CHAPTER THREE
Jane stared at the familiar office building in front of her and sighed. Somehow, she had ended up here. Abby would have her head if she told her about this, but she needed to confront Marcus once and for all as he seemed to be avoiding her. She eyed the building and spun on her heels, her back to it. “No, I shouldn’t go in,”
“Are you coming in?” A woman in a well-ironed suit asked as she brushed past her and Jane just stood there gasping like a fish, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly. “Well don’t just stand there, come on in,”
Wordlessly, Jane followed the woman unsure of what was going on. She looked down at the simple yet decent black gown she had slipped on and smiled grateful for her choice. They walked together to the elevator and the woman held the door for her.
“Thanks,” Jane said as she got in, moving to the back to lean against the wall.
“So what floor are you going to?” She asked, raising her eyes to press a number. She suddenly stopped and turned to face Jane, her eyes narrowed. “Wait, who are you here to see?”
Jane sighed and held up her left hand where her wedding ring was. “I am here to see my husband.”
The woman nodded absentmindedly and after pressing a number, she turned to her phone. Jane let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. If no one else stopped her, she’d be able to see Marcus, and they could talk.
“I forgot to ask you what floor he is on, sorry but I’m sure you can find your way from here.” She smiled and Jane smiled back.
“Thank you so much,” She yelled as the elevator closed with the woman inside.
The office was big and she knew she could miss her way but she was determined to find Marcus and speak to him. It couldn’t wait any longer, it simply had to be today.
“Can I help you with something?”
Jane nodded, staring at the man in front of her. “Yes. I am here to see my husband. Could you point me in the direction of his office?”
“I would if you could tell me his name.”
“His name is Mr. D****e, Marcus D****e.” She told him and didn’t miss the shocked expression on his face.
“You’re Marcus’ wife?’
“So could you point me in the direction of his office then?”
He snapped out of his thoughts and pointed. “It’s that way. I will show you.”
Jane followed him, hope filling her heart. She just needed five minutes with him.
Back in his office unaware of what was happening, Marcus smiled and signaled to the woman sitting in front of him. “Are you going to come here or do you want me on my knees begging?”
The woman sighed and glared at him, not looking as impressed with him. “I am done with your games Marcus, when is she signing the divorce papers?”
Jane who had just reached the door with the man accompanying her turned to thank him and frowned when she spotted him already walking away. With a sigh, she turned to the door to knock but heard voices and stopped. One sounded like Marcus’ voice but the other one, sounded oddly like her cousin’s voice but there was no way except Abigail had come to stick up for her.
She made a move to turn the knob but froze at Marcus’ next words.
“Babe,” Marcus’ voice rang out.
Why was he calling her cousin babe? Did they have some kind of…. Jane banished that thought instantly.
“When is she signing the divorce papers?” Abigail asked again.
“I want her out of our lives as soon as possible.” She huffed and pushed Marcus away when he tried to take her hand. “I’m tired of being your secret, it's been 3 years Marcus. Why didn’t you just tell her about us once and for all?”
Jane gasped and leaned against the door for support, her legs feeling like jelly.
Marcus let out a frustrated sigh “I can’t give you the answer to that. I gave her the papers but I can’t exactly force her to sign them now, can I?”
“That’s not an answer Marcus. Now I have her crying in my apartment because she still thinks you both still have a chance.” She paused for a moment.
Jane stumbled back and fell to the ground, tears clouding her vision.
“I won’t be there when you are ready Marcus,” she heard Abigail yell and snapped out of her reverie.
With jelly legs, she moved out of sight and hid behind a wall as the door opened and Abigail stormed off, her heels clicking on the marble tiles.
Next, Marcus ran out after her, calling her name.
Jane stared at them in disbelief, her heart breaking in tiny pieces.
Three years, she has spent with this man, giving him ideas and is the brain behind his company being established. He didn't give her any accolades and not that she needed it anyway. All she needed was his love.
