"Sorry for the unexpected visit, Mum and Dad," Marina said as she carefully took her seat surveying the place she had never known as home. She had always lived with her grandmother after her parents despised her. Speaking of despising, that's what they were here to talk about. "Wow...I mean, it's unexpected but you're welcome all the same. " Mrs Jones said as she took her seat beside her husband, whispering some things into her husband's ear before she excused herself and headed into the kitchen. Returning with a bottle of wine and 4 glass cups, a plate of sushi, and some leftover Thanksgiving chicken. "I'm so sorry, this is all we have since it's impromptu." She smiled laying them out on the table in the living room before taking his seat. "Oh, you shouldn't have bothered," Aiden said replicating their smile while holding Marina. She was still feeling very uneasy and with the way she was looking pale, he was sure she would be able to start up any conversation with her parent
"If you're not, spell it out to me that you're not and give a million and one reasons why and how you're in love. Go ahead, say it. Or don't. Let's continue this conversation sometime later. " They had already gotten to the door and pushed it open to find Aiden and Mr Jones, Marina's father playing Chess. "There has to be a mistake there, you can't possibly be pushing off all my knights. You're leaving my king and queen unsecured." Mr Ford was complaining oblivious to the presence of the ladies. "Let's see what would happen if I move my knight here. I should be able to knock down your queen and—" "Hello to the both of you too. What did we miss?" Marina finally broke the silence and both of the men jerked their heads to stare at the women who were standing near the door. "You're back so early." Aiden was sulking and Marina almost brushed into laughter. It was rare for him to be sulking so it was clear that he had been enjoying the game which they had interrupted. "Wait, does t
“Check the caller ID already and let me know if I'll have to school whoever it is." Mrs Jones was visibly annoyed but the annoyance only grew when she saw the caller ID. "An unknown number? It's an unknown number, who is this creep?" She questioned and Marina hit the Nader button almost immediately only for Jayden's vige to come through. "Hello, Marina." Jayden greeted and Marina just stared at the caller ID like she was going insane with her eyes rolling on their own will. "Who is it?" Her mum asked and Marina stared at her before answering. "Jayden Hawthorne" Marina stated pronouncing the name like it was some kind of bile in her tongue, her face scrunched up like someone who was irritated by the name she just pronounced. Of course, she was irritated. "Jayden Hawthorne! Hold on, the same Jayden Hawthorne that rejected you at the altar? He's the same person—Give me that phone." Marina's mum instructed but didn't wait for Marina to pass the phone over as she snatched the phon
“Wakey wakey Sleepyheads, I know that you all woke up by 2 because I woke everyone up with my tantrums but this is the natural time you should be up from your sleep already because what are you doing asleep? Detach from your beds, we have a long day this morning." Marina's mum yelled from the other side of the door to Marina's room. "Good morning mum." Marina greeted as she opened the door with a smile on her face. "Come on out, you know I meant what I said about us going shopping." Her mum stated and she nodded in agreement. "Of course, I know. But I would have to stop in by my company first." Marina answered and her mum nodded likewise. A few minutes later, the house was bubbling with liveliness as everyone was up chattering, and laughing, it was just a serene view of love and harmony. After breakfast, Mrs Jones dragged Marina to go shopping while Aiden left with Mr Jones to pay a visit which they preferred not to call a peace treaty visit to the Hawthornes. MARINA'S COSM
Mr Jones, I'm not sure we have an appointment so what brings you to my house?" Mr Hawthorne asked, his eyes darting to the direction of Jayden's study room every now and then as he tried to remain cautious in whatever he said to Mr. Jones "Of course, we don't have an appointment but coming to see you was more impromptu and very essential." Mr. Jones stated, his anger rising the more he thought about how everyone had awakened because of Jayden. "Well then—" Mr Hawthorne started but Mr Jones was irritated by the very presence of any Hawthornes and just wanted to state his deal and leave so he acutely cut him off abruptly. "Allow me to finish. This isn't a contracted marriage affair that we are talking about so why don't you listen to me first before trying to jerk in your suggestions which won't be needed because I didn't come here to listen to your jamboree." Mr Jones stated, his eyes red with anger as he halted at Mr Hawthorne who had no other option but to shut his mouth up. S
"Mum, we've been walking past these aisles more than three times now and you've not yet settled on anything that you like. How much longer are we going to do this? And can you please tell me exactly what we're looking for?" Marina complained as she dragged her feet lazily following her mum who was scouting for some dresses. "Are you already tired? Because we are not even close to being done. We still need to get some groceries after grabbing these clothes and quit asking me what we're looking for. I don't even know what we're looking for but we would know it once we set our eyes on it." Marina's mum repeated the phrase that she had said over and over again and at this point, Marina was already tired of hearing it. "Can't we just get any clothes?" Marina begged. "Anything I wear would suit me." Marina pleaded, her legs were worn out and the thought that they would still get groceries only made the energy that she had been conserving vanish into thin air and he no es felt weak at a
