Chapter 16:An Upper HandRose and Mr. Reynolds walked to their cars, parked outside the mansion. They had a lot to discuss inside the office, and now it was time to bid each other farewell.As Rose got to her car, she let out a sweet smile. “Thank you, Mr. Reynolds, for having me and making me feel at home. I really enjoyed your company today," Rose smiled and bowed her head In respect.“Oh, come on, Rose,” Mr. Reynolds smiled back. “It’s nothing, and I really wish to see you soon. When are you resuming work?”“Well, Monday will be fine, since it’s already Friday. I need to get myself ready,” Rose smiled.“You know, I’m missing you already. You’re working with us for just a month, so you’ll be leaving soon,” Mr. Reynolds let out a sad smile, which sent Rose laughing out loud.“Come on, Mr. Reynolds. I still have a whole month to spend with you, and seriously, if not for my profession and tight schedule, I would have loved to stay longer,” Rose said.“But you know, as a model with a t
Chapter 17: I need to be sure Derek paced up and down the opulent room, his eyes fixed on a picture resting in his hands. “So Rose has kids?” he muttered, his eyes still locked on the picture of the twins. It still seemed like a dream to him.“How could she have kids already? And why don’t I know about this?” he exclaimed, still in disbelief. “It’s not even on any of her social media accounts.” He remembered the day he went through her social media account, the day she revealed herself, but there was nothing about the kids. Not even a single hint could inform him that she had kids.“Why is she hiding the kids?” Something seemed off about the way she was hiding the kids from the world, but he just couldn't place what exactly was off.“He hasn’t even seen a picture of her husband,” he suddenly realized, clicking his tongue as his thoughts drove deeper. “If Rose isn’t remarried, then how did she have kids? Or did she give birth out of wedlock? Was that the reason she was hiding the k
Chapter 18: A Payback It was a bright Monday morning in NYC. The sky was crystal clear, and the clouds were white as snow. Rose walked the kids into the car. The kids were dressed to go to school, and Rose was dressed to go to work.She opened the back seat for the kids, and they got in. She helped them wear their seatbelts once they were seated. “You guys are good, right?” She smiled at the kids before going to the driver’s seat.She pulled out of the garage after fixing her seatbelt. She watched as the gateman pulled the gate open, and as soon as he did, she drove out of the compound after passing a command to him. ”Take good care of the house while I’m away,” she muttered, and the man nodded.She smiled and rolled up the window before driving out of the compound. “Mummy, can you play us a song?” Ken pouted, pulling out a cute face.“You don’t always have to do that,” Rose giggled at his silliness. “You know I’ll always play a song for you, even without you being all cute,” sh
Chapter 19: He is not our dadThe evening sun loomed around the sky, indicating that the day would still come to an end. Its crystal shine fell upon an opulent school, the school with a symbol of wealth and class: “Maeyland International.” Cars could be seen trooping in and out of the school to pick up their respective kids.In the midst of all this, a car loomed in the distance, waiting for the perfect time to execute its plan. A man in his mid-thirties sat in the driver’s seat of the car, sipping from his cigarette, which was positioned in his left hand. His eyes preyed upon everyone and everything that walked into and out of the school.His eyes quickly moved to his wristwatch, and he nodded, signaling that it was the right time to carry out his plans. He Immediately tightened his seatbelt and drove to the gate of the school. Getting to the school gate, he alighted from his car and walked by foot into the school. He had to get things done before things escalated.“Good evenin
Chapter 20: We hate you, momOutside the school premises, he entered his car, and after placing each hair from the kids in a plastic bag, he zoomed away. As he drove into the busy streets of NYC, he pulled out his phone and dialed his boss’s number immediately; he couldn’t wait to share the good news with his boss.Derek finally picked up the call on the third ring, and the man smiled happily as his boss’s voice hit him. “Any good news?” Derek questioned, his voice filled with uncertainty.“Yes, sir, there is good news,” the man spilled happily, and Derek screamed happily from his end. “Really? You were able to get their hair strands?” Derek questioned happily, and the man nodded in affirmation.“Oh, my God! You are a genius, John,” Derek laughed in disbelief. “For this, I am going to wire a heavy sum of money into your account,” Derek laughed on.“Oh…thank…” John couldn’t complete his statement when he received the credit alert. “2 million, sir,” he stuttered in disbelief, and De
Chapter 21: A Reason to Suspect You She quickly picked up her phone from the parlor table to confirm her fear, and lo and behold, it was there. Her eyes widened in shock as she stared into her phone. “Derek already removed the spy app she installed on his phone.”“How did he know she installed a spy app on his phone?” She shuttered in disbelief. “How was he able to figure out that she installed a spy app on his phone?” That was enough reason to suspect him, but she just couldn’t bring herself to suspect him. She was just so certain he had no idea that the kids were his.Yes, she had asked her accomplice to send pictures of the kids to Derek, but she had a very good reason for doing it. Her mind was racing in her chest as she tried hard to convince herself that Derek had no idea that the kids were his.“How would he think the kids were his? He has never seen them, and she left no trace that the kids were his in the pictures sent," she pinched herself continuously. “But why did h
