


    As I thought of how much I should charge Mark, swiveling in the chair, I couldn''t help but notice the clean, expensive paint on the walls, thetest inbuilt television, the plush chairs...


    I stopped swirling on the chair and looked around. Everything looked so well kept. My heart warmed with gratitude, even in my long absence, Grace didn''t fail to keep this ce running. She efficiently handled the two businesses all by herself when she could have easily abandoned Atelier and fully focused on the fashion sector that she handles so well.


    Then I remembered her uing birthday and thought it would be the perfect time to also gift her a piece of specially made jewelry for her hard work and support apart from her birthday gift.


    Now having three specially made jewelries added to the pending orders I had, I decided to get to work.


    First, I made a sketch for the first four pieces of jewelry which was one of our client''s daughters'' graduation gift, Mark''s and Grace''s. Thetter''s Jewelry stood out. Then I designed a 3D jewelry model for all of them. I took extra care and time in picking out the color and gemstones for Grace. I needed it to be perfect.


    Hourster, I was done with the designs for the four pieces. For a brief second, I reclined in my chair, my lips curved in a smile as I appreciated my handiwork.


    I got out of my head, printed out what I designed and strode to the workshop. I got greetings from the workers there and I returned their greetings with a smile.


    I put on the appropriate uniform and got to work.


    It was hourster when I pulled the helmet off my face and turned off the machine. I let out a deep breath and fanned my face.


    I stretched as I made a brisk walk out the door. I picked up a small bottle of water and guzzled almost half of it. It was already dark outside and I already said my goodbyes to our employees hours ago. It was always like that. I always get carried away whenever I design these jewelry.


    I walked back in. I picked up the pendant for Grace, squinted my eyes as I admired what I had designed. I smiled, a foreign yet familiar sense of aplishment wafted through me. I sighed contentedly, I hadn''t felt that in a long time.


    I gave myself a pat on the back as I inspected the rest too. I stacked them safely in a jewelry box before packing up for the day.


    I shrugged on my coat and picked up my bag. I turned off the lights in the control room then headed for the door and used my phone''s torch to illuminate the now dark workspace.


    I let out a short scream, my feet came to an abrupt stop and my bagnded on the floor with a thud from my hands as the door abruptly burst open and a shadow stepped in. "Sydney!"


    My shoulders drooped and my legs almost gave as I breathed out in relief.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    "Grace!" I called in an admonishing tone. I shone my torch on her face. She was grinning widely, the excitement wafting off her in many folds. "What''s got you so hyped up?" I asked as she took more steps closer to me.


    "Come with me," she took my hands and dragged you both outside.


    "You wouldn''t believe this. I saw a super handsome guy at the bar," she rambled on as I locked the door. "And guess what? He''s Italian." She literally jumped as she said it, her feet lifted off a few inches from the floor.


    She linked our arms immediately I finished locking the door, "I came back specifically to get you. Sister''s got your back, right?!"


    Iughed at her dramatics. All this rush of excitement just because she saw a handsome Italian guy? But I pulled her closer and gave a kiss on the cheeks.


    "Come on."


    "You don''t have to worry about what to wear. I brought your outfits so we won''t have to waste time going back home," she exined as we headed to her car.


    "Woah," I smirked as I lifted the skirt she brought to the air. I didn''t think I had ever seen a skirt so short and sexy.


    "It''s gonna look good on you, I''m sure."


    She looked back from the front seat. Then she faced the front and started the car.


    As she sped to the bar, I struggled into the miniskirt in the small space of the backseat and put on the simple cute tank top she brought with it. I sprayed the perfume I had in my bag - its scent was heavenly - until we were both coughing and giggling.


    When we arrived at the bar, I put on the ck heels I had worn to work and adjusted my outfit.


    Inside the bar was bustling with so much energy, the neon lights slightly concealing the carefree upants of the bar as they mindlessly and crazily swayed to the hip-hop jamming.


    I unconsciously bobbed my head to the music as we stepped in. Grace was looking around, her brows furrowed.


    "Aww," she pouted, "I can''t find him."


    "The hot guy?" I had to shout so she could hear me over the loud music.


    She nodded but she still looked around.


    I touched her shoulder so she''d face me. "Don''t worry, babe." Then I threw my hands in the air, "Italian dude or not," I whined my waist and winked at her, "let''s dance the night away." Instantly, her face lit up and she threw her hands in the air too. We both danced our way to the dance floor but not before grabbing a drink each from the bar girl.


    Grace downed hers in a go while I held mine above my head as I swayed to the music, hooting asionally.


    I gulped the rest of my drink and ced the cup on a nearby table. Soon, the DJ changed beats and I felt myself go even crazier with the new beat.


    I shook my head in the air, my hair whipping around my face. I could hear Grace''s giggles as she whined her waist and asionally jiggled her ass.


    "Go girl!" I screamed and started my own dance moves too. I let go of all the stiffness I had gotten ustomed to in the previous years and swayed to the beat.


    We both giggled as the spotlight was turned on us. Some people had stood aside to watch us with cries of encouragement while some joined us.


    I tipped my head back, feeling the freedom. I couldn''t believe I let go of all of these for the shit I called marriage.


    Grace was suddenly by my side, her face close to mine. I flinched when she screamed in my ear. "I''ll be right back, I need to use the restroom."


    I nodded and watched as she hurried down a hallway.


    I turned to one of the guys on the dance floor as I danced. He had some cool moves.


    I was so carried away, finally happy and free, that I didn''t notice the smoldering set of eyes digging holes on my back. I didn''t notice on time that the guy I was dancing with had stopped dancing and shifted away from me. His eyes were trained above my head.


    "Come on!" I shouted when I noticed, "Why''d you stop?"


    He didn''t answer me. He just looked at something behind me. The people around him were also looking behind me.


    Still moving my body, I followed their line of sight and turned back.


    I let out a loud shocked gasp as strong fingers wrapped around my wrist and dragged me away from the spotlight.


    "Let go!" I screamed and attempted to wrench my hands from the bastard but their hold was too strong.


    "Stop it."


    I froze. The voice was dangerously low and calm, contrasting deeply with his strong grip.


    My head whipped up in anger and my eyes shed with Mark''s burning gaze. "What are you doing here?"

 Chapter 0008

    MARK''S POV


    A knock came on my door.


    "Come in," I called out without tearing my eyes away from the files before me.


    I heard the smooth creak of the door, as it was opened My assistant''s voice drifted to me, "Luxe Vogue has replied, sir."


    "Hmm," I hummed, and nodded. "When will the nes be ready?"


    "It''s not about the ne, sir, It''s about the acquisition offer we sent them."


    I looked up and pushed my chair back. "Oh, really. When are we meeting to finalize the handover of the website?" I asked.


    It had been a coincidence that Atelier is partnered with the website I''ve had my eyes on for the past months. Their response hadn''te for months, but I had been relentless. I kept instructing my assistant to keep sending them emails.


    After Be had left, I had searched about Atelier myself and damn! Be was right. They made stunning jewelry. The quality of their stones was top-notch. It had filled me with pride and reassured me that acquiring the website was a good decision. It would improve GT Group''s goodwill if one of thepanies in our grasp is partnered with a studio like Atelier.


    "There''s no fixed time for that, sir." I frowned, a ''why'' on the tip of my tongue, but he beat me to it. "The founder had directly turned down our offer, sir."


    I sighed. It was more money they wanted. Nothing more. "Increase the acquisition price to a hundred million dors," I couldn''t help the smirk that apanied my instruction. No one would refuse such an amount, no matter how much they loved thepanyThis text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I pushed my chair forward to dive back into work, but my assistant was still lingering there. When I arched a brow at him, he spoke up. "They left no room for negotiation, sir. They aren''t interested in any acquisition proposals, so they asked us not to contact them again."


    "Hmm," I hummed and nodded at his words. "And who could this owner be? Bring me the information of the founder of Luxe Vogue."


    "Founders, sir, there are two founders. I''ll bring the files now." He turned and left the room.


    "Two founders? Interesting."


    He was back in a jiffy. He ced hisptop before me, and waves of information rolled down about the founders of Luxe Vogue on the screen. "Initially, there had been a response that our offer would be given a thought. Suddenly, yesterday the email turning down the offer came in."


    One of the founders must have been tempted then.


    I read about the first image that popped up. Grace.


    There was detailed information about Grace. Her parents, jobs she had done, her schooling history, and many more. The other founder, on the other hand, barely had anything to her name.


    There was no picture, and there was little to no information about her. The only worthy information there was - ''Co-founder of Luxe Vogue with a blurry picture.


    I had to squint at the screen to read the name, and it was still not making sense.


    "What''s this?" I asked, irritated.


    My assistant''s head hung low, unable to meet my eyes. "I''m sorry, sir, but I''ve dug for the info of other founders, but that was all I coulde up with. Grace''s partner seemed to treasure an extremely private life."


    I hissed and turned back to theptop. I scrolled back to Grace''s info to see if I would be able to get anything about her partner.


    The more I stared at the picture and read the name, the louder a bell rang in my head. I tapped on Grace''s picture. She looked quite familiar...distinctly so.


    Suddenly it clicked. Grace was the girl Joel had clung to some years back. They had been dating, would always go on and on about her.


    and he


    If I could get a way to reach Grace or know more about her personal life, perhaps it would be easier to discover her mysterious partner. If I was going to push the offer to them again, I needed a one-on-one meeting with both of them.


    I reclined in my chair. "Take this," I pointed to theptop, "I''ll let you know if I need you again."


    He took hisptop and walked out.


    I picked up my phone, scrolled through my contact lists until I found the name I was looking for. I tapped on it, and the line went through.


    He picked up instantly. "Yo, man. What''s up? Been a while."


    "Nothing much. What are you up to tonight?"


    He hummed for a while, "Nothing really. Just work."


    "Let''s meet up at the usual ce tonight. I need to unwind, and I have something to talk to you about."


    "Sounds important. What''s this talk about, Mark?"


    "You''ll know when we meet," I said and ended the call.


    I got back to work. Went through all of the files I had stacked up for some time now.


    It wasn''t untilte tonight that I and my assistant rounded up.


    I first thought of going back home, but the thought of going back to find the house devoid of Sydney''s presence had me driving directly to the bar,


    Each time I remembered that she still was bent on Each time I remembered that she still was bent on the issue of divorce, I was filled with an unexinable rage. I had been able to block away any thoughts of it with work, but now it was all I could think about. This was a crucial time for thepany; all eyes were on


    us, and she wanted to ruin the whole thing with a divorce? Over my dead body.

 Chapter 0009

    The lights flickering from one color to the other, the sweaty bodies packed tight on the dance floor of the bar wasn''t what I looked forward to tonight. I just wanted peace and a sane night with my friends. During my drive here, Joel had called me, his voice barely visible over the loud thud of music in the bar. Will is also here."


    I had asked, "what?" For about three times before I finally heard him.


    I met them in the private area, the space specifically hired for just the three of us.


    It was the only ce where we could talk and also partly feel the vibe thrumming in the bar.


    I had my assistant send the file containing Grace''s info to me. Now I turned the picture to face Joel. "You know her, right? You guys dated."


    Will butted in and whistled. "I remember her; she was that it girl you were shagging that time." He turned to me, "I did ask him if he''d like to share, you know."


    "Asshole," Joel chuckled and nodded at me. "Yeah, I know. But we didn''t date. Just, you know," he wiggled his brows, a smug expression on his face, "Fuck buddies, friends with benefits. That sort of thing." "That''s even hotter!" Willughed.


    "Shut up," Joel shook his head at Will. Then his expression turned solemn. Dramatically, he ced a palm on his chest and closed his eyes, "My heart belongs to Sandra. By the way, she''ll be back soon."


    Sandra was Joel''s long-time female best friend and crush. They''ve both had a thing for each other since I had known the both of them. They might have hooked up once or twice, but they never made anything official before she traveled out of the country.


    I shook my head and tucked my phone back in my pocket.


    "So why''d you ask?"


    *So why''d you guys stop fucking?"


    Will and Joel asked at the same time.


    Of course, I knew which question to answer. I took a sip of my wine, my gaze going over the twisting and sweating bodies on the dance floor, particrly the girls. If Be wasn''t back, I would''ve picked one of those girls and have a good time with them in a hotel.


    "She owns apany. I offered an acquisition proposal and she t out declined. Well, she and her partner."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Luxe Vogue, right? She used to talk about it. She has a really good eye for fashion." Joel looked at me above the rim of his winess and listened. Will, somehow, had a girl straddling him.


    "I know. Now the partner is the issue. I suspect the partner might have been the one to decline the offer."


    As I spoke, I heard Will mutter something about going to the restroom.


    "Then look up the partner," Joel suggested, the look on his face said how he thought the solution was pretty simple.


    "You think I haven''t?" I took another sip of the wine. "I have, man. There''s nothing about the partner on the. Some mysterious shit."


    Joel''s lips formed an 0.


    "You still in contact with her?"


    He kissed his teeth, "Barely. We ended things a long time ago. But I can still reach her though. She''s cool, I''m sure I can set up a meeting with you and her."


    I shifted to the edge of my seat. "That will be great."


    "Who I''d like to set up a meeting with is that hottie right there," Will had a huge grin on his face as he climbed up the stairs and painted downstairs. His shirt was now unbuttoned, showing the tanned skin underneath and his belt was nowhere to be found.


    I rolled my eyes. "You''ve just got off some slut; would you rx?"


    He threw me a smirk, "I can''t rx when I see hotties like that- Goddammit!" He broke off and went to the railing. "Mark?"


    I frowned at his back. His voice was tinged with that mischievousness of his. Before I could let out a coherent ''what'' he rushed to my side and pulled me to where he had been standing.


    "My God. Isn''t that goddess right there your wife?" His head whipped between my face and the dance floor, and I saw him lick his lips in my peripheral vision. He looked at thedy on the spotlight like he was hypnotized, "If not, then I''ll be damned if I don''t share her bed tonight."


    I looked closely, squinting at the willowy figure rubbing against the crotch of some guy. Her butt was d in the tiniest skirt, her top clung to the top half of her body, and her long legs and heeled feet left little to the imagination.


    My heart skipped a beat just as a memory shed. Thedy with the head-turning smell at the airport.


    "Holy shit!" I muttered. Without another word, I pushed Will aside and raced down the stairs.

 Chapter 0010

    I kept struggling, pulling at my hands and cussing out as Mark pulled me to the hallway, right beside the male section restroom. I stumbled after him, unable to keep up with his pace in my heels.


    Even in my wildest dream, I wouldn''t have thought I might run into him here. I mean, in our three years of unfortunate marriage, I could count the number of times on the fingers of one hand I had seen him elsewhere apart from home. I had assumed he was always at work then recently, I concluded that he was either at work or in some fancy hotel fucking my sister.


    "Mark, what is wrong with you?" I hit his fingers wrapped around my wrist with my free hand, "Let go of my hand."


    He didn''t say anything, he just stormed ahead, his back rigid.


    Ever since I proposed the divorce, he seemed to have be a ghost out to hunt and haunt me, appearing everywhere I was.


    I let out a low groan as he mmed my back to a wall and pinned me to it. The depth of his deep blue eyes were fathomless and they had turned so deep you would think his natural eye color was a deep ck.


    "You seem to have lost your memory, haven''t you?" He snarled and I flinched. "You''re my wife yet you rub yourself against a stranger like that? How sluttier can you be?!" He bit out, his expression got scarier and his words came out harsher. "If I hadn''t stopped you, I bet you would have ended up in bed with him."


    I swear I would have pped him. My palm itched toe in contact with his cheeks. "Watch how you speak to me, Mark." I pushed against his grip but it just wouldn''t budge. The bastard.


    "I will speak to you however I wish, you cheater. Who would''ve believed a prude like you was capable of cheating?"


    I scoffed. "Cheating?" That was the highlight of his sentence. "Did you just say I cheated? The one who''s cheating here is you!" I spat in his face.


    "Oh. Now tell me the number of girls you''ve caught me in bed with."


    I scoffed. Incredible. "Are you actually denying this right now?"


    He didn''t say anything. "I''ve caught you having sex Be. My own sister!" I screamed, "Worse, it was on our wedding anniversary." 1


    I remembered it to be our second-year anniversary. Still trying to make the marriage work - because of my selfish parents even though he didn''t want me,


    Now that wouldn''t have angered me neither would it have as I hated to admit - hurt me a little if it wasn''t Be. Few months into our marriage, I had assumed he spent his nights with some bimbo and I had grown to ept that.


    "I bet you didn''t even know it was


    our anniversary."All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    He was silent for a while, the hallway was bathed in silence as his eyes probed mine, searching...


    "Is that why you want a divorce?"


    +25 BO


    Oh. If only I could hit his face right now. "Yes, yes," I blurted. "And I advise you to sign the divorce papers,


    "Wha-"


    "You cheated on me with my own sister. How disgusting can you be?"


    "There''s nothing between us. We both know this marriage is just in name and paper."


    eas


    Liar! "Whatever, I don''t even care anymore. You can keep denying and lying. I don''t give a shit. I can''t be with you anymore. I can''t remain caged in your shadows. It''s high time I go back to living my life." "What about the business? You do know what damage this coul-"


    "I don''t care, Mark!" I shut him up and I saw his annoyance build. "I don''t care anymore what the implications could be. I just want to leave, okay. Sign the papers."


    "Look, I don''t care what you want right now," he gritted out, "All I care about is mypany''s image a-


    "If you cared then you wouldn''t have tantly ignored me the way you did since we got married. You would have - at least - attempted to make this work."


    He pulled back, a smug expression on his face. "Are..." he trailed off, his stare peering into my eyes, digging into my soul. "Are you hurt?"

 Chapter 0011

    I felt his hold on me loosened and I roughly pulled away. I staggered forward in my heels and attempted to leave but he was too fast. His fingers once again wrapped around my wrist, and he pulled me back. Again, he mmed my back against the wall, but this time, he didn''t pin me with a deathly re but his lips.


    The breath was knocked out of me as his lips came down on mine, warm and soft. I reflexively closed my eyes and let his lips crudely mold mine. In fact, I reveled in the feel of his lips on mine, my senses became hazy as I gave in to his hypnotizing kiss. His hands circled my waist and pressed me closer to him, the heat of his body created a maddening sensation on my body.


    His tongue probed, seeking entrance. I opened up, and his tongue snaked into my mouth, wet and-


    My eyes flew open, my body grew rigid, and my teeth instinctively came down on his tongue. What hade over me?


    "What the fuck, Sydney?!" He pulled away and released me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I staggered feebly, my vision unfocused for the slightest second after he pulled away. Shame washed over me. It was our first kiss in three years and my body had instantly reacted to it, all of my being had clung to the feeling like it was what I had been waiting for all these years.


    I gathered my wits about me and faced him, "How dare you kiss me with that filthy mouth of yours?! That''s fucking disgusting." I yelled as I cleaned my tongue on my tank top. I knew that was childish but I wasn''t thinking.


    It was as if he hadn''t been listening to me. I watched, slightly panicked - I wondered why I was panicking: as his tongue snaked out of his mouth. I watched, transfixed, as the deep pink flesh snaked its way to the corner of his mouth and licked there before his tongue slowly darted back in.


    I blinked, thrown out of the momentary hypnotization, as he came at me again. His hands were like a vice as they pinned my hands to the wall above my head.


    "Mark!" I struggled against his hold. "Let go of me. I''m serious-"


    My words died in my throat as he reconnected our lips. I resisted the urge to be pulled in like I did the first time. I resisted the urge to savor the blissful feel of his lips on mine.


    I would have loved the rough way with which his lips kneaded mine and I would have kissed him back with equal fervor if it was someone else. But this wasn''t some stranger or lover of mine. It was Mark.


    I struggled between pulling him to me and pushing him away. I wanted to mp my teeth on his tongue or lips as I did the first time but I couldn''t bring myself to. This feeling was confusing. I wanted him to stop and go far away from me but, insanely, I was scared that he would actually stop. It was crazy.


    But I still struggled and as I did, my eyes squeezed shut, I tried to speak even with his lips on mine. His tongue, somehow, made its way into my mouth. His body pressed on mine, and I could faintly feel the bulge in his trousers against my thighs


    My struggles doubled and a scream rose in my chest.


    My scream died in my throat because suddenly, his hands were off me and I couldn''t feel his body heat anymore.


    I brushed off the tiny tinge of disappointment and looked up to find a wall with limbs in front of me. My chest heaved up and down as I tried to catch my breath.


    There was a tall figure in front of me, his shoulders were broad, and his stance made me feel protected even though I didn''t feel like I needed protection at the moment.


    His fists clenched and he took a step forward, "I believe thedy is rejecting you. You should respect her and leave," his deep voice rang out, hard and determined to stand his ground no matter what.

 Chapter 0012

    I would have loved the rough way in which his lips kneaded mine, and I would have kissed him back with equal fervor if it was someone else. But this wasn''t some stranger or lover of mine. It was Mark.


    I struggled between pulling him to me and pushing him away. I wanted to mp my teeth on his tongue or lips as I did the first time, but I couldn''t bring myself to. This feeling was confusing. I wanted him to stop and go far away from me, but, insanely, I was scared that he would actually stop. It was crazy.


    But I still struggled, and as I did, my eyes squeezed shut. I tried to speak even with his lips on mine. His tongue, somehow, made its way into my mouth. His body pressed on mine, and I could faintly feel the bulge in his trousers against my thighs.


    My struggles doubled, and a scream rose in my chest.


    My scream died in my throat because suddenly, his hands were off me, and I couldn''t feel his body heat


    anymore,


    I brushed off the tiny tinge of disappointment and looked up to find a wall with limbs in front of me. My chest heaved up and down as I tried to catch my breath.


    There was a tall figure in front of me, his shoulders were broad, and his stance made me feel protected even though I didn''t feel like I needed protection at the moment.


    His fists clenched, and he took a step forward, "I believe thedy is rejecting you. You should respect her and leave," his deep voice rang out, hard and determined to stand his ground no matter what. His icy y gaze riveted to the stranger, "So that''s what you do in your bar? You eavesdrop on people''s conversations."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "I didn''t mean to. I was in the restroom, and your voices naturally drifted to me."


    "Nothing seems natural here because you seem quite determined to meddle in my affairs," then his gaze dropped on me, and for a moment, I couldn''t breathe as he pinned me with that hot gaze. He pointed at the stranger, and his brows rode up his hairline, "Is this him, Sydney? Or he''s one of them, isn''t he? He''s one of the assholes that''s been telling you to divorce me. He''s the one you''ve been cheating on me with!" He finished; his voice resounded in the hallway, and his raised finger trembled in the air. He quickly tucked it away.


    "I don''t even know him; I''ve never seen him before. This is the first time I''m evening to this bar!" I blurted out. "Why are you so bent on convincing yourself that I cheated? Is it to make yourself feel better? Since you''re the cheater here, does it make you feel better to act like the victim?"


    In blind rage, he attempted to pull me from behind him again, but my savior was bigger and faster. I moved away from behind him and stood a few feet away from both of them.


    "Stay back, sir." I suppressed augh. It would have been even better if he hadn''t added ''sir.'' It sounded so fake and mocking.


    I looked at the bar owner, I squinted my eyes at him. I could swear that I had seen that face somewhere before. His piercing eyes and chiseled features felt like they had been ingrained in my memory before, but somehow I couldn''t ce a finger on who he was. There was an air of authority about him; he oozed an undeniable confidence and power. And it was there; the memory of where or when I had seen the face, but I couldn''t quite reach it. It remained blurry and far from my grasp.


    Mark stood squarely before the bar owner. Even though the bar owner was much taller and muscr, he didn''t feel intimidated. In fact, with the anger oozing off him, he might as well be the bigger man. "Do you know who I am? You have no idea who you''re dealing with." His gaze flickered past me and down the hall. There was a condescending look in his eyes as he took in the ce before turning back to the bar owner. "I could sweep everything you ever own....everything you hold dear off your feet in the blink of an eye."


    Mark''s voice, as he threatened the bar owner, sent shivers down my back. There was an edge to his tone, and I knew he would really do it if he had to. He would strip the man off everything he had if he didn''t back off.

 Chapter 0013

    Any sensible person would have retreated and left the troublesome couple alone, but this man.....


    My eyes were fixated on him as he took an equally threatening step forward. His body seemed even more tout...alert.


    "I know who you are, Mark Torres. President of GT Group. And I know you can make me go bankrupt, but that wouldn''t stop me from defending a helplessdy. You can''t waltz in here and harass my guests, your wife or not." His words had that underlying tone to it, it was filled with unspoken threats.


    There was a shift in the air, and Mark seemed stunned at the man''s response, then he abruptly turned back, cackling.


    "This man is a joker." He sobered up, "You know all of this yet you dare to meddle in my affair? Are you tired of your bar already?"


    Oh no. I couldn''t let this go on. Clearly, the bar owner wouldn''t give up, and Mark wasn''t one to back off a threat either. I couldn''t let a total stranger go bankrupt just because of my personal affairs. The bar owner opened his mouth to speak, but I stopped him.


    "Wait," I splurged and rushed forward. I got in between the both of them and ced my palm on Mark''s chest. His well-built chest was hard and strong beneath my palm as I pushed him backward. If he hadn''t willingly moved backward, I wouldn''t have even been able to move him an inch from his spot. Then I turned to the bar owner''s increasingly familiar face, "Thank you for trying to help, but rest assured. Mark wouldn''t hurt me." I forced a smile, "My husband wouldn''t hurt me."


    "Are you sure?" He seemed so concerned..


    "I assure you


    you. We might have had some misunderstanding. It happens. Couples fight all the time. It is always bound to happen, but he would never hurt me."


    As I looked at him, my brain still worked. I still tried to figure out where I had seen him.


    He nced between the both of us for several seconds. Then he took a hesitating step back and nodded. "I''ll count on your words then. Take care. His arm shot out, and he stretched his open palm toward me, a smile dancing on his lips.


    I had barely taken his hands when Mark pped his hands away, then he took hold of mine and pulled me away from there. He pounded down the hallway and straight to the bar''s entrance.


    I felt a prickle on my neck. I had assumed it was the other bar guests, but I couldn''t resist the urge to turn back.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    I looked back, and there he was, seated on a stool before the bartender. He must have followed us to confirm that Mark really wasn''t going to hurt me.


    I managed a smile to thank him, but I was taken aback when he winked at me, then he ced his thumb on his ear and his pinky finger across his lips. "Call me, he mouthed.


    Instinctively, I looked down at my hands, the free one, and was shocked to find a card there. I stealthily slipped it into the back pocket of my skirt before Mark would see it and create another scene. How did the card get in my palm? The thought bothered me as I let Mark drag me out.


    My brows creased, and my brain tried to work out how I had gotten the card, then suddenly I could reach it and it became crystal clear.


    The memory. I remembered vividly where I had seen that man. Where I had met him.


    My head whipped back; he was still watching me, his lips on the rim of the wine ss he was holding.


    The jagged left brow. Those dark piercing eyes. His raspy authoritative voice as he had ordered, ''don''t make a sound,'' resounded in my head.


    My heartbeat elerated, and my feet moved at the same pace as Mark''s. I suddenly wanted to be out of here as soon as I could.


    It was the same man. The one who had been in my house when I came back from my trip. The one whose bullet wound I-had begun to treat before Mark''s interruption.


    Holy shit! How had I not recognized him immediately? That face...that stance wasn''t one to be quickly forgotten.

 Chapter 0014

    The cold night air hit my face as we both burst out of the door and the hairs on my arm stood erect. I was still grappling with the information that the bar owner was the one I had seen in my Vi. I had every right to call the police on him right now and maybe get this ce searched. I mean, he had a gun that day but I had no evidence. I shivered, shaking the feeling that swept through me as I remembered the feel of the metal behind my back.


    Still lost in my thoughts, Mark pushed me into the car. He hastily and roughly fixed the seat belt around me as though I was some kid he needed to take home with immediacy.


    "Where are you taking me?!" I clumsily pulled at the belt as I threw the question at his moving figure. He went around the car. The car slightly shook as he climbed in and mmed the door closed. His face was set straight, staring ahead as he tantly ignored all the questions I threw at him.


    "Where are you taking me, Mark?!" I asked deadpan.


    "I''m taking you home! We''re going home!" He yelled.


    Just then, his phone lit up and the seat I was in vibrated. ''Be'' was the name on disy.


    I noticed that he stopped moving and I looked up to find his eyes on me. We were like that for several second, the vibrating hum of the phone the only sound in the car


    I broke whatever trance we were both in and scoffed, "Do you need me to get out of the car?"


    He did his favorite thing since I''ve known him; he ignored me. He snatched the phone and fumbled with it for a while before he finally picked the call. He put the phone on speaker.


    I wondered why and rolled my eyes. To spite me?


    For a man that had his wits about him and was raving mad just a moment ago, he sure was acting awkward.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    "Hey..."


    My head whipped to his face at the sound that came out of his mouth. I didn''t think I had ever heard Mark speak so softly. It was almost like a breathless whisper. Wow. This was more than I thought it was. He. was seriously whipped. 1


    "Mark..." Be''s weak voice boomed through the phone''s speaker.


    "Are you okay?" Mark half rose from his seat, his back rod straight.


    "I''m not, Mark," her response was apanied by a sob. "I just woke up. I was unconscious for a while and there was no one to tend to me."


    Mark met my eyes then quickly looked away.


    "Look, Bel. I''m-


    "Bel!" I scoffed, Interrupting him.


    "Are you with someone? Her voice suddenly sounded (ke steel.


    "Bel, I''m busy. Can you reach your phone? Call the emergency num-" he was exining softly but Be''s cries interrupted him.


    "Mark. You have toe!" She whined. "I''m all alone in this lonely house and my chest hurts. I can barely breath," her breathing suddenly Sounded raspy. "Please, Mark. I need you here." She added after a second''s silence, "I want you here. I want you to be the one to take me to the hospital."


    "Be-"


    "What if I die here before the ambnce gets here?!" Her voice was sharp. "Are you already tired of me? Have you found another girl."


    "Shh. I''ll never tire of you."


    "Thene! Promise me you''ll be here."


    Mark ran fingers through his hair and let out a deep sigh. "I''ll be at your door in..." he trailed off as he checked his watch. "Give me ten minutes.¡±


    "Hurry babe. I feel like I''m dying. Your presence and arms around me will make a huge difference."


    "Sure. I''ll be there. Just hang on."


    He had barely ended the call when I let out a loud hiss and removed the seat belt from around me. I turned to open the door, but Mark''s hand on my shoulder stopped me. "Come on. Stay. Let''s go see Be together."


    Was this a joke?! I whirled around. "Over my dead body!" I spat in his face.


    He flinched back, seeming surprised. "She''s your sister! And she is sick."


    I met his gaze head on, "She might as well be dying, I gritted out. "I don''t want to be involved in your sick and twisted rtionship."


    C


    "This isn''t about our rtionship or differences. This is health."


    it your sich


    I fully turned to him but my hand was still on the car''s doorknob. "You know the world doesn''t revolve around you two, right? No one wants to see your disgusting loving dovey acts."

 Chapter 0015

    His phone lit up and Be''s call came in again. His hand left my shoulder as he immediately picked call and that was my cue to leave.


    up the


    I stepped out of the car. Through the car''s winded down mirror, I saw him trap the phone between his ear and shoulder and simultaneously inserted the key in the ignition.


    A few secondster, he dropped his phone and faced me, his hands were already gripping the steering wheel, ready to zoom off to his lover.


    "This Sunday is your father''s birthday party. Wait for me at home, we''ll leave together!" He finished. Then he wound up his mirror and sped off.


    I watched in annoyance, irritation and disgust as his car swiftly disappeared into the dark of the night.


    "Get lost you asshole! I flinched as Grace''s shout suddenly resounded in the night, I couldn''t stop the grin that marred my lips as she came forward and continued to curse at him.


    "You''re disgusting! Go on. Go to your lover''s bed!" Grace screamed into the night. By now, Mark''s car was just a tiny light at the end of the tunnel.


    "Rx, girl," I giggled and shook my head, "he definitely cannot hear you."


    "He can," she murmured, then turned to me, concern filled her eyes. "Are you okay?"


    I scoffed, "Why won''t I be?"


    "Don''t be fooled by his sweet talks, okay? He''ll only break your heart."


    Iughed, "Mark doesn''t sweet talk." I remembered the way he had gone mellow when he was speaking with Be. "At least not with me," I added. "So you don''t have to get all sentimental. There''s no way he would break my heart with his sneers and shouts."


    "Then he should keep sneering."


    We bothughed. She wove her arms around my shoulder and we both strutted back toward the entrance of the bar.


    Grace sighed by my side, her warm breath softly tickled my ear. "It''s a pity, we didn''t get to see that handsome Italian guy again."


    "Hmm..." I murmured.


    Then she chirped, an hopeful rise to her tone, "But it doesn''t matter. I asked the bartender about him and he said the guy owns this bar so we''ll definitely see him if we frequent here."


    I skidded to a stop almost causing Grace to stumble forward. I had been half listening to her talk about the Italian guy but my ears had perked up when she said he owned the bar.


    I turned to her, excitement built in me, overshadowing the glint of fear. "The Italian guy is the owner of the bar?"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Grace bobbed her head, "Yes, what''s up?"


    "I got his card," I blurted without any preamble.


    "Shut up!" Grace''s eyes widened and she drew back.


    "I''m serious," my heart was beating faster than normal and my hands shook, whether from excitement or fear, I couldn''t fathom.


    My shaky hands slid to my skirt''s back pocket and I pulled it out. "Are you talking about this owner?"


    Together we examined the card: Luigi Matteo. His name, an Italian name, was right there along with his contact information. The look of disbelief on Grace''s face as she gasped caused my heart to swell with pride.


    "Babe," she drawled loudly and punched me lightly on the shoulder. I wobbled back a little, grinning. "How did you pull that?" Yeah, how did I pull that? No. The question should be ''how did he pull that?"


    I shrugged, my lips curled into a smug smile.


    "I underestimated you, girl. You still have it in you, huh?" She wiggled her brows, "Hooking such a handsome hunk so quickly."


    I giggled as she put her arm back around my shoulder and pulled us toward the bar. "Now let''s go see if your catch is still in there."


    My steps were hesitant. Grace was this excited because she didn''t know what I knew. I wondered, as we strolled back in there, if I should tell Grace what had happened the first time I met Luigi. How he had pressed his gun at my back and made me take care of his bullet wound but I decided against it.


    Though I made a mental note to always stay alert. For me and for Grace. He might seem like an ordinary guy who owned a striving bar but he was much more. An ordinary bar owner wouldn''t be sporting a bullet wound or breaking into people''s houses and scaring them with a gun.

 Chapter 0016

    As I pulled up to dad''s mansion, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the inevitable confrontation. I knew he wouldn''t be pleased with me showing up without Mark; he always wants me to scurry after Mark like some lost puppy. For a while, I''d admit, I had actually scurried after him. I had practically changed my life to satisfy them. I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car.


    I made the short walk to the mansion''s courtyard; the courtyard faced the well kept garden. I had admired the garden when I first came. It was where I preferred to spend my time whenever the were fawning over Be. The garden looked even more beautiful and we''ll tend to. I was sure mum must have as she instructed the household gardeners on how to trim it right.


    gone


    bunkers


    The area was already bustling with activities. The servants were already up and down attending to the guests - young and old - that were seated around tables, each person d in luxurious outfits and jewelry. Some young girls stood by the colorful shrubs, wine sses in their delicate grip. They picked at the flowers as they chatted, lightly covering their mouths as theyughed.


    I spotted dad chatting with some of the guests, his patronizing smile on disy. The moment his eyesnded on me, his smile faltered. He said something to his guests and walked over to me. I could feel his disapproval in his gaze, his strides... it was wafting off him in multifolds.


    I met him halfway but he passed by me, gritting out, "Follow me."


    I rolled my eyes and did as he asked. He walked ahead a bit more and stopped a good feet away from any of his guest''s earshot.


    The moment he stopped and faced me, he went straight to the point, throwing his obvious question at me. "Why did youe alone?" His voice was stern and sharp, cutting through the festive air like a knife.


    I met his gaze with defiance, refusing to let his cold tone pull me down like it used to when I first found them. "I didn''t feel like chasing after Mark today," I retorted, my toneced with indifference. "The world won''t end just because I didn''t cower behind my husband at your party."


    He regarded me for a while, clearly surprised at my response. His brow furrowed in frustration and he took a deep breath, "What''s with Mark''s assistant calling around looking for youst time?"


    I shrugged, not bothering to offer an exnation. "I don''t know," I replied flippantly, my brows raised, "Why don''t you ask who called you? Or better still ask Mark himself."


    His eyes narrowed, obviously mad at my demeanor and also wondering why I was suddenly being rude. But I didn''t care what he thought. I was tired of constantly trying to please everyone, especially when it came to them.


    "Since thest time we spoke, your line hasn''t been going through. Why is that?"


    We spoke? I tried to recall when he had called and we spoke. He usually just called, barked orders and then hung up.


    "Oh really?" I pretended to look shocked then I fished out my phone from my bag; with my brows pulled down, I fiddled with it. "What might have happened?"


    "Cut the bullshit, Sydney. You blocked his number," mum appeared by his side, ring at me. Since I reunited with my parents, I didn''t think mum had ever smiled at me. Oh, she did. On my wedding day. Chapter 0016


    "Oh really?"


    14


    Mum''s mouth opened and she took a step forward but dad stopped her. "Don''t sweat it, rissa. We don''t have time for that besides," his eyes swept the crowd, "not here or now."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Where''s Mark?" He faced me and repeated his question from earlier.


    Just then, the sound as a car pulled over drifted to us. Even though we were all looking towards the car, I pointed at it. "There''s your almighty Mark."


    Mark stepped out of the backseat, his head raised high as he feebly dusted on his jacket.


    After him, a blonde head emerged beside him. She wore a huge grin and clung to Mark.


    I watched them, just like everyone else in the courtyard. Yes, theymanded the attention. With their arms linked and a grin on Be''s face, they looked like the real formidable couple. The perfect one. "Aww," my voice dripped with contempt, "Don''t they look good together? Confidently waltzing in with his mistress."


    "Keep your voice down,dy!" I turned to dad and found his gaze on me. "Don''t yap nonsense. There are a lot of guests here. Don''t embarrass me!"


    He turned back to them and I could see his eyes darting about. "Goodness. What are these two thinking?" He murmured, if he could will the both of them apart, I was sure he''d have.


    "What nonsense?" I arched a brow. They must have sensed the edge in my tone because mum and dad turned to me. "Telling everyone that your beloved Be eloped with someone else on her wedding day," my arched brow rode higher, "That nonsense?

 Chapter 0017

    "Sydney!" Dad''s teeth were clenched as he red. Mum''s palm came on his shoulder.


    "I ask, dad, what nonsense?" I continued, unstoppable. That your darling Mark got dumped by his lover and fianc¨¦e on the day they were to be made man and wife?"This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Mum''s eyes widened and she nced behind her. "Sydney. Stop it!"


    I took a step forward. I cocked my head and frowned. "Or is it the nonsense that your little princess Be is a slut who seduces her brother-inw?" I enunciated the word ''slut'' and made sure it stuck.. The look that crossed their faces would have worried me a little if we were alone because then, I was sure one of their palms would have connected with my cheeks but not here, there were far too many people - too many of their elite society- and they cared too much about their image to do anything.


    The day I prepared toe back to my parents had been one of the happiest days of my life. Even though while growing up, I felt abandoned by them, I had still yearned to meet them someday. I had been disappointed. I had felt unwanted especially with Be around.


    Then the wedding bells rang and Be didn''t seem excited like I had expected. It wasn''t very shocking when, on the day of the wedding, she fled. She had left a letter. I had been the one to find it and I read before taking the letter mum and dad. She wrote - Mum, dad, I''ve met my true love and I''m leaving with him. Don''t bother to find me.


    Spoilt brat! I thought


    It had first sounded like a joke to be honest but we couldn''t find Be and time was drawing near. ! remember pitying the man she was to marry; he fell in love with a woman who didn''t want him. I pitied my parents too. I wondered how they''d break the news to the man.


    Up until they asked me to take her ce. At first, they pleaded and made countless promises with the sweetest smiles. I had refused. I couldn''t deceive a man on the day that was to be one of the happiest of his days. Then they had started to threaten me. Dad had torn my dress from my body and mom threw Be''s wedding dress at me.


    The staff that were supposed to dress Be up were called into the room. "Dress her up as fast as you can. There''s no time," dad had ordered with a sneer.


    "At least, you''d be useful," mom spat, her sweet smile long gone and both of them left the room.


    I couldn''t stop the tears from pouring down my face until I was fully dressed. The makeup artist had to redo my makeup thrice.


    Before Mark and I walked into the hall, I heard dad - from outside - announce solemnly. "It''s both a joyous and sad day for my family." There was a dramatic pause before he continued, "One of my daughters is getting married to the love of her life today, while the other has flown out of the country for a heart surgery."


    Of course, the crowd was swayed and they felt sorry for Mr and Mrs Michael and their daughters.


    "How dare you say such a thing about your sister!" I was thrown out of my reminisce and in a blur,I saw mum''s hand fly towards me. I took a quick step back and caught her arm. Chapter 0017


    +25 BC


    I held it and met her zing gaze. "Try to touch me one more time and I''ll spill the whole truth to Mark." I threw her arms away from me. "Think of what will happen then." "Michael," with a polite smile, Mark shook hands with dad. "Happy birthday."


    fa


    Dad cleared his voice, "Thank you, Mark."


    "Happy birthday, dad!" Be''s ever sweet voice rang out, probably unaware of the tension in the air while Mark was looking between me, dad and mum.


    Mum closed the space between her and Mark and they hugged. "Thank you for showing up, Mark." Her smile shone as if her face hadn''t just been red from anger.


    She sidestepped and pulled Be into a hug. Her voice softened. "Sweetheart, how are you?"


    "I''m fine, mum." Then she moved to dad too, inly ignoring me


    II took a few steps back and allowed them to finish with their pleasantries before I made my own announcement. All the while, as I watched them, I felt Marks gaze on me.


    Finally, I pped my hands, putting on the sweetest smile I could conjure up. "Attention everyone!" Dad''s head whipped to turn to me as everyone present turned too. "Don''t you dare!" Dad''s voice was a low growl.


    I ignored him and turned to the guests. I have some good news to announce." I paused, gauging everyone''s reaction. Some murmured amongst themselves while some had their gaze fixated on me in curiosity.


    With a smirk, and gushy feeling coursing through me, I made my announcement. "I''m getting a divorce from Mark Torres!"

 Chapter 0018

    The feeling that coursed through me was heavenly. And for the first time since I announced to Mark that I didn''t want to stay married to him again, I felt free.


    After my announcement, the courtyard was shrouded in pin drop silence. Their eyes alternated between Mark and I then between dad and mum.


    I could see some young girls immediately shooting their shots. The already deep neckline of their dresses be even deeper, their amble blossoms half on disy as they cast flirtatious nces at Mark. I didn''t me them. In truth, Mark was like a diamond among the many men in town. Who wouldn''t be excited to grab such a man if there ever was a whisper that he was back in the market? Be looked pissed, her hold still on Mark''s arm.


    I wished I could capture the look on dad and mum''s face right now and frame it. Their eyes bulged as they turned to me; I couldn''t tell if it was out of panic or anger at me.


    Throughout the years I had been with the family, I had learned that Michael''s family''s business was sinking. I hadter learned in thest three years I stayed married to Mark the reason why they were hell bent on ensuring Mark married in the family. They had barely been able to struggle out of bankruptcy and get their business back on its feet because of their marital ties with him. If they should lose Mark, then they''ve lost theirpany.


    Dad turned to Mark and gulped. "She is out of her mind, Mark. I''m sure she took something beforeing here. She''s been acting really out of character since she arrived. I was even worried that''s he didn''t


    with yo-


    Mark turned to me, ignoring dad, his eyes zed with untamed anger. "Are you insane?!"


    I could feel eyes on us. "I''m very well in my right mind, Mark. You should instead be askin-"


    I let out a shocked gasp when he suddenly lifted me off my feet and bnced me on his shoulder.


    I didn''t even bother to struggle, I tried to getfortable on his shoulder. It was as though I was high on something as Iughed, my chin slightly hitting his back as he stormed off the scene.


    I turned to the gaping crowd. There was a girl beside Be, her palm patted her Be''s rigid shoulders, her face was pinched back and her fists clenched and I wondered if she was going to storm after us and throw me off Mark''s shoulder. How mad is she right now? I thought, amused.


    My eyes settled on dad. I grinned and waved at him, "Happy birthday, dad!" My voice rang out, mocking. "I hope you like my birthday gift." I roared withughter again.


    "Will you shut the fuck up!" Mark''s grip on my thigh tightened and I let out a yelp.


    "Ouch!" I pinched his back. "That hurt."


    I could hear as he gritted his teeth and I felt his grip slightly loosened.


    As Mark made his way to his car, I heard dad''s calm voice- at least he tried to sound calm. One look at him and you could tell that he was a jittery mess. He forced on a smile. "Mark and my daughter just had a little misunderstanding," a nervousugh, "No one is getting a divorce,I assure you, then he attempted a joke, "the eligible Mark Torres is off the market, girls, find a suitor somewhere else." The crowd roared


    withughter, dissipating the tense atmosphere.


    I was sure dad didn''t even want to imagine how hispany''s stock price would look if the news should reach the public''s ears that Mark Torres, CEO of GT Group was divorcing his daughter.


    I could imagine thepanies that would instantly pull out, the air would carry the news and he and his wife and conniving daughter would be doomed. I doubt if thepany would evenst a month before crumbling.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I wondered if there was a journalist among the guests. If I were that journalist, I wouldn''t hesitate to air what happened here. I''m sure any publishing house would pay a lot to get this news...I smirked as my thoughts trailed off. Or the news about Be''s whereabouts on her wedding day.


    A room was reserved for Mark and Be when they were dating for cases whenever Mark slept over. The room was on the second floor and that was exactly where Mark was heading. His shoulder started to dig in my tummy as he climbed the stairs; It felt very ufortable.

 Chapter 0019

    ¡°?


    "Will you slow down?" I groaned, "My tummy hurts. You''re digging your shoulders into it."


    "I don''t care where you hurt," there was a pause, then, stopped caring when you made that stupid announcement."


    *Like


    ke you ever cared," I rolled my eyes.


    He kicked the door open with his foot, strode in and dumped me no, he flung me on therge bed.


    I bounced on the bed for a few seconds before I stayed in ce.


    "What the hell! I could have bounced down the floor and hit my head and died."


    "Maybe that would be better," his voice sent the hair on my skin upright and I resisted the urge to cower at the re on his face; the look of contempt in his eyes.


    The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and his jaw was tight as heshed out. "I aske


    the house and wait for me."


    you toe to


    I satfortably on the bed and took my time to respond so I wouldn''t splutter. "I didn''t want to. You can''t just order me around. Besides, if I hade, I would have rode with you and Be, sitting at the back seat like a third wheel, right?"


    He scoffed. "You just hate the poor girl, so much don''t you? She''s your sister!"


    I put my palm up. "You don''t have to scream it in my ears, I know she''s my sister." Unfortunately, "But did you just refer to her as a ''poor girl? Poor girl!" I threw my head back andughed. I wondered if he would still think she was a ''poor girl" if he knew.


    "Why are you so bent on getting divorced?"


    "Because you''re an asshole and I want nothing to do with you," I pouted.


    "What do you want to not mention that irritating word agains


    "What word?" I fluttered myshes, "Divorce?"


    He gritted his teeth and his hands that were perched on his hips tightened. "What do you want for things to go back to the way they were?"


    me


    I furrowed my brows and put a finger on my chin. "The way things were? How is that? You, cheating on n with my sister while ignoring me? Our fake pose as a happy couple?"


    "Not like you ever bothered to put in the effort," he snarled. "You always acted like you were being mistreated at the slightest opportunity you got."


    I


    I raised my brows, "Wasn''t I?" Our gaze locked. "Answer me, wasn''t I mistreated?"


    "You were not!" Then he repeated his earlier words, "What do you want for things to go back to the way they were?" He looked like he was losing his patience but I couldn''t care less.


    "Why do you want things to go back to the way they were?" I let my lips curve into a sly smile. "Why, Mark? What''s wrong?" I wiggled my brows, "Have you fallen in love with me and can''t bear to see me leave?"


    He blinked and his lips parted. And for a while, we just held each other''s gaze; my gaze was teasing, his was filled with a mixture of confusion, anger and irritation.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    "Stop talking nonsense, Sydney. State your conditions! He retorted loudly. Too loudly.


    "No conditions, Mark," I shrugged, sobering up, "I just want a divorce."


    The crease in his brows deepened and he started to pace the room, his fingersbing his hair in frustration. "Is this like some joke to you? A game? Because I don''t get this, I don''t get you." He stopped in front of the bed, "Are you joking with me, Sydney?"


    That look I glimpsed in his eyes before it morphed back into anger, the slight fall in his tone and volume almost made me pity him. It made me want to pull him to me, massage his scalp and promise him that I would never leave him.


    I shook my head and swallowed. "It''s no fun for me either. I seriously just want a divorce. To be more clear, I don''t want to stay married to you."


    He observed me for a while then he spoke up, his voice sounded harsh, grating and his jaw tightened. He lifted his chin, "Fine then. If I am going to sign the divorce papers then I have a condition."


    My brows heightened and I dreaded what his condition would be.


    The corners of his lips lifted in a smirk and his eyes glinted with mischievousness, "If you want a divorce, you would have to give me a million dors in alimony."

 Chapter 0020

    I stared at Mark in disbelief, my eyes widening incredulously as his demand echoed in the room, harshly bouncing off the walls. His determined eyes were fixated on me, his lips were set in a straight line and his arms that were folded across his chest hinted at his seriousness.


    "You''re saying I have to give you a million dors as a breakup f*e?!" The words burst from my lips and my voice resounded in the room. "What the actual hell! A million dors?" The absurdity of his request was incredulous.


    "Yes, you have to give me a million dors before I sign those papers," he answered calmly as if he was asking me to pay him a measly sum of three hundred dors. The nonchnt demeanor with which he responded only did more to heighten my disbelief than make mee to terms with his demand.


    "You can''t possibly be serious," I eximed, the words tumbling out of my mouth in a mixture of disbelief and frustration as I got on my knees on the bed, all strung up. "You''re a billionaire, and yet you''re asking me for a breakup f*e?"


    "That''s right," He replied, his tone was firm and unwavering and his gaze was steady as he met my incredulous stare.


    That''s insane, Mark!" I eximed, my voice rising with a mixture of exasperation and my heightened. disbelief.


    He shrugged. "Since you''re the one who proposed the divorce, you have to pay me a breakup f''e. That''s my condition. And mind you," his brows rode up his hairline, "I''m talking about US dors. If you can''t meet my condition, don''t even think about bringing up divorce ever again."


    My jaw dropped as I gaped at him. I couldn''t believe what I was hearing. How petty could he be? "But Mark, that''s absurd! You know I can''t afford to give you that kind of money. You don''t even need it. Your weekly revenue is way more than that."


    How did he expect me toe by that huge amount of money if he didn''t know that I co owned Luxe and Atelier?


    He folded his arms across his chest, unmoved by my protests. "That''s not my problem, Sydney. You wanted the divorce, now you have to deal with the consequence that is a million dors."


    I felt a surge of frustration and anger rise within me as he kept repeating the amount he wanted me to pay to him. "You''re beingpletely unreasonable, Mark. This is unfair!"


    "And it is fair that you''re divorcing me without prior notice or reasonable excuse," he raised a perfectly arched brow.


    "I didn''t know I had to inform you eons before I file for a divorce," I retorted, my body taut with irritation.


    He shrugged in that nonchnt way again, his expression indifferent. "You don''t just wake up one morning, leave the house, and send me divorce papers he reiterated, his tonecking any form of remorse or understanding.


    "I told you before 1-left!" I eximed, frustration bubbling up inside me. Oh God. This man was driving me nuts with his dismissive attitude.


    He shrugged again, his lips twitching into a sardonic smile, a sh of amusement dancing in his eyes. "I


    +25


    had thought you were joking. Or just exercising your newfound courage or something," he remarked, his tone dripping with condescension.


    Wow! I gaped at him, incredulous at his audacity. "This is utter extortion, Mark!" I eximed, my voice trembling with anger.


    But he remained unfazed, shrugging nonchntly as if my outrage was just a minor inconvenience. "Call it what you want," he retorted, his tone dismissive. "But those are my terms. Take it or leave it," he concluded, his words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.


    I clenched my fists and my mind raced with disbelief and indignation.


    A million dors!


    Though I had been away from thepany for three years, the financial statements I had looked through when I resumed were very impressive. With those statements, it would be pretty easy toe up with such an amount but it was unfair. It was unfair to Grace. She had been toiling for thepanies while I rotted away in a forsaken marriage. It would be unfair to juste one day and waltz away with a million dors. I doubted if Grace had ever even withdrawn that much from the businesses.


    "Can we negotiate a lower price?" I tried to reason with him, my voice slightly cajoling, hoping to appeal to whatever humanity was left in him. "Say eight hundred thousand dors?"


    He sneered and dipped his hands in his pockets, his posture exuding arrogance. "I''m a billionaire. You know it, and you even said it yourself just now," he scoffed. "The title of being my wife is worth far more than a million dors. I want a million dors, not a penny less."This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    "I could take this to court, you know," I gritted out, meeting his gaze head-on, hoping to turn the tables and save myself a few thousand dors.


    He opened his arms wide, his smirk widening. "Be my guest, love," he taunted, his confidence oozing." Let''s take this to court."


    I bit my lip, my mind racing as I weighed my options. It wouldn''t really be wise to take this to court. For all I knew, since I initiated the divorce process, the judge might end up ordering me to pay more if, after his investigation, he got a whiff that I co-owned Luxe and Atelier. Besides, Mark would obviously have more connections to turn the case to his advantage. My heart sank at the realization that my escape n might backfire eventually.

 Chapter 0021

    I


    "When do we go to court?" He broke into my thought process, his voice mockingly urgent, "Tomorrow? Now? I''m ready whenever."This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Fine!" I closed my eyes in frustration and raised my palm. "Fine, okay?" I met his gaze, my resolve wavering under the pressure. "I agree." I caved in, knowing that dying further would only prolong my unwanted ties to him.


    I''d just have to bag super-rich clients afterward to make up for this withdrawal, I reassured myself. Besides, I could even negotiate double the money back from him since he was willing to pay any amount for the two custom-made jewelry pieces he had ordered from us.


    "But remember," I added, locking eyes with him, "Once I''ve raised the money, you can''t back out." My tone was firm, a subtle warning hidden beneath my words.


    He hesitated, his eyes probed, making my skin tingle. Then he lifted his chin. "Of course. But until you''ve raised the money, you must return to our residence. To the outside world, we must maintain the appearance of us being husband and wife, just like before."


    "And if I don''t?" I arched a brow and folded my arms on my chest, my chin tipping up.


    He chuckled, seeming amused. "It''s simple. I''ll raise the breakup f*e. How about two million dors?!"


    Fuck you, Mark Torres. Fuck you!


    Although I was sure I could pull the two million dors together, there was no way I would let him milk me dry.


    "Whatever," I muttered, rolling my eyes and sitting back, "I''d move back in and get you the f*e as soon as possible."


    If I could inform Grace and our finance department and also finalize the necessary paperwork today, I was certain that I could get the money ready by tomorrow. That way I would just have to spend a night in his ce. It''s not so bad. I mentally shrug. It wasn''t a big deal.


    "What? You''re going to cry to mummy and daddy to give you a million dors to pay your approved husband so he signs the divorce papers?" He mocked.


    "It''s none of your business how I get the money as long as you get it."


    He shrugged, "True." Then with a smug smile stretching across his lips, he reached out for me. His movement was so sudden that I couldn''t move away from his grasp.


    His fir


    fingers closed around my wrist like a vice and he effortlessly pulled me up from the bed, his touch sending a shiver down my spine.


    "Now, go out there and be a good wife," hemanded, his toneced with an irritating arrogance.


    Without another word, he strode out of the room, leaving me to scurry after him like the dummy bride I had once been. I picked up my bag with the leisure of one who had all the time in the world and stepped - out of the room at my own pace.


    As I made my way out, I made a mental note to either meet up with Grace or call her to speak with her about the withdrawal after the party.


    I almost collided into his back when he came to an abrupt stop, his sudden halt jolting me out of my wandering thoughts and I crashed back to reality.


    I looked up, and there she was, her figure outlined against the dim light filtering through the floor to length windows below the stairs, behind her. Her eyes glinted with tears, her lips pulled down in a heartbreaking grimace. I guess the anger that had once zed in her gaze as she watched Mark storm out of the courtyard with me on his shoulder had worn off because in that moment, she looked utterly pathetic.


    She seemed to have been climbing up the stairs in search of us because right now, she stood frozen at the top of the stairs, her eyes fixated on Mark.


    I cleared my throat, breaking whatever trance they were in. Her gaze slid from Mark to me.


    I didn''t know what prompted me but I found myself straightening my dress and smoothening my hair, hinting at what didn''t happen between us. But she need not know nothing of the sort happened. The indications were there; Mark throwing me over his shoulders and bringing me to a room. His tie was slightly loosened from when he loosened it when we were talking and my hair was a bit scattered from when he threw me on the bed. My silk dress also had a slight crease from kneeling on the bed and it had also ridden up.


    Her eyes eyed me up and widened at my actions with disbelief and betrayal. She looked like she was struggling toprehend what I was hinting at. The silence between us stretched taut, the weight of her gaze bearing down on us.


    Hmm, how does it feel to be in my shoes?


    "Mark," I said his name so softly that he turned back in surprise, his expression told of his confusion at my sudden demeanor. He watched, with curiosity, as I walked to him and closed the distance between us. Holding his gaze, I reached out and forcefully linked our arms together. I leaned my head on his shoulders and let my eyes rest on Be. "Darling," I purred, fluttering myshes, "My head hurts, I need you to take me home."

 Chapter 0022

    My words had barely left my mouth when Be''s trembling voice revated in the space. "Mark!'' Her voice quivered with raw emotion and her eyes glinted with unshed tears as she gazed at him, "Stay," she whispered. "My friends are all waiting for you. If you leave, they''ll mock me endlessly."


    I couldn''t help but roll my eyes at her dramatics.


    It was her fault if her friends mocked her. Ever since she returned from her elopement, she had made me look like the viin before her friends and anyone who cared to listen. She would always tell them that she and Mark were the real deal and I, who had always envied her, had taken the opportunity to force myself on Mark when she went abroad for her medical treatment. The bitterness of her usations still lingered till this day. I had felt betrayed when I had heard it. When I had thought I was saving her name, painting me bad was all I got in return.


    I rolled my eyes some more when I saw Mark''s expression softened. Even in my grasp, I felt him lightly leaned forward. Before he could utter a word, my hold on his arm tightened. I was surprised at the possessiveness in my grip.


    "Sorry, love. No can do," I cooed, my voice dripping with sharine sweetness. "But my husband." I ced my other hand on his chest, "is very busy. He has to take me home and unlike some people, he hasmitments and responsibilities so he has tons of work to get to."


    you


    Anger red in her eyes, her eyes shooting daggers at my palm on his chest. "You two-faced bitch!" She scowled and her face reddened. I flinched back and raised my brows at the hatred in her eyes, "Didn''t just announce that you were going to divorce him? Now you''ve changed your mind, clinging to him like he''s your lifeline."


    I rolled my eyes, "Look, couples have issues like this more often...." I trailed off and flicked my wrist in the air; "you''re not married, so you won''t understand. This is just a little fun between my husband and I. Haven''t you noticed that our rtionship has improved since we left the courtyard? We''re good now." I turned to Mark, fluttering myshes, ¡°Isn''t that right, darling?"


    Mark''s jaw tightened, the muscles in his face tensed as he gritted his teeth. "You''re right." He sounded like the words were forced out of him as he muttered through clenched teeth. All the while, his gaze remained fixed on Be showing his longing. I bet he was practically itching to run to her.


    I lifted my chin, the corner of my lips lifted in a subtle smirk, I rested my head on his shoulder, his warmth seeping into my skin. "See?" I murmured softly with fake affection, "We''re good. Now run along, tell everyone we''ll be out soon."


    Ignoring my presence with a deliberate disregard that almost stung, she turned her attention solely to Mark, her words were apanied by desperation and forced vulnerability. She ced a trembling hand over her chest, "My chest feels tight, Mark."


    Her brows creased and her lips turned down as she tried to make her non existent distress evident, "It feels like there''s a weight crushing my chest, Mark. It hurts," she murmured, her voice was strained as she slowly rubbed her chest area. "Please, can you stay with me? Just for a little while," she implored, her voice trembling with a mix of pain and longing, as if hoping it would prompt him to bow to her.


    I marveled as I watched her disy. She could as well be an actress. It was less wonder Mark was deeply fooled by their lies.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I let out an exasperated breath and snorted. She was good but I still wondered how Mark could still be oblivious to her maniptive tactics. It was almost as if he were under some kind of spell, unable to see through her facade. With her ample figure and glowing face, she looked nothing like a sick person, let alone someone suffering from a disease. Just because dad had publicly announced that she had a heart disease after she had fled on her wedding day, she made sure to always capitalize on her ''hurting heart'' every now and then, especially whenever Mark was around.


    The frustration bubbled up inside me as I thought deeper about the situation. Mark and the others were really fools to be honest, their unquestioning eptance of her supposed illness didn''t make sense. How could they be so naive, so easily manipted by her deceitful facade? With each of their pretenses that I witnessed and lies that I heard, my patience wore thin. My gaze lingered on her as I silently prayed for the moment when Mark''s blind trust would crumble and the hidden truth beneath the carefully crafted lies will be out for everyone to see.

 Chapter 0023

    The hallway was bathed in silence, the only sound was the faint echo of our breaths as I waited to see. what Mark would do. I rolled my eyes, not surprised when he untangled himself from me. "She needs me," his said as he took a tentative step toward her. "Be,


    A stifled yawn threatened to escape my lips as I moved away from him, fed up of the utter boredom of the situation. So pathetic and blind. I watched as Be sigh heavily and rested her head on his chest. His arms instinctively wrapped around her, drawing her close, as if to shield her from me.


    I casually swung my bag over my shoulder, the act added a confident swagger to my steps as I walked past her down the stairs. I could feel each of their eyes trailing me as I descended the stairs. Suddenly, as I reached halfway down the stairs, an idea lit up in my mind and my steps halted.


    I stopped walking and with a sweet smile in ce, I turned to Mark. "Oh Mark darling, I forgot to tell you." His brows drew down as he listened. "Remember the man from the bar? You know, the handsome hunk that interfered that night? The one who said he owned the bar. He''s Italian. I know this because he gave me his card."


    The clench of his fists and tightness in his jaw widened my smile and edged me on. "So in case youe homete tonight and I get bored of waiting. I''ll go to the bar by myself. You will find me there." I shrugged, "That''s if you bother to find me."


    He instantly and roughly let go of Be and in a few strides, he was before me, trapping me against the stairs'' handrail. He grabbed my arm and his vice-like grip bit into the skin there. His voice thundered through the stairway, filled with rage at my insinuation, "You dare to even think about cheating on me, and I''ll make sure you regret it, Sydney," he growled, his eyes zing with... Is that jealousy I see?


    I couldn''t help the heartyughter that bubbled up my throat. "Why not?" I smirked, my amused gaze met his raging one with defiance, "The Italian guy is quite to my taste, to be honest,'' I taunted, my voice coated with mockery


    His fist clenched and unclenched at his sides, I could see the sinews of his forearm tense under the transparent material of his shirt as his grip on my arm tightened, his knuckles whitening with the force of his anger. "Sydney..." his voice carried a warning, a low guttural rumble...


    I could see Be, in my peripheral vision, her eyes were wide with disbelief at the scene unfolding before. her, her gaze flickered between Mark and me as if she was trying to decipher if she was in a dream. Even I, amidst the tension filled air, couldn''t help but feel quite amused and surprised at the sight of Mark''s jealousy boiling over. Who would have believed that he could get this jealous? Yet, I thought with contempt, he cheats on me without a second thought.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    He roughly pulled at my arm, his grip firm as we descended the stairs together. He was so enraged that he seemed to have forgotten all about her, not even sparing a nce or a goodbye.


    It felt good, I thought as a rush of satisfaction washed over me. It felt good to possess this power to push him to such extremes and make him blind with anger. wondered in annoyance why I chose to live the past three years like some pathetic puppet.


    As we reached the foot of the stairs, I couldn''t resist the itch to turn back. Be still stood there, gaping, her eyes widening with each step Mark took.


    With a full-blown smirk spreading across my lips, I raised my middle finger triumphantly and mouthed, Bitch!" The thrill of my small victory coursed through me, a surge of adrenaline fueling my defiance. It was a fleeting moment of satisfaction as her brows drew down and face suddenly turned red in anger.

 Chapter 0024

    Mark, after wishing dad a happy birthday and giving him a wrapped gift he had gotten for him, had said a sinct goodbye to him and mom and we left. Dad''s smile kept faltering as he looked between Mark and


    1. 1.


    The ride home was fun. Mark had taken us home with the car that brought him and Be.


    Bored, I had decided to taunt him. I ced my palm on my chest, "Poor Be," I sighed, letting my shoulders droop as I turned to him, "how will she get home now that you''ve left with the car?"


    He hadn''t said anything. He jaw just remained clenched as he fixed his gazd outside the window.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I sighed again. "I hope her heart doesn''t hurt so much when she''s trying to go home or when her friendsugh at her that her lover left her."


    I caught his pinky finger on the palm he pressed on hisp twitch.


    I needed more than that. I sighed, suddenly changing the topic. "Now, I can''t see the Italian bar guy again," my chest rose higher as I sighed loudly. "I guess I''d have to meet up with him some other time then." More of his fingers twitched again but that was the his silence.


    only reaction I had gotten till eventually, I got bored of


    Now, as we stepped into the house - him, loosening his tie as he walked into the living room. Me, removing my heels and letting them swing in my hands as I followed him into the room - the shrill of his phone disrupted the calm silence.


    "Hey," his voice came out rough so he cleared it and tried again. "Hey..." There was a long pause as he listened to the person on the other end of the line then, I''m sorry I left."


    I rolled my eyes. I didn''t need to be told who it was. Uninterested, I padded my feet to my room. But, behind my closed doors, I couldn''t help but wonder what they were talking about. His soft murmurs drifted to the door and I wondered if she was asking him to return to the party or something.


    Ever since this farce called a marriage began, Mark and I had always had separate rooms.


    "Come on, Bell. You know I don''t like it when you cry," his volce drifted to me and then her sobbing did too. He had put the phone on speaker.


    I frowned as I listened to Be''s cries boom out of his phone''s speaker. Why wasn''t he making the phone call in his room? Was he trying to keep an eye on me? Perhaps, he thinks since couldn''t go to meet Luigi, I would invite him in. Or maybe he just wanted to make sure I didn''t sneak away.


    Whatever his reason was didn''t bother me. All I wanted was a good night''s sleep. I stretched my limbs and Julled myself to sleep with the voice of Be''s distressed and frustrated cry.


    I had a small victory today.


    I would pack out tomorrow after I''ve paid Mark.


    These thoughts brought a smile to my face as I gathered the nket that was left after I had covered my body to myself and drifted into a blissful sleep.


    I woke up to the sound of my rm clock. It was 6:00AM. Though I hadn''t been going to work for the past thre years, my rm was set in that time. I always wanted to wake up early so that I could help Mark prepare for work and also watch him leave for work. I groaned groggily and my hand shot out to stop the sound from disturbing my sweet sleep.


    At exactly 8:00AM, the rm rung again. The first thought that came to my mind was that I would be leaving Mark''s house today and he''d also sign the divorce papers.


    The thought alone brought a smile to my face. And I stretched my limbs and copsed back on the bed, feeling refreshed and energized. I stared at the ceiling. Today was going to be a long but good day. I couldn''t wait to see the look on his face when I throw the money in his face.


    "I''m moving out today. I''m moving out today!" Was my mantra and song as I got ready for work. I tapped my feet as I brushed, singsonging the words. I nodded my head to the beats I made with my mouth as rapped the words and put on my shoes.


    When I stepped out of my room, fully dressed and ready for a productive day, I could already tell that Mark was gone. The servants weren''t rushing up and down, they delivered their assigned tasks with ease. I didn''t meet Grace at work. I truedher kine but it wasn''t going through so I decided to wait till she arrived. Throughout work that day I didn''t get a whiff of Grace. I focused on drafting the jewelries of other customers while I waited. At the end of the day, towards evening, she still wasn''t around. I didn''t have the patience to wait so I headed to the finance department. I would exin to her afterward. d

 Chapter 0025

    "Hello."


    "Good evening ma''am.


    The secretary there had a bright smile on his face as he greeted me. "Good evening. Inform the head.


    ountant that I''m here to see him."


    He nodded and made a call. I was hastily summoned in.


    The ountant was all smiles as he ushered me in, already waiting at the door. "It''s a pleasure to have you back, ma''am."


    I smiled, "Thank you. I don''t think we''ve met since I got back, right?"


    "We haven''t," he confirmed as he got in his seat.


    I got in the seat on the opposite side of his desk too and started to tell him what I needed.


    The ountant''s face had be solemn as I spoke. That wouldn''t have been an issue a month ago, ma''am,"


    I raised a curious brow. "And it would be a issue now?"


    "Yes, Kind of."


    My heart dropped an inch.


    He smoothed his palm on the edge of the desk. "You see, we needed more hands in our department so we hired a new employee, after series of tests ofcourse. We picked the best out of the bests. This employee had mistakenly given the wrong dimensions and textures of fabrics and machines to our main suppliers. We had already paid and when our orders arrived, all of it were wrong. There was no way they could be of use to us and the suppliers weren''t willing to refund and take back the supplies." His eyes swept to the door before it fell back on me, "You can check our storage rooms, it''s where we''ve stocked them hoping they''d be useful one day. So we had to ce new orders since our customers were on our neck, demanding for their orders. Some of the customers were impatient so we refunded them which made them really mad and bitter."


    I rested my elbows on the desk and held my head in my hands. "How didn''t I get a whiff of this at all? "It would''ve deeply affected our goodwill so we quickly sorted it out with the public rtions. They demanded a lot but we needed the bad reviews and bitterments down ASAP so we caved in. They handled the crisis effectively and stopped it from escting."


    I thought he was through until he spoke up again.


    "And now, the wrong supplies are taking up space so we needed to expand our storage to amodate the right ones that are on their way. We started to restrategize so we spent quite a lot on logistics too. Right now, we''re struggling to stay grounded with the cash flow we have left."


    He took a deep breath and sped his hands on the table and held my gaze. "I''m sorry ma''am, but if I should approve the withdrawal of such amount then I am simply approving the fall and ruin of Luxe Vogue." Then he muttered, "I doubt we even have up to that right now."


    "Fuck!" The ountant flinched back as I thumped my fists on the desk without thinking. "Shit shit shit!"


    "I''m sorry," I heard him mutter, "I wish there was a way


    "And where''s this employee?!" erupted.


    "He''s been ced on suspension, ma''am."


    "God!" I reclined on the chair and titlted my head back. I tried to calm myself down. My savings is still there. I didn''t know how much I had there since I had ced it on an automatic saving ount but I was sure it was a lot.


    I sat back up. "But I checked the financial statements, everything looked good."


    "That must be a month ago, ma''am. Our financial statements are in ruins right now, nothing to boast about."


    I made the calction and nodded to myself. He was right, I had halfmindedly checked the financial statements during my trip. I hadn''t wanted to be actively involved in work yet then.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "And why am I just hearing of this? Does Grace know?


    "No, ma''am." He shook his head. "We''ve held several meetings and we have everything under control."


    "You have everything under control yet we''re on the verge of sinking?!" I yelled at him and his gaze dropped to his sped hands.


    "Inform the HR team," my voice was firm and determined. "Get your team too. We''re holding an emergency meeting right now. Meet me in the board room."


    I picked up my bag and headed to the boardroom. My hands shook as I tried Grace''s number again. Thankfully, it went through.


    "Girl," my voice was urgent. "Where have you been? I''ve been trying your line all day."


    "Oh really?" She sounded at ease. I was sure she''d panic when she hears of thetest financial status of ourpany. "Must bework, I didn''t receive any of your calls." "Whatever, juste over. We''re holding an emergency meeting right now. I''ll exin everything when you get here."


    She must have sensed the urgency in my voice because she didn''t ask any question. "Alright. I''ll be on my way."


    Less that an hourter, everyone was seated in the boardroom. Some of the members breaking a sweat as they had to rush here.

 Chapter 0026

    In a couple of hours, we were down to a more feasible solution. Since the cash flow was too low, Grace and I were the only ones who volunteered to lend our savings to thepany in our personal names. The overbearing shareholders imed they couldn''t take such decisions without properly informing the shareholders.


    After, we summed everything up, we were quite confident that it would keep the business afloat for the mean time while all ns are effectively acted on.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    "How did such a dumb employee even get hired in the first ce?!" I turned to the HR team. "What have your team been doing?"


    Grace''s response beat their hesitating one, "This isn''t the first time. I have had to relieve several employees of their job myself because they were just outright ipetent. In the three years you were absent, without your firm hand on the board members, they have been stuffing thepany with their unwanted ipetents. If you don''t fullye back, thepany will be ruined by them."


    "Oh God," I breathed and held my head as I felt a headacheing on. "This discussion will be for another day," I glowered at the administrative teams who couldn''t meet my gaze. "Now, go put our ns into action."


    Their muttered, ''thank yous'' and ''yes ma''am'' filled the air as they scrambled to their feet and shuffled out of the board room.


    The shareholders remained.


    "We demand this financial crisis be acted on as soon as possible. I''ll also speak to my boss about lending a certain amount to boost the finances of Luxe Vogue, one of the cocky shareholders said, his nose in the air.


    The rest also imed that they would not hesitate to pull out if mere insubordinations were not taken care of effectively.


    Afterward, they took their time to put their things together and strutted out of the board room with grim and angry faces.


    I watched them as they left. For shareholders who owned merely a quarter of thepany each, they were too conceited. It was a good thing that Grace and I had ensured that we kept atleast eighty percent of thepany to ourselves no matter what.


    I let out a loud hiss and held my head in my hands as the door closed behind their stiff backs. I felt Grace''sforting palm on my back.


    "The board and HR department needs to be restructured," I said to myself but Grace answered


    I


    nevertheless.


    *Badly. She gave me a pat on the back, "Just don''t be too hard on yourself. It wasn''t your fault."


    My grip on my hair tightened and I felt the urge to scream. After transferring my savings and Atelier studios proceedings to save Luxe vogue I had less than a million dors left in my personal ounts and Atelier studiosworth was nothing to boast of anymore.


    Now how am I supposed to raise a million dors? Where do I get such ridiculously huge amount from?!


    It would take me years to work for such amount!


    I took another deep breath, trying to calm the frustration bubbling within me. It seemed fate had its own ns, because now I would have no choice but to stay with Mark for a longer time.


    I suppressed the scream that threatened to tear from my throat without my permission. Gosh, I thought, gritting my teeth. I hated it when things were out of my control and they always seemed to be.


    "You really did well," Grace pulled me out of my thoughts. "You were amazing, babe. Did you see the faces of the shareholders? They could barely look you in the face."


    I managed a smile. That was one of the reasons why I''ve stuck to Grace all this while; no matter how bad things seemed to be, she always managed to focus on the brighter side.


    Briefly, I wondered what the brighter side of staying married to Mark was.


    "You have no idea how these old guys ganged up and bullied me when you were gone," she continued, pouting slightly.


    My brows creased in annoyance, "Really? You should''ve informed me."


    She shook her head, "You were going through enough in that sad marriage of yours."


    I drew back and palmed my chest, "Touche."


    We both burst outughing then I sobbered up. "It was no big deal to be honest. I did what had to be done.


    I couldn''t even imagine asking for a million dors now. If I did, thepany would go bankrupt and there''ll be nothing to pay these shareholders. And thest thing I wanted was to have an issue with them. Atleast, if they get their right share of dividend on time, those old guys would keep their mouth shut and let people who had important things to say and do speak up.


    After Grace and I overlooked some information with the head of the Finance department that was invited back, we left the board room and proceeded to my office.


    The moment we got in, I quickly summoned my assistant. "Sort out the list of personnel the shareholders had stuffed into thepany, both at Luxe vogue and Atelier studios. Get me their names and everything about them including who ced them in whatever position they''re in," I ordered.


    "Yes ma''am," she nodded, "I''ll get on to it right away." Then she left.


    Grace gaped at me, "What are you about to do?"


    "Exactly what you''re thinking," I faced myptop and turned it on. I shot a text to the ountant to send get me the detail of the employee that caused all of this mishap. Then I turned back to Grace, "I''m about to startying the ipetent off. If anyone has any issues with it, they shoulde face me, my tone wasced with authority as I told her.

 Chapter 0027

    Her eyes widened in shock. "Are going to be that harsh?"


    "Yes," I replied sinctly with a straight face.


    Since they now seemed to underestimate Grace and not give her the regard that she deserved, I was now the only one fit to put them in their ces and majorly lead thepany.


    A ping sounded from myptop. The details of the employee has been sent.


    Without wasting time, I forwarded the detail to the legal department and gave firm instructions for them to instantly file apensationwsuit against the employee.


    "I get that you want to put these shareholders in their ce," Grace started, her wordsing out slower as she seemed to carefully choose them. "But isn''t that too harsh? You know they were clearly offended in the boardroom. It was why they dared to threaten to pull out. And now you''reying off their people." She paused. "What if they retaliate?" Her eyes wide widened as she edged closer, "What if they actually pull out? Aren''t you bothered that they really might pull out? Those men invest a lot in ourpany, you know," she raised a brow and reclined back in her seat. I suggest you take this slow, Sydney." fully turned to her. "At this point, I doubt there''s anything to be afraid of," I told her calmly, "Luxe vogue is on the verge of sinking. Our sweat and hardwork is on the verge of going down the drain!" I leaned forward and shrugged. "If I was scared of their retaliation, I wouldn''t have called the meeting." I sat back. I prefer to cut the Gordian knot. I have never been a person who hesitates and you know that. I won''t change my decisions because I''m scared of what they''d do. We have to let them see that we still know how to wield our power, then they''d behave and not blindly and dumbly do things that will bring destruction to thepany," I bit out, suddenly feeling my anger boiling up again.


    Grace psed her hand and raised it up then she closed her eyes. "Thank you, God. Thank you so much for bringing back my Sydney. I''ll forever be grateful."


    I smacked her on her arm,ughing. "Don''t be silly."


    She opened her eyes and gave me thumbs up. "You are the real Sydney. Not the one that stayed married to Mark."


    Well, I''m still married to him, I thought solemnly.


    "Get out!" Iughed and she did too. Then she hugged my head to her stomach on her way out. Remember, don''t be too hard on yourself, okay?"


    I nodded. "Yes mum."


    After she left, I Immediately went back to work, partly because I didn''t want to think about the issue of our financial status or the fact that I had to stay longer with Mark. And mainly because, now that Luxe vogue was in crisis, I would have to work even harder on Atelier Studios so I can quickly raise a million dors for Mark.


    I added the finishing touches to the jewelry pieces I had been working on before I paid a visit to the ountant and found out about the huge mishap. Iid them down for my assistant to encase in their designated boxes and then I took out Mark''s jewelry pleces order that I was already working on.


    I brought out the sapphire ne and gold bracelet and worked on it for a bit. Then I put it aside again.


    I would only need to work on it one more time and it would be ready.


    The thing about making jewelries was that you had to take your time in making them. If they''re rushed, they might look good but they''d, in some way, lose their shape and sparkle. And that thing that make them stand out will be gone.


    By the time I finally finished the design drawings for more orders, it was alreadyte at night. I thought of staying back and working till dawn but I quickly decided against it. Right now, I needed all the rest I could salvage.


    Bregrudgingly, I drove back to Mark''s residence. As I drove, I wished I hadn''t agreed to remain in his ce until I''ve paid him the damned breakup f*e.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    As I stepped through the doorway, I squinted my eyes at the dimly lit room, my feet hit something as I closed the door. I pushed harder on the door as it wasn''t shutting, what hit my feet must have gotten stuck in between, I thought.


    Then I ruffled through my bag to bring out my phone so I could make use of its shlight. As I did so, a sudden hard force blindsided me causing a scream to erupt in my throat as it crashed into my side and sent me sprawling onto the sofa and my bag flying into the air.


    I iled my arms, my heart ramming against my chest as their weight knocked the breath out of me. Thankfully, I had been able to get a hold of my phone. I fumbled with it and turned on the shlight then I shone the light on my assailer''s face.


    Mark was grinning at me, his dark eyes were ssy with inebriation. I scrunched my nose when he opened his mouth to speak, his breath heavy with the stench of alcohol. "Hello wifey."

 Chapter 0028

    If dad hadn''t chosen such a dumb excuse, I wouldn''t be struggling to keep him by my side now.


    Since dad had told everyone thatme lie, I had no choice but to go with it after I returned. I had carefully capitalized on it and told it to Mark at every chance I got. He pitied me and he had been loving and kind, alwaysing at my every beck and call to hold me in his arms and assure me that everything would be fine and he would always be there for me. But now...I reflected on the past few days and hissed again. Now the lie was barely effective now that Sydn was more involved.


    Or maybe my acts weren''t believable enough? Perhaps I should meet up with a doctor and make him lie, then I would get Mark to go with me and...


    I hissed and threw the ideas out the window. It was enough that Sydney knew about it. I didn''t want more ears to hear. What if the doctorter decided to betray me?


    I hissed again. If dad hadn''t chosen this excuse for my absence then I would have been able toe up with a firmer excuse. Now I was stuck with a nonexistent heart disease. I hissed as I sipped the tasteless drink in the cup.


    Sandra cleared her throat noisily, "Are you even here?"


    I turned to her, a brow raised, "I''m sitting right here and you''re still asking me that?"


    She shook her head. "What''s bothering you? Your body''s here but your mind isn''t here. You don''t want to be here, do you?"


    I sat up and dropped my winess. "I''m-"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "When you knew you weren''t interested, you know you could have just said so, right?" Her perfectly arched brow went up her hairline. "Why waste our time?"


    I pouted as I peered at her, "I''m sorry." I let out a long breath and my shoulders fell, "I just can''t get it off my mind."


    Sandra rolled her eyes and looked away for a few seconds. When she looked my way again, her gaze was filled with concern. That was one thing about Sandra; she was always quick to get angry and at the same time, she was quick to forgive. I didn''t want to make her mad; I never want to. She is the one who has always been there from all these while.


    She took my hand that rested resignedly on myp. "You''re still worried about yesterday, aren''t you?"


    I felt my brows crease as I answered her, "Shouldn''t I be? I''m losing him, Sandra. My eyes are wide open and his slipping out of my fingers."


    She drew back and squinted her eyes, "Is this still about you wanting to be wedded to a billionaire or you''re falling for him?"


    I frowned. "I don''t know." I didn''t even want to think about it...love....I doubt if I ever want to feel it again. I -doubt could even ever feel it again. "I just want to be a billionaire''s wife. And I want to be the only one. I want to make him love me so much that he''d worship the ground I step on. He should love me so much he''d do anything for me."


    +25 BON


    "He would," she said softly, her hands squeezing mine


    I snatched my hands from hers. "No, he won''t! You saw it yourself. You saw how he threw her over his shoulder yesterday."


    "He was simply angry at her announcement."


    I turned to face her, "Now why should he be? If he wants to be with me, he wouldn''t be mad that she wants to leave the marriage. His attention is increasingly being taken by her."


    Sandra sat back and sipped leisurely from her cup. "Yeah, I''ve noticed." She admitted quite maliciously," That bitch, I just-" she paused for a while then she shrugged abruptly, "I just really hate how she behaves, how she acts as if she''s the Alpha and Omega, like she''s everything."


    I smirked, "You don''t need to say it," I gestured in-front of her face, "It''s all over your face."


    She giggled then suddenly sobered up. She turned to me, her eyes wide. "I have an idea."


    "Let''s hear it," I leaned closer and she mirrored my movement.


    "Get pregnant."


    My heart skipped a quick beat when some memories flooded in. I closed my eyes and shook my head. Focus on the present, Be, I reprimanded myself.

 Chapter 0029

    "What do you mean I should get pregnant?"


    She blinked at me. "Come on girl You know what I mean. Sleep with Mark without protection and make. sure he impregnates you."


    "Oh," I murmured dismally and sat back


    "You can''t do it?" Her sharp voice pulled me out of my thoughts.


    "What? No, yeah, I can," I spluttered. I sat straighter in the chair. "I will. Anything to get


    him to be fully mine.


    "Good," she smiled, "because there''s no surer way to own a man than to carry his child in your belly."


    I nodded, already working a n in my head. "Why haven''t I thought of this before?" My subconscious mocked me as I asked; I ignored it.


    "I''m surprised myself. You''ll see that when you get pregnant with his child, he''ll be forced to divorce Sydney." She shrugged, "Afterall, you''re carrying his heir so why shouldn''t he devote his life to keeping you happy?"


    I sprang out of the chair, my lips stretched in a wide "Oh Sandra. Thank you, thank you," I pecked her continuously on each cheek in excitement.


    She yfully pushed me off her and I sat back in my chair thrumming with excitement. I was so sure in the that this one would work. But apart from that, I know he wanted me. I was confident enough that I would easily get him to sleep with me.


    V someone


    "Come on, what are friends for if we don''t hatch ns to we mutually hate."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Yas, girl," I chirped and raised my cup in the air. She did the same and our cups met clumsily in the air as our hands shook from ourughter.


    Later, Sandra and I ordered a ordered a meal each and ate to our fill, chatting and cachinnating as we did. Then we left the restaurant and we visited a mall; we giggled like school girls as we picked a lingerie set for me. I was hatching my n tonight. No time to waste.


    In the evening we parted ways. It was an unexpectedly fun-filled day for me. On my way home I dialed Mark


    "Bel_" his deep voice filled the speaker of my phone and I closed my eyes in bliss, imagining him. murmuring sweet nothings in my ear as he-


    "Be, are you there?"


    My eyes flew open. "Yes!" The pitch of my voice was top high so I took a deep breath. "Of course I''m not fine. I''ve missed you"


    I heard him sigh. "I''ve missed you too, babe. It''s just w


    "Yeah, work. I know," I interrupted him, feeling slightly irritated that I had nned. "I might be dying and you''d still choose work. It''s fine. Go back to work. I just called to ask if you''d like toe over for dinner


    but apparently you''re busy. Bye, have a good working night," I bit out and hung up.


    I bit my lip as I stared at my phone. I really hope he would call back. Because if he doesn''t, I wo-


    My phone vibrated in my palm. A mischievous grin spread across my face as I looked at the caller''s ID. I did a hasty countdown from ter before I picked up.


    He let out a relieved breath. "I was scared you weren''t going to pick up."


    "What do you want?"


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to use work as excuse. I''lle for dinner if you want me to. What time?"


    I


    "A couple hours from now," I grinned.


    I washed myself with my best scented body wash and donned myself in the heavenly smell of my body spray then I put on the lingerie and let my hair fall around my shoulders.


    "You know," I started, few minutes into the second course of our meal. Mark was already digging in afterplimenting my cooking skills nonstop. "Not having you around always reminds me of my days


    overseas."


    Mark''s fork froze in the air then he dropped it and picked up the bottle of alcohol and poured some into his winess. He took a big gulp. "I''m sorry."


    My eyes lowered as I poked the food on my te. "Don''t be. It''s not your fault that I got diagnosed with a heart disease few days before my wedding."


    I heard him sigh deeply then he exhausted the content in his ss and I smirked inwardly. Just a few more acts.


    "Mom and dad couldn''te and I was all alone throughout the whole process. There was no one to turn to whenever I was haunted by those...nightmares."

 Chapter 0030

    I looked up at him; my eyes felt wet with tears. "It was hell, Mark. I wished you were there then. I wished you were there to hold me in your arms like you do now and tell me that they were just meaningless dreams..." I trailed off and a tear rolled down my cheeks.


    "Come on, Bel," Mark roughly pushed his chair back and quickly got on his feet. He came around the table and held me by my shoulder. He wiped the lone tear with his thumb, the feel of his arms around me and thumb on my cheek sent shivers down my back. "It''s in the past now," he gave me a peck on my forehead. "Don''t think about it."


    I sniffed and nodded, my grip on the sides of his shirt.


    "Now let''s not let this sumptuous meal go to waste," he smiled softly and yfully pulled at my cheeks.


    He fed me as we ate and I in-turn, poured more alcohol for him as I told him another made-up story about my sick and sad days abroad.


    After eating, we cleared the dishes together. All the while, Mark took short intermittent breaks by taking a quick swig from the bottle of alcohol he clung to. Then he''d mutter, smiling drunkenly, "It''s just so good. You should try it." He''d stretch his arm toward me and I''d push it back. "It''s all yours, Mark," I''d whisper back and apany it with a sloppy kiss.


    Few more kisses and we couldn''t get our hands off each other, Mark especially.


    I took us upstairs and took off the robe I had over the lingerie. Mark''s eyes lit up as he took it in. His lips. ever so slowly curled into a lopsided smile. He pulled me to him and murmured huskily, "I love what you have on."


    "You do, don''t you?" I giggled and connected our lips in a searing kiss.


    I unbuttoned his shirt and pressed my body to his. His groan filled the room and he roughly pushed me to the bed. I had barely caught my breath before he climbed on top of me and straddled me.


    His lips brushed against mine teasingly before he pulled my lips in his. The kiss quickly became rough. Mark''s lips left mine and traveled downwards. He took his time as he kissed my neck; his lips slightly hovering above my corbone before his teeth grazed it.


    I squirmed beneath him, my fingers tangling in his hair and my legs tangled with his as his big hands palmed my breast then he was sliding the light material over my breast, his hot breath made my nipples get even harder.


    I


    tipped my head up when he suddenly stopped. The look on his face was unfathomable as he stared at my boobs.


    "Mark" I called softly and with my hands in his hair, I tipped his head back so he could look at me. "What''s wrong, babe?"


    "I can''t do this," he muttered, his eyes filled with confusion.


    "What?" I frowned.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    "I have to go home," I flinched as he suddenly pulled away, taking the warmth of his body with him." Sydney is waiting for me.


    +25 BONL


    I sprang up from the bed at hisst sentence. My eyes pricked with tears. "Mark, what are you saying. I''m the one waiting. Look at me," I reached for him but he scrambled off the bed. "She''ll leave. She''ll go to the bar guy. I have to go."


    He looked like he was in a trance. "What bar guy?!" I erupted and my loud voice only seemed to knock him to his senses more. I quickly softened my voice, I reached for him and he didn''t move away. "You can''t go like this, Mark." I brushed my lips against his ear, "You''ve been drinking. You can''t drive in this state. Just stay here for the night."


    He jerkily shrugged me off his shoulders and got on his feet. "I can. I can drive....I just have to go home..." he trailed off and staggered out the door.


    And just like that, he was gone.


    I copsed on the bed, tears brimming in my eyes as loneliness cocooned me into its depressing embrace. My chest rose and fell as I breathed heavily, my hatred for Sydney

 Chapter 0031

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I angrily patted Mark on his cheek. "Wake up! I''m Sydney not Be."


    I grunted loudly as I pushed at his shoulders trying, again, to get him off me. My shoulders fell as I let out a resigned sigh.


    How in the hell did he get himself this drunk?!


    After he had scared the life out of me and drunkenly said, wifey with a dazed smile, he had slumped and fell on my chest and I must say, he is heavy.


    It was hard to breath with his head on my chest like that. And the snores that emitted from his throat was even more agitating


    "Mark! Godammit!" I screamed exasperatedly. I was too tired for all of this. I just wanted toe home, lock myself in my room and get enough rest to recharge me and strengthen me for the next day. But here


    I was, stressing my brain as I kept thinking of how to get him off me and as I also keep pushing at his taut shoulders.


    My eyes scanned the dim room, hoping one of those eerie shadows would turn out to be one of the household staff but no, the shadow remained there.


    I dropped my phone on the sofa beside me. summoning all my strength, I clenched my stomach and pushed at his shoulders. He fell on the floor with a loud thump.


    I leaped from the chair, gasping for air. Damn. How can someone be so heavy?


    Finally, I picked up my phone and shed the torch on him. He was on the floor, curled up, low painful groansing from him. He looked so vulnerable, like a naked new born.


    My heart went out to him and I decided to tuck him in bed.


    I squatted beside him and lightly tapped on his arm, "Mark," I called softly. "Mark" I softly called his name for like a dozen times and he still didn''t respond.


    I was already losing my patience. Gritting my teeth, I smacked him on the back and he leapt up with a loud gasp as if he had been drowning.


    Then he groggily turned to me. "Sydney."


    I drew back. It was surprising that in his drunken state he recognized me.


    "Yes, Mark? It''s me, Sydney. Now tell me, what do you have to say for yourself? Getting yourself drunk like. some heartbroken teenager," I bbered as I put one of his arms around my shoulders. With a grunt, I got both of us on our feet. We both wobbled for a while before we both got grounded.


    "Good," I murmured, "Now, let''s get you to bed," I said like I would speak to a three year old.


    Slowly but thankfully, steadily, we made our way to his room.


    I looked around the room for a while as we staggered in the doorway. The only words fit to describe his room were nd and order.


    We reached his bed and I managed to properlyy him on the bed.


    "Now I can go get my sleep!" I said and turned to get up from the bed.


    I let out a yelp as his hands closed around my wrist. I whirled my head around, some strands of my hair getting in my face. I instinctively pulled at my arm but his voice stopped me.


    "Don''t go." I would say this was the softest and lowest had heard him speak. "Don''t leave me." Then his other hand came up and rubbed my hand.


    I abruptly pulled away, hating that his actions were pulling at my heartstrings.


    "Sydney...All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    A nervousugh bubbled up my throat. "Rx, I''m not leaving. I''ll just go pour you a ss of water." I eased his hands off me and got on my feet, "Atleast, that would help you sober up quickly then I can go to bed myself." By the time I finished speaking, he was already snoring off again.


    Immediately I got out of the room, I furiously scrolled through my contacts and searched for her number.


    Pushing our differences aside, I dialed the number. I wasn''t about to tend to a drunk man for a whole night.

 Chapter 0032

    It took a while but she picked up eventually.


    I had barely let her finish saying her cold ''hi'' before I started speaking, "I don''t know how but Mark is heavily drunk. He needs someone by his side to take care of him. You shoulde over."


    I heard rustling in the background before her response came, "I''ll be right over." Then she hung up.


    I made a coffee for myself then I walked back to Mark''s room. I took a seat and sipped my coffee as I waited for her. About ten minutester, I heard an impatient knock rasp on the main door. Then few secondster, the room door was pushed open to reveal a flustered Be.


    I frowned at her appearance. She looked slightly disheveled, definitely from rushing here but what really caught my attention was the lingerie visible under her filmsy coat.


    Okay. Had she got my words wrong? Because why will youe to care for a drunk man in a lingerie? I whistled, nodding, she definitely has a n. But I didn''t care.


    She rolled her eyes and swept past me to check on Mark.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Since the coffee had already kept me awake, I decided to just stay and watch.


    I remained seated and sipped my coffee as I watched in amusement as she went back and forth from the kitchen to the room and back to the kitchen again.


    She boiled water and I scrunched my brows wondering what is was for until I was left gaping as she soaked his socks in it. Then she made coffee. He only took a little before falling into another mindless slumber. She did all of this as she totally ignored my presence. Fine by me.


    Then she rushed out of the room and came back with a simmering te of soup. Hmm, I moaned inwardly and briefly closed my eyes. It smelt heavenly but when I peeked in, I recoiled. Whatever she had mixed together looked like vomit.


    I watched, drawn to the edge of my seat in disgust, as I watched her feed it to him like a proper wife


    would. So sweet.


    At first he threw it out andined groggily that he didn''t like it. But she pleaded with him. "Please, Mark. Just one more spoon.¡±


    "One more spoon,'' she kept saying. It was over a dozen spoons she had fed him now.


    Finally, she cleaned his mouth and eased him onto his back. Then Mark settled into sleep and his sleep was apanied with a soft and less irritating snore.


    Wow, I eximed to myself. She was good at this.


    Then she went out of he room and came back in with a towel in her hands. She finally eyed me as she moved to sit beside Mark on the bed then she ced the towel on his forehead. She turned to me, her gaze cold as they shot daggers at me. "What will it take for you to divorce. Mark?!"


    raised my brows, amused, "That was specific."


    "Just answer the damn question."


    I mused on her question for awhile." What will it take for me to divorce, Mark?" I repeated to myself as i pondered on my response.


    Then my face broke into a big grin. Her re deepened, I dropped the cup of coffee as I gave her my response. "How about," I paused, smirking, "you give me 1.2 million dors." Perfect response for a perfect question asked at the right time.


    Just as Mark had said, the title of being his wife was worth for more than a hundred dors. I might as well make a little fortune with the title.


    "Are you serious?" Her face smoothened as her eyes widened.


    "I am


    She smiled, "Just 1.2 million and you''d leave?"


    "Definitely."


    As she opened her mouth to speak again, a sudden roar interrupted her causing the both of us to flinch. Mark sprang up, "No! Be! Don''t give it to her!"

 Chapter 0033

    I closed my eyes and muttered, "Damn it!" Why did he have to wake up now?


    Be and I stared at him. Be''s gaze held concern while mine, I was sure, was drilling holes into him.


    "Don''t give her," he reiterated, his gaze on me. He looked less drunk now. His words didn''t slur so much anymore and his gaze was steady to an extent. That soup must be a very effective one, even though it looked like vomit. I contemted the recipe is.


    in her what


    Be shifted closer to him, her brows creased, "Mark," she ced her palm on her cheeks and made him turn his face to her, "You should get more rest."


    "No," he shook his head and removed her palm from his cheeks. "I need to stay awake to make sure you don''t give her." He blinked rapidly for a few seconds before he shook his head and his gaze became steady again.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Something akin to hurt and confusion crossed Be''s features, "Give her what? Do you even know what we''re talking about? You were asleep just now."


    "I was but pieces of your conversation drifted to me in my sleep. She wants you to give her 1.2 million dors. I heard that part clearly."


    I met his gaze. "I should have left you on that floor," I sneered.


    "Mark," Be pulled at his shoulder and he turned to her. She intermittently threw usive nces my way as she spoke. "I told you, you shouldn''t havee back She doesn''t even want to take care of you. had to rush here."


    "You should not be going through all of this stress when I have a wife who is very capable of caring for me,


    he seethed, barely paying Be any attention.


    I let out a loud hiss. He kept saying ''caring'' like he was some old man or terminally sick person that needed caring for. I picked up the empty coffee cup and got on my feet to leave the room, only for me to get pulled back after taking just a step toward the door. The buttons of his shirt had been undone and his shirt was opened, proudly showcasing his sinewy chest.


    I twisted my wrist so as to pull away but he only pinned me with a re and pulled me toward him.


    "You aren''t allowed to leave! Taking care of me is your responsibility for as long as you remain my wife,¡± he snarled as his brows furrowed, "How can you let someone else take your ce and carry out your duties for you?"


    Because I''m not interested!" I spat in his face. "I didn''t ask you to go get drunk so why should I stress myself to tend to you?"


    Be looked like she had been pped in the face as she gaped as the both of us exchanged words, few inches from each other.


    I am your husband!"


    I let out an exasperated sigh, "So what?" I shot Be a look. So you''re permitted to cheat on me with my sister because you''re my husband. The words were on the tip of my tongue but I held back. It was a


    waste


    arguing with a half drunk man.


    "Look, just let me go, okay?" I tried to reason with him, perhaps his fuddled brain will get dissuaded. "Yes, you''re the husband. I''m not saying you aren''t."


    He squinted at me for a while as if he was trying to process what I said. "Then why were you leaving?"


    "I was going to get you some water," I lied smoothly, already getting tired of the whole situation. Was it a crime to want to have a quiet and restive night?


    He nodded then he was back to squinting again. I tried to untangle his fingers from my wrist but he wouldn''t let go.


    Be suddenly stepped up beside him. She tugged at the sleeve of his shirt like a toddler pulling at the hem of his mother''s skirt for attention. "Just let her go, she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. He blinked and turned to her. He frowned, "Be." He looked at her as if he was just seeing her tonight for the first time. "You shouldn''t havee sote. You should be resting at home."


    She caressed his bulging forearm before wrapping her fingers around it. Mark looked down at her, their lips very few inches apart as she whispered, fluttering hershes. "I want to rest with you. It''s the only way I can rest.


    I gritted my teeth and tried to untangle my wrist from him again. Why do I have to be subjected to witnessing these nauseating scenes all the time?


    "You should go home," he said dismissively, his fingers still gripping my wrist. "I''ll see you 1


    Tears brimmed in Be''s eyes and her eyes looked sad. "I want you toe with me."


    "I can''t leave the house."


    "Then I''ll stay," she cried, stamping her foot on the floor


    "No. Go home," he said in a clipped tone that had Be releasing his arm as she drew back in surprise, her eyes portraying how hurt she was. Even I hadn''t seen thating. "I''ll have the driver drop you off."

 Chapter 0034

    "Mark," Be whispered, her voice quivered so much that she gripped the attention of Mark and I. "Tell me! She screamed, the veins on her neck bulged and her eyes glinted with tears. "Are you in love with her?!"


    A resounding silence followed her scream. I turned to Mark who still locked eyes with Be.


    Suddenly, he threw my arms away. It was almost as if something in him had been provoked by Be''s question.


    "What? What nonsense?" He now seemed fully awake as he took staggering steps back. "How could you say that?" He scoffed, "In love? Pfft! Stop talking nonsense." Then he added in a condescending tone, How can I be in love with her?"


    "Then why won''t you divorce her?!" Be''s eyes still brimmed with tears and her voice still held that usatory edge as it quivered.


    "That shouldn''t be any of your concern, Bel. It''s none of your business."


    She took in a sharp breath, "It''s none of my business? She whispered, pointing to her chest.


    "Yes, it isn''t," he answered indifferently. Then he roughly gripped her arm and steered hertiward the door.


    She pped his hand, "Mark, what are you doing? Let me go."


    "I''m making you go home. All the melodrama here is bad for your health."


    "I''m noti" she broke off as she opened the door and pushed her out and followed. "Mark, stop. I don''t want to leave."


    I followed them to the living room and continued to astonishingly watch the scene unfold.


    "Mark, I don''t want to leave," a tear was sliding down Be''s face now but her face was still set in a hard re as she pulled Mark''s fingers.


    "You should leave now, Bell." Mark''s voice was soft, aplete contrast to his grip and current action." I''ll be in touch."


    "Mark, yo-"


    He pushed her out the main door, cutting off whatever she had to say again. "Go home, Bel." Then he closed the door with so much force that the sound reverberated in the whole room.


    He pulled his phone out of his pocket, his thumb moved rapidly on the screen then he ced the phone on his ear. "Hello..." he trailed, then he nodded, "You hear her too. Good. Please, safely convey her to her house." Then he gave the driver the direction to Be''s apartment should she refuse to give it.


    Suddenly, a loud bang sounded and a scream followed, "I won''t give up loving you, Mark!" Another bang She must be throwing herself against the door. "You can throw me out all you want but I will never give up


    on us


    She continued to spit nonsense about how she was going to fight for their love and all.


    I wondered what hade over Mark as I yawned, already bored of the scene. It was more fun to watch when Mark was raising his voice at her.


    Mark!"


    I turned to leave for my room only to get pulled back like the first time again. "Godammit! Let go,


    He had held me with the hand he held his phone so it was pretty easy to untangle his fingers. His phone fell and he bent down to pick it.


    I immediately got on my heels, ran up the stairs and straight to my room. "Sydney, stop there!"


    Over my dead body! I let out a relieved sigh as I mmed my back against the door after turning the lock. He banged on my room''s door just like his lover had done on the main door just seconds ago. "Open up!" I ignored him and double checked the locks. Unless he breaks down the door, there is no way he''d get in. "Keep ignoring me." He roared, "But you should know that you need to earn the break up fe on your own. You can''t ask anyone for it."


    I rolled my eyes. It wasn''t like I had anyone to ask anyway.


    "You hear me? Not even your parents or Be."


    I scoffed. Like my parents will give me money to divorce their golden son-inw. Linda, though, I bit my lips, pondering. She looked like she would do anything just to have Mark to herself. "Do you hear me?!"


    I scrunch my face, moving away from the door. His shouts were getting louder and it was irritating my cars. I better get away from it or make him shut up


    "Do you hear me, Sydney?!" He enunciated, his tone sounded threatening.


    I better answer before the asshole angrily decides to raise the break up fe again. I thought and pressed my forehead to the door.


    "Yes, Mark," I rolled my eyes, "I''ve heard you. You can leave now. I need to rest."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    There was a pin drop silence then the sound of his footsteps receding reached my ears.


    I sighed in relief as I threw myself on the bed. "Dammit! Mark is getting difficult to deal with and I''m sure he''d get more difficult with each passing day," I thought aloud, "I need to raise his million dors as soon as possible, I don''t even want to imagine staying longer in this marriage."

 Chapter 0035

    I grinned as I put thest touch on the bracelet. I let out a groan as I sat up, stretching my arms and yawning


    I sighed as I checked the time. It was past working hours again. But I wasforted by the knowledge that I aplished a lot today.


    I looked down at the ne and bracelet. They were gorgeous. Infact, gorgeous is an understatement looked like something out of this world. It was how Atelier studios had be a household name. I always enjoy putting my best in every Jewelry, even if the orders were made by assholes. And it was what I had inculcated in our employees in the production department too


    I got to work early today. Afterst night''s drama, I surprisingly had a peaceful sleep afterward. I felt so energized this morning. I suspected it was due to the determination to get out of the marriage.


    I encased the bracelet and ne by myself then I rang for my assistant.


    As usual, she was knocking on my door in a few seconds. "Come in."


    I handed her the boxes, "Have the client who ordered this know that it''s ready."


    She nodded, taking the boxes from me like they were eggs.


    "The price for both of them is two million dors."


    She tried to hide her gasp as her eyes widened but it was toote, I already heard. I decided to ignore it though.


    *Remember, the payments have to be made before the delivery of the jewelry pieces."


    ''Yes ma''am."


    I smiled at her, "Thank you, you can leave now. I''ve got more designs to work on."This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I would have personally oversaw the payment of his orders but I had too much work to waste too much time on one. Though it cost a lot, I grinned; the price was enough for my break up the and some change would still be left, it wasn''t enough. We needed more sales


    I quickly got onto Grace''s Jewelry. Her birthday was getting closer.


    I had specifically ordered the gemstones I was using for her piece; I ordered them in her favorite color. I took my time on it; carving it to the right shape and size.


    I was deeply pulled into what I was doing, my focus fully on it when I got startled by the noise my door made as it mmed against the wall.


    I furiously removed the work g****e I had on and red at Richle who was already in front of me.


    "Sydney, it is one thing for you to fight these old guys into coordination, it is another to mercilessly snatch people''s means of livelihood from them." He ranted, "How could youy off the whole department?" He threw his hands up in the air, "There''s no way the department will work without half of the team!"


    My anger at the way he had barged in was gone. Now I was left observing him. I had been sure that I was making the right choice when I took him in. He had talent, raw talent. He was hardworking and ambitious.


    even a blind person would have seen that he was an asset.


    Richie is one of the original employees that were taken in after the creation of Luxe vogue. He was the perfect man to help grow thepany with us. He did well, he worked so hard you''d think he owned thepany so we had rewarded him by giving him one percent of thepany''s share and making him the head of the customer service department. It was enough drive for him to work even harder. Soon, he was living in grand houses, away from the slum I had picked him from.


    Now, after three years away from thepany, for the first time, I was tempted to doubt my decision.


    "Did you knock before you came in?" I lifted an icily arched brow, "or rather before you barged in."


    I dropped the goggles and leisurely perched on my desk.


    "It''s been just a few years and you''ve be this rude?" I tutted and shook my head.


    He stood there, his gaze holding onto mine as he hesitated. Was he contemting talking back or going back to the door? I wondered.


    Indignantly, he turned and strutted to the door, his shoulders hanging in the air. I watched his back as he left the room.


    My God, how had he be this proud? Where is the humble Richie I knew? Just because I had left and trusted him for three years, he had be pompous and conceited; a stark shadow of his former self.


    +

 Chapter 0036

    His incessant knocks pulled me out of my thoughts.


    "Come in," I said calmly, taking my time before I answered him.


    He still barged in, but didn''t knock my door on the wall. "Why did youy off half of the team?!" He demanded arrogantly.


    I watched him incredulously. In those three years, the lean Richie was gone, now he was sporting bulging muscles and a toned body. His face told of how well he took care of it and his expensive attire screamed the tales of thevish life he must be living.


    I shook my head. I can see where it was alling from. The pride, the confidence.


    "First of all, Richie, you''re well aware that I am the CEO of thispany," I started, making sure to sound as authoritative and cold as I could; enough to put him in his ce. "I have every damn right to make any decision. And you?" I pointed at him, arching my brows, "You''re just a department head, I enunciated on the just. "You''re just a mere manager," I reiterated condescendingly.


    His face could barely contain his fury as his jaw worked and his fists clenched and unclenched.


    "Your role as a manager, Richie, if you''ve forgotten, is to ensure your team is effective and also to steer them into being more efficient. You have no damn right neither is it any of your duty to whine about the orders I issue out." I held his raging gaze afterward, making sure every word stuck,


    I twisted back and reached for the list. I threw it at him and he efficiently caught it. "There is theyoff list of your department. I don''t want to get a whiff of any of them in thispany." His eyes rapidly perused the list, his grip on it creasing the edges where he held it.


    "Secondly," he looked up, "You very well know how incapable theseid off employees are, don''t you?" I met his gaze, daring him to say a word in denial. "They wouldn''t even pass the first step if a proper interview had been conducted. They only got this position because they aced the tests in your bed, right?"


    He seemed stunned by my words, he stood there dumbfounded for a while.


    I smirked, d that Grace had been thoughtful enough to fill me in about everything head of department.


    He awkwardly cleared his throat, his eyes refused to meet mine. Then he seemed to summon up the courage to face me, "So what now? Almost every employee in the department is gone. With one employee trying to get the job of three workers done, it''s practically a mess right now. We can''t operate normally or efficiently like that."


    I nodded, impressed and relieved. Atleast, he still cared about work.


    "I will have HR recruit new employees for your department as soon as possible," I assured him then with a re, I warned him, "I hope you don''t make a move on the new batch of new employees too. I reiterate my bottom line, I hate unfaithful men and yboys. I hate ckers and you know that. Richie, you are capable, I still believe that and thepany has grown with your help, but I don''t want your wrong and impulsive choices and actions to end our friendship," I held his gaze, Or your stay in thispany."


    The fury and shock that crossed his eyes were expected. Then the shock was gone and it was just a silent fury as he processed my words.


    I knew my words ¨C or maybe I should ssify them as threats ¨C were riling him up. The power y I was pulling made him feel belittled and he hated it. I could see it in his res and the hard set of his jaw but I didn''t give an eff. If that was the way he woulde back to his senses and not turn the firm into a whorehouse then so be it.


    "You can go now, I''m busy." I said coldly, without sparing him another nce. I turned my back to him and focused on the design I was working on before he interrupted me.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    For a while, he remained there. I saw his fist clench around the list I handed him and I felt his angry gaze on my back but I was sure he would get over it. It can be quite embarrassing and infuriating to get knocked off your horse.

 Chapter 0037

    I


    An hour after Richie left, I was also packing up to leave,


    My phone shrilled on the desk again. "Where are you at girl?"


    "I''m on my way, ma''am. I''ll soon get there. Come on, hurry."


    I arched a brow, a smile on my lips. Since she called me toe over to the vi we both shared an hour ago, she had been endlessly calling over and over again to remind me toe over after work straight away. She seemed excited. Even now, her voice was practically quivering with excitement.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "You still won''t tell me why, huh?"


    I trapped my phone between my shoulders and neck as I locked my drawers.


    "No," I could hear the smile in her voice.


    I hummed. "Come on, Grace. Just gimme a hint. I''m dying of suspense here." I picked up the jewelry box from the table, ced it in my bag then I slung my bag over my shoulder.


    "If you''re going to die, just get here first."


    I cackled at her words. "Alright, I''ll soon get there." I locked the main doors and started to walk to where ! would get a taxi. "I''m about to get a cab now."


    "Alrighty. I will be waiting."


    I hailed a cab and told the cab driver my destination.


    Since thest time I had been in the vi; when I got attacked by Luigi, I surprisingly didn''t feel.any hesitation when going there or to even stay there. Maybe it was because I now felt like I knew him more. personally?


    My mind strayed to his card that was safely tucked in my purse. Perhaps, I should give him a call. Had he remembered that it was me he attacked? At least, I deserve an exnation as to why he was in my apartment and why he had pointed a weapon at me.


    I paid the taxi driver and walked up the walkway of our apartment to the door. I was just a few feet from it when Grace threw open the door.


    "Wee! Took you long enough."


    I shook my head, grinning, "Are you happy I''m here or not?"


    She yfully rolled her eyes and motioned, with a sweep of her hand, toward the open doorway. "Juste in."


    As Grace rushed to our room, I turned to follow her but she asked me to wait in the living room. Arching my brows at her suspiciously, I nodded and she rushed in. I sat in one of the cushioned chairs as I waited.


    "Drum rolls, please!" She eximed as she appeared again in front of me, her hands tucked behind her.


    I leaned forward and yed along. I beat my palm on the wooden stop by my side and made drum beats. sound with my mouth.


    122


    She had a huge grin on her face as she revealed what she was hiding behind her back. "Tada!"


    1 stared at it, mesmerized. Grace was maddeningly creative when it came to designing outfits and she had put her creativity in a lot of fashion projects but this one? It was different. It distinctly stood out. It had me ogling the plunge in the neck and the slit in front of the dress. And the delicatece on the hem of the dress, it gave it that ethereal feel.


    *This is beautiful," I whispered and felt the texture of the silk as I touched it.


    "Wait till I put it on," she eximed excitedly and quickly wigged her way into the dress. She turned to me and I helped her with the invisible zip of the outfit.


    And my


    God! The dress is beautiful! "Grace, you look gorgeous!" I said honestly.


    She turned shyly, her cheeks stained with a red tint. "So what do you think?"


    I let out a breathless sigh. "I absolutely love it, Grace. You''ve outdid yourself again." I drew back and looked her up and down again.


    The deep neckline of the dress showed an average amount of cleavage, not too slutty or suggestive or the likes but sexy enough...in a ssy way. The slit of the dress was by far the most sexy and beautiful part of the dress for me. The slit started at the middle of her thigh, showcasing her smooth legs. Then thece decorated the hem of the dress.

 Chapter 0038

    "I think it''s beautiful. The color suits your skin tone so it fully showcases your beauty." Then I smirked, "It''s a pity I am heterosexual, else I would have made you mine a long time ago." Then I abruptly drew back, covering my mouth with my paint as I gasped loudly. "Oh no!"


    Grace''s eyes widened a fraction. "What''s wrong?"


    "I''m already in love with you!" I whispered.


    Grace''s relief was evident on her face. She swatted my hand away. "Oh no," she mimicked my actions just a few minutes ago. "I''m already in love with you too."


    We both burst outughing at our theatrics.


    Later, a


    after I was done admiring the dress, Grace had spoken about it non-stop.


    "So tell me," I gotfortable on the sofa, all thoughts of returning home to my husband flying out the window. "Is it a customer''s order?"


    "Nope," she took off the dress then she perked up in front of me. "I made it for myself."


    "Ohh, I wiggled my brows. "You''ve gotten a new man, haven''t you?"


    She squinted her eyes, "I won''t say he''s new but yeah, I do have a boyfriend." Her face glowed with happiness and contentment as she spoke. "His name is Joel." "Joel," I repeated the name, nodding.


    "He''s so gentle and sweet," she riveted her gaze heavenward as she hugged her arms around herself, her thoughts obviously far away.


    "You seem to really like him," I observed loudly, fishing for more info.


    "Oh, I do," she agreed instantly, "I like him so much. In fact, I think I love him."


    My eyes bulged out, "Are you sure?"All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    She pped my arm, "That''s why I said I think. I''m not sure but I would marry him if he asked me to right now. In fact, I look forward to marrying him one day." "Wow!" I mouthed and fanned my face. "That''s a lot, girl"


    Later after telling me all about her dress, I asked her what outing she made the outfit for. "So what''s the asion?"


    "My birthday, of course. He invited me for dinner tomorrow. He said he had something important to tell me...I''m going to wow him with the dress, I hope he likes it."


    "Of course, he would. Anyone who sets eyes on that dress would love it, trust me."


    I suddenly pped my hands excitedly. I smirked, "How about you design a sexy war dress for me. I feel the need to seduce someone too. Perhaps, the handsome Italian bar owner."


    Grace wiggled a brow, andhiwed mockingly, "Your wish is mymand, Your lord."


    I couldn''t hold theughter that bubbled up my throat. I burst outughing and Grace followed, clutching her stomach as she did reeled withughter.


    I wiped a tear under my eyes as I sobered up, feeling light and happy for a long time. One of my best moments is spending time with Grace. It was impossible not to be at peace around her. Joel, whoever he is, is a lucky guy and I hope he doesn''t mess with my friend''s heart.


    "So..." I started as I leaned to my side and dragged my bag to me. "I have something for you."


    She grinned in excitement and her curious eyes peered into my bag. I brought out the box and handed it


    to her.


    "Here," her eyes widened as she gasped loudly.


    "Omg! Sydney!" She cupped her gaping mouth as she stared at the ne in the box.


    I shrugged, feigning anger, "Since you don''t n on spending your birthday with me, I''m giving you your birthday present in advance"


    Her eyes had welled up with tears when she looked up. She suddenly threw her arms around me. "I love it. Thank you so much, Sydney."


    1 patted her on the back. "Trust me, it was my pleasure. Now try it on," I urged.


    The emerald diamond pendant satfortably on her chest. It looked at home. She fingered the ne on her chest as she looked in the mirror beside the living room doorway. "Gosh! I love it. It looks..." she trailed off as her eyes eyed it possessively, "like mine."

 Chapter 0039

    "And that is perfect because you were the only one in mind when it was made."


    I then exined to her that the pendant could also be worn as a brooch. I watched as she tried it, pping her hands as she looked down at it on her chest.


    "You must have spent a lot on this," her eyes started to water again.


    "I would spend any amount to see you smile."


    "Sydney," she whispered tearfully and pulled me in for another hug.


    I patted her on her back, feeling tearful myself. "Yeah, it''s alright now, Grace. I''m d you love it. Now you can go borately prepare for your date."


    She giggled, and pulled back, her eyes on me, "Now, don''t be jealous. You''re my best friend and you can''t bear to see me grow old alone, can you?"


    I rolled my eyes, "Yes, I can," then I yfully attempted to push her away but she instead pulled me in for another tight hug.


    "God, you''re so adorable whenever you''re jealous."


    "I''m not jealous!" I protested.


    Grace burst outughing. Herughs prompted mine and soon ourughter filled the rxed and pleasant atmosphere.


    I sighed as my phone rang again.


    "Why won''t he stop calling?!" Grace groaned,


    We were in her room, having a little girl''s time as we chatted and painted each other''s nails.


    "I think I should just get going," I sighed as I coated her pinky finger with the lemon nail polish. "It looks cute," I smiled at her nails.


    She wiggled her fingers in front of my face for a while then her shoulders fell and she pouted. "I don''t want you to leave."


    "I have to," else he might threaten to increase the break up f*e, I thought as I shrugged out of the pink robe we both had on. "Ugh. Can''t you just move out?"


    I shook my head. "Nah," I shrugged back into my wrap top and tied it at the back. "Not until he signs the divorce papers.


    "Then what''s taking him so long? I think I''ll soone over to your ce and give that standoffish man a sizable piece of my mind."


    I chuckled. "Don''t worry, I''ll soon get him to sign the papers."


    She saw me off and waited till I got in a cab. "Happy birthday in advance, love. Enjoy your date."


    I


    She waved back, "I willl"Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When I got home, I was surprised to meet Mark in the living room. He had his brows creased as he worked on hisptop.


    I decided to just walk past him but he called me back. "Sydney."


    I turned back. "I thought you were working."


    "Yeah, I was," I rubbed his palm on his trousers. He was acting nicer.


    "Uh, okay." I turned to leave.


    "Wait. I have a gift for you."


    Those words brought me to an abrupt halt. A gift? For me?


    "You have a gift for me." I repeated as I faced him again.


    He nodded and reiterated, "I have a gift for you."


    He picked a bag and I squinted my eyes at it. "That''s from Atelier studios," I thought aloud.


    He seemed pleased as he smiled. "Yes, it is."


    He dipped his hand in the bag and brought out one of the jewelry boxes I had had my assistant deliver earlier.


    He handed me the gold diamond bracelet. "This is my gift to you for our third anniversary."


    My brows rode up my hairline, "For me? Or Be?"


    Just as he opened his mouth to answer me, my phone pinged with a notification.


    "A minute," I murmured and brought out my phone from my bag and when I opened the message, my heart burst with joy.


    The Atelier studios'' ount had just been credited with a whooping two million dors!

 Chapter 0040

    Mark cleared his throat when I didn''t look up. "Sydney?"


    I looked up with a smile. "I''m sorry. I got distracted. What were you saying?"


    His eyes strayed to the phone in my grip and lingered there and I thought I saw his jaw harden but his voice was calm and soft when he spoke again. "I got you a gift."


    "Oh yes,All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    of course," I spluttered, then I quickly took the box from his outstretched hands.


    As he stood there, smiling at me as if he was waiting for something. I contemted transferring the break up f*e to him now so I could just leave with some of my things tonight. That way, I''ll get to spend the first hours of the day with Grace but then I looked down at the gift he got me and my gaze slid back to his.


    He had never gotten me a gift before. Perhaps, it was to dissuade me from insisting on the divorce. I couldn''t bring myself to bring up the divorce issue now


    "Thank you," I said instead, observing my handiwork. "It''s a beautiful bracelet."


    "I made sure of that," he muttered, his voice didn''t sound as hopeful as it did a few minutes ago. He slid his hands in his pocket. The atmosphere suddenly felt awkward and the room felt like it was too small for the both of us as he stared intently at me.


    "I''ll go to bed now," without waiting for his reply - if he had any - turned on my heels and went straight for


    my room.


    When I woke up the next day, the first thing Iid my eyes on was the bracelet I had ced on my bedside. I hadn''t even bothered to try it on.


    What''s suddenly up with him? Why is he giving me a gift? I sighed and looked away from it. I picked up my phone and shot Grace a sweet sinct birthday text.


    I also texted the supplier I had an appointment with today to confirm we were still meeting. Grace and I were looking into adding a men''s collection to Luxe Vogue, it would help boost sales for us. So I had asked my assistant to look up suppliers for men''s clothing. She gave me a list of ten suppliers, their info and history in business.


    I narrowed the list to three and proceeded to text the three. Of all three, this particr supplier was the one that was very professional and he showed vast and deep background knowledge in the men''s clothing industry. His name is Bran. He has been in the industry for years and was good at what he does. He was open-minded and ready to coborate. He was the perfect candidate to work with.


    I stood up to go brush and get ready for the day. When I got back he had replied. And he also sent the address I requested for.


    I frowned at the address he sent. It was a cafe but I had never heard of it.


    Ihailed a cab and gave him the address. I could see that the man wanted to say something when he saw the address but for some reason he kept it to himself. Shrugging, I got in the cab.


    The closer we got to the location, the more barren the areas looked.


    The


    ver stopped in front of an old building that was the cafe.


    "We''re here," the driver cleared his throat, his fingers impatiently tapping on the steering wheel.


    I got down from the cab and paid him his f''e. I looked at the Cafe, it looked abandoned. The pole holding the signboard up was crooked, bent downward and the signboard itself was swinging in the air.


    Why would anyone choose to meet up in a location like this? I turned to ask the driver if he had ever been here before but he had already driven off.


    I stood there, in the middle of nowhere and dialed Mr Bran''s line. "I''m at the cafe," I can''t find you anywhere here.


    "I''m in the cafe," his nice voice sounded through the speaker. "Juste right in."


    I took a deep breath and walked to the cafe. The door creaked noisily as I pushed it open and mote filled


    the air.


    I waved my hand in front of me to clear them away. I scanned the area. The ce was empty and there was no receptionist or any one taking orders. The chairs and tables were surprisingly clean for such an deserted ce. I had been expecting the interior to be filled with dust and cobwebs.


    Then in my peripheral vision I caught a movement.


    "Over here," I heard him before I turned.


    My smile faltered as they fell on the man. If that was Mr Bran then he was far from the image I had conjured up in my head. I had been expecting say a fat bald man with a bulging stomach whose eyes would tell of his passion for his business. But there, in the cafe seat, sat a fit man that looked like he''d be in his forties. His hair slipped back and he had a hard look on his face. One of his bulging muscled arms was raised in the air, waving at me while the other rested on the table beside two cups of coffee.

 Chapter 0041

    Never judge a book by its cover, I muttered to myself and prompted myself forward.


    "Mr Bran," I chirped.


    "Mrs Torres," he smiled. When I got to the table he was sitting, he stood up from his seat. He easily towered over me as he stretched his hand for a handshake. I took his hands and he shook it firmly.


    We sat down and immediately dived into business. It kept uring to me to ask if I could order another coffee apart from the one he already ordered but I didn''t see the need. There definitely was no service going in here.


    As we spoke, I noticed that he was just as enthusiastic as he was when we talked online but I just couldn''t shake this strange feeling off. His piercing eyes probing me as he smiled and talked non-stop about how we could coborate ande up with new designs made me feel very unsettled. And he wasn''t as professional as I''d have liked, he kept urging me to take the coffee he apparently ordered for the both of us ahead of my arrival.


    Yes, he sounded like the man I had been speaking with and everything he said aligned with what we already discussed but I couldn''t help but doubt his identity.


    "Actually, I would like to use the restroom," I said when he asked me to drink the coffee again. My lips curved into a forced smile as I picked up my purse. "Where''s it located?" I turned to look around. When I turned back to him, his patronizing smile was gone and his hard gaze was on me. He sneered and raised his arm like he had done when I came in, except this time, he snapped his fingers.


    In the shadows, three heavily built men emerged. They had his fit physique but they were bigger.


    My grip on my purse tightened as I drew in a deep breath. I guess it was time for my self defense lesson. to be put to use.


    With the speed I had mastered in years of training, I got on my feet, my heeled shoes drilled Sinto the table between us as I lunge myself at one of the men farthest from the rest.


    We both fell on the ground with a loud thud. I quickly pulled myself together and sprayed the pepper spray in my pocket in his eyes. He pped his face in a frenzy, screaming.


    Leaving him forter, I tucked the pepper spray safely and stood up. When I turned, I was faced with the other two men, they were firmly stationed in front of me. In the space between them, I could see Bran behind them in a seat, one of his legs propped on the other one. He had a smirk on as he watched me.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    I attempted to throw a punch at one of the men but he calmly dodged it. I swiftly got on my knees and took each of their legs. With so much effort, I brought both of them to the ground. They struggled as I pinned their legs with mine. As I tried to reach for the shocker in my back pocket one of them gripped my hair and effortlessly pulled me up.


    I was now face to face with him. "Bitch!" He spat in my face and gave me a resounding p that had my


    gaze unfocused for a while.


    Suddenly, the sound of ss breaking filled the room, as a figure broke through the floor to ceiling walls


    of the cafe.


    The man threw me aside. My gaze was blurry as I looked up and watched as the two men faced the figure Chapter 0041


    that now stood confidently in front of them.


    Is he one of them?


    Few secondster, just before they lunged at him, I ans


    Like a pro in fist fighting, he smoothly punched the two muscles tensed as I prepared for his attack but instead pulled me up to my feet.


    "Ciao, bellissimo."


    Luigi? What was he doing here?


    that now stood confidently in front of them.


    Is he one of them?


    Few secondster, just before they lunged at him, I answered my own question.


    Like a pro in fist fighting, he smoothly punched the two of them out of his way and strided toward me. My muscles tensed as I prepared for his attack but instead of attacking me, he shed me a smug smile and pulled me up to my feet.


    "Ciao, bellissimo."


    Luigi? What was he doing here?

 Chapter 0042

    I kept my question to myself and swiftly sprang into action and joined Luigi in the frat and in no time, the cafe erupted into chaos, with chairs and tables.


    When Bran saw that things were quickly getting out of hand and we were defeating his hunks, he joined in the fight.


    He instantly rammed into Luigi, shoving him across the room. When I saw him tackle him to the floor, I quickly dodged the punch the man I was fighting threw at me and ran towards him to help.


    But immediately I got there, Luigi flipped him to the floor and ruthlessly pressed his palm on Bran''s face. His gaze traveled behind me before they rested on me.


    "Leave," he mouthed, "There''s an alley, wait there."


    "What about you?!" I whispered back as my eyes widened.


    Why will I leave him here? There was no way I''d do that.


    "Leave, Sydney!" He screamed as Bran took advantage of his distracted state and hit the side of his face with a tray he must have dragged from one of the tables around.


    I decided to listen to him. He probably had a n and if he doesn''t, atleast, I''d be able to inform the police or find help. I made it to the table where my purse stilly without any incident, and grabbed my purse. When I turned to leave, I let out a frustrated groan as one of the men blocked my path while the other three faced Luigi. While I watched, impressed at how he was skillfully deflecting their blows and measuredly throwing punches and things their way, the man beforeof me picked me up and slung me over his shoulder.


    "Let go!" I yelled and beat him on his back and headed toward a hallway in the cafe. Neither my kicks on his chest nor my punches and scratches on his back did anything to dissuade him so I quickly and stealthily reached for the shocker in my back pocket.


    Just as his fat hand pressed down on the doorknob, I pressed the shocker to his neck. As it discharged, his searing bolt of electricity must have coursed through his body, causing every muscle in his body to spasm uncontrobly. Almost instantly, a faint jolt sent an ufortable, almost painful, tingling sensation from my palm to my body, one tenth of what the man must be feeling


    My hold on the stun gun faltered but I still held onto it. As it continued to shock him causing him to convulse hysterically, I also felt a faint buzz course through me.


    Soon, Inded on the floor with a loud thud as he let go. I groaned as pain shot through my body from the impact of falling on the floor.


    When I looked up, he was still convulsing frantically as he fell over the chairs and tables beforending on the floor with a thud that reverberated through the cafe.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I heard a grunt as another one marched toward me, probablying to the rescue of his friend. I eyed the doorway behind him then the broken ss from when Luigi broke it when he jumped in.


    With nned precision, I took off the one heel I still had on and gripped my purse. My muscles bunched, prepared for the short sprint I had nned. With a grunt, I took off, swiftly moved out of his reach when


    his hand shot out and zipped past him. I voluntarily plummeted out of the window andnded on the grimy ground.


    The man''s eyes were wide with anger as he came after me but Luigi was suddenly pulling him back by his hair then he was mming his face in the broken ss wall.


    feet. My


    I took that as my cue to flee. I ignored the pain that thrummed through my body and hot on my eyes perused the area in search of the alley he had mentioned. I sighted it, a long narrow dark pathway. I didn''t bother to think of whatever might be lurking there and just ran there.

 Chapter 0043

    While I waited there, I fumbled with my phone, the shocker firmly in my grasp as I dialed the emergency number.


    "What''s your location, ma''am?" They asked after I''d breathlessly exin my predicament to them.


    "I-I- I don''t know," I was struggling to make my words sound coherent. "I don''t know where I am."


    "Alright ma''am. Please, calm down. Ensure your location remains on, we''ll tap it and find you."


    "Thank you," I bent over, my hands on my knees, "Please, be fast." My voice was a breathless whisper as the car ended.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep calming breath. If Luigi hadn''t appeared, there was no way I''d have been able to take them on myself.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I wonder what Bran''s intention was. He was probably sent because he had no reason to have any grudge against me. He must be acting on someone''s order. But who? Mark?


    I shook my head and straightened up, resting my head on the way. Mark wasn''t a coward that would send men to her. He wasn''t afraid to face her. So who couldn''t be?


    I sprang away from the wall, my features immediately tensing in alert as the sound of the halting footsteps drifted into my thoughts.


    My eyes adjusted to the dimness of the area and I could see the figure walking toward me. He must think I couldn''t see him because he was still tiptoeing. I waited, my breath held, for him to get closer. When he did, I raised my hand to activate the shocker, the light brightening the area a little.


    "Sydney..."


    I froze and ran to the figure. "Luigi!" I held his arm, "Are you okay?"


    "I am? Are you?" He still sounded firm but his gait was lopsided and his breathing uneven.


    "I am."


    "Where are they?" I looked behind him, "sis he see youe in here?"


    He shook his head and took his time. "I took care of them."


    I frowned, "Well, I called the police, they''ll soon be here. We''ll just wait here. They''ll locate us with my phone''s locatio="


    I stopped babbling when he slumped against the wall. My heart skipped a beat, "Are you okay?"


    He didn''t answer. I brought out my phone and shed the torchlight at him. His face was pale and dripping with sweat and his hand clutched his stomach.


    I let out an unrestrained gasp as I saw the blood trickling down his fingers. "Oh my God, you''re hurt."


    "Let''s get out of here," was all he managed out. "My car is somewhere out there.


    I immediately put his arm around my shoulders and took us to his car, following the directions he gave. It


    didn''t take long for us to find his car. I took his keys from his pocket and helped him into the front seat.


    got in the driver''s seat and drove us away from this godforsaken ce. Finding my way back was easy since my eyes were on the road as the driver brought me here.


    I located a hospital in town and took him there. Upon my immediate payment, he was instantly transferred to an emergency ward and they started to treat him.


    An hourter, the doctor came to meet me in the waiting room where I had been impatiently waiting. I got stares from the nurses and some of the people in the waiting room but my look was the least of my worries right now.


    our ward is t


    I sighed in relief when I saw the smile on his face. "Mrs Torres, now. It was just a minor stab wound. You can go see him now."


    "Oh," I sighed audibly, "Thank you."


    I rushed to his ward and the moment I stepped in, he turned his face toward the door.


    "Luigi. Omg. I''m so d you''re okay." I rushed to his side and bent down and pulled him into a small hug.


    His face slightly squeezed in pain as he chuckled, apart from that, he didn''t show any other signs of difort. He sounded firm and looked agile again. "You worry too much. I told you I was fine."

 Chapter 0044

    "Right! A fine man always limps and has blood trickling out of a gash in their stomach."


    He chuckled, his shoulders shaking. "Spare me the sarcasm, Syd."


    "How did you even get to such a remote ce?" I blurted out. I couldn''t wait any longer. "I mean you just burst out at the right time and saved me." I squinted at him which caused his lips to stretch in a hypnotizing smile. "Have you been following me, Luigi?"


    His eyes eyed my hair then they dropped to my dress. "You look like shit right now. You should find a ce to wash up."


    *Answer my question," I growled yfully.


    He arched his brow, a mischievous smile still dancing across his lips, "I''ve saved you twice, and you still doubt me?"


    I felt a little bit more rxed. I didn''t know him all that much but I could tell that he wouldn''t hurt me. I hope I am right though.


    "What, you think I was with them?"


    Whether someone helps you with their service or product, as long as you get any help from someone there''s always a price to pay back. There are no incidental kindness in this world, just like how there is always a reason for enmity


    There was a reason why Bran set this whole meeting up and attacked me and there was also a reason why Luigi was there and why he helped me


    I shrugged, "I don''t know, Luigi Matteo. It''s just very unusual to be in a ce like that and at that time too. Such coincidences are rare." I determinedly held his gaze and reprised, "Why were you there?" There was a sly smirk on his lips, "Let''s just say it''s one of those rare coincidences."


    I lifted my eyebrows at him, silently telling him to cut the bullshit.


    His smirk faltered and there was an hesitation as he looked at me, the look in his eyes was highly guarded and unfathomable. Then he sighed, "I was sent to protect you."


    I was taken aback. Of all the reasons I had thought of, this one wasn''t even an option. "Protect me from what and from who?" I got on the edge of my seat and continued to throw questions at him. "Who sent you, Luigi? Why do I need protection?"


    There was that look again, that twitch of his lips as if he was contemting if he should speak the truth or not. "I can''t tell you too much, Sydney," his expression had grown dreary now. "Just know someone wants you safe and I''m here to do that. That''s all I can tell you."


    I gazed into his eyes, searching for whatever I could get. Who exactly is this man? And who sent him? The voice in my head scoffed, Was he even sent? Could Mark be involved in this? If he was, why?


    No, no. It couldn''t be Mark. Mark and Luigi had met and I''m sure they hate each other''s guts. Michael? Nope. I almostughed at the idea. No way it would be dad. Neither he nor his wife had ever cared about me. So who could it be? Who wants me safe and who wants to harm me?N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "What are you thinking about, Mrs Torres," Luigi whispered, his sly smile back in ce.


    As I opened my mouth to answer him, a sharp condescending scoff interrupted me, "Are you now having an affair with that wild looking man?"


    Luigi and I turned to see who had interrupted and I rolled my eyes at the woman that stood at the doorway. I should''ve known it was her - her scratchy voice and condescending tone was hard to misce.

 Chapter 0045

    She strutted in, a sneer on her face. "You''ve now grown the balls, haven''t you?"


    "A good day to you too, Rose," I bit out, mirroring her tone as I sat back in the chair.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Rose was my mother-inw. It was actuallyughable how all of the people I considered family acted far from it. It was safe to say my mother-inw hated my guts. Or maybe it''s my family''s guts she hates just because the status of my family in the elite society was way below theirs. It was a p in the face for people below their status to marry into their family or meddle in their affairs. And that was exactly what my family did - married into their family.


    ording to her, I blinded her son with love and forced my way into the family. I don''t think she knows how much her son dislikes me. If she did, she''d be jubting.


    "I asked you a question, youngdy," she snarled.


    I rolled my eyes and turned away from her. I pretended not to hear her. Luigi looked between the both of us and I wondered if he knew Rose. Does he know a lot about me?


    My silent dismissal, as usual, provoked her and she hastily moved closer and spat out, her wordsced with malice and bitterness. "Do you think if you pretend not to hear, I will let you go?"


    I sighed and faced her, "Yes," I smiled sweetly, "Yes, Rose. I''m having an affair with this wild man here. We''ve just had sex and we''re going to have sex in the car parkter, would you want to join? I''m sure this wild man can handle the both of us."


    I heard Luigi make a sad attempt at holding in hisughter. Rose''s face was tinged pink as she furiously blurted out, "You shameless thing! I''ve been pardoning you, I won''t anymore. I will make Mark divorce you Immediately!"


    I perked up, "Please, be hasty about it." Her mouth dropped open, "I would also really like to thank you! after the divorce so expect a thank you letter and gift or even a visit after the divorce has been finalized." If she could really make Mark divorce me then I would be saving the one million dors tahtbhe had demanded. I''d be too happy to buy her a gift to thank her and put the bnce to good use.


    Rose''s face turned red with anger and she pointed at me, her manicured fingers trembling from her broiling usually meaningless anger, ¡°You bitch, I will make you regret this."


    I peered at her and smiled slightly. "If you can make me regret it, I will take your surpame. That surname you carry with so much pride would be stripped off your certificates."


    She opened her mouth in disbelief and staggered slightly. She looked at me and said viciously, "You wait, Sydney, I will make you see my power."


    And then she turned around and strutted off just as she had done when she came in.


    I watched her leave, her back ramrod straight and chin stuck in the air. I''ve never met anyone so proud and crazy. I was sure she would run to Mark and cry to him. I was sure she would add lles to what really happened. I looked forward to seeing her performance and Mark''s reaction. Perhaps he''d angrily sign the divorce papers and send me packing, I thought hopefully with a smile.


    "Your mother inw just threatened you and stormed out and you''re smiling," he sounded like he was


    admonishing me but he was grinning.


    I stayed with Luigi for a while. He made one of the nurses tend to the little bruises I had incurred. I had intended to stay with him until he was discharged - after all he was in this state because of me - but I face finally left when he wouldn''t stop teasing me about how my hair looked like a bird''s nest and my looked like I dipped it in shit.


    "Just leave, Sydney." I narrowed.my eyes at him as sheughed, "Go home and get rid of the bird''s nest on your head. I''m already fine."

 Chapter 0046

    I gave


    him his car keys and said my goodbye. On my way out,I saw the doctor and made sure they finalize every treatment with him before he leaves. I also made sure that there wasn''t a single penny left in his


    bills.


    I decided to go straight to our vi first, I hailed a cab and told them my destination. There would be no need to worry about Mark threatening to increase the break up f*e just because I decided not toe home, he wouldn''t be around. Rose would definitely summon him today and he most probably wouldn''t return to his residence.


    On getting there, I paid the cab man. My walk in slowed and I frowned at Grace''s car - it was roughly parked. I shrugged and went inside, she must have rushed in to do something.


    Just by the door, there was a bag and heeled shoes there. The bag was open and some of its contents had spilled out and the shoes weren''t sitting upright and they weren''t side by side like they should be. One of the shoes was by the bag while the order was by the foot of the first cushioned chair in the living room. I was sure they were Grace''s. The heels were her favorite and the magazine of Luxe vogue that she always carried about peeked out of the bag on the floor.


    I frowned, memories of Luigi attacking me flooded in. I instinctively reached for the stun gun I had hastily stuffed in my bag when I helped Luigi to the car.


    The house was unusually quiet for when Grace was around. If she wasn''t ying loud music on the stereo then she would be singing loudly with her voice while she asionally drummed with whatever she held. It was the way she functioned whether she was working or not.


    I gently ced my bag beside hers and tiptoed to the middle of the room. I stopped when I saw three empty wine bottles scattered on the center table while two more were scattered on the rug. There were more bottles and my eyes traced them to the kitchen entrance and that was when the sobbing sound reached me.


    I raced to the kitchen. The door was open and my eyes firstnded on the several bottles of wine on the countertop and floor. They weren''t the same brand and the alcohol level in each differed but they all contained alcohol, Grace, donned in the gown she showed to me yesterday,id on the floor, her face pressed to the floor faced the counter as she quietly cried, asionally hupping.


    I quickly dropped the stun gun in my grip and rushed to her. "Grace," my hands shook with worry and my brows furrowed in concern and anger at the scratch wounds on her face.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Who did this to you?"


    Her response when she opened her eyes and theynded on me was more tears, they flowed out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks unbridled.


    I helped her up and pulled her in for a hug. My heart broke and my anger intensified as I listened to her cries and hups. I pulled back, cradled her face in my palm and made a feeble attempt to wipe her tears but they kept pouring. Her shoulders shook and her lips trembled as she huped now and then.


    "Who did this to you? Tell me," my voice was thick with emotion and I was aware that my fingers. tightened on her face from anger. I softened my grip. "Come on, Grace. Who hurt you?" I shook her.


    I didn''t mind going back to pluck Luigi from that hospital or going by myself, whoever did this would feel


    +25


    S BONUS


    my wrath.


    She struggled to get any word out since she kept sobbing. Soon, she swallowed and her voice quivered as she said, another lone tear rolling down, "It was Joel."

 Chapter 0047

    GRACE''S POV


    It''s my birthday


    I''ma do what I like


    I''ma eat what I like


    I''ma kiss who I like


    It''s my birthday


    As the pulsating beats of the chorus of Anne Marie''s ''Birthday'' reverberated through the stereo speakers, I found myself unable to resist anymore. As I brushed my hair, my head swayed with the rhythm as I lip-synced every word, fully immersed in getting the tone right.


    I''ma do what I like


    I''ma wear what I like


    I''ma party tonight


    Goddamn, it''s my birthday


    Everybody love me


    Yeah, yeah, yeah, look at me, gimme money


    Damn, it''s my birthday


    I stopped to properly apply my lipstick. I smacked my lips together and gave myself a charming smile in the mirror. I straightened and admired myself in the mirror, my eyes lingering on the neckline of the dress, the emerald ne Sydney made for me, my entuated curves and the slit of the dress.


    "Damn! I look good," I drawled as I swirled before of the mirror, my heart filled with immense joy. Joel is definitely going to love it!


    It was a weekday but I had taken the day off dressed to the nines in the sexy dress I recently designed. Joel had asked that we meet upter today but I have decided to surprise him.


    I slipped my feet into my favorite heels and picked up my back. "All done!" I chirped and reassessed my


    look in the mirror for thest time.


    I turned off the stereo. My eyes swept through the room onest time to be sure I wasn''t forgetting anything then I walked to the front door. After I''d locked the door, I brought out my phone and took a selfie. I smiled, impressed at how hot I looked. I was about to send it to Joel when I stopped. I turned off my phone and tucked it back in my bag.


    I


    If I sent him the selfie, he would definitely guess that I was already on my way to his ce which would ruin the surprise


    I got in my car, turned on Anne Marie''s ''Birthday'' again. sang out loud and bobbed my head to the music as I drove to his apartmentplex.


    The security guard was waving at a kid walking a puppy when I got there, when he saw me his smile faltered slightly.


    "Hey man," I grinned at him, "How''re you doing today?"


    "Grace! I''m good." he grinned, "You look really good."


    The security guard at Joel''s apartmentplex was a really nice man and he and I had be a little bit more than acquaintances since I frequent here often


    I blushed, "Thank you."


    Then he looked up, "You here to see Joel?"


    I drew back and gave him a weird look, "Ofcourse, who else? He''s around, right?"


    He bit his lips and shook his head, "I''m not sure."


    I waved my hands in the air, "No worries, I''d just check if he''s in or not."


    His eyebrows creased and he looked like he was about to say something but then his brows smoothed and he smiled. "Alright then."


    I frowned as I proceeded up to his apartment, if Joel wasn''t going to be around, he usually informed me so what''s with the guard saying he wasn''t sure if he was in? I shrugged, maybe he stepped out for a bit and he didn''t see him return.


    I paused at the door and smoothed down my dress and patted my hair. Then with a deep breath, I turned the knob and the door opened to reveal a shirtless Joel, trembling and hunched over on hisrgest couch, slender fingers gripping his shoulders.


    My heart momentarily skipped a beat then it started to beat rapidly as the scene made more sense.


    Joel''s hand clenched the side of the couch tightly, his back muscles flexing as he vigorously thrust into the woman beneath him. Her legs were entwined around his hips and his face was buried in the curve of her neck, their harmonious moans gradually got louder by the second. Their shared moans faded into silence and their movements ceased as the soft thud of my bag hitting the floor echoed in the room. My heart squeezed tight in my chest and for a brief moment, I couldn''t breathe as Joel''s sweaty face turned to me. He frowned and muttered something to thedy.


    I watched as he awkwardly detached himself from her and dragged up his trousers but he remained seated on the couch. Thedy pulled down her gown then with her elbow propped up, she rested her head on her palm and faced me with a scowl.


    "Who is she?" She asked in a condescending tone.


    Again, Joel muttered something to her then he faced me, "Why are you here now?"N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    I drew back, shocked. "I just caught you cheating on me and this is the first thing you say to me? You sit there and asked me why I am here," 1 felt my heart burn with hurt anger.


    My voice quivered with hurt and disbelief as I interrupted him, the words catching in my throat, "Joel, how


    could you do this to me?" With each syble, the bitter taste of tears touched my mouth, their salty taste staining my tongue. As I blinked and more tears cascaded down my cheeks, blurring my vision. I squinted and confronted him, my voice barely above a whisper, "Of all days, it had to be my birthday?"


    Rising from the bed with deliberate slowness, he regarded me with a nonchnt demeanor. This isn''t the time we agreed on. Why did youe over now?" He spoke like I was some unwanted visitor or some intruder that just barged into his haven.

 Chapter 0048

    I


    With my heart heavy with betrayal, I blurted out, "Are you honestly ming me right now?" I tilted my head back in a futile attempt to stop the tears from falling. A bitterugh escaped my lips even as I sobbed. "I just wanted to surprise you, but I''caught you cheating!


    Joel sneered and the sound cut through my already shattered heart. "Cheating?" He scoffed. "We never defined our rtionship. There were nobels, nomitments. We aren''t boyfriend and girlfriend. How can you use me of cheating when we were never exclusive?"


    I folded my hands over my chest and implored him, "Then what am I to you, Joel? If not your girlfriend, then what?"


    My heart shattered into a million pieces as Joel, the man I believed I loved and was hopeful that he might equally be head over heels in love with me, told me to my face that, "We''re just friends with benefits, Grace," he dered coldly. "We''re simply fuck buddies. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. That''s all it


    ever was.


    It felt like the air was knocked out of me and I instinctively recoiled, taking a step back. "Fuck buddies?" I repeated, my voice hollow with disbelief. I hated the tremor in my voice, the relentless stream of tears that told of my pain. "What about the sweet nothings you whisper to me? What about the promises?"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    He didn''t even sound remorseful as responded and raised a stern finger. "I never made any promises, Grace," he stated firmly. Then he shrugged callously and dipped his hands into the pocket of his cks


    afterward, "You read too much into our rep. The words I said in the heat of the moment meant


    nothing. I thought you were smarter than this."


    My heart sank and it felt like my world crumbled around me as his words sank in, I felt utterly alone, hurt and deceived.


    "Darling, how have you let your taste degrade so much in my absence? To actually fancy such a stupid woman!" My gaze riveted to the wench on the couch as her shrill voice interrupted, piercing the already tense atmosphere like a cold knife.


    My gaze fixated on the woman sprawled on the couch, her presence was the cause of all of this in the first ce. I pointed a trembling finger at her and turned to Joel, "Who is she?" "Who is she?" I asked Joel, pointing a trembling finger at the woman.


    Before Joel could respond, she spoke up, her lips tilting to one side in a smirk, "I''m Sandra, the one he truly loves. I was out of town and he''s been waiting for me all this while. You''re just a fleeting distraction; a toy to pass his time whenever he was bored. Now that I''m back, you should realize your ce and leave!


    I felt my fists clench on their own ord, each if her words fueling the ache in my chest. Slowly, it morphed into anger. My chest rose and fell; more I stared at her, the more I wanted to tear her apart. "You bitch!" I screamed and flung myself at her. I pulled at her hair and blindly bit into her neck. Her cry of pain reverberated through the room and soothe the ache in my chest a bit.


    + suddenly felt hands on my midriff and then inwa seeing pulled away from her. I pped at Joel''s hands. Get your hands off me, you cheat!"


    I thrashed in his arms as he held me up in a strong grip Sandra got on her knees and started to p me


    then she started to scratch at my face until my face stung and I was crying and begging, my face hurting. like it was being pricked with needles. "Please," I cried, "I''m sorry, Joel, Just let me go. Please.


    As I cried and picked up my bag fn shame, I felt their gazes on me. "You should''ve just stuck to time, Grace. Then this wouldn''t have happened."


    I staggered down the stairs, ignoring the stare of the guard and passersby. My tears blurred my vision as I drove home.


    I literally dragged myself from my car to the kitchen where I packed a handful of beers and wine I could find in the kitchen, both alcoholic and non alcoholic, my sobs echoing in the house as tears streamed down my face.


    My face still hurt and my gaze was blurry. I shook the bottles my hand could find but they were all empty. My feet wobbled as I went to the kitchen and took more bottles from the fridge.


    Sontent of the bottles again Iid on the floor and more sob racked my body when I exhausted Suddenly, I heard someone shout my name. They sounded so much like Sydney. Then she was holding me up and cradling my face.


    Even through my blurry gaze, I could see the tiny brown ster on one side of her forehead. "I''m sorry, the ne you gave me, I lost it at his ce, but I couldn''t go back for it." I broke into another fit of tears and she hugged me to her chest again.


    She carressed my hair, "It''s okay. I''ll take you to the hospital first. And then I''ll go get your ne for you," there was a pause then she spoke again, her voice hard and determined, "I will get justice for you."

 Chapter 0049

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I helped Grace to her car. I went back inside and snatched her phone from amongst the spilled content of her bag. I didn''t even need to search far, right on her lock screen was a picture of her and a man that looked familiar.


    I tucked her phone in my back pocket, I found a pair of flip-flops and went back to meet her in the car. As I drove to the hospital, she didn''t say anything, her head was lopsided on her neck as she looked out the windows, a haunted and sad expression swirling in her eyes.


    I had no idea what to say or how tofort her. What if she actually wanted the silence. So asionally, I would squeeze her hand and slowly, ever so slowly, her fingers wrapped around mine too. And I felt a sense of relief washed over me. She was still there. My feisty Grace was still there.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    When I got to the hospital, a nurse met me halfway and the both of us helped Grace to a ward. They instantly started treatment on her after I settled the bills.


    I held Grace''s hand as the doctor wiped the dried blood on her face and then he started to treat grip on my hand tightened and she winced as the doctor did his job.


    1. it. Her


    As the doctor got busy with taking care of her, I pulled out her phone and stared at the picture on her lock screen again. I tapped my finger at it, trying to remember where I had seen that face.


    Suddenly, I sat up straight as it clicked! Yes! That''s it. Joel. How could I have forgotten? He was Mark''s best man on our wedding day and even after our wedding I had seen him at the house a couple of times or so. He was no doubt friends with Mark.


    "I would need to give her sedatives so that''s he can get some sleep." The doctor''s voice broke through my thoughts.


    I looked at Grace and raised my brows, "You okay with that, babe?"


    She nodded feebly, her eyes already lost the vibrancy they always held. "If it would make me not think about him then yes."


    I gently sped her hand as I exchanged a nod with the doctor then he departed the room.


    As we waited, Grace''s gaze swept over my face. "You are hurt," she observed.


    I brushed off her worries with a dismissive wave. "It''s nothing serious, just a scratch. Nothing to worry


    about."


    She nodded, she said nothing. Then she turned to the other side.


    Momentster, the doctor returned apanied by a nurse, who held a tray I suspected its contents were the sedatives for Grace. He gave her the sedatives and in no time, her grip on my hand gradually ckened as sleep overtook her.


    Leaving the hospital, I headed for the Torres family mansion, hopeful that Mark would still be there. He was my best and only bet at locating Joel at the moment.


    My knuckles whitened as I gripped the steering wheel, angrily and I struggled to fight it. How dare that bastardy a hand on my friend? How dare he scratch at her face like that? What was she? A meowling?


    Most of all, he had the audacity to hurt her, let alone dumping her on her birthday! If I had known he was such an asshole, I would have insisted Grace cut ditched him and allow me to take her out instead. The car''s tires came to a gradual halt as I pulled up before the imposing Torres family mansion. Quickly and almost clumsily, I locked the car''s doors and stomped determinedly towards the grand entrance of the mansion. The intimidating bodyguard stationed there swiftly swung the door open as he recognized


    1. me.


    I didn''t stop to admire the wonderful state of art of theirrge living room like I had done when I first visited. Instead, I followed the familiar hallways and marched straight to Mark''s study here.


    As I approached the door, my steps slowed as the voices from inside drifted towards me and caught my attention. My hand hovered over the door knob as I listened.


    "Mark! You must divorce Sydney!" Rose''s cry echoed through the heavy wooden door. "She not only shows tant disrespect towards me but she''s openly and shamelessly having an affair with someone else. I saw her with a man at the hospital today."


    There was a momentary pause before Mark''s voice, answered, "Mom, I''ve told you this over and over again before. I can''t just divorce Sydney. It''s not that simple."


    I rolled my eyes, and was about to push the door open when Rose''s question stopped me..


    "Why?" Rose''s voice was, and I hesitated at the door. I couldn''t help but wonder what Mark''s response. would be.


    Yes, Mark, why? Why the hell are you bent on keeping these ties between us? Ties that we both don''t want


    "Mark, I asked you a question?" His mom asked again. "After you divorce her, you need not worry because I would introduce you to a girl who is more of a match for you!"


    Oh. You need not worry about that, he''s already stupidly in love with my sister.


    "Mom, it''s not just about kicking her out of my life," Mark replied frautstedly. "It''s not about the match or finding a girl. There''s more to it than that. It''s risky. A lot will be on the line if I divorce her."


    I raised my brows. Oh really? What will be on the line? His life? I scoffed.


    There was a tense silence in the room too as his mom took in his response. "What?" She sounded somehow defeated, "What will be on the line if you kick that wench out of your life?"


    "You don''t understand."


    "Then make me!" Rose screamed back.


    "Fine then!" Mark was now speaking at the top of his voice. "I will be stripped of my inheritance if Sydney ceases to be my wife! Do you understand now?"


    I stumbled backward, my hand dropping to my side, the weight of his words like a blow to my chest. So, he had refused to sign the divorce papers because of his inheritance? I felt the pain of his words jabb at my heart like a knife had been plunged through it.


    "What?" Rose''s voice was small. "I don''t understand," she stammered.


    "Grandma once told me that if I dare to divorce Sydney I will be stripped of my inheritance of her shares. Then I wouldn''t have thergest share of GT Group. Trust me, no one would hesitate to kick me out of the


    board!"


    What a fool I had been, letting my heart soften toward him just because I stupidly assumed he didn''t want me gone because he might have magically developed feelings for me.


    With a clenched jaw, I let my hurt push my anger as I kicked the door open and stormed into the room and my footsteps echoed in the tense silence. Mark and Rose both looked startled as they turned towards the door. My eyes held hurt and anger as they bore into Mark. His gaze widened ever so slightly as he got to his feet.


    "Sydney."


    "Where''s your friend Joel?" I demanded in fury that threatened to boil over at any moment. But I pushed my pain to the back of my mind. Before addressing Mark, there was one thing that needed to be taken care of as soon as possible - teaching Joel a lesson he would not forget anytime soon.

 Chapter 0050

    He looked taken aback as his eyes took in my furious expression. "Sydney," he reiterated and the sound of his voice repeating my name had seriously started to irritate me.


    "Where is Joel?"


    His lips seemed to wobble for a while before he was able to get his words out. "How did you get here?" Then his brows creased and his eyes softened as he took a step forward toward me. He pointed at the door behind me, "For how long were you behind that door, Sydney?" His eyes searched mine, probing." What did you hear just now?" He started to stride toward me after he asked thest question.


    I raised my palm in the air to stop him. He instantly halted his strides and concern and confusion swirled in his gaze as they met mine.


    "Sydne-" he started, but I couldn''t bear to hear my name from his lips one more time.


    ''Can


    you stop saying my name and just tell me where the fuck Joel is?" My words burst out hotly, fueled by frustration, anger and hurt.


    "Why do you want to see Joel? Is there any problem?" His gaze was soft and his voice was calm, but it grated on my nerves. ently wing s


    at


    Oh God. I wanted to pull my hair tight and scream, to let out all the pent-up emotions currently my insides. Or perhaps I should lift one of these wooden chairs and hurl it at him.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "I need to see him! Where is he?" My voice was coated with the anger boiling in me.


    He regarded me with a steady, assessing gaze and it felt like an eternity before he finally parted his lips to speak in a measured tone. "I believe he should be at the Mili bar right now," he said then quickly added, What do you need from him?"


    I clenched my jaw and I felt the frustration boiling inside me. With deliberate intent, I ignored his question and turned on my heel, and the sound of my footsteps echoed off the polished floors of the study. I stormed towards the heavy oak door, my hand trembling with anger as I reached for the handle. With a quick, forceful motion, I yanked the door open and stormed out. The resounding m of the door echoed through the hall.


    As I stomped down the hallway, the sound of Rose''s outburst echoed, disrupting the serene atmosphere of the house. Her voice, loud and whining, carried down the hallway, filled with resentment: "Mark! Have you seen this now? Did you see the way your wife regarded me? Did you see the way she just ignored me? I don''t exist to her. I never have!"


    There was a moment of silence and I could catch the muffled sound of Mark''s voice. He was probably responding to Rose. But it didn''tst long before Rose''s voice rose again, ''I don''t care! I don''t care, Mark! No matter the reason, you have to divorce her. No one would dare kick you out of the board. She has to leave our family...


    Her words gradually drifted away as I moved farther away from the study.


    Why was I even angry? I thought, mad at myself, as I swiftly descended the stairs. I should''ve known I was being used. Just like how dad and mom had used me to get into the Torres family when their beloved daughter fled with her lover. I should have known Mark also had a reason, apart from his damned reputation, for refusing to sign the divorce papers. He was using me to secure his position in GT Group.


    I reached downstairs, walked past the hulky security guard and got into my car, slightly wincing as I mmed the door too hard. I sped off the Torres family mansion and went straight for the Mili bar. It was a good thing it was Luigi''s bar and I already knew where it was located. It would have been daunting if had to start asking for directions with the anger boiling within me right now.


    I veered sharply into the cramped space of Mili Bar''s parking lot. The tires screeched against the pavement as my foot hastily mmed down on the brakes and I narrowly averted colliding into the looming behind me.


    car


    Even during the day, the bar was packed and I briefly wondered if they were here because they were jobless. I felt their curious eyes on me as I stopped in the middle of the bar and scanned the area. None of them looked like the picture I saw on Grace''s phone or the image of Joel I still had in my memory.


    Then it ured to me that someone like Joel, someone in Mark''s circle of friends, wouldn''t be down here but at the VIP section. I looked up the tinted ss of the section. The heads of the people there leaked out above the railings just beside the entrance.

 Chapter 0051

    I rushed past the two bulky men who had permanent scowls on their faces and seemed to be manning the entrance and up the short stairs. And there he was. The retarded bastard.


    I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see one of the men. "You''re not allowed here," he stated simply but moved back to his position after he looked above my head.


    I turned back to Joel who had his arms wrapped around


    I squinted at thedy clinging to his side, a huge smile on her face. I knew her. Sandra. She was Be''s friend; Be was always with her. What was she doing with Joel? Well, I didn''te here for her.


    I stopped when my gaze dropped on her neck. But I dide for the ne on her neck. It was exactly the one I had custom made for Grace. So she wasn''t just a whore but also a thief. F''ll get to herter, first I needed to show this douchebag and bastard called Joel a lesson.


    I switched my gaze to the man I was here for. I felt my hand tremble and I clenched it as my anger boiled within me even more when he bent his head and kissed Sandra on the lips. Then he turned to me, "Sydney,


    he started, his eyes first taking me in my appearance as he eyed me from head to toe, "Why are you here?" He curved a proud brow, "Are you here for Mark?" He paused for my response but when I gave none, he shrugged, "As you can see, he isn''t here. You should''ve called him before you came."


    My chest felt tight with anger as I glowered at him, thinking of the best way to rip his tongue out of his mouth and make him gulp it.


    He shrugged, "If you don''t mind waiting I could give him a call." He said nonchntly and tipped his chin at the chair opposite him, "You can sit there while you wait," he said dismissively and turned to Sandra.


    The nerve!


    "She''s a bit unusual," I heard him say to Sandra and she giggled and replied, "I know, babe."


    I had intended to just give him a big piece of my mind and threaten to report him to the authority if he didn''t apologize to Grace but right now, I was too furious to even let out one coherent word talkless of conveying a big piece of my mind.


    Irritated and further agitated, I furiously looked around me. I stomped to the table nearest to me and the upants of the table - twodies - cowered as I approached. I disregarded them and snatched a beer- bottle from the numerous bottles before them.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    I strode over to him. His attention was still solely on Sandra. He didn''t even act a tad bit remorseful. He, somehow, scratched my friend''s face and broke her heart. How dare he put my friend in a hospital bed while he is here lounging away with another woman.


    "Bastard! I called. He took his time, smiling at a giggling Sandra and then just as he turned with that stupid smile on his face, I smashed the bottle on his head.


    The content of the bottle smeared his hair and trickled down his face and the broken pieces scattered everywhere. I could hear the gasps and bridled screams in the background as my blood pulsed through my veins, my grip tightened on the lid of the bottle that remained in my grasp.


    Every trace of humor wiped from his face as he let out an agonizing shout and slumped on the floor. His hand gripped his head and blood trickled down his temple and mixed with the beer already in his hair.


    Sandra''s eyes bulged out as she screamed and held Joel. "You crazy woman!" Her hair whipped around her face as she jerked her head to look at me, "What the fuck was that for?!"


    She then scrambled to her feet, her brows deeply creased and she screamed, "I would have you thrown in jail!" Then she turned to the men there, "What are you still doing?! Seize her!" "Don''t you even dare!"


    I blinked as his voice sliced through the tense air, sharp andmanding, causing heads to swivel in the direction the voice hade from. Before I could turn to see who it was, his sturdy stance and jet- ck hair filled my vision as he squarely positioned himself between me and a fuming Sandra.


    +

 Chapter 0052

    As Mark stood grounded before me, Sandra suddenly fell silent and the men respectfully took quick steps back.


    Then before he said anything, he signaled for the bartender toe over. Thenky boy who seemed to be covering his shift, with his eyes wide, didn''t hesitate to run to Mark.


    "Good day, sir," he bent his head in greeting, his hand firmly by his side. He seemed to be doing his best not to look my way. I didn''t me him, he just watched me smash a bottle on a man''s head. "Go to whoever your boss is and get every single person, apart from us, to get out of this bar. I''ll settle the bills."


    He bobbed his head eagerly, "Yes sir! Right away sir!" Then he turned and fled.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I reasoned why Mark would do that then I concluded that he had a point. We all came from well known families in elite society but I didn''t care. There is no way anything that leaks out of this ruckus will cause harm to my reputation. Since no one, apart from the employees at Atelier studios, really knew that I co owned thepany, I didn''t really have any image to protect.


    Everything and everyone seemed to still, watching the customers of the bar file out some rushed out while some did so very calmly as they looked our way, still interested in whatever drama was going to unfold.


    Joel still knelt there clutching his head and Sandra knelt beside him while she also watched the people leave the cafe. I took the opportunity of her unguarded state and pped her hard on her face. She fell back with a scream then in swift motion, I straddled her and began to scratch at her face.


    I didn''t need to be told anymore. I was sure she was the one that had scratched Be''s face, Joel didn''t


    have the nails to do that.


    Sandra screamed and covered her face in tears. "You bitch!" Her voice she screamed out crazily, "Get off


    me!


    I made sure I made a cut or two apart from the bruises I''d inflicted on her face and neck. I suddenly felt strong arms wrap around my stomach and I was being pulled back.


    "That''s enough, Sydney." Mark''s words drifted to my ears as he forced me behind him.


    I pushed away from him, untangling his arms from around me.


    Sandra scrambled to her feet, "You demented bitch!" Her voice was hoarse with bitterness and hatred. You dare to scratch my face!" Then her bitter gaze met mine and in a blur, she threw herself at me but Mark held her before she could reach me.


    "Have some courtesy and let them leave!" Mark''s voice was hard as he gritted out and nodded at the people still taking their time to leave.


    "Let me go!" Sandra roughly pulled away from him, eyeing me. Then she turned to Joel, who still had his head in his hands, trying to stop it from bleeding. I eyed his bloody hands and seriously wished the impact of the hit on his head had knocked him unconscious.


    "Look at her, Joel! Look at what she has done to my face!" Her lips trembled and her eyes glinted with


    +25 BORUS


    unshed tears, "She dared to hit me and you just remained there, crouched there like some coward!"


    By m


    this time, all the people were already out of the bar, even the men behind us were gone and the door had been locked. Now it was just us.


    Joel, hearing Sandra cries, struggled to get on his feet and no one even bothered to assist him. He grunted as he swayed for a while, his eyelids half closed. "You''re Grace''s friend?" He groaned out. "What''s your business with that?"


    "Mark! She hit me and you''re asking her a stupid question?!"


    Sandra and I blurted out the same time.


    He closed his eyes and groaned some more. Then he feebly shook his head and managed to look up and his gaze riveted to Mark, "Your wife almost killed me just now and now she''s attacking my girlfriend and you just remain there?"


    Mark shrugged and when he spoke up, he surprised me with his words. "Every action Sydney takes always has a reason. I''m sure she isn''t just doing all of these just for the fun of it."


    Joel took a step back and looked at his friend like he was seeing him for the first time, "Are you for real right now? That''s all you have to say? You had better exin and apologize to her now or we won''t let it go." He turned to me, "I swear you''ll rot in jail for this."


    I sneered, "You asshole! You''re really great, aren''t you? You have the nerve and cruelness to hold up your girlfriend and let your whore beat her up! And you still have the nerve to threaten me. How low can you stoop?"


    "Mark," he clenched his jaw, then raised a bloody finger as his expression grew stern, "Talk to your wife. My girlfriend isn''t a whore!"

 Chapter 0053

    "She is!" I retorted back, daring him and Mark to do whatever they wanted to do.


    "Don''t you dare address her as awhore again. Sandra here is my girlfriend, your friend might be the one who deserves that title."


    I drew back and stared at him with disbelief, I couldn''t believe Grace would fall in love with a man like this. "You bastard! Your stupid girlfriend is the whore. You think you''d beat my friend up and I would just sit back and watch without doing anything?"


    "No one beat her up." he erupted, "Besides, you weren''t even there to see what she did to my girlfriend."


    I eyed Sandra up and down. I stared at her impable dress and looked for a tear in it but there was none, her hair was straight like she just stepped out of a hair stylist shop. Neither were there any existing bruises on her face before the ones I gave her.


    "I don''t see any bite mark, I don''t see severe scratches on her face and she isn''t even in a hospital bed so what exactly did my friend do to you to prompt you to do what you did to her? She''s stillid in that hospital bed in need of sedatives to lul her to sleep and out of the misery you put her in!" I suddenly felt more infuriated, "Are you even still a man or a coward? Why would you do that to a woman you love. He instinctively grasped his hair in frustration and immediately winced. "For fuck''s sake, Mark. Is there anothernguage that your wife understands? Because how many times do I have to tell her that Grace and I never dated! We were just casual sex partners but Grace seemed to want more and then she kept on pestering me and evening back whenever we decided to put an end to things."


    I scoffed. I itched to connect my palm with his cheeks or break another bottle on his head and knock him unconscious.


    "She pestered you? I know Grace more than you could ever do. Grace would never cling to you if your never gave her reason to. If you haven''t led her on to believe that you were more than just casually having sex then she would never have stayed this long


    "I didn''t lead her on and even if I did," he shrugged indifferently, "I didn''t mean to."


    "You''ve just fucking ruined a woman, you know that? Your loser ass took advantage of the fact that she didn''t belong to any prominent family. You didn''t expect anyone to stand up to either of you and confront you, did you?" I smirked. "Let alone her best friend!"


    He finally seemed to realize the guilt of what he had done as his eyes swept to his feet and the drops of dried blood on the floor and he hung his head down.


    I turned to Sandra who was still fuming. It wasn''t a surprise that she was friends with Be. Birds of a feather. My eyes zeroed in on the ne around her neck. "You thief!" I gritted out and snatched the ne from her neck, "You beat up a woman and still have no shame in taking her belongings and wearing it as yours!"


    "Give it back," she tried to reach for the ne in my grasp.


    I held it up and the emerald dangled before our faces, would give nothing back. This is


    race''s ne!


    "It''s mine!" Sandra screamed shamelessly.


    "You don''t have enough to afford a piece of jewelry from Atelier studios so you want to steal it. That''s your n, isn''t it?"


    Joel finally looked up, "Look, we''re not stealing anything. I''ll transfer the money for the ne to you. Consider it as me buying it from Grace, I''m sure she wouldn''t mind."


    I sneered, the fucking audacity of this guy. "Stop acting like you know Grace, you asshole! You don''t know her!"


    "I do!" He screamed back then suddenly recouled and winced in pain. When he spoke up again, his tone wasn''t that hard, "You don''t need to meddle in our affairs, just give back the ne and follow your husband home."


    I scoffed. Wow. I took a threatening step toward the both of them and they both cower back. So pathetic. "If you ever even entertain the thought of getting close to Grace," I seethed and my hand gestured towards his head, "this," I paused, holding his gaze as I let my words sink in, "is just the tip of the iceberg of what I''d do to you, I won''t hesitate to make every idental encounter between us a living hell if Grace is ever hurt because of you again," I dered and raised a threatening brow for emphasis. ¡°So you had better consider this a warning and stay in your ownne."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 0054

    Joel seemed to shrink into his skin as he turned to Mark. His brows furrowed in confusion, "Dude, I thought we were best friends? I thought you''d always have my back." His said with disbelief.


    "We are best friends and I would always have your back," Mark replied indifferently then he shrugged and tucked his hands into his pocket. "But she''s my wife and trust me, I''m not supporting anyone." "So you''re just going to stand there and let your wife bully us like that?" Joel murmured with a still disappointment in his eyes.


    "Are you just going to let my wife bully you like that?" Mark retorted calmly, his brows arched, leaving Joel speechless as he gaped at him. Mark shrugged, "What? Am I supposed to be your bodyguard or something?


    Joel''s words came out with frustration as heshed out, "I''m holding back because of you!"


    Please, spare me," I confronted him in disdain. "Don''t be a coward now. Treat me just as you did Grace. Let your whore showcase her ws and scratch my face like the savage she truly is." Joel''s jaw tightened visibly as his gaze shifted to someone behind me, probably towards Mark.


    I heard a deep, exasperated sigh emanate from behind me, followed by the weight of Mark''s hands. settling on my shoulders. I shrugged his hands off but they clung firmly as he refused to let go. "Sydney, please," his voice pleaded.


    As he stepped in front of me, he gestured towards Joel''s head with a subtle nod. "Take a look at his head.


    I reluctantly did, turning to look at Joel''s head and I saw that the wound that I inflicted on his head seemed to have stopped bleeding as he was no longer clutching it in pain.


    I guess I did not hit him hard enough. I just wanted to witness him and his despicable mistress sprawled unconscious on the floor. I yearned to make them feel the agony and misery they had put Grace through. "He''s learned his lesson," he implored, his voice soft but firm. "He''s paid the price. Please, forgive him." He shook my shoulder when I remained silent, refusing to give in to his patronizing tone. "Come on, Sydney," he urged coaxingly. "We''re all friends here. Let''s resolve this among ourselves. There''s no need to escte things further."


    I scoffed incredulously, "Good friends? Mark, did you genuinely just im I''m good friends with them?" I erupted. "He may be your friend, but he''s certainly not mine. My true friend-lies in a hospital bed because of the sheer cruelness of your so-called friend!"


    I turned to Joel, "Don''t even think you can get away with this just because you think you can make Mark control me," I asserted, locking eyes with him, "Starting tomorrow, I''m putting an end to this marriage and


    and that I''ll cease to be his wife. Get yourwyer ready because I would take legal action against you woman!"


    "You just broke a bottle over my head!" Joel eximed his eyes moving between Mark and me. "Yet you still want to sue even after these?" He gestured to his injured head and Sandra''s bruised face. Mark''s iron grip tightened around me, roughlypelling me to face him. His intense gaze bore into mine, demanding answers as he tantly ignored Joel "What nonsense are you spouting now? You think


    you can just decide to cease being my wife? Since when did I agree to sign divorce papers?"


    And just like that, the calm and coaxing Mark was gone.


    I forcefully pulled away from his grasp, rubbing my wrist where his fingers had clenched around "I heard your conversation with your mother," I retorted iclly, meeting his re with equal fervor. "I know you''re only holding onto this marriage because you''re afraid of losing your grandmother''s shares. It''s the only reason why you have refused to sign the divorce papers," I spat out.


    His expression hardened as he strode over and seized my hand once more, his grip even tighter than before. "We''re going home," he growled out through clenched teeth "Let go! I am not going anywhere with you!" I fought against his hold and tried to break free from his hold.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.

 Chapter 0055

    "I''ll exin everything to you once we''re home. Stop causing a scene and let''s go," Mark said frustratedly. I could see he was fighting to stay calm as he was before. His voice was a bit louder than mine nheless.


    "Home? That''s your home, okay? It''s your home, not mine," I jabbed a finger toward the door. "I''m not going anywhere with you, and I don''t want to hear your fabricated exnations!" "Sydney," he frowned.


    "What''s the difference between you and Joel anyway? sneered at them both, "You''re both selfish, cheating, betraying deceivers! It''s no surprise you ended up as friends!"


    Mark''s face darkened even more. "I''ve already told you, Sydney, I didn''t sleep with Be. I didn''t betray our marriage!"


    "See? You''re even a liar on top of it all," I used. His hand ran through his hair in a gesture of frustration, his other hand resting on his hip. He began to speak, but he stuttered, his voice slipped stupidly in his throat like he was trying to find the right words. "I didn''t sleep with-"


    He paused, his eyes resting on me then with a shake of his head. He tried again. "I didn''t sleep w-" he started, then stopped and his sentence hung unfinished in the air.


    Finally, he let out a frustrated sigh. Then his eyes met mine in defiance, "The alimony f*e," he stated firmly. "Unless you pay me in full, you wouldn''t dare to mention divorce! It''s our agreement." He lifted a daring brow, "Or would you rather we take this to court? They can attend to this case after attending to the one between you and Joel."


    "Your million dor break-up f*e? Of course I remember!" I yelled in his face.


    In a frenzy, I rummaged through the depths of my bag. My fingers fumbling through the different items until they found the familiar shape of my card. I brought it out and threw it towards Mark, the card fell to his feet and his eyes shifted from it to me. "What''s this?'' He muttered, his eyes narrowing.


    "Take it," I urged and I suddenly felt my heart twitch with hurt as memories of all the events that had built up to this moment flooded my mind. Then it morphed into anger when I remembered the conversation between him and his mom that I had overheard.


    "There''s a million dors in that card. It''s all yours."


    Mark stared at the card in utter shock and I was sure I saw something close to hurt as well.


    "You think money can just buy your way out of this, Sydney?" he spat.


    "I''m not buying my way out of anything." I retorted, "It''s the alimony you requested for and that''s it! Now get your damn signatures on the papers and let''s forget this marriage ever happened."


    Mark stood frozen in disbelief.


    I satisfactorily took step back to widen the distance between us before turning and descending the short -flight of stairs.


    I turned back at thest step.


    "And I hope Mr. Mark Torres will keep to his words," I added as I clutched the railing, "Sign the divorce papers by tomorrow, Mark."


    Luigi watched, on the screen, as Sydney''s figure turned hotly on her heel and stormed out of the bar.


    "Took them long enough," Luigi muttered, his words bouncing off the walls of the dim office room he sat


    In.


    He watched, amused, as Mark stood there, stunned as he gazed down at the card Sydney had thrown at him.


    He chuckled to himself while watching the screen, the dummy had thought a million dors would stop her? Fucking hrious.


    He knew he had done the right thing when he installed those cameras in the bar after he bought it. He could gef jailed for this but it was worth the risk after all.


    Without taking his eyes off the screen, his hands blindly searched the clustered desk for his device. He


    eventually found it. Begrudgingly, he dragged his eyes from the screen and led through his recent


    calls logs.


    "Boss, there''s good news." His grinned, "They''re officially getting divorced."This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0056

    I stormed out of the cafe, ready to speed back to the hospital, away from all of these despicable humans and back to Grace.


    About a dozen feet away from the car, I heard heavy footsteps rapidly pounding after me. They caught up to me and their hands dropped on my shoulder. "Sydney, wait. Calm down."


    I rolled my eyes, of course it was him. No other person there had the arrogance to not let me walk out of their presence or hardheaded enough to still follow and tell me to calm the fuck down!


    I shook off his hand on my shoulder and continued to match forward. He caught up to me and grabbed my shoulder again. "Come on!" He gritted his teeth, "Alright then, let me take you home. You''re too emotional to drive now."


    Emotional! I scoffed and roughly shrugged off his hands again. I looked at the car in determination. Just a few more steps and I''d be in that car and driving off away from this bastard. "Sydney, you shouldn''t drive when you''re this angry? It''s dangerous."


    I still ignored him. Why did he want to drive me home? So he could tie me up and never let me leave. Well, that wouldn''t be happening and I didn''t give two fucks if he lost the shares that his grandmother gave him.


    I opened the car door and got in the car. Just as I inserted the key in the ignition, I heard the door open and Mark fluidly entered the car and sat himself down in the passenger seat beside me. "Then I''ll apany you. I''m just not going to leave you to drive alone in this state. It''s dangerous," I could feel his gaze on my temple as he spoke and I listened with growing irritation.


    I sighed and grounded my teeth. And for the briefest moment, I imagined making him leave by sticking the car key in his neck and pushing him out the door. That would stop him for sure but it wouldn''t be logical. Since I now intended to involve the court by getting awyer and filing a case against the two imbeciles that hurt my friend, getting more than one person to bleed wouldn''t be an ideal approach to win the case.


    So I closed my eyes and I took a deep breath. When I opened it, I snatched the car keys from the ignition and flung the car door open.


    I mmed the door shut after I stepped out of the car and into the soft breeze of the evening and brought out my phone, ready to order an Uber.


    "Sydney!" He kept yelling from inside the car. "Get back here, where are you going?" His voice held at mixture of concern and anger.


    I heard as he also came down from the car, mmed the door and gadded to my


    side.


    "Why are you being like this Sydney? Why are you still so bent on the divorce?" His tone was sharp and unbridled as he continued to speak, "It''s getting irritating, to be very honest, you constantly threatening to put an end to the marriage grates on my nerves."


    Oh, so he still thought this was merely a threat? Well, he''d be in for a big shock.


    I heard him sigh heavily then he took a step forward and his voice softened, "Let me take you home, Sydney then we''d talk about this once and for all over a calming cup of coffee."


    "Get In, Syd. I will take you away from here!"


    #


    I almost didn''t hear the shout amidst Mark''s rambling. I jerked my head up at the voice. That ent, I


    knew it.


    It was good to see that he was already out of the hospital and fine. My eyes voluntarily traveled to his stomach where he had been stabbed but he had something akin to a puffer jacket on and I couldn''t tell if the bandage was still on or not.


    "Come on!" The sound of an engine revving softly stopped before me and Luigi, seated on the coolest motorcycle I had ever seen, urged. "I can help you get rid of this pestering guy." He nodded toward Mark with a wink.


    "You again!" Mark erupted.


    "Yes, it''s me," Luigi grinned at him. Then he faced me and nodded toward the backseat. "Hop on, girl."


    I didn''t hesitate. I grabbed Luigi''s sturdy shoulders and with his help, I got on the motorcycle. As I climbed in, Mark wouldn''t stop bbering and stammering. "Sydney, get off that thing." "Sydney, it''s dangerous." He stepped forward and got in my face, "You don''t even know this guy!"This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The look I managed to spare him said otherwise and he red at it. I could see his jaw working as he grinded his teeth. He held my gaze with his hard one, "Get off!"


    I tantly ignored him as Luigi handed me a helmet and I strapped it on. I felt him pull at my coat. I almost cackled at his action. What was he now? A kid? "Young man, do not start that thing. Sydney, I mean it..


    He must have said something else but I didn''t catch it as Luigi kick-started his motorcycle and I shrugged off my coat. If he wanted it so much, he could have it. "Hold on tight, Syd," Luigi instructed.


    "Sydney!" Mark roared as I wove my arms around Luigi''s taut stomach. And then I was feeling the rush of air on my skin and my face as Luigi sped into the fast approaching night.

 Chapter 0057

    "To the hospital!" I screamed, my voice rising above the rush of wind and honks of cars as Luigi roughly bypassed them all.


    "Yes ma''am!" He shouted back.


    Later, he slowed down and I didn''t feel the pressing need to clutch to his midriff anymore. "You can let go now," he chuckled, "You won''t fall."


    "Hahaha," I shot back sarcastically.


    I felt the tremor of his body as he chuckled. "Rx, I''m not Mark," he said as I let go.


    I didn''t say anything back to him. I simply brought out my phone and immediately put a call through to mywyer. As I dialed the number, I felt my anger burn anew in me. Those jerks! They''ll see.


    Mywyer picked up and I immediately ordered loudly, "I want to sue Joel and Sandra, those two bastards! Be prepared."


    There was silence on the other end and I wondered if he hung up or something. I pulled the phone from my ear to check but the call was still on. I was about to give him a piece of my mind concerning his unnecessary silence when he spoke up.


    He repeated their names together with their surnames hesitatingly, "You mean those two?"


    "Yes!"


    He hesitated again. "They''re the ones you want to sue? His words wereced with disbelief.


    "Godammit! Yes!" ! Yes!"


    "But Sydney, they bothe from extremely wealthy and influential families," he bbered on, his voice hitching asionally as if he was hyperventting. "Especially Sandra, her father has massive influence in politics. He''s even preparing to run for state senator. Suing them will be like a felony. We would encounter a lot of troubles, financially and every way you could think. It''s not worth the risk, Sydney," he finished, his harsh breath sounding over the phone.


    "Are you scared?" I raised my brows and asked incredulously.


    "Well, I''m not," he stammered, "But-"


    I started slowly, my voice gradually rising, "I don''t give a fucking damn! If you want to be a chicken, then get me a well groundedwyer who isn''t a pussy! No matter the cost! Hire them!" I roared, "I want those two to pay for what they did."


    There was another irritating silence again then he voiced out, his voice so small I could barely hear him over the soft purr of the engine. "Okay, boss. I will put on the agenda and start to work on filing a case against them as soon as possible."


    "Good!" I bit out and hung up.


    My fingers still scrolled unhinged through my call logs. I stopped when I found the contact I was looking for and dialed the number.


    "Hello ma''am?" My assistant picked up my call immediately.


    "You go to my room at Mark''s ce," I didn''t miss her quiet gasp as I shouted into the phone. I''m certain she wasn''t expecting it. "There''s a bracelet from Atelier studios in the drawer by the side of my bed, take it, and disy it on the marketce. Sell it to whoever wants it. Get up your ass right now and do as I''ve instructed."


    "Understood, boss. I will get to it right away!" Her response was sharp even though it was underlined with a mix of curiosity and nervousness.


    I hung up. I didn''t even want to see the ne again. He thought he could deceive me into staying in the marriage by blinding me with such luxuries. I wouldn''t even make the mistake of wearing the piece of shit. Even though I made it, since the jewelry came from Mark, it now made it worthless. I would rather sell it off and use the money to pay for thewsuit.


    As Luigi drove the rest of the way to the hospital, I swallowed my anger and frustration and asked him, How''s your stomach?"


    "It''s fine now. Thank you."


    I didn''t bother to reply. That was all I needed to hear.


    My head was bent as I worked on my phone, looking through my contacts to see who I could call for support for thewsuit.


    I raised my head as I felt the motorcycle slow down and the roar of the motorcycle gradually died down.


    "We''re here."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    I ced my hand on his shoulder like I did when I climbed on and alighted from the cycle. The hospital was bathed in the sharp brightness of the bulbs fixed around it. Luigi turned off his headlight as I took off the helmet he offered me.


    "Thanks, I''ll buy you a drink another day," I murmured as I absentmindedly handed the helmet to him, my focus mainly on my phone.


    When Luigi didn''t take the helmet from me, I looked up to find his smiling face on me. "I look forward to that day." Then he patted his shoulder, "Whenever you need to cry, my broad shoulders are here for you," he said in a smug tone.


    "Why would I cry?" I asked and dumbed the helmet on his chest then my attention was back on my device. "Thanks for the ride again," I reiterated and turned, walking to the entrance of the hospital. "Just know that when you need to cry, I''m just a dial away," he shouted after me.


    I rolled my eyes and shot up my middle finger above my head so he could clearly see it. I heard him chuckle softly.


    It wasn''t until I was in the hospital building that I heard him start his motorcycle and revved into the night

 Chapter 0058

    When I got to Grace''s ward, her face was ghostly pale and her lips wer


    dry and she was still asleep just as I had left her! I asked a nurse who came in to note down her temperature and condition.


    "Did she ask after me when I was away?" I asked, hoping for an assuring response but she only confirmed my suspicions. She shook her head, "No, she has been asleep since you left."


    With my throat closed tight in panic, I went in search of the doctor. I found him stepping out of another ward. I ran to him, "Why is she still asleep? I was gone for quite a while!" I left the formalities and went straight to the main reason why I was before him.


    He arched a brow, "The patient in room seven?" I nodded, then he smiled calmly, "Don''t worry she''d be fine."


    I rxed a bit. The doctor''s smile was reassuring. But when I sat by Grace, listening to her infrequent ragged breathing. I couldn''t help but worry. Was she really going to be fine? The bastards really did a number on her. I gritted my teeth and my fists clenched. It was all their fault!


    For the umpteenth time, I abruptly sat up and rubbed my eyes. I checked the time and it was already midnight. I looked down at Grace and she was still deep asleep. How was this even possible? How could someone still alive sleep for so long?


    My stomach grumbled and my eyes traveled to the dinner I ordered yesterday night. More than half of it was still there lying on the stool. I was hungry but I couldn''t even take two spoons of my meal without worrying about her.


    I felt a teeny weeny twitch in my palm and I looked down to see Grace''s fingers moving. My eyes snapped up to hers and her gaze met mine. A small smile adorned her face and I felt her feebly squeeze my hand.


    My heart lurched with joy, "Hey..."


    "Hey," she murmured back and then slowly, her lids dropped until her breathing became even again.


    I feel more relieved now. Atleast, she was now awake and the bruises on her face didn''t have that almost blue tint again.


    My hand clutching her own hand tightened and I whispered, "I will make them pay, Grace."


    I smoothed back her hair and ced a kiss on her forehead, "Get better soon, I know you are a strong girl. You have always been. I will stand by your side. I promise you, we can do this."


    I didn''t sleep again until the hospital curtains were gleaming with the first rays of the day''s sunlight. I gently untangled my palm from hers and got on my feet. I stifled my groan as I stretchednguidly. I felt stiff and my body ached. Since the meeting with that imposter Bran, I hadn''t even been able to rest.


    My gaze lingered-on Grace''s sleeping form. This morning, she looked more alive, her face wasn''t so pale anymore. I palmed her cheeks and ced a kiss on her forehead. "I''ll be back," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.


    I informed the doctor that I was leaving and left. First, I took a taxi to the Vi I shared with Grace. I did some mild cleaning, had a refreshing bath and took some painkillers


    By the time I was done, I was feeling much better and confident. I was ready to face Mark head on. I left


    the house and went ahead to hail another taxi.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I told him my destination. He nodded and we headed there. As the taxi man drove me there, I pulled out my phone. I scrolled through the cklisted contacts on my phone and tapped on his name. My finger hovered above the call icon as I thought twice about calling him. I instead tapped on the message icon, deciding to text him instead.


    ''I''m waiting for you at the entrance of the registration office, don''t bete, I hate men who arete! And then I tapped on ''send''. A few seconds after I sent the text, it ticked, indicating that he had seen my text but about ten minutester, my phone still hadn''t pinged for a reply from him.


    I shrugged and tucked my phone back in my bag. I couldn''t care less if he ignored the text. As long as he had seen it and he didn''t waste my time. It was all good. I just needed him to be there because today. I was determined to get a divorce, I just couldn''t wait to get disentangled from all of the maniptions and deceit shrouding our entanglement.

 Chapter 0059

    It was then it suddenly urred to me that I hadn''t received any debit alert. Why? I quickly checked my ount bnce on that ount and it was still the same,no deductions. Why hadn''t he withdrawn yet?! refused to let it bother me. The card was with him, he could withdraw it whenever he wished.


    About half an hourter, the taxi pulled up to a stop before the divorce registration office. Even as ! transferred the payment for my transport to the taxi man, I couldn''t help but let my gaze wander as my eyes perused the area in search of Mark.


    I walked to the entrance and stepped into the reception area. Perhaps, he got tired of waiting outside and decided to wait in here but he was not there either.


    Swallowing my growing anger, I took a deep breath andposed myself before settling onto one of the seats in the reception area. I found myself seated beside a cute couple that had me wondering what had brought them to this ce.


    I tapped one of my feet repeatedly on the floor of the reception area. With an exasperated sigh, I unlocked my phone''s screen for the umpteenth time and as I nced at the time, my anger piqued. It was fucking 8:30 A.M! I had been waiting for thirty minutes!


    Furiously, I immediately dialed his number, my thumb pressed the call icon with much force. He picked up instantly, but before he could utter a word, I burst out.


    "You damned man!" I yelled and the couple beside me jumped from their seats then heads started to turn my way but I was past caring what they thought. "I''ve been waiting here for more that thirty minutes! We had a deal!" I erupted, "I give you a million dors and you agree to the divorce. I have important things to do and you dare to waste my time!" I shifted to the edge of the chair, "You know what? Every second I stay married to you makes me feel utterly sick!"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    There was a long silence and it grated on my nerves, my hand tightened around the phone and I felt the Insane urge to throw something. "Are gonna get here or-"


    "Sydney..."


    I froze at the voice that answered back. The voice that responded wasn''t deep and firm like Mark''s, it sounded far from themanding tone I was expecting. It sounded soft and shrill. But, all in all, the voice was familiar. I frowned as I tried to remember where I had heard the voice, my mind tried to piece two and two together. And then suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped on, it clicked. With a jolt, I sat up.


    "Grandma!"


    "Yes, Sydney. It''s me. I''m back."


    "You''re back?" I bit my lip, feeling a rush of conflicting emotions. I closed my eyes, filled my cheeks with air and slowly blew it out. Shit!


    Another reason why I had badly wanted this divorce over with as soon as possible was because of Grandma Doris, Mark''s Grandma. When I entered the Torres family, she was the only one who was kind to me and seemed to even like me. I knew if she was here she wouldn''t want me to divorce her grandson and now she was back from touring around the world.


    "Yes. Come see me, okay? I''ve missed you," her endearing voice pulled at my heart strings and I nodded


    without hesitation. My voice softened as I tried to subside my anger. "Yes, Grandma. I''ll stop byter today." I assured her then asked, "By the way how were your trips?"


    "My trips were fine. Everything went smoothly." Grandma Doris'' voice sounded a bit weaker than it normally was and she let out a dey cough. "Come see me, okay? I got you a gift." "Really?" I couldn''t help but get excited. She actually thought of me on her trips and got me something!


    "Of course. And I''m sure you''d love it."


    "Oooh," I cooed. "I can''t wait."


    She let out a weak chuckle, "Just get here, okay?"


    "Okay, Grandma, I''ll be on my way now," I said softly, then hung up the phone.


    My smile faltered as I hung up. Seeing as Mark was against divorcing me, he had probably talked about it with Doris. I sighed and my shoulders slouched.


    I was happy that Doris was back but she was yet another barrier to officially ending my rtionship with Mark.

 Chapter 0060

    With a sigh of resignation, I boarded another taxi and headed for the Torres mansion. I knew it was where Grandma Doris would be. The mansion was more her own than Rose''s.


    But since Grandma Doris was barely around, her vivacious nature would not allow her stay stuck in a ce, she didn''t allow her age or responsibilities to clip her wings, the mansion was solely left in Rose''s care since Mark didn''t stay at the mansion, leaving Rose the opportunity to wad around the ce bullying andmanding others her best traits.


    As I entered thepound of the Torres mansion, right in the garage of the mansion was the car I left at Milli bar yesterday. It was probably driven over by Mark Good, then I can just go with it when I''m leaving here.


    My mind was still upied with the prospect of seeing Grandma and what she might have to say when I was pulled out of my thoughts by Grandma''s shrill voice.


    "Sydney!" Her voice might be weak but her body definitely wasn''t. I watched, a mixture of happiness and admiration coursing through me, as Doris leapt out of the entrance of the mansion and ran towards me. her arms outstretched. Fir an old woman she sure was physically fit.


    Mark emerged behind her, his face looked gloomy and his hands were dipped in his pocket as he nodded at my presence. Rose was by her side, her usual scowl on disy and she directed a sneer my way. I met Doris halfway and she pulled me into a tight hug. "My daughter inw," she murmured softly and endearingly. "My God, I''ve missed you."


    I closed my eyes and let her warmth seep into me. I sighed contentedly. Since I found my parents and got introduced to both worlds, Grandma Doris was the only one who had shown me something akin to love- a motherly love.


    "I miss you too," I whispered and allowed my arm to go around her small frame and hug her back.


    "Long time no see, Grandma," I said when we pulled apart. My eyes skimmed her face and I could tell how happy she was, her face held that tanned glow and she looked even learned and experienced than she did when she left. "I almost thought you were nevering back again."


    Her body shook as she chuckled at my words. "Trust me, Sydney, it was tempting but if I didn''t, who would look after my grandson that has refused to grow?"


    I giggled. "I know, right? It would be sad if he went astray because his Grandma wasn''t around."


    Much to Rose''s disdain, Doris and I burst outughing. From my peripheral vision, I saw her roll her eyes then she turned on her heels and strutted back inside. It was ring that she didn''t like the rtionship between Doris and I more than she liked the one I was in with her son.


    "Come on, let''s go in, she gave me a pat on my forearm and I followed her in. I made sure to show Mark my displeasure with a re as I passed by him. I could feel the bleak heat emanating off him as he silently walked behind us.


    "Gosh, you look tired," Grandmamented when we took our seats in the grand living room. She smiled at the servants and ordered them to bring us orange juice. Then she turned to me, ''Tell me, did anyone try to mistreat you while I was gone? Who is it? Tell me so I can teach them a lesson they''d never forget." Her tone sounded light and humorous but the expression on her face said otherwise; it was a


    no-


    nonsens


    expression that looked like she would actually get in a fight if she had to.


    Well, where do I start from?N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    There''s Mark, for one. There''s Doris, Joel and Sandra. There''s Be. Just to mention a few. It would give me intense joy to see her deal with them and make them regret what they did to me and Grace. But instead of listing those names for her and going ahead to weep at her feet how they''ve all been wicked to me, I simply smiled at the gnawing concern in her eyes. "Grandma, I''m fine."


    She turned her gaze to Mark who sat opposite from her, one leg regally propped on the other. Rose was perched beside him, a permanent scowl on her face. She red at him, "Are you sure?"

 Chapter 0061

    I giggled, "I''m sure, Doris. One mention of your name and they always retreat."


    She seemed to be struggling to drag her re away from Mark. Then she muttered, "As they should." One of the servants arrived with three boxes of wine in a tray, another ced ss stools before each of us and then we were all served orange juice.


    The silence in the room stretched as Doris sipped her wine. She lowered her vip and nced at each of us. "Come on, don''t just watch me drink," she gestured at our sses, "Drink to your fill." Reluctantly, each of us picked up our sses and drank.


    I could tell from the tense air in the room - the one Doris was trying to clear away - she was going to talk about the divorce and she wouldn''t just talk about it, she would try to stop me from divorcing her grandson.


    I highly respect Doris but I couldn''t just agree. I couldn''t give up all my efforts to end this and just agree to stay with Mark. I couldn''t keep hurting myself and living this life anymore. Every time I saw either Mark or Be, all that I could think of was both of them entwined in bed, butt naked. How could I continue to pretend like nothing had happened? How could he continue to act like it was okay?


    Since we all seemed to be hesitating.I decided to bring up the topic. I dropped my half emptied ss of orange juice on the stool and faced Grandma, "Grandma, I want to divorce Mark." And there, it was out. Grandma was frozen for a nanosecond before she pulled herself together. "I was the one who proposed it, "I continued, "I don''t think it''s unknown knowledge that I am not happy in this marriage." I passed her a pleading eye, "I hope you can support my decision."


    "I don''t want a divorce," Mark''s voice sounded, almost interrupting me. His face still held that bleak expression as she red at me.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Rose snapped her gaze to her son, highly displeased by his utterance. "Mark, stop talking nonsense." She told him, "If you divorce Sydney, I will introduce you to someone better, a much better girl from a better family. I''ve promised you."


    "Mom, please," Mark bit out harshly at his mom without even sparing her a nce. Rose stared opened mouthed at her son, shock and anger written all over her face.


    Doris looked at the both of them and slightly shook his head, the expression on her face was a telltale of her disappointment. She turned to me, her eyes assessing me like she was trying tomunicate her mind without actually speaking. Finally, she spoke up. "It must be my grandson''s fault."


    "Grandma, I know you and Mark have made an agreement about the inheritance of shares." Grandma looked quite stunned at my revtion and I nodded, "Yes, Grandma, I know about the whole thing." Maybe not the whole thing but atleast, I had an inkling of what was going on. I tried to keep my voice steady, "I appreciate it but I don''t want to be tied to the inheritance of shares. So even when we divorce. there is no need to punish him," I threw a brief nce in Mark''s way before facing Grandma again, "He may not be a good husband," I shrugged subtly, "At least to me, but he is a good heir.¡± Doris'' eyes lit up in surprise and I could feel Mark''s gaze on me. They both obviously didn''t expect me to speak well of the man I so desperately wanted out of my life but it was the truth. If Mark remained Grandma Doris'' heir, then she would, one day, die a happy death, knowing that thepany was in good


    hands.


    She looked at me then her gaze switched to Mark with an unfathomable expression. She then held my gaze. "Sydney dear, can we speak privately?"


    I stared back at her and I knew that there would be lots of convincing and pleading and I would have to firmly stand my ground if I intend to really go on with the divorce.


    "Sure," I answered, my voice definite as I made my intent clear. "But I would not change my decision no matter what."

 Chapter 0062

    Doris and I walked out of the living under Rose and Mark''s watchful gaze, feeling their scrutinizing eyes boring into us as the door closed behind us.


    Stepping out into the tranquil courtyard, we walked through the courtyard then into the garden. The garden cocooned us in its serene stillness. The assional gentle rustle of leaves, and the soft fluttering of birds'' wings disrupted the calm stillness. The vibrant hues of the various flowers lot up the the whole area, their petals swayed gracefully in the breeze and the equally colourful butterflies of all shapes and sizes flitted avout in the garden, adding an ethearal feel and look to the space.


    I admired the flowers and butterflies. I sighed quietly, if only my life could be as effortless as their beauty.


    Grandma Doris had her hands sped behind her back as we walked along the pathway between the garden. It would pain me to say no to Doris but it was what I have to do.


    "Sydney, Doris finally called, her voice was a soothing balm to the ears. "Do you still love Mark?"


    I pondered on her question. Do I love Mark? I''ve asked myself this question a number of times but I had never answered it. Now I had to, "Maybe I used to," when I still wanted to make the marriage work, I shrugged, "Maybe I once tried to," I scoffed, a dry bitter erupting from my throat, "Maybe I never even did." 1 sighed and let my shoulders fall in resignation, "But right now? I don''t know. I have no idea if I have any of those feelings for your grandson. All I know and I''m sure of is that he doesn''t love me. Mark has never loved me and I can''t remain where I am not wanted."


    All the while, Doris listened silently, her walk slowing down just as mine did. She lowered her head in silence for a while and I wondered what she was thinking? Was she dissapointed in me? In Mark? She had seem the happiest on her wedding day. Was she dissapointed that the union didn''t work out?


    "Sydney," her voice wasforting. "I know Mark has hurt you but as his grandmother, I still want to fighty for a chance for him." Her pleading gaze met mine. "You''re a good woman and nothing would make me happy as having you in my grandson''s life. Is that okay? Then she shook her head and rephrased her request, "Would that be possible?"


    I shook my head. And instead of baselessly telling her how I wouldn''t allow it even if it was possible. I brought out my phone and went straight to my hidden files.


    "Look at this," I handed her the phone and yed the video Be had sent to me some months back for


    her to see.


    I know I should''ve angrily deleted it but something stopped me and I just felt the need to keep it. I guess it was for cases like this. It was to show the good people in my life that I wasn''t just throwing out marriage away because I wanted to. I had my reason. It was all a farce anyway. So why suffer in it?N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Doris eyes only widened a fraction as she watched it. Other than that, there was no other reaction to guage her shock. I guess she already knew that her grandson might be capable of such.


    "That is your grandson." My voice trembled as I spoke and I wanted to hit myself for it. It wasn''t supposed to hurt anymore so why do I feel a ache in my heart? I guess it was why I had hid the video. It was why I always choose to be angry rather than hurt. It was my way of shutting out all these unwanted feelings. I swallowed, "And that woman is my sister!"


    "Your sister," Grandma Doris'' brows slightly creased as she muttered, her demeanor was calm and her


    sion remained unreadable. I couldn''t help but admire how calm she was


    "This isn''t the Mark I love," she muttered, probably to herself, as she watched. Now she was shaking her head, "This isn''t the sweet boy I watched grow up into a good loyal man." Then her voice quivered as she whispered ever so silently, "This isn''t Mark."


    Even long after the video ended and the screen remained still, Doris was still watching the phone, her frail hands steadily held the phone.


    Then she looked up. There was a smile on her face but it didn''t reach her watery eyes. It made me feel bad but I had to console myself that it wasn''t solely my fault. Up until the damned video, I was still struggling to make things work by being the perfect wife but Mark only acted like I didn''t exist. I had tried and I''ve long learned that it''s okay to let go after fruitlessly trying for so long

 Chapter 0063

    Her voice trembled as she spoke. She handed the phone back to me, "It''s no doubt," she shook her head solemnly, "Mark is not worthy of you." She took a deep breath and finished, "I agree with your divorce. If it makes you happy then you have my full support."


    I let out a breath I didn''t realize I had been holding and it felt like something weighty was finally lifted off my chest after so long.


    "Thank you, Grandma," I beamed and chuckled shakily when I felt tears slide down my cheeks. I wiped them off but they kept pouring. Finally, I let them fall and pulled Doris into a tight hug. "You are the best grandma in the world and I''d forever be grateful to you.


    "Don''t cry, child. You tried your best." Doris soft but firm palm gently patted me on my back, "You are my best grand daughter-inw, you''d always be."


    I smiled a watery smile, "Even after our divorce, I promise to still keep in touch with you."


    "Of course, you have to!"


    Iughed, sniffing. I felt at peace. I felt happy.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "It''s Mark who doesn''t know what to cherish and how to and I pity him. He has lost a gem and he''d miss you, Infact he already does. One day, he will regret ever treating you wrong and letting you slip through his fingers."


    I chuckled and pulled back from the hug, "To be very honest, grandma," I paused and squinted my eyes, "I don''t care if he regrets it or not."


