It was early in the afternoon when Aiden got back to his place. Since getting back from the meeting room, he was fuming as he remembered his project getting rejected to be signed just because of Cannon.
He knew it was just the beginning and being a member of the Elite Panel, he couldn’t go against Cannon's decision. Now a days he was earnestly wishing a panel like that shouldn’t have existed. If he could, he would have gotten out of the panel but that was out of the question now.Seeing the stock of his favorite wine, filled, he sat on the chair with a thud after taking few bottles of wine and a glass and putting them on the table. He went on filling the glass and gulping down that in a go. The more he was thinking about it, the more he was enraged.Laya, his wife saw him once while talking on the phone but thought of leaving him alone for a while. She knew the reason for his foul mood. But what she could do? She was expecting Aiden to go on with another plan like always but found him doing otherwise.When Aiden didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, she let out a sigh and approached him. Though she almost yelled at him, "Stop it. That's been enough now." Aiden didn't seem to care a bit."Everything got destroyed. Every plan of mine fired back to me just because of that bitch." He mumbled being all frustrated and gulped down the left of wine from his glass.Laya sat beside him as she got the glass away, "Who? Evana?""No, Elaine." Aiden turned to Laya, "She went on playing as per Cannon's gesture as if nothing matters to her except his words."Laya knew it from the day she had seen Elaine at that Party of Mr. Arthur. With the way Elaine was staring at Cannon at that time, it was clear to her. It was all over her face. Either Elaine loved Cannon or she was damn good at pretending.Laya had told it to Aiden but he bet on it to be the second case. He thought Cannon had threatened her or something to get Elaine doing whatever he wanted."But I can't believe Cannon handled his desire even after getting drugged to such an extreme level." Aiden was so sure that nothing happened between Cannon and Elaine. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have listened to him till the very end. He thought to himself."What do you mean?" Laya didn't know anything about it. Aiden spoke up about his work of drugging Cannon's drink that night at the club without even realizing it while hating the fact that his last plan also failed."I even made sure Cannon had reached his place directly to.."Before Aiden's words were completed, a tight slap fell on his cheek. Aiden's head almost got hit the table. Laya was bewildered but she tried to help him.Mary stood there glaring at Aiden. Neither she did know all this nor she could believe Aiden would have stooped this low to drug his own brother to mess up his already messed up married life."Let Ethan get back from his business trip. We will talk to you two then." Mary uttered coldly as she made her way out of the mansion.She had to talk to Cannon. She had to talk to Elaine. She thought and got into the car."Cannon's place."She uttered as she leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes.Nodding at her, the driver revved the engine and drove away to reach the destination.When she got to know about Evana disappearing that day before the wedding, she didn't have the time to think properly about what to do. That time as she noticed Elaine considering about none but Cannon only when Ethan, her husband, Cannon's father asked her to marry Cannon. She was staring at Elaine thoughtfully for a while until she reached a decision.That day she also got forcing Elaine like her husband because she seemed to be a nice girl to her, unlike Evana who had left Cannon for whatever the reason.Cannon was always abandoned by his family and now the love of his life. And she knew after this betrayal, Cannon would be broken given his past and their behavior towards him since his childhood.She knew she had failed as a mother but she wanted Cannon to be happy. She wanted someone beside Cannon to take care of him. She didn't know why but she believed Elaine would do that.She knew she was being selfish, not caring a bit about Elaine but she went on forcing Elaine. And to keep Cannon in the dark about the replacement of the bride, she added the veil thing.That's why she tried to talk to Cannon several times to get his misunderstandings cleared about Elaine. But Cannon didn't give her the chance. Now Aiden's words were frightening her. What if Cannon had really..No. Mary forcefully cut off the line of her thought going in that direction.