Marina emerged from the dressing room, her mother's eyes widening in awe as she took in the sight of her daughter in the stunning white gown. The delicate lace and intricate details sparkled in the light, accentuating Marina's curves in all the right places. Her hair was styled perfectly, and her makeup enhanced her natural beauty. "Aiden, come see!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed, beckoning him over. "Marina, you look absolutely breathtaking!" Aiden's eyes widened as he took in the sight of his wife, his face filled with admiration and adoration. "Wow, Marina... you look incredible," he whispered, his voice full of emotion. Marina blushed, her eyes shining with happiness as she twirled around, showing off the dress from every angle. "Do you like it, Aiden? I feel like a princess!" Aiden nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "You are a princess, Marina. My princess. And you look perfect in that dress." As they shared a tender moment, Francesca's eyes narrowed from across the room, her f
As Aiden and Marina drove back home, they were both still basking in the warmth of their wonderful day together. They had just turned onto the main road when suddenly, a car swerved into their lane, blocking their path.Aiden slammed on the brakes, and Marina let out a little gasp as they came to a stop just inches from the other car's bumper. They both sat there for a moment, shaken but unharmed."What was that guy thinking?" Aiden muttered, shaking his head.Marina leaned forward, peering out the windshield. "I don't know, but he's not even stopping to see if we're okay!"Aiden's eyes narrowed as he watched the car speed away. "That's weird. You'd think he'd at least check to see if we're all right."But as they sat there, Aiden's gaze lingered on the departing car, and suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. There was something familiar about that car... and the license plate..."Marina, I think I know who that was," Aiden said slowly, his mind racing.Marina turned to him, concerned.
"You know, I am completely fed up with your newfound attitude of coming home late without even giving me as much as a call," Marina whined as Aiden had his dinner. It Was late, about 10 pm in the night and Marina had to stay up, waiting for him to get back home. "I'm having my dinner, baby," he said, his voice low and husky, his eyes fixed on hers with an unnerving intensity. "Let me finish it up before you talk about all the ways you would kill me." He smiled, his lips curling up in a sly, seductive grin that made her heart skip a beat. "Although, I do have a favorite way I'd like to die - in your arms, with your hands wrapped around my throat." She felt a shiver run down her spine as he spoke, his dilated pupils making her heart flutter in her chest. But she refused to back down, keeping up her angry act even as her body betrayed her. "No, I am definitely serious, and I'm not waiting," she said, her voice firm, but her eyes betraying a hint of vulnerability. "Why were you late hom
"What are you talking about?" Francesca decided to use the denial route as she didn't know exactly what Aiden had said. Though with the accusing look that she was getting from her dad, she knew that whatever Aiden had told him wasn't good at all. "Don't! Don't do that Francesca." Her dad yelled banging his hands on the table as he folded his fist while gritting his teeth in anger. "Daddy! What's going on? You're just going to believe anything he said because he told you that? Is that what you're doing to do?" Francesca fired back as she walked closer to the table matching her father's glare. "That's brutal," Aiden muttered. "That's your guilty mind talking right there, Francesca. How would you even know he told me anything bad if you hadn't started incoming yourself with bad activities?" Aiden shook his head and chuckled a bit, totally amused by the show that the father and daughter duo were putting on. "That's a little twisted," Aiden muttered again. "Out of everyone Francesca,
"It's been a while boy, I'm kind of concerned that you came to see me. I'm actually on my way out so maybe, you would like to reschedule?" Francesca's dad adjusted his tie as he carried his briefcase in one hand ready to leave his office for an important meeting. "No." Aiden simply stated as he relaxed onto the rolling chair and wheeled it to a position where he was blocking the entrance. "What?" "I said no! You're not leaving here until we have a little nice chat, I have other places to be too so I won't waste much of your time as that would technically mean that I'm wasting my time as well." Aiden smirked and Francesca's dad went back to his chair, dropping his briefcase on the top of the table while Aiden wheeled the rolling chair back to the center of the office, I'm front of the table. "Are we going to have a problem?" Aiden queried as he tapped his chin and Francesca's father stared at him for a few seconds before chuckling lightly. "I don't think there is any reason for us