    There was silence as the both of us just stared at each other then abruptly, we both burst outughing.


    We both took our time letting out our emotions and going through it andughing to our fill before we walked back to the house.


    As we got closer, we could see Mark on the balcony of the sunroom upstairs. He was looking down at the both of us, his brows creased.


    I couldn''t stop the huge grin that my lips stretched into, neither did I want to stop my arms from going up and waving cheerfully at him.


    "Good morning, Mark," I said loudly and waved with such vigorousness, I didn''t feel the usual pain or resentment as I looked at him and waved, only relief and freedom. Finally.


    Mark watched me, his deep set eyes solely on me. He didn''t smile back or wave back. He just stood there and watched the both of us get closer to the mansion with a resigned look on his face. I guess he could already tell what the oue of our talk was.


    When we reached the living room, Mark wasn''t there. It was just a fuming Rose who kept on pacing the living room.


    "Where''s Mark?!" Doris bit out harshly and Rose flinched before she registered our presence. Rose -opened her mouth to speak when Mark''s measured voice reverberated through the room. "I''m here, grandma."


    We all looked up and found him leaning on the railings guiding the stairs.


    Doris pinned him with a hard re, her lips turned down dissaprovingly, "Come here." It was funny how she ordered him as though he was still some unruly teenager. Then she turned away from him and took a seat on the one-seater cushion chair, "I have an announcement to make "


    Mark looked away from his grandmother and pinned his gaze on me as he took his time to descend the stairs. I didn''t back down either, I held his gaze too.


    When everyone was seated, Doris addressed us all. He turned to Mark first, a simmering anger in her eyes, "Mark, Sydney has decided to divorce you and I agree with her decision. You should go with her and handle the divorce procedures tomorrow."


    Mark just calmly sat there, his face expressionless.


    When he didn''t say anything, Doris looked away from him and continued.


    "I have also decided to transfer five percent of the shares in Mark''s name to Sydney,


    "What?" I burst out, unable to control myself. I turned to Doris, we didn''t discuss this. It wasn''t even something I had ever hoped for.


    Doris turned to me with a smile etched on her lips, her eyes filled with adoration, "Yes dear, consider it apensation for the grievances you have suffered in our family for the past three years."

 Chapter 0064

    As expected and as it should be, I wasn''t the only one who was surprised. An expression of shock fleetingly coursed through Mark''s face, betraying the calm demeanor he had since been portraying. Rose''s shock was loud; she couldn''t contain it so she red up. "What the actual hell!" She erupted, jerking up from her sitting position. "Are you seriously giving her shares?"


    Doris sized her up before calmly replying, "Yes, Rose, I am seriously giving her shares."


    "Why?! Doris? Why?" Then she turned to me, her face was already red with anger, "You bitch!" She red and even as each of those curse words tumbled out of her mouth, her voice trembled, "How dare you take my son''s share! What did you say to grandma to make her give you the shares that belong to my son?


    I just stared at her indifferently, my eyes lingered, perusing the contours of her hard angry gaze. This woman never gets tired, does she? Even a demented fool will be able to tell that no one could ever influence any decision that Doris takes.


    Doris was a strong and confident woman and she looked it. She is always very confident in whatever decision she has chosen.


    I tuned back in the conversation in time to see Rose''s arm flung my way and I was able to miss it.


    "Rose!" Doris'' voice sounded like steel as she reprimanded Rose.


    "Grandma, you don''t know this bitch! She''s just a money-grubbing woman. If she takes our shares, she will only harm us."


    Doris feigned looking around the room and I almost couldn''t hold myugh, "I wonder where the woman you just described is."


    "Doris! Don''t you see this? This has been her n all along." Then she abruptly turned to Grandma Doris," Do you know she is keeping a lover outside? I saw her in the hospital with some buff


    guy that looked Italian. They were being intimate and when I confronted her about it, this bitch didn''t even have the decency to deny it!"


    "Enough, Rose!" Doris looked sternly at Rose and shut her up sharply. Then she perfectly arched her eyebrows, "Have you forgotten your young days when you left Mark to the nanny?"


    Rose gulped but didn''t say anything. Grandma continued and she brought her fingers to her face, pretending to inspect them as she spoke, "You don''t? Then let me remind you. You had left Mark, my sweet youngling with the nanny and went out. I remember that you didn''te home even after shamelessly getting drunk, instead hung out hung out with strippers every day till..." she trailed off, turned to her; her face a depiction of feigned innocence, and shrugged?" Her voice cut like a knife as she gritted out herst words, "Sydney is a thousand times better than you, she has dignity," she leaned forward and whispered in a hissing tone, "And she has ss!"


    Rose was literally shaking with anger and her fists were tightly clenched by her side and for the briefest moment, my muscles bunched, my heart lodged in my throat as I considered the possibility of Rose hitting Doris.


    Instead, she erupted as usual, whining. "Those were mistakes I made when I was young, why do you have to bring it up before this outsider?!" Right then, the hate in her eyes as she glowered at Grandma was


    unmistakable.


    "Young, huh?" Doris looked coldly at Rose, "If I remember correctly," she nted an authoritative brow, and I do, you were several years older than Sydney is now, have you forgotten?"


    Rose looked at Reba, speechless, gnashing her teeth in anger. The highest she could do was shoot daggers at the woman with her eyes.


    As I watched her, I mentally shook my head. Why does she have to always disy her madness thus ending up embarrassing herself? She could have quietly remained seated like her son was doing right now and let me talk my way out of this.


    Mark, who had been quiet all this while, scolded his mother. "Mom!" His voice was firm andmanding, Get back to your seat, please." I was surprised when she stomped back to her seat..


    I turned back to Doris, "Grandma, I really just want a divorce, I don''t want to covet shares that don''t belong to me."


    "You''re not," she made air quotes with her fingers, "coveting them. I''m giving them


    to you


    you.


    "But Doris, 1-" I broke off, thinking of how best I could put it but there wasn''t a better way, I have to be blunt and direct. "I don''t want them."


    She only shrugged, "Well, that''s too bad. They belong to you now and you have to want them."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    My shoulders fell, "Grandma please." My eyes fleeted to Rose, "I don''t want any trouble. I just want to leave in peace."


    But Doris was unyielding. "If you don''t want these shares then I won''t agree to your divorce."


    And that did it. Won''t it be crazy if I preferred to stay in a marriage I didn''t want just because I didn''t want to covet shares? It wasughable.


    "Alright, Grandma, if you insist, I''ll ept these shares," a resigned sigh escaped my lips as I agreed. It was a good thing she hadn''t mentioned anything about not selling the shares. I could easily find an opportunity to transfer the shares to Mark after the divorce has been finalized. Then I would be rid of them in every part of my life. Then I''d know that whatever way I choose to get involved again would be my choice.

 Chapter 0065

    Doris smiled triumphantly then called onto one 9f the maids, "Go to my room, there''s a brown file on the desk. Bring it."


    I raise my brows, did she have this nned all along? Perhaps, she had intended to give me the shares whether or not I stay with her grandson. That made more sense because Doris was not one to take


    decisions in the heat of the moment.


    The maid came back with the file. Grandma asked the maid to ce the file before her then she beckoned on me. "Here, you will have to sign here," she pointed to a spot and then another, "And here then the shares are yours.


    I scuttled closer and took the pen she stretched out to me. I nced through the terms then I signed on the share transfer documents. As I signed them, I could feel the drill of Rose''s gaze atop my head.


    you."


    When all was done, Doris put the documents beside her and smiled. "Thank


    I shook my head, "No, Doris. I should be the one thanking you." Then I took her frail hands with a surprisingly firm grip in mine, "Thank you so much."


    She nodded with a smile. I released her hand and got on my feet. I turned to Mark, "By 9:00 AM tomorrow, I''ll be at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, be there or be square." I made sure to sound firm. I didn''t want my time to be wasted again.


    He remained seated, his right ankle resting on his left knee. He nodded and replied with that aloof expression still stered on his face, "See you tomorrow."


    Grandma Doris walked me to the entrance of the living room. Then she pulled me into a hug. "Till we see


    again,"


    "I already promised you, I''d make time toe visit."


    "Please do."


    We hugged one more time and I walked out of their living room. I made my way to the garage to get my car. As my hand gripped the car''s doorknob and was about to pull the door open, I almost screamed in fright when Rose appeared out of nowhere from behind me.


    "And where did you get those keys?"


    I closed my eyes and took a deep calming breath. Then I swirled on my heels and turned to her. "Excuse


    me?"


    "You bitch!" She started, bitter as always, "You took my son''s shares, and now you want to steal his car?" She red at me viciously.


    I scoffed. Seriously?! Is this how easy it was to steal a car? I spared her a bored nce, my tine ast rxed as I could make it, "This is my car, not your son''s, you go ask your son."


    Just then, Mark appeared, his hands lodged in his pockets, from deep in the shadows of the garage-- same direction his mother hade from. I squinted my eyes behind him, was there some door there that was linked Inside the house or something?


    I nodded toward Mark''s for Rose to see that he was behind her. "There is he, ask him."


    Rose turned sharply, the words immediately tumbling down her mouth. "Why would you give her the key to such an expensive car? What for? Some kind of farewell gift?


    Mark regarded his mother for a while then his gaze traveled to the car and back to Rose''s face. "It''s hers, not mine." He answered simply.


    Rose turned and gaped at the car, open-mouthed. Then she erupted, "How''s that even possible? How can you afford such an expensive car?"


    "I am no longer your daughter inw, why should I tell you how I came to own the car? It''s my business."All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Though we were yet to be officially divorced, since Grandma Doris has approved it and Mark has also agreed then it was done. In my head and to all of them, I was no longer a Torres. Damin, the sheer joy the thought brought me.


    "You bought it with my son''s money, didn''t you?" Rose used as she walked up to the car door and pressed her palm on the keyhole, refusing to give up.


    I rolled my eyes, she was so blinded by their family''s fortune that she thinks everyone hungers to beg or steal from them. "As I''ve said, it''s my business how I got to own the car. Now, please, mover


    I moved past her, slightly pushing her, got into the car and mmed the door shut on her. All the while, Mark just stood there, silently observing.


    I pressed hard on the horn button and the honk sounded loudly. From the rearview mirror, I could see Rose standing there, glowering as she watched me drive off.


    As I drove out of the Torrespound, the joy I felt was immeasurable. Finally!


    I wind down the window, letting the fresh air blow through my hair. Then I turned on music on my yer and increased the volume and happily sang along.

 Chapter 0066

    The car screeched noisily on the tarred road and I felt myself slightly thrown forward as I suddenly stepped on the brake and the car came to an abrupt halt.


    I turned to my side to see Be squatting in front of the Torres mansion''s gate. What a pity, Be couldn''t get in without Mark''s approval.


    She must have noticed that I was the one in the car because she straightened up and stomped toward the car. She pped her palm on the body of the car. "Get out of the car!" She shouted and I almost burst outughing.


    What right was she trying to exercise now? Or was it authority?


    Even though Rose hated me so much and I was getting a divorce, I doubted Be had any chance with Mark unless she''d continue to be in the shadows of whoever he marries next. Rose would definitely and equally look down on Be just as she had done with me since we came from the same background. Besides, I trusted Doris, after seeing that video, I was sure Be already disgusts her. If Mark ever made any attempt to wed Be, Doris would be highly against it.


    The Torres family and mine were two worlds apart. Theirs was in a higher rank and my family was ready to do anything to climb to theirs. I fleetingly wondered the shock that my divorce would bring to them- since it was their only connection to the Torres family.


    If only Be had not taken Mark for granted. Three years ago, Mark had truly fallen in love with Be, overlooking the ring fact that she didn''te from a family as wealthy as his. Mark''s family, as expected, had highly disapproved of Be but Mark didn''t give up on their love. He had fought for a long time and made many concessions before his family finally agreed to their union.


    Unfortunately, Be seemed to have given up long before. Or maybe there was nothing to even give up in the first ce. She had not cherished Mark''s effort, instead she chose to fly away with some lover. She flung away an opportunity as golden as that without thinking twice and now she wanted in again? I shook my head, what she didn''t know was that opportunities like that only came once.


    "Are you deaf!" Be''s grating voice pulled me out of my slight sympathy for her. "I said get down from the car. Why are you shaking your head?"This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The guts! If I were a bystander, I would really admire Be''s confidence.


    I looked at her. She must have, somehow, gotten a whiff that we were finally divorcing She was here to confirm it herself but she couldn''t even get to the door. Why didn''t she just call-Mark instead, I wondered..


    I took a deep breath. I opened the door and stepped down from the car, deciding to let everything go for the moment. All the anger, the contempt for making me take her ce, I put it all aside. No matter how horrible she might be, she was still my sister. If not for the hate that was always driving the both of us, I would never sit back and watch my sister go astray.


    Now, I stood by the car, ready to treat and speak sense into her head like a sister would do to a sister that they care for. I wanted to make her see reality, and open her eyes to the doom that was right before her.


    "What?!" She yelled before I could even get a word out, her eyes filled with resentment for me, "Did you divorce Mark yet?"


    I rolled my eyes and tried to tame the sizzling annoyance in me but it was hard. Of course, that was why


    she was here.


    "What?" I said nonchntly, "Can you not contact him? I pointed to the gate, "Or perhaps go in there and ask him? Why squat before gates to way me and interrogate me?"


    She swallowed and hershes fluttered as she looked away for a brief second. I smirked, I had hit the nail on the head, huh? She didn''t want to admit that the security wouldn''t let her in unless Mark ordered them


    to..


    "Look," she licked her lips and faced me, "I want to know from you." She lied dumbly, "Just tell me, are you guys done with all the divorce processes?"

 Chapter 0067

    I scoffed as I gazed at her. It didn''t even take a lot for her to mellow and go soft. I smirked as a bulb abruptly turned on in my head. "Give me a penny, and I''ll tell you."


    At first she just gaped at me, probably waiting for me to burst out in giggles and announce that I was joking. "A penny!"


    "Yes, a penny. Come on, hand it over, I opened my palm to her.


    Her eyes sized me up. Then she rolled her eyes, took out a hundred dors and pped it on my open palm. "Take it, no need to give change. With her chin and nose up in the air and her shoulders suddenly high, she said it as though she had just gifted me a hundred thousand dors.


    I took it from her hands and observed it. I waved my hands in the air and handed it to her, "Nah. I just want a penny."


    Sheughed, "Sydney, take it. I''m giving you the whole thing. You might need it."


    "Nope, I only need a penny because the disgusting love between you and Mark is only worth a penny."


    Her smile froze on her face. Slowly, her face started to twist with anger.


    I smirked, enjoying the thrill of having sessfully made her feel belittled and mocked. "If you don''t 5 it, I''ll leave. I am sure there are otherpetitors willing to spend this penny to buy thetest news about Mark."


    Be furiously snatched the money from me, almost wing my palm with her nails. She sipped her hundred dors inside her purse and ransacked it for a penny. Her head came up, sweat starting to coat on her creased brows.


    "I don''t think I have a penny! Just take a dor."


    "Nope. I''m only taking what the love between you and Mark is worth."


    "Damn you, Sydney! Damn you!" Her face was so red with anger and she sounded like she would burst in tears any second.


    Standing there, she looked so pathetic and hrious that I couldn''t even bring myself to be mad at her.


    Since she had no choice but to find a penny. She continued to impatiently search her purse, some of her things fell on the floor and she would pick them up only for another one to fall. Finally, she found a penny.


    She angrily threw it at me. "There''s your damned penny


    I caught it with a smile, further annoying her. I looked up at her and told her what she badly wanted to hear. "Mark and I will get divorced tomorrow."


    Her shoulders seemed to fall in relief and her anger morphed into triumph and happiness. Her lips stretched into a satisfied smile, "That''s good."


    I sneered, "I bet you, I don''t even need to do anything, and you won''t be able to marry Mark. Just like him and I, you two have always been people of different caliber. It won''t be possible, Be, move on." She rolled her eyes, "You wait and see. He once fought for me, he would do it again."


    I scoffed but I didn''t bother to say anything else to her. She wouldn''t listen. She never has. I got back in the car and she stepped away as I started the car.


    I waved at her, "I''ve told you the news and I''ve told you the truth. You think about it yourself and do with it


    whatever youAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    wish." I told her sincerely, with no anger or contempt.


    She didn''t even wave back, she just rolled her eyes. Then she bent down and started to pick some of the things that dropped from her purse.


    As I passed the turn, I slowed down. There was a man in tattered clothes rifling through the waste bin there. I threw the penny for the man. I couldn''t hold theughter that bubbled up my throat when the


    penny


    fell on the car floor as the beggar threw it back.


    I stuck my


    head out of the car''s window, and hollered out to Be. "Hey, Be!" She looked up and I said in a derisive tone, "Look, even a beggar despises the pathetic love between you and Mark!"


    Without looking back again, I continued to sing along to my music and casually flicked the penny into the sewer as I drove away.

 Chapter 0068

    Reflexively, my lips curled into a smile as I saw him, through the ss walls of the bureau, alight from his car and sauntered toward the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    I arrived here about five minutes ago and I had half expected that I would have to wait for quite a long time before he would get here. But here he was waltzing into the bureau just like we agreed. He spotted me quite fast. Then he turned and walked toward me.


    "Well, hello."


    He nodded and stuffed his hands into his pockets, "Hey."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "I didn''t expect you to be this early," I said as I got on my feet, hanging my bag on my shoulder.


    His shoulders didn''t move more than an inch as he shrugged slightly, "I told you I was gonna be here at the time you stated. I gave you my word, I wasn''t about to go back on them."


    I raised my eyebrows, unable to stop myself from grinning. To be honest, I was impressed. Was this Doris influence?


    "Okay, let''s go." I told him and led the way to the office of the judge.


    My smile widened each time I felt or looked at the paper in my hand. Finally, I was no more Mrs Torres. It felt effing good.


    Our divorce registration had gone extremely smooth. I guess I should have expected that we would be treated like kings because it was Mark. We were given special VIP treatment, making everything swift and they kept smiling at Mark too, hoping to get in his good books.


    I turned to see Mark walking behind. His lips were set grimly and he looked straight ahead, the set of his jaw refusing to betray his emotions or thoughts.


    He must have noticed my gaze on him because he turned to me, "Any problem?" He raised perfectly arched brows and asked.


    I shook my head, "I don''t think me being d that we finally got divorced is a problem so no. I''m just really happy that we have this now," I raised the certificate in the air.


    He nodded, "Of course, you are."


    The silence stretched endlessly between us as we walked to the entrance. Then his voice suddenly sounded, breaking the silence, "So what are you going to do next?"


    I scoffed, "What else? Ofcourse, I''ll go find another man to get marry." I looked up to see his expression. There was a slight crease in his forehead and this time, I could tell that he was surprised and bemused. I borated, "You know, exchange vows and get trapped in a marriage with another man who will dislike me just as much as I dislike him."


    He shook his head slightly and looked ahead again but could see the twitch of his lips as he held back his smile.


    He removed his hands from his pocket and handed me a card. I stopped walking as I took it from him with a frown and turned it over on my palm. "What''s thi I stopped and looked up at him. I found his eyes


    on me. "Have you withdrawn it? I haven''t received any notification," I muttered as I started to riffle through my bag for my phone but his words stopped me.


    "There''s no notification. I didn''t withdraw anything."


    I eyed him, my gaze shifting from the card to his face, "Why? What''s the matter? The amount in the ount isn''tplete?" I started to hand the card back to him. "I''m sure there''s more than enough in it but I''ll reconfirm then-"


    "Just take the card, Sydney," he said exasperatedly and cut me off.


    I regarded him for a while. "Why?" That mask was over his face again as he returned my stare, his eyes unreadable, "You don''t want a break-up f*e anymore?" I drew back, "Isn''t this what you''ve always wanted me to give you?"


    He shook his head, "I don''t need this million and I know you know it. It was obviously just an obstacle to stop you from divorcing me, I didn''t know you would get the money so soon. Now that we are divorced, I naturally can''t take it anymore. I''m a billionaire, asking you for a break-up f''e is even embarrassing.¡±


    Iughed out loud, "Well, it''s my pleasure that you''re embarrassed," I mused as I carefully tucked my card in my bag. I couldn''t help but notice that the man before me seemed different. It wasn''t the grumpy vtile Mark I lived with. If only he was this understanding andmunicating in our marriage, mbel wouldn''t have had any desire to leave the marriage.

 Chapter 0069

    We started walking in silence again. "By the way, the shares that grandma transferred to me, I''m not nning to keep." I looked up at him and smiles, "So just have yourwyer draft a transfer document and mail it to me, I''ll sign it. No issue."


    Mark shook his head and said, "Nah. There''ll be no need for that. Since Grandma has transferred the shares to you, then they are yours, not mine. If you can''t bring yourself to take it from her, consider it as alimony from me, as long as you don''t sell the shares.


    I shrugged, slightly surprised. I had thought his shares in thepany meant the world to him. I thought he had been boiling inside as I signed the shares transfer documents but here he was, acting all cool about. Impressive. "Well, If you change your mind, you can just easily contact mywyer," I handed him mywyer''s business card. "That''s if you don''t want to call me or you can''t reach me."All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He stared at the card for a while then he took it and stuffed it in his pocket without giving it a nce.


    By this time, we had both already walked to the parking lot. I strode to my car and unlocked it


    "Okay," I said, awkwardly standing by my opened car''s door. "I''ll leave now."


    He raised his hand in a light wave and said, "See you."


    I pursed my lips then Iughed teasingly as I got in the car, "Better not."


    I started the car and without another nce at Mark, I drove away. As I drove away from the bureau, 1 rolled down my car''s window, enjoying the breeze and the feel of freedom.


    I stopped when the traffic light stopped at red. Pedestrians crossed the roads as we waited for the lights to turn to green. While I waited, I brought out my phone I felt pretty so I took several selfies. After much zooming in and out of each of the selfies, I finally posted one of them on social media. I captioned the picture, ''Happy Single!


    No longer a Torres. Single and freaking happy."


    Almost immediately, I got a notification that someone had liked my picture. I lifted my brows, grinning." Wow, that''s fast."


    I tapped on the profile of the person that reacted and realized that it was Luigi. I didn''t even know he was following me. I followed him back.


    The light turned green so I dropped my phone and continued to drive, all the while, the notification beeps of my phone filled me with curiosity. At the next traffic light stop, I quickly took my phone and opened the notifications.


    chuckled lightly to myself as I saw the numerous notifications. My tweet had been retweeted by the many youngdies who coveted Mark. I half expected Be to start iming him or for her to also retweet it. Iughed as I imagined that one of those gossip blogs would title their story about his break-up with, The most wanted man is finally back in the dating market!''


    Just as I was about to drop my phone, my phone rang and vibrated in my palm. Instinctively, I picked up the call. "Hello?"


    "Hey, It''s Luigi."


    "Oh hi. What''s up?"


    "Everything''s good. So my friend at the police station just informed me that the man who attacked you at the coffee shop, Bran, was sessfully captured. And he has finally confessed." "Oh. Thank goodness. So who sent him?"


    "It''s some guy that works for you. He''s the department supervisor in yourpany. I think he said his name is-"


    "Richie."


    I bit out disappointedly as I finished the sentence for Luigi. I should''ve known he wouldn''t just change or back down like that.


    "Yep. Richie. You already suspect him?"


    "Kind of, I just hadn''t expected him to get


    to this so quickly." I sighed, "I was really hoping he''d change."


    "Well, that''s bad because he didn''t. And now, the police are preparing to arrest him."


    "Thanks, Luigi. I need to go now. I need to make good use of the time before the policee."

 Chapter 0070

    The rest of the ride straight to work was smooth. It was as if the universe was against Richie; there was no more traffic stop on the way.


    In no time, I reached thepany. The tires screeched noisily against the floor as I abruptly pressed my feet on the brake and parked clumsily. I looked around for the cops'' car as I locked my own car but there weren''t any of their cars around nor were the twinkling or sound of their red and blue light bars anywhere around


    "Good, I''m on time," I muttered to myself and hurried inside. I ignored the greetings I got as I rushed to the elevator. I took the elevator and went to the floor where Richie''s office was situated. As I rode there, I dialed the line of the head security.


    "Good morning, ma''am."


    "Morning," I managed to answer his greeting and went straight to the reason why I had called him, "Right now, I want you to tightly guard all the exits and prevent Richie, the customer service department head, from going out of the premises if he ever tries to."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    Even before I hung up, I could already hear him barking orders to his men. Good.


    I would make sure he got arrested. I have given him enough time and opportunity to reflect on his misbehaviors and change for the better.


    The elevator stopped at the floor number I had pressed. I stepped out and rushed down the hall, heading straight to Richie''s office.


    I couldn''t hide my disgust when I abruptly opened the door and found Richie in apromising position with one of the new employees. They were both seated on the cushioned sofa in the office; Richie''s big body almost concealed thedy beside him. Thedy''s skirt had rolled up and Richie''s hand was ced on her bare thighs as he seemed to be murmuring something to her, his face inched closer to her by the second. They were so engrossed in each other that they hadn''t noticed that I came in.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I snorted loudly, disgusted and irritated and they both flew away from eachother. The girl wouldn''t stop tugging her skirt down as she stood before me while Richie ran his fingers through his hair as he walked back to his office chair.


    "Look," he stuttered and he tried to exin just before he would sit down, "It''s not what you think. I wasn''t flirting with her." He pointed at her, "She''s the one who is flirting with me. She came in here with the intent to seduce me."


    Richie was really incorrigible, wasn''t he? Despite the threats and reprimand, he still refused to detest from his promiscuous acts. Since I had been unable to make it to work due to Grace''s health and the issues with my divorce, I bet he had thought his thugs had properly done the job he sent them and assassinated


    1. me.


    Thedy shot him a shocked look coated with disbelief and betrayal before turning to me. Her face had gone pale with fear and her eyes were wide as she apologized. "I''m sorry," her voice was barely above a whisper. Her lips trembled as she fiddled with her fingers, her head hung down, "I''m so sorry, I wasn''t trying to do anything, I swear it. I came in here to give him some documents he had asked for and he-* Chapter 0070


    +25 BOWS


    I cut her bbering shut as I interrupted her. "Don''t flirt during work hours. If it happens again, you''re out!


    get out!" She flinched as I snarled at her.


    "I understand, ma''am. I''m really sorry. Thank you so much, ma''am." Thedy mumbled then she scrambled out of the room, with her head hanging low.


    I turned to Richie, he had been looking at me but he quickly looked away when I turned but I saw the re on his face just before he looked down, the contempt that must be spreading inside him because I was still breathing, his palm ttened on a piece of paper on her desk as he pretended to focus his attention


    to it.


    I scanned the room for any potential weapon he could use on me. Since he wanted me dead and we were alone, I was sure he wouldn''t hesitate to m his chair on my head until I was bleeding profusely. Though there wasn''t any potential weapon but to a person with the intent to murder, everything was a weapon; everything, down to the papers scattered in his desk. I made sure to have my guard up and be alert as I took a couple of steps closer to him. I could see his Adams Apple bobbed as he swallowed nervously.

 Chapter 0071

    "Richie."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Ma''am Sydney." He called back and I couldn''t stop the brief bitter chuckle that bubbled up my throat. Wasn''t he inly calling me Sydney the other day? Now what was the fuss with the whole ma''am? "Tell me, Richie, what would you gain by hiring an assassin disguised as a supplier to kill me?"


    It all made sense now, when we discussed the new addition to Luxe vogue and obviously, as a department head, Bran had to be present and he had been. He had been among the department heads that even dropped their opinions.


    "What assassin?" His lips tembled slightly. "What do you mean? I don''t understand what you''re talking about," he continued, attempting to feign ignorance, but I could see through it all. His fidgety fingers, his trembling lips, his unnecessarily creased brows and squinted eyes, it was all there - the telltale signs of guilt.


    I raised my brows, "Is that how you want to escape this? By pretending to know nothing about it."


    His brows furrowed deeper, "What...why..." he stuttered pathetically so I shut him up.


    "It''s alright. You don''t need to pretend. The dumb man you hired has confessed." His eyes widened and his face turned pale instantly, he knew he had been exposed and there was no way around it anymore.


    I regarded him for a while, watching his lips wobble as he tried to speak up. "If I were you, I would have taken the money you paid then I would run away, far from here. Unfortunately, you''re still here, filled and clinging to a thin sliver of hope."


    He looked at me and his eyes glinted, whether with hate or anger, I could barely tell but I still held his gaze, there was a limit to whatever he could do to me here.


    "Before you harm me, think about the consequences, Richie. Trust me, I may not be in the field but I am sure that the punishment for ordering a murder andmitting one personally are not the same. Besides, I''ve had all the exits blocked, you can''t escape even if you''re able to kill me and get me out of your way."


    I walked to the window. I smiled as I looked down at the police cars that were parking, his lightbars dimmed as he tried to stop her. Then I pointed down to the window with, "Even if you''re able to, the police have also surrounded the wholepany. There''s no way out."


    I watched Richie''s face turn even paler as he looked down the window. His eyes hastily scanned the room, probably searching for an escape route.


    "I''m sorry!" She grinned as Richie pleaded as his face wobbled. He dropped to his knees, "I''ve been with you since thepany was founded, don''t do this to me. I will change. I swear it, Sydney, please."


    I looked at him coldly, "I already gave you a chance, Richie. I gave you a choice but you chose not to cherish it. Instead, you chose not to let me see.


    At that moment, one of the police walked in. They handcuffed Richie, ignoring his protests and pleas and took him away. Despite everything, Richie still looked at me pleadingly, "Sydney, please plead for me in court, please!"


    I ignored him. They took him out of the room and down the elevator. I stormed to the financial director''s


    office and yelled out an order, "Print out the evidence of Richie ''s embezzlement and submit it to thewyer for prosecution. Inwnat every detail there, the amount he stole from thepany, the personal trips, I started to pace the room and my body shook with so much anger. I turned to money. I didn''t recall how much he stole from thepany, and I don''t want to know. I want whatever he has taken from thepany back in multiples!"


    The financial director nodded in agreement and immediately set out to do as he has been instructed.


    The office was silent; no one dared to look at me. But at that moment, everyone knew who the real boss of thepany was and they ced it at the back of their heads that, no matter how dear or valuable they were to thepany, they would get thrown out of thepany, if they misbehaved, in the blink of


    an eye.

 Chapter 0072

    After ensuring that Richie had been taken away, I called a mini meeting with all of the employees and gave a stern warning to all of them. If they knew they weren''t ready to work then they had better turn in their resignation letters. Since I wasn''t stuck in a marriage anymore, the era where there was no strict and consistent supervision was now history. Then I instructed the HR team to start to carry out the recruitment process from within thepany for the most suitable person to upy Richie''s position.


    After the meeting, I rushed to the hospital. It was finally the day Grace would get discharged. Finally, she would get out of that ufortable hospital bed.


    On my way out, I met with the head of security and instructed him to still keep the ce tightly secure. Who knows how many of Bran''s type Richie had?


    I drove to the hospital, getting some groceries and veggies on the way so that I would make some home cooked meals for Grace. She has had enough of those hospital meals. She needs something specially made for her. I also got some good wine to celebrate my divorce with Mark. It would have been way fun to go to a bar, probably visit Luigi''s bar but I couldn''t risk it with Grace''s health.


    When I got to the hospital, I made sure to find a good parking spot close to the entrance of the hospital so that Grace wouldn''t have to walk too much before she reached the car.


    I made my way inside. I returned the smile the receptionist threw at me, "Hello." Then I walked to Gran''s ward. My steps slowed and my brows creased as I took in the people by her ward. There was an average sized man dressed in a suit, his face morphed in a sneer as his gaze fell from one part of the hospital interior to another in a condescending manner. Behind him were two hefty men in a spandex t- shirt that clung to their muscled shirts and their butts were d in equally tight cks. The expressions on their faces would scare anyone from approaching them but they were standing where they shouldn''t, someone had to stand up to them.


    "Excuse me, who are you and why are you huddled here? There are seats in the reception area where you can simply wait. Your presence here would be disturbing the patients." I blurted out, my brows furrowing even more. And why would the doctor''s allow them to just stay before a ward like this? My gaze shifted from them to the door. I hoped Grace was fine.


    The man in suit seemed to be the one in lead. He stepped forward and the two burly men behind him mirrored his movement. The man took his time to eye me from my head to my toes and back up again. "We''re not just huddled here. We are here to visit Miss Grace."


    I looked them up and down just like the man did to me now. None of their faces looked familiar so what business do they have with Grace? Did Joel and Sandra send them to finish the job they started? Or perhaps, I lifted one of my brows, they were government officials? Had Sandra run to report to daddy?This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "And you are?"


    He tantly ignored my question, acting as though whatever I had to say was irrelevant. "We got information that this is the ward where she was admitted but they would not let us in without her her guardian?" guardian''s permission." His gaze went up and down my body again, "Perhaps, you are


    I am, I answered in a clipped tone. He could ask me questions but he wouldn''t even answer mine. "Okay that''s good then." Then he smoothed his hands over his jacket and smiled, forcibly, the corners of


    After ensuring that Richie had been taken away, I called a mini meeting with all of the employees and gave a stern warning to all of them. If they knew they weren''t ready to work then they had better turn in their resignation letters. Since I wasn''t stuck in a marriage anymore, the era where there was no strict and consistent supervision was now history. Then I instructed the HR team to start to carry out the recruitment process from within thepany for the most suitable person to upy Richie''s position.


    After the meeting. I rushed to the hospital. It was finally the day Grace would get discharged. Finally, she would get out of that ufortable hospital bed.


    my


    out, I met with the head of security and instructed him to still keep the ce tightly secure. Who knows how many of Bran''s type Richie had?


    I drove to the hospital, getting some groceries and veggies on the way so that I would make some home cooked meals for Grace. She has had enough of those hospital meals. She needs something specially made forher. I also got some good wine to celebrate my divorce with Mark. It would have been way fun to go to a bar, probably visit Luigi''s bar but I couldn''t risk it with Grace''s health.


    When I got to the hospital, I made sure to find a good parking spot close to the entrance of the hospital


    that Grace wouldn''t have to walk too much before she reached the car.


    I made my way inside. I returned the smile the receptionist threw at me, "Hello." Then I walked to Grace s ward. My steps slowed and my brows creased as I took in the people by her ward. There was an average sized man dressed in a suit, his face morphed in a sneer as his gaze fell from one part of the hospital interior to another in a condescending manner. Behind him were two hefty men in a spandex t- shirt that clung to their muscled shirts and their butts were d in equally tight cks. The expressions on their faces would scare anyone from approaching them but they were standing where they shouldn''t, someone had to stand up to them.


    "Excuse me, who are you and why are you huddled here? There are seats in the reception area where you can simply wait. Your presence here would be disturbing the patients." I blurted out,my brows furrowing even more. And why would the doctor''s allow them to just stay before a ward like this? My gaze shifted from them to the door. I hoped Grace was fine.


    The man in suit seemed to be the one in lead. He stepped forward and the two burly men behind him mirrored his movement. The man took his time to eye me from my head to my toes and back up again. "We''re not just huddled here. We are here to visit Miss Grace."


    I looked them up and down just like the man did to me now. None of their faces looked familiar so what business do they have with Grace? Did Joel and Sandra send them to finish the job they started? Or perhaps, I lifted one of my brows, they were government officials? Had Sandra run to report to daddy?


    "And you are?"


    He tantly ignored my question, acting as though whatever I had to say was irrelevant. "We got information that this is the ward where she was admitted but they would not let us in without her guardian''s permission." His gaze went up and down my body again, "Perhaps, you are her guardian?"


    am, I answered in a clipped tone. He could ask me questions but he wouldn''t even answer mine.


    "Okay that''s good then." Then he smoothed his hands over his jacket and smiled, forcibly, the corners of


    his eyes looked strained as she forced the smile to remain. "Is Miss Grace In? We need to speak with her."


    I felt a tightening in my heart. Why were they in search of her when she hadn''t even done anything. I tried to remain calm though and my growing irritation with the man was helping a lot. "She''s not here. If you have any business with her, you can just tell me, I will ry it to her."


    The man''s smile faltered, "I really would prefer to directly speak with Miss Grace. It''s pretty confidential and personal."


    "I''ve told you, you can tell it to me. I have the authority to handle it on her behalf."


    He managed to keep his smile that looked more like a scowl on. "Very well, then. We want to have a good talk with Miss Grace about the charges she had filed against Miss Sandra. Can you make a decision concerning that too?"


    When I didn''t say anything, he added. "We are hoping she wille to have a healthy conversation with Miss Grace."


    These ones were definitely doing Sandra''s father''s bidding. I nodded. "I see," then I took a threatening step forward. "I''d like to ask you though,, what methods do you n to use to drop charges against her will? Threats? Intimidation? Or perhaps you have a bag filled with money that you intend to use to bribe


    her."

 Chapter 0073

    The man''s smile fell and his face seemed to harden if you looked closer. She hadn''t expected him to look so close or to be so direct in letting him know her suspicions.


    Heughed awkwardly, trying to ease the tension in the air but it was now toote. "Come on, ma''am. We only meant to talk to Grace and see if we can find a solution that benefits both parties."


    I sneered as his eyes looked like they softened for a while. These people would stop at nothing. I coldly said, "Sorry, I can tell you now that Miss Grace will not drop thewsuit. You can save your time and just leave."N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    I took a step back as the door to the ward suddenly creaked open and Grace stepped out. The Man in suit threw me a dirty look before he turned to the hospital...


    She faced the man too, "I''m Grace. Pleasee in for a cup of coffee as you tell me about the terms you are willing to offer."


    My mouth dropped open as the man''s eyes lit up. He shed me a triumphant grin and faced Grace. There will be no need for that, Miss Grace as we don''t have a lot of time on our hands right now.


    Grace nodded, not even looking my way for once! I would have stayed mad at her but I got distracted ¨¤s my eyes took in her appearance. She was already dressed in one of the dresses I brought thest time ! visited and her skin had regained its color and her lips weren''t so dry anymore.


    "Very well then, do hint me on your terms."


    And the man did with a full blown smile. "As long as you''re willing to drop the charges against Miss Sandra, we are willing to fight the maximum government subsidies for yourpany and the lowest tax


    rate."


    I coldly interrupted him. What nonsense! "Humph, what bullshit subsidies? Like she hasn''t been paying the tax rate." The man turned to me, his lips set in a grim line as he red at me. "Sorry, Mr. Lower tax rate but we don''t need it. I just want to take Sandra to court!"


    Grace pped me on my arm and smiled at the man. "Please, don''t mind her, listen to me. I agree, as long as the preferential policy is implemented, I will drop thewsuit."


    The man clearly didn''t expect Grace to agree so quickly. He blinked a couple of times, clearly stunned, then he immediatelyughed and said, "That''s great, I''ll handle it as soon as possible." He took her hands and shook it, "Thank you so much for your cooperation


    "It was my pleasure, Grace smiled sweetly at them.


    And just like that, the man turned, threw me a dirty look and waltzed out of the hospital.


    I turned to Grace and erupted, "What the actual hell, Grace?!"


    She smiled at me and took my hand. "Rx, Sydney."


    I snatched my hand from her, "Rx! Did you just tell me to rx? How could you agree with them?" "Sydney-"


    "Sandra hurt you!" I cut her short, "And she should pay for it! How could you agree with them and let her


    go like that?" I was fuming. Did her short time in the hospital affect her brain or something?


    Grace sighed and looked at me. "Will you let me speak?"


    I regarded her for a while then I looked away, "Go on."


    "Sydney, business is business. They brought a good deal to us. And I don''t want that jerk, Joel, anymore so why not also get something off him and then we''d throw his trash to Sandra since she seems to want him so badly. Right now, they''re desperate. Sandra''s father is running for state senator, if Sandra is taken


    political opponents will attack him, they will seize the to court amidst his campaigns and all, hi opportunity and bring him down so he is desperate. This is his weakness, so they came to negotiate with us. Once this period is over, there won''t be such good opportunities anymore, so why wouldn''t I agree?! Besides," she added in a smug smile, "This way, we don''t get to spend even a dime on anything. If we insist on taking them to court, you do know how much we''d spend, don''t you?"


    I remained silent as I pondered her words. She was right. This will actually go really well for thepany concerning the mini crisis Luxe Vogue was currently in


    1 pursed my lips, holding in my grin as I turned to her. The moment our gaze met, I couldn''t hide my grin


    anymore. I looked at Grace and admired her. It wasn''t a surprise that she kept ourpany standing for three years all by herself. I pulled her into a hug. "That''s my girl."

 Chapter 0074

    "I think this is okay, Grace. You already look stunning. Even as youid in that bed, unconscious, you still looked beautiful."This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She groaned and rolled her eyes, "Oh please, don''t remind me of those days. It was crazy seeing my face like that, I was terrified that the scars would never fade." Iughed as I moved closer to her as she adjusted her dress. I helped her put on her ne around her neck - the emerald one I made for her. "Well they did."


    She stopped, seeming frozen for the briefest seconds then she screamed and hugged me tightly. "You found it!"


    "I snatched it from that witch''s neck, she had it on."


    "Maybe, you should have strangled her with it," she suggested and we both broke out in a git ofughter.


    "Oh no, please," I said amidstughter, "I don''t want to end up in jail like Richie. I''m sure her father would make sure I rot in jail."


    "Mark wouldn''t allow it," she wiggled her brows.


    I rolled my eyes, "Oh please, that one is in the past now." Funny enough, since the day we both signed the divorce certificate, he hasn''t even crossed my mind.


    "But I''m sure Doris will," Grace said as she turned back to the mirror, her face glowed with so much happiness.


    Few days ago, after she got home, I had made an borate dinner for the both of us, making more of her favorites than mine. Then we spend the whole night chatting. I wanted her to get some rest but she insisted I filled her in about all she has missed and I dly did.


    I told her about my divorce and the shares I acquired just because I was letting a man I didn''t want go. What a bonus! Then I told her about Richie and the attack when I went to meet with the male clothing supplier and how Luigi had been my knight in shining armor that day. I filled her in on every tiny detail.


    "Wow!" Grace had exined, "I was not around for just a few days and this much had happened?"


    Then she heartily apologized for not being there for me all through.


    "Okey-dokey!" Grace smacked her lips, "We''re good to go!"


    With that, I picked up my bag and the car key. "I''m driving," I announced as I made my way out of the door.


    "Of course, you are. I have no idea which restaurant you booked."


    Since Grace now felt better, I decided to make a reservation for us in a very fancy restaurant. Just to pamper ourselves and celebrate our rebirth.


    As I drove us to the restaurant, Grace bobbed her head to whatever music yed on the radio as she took several selfie pictures and videos of us.


    We got to the restaurant and ate our fill. Then we made a toast. I raised my winess above my head, "To my best friend," I held her gaze below the bottom of the winess. "The strongest partner, my pride,


    Grace," she raised her ss too, her smile was watery and her eyes glinted with retrained tears. I smiled at her, "You always adjust yourself quickly and look forward to whatever the future holds."


    We clink our sses together. I sipped lightly from mine while Grace gently ced her ss on the table. Then she started to dramatically fan her face with her hands, her eyes moist.


    She sniffed, "Gosh, Sydney, you''re so sweet, she blinked away the oing tears and fixed her shimmering gaze on me. "Thank you, Sydney." she said, "You always show up when I need you. Thank you for standing up for me, allowing me to cry, to show my weakness. Thank you for always letting me be me."


    I smiled at her, "It has always been my pleasure."


    Then she got on her feet, walked around the table and pulled me in for a hug. We stayed like that for some seconds, grateful for the gift of our friendship.


    When she got back to her seat, we made another toast, "To celebrate our friendship and our rebirth." "Look at these two clowns, putting on a pathetic y, but their acting is so bad, I think it''s aedy." Grace had been grinner, her eyes twinkling as she sipped from the wine when the words drifted to us. I


    back. first saw her smile freeze on her face before I traced her gaze to my


    There, behind me, stood the scumbag and bitch also known as Joel and Sandra respectively. Sandra hau a sneer on her face, her chin tipped up in a patronizing angle. They both stood arrogantly like they owned the whole damned world.


    "I wonder how they were able to get a seat in here," Sandra bit out bitterly. "What do you two have to celebrate?" She smirked, "You two losers, weren''t you going to sue us? You said that we should expect to hear from yourwyer? Now where''s your sorry excuse of awyer? Why did you withdraw thewsuit?"


    Sandraughed, gripping Joel''s forearm to steady herself. Joel joined her and they bothughed hysterically.


    Grace and I looked at eachother, Grace shook her head, her lips folded as she tried old back herughter but she let it out and burst outughing. I joined her, I couldn''t help it. Grace''s smiles andughter had always been contagious, no matter what state you were in.

 Chapter 0075

    "At first, I thought you guys were high on something, to be honest," I sipped my wine after sobering up, my eyes fixed on them above the rim of my wine ss. "But on a closer look, you''re just being your usual foolish selves," I bit out sharply. T''eyed both of them up. They had stoppedughing and they were both ring at us now.


    "Howfortable for a loser to call people losers. It makes you feel good to think you aren''t the only loser, doesn''t it?" Sandra''s eyes would have murdered me if eyes could kill. "Well, for your easyprehension, Sandra, we aren''t losers, you are. You are the biggest loser I have ever seen in my entire life. I mean, only a loser would run home, at your age, crying for their parents to clean up their mess. Isn''t that right, Miss Sandra?" I arched my brows, "Come on, you should be thankful to your congressman father, he really did save your sorry ass.


    I looked away from the boring view of Sandra gritting her teeth and clenching and unclenching her fists and shifted my gaze to Joel. "I''m right, aren''t I?" I lifted my brows, demanding a response. "Her father saved you guys ass..." I trailed off. "By the way, Joel, what''s so funny? Did you also take something too? Besides, I thought maybe you were dead because I was quite shocked as to why you hid behind your whore and let her cry to her daddy for him to clean the mess you both made." I took another sip of my wine, crossed my legs then shrugged, "But I don''t me you, I me myself, what did I expect from man who held up his girlfriend and let his whore do the wing and beating -"


    "I''m not a whore, bitch!" Sandra''s teeth gnashed as she spluttered.


    I continued, acting as though I hadn''t heard her, "I me myself because I half consciously expected too much from a pathetic coward." I held Joel''s gaze that was brimming with rage, "Now coward, let me tell you a fact, we withdrew thewsuit against Sandra, not you. So what are you smug about? Sandra has a congressman father, do you? Sandra cried to her father. Why don''t you go running to daddy too?"


    I could hear Grace''s short burst ofughter as she tried to hold them back. Joel''s re shifted in me to Farce but they lingered on Grace and it would soften very slightly. I didn''t me him, Grace looked very stunning, she always does and there wasn''t even a dent of the scratches they inflicted on her anymore.


    Joel wasn''t like Mark, he is nothing but a crude yboy. Unlike Mark who took GT group very seriously, Joel went around squandering his inheritance and stocks, selling and buying shares like it was no man''s business. He had no business or ambition of his own, only sweet talk and boasting. I was sure spending money onwyers was thest thing he would want to do.


    "You! I wonder what Mark saw in you! You''re so despicable."


    I flipped my hair, "He saw in me what you would never see."


    He gnashed his teeth and his jaw hardened, "What conditions do you need to withdraw thewsult?" He stammered.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "Compensate Grace''s ne that your girlfriend took without permission with one million dors. There are obviously other mental damages and costs, Il discuss it with mywyer and ensure he sends every detail to youter but first, you have to apologize to Grace."


    His eyes widened, shocked, he turned to Sandra for help but she inly avoided his gaze.


    Seeing this, I sarcastically said, "Or would you like Sandra topensate for the loss? Her congressman father would look down on you but atleast, you would be a coward in peace." Chapter 0075


    His jaw worked overtime for a while, then veins in his arm slightly bulged as his hands clenched and unclenched.


    Finally, he seemed to rx. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He hung his head like the loser that he was then said in a low voice, "Grace," he swallowed, "I''m sorry."


    I turned to Grace and lifted my brows at the expression on her face. I smirked, as it should be. Grace''s eyes were full of contempt and disgust as she directed them toward Joel. I bet she was reprimanding herself for ever fantasizing about marrying such a despicable man.


    She suddenlyughed, and said to Sandra, "Hey, Sandra, do you also think his dick is really small and his performance in bed is awful? It''s really tiresome pretending to orgasm all the time, isn''t it?" Sandra''s face instantly turned pink and she awkwardly rubbed her arm. Joel glowered at Grace and erupted, "Don''t talk nonsense!"


    Graceughed, she looked at Joel, her eyes twinkling with mockery, "I''m just telling the truth," she shrugged, got on her feet and picked up her bag. That was my cue, I got my butt off the seat and grabbed my purse.


    "Have a nice evening," Grace said sweetly, her lips stretched in the sweetest smile, to the angry couple.. She linked our arms and we both waltzed out of the restaurant, feeling the heavy gaze of the other guests in the restaurant.


    +

 Chapter 0076

    SIX MONTHS LATER.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I picked up my car keys, as I spoke into the phone trapped between my ear and shoulder, "Tell the pilot to slow down, I''m still at home."


    Grace chuckled, "Why don''t I give the phone to the pilot so you can speak to him, dummy."


    Iughed out loud, almost letting the phone slip from my shoulder. "You brat! I hope your tongue isn''t the only thing that got sharper during that trip."


    "Come pick me and you''d find out." There was a pause on her end.


    But I could hear the muffled voices of people in the background and the somewhat clear voice of someone softly issuing out instructions. It must be the flight attendant. "Please, rip your phones, secure your belongings as we wouldnd in the next couple of minutes."


    "Okay, I''ve got to go," Grace finally said, "We''re about tond." Then with a manufactured deep voice, she growled, "Don''t keep me waiting, Sydney!"


    "Yes, ma''am," I said even though the line already went dead.


    stern


    my car after


    I stuffed everything I might need into my handbag, got out of the house and made my way to my locking the doors. I started the car and drove to the airport to go pick my friend from her long trip to Paris


    After much deliberation, Me, Grace and the newly appointed board members had decided that it would be much better if one of thepany''s employees would research men''s clothing, learn about it and incorporate it in thepany. After the unfortunate event with that fake men''s clothing supplier, Bran, we didn''t want to risk it again.


    Though thepany had been purged of the betrayers and bad employees that are the likes of Richie, it would be rewarding in the long run if one of our employees possessed the knowledge about the new industry we wanted to go into.


    Grace, being the utmost fashion lover and enthusiast, had obviously been voted for by the board members and she dly agreed to go. It was also the perfect getaway from all of the ruckuses that surrounded


    us.


    Paris being one of the leading countries in fashion had been the country we all agreed on. Grace got registered for a three-month course while we agreed that she would spend three more months carrying out personal research while incorporating what she learnt by interning or taking a temporary job.


    Just after four months, Grace had already been texting me that she was ready to kickstart the men''s fashion line for ourpany. By now, I was, she was fully fueled and ready to impress our clients when we introduce ourtest niche to them.


    During her stay there, she also gisted me about what she had going on there. About her sses, her dates, the fine men, the friends she made both in the industry she was looking into and random strangers who turned friends. She also never ceased to gush about the fashion world in Paris. "We''re definitely opening a branch here in Paris someday," she said in one of those long phone calls.


    Just as I pulled up before the airport, my eyes instantly zeroed in on Grace. Even from the distance, I could see the radiance and confidence that radiated off her. The confident tilt of her chin was admirable


    #


    as she strutted toward me.


    "Hey bestie," she chirped as she saw me alighted from the car, a huge grin on her face.


    I pulled her in for a hug and eximed, "Wee back, my queen reborn from fire!"


    Graceughed and tipped her chin in the air, "Hurry up and worship me. When our men''s fashion line goes online, my worth is going to skyrocket."


    I held back my grin as I took a step back and decided to y along. ¡°Yes, yes, please, my queen, take me with you to sess."


    Then I pretended to ce a crown on her head. Grace, to most of the passers-by amusement, crouched slightly and let me put the invisible crown on her head


    When she straightened to her full height we burst outughing heartily, our loud guffaw echoed right through the airport terminal.


    I held my tummy, sobbering up. My eyes perused her face. She was different. Good different happy different. Her eyes glowed with joy and contentment,pletely free from the pain of the emotional whirlwind she experienced six months ago. She had this stunning aurabined with a strong sense of authority swirling all around her.

 Chapter 0077

    "You look good, girl," I grinned at her.


    She blushed and hugged me again, "Oh please." She pulled back, "You don''t look bad yourself, either."


    "Sydney!"


    Grace and I exchanged a nce when we heard my name being called out then we both turned to the direction the call hade from.


    I raised my brows at the people walking towards us. Truly, these were thest people expected to run into - Mark and Be. What a surprise.


    After Grace left for Paris, it was left to me to oversee the affairs of thepany. I had been so busy getting things right and stripping thepany of all the employees that didn''t want it''s progress that I didn''t even have any time to think about Mark or Be or anyone or even anything that wasn''t relevant to the growth of thepany.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Even whenever I was in GT Group, I have nevere across him. Now thinking about it, I wondered how that had happened. I mean I visited GT Group a number of times and we never ran into each other. Could he have been avoiding me then? But it didn''t even matter. It was even a good thing and it wasn''t like I ever itched to see him.


    Seeing them now- a huge grin on Mark''s face and Be smiling slightly as she ckubg to Mark - felt like a lifetime since Ist saw them.. "Grace, hello," Mark stopped before us then he turned to me, "Sydney, long time no see. How have you been?"


    "As you can see, I''ve been good. How about you?"


    Mark shrugged, "Life goes on." Then his brows creased very slightly, "Have you guys got time? We could all grab a cup of coffee."


    Reflexively, my gaze wandered to Be, who possessively holding Mark''s arm,


    was


    I couldn''t help but mentally shake my head. So Mark was still clinging to her? Well, none of them or their actions meant anything to me anymore. I had let it all go.


    "Hi," Be managed out when our eyes shed.


    "Hi," I answered politely and turned to Mark, declining his offer. "Nah, we don''t have the time, Mark. We have pretty important things to do."


    Mark looked somewhat disappointed. Then he quickly covered up his disappointment with a smile, "Of course. Next time then."


    I couldnt help theugh that bubbled up my throat, "Don''t you think a good ex-wife should keep a proper distance from her ex-husband? So, no, thank you. There won''t be a next time."


    I wasn''t about to invite Be''s trouble into my life again. She should have Mark all to herself.


    I didn''t wait for his response, I took Grace''s arm and started to veer her toward the car.


    "You guys didn''t notice?" Be suddenly blurted, stopping Grace and I. I turned to her and saw her stroking her belly. It was then I noticed the big naterbal gown she had on and her slightly protruded tummy. I couldn''t stop the raise of my brows. Wow.


    She smiled and riveted her gaze solely on me, "Sydney, I''m pregnant. Aren''t you going to congratte your sister?"


    "Really?" I fully turned around, "Then I must congratte you on bing a mother." I held her gaze, What does this have to do with me that you had to personally tell me though?I''m sure I didn''t impregnate you." I scoffed, "How funny."


    I turned and took Grace''s arm. As I veered her toward the car, I said, loud enough for Be to hear," What''s the big deal about being pregnant? I don''t get why she''s so proud. Like she''s the only one on earth who can have a baby."


    Grace responded immediately, ying along. "I know right!" I almost burst outughing, her voice was even louder than mine; as usual, she always took things to the next level. "I bet when either of us gets pregnant, our baby will be a thousand times cuter than hers."


    After Grace''s outburst, Mark''s words drifted to us. "You didn''t have to tell her, you know," he said in a clipped tone.


    "What''s it to you?" Be shot back.


    Mark must have responded to her but their voice drifted away since they''ve started to walk away


    By the time we got to the car, my face was hurting from holding back myughter. I burst out, guffawing." Grace, you still haven''t changed, huh?" I said amidstughter.


    "What?" She shrugged as sheughed with me, "I was simply backing you up.

 Chapter 0078

    MARK''S POV


    Recently, I have been very troubled, my mind kept skipping a beat each time it wandered and I remembered that kick I felt on Be''s tummy. Most times, it was almost always as if I could feel how it had felt in my palm again, as if I was reliving that moment. It was like a daily reminder that I was going to be a father soon. I was going to father a child I had no idea if I wanted. A woman I have started to have conflicting feelings about was carrying my child and I had no idea how to deal with that. I felt stuck.


    I had thought I loved Be and I was ready to do anything to be with her. Finally, I got to be with her but I wasn''t so sure if I loved her anymore. My heart didn''t skip a beat at the sight of her or her smile anymore. I didn''t feel at home whenever she was around me anymore, instead I felt suffocated and suddenly want nothing but to be away from her.


    The only good time between us was whenever we had sex. Those few minutes where I get to satisfy the itch were the only times I didn''t mind having her around and each time we were done I just wanted to go as far as possible away from her.


    Now, as we slightly argued as to why she had felt the need to inform Sydney about her pregnancy, Souldn''t help but remember that day. It had surprisingly been a bad day for me.


    I had just divorced Sydney and the paperwork and everything was done. She was officially no longer a Torres.


    She had driven off, looking happier than I had ever seen her. I remembered sitting there in my car that was still parked in the Bureau''s parking lot long after she had left; I tried to process the whole thing ande to the fact that I was really now unmarried.


    I had been aimlessly scrolling through Twitter when I came across the post she made few minutes ago; It was a fine selfie of her captioned, "Happy Single!" Even through the screen of the phone, merely looking at the picture, you could see the joy and contentment that radiated off her, she glowed in it.


    I didn''t understand why I had felt so sad and despondent that day but I hadn''t fought it. I didn''t want to. I felt it, pathetically reveled in it and passed through it. I remembered driving to a bar - till this day, I couldn''t remember which bar I had driven to - where I drank till I started to see so many of my replicas in the room yet I still ordered for more beer. I didn''t remember what happened after that but I must have staggered home because it was where I found myself the next day.


    Only that I hadn''t been alone, I had woken up with a banging headache to find Be lying naked next to me while the bedsheet was wrapped all around me. She had lots of love bite marks all over her neck, her breasts, her stomach, her thighs...they were everywhere. I had held my breath as I lifted the bedsheet. tangled around me only for my heart to sink to my feet when I saw that I was also naked underneath it. I tried to remember what exactly had transpired between us the previous night and how it had happened but it only worsened my headache. My intermittent wincing must have woken Be up because I suddenly felt hands snake around my shoulder.


    I turned toward her and found her shy gaze on me. With an equally shy smile, she leapt up and pressed her chest against mine as she hugged me. "Good morning, babe."


    "Morning." I murmured and my voice came out scratchy and detached.


    I didn''t know how to react. Somehow, I had felt vited by the woman I loved. I had just gone through a divorce process that had strangely hurt and was not in the mood to have sex but somehow, she had made me do it.


    Reflexively, I pushed her off me, but I made sure to do it gently. There was a perplexed expression on her face but I ignored it. I cleared my throat, "Remember to take the birth control pill." Somehow, I knew she hadn''t taken it so I reminded het.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    And I didn''t know why I was reminding her to take it. When I was still married with Sydney, every time we made love, I would take contraceptive measures and still make sure she took the pills just to avoid any unintended pregnancy while I was married to another, it had made sense back then but now, what excuse do I have to make us use protection and make her take contraceptives again.


    Be looked at me, a look of surprise and hurt crossed her eyes. She looked away and then she finally spoke up, "I understand what you mean, I will take it."


    I nodded got out of bed and went to the bathroom. Even though I already knew, I still looked around, hoping, but there was no sigh of a used condom. I switched the shower to the cold temperature and turned it, hoping the cold water would help me sober up and wash away my growing anger.

 Chapter 0079

    That day, as I dressed up and prepared for work... as I made my way to work up until I sat in my office seat, I felt uneasy inside.


    So when she came to me, two monthster, with an ultrasound report and put her hand on her t tummy, her eyes glinting with a mixture of hope, fear and happiness, I hadn''t really been surprised. "Tom, I''m pregnant," her voice trembled, barely above a whisper.


    I had just sat there and stared at her, I guessed deep down, I already knew she was pregnant.


    But I still reacted though. The blood had drained from my face at the realization that what I dreaded had finally happened. "But I remembered that I told you to take the birth control pill!" I had blurt out angrily without thinking or even considering her feelings.


    As expected, tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at me. "I did take it," her voice quivered, "But it must have failed. It was an ident, okay? I didn''t expect this to happen either. But, I want to keep this baby, Mark," she took a step closer to me, "And the doctor said my body is too weak, if I don''t keep this child, I might never have the chance to be a mother again." My body is too weak.....


    It was an excuse I had grown ustomed to. I could almost always tell whenever there was a buting after a sentence that it was what she would say.


    Her weak body was always perfectly okay whenever she pleaded with me to make love to her roughly. It was the only time her weak body was strong.


    But still, I couldn''t let her abort the child. I put it there, even if I was oblivious of my actions. I could easily picture myself pounding into her in my drunken state. Besides, that child in her womb would be my first


    child.


    "Then..." Even to me, my voice had sounded stuck in my throat. I looked at Be, feeling a bit guilty for my immediate outburst. "Then have the child, I''ll take responsibility. It''s my responsibility."


    Hearing this, Be had immediately burst into tears and thrown herself into my arms and cried uncontrobly. She didn''t care how solemn I had sounded or how transactional the admission that I would take responsibility had sounded, she was just happy that she was pregnant and I didn''t turn away


    from her.


    I could only hold her gently, my mind torn in chaos. I tried to push the warring thoughts away but they would surface again; I felt like I had been duped. I felt tricked by Be and that day, as I gently held her in my arms and reflexively patted her on her back, I could already feel my love for her dissipating.


    She moved in to my ce. And as we lived on together as a couple, I kept having that vague feeling that the mother of my unborn child was hiding something from me. Suddenly, I started to reason our whole rtionship from the start. We seemed to have been very into each other...very in love until we started nning for our wedding.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    We were together for quite a long time and she never for once told me or even hinted at it that she had any heart condition. Suddenly, I found myself married to the sister of the woman I loved because the one I wanted couldn''t attend our wedding as she had to be urgently flown out for a treatment. Then in a blur


    and matter of minutes, I found out that my Be had a heart disease.


    For a while after the marriage, I was ridden with guilt. I scolded and hated myself for not seeing the signs but I learned to live with it... or rather I learned to pour out my frustration and anger on my poor wife. After three years of zeromunication or any form of contact from her - only assional vague reports about her health from her parents and her desire to see me - she came waltzing back into my life, perfectly fine.


    Her surgery and therapies were sessful and she was fine again but she had to live a fragile life onwards.


    I had believed it was an opportunity for me to show her that I cared, make up for lost time and also rid myself of the guilt. And also because of my undying blinding love for her, I had weed her back into the embrace of my arms and became a cheating husband thereby hurting the woman I was legally married to in tenfolds. Yet, I dared to me her for filing for a divorce.


    Another loophole in all of the conflicting rtionship and life I had been living with Be was that, since she came back, she had never allowed me to apany her whenever she was going for her periodic heart checkup.

 Chapter 0080

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I mmed myptop shut and some of the attendees raised a brow. I smiled back at the person and turned back to the speaker for the day.


    The day had been hectic since l''arrived in the morning. It was one work after another, one meeting after another.


    We had just finished the first session of the seminar on jewelry design that was hosted in ourpany. Thankfully there was a short break before the second session again.


    I traipsed to my office, dumped myptop on my desk and walked out of the buildingplex, exhausted.


    I just wanted to be alone while getting some fresh air after being stuck in that conference room for hours!


    I walked to the cafe next to the office building for a cup of coffee. The cafe was a perfect ce I could hide and none of the other employees would spot me and start trying to engage me in a conversation I wasn''t interested in.


    After ordering my coffee, I got a seat on the far end of the cafe, just beside the cafe''s ss walls. At first, I found myself musing about the seminar that just ended. I almost called one of the waiters to get me a pen and a notepad but I stopped and reprimanded myself, "You came here because you are exhausted, Sydney. You came here to rx a bit so stop that," I said audibly, "And stop thinking about work again!" And I did stop. It''s just that it''s hard because Jewelry design doesn''t even feel like work most of the time


    for me.


    I gazed through the cafe''s ss walls and allowed myself to get immersed in the world outside the cafet and I got entranced by it. People bustled by, the traffic hummed and the towering buildings lined the streets. Among the crowd, a little girl caught my eye- or rather, the little girl''s ne caught my eye. She wore arge ne around her neck, one of her hands traced its intricate design while her other hand clung tightly to a woman''s hand, she skipped after the woman as she briskly walked past the cafe.


    When they were


    they were out of sight, I began to drag my gaze away when it fell on a familiar figure. I squinted at the person and raised my eyebrows at who she was. What was she doing around here? She was thest person I expected to see here. On the corridor next to the building was Be, there was a man before her and he seemed to be trapping her to the wall.


    I frowned and squinted at the man. That man looked nothing like Mark. I looked around the area; I looked in the store opposite the street, my eyes looked up and down the street but Mark was nowhere to be seen. Where was he when there''s a man harassing his woman? And not just his woman but his pregnant


    woman.


    My senses suddenly grew alert and I felt my muscles bunch as I watched the man press her closer into the wall. But I forced myself to drag my gaze away from them.


    I shook head and returned my focus to my coffee. This has nothing to do with me, it wasn''t my business, I told myself.


    But a few secondster, I found my eyes traveling there on their own ord. The man''s hands was clenched and there was a heavy frown on his face. Even though Mark is my ex-husband - one that I was never crazy about and Be is my sister and the third party that actively ruined my marriage, I couldn''t


    12


    bring myself to sit back. Even if I was able to keep my gaze away from them, the knowledge that at defenseless pregnant woman was being harassed Andi could have done something to help would rid me with guilt. It just wasn''t me.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I sighed, frustrated at myself. I grabbed my phone from the desk and picked up my coffee. First, I walked to the other far end where the two of them were, just outside the wall. I dropped my coffee and pocketed my phone.


    As I tried to devise a n before I intervened, I almost flinched as the man''s rude and hard voice reached me through the ss walls.


    T


    "You are carrying my child, I am this child''s father and you know it!"


    Be, who I had thought helpless, sneered coldly. "So what? And why the heck are you raising your voice so loud?"

 Chapter 0081

    "I am raising my voice because I h


    every right to do so. I won''t allow your


    to marry another man while carrying ny child!".


    "That''s all you do, you know," Be scowled, "Big talk. You talk like you''d move heaven and earth yet you have no means to care for this child you.


    im is yours."


    My brows shot up the air and my eyes widened. Wow, what''s going on here? Wasn''t Be supposed to be pregnant with Mark ''s child? Could it be that Be had made Mark a cuckold? I covered my mouth andughed lightly.


    They continued arguing, their voice, I''m sure was carrying to half of the passers-by and guests of the cafe.


    I didn''t want to listen any longer because I knew that knowing more about Be was always sure to bring endless troubles, that and nothing else.


    I went back to where I had been sitting and prepared to leave the caf¨¦. As I turned to leave, I realized that Be and the man somehow had moved closer to the exit. They still continued to argue, immersed in the words they were throwing at each other but I was sure if I passed, Be would see me.


    I sighed, exasperated, how shameless could they be? Does everyone in the cafe and the whole area have to know that they have issues?


    Helplessly, I turned around and covered my face with one of the caf¨¦''s flyers


    caf¨¦''s


    then I started to walk in the other direction where there was..


    second exit but their heated voices reached me even as I walked away.


    Be retorted angrily, "If it weren''t for you seducing me to elope with your wretched and selfish self, I wouldn''t be here right now."


    I abruptly halted in my steps and froze, garnering the attention of some of the people in the cafe. I couldn''t help it, I turned and squinted my eyes at the man. Is that the man she eloped with?


    She continued, "I would have be the wife of a billionaire by now! You''ve already ruined my life, now that I''m trying to patch things together, if your


    dare to do it again, I swear will you


    The man angrily shot back, his jaw hardened and his fist decret. Seduce you?" He let out a bitterugh. You were wiling enough to ditch the acimed love of your life than I didn''t even need to do anything "Shut your trap, you asshole Be shotback, her fists equally cenched too.


    I shook my head, now I understood the identity of the man. Isaac Wore than three years ago, Be had eloped with pass which was why my crue parents made me marry Mark in her stead


    I didn''t have much contact with them, so only usually near Se crying andining to her parents over the phone that isaac wasnt treating ter well


    Now I really looked at the man, he looked gaunt and was conned in camered clothes. To be honest, he looked like a homeless man or some drug addict


    They were still exchanging words, Issaclocked like he would punch Be any minute while Be looked like she would easily bring down as big physique in a matter of minutes


    Be sneered and she furiously pulled out a wad of cash from her wallet. and threw it at Isaac. Isaac caught it instantly, "Sico pretending'' she said mockingly, "You''re saying all this just for money, right? You could have just said you needed money, dummy. Now, take this money and shut your mouth, otherwise..."


    Isaac smirked as he pped the bunch of notes on his palm, "Alright, alright I get it. You just don''t want that Mark duce to know this child is mine, right? Don''t worry, I won''t tell him. Don''t be mad, take care of the child in your belly.


    Be''s shoulders sagged as Isaac sauntered away. Then she started to walk toward that direction too. After a while no longer heard their voices and still couldn''t see Be were she had been so I assumed they had left. I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.


    I let out a yelp when I opened my eyes. The seat opposite the seat I was in Be was suddenly in it. She unceremoniously picked up my coffee, sheThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    +25 #25


    finished the whole thing in one gulp. Drops of the brown liquid trickled down her chin as she mmed the cup she emptied on the table, "You heard everything, didn''t you?!"

 Chapter 0082

    "What the hell?!" I threw my hands in the air and said as my breath calmed," Why did you just appear like that? You almost gave me a heart attack."


    She folded her lips, "You almost gave me a heart attack when I noticed you sitting here too." She arched her sleek brows, ''Have you been stalking me? Well, I''m sure today''s stalk was a sess because you heard everything, didn''t you?"


    I looked at her, "You_you."


    A cold smile formed on her lips, "You what? Don''t tell me you heard nothing." Then she tutted and her brows furrowed in concentration, "Don''t lie now, Sydney."


    I rolled my eyes, "What I meant to say is, you shouldn''t drink so much coffee, you''re pregnant."


    Be chuckled and I wondered what was funny about what I said. Then she sobered up, rolled her eyes and said, "Who asked you to order coffee?"


    I gaped at her, at a loss for words. The coffee was ordered for me! I didn''t invite her to sit down and share a drink, but I didn''t want to argue with a pregnant woman. Besides, it was no use arguing with Be, just a big waste of time. I signaled to the waiter, "Bring her cup of juice."


    Be smirked, "Big of you to order for me


    I ignored her, grabbed my phone from the table. Then I put down the f*e for my coff*e and her juice. I added some tips too. I stood up, ready to leave but Be grabbed my hand.


    "I asked you a question," her voice was low and dangerous.


    I looked down at my wrist where her fingers tightly wrapped around it then I held her face and pulled my hand from her. "Whatever happened or might have happened between you, that man and Mark, I don''t freaking care," I told her firmly in an indifferent tone. "It''s not my business if you had gotten yourself impregnated by some thug. It''s your business and you''ll deal with it


    however you like I won''t tell Mais enving would be temible if something happened int


    had a high Ideal presents "Be rest negril, hy


    wake up. I will have fragetten wverything that happen towing Thanks tow much on my ts to add yourplicated life menee to it


    She regarded ms for a while, "Are you


    I threw my hands in the alt, "What part of I don''t freaking care do you not understand? I don''t care about you, Hell i don''t care about thank a pa stupid preumney or whatever might be going on in y''all my own businesses to deal with "


    i fucking hereN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    i breathed deeply after i finished frung ue, i could glimres some people pesking at us befers swiftly looking away I guess my voice had been founder than I intended


    The dunks woman that was unfortunately my sister was obviously having hard time believing that not everyone was interested in whats for goes on with her and Mark beenuse she abruptly snatched my phone from my hand


    Immediately tried to reach for it but she moved it any


    "Give my phone back to me, wenn


    She grinned at me, the phone tucked behind her and away from me, "if you really don''t enre like you''ve publicly proimed the stay night there and st me ck my man''s contact from your bons then afterward Ed deiste it and then you can have your phone"


    I scoffed and folded my hand on my chest "Get it over with and give me my phone"


    1


    I watched her pupils move from side to side as her fingers tapped on the screen, her eyes reflecting the light from the phone


    "Con i have it back now?" I opened my nem toward her, itching for her to ce my phone in it


    She folded her lips and squinted her eye at the phone, "One second''


    I couldn''t stop hissing and rolling my eyes as I waited for her to finish. Few. secondster, she stretched out her hand and to hand me my phone with a huge grin stered on her face then she abruptly pulled it back again.


    "Be, give the phone to me. I don''t want to make a scene here." I blurted out. My patience was rapidly waning with each passing second. If I didn''t have so much important information on the phone, I was sure I would have left it for her.

 Chapter 0083

    Woher


    I tried to reason with her again, "At least loomed at the phone in her gro As you must have seen havent been in touch with raised my eyebrows. as I made air quotes with my fingers around my new words, your men since the divorce. So I''m not a threat to you


    re


    No matter what I said, Be still clung to the phone, "Sit down and have a cup of coffee with me, then I''ll give it back."


    Seriously!


    "I don''t want to sit down and have a damned cup of coffee with you Just hand over the phone! I stated clearly, exasperated and folding back the urge to lunge at her "Okay then," the reclined in her seat and tucked the phone in her pocket. Ste nced up at me with a deceiving sweet smile. "You can leave."


    My chest rose and fell in anger. It was so unfortunate that she was pregnant else I wouldn''t have hesitated to vent out my anger and frustration on her And I knew that was what she was also betting at it was why she dared to be so daring. She knew that no matter what she did, I would not get physical with a pregnant woman and even if I did would be a fault and the cops wil definitely not favor me when they arrive Afterall, I was beating up a defenseless and helpless pregnant women.


    I rolled my eyes and sighed in resignation. I plopped down on the seat. Then I summoned one of the waiters and demanded a new cup of coffee while refusing to acknowledge the sickening look of satisfaction and triumph that Be wore boldly.


    Just a cup of coffee, please," I said to the diligent water who was already by my side. The water nodded and smiled and went back to fetch my order


    I finally turned to face Be when I heard her sneer. She had a densive look on. Then she opened her mouth and poured out her mooking words. "And here I was thinking you were rushing to meet a man. I think too highly of wou don''t I?"


    I nced at her, "You think too much about irrelevancies in that head of yours, Be. Well, I don''t waste all of my invaluable time on men like you seem to always do, I don''t have spare to spend plotting how to ruin someone''s marriage or devising how I..uld sink my ws in a rich man''s pocket, I have my own career to spend time on."


    She was quiet for a while, a storm raging in her eyes as she pinned me with her hot gaze. Then she took a deep breath and said sarcastically, "So what is this career of yours? Being a stalker and eavesdropping on people''s secrets for some meager change? For as long as I''ve known you, you have been jobless and broke."


    For a number of times this morning, Be had made me speechless again. It wasn''t like I even wanted to listen to her dirty and embarrassing secrets, she was the one who blurted them out loudly on the noisy


    street.


    I instead just pointed to the nearby luxury buildingplex that I had stepped out from, "I work there, otherwise, why would I be here?"


    I felt a ridiculous sense of satisfaction as Be''s face fell and her mouth dropped open. She clearly hadn''t expected that I actually had a job or a career. She thought everyone fed off mummy and daddy''s money and chased after a rich man for a secured future for herself and her illegitimate children.


    "That''s where Atelier studios is located, her eyes were bulging as she turned to me.


    "Hm hm," I hummed and shook my head.


    "How in hell did you get a job there?!"


    shrugged, "What can I say? I''m lucky."


    Her eyes sized me up with contempt, her lips tilted into a sneer, "Whatever, you''re probably the lobby cleaner or toilet cleaner."This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I only smirked at her words. "You sure?"


    But as usual she was truly only interested in herself so she ignored what I


    H


    sand and tramped the most aluskang wip thu wade bus bulins


    fetually, fur Brow smart so the hand to heat and grand adiado them after esant she, Tagad show

 Chapter 0084

    "She once had a child?" I thought to myself and my body stiffened a bit. Surely never expected that update.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    When could this have happened? Was it during those three interminable years when she had vanished without a trace? But despite the amount of questions I had, I still tried to actposed and I schooled my expression into one of indifference.


    I focused on the almost invisible ripples forming on the surface of my coffee. as I slowly stirred the steaming liquid.


    "I don''t want to hear it," I said tly with nonchnce.


    To be honest, I was mostly not interested in hearing any stories about her murky past even though at some point before, I used to be interested in it. What purpose would it serve to dredge up all of those stories anyway?


    In the background of where we both sat I could hear voices and clinks of cutlery, but it all faded like far away murmurs as Be''s eyes drove like nails. into me. Her fingers curled around her own cup and she slowly took a sip before rolling her eyes.


    "I''m going to tell you anyway," she shrugged.


    I also shrugged as I sipped my own coffee, turning my attention to the view outside the caf¨¦ window, I tried to lose myself in the bustling cityscape, hoping Be would take the hint and spare me the sordid details of her tale.


    "Isaac deceived me into eloping abroad with him and shortly after that I found out pregnant."


    Though outwardly impassive, I was suddenly hanging on her every word with morbid curiosity.


    "We both stayed in a shabby rental we had called home. I even had to survive on terrible... terrible food I tell you. But in spite of the hardships, I still felt happy and proud," she was now looking somewhere far away behind. me, "Knowing I had bravely escaped the shackles of our family''s


    arrangements and taken cor


    someone control my life and


    of my own fate without having to let future.


    Did she just say ''our family"? I took a second to scoff silently, but I still listened.


    "The good times didn''tst however," Be continued; her voice was growing somber.


    "It was only when I started running out of cash that I


    discovered Isaac''s true nature. He got very abusive with me. He always gambled, and most heartbreaking was that he even flocked around with prostitutes."


    What a story.


    I was human too and what she was narrating to me was quite sad, that was if it was true. But I mean, she''d chosen him anyway. Maybe I would have been extremely pitful had she been forced on Isaac or vice versa.


    "Every time he came back to the rental, it was to demand money from me. Thest time he appeared was even a week before my due date." Her voice trembled, but she pressed on. "He ignored all my pleas and took all my remaining money that I''d intended on using for my childbirth. Things got very physical on that particr day and I got pushed to the ground..."


    She frowned like she was reliving the memory.


    *...I started bleeding immediately after I''d copsed, powerless on the floor and needing urgent help but he didn''t even bat an eye at me. He just walked away!" She gestured the ''walked away'' with a flick of her hands in the air.


    "By the time the neighbors found me, I had already lost consciousness. And when I came to, I was already lying on an operating table,pletely weak. But the ordeal wasn''t over, the doctors told me the baby inside me had died, but I still needed to deliver the dead fetus urgently to save my own life."


    A lump worked its way up my throat as Be described her excruciating ordeal of herbor which got prolonged because the stillborn was unable to move up the birth canal on its own.


    Charter s


    "Like other mothers, I went through a painful and longbor, even longer because a dead fetus does not move through the birth canal on its own. I had just be a mother and then immediately lost my child," she whispered and I saw her hands clench tighter around her cup that I thought it was going to break in her grip any second.

 Chapter 0085

    "I held my child and wept bitterly on the delivery bed."


    I was at a loss for words at that point.


    What do I do?


    What was I supposed to say to her?


    Clearly not a heartfelt speech of pity because in as much as I got poked a bit by her story, arger part of me wasn''t that sorry.


    I leaned back in my seat, my cup of coffee already emptied.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "Good story," I said with a wave of my hand. "but that doesn''t make us friends. You see, a woman who intrudes in another''s marriage is a bitch, and you, choosing to intrude in my marriage, means you''re also a bitch. Whatever you just told me, true or false, your suffering was not caused by me Instead, I have to deal with the aftermath of your recklessness, so I won''t sympathize with you."


    Be''s face morphed into anger, her nostrils red as she clutched the coffee cup tighter, veins protruded from the back of her hands.


    "I don''t want your pity," she sparked. "I''m only telling you because I''ve suffered so much. I must marry Mark, so you better not meddle, or I''ll do something you''ll regret for the rest of your life. You hear me?"


    Augh escaped my lips and my shoulders wracked with amusement at the absurdity of her words. I flipped my hair back from my shoulder, stillughing


    Be hissed, "What''s so funny?"


    I sighed, a chuckle stilling from my chest while I regarded her with both pity and bemusement. How delusional this girl was, to think I would still go back to Mark after our divorce.


    "You''re unbelievable, and that''s what''s so funny," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.


    "Mark and I are divorced," I enunciated slowly and I made sure to emphasize each word so she would read my lips. "For good!"


    "Who cares if you marry Mark? Me?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the mere suggestion.


    "Yes, because I know how sly you can be," Be retorted contemptuously.


    "Oh, I''m sly, hey?" I arched my eyebrow.


    Be met my eyes head-on as her lips curled into a sneer while she also rolled her eyes at me and I, all the same, felt a perverse thrill in this verbal sparring.


    "You think you know me, Be?" I tsked, shaking my head, "You have no ideal who I am, not really. You''ve been gone for so long, living in your own little. world of misery and self-pity, that you''ve lost touch with reality."


    Be''s jaw clenched, "Don''t pretend like you understand what I''ve been through," she spat.


    "Oh, I think I understand perfectly," I countered with sarcasm. "You im to have made a series of poor choices, and now you''re trying to shift the me on others. ssic Be, always the victim." "How dare you?" Be mmed her palm over the table.


    "You have no idea what I''ve endured, the pain and suffering I''ve experienced. You''re not a mother. You''ve never been one, you barren hag. Then you sit there in your ivory tower, judging me, while you''ve never had to face true adversity."


    I barked out augh and said, ¡°You''re such a confused fellow, Be. And what did you say? Adversity? Is that what you call running off with some deadbeat and getting yourself knocked up? Wake up, Be, that''s not adversity, that''s stupidity."


    Be recoiled as if struck, and it looked like she might lunge across the table and p me.


    "Well, let me tell you again, in case you forgot or since you''re still stuck in


    your wore of cousons in not your real enemy here your enemy is luking in the dark," I told Be


    The blow really hither knew. She was boiling with the sting off ther wounded price.


    "Just wait, I will seed," she soot & re


    "And I simply don''t give a damn tak sweethear purred.


    Be pushed back from the table her chair scraping against the floor with a jamming screech and without another wore or look back, she turned and stalked out of the cafe.

 Chapter 0086

    After I officially divorced Sydney, Doris transferred her remaining shares to me. I became thergest shareholder and the de facto person in charge as I now held 46% of GT group''s shares.


    Due to the new development, the shareholder resume was officially updated and as expected, myworth soared. The public caught a whiff of it and I received a wave of interview reviews from TV stations, newspaper


    publishers and journalists always were always on the standby for whenever they would catch me outside.


    My position in GT group was now grounded and was not tied to anyone but I knew I still needed to be careful and watch out for those who mighte together and to sell their sticks to one person among them just to watch me go down.


    When the requests would not stoping in, I finally instructed my


    assistant to respond to one of the interview requests and inform them that I had epted the request. I chose the most famous economic TV channel. That way, everyone will get a bit of what they wanted to know.


    I also gave them a condition, I made it crystal clear that I would not ept any question about my personal life. If they dared to try it then their TV was going to go into oblivion. They epted my condition and I gave them the date of the day that I would have a chance to take time out for the interview.


    I prepared for the interview and finally, the D-day began. It was a live session with the host and the audience. The audience consisted of several other news TV channels, papers and journalists. The interview began. I was introduced and I gave my greetings and


    expressed my pleasure at being hosted by them. Just the usual pleasantries to show the public that I was not an asshole.


    The first question the host asked me was, ¡°Mr Mark Torres, would you like to give us a snippet of your future ns and goals of GT group?"


    "My goal for Gt group is greater heights. I n to lead GT group to an even greater height than it is now and the shareholders would be


    our group," I answered sinctly.


    The host nodded. "Are there any specific ns you''ve gotid out?"


    I shook my head, "Of course. Nothing can be achieved without a n."


    There murmurs from the audience. The host also nodded, "You''re right." Then he asked with a smile, "Do you mind sharing some of these ns?"


    With a lopsided grin, I wagged a finger at the host. "I see where you''re going, man.¡±


    The audience and the host burst intoughter at my response.


    "That''s our business secret though, I can not reveal that," I said after everyone had sobered up. "But one thing I can reveal and tell you is that you might want to buy more of our group''s stocks before it skyrockets," I announced confidently.


    The room was filled with another bout ofughter from the audience and the host shook his head.


    "So, Mr Mark, what advice would you give to those looking to invest?"


    I smiled at the crowd, "I will advise anyone looking to invest to do their research, understand thepany and the industry - whicheverpany or industry it may be. Understand what you''re about to pour your hard earned money into. You see, investing is a long-term endeavor and it requires patience and determination." I spread out my arms, "Of course, I would also suggest investing in ourpany, as I believe our group can bring a new future to our shareholders."


    The audience apuded me admirably as theyughed. Amid theughter and apuse, the host and I concluded the interview.


    k you so i


    Mr Mark Torres," he shook my hands. "Thank you for gracing our news channel with your presence."All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "It''s my utmost pleasure," I grinned.


    "Anyst word for the audience?"

 Chapter 0087

    They erupted in cheers and apuse as the camera was turned off. The host shook my hands again, a huge grin on his face. As I left the conference hall, my assistant and bodyguard in tow, some fangirls came for autographs while some journalists dared to ask about my marriage.


    "Noments," my assistant kept saying strictly to them while I signed some of the girl''s shirts, books, phone pouches....whatever they brought.


    The moment I got in the car, my face sagged, all my grins and smiles tucked away as I roughly loosened my tie. "Godammit, my face hurt from smiling so much."


    My assistant smiled and turned back. "You did well though. The crowd absolutely loved you."


    "As they should." Despite my aching cheeks, I couldn''t help but smile at the sess of the interview and the exposure it would further bring to GT Group.


    "By the way," my assistant fully turned to me from the front seat where he sat, "The medical report you requested is here."


    My grin instantly dimmed. I nodded and stretched my hand for it. He ced it in my palm.


    I just looked at it for a while. What exactly was I expecting? That she really did have a heart disease or that she had been lying to me all these years?


    The answers eluded me so I just ripped the sealed envelope apart and unfolded the crispy clean paper in it.


    My hands clenched as I held the edges of the paper, My eyes went over the report again. As I had suspected, Be was perfectly healthy and did not have any form of heart issue, let alone a heart disease.


    I felt my jaw clench in anger. If she does not have any heart issue, why, then, was she absent on our wedding day? Did she get cold feet and thought the best thing to do was to abscond? What exactly did she go abroad to do?


    I felt like a fool. Like a first ss moron Shouldn''t I have known? It was


    ?§±§â§Ö§à§Ü§â§Ö §Ó§à§Þ §Ñ§â§Ñ


    fists and I looked down when I tell the paper tear


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    and camera men clicked away on their phones


    Augu Au jo me a louro pur


    I smoothed the paper, folded it and ced it by my side. Then Hooked up. smiled weakly outside the window before I rolled up the window.


    "Drive faster," I ordered the driver. I wanted to be out of here as soon as 1 could.


    The driver increased the rate at which he hanked to get people out of the car''s way and before I knew it, he had diven past them and onto the


    expressway.


    After my driver drove my car out of the growd of cameras, I said sternly to my assistant,


    "Find a private investigator to follow her see what else she''s hiding from me, "I gritted out. "Also, I want to know everything about her movements when


    MALONE ALEMALL URI SUD MON A peter pan ou


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    And now about


    andrew We


    introducing him alongside his achievements. Mark looked smart and drop. dead gorgeous in the suit dress he had on, his features seemed to have gotten even finer and more toned sincest saw him. His cheekbones were more prominent, his hair was slicked back tly but as usual, there were still some errant strands in his face. Even t. biceps were prominent as he sat in the seat with the confidence of ten gods, a small smile directed at the camera.


    ugh his suit jacket, his bulging.


    The host started to ask him questions, first it was about GT Group which hel confidently boasted about the rising value of its stock. Then the host threw random questions at him. His responses were articte and insightful as he bewitched the audience with his charm and intelligence, eliciting unending. cheers and apuse from them.


    I raised an impressed brow and raised my hand to give him a thumbs up." Impressive," I muttered.


    "He just had to be an asshole to you." I heard Grace murmured but I paid not heed to her.


    There was no doubt that his outstanding performance during the interview would boost GT Group''s stock price to a whole new level, and my five percent shares would increase in value as well. For the first time, I was grateful to Mark for not agreeing to buy the shares when I suggested it. I could already see the dividend from the shares being a whole new source of ie for me. Then I found myself musing on the idea of buying more if their stocks before the prices skyrocketed like he said.


    Grace leaned on me and pulled me out of my thoughts. She rested her head on my shoulder and held my arm. She jutted her lower lip out, "Why don''t you be my sugar mommy? Please, be my sugar mommy, I don''t want to work anymore, I want to live a life of daily splurge."


    Iughed and gently pushed Grace away, "Get off me, you gold digger. My savings wouldn''t live to see the day with your splurging." Amidst her light giggles, I pointed at Mark on the TV, "His would. He would not even feel like a penny was dropping from his ount


    Jokingly, Grace gasped and sat up. "I have the perfect idea. I should marry


    Sans and then the twane dwark Ben Foss


    alia grivart, 1 sould Volg Tut pan ter


    poutkumis m?gt te je lui muProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0088

    The only light in the room were the brightness of our phone''s screens and that of the TV. The TV had been muted while Grace and I idly worked on our phones.


    "Woah," Grace put her phone before my face, "Sydney, look at this."


    My gaze settled on the dress on the screen. It was almost like one of the ones Grace had designed. I frowned, "it looks a lot like the dress you designed."


    Graceughed lightly, "It is the one I designed," she scrolled to the previous slide, "This is the original one. She''s one of our clients, she got it from us so she replicated it and tagged us." My mouth formed an ''O'' as I nodded.


    "Yeah." She reclined back on the couch where she had beenying. "She really tried, right?"


    "Yeah, but I could still tell that it wasn''t your work. It was just your design."


    "Hmm," she hummed, "I think she did well. Perhaps, we should recruit her."


    "Oh please."


    Graceughed at my outburst then she abruptly stoppedughing. "Isn''t that Mark?"


    I frowned and paused the shorts I was watching on YouTube again. "What now? Mark replicated the jewelry we sold him or something?"


    "No," there was a pause and I took that as a cue to y the video back but the sound of someone speaking drowned the sound of the video i was watching.


    I turned to Grace with a frown, "Why did you increase the vo-"


    She cut me off as she pointed to the TV. "Mark is live on TV."


    I turned to the TV to see my ex-husband. The host was excitedly introducing him alongside his achievements. Mark looked smart and drop dead gorgeous in the suit dress he had on, his features seemed to have gotten even finer and more toned since Ist saw him. His cheekbones were more prominent, his hair was slicked back neatly but as usual, there were still some errant strands in his face. Even through his suit jacket, his bulging biceps were prominent as he sat in the seat with the confidence of ten gods, a small smile directed at the camera.


    The host started to ask him questions, first it was about GT Group which he confidently boasted about the rising value of its stock. Then the host threw random questions at him. His responses were articte and insightful as he bewitched the audience with his charm and intelligence, eliciting unending cheers and apuse from them.


    I raised an impressed brow and raised my hand to give him a thumbs up. "Impressive," I muttered.


    "He just had to be an asshole to you." I heard Grace murmured but I paid no heed to her.


    There was no doubt that his outstanding performance during the interview would boost GT Group''s stock price to a whole new level, and my five percent shares would increase in value as well. For the first time, I was grateful to Mark for not agreeing to buy the shares when I suggested it. I could already see the dividend from the shares being a whole new source of ie for me. Then I found myself musing on the idea of buying more if their stocks before the prices skyrocketed like he said.


    Grace leaned on me and pulled me out of my thoughts. She rested her head on my shoulder and held my arm. She jutted her lower lip out, "Why don''t you be my sugar mommy? Please, be my sugar mommy, I don''t want to work anymore, I want to live a life of daily splurge."


    Iughed and gently pushed Grace away, "Get off me, you gold digger. My savings wouldn''t live to see the day with your splurging." Amidst her light giggles, I pointed at Mark on the TV, "His would. He would not even feel like a penny was dropping from his ount."


    Jokingly, Grace gasped and sat up. "I have the perfect idea. I should marry him too and then file fir a divorce divorce, then I could also get five percent of the shares, right?"


    Iughed, "Good idea. I''ll introduce him to you as soon as you would like. In fact you could get thirty-two percent shares."This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Grace threw her head back as she guffawed, I could help but join her. "Or maybe I would even get thepany and take over."


    "Oh no," I yed along, "You can just make their family name yours."


    The ring of my phone interrupted our yful banter. I peered at the caller''s ID and my smile dimmed.


    I was d that she was calling but why? I quickly grabbed the remote from Grace''s side and muted the TV again. I didn''t want Doris to hear that I was watching a news Mark featured in. She might misunderstand the whole situation and think I still have feelings for her grandson.

 Chapter 0089

    "Good evening, Grandma," I said into ue phone after I picked up the call. I tried to sound as casual as possible but I was dying to know why she called as the pleasantries seemed to stretch.


    "How have you been, child? It''s been quite a while," her familiar shrill voice filled the speaker of the phone.


    "I''ve been good, Grandma. How are you?"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "I am fine, Sydney. So I called you to personally invite you to my birthday banquet that is happening on Sunday."


    I released a breath I didn''t know I was holding.


    "You see, Grandma, "I started, unsure how to delicately break it to her. "You know I''m now divorced from Mark. I don''t think it''s appropriate for me to attend the family''s intimate asions like this one." "What nonsense. You''re family, you will always be family to me."


    My heart warmed at her deration and I sniffed but I still intended to stand my ground. "I know, Grandma but... How about I celebrate with you privately? Just you and me." I nced at Grace who seemed to be fully absorbed in our conversation. "Maybe with my friend too."


    "No, Sydney."


    I sighed, Grandma Doris had always been the type that always got whatever she wanted.


    "You will attend my birthday banquet because I want you to. Besides," the pitch if her voice lowered and she sounded slightly dejected, tely, I feel. my health deteriorating. I don''t want to postpone meetings because I don''t know how long I have left..."


    She trailed off and my heart reached out to her. I quickly interrupted her when she was about to start talking again. "Grandma, please no. Stop. saying that. You are very healthy and you will live long with the lot of us. I will attend your birthday banquet if it''s what you want. You will see me on


    125 DOM


    Sunday."


    1 could hear the smile in her voice and the tone she adopted when sheined about her health was instantly thrown out the window as she chirped. "You muste. Apart from m thday banquet that you will be attending. I have a guy I want to introduo you," Grace and I raised our brows, a small smile on our lips as Doris sighed, "Oh Sydney. He is so handsome and smart..I''m sure you''d like him.


    I giggled, "Is this matchmaking I smell, Doris?"


    "What? No," She said in an exaggerated tone, "Nothing like that. I just would like you to meet a smart man and that''s all."


    "Of course, that''s all," I giggled.


    She scoffed and said in a yfully stern tone, "Stop giggling, girl," then she hung up.


    I shook my head, a small smile on my lips. ¡°Doris will always be Doris," I muttered as I stared at the phone. I wish the rest were just like her.


    Grace wiggled her brows, "There''s a handsome man, huh?" Then she reached out and lightly tickled me.


    I pushed her off me as I spasmed fromughter. "Please, stop it...go away," I said amidstughter.


    She finally let go. She pped her hands. "I will design the best dress for your


    I caught her off with an endearingugh, "Grace, rx, you don''t have to design a dress for every of our outings. Save those designs for our well paying clients."


    She rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Even if I don''t design a dress for you, I will dress you up for the event. The moment you step in there, you will turn heads


    "It''s just an elderlydy''s birthday party. It''s no big deal," ughed as I went back toy down on the couch.


    Grace continued as if she hadn''t heard the, "You will look so good that the man she wants to introduce you to will feel like the luckiest man to be introduced to such a stunning woman." "Rx, girl," I clutched my tummy as Iughed.


    "I mean it though. You will look your best at the party," she muttered with a soft smile theny down beside me, her hands going around my midriff. "So now that there is going to be a handsome man," she wiggled her brows but I could tell that she was being serious. "Seems like someone might begin a new romance soon."


    I smiled softly as I thought about it. Maybe. It was time to not just move on but move on to another man. I let my shoulders go up in a small shrug as responded with a smile, "I hope so."

 Chapter 0090

    I folded my lips, resisting the urge to let out a groan as Grace added finishing touches to my make up. She had been adding finishing touches to my make up and dress for the past hour. "Grace."I groaned, unable to keep mute anymore. "What are you still doing?!


    "Finishing touches."


    "Finishing touches."


    We said at the same time and Grace burst outughing. "Rx. Didn''t you say you wanted to gote. I''m making good use of yourteness"Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, I wanted to go Kate but now I''m way toote. I bet the event would have ended by now."


    Grandma Doris sent me the invite and it was well past the time stated there. I was now three hourste.


    "You''re taking so long on this makeup, I don''t want it to be heavy. What if it rains? To be honest, my butt was already hurting and it felt sore from sitting on the stool, even though it was cushioned. "It isn''t heavy and it won''t rain," she muttered absentmindedly.


    "Grace" she interrupted me.


    ''Finally done." Grace drew back and smiled at her handiwork, "Now you can stop squirming and groaning," she met out a smallugh.


    I huffed as I stood up from the chair. I pulled up the song flowy gown Grace made me wear and marched to the mirror. My lips parted as I stared at myself in the mirror. Saying I looked stunning was an understatement.


    Surprisingly, the make-up she spent so much time on didn''t look like it. It looked like there was barely anything on my face.


    I turned to find Grace smirking at me. You like what you see, don''t you?"


    Then she walked up to me and smoothed back a strand of hair that had fallen from the messy yet elegant updo she had styled my hair into. Even though the updo looked messy, she had taken a long time styling it. Even to look like you aren''t trying, you have to try.


    "I told you it will all be worth it," she looked at me, a soft smile on her lips.


    "What did you spend the whole time doing" I marveled as I looked at myself in the mirror again. There''s barely anything on my face"


    Her lips lifted in a lopsided grin, "That''s the magic. Then she handed me my purse and the wrapped gift I had gotten for Grandma Doris. "Now you should get going before the event actually ends." She walked me up to the door and held my purse and the gift for me as I put on my heels


    "Have fun, love" Grace waved at me as pulled my car out of the driveway.


    "Sure." I answered and blew her a kiss which she returned. I could still see


    her in the side mirror for a while before she finally went inside the house.


    I had intentionally intended to gote to the party, hoping that I wouldn''t have to spend much time. Besides, by then, lots of guests would have arrived so the likes of Mark and Dora that I didn''t want to have any contact with during the party would be busy entertaining the guests or being entertained by them. So I would easily be able to bypass them, go directly to Doris, wish her a happy birthday as I give her the gift I got for her and perhaps meet the man Doris wants to introduce me to then I would leave. Simple


    I nced at my phone. I had thought that Doris would call and clearly express her displeasure at my impuntuality but there''s been no word from


    her.


    I rxed a bit when I got into the vicinity of the Torres'' mansion. There were luxurious cars scattered about because the parking lot was filled to the brim with cars. It could only mean one thing, the party must still be in full swing.


    I found a good spot to park my car and made my way to their enormous and beautiful courtyard.


    I decided to take a detour and pass through the garden. There I could easily spot everyone at the party. I would find Doris, Mark and Dora from the crowd and know how to bypass them all and get directly to the person that brought me here.


    However, unfortunately, as I was quietly passing through the garden, I was halted by the sound of people speaking in agitated hushed tones.


    I tipped my head back and groaned. "Why did they have to have their argument on the path I had hoped to take?" I whispered as I asked myself.


    I decided to walk a bit closer to see who they were. Perhaps, they were people that didn''t know me and I could just pass them.


    But on a closer look, I saw that it was Mark and Be. Be''s response to whatever Mark had said drifted to me.


    "Mark, don''t you love me anymore? Why have you been so cold to metely? You don''t even answer my calls," Be was crying. She was actually crying. Her voice was quivering as she spoke.


    My curiosity piqued and my feet stayed rooted to the spot. What could have made Be, the carrier of a stone heart, cry?


    "We stay in the same house, why do I need to answer your calls again?" Mark let out in a frustrated tone.


    I raised my brows mockingly. He doesn''t sound or look like the lovesick man I divorced. The angry gaze he casted on Be didn''t look like she was his world anymore..


    "True," Be sniffed, "You''re right, we live together but you''re barely at home, Mark. You''re always working. Tons of meetings and interviews that I never


    see you anymore."


    "I''m d you know I''m always working. Mark burst out, "I''m busy working. my world does not and can not revolve around you. So forgive me, your royal highness, if you feel neglected but I cannot sit at home with you and rub your belly when I should be making money." Mark responded coldly and sarcastically.

 Chapter 0091

    Be took a few steps back. Then she muttered in a small voice that I almost didn''t hear her, "Mark...."


    Mark turned to her, his eyes eying her from head to toe like she was dirt trapped under his feet. "Besides, Why are you here?"


    "Grandma Doris'' birthday. I''m here-" she stuttered and Mark saved her the stress by interrupting her.


    "You know she doesn''t like you. It''s why she didn''t invite you to her this party. If she finds out you sneaked in, she''s going to be very angry. You know that so you better leave."


    Be cried resentfully, "No, I''m going to marry you in the future. We will soon. wed and be man and wife, I''m her future granddaughter-inw. Shel won''t be angry that I came to celebrate her birthday with her."


    Mark looked stunned, he remained silent as he looked at Be. Then he slowly spoke up, "What are you talking about? Grandma would never allow me to marry you. She dislikes you, how much more obvious does she need to make it?"


    Be sobbed, "Why can Sydney marry you and I can not? Besides, I was your rightful wife. We were in love and you were going to marry me originally, but that bitch, Sydney, took the chance that was supposed to be mine. She greedily took my ce in your life?"


    How far can this girl lie and pretend? I wondered briefly.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    Mark shook his head, saying coldly, "Yes, Be. You once had the chance to marry me and be my wife but you missed it. You threw it away."


    "What do you mean I threw it away? I was sick!" Her voice rose a little, "What could I have done? Have us have our wedding in a fucking hospital room?"


    Mark scoffed and shook his head then he looked away from her.


    When he didn''t say anything, Be spoke up again, "So what does me carrying your child means now? Is this some kind of surrogacy?" Her


    shoulders shook as her sobs got louder.


    "Be, this child was unexpected. We didn''t n it. You know that. You insisted on keeping it and I let you. It doesn''t mean I have to get married to you and it would not change my Grandma''s mind about you. Be shook her head, "How can you say this to me, Mark? How can you?! I told you what the doctor said. I have a heart condition, I can''t have an abortion!" Be choked up.


    Mark looked at her indifferently and said, with his brows raised, "Is that so? Your body is weak and you might not be able to carry a child in your womb again. Yes, Be, I remember very vividly." "You... you jerk!" Be erupted then she ran out of the garden, crying.


    I blinked and took a deep breath. Woah That was a lot. I mean I expected it but I didn''t think things would get this way this fast.


    But still, I wanted to smack myself for eavesdropping. I should have left immediately when I realized that it was them. Instead I had ended up overhearing an intimate argument between the very people I was trying to avoid.


    I slowly backed away, nning to leave quietly a d just make my way to Doris through the crowd. As long as Mark remained here, and Be was somewhere crying her heart out, I only had to watch out for Dora


    As I moved past the delicately trimmed shrubs and turned the bend there, I came to an abrupt stop before I collided with Mark. There he was before me, his arms folded across his chest. He had a smirk on his face as he took me


    1. in.


    He raised his gaze to mine. "A thief?" He chuckled, "What did you steal?"


    Embarrassed that he might have caught me eavesdropping on his conversation with Be, I raised the gift in my hand and foolishly


    stammered, "This is a birthday gift for Doris. I didn''t steal a thing I quickly stepped by him, "Now if you would excuse me, I want to go in search of the birthday girl."


    The moment I turned my back and walked away, I quickened my steps, my gaze darting here and there in search of Grandma.


    I groaned inwardly when I felt someone fall into step with me. It was Mark. Just as he was about to say something, Doris spotted us.


    She grinned widely as she waved at me, "Sydney,e here." She pulled me in for a hug.


    "Happy birthday, Doris," I hugged her back.


    "Yeah, thank you. We''ll get to thatter. You''re just on time." Then her gaze swept past me and she gestured to something behind me. "This is Lucas. The handsome guy I was telling you about."


    Oh..


    Grandma literally turned me to face the man behind me. When I steadied. myself and looked up, my heart skipped a bit.


    There he was, his pockets dug in his pant''s pocket and that familiar smile. that I loved so much on his lips. But as his eyes took me in, his smile also. faltered and his eyes widened.


    It seemed neither of us could utter a word as we stared at each other. How did the name not even ring a bell when Doris had mentioned it?


    Right before me, hale and hearty, stood my only teenage crush who suddenly disappeared years ago.

 Chapter 0092

    After the first time I was adopted, my guardians and foster homes became a blur of faces and ces. Each family I went into always mistreated me and I was lucky to be smart enough to always be able to escape. It was like a whirlwind of being scolded and punished by the orphanage officials for either misbehaving with my foster parents or running from my foster home and then before I knew what was happening, I was being adopted again and thrown into another bitter family. Having a sweet quaint family just hadn''t been something I was lucky with.


    Eventually, the officials got fed up with giving me out since I was bound to return or be returned so they just left me there. Even if anyone said they wanted me, they would shake their heads and say, "Sorry, that one isn''t up for grabs."


    I personally preferred life in the orphanage too. Apart from the poor food- oh. The food could be so terrible and the harsh environment, there was nothing particrly bad about staying at the orphanage. Atleast, to me. It was better than staying in homes where I either get yelled at for something did not do or get hit just because my foster parents had a bad day and since there was no other way to vent out their anger, they would assume their adopted daughter was patiently waiting for them to take out their anger and frustration on her.


    In the orphanage, my life was austere and boring and quiet and 1 liked it like that. I liked the serenity. I liked theck of chaos.


    I lived in an orphanage until I was twelve years old. I had been living a pretty simple unattached life until a new family moved to the Vi next to the orphanage home.


    It had been another day of terrible and insufficient breakfast. Still I struggled to get a te but by the time I was able to stretch my te to the servers, she passed me and the other kids behind me a sympathetic look that said'' sorry, you would have to be smarter during lunch."


    It was not the first time I was given that look. It wasn''t the second time either. I had gotten used to it and I had also always been okay with waiting.


    bill the next meal. But that day was differt. The previous night, I had given


    more than half of my meal to the little gif that was just brought to the orphanage weeks ago because she was unable to get lunch and breakfast


    Rumors had it that her not parents died in a car crash and she was the only Surviving one. But for weeks no rtive came to dair her Since she couldn''t live in the hospita, she had to be gotten out of the way. Obviously, this poor girl wasn''t used to fighting her way through hungry kids to get her te filed so she always gorpushed out of the wayN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    With barely my tummy rumbling and zero strength left in me scrambled to aer with my empty te


    I had been sitting close to a window upstairs and I could look into thepound of the vile next to us kect seen the maids in the vi bring out food to throw away. The shocking thing was that most of the food looked perfectly okay to me.


    My body trembled and my forehead dripped with perspiration as I made my way downstairs and stuck out of the orphanage home. My only focus was getting food in my tummy as scaled the fine tall shrubs of the vi and emerged in their backyard where the backdoor was located


    I made sure no one was looking at me through the window I had exted before I ced my ear on the door to listen for focestecs. At first there were footsteps and voices andughter but they soon crited away 1 pulled at the door and as I would have it the door was miraculously unlocked. The aroma of whatever meal hey had made wathed through my nose and made my tummy grumble even more I followed the aroma and thankfully found myself in the kitchen


    it was surprising how big the house was but what was more suprising was the kitchen. It was unbelievablyrge and food stuff was stocked in every part of the kitchen shat for a second there my hunger disappeared and I was stuck as to where to start from

 Chapter 0093

    That moment didn''tst long before I started to stuff my face with food. The food tasted like heavenpared to the trash we were fed at the


    orphanage and my greedy tummy rumbled even more.


    There was a properly prepared meal, there were fruits, vegetables, milk, wine, steak...name it. They had everything in that kitchen.


    "Who are you?"


    One of the half-eaten apples in my hand dropped and I froze. I slowly turned and came face to face with a curly haired boy in a wheeled chair. If he wasn''t my age then he would be a year or two older than


    me.


    Despite that my mouth was filled to the brim,I managed a smile and awkwardly raised my hand in the air. "Hi," I mumbled.


    The boy just stared at me then his gaze dropped to the apple in my hand. Embarrassed, I hid the apple behind me, my gaze trained on the wheels of his wheelchair.


    "I promise and I swear, I''m not-" I started but I was cut short when his chair moved. At first, my heart tightened in fear until he wheeled past me.


    "What''s he doing?" I wondered when I turned to him and found him opening the fridge. He grabbed a box of milk then he wheeled himself to the counter in the middle of theirrge kitchen and grabbed a fancy ss cup. He poured the milk in the cup until it was brimming with it. Then he opened at cab and brought out another set of cooked meals.


    As I watched him I was wowed at how much he could get done despitel being in a wheeled chair.


    He ced them on the counter, then he gestured to the seat directly before. the cup of milk and food. "Sit down and eat more." He asked so gently, it almost felt like he was pleading with me to eat.


    "I''m not a thief," was all I could croak out before I epted his offer and devoured the meal. I had badly wanted to refuse but I was still hungry and


    there was a very low chance that I would get dinner tantoon


    Aste he watched out for me When was done, he offered to clear the dishes and asked me to leave thon yns saught a walf that I was in the before anyone vi


    That day was the day my life changed When god back to the raphanage was an sated that i doqoped to my hood and and away till after shumer When I wake up, he was all I could thinho Flim and the delicious y


    Gradually, I started in ansat there whenever we hungry the told me to brock and that was all Hoad to do. He woulde and open the deed and would wat to my fill Sometimes even went back with a fout or vegetalde


    Later, Tatarted going there even when raat hungry i was just drawn to tum We assumed to empy reach dhera Gampong The Rochanged names, he was Lucas The god for lead that he old actually call for he did


    to one day when we were ying birds and Thord started theory and shoot


    shoulder and i turned to see Lucas behind me


    He was mostly always in his wheelchair pecanes he constantly got sick and


    Obviously, Luene family was wealthy fit bis parents were never around kis had two kind servants ands prouded with whatever he wanted and needed its used to be very lonely on Ennek is the kitchen. We had a meeting time and before I amived, he would have gotten his servante prepare my favorite every good meal was my favonts then and he would prepare all sorts of treats for me


    Tell like I was living a dream had shufer over my head, good setremely eufficient food and a fend any kid wat wish for Lucas was patient and einert and kind Despite his health stab he always seemed happy He taught me a lot of things I learned how to y chess from him, he taught me how to y the ns. He would often take me inter their private Wheat/


    that made me feel smart like Luse Then he noticed that i was mors kes


    on books that talked about designs, mostly jewelry designs.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0094

    He asked me about it and that was when I found out that I actually like jewelry design. Then he got me more books rted to it.


    Over the years, as we aged older, Lucas grew into an intelligent young man and I found myself seeing him as more than just a friend then I would unconsciously catch myself fussing over my looks. I looked forward to seeing him and spending time with him everyday.


    By the time I turned sixteen, I was pretty sure I was in love with him and he was into me too - I just wasn''t sure how much. At seventeen, Lucas and I shared our first kiss beneath the bookshelf that was filled with the books about jewelry design that he had got me over the years.


    We were a happy little couple for a while until Lucas'' health began to deteriorate. He was always losing consciousness and I got to see him less and less with each passing day.


    Whenever he was rushed to the hospital, I would go to see him. The moment he regained consciousness and his gaze fell on me, he would smile and his first words would always be, "It''s alright


    I would always nod but I knew it wasn''t alright. My heart hurt for him and I felt helpless because there was nothing I could do to help or take his pain away.


    One day, he lost consciousness again and was rushed to the hospital for the umpteenth time that week. Lucas'' caretakers stopped anyone from seeing him (his parents werete, I''dter discovered). No matter how much ! begged and cried, the security never allowed me to see him.


    I went back to the orphanage, crying. The next day, I was told that someone was looking for me. It turned out to be one of his servants. With a grim smile, she handed me a miniscule box and said, "he left this." I had gone ballistic. "What do you mean he left this? Where''s Lucas?!"


    But she only smiled and left.


    That night, I stayed up crying my go to Lucas and he will give me


    When I got to the Vi l?ter that night


    Tel


    fused to open the box will


    ,,Whimself" were care thoughtsProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    knocked and yelled but no one


    answered the door I pushed at the doors, they didn''t even budge


    It felt like I was in a nightmare as 1 slumped before the front door and west That night, I cpened the box Inside the box was a letter revealing the identity of my biological parents and how I would find them. There was also a check with enough bnce for me to lefortabity for a long time.


    I searched the box, hoping there was, atleast a note from Lucas telling me what happened or when he''d be back but there was nothing. Just like that my friend and love was gone.


    I left the orphanage with the box. I didn''t want to go straight to my parents. stil hoped that I would find Lucas and we would go together like we''ve joked many times. So errolec in a university to study jewelry design Aber I got my degree and finished my marship folowed the actress Lucas gave and went in search of my parents on to fall into an arrangedc mamage to a man I barely knew


    Ast took in Lucas features now, the memories racked me and fet mysef swallow a sob. His curly hair that I loved to tangle my fingers around were gone. He looked many and handsome but I could still see the Lucas I loved and grew up with underneath what all the years that had passed had changed in his features


    To make peace with myself, I had assumed that he had died yet here he was in fiest and blood


    "Lucas... my throat tightened, my voice choked with unbridled emotions


    "Sydney"


    Hearing his voice again, just as I remembered freed the caged ears and let them slide down my cheeks as rusted forward and hugged him ontw his hands instantly wrapped around me

 Chapter 0095

    MARK''S POV


    My jaw tightened and I felt my hands trembling by my side before they clenched into fists when I saw the man wrap his arms around Sydney and hugged her tightly.


    Without thinking, I strode forward, burning with jealousy and pulled Sydney away from the man. Immediately Sydney was out of the way, I connected my first with the man''s face. The bastard staggered back, his hands going to his face.


    "What the hell, Mark?" I heard Sydney yell behind me but that didn''t stop me I covered the space between us and dealt him another blow to the face. This time, as he staggered back, he fell to the floor. "Mark! Get off him this minute," that was Grandma but I was unstoppable.


    I straddled him and swung my fists in his face again. Who did he think he was to just waltz out of nowhere and hold Sydney like that?


    As I pulled my arm back to hit him again, his palm cupped my fist. His bleeding mouth opened and he spat out the most infuriating words I think I would hear that night.


    "Stop while I''m still asking."


    The audacity! I was about to hit him again when I found myself falling to the ground beside the man. Sydney pushed me.


    I watched as she helped the man up. She red at me, "Are you insane? Why did you do that?!"


    By now, a small crowd had already formed around us. I grinded my teeth and got up from the floor. "How daft are you?" I erupted, "He was taking advantage of you and you let him. Didn''t you notice?" "You are the daft one here, idiot. How can he take advantage of me in front of everyone? Does that even make sense?"


    "It doesn''t need to make sense before you know that he just wants to take advantage of you!"


    Sydney''s brows creased in anger and confusion but all in all, the gaze shel directed at me was filled with disdain and contempt, "What arrant rubbish are you spouting? I have k 1 this man for years! Long before I marriedN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    you. There is no way he would ever harm me."


    I felt my heart squeeze tight and my senses clouded with jealousy. "So what? Is this some fucking reunion or my grandma''s birthday?" Even I could tell that my words dripped with bitterness.


    I couldn''t help but feel the sting that came with losing Sydney. I knew I had lost her but I would still fight for her...I would plead for her forgiveness, for


    her love.


    During our marriage,I could always feel her adoring looks but I chose to ignore them and cast her aside because I knew she had grown to love me and would not leave no matter how much I hurt her. Atleast, that was what I thought.


    Even though we are officially divorced, I knew there was still that dim fire alight in her for me. All I had to do was make it burn brighter and more ferociously. I believed there was still a chance for reconciliation.


    I swept my gaze over the man she had apparently met before me. Even as his face was a telltale that he had been hit, it pained me to admit that he was good looking. If his pictures should get out, it wouldn''t be long before. the ever judging public will start topare us.


    For a moment, as I watched Sydney dust the man''s clothes, tantly. ignoring my words and my existence, I wondered if she had stuck with me and let me treat her unfairly because I was...a substitute to the man she really yearned for?


    I shook my head, refusing to delve deeper into it. I had never been a substitute and I would never.


    I didn''t know what prompted me - maybe it was the way Sydney stuck to him like he was some breakable egg- but I found myself swinging my fist at him.


    Warm biks


    again


    The man dodged the blow by quickly taking a couple of steps hack, taking Sydney with him.


    As I took a step closer, Grandma Doris got in my way. She pped me on my arm and for an aged woman, her ps still hurt. "Stop this nonsense and apologize to your uncle!"


    I could have easily pushed her out of my way but her words cleared the rage in my eyes and left me frozen to the spot


    My uncle? I had never heard of having an uncle. Never ever. Not even once. So where did this uncle incarnate from?


    I scoffed, "Uncle, you say?" Then I burst outughing, "I never knew I had a fucking uncle!"


    The next second, Grandma Doris struck my mouth with her cane. I red at her and she returned my re with equal fervor. "Language!" She scolded sternly.


    Reflectively my fingers went to my lips. My gaze shifted from Grandma Doris to Sydney and leg damned man. "What in the world is going on?" I demanded hotly.


    The man stepped forward, Sydney still stuck to his side. He calmly studied me. Then he finally spoke up, "I am your grandfather''s youngest son. I was sent away when you were very young. There is no way you would have remembered me. I don''t me you."


    Then he stretched out his hand for a handshake. He smiled politely, "Let''s get reacquainted, Mark. I am Lucas, your uncle."


    I angrily pped his hands away from my sight. "I''m not asking who you are, asshole. And I don''t want to get acquainted or reacquainted with you. I''m asking what''s going on between you and Sydney?" Grandma Doris hit me on the back of my thigh with her cane again. I closed my eyes and swore, I swear if she hit me again, I would not care that she was my favorite family member, I would snatch that cane from her and


    break it.


    "What do you mean what''s going on?" She mocked in a stern and firm tone."n''t it obvious, dummy2" She half turned to them, gesturing from one of them to the other, "I wanted to introduce Lucas to Sydney, and it turns out. that they knew each other before,n''t that a match made in heaven?"


    "What stupid match?!" I angrily retorted, "Didn''t you just say he was my uncle? How can my uncle be a match made in heaven for my ex-wife?!"


    Doris coldly responded, "Whether you find it stupid or not is none of my concem," her gaze briefly swept around, "Infact, it''s nobody''s business. Sydney is a wonderful girl. Since you have refused to appreciate her, naturally someone else has to. Now move!" Her cane swung forward again. but I was able to elude its hit.


    Hourster, I paced around in my bedroom in my family''s home. I couldn''t bring myself to calm down or stop thinking about Sydney and that irritable. uncle together.


    Unable to contain it any longer, I snatched my phone from the bed. I swallowed my pride and dialed Sydney''s number, I was told that the line was unavable. I gritted my teeth as I dialed her number again, desperately and angrily hoping it wasn''t what I thought.


    When the machine voice spoke up again that the line was unavable, I furiously threw my phone to the marble floor. She has blocked me again. Due to the force with which I threw the phone, its screen shattered into unidentifiable shards of sses just like my shattered marriage to Sydney.

 Chapter 0096

    Sydney, you really looks like a love tesnager, Grace tensed as she walked into the living robe with a bowl bled with atrawbernes, munching on we of themProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "I don''t know, Grace," I spinned my phos between my fingertips, my lips matting out in weny, "Should Leall him? Should I call him?


    After the wide bruhaha with Marks and Lucas at the party, my time to puanly reunite with I nens had been short He had opted to drop me off at my tes but he seemed to be in a ludry. But he made sure we exchanged phons faunders bastore he hurtedly dres off And since then, I haven''t been able to get him coiled my mind en my head. I have been unable to Concentrate on week because Lucas was all I could think about.


    Grace rolled her eyes to the calling as she took a seat on this bean bay that had reced the tables in the condelle of the room. She stretched the bowl of strawberries toward me, "Want some she briefly closed her eyes and eighed dramatically, "They''re really jue


    Falood my head and she tutted in disapproval. "You''re rejecting good food just be your can''t stop worrying if you should call your long lost crush that you''ve just reunited with Just call m, babe Why else did you guys pechange contacts on the first ce?"


    "But he hasn''t called mus! I threw my hands on the couch and faced a cry. I dug my fingers in my hair again had been doing that since I''ve been


    enl


    deliberating on whether to call him or not Right now, as Carnce had teased ms a lot of times, my hair was a mess on top of my head, and not a beautiful mom like the messy bun look to bens birthday party. In Grace''s words, my hair was now a luxurious bird''s nest.


    Grace nced my way then her face shifted up to my hair and she bursted out withughter "God, the sight of your hair keeps cracking me up," when ! red at her she covered her mouth to by and stop herself fromughing." Sorry, I just can''t stop seeing birds nursing the eggs in it." Then she erupted in another fit of gluuless


    trolled my eyes then I let my shoulders droop and my pout deepened. "Don''t make fun of me," I said in resignation then I turned to her with a smirk, "Have you forgotten your own heartach


    took ice cream like it was water"


    She made a face at me and threw a half eaten strawbeny my way. I caught it urately and popped it into my mouth


    "I knew you were going to mention that She shrugged, "But before Mr Rightes along, we always have to meet one or two jerks and maybe even mistake them for Mr Right, right? Just let those guys go like fart and that''s what I have done."


    I could not hold back myughter. "Brilliant analogy, ma''am." I got on my feet "Now can you let me go like fart too?" I looked out the window. "The weather is so nice today, and I am sure the flowers in the park will be blooming. One of the perfect spots for inspiration and turns out that I need to find some design inspiration. No matter how lovesick I am, I can''t neglect my work, can 17


    Since Lucas wasn''t calling and I couldn''t bring myself to call him, I should perhaps make good use of my time instead of sulking like a baby.


    ce smiled and nodded. "I like that attitude. Go on, what are you waiting for? Go create design that would yield millions!" She pumped her fist in the


    air.


    Iughed lightly. "It''s always money for you."


    "Hey, I love my job!" Grace hollered after me as I made my way to my room to get changed.


    I put on a short red sundress, thoroughlybed and oiled my hair then t packed it back into a high and tight ponytail. I put on a white light-weight sneakers. Then I grabbed a backpack and stuffed it with my sketch papers pens, lipgloss and a bottle of water. I stung it over one of my shoulder and left the room.


    "M''kay, I''m off. I hollered out to Grace who now had her head buried in another fashion magazine.


    "Hmm, you look cute."


    "Thank you," I called out as I stepped out of the house.


    The walk to the park wasn''t a long one. Just a few miles from the estate. houses. As I walked there, my earpods plugged in my ears, I tried to put Lucas out of my mind. I concentrated on the Billie Eillish songs that I had out on shuffle and the nature that surrounded me.


    I took a light calming stroll around the park for a while before choosing a bench that wasn''t upied to sit on.


    I ced my backpack on myp and closed my eyes. The sounds of birds chirping in the distance, the gentle blow of the breeze and the sound of kids. giggling and muffled conversation swirled around me as I Inhaled the earthy smell of the fresh and damp grass.

 Chapter 0097

    I opened my eyes with a smile my inspiration and creative j My brows furrowed in concentration as sketched down the ideas I was getting. In between, I would grab my bottle of water and take a refreshing sip then I would stretch my arm forward and hold out the design i had sketched on the paper before me and squint at what I had created.


    one were thoughts of Lucas and back were brought out my sketch papers and pen.


    As usual, they looked intentional, not as if I had just quickly scribbled some cheap design on paper.


    By the time I got out of my creative world and nced around me, it was already getting dark and there were now very few people around. I packed up, carefully arranging my used sketch papers in my backpack. I ced it beside me then I picked up my bottle and took another swig from it and ced it on the other side of me.


    I removed my shoes and wiggled my toes, a break from the confines of the sneakers then I put them back on and tied the ropes. I stood up and stretched my limbs, letting out a content sigh.


    I turned to carry my backpack and head home but was taken aback to see the seat empty, save for my bottle of water. Confused, I looked up and my eyes bulged when I saw someone briskly walk away with my bag.


    "Damned thief!" I screamed, "Give back my bag!" I grabbed my bottle and immediately sprinted after him when he picked a race on hearing my shout. Thank God for the sneakers I had chosen to wear, I was quickly closing in on him. "Stop right there, you thief!"


    The thief suddenly picked up pace and I found myself far behind. I hauled the bottle water in my hand at him but it missed him, falling on the floor several feet away from where he was.


    I quickened my steps too but not for long. My thighs started to hurt and slowed down, eventuallying to a halt. I sucked in air, trying to catch my breath as I bent over and clutched my knees with my hands. I looked ahead and helplessly watched the thief''s back as he turned to his


    +25 BOWE


    left and disappeared around theer


    sense of loss coursed through me.


    I dropped my head in defeat and a y If only I hadn''t put my designs in there yet.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    I suddenly sprang up as a loud bell resounded in my head. My phone! Damnit! My phone was also in the bag. I felt like crying. I couldn''t believe I just lost my phone and recent designs to a petty thief. "Shit!" I furiously undid my ponytail in frustration and ran my fingers through


    1. it.


    Suddenly, I heard a honk as a sports car stopped beside me. I frowned at it as the tinted window rolled down. I raised my brows as Luigi''s face came to view. He shed me a smile and winked, "Get in, I''ll help you chase the thief."


    I


    I briefly wondered how he knew I was chasing a thief but it didn''t matter. Without hesitation, I rushed forward and opened the back door. I let out a yelp as I turned after closing the car door behind me. There was someone else in the car but I wouldn''t be staring in awe and shock if it was some random stranger I had never seen before.


    Right beside me on the car seat was the least man I expected to see Luigi hanging out with. There was a dazzling smile on his lips as he looked back.


    at me.


    I blinked and pulled myself out of my shocked state. "Lucas..." I breathed.


    What was he doing here? And why was he with Luig...


    My thoughts trailed off as everything began to click together. My eyes widened as my gaze flitted between Luigi and Lucas. I felt like I had justpleted a tasking puzzle.


    "So, you were the one that sent Luigi to protect me?!" I blurted out.


    Lucas nodded with a smile. Then he started to lean over and I held my breath. I almost pouted in disappointment as his head dropped and he fastened my seatbelt in swift motion then he sat back. "Sit tight, Luigi drives. fast."


    I felt my face burn hot as I looked away from Lucas. Gosh, what was I thinking?


    I looked up and my eyes shed with Luigi''s teasing gaze. I instinctively raised my middle finger at him. Embarrassment washed over me as I was suddenly aware of Lucas'' gaze on me then I folded my lips as I slowly lowered my hand.


    "Drive, Luigi, we''ve lost sight of the thief! We need to catch him!" I said irritably to him, yet I dared not to look at Lucas.

 Chapter 0098

    The tire of the car screeched against the floor as it suddenly sped into the moonlit night. Luigi drove fast but roughly. The ride was bumpy and the three of us in the car kept bouncing in our seats.


    If Lucas had not tightened my seatbelt, my surest bet was that I would have somehow flown out of the open window.


    "Luigi, gosh, can you slow down!" I yelled, tightly grasping the edge of myThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    seat


    Luigi''s shoulders shook as he chuckled from the front seat. "Of course not." He briefly nced back, "I used to be a race car driver for F4. If I drove slowly like a grandma, my friends wouldugh at me and I would lose the race. Don''t worry, just hold on tight. By maintaining this speed, I would make sure we catch that thief!"


    Then he took a sharp turn with a drift and despite the seatbelt, we all


    swayed to the side and I uncontrobly fell into Lucas''s arms. My face reddened even more as I remained in his arms since Luigi still seemed to be making a wild turn.


    I thought of our limited time together at the party and realized that this was a perfect opportunity to bond with him. If only I had known that the handsome and smart man Doris wanted to introduce me to was my childhood crush, I would have gotten there early. We had hardly spoken a few words before we both had to leave


    Even though we were extremely happy to see eachother again after so many years, there was this awkwardness between us. After so many years apart, meeting again felt like we were strangers who were meeting for the first time and there was also the added difort that I was his nephew''s ex-wife. How were they even rted, I thought frustratedly.


    I guess it was one of the vague reasons why our ride back to my ce after the party was awkwardly silent and it was also why I had hesitated to call him even though I looked forward to meeting him and spending time with him. We would both be at a loss for words to say or stuff to talk about it


    wasn''t like we would begin to talk about the weather or how wide the park


    was.


    The smell of his sweetly intoxicating cologne suddenly wafted into my nose. I frowned, it smelt familiar. I smiled slightly when I realized why it smelt so familiar. It was the same fragrance he always wore when he was younger. Then, I loved it so much that I used to sniff him and he would just smile and shake his head at my silliness.


    I looked up when the car started to feel like it was moving in a normal state. My eyes widened a fraction when I came face to face with Lucas. That was when I registered how close I was to him. I was clutching his shoulders, my hair sprawled over my hands on his shoulders. His hand was firmly ced on my upper back, the warmth of his hand seeped through the flimsy material of my dress and I felt goosebumps on my skin.


    "Are you okay?" His brows were creased as he looked down at me with concern, his focused gaze made me feel safe and protected. Nevertheless, myshes fluttered down shyly.


    "I''m fine," I shook my head as I murmured softly and looked away from him. Then I awkwardly extricated myself from his hold. My hands slid down his chest and he seemed reluctant as he removed his hand from my back.


    When I was at a safe distance and safely tucked in my seat, my eyes raked his face searching for any sign of difort, "Are okay too? Are you hurt?" I rushed out instinctively as memories of how easily he used to get hurt racked me.


    He smiled softly. "Rx, I''m fine. You''re the one who fell. We should worry about you."


    "Oh okay," I muttered and turned away, embarrassed. Then I turned to Luigi and red at him. He was the cause of this heightened awkwardness in the first ce. "Maybe I should just forget about my bag," I bit out. "I''m afraid we will all die in this car before we are able to catch the thief."


    Luigi''s brows furrowed and he wore an angry face. "Miss Sydney! That''s an insult to my person."


    Chapter on


    I opened my mouth to give him a befitting response instead I let out a surprised gasp as he took yet another sharp turn, cutting through a shortcut. that clearly was not meant for cars.


    "Luigi!" I screamed as he came to an abrupt halt and almost sent us ramming into the car''s front mirror only to speedily reverse the car back. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched the edge of my seat, my mind reeling with chaotic thoughts. Is this how I was going to die? I had never imagined that I would die in an intentional car ident.

 Chapter 0099

    opened my eyes when a deepughter filled the air, giving me a mushy feeling I turned to the person who made the sound. "Don''t be afraid, Sydney.


    Lucas said and even though he was notughing anymore,ughter danced in his eyes. "Luigi may drive roughly but believe me when I say he is an extremely good, experienced and talented driver. Nothing will happen. We will get your bag alive."


    I swallowed and shook my head but I kept my hold on the edge of the seat.


    He roughly wove the car through the dimly lit streets and dark alleys until we finally cornered the thief in a dark narrow alley, I wouldn''t have spotted the thief if it wasn''t for the car''s bright headlights. I was surprised how he had just cornered him like that but I was impressed and of course, happy that I would get back my belongings.


    The thief, unable to brake in time in his sprint, headed straight for the car in confusion


    My heart leaped to my throat and I clutched the edge of the seat tightly. I closed her eyes and braced myself for the impending collision. I felt bitter toward the thief but I wasn''t ready to see him uncontrobly ram himself


    into the car.


    I was thrown forward when the car came to an abrupt halt and immediately, there was a loud bang that shook the car I felt hands on me then I felt myself in Lucas warm and safe embrace I opened my eyes just in time to see Luigi jump out of the car through the window.


    The thief who must have managed to get back on his feet was already. limping back the direction he came. Luigi caught up to him in no time and snatched my bag from his hands.


    Luigi dragged the thief after him and sauntered toward the car. He shed me a confident smug grin and stretched his hand that held the bag into the car toward me.


    I raised my brows and bit out, "Thank you very much! I am d I am still alive to get my bag Then I snatched the bag from his hands.


    Him and Lucas erupted inughter aAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    outburst.


    I closed my eyes as the sides of the car scraped the walls as Luigi drove it out of the alley to the proper road for a car and called the police.


    As we waited I saw the front and sides of the car and I was ridden with guilt, it was badly damaged and I was sure that a lot would be spent to return the part that got damaged to its original state.


    "This all happened because of me," I sighed as I walked back to where I had been standing beside Lucas. I leaned against the car, my body tumed toward Lucas. I looked up at him, "Let me pay for the repairs."


    Lucas smiled softly and shook his head. "Not on my life." Then he turned to Luigi who sat, sprawled on the car''s hood, the thief in his grasp. Lucas dealt the both of them a yful re and gritted out, "Luigi and the thief should pay for the repairs!"


    The thief''s eyes widened as he turned to Lucas, his mouth opening and closing.


    We all burst outughing at his reaction. He must be wondering where he would get the money to fix such an expensive car.


    After we all sobered up, Lucas said to Luigi, "Contact the tow truck service. Have them get the car to the mechanic''s workshop."


    Then he turned to me with a soft smile. He tipped his head back and looked into the dark sky, "The moon is so beautiful tonight, isn''t it?" He looked at me and I gazed up at the lone half moon in the dark sky, shining bright despite the darkness that surrounded it. It was beautiful, I agreed within myself. When I turned back to him to tell him how beautiful the moon was, I found his gentle gaze on me and a smile danced across his lips.


    My face reddened and I unnecessarily tucked strands of hair behind my ear. It is," I managed out, "the moon is beautiful."


    He stretched his hand toward me and opened his palm, "How about we go for a walk?"

 Chapter 0100

    He swung our joined hands forward and backward as we wordlessly walked along the park, each of us to our own thoughts as we basked in theN?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    tranquility of the night.


    There was a light shining ahead and there seemed to be a lot of people there. I squinted at it. "Is that a truck? I muttered and briefly nced at Lucas who was also staring ahead. "I think so," Lucas answered with a feeble lift off his shoulders.


    As we got closer, it got clearer and I could not have stopped myself even if I wanted to as I screamed, "Ice cream!" I pointed at it and turned to Lucas who was now smiling. "Come on," I untangled my hands from his, "let''s go get."


    Without waiting for his response, I ran over to the singing truck. When I had screamed, some of the kids there had turned to me so as I rushed over there, they were still staring.


    I didn''t care one bit for the stares. Right now, I feel so much like their age. I was reminded of when Lucas and I used to take strolls when we were younger and then we would stop by an ice cream shop or bus, just like this one, and got two each for the both of us.


    "What vors would you like, ma''am?" The man selling the ice cream asked. My big grin faltered and I frowned. I turned back to Lucas, his gaze was on me as he waited behind the kids. He smiled, I returned his smile and faced the ice cream mon back.


    Lucas used to like the vani vor only but now? I wasn''t sure if he still fancied it but I got it nevertheless and I got the same for myself too. I didn''t exactly have a preference when ites to ice cream, as long as it is a well made Ice cream, then I''m down for it, no matter the vor.


    "Give me two servings of vani."


    The man nodded and started to reach for a small white stic container. I


    quickly stopped him, "No no, I want the two on the cone, please."


    He passed me a brief look then he nodded art to serving my orders.


    I paid him and happily walked over to Lucas. With a shy smile, I stretched my hand and handed his cone over to him.


    He bent in a little bow that got me giggling. "Thank you ma''am."


    We resumed our light stroll and somehow, our hands got entwined again. And it was just like old times; hand in hand as we silently devoured our ice


    creams


    My eyes searched the area for a bench as I suddenly started to worry. Back then, Lucas couldn''t walk for long. We usually timed him. If he walked for fifteen minutes straight, he mighte up with a fever before the end of the day but if he walked for eight minutes and took about a five to seven minute break, he would be fine.


    I wondered how long we''ve been walking since we left the car. I looked behind me and the car was not in view anymore. I felt panic bubble up my throat. No no. We must have been walking for over ten minutes now.


    I frantically resumed my search. I could not let Lucas get sick when we''ve just reunited. Just when I found a seat, Lucas pulled my hand to get my attention then he called out urgently, "Sydney!" When I looked up at him, I saw that his brows were furrowed and we had stopped walking. "Are you okay?"


    I frowned. "Ofcourse, I''m okay. Why do you ask?"


    "You looked worried and you were looking around frantically. I called your name and you didn''t answer. Even as we stopped walking you didn''t seem to notice."


    Wow, "Oh. I must have gotten lost in my thoughts. Sorry." I turned my head to look at the bench again and it was still unupied.


    "Let''s take a break... There''s a bench over there," I pointed to the bench for


    him to see.


    He singget. That''s what you want. But are you


    Meat, an. Im sorgo wome


    Me waker The stort sett nok a caring breath when we were inah seaRL


    West nee ir sience to a while her caught him eying the bag stung over my shouicer be asst a row, SeranersTM

 Chapter 0101

    I nodded slowly but I wondered how he had known what was in the bag." How did you know what''s in the bag?"


    He nodded toward the bag, "The zip is half open."


    I looked down at it and cussed, "Shit!" I quickly ced it on myp to crosscheck if anything fel from it. The zip must have opened when the thief was slugging it around or when Luigi snatched it from him.


    I felt Lucas'' eyes on me as I brought out the designs and checked them. I released a sigh of relief as they wereplete.


    When I looked up, I awkwardly felt the need to tender an exnation. "I was worried that one of them might have slipped out and fallen." I managed a smile.


    "And did any get lost?" He arched a perfectly carved brow.


    "No. They''re all intact." I answered and started to return them into the bag.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "May I take a look?" His gentle request stopped me. I smiled and my heart warmed that he was interested in seeing some of my sketches.


    "Here," I handed them to him. "You can see them."


    He collected the papers from me and carefully held them like they were. precious jewels. I watched, with bated breath, as his eyes settled on the one on top. His lips parted a bit and his fingers slowly traced the drawing.


    I wondered what he thinks of them?


    But soon, my thoughts wandered from wondering what he thought of my design sketches as my eyes traced the contours of his face, going over every ridge and crook. His eyes were more deep set than they were. It made. him look more mature, enigmatic and mysterious in an attractive kind of way. But it also told of the endless trials and struggles he must have been through, probably mostly with his health. My heart ached as I imagined him on a hospital bed, fighting for his life, without me by his side.


    Back then, I had always wished I was the one with the unstable health. because Lucas was just too good a person to go through all those pains, especially without anyone by his side. Whenever he was rushed to the hospital, it was always me and his servant. His parents only called to check. up on him once or twice.


    He must have gone through all of that pain over the years all by himself.


    "This one," he turned to face and I blinked. He smiled when he found my gaze on him and I blushed.


    He tapped on the design he was looking at now, his eyes filled with awe. For me? Or my work? I wondered.


    "This one, I like it." He paused, seeming to find the right words. "It seemed. you poured out a lot into this. It it..." he stammered, "It''s breathing...trying to fight its way out of the sketch pad... to manifest..." He stopped talking and his gaze returned to the sketch. He looked at it for a while then he moved. onto the next.


    I suddenly felt nervous. It felt as if my favorite teacher was checking my homework and I was scared that I might disappoint him. Before Lucas disappeared, I had started sketching and he had been my tutor since it was something he was good at. But really, Lucas was just good at everything.


    He studied the other sketches carefully His fingertips gently brushed the paper. It was as if he wasmunicating with every detail in the drawing. After thest sketch, he looked up at me, his eyes filled with admiration. He shook his head, "These are out of this world. They''re beautiful."


    I couldn''t keep the smile off my face as muttered, "Thank you."


    "You''ve drawn very well, far surpassing my own level of drawing. You''ve made a lot of progress over the years."


    A blush appeared on my face at his praise. "Of course. I rely on this for my Hivelihood so I have to make progress; that way I will give my clients the


    I best. By the way, I am now a jewelry designer."


    Lucas smiled slightly. His gaze that was still on me was dark with affection, I know, Sydney. I know your jewelry store is one of the best out there. I know all there is to know about you."


    His words sent a chill down my spine and at the same time, a thrill went through my heart. "If you knew about my situation all along, why didn''t youe to find me sooner instead of sending someone else?"

 Chapter 0102

    Lucas sighed before he replied, "Because they wouldn''t let mee back."


    Them? My brows drew down as I looked at him, puzzled. Who didn''t let


    Hisshes swept down and aer of his lips tipped up in a bitter smile," My family members"Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    My brows creased deeply as I tried to understand him. I shook my head, Tm lost. Can you make this clear


    "You see, you just found out that Mark and I are rted because I am actually an illegitimate son. At first, I was not epted in the farmilly I was their dirty secret that was never mentioned or talked about, tucked away in hospital beds. My father was Doriste husband, my link to the family. When my father was dying his only wish was for the family to take good care of me, so they reluctantly brought the back


    I frowned, "So it wasn''t that your father didn''t have your time, he was 1 paused, then whispered, "sick"


    He nodded solemnly. What about you mom? I wanted to ask but something held me back. If he wanted to talk about his mother, he would. If he doesn''t want to, then I can''t force it out of him.


    To prevent me from seizing any of the family''s rights, Mark''s father, my half- brother, first sent me away abroad. Then he cut off all of my contact with the family. Now, with Mark''s father deceased and Mark fully in charge of the corporation, they thought it was now safe for me to return. The corporation was now fully in Mark''s hands so I couldn''t be a threat anymore."


    I nodded slowly as I processed it all. Since Doris had transferred all her shares to Mark, it made him the holder of the highest number of shares. Automatically he became the de facto leader of thepany, unrestricted by any family member


    "The highlight here is that, all these years, I''ve been watching over you, seeing your progress, yet I couldn''t appear to protect you because my hands


    were tied." he gazed down grimly. "I let you suffer for so long," my heart reached out to him as his voice carried a hint of regret.


    My heart tightened and I scooted closer to him. I took a grip of his hand and assured him. ¡°It''s okay, it''s not your fault I have to face life on my own anyway so it is bound to happen that I will be alone at some point in my journey to sess. Then I grinned. I looked up and thought of how to get off the gloomy topic.


    "You said the moon is beautiful tonight so let''s not talk about these sad things on such a stunning night."


    I watched as he tipped his head back and looked up too. He nodded, still looking up at the sky. "You''re right, It is beautiful." Then he looked down and my breath caught in my throat at the intense way he looked at me, "And such beautiful moonlight casting its soft glow on us, it''s the perfect time for a kiss"


    I had merely been able to process his blunt words when his lips came down on mine. I closed my eyes as my senses registered the feel of his soft lips on mine. My heart skipped a beat then it went ahead to m against my ribcage. It was like I was transported back in time and then it stilled, allowing us the luxury to revel in the moment.


    My lips eagerly parted and the kiss deepened as Lucas tongue swept in. I briefly felt his hand gently rest on the small of my back then he pulled me closer so carefully that I barely felt it until the upper part of my body was pressing against his muscled chest. My hand went around his shoulders and my fingers rested on his nape before tangling in the soft curls at the back of his head


    Maybe it was the ice cream, maybe it was just because Lucas was so sweet that even his kids tasted the same but the kiss under the moonlight was the best kiss I had ever had.

 Chapter 0103

    MARKS POV


    "Here is Miss Be''s tracking report," I heard my assistant say.


    I murmured a response to him, then after a few seconds, Hooked up from the files that detailed everything that was to be known about GT Group''stest investors only to catch the back of my personal assistant as he rushed out the door.


    I stopped, wondering why he was in such a hurry. My eyes back fell on the report I had tasked him to that he came in to drop. Even though I wanted to personally read through every detail of the report, I was too busy so I was going to ask him to summarize the report since hepiled it after the private investigator he hired carried it out but now he was gone..


    I reached for my my phone, and was about to ce a call through to him but I stopped. My gaze traveled to the report lying on one side of my desk, on top of the stacks of files I still had to go through.


    Going through the report shouldn''t take up to, at most, thirty minutes. So instead of calling my assistant and having him leave his work just toe give me a summary when I could just nce through it, I dropped my phone. and reached for the damned report.


    I first flipped through the whole thing and I raised my brows. It was quite bulky.


    Then I reclined in my seat and started to nce through it. My eyes had been skimming through the words and I was already yawning until...


    I perked up and my eyes bulged in shock. The page after the whole. introduction and how she was the daughter of Michael and rissa had said.


    that...All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I read the words again, "Be, the woman this research is based on, eloped with a man named Isaac on the...


    I paused for a quick second. The date of the elopement mentioned in the


    report was our wedding day! Wh


    actual fuckt


    My brows furrowed even deeper and my insides boiled with raw anger as! continued to read through


    Be had eloped with the man whom she was in loves with. And then, she got pregnant with his child and gave birth to a stillborn child at the hospital


    The name of the hospital and the medical reports of her pregnancy and the birth of her child was attached to the report. My shook knew no bounds as i looked through the reports and continued to read through.


    I dropped the papers and slumped in my seat. It was all so much that I had to take a break and process it all. I had been a fool all this while I felt as if my heart was continuously being poked with a thousand needles, each stab emanating a deep pain from within. I didn''t want to believe it yet there was a report well carried out by an efficient investigator right before me


    Besides, the signs were there. They were subtle but they were there. Everywhere!


    The sudden disappearance, Her Insane desire to keep the child. I shook my head at my own foolishness. If only I had been more observant, if only 1 didn''t let myself get blinded by love, I would have seen them and called her out for it.


    Even though my feelings for her were dead, it still hurt. It hurt that she had loved another and even carried his child while I yearned for her.


    I picked up the report and read through thest page... and the information there turned my heart break into rage and I crumpled the page in my hand as I clenched it into fists.


    Thest page gave out facts that proved that fe was still in close contact with fucker, Isaac Recent pictures of them together were attached. Even while she is pregnant with my child, she dared to see her ex lover!


    How much of a fool does she take me for?


    I fiercely threw the crumbled paper on the floor. My heart bled as I stared at the photos and documents. I had always believed that their love was


    genuine. I had med the universe for striking her with such disease and pulling us apart. And I had med her parents and Sydney for not properly looking after her health. But all this whie, I had believed ir lies and med the wrong people.


    "Why?" My voice barely rose above a whisper as I squeezed out the words from between my clenched teeth. B why would you do this to me?"


    Even as I was alone, shame washed over me at the quiver in my voice.


    Instead of sitting here and suiking and feeling like a loser, I stormed out of my office in rage.


    Everyone could see the rage in my strides and the cold look on my face and they did well to get out of my way.

 Chapter 0104

    I got in my car and drove past the speed limit as I sped to her apartment.


    Since the birthday party that she had cried off, she hadn''t returned to my ce. So it was only right that she would be at her apartment or maybe she decided to go cry on her lover''s shoulders. Well, whichever it was, I would find out when I get to her apartment.


    I didn''t bother to drive the car into her driveway and properly park. I just drove the car to a halt, removed the key and charged up the stairs to her apartment.


    The moment I reached her door, I didn''t hesitate to m my fist on her door.


    ''Be!" I yelled out with all the anger and pain I felt.


    There was no response from inside but was relentless. I continued to m my fist on her door.


    I raised my fist to m it on the door for the fourth time when voices drifted to me. I paused and let my hand hang in the air.


    Then the voices became louder and clearer then Be''s voice boomed through the doorway, "I can''t give you any more money, you gambling addict! Get out of my house, now!" She sounded frustrated and from the volume of her voice, you could tell that she was raving mad.


    A louder response came immediately. "If you don''t give me the money, I''ll tell your posh man that the child in your belly is actually mine!" The deep voice retorted threateningly. Then he scoffed, "How can he even believe you''re carrying his child? That day, he didn''t even have sex with you!"


    I staggered back. I couldn''t believe my ears, even the child in her belly was a lie. She wasn''t carrying my child. Relief, disappointment and anger flooded through me. I slumped against the wall opposite her room door as all the strength drained from me as the emotions rioted within me.


    I hadn''t wanted a child now but I had epted it so much that I even started. reading books on fatherhood, preparing myself to be the best father to my


    bane,"


    The argument continued, "Mind your fucking business, Isaac," Be''s valee trembled


    "As long as you''re carrying my child the your business is forever my business, babe," Isaac drawled in an


    aling voice.


    "This child is Mark''s. Whether you like it or not. Whether you ept it or not you will never be called the father of my child!"


    "Ehm," the man hummed, "I wonder what Mr Mark would say when he finds out that he is the father of the child in your belly in name only. I bet he will be terribly pleased."


    "I''m warning you, stay out of my businesst Now get your filthy self out of my house before I call the cops."


    The arguments stretched for a few more seconds while I grasped the whole insanity of my situation. Suddenly, there was a piercing scream and I was instantly followed by the sound of things ttering to the ground and breaking.


    I could no longer remain here while I listened like a bystander so I rammed my shoulder against the door then kicked it open with my feel.


    The door opened to reveal the man, who I presumed to be Isaac, straddling a frightened Be. Her face was bruised and the man had pinned her down, probably hitting her but he had stopped when I kicked the door open.


    "Be!" I yelled and rushed toward them. The man leapt up to lunge at me but I dealt him a punch to the face, directing all the anger I fell into the blow The punch sent him ramming back into the wall. I hit him one more time then I rushed to Be and knelt by her sile.


    "Be, are you okay?" Her gaze was unsteady and her hands lifted to my shoulders, "Mark...." she murmured weally.


    I pulled out my phone and dialed the emergency number.


    Suddenly, I felt a wetness on my knees looked down and found that I was


    blood. My eyes bulged out as I realized that Be was bleeding, blood was seeping from under her.


    "Fuck!"


    I turned when I heard the man I had punched cuss. His eyes were wide as he took in the disaster he had created. Before the blink of an eyes, he struggled to his feet and staggered out of the room. "Fucker!" I muttered as I hoisted Be in my arms. "Stay with me okay? I will get help now."


    "Mark" she weakly drawled one more time then her hands fell limply from my shoulder to her side.


    Fuck! ''Help! Thollered out to whoever can hear me. "Somebody''s hurt, we need help! My voice sounded urgent, "Help. She''s pregnant, and she''s bleeding now!"


    MARKS POV


    her inside the hospital with a called for ather Be started


    I rushed after the nurses as they wheel stretcher. There had been no help when bleeding but immediately I got downstars, the ambnce had arrived. Immediately, I got into the ambnce and held her hand. I called her name several times and hoped she would wake up but her eyes just remained shut


    The doctor burst out of aer, his thoscope carelessly hung around his


    eck. As we both briskly walked after the nurses pushing the stretcher, 1 exined what had happened to him


    1 think he must have hit her, because she just suddenly started bleeding"


    The doctor nodded and stepped into the wand where they had taken her She was already ced on a hospital bed I was not allowed inside the wand so I stayed outside the door and watched through translucent ss in the


    door


    The doctor shook his head as he examed her Then he said something to the nurses with him. They nodded and shed out of the room


    "Excuse me sir," they both muttered and moved away to let them pass by


    mediately said to me. Her perated on immediately. We will


    Then he added and stated to walk


    Just then, the doctor came out too. He condition is critical so she needs to be transfer her to the operating room now stead "Come with me so you can sign the required documents so we will begin the operation as soon as possible


    I hurried after him.


    in a whirlwind, I signed documents on her behalf and as a


    Thesishe was cleaned and prepared forpurgery. The double operating room doors also had a translucent panel that could look through but i was not allowed close to it so I had no choice but to wait outside the operating room restlessly pacing back and forth


    I suddenly wished Sydney was with me. I wished she was here to offer mefort and tell me that Be would be fine. My senses registered the weight of my phone in my hands and I thought of calling her. Would she even bother to make it here? Since the day that I met her, I had not been very nice to her. Be was even the worst so I doubt she would be willing to rush here for either of us. No matter how kind- hearted she is. So I determinedly tucked my phone into my pocket.


    I left the front of the operating room and walked to the reception where I paced again. I tried to take my mind off it a little bit and called my driver to bring my car to the hospital. After the call ended, I sent him the address where he would pick the car from.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    But I just couldn''t bring myself to rx. I kept ncing at my watch and it was as if time was not even moving, each second was a torture as I waited for the operating door to open as I wondered what was going on in there.


    Just as I was going out of my mind with worry, the door to the operating room was pushed open. I ran the short distance between me and the doctor who was taking off his nose mask. "How is she?" My eyes darted behind him to the door, "Has the surgery ended already?"


    The doctor''s gaze settled on me and it was unfathomable. Finally, he spoke up. "Mr Mark, the surgery was sessful and the patient is out of danger, but... I held my breath as the doctor took a dramatic pause, taking his time. His chest rose as he sighed, "Unfortunately, due to severe injuries, we couldn''t save her child."


    I felt rooted to the spot and I just stared at the doctor, taking in and processing this information that he had just dumped on me. Even though I now know that the pregnancy isn''t mine, knowing that she had lost a child really touched my heart. Especially since she once had a stillborn. I wondered how much mental stress she must be going through right now. Yes, she had been horrible but no one deserved a fate like that, no one deserved to lose a pregnancy they have been nurturing and grown to love. Bells had moved the child in her, it was the only thing she ever talked about whenever she got the chance.

 Chapter 0105

    MARKS POV


    her inside the hospital with a called for ather Be started


    I rushed after the nurses as they wheel stretcher. There had been no help when bleeding but immediately I got downstars, the ambnce had arrived. Immediately, I got into the ambnce and held her hand. I called her name several times and hoped she would wake up but her eyes just remained shut


    The doctor burst out of aer, his thoscope carelessly hung around his


    eck. As we both briskly walked after the nurses pushing the stretcher, 1 exined what had happened to him


    1 think he must have hit her, because she just suddenly started bleeding"


    The doctor nodded and stepped into the wand where they had taken her She was already ced on a hospital bed I was not allowed inside the wand so I stayed outside the door and watched through translucent ss in the


    door


    The doctor shook his head as he examed her Then he said something to the nurses with him. They nodded and shed out of the roomProperty ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    "Excuse me sir," they both muttered and moved away to let them pass by


    mediately said to me. Her perated on immediately. We will


    Then he added and stated to walk


    Just then, the doctor came out too. He condition is critical so she needs to be transfer her to the operating room now stead "Come with me so you can sign the required documents so we will begin the operation as soon as possible


    I hurried after him.


    in a whirlwind, I signed documents on her behalf and as a


    Thesishe was cleaned and prepared forpurgery. The double operating room doors also had a translucent panel that could look through but i was not allowed close to it so I had no choice but to wait outside the operating room restlessly pacing back and forth


    I suddenly wished Sydney was with me. I wished she was here to offer mefort and tell me that Be would be fine. My senses registered the weight of my phone in my hands and I thought of calling her. Would she even bother to make it here? Since the day that I met her, I had not been very nice to her. Be was even the worst so I doubt she would be willing to rush here for either of us. No matter how kind- hearted she is. So I determinedly tucked my phone into my pocket.


    I left the front of the operating room and walked to the reception where I paced again. I tried to take my mind off it a little bit and called my driver to bring my car to the hospital. After the call ended, I sent him the address where he would pick the car from.


    But I just couldn''t bring myself to rx. I kept ncing at my watch and it was as if time was not even moving, each second was a torture as I waited for the operating door to open as I wondered what was going on in there.


    Just as I was going out of my mind with worry, the door to the operating room was pushed open. I ran the short distance between me and the doctor who was taking off his nose mask. "How is she?" My eyes darted behind him to the door, "Has the surgery ended already?"


    The doctor''s gaze settled on me and it was unfathomable. Finally, he spoke up. "Mr Mark, the surgery was sessful and the patient is out of danger, but... I held my breath as the doctor took a dramatic pause, taking his time. His chest rose as he sighed, "Unfortunately, due to severe injuries, we couldn''t save her child."


    I felt rooted to the spot and I just stared at the doctor, taking in and processing this information that he had just dumped on me. Even though I now know that the pregnancy isn''t mine, knowing that she had lost a child really touched my heart. Especially since she once had a stillborn. I wondered how much mental stress she must be going through right now. Yes, she had been horrible but no one deserved a fate like that, no one deserved to lose a pregnancy they have been nurturing and grown to love. Bells had moved the child in her, it was the only thing she ever talked about whenever she got the chance.

 Chapter 0106

    "Is she awake? Can I see her now?" I was finally able to make my vocals work


    The doctor shook his head. "She is still asleep from the anesthesia she was administered. She will be transferred to a ward room now. Wait for a couple of minutes, she should be awake." "Thank you"


    The doctor nodded, then he walked away.


    I was in the reception, trying to remain patient as I waited for Be to wake up when a nurse walked up to me, "Mr Mark. The woman you brought has been moved to a room and she is awake. If you are ready to see her now, I will save you to her ward"


    I stood up and shook my head, "Take me there." She led the way and I followed her. We passed several other rooms before the doctor stopped


    She opened the door. ''itere''s her ward, bir


    cued the word and seg nurse left. Be''s head was turned to the other she blue bed won the hospital''s gown and her hair was scoped into a wowcy Imagined that she was sobbing silently with her head turned PHAY


    "Belle" Ishly called out her name and she turned immediately. Her face use she and her eyes were red nmmed I assumed she had been crying or Mosquely betting her tears slide down her face because when her


    9/a podsye move, she burst out ineo tears.


    Votary and closed up the space between us. I perched on the My sewa sing gestion and clutched to me, her As the bed brace the root of my neck My arms


    #YALAY NUMA KA byen, glowing be to let out her pain through her


    de Bobeto


    tears.


    "I''m sorry, Mark."


    I frowned. Why was she apologizing? I was about to ask and also tell her that she didn''t need to apologize and that it wasn''t her fault but her next words stopped me. "I''m sorry I couldn''t protect our child." I felt the trembling of her voice that was rough from crying on my shoulder.


    My hand automatically stopped parting her and I clenched my teeth. All the pity I felt for her abruptly drained, evaporated, reced by the anger I had set aside.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    She must have noticed my sudden stiffness because she pulled away. Her eyes roamed my face, taking in my expression. "Mark..." she sniffed, "Are you okay?"


    As I looked at her, I wondered if I would ever be able to ignite the love I once had for this woman. I didn''t even want to because sitting before me was apletely different person. I had fallen in love with whom she made me believe she was, not the one who toyed with my emotions and took advantage of my love.


    "Why are you still lying?" I bit out. Her hand was grabbing the sides of my shirt I pulled it away and roughly set them on herp. "Are you not tired? You just lost your pregnancy for fuck''s sake yet you still intend to keep up with your deceit and lies."


    She blinked. Then she sniffed and licked her lips. "What do you mean? What


    are you say


    I leapt out of the bed and stood before her, "Stop it, Be. Stop it. I know everything." I paused and took in her reaction. Her eyes widened a fraction and that was it. I continued. "I know about you and Isaac. I know the pregnancy was not mine."


    She looked away. She was quiet for a moment then she snapped her head to face me. Suddenly, the grieving woman was gone. Her frown was deep. coupled with her red eyes from crying, she looked like a desperate


    crackhead. One that would do anything to get what she wants.


    "Was it Sydney?" She asked furiously, her loud voice bounced off the room''s walls. "It was that bitch, wasn''t it? She told you all of this nonsense. Don''t believe her! She''s only trying to drive a wedge between us. As you know, she is single and unhappy. She wants to make us miserable like her."


    So Sydney knew all about this? She knew all this, yet she stayed in the marriage and endured all the misunderstandings, the mes, the mistreatments... She epted it all withoutining. Yet, when Be came back without any form of appreciation or remorse for what her selfishness had put her sister in, Sydney still held onto her secret. Any other person would have been driven with rage and blurted out her secret to me.... but she didn''t. Instead, she quietly left. I wondered who else knew. Or maybe I was even the only one in the dark.

 Chapter 0107

    A wave of anger surged through me, on behalf of Sydney, on behalf of myself. I looked at her with disdain. "There is no need to me Sydney like. you''ve always done or cover up your lies by making her look bad because it has nothing to do with her. I haven''t even been in contact with her for a long time, since the divorce, infact. So keep her out of this."


    "Believe me, ever since Sydn="


    I closed my eyes and grounded my teeth together. I was trying to put a rein on my anger but she was making it difficult. "Just shut up, Be. I don''t need to hear any of your cooked up lies anymore. I have heard enough."


    "Mark..."This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "You should rest," I shut her up again. "I''m leaving. I will reach out to Michael and rissa so they cane for you."


    Blood seemed to drain from Be''s face. Her eyes were wide with panic and she screamed, her voice and body trembled. "Are you breaking up with me?!"


    I raised my brows. "Were we ever together? We never made anything. official. You came back from your trip and just came into my arms without any words and then you trapped me with a pregnancy that wasn''t mine. I have been with you because you made me..."


    "How can you say this, Ma-"


    "But if that is how you see it, then yes, I am breaking up with you. Whatever we had, it''s over."


    I didn''t wait for her next response that I knew she would scream out. I turned and walked out of the door.


    There were eyes on me as I walked through the reception - they must have heard her screamed responses. The moment I stepped out of the hospital main entrance, I found myself in a swarm of reporters. "Mr Mark, we heard you personally brought a pregnant woman to the hospital. What''s your rtionship with this woman? Is she okay?"


    They didn''t hesitate to utilize the opportunity they had and they threw questions at me.


    I sighed deeply. I dug my sunsses out of my pocket and put them on.


    I could have easily told the whole thing to the reporters. That was the sort of news they would love. I could tell them that Be''s pregnancy was never mine in the first ce but for a man named leasac but I could not bring myself to do it


    Even though she had been despicable, the fact that I had once devoted my whole heart into loving her could be denied and I didn''t want to cause her more pain. She just lost a child she cherished, if I should tell the public, it would only subject her to more pain and public scrutiny.


    "she


    was attacked, and unfortunately lost the child. I''m very saddened by this"


    Do you have an idea who did this? The reporters scribbled down my words as they asked more questions. Their cameras followed me closely, "Was it a coincidence or is it someone that has a thing against you?" They threw more questions at me.


    "I will do my best and assist the police to catch the attacker as soon as possible. That''s all I have to say, I said simply and made my way to my car without anotherment. The driver quickly got out and opened the door to the passenger''s back seat...


    "Was the woman''s child yours?"


    "What is your rtionship with her?r


    "Is the woman Be Michael?"


    Will you marry her?"


    "Are you still with her?"


    The questions pierced my heart, they were like a spoken and repeated reminder of how Belle had deceived me and toyed with the love I had for her Chapter 6167


    My driver pressed hard on the car''s horn. The reporters cleared out the way and he drove the car out of the hospital.

 Chapter 0108

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I raised my eyes at the headline of the rows that just popped up on my notification bar The eye-catching headne read cheming Woman Suffers


    Miscarriage, Loses Her Ticket into Weath


    A photo of Mark carrying Be who was covered in blood into an ambns e was attached to the blog post Though the faces were slightly blurred by thin mosaics anyone familiar with the per echelone would recognide them at a nce, especially since Bead been faunting her pregnancy pictures everywhere on social media


    "Did they have a fight or something?" I gondered curiously, but the cuntjaiky wasn''t enough to make me open the ns and get distracted from work


    I sighed and swiped the screen to the pture of the sample of the jewelry that a client wanted was why I had picked up my phone in the frat ce


    Ipared


    ?


    to the sketch had made and shook my head I was studied with what was dong I was definately the right track and the one i sketched seemed even more beautechend had requested that our studio should add additional detail to the one we would make and what I have here is sung am sure decent would love it


    1 dropped my phone and started to add


    the


    ang huches to that I can


    that


    get to bringing the jewelry to A lowes so then, my phone vibrated beside me and darupted my concentra


    Ised as shifted my gaze from my work to the phone. it was an


    undam


    beright have been a cheat but the call didn''te


    unfamiliar number.


    in through my work but my paracanal line


    decided to ignore it I had managed by


    the phone rang out again it was shit the same


    myself en work agam when


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 Chapter 0109

    "We genuinely


    I redlined in my seat and interrupted him. "Quick question, is a daughter just stool to be used by you? Is that what all we are to you? Is that what Be has always been to you?" I paused and an image of Mark carrying a blood- covered Be crossed my mind. "I''m genuinely curious, have you visited Be in the hospital? Or you''ve not heard?"


    1. Dad''s voice choked up. I was even irritated with myself that I still saw them as my parents. "I''ll go right now!" He finished.


    1 advise you to stop while you still can. Save up for yourself and mom before it''s toote and you really end up homeless. And please! Don''t call me again!" I told him decisively, then hung up the phone and blocked the number I wonder which number he''d call from again.


    I slid my phone across the table as I felt a surge of frustration course. through me as I recalled how neither of them had bothered to find me after I got kidnapped years ago. If I hadn''t found them after I graduated from college with the information that Lucas had provided them I was sure I would still be somewhere wondering who my parents were because they would still remain unbothered about my disappearance.


    Even their reaction when they saw me just showed their surprise and it dimmed my excitement. They had shown no sign of remorse or guilt or event happiness. They had just stared at me like I was some stranger who waltzed. into their home. They must have gone like, in their minds, ''oh, there''s our long lost daughter, who would have believed she is still alive? Shocker."


    I had thought they hadn''t reacted because they were still in shock but after spending days in their house, their grundbled response to my greetings and indifference to my presence had made the give up on my expectations from them,


    I had had to swallow my hurt and keep on living my life like they still weren''t in il


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 Chapter 0110

    Op 0110


    SUASAN


    ***** ad on the best and back was turned to them as I bit out A 2A, SVARA tereta te bit grateful. Can you leave now?"


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    Canovat eet wat to be alone please


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    My feet rose aina s/matched both of them exchange nces


    other stod up and walked out of the room


    paved at the things they had brought for me I pushed the food aside and I grabbed my phone family cooled through the news channels the blog


    and thements Just as they had said, it was already everywhere Even entertainment news channel and blog was mocking me for getting


    Gold digger faked pregnancy to trap Bonaire Mark Tones


    Weman who tried to force herself into the Torres family by getting pregnant


    miscarriage after which the Torres heir broke up with her."


    n crashes Be Michael loses her ticket to the Torres pocket


    I gritted my teeth and my grip on the phone was merciless. Hot, fat tears rolled down my cheeks in rapid waves. The tears made me feel pathetic, it reminded me of the weak Be that Isaac thrashed as he liked, the one who was fooled by her stupid love.


    I sniffed and fiercely wiped the tears away from my face. No one would put me down. No one would make a ridicule of me and go scot-free.


    xas all her fault. She had not only once taken my ce in Mark''s life but she had now sessfully severed our rtionship.


    The only person who knew that my pregnancy was not for Mark was Isaac and Sydney. And Isaac was not a fool, fed him, I fed into his addiction, he


    would never go to yap to Mark about it. The only person who was capable of this was Sydney. That bitch! I knew she had a motive when I caught her eavesdropping on my argument with Isaac when he attempted to harass me again.


    it, she was her n and even though I warned her not to tell Mark aboutThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    it, she still did it anyway. She blurted it to Mark and achieved her aim.


    "Just you wait, Sydney," my voice trembled and my body quaked as I gritted. out. "I will make you regret this. I will make you regret evering back into my family, bitch!"


    I walked to the restroom in the ward and washed my face. I looked at myself in the mirror, the bruises Isaac had inflicted were still prominent and my eyes had grown red from crying and eye bags were swollen and slightly darker than my skin color and my face was as white as a ghost''s.


    nodded and smirked at my reflection and it mirrored my movement. It was


    time for action.


    I returned to the room. I perched on the edge of the seat then I picked up my makeup box that I made mum bring for me. Slowly, I started to apply makeup on my face. I rubbed the eye cream under my eyes then I applied. enough primer with the perfect color that matches my skin color. Then I put enough concealer to cover everything up. After that, I worked on my brows and lips and in no time, I was staring at my stunning made-up face in the mini mirror that came with the makeup kit.


    Then I slipped out of the damned hospital gown and into the clothes my parents had assumed I would change into so that I could go home with


    them.


    I packed up my things into the handbag they had brought. I put everything int it and left the food on the stool by the hospital bed


    At first, I peeked out the window. The reporters were still gathered there. There was no way I would be able to pass through there without blowing my There was always a back door in every hospital and the good thing was that they were always left open.


    I stuck my head out of the door and looked from my right to my left. The hallway was empty but it echoed the low voices of people speaking in other ces.


    I slipped out of the room. I walked calmly and acted casual. There were less people at the hallway that led to the back door. The nurses that walked past me were either in a hurry or they had their heads down while they cross checked a list or whatever they had stacked in the tray that they held so they hadn''t even given me a second look.


    I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath as the fresh air outside hit my sweaty face. I smiled, that was easier than expected.


    As I made my way out of the hospitalpound to the main road, I took each step with a purpose and with destination in mind.


    When I hailed the taxi and he stopped before me, the aged man gave me a weird look but said nothing. I rolled my eyes as I got into his car. I guess he had also seen the news.

 Chapter 0111

    I told him my destination and we got going. The cabman pulled up at my destination. After I made a transfer to him, I watched him drive away.


    As I stood there, my eyes took in the vast luxurious office building. Opposite it was the cafe where I had caught Sydney eavesdropping on my conversation with Isaac. Since she imed that she worked here, then let''s find out.


    I walked close to the building, awed. Up close, the building was exquisite. The mirror walls that made up the top floor glinted in the sun. It reflected the sky and other buildings around it. I could not help but wonder how the interior would look, how the office seats would feel...


    I shook my head and focused on the main reason why I was here. I didn''t have much time to stand where I could easily be spotted by anyone and admire the ce. After it became mine, I could do that. With that thought, my eyes scanned the area and I sighted a restaurant few feet from the building. They had chairs and tables stationed outside there under a umbre. I rushed there and chose a secluded area. I ordered a drink I had read off the menu and transferred their payment to them. At least that will make them cut me some ck if I stay here for too long.


    I expertly tucked myself in, away from anyone''s scrutinizing gaze. I absentmindedly and slowly sipped the drink, on the building''s door.


    nv eyes s


    I yawned as I slumped in the seat. It had been hours and the bitch had not even appeared. Even if her rank was slightly more than that of a cleaner... say a messenger, at least she would have toe down to run some errands, right?


    I scrunched up my nose as I yawned and I quickly covered it with my palm. My breath stink. I was tired and bored and hungry. Maybe she was lying, maybe she didn''t really work here...


    My stomach grumbled and I was already contemting giving up and making


    adequate research to be sure of where she really worked when the making


    opened.


    door


    I sat up, my senses alert. A woman walked out and I recognized her as Sydney. My jaw dropped open. Sydney was dressed in a well-tailored professional outfit, looking very smart and ssy. So she really does work there and she wasn''t a cleaner. I thought bitterly.


    She walked around the building to where I presumed was .e parking lot. Then I hurried to the building. I made a straight beeline for the receptionist in the reception area.


    "Hello," I managed a smile, "Thatdy that just left now, does she really work here?"


    The woman smiled and nodded. "Miss Sydney works here, ma''am. How can I help you?"


    "Umm...which of thepanies does she work for?"


    "She works at Luxe Vogue. Do you need to see her? I could ge-"


    "No no," I quickly stopped her. "I don''t need to see her so you don''t have to get. or do anything." I smiled sweetly at her.


    "Alright then," she chirped, her smile still intact. "Please, do not hesitate to reach out if you need anything. You can find our hotlines online."


    "Sure. Thank you."


    The Luxe vogue? What a coincidence? I thought as I made my way to the door. I had once asked Mark to acquire the Luxe vogue as a birthday gift for her, but for some reason, it fell through.


    Just as I stepped out of the building, a car emerged from the side Sydney had turned to. In the car, sat Sydney. It was the same carl had been seeing her waltz around with.


    Just as she drove past where I stood, she turned her head toward my direction. and I quickly turned my face away from her view.


    I stared after the car with a sneer as she drove away. Then another ideal popped in.


    I instantly hailed a taxi. I rushed in and told the driver, "ase, follow that car."


    I followed her to a bar. As I waited in the taxi fir her to finish parking and go in, I noticed Mark''s car parked on the side of the road!


    So the bitch was here to meet Mark?! Now I was even more convinced that she was the cause of the unfortunate situation I was in. Her n had worked so she hade to do what? To convince Mark to take her back? My gaze turned icy as I watched her get out of her car and walked into the bar.


    Then an idea formed in my mind; I would get Mark to buy the Luxe Vogue for me as a breakup f*e. Then I would be her boss and make her life miserable as she did her job. That way, I would also get the power to eliminate every chance of the both of them getting back together.


    If I can not be happy then no one else can!


    I smirked and turned to the driver, "Let''s go.


    15N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.

 Chapter 0112

    SYDNEY''S POV


    The address that Mark sent me indicated that he was at Luigi''s bar. My gaze fell on his cat by the side of the road as I drove to the parking lot and parked. my car


    I made my way into the bar. As I looked around, searching for where Mark might have taken a seat, my eyes fell on Luigi. He was already looking at me. As our eyes met, he pointed his index finger and middle finger to his eyes and faced it in my direction. "I am watching you," he mouthed.


    I rolled my eyes and pressed one of my fingers to my eyes. "I will gouge out your eyeballs," I mouthed back. Then I turned and walked to Mark''s private room. Since he was not on the down floor then he was definitely in one of the


    VIP rooms.


    "Sydney..." Mark''s eyes instantly fell on me and he slurred. "You''re here,ee, take a seat," he patted on the space beside him.


    I paused at the door and eyed the empty bottles on the table. I shook my head. at his form, he was gulping another cup of whiskey. How many had he taken? Anyway, figuring out how many bottles of whiskey he had taken was not my business.


    I closed the door behind me and stepped further into the room. "Where''s the promised hundred thousand dors?"


    He chuckled lightly, then he reached for a bag by his side and pulled out his checkbook. I watched as he unsteadily held the pen he pulled out with the checkbook and swiftly signed his name. With a smirk, he handed it to me, "Fill in any amount you like."


    With a smirk on my face too, I took the checkbook and pen from him and took a seat on the seat where he had patted.


    I had the opportunity to be greedy and either add a zero to the amount or change the first number to any other number of my choice but I didn''t. A hundred thousand dors was a lot. I filled in the exact amount he promised then I showed it to him so that he could see that I didn''t add any extra figure.


    He nodded, "Whenever you''re free, you can stop by the bank and cash it out." After securely tucking the checkbook in thy bag, I got down to business, asking. "So why am I here? What did you want to talk to me about?"


    He regarded me for a while then he went straight to why he invited me here. "Do you know everything about Belle and some Isaac quy?"


    I raised my brows. "You''ve found out."


    He ignored my response, "Including that the child in Be''s womb wasn''t mine. Did you know all of these?"


    I took a deep breath and nodded, "I know


    Then he asked, his brows creased in confusion, "Why didn''t you tell me? We were together for three whole years and you never even bothered to hint that she left me for another guy."


    I countered, my brows raised, "Why should I have told you? It wasn''t my story to tell, Mark."


    He sat up more upright, "If you had told me, we would not have ended up divorced. Our marriage would still exist, we would have made it work..."


    I shook her head and raised my palm, "Nuh uh, no matter what whether I had told you or not," I met his gaze, "our union, since I walked up to you at the altar and you saw that I was not Be, was meant to be doomed."


    He opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it.


    "Besides, let''s face it, Mark, you wouldn''t have believed me. To you, in your heart, I was just a thief and I had stolen your love. You would have readily believed that any word from me was a lie, an attempt by your pathetic wife to grab your attention, right? If Be told you anything now, wouldn''t you also disbelieve every word she says?" I shrugged, "That''s just how it is."


    He looked at me, silent for a while, as his eyes searched. He reclined in his seat and his fingers ran through his hair. You''re right, I indeed wouldn''t have believed you." Then he leaned forward and his hands reached out to caress my face, "I wish I


    had realized how smart you were sooner than now then I would have fallen in love with you. But I was blinded by rage, that I had been deceived into marrying you, hurt that Be didn''t trust me enough to tell me that she was sick and quilt, that I didn''t see the signs of her sickness when I should have.


    I raised my brows as he moved closer, wondering what he was up. Then his face got closer and he attempted to kiss me.


    That was the height of it. I ced my palm on his face and pushed it back. "It is enough that you touch my face. My services do not include kissing or sex, watch out or I''ll bash your head in," I earned sternly. Heughed, seeming humored but he backed off, "Alright, ma''am. I''ll y by your rules."


    Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open. We both turned to the door to see Lucas walk in.


    His eyes were set on Mark as he moved to my side. He stood beside me and possessively ced his hand on my shoulders. Now I was stuck between Mark and Lucas.


    "What are you two talking about?" His eyes shifted to me then back to Mark," With the door closed."


    I brought out the check from my bag and waved it in his face. "Nothing much, he paid a hundred dors just to see me," I said and flipped my hair back. "It costs that much to see me.


    Lucas chuckled, "Aren''t you worried I''ll get jealous?"


    I replied with a grin, "Sorry, the money was just too easy to earn so I pushed all of my worries and thoughts out the window. I could not resist it."


    Lucas just squinted his eyes at me.


    I safely slipped the checkbook in my pants pocket and stood up. My arms. curled around his shoulders and I ced a brief kiss on his ever inviting lips. My heart catapulted in my chest just at that mere contact.


    pouted and blinked, "Are you jealous now?"


    Mark, who must have been watching our exchange in silence blurted out his


    question, his words heavily coated in disbelief, "Are you two dating?!"


    I turned to him with a big grin, my arms still lodged around Lucas'' shoulders and cheerfully answered his question. "Yes!" I turned to Lucas, ced a peck on his lips again and hugged him. After that night where v shared ice cream like old times and shared a kiss, the awkwardness between us had been blissfully severed.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    The sound of Mark mming his ss down on the table resounded in the room. I flinched and turned to him. He cast both of us a cold re without a word, the rage and jealousy he must be feeling swirled in his eyes. Then he grabbed his bag and stood up.


    As he passed by, he hit his shoulder with Lucas'' shoulder. Now anyone would be able to tell that that action was deliberate. He mmed the door behind him as he stormed out of the room.


    Lucas and I turned to face eachother then we suddenly burst outughing.


    0

 Chapter 0113

    MARK''S POV


    "Sir, Miss Be is here to see you. She''s waiting downstairs ne I speak." I raised my head from the stack of files on the desk as the vo.. sounded through the tel.


    I reclined in my seat and wondered why she was here this time. Has she cooked up some lie she was very convinced that I would believe? I won''t be surprised if she says she now has leukemia.


    1 leaned forward and pressed the call button. "Let her in!"


    Let''s hear what she has up her sleeves this time.


    "Right away, sir," the voice on the other end came immediately.


    Few secondster, I watched as the door creaked back as it was gently pushed open. Be walked in.


    My eyes


    dress thened her from head to toe; she was dressed in a ck turtleneckThis content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    dress that tightly hugged her graceful figure, her plum lips were coated in a rich red color and arge fancy, ck rimmed sunss sat on her delicate nose and obscured her expression from any onlooker. "Hello, Mark," she said in a detached voice as she stood before me, her obviously newly manicured fingers held onto the top of the seat.


    I took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Take a seat," I said indifferently and gestured toward one of the two empty chairs on the other side if the table. Then I sat straight and sped my palms together on the table. "Why have youe? What do you want to talk about?"


    Her hand slid down the top of the seat as she took a seat on one of the chairs. Her sunsses were still on as she tipped up her chin and faced me. "I''m her for my break up fe," she blurted out bluntly, no pleasantries, nothing. Then her shoulders raised in a slight shrug that i would have missed it if I was not staring at her so intently, struggling to decipher who the woman befure me was. "I mean I''ve been with you for so long; I can''t leave with nothing" voice was so cold and devoid of its usually faked


    foreign to my ears


    reclined back in my seat, my fingers twirled a ballpen as I regarded her, my gaze scrutinizing her. I was extremely d that she was now being true. Shel was finally throwing all caution to the air and showing me her true s


    "I demand a response, Mark. Her brows lifted above the rims of the sses she had on, I believe I''m not talking to myself."


    Her audacity almost made meugh out loud. But I couldn''t. The whole situation was almost unbelievable. It sent chills through me. So this is Be''s real personality. This is who she really was. A true unabashed gold digger! All this while, I had allowed a gold digger be by my side.


    Does her parents know about their daughter''s schemes? Or they were the one that even put her to it. Perhaps she took after her parents. I hadn''t even had time to go to them and give them a piece of my mind. But one thing was sure, I will be pulling out all of my investments from their crookedpany.


    Perhaps it was her outer beauty that blinded me to all of these? I got swept by the front she put up that I overlooked everything and everyone else. If only I had been kinder to Sydney.


    1 blinked and shook my head. No thoughts of Sydney.


    "Be," I started calmly, "I thought there was love between us. After I ended things with you at the hospital, I didn''t expect your first words when we happen to meet again to be a demand for a breakup f*e." "Yes, Mark There was love between us and I did love you," she shrugged, more prominently this time, "But what can I say, I love myself more. We all do." Then she removed her sunsses and fixed me with a cold re I had never seen on her in all the years I had known her, "Since every chance of getting married you and being your wife has been wrecked, I must look out for myself. I see nothing wrong with that."


    For a moment, I thought of asking her to get out and calling in the security to drag her out if she refused but that will only cause unnecessary drama and I suspect it will only push her intoing back and what I wanted now was to have her off my back and out of my life.

 Chapter 0114

    f my life.


    opened the down drawer by my right and brought out one of my bank cards. Then ced it on the title and pushed to the other side of the table where she would be able to reach it


    I pulled my hand back and nodded at the card "There is a mon dors in that card Maybe even more. Take it all It is enough to start a newvish life."


    I didn''t miss the speed with which she snatched the bank card from the table. She avoided my gaze as she tucked it into her bag. Then she looked up. "This isn''t enough. You promised to acquire the Luxe vogue for me, and you haven''t done that yet"


    i scoffed as I remembered the promise I had made to her when I was on top of her How dumb was the girl? You believe what a man says in bed?" I scoffed again, "Don''t be ridiculous, Be.¡±


    She responded instantly. "I will be ridiculous if that will make you fulfill your promise. You promised me the Luxe vogue and now I want it."


    I regarded her, my eyes searching hers. Was she for real?


    "I cannot get you the Luxe vogue," I said firmly "Besides, me telling you that I would get it for you is hardly a promise."


    She shrugged nonchantly, "It might be a promise, it might not be a promise, it''s not my business," she bit out. "You made me a promise and you have to fulfill it. But don''t worry if you don''t feel the need to. It''s fine."


    I squinted at her, where was she going with this?


    She continued, "Just don''t be surprised if I decide to sell our intimate moments to the gossip magazines. I am sure the public would be happy to see the naked ass of their favorite CEO and your fangirls will relish seeing your hard cock all over the just with a tap on their screen. She smirked when she saw me clench my fists on the table, "I have lots of such videos and photos."


    I cast her an equally cold look. Now I was very sure that any bit or crumb of love, care, pity or affection that I ever had for her was gone. It had been extinguished to the veryst crumb. All I felt towards her right now was a


    rapidly growing disdain.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Fine. I will secure the Luxe vogue for you."


    She smirked but when I raised my finger, the smirk vanished. "You should know that I am not scared of you baseless and spineless threats. It''s because the love I once had for you has now morphed into simmering hatred and all I want is to just have you out of my sight and life." Then I held her gaze. "If there is a next time, I assure you," I enunciated each word, "You won''t be able to bear the consequences." Regardless of my warning, she rolled her eyes as she smiled satisfactorily. "Whatever." Then she stood up, walked around the table and swiftly ced a quick kiss on my cheeks. I gritted my teeth, sure that there would be a stain of her red lipstick, outlining her lips on my cheeks right now.


    I held myself, clenching my hands into fists until my fingers started to dig into my palm. If I should act on my brimming anger, I won''t be surprised if I flung her across the room. She straightened up and chirped, "Thank you, Mr. CEO, I look forward to it." She added, "Make it quick then I will be out of your life like I was never there in the first ce."


    Then she turned and I watched her walk out of my office, the sound of her high heels echoed in the empty office, even after she was out the door, I could still hear the low echoes as her footsteps recede.


    I wiped the lipstick mark she left on my cheek and dialed my executive office. I ordered coldly, "Email the founders of Luxe vogue again. Request for an acquisition of the website andpany. Give them any amount they request for. By any means necessary, make sure you acquire it."

 Chapter 0115

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I stared at the man who supplied us with cotton, my mouth agape. His mouth was pulled tight and he had refused to meet my gaze as he remained adamant


    "Why?!" I reiterated. I have asked this question a thousand times but all the man just kept telling me is that he just did not want to do business with Luxe vogue again.


    Now, a mere supplier telling us that he wasn''t interested in supplying raw material to us would not have been an issue. I mean we could easily search for another supplier with the same quality. Yes, the process of getting a legit supplier with the same high quality will be cumbersome but we will get one.


    Now the issue here was that, for weeks now, all of Luxe vogue suppliers have been pulling out. Some, like this one seated before me, were polite enough toe to meet us in person and withdraw their services while some did not even bother, they just sent a mail - Good day, I will not be rendering my services to yourpany again. Thank you.


    And that was it! No reason. Every attempt to reach them has been futile. Now that this one managed to be here, I have been trying to get him to tell me why he suddenly didn''t want to work with us again but he wouldn''t speak.


    "Look," I licked my lips, attempting to get him to talk. "Our rtionship has grown far more from just business partners. You are a friend of Luxe Vogue. We can''t just lose you like this."


    His eyes softened and I knew I had been able to reach his heart a bit. He sighed and faced me, "I get you. I personally enjoy doing business with your guys but..." he looked around and leaned closer. "The existence of my business. is on the line as we speak..."


    I frowned, "What do you mean? We pay on time, we ne-"N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    "It''s not you," he shut me up. Then his voice lowered so that I had to lean in forward to hear him. ¡°I don''t know but there''s someone pressuring all of the people working with you to pull out.¡±


    What the-!


    "I thought it was just me but I met with a fellow supplier during a meeting. We got talking and somehow, we talked about Luxe vogue. We''ve a'' heen receiving strange texts, warnings, threats...anyone pulling out of yourpany. is being threatened. Our lives, our businesses are on the line if we don''t cease to work with you."


    I was tongue tied after he pulled away. I couldn''t understand why anyone would be against us. We have stuck to business and government rules, we have ensured we always satisfy our clients; Grace works hard on their designs to ensure that, so why?


    "So you see," he pulled me out of my thoughts. He looked at me with pity. "I wish it would not get to this but there is nothing I can do. I cherish my life and my business." Then he stretched out his hand for a handshake.


    I swallowed and took it. "It was nice working with you," he said with a tight smile. Then he turned and walked out of the cafe where I had coerced him to.


    I walked back to my office in a daze. So everything that''s been happening has not been our fault. Someone was behind this. Maybe it was our rivals? But Luxe vogue had not had any rival in years. We have owned the fashion spotlight for years and no one dared topete with us. Perhaps someone has grown the balls to stand up to us?


    As I got into the elevator, our social media manager ran up to me. "Wait! Wait!"


    I quickly stopped the elevator and stepped out. Thedy worked mainly remotely so her presence was enough to raise rms. I met her halfway, What''s the problem?"


    She hadn''t spoken but I was already preparing myself for another bad news or report. It was the only type of news we heard these days anyway. It was either there was a bad review on our page or an investor suddenly thinks investing in our business was not the best investment anymore.


    "There is another stream ofments on the menswear series page," she said and my shoulders slumped.


    "What type ofments?" I already knew her response but I asked anyway.


    "Bad, ma''am. They''re even worse than the previous ones."


    Haven''t you taken down the posts?"


    The videos and posts that Grace had spent hours and so much effort putting together for the advert of the menswear series that weunched had to be taken down because it attracted a lot of negativements. They used Grace of giarism. So we had no choice but to take down all of them.


    "Every single one, ma''am. The page is dormant as it is tight now."


    "Then what is their problem again, haven''t they done enough damage?" I ran my hands through my hair. "You know what? Just delete the page."


    She raised her brow, "I should? We''ve spent a lot promoting i-"


    "Yes, I know that. But what is its use if it bes a tform for negativements and reviews?"


    She sighed and pursed her lips. "Okay," she said in a small voice.


    I felt bad, really bad. She and Grace had really put their all into promoting the menswear series after theunch. Now all of their efforts and the money spent into it had all gone down the drain. So as of now, the long-nned menswear series had been postponed due to the sudden breaks in the supply chain.


    I climbed the elevator and it stopped on the floor where my office was.


    My assistant stood up as soon as she saw me approach. "Wee, ma''am," the poor girl managed a smile despite all the disastrous news she had had to ry to me in just a few weeks.


    I couldn''t even bring myself to answer her greeting. She followed me into my office with a stack of envelopes in her grasp.


    4 swallowed as I recognized what they were. I hadn''t even approved the previous one and more were already here. Great!


    She opened her mouth to speak but I stopped her. "More resignation letters."


    She folded her lips and slowly shook her head. "The ones who submitted


    before threatened that they would leave if you refuse to approve them."


    1 nodded. "Drop them."


    She dropped them and left. Just as she reached the door, she took a step back


    as the door was pushed open with much force. It was Grace. My assistant greeted her and left.


    Grace marched to my table and plopped on the empty cushion chair. She looked like she would burst into tears any minute.


    "Another shareholder has called for a meeting." She sounded frustrated as she announced. "He''sing into the country by flight. He''ll be here in the next hour.".


    We both understood what this meeting meant. In thest shareholders meeting, we had to pay about two shareholders money worth of their shares before the conflict was settled.


    "I guess, we have to prepare for his arrival then. Grace said nothing, she just kept staring at her nails. "Is it just him?"


    "I don''t know," she whispered.


    Just then, my door was pushed open again and the ountant stepped in. His, forehead was coated in sweat as he strode towards us.

 Chapter 0116

    His breathing was harsh as he spoke, "Thank Goodness. I thou it you wouldn''t be in."


    "What is it this time?" I asked numbly. I couldn''t even think straight anymore.


    "The Luxe vogue logistics and warehousing partners called," he said as he spread out papers on my table. "They''ve raised their f*es so they''re demanding a year''s f*e in advance or we could as well look for other partners."


    Grace and I exchanged nces. Grace abruptly stood up. "I can''t do this right now. I can''t! You''ll meet in the conference room," she erupted and stormed out of the door.


    I watched her leave. It was insane, all of these things that were happening. It was all happening in a blur that it was hard to keep track.


    "Tell them we would pay," I told the ountant. "They should give us some days." Then I muttered under my breath, "this isn''t the best time to start sourcing for new partners. Luxe vogue is literally in ruins."


    I dragged my feet to the conference room when the time for the meeting came. There were just the HR manager, two shareholders, the ountant, Grace and


    1. me.


    The shareholder who called for the meeting went straight to the point. His face was squeezed in rage as she spoke, "What is this I hear of you losing employees and your partners pulling out?"


    "It''s just a minor issue that we are working on. It will be sorted out soon and they wille to work and partner with us again." I tried to assure him.


    But he was adamant. "Soon?!" He erupted, "Soon? Is it until you finally go bankrupt? Till thepany is seized and closed down?"


    "I assure you, we are not going bankrupt, M-" the ountant tried but he was interrupted.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "I don''t want to hear assurances! I want to see results!"


    "Mr-"


    "Don''t call my name as yelled


    give you three days! Three days! If I don''t


    se pred new then th afraid of what will do Then he stormed out.


    The rifter shared we had remained solemn and rained silent all the while slowly rose from his test. He pinned me with an unthomable gaze, "I We give you an umum but I want to see improvement." 1 Forend a smile and nodded. "Thank you.


    After the door closed behind him, we all exchanged nces. We just broke a recard


    We just held the shortest meeting ever!


    Secondster, everyone solemnly exited the conference room. So it was just Grace and


    I turned to Grace, she had remained silent all through the meeting. "Are you okay?"


    The question had slipped out of my mouth before I knew what I was saying. It was the most stupid question ever.


    She scoffed, her gaze pinned on the table, "I can''t believe you just asked me that question " Then she raised her head and looked at me, "What do we do, Sydney?


    My heart broke as I looked at her, her eyes were red and they glinted with unshed tears. Then I realized that she must have cried in her office beforeing for the meeting "Grace" I cooed and quickly pushed my chair back. I rushed to her side and sat in the seat beside hers. I faced her and held her hands.


    "We have to remain strong, babe," I squeezed her hands infort, "This is just a phase."


    Tears slid down her eyes as she just looked at me then in seconds she was sobbing seriously. I hugged her head to my chest and gently caressed her hair.


    As I listened to her cry and absentmindedly patted her on the back and rubbed her hair. I wondered what was happening. The supplier''s words came back to


    me and I tried to figure out who could be behind all of this. What was their aim?


    Grace''s trembling voice brought my attention back to her


    eyes were


    already putty as she turned her gaze to me, "I remember apany wanted to


    acquire us before." She s


    acquire us before." She sniffed and I frowned.


    That ther

 Chapter 0117

    "Why don''t we just sell thepany to them? Let''s just sell it while we still can. I really don''t want to end up with nothing." Her voice started to quiver as she spoke, "I''m sorry but I''m really scared of being poor again. I don''t even want to imagine going through those hard times again. I can''t," she shook her head deliriously and her grip on the side of my dress tightened, "I can''t go back to those days."


    She started to cry again and Iforted her, "Don''t be afraid, I''m here. We''re in this together. Let''s keep holding on. Whoever is behind all this will eventually show themselves. Then we''ll know what to do." I made her face me and I firmly held her gaze, "Don''t worry, this is not the time to panic. This is the time to remain strong and keep our hopes alive."


    Grace sniffed and nodded, huping. "Okay."


    It''s been days of receiving bad news and the worry and fear was anxiously eating away at me. I might have assured Grace that everything would be fine but I wasn''t so sure anymore. I told her not to panic but it was the exact thing I was doing. My grips on the handles of the cups were so tight that I was surprised that there were no broken cups or mugs yet and my hands wouldn''t stop shaking.


    As each night morphed into another day, so did my hope morphed into despair. I couldn''t watch apany we''ve worked so hard to build just copse in the blink of an eye yet there was nothing I could do.


    No matter how much we promised our partners or suppliers, they were adamant on pulling out. I had even desperately promised the shareholders a higher dividend and the investors a higher return on investment even though I was well aware that it might cripple thepany in the long run but they all refused. They just didn''t want to have anything to do with Luxe Vogue.


    I flinched, almost jumping out of my chair when Grace burst into my room. I held my chest as I watched her drop herptop before me. "What happened?"


    "I can see you haven''t checked our business mails. We just received a purchase proposal!"


    Chart $11


    I turned in my seat and stared, wide eyed, at the amount in the mail.


    "Five million dors?!" Grace and I said simultaneously. Mine came out confused and shocked while Grace sounded ecstatic.


    "Sydney,I''m sorry but we will sell Luxe Vogue. We can start over with this payment."


    "What about our Goodwill? The image we''ve built all these years," I started to argue but I derailed. "Wait, who wants thepany? Who is willing toy this much for apany that''s slowly deteriorating?" It hurt to refer to ourpany like that but it was the truth.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Grace shrugged. "I don''t know. I read it but I don''t remember. My senses must have deleted it when I saw the amount they were willing..." she trailed off as we both saw the acquirer.


    My blood ran cold and I gritted. It was Mark''s fuckingpany - GT Group!


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking?" Grace asked, her voice trembling in anger -I hope. "They offered a hundred million dors before!"


    "It all seems clear now. They manipted everything and now they want to take advantage of the situation."


    "Goddamn!" Grace blurted out and started to pace the room, her hand gripping her hair.


    I sneered, my gaze pinned on thepany''s name of the proposal mail." Grace, just wait," I bit out bitterly, "I will tea

 Chapter 0118

    MARK''S POV


    I turned with a start as the door to my office burst open. My sistant stepped in, his brows creased and eyes widened in a mixture of fear and worry.


    "What did you barge in like that?!" I rose to my feet angrily.


    His breathing was uneven and he tried to steady it before he spoke. I wondered if he ran here. "Sydney ising and with the expression on her face and with her strides, nobody could dare to stop her. Not even security. I cou-"


    My gaze swiftly slid to the door as it was roughly pushed open again. My assistant leapt away from the entrance way as Sydney barged in.


    She made a beeline for my desk and mmed her bag down on it. She directed the thunderous look in her eyes at me and yelled, "Mark, what exactly are your up to? Why are you making things difficult for me?"


    I raised my brows and cast a shocked nce at the slight crack she just made on my desk. I wondered what the cause of her anger was as I turned to my assistant who kept a cautious nce at Sydney. I nodded towards the door." Leave us.


    His lips trembled, his gaze shifting from Sydney to me. "Do you want me to call for backup security?"


    I cast an amused look his way while Sydney shot him a deathly re. At the look on her face, he nodded and scrambled out the door, gently closing the door behind him.


    She must have really scared them, I thought as I turned to a fuming Sydney." What''s the matter? How have I offended you?" I asked softly.


    Sydney scoffed then she roared, "You pretender! You still dare to y innocent."


    I returned her re with a nk look. "I honestly have no idea why you''re here." I have been trying to stay out of her way since I found out about her and my damned uncle so what could I have possibly done? She drew back, her brows raised, "So you want to deny that you haven''t been


    ying disastrous tricks just to force us to sell ourpany to you?" She threw her hands in the air, "What have I ever done to you to deserve this, Mark? I left the marriage, I left you and Be alone. I have done everything to get out of your hair so why?!"


    I frowned as I listened to her. Herpany? She owned apany? "Whatpany do you own that you im that I am forcing you to sell to me?" I asked, puzzled.


    With narrowed eyes, she threw a file at me. I raised my brows at her before slowly looking down at the file she had thrown at my chest. I ced it before me on the desk and opened it.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    I paused at the content of the file before me. My gaze shifted to her then back to the file. I sat up as my eyes scanned the documents. I frantically flipped through and... the documents before me were the hardcopy of the Luxe Vogue acquisition proposal that I had personally approved. I remembered vividly that I had signed the soft copy that was emailed to them and also the hardcopy that was delivered the same day.


    I reached into my drawer and quickly brought out the document of the second mysterious founder of Luxe Vogue and Atelier Studios.


    "You''re the second founder of Luxe vogue?!"


    She narrowed her eyes, "Don''t y smart with me, Mark."


    "I''m serious, Sydney. I didn''t know it was you. I only knew Grace was one of the founders, the second person''s identity has since remained unknown." I paused and studied her, she seemed not to be listening to me as she directed a re at me. "So is it you?" I prompted.


    She threw her hands in the air and blurted out, "Of course, it''s me! Who else could it be? I''m always hanging out with Grace; we''re friends. It''s obvious that I am the one who started the business with her. Any intelligent person would have figured that out!"


    I reclined in my seat as I pieced everything together. Grace...I should have known it was Sydney''s Grace!


    sighed and leaned forward. I dropped the documents on the desk. "Alright, alright, I''m not intelligent, okay?" I slightly raised my hand in the air in


    surrender. "But the Grace I know now looks different from the picture in her business profile," I frowned.


    "What do you think? Isn''t been years!" She spelt out each word as though I was a four year old. She shrugged, "Besides, we were still struggling then.

 Chapter 0119

    I nodded slowly, taking in this information. "Why didn''t you update any information on your own profile? That would have prevented this huge misunderstanding."


    She rolled her eyes, "I was too busy schooling and looking for my parents and then boom, I became your wife back. Where would I have found the time to deal with that, Mark?"All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I regarded her for a while. "You''re right. Updating a business profile must have been the least of your worries." Then I stood up from my seat and walked to the coffee machine ced in the corner of the room. I went over everything all over again as I made two cups of coffee. Even as I stood there, I could feel her hot re on my back.


    I gently ced a cup of coffee before her. "Sit down and calm down. I assure you, this is all a misunderstanding. Rx and let''s amicably resolve it."


    She grabbed the cup and downed the whole thing. She pinned me with a re." Now, let''s resolve it. "How do you n to solve this?"


    I smiled at her and returned to my seat. An idea was already cooking in my head. "Did you bring information on your men''s clothing line? If you are with them, can you let me see?"


    She suspiciously narrowed her eyes at me, the anger in her eyes dimmed." Why?"


    I chuckled, "You want us to solve this, don''t you?"


    She nodded slowly.


    "Then let me see."


    She regarded me for a while before she turned her gaze to her bag on the desk and pulled out some documents. "Here," her voice came out softer. She ced it on the desk and started to point at some things and exined them.


    I nodded at what she showed me, secretly d that her anger seemed to have faded away.


    When she was done, I took the documents from her and carefully reviewed them. As a man, I was impressed. The designs for the men''s clothing line they wanted to venture into was impressive,I would give that to them. It held great potential and I could easily see the series bing a hout old name even


    more than Luxe Vogue and Atelier Studios.


    I closed it and faced her, "I think the designs for this series are amazing. It has great market potential and I am sure it would be one of the best among the elite societies and personalities."


    My heart warmed as I saw Sydney''s eyes light up and a bright smile adorned her lips. "Right?" She perked up, "You think so too, don''t you? It''s really good; we put a lot of effort into it. Grace spent hours on each design." Her shoulders slightly slumped, "It would be a shame for it to just disappear like that."


    I nodded, "Your efforts cannot go like that." I looked away from her and picked up my phone. I dialed the Executive office. "Halt the acquisition of Luxe Vogue immediately!" I ordered. "Then invest a sum of ten million dors in theirpany. Prepare the contracts and termination of the proposal immediately, want to review them."


    Sydney''s eyes bulged as she stared at me, her mouth slightly agape. Then she asked skeptically, "What are you doing?"


    I reclined in my seat and patiently exined to her, "Most of your investors pulled out, didn''t they? They did," I answered myself as she just kept staring. "I am filling in for them. Plus, with the capital injection from GT Group, other financial forces would not dare to easily crush you. In fact, more investors will pull in. Companies like yours are easy targets for big corporations. With my investment, I will be protecting you."


    She narrowed her eyes at me, her resentment slowly fading. "Then you can only invest, our shares are aren''t for sale." She shrugged, "At least not yet. I need to ensure control over the entirepany first." She suddenly dealt me with a re, "You''ve let a lot of things go wrong already."


    "Apologies, ma''am," I meekly bowed, the corners of my lips tilting in a smirk. And of course, it''s yourpany; you''re in charge," I said indulgently, "If you don''t want to sell your shares then so be it."


    I gauged how she rolled her eyes and mellowed and I smiled. This was a good chance to win her over.

 Chapter 0120

    SYDNEY''S POV


    As expected of apany asrge as GT Group, the executive office quickly prepared the contracts and proposals and brought it for Mk to review.


    I watched the man who brought the documents stand beside Mark and exined some things to him. "This is the termination of the acquisition proposal. We need your signature here," he pointed to somewhere in the paper, "and there."


    Mark nodded, as he went through them first. One in a while, he would squint his eyes and ask that something be exined and why it was done in a certain way and the man would exin everything to him then Mark would nod, seeming impressed.


    I was quite surprised when he imed that he didn''t know that I co-owned Luxe Vogue and Atelier Studios with Grace. If I was not raving mad, I would have burst out withughter at the expression on his face when he tried to piece everything together.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I had merely stormed here with the thought that he was doing all he was doing to cripple ourpany and buy it cheap because he knew I co-owned it. But surprisingly he hadn''t. I still wondered why he had wanted to acquire thepany but it was the least of the things on my mind right now. I was still trying to grasp that he was really going to invest that much in ourpany.


    At longst, he sighed. "Good job. This is urate, just the way I want it." Then he raised his gaze from the documents and fixed it on me, "I am fine with it, you should check it out too." He slid the documents toward me.


    I took the documents and opened each one. My eyes took in the words and figures as I painstakingly read through. I didn''t want to miss anything.


    Just as Mark had said, everything was as it should be. I was impressed too but not very surprised. Mark took thepany and his job seriously. It was only expected of his employees to do the same.


    I faced both of them and nodded. I dropped it on the desk. "I''m fine with it too but I will need to discuss this with my partner first."


    Mark smiled as he opened his arms and said warmly, "Of course, take your time and let me know once you''ve made a decision."


    I resisted the urge to cast him another suspicious nce. Why was he doing this? Why was he being so nice? He seemed so determiner


    acquire our


    "If you can send me a soft copy of the documents, I would really appreciate it."


    He turned to the man by his side. "You heard her. Go send her the soft copy. Send it to the same business mail you sent the acquisition request proposal."


    "Yes sir," the man said and walked out of the office.


    I avoided his gaze as I picked up my bag. I could barely contain my excitement as I walked out of his office. It was really happening! We were getting a ten million dors investment from a very prestigiouspany!


    The mere mention that GT Group was acquainted with ourpany would have morepanies rushing at us in multifolds.


    The moment I was at the rooftop, I jumped and screamed in excitement. Then ! received a notification on my phone. It was an email notification from GT


    Group. They just sent the soft copies of the documents. I tried to rx as I went through it again to be very sure. Everything was just the way they were in the hard copy.


    My hands shook as I dialed Grace''s number. She didn''t pick up on the first dial so I had to redial her number. She picked up on the third ring.


    "Hey..." her voice sounded somber. "I had the volume up as I attempted to drown myself in some ro since I couldn''t stop thinking about what would be of us after ourpany crumbles so I didn''t hear the phone ring. Sorry. What''s up? Were you able to see Mark?"


    "I wasn''t just able to see him, I was able to bag a big investor!"


    "Are you for real?!" Grace practically yelled the question.


    "Trust me, we''ve gotten a new investment. A whooping one at that. The soft copy has been sent to the business email."