She didn't know when she sat on the floor with tears pouring down her eyes, thinking of what to do. Her father had warned her three years ago not to marry Marcus that he didn't love her. But she was stubborn. She was blinded and foolishly in love and didn't see the sign even if it was obvious.
And she can't go to back to Abigail who's a snake.
And her father is also a no no no. They haven't spoken since She had stolen her father's money and eloped with Marcus three years ago. It was the money she stole that was used for their wedding and to start up the company.
She had heard news that her father had disowned her, but she didn't care. All she ever wanted was Marcus. And he had betrayed her.
"No! I won't let it go! I have to go something!!" She wiped her eyes and stood up as her mind wandered to that stranger she met at the bar.
She fumbled in her bag for something and her hands found the card the stranger from last night had given her. Without a second thought, she dialed his number.
“Caleb Lockwood speak…” she didn’t let him finish before she cut him off.
“I want to meet up.”
Caleb listened over the phone and hesitated, wondering why she's suddenly wanting to meet up. But his expressions hardened when he heard her sob over the phone.
“I will send my driver to pick you up, send your ad..”
She shook her head as if he could see her and sighed. “No, I will come to you,” she hung up without waiting for him to speak and rose to her feet, her legs wobbly.
As she made her way to the elevator trying to stay out of sight, she decided on one thing. Marcus was going to pay for betraying her. Abigail too. They were both going to pay.
CHAPTER FOURThe driver parked the car close to the house and Jane looked out the window at the house she had regarded as home for two years. Tears pricked her eyes but she held back intent on staying strong. Caleb sighed and reached for her head forcing her to look away from the window and at him. “Whatever you do, never show how much this all affects you in public.” He paused to gauge her reaction before he continued. “You can cry all you want when you come home but never show them how much their actions bother you, ever.” His tone took on a stern, hard quality but Jane nodded understanding what he meant. “I would come with you but I feel you should do this on your own.” Jane smiled gratefully, unshed tears shining in her eyes. “Yes, I need to do this on my own but I must thank you for the support.” She brushed away the tears. “You are right, I can’t let that bastard see me at my weakest.” “Here,” Caleb said, stretching out a brown envelope and Jane smiled accepting it from him.
CHAPTER FIVECaleb held the door for her and she walked into the massive space, her eyes bulging out.“Make yourself comfortable while I go get us drinks. We should be celebrating.” She walked over to the window to look outside and gasped at how high up they were. “You won’t fall if that’s what you are worried about.”She spun around a little too fast and found herself staggering a bit.“ I…” “Take it easy,” Caleb warned, catching her by the hand and dragging her away from the window. “Here,” Jane cleared her throat and pulled away from him, accepting the glass of wine. “Thank you,”. “Let’s talk in my office,” He told her and led the way to the office which was on the other side of the room behind a small door that she hadn’t noticed before. When Jane stepped inside the office, she was amazed. Seeing the small door on the outside, one would think it was similar to what was inside but the office was two times the size of her bedroom, almost the size of the living room area she ha
CHAPTER 6“Thank you,” Jane said shyly, and sullenly as they got to the door of her room.“It's nothing,” he said firmly. “You've said more thank you's than you've actually had a normal conversation with me,” he pointed out.A smile tugged at her lips. But it was a dry, sad and lonely one. “Go on ahead, get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow,” Caleb said. “Goodnight.”She opened her mouth to speak but closed it the moment she saw him walking down but his aura lingered. She slowly turned away and swiped her card. The moment she was in her room, she kicked off her shoes and threw herself on the bed, wondering how people who cut you deeply when you weren't watching were the same ones who treated your wounds. Because they knew just how to break you and fix you.As she took off her clothes, a part of her wished she could be in her fathers arms now and sob in his chest and tell him he was right. She wished she had listened to him back then but the damage had been done. And there is not