Chapter 22: You Thief!The hospital’s entrance was grand and led to a big lobby. The lobby had a high ceiling, marble columns, and nice artwork. The lighting was soft and the furniture was comfortable. It was a calm and fancy place.Derek paced back and forth in the doctor’s office as he waited for the test results. He stared at his watch, waiting impatiently. “It’s already 8:35? Bloody hell! I’ve been here for three hours, then,” he cursed impatiently and rolled his eyes. “How can a human be this slow? All I asked for was a test result,” Derek hissed angrily.He was restless and angry at the same time. He was tired of waiting, but he couldn’t also leave the hospital without getting his hands on the test results. He needed to be certain and know his ground.As he waited impatiently, the inner room in the doctor’s office creaked open, revealing the doctor. “Gracious God, you’ve been in there for ages,” Derek blurted, and the elderly man apologized immediately.“I am so sorry; ther
Chapter 23: A Strange CallDerek stared at the test result in great shock; it felt too good to be true. “So, Rose was really pregnant with my child before I pushed her to death?” He mumbled in disbelief and collapsed into the chair behind him.“Not only did I try to kill my wife, but also my kids?” He reeled, feeling so stupid. “How could I be so dumb and stupid? Why exactly did I try to end the life of an innocent woman just for my selfish reasons?” Regret surged through him, and he blamed himself further.“I was really so stupid, and for what? To end up with a barren woman who can’t even bear children?” He hit his head suddenly, realizing his faults. “I shouldn’t have done that to Rose. I shouldn’t have done something so terrible to her,” he stuttered, feeling great regret.As he reeled in his dilemma, he was suddenly realized something: he still had a piece of love left for Rose. He also discovered he wasn’t really in love with Sofia; maybe he married her only because he was at
Chapter 67: A Broken Glass. “You know, when he told me that he would be getting married to you, I thought he was lying,” he led Rose to the dining table and pulled out a chair for her to sit. Rose smiled at his kind gesture as she took her seat. She turned to Mr. Reynolds and said, “Thanks for having me.”“Oh, my dear Rose, you don’t have to be thankful,” Mr. Reynolds smiled and took his own seat. “So, how have you been?” he questioned, his eyes fixed on Rose as he awaited a response from her.“I have been good, Mr. Reynolds,” Rose replied with a forced smile. “I am a bit disappointed in you, anyway,” Mr. Reynolds said with a sad pout this time around. And as Rose wondered what she had done to him, her mind almost exploded. “What does he know?” she wondered.“I am sad because you just stopped working for me without informing me, and when I call you, you don’t even respond to my calls,” Mr. Reynolds said sadly, and Rose took in a deep breath. For a while, she thought she was in tr
Chapter 66: A Feast Rose sat in front of her mirror, taking in her beauty. Her face was highlighted with light makeup, and her body was designed in a long, flowy black gown. Her neck, ears, and wrist were decorated with gold jewelry, and on her feet sat a beautiful diamond shoe. Her face held satisfaction as she stared at her beautiful reflection in the mirror. Her eyes quickly moved to the wall clock, and she muttered something to herself: “It’s already 12:00 p.m. When is this jerk showing up?” “Must he always be late to everything? He hasn’t really dropped this old habit of his,” she hissed. She was already having enough of Derek.As she sat there, still reeling on the next step to take, her phone, resting in front of the dressing mirror, rang, alerting her of a call. Quickly, she picked the phone from the table and took the call after discovering it was Derek. “You should have slept in your house. Didn’t I tell you that I don’t have enough time, because my kids will be back
Chapter 65: Track Them“I will quickly tell you what I have to say and take my leave, since the kids don’t like me,” Derek turned to Rose and said. He took in a deep breath and went straight to the point. “My grandfather wants to see you and me tomorrow, and we need to come as lovers,” Derek hit the nail on the head.He bowed his head and waited for Rose’s response. He was unsure of how she would react.“Huh? As lovers?” Rose screamed, forgetting the kids were there. “Mom! What is it? You look surprised?” Ken chimed in, and that was when Rose realized the kids were there. She turned to him shyly and faked a smile. “I will just talk to him outside,” she excused herself and walked outside, while Derek trailed behind.“What the hell are you saying? Your grandfather wants us to come see him as lovers?” Rose hissed as they got outside. “ Yes, Rose. I didn’t want to do this either, but I have no choice,” Derek replied.“He thought I was lying when I told him I would be getting married t