    12130


    "Oh My God! You''re serious. This is good news," I assumed she was moving. because the pitch of her voice started to rise up and down and e sounded like she was on the verge of weeping in happiness. "So who''s this insightful investor? I could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke.


    "You wouldn''t believe it. It''s Mark''spany, GT Group."


    There was a pause then she blurted out, "Why?!"


    Chart 0121

 Chapter 0121

    I chuckled, "There are so many why''s? Which of the why''s?"


    I heard Grace take a deep breath. "First, why is he investing so much? looking at the proposal right now. Secondly, why did he want to acquire thepany in the first ce?"All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    "He initially didn''t know that I co-owned thepany with you and I have no idea why he is investing so much, babe. I''m shocked and most importantly, I am happy! So who cares why?" "Hmm," Grace hummed, "The ex-wife''s influence is still strong!" She joked and I could imagine her wiggling her brows.


    "Stop it," I said as I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, since you''ve received the soft copy of the contract and proposal. Check it out, if there are any issues, let me know ASAP. I''ll drop my own signature once I get confirmation from mywyer, you should sign your part on the soft copies, okay? Later, you will sign the hard copies."


    "Alright, I''m already flitting through but I will carefully look at them right now," she said. "I''ll get back to you as soon as I''m done."


    "Okay, I will be waiting for your response," I said, then hung up and instantly called mywyer.


    I had a long discussion with mywyer to confirm that there were no issues with the contract. He assured me that everything there was as it should be and that there are no means of maniption or the likes. I smiled in relief as his assurance. I had somehow had it at the back of my mind that Mark might be up to some mishap or so. But everything was as it should be.


    Just then, Grace''s call came in. I quickly picked it up. "I''ve looked it over," Grace said the moment I picked up. "And the proposal and contract is solid. Very beneficial to thepany in the long and the short run. I say we should ept it," Grace rushed out excitedly.


    "That''s great, then. I just got off the phone with mywyer too. He said the


    same 1 smiled, feeling giddy with excitement. Tll go sign the contract now. Get your signature where it should be too


    "Of course Come on, hurry back to them ourpany''s future and even our personal future depends on this contract she said, half serious. "Go for it."


    I chuckled lightly at what she said. It might seem like a joke but she was right. All aspects of our future actually depended on the contra we just got.


    After I hung up, I made my way back to Mark''s office. I took a deep breath, erasing all forms of overexcitement and desperation from my features, before 1 pushed his door open.


    On hearing the door open, he looked up and when his eyesnded on me, his lips stretched into a smile. ''Have you spoken with your partner?"


    I nodded, my gaze fixed on the documents arranged before him on the desk. I sat in the seat I had been upying before I left. The documents were now in duplicates.


    "All ready" Mark gestured at the array of duplicate documents. "What have you decided?


    "Where do I sign? I didn''t miss the smirk on Mark''s face as I picked up the pen before him. The GT Group''s corporate seal was already stamped onto the documents, only my signature was needed.


    As my eyes grazed the contract terms again, I first toyed with the idea then I dared to ask. I looked up at him, "Can''t you increase the investment a bit more?"


    Mark''s lips tilted in a half-smile as he regarded me. Then he stood up and took his sweet time to walk over to the other side of the desk where I was seated.


    The chair I sat in was a swivel chair, so he easily turned me to face away from the desk and face him. He leaned forward and ced his hands on both sides of the chair, trapping me...enveloping me within his arms.


    drew back as much as the chair would allow and frowned as he intently looked into my eyes.


    Tm a businessman, Sydney, his hoarse yet smooth voice sweetly swept over me. "If my initial investment proves effective, naturally, I will increase it."


    He smirked as his face moved even closer and if it wasn''t for his strong grip on the chair, the force with which I pressed my head to the back of the chair would have wheeled it back.


    "If


    you want me to increase the investment now, it''s not impossible; for instance...


    I swallowed and held his gaze, "For instance, what?"


    Mark smirk widened even more as he blurted out thest words I had expected


    to hear from him, "For instance, having a one-night stand with me would make that possible."

 Chapter 0122

    SYDNEY''S POV


    The both of us just remained there as we let his words hang in the air. Hi stared into mine and mine into his. He seemed to be baring his emotions. looked at me and let me look at him but he wasn''t. There was still the unfathomable glint in his eyes that caused the hair on my body to stand a


    as if my body might betray me.


    I tried to figure out if he meant what he said... He was joking, I told myself. had to be joking because thest thing I would do is share his bed. I might desperate to protect mypany and prevent it from copsing and bing a shadow of its former self but I was not that desperate. If worsees to worse then we would simply shut Luxe Vogue down and carry on with Atelier Studios.


    "Are you still there, Sydney?" His breath fanned my face and his fingers mad contact with my wrist as he attempted to bring my attention back to him.


    I kicked my lips. "I should be asking you if your senses are still intact?" His face lit up as heughed, "Trust me, they''re very intact. I''m very aware tha had just invested a fortune in yourpany, Luxe Vogue and," his gaze slid downward then back to my face. "And I''m very aware of the condition I just suggested to add to the investment amount."


    "And what''s that condition?" I raised my brows as I asked, half angry and half amused.


    He gave a lopsided grin and his voice grew even deeper, "You heard me, Sydney."


    Damn. It sounded nice hearing him say my name in that deep voice but I gaped


    at


    at him. I hadn''t expected the words that he just spat out. I took a moment and


    looked into his eyes. Perhaps, I had not heard him right. I chuckled lightly and raised my brows, "Are you for real right now?"


    He inched closer, "I''ve never been more serious, Sydney."


    The corner of my lips lifted very slightly as it mirrored his smirk. If he was


    going to be sly about it then I would be too. As I folded my arms across my chest, I didn''t miss the quick nce he sent downward before raising a brow, demanding for my response. "If a one night stand could fetch more.


    investment, why would I choose you? There are so many wealthy men in this city, surely one or two of them would be curious about the taste of the ex-wife of GT Group''s CEO, don''t you think?"


    His expression remained unchanged as he continued to bore his eyes into me. It was as if he had anticipated my response and he was humor that he turned out to be right. Maybe he was merely teasing me but it didn''t look like it. His face held a yful expression but his eyes told another story.


    Whichever it was, he is too close for myfort. I positioned the edge of his ball pen to his chest and pushed him back with it. I transferred much strength to my hand and fingers to push him back but he barely bulged; I could only dig the pen into the mass of muscles on his chest.


    "It does not matter that you''re the CEO of GT Group," I held his gaze and said sternly, "I won''t tolerate sexual harassment."


    His brows rode up his hairline the same time his smirk annoyingly widened. Then he pulled back and gracefully raised his hands as if in surrender.This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I apologize," he said after he was a good feet away from me. "I was just kidding though, you should have known that." Then he wiggled his brows in a yful manner, "A one night stand would not hurt though. It...what''s the word?" he squinted his eyes and looked up at the ceiling then he suddenly snapped his finger, "It would bring more prosperity to our alliance."


    I frowned and tried to make sense of what he just said. Then I turned to him with an indifferent gaze. "Hahaha. Very funny. I''m cackling withughter." I said and turned away from him. I rolled the chair around to face the desk. I picked up the ballpen and got back to scribbling my signature where it was needed on the documents.


    I twirled the pen between my fingers after I was done signing the documents. and wheeled the chair to face him where he still remained, "Don''t forget, I still hold five percent of GT Group''s shares. Push me too far, and I might just sell them to yourpetitor." There was a half smile on my lips as I said, hoping to cause a rise from him but he seemed to have known my aim.

 Chapter 0123

    His eyes widened dramatically and he gasped with equal measure then he pped his palm on his forehead, "Shit! How could I have forgotten about that? I really am a fool. I had better start to watch my actions around you now."


    I couldn''t hold back myugh. I chuckled, "You''re such a bad actor. Even a two year old will be able to tell that you''re not afraid at all."


    He smirked, "You know that because I want you to. You wou never be able to tell if I''m acting. I''m that good at it," his chin slightly tipped up and I rolled myAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    eyes.


    Then his lips stretched in a genuine smile and all traces of yfulness were gone from his eyes. "Come on, I hold thirty six percent of the shares of GT Group. Now add that to another five percent in my mother''s name. Make the calction and I''m still thergest shareholder. No matter what you or anyone does, I will always emerge the winner in the end," he exined arrogantly.


    I rolled my eyes, "You''re too confident. You should watch your back, somehow, the tables can turn anytime."


    With a conceited grin, he folded his arms across the expanse of his chest and arched a perfectly shaped brow, "How?"


    I stared back at him nkly. Then I shrugged, "Just somehow. Anything can happen."


    "Nothing can happen. I will always own the highest numbers of shares."


    "Arg!" I groaned aloud and rolled my eyes. He''s just so full of himself. I pushed. the signed contract towards him.


    He chuckled at my irritation then he picked up the documents and looked through them. He smiled down at the papers then he looked up at me, "Give me your phone."


    I drew back with a frown. "Are you ordering me? Just because you."


    "Okay, Sydney," he interrupted me, still smiling. His gaze softened, "Please, can I have your phone?"


    "Why?" I asked defensively and instinctively reached for my phone that had previously been lying on the desk. "What do you want with my phone?"


    He sighed exasperatedly and before I knew what was happening, he easily plucked my phone from my hand. I hadn''t even seen thating.


    "Give it back," I reached for it but he pulled it away.


    "Rx," he said. I red at him as he operated the phone. He nced m ray asionally with a smile. A few secondster, he turned the screen to face me. "You have a long cklists."


    The screen showed his contact on my phone. He had just removed it from the contacts I cklisted. "You could have just told me."


    "And you could have just refused to do it. He chuckled to himself like he had just cracked some private joke. "By the way, never cklist your investor, that''s


    a little business tip I''ll teach you." He said proudly.


    I rolled my eyes and looked at him with resignation. "You really are a boring man," I muttered and then I snatched my phone from him.


    He chuckled and said, "Don''t worry. You''re going to be too busy to identify a boring man from now on. I''ll be calling you often to check on our investment''s progress."


    I snorted without saying anything. I stood up and grabbed my bag. "I hope it will be nice doing business with you," I stretched out my hand for a handshake.


    He regarded my hand for a while then he took it in a firm grasp. What I didn''t expect was for him to bring my hand to his mouth and ce a kiss on the back. of my hand. He then held my gaze, "Trust me, you will enjoy doing business. with me."


    I scrunched up my face as I snatched my hand from his hold. Without a word, I turned and made my way to the door.


    I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked to the door. Just as the door was at few inches from closing shut, his voice rang out; he sounded amused. "I''ll be waiting for your call, Sydney."

 Chapter 0124

    VENEYS POV


    FEW DAYS LATER


    Drop i really optimedicabout Lure Vogue, the reporter shook his head. me the other one anuncianed about the turn of events for Luxe Vogue. "It seems


    vtil


    thepany will has a promising future


    "Of course," the other man said enthusiastically, "GT Group ha vested a huge sum in thepany and have you seen the rapid rise of their stock in


    days? It''s crazy. I tell you." Then he turned to the screen, "The men''s clothing line of the Luxe Vogue is the new big fish. Investors are rushing at it,panies want to partner with it and their stock price keeps rising by the


    minute"


    My gaze shifted from myptop''s screen to my office door that was just banged open. Grace burst into my office, her face alight with joy. "Sydney! Have you seen this?" She had her iPad in her grasp. "I''m currently watching it," Iughed, my insides bursting with joy.


    She set her iPad on my desk as she took a seat on the other side. "Girl! Ourpany is the talk of the city. We''ve done it, we''re really amazing." "Aren''t we?" I shifted myptop away and reclined in my seat, "But it wouldn''t have been possible if GT Group hadn''t intervened, you know. "Yeah. Their Goodwill did wonders. But we worked too. I''m just d that all that work didn''t go to waste and ourpany wouldn''t be history."


    "I know right," I said. "The power of Z Group is indeed formidable!"


    "It is," she agreed. Then she started to wiggle her brows and I knew she was about to tease me again. "And it''s all thanks to your ex-husband, Mark."


    I rolled my eyes. "Oh please. He''s getting returns on the investment."


    Whatever," Grace waved her hair in the air dismissively, "He''s my hero now; now find him to be the most handsome man in the whole wide world. I''ll never speak ill of him again."


    Iughed and said amidstughter, "What an opportunist."


    Graceughed at herself too. "Call me whatever. It''s how I see him now." She sighed happily and lightly scrolled on her screen. "Gosh. The men''s clothing line is doing so well. I''m immensely surprised." I nodded, "That''s the power of an indomitable goodwill."


    After the investment with GT Group was finalized, we runched the men''s clothing line and had our social media manager create another page or it. We started to post strictly giarism-free pictures and videos to push the line to many inte users. GT Group also shared and posted a congrattory message on theunch of the men''s clothing line after which their alliance and investment in ourpany was announced and aired.


    This announcement brought a wave of investors andpanies wanting to invest and partner with us.


    In just a matter of days, a lot of changes had been seen. Social medias buzzed with excitement at theunch of our men''s clothing and Luxe Vogue gained a new wave of attention and the fans who hadn''t kosed hope on us cheered us


    1. on.


    Our reputation has been elevated, sales has significantly increased, especially that of the new line we justunched. Our old investors publicly apologized and came back to us. Some of the shareholders that left were now waiting for us to dere our shares on sale again but unfortunately, Grace and I had agreed that we would hold on before selling our shares again.


    "I don''t just think we can ever thank him enough," Grace said.


    I nodded, "You''re right. But you shouldn''t let it seem that way. We didn''t beg for the investment after all-"


    The vibration of my phone interrupted me. I turned the screen of my phone up to check the caller''s ID. I rolled my eyes.


    "Who is it?" Grace asked.


    "Mark," I simply said. "He has probably called to boast of hispany''s name


    again."


    Grace shook her head andughed, "I would do the same if I were in his shoes."


    I snorted," So you''re supporting him now huh."


    She raised her hand, "I already told you. He''s my hero."


    The call ended before I could pick it up but my phone lit up immediately again.


    "Have you seen the data growth for Luxe Vogue today?"


    "Of course. You''re called to gloat again."


    His deep voice boomed through my phone''s speaker Ashe chuckled, "Come on, it''s a win win. Nothing to gloat about." "Hmm, I hummed.


    "So how do you n to thank me?" His voice lowered a few degrees as he asked flirtatiously.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

 Chapter 0125

    "Thank you? Didn''t you just say it''s a win win? GT Group would also enjoy a share of the profits, won''t they?" I retorted.


    "Ha, you''re always strictly sticking to talking business. How about dinner tonight? Let''s celebrate this continual growth," he suggested with an awkwardugh.


    I scoffed. "You''re so confusing, you know that? Now you pose as a suitor, sometimes you seem jealous, sometimes passionate, sometimes flirty. Are you trying to make me fall in love with you, only to cruelly dump me and humiliate me after making me have my hopes high?"


    There was a long pause then he erupted, "Damn, you caught me. My acting skills are seriously waning these days."


    "There was never any skill in the first ce. Your acting is as terrible as it has always been."


    "You know me so well, Sydney."


    I ignored hisment, "Besides, Doris already told me that you''re currently dating the senator''s daughter, Sandra."


    At the mention of Sandra, Grace''s head that has since been buried in the iPad snapped up.


    "Tsk tsk, isn''t Sandra your good friend, Joel''s girlfriend? You guys now date one girl? Perhaps, it''s now the trending thing right?" I smirked at the silence that answered my question on the other end. "What a messy circle you are in, Mark."


    Grace''s eyes were filled with questions as she looked at me and listened to fragments of the conversation on my end.


    He sneered, "You''re no better. Aren''t you also dating Lucas? Your ex-husband''s uncle." I could hear the smirk in his voice as he continued, "Come on, Sydney, we''re evenly matched. Do you not see that we are really meant for eachother?" There was a pause then he added in a low voice, almost a whisper, "We shouldn''t have divorced."


    I was thinking of the response to give to Mark when I heard Lucas'' voice. My gaze slid to the ss wall of my office and I saw Lucas speaking with someone, a rose bouquet in his grasp.


    Mark was saying something but obviously I didn''t hear half of it. "Alright, Mr Mark," I interrupted him, "This unnecessary phone call will end now; I can''t talk to you anymore. Your favorite uncle, my boyfriend, is here," I teased.


    At this, Grace turned back to look at Lucas. Then she turned to me and wiggled her brows. I threw a pen her way and she dodged it,ughing.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    There was another pause on Mark''s end then he said. "My favorite uncle you said?"


    "Hm hm."


    Then heughed, "You should leave thepany for Grace and take a career as aedian."


    "I will surely give it a thought," I answered him, my gaze still fixed on Lucas. I could barely concentrate on whatever Mark was saying as I admired Lucas from where I sat. The fluidity with which he rted with my employees, the smile on his face...the delicious stretch of his broad shoulders. The expanse of his chest that I so much loved toy my head on. My fingers twitched as the feel of my fingers tangling in the soft curls on his head filled my memory...


    "What are you guys going to do? I don''t mind joining," Mark said in a yful tone, intruding my thoughts.


    nonchntly said, "What do boyfriends and girlfriends do together? What do you do with Sandra?"


    "Are you that curious? Or would you like me to give my favorite uncle a lesson or two?" He stressed on ''my favorite uncle.''


    "Trust me, you are the one who needs a lesson or two. And let me put my question more precisely, what did you do with Be behind my back? Of course, you have sex," I said nonchntly and Grace shook her head at my response


    I decided to spite him so I added, "You don''t have to worry though, I don''t have the habit of recording videos and sending them to other people''s phones. I''m not ill mannered."


    The silence stretched for a long time this time. I would have hung up but I didn''t. I knew he knew what I meant. He understood that I was referencing the time when Linda sent a sex video of both of them to me. Till today, when I have nothing to do of course, I still sometimes wonder why on earth he had even let her send the video.


    I heard him bitterly bite out under his breath, "You''re such a vengeful woman." Then he hung up.

 Chapter 0126

    SYDNEY''S POV


    Grace asked the moment I dropped the phone with brows creased her eyes alight with curiosity. "Did I just hear you say Sandra?" The name dripped from her lips with so much contempt, "Why was that name uttered in your conversation with Mark? Make it make sense."


    I ced my phone on the desk. "What you pieced together is what it is."


    "Come on, Sydney,y it out to me. It doesn''t make sense."


    "See? And yet you say he''s your idol." I mocked and her eyes narrowed as she shot me a teasing warning re. "Your idol is with your old rival, Sandra now. The wdy whom Steven held up so she could w your face."


    Grace groaned, "Oh please, don''t even remind me of that."


    Iughed lightly." Anyway. They''re currently together so it''s not your turn to be with your idol. You would have to wait for them to break up." Even though I sound like I didn''t give a damn, which I don''t, I still can''t help but wonder why it had to be Sandra. Of all the women he could have chosen from. It had to be that bitch, Sandra! Mark really never ceases to amaze me.


    "Gosh,I hate thatdy."


    "Ditto, "I interrupted her.


    She continued, "Because of her, I never want to hear the name Sandra because when I do, my head suddenly rings a warning bell and I just automatically assume the worst of a person and just stay far away from them."All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I pouted, "Now girl''s names Sandra are in trouble because of one callous Sandra," I ended myment with augh.


    Grace exaggerated a groan, "It''s that bad. I would never touch any man she''s been with."


    I raised my eyebrows at that but didn''t say anything. Just then, Lucas waltzed in and Grace winked. "I think this one''s cute though. and I trust your taste, so do well to let me know when you guys break up." A corner of Lucas'' lips lifted when he overheard what Grace said as he came forward to me. I got on my feet and let him pull me in for a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck and briefly pressed my lips to his. "Hey, babe," I whispered, low enough for only him to hear.


    He nted another kiss on my lips and answered me in a husky tone, "Hey."


    Then I faked a re as I turned to Grace, "Then I''m sorry to burst your bubbles but you''ll be waiting a long long time because Lucas and I are together for life...forever, you wicked woman! Now, get out of here!"


    I could feel the tremor on Lucas'' chest as he chuckled. There was a hint of a smile on Grace''s face even as she made a disappointed face, "Ah, dammit. I thought I had a chance. Seeing you two so happy really makes me jealous and almost want a man of my own." Then she sighed theatrically, her gaze sliding down to the nk screen of her iPad. "Well, this lonely soul needs to drown her sorrows in work now." "Shoo shoo," I waved her off with a dismissive flick of my wrist and gestured toward the door. "Out the door, woman."


    Grace chuckled and as she got on her feet, she said, "Hey, Lucas."


    "Grace, how''s it going?"


    A genuine smile spread on Grace''s lips, "I am great!" She said she walked out the door. "Now I don''t need to ask how you''re doing; I can already tell with that huge grin on your face because you''re holding my friend."


    "It''s that obvious?" Lucas winced, faking a pained expression.


    We all chuckled as Grace made her way out the door and it was just Lucas and I.


    Lucas handed me the flower he had in his grasp. "And this is for my princess."


    I took it with a smile and sniffed it. "Thank you," I muttered and felt his gaze on me as I looked at the bouquet in my hand. The flowers were fresh and the petals bloomed so beautifully. I liked the feel of it when I touched it. "They smell nice," then I thanked him again.


    "You deserve more. I am really proud of you."


    My smile broadened, "Thank you, Lucas. It''s all the good teachings that you''ve j stilled in me."


    I giggled when he surprisingly patted my head like I was a kid. "It''s because you''re smart. You''re so smart that you get everything exined to you even more than the exiner."

 Chapter 0127

    "Now that''s an exaggeration," Iughed and simultaneously took a seat and he half sat on the edge of the table.


    I carefully ced the flower on my desk and turned to him. He entwined our fingers and for a few seconds, we both just basked in afortable silence.


    Then it urred to me to ask him and sate my curiosity. He should know, right?


    "Why is Mark suddenly getting hot and heavy with Sandra?" I could feel the depth of my frown as I looked up at Mark and asked.


    "How do you know they''re together?" He yfully squinted at me suspiciously.


    "Dog''s told me plus Sandra''s tagged posts pops up here and there."


    "Hmm," he hummed, "Sometimes I forget you''re Grandma Doris'' sweetheart. and yeah, social media." Then he shrugged, "Well, I persuaded Doris to arrange. it. GT Group has already achieved great financial sess, and the next step is to align with political forces to maintain family influence, Sandra''s father is running for office and needs a lot of campaign funds, so it naturally all fell into ce."


    I shook my head at him, ¡°You''re a cunning one, aren''t you?"


    His sturdy shoulders lifted in a small shrug, "I had to be. I hate how he keeps pestering you under the guise of investment," I was taken aback a bit by the naked jealousy that coated Lucas'' words and filled his eyes for a few seconds. before it was gone like it was never there. He smiled roguishly as he said thest words, "So I decided to find him a wife to keep him busy."


    I nodded, humming. So Mark didn''t really choose Sandra. Since Mark cares so much about thepany, he naturally yed along with what would benefit thepany in the short or long run.


    Lucas leaned forward and snapped his fingers before my face, "Now what''s in that head of yours?" He crossed his arms when I didn''t say anything. Then her feigned to be jealous, "You two are divorced, yet it seems like you''re closer than before. It makes me worried, I had to do something before I lose you to your ex husband,"


    I stood up and his eyes followed my every movement as I positioned myself between his legs "Don''t worry, Lucas, I dently patted his cheek, "That will never happen Mad and I arepletely ver His face it up and his arms wound around my waist when he replied, "Then how do I know it''s me you love, not him?)


    leaned in and took his lips with mine. I didn''t move my lips. I just closed my eyes and remained there for seconds then I softly nipped his bo alip, "Then how do you want me to prove it? My voice came out huskier than I intended. for it toAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Lucas pulled me closer and took my lips in his. I let out a sigh when his body pressed closed to mine as his lips kneaded mine. He pulled away but his lips just hovered above mine and our breath mingled. "Come with me to an auction today," his lips slightly brushed mine as he murmured and I had to try hard to concentrate because all I wanted him to do was to just take my lips with his and kiss me. "Mark will be there too," I silently winced at the loss of his warmth as he reared back a little, looking into my eyes, "And you have to promise not to look at him. Not even once."


    "We do business together," I tried to reason but he just nkly stared back. If I was being honest, it sounded childish but I agreed anyway.


    "Alright then," my lips pulled back in a tight smile.


    He didn''t reply. His eyes just searched mine as I looked at him. "Or can you not do it?" He whispered in a deep voice, "You cannot stay in the same space with Mark without sparing him a nce or speaking with him?"


    X


    I lightly pped his biceps and chuckled, expecting him to do the same but hist face remained straight and nk. I cleared my throat, "Of course, I can," I said with an authentic smile, my hand rubbing up and down his arm, "I promise I''ll only look at you."

 Chapter 0128

    I got dressed in a simple little ck dress, my feet were d in nude heels with a matching purse. I part my hair in two and let each side frame my face. Lucas was finely tucked in a fine tuxedo - we decided to


    match colors so his tuxedo was ck, with a nude shirt underneath.


    My and Lucas'' arms were linked as we walked to the entrance of the auction. The security at the entranceway searched us with a beeping machine before we were allowed in.


    The auction house was already flooded by people when we got in and If Lucas had not specially had a seat reserved in his name at the VIP section in the front row, we probably would have ended up standing throughout the event. One of the ushers led us to our seats.


    As we approached our seat, I felt Lucas'' hold on my hand tightened. I had been slightly distracted by the beautiful artworks on disy but now that I looked ahead, I saw that the seats that the usher was leading us to were side by side with Mark''s.


    Mark, whose attention wason an ugly ancient statue on disy, was seated beside Sandra. There was a smug expression on her face as her eyes apanied us to our seats.


    Before we got there, I clutched Lucas'' arm with my second hand, "You don''t need to feel threatened by Mark," I said softly, "You know that right?" I added when he didn''t say anything.


    "I know," he simply answered.


    "Here you go, sir," the usher smiled sweetly and left.


    Mark suddenly turned and his eyes fell on us. Even though Lucas wasn''t watching, I looked away from him but I felt his hot gaze in me. There was a sort of staredown between them before both of them tersely nodded at each other.


    We took our seats. Sandra and I were seated in the middle, my left shoulder was almost touching Sandra''s right shoulder while Mark and Lucas were seated on the other side of us.


    "Hello, nemesis," Sandra whispered into my ear. When I ignored her, she hissed, "What now? We pretend not to know each other and ignore each other?"


    I ignored her still. My focus was on the disys. There was currently a golden shoe on disy. I actually found it ugly but the worth of the person who wore it for years must make it look like the most beautiful shoe on earth because bidders were silently warring with one another over the shoe. Before the auctioneer even exined it, Lucas whispered into my ear, "It was worn by the first Greek emperor. It cost a fortune then, not anymore though but owning it signifies your power...it''s kind of a power y thingy."


    I nodded then I blurted, "But it''s just one. Shoese in pairs, don''t they?"


    He chuckled, "After the emperor''s death. One of the pair got missing. Till today, no one knows its whereabouts."


    "Interesting," I muttered with a raised brow as Lucas pulled away.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I sneaked a nce at Mark. The way he stared at the shoe, he also seemed to know the story Lucas just told me and for a moment, I thought he was going to join the bidders but he didn''t.


    "$70,000! Who is ready to beat that?" The auctioneer screamed with so much vigor.


    One of the bidders immediately responded aggressively, "I bid $200,000!"


    I whipped my head back just as most of the people in the room did. The man who made the bid had a bald head with small greedy-looking eyes.


    "What the fucking hell!" I eximed in a low voice for Lucas to hear. "These people don''t have what to use their money for, do they?"


    "Everybody here is stinking rich, you know that and as I told you, it''s power. Most people do anything to have that," he said as we turned back to the auctioneer who was already calling for anyone who was ready to beat the amount.


    "Alright, the first Greek emperor''s shoe is sold to bidder number seven for $200,000!" The hammer fell and the auctioneer had a huge grin on his face as he announced the final bidder. I didn''t me him. I would beughing with joy if I were him. "Congrattions, sir."

 Chapter 0129

    I suddenly felt a feeble cool air on my neck. I turned to see Sandra unting an exquisite antique fan as she fanned herself with it.


    I scoffed inwardly and looked away. "It isn''t even hot," I muttered under my breath.


    "What?" Sandra immediately chimed. "I didn''t hear you well, did you say the fan is stunning?"


    I rolled my eyes at her charade.


    "Well, since you''re too proud to speak up and ask. I will tell you about it. Mark bid it for me before you got here. All I had to do was to just tell him I wanted it and he emerged the final bidder of $60,000," she sounded smug about it all as if Mark had just dug up a hundred years old tree for her.


    I smirked, contemting telling her that Mark gave me a hundred thousand dors just to see me. I wondered what she would have to say about that but I decided against it. She whispered again, "I bet you''ve never seen such a fine item, have you?"


    "No, I haven''t," I agreed and eyed the fan longingly just for effect. As expected, a self satisfied smirk etched on her lips. "I haven''t seen anything so ugly being unted like a treasure. Aren''t you ashamed?" Her smirk disappeared and she looked angered by my words as the fan froze in her grasp. I felt Mark turn my way, he looked amused as he looked between Sandra and I.


    An idea suddenly popped into my head and I momentarily forgot all about the '' don''t look Mark''s way'' deal that I had with Lucas. I pulled out my phone. I brought it up and said to both of them. "Smile." Sandra had a re on her face but Mark smiled. When Sandra saw that I was going to take a picture, she hastily brought up the fan to cover her angry face but it was toote, I already took the picture. I grinned as I viewed the picture of them that I just took.


    "What was that for?!" Sandra erupted while Mark turned away, looking at the next item being auctioned.


    I shrugged and smiled sweetly at Sandra, "You guys look so cute together."


    "You could have easily gotten a picture on one of my social media ounts!" She retorted.


    "Hmm," I decided to think about it for a while. "Nah, I wanted a nersonal picture.


    She dealt me a deadly re before she turned away with a huff.


    I had my lower lip between my teeth as my fi gets rapidly tapped on my keyboard. I captioned the picture, "Look, your good friend Sandra is going to be the next Mrs. of your lover, Mark. What a freaking interesting love triangle."


    Then I sent the captioned picture to Be.


    I turned off the screen of my phone and tucked it back in my purse. I settled my gaze on the podium with a smile on my lips as I imagined what Be''s expression must be tight now. I really wished I could see her reaction when she views the picture and reads the caption. In fact, I was eager to see her reaction - it would be priceless.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I would have said that I had finally avenged the time that she sent me the infuriating video of her and Mark having sex but it was not enough.


    I suddenly felt Lucas'' hand cup my elbow. His warm breath settled on my temple as he whispered in my ear, "Let''s move to the seats further away." Then he turned and looked at the seats that were a few seats away from the ones we were seated in and about three of them were empty. "You can also see the disyed items clearer from the view there."


    "Alright." I agreed and I wondered if he saw me when I looked at Mark and took. a picture of him and Sandra. Is he mad? If he is, he was hiding it well. I thought about asking him but I decided against it. I would just leave it since he wasn''t saying anything if he had seen or not.


    Chiode 0110

 Chapter 0130

    As he rose from his seat, holding out his hand for me, he said, "By the way, when you see anything you fancy among the disyed items, let me know."


    I passed him a sweet grin, "Alright."


    When I out my hand in his, suddenly realized that I didn''t want to leave like that. I wanted to give Sandra something to worry about.


    I gently pulled at Lucas'' hand, "Just a moment, I have something to say to Sandra."


    He looked between Sandra and I, "is there a problem?"


    "Oh, no. Not at all. I just need to tell her something real quick."


    With onest look, he nodded. "Alright."


    He waited for me as I edged sideways, meaning closer to Sandra, who already had her hateful look on me.


    "Do you know what will tell you after you get married to him?"


    Her gaze quickly flitted to Mark then back to me. She seemed to have already been out on edge by my words. Well, that was quicker.


    "What?" She retorted fiercely. She tried to act nonchnt but it was there in the deep crease of her brows.


    I smirked, feeling like a real time viin. "He would say, and I quote..." I quoted Mark''s words very slowly, "Do not hope for anything. All you can possess is what you already have, the title of my wife." I grinned maliciously, "Unquote. I wish you a happy married life in advance."


    "What were you guys talking about so intensely?" Lucas asked absentmindedly as we made our way to our new seats.


    "Nothing," I said in a dismissive tone, "Just juicy girl talk."


    Seated in new seats. I felt the vibration of my phone from my purse for the umpteenth time. I sighed and brought it out. There were countless missed calls from Be.


    I smirked smugly. Then I put my phone on silent and


    cused on the auction. I looked down at my phone as my screen lit up from a call from her again. I decided to tuck it back in my purse. I could almost imagine her rage. Be had always had a bad temper. I wouldn''t be surprised if she threw her phone at a wall in rage. A feeling of immense satisfaction coursed through me just at the image of her rage and helplessness.


    "That looks..." Lucas was suddenly saying but I tuned out when I felt a tingle at the back of my neck. I turned to find Mark''s scathing re on me.


    I frowned, wondering what might have warranted that look. He nodded toward the stage, signaling to the item that was currently on disy.


    "Do you want it?" Lucas said the same time I turned to see the item on disy. The item on the auction stage was a very familiar bracelet. On a closer look, my lips parted in a silent gasp. It was one of the bracelets that Mark had ordered from Atelier Studios and given to me during our divorce proceedings. I had angrily instructed my assistant to sell it off. Not even for a moment had I imagined that I might evere across it again.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I suddenly felt really guilty. I still felt the tingling on my nape but I couldn''t bring myself to look back at him.


    Light spilled out of my unsped purse as the screen of my phone lit up. I could have assumed it was Be again and ignored it but something prompted me to pull it out and check the screen.


    It was a text from Mark.


    I didn''t feel threatened by the words in the preview of the text but for some reason, my heart wildly skipped a beat.


    I opened the text to see if there was more but it was just those three words.


    "You''re dead.

 Chapter 0131

    "And look at this beauty!" The auctioneer''s voice broke through my erratic train of panicky thoughts.


    "The starting price for this one is Two hundred thousand dors, nothing less."


    I knew the auctioneer was still talking but my mind didn''t register any of his words. I could not get that re that Mark gave me out of my head. Just thinking about it made my hand tremble. plucked my pue from myp and held it with a strong grip. Thankfully, my hands stopped shaking.


    I took a deep breath and looked up. Just as the auctioneer grinned widely- someone had probably increased the amount and opened his mouth to speak, I heard Lucas say, "Five hundred thousand dors."


    whipped my head round to face him,my eyes bulging, "What?" I whisper-yelled.


    "I asked if you wanted it, but you didn''t respond."


    "So why are you bidding for it?" Even though the original amount of the bracelet was way more than that, I couldn''t let him get it.


    "Seven hundred thousand."


    Just as he looked over my shoulder and nodded at something there, someone else increased their price. It was a voice I recognized too well. I already knew who it was before I even turned. "My nephew wants it."


    From where I sat, I could see his jaw work as he grinded his teeth, his hands


    clenched into fists on the arm of the chair.


    "Then let him have it," Lucas raised his paddle but the urgency in my voice. made him stop. He turned to me, his eyes searched mine and I could feel everyone staring at us. "Why?"


    "I don''t want you messing with Mark. Just leave it for him. If you like it do


    much, I can make a replica of it for you. Look at it, it''s Atelier''s. I made it. Easy


    #


    peasy. If you have a style you like, I can make one specially for you. It''s not worth it to spend so much on this bracelet." I rambled on until Lucas chuckled. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as he out his arms around me and raised his paddle


    "A million dors."


    Gamps went around the room and all eyes were on him. My nape tingled and I know Mark was ring our way again.


    "Lucas" I cried.


    He pulled me to him and gave me a kiss on the top of my head and I suddenly felt safe. I felt protected in his arms. I''m sorry, babe. I just find it fun to tease Mark." There was this mischievous glint and yful smile on his lips as he spoke that silently assured me that nothing could go wrong. Then he chuckled, "It always feels like teasing a puppy.


    I rxed and leaned into him, "Can you get any more childish?" I shook my head. "You guys are so childish but I think I like this game. How much are your willing to bid the highest?"


    He smirked and nced above my head, "Let''s see..." he chuckled. "With that look? I might have to let the puppy have its milk.


    I turned and followed Lucas'' gaze. Mark''s knuvkes were almost white as he gripped the paddle and raised it. The rage and determination on his face had no borders. "Two million dors." Even I gasped along with everyone else.


    I felt Lucas'' shift and I quickly turned to him. "You''re not doubling that amount!" I red at him and said sternly.


    "Come on, I wouldn''t do that." His gaze shifted from me and traveled to where Mark was seated.


    Their eyes shed, Mark met Lucas'' provocative smirk with hardened jaw. Hist face portrayed nothing but raw anger.


    "It''s yours now, puppy," Lucas mouthed to him and his expression grew even angrier.


    I swallowed and turned to Lucas, the fear of his Mark''s anger retuning to my body. "Lucas," I whispered, even though no one would hear us even if they tried. "I think he wants to hit someone." "That would be me," Lucas chuckled nonchntly.


    "Well," I stuttered and lifted my shoulders in a nervous shrug. " could be me. You can never tell."


    "He wouldn''t dare when I''m with you."


    "Nah," I shook my head and resisted the urge to look his way, "I''d rather not sit here and wait for him to make a move." I started to rise from my seat, "I''ll just go hide in the restroom, okay?" I shed him a sweet smile.


    Lucasughed, "Sydney, that''s ridiculous. He would do nothing."


    "See you at the end of the auction," I ignored his words and pressed a kissto his cheeks.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    He smiled and gave my hand an assuring squeeze, "Don''t worry, I''ll keep an eye on him. Go ahead."


    "Alright. This one is sold off at two million dors!" I heard the auctioneer announce as I hastened my steps to the restroom. Thankfully, there was no one there when I got there so I do t have to worry that someone would bug me.


    I sat myself on the closet in one of the stalls and aimlessly scroll through social media. My lips would curve into a smile whenever any post of mypany came up or reviews about our services.

 Chapter 0132

    I scrolled through my notifications bar, checking for any important mail or notification when I saw Be''s calls that I missed. Since I had nothing to do and I was in a ce where there was no noise, I decided to call Be.


    It was as if she had been expecting my call; she picked up instantly and furiously rambled out, "And what''s that supposed to mean?" Her voice came through furious...no-nonsense. "What do you hope to get by nding me that? I''ve already broken up with Mark. He and I are done. I don''t care who he''s with, do you understand? I don''t give a fuck!"


    "Hmm, I hummed calmly, further infuriating her, "Are you sure? Because with all these rage you''re spitting out...tut tut, sounds to me like you still care."


    "You know what? Why don''t you mind your business, bitch? If I say I don''t care then I don''t!"


    Iughed. Iughed so hard that I had to clutch my tummy. If there was anyone in any of the other stalls, they would run out once they heard me because they would think I was some psycho.


    "You care, Be. Admit it. If you didn''t care, you wouldn''t be so angry. Silly girl, you thought you could be his next wife by pushing me out of his life? I told you it''s impossible. I warned you. You should have listened to me and left then you wouldn''t have gotten aired and have the whole world see your public linen."


    "Wh-"


    "Tell me, how does it feel knowing someone else might soon take your ce? How does it feel that your very own friend took over the moment you left?"


    It was purely karma, she took over her sister''s man now her friend was doing the same to her. Am I shocked? Hell no.


    "You know what? I can''t wait to be your boss. When I do, I will make your life so miserable until you get on your knees and beg for your pathetic life!" Her voice dripped with so much hate and bitterness that it made her words sound more venomous than they really are.


    Thay 01:17


    I tried to process her words. "Be my boss?" I muttered, confused.


    "You heard me right, you slow thing!"


    I chuckled. "Wait, are you sure you aren''t high with your ex lover, Isaac? Because what you''re saying doesn''t make sense. How will you be my boss? How in the world can that ever happen?" asked incredulously.


    "Mark promised to buy thepany where you work for me." I could almost picture her with the self satisfied smirk on her face.


    "Thepany where I work?" I felt dumb repeating her words but I really am. confused.


    How will she be my boss and what does she mean by where I work?


    Be groaned loudly, "God, Sydney, you''re so slow! You work at Luxe Vogue, don''t you? Mark will buy thepany and give it to me. It''s my breakup f*e."


    Okay. I might have been able to hold back myughter but I didn''t. Iughed till I was sated.


    "What''s so funny?" I heard her mutter amidst myughter.


    "Do


    you live in the stone age or something? Do you not watch the news? Aren''t you on social media?"


    "What''s with all the questions? What are you implying? What concerns all these questions with Mark getting me Luxe Vogue?"


    Now it made sense. It made so much sense why Mark was so persistent about acquiring thepany. It was all Be''s doing. She coerced Mark into it. Well, too bad, the crisis has been defused. "GT Group is investing in Luxe Vogue, dummy. They aren''t acquiring it."


    There was a long pause and Beughed out, surprising me. I had expected her tosh back with some bitterment not..ugh.


    "Mark always keeps to his word. How did you make him change his mind? Did you sleep with him?"


    shook my tactic, darling. Not mine." I loweredCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    head and smiled. "That''s you


    my voice when I heard the door to the bathroom open." refer to use my brain. I don''t manipte people or sleep with thern to get what I need.


    Be was saying something but I got distracted when the door to the stall 1 was in was yanked open.


    "What the" the words died in my throat and my eyes widened as I stared at the person standing in the doorway.


    I let out a shriek when his hand gripped my arm and dragged me out of the stall I was in. I winced as he mmed my back against the partition and pinned me there. Then he snatched my phone from my hands and barked into its speaker, "she''s busy!"


    He hung up and faced me. I swallowed as his hard gaze intensely bore into me, willing me to dare him and look away.

 Chapter 0133

    I pressed my palm on the partition, willing it to swallow me as Mark intently stared at me in silence, the rage on his face made my heart skip beats. I could almost hear the fast beating of my heart as I tentatively watched him, panicked.


    "You''re in thedy''s restroom," I uttered helples. Perhaps, he''d get to his senses, realize he was where he wasn''t supposed to be and leave but he just gave me a nk look.


    "I''m well aware," his voice came out low as though he was refraining fromshing out.


    say to break


    I swallowed and my mind raced as I tried toe up with what to the silence and hopefully make him leave. His stare was getting ufortable, it made me want to run far away from him and tuck myself safely in Lucas'' arms.


    And didn''t Lucas say he''d keep an eye on him? Why didn''t he call me when he wasing?


    "You hung up on Be," I said very causiously, hoping none of my rapidly thought dialogues wouldn''t further anger him.


    "I do not give a fuck who I hung up on," he snarled and his hold on my arm tightened.


    P


    Of course, I thought. He doesn''t care. If he could be so mad that he would barge into the women''s restroom then he must not give any fucks right now. He really had nothing else to care about.


    I shouldn''t have left Lucas'' side, I thought regretfully. I had thought the restroom would be a safe refuge till I could run from here but it turned out to be the least safe ce. There was no one here, to make him bridle his anger, no one to stick to my side whenever he approached me. It was just me, who is scared to the bones and Mark, who is raving mad.


    took a deep breath. Staying frozen and scared wouldn''t get me or him out of here. "Mark..." I called softly, perhaps I could try to cate him, make him rx.


    vas interrupted mk. 1 am


    ma 5*


    ewalowed. Then I contemted if she talk to him about the bracelet. But I


    decided against


    "Mark, calm down, okay?" i etarted to put his hands that was on my arm. "Let


    me go and we can just talk this out


    Te rather not he blurt out then he swiftly took my hands and each of his hand wrapped against my wrists and pinned them against the partition above my head


    "What are you doing?" i frantically pulled my hands but his hands were as tight as a vise. "Mark, let me go."


    One of his hands came down to his side so it was now only one of his hand pinning my wrists there. Since it was just one of his hand, pulled against it again, hoping that I would be able to get him off me this time but it was no different than when he had his two hands up.


    "Sydney, I''d rather not he answered as he pressed his body to mine and traced the neckline of my dress, his fingers slowly abandoning the neckline


    and moving to the skin on my neck.


    I tried to shake his hands off me and managed out quite sternly. "For fuck''s sake, get away from me."


    Instead of doing as I said, he only pressed himself to me, such that I was sardined between him and the thin wall of the partition and I could feel every part of him from his bulging chest muscles to his equally muscled thigh.


    "What did you tell me thest time we spoke? His voice came out raspy and


    angry at the same time


    I quickly went through the memory I had of yesterday but before I could remember the one he was referring to, he inched impossibly closer, freezing all my senses. I could feel his breath on my neck as he spoke, "You said you were going to make love with Jerry, hmm?"


    When he called! I remembered but I didn''t hesitate to tly deny it. I shook my


    (Chante: 0133


    head vigorously. I instantly stopped when the movement caused some part of his face to brush my neck. "No! No no, I was just kidding." Iughed nervously," I was just tryna pull your legs."


    I briefly closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief when he raised his face. from my neck. I opened my eyes to find his icy gaze on me.


    Our eyes locked, mine suddenly widened and all of my senses stood at alert as his fingers brushed over the slope of my boobs and slowly moved downward. I don''t believe you." His hands stopped at the hem of my gown and his lips moved, "I need to check by myself." Then his hand started to move again but this time, they moved upward underneath my gown.


    "Check what?!" I erupted.


    My body grew warm and goosebumps scattered all over my skin and my body shivered with each inch of my skin that his finger came in contact with.


    "Mark," my breath trembled as I ''spoke, trying to get him to stop. ¡°Mark, what are you doing? This is wrong. It''s so very..."


    I trailed off when a sharp urgent knock sounded on the door. Mark''s moved suddenly halted and we both grew still as we waited for the door to sound next or the door burst open.


    "Sydney?" Lucas'' voice came from outside the door. "Sydney, are you in there?" He sounded worried.


    Mark''s cold gaze shifted toward the door then back at me. There was a warning in the look in his eyes and the tight set of his jaw.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.

 Chapter 0134

    He hands started to move his hands again, his gaze locked on mine, daring me to make a move. I wanted to shout but his fingers dug into my thigh and he didn''t even need to say anything for me to get the message - don''t even dare!


    I closed my eyes and bit my lip as I fleetingly felt Mark''s fingers graze the edge of my panties. My knees buckled beneath me when his thumb pressed against my panties. I was sure the only reason I had fallen in a breathless heap on the floor was because Mark''s body was tightly pressed against mine that I could barely move.


    "Sydney?" My lids flew open as Lucas called again. I can''t believe I almost forgot he was there. "Sydney, you''re in there, right?" His voice was sounding more urgent and the worry in his voice was more noticeable. I was half expecting him to burst open the door but instead, he softly rasped his knuckles on the door. "Anyone in there? Sydney? Is everything okay?"


    "Say something!" Mark glowered at me and snapped. At the same time, the asshole''s fingers rubbed over my panties making me breathless and intensifying the urge to give him a resounding p. If only he didn''t have such a strong grip on my wrists. "You know what to say, right?" He murmured and buried his face in the crook of my neck.


    I thought of doing the opposite of what Mark must be expecting and scream out to Lucas for help. Though both men were strong to take in eachother, I didn''t want to jeopardize Lucas'' health - whether he''s better now or not, thest thing I want is for him to get in a fight plus I really didn''t want to create a scene.


    "Lucas! I''m here." For a moment, Mark froze as he waited for my next words.


    "Are you okay? Why did it take so long for you to respond?"


    "I''m fine," I stuttered. "I didn''t hear you the first time," I liedmely. "Just wait


    My voice trembled as I spoke.


    for me outside for a bit o''ti


    There was a pretty long silence then he finally responded, "I''ll wait for you outside then." Then we both listened as his footsteps receded.


    Mark showed his satisfaction at my response to Lucas by pressing a kiss to my earlobe then gently nibbling it in between his teeth. "Don''t be scared," he


    said in a husky voice, "I was just teasing you."


    1 felt a cold chill run through my body and my heartbeat was more frantic than ever beating so fast. Even if I wasid a million dors, I would not genuinely believe Mark''s lies for a second! Teasing my ass! Then he was releasing my hands and shifting back. A sigh of relief escaped my lips.


    Mark reached into his pocket and brought out the bracelet he just bought at the auction. "Give me your wrist."


    "Why?"


    He kissed his teeth and said sternly, "Give me your wrist!"


    I stretched my hand toward him and let him sp the bracelet around my wrist.


    "Although we''re divorced," he started to say and his hardened expression softened as he looked down at my wrist. "I hate how you''ve cut ties with me. This bracelet is for you, wear it well." Then he looked up and held my gaze and all thr softness and tenderness in his voice and on his face were gone. "If your lose it again, I can''t guarantee what will happen."


    I gulped and nodded my head automatically. It was the only thing I could do.


    He regarded me for a long while and for a brief moment I thought he would press himself against me again. My muscles tensed, ready to push him away but instead, that self satisfied smirk creepe up his lips. Then he turned, sauntered to the door and waltzed out.


    I sagged against the partition. I''ve never felt more relieved in my whole life.


    I managed to stagger out of the restroom and immediately, my gaze rounded in


    on Lucas who was outside the hall.


    Nooked down the narrow hallway and it was empty. I wondered if he saw Mark walk out of here. As I made to walk to him, my gaze suddenly wavered and I swayed.


    Lucas rushed to me. "Sydney, you okay?" Held me. "God, you look pale."


    I didn''t understand how I felt. My head felt light and my legs felt like they would rather do another thing than keep me standing.


    "I''m fine," I muttered in a rough voice to Lucas but I wasn''t fine. My vision was blurry at the edges and I could barely Lucas clearly.


    God. Mark was terrifying back there, I would never do anything to provoke him again.


    "You''re not," Lucas said sternly as he disentangled myself from him and tried to walk on my own but I had barely taken a step before my legs gave out beneath me. The room turned upside down as I found myself falling to the floor.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Sydney!"


    heard Lucas shout and felt his arms on me. I opened my mouth to tell him t was fine but the words were stuck in my throat. I stopped hearing Lucas'' but I could still make out his lips moving. Then, my head started to bang real bad and I couldn''t see Lucas anymore. I could only see ck. Feeling powerless and defeated, all I could do was let the darkness that descended wrap itself around me and take me.

 Chapter 0135

    Sydney''s POV:


    "Sydney, are you okay? The doctor said...


    I tuned out and everything Lucas said fell on deaf ears. First, I felt the surface Iid on; it felt familiar. I recognized the shirt I had on; it was one of Lucas''.


    T


    Immediately I woke up, I had a quick rey of thest time I was awake. I remembered falling into Lucas'' arms and faming unconscious as he screamed if I was okay. I had half expected that I would be in a hospital room but here I was, on the familiar feel of my bed and sheets.


    Lucas'' face was thest face I saw and now, his face was still the first image 1 opened my eyes to.-


    "Are you okay?" He reiterated and held my hands. His brows were furrowed and concern filled his eyes as they searched mine. He seemed to have gotten the hint that I wasn''t listening to him.


    "I''m fine," my voice came out scratchy as murmured my response and tried to sit up. Lucas quickly rushed to me. He arranged the pillow Iid my head on and propped them up so I could rest my back then he helped me sit up.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Thank you." I said slowly.


    "Are you sure? I could quickly holler the doctor back" He held my hands as he asked, his eyes intently on me as if he would detect whatever was wrong with me by just staring.


    I shook my head slowly, "There''d be no need for that. I feel okay." Atleast, I think I do. I wasn''t feeling any pain or difort actually. No headache or insane migraine, no body pain or joint pain...nothing. I felt like how I would feel after I''ve just woken up on a normal morning. Groggy was the word.


    heard him release a breath of relief as he moved close and sat by my side. He ced a soft kiss on my forehead, "I was really worried when you fell."


    gave him a tender smile, "I Know," then I frowned, "What happened though? Why did I just ckout like that?"


    He answered, smoothing my hair to the back, "The doctor said you fainted because of extreme stressbined with being overly tired recently. He said you''ve been overworking your body and it had been building up. It just turned out that was the moment your body couldn''t take all the stress anymore."


    His exnation made sense. Since divorce to the issue with Richie and thepany and many other happenings, I had been overworking myself, both Grace and I. I also made a mental note to make sure she goes on a break soon. even though she went on vacation after her ordeal with Sandra and Steven. These past few days have been crazy. Anyone who went through what we went through deserved a good amount of rest.


    "I guess I saw iting," I murmured back. I definitely saw iting, the few seconds dizziness, the mild headaches, body aches...my body alerted me but was just so used to overworking myself that I ignored them.


    "You really need to take a break," Lucas said and ced a kiss on my forehead again. When he drew back, he was frowning. "It why was it at that time it happened? I mean you''ve gotten off work. What happened in the restroom? Besides you took too long in there?" He rushed out his questions. His frown. deepened and his eyes fell on my wrist. "And howe you have the bracelet. that Lucas bid for and bought at the auction on your wrist?"


    I looked down at my wrist too and I sighed. There is no way of escaping this. I have to tell him.


    "Mark was in there.''


    "What?!" Lucas erupted. Then I exined everything that had happened in the


    restroom.


    Lucas'' face was pinched and red with rage by the time I was through. "How could he treat you like that?" I had half expected him to me me fir not calling out for help or for letting me touch him but all of his anger was directed at Mark.


    "We should go to the police," he finished his speech and snatched his phone from my bedside table.


    I quickly touched his arm and touched him, "No, Lucas. There''s no need for that. His influence is strong and he''s about to be a politician''s son-inw.


    apter 0135


    They will all back him no matter what he did."


    "Well I don''t care who he is or who he is in alliance with. He did something wrong and I will call the police on him."


    He tried to untangle my fingers around his wrists: I didn''t let him. "Lucas, please. You shouldn''t act on your anger. Think it through, With all the affluence and connection he has, even if we did report him, the case would get buried. Besides, you know hispany just invested in ours and I don''t want anything that will make them withdraw their investment. Considering everything, going to the police isn''t a viable solution at all."


    His shoulders sagged, "I''m letting this go because you don''t want to press charges."


    I gave his arm a squeeze, "I know."


    He smiled slightly and pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back.


    "Why don''t youe with me to Italy?" He suddenly blurted out and I had to pull away to be able to tell if he was joking or if he meant what he said.


    I searched his eyes and there was no trace of humor in them. "Are you being serious right now?"

 Chapter 0136

    Tam Let''s get out of here. Away from all these people. You could even build a branch for your business there."


    My heart warmed at his good intentions and my lips stretched into a smile. "I would like to 11 started, "but I still have some things to take care of here. Once I wrap up things at thepany, I''ll go to Italy with you." I decided to add, "For a while though. To see where you lived."


    He smiled. "I can''t wait."


    "Me either. As for Mark, I''ve thought it over. I think I''ve been too arroganttely, at least to him. I''ve been touching his nerves and pushing him to the wall. It''s time I tone it down or just stop. We''re business partners now, I shouldn''t be too concated towards him."


    "And you should keep your distance from him too," Lucas added and I giggled.


    "You jealous man," he teased.


    He shook his head with a soft smile. ''Nah. You''ve given me zero reasons to be jealous. I''m yours and you mine, forever."


    "Aww," I pulled him, "Yes, Lucas. I will forever be yours."


    "Speaking of forever." Lucas trailed off and pulled away. I watched him with furrowed brows as he got on his knees and dug his hands into his pants pocket. "What are you doing?" I asked, puzzled.


    He removed his hand from his pocket and opened his palm before me. I covered my mouth as I gasped when I saw the ring in his palm.


    "It''s beautiful." I cooed. Then my smile fell and my heart hammered in my chest as he took my fingers and gently slipped the ring on the middle finger.


    "Mark?


    He ced a kiss on the finger with the ring. This is my mother''s family ring. It went missing a long time ago; thankfully, I found it at the auction yesterday."


    #


    The ring was so beautiful... It looked so ethereal that I didn''t want to ask the exorbitant amount he had to bid to get the ring because I was sure if I did, it would make me feel dizzy all over again.


    "Now," he cleared his throat and continued, "With my mother''s ring, I''m asking you to marry me." He looked away from the ring and held my gaze, "Will you marry me, Sydney?"


    My breath caught in my throat and my lips parted at the raw emotion in his gaze. My eyes watered and I pulled him into a hug.


    "Ofcourse, Lucas, I will marry you. No matter'' ow many times you ask, my response will always be a yes."


    His hands tightened around me and I heard him murmuring a ''thank you'' or was it ''thank God''? Then he pulled away and took my mouth in a breezy kiss.


    "You know, I''ve been dreaming of marrying you since we were kids," I giggled to myself and he chuckled.


    "I dreamt of having you by my side till the end of time."


    He took my lips for another kiss. It started tenderly, soft and short. A peck on my nose, my chin...then he connected our lips again.


    I let out a contented sigh as I ran my fingers through his curls while he let out a guttural groan at the gesture.


    His hand found their way under my shirt and mine found its way to the buckle of his belts. Frantically and still somehow slowly, we got rid of our shirts. He eased my back to the bed, muttering sweet nothings into my ear after nibbling on it.


    Soon, we were both naked, our limbs entwined. Our breathing was ragged as our hands explored each other''s body. Whenever Lucas and I were alone, it was hard taking our hands off each other and it was what was happening now.


    Suddenly, my phone rang out. "Pick it up," Lucas murmured huskily against my neck and I dazedly shook my head. ¡°Let it be."


    "Might be work..." he drawled as his lips made its way down the door of my stomach.


    1 let out a frustrated sigh and snatched the ringing dette on stages when i saw the caller''s ID. "It''s Mark," I sad aloud and went back to zegry fingers along his muscled back


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he hummed absentmindedly, I do he even heard me


    If it was so serious, Mark could easily reach out to Grace, Rege coil rest this break


    Almost instantly, another ringing sound filled the room. Even Luators frustrated sigh. I giggled. "Might be work I deepened my voice, iritzing him, His face was still buried in between my books when he blindly reached for his phone, knocking off some items in the process.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Mark," he gritted out.


    "Ohe on, what does he want?" I whined. Lucas was now looking up at me, a few strands of his messy hair fell over his eyes and made him look even


    more attractive.


    I shrugged, "Just answer it, otherwise he mighte over and tear down my house."


    Lucas hesitated, his brows knitted in a frown as he watched the phone ring. Eventually, he swiped right, "Mark, what''s up? He practically growled the question and I covered my mouth to hold myughter. The phone was on speaker so I could hear Mark''s voice on the other end. His voice was calm, but the words he spewed out de

 Chapter 0137

    My body went rigid and blood drained from my face.


    "I will text her the hospital address," Mark said then the line went dead.


    "Oh God," sensing the urgency of the situation, Lucas quickly rolled off me and I jumped out of bed. "Lucas, I need to get there quickly." I didn''t bother to search for the clothes we had blindly flung across the room. I ran straight to my wardrobe and reached for the first outfit I saw a dress shirt.


    I reached for my underwear and strapped it on. My hands trembled as I struggled with the buttons of the shirt. Lucas was suddenly before me. He gently and wordlessly took the shirt from me, undid the buttons and put the shirt over my head and did the button. I just stood there and let him dress me up.


    Even though Doris was not my biological grandma, even though she was the grandma of a man I once loathed, she still meant so much to me. Grandma Doris is one of the few people that treated me well. She was the one who gave me an inkling of how it felt to have a mother. She had been nothing short of good since she met me. I don''t think I could bear it if anything happened to her.


    Her condition must really be serious for her to have asked to see me.


    As I put on my flip-flops, ready to dash out of the house, Lucas'' hold on my arm stopped me. "Let mee with you."


    "I''ll wait for you in the car," I told him and rushed out.


    We went with Lucas'' car. Thank God there was no traffic; within minutes, Lucas was pulling before the hospital entrance. He urged me in while he went to find a parking spot.


    I ran inside and told them who I was there to see. "Doris Torres."


    The man shook his head and didn''t even bother to check. "She is in VIP room 012. The VIP rooms are by your right."


    "Thank you," I muttered and as I turned to find the ward room, Lucas caught up with me.


    He held my hand and we both located the room together. In no time, we found the room. Mark was waiting by the door. His eyes settled on us, then it dropped to our joined hands and his face hardened. And then he was shooting daggers at my neck.


    I ignored his glowering look and ran to him. "She''s in, right?"


    He nodded and said in a clipped tone, "She''s waiting for you."


    I started to go in, Lucas'' hand still clutching around mine. Mark stopped us, cing a firm palm on Lucas'' chest.


    "Grandma only asked to see her." He raised his brows "not you."


    "Mark-"


    I started but Lucas let go of my hand and nodded inside, "Go in. I''ll wait here."


    I hesitated but he gave me another assuring nod.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The moment we pushed the door open and stepped into the room, Grandma Doris'' face was turned to the other side and she slowly turned her head to face.


    1. me.


    My heart broke at the sight before me. Grandma Doris looked gaunt and pale. as sheid there with her usual resolute expression. My eyes watered as I smiled at the expression on her face. No matter how bad things get, Grandma never shows any sign of weakness.


    It wasn''t until Grandma shed me a smile and beckoned on me with her hands that I realized that I was frozen in the middle of the room and my cheeks were moist with my own tears.


    I ran to her bedside and took her frail hands in mine; they clutched mine. strongly and squeezed my hand reassuringly. That gesture alone made me feel. a little bit at ease. Though I couldn''t stop the hot tears that rolled down my face, I was assured that she would be fine. Doris is strong and she''d be fine.


    I sniffed, "I''m here," I whispered in such a low voice that I could barely hear myself but Grandma did.


    Her smile widened and her grasp on my hand tightened, "There, there, no more


    crying."


    My voice clogged in my throat and I had to take a few deep breaths before could let any word out, "Grandma, you have to get better."


    I felt pain shoot through my heart when she just smiled and said, "You''d be fine, Sydney, you''re strong."


    I shook my head. I tightened my hold on her hand and quickly loosened it, scared that I might be causing her more pain. "You will be fine. You will get out of this hospital bed, hale and hearty." She regarded me for a while, I could see her eyes gleam like I had never seen before. Then she nodded, "Okay." She looked away from me and gazed up at the ceiling.


    "I''ve known about my cancer for a while now," she started solemnly, "I was told how long I had left then I was given a bunch of medication. Now that would have been enough but they started to list things I could eat and couldn''t, activities I could participate in and couldn''t... that was where I drew the line." She paused and scoffed before she continued again. "I couldn''t just sit my ass in a hospital room with damn VIP treatments and prettily prepare for death toe for me. I hadn''t lived my life preparing for death, I made it clear to the doctor that I wouldn''t end my life that way. So I made the doctor discharge me. I went back home, packed my bags and begrudgingly included a bunch of the medications I was prescribed and left the country. Then I started to travel around the world." There was a smile on her face now. It was like she was reliving those days. Her voice was filled with so much strength and vigor and liveliness. If anyone heard her and didn''t see her state on the bed, they''d argue till their death that there was no way a woman that sounded so alive was this sick. "I threw caution into the air and lived my life, Sydney. I enjoyed different meals and wine. I visited ces. I met people, beautiful people, good and amazing humans. I spent myst years enjoying life to the fullest." Her smile dimmed and she turned to me, "I think that was when all the burden and responsibility fell on my sweet boy''s shoulders. Without his father and me around, Mark had to shoulder everything and solidly keep the business in the family." She paused and her eyes searched mine. "I do not have much time left which is why I have called for you."

 Chapter 0138

    I am here now, Grandma, i sted


    "Thank you," she whispered and ched her eyes for a few seconds and coup tell that she was in pain She was in so much pain, she just dicht''s went us to


    She stroked my hair and held my gaze. There was a sad and regetul smile on her tips, "You know, I always hoped you and Mark wold day matesta log forever. But unfortunately, he didn''t cherish you. He doesn''t desene puso! am not going to plead with you to get back with him but I do beg you to always be there for him." I was Ted to tell her thaven n there for him, Veremes too proud to show any weakness and ept my help but she shelve


    "I understand that Mark can be very overbearing and, might I say, stadfish but believe me when I say, he cares and he needs someone to care for him too. Our family may seemrge, but after I''m gone, Mark will be all alone. His mother, as you know, is superficial and ignorant, and other family members are eyeing his position, he is the only one he can rely on when I''m gone so I''m not asking you to get back together, but I''m begging you let him be able to rely on someone else other than himself." She grasped my hand even more strongly and I could tell how much she cared for Mark and wanted his well being even after she was gone. "After I''m dead, please, do not betray him when he needs someone. Be thest person he can always rely on or run to."


    I swallowed, processing everything as Doris would want me to. I was sure this plea and request wasn''t just for Mark. She didn''t want the Torres name to go into oblivion. She didn''t have to spell it all out, I knew that she was subtly pleading that I do not betray Mark by selling off my five percent shares-at least not to outsiders,


    When I divorced Mark, I had sworn to never have anything to do with him but today we''re business partners and he is an investor in mypany. He literally saved Luze Vogue from crashing. He might act like a cruel asshole but he wasn''t really an asshole. Besides, with Doris alive, u should have known that I will somehow be forever tied to my ex-husband. It was a fate I could not escape no matter how much I tried.


    My gaze settled back on Doris and I found her watching me, her eyes subtly


    12


    pleading. I made up my mind. I would be there for her grandson. I would be there for him the way she had always been there for me.


    I cleaned the tears on my face and said definitely, "I promise you, Grandma. I will not betray Mark."


    The corners of her lips tipped up and there was a flicker of relief on her face." Thank you, Sydney." Her gaze flickered to the door and then settled back on me. "Call Mark in."


    I poked my head outside the door. Mark and Lucas looked like they were having a staredown. I shook my head, alread thinking about how to make the two men that will forever be in my life get along. "Mark," I called and both of them snapped their gaze to me and stood up at the same time. I smiled at Lucas who looked worriedly at me, "Doris wants you in." Lucas and I exchanged a nod then I went back in.


    In a few seconds, Mark was by my side beside Grandma. She grabbed his hand and cradled it in hers as if he was still a little boy. Then she scowled at him, "After I''m gone, you better not bully Sydney or I''de back from the pit of hell to settle scores with you."


    Grandma wanted to make Mark smile. He did, his lips pulling back in a tight smile - I''m sure it was just for her not to worry because the sad expression on his face remained. "Okay. Is there anything else you would like me to do? Come on, I''d grant all of your wishes."


    Grandma smiled at Mark''s attempt to cheer her up. Her voice was getting lower and weaker but her gaze still held that authority of a family matriarch she had always had. "I''d say it''s an order though," she smirked, then her expression turned serious and she held Mark''s gaze. "I want you to get engaged to Mia, soon."All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I looked at Mark and his gaze met mine. I couldn''t tell what he was thinking before he looked away. Then he quietly muttered, "I- I will, Grandma."

 Chapter 0139

    Sydney''s POV


    Grandma Doris smiled at Mark and mouthed, "Thank you."


    Mark nodded, tight lipped. Then Grandme turned to me, "Where is Lucas? Did hee with you?"


    "Yes," I answered quickly. I know Lucas was Itching to see her too. "He''s waiting outside."


    "Let him in, I would like to see him too," Doris croaked out weakly.


    I rose to my feet and walked to the door. I opened the door and stuck my head. out like I had done when I came to call Mark. His elbows rested on his knee. and his head was in his hands. I wonder what he''s thinking?


    "Hey babe," I called softly and he sprang up from his position.


    "Hey," he said breathlessly and rushed to the door. "How''s she?"


    "Well," I shrughged slightly, "She''s still hanging in there." Then I ryed Grandma''s message, "She wants to see you."


    Lucas raised his brows and his mouth formed an O as if he hadn''t expected to also be called in.


    I opened the door wider and stepped away from the doorway. "Come on," I said and turned back to Doris'' bed. The door made a soft click as he closed it after he stepped in after me.


    Mark and I watched as Doris gazed and smiled at Lucas. As usual, she had a thick veil over her emotions and no one could pin point close to whatever was on her mind.


    Her smile widened when Lucas got closer and held her hand. Lucas pressed his lips together and managed a smile. Mark and I took a step back, leaving both of them to their moment.


    "I know how''re you isn''t the right question, but I don''t know what else to say," Lucas said in a small voice thick with emotion and it pulled at my heart.


    Grandma smiled, her eyes glinting. Her frail hand shook as she slowly brought it up. At first, Lucas just stared at her until he realized that she wanted to touch him then he awkwardly lowered his face toward her hand.


    Doris palmed his cheeks, "You''re such a sweet boy, Lucas. You''ve always been and you always say the right thing."


    Lucas smiled. "Please, get well soon," he said and I could swear that his voice. quivered. I wanted to hug him to me and tell him that Grandma would be fine even if I had no idea if she would be but Doris needed this time with him.


    "For you?" Her smile widened then it dimmed "ghtly that you could hardly see. it, "I will if I could."


    I quickly looked down when I felt the wetness on my cheeks. I stealthily flicked my cheeks with my thumb. I swallowed as the foreboding feeling I felt spread wider.


    I quickly wore a too bright smile as Doris gaze fell on me. There was a hint of a smile on her lips as it remained on me for barely a second before she looked back at Lucas. My smile faded when she wasn''t looking anymore.


    "Did you propose to Sydney already?"


    Lucas looked surprised as he looked from me to Doris.


    Doris let out a chuckle that ended with a cough wracking her body. Her eyes were watery when she looked back at Lucas, still smiling. "You look so surprised. No, Sydney didn''t tell me. I can see your mother''s ring on her finger."


    Lucas nodded slightly, "Yes, I proposed to her."


    "Where did you find it?"


    Lucas understood what she was referring to immediately. "At an auction we attended."


    Doris nodded. Though she looked like she would like to say more about it, she didn''t.


    There was silence in the room as Doris closed her eyes and squeezed them, her throat worked as she swallowed then she looked up at Lucas again.


    MT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "The whole of the Torres family owe you and Seraphina an apology," she said. and Lucas nodded solemnly.


    "Doris, please. I''ve told you, It''s all in the past now."


    "You''re right about that again but that doesn''t mean it didn''t happen. It did and on behalf of the Torres family, I offer our sincere apology."

 Chapter 0140

    As i watched and listened to them converse, I couldn''t help but recall what Lucas had told me. It was one of those nights where we randomly talked about everything and anything after making love. I had said while curled around him, my head restingfortably on his broad chest..


    "Tell me something I don''t know about your past.


    "I''m Harry''s - Doris'' husband illegitimate son..."


    "I''ve heard that like a zillion times," I interrupted him with a groan and said jokingly "Tell me something I don''t know. He chuckled at what I said which automatically brought a smile to my face.


    "Alright. I''ll tell you something you don''t know. My mother''s name is Seraphina, "he started, his voice sombre and his hand absentmindedly stroked my hair.


    I remember how my ears had perked up. Lucas had always shied away from. taking about his mother.


    "Harry had wanted a younger woman, you know, someone to make him feel like he was in his youthful days again. My mother turned out to be more than what he bargained for. He fell in love with her and decided to divorce Doris."


    There was a long pause and I was already pouting because I thought he was going to end it there but he continued.


    "Dad died of a heart attack while mom was pregnant with me. She was close to her due date and Mom who had equally fallen in love with him mourned him so much. When she have birth to me, her health was in so much risk."


    He trailed off again and I hugged him closer to me, silentlyforting him. I knew how it felt to live without one''s parents.


    "After I was born, that night, I was taken to the countryside by Mark''s father, George. No one knew about it. He saw me as a threat so he took the threat away. I grew up around maids. I had money and maids at my disposal but I had no idea about who my parents or my family was."


    I let out a small gasp. "And then I met you," I blurted out without thinking.


    I felt his chin touch my head and then it was fine so I assumed he nodded. So all those while, the only people he knew were his maids, no wonder I never saw his parents. If it wasn''t for the money he had, he probably would have ended up in an orphanage home too.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "And then George died and I still wasn''t brought back. It was as if I had been forgotten. And I was fine with it. I stopped asking questions and decided to just live like that." His hold on me tightened, "And with you."


    I finally looked up at him and even though, his voice had been passive all these while, his facial expression held no malice or anger toward all that had happened to him.


    "One day, out of nowhere, Doris appeared," And this time, his eyes softened. " She told me everything. How she had tried to look for me only to find out that I died in the hospital."


    Of course, George would''ve cooked up a story, I thought to myself.


    "She told me that she had lived with the guilt of my death. She believed that no matter how horrible the rtionship between parents are, it should never affect a child. She said I had no hand in anything so I shouldn''t have suffered for it. She felt like she and her dead husband owed me and mum an apology. She finally found the opportunity when she somehow discovered that I was actually alive. Since then, Doris has been tirelessly apologizing and making it up to me."


    Doris, I thought admiringly, strong and rebellious actually had a heart of gold.


    "Sydney!" I jumped away and was jolted back to the present when I felt a hand tap me on the shoulder. I looked around me to find everyone staring at me; Mark, Lucas, Grandma and one other face - the person closest to me and who had tapped me.


    My eyes raked up and down their outfit and I could tell that she was a nurse. Sorry, you''re in my way," the nurse said politely and pointed to the pole that held the drip that I was standing beside.

 Chapter 0141

    "Oh, sorry," I muttered, slightly embarrassed and shuffled away.


    She changed Doris drip, checked her temperature and whatever else nurses do when theye to check their patients and left.


    Lucas and Doris continued talking. "Now, I am much more relieved that you have found happiness."


    "I have found happiness," Lucas repeated then simultaneously, Doris and Lucas turned to me, a dashing smile on Lucas'' lips then Mark lifted his head too. I flushed red under all of their gazes, willing them to look away. Thankfully they did but Mark''s unfathomable gaze lingered. I met his gaze and lifted a brow at him and he looked away.


    Doris looked at Lucas, her eyes filled with a mixture of forlornness, rue and...contentment? "Lucas," she was cupping his cheek again. "You''re a good kid. I hope you don''t let go of whatever makes you happy." She held his gaze steely. "Never let her go, Lucas.


    He nodded but Grandma shook his head, "Promise me.


    Lucas didn''t respond immediately, his hold on Reba just tightened and the both of them seemed to be having a staredown then Lucas said, "You will live to see me keep her till the end of time."


    Reba chuckled and it sounded like old times when she was not lying on a hospital bed. "Promise me, boy. Give me your word."


    "I promise you, Doris. I''ll never let her go."


    Doris smiled. Lucas leaned forward and ced a kiss on her forehead then he muttered, "Thank you."


    Doris looked at each of us one after the other and smiled. "Come on," she opened her arms and grinned wickedly, "Group hug, kids." Lucasughed, a tear dropping on my hand as I joined him. I don''t think he knew anyone noticed so I made noment about it. Doris tipped her head up and red at Mark who remained standing alone like a grumpy kid. "Come over here. It''s an order."


    Mark rolled his eyes, but he stepped forward anyway. Setting


    whatever grievances we had, we all


    crowded Grandma and hugged her, her small, trembling arms struggled to stay around us.


    A few secondster, we pulled away and every one of our eyes shimmered with tears. We watched Grandma sigh deeply. Her lips were still curved in a smile as she closed her eyes.


    I think we had all thought, she just closed her eyes like she''s been doing the whole time so we''re were expecting her to open her eyes and pass us another re but Doris eyes remained shut.


    It was like time stopped and we all froze as we stared at rigid form in the bed.


    A second passed...then another.. and then Mark and Lucas were shouting for the doctor.


    1 watched, my sound of my drumming heart resounding in my ears, as Lucas and Mark shook Doris. Lucas yelled something at Mark then Mark turned and ran past me and I heard the door m close. Chapter 0141


    It all happened like a blur. The doctor and several nurses rushed in. Lucas ran his fingers in his hair then he came to my side and hugged me to him.


    I wasn''t sure if I cried or not but I buried my face in Lucas'' chest as the doctors and nurses ran helter skelter and did their thing.


    When Lucas softly called my name and I looked up, the spot on his shirt where my face had been on was wet. His thumbs ran across my cheeks then he looked behind me.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I followed his gaze. Doris eyes were closed. Lucas exined that she had slipped into aa. "Don''t worry, she''ll make it," he said but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.


    But I had clearly heard the doctor after he sighed, "There''s an equal probablity that she would either make it or remain ina until death."

 Chapter 0142

    ONE MONTH LATER


    The days after Grandma was dered to be ina passed like a blur. Business was booming, Lucas. and I got closer than ever, everything was going well or so it seemed.


    Mark and Sandra announced their engagement and it was to be scheduled today. Sandra had not been able to stop talking about it all over the.


    "I wonder how Steven and Sandra feel about this," Grace was watching one of many of Sandra''s pre- wedding reels when she absentmindedly said it.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I only raised my brows and said nothing. She hadn''t looked up for a response so I didn''t think she was expecting a response. Besides, I didn''t care how the both of them felt to know what to respond. Maybe I do care about how Mark felt but that was only because after Doris made me promise, I sometimes feel responsible for him. My heart grew heavy at the thought of Grandma.


    With Mark''s continuously booming financial status, Sandra''s strict and luxurious demands were all met.


    If I was being very honest, the whole thing was like a business transaction rather than the union of a man and woman who tried to portray themselves as couples that were in love. Atleast, from Mark''s actions, it looked like it was all business as usual. I would have been happy for him if he was happy for himself.


    Justst night, the to-be-bride dropped a video of the champagne collection for her wedding that arrived. She had imported top-tier champagne from France. Fresh beautiful tulips were air-freighted from the Nethends. World renowned chefs from across the world were brought together to prepare the wedding meal.


    THE W


    wedding was the talk of town, to be more specific, it was the talk of the whole country. Everyone wanted to attend and have a taste of these rare luxuries that would be made avable at the event but Sandra burst their bubbles and got a few haters who were green with envy when she announced her list of attendees.


    She had carefully selected her guests. The guest lists only had names of her family members, her husband''s-to-be family members, business partners from both of the couple''s side, family friends and influential figures. I had opened my mouth when Grace showed me the list that Sandra posted; Famous actors and actresses - her favorites. Musicians and music bands, politicians and entertainers,edians and footballers, designers, even members of royal familles. I swear, the list of these dignitaries was endless.


    Well, Grace and I were excited to attend their wedding because it was a foolproof opportunity to meet with dignitaries and make worthwhile connections. Thank goodness we were business associates of GT Group


    The people who were not invited, I quote, "could watch the wedding live from behind their screens." There were also snippets of her customized wedding fireworks that matched her unique preferences. Who knew there could be customized fireworks for a wedding? The wedding venue, even I would agree that it was stunning. The venue looked ethereal. It would be as if we were attending a wedding even though the bride is a devil. Ha! A devil in heaven.


    The venue and event was prepared and nned by world famous wedding nners who have spent years


    in the industry. There would also be live performances by trending pop singers of all her favorite music genres and from several countries. The top tier photography team she hired knew their beans because all of the behind the scenes videos and pictures she''s been posting were taken by them and trust me when I say the quality and angles at which these pictures were taken was unbeatable.


    Her wedding ring especially garnered a lot of attention, including mine. As a professional in jewelry making, I could tell that a lot of time and money was spent in the carefully crafted 10-carat diamond jewelry set. They were custom made by another famous jewelry brand.


    Grace had rolled her eyes at her wedding dress. Sandra had gone for her fitting so she decided to drop a picture of the half made dress to keep us on our toes. Her makeup artists and stylists were walking talents. Gosh, her pre-wedding pictures with Mark were so exquisite.


    Even as much as I disliked the girl, I would give it to her that she had great taste. Well, she had a unique taste in insanely expensive things.


    This morning, she wowed everyizen who had been following her wedding preparations when she announced the arrival of her wedding gifts. She captioned the videos and pictures on I*******m, ¡°Come, you all, and leave bathed in heaven."

 Chapter 0143

    "Huh?" My coco pops filled spoon froze in the air after read the caption. It didn''t make sense until the videos finished loading and I saw what the wedding gifts were.


    Clive Christian, on her demand, had created a limited perfume with her favorite vors named after her. They made thousands of these for her as the gifts she would share to her wedding guests. "Okay, this is crazy!" I eximed and dropped my spoon in my cup.


    "What''s that?" Grace briefly looked up from the garment bag.


    I turned my phone for Grace to see and she chuckled. "Spoilt brat. She works for nothing yet she spends so much," Grace said as she packaged Mark''s wedding suit in a garment bag.


    Unlike the bride, the groom had simply requested for a customized suit from Luxe Vogue. Grace had spent her sweet time designing and making his suit. It was a ck three-piece suit, with the softest and smoothest texture. I wondered how long it had taken her to embroider the intricate patterns on the cor and cuffs; they made the suit stand out and also align with Mark''s demeanor.


    Mark also added to his investment in Luxe Vogue which officially made him thergest investor inpany. So asking for a personally tailored suit was not too much, right? Except he has asked me to personally deliver the suit to him. It wasn''t too much but it made my stomach churn with unease.


    It was his goddamn wedding, why do I have to be the one to deliver it to him?All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I scooped the rest of the cereal and quickly washed the cup. Then I picked up my bag and the garment bag that Grace had prepared for me.


    "Let me get my purse, I''ming with you," Grace said and left the room.


    I sighed as I watched her leave but I waited as she had instructed. She had been insisting that she woulde with me since Mark also insisted that I bring the suit to him.


    At first, Grace hadn''t seen anything wrong with it until she remembered the incident at the auction in the restroom that I told her. She had been very concerned about leaving the both of us alone. "Okay! I''m set," she beamed and together we left the house and drove together to Mark''s house.


    His housekeeper opened the door for us. He wasing down the stairs with a small smile on his lips but when his gaze fell on Grace, his smile faded and his expression turned sour.


    When he stopped before us, he openly scowled at Grace, "You''re not needed here. Sydney is enough." Then he nodded toward the door, "Why don''t you go to Sandra''s and see if she needs extra hands." Grace hesitated, her gaze sliding to me. For one, I was surprised that she wasn''t retorting back a snarky response but then I shouldn''t be. Since she had dered him her hero, she had noticeably gone soft on him.


    I managed a smile. "It''s fine. I''ll be quick ande find youter."


    She nodded and hugged. "Call me if anything happens, she whispered into my ear as she pulled away. I nodded and watched her leave.


    Mark''s expression softened a bit after Grace was out the door and out of his sight. He turned to me, Wee. How''re you?"


    I shrugged, "I''m fine. Congrattions."


    He nodded with a small smile and led me to his dressing room.


    I looked around the room, at the boring pale colors, rigid furniture and stiff curtains. Earlier on in our marriage, I had intended to refurbish the room and breathe life into it but... well, things didn''t work out. Many times, I had begrudgingly dressed him in this room; helped him pack his file and iron his outfit and helped him into his jacket like every wife should.


    He put on his trousers and shirt in the restroom. When he came out, he simply stood in the middle of the room and spread his arms.


    I sighed and walked up to him. We''re really doing this, aren''t we? I thought to myself.


    I automatically helped him into the waist coat then I put his suit on him like I used to do. The actions felt natural, as if I never stopped doing them.


    All the while, he remained silent but I could feel his eyes on me. They followed my every movement.


    I was buttoning the suit when he broke the tense silence.


    "Did you ever love me during our three years of marriage?"

 Chapter 0144

    I sighed and ignored his question. I continued working on his suit. Over thest few weeks, Mark and I


    we could both feel that there was had eased into this tonic and business partners rtionship b something simmering underneath all of our formalities and professionalism. Neither of us acknowledged it; it was also why I usually never want to spend too much time with him, especially alone. Now, I just wanted to be done as soon as possible and leave from there.


    But I should have known that he wouldn''t back down. Mark was never the type to shy away or back down from anything.


    "I asked you a question," he deadpanned,


    I sighed again. I really wasn''t up for any bantering this morning. "It''s your wedding day, Mark," I said, sounding bored. "Why would you ask me a question like that?"


    I shook my head and spared him a nce before I made the final touches on getting his suit well fitted on him. I took a step back, my eyes raked up and down his fit form and I managed a smile. From a distance, you would be able to tell that the suit was specially tailored just for him. It fitted perfectly on his broad shoulders and slightly narrowed to rest snugly on his waist.


    "To be honest? I like what I see or rather, what Grace had conjured up. You look like a willing groom."


    I was still admiring the suit on him so I had no idea what his facial expression was because he didn''t say anything. But his shoulders lifted in a small shrug, "Because I want to ask you a question like that. Answer


    1. me.


    I sighed, "Seriously? You''re still on that?" He didn''t even bat an eye, he just nkly stared back, obviously expecting a response. Honestly, sometimes Mark behaved like a kid.


    I sighed and crossed my arms against my chest. "What kind of answer do you want to hear, Mr Mark?"


    He swiftly took a step closer and held my chin firmly then made me look up at him. My heart skipped a bit at his action but I forced myself to rx. He would not hurt me, I told myself. For a while, he just stared into my eyes, searching, as if he would find the answer he was looking for there. "I want to hear nothing but your honest answer."


    I stared back at him. My eyes took in the stubborn set of his jaw and his unreadable eyes. "What exactly do


    you aim to achieve with this, Mark? Where are you going with this?" I wondered aloud. "For goodness'' sake, you''re getting married today, you should let all of these go. It''s all the past now. It doesn''t matter anymore."


    It was like he hadn''t heard a single word that I said. His grip on my chin tightened and he pulled me to him. ¡°Just answer me, will you?"


    I sighed again. "I loved you, okay? I did but I don''t anymore," I said but he just stared at me. "You want my honest response, right? Well, there''s it."


    His throat worked and he released my chin. He looked down and smoothed his jacket. As he did so, he asked without looking up, "Are you telling the truth?"


    I scoffed and retorted, "If you want to hear lies, no worries, I can tell you those too." I turned around and started to pick up my bag. "I have nothing left to do here, so I''m leaving. Best wishes to you and your bride on your engagement."


    +25 BONL


    I made my way to the door but was halted in my steps when I suddenly felt hands curl around my arms. I reflexively breathed in his manly scent and cologne as it filled my space, his sturdy chest pressed to


    my


    back.


    "What are you doing?" I asked tehtatively, my agitation slowly rising.


    His hands slid down and they wrapped themselves even tighter around my waist. His chin settled on my shoulder, his face turned to my hair then he murmured against my hair, "If you say you still love me, we can be together."


    "You heard me clearly, Mark, I used to love you. Not anymore." I let out through gritted teeth and my fists clenched. "Besides, you''re getting married."


    I heard him sniff then, "I can call it all off. It will take nothing for me to call off the engagement."


    My anger that had been slowly building since he asked his stupid question finally exploded in me. "What the fuck is wrong with you? What exactly is your problem, huh?!" I burst out and wriggled myself out of his hold. I was actually able to get out of his grasp because he let go..


    He clearly had better choices for his customized wedding suit and he could have easily paid for their


    services if he wanted but he chose our brand. He didn''t just stop there, he insisted that I, his ex-w him his outfit. Now he was hugging me. What a carefully panned out n, I thought to myself.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I was mad at him for that. I was mad at him for intending to push me down that same path that I had grown to immensely hate - being a mistress

 Chapter 0145

    I whirled around and turned to him. He started to advance toward me but I didn''t hesitate to roughly push him away from me. He remained rooted to a spot. I held his gaze and coldly spat out, "Enough! I don''t want to y this cat-and-mouse game with you anymore!"


    I took a step forward and pushed at his chest again. "What the fuck do you want?" I pushed him back again, "What is it? Tell me! This body?" I pointed at myself.


    Furiously and blindly, with shaky hands, I unbutton the shirt I had on, shamelessly revealing thecy bra I wore. "This is what you want?! Fine!e on, let''s sneak around like rats!" I pressed myself against him.


    "Why don''t you have another woman on the morning of your wedding? Come on!" I took his hand and ced it on my ass. "Do what you have to do and get me out if your fucking system," he closed his eye as I spat in his face, "All I ask is that you have the mercy to let me go after you''ve had your way with this body!"


    Mark opened his mouth to say something but I didn''t let him speak. I cradled his face with my palm and mmed my lips on his.


    The kiss was rough. It was filled with anger and pain and despair. I kissed him with everything I had. I poured out all my frustration and pent up anger once and for all, I kissed him so hard that I bit him and felt the iron taste of blood. Even when I ran out of breath, I didn''t stop. I refused to let him go until 1 couldn''t stay a moment without breathing.


    I pulled away with a loud gasp, exhausted. I bent and grasped my knee as I tried to regain my breath.. I saw Mark bend down and picked up my shirt..I hadn''t even realized that it had fallen off. I didn''t say anything as he moved closer to me, put the shirt around me and calmly buttoned it.


    He regarded me for a while before he brought up his hand and then traced his thumb on my sore lips, wiping away his blood from my lips.


    "You drive me crazy, Sydney," he said in a husky voice that made me madder because of the effects it had on me. "I do want to fuck you," he drawled softly, won''t even lie about that. I want to have you sprawled before me, I want to taste every inch of your glorious body before I slowly ease myself inside of you." There was a pause, his finger on my lips stilled and his eyes roamed my face. I red back at him, my breathing ragged.


    "I want to do a lot of things to you and one stolen moment will never be enough. I don''t want a one off thing. I want to fuck you over and over again, I want to make love to you till the only man you think of is me but only if you''re willing." He shrugged slightly, "I don''t mind waiting till you''ve decided. I can wait for you. I have enough willpower to hold myself back and I wouldn''t pressure you."


    I looked at him with disdain. This guy really is something. I picked up my bag, threw him a dirty re. Fuck you, asshole, then I turned and made my way out of the room.


    When I got outside, I tried to steady my trembling hands as I brought out my phone and dialed Grace''sT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    number.


    "Hey!" It felt like eons before she picked up.


    I frowned. She sounded out of breath. "Are you okay?"


    "I''m okay. Just tired. There''s like a zillion things to do here and Sandra won''t let me leave."


    "Oh. I''m done with Mark though."


    "I figured. Don''t worry. I''ll find my way out of here now. Go to the intersection ahead of his ce. I''ll pick you up there."


    "Alright. I''ll be waiting."


    I ended the call with Grace and started to walk by the sidewalk to the intersection.


    Few minutester, Mark''s car drove past. I turned and my gaze collided with Mark''s that was already on me. I rolled my eyes and looked away.


    Just as I looked away, the calm silence of the day was broken by the screech of tires and the ring horn of vehicles.


    My senses instantly grew alert and I turned, my eyes widened in horror, to see Mark''s car hastily tried to reverse as another car swerved into theirne. The car approaching seemed to have lost control of its brake or something because it was unable to stop.


    I uselessly stood there and watched as the vehicle collided with Mark''s car in a deafening crash and sent it overturned by the side of the road, while the other car ran straight into a pole. The sound of ss shattering and crunch of metal could be heard as the smell of burnt rubber filled the air,

 Chapter 0146

    For a moment, there was silence as the realization of what just happened sunk in, then I broke out of my frozen state and ran over to the crash, my heart lodged in my throat.


    There were already a number of passersby around the crash. Some called 911 while some uselessly brought out their phone to film the ident.


    I dropped my bag and squatted beside the wreckage that used to be Mark''s car. In there, Mark, his driver and his assistant were stuck in there, upside down. Blood trickled down Mark''s temple. "Mark!" No matter how many times I screamed his name, he didn''t open his eyes. "Mark! Hang in there..." looked around me and asked for the help of the people standing around. They could at least make their presence useful.


    "Somebody, help!" I screamed and turned back to Mark. "I need help!" I continued shouting as I reached for Mark and attempted to pull him out.


    "Help!" I looked up again and immediately looked back at Mark in the car only to snap my head back up. with a friend on my face. For a moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of Luigi among the crowd but when I looked again, it was just some random guy who had his phone up that stood ther


    I shook my head. I must be seeing things. "Help!"T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Two men rushed over to help me. I selfishly pointed to Mark first. "Please, help me get him out."


    One of them looked inside and shook his head. "We''d need to raise the car a few inches, else he might lose one of his limbs." My heart tightened and my eyes watered at the pain Mark must be going through. The man hollered out to two other men. While three of them lifted the wrecked car, me and the man carefully dragged Mark out.


    At that moment, the ambnce siren red loudly from a distance. As soon as they got closer, the people who had formed a crowd cleared the path for the ambnce to drive through. A few feet away from the scene of the ident, the ambnce parked and the paramedics hurried out of the vehicle. A wheeled stretcher was rolled out and the men immediately lifted Mark and ced him on the stretcher. My heart tightened and I covered my mouth as choked sobs escaped my lips at the sight of Mark''s bleeding head. His suit was in tatters and his legs and arm were also covered in blood.


    I ran after them as they wheeled Mark to the ambnce and ced him in it. Mark''s eyes fluttered open, his eyes settled on me and his hands slowly lifted as he tried to reach out toward me. Just as I moved forward to grasp his hand, it felt back and his lids mmed shut and my heart, at the same time, dropped. With the help of everyone, Mark''s assistant and driver were also rescued.


    I turned to the doctor as they were cing Mark''s driver in too. "Doctor, will they be okay?"


    The man shook his head without looking at me, he was changing his gloves and preparing to carry out some first aid on Mark''s assistant who was hyperventting.


    "I''m not sure, ma''am. We need to get them to the hospital first." He lifted his face and looked at me, "Are you in any way rted to any of them?"


    I hesitated fir a moment. I am his ex-wife, a business partner and also Doris has made me promise to look out for him. I couldn''t be more rted to him.


    "Yes, I''m rted to the first man. The other two are our workers."


    He nodded, "Don''t worry, we''d try our best." Then he got on the ambnce and got in after him.


    On our way to the hospital, I called Grace.


    1 steadied my voice, "You don''t need toe to the intersection anymore and I don''t think you should keep helping that airhead with anything anymore. Mark just got involved in a car ident. We''re currently in an ambnce on our way to the hospital."


    Grace gasped, "Oh my god. A car ident?"


    "I swear it still feels surreal," my voice shook as my gaze traveled to Mark. Despite everything the EMT was doing, he had remained still.

 Chapter 0147

    "I hope he''ll be fine," Grace said sombrely.


    "I do too," I murmured back.


    Grace sighed and then there was a pause. "I don''t think anyone here has heard. Preparations are still in full swing. Should I inform them?


    "I don''t know, Grace. Do whatever feels right," I told her weakly, uninterested.


    She sighed again. "I don''t know if I should feel sad for our major sponsor or to gloat over Sandra''s misfortune of losing her fianc¨¦."


    Sydney said, "Let''s just pray for our major sponsor, after all, his money is very important to us." But it wasn''t just his money for me. If it was just his money, my heart wouldn''t be hurting so much.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Grace solemnly echoed, "Yeah, I''ll take care of thepany''s affairs, stay with him if you have to. If anything happens, just call me."


    I nodded. "Thank you."


    I was about to end the call when she called my name. "Sydney?"


    "Yes?" I answered in a small voice.


    "Stay strong for him," she said. A tear rolled down my face and my throat felt clogged. I furiously wiped it and nodded.


    "I will." Then I ended the call.


    I leaned against the wall of the ambnce and looked outside the mirror of the window as the car moved in a steady pace to the hospital.


    At the hospital, they were all rushed out and each of them was admitted to their own ward. The assistant was ced in a normal ward since his injuries weren''t severe, the driver was admitted to an emergency room while Mark was immediately rushed into an operating room.


    I hadn''t been allowed inside the operating room so I just leaned against the wall outside the room. Doris'' words reyed in my head,...our family may seemrge, but after I''m gone, Mark will be all alone...¡± Doris had been right. Every single word in that statement was fucking right. It''s been an hour now and the news of his ident, as expected, had spread. Short clips of his car wreckage and of him being rushed into an ambnce had gone viral yet no one had rushed over and showed up to see how he was doing. Not his fianc¨¦e, Sandra or even his mother talkless of his extended rtives.


    For a moment, I stared at the door to the operating room in frustration. I shook my head and looked away. "What am I even doing here?" I muttered bitterly under my breath. For crying out loud, I am his ex wife, not his wife or mother so why does my heart hurt at the mere thought that he was in pain?


    I walked to the wall facing the door and leaned against it. I could leave now. I could force myself to leave but I would not be fulfilling the promise I made to Doris, I would be betraying the solid trust she had in me. After a long while, my eyes fixated on the door to the operating room, it finally opened. The doctes


    +25 BONU


    the door behind him. I sprang upright and rushed to him, "How is he?"


    The doctor calmly took off his mask. He wasn''t smiling as he looked at me then he said heavily, "His injuries are very serious, ma''am."


    I sped my palms together, wafting for him to continue. "But we have done our best to stabilize his condition, now it''s up to when he wakes up."


    I nodded, feeling a bit relieved. Now I just had to wait for his uncaring fianc¨¦e and mother toe so I could leave but the doctor wasn''t done.


    He added hesitatingly, "You should be prepared for what he might be like when he wakes up," his unreadable eyes shed with pity. "Based on past experience, he might be a..." the doctor paused, seeming to find the right words. He pressed his lips together, "He might seem a bit demented or even lose his memory, that''s up to fate and how strong his system is."


    My heart thumped in my chest and I took a staggering step back. I blinked at him. I opened my mouth to speak but I couldn''t form any words. I didn''t even want to imagine the disastrous consequences this bad news would bring. I didn''t want to think of what fate would befall Mark.

 Chapter 0148

    A WEEK LATERCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I dragged my tired eyes from the screen when my phone kept on vibrating. I knew it couldn''t be Lucas because I had a separate ringing tone for his calls and his would definitely ring out, it wouldn''t be Grace; she would have stormed up here if she called more than twice and I didn''t pick up.


    Now, this was the fifth time this caller had called. I would give it to the caller though. The person had called for five times straight in a row, their persistence was admirable.


    I yawned and rubbed my tired eyes then I leaned back against my seat and grabbed the phone from the table. The number calling wasn''t saved on my phone and it wasn''t even familiar at all. "Hello..." I drawled after I picked up the call.


    "Good afternoon, ma''am. Am I speaking with Miss Sydney? You brought in Mr Mark Torres after he was involved in an ident."


    I frowned and sat up. "Good afternoon. Yes, I am Sydney."


    6m a caregiver and I am the one assigned to Mr Mark Torres."


    I raised my eyebrows. I remembered that before I left the hospitalst week, the doctor had suggested that I hire a caregiver that would care for Mark before his mother or fianc¨¦e would get there. I had told him that he could get him a caregiver and also made it clear that he should give him all the things and treatment that Mark needed and assured the doctor that the Torres will surely pay for everything.


    It was also then that I was reminded of the essence of a good name. At the mention of Mark''s family name, the doctor in charge had been eager to do anything and everything even though I only made payment for Mark''s surgery


    "Are you there, ma''am?"


    "Oh yes," I was dragged out of my derailed thoughts. "I am still here. Okay, you said you''re Mark''s caregiver, is there any problem?"


    "There is a big problem, ma''am.¡±


    "Oh my." My heart unnecessarily skipped a beat. "What happened?" What was it this time? It''s been a week, it was enough time for either Sandra or Rose to get to the hospital and identify themselves as rtives of Mark Torres, so why was she the one the caregiver had chosen to call?


    "When I got this job, I was excited that I was going to be caring for a man from a wealthy family and my pay will be steady and who knows? I might even get an increase but since I''ve started this job, I''ve only been taking care of the unconscious man, no one hase to check on him talkless of paying me for the services I''ve been offering for the past days." The woman''s voice was low but agitated. I could literally hear the frustration and disappointment in her voice.


    "Wait wait," I held up my palm before me as though the caregiver was sitting across from me. "Did you just say no one hase to see him?"


    "No one," the caregiver bit out in an exasperated tone. The doctor kept assuring me that his family wasing but it''s been a week now and mere assurances would not pay my bills or put food on my table." Chapter 6148


    My frown deepened. I rested my elbow on the desk and massaged my furrowed brows, "What about his and fianc¨¦e? They haven''t been there?" I closed my eyes after the question rolled my tongue. God, Sydney! The poordy just said that no one hase! I reprimanded myself. It wasn''t my fault though, I am stressed.


    y grip on


    There was silence and I braced myself for thedy''s outburst. But she seemed to have a steady. the reins on her emotion because she replied calmly after some seconds.


    "I just said no one has visited, Miss Sydney." She clicked her tongue, "So I don''t know about any fianc¨¦e or mother but no one has showed up for him. I''ve been the only one taking care of him. I had to force the receptionist to give me your contact info, I need my pay, please," she said firmly. "I have been patient enough."

 Chapter 0149

    I sighed, "I deeply apologize for this. It''s unlike the Torres family. I''m sure something is holding them up. I''ll try t="


    "What about my pay? I''m afraid I might have to stop giving my services if I d-"


    "I wasing to that, Miss. Text your ount number and rate to this number. I will pay you immediately. So please, continue to take care of him."


    "Alright. Thank you."


    "I''ll also try to -"


    I blinked when I heard the click that signaled that the call had ended. I raised my brow and shrugged as I dropped my phone. I didn''t me her, I would have been madder if I were her. She was just so soft- spoken that I hadn''t expected that she would hang up on me


    I shook my head as I reclined in my seat. This was really unfortunate. Mark had been in aa since his operation was finalized. Yes, he had been unconscious since his surgery. I couldn''t keep staying so I had to leave but my case was understandable, right? I had work to deal with plus I wasn''t exactly rted to him


    Sandra had always been a selfish bitch so I wasn''t surprised that she was yet to go see her fiance who couldn''t show up to their engagement because he was involved in a fatal car ident but his mother?


    Rose was always all over Mark, she made it seem like she was the first woman to have a child, who knew she would find it hard to pay him a visit at the hospital?


    I thought of what to do, how to reach out to them. I could either go to them or ce a call through to them but that would be so much stress so I decided to go with thetter.


    I licked up my phone again. I was not sure if I had Rose''s phone number but I scrolled through my contact list in search of it anyway.


    I found it. My thumb hovered above it. I have always hated any form ofmunication between my former mother-inw and I; I used to do anything to avoid getting in situations that would require us to interact.


    I thought of calling Sandra instead but it was only natural and sensible that his mother would be the first person I will reach out to, not the woman that was indifferent about him.


    I sighed and dialed her number.


    "Grandma Doris, this is for you," I muttered to myself as the phone rang. "I''m doing these things that I don''t like or want to do because I want to keep my promise to you."


    If only Doris was here, I''m sure she would have rushed to the hospital that morning.


    The ringing ended and no one picked up. I frowned and cocked my head to the side as I dialed theN?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    number again. After a few seconds, the ringing stopped as there was no response.


    My frown deepened as I stubbornly redialed the number.


    "Why isn''t she picking up?"


    There was still no response after I redialed it the fourth time. If she was intentionally ignoring my call then she must be a fool and not care about her son at all. So far, she must know that I was the only one who would be with Mark in the hospital and since I never called her, she was supposed to know that I must be calling her regarding Mark.


    I decided to try to call her with someone else''s number, I rushed to Grace''s office. "Hey, can I have phone?"


    "Sure..." she trailed off as I had already snatched her phone from her desk.


    your


    I felt her eyes on me as I punched Rose''s number into her phone and dialed it. No response. I tried again. and there was still no response.


    "Strange," I murmured under my breath as I handed Grace''s phone to her. Her curious gaze was on me as she absentmindedly took the phone from me.


    "What''s up?"


    I sighed and plopped in the cushioned chair in her office. "I''m trying to reach Rose. I tried to reach her with my line but she didn''t pick up so I thought maybe she was ignoring my calls. I tried to reach her with your line too but it''s still the same. At least, now I''m sure she isn''t deliberately ignoring my calls."

 Chapter 0150

    "First, why are you trying to reach her?" That was the first question that Grace blurted out.


    I told her why I needed to reach either Rise or Sandra and her mouth formed an ''O'' then she pouted, "I really feel bad for him."


    "Me too," I murmured back. My eyes followed Grace as she got back to work; she seemed to be joining some fabrics with a tiny needle.


    "Now that Rose isn''t picking up, I guess I have to call Sandra," I shrugged and with my lips twisted unpleasantly, I dialed Sandra''s number. As I dialed her line, I wondered howe I had it. She answered almost immediately, as if she had been expecting my call.


    "Hello?"


    *Sandra. It''s Sydney."


    There was a brief pause then, "Sydney?" She sounded surprised. "What do you want?"N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I crossed my legs, "I just got a call from Mark''s caregiver," I heard her emit a low groan but I ignored it and kept talking, "I just learned from her that you haven''t visited your fianc¨¦ since he''s been in the hospital."


    "So?"


    My brows raised on their own ord. "It''s been a week, Sandra. A whole week! Even if you don''t genuinely love him, you should consider the amount of money he willingly spent on you and the engagement. It''s unfair, you should at least go and see him," I reproached her.


    "Uh, duh!" Sandra said nonchntly, "We are yet to have our engagement ceremony so he''s not really my fianc¨¦ yet. That being said, I have no obligation to take care of him."


    I opened my mouth, surprised but what was I expecting from her. "You shouldn''t say that, Sandra. You guys are dating and you''re the one he intends to get married to and spend the rest of his life with. The least you can do is to be by his side in this trying time and care for him," I said catingly.


    She let out one of those ''you''re so boring'' groans, "Spare me. What am I? A nurse? Besides, that''s why he''s got a caregiver. Let her do her job."


    "Sandr-"


    She interrupted me and asked the most ridiculous question expected from someone whose fiance is trapped in a hospital bed. "Hey, how is he in bed? Before and after the ident." She didn''t let me respond as he droned on, "My God, I heard that some people lose their sexual ability after waking up from a serious ident, how am I supposed to live with that?! I simply cannot ept that! The marriage won''t even work, it will be a disaster. You know, I actually dumped Joel, that softie, because he couldn''t satisfy me anymore," then she scoffed, "I''m not even about to get into another rtionship where I will not get sexually sated."


    Grace''s mouth was hanging open. She could also hear Sandra''s utterances as the call was on speaker. The hell! How much more stupid could this girl be?


    I was fuming with anger but I suppressed it." How would I know how he is in bed, Sandra? I''ve never slept


    with him. Why don''t you ask your good friend, Be? They used to be dynamite in bed. She should be willing to tell you."


    I didn''t wait for her dumb response, I furiously tapped on the ''end call'' icon and threw the phone on the other end of the couch.


    "God!" I clutched my head in my hand while Grace giggled and got back to work.


    I let out a breath and sighed. Since no one was ready to show up, I would have to take responsibility for Mark''s care until Rose shows up. Again, for Doris'' sake.

 Chapter 0151

    BELLA''S POV


    My face scrunched up in disgust as I peered at the caller''s ID.


    What does she want? Why is she calling me? I thought irritatingly. And most importantly, howe I still have her contact saved on my phone?


    I stared ahead, my gaze lingering on the smiling faces of the people stepping out of the gate. When she wouldn''t stop ringing me up, I decided to pick up the damn call.


    "What do you want?" I blurted out icily.


    "Hello, bestie. It''s been a while, don''t you think?"


    I scoffed, the idiot was speaking like were still friends. Was she even ever my friend? She always imed that she hated Sydney for my sake, yet all the while she was only ogling the man I wanted.


    "What do you want, Sandra?" I gritted out, my hands tightening on the object that I held on to in the pocket of my baggy jean jumpsuit. With how agitated I was just by hearing her voice, if she were standing before me, I wouldn''t have hesitated to use it on her without any remorse.


    She groaned like she used to whenever I started to cry about how hurt I was. "You''re still so uptight huh? What''s the cause for rigidity when speaking with a friend?"


    "Friend, my ass!" My eyes flitted to the gate again. I needed to be done with this stupid phone call before he''d be out. "And if you have nothing tangible to say, can you get off the line?"


    "Rx," she drawled and I could picture her rolling her eyes. "I just have a question. A very simple one. How''s Mark in bed?" She asked like it was the most normal question to ask and quickly added, "Now don''t deny it because I''m sure you and Mark has fucked several times in the past."


    I found it difficult to make sense of why she was asking me the dumb question and for a moment, I momentarily forgot why I was here. "What?!" I blurted out so loudly that some passersby flinched then some of them nced my way in mild annoyance.


    Sandra groaned again. "Gosh. Why are you guys so uptight?!"


    I wondered for a moment who the ''guys'' were but I didn''t care. I just wanted the call to end.


    "Just tell me, please, how''s Mark in bed? Before his careless ident, of course.


    The happiest I had been in a long while was when I heard the news of Mark''s ident and that his engagement was postponed.


    "Serves them right." I remember saying to myself. It had been a little heartbreaking when together with the same man we both nned to fully make mine and then there was Mark who had alsoAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    my friend got made a retract from his promise to get me Luxe vogue


    It had been torture watching Sandra post about all the preparations for the wedding. I got pissed when she went on and on about Mark getting her everything she wanted and also prepared the wedding with things she liked.


    The thought of Mark not fulfilling his promise to me infuriated me even more so I decided to answer


    Be''s question.


    "You want to know how Mark is in bed?" I smirked, "Well, he''s awful!"


    There was a short pause then Sandra asked in panic. "Be, are you telling the truth?"


    "No, you idiot!" I retorted hotly. "You better marry him as soon as possible and serve your vegetable husband for the rest of your miserable lifetime!" I said irritably, "Now get off the phone. Unlike you who sit around and do nothing, we actually have things we have to take care of so don''t waste my time anymore, you stinking bitch who steals your best friend''s man!"


    I heard her exaggerated gasp before I hung up. I tucked my phone away and focused my gaze on the prison gate.


    As I stared at the gates, watching the happy faces of the people who just got released as they walked out of there, ted, I remembered when I had first been here. It was a week ago.


    ONE WEEK AGO


    . I dressed up and left the house. It had been a long while since these two things happened together. I had


    locked myself at home, if I ever needed to go out, I never bothered to dress up


    But today, I overdid myself.


    I had called the prison a week ago and filled out a request form. As expected, Isaac approved it and acknowledged knowing me so it was approved by the officials of the prison.

 Chapter 0152

    Today was finally the day that was scheduled for me to see him. I checked myself out in the mirror, beamingrgely at my reflection as I made sure my outfit and everything else was not viting any of their policies.


    I halled down a taxi and told the cab man my destination. The man sized me up but said nothing.


    When I got there, I was directed to the waiting room and asked to wait there; there were other people there who had alsoe to see one of the inmates.. For about twenty minutes, I watched, slowly growing tired as a cop arrived and called thest name of whoever was next to be seen.


    I sprang up when I heard the same cop yell Isaac''s surname.


    I forced a smile on my face as I approached the visiting room. There was a small table in the middle of the room and two chairs propped on each side.


    "Twenty minutes," the cop murmured and walked a few feet away.


    For the first minutes, Isaac and I just stared at each other. I wondered what was going through his head and then I wondered for the umpteenth time, why?


    Why did he have to bring misfortunes to my life after all I''ve done for him? He was the cause of why I was this miserable and all I did was love him wholeheartedly yet all he could repay me with was unfaithfulness...the rewards he saw fit for all my submissiveness to him were several miscarriages, beatings, among many others.


    I med myself and epted my faith and left him alone. My life was going well, yet he came back to ruin my life all over again! He made me lose another child and a good man. Anger surged in me as i looked at him, I felt like bashing his head on the rickety table between us until all the worn out nks were stuck in his ugly face but instead my lips curved into a smile.


    I wouldn''t do that. That would only make us even and hotheaded.


    "Isaac..."


    "Be, his lips trembled as he called my name. "Be, swear, I''m sorry."


    Yeah, he was. I could see it. Isaac had never apologized to me since he showed me who he really was. So this could only mean he was really sorry. After ourst fight and argument, Mark had made sure that he was found and put behind bars. And I just think that....it''s unfair that he was in here.


    "I know," my voice choked and I swallowed. I shifted my hands and clutched his that was already on the table. "I know you didn''t mean to, Isaac. I know. I''m sorry you''re in here.


    He shook his head vigorously and his strong hands gripped mine. "No. I deserve this. I deserve to be here. You were a good woman and I should have always treated you right." My eyes watered, "Isaac... I cried.


    "Please don''t cry, babe. I loved you and I still do. I don''t know what alwayses over me. But my time here has taught me a lesson. I''ve been able to reflect on my behaviors and I intend to change if I ever get the chance to be out of here."


    Oh my! He is really willing to change.


    His gaze swept down and his hold on my hands softened, I gripped it harder. "This past weeks has been hell without..." he nced at the cop who had an intent gaze on the both of us then slid back to me, he shook his head, "you know what," he raised a brow and I nodded. He was talking about his addiction.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "But it has made me realize that I could do without it and I intend to keep it that way. I am ready to change," he said earnestly.


    I nodded and my eyes took in his sad eyes and turned down lips, even though he was smiling, the imprint was there. Around his mouth, there was a stubble that would soon grow into a beard, even his cute short hair that I used to love had grown longer and rough. He didn''t look like him, he looked like a different person; like a truly changed man.


    This will be a new beginning. The corner of my lips tilted in a small smile, "Why don''t you shave? I want to see you." I gestured to his face in a sweeping manner, "Not this unrecognizable man before me."

 Chapter 0153

    I


    He chuckled and memories of when we just started dating flitted through my mind. He used tough at every joke I made then. Maybe having that back wasn''t a bad idea or.... it might be.


    "I''ve been thinking." I said after he had sobered up, my fingers intertwining with his, "I''d withdraw thewsuit I filed against you."


    He went rigid and stared open mouthed at me. "Are you for real?" My heart filled with joy as I glimpsed the hope that shimmered brightly in his eyes.


    I nodded.


    "My God, you''re willing to give me another chance?"


    Iughed, "Yes, Isaac. You love me, don''t you?"


    "I do, with all of my heart."


    "And you''re ready to change. Be the man I fell in love with?"


    He nodded.


    "We can start all over again."


    His eyes widened and his smile broadened. "Be, I swear I will always love you. I admit that I treated you badly and I was wrong, I am willing to reform, I..."


    "Time''s up," His words were interrupted by the prison guard and my clenching fists rxed as he talking. He will reform...as if!


    stopped


    He pulled me into an abrupt hug and I ignored the nausea that rose up my throat. I looked at him affectionately after he pulled away, "Let''s start over. I will drop thewsuit and wait for you, wait for the day you get out of prison, I will pick you up."


    Tears welled up in Isaac''s eyes and he nodded with a watery smile, looking bag as the cop dragged him away, "I will stay strong until I am released. Be, I love you!"


    I gritted my teeth. Could he stop saying that?


    I turned as they took him away. I walked out of the prison and groaned as I massaged the area around my mouth and eyes. My face hurt from forcing all those grins. Now, all that was left to do was to wait; wait for the right time.


    And today was the right time. After I dropped thewsuit, it didn''t take long for Isaac to get released.


    A tall lean man walked out of the gates with some other men and I recognized him immediately because his beard and long hair were gone. He was looking more like Isaac now. I smiled.


    He was looking around, obviously looking for me. His eyes fell on me and I pocketed my phone and raised my hand.


    "Over here," I hopped.


    He started toward me, with long strides and a beaming smile.


    "Bell-"


    My other hand stuck out of my pocket of its own ord and the word died in his mouth as he stopped walking. Slowly, his gaze fell on the gun in my hand before settling on his bleeding stomach. The duffel bag he hung on his shoulder fell and he went down after it, falling to his knees as his hand clutched his stomach.


    The n was to wait for him to get closer to me before I emptied the bullets in his heart but I couldn''t bear to hear him say my name one more time. It had been tortuous enough listening to him say it over and over against week.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    He looked up at me, his eyes were red and pain and betrayal mixed with the tears that glimmered in them.


    I cocked my head and smiled back at him. When I saw cops running towards me, I swiftly pulled the trigger several more times till the gun was emptied.


    The tears that slid down Isaac''s face before he copsed on the floor in a loud heap was worth it all, the hurt and pain and betrayal in his eyes soothed the bitterness in me.


    I hoped that would be the first of the many tears he''d shed as he rotted in hell.


    The prison police swarmed me. "Ops," I said as I calmly threw the gun away then I raised my hands in the air.


    I smirked coldly and looked at them. "I have a mental illness, I want to see mywyer!"

 Chapter 0154

    SYDNEYS POV


    "Wow!" I finally let out and dragged my gaze away from my phone.


    I just got a call from the police department. They have Be in their custody for murdering Isaac.


    These past weeks, a lot had been happening, From Doris to Mark to the trivial matters had to deal with either at work or at the hospital where Mark was admitted. There was just a whole lot and I had been going through them like I was programmed to do them so I had just sat frozen when I heard the news, unable to process what the police officer had said.


    Now that I think about it, the officer''s words reyed in my head, I wondered why I was the one they called. What about our parents?


    To my amazement, the news didn''t surprise me like it should, probably the reason why it took so long before I could react. I really don''t think anything can surprise me anymore.


    Though, within myself, to be honest, I salute Be. It must have taken a lot of guts and grit to do what she did. Even though she tended to be violent, bitter and sharp mouthed. Murder wasn''t an option I would ever assume that she would resort to but then... Isaac gave her lots of reasons to resort to her actions. She finally recognized and identified the cause of all of her miseries. If everything she told me about her time in the country where she eloped to with Isaac was true then he deserved the ending he got. Though, to the public and security agents, her action was uneptable and punishable by thew. The least I can do for her, because she doesn''t deserve to rot in jail for taking care of her problem, was to get her awyer that would take her case seriously instead of the one that the government would provide.


    I brought up my phone and called mywyer.


    "Hello, Miss Sydney."N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    As soon as he picked up, I exined everything to him. And as you already know it, the pay wouldn''t be an issue," I added as an afterthought, "Do whatever you need to do to help her."


    "I understand, ma''am."


    I nodded, "Thank you."


    The call ended.


    While I spoke with mywyer, he quickly asked me some questions and they triggered something - my memory of Mark''s ident.


    I frowned as I remembered that scene, it reyed in my head. How that car that seemed to have lost control headed toward Mark''s reversing car with full speed and the crash that put all the lives of the people involved at risk as they awaited their fates on each of their hospital beds..


    I slowly sat up."...all the lives of the people involved..." that face reyed in my head like a broken record tape. Was it really everyone involved?


    I was fully in detective mode as I reached for a pen and a notepad and jotted down some things that seemed unusual and amisa, Could the ident have been a conspiracy? A perfectly marked out n to get rid of Mark.


    But why on his wedding day? Does Sandra, perhaps, have a deranged past lover who still wanted her? Could it be one of the few oppositions of Sandra''s father?


    Or they just wanted Mark out of the picture, regardless of whether he marries or not, they just want Mark gone. In this case, it could be anyone. Anyone from GT group, anyone who knew he was leaving for the wedding venue when he did.


    I didn''t think too much about leaving work to head to the hospital, I just grabbed my keys and rushed out.


    I met Grace on my way and she raised her brows as she watched me stalk down the hallway.


    "What''s got you all strung up?"


    I didn''t feel like I should share my unbacked theories yet so I just waved my hands in the air, "It''s nothing. I''d be right back."


    I think she said something else but I didn''t hear her as was always already in the elevator.


    At the hospital, the two security stationed there, managed a tight-lipped smile at me. "Wee, ma''am." "How are you doing?" I smiled brightly at them, hoping my bright demeanor will make them look less tired as they look now.


    "We''re doing good," one of them answered for the both of them while the other just smiled.


    Sure, they answered brightly but they still looked fatigued.


    I tutted as I went to see Mark. If there was ever a major threat, I doubt these ones will be able to protect Mark for long.


    "Wee, ma''am Sydney," the caregiver was taking care of Mark. She looked like she was giving him a bed bath as his upper body was bare and damp.


    "Hey. How''re you?"


    The caregiver was actually a nice youngdy, she had just been really pissed that she was abandoned with the person she was caring for.


    "I''m fine," she shrugged and shed me a smile.


    I smiled back. "I''ll be right back." I told her and left the room for the doctor''s office.


    On my way, I contacted the securitypany and hired a whole professional team of about a dozen men. If truly my instincts were right, then Mark needed a tight security system. I tucked my phone away and proceeded to the doctor''s office.

 Chapter 0155

    "Hey, Miss Sydney," the doctor beamed as he watched me enter his office.


    "Have youe to ask about your pa-"


    "No no," I shook my head. It had be a habit for me to also pay the doctor a visit whenever I came to see Mark. I would ask the doctot how he was fairing and when he might wake-up but his tone will always be somber as he replied to me.


    I took a seat across from him, "I''m here to ask about the other patients.


    He paused then nodded. "What is it?''


    "Apart from Mark and the two other people that were in his car, was there any other patient that was rushed here that night?"


    He frowned as he shook his head. "Is there supposed to be someone else?"


    "I don''t know. It''s why I''m here. A car rammed Mark''s car then rammed into a pole after it lost control, I want to see the driver that drove that car."


    "Oh. The paramedics that drove to the scene that day reported that there was no one in the other car by the time they got there."


    "What?" I frowned. Howe? I was sure I saw the silhouette of someone struggling with the steering wheel that day.


    The doctor shrugged. "That''s what I heard. You can contact the police department that responded to the ident scene if you need more details."


    "Alright," I nodded. "Thank you." I told him, then out of habit, I asked about Mark again. The doctor assured me that, even though Mark didn''t look like it, he was actually responding to treatment.


    By the time I was back to Mark''s ward, the hallway was lined with hefty men, the name of the securitypany was emzoned on their t-shirts, bulletproof and facecaps.


    "Wow, that was fast," I raised my brows.


    There were three new men before his door. They stood there like a wall and looked down at me.


    "Umm, I need to get in."


    "Identify yourself."


    I rolled my eyes, "I hired you guys," I said as I opened my phone and showed them the code thepany had sent to me.


    Two of them looked at the code and nodded to the rest, then they moved aside.


    There were also two men in the hospital room. I nodded again at the efficiency of the securitypany. They nodded at me and continued to stare at the wall.


    I walked closer to Mark''s bed. The caregiver was gone. Mark looked pale and frail as heid there in the hospital bed, his chest rose and fell softly as he slept. He seemed to have lost weight in thest week''s that he had been confined to the bed, his cheeks were a bit hollowed, and his eyes were sunken but he


    still looked good looking.


    I sighed at his still frame. I really do hope the doctor was right. It will really be a shame if Mark dies. Plus I wasn''t even ready to deal with the chaos that his death will bring to GT Group and the media.


    I dug my hands in my pants pocket and sighed again. "You''d better wake up soon. The security team is costing a lot every day, so are the hospital bills. The longer you snore away, the more you owe. Yes, I''m not doing all these for free, you''ll have to pay me back for my time and everything as soon as you wake up.


    I felt a twinge of disappointment when I didn''t hear his trademark snarky response. I sighed. What was I thinking? That he would suddenly leap from the bed and give me a response?


    With onest look at his motionless face and a silent prayer that he gets well soon, I turned to leave.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I let out a yelp when I felt fingers wrap around my wrist. With my heart in my throat I turned to see Mark''s eyes on me. And no, he didn''t look like a ghost.


    I closed my eyes and steadied my heartbeat. "What the hell, Mark?" I erupted when I opened my eyes.


    One of the men was already by my side. "Are you okay, ma''am?"


    I nodded. "Leave us for now."


    Mark''s eyes followed the men until the door was shut close behind them, then they settled on me. "Mark?" Mark muttered slowly as if he was hearing and saying the name for the first time. His puzzled gaze raked up and down my body. "Who are you?"


    My heart sank for the obvious reason. I bent down till I was looking closely into his eyes. He drew back, ced a finger on my forehead and pushed my head back.


    Typical.


    "I asked you a question, why are you staring at me like a creep?"


    "You''ve lost your memory?" I shook my head, "Tell me you know who I am and this is a trick."


    He looked at me with furrowed brows. "I don''t remember anything, woman. Tell me, who are you, and who


    am 1?"


    It was the wrong time for pranks or jokes but I smirked and said, "I''m your mom, and you''re my son."

 Chapter 0156

    Mark''s frown deepened and his eyes swept up and down my frame for almost a minute before he burst out, "I may have amnesia, but I''m not stupid. How could I possibly have such a young mother? How old


    am I?"


    I couldn''t help theugh that bubbled up my throat. I was sad that he lost his memory but it felt really good, too good, to have him back. To listen to him throw his blunt statements without a second thought. Turns out his memory is the only thing he lost afterall. Thank God. I don''t think I would be able to handle him if he turned out to lose his memory and be dense on top of that. He still had his wits around him.


    I took a seat beside his bed and he shifted, now sitting up. "Of course, I couldn''t have given birth to a son as old as you. I''m your stepmother."


    I couldn''t tell know why I kept at it but it was fun. I guess I wanted to utilize this opportunity that I have. Right now, I was just a random woman and he was just a random man- might be a bricyer, a policeman, a drunk...anyone at all. Not my ex-husband or Mark Torres, the CEO of a multinational Group or Be''s ex or Sandra''s fiance, he was just a beautiful man who found himself in a hospital. He eyed me suspiciously for a while then he asked, "Then where''s my biological mom?"


    I smirked, "Your real mom is dead, that''s why I could be your stepmother."


    I haven''t been able to contact Rose since Mark got admitted and she clearly hadn''t tried to reach out to me ore to see her son. I mentally shrugged, it was almost as if she were dead anyway. Mark''s gaze was on the hospital''s bedsheet as he looked to be processing my response to his question.


    Suddenly, the door burst open and there was a shout, "I''m not dead!"


    Mark jerked his head up and I turned around too. There, at the door was Rose, her fingers held on to the doorframe as she gritted her teeth and red at the men holding her back.


    "Leave her, let her in," I rushed out as one of the guards started to detach her fingers from the doorframe one after the other.


    She threw them a dirty re as they released her and went back to their posts. She mmed the door and muttered something under her breath.


    Then she furiously marched to the bedside, her death stare on me. She was panting when she stopped


    before me.


    "You wretched woman! How dare you say I''m dead?!" She shouted, sending some drops of saliva flying to my face.


    I drew back, disgusted. Then I took out a hanky and calmly pressed it to my face. I made a mental note to drop it in the binter as I looked up at her.


    Her makeup was in check, her hair glossed like she just stepped out of a salon after hours of having her hair tended to and as usual she had on her designer dresses and bags. She didn''t even look like a woman whose only son has been unconscious for several weeks.


    I shrugged, "I couldn''t reach you, you didn''te to see Mark. It was only reasonable to conclude soN?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    +25 BC


    "You dumb bitch!" She yelled again, "I was in a remote ce with no signal! Couldn''t you have assumed that instead of assuming I was dead?!"


    "Oh


    yes,"


    ," I said with a serious expression. "The moment we didn''t see you, I should have guessed that yo were in a remote ce as at the time that your son was to get engaged. My God, I am so slow." She rolled her eyes, "Believe it or not. That was what happened and as soon as I heard about Mark''s ident, I rushed back!"


    "Sure..." I drawled and earned a scowl from her.


    Mark suddenly broke the silence a d tension in the room. "So you''re...my mom?" He stammered then his gaze flickered to me and he rephrased his question, "Are you my real mom?"

 Chapter 0157

    I raised my brows as the scowl on her face suddenly melted into a soft expression as soon as she turned to Mark, her brows drew down in concern and her eyes glistened with tears. She moved closer to the bed and perched on it, away from me.


    "Mark," her voice quivered as she spoke, "What''s wrong? Don''t you recognize me?" She ced her palm on Mark''s face but he peeled it away, seeming irritated.


    "Are you my real mom?" He bit out a bit harshly.


    Rose nodded, "Yes son, I''m your mom. Your biological mother, I carried you in my bally


    you remember?"


    Mark frowned at her, "How am I supposed to remember that I was in your belly?"


    A weird sound escaped my lips as I tried to hold back myugh.


    for months, don''t


    Before Rose could spew any insult, Mark, oblivious to the effect of his words, asked, ''Then who is she?" That puzzled gaze settled on me again.


    I quickly interjected before Rose would blurt some stupid answer, "I''m your creditor. You owe me."


    "What?" Rose and Mark blurted out the same time. I did a good job of holding back myugh at Rose''s confused expression. She looked genuinely and utterly lost.


    "You owe me a lot of money. I heard about your ident and got worried that if you die, I wouldn''t get my money back so I came to check on you. The"


    "So what were you going to do? Stop me from dying?"


    I snorted and my shoulders shook as Iughed.


    "Can you stop? I''m trying to fill your memory here," I said seriously when I


    stoppedughing.


    "The caregiver tending to you, the bodyguards outside, the hospital bills are all paid by me. You need to hurry up and pay me back."


    My fingers swiftly wrapped around the bed frame to stop myself from toppling over when Rose angrily pushed me on the shoulder. "You heartless and cruel woman! Do you even have any conscience? My son just woke up and has lost his memory, and all you''re still concerned about is him paying you back!"


    That was it! I had lost my patience. I leapt from the bed and dragged her up. "You ungrateful woman! You keep speaking like you were here when he was struggling to stay alive is that your way of thanking me?" "What are you doing?" She yelled as I pushed her from the bed and toward the door. "Get your hands off me, bitch


    pressed her face to the wall and with one hand, I opened the door.


    My hands fell beside me when I saw the throng of people in the hallway. The security tear formed a solid wall between them and the door.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I recognized some of them as board members of GT group as I had seen them once or twice during a few shareholders'' meetings.


    "How can I help you?" I stuck my head out from behind one of the guards and asked them. They quickly walked forward. "We''re rtives of Mark, we''re here to see him."


    I wasn''t allowed to speak as another person picked up from where the rtive stopped. "We also came from work, we are the board members. The man almost twisted his neck as he tried to look past the hefty men into the room. He shed me a sheepish smile, "We heard he''s awake so we''vee to see for ourselves."


    What the hell?! No one, absolutely no one bothered to pay him a visit when he was unconscious, now that he''s awake they''re here to show their fake ass care. And these ugly people that imed to be his rtives, I swear, I don''t recognize any of them. I''m sure the board members must be displeased, they were probably hoping that he would not make it.


    And how had they even found out. Mark just woke up now and I doubt even the doctor knew about it yet.


    Well, I guess it won''t take long before his amnesia will be revealed and his position as the CEO of GT group will be at risk.

 Chapter 0158

    **EXPLICIT SCENE AHEAD***


    Roseing in finally to im the role of Mark''s family member meant I no longer had any business there and I pushed myself past the gawking bodies of people with their gaudy outfits and overpowering perfumes that made made me wrinkle my nose in distaste until I reached the end of the corridor.


    For some reason, I nced back at the door to Mark''s private ward with a wry chuckle slipping past my lips. Just look at all these people acting like the typical bottom climbers they were when they''d been practically nowhere to be found, days ago.


    We never know who our true friends are until things go spectacrly to hell.


    Sighing, I sank into the passenger''s seat of my car and pulled the door closed after me, then I threw my purse on the passenger side.


    I looked out of the windshield at the stream of people ebbing in and out of the hospital. And all I couldn''t help but think of, sitting there, was the scene of Mark''s ident where I''d seen Luigi. I remembered seeing his rangy build just 5 o''clock from me that day before he disappeared.


    Or maybe I thought I did?


    Regardless of what the fact was, if Luigi had indeed been at that ce, looking like a spy at a dead drop, it might not mean something good. And he was my friend at least. And as far as I was concerned, I could trust him to the point of believing he didn''t have a hand in that incident.


    ly way to


    The dispel those seeds of doubt from my head was to speak to Luigi about it... wisely.


    When I got out of my car and walked towards Luigi''s bar, I could already see the sign dering the bar " Temporarily Closed."


    Odd.


    I furrowed my brows disappointedly at the stronhoof words then ced my hands on the ss and peered through the vian blinds over the ss windows from the outside.


    The only things I could make out were the stygian shadows and the ghostly outlines of vacant barstools and empty tables.


    I heaved out a sigh and rounded to the back of the building and slowly climbed up the stairs which I knew. also led to his office. It was possible that he closed the bar but was still around in his office. The door swung open with a protesting groan, and the neat space seemned vacant and undisturbed until Ipletely walked into the room andnded my eyes on the familiar figure lounging in Luigi''s chair. Lucas slowly swiveled to face me, his eyes instantly crinkling at the corners in an affable smile. There''s my girl," he purred in that molten chocte baritone that never failed to liquify my insides.


    I also broke into a smile, although being a little surprised to see him there. I came fully into the room and shut the door gently behind me as Lucas crossed the space between us in two long strides, to hug me and I surrendered into theforting warmth of his chest with blissful contentment before I asked,


    "Where''s Luigi?"


    My eyes danced quickly around the room whilst still in an embrace with Lucas.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "We haven''t seen each other in so long and the first thing you ask about when we meet is my right hand man. My heart is broken," his lips brushed lightly over my earlobe as he said this.


    I yfully pushed him away with one hand pressed t against his chest, "Quit messing around, I have something to talk to him about."


    Lucas took hold of the hand I initially ced in his chest, kissing it and he said, "I''m over here, missing you like crazy but you''re worried about someone else."


    He then dropped my hand, feigning annoyance as he tried to walk away from me. But I didn''t mind giving him that attention he craved.


    I pulled him back, looking at him seductively. "If there is one man I''m worried about, then it''s the man in front of me," I said and kissed his lower lip.


    "You''re something else, you know that?" he chuckled as he pulled my waist closer to him and tucked some strands of hair behind my ear. "And are you any better?" I teased him back.


    Lucas leaned closer to my face and his whispered against my lips where he wouldn''t take his eyes off,


    "Want to see how better I can be?" He whispered, nting his mouth over mine in a kiss that obliterated all my thoughts in an instant.


    A low, desperate whine escaped me as his tongue slipped past my lips. I ced my fingers lightly on his shoulder and melted against him. Our kisses slowly heated up. I didn''t realize when my butt found the hard wood of the desk and he leaned down against me so that there was no interruption.


    Soon, my legs wrapped my legs around his waist, clinging to him like a shipwrecked sailor and he lifted me up from the desk. He took me to the adjoining room while he continued to nt kisses all over me that made me bubble up with excitedughter as my hands yed at the nape of his neck.

 Chapter 0159

    He thenid me on the bed, pinning me down to the mattress.


    "Gosh you don''t know how long live waited for this. Far too long," Lucas whispered, pressing me even more fully as he began to kiss my neck.


    "Me too," I responded eagerly.


    This was everything I had desperately craved too and I hoped it wouldn''t end for a long time. I''ve been through so much and I deserved this much bliss after it all. This kind of delirious freefall that would take everyone and everything off my mind for a while.


    Oh, Lucas was a sight to behold from below.


    His dashing features and those intense eyes of his that I''d fallen in love with, and the way the long locks of his hair fell over his hair, begging for my fingers to caress them.


    I felt a fresh wave of yearning at the sight of how his shirt strained against his muscles and the exposed part of his chest where a few buttons hade undone.


    There was a silver pendant dangling from the ne around his neck, and not being able to resist any longer, I hooked one finger through that tempting ne and pulled him down until our lips met again. His weight pinned me in as his questing mouth found it''s home on every part of my skin


    "Lucas..." I gasped out his name on a breathy whimper as he nipped at the juncture of my shoulder. My back arched wantonly off the mattress, seeking that connection.


    Chuckling darkly at my responsiveness, Lucas rewarded my ardor with a swirl of his tongue against my pulse point. I cried out a strangled mewl of ecstasy and my fingers scored his broad back.


    His mouth trailed lower, until it reached my chest where he stopped.


    "Hold on," I said, sitting up with a naughty smile and pushing my hair back so that I could make a show of taking off my top.


    When I hadpletely taken it off Lucas'' hungry gaze raked over thece-trimmed demi-cup bra I had on and his tongue unconsciously swiped over the fullness of his lower lip.


    Needing no further invitation, Lucas hauled me back against his body as his hands found my bare back as we kissed messily at the same time he unsped what remained of my bra. Now he had the full sight of my naked chest. He cupped my swells in his hands and teased my nipples with his thumbs while I gasped with pleasure. And then my gasps hiked up into whimpers when he ducked his head and captured one rosy bud between his lips, swirling his tongue in circuits over it and gently kneading the other.


    I let my head loll back against the pillows,pletely at Lucas''s mercy.


    The louder I moaned, the harder he seemed to work his magic until both breasts had been thoroughly explored, leaving me breathless and eager for more.


    Then he made his way down my body; his lips traced every inch of my flesh and when he reached my inner thighs, I felt a sense of anticipation building Inside me. He stood off from me and also began to take his own clothes off and when his boxers slid down my eyes widened at the sight of his erection. It was huge and thick, standing tall and proud.


    The mere thought of having this man inside of me sent a rush of excitement through my body. Hell, so much foring to find Luigi in his office. And at that point I wanted nothing more than to feel him deep


    inside me.


    My eyes continued to travel upward, following the thick shaft of his cock as it curved upwards, reaching towards the sky. At its tip, I could see the head throbbing slightly and begging for attention. It was already glistening with precum.


    Lucas, smiling proudly at me, stroked himself and came closer to me, pushing my thighs open slightly as he leaned all in.


    "Fuck" I whispered, barely. It almost sounded like nothing because that was how quickly I lost my breath when he began to thrust back and forth.


    "Harder," I demanded, bouncing and jiggling beneath him.


    He obeyed mymand, driving into me with renewed vigor and I moaned loudly, my nails digging into his back.


    "Don''t stop," I pleaded. "Please keep going."


    He obliged, mming into me with even greater force. I cried out in ecstasy. My whole body trembled until after a long stretch of minutes that I couldn''t count, he stopped, panting heavily. Then he copsed into the bed beside me, spent and satisfied, just as I was, and we bothid there for a few minutes to catch our breath.


    "That was amazing," I grinned broadly.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    He leaned in to kiss me softly on the forehead.


    I''m d you enjoyed it."

 Chapter 0160

    SANDRA''S POV


    I walked quickly out of the elevator, my heels clicking on the floors in time with the swaying of my hips as I strode down the hall towards my father''s office. At the same time, I could feel the eyes of others following my every move. Some of the workers who passed by greeted me, but I didn''t turn my head or respond as I continued to walk past.


    When I reached the door of my father''s office, I barged right in, unannounced. Inside, my father was seated at his desk with two other men in front of him. Their heads turned around when I came in. My father raised an eyebrow at my appearance before wrapping things up with his visitors.


    "I''ll take care of the rest, you two go ahead."


    The men nodded and left the room while I watched them go. Then, I turned back to face my father, striding into one of the chairs in front of his desk and mming my purse tiredly on the table. My father, James Henderson, was a Congressman who has been in politics for many years. He was known as one of the most powerful politicians in the country.


    He took off his sses and rested them on the table before looking up at me.


    "What is it this time?" he asked with a sigh. "I''ve told you whenever you have anything to talk to me about,e home. You can''t keep barging into my meetings every time."


    "Yeah, fine. Noted," I waved it off, then crossed my arms over my chest.


    "So?" Dad queried. "What''s this about? I''m very busy."


    "It''s about Mark. I don''t want to marry him anymore." The words burst from me like a dam breaking. "He''s going to be a cripple for the rest of his life, and I absolutely refuse to be shackled to some useless lump who can''t even get it up!"


    Dad''s face turned into a frown. "Watch your mouth, youngdy. That''s no way for a respectable woman to speak."


    I barked out a bitterugh. "Respectable? You mean repressed! I''m still very young, dad. I can''t resign myself to a life without passion, without intimacy..." I leaned forward, "I want out of this engagement as soon as possible."


    "Absolutely not. Do you have any idea how much I''m counting on this alliance?


    "Are you serious? You''re really willing to just sell off my happiness like that to serve your own political ambition?"


    My father''s green eyes bored into my face unyieldingly. "Don''t be so melodramatic. It''s temporary. Mark''s injury may seem permanent now, but modern medicine works wonders. With time and therapy, who knows? He may recover even faster than expected."


    "And if he doesn''t?" I challenged. "What if the doctors are wrong and he''s confined to that wheelchair forever? Am I supposed to just sacrifice my life, my dreams of being cherished and fulfilled by a real man? His loud sigh punctured the new silence in the room as he seemed to be weighing his next words.


    +25 B


    "I understand this is difficult, Sandra. But I''m not going to let you make a rash decision that could jeopardize everything I''ve been working towards for decades. My career, my legacy, it''s all on the line wit this next election. Mark''s family connection is too important to throw away on a mere possibility." He got up from his seat and stepped around the desk tofort me. "I''m sorry, princess. But this is how it has to be. You''re just going to have to learn patience andpromise."


    I stared at him wordlessly. Did he even realize how much of an embarrassment it would mean to me if I ended up marrying someone like Mark in the state he was in?


    "I can''t believe you, selling out your only daughter''s dreams for a few more years in Congress. That''s low, dad. Even for you."


    "Princess-"


    I stood up angrily from the chair, snapping my hands up, "I don''t need you to butter me up. Just wait and


    Then maybe you''ll finally put me first."


    see how I prove that Mark can''t give me happiness


    Then I mmed the door harshly behind me, leaving Henderson standing alone in his office with a frown. My head spun with frustration. How could he be so callous about my hopes and dreams? All because of his sted political ambitions. I seethed as I walked out of the building with anger roiling in my gut like a brushfire.


    +


    SANDRA''S POV


    I walked quickly out of the elevator, my heels clicking on the floors in time with the swaying of my hips as I strode down the hall towards my father''s office. At the same time, I could feel the eyes of others following my every move. Some of the workers who passed by greeted me, but I didn''t turn my head or respond as I continued to walk past.


    When I reached the door of my father''s office, I barged right in, unannounced. Inside, my father was seated at his desk with two other men in front of him. Their heads turned around when I came in. My father raised an eyebrow at my appearance before wrapping things up with his visitors.


    "I''ll take care of the rest, you two go ahead."


    The men nodded and left the room while I watched them go. Then, I turned back to face my father, striding into one of the chairs in front of his desk and mming my purse tiredly on the table. My father, James Henderson, was a Congressman who has been in politics for many years. He was known as one of the most powerful politicians in the country.


    He took off his sses and rested them on the table before looking up at me.


    "What is it this time?" he asked with a sigh. "I''ve told you whenever you have anything to talk to me about,e home. You can''t keep barging into my meetings every time."


    "Yeah, fine. Noted," I waved it off, then crossed my arms over my chest.


    "So?" Dad queried. "What''s this about? I''m very busy."


    "It''s about Mark. I don''t want to marry him anymore." The words burst from me like a dam breaking. "He''s going to be a cripple for the rest of his life, and I absolutely refuse to be shackled to some useless lump who can''t even get it up!"


    Dad''s face turned into a frown. "Watch your mouth, youngdy. That''s no way for a respectable woman to speak."


    I barked out a bitterugh. "Respectable? You mean repressed! I''m still very young, dad. I can''t resign myself to a life without passion, without intimacy..." I leaned forward, "I want out of this engagement as soon as possible."


    "Absolutely not. Do you have any idea how much I''m counting on this alliance?


    "Are you serious? You''re really willing to just sell off my happiness like that to serve your own political ambition?"


    My father''s green eyes bored into my face unyieldingly. "Don''t be so melodramatic. It''s temporary. Mark''s injury may seem permanent now, but modern medicine works wonders. With time and therapy, who knows? He may recover even faster than expected."


    "And if he doesn''t?" I challenged. "What if the doctors are wrong and he''s confined to that wheelchair forever? Am I supposed to just sacrifice my life, my dreams of being cherished and fulfilled by a real man? His loud sigh punctured the new silence in the room as he seemed to be weighing his next words.


    +25 B


    "I understand this is difficult, Sandra. But I''m not going to let you make a rash decision that could jeopardize everything I''ve been working towards for decades. My career, my legacy, it''s all on the line wit this next election. Mark''s family connection is too important to throw away on a mere possibility." He got up from his seat and stepped around the desk tofort me. "I''m sorry, princess. But this is how it has to be. You''re just going to have to learn patience andpromise."


    I stared at him wordlessly. Did he even realize how much of an embarrassment it would mean to me if I ended up marrying someone like Mark in the state he was in?


    "I can''t believe you, selling out your only daughter''s dreams for a few more years in Congress. That''s low, dad. Even for you."


    "Princess-"


    I stood up angrily from the chair, snapping my hands up, "I don''t need you to butter me up. Just wait andN?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Then maybe you''ll finally put me first."


    see how I prove that Mark can''t give me happiness


    Then I mmed the door harshly behind me, leaving Henderson standing alone in his office with a frown. My head spun with frustration. How could he be so callous about my hopes and dreams? All because of his sted political ambitions. I seethed as I walked out of the building with anger roiling in my gut like a brushfire.

 Chapter 0161

    Mark, that excuse for a man, would never be able to satisfy my sexual appetite. I knew how many men I''d done anyway with just because they''d always left me wanting more.


    Now the man I was to marry was going to be living in a wheelchair? Then I''d be the one to care for him like a nanny? Oh hell no. Never in my life. Just the thought of being trapped in an alliance with him made my skin crawl. If only I''d disagreed to the union from the very beginning then all of this wouldn''t be happening.


    More anger resurged in me when I imagined the mocking looks and hushed whispers from my circle of wealthy friends when news spread that the "goody-two-shoes Sandra Henderson" had settled for a limp. impotent husband. I''d be the punchline of every joke that would be made.


    It was uneptable. Unbearable. I had to make my father see reason, no matter what it took to open his eyes to Mark''s ring inadequacies.


    In the hospital, the nurses were pulling him into a seated position on the bed before they lifted him like a rag doll and deposited him into the awaiting wheelchair. I almost gagged at the sight.


    Just look at that.


    "There we go, all set," the younger nurse said with an empty smile. "We''ll be back to check on you in a bit,


    Torres. Try to get some fresh air if you can."


    He sat slumped in his chair and stared vacantly at the floor.


    "You."


    My voice seemed to have startled him from his thoughts. He looked at me and his eyes looked somewhat lost and empty.


    "W-who are you?¡± he asked hesitantly.


    I froze, thinking quickly. So even the rumors that he''d lost his memories were true? This made me furious all over again. I shrugged quickly out of my coat, letting it puddle on the floor, and walked towards him. When I reached him, I threw one leg over hisp and straddled him against the metal frame of the wheelchair, cradling his stubbled face between my palms and crashed my mouth over his in a demanding


    kiss.


    Mark didn''t flinch or try to push me off, simply allowing the aggressive kiss with a kind of confused detachment. His shallow breaths remained steady and even as I ground myself shamelessly against him. I could feel no reflexive hardening between his legs. No re of arousal, just limp and impotent.


    "God damn it!" I scoffed, scrambling off hisp in disgust.


    Lactually pitied him for a second before that feeling twisted into resentment.


    Furiously, I unzipped his pants and reached inside, and pulled out his penis with little to ho enthusiasm. It was of a very impressive size, that much I could praise But despite its size and girth, and no matter how hard I squeezed or caressed it, it remainedid and unresponsive.


    There was simply nothing inside it worth feeling except for his pulses throbbing against my fingertips.


    +25 BONL


    I even tried to stroked it with both hands! I started at the base and worked my way up to the head. I even tried stroking it as roughly as I could, just maybe, I might be able to coax some life into the lump of useless flesh. But there was no response either.


    Mark just stared at my efforts with a hollow and dispassionate gaze


    "You''ve lost it, haven''t you?" I sneered, ripping my hand free from him in revulsion. "You''ve lost your manhood and everything that could bring me satisfaction as a wife. So listen closely, it''s over between us. Then I loomed over his withered form, crossing my arms under my breasts.


    "Well? Don''t you have anything to say? Any defense for yourself as a respectable husband-to-be?" I said sarcastically.


    Mark blinked slowly, then gave a faint shake of his head. "I''m sorry I can''t give you what you want, you''re right. We should call off the engagement."


    Brilliant, I thought. I had proof to show my father now.


    Swinging my legs around and turning for the exit, I saw Sydney, looking stunned.


    "And what the fuck is it you''re staring at me like that for? Get out of my way. This impotent man is yours now," I sneered and stormed out.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0162

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I watched Sandra''s retreating figure with a look of amusement. The woman had a ir for the dramatic entries and exits, even when the situation didn''t call for it. As soon as Sandra was out of sight, I nced back at Mark who had turned around on the wheels of his wheelchair to fix the zipper of his hospital pants.


    His amnesia didn''t take away his feelings of self awareness at least, I thought. Who knew what had happened a few seconds before I arrived at the door. I did hear herining about him not being sexually active or something.


    Mark turned back to face me, his brows arching up as though he was silently daring me toment on his situation. And I felt heat creeping up my neck all because I was fighting back augh. Even with his memory gone, Mark still wouldn''t stop acting tough. Talk about the kind of egoistic consistency that ran in one''s veins.


    I folded my arms over my chest and walked into the room as nonchntly as I could, and with a pointed. look, 1 took in his appearance from his hair to his bare feet.


    "You know, most people would be mortified to get caught with their pants undone in public," I quipped sarcastically.


    "But then again, you never were ''most people'', to begin with "


    His lips a slid into a light, unabashed grin


    "What can I say? I must have been a trendsetter. Anyway, I''m d that you came in on time, I was almost raped my supposed fiance-to-be. Or might I say...ex fiance."


    I rolled my eyes and pretended not to hear his quip about Sandra. Whatever drama happened between them had nothing to do with me.


    Instead, I fixed Mark with a challenging stare and stretched out five fingers in front of his face.


    "How many is this?"


    Mark scoffed. He looked like he was affronted by my audacity to test his mental faculties.


    Did amnesiacs also somehow lose memories of certain words or phrases? Because I was tempted to tell him; "beggars can''t be choosers", with how Insulted he looked because I''d asked him that. "I only have amnesia, not a full-on lobotomy. Don''t treat me like a child.


    Tretorted, "Then how do I know you''re not just pretending to be smart? If your memory is truly intact, a simple counting exercise shouldn''t be an issue," then waved my outstretched hand in front of his face again, "So, how many?


    He fixed me with a glower that could almost peel paint but I knew there was no real power or grudge behind it anyway. It''s not like he even remembered whatever past grudges he held.


    "Five," he ground out through gritted teeth. "It''s damn five fingers. Happy now?"


    I nodded satisfactorily, although I didn''t allow the smile on my face to form fully. I changed my hand


    I 0162


    position to hold up three fingers this time.


    "And how many is this?"


    "Three," Mark huffed out withan exasperated sigh,


    "It''s three fingers. I''m not an idiot, contrary to what you might believe."


    "I''m d we''ve established that much." My lips twitched into a smirk before my expression sobered again. I observed Mark with an appraising look, as I quickly articted my next words in my head before saying it out.


    "The annual GT Group shareholders'' meeting ising up next month. Thanks to your mother''s publicity stunt about your amnesia, a lot of investors are getting antsy. They''re questioning whether you''re still fit to be at the helm aspany president."


    He was staring at me quite tensely but I couldn''t tell what he was thinking.


    "I''m not saying I agree with their assessment," I rified evenly. "But you can''t afford to be unprepared. This shareholders'' meeting could very well decide whether you get to keep your seat on the board of directors."


    Mark wasn''t looking like be understood the gravity of what was going on. Had it been that he was his previous self, Mark wouldn''t go down easy to watch an empire he had built his entire life being toiled with.


    "But I don''t remember anything. Can you help me prepare?"


    "Sorry, but I can''t. I don''t know the first thing about your shareholders or the inner workings of GT Group."


    I paused and gave him a meaningful look.


    "But I did bring you someone who can help."


    With a subtle p of my hands, I gestured to the doorway, where the sharply dressed man entered.


    As usual Mark''s assistant still carried himself with the same air of professionalism despite the bandage wrapped around his head. He was carrying some documents in his hand.


    "This is your assistant," I exined, motioning for the man toe closer.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "He was also in that car ident with you, but luckily, his memory is still intact. He knows more about your work situation and GT Group''s affairs than I ever could."


    The assistant have a polite nod of greeting.


    "Hello, Mr. Torres. It''s good to see you up and well."


    Mark nodded nkly as the man flipped the document open showing page after page of meticulouslypiled information.


    ye put together aprehensive report detailing your current workload, major uing projects, and background on the key yers within thepany, including brief profiles on the members of the board and their potential concerns."


    Hearing Mark''s assistant talk and walk him through the contents of the docurnent, I felt a bit jealous. Might be needless to say, but I did. I wouldn''t mind with so much if I also had someone as loyal as him as


    my assistant. But at the end of the day, people are usually loyal to the people who, through them, they get to pay their bills.


    "Good job," I praised the assistant anyway.


    "After this shareholders'' meeting, make sure Mark gives you a well-deserved promotion and raise. Maybe even a bonus for going so above and beyond."


    The faintest of smiles lighted up around the corners of the man''s mouth, but he still kept his professional demeanor.


    "Thank you, I''m just doing my job. And I''ll do my absolute best to help prepare the president."


    I made an approving nod before looking down at my watch with a small frown.


    "I should get going. I have another meeting across town in thirty minutes."


    Then looked back up at Mark until we stared at each other for a good five seconds.


    "You two have plenty to discuss. Get acquainted with all those details."


    Mark looked a bit disappointed, perhap, it was the faintest traces of a memory trying to resurface? If that was it, that would probably be the best thing to tone everything back to how it was. "Aren''t you going to stay? Help me sort through all of this?"


    I was already shaking my head before he finished talking.


    "No, in fac


    "No, in fact, I probably won''te to see you again," I said.


    Maybe you don''t remember, but I''ve always said keeping an appropriate distance from an ex-husband is one of my core principles. I''ve done what I can to point you in the right direction. Your assistant is already here to put you through everything like we said earlier, so you don''t need any further help from me."


    I added this with onest smile.

 Chapter 0163

    The past weeks have been blissful and I finally felt like had my life back and I was actually living it. Having helped Mark to the extent I could, assured that he was fine and his position as President could still be salvaged, I could finally focus on work and myself.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    My heart filled with warmth and my stomach flipped with joy just at the thought of the dates I have been having more frequently with Lucas. I have also been having more time to see Lucas. It was like we both had a silent agreement to salvage the little time we have whenever we weren''t working and focus more on our rtionship.


    Since I knew Lucas, way before we departed, I had always knew he was a sweet boy and would grow into a sweeter man but Lucas had wowed me.


    Despite the assional news and some updates from mywyer about Be that sometimes disconcerted me, a day hadn''t gone by that I didn''t blush, smile sheepishly orugh wholeheartedly like a lovesick teenager during a phone call or video call. Lucas keeps showing me a side I never thought any man had to them. A side that I used to believe could only be possessed by fictional men. In a nutshell, Lucas had been perfect.


    As bregrudging as it may sound, I have also had time to fully focus on Be''s case. I disliked this need to. tend to her case but the fact that I was the first person that was reached out to must be a sign. It was an opportunity I had to use well. Perhaps, Be wille out of it a new woman.


    I was able to get a clip of when Be dropped her gun with an unremorseful exmation and then she out her havds up in the air and said, "I have a mental illness, I want to see mywyer" I almost went crazy. Who has a mental illness and still go ahead to say they have a mental illness?!


    I had bitterly and frustratedlyined about it to mywyer, bemoaned that it would only work against her before mywyer softly calmed me down that there was no problem at all.


    He said the fact that she mentioned it at the crime scene will give him a good defense.


    II raised my brows as he exined how the whole admission will help in getting the judge to be lenient on her.


    I mentally pped my hands as I realized that Be had actually had everything properly nned out. If I had to say the truth, I was impressed. If she wasn''t such a hateful bitch and we hadn''t got on the wrong foot, I might have given her a position in ourpany


    I had to be present the day the case was being held at court while Grace had stayed at work. Once again, I was impressed at mywyer''s skills. He was a sweet talker. After a sound argument, he made the judge believe that Be was under the influence of her derangement, even her statement that day was under-the influence of her mental illness as she was unaware of what she was really saying. And Be, to my expectations, yed along by acting like she was out of it once in a while. Once again, I was reminded of how much of a good actress she was.


    Mywyer also backed all of his ims by providing evidences of ckmails from Isaac, phone call recordings and texts of him threatening to ruin Be''s life or make her lose her unborn child if she didn''t feed his addiction by giving him money, there were also pictorial evidences where Isaac was either rough handling Be or standing over her beaten form like a starved predator. He even somehow got two


    persons who stood as witnesses to the beatings Isaac used to give to Be when she was with him and pregnant with his child. All these, he tagged, ''the cause of her trauma.''


    I was wowed. I didn''t even bother to think where and how he had been able to get all of these because it was beyond me. Afterall, I paid him handsomely.

 Chapter 0164

    At the end of it all, Be was sent to a mental hospital for adequate treatment instead of a prison. Even before the judge spoke up, I already knew what his decision would be.


    I breathed a sigh of relief. This was the best oue, maybe the one I had unconsciously hoped for. Although, Be and I had beconte estranged because of Mark. I feel like I have punished her in my own way.


    Unfortunately as it sounds, Be''s rtionship with Isaac had been long and she was sadly still my sister. Isaac made her a pretty damaged person and she had to seriously do something about it. So sending her to a mental hospital was killing two birds with one stone. First, I got her out of my way for a while and got my punishment by depriving her of her freedom. Secondly, she gets proper care and bes a better person.


    My phone rang out and I waltzed out of the kitchen, dancing to my ringing tune as I made my way to where my phone was in the living room.


    I smiled at the caller''s ID. "Hey babe, I called to check up on yo-"


    interrupted her softly, a smile dancing on my lips, "How many times will you call to check up on me?" Grace sighed over the phone. "Girl, I''m worried. You looked really sick when you left. The assurance that you''re fine is the only way I can focus on work. Has your order arrived?"


    "You shouldn''t worry yourself too much, just focus on your work, okay? Because I''m going to be fine. I guess I''m just a bit more tired than usual. That''s just it.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    There was a pause and I could almost picture her squinting her eyes at me as she tried to figure out if I was telling the truth or not. "Are you sure?" She finally asked. "Yes, mummy, you can hang up now."


    A cuteugh escaped her lips before she said, "Take care," amidst herughter and hung up afterwards.


    I had had toe home early from work because I felt too tired and Grace had to take care of work.


    I went back to the kitchen and finished devouring the pizza I ordered. I knew it wasn''t the best thing to take considering that I needed food that would give me strength but it''s what I was craving and I honestly didn''t have the strength to cook.


    When I was done, I downed the pizza with the borate wine I had ordered with the pizza. There was a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. I cleaned up the kitchen then grabbed a flute and the remaining bottle of wine and left for my room.


    There I stripped down to nothing then wrapped a towel around myself. I prepared a warm, healthy and soothing bath then I set the flute and wine on the holder by the tub.


    I intended to spend hours, having a calming bath and then I would have a rejuvenating sleep. It was all I needed.


    I was about to step into the bath when I remembered that onest ingredient was missing. Music. What was an awesome bath without music?


    I rushed out of the bathroom back to the room and grabbed my phone. I was about to step back into the bathroom when I felt a cold metal on my nape. "Turn around!"


    Memories of the first time something like this happened raided me and I felt paralyzed for a moment. Immediately after that day, I had''upgraded the security system around the house so how was anyone able to get in?


    "I said turn around!" The bugler yelled and I was shaken out of my paralyzed state.


    I did as instructed and turned to face the bugler. I slowly looked up and I was stunned at the person that was staring right back at me with a mischievous grin.


    How?!


    I couldn''t even hide my surprise, "How bad is the security at the mental hospital?" I gaped, "How did you manage to escape their premises and the cops are not on your heels?"


    notion


    Be''s face held no emotion after her grin fell and she stared back at me. She scoffed nonchntly," Those fools?" She shrugged feebly, "All I had to tell them was that I had a stomach ache. They sent me to y, "All I had to tell them was that I had a stomach ache. They the hospital with some dense talkative police that guarded us. I escaped from there. Easy peasy."

 Chapter 0165

    It was then that I noticed the green hospital gown she had on. My puzzled frown still remained though, So how did you get into my house then?"


    She smirked again, "This is why you should have agile people around you. Your poor neighbor is an olddy with an equally rotten, poor eyesight, she mistook me for whoever lives with you. I quickly told her I forgot my keys and you wouldn''t pick up your phone, so she let me climb over her wall."


    Wow. I mentally made a note to have a serious talk with the olddy. "But how did you get in the house?" I further inquired.


    "You ask too much question, bitch," she pressed the gun that was now on my temple harder.


    I rolled my eyes at the feel of the metal muzzle on my temple. If she would shoot my brains out, she would have by now, she wouldn''t be indulging in stupid conversation that doesn''t have anything to do with me dying.


    I took the risk and strolled to the sofa in my room. I was too worn out. I didn''t leave work toe and y twenty questions with my sister sh bugler.


    She seemed surprised at my action as she just gaped at me for a while. I stared back at her. My gaze went from the stoic expression on her face as she repositioned her stance and pointed the gun at me then my gaze fell on her finger on the trigger then to the muzzle.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    A little bit pressure and a bullet wille barreling out of the gun and into my skull or heart, wherever she targeted.


    I closed my eyes and sighed. I wasn''t ready or interested in dying neither did I want to be involved with


    sure they''d be searching for her by now... or soon.


    her-I was


    I crossed my legs and met her gaze. "What do you want from me, Be? Why have youe here?"


    She red at me. When she spoke, her voice was filled with anger, bitterness and most of all, desperation. "If it wasn''t that you hired awyer for me, I would have made your brains and blood stter on your white wall. Now, what I want is to leave this shitty ce. I want to go faraway from you all so you will give me your car and your credit card now."


    My lids felt heavy as I looked up at her. I didn''t even think much about her request. "Alright, I''ll give them to you," I said. I just wanted her out of here.


    I slowly stood up and walked to my drawers. I opened the top drawer, took my car keys and credit card, I even took some of the cash in the drawer and handed everything to her.


    She could leave, go far away as possible, I didn''t care. It was exactly what I wanted.


    She snatched them from my hands and stuffed them inside her pocket like the thief that she was. I was waiting for her to leave so I could lock the door and recontact the securitypany when I suddenly felt a hard hit on my head.


    I clutched the edge of the drawer and staggered back. A damning headache suddenly came on and my gaze remained unfocused.


    I felt another hit on the same spot and this time, I couldn''t hold myself upright, I went crashing into the


    floor beside the drawer.


    All I could see was the blurry floor and her bare feet but I heard her clearly sneer at me, "Thought I would thank you, huh?" Then I watched as those feet turned around and marched away.


    As my gaze got blurrier and the edges of my blurry gaze darkened, I had only one thought, "Great. At least, I can avoid the suspicion of harboring a fugitive."

 Chapter 0166

    Again, I woke up with a the worst of splitting headaches there could be... exaggerated that a but too much, but yes, it hurt. I slightly winced as I turned to my side. I could make out a pole, a blue curtain, white walls and I could already tell that I was in a hospital. Memories of what happened and obviouslynded me in a hospital assailed me.


    Who brought me here? I wondered but I continued putting the right name on the things I could see; a beepingputer, another blue curtain, more white walls, walk a-


    "Oh my God, Sydney!"


    I suddenly felt arms on my arm. I squeezed my eyes shut, my head ached as I turned to face the direction that the voice hade from.


    It was Grace. I managed a smile but my smile fell the moment I noticed her swollen, red rimmed watery smile and the dark circles under her eyes. Grace never had dark circles or swollen eyes. No matter eyes and how long orte she worked, she always had a way to make them look non-existent.


    "What happened? Are you okay?" I asked in rm and tried to stand up but Grace quickly pressed my shoulder down, and her fingers slowly massaged a muscle under it. "Rx, girl rx. You need to rest," her voice quivered as she spoke but her voice sounded happy.


    Suddenly, at the wrongest time, I remembered. I looked up at a smiling Grace. She was brushing her hands down on my hair softly.


    "What time is it?" I said weakly, but even with a weak voice, I sounded desperate.


    I held my breath, hoping that it wasn''t time yet. The shareholder'' meeting of GT Group was to be held the next day. As a shareholder, I''m also supposed to attend and that was more of the reason why I had left work so that I could have time to rest and attend the meeting in good state but Be just had to ruin everything.


    "You!" Grace used, a slight frown on her face. She choked out, "You scared me to death! When I got home yesterday, I found you lying on the floor in your room, motionless." She sniffed, "No matter how much I called for you, you wouldn''t wake up." Her voice shook this time, "I thought you were dead. If anything happened to you, I would die of guilt. You said you weren''t feeling well, but I still insisted on staying at the office for that damn overtime. I should have been with you."


    I gave her a weak smile, "I feel much better now, don''t worry, okay?"


    She pouted, "You know I''ll always worry," then she pulled me into a hug.


    "What time is it? Or to be more specific, what day is it? How long have you been here?"


    Grace frowned and pulled away. "Why do you need to know all that? She asked but she answered my questions anyway. "We''ve been in the hospital for hours, we spent the night here."


    I sighed and sank into the bed. "Can you help me check on the shareholders'' meeting of GT Group? I am supposed to attend."T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Grace scowled at me and said, "Sydney, what you need now is rest. Not to be running helter skelter all, in the name of attending some meeting. Forget about that damned shareholders'' meeting. Your health is the most important thing."


    floor beside the drawer.


    All 1 could see was the blurry floor and her bare feet but I heard her clearly sneer at me, "Thought I would thank you, huh?" Then I watched as those feet turned around and marched away.


    As my gaze got blurrier and the edges of my blurry gaze darkened, I had only one thought, "Great. At least, I can avoid the suspicion of harboring a fugitive."


    Again, I woke up with a the worst of splitting headaches there could be... exaggerated that a but too much, but yes, it hurt. I slightly winced as I turned to my side. I could make out a pole, a blue curtain, white walls and I could already tell that I was in a hospital. Memories of what happened and obviouslynded me in a hospital assailed me.


    Who brought me here? I wondered but I continued putting the right name on the things I could see; a beepingputer, another blue curtain, more white walls, walk a-


    "Oh my God, Sydney!"


    I suddenly felt arms on my arm. I squeezed my eyes shut, my head ached as I turned to face the direction that the voice hade from.


    It was Grace. I managed a smile but my smile fell the moment I noticed her swollen, red rimmed watery smile and the dark circles under her eyes. Grace never had dark circles or swollen eyes. No matter eyes and


    how long orte she worked, she always had a way to make them look non-existent.


    "What happened? Are you okay?" I asked in rm and tried to stand up but Grace quickly pressed my shoulder down, and her fingers slowly massaged a muscle under it. "Rx, girl rx. You need to rest," her voice quivered as she spoke but her voice sounded happy.


    Suddenly, at the wrongest time, I remembered. I looked up at a smiling Grace. She was brushing her hands down on my hair softly.


    "What time is it?" I said weakly, but even with a weak voice, I sounded desperate.


    I held my breath, hoping that it wasn''t time yet. The shareholder'' meeting of GT Group was to be held the next day. As a shareholder, I''m also supposed to attend and that was more of the reason why I had left work so that I could have time to rest and attend the meeting in good state but Be just had to ruin everything.


    "You!" Grace used, a slight frown on her face. She choked out, "You scared me to death! When I got home yesterday, I found you lying on the floor in your room, motionless." She sniffed, "No matter how much I called for you, you wouldn''t wake up." Her voice shook this time, "I thought you were dead. If anything happened to you, I would die of guilt. You said you weren''t feeling well, but I still insisted on staying at the office for that damn overtime. I should have been with you."


    gave her a weak smile, "I feel much better now, don''t worry, okay?"


    She pouted, "You know I''ll always worry," then she pulled me into a hug.


    "What time is it? Or to be more specific, what day is it? How long have you been here?"


    Grace frowned and pulled away. "Why do you need to know all that?" She asked but she answered my questions anyway. "We''ve been in the hospital for hours, we spent the night here."


    I sighed and sank into the bed. "Can you help me check on the shareholders'' meeting of GT Group? I am supposed to attend."


    Grace scowled at me and said, "Sydney, what you need now is rest. Not to be running helter skelter all in the name of attending some meeting. Forget about that damned shareholders'' meeting. Your health is the most important thing."


    "Come on, Grace, I''m supposed to be in attendance. I tried to sit up, but Grace wouldn''t let me..


    "You should rest, Sydney."


    I knew she meant well but I was starting to get pissed. "Gracr, stop it. I have to be there. It''s just fir about a couple of hours and I''ll be back."


    "Nuh uh, nope, you''d remain here for at least an hour."


    I red at her and she met my re with an equally fierce one. Neither of us was willing to back down.


    Our stare down was broken when the sound of the door being opened reached us. We both turned toward the door.


    It was the doctor. He had a vibrant smile, the type that was so genuine that you couldn''t help but return the smile and we both did. Except Grace''s smile was wider, her eyes twinkled and she blushed! I shook my head as I looked away from her, a small smile tugging at my lips. It was about time.


    "Doctor, how am I doing now?" I asked, deciding to focus on the matter at hand now.


    "Miss Sydney, right?" I nodded and intently looked at the doctor''s face, hoping to catch every shift of emotion in his facial expression, as he studied my medical history. Then he looked up with a smile on his face and said, "You''re in good health. Though there are still some test results we''re waiting for, we''ll call you when they''re ready or whenever we have news. For now, you can go home and you should get a lot of rest, okay?

 Chapter 0167

    Sydney nodded, "I understand, thank you, doctor."


    I passed a ''now what look at Grace and she rolled her eyes. But before she caught my eye, I caught her eyeing the unaware doctor.


    Soon enough, the doctor turned to Grace, "You too," he pointed the pen he had in his hand toward her and I didn''t think my friend could brush harder than she already was. "You need to take care of yourself while looking after the patient. Look at you, you''re all flushed, you haven''t slept a wink sincest night! Look, you''re almost turning into a panda."


    Grace giggled weirdly and blushed, "I... I understand, thank you, doctor," I almost pped my forehead as I listened to her stammer.


    The doctor beamed at her, he briefly turned to me. "I''ll leave you two now, call me if you need anything. okay?"


    I nodded, "We will."


    Grace breathed a sigh of relief after the doctor left the room and started to fan her face. "Gosh! I can''t believe that man saw me with these dark circles. I must look like a lunatic." She turned to me, "Do I look like a lunatic?"


    "No. You do not look like a lunatic."


    She pouted then her gaze suddenly narrowed. "You''re still not going to that meeting."


    "Come on, Grace. See? The doctor said I''m fine. Why else should I not go?"


    "Because you need to rest," Grace said matter of factly


    "I''m going to that meeting." I deadpanned. "I promise you, as soon as the shareholders'' meeting is over, I''lle back and rest, okay?"


    Grace looked at me and sighed, her eyes filled with concern, "Fine, If you insist, I''ll drive you there."


    "No," I shook my head and she was already ring at me before I said anything. "I''ll take a taxi."


    "And why will you do that?" She shot back defiantly.


    I took her hands in mine, "You''ve been up all night, Grace and you worked all day yesterday, you will be too tired to drive. You don''t want to put me either of us in danger by dozing off while driving, do you?" She shook her head and I nodded too.


    Then I clutched her hand tighter. "Now, Promise me that you''ll go home and sleep for a few hours, and after the meeting. I''d call you do that you cane pick, okay?"


    It felt like it took eons before Grace reluctantly nodded agreeing to my terms.


    Grace and I left the hospital after we settled the necessary bills. Thankfully, Grace, ever considerate and smart thinking brought me a dress. It wasn''t very appropriate for a formal meeting but it will do. When we got outside, she ensured that I got the taxi in her presence while she waited in the car. The moment I hailed down a taxi and got in, the two cars zoomed off at the same time and we parted ways Chapter 0167


    where we had to.


    +25 BO


    Luckily, I arrived in time for the shareholders meeting. The door was starting to close when I hollered out, "A minute, please" hastening my steps until I got in and then the door was shut after me.


    I easily found my usual seat that had my namete on it. I sighed as I settled in the seat. Now the one problem I had with the seat that was assigned to me was the fact that Rose''s seat was next to mine. I usually had to seat through her res and scowls and whenever I try to make a suggestion, I spent the rest of the meeting gritting my teeth and clenching my fists because she wouldn''t stop scoffing and snorting. The woman really did know how to get on my nerves.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I exhaled deeply after I was settled in my seat. I turned to her so we could exchange our usual fake smile - not that it was necessary but it had be a routine of some sort only to be surprised at the person sitting next to me.


    My eyes traveled to the namete and back. Why and when? I wondered. I asked with a staggering smile, "Lucas, what are you doing here?"

 Chapter 0168

    "Because Rose sold her shares to me," Lucas replied with a self satisfied smirk


    I drew back in shock, What? Why would she do that?


    I remember vividly when Mark confidently told me that he had more shares and became the de-facto head of the Group because of his mother''s five percent if added to his own forty six percent stake. So what does Rose selling her shares to Lucas mean now? No shareholder, especially the greedy ones here in this room, will allow a partially sick man to head them with below average of the totalpany''s shares. Even if Mark hadn''t lost his memory, he still would not be able to ensure absolute control amongst the board of directors.


    I gazed around the room at the other shareholders as we waited for the host and Mark; some of them were having low conversations between themselves but I could literally see the greed in their eyes. This was the opportunity they''ve probably all been waiting for; the opportunity to overtake.


    I just hoped all these wouldn''t be too overwhelming for him as he is still struggling to grasp everything around him.


    I turned back to Lucas who had his gaze affixed on my face. The corner of his lips tipped up in a small smile. "You look stunning.


    "Huh?" I blurted out. I contemted telling him about what had happened to me and that I was actuallying from the hospital after being unconscious for a whole night. But it wasn''t the appropriate ce. Besides, there was a more radical matter at hand.


    "I said you look stunning," I slightly felt his breath on my face as he moved closer, his eyes shifting from my lips to my eyes. "I''m resisting the urge to pull you in my arms and ravish you right now." "What are you saying? Did you just say Rose sold her shares to you?"


    "Yes," he answered, his brows drawing down in a small frown.


    "Why will she sell her shares to you?" I whisper-yelled. I shook my head, trying to make sense of everything, "How did you even get her to sell them to you in the first ce? Rose''s shares are like her lifeline. She would never let go of it. Most importantly, she hates us owning shares in GT Group the most. His smile widened and looked more mischievous. I drew back. I didn''t like that look at all. And I was sure I would like whatever he had to say even less. "Ofcourse, I know all that."


    "So?" I frantically threw my hands in the air. "How did it happen?"


    "Rx, babe," he drawled and moved closer to me. "So here''s the thing," he ttened his palm on the long conference table, "I naturally knew Rise would not easily agree to sell shares so I used some tricks." I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously, "What tricks, Lucas. What did you do?" I did not like where this was going at all.


    So I have been nning this for a while, yeah."


    "You have?" I gaped at him, utterly surprised.


    +25 BONU


    He smirked, "Yes. You couldn''t tell, right?"


    What the hell! My insides were screaming but instead I said calmly, "Go on."


    "Okay. Before I returned to the country, I pulled the connections I had in the gambling world and made them introduce Rose to it. As you well know, Rose is a sucker for winning, she hates to lose. So since she was still new in the game, she kept on losing and kept on thinking that she couldn''t leave like a loser so she kept ying until she was addicted. Now it wasn''t a case of losing it winning anymore, it was now a case of her feeding her addiction. After she used up all of her enormous savings and owed the casino a lot of money. To repay her debt, she had no choice but to fall back on the most valuable asset that she had," his grin widened and I swear, Lucas looked like a maniac. "And that was the GT Group shares."All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    His lips curled in a self indulgent smile and he proudly told me, "She had to repay her debts so slowly, she started to sell those shares to an anonymous buyer. She sold it to the anonymous buyer because his bid was the highest. Guess who the mysterious buyer is, babe."


    My heart was practically thrumming in my chest, "You."


    His hand reached under the table and he squeezed my thigh. "That''s my girl."


    I managed augh that Isounded like a strangled cry to my ears.


    He continued, "When the shares remained about three percent, she started to hesitate. By the time it became one percent, she refused to sell anymore. I have been trying to get her to sell it but she remained unyielding so on the day of Mark''s engagement, I sent someone to take her and tie her to the suburbs on the outskirts of the city. There I threatened and intimidated her for days..."


    I suddenly felt extremely guilty and ashamed that I hadn''t believed Rose when she said she was thrown in a remote ce with nowork. So she was telling the truth after all. She was stuck in that remote ce because my own boyfriend abducted her. She must have been ridden with dismay that she missed her son''s engagement and wedding only toe back and find out that her son had been involved in a ghastly motor ident which caused him to lose his memory.

 Chapter 0169

    For the first time ever, I felt pity for Rose. I wondered the misery she must be in. She was in so much pain yet she hid it so well by being bitchy and frustrating.


    He cleared his throat and shrugged. "One morning, she eventually agreed to sell it. Perhaps, she had missed her son and wanted to see him again. Perhaps, she didn''t want him to lose face before the members of the parliament and ruin the good marriage arrangement," he shrugged again, "I don''t know why because I hadn''t even begun to forture her as myst resort but she signed thest share transfer agreement.


    He then reclined in his seat with a smug smile.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    1 stared at Mark, my eyes searching his as I looked into them.


    I felt uneasy and I wished he hadn''t told me all the things he told me now. How could he? Why did he do it? I thought he had forgiven them and let the past remain in the past.


    As I looked at him right now, the stupid ugly snug smile still stered on his face, he looked different from the man I know and fell in love with. I searched for the kind forgiving man I loved and my heart fell to the pit of my stomach when I couldn''t find him.


    Who is this man?


    "What now?" His smile wiped off and his expression softened, "Why are you looking at me like that?. What''s going on in that head of yours?"


    I licked my lips and pulled away from him, ignoring his question. I felt deceived. I felt duped. "Sydney, look at me," he ordered and I obliged. "Don''t me me. Rose and her husband, for their own selfish interests, squeezed out my mother, poisoned my body and made me a weakling who had to rely on the wheels andfort of a wheelchair for twenty years of my best years!" I could hear and see the hatred and bitterness in his voice and eyes and I just stared at him in disbelief.


    "I go to the hospital as often as I take my daily meals! You know how much suffering I have suffered to get here, you knew how hard it was for me, you know all this, Sydney. They deserve whateveres to them."


    "So what are you going to do now?" I asked in a croaked voice.


    He looked ahead, his gaze fixed on the head of the chair where Mark would take his seat. "What I''d do today is to kick Rose and Mark out of the board of directors and get back what my mother and I deserve. What was rightfully ours all this while."


    I flinched when he grabbed my hand and palmed his chest with his own hand. "Sydney," his voice was soft and I caught a glimpse of my Lucas, "I know what must be going through your head. I know you think I''ve changed, but I have no choice. It''s beyond my control."


    I wanted to yell at him and tell him that it was not beyond his control. He could let it all go and forget about it. But I didn''t. I stared at him and listened to him speak


    "The only thing that hasn''t changed is that I love you and I''ll always do no matter what. So can you help


    me?"


    +25 BON


    I was moved by his words. I knew what he had gone through, his pain, the helplessness and misery of going in and out of the hospital, his second home. But if I agreed to help him take over from Mark, what about the promise that I made to Doris?


    It was unfair, being faced with a choice like this. Why did he have to get revenge and make me have to choose?


    "Sydney?"


    I swallowed and looked away from his probing gaze. I didn''t want to see the expression in his eyes when I told him that I wouldn''t be able to support him or help him. I already gave my word to Doris but he didn''t let me.


    He gave my hand a squeeze, "It''s okay if you can''t decide," he paused and added, "Yet. I understand. But since you haven''te to a decision, just keep silent, okay?"


    I looked up at him, about to tell him that I had made my decision when the door opened and the host''s voice broke the noisy silence in the room and all the murmuring stopped.


    "GT Group 111 Annual Shareholders'' Meeting is now starting!"


    Lucas gave me a nod and a smile. Then he released my hand and got on his feet. Everyone walked as he walked to the stage..


    He smiled as he opened his mouth to address all of us. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Lucas, the youngest son of the founder of GT Group. As you all know, the current CEO of the Group, Mark, has lost the ability to remain the CEO of GT Group."


    There were murmurs then it slowly went down. "Due to that fact, I would like to propose a motion to cancel his position as CEO of the group. If you''re in support, please, raise your hands to vote."

 Chapter 0170

    Silence descended the room, wrapping everywhere like a cloak of thick nket. People exchanged looks before they settled their gaze on Lucas.


    I looked at Lucas'' unfathomable expression and I wondered why he was doing all of these? What was the need for this power he was seeking to gain? Why did he have to take revenge after he had forgiven them? Had he been waiting all these while for Doris to be out of the picture before he made his move?


    I sighed. I couldn''t quite fmdrag my gaze from this man addressing everyone, his eyes willing everyone to raise their hands and vote to support him. He seemed too unfamiliar, too cruel. Where was my softhearted Lucas? The one who shrugged and said, "it''s all in the past now."


    A hand slowly raised in the air and all heads turned to the man that raised his hand. Almost a secondter, another person raised their hand, voting their support and in mere minutes, several hands of the shareholders that supported Lucas were up in the air.


    As they continued to raise their hands, my heart sank further down, I could already see Mark losing his position and I imagined Lucas cruelly kicking him out of thepany. It was funny how I was able to easily conjure up Lucas doing something so insensitive. I guess it was all lingering underneath the surface all these while.


    Mark would lose his position in GT Group and there would be nothing I would be able to do about it.


    I thought about speaking to Lucas. Perhaps I could talk him out of this whole fiasco. He imed he loves me right? So he''d listen to me, I tried to convince myself but one look at Lucas standing there, the firm set of his jaw, his eyes glinting with satisfaction and greed, I knew better than to be delusioned. There was no talking him out of this one.


    The door to the conference room suddenly burst open and all heads turned to see Mark leisurely and confidently stride in, his chin in the air and his assistant in tow. When he was well into the room, he nced at everyone with that indifferent set of facial expression,


    He tutted nastily, "A shareholder meeting was going to be held and no one informed me?" He raised a mocking brow, "You think that would make removing me from my position any easy?" He scoffed and settled his biting stare on Lucas, "How desperate are you?"


    Maybe it was his hypocrisy or the assured way he spoke but slowly, most of the shareholders retracted their hands.


    Lucas'' gaze darkened but he continued to coerce the shareholders, "You do not have anything to worry about. This man here is all talk and that''s all. He has only forty six percent of the Group''s shares. If you all cooperate with me, together, we''d have forty nine percent of the shares. As long as we unite, we can redistribute the speaking rights of the board of directors."


    Lucas'' words hung in the air as everyone processed them. They discreetly looked between themselves. Quite alright, Lucas'' offer sounded more inviting and mouth watering even though he was new amongst When Mark was in charge as the CEO of GT Group, he was autocratic and had absolute speaking rights. He never bothered to seek anyone''s opinion, though he made decisions that prospered thepany, a lot of the shareholders were dissatisfied with this.


    Once again, hands started to fill the air.


    Mark cast an indifferent gaze at Lucas. And I could see that he hadn''t changed a bit. If I hadn''t known that he lost his memory,I would have ever believed that he did. He was handling his memory loss quite alright. I wanted to go up there and give him a pat on the shoulder and afterward tell him that I am proud of him. We all watched as she made his way to the podium, literally snatched the microphone from its stand and spoke into it. "I think there is still one shareholder in this room who has not chosen to collude with you." My heart rammed in my chest as his gaze fell on me. "Sydney," he said firmly, "please, make your choice." I nervously looked around and found everyone looking at me, waiting for me to make a choice.


    I bit my lip. I should have listened to Grace and gone back home to rest. Or maybe it would have been better if I had remained unconscious until the damn meeting was over.


    But I didn''t listen to Grace and I am not on the hospital bed oblivious to what was happening around me. I am here in this conference room and I have to make a choice now.


    My gaze slid to Lucs who was looking at me, encouraging me with his eyes that I didn''t need to make any choice. I could easily announce that I didn''t want to merge my shares with anyone''s but that would still mean I was indirectly supporting Lucas.


    My eyes traveled from Lucas to Mark. As usual, Mark''s gaze was unfathomable or maybe it was but all it said wa


    "You don''t matter. Your measly shares don''t matter so no matter who you choose to side with, I don''t care and I will still remain the CEO.


    That unabashed confidence in himself. That was one of his personalities that I had once fallen in love with.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    my


    I got on my feet. I wondered what will be of my rtionship with Mark after I have announced decision. Right now, my five percent will determine the fate of GT Group; it will determine who will hold the reins.


    I didn''t realize I was already standing and everyone was expecting my response until I was shaken out of my transfix.


    "Miss Sydney, are you choosing to abstain? Time''s not on our side, we need your response," the host said pensively.


    I exhaled deeply. Then I tipped my chin and held the host''s gaze. "I choose Mark."


    There was a deafening silence. There was a triumphant and arrogant smile on Mark''s face. I felt the probing stare on my temple. I took the dare and turned my gaze to Lucas. His face had twisted in an ugly way and I couldn''t recall ever seeing Lucas this mad.


    I will speak to himter, I assured myself. He would understand that I had promised Mark and I couldn''t pick sides with him.


    "Very well, in that case, I will announce that I will continue to serve as the CEO of Z Group." Mark said in a you-all-are-worth-nothing tone. "And I will be even more autocratic in the future. I will solely take decisions that will move the firm forward. All shareholders must understand that the ability to lead the group to a higher position, to double your dividends, is determined by individual ability, not by mere blood rtionships or conspirations."


    +25 BO


    I didn''t think Lucas'' facial expression could turn uglier at Mark''s words. The shareholders who chose to unite with Lucas and make him the leader looked shocked by his words.


    With the look in their eyes, you could tell that they were reevaluating their choices. Yes, Mark indeed was autocratic and overbearing but it was undeniable that he led the group to unprecedented achievements


    and heights. He did have absolute speaking rights, but everyone knew and could see that he used the power to bring real benefits to the it''s employees and shareholders.


    "Alright, everyone please leave, I have family matters to deal with," he ordered as though he were speaking with children.


    I gaped at him, had losing his memory made him even more arrogant and rude?

 Chapter 0171

    Mark''s POV


    I resisted the urge to smirk when Sydney chose to merge her shares with mine.


    If only she knew.


    I smiled as I gauged the sympathy in her eyes, the crease of her eyebrows as she looked between Lucas and me.


    I turned to the other shareholders with a straight face and announced my sovereign rein. If they thought they could easily get rid of me then they were wrong, very wrong.


    It had all been thanks to a little bit of patience. Lucas wouldn''t have revealed his true intentions to everyone if I hadn''t remained patient, sit back and watching him y us all.


    Ever since Lucas came back, I had been keeping an eye on him. I wouldn''t have cared at all about a random man that dropped down the sky and started to im to be my fucking uncle but it turned out that the two women in my life adored him.


    Grandma Doris, I could manage but Sydney? Nah. It was infuriating how Sydney was all over him that night and then afterward I ceased to exist to her or matter as a person at least. Not that she ever acknowledged me since after our divorce but then I liked to believe that she was trying to make something of herself and working but since Lucas came into her life, she was always with him.


    I almost told my ssistant to stop watching them and giving me updates because it only made me want to punch the guy till I made a gaping hole in his stomach or pretty face. But I was curious, for a while, I forgot about Sydney and just focused on Lucas, my damned uncle.


    Grandma Doris told me about him. My family was unkind to him just because Grandpa married another wife and loved her more. She told me everything, right from when my father took him away ¨C practically exiled a poor baby, that was cruel, even I would admit-right to when she started to look for him and finally found him after he had lived his early years as a rich miserable boy. Grandma said and I quote, He''s such a sweet boy with a pure heart, Mark. It didn''t even take long for the poor boy to forgive me. Get along with him and you''d see how wonderful his personality is."


    Pure heart, my ass!


    I knew something was not right about him. So I made my private investigator start to trail him. Because I couldn''t believe that a child that had been torn from his mother since birth, poisoned and left alone to live as if he didn''t exist would just forgive the people that made life hard for him like that. I didn''t believe it for one second. No one was that pure.


    After a few weeks of tailing him, I heavily contemted firing the private investigator but he was the best. Those first few weeks, Lucas was a sweet man. He was either taking his long lost crush on a romantic date or he was helping an olddy safely cross the road or he was making a kid giggle in a supermarket. He was always being the perfect guy in one way or the other, thanks to everyone being moved by such trivial things.


    What the fuck! I was infuriated. I didn''t pay a huge sum to get boring info like that so the investigator kept at it and then he found out more.


    More of the gentlemanly things that Lucas did was work. The private Investigator looked more into hisT¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    25 BONU!


    working hours and that was how his meeting with GT Group''s shareholders and some gamblers was revealed.


    And then I found out that mum was addicted to gambling that it was almost sucking our fortune dry and that was because she tried to take from my own savings. Later, she confessed that she had sold some of the shares, simultaneously, the private investigator found out that Lucas started it all; he started and fed my mother''s addiction and he were the mysterious buyers of the shares.


    I would have gone ballistic. Beaten him to a pulp and lock him up till he rot in jail but...something stopped me. It was weird because whenever I was mad, I never hesitate to act on it but this time,I hesitated then! thought about how he had made all if us a fool, including Sydney who seemed to really like maybe, love even - I thought about all if these for days then I came to a conclusion that I would leave him be and not take any action - at least, I would not take any action he''d be aware of.


    The private investigator, my assistant and my mom had been shocked at my decision but I knew it was the best. If I went ahead to get him arrested, Sydney would only hate me more abdbm ever believe that the fucker she was in love with was a conniving bastard.


    Even now, he couldn''t hide his he ever even love her? I found myself wondering. After all I''ve made Sydney go through in our marriage, she didn''t deserve another horrible rtionship.


    mer as he gazed at Sydney after she announced that she chose me. Did


    I knew that to root Lucas out, I had to n painstakingly and be patient and that was exactly what I did. I strictly followed my n and waited for him topletely let down his guard and tear off his disguise before Sydney when he thought he had seeded. I wanted Sydney to see him in his true colors.


    So, after Lucas nned everything. I don''t know how he got Grandma to tell me to marry Sandra but Grandma suggested it and I agreed to the engagement with Sandra.

 Chapter 0172

    my death


    As the days went on, my private Investigator found out more information. Apparently, Lucas had nned to instigate a car ident on my engagement day - an ident that will surely take my life andpletely get me out of the picture. His n, we discovered, was to seize the opportunity of that he would make happen and rece my ce as Sandra''s fiance and then he''d seize control of GT Group. I was shocked, to be honest. I wondered why he was with Sydney, tagging her along when he means to marry someone else. Though, I didn''t hear that he''s married to Sandra yet but it was satisfying that the bitch was out of my life.


    Really, my n was a stone that I''ve used to kill lots of birds.


    I also worked in helping mum get rid of her addiction to gambling. Later, it became a game of exposing Lucas but a part of me still thinks that mum might still be addicted to the act.


    That aside. Mum had been furious when I told her I would get in the car and get involved in the ident he had nned. We had argued about it for days until she reluctantly agreed to see reason with me. We needed to make everything look like it was working his way so I had to get in the car.


    When the car came running into us, I tightly grabbed the seat belt as I protected my head, minimizing my injuries. My assistant and driver took care of themselves too.


    The swift arrival of the ambnce and police, thanks to Sydney, had made it impossible for Lucas'' men toe to the ident scene to ensure that I was dead and if I wasn''t, they''d do the job.


    So when I woke up at the hospital, I hatched my final n and pretended to have lost my memory


    With mum''s help'', I announced to the outside world that I had lost my memory and the information


    I spread everywhere, making everyone think that he had lost his ability to control GT Group. All a plot to give Lucas what he wants and just as expected, at that point, Lucaspletely let down his guard. What made this amnesia bit if the n more thrilling and heart warming was Sydney''s concern for me. She tried to hide it but it was always there that she was concerned about him. Each time we''re alone together,l feel extremely joyful. Sometimes, I feel so happy to the extent that I usually contemted telling her the truth but I was just happy, I didn''t lose my brains.


    ying the amnesia drama with her sometimes made me want to burst outughing and pointing at her face but I always ensure to hold back myughter and keep up my act.


    It was not expected that she would choose to support me now. It had been a risk though. For all I knew, Sydney might have refused to merge her shares with me but thankfully, she did. "Alright, everyone please leave, I have family matters to deal with," I said after the host was done spluttering some gibberish.


    As soon as my words fell, the shareholders, regretting that they had chosen the wrong side, scrambled out of the room with their heads hung down in shame. Mark watched as Sydney confidently filed out that I almost missed Lucas ring at the bodyguard who had stepped forward and stopped him from leaving


    the room


    "Uncle, we haven''t finished our family affairs, you can''t leave yet," I said. As he took a step back and turned to face me,the body guards locked the double doors.


    +25 BONLN?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "What are you proud of, huh?" He scowled at me. "Even if you win this time, don''t forget that I still have ten percent of the shares in my possession, I still have the chance to make aeback, we''ll fight slowly. "He held my gaze, "Winning doesn''t have to be now but some day."


    Some day, I scoffed and thought ridiculously in my head. Just like how today had been someday in his n.


    "You''re talking about the 10% of shares in your hand?" I scoffed and raised my eyebrows, "Would you believe me if I told you that I can dilute your shares clean in an hour?"


    He said nothing, the rage in his eyes just grew further as he narrowed his eyes at me.


    "Didn''t you look carefully at those mysterious uses hidden between the lines before signing the contract?" I shook my head, "No? Oh. I see. Well, you should have."


    My uncle gave me a long hard look before speaking calmly, "You are clever, but I have plenty of ways to deal with you."


    I tipped my head back and groaned out a noise, dragging my palm down my face in frustration, I was being dramatic but it was impossible not to be exasperated about Lucas'' constant calmness.


    That was one thing I hated so much about Lucas; he always managed to remain calm, no matter the situation.


    I sneered at him. I got down from the podium, walked up to him and started to circle him, "Oh uncle. I admire how confidently you always believe in yourself.


    I stopped before him and held his gaze. "But I''d advise you not to try anything else. This is my territory," I enunciated every word so that it could get stuck in his sick head. "So you better roll back to Italy where you came from before I kill you! That''s where you should be!"


    As expected, he only gave off the shift in his aloofness by giving an angry look then he turned around and stormed out.

 Chapter 0173

    Chapter 0173 Sydney''s POV


    I frowned when I checked the time. I hadn''t thought that Lucas would be involved in the family matters. discussion until the door was jammed close with Lucas back at me.


    I decided to wait at the door of the conference room. I paced up and down the hallway, loitered at the door but he still was not outside yet.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, the door was forcefully pushed open and Lucas stomped out. He seemed angry as he was walking with so much force. "Lucas," I called but he didn''t stop.


    I ran after him. When I was at an arm''s length behind him, I reached out and grabbed his shoulder. "Come on, stop walking."He


    He stopped walking and I quickly walked around him to stand before him. He had an indifferent gaze as he looked down at him and my heart skipped a bit in fear. Fear of what? "I''m sorry, I didn''t choose to support you."


    "I told you to remain silent and we agreed that you would," his voice was tinged with a mix of betrayal and confusion.


    Well, I did not agree to remain silent, he instructed me to do it. I wanted to tell him that but whatever. It wasn''t like it would make him forgive me. So I said instead, "I''m sorry. It''s just that I promised Doris first, you know, she asked me to watch Mark''s back and I promised him that I would."


    "And when is that?" He asked irritably.


    "The time we went to the hospital together."


    He didn''t say anything for a while, he just regarded me until I was starting to think there was something on my face. And I had to toy with my fingers to keep my hands busy. I wanted to pull him to me and kiss him and tell him that he didn''t need to bother himself with anything but I''m pretty sure he''d push me away if I tried to touch him or go closer to him.


    and I had to swallow to stop the rom


    My heart squeezed in my chest at the way he looked at me falling. The tenderness in his eyes when he looked down at me, the warmth...they weren''t there.


    "Lucas?" I whispered.


    As he continued to give me that long look, something that I couldn''t quite decipher shed in his eyes, then it was gone as soon as it came. Then he smiled and my heart broke even more because the smile didn''t reach his eyes; his eyes didn''t twinkle like they usually do. The smile was nd and I wished I could just wipe it off his face.


    "It''s okay, Syd." He shrugged nonchntly, "Maybe this is the helplessness in the business world." His smile twitched and he added, "I often wonder though, if our childhood memories can ever match your marriage with Mark."


    "What?" My brows creased in confusion. When did we migrate from business to childhood memories and marriage?


    *Even before now, you always seemed so concerned about Mark. You im that the divorce was what you wanted, yet you kept tabs on the man who made your marriage life miserable."


    I felt the V on my forehead deepened, "I never kept tabs on Mark. I don''t keep tabs on -"


    "Maybe, we should take a break."


    My heart skipped a beat and my words froze in my mouth. Now where''s thating from?


    I tried to calm my fast beating heart. He said maybe, so it was still negotiable.


    "Why would we do that?"


    He shrugged and opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted him. "You don''t love me anymore, is that it? The love you always proim you have for me us gone so now you want to break up with me?" He gave me another look then smiled again. I swear I wanted to p that smile off his face. "Sydney, Mark wants me back to Italy, maybe this is a good opportunity for us to think about this question."


    I took a step back and looked at him. I mean I seriously looked at him. I was so shocked by his words that everything flew out of my head.


    "Mark wants you, I finally blurted out. "Tell me Lucas, when did Mark start telling you what he wants you to do and when did you start listening to him?" Because all of these weren''t making any sense. "Okay. I have to go back to Italy."


    I looked at him incredulously. "Why?"


    "Because I want to?"


    "Lucas," I hated that my voice quivered but I went on anyway, "Are you saying that you''re going back to Italy alone?"


    I remembered the countless times he had asked me toe with him whenever he was going back. I


    had always told him to give me time. Eventually, he promised to take me to Italy to see where he lived all these years that we weren''t together, and now he wanted to go back alone.

 Chapter 0174

    What does this mean? Am I being abandoned again? I finally found the man of my dreams, now this? So much for ''I''ll never ever let you go again."


    He stuck his hand in his pocket. Even though he was standing a few feet from me, I could see him drifting far away from


    me


    He nodded and looked into my eye as he responded, "Yes, I am going back alone. If I figure it out, l''11 contact you.


    "If!" I said incredulously. "What''s this, Lucas?" My voice trembled, "Some kind of business deal?"


    He threw his face away and I wanted to hold his face and look into his eyes and see that he was joking. He''dugh out loud and I would too. Then he''d kiss me and we''d go home. But I couldn''t hold his face. and look into his eyes because all thetter would not happen unless I wanted to be delusional.


    I swallowed and took a step forward. Even though my heart was sinking and all I wanted to do was run down the hallway, find a restroom and bawl out my eyes there, I managed to croak out, "Then I... can I go to the airport to see you off?" I stammered.


    "No need." Lucas immediately answered in a clipped tone. His response was definite.


    And with that, he walked past me and walked down the hallway in long strides without a backward nce.


    A lone tear slid down my cheeks as I watched his retreating figure. Just like that, he was gone again. It felt like I was hit on the face with a metal bucket and I shuffled closer to the wall to steady myself, thankful that I was alone in the hallway.


    I leaned my head against the wall and sniffed quietly, unable to stop the tears from dropping.


    For the umpteenth time, I regretted my decision ining for this stupid meeting. If I had listened to Grace, all of these would not have happened; I wouldn''t have witnessed this foreign side to Lucas; the side that made me now wonder if it was Lucas that just broke up with me or someone else.


    My hands shook as I unlocked my phone, sniffing. My sniffs were getting louder and I didn''t want anyone seeing me like this. My fingers trembled as I dialed Grace''s phone number. Suddenly, someone cleared their throat. I looked up, my vision slightly blurred by the tears that clouded in my eyes to see Mark leaning against the doorframe of the conference room How long has he been there?Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I stood upright. "What now?" I folded my arms across my chest to hide my trembling hands. "How satisfying do you find watching me make a fool of myself? I bet you''ve been waiting to mock me." I tried to make my voice sound clear and calm, angry even. Maybe I could pour out all the anger I couldn''t direct towards Lucas for dumping him into whatever stupid conversation he was about to have with me. Instead of a snarkyeback, Mark surprised me when he sighed. His eyes didn''t hold that mocking or mischievous glint I expected to find there.


    There was azy aura to the way he looked at me, a tenderness that confused me was directed at me.


    "How could I mock you?" With a serious expression, he said, "I''vepletely fallen in love with you. In this


    game of love, you''vepletely won. From now on, I have no deception, no trickery for you, only


    +25 BONL


    Okay! He definitely lost his memory and I just pitied him more. I just hope he doesn''t go about mboyantly dering his love to random girls and women.


    He pushed himself away from the doorframe and awkwardly remained before the door. I thought the silence that descended made this even weirder until he started to fiddle with his fingers. Okay. What?


    Realizing his unusual action, he quickly stopped fiddling with his fingers and dug them into his pocket. As if he didn''t know what to do with his hands and himself, he removed his hands from his pocket before he dug one of his hands back in and took out a cigarette and a lighter.


    I watched as he prepared to light the cigarette. Heughed nervously and said jokingly, his words slightly muffled because of the cigarette between his lips, "Say something, your silence makes my confession sound like a joke."


    "Don''t smoke, the doctor just told me I''m pregnant."


    +

 Chapter 0175

    Mark seemed to have gotten frozen on the spot. His hand that held the lighter remained poised at the tip of the cigarette that was still stuck in between his lips as he looked at me... or rather, as he gaped at me. His hands fell to his side. His words were heavily coated with disbelief. "You''re not joking."


    I gave him a nk look. When did we be such buddies that I would make such a joke? I thought. He must be thinking the same because he shook his head and we just stared at eachother like that for a while.


    Suddenly, Mark seemed to now understand me as he quickly put away the cigarette and lighter away in his pocket.


    He looked rmed, slightly panicked as he took a step closer, his gaze marily shifting from the hallway to my face. I wondered, slightly amused in the midst of all these emotional turmoil, if he was going to run. Does the mention of a baby or the sight of a pregnant woman scare him so much?


    ? Instead he took a step forward and asked, sounding concerned, "Is it Lucas''s?" He gaze slid down the hallway again, "Do you want me to bring him back? For you, I can allow him to stay here."


    I rolled my eyes. Why would he ask him to leave in the first ce? And why is he even being nice? The Mark I remember doesn''t care then I remembered; he lost his memory.


    I shook my head and gave an indifferent look, "There''d be no need for that. I don''t want my man to stay with me just because of the child, that''s like trapping him and that will only lead to disasters." I looked down the hall, attempting to hide the pain I was sure was ring in my eyes, "He left because he wanted to, not because you asked him to. If he still loves me, he wille back. I will keep waiting for him here."


    I turned back to Mark when I heard him sigh. His gaze was already on me and he said, "I feel sorry for your current situation." I slightly raised my eyebrows at the look on his face. He actually did look sorry. Wow. Is this really Mark? "I will be honest though," he continued, "I am still very happy that you chose to stand by my side, not his. I am grateful."


    "Then you should thank your Grandmother," I said coldly, suddenly vexed that this whole shares thing was what caused the first big fight between Lucas and I. "It is her you need to be grateful to. She is a wise and visionary woman. If she had not asked me to give her my word in advance, trust me, I would have made a different choice today."


    He looked like he wanted to say something but he didn''t. Instead, he just stuck his hands back in his pocket and looked away from my face.


    I broke the silence, feeling my anger rise, "I''m sorry." Why am I even apologizing? "I am so fucking. annoyed of your presence right now, I have to leave."


    Without waiting for a response, I turned my back to him and walked down the hallway. I could feel his gaze on my back as I strutted down the hallway.


    My phone vibrated in my hands. When I checked it, I saw several missed calls from Grace. I almost smacked my head on my forehead when I remembered that I had dialed her number before I saw Mark. She must have gotten worried when I didn''t pick her calls.


    I picked up the call. "Hey!" I said and even I could hear the urgency that tinged my voice, "Come pick me


    1. up.


    There was a short pause and I could easily picture Grace''s eyes probing me if I were before her. Then she said softly but I couldn''t miss the confusion that coated her words even if I wanted to, "Sydney, what''s wrong? Did something happen? You sound... off."


    I swallowed, "Nothing is wrong."Oh, a lot is wrong. Then I added in a small voice, "I just want to go home." Grace didn''t ask me any more questions. "I''ll be there in a jiffy," was all she said before I hung up.


    I looked around me and saw that I was already outside. All the bustling noise of the busy streets near and far, started to register, the honks of cars mixed with the asional screeching of tires.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0176

    I turned and saw the bench that was always there, at the far end of the coffee shop beside the GT Gr building. Thankfully, no one was there. I simply walked and slowly lowered myself on the seat.


    My eyes were trained in the distance, but my mind was in a more distant ce, filled with doubtful ar fearful thoughts.


    Soon enough, Grace''s car appeared in my sight. And thankfully, I didn''t need to shout her name back to the front of the GT Group building because she saw me sitting there.


    for wal


    She nodded and stopped. I numbly got on my feet, opened the door that Grace had opened halfway a climbed into the car beside Grace.


    None of us said anything as Grace drove to the parking space of GT Group and made a U-turn.


    As she drove us home, I kept my gaze glued to the window beside me. But I could feel her constantly peering at me. Finally, she broke the serene silence and asked gently, "Do you want to talk about it?"


    I turned my face to the front, looking ahead at the cars before us then I shook my head. I leaned back in -the seat and closed my eyes, my chest rising as I sighed.


    That was one thing I loved about Grace, she never probed or forced me to speak. She always knew whe needed peace and she always gave me. It was like her little superpower.


    I didn''t hear her say anything. She just quietly drove us home.


    By the time we got to our apartment and the car rolled to a stop as Grace parked, I had finally sorted out my emotions and I was ready to speak


    As soon Grace removed the key from the ignition and the purring of the engine stopped.i blurted out. Lucas and I broke up, he''s going back to Italy, and I''m pregnant with his child."


    I didn''t need to see Grace''s face to know that she was stunned. She definitely hasn''t expected a lot to happen in such a short time. I hadn''t expected it either.


    I finally looked her way and I saw her firm grip on the steering wheel as she took everything in. And probably thinking of the right words to say.


    "Sydney... she finally turned to me and our eyes met. As usual, her eyes were filled with concern for me.T really hated that I always made her worried. Why does stuff always have to just sprout up from nowhere in my life?


    "Yes?"


    "What... what are you going to do?" Her voice trembled as she got her question out.


    I looked ahead and with another sigh, I answered. "Obviously, I will keep the child. As for Lucas.." I trailed off, suppressing the sudden pain, anger and pity for myself that aroused as I said his name. "I will leave


    him be."


