Ariana heaved a sigh and stared up at her friend from behind her fingers. "Who will walk me down the aisle, Lisa?"Lisa wanted to blurt out her parents' names but she knew what those two had done to Ariana. She wasn't sure Ariana would want her gambling father to walk her down the aisle at all. Nor would she be comfortable knowing her mother was somewhere in the hall unobserved. The woman might steal from every guest and get away with it. She was that good at it."We can get you hired parents that look so much like you that no one would ever question who your real parents are!" Lisa suggested.To her, it was the perfect plan. It would even clear out the fact that Ariana's parents were scammers and criminals. People would only associate her with the fake parents from then on.But the look on Ariana'sface told Lisa that Aria didn't buy the idea at all. She wouldn't want to hire fake parents for her magical big day."How about, we get Zion to walk you? He is your friend. He has been for
"Daniel?" She choked as tears filled her eyes. Her brother was back."Arry, is that really you?" His voice was a lot deeper than she could remember it and there was something else but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.She fought back her tears of joy and swallowed hard. "You came back?" She whispered. Was this a miracle? Just a few moments ago she was talking about how impossible it was to get her brother to walk her down the aisle. Now he was speaking to her.Ariana felt a flutter in her heart. Yet something was holding her back. There was something in his voice and she understood what it was the moment he opened his mouth again."I had to Arry. Father is dead!"For the second time that day, Ariana felt her heart skip another beat. Her father was what?"No!" She screamed. "Father is what?" Surely she must have heard wrong, she thought. But when her brother didn't say another word. She felt the pain in the pit of her stomach yet she refused to believe it."Daniel what are you s
"Honey, what's going on?" He asked coming to her.Ariana dropped the shirt in her hand and she sat down —more like dropped on the bed. She licked her bottom lip and took a deep breath."Calhoun, I want to go home," She said in a tight voice.Calhoun was confused. He looked back at Lisa for help but Lisa was as confused as he was in the matter —maybe even more."But honey, we are home? What are you saying?" He asked her and then turned to Lisa. "Did she hit her head when she was fallen or something?"He moved closer and sat down with her. He held her hands and she pulled away from him. Calhoun felt his heart slice in pain due to the action. This was the first time she was turning him down."I am sorry but I really need to go to my parent's house," she muffled as her tears returned to her eyes."Did something happen to your dad?" Lisa blurted out. She had been silent all along as she tried to think of a possible answer to what was bothering Ariana and now that she mentioned home, he fig
"What is she doing here?"Ariana felt her heart sink as she stared up at her mother. "Mom what are you saying? What do you mean?""Do not even call me that! You lost that right the moment you turned your back on us!" She spat.This time she felt thunder strike within her as she turned helplessly to her brother for help. But the latter only shrugged as he also didn't understand their mother's outburst.Calhoun unconsciously moved to stand protectively between Ariana and her mother. She broke into a laugh and took out a cigarette before lighting it and walking away from the scene."Fuckers!" She breathed.Ariana's hands were shaking as her eyes caught the large portrait of her father down the hall. She moved towards it like a zombie. And when she got there she almost toppled over as she found a few friends settled around with a candle lit in front of it. It only meant one thing, her father was truly dead."No," she screamed covering her mouth and gaining the attention of every guest who
Ariana couldn't stop her tears from falling. She felt like she could have stopped her father from dying if only she had contacted them earlier. If only she didn't cut them off her life after what they did to her..."Honey, you need to stop blaming yourself," Calhoun whispered to her ears."How can I not blame myself? My mother is right, do I have a right to be here?" She said pulling away to look into his face."Do I have the right to cry when I was the one who walked away? Do I Calhoun?"Calhoun held her hands and squeeze them gently."Do I have the right to feel this pain I feel in my heart when I was the one who turned away from them?" "You didn't turn your back on them, Ariana. They turned their back on you. You kept helping them with open arms. You did all you could but it was never enough for them... honey how do you want to love a person who considers your love as financial freedom? Do you have to hurt yourself before you see it?" Calhoun whispered to her.She stopped crying a
"I offer my sincere apologies ma'am," Calhoun said as he stretched his hand toward Brenda. She took it but she kept a hawk-eye on his left hand."Thank you," she replied in an even tone as she kept waiting. This was Calhoun Lawson surely he had an envelope for her or did he keep it since she had raised her voice at Ariana? —Brenda thought as she waited for him still."May I steal him from you?" Calhoun said instead.It took Daniel nudging her shoulder before she realised what Calhoun had said. "Of course," she hissed walking past them to go sulk on one of the couches. Her anger was now toward Kelvin who she felt wanted to take the cheque Calhoun must have prepared for her."Have the two of you had a conversation?" Calhoun asked Kelvin and Ariana. He wanted to take her away from there but before doing that he wanted her to speak to her long-lost brother."We haven't," Ariana said tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear."Ah! Great then," Calhoun exclaimed handing Ariana's hand to K