Chapter 64: We hate him, mom.Derek walked back to his car, devastated. What his grandfather asked him to do was almost impossible. “How do he expect I and Rose to act as lovers when she hates me so much?” he thought to himself, his eyes itched with worry.“I find it hard even convincing her to come see my grandfather with me, talk more of asking her to act as lovers. Gosh! This is frustrating,” he scratched his head angrily.He finally got to his car and got in after his driver pulled the door open. “You can’t open the door properly,” he knocked his driver, venting his frustration on him.The young man scratched his head as the effect of the knock sank in. “You can’t just do anything properly,” Derek mumbled, already sitting inside the car.The driver apologized for what he didn’t do wrong and rushed to the driver’s seat. He got in and ignited the car engine. “Don’t take me home,” Derek said as his driver drove out of the parking lot.“I will tell you where to take me, so just dri
Chapter 63: A ProveDerek walked down from his car after his driver opened the door. He wore a black suit that fitted perfectly to his muscular body; his legs were baptized with a tuxedo black shoe that gave more details to his dressing. His eyes were enclosed with dark sunglasses, and his hair was finely brushed back.As he walked out of the car, he stood close to the car and stared at the huge building in front of him before he let out a deep sigh. He had come to inform his grandfather about the good news of him getting married to the mother of his kids, as he had always wanted.Without waiting another second, he took bold steps into the building. “Good morning, sir,” his grandfather’s workers greeted him as he walked into the building. He would acknowledge some of the greetings and ignore others.After walking for what seemed like an eternity to him, he finally arrived at his grandfather’s office. He gave a light knock on the door and waited for his old man to give a response
Chapter 62: One Last TimeAs her response hit Derek, he cooled down immediately, as if he had been drenched with a cold bath. “O-oh, you went to hang out?” he stuttered, and Sofia nodded. “Yes, I went to hangout, but it seems you don’t like it,” Sofia faked sadness.“I am so sorry, Sofia. I am sorry for shouting at you like you are a baby; I was just concerned….” Sofia cut him off. “It’s nothing, Derek. I totally understand your worry, but I am on my way home already,” Sofia smiled.“Really? But I hope you didn’t have to cut your fun to return home,” Derek questioned, feeling quite guilty. He wasn't feeling guilty only because of how he spoke to his wife, but also because he was going to reveal a sad truth to her.“Yes, baby, you didn’t cut my fun,” she assured with a bright smile on her face. “Okay, I will see you when you get home; I have something really important to tell you,” Derek finally stuttered, after gathering all the courage left in him.“Something important?” Sofia c
Chapter 61: Where are you?Sofia sat opposite her ally, her eyes dancing around the pretty lady who just couldn’t do anything. Sofia had a frustrated look on her face as she stared at her; she had had enough of forcing the lady to speak.“What exactly is the problem? Just speak to me. I am sure you know your kidnappers’ faces, so can you tell me who they are?” Sofia grunted in frustration. She had been asking her ally this question for a while, but she just kept playing dumb.“Please, we need to help each other, Maureen. If you keep acting this way, your boss will be so angry,” Sofia pleaded further. She hoped her ally would reply, but instead, the lady let out a loud laughter.“Haha!” the lady laughed and scratched her head, with a silly smile on her face. Sofia stared at her in great shock; she had never seen her act this way. She watched as Maureen jumped up high like a toddler.“What the heck is wrong with you, Maureen?” Sofia fired at her ally and stood up from her seat imme
Chapter 60: His True Intention “Thanks for coming over,” Rose said as she walked Dave outside. The kids trilled behind them, chasing and playing with each other. The day was actually dark, and the evening air played around their skin as they walked to Dave’s car. Rose had a quick glance at her wristwatch and gasped, “I was wondering why today is windy; it’s just 8:30 pm.” Rose said. “Yeah! I myself am also wondering; it’s always this windy around 11:00 pm,” Dave supported, and Rose nodded. “Yeah! I know right? I am really astonished also,” Rose said looking up.“Well, I think this is where we call it a day,” Dave said as they finally got to his car. “Yeah!” Rose muttered sadly, “I wish you could stay longer than this,” she added, and Dave smiled. “I wish that I could also, but I really have to attend to something,” Dave said and patted Rose’s shoulders. “Uncle Dave, when are you coming over again?” The kids who were now conscious of what was happening around them asked. “I
Chapter 59: I Forgive You“Huh? Who could be knocking? I am not expecting anyone,” she stood up from the couch she was seated on and walked to the door. He pulled the door open when she finally got there, and as she flung the door open, her eyes stayed on the most unexpected person.“D-dave,” she stuttered, barely believing her eyes. He was the last person she expected to see; she didn’t believe he would ever show up at her place after what she did to him.“Won’t you let me in?” Dave said with a smile, and Rose stuttered, “O-of course, come in.” She moved away from the door, making way for Dave to come in.Dave walked into the parlor and sat on one of the parlor couches. “It’s so good to be here,” he chuckled and looked at Rose. “Congratulations on your upcoming wedding,” he smiled at Rose, who still stared stupidly.As she stared at Dave, she had many thoughts flowing through her mind: “Why is he here? Has he forgiven me? Has he accepted the fact that we can’t end up together? Is