    "So... Grace started tentatively but I already knew what was on her mind.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Yes," I said, saving her the stress, "I don''t n to tell him the news."


    +25 B


    Grace exhaled. Then she suddenly asked in a falsely rxed tone. "Can I be the child''s godmother then?"


    My smile widened in a wide grin as the warmth of her support struggled to subdue the pain in my heart. and I can already see how easier the journey and trials will all be as long as I have my best friend by my side. I nced at her, "Of course, if it''s not you, who else? I couldn''t find a more suitable godmother than


    you."


    She undus her seatbelt and leaned toward me, engulfing me in a warm hug. She said gently, "Thank you. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to be the unborn baby''s godmother. I can''t wait to hold him or her in my hands."


    hugged her back and let the tears fall freely. I rid myself of the heartache as I clung to her, wetting her shirt with my tears. And Grace just silently held me like she always did. Her hold on me tightened then the sound of her muffled sobs reached my ears.

 Chapter 0177

    A FEW MONTHS LATER


    I


    "Wee to this world, Aiden. Mommy loves you so much," I whispered into his tiny ears and he squinted at me before closing his eyes again. And I wondered if he heard me, I wondered if he could feel and tell that he was in his mother''s arms.


    My eyes


    es watered, filled with tears of joy as I stroked the cheeks of my son. Just the thought that he was mine made my heart swell with so much love and happiness. Gosh, He looked so innocent. Too pure for this world.


    Without anyplications, I had sessfully given birth to a bouncy baby boy in the same hospital where I had found out that I was pregnant.


    I smiled. The past few months had been a lot; it was a month that was filled with a rollercoaster of emotions, a month where I had received support and love, even from people I hadn''t expected it from. Infact, these past few months have been one of my favorites.


    Grace sighed again, her gaze glued to Aiden in my hands as if he had hypnotized her. "He''s going to grow into a handsome hunk."T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Iughed, Aiden shook in my hands as my shoulder moved, "Already?"


    "I can already see it," she murmured back, absentmindedly, her gaze trained on Alden. "He would be stunning."


    After she was allowed in, Grace had been silent. She just hugged me and stared at Aiden as if he was unreal, as though if she touched him, he would disappear into the air. After minutes had passed, she finally moved closer and touched his fists, gasping as her hands came in contact with my son''s flesh. You would think she had never seen or touched a baby before.


    She touched Aiden''s hands then gently tried to stick her pinky finger in-between his small clenched fists.


    "You should stop doing that before he decides to never let go." I smiled. She had been doing that since she touched him.


    "It''s so cute," she cooed. She drew back from him and looked at me, her eyes gleaming with restrained tears, "Aiden is so cute that I want to just scream and cry at his beauty."


    I couldn''t help butugh. I slightly winced when I felt a sharp pain in my perineal area and I briefly wondered if it was okay for me tough so much after going through the strenuousness of childbirth. Childbirth is scary. After Aiden, I don''t think I want to go through that process anymore. Atleast, not anytime soon.


    I was terrified and tired and on the verge of giving up. I thought I would never be able to push my child out and that I would die with him in my stomach but the doctor and nurses edged me on and... Mark was there.


    His hands gripped mine, silently passing across that he would never let go, I had blurry memories of me shouting for him to go away: I hit and bit him whenever he got closer but he still remained by my side,


    cheering me on - even though there was nothing to cheer on. ''You can do it, Sydney. Come on, you''re strong and your baby can''t wait to meet you."


    He was by my side until Aiden let out his first sound - an ear piercing cry. I had never been so happy to


    hear a cry.


    Mark, that man, had been more supportive than I would have imagined in a thousand years. In the past months, he was there for me through thick and thin.


    Instead ofughing. I settled for grinning. "Have some dignity, will you? You''re his godmother."


    "I can''t help it," she cooed and looked at Aiden again, her lips stretching into a wider smile.


    "You''re crying just by touching him now. If you keep this up, when he grows up, he''ll think you''re a strange aunt who only cries when you see him."


    Graceughter filled the room. When shebsovered up, she took Aiden from me and gently swayed him. Holding his tiny fists, she said, "Then I have a lot of practice to do so I can get used to his beauty. I must familiarize myself with him. I can''t bear to let him think I''m a strange aunt in the future."

 Chapter 0178

    I shook my head at her dramatics, I watched the two of them, Aiden''s eyes were closed and Grace''s full attention was on him. My heart warmed at the sight of the both of them. I can already tell that Alden will have so much support and love ih his life. He would be surrounded by it; I would make sure of that.


    My grin slowly faded and my lips twisted unpleasantly as he crossed my mind. I said to Grace, "I''m thinking of going to Italy."


    Grace paused then she sighed and continued to sway Aiden in her arms. "To do what, Sydney?" She asked exasperatedly.


    I knew she knew what I wanted to go there for but since she asked, I was going to answer too.


    "To find Lucas."


    I was disheartened and shocked when after a month, Lucas didn''te back or even contact me. Weeks. of me waiting stretched into months and still no word from the bastard.


    "Are you kidding me right now?" She turned to me, slipping on her scolding face. "You just gave birth. I won''t let you go anywhere now and I''m sure Mark wouldn''t allow it to."


    I rolled my eyes, "I won''t go now. Surely, I''m not fit for that stress now. I''ll go after a month or so. When I feel very rested."


    Grace shook her head. She looked down at Alden before facing me again, "With Aiden?" She pouted, "I''ll miss him, you can''t do this to me, it''s too cruel."


    I smiled. I smiled at her drama, as usual. I also smiled at the fact that she wasn''t talking of stopping me, she knew I had made my decision and she had epted it.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I shook her head, "Of course not, I''m not going with Aiden, I will go alone. But, I''ll definitelye back soon, I can''t bear to leave Aiden for that long. I don''t think I can ever." Grace''s eyes lit up in excitement and I knew that if she wasn''t holding Aiden, she would have pped in excitement.


    "Then I had better start learning how to be a single mother now, it seems exciting and I can''t wait."


    I shook her head, "There''s no need to learn anything about being a single mom, I don''t intend to leave you alone with him forever. Besides, I''ll find you some help.


    gave her a sidelong nce and teased, almost wiggling my brows, "After all, it''s not very convenient to go on a date with a baby, right?"


    Grace''s face turned red and her brows deeply drew down in an exaggerated frown. "Wh- what are you saying?" She stuttered.


    "Don''t think I don''t know about you and that handsome doctor. You guys are dating, aren''t you? Tell me the truth," I held her gaze and looking me in the eye suddenly became an Issue for Grace, "Do you apany me to the hospital every time just to see that handsome doctor?"


    "Whatttt," she drew back dramatically. When I didn''t budge she shrugged as much as she could while she held Aiden, "Well," she elongated, "caring about you is true, and looking at the handsome doctor is also true."


    Iughed at her inconvenience and she brightened, a big grin on her lips.


    At that moment, Mark swaggered in. Seeing the expressions on our faces, he smiled and asked, "What are you two talking about looking so happy?"


    "It''s none of your business," Grace said in a singy songy tone as she walked forward and handed Aiden to Mark.


    Mark readily took him from her. He held Aiden so gently and skillfully, that you''d think he had spent his entire life either being a father or studying the art of being a father.


    He closed his eyes and ced a kiss on his forehead. If there was an outsider amongs have thought he was Aiden''s father.


    A smile danced on Grace''s lips as she whispered to me, "I''m going out, you two chat."


    us, they would


    I nodded. The room fell silent as I watched her leave the room while Mark focused on Alden.

 Chapter 0179

    Sydney''s POV


    Mark must have noticed that I had turned my gaze from Grace''s retreating figure and pinned it on him because he looked up from Aiden and blurted, "What?"


    "Are you seriously asking me that?" I scowled at him.


    He smiled and asked softly, "Come on, what''s wrong? Did I do something to upset you?"


    Since I made my decision to have Aiden, Mark had unfailingly been there for me. Grace and I were surprised and I kept holding my breath I kept my fingers crossed, thinking that someday he''d get tired of either pretending or just get tired of tending to a woman that wasn''t his and leave. But he stayed. He stayed all the way through.


    He offered all the help he could; whenever I felt alone or any tinge of pain and I couldn''t reach Grace, I''d call Mark and he''d immediatelye running. I remember one time - I think it was my fourth month ¨C I had this severe contraction and I was just so scared that perhaps my baby was on the way when I was not yet due. In panic, I shot several calls to Grace but she didn''t pick up. Myst option was Mark, he picked up on the first ring


    It only took the time for him to drive to my ce to reach me. If he could teleport, I was sure I would have immediately seen him before me.


    It waster I learnt that he was having a live session with a prospective mergerpany when he answered my call and abruptly left the session.


    I never would have believed that Mark could be so supportive or caring. He no longer made Inappropriate jokes or made any attempt at an offensive move. He became the perfect gentleman. Gradually, I no longer resisted his help. We became friends and our tonic and business partners rtionship flourished and together, our businesses did well and scaled the sessdders.


    We got so close that we talked andughed like lifelong friends. I enjoyed hispany and we both share and talk about things that we care about.


    I rolled my eyes, forcing the smile that wanted to ster itself on my face away as memories of the times. Mark had been there for me in the past months shed behind my eyes. There were several of those memories, beautiful memories they were, but one particr one lingered.


    Grace had been on a business trip when I went intobor. It was my dye month but weeks before my due date. I hadn''t seen iting. I didn''t hesitate to ce a distressed call to Mark and he hurriedly rushed over and brought me to the hospital.


    Memories of how he had stood by me reyed in my head for the umpteenth time. He held my hands as I pushed Alden out. The strength in him seeped into me over and over and I felt rejuvenated. The memory was still so vivid and I didn''t think it could ever fade away.


    I had since seen Mark in a new light and getting mad at him was difficult but right now? I was raving mad at him.


    "Sydney? What did I do?"


    +25 BONI


    "You did everything!" I blurted, then I grabbed my phone from the hospital''s side table and flung it his way. "Take a good look at what these rubbish news are saying."


    When I flung the phone at him, I made sure that even if he didn''t catch it, it wouldn''t hit my son in his arms but he expertly caught the phone before itnded on Aiden. He turned the phone upright in his hand and looked at the screen.


    I could see his eyes move from side to side as he read the infuriating news I had stumbled upon earlier. The entertainment channel that posted the news captioned the headline of the content, ''The CEO of GT Group reconciles with his ex-wife, the ex-wife has given birth to a son for the CEO. The heir of GT Group is born!


    Attached to the content of the post was a picture of Mark as he helped me into his car and drove me to the hospital. The damned news was all over the ce!


    Mark transferred Aiden to one hand and helplessly spread his other hand, "I never said anything to


    he said defensively.


    anyone,


    I sneered at him. "Yeah, right! You didn''t. Then who did? How did they know I''ve given birth to a boy."Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0180

    Mark shrugged, "I don''t know, Sydney, but trust me, I said nothing to anyone." He stopped and carefully let Aiden''s weight be on his second hand before he continued. "The entertainment journalists have a habit of saying nonsense, it has nothing to do with me. Who knows? Perhaps one if the nurses tipped them. And it''s so unfair that you me me for this. It''s so unfair."


    "I don''t care if you did it or not," I erupted, still angry. "Such fake news should be taken down the second it goes online."


    He pressed his lips together and nodded. "I agree with you."


    "Then for how long has this fake news been circting everywhere? I have been out of the delivery room since and such fake news is still being recreated and spread. Don''t tell me that as the CEO of GT Group, without your connivance, this news could exist for so long?!"


    "I admit that I might have selfish motives," he shamelessly admitted, "In case you casually mention to the outside world that Aiden is my child, then our remarriage is not impossible. You know that m, right?" He wiggled his brows and I felt the insane urge to smack him on the forehead and make those wiggling brows draw down in pain.


    When he saw that he couldn''t get a smile orugh out of me, he shrugged and hastily added, "But since you don''t want to do that, I''ll have the news taken down, I promise."


    "You better!" I told him sternly, my anger slowly dissipating as I rested my back on the headboard of the bed.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "I will. Don''t be angry. You shouldn''t be mad or yelling at a time like this," he said softly and I couldn''t even bring myself to direct a re or snarl at him as I would have liked.


    "I''m going to Italy to find Lucas," I said firmly. When I turned to take in his expression, it was the same as usual.


    Over the time, Mark had managed to stop scowling or scoffing whenever I mentioned Lucas in his presence. Instead, he always had this face and demeanor of indifference whenever I mentioned him. Just like now, he didn''t act or look surprised or pissed, he just kept making cooing noises at Aiden as he slightly swayed him in his hands.


    After a few seconds of staring at his rich dark hair, he looked up and drawled, his brows raised. "Okay...?"


    I took that as my cue to continue to say what I had in mind. "I am going alone, without Aiden," my eyes fell on Aiden in his arms and I can already tell that I would miss him sq much but atleast, I''d be rest assured that he was in safe hands.


    "While I''m away, I''ll entrust Aiden to you and Grace." I looked up at him and found his gaze already on me. "Mainly you though, Grace will be busy dating."


    Mark switched arms to hold Aiden as he bobbed his head, "Wow wow wow, you don''t give me the title of father, but let me take on the responsibility of a father. That''s too unfair, don''t you think?!"


    1 chuckled lightly. Then I teased him, "Didn''t you say that you''repletely in love with me?"


    Mark had also not hidden the fact that he had fallen in love with me all over again from me. Even though I


    +25 BONU


    told him, my heart belonged to Lucas and we could never work, he said nothing will change for him and still stayed.


    A reminder for me, Mark is a stubborn man. Period. It should always be at the back of my mind.


    "Well," I shrugged as I continued to joke, "This is the price you have to pay for loving me. If you are not willing, then you should just stop loving me."


    He looked stunned and I reminded myself that the man was a brilliant actor. He closed his eyes and used one of his hands to clutch his chest. "Ahh, Sydney, you never hesitate to hurt me with your harsh words."


    I bit my lips to hold back myughter and yed along. "You can easily put an end to the endless heartaches and stop loving me."


    He opened his eyes and yfully red at me. "Not on your life, woman." Then he sighed and said in a self -mocking tone, "Alright, alright. I promise to look after him perfectly." He shed me a heartwarming smile, "Once again you''ve won."

 Chapter 0181

    Sydney''s POV


    Gently, Mark moved closer to the baby cot and lowered Aiden who had fallen asleep in his arms I to it.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    He covered him well with the nkets and still patted him for a while before he pulled away.


    He flexed his shoulders and rolled his neck and arm, that must have gone sore from carrying Alden for so


    long.


    Then he casually perched at the foot of the bed, his hands briefly grazed my feet before he ced his hands on his thighs.


    "Why are you so keen on finding Lucas, though?" He asked as he faced the pole that was at the foot of the bed. He turned to me and his shoulders lifted in the briefest shrug, "I mean, it''s been so long since he contacted you or tried to reach out to you. He hasn''t made any attempt since he left."


    "You can not say that," I felt the stupid urge to defend him and I did. "What if something happened to him and he''s unable to reach out to anyone? What if he''s scared if reaching out?" I shrugged, "There are lots of what ifs, you know."


    Mark bobbed his head in a nod, "you''re right. I agree with you on that aspect. There are always lots of what ifs but not for a man that''s madly in love with a woman. Trust me when I tell you very clearly that that man," he mouth twisted bitterly, "my uncle, does not love you anymore. No matter the circumstances, no matter how high and disciplined a man''s sense of reasoning is, when he is in love with a woman, at some point, all reasoning is unconsciously thrown in the air and they follow their heart which is always to go to that woman they can''t ever get enough of."


    I managed a smile as I looked at him, trying to hide the pain that came whenever I remembered Lucas. You seem well versed in this topic, Mr Torres," I teased


    He shrugged, his expression still serious. "I guess I am. And I''m sure that Lucas doesn''t love you anymore, Sydney. I''m not saying this because I want you for myself or anything...


    I blushed. Mark had really grown unashamed in dering his love for me. Sometimes, it felt odd. And I just choose to not acknowledge it.


    "I''m saying this because I care for you," he continued. He took my hand that was closest to him gently. And I don''t want you to get hurt more than you already are. If Lucas loved you, he''d spend every of his free second, watching you vigntly and preventing any male from approaching you and lurking around


    you."


    Iughed at this. "What''s he? A private investigator? Come on, a man, even though he''s in love, has got his own life to live."


    He lifted his shoulders in a shrug, a smug smile dancing across his lip. "I know but it''s our natural instinct, it''s present in every man''s DNA."


    "Ofcourse, just like you, always appearing around me uninvited," I couldn''t help this thought in my head.


    However, I chose to keep it to myself and just nodded at his preach?


    Forget the fact that I had just teased him about him insisting on loving me a few minutes ago, I always:


    tried my damndest to avoid any conversation that dwelled around Mark''s love for me.


    Our rtionship had grown into something beautiful as I''ve found a friend In him, a true friend but at the same time, it was delicate, like an egg. Any slight dent could ruin it and cause it to crash.


    arms


    I sighed and pulled my hands from his. "You''re right though, but..." I trailed off as I wrapped my around me, my gaze unnecessarily gliding toward Aiden in his cot Andi felt Mark''s gaze follow me. "But Lucas is very important to me," I kept my gaze trained on him as I spoke and if Mark felt anything; hurt, disappointment? It didn''t show because he had his emotions on check.


    "Lucas isn''t just a boyfriend," I continued, "Or my baby''s father. He''s more than that to me..." I trailed off, my brows creasing deeply as I tried to put what Lucas was to me, all that he meant to me. "Lucas made me. H-he made me into what I am today, Mark." I shook my head and looked away as tears pricked my eyes.


    No, they didn''t roll down my cheeks. I didn''t let them. I never let it. I stopped shedding tears over him a long time ago. Now that Aiden was here, I needed to be strong for the both of us.


    I unwrapped my arms from around myself and dropped them to myp. I looked down at my hands as I started again, in a small voice, "I need answers, Mark. I don''t want to spend more time guessing. assuming and regretting." A painfulughter bubbled up my throat, "I don''t want to keep making silly excuses for him. That''s not me.." I shook my head and whispered, but loud enough for Mark to hear me, Even if he doesn''t love me anymore, I want him to say it to my face. I need him to clearly tell me where we stand!" I looked up. My voice quivered as I spoke, "we can''t just end again and leave everything in a blur, we can''t end and spend the rest if our lives wondering what might have or might have not, we can''t leave the puzzle unsolved and unfinished, wondering...wondering and wondering."

 Chapter 0182

    +25 TONUS


    My eyes were filled with unshed tears that would remain unshed, especially before Mark.


    Being vulnerable had be a normal around Mark, but everything had a limit.


    There was afortable long stretch of silence after I finished speaking. Mark reached out and gave my hand aforting squeeze. I appreciated it. I always appreciated his presence in my life. "So, what do you hope for when you see him?"


    eves again and most


    I smiled. My throat didn''t feel clogged again, I didn''t feel the pool of tears in my importantly, the trembling in my voice had stopped, "Naturally, I hope we can reconcile. If so, I wille back with Lucas, we''d spend some time here, packing up and tying loose ends then we''d take Aiden and go settle down in Italy."


    This time,I actually saw a glint of hurt sh in Mark''s eyes. "Ouch, Sydney. Ouch."


    "What?" Iughed and shrugged.


    "I must be honest. If you two reconcile, it would really hurt me."


    I can see that, I wanted to say but I didn''t.


    "Your reconciliation with him simply means that after I''ve bonded with Aiden, you''re going to cruelly take him away from me andpletely cut off our chance of reconciling. Even now, I already feel attached to the little champ."


    I


    "Then get yourself your own champ." I quickly continued, depriving him of the chance to say whatever was on his mind again. Which I was quite sure would run along the line, ''I want to have my champ with


    you.''


    "But if he doesn''t love me anymore and doesn''t want anything to do with me, I wille back alone, raise Aiden by myself, and never bother him again."Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Frankly?" He raised his perfectly arched eyebrows and I nodded. "I hope you fail."


    "Mark!" I eximed then I leaned forward and covered his mouth. "Shut up, you jinx!"


    Mark''s shoulders shook as heughed, unable to hold back hisughter. He raised his hands in the air in surrender after he had sobered up. "Okay, I will wish you a happy reunion," he said but I saw him cross his middle finger and index finger on hisp. I didn''t know if he had meant for me to see it or not, either way, I just smiled as I looked away and made noment about it.


    SIX MONTHS LATER


    I hugged Aiden to my chest and ced a kiss on his forehead for the umpteenth time. Strings pulled at my heart when he made his nabay noises again. I made to pull him into another hug when Grace''s hand reached for him.


    Grace gently took him from me. "We would really appreciate it if you don''t suffocate the poor boy with your excessive hugs and kisses." She ced him in his cot and turned to me with a soft smile.


    She gently hit me. on my forearm, before pulling me into a hug. "You will be fine," she whispered, "And you already know that Aiden is in good hands so rx."


    "I''m trying." I cried.


    Just then, my name was called through the airport''s loudspeaker, urging me to board the ne in three


    minutes.


    I let go


    of Grace and bent to hug Aiden again. I gave him a feathery kiss on his cheeks, "Mom will be back soon, I promise."


    With all the willpower I could summon, I reluctantly looked away from him.


    Grace, with red eyes, hugged me again. "You had bettere back safely, and remember to keep in touch with me every day."


    "Yes ma''am."


    "Good," she chipped up her chin and I shook my head as I smiled and moved over to Mark.


    He handed me my handbag, he had held it for me when I wanted to hold Aiden in my arm.


    I took it from him then he opened his arm, a smile on his lips. "So, does an ex-husband not deserve a hug?


    He asked casually, but I could see that he really wanted a hug.


    Iughed and went into his arms. It was actually the first peaceful and friendly hug since we knew each other. Our past hugs were either faked, forced or reluctant but this one? We both wanted it.


    I cleared my throat when Mark wouldn''t let go after about ten seconds. I broke free from him and lightly punched him on his chest. "You''ve already dyed me for too long, Mr Torres."


    I had nned to leave for Italy after three months but Mark wouldn''t let me. He insisted that I stay and undergo the three months of emergency self-defense and shooting training that he booked for me. At first, I had thought he was joking until he got all serious.


    "Call me if there is any emergency," he said hoarsely.


    "Then what?" I teased, "You''d fly to Italy?"


    "You can never tell," he smirked.


    I gave him onest smile, my gaze falling on each of them. I steeled my heart and turned to walk towards the boarding gate when my name was called out again,

 Chapter 0183

    TWO MONTHS LATER


    NAPLES, ITALY.


    Sydney''s POV


    My lips stretched into a smile and the warmth spread to every part of me as I watched dthe videos, my heart getting more filled with love for my boy.


    Since I got here, Mark and Grace created a W******p group and they made it a habit to always send me short growth videos of Aiden and random picture they either took of him or either of them with him. Sometimes, it was even like they werepeting on who spent more time with Aiden or who had more special moments with him.


    Mark had been the one to send the video I was currently watching, he captioned it, ''Grace''s been away for a week which made me the first to witness the miracle."


    Mark was at a park with Aiden. He had dressed Aiden in a cute bright blue onesie that made his eye color pop. Mark ced Aiden on the pic mat he had set up and scattered toys around him.


    Then he did a thumbs up to the camera and walked about sis steps away from him.


    "Hey boy!" He called and Iughed softly when Aiden didn''t answer him. he was too focused on his toys to answer him.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Aiden sweetie, Come to Ma," he said and Aiden jerked his head up, mumbled some jargons with his sparse brows raised and pointed from his toys to Mark.


    Mark just smiled and nodded through it all. "I know you don''t want to leave your toys, Aide but you''ve got


    toe to Ma."


    When Aiden started to pick up words, the first coherent syble he said was Ma. Every normal person knew that was his mom, right? But Mark was convinced that Aiden was trying to say ''Mark'' and truth be told, I think he was right now, as much as Aiden says Mark to whoever, he said it more whenever he had his eyes on Mark.


    My heart momentarily skipped a beat and my eyes widened when Aiden suddenly got on his feet and slowly wobbled to Mark''s open arms.


    I let out a short happy scream, palmed my mouth and sat up. My eyes fileld with tears as I liked the video with a heart emoji and proceeded to send several stickers and emojis that portrayed how happy and proud I was.


    Truly, this had been the way I had been spending my days in the past two months. Locating Lucas in Italy hadn''t exactly turned out to be easy. And at the end of an exasperating day, I would freshen up, pick up my phone and watch the pictures and videos that I was sure they would have left for me. Those pictures and videos never failed to make my day and they were usually the highlight of my day and the only reason that made me smile and never give up in my search for Mark.


    With all that I had been through since I arrived in Italy, anyone would have given up on this seemingly fruitless search but I owed it to Aiden and I owed it to myself, most importantly, I owed it to our memories and my peace of mind.


    My journey to Italy had not gone smoothly at all. Nothing had gone right since I had been here. Obviously, since I knew no one here and hadn''t even been to Italy before, I had to do my research. Mark offered to help, but I turned down his help, sternly telling him to back off when kept insisting. Eventually, he stopped bugging me about offering his help.


    The only clue of Lucas'' existence in my life, as much as it hurt, was the ring he gave to me,


    It was the only thing I could work with. After staring at it for days, I finally got an idea to g****e the emblem on the ring since it wasn''t the logo of any of the popr jewelry brands that I knew. Turned out that the emblem belonged to a family in Italy, Naples to be precise. The family''s name was Esposito family and the emblem was proudly what they were known by.

 Chapter 0184

    It had seemed easy then. Lucas once said that the ring used to be her mom''s so obviously, I could somehow trace him from there.


    I got my traveling documents ready, made my research about the hotels in Naple. I narrowed down my results to three hotels then I called each of them and eventually booked the one that suited my preferences and stay more.


    I arrived in Naples and started to do all the digging. I first asked around about the Esposito family but everyone seemed not to know them. Now, I didn''t think that was true. It was either they were pretending or they really didn''t know about the family. I believed more in the former. I also showed Lucas'' picture to whoever I could but it was the same reaction. What is wrong with these people? I had angrily thought several times.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Now, Italy is an absolutely beautiful country. Infact, I had it written down that someday, Alden, Grace and I would pay the country a visit. I would have suggested that Marke along too but he probably had traveled to this part of the world too.


    The food in Italy wasn''t so exciting as I had tasted most of their dishes in intercontinental restaurants back at home. Their cultures were exciting too. But what I loved most about Italy was the views, oh the views, so beautiful. Plus there were lots of beautiful ces here. I also loved the peace and quiet in the country and I could easily see myself living here someday.


    "Only if you find Lucas," my subconscious never failed to remind me whenever I daydreamed about moving here.


    But I came to Italy for a different reason and that was what I focused more on. Since the people start to act weird whenever I started to ask about the Esposito family or Lucas, I decided to seek help from the local embassy and police.


    To my utter surprise, these guys chased me out of their premises! It was just as I had half expected. They had been nice and all until I mentioned the family name.


    What the hell? Why were they all treating the family like they were an ursed one? I have still not gotten a sensible answer to this till now.


    Since all hope of reaching the family through the people of the country was lost, I hired a private detective. He was a local, well versed with the country so I thought he was the perfect person


    He was the type of person whom you''d have a smooth business with. We had spoken about his charges and all. I mentioned the family name he was to investigate and he also fled without looking back. I didn''t give up.


    I hired many other detectives and private investigators who also had the same reactions.


    Then I met a detective. He was an old man and the kindest of them all. He used to reside in Naples but not anymore.


    When I told him the family I needed information on, instead of fleeing like a thief on the run like the others did, he simply turned down the job. Then advised me to leave Naples as soon as possible. Infact, he said I''d be safest if I left the country and went back to wherever I came from as soon as possible.


    I thanked the man, really appreciated that he had confirmed my fear that the Esposito family was dangerous, even though no one would tell me why, and that included Lucas too. Though, I hoped he


    wasn''t because there was nothing dangerous about him. Then I remembered the man that had turned to me, bitterly telling me about his revenge n for Mark and Rose and how he had nned to take over GT Group and deep down, I knew Lucas was way more than what I perceived him to be...he was more than what he wanted me to believe.


    Though armed with this knowledge, I still couldn''t leave. I hadn''te this far to just go back like that. What would I tell Aiden when he grows up and asks about his father? What would I tell myself whenever I catch myself wondering about Lucas and can''t stop myself? What then?

 Chapter 0185

    So I stayed. I hadn''t left my Aiden for this long to go back empty handed. I was persistent. My next line of action was to post on several social medias about it, asking whoever knew anything about the family to DM me or maybe even a member of the family.


    I don''t think the post had even aged up to an hour before it was taken down.


    All these mysteriousness, it was just crazy and if I was going to be bluntly honest, a bit scary. But I refused to back down.


    Many times, I had thought about telling Mark or Grace about everything whenever they inquired as to how the search was going, but then I would remember that if something was to happen to me, they were the only ones I could trust with my son so I decided against it. I wouldn''t drag them into the obscurity of all that surrounded Lucas'' life.


    I would deal with this on my own.


    Two months quickly passed and I found myself slowly slipping into anxiety as my days in Italy were now numbered. My visa is about to expire, same with my hotel reservation and it was almost time to return home. Time to return home to the favorite people in my life. As delighted as that made me, I felt sad that 1 would have to leave without finding out anything.


    Well, I did find out that Lucas isn''t who he seemed to be and the Esposito family, which he may or may not belong to, was a dangerous family that everyone steer cleared of. Perhaps, I would document this sinct discovery and give it to Aiden when he asks about his father in the future.


    any clue


    After spending almost five hours watching Aiden''s growth videos, my cheeks hurt fromughing and smiling so much, I had myte dinner and afterward, proceeded to surf through the inte for or direction. Even though it was always futile, the thought that I wasn''t doing nothing was quiteforting.


    As I scrolled, bored to the extent that I was reading every add that popped up when I suddenly saw a picture of Luigi.


    I was dead sure for a second that my eyes were ying tricks on me. I clicked on the picture and zoomed it out and no, my eyes were not ying tricks on me.


    I snorted as I read the caption that the girl that posted the picture had attached to it. Apparently, Luigi had deceived her and other girls while he


    dated them, thereby hurting them and yeah, breaking their hearts too.


    So sad, even though that sounded exactly like Luigi''s ways.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    was about to scroll past the post when my fingers froze. It took a second before my brain quickly processed it all.


    1 met and knew Luigi only because Lucas hired him to keep watch on me and protect me. And when Mark finally appeared, he and Luigi seemed to have a good rtionship which means that Luigi had always been working for Lucas. Naturally, finding Luigi would immediately lead to Lucas!


    I sat up, thrilled by thetest development, even though it wasn''t exactly a development yet, I was hopeful.


    I immediately swiped up and directly messaged the gir who made the post. I couldn''t just go in


    mentioning the Esposito family name so as not to scare her off so I pretended to be another victim of Luigi''s emotional deception.


    Thankfully, she replied ten minutester. Yen minutes of me staring at the message I left her.


    Since I had spent a reasonable amount of time with Luigi and I knew him quite well, I was able to y my role well.


    I easily won the girl''s sympathy. We got chatting and I kept throwingments that required her revealing some things about him. Finally, when I texted that if I set my eyes on him, I would w his heart


    out.

 Chapter 0186

    She sent aughing, skull and broken heart emoji, then she started typing again.


    When her reply came in and read it, I knew I was just a few steps from meeting with Lucas.


    ''He frequents this bar and he might be there tomorrow night,'' she sent a picture of a bar or maybe it was a club and attached the text.


    Then another message came in, ''You can check the ce out and w his heart out."


    Another text came in immediately after that; ''for us.''N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I told her I couldn''t wait and that I would definitely check the club out if I was able to get off work early the next day.


    We spent more time chatting and the girl was actually a sweet girl. Suddenly, I felt like I had just repeated what Luigi did to her. But I had no choice. Besides, since she didn''t see my picture and I''d most probably delete the ount, she''d never find out. The next day took eons toe.


    Night took even longer and when it finally came, I found myself before a club whose exterior looked like the picture that the girl had sent me. I was dressed in short shorts, a turtle neck crop top and sturdy but light boots in case I needed to run. The outfit was designed to make me blend in with other clubbers and also be able to defend myself without having to worry that I might mistakenly strip myself naked.


    I ordered a soft drink for myself when I got in and scanned the ce. It was packed with people but ! easily spotted Luigi. He had about three girls swirling around him, each silently fighting to be the one to press herself against him.


    As Izily a


    and uninterestedly sipped my drink, I trained my gaze on him. Maybe it was my gaz nat bored him that made him turn but he turned around, his brows drew down. Blood drained from his face the moment his curious eyes figured out who I was. His movements became jerky as peeled the girls off him and hurried toward me Without a word, she snatched my hands and pulled me to a dark corner outside the bar. He hastily looked from right to left before he turned to me.


    "What the hell, Sydney? What are you doing here?!"


    "Ah... Your ent, I kind of missed it," I tried to y it cool but Luigi was not having it.


    He gripped my shoulder and shook it. "Stop looking for Lucas, do you know how dangerous this is? Go back to your country.immediately."


    I asked, a bit confused now that I was hearing from someone that this mission-find-Lucas was dangerous, "What do you mean? Why would it be dangerous?"


    He looked around and was about to exin when suddenly, a shadow appeared behind him and pointed something at his nape and Luigi froze. Almost immediately, I heard movements behind me then I heard the click of a gun before the cold metal was pressed against my temple.


    My heartbeats quickened as fear overtook my body but my fears morphed into utter surprise when Lucas" face emerged from the shadows, there were two other men behind him and they also had their guns pointed towards Luigi and I.


    Lucas turned to Luigi and said in a cold tone, ''Tell me as well. Why is looking for me a dangerous quest?!"

 Chapter 0187

    Sydney''s POV


    "Lucas," I called in a shaky voice. "Why are you pointing a gun at me?" I know I should feel less terrified of the guns that were pointed at me because Lucas had showed up but it was quite the opposite. I felt even more terrified at the sight of him.


    My eyes pricked with tears as I looked at the man before us. He was a total stranger, nothing about him seemed like the gentle demeanor of the man I fell for.


    Lucas didn''t even register my presence or act like he had heard my question. He just turned to Luigi, his lips twisted unpleasantly in anger. He took a menacing step toward him and Luigi took hesitating steps back, preferring to have the gun pressed more firmly to his nape than be close to Lucas.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "What her you doing?!" His clenched fists shook as he finally bit out harshly. He wasn''t facing me or talking to me but I flinched back in fright. I wondered how Luigi still managed to be in one piece there, he hadn''t even blinked at Lucas'' shout. I guess he must be used to it. I, on the other hand, was just discovering this side of my boyfriend and the father of my child. Great.


    "Boss, I didn''t say anything." Luigi blurted out respectfully as he shook his head. Luigi might not have showed any physical sign of fear but it was there in his eyes, naked and he didn''t even bother to hide it. Luigi could see it too and it seemed to empower him even more.


    He glowered at Luigi, looking like he had grown bigger as he spat out, incredulously, "And you expect me to believe that?!


    "I''m telling the truth." Luigi''s throat worked as he swallowed, "I''d never lie to you, you know that. She doesn''t know anything, boss. Let''s send her back immediately."


    If I wasn''t paralyzed by fear of my own boyfriend, I would have seriously scolded Luigi. What the fuck was he saying? Why would he suggest that I should be sent back? What the hell? And what was ere to know? What exactly were this people into that I mist not find out?


    Lucas''s eyes only turned even colder as Luigi tried to exin everything to him.


    "I don''t care what she knows," he said, stressing each word between gritted teeth. "She had dared toe here, didn''t she?" Lucas cocked his head to one side, "She should as well be prepared for the damn consequences."


    I drew back, feeling like I had just been pped across the face. Lucas was talking as if I wasn''t present there, referring to me as if he hadn''t just tantly ignored my presence.


    I pushed away all the hurt from his actions and frowned. What stupid consequences other than finding. out about his streams of endless sluts? Oh God. I wished I could let these idiots put the goddamn guns away so that I could give this egoistic bastard, betrayer and abandoner a good piece of my mind.


    He finally riveted his gaze to mine. My eyes quickly took in his face. He didn''t look like he had aged since he left. He looked the same; handsome, and fit. It was good that the months have been good to him so if I eventually get my hands on him and w at his face, would not regret it one bit.


    Everything was the same but just as his demeanor had changed, so had the look in his eyes. It was no longer the soft and warm and kind like it used to be, his eyes were hard-like steel, cold and filled with a murderous glint.


    I realized, fleetingly, that I could never allow him to set those expressionless and malicious eyes on my child. Unless, he worked on it. He had to, whatever was fueling this stupid attitude of his would have to be


    stopped.


    He raised his brows indifferently, "It''s time to settle this."


    He waved his hand in the air and more men stepped out of the shadows and started to manhandle Luigi and I. The gun was gone from my temple and ropes were brought out to tie me up? "Lucas, what''s happening?"


    He grinned like a nut case and answered, "You''re getting tied up." Then the grin fell and he stood there and watched me get tied.


    I was beyond shocked. Horrified would be an understatement even. How dare Lucas do this? Joe dare he treat me like this after years of abandoning me and never trying to reach out? But most importantly why?


    Instinctively, I fought to be freed from their rough grasps but I was easily tamed as one of the men easily lifted me up while two others worked on my hands and feet.


    My heart was ramming in my chest and I had no idea what to think of all of these. I wondered if I was dreaming.


    I nced over at Luigi and he seemed to be willingly allowing himself to get bundled up with his head hung down.

 Chapter 0188

    The fear was rapidly rising to my throat and my eyes prickled with tears. "Lucas, stop this now," o cried, my voice quivering.


    He said nothing, just watched on with an aloof expression on his face.


    I cleared my throat and swallowed. Perhaps if I told him why I was here, he woulde back to his senses.


    "Lucas, look, listen, I came all the way here to find you because I needed to tell you that I..."


    My exnation as to why I was in Italy and the news that we had a child suddenly became incoherent muffles as a cloth a hand mped down on my mouth then without warning, I was gagged. Then one of them threw me over his shoulder.


    Despite it all, I still squirmed on their shoulders and tried tomunicate with Lucas but they were all muffled words.


    At some point, all of them, including Lucas,ughed at my attempt to speak.


    Luigi and I were taken to a car that came to park beside us. I was tied to the backseat and a resigned Luigi was by my side.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I felt a little pang of guilt as I thought that I was steh reason why Luigi was also tied with me. I probably just made Lucas lose his trust in Luigi just because he met with me.


    Lucas didn''t get in the car that we were taken to. As the car ride started, I tried to make some noise and attract some attention but Luigi just sighed beside me, when I looked at him, he had his eyes on me.


    There were a lot of undecipherable emotions in his eyes and I could tell that he had a lot to say but there was so little talking that a gagged person could do so he settled to nodding his head. ''Don''t,'' was swhat I could read in his eyes when he shook his head.


    I decided to rx. The car started and we spent the entire night on the road, bound and ced in ufortable positions. Even Aiden wouldn''t believe me if I said I was fine but I didn''t need to because no one asked me anything.


    At some point during the ride, I remember falling asleep with a heavy heart. I had no idea what would be my fate and if I was ever going to be able to go back home to see my son. I had slept off thinking about it.


    Finally, the car rolled to a stop. I looked outside and saw that we were in the middle of nowhere...the middle of a bewilderness. The ce looked like it wasst used during the time of dinosaurs.


    As they pushed us, we walked wobbling into the forest. I knew I wasn''t walking, I was too weak that I was dragging my feet on the floor as we traipsed into the forest.


    We were abandoned beside a big oak tree that stood in the middle of the forest.


    I tiredly raised my head when I saw a foot d in a shoe stopped before us. It was Lucas.


    He waved his hand, an indication for his two men standing around to leave. "Turn on some music, no eavesdropping," he ordered menacingly, his eyes narrowing, "or else..."


    The two men scowled at Luigi and I before walking off into the direction we had been dragged from.


    Almost immediately, the sound of booming music thrummed through the forest.


    I eyed Luigi as he stepped forward and undid the gag of both of our mouths, she avoided my eyes when he removed mine. I was shocked when he brought out a gun and pointed it at Luigi. Then he coldly ordered, "Now, you can tell her."


    "Tell me what?" I wondered aloud, looking from Luigi to Lucas but I got no response. "What... what are you talking about?" I stuttered as I tried to contain my confusion.


    Luigi still had his head hung down, his gaze intently on his bonded hands.


    His shoulders sagged as he sighed. "Sydney," he started, "I... I''m really sorry. All of it was dupery," he raised his gaze and bore it into me, his eyes filled with apology. "It was all a scam to seize GT Group." Well, he already told me that but what other part was a scam?


    Luigi continued, "The real Lucas has been dead for a long time. The current Lucas is Dn. We nned it all and approached you in order to use you to deceive Mark and Doris so that we could get our hands on GT Group wealth. The n failed so we had to leave."


    What the fucking fudging hell!


    I could as well be listening to a documentary on someone else''s life because what nonsense was Luigi spewing out?


    My gaze impatiently flew from Lucas to Luigi until I started to feel really dizzy from the action. "Is... is what you''re saying true?"


    Lucas or was it Dn, who looked so much like Dn answered her questions contemptuously, "It is absolutely true, love."

 Chapter 0189

    Sydney''s POV


    Those words ran in my head as if a sledgehammer was being mmed against the strongest iron wall in my head. Dong!


    The ringing wouldn''t stop. I would have held my head but I was still bound.


    The forest was thrown into a fit of silence, even the music had drowned out. It was as if they were waiting for me to take it in.


    I started to think back to when Doris introduced Mark to me? Does Doris know about this? I wondered.


    Besides, how? How the hell was it possible that he wasn''t Lucas. He looked like him, he spoke and behaved like Lucas, everything about him was as I remembered!


    I snapped my gaze to him and my voice quivered as I asked, "You must be lying!" I let out between gritted teeth at the both of them. "If you don''t want me again, Lucas, just fucking tell me. Whye up with such a sick story."


    I could feel Luigi''s gaze drilling into my temple and as I looked up at Lucas who was ring at me, and a corner if his lips twitched from time to time.


    "Look, it''s okay, okay? It''s alright. I prepared myself for your rejection when I wasing here. So you should stop being a fuckin coward and say it to my face. Tell me you don''t want me anymore and let me go!"


    Lucas burst outughing boisterously and as much as I hated to admit it, now that I was equipped with the knowledge that he might not be Lucas, as I watched him, I could see some if the signs and my heart shattered.


    Lucas neverughs so hard. He never did.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    No, he''s not Lucas, I admitted within myself. But I didn''t want to believe it. I desperately wanted to cling to the belief that Lucas had only changed and that was it.


    "And who told you that I''d let you go?" He stepped forward, "You see? You''re a joker just like this my friend here?" He nodded toward Luigi who was ring at him.


    "Dn, this is enough. We''ve done enough damage, just let her go!"


    Dn, Lucas, whoever he really was tantly ignored Luigi and squatted before me, "Syd, I have a story to tell you."


    He stuck the gun in his pants and started to untie me. "And to enjoy this story, you have to be free."


    In mere minutes, he was through. I flexed my wrist and my ankle as I rested my back on the oak tree and perched on a raised tform on the ground. Sand must have gathered there during a storm or something. I thought tiredly.


    He turned to Luigi, "You too, old friend, let''s tell a story, shall we?" His lips pulled into a sick smile as he untied Luigi too.


    As I watched him untie Luigi, I had many ideas. Hit him with a stone and flee, stab him with my nonexistent knife...several means but he had a gun and with one pull of his finger, he could send the bullet straight into my head. Besides,I actually do want to hear the story.


    What happened to my Lucas?


    Then he started, "Before I begin, I want you, my audience, to know that Lucas was the sweetest soul I''ve ever met," be smiled and even in the dim rays of the moon that illuminated the midnight, I could see his smile and it was genuine.


    He perched down on a small rock before us, his gun firmly in his grasp. He opened his mouth to start speaking then he shook his head.


    He pointed his pistol at Luigi, "You know what?" My eyes widened, so did Luigi''s as we waited fir whatever he had to say. "Come tell the damned story."


    Luigi refused butter agreed when Dn pressed the gun to my temple.


    "Hesitate one more time and I promise you I''d blow the bitch''s brains off," he said and just the sound of those mere words elicited a whimper from me. Begrudgingly, Luigi started the story, while Dn kept the gun pressed to my head, with a sickening smile on his face.

 Chapter 0190

    "Dn and I both worked in a hospital as night shift caregivers..."


    My brows involuntarily rode up my hairline. It was really difficult to picture either of them as a caregiver.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Lucas was admitted to the hospital where Dn and Luigi worked.


    Lucas'' wealth was known to everyone in the hospital. And this coupled with the fact that he was young caught their attention.


    They deliberately got closer to Lucas intending to swindle him of some money. Lucas, who had been sick and lonely since childhood quickly bonded with Dn and Luigi who were also around his age. So it was easy for them to get to know things about him.


    My heart ached at this knowledge. If Lucas had had more friends, he might have been able to sniff theat Luigi and Dn weren''t really interested in being his friends but wanted his money. But then, Lucas was smart and very intuitive. Maybe he had just overlooked it because he was desperate forpany, even though he never showed it, he always yearned to have someone to talk to.


    "At first, we didn''t have any n." Luigi went on, still refusing to look me in the eyes, "we just went with the flow, hoping an opportunity will present itself. One morning, after our shifts, we had said our goodbyes to Lucas and were going home when Dn proposed an idea. He had recognized the family ring on Lucas'' finger and it belonged to the Esposito''s family here in Naples. So he made it seem like he was suggesting," Luigi threw an unguarded re at Dn and he chuckled. "That I had a say. He said he would take on Lucas'' identity so that we could attain a lot of wealth to set ourselves up for life. As Lucas illness was fatal and his death was inevitable anyway. The-"


    Dn suddenly interrupted Luigi with an irritatingugh, "You remember what I said at that part?" He asked amidstughter. "I said what use was wealth when it belonged to the dead," he finished andughed even harder.


    Luigi and I just stared nkly at him and wondered how I had not seen him for the maniac that he was.


    "Okay, go on," he sobered up and cleaned the small tears in the corner of his eyes.


    "At first, I disagreed," Luigi said quietly, "But Dn was quite a persuasive person. He sweet-talked me, made me see the benefit in the long run and eventually," his voice was even quieter this time that I had to strain my ears to hear him, "I agreed and we started to make ns.


    "Dn began to imitate Lucas''s actions, everything about Lucas and since he had the same.build and eye color with him, it was easier. We spent a long time preparing until we felt Dn hadpletely transformed into Lucas. We even ran a test. We locked Lucas, who was on a drug induced sleep after another debilitating fever, in the bathroom and Dn pretended to be Lucas on his hospital bed and wore some sheet mask that Lucas liked to wear and no one could tell that it was the wrong person, not even the doctor. Even his maid couldn''t tell."


    Wow.


    "That was lit, bro," Dnzilymented.


    "After then, we moved forward to another crucial step of our n..." he trailed off and paused. "And that was getting rid of Lucas.


    "We tricked Lucas into going camping with us in the forest. He was excited about the new experience. In the forest, we drugged him into a permanent sleep and buried his body in the forest," Luigi''s gaze flicked to my side before he quickly looked away again. "It was the only way we could avoid a death report at the hospital.


    I let out an involuntary gasp at the sheer cruelness of these two.


    "Now, that was the day Lucas got discharged at the hospital. His maid had gone to find the driver whom we made wandered away. Lucas found the idea of sneaking away very exciting so yeah." He shrugged, "before the end of the day, he was dered missing. For a week, I had to keep covering up our tracks as Dn quickly underwent facial stic surgery.

 Chapter 0191

    0191


    "When he was done, he was a splitting image of Lucas. Armed with Lucasc family ring and his other belongings, he went to the Esposito family''s head, Tavon and was epted back to the family."


    "Incase, you''re wondering, we cooked up a cock and bull story of me getting lost and getting kidnapped," Dn once again interrupted.


    "With


    Tavon''s support," Luigi continued without paying Dn any heed, "he nned that he''d get close to you so that he could take over GT Group but your final vote lead to the failure of everything we had nned for years."


    I sucked in a breath when Dn cocked the gun and pressed it harder on my temple. "You bitch! You were lucky we were on Mark''s turf, I would have killed you out of anger. You could have just worked with me, the man you imed you love but nah, you chose your ex husband who treated you badly over me who treated you like the queen that you weren''t."


    My heart felt tight and my vision became blurry as my eyes watered. My heart was shattered, not because I had spent my time loving the wrong man, but because of the pain that Lucas must have gone through. It was unfair. He just wanted to make new friends.


    My breathing came in shirt bursts and the anxiety I had been putting away for the past month resurfaced. I fell on my knees and grabbed my chest tightly to stop the ache.


    I wanted to scream, I wanted tosh out hurtful words at both of them but I couldn''t, I could barely steady. my strained breathing talkless uttering a word to anyone. I just knelt there, my hands clutching my chest as my tears slowly dropped onto the earth.


    When Luigi looked at me, his eyes were filled with pain and utter regret while Dn just watched me inAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    amusement.


    "Sydney, I''m sorry, I will pay for my mistakes, I promise..I regret every single second of it."


    Dn scoffed but said nothing


    Suddenly, in a blur, Luigi lunged at Dn and pushed him to the ground with a thud. Dn let out a grunt as his back hit the floor.


    "You psycho! Get off me," Dn tried to push Luigi off him but Luigi wouldn''t budge. He punched Dn in- the face to shut him up and started to wrestle for the gun in his hand.


    Dn was able to push Luigi off him. Instantly, Luigi sprang up to attack him again but this time, Dn was more prepared and faster. Before Luigi could take a step toward him, Dn pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.


    My heart dropped to the pit of my belly and a scream finally tore from my throat as I watched Luigi fall to the ground, his blood sttering on my face.


    "Luigi!" I sobbed and scrambled to his body. He didn''t deserve to end like this. Atleast, he regretted his actions.


    Dn walked up to me. "I never liked him, he was too cowardly and good," he hissed.


    "Hey," he kicked me by my side twice until I looked up. He looked down at me and pointed the gun in my


    direction. "Don''t waste your tears on this. The money he spent on F1 racing was also Lucas''s. He''s not innocent," he said coldly.


    Tears rolled down my eyes as I shuffled back to where I had been sitting by the oak tree, my heart filled with grief. I wrapped my arms around myself and asked, "Where did you bury Lucas?"


    He smirked, "I thought you weren''t going to ask. Then he casually pointed the gun in his grasp to the small mound by the oak tree. The one I had sat down on this whole time. "There, right next to you."

 Chapter 0192

    At first, I flinched away, then I moved closer and ttered my palm on the small mound that I had thought was just a pile of sand. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I couldn''t stop them from flowing. freely.


    Now looking closely at it, I could see the weeds sprouting from the mound like they were mocking me. The sight felt like a dagger getting piercing into my heart.


    My chest hurt so much it was as if my heart had been wrenched out of it, and it was groaning from the loss of what it revolved around. That was exactly how I also felt, a hollow emptiness.


    All these years, I had been waiting for Lucas, hoping against hope that he was alive, and then he turned out to be... gone. I had fallen in love with him, allowed myself to be consumed by those feelings, only to start hating him again because I wasn''t privy to the real truth- he had stopped existing a long time ago.


    The poor boy, Lucas, had only wanted to make friends and experience the simple joys that most take for granted. He wanted to live a normal life, even if it was just once, but they robbed him of those privileges by ending his life so callously. They had not only taken his life but also stolen his identity, further selfishly ensuing chaos in the lives of his loved ones.


    I could already picture Lucas so vividly, sitting in his wheelchair, his face alight with that bright, radiant smile that he always wore. The kind he''d have on even if the world was falling apart. He always had this calmness...this soothing feeling to him that could make anyone happy.


    I should have noticed that there wasn''t a lot of that trademark calmness and radiance of his when the fake Lucas infiltrated my life. The imposter was always quick to anger, unlike the real Lucas. He also had a bad temper that red up at any slight provocation.


    I had stupidly overlooked it because I was blinded by my desire to reignite my childhood dreams.


    I wondered if they had forced a drink down his throat to drug him or if he had willingly gulped it down. Knowing Lucas, always so trusting, he probably willingly took whatever they gave him.


    My heart pulled tight in my chest as I imagined his weak body going limp in his wheelchair as he slept forever. They were so heartless that the best they could do was bury him in the small forbidden space. Lucas might have been sick, but he was not small, not in spirit or in the impact he had on those around him.


    They must have folded his body when they buried him here, here in this wilderness, like some stray and abandoned dog. They couldn''t even try harder and give him a tombstone. My tears poured down as I shook my head at the cruelness if it all, Lucas never deserved any of these, he didn''t.


    If they had asked, Lucas would have happily given them and even took them in as his brother.


    My hatred for Dn was rooted in my heart, it burnt like a raging fire and I would keep it burning until! saw Dn burn in it. I swear with my life and my son''s! would take revenge for Lucas. My ttened palm on the mound curled into fists and my tears stopped pouring.


    Dn would regret the day he met me, he would curse the day over and over and over again until hisst breath.


    But first, I must survive. I now had multiple reasons to stay alive. For my son and for Lucas.


    I swallowed and wiped the fury on my face. I turned to Dn and found a smirk on his face. He moved closer to me, lowered his hand and pressed the gun to my forehead. He mocked, "You came all the way to Italy just to find your beloved Lucas, didn''t you? Well, now that you''ve found him, you should be satisfied to die. You are ready to die a happy death so you can reunite with him in hell, right?" He smiled ruefully, "I promise you, this time I''ll be a good guy and bury you two in the same pit." Heughed maniacally.


    I suppressed the anger that''s rapidly growing in me. I suppressed the insane urge to throw myself at him and hit him on his chest because that would be stupid and it wouldn''t have any effect on him.


    I lifted my chin, baring my neck to him, he used to like it whenever I did that. As I tipped my chin up, the gun slid to the bridge of my nose and he left it there, his eyes fixated on my neck and the mounds in myCopyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    chest.

 Chapter 0193

    I bit my lip guiltily, my gaze falling from his face to the floor and back to his face again. "You shouldn''t have brought me here," I said in a small voice. I shook my head, "You could have killed me anywhere else but here. How can I admit before Lucas that I fell in love with you?" My voice quivered and I hung my head down, toying with my fingers.


    There was a pause then he said, his words dripping with confusion, "What did you say?" He nudged my forehead with the gun and I looked up to find a deep frown on his stic face. Again, I berated myself, how hadn''t I figured this out? He freaking never shaved!


    His eyes narrowed his eyes and pressed the gun even harder to the point that my forehead hurt, "You''re not just saying this to survive, are you?" He said in a cold voice.


    I slowly rose to my feet. He eyed me as he took a step back. "Stay right there!".


    "Is that what you want?" I drawled and took another step forward then before he could take another cowardly step back, I quickly gripped the muzzle and ced it on my chest.


    A silent don escaped me as a tear slid down my face. I tipped my chin, "You can kill me now, but please, I beg you," I made sure my voice trembled for the fight effect, "don''t kill me in front of Lucas''s grave. ashamed because I fell in love with someone else."


    His mouth opened ajar as he let out a small an inaudible gasp.


    tam


    I took another step closer and he still kept the gun pressed to my chest, "I won''t me you for killing me, deserve it, but I beg you, before I take myst breath, give me a kiss. With this kiss, I won''t be afraid to face death. Atleast, I git to confess my feelings to the one I loved."


    It was ring that he was was stunned and he didn''t bother to hide it. He narrowed his gaze at my tearful eyes and barked, "You''re lying! You lying bitch! How could you possibly love me?!"


    His voice got louder and louder as he yelled and I fought the urge to palm my ears and step away


    him.


    from


    "You piece of shit!" He dost out, "You just want to survive, that''s why you''re saying this! I swear I''ll blow your brains out if you take one more step."


    It was a rush, someone like Mark would call it stupid bit I was taking this risk. It was the only way I knew could get out of here alive.


    I shook her head, morphing my face to.look.as genuine as possible, "Why can''t I love you, Dn?" I let out a painedugh, ''Tell me," I dared him and took another step forward which prompted him to take his too, cursing under his breath as he did, but he didn''t pull the trigger.


    "Dn,"1-said in a soft voice, "You are the one who walked with me under the moon not Lucas as I had thought, you helped me chase that thief that night..."


    Well, technically it was Luigi who chased the thief but oh well.


    I continued, "You are the one I kissed, made love to and enjoyed every single second of your hands on my body."


    He swallowed and his gaze darkened.


    "I fell in love with the man I did all of these things with, I waited for two years to meet you and I am d I


    you can kill me, but you can''t make me deny that I love you," I smiled sadly as I finished.


    By this time, he had lowered his gun and his face wasn''t contorted in that scary way again. I took the biggest step, closed the space between us and pulled him in for a kiss. Suppressing my disgust, I squeezed my eyes shut and deepened the kiss.


    Dn emitted a guttural groan as his breathing became rapid, his arms wrapped around me and pressing my body to his. I heard the soft thud of his gun when it hit the ground as he let down his guard then his trembling hands cupped my face and kissed me back, diving his tongue into my mouth.


    I almost gagged as we continued to kiss and I wondered how I had managed to enjoy this before now. Perhaps, it was the thought that I was kissing Lucas that made it enjoyable.


    "Do...do you really love me?" He asked in a small gruff voice when we pulled apart.


    I looked at him with a wide smile and snaked my arm around his neck. I ced a long peck on his lips and said, "My love for you can withstand any test."T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0194

    Sydney''s POV


    Dn smiled smugly, his palm caressing my back until he stopped at nape. "Good girl..." he drawled. Then his grip on my nape tightened so hard that I almost winced in pain. He snarled, "And if it doesn''t?"


    I smirked then as I bent to pick up the gun that fell, he had to release my neck. When he saw what I picked up, he growled, "What the fuck do you think you''re doing?" But that was all. He didn''t attempt to snatch the gun from me. He just watched and waited to see what I was going to do.


    I held his hard gaze and took his hand. I ced the gun in it then I lifted my chin, baring my neck and made him press the gun to my throat. ¡°I''m all yours," I purred, I pushed his hand so that the gun digs into my throat, slightly constricting my breathing. "If my love for you doesn''t stand the test of time then do with me whatever you wish."


    He smirked and his eyelids slightly dropped as he trailed down my neck with the gun until his hands fell to his side. In an instant, he was gripping my neck again and roughly kissing me.


    He abruptly pulled away, gripped my forearm and literally dragged me to wherever he was headed. I looked back and gave Luigi and Lucas'' grave onest look before I turned back.


    I realized that he had brought us to the car. He yanked the door open and his subordinates that were seated in the car stared at both of us, stunned.


    "Get the fuck out, you twits!"


    The second the words left his mouth, his subordinates scrambled out of the car as if there was a fire


    outbreak in it.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    "Come on," he pressed my head down and pushed me into the backseat, "Tie her."


    They nodded and two of them were on either side of me. I quietly remained still and let them do as they were ordered, all the while I watched Dn as he watched them tie me with an unfatho on his face. ble expression


    When they were done, he turned to them. "Dispose of Luigi''s body and get out of here." "Yes sir!" They chorused and quickly jogged toward the direction where Luigi''s bodyy. Then he got in the front seat and mmed the door shut. I thought he was going to drive off but he just remained there, motionless.


    For minutes, we said nothing. One in a minute, our eyes locked in the rearview mirror for a second before he''d look away again. And I could see that at that moment, with me tied in his backseat and his men out of sight, he had let his guards down. Several emotions crossed his eyes as he stared ahead.


    When he met my eyes again, his veil was back on. "Not that I need to exin anything to you... Luigi attacked me. You know he was going to kill me if he could..." he paused and I guessed he was waiting for


    a response.


    nodded slowly.


    "I had no choice but to kill him, got it?"


    I nodded again.


    "Good," he said coldly, "you should know what fate awaits you if you ever try anything stupid."


    I nodded again.


    He was still looking in the mirror. I thought he was looking then I realized that he wasn''t. His focus was behind the car.


    I turned my head as much as a tied person could and saw his men handling Luigi''s body. My heart slightly ached when I saw his body.


    I turned back to find Dn''s gaze on me.


    I pouted, "Poor Luigi, I actually liked him. He was a cool guy. But he deserved what he got. How dare he try to hurt you."


    His eyes searched my face then he looked away without saying a thing.


    He gripped the steering wheel as if he was having a fight with it, stepped on the elerator and sped off into the night.


    It wasn''t until I saw the restaurant I sometimes visited because the bacon and pancakes that the hotel where I am lodged made were trash that I realized Dn was driving to the hotel.

 Chapter 0195

    i


    When he parked before the hotel, he dragged me out of the car and into the hotel.


    He stopped at the front desk as if he had been doing this his whole life. "Room card!"


    At this point, I already gathered that he must have known about my arrival in Italy and chose to either ignore it or bid his time. Bid his time for what? That I do not know.


    Umm..." the staff on the front desk passed me an uncertain look and slightly raised her brows.


    I gave her a ''go ahead'' nod.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    Without any further question, he handed the room card to Dn. With a re, Dn snatched the card from her and she flinched back.


    I threw her an apologetic look as we turned to leave.


    Dn didn''t care who was watching, he once again dragged me to the elevator. In there,I stood like a beaten puppy behind him, only able to direct my re at his shoe-d feet.


    When the elevator stopped on the floor where my room was and the doors slid open, he sMarkped down the hallway. He didn''t drag me this time so I rushed after him like he''d want me to.


    He stopped before my room door and easily slid the card in. When it got unlocked, he pushed me inside and I stumbled in.


    He locked the door and went straight for my bag that was carelessly thrown in the armchair in the room.


    I watched him disy his maniacal behavior as he rummaged through my bag. He did that for a while then with a hiss, he turned it upside down, and bent down to pick my passport, ID and phone. He brought out his gun from his back pocket and pointed it at me.


    I hadn''t even realized he still had the gun with him.


    He covered the space between us and pressed the gun to my chin. "You love me, don''t you?" He said in a gruff voice.


    I nodded wordlessly.


    Then he said threateningly, "Since you im you love me, you have to prove you won''t get up and leave someday."


    He stretched the items he took from my bag to me, "You know what to do now, don''t you?"


    The icy coldness of the gun on my chin was a recurring reminder that if I made any wrong move or said the wrong thing, the maniac wouldn''t hesitate to blow my face off.


    So I smiled and managed an unreluctant nod. I took the ID card, passport and phone from him. Then I took a step back from the gun, turned and headed for the bathroom.


    I heard his silent footsteps as he followed me sndi could sense that he still had the gun up.


    I smiled at him as I dropped the items on the counter. One after the other, I took the ID card and passport and tore them into shreds then threw then into the toilet.


    I hoped he didn''t expect me to ruin a perfectly good phone as I removed my sim card from it. I returned my phone to the counter before I dropped the sim into the toilet too.


    I raised my brows at him as I flushed the toilet. "My love for you will stand all tests," I rephrased my fake promise from earlier.


    Even though this was all a ruse to end him, just like he said, I had to prove to him that I meant it and that meant doing crazy things. That meant cutting off the people that were like a family to me. If he hadn''t forced me, I would have cut off from Mark and Grace anyway. Because I knew if I didn''t return when I had nned to, Mark might trace my location ande finding me.


    Besides, there was no possibility that this would go through, I might fail and never get to see Aiden or Mark or Grace again but I wouldn''t fall without trying.


    Dn smiled in satisfaction.


    I walked over to him and wound my arms around his neck, pressing my chest against his, "The only person I can rely on now is you, Dn," somehow, I was able to make my eyes slightly water. "I beg you to love me, just like before. Can you do that?"

 Chapter 0196

    He scoffed, "I never loved you. It was all an act. I used you."


    I smiled, my smile filled with pain, "Funny how I like that. Use me as you want, Dn. I''ve told you, I''m all yours." Then I rested my head on his chest, "All I ask is that you love me."


    He walked us backward and when my butt hit the counter, he stopped. He carefully ced his gun on theBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    counter.


    He bowed his head and buried his face in my neck, he sniffed as his hand groped my breast hard. I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming in pain and clenched my fists to kill the urge to push him off me. His hand slid down my body and he hooked it at the band of my short shorts.


    "No! no no," I wanted to scream as he roughly pulled down my shorts without bothering with the button and the hard material roughly brushed on my bare skin.


    Before I could fully process what was happening, he hoisted me into the counter and roughly shoved his


    dick into me.


    My fingers on his shoulders tightened and I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip. Hell! That hurt! He breathed hard as he rapidly thrust into me, pulling in and out and grunting into my neck.


    It took a while before I could fake a moan which seemed to heighten his ego as his grip on my thigh tightened and his thrust became impossibly hard.


    God, I wanted to cry as my back hit the wall repeatedly. This idiot used to make love to me so softly when we dated. My thighs hurt as I wrapped my legs around his hips and struggled to meet his pace.


    "You know," he started but took a pause after another brutal thrust. "I used to admire your cleverness in dealing with Mark." He grunted, "Now, it seems that''s all it is, you are just a boring, silly and pathetic woman," he scoffed, tipped his head back and grunted. "begging for my love."


    "If loving you makes me pathetic and silly, then so be it I answered breathlessly. "Besides," I purred and faked another moan, "Don''t you know that a woman in love has no IQ?"


    "Hm hm."


    "I treated him that way because I didn''t love him. But you''re different, Dn. I love you.


    I couldn''t help but cross my fingers as I lied. Even the heavens should know that I didn''t mean everything I was saying.


    Dn didn''t say anything else, his grip just tightened and he quickened his movements.


    I buried my fingers in his thick hair, and my body now synced easily with his.


    I closed my eyes that it was just a matter of time. I just needed to be patient, that was all. And this shouldn''t be so hard, after we used to make love before - when I thought he was Lucas. I just had to suck up to him until the time was right.


    Well, during our ride back, Dn became not so quiet and started to blurt about his childhood to his hostage at the back of the car a.k.a. me.


    Due to what I made sense of his fragmented stories, his upbringing and environment groomed him into a ruthless, brutal, cold and skeptical man.


    But there was one thing they might or might not have groomed him to be but he wanted it. Hecked it anyway and even if he doesn''t say it, he deeply yearns for it. Well, I was ready to give it to him.


    I will give it to him and make him believe that someone sane could actually love an animal like him.

 Chapter 0197

    I couldn''t remember how I ended up on the bed with Dnst night... Or maybe I did, I just didn''t want to recall it, I couldn''t. I feel sore all over. And right now, all I feel is extreme tiredness and a gnawing hunger.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Dn fucking whoever he really was, was a greedy and insatiable man. It only took not more than twenty minutes after pulling away from me for him to get on top of me again. He kept grinding me like he was some beast, ordering me to keep telling him I loved him. What type of psycho was that?


    I actually wished the gnawing hunger was rted to my tiredness or even a little something to do with it but no. The louder my cries and fake moans mixed with his loud grunts got, the higher my hatred for him heightened. My hunger for revenge was making me starved and I needed to collect myself before I did something really stupid and get myself killed.


    Every touch of his hands on my skin made me want to recoil in disgust. The weight of his body pinning me down was like being smothered by a massive rock. Each thrust felt like a vition, yet I had to feign pleasure to keep up this sickening charade. With every passing minute, I could feel my soul being chipped away bit by bit.


    1 also noticed that he hadn''t used protection. He usually remembered to use it when he pretended to be Lucas, apart from the times where we weren''t acting like rowdy animals. The only thing I was grateful for was that I had an IUD installed beforeing to Italy.


    When I still thought I was abandoned, I knew I was mad at Lucas. Raving mad but it never extended to hating him. I still loved him, I was just angry and sad that he left but he not only leave, he left without so much as an appropriate goodbye. So I was worried that I might not be able to control my sexual desires if I ever found him which might in turn lead to another pregnancy - which I was sure I would not be ready for, no doubt.


    At first, I didn''t want to admit it because the thought itself was embarrassing but I had toe to terms with myself and do the needful, Now, it was what would save me from having another


    A small mercy amidst this living nightmare.


    ''d for this man.


    My stomach growled and I silently moaned as I clutched it, I was starving in the literal sense. The fucker couldn''t even have the decency to order us some food before he sucked all of the strength out of me. Just another disy of his utter selfishness andck of care for me as a person. I was merely an object to be used for his twisted desires.


    I briefly nced at his stic face. He was still sound asleep. I sighed and turned away from him on the bed. Then I quietly rose from my sleeping position and sat at the edge of the bed so I wouldn''t disturb him. In truth, I didn''t want him to wake up yet because I wasn''t ready to hear hismanding voice or see his sickening smirk. I needed this little time alone so that I could be able to prepare myself for the horrible day ahead. These fleeting moments of solitude were my only reprieve.


    As I was about to get on my feet, my roaming eyes fell on a handgun - the one from yesterday - hanging cut of the pocket of his jacket on the coat rack. My gaze glued to it and my heart rate quickened, mming against my chest as it did. Should I pick it up? If I could quietly reach there and grab the gun without waking me up, I would only be a trigger away from ending all of this and fulfilling my wish.


    It would be quick and easy. All I have to do is slightly hurt myself so that I would be able to feign to the


    hotel security that I shot him in self-defense. I almost went through with it; I almost leapt out of bed and tiptoed there but then... It could be a test. No, I wouldn''t do it. Seeing that, he was still having trouble believing that I loved him, even as he fucked me throughout the night, the psycho might put me through some sick tests that were as sick as his head.


    So I diminished every thought of killing him in his sleep. Besides what satisfaction was there in killing him while he was asleep? That would be a peaceful death at most. I need him to feel that tightening in his chest after I''ve made him believe me and love me back when I turn the gun on him. If I killed him now, I''d only be confirming his suspicion which in some way would be satisfying to him. No, he didn''t deserve such an easy end. He needed to suffer first....


    Suddenly, I felt a prickle at the back of my neck and I knew that I was being watched at that very moment but I didn''t dare to look back.

 Chapter 0198

    I closed my eyes and willed myself to rx. Rx, Sydney, you still have things under control. I took a deep breath, pushing down the rising panic. One misstep and this whole n could unravel. I can''t let my fear or disgust show through. I am the actor here and he is the audience. I must y my role wlessly.


    I stood from the bed with a yawn and stretched as I made my way to the bathroom. In the bathroom, I turned on the tap and washed my face. The cool water helped clear my head a bit. I stared at my reflection - my eyes looked hollow, devoid of the light they once held. How much more of myself would! have to sacrifice?


    Then I went into the shower and set the water temperature to ''cold'' and stood under it. Goosebumps rapidly spread all over my body and I felt the urge to turn it off and have a warm bath instead but a warm bath would not prepare me for the day ahead. I needed a scrub bath. I needed to scrape away everyst remnant of him from my skin.


    As I took my bath, memories ofst night shed in my eyes and I couldn''t stop the tears from falling. I didn''t stop them. Thank God I was in the shower - a cold shower at that. The icy water masked my sobs as I cried for Aiden, my sweet boy who I may never get to see again. I cried for Lucas, the man I''loved, now just a ghost of a memory trapped behind this horrific facade.


    I cried as I scrubbed my body like a mad woman just to get his touch and cologne off me, even though I knew he would still touch me again. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I could never be clean. His vition had stained my soul.


    I wrapped a towel around my damp body and stood before the bathroom mirror. I looked at my tired far even after the shower, the bone-deep exhaustion I felt still shone through. The fear that filled my eyes was easy to hide but the hate was the hardest to hide. It filled me up everywhere to the brim, dripping off me in multifolds. As much as I''d like him to see this - how much he repulsed me I had to rece the hate with love; love for my beloved Dn. At least on the surface.


    I smiled at myself in the mirror, a hollow, practiced smile. I gave myself a small nod and left the bathroom, my game face on. No matter how hard this was, I had to see it through. Survive first, then live. Naturally, my gaze riveted to him as I stepped into the room. He was still asleep. Or he was still pretending to be asleep. I wouldn''t put it past him to be testing me even now.


    As I passed by, I identally bumped into the coat rack, causing the gun to slip out of the pocket and drop on the floor with a resounding thud.


    "Shit!" I muttered under my breath but then, I frowned at the gun on the floor. What?


    Almost immediately, Dn quickly sat up, looking dazed. In a blur, he was on the floor, he reached for the gun and pointed it toward me.


    I took reflexive steps back. Stay calm, I told myself, don''t let him sense your fear.


    "I''m sorry," I pleaded, making my voice tremble. "I didn''t mean to wake you up, I''m really sorry."


    There was a nasty sneer on his face and his voice was low and dangerous. "You want to kill me, don''t you? It was your n all along."


    I shook my head and said in a weak, quivering voice, "I didn''t." I made my eyes wide, full of innocent fear.


    He scoffed and his eyes became even colder as he snarled, "Do you think I would believe you?"T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "I really didn''t, I just got up to take a shower," I cried, making the tears flow. I was the picture of a terrified woman, pleading for her life.


    I should be hit with the hot sting of a bullet that will go right through my neck, right? Yes, but nothing happened.


    I tried to look as surprised as I could as a triumphant smile spread across his face.


    "Just kidding, there are no bullets in this gun."


    My face turned pale and my eyes filled with tears and fear. "You can''t scare me like this anymore," I cried, my voice quivering. "My heart literally stopped beating, Dn."


    I watched as heughed and walked to me. "God, you should''ve seen your face."


    I gave him a nk "I''m angry but it''s hard to be mad at you because I freaking love you'' expression, "It''s not funny, Dn. I was terrified."


    He smirked and just moved closer. He stroked my chin tenderly and I giggled in response.


    Thanks to my past self defense sses and Mark''s insistence in ensuring I underwent three months of shooting training, the moment the gun hit the ground, I knew there were no bullets in it. So, this was a test, afterall. A dumb test, if you ask me. But I''m d that I passed.


    22

 Chapter 0199

    Chapter 0199 Sydney''s POV


    I hadn''t seen Dn for two freaking weeks. Two weeks of blessed silence and freedom from his sickening touch and mind games. But I knew the reprieve wouldn''tst.


    That day, after the dumb test with the unloaded gun, he showered and then we had breakfast t together. An awkward, tension-filled meal where I struggled to keep up the facade of a lovestruck woman while hiding my revulsion. When we finished, he brought me to an impressive mansion on the outskirts of the city.


    He said just a sentence, a sentence that had me twitching my lips into a weird smile to stop myself from scoffing, "You are now my woman, this ce will be your home from now on."


    On the surface, this would have been ideal, as I never wanted him around in the first ce. But I needed him close to get to know more about him, make him fall for my act, and most crucially, to monitor his every moye. Distance would make achieving my goal nearly impossible.


    Besides, I was starting to get paranoid that this twisted n might not go exactly as I''d envisioned. Maybe it was a stupid n from the start, because in this huge, garish mansion, I wasn''t the only woman he had stashed away. I was just one of many.


    How wonderful it would have been if the other women were simply maids meant to serve me and be at my every beck and call. But no, the other women were all Dn''s lovers - some of whom seemed genuinely, disturbingly in love with him. Sad, empty souled creatures. And all I had in this gilded prison was just a single room to call my own.


    I was starting to get desperate. I had thought I was ying a finely tuned game of love with the bastard, stringing him along until I could strike. But now, it seemed I was just another of his many ythings, easily discarded, and I had never really gotten anywhere near his twisted heart.


    Worse, I couldn''t even have the utter peace of mind I should have expected, because the veteran members of his harem were obviously jealous of the newpetition. They tried to bully me as the newest concubine, so I was usually in the middle of a shouting fight or physical altercation. There was no way I would let them bully me and go unpunished.


    Besides, it was another way of proving to any watchful eyes that I actually loved Dn, even when he wasn''t present. I couldn''t count the number of times I''ve yelled with dramatic vigor "Dn is all mine, you bitches!" Who knew who among them was his spy, reporting back my every move.


    But I got tired of the wing and backbiting after the first three days, as it seemed to be the only thing the women did. It was like a mindless chore - they woke up, bathed, and then came out of their rooms solely to fight and scratch at each other, struggling to win Dn''s fleeting favor and maintain their meaningless status. I started to outrightly ignore their sneers and bitter words. They were meaningless gnats, unworthy of my attention.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I didn''t entirely me them though. With Dn wearing Lucas'' beautiful face, I could understand why some woman might be drawn to his physical appearance alone. Because there was absolutely no way any woman in her right mind would ever fall for his vile, abusive personality unless she too was just as mentally unwell,


    I didn''t want to participate in their vapid game anymore. I was afraid that if I did, I would get hopelessly trapped in the unreasonable struggle for dominance and utterly forget why I was actually here - my thirst. Chapter 0199


    for justice. Who knew if there was even another garish mansion filled with more disposable women. somewhere. It would be a fruitless, infinite fight.


    So one day, I simply tried to leave the mansion altogether. And strangely, though thankfully, no one stopped me as I calmly strolled out the front gates and into the grounds. Perhaps this istion from him was another of Dn''s twisted tests?


    I suddenly found myselfughing like a crazed person once I made it back to my room - the single room


    doubt. that was assigned to me in this den of depravity. This had to be Dn''s new gauntlet, no

 Chapter 0200

    Perhaps I was inadvertently making progress and regaining his trust, bit by bit. He seemed to be trying to prove some sadistic point by allowing me freedom to leave. He was loudly stating that whether I chose to stay or go, it didn''t truly matter because he had an entire stable of disposable women to rece me with at his beck and call.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    It was such a contradictory and ludicrous game he yed. If he was truly trying to im he didn''t care if I left for good, then why did he make me tear up my own passport before our journey? Perhaps he was certain that no matter where I ran, I had nowhere permanent to go and could only inevitably return to the mansion, utterly dependent on him. I guess that knowledge alone satisfied the sick bastard''s ego.


    Ha! What a deranged mind game was this? Some twisted way to train obedient pets? Or perhaps it was merely his idea of fun - learning just how to instill discipline and loyalty in his mindless human ythings. Or maybe in his demented perspective, we were all simply pests to be toyed with until he grew bored.


    But I didter leave the grounds of the gaudy mansion for my own reasons. I simply walked straight out the gates and eventually found an old bicycle to borrow. Utilizing my uncannily urate memory. wasn''t difficult at all for me to navigate through the surrounding forest and locate Lucas'' grave in a remote clearing.


    I parked the bicycle a respectful few feet from his grave and started to clear away the weeds and overgrowth from the makeshift mound of earth marking his final resting ce. I worked steadily, feeling an odd sense of calm.


    I wasn''t scared at all to be out here alone. In fact, I found myself almost reflexively chatting with Lucas about the most random, inconsequential things, just like when we were little children and he was alive. Talking to the silence was strangelyforting, like he could still hear me.


    My heart felt heavy with a mncholic ache at the happier memories of him, which were now overflowing behind my eyes and threatening to spill over into tears. But I watched what I said carefully, mostly just recounting our times together and rying stupid jokes or anecdotes that I knew would have made Lucasugh uproariously I hoped he wasughing wherever his spirit now resided. Because I had no doubt that Dn almost certainly had someone tracking me without my knowledge during this unsupervised o 9. Or maybe there was already some kind of locator or recording device nted on me or in my belongings.


    "You remember that time when I first saw you?" I smiled heartily. I imagined that Lucas smiled back at me like he always did, waiting for me to narrate how our first meeting had unfolded again. "I was stuffing my face with all the nice food in your kitchen like the glutton that I was when you wheeled in and stared at


    me."


    He wouldugh uproariously at this point, just like he did when I first told the story years ago. I could almost hear the warmth of hisughter echoing through the trees.


    Then I covered my face with my hands, feigning embarrassment. "Goodness, I hate to imagine what a slovenly sight I must have looked like back then."


    In my mind''s eye, he would give me that long, thoughtful look of his that always made butterflies go wild in my belly and my face flush red. Then he''d smile that beautiful, crinkly-eyed smile and say in that kind. voice I loved so much, "You looked cute, Syd. As cute as can be."


    Hours slowly passed as I sat there, reliving our happiest moments together and making new imaginary


    memories with Lucas to fill the void of his absence. I tried my best not to dwell on those agonizing final days where heid bedridden and miserable in the hospital. By the time I finished carefully clearing all the weeds and growth from his grave mound, the sun had set, casting long shadows through the trees.


    Not wanting to leave just yet, I decided to make him a little flower wreath before departing, just like the ones I used to make for him when we were kids. I gathered some wildflowers growing around the area, even using some of the weeds I had pulled up. Tired but focused, I sat cross-legged on the forest floor and started weaving the flower stems together into a simple circlet.

 Chapter 0201

    Once the wreath waspleted, I smiled sadly at my handiwork, running my fingers over the bright petals. "I''m sure he would have loved this one too," I whispered. He used to treasure every little silly craft I made him, no matter how ugly or lopsided I thought it looked.


    I sighed heavily and just sat there for several long seconds, the fragile wreath resting in my hands as I stared silently at the patch of disturbed earth that was his final resting ce. Then, so quiet I could barely hear my own voice, I murmured, "Lucas, I will definitely avenge your death. I swear it."


    With those words lingering in the still air, I ced the flower wreath on his makeshift tomb, gently pressing it into the sand so that it would remain in ce, a bright spot of color adorning his grave.


    After taking onest long look tomit this moment to memory, I retrieved the bicycle and slowly pedaled my way back in the direction of the mansion and its upants. An odd sense of mncholy hung over me, but also a reinvigorated sense of purpose.


    When I arrived back at the garish pce, the women who were milling about stopped what they were doing and just stared at me in surprise. They seemed utterly stunned to see that I had actually returned of my own free will to this gilded prison. The ones who had managed to forge some kind of alliance or friendship in the midst of all the petty drama and constant jockeying for position whispered amongst themselves, no doubt wondering what could have brought me back. But I simply ignored them all, keeping my face an inscrutable mask as I strode past without a word.


    That night, after ensuring the door to my room was locked, I drew myself a long, calming bath, dousing. my tired body with all the nice scented bath washes, oils, and scrubs I could find stocked in the opulent bathroom. Surprisingly, my private chambers were extremely well-appointed with luxuries. The other rooms were probably equipped simrly to keep Dn''s human pets cated.


    Once I was freshly bathed, I slipped into the fanciest, most preciously delicate lingerie set I could find in the massive wardrobe that came with the room. I squirmed a bit as I carefully pulled on eachce and satin piece, wondering with a twinge of disgust if these intimates had ever adorned the body of some other poor woman he had used and discarded before me, even though the tags andbels were still pristine.


    With my preparationsplete, Iid myself down on the plush bed, posing myself artfully among the mound of pillows, and calmly waited for his inevitable arrival. Perhaps adopting a mask of seductive vulnerability would help regain what little trust he still had in me after my solo outing.


    I was nearly starting to doze off, my eyelids growing heavier by the second, when the door to my room was abruptly pushed open from the outside, causing it to m into the wall with a resounding bang that made me jump.


    I sprang up from my half-asleep repose into a seated position, clutching the bed covers to my chest. It took a few moments for my eyes to readjust and process the figure standing in the now open doorway. There was a gloomy, almost pained expression on Dn''s face- unless I was mistaking it for something else? Hurt, maybe?


    Whatever


    stormy emotions were flickering across his features, I knew better than to show any outward


    satisfaction or gloating. I resisted there to smile triumphantly, instead keeping my expression one ofN?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    wary caution as I waited for him to make the first usation.


    "You said you loved me, didn''t you?" he growled in that low, menacing tone of his. "Then why did you go to him again?"

 Chapter 0202

    SYDNEY''S POV


    I erupted in a fit ofughter, mainly because he cracked me up. How could he possibly be jealous of a dead man? He really did look adorably pouty in that moment, standing there trying his best to look intimidating with that angry gaze. At that instant, it was almost easy to believe I was simply bantering with my beloved Lucas.


    This confrontation was actually a very good sign, despite his melodramatic disy of envy. It meant that my carefully cultivated deception was still going strong. Even if I hadn''t fully prated his twisted heart yet, I had undeniably managed to worm my way into his fragile psyche to a fairly substantial degree.


    "Sorry," I giggled, palming my mouth in an attempt to stifle the burblingughter as I climbed down from the bed to face him properly. I couldn''t help but be faintly amused by his irrational jealousy over something so silly.


    While Iughed at his preposterous behavior, Dn hissed out a irritated breath and stalked over to perch himself on the armchair situated by the door, his piercing gaze remaining fixated intently on me the whole while.


    The moment the duvet covering my body slipped down, fully revealing my barely-clothed form to his eyes, I watched hungrily as his eyes suddenly darkened with naked longing. I could practically feel the hot, greedy trail his eyes raked lecherously over every curve and expanse of exposed skin.


    I was finally able to rein in myughter at his expense as I purposefully sashayed my hips provocatively while sauntering towards him. Moving withnguid, exaggerated slowness, I closed the distance between


    1. US.


    First, I slid my fingers through his thick hair, lightly massaging his scalp in a way I knew he enjoyed from past experience. I smirked when his eyes fluttered closed at the simple sensation of my fingers carding through his locks. I caressed the line of his stubbled jaw, trailing my hand down to gently cup the side of his neck before finally dropping it to rest on his shoulder.


    Taking things further, I firmly grasped his shoulders and lifted one leg over hisp to straddle his hips, my scantily d coreing to rest mere inches from where I could feel his growing arousal straining against the confines of his pantsBelongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I held his darkened gaze steadily, purposefully pouting my full lips into an enticing moue as I chided him sultrily, "Why did you ignore me deliberately for so long?" My lips turned down into an exaggerated frown. I saw so many of your women wandering around this mansion when you left me alone with them for days. I could have died from jealousy, Dn. I needed some space, some fresher air that wasn''t saturated with the scent of all the other females you sleep with.¡±


    I shrugged one shoulder as if it was no big deal. "I merely had to go visit an old friend to talk to since your deprived me of yourpany for so long. You know I know no one else in this town besides Lucas. I went to see him, an old friend, so what?" I arched one delicately sculpted eyebrow at him in mock challenge. "Are you jealous of a dead man''s memory, my love?"


    Without uttering a single word in response, Dn''s arms abruptly snaked their way around my waist, hisrge palms ttening possessively against the bare skin of my lower back. He tugged me firmly forward until our bodies were flush together, crushing my silk-d breasts against the hard nes of his chest.


    He cradled me tightly, as if he wanted to physically merge our bodies into one entity.


    Dn buried his face into the crook of my neck - a intimate gesture I had noticed he seemed to take particr pleasure in. His hot breath fanned over my sensitive skin as he murmured in that low, husky rasp of his that never failed to spark little tendrils of warmth to unfurl low in my belly, "Don''t you resent me for killing him?"


    A heavy silence fell between us as I considered how best to respond. Slowly, I threaded my fingers through the silky strands at the nape of his neck, giving them a gentle tug to tip his head back enough for me to rest my chin atop his crown. I knew he could feel the rapid thrum of my pulse from how tightly he held me.

 Chapter 0203

    "Of course I mind that you killed my dear friend," I said softly, carefully keeping any hints of anger or hatred from creeping into my dulcet tone. I was the very picture of a woman deeply in love, speaking painful truths to her beloved. "But Lucas was already gravely ill anyway, even without your involvement he wouldn''t have had much longer to live. Maybe you even did him a mercy of sorts by ending his suffering sooner. He was in so much constant pain and torment from all those illnesses that kept attacking his body...


    I shrugged one shoulder lightly, as if his death truly didn''t trouble me anymore. "Besides, I can''t actually bring myself to resent the man my heart beats for now. My greatest wish was simply to be with the person I love more than anything. I believe Lucas wouldn''t me me for that...or you, since you ended his agony."T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After a prolonged moment spent digesting the meaning behind my carefully crafted words, Dn tilted his head back to gaze intently up at me. "I don''t believe you," he stated bluntly, a flicker of dark emotion passing through his mercurial eyes. "I''m starting to worry that every time you go visit his grave, your love for me will only diminish further while your hatred deepens. Maybe one day you''ll even try to kill me out of vengeance."


    Though I remained outwardly impassive, showing no signs of the turbulence those words created within me, I''ll admit I was somewhat taken aback that he had so baldly voiced the very kernel of my actual n out loud like that. Though I knew logically it was just another childish attempt to rattle me, another dumb test devised to flush out any nefarious intent on my part. Well, two could y at that game.


    "He''s a dead man, Dn," I sighed out in apparent exasperation, as if his worries were ridiculous and unfounded. "My love for you can never possibly diminish now that you''ve imed me so thoroughly. No, I will not kill you if you die, then I die as well, for you are the very air I breathe."


    I watched keenly as his brow furrowed, the muscle in his chiseled jaw twitching as he silently appraised me. His eyes dropped to my mouth, his fingers following the same path until they came to rest featherlight against the plush swell of my lower lip.


    Lifting his gaze back to lock with my own, he rasped out in a gravelly tone, "I still don''t fully believe you, Sydney."


    A spark of calcted daring flickered to life in my belly as I stared back at him boldly. "Then if you don''t believe the depth of my eternal devotion, just kill me now," I stated evenly, a hint of challenge tempering my words. "I''m more than willing to die by your hand in this moment, but I absolutely cannot tolerate you doubting the boundless love I hold for you any longer.


    He shook his head slowly, his thumb tracing the seam of my lips with atypical gentleness. "I won''t kill you, Sydney," he murmured, that undercurrent of quiet menace still present in his tone. I noticed his specific -choice of words - ''won''t'' rather than ''can''t."


    His touch drifted to cup the side of my face, almost tenderly. "I''m just...worried that maybe one day, you simply won''t love me anymore," he confessed in a low, hoarse rasp that somehow sounded smaller than I had ever heard from him before, naked vulnerability seeping into the words like a hairline crack in his granite facade.


    My own eyes prickled treacherously with the sting of unshed tears at the naked emotionality in his tone as I met his stormy gaze with one of tender reassurance, leaning down to brush my lips softly against his once, twice.


    "There will never be such a day," I vowed in a throaty murmur, cradling his face between my palms as I spoke with beseeching fervor. "I love you sopletely, so consumingly, that the very notion of living without you would render my life meaningless. I exist only for you now, Dn. Iy myself bare before you because I want you to im me, possess me utterly. Shout to the entire world that I belong to you and no one else!"

 Chapter 0204

    I


    Then without waiting for him to formte some other intive objection, I sealed my mouth over his in a deep kiss.


    Immediately, his lips kneaded mine, his hands tightened on the small of my back and he pressed me tighter to his chest, before sliding his hand down and palming my ass.


    I grinded him and I could already feel his erection, "Fuck, Sydney," he groaned and bit me hard on my lower lip then he went ahead to suckle on the bruise he left there.


    In this revenge disguised as love, we were constantly testing and guessing. I wonder if he could see through my fake smiles and affection and felt a shiver run down my spine.


    He squeezed my ass and I rolled my hips to his dded shaft, a fake moan escaping my lips.


    "Fuck!" He groaned just as I felt his hard erection dig into my entrance, safe for mycy pants and his


    trousers.


    Slowly, he pulled away. I frowned, my heart skipping a beat involuntarily. Why was he stopping? Did he notice something? I briefly panicked.


    As he tried to pull away, I pulled him to me


    "Sydney," he called softly, surprising me then he gently held me back.


    "I want you to do something for me, are you willing?" He asked without any preamble.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I lifted my head and looked into his eyes. What could he possibly want me to do for him? I managed a smile, "Of course, I''m willing to do anything for you."


    Dn looked at me, and I could see different emotions fliker in his eyes. I couldn''t pinpoint what he felt.


    And he was hesitating, struggling to form his words. Strange. Have I gained his trust already and he was about to tell me a secret?


    Finally, he spoke up, "I want to give you to my uncle Tavon. I want you to gain his trust and then convey messages to me."


    I almost blurted out that Tavon was actually Lucas'' uncle and not his but that was beside the point.


    I was taken aback. I hadn''t expected that he would actually send me away.


    If I leave his side, how would my n work? Could this be another stupid test?


    My eyes watered - I was learning the trick quite well now. "I only want to be by your side, Dn. I would do anything but willingly leave your side."


    "Come on," he squeezed my ass and gave me a wet kiss on the cheek. "you''d still be by my side. And it''s just for a short while. I just need some information. If you really love me,do this for me."


    I guess I have no other choice but to agree and look for new opportunities.


    gently stroked his face and softly said, "If it makes you happy, then alright, I promise you, I''d do whatever you want." I added with a small re, "But you also have to promise me that after I''m done with whatever you want me to do, you will drive all those women out of the house. I want you to belong to me only, just


    as I''d belong only to you."


    He listened attentively to me. Then he promised with a small smile. "I give you my word. If you help me be the new Godfather of the Esposito family, then you shall be my most loved woman. I won''t even nce at other women!"


    I smiled back at him and pulled him in for a hug.my breast crushing his face. "You smell so good," he drawled and pressed my lower, half to his.


    If I''d be passing crucial information to him, then maybe I can ruin him with that means. Maybe, just maybe, Tavon is the key to my revenge?! "One more thing," I muttered.


    "What?" He answered absentmindedly.


    "Promise me you''ll never abandon me there."


    "I always take whatever I deem fit as mine, Sydney."


    I smiled.

 Chapter 0205

    Sydney''s POV


    I pulled back from the hug when heard a p.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I looked at him, my face a few inches from his with my arms still woven around his neck, "Why''d you p? "I asked with a small smile, my eyes searching his face curiously. There was a yful glint in his eyes that made me wonder what he was up to.


    He only smiled back. He didn''t need to answer my question because one of his men opened the door to my room and walked in at that moment.


    The man held a shopping bag in his hand. "Good evening, sir," he politely inclined his head in greeting. then he nodded at me, "Ma''am." His stoic expression gave nothing away about the contents of the bag. I looked from him to Dn, keeping my arms looped around Dn''s neck.


    "What''s that?" I arched a questioning brow, "Is that mine?" A tiny flutter of excitement stirred in my chest at the thought that Dn may have actually gotten me a gift.


    He nodded with a smile, his hands squeezing my ass cheeks possessively. "All yours."


    Then I abruptly brightened up, my eyes alight with delight as I realized he really had gotten something for


    1. me.


    "You got me something!" I eximed, unable to hide the pleased surprise in my tone. A part of me still couldn''t quite believe he would do something like that, He cocked his head to a side with a mocking thinking face, ying it up.


    "Hmm," he hummed, dragging it out, "Something like that." Then he turned to the man that still remained there like a statue, awaiting further instructions.


    "Leave," Dn ordered the man out in a clipped tone that brooked no argument.


    With a final nod, the man left the room, pulling the door closed quietly behind him.


    Excitedly, of course it was mostly an act on my part, I jumped down from hisp and grabbed the shopping bag the man had dropped on the floor. Part of me wondered if this gift was truly for my benefit, or if it was simply a calcted move to keep me pliant and cooperative.


    My eyes roved over the Italian name of the high-end clothing line printed on the bag and I could tell that it was likely a dress that was inside. A rush of conflicting emotions swirled through me - pleasure at receiving such an expensive gift, curiosity about what it would look like, but also apprehension about the likely motive behind it.


    Why? I found myself asking internally. To cate me? To keep me from getting too upset? I scoffed Inwardly, wondering if he even truly cared about my feelings at all. I mean it would be nice for him to be worried enough about me to think of getting me a gift just so that I wouldn''t get angry with him. But it was obvious that Dn hadn''t gotten to that level of consideration with me, at least not yet, seeing as he still intended to send me away to be with that vile Tavon.


    Oh? I suddenly realized, he probably got me this gift because of his own selfish and infuriating request for me to go willingly to meet with Lucas'' despicable uncle Tavon. The


    gift was likely just his way of buttering


    me up to be more cooperative about that n, I concluded bitterly.


    "When you''re done squeezing the life out of the poor bag, hand it over," he said with a small chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement at my obvious curiosity.


    I couldn''t help but pout at his teasing words, but I obediently handed the shopping bag to him anyway. His muscr arms stretched out and he took it from me with a smug smirk, clearly enjoying having me y along so far.


    I stood before him like an obedient student and watched him with bated breath as he pulled out a stunning red dress from the bag. Despite my reservations, I couldn''t deny the wave of excitement I felt at seeing such a beautiful and luxurious garment.


    The material of the dress looked glossy and seductively pretty when he finally brought it fully out of the concealing bag. He hooked his long fingers deliberately in the part of the dress that looked like thin straps and stretched it forward, putting it on disy without a word, his piercing eyes watching me intently.

 Chapter 0206

    Tentatively, I took the dress from him when he made no move to actually hand it to me. With each of my hands grasping one edge of the dress, I held it up before me and spread it out fully so I could get a good look at the intricate design.


    It was a long red dress that instantly took my breath away. On a closer look, the material of the dress was smooth, luxurious silk, the sumptuous texture looking so fine that I could already tell I would love the sensuous feel of it sliding over my bare skin. The length of the dress alone would have made it sound elegant and ssy, but the daring design made it anything but demure. You just needed toy eyes on it to know that.


    Co-owning a clothing line with my best friend Grace meant that I had been exposed to lots of stunning and beautiful fashion designs over the years. But I would not deny that the dress Dn had selected was unique and exquisite in its own right clearly meant to tantalize and seduce.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The front of the dress had a deep, deep V neckline that would be sure to show an ample amount of my breasts, the sultry decolletage leaving little to the imagination. The back view was even more audacious, with the entire expanse of skin from my shoulders all the way down to my lower backpletely exposed, save for two thin, delicate ropes of crimson silk crisscrossing and intricately tied at the base of -my spine in an unusualttice design.


    The waist and skirt portion below that exposed back was deceptively simple - a loose, flowing column of crimson silk that would no doubt feel veryfortable and soft against my legs as I moved. But the plunging neckline andpletely bare back screamed undeniable, unabashed sensuality.


    He smirked knowingly at the conflicted, almost dazed expression on my face as I studied the daring design, clearly pleased by my reaction.


    "Tayon likes women in sexy clothes that show off their assets," he stated matter-of-factly, not even trying to deny the overt intention behind such a dress.


    ¡°So?" He crossed his legs and intently looked at me, his eyes burning with fiery challenge and dark promise.


    "What do you say? Think you can pull it off? Would you dare try that little number on for me?" He wiggled his brows yfully and I couldn''t help but be both amused and aroused by how swiftly his demeanor had transitioned from arrogant captor to seductive tempter.


    I looked at the dress again, taking in the lush folds of delicate silk and shockingly provocative cutouts. Yes, the dress was unquestionably sexy and designed to tantalize, but it wasn''t something that truly frightened me or that I would necessarily be afraid to try on in the right circumstances, I decided. After all, since I had done asional modeling over the years for Grace''s fashion line, including for her more. risque lingerie and intimates collections, the slinky red number was really nothing too scandalouspared to some of the tiny scraps of silk andce I had pranced around in for those shoots.


    Ascoffed, unable to hold my retort back at his clear implication that I might not have the guts or the body confidence to try on such a bold look.


    "You think I''d be afraid of trying this skimpy little dress on, huh?" I taunted him boldly, squaring my shoulders and giving him a look that dripped disdain.


    Clutching the silky material to my chest to keep it from slipning through


    and headed towards the bathroom with every intention of changing into the ridiculous,pletely gratuitous dress just to prove him wrong.


    I had not taken more than a couple of purposeful strides before Dn''s voice stopped me cold, the sheermanding presence in that powerful timbre sending involuntary shivers racing down my spine. "Let me help you," he said in an infuriatingly imperative voice that brooked no argument, no subtle suggestion but a direct order that was impossible to ignore.


    My hands wound tightly around the dress as I clenched my fists and grinded my teeth, seething at his arrogance and entitled presumption. How dare he speak to me like I was just somemon whore to dress up and parade around for his amusement? My nostrils red, my jaw clenching as a scathing retort rose in my throat.

 Chapter 0207

    "I don''t need your help!" I wanted to spit in his face and show him all the resentment I felt towards him but that would ruin everything, wouldn''t it? That might even make me lose my life.


    So instead I stretched my lips into a tight smile and turned to face him. I fluttered myshes at him, "Aww, "I cooed, "Thank you."


    His lips widened into a sardonic smile as he rose from the chair and walked to me.


    Suddenly, the lingerie I had on was in tatters around the room as he ripped it off my body and threw them aside then snatched the dress from my hand.


    I gasped and gaped at him but he said nothing. He wasn''t even looking at me and his smile was gone. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he threw the dress over my head and dressed me. His hands moved so skillfully as though he was ustomed to the act.


    on each


    When he was done, he took a step back and his eyes raked my body. With a satisfied smile on his lips, he closed the space between us once again. He caressed my bare back then ced tender kisses of my shoulders.


    I


    "Do you know why I chose this dress?" He murmured against my shoulders.


    I hesitated but I asked and answered him anyway. "Why?"


    "Because whether from the front or the back, it will be very convenient for Tavon to take off. Even if he gets too hard and doesn''t have the patience to take it off, this big loose skirt can easily allow him to enter you from any angle."


    I stiffened. This wasn''t an act. It wasn''t another pretense for effect. I literally froze.


    "Rx," he said after he noticed my tense body. "It''s just a few fucks before we''d get what you''ll b going there for,"


    Those words hurt, for some reason. Even though it was just us in the room, I felt humiliated... ashamed. Instinctively, I shrugged out of his hold.


    He chuckled nastily as he looked at me. "Come on, Sydney, aren''t you excited in advance?"


    "Stop it, Dn," I said seriously, "I''m agreeing to do this only because I love you. You''re the only one that is allowed to touch me or be intimate with me. No one else. So stop talking like I am some slut you''re about to pass around a gang."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Moments like this were what made it clear that he really was Dn and not my Lucas. He could have mastered being Lucas for years, be able to imitate his behavior and his way of living but the difference was still there, it was ring if you looked hard enough. Dn was nothing but a crude street thug with Lucas'' face.


    There was no way Lucas would treat me or any woman like this. Even Mark, who had been mad at me for recing the woman he was in love with, hadn''t treated me so badly.


    But he wasn''t them, he was Dn, the man who left his life and stole Lucas'', the man who spent years being another man, he wouldn''t cherish me. What am I even thinking? He was ready to kill me just a few weeks ago.


    So I shouldn''t be surprised. Instead I should be d that he was acting more like himself, hopefully, the face will soon morph into his too.


    "Rx, hmm? It''s just Tavon and at the end, I''ll be waiting... If you seed," he added threateningly but with a smile.


    I gritted my teeth but I managed to force a smile on my face when I turned around and looked him.


    I slid my fingers on his shirt-d chest and purred, "Don''t you want to try?" I suggestively pressed my lower half to his and he groaned lowly.


    His hands and eyes roamed my body and he said in a hoarse voice, "Of course, I want to but I have to control my desires, at least not today."


    I pouted.


    He gently stroked my cheeks and whispered, "Your mission today is to seduce Tavon, make him crazy for you. As for me..." he paused, then smiled and said, "I will enjoy you at the right time."

 Chapter 0208

    SYDNEY''S POV


    Just approximately an hour after, Dn dressed me up. Dn was informed that the car was ready. He changed into a suit that, infuriatingly, made him look more like Lucas.


    I didn''t miss the jealousy that flitted in the eyes of the other women when Tavon rudely ordered them to behave themselves and remain in their rooms and left with me. I guess they would have loved to be the package that was about to be delivered. And I couldn''t help but wonder if he had ever offered any of those women to his uncle too.


    We got in the car and the driver drove us to where I would be meeting Uncle Tavon.


    After several minutes of a stifling ride with Dn, we reached our destination and I could breathe again.


    The driver finally pulled up before another huge mansion but this one was no doubt fancler and grander than the one Dn''s women resided in. I slowly nodded to myself. I could see why he was desperate to be on the man''s good side. His eyes were glued to the ultimate price.


    "Behave," Dn moved closer and whispered the warning in my ear then he strutted ahead, leaving me to scramble after him like a puppy.


    I rolled my eyes as I walked behind him.


    The staff of the house all had a straight face on. They opened the door for us. Inside, the butler was waiting for us with an array of maids. They took our coats and directed us to the living room.


    I wondered if Dn got this sort of treatment all the time.


    Minutester, a tall gray-haired man slowly and carefully walked down the stairs. His height might have made any bystander perceive him as an agile man but his careful steps and slightly bent back gave him off. He had this mischievous glint in his eyes that threw me off more than I already was.


    "Dn," Uncle Tavon smiled and walked toward Dn with open arms. Dn was already on his feet and his long strides quickly closed the space that was taking Tavon eons to cover.


    I rose to my feet too and the moment the old man''s eyes riveted on me as he hugged Dn, it was glued


    to me.


    His hands held my palm longer when we shook hands. Then the butler announced that dinner was ready. As Tavon urged us to go take dinner, his eyes were still on me, going back and forth between me and Lucas as if to denote if I was exclusively Lucas'' woman.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    At the borate dinner, Dn finally announced.


    *Uncle, this is a gift for you, Dn said to Tavon with a huge grin, then he turned to me and nodded slightly, "Sydney..."


    Ah...the package. The only thing that would differentiate me from an actual gift was wrapping paper. I wondered why he didn''t get that along with the dress.


    I left my food and rose to my feet in my full glory, d in the ridiculous dress that Dn got for me,


    Chapter 0208.


    specially for this asion. I shifted my chair back and walked around the table to Tavon''s side where he was seated at the head of the table.


    Apparently, I was walking too slow because when I passed by Dn''s side, I felt the warmth of his hands on my back as he pushed me toward the man. If I hadn''t held myself back, I would have barreled into the old man.


    "I hope you like her," Dn said.


    As I stood before him, Tavon''s eyes twinkled delightfully, d that he could finally stare wantonly at me without upsetting Lucas. With a crooked smirk that made his face more squeezed than it was, he lifted my chin with his frail-looking hands and a chill ran down my spine at the lewd expression I caught in his eyes. His obscene gaze thoroughly wandered over my body and it wasn''t hard to see that he was already having some disgusting ideas in his eyes.


    I wished I could pour his untouched food on his head and go ahead to whack the te on his head afterward.


    Just as his eyes had been glued to my body, assessing me, undressing me with his lecherous stare...he had been too busy doing all those things that he didn''t touch much on his te. The untouched food sat there, growing cold, as Tavon seemed to devour me with his eyes instead of focusing on his meal. Every bite he took was a calcted, slow motion, his eyes never leaving my body as he chewed methodically. It was as if he was savoring the view before him more than the food itself.

 Chapter 0209

    I forced myself to stay calm though. I unclenched my fists and stopped gritting my teeth and gave him my most ttering smile, even as my insides churned with disgust. Maintaining this facade was exhausting. but I knew I had to y along if wanted my n to seed. Dn''s warnings echoed in my mind any misstep could mean my life. So I stered on a sweet, demure expression, no matter how much it made me want to vomit.


    Tavon''s mouth curled up slightly into a malicious smile. His roaming hands rested on the swell of my butt and he pressed weakly as he turned to Dn, "Kid, you always know what I like." Dn nodded with a satisfied smile, his eyes filled with triumph. "Uncle, your satisfaction is always my greatest joy."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    A shiver ran down my spine at Dn''s words. His sycophantic devotion to this vile man was utterly revolting. How could he be so eager, so proud, to serve Tavon''s depraved desires? I felt a flicker of doubt - was going along with this really worth debasing myself to such depths? But I quickly pushed it aside. I had alreadye too far to back out now.


    I remained on my feet, my hands around the old man''s shoulders just as he had instructed while he and Dn chatted about stupid things. All the while, Tavon''s creepy hands were either sliding into the loose skirt of the dress I had on and rubbing my bare butt or it was creeping in the front side of the dress and rubbing my stomach.


    Once in a while, whenever Tavon had his head down as he scooped food into his mouth, Dn would pass me a re and order me to smile with just a look.


    I was repulsed at both of them, their personalities and every little thing I''ve managed to discover about them but I just had to suck it up. Swallowing hard, I maintained my sickly-sweet expression, no matter how much bile rose in my throat.


    It will be worth it, the end result will be worth my time and efforts and sacrifices, I convinced myself so I smiled sweetly at Dn.


    After dinner - where I had only a few spoons of the meal because Tavon thought it was romantic for the spoon he had inserted in his disgusting mouth to go into my own mouth as he spoon-fed me.


    I was still giving myself a pat on the back for not throwing up in his face.


    I watched Dn''s back as he exited the mansion, full of himself that he had been able to please Tavon.


    Before Dn left, he had moved closer to me and threw me a warning look, reminding me of his warning.


    On the way to Tavon''s residence, he had abruptly grabbed my neck, causing my heart to flip over in fright as he whispered close to my ear, "Don''t even think of telling Tavon about my secret," I choked and weakly pulled at his hands as he pressed my neck harder, "Don''t try it. Those who try to betray me only have one way to go, death. Luigi should be an example."


    I nodded my head vigorously until he released his hold on my neck and ced a kiss on my cheeks, Good girl."


    "Sydney," Tavon''s hoarse low voice interrupted my thoughts, "I hope you can satisfy me," he asked with a smile that did nothing but creeped me out.


    I bit my lower lip and forced myself to smile, "I will, godfather. It''s the only reason I''m here."


    If the stupid uncle hadn''t been so blinded by his perverseness, maybe he would have seen that Dn was nothing but the fake version of Lucas that he was.


    My skin crawled when he smiled again and ordered me to follow him.


    I had to walk slowly so I wouldn''t get ahead of him since he was the one leading. I shook my head in disgust as I wondered how a man this old would still be this perverse. Shouldn''t he be preparing for his looming death and spend hisst days doing good?


    He stopped before a room and nodded toward the door, asking me to step in before him. I pressed down on the door knob and opened the door.


    The room was dark. I heard the door to the room close and then the click of a switch being turned on before neon blue lights flickered into the room, lighting up the whole ce.


    What the hell what have I gotten myself into?


    My heartbeats elerated as my eyes settled on the items in the room. There were all sorts of torture devices neatly arranged on all sides of the room. I could tell that they were torture devices not because I was farmiliar with them but because they looked like pain.

 Chapter 0210

    My hands beside me tightly gripped my skirt and I tried to soothe my fear and steady my erratic heartbeats.


    This was apletely unfamiliar world and a scary one too.


    "Kneel down," I flinched when I heard him behind me.


    I obediently knelt down, wincing slightly as the hard floor scraped my knees.


    Tavon nodded in satisfaction, his eyes shining with a strange light, "You''re obedient, good."


    He walked to one side of the room and picked up a whip. Goosebumps spread all over my skin as he approached me, his frail hands holding tightly to the whip.


    Before I could process what was about to happen or make an attempt to protest, he raised his hand, a wicked glint in his eyes and heshed the whip harshly on my bare skin.


    he room as


    My back arched as I tried to get away from the stinging pain and my scream resounded in the the pain spread through me, tears prickling behind my eyes.


    "Do you like this?" His voice was harsh, his eyes filled with morbid excitement.


    How the fuck am I supposed to like that?!


    My scream seemed to delight him and edge Tavon on and heshed even harder. The whip curl around my back, leaving a stinging breath that made it hard to breath for the first few seconds. This was the worst treatment I had ever received. I couldn''t help but curse Dn. Damn him to hell and back


    Why hadn''t he told me that Tavon was a sexual sadist?! He didn''t think the gift needed to know the details of its new owner? Fuck him him for making me wear a backless dress.


    I closed my eyes tightly, unable to stop the tears that streamed down my face or the silent sobs that wracked my body.


    I didn''t want to see Tavon''s sick smile and disgusting face as he continued to wreck and pain havoc on my body.


    Fortunately for me, Tavon was old so he got worn out after a few minutes of whipping and began to pant heavily.


    He traipsed to the bed with the whip in his hands and took a few breaths to rejuvenate himself.


    After a few minutes, he walked up to me and I almost pleaded with him to not hit me again because I thought he was going to continue what he stopped, instead he gently stroked my cheek. I closed my eyes


    in relief.


    His fingers brushed over my tears and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, seemingly satisfied with my pain and his ability to inflict it on me.


    "You''re a good girl, Sydney," he said, "I like you."


    My eyes flew open and I saw that his face was very close to mine as he bent to my face level. I saw the


    sick obsession and glint in his eyes and I struggled to tame the urge to gag.


    I forced myself to smile and whispered in a rough voice, "I hope you''re satisfied, godfather."


    Instead of giving me a response, he rose to his full height with an effort. My eyes widened as he unbuckled his belt, pulled out hisid and wrinkled genitals such that it was dangling before my With an obscene look in his eyes, he ordered, "Open your mouth."


    For the first time, utter regret washed over me.


    y eyes.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    This was a stupid n. A dumb n that would yield nothing. I should have just resigned to my fate and epted that Lucas and I were done. I shouldn''t have left my hometown toe to this damn Italy! Unfortunately, reality was already bearing down on me, harshly showing me what it really was and I had nowhere to run to, nothing to do but to stick to my dumb ns and try to get out of this alive. He pinched her mouth hard and as I winced at the pain, I was forced to open my mouth when suddenly the door was kicked open.


    I''ve never appreciated an interruption so much.


    The both of us turned to the door and a young woman stood on the doorway. Her tight leather clothes beautifully showcased and molded her perfect curves. I frowned at the mask she had on and the whip in her grip, the whip was simr to the one in Tavon''s hands too.


    When she spoked, she did so with authority and regality, like a queen. "Tavon, do you want to die? How dare you cheat on me!"

 Chapter 0211

    I looked up to see Tavon''s pale face. There was fear in his eyes as his hands dropped from my face and to his side in resignation.


    With how ring the fear in his eyes was, you''d think he had seen the grim reaper; the whip in her hands was the scythe and she hade for his soul.


    With his genitals still hanging out of his unbuckled pants, he turned to the woman who was still on the doorway. With her firm stance, I could tell that there was a thundering expression on her face. "Jessica, I..." he stuttered as he tried to exin. He was still struggling to form his words when the woman he called Jessica interrupted him harshly.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Shut up!" With long quick strides, Jessica closed the space between them and before I knew what was happening, she raised the hand that held the whip and it came descending on Tavon''s shoulder. I gasped


    Al and


    What the hell!


    flinched back, falling on my butt.


    I watched the scene in horror as Jessica repeatedly struck Tavon with the whip, the sound of it making contact with his flesh filled my ears and then....


    My mouth hung open in shock. Now this moment was the one that actually deserved a ''What the hell'' outburst because what the actual friggin hell! Tavon was actually getting off from being whipped!


    I watched in horror as his floppy genitals slowly but steadily hardened the harder Jessica whipped him. The sickening sight was burned into my mind - his wrinkled member growing more engorged with each cruelsh, a twisted look of pleasure spreading across his aged face. How could he derive such revolting gratification from this sadistic act? The very idea made my stomach churn violently.


    My eyes widened incredulously when he started to tremble, letting out breathy moans as he climaxed, some of his release dripping on the floor. A strangled sound of revulsion escaped my lips as I witnessed his shameful disy. This whole scenario was like a nightmare from which I couldn''t wake, an affront to all decency and human dignity.


    Oh my gosh, what did I just watch?


    I dragged my gaze away from his genitals and looked at his face. After eachsh, his face would morph from contorting in pain to relief. His eyelids would droop close as he moaned unabashed, his expression one of rapturous ecstasy. It was deeply disturbing to see such depravity, such apleteck of shame or self-control. This man was utterlycking in any shred of morality or virtue.


    Jessica also watched as Tavon came all over the ce, her facial expression hidden behind the mask she had on. I stared at her, wondering what sort of person she must be to willingly take part in these degenerate acts. Did this scene of utter debasement and perversion arouse her as well? The mere thought made me shudder with visceral disgust.


    Does this act turn her on too? I wondered when I noticed her watching him so intently.


    Tavon let out a loud content sigh then with a smile on his face, he opened his eyes. Immediately, Jessica


    returned to whipping him again, even more fiercely than before. It seemed she took his pleasure as a cue to escte the brutality, raining downsh after mercilesssh upon his frail body.


    "You sick old man!" She yelled and Tavon didn''t seem to be vexed at Jessica''s mock and insults. Instead, he seemed to like it, to revel in it. His depravity knew no bounds - he wallowed in his own decrepitude and abasement, embracing the vilest insults and cruelest mistreatment as if they were a privilege.


    "You want me to hit you, don''t you?" Jessica said as if she was speaking to a child as she drew back her arms and the whipnded on the man''s body once more with a sickening crack.


    I was not the one being hit but each time the whip made contact with his skin, I flinched at the sting I was sure the whip must have left, the pain it caused - it was just minutes ago that I was in his shoes, I remembered it all too well. Even the cracking sound of the whip making contact with his body was enough to make any onlooker scream in fear for Tavon.


    While my face watched in horror, watching as the woman kept whipping him, the man just squirmed when the whip made contact with his skin and the moment Jessica lifted it away, a content, almost orgasmic smile would spread across his lips. It was as if he craved the agony, desired to be broken and humiliated in the most sadistic ways imaginable. I felt ill bearing witness to this utter perversion of the human soul. "You fool! Tell me how much you like this. Let me hear it!" Jessica yelled again as she untangled the whip that curled around the man''s neck. It looked so painful, leaving angry red welts in its wake.


    My heart beat increased as I kept watching and I knew that if the man had hit me this hard or much, I''d " have lost consciousness long ago. How could his wasted husk of a body withstand such relentless torment? It seemed superhuman, bordering on the inhuman a disy of the darkest, most monstrous impulses to which the human psyche could descend.

 Chapter 0212

    I gaped at him as he started tough heartily, hisughter filled with morbid joy, devoid of any semnce of sanity or reason. In that moment, he appeared less a man and more a creature consumed by the basest appetites, enved to his most grotesque cravings.


    "Jessica, my darling," he croaked out andughed again. "I just like it this way, give me more, baby. Give me more..." he drawled with a loud moan and his genitals started to harden again, straining obscenely against the confines of his disheveled clothing.


    Jessica slightly turned to me, my gaze met her masked one and I understood immediately. I scrambled to my feet, revolted and desperate to escape this den of iniquity. Quietly and quickly, I slipped out of the room, away from the insanity going on there. I quickly shut the door behind me, blocking out Tavon''s nauseating pants and moans, but I could not so easily shut out the horrific images now seared into my mind''s eye.


    I stumbled away from the door, wincing as the bruised skin on my back asionally stung. I burst out of the short hallway and stopped at the corridor before the staircase.


    1 closed my eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. I could feel myself shaking. My arms were wrapped around my body but they still trembled. I unwrapped my arms from my body and clutched the railings but there was no difference.


    My heart was still beating erratically, and I couldn''t slow it down. The hideous satisfaction on Tavon''s face as he hit me was still vivid in my mind.


    "Ahh," I moaned in pain and instinctively arched my back as the bruises on it stung again and it was as if I was reliving those dreadful minutes again. I felt uneasy and scared. If I was going to be here till Dn got whatever he wanted, was that how I''d get beaten like Imitted a crime everyday? Even a criminal doesn''t deserve to go through so much pain. Wait, maybe Dn does.


    One thing was sure though, the fear that Tavon had instigated in me was forever etched in my heart.


    I was just there for just a few minutes and I was terrified. I wondered how that Jessicady was doing there.


    A few minutester, I heard the door open. I suspected that it was the torture room I had just exited and I was expecting footsteps but there was none.


    I slowly.


    around and found Jessica staring at me. When our eyes met, she started to stalk toward me; will Tavon beat her back before he would be fully sated? Perhaps it was what the girl also derived pleasure from. Oh oh, what did I do? Though her mask was still on, I could tell from her quick steps that she was mad. Maybe. A mere assumption from her bodynguage.


    "What are you doing here?" The maskeddy stopped before me and asked bluntly.


    "Excuse me? I drew back.


    I wonder why she was asking me what my business here was so rudely when she could already tell why I was here. I wonder who she was. She looked young to be Tavon''s wife but if she turned out to hab


    I''m sure I wouldn''t be surprised.


    "Dn gave me as a gift to him," I replied to her, nodding down the hallway.


    Jessica impatiently looked down the hall then said hurriedly, "Come with me."


    She said toe with her as if I had a choice. Her hand was on my wrist as she dragged me to a nearby


    door..


    She p


    pushed me into the room, thankfully, she was nice enough not to touch my back. I saw that the well lit room was a bathroom. She entered and closed the door behind her. The bathroom was arge one so she walked to the mirror and I followed her.


    She turned on the faucet and somehow, the water sshed on my back as I took in the beautiful interior of the bathroom.


    "Ouch," I winced and hopped away from her.


    Thedy''s scoff was the only reaction I got from her. She seemed amused by my actions. Or maybe it was the dress? Or perhaps, my presence amused her.


    I reefed in on her as she lifted her hand to the tip of the mask and yanked it off.


    "Bitch!" She whisper-yelled, "Look who I am!"


    My eyes rounded as i gaped, bug-eyed, in astonishment at the woman before me.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    What the hell! The masked woman whom Tavon had addressed as Jessica who was also standing before


    me with her mask off right now was my sister, Be!

 Chapter 0213

    Chapter 0213 Sydney''s POV


    "Be, what are you doing here?1 yelled out, not too loudly but still emphatically enough that anyone passing by would be able to hear the disbelief thick in my voice.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I gasped loudly as Be''s palm suddenly struck me across the face, the stinging p catching mepletely unawares. I staggered back a step, reflexively raising a hand to cradle my smarting cheek. "What the fuck was that for?" I asked hotly, my surprise quickly giving way to a re of anger.


    "Shut up," she hissed coldly. As usual she leveled an icy re at me. "I go by Jessica now! I didn''t think I''d need to spell that out for you."


    Be and I were sisters, but we had never truly gotten along well, not for even a single minute it seemed. I probably should have realized our unnned reunion would bring me no joy or sense of reassurance. Instead of feeling safer in the presence of this particr devil I knew, she only increased my troubles. A devil will always be a devil, no matter how familiar.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath through my nostrils. I needed to stay levelheaded about this. This wasn''t the appropriate time or ce to pick up an old fight with someone who might actually be able to provide me with an invaluable assistance, given the unfortunate situation Dn had callously thrown me into.


    I saw clearly now how easily Jessica had dealt with and seemed to have Tavonpletely wrapped around her little finger. If anyone here could potentially save me from that lecherous beast, it would be my own treacherous sister.


    "Jessica," I said, keeping my tone purposefully calm and even. "What are you doing here?"


    "That''s none of your business," she spat,m.


    Her biting words hit me square in the face as usual. I wasn''t even surprised that some things never changed with her.


    "You haven''t answered my question yet, what are you doing here? Aren''t you still tangled up in that melodramatic love triangle with your boyfriend and Tom?"


    I found myself nervously ncing around the bathroom, contemting whether I should actually tell her the full truth of my circumstances or not. My eyes raked over every nook and cranny and I searched for any hint of hidden surveince equipment or listening devices. I didn''t see any obvious cameras or bugs nted, but if there were any here, they must have been exceptionally well-hidden within the walls. Jessica scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes at my paranoid behavior.


    "Don''t worry so much, the sound of the running water will prevent them from hearing our conversation."


    She jabbed a dismissive finger towards the bathroom''s faucet which was still running full st, giving me a thoroughly bored look as if to say ''do I need to exin everything to you, dumbass?


    breathed a small sigh of relief at that reassurance, but I was still cautious about how much I could really trust her motivations. For all I knew, that monster Dn might have been working together with her all along to put me through yet another absurd series of demeaning tests and mindgames.


    rows wer


    I studied Jessica''s features intently as she stood there impatiently. Her brows were furrowed so deeply that her eyes were almost nted into a permanent squint. She looked for all the world like she would cheerfully throw me straight out the nearest window and off the grounds of this Italian estate if she was able.


    "What?!" She suddenly red up, startling me. "Why the fuck are you just standing there staring into space? Can you just answer the damn question already? Why are you here in Italy?"


    No, I concluded to myself. There was no way Dn could possibly be conspiring with this bitter, volcanic woman to deceive me further. I highly doubted the two of them would be able to work together long enough without one of them outright murdering the other.

 Chapter 0214

    1 came here because I started to exin, then hesitated. As estranged as we were, it still felt bizarre and somewhat wrong to divulge the full truth about my reasons for being here to Be of all people. I exhaled slowly and made up my mind, she would need to know it all if she was to be of any real help. "I came here for revenge


    "Revenge?" Jessica asked, her previous scowl of anger and irritation finally easing into one of naked curiosity and interest? "Revenge against who exactly?"


    She looked at me askance as I took an unbidden step closer towards her. She immediately retreated a step back in response, clearly ill at ease with me encroaching on her personal space. I couldn''t help but let out a faint chuckle at her wariness.


    "Rx, I don''t actually bite, you know."


    Then I leaned in closer until my mouth was a mere inch from her ear, lowering my voice to an conspiratorial murmur, "This Lucas that you probably know about already...you do know who Lucas is, right?" She nodded wordlessly.


    "Well, he''s not who you think he is. His real name is actually Dn, and he killed the real Lucas in order to steal his identity and worm his way back into the Esposito family. I came here intending to use Tavon as an unwitting weapon against Dn, before finally killing that murdering impostor myself."


    I didn''t bother adding the critical details that my n to ''use'' Tavon had onlye about as a reluctant maneuver after Dn had effectively sold me to the lecherous old man against my will, or that even now I was starting to have serious doubts that killing Dn was even remotely possible. It was difficult enough getting this unbelievable truth out there.


    Jessica''s sculpted brows shot up in what seemed to be grudging interest and amusement as she pulled back, snorting augh through her nose.


    "Well isn''t that an interesting little tale? So what is this then, your fake boyfriend Dn is ying some twisted game of pretend while living in the real Lucas''s skin? Shit, it sounds more like the plot of one of those trashy telenov dramas than anything actually real!"


    I fixed her with a long-suffering look that screamed ''I''m being utterly serious here. "We were never close enough as sisters to really engage in that sort of joking around or gossip like teenage girls hiding out in school bathrooms. This is my reality, as crazy as it might sound to you.


    "Well..." she trailed off with a dismissive shrug of her shoulders, still seemingly unconvinced.


    An awkward silence fell between us as Jessica appeared to privately mull over the unexpected revtions I had just uncorked in her direction, asionally letting slip another rude scoff or mocking chuckle under her breath.


    "All I ask is that you don''t breathe a single word about my ns or anything I''ve told you here to another living soul," I blurted out insistently. I needed her sworn silence if we were to have any hope of m aplishing my goal.


    +25 BONU


    Then I turned on my heel and started for the bathroom door. I had to excuse myself from this suddenly tense situation as quickly as possible. But before I could make good on my exit, Jessica quickly sidestepped to block my path, nting herself squarely in front of me.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Wait just a damned minute," she said slowly, a borderline predatory smirk tugging at the corners of her lips that immediately had me chastising myself. I never should have revealed so much, I realized with a sinking feeling of dismay. Now what new price or terms was this viper going to try and extract from me? More money, perhaps?


    "If you get down on your knees and beg me nicely," she began in that same unctuous tone, "then maybe I''ll consider helping to make your little revenge fantasy into a reality. She arched one perfectly shaped eyebrow at me in clear challenge. "You obviously could use all the help you can get, am I right?"

 Chapter 0215

    elo me with


    I paused, fairly certain I hadn''t heard her correctly. "Wait...you would actually be willing to help me this?" I sputtered out, more than a little dumbfounded.


    She sneered, somehow making the unpleasant expression look decidedly alluring. "Why not? I''ve been looking for a new source of cheap thrills to stave off the boredom anyway. You once helped me out big- time by digging up a hotshotwyer for me and handing over that big wad of cash along with that sweet ride. Consider this me finally returning the favor, sis."


    I could have sworn I saw the faint glimmer of a genuine smile ghosting over her full lips for just a fleeting instant before her familiar mocking smirk was firmly back in ce. "So go ahead then, say it, beg me to lend you a hand with your little scheme. I''m listening...


    When I gave Be my car and credit card. I toyed with the idea for a while but eventually, I chose not to call the police or cancel the card. The card limit was enough for Be to live on for a while.


    Now, I''m d that I had chosen to retain a bit of kindness when she hade to me and even after she left. I could have hunted her down but I didn''t.


    I looked into Be''s eyes, trying to find a hint of insincerity in them. A sign that this was a trick, a way for her to toy with me andugh in the end... revenge for marrying Mark but there was nothing there


    I chose to believe her,rgely because I knew her help would go a long way. Dn and Tavon were more evil than I had imagined, and Be''s offer to help me was not one that I should turn down. "Alright," I finally said, then I rolled my eyes, "I beg you, Be. Help me."


    She looked beautiful and her face glowed as her face broke into a triumphant smile and I briefly pictured how well we would have gotten along if we didn''t start put on the wrong foot or if Isaac hadn''t messed herup or if our parents hadn''t been horrible parents. There was just a lot that ruined the beautiful friendship that might have sprouted between us.


    "Seeing how sincere you are, I agree."


    I rolled my eyes, the corners of my lips tilting up in a small smile, "Thank you, Be, I always thought..." *Remember," she interrupted me firmly, the smile on her lips gone. "I''m Jessica now, you cannot refer to me as Be here. Don''t even make the mistake of revealing our rtionship or my real name to anyone, understand?"


    I nodded, setting a mental reminder to stick to calling her Jessica.


    "I understand, Jessica." I deliberately stressed on ''Jessica'' so she could see that I meant it.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    She looked at me and nodded. "Then it''s settled. Find a way to get some of the fraudster''s hair, I''ll do the


    rest.


    "Dn''s hair?"


    She nonchntly flicked her wrist in the hair, "Dn, Lucas, whatever. Get me his hair, more than a strand,


    I nodded, already thinking of how I would get his hair. That would be pretty easy.


    "But I''ll say this before we get started," she raised her hand in the air.


    "What''s that?" I asked with bated breath. Please, don''t let whatever she was about to say be an insane term. I prayed desperately.


    "I am not in any way obligated to clean up your mess. If things go wrong, I''ll pin all the me on you," she said sternly, passing across that she meant every word.


    I shrugged and nodded with a smile, "Sure, of course."

 Chapter 0216

    After Bell...I mean, Jessica and had our small session ofing up with a revenge n, at least something to start with and observe how it''d all y out, she led me to a guest room.


    There I found that my things had already been moved there. I wondered how she knew when she was not around when I came and decided to ask her.


    "When I heard that Tavon was with a woman, I rushed here. I immediately ordered the housekeeper to tell me which of the rooms were you staying so she showed me the rooms where they had moved your things to. When I saw the woman''s things and didn''t find you there, I knew straight up that the pervert had taken you to that room," she said and finished in one breath.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I nodded slowly. That made sense.


    After Jessica left, I took a bath that turned out to be painful because of my bruises, I didn''t even dare to use a scrub. Then I applied some ointments that Bel- Jessica, May she be blessed, offered me on my back. It stung badly that silent silent tears rolled down my eyes but Jessica assured me that it would help and murmured something about how it helped her too. But I was too tired to coerce her to repeat herself.


    re a very


    The next day, surprisingly, the bruise didn''t hurt so much anymore unless it was irritated so I wore a loose dress shirt to amodate it. My bath also wasn''t so painful anymore.


    I was having breakfast alone in therge dining room - Jessica and Tavon weren''t here and to be frank, I didn''t even want them here at all - when the door opened and Dn sauntered in.


    I hadn''t been expecting him, of course, he didn''t think it was sensible to notify me that he''d being.


    I managed a smile and put on my acts.


    "Dn!" My voice echoed in the silent room. My eyes brightened up as our gaze met and I leapt to my feet and ran towards him, the way lovers who had been apart for far too long usually did, I threw myself in his arms and hugged him tightly to me.


    I was d that he didn''t hug me back, if he had that would have hurt my back like a bitch. "Dn," my words came out muffled because of my face that was pressed to his chest. "I missed you so much!" My words came out muffled again so I lifted my face from his chest to tenderly look up at him.


    "I missed you, Dn," I repeated, sounding very much like the lovesick idiot I was pretending to be. He abruptly pulled away from my I like this, Sydney," he gritted out. "You''re now Tavon''s woman and Tavon doesn''t share."


    sighed. "Alright then." I folded my arms on my chest and remained where I was, pretending to sulk. Dn looked around the room then he took a step closer and carelessly held me by my forearm. There was an unmistakable urgency and curiosity in his voice "How was your night with Tavon?" He whispered, his eyes glinted and I knew he was expecting good news. "Did you satisfy him well enough?" My heart sank as I listened to him. No, I wasn''t really hurt by his words. I was worried about his demeanor


    and concern for only if I had seeded in pinning Tavon or not, it showed that he had no sort of affection whatsoever for me. He didn''t even look jealous, he just wanted me to tell him that I slept with Tavon. I sighed, worrying if my n would ever seed.


    He raised his eyebrows, a hint of a smile on his lips, "Does he still like you? Tell me you already have him wrapped around your fingers."


    I gaped at him and reprimanded him softly, "Dn, it''s just been a night. Less than twelve hours."


    He rolled his eyes, "Even still, how are things between you two as of now? Does he look at you like you''re a load of money?"


    I shrugged, pouting. "I badly want to tell you what you want to hear but I can''t," my voice was tinged with sadness and I looked down at my fingers as I toyed with them. Dn stared at me intently, his eyes narrowing as he studied my face. Part of me worried he could see through my act, but I kept my expression sorrowful and downcast. "So?" He prompted, absentmindedly shaking me,


    I shook my head, "No, Tavon doesn''t look at me like I''m anything." I looked up at him and threw my hands up in frustration, "I haven''t even seen him since yesterday."


    Dn frowned and his hold on my arm tightened, "What are you saying? What do you mean you haven''t seen him since yesterday?" He repeated my words like they were the wrongest things to say.


    "What I''m saying is Tavon didn''t touch me at allst night," I gazed at him pleadingly as I exined what happened to him, "A woman named Jessica appeared out of nowhere and stopped us," my voice cracked, "She even whipped me."

 Chapter 0217

    I raised my arm and slightly turned my back to show him the bruises that were starting to scald but he was not even looking my way. He stared ahead at nothing, grinding his teeth. He dropped his hands by his side and they clenched into fists!


    "That Jessica again, always ruining my ns!"


    or any


    grand


    I watched Dn as hemented over how Jessica was always ruining things for him or opportunity he might have had with Tavon.


    He didn''t seem like he was pretending. Though I knew that back when Dn was still feigning to be Lucas and we were dating, he hadn''t met Be but there was a seed of doubt in my heart and before this morning, it had started to grow into something big.


    I pressed my palm to my chest and briefly shut my eyes close in relief. Thank Goodness. If he had met her then, working with her now would have been a disaster.


    I gently paced a hand on his shoulder and was d that he didn''t shrug my hands off him.


    "But there''s a way I can still remain here and try to get Tavon to like me," I started hesitantly.


    He raised his brows and turned to me, "Really?" He looked interested but he didn''t look like he believed whatever n or way I had would work.


    "Jessica sort of found out that I can y the piano," I shrugged and continued, "She was awed and impressed. She told me she had wanted to learn to y the piano."


    As I spoke, Dn''s eyes were lighting up and it gave me more confidence in my made up lie.


    I continued, "After apologizing for whipping me, she pleaded with me to stay so that I could teach her everyday." I shed a small smile at Dn, "That''s another way to keep an eye on Tavon." Dn grinned widely and asked excitedly, "Really?"


    I nodded vigorously like a pathetic wife that was eager to please her demanding husband.


    He briefly hugged me. "That''s great, Sydney, you''re amazing!


    "Thank you," I blushed.


    "And it''s even great that she likes you."


    I countered his statement, "No, she only likes that I can y the piano. She doesn''t like me," I emphasized. He flicked his hand dismissively. "She apologized for hitting you, didn''t she? She''s eager to learn something she seems to like from you. It''s only a matter of time until she falls in love with you."


    I giggled and moved closer to him, "I hope so." I nted a palm on his chest, "I can''t wait to be back with


    you."


    "I know," he smiled back. Then he suddenly frowned. I stared back at him with bated breath as he seemed to scrutinize my face.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "You don''t..." he seemed to be hesitating, which was surprising and encouraging... Dn didn''t care how anyone felt about his actions or whatever he had to say. If he was hesitating before saying anything


    me...


    I smiled and patted him on his chest.


    He finally said what was in his mind, his eyes coated in a nuanced expression, "You don''t resent me for giving you to someone else, do you?"


    I shook my head, feigning innocence. "Resent you? Of course not. Why would I resent the man I love more than anything?" I batted my eyshes at him coyly. "You''re my whole world, Dn. I''d do anything for you."


    Dn''s features softened slightly at my deration, but his eyes remained calcting. "I just worry... This whole situation is rather sordid. Being passed off to another man''s bed, even if it''s just for show." He traced a finger down my cheek. "It''s not the life I wanted for you, my darling."


    I leaned into his touch, ying the part of the devoted lover perfectly. "I don''t mind, truly. As long as I get toe back to you in the end." I gazed up at him adoringly. "This is just a means to an end, a step towards our future together. Isn''t that worth any temporary difort?"


    Dn looked down at me with a smug smile and said mockingly, "Oh Sydney, you''repletely a blind woman in love now, aren''t you?"


    I smiled slightly, "I''m shocked myself," I said shyly and looked down.


    What does it even matter whether Dn loves me or not? As long as the dumbass believes that I love him, my n would still be aplished and I''d reach my goal.


    I looked up at him and my eyes immediately zeroed in on a strand of white hair on his head, "Look," I said surprised as I plucked it, "You have white hair." I pouted yfully, "It makes me really sad."


    His lips twisted unpleasantly and he pped my hand away, "You shouldn''t care about these details, just report to me who Tavon meets every day, understand?"


    My face fell as I pretended to be dissapointed. I nodded when he raised a brow and repeated, " understand?Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 0218

    Be''s POV


    Killing Isaac and moving away from where I grew up, away from everything and everyone I ever knew was supposed to be a game changer.


    I thought it would be a piece of cake. Well, I didn''t exactly expect it to be easy but I had thought that with the load of money and car I got from Sydney, it would be easier.


    At that time, I remember being the happiest for a while. And at some point, I thought, "Maybe Killing does make people happier."


    Because I felt absolute peace and happiness when I saw Isaac drop down before that prison that day. I had prepared myself to rot in jail just to make sure that Isaac never gets to breathe and exist again. His existence was a constant pain for me.


    He ruined everything for me - my whole fucking life. If I hadn''t fallen in love with him, I''d have had a wonderful life with Mark as my husband, or a better person. It''d have been the life I wanted - morous and love filled. One my parents never had but then Isaac came along with his stupid sweet words - I can''t believe how I found them sweet then, they were very dumb lines andpliments - but I was naive sol let him get in my head.


    Fucker. I hope he''s burning in hell right now. I hope he''s going through an endless pain.


    When I shot Isaac, I knew I would get arrested and I was ready to serve jail time. The excuse of me being mentally unstable was only to reduce my term and their strictness. I hadn''t expected that my sister would bail me out. In that moment, a flood of emotions washed over me relief at avoiding prison, but also resentment towards Sydney for always having things work out for her so easily.


    At that moment when I heard that my release had been sorted and I would be transferred to an asylum, I knew Sydney was a good person, a lucky one. It was what used to annoy me about her. She seemed to have everything set, like she knew where she was headed. Whereas, Isaac was what made me - he took my naive young heart and crushed it, setting me on a dark path full of rage and violence. As I looked back, I realized just how much Isaac''s betrayal had warped me.


    And my parents? Oh my stars, I hate them. Maybe I should''ve killed them too. I never confronted them, but I knew they forced Sydney into the wedding with Mark. They always favored her, putting her needs first while brushing me aside. When I got arrested for murdering the man who deceived me, they hadn''t even bothered to visit. If they attempted to get me out, I had no idea. But their cold indifference at such a pivotal moment was the final straw - in my mind, they were already dead to me.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I didn''t know what pushed me but when I decided that there was no way I''d stay in the asylum when I was perfectly fine upstairs, the only ce I had in mind was Sydney''s. Maybe it was an unconscious desire for her help again, or maybe I wanted to get back at her somehow for her charmed life. Whatever it was, I couldn''t shake the feeling that I needed to go to my sister.


    After I left with the car and card that Sydney gave me, I drove aimlessly and slept in my car for weeks while hiding from cops. The fear of being caught and sent away was always present, haunting my every step. I took my baths in public toilets and ate lots of junk, adopting a skid row existence far removed from the opulent lifestyle I once enjoyed. But I didn''t care I felt numb, like a walking corpse. All I wanted was to disappear.


    Eventually, I prepared my passport and made my way to Italy. A new country, a new life or so I thought. Maybe it was because of Sydney''s expensive car, but a few weeks into trying to settle down in Italy and start all over again, the local mafia started to trail me....


    At first I didn''t notice the signs the same nondescript car always seeming to be parked nearby, strangers giving me lingering looks on the street. But as the days went by, it became impossible to ignore the feeling that I was being watched, hunted. My heart would race every time I left my small apartment, my eyes constantly scanning my surroundings for threats. I considered fleeing again, disappearing to another remote corner of Europe. But I was so tired of running, of living liked a hunted animal. I had resigned myself to whatever fate awaited me.

 Chapter 0219

    I had no idea that I was being targeted until they attacked. It happened one night as I was walking home from a small grocery store, bags of food dragging down my arms. One minute I was alone on the dimly lit street, the next I was surrounded by a gang ofrge, threatening men. Before I could even think to scream or flee, they descended on me,


    I thought that was all until they knocked me unconscious, bundled me and took me to only God knows where in my unconscious state. When I finally came to, I found myself in a cold, damp room with a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. My heart pounded in my ears as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. That''s when I heard the door creak open and a massive, looming figure entered the room. "Look who''s finally awake," a deep voice boomed as the figure moved towards me. "Wee to your new home, my dear."


    My eyes widened in terror as the figure moved into the light, revealing itself to be an enormous, heavily- scarred man with dead, soulless eyes. Tavon, the most feared crime boss in all of Italy. I recognized his face from the news - he was responsible for unimaginable atrocities, ruling the underworld through a reign of torture, extortion and murder.


    "P...please, I don''t have anything."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I whimpered, trying to scramble away from him. "J-just let me go."


    He let out a boomingugh that chilled me to the bone. "Oh no pet, you have something I want very much. You have the chance to provide me with entertainment for years toe."


    And that was when I met Tavon. They took me to him and hemended his men and agreed to keep me. When he took me to the adjoining room, I was so scared by all the torture devices that I passed out at the sight of them...


    And that was when I met Tavon. They took me to him and hemended them and agreed to keep me. When he took me to the room, I was so scared by all the torture devices that I passed out at the sight of them.


    I could still vividly remember waking up with a scream. It hurt so much that it knocked me into consciousness.


    I still cringed each time I remember the hideous smile on his face as he regarded me. Then he took a breast mp and mped it tightly on my nipples.


    I screamed out but that didn''t stop Tavon from whipping me and tightening the mp on my nipples.


    I endured this torture for weeks, nothingpared to what Sydney had gone through. I was miserable. All I did was force food down my throat, pleasure Tavon at the expense of my pain and the whimper till I had to do it again.


    Then, I really wished that I had just remained in the asylum back home.


    One day, when I was being whipped like every other day, I couldn''t help but think what would happen if I snatched the whip from him and make him feel the debilitating pain he always made me go through. I had been contemting it as my anger and hate for him rose everyday. I wondered why I always had to be in a position to be bullied and beaten just to satisfy his cruel fantasies? Why me? Why do I have to be the one suffering to satisfy him?


    That day, I couldn''t mp down my anger as I always did. I snatched the whip from him and despite my weak state, Ished the whip on Tavon in blind anger.


    "You cruel old man!" I yelled angrily as I whipped him. What was the worst that could happen? He would order his men to kill me. Well, then, dying was way better than watching a man cum while I get whipped and tortured almost to the point of death.


    Surprisingly, this bold or rather...angry move if mine worked in my favor.


    In my blind rage, it had taken a while before I noticed that Tavon wasn''t moaning in pain but in pleasure.


    The dirty old man did not only enjoy torturing people but he also liked to be tortured. Because of this, he took a liking to me turned out he had more girls he tortured too. He left all the others and made me exclusively his.


    He treated me as his pet but over the months, I grew to be the master and he, the pet. Though I let him believe what he''d like to. Tavon would always find excuses to get me to whip him to satisfy his sexual desires. I was always d to whip him and thank goodness, he got more satisfaction from being tortured than delivering the torture.

 Chapter 0220

    He gave me everything I wanted. All I had to do was ask. Over time, the luxurious life he gave got addictive and I fell in love with it. I had my own personal bodyguards. I spent extravagantly in luxury shops with Tavon''s ck card.


    Except for the title of a wife and love, I had every other thing I yearned for. And I was perfectly okay with all the things I had and didn''t. I mean, I didn''t even give any fuck about those things. I didn''t even think I could love anyone anymore. Wife?


    I wouldn''t mind but for now, I was extremely happy. I was basically living my dream life.


    It would be foolish to even think of having an affair and betraying his trust. Nothing in this world would make me ruin the luxurious life I had finally achieved..


    All I knew that I needed to do was cater to Tavon''s perverted needs and make him addicted to me just like I was addicted to the life he provided. That way, he wouldn''t even be able to think of abandoning me. Iid on Tavon''s chest after another bout of perverse sex. His chest rose up and down under my palm as I stroked his chest.


    "That ''Lucas'' is bing increasingly annoying." I said coquettishly.


    He chuckled slightly and held my hand softly. "What''s wrong? How did my nephew upset you?"N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I let my brows crease in a frown, "Are you actually asking me that?" When he didn''t say anything I continued, "He actually sent a woman to you behind my back when I was not at home, how can I be happy?" Tavonzily drawled, taking his time to form his words, "But it didn''t seed, did it?"


    "It still doesn''t change the fact that he did what he did when he knew you have me," I grumbled.


    He chuckled again, "Don''t I only have you as the woman by my side now? Are you still not satisfied?"


    I snuggled even closer to him, cooing, "Isn''t it because came back on time? If I hadn''t, you would have been taken away by another woman."


    "Never. I might be distracted for a while," he tightened his hold on my hand, "but you''ll forever be the woman I really yearn for."


    I smiled, "You too. It''s you or no one else." Then I added sternly, "And when next you meet with him, warn him a bit to try that again."


    "Yes ma''am," he answered amidst his chuckles.


    After that, we fell into afortable silence. Tavon''s hand caressed my hair while I slowly rubbed his chest.


    I closed my eyes briefly, deciding that it was the perfect time to take action.


    "uhm uhm?"


    1 raised my shoulder in a small shrug, "But I don''t think he looks like you. He doesn''t."


    "He doesn''t?" He peered down at him.


    I rested on my elbow to look down at him. "How about we secretly do a paternity test?" I grinned mischievously and quickly added, ¡°Just for fun.¡±


    His eyes hardened just as his body and features tensed. His hand stopped moving on my hair as he literally growled, "Do not do such things just for fun and end up driving a wedge between family members! Frightened, Iid back on his arms. "I don''t intend to drive a wedge between anyone," I muttered sulkily.


    Seeing the frightened look on my face, his voice softened and he went back to caressing my hair. "You know,x he started softly, "There are many members of our mafia family who are not rted by blood. As long as they can all work for the family and not betray the family, they are a member of this family."


    I hadn''t expected him to get know I


    so enraged over the topic so I decided to drop it. "I understand, you was just saying it casually. Don''t get mad at me, hmm?


    "Never," he said as he continued to stroke my head, "Now stop thinking about unnecessary things like that, just enjoy your life, okay?"


    I nodded and leaned into Tavon''s arms. I closed my eyes and sighed.


    The n to take revenge through a paternity test has failed. Now, Dn''s hair that Sydney gave me could only be flushed down the drain just like the n

 Chapter 0221

    Sydney''s POV


    My heart sank as Be ryed Tavon''s response and reaction when she suggested that he conduct a paternity test.


    I slumped on the woven chair I sat on in the garden terrace. The garden terrace was one of my favorite spots in this mansion. Apart from the fact that it was secluded and quiet - the perfect spot for meditation - it has now served as the perfect spot to hold our meetings and be rest assured that no one could easily eavesdrop without getting caught. And it was also a bit of a walk from the mansion.


    I closed my eyes, the sound of birds chirping and flowers rustling slightly filled my ears as I thought of our next course of action and what we could do. The warm spring breeze caressed my face, but I found little sce in the tranquil garden surroundings with the weight of our predicament hanging over me.


    Since Tavon didn''t in any way care if Dn was truly his nephew or not; in fact he had gotten so riled up when Be suggested it that Be knew it was only smart to not talk about it with him again. And that meant that our n in getting rid of Dn was in vain, invalid. We were back to square one in our quest for vengeance against the man who had put me through such unspeakable horrors.


    I could have found other means to get rid of Dn from the family. I could make Tavon kick him out of the Esposito family and leave him stranded and wretched to live the rest of his life in misery and abject poverty - what he had feared that brought about all of this issue in the first ce. Cast him out like the parasite he was, leaving him to rot.


    But the revenge of a miserable and bitter person who fell from grace to grass would be worse and more brutal than any other revenge. He would not hesitate to ruin me, Mark, Grace and my precious son Aiden. Or worse, forcefully take my baby from me. I couldn''t let that happen. The thought made my blood run cold - I had to exterminate this threat to my family once and for all, by any means necessary.


    Besides, I didn''t want to get rid of him from just the family and make his life a living hell, I wanted him off the surface of this earth. I wanted him several feet beneath my feet. I wanted him in hell, suffering eternally for the pain and trauma he inflicted on me and mine.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "I have an idea though..."


    I looked up to find Be swirling the wine in the cup of ss that she held. Her casual, almost bored tone immediately put me on guard.


    "What''s it?" I asked cautiously as I sat up straighter. With Be, you never knew what twisted scheme she might propose.


    She shrugged and said casually, "Why don''t you just give up?" She raised her eyebrows, a mocking glint in her eyes. "You do know there are some things in this world that you can''t aplish no matter how much effort you put in, right?"


    I caught her by surprise when I snatched the ss of wine from her hand. She watched me warily as I downed it in one go, the rich liquid emboldening me.


    "I''m not ready to give up," I said after swallowing, resolute. "There should be other ways. There definitely are. We just have to look more thoroughly and think harder."


    Be chuckled derisively. "I advise you to give up and leave when you still can."


    I frowned, immediately suspicious of her motives. "What do you mean?"


    She took her time before responding, letting the silence hang heavy between us. "I saw several notices stered on the streets and on walls. It''s a notice of a missing person...and the missing person is you." I raised my brows in surprise. "Me?"


    She nodded slowly. "Yes. It must be Mark using his power and influence to look for you. If you stay here any longer, he might think you''re dead, and then your way back home will bepletely cut off." A cruel smile yed across her lips, taking perverse delight in my difort.


    I was a little taken aback when I heard Mark''s name. It was true, I had stayed far longer than the time I had told them I would for this trip, made even worse by notmunicating at all. Of course they would think something was amiss and use all avable resources to locate me.


    Guilt gripped my heart as I imagined how distraught Grace would be if they truly believed I was missing or worse. And my poor Aiden...he was just a baby, he needed his mother. I wondered how many of Mark''s men were scouring Italy right now, that missing person notices with my face were already being circted. For him to take such a drastic step, he must have been frantic with worry. An ache blossomed in my chest as I realized just how much I missed them all - Grace''s warmth, Mark''s strong embrace, but most of all, holding my sweet little Aiden, watching him grow each day.

 Chapter 0222

    Maybe...I found myself starting to think, suddenly feeling hopeless. Maybe I should just go back home and live in peace with my family. Put this vengeance against Dn aside before it consumed me entirely. But then, I hade too far, involved myself too deeply in the Esposito world to just slip away unnoticed. Dn would eventually discover I was missing and he would relentlessly hunt me down to the ends of the earth. I couldn''t risk him finding out about Aiden''s existence. I refused to put my son in danger from that maniac. No, I hade too far to turn back now, no matter how enticing the thought of returning to my old life was.


    But even if I did decide to go back home and he came looking for me, I could at least rest assured that Mark would never let him or his thugs get anywhere near me and the children. He would do anything to protect us...


    "So you''re just gonna give up, huh?"


    The sound of an unfamiliar voice jolted me from my thoughts. First, it was the smell of cigarette smoke that wafted across the terrace and tickled my nose. But it was the mocking words that made my heart skip a beat. I exchanged a panicked look with Be before we both whipped our heads around toward the source of the voice.


    A slim but shapely girl emerged from behind the tall shrubbery at the far end of the terrace, a cigarette danglingzily from her lips. She looked to be in herte teens and was dressed in the uniform of one of the mansion''s maids. My mind raced - had she been lurking there the whole time, listening to our entire conversation?


    Be and I looked at each other again, the question clear in our wide, fearful eyes. Where the hell did this girle from? I quickly scanned behind her, taking in the hedges that had been sculpted into a tall, enclosing wall shape. I hadn''t paid them much mind before, assuming they were just decorative. But now I could see there was likely some sort of hidden path or entrance for staff behind them.


    But figuring out how she snuck up on us was secondary to determining how much of our discussion she had overheard. Her smug smile and insouciant attitude spoke volumes. Had Tavon put her up to spying on Be and I? Or worse, was she reporting back to that snake Dn, assessing if I was holding up my end of his depraved bargain? One thing was for certain - we could no longer speak freely here. I steadied my pounding heart and broke the tense silence. "Who are you?" I asked firmly.


    The girl exhaled a thick cloud of smoke with a practiced nonchnce that immediately set me on edge. Then she gesturedzily to her uniform and sneered, "As I''m sure you can see, I am one of Tavon''s maids. You can call me Scarlet."


    My brow creased in consternation. Of course - having the house staff keep ndestine watch over his associates was a ssic mob tactic. What better way to monitor everyone''sings and goings? "Did you hear our conversation?" I asked bluntly, then shook my head, rephrasing. "You heard a handful of our conversation, didn''t you?"


    Scarlet nodded emphatically. "I heard all of it." She jerked a thumb back towards her hidden alcove. "I hid here to smoke earlier than you guys," she said by way of exnation. Then she cocked her head, a strange half-smile twisting her features as she added mockingly, "You know, discussing secret matters like this in a public ce is no different from posting these secrets online." she cocked her head to one side and I couldn''t help but wonder if she did drugs. She kinda acted a little bit like she was mentally unstable.


    "Don''t you think?" Her question brought me back to the present with a jolt.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    My slightly calmed heart leapt into my throat as the full implications of her eavesdropping hit me. She had overheard everything, our ns. She knew it all.


    She definitely knew what she had heard, and I knew deep down she would have no qualms about using this dangerous information to her advantage. If she exposed our secrets to Tavon or Dn, we were ruined.


    I asked firmly, "What do you want?"


    Scarlet''s eyes flicked over to Be briefly, gauging her reaction, before her mischievous gaze settled back on me.


    Then she smiled.


    "If you guys still want to take revenge...count me in."


    That was absolutely not the response I head expecting. Beside me, I could sense Be''s surprise as well.


    "Why?" we both blurted out at the same time.


    Scarlet''s eyes glinted with cunning as she turned her attention fully to me.


    "Because that damned Dn killed my crush, Luigi," she said with a nonchnt shrug, as if discussing her motivations for premeditated murder over tea.


    She tsked and shook her head in disappointment.


    "Pity, I hadn''t slept with him yet before he bit the dust."

 Chapter 0223

    Sydney''s POV


    There was a brief silence as Be and I took our time to take in the information.


    "That''s sad..." I heard Be murmur the same time I asked, "So what do you say we do? How do we get revenge on Dn for what he did to us and to you?"


    "First of all," she walked closer as she inhaled the smile of the cigarette. She closed her eyes as she exhaled with a smile that had me coughing slightly but I said nothing about that. If she was going to join us in this quest, then just like Be, we have to ept her quirks with it.


    After she had taken her time to release the puff of smoke she dragged, she repeated herself, "First of all, if you want to get any revenge, I mean if you want to be alive to get any revenge," she looked between Be and I before she leaned forward, instinctively, I found myself leaning forward too then she whispered, "lower your voices."


    I blinked and remained there for a second.


    Was this girl joking with us?


    She giggled slightly, "You were expecting me to say something else, weren''t you?" She stopped giggling and shrugged, "Well, it''s important." She pointed behind her, "The spit where I smoke is about a good twenty feet from here and I could still hear you," she passed Be a chilling warning look. " You should know more. You know how Tavon can be if he heard a whiff of this."


    A slight fear briefly passed across Be''s features but she said nothing.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Okay," I quickly said, eager to hear her suggestion already, "we understand that now, we''d lower our voices. What are your suggestions and contributions to the mission?"


    Scarlet smile, a sly glint in her eyes, "The thing is..." she pointed between the both of us, "you two are shooting in the wrong direction."


    I frowned. "We are? We are attempting to get Dn out of the picture without painting us as the killers. How else are we supposed to shoot?"


    By now, Scarlet had moved closer and she was standing behind the chair I sat, her fingers curled around the back of the chair. She shook her head as she said in a low voice, smirking "Despite being older than me, you two know nothing about men."


    She shrugged again, "Men don''t really care about women''s affairs. When ites to us, all they''re interested in is fucking us unless they''re crazily in love which we know is somewhat rare in a mafia family," she nced over at Be and raised an impressed brow, "though I think Tavon is slowly falling in love with you. My god, you''re all that man sometimes talks about."


    There was a slight smirk on Be''s face but she attempted to hide it, keeping on a straight face.


    Be pped her hands. "Back to the main issue. When ites to matters like this, men are usually more interested in men''s affairs. Therefore, your n to use a paternity test to bring Dn down is bound to fail. If you''re really serious about bringing a man down then you have to get a man''s interest seriously involved. And that''s the way to do it," she smiled and made a mocking bow, "Thank you."


    Silence descended again and I watched as the girl raised the cigarette to her lips once more. Be and I were stunned as we briefly nced at each other before looking at the girl who gave us no regard as she inhaled the smoke of the cigarette.


    Her bluntness and fearlessness was admirable. No doubt, Scarlet and Be can do a fair job of being friends, if Be would allow it. Okay, this wasn''t the right thought after what she just said but I just couldn''t help it.


    Scarlet, who looked petite and too young for whatever she was smoking. My mother instincts kicked in and I almost asked her how old she was but I was able to stop myself on time. I''m pretty sure she and Be would onlyugh in my face if I attempted such a sermon.


    Scarlet looked innocent but was actually very cunning and intuitive. Despite her youthful appearance, there was a maturity and wisdom in her manner and words that belied her years. I couldn''t help but wonder what life experiences had shaped her into the perceptive young woman before us.


    "So what exactly are you saying?" Be, sounding impatient, prompted her to continue.


    Scarlet took onest inhale then she threw the cigarette and dropped it on the sandy floor a few feet away from the terrace. She marched the cigarette until the lighting was out, then she pushed it to the side of a shrub and buried it with sand.


    That would slowly kill the flowers in the garden, I wanted to say but I didn''t. As much as her blunt advice made sense, there were certain behaviors I couldn''t condone, even if they seemed inconsequential. The callous way she discarded her cigarette butt bothered me more than I cared to admit.


    Scarlet walked over and ventured, "First, you need to understand the power ys that exist in the Esposito family where Tavon is now, and what conflicts exist among these people in power."

 Chapter 0224

    Be answered first, shrugging, "Currently, besides the absolute power of Tavon as the godfather, there is Dn and then Axel."


    My gaze was already on her and my forehead was creasing into a deep V as I wondered who Axel was. She turned to me and exined, "Axel is Tavon''s biological son and only son. Axel as you might already be piecing together has always been at odds with Tavon''s son, Axel. They both want to be the next godfather."


    Scarlet nodded, impressed by Be''s response. "You should know that the conflict has escted into a very serious level. Serious to the point where they want to kill each other."


    I shook my head slowly, my mouth firming an O as I finally pieced together why Dn had thought it best to put me beside Tavon. He wanted me to observe and discover who Tavon was favoring to be the next godfather. Dn did say that he wanted to be godfather so it made more sense now. It wasn''t just about money anymore, it was power. Power to have control over everything and everyone.


    And now this young woman wanted to manipte that struggle for power to bring about Dn''s downfall. The depths of cunning and ruthlessness in the mafia world both awed and unsettled me. Where was the line between justifiable revenge and unconscionable cruelty? I felt like I was wading into murky ethical waters with each passing moment.


    Scarlet looked between the both of us - an action I''ve noticed she likes to do in just a few minutes. You would almost think she was looking out for any sign of fear or any quality that would make this mission less sessful.


    "Now what we have to do," she started, "is to put them at loggerheads and intensify the conflict between them. Make them even more thirsty for the power they both covet until they''re thirsty for each other''s blood." She raised her eyebrows, "You know what to do next, right?"


    I nodded and I couldn''t help but be worried. I don''t if it was because I was now a mother. "Are you sure you want to get involved?'' I asked, my voice tinged with concern. "What you want to get into is very dangerous and you''re still young. There are many things in this world that can make you happy, girl."


    "You sound weird," I heard Be scoff and mutter behind me but I don''t think Scarlet heard her.


    Scarlet nced nonchntly at me and I was pretty sure the face she made was close to the one Be made when she scoffed just now.


    "You have a chance to leave all of these and go back home but are you willing to give up your revenge?"


    When I didn''t give her a response, she shook her head with a small reverent smile. "I guess so too. Listen, I have a chance to avenge Luigi''s death now. If I don''t, do you think I''d be happy in the future?"


    I shook my head. She was right. In this regard, I''d agree that Scarlet and I are very much alike. If I don''t ensure that Dn pays for what he did to Lucas, it''s no doubt that I wouldn''t be able to sleep in peace for the rest of my life.


    Besides... I observed the girl. Her feelings for Luigi weren''t just some random crush or infatuation. My heart ached at the realization of the depth of her love for the fallen man.


    I could already sense it, but I still asked out of curiosity, "You loved Luigi that much, didn''t you?"


    Scarlet rolled her eyes and said emphatically, "Of course. I could have loved him with my whole life if he was alive. In fact, even now after his death, I still do love him. It''s a pity that he didn''t appreciate or reciprocate those feelings."


    I gave her a painful smile, rting to the pangs of loving someone who didn''t or couldn''t love you back. "If he was alive now, I''m sure he would have understood and epted just how much you really cared for him."


    She scoffed derisively. "I doubt that. I even strippedpletely naked right in front of him once, but he didn''t react at all to my attempts to seduce him."


    It was toote - I couldn''t stop theughter that bubbled up uncontrobly from my throat. The thought of young Scarlet trying so boldly and unsubtly to tempt the older, distinguished Luigi was both hrious and oddly endearing.


    "Sorry," I said, palming my mouth ineffectually in an attempt to stifle my amusement.


    If I recalled correctly, Luigi always seemed to prefer more mature, curvaceous women - the opposite of Scarlet''s slim, girlish physique. It was sadly predictable that he would react with indifference to her aggressive overtures.


    Scarlet shot me a searing re, gritting out through clenched teeth, "Will you two stopughing already and focus? We have work to do!"


    I turned to see Be also doubled over withughter beside me at Scarlet''s unintentionallyical admission.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Quickly now, before I change my mind!" Scarlet snapped, stamping off with a huffy, almost childlike tantrum.

 Chapter 0225

    Sydney''s POV


    "So," he raised his brows, "How''re things so far?"


    I shrugged and took my time to respond. "Nothing much."


    He suddenly wiped off his smile with a frown,, "What do you mean nothing much? Come on, give me an appropriate report on what things he has been up to since thest time we spoke. Who did he meet with? What did he eat?..."


    He went on and on, listing and counting down things he wanted to hear with his fingers.


    "Something like that, you know that," then he squinted his eyes, "wait, why are you stalling?"


    I shrugged again "I''m not stalling. There''s just really nothing much to report." Part of me felt a bit of guilt for ying dumb, but I pushed it aside. This was too important - I couldn''t risk blowing my cover over a minor deception.


    "Even if he shits, Sydney, you have to tell me," he gritted out, his jaw tensing with impatience.


    "Alright then, he did shit this week," I said lightly.


    I couldn''t resist a little joke to defuse the growing tension between us.


    I held back my giggle at my own response but it quickly died down when I saw his narrowed eyes and thunderous expression. Ah, so he wasn''t in a humorous mood today. I made a mental note not to push any further jokes.


    I folded my lips tightly and apologized in a tiny, contrite voice, "Sorry." I pouted when he wouldn''t stop ring at me, running my hand along his arm. "Come on, I was just trying to make youugh. You''ve been frowning since you got here."


    He sighed heavily. "I would not be frowning if you''d just tell me about his movements. That''s the only thing that I can hear about and will make me smile."


    I sighed as well, realizing I needed to get down to business and give him the information he was hungry for. Painting him a picture of Tavon''s daily life and routines was the only way to earn back his favor and trust.


    I began recounting everything I knew Tavon had been up totely.


    "He came to visit and I brought him to the garden terrace. Scarlet was busy making sure that no one could interrupt us and ended up unintentionally eavesdropping on our conversation while Be was working on...keeping Tavon in his room." I cringed inwardly. I didn''t want to dwell on what exactly "keeping him in his room" might have meant from poor Be.


    "He has also rarely gone out," I continued,ying out the details meticulously. "He''s just basically been frolicking around with Jessica in the mansion without any shame or regard for me. However..."


    My heart skipped a beat as his eyes sharpened and his whole demeanor tensed,m. Clearly that "however" had piqued his interest in a major way.


    I bit my lip, "He takes time out every day to meet with Axel," I finally rushed out.


    Dn immediately became alert. "Apart from Axel, who else has he been seeing?"


    I pretended to furrow my brow as if racking my brain. Then I said slowly, "I remember that there''s another middle-aged man. I can tell he is about the same age group as Tavon."


    Dn leaned in closer and I mirrored his movement, ying up an air of conspiratorial secrecy between us.


    "Whenever he''s here, the staff call him..." I trailed off, furrowing my brow further and biting my lower lip in an exaggerated pantomime of struggling to remember. "I can''t really recall what they call him...ah, the military adviser!" I blurted out with fake excitement.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yes, they call him the military adviser. Each time hees, Tavon meets with him in the conference room for several hours every day, often with Axel and some other unknown faces involved."


    "Other faces?" Dn''s eyebrows drew down in a severe angle of anger and intense concentration.


    "And you cannot recognize any of these other faces?"


    I shook my head sadly and yed up my disappointment.


    "Unfortunately not. I''ve tried but they''re too unfamiliar."


    He narrowed his eyes further at me, clearly displeased by thisck of key details.


    "Yet you think all of this activity and strange meetings aren''t important enough to report promptly, huh?"


    I sighed heavily and let my shoulders droop as I wrapped my arms around myself in a vulnerable posture.


    "I didn''t want you to get too worried just yet," I said in a small voice. "I mean, it might as well be nothing serious, just them having fun or mundane business discussions."


    "It could be anything," he sneered dismissively. "It could be something much bigger, so tell me every single piece of information and everything you see and hear, no matter how insignificant it may seem."


    I flinched back slightly at the harsh edge in his voice, then slowly nodded in acquiescence.


    "Of course, you''re right. I''ll be sure to report everything moving forward, no matter how trivial."


    I frowned, as if just remembering another puzzling detail.


    "Actually, why haven''t I seen youe to visit Godfather these days? You know how important maintaining family ties and loyalty is in this business. You do understand that, right Dn?"


    He didn''t respond immediately. He was processing the implications of what I''d just told him. I could see the calctions and contingencies flickering behind his eyes.


    After a pause, I decided to nudge him further, keeping my tone purposefully casual and gentle.


    "Besides," I moved closer until my body was almost brushing against his, trailing my fingers lightly across his chest before resting them on his shoulders.

 Chapter 0226

    "I''ve missed you. If youe to visit Tavon more frequently, you''ll be killing two birds with one stone. Not only will you get to see me..." I gave him a coy look from under myshes.


    "But you''ll also reinforce your position in Tavon''s mind as the heir apparent by showing yourmitment to the family."


    He shook his head slowly, turning to face me with a grim look.


    "Nah. It''s toote for that now, Sydney. Did you hear any details. about what they were actually talking about in those meetings?" His face was gloomy, brooding, as he asked. I could almost hear the gears whirring as he worked up some new n in his head.


    "Not exactly," I replied with a small shake of my head. "They always speak in hushed tones that I can''t quite make out. But I think Tavon is gradually beginning the process of transitioning his power over to Axel."


    I shrugged as he fixed me a wary look. "I mean, why else would he be staying cooped up in the mansion all the time, never going out? My guess is Axel is increasingly running the day-to-day operations, thening back every evening to brief Tavon and receive his instructions."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Dn''s eyes turned even icier at this.


    I knew I needed to try and cate him, so I rushed to add: "But then again, it might also just be some kind of test. Maybe Axel is only temporarily shouldering more duties so Tavon can evaluate how well he handles the responsibility. Then next week or next month, it could be your turn to prove your merits."


    "It''s not a test," he growled, and fists clenched tightly at his sides. The muscle in his cheek twitched with barely restrained fury.


    Hoping to soothe his rising anger, at least for the moment, I stepped forward and began rubbing his shoulders soothingly.


    "Don''t get too riled up just yet, baby, I murmured. "We still have time to figure this out."


    I felt the slightest release of tension in his powerful frame at my gentle touch and reassuring words. But that small victory was short-lived - because it wasn''t what I truly wanted. I needed him enraged. His ambition needed to be stoked white-hot. Only then would he be primed to take the actions I intended to goad him towards.


    So with a tremor of feigned anxiety in my voice, I said: "If Axel really does be the next Godfather permanently...how will we ever have any chance to survive and thrive, Dn? What should we do now to prevent that?"


    He grinded his teeth fiercely and I felt him tense. When he looked at me, I was overjoyed by the sh of ruthlessness in his eyes.


    Good thing, that was something I''d been looking forward to these past few minutes.


    "Since Tavon ns to let Axel take over, then I can only stage a coup. I''ve always wanted to get rid of Axel, but I''ve always felt that the timing was not right, and I was also worried that Tavon would retaliate against me."


    Since he wasn''t saying out his n andck of n and I wasn''t sure which was which, I decided to go ahead with my prepared story.


    I cradled his face in my palm and looked him in the eye, "I once


    heard that there were two princespeting for a throne. The younger prince killed the older one. Although the emperor was disheartened, he could not kill the younger prince because if he did. he would have no heir to seed the throne whenever it was time." I searched his eyes to see if he was getting my pint abd he seemed to be getting it, because he was raising his brows. "Why don''t you act now, Dn? Act now and be the only prince to inherit.


    godfather''s position when it''s time.


    Dn remained silent for a while, his eyes searching my face as he scrutinized me. He finally spoke up. "So what you''re saying now is that," he started slowly, "I should take action in getting rid of thepetition before Tavonpletely hands over the power to Axel? I should strike first, right?"


    I wanted to p him and scream in his face, ''yes! Yes fool, isn''t that obvious," but I smoothly maintained my cool.


    I nodded firmly, "Yes, Dn, strike while there''s still time."


    He had to strike while I still had the time too. I was rapidly running out of time and if I spent too much time here in Italy, I would either be dered dead or Mark would fly to Italy andb the whole country by himself until he found me. Then what? I would be busted, poor Be who had managed to settle down would also get busted- oh, how she would hate Mark and I even more. And worse of all, the bastard would probably find out that I have a child for him.


    That would never happen.


    Dn looked at me and abruptly busted into a fit ofughter. I frowned, wondering what he found so hrious.


    "You know, you act so stupid around me that I didn''t expect you to be so ruthless. This is what I really like," he said amidst hisughter.


    He sobered up after and caressed my cheeks with his index finger.


    blushed and smiled at him. "I love you," I said, packing lots of


    passion into those three words. "And so I will be whatever you want me to be. As long as it makes you happy, I''ll make it happen." Chap 277

 Chapter 0227

    FEW DAYS LATERFEW DAYS LATER


    Sydney''s POV


    I woke up to a silent house. Not that it was always noisy in the mansion but there was always this buzzing energy in the atmosphere; the sound of Tavon''s business-like voice (very distinct from the one he used in that room) making business calls or the distant sounds of the whips, the tters of tes in the kitchen, the murmurs and quiet giggles of Tavon''s staff as they chatted animatedly and cracked jokes amongst themselves.


    I had grown ustomed to a quiet but not so quiet mansion, but this morning? The mansion was dead silent. If a pin dropped, I swear, it would echo throughout the mansion. It was eerily still as if the walls were also holding their breath.


    After peeking my head out a couple of times to catch a whiff of any hushed conversation or any hint as to what had gone wrong, I resigned and went to take my bath. The hot water did little to soothe the sense of dread that had settled in the pit of my stomach.


    I got dressed and proceeded downstairs to have breakfast alone as usual. My footsteps echoed loudly in the hallways and it was the only sound breaking the unnatural silence.


    It felt as if I were thest person on earth.


    Scarlet turned out to be the one who served me breakfast.


    Her presence was almost jarring in the eerie quiet.


    I raised my brows, "You aren''t assigned to the kitchen."


    She smirked, "We''re mourning. The sous chef who was supposed to serve you had developed a runny nose and red eyes from crying so. much.." she shrugged, "I''m filling in for a colleague." "Who died?" I blurted out without thinking and my voice echoed in the quiet house.


    An uneasy feeling crept up my spine as Scarlet''s expression grew somber.


    "Lower your voice, Miss," she warned, then she whispered, "We got the horrible news this morning."


    "Can you get to the point, Scar?" It''s starting to get irritating how she was dragging the whole issue. My patience was wearing thin and the oppressive silence was fraying my nerves.


    "I''ve told you to rx," she giggled quietly. "Meet me at the terrace," she said, turned back and walked off.


    After a few spoons of breakfast, I rushed to the terrace, eager for answers and reprieve from the suffocating quiet. As expected, Scarlet was in her usual spot, smoking a cigarette. The tendrils of smoke also seemed to hang in the air like ghostly fingers.


    When she felt I was around, she gave me a brief nce, winked, took one more inhale of the cigarette. After letting the smoke out in a long, slow exhale, she went straight to the point so I didn''t need to start asking questions.


    "We heard that Axel was attacked at a gas station."


    My eyes widened and I quickly mped my palm down on my


    mouth to stifle my gasp. A thousand terrible scenarios shed in my mind.


    "That isn''t all" Scarlet continued while smoking, her voice low and grave. His whole body was shot through to the point that no one could recognize him."


    "Oh my God!" I gasped, my voice muffled by my hand.


    No way! We didn''t even need to say anything regarding the killer, we all know who the killer is. The realization hit me like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs. "Yep!" She popped the ''p''.


    I still found myself struggling to process it all.


    "My God. So Axel is really dead?" I asked in a low voice, as if speaking the words too loudly would make them more real.


    "Yep, Scarlet nodded. "If the news we heard is urate then Axel really is dead."


    "Wow," I breathed, slumping on the shrub wall, "I''m finding it hard to believe this."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    I was still feeling weighed down by the news of Axel''s death to a degree. How could something so unthinkable have happened so quickly?


    I wonder why?" Scarlet said with a ''really!'' look, exhaling a stream of smoke.


    He killed Luigi for a nonsensical reason. So you can''t believe he''d kill for power?*

 Chapter 0228

    There was an edge of scorn to her words, as if my disbelief was


    FOR HON


    Noah trailed off.


    Of course new Dn was capable of killing Axel, I just didn''t think would be the fast. Cold blooded murder was one thing, but to take out the son of the powerful Godfather with such brazenness, it boggled be mind


    Imean Avel as the godfather''s biological son should be stronger and smarter, shouldn''t he?


    well, be bacht had to pose as another man for years and kill lots of people to keep his secret. A small voice in the back of my mind.


    Perhaps Dn''s deception and life of violence had better prepared him for the brutal realities we now faced.


    Yeah, but Axel was brought up in the mafia world; a dangerous world. He should know better that there would be people after him as he was most likely to be the godfather''s heir since he was the only chic; it was only logical.


    Outward appearances were really deceiving at times. Just look at meekness of Dn on the outside and how monstrous he was on the insice


    would say Axel was toocent," Scarlet broke into the debate I was having in my head, smoke curling from her lips with each word. "The thought and assurance that he''d be the next godfather made him let his guard down. We heard he was killed on his way to see his mistress."


    A mistress?


    "Who knows if the mistress was even a ploy to get him out of his house?" Imented absentmindedly..


    Scarlet shrugged, wholly unbothered, and continued to focus on her cigarette and how she puffed out the smoke.


    Her calm demeanor was an unsettling contrast to the utter turmoil raging inside me.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "The godfather won''t stand by this time," I said, then lowered my voice to a whisper, "Our n is only a step away." We were in too deep now to turn back, whether I liked it or not.


    Scarlet turned to look at me, her gaze coated with pity. That might have been the most unnerving look of all.


    "The mansion is now sealed off, you can''t get out. Now it depends on how the godfather handles the situation when hees back. To everyone now, you are on Dn''s side."


    Her lips drew down in a mocking pout, "Poor Sydney, I don''t know if you would be alive to carry out the next step of the n."


    As annoying as those words sounded, she was right.


    With one son dead and the other the murderer, Tavon could choose


    to vent out his anger by killing me and there would be nothing. anyone could do.


    Not Be or Scarlet.


    I bet Dn would even be d that I was out of his hair, one less loose end to worry about.


    I gave her a faint smile, trying to hide my nervousness that must have been obvious.


    "If it happens that I actually did get killed, please send my ashes to my best friend, Grace. She would know what to do next."


    Scarlet gave me a disbelieving look at my request about sending my ashes to Grace.


    "Are we friends?" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Why do I have to do these things?"


    I shook my head, regretting having asked in the first ce.


    "Never mind then."


    "Better," she murmured and went back to smoking her cigarette, taking a long drag.


    We easily fell into a random conversation to lighten the mood and I didn''t try to ask her to do anything for me. Instead, we just sat on the woven chair on the terrace and talked.


    Our chat meandered from topic to topic and turned heedless and lighthearted in a way. At one point, Scarlet even mentioned some amusing things about the house staff and I wasughing despite theplicated situation I was in.


    I realized, as I looked at Scarlet'' and the impish glint in her eye, that if Luigi were still alive, he and Scarlet might have actually made a surprisingly good match. And whether she was his type or not wouldn''t even matter. They both had a simr sense of humor and a strong spirit to thrive and survive anywhere.

 Chapter 0229

    I knew that under all of Scarlet''s toughness and sarcasm and insouciant bravado she was still a very bright, funny and caring. person. Perhaps that''s why she had fallen so hard for the rakish. Luigi in the first ce. It was sad that the man she was insanely in love with had been killed.


    Our reprieve was shattered by the whirr of Tavon''s car pulling into thepound, the tires crunching on the gravel outside.


    Scarlet and I both tensed instinctively at the sound.


    She quickly stood and stubbed out her cigarette.


    "I have to get to my duty post," she said brusquely, the lightness vanishing from her voice. And with barely a backwards nce, she strode away, leaving me alone on the terrace.


    I sighed heavily and also rose made my way inside the house to wee Tavon back and perhaps offer my condolences once more for his terrible loss, awkward as it may be under the circumstances. When the door opened, Be and Tavon walked in. I watched Be, her fingers intertwined tightly with Tavon''s as Tavon took a seat.


    Every sentence I had practiced flew out of my head and I just stood there, staring at him like some moron.


    Unlike his usual lewd and wicked appearance, Tavon looked beaten, he lookedpletely like a grieving father.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    My heart skipped a couple of beats when Tavon turned to me.


    His eyes didn''t carry the liveliness it always did. That vibrancy to live life to the fullest was gone.


    He said in a weak voice, a little more than a hoarse rasp, "You go


    back and tell Lucas that I want to have dinner with him."


    I remained rooted to where I stood. Dinner?


    Then he added, almost as an afterthought, "Tell him he has nothing to worry about, I won''t kill him."


    ''He knows,'' was the look that Be gave me beside Tavon as I exchanged a nce with her.


    Tavon knows but he is willing to let Dn go. Why?! I wanted to scream in his sad and haggard face. replied to him gloomily, "Alright, godfather, please ept my condolences."


    He didn''t


    ve me any


    I


    response; If I wasn''t standing close to him, I


    would have thought he didn''t hear me.


    He groaned as he rose from the chair, followed by Be. Together, they walked up stairs and made their way to his room.


    I


    I sighed. I never thought Tavon could ever look sad...and human. I really hadn''t meant for Axel to die; he had no hand in all of this conspiracy. He didn''t deserve to die.


    My anger for Dn intensified and there was a burning knot of rage in my stomach. Then I realized that was even more mad at Tavon for deciding to let him go.


    Instead of returning to my room to get dressed, I went to the terrace to think of a n, fast, before I left to meet Dn and ry Tavon''s message.


    As Iced the garden, a figure suddenly jumped out, scaring the hell


    out of me.


    "Rx, it''s me."


    I rolled my eyes. Thank goodness I was able to camp down my scream before it reached the ears of every living being in the mansion.


    "What exactly was that for?" I threw Scarlet a re. I should''ve known she''d be here.


    She discarded what I said and went straight to why she had wanted to scare the living daylights out of me. "I know what''s going on now. You don''t have to get worked up, there''s still a way to solve it. When you get to Lucas, ry the godfather''s message and tell him to bring the godfather''s favorite whiskey to apologize to him."


    I squinted curiously at her, "What''s the n? What are you nning to do?"


    She gave me a nk look as if to say, "It''s none of your business, you just need to know that our n will proceed as it should."

 Chapter 0230

    Chapter 0230 Sydney''s POV


    Scarlet wouldn''t tell me more about how our n would procede even though Tavon had decided to spare Dn. I didn''t know if Be knew about this new update. I''d have asked her but she was not I sight as she was busyforting her man.


    Without wasting much time, I got ready and rushed outside the mansion. In truth, I had no idea how I''d get to Dn''s ce. I had no means ofmunication or means of transport. I stood before the entrance and thought of what to do..


    Fortunately, one of Tavon''s men walked up to me. He gestured toward a sleek car with a practiced smile. "The godfather has asked me to take you to Mr Lucas'' mansion."


    Oh. Goody! "Alright," I returned his tasteless smile with a bright one. Thank you," I told him and he led me to the car.


    He drove me to Dn''s house. It took a few minutes before the gate was opened and the car was allowed to drive in.


    There were several of Dn''s men hanging around thepound, an unusual urrence because they always seem to be out of sight. But today, I could see them through the car''s tinted mirror. Some of them deliberately stood guard while some of them idled around, gisting andughing. I almost palmed my forehead because it was freaking obvious that their idle chat andughter was forced.


    Dn knew Tavon would find out and he was ready for whatever action he decided to take.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    it was obvious


    At the entrance, Dn stood with his feet apart and hands dug into his pocket, a nd expression on his face. Two hefty men stood


    The driver who had also been taking in his surrounding turned to me. This time, he didn''t wear his smile. "I was only asked to drop you. and return." His gaze quickly flicked to the car door by my side, "I''d like to leave now."


    "Oh! Ofcourse." I was already opening the door as I said, "Thank you. Tell godfather I''m grateful and I''d be back soon.


    He nodded curtly and watched me step down from the car.


    The moment I was a feet away from the car, he reversed the car and drove out of thepound.


    I made my way to the entranceway. As I got closer, I noticed the flicker of surprise in Dn''s eyes as he watched the car drive away.


    "Hello?" I stopped before him.


    He turned his gaze to me and said with a straight face, "I was expecting your dead body."


    I didn''t even need to fake my gasp. "What the hell, Dn!"


    He shrugged and proceeded inside the mansion. His men stepped aside and let me follow him then I heard their footsteps directly behind me.


    "Why are you here? Or rather, why has Tavon sent you back?" He finally asked as he ascended the stairs and headed for a room. Have you been sent here to murder me in my sleep?"


    I scoffed and thought, "I wished that was what I was here fo


    pand the door to the room and nodded to his men. Then he stepped in and he allowed me toe in after him.


    He trule me, that''s all I could think And that was all I needed.


    Mequipped after he had sat in his chair and stretched his long lege on the desk before him. The room looked like a study; a shelf filled with books upied one part of the four walls of the room. There was a swivel chair the one he was currently seated on, a desk filled with files and a cushion chair just on the wall opposite


    the shell


    "Tavon has sent for you," I told him with a smile. "He invited you for


    dinner."


    "I''ve done as you said.. he started, hesitating.


    "And you''ve done well," I said slowly, taking steps toward him.


    He sighed and let down his guard. "Don''t you think this is a ploy for me to walk into a trap?"


    I stopped by his side. He let me hug his head to my bosom and I caressed the side of his face.


    "You have nothing to worry about. If Tavon wanted to kill you, he''d have mobilized all the family members in the city to hunt you down and stop at nothing until you''ve dropped dead but he didn''t. Besides, he said so himself. He said you need not worry that he wouldn''t kill you*


    While I was speaking. I noticed that he had curled his hands around my waist and my lips curled into a sick smile.


    "I''m worried," he said so quietly that I barely heard him. He sounded different, very different from the tough guy that waited at the


    entranceway with his men.


    "It''s expected. I''m worried too but I think our guess was right. I mean, Axel has been dead for hours, right? And you''re still unharmed so our guess was right, you''re the only heir Tavon has left. He can''t kill you."


    He said nothing. Just held onto me and listened.


    I dug my fingers into his hair and massaged his scalp.


    "I have an idea," I started, "How about we bring a bottle of his favorite wine as we go to him? That way, everyone can tacitly consider Axel''s death as an ident, very unrted to you."


    He was silent for a while then I felt him nod. "Okay, I''ll listen to you.''


    We both arrived at Tavon''s mansion.


    I waited aside as Dn got searched, just as he had predicted. I looked into the whiskey bouquet we had prepared for Tavon, my eyes immediately zeroing in on the gun there.

 Chapter 0231

    While in the car, before we left Dn''s mansion, he had said, "I will definitely be searched when I enter the mansion, hide this gun and throw it to me when necessary, okay?"


    I nodded then he handed me the gun in his grasp. I took it and watched as he got out of the car and gave instructions to his men.


    After Dn got searched and he was allowed into the mansion, I shed the security there a smile and passed by. I let out a breath. of relief when I stopped by Dn''s side without being searched. The ambience in the mansion was still heavy with an undecribable. air. Everyone still looked solemn as I had left them.


    Dinner was already being served so we went straight to the dinning room. I slipped the gun out of the bouquet and hid it in the pocket of my pants then I dropped it by Dn''s side and took a seat beside him. Dn and I idly chatted for a long time as we waited for Tavon.


    A long whileter, Tavon announced his arrival, smiling slightly, "My child, you''re here."


    I heard Dn mutter, "finally" under his breath as he climbed down the stairs, Be by his side.


    Tavon''s eyes was filled with fatigue and sadness and his face. looked pale.


    Dn nodded and rose to his feet. He picked up the whiskey bouquet and ced it on the table.


    "I heard about Axel''s incident, I came to visit you." He pushed the


    bouquet forward a little. "ept my condolences."


    Tavon said nothing. He took his time to descend the stairs. After he wasfortably seated in his seat at the head of the table, he spoke up. Unexpectedly, he sounded firm. "Axel''s incident has saddened me. I had hoped that you and he could lead the family further together, but..." I think I saw his shoulders rose in a small shrug or maybe I was just seeing things. Then he turned his head to look at Dn, he regarded him for a while then he said, "Now, the honor and responsibility of the family are all on you."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Dn''seemed shocked hearing that Tavon has epted him as the heir but he tried his best to hide it.


    He bowed deeply and said to Tavon, "Godfather, I promise you, I will do my best."


    Tavon said nothing and even gave no reaction to Dn''s words of


    assurance.


    By this time, the tables had already been set. All the dishes were ready and everyone was ready to dig in.


    I raised my eyebrows when one of the staff stepped forward. It was Scarlet.


    I watched as she grabbed the bottle of whiskey to open it to test for poison, as usual.


    Tavon actually gave Dn an apologetic smile. "Please don''t mind me, my child, there are too many enemies lurking in the dark now, I have to be careful."


    Dn smiled slightly and dismissively waved his hand, "I understand, godfather."


    #


    We all watched as Scarlet pured a bit of the wine in a flute ss. then before we all knew what was happening. Her eyes widened in horror as she gagged and started to crazily beat her chest with her palm. She staggered back and everyone rose to their feet in panic. Tavon''s guards were quick to gather around him as everyone watched what would unfold.


    Scarlet gripped the back of a chair and started to vomit blood, messing up the floor. I rushed to her side, "Are you okay?"


    Her body was frigging hot and she was trembling. She looked up at me and even though her face was pale and her eyes held the fatigue she must be feeling, I could have sworn that I saw a smile in her eyes. And then, her hold on me and the chair loosened and she went barreling into the floor, dead.


    For the briefest moment, the room was dead silent and in the blink of an eye, I heard a scream. Be who seemed to be in on the n rushed to Tavon''s side and yelled, "What are you still waiting fir?" She faced the guards who formed a wall around she and Tavon. The wine is poisoned, Lucas wants to kill the godfather!"


    The moment those words were said chaos erupted and everyone rushed at Dn but he was hood inbat as he was hood in lying.


    Scarlet''s words resounded in my head, "I love him with mlife..." and became crystal clear what happened. She loved Luigi with her life and she willingly gave her life to falsely use Dn of poisoning Tavon''s favorite whiskey.


    I swallowed and looked down at her dead body with a heavy heart.


    We could have found another means... she didn''t have to die.


    "Sydney!"


    I was thrown out of my head and I looked up at the chaos happening around me in the room. Tavon had been able to move to the foot of the staircase without being harmed while several of Tavon''s men circled Dn. He couldn''t fight all of them at once and that seemed to be their n.


    "Give me the gun!"


    I obligingly grabbed the gun and threw it at him. He expertly caught it and I watched him point the gun at the men around him before settling it in Tavon''s direction.


    That was my cue to hide.

 Chapter 0232

    Sydney''s pov


    Dn pulled the trigger but nothing happened. His face became red and he tightened his hold on the gun as he continuously pulled the trigger like a fool.


    The scene reyed in my head for the umpteenth time that night. When Dn left the car to go give instructions to his men, I was the only one left in the car.


    I looked around and quickly removed the bullets from the gun with shaky hands. I hadn''t had any ns at mind but I sure knew that if he could shoot then he''d definitely be shot at. And that was exactly what was happening.


    Grasping what had happened, Tavon''s bodyguards immediately brought out their ammunition and mercilessly shot at Dn, making holes through his clothes and body. "That must have been how Axel was also shot at," I thought.


    Dn''s body finally could not take the shots anymore and as he fell to the floor, his gaze found mine behind the chair I had hid myself in. His eyes were filled with despair and pain as he hit the ground. I wanted to rush to him and tell him that I removed the bullets from his gun. I wanted to tell him that I nned the whole thing but I couldn''t. Not now. Not when the guards were still shooting at him. Finally, they stopped on Tavon''s order then I crawled through the mess-the broken table and tes and expensive vases and many others, the injured men, the dead ones that Dn had stabbed - to his unmoving body. All eyes were on me and the guns were still


    pointed but I didn''t care, I needed this moment.


    Isneered when I reached him. Stubborn man. He still wasn''t dead. His eyes were open as he spluttered blood from his mouth. As 1 looked at his battered form, a wave of pity washed over me. He had been a pawn in my game, used and discarded. But I hardened my heart he had brought this upon himself through his cruelty and wickedness. There could be no mercy for one such as him.


    He opened his mouth when I came into his view but he couldn''t form any words, all he could do was spluft out more blood. His ssy eyes pleaded with me for help, but I felt nothing.


    If I had really loved him, I would have held his body and cried my eyes out because this death was horrible, every part of his body had a bullet hole in it. Even his forehead which made me wonder why his eyes were still open. But I loved him not my heart was as cold as the steel that pierced his flesh.


    Well, it doesn''t matter. He was still going to die either way.


    I leaned into his ear and whispered, "Dn, you damn bug." I gritted out, finally able to channel all of my resentment through my words and look. "You shouldn''t have treated Lucas how you did." His head turned to me and our faces were now mere inches from touching. The disbelief and fear was unmistakable in his eyes, the knowledge that I had yed him and betrayed him must be resounding. "And you know what? You shouldn''t have told me, then I would have left like I was never here."


    He weakly opened his mouth but only blood spluttered out. His life was draining away with each precious second.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "You know, I bore you a son." I saw his finger twitched and I smirked, "His name is Aiden, but you''re not worthy to be his father. I''ll tell


    everyone that Auden''s father to Lucas, and you will disappear from this world forever, and no one will remember you existed." I whispered," Lucas would be remembered but not Dn." He looked at me with hurt and disbelief and hale before his pupils stopped moving and he stopped spluttering blood. With his final breath, he tried to mouth something but the words never came,


    As I watched him fade away, I felt fulfilled. Perhaps, this was why I was one of my purposes. To avenge Lucas. Because the fulfillment I felt was indescribable. A great weight had been lifted from my soul- the ghost of Lucas could finally rest, I had enacted a brutal


    vengeance, but one that was justified in my eyes after all the pain and suffering Dn had caused.


    After it was confirmed that Dn was dead, Tavon''s bodyguards dragged me from Dn''s body and made me kneel before Tavon.


    "Cuff her and throw her in the torture room!" Tavon yelled and I glimpsed a tinge of pity in Be''s eyes.


    My heart skipped a beat and I knew that this torture room wasn''t the'' one Tavon introduced to me on my first day here. A chill ran down my spine as I imagined the horrors that may await me in whatever room he was referring to. Still, I had to keep my wits about me and find a way to convince him of where my loyalties truly lie.


    I quickly jammed my palms together and pleaded, "I swear,


    godfather, I hate Lucas more than you do right now, I''ve always. despised him."


    The surprise in his eyes was evident. He had not expected me to. forn on Dn, the man he saw as my lover and father of my child. But I knew I had to seize this moment to win back his trust. "Why did you think he wasn''t able to get a bullet through you when


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    Chrisler 0012


    he pointed the gun at you and pulled the trigger?" I continued, my voice trembling slightly with the weight of the situation. "I emptied the gun of its bullets, godfather. I threw him a gun without bullets."


    As the realization sank in, Tavon''s eyes softened and I knew I didn''t need to exin more. He understood that I was by his side and he flicked his hand at his guards who backed off, lowering their weapons. A wave of relief washed over me - I had managed to avoid the torture room, at least for now.

 Chapter 0233

    "Thank you," I whispered, letting out a relieved breath.


    The men started to sift through the mess but first of all, they carried Dn''s body away. I watched impassively as his lifeless form was dragged across the floor, leaving a smear of blood in its wake. Part of me felt a twinge of regret at the brutal way he had met his end, but I quickly pushed those thoughts aside. He had brought it upon himself through his actions.


    My eyes fell on Scarlet and they filled with tears. I have achieved my aing but innocent lives were taken. People that didn''t deserve to die. Avel''s pale, broken body fleshed in my mind and my stomach twisted into knots. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer for Scarlet and Axel, hoping their souls could find peace.


    I opened my eyes when I felt eyes on me. Tavon watched as his men took care of the chaos in the room while Be carefully watched me, her expression unreadable. I could only imagine what she must be thinking, having witnessed the violent spectacle that had just unfolded.


    Your secret is forever safe with me, I thought and I hoped she got the message. That despite everything, the bond we had formed, however twisted, still meant something to me.


    She nodded almost imperceptibly and I returned her nod, a silent acknowledgment passing between us.


    Then I took onest look at everything and Scarlet before I took advantage of the chaos and slipped out of the room and put of the


    mension.


    When I sessfully made it to Tavon''s mansion, I immediat.l.


    headed for the embassy.


    It was the one ce I had Be describe to me and I carefully studied the map she provided me.


    As I ran through the night, the wind whipped back my hair and howled in my ears but I didn''t feel tired at all. I felt victorious and extremely as I ran through the night to meet with the people I loved and have missed. Finally, I had avenged Lucas.


    Another thing I was thankful for was that the embassy wasn''t very far from Tavon''s mansion, And with the vigor pumping into my legs, I made it there in a few minutes.


    I was breathing hard when I reached the embassy. I saw one of the papers pasted on the wall containing the notice of my missing and. tore it off the wall.


    I rushed to the embassy staff behind the counter and pointed at my picture on the paper. "I''m the one here," I rushed out then put it in his face and beside my face. "Call Mark Torres from GT Group, tell him Sydney has been found."


    The embassy staff''s eyes widened. She tapped on her colleague that had his back tu


    to us and whispered something in his ear. The colleague turned and smiled at me. "Miss Sydney," he nodded. Thedy smiled at me too, "I''ll be right back," she said and left. The embassy staff arrived a whileter with a big infectious smile." We''ve informed GT Group and a private flight is being arranged for you."


    I nodded. "Thank you."


    "You can wait in the VIP waiting area, I''d lead you there."


    Faubered another thank you and followed her to an area that looked ike a reception area but much more fancy. Thankfully, I was the only one there after the embassy staff left.


    There I found a chilled bottle of orange juice and some snacks that I guded down. Thacht even realized that I was starving.


    3 ran my fingers through my disheveled hair. "I must look like a mad woman" I mutter to myself as I strode to sit on the inviting plush


    As took a seat something vibrated at the back of my jeans. I toured then I quickly brought it out when I remembered that Be bed handed me a phone that couldn''t be traced. With it, I could reach ether her or Scarlet in case I got in trouble.


    By the time I brought the phone out, the ringing had stopped.


    I tapped on the contacts icon and there were only two phone numbers saved there-Be and... Scar. I swallowed.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Just as I made to diel Be''s number and call her back, the phone started to ring again. I picked up the call immediately.


    "Weren''t you going to pick up?" Her cool voice sounded through the phone''s speaker.


    1 wes." I simply responded.


    "Did you know," she started and I could hear the smile in her voice." The gun I pointed on your head in your room thest time we met before Italy was just a toy gun."


    I raised my brows. I should have known.


    "You always yed with me, and you finally got yed by me, you


    ignored her words and said instead, "Sister,e back with me, "I take very good care of you."


    We were both aware that it was the first time either of us was using


    hat term-sister.


    Be, as expected, said sarcastically, "Go back for what?" She scoffed, "1 neither want to stay in a mental hospital nor a prison, Thank you very much. I''m fine here, much better than you." I sighed. Then you must be happier than I thought. I hope you truly


    are.*


    The ire was silent for a while as neither of us said anything. Then she blurted, "Whatever. It''s none of your business!" Then she hung


    I smiled.


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 Chapter 0234

    Mark''s POV


    I looked up from the man speaking when the door opened and my assistant quickly walked in, his quick strides quickly diminishing the space between us.


    There was an apologetic look on his face and might I say, also a happy one.


    What exactly was making him happy? I thought, irritated. Another business deal? Another alliance or merger?


    He apologized to me then to the members of the meeting then he lowered himself till we were the same height since I remained seated. He tapped on the screen of the phone he held up.


    After Sydney left for Italy in search of her lover boy, my life had been nothing but work and taking care of Aiden. I threw myself more into work not just because she wasn''t around but because she once again left for another man.


    Aiden was the only cute, adorable and concise remainder of her and so I made as much time as I could for him especially since Grace was always busy these days.


    But since she went missing, even little Aiden could tell that


    something had changed. I no longer smiled. I always tried for Aiden but I just couldn''t and whenever I forced myself, I always ended up scaring Aiden with the smile which always brought tears to his eyes so I just stopped.


    J became so cold that apart from Aiden and Grace who had no choice, no one wanted to approach me or be around me for more


    than a couple of minutes. It was so unfortunate that the people I worked with had to suffer through a business meeting, talk orContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Instructions with me all the time


    The suspicion rose when we couldn''t reach Sydney after a month in Baby Grace and I decided to wait a month more before we filed a masing person report that month was the longest month I''ve ever ved through


    A month came then another and it was official, Sydney was either deceased or missing but I strongly held onto thetter and believed. that she would be found.


    Now back to my assistant. For him to have the guts to interrupt my meeting for a phone call then his reasoning facility was either faulty. or the call was invaluable.


    I signaled for him to go on.


    "Mr Mark," he started, "I just received a call from the embassy in Italy.


    My ears perked up and I quickly sat up not minding who was watching


    "They said miss Sydney has been found and will shortly be on a flight back." His voice trembled with excitement. He knew what this meant for me.


    My heart jumped in excitement and happiness and my long-lost smile reappeared. My assistant also smiled. I snatched the phone. from his grasp and ced it on my ear.


    "You''re speaking with Mark Torres, CEO of GT Group.


    They exined what my assistant had just told me in fuller details


    O


    and I couldn''t step my widening smile. A wave of relief washed over me knowing Sydney was alive and date. All the anguish and torment 1 had endured these past months thinking the worst had happened. dated away I felt reborn, like a new man.


    Thank your Thank you so much for this news!" I said with vigor and enthusiasm, my grip on the phone tightening as the emotions. surged within me. I could scarcely believe this was reality and not


    e curd dream that would dissipate upon waking. "I''ll be there. shortly to pick her up. I can''t thank you enough."


    hung up the phone, handed it back to my assistant with a brilliant emile and tears of joy in my eyes. I rose to my feet and the other participants, looking confused but realizing something tremendous must have urred, stood as well.


    "The meeting is suspended," I said with augh, already moving towards the door. "My apologies everyone, but an urgent personal matter has arisen that requires my immediate attention. We''ll have toreschedule."


    I could scarcely care about decorum or professionalism in that moment. Sydney was alive! That''s all that mattered. I rushed out with my assistant in tow, barking orders for my car to be brought around immediately. Though my engagement with Mia and any ties whatsoever I had with her was canceled, since Mia was the one who initiated the cancetion, my cooperation with the councilman, her father still existed. We decided to think like businessmen and not let a personal issue hinder the seamless benefits we would reap from working together.

 Chapter 0235

    I continued to provide him with campaign funds until the councilman sessfully became a state councilman. With his alliance and help, my influence in politics grewrger and I became the councilman''s right-hand man. All of these also came with the perks to meet wit'' several of the political bigwigs. It was by leveraging their


    connections that I was able to get the staff at the Italy embassy to help find Sydney.


    I hurried back to my apartment, my heart soaring. The on and off babysitter I had employed to care for Aiden whenever I wasn''t around got on her feet and greeted, "Wee back sir."


    On seeing a smile on my face, Aiden carefully watched me, seeming confused. He didn''t stumble toward me like he liked to do or pped his hands, he just watched me cautiously.


    His innocent eyes seemed to be asking "What''s going on? Why are you so happy all of a sudden?"


    Iughed joyfully and carelessly dropped my bag, opening my arms. wide. "Aiden, boy, mommy''sing back! She''s finally, finallying back!"


    His face instantly lit up with delight and he pped his hands, crying. out "Mommy! Mommy!" in his adorable baby voice. He rushed unsteadily to his feet and ran towards me, allowing me to scoop him up in a great hug. I held him tightly, nting kisses on his head, breathing in his sweet scent. After so much darkness, finally there was light again.


    "Yes, that''s right! Mommy''s on her way home to us! Should we go


    CheaterContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    wait for her at the airport?"


    Aiden was babbling excitedly in my arms, his whole body wriggling with glee. My heart felt fit to burst with love for this boy, this little miracle that she had given me. The love I felt for him was only exceeded by the love I felt for his mother.


    Turning to the babysitter who watched us with a smile, I said,


    "I have your pay transferred to you. If I ever need your services again, I''ll reach out to you."


    "Thank you," she said again then smiled at Aiden. "Bye, big boy, see you when I see you." Aiden waved at her as she packed up her things and left.


    The babysitter was a young school leaver who was struggling to fend for her family. Apart from the fact that she was professional, smart and hardworking, Aiden adores her so I decided that she would always be our go to babysitter whenever Aiden needed babysitting until he doesn''t need it anymore.


    After the babysitter left, with a beaming face, Aiden and I rushed to the car. The only thing I grabbed before we left the house was Aiden''s favorite toy that I got him when he turned one- a customized toy car with mirrors that had Sydney''s picture on it.


    We reached the airport even before Sydney''s ne hadnded.


    Soon, her nended and it was announced. We waited for her toe out of the terminal and as she did, our gaze instantly settled on her.


    Sydney got looks from passersby and bystanders because of how disheveled she looked but neither of us cares. She whirled around


    O


    the filled airport as she tried to locate us.


    Aiden jumped in my arms when he recognized his mom and I ha hold on to him tightly so he would jump out of my arms in an attempt to fly to his mom.


    "Sydney, we''re here!" I hollered out, not caring who was looking.


    Her gaze fell on us and a huge smile appeared on her face as she walked up to us.


    Neither of us uttered a word as she took a babbling Aiden from me, her eyes glistening with tears. She closed her eyes and hugged him to her chest. She opened her eyes and then her arm and I walked into her embrace, hugging the both of them to me.


    THE END.

 Chapter 0236

    NARRATOR''S POV


    ONE YEAR LATER


    The wedding preparations were in full swing, and Sydney rushed into the dressing room like a whirlwind, and her eyes were immediately drawn to the center of the room where Grace stood, resplendent in her wedding dress.


    "Grace!" Sydney eximed, her initial frown melting into a beaming smile as she took in the breathtaking sight in front of her.


    Grace turned away from the mirror, surrounded by a swarm of cloth. fitters, each one of them pinning and adjusting the folds of her wedding dress, and the manyyers of the ivory satin andce flowing around her like a dress from a fairy tale.


    Grace had designed the dress herself, because she wanted something that would be the best of the best. An epitome of both elegance and sophistication. Indeed, it was a masterpiece, with six seamstresses and fitters carefully tending to every detail on her body.


    A few hairstylists also hovered around Grace''s head, working their fingers around the strands and twisting and curling everything on her hair that they couldy their hands on.


    "Oh my gosh, you look stunning!" Sydney eximed. Her eyes sparkled with admiration as she stepped closer and pped her hand over her heart to show how awed and grateful she felt for finally seeing Grace in that dress she''d dreamed of.


    Grace blushed proudly. She was also unable to contain her


    excitement. She did a little dance where she stood.


    "I know, right?" she giggled. Her joy was really infectious.


    Sydney let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head in amusement.


    "Yeah, back to work," she said, turning her attention to something else. "The makeup artist has just reached out to me. She says she''s held up in traffic."


    A groan escaped Grace''s lips as she rolled her eyes dramatically.


