Sophie’s POVIt was Saturday, and the time was about 7:30 a.m. I was almost set for the little outing I had planned for today.I had decided to seize the work-free day as an opportunity to finally meet with Elliot's family, taking the kids along with me.I woke up earlier to take my bath and brush my teeth a few hours ago, and right now I was sitting on the bed wearing a black and white polka-dot office gown while putting on some make-up. I needed to look as presentable as possible since this would be my first-ever visit to the family, so I knew that even with all that had happened, I still needed to make a great first impression. Elliot emerged from inside the bathroom wearing a towel around his waist with no shirt on; a part of his face, from his chin to his lower jaw, was completely wreathed in the white mask of aftershave. He was also preparing to meet with one of the company's investors later today, so technically we were all leaving the house this morning.When he saw me all dr
SOPHIE’S POV"What!?" I let out another distressed shriek, gawking into space in a disoriented manner."which..which hospital." I stammered, blinking excessively."St. Louis is a little far away from the house; I'll send you a cab now. Wait, where are you?""Brookfield," I whispered with my eyes closed, inwardly wondering what was really going on."The mall?" She asked further."Yeah, the mall," I affirmed sloppily. I opened up my eyes again, which were now probably going red."I'll send you a cab. Please be here soon," Olivia said, and she hung up at once.I got off the phone looking so flustered and unaware that I didn't realize the moment Amelia rushed up to me after my shriek."What happened, Sophie? Anything matter? That was pretty loud."I waited for some time and inhaled deeply."It's my dad; I just got a call that he was attacked," I said finally, turning to face her. She stepped back for a second, bobbing her head sideways. It was her turn to scream."No way! Attacked? By who
ELLIOT’S POV "Good gracious." I blurted out of surprise when I saw how much time had gone by the time I was done with changing into another sleeve shirt and tie in my office restroom.It was already 2:50 p.m., which was about 30 minutes before the presentation time with Eleanor Group. I hurried out of the room into my office, picking up my briefcase and dropping it on the broad brown desk abruptly, fiddling with my tie for a second, and then going back to the restroom a second time to gaze at the Cheval mirror stand, checking if I got the knotting of the tie right. I nodded quickly in satisfaction, returning to the office again to grab the briefcase one more time. I exhaled and had already made a calculated swerve toward the door when it occurred to me that I had not cross-checked the documents and files containing the project I would be presenting. "Fuck." I swore under my
SOPHIE'S POVI came out of the police station looking even more confused than when I left the hospital.Instead of just settling on one line of thought in my mind, what was happening now was the bobbling of multiple conflicting thoughts.I hugged myself as Iwalked dejectedly toward the car park. I found myself second-guessing my decision to go and make a report.What am I even doing? Shouldn't I have waited a little while?But then again, why should I bother waiting when they didn't wait for me to incriminate them before going after my dad, even to the extent of trying one or two tricks around my kids?Maybe telling the police was the best option. I tightened my lips and nodded stubbornly, trying to convince myself that it was indeed the best option. "But what if telling the police also meant that I was giving them the go-ahead to go hard on those I loved? What if I was just endangering my kids and everyone else with this move? Would I ever be able to forgive myself?”These conflicti
ANONYMOUS POV I paced about the dimly lit room restlessly with my phone firmly glued to my ear, wondering why Quavo or none of his boys had still not bothered to call to update me. This job was supposed to have been done and dusted hours ago because I paid the necessary charge and even added a top-up when I came to meet them yesterday.The worst part was that even now that I have decided to reach out to them, they are still not picking up. I just hope that girl is already off the face of the earth, and I hope the reason they were delaying answering was because they were trying to clean up their mess and leave no tracks for the police."I just hope so," I mumbled under my breath. The call I placed had rung out again without an answer for the second time. I redialed the number impulsively, blinking multiple times, with frustration beginning to set inside of me. Finally, I heard the brief little bloop sound and the corresponding
SOPHIE’S POVI woke up the next day feeling a bit lightheaded after a very long, dreamless night. I let out a small groan as I opened my eyes slowly, adjusting to the gleaming rays of sunlight that filtered in through the open curtains. I rolled to one side of the bed and back again before I finally got up from the bed, stretching and yawning simultaneously with a hand over my mouth.The wall clock was reading 8:30 am when I looked up, and that was when it suddenly occurred to me that today was May 20th."Oh my God!" I exclaimed in happy realization.It was my triplet's birthday; how am I just remembering? I pulled off and pushed my bed aside, climbing down from the bed excitedly and heading for my children's room as I thought about how special today was to me. Despite everything, I was eager to make today as memorable for them as possible.I opened the door to their room slowly and quietly as I watched them with a gentle, satisfied smile unfurling on my face. The three of them were