~~Don't you even dare to go near our shop.Cannon stared at the handwriting on the note closely. He opened the briefcase only to get shocked to see the money in it.Where did she get this money? He got asking himself. The money she got from her modeling was still with Cannon. Elaine never asked for it.The envelope remained untouched for a while and so was the ring on it. He was about to make his way to Elaine's room to get the answer but before he could do that, Bella appeared at the entrance and saved her from the trouble of walking."Elaine has left this place. I know it's not my place to say but still, I would like to say that you should have stopped her from leaving. I don't know what had happened between you two but Elaine never intentionally hurt you."Cannon turned to Bella as she uttered the word again and this time leaving some extra emphasis on the word, "Never."He didn't say anything to Bella as she walked out of his sight. He stood there thoughtlessly until his eyes fell on the envelope and it demanded his attention.He stepped forward and reached his hand to get it. As he took out the documents and his eyes scanned it, for a moment he was dumbfounded. His eyes got stuck at her signature on the divorce papers.Elaine MarshallThough he didn't want to feel sad, he did.His words from last night echoed in his mind. He could feel he crossed his limits but her act was nothing less. He was bound to get mad.How could she think of being like this when she was still his legally wedded wife!She stared at her signature again as he thought she should have done it sooner before..His thinking process got interrupted as Neil, his butler appeared at the door and asked for his attention, "Sir, Ma'am is here."Before he could realize it, the word was already out of his throat, "Elaine?""No, it's me." Mary, Cannon's Mom entered the room and then turned to Neil, "You go."Guessing the heavy air in the room, Neil didn't wait for a moment after listening to Mary otherwise he would have waited there like always until Cannon responded to him.Mary had gotten here all the way praying but the words of Bella had already got her enough worried and let her know that her prayer wasn't going to get answered.Not at least now.Cannon glared at her, "Why are you here?" getting totally pissed off that he still had things to go through for this day.Mary could feel she was equally at fault in all this, for having his cold behavior. She was never a mother for Cannon. She was never there for Cannon when he craved her little attention.She should have stopped Ethan or at least tried to stop him but she didn't. She should have let Cannon know about Evana's disappearance without going with the veil thing. She should have tried harder to talk to Cannon. But she didn't. She might have been good at business but when it came to Cannon, her son, she was nothing but a failure.Without bothering Cannon's cold words, Mary stood there firmly. If it was some other time, she would have left being hurt at his words but not today. She had taken enough of his coldness. But not now. She had to sort the things out and she wasn't going to budge not before completing her say......."Where is Elaine, Cannon?" Mary thought of asking him first. Bella had told her already that Elaine had left with her bags packed but she still thought Cannon might have known she had gone where to.Even if Cannon didn't go, she would go to her to ask forgiveness. Not just because of her guilt towards her but on behalf of Cannon also. She didn't know Aiden was plotting all this and Cannon was using her."Why are you asking me!" Cannon scoffed. His patience was getting thin already. "You must have known where she is. After all, she is a part of you all."Mary closed her eyes trying to get control over her restlessness, "Cannon, I am asking you where Elaine is?"Cannon stood there staring at her. Getting no response from him, Mary opened her eyes, "You didn't do anything to her, right?"Cannon knitted his brows in confusion hearing Mary but didn't utter anything as he thought in mind what that was supposed to mean."Elaine didn't do anything deliberately, Cannon. She never wanted to mar
Getting back to his place Cannon found Mary waiting for him in the living room. He frowned as he didn’t expect her to wait for him this long but without bothering to listen to her, he spoke up, "Why are you still here? Just leave."Mary was thinking that Cannon was going to get Elaine back from wherever she had gone but when she found Cannon walking in alone, her face fell. She thought of following Cannon as he ascended the stairs without bothering to talk to her and she did.Totally forgetting Bella's words that Elaine had left, Cannon made his way to Elaine's room. But when the room looked empty, it hit him. Bella's words echoed in his mind.He took out his phone and called Elaine but it was switched off. After trying several times, Cannon thought of calling Hina thinking Elaine must have gone to her.Hina's number wasn't there saved in his phone book. Giving it a thought, he called Sam but it was answered by Sarah, Sam's sister on its second ring.Sam was taking a shower then and S
After Four YearsCannon was driving the car, with Sam beside who was briefing him about the project for which they were going to attend a meeting.Out of nowhere, a woman came in front of their car. Cannon stopped the car with a jerk and the car got stopped just a few inches before. Both of them rushed out of the car immediately and uttered in unison, "You okay?"The woman stood up holding a little puppy in hand uttering, "Yeah, I am." but when they came face to face, all of them were bewildered. Uttered silence occupied the place.Sam spoke up first breaking the silence, "Elaine? You?"Before Elaine could say something, a little boy got there running, "Mom, you okay?"Elaine stared at Cannon’s face who was looking at the boy with widened eyes. The boy also turned to him. Pulling out a serious expression, he scolded him in his baby voice, "Be careful."Cannon stood there dumbfounded, his eyes never leaving the three-year-old boy.But without bothering him, Elaine got down and assured