    "Goodness, not today..." shemented, her shoulders sagging slightly.


    Sydney could see the disappointment on her friend''s face and God knows she understood better than anyone how much all of this meant to Grace. Sydney wanted to rmend that they find an alternative artist since they didn''t have much time to the church wedding. But she was also aware of how much Grace had been looking forward to having this particr makeup artist work her magic on her face on her wedding day.


    ULSI


    "Where''s my phone?" Sydney asked, ncing around the cluttered dressing room.


    Grace turned her head, "Check that bag over there," she said, nodding towards arge tote bag in the corner.


    Following Grace''s direction, Sydney located the bag and rummaged through its contents until her fingers brushed against her phone.


    "Yeah, thanks," she acknowledged as she took it out then she said, "I''ll be back in a bit," before stepping out into the hallway..


    Grace''s expression melted into a warm smile, her shoulders visibly rxing. "Okay," she replied.


    When she walked out into the hallway and had walked a few paces away from the door to the dressing room, Sydney put the phone to her ear. "Mark, it''s me."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "Yeah, I know it''s you," Mark replied with a chuckle and his usual


    sarcasm.


    Sydney rolled her eyes dramatically


    "Um, I need a quick favor. And before you ask, no, it''s nothing too crazy this time."


    "Which is?" Mark prodded curiously, "I''m already on my way to the


    venue."


    "I need a helicopter." Sydney blurted out.


    There was a beat of silence before Mark spoke again.


    "A helicopter? Are you nning a grand entrance or just trying to show up the bride?"


    "Quit the jokes. Grace''s makeup artist is stuck in traffic somewhere on Canbury Lane. We need to get her out of there, like, yesterday. It''s really important for Grace. I don''t want her to panic on her big day." Mark''sughter subsided, reced by a dramatic sigh.


    "Is there a way you can prepare this...for me?" Sydney asked, emphasizing thest two words and hoping Mark would pick up on the gravity of her request.

 Chapter 0237

    "Ugh, fine," Mark groaned, feigning exasperation. "But you owe me big time. Like a lifetime supply of free babysitting from Damon."


    Sydney snorted. "As if that kid would listen to anyone but me."


    "Fair point, Mark conceded. "Are youing over so we could...."


    "Nope. I have like a million other errands to run. We''ll keep talking over the phone," Sydney replied.


    "Does the makeup artist want to be picked up from Canbury Lane or should I have her meet the helicopter somewhere else?"


    *Just keepmunicating with her on the phone," Sydney instructed. "I''ll connect you two, and you can coordinate the details.


    "You got it, bossdy," Mark said.


    Sydney smiled, "Thanks, you''re a lifesaver!"


    "Isn''t that what I''m for?" Mark quipped, and Sydney could practically hear the wink in his voice.


    Sydney rolled her eyes again and disconnected the call."


    Mark smiled to himself as he hung up the phone, Sydney''s voice still ringing in his ears. He twirled the phonezily in his hand with a mischievous glint in his eye. With a few clicks of a button on his desk, his assistant poked his head into the office.


    "Yes, Mr. Torres?" He queried.


    Mark leaned back in his chair, "I need you to head down to the


    og signo evitest outknowing te dar URIN


    St. Romaval


    Wrong the four, me neique was stitone is hoES S?QN? Travor the naming at The riot raving site


    GIAN


    from Markt, exdely avater mough he is maze of srees andi de zener in on the ocation Cartury Lane


    Dow beaw, dhe make us was pacing atousy on the stevak, jer onore curcher in herhand. She had been in


    The helicopter touched down smooth on the side of the beauty trafficked road and the pict gestured for her to climb aboard. The makeup arist gathered her supplies and turned towards the aircraft. Back at the dressing room, Sydney. And back in with a triumphant grin stered across her face


    Tadal" she eximed stepping aside to reveal the makeup artist


    behind her.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Grace gasped with both shock and relief.


    "Oh, thank goodness!" she breathed rushing forward and enveloping Sydney in a fierce embrace.


    "Thank you so much, I don''t know what I''d have done without you."


    Sydney returned the hug, her eyes sparkling with joy at the sight of her friend''s tion.


    "Of course, anything for you on your big day."


    Pulling back, Grace turned her attention to the makeup artist.


    "I''m so sorry for the dy. I hope you weren''t too inconvenienced," the artist apologized.


    "It''s alright, let''s just get to work now we barely have an hour left.


    Less than an hourter, Grace appeared as the bride of the day, in her dashing wedding dress and her graceful beauty.


    "Oh, Grace," Sydney breathed. Her eyes welled up with tears.


    "You look absolutely stunning."


    Grace''s face also lit up with a smile and her cheeks flushed with happiness.


    "Aww, don''t cry!" she chided yfully, reaching out to gently dab at. Sydney''s tear-stained cheeks.


    Sydney let out a watery chuckle, swiping at her eyes.


    "I can''t help it," she confessed, "After everything we''ve been through, seeing you like this, so happy and radiant... it''s just too much."


    Grace''s own eyes glistened with tears as well and she pulled Sydney into a tender hug.


    "I know, I know," she murmured, her voice muffled against Sydney''s shoulder.


    "It''s been quite a journey, hasn''t it?"

 Chapter 0238

    Sydney nodded, sniffling softly as she tried to regain herposure.


    "Come on now, not you too," she chided, pulling back and giving Grace''s shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You''ll ruin your makeup, and we can''t have that."


    Grace let out a shakyugh, blinking rapidly to clear her vision.


    Sydney smiled and handed Grace the exquisite bouquet that had been carefully arranged for the asion.


    "Here, take this," she said, handing the fragrant bundle of flowers to Grace. "Everyone''s waiting for us."


    Grace epted the bouquet with a grateful nod, her fingers caressing the petals.


    "Thank you, love."


    Arm in arm, the two friends made their way down the elegantly decorated hallway. Sydney was still dabbing at her eyes because the tears wouldn''t stoping.


    Then she saw a hankie in front of her.


    She looked up beside her and saw Mark walking beside her with a lopsided grin


    "You''ll ruin your makeup if you keep crying like that."


    Sydney took the cloth and dabbed at her eyes.


    "You can return it to me some other time," he gestured to the handkerchief.


    Sydney looked at him to say something but then her eyes went to the cor of his shirt and she said, "Your tie is still as crooked as always,"


    Mark nced down at the askew knot of his tie, his fingers barely adjusting it.


    "Well, would you help?" his eyes twinkled.


    "Of course not," Sydney snorted.


    "Where''s Damon?" Mark inquired, ncing around as if expecting the precocious child to materialize


    "He''s with the old aunties, waiting in the hall. They wanted him to keep thempany."


    They finally reached the ceremony hall.


    Grace linked arms with her uncle, who would be walking her down the aisle, and exchanged onest meaningful look with Sydney before the doors swung open.


    Soft, ethereal music filled the air, and all eyes turned towards the radiant bride as she made her way down the aisle, her bouquet clutched tightly in her hands.


    At the end of the aisle stood the room, the doctor she befriended years ago at the hospital, who then became her boyfriend, fianc¨¦ and now, her husband-to-be. His eyes shone with love and adoration as he watched his bride approach.


    The ceremony proceeded with a dreamlike quality, the exchange of vows and the sliding of rings onto trembling fingers.


    As the officiant uttered those fateful words, "You may now kiss the


    bride," a thunderous apuse erupted from the gathered guests, everyone rising to their feet in a standing ovation.


    In the midst of all the joyous celebration and the throwing of bouquet. Sydney caught the bouquet as Grace tossed it over her shoulder. This elicited a chorus of cheers and good-natured ribbing from the assembled well-wishers. Even Mark who was busy cradling a sleepy Damon in his arms, had a secretive smile on his face.


    The reception continued in merriment, eating and drinking.


    Sydey found Mark whilst she was busy getting throngs out together and Impulsively thrust the bouquet into his hand.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Here, you take it," she said.


    Mark looked down at the flowers.


    "But... you earned it."


    "I don''t need it," she insisted and turned to leave.


    pressing the bouquet into his hands.


    Mark quickly, but genty held her wrist.


    "Wait..."


    She turned back to face him with a raised brow.


    "Can you give me a second chance?" Mark asked, his eyes searching hers with a silent plea.


    "Huh?" she managed, her voice a mere whisper.


    Mark took a step closer.


    "I want a second chance for us... the two of us... and Damon."


    There was a heavy silence between them before Sydney broke the stillness.


    "I''m sick of being someone''s wife. But it''s not a bad idea to be someone''s girlfriend."


    A slow, radiant smile spread across Mark''s face, and he let out a soft, relievedugh.


    "I would love to be your someone," he answered.


    *****

 Chapter 0239

    ANASTASIA


    My brows creased in worry as I dialed his number for the umpteenth time.


    ''Hey there, if you''re hearing this then I''m unavai-''


    I stopped the voicemail before it ended.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Babe," I pouted even though he couldn''t see me. "Where are you? Are you okay? I''ve been trying to reach you for eons now. Call me as soon as you see this, okay?" With a small smile on my lips, I added in a singysongy tone, "I miss you."


    With a sigh, I ced my phone facedown on myp and looked outside the taxi''s window. The driver just arrived at the only point on the expressway where he could make a U-turn. Right then, I decided that it would be better to stop at his ce before I head to mine. Else, I would spend all day and night worrying until I hear from him.


    It had been an eventual past two weeks because i was out of the country with my colleagues from college to celebrate our graduation.


    "Please, make a U-turn here," I quickly told the driver before he would go too far. His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror and I could read the question in them as he wordlessly did as I instructed.


    "I will be heading to a different destination now," I said and he nodded, then I gave him the address to my new destination.


    As he maneuvered the heavy traffic, I logged onto Snapchat to see the previous texts I had sent him still unanswered. I had sent the text. with a huge grin, expecting him to immediately reply to my excited'' We''ll be on the way first thing tomorrow morning! Can''t wait to bury


    We seres teme


    Tsmigger with my does matte my way to tes


    Cone Stimmener The mus dem TUOTES


    fister my phone fom my deX DE meet the


    NITURE


    I was a bit disamat was a


    waste cong to ove thentais Butter and


    inger dicking on fie nesate nwto be bombe M


    of pictures. Anot done so free m


    as more of the pictures came in


    The smile on my face fell and stooper OT TV TOS WW aus Tender as shakly wever the patures one after the other


    My test rammed in my chest as eact paure coket dese ter the previous one I could swear my vision most went bury for e solit second staring down at the screen.oner of the mars face, refusing to believe that the man who looker reinous este


    mouthed the woman''s boobs was my man. There were over a hundred different angles of him having sex with with this woman,


    and Aiden''s face was AS CLEAR AS DAYI


    Then I threw my head back andughed shakily. Definitely not. It could never be true. Thest thing Aiden will do is cheat. Aiden, a cheater? Nah. He would rather say it to my face that he didn''t want. me anymore. Which wasn''t even possible because we are both crazily in love with each other.


    I turned off my phone and looked ahead. Just a few more feet and I would be on hiswn. Since I am here, why don''t I go find out myself then?

 Chapter 0240

    ANASTASIA


    My strides were longer and faster as I made my way to his


    apartment.


    There was a reasonable part of me that was convinced that those pictures weren''t photoshopped. And there was also the part, slightly smaller, that believed - or rather, wanted to believe that it was all a lie. A stupid dumb prank.


    Aiden just would never do that to me. He was not the type of man who would jump onto the next woman he sees the moment I am out of the country. It just was not possible.


    I made my way through the open gate. As I stopped before the door, I noticed that my breaths were ragged and the palms that I wounded. around my bags were sweaty.


    I put the bags aside and wiped my palms on my jeans then I took a deep calming breath.


    I knocked but there was no response. I slowly wrapped my fingers around the door knob and pushed. Immediately, it gave and the door creaked open. As I stepped in and closed the door before me, I frowned at the messy state the living room was in.


    I made to call out to him as I made my way to his bedroom when I caught sight of sharp red in my peripheral vision.


    turned toward the chair by the kitchen to see not only a woman''s shoes but a dress and... I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. By the doorway of the kitchen was a bra and a few feet from that was a thong. It was then I saw the belts and other pieces.


    Chiese ak


    of clothings that trailed the path that led to his bedroom.


    My vision swayed and I gripped the chair to keep myself steady. What the freaking hell did I just see?


    So the pictures were real? They were not photoshopped? Aiden really did those things he did in those pictures to another woman.


    My heart constricted in my chest and I let out a choked sob. The disarrayed room now made more sen


    I wondered what they had done to have turned the living room into the mess that it was but the picture I managed to conjure up only made me feel utter disgust toward the man I loved with all my heart. I gripped my chest, more drops of tears dropping on the cushioned


    chair I held on it. If anyone had told me that Aiden would ever betray me in this manner, or betray me at all, I would have made a bet that he would never and eveny down my life.


    I looked around the room, at all the evidences and telltales of his betrayal.


    Memories of when I first saw him suddenly filled my head. It felt just like yesterday. I had been a freshman, lost in the big surroundings of the school. The map did nothing to help. I remembered losing my way in the hall that was crowded with probably all the students the college had. It was chaos as every one of them seemed to be rushing to ss. No one had the patience to direct anyone so I stepped aside where I was sure I would not get trampled on by the rush and stared intently at the map, determined to locate my ss. even though I was alreadyte.


    And then this gorgeous young man sidled up next to me. He pointed at the map in my hands, "That never helps."


    I sighed and dropped my hands by my side. "I suspected that."


    He chuckled and I wanted to record that sound and listen to it all day.


    He helped me find my way and as he showed me around, my eyes had ample time to explore his stunning face and physique.


    The connection was instant. From that day, we became friends. With both of us heavily attracted to each other, it did not te long for a rtionship to kick in. A beautiful rtionship that I believed would lead to my forever. The man I strongly believed I''d walk up the aisle to meet and share my sincerest vows.


    My sadness suddenly morphed into anger. How dare he! After all the promises. How dare he do this to me?


    Wiping the hot tears that would not stop pouring out of my eyes, I stormed out of his apartment.


    I poured out my anger on my boxes as I roughly dragged them behind me.


    At the gate, Jack stepped in.


    There was a full blown smile on his face and he had the guts to try to embrace me.


    "Babe!"


    His smile faltered when I stepped back but he still attempted to hug me. Without thinking, my palm connected with his cheeks. "I never want to see your face again!"


    "Are you crying?" He frowned, his brows creased in worry. "What''s wrong? Did I do something?"


    He tried to reach for me but I stepped aside, feeling more irritated


    and angered. He must take me for a fool.


    "It''s over, Aiden. We''re done," my voice trembled but it was firm enough to get through to his head that I meant my words.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "What the hell, Ana! What do you mean we are done?"


    "Have a nice life," I told him and walked past him, efficiently dragging my boxes behind me.


    "Ana! Anastasia!"


    I don''t even turn back to look at him once...and I never would!

 Chapter 0241

    ANASTASIA


    With a sniff, I stopped my incessant knocking when I heard hurried footstepsing toward the door. I leaned on the door, unable to stop my sobs.


    I had meant it when I said it was over but a part of me had hoped. that he woulde after me, take me in his arms and reassure me that it was all a big misunderstanding but he had only stood there, barking my name like some crazed maniac.


    ra opened the door with a smile, it widened a bit when she saw me but immediately fell when she noticed my tears.


    "Are you okay?" She frowned, her eyes filled with questions. "I didn''t know you would be back so soon," she said slowly, her frown deepening, "Ana, are you okay?"


    She reached for me and I couldn''t hold back myself anymore. I fell into her arms and cried like a baby. My heart felt heavy and my shoulders shook as I gripped the sides of her shirt and cried harder, soaking her sweatshirt with my tears.


    "Shh," she patted me on the back. She closed the door and led me inside the living room. She did a quick job of bringing my bags in, then held me and sat us down. Yet, she said nothing. She let me cling to her and cry as much as I needed to.


    Her care and understanding warmed my heart but instead of soothing me, it only made my heart ache more. Aiden used to be just like that. He was always very patient with me.


    "We were so good together" I blurted out


    "Okay?" She finally asked, "What happened?"


    "It''s Aiden," I whispered. There was a short pause and I could tell that she already understood but I still continued anyway.


    I sniffed and looked up, wiping my face but it was no use, more tears still poured out of my eyes, unhinged. "I texted him that I was


    "He didn''t reply and Aiden never leaves my message or calls unanswered. Never. You know that.


    She nodded again.


    inhaled, taking in the snot that had drooped out. "I got worried and decided that I would stop at his ce first and see what might be wrong.


    "On my way there," I started to let out loud sob sounds again, breaking my sentences. I took out my phone and tried to open my phone so I could show her the pictures but my hands trembled. I couldn''t even sessfully unlock my phone.


    I dropped the phone in frustration and pointed at it. "It is there, the pictures, they''re in my phone," I sputtered uncontrobly and incoherently.


    ra squeezed my hand. "Calm down, Ana. Take your time. Breathe."


    I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. When I spoke again, my voice didn''t tremble so much anymore but it was small and I could still feel the tears running down my face.


    ''As I made my way to his ce, I received a message from an unknown number. They were pictures," I took another deep breath,


    en forming my eyes "they were pictures of Auden w


    Casserres mice widered & on the red can. Trajend


    toulders


    dron eleve I count to catre see it myself" render en DIDITED MY Face in my sam. On geting there, saw that Arden was actually with erottes woman"


    STE JOULES THE TO ter end caressed my hair. "It''s okay. You''ve sted


    SITES TV that foutersp


    She pulled me from her and wide my tears from my face. "He''s just DOST THE DEST WOOman te soud ever have in his entire life. Enough, jove store then this okay?


    stock my read im not Cars Aden was my everything. He knows WHAT MAKES THE TOT and what pisses me off. He knows me more han know mysef. He was my backbone" I finished in a shaky Care just shook her head. "Its okay


    She held me as cored and after a while, I finally stopped crying. I justd in her arms, feeling numb to everything.


    "You know I''ve always had a bad feeling about that guy," ra said. Right from the first day, she had never liked Aiden and she didn''t even bother to hide it.


    To sorry, I didn''t listen to you," I said in a small voice, "I should''ve


    She rested her palm on my shoulder, "You were in love, I understand that much." She made me look up by hooking her index finger under my chin and shed me a small smile, "I just want you to cheer up, brodthed and managed a amke:


    So, the lose to her feet, "What witwu mu? it make anything far


    If it was a formal day would surgund with ghee, but right now. I juan wanted to fury nyant a my main under my duvan


    Wm good!"


    She sighed them Infanty cand the Bunchts von Has tips: "Con? que me that. We have to sat womanhung


    Tim not numurs Burn" Fant ant villtar? t? my tasar


    dove straight under my duvar anst proslost my pillows with my adie nire as trailvich all of our time fogata


    mood at the time on my allow mum wordiauly patturhard (b) Watolling << minn af ¨¢ngen and 1 on one of my barhdays


    Sultanly. Ha Puent was pulled off got my phone was anathad


    Nur You sur is his


    out me up and down and


    her Town Rampuried womwdyN?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    go The you''ve bel fons of weight at a gint"

 Chapter 0242

    "I will," I ran my fingers through my hair and plonkeu on the bed. "I just need time."


    "Well, you don''t have that time," she started to pull me up. "Because I''m going to the club and you''reing with me."


    "No," I said definitely and started to pull away. "I''m not going anywhere."


    "Please, Ana. I can''t watch you go away like this."


    "Just let me have this night. It''s been four years!"


    "Doesn''t matter."


    "ra-"


    "I''m sure he''s probably still humping some otherdy and you''re here sulking pathetically."


    She was probably right. The girl was in his house afterall. He probably went back into her arms after I left.


    "His cheating ass doesn''t deserve this. You should go out there and have fun. Show yourself and him, that life goes on no matter what," she said softly.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I sighed. "Okay."


    And that was how I was roped into going to club when I should be morning my lost love.


    It wasn''t such a bad idea though. Infact, I''m d I am out here, I thought as ra and I twerked to the song that came on,ughing like we had no care in the world.


    #


    "I''ll get us a new round this time," I told her.


    "That''s sweet of you," she giggled.


    I lightly moved my body to the music as I made my wa to the bar


    area.


    I dropped the cups before the bar guy and told him my order.


    "All that for you," came a firm gruff voice.


    Even before I turned to him with a straight face, I knew who it was.


    "Yes," I said simply and looked away.


    It was Dennis. It might sound harmless but everyone in my college, even outside it knew Dennis could never be associated with that word. His mere presence screams trouble. Gangs fight, violence, gun fights, name it, Dennis would always be the head.


    "Come on, beautiful, don''t be like that."


    I tapped my finger on the counter as I waited for my drinks, deliberately ignoring him.


    "Ohh," he chuckled, "a big drinker and a snob? Sexy," he drawled.


    When the barnan was done, I picked up my drinks and turned to leave.


    I had just taken a step when the world started to swirl before me. Rapidly, everything became a blur. I felt my hands drop the drinks then I was falling...


    I didn''t hit the floor as someone broke my fall. Thest thing I saw before everything went nk was the frown on Dennis'' face as he hoisted me up in his arms.


    ***


    Slowly, I peeled my eyes open. I looked around me and it took only a few seconds before I recognized my surroundings.


    Just then, the doctor stepped in. "Miss, you''re awake. How do you feel?" He asked with a kind smile.


    "Umm... fine." Remembering how I had suddenly felt before I nked out, I asked him. "Am I okay?"


    "You''re perfectly okay." Then he added with a wide smile, "And the baby too."


    "Huh?"


    "You''re a month pregnant, Miss."

 Chapter 0243

    "I will," I ran my fingers through my hair and plonked on the bed, feeling the soft mattress sink beneath me. The weight of the day''s emotions pressed down on me and made even the simple act of sitting up feel like a monumental task.


    "I just need time."


    ra''s eyes softened with concern, but her voice remained firm.


    "Well, you don''t have that time," she started to pull me up gently but insistently. "Because I''m going to the club and you''reing with me."


    I felt a surge of resistance well up inside me.


    "No," I said definitely and started to pull away, my body tensing. "I''m not going anywhere."


    The thought of facing a crowd, of pretending to be okay when my world had just shattered, seemed impossible.


    "Please, Ana," ra pleaded desperately. "I can''t watch you go away like this. You''re my best friend, and seeing you like this... it breaks my heart."


    I sighed. "Just let me have this night. It''s been four years!"


    ra shook her head, "Doesn''t matter. Four years or four decades, cheating is cheating."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ra- I started, but she cut me off.


    ¡°I''m sure he''s probably still humping some otherdy and you''re here sulking pathetically." Her blunt words hit me like a p, forcing me to confront the reality I was trying to avoid.


    *


    She was probably right. The girl was in his house after all. He probably went back into her arms after I left. The image of them together made my stomach churn again.


    ra''s voice softened as her hand reaching out to squeeze mine.


    "His cheating ass doesn''t deserve this. You should yo out there and have fun. Show yourself and him, that life goes on no matter what."


    I looked into her eyes. My resolve began to crumble. Maybe she was right. Maybe hiding away wasn''t the answer.


    I took a deep breath, "Okay."


    And that was how I was roped into going to a club when I should be mourning my lost love. As ra helped me get ready, applying makeup to hide the traces of tears and choosing an outfit that made me feel somewhat confident, I tried to push thoughts of him out of my mind.


    The club was a sensory overload, with pulsing lights, throbbing music, and the press of bodies all around us. At first, it was overwhelming, but as the night wore on, I was finally getting caught up in the energy of it all. It wasn''t such a bad idea though. In fact, I''m d I am out here, I thought as ra and I twerked to the song that came on,ughing like we had no care in the world.


    The rhythm of the music seemed to be pushing out the pain, at least temporarily.


    "I''ll get us a new round this time," I told her.


    "That''s sweet of you," she giggled, her face flushed from dancing.


    1 lightly moved my body to the music as I made my way to the bar area. The alcohol was still buzzing through my system and making


    everything feel slightly surreal.


    I dropped the cups before the bar guy and told him my order, tapping my fingers on the sticky counter as I waited.


    "All that for you?" came a firm gruff voice from beside me.


    Even before I turned to him with a straight face, I knew who it was.


    "Yes," I said simply and looked away, hoping he''d take the hint.


    It was Dennis. It might sound harmless but everyone in my college, even outside it knew Dennis could never be associated with that word. His mere presence screams trouble. Gangs fight, violence, gun fights, name it, Dennis would always be the head. The stories about him were legendary, and not in a good way.


    "Come on, beautiful, don''t be like that." His voice was smooth, almost predatory.


    I tapped my finger on the counter as I waited for my drinks, deliberately ignoring him. But I knew my heart was racing out of slight fear or something.


    "Ohh," he chuckled. "A big drinker and a snob? Sexy," he drawled, leaning closer.


    When the barman was done, I picked up my drinks and turned to leave. I was so eager to get back to the rtive safety of ra and the dance floor.


    I had just taken a step when the world started to swirl in front of me. Rapidly, everything became a blur, with the lights of the club stretching into long, disorienting streaks. I felt my hands drop the drinks, the sound of shattering ss barely registering through the roaring in my ears.


    Then I was falling


    i didn''t hit the floor...someone broke my fall.


    Strong arms caught me, holding me up as my legs gay


    1. ay. The


    Slowly, I peeled my eyes open, the world graduallying into focus: I looked around me, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights. It took only a few seconds before I recognized my surroundings. The sterile white walls, the beeping machines.


    I was in a hospital.


    Just then, the doctor stepped in.


    "Miss, you''re awake. How do you feel?" He asked with a kind smile. "Umm... fine." My voice was hoarse and my throat was dry.


    Remembering how I had suddenly felt before I nked out, a spike of fear shot through me.


    "Am I okay?"


    "You''re perfectly okay." Then he added with a wide smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes, "And the baby too."


    "Huh?" The word came out as barely more than a breath.


    You''re a month pregnant, Miss."

 Chapter 0244

    ANASTASIA


    5 YEARS AFTER


    "Why do I have to go there everyday? I wanna go with, u!" She said and turned away from me.


    I sighed, dropped her backpack, lunchbox and my bag on the chair. and stooped to her height.


    "Hey baby," I said softly and she responded by turning away from me again.


    "Amie please," I took hold of her hands but she snatched it away. "Don''t talk to me."


    "Amie, look at me," I said in a firm voice and she immediately turned to me with a pout and watery eyes. I hate to raise my voice at her but sometimes it was the only way to get her to listen.


    I gently took her hands in mine and thankfully, she didn''t pull away this time. "Baby, you can''te with me to work. It''s not allowed."


    "Why?" She sulked, "I can work."


    "I know that, Amie," I said with a small smile. "You''re a very hardworking girl. But right now, school is more important for you, okay? When the time is right you''d work and no one will stop you." "What can''t I work now?" She whinged, "I''m five!"


    I almost threw my hands up. "Exactly, baby. You''re five! You''re too young to work."


    Ever since she turned five, she''s been incessant about helping me


    with chores and getting a job. I really am still wondering where she got all the impressions that she needed to help me. It was sweet but it sometimes got frustrating sometimes. Her shoulders drooped, "But I don''t like school. It''s boring."


    I gasped dramatically, widening my eyes, "How is school boring?"


    He looked into my eyes seriously. "Uh I don''t know."


    "Schooling is fun. First, you get to learn and gain new knowledge, secondly, you meet new friends to learn lots of new stuff with and there''s always break time to y with them."


    She seemed to mull over my words for some seconds then she murmured, "I know, mommy but I want to go with you to work. I want to be with you."


    I smiled, my heart warming. "I want to be with you all the time too baby but it''s what it is." I ced a kiss on her forehead. "Tell your what, if you listen to mommy and go to school, I will get you extra treats on my way back."


    Her eyes bulged, "Really?"


    "Really!"


    She hopped and threw her hands around me. ¡°Thank you, mommy."


    As I hugged her tight to me, feeling her little arms wound around my neck; for the umpteenth time, I was d that I decided to keep the


    pregnancy.


    The news of my pregnancy had, innitially, left me devastated. Normally, I would not have hesitated to run to Aiden and excitedly tell him that we were going to have a child together but then, I had just broke up with him. And with the discovery that caused our


    breakup, he probably was not ready to get tied down fathering a child.


    For weeks, I had remained in my room. Nothing ra did made me budge or step out. My first intent was to remove the pregnancy. I was still struggling to find and cater for myself, adding a child to my life would be unreasonable. But I couldn''t bring myself to terminate the tender life in me. At longst, I made the resolve to keep it. And the father would have no idea that he was a father.


    I closed my eyes and tightened my arms around my bundle of joy. It''s been five years and even though, it was hard at some point, I hadn''t for once regretted my decision. She has brought nothing but happiness into my life.


    "Okay, sweetheart," I reached for her lunchbox and backpack. "Let''s get moving else we''d bete."


    We exchanged fond smiles as I tucked her in the backseat of my car then I took my seat and turned on the ignition.


    The sound the car produced made my heart sink. Ohe on! Wrong timing. I was almostte for work and I didn''t even have extra savings to spend on fixing any car. I nced at the time and furiously tried to get the car started.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Dammit! Dammit!"


    "Mommy?" Amie called from behind.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I turned to her with a smile. "We''d have to get a taxi, honey."


    "Okay," she answered, already reaching for her lunchbox.


    I rushed us out of the car. As we walked out of the gate, a fancy car


    pulled to a stop before us. The owner of the car winded down the window, then he waved with a big smile.


    "Dennis!" Amie shrilled, almost jumping out of my arms as she waved back with a big smile.

 Chapter 0245

    I sighed in relief. "Oh, Dennis, you''re a real life saver," I told him as he got down from the car and helped us in, tucking Amie in the back


    seat.


    "You can say that again," he smirked as he opened the front passenger door for me and I climbed in.


    Surprisingly, Dennis, the dangerous guy I was intent on not having anything to do with, was now one of my close friends. After that day at the bar, after rushing me to the hospital, he had waited for me till I woke up and since then he hung around. In fact, he more than hung around. He became a friend indeed. Even during my dark days, he''d always be there to uplift my mood.


    Though it didn''t take long before he confirmed my suspicions of his interest in me. I was happy to turn him down with the news of my pregnancy but it didn''t deter him. He was ready to take me and my pregnancy without even probing me about who the father was.


    His love and care touched my heart, if I was to be honest, but Aiden dealt with me real good. I wasn''t ready to hop from a ruined four years rtionship to another uncertain one as I still had doubts about his identity.


    He was respectful of my decision but he stuck around and since then we''ve been good friends. And in the five years we''ve dined and wined together, I had never caught a whiff of anything dangerous about the young man.


    He passed me a nce as he drove out of my street.


    "You look flustered."


    Chap 0245


    "I''m not surprised," I sighed. "It''s been a pretty tough morning and my car just had to be the top of the icing."


    "That''s why I told you to let mee with you. I can do the w while you rest," Amie butted in.


    I shook my head, smiling. "We''ve talked about this, Amie."


    She pursed her lips and looked away from the rearview mirror where our eyes met. But immediately, Dennis brought her eyes back.


    "You''ve been troubling mummy a lot now, huh, Amie?"


    She scrunched up her face, "No?" Then she said with a tilt of her chin, "You know I don''t trouble anyone."


    "Of course, you don''t," Dennis shook his head and chuckled, eliciting a smile from Amie.


    Those two, they really get each other.


    "So, what''s on the agenda today?" Dennis asked, his eyes flicking between the road and the rearview mirror.


    "Same old, same old," I replied. "Reports to file, meetings to attend. Nothing exciting."


    "Sounds thrilling," he said dryly.


    "Oh, it is. You should try it sometime," I quipped back.


    Amie piped up from the back seat. "Can Ie to work with you, Mom? I promise I''ll be quiet."


    I turned to look at her. "Nice try, sweetie, but school''s important too. Maybe during the holidays, okay?"


    She nodded, though I could see the disappointment in her eyes.


    ***


    Dennis slowed down as he stopped before Taste Tech Inn ations, thepany where I worked.


    "You don''t have to worry, go on, I''d make sure I drop off your ball of angel safely at school."


    "Thank you so much," I said.


    "It''s nothing, Ana."


    "Bye mommy."


    "Bye baby, be of good conduct in school, okay?"


    She nodded.


    As I got down from the car, I heard Amie impatiently ask Dennis. Can Ie to the front now that mum''s gone?"


    Dennis replied with a definite ''no, my queen'' before he drove off.


    I smiled. With Dennis, I could be rest assured that my baby would be safe.


    When I stepped in, I felt the sombre air hit me. As I walked further in, I frowned at everyone''s dull expressions and constant sighs. And the faces I was seeing was a lot less than the usual number. Most of the workers were eitherte or were intentionally absent.


    The usual buzz of activity was noticeably absent. Normally, at this time of the morning, people would be chatting by the water cooler, discussing their weekend ns or thetest office gossip. Today, there was only an eerie silence, with the asional hushed whisper.


    I noticed one of my team members from ounting hurrying past, his face pale and drawn. "Morning, Mark," I called out. He barely nodded in response before ducking into his office and closing the door. As I passed by the break room to my office, I saw a handful of my colleagues huddled in there, whispering amongst themselves with worried faces. That''s strange. There were no whispers at Taste Tech. News traveled like rain as it is willingly shared.


    I caught snippets of their conversation as I walked by. "...can''t. believe it..." "...what are we going to do?" "...should''ve seen iting..."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Their words only added to my growing unease. What could have. happened to cause such a drastic change in the office atmosphere overnight?


    Thankfully, before I reached my office, one of my colleagues in the cubicle outside my office was focused on her system. Though she had on a dull face too, she seemed intent on still getting her job done, no matter what.


    "Hey Rachel, good morning." I hurried to her, in haste to feed my growing curiosity. "Why does everyone look so gloomy? What''s going on?" Rachel looked up from herputer, her eyes red-rimmed as if she''d been crying. She nced around nervously before leaning in closer. "You''ve not heard. Well, thepany has been sold, and the new owner has decided toy off almost, if not the entire staff."

 Chapter 0246

    ANASTASIA


    "What?"


    All rules about how crucial our employers value silence at work eluded me as I screeched.


    Jojo looked around, her eyes wide with fear. "You''re too loud."


    My widened eyes mirrored hers but they were even bigger. "Are you serious?" I could feel my heart pulsating crazily in my chest. The world seemed to spin around me as I tried to process the information. She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Look around, Anastasia," she gestured around her. "Does the atmosphere denote that this is some dumb joke?"


    Oh my God. No no. "What? Why? Wait wait, When did this happen?" I spurtered out and I could already hear the quiver in my voice. God, please, let this be a cruel joke. But even as I prayed for that miracle, with the expression on her face, I knew it wasn''t joke.


    Rachel sighed and sank into her seat. For the first time I could see the big toll the news had already taken on her. Her lips were drawn down and eyes wide with fear.


    She shakes her head and sighed again. "It happened fast. What we heard is that the sale was finalizedst night, and the new owner


    Wante


    to make significant changes immediately. There is probability that those let go will receive a severance package, but..." she sighed again and said sadly, "It''s not good." This is unfair. Why would our former employer sell thepany


    125 HONUS


    without giving us at least a week''s notice? This is so unfair. "So When will we be notified? When will they start these significant. changes?"


    "HR is handling the notifications, but it has already started," she passed a nce behind me, "You probably noticed 1 this ce isn''t as filled as it normally is. Employees are being called into. meetings and told they''re being let go. I heard some even received. the call yesterday night immediately after the purchase was. finalized."


    What the hell! "What exactly is this new owner''s aim?"


    "Who knows?" She shrugged and seemed to wear her invincible ''it will be alright'' look back on as she got back to work.


    I stood to my full height and remained there for a full minute, a lot running through my mind.


    Why was thepany even sold? It was doing so well and even our employers seemed happy with the constant growth, so why?Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "And no one has returned to say what the new owner''s criteria is?"


    She looked up, frowning, "What do you mean?"


    I shrugged, "Perhaps we don''t have the type of skill set he desires in his employees."


    "Maybe," Rachel murmured and got back to work. Then she added with a quirked brow and a half shrug, "All I know I''m going to do my job as much as I can and make myself irreceable." "That''s another angle to approach this bad news from," I murmured as I headed to my cubicle.


    I was jumpy all through my day at work. The way my heart skipped a


    beat each time the telephone from other offices or cubicle rang rapidly wore me out as we all wondered, "Who is next?"


    But I still tried to emte Rachel. That day, I did the best job an assistant marketing coordinator could do.


    I created neutral marketing materials that were not need at the moment, I analyzed market trends for some of our existing products and future ones, paid extra attention to our social media tforms... I found out that some of the junior assistant marketing coordinators had already beenid off. This only sessfully made me more queasy and uneasy. They probably started from the lower levels, soon it would be my turn. I tried to reach the marketing manager that I worked directly under but he was not reachable. Has he beenid off? If he has, then I''d definitely have to go with him, won''t I?


    The day dragged on, each minute feeling like an hour. Every time someone walked past my cubicle, I tensed, wondering if they wereing to deliver the news. I caught snippets of hushed. conversations, saw people leaving with boxes of personal items, their faces a mix of shock and despair.


    I threw myself into my work with renewed vigor, hoping that my dedication would somehow shield me from the axe that was falling all around. I double-checked every report, triple-checked every figure, and made sureevery presentation was polished to perfection.


    By the time my rm clock chimed at 3:00 P.M. I didn''t want to leave. I wanted to stay till everyone would be out. I wanted to stay till I knew my verdict but Amie was waiting.


    I said my goodbyes, trying to cheer up my remaining colleagues who were clearly on edge like I was. As I walked out, I stop wondering whether this would be myst time leaving this office.

 Chapter 0247

    Chapter 0247 "Mommy!"


    Amie rushed into my embrace and for the first time since I heard the terrible news at work, a genuine smile marred my lips..


    "My baby!" I attacked her face with kisses and she giggled cutely." How was school?"


    "Fine! I answered a question today."


    "Oh that''s my baby," I gave her a high five and asked her to tell me. about the question she answered and she proceeded to ramble


    away.


    Just as we stepped out of the school''s building, her homeroom. teacher walked up to me.


    "I forgot to give you this," she said after she greeted me and handed me a form. "We''ll be taking the kids on a trip before the semester runs out. If she''d be going, ensure you fill this form and return it before next week."


    "Okay. Thank you, I''ll get back to you." I told her and Amie and I got on the way.


    In the taxi, I found myself staring at the plush f*e for the excursion as Amie bbered on about how she''d love to go.


    "Mommy, the video they showed us of thest set that went was so fun. We even talked to some of the students and they said they couldn''t wait until they could go again. I really have to go on this excursion, mommy..."


    I tuned her out as I worried if tomorrow would be the day I''d getid


    off. If I do, what do I do? I sighed. I had better start updating my resume and start drafting application letters.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Mommy?" I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned to see Amie''s worried expression, the excitement on her face gone "he searched my eyes, "Are you okay?"


    I forced a smile. "Of course, I am."


    "How was work today?"


    I smiled, "It was just fine."


    She smiled back at me and then she was back to yapping about the trip and the mementos she''d bring back.


    My phone rang in my bag and I brought it up to see an unknown. number sh on the screen.


    "Hello?"


    "Good day, it''s Joe from Smith''s Auto Repair. We''ve finished assessing the damage to your car, and I''m afraid it''s going to be a bit pricey to fix."


    He told me the amount I''d need to pay to get my car fixed and I almost winced.


    "Okay. Thank you. I...uh...I''ll have to get back to you on that," I managed out even though I knew I couldn''te to a decision until it''s decided if I would getid off or not.


    After the phone call, Amie once again proceeded with her rambling.


    Throughout the night, I couldn''t sleep. I stayed up, updating my resume in case the new owner would like to look over our certificates again. I also looked out some vacant positions that fit my skills in variouspanies.


    The glow of myptop screen was the only light in the room as i scrolled through job listings, each one feeling less promising than thest. I could hear Amie''s soft breathing from the next room, reminding me of what was at stake. It wasn''t just about me anymore; I had a child to provide for


    I found myself thinking about the excursion form tucked away in my bag. The cost seemed insurmountable now, with the uncertainty looming over my job. But the thought of disappointing Amie made. my heart ache. I made a mental note to start looking for ways to cut our expenses, just in case.


    As the first rays of sunlight began to peek through the curtains, I realized I had been up all night. I dragged myself to the shower, hoping the cold water would wash away some of the exhaustion and anxiety.


    NEXT DAY


    I walked into work today looking my best. I hadn''t put in so much effort in looking as professional as I could in a long time until today. Every crease was pressed, every hair in ce. If this was to be myst day, I was determined to go out with dignity.


    Most of the employees are gathered around the abandoned notice board. There''s a list of the names of the employees that would getid off next on it.


    I rushed to it and checked for my name. I didn''t find my name but I looked through it a second time to be sure. I sagged in utter relief. I gave words of encouragement to the ones whose name appeared on the list, then I went back to my seat.


    The office felt emptier today. Desks that were upied yesterday now stood bare, personal items cleared out. The silence was punctuated only by the asional ring of a phone or the muffled. sound of someone trying to hold back tears.


    Few hourster, Rachel whispered to me, "I heard the new ownership team is here."


    I shot up from my reclined position in my seat. "They''re here?" I asked, my heart rate instantly picking up.


    She nodded and gestured upwards with her chin, "They''re having a meeting upstairs."


    I hope this means they''re done with they off."


    "Me too," she muttered, "Let''s just hope for the best."


    We both turned back to our work, but I found it hard to concentrate. My mind kept wandering to what might be happening in that meeting upstairs. Were they deciding our fates right now?


    Suddenly, a voice came on the inte and my heart practically skipped a beat.


    "All heads of departments, along with their assistants are toe to the boardroom right away. A meeting with the new owner will be held immediately."


    Rachel passed me an uneasy look. "We''d better get moving."


    WA


    I nodded, swallowing hard. This was it. The moment of truth. As stood up, I caught my reflection in theputer screen. I took a deep breath, straightened my blouse, and tried to project an air of confidence I didn''t feel.

 Chapter 0248

    ANASTASIA


    Aiden is the new owner? How?


    Our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat. In that instant, the years. seemed to melt away to start bringing a flood of memories both sweet and bitter.


    Suddenly, as I stare into those eyes, I was taken aback to all those. days. It was like a fast blurry shback from the sweet beautiful times we had spent together to the ugly days... no. To the ugly day. The pain of that final moment still felt raw, even after all this time. After I told him we were over, I never heard from him again which further confirmed that he really does not care about me. He never did. I had just been the constant source of amusement, always telling him how much I loved him and would definitely spend the rest of my life with him. God! I even designed our dream house and showed it to him and I forced him to pick baby names with me. I wanted to sink into the ground from embarrassment.


    But all that was in the past. I doubted he even remembered any of those moments anymore. The thought that our shared history might mean nothing to him now only added to the ache in my chest.


    Unfortunately, I still did. I remembered every moment and touch like. it was just yesterday but not as much as I could vividly picture those pictures and the heavy evidence in his room. That sole memory and I felt a sudden unexpected pang in my chest. Five years after, and it still freaking hurts. But this one wasced with anger. The betrayal felt as fresh as it did on that day, the wound reopened by his unexpected presence.


    I wanted to jump on him and scratch at his face for betraying me the


    way he did and also for taking the job of honest dedicated workers from them. The urge tosh out was so strong m. Damn it! I thought 6 years was enough to bury everything deep inside me.


    ow on


    But instead, I remained there, hurt, angry and disgusted. I forced myself to not make much of the emotions I was feeling to my face here as any of that would be so stupid of me in this professional setting. There was an obvious tension in the air as we stared at each other. 1 couldn''t decipher the meaning behind his stare but I was sure if one thing, he recognized me.


    I wondered if the other upants in the boardroom could see or sense the recognition, could they also feel the tension in the air?


    I was probably just being paranoid but I looked away anyway. Thest thing I wanted was to arouse whispers that would stem from baseless suspicions.


    The man who had been speaking silently to Aiden rose to his feet. Though I doubted Aiden listened to anything he said because his eyes was on me half the time, before he then started to slowly and intimidatingly ess everyone.


    The man first introduced himself by saying his name which I did not get because I was stillmenting over the fact that Aiden was now my employer.


    "I am the acquisition team head and now the managing director of Tase Tech innovations. By my left is Taste Tech''s new..." the man continued.


    Unconsciously, I tuned out of his introductions, my eyes on Aiden. He was not looking my way and I couldn''t help but notice the


    difference in his appearance.


    I was not checking him out, I told myself but it was really hard not to notice the buff shoulders and perfectly chiseled jawline. His skin looked a tad bit tanned and there was a smoothe


    hine to it.


    He was still the Aiden I knew - or rather, the one I thought I knew - but this one was a refined Aiden, an enhanced one. I fleetingly wondered if his cheating skills were enhanced too.


    I found myself wishing that he had deteriorated over the years but he was still looking as handsome as he once was and even more. He was everydy''s dream.


    Not me though. I knew the real man behind the pretty mask and there was no way I would look at him and not see a decayed man.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "And right here by my side is Mr Aiden..." the managing director introduced with a high reverence that I found irritating. "Mr Aiden is the new CEO of Taste Tech innovations." Aiden looked up from and our eyes shed again.


    There was a loud round of apuse, mostly from the existing employees who managed to retain their jobs under the new


    administration. I was sure they were eager to impress the new boss and be in his good books.


    I rolled my eyes as I joined them in apuding.

 Chapter 0249

    The managing director took his soot and the boardroom grew quiet as Alden stood up to address us.


    "As the managing director has informed you all, I am the new owner of Taste Tech innovations. I apologise for the spontaneity of the whole situation, we had little time to send in any notice..."


    I red at him as he spewed his long speech about the new vision of thepany and the new things Taste Tech would achieve and be known for.


    He paused for a moment as he held everyone''s gaze with a stiff smile. "I look forward to working with you all as we take Taste Tech to greater heights."


    He lowered himself back in his seat and the whole room was filled with the sound of our exaggerated apuse once again.


    The managing director stood up again, this time with arge smile. Now that you have met the new chief executive officer, I''ll round every thing up with the pleasing announcement that there will be a party to celebrate the start of Mr Aiden''s tenure and also to, you know, ease some of the tension you must have had to go through during the past few days. So every of thepany''s staff highly weed to attend the party."


    There was another round of apuse and genuine smiles on the faces of the employees. Even I secretly heaved a sigh of relief. This meeting and party announcement meant that there was no moreying off employees.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    After the announcement for the party, the meeting came to and we all dispersed to our various offices


    positive vibes. Everyone chatted amongst themselves with full blown smiles on their faces.


    "Everything aside," one of the female employers whispered before she gasped dramatically, "the boss is drop dead gorgeous!"


    "I wonder if he''s seeing someone."


    "He''s definitely seeing someone," another said. "Someone that hot would never be single."


    "Nah," Another girl chimed as she sidled up to them. "He''s a yer but he probably does only celebs."


    And that was it. With a roll of my eyes, I hastened my steps and walked past them.


    Few minutester, Rachel, who had seemed very passionate about her job just an hour ago, was chatting with another of the female. employees about Aiden. Again. Ugh.


    "I haven''t seen him around here before," Rachelmented.


    "A man that gorgeous definitely won''t be from around here, he must. reside in heaven," the girl giggled then they turned to me.


    "What about you, Ana, have you seen him around here?"


    I looked up, caught off guard. "What?"


    "Have seen Mr Aiden around before?"


    What? Why? Why were they asking me that question? I panicked but replied cooly, "Trust me I''m seeing the guy for the first time just as


    you guys,"


    They scooted closer, sighing, "He''s so good looking, isn''t he?"


    I forced a smile, "Oh, he is."


    "Well, you didn''t say anything about it," Rachel said, watching me carefully.


    "Well, I''m just still relieved from the fact that we still have our jobs. besides he''s our boss. I''m not about to give myself false hopes." They giggled, "It doesn''t hurt to dream, does it?"


    I let out a fake giggles then I excused myself. "I need to use the rest.


    room.


    "Ohh," they teased, "She''s definitely going to take a peek of the


    boss."


    I rolled my eyes and let out a silent hiss once my back was to them.


    Thankfully, there was no one in the restroom. I stood before the mirror and just stared at myself for a long while. Then I blew out my cheeks.


    "Tame it down, Ana. You don''t have to be angry or hurt or..." I stammered, "or whatever!"


    I sternly held my gaze in the mirror. "You''ve been doing great all this while and you will continue to live your fantastic life no matter whoes back from their helll hole or goes back."


    I smiled, tipped my chin and pushed out my chest. "You''re fine, Anastasia. Aiden isn''t gonna hinder your job or disrupt your life."


    With that, I turned around and strutted out of the restroom, high from my super effective pep talk.


    I came crumbling from my high when I abruptly mmed my face into something. I let out a wince and looked up to see a huge box.


    being pulled through the hallway. My eyes suddenly widened when I saw that they hadn''t even realized that they had hit me and the huge. box was still being rolled down the narrow hallway. I was stuck. The restroom I just left had been blocked by them.


    Just as I thought of a n, definitely to scream for them to stop when I was abruptly pulled aside and I went crashing into someone''s chest. Their hands rested on the small of my back just as I inhaled the familiar cologne.


    Todays Bonus Offer

 Chapter 0250

    0


    "Thanks," I mutter quietly as I disentangle myself from him.


    The brief contact leaves me feeling a bit unsettled because my body remembers the familiarfort but hates the unwanted memories. swirling in my mind.


    Without sparing him a nce, I turned around and walked back to my office... more like I fled to my office with my heart in my throat. My heels clicked rapidly against the polished floor, echoing my racing pulse.


    I wanted to give myself a punch in the face.


    For fuck''s sake, it has been years!


    It''s been five years yet I could still recognize the smell of his favorite cologne. The scent lingered in my nostrils, bringing back a flood of memories I thought I''d buried long ago. Well, it was one of the first things I noticed about him. So it was understandable, right? I tried to rationalize my reaction, but a nagging voice in my head whispered that maybe, just maybe, I wasn''t as over him as I''d like to believe.


    "Woah," Rachel raised her head from her system, her eyes widening as she took in my flustered appearance.


    "Are you okay? You look....flushed."


    I forced a smile, hoping it didn''t look as strained as it felt.


    "I''m fine. There was this huge box that was being rolled through the hallway, I didn''t see iting so I rammed into it." The lie slipped out easily.


    She visibly winced, "Ouch. Sorry."


    "Thanks," I managed a smile and returned to my cubicle.


    .


    "That''s insane," ra frowned as she rinsed her hands and towel dried it. "This is a job they worked hard to get and kept for years, it''s unfair." Her voice wavered slightly.


    I shrugged, "I know. It''s cruel. I felt really bad for them."


    "I don''t know what I''d do if I ever lose my job," she murmured.


    "You find another one. It takes effort, but you will. It won''t be the end of life."


    "Still...Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "And you won''t believe who the new CEO turned out to be," I leaned forward on the kitchen counter, eager to change the subject.


    She quirked her brows, "Who?"


    5


    "Aiden!"


    She gasped, her eyes widening, "No freaking way!"


    I smirked, "Yes freaking way, girl."


    "Wow."


    "I know, right?" I shook my head, "I was equally stunned."


    She then looked at me with a smug smile on her face that made me narrowed my eyes at her, "Don''t."


    "It''s fate, Anastasia," she said dramatically. "You''re meant to reunite with Aiden."


    #


    I rolled my eyes, and whispered, "To hell with fate."


    Sheughed lightly. "I agree with you."


    "There''s nothing like fate here." I continued as I picked up strawberry from the fruit bowl, "It''s all in the past." I took a small bite, "I mean it''s been five years, trust me, that''s more than enough proof of that." "Hmm," she hummed and I watched as she whisked the egg white in the bowl. I frowned when she looked up and turned in the direction of the living room.


    I followed her gaze and caught a glimpse of Amie as she painted before she picked up an airne and moved from her painting spot.


    "What?" I asked, suddenly worried. I looked toward Amie again, "Did something happen?"


    She rolled her eyes. Then she said pointedly, "What about her?"


    When I still stared nkly, she sighed exasperatedly. "The new development at work?" She said again, titling her head to the side.


    "Of course, I''m not telling him," I answer quickly, suddenly feeling defensive. I scoffed, "What do you mean what about her?"


    She threw her hands up in the air, "I just wanted to know."


    "I didn''t tell him before. And I certainly am not going to do that now,"


    I told her as I tried to stop my racing heart.


    What if he finds out and take her away from me?


    Well, he wouldn''t. He has no interest in being a father.


    "No," I said again, "I wouldn''t be telling him anything. Neither would


    you. Imagine him finding out and using it against me.


    ra frowned, "Using it against you? In what way?"


    "I don''t know! Okay? I don''t know. I just would not tell him anything about her. Infact, he''s not the father."


    "Of course, Ana. I support your decision," ra said calmly. "I just wanted to know where your head''s at."


    "Now, you do,¡± I said in a small voice. Then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I tried to calm down.


    No one is telling him anything and definitely no one will take my baby from me, I told myself.


    "Meanwhile," I drawled. "There''s a party happening tonight."


    "Hmm," she wiggled her brows, "Sounds interesting. Where is it holding?"


    "At work," I said absentmindedly. "Aiden is throwing a wee party."

 Chapter 0251

    Her brows hitched up her forehead, "Really?"


    I nodded slowly as I took a big bite of the strawberry, munching silently.


    "Well that''s quite interesting. Sounds like the new administrative team is a fun lover, huh?"


    I rolled my eyes and said nothing.


    "And..." she urged, keeping her gaze steady on me.


    I looked at her, "And what, ra?"


    "You should be getting ready for a party, girl."


    "No," I blurted. "Of course, I''m not going." I scoffed. "Especially not after the cruel way he introduced himself by firing innocent workers."


    "Why won''t you go?"N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I


    "Didn''t you hear me?"


    "That''s not enough reason, Ana. I think you should go.


    "No, I don''t think so."


    "You should go. You need it."


    "How?" I asked incredibly, "Am I going to be paid extra for going? Nah, I won''t waste my time on that. I will rather stay home and have a good night''s sleep with my baby."


    "Look," she slid the chopped potatoes aside and dropped the knife. I sighed, already able to tell that she was going to give a long convincing speech.


    This one won''t be convincing though because there was no way I was going to go


    that party.


    She stood on the other side of the counter and firmly held my gaze. "Even though you don''t talk about it much, I know these past few months have been hectic. You work yourself tirelessly, Ana," she said softly. You bury yourself in work at every chance you get. If you aren''t spending time with Amie, you''re working. What kind of life is that?"


    "Uh... the good one? The one that makes me and my child''s present and future secured."


    She gaped at me. "No, Ana, it''s the bad one. You need time for yourself, time to socialize and might I say. time to get back in the dating game."


    H


    My Index finger shot up even before I thought of it. "Uhjuh, don''t even go there. I told you, dating is out of the radar. Like cleared out. So never bring it up again."


    "Okay," she chirped with a fake smile, "I''d never bring it up again."


    She would definitely bring it up again.


    "What I am saying is that, you need the chance to be free of all these work you clog your head with, you deserve it."


    "Yeah." I rolled my eyes. "I deserve it but I don''t need it. With a bright smile, I added, "I''m fine."


    "Yes, I know that the party is still rted to work," she continued as if she hadn''t just heard me. "But regardless you should still go." She perked up, "Infact that''s why you should go. It''s work rted, what if a work emergencyes up and you''re the only one who can deal with it."


    "Right," I drawled, "Good one right there."


    She giggled briefly before she turned all serious again. really think you should go. It will be fun."


    "I''m not disputing that it wouldn''t be fun. I just don''t want to go. My mind''s made up."


    She said nothing. Instead, she squinted her eyes at me.


    "What now?" I shifted in my seat.


    "You, Anastasia," she started slowly, "is not ditching ''cause you think Aiden is going to be there, right?"


    "What?"


    "Or "cause you are certain Aiden will be there. Yes, that''s it! I mean he''s the boss so he''d definitely be there. You''re refusing to go because of Aiden!"


    "What are you even saying?" I sputtered, "What''s my business-"


    "It''s not even up to a day and you''re already running away?"


    "Would you let me speak?!" I snapped, "I''m not running away! I have no reason to."


    "Then why are you so adamant on not attending?"


    "1-" I stammered as I thought of why I didn''t want to go. Honestly, I hadn''t even thought about it. I just concluded that I wouldn''t go.


    "Amie!" I blurted loudly, pointing at ra.


    "Yes, mom?"


    Oops. I turned to the entrance of the kitchen to see Amie already there. "How is your painting?"


    "I''m not done," she giggled and ran off.


    ra raised a brow, "Amie. Really?"


    I avoided her gaze. "Yes. I can''t leave her all alone at home and go partying.''


    "Like I can''t stay here with her or take her to my ce.


    "Well, I don''t want to impose or be a bother."


    She dramatically threw her hands in the air. "Are you serious? This isn''t the first time I''m looking after her for you.


    "Well, it''s not a valid reason to leave her."


    She repeatedly blinked at me. ra just had an effortless way of picking at you. And here on, I knew I had no more excuses to give. Chapter 0251


    "Fine!" I threw my hands in the air. "Now stop staring at me like that, please."

 Chapter 0252

    ANASTASIA


    I took a deep breath as I waited for the taxi man to hand me my change. The evening air was quite cool andfortable on my skin, except that where I was headed made me a bit ufortable. "Here you go, ma''am," he handed me the crispy note with a polite smile.


    "Thank you," I ducked my head as I stepped down from the car and made my way to the TechTaste Innovations building.


    For a moment, I stalled a few feet from the door guarded by two bulky men in sharp suits.


    No one had bothered to tell us the setting of the party. The invitation had been frustratingly vague about the dress code.


    What if my dress was a total sh to the theme?


    I itched to look down at my silk midi wrap dress and smooth it down with my hands but the men at the door had their eyes in my direction and that would look weird, wouldn''t it?


    I blew out my cheeks. Well, whatever theme it turns out to be, I''d have to blend in somehow. With that in mind, I strutted forward, my heels clicking on the ground softly.


    As I entered the reception area I was awed by the sight that greeted me. In a matter of just a few hours, the ce had undergone so much transformation. The normally ordinary reception area of Taste Tech had been converted into a grand ballroom.


    It was a captivating ssic party setting. The ballroom was adorned with shimmering chandeliers. They casted a soft glow over the delicate floral arrangements and the vintage furniture that had reced the sad cushioned chairs and stiff counter that used to sit in the area.


    The sound of the elegant melody filled the air, adding to the calm and sophisticated ambiance. Strings and piano notes wove together, creating an enchanting atmosphere.


    It felt like I had just stepped into a scene from a foregone era, surrounded by the timeless charm and


    grace.


    Whoever nned this party in such a short time was undoubtedly a pro, I thought as I walked farther into the room. Every detail spoke of meticulous nning and exquisite taste.


    I exchanged smiles with some of the employees who caught my gaze. I had thought it would just be thepany''s staff and the new administrative team and probably, a handful of new employees but there were people everywhere. I hadn''t expected the party to be this packed.


    Thankfully, my dressing blended right in with the theme and everyone''s formal choice of outfit.


    Ana," Rachel raised her hands and wiggled her fingers at me. "Over here." Her voice carried over the din of the crowd.


    I walked over to her, "Hey." I managed a smile at the new face she was talking to and he smiled back.


    "You''re right on time," Rachel said excitedly, clutching to my arm. "The head organizer is just about to give his speech.


    Just then, the head organizer chirped up. "Okay," he chuckled, "This is going to be a very short one." The crowd quieted down, all eyes turning towards him.


    He went ahead to thank us all foring and hoped we liked the theme in very few words.


    "And if you don''t fancy the theme then pardon me but believe me when I say, I had you in mind the whole time I organized the party."


    Low coos and a few chuckles rose from the crowd.


    He continued after they had quieted down, "So tonight, I hope you will forget all about boring work and life''s inevitable and countless problems and just have fun. Thank you."


    WAS


    pped as he walked off the stage and everyone went about enjoying their time.


    "Gosh!" Rachel eximed as we took our seats around a well decorated table. "This ce screams ss! I bet they spent a fortune organizing this party." "Obviously," I blurted.


    "I bet he''d increase our pay."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    -ughed. "Do not set yourself up for disappointment, love." I raised my flute in her direction before I took


    a sip of the white wine. The crisp liquid danced on my tongue.


    "Well, hoping we might get a pay increase is a form of motivation," another girl from work giggled.


    "Whatever works for you, babe," Imented.


    One of our male colleagues made a snarkyment that got usughing loudly.


    Suddenly there was a tap on my shoulder. Myugh froze on my face as I turned around to meet the unfamiliar face. It was one of the servers at the party.


    "I have a message for you," she said briskly, then lowered to my ear level and whispered into my ear and then she was gone.


    Why is my attention needed at the back?


    "Is everything alright?" Rachel asked, concern etching her features.


    +

 Chapter 0253

    "Yeah," I croaked out, then I excused myself, "I''d be right back."


    I managed a smile as I made my way out of the ballroom and burst out into the hallway at the back that led to the stairs. The transition from the lively party to the quiet hallway was jarring.


    I frowned. Since there were elevators, no one ever used the stairs so what could be the issue? The printing room and the break room here were rarely used too but I made my way through the hallway. Maybe there was an issue with the printers? Perhaps one of the new administrative teams needed some help with something back here. But why me? Why not Rachel or the head marketing manager? As I pushed open the door to the printing room, warm fingers wrapped around my other wrist and pulled me to the opposite direction.


    It was swift yet gentle. But it almost gave me a heart attack.


    II


    As the door to the room I have been pulled into mmed close, I turned my head so fast that I almost gave myself whish to see who it was.


    At first, I just blinked at him as my heart rate returned to normal.


    "Really?" Then I scoffed and with a hiss, I turned to leave the room but he was quick to hold the door.


    "What is this? What are you doing?" I threw at him furiously. "What''s the meaning of all this? How childish of him to bring me out here like this.


    He released the door and put his hands up. "I have no ill intent, I


    Just want us to talk."


    "Talk!" I repeated incredulously. "I don''t want to talk," I said simply.


    "Come on, Ana, don''t be like that."


    I itched tond him a p on the face; first for tricking me here, secondly for uttering my name but he was my damn boss.


    "I''m sorry, Mr Aiden. If it''s not work talk, then I''m not interested."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    He drew back, and took a long look at me. "Really? We haven''t seen each other for years!"


    "So what?" I said, ruminating as I tried to make sense of what his point was. "Should we jump on each other now that we have seen each other again?"


    He sighed. Then he stuck his hands in his pocket, turned around and walked to the plush couch in the room where he took a seat.


    It was then I realized that it was the break room he pulled me into.


    He tapped on the space beside him. "Come have a seat, Ana."


    With a huff, I marched forward and perched on the edge of the chair. Let''s just get this over with.


    There was an overstretched silence and all the while I felt his gaze on the side of my face.


    Then finally, he asked, "How''re you?" He sighed again, throwing his hands up helplessly, "I mean, how have


    you been? What have you been up to?"


    "I''ve been fine," I clipped.


    There was another stretch of silence, but a shorter one this time.


    "Well, I just want to clear the air about what happened in the past. Ana, are you listening to me?"


    *Just like you said, it''s in the past. We should leave it there."


    "No," he said sharply. "We won''t leave it at that. It was a huge misunderstanding and I want us to clear the


    air about it."


    "Trust me, there''s nothing to clear. It was perfectly clear the first time."


    "Look, I understand that..."


    I tuned out with a scoff. A misunderstanding my ass! How shallow. He couldn''t evene up with something more brilliant. After everything and all solid evidence that I saw. "Look," I said politely and interrupted whatever he had been saying. "I really don''t want to hear anything about it, okay? What''s done is done. So let''s never bring it up again." Anastasia, you shouldn''t-"


    I was relieved when my ringing tone interrupted him. My heart skipped a beat the moment I read the caller''s ID.


    "Excuse me," I said absentmindedly as I rose to my feet and walked a few feet away from the chair. I quickly picked up the call before it would end. "What''s up?"


    And ra started to ramble.


    "Hold up, can you slow down? I can not understand what you''re saying."


    ,


    "Sorry," she breathed, then she took a deep breath before she started again. "Amie is having a terrible fever and I''d be taking her to the hospital. I just thought to let you know in case you get a call or something but don''t worry, you don''t have leave the party, keep having fun, I''ve got everything under control-"


    My mind was already moving along with a whirlwind and I think I lost her at ''terrible''.


    "What? Where?"

 Chapter 0254

    ANASTASIA


    Oh my God! I knew I shouldn''t have left her for an event as ridiculous as this.


    "I''ming right now," I sputtered out to ra, my voice trembling with worry. Then I blindly turned around and I almost rammed into Aiden who was already by my side. "Is there a problem?" Aiden asked, just as the call abruptly ended.


    I grabbed my purse from the couch, fumbling with the sp in my haste. Then I walked back to the door and muttered something along the lines of, "I''d like to take my leave now." And then I dashed out of the door without a second nce back.


    My heart was in my throat as I repeatedly dialed ra''s number. Why did the call suddenly end?


    "Ana?" Rachel was suddenly before me and I almost knocked the tray in her hands down. The sses on it tinkled precariously,


    I looked up from my phone to her probing gaze that was intensely trained on my face. Her eyes were wide with concern, searching mine for answers.


    "Are you okay? Where are you running off to?" She rushed out and before I could manage to process and answer any of her questions.


    She took a step forward and whispered, "Did something happen back there?"


    "Rx, Rachel," I said impatiently, trying to keep my voice steady.


    "I''m fine. I just got an emergency call from home and I need to rush back.


    Her mouth formed an "O'' as she mouthed it.


    "I hope all is well? Do you need a ride back?"


    I


    Her offer was tempting, but I knew I couldn''t wait.


    "All is well, Rachel," I told her quickly as I stepped past her.


    "Thank you for your concern. See you."


    As I paced back and forth on the road, the cool night air doing little to calm my nerves, I seriously considered hopping on Rachel''s offer but I still kept trying to order a ride. To my dismay, none of the avable cars were nearby. It would take a freaking thirty minutes for the nearest car to arrive.


    "Godammit!" I almost angrily threw my phone on the floor. "Why isn''t there a taxi? It''s not even thatte." My voice echoed in the empty street.


    I looked down the road on my right then turned on my left and my heart further dropped; it was silent and there was no-taxi in sight. The streetlights cast long shadows.


    swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the lump in my throat. I was already on the verge of tears. What if Amie just wanted to see me?


    After waiting restlessly for a few more minutes, each second feeling like an eternity, I concluded that I''d take up Rachel''s offer and ran back inside. My eyes darted around frantically, but she was nowhere in sight.


    1 could not waste valuable time Searching for her so I turned back around and decided to walk down the road with the hope that I would catch a taxi in sight.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I kept trying ra''s line but she would not pick up. As I walked by the road, I hissed about ra not picking and grumbled about myck of ride to quickly reach the hospital.


    "If my car hadn''t developed a stupid fault, all this won''t be happening." I muttered under my Suddenly, I heard a horn behind me and I almost jumped with tion.


    breath.


    I turned around and started to vigorously g down the car. It was an expensive car and it was obvious it wasn''t any of the rides I might have ordered or a taxi. It was a private car. And right there, I firmly concluded that if I needed to get on my knees for whoever the driver was to help me till I atleast get a taxi, I would.


    Thankfully, the car stopped before me. When the window rolled down, my lips instantly turned down. The familiar face that greeted me was thest one I wanted to see right now. "Get in, I''ll take you." Aiden''s voice was calm.


    I should have known that he would follow me. His persistence was frustrating.


    "No please, I would hate to inconvenience you. I''m sure you''re not going my way." I tried to keep my voice steady.


    "I''m not going anywhere, Anastasia, I''m here for you."


    Can he stop saying my name? It kept bringing back unwanted memories that I have sessfully away for five years.


    ked


    "Why are you here then?" I crossed my hands over my chest while hoping a taxi would show up while I looked out for one. But the empty street mocked my hopes.


    He dropped his head back on his seat''s headrest as he sighed. "It''s clear you have an emergency. Would


    you


    rather wait here for the nonexistent taxi till it''s toote?"


    I felt a shiver run down my spine in fear. It would not be toote. It couldn''t be.

 Chapter 0255

    "It wouldn''t be toote, my ride''s on the way," I lied, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.


    "You''ve been outside for over five minutes now," he pointed out. "How long is this ride going to take?" He asked, raising his eyebrows when he said ''ride",Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "A minute. Two?" I shrugged, trying to appear nonchnt. "It will be here soon."


    "Dammit! Ana, get in the damn car! I don''t know what emergency you have but for you to have rushed out like that, it''s obviously very important." His voice rose slightly.


    I grounded my teeth and my hold on my phone tightened.


    "Fine!" I gritted out and ran around the car to get into the front passenger seat.


    "Where are we driving to?" He asked, his gaze straight ahead, hands gripping the steering wheel.


    I frowned. Why did he have to say ''we"?


    "I am going to Drey''s Clinicals," I replied while I ensured that the ''I'' was clear enough to send the right


    message.


    I saw his lips twitch and I waited for the question orment but he said nothing. He just entered the hospital''s name in his map and we headed there. The silence that continued with us afterwards was broken only by the asional directions from the GPS,


    As we drove there, my heart was beating so fast that I was slightly worried that Aiden might hear it.


    I kept hoping that when we get there, he would just drop me and drive off. Atleast, he shouldn''t see Amie. At the same time, I was dead worried about Amie. What terrible fever? She was perfectly fine before I left home. I checked her temperature and it was okay. When she hugged me vibrantly, she didn''t look like she would suddenly develop a terrible fever.


    Oh God. I hope my baby is fine.


    On his GPS, I could see that we just had about a couple miles left to get to the hospital.


    I cleared my throat. "You can just drop me here," I said with a syrupy smile that felt forced even to me.


    He briefly nced my way, a frown drawing itself over his brows, "Why would I do that?


    "I''d just walk from here. It''s a very short distance, really I tried to keep my voice light, casual.


    His nce moved quickly from the road to my face and back on the road, "Why would you want to do that?" He asked as if he had never heard such a request in his life.


    I gritted my teeth, thinking of the perfect excuse that would make him step on the brakes but I came up empty.


    "The hospital-is just right there. I''d just drive up to the front," he said in a definite tone then muttered under his breath, "No need to pull over or whatever."


    I chewed on the inside of my mouth. I couldn''t quiteprehend my fear of him seeing Amie. I mean it wasn''t like it''s boldly engraved on Amie''s forehead that Aiden''s her father.


    I tried t


    calm myself down. There was nothing to worry about. He wouldn''t find out unless he''s told. So


    rx, Ana,


    He had barely pulled over when I pushed the car''s door open and jumped out. My feet hit the pavement with a thud.


    "Easy there," I heard him call out as I ran toward the entrance of the hospital. His voice faded behind me as I raced towards the building.


    "Ana!"


    I came to a dead stop when I heard the familiar voice call my name. I turned around to see ra beside her car that just pulled over right behind Aiden''s. The sight of her car, so close to Aiden''s, made my heart skip a beat.


    Oh no.


    My eyes flicked from Aiden''s car to ra.


    I didn''t think ra had noticed him. Her focus was entirely on me.


    Even if Amie didn''t have it on her forehead, I didn''t want him to know anything about her. He shouldn''t. even catch a whiff that she was mine.


    "Why are you standing over there?" ra frowned,


    "Come over here and help me get her out so I can park the car properly."


    Yep! She definitely hasn''t seen Aiden.


    I ran back toward them, speed walked right past Aiden and straight to ra. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.


    "It''s Aiden," I told her in a very low voice that I doubted she heard me but she did.


    Her eyes widened and she mouthed, "Where?"


    I subtly nodded behind her. And God bless ra, she didn''t turn but the size of her already widened eyes doubled as she whisper-yelled, "what!" Her reaction would have beenical if the situation wasn''t


    SO


    tense.


    "Take Amie inside quickly. I''d park the car and make him leave."


    ra nodded in understanding and handed me the car''s key then she went around and carried Amie out of the car.


    My heart saddened as I watched my baby, with her eyelids drooped, weakly draped on ra''s arms. Her head was on her right shoulder and her face was turned my way.


    My heart mmed in my chest when her eyes slowly opened. I was quick to turn but it was toote. Time seemed to slow down as I realized what was about to happen. Just as I came face to face with Aiden who was now directly before me, Amie croaked out, "mommy."

 Chapter 0256

    ANASTASIA


    "You forgot this.


    "Oh!" I piped up in a high pitched tone, "Thanks," then I snatched it from his hands.


    Why did I snatch it like that! I mentally reprimanded myself but he did not even seem to have noticed because he was not looking at me anymore.


    Did he hear her? I wondered as I squinted at the side of his face as he watched ra as she walked briskly into the hospital, Amie safely in her arms. I could not tell which of them she was looking at and that made me worry even more.


    But I tried to soothe my worries. He didn''t look like he heard anything. Amie was groggy from the sleep during the ride so her voice was not loud. He did not hear, right? He couldn''t have. I was just paranoid because of all the scenes of him finding out about Amie that I had staged in my head all through the ride


    here.


    I turned to the direction where his gaze was still fixated and I got carried away as I watched ra carry Amie into the hospital. I wanted to run to them and hold Amie in my arms.


    My heart suddenly felt heavy. Amie is usually very energetic. Even whenever she was sick, you''d barely be able to tell because she just liked to move around.


    I remembered thest time she had a fever, several months ago, she had insisted that she would undo her seatbelt by herself and walk to the doctor''s room on her own. "I''m a big girl, mommy," she had said, her little face set in determination. It had taken all my willpower not to scoop her up and carry her myself.


    1 sighed, this impromptu fever must be quite serious.


    When they disappeared through the door, Aiden''s gaze still followed them as they made their way to the counter directly opposite the open door and I knew I had to distract him before he started to ask questions.


    "Thank you for this again," I said with a sheepish smile even though he was not looking my way yet but I yearned to add, ''you can look away and leave now, please."


    He finally looked away and turned to me. As usual, I could not pinpoint his thoughts.


    So I simply raised my purse and said awkwardly, "I would''ve really regretted forgetting this. Thank you so


    much."


    His eyes fell on the pause in my hand and he stared at it for quite a while as if he was still processing my words or regrouping his thoughts then he nodded and looked back up at me with a small smile. "It''s okay, "he said, but he still remained there.


    I nced behind him at his parked car before I settled my gaze back on him again, "Thank you for the ride. I really appreciate it." I hope he got the underlying message.


    He nodded again. "I''m d I was of help," he said curtly then he turned, got into his car without a backward nce and drove off.


    I almost sagged against ra''s car in relief but I needed to rush inside to Amie and so I did.


    Though I was relieved that he was gone, as I made my way inside the hospital, I wondered where the man in the break room who was so intent on us having a ''talk'' to clear the air was. It was as if two different versions of Aiden had shown up tonight.


    My eyes quickly roamed the reception area in search of ra. I found her almost immediately. It was easy to find her as the hospital was not very filled.


    "Hey," I said quietly as I walked up to her. She was seated on one of the stiff chairs in a corner of the reception area, her focus on her phone. When she heard me, she looked up, worry written all over her features.


    Her gaze made a quick trip to the hospital''s entrance before they settled on me. Before I could ask my more urgent questions, she beat her to it.


    "Is he gone?"


    "Thankfully yes.


    She nodded, visibly relieved. "Good. We don''t need any moreplications tonight."


    "Where''s she? How''s she?" I rushed out, my heart pounding with anxiety.


    "She has been taken in and admitted for some tests," she said as she rose from her seat.


    "Admitted?" I frowned, "I thought we could go back home with her tonight."


    ra shrugged and let out a sigh. "Let''s go," she gestured toward the narrow hallway, on the other side of the room, directly opposite where we were seated. "The doctor has asked to see me but I wanted to wait


    for you."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Oh okay, let''s go then." I said and we immediately made our way to the doctor''s office.


    2

 Chapter 0257

    As we walked, I couldn''t help but notice how quiet the hospital was at this hour. The soft hum of machines and distant murmurs of conversation were the only sounds breaking the silence.


    As he let us in, he gestured us to our seats and said with a smile. "Good evening."


    "Good evening, doctor," ra and I answered at the same time.


    After we were seated, I dived into business straight away. "So what is the issue with her? My friend here just told me that she was admitted for tests. I moved forward closer to the table and sat at the edge of the chair, "She was just fine this morning. Is anything serious wrong with her?"


    He shook his head, "It''s not something to be worried about, ma''am. For now, her symptoms point at the regrmon cold but it could be more so that is why we are going to conduct some tests on her to be on the safer side."


    I felt ra''s empathetic squeeze on my shoulder as I listened to the doctor. Her presence wasforting, a reminder that I wasn''t alone in this.


    "How long will the tests take? And how long will it take to get the results?"


    "The tests willmence immediately you approve it and get your signature here," his index finger softly thuded on the piece of paper on the table before him. "By tomorrow, the test results, will be ready but she would be discharged only based on what the results turn out to be but I''m highly possible that it would not be anything serious and she would be able to go home tomorrow."


    "Please, proceed," I said and he slid the documents to me to sign. My hand shook slightly as I picked up the pen, the reality of the situation finally sinking in.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    After I signed them, he made a phone call to his nurse to have the equipment for the tests ready. I listened intently, trying to catch any information about what tests they were nning to run.


    "Also, I already administered her some drugs to help with the fever for now so you have nothing to be worried about," he said after his call. "It shouldn''t be anything serious with the symptoms she has. She


    be fine."


    I nodded. "Thank you."


    He then directed us to the room where she has been taken to. As we walked through the corridors, I tried to prepare myself for what I might see.


    By the time ra and I got to the room, Amie was already sound asleep.


    I moved closer to her and I felt my eyes prick with tears at how pale her face already looked. How could the doctor say it was nothing?


    I ced a kiss on her forehead. I smoothed back her hair and tucked the white nket that covered her chin under her chin. Her skin felt warm under my touch, a reminder of the fever she was fighting.


    I suddenly found myself ming myself. I was too focused on work and worried about Aiden returning to my life that I had not noticed that my daughter might be having some symptoms.


    I felt a hand on my shoulder and that was when I remembered that I still hadpany.


    I turned to ra, "I''m going to stay the night here with her."


    "Don''t you think you should go back home and freshen up," her eyes took in my dress and heels. "You can juste back tomorrow morning.


    I shook my head, "There''s no need for all that. I''ll be fine. As soon as the results are out, I''ll be back home


    with her."


    "We could quickly rush back so you can freshen up and get a change of clothes for the both of you," she said worriedly. "Atleast get out of those heels and eat something."


    I dropped into the seat by Amie''s bed. "I don''t even have the appetite for anything right now." With the heart attack I almost gave myself over Aiden finding out and me worrying endless over Amie, I doubt I''d be able to get anything down. "And don''t worry about my outfit. I feelfortable in them."


    "Notfortable enough for a night. I will just rush back to your ce and get you guys some things."


    "Oh, ra, you don''t have to do that."


    "Let me," she insisted as she stretched her palm forward for the car keys.


    "Thank you," I told her as I handed the key to her. Then I saw her out of the room.


    As we walked to her car, I felt the need to ask. It wouldn''t hurt to be double sure that he really didn''t hear


    Amie


    "Do you think Aiden heard Amie?" My frown deepened, "Or maybe he heard what I told you?"


    She shrugged, "I wouldn''t know that, Ana. I was more focused on getting out of his view and getting Amie


    to the doctor."


    I sighed, "I really hope he didn''t."


    "I highly doubt he heard anything," she said, sounding more sure than I was. "Amie''s voice was very faint.. I''m surprised you heard her."

 Chapter 0258

    AIDEN


    I struggled to keep my attention on the road. My eyes were on the dimly lit road ahead of me, but all I could think about and picture was Anastasia. The yellow lines blurred as my mind drifted to rey moments from our past and imagining what could have been.


    I wished I could go back there and stay with her. I wished I could pull her in for a hug and tell her how much I missed her and at the same time rant about how mad I was that she had not even bothered for an exnation. My hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as I fought the urge to turn the car around and drive back to her.


    I wanted to kiss her and tell her that when she left, she left with a part of me. The ache in my chest felt as fresh as it did five years ago, a constant reminder of the void she had left behind. Every song on the radio seemed to speak of lost love and missed opportunities, only intensifying my longing.


    I had always known that I did not remain the same after Ana left my life, but I thought I had gotten over


    her.


    I thought my feelings of love and hurt and anger for her and over her abrupt absence in my life had be


    left in the past, never to reur again. I had convinced myself that I had moved on, that the memories


    our time together had faded like old photographs.


    But seeing her again had brought everything rushing back with startling rity.


    It was as if time had stood still, and for a moment, I was transported back to the first time Iid eyes on her.


    The familiar flutter in my stomach, the quickening of my pulse-it was all there, as intense as ever.


    of


    I had been surprised to see her at the meeting that all I could do for the first few seconds was just stare. Her presence caught mepletely off guard, and I found myself frozen in ce, unable to look away. The boardroom faded into the background, and all I could see was her.


    Then I looked away, convinced and angry that I was back to those days, years back, when I saw her in everyone. The rational part of my mind tried to dismiss it as a trick of the light or a figment of my imagination. I had spent months after our breakup seeing her everywhere in coffee shops, on the street, in crowds-only to be disappointed each time.


    Thankfully, the rest of the retained employees hadn''t looked like my ex-girlfriend, but when I looked back In the same direction I had seen her, I was dismayed and at the same time, ted to see that I didn''t make her up.


    This time


    She was real.


    Then as I stole nces at her, my heart skipped beats or fluttered. But it was not seeing her again that made that happen.


    It was the way she radiated with so much beauty and elegance, She had grown even more beautiful over


    the years.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    It had surprised me that she still had that effect on me. Infact, it still surprised me that she could still make my heart flutter. I was surprised that since I had seen her again, she was all that consumed my thoughts.


    On many asion, my assistant would be babbling on about a research he had spent time and effort on and I would find myself drifting off into my mind to conjure up that beautiful face.


    It had been five years and her mere presence always made distraction and confusion set in. Thank God for efficient self control else, I would have made a total fool of myself in just the few moments we had seen each other and worse it would have been in front of my newest employees.


    I had stupidly expected that now that we had seen eachother again, we''d be able to talk about what happened and share how we had both been faring during the years we were not together. But her attitude has been strictly professional and dismissive. It was clear that she was avoiding me and didn''t want to


    talk to me.


    And then+ remembered the anger in her gaze when our eyes shed during the board meeting. She was clearly still angry but I was too. And I think I even had more right to be mad. She had just up and left without giving or seeking any exnation.


    I thought it over and decided that feeling entitled to be more deserving of the right to be mad over a departure that happened years ago would not make us working together fluid or less awkward so I decided that we should have a talk...


    At least clear the air and set ourselves free.

 Chapter 0259

    I hoped she would attend the party and almost even asked my manager to make the partypulsory for all the retained employees but I held myself back. I didn''t want to force things.


    I decided to wait and see if she woulde, if she does, good then I''d talk to her at the party. If she doesn''t then it would be at work.


    But she dide. I saw her the moment she stepped into the room, lighting up the ce with her stunning presence. As I watched her stand at the entrance and take in the major change in the room that was once the reception area, I fought the urge to run to her and take her in my arms.


    I hadn''t been sure what her reaction would be if I tried to talk to her infront of everyone. For all I knew, the Ana I used to know would not hesitate to throw her drink on my face regardless that I was her employer. So I sent one of the waiters to get her for me.


    But she had not hesitated to make it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with me. When I asked that we talked about what happened that day, she was very clear in expressing her disinterest in talking about


    IL


    It hurt when she said, "It''s in the past. We should leave it there." She said it like what we had was nothing more than a fling.


    I was suddenly transported back to that day, six years ago. I sighed. It had been a huge misunderstanding that I had no idea how to rectify and by the time I got myself together and took action, it had been toote


    I still remembered that day like it was yesterday. I had carelessly lost my phone; an urrence that still surprised me till this day as I was always very careful with my belongings.


    I knew that Ana was on a trip and I remembered that she told me when we departed at the airport before. she left that she wasing back that day so immediately I got back home, I snatched my credit card and rushed out to get another phone.


    I had her phone number memorized so the n had been to call her immediately I set-up the new phone and from there I would go pick her up.


    But when I tried her number she didn''t pick up. I already assumed it was because it was an unknown number but I still kept trying anyway. I thought that if she saw how persistent the caller was, she would pick up to tell them to leave her alone.


    I still remembered how an idea to first prank her had started to form in my head before I would tell her that it was me but she never picked up.


    I gave up and headed back home but I still tried her line. I decided to take a stroll, secretly hoping that she would pick up before I reached my apartment. Later, it stopped ringing and started to go to voicemails.


    I


    When I got back to my apartment, I had been so overjoyed to see her there. I just wanted to pull her in for a tight hug, breathe her in and kiss her before I exined anything to her.


    But she had just pushed me away and that was when I noticed the tears that pooled in her eyes and the rage in them.


    I tried to find out what was wrong but she wouldn''t even let me speak. All my questions fell on deaf ears.


    I did not think I had been so shocked as I was that day when she announced that she never wanted to


    see me again.


    I still remember her words. I still remembered how her voice trembled when she said those words that I had hated for a long time, "It''s over, Aiden. We''re done,N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Those words? They broke me each time they echoed in my head after she left but I learned to get over it.


    Then she wished me a nice life and stormed past me and out of the gate.


    I had first thought it was a joke as I watched her walk away. I was rendered speechless, my breath held as I waited for her to turn back. I waited to hear her beautifulugh bubble up her throat as she jumped on me and wrapped her arms around me. I waited to hear her tell me that it was a prank in between her


    delightful. I waited to heave a sigh of relief as I hugged her to me but she never turned back.


    Even when I came to the realization that she was really leaving and chased her down, she didn''t turn back. I remembered yelling her name and begging her to wait but she didn''t even look back once. Devastated, I returned to my apartment and that was when her behavior finally made sense.


    I didn''t understand the mess in my apartment, nor did I understand how my clothes and a woman''s was littered everywhere.


    True, I had rushed out but the only thing I flung on my couch had been my jacket. And I was certain I locked the door.


    It became clear then that someone had broken into my house and staged the scene.

 Chapter 0260

    ANASTASIA


    Oh God no.


    No.


    I chanted in my head as the tears dropped from my eyes to my palm and slid between my fingers.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Not my Amie. Not her. My precious little girl, with her infectiousugh and boundless energy. How could this be happening?


    I still had my head buried in my face when the doctor spoke up with both sympathy and professional detachment.


    "I understand that the news is overwhelming, Miss Anastasia. I''d have you know that we have a dedicated team ready to help and guide you through the treatment process."


    My mind felt distant to his words like anguage I couldn''t grasp was being spoken to me. I wanted to snap my head up and ask him how my five-year-old had managed to be diagnosed with such a disease. Perhaps there was a mix-up somewhere.


    But I couldn''t even bring myself to speak. If I tried to speak, I would only end up bawling, myposure shatteringpletely.


    She is just a child! Why does she have to go through all the pain that would be involved?


    Earlier this morning, I was awakened by Amie''s whimpering sound. It wasn''t unusual for her to have nightmares, but this seemed different. When I reached for her, my motherly instincts were immediately on high alert and I drew my hands back almost instantly. Her body temperature had been so high that I had to rush a bath for her, my heart pounding with worry as tried to cool her feverish skin.


    She ate a little then fell asleep after the nurse appointed to her came to check on her, her small face pinched with difort even in rest.


    Not long after, the doctor sent for me as the results of her tests were already out. I had been hopeful then, clinging to the belief that it was just a nasty flu or perhaps a minor infection. How naive I had been. I finally looked up, messily wiping the tears off my face with trembling hands.


    I sniffled, "You told me it was amon cold. You told me it was nothing serious," my shoulders shook as I burst into another bout of tears, the wordsing out in choked sobs. "I can''t believe my baby has chronic Leukemia, what am I going to do?"


    "You''re not alone in this, ma''am. Together, we''ll do everything we can to help Amie get better. First, we should be thankful that we discovered it while it was still at it''s early stage.


    "Since it''s still in the early stage, we''ll have to run more tests to better understand the type of leukemia she has and how advanced it is. We''ll start with tests to gather more information and create a treatment n tailored to your her needs."


    As I listened to him, I still hoped, deep in my heart, that it was all a dream. But he kept talking and the more he did, the realer it felt


    "These treatments will include and begin with induction chemotherapy. Induction chemotherapy is the initial phase of treatment where we use powerful medications to target and kill the leukemia cells in her body. The goal is to stop the cells from growing. This phase is crucial as it sets the stage for further treatment and will put her into remission. It''s a vital step in fighting the disease effectively. Now, after a treatment n has been decided, depending on how she responds, the treatment n will be adjusted from time to time. Throughout the process, we''ll closely monitor Amie''s progress and make sure they are asfortable as possible as her body fights the disease."


    My head was reeling and each time he mentioned ''Amie'', my heart squeezed painfully in my


    chest.


    "It''s a challenging journey, but we''re here to walk alongside you every step of the way."


    "What are-" I broke off and tried to steady my trembling voice. "What are the... I don''t know. What should! expect?"


    "During the treatment, she may experience side effects like fatigue, nausea, hair loss, and changes in appetite. But do not worry, we''ll closely monitor these effects and provide medications to manage them, And note that it''s important that youmunicate any concerns or changes you notice as soon as possible so we can adjust the treatment n ordingly."


    I nodded continuously, doing a terrible job of taking in all the information.


    "At this challenging time, it''s incredibly important that you stay strong for your child. Spend more time with her, listen to her. Your love, care and support are vital in helping her through this journey. But don''t lose yourself in the midst of it all, remember to take care of yourself too, seek support when you need it, and always have it in mind that we''re here to help you every step of the way."

 Chapter 0261

    I sniffed. "Thank you, doctor." I leaned forward, "And after the treatments and therapies, what''s the prognosis going to be? Will she be okay?"


    "Of course, she''ll be. As long as she gets adequate treatment and care, she will be fine and good as new by the time her treatments are concluded."


    His response gave me hope but the thought of her having to go through all of those treatments and therapies made my heart break anew.


    After another lenthy words of encouragement and assurance that Amie would be okay at the end of the treatment, I thanked him and stepped out into the hallway.


    As I made way to


    sniffs and shaky so. Ward, I could not stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks nor could I stop the


    I stopped before the door to her room and tried to stop my tears. I spent several seconds wiping the tears that kept pouring as I whimpered. Eventually, I didn''t feel the wet trail on my cheeks again and my eyes also felt dry.


    With a deep breath and a wide smile, I stepped into the room.


    Amie''s gaze was already on the door, a frown on her face but she said nothing. She just curiously watched me walk up to her bed.


    "Hey baby," I smoothed back her hair, "how do you feel? my voice sounded hoarse and I had to clear my


    throat.


    Instead of answering my question, her brows further drew down. "Are you crying?"


    I chuckled shakily, "No, I''m not."


    She reached up and gently fingered my cheeks with her index finger. She brought her finger to her face. Mom, you''re crying? Why are you crying?" She asked worriedly,


    I touched my face and felt the tears that silently rolled down my cheeks.


    I sniffed and hugged her to me. I''m just so happy that you''re awake."


    "Please, stop crying," she said in a small voice and I felt her small hands pat my back and it took everything for me not to totally break down in my daughter''s arms.


    After I had sessfully calmed myself down, Amie took a good look around the room. "When are we going home, mom?"


    The question caught me off guard that at first, I just stared, unable toe up with a response.


    "Soon," I blurted. "Soon, Amie." I pulled her to me, burying my face in her hair. "And I''d be here by your side all through."


    "Okay, mommy," she said but I could still see the questions in her big beautiful eyes.


    "How about we go for a stroll?"


    She smiled slightly and nodded vigorously.


    "I''m cold," she said then I donned her in one of the sweaters that ra brought.


    On our stroll, she got lively a little, asking endless questions about parts of the hospital. Her funny questions were a slight distraction from the stark reality that still gripped my heart tightly. By the time, we returned from our short stroll she was all smiles.


    As we approached her ward, I frowned at the farmiliar figure waiting at the door and my steps. unconsciously


    "Dennis!" He turned around as Amie called.


    "Hey buddy!" He lowered himself and opened his arms for her to run into.


    She dly ran into his arms and they both exchanged greetings for a while before Amie''s responses started toe in incoherent monosybles.


    "I''d drop her inside," he muttered and stepped into the room. I followed him in and watcted as he gentlyid her in bed and tucked her in.


    He turned to me. "I heard about Amie''s fever from ra."


    Yeah, it happened unannounced," I murmured as we started to walk out of the room so we wouldn''t


    disturb Amie.


    When we stopped outside the room, I leaned against the wall facing him and he stood before me..


    "She said they ran some test results, are the results out?"


    "They are," I whispered back and said nothing else. There was silence. I wasn''t looking his way but I could feel his eyes on me.. "What''s wrong, Ana?"


    And that was all it took for me to break down before him. Dennis always saw through me. And I could not keep it to myself anymore.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "She has Chronic leukemia, Dennis," I blurt out amidst heavy sobs and his arms wound tightly around me.


    I ryed all my fears to him. "I''ve no idea what to do, Dennis."


    All the while he listened attentively and patted my hair. "Everything''s going to be okay, Ana." He said it so firmly that I instantly believed that everything would truly be okay.


    "I''ll be here by your side through out the whole journey. You''re not alone in this."


    "Mommy?" We suddenly heard behind us and I stiffened.


    "Am I sick?"

 Chapter 0262

    ANASTASIA


    We both turned to see Amie standing behind us on the doorway. Her hand held the door ajar as her curious eyes looked up at me, wide and questioning.


    Dennis immediately released me and focused on her, his movements smooth and natural as he lifted her up and cradled her in his arms.


    I watched him go fromforting me to distracting Amie in a matter of seconds.


    "Not really," he said as he slightly tickled her..


    Cute giggles spilled out of her as she squirmed in his arms.


    "Stop it, Dennis," Amie protested halfheartedly, her words interspersed with more giggles.


    "No, I will not," he said, deepening his voice in a yful growl that only made herugh harder.


    After a while, he stopped and waited for her giggles to slowly subside. The hospital corridor seemed to fade away to leave the three of us in a temporary bubble of normalcy. "Amie?" Dennis''s voice was gentle and coaxing.


    "Yes?" She looked up at him.


    "You see," he started slowly, "I need you to understand that everyone needs to be very strong, hmm?"


    She nodded, listening to him raptly, her little face serious as she absorbed his words.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "And that''s why you''re here. You''re here to get stronger. You''re a strong girl, right?"


    She bobbed her head with a big smile, "I am a strong girl," she said and lifted her arm to showcase her tiny muscles.


    My eyes watered the same time my lips curved into a small smile. The juxtaposition of her innocence and the gravity of her condition was almost too much to bear.


    "Now I''d take you in so you can get some rest before the nurses return, okay?" Dennis said.


    She nodded, then shed me a smile as Dennis carried her inside, and I felt a pang of guilt as I smiled


    back.


    I watched Dennis tuck her in bed, I heard her loudly whispered question: "Dennis?"


    "Yes, strong girl?" Dennis whispered back.


    She giggled then asked seriously, "Why is my mommy crying?"


    Dennis gave her a response in an equally low tone, but wasn''t lucky enough to catch it like the first times. Whatever he said seemed to satisfy her, and I was grateful for that.


    I turned away to wipe my eyes as Dennis ced a kiss on her forehead, then rose to his full height.


    The doctor and Dennis said everything was going to be fine, so it would be. I had to believe that, for Amie''s sake. Thest thing she needed now was not a confused and crying mother,


    She needed care and support and Dennis was providing just that.


    With Dennis hovered above Amie and Amie smiling up at him in her bed and assionally giggling. They seemed to have quite a lengthy whispered conversation.


    My heart swelled from watching the both of them. Amle had always been fond of Dennis and everytime I could see why. Dennis was literally the sweetest man knew.


    After they''ve exchanged enough of their soft whispers, he finally kissed her hand then he turned around and walked up to me.


    As he made his way to where I stood at the door, my gaze caught on the little wet patch I had left just in the centre of his shirt-d chest.


    "I''m sorry


    ut that.


    He looked down at it. He seemed to just notice it. He swiped at it mildly and smiled, "It''s fine, Ana. Nothing to worry about. I wouldn''t mind if you wet my whole shirt."


    I shook my head as he chuckled at his own joke. Then I brushed my finger over my nose to hold back the remaining sniffles from earlier on.


    Then we casually walked away from the door and down the hallway, he asked, "Have you eaten? Amie said she ate before your stroll but you didn''t."


    I shook my head. "She''s right, I haven''t."


    He nodded. ''Let''s go have something to eat then."


    I was quick to shake my head. "I''m n-"


    "Nah," he cut me off. "I saw thating. We''re not doing that." He held my gaze, "You need to eat."


    Then he took a hold of my wrist and practically dragged me to a nearby stir-fry bar.


    I looked around the ce, impressed. "How did you find here?"


    "I looked it up on my way here. I thought we might want to find something to eat."


    "Always thinking ahead."


    "That''s me," he said with a smug smile. "Except, I had imagineding here with both you and Amie."


    I smiled at his thoughtfulness. "She''d have loved it."


    "I know, right?" He answered as he discussed with the reception.


    I was surprised when I saw him walk around to the chefs designated spot just as the chef walked away.


    "I thought we''d only pick ingredients of our choice."

 Chapter 0263

    "You can also grill the stir-fry yourself. Today, assume I''m the chef. You''re the customer. So pick your Ingredients, mydy."


    I couldn''t help the giggle that bubbled up my throat. "You''re insane." But I did pick out the ingredients.


    "...meats," I murmured as I picked out the ingredients. "Lots of them. Veggies, an ample amount...


    "Noted, ma''am."


    I smiled as I continued to pick out my choice, "sauces, I exined how I wanted my sauce. "And seasonings!" I chirped as I selected the seasonings from a buffet-style spread.


    "Your stir-fry will be ready in ten seconds!" He said as he moved the ingredients to the grill area where he would cook them on arge t grill. He got to work and made quite a show of exaggerating every of his


    move to impress and amuse me.


    I gasped loudly, my eyes widened. "I thought the stir-fry will be ready immediately."


    He chuckled. "If I could make that possible just for you, I would."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    1 smiled, my heart warming at his efforts to make me feel better.


    He had always been so good at putting a smile on my face and making meugh. I briefly pondered on who usuallyughed more whenever he was around.


    Amie. Definitely Amie. Often times, I always find myself holding back myughters and smiles and trying


    my


    damndest not to blush at his sweet natural incessantpliments.


    In a few minutes, my stir-fry was ready.


    "Hmm," I closed my eyes and sniffed the air, greedy for the sweet aroma. "This smelles so good. I guess you aren''t so bad, Chef Dennis."


    "I''m not bad at all," he smirked and made to step out from behind the grill.


    I frowned and quickly stopped him. "What are you doing?"


    His facial expression matched mine. He nodded toward the ssic style seats and tables away from the grill area, "I''m taking your stir-fry to a table so you can eat." "What about yours?"


    He smiled, "You should eat first. We''re here for you."


    "No, buddy," I shook my head firmly, "that would not work. I''m not going to eat if you don''t."


    "Ana...I''m not hungry."


    "I don''t care. You have to anyway. You forced me here, remember?"


    He chuckled, "Fine. But you''d have to pick out the ingredients."


    "With all pleasure."


    For the next few minutes, we giggled andughed over the grill as he made his own stir-fry.


    When we were done, he carried the two bowl and refused my help when I offered it.


    "You''re the customer, remember?" He said as he walked ahead of me. "I''m the chef, here to serve you," he finished as he dropped the bowls on the wooden table.


    He pulled out my seat for me. "Ma''am?"


    "Thank you my very good sir," I said and heughed really hard,


    A small smile danced on my lips, d that I could reciprocate his efforts in making mefortable by making himugh. It was the least I could do after how much help he had been in the short time he had


    "You can have some of mine if you want," he said enthusiastically as he took his own seat. "Since you picked out the ingredients, I guess it''s in your taste range, right?" He asked with a sheepish grin.


    I dipped the fork in my mouth as I thought about it. Not really, I had struggled to remember the foods that he often fook and tried to guess what he''d have chosen.


    "I''ll never tell."


    He grasped his chest and said dramatically, "You''re killing me this suspense."


    I giggled and it was like that for a while. I barely ate my stir-fry as he kept making jokes and throwing random hriousments here and there.


    He was so sweet. He was lovely with me and my daughter. Half the time, I found myself wishing that I could openly reciprocate his feelings


    He was a great guy and apart from the fact that I''d hate to ruin our friendship, I would really hate to hurt


    him.


    So the fear kept gnawing at me. What if we don''t fit the way we think we will or the way we do now? What if things don''t work out? What if I can''t bring myself to love him the way he deserved? I couldn''t hurt him. Most importantly, I couldn''t take him away from Amie. That would be cruel. Especially


    not now.


    "Ana, are you alright?"


    "Hmm," I murmured as I toyed with my food.


    At the crucial stage that Amie would be in for the next few months, I needed to make sure our rtionship remained solid.


    "Ana?"


    I looked up from my food. "Sorry what?"


    "Are you okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine," I answered and looked down at my food then I was once again lost in my thoughts.

 Chapter 0264

    It had been so freakishly, unmistakably obvious that the scene was staged.


    I had taken a closer, more scrutinizing look and noticed the shabby, amateurish work that had been done. The attention to detail wasughable at best, insulting at worst.


    Till today, I still remembered how the seemingly careless drape of the ridiculous dress and lingerie had looked intentional on a closer look, as if arranged by someone with no concept of natural disarray. Even the shoes, carelessly strewn about, had been of different sizes and simr colors, a rookie mistake in staging infidelity.


    The male shirts weren''t mine; neither were they my size or my aesthetic. They hung limply, like props in a bad y. The suffocating smell that I suspected was supposed to be the man''s cologne filled the space, an assault on the senses that smelt nothing like mine. And if it was supposed to be for thedy, Ana should know that I''d hate that overpowering scent with every fiber of my being.


    If only Ana had taken a closer look, if only she had paused for a moment of rity. If only she had not jumped to conclusions, her keen eye would have noticed that the cologne was not her favorite of mine.


    But even still, the whole scenario was a puzzle piece that I could not make into anything sensible, no matter how I turned it over in my mind.


    Why would anyone do this? What exactly was the motive behind such an borate ruse? To ruin the beautiful, cherished rtionship I had with Ana?


    But then came the same nagging question, who?


    Neither Ana nor I had anyone in our lives who would want us apart, no nemesis lurking in the shadows. Well, except ra but ra, with all her sharp words and disapproving res, would never stoop so low.


    She was always so vocal and intentional about her dislike for me that sometimes I thought that she was just all bluff and was just very protective of her friend, a lioness guarding her cub.


    I had followed the trail of multiple thongs and garter belts and more shirts into my room, each step feeling like I was walking deeper into someone else''s twisted fantasy.


    My room was also messed up but it was minimal, notpared to the big mess in the living room, as if the perpetrator had run out of steam or creativity.


    My usually bedsheet was rumpled on my bed like a mockery of passion that never urred, and some of the contents on the nightstand were ced on the floor to look like they had been mindlessly knocked off In the throes of nonexistent passion.


    It wasn''t until a secondter that my brain picked up the glimpse of someone sneaking out from the kitchen, a shadow darting away from the scene of the crime. Immediately, the door to the living room mmed close, the sound echoing in the empty apartment like a gunshot.


    The intruder might be ahead of me but I knew this ce like the back of my hands. I ran into the kitchen, went through the rarely used fingerprint secured door there and burst out of the garage. Just as he was about to run past the garage to the gate, my hands shot out and I grabbed him by the shirt.


    He was a young boy and he immediately started to scream as he struggled to get out of his shirt, ready to


    flee without it.


    #


    He was the missing puzzle piece, the one thing I needed to make sense of everything and perhaps, tender. my exnation to Ana and get her back so I was not about to let


    1. go.


    "Let me go!" He would not stop screaming.


    I cupped his mouth and dragged him all the way from the garage into my kitchen. I did a quick, efficient job of tying him down to the countertop.


    "I''m gonna call the cops!" He babbled as he struggled to free himself.


    As he struggled and screamed and threatened me, I regarded him for a while. Definitely, a junior high schooler.


    "What''s your name?"


    "You have no right to question me! Untie me."


    I gripped him by his nape, pressing my fingers firmly into his skin to send the right message, "Why did you mess up my apartment?"


    "I don''t know, please let me go," his voice quivered and he stopped struggling.


    Tightening my hold, I repeated my question.


    "I swear I didn''t mean to," he rushed out, his face contorted in pain, "I only did what I was paid to do."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Who sent you?" I gritted out, hating the fact that I had to ask each question before he''d give me the


    response.


    "I can''t," he said in a small voice, his cheeks pressed to the countertop.


    +

 Chapter 0265

    "I can''t tell you, please let me go. I will nevere back again."


    "I''ll pay you double of what you were paid."


    His eyes widened as he probably did the calction in his head. "Double?"


    "Triple."


    I would not have been surprised if his eyes balls actually rolled out at that point.


    Then he suddenly looked like he was going to cry. "I badly want to tell you but I don''t know."


    I frowned. "How were


    you paids-


    "I was paid in person but I don''t know who the person is and-"


    I shook my head, clearing it of the confused state he was fusing it into. "Wait, where did you meet with this person?"


    He hesitated and he dared to narrow his eyes at me. "Will you still pay me?"


    "And if I don''t?"


    "Then I won''t tell," he whinged, "then I''d call the cops after you let me go."


    If I hadn''t just lost the love of my life, I would have took a minute or two tough at the boy''s childishness.


    "Very well then," I said slowly as I slipped my phone out of my pocket. "Let''s call the cops."


    His eyes bugged out but I paid no heed to it as I pretended to dial a number on my phone.


    "When they get here, you can tell your side of the story and I''d also tell mine after I show them the footage of you breaking into my apartment." "Please don''t! I''ll take you there."


    He took me to a run-down bar that a boy his age should not even dream of stepping foot in.


    He stopped by the seat at the farthest end of the room. "We sat right here when we met and it was pretty dark"


    I shook my head as I slowly took in the ce. It then ured to me that he hadn''t been specific with the gender. "A man or a woman?"


    He swallowed. "A man."


    I was thrown out of my thoughts as I pressed the button on the control for the gate to open for the third time but the gate still remain closed. With a frown, I looked down at the control and let out a loud hiss. I had been hitting the "lock" button all the while.


    The gate opened and I drove in. I parked my car and dragged my tired body out of the car. Remembering those years back always wore me out, even more now that Ana was in the picture.


    I headed straight to my home gym and worked out for half an hour, forcing every thought that involved her out of my head. After a quick shower, I ended up in my study to get some work done. Chapter 0265


    As I blindly reached for a pen in my drawer, something fell off.


    I reached down to pick it up. When I saw what it was, I froze.


    I didn''t even know I still had it. I thought as I picked it up and examined it, wondering if it was really the same sh drive. It was the very same, I was sure.


    But I plugged it in myptop anyway. The only file in the drive popped up on my screen. I tapped on it and a recording of me asking the boy questions as he confessed yed.


    Sighing, I stopped the recording and removed the sh drive before shoving it back in the drawer.


    It hadn''t been useful for the purpose I needed it for since I couldn''t find Ana so I thought I misced it or threw it out years ago. What use would it be now?


    Besides, it was just a mere recording. Any skeptical person coulde to the conclusion that it could have been tweaked to my wants.


    As I returned back to work, my mind drifted back to when I had picked her up and taken her to the hospital. She had tried to remain cool but I could tell it was just a front. She was panicking and scared.


    The girl must have meant a lot to her, I ruminated then I remembered the faint "mommy'' that the girl had muttered weakly when she turned in Ana''s way.


    I titled my head to the side. I hadn''t given it much thought then but now I couldn''t help but wonder if she was referring to Ana or the otherdy.


    I suddenly found myself wondering if she was in a rtionship. What had changed about her life after all these years? What had she been up to?Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    In my peripheral vision, I saw my phone''s screen light up before it started to vibrate.


    I fully turned to it, ready to pick up but I stopped and stared nkly at the ID as the phone continued to


    ring.

 Chapter 0266

    ANASTASIA


    After a long minute of arranging my things in my bag, I closed my eyes and took a deep calming breath.


    "It''s okay, she will be fine," I muttered to myself as I force a smile on.


    "You just have to go to work, stay a few hours and get some work done then you head right back."


    My lips turned down as I thought of how long I would have to be away from her. My God, I''d be away from her for hours! The thought made my hands tremble slightly as I gripped the strap of my bag. What if she needs something and no one is around?


    "Rx, Ana," I quickly told myself. "The nurses are here. The doctor has assured you that she will be well attended to. Besides, ra said she''d drop by. So she will be fine. She has all the help she might need." I repeated these facts to myself, trying to use logic tobat the worry that threatened to overwhelm me.


    With a big smile, I turned to Amie. Her stillshes at the end of her eyelids casted soft shadows on her pale cheeks. Her chest softly rose up and down. As I watched her, my heart suddenly felt heavy in my chest when I was transported back to the previous night. I remembered her barely audible voice as sheined of being tired.


    Then she had proceeded her observation with, "Why am I tired, mommy? Even when I spend all day painting and making paper boats, I never feel tired."


    It had taken all the strength in me not to burst in tears right then before her. Instead of saying anything that would prompt my tears out, I simply held her in a gentle embrace and waited till the tears weren''t pricking my eyes so much anymore.


    Then I told her, "Sometimes, it happens." The words felt hollow as they left my mouth, but I clung to them and hoped they would be enough for now.


    I had managed to keep the tears at bay until she slept off but now I felt like bursting in tears all over again.


    The weekend had been tougher than I thought and it had sent a clear message of how tougher things will get and how strong I need to be for my baby. It was hard having to keep a smile on my face as I kept Amiepany, but trying not to worry too much was the hardest. Every moment felt like a bncing act between being present for her and holding with my own fears and uncertainties


    But instead of bursting in tears like I wanted to, I looked up at the clean white ceiling for a few seconds without blinking. With another long exhale, I ced a kiss on Amie''s forehead and smoothed back her hair. Just that small action caused one strand of her hair to fall in my hand.


    I swallowed as I dropped with the rest in the bag I had brought for it. So far, it was just a few strand and my heart broke each time one fell off.


    With another kiss on the forehead, I reluctantly headed to the door, out of the hospital and off to work.


    It was time to get out there, work my ass off while acting like my life was in total order and get my -paychecks.


    I got to work just in time. I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that held the number of the floor I was heading to.


    I blew out my cheeks as I exhaled and waited for the door to close but just as the door was sliding shut, a hand slipped in-between causing the doors to open again.


    I almost rushed out of the elevator when the owner of the hand turned out to be Aiden but that would be rude, wouldn''t it? He was my boss afterall,


    With a stiff smile, I sent a curt nod his way to acknowledge him.


    I firmly remained at the edge I innitially was, myneyes trained on the buttons and arrows, impatiently waiting to reach my floor and get out of his presence.


    It urred to me to thank him once again for the ride but I didn''t want to give room for any


    conversation so I kept my mouth shut and eyes trained ahead of me. I didn''t think I could have been more professional.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The silence was tense or maybe I was just being paranoid. But still, I preferred it to any conversation we might possibly have.


    But I was derived of the contentment of my preference when he asked out of the blue, "Is she alright


    now?


    "Huh?" I blurted out, sounding irritated and rude. Two of the attitudes that I was not supposed to disy in my boss'' presence.

 Chapter 0267

    I


    "Sorry, I did not get that," I corrected myself with another stiff smile.


    "Friday night?" He quirked his brows. The emergency you had at the hospital. The girl... she looked quite unwell. How''s she now?"


    "Oh," I drawled, caught off guard. I looked away from his face. "Umm yeah," I cleared my throat. "She''s uhh yeah..." I looked up at him with raised brows, "ra''s kid, right? She''s very fine. Her kid''s doing great. Thank you."


    I finished bbing and shut my mouth. I really wished the elevator would just throw me out. I could sense that he had more questions but the definite way with which I ended the conversation and trained my eyes ahead must have stopped him. And I was d my tactic worked. Thest thing I wanted was to have an inkling of whatever was running through his head and start to get unnecessarily worried. I had more than enough to worry about.


    As long as I made it very clear that Amie was not mine, that should make him swallow whatever question and get rid of suspicions. Because men were the same. The moment he gets a whiff of Amie''s rtionship to me, he would not care that we had been apart for years, he would immediately start to dig and snoop around and before I know what was happening, we would be in court, fighting over the custody of my child. That was a phase I would never let my child go through, Never.


    Wait a minute...


    My brows furrowed into a frown. Reflexively, I looked up. The expression on Aiden''s face was simr to mine as he nced around the elevator,


    Oh my God. Howe I wad yet to reach my floor? It does not take more than a minute. In fact, it does not take up to a minute.


    I turned my gaze from him to the arrows on the control on the elevator''s wall and my heart stopped. The arrows were not moving and the lights on the button had went off.


    No.


    My panic propelled me forward and I found my fingers jabbing erratically at the buttons before I started to hit it with my palm.


    "What''s up with this thing?" I said in a shaky voice.


    Oh God. Please, don''t tell me this elevator is stuck which in turn means we are stuck.


    Why? Why today of all days? In all my years at Taste Tech innovations, the elevator had never been faulty. Why did it have to decide not to work especially when I was in here with him?


    No, we are not stuck. We just need to reset it with a light tap or something.


    My light controlled taps soon became uncontrobly as I started to hit it with my fist. And soon my hits in it be more frantic.


    Am I really stuck in here with him? No, I can''t be. I don''t with him.


    want to be stuck...


    "Rx," came his calm cool drawl from behind me. I heard his soft footsteps then he was standing right behind me. I felt the heat in his body as it emanated from every pore on his skin and it warmed my skin.


    swallowed a light lump down my throat.


    The scent of his cologne engulfed me and I was thrown back in time to when we first met. My head was flooded with the sounds of his beautifulughter, the artful curve of his lips when he smiled. And his cologne. The one I loved so much. The one I forced him to give me. The one he stuck to because I liked it.


    He still used it? Why?


    My breathing quickened and I began to m my fist on the buttons again..


    Work, please, work. Work so you can get me to my floor and I can get the hell out of here and away from this heady smell and away from the intruding memory. This is just great.


    "You''re making it worse," he said calmly. His hand covered mine to move it away from the controls and my heart rate quickened. I released a sigh of relief when he let go, clutching that same hand with the other.


    His hand then reached out and he pressed the emergency button a couple times....


    At first, there was a faint nk, then a louder one. My eyes widened and they met his annoyingly calm


    one.


    "What did you do."


    A loud rumble interrupted me and before I could hold on to something for my dear life, the elevator shook violently, throwing each of us from one end to the other before it plummeted down with so much force and speed the same time the lights went off.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    2

 Chapter 0268

    ANASTASIA


    No.


    My lips trembled as I took slow shaky steps back until my back softly hit the wall of the elevator. The cold. metal against my spine sent a shiver through my body, amplifying my growing sense of unease.


    For a while, I just stared ahead, seeing nothing. The darkness seemed to press in from all sides, threatening to suffocate me. My chest was starting to constrict when I remembered my trainings on dealing with panic attacks and ustrophobia. I took a deep breath, trying to center myself.


    First, light up the area.


    I hastily reached into my bag for my phone, my fingers fumbling in the darkness. It took eons of my chaotic search to find the damn thing, and when I did, I almost burst into tears because it would not turn on. My heart raced as I frantically pressed the power button, silently pleading for it to work.


    Aiden hit the door, the sudden sound making me jump. "Hello? Is anyone there?" His voice echoed in the small space, a mixture of concern and frustration evident in his tone.


    I tried to power my phone again, my hands shaking. Relief flooded my body when it turned on and the faint brightness of my phone''s screen lit up the area dimly. For a moment, hope surged within me. But my relief was short-lived when the empty battery icon came on, followed by the buzz sound before the screen went off, plunging us back into darkness.


    I balled my trembling fingers into a fist and slowly slid down the wall, the rough texture of it catching on my clothes. Then I hugged my knees to my chest and tried to make myself as small as possible in the oppressive darkness.


    "It''s okay, you''re fine. It''s just the dark, nothing serious, I kept muttering under my breath as I rocked myself back and forth, even though that wasn''t enough to quell the rising tide of panic.


    My conscious mind that was not preparing to go into panic mode was aware of Aiden''s relentless attempt to get help and immediately get us out of here, he kept jabbing at the emergency button and muttering curses under his breath as the rhythmic sound of his finger hitting the button became a sort of twisted metronome.


    A strangled cry escaped my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut as the inevitable started to happen; breathing had be a chore as I felt the small elevator space start to close in on me. I felt suffocated. It felt like in seconds, it would crush me and... I shook my head, clearing the distorted images in my head. No, I will get out of this and return to Amie.


    Ttirelessly muttered all my memorized affirmations but nothing seemed to be working. My chest rose and fell in fast bursts as a scream started to bubble up my throat.


    Suddenly, just before I could start to yell hysterically, a light came on in the elevator, brightening the small space.


    I looked up to see Alden holding his phone''s shlight as he pointed it to the buttons.


    I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, calming myself. "It will be fine, Ana. You''d soon be out of here," I mouthed to myself.


    "They''lle get us soon."


    I heard him say and I just nodded, staring ahead. Apart from the fact that the gesture was helping in keeping my wits together, it was also a way to stray off any conversation with him.


    The warmth of his body further calmed me as he dropped beside me, mere inches between us. I knew I should move away but I couldn''t. I didn''t want to. Maybe if we weren''t in such a small dark space, I would have put enough distance between us but now? I think I''d have to manage like this.


    The silence between us was calming.


    Aiden ruined the calm. "So," he drawled for a while then I felt the heat of his stare on my temple, "What have you been up to?"


    I frowned, barely paying attention. I was surprised I wasn''t a panicky mess already. "And what do you


    mean by that?"


    His shoulders briefly rubbed against mine as he lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I just want to know, okay?" He said softly, "I want to know how you have been? How has work been for you?" "Well, work has been good," I said. Until you appeared out of nowhere and almost gave all of us a heart.


    attack.


    "If you''re facing any issues, I want you to know that you can alwayse to me, okay?"


    "Thank you, I appreciate that but I can always take myints to the HR. That''s what they''re there.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    for."


    He sighed, "I know that, Anastasia...."


    Don''t say my name!


    2

 Chapter 0269

    "I know you can go there," he insisted, "But never hesitate toe to me if you need to," there was a pause then he added, "...or want to.¡±


    Some unseen force promoted me to turn to him and I did. And my heart caught in my throat. Even though it was semi-dark, the tenderness I saw in those eyes was intense.


    What does he mean,..e to me?'' I thought as I quickly looked away from him. Was there an underlying meaning to his words?


    I swallowed when another thought popped up in my head. Yep, it''s definitely the situation we''re in. Else, I would not be thinking his e to me'' could also imply that he was asking me toe back to him


    I shook my head and closed my eyes to get rid of all the rubbish thoughts that were popping into my head. He was just being a nice boss. He probably still wanted to make it up to the former employees for the way he took over thepany.


    As I mulled over it in my head and his words started to make sense, his phone''s light suddenly went out.


    Aiden muttered, "What ha- shit, it''s dead."


    The subdued panic came rising in a heartbeat. My breathing came in fast bursts and my grip on my knee tightened painfully then....


    His big warm hands covered mine. I wanted to pull away like I had wanted to when he sat beside me but I couldn''t.


    I didn''t want this calm I suddenly felt to be gone. His touch was like magic, an instant medication that quenched all of my fears.


    His fingers intertwined with mine and he grabbed it and ced it on hisp. "I''m here," he muttered tenderly.


    I swallowed, suddenly finding the strength to pull away. I pulled at my hand weakly and whispered, "Let


    go."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "I still remember," he said fondly and I could hear the smile in his voice.


    For some reason, my heart did a somersault in my chest. After all these years he still remembered? Why? How? Well, maybe forgetting you once had a girlfriend who freaked out when left alone in the dark was not so easy.


    This only made me feel a stronger urge to stay away from him. I pulled at my hand again, "I''m fine."


    But his a


    grip only tightened. "Just hold on until help gets here."


    I fell silent at his gentle assurance.


    I


    Until help arrives, I told myself. I just have to hold on until help arrives.


    We stayed like that, my hand in his, our fingers intertwined, a fuzzy feeling in my belly that would ticket deliciously whenever his thumb caressed the back of my palm.


    I perked up when we suddenly heard voices, utter relief flooding my system. The voices were indistinct


    at first, murmurs and grunts then suddenly, it was a booming clear sound on the other side of the elevator.


    I think this one is broken too," the person said before he shouted, "Is anyone in there?"


    Aiden was quick to rise but he seemed to remember that he was holding my hand - or maybe it was because I unconsciously reflexively panicked when he wanted to let go and tightened my grip on his hand because he stopped and sat back down.


    "In here!" He bellowed out enough for anyone around to hear.


    "There''s someone in that one," a voice said. "Hang on, we''ll get you out in a minute."


    It took more than a minute. After several minutes of nks and thuds and even at some point the elevator shook, bringing Aiden and I even closer, finally the elevator door creaked open.


    At that moment, I couldn''t remember any moment where I had been so relieved and d to see a door open.


    Immediately the door opened and some light filtered into the space, I yanked my hand from Aiden''s gentle grasp, grabbed my bag and rushed out.


    As I ran up the stairs, my legs hurt from taking so many steps at a time and at such speed and I was breathing heavily. But I kept going. The thought of taking another elevator didn''t even appeal to me. I wondered if I''d ever take any elevator ever again.


    I finally arrived at my destination, the bathroom on one of the floors.


    I stopped before the mirror, rested my forehead on the mirror as I regained my breath.


    Suddenly, I wondered what I would''ve done... how I would''ve coped if Aiden hadn''t been in there with me. I bet I''d have screamed like a banshee, cried my eyes out and lost consciousness.


    Thank God it was all over.


    But... I looked up at the mirror. "What''s that?" my gaze lowered to my reflection''s chest. "Why is your heart pounding so fast?"


    I scoffed. Of course, it would, I just escaped from a dark tiny hell hole. "That''s it, nothing more. I was trapped in a hole with my ex and he offered to help. I epted the help because I seriously needed it and that''s all."

 Chapter 0270

    AIDEN


    With a bit of amusement and a sense of loss, I watched Ana run out the door the moment the elevator door opened. She ran past the puzzled men and up the stairs, her footsteps echoing in the stairwell. We all watched until she disappeared from our view.


    I knew with everything in me that I''d have stopped her from fleeing like that if I knew she would do that. But I hadn''t seen iting. By the time I closed my hand around hers, she slipped out of my reach. My hand remained curled in a soft fist as I desperately tried to preserve the lingering sensation of her touch. The warmth of her skin and the softness of her hand-it all felt like a fleeting dream now. In fact, if these men were not here or staring at me like I was some deer in headlights, I would have closed my eyes and breathed in her scent, trying tomit every detail of our brief encounter to memory.


    I stepped out of the elevator and stopped before the men, my mind still partly focused on Ana. That was when their eyes lit up in recognition, widening as they realized who I was. They bowed deeply and greeted me with jumbled words.


    "Good morning sir, we deeply apologize for the inconvenience. We had no idea you were stuck there. Forgive us."


    A part of me wanted to tell them: Maybe you should have taken a bit longer before you came? But I kept that thought to myself; it wasn''t their fault.


    Despite the inconvenience there, I was still satisfaction with that shared moment. The closeness and the intimacy of the situation, it had stirred something in me that I thought was long buried. And the fact that had been enjoying the moment, content in that position that we were in as silence bathed us made me feel kind of guilty. She was in a dilemma and I was reveling in it.


    Well, I didn''t revel in it. When I touched her, she seemed to calm down a bit and I was transported back to those years when she would curl around me in bed like her life depended on it whenever the lights went


    off.


    A small smile touched my lips.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    "We are very sorry, sir. All issues will be fixed immediately."


    I turned my attention to the men who were still sincerely tendering their apologies


    I nodded. "It''s okay. I''m sure you didn''t mean for this to happen." They bobbed their heads vigorously. Ensure you fix the issue promptly. We don''t want others getting stuck in such a situation again." "It will never repeat itself again."


    "It shouldn''t."


    I didn''t want Anastasia getting stuck in the elevator alone or ever again, even if it would be the only time. she would rx a little bit and allow me to touch her.


    -After listening to more apologies and inquiring about what caused it and how long it would take to get it


    fixed, I left them to their job.


    Instead of returning to my office, I headed out of the building to the parking lot. The stuffy confines of the


    172


    elevator, and I took a deep breath.


    Pressing the car remote and hearing its sound amongst the several others parked, I caught the sight of a man exiting a car. My forehead squeezed into a brow as I briefly watched him walk towards thepany''s building.


    A client or a business partner? I wondered.


    Something about the man striked me as familiar. I couldn''t quite ce my finger on how and why he was familiar so I concluded that he was probably a partner of thepany. His picture was probably one of the business partners'' that I had seen when I had been briefed about all of Taste Tech innovations"


    partners.


    So it was easier to shake off the thought and drive off to the destination I had in mind.


    Around me, the grand meeting hall buzzed non stop with discussions about phnthropic partnerships as I flipped through the rundown of the discussions that would be held in today''s meeting and also the goals for the charity events that would be held in theing weeks and months. I shook my head, impressed at the hospital''s support ns, foundation coborations and several uing charity events. I looked up and tuned back into what the speaker was saying.


    There was a smile on his face; a satisfying and joy-filled one that I could rte to as he talked in detail about the discussions that had been summarized in the sheets of papers that we were handed earlier as we took our seats.


    He exined the ns for hospital support, foundation coborations, and several uing charity events. I was impressed at the choice of hospitals that had been chosen to coborate with.

 Chapter 0271

    "These charity events will be one of a kind," he grinned, "Several of our partners outside the country will fly in for them..."


    Murmurs arose as the representatives from the various charitable organizations shook their heads, equally impressed and satisfied with the ns that they had spun out.


    "Our uing charity events will make a significant impact on society." His gaze wandered the room and I could have sworn that his eyes shone with unshed tears, "It is extremely inspiring to see everyone here today, united in our dedication to these causes."


    The atmosphere brimmed with anticipation for the positive changes these coborations will surely bring


    to those in need.


    "It''s what brings us joy," one of the representatives chimed in. "Some of us actually live for this, you know. To see the smile on those helpless kids and patients, to see the relief in the slight droop of the parents'' or guardian''s shoulders. It''s therapeutic."


    The hall erupted in several forms of affirmatives..


    Then each representative was given the time to say their take and opinions on how better we could veer our ns to yield better results.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    For the third time, I spoke up to drop another of my opinions and everyone listened with rapt attention.


    "Coborating with foundations will amplify our impact and createsting change in the society. Our unity today will drive these efforts forward in a swift pace like we never imagined."


    They all nodded and I continued, "We must ensure our hospital support initiatives and other support and coboration programs reach those in need," I asserted passionately, jabbing my fingers on the desk. That is crucial. It is what makes all of us here, it is the only reason we are gathered here, to reach those in need, arge number of them, isn''t it?"


    My question prompted several nods of agreement from the audience.


    One of the representatives who was still bobbing his head added, "He is right. I don''t think most charity organizations pay enough attention to whether thesepanies they coborate with reach the right people. Also there''s been talk," he nced at a few of us, "You know, rumors, aboutpanies that only set up a front so as to get chosen amongst thepanies that charity organizations will be supporting."


    The room became noisy as everyone spoke up, either to the person beside them or directly to the current speaker, confirming that they had also heard such rumors and they expressed how greatly it bothered them.


    "The aim of our organizations will be diminished and belittled if we supportpanies that do not need help," his brow was deeply furrowed as he passionately expressed his dissatisfaction and worries. "It will be a shame if it is heard that we give any sort of push to foundations that only operate for the ie and earnings,panies that are not in existence to help the society and make humanity better." Everyone went ahead to share their ideas and worries on how to battle these frauds.


    The first speaker and overall coordinator eased our worries. "It has also reached my ears that this is the means that somepanies have chosen as their means to strive. And so we already have measures


    that will be taken to prevent supporting a fraudulent foundation or coborating with them. One of the methods, and might I say the most important that will be adopted, is that before agreement, we will do a thorough investigation of each foundation."


    There was a round of apuse at the proactiveness of the coordinating team.


    At the end of it all, I inserted, rounding up the meeting, am inspired by the dedication and vision shared here today and I am grateful." With a smile on my face, my eyes swept the audience. "Together, we can make a real difference in people''s lives through our collectivemitment to these noble causes."


    As the participants of the meeting dispersed and I shook hands with everyone, a man approached me.


    "Mr Thompson," he called with an extended hand. I took his hand and returned his awed smile.


    "I''m Dr. Reeves, Director of Drey''s Clinicals," he introduced himself warmly. "I wanted to personally thank you for partnering with us. Your reputation precedes you."


    "Oh, Dr Reeves, it is all thanks to the collective efforts of our teams and partners."


    After the brief discussion with Dr Reeves, I left the hall, nodding after pleasantries to a couple of others I met along the way.


    My phone rang out as I walked through the hallway that led to the exit of the hall. I reached into my pocket for the phone and as I was busy looking down at the caller''s ID that was disyed on the screen, I collided into someone, or rather, they bumped into me.

 Chapter 0272

    AIDEN


    I looked down at the small figure that was staring up at me withrge, innocent eyes, a colorful children''s book sprawled open on the floor between us.


    "Sorry!" she waved at me and said with a small apologetic smile, her tiny hand fluttering in the air like a butterfly.


    I couldn''t help but smile back at her. She had a really contagious smile that seemed to light up the entire hallway.


    "That''s alright," I answered as I bent down to pick up the book thaty at our feet, its glossy pages slightly crumpled from the fall.


    "Wow," I heard her gasp, and I looked up at her, puzzled by the sudden excitement in her voice.


    "I want that kind of pen," she said with cute puppy eyes, apanied by an adorable pout that could melt even the coldest heart.


    "What kind?" I frowned as I rose to my full height and looked down at the book in my hands, turning it over, wondering where she saw a pen.


    "That one," she said and pointed at my chest, her small finger almed directly at my breast pocket.


    I looked down and saw the silver pen nestled in my pocket. "Oh," I hadn''t even realized that I had absent-mindedly taken it from the reception hall earlier.


    "You can have it." I took the pen from my pocket and handed it to her, watching as her eyes lit up with delight.


    With a wide grin that stretched from ear to ear, her small delicate fingers wrapped around the pen as if it were a precious treasure.


    "Thank you!" she eximed.


    Muttering another ''thank you,'' she took her book from me, cradling it against her chest. She opened the first page and wrote in it with the pen, her tongue poking out slightly in concentration. "It writes so beautifully," she muttered, seeming mesmerized by the glide of the ink on her paper.


    I looked down at the ''A'' she scrawled in the book with an arched brow. To be honest, there was nothing particrly beautiful about that wobbly, childish scribble.


    "Uhh yeah, I guess," I replied.


    "It is beautiful," she said firmly, as if daring me to dispute her as she scrawled another curve with great


    care.


    "Thank you once again." Then her brows slightly furrowed into a cute frown as she added, "You should be more careful when you''re walking, though, so you don''t bump into people. People don''t really like getting bumped into, you know."


    My smile automatically widened, amused by her sudden shift into a scolding mode. So this little munchkin is lecturing me. Interesting.


    "But it''s not solely my fault," I countered, unable to resist engaging in this adorable debate.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Her frown deepened, creating little wrinkles on her forehead. "How is that?"


    "You weren''t looking your way either. We both bumped into each other because we were both distracted," I exined, trying to keep a straight face.


    She shrugged her little shoulders sassily with her brows hiked up her hairline. "I guess we are even then," she muttered as she started to walk away without a backward nce.


    I turned and watched her walk away. I wished she woulde back and talk to me more. Even if it was to scold me, I would not mind.


    Just as I turned, a young nurse who stood at the end of the hall with a worried expression on her face hollered out, "Amie!"


    I turned back to see Amie look back with an innocent expression. She locked gaze with me and shrugged. Then she turned and continued walking while admiring her "beautiful pen" "Amiel Get over here!"


    Amie looked back and when she saw the nurse walking toward her, she giggled and started to run, still giggling.


    "Oh my! This kid is a handful," the young nurse muttered under her breath as she fast walked past me, slowly easing into a run.


    "Amie!" She called once more before she turned the corner that Amie had also run through.


    I shook my head and smiled to myself. As I started to continue my walk out, my phone rang out again.


    I winced when I saw the caller''s ID. Amie had totally stripped my mind of every thought.


    I picked up the call and rushed out. "I''m on my way.


    I stopped before the tall gates and the security stopped their usual check halfway when they realized that it was me.


    "No need for all of that," I heard through the inte. "Open the gates."


    I drove through the gates as soon as they opened, nodding at the security''s team greetings.


    After I parked my car in the parking lot, I made my way to the building.


    The moment I stepped in, my face lit up as my gazended on her.


    "Mom," I called as I pocketed my car keys, I opened my arms for a hug when my eyesnded on the figure. behind her and my smile froze on my face. "Sharon."

 Chapter 0273

    CLARA


    I aimlessly walked around the store. I hade to get some clothes for Amle and some for myself. I was done selecting Amie''s clothes about an hour ago.


    Okay, maybe not up to an hour but it''s been a while. All the adult dresses here looked nothing like what I would like to wear.


    My gaze wandered to the name of the store that glittered on the wall, by the door right after you stepped into the store, a zillion times as I wondered if I hade into the wrong store.


    This was n


    my favorite store where I always update my wardrobe and I was always certain that I would see a handful of what will attract me and suit my taste but so far, all the dresses here look like what a granny would


    wear.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "What sort of senseless restock did they do this time?" I murmured to myself as I fingered a pale green


    wrap top.


    I sighed. I tipped my head back and groaned. "Arg! Maybe I should just give up."


    As I dragged my feet, still scowling at the ugly outfits when a blood red velvet zers and pants suit caught my eye.


    I practically gasped. "Oh My Gosh!"


    "You finally found one that you like?" The young sales attendant rushed out of the aisle where she was arranging more of the boring new arrivals, grinning.


    "I love it," I drawled as I pointed at it.


    Red was not really my thing. In fact, I could count the number of red things I had in one palm of my hand but this one? I must own it, I thought fiercely.


    If I have to clear my bank ount, I swear I would. "Okay, maybe I wouldn''t clear my count," I snorted as I made my way to the aisle where the outfit was. "That would be foolhardy but I surely am ready to pay a lot for it."


    I ran the rest of the way to the aisle, giddy with excitement. Just as I reached out to grab mytest dream outfit, it disappeared.


    "Shoo!" Someone behind me said.


    I whirled around ready to get into a fight if the need arose.


    "Shoo? Why don''t you shoo? I saw that first."


    She wrenched her grinning face away from the dress. When she turned to me, her face turned sour. Then, with her chin tipped up regally, she said in a t pompous tone, "I grabbed it first."


    I regarded her for a while, from her long silky hair to her expensive-looking dress shirt down to her Jada Dubai Passion Diamond Stilettos d feet, and back to her stunning face.


    She was beautiful ssy, no doubt but never would she hear or percelyn


    that from me. I pinned her with


    a look I''d give to an interrupting ad on my favorite racing game. "Why don''t you tell that to the manager."


    We called for the manager and the sales attendant even testified that I saw it first.


    "She was going for it when thedy came in and ran past me to grab the outfit before her."


    I strongly believed I was going to get the outfit. First, I was a regr here so I was in good rapport with all the staff, even the manager. Secondly, I saw it first.


    The manager sighed. "There is only this piece but still we can easily settle this."


    "Yes? How are we doing that? Besides, there''s nothing to settle. It will be unfair if 1-


    ¡°Will making a transfer be better or you''d prefer a card payment?" Thedy interrupted me.


    "And that is how we would easily settle this," the manager said, smiling unabashed.


    I gaped at him. Is he for real?


    "And who said I wasn''t ready to pay? How much is it?" I asked as I reached into my pause for my card.


    "$1027."


    My hands froze in my purse but I was able to tame the urge to snap my head up. What!


    I removed my hands from my purse and handed my card to the manager anyway. No way I''m backing


    down now.


    "Cool," thedy said, "I''d triple that."


    My eyes momentarily widened. I scoffed and turned to her with raised brows. "Really?"


    She gave me a syrupy smile. "Really." Then she strutted off with her head held high with the stupid


    manager.


    The sales attendant was still by my side. "Sorry," she said in a small voice. "When I see something like that in the next stock, I''ll find a way to keep it till youe again."


    Come again? I doubt it. "Never mind." I told the girl with a smile. Then I stormed out of the store. Until I saw another outfit that won my heart in here, the store was forever on my cklist.

 Chapter 0274

    AIDEN


    My mom, either oblivious to my frozen smile or didn''t care, stepped aside for Sharon to take the hug that was meant for her


    With a grin, she wrapped her arms around me. "Gosh! I have missed you so much," she groaned out as she pressed her face in my chest.


    "Hmm," I hummed as she unwrapped her arms around me, spread them on my chest then she got on her tippy toes to give me a wet peck in the cheeks.


    For some reason, I wanted to wipe off the feel of her lips on my cheeks with my jacket. I resisted the urge and ced a peck on her cheeks. To be honest, I doubted if my lips even touched her cheeks.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I remained in the same standing position as Sharon took her seat. Mom settled in the space beside her.


    Instead of taking a seat, I widened my stance and dipped my hands into my pockets.


    "Mom, how are you?" I asked.


    Atleast, she would answer this since she traded her hug to someone else.


    "I''m fine, sweetheart," she answered heartily.


    I turned to Sharon whose gaze was already on me. It''s been on me since I stepped into the house.


    "When did you return? I was not even aware."


    "How would you be?" She pouted, "You''ve been ignoring my calls."


    I raised my brows and she crossed her legs, causing the short dress to ride further up her thighs. "Yes, Aiden. You''ve been ignoring my calls. I''ve noticed."


    "Sharon just arrived," mom answered the question Sharon had ignored with a smile. "In fact, the timing of your visit is just perfect."


    Of course.


    Then my mom rose from the chair and walked up to me. She leaned in and whispered, "I would like to discuss some business with you but since Sharon is here, we will find another time to do that." Before I could open my mouth to give her a response, perhaps tell her that it was perfectly okay to discuss business now, I was pretty sure Sharon wouldn''t mind waiting. But she was already before Sharon, excusing herself.


    1 have some things to do upstairs, I''ll be right back."


    "Alright."


    "Make sure you have a nice bath and rx. Take the guest room and let me know when you need anything."


    "Thank you so much," she said sweetly, causing my mother''s grin to widen


    "It''s nothing, dear," she told her as she climbed up the stairs.


    The sound of her closing a door resonated in the quiet house. Then it was just me and Sharon.


    "What? Are you just going to stand there?"


    I shrugged, "I can if I want to, can''t I?


    She rolled her eyes, "Of course not." Then she uncrossed her legs and stood up. "Why don''t we go for a little coffee time outside? What do you think?"


    I shrugged. "Yeah, sure."


    As we walked out of the house and out of the gates to the little cozy cafe nearby, Sharon rambled on about business and the moments when she terribly missed me and wished I was there with her. The familiar streets passed by as we strolled, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of freshly baked bread from nearby bakeries.


    I had worked with Sharon overseas for two years. Well, our family businesses worked together. She was smart, so she ran thepany. Our parents suggested that we get married as it would help the business massively. The proposal hade as no surprise, given the long-standing rtionship between our families and the potential for mutual benefit.


    The terms for the arranged marriage were listed, and I epted; both of us signed the required documents


    Starting a rtionship with Sharon was a breeze. We understood each other well and our shared experiences in the business world created a strong foundation. It was an interesting experience for both of us. Just as we were good business partners, we were equally good romantic partners-ourpatibility extended beyond the boardroom.


    We were excited for when we would finally pick a date to get engaged. In fact, I had looked forward to it. I mean, the sex was good, we understood each other, and our businesses were booming so well, so assumed that it was fine. It would be easy to live the rest of my life with her, or so I thought at the time.


    I could not ce my finger on why but I suddenly realized that I was not ready to get involved with her or anyone else on that level. Something was holding me back from making a decision in fact, so I asked for more time.


    Though I had glimpsed the disappointment and maybe, annoyance from both of our parents but they remained calm and gave me more time just as I requested.

 Chapter 0275

    During this time too, I decided to return to town. Sharon had protested and even pleaded for me to stay since she could not leave the business but I couldn''t. I needed the space and time to really think. But no matter how much time I used to get ready or whatever decision I came to, the marriage would still hold. Due to the nature of the arranged marriage and the documents I had signed with my eyes wide open, the marriage must be held.


    I had thought it was okay. But when I saw Anastasia again, it scrambled my head even further and made me realized that I would never be ready for the marriage or to return to the rtionship I was building with Sharon. And so I did the only thing I could do, I avoided Sharon and the impending marriage in every manner I had the power to.


    Now, sitting across the table from me, her eyes steady on my from the rim of her ss of iced Americano, I pondered for the umpteenth time how I would ever escape her or the marriage.


    "Have you been listening to me?" She chuckled lightly as she gently ced her cup back on the table.


    I forced a corner of my lips up. "I have."


    "So," she smiled brightly, "Where do we start from? It''s been so long."


    "Yeah Feels like eons. How have you been?"


    She shrugged, sitting up a bit and flicking some of her hair behind her shoulder "As you can see, I''ve been well. But I feel great now that I''m with you." She took another sip of her coffee. "Though I will be honest with you. It hurt that you ignored me."


    I almost let out a sigh. "How do I exin this?" I sat up. "It''s a long discussion on its own but in a nutshell, I have been terribly busy with work."


    She nodded, "I understand how busy work can make one but you should have tried to make time for me. I''m your fiancee." She sucked in her bottom lip and wrapped her fingers around the coffee mug, "I felt really mugged off. It took a lot for me to be here. I was scared you''ve moved on to someone else."


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to make you feel that way." I was really sorry. Sharon was a good business partner and a friend. Even a good lover but finding Anastasia has changed everything and I just cannot be with her again and I have no idea how to make that happen.


    She


    brightened up, now starting me straighter in the eyes. "I''m here now and I can see you''ve remained loyal to me. But now, I''m hoping things will be different and we''ll be back to the way we were before you left." Iwanted to tell her right there and crush all of those hopes. I wanted to let her know that I had no Interest in neither her nor the marriage anymore. But I could not bring myself to do that to her. She looked so hopeful and happy, and I would be a jerk to lead her own. It would also take some hassle nullifying the contract we''d signed but then, I can''t afford to make any stupid moves until I''m a hundred percent certain of it-which at the moment, I''m not.


    Besides, with the way Anastasia seemed to have forever written me off, I needed more time to sort out my thoughts and feelings. Should I go with the safe option or was I ready to put myself out there again. and risk it getting crushed another time?


    #


    I nodded at her excited yappering. Her date ns for us, the vacations we will go on. Our wedding themes and so many many ns that I wondered how she ever thought they would happen. "How long do you n to stay, Sharon?"N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    She quickly dropped her mug and covered her mouth as she burst out into augh. "Did you just ask me


    that?"


    I frowned, "I guess I did. How long will you be here for?" I was eager to hear her response.


    "What do you mean, Aiden? Do I look like I''m here for a vacation?"


    "It''s possible."


    "Please, stop it if you''re joking," she waved me off.


    I shifted in my seat. This was not sounding good at all


    "I''m not joking, Sharon. I want to know so I can. I trailed off. So I can do what?


    Sharon looked up at me and asked the same question.


    "So I can." I opened my mouth and closed it for a while. "With all the ns you have for us, I need to know so I can know how I''d fit them in my schedule."


    She smiled softly, her eyes glimmering as she covered my hand with hers, "I''m staying here for as long as possible."

 Chapter 0276

    ANASTASIA


    I scanned the memo on myputer screen, the words "Corporate Retreat" and "Team-Building" jumping out at me. The office buzzed with excitement, the rest of my colleagues chatting animatedly about the uing getaway.


    "Can you believe it? A whole week in Hawaii!" A blonde haired woman eximed, hovering over my


    shoulder.


    "I know, right? I''ve already started a mental assemge of all the vacation outfits I''ll be needing," chimed in another man from across the room.


    Their excitement, ring as it was, did not seem to cut through my dampened mood. Hawaii? I forced a smile, trying to hide my disappointment. I knew I would not be able to attend because of the state of Amie''s health.


    It wasn''t so much of a topic of debate especially when the life of my daughter was involved. I would always put her interest first.


    My fingers flew across the keyboard as I typed a message to decline the retreat offer. "Sorry, I won''t be able to attend the corporate retreat due to personal reasons..."


    I had barelypleted the first sentence in when a stack of paper dropped on my desk, momentarily distracting me from my purpose on myputer. It was Remi.


    "Anastasia, I need you to work on this document and submit it to my office personally."


    I looked up from myputer after saving my draft. "Of course, Remi. What''s the deadline?"


    "End of today. It''s a priority project," She replied, walking away.


    "I''ll get it done." I called after her. A deep sigh escaped my lips when the buzz had quietened and I was left with my thoughts ringing loud again.


    I drifted back to my screen, staring at the draft still waiting to be sent. Was I making a mistake by not being in attendance?


    Amie''s health left me no choice. In that conclusion, I push those burdensome thoughts out of my head to focus on the new task Remi had sent.


    I settled into my cubicle, the document Remi handed me now open on myputer screen. The file wasbeled "Product Specification Sheet: New nt-Based Protein Bar." I began reviewing the contents, eyes scanning the sections on ingredients, nutritional content, and manufacturing processes.


    I made a few notes and suggestions, new ideas for improvement, ensuring every detail was urate andpliant with industry regtions.


    In no time, Ipleted the work, stacked the papers back into the same neat file it came in and made my way to Remi''s office for the submission.


    "That was quite fast." Remi beamed at me as I walked into her space with the file in hand. "I really appreciate your hard work on this. You''re a lifesaver."


    "It was nothing." I forced a sunny smile to mirror hers, downying my efforts. "So, here''s the finished spec sheet. I made sure to double-check every detail.


    I waited for her to scan the documents. When her eyes raised to meet mine, her eyes lit up even more. "It looks perfect, Ana. Exactly up to par. But that isn''t the real reason I asked you to submit this personally."


    My faux smile faltered, confusion visible on my features. She tucked the files away in her drawer, then pointed to a seat in front of her. I did as asked, wanting to be done and out of her office.


    Her eyes were doing that thing again, probing into your life through your eyes. Soon, her expression turned concerned, her voice softening. "I overheard something and I''m sorry if this feels like intrusion but I wanna know. Will you be going on the corporate retreat?"


    I couldn''t hold her gaze anymore as my eyes fell to my thighs. "No, I won''t be in attendance. I was just going to tell you about it." I forced my gaze back up.


    She nodded, understanding my plight. "Is it because of Amie? How is she doing, by the way?"


    Emotions welled up within me at the mention of Amie''s condition. It was too much for me to handle at this point in my life. I cleared my throat to reply but it cracked anyway,dened with sadness. "She''s... she''s still in the hospital. And to be honest, I just can''t imagine leaving her behind, even for a week. She needs me right now, and I need to be there for her."


    Remi''s expression turned sympathetic, her eyes softening as she listened to my predicament.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    n? You know we''re


    "Ipletely understand. Familyes first, always. But is there anything else going on? a supportive team. We can help in any way we can."


    I could hear the genuine concern, which is not verymon to see in a world as cutthroat as a corporate


    one.


    I sighed and felt a bit of weighte off my chest.

 Chapter 0277

    I opened up to her. "It''s just...my friends have been super helpful recently, especially ra. But currently, she''s out of state, and I know Dennis has been helping out a lot too, but I don''t want to keep asking favors of him. It feels like I''m constantly indebted to others. So...it''s just hard to manage everything right now. Every day feels like a bncing act between work and Amie''s needs."


    She nodded, her voice filled withpassion. She reassuringly reached for my hand, "I get it that family is a valid reason to skip, and so I don''t want to force any decisions on you." She leaned forward and looked straight at me.


    "But let me be upfront with you, I personally rmended that your name be added to the list. Now I see it''s not going to be possible to attend."


    "That was unexpected." I managed behind the surprise at her thoughtfulness, my eyes widening "Thank you, Remj. That means a lot to me. I didn''t realize you had that much faith in me."


    She continued, "also, I want you to know that the management is taking note of your hard work. They''ll be selecting employees for promotion and incentives soon, and I think you''d be a strong candidate." My curiosity piqued. "What kind of incentives?"


    Remi smiled. "Let''s just say the kind that could help with Amie''s hospital fees. We''re talking bonuses, additional benefits...it could make a big difference. And I think you deserve it, Anastasia. You''ve been working tirelessly, and your dedication hasn''t gone unnoticed."


    Unbidden, tears welled up in my eyes, my heart swelling with gratitude. "Thank you, Remi. Just knowing that you''re considering me for this means everything."


    Her expression turned warm as she patted the back of my hand. "You''re an invaluable member of our team, Anastasia. And I want to see you seed, both personally and professionally. About the retreat, maybe next time."


    I smiled, genuinely this time. "Thank you." I repeated for the umpteenth time.


    "Lest I forget, Ana," her voice stopped me from getting up. "I''ll be retiring soon." She announced so casually like she had just suggested a walk in the park,N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    The news dropped on me like a bombshell, taking mepletely by surprise. Remi was advanced in age but not so much that she would be considering a resignation so soon. "H-how? Why?" I quizzed, momentarily stunned for words.


    "I figured it''s about time I stepped down and handed it over to someone even more capable than I am. I''m not some selfish fart that will want to hog this position to my grave."


    Weughed at her joke. I just couldn''t help it. Her smile faded, slowly reced by an intense seriousness as her eyes soon pinned on me.


    "In all frankness, you''re the most capable person to hand over this position to as you are dedicated and -very effective." She informed me, at the same time, studying my face for a reaction.


    stood motionless, at loss for what to feel. My mind was running riot with her suggestions. "I appreciate your thoughts towards me but don''t you think it''s a little too early? For goodness sakes, there are many


    others who have served for years before I joined thepany. Why me? Why not them?"


    "Oh, please," she let out a scoff with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Have you seen yourself work? Most of your colleagues are really not up to par with you and say this out of something I have witnessed personally. You arepletely brilliant, Anastasia. Once again, this is for you to ponder on. No pressure. Let me know what you think. Remember that we''ll always be here if you need anything. I have an appointment I''mte for and I should be on my way now."


    She picked up her handbag while I followed behind her, still numb from her announcement. She exited the ce and I continued on my way back to my cubicle.


    On the brighter side, I thought with a shove at the cloud of uncertainty hovering around me, there was something better to look forward to. It surrounded me with a new air of excitement at the prospects of the incentives Remi had mentioned to me.


    ra was out of town and my reach. Asking Dennis for another favor might just be too burdensome for him. He had a life that didn''t revolve around my small family. Perhaps I might be overthinking it? I thought back to the retreat.


    I stared at the memo with a different lens. Perhaps it wasn''t entirely a bad idea to want to be in Hawaii. I clicked "ept" and leaned back in my seat.


    "Just a week and I''d be back home to my baby."

 Chapter 0278

    ANASTASIA


    I sat beside Amie''s hospital bed,watching as her pencil moved deftly across the sketchbook. Her brows furrowed in concentration and her eyes shined with creativity.


    "I''m guessing that is us?" I pointed to her drawing of two caricature bearing semnce to both of us, minus the feet all pointing in one direction.


    "Yes, mommy. It''s us baking tasty cookies in the kitchen. I''m just about to add Aunt ra since she likes your cookies too. She stated without breaking her concentration.


    "And Dennis?"


    She paused, her pencil hovering over the sketchbook for a while before she shrugged and resumed sketching. "I will add him too. After Aunt ra anyway. I want to go home soon, mommy. It''s lonely here and smells awfully like drugs."


    I felt a bit of sadness, knowing I''d have to leave her soon. I have never been separated from her for as long as aplete day and now I was about to be apart from her for a week. A whole week! "Hey, baby, I need to talk to you about something." I began, trying to sound gentle.


    Amie looked up, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "What is it, Mommy?"


    I drew in a deep breath as I try to find the right words to use. "I have to go away for a few days. It has to do with mummy''s work. But it''s only going to be for a few days, are you okay with that?"


    I watched with more sadness as her face fell, she looked down at her sketchbook, twiddling the pencil in her grip and I knew then that her concentration was gone. "Leave the hospital? When can Ie home?"


    "Very soon, I promise." I felt a lump form in my throat as I reached out to smooth her hair. "But while I''m gone, you have to promise mommy that you will be a good girl and listen to the nurses, okay?" Amie''s lower lip trembled, and she looked at me with tears in her eyes. "I don''t like it here. I want to go home with you. Why can''t Ie with you for a few days? I promise to behave, please." There was a pout on her lips.


    My heart ached, and I pull her into a hug. "I know you do, sweetheart. But that is not going to be possible as you haven''t recovered. The nurses are going to take good care of you. And when Ie back, I''ll bring you lots of new toys and a big box of crayons. How does that sound?"


    Amie sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. Her expression brightened up a bit. "Can I have my pen instead?"


    My brows scrunched up as I tried to remember me getting her a pen. But I was unable toe up with anything. "Your pen? Where did you get that?"


    One of the nurses nearby chimed in, "Oh that, I think one of the visitors gave it to her."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    I sighed, "Amie." It was a gentle rebuke and she knew it. That usual pout of hers appeared on her lips again


    I realized that this was one of the reasons I was especially hesitant to leave Amie. She was extremely


    friendly to the point of vulnerability and I didn''t want anything happening to her or worse. I also worried. about her getting into trouble because she had a mind of her own and could be a handful for the nurses. to deal with.


    "Amie, you have to promise me you''ll be good and not run off"


    She frowned, mumbling.


    "Use your words, youngdy." I applied a sterner tone.


    It


    "I said I promise to be good." She voiced out audibly with an even deeper pout. It broke me to see that on her face.


    "Look at me baby," I tugged her chin gently until we were looking into each other''s eyes. "I''ll call you every day on the tablet, so you better pick up when you see Mommy on your screen, okay? Take it easy on the nurses for thest time, please baby.


    She nodded her head again without a word even though I could see the unease in her expression. She didn''t want me to go; not like I hundred percent wanted to leave either. Leaning forward on the bed, I ced a gentle kiss on her forehead, a few more on her nose, eyes and cheeks as my fingers lightly tickled her belly. Then she broke intoughter that made my heart swell with warmth and joy.


    When she came down from herughing fit, she threw her arms around my neck, holding me down with a hug. "I''ll miss you. Come get me out of here fast." She added thest part in a whisper.

 Chapter 0279

    I wrapped my arms tightly around her body as I, add a conspiratorial whisper of my own. "I will. These nurses have no idea how I n to whisk you away."


    Herughter filled my ears once more and she pulled back with a wink. Then I pressed onest kiss on her crown as if to seal the deal. "Go on and draw more pictures of us."


    She nodded quickly, then picked up her sketchbook to resume her artistry, I stood up to meet the nurses. I need you to keep an eye on Amie. I don''t want her roaming around or taking stuffs from strangers, please. I already have so much on my te and would hate to have itdened with more than I can deal with."


    "We sincerely apologize for that ma''am. Amie is an energetic kid with her own sweet way of doing things We had no idea how she outsmarted the nurse but we''ll take all you have said into consideration. She will be safe and sound."


    "That will be just great, thank you." My gaze shifted to Amie. "Bye, baby."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I stood at the airport gate with my luggage, sipping my coffee and scanning the crowd for familiar faces, My colleagues were already gathered, chatting andughing as they waited for our bus to arrive.


    I stood off to one side, watching the scene before me with zero interest. My mind had already started to stroll back to the welfare of Amie at the hospital with every little chance I got. Perhaps agreeing to go on this trip was a terrible idea.


    In the fog of my thoughts, I saw someone waving me over. I grew hesitant to socialize but when I realized it was Rachel, I walked to her.


    "Hey, Anastasia! Don''t think so much about it, okay?" She encouraged when I approached her. She had sensed my entire mood from a mile away. "Stop beating yourself up about taking a getaway from work." I hesitated, unsure how much to say. "Just worried about Amie. She''s still in the hospital. I''m worried she might get into trouble with her hyperactive self. You don''t know her like I do."


    "She will be fine, Ana. As long as there are nurses keeping watch over her, you will meet her in excellent state. Get rid of those negativities." She consoled. "Now... ready for a week of team-building and presentations?" She beamed, holding my arms and shaking me up gently.


    I forced a smile. "As ready as I''ll ever be." I uttered with faux enthusiasm dripping from my tone.


    She failed to catch my sarcasm. She pped me on the back instead. "That''s the spirit!" Then shuffled between others to go somece else, leaving me to my thoughts once again.


    The bus we were all waiting for finally arrived, and we climbed aboard, finding seats among the rows of plush chairs. As we wound our way through the countryside, I gazed out the window, watching the scenery roll by. Although it was picturesque, it didn''t lift the gloom I felt with Amie''s face shing everywhere I turned.


    1 was guilt stricken.


    da


    At longst, we arrived at the rural resort, a sprawlingplex surrounded by trees and a sereneke. My


    colleagues were already out and milling about, chatting andughing as they stretched their legs to ease out the kinks.


    As I stepped off the bus, the crisp rural air enveloped me, a wee change from the stifling city atmosphere. I stretched my arms, a sense of relief at being free from the confines of the bus. "Wee everyone, to our home for the next week!" Rachel called out in a cheery voice, as we gathered our bags. "Let''s get settled everyone. We have a wee dinner by 7. See you by then." A few enthusiastic cheers rang out after her announcement.


    Then everyone began to disperse, carrying their bags towards the resort and I started to follow them. I watched wth envy as they chatted away without a worry in the world. It was hard for me to maintain their


    energy.


    Perhaps this break was what I needed? Perhaps I was overthinking the safety of Amie? Yes, that was it. I was overthinking everything.


    I felt a sense of gratitude to the management for their kindness and to Rachel for her thoughtfulness to include me on the list. Maybe this retreat wouldn''t be so bad after all.


    I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the week ahead. Time to put on a professional face and push aside my personal worries.


    Just then, a sleek ck car pulled up, and Alden emerged, his eyes scanning the crowd until theynded on me. He shed a warm smile, and my heart skipped a beat Was it perhaps, toote for a raincheck?

 Chapter 0280

    CLARA


    shing a smile at the olddy who smiled at me as our eyes met, I dug into my purse to fish my ringing phone while simultaneously making my way out of the airport.


    My face lit up at the caller''s ID.


    "Hey, bestie," I chirped as I pressed the phone to


    my ear.


    "Hey," Ana''s voice came from the other end. "I saw your text about the store and all."


    "Oh that," my lips twisted and I felt the anger I had tucked away slowly rise back to the surface.


    "Yeah, I didn''t really get you. You seemed to have typed in a rush or something, there were some typos." "Oh, I didn''t type in a rush, I was blinded by anger when was typing it out," I said bluntly.


    "Oh?"


    "I needed to let it out to stop myself from screaming in front of the road or pulling out thedy''s hair and giving the manager a solid piece of my mind!"


    "Oh oh," a smallugh escaped her, "Calm down now, will you? I''m still in the dark."


    I changed my phone from my right ear to my left as I hung my bag on my other shoulder.


    "So here is what happened; I was at this store I usually frequent whenever I''m out of town, yeah?"


    "Yeah."


    "For the first time ever, I looked for over an hour and the store had nothing that I wanted. I was so shocked


    "So after aimlessly wandering around, refusing to give up, I finally saw this outfit that I loved!" I closed my eyes and I could picture the outfit in my mind. "God! I feel like crying over the loss of that outfit," I cried out to her.


    "There are thousands of beautiful dresses out there, babe. You''d get another. But what made this one so special?"


    I shrugged, "I honestly don''t know. I think because it''s something I don''t really wear or have interest in yet


    won my heart the moment I set eyes on it."


    it


    "What type of dress was it? A sundress?" She asked impatiently.


    "Rx, I will get there." I took a deep breath as I prepared to create a vivid image of the treasure I had lost by describing it to Ana. "First of all, the color of the outfit was red."


    "Red?" I could literally picture the squeeze of her brows as she quipped. "But you don''t like red. Well, more like you don''t wear red."


    Exactly!" I eximed as I came to a stop at the entrance of the airport. There I took a seat in one of the metal benches. "Red has never really been my thing but it did not stop me from loving it. So it was actually a suit, a blood red velvet zer with pants of a different shade of red."


    "Oh," Ana muttered. She must be disappointed at the brief description I gave. "So what happened? You bought it and it was not your size?"


    "I didn''t even get to test it," I blurted sadly, my lips pulled downward. Though my action caused some passersby to give me weird looks but I didn''t care.


    "Before I could reach it, some girl snatched it from the hanger."


    She gasped softly, "I am so sorry."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "And thisdy is so rude, my God, shecks the littlest of manners and she is super arrogant."


    "Hmm, one of these entitled people, huh"


    "No," I drawled, "No, Ana, this is more than feeling entitled! She is pompous and has her head stuck up her ass. I bet she thinks everywhere is her father''s castle."


    "Just try to calm down, okay?" She urged softly. "I''m sorry you had to go through all of that."


    "I''m calm," I took a deep calming breath. Trust me when I tell you that I am fine. I will not be hung up on this when thedy has probably forgotten that I even existed. I just want to move past the incident and remain hopeful that she is one of those people that a person meets only once in a lifetime because it I set my eyes on her again...."


    I


    I trailed off and sheughed. "You probably will never meet her again so rx."


    "I hope so. By the way, I am so sorry that I couldn''t return sooner to assist you in packing."


    *Come on. I understand. Besides, packing this time was a breeze. I had everything under control."


    I feigned a sneeze. "Are you sure those boxes you took are not filled with breeze instead of the things you will need?"


    She burst outughing, "Come on, ra, what do you take me for?"


    "I take you for my best friend who always has the tendency to forget her hands while packing for a trip."

 Chapter 0281

    Iughed at the sound of her heartyughter again. "Well, my hands are right here so I didn''t forget them."


    "Thank Goodness."


    "But to be honest, I wouldn''t know if I forgot anything until I unpack."


    "Oh God," I rubbed my forehead. "I just hope you don''t get stranded. Where are you guys now?"


    She hummed for a while. "I can''t tell. We are still on the bus though."


    "I wish you an awesome journey, love."


    "Thanks."


    *And Amie, gosh! I''ve missed that girl. How is she doing? How did she take your departure?"


    *She''s coping and I would say she took the departure quite well. I expected more drama and was prepared to do lots of convincing but she surprised me. But," her voice dampened, "she is really struggling with her stay there in the hospital. She kept telling me that she wanted to go home."


    I sighed. "Poor girl. I understand her. Hospitals aren''t exactly parks or ice creampanies. Being there for a long while sucks. And the smells?" I shook my head, "It''s like they perfume the ce with antiseptics and drugs. You need to be strong to consciously remain in a hospital for a long while. And Amie is the strongest girl I know."


    "Yeah, she is. But I just can''t help but be worried. She needs me by her side. I''m really starting to regret the decision of taking this trip."


    "Rx, Ana. Just as I said and you agreed, Amie is strong. It''s just a week, she can survive it without you! The nurses are very efficient workers who take their jobs seriously. Besides, I''m retu ing home and I will be by her side. So don''t worry. Enjoy your trip and return with lots of juicy gossip for Amie and I."


    "Thank you, ra," I smiled as I heard the smile in her voice.


    "The doctor even suggested that I hire a caretaker since I have work and can''t always be with her. He said since she will be staying for a long time, it''s advisable to have a regr face instead of just the new faces of the nurses that will be changed everyday."


    I nodded, "That makes sense."


    "A lot but do you know how much a caretaker costs? My God. I had to quickly exit the page before I had a panic attack. I can''t afford a caretaker when I am still dead worried about the other necessary expenses that I need to pay for." She sighed, "Also I think Amie mentioned her want to go home to the doctor because he suggested home treatment options, but it''s freaking expensive. I just wish I had the extra ie to give her the bestfort at this period."


    My heart felt a bit heavy in my chest as I listened to her. I really wish I could help. For the first time, I was d that I didn''t get that outfit. The price of it was nothingpared to the treatment fees but it''d go a long way in settling some of Amie''s hospital bills.


    "It''s okay, babe, Don''t worry too much, just do your best, I promise we''d figure this out together, okay?"


    "Okay," she said in a small voice and I could tell that the moment our call ended, she''d go back to Chapter 0281


    worrying. So I tried to prolong our call as much as I could.


    "By the way, I got Amie some really cute outfits. I''m sure she''d love them."


    "Aww, she definitely will and she''d be so happy."


    "I know right, I already have a list of some of the games we''d y to get her mind off things and it includes dressing up. I''m sure she will get tired and fall asleep trying them out," A giggle started to bubble up my throat as I conjured up a scene where she fell asleep while trying out a dress.


    "Oh please, spare my kid, you witch."


    "Yes ma''am," I mocked as I rose to my feet and pulled up my suitcase. ¡°Okay, I better get going now."


    "Okay then."


    "But first, promise me you''d have fun and not worry about a thing while you''re there."


    She scoffed, "You make it sound so easy."


    "Yes and you have to make it feel easy too. Promise me you''d take your mind off things and just rx."


    I hear her groan as she did as I asked. And while I listened to her, my eyes roamed the almost empty airport. And just then, my eyes fell on a very familiar figure climbing down an equally familiar car. I gasped, "Ana, it''s Dennis!"


    I began to wave enthusiastically with a beam,


    until Dennis looked my way. Then I dragged my suitcase and approached Dennis who had also begun walking toward me.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.

 Chapter 0282

    ANASTASIA


    At longst, we arrived at the lodge for the business trip.


    Bags in hands, everyone gaped in awe at the building in front of us. The anticipation that had built during our journey seemed to crescendo as we took in the sight.


    On a wood that was nailed at the top of the establishment were the words ''Preat Retreat'' written with


    pieces of tiny wood and adorned with tiny bulbs so that It glowed. The craftsmanship was impressive, giving the ce a whimsical yet professional alr.


    ''Feels like I have just stepped into a fairynd, Rachel stopped by my side and murmured, totally awed and her eyes shone as the lights reflected in them.


    Despite the gaping hole in my heart that only holding Amie could fill, I was also a little bit entranced.


    The small connected dwellings were surrounded, almost swallowed, by the tall pine trees and lush greenery. In the center of all the wooden cabins scattered around was a bigger building that wasbeled," Fill Your Tummy."


    The yful name seemed to lighten the mood of the group and some of the employees giggled at thebel.


    As I took it all in, I couldn''t help but agree that the lodge''s serene ambiance and natural surroundings made it a perfect ce to rx and recharge after a hectic day.


    As everyone unloaded their things from the trunk of the bus, I caught sight of Aiden also unloading some boxes from a car, probably the one he came with.


    As our eyes met, I quickly looked away. Ugh, isn''t he the boss? He should just go rx and let his assistants or whatever get the work done. And then I busied myself with my own luggage,


    The chatter of other employees who had also seen him reached my ears as they whispered amongst themselves.


    "Since this is mostly a business trip, I wonder if the boss will also stay around."


    The other blonde widened her eyes, "What are you saying! If you were the boss, would you join in the work after spending so much on a free trip for your workers?


    "If I were the one," a girl with short hair peeked at Aiden who was still helping in unloading some things, "I would not even be there unpacking or doing whatever he''s doing."


    "You guys aren''t in a position of power yet you''re so arrogant." The first girl rolled her eyes, "How sure are you that he would not be around. Look, he''s helping."


    Trust me, girl, by this time tomorrow, he''d be nowhere to be found."


    "He''d probably be busy picking up female Hawaiians to warm his bed."


    The three girls giggled among themselves.


    Suddenly, his secretary, the man who had Introduced himself as the head coordinator, announced to all


    of us to gather around as the boss needed our attention.


    Aiden walked up to the front to address us all. "I hope you all had a great trip here?"


    Everyone chorused enthusiastically.


    "I would like to announce to all of you that I will be staying here at this retreat just like the rest of you as we will be getting some serious work done while having fun at the same time!" His gaze met mine and I averted his gaze.


    I pretended to be busy with my luggage as I listened to him.


    Why can he not find a five star hotel and lodge in? Why here? I wanted to cry out. I was stressed enough about Amie, I didn''t want to add to it by worrying about bumping into Aiden.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "For the rest of this day, I encourage you to take your time, do the things you''d rather do than work and rest. Everything you might need will be made avable to you. If it isn''t avable," his gaze met mine again but I didn''t duck or look away, "simply reach out to me and I will do my best to sate your wants." He is definitely talking to me, I thought, remembering the words he had said to me when we were trapped in the elevator.


    There were cheers and murmurs of how nice the CEO was all over.


    Finally....and thankfully, he stopped staring at me like I was the only thing worth looking at and continued his talk.


    "I will work on the schedule and ensure that it reaches everyone in your various cabins. During this trip, everyone is equal. There is no head I''d department, no assistants, there is no nothing. In fact there is no CEO. We are all equals here. So I urge you to freely coborate, learn and improve."


    A soft round of apuse, which was apanied by wide grins and looks of reverence that were directed at Aiden, filled the air after his speech.


    2

 Chapter 0283

    "Now the guide will give you a tour of the facilities, then he stepped aside and the guide, with two others took his ce.


    "Hello everyone," the man that looked to be in charge said in a weird ent. "I want you to group yourselves in three and the guide will begin."


    All of us were divided into three groups and each of the guides led each group and took us on a tour of the beautiful rustic lodge. He showed us the diner that had a cookhouse attached to it. Any interested person could actually make their own meal. Cool. He showed us the sparklingke hidden away by the pine trees that were bigger and taller in that area. There were lots of facilities that we were shown, then it all ended at the cozy rooms assigned to us. Two people per room.


    Upon entering her room, I realized that my assigned roommate was not here. She missed the trip.


    Great! I thought to myself happily. The alone time I will get while I''m in here is just what I needed.


    I flopped on my bed with a bounce, arms and legs syed like I had no care in the world. I was totally exhausted from the long tour. All I had been wanting to do the whole time was to just take a quick nap in of the cozy cushions or woven chairs that we came across almost everywhere while the others looked like they would never get tired of the tour.


    one


    I closed my eyes and savored the quiet of finally being alone and the feel of the plush mattress that had me sighing.


    I opened my eyes and took in the cozy cabin. It had looked small and cute from the outside but here, it lookedrge and absolutely stunning. The rustic vibe made it all the more easier to rx in the room. Soon, my mind wandered to Amie. Stillying on the bed, I dragged myself to the "dge of the bed so that I could reach where I dumped my bags at the foot of the bed.


    I reached into my handbag and retrieved my tablet. Then I ced a video call to Amie who picked instantly.


    "Mommy!" She squealed.


    "Sweetheart!"


    Then she frowned as her gaze left my face and scanned behind me.


    *Are you in a vige?"Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I couldn''t stop my giggle. "No, baby. It''s the cabin I''m staying in,"


    "Okay. It''s beautiful but it looks old."


    "Trust me, nothing''s old here," I smiled.


    "Mommy! Auntie ra is here!"


    "Oh, she''s already there. Where''s she?" I tried peer at the corner then she moved the phone to show ra walking into the room with a tray in her hand. "Hey sweetie!" ra called as she dropped the tray and moved over to sit beside Amle. "Oh my!" She


    gasped, "That room is stunning."


    "I know right?" Since we arrived, I tried to be excited about it all. "And it''s all mine." "Wow, each person is assigned a room? That must have cost a whole lot."


    "No, two in a room. My roommate couldn''t make the trip."


    "Aww."


    "So Amie, tell me, what have you drawn since I left? Did youter add ra and Dennis to that picture?"


    Then she started to rant about her paintings, the cool shoe she painted in my feet and a while lots of stuff that had no connection with paintings. ra also chipped in multiple times.


    After the call ended, I felt a lot better. All through the call, Amie had been grinning and telling me about how funny and beautiful the nurses that attended to her were. I felt rxed. Maybe I didn''t have to worry so much after all.


    Then I took my time to appreciate the beauty of the room as I looked around it. In a corner of the room, beside the wardrobe that actually looked centuries old, a knob peeked out of the curtain there. "Weird," I muttered with furrowed brows.


    Out of curiosity, I slowly pulled myself up from the bed and walked to the wardrobe. I paid very little attention as I inspected the wardrobe before I turned to what really brought me out of bed.


    I shifted the curtain aside. There was no outline of a door or doorway so why is there a knob? Maybe the


    bathroom?


    I squinted at the knob for a long while then slowly, my hand wrapped around it


    I pulled but nothing happened at first and so I pushed and the door opened, revealing another room simr to mine but that was not what made my heart ram crazily in my chest.


    My eyes bugged out as I found myself face to face with Aiden''s bare broad shoulders, with him standing butt naked in front of a mirror.

 Chapter 0284

    DENNIS


    I leaned back against my seat and gazed out the window at the airport''s bustling terminal as I waited for my meeting to adjourn.


    "Alright team, let''s review our sales projections for the next quarter. Mr Ben, can you summarize the key points?"


    A bald man, seated at the far end of the table cleared his throat to begin, "We''re expecting a 12% increase in sales, driven mainly by our new productunch and expanded marketing efforts." "That''s a conservative estimate, don''t you think?" The chairperson interjected, "I believe we can push for 15% growth."


    Ady by my side added her input. "I agree with you. What''s holding us back from reaching that higher projection?


    "Well, we need to consider market trends,petition, and customer adoption rates. But I think we can revisit our pricing strategy and explore new channels to reach our target audience." The bald man answered, his eyes cast downwards to his tablet.


    Thedy next to me spoke again even as I struggled to keep up with the discussions flying over my head at a wheezing rapidity. "I''d like to suggest leveraging user-generated content and social proof to build trust and credibility with potential customers."


    "That''s a great idea, Emily. Can you borate on your thoughts for reaching that 15% growth?"


    "Sure. I think we should focus on upselling and cross-selling opportunities, as well as expanding our influencer partnerships.


    "And what about our marketing budget? Should we allocate more resources to digital advertising or events?", inquired the bald man.


    "Good question. Let''s discuss the ROI on each option and make a data-driven decision."


    The dialogue around the table became a free discussion for all present on sales projections and marketing strategies, exploring ideas and tactics to drive business growth.


    My mind, however, was far detached from the discussion of marketing strategies and sales projections. Unbidden, it wandered back to the fateful night I met Anastasia. The deep connection that precedented that meeting as a result of the sparks ignited within me.


    It was one I couldn''t shake off easily.


    "Sweet Ana," I whispered to myself, wandering far back to the first time I hadid my eyes on her in college.


    She


    e was a pretty thing, her bright smile and infectiousughter leaving asting impression on me like the permanent burn of an insignia branding an object. And it was not just me. Every other person who - crossed paths with her felt the same.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    But that was as far as it went. There were no direct interactions until the night when she copsed at the bar. From then on, our lives seemed to have been intertwined.


    12


    The look of pain etched on her face as she revealed her boyfriend''s infidelity was permanently seared into my memory. There was no forgetting the shock that rocketed through me after discovering her pregnancy as well.


    I didn''t know how to process this unexpected turn or what to feel. Disappointment? Jealousy? Disgust for her boyfriend? How about all three? Yet, as I looked into her eyes, thereid an opportunity to demonstrate my care and support, as well as win her over.


    Little did I know that my determination at being recognized by Ana would set me on a path of self-discovery and growth.


    My thoughts once more took flight, like the nes departing the airport, drifting to my troubled past. It consisted of a violent family life and personal mistakes that once defined me, mistakes that I feared would taint Ana''s perception of me.


    It was no news on the campus of my bullying to prove a point or to assert dominance on whoever thought to cross me on purpose. If by exerting force I got people to bepliant, then so be it.


    It was the exerted dominance that kept us in check back at home. My dad used it on the family, bending even the most strong-willed to his caprices. Anyone that dared set a toe out of line was severely dealt with. None was spared


    "Fool." I mumbled, almost kicking myself at the memories of my past misbehaviors springing up again.


    What if she saw me as nothing more than a product of my toxic environment and dered wanting nothing to do with me?


    I pressed my fingers into my temple to quell the pressure that had slowly began to build there, the journey of my lifeid bare before me like a blueprint.


    This was when I realized that I had begun to change. I had started working tirelessly to be a better version of myself so as to gain Ana''s approval. I wanted to prove to her that I was capable of love andpassion.


    Our friendship began to grow gradually, with me baring my guts to her without any inhibitions whatsoever.

 Chapter 0285

    I shared my fears, my dreams and passions with her, and in return, she offered a listening ear and proved to be a great support system.


    "Ana," I began one day, finally finding the courage to own up to my feelings towards her. "Please be mine."


    She smiled gently, but in a very friendly manner patted my shoulder. "I appreciate all you do for me and I promise, I do not take this for granted. However, I do not need a rtionship now. I don''t think I ever will." She said.


    What was that they said about being broken but not defeated? That was me.


    Time passed, her daughter grew and I patiently remained, refusing to invest in other rtionships as my attention stayed upon Ana, hopeful for a change in her decision.


    I wished on the stars at night, hoped on the heavens, fervently desired to see things align in my favor, granting me a chance to one day care for both Ana and her daughter, Amie.


    It worked. Our rtionship started to improve and boy, was Ipletely enamored with Ana''s little princess. I wanted her to be mine as well so I started carving out ns to ask Ana out again.


    No sooner had I groomed that thought when her ex-boyfriend appeared out of nowhere, this time as her new CEO,pletely destabilizing her and ruining my ns.


    "What''s wrong?" I asked. It was one of the the evenings where she needed my help to pick Amie up from the daycare due to herteness from work.


    It took a little more prodding before she finally conceded to my question with a sigh. "We have boss at work and it''s none other than Aiden."


    I was taken aback. "That Aiden?"


    e a new


    She said nothing else in response, turning away from me and letting her head loll to the side as she gazed out the window.


    How could I forget the painful memories that name came alongside with? It was a constant reminder to her of his betrayal of their love and it was the reason why her heart was locked against everyone else.


    It was the reason why I was still helplessly sauntering after her like an unrepentant lovesick puppy, hoping to give her a new narrative to what love really is.


    The news left me feeling very uneasy, my mind racing with doubts and uncertainties as I drove to her apartment. Did he know of her presence at thepany? What was his true aim behind the purchase of thepany?


    "...until we can find more prospective as well as evaluate the areas we arecking and find ways to tie loose ends." I zoned back to the present where the meeting droned on and on.


    "If not, I don''t see us progressing further than this point. We have a target market out there and cannot afford not to preach our gospel to win them over. Why don''t we..." The voice of the chairperson faded out as my eyes drifted to my phone.


    I realized I hadn''t heard from Ana all day. I couldn''t wait to get the hell out of the boardroom and find a quiet space where I could talk to her, to Amie. My knees bounced with impatience, counting down to the


    time where thest bounce would spring me up to my feet.


    ...with that, Mr Dennis?"


    I snapped out of my thoughts, stepping into a more confused zone as I stared about the faces holding mine down in anticipation for something. The bouncing slowed.


    "Um, yeah. I''m sorry, what was that again?" I sounded like a mumbling fool,pletely invisible to the ongoing process of whatever was been spoken about.


    "Are there any words you want to input in agreement or against the ones stated earlier?"


    "Absolutely...not. I have them jotted down but that would be discussed at the next meeting where I''d have privately gone through the presentations and drawn my conclusions" I lied, picking up my phone, pausing midway to ask. "I hope there will be a next meeting?"


    "Of course." He replied me with an unsure look. He tore his eyes rather forcefully from me, addressing the others. "The time will bemunicated to everyone present through the calendly scheduler. Thank you and good day."Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I was out the door, thepletion of hisst words falling behind me. As I approached my car, phone in ear, 1 caught from my peripheral vision, the sight of someone waving at me from afar.


    It was ra. Her presence reminded me so much of Ana. Her smile and enthusiastic gesture offered a wee distraction from my thoughts. I returned her wave as she pulled her luggage towards me. "Hey, Dennis, you okay?" ra asked, approaching me with a concerned expression.


    2

 Chapter 0286

    "Hey, Dennis, you okay?" ra asked as she began to approach me with a concerned expression on her face. "You seem lost in thought."


    I simply shifted focus of the topic using the luggage she pulled behind her like dead weight. "You''re going somewhere?"


    She bit the bait. "Returning actually. I was on a short trip but I''m back now. I see you''re also-*


    "No. I had a meeting I just stepped out from not too long ago. I was on my way home before I saw you."


    I


    She beamed, "Even better. Can you drop me off? Please?"


    I agreed and picked up her luggage, then deposited it in the trunk. While we were in motion, she cheated cheerily, talking about her trip and the interesting people she met as well as a bunch of other stuffs! wasn''t supposed to know.


    "Oh my!" She stopped suddenly, her gaze sweeping towards the passenger seat with a look of surprise. She gave me a yful smack on my arm, winking suggestively. "Who are these for?"


    "You''re going to get us killed. Behave!" I avoided her question, warned in feigned anger. My cheeks were fighting hard not to release a ridiculous grin. I didn''t want to give her that satisfaction or else she would tease me all day long about it.


    "Wrong! I''ll ask again, who are these for?" She reached for them and just in time, I put a hand behind me to pull her nosy self back into her seat. "Protective much? They must be special then."


    I pursed my lips for a full minute, after a decision to heighten her curiosity. I conceded finally. "They''re for Ana and Amie, I got them this morning."


    I didn''t miss the knowing smirk on ra''s face. "You''re still trying to win her over uh?"


    "Well, yeah." I replied with a sheepish smile and a hand rubbing the base of my neck with uncertainty. I got the presents on impulse, with mixed thoughts on if they would be epted by her.


    "You''re such a thoughtful man. I wish Ana would open her eyes to see what I do." Her appraisal sounded genuine, far from her usual banter and jokes.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I swallowed hard, wishing the same thing; that Ana would move past the hurt and see me for who I really was, most probably ept me too. I wanted to be in her life so bad it felt like I had no purpose without that.


    I decided to drop the question that weighed the most in my mind. "Have you perhaps heard from Ana? It''s been a few days since west spoke."


    "Oh, she didn''t tell you?" ra began, her tone filled with incredulity before she righted herself and replied, "she''s on a trip for a week. Something like a getaway from work, she mentioned. She also said it was sponsored by the management."


    That piece of information dashed every hopes I had of ever gaining Ana''s love. If she was on a trip -sponsored by the management of thepany she worked in, it meant her ex was going to be in close proximity to her.


    They were exes didn''t mean that there was no love lost between them. It had automatically ruined all my


    12


    chances.


    "So who''s looking after Amie?" I asked instead, refusing to dwell on the hurt that followed ra''s


    Information.


    "She''s still at the hospital and will be there until Ana returns from the trip." After a pause, she added, "I thought she informed you about it. That''s why I didn''t bother telling you."


    "No, that''s fine. Perhaps it skipped her. You know how preparations get and everything flies by in a frenzy. I''ll check on her when I get home." The first line was a lle. It hurt that Ana still didn''t see me as one she could rely on. I would forever remain a stranger who had the chance of getting close but from a distance.


    I focused on driving, trying hard not to betray my emotions but my steely grip on the steering turned my knuckles white.


    "I know you''re still hung up on Ana, might I ask why though?"


    I sighed, feeling a tidal wave of confusion m into me, prompting my release on the wheel. ra was the only one I could rte my feelings for Ana to as we had formed a closely knit friendship from her frequent vists to the club where I worked. That was how our friendship was born and had blossomed overtime.


    I recalled the night I confided in her about my interest in Ana. The club had just opened and it wasn''t a full house yet. In the space of my idleness, ra had visited, dering her intent to chill in the lounge without the smoke or sweaty bodies.

 Chapter 0287

    "I have taken a liking to your friend."


    "Ana? Oh, that''s so sweet. Who would have thought that you would even develop feelings for anyone? You barely had a heart."


    I blushed, feeling guilty at the truth I found in her words but that was all a past interpretation of me. "Not now. I''ve grown past those horrible habits and believe me, I have changed." I dered then lowered the octave of my voice. "You have to help me win her over.


    ra''sughter attracted several stares from all corners of the club, prompting me to slink back into the shadows, embarrassed for the life of me.


    "Ana is still single though." She informed me after herughing fit had died down. "You know, judging from the oue of her past rtionship, I doubt she wants to let anyone into her life. Most especially, you."


    "I have changed and I can be better. I just... I can''t get her out of my mind."


    "So, you''re obsessed?"


    "No!" I whisper-yelled at the absurdity of that thought. Obsessed? Well maybe not the way she put it but my feelings came from a genuine ce of affection. "That''s a strong word. I''m just smitten by her and you''re not seeing the bigger picture here. I wanna be with her every step of the way until myst day."


    I caught a shudder from ra as she took a sip from her cocktail. "Okay, Mr Shakespeare, that sure is intense. I''m happy for you."


    "Stop ying around, ra." I urged with an exasperated sigh.


    "I''m not promising but I''ll do my best for you." She promised.


    She fulfilled her pledge by bringing Ana to the club that night. The night when all crumbled before me. It hadn''t been the same for her since then and I eased up a bit.


    It was t


    torture but it was only proper of me. After her first rejection, instead of stayingpletely away, I drew nearer, finding myself incredibly maed to her side.


    "You have experienced first hand how tough and strong-willed she can get. If she rejects your advances one more time, take it in good faith." ra advised the second time I crawled to her for help again. That depended on what good faith was to her. To me, it meant picking yourself back up and trying again despite all.


    "Dennis?" ra''s voice broke into my reverie, pulling me back to the present. "You''re about to break the steering into half."


    Linstantly lessened my grip, embarrassed that I was revealing in in sight for ra to see how broken I was about Ana.


    "You haven''t answered my question." She informed me her stare drilling into the side of my face as she waited. "We''re still on the topic of Ana."


    "I don''t know, okay!" My voice was raised by a fraction before I could gain control. "I don''t know why I''m


    still hung up on her. Is it love? Obsession? I can''t tell but it sure hurt when I learned from somebody else about her trip instead of from her directly. How do you expect me to feel?" I added in a deted tone.


    "Give her more time."


    "But I have. I am still." A chuckle slipped out of my mouth, more out of pain than anything remotely funny." I''m losing my sleep over her."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Don''t be like that. Some people heal faster than others. "You know what? Let''s talk about something else. How about we go pay a visit to Amie?" She announced in a cheery voice.


    Our conversation continued, steered away from Ana as we drove to the hospital. With Amie''s present in hand, we entered into the kiddie''s ward where I remembered the little girl was admitted into.


    "Aunty ra? Uncle Dennis!" She shot off towards us, dodging the nurses who tried to gain hold of her. You came! Is that for me?" She pointed to the gift bag.


    Clever kid.


    After ying her for a while, she drifted off to sleep, leaving I and ra to fawn over the drawings in her sketchbook.


    A call came in. "Business." I informed ra before stepping out briefly to take it. When I returned, I walked into the most absurd scene; ra tearing pages from Amie''s sketchbook.


    My heart sank and anger boiled as I watched her discard the pages in the bin.


    "ra," she turned with a jump, startled at the sound of my voice. "What are you doing?"

 Chapter 0288

    ANASTASIA


    My heart raced from the sight of his naked form in the adjoining room, the image lingered, seared into my memory with asting effect; embarrassment...and heat.


    There was a stark difference to the man I''d seen und years ago. The current man''s every pores oozed masculinity through the hard contours and rough edges cutting sharply along his strong thighs and his back.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I couldn''t help but picture once more the firmness of his butt and his shoulders as they spread out like the dangerous edges of a cliff, each with a swoop downwards to amodate toned biceps which flexed as he moved them, oblivious to my brief presence.


    I had tried to prepare myself for the possiblity of bumping into Aiden during the trip, been so careful to avoid him, but nothing prepared me for this very scene. Who would have thought we were only separated by a thin door?


    How did I forget about the adjoining rooms? Of course there was bound to be. However, the bone of contention was the fact that it was Aiden I had to be stuck with. Of all the people who came on the trip? Just that sinful sight of him and I knew I was fucked! Now I''d have that image living in my head, witnessing the many dusks and dawns of days ahead before it''d finally decide to take a bow.


    For double measures, I barricaded the door with a heavy object, determined not to have any more embarrassing encounters. I examined the door for the second time, pulling thetches to check


    If by mistake, fate wanted to have anything else, it wouldn''t be the door opening for the second time.


    Then a knock startled me and I was all over the ce with a choking anxiety. " was Aiden. It had to be him. Perhaps, he had seen me.


    I dragged in much needed breath. Twice. The knock came again, once more throwing me off bnce as battled internally for words to meet Aiden.


    When I reached the door, I realized it was one of my colleagues in whose hands was a paper bag. I heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Thank you." My voice came out small, a pathetic attempt at sounding like I wasn''t just hyperventting in my room. I took a peek into the bag, eyebrows lifting when I saw they were toiletries Oh my, thank you so much."


    "It''s nothing." She had a small frown on her face though and it made me curious. She chuckled, "You won''t believe I told my family, including my first and second cousins that I''d be going to Hawaii for a vacation-Only to arrive here and see this."


    "Ahh, I see." I pursed my lips to keep from bursting into an unhealthy fit ofughter,, schooled my face to mimick sympathy. I remembered her reaction on the day the memo was delivered to our emails and how she had so ecstatically sang the word "Hawail'', over and over.


    What seemed funnier was how nothing on the memo spelt Hawail.


    "I''m sorry about that." I finally spoke.


    She shrugged like she couldn''t care less. "You cane join everyone for dinner at therge room. Everybody''s gathered there right now."


    At her words, I felt myself shrinking back from the offer, the memory of skining to mind once more. Joining therge group for di meant bumping into Aiden even when I wasn''t ready to.


    As though sensing my reluctance, she quickly piped up. "It''s not a problem if you cannot join us. Some people love to have their solitude as they eat. Perhaps, you''re one of them. See you around." She made to leave but my hold on her arm stopped her.


    "Give me a few minutes to change into something better. I''ll be right behind you." I informed her with a smile. As she left, I changed into a floral dress. I nned on ignoring his presence and that was that.


    I stepped out of the room, securing the door with the key we had received from the resort''s management, and with a mantra:


    "Shit happens, so it''s not a big deal," over and over until I got to a dining hall where the low


    hum on my way there rose into cheery chattering, filled with the clinking of cutleries on tes and mindless gists as I crossed the threshold.


    The urge to revert to my room with my te in hand raged on, higher than any need to converse with anyone. Maybe the "Hawaii''dy was right about me not wanting to deal with such crowd during my meals. I could skip dinner, it didn''t...


    "Join us, Anal" Rachel yelled as she waved me over with a wide grin sitting on her face. After her words. followed several pairs of eyes as they turned to my direction.


    #

 Chapter 0289

    I nched, feeling stuck with indecision. I managed a smile, willed myself to move to her table. It would be rude to refuse her invitation.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    My gaze swept around, looking out for one face in particr. There was no sight of him nor did I perceive his signature scent which was fast bing his trademark.


    "Hi, everyone. Hello, Rachel." I grabbed a chair for myself and settled down amongst them. The conversation around the table resumed from where it had stopped and after a while, I found myself warming up as I indulged in the tasty food and the lively conversation.


    It was then I realized the low music that had been ying in the background. Schedule notes were passed round and somebody made a joke about working during a supposed getaway from work.


    It felt wonderful to mix with my colleagues, setting aside professionalism.


    It was a beautiful evening and I was grateful most especially that somehow, Aiden didn''t join in the dinner.


    The next morning, we arrived at Green Haven Farm, where we were warmly weed by the owner, Mr Jenkins, his weathered face creasing into a smile. His workers, a friendly bunch, nodded in greeting, their hands stained with the telltale signs of fermentation.


    "Ah, d you folks could make it!" He boomed, his voice like a warm hug. "Today, we''re gonna show yo


    you the secrets of making the finest sauerkraut from this side of the world."


    I listened intently as he began to showcase his famous technique, his hands moving deftly as he chopped and salted the cabbage, whilst talking about the health benefits.


    "I''ve always wondered how you get that perfect vor, I asked, fascinated by ne process.


    "The key is to get the right bnce of salt and acidity," he exined, his eyes twinkling with enthusiasm. You want it to be tangy, but not too sour."


    "So, the fermentation doesn''t ruin the sauerkraut and gives an odor of decay?" A male voice piped up behind me. All eyes flew to him, including mine,


    "Ah, that''s the magic of fermentation! It has a timing which if you stick to, turns out perfect." Mr. Jenkins chuckled. "It''s all about creating the right environment for those little microbes to do their thing." As he worked, He regaled us with stories of his childhood, of helping his mother make sauerkraut in their family kitchen. His love for the craft was infectious, and I found myself swept up in the art of it all because to me, it was one.


    Just then, the colleague who had spoken up earlier appeared beside me, his eyes fixed on Mr. Jenkins with interest. "Hey, Ana," he whispered, "looks like we''re in for a treat."


    I smiled, trying to y it cool, but I grew ufortable at the proximity. "Yeah, I''ve always wanted to learn how to make sauerkraut," I replied, trying to focus on the lesson at hand.


    On impulse, I nced behind me, startled to catch Aiden staring at me with intense concentration. Quickly, I looked away, feeling color flood my cheeks.


    The man beside me smiled, which I returned rather stiffly, trying to brush off the awkwardness. After the demonstration, we were grouped and given tasks toplete around the farm, including exploring the fermentation process and taking notes.


    Some of us had spread to distant parts of the farm. Only a handful of us remained and each group had their entire focus pinned on their various assignments.


    I focused on my task, trying to identify the various nts and ingredientsid out before me.


    The aroma of fresh herbs and earthy soil filled the air, and I breathed it in deeply, loving the scents as they mingled.


    The same colleague, a tall,nky man with a charming smile and a mischievous glint in his eye, approached me, offering to help.


    "Hey, you look like you could use a hand," he said, his voice low and smooth.


    I regarded him with a gentle smile, grateful for the assistance, but also wary of his overly friendly demeanor. "Thanks, I''m trying to figure out what all these nts are."


    He rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "No problem. I''could be taking notes of your observations if you want."


    As we worked together, hisments started to take a flirtatious turn, his words dripping with innuendo. You know, you''re really beautiful when you''re concentrating," he said, his eyes roving over my face, making me feel like a specimen under a microscope.


    I stepped away from him, feeling a surge of difort. "Excuse me?"


    Politely, I tried to brush him off, but he continued to push the boundaries, his touch lingering on my arm, his breath hot against my ear. "I just can''t help myself," he whispered. "You''re so captivating." "You''re making me ufortable and I need to leave." I fought back the terr. from creeping into my words, steeling my voice.


    I tried to move away, but he leaned in closer, his body inches from mine, making me feel trapped and uneasy. "You''re right. Maybe we could take a break and get to know each other better?" he suggested. Just as I was about to firmly tell him off, a hand suddenly covered his face, shoving him away several feet away from me where he stumbled and fell.


    "She said back off, buddy."


    +

 Chapter 0290

    ANASTASIA


    I watched as the group''s attention turned to Aiden, his eyes shing with a protective intensity that made my heart skip a beat.


    "She said back off, buddy," He said, his voice firm but controlled. "Know your limits. She''s not interested."


    The worker, rising from the dust while still trying to save face, sneered at him. "Mind your business pal."


    Aiden took a warning step forward, his eyes zing with enough spite to set him aze in one re. "I''m not your pal and I am making it my business."


    "I can handle myself," I said, trying to intervene, but Aiden''s gaze remained fixed on the worker.


    "No, you don''t have to handle yourself," He said, his voice firm. "He needs to learn to respect boundaries. If I see you harassing her again, I''ll report you.


    The worker''s face reddened, but he knew he was beaten. He slinked away from us, "Whatever, man," he muttered, before quickly retreating, disappearing behind the shelves.


    An ufortable spell of silence fell over the group, but I tried to shake it off, focusing on my task instead. "Well, that was awkward," I said, trying to break the tension.


    Aiden turned to me, his expression softening. "You okay, Ana?"


    I nodded, trying to y it cool. "Yeah, I''m fine. Thanks for stepping in."


    He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Anytime."


    I nodded, taking a deep breath, and returned to my task, trying to put the ufortable encounter behind me but his protective instincts had been stirred, and I wasn''t sure what to make of it.


    As soon as he stepped outside, the other women in the other group couldn''t help butment on his dreamy qualities. As expected, I thought with a mental eye roll.


    "Oh my god, he''s so chivalrous!" One of them sighed, her tone dripping with admiration. "Anastasia is so lucky to have hime to her defense like that. He''s like a modern-day knight in shining armor." "I know, right?" Another agreed, her voice filled with envy. "I wish someone would stand up for me like


    that."


    at was really


    Then their voices turned concerned. "Wait, we should check if Anastasia-is alright. That


    ufortable."


    The group approached me, their faces filled with worry "Ana, are you okay?" A blonde asked, her voice soft. "That guy was really creepy. If you want to talk about it..."


    I took a deep breath, trying topose myself. "Yeah, I''m fine. Thanks for asking. But my voice and hands trembled slightly, betraying my emotions.


    I''m sure it was really upsetting." The brte amongst them said, her eyes filled with empathy. "Do you want us to stay with you for a bit in case hees back?"


    I appreciated their concern, but I just shook my head. "I''m really fine, guys but he won''t. Except he wants Chapter 0290


    to risk getting jobless. Thanks for understanding."Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    But they didn''t look convinced. They lingered around me, their eyes filled with worry, until I finally assured them I was okay and they returned to their tasks.


    Even then, I could sense their asional nces, checking in on me to make sure I was alright. It was sweet of them, but I couldn''t shake off the feeling of unease that still lingered inside me like a haunting ghost.


    Later in the evening, we gathered around the dinner table, the warm glow of the firece and the delicious aroma of roasted vegetables created a cozy atmosphere. Courtesy of the helping hands around. The lodge owner, Mr. Jenkins, joined us, regaling us with stories of his adventures in the wilderness. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he recounted tales of grizzly bear encounters, treacherous mountain climbs, and hidden waterfalls deep in the forest.


    "I remember one time, I was hiking through the woods, and I stumbled upon a massive elk," he said, his voice filled with awe. "It was majestic, with antlers as wide as a tree trunk. I stood there, frozen, as it gazed at me with curious eyes."


    Rachel gasped, awed by his description, "Wow, that sounds incredible!"


    He chuckled as if to say we hadn''t even heard half of it, "And then there was the time I got lost in at snowstorm. I had to take shelter in a cave, and I spent the night huddled next to a fire, listening to the wolves howl outside."


    Aiden''s voice piped up in curiosity. Tonight, he insisted on staying close to my side and I thought it was nice of him. "How did you manage to survive?"


    Mr. Jenkins grinned, "Well, I''ve spent years honing my wilderness skills. I know how to navigate, find food, and start a fire without matches. But I''ll tell you, it was a harrowing experience."


    As he spoke, I was captivated by his stories. The whole room listened with rapt attention, our imaginations transported to the rugged beauty of the wild.


    2

 Chapter 0291

    As the conversation flowed, Aiden asked, "Mr. Jenkins, how do you manage to keep this ce running so smoothly? I mean, there''s hectares of farnd and then this lodge? How do you manage without losing sight of the primary function of this ce?"


    I noticed I''d been staring too long at the side of his face. I looked away in time for Mr. Jenkins to answer this question.


    He chuckled, "Well, it''s a team effort, but my son, Alex, is a huge help. He''s away for a few days, but he usually lends a hand with tasks around the lodge."


    Aiden pressed on, "I''d love to meet him. What''s he doing now?"


    The man beamed with pride, his face wrinkling in a fine disy of the years he''d spent adventuring. "He''s off on a camping trip with some friends. He''s a great kid, always eager to help out.¡±


    As the discussion became more rowdy, with everyoneughing and joking. I nced at my watch and realized it was time to call Amie. I excused myself, saying, "Sorry, guys, but I need to make a quick call." I felt Aiden''s eyes follow me out and I fought the impulse to return his gaze.


    As I stepped outside into the crisp evening air, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.


    The peacefulness of the surroundings was a wee respite from the chaos of the day''s events and a stark contrast to the tumultuous feelings that had been raging inside since the incident with that creep. I took a deep breath, savoring the moment, before dialing Amie''s number. I realized I''d missed her more than I thought I did. I yearned to hear her gentle voice. Call it homesickness.


    her in their hands


    It rang many times but there was no reply. I tried a few more times before giving up with a mental note to callter. I hated to have to think that those nurses were incapable after entrus despite them promising to ensure her safety.


    As I walked back into the dining space, the warmth I felt set me at instant ease. My daughter was doing fine, just away from her phone, I muttered in constion.


    I caught Rachel''s eyes from across the table, her eyebrows raised in question. I shook my head with a smile, mouthing an ''OK'' while indicating with my fingers.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    A little while after, most of us set to retire to bed, bidding one another goodnight while some remained,te sleepers perhaps.


    As I walked to my room, I felt weariness seeping into the core of my being like a fast spreading virus. The events of the day had left me feeling drained, and all I wanted was to crawl into bed and forget about everything.


    I didn''t notice Aiden standing in the hallway until we almost collided. He caught my arm, steadying me and I felt a jolt of electricity travelling up and down that spot of contact.


    He withdrew his hand immediately, taking away the warmth that came with it and leaving goosebumps in its wake. "Sorry about that."


    "It''s fine." I found myself surprising myself for the second time in one day.


    #


    I was bothered about my reactions, taken aback by his show of concern. If this were a few weeks ago, I would have snapped at him, told him I could handle everything on my own,


    But now? I could only nod and smile, as vulnerability wrapped around me like a cloak. Especially when there was the lingering thoughts of him swooping in before I got molested.


    I felt a lump form in the back of my throat. "Thank you for earlier. I really appreciate it."


    He nodded, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "No problem, Ana. I''m just d I was there to help. Are you facing any troubles or need anything?"


    "Not really," my voice was barely above a whisper. "I''ll be on my way."


    But he fell into step beside me. I was too tired to put up a fight so together, we walked in silence, our footsteps echoing down the hallway. I couldn''t help but steal nces at him, his profile illuminated by the soft glow of the lights.


    We reached my door, and I turned to him, feeling grateful for this thoughtfulness.


    "It''s no hassle for me. If you need anything at all, do not hesitate, Anastasia."


    I nodded.


    We stood there for a moment, words unspoken waiting to be heard, the tension between us palpable and stretching. Then he smiled and turned without another word, disappearing into the darkness of the hallways.


    With shaky fingers, I decided to call Amie''s phone only to be met with a prerecorded message of the caller not answering. Impatient for my daughter, I dialled repeatedly. It was the nurse who picked on my


    fourth trial.


    "Hi, Ana. I was doing my rounds and just saw your call. Amie is asleep now, is it urgent?*


    "No. Not at all. I just want to check on her, see if she isn''t giving you any troubles."


    "Oh, she''s just perfect. Can you call in the morning?*


    "I will. Thank you." That piece of information seemed to calm me and I went to bed feeling quite satisfied. My day ended well.


    2

 Chapter 0292

    "Oh!" She piped up, her eyes widening to the size of saucers,


    You''re back."


    I held her gaze unflinchingly, deliberately refraining from responding to her startled exmation as she likely anticipated. We remained locked in an unwavering stare for what felt like a few more seconds, and throughout that prolonged moment, try as I might, I couldn''t suppress the wayward thoughts racing through my mind at breakneck speed.


    Even as she continued to stare at me, her entire demeanor exuded a palpable sense of unease. Her palms were tightly curled around the torn page from Amie''s drawing book.


    I fixed her with a questioning gaze, my eyes darting back and forth between her face, which was etched with poorly concealed anxiety, and her balled fist, which seemed to tremble slightly under my s scrutiny. She appeared toprehend the unspoken inquiry in my expression because she abruptly let out a nervousugh that sounded more like a strangled hup. Raising her clenched fists in a gesture that was likely meant to appear casual but came across as forced.


    She blurted out the most transparent lie I''d heard in recent memory, "Oh this? It''s absolutely nothing."


    1 arched my eyebrows skeptically, the muscles in my forehead tightening as I regarded her with mounting suspicion.


    She widened her grin in response, the corners of her mouth stretching again as she reiterated, "It''s nothing?"


    I knew ra and this ra with the forced grin was not herself. There was definitely something about the torn pages that she clenched her fists around.


    Does it have anything to do with me? Did she tear it off because Amie drew me? But why uld she do that? This would not be the first time that Amie would draw me.


    Or perhaps, my eyes, on their own ord, narrowed even more as I nursed the possibility that she might have just been leading me on all this while. Maybe she really didn''t want me for her friend and she was now actively trying to erase me from their lives?


    I thought back to all the times that I had talked to her about my feelings for Ana; about the open hearted talk we had in the car just on our way here, had she just been seeing me as some fool all these while? Then I suddenly wondered if she had any influence in Ana''s resolve to remain single and not ept my proposal.


    Instead of pondering on questions whose answers keep eluding me, I decided to cut to the chase.


    "What''s that, ra? Why did you tear that page off?"


    Her forced smile slowly waned, her lips turned downward and she finally looked away. Her shoulders drooped with a sigh.


    "You don''t have to look at me like I just killed someone" she muttered, her voicecking the sarcasm that was alwaysced to it as she unfurled the crumpled piece and stretched her hand forward to show me.


    My brows furrowed as I squinted at the vivid painting in the paper. Slowly, I walked to her and took it from


    her.


    "My God," I whispered, dismayed as I stared at the front and back of the page with deep concern.


    In the drawing, on the front page, is an uneven sketch of a hospital bed and someone lying on top of it. If it had just been the pencil drawing, the meaning of the drawing could have been misinterpreted but the painting she did on them made them vivid and brought the drawings to life.


    There were huge gashes on the leg of the person she drew on the front side of the page while the back carried another painting of a person lying on a bed but with a harrowing expression on the person''s face and each of these people seemed to be crying and screaming.


    I dropped my hand to my side and nced at the sleeping girl.