CHAPTER 7It was a bright morning and Jane was awakened by the slight knock at the door. She yawned and stretched from her bed, then looking around the room. It appears unfamiliar and different from the apartment she has lived in for three years. While she was still trying to recall where she was, the knock came again, disrupting her thoughts and she had to stand up and walked toward the door to see who it was. "Good morning, Mrs. Lockwood" the maid nodded politely. Jane blinked, her brow arching in confusion. "You must have the wrong person. Call me Jane," she said, still trying to shake off her grogginess.The maid's smile softened. "Breakfast is ready. Would you like it sent to your bedroom, or would you prefer to have it with Mr. Caleb, your husband?”At the mention of Caleb's name, Jane's hazy memory cleared. She remembered everything—the court, the marriage certificate, and the overwhelming emotions of the previous day. She asked the maid, "Is this Caleb's house?”"Yes, ma'am,
CHAPTER 8Xavier, Rose, Caleb's mother and Lillian, his sister, were at the restaurant waiting for their arrival. Lillian, ever the chatterbox, was gushing about how beautiful and smart Jane must be. "I've heard so much about her already, and I can't wait to meet her. I bet she's stunning!" she exclaimed, her excitement palpable."Lilian, would you compose yourself? There are eyes everywhere" Rose mumbled, her face indifferent as she grabbed a glass of wine from the table and took a sip. Xavier watched Lilian silently, his eyes absorbing her excitement. The way her eyes lit up and the way she smiled when she talked about his nephew's wife.“You're not saying anything uncle,” Lilian said and pouted her lips.“What can I say?” Xavier muttered. “I've never really been impressed with the girls Caleb hangs out with.”“Not Jane though. I promise you'll love her uncle,” she said."I bet I would" Xavier smiled, a smile that didn't touch his lips and when he noticed no one was paying attention
CHAPTER 9The next morning, Caleb stood before his mirror, adjusting his tie with meticulous care. Today was more than just a formality; it was the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. He had barely slept the night before, his mind racing with thoughts of this moment. Every late night, every sacrifice, every step he had taken had led him to this day. Yet, the irony wasn't lost on him—his worth was tied to a will and a marriage contract rather than his abilities alone.The handover ceremony was a significant event, and Caleb felt excited, like a child again. Like a child who couldn't wait to unravel his gifts after working hard for it. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror. This was his moment.As he descended the grand staircase, his mother, Rose, was waiting for him. She smiled warmly. "You look amazing, Caleb," she said, her voice filled with pride."Stella would be here any moment, she's happy for you" Her mom chipped it again. "Thank you, mother" he grinned. Toda
Chapter 10Taking a deep breath, Jane sank into the car seat as Caleb sat beside her, minutes before the car started moving."Is everything alright? You look apprehensive" Caleb questioned when he noticed her uneasiness, but Jane only lowered her head. "Y–Yeah, I'm fine." Jane stuttered, avoiding Caleb's gaze."Don't be nervous, we just have to show everyone we are married and we continue with our plans.""About that," Jane paused for a while, recollecting her words, "I don't want to be introduced as your wife."Jane's words took Caleb aback, and he asked, "Is everything alright?""Yeah, I just don't want to be given preferential treatment," Jane replied, rubbing her sweaty hands on her purple jumpsuit. "Why?""It's just..." She paused and bit her lower lips. "I want to find my feet first. I want them to know me for me, and not just because I'm the boss' wife. "That's okay, we'll take it slowly then." That was the end of the discussion as he continued scrolling through his palmtop,