Daniel and Ariana held hands and walked to the small park they had in their home town. They used to go there a lot with their father. It had a lot of memories and they sat quietly just enjoying the feeling the park brought to them."You remember the day your ice cream fell and you started crying so bitterly?" He asked her and Ariana smiled as she also saw the image of her two ponytails flying around as she cried that day."You gave me yours," Ariana whispered and they stared at one another.Silence filled them again and Ariana stared out at the little children that were playing around in the field. They looked very happy with their missing teeth as they jumped around and tagged each other. She was suddenly reminded of her childhood. Her brother had been her backbone. They use to come to this very park to play. They ran around and tagged one another just like the kids she was looking at.In the house, he acted like her second daddy. He protected her whenever their parents were arguing
"You brought that?" She asked referring to the envelope of money that solved her problems back then. "Yeah, I was there the day they had both refused to give you money for the ticket. They didn't do it because they loved you... they did it because they needed you to keep early to feed them." He had his hands folded into fists as he spoke. The anger he had felt at that moment returned to him and he had the strong urge to blow something."I wanted to take you then but I saw how attached you were with them, I got scared... And then the fear grew into ego. Each time I thought of coming to take you, I told myself that too much time had passed and that you probably hated me already," Daniel explained."I am truly sorry Aria. If I could turn back the hand of the clock, I would have taken you with me," he said holding her hand with sincerity.She pulled her hand from him and hugged him. How could she hate her brother? She lived every moment of her life hoping to see him and now that he sitti
(EPILOGUE)A soft knock resonated against Lim and Laura's bedroom door. Laura was in the bathroom and she had left Lim still sprawled on the bed with their handsome son.She expected him to have answered the door but when the knock resonated again, she hurriedly rinsed off the soap from her body and hurried out of the bathroom with a towel sparsely tied around her body."Lim, didn't you hear the door?" She hissed as she made her way to the door."I pay them to handle things in the house not bring every little thing to me... I am tired..." He mumbled softly against his son's head.Laura couldn't help but roll her eyes. Lim was a changed person but sometimes he couldn't help but be cruel at the smallest of things.She ignored him and went to pull the door open. There was her maid standing with her head lowered to the floor."I am sorry for disturbing your afternoon ma'am but the driver taking you to the venue is here... You said I should let you know..."Laura smiled. "Oh, thank you so
LOST IN YOUR ARMS: (NEW)"Laura, you need to eat more," Jasmine said as she kept filling the plate with more beef meatballs. But Laura never paid her any attention. Her advice was like extra water to an ocean.For the past three days, she had become a food monster. She couldn't do anything without eating. She even woke up early in the morning to get food from the kitchen. Was that how pregnancy changed women? To night thieves?"Don't you think you'll turn her into a fatty?" Charles asked. He was sitting on the other side of the dining table with Dennis."That's none of your business! She is pregnant and she needs to eat more!" Jasmine retorted."Whatever..." Charles rolled his eyes and turned to Dennis, who was busy biting off his meatballs with both hands like a hungry lion. When he noticed that his hands were stained with the stew from the food, he dropped the fork in his hands and started licking his fingers.Charles got irritated by this and made pulled up a scowl that said exact
Marcus opened his eyes and the first thing that welcomed him was darkness. He looked around, desperate to see the surrounding he was in but it was difficult to see through the darkness. He should have known that Lim had a mind of his own. As far as he could remember, back in the abandoned house, he heard the sirens of the police cars outside. Wondering if Lim was ready to damage the family's reputation name by exposing them to the public as kidnappers. At first, that was what he thought but to his disappointment, the little boy had another plan.After the police left and they got moved, he became deeply concerned with what Lim was going to do to him and Thomas. Maybe being exposed to the police was going to be a better option.Fear suddenly cupped him. He became edgy like a psychopath. He had to free himself at all costs before the devil laid a hand on him.Just as he was about to move, he found out he was cuffed against a chair. "Fuck! I'm tied!" He grumbled in frustration. Then,
