Alice's phone had been shattered when Bethany Walton threw it to the ground. With just fifteen minutes left to reach home, Alice prayed for one thing: that her son would be there. "Please, I need to get there as soon as possible," she urged the driver. She knew her father was probably bombarding her with calls, maybe Sofía and some of her other sisters too. After all, Jared had informed Mr. Taylor that Robert Graham had found his son, and Alice was unaware of the situation there. Her only concern was to get home to her child. Everything else was secondary.Upon opening the door, the house was dark, but she knew it well. Her rapid steps led her to her son's room, only to find Robert's imposing figure blocking the doorway. She tried to step forward, but he didn't let her enter, towering over her. Alice was determined to see if her son was really there. "Ethan is inside," Robert muttered. Alice tried to enter, but Robert's arm stopped her again, his body effectively blocking the door. F
That all happened so fast, he wanted to stop them, but with the baby in his arms, Alice's things, those people photographing the woman being arrested, and then... then she and everyone else were gone.He held Ethan and took a deep breath, needing to find a way to fix this.Beth approached with a smile while Robert looked for a taxi, his son in his arms and Alice's things with him. "Rori! Rori!" she stopped, looking at the baby in Robert's arms. "Oh, but he's a spitting image of that woman! How sad!" Robert's stern look made her roll her eyes. Just looking at Ethan Graham, you could immediately tell he was a Taylor, same features, and the exaggerated similarity to his young mother. Such a beautiful and noticeable baby. "I'm giving you what you wanted, how about we grab a coffee? I need to tell you some things," she touched her head, seemingly in pain. "I think I have a hangover. We need to do a paternity test for your son so the process can move faster, the lawyer has your number... th
When the verdict was announced, there were many reactions in the courtroom. Bethany Walton burst into laughter when Alice Taylor fainted, and Robert tried to rush to her, but the guards stopped him, preventing him from reaching the accused's side. The young woman was taken to the infirmary, and only her family was allowed to see her. Her father stood by her side, holding her hand. The others had known for days that Alice would get a year in jail, everyone except her. Henry had tried everything to at least get her bail, but it was not to be. One year in prison. It was unavoidable, despite the efforts. She opened her eyes very slowly, the room was dimly lit, smelled of plastic, and the bed was excessively uncomfortable, too rigid; she felt the cold of the handcuff on her right wrist, chained to the bed. She wanted to sit up abruptly, hoping it was a nightmare, but it wasn't. Tears clouded her vision, and with her free hand, she began to wipe her eyes."You kidnapped my son to take o
Robert was struggling, haunted by the thought that Ethan was suffering from being away from his mother. The child would wake up crying at night, was eating poorly, and had developed a fever, which led Robert to take him to the hospital. He was unsure about how to raise a baby, having no prior experience, and while he didn't find it impossible, he was also overwhelmed by the knowledge that Alice would spend a year in jail. He was troubled too by the unresolved issues surrounding his son's disappearance, the theft by Henry Taylor at Ethan's birth, and the way Simon Leclerc had managed to clean everything up, continuing to do so despite Bethany Walton's attempts to bring them down. Simon Leclerc remained untouched, and only Alice Taylor bore the consequences.After the fever had passed, Robert returned home around seven in the morning with his son. Beth was there, comfortably settled in his living room.Robert had told her he had a lot to focus on and didn't have time for her games, but
Claiming she was nervous would be an understatement. How had she, Alice Taylor, found herself in jail at almost twenty-two years old, already divorced and separated from her son? If someone had told her two years ago, after marrying Robert Graham, that her life would take such a drastic turn, she might have defied her father for the first time, either by escaping or firmly refusing to marry Robert. But she had obeyed, and everything that followed is now history.Wearing the standard-issue gray prison uniform, Alice was shown around the large jail, housing about seven hundred inmates. She arrived with certain privileges, including being kept away from the general population in an isolated cell. In some ways, this was a relief. She didn't see herself as a criminal like the others and was terrified at the thought of living with women who had committed heinous crimes or sharing a room with strangers.This was the lowest point any Taylor had ever reached, and Alice continued to set unfortu
On the day of the visit, Robert found himself fussing over Ethan, combing his hair three times and changing his clothes just as often, clearly stressing both himself and his young son."Do you think you need a haircut?" Robert mused, smoothing Ethan's locks only for them to spring back into their natural wave. "Your hair's getting pretty long. Let's see what your mom says; she might have a better opinion on this. I think it’s too long, what do you think, Ethan?" The baby was visibly upset by his father's indecisiveness, and Robert too was anxious. He wanted Alice to see that Ethan was well-cared for and that she didn't need to worry. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but this is the first day, and I know it's important for her, for all three of us. It's a big day for you too, you'll be in your mother’s arms." The room's door opened, and Bethany entered. Annoyed, Robert placed Ethan back in the crib and approached Bethany, searching her hands roughly for the key, which she, with a smile, did not