Chapter 11"Fine, I'm sorry," Caleb sighed. "What do you think about my wife?" Caleb was worried.But why was he worried? Shouldn't he be minding his business? Didn't he make it clear that he didn't want to know anything about Jane's business?"If you insist, Mr. Lockwood," Xavier steadied his eyes on Caleb. "Your wife is becoming more acquainted with male staff than the female staff. She ditched Emily and chose one of the tech guys to be her tour guide.""Ditched Emily?" Caleb's eyebrows arched, but in the same instant, he didn't want to believe Xavier, as he knew his uncle had it out for Jane from the first day his eyes met hers."Yes, I can swear I saw her blush at his jokes.""Thank you so much for caring, uncle. I appreciate it." Caleb faked a smile to dismiss his uncle who tried to monitor his facial expression."Anything for my favorite nephew." Xavier excused himself with a broad smile and left.The moment Xavier shut the door behind him, he picked up his phone and dialed Rose'
CHAPTER 174Minutes after Marcus revealed all he knew, dozens of patrol cars as well as two helicopters were despatched to the location Marcus had given.One of the helicopter pilots sighted the house from above and the officers, including Caleb quickly moved towards it.They kicked the door of the building down without hesitation and as Caleb ran in, his gaze immediately fell on Jane's weak body sprawled on the bare floor. Caleb rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her. This time, he did not hold back his tears.Her body and clothes were covered in dirt, some parts of her body was swollen and there were a few cuts in different places, but still she didn't lose her beauty.Jane muttered something with her eyes half closed.“I'm here, baby, I'm here. You're gonna be okay. It's all over, you'll be fine,” Caleb didn't mind that some droplets of his tears fell on her face, all he knew was that he had finally found her and he was never going to let go ever again.Some medical attenda
CHAPTER 173“He's a lying bastard! How can you believe all that?” Xavier asked Ross who had asked to question Xavier immediately Lorenzo told them everything.“It's not something we would want to believe as well, Mr Xavier, but he showed us the millions of dollars as proof,” there was a look of disappointment on Ross's face. “You do know that drug trafficking is a really serious offence, right?”“There is nothing to prove that I'm involved with this man!” Xavier yelled. “How do you know if someone didn't pay him to lie against me?”“He gave us a perfect description of you and said you came around every week to collect the profits that belonged to both you and coincidentallly Marcus Dreame.”“This is outrageous, Ross.”“Trust me, Mr Xavier, the whole situation has also left me totally dumfounded, but it's also helping to put the pieces together.”“What pieces are you talking about, Ross? What the hell is all this? I deserve more respect than this, don't I? How and why would I get mysel
CHAPTER 172Four days and there had been no word from either Xavier or Mann, no newspapers to tell him what was going on outside, and they were running out of food. And he still haven't received a cheque from the weekly profit as usual. Marcus was totally losing it.He paced from one end of the house to another.“That fucker!” He said through his teeth, imagining Xavier amassing all the money to himself. He reasoned that Xavier had probably withdrawn himself from situation and had left him and Jane there to die of starvation. And probably enjoying all the money and profit from their illegal business. The thought of that sickened him. Xavier had probably come to his wits end and had decided to keep his slate clean.But Marcus was not one known to easily let go.He knew he was eventually going to go down, and he would stop at nothing to bring others involved down with him.“You'll be a dead man if you step out of that door,” Jane said weakly as she watched him put on his camouflage.