    "She drew these?"


    ra exhaled deeply, obviously greatly concerned as she shook her head in the affirmative. "It''s definitely her. Her name is scribbled under the paintings as usual." She shrugged, "She must have seen them somewhere in the hospital, while running around, perhaps." Then she held my gaze, "I did what Ana would have done."


    "And you did right," I said softly as I crumpled the papers in my hand. I walked to the bin and tossed them in it, making a mental note to take the drawing of the bin if it was not emptied before I left and throw it where Ana or Amie would nevere across it.


    I walked back to ra. "Thank you, ra. I''m sorry, I got confused for a bit."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "I understand," she smiled softly.


    She then turned back to face Amie and I followed her daze.

 Chapter 0293

    She looked so cute and innocent as she slept peacefully and my heart hurt as I wondered what thoughts. the girl was harboring. Even if she did see something like those, what prompted her to draw them?


    "I''ll have some serious exining to do tomorrow," ra chuckled lightly, scratching her hair. "1 have no idea what I''d say to her when she asks. Right before I made the decision to tear them off, I have been thinking of what I''d say when she finds out about the missing page."


    I shrugged as I tried toe up with some excuses that she could give to Amie. "You could say they scared you."


    She looked at me, blinking. "Really, Dennis?"


    "What?" I lifted my shoulders in a defensive shrug. "You could say that or you could just tell her that you were looking at her drawings when you were eating and they got stained or wet. It will work, trust me." She shook her head and I already knew she would disregard my suggestions. "Those are silly ideas." "You didn''t even think about them."


    "What''s there to think about, Dennis?" Sheughed and I was d that she was back to her bubbly self. Trust me, even a five-year-old wouldn''t fall for that. You know Amie is smarter than that."


    I nodded, "Agreed. If you had stopped at ''a five year old", I would have begged to differ but Amie''s different."


    Just then, my phone chimed in my pocket again.


    I fished it out, gazed at the caller''s ID and picked it up.


    ra''s gaze was on me so I tried to not let the worry of what the person on the other line was rushing out show on my face. She already had enough to worry about.


    "Give me a moment," I said to the other person on the line when they finished speaking and pressed my phone to my chest.


    "I urgently need to be somewhere right now," I exined to ra.


    She nodded, "No worries. Will you be able to make it back?"


    "I can''t say yet. Either way, I''d let you know."


    "Alright, drive safely."


    I thanked her one more time and made my way to the door. When I reached the door, I abruptly stopped and turned to ra who was back to flipping through Amie''s drawings, probably still mulling over what she''d tell the girl.


    "ra," I called and she turned to me with raised brows.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I shrugged, "Or you could just tell Amie the truth."


    Then with that, I turned and left the room.


    On my way to my car, I ced the phone back on my ear. "So make me understand, manager. What''s


    happening in Eclipse?"


    Not bothering to park properly in the parking lot as I climbed out, my gaze lingered on the properly parked police cars in the parking lot.


    Eclipse, a popr bar and club that was a staple in the city''s vibrant nightlife, is owned by me. It is one of


    bars that is most frequented and yields an impressive earning.


    my


    When I received a call from the manager, I hadn''t thought much of it until he mentioned that the ce was being raided by the police.


    As I approached the entrance, the manager that called me fast walked up to me, his secretary right on his heel


    "I don''t understand, why are the police here? What do they want?" I asked with a deep frown.


    "They didn''t exactly say," the manager uttered tentatively. "They just said there''s a murder case they''re investigating." Are you kidding me right now?


    "A murder case?" I blurted as I made my way inside the bar to see policemen scattered everywhere doing. only God knows what.


    I''m utterly baffled as to why they thought my bar was the perfect ce toe investigate whatever murder case they were working on. I''ve maintained a clean te for years and paid close attention to ensure that nothing shady happens in any of my bars so their presence here didn''t scare me but what it might do to my business or my bar''s reputation greatly worried me.


    One of the detectives walked up to me with their customized smile that''s meant to rt anyone at ease." "Can we talk, Mr Dennis."


    "Of Course." Then I walked them to my office.


    I was grateful that the detective dove straight to business as soon as he was seated.


    "We apologize for the sudden intrusion, Mr Dennis. We''re knee-deep in re-investigating an old cold case. It''s a murder case that dates back six years, and we happen to stumble upon a lead that ces the victim at the very bar mere hours before her murder."

 Chapter 0294

    AIDEN


    Coming g out from the bathroom, & vigorously ruffled my damp hair with the soft terrycloth of the towel. My fingers worked through the tangled strands and teased out the knots as I went.


    For some reason, I seemed to have forgotten to bring towels, and the ones I was given here were smaller than I needed. Maybe I should have emphasized that I didn''t want a face towel? Faced with limited options, I opted to utilize the diminutive cloth only for my hair. After all, I was the only one upying the space, which gives me me the luxury of air-drying the rest of my body without


    concern.


    I padded across the carpet, my bare feet sinking into its soft fibers as I positioned myself in front of the mirror standing by the wall.


    I''d resumed my task of methodically working the towel through my hair and watching the unruly strands gradually settle into ce when my eyes inadvertently drifted from the mirror to something off on the wall at the room''s furthest end.


    A knob, seemingly out of ce, protruded from the otherwise smooth surface. I had noticed it earlier during my initial inspection of the room. I''d figured out it was actually a door and Imended the design and the designer, as one would never be able to tell that it was a door without taking a closer look. I was about to open the door and sate my curiosity about where it led to when a call interrupted. Now, I focused my attention on it again, back to wondering what was behind the door.


    Perhaps it was a cabin filled with dark secrets of the ancient kings and queens who once existed on thisnd. I snorted at my ridiculous thoughts. Maybe, it would be their skeletons. Or the skeletons of the people they unfairly killed. Or maybe it would be a pirate''s treasure that has been locked away for years. I imagined a bunch of pirates storming into the lodge and demanding for their treasure.


    I was smiling at my own joke when the door that had quickly taken over my mind in the past seconds was pushed open.


    I froze as I caught a glimpse of someone before the door was immediately shut close without a m.


    I blinked at the closed door wondering if I had just made up what I would like to see. But I didn''t. Anastasia just opened that door and saw me.


    I walked away from the mirror and hurried to the door. felt mischievous as I pressed my ear to it and listened intently, I couldn''t help the smile that my lips stretched into as I heard the harsh sound of things scrapping a surface.


    This is definitely not an imagination or wishful thinking.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    To my delight, the scrapping sounds suddenly stopped. Then there was a knock on the door followed by hurried movements. There was a brief silence before my ears picked up the muffled voices that came from the other side..


    I


    I wondered who she was talking to as I strained to hear their words or just recognize one of the voices, preferably Ana''s.


    I surprised myself when I started to contemte opening the door.


    Before I could start to further nurse any idea or even act on them, my phone rang out loudly, breaking the highly appreciated silence.


    I red at the direction that the sound came from as I stalked toward the sound and grabbed the phone.


    I tipped my head back and let out a groan at the picture that shed on the phone''s screen; It was a selfie of Sharon with a big smile on her face. She was calling me on video call. Why? I wondered irritatingly.


    I watched the phone ring as I mulled over the idea of not picking up the call. But just as that thought crossed my mind, the call ended. My phone''s screen had barely turned off when it lit up again and started to ring.


    If persistence was a person. It was Sharon.


    I immediately discarded any thought of ignoring the call. If I didn''t answer the phone, Sharon would not give up. She would only end up bothering me throughout the night till the next day and even days after that with her incessant calls and texts. So I might as well just get this over with now.


    Hesitantly, I swiped right.


    "Hey."


    Her eyes widened as she stared at my chest longingly. "That is one hell of


    time. You just showered?"


    "Obviously," I rolled my eyes with a small forced smile.


    sight. I called at the very right


    She blew out her cheeks and fanned her face with her fingers, "You are a wet hot Gk god right now. I wish I was there."

 Chapter 0295

    I chuckled, but I was itching to ask her why she called so that she could get to it and the call could end.


    Instead of going straight to why she called, she pouted her lips, "Come on give me a better view. I shouldn''t even be asking!"


    "You should learn to never lose focus, Sharon, that''s one of the important rules of business and life in general" I said with feigned seriousness, "why did you call?"


    She giggled, palming her mouth. Then with a gesture of her hand, she roamed my face, "You look even hotter with all of that serious look on." She sighed dreamily, "Aren''t I just lucky to have such a hot hunk as mine?"


    "For real Sh


    I sighed, "For real, Sharon, why did you call?"


    She jutted out her bottom lip. "Your soon-to-be fianc¨¦e doesn''t need a reason to call. I can call you whenever I want. I can just call you to hear your voice. You had better get used to that."


    "Of course," I murmured. "Now, get to the point,dy. I was working when your call came in," I felt a pang of guilt at the smooth lie.


    She rolled her eyes, "When did you get this boring? You wouldn''t give me a better view," her gaze lowered to the end of the screen before they hiked back up to my face, "And you wouldn''t stay to chat with me for a while."


    "It''s work. Not my fault."


    "Anyhoo," she beamed, "Check this out," she said as she flipped the camera from selfie mode to the rear.


    The rear camera panned across the velvety night, revealing the city''s twinkling lights and the little stars in the cloud before homing in on a strikingly familiar structure.


    I squinted at the building. "Sharon, that''s my house."


    The camera was immediately switched back to selfie mode as she chirped with a big grin, "What do you think?"


    I wanted to scoff. What do I think? Why are you able to show me my house! Why are you near my house!


    "Well," she began without waiting for my response, "I moved into your house."


    My brows hiked up my hairline and I blinked, wondering if I heard wrong. "You what?" Perhaps it was high time I tell her how I really felt, damned the consequences. "Why would you move in without-"


    I stopped abruptly when I realized that she was cackling to herself.


    Nice one.


    "Oh my goodness, Alden! You never cease to crack me up all the damn time. But rx, okay? It''s not time for that yet. I mean, with so many sparks flying in the air, I wouldn''t want to overwhelm you by moving directly in your house." She flipped her hair, "I''m a very consideratedy. Besides we have all of our lives. to savor living together so we aren''t rushing into it."


    "Uh uh. So what''s all this about?"


    And, she was beaming again. "I bought the house next to yours and moved in!" She blurted. That is what happens when you have too much money you have no use for, I thought to myself. "Wow," I muttered dryly.


    "I know right? I am so excited! So when are youing back, I already missed you."


    "I''d be back soon," I answered absentmindedly, having lost appetite for anything and everything.


    "Gosh, I can''t wait for you to be back. We''d have so much fun together. We''d have a great time living as neighbors. From sleepovers to indoor date nights to movie dates..." she sighed, "the list is endless. We can even go jogging together!


    "Who knows?" she wiggled her brows but I could tell she was half serious, "maybe it could even help you make up your mind faster."


    Oh God..


    "Wait, do you gym at home or there''s a gym nearby you go to?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "I prefer to work-out at home."


    "Oh buggers! It would have been so cool to go to the gym together." Her face lit up again, "But you go jogging, don''t you?"


    I sighed. "I do, Sharon."


    "Perfect!" She squealed. "I will get us matching trainers and sweats." She was literally jumping in her seat "It would be so much fun. Aren''t you looking forward to it?"


    I gave her a tight lipped smile and it was enough for her to continue to babble about all of her other awesome and fun ns for us.


    My God. How does she not get tired of making ns without informing who she involves in the ns?


    "Fun to be neighbors, isn''t it?" she said with a soft smile before she hung up...in fact I almost hung up before she did.


    After the line went dead, I tossed my phone on the bed and watched it bounce a bit before dropping still.

 Chapter 0296

    ANASTASIA


    "You all have to strictly stick to the ingredients you locally source from this farm," the speaker said, his eyes going over our heads as he further addressed. He paused briefly to allowing his words to sink in before continuing.


    "Please, for your sake, stick to these rules," he warned subtly.


    "So the


    the judges will be evaluating each creation based on your creativity, taste, presentation, and how well you are able to incorporate the farm-fresh ingredients into your creations." The man winked, causing most of us to smile at his frolicking.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "That was a hint so you should know what to really work on with your team to emerge as the winner. Consider carefully how you can best showcase the unique qualities of these local ingredients."


    "Who knows, your team''s creation might not just emerge as the winning recipe but might even be approved as officialpany snacks," his words added to the excitement. The possibility of our creations being adopted by thepany sparked murmurs of enthusiasm among the teams.


    After another long talk about encouragement, touching on the importance of teamwork and innovation, he hedged us on. "You may now begin," he announced, stepping back to give us ess to the ingredients.


    Each team immediately got to work, going straight to whispered discussions on what snack they''d like to


    create.


    Gathered around a wooden table with my two colleagues that made up my team for the farm-to-table challenge, we brainstormed on what type of snack we should go for. Every member of the team voiced their opinions and suggestions and we all ruminated on a way tobine all of our ideas into something great. We considered various options and weighed the pros and cons of different approaches. "A healthy snack that would highlight the freshness of the ingredients, I murmured aloud.


    The anticipation of the farm-to-table challenge filled the room as everyone got busy. A team had already even started their cooking, the sounds and smells of food preparation beginning to fill the air. We surveyed the colorful array of farm-fresh produce in front of us. My eyes lit up as an idea sparked in my mind.


    "How about a vibrant vegetable and hummus tter?" proposed, gesturing to the assortment of tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers. My teammates nodded in agreement and with smiles on their faces, I could tell that they were already envisioning how to elevate the nutritious snack idea.


    "We will need more ingredients," one of my teammates suggested, looking thoughtfully at our initial selection.


    "What and what would we need and how much?" Another asked.


    Then we made a n of what ingredients we would need for whatever we were going to make. We even got more ingredients in case we had an idea of something else after we had started making the snack. We assigned to each one of us what ingredient we would get. Then we made several trips to the farm and brought the ingredients to the table where we were going to make the snacks.


    As each member of the different teams made their way to the farm, I could see clearly the excitement in their movements and their high pitched tone as they discussed which ingredient would be best and which there was a limited amount of.


    When we had decided on all the Ingredients we needed, and might need, we got to work.


    In the process, one of my team members suggested adding homemade whole grain pita chips seasoned with herbs from the garden for a crunchy twist.


    "That is a very nice idea," I replied. "We will make it hard for them to be able to tell the best snack from the rest of the team."


    The othersughed as the one that suggested the idea of the chips exined how it would be made.


    For the vegetable and hummus tter, we chose a variety of colorful vegetables to make the tter visually appealing since that was important. Then we decided on a theme to guide your vegetable and topping choices.


    Then we sprang into action, chopping, slicing, and seasoning with precision, each of us contributing our skills and ideas to bring the idea to life.


    We prepared the vegetables, washed, peeled, and cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. I took it upon myself to ce the vegetables on arge tter in a visually appealing way, taking my time. Next, my teammate added the hummus. She ced it in a central location on the tter.


    She looked up at us for our opinions. We decided that it would be better if we drizzled it artfully around the vegetables. Then we garnished it with fresh herbs for added vor and color.


    After we were done, our third team member, proposed a herb-infused yogurt dip to apany the vegetable tter.

 Chapter 0297

    "Are you sure?" I asked as I hesitantly chopped the fresh dill and mint that''d be mixed with the creamy yogurt she was expertly blending.


    Sheughed, "Trust me, you can never go wrong with yogurt," she said with a glow on her face and I couldn''t help but think that yogurt was something she really enjoyed making.


    I shrugged, "I just don''t want it to be too much, you know." I nced around us and saw that everyone was doing their best to impress the judges.


    Even though there was no price attached to it, it felt good to get our hands dirty doing what our job entailed while not behind screens. Besides, I could see that some of these guys were naturals when it came to cooking. It was probably why they applied for jobs at Taste Tech. I bet they were slightly dismayed when they discovered that the Tech in the name of thepany hadn''t been for fancy.


    We honestly do more tech stuff than kitchen stuff. Well, it was understandable. This tech stuff was always rted to food. My knowledge of recipes and ingredients and everything rted to the kitchen and meals before I joined thepany and now could not bepared. I had massively expanded my knowledge in that aspect overtime.


    And it felt good. I usually feel like I have an edge over a regr customer whenever I step into a store to buy a food based product and I''m able to identify an error or mistake. At the end, the result of our joint effort and ideas was a vorful dip that would perfectlyplement the crispness of the vegetables.


    As we added the final touches, we marveled at the vibrant spread before us. The colors of the vegetables, the aroma of the herb-infused dip, and the crunch of the golden pita chips all came together harmoniously, creating a wholesome and visually appealing snack. It was heaven. I was literally itching to have a taste.


    With smiles of aplishment stered on our faces, we high fived one anothe extremely proud of what we made.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    We chatted animatedly among ourselves as we set our snacks down, ready to present them to the judges.


    At the time, we were rounding up, other teams had also finished their creations.


    When we were all done, each team member stood by their creations, awaiting the judgesments.


    Though it was meant to be a fun challenge, the team members and even the judges seemed to be taking the judging pretty seriously.


    The judges included Mr Jenkins, the farm''s representative and the Taste Tech innovations officials which obviously included Aiden and his


    assistant.


    The speaker from earlier came to address us again. "Be rest assured, the final result will be utterly fair. As long as you stuck to the rules. Now, as the judges stop at your table, lost the ingredients you utilized making your snacka nf do a quick exnation of the process it went through. With that," he stepped back, "I wee the judges on board."


    The judging began as the judges moved from one table to the next. When the judges stopped at each table, the assigned team leader listed out the ingredients and gave a quick rundown of how each piece Chapter 0297


    was made as we had been instructed. As they tasted the snacks and juices, the expressions on their faces were undecipherable as they refused to betray any of their emotion or thoughts.


    Finally, it was getting closer to my team''s turn and I found myself running my palms together in excitement and slight worry. My teammates and I exchanged nces and we wordlessly assured ourselves that we did our best.


    Besides, it didn''t really matter if we failed to emerge as winners. This was a getaway. A getaway from work and worries aboutpetition. We are here to have fun and we were having it, alright. The farm-to- table challenge had been even more fun than I expected.


    We watched the judges stop at the table of the team before mine.


    I watched, preparing myself for our turn, as they listed their main ingredients and how it was made.


    My brows furrowed into a frown when they were done. Something felt amiss but I couldn''t quite ce my fingers on it.


    Just as it was Aiden''s turn to taste their snack, a donut looking thing, it suddenly hit. I looked up, eyes wide as Aiden raised their snack to take a bite.


    "No!" I blurted without thinking.

 Chapter 0298

    ANASTASIA


    My mind shed back to when the preparations were ongoing and each team went back and forth to gather their ingredients.


    Though I was deep in thought about what quantity of ingredients I needed to pick up and which, I had heard the fleeting suggestion of one of the members of the team beside mine. "Why don''t we add sesame?"


    The teammate gave him a response but I didn''t quite get what the


    reponse was.


    Butter, I heard another member of the same team ask, "How much sesame powder will be enough?" The teammate had replied with a subtle shrug, her attention fixed on the carrots she was carving into a certain shape. "I don''t know. Add enough. We just need the taste there."


    Right then, the thoughts had unconsciously registered but I didn''t think much of it and I simply assumed that it wasn''t my business since everyone would read out their ingredients before the judges would taste each snack. But when they listed their ingredients, either intentionally or unintentionally, they had omitted the sesame powder that was added.


    As Aiden was about to eat it, I had suddenly remembered his allergy to the ingredient and I just couldn''t stop myself from stopping him in the way I knew I could. Even if I could stop myself I would have still stopped him.


    "No!" I called out like my life depended on it.


    What if he isn''t allergic to it anymore? A small voice whispered in my ear and I felt shame wash over me as all eyes settled on me.


    Well, it was all in good faith. If he wasn''t allergic to it anymore, cool. But if he still was, it would have been a disaster if he ingested something that contained it because it wasn''t mentioned to be among the ingredients.


    I could still feel the curious eyes as the whole ce remained bathed in silence.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I felt the itch to offer some exnation. I pointed at him, "he''s allergic to sesame."


    As I said the words, unbidden, a memory of the only incident when he got a bad reaction to the ingredient flooded my mind.


    It was one of the scariest moments of my life. After taking something that had sesame powder in it, Aiden had gone on to vomit for days with a severe stomach ache. Throughout the day, his body maintained a high temperature that would not lessen, no matter what medication we used. At some point, I even strongly doubted that it was the allergy.


    But after some days of almost vomiting his guts out, he returned to normal. It was then that I learnt of his allergy and it was thest time he ever tasted anything that had sesame in it as I always made a note to carefully research everything he ate beyond the ingredients that were always listed on the food or snack pack.


    Aiden briefly nced over at me before he returned his gaze to the snack in his hand and lowered it back


    to the te.


    He turned his attention to the team members, "Is there really sesame in this?"


    Having realized what they did, they nodded hesitantly. "There''s a little bit of sesame in it but it wasn''t considered the main ingredient.


    "It


    doesn''t matter," he retorted calmly. "List all the ingredients used in your snack, that was the instruction.


    Then his gaze swept over everyone and he softly reprimanded us. "You all should be very honest with the means with which you made your snack or food and the ingredients used. Not only for asions like this. Imagine this was a bigger event, an international one, and you went against this rule by leaving out some ingredients. If the judge is allergic to nuts and he goes ahead to taste your meal because you didn''t inform him, there''s a high possibility that you''d be sued when something happens to him."


    The team members had their heads hung down as they listened, regretting their actions.


    "Rules aren''t just blindly ced, you know, before the people in chargeid down certain rules there was a solid reason behind it. So please, let''s always stick to rules in whatever situation we are in. If you are asked to list all the ingredients, then do so. Even if it was just a pint of salt, don''t assume that it''s just salt, let them know there is salt in it." He paused, letting his words sink in.


    Then he added, "And yes I''m allergic to sesame."


    The moment said that, a heavy silence descended upon the room, thick with tension.


    But Aiden didn''t seem affected by it as he turned to me. His eyes shone with gratitude as he passed me a small smile.


    "Thank you, Anastasia, for your attentiveness. You just literally saved my life."

 Chapter 0299

    Lost for words, I simply smiled with a nod to acknowledge his appreciation.


    With a deeper thought of the whole situation, I realized that I was not really thinking when I yelled for him to stop.


    Arg, what''s wrong with me? Now, everyone here is stealing nces at me.


    "How did you know he''s allergic?" one of my teammates seized the opportunity that she was currently in close proximity to me and asked.


    There was only one way to evade that question.


    I outrightly ignored her and pretended that I didn''t hear her as I focused intently on the judges tasting the food as if they were doing anything that surpassed opening their mouths, dipping food-filled spoons or forks in their mouth and chewing consciously as they figured out the tastes.


    On their own ord, my eyes traveled to Aiden but I quickly dragged it away but that didn''t remove him from my thoughts.


    I shuddered as I wondered what would have happened if I hadn''t overheard them talk about adding sesame to their snack? Who knows if the allergy has worsened over the years?


    Thinking about him falling from that tall seat to the floor, curled around himself, his face contorted in pain somehow set me on edge. And it was the same rooted reason since I found out about his allergy years ago that made me reflexively react the way I did.


    But then, even as I partly reprimanded myself for directing everyone''s attention to me for speaking up, I believed I would have also done the same thing for just about anyone else, even if it wasn''t Aiden.


    "I''m curious, Anastasia, how in the hell did you know?" She looked around the table and shrugged, her eyes narrowing slightly as she continued, "I mean, he just became our employer a few weeks ago and we''ve barely spent much time with him to know that he is allergic."


    I let out a tight smile as I filled my mouth with several pieces of the pita chips that another team had made for thepetition. The crunch of the chips didn''t provided the momentary distraction I needed and I could feel their expectant gazes on me.


    It didn''t taste as good as my team''s but at this point, I was ready to do anything to evade answering their unending questions. I chewed slowly, buying time and hoping they might lose interest.


    As expected, when we settled down for dinner, they brought up the question again. What am I even saying? Immediately, the farm-to-table challenge ended, I was swallowed up in their midst as they made an effort tomend my team on our tasty snack before they dove to the real reason I was of so much interest to them at the moment.


    "Perhaps you knew him before he became our boss?" One girl with red hair chipped in and I noticed that her food was untouched. She had been drilling me with questions since dinner began and had forgotten her meal in her eagerness for answers.


    "Maybe you guys attended the same high school and it previously skipped your mind." Another colleague


    Chapter 0299.


    suggested, leaning closer with interest.


    Lcouldn''t bring myself to lie to them and there was no way in hell that I would tell them the truth.


    "Wait!" The same girl gasped, her eyes widening with a sudden thought. "Is the-"


    Rachael mmed her fist on the table and the sudden noise caused a few people to jump.


    "You guys! It''s dinner time. Let the girl eat in peace. Geez."


    Her intervention provided a brief respite, but I could tell the others weren''t ready to let it go..


    Silence prevailed for a little while then a familiar blonde who was nable to contain her curiosity any longer piped up. "But how really did you know?"


    She dragged the ''really'', her eyes huge with curiosity...maybe begging for an answer.


    I shrugged as I picked up a donut, using the action to hide my difort.


    "I don''t know," I shrugged with a nervousugh, hoping my feigned nonchnce would be convincing,


    "I guess he looked like it?"


    "He looked like it?" She repeated.


    I shrugged, "It''s just some kind of premonition I sometimes have," I shrugged again, hoping this harmless lie would be enough to shut them up. "Say if you were about to dip your head in that sauce," I pointed to the girl across from me, "I would feel this insane urge to say something directed at you."


    "Huh?" They chorused.


    "I mean half the time I''m not even aware that I''m doing it. Earlier, there was no conscious thought before. yelled for the boss to stop."


    The redheaded girl, with a deeply furrowed brow, shifted in her seat, "Let me get this straight. You sometimes have a premonition, weird but it happens. But how exactly did you know that sesame was his allergy?"


    "Look!" I piped up with feigned enthusiasm. "It''s our dessert!"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The girl didn''t get distracted as she muttered, ¡°By the way, if you ask me, I''d say the boss likes you."

 Chapter 0300

    DENNIS


    "She was here at Eclipse?" I quipped. "No offense but are you sure you''ve got your facts right?"


    The detective smiled. "Yes, Mr Dennis. We would not be here if we were not sure."


    "Can you tell me who this person is? I might know if they frequent here."


    He shook his head apologetically and sped his hand on the table. "I can not tell you more than ! already have. But I assure you that you have nothing to worry about. You are not in any form of trouble. And our presence here is not a mistake, we made sure of that. Though there''s no proof that her murderer was exactly in this club but the chances are high."


    As I listened to the detective, I was torn between being relieved and remaining worried. He just said there was no proof yet he said there was a high chance. "What exactly do you want?"Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He unsped his hand and ttened them on the desk, "For now, we''d need a particr footage from six years back."


    He brought out a little pad from his breast pocket. He opened it, looked through it for a while before he read out the date and time of the footage that they needed.


    He returned the book where he fished it from, and raised his eyes to me when he was done, "That''s the footage we would need for now. But after further investigation, we might need toe back for more." I nodded as I took it all in. "Okay," I said as I rose from my seat. "I will take you to the security surveince team and you can tell them the footage you need."


    He nodded and stood up from his seat too. I turned around and headed the surveince room.


    the way to


    As I walked through the hallways, the detective closely behind me, I imagined a murderer marching through these halls as they stalked their soon-to-be victim but it was hard to even picture the scene.


    I couldn''t help but wonder how a murder might have taken ce in my bar. Eclipse had just been a start up then, I was still struggling to get the ce up and running. If there had been any shady movement or activity, I definitely would have noticed. I knew most of the people that frequented here and none of them were liable tomit murder. Maybe a fight here and there but murder? No way. Even back when I was following my father''s step, killing anyone had always been out of the options to get anyone to yield to my demands


    It was either that there was a huge mistake somewhere or they just got the wrong bar. Well, it''s all a mistake. With that thought, I felt more confident that this would be thest time the police would be here. The members of the surveince team rose to their feet the moment I stepped into the dimly lit room.


    "Good day, sir," they


    chorused.


    I nodded and responded to their greetings. I could havee here myself, retrieved a copy of the footage they needed and send it to them but I wanted them to see everything as it were. I wanted them to see that I had absolutely nothing to hide.


    "We need a footage," I told them as I gazed around at the monitors that showed the different parts of the


    bar.


    I turned to the detective and nodded. He returned my gesture and read out the date and time frame of the clip he needed.


    One of the surveince team, anky dude with sses that looked bigger than his face, immediately got to work. After a while, he called onto a young woman who joined him.


    I took a deep breath as I took a seat in the room and encouraged the detective to do the same. This might take a while.


    After a few minutes of watching them get on with their recently assigned tasks, I asked impatiently, trying to mask my growing concern, "So, what''s the verdict?" What''s taking them so long?


    The young woman stepped forward with a determined look, "We apologize sir but retrieving the footage is going to be quite a challenge."


    I frowned as I felt the detective''s gaze on me. "And why is that?¡±


    "The storage locations have changed multiple times over the years, and the data might be scattered across different systems."


    My mind raced with questions as I processed the information. "It is possible to piece it all together, isn''t it?" I inquired, a tinge of doubt creeping into my voice.


    What would the detectives think if we couldn''t produce the footage they needed? I really couldn''t let this ce get locked up.


    The woman turned back to the team and asked a few questions.

 Chapter 0301

    Then the team leader stepped forward. "It is still possible to get the footage, sir," he reassured me. "It won''t be easy, but it''s not impossible. We have a n to track down the footage,b through the archives, and reconstruct the pieces. But it will take time and effort, but we''re confident we can make it happen."


    I nodded.


    "Is it possible to get it today?" The detective asked as he scanned the room.


    The team leader briefly nced back at his team that were still working on retrieving the footage then he turned to the detective and nodded firmly. "It will take about an hour or two but it''s possible to get it today."


    Even though I wondered what the police would be doing here for hours if they refused to leave until they got the file, I felt a sense of relief washing over me. Atleast, it did not seem like I was hiding the file anymore.


    "Alright, let''s do it," I told him, grateful for theirmitment.


    As they dove into their work, the room filled with the sound of keyboards clicking and screens lighting to different scenes at different times.


    Few minutester, I suggested to the detective that we take a stroll out while they figured it out but he declined rather forcefully.


    Thankfully, about thirty minutester, the footage was located.


    Up


    Immediately, the detective rose to his feet and was already striding to the screen that showed the date. and time he requested before I could say anything.


    More of the police team trooped in, about three of them. As they viewed the ck and white clip, I joined in. "The firm was still small about this time and I mostly handled everything myself, I exined even though it wasn''t needed. Then I finished with a shrug, "I might be able to answer some of the questions you might have than my workers would."


    The four officers watched with rapt attention. One of them took notes at every scene and movement of the bar guests in the clip.


    "Could you have this sent to the police department? We would like to have a more thorough look."


    f


    "Sure," I told them, ready to give all the footage to them if they asked.


    "Thank you, Mr Dennis," the detective said with an outstretched arm. "We appreciate your cooperation.¡±


    I took his hand in a firm shake. "You too." Then I shook each of their hands.


    watched them file out of the room. When they were gone, I let out a sigh of relief as I turned to the


    screen.


    I continued to watch the footage and saw nothing amiss in them until the boy clicked on something very unusual scene popped up. "What did you just do?" I asked the boy.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    and a


    Chapter 0301T


    He stammered for a while as his eyes roamed the scream. "I was just trying to make the footage clearer," he exined.


    "I think I mistakenly clicked on another footage," another guy by his side said.


    "Put on that footage again.


    He did as I asked and the footage continued from where it stopped. "Take it back."


    I squinted at the screen, my full focus on it as he took the video back.


    "Wait," I ced my hand on the shoulder of the boy and squeezed. "Stop there."


    I watched from my vantage point as two people appeared on the scene.


    Their backs were turned to the camera as they made their way to the entrance of the bar. They both had hoodies on so even when they turned, their faces remained concealed.


    The first person stepped in and just before the other person stepped in, they removed their hoodie''s cap and turned back as if to look around then they stepped in.


    My blood ran cold as I said in an incredulous voice "Rewind it back to when the hood was removed and pause it right here."


    The boy did as I asked then he zoomed in on the person''s face on my order.


    I leaned in closer, fervently hoping that my eyes were ying tricks on me.


    "ra?" I breathed.

 Chapter 0302

    AIDEN


    I looked down at the donut with veggies sprinkled over it and nodded, slightly impressed.


    The judges took their turn to take a bite of the snack. Then it was my turn.


    I picked it up, ready to take a bite. But I came to an abrupt halt when I heard a resounding ''No!


    I recognized the voice and so I looked up in her direction, my heart in my throat.


    Did something happen to her?


    Did she topple over and fell?


    Is she hurt?


    Several assumptions and heartbreaking images of Ana hurt shed through my mind before my gaze even settled on her.


    I found her widened, mortified gaze on me and my reflexive "Are you okay?" died in my throat.


    She was staring at me like she had just seen a ghost and just as our gaze shed, she lowered hers suddenly seeming embarrassed.


    She looked around her then she awkwardly pointed at me. "He''s allergic to sesame."


    The thought that was supposed toe to my mind was ''where is sesame? I should inquire about where it was so I could flee but instead, my heart red with warmth as it swelled with hope and I couldn''t help but smile at the thought that even after five years, she still remembered my only allergy.


    Maybe. Just maybe, I still had a chance with her. This was an opportunity to clear up the misunderstanding that had taken away my joy for so many years and finally talk to her. But not here, now. I told myself. My lips threatened to widen into a huge grin but I remained in control of my actions as I turned to the team members whose food we were currently tasting.


    On their admission that there really was sesame in their snack, I was finally able to turn to Ana with a smile and thank her.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    not


    With a smile, my.mind strayed back to the moment. I looked down at the potted nt before me for the umpteenth time and pondered whether or not she was going to like it. It had been years so I was not sure what she still liked and didn''t like anymore. So I relied on the Ana I knew from inside out so well and purchased the potted nt from the farm.


    "Thank you," the man smiled as he handed it over to me.


    "My pleasure," I returned his smile.


    I carried it to my chest like it was a treasured possession which it was. The moment I intended it for Ana, it became a treasure.


    As I walked to the lodge where our cabins were located, I admired the nt. First, I imagined the beautiful grateful, probably polite, smile that she''d sh me when I hand it over but I''d make her smile and Chapter 0302


    maybe make an opening for a conversation.


    Then I practiced a thousand ways I''d present it to her.


    "Oh Hey, Ana. I got you something, just a thank you gift


    I shook my head for the umpteenth time and muttered, "Too many words."


    "Ana. Here, I got you this. I really-"


    My words froze in my tongue as I bumped into someone. Or maybe they bumped into me.


    "I''m so sorry," I heard as I muttered one that sounded like some apology back.


    Ignoring the sound of something toppling over, I guarded the potted nt as I staggered back, ensuring that it didn''t fall off and break.


    When I was sure that the nt was safe, I looked down at the person who had crouched down, picking up small boxes.


    I carefully set the nt aside and stopped low to help.


    "I''m sorry," I said, sure of my words this time.


    The stranger who still had his head down as he gathered the boxes shook his head. "Its not your fault. I carried way too much."


    I said nothing as I continued to pile the boxes ontop of eachother.


    When we were done, we rose to our full heights, My brows furrowed into a frown as a pang of recognition hit me as I looked at the man. I just couldn''t ce my finger on how, why or from where I recognized him.


    "Have we met?" The man''s brows furrowed as he asked, his dark eyes roaming my face.


    "I don''t think so, I muttered slowly instead.


    The man was quick to shrug. "Oh well, it happens. You probably just look like someone I know." He apologized one more time and stretched out his hand for a handshake. "Thanks for the help." "It was nothing," I shook his hand.


    Just as we picked up our thingsb me cradling my pot and him picking up his boxes, the lodge keeper stumbled on us.


    "Oh, what happened here?" We both turned to him and when he got closer, he smiled, "Aiden, you''ve met Martin already?"

 Chapter 0303

    I turned to the man I now presume to be Martin, ¡°Uhh.1


    The lodge keeper gave me a firm p on the shoulder. "Aiden, my friend, meet my son, Martin."


    Marin turned to me, the recognition in his eyes now more prominent, "Oh. You must be Aiden." He said as he stretched his upied hands fir another handshake.


    I took it, "Very nice to meet you, Martin." Now that I looked at him again, I understood why he had looked familiar. He looked just like his father.


    After we exchanged pleasantries, I continued my journey to Ana''s room.


    I ensured that the nt was well secured in one of my arms before I rasped my knuckles on the door.


    My face was now etched in a frown as I knocked for the third time and there was still no response.


    "Ana!" I called, not caring who might hear me.


    "Anastasia!" I banged my fist on the door." Are you in there?"


    My question was answered with a resounding silence.


    As I opened my mouth to tell her name again, I heard giggles drifting to my ears. I looked down at the rows of doors and realized that the giggles wereing from one of the other rooms.


    I almost pouted as I looked down at the nt and came to the realization that she was probably with others. I wouldn''t mind going in there to give her the gift but that would only make her ufortable. And I was not about to do anything that would ruin my chances with her.


    As I contemted between remaining at her door until she returned for the night or going over to my room anding backter to check on her, I noticed something shimmering on the floor.


    I looked down and saw water seeping out under her door.


    "Oh shit," I muttered as I pushed at the door and found that it was unlocked.


    Upon entering, I saw that the whole of the room had been flooded. I set the nt aside as I went ahead to find the source of the flood.


    I walked straight to the only room in the room where suck amount of water coulde from. Just as suspected, there was a leak in the bathroom. On a closer look, I saw that the pipes in there had all bursted. "This will need a lot of fixing." I said as I walked out of the bathroom and back into the room.


    In her room, I heaved up her boxes and things that would not tolerate water seeping in them onto a raised tform. As I looked around the room, checking for any other thing that the water could destroy, I heard the door creak open.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I turned to the door to see Anastasia on the doorway, a deep frown on her face.


    I shrugged, "I came here to hand you something and found your room flooded. I was surprised when I found your door unlocked."


    She dug her fingers into her hair, sweeping the smooth strands back. "Yeah," she muttered, "Since I was in the room nearby, I thought it was necessary to lock the door."


    I wanted to tell her that for safety reasons she needed to always keep her door locked but I didn''t think it


    the time for that as I watched her run to her bag.


    "My tablet!" She cried.


    "They should be fine," I told her. "I put them up there before any real damage could be done."


    "Thank you," she sighed as she brought out her phone and pressed it to her chest, closing her


    r eyes.


    When she opened her eyes, the worry was back there as she helplessly looked around the flooded room. Instead of standing there and staring at her like a lovesick puppy, I decided to take action. I called on the lodge keeper who arrived almost immediately.


    "Oh buggers! What happened here?"


    I told him what happened and he apologized deeply. "I''m sorry once again. There''s a spare room. Although, it has no power and since it''s at the end of the hallway, there is less stream of sunlight and it is usually always dark there."


    As the man exined, Ana just gaped at him incredulously. I bet she''d than a dark one.


    or cleep in a flooded room


    "Thank you so much for the offer," she said politely, "but I think I''d manage with the others." "Alright, it will just be for the night. I''d make sure the pipes and any underlying issue gets fixed tomorrow." "Thank you," she reiterated but I could tell that she wasn''t ecstatic about spending the night with anyone. After the man left, she was still standing in the middle of the flooded room, looking confused and helpless. I dared to offer her another option. "You can stay in my room for the night."


    When she raised her gaze to look up at me, I shrugged like it was no big deal. "I don''t mind."

 Chapter 0304

    ANASTASIA


    In his room?!


    I gaped at him. Does he even have an idea what he''s saying? Why, out of everyone''s room, will I choose


    his?


    "No, thank you," I blurted before I could properly think it through.


    saw something akin to hurt flicker in his eyes before he hid it all with a smile and I felt ridden by guilt. I shouldn''t have outrightly deferred his offer like that, I reprimanded myself.


    I opened my mouth to soften the harsh rejection with some words when he spoke up.


    "I understand where you''reing from but I really don''t mind and just so you know," he added with an arched brow, "I don''t intend on staying in the room while you''re in it."


    "Oh," my mouth formed as I swallowed my words. "I didn''t know you wouldn''t be in the room."


    "Of course not," his brows furrowed as if that was the most ridiculous thing ever. "I wouldn''t want to make you feel ufortable."


    I was totally touched by the sacrifice he wanted to make. It showed a glimpse of the Aiden I used to know. Staying in his room all by myself would be much more better than spending it with someone who would nearly blow my head off with questions but where would he spend the night?


    Instead of basing my answers on assumptions, I asked "Where would you then spend the night?"


    "There''s a spare room, isn''t there?"


    I ruminated on the thought for a while. I could ask Rachel to share her room with me for the night. I doubt she''d probe and if she did, then it was my kuck. I just couldn''t bear the thought that would be sleeping in a dark room just because I''m upying his. What''s the assurance that the room doesn''t have some other defects?


    "Are you sure? It''s a dark room."


    "Come on, it''s just a dark room," he said with a slight tilt of his lips.


    I rolled my eyes. He was well aware that a dark room wasn''t just a dark room to me.


    But before I could say anything else, he grabbed my biggest box and a potted nt that I hadn''t noticed was in the room before and strode out if the room.


    I tucked my tablet into my bag, picked up the bag and followed him. As we walked past the hallway, I watched, impressed, at how he efficiently juggled the potted nt and my box in his hold.


    He was doing a good job but I felt the need to take my box from him. Apart from the fact that I didn''t want to bother him with tasks I should perform by myself, I didn''t want the nt in his arm to fall off. The way he held it, it seemed like it was pretty precious to him.


    "I can hold the box, you know."


    He shook his head. "I hope you don''t think it''s heavy for me," he chuckled.


    12


    "I know it isn''t," I murmured as my eyes took in his bulging biceps through his shirt''s sleeve. "I just want you to know I can get my own stuff done anytime."


    "Of course," he muttered with a smallugh, "typical Ana."


    "What was that?" I asked with a small smile dancing on my lips.


    "Nothing."


    Just then he stopped before a room. It looked just like everyone else''s. I raised my brows. He really was serious when he said we were all equals here.


    He pushed the door open and entered the room. When I stepped into the room, the first scent that hit me was that of his cologne. I sighed. I''m afraid this scent was forever a part of me.


    He set the potted nt by the window then he ced my things down where they could be while I was in


    here.


    He cleared the bedside table of its contents. When he was done he pointed at it, his gaze first on the bag that held my tablet before it fell on my face. You can keep your phones and other stuff there."


    I nodded as my lips twitched to tell him that it was just for a night. All the arrangements weren''t really necessary. But instead, I muttered, "Thank you."


    He nodded and passed by me, his scent lingering in his wake. He picked up some things then a couple of nkets from a cupboard by the wardrobe.


    "I''d leave now," he muttered before he finally left the room


    Silence descended. I looked around the room that screamed Aiden. The air was thick with the smell of his cologne. I smiled. He really hadn''t changed. Whenever he took over a ce, a thing, or gets in someone''s life, unconsciously, he always left his mark.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Just like he left Amie as his mark on me.

 Chapter 0305

    I nched. Where the hell did thate from?!


    I shook my head, getting rid of every thought rted to Aiden but who was I kidding? I was in his room.


    Finally, I moved to sit on the bed and that was when I realized that since Aiden brought me to the room, while he cleared up stuff, I remained standing in that one position.


    I closed my eyes and groaned. No wonder he looked like he couldn''t wait to leave the room. I must have really made him ufortable.


    Losing myself in the plushness of the mattress as Iid in it, I admired the room from that point. Seems the interior design of all the rooms were the same.


    Later, I removed my clothes and dragged myself to the bathroom where I had a long shower while 1 inspected some of his skincare products. They smelled nice as usual but different from the ones he used to use. I was really tempted to try some of them. He always picked the best skincare products. But I was stopped by the morbid imagination of him catching a whiff of one of them on me.


    I didn''t think I could live through that embarrassment.


    Dressed up in my night wear, I jumped into bed, exhausted from all the enthusiasm I had to keep up during dinner to wave off the incessant questions about the incident at the challenge. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard a knock on the door.


    I sat up with a frown. The knock came again.


    "Ana, it''s Aiden."


    "Come in," I piped up. When he entered, he nced at the door.


    "You didn''t lock the door?"


    I shrugged, "Do I need to? It''s your room, you should be able toe in anytime."


    "Sorry. I just forgot something." he exined with an apologetic smile as he moved toward the drawer and fished something from it.


    All the while, he looked in a hurry and I couldn''t help but feel bad. It was so unfair. I was upying his room and still making him ufortable.


    "You cane sleep here," I said, hoping to ease him up a bit.


    He looked over at me and I could feel the tension in the air as he stared at the space beside me. Or on either side of me, because I was centred in the middle of the bed.


    I blinked, realizing that he might have misunderstood my request.


    "...I don''t mean here," I ttened my palm on either side of me. "There," I pointed to the only couch in the room few feet from the bed.


    "It''s okay," he smiled and shook my head.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "No, please, I wonder how that room is. Since it''s a spare room, a dark one at that, it''s probably not been


    althy to


    cleaned in a while. It''s not healthy to stay in a dusty room."


    Then with that, Iid back down and covered myseelf with the nket from head to toes.


    My eyes widened under the darkness of the nket. Okay, what did I just do?! Why did I do that?!


    I closed my eyes, silently hoping that he wouldn''t listen to me.


    Oh, so he should go suffocate in a dusty room. My subconscious used and I felt myself weighed down by guilt but I didn''t stop hoping he''d prefer to stay in the room. It may seem selfish but it was all for the best. How? I asked myself but the answer to that eluded me.


    For a while, I heard the sound of a drawer open and close, a shuffle here and there then the door closed


    softly.


    I peeked out 6if the nket and when I saw that he was out of the room, I sighed, greatly relieved. Pulling the nket off my head, Iy on my back and stared up at the ceiling, my mind nk.


    Then the door was creaking open again. In a sh, I had the nket over my head again.


    After a few seconds, I peeked out to see him spreading the nkets he left with earlier on the couch.


    He''s really returned to sleep on the couch.

 Chapter 0306

    AIDEN


    All the while as I moved around the room, I could feel her gaze following my every move and for some twisted reason, it made me smile. It warmed my heart that she was looking at me and not just outrightly ignoring me.


    As I closed the drawer and started to walk to the door, her words stopped me.


    "You cane sleep here."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    My heart started an instant marathon race. Did I just hear right?


    I turned to her. There was something in those beautiful eyes as they focused on me. Guilt? Pity? I couldn''t ce my finger on it.


    She was seated in the center of the bed, the nket draped over her lower half. She hadn''t gone to bed yet her hair was already a beautiful mess.


    She probably h had a shower, I thought. She looked cleaner and fresher than she did when I left the room and her hair wasn''t bond in that lose ponytail they had been in since the challenge.


    She must have realized that I was staring too much because, she looked away before she turned back to me with her eyes widened a fraction. Then she stammered, "...I don''t mean here.¡± I followed her movements as she gestured to the bed. Then she pointed at the couch few feet from me. "There,"


    "It''s okay," I said without thinking and I wanted to give myself a good beating for that. It wasn''t okay!! would do anything to get in that bed with her right now. Infact, if I had to remain here and be in the same room with her I would.


    Thankfully, she insisted.


    "No, please," she shook her pretty head before her brows came down in an adorable frown, ¡°I wonder


    that room is."


    She was worried for me, I thought happily even though I was aware that it was just the way Ana was. She would have said the same to someone else but it still mattered that she wasn''t scowling at me or giving me a cold shoulder like the first time we saw again.


    "Since it''s a spare room," she continued, "a dark one at that, it''s probably not been cleaned in a while. It''s not healthy to stay in a dusty room."


    She surprised me when she finished speaking and immediatelyid down on the bed and pulled the nket over her head.


    I gazed at her for a while, a smile slowly forming on my lips.


    ¡°I wanted to yell in utter joy: I returned to the drawer and returned what I had taken from it.


    My body trembled with excitement as I left the room and literally ran through the hallway. With the big smile on my face and the spring in my steps, you''d think I was moving to heaven. Even if there was no couch and the cold floo


    would be what I''d have to manage then so be it. I''d sleep anywhere as long as I


    remain close to her.


    As I pounded down the stairs, I wasn''t aware that I was making any noise. How could I when all the voices in my head where jubting. The lodge keeper peeked out of his door that was after the stairs, and asked, ¡°Who''s there? Oh Aiden. Are you alright? Is there a problem?¡±


    anything


    "It''s all good," I think I muttered back. Either that or something else. Or maybe I didn''t even say a back. I wasn''t sure. I was too excited and eager to return to Ana that I couldn''t register anything else. Pulled the door to the dark room open. I walked straight to the bed where I had kept them. In truth, the room wasn''t dusty or uncleaned. I assumed that it was always cleanef everyday by the lodge''s cleaners but Ana didn''t need to know any of that. To her, the room was probably dusty and that was it. I wasn''t about to duspite that and lose my chance of being in the same room with her.


    I strongly believed it was a start; a tiny step toward our reconciliation.


    ran down the hallway, almost tripping over the nket I gathered clumsily in my arms.


    I think I took about four steps at a time as I climbed up the stairs. My strides were long, swift and purposeful, on a mission to take me to the ce where I could breathe the same air as Ana


    without any


    interruption or distraction. Just the both of us.


    I slowed down when I approached the room. I took a deep breath. I bundled up the sheets in my hands so they would look a little bit neater.


    Then slowly, I pushed the door open.


    I felt a pang of dissapointment when I saw that the nket was still over her head. She was asleep.


    I resisted the urge to walk over and listen to her soft breathing as she slept or gaze down at her stunning features because that would be creepy so I just made my way to the couch, prepared it to be morefortable and settled in it, content.


    With a smile on my lips, I quickly drifted to sleep.

 Chapter 0307

    ANASTASIA


    I opened my eyes and stared long at the ceiling.


    "How could I forget?" I muttered under my breath.


    I nced at the wall clock mounted above the door. It was midnight and I couldn''t sleep.


    In my sleep, it had sounded like a low rumbling, almost like the low guttural growl of a beast as it approached it''s prey. But it was just Alden.


    With my palms sped together and ced under my cheek, I looked in Aiden''s direction. His mouth was wide open as he released loud snoring sounds.


    Unbidden, memories came flooding back. One particr one stood out. It had been the first day I slept over at his ce; I think a month after I met him. I had been horrified to discover that a man as goodlooking as him sounded like that in his sleep. When I ranted to him the next day how I couldn''t sleep because of it, heughed about it and said I would get used to it.


    ad to it.


    I was impressed that it didn''t make him insecure but I was confused when he said I''d get used


    Later, I understood. The more nights I spent with him, the more the sound became normal. Sometimes, it was even the sound that lulled me back to sleep whenever I awoke at night.


    I sighed. But it''s been more than five years. I might have totally forgotten that my ex-boyfriend used to snore if Amie hadn''t taken after him.


    But still. Amie''s snore was a soft, gentle and unobtrusive purr. It never disturbed my sleep.


    Unable to go back to sleep because a certain person still snores, I got out of bed silently and and went to


    him.


    At first, I just stood there and admired his manly looks, Gosh! He had really grown to look better in the past five years. It was almost as if our departure was a blessing to him, I thought with a painful pang in my heart. Maybe it was.


    I didn''t know what prompted me, maybe it was my need to go back to sleep but I lowered my head to his and began to tickle his face, his neck with my hair.


    Hoping it might stop the snoring but it did worse than what I intended. My breath caught in my throat as he caught my hair in the midst of swatting off what was tickling him.


    I folded my lips in my mouth as I tugged at my hair from his grasp, trying to free myself without waking him. With a gentle tug, he freed it and his hand fell back to the couch.


    I sighed, relieved when he stopped snoring. But after a nanosecond, he was at it again, the sound. seeming even louder in the quiet room.


    Come on! I thought as frustration warring with a strange fondness.


    With no other choice, I put my index finger on top of his lips and my thumb under his lips and tried to


    close his mouth.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    When he closed his mouth and the sound stopped, I removed my fingers from his face only for him to open his mouth and get right back to it. It was as if he was determined to test my patience.


    I repeated the same action and he closed his mouth. I decided to keep my fingers there for long, hoping the lips will somehow be sealed and not open again because I wanted to feel the warmth of his breath tickle my skin.


    Abruptly, I withdrew my hand and let out a yelp, startled, when his eyes opened. But he caught my hand midway.


    How quick even his reflexes were, even in his drowsy state.


    I tugged at it, my hair falling to his face but he simply moved the strands from his face and held on tighter.


    My heart mmed in my chest as he pinned me with a look that left me hypnotized. I stopped struggling from his hold and returned his stare. I was lost in the depths of his eyes.


    His hands uncurled around my wrist and I still didn''t move away. Even if I wanted to, my body wouldn''t listen. It was frozen in ce by the intensity of the moment.


    I felt his strong fingers dip into my hair, and they stroked my scalp for a while then his hand lowered, and gently palmed on my nape.


    His touch sent shivers down my spine; my breath began to kicky up a notch.


    I knew what was going to happen next and I didn''t try to fight it, surrendering to the inevitable. I wasn''t sure if he pressed my nape to meet his lips or if I lowered my head myself but I willingly shut my eyes his warm lips closed around mine.

 Chapter 0308

    DENNIS


    "Take it back," I told the boy. And as he did as I asked, I absentmindedly nudged him until he exited his seat and I took it.


    I rubbed my palm over my face as I started to watch the clip anew.


    The footage now began with ra... I trailed off as I squinted at the screen, hoping I was wrong and had mistaken someone else for her but it really was ra.


    She stepped out of a taxi alone. After the taxi drove off, she lingered on the sidewalk for a while. As she just stood there, I was tempted to forward the scene but I worried that I might miss a very important detail and that was thest thing I wanted and so I watched with a yawn, but still greatly curious.


    She looked at the road ahead several times, seeming more impatient by the second. Later, she walked to the side of the bar and leaned on the wall, her head tipped back.


    Almost a couple of minutes, another taxi arrived. The person alighted the taxi, fished out their phone from their pocket and dialed a number, I guess.


    I confirmed that the person actually dialed a number when ra, who was still leaning on the wall, also fished out her phone. She picked up the call and waved in the person''s direction. The person walked up to her, then wordlessly, they both walked to the entrance of the bar. ra opened the door for the person to step in then when she was about to go in, she slid off her hood as she looked around behind her before going in.


    When she was in the bar, she slipped the hood back on as she made her way through. It was pretty difficult to keep track of her and herpanion as they navigated their way through the crowd in the bar, As they continued to push through, it was already certain where they were headed; the back rooms.


    Is that where the murder was staged? I thought impatiently. Perhaps, the victim was drugged or something. Is thepanion the victim the police was talking about.


    The thought of showing the clip to the police crossed my mind. It would help with their case but I couldn''t do that to ra. At least not yet. She was my friend and I would watch this clip to the end and confront her, hear her side of the story before I include any other person.


    When my attention returned back to the scene, they were entering one of the backrooms but they were now more than two. It was now ra and two other people.


    As they closed the door, I thought of stopping the video. Maybe I was overthinking all of these and it was just a private moment for the girl? Maybe she liked to get down with more than one person? I thought as I paused it and looked back.


    The boy with the goggles swiftly looked away, his cheeks tainted red. The same thought must be running through our minds.


    "I need an earphone," I told him and pretended that I hadn''t noticed that he quickly looked away.


    He handed me what I requested. I connected it and put it on. I was prepared to forward the scene if it turned out to be a private moment as I suspected.


    But it wasn''t. In fact what was happening in the scene was so mundane that I wondered why it needed to be done in a room.


    ra had simply removed her hoodie and handed something to the person she hade in with, stretching her hand forward. I zoomed in to see what it was. It was brown and looked like an envelope. Money? I quipped silently to myself.


    ra started to speak and that was when I enhanced the sound of the video.


    I blinked, surprised at what I was hearing.


    "Make it look believable, man. Suggest it in the loudest of ways. Get enough bras and thongs and all you need.?


    What?!


    Then she pinned the person with a re, "This has to aplish its goal. I ain''t paying you to rat me out or ruin the n."


    I paused the video and took it all in. Did I just hear ra exin how to stage a sex scene to someone


    else?


    I leaned back in the seat. Is that a fetish or something? What''s with it achieving a goal and not getting ratted out? Why did the meeting have to be so discreet...


    I trailed off as my eyes widened and the fog of confusion slowly cleared. No freaking way! I stared back at her in the paused video.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I could clearly remember when ra told me about Anastasia''s ex-boyfriend infidelity.

 Chapter 0309

    How could I when I heard it first from ra then from Anastasia when she finally epted me in her life.


    I checked the day the video was dated and it really was around that time that ra told me, with anger and resentment in her voice, how Alden was a douchebag that hurt her friend. "You won''t believe he cheated on her the day he knew she wasing back from her trip and left all the proof for her to see what happened." She had looked into the crowd with a clenched jaw. "It''s the guts for me."


    I was beyond shocked. No word could describe how shocked I was. ra? Sometimes ra''s love and care for Anastasia always wowed me to the extent that I used to wonder if I cared for Ana enough to have a chance with her. ra was always there for her. Always there to listen to her, to catch her when she falls, to step in whenever she needs help and all along..she''s been the one that ruined her source of happiness.


    I clenched my fist on my thigh. Even though I wanted Anastasia for myself, I was greatly angered that ra did what she did. It was apparent how happy Aiden made Anastasia. And she had to take away all


    of that? All for what?


    How could she do that to her and still remain in her life and im to be her friend? I was suddenly scared for Ana and Amie. God. I ran my fingers through my hair. She was currently caring for Amie in Ana''s absence. Who knows what intentions she has toward the poor girl? Who knows what her next motive for sticking around was?


    Clumsily, I dropped the earphones and stumbled out of the seat. As I made my way out, I told the team." Send a copy of that to me."


    They all nodded automatically, slighted surprised by my sudden behavior.


    As I left the room, I fished out my car keys from my pocket and headed straight for my car.


    I didn''t want to call and I had no idea where she would be so since I left her at the hospital, I believed it was the reasonable ce to check first.


    The nurse in the room gave me a small smile and a curt nod, before focusing back on what she was doing.


    Amie looked up from her drawing. "Uncle Dennis!" She grinned and I walked up to her and hoisted her in


    my arms.


    "Aunty ra said you were here"


    I raised my brows, "Oh. She did, didn''t she?"


    She bobbed her head. "But I was sleeping and you had to attend to an urgent matter, right?"


    "Yes buddy. You know I wouldn''t have just left you like that."


    She grinned widely, "I know."


    My eyes fell on her drawing book that was sped in her hand.


    "What are you painting this time?" I asked as I peeked at the drawing.


    She raised the book


    in my face. "It''s aunty ra, you and me."


    I raised my brows, impressed at the plece in the book. It was a picture of me standing by her bedside while she was asleep and ra was seated in the only seat in the room, reading a book. "While we watched you sleep, huh?"


    She nodded excitedly. 1 asked aunty ra to exin everything to me and she did. She is the best aunt in the whole world," she said, then she wrote the same words above ra''s head in the picture and my heart fell.


    She really had input herself in their lives yet she was no more than a betrayer. A dangerous one.


    I was reminded of my intent as to why I was here and ced Amie back on her bed.


    "I''m sorry, baby but I still have to leave. I was getting somewhere and since I was passing by I decided to stop by."


    She nodded. "Okay. Don''t worry, Aunty ra said she wouldn''t take long.


    "Oh. She said that. Where did she go?"Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    "She went to her ce. She went to make me my favorite."


    I smiled at the girl and ruffled her hair. "Okay buddy. See youter."


    She waved energetically at me and I left.


    I arrived at ra''s ce in a no time. I knocked on her door once and she answered.


    "Dennis!" She chirped and opened the door wider.


    "Come in."


    I brushed past her, ignoring her greetings. I wasn''t about to act like all was well.


    She must have noticed my expression because her mood dimmed and she looked at me, confused. Holding her gaze, I tossed my phone on the sofa.


    She severed out locked gaze, picked up the phone and watched the video I had started to y on it.


    All the while, I watched her intently, gauging her reaction. Then she rolled her eyes as she dropped the phone back to where she picked it from. "So what are you going to do now? Tell her?"

 Chapter 0310

    CLARA


    I still remember that fateful day like it was yesterday. I had been aimlessly scrolling on the dating app with the thoughts of the lenthy assignment on my mind.


    It was by chance that I had came across his profile on the app. But I didn''t believe that it was by chance. I strongly believed that it was predestined.


    Aiden and I were made for eachother.


    I took the big leap and hit him up. His profile picture was so good looking and mouth watering that I didn''t think he would reply to my ''hi, Mr hottie.'' I had thought it sounded weird but apart from that, someone as good looking as him must have a stream of girls strewing his dm. He had more than enough girls to fuck and choose which one to really fall in love with, why would he want to add the girl who sent the weird. text? He probably would never even see the text.


    Those were my thoughts but it didn''t stop me from staring at my text, waiting for the miracle that would be his response. After a minute, I got tired of waiting for his response and spent a good half of an hour staring at his profile picture. Man, I literally wet myself just looking at his picture. It had taken a lot not to pleasure myself.


    After a while, I dropped my phone with a pout and went to make something for dinner, all the while, hoping he''d reply to me.


    As I finally decided to return to my assignment, he was on my mind and instead of getting the damn assignment done, I ended up scribbling his username all over my book.


    Finally, I grew the guts to check it but he was still yet to reply. When I was about to exit the app, angry, his response popped in.


    I had actually screamed in joy. He replied with "Hi, shottie."


    The grin on my face that night was only re-created whenever we talked and a brighter version when we finally met each other.


    We chatted the whole night that day then the days that followed until he was the only one I thought about and wanted to talk to.


    We met and went on a few dates. Whenever we were together, the air was always charged with the intensity of our chemistry but he wasn''t unchivalrous like I thought. So I waited, happily, for that day that we''d make things official.


    I remembered even sharing my excitement with Anastasia. "I am so happy for you," she had said as she listened with rapt attention.


    It was all going well, I was on cloud nine almost everyday. I told him everything, my fears, my worries, he always listened to me.


    and


    Aiden was the man I had always dreamt of. The perfect man who would ignite in me feelings like never before and he did, just that he ignited me more than I bargained for.


    I saw him as the father of my future children, my dream man, until one day.


    my


    banters


    It had been another exciting day to see him again. To speak with him. To have him listen to all and unnecessary chatter with his soft loving smile. It was a new day to listen to his vibrant, authoritative yet calming voice, to hear hisughter that never ceased to warm my belly. To revel in the subtle pleasure whenever our hands touched. To bask in the honor of his gaze on me.


    That day, I invited him to my ce. Though he had never taken me to his ce, I was eager to have him knowy ce. I could wait to start nning sleepovers, movie nights and indoor dates for us. In a nutshell, I was ready to take things to the next level and see where it leads us.


    At my first attempt of taking things to the next level, where it led us left a bitter taste in my mouth that I refused to swallow without a fight.


    The day he was toe over, ra also happened to visit the same day but I hadn''t thought much of it. In fact, I wanted them to meet.


    Till this day, I med myself for that. I should have known better. I should have hid him away until we were neck dip in a serious rtionship.


    Aiden came and was totally enamored by sweet Anastasia. Then it turned out that they had actually met


    before when Ana first resumed school.


    I still didn''t think much of it until Aiden dropped the bomb on me one evening after our date.


    He said, with no remorse, that he''d prefer it if we just remained friends.


    By then, it was already crystal clear, I had just refused to acknowledge it. I didn''t need to be t man that used to be all over me suddenly wanted to be just friends. told why theText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 0311

    But again, I pushed that thought to the back of my mind and tried to ept that we didn''t turn out the way I wanted.


    But it was hard. They made it hard with the stupid loudugh Aiden always rumbled out at Ana''s most dumbest joke or the look in his eyes whenever he looked at her. Let''s not even begin with Ana, at first, she had seemed totally uninterested until he was all she talked about, forgetting that he had actuallye to visit me when they met in my ce. Or maybe it was just intentional. She wanted the man I craved.


    I did what every normal person in a situation like this would do. I tried to hold Ana back. I tried to make her see that Aiden wasn''t for her but for me. I think it was working until she asked about Aiden and I stupidly downyed it to us just being friends. "We never really dated," I had said with a half shrug.


    Their rtionship blossomed and even though I tried to not let it bother me, my feelings for Aiden lingered.


    Everyday I would wake up with a gaping hole in my heart, one that free deeper andrger everyday. A hole that only Aiden''s love for me would fill. Slowly, bitterness set in and I grew to resent their rtionship. Finally, I attempted to subtly drive them apart. There were several guys who were pinning after Ana then, guys who would do anything for her. I tried to make her see them. I set up scenes where they''d be alone together but they never worked.


    Instead, she woulde back and narrate to me, her brows furrowed in irritation, about the ''horrible'' encounter she had with such a person.


    With augh, I would tell her, "Why don''t you just give them a chance?"


    She would snap her head round to look at me like I had just ordered her to kill someone and blurt, "Why would I do that?! I have Aiden."


    Crushing the insane urge to yell in


    her face and tell her how much I hated her with Aiden, I would roll my eyes with a smile on my lips. "Speaking from experience, I would


    advise you to not put all your eggs in


    a basket."


    She would shake her head andugh, "You clown, Aiden isn''t a basket." Then she''d turn away and I''d be left to re at the back of her head with so much hate that it was hard to contain.


    I tried so many ways but my efforts always tantly failed. It was like nothing could evere between them. You would think they''ve been sewn together surgically.


    I was slowly, unconsciously, hating


    my friend. I had lost the man I fully would''ve mine, I didn''t want to lose my friendtoo. More so, I didn''t want to do something out of the hate t was nurturing in me. I didn''t want to do something I would regret for the rest of my life so I nned harder.


    As ast resort, I orchestrated a n to break them up.


    I had been ridden with guilt as I made the ns and an even greater guilt when Ana hade crying to me but I would never deny the huge relief I felt that my n seeded.


    Don''t get me wrong, I was happy that my friend was happy. I didn''t think I had ever seen Ana that ecstatic since I met her but I just couldn''t bear the thought that Aiden was the one who made her that happy.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I was jealous that Aiden was slowly


    taking my ce in Ana''s life but I was more upset that Aiden and Anastasia were together. I was mad that Anastasia had taken my ce in Aiden''s life. Whenever Ana announced that she was sleeping over at his ce, I would stay up all night, either crying or nning their deaths. I was going crazy. It was the only thing I could do to preserve my sanity.


    No. I had no n of making Aiden mine anymore. I knew I would never get another chance with him even if I tried. But at least, neither of us had him. That was satisfying enough.

 Chapter 0312

    ANASTASIA


    The warmth of Aiden''s touch sent shivers down my spine and I further leaned into his embrace. My fingers dig into his soft hair and I allowed his probing tongue entrance as our kiss deepened.


    I let out a soft moan, pressing my chest deeper into him. My hands ttened on his chest as his hands pressed me deeper into his arms. Before long, my legs had taken a spot on either side of his body on the couch while we continued to ravage each other''s lips.


    His fingers massaged my scalp as he buried his fingers deep in my hair. The gentle pressure at the nape of my neck made me arch closer, my body responding to his touch as if no time had passed. The more intense the moment became, the more memories came rushing back into my head, as well as old emotions rising to the surface.


    While the warmth of his embrace, I realized that some of my feelings for him never truly faded. They had only been lying dormant and waiting for the right moment to be awakened. I was reminded of the depth of what we once had.


    A voice in my head screamed at me to leave, to get out of the arms of this betrayer, but it felt too good to be wrapped in his arms and kissed by him. I loved the feel of his hands as they cupped my ass and squeezed; how he pulled me into him just to make us inseparable for that one moment. I loved the feelings he ignited in me; I enjoyed the way my skin tingled wherever he touched, and I just wanted to stay in his arms forever.


    My eyes rolled all to the back of my head and I arched my back when I felt his hand creep under my shirt and begin a trail upward. The feel of his palm against my bare skin was running me mad, and that was exactly the moment that I willed myself toe back to my senses.


    I froze in his arms. What the hell did I just do? What the hell am I doing?! I reprimanded myself as I scrambled off him, falling clumsily on my butt on the floor.


    Quickly, without a backward nce, I pulled myself up, ran to the door and fled the room, my heart beating rapidly in my chest.


    As I closed the door behind me, I closed my eyes and ttened my back on the wall beside the door and regained my breath.


    I opened my eyes and stared into the hallway. My heart wouldn''t stop racing. I could still feel his hands on me and... squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lower lip. And I still wished his hands were still on body, unraveling me like I was the special gift that he had longed for over a long time. I wished I was still in that room, on that couch, pressed to the hard contours of his body.


    I shook my head. "What is wrong with me?" I muttered under my breath. Why did I do that? My throat closed up, thick with tears.


    I should have remained in bed and


    endured the Snores. I should have blocked my ears with the pillows. Why did have to go to him? Why did I have to go so close to him without thinking and let this happen? Gosh! What would have happened if I hadn''t regained my senses?


    A tear slid down my cheeks. It has been years I hadn''t let any man I


    touch mee times. I hadn''t


    even felt the need to be close to any man in such a way and one subtle touch from Aiden, I became a needy shameless woman in his arms. In the arms of my freaking boss.


    ****


    CLARA


    After I packed the bag, I gazed at it and wondered if I had packed too much. Amie usually ate a ton buttely, her appetite had significantly dropped. Infact, it was as though she lost her appetite by the day.


    I squinted my eyes and tapped my index finger on my lips as I continued to contemte reducing the food.


    I shrugged, "Well, Dennis would be there," I muttered to myself as I counted on my fingers. "There''d also be the nurses, the..." I trailed off. Then with a raised brow, I shrugged. "There''d also be the friendly cleaners."


    I decided not to reduce it as I returned to the kitchen. It would be too much stress to start unpacking what I had carefully packed up.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I dished a portion for myself and set it on the dining table. I would just take something before leaving. With all those antiseptic and drug smell in the hospital, I could puke if I tried to eat there.

 Chapter 0313

    Just as I settled in the seat to take my meal, I heard the doorbell ring.


    My gaze traveled to the monitor and my face lit up with a smile as I saw Dennis at the door.


    "Dennis!" I called as I opened the door. "Come in."


    There wasn''t the shy smile I had grown ustomed to as he brushed past me. Even though I could feel the tension in the air, I kept talking. He probably was worried about Ana being with Aiden again and needed some cheering up.


    "You came in just at the right time. I just made dinner, join me," I said as I closed the door and walked up to him.


    But his face was still set in that hard expression. I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong when he threw his phone on the sofa.


    I raised my brows at him. Okay? He turned away and I diverted my gaze to the phone on the sofa.


    There was a video ying on it. I walked up to it and picked up the phone.


    My heart skipped several beats and a chill ran down my spine at the content of the video.


    How? I thought with a trembling breath. No one was supposed to ever find out. It was perfectly nned, no traces left behind. How did he get this video? My eyes roamed the screen as I tried to figure out what type of video it was.


    It was footage. Shit.


    I looked up at Dennis whose gaze was already on me. I looked down at the phone in my hand. I wanted to duck and hide away from his using stare but there was no use. He already found out. Memories of how it all went down, how I tried to keep it all to myself and almost burst rushed in. And I realized that no matter how I exined, he''d never understand. Not him. Not anyone.


    When I looked up and still found his judgy eyes on me, I rolled my eyes and tossed his phone back on the sofa.


    "So what are you going to do now? Tell her?"


    Even though I sounded like I didn''t care. I cared! Anastasia must never find out I was behind it.


    The only response I got from him was a hike in his brows.


    "Answer me, Dennis." Clenching my trembling hands, I strode to the table where I set my food. I took my seat, set my fists under my chin and held his gaze as he turned toward my direction. "Do you n to tell her, Dennis?"


    I waited for his response, my mind going crazy with several scenarios of the ever loyal and loving and caring Dennis running to Ana and spilling everything to her, but he remained silent, his gaze hard on me.


    "Well," I shrugged. "You can not in any case reveal the truth."


    He scoffed, "And why is that?"


    I rolled my eyes again. He could judge me all he wanted. If he was in my shoes, he would have done worse. No one needs to act like they were some saint or something. I sighed as I answered him.


    "You revealing the truth to her will not only make Anastasia run back into Aiden''s arms but she will also draw farther from you than she already is."


    I shuddered as soon as I''d said this because I didn''t even want to imagine the both of them back together.


    Dennis swallowed. "This is not right, ra. Ana didn''t deserve what you did to her."


    I narrowed my eyes on him. "Don''t even start, Dennis. Don''t you go judging me when you know nothing."


    "What is there to know?" He threw his hands in the air. "You betrayed your friend. You ruined her source of happiness and made her a single mother!"


    "Oh. If you feel that bad, why don''t


    you go running to her now? Yap to her all you want so she can in turn


    run back to Aiden." I was shaking I with anger. "Then what?" I threw my hands up. "You''d be back to your


    pathetic life as a gangster?


    He narrowed my eyes at me. And suddenly I realized that this was the first time Dennis and I were having an argument.


    "Come on, there''s the door," I gestured toward the door. "Go on. Go to your crush. Tell her that the man she loved never cheated on her."


    He swallowed and looked away. His jaw hard. He ran his fingers through his hair and gripped it.


    "I don''t like this," his voice was barely a whisper.


    I shrugged, ¡°I don''t either." I don''t like that you dug up a long buried secret, I wanted to add but I held myself back and said instead, "But it has to remain this way."Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 0314

    AIDEN


    Slowly, I sat up as I returned from the heavenly that filled me with the feeling of having Ana in my arms. My mind was a fog that refused to clear up as I stared at the door she had fled out of and mmed close.


    I had desperately wanted our reconciliation, I wanted our love to blossom again but not this way. Not that I didn''t like what just happened. I loved every bit of it. I wished she hadn''t freaked out and ran out but I wanted us to slowly patch things back up. To make her understand that it had all been a grave misunderstanding. To show her that I would never have betrayed her in such a cheap manner. Perhaps, I would even y the voice recording for her.


    When I felt a presence around me then felt someone touch my face and opened my eyes, I was shocked to see her. Up till she dug her fingers in my hair and kissed me back, I was convinced that I was dreaming.


    When I saw her in front of my face, wide-eyed, still high from the excitement of being in the same room with her, I hadn''t been able to stop myself. At that moment, it felt like, if I didn''t kiss her, I might die.


    I dropped my face in my hands and sighed. I didn''t know where she would have ran to and as much as it worried me, I couldn''t go after her. She probably wanted space from now on. She wanted nothing to do with the betraying ex boyfriend who tried to take advantage of her again.


    I sighed. I would just wait to the next morning.


    ***


    The next morning, after a quick shower, I went in search of her. When I reached her room, stopping in front of the doorway and scanning the entire space with my eyes, she wasn''t there. The room was being cleaned and fixed.


    I decided to go for a jog around the premises, hoping that, by some miracle, I''de across her.


    While I exerted myself and rounded the premises from the third time, the lodge keeper''s son joined me.


    What was his name again? Martin? Yes, Martin.


    "Hey."


    I nodded at him, "Hey."


    We stopped at the storage shed to catch our breaths. Martin, who must have been out for a run too, offered me a bottle of water.


    "Thanks, man," I said as I took a long swig of the refreshing water.


    "You know," the guy started hesitatingly. I turned to him, still struck by the familiarity I felt. I had concluded that he looked like his father but there was still something about him that I couldn''t ce my finger on. "Come on, man. What''s up?"


    He cleared his throat, ufortably. "After we departedst night, I remembered where I know you from."


    I raised my brows as I screwed the cap of the bottle back on. "Come on, humor me," I pped him on his biceps.


    He smiled shyly and I realized that he was quite younger than I had thought when I saw himst night.


    "You remember anky short boy you beat up and threatened years ago?" He asked with an arched brow.


    I frowned as I snorted, "I don''t think I-" my eyes widened as I trailed off.


    "You!" I blurted.


    He nodded and his lips curled into a sheepish grin. "Yep, me. I broke into your home. And you gave me a good beating."


    I shook my head, unable to stop theughter that bubbled up my throat. "Why do you say it like that?" I said amidstughter. And soon, he also joined me.


    When we both sobered up, I shook


    my head at him as I sized him up


    A


    "Man. In just five years, you''ve grown so big. I thought you were like... what? Twelve? In junior high."


    He shrugged. "I was in high school then. My growth spurt just happened reallyte."Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Poor you," I teased, "It must have been hard to get the girls."


    He shook his head but he didn''tugh. He gazed down at his feet and rushed out. "I''m sorry."


    "Nah," I looked away from him as I


    took another gulp from the bottle "It''s in the past now. I''ve long


    forgiven you. You were a dumb boy struggling with puberty."


    He chuckled at that. "So," he started hesitatingly again.


    I hit him in the chest. "You''re a man now. Stop sounding like a pussy."


    There was a light smile on his lips. "What about your girlfriend?" He looked up at me and I could see the regret in his eyes. "Were you able to reconcile with her?"


    I swallowed, taking another sip. "Nah. She dissapeared after then. Never waited to hear my exnation."

 Chapter 0315

    I shook my head and looked ahead in the distance at the men that had rose early to get to work as I remembered the dark days after she left and I added in a small voice. "Everything fell apart after that." Martin remained silent and I could practically feel the guilt and regret emanating from him.


    "I''m really sorry, Aiden."


    "Come on. It''s in the past now. It''s okay." I put on a stiff smile to ease the boy''s guilt but I guess he could see through my smile.


    "No, it''s not," he shook his head. "For you to have handled me the way you did even with the risk of getting a fair punishment from the cops, you forced the truth out of me in every way you could." He shook his head, sighing, "I ruined something beautiful for a measly amount."


    I couldn''t summon up the fake smile anymore. He was right. He ruined something beautiful...him and whoever was the asshole who sent him to do something that wicked. How is his life now? How has he been been faring after everything he''d done? Is he living a great life now?


    And because of what he did, I was now stuck with Sharon, a damned contract marriage that I stupidly signed and the woman I still have feelings for probably hates my guts now.


    Yep, it''s not okay. And I feared that Ana will never forgive me or give me the chance to clear the misunderstanding, I would be forced to marry Sharon and then I would live the rest of my days as a sad and unfulfilled man, my heart yearning for another while I remained trapped in a marriage I didn''t want. I feared that it would never be okay.


    "I can still help, if you let me," he said sincerely.


    I arched my brows as I turned to him. "How would you do that?"


    He shrugged, "I would confess to her that I staged the whole thing. I can still remember all the cheap dresses I bought and even how I ced them."


    "You''ve got a retentive memory," I murmured but I could also still remember Ana''s face that day, tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes clouded with hurt and slight disbelief as she told me that we were done. I remembered it like it was yesterday.


    "I also didn''t tell you the whole truth that day."


    I turned to him. "Interesting. What? You weren''t paid to do it? You did it because you were in love with my girl?"


    He chuckled, "Of course not. I didn''t even know her." Then his expression grew somber. "It was actually a woman that paid me to do what I did."


    "Do you know her?"


    He frowned and shook his head. "I met her for the first time that night in the bar. She had dark hair, I think. She is tall and..." he shook his head. "I don''t really know. But the way she spoke, she seemed to be close to you and your girlfriend." He quickly added, "Sorry, your ex girlfriend."


    I barely registered hisst words as my mind raced. I already had an inkling of who it could be. Though didn''t think she would go to that length. She has seemed genuinely happy for Ana and I. And when I told her that I liked her friend, she acted normal; or at least I thought she did.


    I should have known she wouldn''t take it that well. I thought the rolkof her eyes whenever she saw me with her friend was just the way we used to banter before.


    ?


    Even before we met, I could already tell that she liked me but even then, my mind was already set on Ana. I should''ve just deleted my ount on that dating app. "But if you ever see her, would you be able to recognize her?"


    He shook his head, "I should."


    "You have to if you really want to help."


    "I would, I assure you."


    "You know, she''s actually here," I announced, feeling the need to inform him since he has made his interest to help known.


    I didn''t see the surprise I expected to see in his eyes. "It''s Anastasia, right?" He pronounced the name slowly.


    I frowned. "How did you know that?"


    He shrugged, "I was walking past the room that got flooded yesterday when I saw you two. The air was pretty thick with tension even for a bystander." "Wow," was all I could say.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Don''t worry, Aiden. I will do everything in my power to clear your name and get back your girl."


    Now that I''m backed with some live evidence, I felt my heart rekindle in hope. Maybe. Just maybe, I could clear up the misunderstanding and win Anastasia back.

 Chapter 0316

    ANASTASIA


    I couldn''t sleep a wink after I returned to my flooded room. You''d have thought that the flooded room would bother but it was thest thing on my mind as Iid in the bed that thankfully hadn''t been submerged in the pool of water. There was nowhere else I could go to sleep in the middle of the night; neither was I in the mood the spend the rest of the night in the midst of other humans at that point in time.


    I couldn''t take my mind off what had happened in Aiden''s room and


    what I had almost allowed to happen. And at the same time, I couldn''t


    stop reprimanding myself.


    "Why, Ana? Why?" I said into the empty room as I gazed up at the brown, ceiling, furrowing my brows as I felt a headache beginning to pulse around my temples


    I sighed out loud and rolled around in the bed, stopping for a bit when I got so close to the edge I thought I might fall off.


    "What does this mean? I thought I had gotten over him. I thought his return would make no difference in my life."


    I should have known that I was far from getting over him when I refused to be with anyone else after the incident.


    The next morning, as early as dawn broke, the plumber came to fix the


    issue and I had to leave the room.


    1 headed toward the kitchen, hoping to spend some alone time there. But, on reaching there, I was dismayed when the voices in there reached my ears the closer I got. I was already making a U-turn when one of their gossips reached me.


    "I saw here out of the boss'' roomst night too."


    I stopped dead in my tracks.


    There were gasps then followed by, "Are you for real?"


    "I wouldn''t be able to say it''s a lie if my life was on the line."


    "Wow."


    "I always knew there was something between the both of them."


    "I know, right? I knew something was going on."


    Judgyments flew from everyone''s mouth. I was slightly riled up, irritated, but I was going to ignore them until one of their harsh.ments broke my resolve.


    Without another rational thought, I stormed into the kitchen.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    They all became mute as I stepped into therge kitchen, pretending to be focused on whatever the hell they were doing.


    "Why did you stop?" I asked firmly, my eyes sweeping them. "Since you''re all so curious, Aiden is my ex-boyfriend," I blurted. Some of them that kept their heads down snapped their gaze up, eyes widened. But no one dared to say anything. With a long hiss, I strode out of the room.


    As I walked ahead, with no destination in mind. I thought angrily, I should just talk to Aiden and get all of this gossip to stop.


    I also needed to talk to him about what happenedst night. It was a flimsy, careless, mistake that should have never happened and that he should not misunderstand it. It meant absolutely nothing.


    I climbed upstairs and checked his room, not caring if any of those. gossips saw me. Yes, I once dated the man who turned out to be my


    boss, what''s the big deal..


    I closed the door to Aiden''s room with a sigh. He wasn''t in.


    I had no idea where he could be so I aimlessly searched until I came across one of the workers on the farm. I felt propelled to ask him and I did.


    "The boss? The one who has the sesame allergy?" His eyebrows rose in question and I nodded.


    "I think I saw him at the shed with Martin."


    Who''s Martin? I wanted to ask but Martin wasn''t the one I needed to speak with. So I thanked him and made my way to the shed. I was just a few meters from it.


    As I started to walk around the shed from the back to the front and I heard his voice, I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the confrontation, ready to get things back to the formal way I had made them from the beginning that he set his foot back into my life.


    I was about to step through the open entranceway and make my presence known when the words of the person Aiden must be speaking with reached me.


    "I''m really sorry, Aiden."


    Then Aiden''s voice, small, shaky, piped up in false enthusiasm, "Come on. It''s in the past now. It''s okay."


    "No, it''s not," the voice insisted, growing stronger than it sounded before. "For you to have handled me the way you did even with the risk of getting a fair punishment from the cops, you forced the truth out of me in every way you could." I heard his loud sigh, "I ruined something beautiful for a measly amount."

 Chapter 0317

    I waited to hear Aiden''s voice but he said nothing. There was a long silence that I almost thought they had finished talking until the other voice spoke up again. I now assumed that the owner of the voice was Martin.


    He said, "I can still help, if you let me.


    "How would you do that?" Aiden asked almost immediately. I pressed my hand slowly to the wall as I wondered what it was they were talking about. At first, I thought, it wasn''t proper of me to eavesdrop on them.. But then again, I couldn''t help myself, especially after hearing about something beautiful being ruined:


    "I would confess to her that I staged the whole thing," Martin''s voice boomed through the morning and a frown settled on my brows. "I can still remember all the cheap dresses bought and even how I ced them."


    What were they talking about? What does he want to help Jordan with? And why did Jordan sound so hurt? What was staged?


    I had so many questions but their answers eluded me. And I knew there was only one way to find out. I stayed and listened more.


    "You''ve got a retentive memory," Aiden murmured back dryly.


    "I also didn''t tell you the whole truth that day," Martin said, his voice dripping with guilt.


    Aiden piped up and with his tone, I could tell that he was trying to lighten up the mood. "Interesting. What? You weren''t paid to do it? You were interested in my girl?"


    My frown deepened.


    Martin let out a breathyugh. "Of course not. I didn''t even know her."


    Chapter D¨®TT


    I zoned out. Who the hell are they talking about? Is Aiden now in another rtionship? Not that I wanted to go back to dating him. I was just curious. But their tone was a mncholic one and it didn''t sound like he was happy in this rtionship. It was either that or they were not longer together.


    I zoned back into the conversation, gently scolding myself for missing the bit that I did as Martin said with a nervous chuckle, "Sorry, your ext girlfriend."


    My heart mmed against my chest. Ex girlfriend? Could that be me? I wondered as I continued to listen attentively, refusing to lose


    concentration another time.


    Aiden''s next words answered all of my questions.


    "You know, she''s actually here," he announced.


    And Martin said, "It''s Anastasia, right?"


    By this time, my heart was beating wildly in my chest as I reyed the previous snippets of their conversation that I had heard and pieced everything together.


    It was staged. Those words echoed in my ears and my legs almost gave beneath me.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Shock couldn''t begin to properly describe how stunned I was. I was mortified. All these years and it had all been a ruse. I had pushed the most loving and caring man I ever had away all because of a lie. I had moved far away from him all because of a lie.


    I felt a tear slip down my face. By all indications, it had been implied that Martin was involved in the staging and I felt the need to go in there and yell in his face and hit him, pour out some of this anger and shame and sadness that had suddenly overwhelmed me. But I couldn''t.


    I couldn''t go in there and face Aiden. Not now, not ever. My eyes clouded with tears, my heart heavy with guilt as I ran back to my room.


    All those years of crying and cursing Aiden, of judging him...


    I ruined everything we had. I ruined the special connection. I ruined the trust and love that we had built for years because I didn''t stop to take a second look or confront my boyfriend about what I saw. I ruined everything because I was too scared to hear him admit that he cheated


    on me.


    It was still early and there was barely anyone out yet and I was d for that. Because as I ran to my room, the tears wouldn''t stop pouring and with each step I took, my sobs got louder, my shoulders trembling.


    In my room, the plumber was still at work. I opened the door to the bathroom where he was working. "Please, leave," I said in a trembling voice.


    The plumber looked up from what he was doing, surprised but even more surprised when he saw my face.


    "I uh," he gaze riveted from my face to the pipe, "I''m not-"


    "Get out!" I yelled, weeping. I crumbled to the bathroom doorway and wrapped my arms around myself. "Please, leave," I whispered.


    "I''ll return to fix it," he stammered as he rushed out of the room


    I ruined everything, I thought as I locked the door, buried myself in my bed and soaked the pillow.

 Chapter 0318

    ANASTASIA


    The lodge keeper appeared at my door, around midday after the plumber left and asked, his face etched with worry, "Are you okay? The plumber said you were crying."


    I had forced out augh. "I knew he panicked. I''m fine. It''s just my period. I get so emotional whenever the timees."


    "Oh," he mouthed. "I''m sorry about that."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "Nah. I''m used to it."


    "When you''re better, the plumber will be back to finish his work."


    "Thank you," I thanked him. As soon as he turned around, my lips turned. downward. My chest hurt a whole lot more as I resumed my crying.


    That night, Amie called and asked, her cute brows furrowed in a frown, her face pale, "Are you crying, mommy?"


    I shook my head and sniffed, smiling through my tears. "I''m fine, baby. Are you okay? I frowned. She didn''t look or seem as agile as she had since I left her..


    "I''m tired. My whole body aches," she cried, her lips forming a pout as her eyes watered.


    "I''m sorry, love."


    "When are youing back?"


    "Soon," I promised her.


    And as the call ended, I picked myself up. I had to stay strong for my daughter. She needed me now more than ever.


    .


    So that night, after it seemed everyone had gone to bed, I went for dinner. But Rachel was just leaving. She came to an abrupt halt when she saw me, "You look like hell, girl. Are you okay? I was just on my way to your room. I haven''t seen you all day."


    "I''m fine." I told her curtly and when she wouldn''t take my brief response, I told her the same story I told the lodge keeper and she let me be.


    I counted down for the remaining days of the trip, I was like a walking dead. I felt numb. I didn''t care about the look that my colleagues shot me whenever I walked into a room or whenever they thought I wasn''t looking. As much as I felt numb, I could still feel everything around me and I could still hear the whispers. I wished I could just block out everything and everyone. I wished I could just remain in that room and nevere out again but Amie was waiting for me.


    Crying would not change anything anyway. It would not fix anything. I''ve ruined it all. Five years had passed and it could never be the same again. Never.


    So I stopped crying and avoided Aiden to the best of my ability. Though, as long as I intended to keep my job, I was sure I would still face him soon but for now, I could not bear to look at him, even though he does.


    not know that I know yet.


    Whenever we had no choice but to all be in a room, whther for some activity or an announcement, I did my best to not look his way. But I could always tell that his gaze was on me. Always.


    I felt even more guilt for being cold to him after I''ve found out but I just couldn''t do it. Not yet..


    Eventually, the trip came to an end, and everyone returned home. I was happy to be back home, happy to see my daughter again.


    The same day I arrived, I visited Amie in the hospital, with the gifts that


    I got her.


    "Mommy!" She yelled and ran up to me, wrapping her small arms around my knee.


    I hoisted her in my arms and hugged her, delighted to be back and relieved to see that she seemed agile today.


    "How was your trip, mom? Let me see the pictures you took," she asked and demanded impatiently, wanting to see everything and get a


    response to everything all at once.


    And I took my time to carefully answer each question one after the other. And she in turn, told me about all her stay at the hospital while I was gone. She described the days as fun, that she met other kids her age, and Dennis and ra were always dropping by and buying her all sorts of pretty things.


    Later, we yed a video game that she said Dennis taught her how to and sometimes yed with her.


    Suddenly, she shocked me when, in the middle of the game, she asked, that stubborn look on her face again. "Why don''t I have a dad?"


    The smile on my face died at the sudden question and stark reminder.


    "Some kids are special and don''t need dads because they have the best moms," was what I would always say to her with no iota of regret but today I couldn''t bring myself to say those words


    I felt the guilt weigh down on me again. All these years, I had denied my child a father.

 Chapter 0319

    The next day at work, I finally summoned up the courage to talk to Aiden, about everything. I prepared myself to own up and apologize for how I wronged him and hurt him and how I would love to make things right.


    When I reached work that morning, I didn''t see hime up but when I asked, Rachel told me that he came up early. Due to the trip we had, he had work to deal with just like everyone of us.


    That was the thing about going on vacation as an employed person. You have your break, then you return to meet more work.


    Every one of the employees that went for the trip, abandoned their job, paired themselves with each if the employee that didn''t get to go and started to narrate how the whole trip went to them.


    I decided to wait till after work before I would go to Aiden. I didn''t know how it was going to turn out so I better make sure there are less or no eyes when I''d talk to him. Besides, even though the whole office now. knows about Aiden being my ex, I didn''t want then to overhear our conversation.


    I waited till after work and u was restless throughout, even though before then, I had buried myself with work. I did all that needed to be done. Rachel brought in some files, stacked them on top of my desk. and gave me a long look.


    "How''re you now? I hope your period has ended."


    I smiled, "Yes, it has."


    Oh Good because I don''t want to see you bawling eyes out in the office too."


    I gaped at her as she turned around and headed to her office. "I didn''t


    13


    Chapter (319


    bawl," i called after her, defensively.


    "Of course, Anastasia. Of course," she drawled sarcastically as she went out of my view.


    I didn''t think much about it but I was surprised that she didn''t ask me about Aiden. Surely, it must have reached her ears that I announced that


    I once dated the boss.


    T


    I waited, aware as each minute passed, for the day to end and for everyone to leave. But it felt like eons. It was like the time had been slowed so we''d get more work done. Or maybe it was just me, impatient. to see Aiden, apologize to him and see what happens next.


    Oftentimes, I would catch myself, gazing longingly at the elevator does, hoping he would, at least, walk through it so I could see him. But he remained upstairs, working?


    Or was he pouring himself into work because of me? At some point, I thought so but then I rolled my eyes and groaned.m and out my head on the table, staring down at my impatiently tapping feet. By this timest week I''d have been seriously fighting for a thought of him to fly past my mind, and now...?


    "Gosh, Ana. Everyone''s life doesn''t revolve around yours," I told myself. He had his life to live too.


    With that, I returned to work and didn''t lose focus or think about Aiden for the rest of the day. I had the whole night to do that.


    At the end of the workday, all the employees exchange pleasantries as the packed up their things. Some of my colleagues who barely looked. my way even walked up to me, greeting affectionately. "Are you done? We could walk to the bus stop together."


    "I still have quite a lot to do, thank you," I answered them politely.


    Thane 2015


    +25 BORUText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I didn''t need to be a genius to know what they wanted. More story about Aiden and 1.


    When Rachel came down, she stopped abruptly when she passed by my cubicle, a big frown on her face. "You''re still here?"


    I smiled and shrugged. "These things won''t do themselves."


    She sighed and looked at me with pity. "Don''t over exert yourself, okay? Do what you can and leave the rest. You''re doing more than enough already."


    "Thank you."


    She sighed again, "I''d have loved to wait so I can give you a ride home but I''m really in a rush."


    "It''s okay, Rachel. I''d be fine. I''d begin to wrap up now."


    "Don''t stay too long," she warned before she left.


    After all the employees had retired for the day and went to their various homes, then it was just me. I packed up my things and tidied up my space then I made my way to the elevator, up to Aiden''s floor, fiddling with my fingers.


    As I headed for his door, I noticed that the ss wall was open. The blinds weren''t down as usual. I came to an abrupt stop when I looked through the transparent ss walls and saw Aiden in his seat, a woman straddling him as they kissed seriously and made out.

 Chapter 0320

    ANASTASIA


    My palms flew to my mouth to silence my gasps. As I watched thedy continue to move ontop of Aiden, I took staggering steps back until my back came in contact with the wall on the other side of the hallway. I dragged my shivering hand away from my mouth, to my chest, where it stayed for a bit as I tried to calm myself down. However, it was pointless.


    The more I watched, the harder my heart broke into pieces and the more it hurt.


    I couldn''t watch anymore. I turned around and quickly walked away from his office before I''d be seen and further embarrass myself, also making sure that my shoes don''t as much as make a squeak on the ground.


    As I made my way out of his floor and to the stairs, my eyes blurred with tears that I had been trying to hold back so I saw them. Now, as I climbed down the stairs, it was pouring down my cheeks, blurring my vision. It was harder to climb down the stairs as I couldn''t see well. I worried that I''d fall. So I took a seat on one of the steps and let my head fall in my cupped hands as I cried, my shoulder shaking with the intensity of my wails.


    Though, no one except me and one of my colleagues who takes the stairs because she''s always trying to burn some calories, no one else''s takes the stairs, I still attempted to muffle my tears but it wasn''t working. My hups were loud and my aching heart sought to let out the pain in some way and the only way was for me to cry out until I lost my voice.


    I didn''t want to draw any unwanted attention to myself so I bit down on 1


    the sleeve of my dress and let the tears fall.


    After a while, someone''s chatter reached my ears followed by augh in one of the floors below. I blinked. I thought I was the only one left.


    Then I realized that I didn''t even want to be in here. I just want to be out of here, back in my house and curled in my bed. There, I coukd lick my wounds in whichever manner I wanted.


    I stood up and wiped the tears from my face. I sniffed a couple of times to ensure that I wouldn''t have to do it infront of anyone.


    The steps before me were endless and I remembered the number of steps I would have to descend before I''d reach thest floor. I shook my head. That would take so long. So, for the first time since the incident in the elevator, I opted for the lift. Damn my fears, I need to be out of this building as soon as possible.


    As I marched to the lift, I let out a hiss as I felt my eyes water again." What is wrong with me?" I cried as I angrily wiped my tears.


    Why the hell do I have to be so pathetic? I thought as I stopped before the elevator. I pushed the required button and stepped in. Instead of the fear that I expected to grip me as the door closed, I was instead grateful for the privacy it provided and so my shoulders drooped as I let the tears fall anew.


    Memories... the memories I always never wanted inundated me. Sweet memories of when Aiden and I were still so in love. Of when it felt like nothing could ever break us apart... These memories kept rushing in; Aiden''sugh, the way he used to look at me like I was the only thing that mattered to him, of how a day would never go by without receiving a call from him, no matter how busy he was, all because he wanted to hear my voice...


    My tears became hotter as they streamed down my face faster than ever, my heart squeezing tighter in my chest.


    We had spent so many times debating over baby names. I remembered


    23


    how I used to always wonder what he might have named Amie if he


    was there with me.


    Now I would never know because I threw him away because of my carelessness and my stupidity. I raised my fingers to my forehead again as I shut my eyes against the ache I was feeling in my head. Suddenly, I noticed that the elevator stopped and I realized that my status as the sole rider in the lift was about to change.


    I quickly raised my hands and sloppily wiped the tears and snot that I had allowed to flow freely.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I sniffed long and hard. And just as the elevator opened and revealed three of my colleagues, I pasted a bright smile on my face.

 Chapter 0321

    "Hey. You guys are still around?" I blurted the first words that came to my head as I stepped aside for them toe in and I was thankful to God that my voice didn''t quiver like it normally would have. "Yeah, we are putting in our best in the project the boss asked us to work on. Who doesn''t want to impress the new boss?" One of them answered as she pressed the button to the floor they were going. Oh my God. We''re all going to thest floor. Now there was no hope of being alone again. More reason why I really had to leave here.


    The rest of them gave nuanced responses that I couldn''t even keep


    track of.


    Then one of them frowned, "I''m surprised you''re still here though. Your usually leave earlier than this."


    Oh. I usually leave early to pick my daughter in school but now she''s stuck in a hospital bed and is mad at me because she doesn''t have a


    dad.


    "I''m also workingte. You know, with the trip and all, the part of my work was left unattended to for a week. I''m trying to cover up for that


    week as fast as I can."


    "Yeah, that''s true," another from the back nodded. "The others who also went for the tripined that they had quite a workload to deal with. now that they were back."


    "But they don''t regret going for the trip," one of them quipped and everyoneughed.


    I think I also let out a sound that sounded like augh. At the same time, I remembered the brief moment we had in his room, me finding out that he never cheated on me and a tear slid down my face. I had to


    quickly turn my face away to wipe it.


    After theughter, all conversations kind of died down except a murmur and ament here and there but neither was directed at me and I was


    grateful as firmly trained my gaze ahead, trying to hold back the tears.


    let out a yelp as one of them put her face infront of mine, her curious. eyes searching. "Are you okay though?"


    "What?" I squeaked, puzzled.


    She moved her face away and shrugged. "I noticed that your eyes look. swollen. I tapped you and called your name but you seemed miles away. "Y''know, work," I breathed as I looked back to the rest who were also looking at me. "My mind is just upied."


    I prayed that she wouldn''t mention my swollen eyes again but she did.


    "Are you alright?" Her brows pulled down in concern. "Your eyes are swollen."


    "Really?" My brows furrowed deeply as I lightly touched my cheeks.


    She nodded.


    "I didn''t even realize." I sighed, "Though I''d admit that I''ve been feeling pretty tiredtely."


    "Aww," she cooed and ced her hand on my shoulder. "Take care of yourself, okay? I''m sure the boss would grant you leave if you apply."


    I tried not to overthink herst sentence and just smiled. "Thank you."


    "Take care," the rest of them murmured with pity in their eyes.


    I murmured my ''thank you'' apanied by a sweet smile, then they let me be.


    But them they started to gossip among themselves and no matter how I tried, their words reached my ears and went straight to my head for me. to process.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Yes, the samedy." That was the first words my ears captured.


    "I think she''s his girlfriend."


    "I think so too," another answered. "Cause she was like, Tell Aiden I''m here."


    My ears almost jumped off my skin. Aiden? Girlfriend? Now I listened. more attentively and they talked more about Aiden''s girlfriend.


    My eyes welled up again. What was I thinking? That he''d be stuck up on me for years? Of course, he''d moved on. With that thought, the stupid. tears rolled out of my eyes on their own ord but thankfully, just then, the lift stopped, the door opened and I rushed out.


    I walked straight to my cubicle to fetch my bag. Then I headed for the building''s exit.


    That woman in his office is definitely the girlfriend, I concluded. Howe I never knew? And why didn''t he tell me anything about it? Well, we weren''t best of friends but it wouldn''t have hurt to make it known instead of giving false hope and appearing every where I was, trying to talk and holding my gaze in crowds..


    What the hell!


    The tears stoppeding as I gritted my teeth, livid with rage. What exactly was his aim? Yes, I made a mistake and judged him without hearing from him but that was years ago. Was he back to toy with me or something?


    I was about to hail a taxi when someone said behind me.


    "Hey, you dropped this!"

 Chapter 0322

    ANASTASIA


    I whirled around, curious to see who it was and what I had dropped.


    DO


    I looked around for a while and my eyes quickly settled on the drop-dead gorgeous woman strutting towards me from the Taste Tech building like she was on a runway, her eyes pinning me to the spot. Her hips swayed from side to side with a mesmerizing rhythm, adding an extra touch of elegance to her every step. I couldn''t help but be captivated by the fluidity of her movements, inspired by the utter confidence in every step she took.


    My gaze roved her form from head to toe all over again, took in the sway of her hips, eyed the friendly yet mocking smile on her lips and then I knew. With no doubt I knew who she was.


    But another thing I recognized was the dress she had on. Red vevelty suit pants and zers, the very one that ra hadmented about. The same zers the woman with Aiden just a while ago had draped across his desk.


    About two dayster, ra had found a picture of the dress she lost to someone else, she dress she was still mourning for its loss, on P******* t and quickly sent it to me. And from the description of thedy that bought the outfit that she had given me, I was sure she was the same


    person.


    So this was her. Aiden''s girlfriend.


    I refused the urge to look down at myself, at my shabby appearance.


    My eyes sized up thedy and I almost snorted; I almostughed at myself for having innitially nursed the idea that I might still have a chance with Aiden. What a joke!


    How could I? There was no way I''d stand any chance with him. Not in this lifetime. Not with thisdy in his life.


    With the fact that she was Aiden''s girlfriend, coupled with the encounter ra had with her, I felt my anger intensify. I felt my dislike for her immediately start to take form right in the out of my stomach. She stopped in front of me with that stic smile still on her face. "I believe this is yours," she said sweetly as she stretched one of her hand. forward and on one of the fingers of the hand, my bracelet dangled.


    I looked down at my wrists and saw that my bracelet was gone. I didn''t. even realize that it had dropped.


    When I looked back up, her smile widened. "You seem to be in a hurry, you couldn''t have noticed that it fell," she said as if could read my thoughts.


    I took the bracelet from her hand and gave her a stiff smile. "Thanks." With that, I turned around to leave but she stopped me.


    "I''m Sharon by the way," she said.


    Uh. Okay?


    I turned back. "Thank you, Sharon," I told her with a syrupy smile. Then I turned around to leave but her words bright my steps to a halt again." Nice to meet you," she blurted.


    I gritted my teeth as I turned back to her. My gaze dropped and I saw that she had her hands stretched out for a handshake and my eyes. immediately zeroed in on the silver ring on one of her fingers. swallowed and took her hand in a quick handshake. "Thank you."


    "You''re Anastasia, right?"


    I


    Yes, I am Anastasia, I was about to respond when she added, "Aiden''s


    ex."


    My hand on hers froze. I was quick to recover and I slowly pulled my hand away from the now suffocating handshake.


    Of course, your boyfriend has fed you with enough information about his ex that abandoned him.


    She looked at me, with that damned smile still on her face and I wondered if she was expecting a respond. Well, I had none to give her.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    What was I supposed to say? Oh, yes. I''m Aiden''s ex. Are you his ex too?


    She probably got tired of waiting for my response or she didn''t even care to hear one in the first ce.


    "I''ve heard so much about you," she said, pping her palms together before pping them on her chest. "It feels so good to finally meet you in person. The image I had in my head did no justice to you."


    Wow.


    "Well, I''m Aiden''s fianc¨¦e," she said with a bright smile. "We''re engaged," she added as she showed me her ring more properly now.


    Now it felt like this woman just snatched my heart from Aiden and smashed it on the floor. Then she stomped on the slightly bigger pieces until they turned to dust.


    "Oh," was all I could croak out because I couldn''t trust my voice at this point to utter something I wouldn''t have regretted saying out loud.

 Chapter 0323

    "I know right!" She chirped. "I am so happy." She sighed dreamily," Aiden is such a good man and caring lover, I''m so lucky to be getting married to him.


    "We will be getting married soon. Wait, gimme a second." She made a show of rummaging her designer bag for a while before her head came up with a frown.


    "I''m so sorry," she pouted with a sorry expression on her face. "I was going to give you the wedding invitation card but I didn''te with any. But don''t worry," she pped her hands, her eyes growing big with something akin to excitement. "I will make sure to invite you to the wedding as a VIP guest! Because you deserve it. I feel like you kindal shaped Aiden into the man he is today. It''s so sad that you two didn''t


    work out."


    I swallowed a huge lump down my throat. I had been it swallowing since she started talking. Fighting to hold back my tears and not break down here in public and in front of these woman. I just wanted to leave from there to go and cry all on my own, in my bed.


    "I''m not sure I''d be here again but if I am, I''de with an invitation. for you." She gasped, "Maybe you can even be one of my bridesmaids!"


    What?


    My facial muscles made a movement and I hope it was to form a smile. I wondered what my face must have looked like standing there, hearing all of that.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "Oh my god! This is so exciting. Anyway, if I won''t be here, I''d have Aiden get it across to you. I think I''d also take your number from him," she frowned and cocked her head, "I don''t think he has it, does he? It''s a shame I can''t take it now, I left my phone upstairs. Do you have a business card?"


    Chapter o


    "I don''t." I answer immediately, almost in a snap. But I do wish for a tornado to sweep me away from the face of this earth and probably sweep this woman to some deserted country so I wouldn''t have to see


    her face or be reminded that I lost Aiden to her.


    She sighed. "I''m sorry. I know I''m talking to much, talking about so many things all at once but I''m just so so happy to be with Aiden..."


    As she dronned on, taunting me about her wedding, about how perfect and caring Aiden was, punctuating each phrase and sentence with a dreamy sigh, I wondered if that fake enthusiasm at seeing me would still be there if I told her that her perfect husband-to-be and I shared a


    kiss.


    I contemted telling her and exining every bit of the sweet encounter to her. How her Aiden had held on tight and kissed me like I was the only wam he had ever wanted but instead, I smiled. There was definitely something wrong with their rtionship, else she wouldn''t have to be talking so much. I pushed back the tears that threatened toe up to the surface with that conclusion.


    But it still hurt. It hurt that Aiden had moved on. It''s been five years. I didn''t exactly me him but it still caused my heart to wring tight in my chest. I resisted the need to press my palm to my chest and ease the pain there.


    There was a ring on her finger, she knew I was Aiden''s ex and most of all, she was just in Aiden''s arms now. No matter how imperfect their rtionship was, it was ring that Aiden was really getting married


    her.


    Maybe that was why Aiden wanted us to talk about the past? Perhaps, he wanted to clear every expectations and announce his uing marriage. And thisdy right here, with her shark smile is obviously telling me to stay away from Aiden but with so many unnecessary


    70


    words and forced niceness.


    I zoned back into her bbering.


    She sighed. "I really hope we can be friends, Anastasia. You can tell me


    "We can not be friends," I blurted bluntly. There was no way I''d subject myself to the torture of being friends with anyone romantically involved with Aiden. Especially not after I discovered that our ruined rtionship was all my fault.


    "Have a nice day," she added and turned around. Even if she yelled at the tip of her voice, I was determined that nothing would make me turn back around.


    I walked away to board a taxi. Thankfully, one stopped in front of me, before I could break down right there.


    I entered the taxi, told the driver where I was headed. Then I turned to the window and rested my head against the ss, letting my tears fall freely, and silently.

 Chapter 0324

    AIDEN


    I slowed my steps down and finally came to a stop before the rows of cubicles. In the


    fifth cubicle on the fourth row, Ana sat, her back straight as she paid her full attention to her work. I knew because some of the staff around her noticed I was there and shed me a shy smile with a nod of their heads, sometimes whispering between themselves as they pretended to be focused on their work. Amidst all this, Anastasia''s head remained down, fingers working furiously as she typed, sometimes stopping to go over a bulk file by her side.


    For minutes, I just stood there and watched her. I wished I could walk. over there and talk to her. I wanted to apologize for what happened but I couldn''t. At least, I knew she wouldn''t want me to. Even now, I was careful not to make it so obvious that my gaze was on Ana more than


    the rest of them.


    I


    Some of the rumors about Ana and I had already reached my ears and thest thing I wanted was for it to escte and put her in a spotlight.


    After a while, one of her colleagues walked up to me and asked, "Do you need anything, sir? Perhaps, you need one of us to run an errand for you?"


    "No, thank you." I told her with a stiff stiff smile and took onest look at Ana who was still oblivious to my presence.


    "I just decided to personally take some observations." Then with a "you can return your work," I left.


    Even as I walked off and took the lift, my mind was filled up. I had earnestly hoped that things were going to be fine between us. Martin had volunteered to help fix things by confessing and then we can clear things up and move on. He was going to be returning to the city soon. for this reason.


    But after that kiss, she has been avoiding me like a gue. I knew it was intentional. At first, I thought I was the one who kept missing her, either arriving where I was sure I''d see her toote or early butter I realized that she was actually actively staying out of my way.


    When I got to my office, I just dropped into my seat with a deep and tired sigh.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    My eyes took in the work that had piled up during the trip were we did little to no work and I sighed again. I had better get Ana out of my mind and get to work.


    It was hard at first, I couldn''t focus. I had this insane urge to go downstairs and continue to watch Ana work, to watch her move and. smile andugh even if I wouldn''t be able to go as close as I wanted or touch her. For almost an hour, I did little to no work as I fought the urge. Then finally, I lost myself in work.


    Some timeter, I heard a knocking sound but it sounded so faraway. I would have been curious but the file before me looked more interesting.


    The sound came again and again and then it got louder and closer and I soon got jolted back to the present by it, now realizing that there was actually someone knocking in my door.


    At the same time I looked up to answer whoever was at the door and probably apologize, I saw that the knocker had already let themselves


    1. in.


    Another exasperated sigh flew out of my mouth on noticing who it was.


    "Aren''t you such a deep worker?" Sharon slightly shook her head with a bright smile as she strutted into the room and sashayed her way to me.


    She perched herself on the edge of my desk, just beside me, ced her purse on the desk, pulled off her zers andid it on the desk too, leaving on her tank top with the plunging neckline. Chapter 0324


    Then she faced me with a smile and said nothing.


    "Okay?" I arched my brows at her. "What are you doing here?"


    "I am offended," she enunciated each word with a pout as she leaned back almost toofortably in the chair.


    But as she continued to talk, her expression turned serious. "Why are you always asking me that?"


    She crossed her arms on her chest, pushing up her breasts.


    "Whether you''re at work or at home, wherever you are and I show up, you''re always asking me that same question. You make it seem like I need a reason to be with you or something. Can I note to see you whenever I want?"


    I shrugged, "Well, I''m always busy. You know how hectic work can quickly get when you miss a schedule. And you know I dislike


    unnned distractions. If you want to talk or see me, tell me, I''d fit it in my schedule and we''d talk after work."

 Chapter 0325

    She scoffed. "Wow. What am I? Some random client?"


    I didn''t respond this time around and just returned my attention to what I was doing.


    I really wasn''t getting any break from all of this, was I?


    After a while I started," Sharon-" but she cut me off as soon as the words came flying out of my mouth.


    "Are you cheating on me?"


    I paused, my hand hovering in the air as I tried to reach for a file behind her syed jacket.


    What in the actual hell?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "What?" I dropped my hand and turned to her.


    "Why did you ask that question?" I repeated, reclining in my seat, "I mean it''s not like we''re exclusive or-"


    She nearly rolled her eyes at me. "How more exclusive can we be, Aiden?"


    Then she stopped her gaze on my face whilst shaking her head slowly. She alsk seemed exasperated to be honest.


    "I can''t believe we''re having this conversation."


    "We are betrothed! You basically belong to me and I, to you. We are bound for life." She pped her hand gently on the desk.


    Rubbing my temples, I refused to give her a response to that. As long as I was concerned, I wasn''t bound to any damn person for life.


    There was a long silence as I returned to work, ignoring her. I could feel


    her probing gaze then the question came, "Tell me, Aiden. Is there another woman taking you away from me?"


    I paused and ruminated on her question. Is there another woman taking me from her? Yes, there was. Anastasia. She was all I think about nowadays. It was either I had Anastasia on my mind, work or trying to figure out how to get out of the contract with Sharon but Anastasia always topped the list.


    Perhaps, I should tell her. I nced at her, at the hope in her eyes. I looked away and sighed. I didn''t even know how to start.


    Maybe I could say; Sharon, there''s something I need to tell you. This thing we had was good but I''ve found my ex and I realized that I want to be with her again.


    bew


    How would she feel? How would I look like in her eyes.


    Why do I even care how I''d been perceived by Sharon in the first ce, if I just swallowed my cowardice and told her the truth?


    "In case you forgot..." she broke off my thoughts again, this time, I see her getting up from her seat, beginning to walk slowly over to mys side.


    Then she slowly swiveled my chair to face her and rested her hands on my shoulders. She or one one from on my thigh.


    I


    With my hands by my side, I looked up at her to ask what she was doing and what I forgot when she leaned down and took my lips in hers.


    All the questions flew from my head and were reced by the


    memories we had before Anastasia came back into the picture, by the dull voice that told me to stop her and by the urge to return the kiss and wrap my arms around her.


    I chose thetter. I kissed her back with equal fervor, enjoying the feel. of her breasts pressed against my chest, the feel of her fingers as they caressed my nape. My hands curled around her and I pulled her closer.


    As much as I craved Ana... in as much as I wanted to deny it, I had to admit to myself that I still felt something for Sharon.


    I realized it was why I haven''t been able to really do anything about the contract. It was why I couldn''t stand my ground in what I wanted and I hated that.


    But sex with Sharon was great, really. And if she was willing without including marriage talk, I''d readily take her in my arms.


    I pushed back the guilt that climbed up my throat as Ana''s face shed in my mind. I pulled Sharon''s top from her suit pants, then my hand traveled under the top, smoothing over the familiar skin there.


    Suddenly, she was about to pull away, almost disconnecting our lips but I didn''t stop. My hands rose higher and I kissed her jaw before my face burrowed in her neck and I kissed her there too. As I kissed my way to the enticing flesh on her chest, she pressed on my shoulder and held my hand.


    "Not so fast, young man." I looked up to see a smirk on her face as she began to climb off me.


    I wanted to pull her back and touch her where she loved until she was moaning my name-just as I couldn''t resist her, she couldn''t resist me too - but I didn''t.


    Instead, I watched her tuck her top back in her suit pants.


    She reached for her purse and zer, she intoned with a smug smile, "If you want more, you know where to find me."

 Chapter 0326

    SHARON


    For several months, I declined the proposals of every man that approached me romantically. I didn''t think twice before saying no to dates in the most luxurious restaurants, pic dates, offers to fly me out to my desired country and take on the expenses for the entire trip and many more enticing offers. If always stood my ground. Young, responsible, rich and good looking men, I turned them down. All for Aiden. All because I loved him.


    It had just been business from the start of it. I take my family''s business very seriously so I hadn''t even seen ever getting romantic with my business partner possible. I like to separate business from every other thing, most importantly, from my personal life. It was like my personal unspoken rule and ingrained at the back of my mind and always singing in my head whenever business was spiraling into something personal.


    And I always listened to that voice. I never hesitated to do whatever was needed to be done to keep things strictly business until Aiden.


    But as time went by...I started to ignore the ringing in my head.


    I broke a rule for him.


    I found out that I had a thing for Aiden when I repeatedly found myself waiting for his update on the project we were working on instead of getting on to work as I awaited his update. I knew I was going to break. that rule when I found out I''d started putting more effort into my look whenever we had to meet or whenever there was a meeting where he''d be present, but I still ignored it.


    Yet, unconsciously, I stopped seeing every man I might have a thing with. I turned down any and every proposal because Aiden was the only one I wanted. And I was someone who always got whatever she


    wanted. It was a given so I didn''t need to worry that I might lose on all ends. Once I set my eyes on it, it bes m I already knew Aiden was mine but I still put in the efforts.


    I started by impressing him with my high IQ, I worked extra hard on any project or task that he was involved in and told myself that I only wanted to get a good job done and impress a prospective long term. business partner. It worked. My business partner was impressed, proud and d to be working with me. He was a man of standards and rules, he wanted things done in the right ways and on time too. Those


    were


    not even a problem for me.


    Then I worked on my looks, though I didn''t have to do much, since I always paid extra attention to my looks to impress clients. They say. dress how you want to be addressed, right? For Aiden, I dressed how I wanted him to see me. Every extra deepness to my lipstick, the subtle plunge in the neckline of my dresses, every difference and


    improvement revolved around Aiden and what he might like. My efforts in that department also yielded the expected result.


    And that was how things quickly spiraled romantically. Even faster than I expected. But I went with the flow.


    Doing business with Aiden was great and very profitable. Dating him. also turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life, ever.


    I saw him as the perfect man for me...I still did.


    was wText property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    It was like fate in our favor, because not long after Aident and I started off on something romantic, our parents, who were also in business, suggested a marriage proposal.


    Of course, it was good timing and we epted without much thought.


    "It''d be good for the business," he had said to me during one of our countless sex nights.


    We met my parents and I met his parents too. Things were going well. I


    Chucker 0305


    was in love with a man who cared for me like it was his purpose in life. Life was way better. I had money and a loving man. What more could I ever wish for?


    My life was great, almost like a romantic movie or book until it was time to pick our wedding date.


    That was when Aiden suddenly changed.


    He announced to the families that he wasn''t ready for the marriage and he needed more time. It was granted as everyone tried to understand. Our parents didn''t want either of us to feel pressured. Even I didn''t want him to feel pressured.


    We needed up signing a contract, which stated that the marriage would still hold regardless. And it wasn''t like he was forced into making that decision, he signed those powers willingly.


    After that, he started to pull away. Slowly at first but I noticed even the tiniest withdrawal.

 Chapter 0327

    He didn''t randomly text me as he always did. After we made love, he didn''t stay up, hold me in his arms to chat about work or strike up any other random conversation. He''d either turn away and go to sleep and get to work.


    He didn''tugh as much as he used to anymore and whenever he did, his eyescked joy and hisugh was t. I tried to do everything to get him to talk to me, anything that would stop him from slipping through my fingers but it was like he had built this imprable wall around. himself, locking himself away from everyone.


    I tried to be understanding. "He''s just overwhelmed," I had thought and -believed because I was too.


    Marriage wasn''t a walk in the pack and things had happened quickly


    between. And in between wanting to spend the rest of my life..Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    with the man I had crazily fallen in love with, I felt overwhelmed and scared but I believed that as long as we had each other, we would survive every storm.


    But Aiden didn''t think the same, because after a while, he came up with some flimsy excuse and left the country.


    At least when we were together, he was subtle in ignoring me but in another country, thousands of miles away from me, he outrightly ignored me.


    If I was lucky and he picked up my call, he''d grumble an excuse and afterward end the call. "Let''s talkter, Sharon," he''d groan like I was some burden he didn''t even want to think about.


    Again, I tried to understand even though my hurt hurt everyday like a


    was lodged there.


    But soon, it started grating on my nerves more and more as each day


    passed. And I knew I couldn''t keep sitting back and be stupidly patient. If I did, I''d lose him, regardless of the contract. And so, I left my beloved business to someone I trusted and left myfort zone, my home, to see a man. My man. To see what exactly was wrong. Was he that scared about the idea of marriage?


    While I prepared for my trip, I hired a private investigator to keep tabs on him and his previous dealings since he returned to the country. I wasn''t happy that I had to monitor him. I hated it, it made me feel guilty and desperate but it had to be done.


    It was the day I left for the country that Aiden left for Aiden that I got the very first report from the investigator. There was a lengthy write up that I skipped to the photographs that gripped my interest.


    It was a picture of my man and a certain woman. She looked pretty ordinary to me and I didn''t see what was so special or gripping about


    her that Aiden was drawn to.


    The woman had a small smile on her face but Aiden looked at her like she was the whole world. The same look he always had on whenever we just bagged an invaluable contract. Yes, that look. Maybe an even enhanced version.


    In another picture, it was the woman and a child in the picture. A cute. girl, might I say.


    Later, when I read through the summary of the report, I discovered that the woman worked in hispany and was his ex. Her name is


    Anastasia.


    "This is what it is?" I scoffed as I red at the woman in the picture.


    It didn''t matter if she had a cute girl or if she was his ex or whatever, no one, absolutely no living being, woulde between Aiden and 1.


    I knew Aiden loved me. I was sure of that. But what worried me greatly and equally annoyed me was Aiden''s vulnerability to sometimes have at


    hard time sorting out his feelings. He sometimes got confused by his feelings and usually needed time to set his head straight and go for what he really wanted.


    I was what Aiden wanted. I knew it in my guts. And that defined a clear purpose for my going to meet him.


    I''m going there to make him see that I am the woman he wanted and needed.


    I wasn''t about to let another woman arise from only God knows where and confuse him so she had better back off immediately.


    I picked up my phone and put a call across to the investigator. "Find out more about Anastasia," I told him. "Dig up her past, present, everything there is to know about her." When he started to grumble that we only discussed the price of one person, I cut him off. "I''d double your pay.


    I needed to know who this Anastasia was; a subtle threat or a great one? Either way, a threat was a threat, and this one has to be gotten rid of immediately.

 Chapter 0328

    SHARON


    I used to read about women who lose their senses when they see someone they loved romantically, I used to hiss and thought they were pathetic.


    Aiden changed that perspective for me.


    Each time I set my eyes on him, I just wanted to jump on him and have himvish me with his sensual kisses.


    Just like now. Even though I was infuriated with his responses and asional silence, I couldn''t help but hope he''d stand up, hold me, kiss me and tell me that I had nothing to worry about and then right on his desk, we could create more memories, deepen our connection.


    But he remained seated, sighing and rubbing his temple and ignoring


    1. me.


    Since I returned, he hadn''t touched me. We hadn''t even spent a night. together. My body itches every single day to feel his touch but he had never even looked like he had any thought of that in his mind. So finally, I took the first step.


    My mind didn''t register what he was saying as I straightened up.


    "Incase you forgot..." I drawled and I straddled him.


    It was also an opportunity to remind him of what he was missing; our beautiful connection and lovemaking.


    As I circled his neck with my arms, I caught a movement in my peripheral vision. Instinctively, I leaned down and took Aiden''s lips in mine. He immediately closed his eyes. I opened my eyes and peeked at the person outside.


    Chapter 03:28


    And for the first time, I saw her.


    I didn''t need to see much but I knew it was the woman who posed a threat to my and Aiden''s happiness in the flesh.


    Her palm covered her mouth as soon as she saw us and she took hesitant steps back from the windows.


    But all I could think the whole time was: Good.


    She better see this. She better see that Aiden was all mine and mineContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    alone.


    I deepened the kiss and gave her a show.


    Just then, Aiden''s hand deliciously journeyed from my hip to my tank top and it made me mad happy.


    This was the Aiden I knew. God I''d missed the feel of his hands on my skin for the longest time. It felt like heaven...well, not particrly the heaven I''d wanted to be in, but it was quite close. He pulled it out and he got my thighs clenching when he set his palm on my skin.


    I tried to control myself, to not melt in his arms and lose focus of my abrupt objective.


    After a while, I pulled back while Aiden still made my heart race with his kisses. I closed my eyes, reveled in that moment for a while. Then I checked if she was still there but she was gone.


    I''d give anything to have Aiden''s hands continue its journey up my body, to have him make love to me here and now but this might be my only chance to send that woman packing once and for all. "Not so fast, young man," I clenched my fist as I managed out.


    Aiden looked up, dazed. After our thorough kiss, his lips looked even


    more desirable. I resisted the urge to lower my head and continue what we started and got out of hisp.


    I grabbed my purse and zer from his desk, and told him with acent smile, "If you want more, you know where to find me."


    With that, I walked out of his office.


    I literally ran to the elevator and impatiently punched the button that would take me to thest floor.


    I rushed out of the elevator, d that I hadn''t missed her. Her pace was fast, it was as if the building was on fire and she was fleeing. As I made to call out to her, I saw something fall off her wrist as she continued to rush away.


    It was a bracelet, I noticed, when I stopped to look, cing key right feet slowly over it and then.


    Anastasia didn''t notice thus. It she she continued her journey out of the building in long relentless strides.


    I picked up the bracelet and rolled it around my fingers for a bit, observing it.


    Could it have been a gift from Aiden?


    I shook my head. Nah. My sweet Aiden would never get anyone a cheap gift with such a crappy quality.


    Realizing that the woman was out of the building and I might lose her if I didn''t move fast, I hurried out of the building.


    But I stopped abruptly at the doorway. I looked down at the stacked rings on my index finger and pinky. I quickly pulled off the rings, pushed my ring finger into one of them and stuffed the rest in my pocket.

 Chapter 0329

    She was just hailing down a taxi when I called out in my nicest patronizing voice. Every client falls for it. "You dropped this."


    Anastasia turned, surprised and for a moment, I was stunned.


    Whatever photographer that investigator hired was a quack. Those pictures didn''t do justice to her beauty. She was stunning, regardless of her unattractive outfit and her swollen face. Did she cry because she saw Aiden and I? Good.


    "Thanks," she said rudely and turned to leave.


    Nuh uh. I''m not done with you.


    "You''re Anastasia, right?" I cut right to the chase and as she turned, the surprise was evident on her pretty face.


    She said nothing, then I added, "Aiden''s ex." She looked even more shocked but still said nothing. Well, there was no need. I didn''t even


    want to hear her talk. So I started to tell her about Aiden and I.


    I showed her my ring finger with so much excitement. "I''d make sure to invite you to our wedding as a VIP!"


    All the while, as I spoke, she just stared at me, speechless. At some point, she stopped looking so pitiful and the expression on her face hardened.


    Perfect. I could see her growing hatred for Aiden. And maybe me. But it was pertinent that she disliked Aiden to the extent that she wouldn''t give him any listening ear ever again.


    I asked if we could be friends but she instantly declined.


    I was gloating over my little feat when she said something and then she


    stiffly turned around, stopped a taxi.


    I watched the taxi she boarded drive out of sight


    my grin broadened. Now I could return to Aiden and finish what we started.


    I turned around but my grin fell the instant my gazended on Aiden. who was standing behind me. His hands were clenched into fists by his sides, his face etched in a thunderous expression. "What did you just do?"


    I shrugged, took a deep breath and started to walk up to him. But the question he bellowed out stopped me.


    "Why the hell did you tell those lies?!"


    "They weren''t lies!" I shit back, feeling my anger slowly rise to the surface. "We''re getting married aren''t we?"


    "Are we?" He quipped and I blinked, speechless and for some reason, unable to answer his question.


    "Answer me, Sharon," he took a threatening step forward. "Are we getting married? Which damn wedding did you tell her about?" That was it! "What does it matter if there''s nothing going on between you two?" I yelled in his face, "Why are you so riled up?"


    His brows furrowed deeply. "What the heck are you even saying? Who said anything about having anything between anyone?"


    "You think I don''t know that there''s something going on between your two?" I shouted at him, not caring that we were out in public.


    "Stop saying nonsense, Sharon. You had no reason to lie to her. What the hell is wrong with you?" He thundered as he stormed past me, roughly brushing his shoulder against mine.. followed him, noting that he was headed to the parking lot.


    "You''re what''s wrong with me, Aiden. You are my problem." Chapter 0329


    He ignored me as he stopped before his car and unlocked it. "What now? You''re going after your employee, aren''t you?"


    He climbed into his car without saying a word, his actions jerky.


    "Do you even have any idea what she''s been up to?" I palmed my forehead and looked up as I fought the angry tears as his car''s engine roared to life.


    "I can''t believe you''re going after a married woman with a child!" I yelled at the top of my voice as he reversed the car out of the parking space." I''m so disappointed in you, Aiden. I feel ashamed for you." My hand balled into fists and I watched in anger as he zoomed out of the parking lot at an insane speed.


    I wondered what the slut''s husband would have to say about this.


    It was the third day after the first report when the investigator sent another report.


    It was a picture of Anastasia, her child and another man. The man was holding Anastasia''s daughter in his arms. With the big smile on the little girl''s face as she wrapped her hands around the man, you could tell that she was very fond of him.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    In the report, the investigator wrote, "They seem very close but I am yet to decipher what exactly his role in their lives is."


    I scoffed at that and took another look at the picture. The man looked at her the same way Aiden did and I didn''t feel the need to hear back from the investigator. He was definitely in a rtionship with her.

 Chapter 0330

    ANASTASIA


    "You know what?" I turned away from the window and faced the driver. Drive me to the nearest bar."


    The man started to list bars around. "Which would you prefer?" He caught my face through the rearview mirror.


    "Just drop me at any bar." I looked out the window and saw a building that looked like a bar. I pointed at it. There, that''s a bar, right?"


    "Yeah, it is." He squinted at the building, "That''s-"


    "Yeah, drop me there. Thanks."


    When he pulled over, I climbed down the car, paid him and headed towards the bar''s entrance.


    And it felt like it was that faithful night, six years ago, again. Aiden had broken


    my heart and I was in a bar to drink away my sorrows.


    I was hit with the smell of strong alcohol as I stepped in and I knew I was in the right ce. I managed a smile at the barman. "Hi, I need a drink."


    He returned my simile. "What kind of drink would you prefer? We have-"


    "I would love anything that would make me lose my memory," I blurted without thinking.


    Slowly, he turned to me and blinked, "Excuse me?"


    sighed. "Just give me anything."


    "Sure," he nodded and it seemed to take quite an effort for him to look away. He was probably still wondering if he heard right the first time. Chapter 0330


    He poured me a drink from a bottle. I didn''t even care to check what thebel read. I didn''t care. I just wanted to drink until this gasping ache in my chest dulled.


    "Could you make this two? No, three. ce them in a tray."


    He did as I asked.


    "Thank you," I told him with a big smile. I paid for the drinks then I made my way to the nearest booth.


    I raised one of the filled cup to my lips and immediately downed the content of the cup in a few gulps before I could change my mind.


    I shook my head as I mmed the cup on the tray, swallowing. Perfect. 1 could already feel Aiden''s face blurring in my head.


    In no time, the cups before me were empty. With a pout and a pinch of my brows, I turned them over, hoping there was still more. There wasn''t so I pushed the table away from me so loudly that a few eyes turned to me. "How you doin''?" I told them with a bright smile and they were so


    kind to return my smile..


    Kind people, I thought warmly, unlike cruel Aiden. That name quickened my steps to the barman. "Remember me?" I chirped, "You served me those awesome babies over there," I pointed behind me without looking


    back.


    The barman raised his brows. "How many more cups?" he asked as he started to mix the drinks in cups again and I almost jumped in excitement but I didn''t. I needed to calcte the


    needed.


    number of cups!


    Squinting at my numerous fingers, I started to count, muttering under my breath, "1, 2, 3..."


    When I was done, I put all my fingers in his face with a big grin. "Thirty-


    six cups!"


    The man chuckled and handed me a tray filled with so many cups.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Aww, he''s so nice.


    "Thank you so much! You''re too kind.


    I returned to my seat and in no time, my drink was finished again. I belched loudly and covered my mouth with a giggle. I staggered to my feet to get more but every where started to spin. I looked down and the floor was moving.


    Wow. This bar is so cool, I thought and admired the floor. I decided to continue my journey to the barman when suddenly, I was falling into the moving floor so it could quicken my trip to the barman but someone stopped me.


    ***


    DENNIS


    "That makes sense," I said into the phone as I stepped into Eclipse. I paid half attention to what the man on the other end of the line was saying as I nodded at the greetings I received.


    I fully tuned back into the conversation as I headed up the stairs but something suddenly caught my eye in my peripheral vision.


    I turned and frowned at who I saw. Ana. I stopped and squinted at the swayingdy as she smiled at the floor.


    That''s definitely Anastasia and she''s drunk. Ana never drinks.


    "I''ll call you back," I ended the call and tucked the phone in my pocket as I hurried down the stairs and just in time before she could fall, I


    reached her.


    She fell into my arms with a pout.


    "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked as I made her stand in her own but she kept swaying so she ended up leaning on me.


    She looked up at me and as she spoke, her breath stunk heavily of alcohol. "Dennis!" She grinned and slurred, "Did the floor bring you to me?"


    "Huh?"


    GET

 Chapter 0331

    She gasped and covered her mouth with her two hands. "There''s two if you." Her hand moved in air beside my head and she gasped even louder, her eyes widened, "Wow, you''re twin!"


    I shook my head and stopped trying to make sense of her words. I grabbed her bag thatid on the table that held two trays, three and one cup on each of the trays "Sir, she''s yet to pay for the fourth drink," the barman notified me.


    "It''s on the house," I told him and proceeded to help Ana out. As I unlocked the door and helped her inside the car, she kept insisting that I Jet ''my twin'' into the car.


    As I drove her home, she continued to babble incoherent words until she slowly quieted down and fell into a slumber.


    I nced over at her and smiled at how peaceful and beautiful she looked in her sleep then my smile fell as I wondered why she got herself so drunk.


    I parked before her apartment, found her keys in her bag. Then I carried her inside.


    "Shit," I cussed under my breath as I bumped into therge vase by the long flight of stairs that led to the rooms. I made a mental note to clean it up after I''ve tucked her in bed.


    I kicked the door open and stepped into her room. Painstakingly, Iid her on the bed and tucked her in.


    When I was sure she wasfortably in bed, I started to pull away from her but he hand shot out and grabbed my shirt.


    Her eyes looked more focused as they roamed my face, then she blurted, "I''m sorry."


    "What?" I frowned as I brushed a strand away from her eye. "Go back to


    bed, Ana."


    "I held on for so long," her voice was a mixture of hurt, anger and dissapointment. "I held on to those feelings that I should have gotten rid of a long time ago."


    I stared down at her, my heartbeat''s pace picking up the proximity between us as I tried to figure out if these were still drunken talk.


    She smiled, a sad smile, as her gaze roamed my face, searching, "I should have looked at you instead, shouldn''t I?"


    I blinked, piecing all her words together. "Ana-"I started as I tried to remove her grip from my shirt but she wouldn''t let go. "Ana..."


    As much as those words literally just made my day, she was drunk. I didn''t want to take advantage of the situation but then she hooked a finger into my shirt again and pulled me into a kiss that left me stunned for a second but then I let myself in and caught her lips hard in my mouth, falling into the bed with her.


    "Take my clothes off," she breathed against my mouth and I obeyed, continuing kissing her as I dug my hands under her blouse and unsped her bra.


    Her sulent breasts were let loose and I massaged them now, pinching slightly on her nipples. She mewled against me.


    I took off the rest of her clothes, kissing every part of her skin Iid bare, making her moan and gasp. I took my time over her nipples and savored them, loving the noises she made underneath me.


    I still co


    In''t believe this was happening, in as much as it was. After six years of craving for her, wanting her. Here I was, in her bed, invited of her own ord.


    I shrugged out of my clothes before eagerly returning to kiss her beautiful, soft skin. I moved my lips further down her body and she let out a happy sigh. My mouth found her wet folds and my tonguepped and sucked. I enjoyed the sounds of her moans and the wiggled and writhed.


    she


    I picked up my pace eating her out and she screamed, grabbing my hair, until I then brought my tongue fucking to strokes inside of her thighs. Then I raised my face to look at her. She was smiling at me; she was happy and so was 1. My eyes didn''t leave hers, even as I slid a finger into her slippery hole, then a second finger.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Her grip on my hair tightened and her moans increased, taking on an edge of urgent frenzy.


    I teased and pleased her until she couldn''t take it any longer.


    "I want you inside me," she cried.


    "Ah...fuck!"


    Hearing her continuing to scary and scream as I continued


    ministrations sure made my cock go even ten time harder. I moved up her body, and as we kissed again, I slid myself into her wet mound.


    "Do you like this?" I breathed against her neck.


    She grabbed my hair, "God, it feels so good...deeper....."


    I dug deeper in and began thrusting fast. She cried and I grunted in ecstasy, not stopping. The wet pping sounds echoed throughout the


    -room.


    She raised her leg up high over my shoulder.


    "Naughty," I smiled, now changing the angle of my penis and driving in as moans turned into urgent muffles that only made me fuck her harder. Chapter 0331


    The more I pounded into her, the more she seemed to wait. I nibbled on her shoulder as she continued moaning and groaning for me. Then I felt her body wracking with the approach of orgasm, and soon the warm liquid oozed out of her. She rocked her hips back and forth again and again. I had made here, and it turned me the fuck on, so much I began to moan as my climax got closer and my hands mped tight on her ass.


    I slowed down my thrusts and slipped my covk out, my milk spraying all over her inner thighs and stomach. She sat up and took my quivering cock beginning to massage it sloky as she kissed me again.

 Chapter 0332

    AIDEN


    There were so many scenarios in my head, so many words that I could no longer pay attention on the road as I drove. After I almost brushed the side of a car, I sharply pulled over by the side of the road.


    I threw my head back and shit my eyes close. Of all the thoughts that raged in my head, the one that baffled me the most were Sharon''s words. My brows deepened as I muttered, "A married woman with a child?"


    After the lies she told Aba and the fact that she even refused to acknowledge that she had done something wrong, I had stopped listening to her, I was too angry to even look at her but those particr words had drifted to me. I had almost stopped to ask her what she meant when she said I was going after a married woman with a child but I didn''t. For all I knew, she could be making up lies.


    But I couldn''t stop thinking about it. I couldn''t simply base those words. as lies and a ploy to stop me from getting mad at her and get them out of my head.


    No, I thought, then I whispered, "No." Then I screamed and mmed my fist on the steering, "No way!" There was no freaking way. Why would Ana get married? Why wouldn''t she? A voice echoed in my head.


    My hands gripped the steering wheel, my fingers digging into the soft leather as my mind wound back to that night that Ana had hurried out when I tried to talk to her. I remembered it was the night of the party. I remembered the child in ra''s arm and I wondered, was that Ana''s child?


    Her utter worry that day now made sense. She had been so fidgety and didn''t even want me to drive her to the hospital. But why would she try to hide her child and marriage?


    I tried to remember if I had ever seen a ring on her My mind had never wandered there.


    jer but I couldn''t.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Perhaps, that was the reason she avoided me after the kiss. She felt guilty that she betrayed her husband. Is that what it was?


    I ran my fingers in my hair and gripped a handful. The more I thought about it; her actions and words, the more sense it made. The more the possibility that she was really married with a child heightened. Even though I told myself that it wasn''t possible, my heart squeezed tighter every minute in my chest.


    I decided that I''d ask her myself. I was done taking things slow and at a pace at a time. I would go to her and demand to know the truth. Was she married? Does she have a child?


    I would leave no stone unturned. I would not let a misunderstanding that broke us apart years ago repeat itself.


    I wasn''t thinking as I started the car, swerved into the road and stepped on the brakes. I heard angry honks from every side as I sped through the road, straight to Ana''s apartment that I had no idea where it was situated.


    So I slowed down and put a call through to my secretary. I mentioned her full name, "get her contact address and send it to me immediately."


    I ended the call and threw my phone in the passenger seat next to me. In the next minute, my phone beeped with a notification. It was an email containing Ana''s home address.


    I sped past cars and buildings, making them look like mere blurs. Each


    +25 80


    time, I pressed the brakes harder, it was with a purpose. To get back my love.


    Hopefully, a voice in my head would add and my heart would sink


    deeper. I just couldn''t let Ana slip out of my reach like that. Not after I''ve rekindled the hope and nurtured it and started to believe that we could be again. Not when I''ve started to believe that we could reignite our love, get married and make babies and name our kids those ridiculous names she used toe up with.


    I sighed, wishing I had done more digging when I saw her again. I wished I hadn''t just assumed that she was single and avable for the taking. What was I thinking? It had been five years. If I could date a woman and even sign a marriage contract with her, why then couldn''t she get married and have kids?


    Every rational thought further added weight to Sharon''s words and should have quenched the fire of my hopes but I kept them alive, wishing that somehow, Ana would be mine in the end. Without a husband or a kid.


    As I turned into the street that was in the address, I crosschecked to be sure. I pulled up before the apartment that had the house number in the address and hurried out of my car.

 Chapter 0333

    AIDEN


    There were so many scenarios in my head, so many words that I could no longer pay attention on the road as I drove. After I almost brushed the side of a car, I sharply pulled over by the side of the road.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    I threw my head back and shit my eyes close. Of all the thoughts that raged in my head, the one that baffled me the most were Sharon''s words. My brows deepened as I muttered, "A married woman with a child?"


    After the lies she told Aba and the fact that she even refused to acknowledge that she had done something wrong, I had stopped listening to her, I was too angry to even look at her but those particr words had drifted to me. I had almost stopped to ask her what she meant when she said I was going after a married woman with a child but I didn''t. For all I knew, she could be making up lies.


    But I couldn''t stop thinking about it. I couldn''t simply base those words. as lies and a ploy to stop me from getting mad at her and get them out of my head.


    No, I thought, then I whispered, "No." Then I screamed and mmed my fist on the steering, "No way!" There was no freaking way. Why would Ana get married? Why wouldn''t she? A voice echoed in my head.


    My hands gripped the steering wheel, my fingers digging into the soft leather as my mind wound back to that night that Ana had hurried out when I tried to talk to her. I remembered it was the night of the party. I remembered the child in ra''s arm and I wondered, was that Ana''s child?


    Her utter worry that day now made sense. She had been so fidgety and didn''t even want me to drive her to the hospital. But why would she try to hide her child and marriage?


    I tried to remember if I had ever seen a ring on her My mind had never wandered there.


    jer but I couldn''t.


    Perhaps, that was the reason she avoided me after the kiss. She felt guilty that she betrayed her husband. Is that what it was?


    I ran my fingers in my hair and gripped a handful. The more I thought about it; her actions and words, the more sense it made. The more the possibility that she was really married with a child heightened. Even though I told myself that it wasn''t possible, my heart squeezed tighter every minute in my chest.


    I decided that I''d ask her myself. I was done taking things slow and at a pace at a time. I would go to her and demand to know the truth. Was she married? Does she have a child?


    I would leave no stone unturned. I would not let a misunderstanding that broke us apart years ago repeat itself.


    I wasn''t thinking as I started the car, swerved into the road and stepped on the brakes. I heard angry honks from every side as I sped through the road, straight to Ana''s apartment that I had no idea where it was situated.


    So I slowed down and put a call through to my secretary. I mentioned her full name, "get her contact address and send it to me immediately."


    I ended the call and threw my phone in the passenger seat next to me. In the next minute, my phone beeped with a notification. It was an email containing Ana''s home address.


    I sped past cars and buildings, making them look like mere blurs. Each


    +25 80


    time, I pressed the brakes harder, it was with a purpose. To get back my love.


    Hopefully, a voice in my head would add and my heart would sink


    deeper. I just couldn''t let Ana slip out of my reach like that. Not after I''ve rekindled the hope and nurtured it and started to believe that we could be again. Not when I''ve started to believe that we could reignite our love, get married and make babies and name our kids those ridiculous names she used toe up with.


    I sighed, wishing I had done more digging when I saw her again. I wished I hadn''t just assumed that she was single and avable for the taking. What was I thinking? It had been five years. If I could date a woman and even sign a marriage contract with her, why then couldn''t she get married and have kids?


    Every rational thought further added weight to Sharon''s words and should have quenched the fire of my hopes but I kept them alive, wishing that somehow, Ana would be mine in the end. Without a husband or a kid.


    As I turned into the street that was in the address, I crosschecked to be sure. I pulled up before the apartment that had the house number in the address and hurried out of my car.

 Chapter 0334

    Walking up the driveway, I spotted the same car I had seen in the parking lot of mypany a while back. It felt like a long time ago yet I could vividly remember the man''s face.


    I abruptly halted in my steps as I was finally able to ta face.


    i name to the


    Dennis. Yes. The man was Dennis from college. He hadn''t really changed much. Only his appearance and dressing. We were neither friends nor acquaintances but I knew him. Everyone knew Dennis.


    My heart shattered in my chest and I gritted my teeth as I continued my journey to the front door. How? Why does he get to be the one to end up with her?


    No assumptions, I reminded myself. I would find out if what I have seen and concluded was really what it was.


    The front door was ajar. Resisting the urge to walk right in, I lightly rasped my knuckles against the door. "Hello?"


    There was no response so I tried again. "Hello? Anyone in?"


    Silence. So I gave in to the urge and slowly pushed the door open.


    As I walked into the house, I kept calling out, "Hello? Anyone home?" But I got no response back.


    I stood a few feet from the door and took in the space. I swallowed as I saw a toy here and there but those couldn''t really imply that she was married, right? Suddenly, my gazended on a broken vase by the stairs.


    My heart plummeted in my chest and I rushed forward. Was she attacked? I wondered as took a step up the stairs. Then I stopped to listen.,ound wasing from up there. I looked up and my frown deepened. "God, is she hurt?"


    "Ana?" I called out as I rushed up the stairs and followed the sound. Few feet from the room the noise emanated from, I came to a staggering halt.


    Ana wasn''t in pain. She wasn''t moaning in pain. My gaze fell on the back of the man that was hovered abover he in the room that al its door ajar. She was moaning in pleasure under Dennis.


    had


    My hands balled into fists as I gritted my teeth and backed away. I turned around, rushed down the stairs and stormed out of the house.


    I banged my fists on the steering wheel several times before I rested my head on it, shaking with anger. Anger and hurt and jealousy. I fervently wished I could rece Dennis right now, take his ce in Ana''s life.


    But it was impossible. Ana had since moved on and nothing I did could ever change that. Not even telling her the truth. She gave me the signs, I should''ve taken the hint and not hope for what could never be. There was nothing left for me in Ana''s life anymore. I should step out of her life and let her live in harmony with her family. It was time to let go.


    Swallowing, I picked up my phone from where I had flung it and dialed a number.


    He picked up immediately. "Hey, man, I''ve been waiting for your call. What''s the update? Has she agreed to see me?"


    I sighed, hit the back of my head a couple of times on the car''s seat. I closed my eyes. "There''s no need anymore, Martin. It''s all settled now." There was a pause then, "Are you sure, man? Is there a problem?"


    I nced over at the house. "Nah, it''s all good."


    Okay," he said, hesitant. "I''m d you guys are good now."


    Yeah. Things are good for her. I''m not sure I''m d though.


    Just as the call with Martin ended, another call came in. It was an unknown number. Curiously, I picked it.


    The voice, deep andmanding, boomed in my ear, "Come to the address I texted you."Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    My blood ran cold and my hand tightened around the phone. I knew that voice. I knew it too well. Chapter 0334


    ANASTASIA


    For the first time in five years, I woke up with someon around me and a banging headache.


    arms wrapped


    1 immediately knew the headache was a result of my thoughtless drinking yesterday but I frowned at the strong sinewy arm that was over my belly, trying to recall what had uredst night but nothing came


    to me.


    With a frown etched on my forehead, I twisted around in the person''s hold and came face to face with Dennis sleeping peacefully. Then I remembered, the memories came rushing in such a heavy wave that my mouth titled into a smile as I gazed up at Dennis.


    I was cocooned in his arms and my back was pressed to his firm sturdy back, the nket draped over our naked bodies.


    Graphic images of all the things he did to me shed before my eyes and I quickly looked away as though he had his eyes on me and blushed to myself.


    I had always believed that Dennis was everything a woman would ever wish for in a man. He was caring and understanding. But I usually doubted his bedroom skills. I half assumed that having lived a rough life in the past, his lovemaking would be kind of rough but he was the perfect lover, gentle and attentive.


    Every part of me that he touched, he catered for like I was all that mattered. Right now, I itched to have him touch me again. To have him worship my body like he was born to do so.


    In the middle of it all, when I found myself moaning out his name and shamelessly calling out for him to go faster, I briefly thought I''d regret it but her was, smiling like a banshee.


    Chanter (334


    With the smile still on my face and a hand clutching my banging head, I carefully slipped out from under the nket, out of bed and stepped into the bathroom to have a bath.


    After I was done, as I dressed up, my gaze would often rove to Dennis''s sleeping form on the bed and I''d find myself smiling and blushing and scolding myself for putting him in the friend zone all these years. I took some painkillers to suppress my aching head and went downstairs to make us tea.


    As I got busy in the kitchen, I heard movement upstairs and I smiled.


    I heard as he descended the stairs and I refused to turn as I tried to stop myself from smiling too much, too wide. After I had sessfully taken control of my facial muscles, I turned to him, "Hey."


    For some reason, he looked ufortable and I thought that it made. him look sexier.


    "Morning," he murmured, then he immediately started with an


    apologetic expression on his face, "Look, Anastasia, about yesterday..."


    Does he regret it?


    "I''m really sorry about yesterday. I didn''t mean to take advantage of -"


    He stopped speaking when I smiled. "You did no such thing, Dennis. Come on, I made you tea," told him as I slid the te of cookies to his side of the table...


    He walked into the kitchen with a relieved smile on his face. "Thank you," he murmured as he took the mug that contained the tea from me. He took a seat across from me, picked a cookie and munched on it then he wrapped his palms around the mug, almost like he was trying to warm himself, and wordlessly stared into it.


    A few secon iter, he slowly raised his head and found me staring at


    him. He gave me a polite smile and raised his cup to his lips, taking a sip of the drink.


    I broke into a chuckle. "Why are you acting so..." I paused, thinking of the right word to use, "...so stiff, so off, unlike you."


    "I''m not- I mean- I don''t..." he finally gave up and shrugged with a small smile, "I don''t know. I guess I''m just-" he broke off and shrugged again.


    "Well," I started, blushing as I stirred the tea in my mug. "I had a great timest night and," I looked up and held his gaze, "I wouldn''t mind another night."

 Chapter 0335

    He looked stunned which somehow surprised me. I just hope he wasn''t doubting himself because he was just perfectst night.


    He shook his head, downed the remaining content in his cup. "I have something to tell you."


    I paused, my hand frozen from swirling the tea. "What do you have to tell me?"


    He looked away and fixed his gaze on something behind me. Then he finally returned his gaze, "It''s about Aiden, it''s actually about what happened years ago, his acimed infidelity."


    "Oh," I muttered dryly, "that." It''s my loss. Besides, it''s okay now. He was getting married to someone who loves and trusts him and I''ve found someone whom I liked and who loved me. It was okay. That''s the path that we''ve been destined to take.


    "Yes, that," Dennis continued cautiously, misunderstanding the look on my face. "He actually didn''t-"


    "I know," I cut him short.


    His brows rode up his hairline. "You knew? About what she did?"


    "Yep!" I piped up as I nodded. I didn''t really want to think about it. Though I only found out recently but," I shrugged, "it doesn''t matter to me anymore. It''s in the past now but atleast I know the truth now." "I''m sorry."


    "Nah. I''m actually d I found out. Somehow it makes it easier to move on. Besides," I held his gaze, "I don''t want to hold on to the past anymore, I want to live in the present from now on." I took his hands resting on the table and smiled up at him. "Thank you, for everything."


    NL


    Even when I pushed him away, he stuck to me and showed me that I was worth more than my past. That I was worth loving.


    He intertwined our fingers, "It''s nothing, Ana. I would do it all over again if I have to."


    My heart warmed and my throat clogged up as ! ight my tears. Why did I refuse to see this all of these years?


    With a gentle smile, he disentangled our hands and picked up your cups. I watched as he walked to the kitchen, dropped them in the sink and started to wash the cups.


    After watching him for a while, longing to be in his arms again, I walked up to him, wrapped my arms around him and I hugged him from behind.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    He rinsed thest of the cups and turned around to face me, wrapping his arms around me.


    When I looked up at him, he took my lips in a slow sensual kiss. When he pulled back, he was beaming.


    "I never thought this day would evere," he whispered against my lips.


    With a smile, I reconnected our lips. "I think I am the ddest that this day came."


    He smiled and we kissed. The kiss deepened and he hoisted me in his arms. I immediately wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing myself to him and enjoying the subtle moan that sounded deep down his throat.


    He walked us back to the counter where he dropped my buttock on, his hands journeying into my shirt. His big hands cupped my bare breast under my shirt, fondling it in that way that made every rational thought fly out of my head. Soon, his lipstched on one breast while his palm cupped the other.


    I tipped my head back and arched my back, pushing my boobs deeper in his throat. When he was done there, he trailed kisses down my stomach until he stopped at the button on my shorts and undid it. My hands were clumsy, shaky as I undid his belt then suddenly his phone rang.


    He ignored it the first time and kept his focus on zipping my shorts. I was twisting my way out if it when the damn phone rang again.


    With an irritated twist of his lips, he reached into his pocket. He checked his phone and turned to me, I''m so sorry but I have to go."


    He kissed me for a long while. When he pulled back with a frustrated groan, he rested his forehead on mine. "I wish I could stay."


    "It''s okay." My voice came out husky and I cleared it. "Come back. tonight?"


    He beamed. "Come back tonight."


    He helped me down on my feet and I saw him off to the door, my mind. going over the fiasco that just happened this morning and I could easily see myself living the rest of my days like that with Amie and maybe a miniature version of Dennis.


    From the conversation to-


    I suddenly stopped, frowning.


    "Dennis?" I called as he stepped out of the door.


    He turned back, "Yes?"


    about what she did," I muttered slowly as I stared down at the floor as if the words were written there. I looked up at his face, "About what who did?"


    Dennis locked he confused. "Huh?"


    My brows furrowed even more as I thought more about it. "What did you mean earlier when you mentioned if I knew..nat she did," Iid emphasis on the ''she'', "I don''t understand, who is the she?" "ra," he answered.

 Chapter 0336

    AIDEN


    I gritted my teeth, my grip on the stoering wheel hard as I drove to the address he sent.


    My thoughts were in chaos, even though I knew I had lost Anastasia, she was still on my mind. I still beating myself up for not putting more effort into finding her the first time she left. I med myself for not. running after the taxi she boarded that day she ended things between. us until... until what? Perhaps until she asked the driver to stop.


    Sharon was also on my mind, or rather, the damn marriage contract I had with her was on my mind and now that her father had called and asked me to meet him at an address he sent I was sure that all hell


    was


    about to break loose.


    If he had asked me to meet him here that means he had flown into the


    country.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I could have disregarded his call, especially after I''d just realized that I''d really lost Ana, as all I wanted was to... to do nothing. I just wanted to either sleep for a long while or be back to five years ago when Ana and I were still very much in love.


    But all that was not possible anymore. Sharon''s father had summoned me and I had to go to him. Sharon''s father, an indomitable man that I deeply respected and feared like my own father. He was one of the reasons why I thought my union with Sharon would be a good one but I should have known that marrying the daughter of a man I respected. could never change the fact that the woman I loved left me because she believed a lie and I was still hung up on her, still stuck in the past wishing that thing had spanned out differently.


    I sighed. Obviously, he was in town because I had been ignoring his call. After I received the first call from him where he told me to hasten


    things up and let the alliance happen, I had stopped picking his call which would be exactly why he called me with an unknown number.


    Then, I had ignored his calls because my hope that things would get better between Ana and I was so alive and I had believed that if I talked to Sharon''s parents, they''d let me off the hook. Atleast, they wouldn''t want a man whose heart belonged to another for thei ophy daughter. But now, all that hope was dead like it was never there and I was driving to him without a valid excuse to break off from the contract.


    Since I couldn''t get Anastasia anymore, what would be the use if the contract is broken?


    I parked outside a coffeehouse, grabbed my phone and checked the address again to be sure.


    I stepped into the coffee house and was about to dial the number he had called me with when I spotted him in the far end of the


    coffeehouse. By his side, his wife sat, back straight. Beeside her, Sharon perched on the seat, a carbon copy of mother, her eyes angry as she looked at me. And right by Sharon''s side, her hand on her shoulder is my mother, her eyes shooting daggers at me.


    I exhaled heavily as I made my way to their table. When I reached there, with a small nod, I greeted everyone.


    "Aiden," Sharon''s father started, "I will not drag this. What is your stance on the alliance?"


    My lips quivered with a small smile. Of course, always straight to the point. A no-nonsense man.


    When I said nothing, he continued, "I want the both of you to bare your minds here and now about the alliance." He paused, looking between his daughter and I. Then he shocked all of us when he added, "If one of you doesn''t want to get married to the other, make it known and the


    alliance will be called off."


    Sharon turned sharply to her father with a re, her lips twit ng but she said nothing.


    I looked from Sharon to her father and made my decision. It wouldn''t be worth it.


    "I want the alliance to happen," I told everyone.

 Chapter 0337

    ANASTASIA


    "Amie." I groaned as I called with augh. "Aren''t you done? My hand hurts."


    Amie giggled, "Keep your face the way it was before now. I need to get your lips right."


    And so with a sigh, I raised my hands in the air and grinned widely. Why she wanted to paint me looking like this was beyond me.


    Right now, in Amie''s hospital room, I was seated, crossed leg as I held up my hands in the air with a wide grin.


    I remained like that for several more minutes until Amie dropped her drawing book, she pped her hands. "I''m done, mommy, you look really pretty."


    Amie spent enough time at the hospital, drawing so she was getting better at it. So as I dropped into the space beside her on the bed to see myself, I was stunned to see a stick-like thing sketched on the drawing book. It had its hands up, legs crossed like an X and teeth that almost took up its whole face.


    I looked at Amie''s face, wondering if she intentionally did that or she really thought she was doing the right thing.


    It was thetter and as she looked up at me, eyes shining with pride, waiting for myment, I couldn''t let that smile or that look wear off her face so I covered my mouth and widened my eyes as I stated at the picture.


    "Omg, Amie. This is good."


    She grinned, "I''m happy you like it."


    +25 BOHUS


    "I do," I nodded. "Just keep practicing, okay? And you will get even better."


    She bobbed her head and opened a new page then she started to draw the chair I had just stood up from.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just then we heard the door open and as we looked up we heard, "Ta- da!"


    ra held up boxes of something in both of her hands.


    "Auntie ra!" Amie called, ted, jumped down from the bed and gave ra a big embrace.


    Even though I wasn''t looking at ra''s face, I felt my anger boil inside of me, growing and growing until it was hard to keep my anger and sudden hatred down.


    "Hey, Ana what''s up?" ra called with a wiggle of her brows. I wanted to dvoel at her, call her names and end our friendship there but because of Amie, I gave her a stiff smile.


    "You''re back," I murmured dryly. You''re back toe pretending like you are my friend, I bit the insides of my cheeks to stop the words from flowing out of my mouth.


    As she showed Amie the things she got for Amie and I, my mind wandered back to the conversation that Denis and I had.


    Turned out that the thing he really wanted to discuss with me was ra''s part in Aiden''s supposed infidelity.


    Apparently, she and Aiden had something going on and she was really hoping that Aiden would ask her out until the day he saw me at her ce. But it didn''t even make sense to me because Aiden and I had met before then and the connection was instant. It was just unfortunate that we didn''t exchange contacts.


    As Dennis told me more about the woman I had called friend, cried to and told my worries and how she had been the reason why I left Jordan.


    I wondered if it was all a dream. I wondered if the night with Dennis was made up because I was slightly drunk. I wondered if everything that happened at that moment was not reality but a dream I was stuck in.


    Dennis had no reason to lie to me about that but I couldn''t believe him. ra and I had been together for all these years, she was by my side, wiping my tears and telling me how much of a douchebag Aiden was. I remembered that I had wanted to run back to Aiden and asked him why he did what he did but ra stopped me, iming that she wouldn''t let that idiot'' hurt me a second time. And then it all made sense. All the times where she''d snort or hiss whenever I tell her about Aiden. I had thought she was just trying to protect me. How naive of me. I should''ve suspected that it was more than that. She never scoffed or snorted whenever I told her about other guys. Instead, sheughed and asked me to take them.


    I had held back my tears but immediately Dennis left, I let go of all the restraints and cried my eyes out.


    Now, looking at her, I couldn''t help but be appalled at how fake she was, smiling like nothing ever happened.


    Suddenly, I couldn''t take it anymore. Her smile irked me and her


    presence made my rage heighten. I didn''t even want her anywhere near my daughter. I got on my feet, nced at her and said, "Come outside." Espoo Sa

 Chapter 0338

    ANASTASIA


    ra''s face turned to the side with the impact of the resounding p that I justnded on her cheeks.


    She reeled backward, clutched her face and stared at the floor for a long while,


    That p was the very least of all the things I wanted to do to her. I was literally holding myself back from hurling insults at her as I beat her up. But what would that do? Absolutely nothing. What had happened has happened, it was now in the past.


    "You found out," came her quiet voice. "Dennis told you, didn''t he?"


    "I can''t believe you ckmailed him into keeping quiet about such a thing. Do you think he''s like you? A pretender? You smile at me but deep down you hate me for," I made air quotes with my fingers, "taking Aiden away from you."


    ra remained there, saying nothing.


    "ra, how could you? You were my friend! I confided in you. I told you everything, I sought your advice in literally everything I did."


    I tipped my head back and looked up at the sky as I attempted to stop my tears from falling. Not here, not before her, no.


    My mind drifted back to all the little fights that Aiden and I used to have. Half of our misunderstandings were instigated by her, with the things she would advise me to do or say to Aiden, the approach she''d lead me to whenever I told her about something Aiden did that I


    disliked.


    Alden was always so calm and collected that we''d eventually work through it all,ing back stronger together. I never told Aiden that it


    Chapter pa


    was ra who asked me to do or say so but I stopped telling her stuff that happened between us. I stopped stuffing her with unnecessary details because I became scared that she''d cause a rift between us with her bad advice. And all the while, I chucked it all to the fact that it was just how ra was aggressive.


    Iughed out loud, "I had been a damned fool, hadn''t I?" I shok my head, "ra why? Why would you do that? You were like my second skin."


    "No," she finally spoke up. Her voice was quiet but I didn''t miss the venom that dripped from her tone. I looked down at her face and the look there frightened me.


    "I was never your second skin, not until Aiden came. He was your second skin. You made my man your second skin!" She sneered and I flinched back, deeply surprised.


    "What are you sa-"


    "Why did you never ask why Aiden came to visit that day? I specifically told you that I was expecting someone. Why did you ever ask what was between us when you saw him and realized you knew him? You flirted with him right in my presence!" She gripped her hair and turned around, turning her back to me but I glimpsed the watering her eyes, the one she was desperately holding back.


    "Are you being serious right now? How was I supposed to know? You should''ve just told me."


    She turned sharply andughed sarcastically, tears running down her cheeks, "Oh what do you expect me to say to my best friend that was in love? Perhaps, I should go like, ''Anastasia, I have something to tell you. The man you''re actually in love with is the man I also love and I want you to leave him for me.'' How about that!"


    At some point, after I cried and even now, I med Aiden. Since ra


    imed that she was worried that she''d hurt me or whatever, Aiden could have told me. He should have exined to me that he once met my best friend on a damned dating app and they talked all night for several days. Any sane person would know that ra didn''t just want only friendship from him and even Aiden must have own that at a point.


    The perfect time he should have told me was when ra stopped being subtle with her disapproval. Many times, I had mentioned to him how worried or scared I was for him that ra didn''t like him with me but he never said a thing!Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 0339

    I guess they were both at fault in some ways but ra shouldn''t have Oh, she shouldn''t have. She went too far. She knew I got pregnant for him and she said nothing. If not for anything, at least for the baby''s sake, she should have just told me the truth. But no, she .....ched me struggle to raise Amie all alone.


    She was there all those nights I cried silently so I wouldn''t wake Amie because it all just git too much. She was there all along. She was there to brutally watch Amie grow up without a father. God! She fucking used to pet her to stop crying for dad!


    And that only infuriated me more. How dare she im that she loved Amie when she took an important piece of her life away.


    "You have no justification for your actions, ra." My voice trembled but I kept on speaking, "If not for anything, you should''ve thought of Amie and told me but you made the girl fatherless!"


    "Dennis was there, wasn''t he? I was there because I loved you and even though you took the only man I ever loved away from me, I stuck by your side. But you were too stuck up on your lost love to see any of us or our efforts."


    I shook my head. "How can you love with so much bitterness in you?"


    Sheughed as more tears ran down her cheeks, "I''m not bitter, not after you left Aiden. All my intentions towards you after then were pure." Suddenly, an errant tear rolled down my cheek. Angrily, I wiped it off. "I can''t believe I took you as my friend. I regret ever knowing you, ra.¡±


    She stared at me, speechless for a while then she cast her head down. As I walked past her, her words stopped me.


    "I was d after you ended things with Aiden but since then I''ve lived


    with the guilt and regret," she paused then whispered, "I''m sorry."


    I turned to her just at the same time she did.


    "I regretted it and wished I could right my wrongs but it was toote and I already nted the seed of hatred for Aiden in your heart, I thought it would be no use."


    The measly seed of hatred that the truth could have casted away but I didn''t say that to her. I turned a blind eye to the genuineness in her eyes and the guilt.


    "I want to let go of the past. It''s what I should have done a long time ago. It''s going to be hard but I''ll pull through like I''ve always done."


    With ra by your side, a quivering voice whispered in my head and my throat clogged up and my voice trembled but I pushed it all to the back.


    "Right now, you''re part of that past. And me letting go doesn''t mean we''d remain friends. Today, I end every tie and friendship I have with you. I don''t want to ever see you again. Not around me or Amie. Ever again."


    ra staggered back, disbelief and hurt swirling with the tears that pooled in her eyes.


    I turned around before she could see my tears fall. I ran into the nearest restroom and silently cried over the loss of a friend that, until today, was more than a friend.


    A MONTH LATER


    AIDEN


    I could as well be mourning the loss of my favorite person in the world. In fact that was what I was doing here, I was mourning the loss of a happy life as I rted a smile on my face to wee a tolerable life.


    A


    life that would be full of riches and good sex but would keep deepening the hole in my chest.


    As I watched Sharon, beautiful in her sparkling stoned short white dress with the biggest and happiest smile on her face walk up the aisle to me, her arms hooked with her father''s, I knew my life with her would be hollow.


    I knew that soon, I would unintentionally wipe that bright smile off her face and infect her with my unhappy life because I could never return the love she had for me. Not that I wouldn''t try. I would give it my best shot. But right now, it felt impossible and I knew that it would be damn hard.


    There were few people in the court, all happy to see the union of two sessful people. And that was the end of it, sess.


    The marriage would be sessful. Not imperfect and messy and beautiful like the one I would have had with Anastasia.


    We''d be the power couple that would turn heads, wherever and whenever.


    But still, as I looked into Sharon''s happy eyes and said my vows to her and slid a ring on her finger, I vowed within myself to make this work. To make this beautiful woman happy till the end of time. "And from this day," the marriage officiant said, "I pronounce you man and wife."Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

 Chapter 0340

    FIVE MONTHS LATER


    ANASTASIA


    "Hey!" I waved at another of Amie''s friend who just stepped in with her


    mom.


    "You''re wee," I walked up to her and her mom


    "Thank you foring."


    She smiled, "It was either Ie or have Ka cry in my ears all day."


    Weughed and Ka blushed. I closed the door and as we walked further into the living room, I caught her looking at the picture frames hung on the wall, just like everyone else does whenever they stepped into our house.


    Her lips curled into a small smile and I followed her gaze to see the one that made her smile. I sighed as I admired the man next to me in the picture.


    Donned in his best suit, so he said, was Dennis as he wound his arms. around me and looked down at me. I still remembered that day like it was yesterday.


    The photographer got tired of telling him to look up and just took the pictures even as he had his gazes fixed on me. It was the same in every of our wedding pictures, he didn''t look at the camera because he kept asking if I was okay.


    "Are you sure that train isn''t too long? I don''t want you to trip. I can hold it up, do you want me to?" So many questions and worries that I started to worry that he might spend the whole day fussing over me instead of living our wedding day to the fullest.


    The only time he looked in the camera was when I held his chin and made him look in the right direction as we bothughed. In the same picture, Amie had jumped in at thest minute with a big smile. We looked so happy in that picture and it was the one with the biggest frame. And the one that always got everyone saying ''aww''.


    Then my gaze slid to Amie''s pictures that took more space even more than our wedding pictures. Amie, my resilient beautiful Amie. She looked happy in all of the pictures. Each shot as she giggled in pure innocence, captured the innocence in her eyes, a beacon of hope and a promise for the future.


    I would say Amie was the happiest when we made our intention to get married known to her. "Yay! My very own dad!" She yelled excitedly as she wound her arms around Dennis.


    Finally, Ka''s mom dragged her gaze away from thest picture - the one of Amie that was taken just a few weeks ago when she got


    discharged from the hospital.


    "Happy birthday to you..." she and Ka joined the chorus as Ka beamed and waved at Amie.


    "We wish you a long life and prosperity. Hip hip hip! Hurray!" Dennis got on his knees and hugged Amie and she hugged him back so tightly I feared she might hurt herself.


    When she pulled back, she ran up to me and hugged me. "Thank you mommy, thank you daddy."


    "Anything for my baby," Dennis told her as he lightly pinched her cheeks. She giggled and ran up to her friends.


    Dennis closed the space between us, curled his arms around me and I held his hand as we watched Amieugh and y games with the other kids.


    "She''s really excited about homeschooling."


    I smiled, shaking my head, "I used to think she didn''t like school."


    I looked up when I felt his gaze on me. "Are you kidding? She was always talking about school with me. Her friends, her teachers, what she learned..."


    I shrugged and said nothing as I returned my gaze to her. I guess I was too busy with work to listen to her whenever she tried to tell me anything about school.


    I sighed, relieved and just happy. "I am just so d that she''s responding well to treatments."


    The home treatment is by far the best decision we made concerning her health."


    I nodded, agreeing. She was doing so much better than she did when she was in the hospital.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "More candies," a little girl tottered up to her brother who was ying with Amie and others. When the boy paid her no heed, she tugged at his pants and lisped fiercely, "I want more candies!"

 Chapter 0341

    The boy looked down at his sister and with a slight frown, he looked around, his eyes searching for what his sister wanted.


    I looked around and realized that there were no more can no more candy," I muttered.


    "There should be more in the pantry," Dennis replied.


    1. s. "There''s


    "I''d go get some, wait here, I''ll be back in a jiffy," I told Dennis and left.


    Few secondster, I heard footsteps behind me. I looked back and shook my head, hiding my smile..


    "What?


    I want to get more candies too."


    "Right," I drawled with augh.


    Immediately, we stepped into the pantry, his fingers wrapped around my wrist and he pulled me flush to him.


    As he looked into my eyes, his gaze flickering between them and my lips, I teased, "I wonder if the candies are in my eyes."


    With a light chuckle, he lowered his head and connected our lips in a toe curling kiss.


    I clutched to him, my hands gripped either sides of his sweatshirt as I pressed my body to his.


    He deepened the kiss and I let out a moan at the friction between our bodies as he hoisted me up in his arms. I immediately wrapped my legs around his hips and his palm cupped my ass, kneading and pressing me to him.


    Nuzzling his face in my neck, he dropped kisses there and nibbled on the skin there then his kisses started to trail downward just as he began to walk toward the counter.


    Chapter (34)Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He set me down on the countertop, and immediately one of his hands. cupped my boobs through my flimsy shirt.


    I ran one of my fingers through his hair, the hand rested on his nape as I arched my back, and bared my neck for him.


    Abruptly, a knock sounded. It cut into the thick sweet fog that my mind


    We pulled apart and our gaze traveled to see one of the parents just outside the pantry.


    Wa


    There was a smirk on her lips as she said, "You do not want the kids seeing that." And we all burst outughing.


    "Come on, the kids want more cupcakes and candies," she fully stepped into the pantry. I pointed the cupcake to her and intoned, "I have more cupcakes in the fridge. I''d get them."


    Dennis helped carry a tray of cupcakes and a bag of candies while we carried the rest.


    The kids pped and hopped with joy when they saw more cakes and candies and they swarmed it.


    In no time, the trays of cupcakes and bowls of candies were cleared. They went back to ying games amongst themselves. We also got to y several of the organized games and activities. After sunset, the party came to an end. "Thank you foring," I heard Dennis and Amie chorus as the guests filed out of the house.


    After they were all gone, Amie stretched and yawned. "I''m so tired but I had so much fun."


    "We''re d you did."


    "Do you need help?" She asked Dennis and I as we cleaned.


    I shook my head. v, love. Go upstairs and rest,¡±


    "Okay," she chirped, climbed up the stairs and disappeared into her


    room..


    After we were done cleaning, I picked up the trash to disp e of but Jordan took it from me, his hands resting on the small of my back.


    "Let me do it. You should rest."


    I shook my head, "I''d do it. We''ve both been working."


    He took a few steps away from me. "No," he insisted. "Besides, it''s time for Amie to use her drugs. I''d take care of the rest."


    "Fine," I agreed and made my way upstairs.


    "Amie, it''s time for your drugs," I called out in a sing-songy voice as I stepped into her room.


    My gaze fell on her sleeping form and I cooed, "A."


    She looked so cute and peaceful in her sleep. I looked up at the time. As much as I would love to leave her to sleep peacefully, I had no choice but to wake her so she could take her drugs. "Amie..." I called softly, my hands smoothing her hair. "Amie baby," I called again but there was no response from her.


    "Amie, wake up," I shook her gently but she remained still, unmoving.


    My heart mmed against my chest as I tapped my hand on her thigh more firmly but my daughter just remained still.


    "Amie!" I screamed and lifted her. I roughly shook her. "Amie, please wake up," the first tear rolled down my cheeks but it was one of many more as I screamed her name till Dennis rushed into the room.

 Chapter 0342

    ANASTASIA


    My face was smeared with my tears as I shook Amie to wake u hugged her to my chest and simply cried. I was confused and had no idea what to do.


    While I sobbed, Dennis rushed into the room.


    "What''s wrong? What happened?" He hurried to my side and immediately his gaze fell on Amie and he understood. He instantly knew what he had to do. He efficiently took Amie from my shaky arms and grabbed his car keys. As he carried her to the car, I followed behind, still crying and calling onto her,


    As he drove us to the hospital, his attention was half on me. "It''s okay, Ana," he squeezed my hands, his gaze fixed on Amie that I held in my arm. "She''d be fine."


    The moment we reached the hospital, a stretcher was brought out and Amie was rushed into a ward. We were stopped from going in with her.


    I cried into Dennis'' shirt as we both waited for the doctor or one of the nurses toe update us on her health.


    A whileter, one of the nurses walked up to us. "The doctor has sent for you," she said with a smile.


    "How''s she? How''s my Amie?"


    "She''s fine now," the nurse said before she walked away.


    Dennis held my trembling hand as we both walked to the doctors office. In the office, he pulled the seat back for me and made sure I was seated before he took his own seat. "How is Amie, doctor. asked the doctor, my heart beating in my chest


    at a fast pace. It felt like it was that night of the party when ra and I thought Amie had fever all over again. I just hoped that the doctor would not drop another devastating news on me like thest time. The doctor greeted us with his professional smile, "She has been stabilized so she''s now fine."


    I closed my eyes as I heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."


    But my relief was short-lived when the doctor added, his brows now. creasing in worry. "But I''m afraid she''s still in a critical condition..."


    "What do you mean she''s in a critical condition?" My voice quivered as I interrupted the doctor. I felt Dennis''s arm wrap around my shoulder. " You said she has been stabilized: What''s wrong with her?" "Amie lost consciousness because, even though she has been responding to treatment, there was a rpse in the leukemia." "Why?" I whispered.


    He sighed deeply, "When ites to chronic leukemia, there are various factors that could lead to a rpse. It could be that the current treatments are not as effective as we had hoped, just like in Amie''s case. In this case, the disease will progress despite our efforts. When this happens, we always consider different treatment options, but sometimes the leukemia cane back even after initial treatment. In such situations, we may need to opt for more intensive treatments like a bone marrow transnt."


    As the doctor talked, I wondered why Amie had to go through all of these? She just wanted to paint and school. Why did life have to deal her these cards?Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    "While increasing her chemotherapy doses is an option, it could be risky in the long term and m not provide a permanent solution. Ultimately, a bone marrow transpl would still be necessary for her best chance at recovery."


    My brows furrowed, "A bone marrow transnt? What does that even mean?"


    "Since Leukemia is a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. It impacts the bone marrow''s ability to produce healthy blood cells. A bone marrow transnt is a procedure where healthy bone marrow is transnted into the patient to help their body produce normal blood cells. It''s basically a way to rece damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells." Then he asked, "Does Amie have any biological siblings?"


    I shook my head just as Dennis and I said at the same time, "No."


    Then I followed up with another question, "Can the parents donate? Can I be the donor for the transnt?"


    "Are you her biological parents?" The doctor asked, ncing between Dennis and I.

 Chapter 0343

    I nodded, "I''m her biological mother but he isn''t."


    He shook his head, "Yes, you can be the donor for the transnt if you are a suitable match for the bone marrow transnt. But I''ll have your know that it''s very rare for the biological parents to a match. But that won''t stop us. You''d undergo the necessary tests to determinepatibility."


    He reached for a file from the pile on his desk. "Are you ready to take thepatibility testing now or would you prefer we schedule a date?"


    "Now please," I wiped the tears off my face as I sat up straighter.


    He opened the file and started to ask me some questions. Inbetween, he exined, "We need all this information to ensure a sessful and urate testing."


    "It''s okay, I understand," I nodded. He asked his questions and I answered promptly.


    "Okay, you can get the test done now," he rose from his seat and nced at Dennis who also stood up when I did.


    I took Dennis''s hand in mine. "I''d like him to be there."


    The doctor nodded and led us to where the test would be taken.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    In about twenty minutes, they got everything they needed from me for the bone marrow test.


    "As soon as the results are out, we''ll reach out to you," the doctor assured us.


    Dennis and I spent some time with Amie who was asleep all through. I wanted to stay with her but Dennis and even the doctor insisted that I go home ar eturn stronger the next day


    The waiting days were hellt, having to constantly worry about Amie and what the possibility of the results would be.


    While we waited, Dennis spent as little time at work as possible and stayed with me at home. He held me and continued to assure me that Amie would be fine. I leaned on him physically and em-tionally because I had no idea what I would have done if he went here with me.


    Few dayster, we were informed that the test results were out. The little hope I had managed to nurture blew up when I was told that I wasn''t a match for Amie.


    All hope is not lost, Mrs Dennis, the doctor assured. ''Is Amie''s biological father still alive?"


    I felt Dennis freeze beside me. I nodded slowly. "Yes, he is. But we aren''t together anymore," I quickly added. "It''s been a while since Ist heard from him. Why? Do you think he might be a match?"


    He shook his head. "The probability that he''d be a match is lower since you aren''t. I was going to suggest that you two make a sibling for Amie so the transnt would happen.


    Though Dennis was still patting me on the back, I could feel his rigidity as he remained mute all through.


    "But we aren''t together anymore," I repeated. "I''m married to Dennis


    now."


    The doctor nced over at Dennis and shrugged. "That''s sad then. Increasing her chemotherapy doses isn''t what I''d advise because in the end, the transnt would still be needed and by then the risks would be higher.¡± He paused before he continued. "In all honesty, Amie could continue to battle with this illness for a long time even with drugs and treatment, and in a lot of cases, the life expectancy in cases like hers is very low."


    Tears sprang to my eyes and rolled down my cheeks nonstop. Dennis. held me. Then he said to the doctor, speaking up for the first time since. Alden was mentioned, "There must be something we can do. Please, doctor. We need a solution, what are our options?"


    He held Dennis'' gaze. "The only solution I can propose and I assure your that it willpletely cure Amie is for her biological parents to make. another sibling for her."


    Dennis remained silent and the doctor continued. "But you need not worry, this method doesn''t need the traditional way of making a baby through sexual intercourse as it''s a chance-based approach and may not guarantee a match.


    "This process is referred to as the ''Savior Sibling'' or ''Donor Sibling'' conception. Instead of making the sibling the traditional way, to make sure the new baby is a match for the sick sibling, methods like Preimntation Gic Diagnosis (PGD) or Haploidentical Family Donor Conception are adopted. These methods involve gic testing of embryos and selecting the right one that matches the sick sibling''s bone marrow or shares half of the genes with the sick sibling before the selected embryo is ced into the mother''s uterus to develop and grow into a baby."


    The room grew quiet after the doctor''s exnation. Then a quiet, "Is that the only solution?" came from Dennis.

 Chapter 0344

    DENNIS


    I grew still as the doctor told us the only safe and certain way to ensure


    Amie''s recovery.


    Somewhere in the midst of all the shouts in m


    ead, I heard myself


    ask, "Is that the only solution?"


    "It isn''t but it is the only safe and certain solution. The other ways would only make you spend a ton and at the end you''d still have to take a U turn and return to the savior sibling option."


    I swallowed. Ever since the doctor brought up Amie''s father, I had been worried. Though Ana didn''t seem to think about it, while we waited for the test results, I had been unable to get the doctor''s brief advice for Amie''s biological parents to make her a sibling out of my mind. I even made some research but I calmed myself with the hope that Ana would be a match.


    But she wasn''t. And the only way was to go through the savior sibling conception process.


    The doctor exined more about how Amie would still go through her chemotherapies but the doses will be increased a tad bit while they awaited the sibling in nine months. But the whole conversation went through one ear and out the other.


    I zoned back in when the doctor pped his hands. "Very well, then, you can go ahead to see her if you want to. I think she''s awake."


    "Thank you, doctor," Ana sniffed as she shook the doctor''s hand.


    Outside the office, I told Ana, "I''d be right back." And without a nce. back, I walked down the hallway and out of the hospital.


    I calm


    limbed into my car, closed the door and sat still for a few


    seconds. Then suddenly, I started to pound on the steering wheel with. my fist as I gritted my teeth, resisting the urge to yell out my frustration. I was sure, outside, the car was moving from my movements but I didn''t.


    care.


    Nothing was worth caring for anymore. I hated everything. Everything that''s happening I hate it all. I hated that Amie''s sick, I hated that Ana''s hurting and I hated that Alden would be back in their lives. After so many years, so many frigging years of being in the friend zone,


    I


    I finally have the love of my life and the happy family I had always.


    longed for and pictured with Ana and Amie and this has to happen!


    They won''t make the sibling the traditional way?! Bullshit!


    Aiden justing into Ana''s life, especially at a time where she was this vulnerable, is even more intimate than making babies the traditional way.


    My head falls on the steering wheel, my breathingbored. I closed my eyes and shook my head. And he won''t just be returning to her life, he''d make another baby with Ana. He''d father another if her child! My wife would carry his child in her womb one more time!


    Just the thought of that stressed me out more than running a five. hundred mile race. I felt suffocated. I lifted my head and my hands. trembled as I undid several buttons on my shirt before dropping my head back on the wheel.


    Why does life have to be thisplicated? Can''t I just be happy in this corner of the world with my family?


    ANASTASIA


    My heart ached as I wat d Dennis'' retreating figure as he walked away. He didn''t even look at me as he excused himself.


    I understood him. If he were to be in my shoes, my reaction would be the same. My heart bled for him, for us, for the beautiful rtionship. and friendship we had built. For years, he stuck with me et I when I constantly cast him aside. And now, when I finally saw him and allowed. myself to love him, he has to go through the torture of watching his wife. carry another man''s child.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I closed my eyes and Amie''s pale face formed in my mind. The more I remembered how much weight she had lost thest time I saw her, the more I entertained the idea of going through the Savior sibling process and the more my guilt grew.

 Chapter 0345

    She strutted in, a sneer on her face. "You''ve now grown the balls, haven''t you?"


    "A good day to you too, Rose," I bit out, mirroring her tone as I sat back in the chair.


    Rose was my mother-inw. It was actuallyughable how all of the people I considered family acted far from it. It was safe to say my mother-inw hated my guts. Or maybe it''s my family''s guts she hates just because the status of my family in the elite society was way below theirs. It was a p in the face for people below their status to marry into their family or meddle in their affairs. And that was exactly what my family did - married into their family.


    ording to her, I blinded her son with love and forced my way into the family. I don''t think she knows how much her son dislikes me. If she did, she''d be jubting.


    "I asked you a question, youngdy," she snarled.


    I rolled my eyes and turned away from her. I pretended not to hear her. Luigi looked between the both of us and I wondered if he knew Rose. Does he know a lot about me?


    My silent dismissal, as usual, provoked her and she hastily moved closer and spat out, her wordsced with malice and bitterness. "Do you think if you pretend not to hear, I will let you go?"


    I sighed and faced her, "Yes," I smiled sweetly, "Yes, Rose. I''m having an affair with this wild man here. We''ve just had sex and we''re going to have sex in the car parkter, would you want to join? I''m sure this wild man can handle the both of us."


    I heard Luigi make a sad attempt at holding in hisughter. Rose''s face was tinged pink as she furiously blurted out, "You shameless thing! I''ve been pardoning you, I won''t anymore. I will make Mark divorce you Immediately!"


    I perked up, "Please, be hasty about it." Her mouth dropped open, "I would also really like to thank you! after the divorce so expect a thank you letter and gift or even a visit after the divorce has been finalized."


    If she could really make Mark divorce me then I would be saving the one million dors tahtbhe had demanded. I''d be too happy to buy her a gift to thank her and put the bnce to good use.


    Rose''s face turned red with anger


    and she pointed at me, her manicured fingers trembling from her broiling usually meaningless anger, "You bitch, I will make you


    regret this."


    I peered at her and smiled slightly. "If you can make me regret it, I will take your surpame. That surname you carry with so much pride would be stripped off your certificates."


    She opened her mouth in disbelief and staggered slightly. She looked at me and said viciously, "You wait, Sydney, I will make you see my power."


    And then she turned around and strutted off just as she had done when she came in.


    I watched her leave, her back ramrod straight and chin stuck in the air. I''ve never met anyone so proud and crazy. I was sure she would run to Mark and cry to him. I was sure she would add lles to what really happened. I looked forward to seeing her performance and Mark''s reaction. Perhaps he''d angrily sign the divorce papers and send me packing, I thought hopefully with a smile.


    "Your mother inw just threatened you and stormed out and you''re smiling," he sounded like he was


    admonishing me but he was grinning.


    I stayed with Luigi for a while. He made one of the nurses tend to the little bruises had incurred. I had intended to stay with him until he


    was discharged - after all heet


    was in this state because of me - but face finally left when he wouldn''t Stop teasing me about how my hair


    looked like a bird''s nest and my


    looked like I dipped it in shit.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    "Just leave, Sydney." I narrowed.my eyes at him as sheughed, "Go home and get rid of the bird''s nest on your head. I''m already fine."

 Chapter 0346

    ANASTASIA


    I bit my lip as I stared at the building in front of me. Taste Tech. innovations, I read the bold lettering on the building. Nothing had changed since I left. Ofcourse. What was I expecting? It''s just been a few months, not years.


    With a deep calming breath, I willed my feet to move forward and get inside the building and meet with Aiden. Time wasn''t waiting for me.


    Two days. It took me two whole days before I was finally able to get in touch with Aiden. At first, his secretary posted me, iming he didn''t know who was speaking.


    "I don''t know you and you can not just have ess to my boss like that. What do you want?"


    I sighed. "I just really need to speak with the CEO, please."


    "Is it a job you want? There''s no vacancy." And then the line went dead.


    I didn''t give up. I called back immediately. Even at midnight I was always ringing the line. He blocked me and I used Dennis'' number until he finally asked on the night of the second day, sighing exasperatedly. " What did you say your name was again?"


    "Anastasia."


    "Noted. I will get back to you."


    And then an hourter, I got an email that contained my scheduled meeting with Aiden.


    I guessed thinally remembered I was once an employee.


    Maybe resigning wasn''t a ver


    #26 #


    When I stepped into the reception area, I was d that the faces there had changed. There was none of my ex colleagues who would have recognized me and made a scene.


    I met the receptionist who shed me a smile after I showed her my appointment email. "The boss is expecting you." I didn''t stop her when she walked me to Aiden''s office.


    She stepped into the office before me. "Mrs Dennis has arrived, sir," I heard her say.


    There was a long pause then I heard his deep voice say,cking. emotion. "Let her in."


    My heart started to beat faster in my chest and I contemted turning back around and walking out of this building.


    But I wasn''t here on my own ord. I was here for my daughter.


    "You can go in," thedy smiled at me when she stepped out of the office then she turned around and left.


    I remained frozen to the spot as I watched thedy until she turned into the hallway that led to the elevators.


    With my eyes closed, I murmured, "For Amie," then I wrapped my fingers around the door knob and pressed down on it. The door smoothly slid open and I walked into his office.


    He was reclined in his seat, his gaze focused on the doorway and so as


    I entered, his eyes automatically fell on me.


    At first, we just stood there, him staring at me and me ncing everywhere but his face.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    "To what do I owe the honor of this visit?" He sat up and gestured to the seats on the other side of his desk, "Please, take a seat, Ana."


    I cleared my throat and propelled myself to move forward. I lowered myself into the seat, ced my bag on myp and rested my hands on


    1. it.


    "Thank you for agreeing to see me," I told him.


    His lips lifted in a polite smile. "It was nothing. I was informed that you had something very important to talk to me about, what''s that?" He spoke as if he couldn''t wait to get rid of me.


    But I ignored all of those voices in my head that kept deducing what his every tone, movement and facial expression might mean and what other meaning his words could carry. dove straight to why exactly I was there.


    "Amie has a serious health issue. Several months back, she was


    diagnosed with chronic Leukemia." I droned on, my gaze trained on his paper filled desk.


    "Initially, she was responding to treatment but recently, she had a rpse and the doctor said that her body wasn''t responding to the treatments anymore. Though, there was the option of increasing the doses of her chemotherapies but it was risky and not sustainable. Then he proffered that the only solution that would ascertain her quick and permanent recovery was the bone marrow transnt. Since she doesn''t have any sibling, the doctor advised that we create a sibling that would be a bone marrow match for Amie-"


    "Who''s Amie?"


    blinked, dragging myself out of the daze I seemed to have fallen into when I heard his question. I resisted the urge to p my palm on my forehead. Of course, he had no idea who Amie was. I never told......

 Chapter 0347

    I looked up and his brows were deeply furrowed, confusion and worry swirling in his eyes as he looked at me like I was menta


    "Ana, are you okay?" He asked, concerned, "Who''s Amie?"


    "Your daughter."


    unstable.


    The concern vanished, his brows straightened but his eyes clouded with more confusion.


    "My daughter? I have a daughter?"Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    I swallowed. Ever since I had given birth to Amie, I had lived a day like this a thousand times in my head and dreaded every bit of it. It worsened when he turned out to be our boss and I always found myself worried that he would find out and take her away from me but after I married Dennis, I believed I had nothing to worry about anymore. But I should''ve known.


    I swallowed and nodded. "You do."


    Then his gaze held disbelief as he gaped at me, open mouthed.


    "I have a daughter?" He repeated after a long silence. "Ana, is this some kind of sick joke?"


    My voice trembled. "I have a daughter, Aiden, and you''re the father."


    Then his eyes grew alight with anger, hurt...


    "I''m sorry," I whispered and directed my gaze to my fingers as they twiddled within themselves. A tear dropped on my hand and I sniffed. I''m sorry I kept the truth from you. I''m sorry I kept her from you." There was no d...no sound came from him and so I looked up. He was still staring at me, his chest rising and falling at a fast pace


    I let out a soft gasp when he abruptly pushed his chair back and the


    desk forward, their scraping noises filling the so for that short


    moment, as he leapt out of his seat and strided to the window.


    He stared out the window and I didn''t need anyone to tell me that he walked over there to hide his tears from me, to hold himself back from the anger he felt.


    And I felt even more guilty that I had kept her from him all these years. Even when Amie used to constantly cry for a dad, I never made any attempt to find him and let him know that he has a daughter. After I discovered the whole truth about what caused our departure months ago, I realized that I had kept her away from him for nothing. He didn''t deserve it. He never did. But then, with Sharon in the picture, I felt it was toote.


    "I''m sorry, Aiden. I was just angry because of the way we departed. I felt you didn''t deserve any part in her life.


    "Don''t you dare say ''we''," he dealt me with a deathly re. "I never departed, you did. I-" he broke off, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his voice trembled, "Six years, Ana," het held up his fingers, "Six freaking years and you never felt the need to inform me about my child?"


    I shook my head. "I''m sorry." I never thought I would regret keeping her from him this much... I was always so sure that I was doing the right thing.


    "I''m sorry," I repeated. "I''m so sorry, Aiden but I need your help to save her life."


    "So what now, if she didn''t fall sick, you would have still thought I didn''t. deserve a part in her life?"


    I looked away from the us on in his eyes and lowered my head. I


    had no words because he was right. If Amie wasn''t sick, I would have continued to live happily with Dennis,


    He turned back to the window and the room was bathed in a 1se silence.


    His voice broke the silence. "What did the doctor say again?" His voice was calm, as if he had epted his fate.


    I swallowed. "We need to make a sibling that would be a bone marrow match for her but not the traditional way."


    He nced at me and I exined more.


    "This process is called the Savior Sibling conception. Instead of making the sibling the traditional way through sexual intercourse, in order to make sure the new baby will be a match for her, we''d have to go through IVF after which the embryo will be tested and the one with the greatest matches her will be selected and imnted in me to grow into. a baby."


    "What?!"

 Chapter 0348

    AIDEN


    Ana and I turned to the doorway to see Sharon stand there, her eyes widened as she red at Ana.


    "What incarnation is going on here? What are you doing here? What did I just hear you say?" She asked all at the same time as she walked further into the room.


    "You know what? I don''t even want to know what I think I heard or not. I


    don''t care. Leave now," she gestured to the door and Ana''s eyes widened.


    She opened her mouth and closed it, unable to utter any word as she turned to me for help.


    But I said nothing. Neither did I do anything. I was still mad at her, maybe I also needed her out of my sight. So I could think and process everything properly.


    Most importantly, I needed to be alone, to have the quiet to actually think as I was still wrapping my head around the fact that I had a six year old girl who carried my genes and was on the verge of dying or living miserably as she might spend the rest of her life battled with some disease to stay alive.


    "Please," Ana''s voice trembled as she tried to reason with Sharon and I could see the motherly love in her eyes, the care and affection she


    abhorred for her child... our child.


    How did I miss all of that before? She kept it so well. She was so tight-lipped about her private life that there was a lot to wonder about than a secret child, I doubted any of the staff even knew she had a child. "I have no intentio.. ofing between you two." She said honestly and


    I believed her. When she stepped in here, looking awkward and ufortable, I could tell that she didn''t really want to be here and whatever forced her here must be very important. I had my


    imaginations working but not even once did what happened crossed my


    mind


    7 just need his help and I would be out of your lives like I w ever there. I swear."


    Sharon wasn''t having any of it. ''Get out!" She was now yelling at the top


    of her voice now. "Please, Anastasia Leave now."


    "Sharon, you''re raising your voice," I snapped as I walked past her and shut the blinds of all the windows to prevent the prying eyes she must be inviting with her loud voice.


    "I don''t care. I just want thisdy out of here at this moment.


    I walked up to her and tried to cate her. I ced a hand on the small of her back and tried to veer her towards me. "Come on, Sharon, you


    need to calm down."


    But she walked out of my reach and shook her head, refusing to listen or lower her voice. "I cannot, Aiden. I can not calm down unless this


    woman leaves here. Please, Anastasia, get out while I''m still asking. respectfully."


    "Sharon-" I tried again but she cut me off.


    She threw her tiny bag on the couch, shaking her head, "There is no way in hell I will allow such a thing to happen. Are you guys serious right now? What the hell?" She walked up to Ana who was still seated, plucked her bag from herp and pointed it toward the door.


    "Ana," she stretched her fingers out to her. "Look at this? It''s our wedding band, her his too. He is a married man so he cannot put at baby in you, traditio ethod or not. It''s impossible so please, please before I call the security and Cops."


    O


    I sighed as I leaned against my desk and watched the both of them; Ana pleading quietly while Sharon continued to shout and tell her how impossible it was.


    "I swear, I mean no harm..." Ana was saying as she rose to r feet.


    "Your mere presence in this room is harmful enough. Your presence in our lives is precarious as it is. Leave now because I will not repeat myself."


    I stepped forward, took the bag from Sharon''s grip and handed it to Ana. Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked up at me, her eyes. pleading. "Leave for now," I told her. "The hospital...is it the same?" She nodded and I did the same, acknowledging her response. She took her bag from my hand and left.


    Immediately the door closed behind her, Sharon turned to me fiercely, " What did you tell her?"


    I ignored her and walked over to my desk.


    "Answer me, Aiden. Don''t tell me you''re thinking of doing it."


    I raised my gaze to her. "What would you have me do? It''s my child we''re talking about here."


    Sharon''s eyes shone with tears but she fiercely held them at bay. She was never one to show her emotions.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

 Chapter 0349

    "So what if it''s your child? For all we know, she could be lying?"


    "What would she gain from lying? The child is mine. I''m sure of it."


    "I do not care if it''s yours or not," she yelled, eyeing me.


    Her voice trembled as she reached for the bag she threw on the couch." I don''t care whatever happens, Aiden. You won''t do it. And if you do, you would not like what I''d do next."


    Then she stormed out, banging the door after her. I just hoped she wouldn''t go after Ana like thest time.


    I sat there, still reeling from the bomb that Ana had just dropped on me out of the blue. I wasn''t sure how I felt. Happy that I had a child with Ana? Sad and angry that she caused my absence in the life of my child? My emotions were everywhere. I had mixed feelings about doing this Savior sibling thing especially since I was desperately trying hard to make life with Sharon work. I was trying to forget Ana and stuff her in the past but she just had to appear and put all my efforts to waste. To make matters moreplicated, she returned with a child and an offer to make another.


    How could I have a child all these years and not even have an inkling of it?Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    For the rest of the day, I tried to get some work done but after a while of dawdling, I gave up and started to make research about all the info that Ana dumped on me to understand what I would be walking into better. After work, I drove to the hospital.


    The premises still looked the same as the night I brought her here. Not that I had seen much of the ce before though.


    I climbed dov - my car and made my way inside the hospital.


    "Good evening," I managed a smile at one of the nurses behind the counter. "I''m here to see Amie."


    They nodded and then one of them walked me to her ward but when we got there, the nurse catering to her would not let me in.


    "I''m sorry, sir but I have no idea who you are so you to see her."


    mply cannot allow


    "I''m her father," I said and even to my own ears, it sounded strange.


    The nurse looked at me from head to toe. "Nope you look nothing like him."


    I sighed. I knew she was referring to Dennis, Ana''s husband. Yet, I still tried to convince her. "Come on, can''t you see the resemnce?" I hadn''t even seen the resemnce.


    Finally, one of the nurses put a call through to Anna who authorized my entrance into my daughter''s room.


    As my eyes took her form in, I recognized the girl''s pale form on the bed as the vibrant sharp girl I met in the hallway. The one who scolded me and also took my pen. The girl thaty on this bed now was like a shadow of that girl from the hallway, her eyes squeezed shut, her brows slightly drawn down as though even in her sleep, she was in pain.


    My heart expanded as I felt a type of love that I was sure nothing could ever rece. And at the same time, my heart ached as I looked down at her and listened to her raspy breathing.


    Was this how she would remain for the next nine months? I wondered, wishing I could take her ce. I bent to ce a kiss on her forehead. Then I took her fragile hand in mine and ced a kiss on the back


    of it


    too.


    Just the heard a shuffle at the door. I turned around and came face


    to face with Ana, her face swollen from crying.


    I could see the question in her eyes so I answered her. "I''d do it."


    "Thank you," she muttered as she walked to the other side of the bed," Did she agree?"


    I shrugged, my gaze fixed on my daughter, "It doesn''t matter now."

 Chapter 0350

    SHARON


    I looked through the opaque ss as I swirled my drin it. All the while, Anastasia''s words rang in my head.


    I scoffed and muttered to myself. "How pathetic."


    Aiden had not even tried to calm me down and seek my permission before thinking of getting involved in all the process sheid out. As usual, he hade to a decision on a matter that involved him without seeking what I thought and didn''t.


    "How pathetic that I was in love with such a man."


    It never really bothered me much but this one hurt. My heart felt like it was breaking in two for the umpteenth time and this time I might never be able to patch it back up again.


    And then I realized that ever since Aiden and I got married, it had always felt like I needed to fight over my love every damn step of the way throughout the marriage. I had always needed to do so much to make him see me.


    It always felt like she was a cloud that was always over our heads, waiting for the perfect time to pour its downpour on us.


    I guess this was the perfect time and all that was happening was the downpour.


    Aiden has a child! I didn''t even know what to think of it. If it was with someone else I might have managed to be cool with it but he has a child for the same woman I didn''t like around him. The same one that nearly ended ounion. The same one I could swear with my life that he was still crazy about.


    And now she was hacke


    O


    together to save the one they already had.


    I snorted. Life was one big fat joke, wasn''t it?


    At this point, honestly I wished I was an evil person with no heart. I could find a way to stop the sibling making thing but I couldn''t. I couldn''t ever let an innocent child die on my ount.


    e was just a


    child and had no hand in her parents'' sin.


    But it''s just so hard though. It''s so hard to remain in a marriage with the knowledge that the woman that might still have a hold over my husband''s heart was going to carry his child again, a second time. With a long heavy sigh, I reached for a bottle of alcohol at the same time that a hand shot out from over my head and grabbed it. I looked up, blinking away the drunkenness from my eyes when I saw a very familiar face. I recognized it instantly.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    "Hey!" I slurred as I let go of the bottle and let him take it. "I know you," I chuckled at the confusion that swirled in his unsteady gaze.


    "Finally, the one in the same shoes as mine!"


    Even after Aiden and I got married, I low-key kept tabs on Anastasia and months ago, my private investigator informed me that she got married to the same man I had suspected was her husband. That day, I may have been the happiest woman on earth, even happier than the bride. Who knew she would still somehow stumble back into my and Aiden''s life?


    The man took an unsteady step back with a frown. "Do I know you, ma''am?" His words tumbled upon each other but he still managed to remain polite. "Oh, you don''t but I do," I giggled. "Here,e, sit with me.".I tapped the space beside me but instead he plonked in the seat across from me.


    "I''m Sharon,


    n''s wife."


    His half lit eyes sharpened and became more focused. "Ah, I guess you''ve heard,"


    "I have." Then it was as if a switch was turned on in me I started to talk non stop. "You know, even when I didn''t know Anastasia, I had never been very sure of my rtionship with Aiden, I was not certain what we had. Aiden was always there, I mean I could see him and all not that he was invisible," I giggled. "He was there with me but he still felt faraway. You know when you attend a ss or a meeting only to be in attendance?"


    Dennisughed and slurred, "Yeah." Then he took a gulp of the alcohol directly from the bottle. "You''re in the ss or meeting only in form, your soul and being and mind is miles away."


    I pointed one of the empty bottles in his direction, "You get it. That''s how it always feels with him."


    "I feel that way about Ana too sometimes," he said, brushing a finger over his nose, and it almost looked like he was pouting or... sulking.


    Yes, sulking was more appropriate.


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 Chapter 0351

    Anyway, he was a good listener so I kept talking. "And you know what, I loved him so much that I was willing to overlook it all. I never pressured him or anything," I belched and it got both of usughing really seriously.


    My heart that came alight at the sillyugh suddenly felt dark, sullen, alone, starved. "Even in our marriage I''ve never been sure. In fact, way before now I''d say I knew the truth. I knew the truth all along. I have always known that he''s loved someone else but I kept forcing myself not to acknowledge it. I told myself that it was his past and I didn''t have any need to focus on it. I told myself that all I needed to do was focus on our future and make it better. Shape it into unforgettable memories. But I guess I was just being delusional," I belched but neither of usughed this time around.


    Dennis'' eyes were so sad that I felt like his case might be way different from mine. He must love her so dearly.


    "For years, way before she broke up with Aiden, I had longed for Ana." He smiled, "she was everything. For her, I was willing to change and be a better person," he opened his arms, the bottle still in his grip, today, I''m a better individual because of Anastasia. I owe this change to


    her."


    He took another swig from the bottle. Unable to keep watching, I grabbed another bottle and took a gulp too.


    "So I''ve said that for years, right?" He belched about thrice simultaneously. "We finally started to talk when Aiden left her and that was also when we all discovered that she was pregnant for him. But that was nothingpared to the love I had for her so I stayed, while hoping that someday she would see me for me. While hoping that someday she would stop talking about Jordan and see my efforts. But it was always Jordan. After she had Amie, she stopped talking about


    *


    him. It was as if she wrote him off but she closed herself up too. I shot my shot several times but she imed she wasn''t ready and wanted to focus on raising Amie. But I knew she was still in love with me," he took a gulp, "sorry, with Aiden."