Sitting on her bed, hands clasped together, Alice let tears drop onto her legs as the minutes swiftly passed. It was the time for her visit, but Robert hadn't arrived yet. He had promised he would come, and the fact that no one had come to fetch her indicated he wasn't there. She stood up, walked to the door, and peered outside. The corridor seemed deserted. Then she heard footsteps approaching. Could it be a visitor for her?"Against the wall, hands on your head," the guard instructed before opening the door. "You have a family visit, Robert Graham. Do you accept?" The question was unnecessary; she had been waiting for them desperately."I accept," she replied joyfully. They handcuffed her, and Alice didn't have time to dry her face.Entering the visiting room, the first thing she saw, the first thing her eyes desperately sought at the back of the room, made her smile.It was her son!She wished for the handcuffs to be removed quickly, but everything had its process. Once her hands w
As Robert watched the scissors move around Ethan's head, his heart was in his hands. He silently pleaded, "Don't move, Ethan. Please don’t move," while Ethan barely blinked and strands of hair fell around him. Although Ethan remained still, Robert felt more anxious than his son.He had taken Ethan to a child-friendly hair salon, and after the haircut, they gave Ethan a bath to ensure no stray hairs irritated his skin. "Wow..." Robert was speechless when they handed his son back to him. "You look so grown up. Did you grow with the haircut?" He stared in amazement."When their faces aren't covered by hair, they often look a bit older, especially if you're used to seeing them with longer hair," the stylist commented. "Do you like the cut?""I think... he looks so grown up, his face looks more serious, and that expression...""What about young Ethan’s expression?""It’s his mother’s expression. Wow," Robert said, smoothing Ethan's eyebrows before kissing his forehead.It was their third v
After that celebration, Robert and Alice had a couple of hours alone, before the inauguration event of their company.Robert touched his wife's finger, sliding down the ring that was there, looking so good in his hand."My wife..." the word tasted like honey in her mouth, but her lips tasted more like honey, painted in a soft tone and addressing her husband's."My love," he joined his lips with Graham's and began a dance that would undoubtedly lead to other things.Behind them the bed was waiting for them.The man's hands searched desperately behind the dress, without finding the zipper, he bit Alice's lower lip in a plea for her to help him get rid of that dress before he went crazy.Her laughter betrayed her, making mischief to have fun with Robert, despite seeing him desperate."Ah... did you find it funny?" I can enter in a different way. I'll show you." He ran through Alice's waist with his hands, fell kneeling in front of her and in a quick movement he lifted the skirt of the dr
"Why again?" Ethan was at his feet, without taking his eyes off his aunt, from all the sisters she was the most similar to Alice, especially after she had lost weight, a thin Alice looked a lot like Sam. "If they already divorced once, why get married?""The first time I walked to the altar was to please Dad. And believe me, I didn't have the slightest desire to marry, neither to Robert, nor to anyone, more than anything because I was in love with Jared. A wedding with him was a sacrifice, in its entirety. Much less did I see myself capable of loving him, I knew that he didn't want home either, we didn't know each other, there was no link between the two. And it seemed that it would be impossible to have had it."What now?""Haven't you seen her?" She looks at him and sighs," Loren replied. "She is very much in love. It's normal, Robert is a sweetheart, Sam."Is it the same Robert as...?" He looked at Sofia, then at Alice. "Why do I ask if I already know?""Yes, it's Robert Graham him
That trip turned out to be a very bad idea.I was hoping that Mary would see him there and like the surprise, but it was the opposite.He was affected by his words.It was there for her, not because Mark was also present. Mary Jane said that it was important to her and he wanted to show her that it could also be important to him.The gesture was not well received."Why does this come from you, Jeremy?" I expected it more from his daughter, never from Jeremy, because he was the one who would lose the most. "Has anything happened with Mary Jane?" How is the situation there? - Mr. Taylor didn't seem to know that Mary was in the country. - Tell me. You can trust me."I fell in love with someone else," Jeremy said, sitting in front of Mr. Taylor. "And that person doesn't want to be my lover. I think... if our divorce doesn't intervene with anything, that option could be considered. What do you tell me?"Divorce?" Do you think it's convenient for you or your family? They still have a huge d