The police officer's eyes were strained on Lim's injured arm. He was eager to help in any way that he could but Lim waved him off."Don't worry, it is just a mere scratch. My woman is more important now. I need to leave.""Alright, sir!" The police officer saluted again.Lim turned to Charles and gestured to him, using an eye look that only the two of them understood."Don't worry, I can handle the situation here. You need to get Laura to the hospital. Go!" Charles said.Lim nodded and made to move but Steve shouted behind him."I'm coming too!"Lim glared over his shoulder. "Suit yourself!" he said and got into the car that had just parked in front of him. Steve ran the rest of the distance and also jumped into the car before the driver pulled off.The atmosphere in the car was thick as the two of them faced opposite sides, never saying a word to the other.Steve could not stop blaming himself. He wanted to speak out but he didn't want to anger the devil that was beside him.Soon, t
Her hands were covered in blood.The world went silent as her eyes scanned the man in her arms. Her heart was dragging painfully down her throat and she thought she would pass out from the pain."Lim!" Laura screamed in horror.Instantly, the men pushed Marcus down on the floor with great force. They were red with anger, both at themselves for letting this happen and at Marcus. How dare a rat like him shoot at their boss in their presence!?Marcus couldn't believe he blocked the shot. The bullet wasn't aimed at Lim but at Laura. She was the target Marcus had planned to shoot but stupid Lim took the hit instead. Marcus was so stunned that, his body became numb. Even as Lim's men continued beating him, he couldn't feel a thing.Their plan was completely messed up!Thomas, on the other hand, couldn't do a thing but stare at his brother with pitiful eyes. Lim's men were kicking and punching Marcus. Blood seeped out of him yet no sound came out.Thomas couldn't do anything to help him. H
"Why don't you take a seat?" Marcus stated, motioning to the couch in the corner of the room, just across the bed.Thomas moved briskly to the side and took Lim's gun.Lim gritted his teeth as his eyes shifted to Laura. She was so scared, he could feel it in his bones. He knew she wanted to say something due to the movement of her eyes but she couldn't, because of the gag in her mouth.Lim's heart squeezed in pain. He felt like an erupting volcano, but he couldn't bring himself to that state, he had to stay calm for the safety of Laura.He composed himself and sat on the couch with his legs crossed. Trying to be in a character that would not show his anger."So, where should we start?" He asked them with a smirk.Marcus smiled and gestured to Thomas to handle the files. As Thomas messed with the papers, Lim's eyes moved over the room, that was when he noticed Brent, tied up and left sprawled on the bed. "Hmm..." Lim sighed and raised an eyebrow. His brothers must have had another pl
As soon as the call ended, a grin of excitement appeared on Marcus's lips. He was happy that everything was going according to plan.A few minutes from now, he would become the rightful CEO of Walter's occupation all thanks to the little dove he kidnapped.Speaking of the dove, he turned to look at the other side of the room where Laura was tied up on the bed hopelessly like a lamb.There was now a light in the room, enough for Laura to picture the faces of her kidnappers. She should have known that not all of Lim's family members liked him. But now it was too late, they had her.The smile on Marcus's face expanded. It was just amazing to watch fear and all crawl into the girl.He was grateful that she had come into Lim's life when she did because if it wasn't for her, they wouldn't have known how to get the mighty Lim to surrender."So what did he say?" Thomas, who was sitting on a couch with Brent by his side, asked his brother. Marcus turned to them with his hands in his pockets.
Lim got down from his car in a hurry and rushed into the mansion, ignoring the servant's greetings at the doorway. Charles strode behind him trying to keep up with his speed. "Laura!" Lim called as soon as he entered the living room.His heart was thumping and panic was already flowing in his veins. He didn't want to think the worst, but at this point it was inevitable."Laura!" He called again. Not caring that he was being extremely loud."Lau—" Before he could complete his words, his father stepped out of his room into the living room looking wild."Lim, what's going on?" Old Walter asked from the stairs. He was walking down with the support of his butler, Mr May."Where is my wife?" Lim snarled like a wounded snake. His voice was filled with authority and anger so thick it was like a volcano.Old Walter looked at him quizzically. What was he saying? Wasn't the girl home yet?"Laura took her leave in the morning. Isn't she home yet?" Old Walter asked as he went down to the last st
Lim tried almost ten times and yet, it still said the same thing. At this point, he couldn't put the feeling away, something was wrong."The line still says the same thing," Lim said worriedly. He had sweat all over his face from the pressure.Charles was having the same thoughts and as much as he tried to calm his friend, he couldn't bring up the right words. "Isn't Laura coming already?" Jasmine asked as she walked closer to them. Lim sighed and returned his phone to his trousers pocket. There was no time to waste, he needed to go to Walter's mansion and find out for himself what was happening."We're going to Walter's mansion!" Lim stated coldly and walked out of the room. His expression had changed to something so dark and scary that even Jasmine could feel the change in the atmosphere on her skin.Everywhere suddenly turned cold and it wasn't the good kind.She turned to Charles with a worried look. "Is everything okay? Why is Mr. Ice so cold?" She stared at Lim's retreating w