General POVThe merriment and festive atmosphere inside Harrigton's mansion skyrocketed as the birthday party organized for Owen and his siblings went into full swing. The sound of laughter filled the air, and a number of the guests with their kids joined the dance floor, surrounding the triplets and moving charismatically to the sound of the various danceable tunes being played by the disc jockey.After the presentation of gifts, games, and the opening dance session was over, the MC came on stage to announce that it was time for the chief host's address, which was to be given by the celebrant's grandfather, who also doubled as the organizer of the event, Mr. Harrigton.He came forward meekly to the center of the stage, clutching a glass of wine in one hand, and with the other, he collected the microphone with a proud smile on his face. He greeted everyone present, thanking them for taking time from their busy schedules to join in his celebrations. He also thanked them for bringing
Elliot's POVIt took about 5 hours before the tech team called me back. My heart raced with anticipation when I heard the ringing sound of my phone and the sight of their contact ID displayed on my screen. I had given them specific orders to call me only when they had information on who the culprit was, and if they hadn't discovered it yet, they wouldn't have dared to call.Now that I was very sure that they had gotten the person, I couldn't help hesitating for a while to think about what I was going to do to this person who has caused me and my company so much embarrassment, this person who had made us look like amateurs before Xander of all people, just because of greed and personal aggrandizement, he or she was ready to sacrifice and sell out the company's security without looking back. What a traitor. I snarled and sprang to my feet to grab the phone."Who did you find?" I asked in a straight-to-the point kind of tone."Sir, we've really taken our time to conduct the IP check mult
I am filled with immense gratitude as I write this message, appreciating every one of you who has joined me on this journey. Whether you have been following from the start or have recently become a part of this story, your presence has truly enhanced the storytelling experience in immeasurable ways.I am thankful for allowing my characters to be a part of your lives, for investing your time and emotions in their successes and challenges, and for sharing in their joys and sorrows. Your support, feedback, and motivation have been the driving force behind every word written, inspiring me to explore their world further and create narratives that resonate with you.As we come to the end of this story, I'm thrilled to announce that a new story awaits. In the meantime, I would like to hear your thoughts about the story, please don't hesitate to share your feedback.Once again, I extend my heartfelt thanks for being a part of this remarkable journey. Your support ignites my passion.With dee
SOPHIE'S POVI shifted the thick, opaque curtains that fell over the window in my room to one side as I observed the gate of our house through the transparent glass upstairs.The Tesla had just driven out through the open gate, and one of the uninformed security guards had begun to close it up.Elliot, who had been raising fire and brimstone some moments ago, had finally resigned to the strong will of his daughter. He has finally yielded to her persuasion as well as that of her older twin, Amelia. I let out a small smile. Was it not funny that despite his so-called anger about the recent developments, he still insisted on dropping them off at the park, even when Amelia kept insisting that the park was not that far? Sometimes, I find myself debating again who actually pampered Isabella more between her father and grandfather. I let out a wider smile this time.I drew the curtains closed again and returned to my bed to sit quietly."Just like yesterday," I whispered.It was so hard to
GENERAL POVOwen was sitting stiffly inside Michael's larger-than-life office space. While Michael reclined at the other end of the desk, his manner was a little more relaxed since the last time they met at his school. They were having a conversation about Isabella."Have you called my sister yet?" Owen asked calmly."No, not yet," Michael answered, almost blushing at the sound of Isabella's name.Owen shrugged weakly and said,"But why her? I mean, what drew you to her? She literally dresses like a guy. Though I know my sister is beautiful, if you're not close to her like us, you might never know."Michael let out an indulgent smile, readjusting his seat and leaning forward before he spoke again.Actually, I've seen Isabella several times without her usual regalia. Erm, you know, her usual regalia." He let out a gentle laugh.Then, a little more quietly, he added:"She is so kind and beautiful."Owen laughed too, in a way that said, "I thought as much,"Then Michael went on to tap h