"What's going on?" Aiden questioned as he got into his office a day after firing Francesca. The whole company was in a ruckus when he got there and the workers told him that all the Hods had called an impromptu meeting in the board room. A meeting that he wasn't aware of, it only meant that things were going haywire and he raced there. Aiden walked into the conference room, a sense of unease settling in the pit of his stomach. The heads of the different departments were already seated, their faces grim as they murmured to each other. One of them had to clear his throat in a suspicious way to alert the others that their boss was present in the room. "Good morning, everyone," Aiden said, trying to sound calm as he sat down with a lot of poise and confidence going on inside of him. He didn't look slightly disturbed by anything that was going on. "Good morning, Sir." They replied in unison, their voices laced with tension as Aiden perused their faces and expressions. "Is there a reas
Francesca and Claw worked in silence, their movements swift and efficient as they disposed of Grim Jack's body. "Well, that's taken care of," Claw said, his voice low. Francesca nodded, her mind already racing with the implications. "Yeah, but we're not out of the woods yet. Aiden is still out there, and he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants and you know that means exposing you."Claw's expression turned grim. "We'll deal with him when the time comes. For now, let's just focus on covering our tracks." They dismissed everyone after Claw forced Amira on a date for some unknown reasons. After 2 days, Francesca walked into the lobby of Aiden's company, her heart pounding in her chest. "Can I help you?" the receptionist asked, her eyes narrowing. "I'm Francesca, the receptionist," Francesca replied, her smile confident. "I've been...out sick. But I'm feeling much better now."The receptionist's expression turned skeptical. "Uh, okay. Well, welcome back, I guess. B
Claw dragged Francesca to his main study room and shoved her to the floor while she kept a straight face though it was mixed with hurt. He turned to Francesca, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and urgency. "Francesca, how could you betray me like this? I trusted you with everything." "You betrayed me! You helped Aiden escape, you were with him all these while and I wonder how I failed to realize that." He snarled, glaring grimly at Francesca who had her hands bound. Francesca looked up from where she knelt and stared at him, a look of surprise on her face as she repeated what she had been saying all the way here. "I know you're fed up with hearing this but what the fuck are you talking about, Claw?" She quirked her brows up and he slapped her across "Don't play dumb with me!" Claw spat. "I know it was you who told Aiden about our plans. You're the only one who knew that as a new member of my team. He couldn't have possibly figured out, that he isn't a genie." Claw r
After a few minutes of sprinting, Aiden finally slowed down, ducking into a small alleyway to catch his breath. He leaned against the wall, his eyes scanning the rooftops for any sign of pursuit. "Hey Sir, you there?" The P.A.'s voice came through the earpiece, breaking the silence. "Yeah, I'm here. I made it out." Aiden replied, his chest heaving with exhaustion. " I've got a car waiting for you a few blocks from your location. It'll take you to your house." The P.A. stated and Aiden just let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding in. "And my phone?" Aiden questioned, pushing off from the wall and starting to move again. "Your phone is with the Chauffeur that would pick you up, they really fell for the trick." "Okay." As he turned a corner, Aiden spotted the car, a sleek black sedan, waiting for him by the curb. *CLAW'S MANOR: OAKVILLE* "What do you mean he's gone?" he snarled, his voice echoing off the walls as he banged his hands into the table whil
OAKVILLE *Claw's Hideout* Aiden sat calmly in the room after being brutally tortured by Claw, his eyes fixed on the door as Claw's men approached him. He knew this moment would come, and he was prepared. Too bad his brother was a naive soul who didn't think before he acted. If he took even a fragment of his time, he would realize that Aiden already knew all this was going to happen. As the guards grabbed him, Aiden didn't resist. He knew it would only make things worse. Instead, he waited until they were distracted, and then he made his move. With a swift motion, Aiden used his knowledge of martial arts to take down the guards, one by one. He moved swiftly and silently, his training allowing him to avoid making any noise. Once the guards were unconscious, Aiden quickly made his way to the door. He knew the route out of the compound, having studied it beforehand. Pressing the button of the speaker in his ear that was too little for anyone to see, he whispered. "I'
Marina paced to and fro the room as she felt an empty feeling inside her stomach. She didn't even know what to feel as she kept staring at the wall clock every second. The time read 10:38 pm and Aiden wasn't home yet, he didn't even try to reach her which was questionable. She tried to push away the growing sense of worry, telling herself he was probably just working late or had stopped to hang out with friends. But then on second thought, Aiden never went out with friends. She even began to wonder if he had any friends. She knew Aiden rarely came home late especially since she came back from the hospital so she couldn't sit still without her anxiety striking in. With every passing minute, Marina's heart sank more. She tried calling his number but the call wasn't going through. She sent a series of texts but it was left unreplied. She began to imagine all sorts of scenarios - car accidents, muggings, or worse. But why in the world was he not taking his calls? What was goi