Cannon kept there sitting on the roadside bench all alone as his entire thirty years of life flashed by in front of his eyes.He was a talkative child, good to make friends and get himself him into trouble as well but then he had to realise the bitter truth of his life.His parents were never there for him. Cannon always heard in his childhood whenever he asked his nanny about his mom and dad that they were busy.The feeling being a child, he went through hearing that his parents were so busy that they didn’t even have a little bit of time for him was way worse beyond imagination for him.He was sent to boarding school forcefully and only got to visit his family once in a year but that time he got to realise, they were better off without him.He stopped visiting them despite his wish. Though he wished, they would visit him if he didn't come home or ask him to visit them at least but nothing of this happened. It made him feel unwanted, unworthy, worse and what not.He was gotten to be
Cassandra was just done preparing some cake and cookies as per his preference. She tasted a cookie to check and got pleased with the taste.Not sweet at all but yummy. Sometimes, she wondered how come a little child hated sweets with such a passion!When chocolates, ice-creams, candies, different types of sweet cookies are the things children seemed to love generally,Ryan was a bright exception in this case.Well, he just liked ice cream among all of these but for other sweet things, he had a big fat No.Smilingly Cassandra shook her head at her thought and was placing the cookies in a box when the doorbell rang. She knew it was them only and walked to answer it.She opened the door to reveal Elaine standing there with Ryan holding her finger and Tom, their pet was standing in the row."Cassie!" Ryan squealed in joy and when he saw his nanny bending and opening her arms for him, he literally jumped to her."How's your outing, honey?""Good." Ryan answered smilingly and Cassandra nodd
It was early in the evening. Elaine, Cassandra and Sienna, Cassandra's friend were decorating the living room with all colourful things. Most of them were of moon and star-shaped things and balloons. Ryan was jumping around happily seeing all these.Cassandra and Elaine were astonished to see Ryan not minding Sienna touching him and talking to him as Ryan didn’t get along with strangers easily.Knowing the reason behind their shocked faces, Sienna spoke up smilingly, "Well, that’s my charm." making Elaine smile back to her whereas Cassandra rolled her eyes.When they were done with the arrangement and all, Cassandra placed the cake on the middle of the coffee table that she baked herself. Though a cake couldn't be but sweet, she made it otherwise with the thought that the birthday boy had to like the cake no matter what.When Cassandra set the candles on the cake, Ryan blew them off while clapping himself being all excited. After wishing him, when Elaine reached to his mouth with a pi
After getting into the room, Ryan laid flat on his stomach as he opened a random page from the book, Damien brought him. After staring at the moon there for a while, he pulled back and turned to Cassandra, "Cassie, who is he?"Cassandra was thinking about what must have happened between Elaine and Ryan's father. She had asked Elaine but she never talked about him. Not even his name. She didn't even know if Elaine was married or just a single parent. She didn’t push her into this much seeing her fallen face every time she asked. Something might have gone wrong between them but then what could be it? She couldn’t just get this.Elaine was a nice girl and Ryan was nothing but a sweetheart.. Then?Well, his father might not have known about Ryan as when she met Elaine, Ryan wasn't even born and she had never seen him visit them before. And when she saw Damien treating Elaine and Ryan with nothing but sincerity, she couldn’t help try playing a cupid.Ryan's voice pulled her out of her thoug
The next day when Elaine entered the office and barely settled on her seat, Rivan, the PA of the CEO made an appearance there."Elaine, sir is expecting you with your team." With his words delivered, Rivan was about to leave but Elaine stopped him, "Rivan, what is happening?"She had met with the CEO very few times because he only called heads of departments in his office and no other employees. If he called for them, then it meant something unusual was waiting for them. He was polite but very rigid at times. The staff generally got scared of the way he talked. Because he talked in a very serious tone and that tone explicated that whatever he said or ordered was an ultimatum and it wasn't going to be changed anyway.Rivan replied, "I am not sure. Be quick, okay?"Elaine turned to the other members of the marketing department and spoke up, "Well, as you all heard already, Sir is calling. Let's go."Elaine, one of her team members was already beside her as she uttered in a whisper, "Are