ISABELLA’S POVI opened my eyes faintly the next morning after a long sleep the previous night, rolling over tiredly on the hospital's compact bed. Then suddenly, my body brushed against the rigid weight of someone sitting with his back turned against me on the bed. I sat up immediately, rubbing my palms over my face and eyes to brighten my vision. The person turned over at once, and to my relief, it was the face of Dr. James.My curious expression softened into a smile. He smiled too, and with a soothing voice, he asked,"How are you feeling?"His gaze switched to my neck and arms.I involuntarily touched the plastered areas on my hands before I said,"I'm quite fine; it was just a slight accident."A small silence ensued. He stared at me with deep care in his eyes, and for a second I had to bite my lip and look away shyly.Then he inhaled and brought out my phone from the pocket of his lab coat. Then he made a weak gesture with his hand before he said,"Your phone; I charged it for
Nathan arrived at the Epiloxx Club as directed by the address from Isabella's text message. As soon as he got out of the taxi, He walked towards the entrance and stopped for a moment to catch his breath before attempting to go in. He stopped again and flexed his wrist to see what the time was saying on his gold watch; it was exactly 11:30 am. He inhaled and exhaled to calm his nerves, trying to imagine the look Scarlett would have on her face the moment she eventually saw him, as well as the reaction of this so-called boyfriend of hers. Then he brashly waved his hand as if to say, "Whatever." Before proceeding finally into the building with slow but steady strides. While inside the club and standing awkwardly near the door with surveilling eyes, the first thing Nathan's eyes picked out from the crowded, noisy hall illuminated with dull multicolored lights was the sight of Scarlett kissing a guy at the back of the room, a man whom Nathan immediately identified as Kevin. He froze and
General POVIsabella's apartment was located less than 10 minutes away from her school, immediately outside the terminating bar gate.She was in the house, sitting in her cozy blue-painted bedroom with the warm, masculine-looking decor and walls pervaded by the many photographs of bikers and popular sportsmen around the world.She was wreathed in blue tops and shorts, which also marched with the color of her room, sporting a pair of expensive trainers, leaning over to untie and retie the shoelaces with a meticulous expression on her face and taut lips. She lifted her head quickly to check the vintage clocks hanging above the arc when she was done and mouthed the words:"Five minutes past six already?" looking surprised and taken aback."Oh my God." She whispered again, springing up to her feet hurriedly. The event she was about to attend was actually a racing exercise organized by her teammates back in school and was supposed to begin at exactly 6:30; she had just 25 minutes left to
GENERAL POVThe first and second basements of the round, well-ventilated university hall were filled up with mostly young people from different parts of the city; all of them were clothed in nice dresses while also bearing notebooks and pens on their palms, jotting down points as they kept their focus fixedly on the young prominent speaker standing on top of the podium and was about to round off his talk.The speaker's name was Michael Howard, a 25-year-old billionaire heir and owner of one of the largest corporations booming in New York City, just about second after the Harringtons. He was invited to the school’s graduation to deliver the first key note speech to the graduating students. During the speech, Michael went ahead to acknowledge the CEO of Harrington Inc., Elliot Harrigton, who was also present as one of his biggest inspirations.All the while, Nathan, sitting with brother Owen and dressed up in their graduating gowns, nodded attentively to everything Michael was saying at
15 YEARS LATERSOPHIE'S POVI was seated with Elliot in the sectioned corner of our sitting room, where the dining room was located. Breakfast was set, and we were already digging into it in silence when Nathan, who was all suited up and sitting next to his father and ready to accompany him to his office, disrupted the quietness with his slightly hoarse, passionate voice. This had become a usual routine for us every morning since Elliot started to allow him to accompany him to work about four years ago. Sometimes these dining table speculations and business advice would mostly start hours before breakfast; other times, they would start during the meal, and if we happened to be lucky, it would be after we were done eating. Sometimes I found myself counting to ten silently in anticipation of his voice, just like I had done today while dishing the meal, and as expected, the fresh economic expert we had for a son was not disappointed."I was actually following up on one of the brokerage
SOPHIE'S POVAs soon as we arrived at the house, Elliot took out the keys from the ignition point, let out a small groan, and came down from the car hurriedly. With double-quick yet uncoordinated steps, Elliot entered the house with his head bowed to the earth. It was obvious he was still feeling hurt; perhaps it was better to allow him some quiet time to absorb everything. I observed him through the windscreen for a moment before turning over to glance at Mrs. Harrington, his mother, who was still bent over in the back seat, sniffing and weeping bitterly since the moment she followed us to the family house. Even the kids were muttering, their hands resting on her shoulder."Stop crying, grandma," Isabella said, looking at her, and her brother's eyes were on her too, looking at her worriedly.She wrapped her hands around them to acknowledge their plea, but she still could not stop her crying."Darlings, could you please borrow me a few minutes alone with Grandma?"They looked at her o