    "Aiden too," I chipped in. "He always said he wanted no strings attached or how do they say that again? He wanted to fuck but he didn''t want me to love him." I guffawed. "Too bad he made a deal with the wrongest person." Iughed so hard that I had to clutch my tummy, "I already fell for him before I jumped into his bed."


    "You thought everything else was going to follow right?"


    I shook my head, "I told myself that I would make him fall in love with me to the extent that he wouldn''t see another woman apart from me. But I guess my heart chose the wrong man."


    "It''s so unfortunate that our hearts make choices with it''s eyes closed."


    We bothughed, some of the content of my bottle sshed on the floor. "With their ears blocked."


    "I tell you," he murmured and his eyes started to drift close.


    "It just was never real, we forced it."


    Dennis smiled, "Some of it might be real though. Ana tried to love me."


    I pouted, "I don''t know if Aiden tried."Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    "I''m sure he did," he leaned forward and gave me a pat on the knee.


    He then threw himself back into the sofa, sinking into it as he downed what was left in the bottle.


    I reclined in the seat, resting my head on the back of the sofa as I let the tears slide out of my eyes. The alcohol wasn''t doing much because I could still picture Ana with a swollen belly and Aiden pressing his ear to it with a smile on his face.


    An idea suddenly popped in my head and I gasped, getting Dennis blitzed attention. "How about we both get divorced and go somewhere far away?"


    Dennis blinked, processing my words, "Far away...where?"


    "Mhmm...." I trailed off as I gave it a thought. Where should we go? My eyes lit up and at the same time I turned to Dennis and blurted," Hawaii!" He did the same and then we both burst into drunken chuckles.

 Chapter 0352

    Mia''s POV


    "Leave Adam."


    I blinked, certain I''d misheard. The words were hanging in the air of my Aston Martin like a bad joke, and I found myself fighting the urge t check for hidden cameras.


    "I''m sorry, what rubbish are you spouting now, Mia? Is this why you begged to see me?"


    Mia''s emerald eyes narrowed and her crimson lips pursed into a thin line.


    "I''m not joking, Emily. You need to divorce him."


    I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly gave myself a headache.


    "Right, and I suppose next you''ll tell me to liquidate my assets and open a cat sanctuary in the Bahamas."


    "This isn''t a joke!" Mia snapped.


    Mia, Emily, Olivia-the fabulous three, as we''d once been known. Four peas in a golden pod, raised in thep of luxury and groomed for sess from the cradle. We''d been inseparable since prep school.


    Mia had a razor sharp wit and penchant for mischief, Olivia had a carefree spirit and infectiousugh, and me.... well, I was the glue that held us together, or so I''d thought.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    It all changed four years ago when Adam and Mia''s romance came to a sudden stop. I still remember the night Mia showed up at my door with a half-empty bottle of Dom P¨¦rignon clutched in her hands Chapter 0352


    "I broke up with him," was all she said and Iforted her best friends would do.


    What I however didn''t expect was that the very week after my parents would call me over to tell me that my marriage had been arranged with this same Adam. The news, whilst being a shocker to me, never sat well with Mia and her face when I told her still haunted me to this day.


    "You stole him from me!" she''d screamed, "My best friend and my ex? God, Emily, I knew you were ambitious, but I never pegged you for a backstabbing bitch."


    Her words hurt me a lot. But what could I say? That I''d had no choice? That this was as much a shock to me as it was to her but I couldn''t


    change the decision since it was a business deal. So I''d said nothing and just watched helplessly as our friendship crumbled like a sandcastle in the tide.


    Mia cut me out of her life, blocked my number and scrubbed me from


    her social media as if I''d never existed.


    And now, here she was, sitting in my car four yearster and demanding I throw away the very thing that had cost us our friendship. When I saw a text from her, I wouldn''t lie, I felt a little bit of hope that maybe she wanted us to patch things up, but all she had to say was that


    divorced Adam.


    "Oh, Emily. Sweet, naive Emily. Adam and I are back together."


    What?


    "I''m sorry, what?" I turned to face her.


    "You heard me," Mia purred, leaning back in the passenger seat. "Adam nd I have rekindled our me. Turns out, he never stopped loving me. All these years, he''s been suffering in marriage with you."


    25 BORUS


    She kept talking, but my brain seemed to have stopped working when she mentioned ''back together.''


    "Wait, wait... Did you just say you and Adam are back together." I couldn''t believe what I was hearing.


    "I suppose he''s been on a business trip for some months now, hasn''t he?" Mia asked but I didn''t respond.


    "Well, let me break it to you. We''ve been together this whole time," She added.


    No. This couldn''t be happening. I forced augh, aiming for nonchnce butnding somewhere closer to hysteria.


    "That''s ridiculous."


    You''re lying."


    Mia''s smirk was infuriating as she pulled out her phone. "Why don''t we ask Adam himself?"


    My heart pounded as she scrolled through her messages. I wanted to snatch the phone away, to stop this train wreck before it demolished what was left of my world. But I was frozen, watching in morbid fascination as Mia found what she was looking for.


    "Here we go," she said and turned the screen towards me.


    There was a string of messages between Mia and Adam.


    ''Your pussy tastes so good. Can''t wait to see you again tonight,'' was thest text he sent her.


    Emily''s eyes seemed to be going blurry and she flicked the name on the chat to check the phone number. It was his number, there was no mistaking it.


    A cold fist of dread clenched around her heart, but Emily refused to let


    Charter 0352


    it show.


    "Still not convinced?" Mia asked then snatched the phone back.


    "How about this, then?"


    Mia''s finger swiped up a gallery of images that seared themselves into Emily''s retinas. She saw where Adam was thrusting into Mia while she''s arched under him.


    Emily''s stomach roiled, but Mia wasn''t done. She flicked through the photos with savage glee...it''s either images where Adam''s face was buried between Mia''s thighs or where Mia was on her knees with her lips wrapped around his cock.


    Emily looked away with disgust.

 Chapter 0353

    SOPHIA''S POV


    "Get out of my car." I said.


    She looked at me incredulously.


    "I said get out!" I screamed, myposure finally shattering.


    Mia looked like she wanted to argue more but something in my face must have warned her off. She opened the door, pausing before she stepped out. "Heed my advice, Emily He doesn''t love you. Stop wasting your time on him-"


    I mmed my hand on the horn to cut her off until she climbed out of the car and mmed the door behind her.


    As soon as she was gone, my forehead hit the steering wheel and I could already feeling the tears starting toe. I was fighting to breathe through the tightness in my chest.


    The images Mia had shown me shed through my mind again, and everytime it did, they felt like a fresh stab of pain. I felt dirty and used. I wanted to curl up and disappear. How could he do this? How could they both betray me like this?


    I thought about the past four years and all the moments I''d cherished; now they''d all been tainted by this revtion. Our wedding day, when Adam looked at me with what I thought was respect, if not love. The quiet evenings we spent inpanionable silence, each absorbed in our own work but somehow connected.


    It wasn''t a fairytale romance, but I''d grown to care for and trust him. We became friends of a sort. I''d even dared to hope that maybe, someday, it could blossom into something more.


    Now every one of those memories felt like a lie.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    i remembered the night before he left for this so-called ''business trip


    We shared a bottle of wine, and he asked about my ns for the event I was organizing for my new business. He seemed genuinely interested and gave me some suggestions and promised to help when he returned.


    So all that time he was talking to me, he was busy thinking of Mia? nning their rendezvous while pretending to care about my life?


    He even called to check up on me a couple of times while he was on trip. So it turned out that he was with her the whole time and probably she''d been there, listening andughing at my naivety. I felt sick to my stomach.


    I''d tried so hard to make this marriage work. I tired to be the perfect wife and the ideal partner for a man of Adam''s status.


    I did a lot of charity work andworked tirelessly just to present the image of us being a happy, sessful couple.


    And for what? So he could fuck his ex behind my back!


    I sat up, taking a shaky breath. My hands trembled as I pulled down the sun visor. I winced at my reflection in the small mirror. The mascara around my eyes was getting a bit smeared from the tears I tried not to shed. I checked my purse for some makeup wipes and tried to clean up some of the mess. My eyes also seemed puffy and there was a blotchy redness on my cheeks.


    I tossed the used wipes aside and started the car, heading straight for Olivia''s boutique, where I was headed in the first ce before Mia called to ruin the absolute shit out of my day.


    parked haphazardly when I reached the ce. Who cared if I took up two spaces at this point?


    The scent of Olivia''s signature candles hugged me the moment I walked in and I allowed myself to breathe it in and pretend everything was normal to the customers and workers around, one of which beamed at me and signaled to me that Olivia was in.


    I made my way through the store. Olivia looked up as I entered her office, a smile now blooming on her face.


    "This is a nice surpr-" She broke off when she noticed my app ance.


    "What''s wrong? Your face looks so puffy. Have you been crying?"


    I copsed into the chair across from her desk, suddenly exhausted.


    "You won''t believe what happened to me a few minutes ago."


    Olivia quickly pulled a chair to sit next to me and she rested her hand on


    mine.


    "What is it? Are you okay?"


    "No, I''m not okay. Mia''s back."


    "Mia?" Olivia''s eyes widened.


    "As in, our Mia? The one who disappeared four years ago?"


    I nodded, "She texted me asking to meet. I thought...God, I don''t even know what I was thinking, to have agreed. I thought that maybe she wanted to reconcile or something." "And?" Olivia prompted gently.


    "And she told me to leave Adam. Said they were back together."My voice cracked. "She had texts...and pictures."


    "Pictures of what?" Olivia asked, although her tone suggested she already knew the answer.

 Chapter 0354

    SOPHIA''S POV


    "Of them. Together. Naked. Fucking."


    Every word felt like ss in my throat as I said it.


    "Adam''s been cheating on me with her. This whole time."


    Olivia''s face cycled through shock, anger, and finally settled on something in between sympathy and rage.


    "That bastard! And Mia, how could she?" Olivia hissed.


    I shrugged my tired shoulders, "Apparently, she never got over him. Said I stole him from her."


    "But it was an arranged marriage! You didn''t have a choice." Olivia protested.


    "Try telling her that. She doesn''t care. She just wanted to hurt me," I muttered


    Olivia stood up,ing around the desk to pull me into a hug.


    I stiffened for a moment before melting into her embrace as tears started threatening to fall. This time, I couldn''t hold them back. The dam broke, and I found myself sobbing into Olivia''s shoulder, my body shaking with the force of my grief and anger.


    "Shh, it''s okay," Olivia murmured, rubbing soothing circles on my back. Let it out. I''ve got you."


    choked out between sobs. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to fall apart like this."


    "Don''t you dare apologize. You have every right to be upset. God, if you weren''t crying, I''d be worried about you," Olivia said fiercely.


    35


    Chapin


    *


    We stood like that for a bit longer, until my sobs subsided and were reced by huping breaths.


    Then I burst into another round of tears.


    "Oh no. If you keep this up, I''m going to start crying too," she squeaked around me.


    That startled a wateryugh out of me. I pulled back, wiping at / eyes.


    "We can''t have that. One of us needs to keep it together."


    Olivia handed me a box of tissues from her desk.


    "Here."


    I took them gratefully, dabbing at my eyes and nose. "I must look a fright."


    "You look like someone who''s just had her heart stomped on," Olivia said bluntly. "Which is exactly what happened. No one would me you for being a mess right now."


    I straightened my shoulders, "Well, I''m done being a mess. I''m not going to waste any more tears on that asshole."


    "That''s my girl. So, what''s the next step? You can''t just let them get away with this."


    I sighed. "Of course not. I...I can''t even imagine trying to salvage this marriage now."


    "Good," Olivia nodded emphatically, then added,


    "Because if you''d said you were going to try and work it out, I might have had to shake some sense into you."


    I smiled wryly. "No need for that. I''m definitely filing for divorce. I just


    need to figure out how to do it. There''s so much to consider...the


    prenup, the business connections, the social fallout..."


    "Hey," Olivia cut me off gently. "You don''t have to figure it all out right this second. One step at a time, okay?"


    "You''re right. But I feel so angry and hurt I want to do something about it right now."


    She replied, "I get it, tell you what, why don''t we g


    ut tonight? Get dressed up, hit a few bars, maybe dance a little? It might help take your mind off things for a bit.¡±


    The idea was tempting, but I shook my head.


    "Thanks but I don''t think I''m up for that just yet. I just really needed someone to talk to. And now that I have, I''m feeling a bit better."


    Olivia squeezed my hand. "Okay, but the offer stands. Anytime you want to go out and forget about all this drama for a while, just say the word. We''ll paint the town red."


    I managed a weak smile. "I might take you up on that soon. Just...not tonight."


    "Fair enough," Olivia nodded. "But promise me you''ll call me anytime. Day or night. If you''re feeling down, or angry, or if you just need to vent I''m here. I''ll be at your beck and call, got it?" "Oh, Olivia, you make me feel so much better. I don''t know what I''d do without you.l


    I pulled her into another hug, this one less desperate and more grateful. Olivia squeezed me tight, then pulled back to stare to my eyes.


    "Fuck Adam. Seriously, fuck that cheating, lying bastard. I hope his dick falls off. No...I hope it shrivels up first, turns green, and then-falls off while he''s in an important business meeting," she spat


    I couldn''t help butugh at the vivid imagery.


    "Wow, tell me how you really feel, Olivia."


    "I''m just getting started actually. I hope he gets a permanent case of erectile dysfunction. I hope every woman he tries to sleep with from now onughs at his tiny, useless excuse for a penis. I hope he steps on Legos every day for the rest of his miserable life!"


    "I would love to see all of that," I said, grinning despite myself. Especially the Lego part. Can you imagine his fancy Italian leather shoes offering no protection against those little stic demons?"


    Olivia''s eyes lit up. "Ooh, we could break into your house and cover the floors with Legos. And maybe some thumb tacks for good measure.l


    "As tempting as that sounds, I don''t fancy going to jail over that asshole," I chuckled


    "Ugh, right," Olivia sighed dramatically. "But a girl can dream, can''t she?"


    We spent the next few minutesing up with ridiculous (and thankfully, less illegal) ways to get back at Adam. By the end, we were bothughing so hard we had tears in our eyes, happy ones this time. "Thanks girl," I said, wiping my eyes. "I really needed a goodugh."


    "Anytime, babe," she replied with a wink. "


    "Now, are you sure you don''t want to go out tonight? We could always just grab a quiet dinner instead of hitting the clubs."


    I shook my head. "I think I just want to go home."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Got it. And remember to call me if you need anything. Even if it''s just to


    curse Adam''s name at 3 AM."


    With one final hug, I left Olivia''s boutique, feeling lighter than I had when I arrived. The hurt and burden of Adam''s betrayal was still there, but it felt more manageable now. I was nearing my car when my phone


    *


    Chap 954


    buzzed in my purse.


    I fished it out, my heart skipping a beat when I saw Adam''s name on the screen. At first, I thought to ignore it, but curiosity getting the better of me made me not to, and I opened the text.


    ''Hey, I''m on my way back to town. Would love to have a nice dinner with you tonight. I''ll book us a table at that new ce you''ve been wanting to try. Be ready by 7.''

 Chapter 0355

    EMILY''S POVContent ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I stared at Adam''s text, all of a sudden beginning tough, a bitter one. It started as a scoff, then grew into a full-blown, slightly hysterical cackle that had a few passersby giving me concerned looks. The audacity and ridiculousness of this needed to be studied, really. Here was Adam, ying the role of doting husband,pletely unaware that his house of lies had been bulldozed by his very own mistress. In another life¡ªthe life I''d been living just hours ago I would have been thrilled by this text. I would have smiled at his thoughtfulness, maybe even felt a flutter of excitement at the prospect of a romantic dinner. I would have rushed home to get ready, agonizing over what to wear, how to do my hair. The thought of how close I''de to being that oblivious, happy wife made me feel sick.


    For some reason, I kind of felt a perverse sense of gratitude towards Mia. As much as I hated her for her part in this betrayal, I couldn''t deny that her desperate need to hurt me had inadvertently done me a favor. Continuing to live in blissful ignorance while my husband made a fool of me would have been quite pathetic to contemte.


    At least now I knew the truth, as ugly as it was.


    I stared at the text for a while longer before I shook my head and dropped the phone back into my purse without responding.


    Let him wonder. Let him squirm.


    I slid into the driver''s seat of my car and turned on the engine, then I pulled out of the parking lot. Nothing I tried to do made me forget what was happening, even for a second. I sted some music even, and it didn''t work-only made it worse.


    As if answering my unspoken wish, a neon sign for a bar flickered into view up ahead. I started bringing the car to a slow down, almost immediately, also now recalling Olivia''s earlier offer to go out. Maybe I should have taken her up on that drink after all. I was about to get my phone to ask her to join me, but I changed my mind. She''d already done so much for me today. I didn''t want to be a burden or continue dragging her into my mess any more than I already had.


    Before I could talk myself out of it, I pulled into the bar''s parking lot.


    The bar had a haze of smoke hanging all around it despite the no-smoking signs on the walls. Country music twanged softly from unseen speakers. As I made my way to the bar, I felt eyes on me. ncing to my left, I caught a man watching me and his gaze was a little too intense forfort.


    I looked away quickly, pretending I hadn''t noticed.


    "Whiskey, neat," I told the bartender.


    He nodded, returning momentster with a ss of amber liquid. I knocked it back in one go.


    "Another," I said, pushing the empty ss towards him.


    Three drinks in and the edges of the world had started going pleasantly fuzzy. The pain in my chest had dulled to a manageable ache, and I started humming along to the music.


    I was contemting a fourth when a shadow fell beside me where I sat.


    "This seat taken?" a deep voice asked.


    I looked up, my vision swimming slightly. It was the man from earlier, the one who''d been watching me. Up close, I could see he was handsome in a rugged sort of way, with stubble shadowing his jaw and eyes that might have been green or blue in better lighting.


    "Yes," I said shortly, turning back to my drink.


    He settled into the stool next to me anyway, gging down the bartender.


    "I''ll have what she''s having," he said, jerking a thumb in my direction.


    I groaned inwardly, resting my forehead against the surface of the bar. My head was starting to pound and the whiskey was sitting uneasily in my stomach. I just wanted to be left alone with my misery. Was that too much to ask?


    Apparently, it was.


    I soon felt a hand on my shoulder and jerked upright, nearly toppling off my stool in the process.


    "Hey, you okay?" the man asked, steadying me.


    "Okay?" I slurred, now stumbling to my feet.


    "Am I okay? No, I''m not fucking okay! You want to know why? Because men are fucking idiots!"


    The bar had gone quiet; all eyes seemed to be on


    me now. But I was beyond caring.


    "You think you can just waltz over here with your... your face," I gestured wildly at him, nearly losing my bnce, "and your drinks, and everything will be fine? Well, it''s not fine! Nothing is fine!"


    I staggered forward and jabbed a finger into his chest.


    "You''re all the same, you know that? Creepy, lying, cheating bastards who think with their dicks instead of their brains."


    The man held up his hands, backing away.


    "Look,dy, I didn''t mean "


    But I was on a roll now, since all the years of pent-up frustration and newly discovered betrayal had already began pouring out of me in an alcohol-fueled tirade before they could be stopped.


    "You didn''t mean what? To be a total clich¨¦? To remind me that I can''t even go to a bar without some guy thinking he has the right to my time and attention?"


    I spun around, now addressing the room atrge.


    "Is this what it''s always going to be like? Am supposed to just ept that this is how men are? That they''ll always be looking for the next best thing, even when they have a good thing right in front of them?"


    The room was spinning now, or maybe I was. My knees buckled, and I felt myself falling. Distantly, I heard


    gasps and a few shouts of rm. But before I could hit the ground a pair of strong arms held me upright.


    Those arms holding me felt both reassuring and alien at the same time. I struggled weakly against them, but my limbs were heavy and uncooperative. "Let... go," I mumbled, my tongue thick in my mouth.


    Someone was saying my name, I thought, but it sounded far away, as if it wasing from the other end of a long tunnel.


    ¡°I''m fine,¡± I tried to say, but I''m not sure if the words actually made it past my lips. The room tilted rmingly, and I felt my stomach lurch in response.


    Suddenly, I was moving. Or rather, someone was moving me. The change in position sent my head spinning even more, and I squeezed my eyes shut against the nauseating sensation.


    Warm....then cold air...then I forced my eyes open to the sight of streetlights streaking past my vision likeets.


    I blinked. Was I in a car? How did I get here?


    I didn''t know where I was or who I was with.


    I tried to sit up to see who was driving, but my body refused to cooperate.


    "Adam?" I whispered.

 Chapter 0356

    EMILY''S POV


    A dull throbbing behind my eyes pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness. I groaned, rolling onto my side and burying my face in the pillow. The sudden movement seemed to make me feel more nauseous and Iy still, willing my stomach to settle.


    Some fragments of memories zipped through my mind...a bar... whiskey burning my throat... angry words spilling from my lips; trying to piece all of them together only intensified the pounding in my head. I opened my eyes to the rays of sunlight dancing through a gap in the curtains and it was painfully bright. I blinked rapidly so that my vision would gradually adjust to the surroundings, which I soon noticed was my bedroom.


    But how did I get here?


    Thest thing I remembered was...what? Falling? Someone catching


    me?


    I pushed myself up to a sitting position, immediately regretting the sudden movement as my head spun again. Clutching my temples, I took deep breaths and tried to ward off another wave of nausea. Questions began swirling in my mind, each one bringing with it a fresh ache to my temples.


    Who brought me home?


    What happened after I cked out?


    And why did I feel like I was forgetting something important?


    The effort of trying to remember proved too much. I got out of bed and stood on shaky legs. First things first, I needed to deal with this


    hangover.


    I shuffled to the kitchen, still squinting against the bright morning light. My body moved on autopilot, gathering ingredients for my tried-and-true hangover soup. Ginger, garlic, chicken broth, which was a soothing routine that required little thought from my foggy brain.


    While I chopped vegetables, I heard,


    "Emily."


    The voice came from behind me, startling in its familiarity. Something stirred in my chest like a mix of emotions I couldn''t quite ce. Anger, hurt, betrayal...why? The soup forgotten, I gripped the edge of the counter as a fresh wave of painnced through my skull.


    "Em? Are you okay?"


    Then when the footsteps approached, I tensed up.


    Why did Adam''s voice fill me with such unease?


    Why couldn''t I remember?


    "I''ve been calling you all night. I was so worried. When you didn''t show up for dinner, I thought...well, I didn''t know what to think. Then some guy answered your phone, said you''d had too much to drink and he was bringing you home. What happened?"


    His words triggered a sh of memory-Mia''s smug face, a phone screen filled with damning messages and photos. Then the stirring with the wooden stopped as the entire memories from yesterday starteding back.


    remained silent and focused on the soup. The smell of ginger and garlic that should have beenforting was now turning my stomach.


    "Emily, please talk to me. Are you mad about something? Did I do something wrong?"


    Adam''s hand touched my shoulder and I flinched.


    "What''s going on? Why are you ignoring me?"


    I turned to face his disheveled appearance. He looked like he didn''t sleep all night. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.


    I smiled, "I''m fine."


    "But-"


    I cut him off, reaching past him to grab my bowl of soup.


    "I said I''m fine."


    And then, I brushed past him, leaving him standing bewildered in the kitchen. As I walked away, I could feel his eyes boring into my back, but


    I didn''t turn around.


    I settled into the armchair with the bowl of soup. I could see Adam in the kitchen, gulping down water like a man dying of thirst. His adam''s apple bobbed with each swallow, and I found myself wondering how many times it had done the same while he was with Mia.


    The thought made my stomach churn, and I forced myself to take a sip of the soup. As the ginger and garlic hit my tongue, I contemted my


    next move.


    Confront him now?


    Wait until the fog of my hangover cleared?


    And after the confrontation, what then?


    Adam''s eyes turned in my direction, and I quickly averted my eyes to focus on my soup.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    knew he wasing to where I was so I didn''t look up.


    "Something''s wrong. I can feel it. Please, talk to me. Whatever it is, we


    can work through it together. I''m here to help, always.l


    Iughed. I imagined standing up and pouring the hot soup over his head, then watching his face contort in pain and shock. The image was so vivid and satisfying that my hand twitched on the bowl. "Nothing''s wrong, Adam. I just went out for a few drinksst night. Didn''t see your text," I forced a smile.


    He nodded, seeming relieved.


    "Of course. I was just worried. You never ignore my messages."


    I hummed nomittally, taking another sip of soup. "How was your trip?"


    Adam''s face lit up, and he started giving me details of how the


    supposed trip went, while I noted every lie after lie that made the anger in me grow like a living thing inside me.


    "You must have had a really great time with Mia," I said casually, cutting him off mid-sentence.


    Adam froze, "What are you talking about?"


    I set my bowl down carefully, meeting his gaze.


    "Oh, I think you know exactly what I''m talking about."


    "Emily, I don''t-"


    "Save it," I snapped, my calm facade cracking.


    "I know everything. Your mistress paid me a visit yesterday. Told me all sorts of interesting things. She showed me some rather vivid evidence too."


    Adam''s face drained of color. "Emily, I can exin¡ª¡°


    "Exin?" Iughed, the sound harsh and humorless.


    "Exin what, exactly? How you''ve been fucking your ex behind my back? How you''ve made a fool of me for years?"


    I stood up, my hangover forgotten in the face of my rage.


    "You''re a cheating bastard, Adam."


    I turned on my heel and headed for the bedroom.


    Adam scrambled after me.


    "Emily, wait! Please, let''s talk about this. It''s not what you think-"


    I turned around angrily. "Don''t you dare follow me. Don''t you dare try to exin or justify or whatever the hell you think you''re going to do. Just stay away from me."


    The door mmed behind me with a satisfying bang. Through the wood, I could hear Adam''s frustrated growl, followed by the sound of something shattering¡ª a ss, maybe, or a picture frame.


    I wanted to go back out there to scream and rage and make him feel even a fraction of the pain I was feeling. But I held myself back.


    In the bedroom, I leaned against the door, listening. Adam''s voice drifted through, low and angry.


    He was on the phone.


    "What the hell were you thinking? Are you insane?"


    I couldn''t make out the response, but Adam''s next words were clear enough.


    "A few pictures? Mia, you showed her pictures of us together. Do you have any idea what you''ve done?"


    My lips curved into a bitter smile. Oh, Adam. You have no idea what''sing.


    I moved away from the door, not wanting to hear anymore.


    +

 Chapter 0357

    EMILY''S POV


    The burden I''d been carrying for the past day seemed to have reduced on my shoulders because, now, it was out in the open and I''d confronted him.


    No doubt, the pain was still there, raw and throbbing, but it was apanied by a fierce sense of


    liberation.


    My eyes went to my closet on the other side of the room, which was filled with designer clothes and shoes. I was already beginning to calcte in my head how long it would take for me to pack all of my belongings; how many bags would I need to make sure left and left nothing behind?


    Or maybe I could just walk out and leave everything behind. It would be so easy to just disappear and start fresh somewhere new where no one knew me as Adam''s wife or as part of the country''s elite.


    But then, on another hand was the media frenzy that would undoubtedly follow the news of our separation. The gossip and spections were always waiting in a corner, for the right time to be spread. Power Couple Splits,'' would be a front page-worthy headline for sure.


    People would talk, they always did. They liked to dissect other people''s lives to look for signs they might have missed.


    Maybe some would pity me.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Maybe others would me me and say "She must have driven him to cheat," "Maybe if she''d been a


    better wife..."


    I shook my head as I felt some anger ring up again. No. Fuck all of that. Fuck what people would say; fuck their judgments and their gossip. I was Emily fucking Cartwright before I became Emily Sinir, and I''d be damned if I let fear of public opinion keep me trapped in a loveless and disrespectful marriage.


    Just then, the shrill sound of my phone ringing cut through my thoughts.


    I stared down at the device lying innocuously on the bed as its screen lit up with an unknown number.


    At first, I considered ignoring it. I wasn''t in the mood to deal with anyone right now, least of all a stranger. But something, intuition perhaps, made me reach for it. I swiped to answer, bringing the phone to my ear.


    "Hello?"


    "So," a familiar voice purred, "Have you left him yet?"


    "My life and my dealings are none of your fucking business," I snarled into the phone and without waiting *for a response, I jabbed the end call button. "That bitch" I muttered, tossing the phone onto the bed like


    it


    was contaminated.


    Before I could process the audacity of Mia''s call, a knock on the door made me turn my eyes to the door and I already knew m who it was, almost rolling my eyes. I didn''t have the energy for another confrontation. So I crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to my chin like a shield against the world.


    "Emily, please," Adam''s frustrated voice drifted through the door.


    "We need to talk about this. Just hear me out for a minute."


    1 squeezed my eyes shut because the sound of his voice irritated me so much.


    What could he possibly say to redeem himself?


    Sorry, I''ve been fucking my ex behind your back for years? Oops, my bad for making you look like a fool. Yeah, right.


    The knocking continued, interspersed with Adam''s pleas, but I tuned it out. My mind was imagining all the ways I could make him suffer for what he''d done. Revenge fantasies yed out behind my closed eyelids.


    Eventually, the knocking stopped. I held my breath, straining to hear if he was still out there. There was no sound. Did he give up already? Hell, he couldn''t even knock for an hour or something.


    I sighed again and turned around under the sheets. I didn''t realize when I drifted off to sleep. But myst conscious thought must have been a vague hope that when I woke up, this would all turn out to be some horrible nightmare.


    When I opened my eyes again, the room was bathed in the golden light ofte afternoon. For a blissful moment, I forgot everything but only for a few seconds, then I remembered again and the knot in my stomach tightened once more.


    Iy there for a while, staring at the ceiling, and maybe trying to summon the energy to face the world. Then I threw back the covers off my body and padded to the door.


    Slowly, I turned the handle, cracking the door open just enough to peek out.


    There was a box sitting directly in front of the door.


    I frowned. Was I expecting a package?


    I opened the door wider, now checking the hallway in both directions. There was no sign of Adam or anyone else, just that mysterious box sitting there.


    For some reason, I wanted to kick it down the stairs and be done with it because it was probably some pathetic attempt at an apology. As if he could buy his way out of this mess.


    But then, there was that part of me that was too curious for my own good. I wanted to know what was inside. What did he think was worth leaving outside my door? What could possibly make up for his betrayal?


    I bent down to pick up the box.


    It was lighter than I expected and didn''t make any noise when I shook it gently. No ticking, at least, so probably not a bomb.


    I brought it back into the bedroom and set it on the bed. Then I grabbed a pair of scissors from the nightstand, attacking the tape with more force than necessary.


    The box popped open, revealing a nest of tissue paper. I pawed through it, my fingers brushing against something soft. A cashmere scarf- my favorite brand


    I scoffed.


    Under it was a small velvet box that probably had some jewelry.


    And there was a folded note amongst the gifts. I plucked it out and read:


    "Can we talk?"


    I scoffed, "Seriously?"


    Not even a sorry. Not like I cared for that anyway.


    I dumped the note back in the box, scooped up the entire contents of it, and stormed to the bedroom


    window.


    I yanked it open and unceremoniously dumped the lot into thewn below.


    The scarf fluttered down like a deted parachute. The jewelry box popped open mid-fall, scattering what looked like diamonds across the grass. Adam''s note sailed away on the breeze, probably tond in some neighbor''s yard. Let them deal with his bullshit.


    "There''s your answer," I muttered as I mmed the window shut.

 Chapter 0358

    MIA''S POVContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Bitch!" I hissed as the call disconnected and I tossed my phone on the hotel bed.


    "I''ll show her a lesson she won''t forget."


    I paced the room, wondering what to do.


    Never would I forget that day four years ago when I heard Adam and Emily were getting engaged. He and I only had a small argument and separated for a few days, only for me to hear the bombshell. I felt so betrayed.


    We''d fought before, of course, but this time I stormed out, dering I needed space. But I knew we would get back together after a few days.


    Instead, barely a weekter, I received the news that shattered my world. My boyfriend was getting married to my best friend! I nearly died when I heard it.


    I couldn''t bear to see them together, so I ran off to Europe. Paris, Rome, London, I traveled to different ces just so I would forget my heartache. But no matter how many ces I went; how many parties I attended; how many sses of champagne I downed or how many designer dresses I bought, I was never able to heal.


    It was pure chance that brought me back into Adam''s orbit. A chance encounter at a rooftop bar in Manhattan, four years after I''d fled. I''d almost walked right past him, but hisugh-that rich, warm sound I''d once loved so much-had stopped me in my tracks.


    Our eyes had met across the crowded bar, and at that moment, I knew. The spark was still there. I could see it in the way he gazed at me when we saw each other again after four years.


    Adam had tried to y it cool, of course. He''d greeted me politely, asked about my travels, and made small talk about mutual acquaintances. But I could read between the lines that he still liked me. He was only holding back because of Emily. He didn''t love her, she took him from me.


    It was then that I made my decision. I would make Adam realize what he''d given up. He had to realize what he''d been missing all these years. I would remind him of the passion we''d once shared and our connection.


    Our "chance" encounters became


    more frequent after that. I made sure to show up at events I knew Adam would attend, always looking my absolute best. I''d brush past him, letting my hand linger on his arm just a moment too long. I''d dean in close to whisper in his ear about how good he looked in his tuxedo.


    And then came the night that changed everything.


    We''d both had too much to drink at a party or at least, that''s what Adam would tell himselfter. I, however, knew exactly what I was doing.


    I wore a sexy dress to that party, and all night, I could feel Adam''s eyes on me. He seemed both hungry and conflicted.


    Later that night when I was sure he''d had enough champagne to make him lose his mind, I made my move. I cornered Adam in an alcove secluded from watching eyes.


    I undid the wrap of my dress and fully bared myself to him.


    The look on Adam''s face was worth every second of nning. He stared at me from head to toe, drinking me in like a man dying of thirst. I still remember how he grabbed me that day pushed me against a wall fucked me so hard while telling me how much he missed me. He told me that not even Emily could make him feel the way I did.


    But Adam was a gentleman. So the next morning when he realized what had happened between us, he started to apologize that he wasn''t in his right mind at the time and it was just the alcohol. He said we should forget about it and pretend like it never happened. But knew he was only trying to be a devoted


    husband; he still loved me.


    I convinced him that we could still be together. It would be our little secret. And so we started an affair. He would im to be on business trips, in public, but the business was always right by my side.


    But it was never enough. I needed him to be fully mine. I didn''t want him having to sneak around just to spend time with me and I didn''t want to keep on calling him my man in private. It was clear he loved me, not Emily, but he was too soft to call off his marriage.


    Which was why I had to take it upon myself to tell Emily. To be honest, I never nned on revealing our affair yet. But seeing Emily, so smug and self-assured in her role as Adam''s wife pushed me over the edge. I wanted to hurt her the way she had hurt me all those years ago.

 Chapter 0359

    MIA''S POV


    It''s been weeks since I dropped my little bombshell on Emily, and nothing changed. I expected her to pack her bags and leave Adam the moment she found out about Adam and me. But no, she was still there, ying house, acting like the perfect little wife.


    It was infuriating. Didn''t she have any self-respect? Or was she just that desperate to cling to him?


    Either way, it was clear I''d have to take matters into my own hands. Emily needed to go, and if she wouldn''t leave on her own, I''d make damn sure she had no choice.


    I began to tail her. And finally, today was the day. I watched from my parked car as Emily left her office building.


    God, I hated her.


    Because of her, Adam was avoiding me.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    He stopped taking my calls. She must have threatened him. Adam was quite weak when it came to making decisions like this. But the fact remained that she was trying to steal him from me again!


    My blood was boiling just by looking at her face. I stepped out of the car and I strode towards her. Emily saw meing.


    "You bitch," I snarled, lunging at her. My hands were aimed at her throat.


    But before I could reach her, strong arms wrapped around me from behind, lifting me off my feet. I thrashed and screamed, my nails raking uselessly against the arms that held me.


    "Let me go!" I shrieked, watching as Emily calmly climbed into her car. "You can''t hide from me forever, Emily! I''ll make you pay!"


    The car door mmed shut, and Emily was gone, leaving me struggling in the grip of what I now realized was her bodyguard. When the hell did she hire personal security?


    How dare she?


    Eventually, the bodyguard released me, but not before Emily''s car had long since disappeared from view. I stumbled back to my own vehicle, shaking with fury and humiliation.


    The drive back to my apartment happened with a series of angry tears and ns for revenge. By the time I stormed through my front door, I was beyond rational thought. All I could see was red.


    I don''t remember deciding to do it. But one moment I was pacing my kitchen, the next I was holding a knife.


    Without hesitation, I dragged it across my wrist, feeling with a detached fascination as blood welled up and began to drip on the floor. The pain I felt was sharp, immediate, but somehow distant. Like it was happening to someone else. I watched the blood flow, feeling lightheaded but strangely calm.


    This should be enough to make Adame back to me.


    I took my phone with my other hand. Adam''s number was at the top of my recent calls list. I hit the video call button, sliding down to sit on the floor as I waited for him to answer. Why the fuck wouldn''t he answer my calls.


    My consciousness was already starting to slip away because I was losing so much blood. But I tried to keep my eyes open.


    Just then, Adam''s face appeared on


    the screen. He looked annoyed at first, probably about tounch into some speech about how we couldn''t keep doing this. But then his eyes widened when he saw me.


    "Mia?" He immediately called in a concerned tone,


    "Adam," I gasped weakly.


    "Help me. Please."


    "Mia, what did you do?" Adam''s face was pale now, his eyes darting around as if searching for clues.


    "Where are you? I''m calling an ambnce."


    I shook my head, wincing at the wave of dizziness the movement caused.


    I whispered. "Emily...she did this. She came after me."


    Adam''s face hardened, "What are you talking about? Emily wouldn''t-"


    "She did," I insisted, letting out a choked sob for effect.


    "Because I told her about us. She went crazy and said if she couldn''t have you, no one could...she said she''ll kill me and make it look like Imitted suicide."


    I could see the conflict ying out on Adam''s face. He wanted to believe me, I could tell.


    "Mia, you''re not making sense. Just tell me where you are. I''m on my way," he begged in a strained voice.


    I smiled weakly and felt a perverse sense of satisfaction. He wasing for me. He still cared.


    "My apartment," I managed to say.


    "Hurry, Adam. I don''t know how much longer..."


    My vision was really starting to fade


    now and ck spots were dancing


    at the edges of my eyes. I let my eyes flutter closed, hearing Adam''s panicked voice calling my name from what seemed like very far away.


    This wasn''t exactly how I''d nned things, but it would do. Adam would find me and save me. And Emily will be out of the picture soon enough. After all, who would believe the word of a jealous wife over that of the dying mistress?

 Chapter 0360

    AIDEN


    I heard her sigh deeply. Then, "Thank you so much foring. I really appreciate this."


    I gave her a stiff nod, my gaze trained on my daughter,


    "So," she began awkwardly. "We''d need to go see the doctor so the process can start immediately."


    1 heaved a breath. Yeah, the process. It was the reason why I was here... the reason why she was forced to tell me that she bore me a child... the only reason I was allowed ess to my flesh and blood was because she was on the verge of dying.


    I felt my insides begin to boil with anger all over again. At the same time, I could still feel the stab of betrayal and hurt if what she''d done.


    With one fast look at Amie, I chucked down all the anger and I nodded. "Let''s go then."


    We needed to begin immediately so that me being introduced to my daughter would not all be worthless at the end.


    She led the way. The short trip to the doctor''s office was silent, tense. But we survived it.


    "It''s here,¡± she muttered unnecessarily as she stopped before a door that read, ''see the doctor.''


    The moment we stepped in, the doctor''s gaze zeroed in on me. With a professional smile pasted on his face, he pointed to the seats on the other side of his desk.


    After we were seated, he fixed his gaze on me and asked, "I presume you''re Amie''s father?"


    I swallowed. "Yes, I am."


    I just couldn''t swallow the fact that I could be referred to by the title only because the poor girl was dying. God. My chest hurt just from the thought of it.


    "Very well then, let''s get into it immediately," he ttened his palms on the desk, his smile brightening." I''m sure she must have exined to you but I''d also give you a brief exnation of everything. "First of all, there are the documents that would need to be signed. Then the testing, we are going to need to take several tests to ensure that you''re both physically fit to undergo the entire process. After we''re sure that you are in good condition, health wise, then we can begin to test the embryo and go ahead to imnt the best match in her."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I asked a couple of questions to rify some confusions that I had while Ana remained quiet beside me.


    "When would you both be free for this to begin? I know it''s your child and it''s really important but work is also important and I''d need you to be really present with undivided attention while we get all these things done."


    His gaze alternated between Ana and I. Ana said she was free anytime I was ready.


    mentally moved a thing or two in my schedule. Actually more than a thing or two. More like a dozen or two. Then I told him when I''d be free-I just needed the time to inform the management, business partners and clients about my unnned unavability. Work would have to wait.


    Chase Ba


    He then picked a date that would be convenient for the both of us.


    "On that day, all processes willmence."


    "Thank you, doctor," Ana said as we stood up and left the doctor''s room.


    Neither of us said anything to the other as we headed to Amie''s room.


    Amie was still fast asleep. She didn''t look like she was in pain anymore. She looked at peace.


    As I stared at her, I could glimpse the subtle resemnce between Amie and I. I could also see the resemnces she had with Ana. She looked more like Ana. But if I had taken a longer look that day in the hall, perhaps, I would have spotted the simrities.


    Perhaps, she might have even mentioned her mom.


    Ana hadn''t said anything. She just stood by Amie''s side and stared down at her... or me?


    I had a billion questions to ask her. What was behind the idea to name her Amie? What were her first words? What was her favorite color and food? What was this? What was that?


    But I wasn''t ready to break the tense silence. I didn''t want to have to do so.


    Even though I''d epted that this was one of the many unluckiness that life had for me, I was still mad at her. I had every right to be and I wanted to remain mad at her... but could I?


    It doesn''t matter. I was here only for Amie, When she wakes up, I would ask her the questions I could.


    I wondered if she remembered me. My lips tilted in a slight smile, would she still think I was rude? What if she doesn''t like me? What if she refuse-


    Okay, stop there.


    Let''s leave the ''what ifs'' till they will matter. And that would be after she gets better. For now, I would be in her life as a savior sibling is made for her whether she liked it or not. Afterward, we''ll decide if I stay or


    not.


    "Umm, please, give me a minute, I''d be back."


    Before I could even look up to show that I heard her, Ana was already striding out of the room.


    I watched her open the door and step out.


    I returned my gaze to Amie. She made a faint sound in her sleep and let out a ragged breath.


    Slowly, I took her hands in mine. They were small and fragile. Definitely thinner than the fingers that curled around my pen that day.


    I intertwined our fingers wishing she''d open her eyes and sh me that mischievous smile or the happy one when she got the pen.


    I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to the back of her hand. When I opened my eyes, there was a drop of water on her hand.


    I sniffed and wiped it but more fell. I wiped the tears off my face but they wouldn''t stop pouring out. So I gave up, lowered my head to the bed and sobbed quietly.

 Chapter 0361

    AIDEN


    The pathetic sob sounds I made ceased when I felt her fingers move against my hand.


    1 quickly cleaned the tears on my face and raised my head. Her eyes were wide open as she stared back


    at me.


    For a second, I just stared too. Was she really awake or was I seeing what my eyes wanted to see?


    She blinked. I smiled. My hand tightened a bit tighter around her hand. It wasn''t a delusion. She really was awake.


    "Hey," I said, my voice hoarse.


    "The pen guy," she said in a raspy voice and a straight face.


    My smile widened, "You remember me."


    She nodded. "I loved the pen. I still do. It''s still at home. It''s my favorite pen."


    By this time I could feel my eyes starting to water."


    "I''m d." In the absence of nothing to say, I quickly added, "I can get you more if you want. How many do you want? A dozen? Two? A whole pack?"


    I ransacked my head as I tried to remember where I had gotten the one I handed her so that I''d get more for her.


    She smiled gently. "Even though you''re rude, you''re kind. But don''t worry. I don''t want to put you in too much trouble besides I don''t think my mom will easily let me off if I cart a pack of pens I collect from a stranger around the house."


    A stranger. I swallowed and forged my smile on.


    "I''m sure your mom wouldn''t mind."


    She shrugged. "If you''d take the brunt then so be it."


    I was honestly always impressed whenever she spoke, she knew a lot for her age.


    "It would be nothing."


    "Oh, it''s something. You haven''t seen my mom get mad."


    It warmed my heart that my child was a good conversationalist.


    "If it''s for you, I''d do anything."


    She frowned slightly at that. Then her eyes roamed my face and she asked, her brows slightly pulled down. "Why are you crying?"


    J touched my face. "Umm... I wasn''t crying."


    "You were crying when you raised your head. Your eyes are a bit swollen and your face is red."


    *th that Something on thomy eye


    Chche mured tich she didn''t even try to hide that she didn''t believe me one bit. But she said nothing she is gain


    How do you fo


    She managed another shrug. I feel pain all over. Sometimes, I can''t even tell where, everything just hurts.


    1


    1 squeezed her hand gently, my heart hurting for her. "You''ll be alright."


    know," she smiled. "My dad tells m be alright." Then she pouted and her gaze wandered to a spot on the wall. "I wonder why he isn''t here yet. He hasn''te to see me for a while now."


    My smile faltered the same time my heart fell an inch towards my stomach. She definitely was not talking about me.


    "That''s good," I managed.


    There was a crack on my heart when she started to slowly squirm her hand out of my grip. At first, I held on. I didn''t want to let go but when I glimpsed the oing panic in her eyes, I quickly pulled away. She sped her hands together before her and asked, "Where''s my mom?" her gaze slid to the door behind me.


    "Your mom''s fine. She just stepped out, she''ll be right back."


    "Okay," she said curtly.


    My heart felt heavy as I watched her fix her gaze on the ceiling. Did I scare her? Oh God. Why didn''t I let go of her hand the second she tried to retrieve it?


    "Why are you here?" She turned to me and asked suddenly, her gaze tinged with curiosity. "Do you like randomlying into hospital rooms to see kids or what?"


    And she ims I''m the rude one.


    "Amie! You''re awake."


    We both turned to see the door to see a nursee in with a clinical tray.


    "Hi, good morning," the nurse greeted me with a smile


    "Morning." I answered.


    "Hey Amie darling, how do you feel?"


    Amie smiled. "It still hurts, but I''m fine."Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    The nurse shook her head and smiled. "No. Amie, you''re not fine. If it hurts then you''re not fine." Amie shrugged again. Then she regarded the nurse for a while. "I guess you''re enjoying your stay here?" The nurse beamed. ¡°I am on cloud nine everyday. I''m more d that I got posted to the kids'' section."


    "You love kids? You only told me you love taking care of people."


    "Yes. But I love taking care of kids more. They have more love to offer than adults." She turned up her nose, "Adults can be annoying even when sick. In high school, I fantasized about being a babysitter." "A babysitter?" Amie echoed.


    "Yep!" She shook her head, smiling. "Those were fun times but I quickly came to my senses because babysitting didn''t pay that much and I''ve got serious bills to settle."


    The nurse was a talker and Amie enjoyed listening. They randomly jumped from one topic to the other. But once in a while, I would catch the nurse nce in my direction. Each time she did, I saw the question in her eyes but she was too polite to ask so I saved her the stress.


    "Thank you for taking care of her," I said.


    "Oh my..." With a big smile on her face, she turned to Amie whose gaze was on me, her brows furrowed. You look just like your dad."


    I could literally feel the disapproval ooze off Amie as her frown depended. I felt like there was some kind of resentment in the way she looked at me. She was probably mad that I just tried to take up the role of someone important in her life.


    I did not me her. I was the meworthy one. What was I thinking introducing myself as her dad in her presence when she still had no idea who I really was? How can a rude stranger suddenly im to be her dad?


    Finally, she said sharply and silenced the rambling nurse. "He''s not my daddy."

 Chapter 0362

    ANASTASIA


    "He''s not my daddy," I heard Amie say in her defensive tone just as I stepped back into the room.


    They hadn''t noticed my presence so I stood there and watched as Aiden tensed and said nothing. They both seemed to be in a staringpetition. Amie''s gaze had turned really hostile and Aiden... he looked


    beaten.


    The nurse, finally sensing the tension in the air, stammered for what to say, her flickering from daughter to father. Eventually she muttered an embarrassed, "Oh."


    I nced at the nurse. Maybe she was the one who asked a question that brought about Amie''s statement. Perhaps, since she hadn''t seen Aiden here before, she asked if he was the dad.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I didn''t me her though. Her face was new so she probably doesn''t know either I or Dennis.


    Maybe I was at fault. Oh, not maybe. I was. I should have found a way to exin to Amie that she had another dad aside from Dennis. The one she used to always ask for. That way, this huge pill would be easier for her to swallow.


    I sniffed quietly and pressed the heel of my palm to my eyes for thest time.


    Aiden finally broke the stare off and smiled at the nurse. "I''m actually-"


    I quickly stepped in.


    "Hey baby," I made my presence known and stered a huge smile on my face. I walked to Amie''s side and nted kisses all over her face.


    She wrapped her frail arms around me and my heartbusted in my chest and my eyes pricked with tears again.


    "Mommy."


    "Baby. When did you wake up?"


    She briefly nced in Aiden''s way. "Not quite long. Where did you go?"


    "I quickly went to attend to a call."


    She buried her face in my chest one more time. When she pulled away, there was a frown on her face. "Why am I here again?"


    She folded her arms against her chest as she reclined in bed. "You said I did not need to be here again."


    "1-"


    "I hate it here, mom. I hate it!"


    "Amie," I called softly. "Language. Watch your words."


    Her oing tantrum eased up and she pouted. "Why am I at the hospital again? You promised I was okay. Why does all of my body hurt? Why won''t you answer my questions?"


    173


    My hands trembled as I took her hands that were now balled into fists. I ced a kiss on each fist and told her, "I''m sorry but I need you to understand that you will need to be in the hospital for a while," I exined gently. "That way, you''d grow into a strong adult," I finished with a subtle smile.


    She stayed silent as she seemed to process my words "So I can not grow strong at home?" She asked with an arched brow.


    I bit my lips and shook my head. "You actually can. This ce is just so much better."


    I really did not know what to tell her. How do you exin to a child that she has a life altering disease and would have to wait nine months for a sibling that would save her?


    She plonked on the bed and I feared she might hurt herself with the impact. "I don''t want to be here," she cried.


    I upied the space beside her and wound my arms around her. "Please, Amie. Do this for me. Okay?"


    She regarded me for a while then she grumbled something incoherent.


    "Please?" I pressed a kiss to her temple. "For mommy."


    There was silence around us. Aiden and the nurse remained quiet as Amie sorted her emotions and tried toe to terms that she would have to be in the hospital that she did not like for a while again.


    A while that might turn out to be nine months or even more. I looked up to stop the tears that threatened to pour. Amie would have to remain in pain, repeatedly stabled with drugs and tiring chemotherapies for nine freaking months!


    For the umpteenth time, I wondered why a child had to be subjected to suck pain and torture. Why wasn''t it me? Life was just cruel.


    "Amie?"


    She blinked several times, as if fighting tears or willing her anger away, then slowly, she dissolved and


    calmed down.


    "Okay," she muttered quietly.


    "Thank you," I pulled her to me in a hug.


    "But you and dad just visit me everyday." I hesitated then I eventually answered, "Of course.


    I could feel Aiden''s piercing gaze on me. I refused to look up for fear of shing eyes with him but I briefly wondered what he thought of me? Of my parenting method? Does he see me as a shitty mother for lying to my kid? I think I am one. If not for lying then for denying her a father until she was in a sick bed.


    Then I couldn''t stop the same thought that had been gnawing at me since I went to Aiden from bothering me again. Amie was happy with Dennis as her dad. Would she still ept Aiden as her dad?


    I felt horrible really. I couldn''t even begin to imagine how angry and hurt I would be if I found out, after six years, that I had a child and was not informed. I would be livid. I was just lucky that Aiden was a good natured person and he agreed to do this. Other men would not easily agree to be roped into a situation like this, especially after they found love again and got married.


    Amie suddenly tapped me on the thigh then she peeked at Aiden but his gaze was already on her so she


    hurriedly stered a smile on her face-that type you sh to strangers so you don''t seem rude or mistakenly hurt their feelings.


    She returned her gaze to me, leaned forward and whispered in a not-so-quiet voice. "Mommy, earlier the nurse called that man my dad after he introduced himself as my dad," her forehead creased in a frown," Why would he do that?" Then there was worry in her eyes, "And where is daddy?"

 Chapter 0363

    ANASTASIA


    I stared at Amie, her gaze boring mine as she awaited my response.


    I had no idea what to say. I couldn''t tell him that Aiden wasn''t his dad, not anymore. Not after he''d hinted at it. I couldn''t tell him that he wasn''t her dad thenter in the future inform her that the man I''d told her wasn''t her father was her father.


    That would be stupid and it would be lying. I always tell her not to lie, what example would I be setting?


    Besides, Aiden probably wouldn''t even want that? It might anger him. And I couldn''t risk him going back on his words.


    But was it the right time to tell her? Physically, she was suffering, it would be unfair to put her through the emotional turmoil that the revtion would bring her. It was one she would have to go through some day, no matter my decision today, but I couldn''t make it now. I didn''t want it to be now.


    She knows Dennis as her father. I would like to keep it that way.


    "Mom? Is daddy sick?"


    My lips curled into a tight smile and I smoothed her hair. A loose strand followed my fingers and I swallowed.


    "Daddy isn''t sick. He''s fine."


    Her brows pooled together in worry. "Then where''s he?" Her voice trembled slightly. "Why hasn''t hee to see me? I miss him."


    "Amie?" Aiden called as he sat up. He nced my way briefly before he settled his gaze on Amie. "Actually, there''s-"


    "Can we talk?" I blurted and all of them, Amie, Aiden and the nurse, turned my way.


    I licked my lips and managed a smile to cover the panic on my face. "We should talk outside."


    Aiden looked like he was going to refuse but he seemed to change his mind as he nodded and got on his feet, eager to get the talk over with.


    I turned to Amie. Her brows furrowed in suspicion and confusion as she looked at me.


    "I''ll be right back." I pressed my lips on her forehead, nodded at the nurse and followed Aiden out.


    He leaned against the wall that faced the door, his brows arched. "Tell me, Anastasia, what is this talk about?"


    I could feel the anger oozing of him. His face looked calm, well poised, but from his tone, it was clear that he was trying hard to keep a hold on his temper.


    "Can we walk farther a bit, please?"


    Without a word, he took a few steps ahead. When he stopped and waited for me to catch up with him, I knew nothing I said would move him farther from where he had chosen to stop.


    I took before him and rubbed my palm together. I thought of how to start... how to pleasantly tell him that I didn''t want his daughter to find out that he''s her father yet.


    "I don''t want to tell her yet," I blurted. I couldn''t find a better way.


    Perhaps, I could have said, ''You''d be a great father but I don''t want you to take up the role yet?'' Yeah, no.


    He stared at me long. The neutral expression on his face gave nothing away.


    He finally looked away, kept his gaze on the floor for a few seconds.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea."


    "Aiden, please 1-"


    He looked up, exasperated. "What better time would it be than now?"


    "Growing up, Amie insistently asked about her dad." I swallowed and looked down."I used to tell her that she didn''t have a dad. When I got married to Dennis, she easily and happily epted him as the dad she''d always wanted." I looked up and prayed that Aiden would sympathize with me. "She is very happy with Dennis as her dad, Aiden. I don''t want to strip that away, not now. Not in this state in her life."


    "So what are you insinuating? I would make her sad as her dad?"


    I could swear that his voice trembled.


    "You know that''s not what I mean. It''s just..." I sighed. "How do you think she''d be convinced that Dennis isn''t her dad anymore but someone whom she''d never met? How easy would that be? I don''t want anything that would make the pain she''s currently going through harder to tolerate."


    Aiden walked away from me, his fingers slowly wove into his hair all the way to the back until he gripped his nape.


    From where he stood, he turned to face me. I could see the tight line around his lips. "So what now? You are not going to tell her?"


    "I will," I said firmly as I walked to


    him. "I promise you, Amie will know you as her father and I will do everything in my power to make her ept you. Just not right now Maybe after everything has been sorted out."


    He scoffed. "Maybe! Wow."


    ¡°Definitely. After everything is sorted out, I''ll tell her.¡°


    Aiden stared at the wall before him for a long while. I was already wondering if we''d stand here till nightfall until he nodded curtly.


    "I''ll be on my way."Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Then he dug his hands into his pocket and turned and walked off without even sparing me a nce.


    I folded my lips in my mouth and looked up at the ceiling to stop the oing tears. I sniffed and pressed my fingers on the corners of my eyes to clean the tears that escaped.


    I returned to the room.


    The nurse smiled my way. "I was just making my way out."


    After she left, Amie crossed her arms over her chest. "Who is that man and where''s daddy?"


    "Daddy is fine."


    "I want to see him," she whined stubbornly.


    My smile remained on my face. "Let''s call him then."


    I grabbed my phone from my bag and facetimed Dennis.


    Amie and I watched as the phone rang until it stopped ringing without a response.


    "He must be busy," I said in a small voice, my hands trembling as I tried his line again.


    My throat felt clogged with tears. I know he wouldn''t pick up.

 Chapter 0364

    ANASTASIA


    I was exhausted, mostly mentally, by the time I returned home.


    As I dragged my feet to the door, I made a mental list of the things I had to do.


    Pack some painting books for Amie...


    After we tried to reach Dennis and he didn''t pick up. Amie had agreed that he might really be busy with work as I''d said.


    Then she said, "You''ll go home today, right? When you get home, tell him I miss him so much! When he''sing, he shoulde with some of my painting materials. I''m always bored whenever I''m not sleeping." Then she beamed, "Besides, I promised to draw something for him."


    I had taken that as an opportunity to cheer her up and begged her to tell me what she was going to draw for him but she wouldn''t tell. She just said, "It''s a secret between my daddy and I."


    With a sigh, I came to a stop before the door. I tried to unlock it but was surprised that it wasn''t locked.


    Dennis is back? My heart warmed. Him choosing toe home early was a good thing. Maybe he wanted to visit Amie early tomorrow before he goes to work. I just hoped Aiden would be too busy to visit her tomorrow.


    "Dennis?" I called as I pushed the door open. The lights were still off as I''d left it so I turned them on.


    I heard someone mutter something in a low voice.


    I turned to the direction that the voice hade from and found Dennis sprawled carelessly on one of the couches, shoes and all.


    "Dennis?" I repeated as I walked up to him. He soft snores notified me that he was asleep when I stopped before him.


    He was in a very awkward position. His neck looked twisted as he rested his head in the chair''s arm, his back arched over the couch. He struggled to rest one of his legs on the chair closest to him while the other dangled to the floor. I didn''t need to be in that position to be able to tell that he was ufortable.


    As I bent down to wake him and guide him upstairs, the distinct scent of alcohol wafted towards me. It wasn''t unusual to detect that aroma on him, considering it was amon part of his business.


    "Dennis," I lightly tapped his thigh, causing him to stir. As he opened his mouth and mumbled a response, I instinctively and swiftly leaned back, taken aback by the pungent scent that enveloped him. I wrinkled my nose. Goodness! The overwhelming aroma of alcohol that emanated from him was suffocating...


    This wasn''t the usual teasing aroma of alcohol. It was obvious that he had been drinking. He was drunk and it was very unlike him.


    Even though he owned one of the busiest and bubbliest bars in town, he never drank. He just wasn''t a drinker. Well, he stopped being one. I just hoped this trying time would not make him return to his old ways.


    I dropped my bag on the couch beside the one he slept in. I arranged his legs on the floor and straightened his neck. "Dennis? Wake up."


    He only managed to murmur more incoherent words, unconsciously attempting to choke me with the pungent smell of alcohol. Then he wiped his face with his hand and continued to snore.


    I sighed and took hold of his arm. I pulled him to me. When he rested his face on my stomach, I wrapped my arm around him and lifted him from the chair.


    He was heavy. I couldn''t do it alone.


    "Dennis, I need some help here."


    With his unsteady help, I managed to pull him up. We then headed for the stairs.


    While we staggered up the stairs, he kept muttering disjointed words. But slowly, they started to make sense.


    "I love you," he drawled and then he tried to hug me which almost caused us to fall.


    "I love you too, Dennis, but you can''t hug me now, else you''d get both of us killed. Let''s get up first."


    "I''m sorry," he muttered in a defeated voice.


    I smiled. "It''s okay. I''m not mad. let''s just get you to bed, okay? So you can sleep morefortably."


    He smiled and slurred, "Best wife ever." Then his smile fell. "Ana, will you leave?"


    His voice was sad and it pulled at my heartstrings.


    "Why will I do that?"


    "You won''t leave me for Aiden? Promise me."


    I won''t leave you, Dennis, I wanted to say but... it felt wrong. Maybe


    because he was drunk. When he''s


    sober, I''d assure him that I won''t et


    leave him. I have no reason to. Besides, Aiden doesn''t even want mel was sure he hated my guts right now.


    "Ana?" He slurred. "You gon leave, huh? You''ll take Amie with you and leave me all alone, won''t you?"


    I released a heavy sigh, almost like it was second nature to me now. "Dennis, you''re not thinking clearly. Let''s head inside."


    He said nothing as we continued our journey up the stairs but he looked like he was sulking.


    On thest stair, Dennis stumbled over the vase beside the wall, causing us to plummet to the ground.


    I squeezed my eyes shut and let out


    a low groan of pain as a sudden, sharp ache pierced through my back as Dennisnded heavily on top of me.


    "Dennis, get off," I groaned. I waited for a few seconds but he didn''t even move an inch.


    I pushed him off me and knelt beside him.


    "Dennis," I called, already worried about how I''d drag him from here to the room. Getting him up from the couch hadn''t been easy. I knew this one


    would be harder.


    "Dennis, the floor is cold, let''s go inside."


    I wrinkled my nose and leaned closer to him. I listened to his breaths and a sigh escaped me; he had dozed off.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

 Chapter 0365

    SHARON


    I rubbed my eyes as I let out a yawn.


    I squinted at the worksheet on the screen but the more I stared, the blurrier the words and figures became and the heavier my eyelids got.


    I was scared to go to bed because each time I closed my eyes to sleep, all I saw was Aiden and Anastasia, all lovey dovey.


    Every moment I spent idling away was filled with thoughts of Aiden and Anastasia together. I didn''t want to have those thoughts. I didn''t want to think that my husband was going to father another woman''s child.


    I hadn''t heard from Aiden since that witch returned to our lives. I had no idea if he returned home because the first thing I did the next morning after my drunken night was book a flight, pack my things and leave the country.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I had left my business here and flown to Aiden without a second thought. The hands I''d left the business in did a fairly good job but I wasn''t satisfied.


    I didn''t want fairly good. I wanted the best. I would have done better if I was present.


    And so I got to work. Work, as always, came to my rescue. It drove all those thoughts and endless worries away. All I had to do was fill my head with enough figures and words.


    I also realized that I had tons of pending work.


    I was disappointed in myself. Marriage has made mezy. Apart from the pending work, I had also delegated lots of tasks to my subordinates.


    When I called my assistant and told her that I''d be taking over the tasks I delegated to her, her eyes widened and her lips trembled as she asked, "Did I do anything wrong?"


    I smile softly at her. "Come on. You''re the best assistant I''ve ever had. You didn''t do anything. I just want to be more involved. Since the break I took for my honeymoon, I haven''t really resumed. And even before then, I wasn''t very active." She smiled, "Alright."


    Then I sent for the HR manager and told him that he could send the interviewees my way.


    Now, I had a lot on my te and there was no time for slip ups or time to think about my husband with another woman all day.


    It was time to get those deals. Before Aiden, it was what gave me joy, what kept me busy, Aiden being in my life didn''t have to change anything.


    As I sorted things out, I also began the process of starting up a branch back at home.


    As much as I hated what was happening between Aiden and Anastasia, Aiden was still home. He was my home and he''d forever be. I wasn''t about to give up.


    I''d set up a branch there, be by his side as the savior sibling is made and his child gets well. And then things will be back to normal.


    I just needed to be patient and not overthink everything. The only way to not overthink and panic was to get busy. And that was something I was good at.


    I didn''t even go down for lunch or dinner. My assistant brought them in. I take a few bites or spoonfuls while working.


    Most of the time, I choose to stay back at the office and work overnight. Returning to an empty house has proved to foster my over-thinking skills, even if I took those work home.


    I didn''t want to stay with my parents because I couldn''t guarantee not breaking down before then. I didn''t want that to happen.


    The hurt was still fresh. I wasn''t ready to talk about it.


    And even at that, my mom got herself involved. Since I returned, mom has visited twice and she was already all over me.


    "My God, Sharon, you''re working so hard," she had mentioned.


    "Mom, I also didn''t know I''d have so much to do when I return," I told her as I kept my gaze glued to the CVs I was sifting through. "I was gone for just a while and everything''s gone wrong." "Nothing went wrong. Your father and I kept our eyes on the business. It was doing fine, you''re just a chronic perfectionist."


    Iughed, "Mom. I''m not a perfectionist. I just want everything to go well."


    "I don''t believe that," she muttered but I pretended not to hear her.


    On her second visit, which was starting to get suffocating, she covered my hand on the table with hers.


    "Is everything alright, Sharon?"


    I faltered but I kept my smile on. "Look how hard I''m working mum," I removed my hand from under hers and gestured around. "Nothing''s alright. There are a lot to fix."


    She red at me, "I''m being serious here, girl."


    I smiled softly at her. "I''m fine, mom. I mean it."


    ""How about we have lunch?"


    I sighed. "Mom, work-"


    "No excuse, Sharon. We will have


    lunch. I''ll text you and your assistant the date and address so you won''t pretend you didn''t receive it." Then she grabbed her bag and left.


    I sighed and closed myptop. She''d sent in the restaurant she''d chosen. And the day was tomorrow.


    It would be a good idea to go home, get a good sleep and prepare for the interrogation session she disguised as a lunch date.


    The next day, I was so vibrant and bright that even my mom wouldn''t be able to tell that it was all a facade.


    At exactly lunch time, I received an email from my assistant, reminding me of my appointment with my mother, followed by a text, then a few minutester, there was a knock on my door. She sent the email and text twenty minutes ago


    I didn''t me her though. Mom could be scary when she threatens you.


    I ushered my assistant in. She smiled brightly, "Ma''am, you appointment with-"


    "Yes!" I breathed as I dragged my gaze from the documents on the table and stood up. "I''m leaving now."


    "Thank you," she breathed, relieved.


    She waited till I left and even saw me off halfway.


    Mom smiled as I settled in the seat across from her. "I was ready toe drag you out of that work chair you''ve ustomed your butt to."


    Iughed and she did too.


    She chatted freely for a while and I was d that I agreed toe for the lunch date with her.


    We both ced our orders and we actually had lunch before she got to business.


    But she surprised me when she just asked if everything was okay and stopped there.


    I knew she could sense that something was wrong. Her motherly instincts were always right. Sometimes, I''d open up to her, other times, I''d lie that I was fine. This time was ''other times''.


    I had to keep my lips sealed and act like all was well else she wouldn''t hesitate to remind me of the many times before my marriage to Aiden that she asked me to let go of him and annul our contract.

 Chapter 0366

    DENNIS


    Her beautifulugh was the first sound I heard when I opened my eyes. Despite the ache in my head, my lips curled into a smile.


    That sound... it was enough to make my day.


    I peeked at her as I wondered what she wasughing over. Her back was to me as she sat on the edge of the bed. She was on a phone call. I wondered who she was speaking with, Amie? I couldn''t think of anyone that could make herugh so heartily. Just as my hands reached out to pull her to me, her shoulders shook in a softugh. She shook her head and said, "Aiden," dragging thest syble.


    The stupid smile on my face fell, my body grew cold and my hand froze in the air.


    Of course. I swallowed.


    Slowly, I withdrew my hand and returned it to where it had been over my face.


    I felt the constant emotions anger, bitterness, sadness, jealousy that I had tried to drown yesterday slowly make their way back up.


    How could I have forgotten? Aiden was back in her life. I should''ve guessed right. He was the man she had always wanted afterall. I was the alternative.


    That voice... I sighed. I''ve tried to shut it up but I just couldn''t. I knew Ana loved me, I just couldn''t help it.


    I rubbed my temples, hoping it would easethe headache I felt as I mentally affirmed my stance in her life.


    It''s nothing, Dennis. She''s just doing this for our daughter. And it''s okay to be cordial with the man whom will help save our daughter.


    ...And also give her another ch-


    A wince escaped my lips and thankfully, it shut the errant voice up.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    And also interrupted Ana''s... call.


    She turned in my direction. The smile on her face automatically summoned mine back up.


    "Hey," she drawled as she ced her phone on the bedside table. She crawled to me and ced a kiss on my chest.


    "Hey," I repeated as my hand rested on her back and I kissed her back.


    She pouted, "I called you yesterday but you did not pick up. Imagine my worry when I came back and met you ufortably sprawled on the couch."


    "I got carried away. I''m sorry I got you worried."


    She sighed. "How''s your head?" She asked as she settled beside me. One of her hands rested on my chest while the other lovingly raked her fingers through my hair. "Terrible," I snorted as I looked up at her.


    She shook her head the way she always did whenever she was about to scold Amie or me.


    "I knew you''d feel horrible this morning. I''m surprised you aren''t writhing in pain. Why would you drink so much?" A cute frown adored her forehead as her gaze roamed my face. "Are you alright? Is there something you want to talk about?" There''s a lot I want to yell about. I shook my head and raised one of my shoulder in a small shrug. "I''m fine. Work has just been pretty hectic."


    "I''m sorry. You know you can always reach out to me when you need an extra hand, right?"


    I smiled and covered her palm on my chest with mine. "I know." Then I let out an involuntary wince as a sharp pain shot through my head. Ahh. Damned hangover.


    She started to pull away. "You know what, try to sit up then I''ll make you a quick hangover tea, okay?"


    I nodded and then she started to help me to sit up. I clutched my head with one hand while propped myself up with the other.


    She arranged two pillows on my


    back and asked if I wasfortable.


    When she was sure, I wasfortable in the sitting position she helped me into, she gave me a peck on my lips and rushed out of the room with a ''I''ll be back in a jiffy.''


    After she left, my gaze, on its own ord, traveled to where she had dropped her phone face down. I


    looked away from there. I looked et


    down at my trembling hands and sped them together to resist the urge to confirm if she was really


    talking to Aiden.


    Few minutester, I was saved from giving into the temptation of checking her phone as she returned with a steaming bowl of soup.


    "Wow, that was fast," I said as I leaned forward to take the soup from her.


    She smiled, "I figured this will be better than some pill or coffee. Careful, it''s hot."


    I licked my lips as I lowered the bowl from my mouth and nodded. "It definitely is better. Thank you, love."


    "My pleasure," she smiled and her cheeks slightly reddened.


    I was halfway through the soup when she began, "So Aiden and I have gone to see the doctor."


    My mood immediately dampened at the mention of Aiden but I made sure to conceal how I felt. I raised my brows, "Oh?"


    She nodded. "He agreed to do it so he came over yesterday." She shook her head and sighed, "Dennis, I don''t know what I''d have done if he had refused."


    I nodded. "I''m d he agreed."


    And I really was. Atleast, Amie would get well and Ana will stop worrying so much.


    "So the doctor said there''d be need for me to frequent the hospital now."


    I frowned at that? "Why?"


    If she frequented the hospital, that would mean more time around Aiden. I didn''t want that.


    She shrugged. "Just to ensure that tests go well. But it''s mostly fir when the transnt has happened. They will need to keep tabs on me and the baby to ensure everything is going well."


    I nodded slowly as I processed the information.


    ...after the imnt...


    That means Aiden''s job would be almost done and he wouldn''t really be needed anymore, right?


    "That''s good. I hope the process wouldn''t be too hectic for you and Amie."


    Her lips tilted in slight but stunning smile. "Thank you. I hope so too."


    I sniffed. There was just a little content left in the bowl and I already felt better. The headache had reduced to a dull thump.


    "So how''s Amie?"


    "She''s worried about you. She said she misses you."


    to sh


    My heart warmed in my chest and I felt like an asshole for intentionally avoiding to visit her. It was unfair to her, even to Ana. It was not their fault that what was happening was happening. It was just destiny''s way of always throwing innocent people into shitty situations.


    I sighed as I rubbed my palm over my face. "I miss her too. I''d make time to check up on her."

 Chapter 0367

    DENNIS


    I was very selective with the things I got. I made sure to get the flowers she liked and only the gifts that she would cherish.


    I nced at the flowers and gifts in the passenger seat as I drove into the hospital''spound and nodded to myself. She''d love them. I quickly found a parking spot and parked my car. Before I climbed out of the car, I reached out and took the things I''d gotten her and made my way inside.


    "Mr Dennis!" One of the nurses behind the counter at the reception chirped. "You''re back. It''s so nice to have you back."


    I nodded slowly, genuinely surprised. "Thank you," I managed a smile as I muttered. Then I made my way to Amie''s room.


    As I pushed the door open, Amie''s gaze zeroed in on the door. Her face lit up instantly.


    "Daddy!"


    I quickened my pace so that she would not have the need to run up to me but she was already on her feet and had taken a couple of steps before I reached her.


    "Daddy!" She repeated as she wrapped her arms around my legs. I ced the things in my hand on the chair closest to me. Then I hoisted her in my arms and pulled her in for a hug. Ahh. I''ve missed her so much. "I miss you so much, baby."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "I miss you so much. Why didn''t youe to visit me?"


    "Sorry I couldn''t visit. Work has been time-consuming."


    She nodded. "It''s okay. I''m just happy you''re here now."


    I ruffled her hair. "That''s my girl!"


    She giggled. Then she turned to the flowers and gifts. She pointed at them, "Those are mine, right?"


    Iughed. She never hesitate to im whatever she thinks was hers.


    I picked up the bouquet of daisies that I got her and handed it to her


    "All yours, baby. All yours."


    "Thank you!" She beamed as she took the bouquet from me and once more, she wrapped her little arms around my neck in another hug. "You''re the best dad in the world."


    "I know," I grinned sheepishly.


    I sighed happily as I held her. I shouldn''t have stayed away from the hospital like some chicken. Just like her mother, she was a ball of sunshine. She was the one who gave me more hope that Ana and I could still fix us after she gets well. She loves me and I doubt she would want to ept someone else as her dad.


    I ced her on the bed and she started to unwrap the gifts I got her while she babbled on about a new nurse, happenings in the hospital and so on that I sometimes lost track of what she was saying.


    I spent enough time with Amie. We went for a short walk and when we returned, I watched as she drew stuff for me to see.


    She raised her head from a painting of a turbulent sea. She smiled up at me. "My painting has gotten better, haven''t they?"


    I tilted my head to the side as I took in the drawing again. I smiled, proud of her. "You actually did well... it looks more realistic than your other works."


    She smiled and returned her gaze to the painting. "One day, I''ll draw a family portrait of us."


    "Yes, you will,told her firmly as a


    picture of my family in the future popped in my head; Me, Ana, the savior sibling, maybe another child that will be mine too. Amie would then add herself after she was done.


    I smiled and epted how I felt. I stopped fighting it. Despite all that was happening, I just feel this need... this insane urge to be the dotting husband that Ana wants and the fun dad for Amie. They''re my family. I''m supposed to stand by them no matter how turbulent things became, not pull away and drown in


    self-pity.


    After a while, Amie grew tired and I held her in my arms. I continued to listen to her slurred stories and thoughts a out almost everything until she fell asleep.


    I left a note in her drawing book, exining that I had to leave for work then I dropped a kiss on her forehead.


    As I made my way out of the hospital, I opened the email that one of the managers of my bars sent me while I was with Amie.


    "Dennis?"


    I looked up and found a man staring at me, a half smile on his lips.


    My brows furrowed. That face looks farmiliar...


    "Yes?"


    He gently mmed his right fist into his left palm. "I knew it was you!"


    I stared, confused.


    "Cone on, man. You don''t remember me?" He feigned to be hurt. "It''s Cole, man. It''s me."


    I took a step back, my lips curling in


    a smile as I took a better look at him.


    "Damnat''s been a long while," I


    as I closed the distance betwid


    and gave him a hug.


    He snorted. "A while? It''s been years. You ditched us for that girl."


    I chuckled. "It''s not like that."


    us


    Cole had been one of my college friends back when I was everyone''s terror.


    He was one of the friends I had to stop hanging out when I decided to live a decent life.


    "I understand," he shook his head.


    "So what brought you here? Is someone you know admitted here?"


    "Oh, no. My girlfriend works here."


    "Oh."


    "Yeah. So how''s she? I heard you guys got married. Congrattions."


    I smiled, "Thank you."


    "Earlier, I saw you walking with a little girl, is she yours?"


    I opened my mouth to give him a response but he beat me to it, his eyebrows shooting up.


    "Oh, she''s your step daughter, isn''t she?"


    "She is." I smiled and added, "And we''re happy together."


    Long after Cole and I had caught up and headed our different ways, I wondered why I felt the need to add thatst part.

 Chapter 0368

    AIDEN


    Finally, it was the day of the transnt. Today, the embryos will be tested and imnted in Ana.


    Before today, there have been several trips to the hospital. So many tests and precautions. It was exhausting and if it was not for my daughter, I might have backed out. The tests, thankfully, confirmed that we were both fit to undergo the process.


    As I drove to the hospital, I mentally prepared myself for whatever was toe. I prepared myself for the hurt that came with the look Amie always gave to me whenever our eyes shed - like a stranger that she to be nice to. I prepared myself for the contrasting emotion of anger and warmth that I feel whenever I looked Anna''s way.


    When I arrived at the hospital, Ana was already there.


    "Hey," I said to her as I stepped into the room I''d been ushered into.


    When she looked my way, all she managed was a small nervous smile.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    She tried to hide the tremor in her voice whenever the doctor asked her a question and she had to respond. She tucked her hands into the pocket of her coat because she kept twiddling with her fingers and she couldn''t stop them from trembling.


    She tried to hide her nervousness but I could see through it all. All these years and I could still tell whenever she was nervous or sad or happy.


    Pathetic, I thought to myself as I moved over to her side.


    "You good?"


    She nced away from the doctor and shed me a tight smile. She nodded, "I''m fine, thank you." Then she added, "Sorry for the trouble."


    She had been saying that since I agreed to do this.


    "Nah, it''s okay. I want to do this."


    "Thanks."


    I nodded and returned my gaze to the doctor. For minutes, we listened to him drone on and on about embryos and the signs that would indicate that the one that''s the best match for Amie and so much more information.


    "I''d also need you to be patient as this process can be mentally tiring, especially if the embryos don''t match. You''ll need to remain calm until we get the best match."


    I nodded and Ana muttered a small ''okay.''


    "Okay then, if you have any questions, please, ask," the doctor said as he began topile the files on his desk.


    Ana looked like she was about to say something but she held herself back and pressed her lips together.


    "You can ask you know," I whsipered to her.


    She shook her head without looking my way. "Nah, it''s not important. I''ve asked all the important questions earlier."


    When we first came in, the doctor had greeted us with a smile and told us to ask about anything that we didn''t fully understand before he''d go over the process for thest time.


    "Alright then," he said when he did not hear any of us utter a word. "Come with me."


    He stepped out of the office and we followed him. He led us through a long hallway before taking a sharp left and stopped before a door. We stepped into another office. Everything in there was white and it was filled with beeping monitors. The necessary procedures were carried out then we were ushered out to wait in the reception area.


    ""Wait here, I''d be back." Then he was gone.


    The room was silent for a while until Ana began to fidget. She would pull her hands out of her pocket, blow into her palms, rub them together then repeat the process all over again before she''d tuck them back in her pockets. She repeatedly tapped her feet on the tiled floor too, her gaze trained on the door.


    "Ana, are you sure you''re okay?"


    Her head remained bent and I almost thought I wouldn''t get a response opened my mouth to repeat my question when she raised her head and turned to me. Her eyes were tear-filled and I felt all my


    anger dissipate.


    I moved closer to her side and put my arm around her shoulder.


    "It''s okay," I patted her arm.


    She palmed her face. "Oh god, what if non of the embryos matches? What will I do? I can''t let Amie continue to live in such pain and distress." "They''d find the perfect match, Ana. They would."


    She took a deep sigh. "I can not help it," she stared down at her palms.


    They were trembling. She et


    them in an attempt to stop the tremble. "I''m scared, Aiden," she whispered, "I don''t want my baby to die.*


    I hesitated.


    ... I''m scared... Her voice echoed in my head.


    It felt like she just admitted to what I couldn''t.


    I couldn''t say it out loud, I even had no one to speak to about it but deep down, I feared.


    My arms tightened around Ana. I was scared as scared as she was.


    I could not afford to lose my daughter just when I found out about her.


    What if-


    I closed my eyes and stopped myself.


    No what ifs. There would definitely be a match. As long as Ana is mine, there would be a match.


    I reached out and wiped the tears on her face with my thumb.


    Slowly, she looked up at me, eyes gleaming.


    I smiled down at her. Her love for our daughter moved me. "There will be a match and she will be fine." I watched a tear roll down one of her eyes and I wiped it. "Amie would not want mommy to cry because of her like this."


    She chuckled sadly. "Thank you."


    Just then, the door opened and the doctor walked up to us with a neutral expression on his face.


    I held my breath as Ana and I rose to our feet.


    He nodded and smiled. "The procedure was sessful. We found an embryo with the perfect match. We can now move on to the next stage."

 Chapter 0369

    ANASTASIA


    It''s been weeks since the imnt took ce... weeks!


    Oh God. The mere thought of it stressed me more than I should be.


    The friendly doctor had said it would only take a few days, at most a week before we''d know if the procedure worked or not.


    After the first week, I had gone to him, struggling to hold back my tears as I asked if anything might be wrong.


    "You need not worry, ma''am," he had said with apassionate smile. A week is the least. If it takes more than a couple of months, that''s when there might be an issue."


    I really hoped it wouldn''t take months. I prayed that it wouldn''t take up to a month but here I was, few days to a month, still waiting and hoping.


    The doctor had stressed that I should not stress myself and to get enough rest but how could I do that when I constantly needed to be by my baby''s side?


    I stayed with Amie day and night. To elude the endless worry that came with the thought that were still waiting to see if the procedure worked, I threw myself into caring for Amie as I should. Dennis, when he sensed my worry and I finally opened up to him, had said, "Be hopeful, love. Be hopeful. I already see a mini version of you and Amie prancing around the house."


    I decided to listen to him and believe. I then began to prepare for the new baby but the doubts never ceased to creep in.


    I''d read stories of people like me who tried this method but it didn''t work for them which led to the death of their loved one.


    I would shake my head each time the thought sneaked in and rey Dennis''s words in my head.


    As time went on, my cause of worry doubled as the hospital and care bills began to multiply by the day.


    Though Dennis neverined about paying the bills, I knew I had to help.


    I was well aware that he loved Amie and considered her his but I have to do something about the guilt that gnawed at me everyday. He works so hard only to pour all his earnings in paying her bills. It''s unfair. There was only so much a man could shoulder. Especially for a child that wasn''t his and a wife who was preparing to carry another man''s child.


    "Ana, it''s fine. It''s not your fault. We have no choice in this," he had said countless times but I knew he could not just be cool with it. There would be dark thoughts that he must be struggling to keep at bay.


    I thought about getting a job but that would mean less or close to no time with Amie. Also, if- when I get pregnant, I would still have to take a maternity leave. I knew that wouldn''t sit well with whichever firm I get a job at that I have to take a maternity leave few months after resumption.


    So I resorted to the only other option I had. I called my ount manager and discussed with him. He told me the requirements for the withdrawal of my fixed deposits and informed me that I''d need to be present at the bank to finalize the whole thing and make my withdrawal.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I had spent the night with Amie. It


    was a turbulent night for the both of us. She woke up at intervals andined about body aches and all types of pain. At some point, she said she couldn''t sleep, so I stayed up and kept herpany. read to her and painted with her till dawn.


    In the morning, just as the first rays of sunlight peeked into her room, she fell into a deep slumber.


    I took the opportunity and rushed home.


    I took a quick bath, prepared the things I would need to return to the hospital with when I return from the bank.


    At the bank, I stood for a whole


    minute as I gaped at the long line


    Let


    before me. It felt like the longest queue I Kad ever seen. Eventually, rushed forward to join the line when a man who just stepped in, walked past me and headed toward the queue.


    A number less is better than a number more, I told myself.


    I struggled to keep my heavy lids open as I yawned several times and watched the line move from where I stood at the back. Sometimes, the move was fast and sometimes, it dragged like a slug.


    It wasn''t until my stomach started to grumble that I remembered that I missed breakfast.


    I shook my head. I made a cereal. I remember cing it right on the kitchen counter before I went to retrieve my card but I forgot all about it.


    ttening my palm on my tummy, hoping it would stop my stomach from twisting to cruelly, I contemted leaving the line to get something to eat.


    But when return, I''d have to start at


    the beginning of the queue all over again. And I needed to hurry and return to Amie. What if she''s afone?


    What if she''s woken up and is asking


    after me?"


    I nced at the man that was being attended to. Three more women and it would be my turn.


    "Just wait a bit longer," I whispered to my grumbling stomach.


    I could feel that my forehead and face was coated with perspiration. When I stopped before the young man behind the counter, his gaze lingered on my face, particrly my forehead. "Good day-"


    Those were thest words I heard before the world began to spin around me, apanied by a debilitating headache that threatened to make my head useless with pain.


    A groan escaped my lips as I clutched onto the counter.


    The man''s face was etched into a frown and by the way his lips moved, I could tell that he was speaking rapidly.


    I didn''t hear what he said but I nodded. I just need to get my money, rush to the nearest restaurant and restore my energy.


    I shook my face to clear my vision. Then I pushed off the counter I had leaned on. Sluggishly, I dipped my hand in my bag to retrieve my card when the dizzying started again.


    I tried to reach for the counter but all I could do was stagger backward before Inded on the floor and everything became dark.

 Chapter 0370

    ANASTASIA


    "Hello, miss, are you okay?"


    The voice drifted in from a distance, it sounded far away....


    Then another, closer this time. "Oh God. I don''t think we should keep hoping she''d wake up, call 911..." it was a woman''s voice and it tinged with great concern.


    "Miss, please wake u-"


    "That''s it! I''m calling 911."


    911 for what? I wondered as my eyes open.


    Just as the man''s face came into focus, he gasped, "Oh, she''s awake!"


    I blinked at him. I remembered his face. Back when I waited for the line to reach my turn, he had a bored expression on as he attended to the bank''s customers. Now, he was beaming! "Oh thank goodness."


    Bank. Omg! I''m at the bank. My deposit.


    I tried to rise to a sitting position but the man was immediately by my side, helping me.


    "Thank you." My voice came out husky so I cleared my throat.


    "Are you okay?" I turned to my side to see all of them hovering around me.


    "I''m fine. Thank you."


    "Great! Now, can you attend to the rest of us that didn''t pass out?"


    Some of the people expressed how cruel the man was for not caring if I''d wake up or not.


    "What happened?" I asked as someone helped me to my feet and handed me my back.


    "The cashier was attending to you when you suddenly fell. We rushed to you and saw that you had passed out."


    That''s what I get for skipping breakfast.


    "Thank you," I thanked them all for their concern and apologized to the ones who kept soliloquizing over their wasted time.


    "It''s okay, miss," an elderlydy said as she eyed the man who was grumbling about a disrupted schedule. She then turned to me with a kind smile. "I think you should go to the hospital and return to do whatever you have to do here some other day, dear. You don''t look too good."


    I nodded, "Yes, I will do that. Thank you."


    "Take care then."


    I thanked her one more time and headed out.


    There was a coffee shop across the bank. I was sure they sold more than coffee. I could get a muffin or bagel but none of them appealed to me. Nothing appealed to me yet I was starving. I decided to go straight to the hospital first. Perhaps, what had caused me to lose consciousness was more than just my missed breakfast.


    I hailed a cab and told him my destination. As I sat silently in the cab, I wondered endlessly why I had fainted. It couldn''t just be due to the breakfast I missed but I''d missed breakfast lots of time and left the house and not on any of those assion did I pass out. Oh God, what if it''s a sign that the procedure failed? What if I didn''t get pregnant?


    A headache suddenly came on at that thought.


    I fanned my face. Please, let this not be what I''m thinking.


    "Are you hot, ma''am? Should I turn on the heater?" The driver asked as he briefly nced at me through the rearview mirror before he returned his gaze to the road.


    "Oh no. No. I''m fine. Thank you."


    Minutester, I took a deep breath and made my way inside the hospital.


    "Good morning," the doctor looked up with a smile as I stepped into the room.


    I managed a smile. "Good morning," I returned. I sped my palm together and started to narrate what happened.


    After I was done, he lowered his head and scribbled once more. When he looked up again, he was rising from his seat.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "We will need to perform some tests on you. While this might be good news, it might also be a very bad one."


    Oh God. I rubbed my sweaty palm on my dress shirt.


    The test didn''t take as much time as I expected. In about ten minutes, we were done.


    "Okay. The test results will be ready,test, before the day runs out. You can hang around if you want."


    "I''ll wait," I told him.


    After I left there, I decided to get some cupcakes and yogurt from a store nearby.


    Then I returned to the hospital and went straight to Amie''s room.


    She was awake. And she had her eyes glued to a book. She was so immersed in it that she didn''t notice meing in. "Hey baby," I called softly.


    "Mommy!" She beamed and dropped the book by her side.


    I smoothed back her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I hoped you''d sleep for the whole morning."


    She smiled. "I woke up not quite long. What''d you get?" Her gaze fell on the takeout bag in my hand.


    "Cupcakes and yogurt. I''m starving," I breathed as I lowered myself into the seat by the bed.


    "Hmm, they look yummy," she said as she watched me unwrap them.


    "They should be," I shrugged, still not very interested. I just bought it so not pass out again. "I got you one


    too."


    I helped her to sit up and handed her a cupcake and a small cup of yogurt. My gaze fell on the book by herside,


    "Where did you get the


    She briefly nced at it. "Dad got it for me thest time he visited."


    I bit into my cupcake. I was a heartbeat away from asking which of the dads she meant.


    Amie and I talked for about twenty minutes before she dozed off.


    I packed up the foil of the things we ate, stuffed them in the paper bag and headed out.


    At the reception area, I saw the doctor. He was talking to the nurses.


    "Mrs Dennis," he called when he turned to see me. "I was just about to send for you. The test result is out."


    My eyes roamed his face and I tried


    to deduce what the result might have said. "Okay?" I said in a small voice as I tried to still my beating heart.


    The doctor smiled, the way all doctors smiled whenever they were about to break any news to patients.


    "You''re pregnant."


    I gasped and pressed my palm to my chest, relieved. I walked to the seat nearby and dropped into it, beaming.


    "Oh doctor, thank you."


    My eyes watered as I reyed his words in my head. It worked. The procedure was sessful. I was worried for nothing.


    I pressed my palm to my tummy long after the doctor had left. It was almost hard to believe. Amie really has a chance to survive now.


    I couldn''t keep the joy that flowed in my heart to myself. I needed to share it with someone else.


    I retrieved my phone from my pocket and dialed his number. I couldn''t stop beaming as I listened to the call go through.

 Chapter 0371

    DENNIS


    "The return on investment is massive, Dennis," Cole said, his eyes bright as he took a cup of his wine. After he took a sip, he pointed his flute in my direction. "You have to just give it a try."


    "I will think about it," I said to him for the umpteenth time. I really wished he would stop yapping about this ''deal.'' If I knew the business idea he so eagerly wanted to talk about was rted to this, I would not have cleared up my schedule to meet with him. I would be happier if I was spending this time with Amie or Ana. Not sipping this tasteless wine and listening to some business deal that could lead me to lose more than I could afford to.


    "No, Dennis. There is no time to think," he enunciated each word as he pped the back of his right hand on his left palm.


    "So let me get this straight. This government project is a redevelopment that focuses on revitalizing specific areas that has been underperforming economically, yeah?"


    He bobbed his head, taking another swift sip. "The initiative will enhance infrastructures, such as roads, public transport, hospitals and all. They''ll practically make the area more essible and technology savvy. There are also ns to create new parks and recreational spaces to improve the quality of life for residents."


    I nodded, "I see."


    He continued on his own ord. "Yes, the project is expected to attract new businesses. This will then lead to job creation and stimte local economic growth. You get what I''m saying?" His fingers lightly tapped on my knee. "With the government backing, we, investors, are more confident in the project''s sess. You know, since it wille with funding and resources that can mitigate risks."


    He reclined back in his seat, "Look man, this project presents a significant opportunity for high returns on investment. Come on, think of when the area bes more desirable for both residents and businesses. The return will be insane."


    "I don''t know, Cole. What did you say about the figures again?"


    "The projections show returns of over 20% in just a couple of years. I''m a living testament! Plus, I''ve spoken to a few investors who are already on board and they''re excited about the prospects. They calcted the odds and believe it''s worth the risk. Once the practical redevelopment stage is over, the rest of the issue will solve itself as the area will automatically attract business owners. New businesses and old. Come on, let''s join resources and do this, man." He chuckled, "Who knows, you might even set up a bar in one of the areas." I sighed. "This sounds too good."


    He grinned. "I know. I can literally see myself in you right now. Initially, I was also skeptical about it. I didn''t even want to consider it. I mean, it''s understandable. We''ve all seen deals that promised a lot but didn''t deliver. I''ve even invested in such that yielded nothing but this one is a game changer. After myst investment, where I made a significant profit, I believe it''s worth a second look."


    I pinched the space between my brows as I processed his words. In all honesty, it sounded good. But this was Cole. It''s been years since Ist saw him. Back in college, he was one of the lot that was infuriated by my desire to change my ways.


    Seeing as he was deeply in a rtionship with a responsible-looking nurse, there was a probability that he might have changed but I just couldn''t bring myself to trust him.


    What if all of these changes were a front? He might think the same about me but I knew I was really a changed man. I couldn''t say the same about him.


    It''s been a long time. He could have either gotten better or worse.


    But it wasn''t just that...


    "Look, as I have said earlier, it sounds really good. But you know how the government can be. Theymence ¨¤ project and stop halfway Most of the time, they don''t feel the brunt of what these sudden stops, mostly abandonment, will cause to the investors. The investors are always the ones left to deal with their losses. I can''t really rely on the government''s involvement."


    And this wasn''t the time to go into projects that would lead to losses.


    He smiled. "I understand. I also had the same concerns. Our government can be the most unreliable sometimes But I still stand my ground that this one is different but I''ll like to introduce you to someone. He is one of the top board members. I''ll set up a meeting for you with him. You can speak with him and tell him your concerns. He''ll borately exin everything and break down whatever confuses you. Trust me, you wouldn''t think twice after that."


    Just as I opened my mouth to tell him that I might not have the time for such meetings, my phone vibrated on the table.


    I picked it up and my lips spread intoN?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    a smile. Apart from the sheer joy of hearing her voice, I was d that it would serve as a break from the investment talk. Talking with Ana was always easy and enjoyable. I was ready to prolong our talk as much as I could.


    "Hey ba¨D"


    Her high pitched voice rang into my phone''s speakers, cutting my word short.


    "Dennis! I''ve got good news."


    Immediately, my mood dampened and my grin waned. I felt the urge to end the call immediately.


    Deep down, I had an inkling of what the news would be. I could tell from the excitement and relief that dripped from her tone and I was not even excited as I had hoped I''d be. Cole''s gaze was fixed on me and I had to force a bright smile on.


    "What''s that, babe?"


    "Oh my God, Dennis. You won''t believe this. Can you guess?" Sheughed. Then she said, without giving me a chance to guess, "Omg, Dennis! I''m pregnant."

 Chapter 0372

    DENNIS


    Now that I heard her mouth those words, I knew I wouldn''t be able to hide the sad downturn on my lips. Still forcing the smile on my face on, I nodded in Cole''s direction and got out of my seat.


    Inguidly walked toward the deserted pool table just by the door outside the bar.


    There, with no familiar eyes on me, I let the fake smile slide away.


    "Dennis?"


    The excitement in her voice had dimmed. I didn''t want her happiness to wane because of me.


    "Can you hear me? Sorry, it''swork."


    "I thought so too. It''s okay. I can hear you now."


    "I said I''m pregnant." She gasped. I could imagine her beaming and cupping her mouth as she usually did whenever she was happy about something. "Can you believe that?"


    I smiled at the image of her that I conjured up. "Great news. I''m so happy for you, babe," I told her genuinely.


    I was actually relieved by the news. All week, she had been strung up, worried that the procedure might not work. It was a relief that she wouldn''t have to worry so much anymore. Amie''s full recovery was also one step forward now.


    The only issue was who fathered the child. I clenched my hand and briefly closed my eyes. I really wished someone else could carry the pregnancy in her ce. But it wasn''t possible. I''d have to watch her carry her ex-lover''s child. It''s cool, I told myself and forced a smile on. She''s still my wife anyway. It doesn''t matter whose baby she''s carrying, she''s mine.


    "Gosh. I just cannot contain my excitement, Dennis. Do you know what this means?"


    "I understand. This is just the best news."


    She then went on and on about how she was more hopeful about Amie''s recovery and all.


    Finally, she got off the topic and asked, "When will you be home?"


    I nced down at the wristwatch that was strapped around my wrist. "I''ll be home soon."


    She sighed happily. "I''ll see you at home."


    Long after the call ended, I remained there, trying to convince myself that it was alright. She bearing Aiden a child to save Amie will change nothing between us.


    With a heavy heart, I returned to Cole.


    As I dropped into my seat, Cole grinned up at me. "Congrats man."


    I quirked my brows at him. "Congrats for what?


    He touched my knee in that teasing way again. "For the good news. I didn''t mean to probe but I heard when she excitedly said she was pregnant just before you excused yourself."


    I managed a smile and simply nodded.


    Should I be the man receiving the congrattions or Aiden? It''s his baby, afterall.


    "You good, man?" Cole leaned forward, his brows scrunched together in a frown.


    "Oh yeah. Why do you ask?"


    His gaze roamed my face, then he said, "You don''t look too happy. I mean, you''re expecting a baby. You should be esctatic. If my girlfriend tells me we''re expecting a baby right now, I''ll be the happiest man on earth." All I could do was nod and stretch my lips into a faux smile. "I am happy."


    He scoffed. "Come on, man. You aren''t. It''s so freaking obvious."


    Thank goodness I wasn''t present with Ana. I wouldn''t want her to begin to worry that I wasn''t happy for her after I''d told her it was okay. I just hoped I sounded convincing enough over the phone. "Dennis?"


    He pulled me out of my thoughts. When my gaze found his, he asked, "Are you okay?"


    I took a deep breath and leaned forward, rubbing my palm across my face. "It''splicated."


    He looked puzzled. "What''splicated about that? She''s carrying your baby. It''s direct and understandable."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Talking about some problems in


    one''s life barely solved it. I knew telling Cole about this one seemingly big problem in my marriage would not solve anything. It wasn''t like he would miraculously heal Amie anyway but it might make one feel... less miserable?


    "That''s where you''ve got it wrong, Cole. She''s not carrying my baby."


    He blinked and stared at me as he processed what I''d just said. Then he asked slowly, "What?"


    A mirthlessugh rumbled up my throat. "You should see your face right now."


    He gaped at me. "This isn''t funny, man. You just said the child isn''t yours. Aren''t you guys like married? How is she pregnant for someone else?"


    "Amie, the girl at the hospital..."


    He bobbed his head, "Yes, your stepdaughter."


    I nodded. "She''s sick. And the only safe way out is to go through a process called the sibling savior procedure..."


    When I was done with my narration, Cole let out a deep breath. "Wow. How can you stomach all of these, man?"


    I love her, I wanted to say. My love for Ana and Amie was the only reason I was still in the marriage. The only reason this was happening.


    He shook his head. "This is so messed up. I can see why you wouldn''t be happy."


    "I''m happy though," I told him. "Ana will stop worrying so much about Amie and Amie will get well."


    He shook his head as if to say something but he decided against it. "I don''t even know what to say."


    I reclined in my seat and toyed with my phone. I tried to picture Ana carrying my child but all I coulde up with was Aiden getting in-between us. It was sad that after so many years, Aiden was still an issue for us.


    "But..." Cole trailed off then began


    trailed


    again. "I understand that you love Anastasia but why do you care for the guy''s daughter? ce her on higher doses of chemotherapy She''d eventually survive, it just might take longer."


    I gaped at him. "Are you serious right now?"


    He shrugged. "If I were in your shoes I wouldn''t allow it." He sat up. He was taking the issue more seriously than I expected, or even wanted, his brows knitted in concentration. " mean I''m sorry but that''s dumb. It doesn''t matter if the other guy is also married. They were lovers for years! They even had a child


    together. Heck man! What were you thinking?!"


    Yep. Cole was the wrongest person to share this with. He would never be able toprehend it. Never. After all, he had a pretty rtionship.


    As he continued to tell me how wrong everything could go and how bad my decision was, I resisted the urge to give him a piece of my mind. The longer he talked, the more annoyed I became.


    So as to not cause a ruckus that could very well be avoided, I scrolled to my ringtone and yed it.


    Cole stopped talking and his gaze fell on my phone. Then he looked up at me.


    I raised the phone. "I really need to get this."

 Chapter 0373

    AIDEN


    I rolled around in the swiveling chair I sat in as I reyed the phone call I just had in my head.


    She had sounded timid but the excitement and relief was evident in her voice.


    "Um hi."


    I had remained silent, unable to trust my own voice.


    "Aiden, are you there?"


    I cleared my throat, "I''m listening."


    "Okay. I just called to tell you that the procedure worked."


    My heart did a little somersault before she voiced, "I''m pregnant."


    I stayed silent for a long while, not sure how to take the news. I was surprised she hadn''t even ended the call.


    "That''s good news," I finally said.


    "Yeah," she drawled. There was a short silence then the call ended with a sharp click.


    After that call, I''d been unable to get back to work. Unable to stop her words from reying in my head.


    I was happy, no doubt. My daughter now had a higher chance of being saved. A chance of her getting to know me as her father.


    But the guilt grew by the second. The way it had been growing since the day the procedure took ce. Yet, it did nothing to put a reign on my renewed attraction for Ana.


    I had thought I had gotten over. Okay, in all honesty, I knew I had notpletely gotten over her but I was getting there. I knew it was only a matter of time before I''d start to love Sharon as she deserved but when Ana returned with the stunning revtion that we had a child... All my efforts were out to vain.


    The anger I first felt had reassured me that I would never feel anything for her again but as I spent more time with her, going over reports and tests, the rekindled spark I felt for her had hit me like a sudden punch to the gut. I hadn''t seen iting. And I would never have imagined that it would be this fierce.


    As much as I would like to see how Amie was doing, even though she was not yet aware that I was her father, I had to stop myself from visiting her just to suppress the raging want for Ana. Anastasia...


    Just the mention of her name fueled my guilt.


    It was unfair to Sharon. Since we got married, heck, since the marriage contract was signed, she had been the best. She ignored the attitudes I gave her and stuck with me. She knew I wanted another woman but she gave me time and remained with me, hoping that someday, I would see her the way she had always yearned.


    It was simply unfair. And it made me feel like an asshole.


    I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead with my fingers. When I opened them again, I reached for my phone and dialed her number.


    I sighed as it went straight to voicemail. Again. It''s been like that since I agreed to do what will save my own daughter.


    She had a kind heart so she wouldn''t go to the extreme to stop me. But she very well will make it hard for me.


    Since the day she returned home


    drunk, she had became scarce, spending insane hours working with little rest was worried that she


    ines


    might harm herself. If she continued to work so much, she would


    definitely regret it in the long run.


    I''ve tried to talk to her, to meke her see reason even though she already saw reason but all my efforts were to no avail.


    Apart from the first time that she


    muttered a sinct, "I don''t want to


    talk about it," with her gaze fixed on herptop''s screen, she has refused to say a thing to me about itor anything else. N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    And we had to talk this through. It was the only way we could salvage what was left of our union.


    I sighed again. She needs to hear this from me.


    Even though she has refused to say anything to me, I continued to update her about every stage and process that Ana and I went through.


    Not that she demanded to know it. It


    was the guilt that pushed me each time I opened my mouth. Besides, if I wanted this to work, I needed her to see that I was willing to be transparent. She deserves


    sw nov


    Thest time, I''d told her that we were waiting to see if the procedure worked out.


    Sluggishly, I tidied up my desk and grabbed my car keys.


    I managed a nod here and there as my employees greeted me on my way to my car.


    Thankfully, there was no traffic so the journey home was swift.


    The probability that I''d meet her home was low. I just came home early so I''d catch her if shees home to pick up something like she does sometimes.


    But she was home. I heard her voice and followed it to the kitchen. She had an apple in her hand, her phone trapped between her ear and shoulder as she swiftly dished out instructions.


    When she turned and saw me, she froze as though she had just seen a ghost. Then she recoverered herself and continued her array of instructions.


    All the while, I pretended to rummage through the fridge. When she ended her call, the kitchen echoed with silence.


    "You''re back early," Imentedmely in an attempt to break the tense silence.


    She nodded.


    "Will you go back?"


    She shook her head no.


    I called out to her when she started to walk out of the kitchen, "The procedure was sessful."


    She stopped few feet from the door but said nothing. I waited, hoping she would turn back and say something but she didn''t.


    I cleared my throat. "She''s pregnant."


    She waited for about a milisecond then she barged out of the kitchen.


    I heard her heavy steps as she climbed up the stairs. Then the resounding sound of her mming her door close reverberated through the house.

 Chapter 0374

    ANASTASIA


    For the umpteenth time, I hurriedly bent forward toward the sink and retched multiple times but nothing


    came out.


    I sighed and returned to where I sat on the toilet floor.


    I had barely been able to drag myself out of bed this morning. I had woken up, feeling seriously. nauseated. Though my body ached terribly and my head was banging, the urge to vomit gave me the strength to leap from the bed and hurry to the toilet. It was to my dissapointment when all I could do was retch into the sink.


    It was frustrating. I wanted toy down my aching body and head but I couldn''t stop gagging.


    Exactly the moment I am able to gather the strength to drag myself back to the room, it was that same time that a terrible smell would hit me and I''d run back to the sink.


    As I hoped I hadn''t disrupted Dennis'' sleep since he hadn''t rushed in here, I abruptly sprang from the as yesterday''s meals rapidly climbed up my throat.


    floor


    Thankfully, I was able to vomit this time but it left me feeling weaker than I already felt. It felt like I''d just hurled out my insides.


    My hand trembled as I reached up to flush the slimy content in the sink. Then I tore a paper towel and wiped my mouth before copsing back on the floor in a sitting position.


    I saw two of everything and I had to close and open my eyes several times before I was able to focus my gaze on the wall across from me. Even as I sat there, my body trembled, my breathing becamebored.


    I knew if I should try to get up on my own, I would not make it to the room without falling t on my face


    or heavens forbid, losing consciousness.


    Swallowing the guilt I felt, I called out to Dennis. But there was no response.


    "Dennis?" I tried again.


    The loud silence was the only response I got.


    He came back quite early yesterday but I could tell that he was weary from the day''s work. Immediately after dinner, he had dove straight to the bed.


    I felt bad that I''d have to disturb his sleep but I needed help out of this ce.


    "Dennis," I called weakly.


    Maybe my voice is too low and he can''t hear me, I thought to myself. But I couldn''t raise my voice more. than this. I didn''t have the stamina. "Dennis," my lips trembled and my eyes stung with tears as I tried again.


    Why do I feel so tired? Why do I feel so sick? My morning sickness weren''t this terrible when I was


    pregnant with Arnie.


    With my weak voice, I tried and tried but I didn''t get any response from him.


    I couldn''t spend the whole day in the toilet. Eventually, trudged out of the toilet.


    My brows drew down in a frown when I stepped back into the room, my grip firm on the wall.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    My eyes roamed the room and returned to the empty bed.


    Where did he go? I thought just as I called out again. "Dennis?"


    My frown further deepened as I followed the wall and gentlyid on the bed.


    I hadn''t even heard him from the bathroom. Maybe he got an urgent call from work and had no choice but to rush out when he didn''t see me.


    I nced at my phone. If it was so then he must have called or left a text message. I reached for my phone bit there was neither a text or a missed call from him.


    I swallowed. What was so important that he left without informing me? I hope all is well.


    I spent about an hour on the bed, curled around myself. Then I managed to reach for some painkillers in the drawer and swallowed them. Few hourster, I felt better. I was able to move about without wincing as I held my head or clinging to the wall. I made myself a meal, took a long bath then I headed to the hospital.


    "Mommy," Amie smiled and said in a weak voice. "Good morning."


    I nced at the wall clock in the room, "It''ll be noon in a few minutes. Sorry, I camete."


    She shook her head. "It''s okay."


    I sighed as I dropped into the seat beside her bed. "I wasn''t feeling too well this morning," I said out of the blue. I just wanted to tell someone how sick I felt this morning.


    I''d tried to reach Dennis earlier. I was worried as to why he''d hurriedly left the house without a word plus ! just wanted to cry to someone.


    "How do you feel now?" Amie asked, her voice tinged with worry. "Did I make you sick, mom?" She added


    before I could answer her.


    "Oh. No, baby. I''m better now. It''s just..." I shrugged. "Morning sickness."


    "Oh," she muttered and rxed in the bed. I knew she didn''t get what I meant but she didn''t probe.


    "Are you okay?" I asked when I noticed her dampened mood. My gaze roved over her body. "Where does it hurt?"


    She smiled sadly. "Everywhere."


    My heart cracked at that. I''m sorry. Very soon, love. Very soon, you''ll feel better and be out of here.


    "Guess what?" I decided to tell her, certain that it would brighten her up.


    She nced up at me. "What? Dad''s here?"


    I shook my head and pursed my lips.


    Her smile widened. She had always loved guessing games. "You got me new painting materials?"


    Iughed. "You aren''t even close."


    "Tell me," she whined.


    "Fine. You, my love," I pulled her to me, "will be getting a sibling soon."


    Her eyes widened. "My own little sister?"


    Iughed. "Or brother."


    "Where''s he?" Her gaze went over my shoulder,


    "In my tummy." I ttened my palm on my stomach.


    She gaped at it then returned her gaze to me. "How?" She blurted.


    +

 Chapter 0375

    DENNIS


    Now that I heard her mouth those words, I knew I wouldn''t be able to hide the sad downturn on my lips. Still forcing the smile on my face on, I nodded in Cole''s direction and got out of my seat.


    Inguidly walked toward the deserted pool table just by the door outside the bar.


    There, with no familiar eyes on me, I let the fake smile slide away.


    "Dennis?"


    The excitement in her voice had dimmed. I didn''t want her happiness to wane because of me.


    "Can you hear me? Sorry, it''swork."


    "I thought so too. It''s okay. I can hear you now."


    "I said I''m pregnant." She gasped. I could imagine her beaming and cupping her mouth as she usually did whenever she was happy about something. "Can you believe that?"


    I smiled at the image of her that I conjured up. "Great news. I''m so happy for you, babe," I told her genuinely.


    I was actually relieved by the news. All week, she had been strung up, worried that the procedure might not work. It was a relief that she wouldn''t have to worry so much anymore. Amie''s full recovery was also one step forward now.


    The only issue was who fathered the child. I clenched my hand and briefly closed my eyes. I really wished someone else could carry the pregnancy in her ce. But it wasn''t possible. I''d have to watch her carry her ex-lover''s child. It''s cool, I told myself and forced a smile on. She''s still my wife anyway. It doesn''t matter whose baby she''s carrying, she''s mine.


    "Gosh. I just cannot contain my excitement, Dennis. Do you know what this means?"


    "I understand. This is just the best news."


    She then went on and on about how she was more hopeful about Amie''s recovery and all.


    Finally, she got off the topic and asked, "When will you be home?"


    I nced down at the wristwatch that was strapped around my wrist. "I''ll be home soon."


    She sighed happily. "I''ll see you at home."


    Long after the call ended, I remained there, trying to convince myself that it was alright. She bearing Aiden a child to save Amie will change nothing between us.


    With a heavy heart, I returned to Cole.


    As I dropped into my seat, Cole grinned up at me. "Congrats man."


    I quirked my brows at him. "Congrats for what?


    He touched my knee in that teasing way again. "For the good news. I didn''t mean to probe but I heard when she excitedly said she was pregnant just before you excused yourself."


    I managed a smile and simply nodded.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Should I be the man receiving the congrattions or Aiden? It''s his baby, afterall.


    "You good, man?" Cole leaned forward, his brows scrunched together in a frown.


    "Oh yeah. Why do you ask?"


    His gaze roamed my face, then he said, "You don''t look too happy. I mean, you''re expecting a baby. You should be esctatic. If my girlfriend tells me we''re expecting a baby right now, I''ll be the happiest man on earth." All I could do was nod and stretch my lips into a faux smile. "I am happy."


    He scoffed. "Come on, man. You aren''t. It''s so freaking obvious."


    Thank goodness I wasn''t present with Ana. I wouldn''t want her to begin to worry that I wasn''t happy for her after I''d told her it was okay. I just hoped I sounded convincing enough over the phone. "Dennis?"


    He pulled me out of my thoughts. When my gaze found his, he asked, "Are you okay?"


    I took a deep breath and leaned forward, rubbing my palm across my face. "It''splicated."


    He looked puzzled. "What''splicated about that? She''s carrying your baby. It''s direct and understandable."


    Talking about some problems in


    one''s life barely solved it. I knew telling Cole about this one seemingly big problem in my marriage would not solve anything. It wasn''t like he would miraculously heal Amie anyway but it might make one feel... less miserable?


    "That''s where you''ve got it wrong, Cole. She''s not carrying my baby."


    He blinked and stared at me as he processed what I''d just said. Then he asked slowly, "What?"


    A mirthlessugh rumbled up my throat. "You should see your face right now."


    He gaped at me. "This isn''t funny, man. You just said the child isn''t yours. Aren''t you guys like married? How is she pregnant for someone else?"


    "Amie, the girl at the hospital..."


    He bobbed his head, "Yes, your stepdaughter."


    I nodded. "She''s sick. And the only safe way out is to go through a process called the sibling savior procedure..."


    When I was done with my narration, Cole let out a deep breath. "Wow. How can you stomach all of these, man?"


    I love her, I wanted to say. My love for Ana and Amie was the only reason I was still in the marriage. The only reason this was happening.


    He shook his head. "This is so messed up. I can see why you wouldn''t be happy."


    "I''m happy though," I told him. "Ana will stop worrying so much about Amie and Amie will get well."


    He shook his head as if to say something but he decided against it. "I don''t even know what to say."


    I reclined in my seat and toyed with my phone. I tried to picture Ana carrying my child but all I coulde up with was Aiden getting in-between us. It was sad that after so many years, Aiden was still an issue for us.


    "But..." Cole trailed off then began


    trailed


    again. "I understand that you love Anastasia but why do you care for the guy''s daughter? ce her on higher doses of chemotherapy She''d eventually survive, it just might take longer."


    I gaped at him. "Are you serious right now?"


    He shrugged. "If I were in your shoes I wouldn''t allow it." He sat up. He was taking these issue more serious than I expected, or even wanted, his brows kneated in concentration. T mean I''m sorry but that''s dumb. It doesn''t matter if the other guy is also married. They were lovers for years! They even had a child


    together. Heck man! What were you thinking?!"


    Yep. Cole was the wrongest person to share this with. He would never be able toprehend it. Never. After all, he had a pretty rtionship.


    As he continued to tell me how wrong everything could go and how bad my decision was, I resisted the urge to give him a piece of my mind. The longer he talked, the more annoyed I became.


    So as to not cause a ruckus that could very well be avoided, I scrolled to my ringtone and yed it.


    Cole stopped talking and his gaze fell on my phone. Then he looked up at me.


    I raised the phone. "I really need to get this."

 Divorce 376

    "


    ANASTASIA


    My lips titled into a smile the same time my brows pulled down.


    "Dennis is home?" I muttered to myself, my gaze fixed on his car as I turned away from the taxi.


    As I made my way to the house, I wondered if him leaving that early was why he returned early. The reasons for his unannounced dissapearance had buggled my mind all day.


    It felt good that I finally came to a passable reason except I didn''t want a passable reason. I wanted to know why he hurriedly left like that. It was so unlike him. Did he even take his bath? Or maybe he returned home after I left and didn''t go out again. Or perhaps he-


    Okay stop! I told myself firmly. This topic has spent enough time and space on my mind, I will not extend


    1. it.


    "Dennis?" I called softly as I pushed open the unlocked door and stepped inside the house.


    There was no response so I made my way up the stairs.


    As I approached our room, I could tell that he was on apgone call as I caught snatches of his


    conversation.


    "Yes, I made more research about that too." Silence. "He actually encouraged me to speak with soem of the previous investors. I might talk to one or two." Pause, "I know." Pause, "The increment? There''s a possibility that I would increase the amount but I still want to give it a deep thought." A longer pause. This is an investment. The return isn''t instant. I''d still need money to run my daily life before then, you know. I can''t just put in all my life savings there at once."


    Another short pause. "I get it now and I''d agree that it''s a good deal. We get to improve quality of life for the upants of those area and still earn." There was silence again. "I know. It''s a great start. I could invest moreter."


    I entered the room and his gaze immediately settled on me since he was facing the doorway.


    His lips titled into a smile and he stood up from the bed. "I''ll have to call you back." Pause. "Yes, we''ll talkter."


    "Hey," he drawled as he tucked his phone into his back pocket, "You''re back."


    I nodded. "How was work today?"


    "Hectic but fine anyway," he said as he picked up his discarded zer jacket on the bed and walked into the walk-in closet.


    ""How''s my baby''s health?" He asked from the closet.


    I smiled. He cares. I shrugged and called out to him. "Fine." I couldn''t say ''detoriorating,'' could I?


    I dropped my bag on the dressing mirror and removed my shoes. I removed my earrings just as he returned from the closet with a shirt in his grip. His upper body was bare while his butt was d in a


    shorts.


    "You look stressed," he mentioned as he threw the shirt on. Then his gaze fell on my stomach, "Are you okay? Is everything alright?" His brows furrowed as he started to walk to me.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I gave him my widest smile and turned to him. When he stopped before me, I pulled him in for a hug, sighing contentedly. My home. "I''m fine. It''s just hard not to worry about Amie." He wrapped his arm around my body. "She''ll be fine," he assured me


    I raised my head and looked up at him. "You''re investing in something? I kinda overhead some of your phone conversation."


    He smoothed my brows, a smile still on his lips. "It''s just business."


    I wanted to ask more, but instead, I shook my head slowly. "Okay."


    Then my thoughts gir


    back to this morning. "When did you leave in the morning? I returned to the


    room and was surprised to find the bed empty."


    I folded my lips in my mouth as I waited for his response.


    He finally answered, "I had an emergency to deal with."


    My mouth formed an O, hoping he''d say more but he didn''t.


    Where? What was the emergency? I want details but I kept them all to myself. Maybe it was something he didn''t want to share. Or maybe it just was not important. "Okay."


    "So tell me," he dropped a kiss on my lips, running his fingers through my hair, "how was your day? What did you do with Amie?"


    I shrugged. "She was a bit weak but she does what she loves to do; she painted."


    A smug smile formed on his lips. "Did she paint me again?"


    "Oh please," I rolled my eyes, hiding a smile.


    He chuckled. "She loves me, don''t be jealous."


    I smiled. "She just drew a table then she sshed paint on it and afterward she said she was tired."


    "My poor baby."


    As he said something about visitations, I contemted telling him about my state in the morning and how I''d called out to him. I decided against it and instead told him the important part.


    "I spoke with Aiden today," I plucked a loose thread on his shirt as I told him.


    I didn''t miss the tense pause or the way I felt him momentarily freeze.


    "Oh? What did you talk about?"


    I shrugged. "Nothing serious. He just said I should not hesitate to always let him know whenever his attention is needed at the hospital."


    I remembered how I''d yearned to cry to him about my aching head when his cool voice filled my phone''s speakers. But it would be wrong. I had a husband and he has a wife. "Hmm," he murmured.


    "Is that all?" His eyes twinkled as he pressed another kiss to my lips.


    My eyes lit up as I remembered. How could I forget? It had remained on the forefront of my mind since I was informed. I had wanted to call him and inform him but I thought it was best if I told him when he returned from work.


    I beamed and turned my face up. "Guess what?"


    He smiled softly, his eyes searching mine. "What?"


    "He also took e of the hospital bills."

 Divorce 377

    Chapter 0377 ANASTASIA


    This time, Dennis became rigid. There was a short silence before he slowly pulled away, his hands lightly resting on my waist. His forehead was scrunched deeply as he asked, "What do you mean he took care of the bills?" Heid emphasis on ''took care. I frowned, confused. "I mean he paid her hospital bills.


    "Whose?" He asked as his hands fell from my waist to his sides.


    A lightugh escaped me, "Amie''s, of course. Who else?"


    "Why?" There was an edge to his voice that warned me to trudge carefully.


    I started slowly, "I do not know, I just-"


    "Did you ask him to p


    .e bills?"


    "Anastasia, I am your husband. I have been taking care of you and Amie since we got married. I have been taking care of the bills? Why would you ask him for help? Did Iin to you?"


    I flinched back, surprised at his tone. Even though he spoke in a low voice, the anger and usations in his tone couldn''t be wrongly ced.


    "I didn''t do that. I did not ask him to," my voice trembled as I spoke.


    "Right!" He hissed, walked away from me. He turned his back to me, ran his hands through his hair and gripped the strands tightly at his nape.


    I walked to him. "Dennis, are you even listening to me? I did not ask him to settle the bills." I stressed. "I was just informed at the hospital that the bill has been settled."


    The doctor hade to check on Amie when I decided to ask him about the bills. I followed him and asked him so I could inform Dennis when he turned to me with a frown.. ""What bills?"


    At first I was surprised but I quickly caught myself. "Amie''s. I want to know what we have le-"


    Since her treatment was now heavy, we now had to pay more than twice in a month. Dennis had paid at the start of the month but I vaguely remembered him telling his ountant to increase the budget for ''the hospital bill.'' "Oh. Howe you don''t know. It''s been settled."


    was about to tell him I didn''t know when a nurse ran up to him. There was an emergency in another ward. He excused himself and left..


    I had gone out to get lunch when the nurse handed me the receipt for the payment. The man'' had forgotten to take it.


    The signature on the reciept hadn''t been Dennis''s. I still remembered the twinkle in the nurses gaze as Chapter 0377


    she told me. "It''s isn''t Amie''s dad, it''s the other man."


    "You were informed and you just concluded that it was Aiden?" He drahhed me out of my thoughts.


    "I was surprised. I didn''t know about it until I asked the nurse and she gave me the description of the person that paid."


    "And let me guess, the description wasn''t mine, right?" He said harshly as he walked further away from


    1. me.


    "Dennis!"


    He hissed again and started to pace the room.


    "What''s wrong with you, Dennis?" I blurted. "What exactly is wrong with you?"


    I''d seen the signs but I chose to ignored them. I''vee up with so many excuses for them but not anymore. We couldn''t go on like this. I couldn''t let my silence ruin everything.


    He scoffed without look chuckled bitterly.


    ny way. "Did you just ask me that question? What is wrong with me!" He


    "Yes, what''s wrong with you?" I repeated firmly. "Because you''ve changed. These days, you''re always angry."


    He turned to me but he said nothing so I continued. "I understand that you''ve been through a lot these past couple of months but it''s not like things have been easy for me too, you know. Things have been tough for me too." He scoffed again and I felt infuriated all over.


    "Why do you keep making that sound?" I yelled and my body shook as I spoke. "What''s happening Denis?! don''t know you anymore." I briefly nced up to hold back my tears. "I don''t like to see you this way. I don''t know this man that you''ve be. You''re not the man I got married to." I added in a whisper. You''ve changed."


    Heughed bitterly. "You think I''ve changed? You think I''ve changed because of theplicated web our marriage have be?" He jabbed his fingers against his chest. "I''m doing my best, Anastasia. I''m doing my best yet you don''t think it''s enough."


    "I didn''t say you''re not doing enough. But you''ve changed. You have no idea how much that hurts, Dennis. I feel like I now live with a stranger."


    He threw his hands up. "Maybe I''m a stranger then. Maybe that''s what I''ve been all along," he erupted as he walked past me and roughly brushed my shoulder.


    "What are you even saying?" I turned to him, watching as he grabbed his car keys and started to walked out of the room.


    "Was there even an emergency this morning?" I followed him as he descended the stairs, taking more than two steps at a time.


    "Now I''m lying, right? I''m not doing enough, I''m a stranger and now I''m a liar! Wow!" Then he walk out of the door.


    "Dennis, please, listen to me."


    He furiously turned to me. "What? What more do you want to use me of?"


    My lips quivered. "Why are you suddenly mad because Dennis paid the bills?"


    He scoffed. "Are you serious right now?"


    66__19


    "Anastasia, you are my wife! Amie is my step daughter, do not want another man to take care of you," he scrunched up his face, "or settle bills just because he''s temporarily in our lives. He had no right to do what he did."


    "But Amie is his daughter," I whispered.


    He went still and just stared at me, his face expressionless.


    "Wow. I get it now," he turned and headed to his car.


    I ran after him. "Dennis, p''N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    e, let''s talk this out."


    "Dennis!" My heart shattered as I watched him zoom off.

 Divorce 378

    ANASTASIA


    I dropped to the floor of the driveway as I watched his car drive off into the night.


    My heart tightened in my chest and I gripped it, hoping to stop it from wrenching itself. My head ached as tears slowly rolled down my cheeks. At first it was just a brief gasps as I tried to hold myself steady but it soon turned into loud sobs.


    I was thankful for the darkness of the night that cloaked me as I cried over my marraige that was starting to fall apart, but what I mourned more was our friendship. The beautiful selfless friendship I had with my husband.


    Dennis, no matter how upset he was, has never walked out on me. He has never raised his voice at me. He never even wants to see me cry.


    I knew I was on the v


    excrutiating pain I fel.


    of losing my friend but I had no idea what to do. All I could do was let out this ny chest through the endless tears that ran down my cheeks.


    Multiple cars passed by but I didn''t care. I just stared at those cars, wishing one of them was Dennis''. I sat there for a long time and wailed until I couldn''t make any sound again. I looked ahead but I could see nothing. My tears had clouded my vision. I sat there, motionless, and just let the hot tears roll down my cheeks.


    Finally, when the hoots of owls and cries of crickets filled the night, I dragged myself up and trudged to the door. My hands trembled as my fingers wrapped around the doorknob and I pushed it open. Once inside, I staggered up the stairs to our room. Then I walked to the bed and slowly went under the duvet.


    :


    If it wasn''t for Amie and the baby in me, I wouldn''t have bothered to stand up from bed this morning. My own body felt heavy fir me and my head ached terribly. The best option was to stay in bed all day. But I dragged myself from the bed and took a longzy bath. Sluggishly, I donned myself in a suit pant and zer.


    I let out a heavy breath as I looked in the mirror. Days like these, when you were drained of energy and had no care in the world, are the best days to go make-up free but I couldn''t. My eye were swollen from crying all night. One look at my fave and everyone would be able to tell that I''d cried for a long while. I couldn''t let Amie see me like this.


    I grabbed my concealer and smeared arge amount on my face until my eye bags dissapeared.


    With a heavy heart, I grabbed my bag from the couch, took onest look at the room and made my way downstairs.


    Just as I opened the front door, I came face to face with Aiden, his hand raised.


    My gaze slowly went from his face to his raised hand and back to his face.


    "You were going to knock?" I shook my head. That was the wrong question. "What are you doing here?"


    A small smile marred his lips as he dropped his hands to his side and took a step back. "I was just passing by," he briefly nced back. I followed his gaze to the car parked by the side of the road. "So I


    thought to stop by."


    Iwanted to inquire how he knew I lived here but it didn''t matter. What mattered was that what he did was


    wrong.


    So I told him, "Thank you but there''s no need for that," I told him as I stepped out of the house and closed the door behind me. I locked the door and turned back to him.N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Your gesture might seem honest but it wouldn''t be perceived well by either of our spouses. It''s not appropriate."


    He nodded. "Of course." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Is Dennis home?"


    I turned to him and blinked. I wanted to ask him if he was used to locking his wife in their home. Perhaps,


    it was a normal urrence to him and that was why he didn''t find it dumb to ask if Dennis was home just after he watched me lock the door. Would I lock my husband in the house?!


    I


    But I decided against it. means well. He''s just trying to make things less awkward between us.


    "He isn''t home."


    And was thrown back into wondering where Dennis could be. All night, as I sobbed and whimpered, I worried where he''d be.


    Did he get involved in an ident? I shook my head. No. If he did, I would have been called from the hospital by now. "Ana?"


    I blinked and focused my gaze on Aiden. "Yes?" I asked, flustered. "I didn''t get that."


    For the briefest second, his gaze searched mine. "I asked if you''re headed out?" He finally said, his gaze going over my form. "Yes."


    He nodded again, hesitating. "Where? Maybe I''m going the same way, I could drop you off."


    "Oh, there''s no need for that. I''m actually going for my prenatal appointment."


    His brows rose up, "Really? Perfect then. Let me take you, I can drop by to say hi to Amie too."


    I forced a smile. My husband should be the one going to a prenatal appointment with me, not my daughter''s father.


    "It''s okay, Aiden. You don''t have to. My ride will be here in a few minutes," I lied. I really didn''t want another issue that would cause a fight between Dennis and I.


    He sighed. "Come on, Ana. Allow me. We''d agreed to be part of the process wholly when ites to the child." He shrugged, seeming a bit exasperated, "I mean, you don''t just expect me to put a baby in you and go MIA, do you?" I pressed my lips together and smoothed my brows. Why did he say it like we had sex or something?


    "I know, but-"


    "Come on, Ana," his voice softened even more as he took a step forward. "Okay, just this once."

 Chapter 0379

    SHARON


    Throwing myself into work hadn''t been enough distraction. Despite my heavy workload, I still find myself thinking about Aiden, Anastasia and their baby. It got worse after Aiden announced that the procedure was sessful and Ana was pregnant. I knew that the second best way to get rid of those thoughts and leave no room to feel anything was more work. More distraction.


    And what other best way to get me upied other than to n an event? A charity event for mypany. Apart from the distraction it promised, we''d also be able to reach out to the public and bring thepany''s awareness to the minds of those who didn''t know of it yet. Since we just opened up here, not a lot of people know of us.


    The room that had hummed with conversation as I approached it suddenly quieted down when I stepped in.


    As soon as I settled in my seat, I got straight to business. I ced my hand on the long table and leaned forward. "Spencer, let''s hear what you have to say."


    He nodded. "I have reached out to multiple sponsors and I got a response from two of them yesterday night. They''d be delighted to be a part of it." A proud smile appeared on his lips. "They were wowed by our past aplishments and the firm''s vision. They even hinted at investing."


    I beamed. Moments like this one are what make work more than just a distraction.


    "That''s impressive," I told him. Then I turned to the HR manager, and all the other departments that were involved.


    They all gave positive feedback and impressive suggestions.


    After a while though, as they spoke, I could barely hear them. As my gaze moved from one excited face to the other, all I could focus on was the throbbing in my temples.


    I knew I should end the meeting and go rest my head but I couldn''t. I knew what woulde out of it. So I listened. Or atleast, I struggled to.


    From the few words my ears caught, I got to understand that the venue was locked in, but catering was still a problem.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Of course it is. I sighed as I reclined in my seat.


    Nothing ever goes smoothly. Nothing.


    Why the heck does my head suddenly ache? I was very fine few minutes ago. My fingers rubbed against my temple, trying to soothe the tension building there. If only it were that easy to calm the storm inside my head, the one raging in my life. "We''ll figure it out," I said, even though I wasn''t sure what needed to be figured out.


    As the meeting dragged on, the voices around me blurred into irritating incoherent murmurs. The lights in the room were suddenly too bright. My breath quickened, but I still tried to focus.


    "Are you okay?" I heard someone say beside me as I rose to my feet and gripped the table hard, but it was no use. My hands trembled, making my hold unsteady. The room began to spin around me.


    I turned to walk toward the door but all I could take was a step before my gaze darkened. I think I missed my step. I heard shouts. I fell against something...


    And then nothing.


    *


    "It shouldn''t take up to an hour."


    My eyes bulged. An hour! That''s enough time for me to imagine Aiden and Anastasia as a happy family.


    "That''s too long, doctor. I have work to do."


    The doctor shook his head. "The


    reason you didn''t notice that


    something was wrong with you was because you were too busy with work to listen to your body. Our body


    system needs rest too, you know.¡°


    I''m not against rest, I just don''t want to dwell in the chaos that was now my marriage, I wanted to tell him. But instead, I sighed. "Fine then. I''ll wait."


    As I waited for the doctor, I paid attention to the news that yed on the TV but who was I kidding?


    Aiden''s words repeatedly rang in my head. "The procedure was sessful."


    I sighed. This was exactly why I didn''t want toe here.


    After I lost consciousness, I had awoken few minutester. I immediately wanted to get back to work but my assistant surprised me when she refused to let me. She said she''d take me to the hospital told her there was no need but she insisted. I was close to anger until I caught the hint of dried tears on her cheeks.


    I woke up with a start when I felt a tap on my shoulders.


    The doctor smiled down at me. "Sorry, I woke you. The test results are out."


    "Alright, thank you." I sat up, ready to collect the results and leave but his next words froze me to the spot. "You''re pregnant."


    I gaped at the doctor. "Who''s pregnant?" I blurted.


    Heughed and handed me the sheet of paper in his hand. "That''s the solid exnation for what happened."


    After the doctor left, I remained seated there, surprised as I stared at the test result.


    How the heck am I pregnant? The memory as our family doctor back at home told me, years ago, that i couldn''t conceive due to a medical condition was still fresh in my mind.


    Had there been a mistake? I focused my gaze on the paper again. Perhaps, this one''s the mistake?


    But the doctor said he ran the pregnancy test twice.


    Oh God. My grip tightened around the edges of the paper as I closed my eyes and smiled.


    I couldn''t wait to tell him wait to tell Aiden, couldn''t wait to see the joy on his face, couldn''t wait for him to ce his palm on my stomach.


    Perhaps, this was the mediator that we needed. What would return our peace and bring about harmony.


    I grabbed my bag and hurried out of the hospital. Few feet from my car, I came to an abrupt halt.


    Aiden''s car just drove into thepound. I stood aside, my brows furrowed.


    What''s he doing here?


    It wasn''t until he climbed down his car, the same time Ana did the same on the other side that I realized that this was the same hospital that Ana''s child was admitted to. Aiden said something and Ana smiled back.


    I ced my palm on my stomach and I felt the anger and hurt return, the feelings I''d tried to suppress with work, as I watched them walk into the building.

 Chapter 0380

    AIDENContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I didn''t know the prospect of being a father- or rather, the process of being a father again was this exciting.


    As Ana and I watched the ultrasound, my gaze fixed on the tiny life we''ve created, my heart beamed with so much joy.


    How could something I couldn''t touch make me do happy? Perhaps, it was because of the woman I''d made it with.


    I stole a nce in Ana''s direction. Her lips was covered with her right palm. Her eyes looked misty but I could see the happiness in them.


    I briefly wondered if she was happy about the baby or she was just d that Amie finally had a bigger chance of living.


    Speaking of Amie... Ana and I had arrived early at the hospital so we had extra time on our hands. I decided to say hi to Amie. She still looked at me like I was a stranger. I didn''t like the way her wide carelessugh and grins waned and became polite whenever she turned my way or remembered that it wasn''t just her and her mom in the room.


    I itched to tell her that I was her father but as infuriating as it was, I respected Ana''s choice. Besides, I hadn''t been able to stop wondering if there would even be any difference when eventually she knows the truth. She talks so much about her stepdad that I doubt she would wee another dad.


    "Aiden?"


    I blinked my focus back on Anastasia. There was a slight smile on her lips but her brows were furrowed in concern.


    "Yes?"


    Her gaze roamed my face. "Are you okay? You''ve nked out since the doctor stepped out."


    "Oh," I muttered as I nced around the room. It was now just us.


    "Why did he leave?"


    She shrugged, "he wants to give us alone time with the baby."


    The baby.... Shouldn''t it be ''our baby''?


    I looked away from her probing eyes and fixed my gaze on the monitor. "It still feels surreal..." that I''m having another child with you.


    "I know, right?" She sighed. "The process is beautiful. The best feeling is when it moves in my stomach." There was a distant smile on her face as she pressed her palm to her t stomach.


    My gaze fell on the hand and I wondered if it would be okay if I ced mine on hers or directly on her stomach.


    "What were you saying when you said I nked out?" I dragged my gaze away from her stomach.


    "Oh yes." She smiled my way. "I was just thanking you for bringing me here."


    "It''s nothing."


    Silence descended. Her eyes roamed the room before she settled them on me. "I understand that you mean well but I don''t think you should do that again."


    I raised my brows. This again? I didn''t see anything wrong in it if I give her a ride here and now. It wasn''t like I was asking to be her personal chauffer.


    "It''s hard enough for our patners that I have to carry your baby for the second time. Let''s try to respect their eptance and maintain a respectful boundary."


    I wouldn''t call Sharon''s attitude to this whole arrangement ''eptance'' but I nodded anyway.


    "So we should maintain some space for their sakes."


    What does she mean by space? That I was not allowed toe to visit Amie? Perhaps, she doesn''t want me to attend heartwarming sessions like this one. That would be a little bit difficult, I thought as my gaze traveled to the monitor once more.


    But what she was saying was right. Even if I didn''t care about Dennis''s feelings about all this, I should do this for Ana. It was clear that she cared about Dennis and their marriage.


    For Sharon''s sake too. Her silent treatment was a sign that she had given up on fighting the development... perhaps she had even epted but I knew she was still trying to take it all in.


    If I insisted on being around Ana all the time, attending seessions like these one that made me feel what I shouldn''t feel, would further hurt her.


    I released a heavy breath. "It''s okay then. I won''t pick you up anymore."


    She added, hee gaze apologetic. "You also don''t have to attend my prenatals with me."


    I swallowed. "I understand."


    I wanted to ask if she could send pictures of the future ultrasounds to me but that might even be worse than physicallying with her.


    "You have nothing to worry about. I wouldn''t do anything that would put our partners in ufortable situations anymore."


    "Thank you," she smiled, seeming relieved.


    "So how''re you going to get home now?"


    "I''ll just get a tax-"


    "No," interrupted her. "I don''t want


    you getting a taxi," I said as I reached for my phone in my pocket. "I''ll call my driver and he''ll pick you up when you''re ready to leave."


    "There''s no need for that. I''m fine taking a taxi."


    "Toote, ma''am," I feigned a pout just as my driver picked up.


    My lips lifted in a smile when she let out a shortugh as I turned away from her.


    "Thank you. I''d forward the address to you now," I said to the driver then I ended the call. "You really didn''t have to do that, Aiden."


    My heart skipped a beat. I hadn''t heard her call my name in that


    careless manner since we met


    again. It brought back memories I didn''t know I still had.


    Just then, my phone vibrated in my hand. I frowned down at the caller''s ID.


    I picked up and slightly turned away. "Sharon?"


    "Hey, can youe home now? Like right now," her voice rang out pressingly. "Wha-"


    "It''s very urgent, Aiden," she persisted.


    "Okay okay," I repeated as I discarded the list of questions I had. "I''ll be there in a jiffy."


    "Is everything okay?" Ans asked after I ended the call.


    "I don''t know." I rose to my feet. "I have to go. Sharon needs me."


    "Okay."


    *


    With just a few long strides, I reached my car. I got in and roared the engine to life. I sped through the road as I hurried home.


    Sharon was as independent as every


    sense of the word. She never calls with such urgency. Unless, she wanted to be babied. And if she


    wanted that, she makes sure to


    sound like one. So whatever


    prompted her to call me must be


    really important.


    I parked roughly in our driveway and hurried into the house.


    "Sharon?" I called as I climbed the stairs, two at a time.


    I came to an abrupt halt when I reached the room and saw her seated on the bed, a paper in her hand.

 Chapter 0381

    AIDEN


    My gaze roved her frame. There was no blood on her hands or on any part of her body. Though her head was down, her shoulders didn''t shake from sobbing. I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the universe that she was physically fine as my gaze swept the room. I didn''t know what I had expected but I was relieved that there was no physical danger looming around... or was there?


    "Sharon?" I called as I further walked into the room. "Are you okay?" I dropped on the bed beside her.


    She finally raised her head up from the paper in her hands. I couldn''t decipher the expression on her face as she wordlessly handed it to me.


    "What''s this?" I asked, my brows arched, my gaze was on face as I took the paper from her.


    "I hadn''t been feeling well at work. I went to the hospital, ran a test and that''s the result," she said sintly, without emotion.


    My eyes scanned her face, "Are you okay?"


    She nodded. But I couldn''t help but wonder if she had caught a disease of some sort. God, please, she should not be diagnosed of an illness.


    I settled my gaze on the paper and took in the content in it.


    I blinked, surprised. "You''re pregnant," I said, then my eyes went over the content in the paper to be sure that I hadn''t gotten the message wrong. "What? You''re not happy?"


    I quickly looked up, a gentle frown on my face. "Why will you say that, Sharon?"


    She shrugged and looked away from me.


    I stered a smile on my facea ND put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her to me. "You''re carrying my child," she looked up at me as my eyes briefly fell on her stomach, "Of course, I''m happy."


    And for what felt like years, Sharon''s face broke into a big grin. Then she pouted, a slight re on her brows. "Are you sure? I mean with "


    "Shh," I wrapped my other hand around her waist and pulled her to me in a hug. "You should not worry over anything. You are my wife and I am happy that you are carrying my child."


    She nodded and wound her arms around me. I heard her sigh. Then she said in a small voice. "When I called you... I thought you wouldn''te."


    "Why would you think that?"


    She hesitated then she shrugged. "I don''t know, you might be busy at work."


    "You worry too much, wifey. No matter who I''m with or what I''m doing, once you call me, it''s a duty I have to answer to immediately."


    She said nothing but her arms tightened around me. Then she sighed, "I''m so happy, Aiden. I''d always longed for this."


    I pressed a kiss to her temple in response.


    I was happy that she was happy. There was very little that made Sharon smile since I decided to go through with the savior sibling procedure to save Amie. In fact, nothing made her smile, at least not in my presence. So this was good. It had to be.


    I would have a child and this time, I would be fully involved in every stage till the child''s cones into this world and begins to grow. That knowledge was thrilling. I could easily see myself going to doctor''s appointments with her. But why do I feel kind of... empty?


    I expect that an expecting father should be overjoyed but I was mostly d that I was happy than d that I would have a child with her.


    Why do I feel like this would onlyplicate things? Maybe because it actually wouldplicate issues.


    With currently carrying my baby, even though it was solely to save Amie, and my wife pregnant at the same time. It didn''t sound good to me.


    There was that kindling of thrill that I would be a father but it was being dimmed by the fear and worry.


    I wasn''t trying to be pessimistic but a part of me could smell trouble several miles away.


    But I couldn''t tell her that. I couldn''t


    ruin her joy like that. Though she never really talked about having kids so I assumed she might not want one. Besides, I was more focused on making the marriage work that didn''t even bother to breach the topic. Now, seeing how happy she was, it was evident that it means a lot to her.


    She pressed a kiss to my lips then she rested her head on my shoulder. "So how should we celebrate this?" "Celebrate?"


    She bobbed her head, "Yes." Then her eyes abruptly widened and she gasped, looking up at me. "Don''t tell me you expect me to just car like that."


    "Okay, I won''t tell you."


    She hit me on my chest. I chuckled.


    "But really, I just felt we''d just celebrate it at home, just the both of us..."


    Her brows pulled down as she nodded, processing my words. "Okay, what do you suggest if it''s just us?"


    I shrugged and pulled her closer to me. I lowered my voice. "I was thinking you''d put on one of those lingeries I love to see you on-"


    "Oh, Aiden," her cheeks flushed red as she hit me on my chest again, burying her face in my neck. "You''re such a naughty man."


    I chuckled and embraced her. It''s been so long since we were like this; without the awkwardness or the tension in the air. I missed it.


    And if pretending to be ecstatic about the pregnancy was the key to keep things this way, then I''ll dly do so.


    *


    Few hourster, our living room was filled with a few mutual friends and colleagues, Soulful music yed in the background. Each person had a filled winess in their grip, smiles on their faces as they chatted among one another.


    "Congrats man. I''m so happy for you."


    I was forced to unlink my arm from Sharon''s as the man pulled me into a hug but she still intertwined our fingers.


    I beamed as I hugged him back. "Thank you, thanks foring," I said for the umpteenth time that night.


    Every single person in this room has congratted me about two times now. The more I answered those congrattions, the more suffocating the room became.


    I knew this was a big deal to every couple but it didn''t feel like it to me.


    After the man walked away to discuss, Sharon excused herself. "I''ll just take this," she nced down at her phone. "It''s work, I''ll be right back."


    She dropped a kiss on my cheeks then picked up the call.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    She pressed a hand to her ear. "Good evening, ma''am. Yes. I..." Her voice trailed off as she walked away.


    And that was my chance. Certain that no eyes was on me, I stepped into the kitchen and went out through the backdoor for some peace and quiet.

 Chapter 0382

    ANASTASIA


    The moment the doctor stepped in, his gaze immediately rounded up on the seat that Aiden had been upying.


    "Where''s he?"


    "He left," then I added, "there was an emergency."


    He nodded and we continued the session.


    After my session, I made my way to Amie''s room. As I headed there, I retrieved my phone from my bag and tried to reach Dennis again but his calls just kept going to voicemail.


    When I stepped in, Amie smiled but she nced behind me, her gaze lingering on the door. I knew she expected Aiden to step through the door like earlier.


    But when the door remained close, she seemed to have a sigh of relief and her smile widened.


    And my heart dropped. I briefly wondered if she would ept Aiden as her father. But I wouldn''t know if I don''t tell her, right? I just wasn''t ready.


    She respects him as she has been taught to respect everyone but I didn''t think she fancied his presence.


    I could see the question in her eyes whenever she nced at Aiden or whenever he spoke but she had said nothing.


    I knew she wanted toe to a conclusion before she asks me. But would I ever be ready? Would I ever be ready to answer her questions and tell her the truth when I''d told her that she didn''t have a father?


    Sometimes, remembering how I had denied Amie the protection and love of a father growing up and denied Aiden the opportunity to know his daughter made me feel like a witch.


    But I didn''t want to dwell on it. I never want to dwell on it. It was now in the past and I regret my actions.


    "How''s my sis?" Amie''s gaze dragged me out of the guilt I was starting to sink into again, her gaze went from my stomach to my face.


    I smiled and reflexively rubber dmy stomach. "She''s fine. She sent her regards."


    "I hope you told her I can''t wait to see her."


    "I did. You can tell her now again if you want."


    She leaned forward. "I am yet to meet you and I already miss you, little one. When youe, we''d do so much painting together. I''ll make your hair and feed your food to you. You can even sleep with me in my room and on my bed. We''d cuddle and watch so many cartoon shows together." Then she added in a baby voice, "I can''t wait to see you, little sis."


    Iughed heartily. "What if it turns out to be a boy."


    She shrugged as she reclined back in bed. "It doesn''t matter. I''ll still love him and do stuff with him. I''ll teach him how to fight bullies."


    I shook my head,ughing. "Oh Amie. The baby is so lucky to have you as an older sister."


    She tilted her head proudly. "Yes."


    Then she began to tell me about her morning. Theughs she had when one of the nurses told her jokes, the food she ate and


    "I spoke with daddy, earlier too," she told me with a smile.


    "You did?"


    She bobbed her head, grinning. "He calls me every morning. His call came in just after you left. I showed him my recent paintings and he said they were beautiful and that I was creative." "That''s sweet," I told her as I nced down at my phone in my hand.


    Atleast he''s fine. I was relieved but that hollow feeling that only his presence and soothing voice could fill remained. A quite sigh escape me. I just wish we could clear things up.


    In the midnoon, Amie fell asleep so I left for home. On my way out of the hospital, I tried Dennis'' line again but there was still no response from him.


    With a heavy heart, I stopped a taxi, gave him the address to my location.


    Is he still mad at me? I thought as I looked outside the window. Maybe I shouldn''t have told him. But then he would have still found out. I sighed It might have caused a rift between us-one I would ensure we


    settle-but I didn''t regret tell yel


    him.


    If he had heard it from someoneN?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    else, it would have angered him and then his anger would be fully justified.


    But in all honesty, I had hoped to see a look of relief in his eyes after I tell him about the hospital bills that had been cleared. I had not expected that he would re up like he did. Well, he was a man afterall. He had his male ego like every man.


    The person that attended to me at the finance department when I went to make enquiry as to who paid even said he paid in advance. Thank goodness, I hadn''t mentioned that too.


    When we finally get to talk, I''d tell him about that and if it didn''t sit well with him, I''d call Aiden to withdraw it.


    I was even partly mad at Aiden. Why would he do something so significant without informing us first?


    He thought he had the right to just do as he wished? Maybe he does but he should respect that Dennis is also Amie''s father and consult him whenever he wanted to do something that involved her or me. Like the way he''d just showed up at the house this morning. If Dennis had been around, even if he doesn''t show it, I was he wouldn''t take it


    well.


    I had wanted to question him about the payment but I just decided against it. I had enough on my te, I wasn''t ready to get into another argument. Maybe after Dennis calms down, he can talk to him about it. ""We''re here."


    I looked outside and saw that we were in front of the house.


    I sighed. I didn''t even want to go in there. I didn''t want to go in and relive the good and bad days all alone.


    Perhaps I should just return to the hospital. But a better idea popped in my head.


    I turned to him, "I''ll like to take you to take me somewhere else."


    "Where?" He nced back at me, quite surprised.


    I brought out my phone then I read out the address of one of Dennis'' bars to him, the one he frequented the most.

 Chapter 0383

    ANASTASIA


    As I walked through the driveway, headed for the bar''s entrance, I was impressed at the renovation that had been done to the ce. It looked better upclose.


    I still remembered when Dennis told me, before our wedding, about renovating the ce. We had both stayed up for several nights after a hectic workday, picking designs and themes.


    A smile creeped onto my lips. Those were fun times. Times when I had no gaping worry.


    He let me on throughout the whole process of the renovation. After the renovation, he showed me pictures of the ce and we both took pride in our taste in the designs that we chose as they turned out exceedingly well.


    My heart warmed and my smile widened at how we had argued nonstop about who picked which design.


    The result that the renovation yielded was the best part. The new weing yet intriguing designs had attracted more customers, causing the spot to be one of his bubbliest bars.


    As I stepped into the bar, goosebumps scattered all over my skin as all eyes fell on me.


    It was as though they had just seen a rarely-seen celebrity walk into a random coffee shop. Some of them even craned their necks to see me.


    Weird.


    Was this like a norm in bars or there was something else? I wondered as I made my way to the counter while I discreetly nced down at my tummy.


    Perhaps, I''d started to develop a baby bump and they were just wondering why a pregnant woman was in a bar but there was no sign that I was pregnant yet.


    At the counter, there was a boy and a girl there. They both looked like they just stepped out of their teen years. And they looked like they were flirting.


    "Hello?" It took a while before they noticed my presence.


    The smirk wiped off the boy''s face and the girl hid her blush with her hair as she nced down, pretending to scribble something on paper.


    "Sorry. What would you like to have? We have..."


    I tried to stop him but his gaze wasn''t on me. He was looking at the drinks on the menu in his hands and reading them out. So I allowed him while wondering why he wouldn''t just give the menu to the customer so they could select what they wanted.


    While I nced around the bar, I realized that the outside view was just a tip of the iceberg. The interior of the bar was stunning. If I loved close by, I could see myself justing in here to sit for a while just because of how beautiful and homey it looks and feel. I would definitely take pictures too.


    I remembered one of Dennis'' words as we picked out designs and furnitures. "You know, I want it to feel like home. Not just some bar you walk into to knock yourself out. Even if it will be just a little, my patrons should have an inkling of what a home feels and look like once they stepped in."


    it was then I noticed that all the furniture in there were cushioned, even some of the tables were padded too. It gave the ce the look, and I''m certain, the feel he wanted. I guess the wooden chairs we picked out together went to the offices then.


    But I remembered picking out some


    of the cushioned chair with him. I couldn''t help but be proud of him. us, of what we could create together. Dennis and I, we work and fit together so well. There were just so many hurdles for us.


    "How many times do you need me to ram it into your brains to direct customers to their seats, hand them the men, then go attend to them there? The voice got my attention and the three of us turned to the stern voice that came from behind me.


    The man stopped beside me, and red at the boy.


    The boy bowed several times. "I''m sorry, sir." Then the girl stepped out from behind the counter, "Ma''am, please, let me lead you to a vacant seat."


    "Actually, I''m not here to order anything." Immediately I said that I wondered if I should''ve just ordered something before I made my intention known. "I''m-" "Mrs Dennis!"


    Yep. I turned to the man. His eyes were wide.


    "Hello," I smiled.


    "We''re so sorry, ma''am. I didn''t recognize you immediately."


    "It''s okay."


    He introduced himself as the manager of the bar then he turned to the attendants. "Come on, greet. She''s the boss'' wife."


    Now there were more eyes on me as the boy and girl apologized me non stop. I could sense the apprehension in their voices. Do they think I''ll report them or something? "It''s alright, really. I''ve taken no offense."


    Finally, they quieted down when other customers arrived and they had to attend to them.


    So I told the manager, "I''m here to see Dennis. He is in his office, right? I stopped by so we could go home together."


    "Oh, you missed him," he briefly nced to the sliding doors I stepped through a few minutes ago. "He just stepped out a while ago."


    "Oh? I see," I nodded slowly, my gaze also sliding to the door. "Do you have any idea when he''d be back?" Or did he already go home? The manager shook his head. "I''m not certain but he should be back soon."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    I tried to remember if I had spotted his car in the parking lot on my way in but I hadn''t really paid much


    attention there. The view of the bar outside had taken all of my


    attention.


    I knew it would be weird to go out to check his car. I just hope he wasn''t trying to avoid me. Besides, Dennis cannot act so petty. So I said, "Alright then, I''ll wait."


    "Let me escort you to the VIP section, ma''am. You canfortably wait there."

 Chapter 0384

    ANASTASIA


    "Or would you rather wait in his office?" He nced around the ce and shed me an apologetic smile. "I don''t think the boss would appreciate it if I let you wait here."


    I smiled. "Anywhere is fine, really. I just want to wait till he returns."


    "Then you should wait in his office," he deadpanned. "Please, you''re the boss'' wife."


    I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Then I turned to my left. It''s this way, right?" I pointed to the furnished stairway.


    He nodded. "Yes, let me escort you."


    "Okay." I stepped aside so he could lead the way.


    I didn''t like all the formality and deference. It made me feel really out of ce than I already was. If I knew my way, I would have preferred if he didn''t ''escort'' me.


    I admired the design of the hallway as we passed through it. It all screamed Dennis. Dark and intricate.


    My attention returned to the manager when he suddenly stopped walking and stopped before a dark aok door.


    "Here we are," he said in a cheery tone as he began to wrap his fingers around the doorknob.


    "Oh no, there''s no need for that." I stopped him and quickly took hold of the door knob.


    Almost bowing to me and escorting me was enough. There was no way I''d let him open doors for me.


    He looked flustered as he nced up at me. "Oh please, let me, you''re¡ª"


    "Boss'' wife, I know. You''ve received me so well, manager. I appreciate it. You can go back to your work. I''ll be fine now."


    He looked like he was about to insist on opening the door, then he''d escort me into the room and pull out the chair I''d sit on for me but he seemed to decide against it as he inclined his head and muttered ''Okay.'' Then he added, "You won''t have to wait for long. The boss will be here soon."


    "Thank you."


    I watched him walk away, wondering what a good employee he was, as I turned down the knob and pushed the door open.


    The second I stepped into the room, the smile on my face froze as I took in the long-legged girl seated on the only couch in the room. She had on the shortest skirt I''d ever seen.


    She had her gaze fixed on me as she uncrossed her legs and slowly got on her feet.


    I briefly nced around the room. Oh no. Am I in the wrong office?


    "Um, who are you?"


    Her gaze raked me from head to toe and back before she answered my question. She folded her arms across her chest and the action caused her boobs to spill up the top of her shirt that was unbuttoned. She arched her brows, "Tabitha, and you are?" "Dennis'' wife," I said slowly, unable to stop staring at her tiny clothes.


    Even if this wasn''t Dennis'' office, who dresses to work like this?


    I noticed her hands fell to her sides and they began to pull down her skirt as though they were stretchy and would magically be longer.


    My gaze returned to her face. Her eyes flickered around the room, her lips curled in a shaky smile. "Umm... good day, ma''am. I''m the head bartender. I''m sorry, I was just here to drop some things," she rambled.


    Before I could say anything, she had rushed past me and scampered out of the door.


    I stared at the doorway for a while.


    Eventually, I shook my head and turned around headed for the plush couch she had been sitting in.


    "Dennis had better be careful of the employees he retains," I muttered to myself as I lowered myself into the seat. "For all I know, this one might havee to steal," I continued as my gaze quickly scanned the room as if I would be able to tell even if she took anything.


    Besides, I was sure she took nothing. There was nothing in her hands and her outfit was to small to hide anything in.


    As I sunk deeper into the chair with a sigh,my eyes closed and lips curved in a smile, I giggled. "I bet she came in to enjoy the wonderful feel of this couch."


    It felt like hours since I''d been waiting. I let out a huff as I remembered the manager''s words. "Didn''t he say he''d be with me shortly?"


    Maybe I should have just gone home. Atleast, he''d eventuallye home and I was sure we''d definitely settle our differences.


    Me thinking I''d lose our friendship and marriage was just anxiety. Dennis loves me and he''d definitely not let this ruin what we had.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Tired of just staring at the room


    from where I sat, I pushed myself up and began to walk around the room. I ran my fingers along the smooth walls, fingered the books that talked about bar business or something along those lines; I''ve once tried to read them, they''re boring as hell.


    Then I ran my palm on his big desk. His desktop was ced on the right side of the desk, directly before his seat. I dropped into the swiveling chair and whirled in it. On the left


    side of the desk, there were rows of


    drawers.


    I removed my shoes, reclined in the seat and opened thest drawer with my feet. I pushed it back in and proceeded to do the same with the one above it. But it wouldn''t budge.


    I pouted as I stared at it. Why wouldn''t it open? Then I noticed the edge of a folder sticking out.


    "Someone must have been in a rush," I said in a singy songy tone as I got out of the chair and squatted before the drawer.


    I opened it, picked up the file to arrange it but the words on the cover caught my attention.


    I frowned at the words ''sold'' in bold capital letters. Curiously, I opened it and read through.


    "Why would Dennis sell some of his properties?" I wondered aloud as I returned the folder in the drawer and returned to the seat.


    I wonder what he''s up to, I thought fleetingly as I made the chair roll, in search of my next time killer.


    After what felt like another twenty hours, I threw my head back and groaned.


    "At this point, I''ll die of boredom," I murmured as I rose from the seat and made a beeline to where my bagid on the couch. I grabbed it and made my way to the door.

 Chapter 0385

    ANASTASIA


    When I reached downstairs, I saw the manager at the back of the counter. There were two girls and a boy. He looked like he was giving them instructions.


    It was now night time and the bar was filled more than it was when I first arrived here.


    When I stopped before the counter, the bar girl and boy from earlier shed me shy smiles and continued whatever they were doing. I returned their smiles and nced at the manager. The moment his gaze fell on me, he abruptly left them and hurried up to me.


    He cut a brief nce to the door. "I''m sorry, he''s not back. Have you tried to reach him?" He started to reach into his pocket, "I could call him if¡ª"


    "There''s no need for that, manager," I told him. I''d lose my mind if I had to wait a second more.


    "I''m sorry I¡ª"


    "No please, there''s no problem. I''ve just decided to wait for him at home."


    He looked calmer as he nodded. "Alright then. I''ll tell him you stopped by when he returns."


    "Thank you so much."


    With that, I said my goodbyes and headed to the door that led outside. Then I suddenly heard, "Hey, hey!"


    As I turned around, I assumed that one of the customers had probably grown the balls to call out to me instead of just staring.


    "Aiden?" I felt a deep crease in between my brows as I looked at him. I nced behind him, at the seat he just exited. It was empty. "Hey. I was just stepping out and I realized that the person before me is you. Why are you here?" His gaze briefly scanned me.


    "I just came to see Dennis." I added when a frown began to form on his face, "He owns the ce."


    "Oh," he mouthed as he nodded. "Okay," he said as he slid his hands into his front pocket.


    I expected him to say something like ''nice seeing you here'' or ''nice bar, I''ve got to go,'' but he remained there, smiling and shifting his gaze between the walls, my face and his feet. "Umm... you can still do whatever brought you here, you know. Dennis wouldn''t chase you out if he sees you."


    He chuckled. "It''s not that. I was already heading out. I''m done here."


    "Oh. Okay then," I said and stepped out of the way for him.


    He gave me a fond smile. "Ladies first, Anastasia."


    He still had this habit? I thought, memories of when we were younger and how he''d always insist that I do things first flooding my mind, as I wordlessly walked out of the door. I heard the click as the door was closed. When I looked back, he was right behind me.


    He smiled. "I guess this is good night then."


    I nodded. "Yep. Good night."


    Without waiting for his response, I made my way to the road.


    There, I stood aside, shifting from one foot to the other as I waited for a taxi.


    In my peripheral vision, I could see Aiden taking his time as he strolled to the parking lot. I saw him go into his car. I heard the door close but the car didn''t move from the parking lot


    Oh God. I groaned as I desperately wished for a taxi. It felt like that night again. That first night he offered me a ride to the hospital. This was exactly how deserted the road was.


    I brought out my phone from my bag and began to order a ride. But I didn''t need to because a ride stopped before me.


    I sighed as the car''s front door opened and Aiden stepped out.


    There was a knowing smile on his face. He tried to hide it but I could see it. How could I? Because it never changed.


    I cleared my throat. "Is something wrong?"


    "Yes. You don''t have a ride."


    "Oh that? It''s not a problem." I tapped my phone then pointed down the road. "My ride will be here any minute."


    He nodded slowly and looked down the road. "Okay then."


    I heaved a sigh of relief when he


    turned around and walked back to his car Then I was left to gapecat I


    him when he closed his carr


    and leaned on it.


    I met his gaze and he shrugged. "I''m not leaving until you get a ride."


    "You don''t need to," I murmured as I nced at my phone''s screen. The nearest ride was fifteen minutes away. I almost let out a hiss.


    We stood like that for quite a while until Aiden pushed off his car. "Come on, Ana, let me take you home."


    I really need to fix my car or get a cheap one. Anything to avoid taking rides from Aiden. I forced a smile and tapped my phone. "Any minute now."


    "Really? We''ve been here for three minutes and there''s no ride or taxi."


    "You really don''t need to bother, Aiden. I''ll be fine till my ride gets here."


    His gaze temporarily fell on my stomach. "I''m not leaving you here, Ana. There''s a bar right behind you and it''s dark. It''s dangerous."


    I sighed and looked around. I looked down at my phone and the ride was still fourteen minutes away. Seriously!


    I sighed. I thought of waiting for Dennis. But what if he goes straight home from wherever he went?


    "Alright then."


    He smiled, walked around his car and opened the passenger''s seat for me.


    I took onest look around before I climbed into his sleek car.


    The ride was a silent one. Then Aiden abruptly asked. "Are you alright?"


    I frowned and turned to him. "Yeah. Why wouldn''t I be?"


    He raised his shoulders in a half shrug. "With the baby and you caring for Amie. It''s a lot."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "I''m fine," I smiled gratefully. "Thank you."


    He nced at my stomach again. "How''s the baby?"


    Reflexively, I palmed my stomach. "He''s kicking just fine."

 Chapter 0386

    ANASTASIA


    "He?" He smiled and his gaze traveled between my face and the road a couple of times before he fixed it on the road again.


    "Yeah," I dragged and bit my lip. I totally forgot to inform him. "We did the scan and it''s a boy."


    His brows hiked up as he faced me. "You did, didn''t you?"


    I winced. "I''m sorry I didn''t inform you. I forgot."


    He nodded. And silence descended again.


    I wondered if he was mad as I looked at the side of his face. Apart from his sudden silence, there was no sign that he was. So I brushed it off. I didn''t want to add another worry to the lists of worries on my te.


    I took a deep breath as I turned to look out the window. Suddenly, I felt the baby kick. My eyes widened and I let out a soft gasp.


    My gasp must have been louder than I thought because Aiden spared a look my way but he returned his gaze to the road without a word.


    I began to worry if he was mad again when my baby kicked the second time. I smiled, wishing I could raise my top and press my palm directly on my stomach, wishing I could see the tiny feet that must be pressed against my tummy right now.


    I couldn''t wait for his arrival. I''d been counting down. It was just four months left and some days I just wished I''d wake up and it would be my due date.


    With each day that passed, drawing me closer to my due date, I was more hopeful that Amie would soon be up and bouncing, ying energetically with Dennis and giggling loudly.


    Just a few more months, baby. You''d have a sibling and you''d be healthy again.


    As the ride went on, so did the silence. It was starting to get ufortable and I was starting to worry again if he was mad so I asked.


    "How''s Sharon? How''s she doing?"


    He nced at me in that fleeting and casual way again. As if I was some stranger he was just trying to remain polite to.


    "Sharon''s fine." And that was it. No, ''she''s really been busy with work,'' or ''she sent her regards.'' Nothing.


    I sighed and just let him be.


    As we approached my house, I began to thank him. "Thank you so much, Aiden. Thank you for insisting on giving me a ride." The stupid ride I ordered waster canceled.


    He nodded. "It''s nothing."


    He didn''t even smile.


    "You can just stop by the road. You don''t need to drive through the driveway."


    "Okay."


    I rolled my eyes. I knew I wanted minimal interaction between us but his monosybic responses were irritating.


    He slowed down by the roadside just before our driveway and parked.


    With another ''thank you,'' I climbed out of the car. I waved at him but his response was a nod as he drove off.


    I watched his car drive off into the night. When he was out of sight, I shrugged and began to walk up the driveway. I didn''t fail to notice that Dennis'' car was nowhere around the house.


    I took in a long sigh. Was he still mad? Is that why he hasn''t returned home? Is staying away the best way he thinks we could solve this? My emotions went from worry to fear and back again.


    But he should understand. If he


    really understood like he imed,


    ???


    he''d know that this wasn''t easy for me either. I''m sure Aiden isn''t exactly having so much fun right now. It wasn''t anyone''s fault that Amie was sick. It wasn''t my fault that the only way was to connect with my ex; the man I unknowingly held onto for a long time; the man that made me close myself off to everyone. None of this was my fault.


    And it hurts me too.


    I''d finally begun to love someone else, finally been able to move on and be fully happy again and this had to happen, disrupting the life I''d imagined would be as perfect as our wedding pictures.


    I unlocked the door and made my way up the stairs. My footsteps echoed and it reminded me of the empty house. It was just as though everything had fallen apart.


    But I wasn''t about to give up. I


    xe


    wouldn''t give up on Dennis and I wouldn''t give up on our marriage; our friendship. This is a storm that is bound toe in rtionships and we''ll pass through it together and our marriage and kindling love will survive.


    After my shower, I made my way to the kitchen to make dinner. I''d make his favorite. That would be my first step in appeasing him.


    More than an hourter, I let out a big yawn as I cleaned the counter and washed the utensils I used to cook.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    When I was done, I made my way to the living room, grabbed my phone from the center table and sank into one of the couches.


    I itched to check the time but I resisted the urge. I didn''t want to know howte it was.


    A very reliable time killer was social media. I hopped from Tik Tok to YouTube to Snapchat to I*******m. I went back and forth for a while until I decided to stick to I*******m.


    I scrolled through funny videos that


    made me guffaw and temporarily


    forgot about my life problems. I watched inspirational videos that strengthened me and made me believe t


    believe that this was a phase that


    would soon pass. I came across


    crystal clear pictures of celebrities,


    pi¨ºtures of cute puppies and kittens,


    happy couples and families,


    beautiful and happy kids, house


    warmings...


    My eyelids were so heavy as I continued to scroll barely taking in what my eyes could see, but determined to remain awake till Dennis returned, I continued to scroll...


    I rubbed my eyes when I came across a familiar name.


    Sharon.


    I felt my eyelids be less heavier as my eyes roamed the picture she posted. She had her lips pressed to Aiden''s cheek. Aiden''s face was obstructed from view by the filled winess she held before his face. My eyes flew open and I sat up when I sessfully read and processed the caption on the picture: Guess who''s expecting a baby in eight months?!

 Chapter 0387

    DENNIS


    I mmed my fist on Cole''s desk, causing everything on top to rattle.


    "What the hell do you mean you can''t find him?"


    "Did I hear you well or have I suddenly developed an ear problem?"


    Cole shrank back. His eyes were wide with fear and remorse.


    "I''m sorry man, I''ve tried everything. James just...disappeared without a trace after taking all our investments."


    Rage boiled inside me. I grabbed Cole by thepels and shoved him against the wall.


    "You''re supposed to be the expert! You vouched for this guy!"N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "I know, I know," Cole sputtered, hands up defensively.


    "Believe me, I''m just as gutted as you are. I lost every penny too!"


    I sneered.


    "Yeah? Well it''s a lot easier for you to be casual about losing pocket change. I put in $100,000 man! Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed for that?"


    The memories flooded back, of all the rights I had to part with to raise that money. I thought that if the investment paid off, I could buy a whole new collection and more. Now all I had to show for it was NOTHING. Letting go of Cole, I ran shaky hands through my hair. I started pacing, mind racing over how I could possibly make this right. The bars were doing well, but not well enough to absorb that steep a loss quickly. "I''m ruined..." I muttered, then whirled on Cole again.


    "This is on you! You talked me into this scheme with your big dreams about life-changing profits!"


    Cole flinched at my booming voice.


    "I didn''t know he was going to run a damn Ponzi scheme! The backgrounds, documentation, it all checked out!"


    "Well it clearly didn''t!" I grabbed a ss paperweight from the desk and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall with a terrifying crash.


    Cole''s secretary stuck her head in, rmed. "Everything okay, Mr. Taylor?"


    "GET OUT!" I roared, causing the woman to shrink back in terror before scrambling away.


    Chest heaving, I braced my hands on the desk as I fought for control. I lifted my gaze to the shaken Cole.


    "Tell me there''s still a way to track this bastard down and get our money back."


    Cole could only shake his head mournfully.


    "There''s nothing, man. He covered his tracks too well."


    Those words detonated the final threads of my restraint. I flipped the desk with an animalistic bellow, raining papers and office supplies across the room. "I''m ruined!"


    I grabbed a crystal decanter from the liquor cart and heaved it against the wall, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "Fucking ruined!"


    I stormed out and mmed the door


    so hard the frame nearly splintered. I ripped my suit jacket off as I


    crossed the parking lot with Sweet


    pouring down my face. When I


    climbed into my car, I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. I exploded with a strangled cry of anguish, pummeling the wheel over and over until my hands felt numb and bloody.


    "Stupid...fucking...idiot!"


    Each word was punctuated with another bone-jarring strike against the steering column.


    This had to be some terrible nightmare.


    But the pain radiating through my hands chased away any hope of waking up. It was all too real.


    I slumped forward to rest my


    throbbing forehead on the wheel,


    feeling everything crashed down around me. I sold off two rental


    buildings I owned and liquidated nearly every asset to raise that $100,000 investment-all for naught.


    "You dumb son of a bitch," I spat at my own reflection in the rearview mirror.


    "You just had to chance it all for more. For what? To get yed like a goddamn fool?"


    The dreams and security I''d sacrificed so much for, gone in an instant because of my greed and one man''s deception. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying in vain to somehow make this waking nightmare go away. But the throbbing ache in my hands was an endless reminder that


    I had gambled everything...and lost.


    I drew a shaky breath and tried topose myself enough to drive home. I fumbled the key into the ignition, twisting it hard with a trembling hand.


    The key didn''t turn. It was stuck fast, defying my increasingly frantic efforts.


    "No, no, no!" I growled as I wrenched the key back and forth until something snapped.


    The key broke into two and the pieces fell uselessly into myp.


    "God damn it!"


    I mmed my fists against the steering wheel again as the jarring impacts sent hot res of pain up my arms.


    Through the rearview mirror, I noticed a couple getting into their car nearby. They looked startled at the outburst, but quickly averted their gazes with worried looks on their faces.


    I couldn''t even bring myself to care what kind of spectacle I was making.


    How would they understand that my whole life had just been shattered into pieces?


    The shrill ringtone from my jacket pocket cut through the heavy silence. I already knew who it would be before even checking the caller ID.


    Ana''s smiling face filled the screen. Her beautiful features were absolutely gut-wrenching to look at right now.


    I stabbed the ignore button.


    The phone instantly rang again, making me flinch. I stared at it and my chest heaved as waves of panic and dread washed over me.


    "Leave me alone!" I shouted at the device, jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached.


    "I can''t...I can''t talk to you right now!"


    As if in response, the phone started ringing again. The incessant tone was grating on myst nerve.


    "You have no idea!" I snarled at Ana''s picture, then flung the phone away from me in a burst of rage.


    It struck the window hard enough to crack the ss before tumbling to the footwell. I dropped my head back against the headrest and squeezed my eyes shut.


    Tears of anguish and self-loathing trickled down my cheeks.

 Chapter 0388

    ANASTASIA


    "A baby in eight months?!" I blurted as I gaped at the caption. "Why the hell did Aiden not mention it?"Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    I threw my phone on the other end of the chair I was seated in and ran my fingers through my hair. How could he make her pregnant while I''m currently carrying his baby?


    Well, she is his wife and you''re not. Besides, it wasn''t like you''d let him have the child after Amie is fine. A voice said in my head.


    "I know, I know," I muttered. But there will beplications. This pregnancy at the time would, somehow, onlyplicate things for everyone of us. God, why does my life always have to be filled withplications? Why does everything have to always go wrong? Why do things have to always veer from the right path each time I manage to get them there?


    I closed my eyes and inhaled a deep breath.


    "Calm down, Anastasia, everything will be fine. Nothing has to go haywire because Aiden''s legitimate wife is pregnant for him. I need to rx and think of all the best things in my life and think of all the positive things that this pregnancy will bring about.


    I have Amie who is still breathing. She still smiles and paints andughs. That''s enough to be grateful for. I have Dennis, my loving husband and friend who will always stand by me no matter what.


    Besides, Sharon''s pregnancy will be a distraction for Aiden. He would be too busy caring for his wife abd going on hospital trips with her as a couple to constantly check up on me. He would also have more than enough to pay for do he wouldn''t even think of paying Amie''s bills. And there''d be no cause for Dennis to get mad again. Another bonus was that there wouldn''t be the apprehension that Aiden might demand equal rights over the baby since he''d also have his own baby.


    I stretched my lips into a big smile. "It''s okay, Anastasia. It will be fine." Everyone and everything will be fine. Amie will be fine, I and Dennis will be fine, Sharon and Aiden and their child will be fine. I palmed my stomach then I circled my palm over it. You''ll be fine too. After convincing myself that all will be well, I reached for my phone and continued scrolling through.


    My stomach started to rumble. I finally gave up waiting for Dennis.


    "We''ll be fine," I repeated as I dished out part of the meal I made for him into a te, grabbed a bottle of water and my phone and proceeded up the stairs.


    I dipped spoonfuls of the meal in my mouth as I ascended the stairs. I shook my head, pleased with myself. This will definitely loosen whatever knot of anger is in Dennis'' heart.


    In our room, I sat in the chair before the vanity, turned on myptop and put on a movie.


    After a while, I abandoned the small portion left on the te and focused on the movie.


    I released a breathless gasp as I felt an abrupt sting below my abdomen.


    I clutched the area where I felt the pain and rubbed, scrunching up my face.


    "Oh no, did I eat too much?" I wondered when I felt another pain. A sharper one this time. It hurt so much that I had to pause the movie.


    "Ahh," I groaned out as the sharp sting became incessant. It felt like a cramp but I sure as hell wasn''t on my period.


    I just need to lie down for a while, I told myself when the pain subsided a little.


    With one of my palms on my stomach, I carried theptop with my other hand and trudged to the bed.


    I ced theptop on the bed side table then Iid down on my side and curled around myself, hoping the pain would subside.


    For a few minutes, I felt nothing. I evenughed at a funny scene. Then suddenly, just like the first time, unannounced, the sharp sting gripped my stomach so hard that I let out a low cry, momentarily rendered dizzy. And for the next minute, my movie abandoned, I pressed myself into the bed in an attempt to stop the pain. But it only got worse.


    My eyes watered and my throat constricted in my chest as the sting worsened, sending a thousand volts through my system.


    I had no idea how to stop this insane pain. Was my baby the one kicking? Definitely not. Baby kicks didn''t feel like I was being stabbed. There was only one other thing to do. Call Dennis. And pray he picks up.


    My eyes were squeezed tight, my teeth biting down on my lower lips as I felt around the bed for my phone.


    Then I remembered that I had left it on the vanity.


    Shit.


    With all my might, I began to drag myself to the dressing table. I couldn''t even get to my feet. Iid on the floor and dragged my body to the table. So while still lying on the floor, I reached up and felt for my phone.


    In the process, some of the skincare and make-up containers on the table fell on me but it was nothingpared to the pain I felt in my stomach. Finally, my hand found my phone. I grabbed it and immediately dialed Dennis'' number. It went straight to voicemail.


    I tried again and again and each time it went into voicemail, I almost let out a cry.


    So I left a message for him.


    "Dennis, please, pick up. I need you, Dennis please."


    I hoped that when he hears my cry and the pain in my voice, he will pick up and rush home.


    For several minutes afterward, I remained curled on the cold floor, shivering, my phone in my grip.


    With each minute that passed, I felt a little part of me die from the growing pain. I knew I couldn''t keep waiting. I have to find help. 911, I told myself. Dial 911.


    But as the call went through and I waited to hear a response, I found myself staring back at the caller''s ID, Aiden.


    ***


    SHARON


    I looked up from myptop, irritated


    by the vibration that had suddenly taken over the bed. I nced around and my gaze located the culprit almost immediately.


    Aiden''s phone''s screen died and lit up again almost immediately. I was about to call out to him toe get his phone but I knew he would never rush out of the bathroom to pick a call. He''d either ask me to pick it or leave it to keep ringing.


    I snatched it from where itid to throw it on the couch so it would stop disturbing me but my eyes caught the caller''s ID, Ana.


    My lips twisted unpleasantly. I was sure it was the same Ana that was carrying his baby.


    Without a second thought, without waiting for the guilt to consume me, I swiped left. Then I ced the phone by my side so I could reject all of her other calls that I was sure would stille in. FindNovel

 Chapter 0389

    CLARA


    I nced around the room as I chewed on the takeout that had just been delivered. I gave myself a pat on the back, proud of myself. No, not a mental pat. I actually pat myself on the back, it feels better than an imagined one.


    Few hours ago, the room had been filled with boxes and furniture that needed to be assembled. I had first dealt with the room. I wanted to have a ce where I could easily crash in case I ran out of the buzzing energy to continue cleaning. Now all that was left was to shift the chairs to my desired spots and-


    I frowned at the brown boxes beside the chair.


    "Come on! I thought I already took those inside," I said as I took a gulp from the carton of orange juice before I walked toward the boxes.


    I kicked them before I crouched down and opened them.


    My brain was already wondering what was in the box and how I''d fix them in the parts of the house that it might belong to. I did not really leave any space in my room for more boxes or anything at all. And my-


    I came to an abrupt halt as my gaze settled on my favorite shirt. Despite being aware that it was my favorite, Ana had loved it so much that she took it from me and made it hers. Obviously, I left it for her for only one reason. I love her. And she always looked so happy whenever she had the shirt on.


    I sighed. I wished I had treated her rtionship with Aiden the same way I treated the shirt. If I did, I wouldn''t have this gaping hole that refused to fill up in my chest.


    I swallowed and continued to dig through the contents. Her hair brush, her old wallet, her heeled shoes, the one she hated so much and stopped wearing only after once... I wondered if she noticed that they were missing. I must have mistakenly packed them with my boxes while I was packing, through my hazy vision after our fight.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I sniffed one of the shirts and a smile curled on my lips. It''s been so many years and it still smelled of her. It''s been so many yea-


    Wait, years? It hasn''t been up to a year, has it? How long has it been? Five months? Seven? Lesser than that? Well, I lost count. I didn''t exactly enjoy keeping count on how long I''d been apart from my best friend who now hates me.


    And yeah, it feels like it''s been years since that fight.


    After the fight with her, I had to leave town to clear my head. There had been no n to return but I got a new job at a charity. Not only did it pay well but it was fulfilling.


    There was this sense of fulfillment I get whenever I help people. The thought that I was among a team that helped people live better lives filled me with a sense of fulfillment to the extent that I even take up more jobs than what I''m paid for. The feeling just could never be bought.


    As I fingered the content of the second box, I contemted using it as an excuse to see her again. But I knew I was the only one who missed the other. She had said she never wanted to see me again. She wouldn''t want to see me.


    *


    The next day, as I prepared for work, I came across the boxes a couple of times. I finally gave you and picked them up and dumped them in my backseat.


    "I''d just mail it to her," I said to myself as I drove to work.


    Work was good as always. I sessfully put a smile on the faces of several people. I even managed to make a friend. An adorable boy who thought he was ugly just because his bullies said so.


    I gaped at him before I blurted. "You''re so cute that I wish I could steal you and put you in my house for my view alone!"


    Iughed to myself as I remembered how his eyes had widened as he took a step back.


    "Hey, I''m sorry," I had giggled. "I didn''t mean to scare you but trust me, you''re nothing but beautiful. can easily picture you as a hot handsome hunk when you grow up."


    "Hunk?" he had whispered, puzzled.


    From there onward, we became friends as I exined things to him and we got some of my job done together.


    When his sister, a girl in her mid teens, who hade to volunteer came looking for him that they had to leave, I felt my heart squeeze tight in my chest.


    As I plopped into my seat with a heavy sigh, my gaze caught the boxes in the backseat through the rearview mirror.


    "Shit," I muttered as I nced at my watch. It was toote to mail anything. Well, not toote but I''d rather go home to my bed than go through that stress by this time. Or I could just drive to her house.


    I toyed with the idea as I started my car.


    I thought I was still contemting until I found myself on the familiar road to the house.


    Oh well. It wouldn''t hurt to say my congrattions to them. I heard she and Dennis got married. Finally.


    I smiled as I remembered how much Dennis loves her and wished to be with her.


    I took a deep breath as I parked on the roadside where the house was.


    "So I''m not going to see my bestfriend that I miss. Absolutely not. I''m going to return her old stuff that I mistakenly parked with mine and think she might still need and also congratte them.


    Besides, I was just driving by, so I decided to stop by and do these things. Yes."


    I ced the two boxes on top of the other and bnced it in my arms. Then I made the short walk up the driveway.


    I took another necessary deep breath as I pressed the doorbell.


    My heart dropped. No response.


    I pressed the doorbell again. And


    there was still no response. By the time I was on my fifth try, I realized was pouting and that it wasn''t my fifth try at all. I was repeatedly


    pushing at the button with


    ¨¦l


    no space


    for whoever would answer to even


    do so.


    I caught myself and snatched my hands back. "Come on, you can juste back another time."


    I pressed the doorbell one more time. When there was still no response, I turned around and headed for my car.


    But I came to an abrupt halt when a piercing scream emanated from inside.

 Chapter 0390

    ANASTASIA


    I tightened my grip on my stomach and wondered if this was it for me.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Is this how I''ve been destined to die? And... Amie!


    The thought of her alone made me snap my eyes open. My death will most probably equate this baby''s death and that means Amie will have no chance of survival anymore. She''ll probably die shortly after my own death or live a few more years in pain before she finally


    dies.


    No.


    I gripped the legs of the chair and tried to get on my fours, but I just couldn''t remove my hands from my stomach. The pain was everywhere, everywhere ached, but it felt as though my stomach was the root of the pain. But I didn''t give up. I couldn''t. I wondered how much pain my baby must be going through if the pain I felt was this much.


    I didn''t want to imagine how devastated Dennis would be. I didn''t want to think that just the shock of my death might take Amie''s life. And if it didn''t, apart from the physical pain she''d have to go through, she''d also carry a heavy heart for the few years she''d live. Since I told her about her sibling, she had looked forward to it. She talked about the things they''d do together, the things she''d teach him when hees.


    I didn''t want to disappoint her. She deserves to live and enjoy life. She deserves to know her father and get a sibling.


    A groan escaped my lips and I felt my head ache even more, my eyes tearing up as the pain intensified.


    Tears poured out of my eyes as I cried silently, hoping someone wille for me. Hoping I''d be able to get out of this house and drive myself to the hospital before anything happens to my baby.


    Thetter was ringly impossible so I reached for my phone where I had dropped it and began to dial numbers.


    My hands trembled and I could barely see my screen. I wasn''t sure if I was dialing the right numbers. But that didn''t matter. It didn''t matter who it was that came, I just needed help.


    The phone dropped from my hand and I let out a shrill as a stabbing pain shot through my abdomen.


    Oh God.


    It felt like I was stabbed. And the knife was twisted in my stomach.


    God, please, protect my baby. I cried. Keep him safe.


    With trembling hands, I grabbed my phone and dragged it to me again. By this time, I was whimpering as I prayed that someone would pick up their phone.


    But I couldn''t continue to just hope. I had to do something. The longer I remained here, the weaker I grew and I knew I was on the verge of losing consciousness. That would be worse What should I do?


    Maybe I should order a ride. Once he gets here, I''ll plead with him toe up the stairs.


    Right when I managed to open the app, I heard a bang downstairs.


    Thank God! I breathed as I dropped my phone. I wanted to crawl to the door, to yell that I was in here but I could not even move.


    I waited but I didn''t hear footsteps. Or any sign of help.


    The edges of my vision began to blur and darken.


    The pain had not subdued and it was getting harder to breathe.


    Right when I began to give into the darkness that promised relief, I think I heard a voice... footsteps... shouts...


    I couldn''t tell. I opened my eyes but it felt too heavy, too painful. I felt acutely aware of the pain of my misery and hopelessness so I closed my eyes again.


    It was better. I could still feel and hear. That was enough. Though I wish I wouldn''t feel too, so I wouldn''t feel this insane pain anymore.


    A door was thrown open and I heard a loud gasp, followed by hurried footsteps.


    "Ana! Ana are you okay?" I felt hands on me. Then I was being pulled up. "Ana, look at me."


    I wanted to look. I wanted to cry that


    I needed a doctor. I wanted to tell them to save my baby but I couldn''t I justid there, wishing I could take the pain away, wishing the darkness would overwhelm me at the same time, I wished it wouldn''t.


    The darkness eventually came. And immediately the relief followed. Maybe in thisfortable zone, I will be able to fight to save my baby.


    *


    Immediately my eyes opened, they snapped back close.


    It was so bright here. My room isn''t this bright. Dennis doesn''t even like it. We only leave the light on whenever Amie-


    Amie!


    I snapped my eyes open.


    The pain. The ride... the hands...


    The memories rushed back. I nced around. Of course, I was in the hospital.


    Just then, the door opened and a doctor stepped in.


    "You''re awake," he had a bright smile on.


    "Yes. Wha-" my voice came out raspy. I cleared my throat and tried again. "What happened to me?"


    I could now vividly remember the pain I had felt. The way my insides had turned and twisted...


    "You are in prematurebor, Mrs


    Dennis. We need to perform a


    Cervical Cerge surgery


    immediately. A nurse wille to


    prepare you for the surgery.


    I briefly wondered why doctors would smile when something was wrong. Was prematurebor a normal thing?


    "Where''s my husband?" I tried to sit up and my stomach hurt.


    "Sorry. You just remain there. The consent forms will be brought here for you to sign. And your husband isn''t here yet."


    My brows furrowed, "Yet? Did he leave after he dropped me?"


    The doctor turned to me and squeezed his forehead. "Your husband didn''t bring you here."


    I blinked. Was it Aiden? I remember that someone hade into the room. That was the only way I was able to get here. "Who brought me?" "Your friend."


    "My friend?" I muttered but I don''t think he heard me.


    He straightened to his full height. "She''s been asking to see you. I''ll let her know you''re awake now."


    I nodded, confused, wondering who this friend was. Is Aiden the friend?


    Few minutes after the doctor left, the door slowly creaked open. My eyes were fixated on it, waiting.


    Whoever it was was taking his or her time to reveal himself or herself.


    I blinked when she finally stepped in.


    She folded her lisp in her mouth as she tucked a strand of her behind


    her ear and closed the door behind her.


    She is the friend?


    How can my friend be thest person I want to see?


    "Hi?"


    I scoffed. "ra?" Perhaps, my vision had been affected.


    She curled her lips into a smile. "How do you feel now?"


    I felt my insides boil with rage. My hands clenched into fists. "Get out!" I whispered.


    She nodded and quietly stepped out.

 Chapter 0391

    DENNIS


    I pushed the door to the bar open, my head aching, swirling with thoughts of how I could have out that money into something better, how I could trace the bastard and make him pay for swindling us.


    I usually do not let things get to me. I hate to get riled up or angry which was why I always tried to control my cool. But this past months have been trying. Each day, my patience got tested.


    But this was one was the worst of it all. It was the final blow that made me erupt. A hundred fucking dors! How do I even ount for that? How do I retrieve all the working assets that I sold? There just was no way I wouldn''t be stressed. I was mentally stressed, physically stressed. I was stressed in every possible way.


    I had been scowling at literally everyone that was unfortunate enough to look my way since I left where Cole and I had met.


    This bar was filled to the brim as usual. It was the bubbliest of my bars and it was the one that yielded the most profit. This sounds of clinking sses,ughter and chatters always brightened my mood but not this time.


    I wanted to yell at everyone and order them out so I could have the ce to myself. So I could walkow in my loss without prying eyes and irritating noise.


    "Wee sir."


    "Thank you," I bit out harshly as the manager of the branch stoped before me. I barely nced at him as I continued the heavy walk to the stairs. I hoped that he would pick up that I was no in the mood to listen to any report or stupidint and just get away. But he followed me. I gritted my teeth but I remained silent. I heard his footsteps as they seemed closer and closer and...


    "Sir, I w-"


    "What is it do you have to say that can not wait?" I turned around sharply and snapped. "I just got back. The reports or whatever you have to say can wait."


    He swallowed. "I''m sorry, sir," he muttered. I could see the surprise in his eyes and I could feel other eyes on me as the room grew quieter than normal.


    None of them had ever heard me raise my voice or snap at them like this. The exact reason why he didn''t read into my mood.


    "Get out of my sight," I murmured as I turned away from him and continued my journey up the stairs, headed for my office.


    Without turning back, I threw the door close and dragged myself to my seat. I dropped into it and dropped my head on my table, my eyes closed. I could still remember how I had sold those properties. Some of their prices weren''t even worth but I wanted to get the money so that I could invest early. If only-


    My thoughts were cut off when I heard the door open.


    Goddammit! Do this people not get it? Stay the fuck away. Do I have to yell at each one of them before they listen?


    I looked up, my brows furrowed heavily, ready to snap at whoever it was to get lost.


    When my gaze met hers, I let out a quiet hiss as I rxed back in the seat and rest my head on the back of the chair. "What do you want, Tabitha?"


    "Are you okay?" She asked queitly as she further walked into my office, closing the door with a definite click behind her.


    "Why are you here?" I gritted out, trying to stop my voice from rising.


    There was a minute of silence and I imagined her wringing her hands together, biting her lower lip as she gathered her words.


    "You didn''t really look fine when you came in. I just thought toe check if you''re okay."


    "I''m fine. You can leave now," I clipped.


    I yearned to hear her receding footsteps but there was no sound. The room was just bathed in silence and I was still painfully aware of her presence. "Are you sure?" Her voice sounded closer and I could tell that she had moved closer to my desk. "You don''t really look fine to me. What happened?" I scoffed, shaking my head. "Oh, Tabitha, you crack me up," I said with a straight face.


    "I-"


    I turned to her, my brows arched, my main aim to intimidate her and get her to flee out of here.


    "What right do you think you have to


    VN?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ask me those questions?" My lips tightened as I waited for her response, then I added, "Or even worry about me? Why do you think you can just assume that I don''t look fine? Tell me."


    She flinched back at my tone, staring at me with surprise in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but I interrupted her.


    "I''m listening, Tabitha, tell me. What right do you have toe in without knocking?"


    "I''m sorry," she said. "I just," she


    shrugged, "just know you are going throughout ¨¤ difficult time and I kinda know how to get people out of stress just want to help." she


    added, "I can help if you let me."


    I took a deep breath, calming myself.


    Calm down, Dennis. She isn''t the one that swindled you.


    I turned to her, boring her face with my gaze. She was going to help if she could, I knew it. But no one could help me with this one. Atleast, she couldn''t.


    But I still asked her anyway, "Can you bring back the $100,000 that was lost?"


    Her brows drew down as she looked at me like I was headless. "Huh?"


    "Can you help me get out of that stress? Can you relieve that?"


    "Huh?" She repeated then she licked her lips and quickly added. "It''s not impossible." She shrugged with one take


    of her shoulders. "It just one


    time."

 Chapter 0392

    ANASTASIA


    I watched as Aiden lowered himself to Amie''s height and held out his hand to her.


    Amie eyed his hand wearily.


    Aiden smiled. "Come on, Amie, would you like to go?"


    Amie nced up at Dennis then at my face and back to Aiden.


    My gaze wandered to Dennis'' face. I could tell that he didn''t like Aiden''s presence. He was about to say something when Aiden took Amie''s hand. "Remember we''re friends, right?" Amie just looked at him without saying anything.


    "Remember that time you collided with me?" The corner of his lips quirked up in a smirk.


    Amie frowned. "You ran into me," she blurted. "I hope you haven''t done the same to someone else?" She eyed him, "I went easy on you that day doesn''t mean another person would."


    Aiden chuckled lowly and as I watched them, my lips curled into a smile. He was good with kids. I always knew he would. Amie would have been the luckiest child on earth if I had let him know about her but I tried not to go down that path.


    Dennis was also great with her. Even though he was busy setting up some of his bars and we were just friends, he included himself in our lives and took very good care of Amie and I.


    "Okay, ma''am Amie. I''ll be careful. I''ve been careful actually. Except that I almost ran into someone today again," he winced as he said thest part.


    Amie shook her head and turned down her lips at him like an adult scolding a child. "You really need to take lessons."


    "That''s also why I want to go on a stroll with you. You could teach me how to walk the right way and also how to be polite."


    She eyed him while tapping her fingers on her lips. "I can teach you how to be polite but I think you run into people because you''re so big. I can''t help you with that." Aiden pouted. "That''s so-"


    "Drop it, Aiden," Dennis stepped forward, interrupting their moment. "This is unnecessary. If my child wantspany, her father is here, I''m here."


    My eyes widened as I whirled around to face Dennis. "Why would he say that?"


    But his gaze wasn''t even on me, it was fixed on Aiden and I could tell that he was only fighting the re from his face because of Amie.


    Aiden didn''t look like he appreciated the interruption. When he slowly rose to his full height, I knew I had to step in.


    I clung to Dennis'' side while whispering, "Leave her to him." Then I turned to Aiden and Amie with a big smile.


    "Go give him some lessons, sweetheart, he''s quite rude."


    Amie looked appalled. "Even to you, Mummy?"


    "I tell you."


    Amie looked up at Aiden and shook her head. "That is very bad. You can''t be rude to my mom or dad."


    I hid the smile on my face as I said to Aiden. "Be very careful with her, please. And it would be better if you stay around the hospital so Dennis can easily find you guys when her time is up." "Alright." Then he hoisted Amie in his arms.


    As he walked them out, I heard Amie''s sharp voice, "Look where you''re going, stop staring at me." Then she kissed her teeth. "That''s why you keep running into people."


    I turned to Dennis, my arms crossed across my chest.


    "We need to talk." Then I swirled around and walked to my ward. He followed without another word.


    In the room, as I lowered myself into my seat, I felt a small contraction that made me wince and freeze for a moment.


    The doctor had warned me about the possible contractions.


    Suddenly, Dennis was by my side.


    I quickly brought my hand up. "Please, I''m fine."


    Then I sat down and faced him, "What''s going on with you?"


    "I''m sorr-"


    "Stop saying that! Stop saying that, Dennis! It''s not going to solve anything."


    He ran his fingers through his hair and turned his back to me. When he faced me back, he looked like he was about to say something. But I didn''t want to hear him. I didn''t want to hear whatever he had to say. "I don''t think you realize how hurt this makes me." I jabbed my fingers against my chest.


    "I''m sorry-" his voice broke but I refused to let it get to me.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "I am so disappointed, Dennis. And I am mad at you."


    "Ana please-"


    Let me finish talking, Dennis. Listen to me. I have a lot to say."


    After that, he said nothing. I remained silent for a few minutes, neither of us said anything.


    "This isn''t how it should be. We


    didn''t n it this way. You were supposed to be by my side. I was literally dying, Dennis..." my chest rose and fell as I tried to regain my breath. "I miss you, Dennis," my eyes watered. "You''ve changed and it hurts me that you don''t see that. You''re so wrapped up with the fact that the baby is Aiden''s and you''ve changed because of that.¡°


    I swallowed. "I miss the man I got married to. I miss the man that cared so much about me. I miss the man that was so-" I broke off and took a deeper breath.


    "Things aren''t going to get easier if


    you continue this way. Things will not get better if we don''t!" With each word, I found my voice got higher. I couldn''t help it. "Things will not get better if you''re not there, if you are unavable!


    "Things are scary as it is. This point in our life is crucial, we need to stick together. Things are hard and you''re making it worse by not being there want to hold my hands through this all. I want to look to my right and see you, Dennis. I want to look to my right and see you. I want to see you everywhere I turn. I don''t want to turn around and see Aiden or ra."


    I jabbed my direction in his direction, "I want to see you!"

 Chapter 0393

    AIDEN


    "You look ahead all the time!"


    "Like this?" I asked as I turned to my left.


    "What? No." She palmed both sides of my face and made me face forward. "Like this."


    When she removed her hands, I turned to my right.


    I was met with silence. When I turned back to face her, there was confusion in her eyes. She looked at me like I was some dumbass.


    "What?" I asked, folding my lips in my mouth to keep myugh at bay.


    "Did you go to school?"


    That was it. I burst outughing. And all the while she just watched me.


    She shook her head. "There''s also a boy in my ss whoughs whenever he''s being taught. But my teacher continues teaching anyway."


    Then she proceeded to show me my right and my left and afterward told me the difference between those two and my front.


    As I watched her, I was sure that her brother was surely a lucky boy to have her as an older sister.


    When she was done, she took a deep breath then looked at me, her brows slightly squeezed in worry. "I could write it in a paper for you. So whenever you forget it, you can just go back to it. My daddy tells me to do that all the time." "Oh that will be great. Thank you so much, Amie," I answered in a cheery tone, trying to ignore the pang that apanied the word ''daddy.''


    It''s not been up to ten minutes since we began our walk and she has mentioned ''daddy'' like a thousand times.


    I wished it was me she was referring to with that term but it only made my heart constrict even more. It saddened me that I couldn''t disclose to her that I was her ''daddy'' and not Dennis.


    I might not add the detail that Dennis wasn''t his dad but I desperately wished I could tell her. I wished I could bond with her so much that she would quote and mention me everytime.


    After a while, the lectures on being polite died down and she was back to asking a thousand questions in a minute.


    "Is that a sunflower?" She pointed towards the garden as we walked by it.


    "I nodded and that one beside it is a lily flower. Those two are usually seen in the same area together."


    She nodded slowly. "Can I touch it? Let''s go touch it."


    I granted her wish and we moved into the garden. I slowly walked past each well-bred shrub and her fingers grazed their surfaces.


    At one point, she asked me to stop so she could sniff the flowers. She came up with her nose scrunched up.


    "It smells bad," she whispered.


    I chuckled. "Why are you whispering?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    She shrugged. "I thought we were supposed to pretend that they smell good. All the princesses in cartoons say it smells nice. They smile while sniffing them."


    I chuckled again. It was an incessant urrence whenever I was with her. "Flowers do smell nice though. You probably smelt the leaf under it."


    She shrugged. "Did you see my baby brother too?" She suddenly asked. "I just remembered that nurse saying that you were there earlier with mom." "Oh yes. I saw him. He''s so cute."


    She grinned widely. "I can''t wait till tomorrow so I can see him too. Do you have your own baby too?"


    "Actually..." I tapped on her nose. "I have two babies and I''m expecting another one."


    Her eyes widened as she opened her mouth. "That''s three babies for only you!"


    I shrugged slightly. "Lucky me."


    "Are they boys or girls?"


    "Umm... the first one is a girl and the second one is a boy. I don''t know what gender the third one is."


    "How do you carry them? Do you feed them? Tell me, how do you feed them? Do they like to paint? Do they like cookies and sweets?"


    "I carry the first one just the way I''m carrying you right now while the second one..." I exined to her and she listened intently as I spoke, fascinated.


    After I was done answering all of her questions, she began to lightly jump in my arms. "Can you give me one? Give me one, please."


    "You can''t just give out a baby," Iughed. "But I can let you meet one."


    "Yay! Which one?"


    "Umm..." I pretended to think for a while. "The first one."


    "Yay! Can I y with her? Can I make her hair? What''s her name? Tell me about her?"


    "Oh, she asks lots of questions!"


    She beamed. "I love to answer questions."


    "You do? Then you''ll be answering tons of questions soon. About her name, you''ll find out when you meet her. And she''s this tall..." I lowered myself a bit and showed her her height. "And she is smart and talks a lot too."


    Kon


    Amie pped her hands. "I can''t wait to meet her. We''ll be best of friends.


    I''ll show her my friends at the hospital and when I leave the


    hospital, we''ll go to school together and we''ll also paint togetherShe threw her hands up.


    "Yay!" I mirrored her movement, throwing one of my hands up too.


    We continue to roam the hospital, gawking and awing at all the beautiful parts of the hospital.


    At some point we yed hide and seek and my God! Amie was a terrible hider and an equally bad seeker.


    On several asions when she was


    hiding, she''d giggle and whisper,


    "You can never find me." And as seeker, she would start tearing up, "Come out, I''m scared." Then she''d use me of hiding in ''difficult'' ces.


    Later, I discovered that she was faking her tears. She just disliked being a seeker so much.


    I stepped out when she began to pretend to sniff.


    "Oh, you scaredy cat," I lowered myself to her height. "Come here." I pulled her to me and engulfed her in a tight hug. And when her little arms wrapped around my neck, I knew she had my heart.

 Chapter 0394

    ANASTASIA


    My chest heaved up and down as I watched Dennis grip his hair, his eyes squeezed shut.


    He finally turned to face me. He exhaled loudly. "I am sorry."


    He shook his head and repeated, "I am really sorry, babe. I''m sorry for driving off that night."


    My heart squeezed in my chest as I saw his eyes water. I could tell that he felt bad; that he didn''t do all that he did intentionally. Or simply because he was mad at me or the situation we were in.


    I wanted to go to him and wrap my arms around him but I remained seated on the bed and just watched him.


    "I''m sorry for not picking up your calls or returning them when Iter saw them."


    He took a step closer and I didn''t stop him like I would have a couple of minutes ago.


    He hesitated for a while, seeming to guage my reaction while he said, "There''s no excuse for me to be such a jerk to you, especially with everything going on."


    He closed the space between us. He lowered himself into a squat and took my hands in his. "I''m sorry, Ana. I swear, I didn''t mean to behave the way I did."


    I sighed and closed my fingers around his hands.


    I noticed the fall of his shoulders as he seemed to to rx. "Thank you so much for not giving up on me," he said but I said nothing in return.


    I knew I couldn''t leave things just like that.


    "I can tell that you''re sorry, Dennis but this isn''t really you. What is really going on?"


    He rubbed his hand over his face.


    "I recently met Cole again."


    I arched my brows, "Cole?"


    He nodded. "Yeah, Cole. He''s an old friend. You probably know him but you don''t remember."


    "Okay. So what has Cole got to do with all of these?"


    "We reconnected and started talking again. He told me about an investment and somehow, I was convinced.


    "I made my research and all and it sounded very promising. I invested quote a lot in it. Cole did too. We put most of what we had into it for higher returns. I even sold some of my properties." I nodded slowly, recalling the document I saw in his drawer the other day.


    "Yeah," I drawled, "I think I saw a file like that in your office."N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    "Yeah," he nodded. Then he lowered his head into his hands. "The investment fell through, babe," even as he said those words now, I could hear the fear in his voice, the disbelief and regret. "We were swindled," he added.


    "I''m so sorry." I now understood his attitudes these past days. I couldn''t imagine how devastated he must have been. I didn''t even want to hear how much he invested because if he had to sell some of his properties, then it was no doubt a huge amount.


    He shook his head and blew out his cheeks. "Thank you. It''s just... I couldn''t think straight. I- I didn''t know what to do or how to face anyone. I think it was around when Cole told me about the loss that your call came in. I''m sorry."


    "It''s okay." I pulled him in for a hug.


    "I''ve been telling myself the same


    get


    thing but it feels like it wouldn''t be. Ana, I''m going crazy," his voice trembled feel like I''ve lost my mind because I know I''d never, that money back." He threw his head back and blew out his cheeks again. "Koould have done so much more with that money.


    "The amount of hardwork that wet into that money isn''t a joke. My team and I worked endlessly for everything earnings."


    I tightened my arms around him and just let him say everything he wanted to say.


    "It''s going to be fine," I carressed his head after he finished talking. "Everything will be fine, Dennis. I promise."


    His arms around me tightened for the first time. "Thank you for listening to me. Thank you."