"Alice!" she ran to her sister, happy to see her, hugged her, squeezing her against her. A somewhat anguished Robert approached the two, surrounding Alice by the waist to separate them, considering that Mary was squeezing her a little."Don't squeeze it too much." He asked. Mary lowered her arms from her sister and greeted Robert, just as happy to see him. How are you, Mary?"Since when have you been so delicate or careful?""Since always," he replied, surrounding Alice's belly. "Now more."I'm pregnant," little Alice told her sister.Mary Jane put her hands to her mouth, unable to stop the surprise that came to her with the news."What a joy!" Now I understood Robert's precautions, although they were still exaggerated. "Another baby. Congratulations to both of you, I see that you don't waste your time.Alice took her sister's hand, taking her to the car, gave her a second hug and a kiss.Robert entered the suitcase and the two of them were talking."How are you?" Did it cost you to c
He entered his son's room, he was asleep, the suitcase was already at the door.He kissed his forehead and went towards the door, giving him one last look."I'll be back in four days," he said, it didn't matter if Andy wasn't listening to her.He left the room, turning off the ceiling light and only leaving the one on the bedside table.At the exit door was Jeremy with his arms crossed.I knew Mary Jane's plans and no matter how much it bothered her, I couldn't stop her from doing anything. She was there by her own decision. And for his son.But, despite the fact that in those months Jeremy had tried some things for them to make the passes, Mary Jane did not forgive him for blackmailing her with her son, and only words passed."Mary, will you really leave?" She made a lump in her throat, afraid that she wouldn't come back, that she wouldn't care about either of them."Four days, Jeremy. It's only four days."But... we can go with you."It's Robert and Alice's opening party. It goes wi
He didn't know that he wanted to leave or that he needed it, until his brother made the mention of leaving that place.Although the word "abandon" was not to Charisse's liking, because it made her nostalgic. Their father had abandoned them, their mother had died, years later they learn that their father had also died and as if they were not many misfortunes, they are left without money. But luckily Jared finished his university studies and was able to get a good job at Graham Group, the rest that happened did not exist in Charisse's mind, because she was in a coma, she did not know the course that Jared's life took or his friendship with Robert.But leaving that place seemed very sad to him, until he was on the plane.If she looked back, it was not only a relief for her to be moving away from all that, it was also a relief for Jared to be able to leave, to do it with his sister.According to his memories, it was the first time he boarded a plane, because the two times he came to do it
"I don't know what you did to make things happen like this. Maybe you didn't do anything and it was due to Alice. I'm here to tell you myself. Thanks to you... Bethany won't pay for what she did to my sister. I don't blame you for what Bethany did, but I thought you would at least like her to pay for the damage done to my sister. I don't even know how I could think that, when it's clear that if you kept the secret it was because you weren't interested in anything that happened to Charisse. And, even after this, you served to make her leave unscathed. I admit that this is not the first time I have been disappointed in you, but I thought you appreciated my sister, Robert. I don't know why I'm still waiting for something from you, when you let me see over and over again what you are."Jared, I didn't do anything so that Bethany wasn't convicted."Your damn name could not be mentioned at the trial! You knew what Bethany did. You were his fucking accomplice!"He wasn't his accomplice!"And
He was facing his father.The man kept wondering how it was that he was wrong in so many things.She was an adult woman, who had wasted her life in multiple ways, but this was one of the worst.There was an attack on someone else's life."Bethany, I've given you everything, I've consented to everything, but never... I could overlook the fact that you try to kill someone else.It was Robert's fault! You know I wanted to leave me, I told you a million times."And I told you not to insist on him, because the poor man put up with you a lot. What does Robert have to do with all this? You ran over her with clear intentions of killing her. I have talked to the lawyer and... we have to try to reach an agreement."I'm sorry, Dad." He looked down. "But Jared is no longer the starved man of before."What do you mean?" Do you think we can't reach an agreement? A good financial compensation, after all she didn't die, did she?"He's the CEO of all Taylor companies, Dad. I think that financial compe
The news had been watered like wildfire between the Taylor sisters.Sofia and Loren tried to call Alice, but she turned off her cell phone so she didn't hear from anyone.Quite stressed that she was after knowing that Robert kept a secret of that magnitude, that he interacted with Bethany even after that, that he knew what she was capable of and let him approach him again, even close to her son.The nerves did not abandon her, while she thought that another more serious thing could have happened against her or her child from Bethany to have felt jealous, if she acted in that impulse driven by jealousy.She kept thinking about bad things and horrible scenarios that were no longer capable of happening, but her thoughts betrayed her and Bethany Walton didn't leave her mind.Are you going to involve Robert? It was one of the questions that Alice asked herself, holding herself so as not to call Jared and keep asking him to please leave Robert out of everything.And it stopped.Because he w