CHAPTER 171Lorenzo sat at his desk, brooding.Two days had passed and neither Xavier nor his scary looking second hand man had come to collect their weekly profit.He looked down at the stack of money in the bag on his desk. If he took even a note from it, Xavier would know and would kill him without thinking twice. He was a man not to be conned and also a man to be feared. But as he constantly stared at the pile of money, he felt his walls of restraint breaking down. The sight of money always enticed him but tampering with Xavier's money was like signing his own death warrant. He quickly zipped up the bag, swallowed some sedative pills and then looked up Xavier's address on his computer. It was better to get the money to him instead than let it stay another day in his office.___Lilian was wrapping her wet hair up in a bun and preparing for lunch when she heard the knock on the front door.“Don't worry, I'll get it,” she said to the house worker who was setting the table.“Hi?” She
CHAPTER 170Lilian, who had heard from Caleb about her mother and uncle's arrest quickly returned back to the state to see them.Rose on the other hand, had just spoken to the detective and was still in a state of shock. Tears rolled down her face as she stared at the photos of her and Xavier sprawled on the table. She had initially thought that Stella was bluffing when she said she had kept some clues for her lawyer to give the police if anything happened to her.The door suddenly opened and an officer popped his head in.“Ma’am, your daughter is here to see you,” he informed.“What? My daughter?” Rose asked with surprise and began to clean her face while stacking the photos together hurriely. “Take everything with you,” she told her lawyer. “Leave immediately.”Lilian stepped in just as her lawyer walked out.They both stared at each other for a long time and Lilian's steady gaze was like hot iron searing her heart. Every second of silence that passed reminded Rose that she had now
CHAPTER 169“You're lucky my lawyer is already on his way. You'd better start preparing an explanation for why you had the guts to touch me!” Xavier ranted as the officers led them through the station.Rose on the other hand did not even try to struggle because she knew they were guilty, and her conscience kept battling with her. She did a very bad job concealing the shock expression that was spread across her face. As she watched the officers lead Xavier to one end of the hallway, her eyes landed on two familiar faces and her eyes widened with shock.Stella's parents! Stella's dad was consoling his wife who was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.“Rose… you…” Stella's father said when their eyes met, but before she could respond, the officers led her away. She could still hear Stella's mother's voice.“I told her to stay away from their family, I warned her…”Xavier was taken to a dimly lit interrogation room, the room was hotter than usual and Xavier swiftly adjusted his tie, the
CHAPTER 168“I'm sorry… what? What's that supposed to mean?” Xavier asked with his brows furrowed in annoyance. Fear flickered in his eyes but he squared his shoulders and maintained an annoyed visage.“Mr Xavier you have a right to remain silent. Anything you say now can, shall and will be used against you in the court of law…”“You can't arrest us!” Rose said. “What the hell did we do? What's all this about? This is an insult to my person!”Caleb watched with his spoon frozen in his hand. Things were happening too fast for his brain to process and he almost thought he was hallucinating when an officer walked to his mother and ordered her to stand.“Hold up! Hold up!” Caleb finally said to the officers as he stood up.“What's all this about?”“They are being arrested as prime suspects in the murder of Miss Stella Rosman,” the officer explained. Rose and Caleb exchanged glances and while Xavier was able to maintain his composure, Rose visibly went pale.“This is crazy! I barely even k
Chapter 167It had been two days since Marcus was revealed to be the prime suspect in Jane's disappearance. And the forensic tests came out fine that Marcus was the owner of those male accessories as some combs in the bathroom had his hair samples which were tested. The police officers had combed the woods for two whole days yet there was no sign of either Marcus or Jane and there was also no clue left that could lead to them.“They couldn't have just disappeared,” Rose said one morning as they were having breakfast.Caleb had only taken a few slices of his toast and then walked to the living room with his coffee. His mother had been trying to make conversation with him for the past few hours but talking was the last thing he wanted to do. He was preparing to step out one last time with a few officers to search deeper into the woods. He turned on the television.“Have they found out if there's an insider yet?” Rose was speaking only on the topics that related to Jane because she kne
Chapter 166“I still don't understand why it's so difficult for you to put a call across to him!” Marcus shouted. “We've been waiting for hours for fucks sake!”They were now in a bigger house with lesser windows and only one sofa as furniture. Mann was staring out blankly from one of the windows.“You know, Mr Dreame, you complain too much for a man.”“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Marcus scowled and lunged towards him.“You come in at the middle of the night and sweep us all away without explanation and you want me to be quiet and act like nothing happened?”“No, I'm only asking you to be patient,” Mann replied cooly.“Don't tell me that bullshit! My patience expired hours ago. Now call up Xavier.”“Boss is the one who would make the call to us. I'm in no position to call him unless in a serious emergency…”“This is a serious emergency!”“No, it isn't, Mr Dreame. This is just you acting like a scared little girl. Even the woman's doing better than you.”They both turned t