    "It''s nothing. No matter what, you''re still my husband, you''re my family.


    "There''s nothing better than confiding in family because they will always have your back no matter what."


    "I''m sorry I chose to keep it to myself."


    "I''m your family so you shouldn''t keep things from me. Things may seem hard but instead of letting it drift us apart, it should tighten our bond and bring us even closer."


    Dennis smiled up at me, "I should be the one doing and saying all of these. I mean you just gave birth to a whole baby. I should stop being a baby and let you focus on the real baby."


    I saw his smile widened as he watched me giggle.


    "Come on,e sit here."


    I scooted over for him and let him sit beside me.


    "So tell me, how was the operation?" He asked after we were snuggly sitting close to each other.


    I began to narrate to him about the


    whole ordeal. The time where I felt like the pain was my end, right to the part where everything felt numb and I could not feel what was going on


    ale to the time when woke


    up and was told that I had a baby boy.


    Until now, I didn''t know I badly wanted someone to tell all of these things.


    "Where does it hurt?"


    I pouted and told him where it hurt more and less.


    He massaged some parts for me and promised to have a talk with the doctor about the other parts.


    As he talked andughed at my


    After a while, he ced a kiss on my forehead. "I need to go, Amie''s time is up."


    My eyes widened. "It''s been an hour already?"


    He chuckled. "It''s past an hour, babe. When we were talking, the hospital called but I quickly put my phone on silent."


    "Oh," I blushed. "I didn''t realize."


    "I didn''t too. That''s how spending time with you always is."


    I blushed again. "So when will youe back to see me?"


    "I''m not sure. Maybe tonight or tomorrow. Because after I drop Amie, I need to return to the bar and get to work. There''s a lot of money that needs to be made."


    "Alright. I''ll miss you. Call me, okay?"


    "Of course, I will," he answered and ced a kiss on my cheeks.

 Chapter 0395

    DENNIS


    When I reached the door, a question I had meant to ask suddenly ured to me. I turned back to find her gaze still on me. "What is it?" She smiled.


    It felt so good to see her smile and not re at me like she has been doing for the past days.


    "I have a question," I said as I slowly walked back to her.


    "Okay?"


    "The other time, when I was telling you about the properties I sold, you said you saw the documents for the sales I made in my drawer?"


    "Yes, I said that."


    I frowned. "How?"


    "Oh yes. I was at your bar," she shrugged. "I waited for quite a while but you would not return so I just left."


    "Oh." I recalled manager the times when my manager tried to tell me something when I returned that day. That was probably what he was trying to tell me.


    "I had no idea." I wanted to add that she should have called me but then I remembered that I hadn''t been picking up calls. "The manager tried to tell me but I was so angry that I told him off." She smiled. "It''s okay. I now understand."


    I sighed again, berating myself for my foolishness.


    I stepped forward and pulled her in for another hug. "Thank you for sticking with me even though I''m an asshole."


    "Okay."


    I pulled back and gaped at her. "So you agree that I''m an asshole?"


    She burst into a fit of giggles.


    I walked around the hospital for a while, wondering where the heck Aiden had taken Amie.


    Finally, I came to an abrupt halt when I spotted them on the yground in the hospitalpound.


    Amie was giggling so hard as she sat around Aiden''s neck.


    I smiled at how happy she looked. At how she was still so full of life even when it looked like she had little of it.


    "Amie!" I called and walked towards them. "Amie."


    Immediately, Amie turned around. Her eyes brightened even more before she yelled, "Daddy!"


    Slowly, Aiden turned around to face me. Then Amie tapped Aiden on his head and said something to him. And then she was moving like she would climb off his body if he didn''t let her down on time. As soon as Aiden ced her on the floor, she ran toward me. "Daddy."


    I met her half way and caught in my arms.


    "Oh, baby," I pressed a kiss to her forehead and she giggled, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. "It''s just been a few hours and I have missed terribly."


    "I missed you too. Uncle Aiden is so fun to hang out with, can I hang out with him abother time?"


    At that question, I looked up and my gaze met Aiden''s, his lips was pulled tight in a forced polite smile but everything else about him opposed that smile, from his clenched fists to his hardened jaw. "Of course," I told Amie. "Whenever you have the time, you can."


    "Yay." She threw her hands in the air and hugged me again, almost squeezing the daylight out of my neck. "Thank you, daddy, you are the best."


    Then she turned to face Aiden.


    "Guess what?"


    Aiden pocketed his clenched fists. His smile widened as he looked at her but it looked less forced now. "What''s that, princess?"


    Princess? I resisted the urge to scoff.


    Amie giggled. "You''re so bad at guessing. My dad says I can y with you next time I''m free just like today."


    "Oh, that''s great then. I look forward to that day."


    "Me too. Make sure youe with my friend, okay?" She told him excitedly.


    Aiden chuckled. "You''ve not met her and you already call her your friend?"


    Amie bobbed her head. "You''ve told me so much about her. I feel like I already know her."


    "Oh, you do," he smiled softly.


    I was so lost that their conversation was starting to get irritating.


    Finally, Amie waved at him. "Bye." Then, "Wait daddy. I want to hug him."


    I moved closer to Aiden that I''d have liked and let him hug Amie.


    "Bye, princess."


    Then with a stiff nod in his direction, I turned away from him and headed to the car.


    I kind of believe that he has no ill intention but it was just hard to trust him. His mere presence makes me feel like he was there to snatch the most important women in my life away.


    As I drove us back to the hospital, Amie wouldn''t stop yapping about her day with Aiden.


    "He knows how to y tag so much!" She gasped.


    I raised my brows, "Oh really?"


    "Really!" Then she went on and one about the other ''awesome'' things he could do.


    I really wanted to roll my eyes at this point.


    Finally, she stop talking about the games they yed and announced giddily, "He said he''ll buy me a very big toy house when I leave the hospital."


    "He did?" I turned to her.


    She bobbed her head, a huge grin on her face. "He said it would be so big that I''d be able to enter inside."


    "Wow, that''s so cool." I was sure I didn''t sound as excited as she was.


    "So so cool. He has a lot of money."


    I frowned and turned to her briefly, surprised that she mentioned that.


    "Daddy has a lot of money too," I found myself say. Then, "Come on, what do you want Daddy to get you when you get discharged from the hospital?"


    She propped her index finger on her chin and tilted her head to a side, her brows slightly furrowed, "Let me think..."


    Suddenly, she pped her hands. "I know, I know. A giraffe! I want a giraffe."


    I blinked at the road before me, "A G-giraffe?"


    She nodded. "Yes. We''ll both stay in my toy house and have so much fun with my brother."


    "How big do you want your giraffe toy to be?"


    She shook her head firmly. "No daddy, I didn''t mean a toy....a real giraffe. I want a real giraffe."N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

 Chapter 0396

    DENNIS


    A giraffe? Why the heck would a four year old want a giraffe. As a pet? A toy? That is so unasual.


    And expensive!


    A real giraffe will cost a fortune!


    Right now, I doubt I can even shave anything off my ount to afford the basic needs talkless of a breathing giraffe.


    "Daddy?"


    I turned to find her gaze on me, expectant.


    I smiled. "Of course, I''d get one for you. A real giraffe, isn''t it?"


    Her eyes lit up and she bobbed her head, too excited to speak up.


    "Daddy will get you a giraffe," I said, already regretting why I even asked her what she wanted.


    She threw her hands up in the air. "Today is the best day ever!"


    By the time I parked in the hospital''s parking lot, she seemed to have exhausted her energy for the day and her eyelids struggled to stay open.


    I stepped out of the car and went to the other side and undid her seat belt. Then I carried her and together we went into her ward.


    "Make sure you have enough rest, okay?" I told her as I dropped a kiss on her forehead.


    She bobbed her head. "Thank you foring to see me today and taking me to see Mummy and uncle Aiden."


    "You know I''d do anything for you and your mom."


    "Will you be back tomorrow so we can see the baby together?"


    "There''s a lot of work for me to do, baby, but I''ll try."


    She nodded, stood on her bed and then she wrapped her arms around me.


    I got into my car and made my way back to the bar.


    On my way, I could not stop wondering how much a giraffe will cost. Let''s not even talk about the care that it would need as a pet.


    I grabbed my phone to check the price ranges but quickly dropped it.


    It wasn''t like I had the money to get it now. Confirming how expensive it is will only make me worry more.


    I had a lot to worry about already.


    At the bar, there was enough customers as usual but it didn''t fill me with glee like it always did because I knew that the more customers, the faster our things will finish and we''d have to restock and the money for restock was no where to be found. As I tried to not show my lethargy, the manager walked up to me. This time I didn''t shun him and he finally told me that my wife was here.


    "I know," I simply told him. "Thank you." Then I made my way up the stairs to my office.


    On the way, Tabitha walked up to me.


    "Wee back, sir," she chirped as she fell in step with me.


    "Okay," I muttered absentmindedly as I began to shrug off my jacket.


    "Let me help you with that, sir," she said and was immediately behind me, removing my jacket for me.


    "Thank you," I told her and together we walked into my office.


    Inside, I collected the jacket from her and draped it over my seat then copsed into it.


    When I looked up, Tabitha was still there. Her hands behind her back, waiting for any further instruction.


    I was going to thank her and ask her to find her way out but I suddenly remembered what we talked about the other day.


    "So, you said you''d be able to help me get back my money except that it will take time, right?"


    She nodded. "Yes, sir."


    "Can you tell me more about it?"


    "Why not? I''ll tell you everything you want to know about it."


    I gestured toward one of the two seats across from me. "Have a seat then. Tell me everything there is about it. How do I get started?"


    As she began to speak, I remained


    reclined in my seat, slightly uninterested in whatever she had say but was willing to give her a chance. At this point, I will take r sugge


    anyone''s advice


    I frowned, "Meditation?"N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    She paused and nodded slowly, "Yes, sir."


    swney


    I resisted the urge to throw my hands in the air or hiss, "How the heck is that supposed to get me my money back?"


    "You''ve not been listening, sir. It''s not just meditation. It''s mostly spiritual cleansing, meditation and manifestation. They work hand in hand."


    I gaped at Tabitha. I have never thought she was the type to believe in stuff like these.


    I took a deep breath and told her calmly. "If that is how you intend to help me, let me make it clear, I''m not into all of that..."


    "Into all of what, sir?"


    "Spiritual cleansing, cult shit and all. I don''t do those." I shook my head, slightly dissapointed. "I actually thought you were fit to be of help. I hoped you''d be of help."


    "No, no, boss," Tabitha shook her head. "It''s not cult."


    I arched my brows at her. "What is it then? Tell me."


    "It''s simply a process of finding one''s true self and finding peace."


    I raised my brows and gasped. "Oh really? Tell me more."


    "In these age, there''s now so much pressure on everyone, young and old. Depression is just a step or few steps away from most of us. While few people refuse to take that step because of their grit and resilience, most fail. They had no help or guidance, they give in. Finding yourself, cleansing your soul, these things bring you back, they make living more fulfilling."


    What shit is this girl spewing? I want my money back and she''s telling me how to alleviate depression and know myself?


    I sighed. "Get back to work, Tabitha."


    She blinked. "Sir?"


    "Get back to work."


    "Yes sir," she nodded and left.


    Even though, I will totally not go down the routes she had said, I managed to acknowledge that the money I lost might have made me unconsciously take that step that she talked about.


    When I was with Ana and Amie, it was better. was convinced that all will be well, but now, they were not here to brighten up my gloomy. mood with their smiles and talks. It was just me and my iing bills and empty bank ount.


    Sooner orter, I''d have to take care of this depressing feeling before it manifests into something worse.

 Chapter 0397

    ANASTASIA


    Dennis held my hand as the doctor spoke to us, enunciating every word.


    "All of these are to ensure your recovery and so that when your baby finally gets discharged, you will be able to support his well-being.


    "Once again, I advise you to rest as much as possible. Avoid heavy lifting or any strenuous activity until you are fully healed. An instruction will also be printed out pertaining how you are to use the prescribed medications and any signs to watch out for that might indicateplications. Such as fever, unusual pain, or swelling. You will get the leaflet at the hospital''s pharmacy when you go to get your drugs.¡°


    I nodded. "Okay."


    "Your diet and hydration is also crucial. Eat a bnced diet and drink plenty of water to support your recovery and milk production. You should also stick to the follow-up visits for yourself and daily visits so you will always be up to date on your baby''s progress in the NICU.¡° He picked up a sheet of paper from his table. "We also understand that having a premature baby in the NICU can be emotionally challenging." He handed me the paper. "These are a list of resources for emotional support and counseling."


    "Thank you so much," I said as my eyes skimmed the list before I stuffed it in my bag.


    The doctor''s gaze then fell on Dennis. "This one is also on you, Mr Dennis. You have to ensure that she takes all of these measures and does not stress."


    Dennis nodded, his hands tightening around mine. "Of course." He lifted my hand and ced a kiss on it. "I''ll make sure she''s always at her best."


    ¡°Please, Mrs Dennis, take care of yourself. Remember that your health is essential for your ability to care for your baby, and that''s why your recovery is prioritized. If you neglect your well-being, you''re indirectly neglecting your child and putting him in harm''s way." "Noted, doctor."


    "After your child has gained the required weight and you have been given instructions on infant CPR and safety, you can finally go home with him.¡°


    "Thank you, doctor.¡°


    We signed the necessary documents and made our way outside the hospital.


    "Careful, there," Dennis said softly as he helped me into the car.


    "Thank you."


    The drive home was quiet but Dennis held my hand all through and once in a while, he would look my way and sh me a smile.


    At home, he helped me up the stairs. Then he gave me a warm bath that calmed all of my nerves.


    "What would you like to eat?" He asked as hethered my body with my body oil.


    "Hmm, I don''t know. What would you like to cook?"


    He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. "It''s not about what I''d like to cook," he said when he pulled back. "What do you crave right now? ce your order and I''d have it ready right away." My smile was unhinged as I thought of what I wanted.


    "Bong¨¨re potatoes," I finally decided.


    "Done!" He said and grabbed his phone.


    I blinked as I watched his finger glide across his phone''s screen. "Wait, I thought you were going to make it for me."


    "Of course," he answered, without looking up. "I''m ordering the ingredients I''d need."


    "Oh."


    "What else do I need to make bong¨¨re potatoes?" He muttered to himself.


    I smiled as I watched him, brows furrowed as he swiftly typed into his phone.


    "Done," he said as he ced the phone on the table, face down. "They will get here in fifteen minutes. Before then, let''s give you a massage.¡°


    He helped me into one of his shirts, then grabbed the massage oil.


    He suddenly paused, his brows furrowed. "Do you think it''s safe to give you a massage?¡°


    I shrugged. "Yes, why not?"


    He shook his head. "I don''t know.


    You just gave birth and thuset


    about


    didn''t mention anything about


    massages. I think I''ll just call the hospital."


    ¡°There''s no need for th..." I trailed off as I listened to him speak on the phone.


    It was a short call. When he walked back to the bed, he grinned at me. "It''s safe but I need to be careful around your abdomen.¡°


    "I told you."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    He chuckled, "You didn''t tell me about the abdomen."


    Sixteen minutester, we heard a knock on the door.


    "That''s our ingredients delivery!"


    He helped me down the stairs and we went to get the ingredients.


    "Thank you," he told the delivery boy after he tipped him.


    "Time to cook," he did a mini-dance and made his way to the kitchen.


    Iughed as I followed him to the kitchen where he immediately began to cook.


    ¡°Come on, Dennis, I want to help," I whined as I watched him wash the vegetables.


    He shook his head. "Nope. I want you to sit there and watch your chef create magic." I giggled.


    As he cooked, we talked about random topics and he asionally cracked jokes.


    As Iughed and watched his


    shoulders shake as he chuckled, I couldn''t help but affirm that Dennis was back to being himself, to being the man I knew would be a perfect I husband and father to Amie before


    everything happened.


    I sighed. I really missed this version of him. I''m really d he''s back to himself.


    Deep in thought, I didn''t notice him walk up to me. My gaze focused on him when I felt a tap on my shoulder.


    "A snack for my queen while the main dish is being prepared."


    "Wow," I gasped as I looked down at the bottle of Yogurt with blueberries by its side.


    "I didn''t ask for this, Dennis. Where did you get them?" I asked as I picked one of the blueberries and popped it in my mouth.


    ¡°I know. I did a quick search and saw that it was good for women that just gave birth plus it turned out to be one of your favorites so I ordered it.


    I smiled, my eyes brimming with tears. ¡°Thank you so much, Dennis."


    He pressed his lips to mine and whispered, ¡°Anything for you, babe.¡°


    Then he picked one of the berries and returned to his post.


    "That''s mine!" I called after him and heughed.


    Several minutes into the cooking session, my gaze on his back, I listened to him tell me a made-up story of a cat and a lion that...


    I had forgotten the context but I had been reeling withughter at how absurd the story was.


    He cut me a brief nce. "Now, tell me what you learned from that."


    Instead of answering his question, abruptly stood up, walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him from the back. "I missed you. I missed you so much."

 Chapter 0398

    DENNIS


    I watched as her chest rose and fell, a smile on her lips


    She had refused toy down unless I did with her. I knew she was tired but she waited till I was done doing the dishes and together we came upstairs.


    I had just sessfully extracted myself from her loose grip without waking her.


    I sighed as I sat at the foot of the bed. Now that she was asleep and her bubbly energy and presence was at bay, I felt that sinking feeling creep back in.


    I tried to think back to all the fun times we''ve had in the past and the ones we had this afternoon as I cooked and while we ate, the ones I''ve had with Amie but it persisted. Without any rational thought, I grabbed my car keys and headed downstairs.


    I''d just go for a drive... something to calm me.


    As I made my way to the car, I stumbled a couple of times. I frowned as I looked at the floor both times, there was nothing there.


    What''s wrong with me? I thought as I got into the car. As I aimlessly drove around for a while, I watched my hands tremble on the steering wheel, my heartbeatsing faster.


    I tried to focus on Amie''s smile and Ana''s ever adorable pout. I tried to fill my head with their delightful voices. I worked on fixing my focus on the road but nothing seemed to be working. My thoughts were in total chaos, dragging me farther down.


    "I need a drink," I murmured as I swerved into a random bar''s parking lot.


    Outside the car, I gripped the door to steady myself for a while. I watched my hands tremble, and every noise in the background seemed to increase by the second; the sound of my own heartbeat, the sound of shuffling feet and quietughter; I could hear them like they were in my head.


    I took a deep breath, pushed away from the car and made my way to the bar.


    How had it gotten so bad? I''d been fine-no, I''d thought I''d be fine. I mean Ana and I were good again. But now, it felt like everything was slipping from my grip, my mental health and happiness, and I couldn''t stop it."


    As I plonked into one of the cushioned seats in the bar, I felt exhausted both physically and mentally. Everything felt exhausting. My thoughts, my body, everything.


    One of the bar boys walked up to me, "What would you like, sir?"


    "Anything. I rasped. Anything strong. Anything to keep me grounded."


    I felt like I was falling into a bottomless pit, going deeper with each second. The world around me began to fade into shadows. No matter how hard I tried to climb, I only sank deeper and it was as if I was allowing myself to get swallowed by the dark. And I couldn''t let that happen.


    I remembered the promise I made to the doctor; "I''ll make sure she''s always at her best."


    I can''t do that when I''m this way.


    I need to get back in control.


    I took another gulp of the drink the bar boy brought and reached for my phone in my pocket. My fingers swiftly scrolled through my contacts until I stopped on the phone number I needed.


    I dialed it and the callee picked up almost immediately.


    "Hello, sir."


    "Come show me the way you talked about," I murmured into the phone, then took another gulp from the bottle.


    "Sir?" Tabitha quipped.


    I swallowed. "I''ll send you the address,e over."


    "Okay, boss."


    I ended the call and struggled with my keyboard fir a while. But I finally sent her the address of the bar I was in.


    Maybe time had slowed down or I had dozed off but it felt like Tabitha arrived in five minutes.


    I blinked at her as she stood before me, her usual polite smile on her unusually red lips.


    She was d in a short sleek ck


    dress that clung to her curves, the fabric hugging her like a second skin. The neckline dipped low,


    revealing way more than a hint of et


    cleavage, while thin straps held up the dress on her bare shoulders, leaving her corbones exposed. The dress ended high on her thigh, showing off long, toned legs that seemed to go on forever... or maybe it was just the drink I had.


    "Have as seat," I drawled as my gaze settled on the strappy heels that had added to her height. The glint of silver jewelry that sat on the wrists that she ced on her bare thighs repeatedly beckoned on my attention. Everything about her this night was impossible to ignore, and it made me wonder where she had been when I called her.


    "So you said spiritual cleansing?" I asked, slightly disoriented as I nced at her... to be more specific, at her cleavageN?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I think she nodded, then I heard her say, "Yes."


    I looked away, nodding. "So tell me, how will that help me get back my money?"


    "First of all, your loss of money has ignited some unwanted feelings, right? Feelings of despair and the like, right?"


    I refused to acknowledge her question.


    She continued. "At my church-"


    I turned to face her. My eyes searched her face for any hint of humor. I chuckled. "Did you just say church?" She nodded.


    I chuckled again, "If it''s one of those, then you should just leave."


    She sighed but she didn''t leave.


    "My church isn''t like any of the others. It''s different. It''s The Church of Harmony, it helps people feel


    better mentally and emotionally ?


    When you''re emotionally and


    mentally grounded, you''d get back your money in no time.


    "At The church of Harmony, we believe that finding bnce in the mind, body, and spirit is important for inner peace. A core practice is the MMM Method, whichbines medicine to calm the mind, positive O


    se


    thinking exercises to focusitive


    intentions, and massages to release physical tension."


    I sighed. "Will all of these really help?"


    "Definitely. It teaches eptance,passion, and letting go of negative emotions. We also gather regrly for group activities and rituals led by spiritual guides.


    "You guys gather? Like youe together? Look, I''m not about to join a cult-"


    "It''s a church, not a cult."


    "Whatever you call it. I''m not interested in any weird regr activities led by spiritual guides."


    "Of course not. They''re not weird activities but healing ones."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 0399

    TABITHA


    I took a big gulp of the gin and shook my head. "Man, where did you get this from? It''s strong as hell!" Iughed and took another gulp.


    The gin was so strong that its scent took over the heavenly smell of booze and cigarettes that usually filled the room.


    My gaze fell on the packet at the door that led to the room where our work equipment was carefully tucked.


    I made a mental note to steal about half a dozen and hide away.


    "It''s the best," Sid attested. Then he shook his head, pointing at the cards on the table. "My money is Tabitha, man." He shook his head at Ron, "You suck at this. Why do you keep ying?" "Why do you keep writing?"


    The rest of usughed. Sid chuckled too but he hit Ron on his arm. "That was not funny, dude."


    Ron ignored him, his focus back on the cards spread out on the table.


    I smirked as I dropped the bottle and shuffled my cards. "What''s your decision?"


    Ron will never learn. He can never defeat me in this. I''ll just keep taking his money.


    My money''s on Ron," Jon said. "After all, he brings in the best idiots."


    Everyone burst intoughter.


    "Why do you have to always refer to our beloved clients like that?" Sidughed. "They bring in the money, they deserve some respect."


    "Of course," I chuckled. "You remember that one that immediately transferred his whole ount bnce to us?" I said, pping Ron''sp.


    We all guffawed at the memory of one of our clients that we swindled. It was one of the smoothest jobs that we did.


    "How can I forget?" Ron said, his focus finally off the cards. He had epted his imminent loss as usual.


    "That was like the easiest job, man," Sid shook his head. "Dude was so certain that we were legit. Not gonna lie, I felt a little bad for him to be honest. Normally, he''s a broke ass. We should have just left him." "Speaking of asses," Jon piped up. "You remember that man that wanted Tabitha?"


    I couldn''t stopughing as I immediately remembered the man''s repeated words. I started to chant the words and they joined me, "I like your ass, Tabit, tell me what you want, whatever you want I will give it to you..." Jon shook his head. "It''s the careful way with which he spoke that cracks me up the most."


    "He''s a billionaire. An overfed one, that''s how they speak," Ron intoned. "Didn''t you notice that he barely felt the five hundred thousand dors that we got from him?"


    "But you guys agree it was risky, yeah?" Jon said, eyeing all of us. And I was reminded of how hesitant he had been about him. "He could have hunted us down. He had the power and resources."


    I rolled my eyes. "But he didn''t. Can we move on to other memories now?"


    Ron arched his eyebrows at me. "We''re going down memorynes, huh?"


    My eyes widened and I looked down at the game. It was my turn. I dropped myst card and boom! I triumphed again.


    "And that is a win!" I yelled for the second time that night.


    He smirked at me. "You know I just let you win, right?"


    Ron and Sid let out a bellyugh. Then Sid said, "You say that all the damn time, man. Aren''t you embarrassed?"


    I grinned. "Yeah, whatever. I''d prefer you make a transfer."


    He grabbed his phone from beside him and did what he was supposed to do.


    As he transferred the money, the rest of us talked about some of our past clients.


    The ones who seemed smart but were actually stupid, the ones who were actually smart, the ones who were just in dumb but difficult and the ones who were the easiest targets.


    en


    They were all fun experiences.


    Sid shook his head after another bout ofughter. "I don''t think some of them know what the word scam means. Some of them just drop money as they wish."


    "Not the broke ones," I said in a sing songy voice. "Either way, it all works in our favor," I added as I reached for a cigarette and lit it.


    Jon scoffed. "True but I''d prefer they were smarter like that dude that almost caught us. Makes my blood pump."


    Ron pped him on the back. "Don''t worry, when you''re locked up in jail, your blood will pump even more." We all burst intoughter.


    Just as I took a slow drag from my cigarette, my phone began to ring in the pocket of my skort.


    I reached for it and brought it out. I was about to take another drag when I looked at the caller''s ID but my hand froze in the air when I saw who the caller was.


    I frowned down at my phone. "Why is he calling?" I murmured to myself. I nced at the time. "By this time?"


    "Yo, you good?" Ron asked just as


    hollered out, "you guys shut the fuck up, I need to make a call." Then


    rose from the couch and walked a


    fe


    feet away.


    The room had grown quiet when I picked up the call.


    "Hello, sir?"


    "Come show me the way you talked about." His words came out in a slur.


    I grinned. "Sir?"


    He sounded like he chugged something down his throat then he swallowed. "I''ll send you the address,e over."


    "Okay, boss."


    And then the line went dead.


    I could feel all of their eyes on me.


    "Is that the newest target?" Sid asked.


    I nodded as I took another drag of the cigarette. I walked over to the table, dropped the cigarette in the te and picked up the bottle of gin and took a celebratory gulp. N?velDrama.Org content.


    "So what''s the deal about this one?"


    I ced the bottle back on the table. "When I get back, I''ll fill you guys in." I wiggled my body. "I have to go get into something sexy."


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 Chapter 0400

    SHARON


    "Thank you, thank you," I smiled at both of them.


    The woman smiled. "This meeting was absolutely necessary. I''m d we were able to go over everything."


    "Yes," the man butted in politely. "All we have to do now is get to work."


    "Exactly," I said, d that we were able to finally hold a meeting.


    They were new clients and since they reached out to thepany, it has been difficult to schedule a meeting as either of them was either busy or out of the country. We finally found amon ground and the meeting finally happened.


    When we stepped out of the restaurant where they had held the brief but impactful meeting, I turned to them. "This was really beautiful. I look forward to working with you two." "Same here," they said at the same time, then we shook hands and we all went our way.


    My smile was still on my face as I unlocked my car and got in.


    I ced myr bag and the files on the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt around me.


    For a few seconds, I sat in my car, contemting if I should quickly stop by the office before I head home or if I should just drive home directly.


    At the end, the urge to be back in Aiden''s arms won.


    I turned on the ignition. I couldn''t wait to get home.


    Recently, my life has suddenly brightened, especially my rtionship with Aiden. I could not wait to snuggle with him in bed as he told stories he ''believes'' the baby would enjoy.


    He now returns from work earlier so he could be avable to help me with anything, almost as if he doesn''t want me to feel alone. Sometimes, he would even choose to work from home if I don''t go to work that day.


    As I began to drive home, I allowed myself to rx, nodding along to the soft hum of the music that yed in the background. For the first time in what felt like ages, I was happy, content with all aspects of my life.


    My fingers tightened around the steering wheel, grounding me as I took a sharp turn. Suddenly, a slight wince escaped me as I adjusted, feeling a flicker of difort.


    I briefly closed my eyes, abruptly feeling lightheaded.


    "What''s happening?" I murmured as I felt a slight pull in my abdomen and for a few seconds, the road that stretched ahead became blurry.


    I blinked multiple times before my vision cleared again.


    An uneasy twist gripped her stomach and caused me to drop one of my hands from the steering wheel and clutch my stomach, leaning forward. Abruptly, a flicker of nausea pulsed through me, and a sheen of cold sweat pricked my skin.


    I shook my head. My morning sickness has reduced drastically these days so why do I feel nauseated? Why do I feel this difort?


    I tried to ignore all the queasiness I felt. "It''s just stress," I told myself but the feeling persisted. A dull thud in my head, my hands trembling.


    I took a deep breath and forced my gaze to remain steady but it was almost impossible. It was as if something inside me was fighting against an invisible force.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    "What''s happening to me?" I


    muttered again, pressing my foot lightly on the brakes as I pulled over to the side of the road. My hands shook as I clutched my stomach and rested my head on the steering wheel, breathing heavily.


    I thought of calling Aiden but I immediately decided against it. He would only get worried. These past days, he worries over little things. could just feel a slight headache and he was already frantically googling what could be wrong with me or the baby and calling all of his friends or acquaintances in the medical field.


    A small smile spread across my lips despite the difort I felt. With another exhale, I sat up and wrapped my pale knuckles around the steering wheel.


    I would just visit the clinic and see what was wrong first. It could be nothing and I would just make him worry over nothing. I did not want that.


    As I drove to the hospital, the urge to call for help heightened as the difort increased but I remained determined to get to the hospital, see what was wrong... or not wrong before I called Aiden.


    I pressed my foot harder on the elerator.


    On getting there, I was lucky to find an empty parking space on time.


    My hands trembled as I turned off the ignition, pushed the door open and managed to climb out of the car.


    I turned around to lock the car door, but my gaze froze on a dark stain smeared across the seat I had just left. For a second, I couldn''t process what I was seeing. Then, my heart mmed against my chest.


    "No..." I whispered, panic creeping


    into my voice as I twisted my neck,


    desperately trying to see the back of my dress. My pulse hammered, drowning out the world around me. I reached back, fingers trembling as I slightly pulled the soft fabric of my dress to the side. I felt the fabric slightly cling to my skin. It felt warm and damp. Even before I saw it, the realization washed over me like a wave of ice.


    Yet I still hoped.


    But there it was... a red stain, ring against the soft material of my dress.


    "No...no...no..." I gasped, my breathsing in fast bursts, each one sharper than thest. My mind reeled with disbelief, fear and a growing dread tightened in my chest.


    I took a shaky step back from the car, my eyes still fixed on the stain as though willing it to disappear, to be anything... ketchup, paint, anything other than what I knew it was. "Please, no..." my voice quivered as I whispered again, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "No, no, no..."


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 Chapter 0401

    ANASTASIA


    "Cow pose..." I took a deep breath and arched my back downward. I closed my eyes and stayed in the position for half a minute. I released a long breath as I returned to the normal position. "Cat pose..." I murmured as I inhaled and arched my back upward. I held the position for a few seconds and ended it. Somehow, it was one of the exercises that pulled at my incisions. Panting, I crawled to the bed where I ced the notepad where Dennis jotted down the list of exercises that the doctor had prescribed.


    "Nope, nu-uh," I shook my head when I saw what was next on the list.


    Pelvic tilt.


    The exercise I dreaded the most. Sometimes whenever Dennis was home, he''d convince me to do it and help me get in the position. And that was even once in a while.


    I skipped it and went to the next exercises.


    Stretches. My favorites.


    I sat, back straight, on the chair to do the stretches that required me sitting.


    I smiled as I reclined in the seat and rolled my ankle. Ankle rolls were my favorite. It requires no stress at all. I even once fell asleep while doing it. It was that effortless. For me, anyway.


    I rolled my neck after I finished my stretches.


    After I was done, I removed my workout clothes and headed to the bathroom.


    For the intense workout I just had, I rewarded myself with a long soothing bath.


    I took my time to pick out thefiest clothes I owned. Well... thefiest clothes that Dennis owned.


    There was something super special about his sleeveless shirts and boxer shorts; that special thing made them veryfortable.


    After I was done, I plonked on the bed and grabbed my phone andptop. I first had a thirty minute call with the NICU center. I saw my baby and I was told how he was doing. Then I got a little bit of lectures on some things that I should take note of when I eventually bring him home.


    When the call ended, I settled down to watch a movie.


    Thirty minutes into the movie, I heard Dennis'' care up the driveway.


    I paused the movie and walked down the stairs to wee him.


    I pulled the door open and waited for him to reach the door.


    "Hey babe," the moment he reached the door, his arm went around my waist as he pulled me in for a hug.


    "He pressed his lips to mine. He pulled back. "How''re you?"N?velDrama.Org (C) content.


    I shrugged as he veered us both inside. "I''m fine. You''re back early today. How was work?"


    "Work was great and I''m back early because of you," he said as he pulled me in for another kiss.


    When he pulled back, he raised the paper bag in his hands. "I got us takeouts for dinner."


    "Aw, that''s so thoughtful of you," I cooed as I looked at the bag. "What is it?"


    "One of your favorites," he answered and ced a kiss on my right cheek. "Let me go freshen up then we''ll eat."


    "Okay," I said as I took the bags from him.


    He rushed up the stairs while I headed to the kitchen and emptied the content of the takeaways into two tes. Then I headed upstairs to our room with the tes.


    When he stepped out of the bathroom, only d in the towel on his hips, I convinced him to eat with me before he went to the closet.


    "Come on, Ana. I won''t take long. Let me just put on a short."


    "No," I whined. "Eat with me first."


    He sighed, then he gingerly lowered himself opposite me on the floor beside the vanity mirror.


    "Macaroni and cheese sit at the end of my favorite meals," Imented as I took a forkful of the meal, savoring the tasty food.


    "Yes. But I''m certain that chicken drumsticks and corn sit at the top. I mixed them up," he answered as he picked up a drumstick and offered it to me.


    After our meal, I returned to my movie while he took the tes to the kitchen, after which he headed to the closet.


    A few minutester I felt the bed dip as he climbed up the bed.


    I got in a sitting position. Then he ced my legs on his while I ced theptop in front of us.


    "What''s the title?" He asked after watching for a few seconds.


    "Journey."


    "That''s it?"


    I nodded.


    "Hmm," he hummed. "Never heard of it before."


    I hummed back something incoherent, my focus on the movie.


    We quietly watched as the hero of the movie-a cold hearted beast, at least what he weirdly wanted the world to see him as-let his guard down and professed his love to the female lead.


    I batted myshes, a smile


    stretching on my lips as I watched


    her say to him, "We''re all beasts in our own way, Ryan," then she got on her tippy toes and pressed her lips to his. That was the only invitation that Ryan needed as he swooped her in his arms and kissed her back.


    I paused the movie and wiped the invisible tears on my eyes. "That''s so beautiful, isn''t it?"


    I turned to face Dennis and found his gaze on me. His gaze was on my lips as he nodded, "You''re right." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my lips. "But we can make something more beautiful.


    I giggled. "Oh yeah?"


    He smirked. "Of course."


    I was suddenly aware of his bare chest and his hands on my feet. His hands pressed on my feet ever so gently. I could barely feel that he was doing anything there but it soothed the subtle aches.


    I watched with bated breath as he lowered his head and ced a kiss on each of my toes. Then he removed my legs from his and knelt on the bed, my legs in between his.


    He slowly kissed my legs, his gaze fixed on me, as he made his way up.


    "Is this beautiful enough?" He asked, his face a few inches from mine.


    I smirked but my voice came out hoarse. "Try harder."


    He closed the space between us and took my lips in what felt like the best kiss I''d ever had. My arms wrapped around his neck as I kissed him back.


    I felt his hands on either side of my waist as he made mey on the bed. The cat pose while on its back suddenly got easier as I arched into him, wishing that my chest was bare too.


    As if he could read my thoughts, his hands deliciously creeped under my- his shirt. They trailed upward, felt my boobs for a few seconds then he briefly pulled away and helped me out of his shirt.


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 Chapter 0402

    AIDEN


    I propped my elbow on the table and held my phone up.


    My eyes read the question I typed over and over again. Eventually, I shook my head. No. Even if it''s anonymous, it will be obvious that it''s me. Atleast to whoever knows me. So I rephrase the question.


    ''I have a friend. He has two kids with his first love but they''re no longer together due to some circumstances. My friend and his first love are both married but to different people. But his first child has no idea who her father is. How does he tell the child that he''s her father without causing a problem? Is it even advisable for him to tell the child?


    "Mr Aiden?"


    I raised my head and looked up at them.


    All eyes were on me.


    "Yes?" I racked my brain and tried to remember what we had been talking about. Oh, yes. The strategy to sell our new product.


    "Has everyone dropped their thoughts on the new campaign design?"


    They shook their heads. Then the manager said, "It''s your turn to make a choice, sir."


    I lowered my gaze and skimmed the message I typed one more time and quickly posted it to the group then I exited the F******k app on my phone.


    All eyes were on me when I looked up. They must be wondering what kind of boss I was.


    Well, the kind that had issues with his personal life.


    I cleared my throat as I ced my phone on the table, face down.


    "Okay," I muttered as I sat up and pulled myputerptop closer.


    I squinted at the screen as I observed the slides for a while.


    I nodded. "The third one." I looked up, "What''s the majority''s vote?"


    "The third one sir," the manager answered.


    I shook my head. "It''s all good then. Go on with the presentation."


    And so the presentation continued and I could barely concentrate.


    Now and then, my gaze would fall on my phone.


    I was itching to reach for it, to see if there had been anyments, to see what their responses would be; to see what conclusion I woulde to after I read thements.


    I just couldn''t wait for the meeting to end.


    "Are you alright, sir?"


    I dragged my gaze away from my phone. "What?"


    The gaze of the man that asked the question, one of the oldest employees, fell on my phone and then on my face, "Is everything okay, sir?"


    "Yes, of course, I''m fine," I sat up and shifted myptop even closer as if it would make any difference.


    "Do you want us to cut the meeting short?"Published by N?v''elD/rama.Org.


    "No, please, go on. Where were you?" I demanded, pretending to focus on the man doing the presentation.


    The meeting went on and on and I almost wondered if it would ever end.


    Eventually, we said our closing pleasantries and everyone returned to their offices.


    I watched as thest person walked out of the office.


    Then calmly, I picked up my phone and opened up the F******* app.


    The time between when I sent the post and now looked like a short time for the massive influx of messages.


    I began to read eachment to the post.


    Firstmenter; hildart55: Your friend shouldn''t. She''s just a child.


    I sighed and moved over to the nextment.


    ''This is tricky," Tye Ridar wrote, "if I am your friend I would want my child to know that I''m her father. But then she probably has seen the new partner as her dad. I don''t know, man. Depends on my rtionship with the child.'' I reclined back in the seat. I didn''t expect that to end that open ended.


    I moved over to the nextment. ''Marry the mother of your child, bruv!''


    I frowned at that and moved to the next.


    "Your friend must be really grieving


    for him to have asked you this. I''d suggest that your friend have a serious talk with his first love and maybe the partner too. The child might still be young, she might be happy with her new dad but She deserves to know who her father is. Not some yearster, she deserves to know now."


    I read that particrment over and over again. Before I scrolled to the next one.


    ''Does your friend still love his ex?''


    Next; ''What circumstances caused them to break up? This depends.''


    And next. ''I''m ady so I''m trying to put myself in the mother''s shoes (your friend''s first love). If the breakup ended badly, there''s no way I''ll let him near my daughter.''


    ''Put yourself in your daughter''s shoes. Imagine you get to know right now, at this moment, that the person you believe is your father isn''t your father, how would you feel? Fantastic? Betrayed?''


    I pondered on that question for a full minute before I chose thetter option.


    ''Guys, the poor girl deserves to know. Please!''


    Nextment; ''I saw my foster


    parents as my real parents for years


    and I love them. Though my parents are dead, when I found out that


    my


    foster parents weren''t my real parents as I''d been made to believe,


    it I


    like hell. I felt like I had been


    living a lie all my life. Since they were dead (since my birth), knowing the truth wouldn''t have changed


    anything but it would have been


    good to know that.''


    I reread thatment too several times, and I could tell how hurt thementer must have been.


    Nevertheless, I scrolled to the nextment.


    ''She''s still a kid, yeah? Tell her now. It''ll be an easier pill for you all. When she grows older, it''s gonna be bad.''


    ''I don''t see how him telling the child the truth will cause a problem. I''d advise him to tell her.''


    ''Just tell her, man. If she finds out herself she might hate y''all.''


    ''No offense but is your friend a


    pedophile? A perv? A drug addict, is he violent? If he isn''t going to cause any harm to the child then you should advise him to go ahead and im his role in her life but if he will cause harm to her, please, advise his first love to flee with the child and her family or report to the police.''


    After I read thestment which was a bold ''TELL HER!'' I took a deep breath and ced my phone on the table face down.


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 Chapter 0403

    SHARON


    I wanted to believe that the doctor speaking was a man on a TV screen, an actor. Maybe he works part time as a doctor, maybe his real passion lies in acting; maybe he''s practicing his lines for an audition. But they were just maybes, wishful thinking.


    His face was set in a straight line and it was evident that he wasn''t joking at all. He was telling me the real truth; one I didn''t think I would ever be able to swallow.


    "So you should take care of yourself and watch out for all of these. Hopefully, you''d conceive again and there''d be no miscarriage."


    The tears that had been rolling down my cheeks had doubled. I was aware that I was sobbing loudly as he spoke.


    This can''t be happening, I thought for the umpteenth time. How can this happen?


    "It''s okay ma''am. It''s-"


    "Don''t tell me it''s okay," I whispered, my voice trembling.


    It wasn''t okay!


    "This can''t be happening," I whispered as I dropped my face in my cupped palms.


    That pregnancy was everything. It was the key, the solution, the thing that would finally make my marital life better. It was the only thing that would have kept Aiden by my side. Now, it''s gone and Aiden might be gone too.


    No. I will not lose him. Never.


    I sniffed and finally wiped my face.


    "I didn''t have a miscarriage."


    The doctor''s brows pulled together. "What?"Text content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "No one must know about this. In fact, it never happened. Please, keep this between us."


    The doctor hesitated. "Ma''am, I cannot-"


    I roughly pushed the chair back and dropped to my knees.


    His eyes widened. He stood up and rushed to my side. "Please, don''t do this. Get up."


    I shook my head, refusing to get on my feet. "Please, don''t mention it to anyone. Not even your colleagues or the nurses, please."


    He regarded me for a long while. He must have seen the desperation in my eyes because he sighed and nodde stiffly. "It''s okay. It''s between you and I."


    "Thank you. Thank you so much," I said as I rose to my feet.


    After I was sure that he really wouldn''t tell, I fully expressed my gratitude to him. Then I left his office.


    I branched the restroom to check if my dress was still unstained. When I entered the hospital, I had first cleaned myself up even though I could barely do anything with how hard I was crying.


    After I was sure that there still was no hint of a stain. I washed my face and left the restroom. I went to my car and drove out of the hospital.


    On the way, I stopped by a store and got a bleach. I washed off every stain of blood from my car''s seat. Then I dried it with my hairdryer that was always in my car.


    As I headed back home, I briefly entertained the words of the part of me that suggested that I tell him.


    But I tilted to the bigger part that warned me to keep it to myself.


    I tightened my hold on the steering wheel.


    He cannot find out yet. Not now.


    If he does, I was certain that he''d go running back to Anastasia and his children.


    I''d have to keep ying the pregnancy game.


    Until when?


    Until I conceive again. If I could get pregnant then it could happen again.


    "I''ll keep this to myself until I''m


    ignant again," I voiced to myself,


    that tiny voice that


    continued to repeat that I was doing the wrong thing.


    If the wrong thing felt right; if it was what would save my marriage from finally crumbling then so be it.


    When I got home and I saw Aiden''s car in the driveway, my heart painfully mmed against my chest.


    Why is he home now? I wondered. Did the doctor call him? Did he tell him?


    By the time I was done parking my car, he was out the door, worry lines on his forehead.


    "Hey..." he drawled as he met me halfway and pulled me in for a hug.


    "I thought we''ve agreed that you''d work more from home," he looked at me, his gaze searching mine as if he was looking for something.


    It took a lot for me not to look away.


    "I know, just-" I cleared my throat just had some clients to attend to.


    The meeting was dume


    a long


    ago."


    He nodded and hugged me again. Then he took my bag, put his arm around my shoulder and began to walk us to the house.


    "Just be careful, okay? Your health is very crucial right now."


    "I know," I smiled up at him. "Thank you."


    As he smiled back at me and my heart warmed in my chest, I was more convinced that I had made the right decision.


    "I heard you were at the hospital."


    My heart mmed against my chest and his words, a few seconds ago, immediately returned to me, ''...your health is very crucial right now.''


    What did he mean by that? Does he know? How did he know I was at the hospital?


    Before I could think of a response. His gaze fell on my stomach and he asked, his words dripping with worry, "Is the baby okay?"


    "Yes," I squeaked too quickly. Then I managed a smile and repeated, "The baby is fine. Baby says thank you to daddy for worrying so much about us." Aiden smiled. "It''s what I should do."


    I smiled and leaned against him, trying to calm my beating heart.


    I wondered how long this wouldst.


    Until I conceived again, I reminded myself.


    Then the dreadful question came. What if I don''t conceive again? What will I do then?


    It doesn''t matter. I''d take it one after the other. The future isn''t here yet but the present is. And what matters in the present is that he''s still here


    and somehow, I''ll continue to make sure that he remains with me here.


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 Chapter 0404

    DENNIS


    My hands idly stroked her hair and bare arm, azy smile on my face as I looked down at her sleeping form snuggled against me. d in my sleeveless t-shirt, one that I had just helped her back into a few minutes ago, she looked like the sexiest woman on earth. The peace I felt right now, the calm, the contentment and happiness... it could continue to be like this. Infact, I''ll make sure things continue to be like this. I''d make everything perfect again.


    I''ll do everything in my power to bounce back on my feet with my finances. Losing such an amount to swindlers would not be my downfall. My bars have potential. They get flooded everyday. I''d make back that money and even more. Then, we can move to another country. There, we can live peacefully without the bother of an ex or anyone.


    I was wondering what country Ana would prefer when I felt my phone vibrate from wherever I had discarded it. I felt around the bed for a while before my hand finallynded on it. I grabbed it and held it up over my face.


    It was a message notification. It was a text for my first appointment at Tabitha''s church.


    I frowned as my eyes slid up to the top of the screen to check the time. Why does it have to be sote?


    I almost pouted. I didn''t want to leave Ana yet. I loved this position we were in but if I want things to get better, I''d need to go.


    I ced a kiss on her cheeks. Then I carefully untangled myself from her. I sessfully did so without waking her up.


    Climbing off the bed, I grabbed my phone and made my way to the closet to get ready. I took a quick bath then I donned the first tee and cks that I found.


    I was about to step out the door when I heard shuffling behind me, followed by a soft moan as she yawned.


    "Dennis?"


    I turned back to her with a smile. "Hey babe."


    She groggily blinked at me and just watched me for a while. Then she asked, "Where are you going?"


    I turned back to fully face her. "It''s some urgent work," I said smoothly. "It won''t take long."


    She nodded as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Okay. Call me when you get there, okay?"


    "Sure," I answered as I walked back to the bed. cing my two hands on the bed, I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the lips. "I''ll be back soon." It felt difficult to leave her here all alone. If it was really work, I''d have just asked her to tag along.


    I briefly contemted telling her but I immediately changed my mind. Until I see what the big deal was, I''ll keep it to myself.


    She nodded, a soft smile on her face.


    Eventually, I dragged myself away from her, walked out of the room, down the stairs, and out the front door.


    In my car,l brought out my phone and opened up the message they had sent. I inputted the address into my car''s GPS and headed to the location.


    It was quite a while before I finally got there. As I parked, I could see Tabitha in front of the building.


    I grabbed my phone and quickly called Ana. "I''m there now."


    "Okay," she murmured back and I could tell that she had gone back to bed.


    While I made the call, Tabitha had begun to walk up to me and I thought that she must either be the usher or she was specifically waiting for me. "Wee sir," she said as soon as I stepped out if the car.


    "Thank you. So this is the church?" I asked as she led me into the building.


    "Yes, sir."Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Their church was a big hall with barely any furniture in it. There was a stage where two chairs and white carpets wereid.


    "That''s where the priests gather whenever we have a meeting." Tabitha pointed when she saw my gaze there.


    I followed her to the end of the hallway, where she opened a door. After we stepped through it, we burst into a long narrow hallway that seemed to go on and on.


    As we walked down the hallway, I


    was surprised at the clean white walls. I had half expected to see voodoo stuff like skulls, red clothes, wooden statues and the like hanging around, but the walls were bare and


    clean.


    Even though things looked better than I had expected, it did not stop me from being skeptical about all of these. I just hoped that their stupid manifestation shit works out fine and well. Tabitha stopped before a brown wooden door. She smiled up at me. "Here, sir."


    She opened the door and I stepped in. The room was also painted in white. Unlike the first hall and the hallway, this room wasn''t bare. Though there were just three cushioned benches there, there were about five shelves there. Three were filled with books, one was filled with what seemed to be clothes, all white. Thest one was filled with artifacts andnterns and weird stuff; objects that looked as if they belonged to a forgotten epoch.


    On two of the benches, there were two men each.


    They smiled politely as they weed me. "Wee, Mr Dennis," they said one after the other. Thest person added, "You''ve made the right choice." "Thank you," I told them.


    Then one of them pointed to thest vacant bench. "Please, do have a seat."


    I took my seat on thefortable bench. The other two benches were on either side of me, so I had to turn my face each time any of them were speaking.


    They began to lecture me about all


    the good that the church was about. They told me the ''miracles'' that the lord had made them be hosts of, they told me about the patience that the church would instill in me, the resilience and determination.


    "Here at our church, we prioritize mental well being. And you know, it really is what faith is about." He smiled. "You see, a member of ours came griev-"


    I tuned out of whatever a member of theirs came here to do and took a deep breath.


    Then I blurted, "When exactly do we get to the actual part?"


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 Chapter 0405

    ANASTASIA


    After my workout sessions today, I felt extremely rejuvenated. After a mild all-round cleanup of the house, I realized that the house was practically devoid of all these essentials. It was worse in the kitchen. Dennis has been the one doing most of the cooking so it was understandable when I saw the container where the grains were stored was empty. There was just about a spoon of oats left. The only things in that kitchen right now were the furniture, cheese, milk, water and coffee.


    It was a good time to go grocery shopping. Besides, it''s been a while since I went out to shop for anything.


    So I got ready, hopped in a taxi and went straight to the grocery store.


    As I looked through the ingredients on the cookies, I heard a sudden shrieke out of nowhere. I and the other customers turned around to see Nora, my ex colleague, gaping at me.


    "Oh my worlds! Ana, is that you?" She yelled from across the room and obviously, the eyes of the other customers now settled on me.


    I shed an apologetic smile their way, then I dropped the box of cookies in my shopping cart and wheeled it as I walked to meet Nora halfway, a huge smile on both of our faces.


    "Hey, girl," she drawled as soon as we met in the middle of the aisle and she pulled me in for a hug. "It''s been such a long time. How''re you?" She rushed out as she pulled away from the hug and took a step back. I shrugged, "I''ve been good. How''re you?"


    She waved one of her hands in the air, "forget about me, I''m great.'' She took my wrists and took another step back, her gaze roaming my form. "Girl, you look good."


    I briefly wondered if she noticed the slight bulge I still had after giving birth.


    "Thank you," I smiled. "You look great."


    She sighed. "Gosh. I miss you so much. How''s life?"


    "It''s all great. What are y-"


    "Nora?"


    We both turned back to see about three of my other ex-colleagues.


    Oh God, please no.


    Their eyes widened the same time I prayed that they wouldn''t recognise me. "Is that Anastasia?"Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "In the flesh, girls!" Nora answered, grinning.


    The three of them squealed as they rushed forward and got in an extremely ufortable hug with me. I hugged them back anyway.


    I just prayed names won''te up because I didn''t remember any of their names.


    "It''s so good to see you, Ana," they chorused after they pulled back.


    "It''s so good to see you too, guys. It''s been a long while."


    "More than a while." One of their gazes looked through my shopping cart. "What are you doing here? We just came shopping and it turns out we all picked the same days to shop. We met quite a while ago." "That''s nice. I came to get groceries for the house."


    "Okay," the one with blond hair nodded. Her gaze went behind me for a while. "Your husband isn''t here?"


    "No," I answered slowly, cautious. "He''s at work."


    "Okay," I forced a smile, hoping that that would be it and we can just finish our shopping and go our ways but they were not done.


    "And how''s your daughter too? I hope the chemotherapies are working."


    I froze. How does she know about Amie or her cancer? By the look on the faces of the others too, it was apparent that they also knew about it.


    "She''s fine. The therapies are going well," I answered with a stiff smile.


    The one with short hair pouted. "Poor girl. Life can be very unfair."


    I think she said more about how life


    was unfair but zoned out. I


    ?


    wondered who could have told them all of these, where did they hear it from? mean only Aiden, Dennis, Sharon, I and a very few people know about Amie''s condition. Though, I once told Rachel, my ex senior at work, about it and she sure


    wasn''t a yapper.


    So who could have mentioned it?


    "I pray she recovers soon," Nora said to me, one of her hands on my shoulder.


    I smiled. "Thank you so much, guys. I really appreciate this."


    Just when I thought everyone could finally go their way, another one spoke up. "How''s your son in the NICU doing?"


    What the actual fuck!


    It was the precise details that were included that shocked me the most. They didn''t just know that I had a child, they know it''s a boy and they''re aware that he''s in the NICU! Who the fuck is filling them in with details about my life?


    "He''s doing very fine," I managed


    another smile when all I wanted to


    do was scream in their faces and ask them to leave me alone. It might


    have been a good time to restock the groceries at home but it


    ov


    definitely was not a good day.


    "And how''re you preparing to take him back home?" Another inquired. Then she sighed. "Gosh. He must be so cute. When can wee visit?"


    "Um... actually, he''s not taking visitors now. Just me. When I bring him home, I''ll let you guys know."


    "Alright then, make sure you hit us up, okay?" Nora said. "Do you still have our phone numbers?"


    No, I don''t. It''s been so long we''ve been in touch that I''m surprised that I even recognized them. ¡°Of course. I''ve got them. Don''t worry, you guys will be the first to know."


    Or maybe I still have their contacts but I''m definitely making zero effort to look for it.


    "Alright then," Nora said. "It was so good to see you, Ana. I''d have loved to extend this meeting but I have somewhere important to be right now."


    I smiled. "It''s okay, Nora."


    As she walked away, the four of us watched and I wished the threedies would just leave with her.


    They hugged me one after the other. "We have to leave now too. Make sure you hit us up, okay?"


    "I surely will," I called after them.


    When they rounded the corner, picking items on the shelves as they walked, I heaved a huge sigh of relief.


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 Chapter 0406

    ANASTASIA


    I finished shopping quitete. There were a lot of things that I needed to get and the time I was supposed to have used to get some of them, my ex colleagues had sessfully helped me to squander it.


    I wheeled my cart to the checkout counter and joined the line.


    Few minutester, it was my turn. I watched as the cashier efficiently scanned the barcode on each item. Then he read out the total cost for my purchases with a smile.


    I handed him my card and he did a swift job of swiping it across the machine. He handed me my card, packed up my things and handed it to me.


    "Thank you," I told him as I turned around and left.


    Half an hourter, I was unlocking the front door to the house.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    I hauled everything into the kitchen and began to sort them out. Once in a while, I''d remember the incident at the supermarket and wonder, for the umpteenth time, how they knew all about that. Even if we were in touch all these time, those things they knew were details I''d never share with a mere coworker.


    As I turned the grains of rice into its container, my phone rang out from the living room. I quickly turned the rice, ced the container where it should be and hurried out of the kitchen to get my phone.


    "Hey," I breathed out as I made my way back to the kitchen.


    "Hey, Anastasia," his deep voice filled the speakers.


    "Hey, Aiden," I repeated, cramming my phone between my shoulder des and my cheek as I picked up the empty crate of egg and began to carefully arrange the eggs I got in it. "What''s up?" More like, why''d you call?


    He cleared his throat. "I called to inform you that I''d be visiting Amie at the hospital today." Then he added, "I''ve got some free time."


    "Okay," I drawled as I stopped what I was doing and thought about what he said. He didn''t outrightly ask but I knew he was, in some way, asking for my permission. I wondered if he would stay back if I asked him to. He probably would because I know he wanted peace but it would be unfair. Afterall, it''s his kid. He has every right to see her. I''ve done enough hiding her away from him and vice versa.


    "Anastasia?"


    I was pulled back to the phone call. "Of course." I shrugged. "He''s your daughter after all."


    There was a short silence. Then, "Alright."


    "Wait!" I blurted multiple times when he was about to end the call. "I want to ask you about something."


    Another silence. "Go ahead."


    "Okay, so short story. Earlier, I was at


    the store. And I ran into my


    colleagues from when I was in yourpany. We exchanged


    pleasantries and they were like very excited to see me," I rolled my eyes as I said that part. "Then we asked one another about life and work and then one of them asked about my husband." I paused. "That was out of the point but it''s understandable, a wedding happened, right? Then the shocking part was when they asked me how Amie was doing and if her chemotherapies were going well and all?" I took another pause.


    "I''m still here," he said gently.


    "Okay, so, that was when they asked about my baby. Like, they were like, ''how''s your son in the NICU?'' and ''how''s preparation to have him back home?"" "Woah," Aiden muttered.


    "I know, right? I was rendered speechless."


    "That''s a lot. How did they know all of that? Especially the deets about the baby? Did you tell them?"


    "No, I did not. That''s exactly why I''m telling you this," I said, dropping the pack of tissue paper on the counter. Then I leaned against it and focused on our conversation. "It was really unnerving." "Downright creepy. Or have you been in contact with them all these while? Maybe on W******p and you just hinted at it in a group or with a status update?"


    "No. That''s the thing. I lost contact with most of my ex colleagues when I left. And I did not post anything about what''s happening in my life right now. I barely even post."


    "Then how?" He murmured, but I suspected that it was to himself.


    "I don''t know either. I suspect that the hospital staff are unknowingly sharing news. You know, maybe ament here and there to a


    neighbor about what went on at


    work


    and all. Because I don''t see any


    other exnation for how these people know what they shouldn''t."


    "Yeah," Aiden said. "Don''t worry, I''ll look into it and see what''s really happening."


    "Okay, thank you." Then it ured to me to ask, "Or did you," I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug, "did you, maybe, like, did you mention it to anyone, a friend?"


    "Of course, I didn''t," his response came back immediately, calm and sure.


    "Sharon is the only other person who knows about these things," he added. "I''d ask her and see if she told anyone about it. Though, I doubt it. Sharon isn''t really the type."


    "Alright then. Thank you." I thought


    about asking about how their baby was doing but I immediately decided against it. "I''d really appreciate Because I don''t like that lots of people that I barely interact with


    Kn


    know things about me."


    "It''s okay. I understand. I''m sure, we''ll get to who''s spreading the news soon," he assured me.


    "Thank you," I muttered again, and a few secondster, the line went dead.


    As I ced my phone on the counter, I stood there for a while and just stared into the air, still wondering how they knew about it. Dennis was too busying to terms with all the development to post on social media. Eventually, I returned to sort out the items I bought. As I did, I made a mental note to talk to Dennis about it. I just hope he didn''t randomly mention it to anyone.


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 Chapter 0407

    DENNIS


    I forced myself to drive to Tabitha''s church. I''d had to frequent the ce more than I liked. It was getting harder keeping it away from Ana. Most days, I itched to tell her what I was up to. But I didn''t want to lift her hopes in case all these were just a waste of time. I had asked when we''d get to the actual part and that was all it had taken for them to put an end to the lectures and introduce me to the real work.


    Since then, my visits have always been one bath after another with smelly water. Thest time, the water had been green. When I''d asked why it was so, one of them had listed the long list of herbs they had put in it. I had to hold my breath half the time and tightly press my lips together so I didn''t choke on the bad smell or mistakenly swallow whatever the fuck it was.


    I sighed as I parked my car before the church. I just hoped today will be better, or better not a bath. Because if I am asked to bathe with another colored water, it''d be thest straw, I willpletely lose it. They could keep their damned miracles to themselves. "Wee, sir."


    As usual, Tabitha weed me. She would escort me to the room where I''d take the stupid baths and afterward disappear.


    But today, when we stepped into the room, she didn''t leave. Another thing that stood out of ce was the tank-like thing in the middle of the room.


    "Wee, brother." That was what the men sometimes called me. I''d noticed that Tabitha seemed to be the onlydy amongst them. I nodded.


    One of them walked to the tank. "All these while, we''ve been cleansing you, purifying you, body and soul. Today is the holy cleansing."


    There was never an end to these cleansings, were they?


    "The water for today''s bath has been infused with herbs that are meant to calm you," he began to exin as I always ask what was in the water before I use it. "It will calm you and take all your frustrations and disturbing emotions away." Honestly, I couldn''t get over how weirdly everyone, except Tabitha, speaks here. What does he mean by disturbing emotions?


    "So what''s this?" I eyed the big tank.


    "It''s synonymous to a tank, Mr Dennis."


    "Yeah, I got that part. Why is the water in there? Why isn''t it in the bathroom?" My gaze slid to the door of the bathroom at the far end of the room as I asked.


    "Oh," he smiled. "Those are over. You won''t be taking the baths as regr baths anymore. You''ll immerse yourself in this one. You have to soak in it."


    I eyed them. What the fuck was this? I thought as I walked to the tank. When I saw that the tank was almost filled to the brim, I wondered if they intended to drown me or something? But I didn''t miss the fact that it was clear and odourless. After so many back and forth, Tabitha assured me that it was safe.


    Begrudgingly, I took the towel I was given. They left the room while I got out of my clothes.


    When I was done, with the towel wrapped around my hips, they helped me into the filled tank.


    Few minutes into the soak and I


    found that I wasn''t so grumpy or skeptical anymore. I sighed with content.my baths will be like these


    Hom now on, then I d


    mind. I felt so calm, almost like the way I always feel whenever was with Anna.


    After the time I had to stay in there was up, I got out and dried myself up, pulling my clothes back on.


    I was dismayed when the next course of action was to sit and listen to some people give lectures to me.


    Do they never get tired? Or they just liked to see how bored I was, I thought as I yawned through every word.


    On my way home I felt at peace. I felt like I had no worries whatsoever and for the first time, I thought that maybe the church wasn''t a bad thing, maybe things were actually going to be fine.


    My thoughts were confirmed when my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I usually put my phone on silent whenever I was going for the baths.


    I picked up the unknown number, a frown on my face. "Hello?"


    "Mr Dennis," the voice speaks up. "Am I speaking with Mr Dennis?"


    "Yes," I answered tentatively.


    "I am the HR manager of thepany you spoke with about coborating with one of your bars."


    I sat up straighter after he mentioned the location of my bar that they had chosen. This discussion was several months ago, if it wasn''t even a year old. "Okay," I said slowly.


    "We''ve also included brand sponsorship deals, high-end membership programs to the event hosting contracts that we talked about."


    My eyes widened and I almost veered off the road in excitement. I quickly parked the car. "When do we begin?"


    "Immediately, Mr Dennis. We would like to get to work immediately. We expect to have you over tomorrow Then, we''d discuss the details, sign the contract and other necessary documents, after which half, payment for the contracts will be


    VN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    sent to you."


    By the time the call ended, I was beaming from ear to ear.


    What the freaking hell! This was a contract I''d been aiming for for months! Way before the scam investment. And now, just in the twinkling of an eye, I have it. It was like a miracle. Or maybe it was.


    I thought back to all the stress I had


    had to go through at the church, the endless lectures. I remembered the look of confidence on all of their faces even when I didn''t try to hide my scoffs or snickers.


    My gaze fell on my phone and I smiled. This might actually work out better than I even thought.


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 Chapter 0408

    TABITHA


    Sid mmed the bottle of beer on the table. "This was needed," he breathed. "That guy asks so many questions."


    "You didn''t say how he never fails to show his disinterest," Ron shook his head.


    "I like how he seems hard to get. I thrive on clients like this one."


    We all let out a groan at Jon''s words.


    I rolled my eyes. "You know what, Jon. If dealing with stubborn people is what you ''thrive on'', why don''t you consider a profession as a therapist, huh?"


    Ron chuckled as he reclined in his seat and raised his legs and rested them on the table. "He should juggle being a therapist and a high school teacher. High schoolers are fucking impossible."


    Sid guffawed. "I agree with you both. And you Tabitha, why don''t you consider a full time profession as your boss'' side chick?"


    I looked up to find Sid''s gaze on me.


    "What?" I frowned.


    The rest of the guysughed. "Everyone saw how you stared at his body as he stepped out of the water," Jon supplied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.


    "Oh," I reclined in my seat. "That."


    "Bitch. You practically eyefucked him," Sid yelled.


    I shook my head before I threw my head back. "He''s so hot," I moaned out and I felt my thighs clench just at the memory of how he had got out of that tank in all his glory, the water dripping from every part of him, the imprint of his member visible through the flimsy towel. Right there and then, I''d have given anything to press myself against him, but I couldn''t blow our cover.


    "Why not just seduce him instead of using the long cut?" Jon suggested, a smirk on his lips.


    I arched my brows at him. "Don''t you thrive on the long cut?"


    He shrugged. "I know how it feels to deal with blue balls."


    I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I''ve got balls, why don''t youe kick them?"


    They all threw their heads back inughter.


    "But for real, dude, I don''t see you making a move, what''s up?" Jon inquired seriously.


    I sighed. "Don''t you think I''ve tried? It''s my boss we''re talking about here. I''ve tried but it''s like that man thinks about nothing but his wife and bars."


    They allughed then Ron smirked. "This should be written down and dated. The one and only Tabitha failed to seduce a man."


    "Fuck you all," I muttered as I fought the unconscious tug of my lips.


    Theyughed harder.


    I have never wanted any client-or any man-as much as I wanted Dennis. His loyalty even made me even harder for him, his disinterest made me want him more.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    "Why not seduce me then? See if you''ve still got your charm," there was a smug smile on Sid''s lips as hos tongue briefly swiped across his lips, his eyes ogling me shamelessly.


    I rolled my eyes. "You''re not my type, dude."


    He grabbed his chest and fell back in his seat. "Ouch."


    The rest of the group chuckled.


    "But to be honest, guys," Ron began after theughter died down. "I don''t think he''s going toe back."


    "Why will he note back?" Jon asked as we all turned to him with a frown.


    "Didn''t we just talk about his disinterest?" His gaze swept across us. He mmed the back of his right hand on his left palm. "Every damn time look at him, it''s like he knows it''s all a sham."  en


    "But it isn''t a sham. This is our profession," I told him confidently.


    He rolled his eyes. "Pretty way to put it. Just be super careful at work, okay?" He said, his tone tinged with worry.


    "Yes, boss," I told him and returned to my drink. "Besides, I''m always careful. We''ve dealt with arge number of his type, so rx."


    He shrugged. "I am rxed. If I wasn''t, I would''ve wanted out.''


    Sid sighed as he took a long puff from his cigarette. "I honestly can''t wait to have him off our hands."


    Ron''sment seemed to have


    unsettled us as we all grew quiet after then each probably thinking back to all the times we''ve hosted him, seeing if we could find a hint in his demeanor that he knows we''re scam.


    But after a while, we got it off our chests.


    wn


    We chatted for a while until my phone''s loud ringtone interrupted.


    My eyes widened a fraction at the caller''s ID.


    "Shush shush!" I whisper yelled. "It''s him."


    They could all tell who the ''him'' was and they all grew silent and watched me.


    I cleared my throat and picked up the call. "Tabitha!" His voice boomed loudly through the phone''s speaker and from the pitch of his voice, I could tell that he was happy. "Mr Dennis?"


    "I''ve got good news. I just got a contract from a bigpany I''ve been aiming to work with for a long time now and it just happened."


    My eyes bulged, then my lips spread in a big grin.


    "Really?"


    Heughed. "Will I call you for something like this if it really weren''t as I''d said it?"


    "Of course not. Omg, boss. I''m so happy for you."


    "Thank you, Tabitha. When''s the next schedule? Will there be another tomorrow? I can adjust my schedule to fit it in." I could hear the


    impatience in his voice and passed a smile at the group.


    "Unfortunately, tomorrow is fully booked. We''ll let you know once we set a date for you. In case you don''t hear from us by the end of the day, please do not hesitate to reach out." "Okay, then," There was a pause then, "Thank you for telling me about this, Tabitha."


    "It''s all my pleasure, boss."


    As soon as he hung up, I squealed, hopping on my feet.


    "What''s up, Tabs?" Ron asked, a grin on his face.


    "Guys! This is insane. A coincidence has just worked in our favor." I turned to Ron and said to him, "he''s definitely gonnae back here now."


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 Chapter 0409

    SHARONBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I sighed as I closed myptop, done for the day. Since that terrible day and equally terrible discovery, I''ve worked from home, scared that someone will find out about my secret and tell Aiden. And would be the worst way for him to find out. The best and safest way now would be toe clean and assure him that we can make another baby.


    But I couldn''t bring myself to.


    I preferred to keep this to myself for now... for now, that''s what I''ve been saying and it''s been months.


    It got tougher everyday. There were times when he''d want toe with me to the hospital for my ''antenatals'' and i I was a struggle convincing him each time that he didn''t have to.


    One night, during dinner, when he suggested that we check the gender of our baby. I choked on my food. I almost had a heart attack.


    "I want to be surprised," I had ended my calm, well-thought out convincing speech that night and thankfully, he bought it. But throughout the night, Iy awake, contemting easing myself of the constant fear and worry but in the end I decided against it. My intention had been that, hopefully, I''ll conceive a few months after but in the first month, nothing happened.


    From my research, at the stage of my pregnancy, my belly isn''t supposed to be t anymore and that was when I got a silicone stomach. Since then, I''d avoided sex with Aiden like a gue. I always made sure I was clothed whenever he was around.


    One day, I noticed him watching me, his brows pulled down. Sweat had covered my face as I wondered why he was watching, resisting the urge to turn away from him. Finally, he asked, "Aren''t you hot, Sharon? You can take off the gown, it''s just you and I in here." "But I''m cold," I had told him as I rubbed my forearm.


    "It must be the baby," he had said, then he stood up and got me a nket. Then, he turned off the AC. I thought I was going to cook under the nket that day.


    I dragged myself to the bed and copsed into it. With my gaze on the ceiling, I wondered how my life had be this. I was constantly in fear, worried that Aiden or someone else would find out that I was lying. Oftentimes, I even dreamt that the doctor said he couldn''t keep my secret anymore and despite my pleas, he told Aiden the truth.


    I''d wake up, disoriented, my heart squeezed tight in my chest, only to find Aiden sleeping peacefully beside me.


    When my phone rang out beside me, I jerked up from where Iid.


    My heart skipped a beat when I saw who the caller was.


    Aiden? Why''d he call? He had already called earlier to check on me. Why is he calling again?


    I took a deep breath and picked up the call. "Hello?"


    "Hey, Sharon. I called to tell you that I''d be out of town so I might not be able to make it back today."


    "Okay."


    "I''m sorry."


    "Oh no, it''s okay. Really, it''s fine."


    And it really was fine. In fact it was perfect. I used to hate it whenever he went on these trips but now, I wished he''d go on trips outside town everyday and return home tired. "Okay. I''ll see you when I get back. Take care."


    "You too," I told him. Then the call ended.


    I dropped my phone on the bed, a huge grin on my face.


    Days like these, when he wasn''t


    home, were the only times I could properly breathe and take off the damned maternity gowns and silicone stomach. The damned thing wasn''t asfortable as they had


    imed.


    I stood up and pulled off my fake stomach. I let out a huge sigh as I dropped it on the bed. I feel so much lighter.


    Intending to make good use of the time, I headed to the jacuzzi to have a bath.


    I took a deep contented breath once I finally stepped out several minutester.


    "I really needed that bath," I muttered to myself as I reached for the towel and wrapped it around my body.


    I hummed a tune as I returned to the room.


    Once I set my foot in, I froze to the


    spot. My gaze slowly slid from the silicone stomach in the cleaner''s hands to her wide eyes that


    switched between my stomach and


    what was in her hand.


    I casually walked into the room and took it from her. I sat on the bed and looked up at her. "Why are you here? I don''t remember asking you toe."


    She seemed to have gotten out of her trance as she stood at attention, intentionally looking away from the silicone.


    "The boss called me. He said there were some dishes he wanted me to do. So I decided to stop by to greet you and clean the room."


    "Oh," I muttered. I remembered the dishes that Aiden had promised to take care of when he urged me to rest. He had rushed off to work so he must forgot to do them. "Well," I began, my eyes locking with hers. "You must tell no one."


    She blinked. "What?"


    I felt so ashamed. I wished I didn''t have to do this. But I need to. I grabbed my phone. I felt her stare as my fingers glided across the screen.


    I finally looked up at her. "I just sent five hundred dors to your ount."


    Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.


    "Pretend you never saw what you saw. No one must hear about it."


    "Yes, ma''am. No one will hear about it."


    "Good. You can leave now."


    I watched as she turned to scurry out of the room.


    I called after her. When she turned, told her in the meanest tone I could muster, "If Aiden ever finds out you''ll be so sorry for yourself when deal with you."

 Chapter 0410

    ANASTASIA


    The process of the stem infusion was quicker than expected. Turned out there was no need for surgery. The stem cell from Justin was infused in Amie just like they would a blood transfusion. After the transfusion, the doctor asked to talk with Kevin and I.


    "Now that the transfusion is done, the next stage is the recovery stage and the stage where we wait for the infused stem cells to travel to her bone marrow and begin to produce healthy blood cells. This is called engraftment and it normally urs within 2-4 weeks. These stages are critical because, though we hope not, there might beplications. So she''ll remain in the hospital until the engraftment isplete."


    "So," Dennis drawled, "She''d still be here for another month?"


    "Yes," the doctor nodded. "While she''s here we''ll carry out regr blood tests to check for engraftment andplications where we''ll keep an eye out for signs of infections, bleeding, or GVHD, graft-versus-host disease." "Wow," was all I could breathe. I seriously thought the hardest phase was the stem cell transfusion.


    For the next few days, we rotated shifts between us. Dennis would stay at the hospital while I go home to prepare our needs and return with them the next day. Then it would be my turn to stay with Amie while Dennis would go home.


    The first week was hopeful, Amie was weak but she assionally smiled, ate and told us how excited she was to go home. We were also instructed to wear gloves, gowns and nose masks before we could enter her ward.


    In the second week, much to our dismay, she grew more fatigued. Rashes appeared on every inch of her skin, she developed a sore mouth and asionally experienced nosebleed. All of these happened in a week but it felt like months. We were restricted from entering her room and only spoke through a barrier.


    My heart painfully squeezed in my chest each time she cried that she was scared.


    She''d often cry in a croaky voice, "It''s so lonely in here, dad. I''m scared."


    The next weeks were amazing. The doctor announced that engraftment had begun and there was less risk of infection, so we were allowed back in her ward but still with the precautions of gloves, gowns and nose masks.


    During this time, Amie would say amidst mouthfuls of meal, "I now feel strong, mom. Let''s go home."


    It had been my turn to go home. When I returned the next day, a special bag filled with the chicken fillet that Amie had requested in my grip, I had been forced to a stop when I saw themotion in the hospital. Nurses ran helter skelter while doctors yelled orders.


    I stood there, confused until I saw a stretcher rolled out of the hallway that led to Amie''s ward. On top of the stretcher, Amieid unconscious and beside her were nurses and Dennis.


    "You''ll be fine, baby, stay strong," I heard Dennis say as everything in my hands ttered to the floor and I ran toward him.


    "Amie. Amie? What happened?" I turned to face Dennis. "Dennis, what happened?"


    "Babe," Dennis breathed as he pulled me to him and hugged me. I felt him tremble as he ced a kiss on my forehead and stopped me from going after the nurses wheeling my daughter away.


    "What happened, Dennis. Where are the taking her?" I cried, unable to stop my tears from soaking his shirt.


    "There''s aplication," he began breathlessly, still holding me. "She suddenly developed a fever yesterday, just after you left. The conditioning therapy weakened her intestinal lining and there was a leakage in her abdominal cavity and she needs immediate treatment locate and repair the damage.


    An hourter, the doctor stepped out with a relieved smile. "The surgery went well, and we''ve done everything we can. Now it''s up to Amie."


    He also said that she was still in a critical condition, so she was admitted in the ICU.


    Over the next few days, I didn''t continue our rotation as I refused to leave the hospital.


    Eventually, she started to show signs of improvement. The doctor assured us that the transnted stem cells have began to engraft.


    Her recovery elerated and after a couple of weeks, she was confirmed safe to be discharged but not without several precautions that we needed to stick to.


    Our family was the happiest as we


    all went home that day. Amie cooed


    how


    at Justin throughout the whole repeatedlymenting on pretty he was, which would be followed by, "Are you sure he''s a boy, mom?"


    All the while, Justin just stared up at his sister, fascinated.


    ton


    "We should throw a party," I suggested as we all cuddled on the bed that night.


    "Yay! A party!"


    After Justin and Amie slept off, I asked Dennis. "Shouldn''t we inform Aiden?"


    He frowned as he dragged his gaze from Amie. "Of course, we should. I thought you''d have texted him or something."


    "Oh. I haven''t. I''ll do so now." I was really d that he was cool with it.


    The next day, as I weed the invited guests who were so happy to see Amie, I got a text from Aiden.


    "Oh no," I muttered as I read his message.


    A couple of minutester, I stood awkwardly behind Dennis as he adjusted Amie''s necktie that she had insisted to wear on her frock just because Justin also had a necktie on


    Amie smiled up at me and waved. I wore a smile for her sake and waved back.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Umm, Dennis?"


    He turned his face to look at me, smiling. "What''s up?" He returned his gaze to the tie he was adjusting.


    "Aiden just texted. He said he''sing to the party," I said then I quickly added. "With Sharon."


    He had been okay with him knowing about Amie''s recovery, I''m not sure he''ll buy the idea of him showing up in person. Especially when he was around.


    ¡°Oh," he murmured. There was a


    moment of silence before he half


    shrugged, "Okay." He looked back up at me and smiled. "Let''s seek the permission of the host too."


    Then he turned to Amie. "Amie baby, would you like Aiden at your party?"


    She bobbed her head. "Yes! Finally, I''ll meet his daughter."


    I frowned at that, but I said nothing.


    Dennis gave me a thumbs up with a wide ridiculous grin that made Amie burst into a fit ofughter. "They cane."


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 0411

    SHARON


    "Mrs Aiden!" I let out a sigh before I turned to the next person that recognized me.


    "Hi," I smiled back energetically, attempting to match her enthusiasm, even though I had no idea who she was.


    "I''m so excited to see you," she said after she introduced herself.


    The perfect response would have been, "Yes, I can see that. It''s written all over your face," but instead I widened my smile, "Me either. How''re you?"


    She told me how fine she was, how I inspire her and h h h.


    I know they aren''t excited to see me. They were just excited to connect with me on a personal level.


    I''ve perfectly bnced being friendly and aloof so they stick to the general question but this one was bold.


    She nced down at my stomach a couple of times as she spoke. Then after we exchanged numbers, she asked, "How far along are you?"


    When Aiden had suddenly announced that we''d attend Amie''s party just after he told me, all grins, that Amie had recovered, I had mentally prepared myself for the stares and questions. Yet, when this woman, with eyes that looked like she could read my every thought, asked the question I knew I''d get, my heart skipped a bit and I was rendered speechless for the longest second of my life.


    My lips slowly curled into a smile. "Four months," I said as I affectionately rubbed my stomach.


    "Congrattions, Mrs Aiden," the woman''s congrattions shed with another.


    We both turned back to see a couple of women walk toward us.


    "Thank you, thank you so much," I forced a smile as I struggled to remain calm and not make an excuse to leave.


    I regretted not leaving when a few minutester, the group of three women wishing me congrattions and a safe delivery in advance, became about half a dozen of women telling stories of pregnancy perks with their husbands and the pain that apanied each trimester.


    "Speaking of faking orgasms," one of the women said, referring to thement that one of them just made about how hard it was to reach orgasms during pregnancy.


    "I once had a colleague," thedy began and I could already tell that I would not like what she''d say.


    "She''s resigned now. Apart from being colleagues, we weren''t really friends, more like acquaintances, so I don''t know the inside story..." the other women nodded while I just itched to tell her to shut up. "Would you guys believe that she faked a pregnancy?"


    They all gasped, wide eyed.


    I knew it! I knew I''d hate the words she''d spew. I felt an errant sweat roll down my temples. Thank goodness I left my hair down.


    "I mean of all things to fake," she continued incredulously, "a pregnancy? What moved her to such desperation? Well, it all went against her when her husband found out and dumped her." "Serves her right!" Blurted one of them.


    I gaped at her. She didn''t even bother to know why she did it.


    "God, I felt really bad for the man. He was such a nice man. He had grown so attached to the non existent child that it broke him when he found out."


    I wanted to ask her how she knew


    these other details when she imed thedy whose story was being told was just a colleague and an acquaintance, but I was too uneasy to even remain there


    sw novel


    They were still engrossed in their gossip when I excused myself and left their midst.


    By the time I got to the restroom that I had visited earlier to ensure that I still looked truly pregnant, my whole face was coated with perspiration and my hands were shaking.


    I pressed my back to the door. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I stayed like that for a while until I was calm.


    Then I walked to the mirror and stared back at my reflection. "What do we do?" I inquired. What do I do when it''s time to give birth? I needed to think fast and act fast.


    And even before then, what if Aiden finds out about the truth? Would he leave? He probably would.


    I suddenly wondered how that


    woman''s colleague had gotten caught. I should have asked before ran off. I could know how she caught, I could prevent whatever


    signs she might have shown


    wasAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I finally left the restroom, drumming it to my ear that I had to think of something before it would be time for my fake delivery. When I returned to the room, it felt as if everyone knew my secret and every nce my way got my heart skipping a beat.


    I went to the kitchen to get myself cold water. There, I saw a kid digging into the cake the kids had been given.


    After I downed a ss of cold water, I felt the hair on my nape stand. I turned around and found the kid staring at my stomach. Without thinking, I scowled at him, "What are you looking at?"


    Immediately, he scurried off.


    Just then, Anastasia walked in. She had a frown on her face when as she nced back at the doorway she just walked through, muttering, "Why did he run out like that?"


    Her eyes lit up when theynded on me. "Oh hey, Sharon," she called, her gaze fell briefly to my stomach before she walked up to me.


    I felt the urge to put the fridge between us. "Hi, Anastasia. Congrattions once again."


    "Thank you. Thank you for attending," she smiled and said kindly.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I waved my hands in the air. "By the way, I got some gifts for little Amie," I said as I reached into my bag.


    "Oh Sharon, that''s so kind of you," she said as I handed her the gifts I wrapped in the car just to busy my roaming mind. "I''m sure she''ll love them."

 Chapter 0412

    DENNIS


    My predicament was ridiculous. Anyone who hears of this wouldugh in my face. I was avoiding my own employee. I had been doing so since that unfortunate day. And the avoidance didn''t begin at work. I started by refusing to go for my baths on my scheduled days. And on days when avoidance seems impossible, I snap at her and seriously scold her over insignificant things.


    The usual bubbly mood at this branch of my bar was now tense as no one wanted to evoke the boss'' wrath. They all practically walked on eggshells around me, waiting for that moment when I''ll leave for the day.


    I wasn''t sure if I did all of these because I was scared that I''d fall into her trap again or because I was just embarrassed. Maybe it was both. Plus the realization that my self control wasn''t as rigid as I had always thought it was was a p in the face.


    As I skimmed through the rules of the newest contract I was about to sign with a gymnasium, I heard a soft knock on the door.


    "Come in," I said absentmindedly. It must be the manager, I thought as I''d asked him toe when he was done.


    "Good day, sir."


    My head snapped up and all of my guards rose when I heard that voice.


    "What do you want?" I blurted heatedly.


    She regarded me for a long while then she sighed, throwing her hands in the air. "What''s happening?"


    "What do you mean what''s happening? That didn''t answer my question, why are you here?" I frowned, eyeing her overly tight uniform. Now that I think about it, her uniform has always been this tight and short and I vaguely remember how this always got her the attention of the men that frequented this bar, especially at night. Was that her aim? Or has she always wanted to seduce me?


    "Answers, Dennis. Answers are what I want and it''s why I''m here. I need answers!" She said earnestly, seeming almost frustrated.


    I scoffed at how she addressed me. "I''m still your boss. You work under me and I pay you. ord me the respect I deserve."


    She rolled her eyes. "Stop deflecting from what''s on ground. It''s not working. Stop hiding your feelings from me."


    I actually guffawed at herst sentence. "Did you just say feelings?" I said amidst chuckles before I threw my head back andughed hard.


    When I looked back before me, sobering up, I was shocked to see Tabitha perched on the desk just beside my seat.


    "I know you want me," she said with a smug smile.


    I watched incredulously as she undid the top buttons of her shirt, revealing a good amount of the raised flesh on her chest. Then she lowered her head and tried to bring her lips to my face.


    My palm itched to p the lust in her eyes out, but I don''t hit women, so instead I pushed her off me.


    "What do you think of yourself, Tabitha?"


    She gaped at me as if she was seeing me for the first time.


    "Because I allowed you to introduce me to your stupid church, now you think you cane close to me?"


    She sputtered for a while, unable to form any word.


    Then I told her, "I did some findings on your stupid cult of a church and found out it''s nothing but a sham." had to. After the insane experience, I was convinced that something wasn''t right. The ointment was a sham. The immersion was sasham. Turned out everything wasn''t right.


    She gasped, her eyes widening. "How can you say that, boss? It''s not a sham and you know that. Afterall, you benefited from it."


    "You and I know I benefited absolutely nothing! I was just stupid and desperate and you took advantage of that, going as far as making me cheat on my wife!"


    She scoffed. "Cheat? Did you just say that?" Sheughed then she rolled her eyes. "Gosh, stop being so uptight. It was just a harmless kiss."


    I raised my brows as I gaped at her. "Harmless kiss, you say?" I said as I remembered how close I was to fucking her that day.


    "Yes. You didn''t cheat, okay? We only kissed and there''s nothing wrong with that." She said it as though she was speaking to a child.


    "If it''s foreign to you, get it stuck to your brain that kissing someone else while you have a partner is cheating."


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°You''re so


    boring." She smiled, batting hershes as she undid another button on her shirt. "And so tense." She


    ve


    began to walk to me again. "Come on, let''s ease some of those


    tension." She curled her arms


    around my shoulder. "Let me get you to rx, baby."


    "Get out," I seethed, my fingers rolled into my palm as I resisted the urge to hit her.


    She pulled back, surprise evident on her features. Then she smiled knowingly. "Oh I see. You want me to get on my knees, don''t you? You want me to deep-throat you, huh?" She wiggled her brows as she looked from my crotch area to my face.


    I was speechless. How did I employ


    a slut as my employee? I wondered.N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    I could still remember the day I


    interviewed her in this same office. She had seemed so courteous remember thinking that she was perfect and didn''t even need to be interviewed.


    "Get out, Tabitha. And know that you''ve just lost your job. I never want you to set foot here ever again."


    Her eyes bugged. "You can''t do that," she sputtered. "You can''t fire me."


    "Yes, I can. Now get out before I call the cops."


    Her chest rose and fell as she red at me. "You will regret this, Dennis! You''ve just lost your best employee!" She yelled as she stormed out, mming the door behind her.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 0413

    AUTHOR''S POV


    "Do you want me to go in with you?" Dennis asked as he squatted before Amie.


    Amie shook her head, a smile on her face. "I''m fine, dad. I can go in on my own."


    Though she was scared. It''s been so long and she didn''t know if her still remembered her, but she didn''t want her dad to be worried. Besides he had to go to work she couldn''t let him stay back in school with her because she knew it was something he could do. Dennis had glimpsed the uncertainty in Amie''s eyes before she smoothly covered it up with a smile. He was going to call her out, but he stopped at thest minute.


    "She probably needs to handle this herself," he thought to himself.


    So instead, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Make sure you take your food, okay?" She bobbed her head, her smile still in ce. "And if you need anything, go to the principal and ask him to call me, or your mom, okay? "Yes, daddy. I will."


    He removed a strand of hair from her face. "Be a good girl, okay?"


    "I will, daddy."


    He heaved a sigh and finally said his goodbyes, praying that she''d be okay.


    Amie waved until her dad was out of the school''s parking lot.


    She stood before therge building of her school that now looked menacing. She wondered how many students would be there. What will they say when they see her? What if no one recognizes her?


    She squeezed her eyes shut, putting a halt to the train of questions. "Just go in and get your answers," she whispered to herself. Then she walked to the building.


    She stood awkwardly at the door, peering at the students that stood around at their lockers, talking among themselves.


    She sighed happily. She missed all of this. The assignments, the lockers, how they''d race one other to the cafeteria, clutching their lunch boxes and so many more. She missed it all.


    She took a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever would happen. Just as she took a step forward, she heard a scream.


    "Amie!" One of her friends screamed ecstatically when he saw her at the door and a bunch of her school friends rushed towards her.


    Amie immediately felt at ease. They didn''t forget her and they were still her friends.


    "Amie, you''re back!"


    "How''re you?"


    "It''s been so long, we missed you."


    "I miss you Amie, gimme a hug."


    Those who attended the party asked when she was going to throw another party. They talked andughed, telling Amie stories of the interesting urrences while she was absent. When the bell rang, they all walked to their ss.


    As they took one ss after another, Amie was happy that she was learning again. Each teacher beamed at her and weed her. "If there''s anything you don''t understand and need help with, do not hesitate toe to me," they all said, but in different sentence structures.


    When the bell for lunch time was rung, they raced each other to the cafeteria like old times. They tasted one another''s food and ate to their fill. Afterward, they went to y.


    It was Amie''s turn on the swing. While she pushed herself up the sir, her friend who was waiting for her turn asked, "Amie, how does it feel to have two daddies?"


    The swing slowed as Amie did the same. She frowned, "Two daddies? I don''t have two daddies," she said.


    The girl frowned. "But you do. Tell me, it''s cool, right? Do they both buy you ice cream and toys?"


    Another beamed. "You must have so many toys, Amie."


    Amie''s frown deepened as she grew more confused. "What are you guys saying? I only have one daddy. He dropped me off this morning."


    The girl that started the discussion frowned. "But I heard my mom say you have two dads," the girl said, recalling when she''d heard her mom tell her friend.


    The other girl confirmed, "Yes. I heard my mom say it to my dad too."


    "Oh. I''ll ask my mom then," was all


    Amie said. All through the remainder of the day, that was what upied Amie''s mind. She couldn''t stop wondering how it was possible to have two dads. Does that mean my mom has two husbands? She thought.


    When Anaes to pick her up after school closed, she hopped into the seat and gives her mom a hug.


    "Tell me about your day," Ana said as she drove out of the school, recalling how Ana used to tell her how her day went while she drove them home. "Mummy, how many husbands do you have?"


    "What?" Ana frowned, taken aback. She wondered what topic was thought to have aroused that question.


    "Do you have two husbands?"


    Anaughed. "What are you saying, Amie?"


    My friends in school said I have two daddies. Is that true? Does that mean you have two husbands?"


    "What? No," Ana forced augh. "I don''t have two husbands."


    "Then why would they say I have two daddies?"


    "I don''t know. Why did they say you have two dads?"


    "They said they heard their moms say it."


    Ana nodded slowly. "Which of your friends said this?"


    Amie mentioned their full names.


    Ana nodded, then she smiled at Amie. "Don''t listen to them, okay? They must have heard wrong."


    "Both of them?"


    "Yes, sweetheart."


    Once Amie had her afternoon nap, Ana searched for the number of these moms. Thankfully, two of them were Amie''s close friends so she had both of their numbers. They had exchanged contacts during one of Amie''s parties.


    "Hello!" the first one she called said into the phone.


    "Good afternoon, ma''am." Ana then began telling the woman why she called.


    ve


    "I don''t mean to lecture you but you should be careful what you say when your kids are around. Amie''s been worried all day, wondering howe she has two dads."


    There was a brief silence. Ana heard whispers, then the woman cleared her throat. "I''m sorry that upset you and worried Amie."


    "Thank you." She hesitated for a minute then, "Where did you hear the news from?" She asked.


    "The news is pretty much everywhere already, Mrs Dennis."Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    To Ana''s surprise, the second mom said the exact same thing.

 Chapter 0414

    SHARON


    I think I''m going crazy. Half the time I want to scream out my frustrations.


    Time was going. My delivery date is fast approaching. Aiden had marked my delivery date on the calendar just beside our bed. Every morning, it was the first thing I saw once I opened my eyes. It worsens the situation.


    The day drew closer, but I was yet to think or act fast. I needed to think before I could act, but I couldn''t think of anything that would really help. I''ve thought of adopting a newborn. But apart from the fact that that''d be hard, it would involve quite a lot of people which will make the secret harder to keep. I couldn''t take that risk. And let''s not begin to deliberate on how difficult it would be to find a child that was just a few days or weeks old.


    And the more the days rolled out, the more my fear that he''d find out grew. I didn''t even want to think of him leaving me. But I couldn''t help it


    The fact that Ana bore two children for him made the situation even worse. If he finds out that I lost the pregnancy, he won''t hesitate to leave me. Afterall, he already has two children. Why stay with a liar and a fraud?


    I tried to tell myself that Ana is married and he possibly can''t go to her.


    I suddenly found myself contemting telling Aiden the truth. I scolded myself, thinking of how easier it would have been if I had just told the truth from the onset. How I''d have the peace of mind that seemed so out of reach now.


    Now, whenever Aiden opened his mouth to speak, my heart would skip a beat and fear would numb all of my senses until he let his words out.


    The other day, he asked if I was fine. When I affirmed that I was. He took my shaky hands. "You''ve been fidgety these days. Are you sure it''s not a symptom of something? Should we go to see the doctor?"


    It had taken a lot for me to convince him that I was just scared of delivery because of the delivery stories I''ve read.


    Just then, my phone rang out. I scowled at the unknown number, "Who is this?"


    Probably one of those gossipers I gave my number to at the party. I hissed and dropped my phone.


    Immediately the call ended, my phone began to ring again. I nced back at it with so much annoyance to find that it was the same number.


    "For fuck''s sake!" I gritted out as I swiped left.


    This person was relentless and determined to speak with me. When my phone rang out again, I snatched it from where itid. I was not going to not pick the call and afterward, I''d switch off my phone.


    But something prompted me to pick up the call. I can''t switch off my phone just because of some riffraff, I thought. Perhaps warning whoever the caller is would be the perfect step to take. "Hello, Mrs Aiden."


    I heard the smooth clear voice and it didn''t sound like any of the gossipers.


    "What do you want?" Still, I bit out.


    "Woah, easy there," sheughed lightly then, "I''m just an ally."


    My brows scrunched up and all the words and sentences I had formed in my head to warn her disappeared. "My ally?"


    There was a short pause, then, "Yes, Mrs Aiden. I am your ally and I want to help you."


    *****


    TABITHA


    I didn''t realize that you could love someone so much and still hated them at the same time. After Dennis fired me became obsessed with him and his life, snooping everywhere I could. Yeah, you could cattit obsession just like Ron said, but I liked to call it love.


    I love Dennis and I would do everything in my power to ruin his picture perfect life.


    I want everything in his life to crumble to the ground so that he cane running back to us, not only will we get our means of extortion back, but he''d be


    vel


    submissive to me. And if he doesn''t return, it''s his misfortune because then, I''d totally ruin him.


    But before then, plus having lost Dennis as our client and also getting fired by the bastard, I needed a new prey as soon as possible; someone to feed off before I get Dennis back. And a certain Sharon who was somehow intricately involved in Dennis'' life seemed like the perfect prey.


    Sid sighed, his fingers buried in his hair. "Are you sure we should do this, Tabitha? Didn''t you say he looked us up and found out it was all a lie?"


    "I did," I muttered back to him absentmindedly as I frantically searched for Sharon''s contact. There were so many of her contacts online. I knew eighty percent of them were fabricated.


    "So? Shouldn''t we stay far away from him, from his vicinity? In fact, we should change locations!" He erupted. "Look, I don''t know about you guys, but I don''t want to go to jail."This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    "Shut your trap, idiot," Jon murmured, tipsy. He''s been drinking non-stop since I told them what happened. "We won''t go to jail."


    "I told you guys he was bad news," Ron said calmly. He seemed to be the calmest among us. He has always been. "I saw iting. I knew he knew."


    I rolled my eyes as I dragged my


    gaze away from the list of numbers I''d listed out. "He didn''t always know. Wepletely got him, until I joined him in his bath." Even now, I didn''t regret what we shared, it felt like the best makeout session of my life.


    "I told you to be careful," Ron said, his voice tipped with concern.


    I sighed. "I was. I''m shocked he found out."


    I returned my attention to the numbers. I tried each and began to tick off. Some of them were picked up by strangers who didn''t sound like her. Finally, there was silence after I dialed thest number and I knew it was her. I gave the group a thumbs up before I said, "Hello, Anastasia."


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 Chapter 0415

    DENNIS


    Even after firing Tabitha, the guilt lingered. I couldn''t look at Ana and not think back to those few minutes in the water with Tabitha. At this point, I was ridden by guilt.


    I''d tried to tell Ana but it always felt like the wrong time. Where do I even begin if I finally think the time is right?


    "Hey, Ana, while we waited for Amie to heal, I foolishly joined a fake church and there, one of their members who happens to be my employee tried to seduce me. We might have kissed and gone deeper than that."


    I scoffed. Yeah, I sound like an utter fool. I could imagine the hurt in her eyes and I knew I had to ensure it stayed that way, just my imagination. It''d break me to actually see her hurt.


    This morning, after an early makeout session, I found myself saying to Ana.


    "How about a getaway?" I murmured as I gently bit on her ear. "Something romantic, just you and I."


    She ced her palm on my chest and gently pushed. When I was looking at her, her eyes searched mine for a while. "A getaway?" There was the ghost of a smile on her face, "Like a vacation?"


    ""Yes," I nodded with a smile.


    Then her brows furrowed ever slightly. "Wait, what about the kids? They can''t go with us, can they?"


    "We can hire a temporary nanny for them," I said. I''ve thought the whole thing through. But now I briefly wondered why I wanted this. Yes, a vacation with just Ana and I would be great, but I normally would not want to leave the kids in the hands of anyone. I suspected that it was to remove the aching guilt from what happened with Tabitha. But it was just a suspicion.


    She smiled and I could already tell what her response would be. "Dennis, I love the idea of a getaway. Really, it would be perfect. After all of these emotional turmoil, it was the perfect thing to do. But..." she trailed off and sighed. She cupped my cheek. "I don''t think it''s the right time."


    "If it''s because of the kids, we could go with them with their temporary nanny." I was desperate. I needed this feeling to go away before I blurted out my infidelity and ruin this beautiful marriage I have. "With the kids, it would be even more fun and bonding."


    She sighed again. She lifted her head and pressed a kiss to my lips. "I know you mean well, babe, but Amie''s just resumed school. She''sgging behind enough. She cannot miss school. And-"


    "It would just be for like a week or two. She can take virtual sses from wherever we choose to go." Now, I was pushing it. I knew it. It was like I wanted to force the trip on her, but I couldn''t help it.


    There was a pause before she responded, a frown on her face. And I couldn''t help but wonder what went through her head.


    "There''s also Justin," she finally spoke up. "We can''t just expose him to any weather or environment just like that. He still needs proper care."Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Drop it, Dennis. Drop it. A voice repeated in my head, but I didn''t listen. "We could take proper precautions, we cou-"


    She palmed my face and kissed my lips. "Dennis, it''s not the right time," she said firmly. Then she added, "And to be honest, I cannot leave my kids with anyone. Not yet."


    I smiled back. "It''s okay then. When do you think the right time will be?" I asked as I got off her. Iid by her side and spooned her.


    She hummed for a while. "Say... umm... six months from now."


    Six months!


    "By then, the kids would have perfectly eased into their daily lives and Justin would be stronger for any journey or vacation."


    Even though her back was pressed to my chest and she couldn''t see me, I forced a smile. "Okay. I can''t wait for that time."


    She giggled. She gently twisted her neck to peer at me. "You really want this, huh?" She said, her gaze falling to my lips and back to my face.


    "I really do," I answered, then I took her lips in a brief kiss.


    She smiled up at me, looking at me like I was the best human she had ever seen and it only made me feel even more guilty.


    "Me too," she said. "But the kids'' well-being has toe first."


    "I understand." I admired her selflessness, her ability to put the kids first before her desires. I just hoped that before then, all would still be well. She turned back to face the front and we justid there in afortable silence.


    Suddenly, she turned her head again, but this time, her gaze was on the ceiling. Her brows were deeply furrowed, she almost looked angry. "There''s something I need to tell you. More like a question and I need you to be honest with me."


    My heart rammed against my chest. Did Tabitha call her? That bitch! I should have gotten her and her crew arrested.


    "What''s that?" I squeaked.


    "Did you tell anyone that Amie is Aiden''s?"


    Though relieved, I frowned. "Why will I do that? Amie is mine."


    The tip of her lips lifted in a small smile for a couple of seconds before she frowned again. "Amie returned from school and told me that her friends told her she has two dads."


    "Two dads?"


    "Yes. The friends told her that they heard their moms talk about it."


    "What? How?"


    "I have no idea. I contacted the moms, they''ve both attended Amie''s party at some point so we exchanged numbers. I asked where they heard it and from and guess what their response was."


    "Uhh... I don''t know. What did they say?"


    "They said the news is already everywhere." "What th-"


    "I know, right? I was as shocked as you are right now." After a short silence she asked in a small voice, "What do we do, Dennis? I think we''d have to tell Amie the truth, right?"


    I sighed. "It''s the only way to stop things from getting out of hand."


    "We should talk to Amie soon."


    I nodded. "Yes." I added, "And Aiden too. Let''s know his stance on all of this."

 Chapter 0416

    SHARON


    My ally has asked that we meet today and I agreed.


    I looked at my face in the mirror. The worry was evident in my features. My gaze fell on my stomach, my fake stomach.


    This ''ally'' has refused to say why she wanted to help me. And I''m left to wonder; does she know about my fake pregnancy? So when she proposed that we meet in person, I epted immediately.


    I took a deep breath and smoothed my hands over my blouse. "Let''s go see what the fuss is all about," I muttered. I grabbed my bag and made my way out of the house.


    Once I was seated in my car, I exhaled one more time. Then I looked through my bag to be sure that the pepper spray, stun gun and taser were intact.


    She didn''t sound dangerous, but you never could tell. Besides, whoever knows my secret right now is dangerous.


    I punched in the address she sent to me and headed to the restaurant. It was an old restaurant in a remote area. I parked about a mile away from the restaurant and walked the rest of the way.


    After what felt like forever, I stopped before the building of the restaurant that looked like it would copse any minute from then. I dialed her number.


    "I''m here," I simply said.


    There was a pause then, "But I don''t see you. Where ar- Oh, I''ve seen you. You have on mom jeans and a ck blouse, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Okay, I''ll be right out."


    She was a beautiful youngdy. She had on a crop tank top under her loose denim overalls. She didn''t look like someone who could offer any help to me and I wondered, once again, what she could possibly want to help me with. I have never seen her before, so how does she know and why does she think I need help? Definitely, she must know something about me. But what does she know?


    She waved even though she knew I could see her. "Hey!"


    I forced my lips into a smile and walked up to her.


    "Thank you foring," she said and together we walked into the cafe.


    I sat there, my bag on myp and watched as she ordered tworge cups of orange juice for the both of us.


    She turned back to me with a smile. "I know we aren''t here to have a chithat over drinks, but we can''t just sit here and take up space. They won''t allow it."


    I nodded, "I understand."


    "So..." I began after they dropped therge cups before both of us. "You said you''re my ally?" I finally said, unable to remain patient anymore.


    She took her time and drank a good amount of the juice before she returned the cup to the table and faced me.


    She began and I appreciated that she was very straightforward. "I love Dennis but he wouldn''t look at me. I know Dennis is Anastasia''s husband. And I know there''s the risk that Anastasia might take your husband from you soon." I watched her carefully. "Why did you say that?"


    "Because I know that your husband might still have feelings for his ex, Ana, and it''s now worse because she has two kids for him, we both know the story behind that so I won''t dive in."


    The hair on my skin stood. It was so uncanny how she knew all of this and I had no idea who she was. "Who are you?" I asked


    She shrugged. "A woman in love," she smiled.


    I narrowed my eyes at her. She


    rolled her eyes and reclined in her seat. "I used to work for Dennis in one of his bars. When he found out that Move him, he got scared of his own feelings and fired me.


    When she first mentioned Dennis, it had taken a while for me to remember that he was Anastasia''s husband. That man waspletely taken by Ana, just like Aiden. What does she mean he got scared of his own feelings?


    "So how do you intend to help me?"


    She leaned forward and ced her hand on the table and looked at me in the eye. It took everything in me not to look away from her stare.


    "Don''t you want Aiden all to yourself? Do you want to keep living in fear that you might lose him one day?"


    When I didn''t say anything, she continued. "We''ll actually help eachother. I''ll help you and you''ll help me too."


    "Go straight to the point," I hissed.


    She smirked. "We''d work together to separate our love interests from Anastasia."


    "How?"


    She shrugged. "It''s simple. The children are the connectors. We get rid of the children. That way, her hold on the men will weaken, especially on Aiden. She was right, but...


    "What do you mean..." I paused, eyeing her. "What do you mean ''get rid of the children," I rushed out, the words too heavy for my mouth.


    She shrugged again. "I mean it in every sense of the word, Sharon."


    I gaped at her, horrified. She said it so casually as if ''getting rid of the children'' was getting rid of weeds in a garden.


    "You''re joking, aren''t you?"


    She chuckled. "I won''t go through all this stress to humor you, Sharon. I''m not a paid clown oredian."This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed my bag, noisily pushed the chair back, gaining the attention of the few people that sat around. She looked up at me, shocked. "What are you doing?" She stammered.


    "Never ever in your entire life contact me again," I told her lethally. I might be hoarding a secret, but that doesn''t make me a weakling.


    I was satisfied by the fear I glimpsed in her eyes before I turned around and strutted out of the ruined restaurant.


    As I drove back home, my hands on the steering wheel shook despite my hard grip on it.


    I thought of how I was no difference from her by faking a pregnancy for months. recalled how desperately! had begged the doctor to keep my secret, how I had threatened our house keeper. I thought of what I''d do if she had tried to tell Aiden and a shiver run down my spine.


    I was no different from that girl, ready to do anything just to keep a man.


    But Aiden wasn''t just a man. He was a dreame true. And to keep that dream, I need toe clean.


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 Chapter 0417

    TABITHA


    I red after Sharon as she strutted out of the cafe, head held high. In this run-down area, she looked so out of ce. Even though she was casually dressed, she still smelt and looked like a billion dor. Snatching her as our client would have been the best thing ever. But she was as lethal as she was rich. I could see that in the way she warned me off, the stoic set of her features since we met. She was not someone you could easily joke with or dupe. It was apparent. I should have listened to Sid.


    Certain that if I pressed further, she would definitely get me arrested, I decided to let her be.


    With no other option, I decided to sell my story.


    "How was it?" The guys asked when I returned that day.


    "Epic fail," was all I said before I retired to my room. And they knew very well to leave me be.


    I brought up the footage of Dennis and I. It had been something I intended to keep to only myself and maybe show it to Dennis someday, but since he''s refused, then I''ll put it to use.


    I spent the whole night editing the shit out of the pictures, making what normally would have looked okay look obscene.


    By midnight, the pictures were to my satisfaction. I contacted the publisher, got my pay and sent the pictures to him.


    The stupid marriage that made him reject me could go to hell.


    ****


    ANASTASIA


    "Hey baby," Dennis picked Amie up and pulled her in for a hug.


    Today being a weekend, he returned early from work.


    "So I don''t deserve a hug, huh?" I teased, my arms crossed over my bossom asinwatched him pour all his attention to Amie. "Of course, you do, my love," he said and walked up to me to hug.


    Amie giggled as she watched us.


    I felt myself melt in his arms. "I thought you had a business meeting."


    He nodded. "It was quicker than I expected."


    Then he lowered his head and took my lips in a quick kiss.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    After a quick chat with both of us, he went upstairs to check on Justin and also freshen up.


    "How was school yesterday?" He asked Amie as we all had an early lunch.


    He returned home veryte yesterday so there was no chance to chat like they always did as Amie was already very sleepy.


    She beamed, "Awesome!" And that was the permission she needed to ramble on about whatever went on in her sses yesterday.


    After lunch, Amie returned to her room to take her afternoon nap.


    I stayed with Dennis while he worked.


    Whenever we weren''t talking about the randomest things, I was scrolling through I*******m. I''d see a funny meme, I''d show him and we''dugh about it.


    But when I saw these pictures, my fingers froze stop the screen and my heart mmed against my chest and I knew this one would induce some serious talk. "Babe?" His voice jolted me out of the horror that was pictures of my husband having sex with anotherdy in what looked like a private pool. "Ana?" I finally turned to face him.


    "Are you okay?" His smile waned. "I''ve been talking and you haven''t said anything. Plus you look like you''ve just seen a ghost."


    "I''d have preferred if that was what I saw," I bit out and turned the phone in his direction. "What are those?" I folded my arms across my chest.


    His eyes widened when he picked up the phone and viewed the pictures. "Fuck!" He muttered under his breath and ran his fingers through his hair.


    My brows rode up my hairline. A big part of me had hoped that he''d deny it, that he''d point out that it wasn''t him.


    "You haven''t answered my question." I was surprised at how calm I sounded. I am screaming inside my head right now.


    "I can exin. I swear, it''s not what it looks like."


    "You can exin!" I repeated incredulously feeling disgusted. "What the fucking hell, Dennis! When was this? Was this when we fought? Was this why you left me all alone?"


    He looked taken aback. His brows scrunched up. "You didn''t even let me exin and you''re already. ming me," he sounded angry and that only further infuriated me. He has no right to be angry.


    "Tell me, what''s there to exin? Tell me!" I yelled as I picked up the phone he''d dropped and thrust it in his face. "It''s self exnatory There''s no need to feed me with lies"


    "Lower your voice, you''ll wake Amie," was all he gritted out.


    Then he wiped his palm over his face. "Look, I''m sorry that I allowed myself to be in that position but! swear it''s not like it looks. These pictures have been doctored or


    something."


    I rubbed my temple, feeling a sudden headachee on. "Oh Dennis, how could you do this to me?" I lowered myself into the bed and whispered. "Why?"


    "Listen..." I heard him say then he was by my side on his knees. "Let me exin."


    I said nothing. I wasn''t sure if I wanted to hear his damned exnation or not.


    But by the time he was done with his exnation, I felt so bad forshing out.


    "I''m sorry you had to go through all that," I said as I wrapped my arms around him.


    "Thank you," he said then he repeated. "I swear nothing happened between us aside what I told you. We only kissed and that was all, I left before anything else could happen."


    "I know that, Dennis. I believe you."


    "Thank you so much, Ana," he wrapped his arms tightly around my midriff burying his face in my stomach. "I''m so lucky to have you as mine."


    Me too, I thought.


    "Mommy?"


    We both turned to see Amie on our room''s doorway.


    How long has she been there? I wondered.


    "Why are you yelling at eachother? Are you fighting?" Her voice trembled.


    I met Dennis'' gaze before we both walked up to her. Dennis took her in his arms.


    "Why were you fighting?" I was shocked to see that she was already tearing up.


    "No, baby. It was just a little misunderstanding. And we''re good now."


    She sniffed. "Please, don''t fight again."


    "Of course not," I said.


    As she sat with a bowl of ice cream, sniffing, I said to Dennis, "I think I''ll take her grocery shoppingter."

 Chapter 0418

    SHARON


    Most of our actions in life are easier said than done. Oh, I want to buy a new car. It''s easier to say that than to put in the work, night and day, and staymitted to save the money for the car from scratch.


    I had said I''de clean to Aiden, but so far, so bad. The only thing I had the guts to do was say that I will and make the intention.


    But fear... it was a rotten thing that has killed lots of dreams and ambitions. Fear has been the one thing that had mped its cold hands over my mouth and squeezed my heart till it sometimes became hard to breathe.


    I couldn''t look Aiden in the face and tell him that I''d shared the same bed with him, ate with him,ughed and made ns with him while carrying a silicone stomach around to deceive him and everyone.


    Aiden was an honest man and all his life, that virtue had always stood out. No matter what, he''d be honest with you and he expects you to do the same. If I tell him this, he''d hate me. I just know it. I had so many opportunities, so many chances but I chose to keep up with my charade.


    Another feeling I''d recognised over the past few days was desperation. I was scared of losing Aiden and I was desperate not to lose him.


    Fear and desperation. I knew I was a ve to those two when I picked up my phone and called ''my ally,'' turning a deaf ear to my conscience. "Mrs Aiden?" Her loud voice came through the speakers. She sounded disoriented and confused. There was noise wherever she was. "Let''s meet," were the only words I could muster. I felt so ashamed of myself.


    "What? What did you say?!" She screamed into the phone. I let out a wince as I quickly pulled the phone from my ear.


    "Can you move to a quiet area?" I hissed. I''m not about to start shouting for the whole world to hear me.


    "Sure," I think I heard her mutter. There was a bit of shuffling in the background. Then, "Hello, Mrs Aiden. Sorry about that."


    "It''s okay," I murmured, suddenly reconsidering my choice.


    "What did you say? Why''d you call?"


    "Let''s meet," I reiterated.


    There was a pause then, "I''d send an address to you. Let''s meet there."


    "Okay," I muttered and the call ended.


    What am I doing? I looked from my shaking hands to my reflection in the mirror. Why do I want to join forces with someone who was heartless enough to bring the suggestion that we kill kids?


    .


    But my numerous unanswered questions didn''t stop me from proceeding with the n. Maybe I''ve since wanted this. If I didn''t, I''d have blocked her and forever misce her contact the moment I walked out of that cafe.


    I began to get dressed. By the time I was done, a message containing the location where we''ll meet entered my phone.


    Again, we met at an odd area. It was a secluded cafe with little to no people.


    As I sat opposite her, taking in her red eyes and turned down lips, I told her inly, "I''m not here to talk about how to kill anyone. Your previous n is a no no."


    She sighed and leaned forward. "So that was the problem. You didn''t allow me to exin. I didn''t mean we''ll kill the children when I said we''d get rid of them."


    I narrowed my eyes at her. "You said you meant it in every sense of the word."


    She shook her head. "No. I didn''t mean murder. My n was actually a scheme to make your husband appear as a danger to the children,


    like a threat. That would force


    Anastasia to file a restraining order."


    CUMS


    I didn''t mention that Aiden doesn''t even see the kids that much. "How will he appear as a threat to the kids?"


    "I''ll fill you in on everything you have to know. Just let me know if I have your support on this one."


    That was not a bad idea. Anastasia filing a restraining order would be perfect. But I briefly wondered how Aiden would take it.


    What does thisdy have in mind to make my Aiden look like that he''d be considered a danger to kids?


    I sighed. If only she knew how I


    could make my pregnancy real. It was my main problem right now, but ensuring that he wouldn''t have a choice to be in Ana''s life would make it harder for him to leave if he ever finds out. Atleast, he''d have no ess to the kids again and Anastasia would be too scared that he''ll hurt her kids to allow him near her.


    She hadn''t said anything about how she''d get Dennis. Which leaves me to wonder; when she gets Dennis, wouldn''t it be easier for Aiden to go back to Ana? "Yes or no, Mrs Aiden?"


    I cleared my throat. "As long as none of the kids will get harmed..."


    "None of them, Sharon. At the end of this, we''ll achieve our aims and the children will be as hale as they''ve always been. You have nothing to worry about."


    "Okay then." I couldn''t believe I was doing this. If I was told a year or two ago that I''d go this low just to keep a man, I''dugh in that person''s face.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Sharon smiled for the first time since this meeting began. "All I need from you is to provide security back up."


    "That''s no issue," I told her. Then, I added, feeling the need to repeatz myself "No harm muste to the children." None of what was happening in our respective lives was their fault.


    "I''m making a promise, Sharon. No harm whatsoever will befall the kids."


    Before she continued to say what her n was, I inquired, "What''s your name?" She smiled. "Tabitha."


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 Chapter 0419

    CLARA


    The dim glow of ourptop screens were the only sources of light in therge basement room.


    The inte rang and I immediately picked it up.


    "There''s been another tip, ra," she said in her usual calm voice.


    "Send it in," I said as I opened up the tab where I receive the anonymous messages or phone calls we get. "Abused teen and mother, address attached. Urgent," she summarized as the message popped in.


    "Thanks," I said, taking it from her. "I''ll pass this to the retrieval team."


    I scanned the address before I went on to read the lengthy message someone must have frantically typed.


    The message was typed by a thirteen year old who was forced to reach out because his jobless mom was too scared to leave his abusive stepfather. His step father is currently out of the state and they need help before he returns tonight. Quickly, I typed out the details in our secure chat, gged it as high priority, and sent it off to the retrieval team.


    I have only worked for a few months at the charity house before I got promoted here and so far, so good.


    One day, the head of the charity organization where I worked before had called me andmended me on my good work ethics and passion for my job.


    It was then I found out that my boss was the son of abusive parents, both mother and father. I still found it hard to believe that he grew up to be such a kind man.


    It turned out that he was not only affiliated to an underground charitywork, but he was also its founder. His other charity branches were an extension of that undergroundwork.


    He came up with the idea because when he was growing up, anyone who tried to help him always got hurt as his parents were important figures in the society so he suffered in silence as he didn''t want anyone to get hurt because of him.


    Since I got promoted here, this ce has opened my eyes to the number of people in abusive homes but are either too scared to reach out or are unable to reach out of shame and stigmatization.


    After I''d sent the necessary info to the retrieval team and ensured that they had gotten on the move, I turned my attention to my routine info-gathering session.


    As much as I loved my job, this part of the job was always draining. I sifted through records of people who''d reached out for help but haven''t gotten any yet. Some cases weren''t straightforward: no names, just pleas for help and an untraceable email. Others were heart- wrenchingly detailed, like the woman who described her husband locking her and her daughter, a toddler, in a basement for days without food.


    I was scrolling through thetest entries when my burner phone buzzed on the desk. I picked it up, expecting a routine check-in or another update from a different branch. Instead, I heard muffled voices.


    At first, it was just static and faint words and I briefly wondered where whoever was trying to get help was reaching out from. But then a man''s voice came through, sharp and clear.


    And I knew this one was no cry for help.


    "-take the boy first-"


    "We aren''t taking the boy, fucker," another man said. "He''s too young. Besides, how do we manage that? He''s always in his mother''s arms."


    "We can-"N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    "Drop it, dude," that was ady''s voice, firm and definite. "Amie is our only target."


    My heart stopped. I leaned in closer, gripping the phone tightly, pressing it impossibly closer to my ear.


    Another voice, calmer, but just as cold, replied. "What time are we moving?"


    "Immediately," the feminine voice answered. "Everyone already got the schedule. The kid will be easy. I get her myself. If the mother gets in the way, handle her."


    The mother? Is that Ana?


    My pulse pounded in my ears. They were nning a kidnap, and it wasn''t just some random attempt at some quick bucks. This was calcted, deliberate.


    "Make sure there are no mistakes," the calmer voice continued. "We can''t afford any loose ends."


    "Yeah, yeah," the first man muttered. "We know what we''re doing." Then he added, "What''s the girl''s name again?"


    "It''s Amie," thedy bit out. "And why the fuck do you care about the name? I''ll get her. Just do your part."


    "Rx," the voice muttered back just before the call ended abruptly with a sharp click.


    I forced myself to breathe, my chest rising and falling as I tried to think. Amie.


    I stared at the phone, my mind racing, my hands trembling. Who were they? Who is the mother and the girl?


    Could this be the Amie I know?


    I scrambled out of my seat. I


    couldn''t sit here any longer. Whether the Amie was the one I knew or not, someone was in danger, and wasn''t about to let them slip through the cracks.


    "ra?" I heard my colleague, the one next to my cubicle, call after me. "You good?" He further inquired as he watched me run off. I was too shaken to answer him.


    Adrenaline coursed through me as I ran to the locker where we kept our personal belongings. I unlocked mine and grabbed my bag. With shaky hands I retrieved my phone from the bag and-


    "Shit!" I cussed when I remembered that my ex best friend has blocked me on every social media and every way she could.


    I frantically thought of other ways to


    reach her, but I came up short. I


    nced at my car keys thatid at the bottom of my bag. I couldn''t risk traveling down to her ce now. without warning her first. There''s not enough time. It was clear that these people were already on the move.


    And what if I get there and she shuts me out, refusing to listen to me? Even if she does, what if she doesn''t believe me?


    "Dennis!" I whisper yelled, my eyes lighting up. I could still reach Dennis. I quickly typed his name in my contacts search bar and his name popped up immediately.


    As I dialed his number and waited for him to pick up, I fervently prayed that he''d believe my warning.

 Chapter 0420

    DENNIS


    I frowned as I picked up her call. "Why-"


    "Where''s Amie, Dennis? Where''s she?" She inquired frantically, and then she said in one breath how Amie was about to get kidnapped.


    "What?" I dropped the pan in my grasp on the counter. "Wait, hold up? My Amie? When?"


    "Now, Dennis. Now. Get them to Safety. Where is she?"


    "They we- you know what? I''ll call you back," I said before I ended the call and quickly ced a call through to Ana.


    I paced back and forth in the kitchen, my left hand rested on my hip while my right hand held the phone to my ear as I waited for her to pick up.


    "Dennis? Do you need us to get something?"


    "Babe," I breathed the moment she picked up, momentarily relieved that she was fine.


    Amie would also be fine, I thought, but I still asked, "Where are you guys? Are you on your way back? Is Amie there with you?"


    She had taken Amie to go grocery shopping so as to cheer her up after she witnessed our fight. Since Amie enjoyed shopping so much, she thought it was the right activity to lift her mood and also restock some things in the house. I stayed back and decided to make dinner.


    "Dennis," she repeated and I could tell that she wasn''t fully focused on the call. She sounded distracted. "Excuse me," I heard her say, "When will this be reced?" There was a pause as the response of whoever she asked the question came. Their response was muffled over speaker so I couldn''t hear them.


    "Okay, thanks" I heard her say and immediately, I called her name again.


    "Ana? Where are you?"


    "I''m sorry, babe. I was just asking when the-


    "Okay, tell me where you are right now. Are you on your way back home?" My grip on the chair was hard as I tried to keep myself calm.


    "We aren''t on our way yet," she answered, "I''m still grocery shopping with Amie at the-"


    "What did you say? Where''s Amie?" I asked as thework got shaky.


    "She''s right here..." she trailed off. Then, I heard her call out, "Amie? Amie!"


    My heart mmed against my chest. "What''s wrong? Where''s Amie?"


    "I think-" there was a break in thework.


    "Ana! Ana, are you there?"


    "Dennis? Can you-" her voice broke off again.


    "Ana?" I called again as I roughly pulled the apron I had on over my head. I dumped it on the counter and turned off the cooker. "What''s wrong? I rushed up the stairs to the bedroom. "I think she walked off somewhere. I''m looking


    around.$


    "Shit!" I muttered as I walked to vanity and grabbed my keys. "I''ming over."


    ***


    ANASTASIA


    "Okay, Amie. You''re so sweet, but Justin can''t take candies yet."


    She pouted and her hands fell from the candies she had grabbed for Justin. "Till when?"


    I moved my head from one side to the other, "Maybe in two years."


    "That''s unfair!" She cried. "So he won''t take ice cream too?"


    Iughed. "No, sweetie, he can only take milk for now and not even all milk," I exined as I pushed the cart and began to make my way to another aisle.


    She pouted. "I feel so bad for him," I heard her say as she followed me, taking the snacks she wanted on her way.


    Iughed. "He loves milk, you know. He enjoys it."


    She looked up at Justin who was suckling on his finger, but she still packed a good amount of candies and poured them into the cart. "We''ll keep them for him in a safe," she said stubbornly. I shook my head. "Oh Amie."


    "But I can pick up toys for him, right?"


    "Sure," I told her distractedly as I retrieved my ringing phone from my pocket.


    "Dennis? Do you need us to get something?" I inquired the moment I picked up.


    "Babe. Where are you guys? Are you on your way back? Is Amie there with you?" Dennis'' urgent voice came through.


    "Ana? Where are you?"This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    "I''m sorry, babe. I was just asking when the-"


    He cut me short. "Okay, tell me where you are right now. Are you on your way back home?" Though the line kept breaking as we spoke, all he kept asking about was where Amie was.


    "She''s right here, Dennis, right here," I answered just as I turned to my side where I had seen Amie picking out more candies for her brother. But now, she was gone. I frowned.


    en


    "Amie?" I turned around. "Amie!"


    It was just me on the aisle now. Where did she go? Did she go to the toys section without me? I wondered as I remembered thest question she had asked just before I picked up Dennis'' call.  en


    "What''s wrong? Where''s Amie?" I heard Dennis say.


    "I think she went to the toy section to get some toys for Justin."


    "Ana! Ana, are you there?"


    "Dennis? Can you hear me?"


    "Ana? What''s wrong?"


    "I think she walked off somewhere. I''m looking


    around," I told him as I began to push my cart to the toys section.


    "Shit! I''ming over."


    I was going to tell him that there was no need, but the line had gone dead.


    I tucked my phone back in my pocket and continued my journey to the toys section.


    By the time I looked around and couldn''t find Ana, I had begun to grow worried.


    "Oh goodness, I just hope she isn''t injured," I thought as I abandoned my cart and made my way to the other sections first, but Amie was still nowhere around. What the heck is happening? "Amie! Amie!"


    I couldn''t stop screaming her name despite the securitying to me twice to ask me to lower my voice.


    "I can''t find my daughter," I told him with a shaky voice the second time he came. "She was just by my side."


    "Okay, ma''am give me a description," the security man said.


    "She has on a pink blouse and blue pants," my voice trembled as I gave him Amie''s description.


    "Okay, ma''am. We''ll help look around."


    They did as they asked, but no one sighted her.


    As I stepped, blinking away the tears in my eyes, I saw Dennis'' car pull up by the road. Immediately, he rushed out and rushed toward me.


    "Are you okay?" He inquired as he pulled me into a hug.


    I sniffed and my tears finally gave


    way. "I can''t find Amie, Dennis." I looked around, wishing she''d magically appear by my side. "She was just by my-" I huped. "Ske was just by my side, I can''t find her.¡°


    He pulled me to him again as he repeatedly muttered ''shit'' over and over again. Then he told me. "ra called. I think Amie has been abducted."


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 Chapter 0421

    ANASTASIA


    "Amie has been abducted."


    Those were words I had never thought I''d hear in my entire life. Even as I searched for Amie in panic before Dennis'' arrival, it never ured to me that she could have been kidnapped. All I thought was that she walked off, lost her way and was somewhere, scared, cold


    and aloneThis is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Turned out my Anie has been taken.


    "Why?" I cried in Dennis'' arms, my tears now a heavy unstoppable downpour.


    "Why will anyone take my daughter, Dennis, why?"


    "I don''t know, babe. You need to calm down." He held me as he walked to one of the security.


    How can I be calm when someone callous with cold hands and scary eyes has taken my daughter to who knows where? How can I be calm?


    He exchanged a very short pleasantry with the two security men.


    "I suspect that my daughter has just been kidnapped," he began, "Please, can we have ess to your footage?" He then nced around, "I believe there is CCTV around, yeah?"


    "Yes sir," one of them answered. "And yes, you can have ess,e with me, sir."


    We followed them into a room at the back of the store. And even as we walked through the store, I kept ncing, hoping that Dennis and ra were wrong.


    The team there were quick to bring up the footage around the time I told them I didn''t see Amie by my side again.


    I wiped the tears that blurred my eyes as I watched the footage of Amie and I talking about Justin not being able to take sweets. Then, I was making the call with Dennis.


    As I asked the sales rep about the milk, Amie picked up a cookie bag and frowned at it, then she walked back to the end of the aisle where she picked up another cookie andpared them or something. She looked toward me, about to call out to me when a woman suddenly appeared from behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.


    Amie turned to the woman who was now squatted before her. Amie nced back at me and back to the woman''s face, then she smiled and gave the woman her hand.


    Then the woman, whose face still backed the camera, took Amie''s hand and they began to walk away. As they moved through the store to the entrance, wherever there was a camera, she''d duck her head.


    My body racked with sobs as I watched the woman lead Amie out of the store.


    Immediately, the police were contacted. And as they did their job, I cried into Dennis'' arms, scared to death.


    ****


    SHARON


    Was it possible to be mad and scared at the same time?


    Well, I now knew it was.


    It was irritating that Dennis felt the need to call Aiden to inform him that Amie was missing. What did they think Aiden would do? Was he the police?


    But my anger wasn''t enough to override the cold fear that had gripped me since that wretched phone call came in.


    Amie went missing? How and when?


    Was it Tabitha? It couldn''t be her.


    Abducting the poor girl wasn''t part of our n. I confidently fooled myself for the first half of the


    that it wasn''t Tabitha; that she had nothing to do with Amie''s


    disappearance, but I knew...


    I was d that Aiden left the house immediately he got the call, else, he''d have seen the naked fear in my eyes. He''d have known that I was a culprit in his daughter''s disappearance.


    It''s been a full twenty four hours and


    Amie still hasn''t been found. Aiden didn''te home for the night and when I called him in the middle of the night, he said he was with his private investigator, which meant he wasn''t getting any sleep either out of


    worry, and fear of losing his first


    child.


    I couldn''t sleep either, but it was solely out of fear of what would happen if anything happens to the girl and I somehow get caught.


    I shouldn''t have gone with her n. I shouldn''t have called her back, I should have done this, I shouldn''t have done that was all that filled my thoughts as I paced the room the next morning.


    When I couldn''t take it anymore, I rushed to the bed and snatched my phone from the sheets. My fingers shook as I dialed Aiden''s number. As I watched the call go through and waited for him to pick up, I began to shake my head.


    "No, no, I can''t do this. I can''t tell him," I whispered. Coming clean that I was involved wouldn''t only require me telling him, I''d also need to tell him what had pushed me to someone as dubious as Tabitha.


    I quickly ended the call before he could pick up, but to my dismay he called back immediately. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.


    "Calm down, Sharon. Calm down," I told myself. Then I cleared my throat, and picked up the call.


    "Hey, Sharon. I missed your call, are you okay? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"


    "No, no," I rushed out. The near heart attacks I always get whenever he mentions the hospital should be enough to push me to tell the truth, but I just couldn''t. It was almost as if I''d rather have a heart attack than


    teft him.


    Joy


    I licked my lips. "I just wanted to ask if there''s been any lead?"


    He sighed. "Nothing, man, nothing at all. This was well nned."


    I swallowed. "I hope you get a lead soon."


    "Thank you, babe, Take care," he said and the call ended.


    My lips quivered and my hands shook as I scrolled through my contact list and found Tabitha''s phone number.


    "Oh, Tabitha, you wench!" I whispered with so much rage as I dialed her number. I dialed her number several times, but it kept going into voicemail.

 Chapter 0422

    ANASTASIA


    In just a day, I''ve had to sit through and listen to so many more interrogations than I have in my entire life.


    All the staff in the store and even bystanders were politely questioned. They were all asked if they had happened toe across a woman with a child. They''d ask along with the description of both the woman and Amie, but no one, not even a single person had seen them. It was as if they disappeared through thin air.


    I couldn''t stop the tears from rolling down my eyes.


    Poor Amie. She had just managed to get out of months of being confined to a hospital bed only to get kidnapped by some unfortunate person. It was so unfair to her.


    What could they possibly gain from this?


    I wondered how she was doing now. Where did they keep her? Has she eaten? Is she thirsty? She must be cold.


    I nced at her medications that stilly untouched on the counter, waiting for its owner to use it. I had spent the night watching them and at some point, even Justin had begun to cry. He must have noticed that his big sister was not around anymore.


    Aiden and Dennis were still going around, looking for ways to find her. In a matter of hours, they both had posters with Amie''s pictures printed out with a ransom for whoever finds her. They pasted the posters at different locations.


    They were surprisingly working fine together and I briefly wondered why it had to be Amie''s disappearance that''d bring about this unity.


    The store had been nice enough to send us a copy of the footage of the woman walking out. And whenever I wasn''t trying to get Justin to stop crying or taking care of him, I was hunched over either my phone orptop, eyes squinted as I peer at the video, trying to figure out who the woman was.


    At some point, I even wondered if it was ra. Was this another sick way of paying me back? I confided in Dennis. He stared at me for a long while. "Why then will she call me if it was her?" He finally asked.


    I shrugged. "So she doesn''t appear as a suspect?"


    He ruminated on my response for a while then he shook his head. "Nah, babe. It isn''t ra. I''m sure of it."


    Several hours into the second day of Amie''s sudden disappearance, Dennis and I received a video on our respective phones.


    I covered my mouth, tears rolling down my eyes as I watched Amiee on the screen.


    "Mommy," she called softly. There was a tight smile on her lips, but I could tell, everyone of us could tell, that she was scared and she must have cried at some point as her eyes were puffy.


    I was slightly relieved that she was doing fine. She had no scratch on her so they hadn''t touched her or harmed her.


    A few seconds into the video, someone put their face before the camera, blocking Amie from our view.


    It was obviously the kidnapper and the kidnapper''s face was obscured and their voice was distorted with some intense edits.


    "If you want her to return," the electronic voice said slowly, "bring the sum of five million dors."


    "What the fuck!" I heard Dennis mutter beside me, his arms still around me. Aiden also cursed under his breath by my other side.


    "You''ll be doing her a favor if you desist from involving the police. So do not involve the police." Then they said the location where the exchange will happen.


    The video ended with Amie''s face back on the screen.


    "What do we do now?" Dennis ran his fingers through his hair, while Aiden stood up from where he was seated.


    "We shouldn''t waste time. Let''s take the money to the location," Aiden said.


    "We can''t just do that." I watched as Dennis raised his head and looked up at Aidem who was already rapidly tapping on his phone''s screen. He nced up at Dennis, a mixture of confusion and anger in his eyes. "What do you mean?" He demanded incredulously.


    "We have to inform the police first," Dennis said as a matter of factly.


    I watched as Aiden gaped at Dennis. "Are you serious right now? You just watched the video," he gestured towards our phones. "They said we shouldn''t involve the police


    Kevin''s brows furrowed. "We aren''t obligated to listen to them. Do you intend to call them and tell them?"


    Aiden scoffed. "You must be kidding me right now," he muttered under his breath. "We aren''t involving the police, Dennis," he said firmly with finality. That was the first time I''ve heard him utter Dennis'' name since this whole unfortunate fiasco began.


    "We have to, Aiden, think of it, what do you think they have nned in that sketchy location they gave? We have to involve the authorities."


    It was also the first time Dennis has said Aiden''s name.


    "What do you mean we should involve the authorities? What if they harm Amie? Let''s just give them the money they asked for and get the girl back." "We can''t just do that, we-"


    "Do you even care about her like you im?" Aiden''s using eyes shot at Dennis.


    "How dare you say that?" Dennis got on his feet, angered.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    I held my head in my hands and cussed under my breath.


    "I care for Amie more than you ever would," I heard Dennis continue heatedly, "You think I don''t want to just go get her and bring her back home? You think I''m overjoyed that she''s with some cruel stranger? I''m trying to avoid another crisis here, dude. For these people to take her, they obviously have an aim. What if they return for Justin or Ana? What then? We''d up and pay whatever sum they demand again?"


    "Look, all thes-"


    "Enough!" I yelled. "You two shut the fuck off and let''se to a decision."


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 Chapter 0423

    AUTHOR''S POV


    "No!"


    Aiden and Dennis bit out at the same time.


    Anastasia looked between the both of them, getting even more infuriated. "What do you mean no?"


    "Ana, you ca-"


    "I am no-"


    Each of them began again, speaking over each other.


    "I want to hear nothing!" She stopped them with her two palms raised on either side of her. "I''ll go by myself, simple!" She finished and grabbed the bag.


    It had been over an hour after they received the video. They''ve sessfully raised the money, but they still had no one to take the money to the designated location, because Aiden and Dennis wouldn''t be on the same page.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    The two men tried to talk her out of it.


    Aiden understood Dennis'' point of view. It wasn''t like he had plenty of moneyying around to just give to kidnappers, he just wanted his daughter back. After she was safely in their arms, then they could involve all types of authorities and security. But definitely not at the expense of Amie''s safety. "Come on, Ana, we''ve got this. Just remain here with Justin," he said as his gaze cut to Justin squirming in his court as he curiously watched them.


    "No!" Ana wasn''t having it. "You''ve wasted enough time."


    Anastasia had tried to be patient, but they''ve both been arguing for the past thirty minutes.


    "Ana, please, we don''t know what these people have nned, please, you can''t go. Let me go," Dennis pleaded.


    Even as both men pleaded, they knew she wouldn''t yield. And so as she ignored both of them and made her way outside, the wheels in their heads turned.


    Ana opened the car door, then she turned to the two men.


    "If you two really care for Amie, stay back and let me do this," she told them before she got into the car.


    "Amie, mommy''sing," she muttered to herself as she drove off.


    Aiden and Dennis stood there and watched Ana drive out of the driveway. Without a word, Dennis turned around and headed back inside the house.


    Aiden, however, hurried to his car. As he opened his car and climbed in, he felt Dennis gaze on him. He took the opposite route that Anastasia had just taken but once he was out of Dennis'' sight, he took a detour and followed Anastasia.


    Aiden knew very well that Ana needed protection. She couldn''t go alone.


    Anastasia, so focused on locating the address, failed to notice the car that had trailed behind her for the past thirty minutes. Finally, she drove into the bad deserted road where her GPS pointed.


    When Aiden saw Ana get off the highway and make a turn into what looked like an alley, he knew he would be discovered if he followed her, so he parked his car and continued his journey on foot.


    Anastasia''s heart was in her throat as she parked her car at the ruined and deserted construction site. She grabbed the bag and walked to the front of the upleted building, her eyes going from each open window to the next, hoping she''d spot Amie or one of her abductors, but she had no such luck.


    "Hello?" She called out after a while.


    Unfortunately, the idiots hadn''t provided a phone number. Just an address to meet up, drop the money and get Amie.


    But there was no one there. Ana''s grip on the bag tightened, her palms be sweaty as she tried to calm her unsteady heart.


    "Hello? Anyone here?"


    Aiden, on the other hand, had taken another route. While he followed Ana, he saw another alleyway. He walked through and burst out at the back of a huge upleted building.


    As he nced around, he heard a cry, but after a few seconds, he could hear the almost incoherent, "help, please, help," in between sobs.


    "Amie?" He called quietly. He took steps toward the building. "Amie, are you there?"


    The cry suddenly stopped. Then, "Daddy?" Then she burst into tears again. "Daddy, help!"


    "Amie!" Aiden called back and


    hurried into the building. There, in therge room, was Amie. She was tied to one of the many weak unsteady poles that was used to hold up the building.


    "Daddy!"


    Aiden ran up to her as she frantically tried to untie the right rope around her wrist, bruising her skin in the process.


    "Amie," Aiden called gently as he walked up to her.


    Amie looked up, eyes swollen from crying so much and simultaneously glossy with unshed tears.


    "Please, save me," she cried, d to see someone else apart from those scary men.


    Just a few feet from reaching her, two hefty men appeared out of nowhere and stepped in Aiden''s path.


    "Where''s the money?" One of them demanded gruffly.


    Aiden put his hands up. "It''s out front where you asked it to be dropped."


    They exchanged nces, then one of them said. "We can''t release her until we see the money."


    All the while, Amie''s wails reached Aiden.


    "And I said the money is out front!" He gritted out, his hands balling into fists by his sides.


    "We have to see the money first," they deadpanned.


    Aiden tried to make them see that he was being honest, but they wouldn''t budge. Before he could stop himself, he rammed his fist into one of them and a fight began.


    Despite that they were two against him, Amie''s cries gave Aiden the strength to overpower them, severely inflicting injuries on them.


    As theyy, wasted, on the floor, Aiden hurried towards Amie. He wiped her tears and muttered, "It''s okay, sweetie, Daddy is here to save you," as he began to untie her hands.


    "Thank you for saving me," Amie


    sniffed. "Where''s daddy?" She asked,


    her gaze going over Aiden''s


    shoulders to the entrance as she


    wondered where the daddy that he had mentioned was.


    Aiden felt something constrict in his chest. He was going to tell her that her dad was on his way, but he


    found himself saying gently, "I''m et


    your reat daddy, Amie." He looked into Amie''s confused eyes as they roamed his face. He nodded, "Yes, sweetheart. I''m your daddy."


    Amie''s frown made his heart ache, but the knowledge that she was now aware of who he really was in her life soothed the ache.


    Amie blinked at him as he carried her in his arms, and quickly walked them out of the building.


    My real daddy? Amie thought. What does he mean by that? She was about to voice her thoughts when she saw one of the men, stillying on the floor, holding out a gun. Her eyes widened. "Daddy! Behind you!" She yelled.


    Frantically, Aiden turned around, reflexively wrapping his arms around Amie, shielding her. A gun was fired, but before he could duck, Amie let out an agonizing cry.

 Chapter 0424

    AUTHOR''S POV.


    As Aiden felt the warm liquid trickle down his arm from her side, his heart fell to the pit of his stomach. He fell on his knees, andid a limp Amie on the floor.


    "Amie, no, daddy''s here," he babbled frantically as he pressed his hand to her side to stop the building.


    Amies eyes were open but it appeared lifeless. Amie tried to say something. She tried to ask him if he really was her dad, if she really had two dads, but she couldn''t move her lips and her gaze was rapidly getting blurry.


    "Amie, Amie, you''ll be fine. Hang in there," Aiden rushed out as he pulled his shirt off and tied it around her waist, fervently hoping that the bleeding would cease. But it only got worse.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    There was a bit ofmotion. There were the sounds of several footsteps as Dennis rushed into the building with the police.


    On sighting the police, the two men scrambled their feet and trudged out of the building. Two of the police men immediately went after them.


    Aiden didn''t, for once, look away from Amie. "Please, Amie please," he whispered desperately. "Don''t leave," he watched, his heart breaking as Amie''s eyes drifted close.


    "What the fuck happened?!" Dennis erupted as he rushed over and lifted Amie in his arms. "What happened?" Dennis repeated helplessly as he nced at the blood on the floor,on Aiden''s hands and worse, on Amie''s clothes. Half her blouse was soaked in it. "We need to take her to the hospital, call an ambnce," he said to Aiden as he lifted Amie in his arms and began to rush out of the building, headed for his car.


    Aiden''s hands trembled as he reached into his pocket and tried to dial the emergency number.


    Ana heard the noise and followed it. She walked around the building and was surprised to see the police.


    She hurried over. At the entrance, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Dennis approach... with Amie in his arms.


    When did he get here? She wondered as she moved closer to him.


    "Amie?" She cried, relief flooding her. The bag fell from her arms as she ran forward to Dennis. "Is she ok-"


    Her words died in her throat as she came to a stop before Dennis, her eyes taking in Amie''s closed eyes, limp body and bloodied blouse.


    "What happened?" Her voice was barely a trembling whisper as she closed the space between her and Dennis.


    "Amie?" She called repeatedly, her voice quivering, tears running down her face, unrestrained.


    "What the fuck happened to her?!" She screamed, her breathsing in fast bursts.


    "Dennis, what happened to my baby?" Her hands shook as she tried to touch Amie.


    Her gaze went over Dennis''s shoulder. Her gaze fell on a shirtless Aiden who was still knelt on the floor, his bloodied hands trembling as he frantically tapped on his phone''s screen.


    "What the heck, Aiden!?" Hot, angry tears poured out of her eyes as she viciously threw herself at him. "What did you do to her? How could you let this happen?" She mmed her palm on his chest. "I told you two to stay the fuck back."


    The ambnce arrived just in time as he reached outside. The paramedic team quickly took Amie from him and tried their best to stabilize her.


    Amie, Aiden, and Dennis followed the ambnce while the police ransacked the building.


    Dennis and Aiden remained quiet as they looked down at Amie''s still body with deep mncholy. Ana held Amie''s cold hands and wept profusely.


    They reached the hospital in no time. Amie was rushed inside. The hospital was thrown into a state of chaos as nurses ran back and forth, trying to heed the doctor''s orders.


    Her family waited in the reception


    area. Aiden had his head in his cupped hands as he sat down on one of the seats while they waited for the doctor toe out. Amie. couldn''t stop the tears from rolling down her face as prayed for Amie to be okay. Dennis walked back and forth, his fingers repeatedly smoothing through his hair.


    Dennis'' couldn''t stop thinking back to all his memories of Amie. He remembered when Ana gave birth to her, she was so small and delicate, yet strong. He could still remember the big grin on Ana''s face, a mixture of forlorn and happiness in her eyes. Amie was one of the reasons why he was with Ana today, a bond, someone who shared their love. He remembered all the visits, they''d both paid to the museums and stores that sold painting materials. He remembered herughs, grins, pouts and cries. He smiled at the vivid memory of the stubborn set of her chin, her arms crossed over her chest, whenever she was upset or wanted something and a tear rolled down his face.


    He looked over at Ana now, palms covering her face as she cried helplessly. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. "She''ll be fine, babe. Let''s hope for the best." Ana shook her head, forworn. "I told you guys to stay away. I told you not to follow me," she cried. "If you''d stayed back, my baby would still be here, unharmed."


    "We''re sorry," Dennis muttered as he looked over at Aiden''s bowed head.


    Just then, they saw the doctor walk toward them. They all got on their feet and hurried toward him.


    The doctor managed a smile. "Amie


    has just recovered from an illness,"


    he began and they all held their breath as they listened to him. "And due to the intense chemotherapy §Ö she had to go through in preparation for the stem cell transfusion, she''s still healing and her immune system isn''t as strong yet...." The doctor trailed off and Aiden turned away, his hands gripping his nape. He''d messed up, he knew it he''d fucked it all up.


    "I''m sorry, but she didn''t make it," the doctor finished.


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 Chapter 0425

    AUTHOR''S POVThis is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Right then and there, Amie''s world crumbled around her.


    "What do you mean she didn''t make it?" Her eyes welled up as she gripped the doctor''s coat. "Talk to me, doctor, tell me Amie will be fine."


    "I''m sorry, Mrs Dennis," the doctor said, feeling sorry for the poor girl. She did not deserve what happened to her, especially not after what she had gone through.


    "Ana," Dennis swallowed as he pulled her back as she refused to let go of the doctor''s shirt.


    "Let go of me," she yelled and pushed Dennis off her. "Go away."


    Dennis was about to go back to her when the doctor put his hand up to stop Dennis. He shed him a small smile, indicating that it was okay.


    Slowly, Ana fell to the floor, her arms wrapped around herself, as she wailed. "No."


    Then she shook her head. "No. Amie won''t just leave me," she cried as she ran down the hallway.


    Before anyone could stop her, she threw the door to Amie''s room open. She ran to Amie''s side and pulled the bedsheet off her body.


    "Amie," she gently pped her cheeks. "Amie wake up, mommy''s here, Amie," she called repeatedly, her body trembling with her cry. Her tears dropped on Amie''s face and the hospital gown that she still had on.


    Even in death, Amie looked beautiful, peaceful. Finally at peace.


    ***


    Eventually, Ana was forced to believe that her first child was dead.


    She remained numb and mute as Dennis quietly drove her back home.


    Repeatedly, Dennis nced back at the passenger seat and wished that she''d see him, hand on each of the front seats as she stood and rambled on and on about what went on in school or wherever she had been even if they were aware.


    ***


    In the days that followed, Dennis was left to care for Justin all alone. He fully put his managers in each branch of his bars in charge and also contacted his partners and clients to inform them about his unnned break. His workers, clients and partners all sympathized with him. They told him to be strong and wished that Amie''s soul would rest in peace. He smiled and thanked them all, but he was as shattered as Ana. Amie might not be his, but she and Ana meant the world to him. He works freaking hard because of them and now one of them is gone, never to return again.


    The only reason why he was still standing strong was for Justin and Ana.


    Though Ana has refused to talk to anyone. Since the day they returned from the hospital, she has locked herself in Amie''s room, has refused to eat or step out for some sunlight.


    Every morning, afternoon, and night, Dennis would go to the door, drop her meal-meals that always stay untouched-and try to talk her out of her grief.


    "You can''t forever hide yourself in there, babe. Justin needs you. Let''s go through this together." But it was always as though he was talking to the door. Sometimes, he even wonders if she was still alive.


    On the third day when he didn''t hear


    her still, his chest had grown taut as he ran to the back of Amie''s room''s window. Though the curtain was down, he was able to peep in. He calmed down when he saw herid on the bed, curled around Amie''s favorite painting; a portrait of Dennis, Ana, and herself.


    He had grown even sadder as he remembered her saying, after she returned from the hospital. "When I get my new writing materials, I''ll include Justin in our portrait."


    The world was cruel, taking such a bright beautiful girl away. She was supposed to live long and donall the things she''d said she''d do with Justin. She didn''t deserve to die.


    Each time Dennis peeped through the small space in the window where the curtain had slightly parted, Ana was always aware. But she was too weary to stand up and close the curtains till there was no space for him to peep through. She wished he''d just go away with his words and food. The aroma of the food, Justin''s distant cries, his ever softforting voice all made her feel even more miserable.


    She wanted to be strong, to be there for Justin, she wanted to deal with this loss properly, but she couldn''t.


    The first day, the night of her death,


    when she heard Justin''s cry, she had


    ???


    tried but she just could not bring herself to step out. Even though everything reminded her of Amie she was terrified; what if she forgot about her? What if she forgot how her eyes creased slightly at the corner whenever she smiled orughed? What if she could no longer see how her eyes lit up


    whenever she painted? What if-


    She had spent the first couple of days watching pictures and videos of her. She had been so happy and optimistic, even as young as she was. Eventually her phone''s battery ran out on the first night.


    Then she resorted to sniffing


    through her things to keep how she


    smelt alive in her memory, she


    wrapped the vintage scarfs that she loved around her wrists and spread all her paintings before her, picture her poise and facial expression as she drew them.


    It was so unfair, she thought as she remembered how hard she had fought to stay alive. How hard they''d all fought. Only for death to snatch her away from her.


    Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt when she heard a knock on the door.


    "Babe? Ana, please."


    She sighed and rolled into bed, covering up her whole body as she hugged Amie''s favorite sweater-the oversized one that Dennis had gotten for her on her third birthday day-to her chest. "Okay, you don''t have toe out if you don''t want to. Just take the food and eat, please."


    She sighed again. His words were distracting. All she wanted to think about was Amie. "Go away. I''m not hungry."


    On the other side of the door, Dennis exhaled heavily. Justin squirmed in his arms and he instantly began to gently pat him back to sleep.


    His gaze went from the food on the floor by the door to the doorknob, and he hoped, fervently, that this storm wouldn''t ruin the only thing that had kept him sane all these while-his happy marriage and family.

 Chapter 0426

    AIDEN


    I should have listened to Ana. I should have simply remained hidden when I followed her. I shouldn''t have fought those men. I should have controlled my anger... Most importantly, that short pause, those few seconds where I stopped and told her that I was her dad, I shouldn''t have. I should have hauled her right out of there to safety. If I hadn''t misused those seconds, perhaps Amie would still be here. But I was so selfish, yet I imed that I loved and cared for her.


    Dennis had been right. He cared for her more than I ever would. He grew with her after all. He groomed her and watched her grow right from birth. I could never love her more than him.


    There were so many things that I could and should have done differently, done better but it was toote now.


    She was dead.


    As I stared at the only picture I''d taken of the both of us when she was still in the hospital, It still felt so hard to believe.


    It had just been barely a year since I found out that she was mine, since I could hold her and watch herugh and smile and bug me about meeting herself and now she was gone?


    I let out a mirthlessugh. How funny.


    Was this how cruel death was? Wrapping its biting icy hands around those who didn''t deserve it, curling itself around them until they were drained of every breath and life they''ve gotten in them.


    I remembered thest time I saw her before her death, at her party. Her brows were furrowed so cutely, her arms folded across her chest as she red at me. "Where''s my friend?"


    I hid my smile as I answered her. "She''s here?"


    Her brows unknitted and she blinked, her arms falling to her side. "Where?" She nced behind me.


    "Right here," I insisted. Then I added, "With you."


    She frowned, looking at me like I had two heads. "What are you saying, uncle Aiden? Where''s she?"


    I crouched before her and pressed one of my palms to her chest. "Right here, sweetie. You are your own true friend."


    Then she looked at me like the dumbest person in the whole wide world before she hissed and stomped off.


    I chuckled to myself and watched her go to Dennis and say something to him. I knew she was mad at me. I had intended to win her smile back with the doll house I had promised her when she was still in the hospital. And just yesterday, I got a call that the huge doll house I ordered had arrived in the country. A big fat joke.


    I still hadn''t gotten back to them. What was I supposed to do with it now? Stuff her dead body in it?


    "Maybe I could give it to my child, the ibe Sharon carried," was the thought that urred to me this morning. Perhaps, it would forever keep the girl I barely knew in my heart and memory. "Dennis," I heard her voice before I even felt her hands on my arm. "Please, you can''t remain here forever."


    Maybe, I can.


    I didn''t want Sharon to worry so I''ve been forcing food down my throat. But she stillined that I was confining myself to bed.


    It had been days since her death and I just felt paralyzed, stuck to bed. It became even worse when I called Ana and Dennis and neither of them would pick up. Eventually, Ana''s phone became switched off All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    "Come on, I have your bath ready,e take a bath."


    "How''s the baby?" I asked instead.


    She sighed. "He''s fine. I also cook-"


    "I''ve told you to stop doing these things. Just call the maid instead."


    "I don''t want a maid in the house anymore. Besides, I don''t want anyone to see you in this state."


    "I couldn''t protect her," I finally said.


    There was afortable silence between us.


    "Sharon, I''m her father and I failed to protect my own child!"


    "It wasn''t your fault," she said and I heard her sniff.


    I turned to her and sighed. I sat up and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "You''re crying again." I had been so surprised to return home that day to find Sharon crying profusely. I was surprised that Amie''s child hit her this hard. But then, Sharon had always been so sentimental even though she always tried to hide it.


    She sniffed. "It just hurts to see you this devastated. I''m sorry." Then she put her palms on either side of my face. "But I want you to know it''s not your fault, okay? It was meant to happen."


    Her words echoed in my head. How many of the misfortunes in my life were ''meant to happen''?


    I didn''t believe her one bit, but I nodded. "Thank you," I said as I hugged her.


    Within a millisecond, she pulled away and got off the bed. Then she pulled my arms. "Come on. Come go take a bath and eat."


    And I did as she said. I took a bath and ate. Then I refused to wallow in self pity. The guilt, I suspect, will forever be there but I won''t let it put me down.


    I decided to fight for her. I had failed to protect her, done so many things wrong, but this, I''d do right.


    One if those men I beat up had pulled the trigger on that gun, a bunch of them definitely nned her abduction; I shall bring each one of them to book. Not just to book, but to their own deaths. "That, I promise you, Amie," I whispered as I dialed the inspector''s contact.


    For the next few days, I threw myself into the investigation that Imenced again, leaving no room for guilt or the ache in my chest to foster abd hurt more.


    I needed answers. Who? And why Amie?


    Was there a chance that they''d return for Ana and Justin like Dennis has suspected?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 0427

    AUTHOR''S POV


    It was meant to happen.


    Those were the words that Sharon repeatedly told herself to tone down the growing guilt.


    Oftentimes, she thought it would have been better if she had just told the truth about her pregnancy and lived with whatever happened next. Being with Aiden wasn''t worth the guilt, the dark endless hole she was sinking into.


    Now that she was growing closer to her fake due date, Aiden had grown more affectionate toward her. They had even grown closer than they once were. Sometimes, she wondered if it was the poor girl''s death that brought about the changes.


    Whatever it was, it wasn''t worth it, because she was not happy. She had all that she had ever wanted; Aiden''s full attention. As full as it could get with the investigation he had thrown himself into.


    Whenever he wasn''t with Sharon, helping her make a meal or deliver the takeouts he''d ordered for her, or clean the house since she didn''t want the maid over anymore, he was at the station, cracking Amie''s case, looking for the answer that was right under his own roof. Now, Sharon wasn''t just grappling with guilt over her involvement in Amie''s death, she had no peace of mind.


    Her whole life, Sharon had never had nightmares. But they were now a constant for her. Amie was always in each of them, crying and asking her why she killed her. Then Aiden would appear, disbelief in his eyes, before he''d shake his head and rip off her fake stomach then throw her in a deep dark well, filled with so many versions of angry Amie and Ana.


    She was always scared to sleep. Whenever Aiden slept at the house, she had to pretend to be fine; toe up with a lie as to why she couldn''t sleep or why she jerked up from her sleep.


    Infact, at this point, she knew she was going crazy.


    Sometimes in the dream, Tabitha, whom she had still not been able to reach, would stand at the top of the well that Aiden threw her in and the echo of herughs would reach her.


    ***


    "Sharon?" Sharon jerked from her spot by the window when she heard her name.


    She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. "Aiden. When did you get back?" And how did I not see you drive in? Was the thought that apanied her question.


    It was kind of her routine now. With the way the investigation was going, Sharon feared that her involvement would soon be discovered. So everyday, close to the time Aiden would arrive, she''d go to the window to see if he''de with the police, if he would bring in a gun or handcuffs. Not that she had any n on what to do if it ever happened, she just found herself at the window all the damn time.


    "Just now," Aiden frowned as he watched her, her hands still clutched the curtain tightly. "Howe you didn''t see me drive in since you''re standing there?" He inquired as he leaned toward her and peered through the window. Perhaps, she saw something else there. But all he could see was their driveway and their cars.


    Sharon licked her lips and walked a few feet away from Aiden. "I got carried away."


    By what? Aiden wondered. "Why were you even there?"


    She smiled. "I was waiting for you." She walked forward, gave him a brief side hug and collected the takeout bags in his hands.


    That was what they consumed now. Takeouts. Pizza. Junks. It worried him because as a pregnant woman, she needed healthier food but it did seem to bother her, which worried him even more.


    Infact, a lot of things worried him


    about Sharon. She acts really out of


    character these days. The jerks, always fiddling with her fingers and there was always this... inexplicable fear in her eyes. He had also not


    failed to notice how she alwave ne


    flinched whenever he tried to touch her and seem to avoid any physical touch. If he asked why, she''d sigh and say she felt ugly. Aiden thought it was a term she was far from; pregnancy looked great on her. Sharon was a very confident woman so it confused him. Was this what pregnancy did to women''s selfThis is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    esteem?


    Whenever he pointed out these unusual behaviors, she would always tell him how giving birth terrified her. Which was why he''d vowed that no matter what, he must be there to hold her hands as she pushed out their child.


    ***


    As they had dinner, Aiden told Sharon. "The detective invited you for questioning." He decided to omit the whole part where the detective had told him about the evidence that linked his own wife to the kidnap.


    It sounded ridiculous to Aiden and he had been honest with the detective, but he insisted that he needed to question Sharon.


    He still remembered the detective words; "That''s what you want, Mr Aiden. We leave no rock unturned."


    "Question me? Over Amie''s case? I hope they aren''ting to a dead end," Sharon said calmly as she sipped the yoghurt that Aiden had gotten for her.


    With how fidgety and apprehensive she had been over the past weeks, she was bbergasted that she could remain that calm.


    "I hope not." Aiden answered. "I told him it would be a waste of time but he insisted."


    "When''s it?" Sharon asked as she ced the cup back on the table and picked up her cutlery, tightening her grip around them. She needed to hold onto something, else Aiden saw how shaky she was. "Tomorrow. Let''s get it done, and face the real culprits."


    ***


    Sharon''s hands trembled as she parked in the driveway.


    She has just returned from the police station and she was not found guilty.


    But she couldn''t shake off the detective''s probing eyes. Her nape still itched from how his sinister gaze had followed her as she walked out with Aiden.


    Though there was no solid evidence that directly pointed at her, she feared this was the calm before the storm. However, she''d do everything in her power to keep that storm at bay.

 Chapter 0428

    AUTHOR''S POV


    As the investigation thickened, there were more interrogations. Taxi drivers and store staff that were present and open along the scene of the crime were interrogated. All the CCTV around there were also checked. Truly, Aiden was determined to leave no stone unturned.


    And as stones were turned, more shocking evidence was discovered. Like the one leg of Amie''s shoe beside an abandoned bus a few stores away from the store where she had been with her mother. Eventually, the culprits were found.


    The detective''s heart was full of joy as he climbed down the vam and led the team into the building, certain that he was on to the right people this time.


    At the entrance, they all scattered around, each team going to their designated positions as the building has been monitored for days.


    All they had needed were the fingerprints on the abandoned bus and the rest of the case magically solved itself. Atleast, the detective would like to believe so.


    The moment the detective, with his own team, walked past the sparse huge hall, and through the hallway, he felt something was wrong. The ce was eerily quiet.


    He pushed open door after door in the hallway. Each was brightly lit until they got to a room with no lighting. When a torch was shone inside, it was found to be a small room, stuck with cleaning materials and whatnot.


    On closer inspection, he found a hole in the ground at the back of the room. He moved closer. "Shit!"


    He immediately announced, his voice steady as he said into hispel microphone. "All units, update: I have a new lead. Follow my GPS instructions!" Then, he lowered himself into the hole"


    ***


    How did it get to this? Tabitha thought as she watched, through her dark sunsses, how the outside world moved like nothing had changed.


    Yet everything had changed for her, for them. She turned her gaze before her. Sid sat quietly at the front, a hanky on his face. Ron''sser focus was on the road as he drove. Jon sat beside her in the backseat, his shoulders hunched, fingers rapidly clicking on theptop''s keyboard.


    He nced up with a grin. "I''ve gotten us the tickets, guys. Identifications altered. The check-ins will be a breeze. My guy is on duty today and he''s expecting us."


    He''s the only one who hasn''t made it feel like their lives wereing to an end. Through the dark, he and Ron kept forging ways, while Sid and Tabitha just chose to wallow in misery.


    "Perfect," Ron muttered.


    Tabitha nced at him, still surprised that he hadn''t bombarded her with ''I told you sos'' yet.


    Before the start of the operation, he had clearly expressed his concerns.


    "Just let them be, Tabitha. Let''s move on to other people," he had said repeatedly.


    But Tabitha had been stubborn. She itched for some sort of revenge. Her ego had been crushed and she couldn''t let it slide.


    Ever since Amie''s death, they had all lived with guilt... and fear. It got worse when the case was reopened and Aiden was intent on getting to the root of the matter.


    It was supposed to be an easy job, a very simple one, Tabitha thought. No one was supposed to die. The guns weren''t even loaded! The dumb henchmen that Sharon got them fled the moment they saw the police.


    Tabitha was abruptly thrown out of her thoughts when she heard Ron cuss out as his fist rammed on the steering wheel, "Shit."


    She removed her sunsses as she sat up, and looked ahead just as Jon reclined in his seat, looking around as he muttered, "It''s over guys."


    On every side they turned, there was a policeman van.


    "Guys, listen," Ron began as he turned to them. "Since none of us was the one who shot the girl, we might still have a chance. We''ll probably just spend a few years in jail and-"


    "By a few years, you mean a decade, right?" Tabitha bit out, agitated and infuriated, even though this was all her fault.


    "I should have backed off when they warned me," she finally admitted within herself as she looked around at the armed policemen climbing down their vans.


    "Let me speak, Tabitha!" Ron said


    calmly, but there was an edge to his tone. "If you fun, you''d get shot and that''s it, the final end. Worse, you''ll get paralyzed and deployed to some godforsaken ce. Or you canjust turn yourself in, spend a few years in jait and get out." His gaze went over each of them. "The choice is yours to make," he finished just as a knock came on the window on his side.


    Ron rolled down the window. "We''d advise that you step down," the man said, his gaze moving from each one of them.


    ***


    Each of them was interrogated.


    Tabitha sniffed, wiping tears off her face, as she narrated the whole ordeal. When she was done, she sped her palms together. "But I swear, we didn''t mean to harm her. It was not intended at all. We just wanted to get the money." "Then who shot her?" The detective inquired.


    "We hired some men, two of them actually. Just random henchmen. It was their job. They were just supposed to stay there with Amie, get the pay and hand her over. We don''t know what exactly happened... all we heard was a gunshot." She remembered how they''d all fled when they saw the ce swarmed by the police.


    The detective nodded, but Tabitha didn''t think he looked convinced.


    "I swear, detective, we didn''t shoot her. We only plotted her abduction and contacted her parents, but it wasn''t us."


    "Is that all, miss?" The detective arched his eyebrows at her.


    The detective had seen in the gazes


    of the rest that there was


    information they were all holding back, but no matter how he tried, they wouldn''t speak. He had decided to leave them first and interrogate Tabitha. If she also doesn''t speak then he''d know what step to take next.


    "Who else was involved?" The detective pressed, watching as her gaze roamed the table.


    Tabitha had thought of excluding Sharon, hoping that she''d provide security for them but they''ve not heard from her for weeks since the incident happened. They''ve tried to reach her, to let her know that it was the men she hired that shot Amie but they couldn''t reach her Out of bitterness, she bit out. "Sharon."


    The detective''s lips curled into a sly smile. He had suspected Mr Aiden''s wife even more right from when she sat before him in the questioning room weeks ago. "Who''s that?" He prompted carefully, trying not to put words in her mouth.


    "Sharon," Tabitha repeated. "Sharon Aiden."Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 0429

    DENNIS


    After a few weeks, when I didn''t hear any sounding from Amie''s room anymore, I knew that something was wrong.


    I didn''t hesitate to force the door to open and I found her unconscious. Around her were bottles of water and so much junk food that I suspected that she must have sneaked out to get them whenever I was asleep. There were also the crumbs of toasts and boxes of pizza that I slid into the room from underneath the door. I guess they hadn''t been enough.


    I quickly took her in my arms, strapped Justin in the baby car seat and rushed her to the hospital.


    After about an hour after she was taken in, the doctor came out. "She''s extremely lucky that you brought her in on time."


    I wiped my hands over my face in relief, d that this wasn''t another announcement about a death.


    "Right now, she suffered from severe dehydration, low blood sugar, and organ strain. If you hadn''t found her on time, we''d be talking about extreme fatigue, organ failure, and possible psychological trauma right now."


    I should have broken the door earlier than this, those were the words that came to me. I should have forced her out and force fed her. I just thought she needed the time to grieve alone.


    "So she''d have to remain here for a few days as we''d address her dehydration, stabilize electrolytes, and manage potential organ damage."


    Just then, Justin let out a coo in the baby carrier I had strapped to my front as I waited for the doctor. I looked down and found him awake.


    "Thank you, doctor," I told the doctor and then we walked to his office as he gave details of Ana''s stay at the hospital and further instructions.


    .


    After a week, Amie returned home. For the first couple of days after she returned from hospital, she seemed fine. She smiled a number of times and ate enough food and drank a lot.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I was relieved that she was getting better, until the day I caught her clumsily attempting to chug down a thousand pills.


    I had just left her for a few minutes to collect the lunch I ordered for us.


    "Ana!" I flew at her. I hit her hand and the pills fell to the floor, scattering everywhere. "Ana, why will you do this?" But she wasn''t even listening to me. She had scrambled to the floor and was frantically picking up the pills, throwing each batch she gathered in her mouth. I forced them out of her mouth. And she pushed me away. "Let go! Leave me alone," she screamed in my face. "Stay the fuck away from me!"


    I staggered back and stared at her. And that was when I knew that nothing had gotten better.


    She threw a huge fit, picking things and throwing them my way or at the wall as she screamed. Then she curled around herself and her body quivered as she cried.


    From that day onward, she didn''t try to be better anymore. She cried all day and threw food on the floor.


    Several times, I''d find herughing by herself or talking to no one. If I should make my presence known, she''d turn to me, shaking her head as sheughed. "Amie is so funny." Or her lips would be turned down, tears rolling down her face, "Amie is so sad. She''s unhappy. Let''s go to her. Let''s take Justin and go join her."


    The second time, I caught her with a knife as she frantically tried to cut herself. Thankfully, she was using the blunt side, so the de didn''t cut through her skin.


    I managed to get the knife out of her grip. And she began to yell again. It was now her thing. If she didn''t yell at me, she''d yell at Amie''s captors.


    "Leave me alone, you wicked man," she screamed in my face. "Since you don''t love her, I do. I love her and I want to go to see her and forever be with her."


    The next night after that day, I made the hardest decision of my life. For her and Justin''s safety, as there were als times she''d look down at Justin and a distant smile would curl on her lips as she said to him, "Amie would be so happy when she sees you, Justin."


    After I''d sessfully gotten Ana to sleep, I picked up my phone and dialed the number I had dug up during the day.


    "Hello?" a voice answered immediately, despite howte it was.


    I swallowed hard, trying to steady my voice. "I think my wife is struggling..." I cleared my throat. "She''s been hurting herself, and..." I trailed off, looking down at my hand on the table. "I don''t know what to do," I admitted aloud. The voice on the other end grew more serious. "Can I get your name and address, sir?"


    I quickly gave her the information, my hands trembling as I spoke.


    "What signs has she shown?" she asked, her tone professional but urgent.


    I hesitated, trying to find the right words. "She''s been... withdrawing. Sheshes out for no reason. Talks to herself and... today, she tried to harm herself, again."


    There was a pause before the voice


    spoke again. It sounds like your


    wife may be experiencing a mental health crisis, sir. We rmend getting her to a psychiatric emergency room as soon as possible, where she can receive


    vel.


    immediate evaluation and care."


    "Okay," I answered, wondering if I was doing the right thing.


    "If you want, we can send in our team to retrieve her tomorrow. The documentation process can be brought to you, or you coulde with her and get it done."


    I nced at where Anaid, curled around herself and then at Justin, far away from Ana in his cradle. "Bring the documentation process."


    "Alright." She told me the time they''d arrive. Then she added in a tone devoid of her professionalism, "You''re doing the right thing for her, Mr Dennis.


    ***


    The next day, watched her scream


    as she was led out of the house. "Don''t let them take me, Dennis!" She


    cried and wanted to run to her and tell them that I''d changed my mind them


    until she added, "Please, Dennis.


    Amie''s waiting. She''s waiting for us."


    ***


    I rubbed my brows as the next person stepped in.


    We exchanged greetings and I dove straight into business. "How would you ensure a safe environment for my infant, and how would you handle an emergency situation?"


    Though Ana didn''t want a nanny, it''s what I have to do. I couldn''t continue to leave my job to my managers, and I couldn''t take a baby to business meetings. I''d also need to visit Ana asionally. I cannot handle it all alone. Just as I''d sought help for Ana, I was seeking help for Justin and I.

 Chapter 0430

    AIDEN


    "It''s okay," Sharon said as she curled her arms around my shoulders. "You really need to stop beating yourself up over this, babe. It wasn''t your fault and throwing yourself into this whole investigation wouldn''t help."


    "I need to find the culprits, Sharon. I need to find who did this. It''s the only thing I can do for her that will make this guilt easier to bear."


    "If it''s the only way then you should do it," she encouraged. "I''ll continue to make sure that my dad is also on the case, I promise."


    Her dad had called me once to sympathize with me over the death of my daughter that doesn''t belong to his daughter, and he didn''t sound too pleased. I was even surprised that she would tell that to her dad. I doubt he wants to help unearth the killer of a child that wasn''t his in any way but I kept that to myself.


    "Thank you," I told her instead.


    She gave me a half hug and didn''t immediately pull away this time. It was days like this that she didn''t jump away from me like I had an infection whenever I tried to touch her.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "So will you smile for me?" She smiled as she pulled the skin on my cheeks in an attempt to make me smile.


    When I removed her hand, she feigned a sad sigh. "Alright then, if you don''t find me worthy of your smile, what about your child?" She asked as she ced her palm on her stomach.


    My hands itched to press my palm on her stomach, to ce my ear to her stomach but the first andst time I''d tried, she had let out a loud cry that I immediately pulled my hands back. "What did you do?" She asked as she red at me.


    "Nothing, I just tried to-"


    Never do that again. It hurt like hell," she had said as shey back on her back.


    And I was left to wonder to the extent that I picked up my phone and googled what could have caused that.


    So now, I just look at her stomach and make myself satisfied with that.


    "Aiden?" She waved her palm before my face.


    I blinked into focus and smiled. "For you and the baby."


    She blushed as she pulled me up and led us to the dining area. She''d cooked again and there was a heap of dishes for her to do in the kitchen.


    As we ate, it was on the tip of my tongue to finally ask her why she didn''t want the maid in the house anymore when we heard the doorbell.


    "I''ll answer it," I said as I stood up before she could and walked over to the door.


    I frowned at who I saw behind the door, a smile on my face, "Detective?"


    "Good morning, Mr Aiden," the detective I''d hired on Amie''s case greeted me. I frowned. I hope he hadn''te to use Sharon again. I won''t take it lightly this time. "Is your wife home?"


    "Yes. Why are you here? Any leads?"


    He nodded. "We''ve caught the captors."


    My eyes bulged. This was the best news ever. "That''s fantastic news!" My frown returned. "But what has my wife got to do with this?"


    "We''ve questioned them and your wife was an aplice."


    What the heck was this man saying? Why would Sharon do that?


    I chuckled as I turned to Sharon to


    tell her the joke of the day, but my smile froze and the words died in my throat when I turned to see Sharon''s wide gaze already on us, her skin white as a ghost''s.


    Wait a minute! "Sharon? I walked to her and took her shaky hands in mine. "Are you okay?"


    "I swear I never meant for anything to happen to Amie," she blurted, her voice trembling, tears suddenly streaming down her face.


    My body grew rigid and her hand fell as mine fell to my sides.


    "What are you saying?" I asked in a small voice as I watched the detective cuff my pregnant wife''s wrists.


    She shook her head vigorously. "I didn''t n any of this with them, I swear. Amie wasn''t supposed to even be kidnapped. Nothing was supposed to happen to her."


    I dropped into a seat after they''d


    taken her away. I felt paralyzed for a while. Every time, we''d sit in here


    and I''d tell her how the case wa


    swn


    going So all along she was one of them, living under my very nose.


    Her recent behaviors now made perfect sense. Her tears on the day of Amie''s death weren''t out ofpassion for the girl but out of guilt. Her constant fidgeting... It all now made sense.


    ***


    The next day, I finally grew the


    courage to visit Ana and see why she has refused to pick my call all this while. I felt horrible and I


    expected that she might forever


    hate me, but still...


    I parked my car along the road. I made the short walk up the driveway and stopped by the door.


    I rasped my knuckles on the door a couple of times before I got a response.


    The door opened. I expected to see Ana, but instead, Dennis was the one who stepped out, closing the door behind him.


    "Hey, Dennis."


    "Why are you here?"


    I ignored the evident hostility in his voice. We hadn''t spoken since Amie''s death, but I could tell, even then, that he was mad at me. "How''s Ana?" He shrugged. "She''s fine."


    I frowned. It was unlike Dennis to answer a question about Ana with such casualness. Did they have a fight? "Where''s she?"


    He sighed. "She has just been admitted to a mental health crisis center."


    My brows furrowed deeply. "A mental hospital? What do you mean?"


    He let out a huff. "Look, man, please, stay away from her. Your wife has done more than enough. Just back off."


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 Chapter 0431

    AIDEN


    I was taken aback by his words, he already knew?


    Dennis was also in on the investigation. He just wasn''t as active as I was. So it should be no surprise that he''d heard. Besides, it was his daughter''s case afterall. He had every right to know.


    But I chose to ignore his harsh words. I was still reeling from the news that Ana was currently in a psychiatric hospital. How was that possible? How could he let that happen? I wanted to yell at him but I calmed myself down. All of these were my fault to begin with... and Sharon''s.


    "Which hospital was she taken to?" It sounded surreal. I knew she fiercely loved Amie, but I didn''t think it would take so much toll on her like this.


    Dennis turned on me, his brows deeply furrowed as he scowled. "Why do you want to know? So you can tell that to your wife?"


    For fuck''s sake! I felt my hands curl into fists on their own ord.


    I took a deep breath. "I''ve been calling you guys, but no one picked my call and when Ana''s line became switched off, I got worried..." I trailed off and shrugged. "So I decided toe check on her." "Well, you know how she is now. So leave."


    He had every right to ask me to leave his house and their life, but I had no intention of leaving until I had all of my questions answered.


    "What about Justin? How''s he?" I asked instead.


    He turned to his side and muttered something under his breath.


    "Can I see him?" He probed. Thest time I saw the boy was during Amie''s disappearance.


    "No," he said without any hesitation.


    I sighed, getting infuriated. "Come on, I just want to see how he''s doing? How''re you coping with him now that Ana isn''t here to take care of him? He may be young, but I know that he feels this loss that we all feel." He scoffed. "Look, as long as he''s in my care, he''s perfectly fine. And I just got him a nanny. Now, can you fuck off?"


    That was thest straw. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think I''m ecstatic with the way things turned out? You think I''m happy Amie''s dead? You think it fills me with joy that Justin doesn''t have his mom by his side anymore?" He snorted. "You can never tell..."


    I shook my head, taking a step back. "This is why Ana is where she is. You''re filled with so much bitterness and anger..." I shook my head again. "I can''t leave Justin with someone like you." "Fuck off, Aiden. Get out of here."


    "We shall see. You''ll tell me to fuck off when Ie to im Justin''s custody."


    Then I turned around and stormed out of there.


    ***


    On my way home, my grip hard on the steering wheel as I tried to call myself down, my phone rang out.


    "Hello, detective. Is there any other update?" I said as I picked up the call.


    "Not exactly, I just called to tell you that your wife lost consciousness. She''s been rushed to the hospital. She''s been there for a while now, I''ve been trying to reach you."


    My wife... that word stood out. How did I be the husband of a criminal?


    "Yeah, I was somewhere and I left my phone in the car," I told him as I noticed the calls I missed.


    ""What happened? Why did she lose consciousness?"


    "I haven''t seen the doctor after they rushed her in, so I don''t know yet. But I know she just feel."N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    "Thank you, I''ll be on my way there now."


    The call ended and I headed to the station. I might not care about ''my wife'' but I surely cared about my child that was in her. I just hoped that nothing was wrong with it. About ten minutes into my drive, I got another phone call.


    "Mr Aiden?"


    I was surprised to hear that it was the detective again. "Yes?"


    Even before he spoke, I could sense his hesitation. "I don''t know how to put this, Mr Aiden, I wait, are you driving?"


    "Yes."


    "I''ll just tell you when you get here."


    "Just tell me now, detective," I gritted out. "I''ll soon get there anyway. Did something happen to the baby?" Did I lose another child?


    "That''s the thing, there''s no baby."


    I blinked, a frown etched on my brows. "What?"


    The detective sighed. "I just- I just think you should know before you get here."


    I gritted my teeth. Can he just go straight to the point?


    "Your wife''s baby bump is a... uhh... a silicone."


    My heart skipped a beat, and I felt all the blood drain from my face. "A silicone stomach?" My voice trembled. "What does that mean?"


    He cleared his throat. "She''s not pregnant."


    The phone fell from my grasp as I drove ahead, unseeing.


    "Mr Aiden. Mr Aiden?" I heard the detective''s voicee from the fallen phone.


    Every single unusual behavior that Sharon exhibited now made perfect sense.


    Her pregnancy was faked all these while...


    That was why she always flinched whenever I touched her, why she never wanted me to touch her bump. It hadn''t hurt, she just saw it as a way to make me keep my hands to myself.


    I recalled how she always had on


    long and thick clothes since her baby bump got bigger. I had just assumed that it was the pregnancy since she alwaysined that she was cold, thenter, I thought that it was because she felt ugly. She had said it after all.


    Why''s my life just so fucked up? I lost Amie, Ana is in a psychiatric hospital; Dennis, who has my son with him, though I had been too angry to acknowledge it, I knew he''d fight me till death before he hands Justin over.


    And now my own wife had yed me.


    I ran my fingers through my hair. "Fuck."


    The signs were there. How didn''t I see them? I should have known when she refused to do a scan. It should have ured to me each time she refused to go to the hospital with me.


    I recalled all the choices and


    sacrifices I''d made for our child. Part


    of why needed to find Amie''s killer


    was to free myself of this guilt so


    that can be a better father to my child.


    So she wanted the maid out so her dirty secret would not be discovered.


    But why? Why feign a pregnancy? What was her goal?


    Sharon just made me realize that my wife was a stranger to me. I never really knew her.

 Chapter 0432

    AIDEN


    The detective sent me the address of the hospital Sharon was rushed to.


    In the room, Sharon was curled around herself as far as the cuffs that connected her hand to the bed railing could allow.


    She quickly sat up when she saw me enter the room. "Aiden," she breathed, eyes wide with fear.


    "So not only are you a criminal, but also a liar? A fraud!" I bit out as my gaze briefly fell on her t stomach. I scoffed to myself as I dropped into the seat that faced her bed. I felt so drained that I could barely stand on my own two feet. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face just like they had rubbed down her face when she was arrested. "It''s not what you think, I swear, I-" she broke off and her shoulders shook as she cried harder.


    I tilted my head to the side and regarded her for a while. I was not surprised that I felt no atom of pity for her. "If it''s not what I think, what is it? Tell me."


    "For so many months, you pretended to be pregnant!" A bitterugh escaped my lips as I shook my head. It still felt like a joke. I would not have believed the detective if all the signs that I had overlooked hadn''t been there.


    I leaned forward, my elbow propped up on my knee, my fingers inteced as I ced them under my chin and looked at her. "Why did you do this, Sharon? Why fake a pregnancy? Did I ever pester you for a child?"


    Her lips trembled as she shook her head, sniffing. "No, Aiden, you n-"


    "I don''t want to hear you utter my name."


    Her sobs doubled. "I''m sorry. I was just scared of losing you. I''m sorry."


    I scoffed. "Scared of losing me?"


    "When I found out that I was pregnant-"


    I arched my brows. "You were originally pregnant?"


    She nodded and attempted to wipe the tears off her face but it was a fruitless act. "You were so happy and somehow, the knowledge that we''d have a baby together bonded us. For those few weeks, I was sure that I would never lose you, all my fears that you might someday leave me for Ana-"


    I frowned. "Anastasia? She married for fuck''s sake."


    "Still, I was scared. I suspected that she still had feelings for you and might also leave her husband."


    This is unbelievable.


    She swallowed. "I saw the happier you became and I understood that a baby was all I needed to forever make you mine. Everything was going well until..." she trailed off, and sighed. "I lost the baby." For the slightest second, I felt the urge to wrap my arms around her and pull her into a hug.


    "You lost a baby and you didn''t think I had the right to know? You didn''t think we could have even gotten closer over the loss? It was my child too!" Technically, I''d lost another child way before Amie.


    She shook her head, and looked down at her trembling hands. "I didn''t think of it that way. Ana had two children for you. I feared that if you found out that I lost the baby, you''d go to her."


    I couldn''t even imagine how that would have been possible. Dennis would have probably bought a gun and shot me till every part of me was filled with bullet holes.


    "So I-" she stammered. "I pleaded with the doctor to keep it between us. I hoped that I''d conceive again but it didn''t happen. Weeks passed by and it was the stage where I was supposed to have a baby bump so I-" "You bought a stomach and wore it all day," I finished for her and reclined in the seat,ughing bitterly. "What a fucking fool I''ve been."


    "I''m sorry. I''m really sorry, I regret all my actions."


    "That''s why you didn''t want the housekeeper around, wasn''t it?"


    She nodded meekly. "She saw the silicone so I paid her off."


    "Wow. Aren''t you amazing, Sharon."


    She sniffed. "Please, forgive me. It just hurt me that you''d feel bad that you didn''t have a child that you''d grow with..."


    "Yeah, but it didn''t hurt you to lie, did it?"


    I regarded her for a long while,


    watching as she cried, her shoulders slouched briefly med myself too. I should have strictly kept things business between us. I shouldn''t have proceeded with that damned contract marriage.


    "What did Amie do to you? Why did you have her abducted?"


    "She was not supposed to be abducted," she began in a small voice. "One day, I got a call and the caller introduced herself as my ally and wanted to help me. We met up and it turned out that she liked Dennis. So we agreed to hel


    each


    other get the man we wanted from


    Ana."


    She shrugged, "I didn''t know how she nned on getting Dennis for herself, but she said we''d make you seem like a threat to the kids so that you''d be restricted from them"


    "What the hell?" I muttered, bewildered. "What the fuck, Sharon!"


    She flinched and began to cry again. "They were not supposed to kidnap her or hurt anyone. I don''t know why they killed Amie and I couldn''t reach them again."


    "And you didn''t think you should have informed me when they kidnapped her?"


    "I was scared," she whispered pathetically.


    "I didn''t realize you were such a coward," I whispered lethally, wondering where the brave Sharon was. The one who was self assured that she didn''t need to get her hands dirty to keep a man.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    "I''ll make sure you get the


    punishment you deserve." She


    jerked up and gaped at me, eyes widened glistening with tears ag "You''ll rot in jail and I mean it in every sense of the word. Even your


    parents wouldn''t be able to get you


    out."


    "Aiden please, please I''m sorry. Forgive me."


    I rose to my feet and tucked my hands in my pocket. "Expect the divorce papers soon." Those were my final words before I turned around and walked out of the room, ignoring her wails and pleas.


    ***


    "Thank you," I told the private investigator I''d hired to help locate what facility Ana had been admitted into as I nced through the address.


    I ended the call, grabbed my car keys and headed there.


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 Chapter 0433

    DENNIS


    Ana got admitted to a mental health crisis center, and I spent most of my days there. Even though I try to equally share my time between work, Justin and Amie, I found myself spending the most time here.


    Work was going absolutely fine. I now made way more than I used to before I got duped, but I wasn''t happy. The love of my life was in a psychiatric home. Everyday I go there, I hope that her condition will soon begin to improve. Half the time, she seemed fine, just sitting there all by herself with a neutral expression. She wouldn''t speak with anyone for hours, the other half was spent crying and begging me to take us to Amie. The doctor said she was getting better, but it didn''t look like it to me.


    Justin was doing very well. He didn''t seem to be grieving like Aiden had suggested. There were times when he''d cry and nothing would make him stop until he fell asleep, but those times were rare and I just think it was his mom that he missed.


    I ensured that I always made time for him, just as I made time for Ana, no matter how hectic work was. I didn''t want to entirely leave him to his nanny. Though she was a nice woman, I wanted Aiden to grow to know another face apart from his nanny''s. "Amie''s captors and killers have been caught," I told Ana thest time I visited.


    She beamed and pped. "Yay. We should take them with us to Amie so that she can punish them." Then she added, "Amie is now very powerful." She proceeded her words with a raised arm, showing me her biceps. "Her powers are here. I saw it. She showed me." I just smiled and nodded. And she did the same, shing me her beautiful smile.


    ?


    The henchmen that the captors hired, the ones that they imed were the ones that shot Amie, wereter arrested too.


    My surprise knew no bounds when I saw who the captors were. Tabitha and the men that gave me lectures and the stupid immersion bath for me.


    At that moment, I berated myself for letting them go like that. When I found out that they were fraudsters, I should have reported them. If I had, Amie might still be here, and Ana would be fine.


    I had med Aiden for acting on his own, for his wife''s involvement but we''re all at fault in some way. This whole thing began because of Tabitha''s obsession with me and thirst for revenge. Intertwined in it all was Aiden''s wife, Sharon, who feared that Ana might take Aiden from her. And then there was Ana... Maybe, just maybe if she had listened to us and allowed one of us to go, this wouldn''t have happened. But then if Aiden and I had been on the same page, she wouldn''t have felt inclined to take charge. It was all and none of our faults. So I told the police everything I knew about their profession and what they made me go through. Turned out that they didn''t even tell the police about that.


    ***


    As the day of their trial day drew closer, I cleared my schedule for the day so I could attend.


    Because no matter what, I have too see them get the punishment they deserve.


    On the day, I left early to see Ana.


    These days, I actually now believe the doctor. Ana was getting better. She doesn''t scratch her skin like she used to anymore, doesn''t stare into space for hours long and the best part, she has stopped talking about going to join Amie. "Hey," I said as I pulled her into a hug.


    She hugged me back, a shy smile on her lips. "How''s Justin?"


    "He''s fine, he misses you."


    She sighed. If only they''d let me leave," she scratched her brows as she said, pouting.


    "They will, soon," I told her as I walked us to a seat.


    I put my arms around her and we sat in silence for a while. All the while, she picked at her nails.


    "Amie will get justice today," I finally told her, watching her to see her reaction.


    The doctor had warned that I should be careful whenever I wanted to talk about Amie with her.


    She stilled and remained silent, then she looked up at me. "But that wouldn''t bring her back."


    I pressed a kiss to her forehead and hugged her head to my chest. "Nothing would. But atleast, her killers won''t roam free anymore."


    Silence, then she muttered. "Yes."


    After a short chat, I stood up to leave.


    She hugged me. "Take good care of Justin."


    "Of course."


    ****


    I sat in the cold, hard pew of the courtroom, whispers came from all sides, stolen nces casted in my and Aiden''s direction. He was seated several pews away from me.


    The judge entered, and the bailiff''s voice boomed, silencing the murmurs. "All rise."


    We all stood up.


    The defendants were brought in, hands cuffed, the expressions on their faces were a mix of fear and defiance.


    As Tabitha was dragged in, our eyes met and I was satisfied with the sheer fear I saw in them. The defiance and pride long stripped from her.


    The judge began, "Court is now in session. The defendants are charged with kidnapping in the first degree, leading to the death of the victim, Amie Dennis. How do you plead?" "Not guilty," they each muttered.


    My jaw clenched, my hands curling into fists.


    The prosecutor stood, her voice


    steady and strong. "Your Honor, the evidence against the defendants is overwhelming. Surveince footage, witness testimonies, and forensic analysis all confirm their


    involvement. We seek the maximum


    sentence for this heinous crime."


    The defense attorney rose next, "Your Honor, my clients maintain their innocence. The prosecution''s evidence is circumstantial at best, and there is no direct proof tying my clients to the victim''s death."


    I wanted to scream. Circumstantial?


    She''s dead because of them! But I stayed silent. From where I sat, I could see Aiden throwing a death re at the defense attorney and right then, I could tell the thoughts running through his head.


    The trial dragged on, each piece of evidence disseminated for all to see.


    And then, finally, it was time for the verdict.


    "Will the defendants please rise?" the judgemanded.


    They stood, their shackles clinking.


    The judge''s voice was steady and unyielding. "After carefulThis content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    deliberation, the jury has found the defendants guilty on all charges. For the crime of kidnapping resulting in the death of Amie Dennis, I hereby sentence each of you to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole."


    I sucked in a sharp breath. Life. They would never walk free again.


    Their eyes bulged as they gaped at the judge. What were they expecting? A few years so they could return to cause more havoc in people''s lives?

 Chapter 0434

    AIDEN


    Overtime, Amie''s case garnered lots of media attention. Every news channel had a picture of the poor girl as they talked about her unfair death and how everyone responsible must be punished ordingly.


    In the midst of it all, the spotlight shifted from Amie to Sharon and I. Somehow, words had got out about our marriage and her fake pregnancy.


    I began to receive phone calls from several unknown numbers, calling to ask ridiculous questions all in the quest of getting information directly from the source. I had to switch the SIM card on my phone with the one with my assistant. If there was any information, he could just pass it through. I was done dealing with those incessant calls.


    When Sharon had gotten better and she had to be returned to the police station, they arrived at the station to a swarm of reporters at the entrance.


    The police guarded her side as they led her inside, but that didn''t stop the reporters from shouting their questions;


    "Did you really fake a pregnancy, Mrs Aiden?"


    "Mrs Sharon, are you still a married woman?"


    "Where''s your husband? Does he still love you?"


    "Will there be a divorce?"


    "Were you really involved in Amie Dennis'' death?"


    "Did you cheat on your husband with one of the kidnappers?"


    So many ridiculous questions. And all the while, Sharon had her head down, her hair long enough to cover the sides of her face from any camera.


    As I watched her, I assumed that she was crying and regretting her actions. But she had gone too far. Regret and tears would change nothing now.


    I have been working from home since the media got involved. Night and day, there were always reporters crowded either at mypany, waiting for me or at the house.


    I had to get security when some of them went as far as knocking on my door and windows. And even at that, so e if them still lurked around, pretending to be passersby or driving past, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything fresh to publish. Amie''s captors and killers have been sentenced to life imprisonment, just as they deserved.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    Dennis had been there at their trial, his eyes angry as he red at them all, but mostly on thedy among them, which made me wonder if there was more between them than their attempt to defraud him and initiate him in some cult as I''d heard from the detective. The relief on his face when their judgement was passed made me despise him a little less. He knew it was what they deserved.


    When I first saw him, I had first wondered where Justin was until I remembered that he said he''d gotten him a nanny. I just hoped he got a trusted person. Right now, no one could be trusted.


    My phone rang and I picked it up.


    "There''s none of them lurking around now, you cane out," one of the security outside said on the phone.


    "Thank you," I muttered as I grabbed my car keys and made my way out.


    Just as he said, there were no clicking cameras or probing eyes till I got into my car.


    Few paces behind me, another car, filled with a security team, followed me as i drove to the court.


    It was the day of Sharon''s trial. The day for her to also get her punishment.


    Before this day, her father had called to plead, to yell, but I''d made up my mind. She has to pay for all that she did.


    I parked my car in the parking lot and made my way to the court.


    "Goddammit," I cussed under my breath when I noticed the crowd at the entrance of the court. The press.


    At the same time, they also noticed me and they rushed forward, cameras clicking, phone and speakers and microphones tucked my way. In no time, I was swarmed. "What do you have to say about your wife''s trial, Mr Aiden?"


    "Do you still love her?"


    "How do you feel about her betrayal?"


    "Are you sterile, Mr Aiden? Is that why Mrs Aiden felt the need to fake a pregnancy?"


    I kept my lips sealed tight as I struggled to move past them.


    "Move back, everyone, stay back."


    I let out a breath of relief as the security team made it on time. Though that didn''t stop their insulting questions. The team cleared the path for me, and headed inside.


    Once again, I was seated on one of the pews in the courtroom awaiting the judge. Inced around and noticed that Dennis wasn''t in there He probably doesn''t care about Sharon''s trial. To him, the real threat was gone. But to me, the threat would forever linger, my mind would forever be at a state of unrest until her judgement is passed.


    "All rise!" The bailiff''s sharp voice abruptly pulled me out of my thoughts.


    As I stood up, the judge walked past and settled in his position.


    Sharon was brought in. She looked up and when her gaze found mine, I could see the plea in them, the remorse. But it was toote, none of those will undo the deed. Her case began. The prosecutor said her bit, then the attorney began his defense.


    As expected, her father had gotten her one of the best attorneys, but it wasn''t enough to stop her judgement.


    Her attorney was spewing some trash about a mental illness that she developed when she had an ident as a kid and whatnot when my phone vibrated in my pocket.


    I retrieved it from my pocket and


    frowned at the caller. It was my


    assistant. He knows I''d be in the courtroom by now, so why did he


    call? Is there an emergency at work?


    Before I finally made the attempt to pick up, the vibration stopped but he called back immediately.


    "I just received a call, sir," he rushed out the moment I picked up. "Anastasia has escaped the asylum."


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 Chapter 0435

    AUTHOR''S POV


    After Aiden heard those words, he did not think twice before he walked out of the courtroom.


    Sharon''s heart broke as she watched Aiden storm out. Was he so repelled by her that he couldn''t even stand to watch her trial? A tear rolled down her face and she quickly wiped it before her father would see it. Her father had told her earlier, "Enough, Sharon. Don''t cry over men like him." But that was after he''d scolded her for everything she did.


    "Has the verdict been passed, Mr Aiden? Will you bail your wife?"


    All of their questions fell of deaf ears, none of them registered, as Aiden raced to his car and drove out of the court premises.


    On his way to the hospital, he called his security team who had followed after him the moment he drove out. "Anastasia just escaped the asylum, find her," he instructed them. "I''ll send you a picture of her now." "Alright."


    He ended the call. As he drove, he dug up a clear picture of Ana and sent it to the security team who immediately began the search for her.


    Then Aiden tried Dennis'' line, but he still wasn''t picking up.


    On arriving at the hospital, he met Dennis outside. He was on a phone call.


    "Hey," Aiden rushed to him just as he ended his call. "I heard-


    "Yes, yes," Dennis said impatiently, running his fingers through his hair. "She ran away. I don''t know why she''d do that. She was getting better. She was doing very well before I left yesterday."


    Aiden looked at Dennis as he spoke and he couldn''t help but think that he sounded and looked like he''d burst into tears any minute from then.


    Dennis wiped his palm over his face, "I just sent a security team to begin a search. The hospital is rallying out people and questioning her roommates and colleagues if there was any clue that she wanted to run or where she''d go."


    Aiden nodded, "That''s good." He was d that they were already taking action. "I also sent out a team on my way here." Then he added, hesitatingly. "I think we should go out in search of her too, as another team."


    "Of course," Dennis answered without any hesitation. "I wouldn''t be here if I wasn''t giving the nanny instructions on what to do."


    My ear pricked. "Is something wrong with Justin?"


    Dennis shook his head as he began to walk to his car. Aiden pocketed his car key and followed. "I won''t exactly say something is wrong with him. It''s how he''s been for a while now, since Amie''s death. He sometimes cries for long minutes until she''d eventually fall asleep. It happened again and the nanny had run out of options on what to do."


    "Oh," Aiden muttered. He had no words. He was surprised that Dennis knew so much that the nanny could only rely on him topletely get Justin to be quiet.


    Dennis unlocked his car and they got in. Just then, his phone rang. He picked up immediately. "How''s he now?"


    "He''s asleep now, sir, thank you," the nanny said.


    Aiden''s gaze fell on his phone and asked, "By the way, I''ve been trying to reach you for a while now, but you never pick up."


    "Oh, that," Dennis muttered as he drove the car out of the hospital''s premises. He cut a nce at Aiden before he returned his gaze to the road. "was giving Justin a bath when it fell in thether in the bowl. I didn''t realize it untilter. I just removed it and dumped it somewhere at home."


    Aiden nodded, then he asked, "Why do you think she ran?"


    Dennis felt a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. "To meet Amie?" He shook his head, "We need to find her before she hurts herself or anyone else." Aiden, nodded. He brought out his phone and phoned the security team if there was any update.


    And for the first time, without much words, Dennis and Aiden put aside their differences and worked together to find the woman they both cared for.


    Dennis aimlessly drove around the


    streets close to the hospital. As he drove, they both nced around them. "Where do you think she''ll go?" Dennis inquired, wondering if they had a


    a spot or something. Though he doubted.


    Aiden shook his head instantly. "Nope."Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Dennis sighed. "Let''s hu- woah! Isn''t that her?" He pointed at a fast food stall where she stood.


    "I don''t know how I''ll pay you, just give me a pack and I''ll leave," Anastasia pleaded at the man who was gaping at her.


    "Leave my-" The man began, but he was interrupted.


    "Ana!"


    The moment she heard her name, she turned around and ran, without a look back.


    "Ana please, stop," they both called out to her but she continued to run, getting more paranoid. Just then, a taxi drove by, she hailed it and got in. "Take me anywhere," Ana said, repeatedly tapping the driver''s shoulder. "Just get me away from here."


    The driver nodded, oblivious to what was happening, nodded and sped off.


    "Shit, she''s escaping," Dennis cursed as he hurried into his car. Before Aiden could reach him, he''d started the car and zoomed after the taxi.


    Dennis gripped the wheel tighter, his


    eyes fixed on Ana''s taxi. He was so focused that he didn''t notice the crossroad ahead-nor the massive truck speeding toward him from the right.


    With his eyes widened, the truck driver hysterically mmed on his brakes, but the weight of the vehicle pushed it forward and his palm mmed against the horn. Dennis heard the shriek of the truck''s hornte. He made to quickly swerve to the left, out of the truck''s way, but it was toote as the truck rammed into its side that same moment.


    The collision sent Dennis'' car spinning off the road. It flipped violently beforeing to a halt upside down on the sidewalk, ss shards glinting in the sunlight.


    She froze, her breath catching in her throat, eyes widened as she watched the truck collide with Dennis'' car, the sickening crunch echoing in her ears.

 Chapter 0436

    AUTHOR''S POV


    "Stop!" Her voice quivered as she yelled to the taxi driver.


    That was enough for Ana to return.


    "What have I done?" Her breath trembled as she threw the door open and hurried out of the taxi. Her hands trembled as she stumbled onto the pavement. "Dennis!" She yelled as her knees fell to the hard concrete ground. "Please, no," she whispered, her gaze on the mangled car. "Dennis, please be alive." She crawled to the car, peering in to see him, but it was all dark in there and her sobs heightened. "Why did I leave? Why didn''t I just wait for him?"


    She wiped her tears. "I promise," she sniffed. "I won''t go to Amie anymore, I promise, Dennis, please,e out," she cried as she vaguely recalled him telling her that Amie has gotten justice and there was no need to go to her anymore. This was all her fault. She should have listened to him. She should have waited for him before she left.


    "Ana!" Aiden cried as he rushed out of the car. He was relieved to see Ana. He had found a taxi a while after Dennis drove off and followed him. When he noticed the crowd and saw that there had been an ident, he was scared that it was Ana. "Shit!" He muttered as he came to a stop before Ana, recognizing the ruined car as Dennis''.


    Ana scrambled to her feet and clutched at his shirt. "Please, bring him out, I beg you. Tell him I''m sorry," she pleaded then turned back to the car and called out. "Dennis, pleasee out."Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Aiden held Ana to him as he called an ambnce.


    The ambnce arrived on time.


    "Dennis! No, please, don''t take him too from me," Ana cried as Aiden pulled her away so the paramedic team could have their way.


    "It''s okay, he''ll be fine," he said, but he doubted it.


    Ana shook her head vigorously. "He won''t be. They said the same thing about Amie," she said and buried her face in his shirt.


    Throughout the ride from that location to the hospital, Ana cried until she grew weary and slept off.


    ***


    When Ana woke up, she asked for Dennis'' ward and she was led there. She wiped the tears that rolled out of her eyes when she saw him, all bandaged up, arms and legs in a cast.


    She knew she couldn''t lose Dennis too. Not after Amie. It would tear her apart. She had a fuzzy memory of his visits, his kind smiles and his loving words. He never gave up on her. She wasn''t about to give up on him either.


    Throughout the day, she stayed by his bedside, holding in to his bandaged hand and repeatedly apologizing to him.


    The next day, representatives from the mental health center arrived to get her.


    "But I can''t leave him," her lips trembled as she tried to plead with them.


    "I''m sorry, but you have to leave," the man, one of the representatives from the mental health center, said.


    Ana shook her head stubbornly as she pressed herself closer against the door to Dennis'' ward, ready to run in and lock them out if she had to. "Please, I don''t need to go back. I mean it. I''m fine now." And she really was fine. Atleast, she was trying.


    ¡°Ma''am. I''ll ask for thest time," he said in a no nonsense voice. "You need to leave with us.we can''t leave you here, not now. You''re still a danger to the people around you. "Ple-"


    "There''s no need to beg. I''m here to do my job and I''ll do that, no matter what."


    Just then, Aide walked down the hall. A frown etched on his brows when he saw the men before Ana. What made him quicken his steps was how Ana looked close to tears. He widened his strides and covered the space between them.


    "What''s happening here?" He asked, his gaze going from Ana to the imposing men.


    "Aiden!" Ana rushed to Aiden''s side, clutching to his arm. "They''re from the asylum," she pointed at them. "They''re here to take me, please, don''t let them. I can''t leave Dennis. He needs me by his side now." Aiden briefly nced down at her, at the fear and fierce determination in her eyes. Since the previous day, she acted fine, silently crying and holding on to her husband''s hand.


    "I''ll talk to them," he told her. Then he turned to the men. "Please, let her in. I''d like to have a word with you."


    The men regarded Ana for a while before they nodded.


    Immediately, Ana fled inside, leaving Aiden with the men.


    Aiden spoke with the men, and after a while, he was able to convince them to let her stay. But he''d have to pay a visit to the mental health center and drop a statement.


    ***


    As the day went by, Aiden came to a realization. A realization he had suspected but yet, he made himself believe otherwise. Perhaps, it was what Sharon had also seen that scared her that she''d leave him. Somehow, he thought he still had a chance with Ana. He had tolerated his marriage and tried to stay with Sharon, but deep down, he yearned to be with Anastasia.


    But as he watched her take care of Dennis like a mother hen, ring at nurses at the slightest mistake. "The water is too hot, ma''am," she''d gri out as she put her hand in the water to examine its temperature. Then she''ll shake her head. "It''ll scald his skin, please, lower the temperature."


    In the way she cared for him, mostly putting herself second; the way she looked at him, Aiden could see how much she loved Dennis.


    It was a realization that caught him off bnce. It was crushing. He had hoped when he shouldn''t have.


    But at least, he now knew to stop. He now knew that it was time to step back... for good this time.


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