"Micah? Are you going to let your mom speak to me like that?" Zara called as she followed him out. Micah rolled his eyes; he thought he was going to get a moment of peace away from them but it seemed like both women were determined to frustrate the life out of him."What do you want me to do?" Micah asked, stopping and turning to her. She stopped a few meters from him and crossed her hand over her chest."Are you asking me that? If I were Elara, would you let your mom speak to me that way?""Why on earth would you bring her up?" Each time Micah heard her name, he remembered how foolish he was. If he was patient enough, he would have been as rich as he wanted to be. He believed that Elara was head over heels in love with him and she would have taken him along to meet her parents when he went."Why wouldn't I bring her up? Wasn't it somebody like her you wanted to marry? Your mother is trying her best to constantly shame me for marrying up when that was your intention the entire time. I
Elara rolled over in bed. It was evening, and her sister had come in a few minutes ago to call her for dinner, but Elara said she was going to get fruits instead. Her phone vibrated, and she took it off the nightstand. She had tried her best all day to stay away from her phone in case Ezra tried to reach out. Occasionally, she had checked the phone, and even though she had asked him to stay away, she could not believe he listened so well. She had asked herself countless times how much her words might have hurt him She was the one who spoke harshly, yet her heart was heavy."Should I bring up the fruits?" Isla asked. Her mother had told her not to ask any questions, so she decided to listen. Since it was quite strange for her to lay in bed all day. She knew that Elara would tell her what was wrong as soon as she came around."I have to move at least," Elara replied, and her sister understood what she meant by that. She was going to walk downstairs later by herself to get the fruits.It
Noelle had successfully avoided Felix all week and she owed it to how much Ronan gave her. Not to mention he dropped her off at home every day because he was worried and no matter how much she said not to, he was not listening to her. He stopped coming in with a driver and would drive across town just to drop her off before heading home himself.She had stayed in all Saturday but she had to get to the store to pick up a few groceries and necessities for herself and the house. She was afraid that Felix was lurking somewhere outside and that she would not be able to avoid him. She did not know what he wanted but she was sure that it was money.After a few hours of mental preparation and encouragement, she decided that she had to go. She felt a strange feeling, as if she had to call Ronan to continue to be her bodyguard, as he had been doing. As she walked down the street, she could feel him following her, but she tried not to look back. The streets were barely filled with people; she kn
When Noelle opened her mouth, she was convinced that she was speaking, but her ears were not picking up any sound. She could not believe that his few words had gotten her riled up that much. Maybe she was annoyed that he said that to her because she had thought of it. She had thought of inviting Ronan into the house and doing unimaginable things to him. How could she, though? He was her boss.She watched his eyes grow bigger and bigger in anger and his mouth drew into a thin line. His mouth opened and she braced herself to finally hear something other than the ringing in her ears. She braced herself."WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" She had expected him to scream and he did not fail her. After all, she had slapped him across the face. Felix would have disagreed with anyone who would have told him that his daughter would slap him across the face.His words and the intensity of his scream drew the attention of passersby. "Calm down," she whispered, unable to bring
Olivia-Marie stood outside Ezra's gate. Since the other day, when she had found herself there drunk, she had not gotten the courage to go back. All she could remember was all the wailing and how Ezra had sent her home. Not in her life did she think he would be so cruel to her. She was ready to do anything to make sure that Ezra stayed with her, even if it was to manipulate her."Can I help you, miss?" Olivia-Marie snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the unfamiliar face of the security guard. 'He must be new,' she thought to herself. If he was new, then he would have no issue letting her in if she played her cards right."I am here to see Ezra," she said, flashing a smile at him. She could not remember the last time she had smiled intentionally."Mr. Thatcher?" the man asked and she nodded. "Mr. Thatcher is not in," he lied. She knew it was a lie because she had called Mary to ask of him and she had told him that he was not yet at work, meaning he was home. Ezra was a simpleton w
"What are you doing here?" Ezra asked again but his tone did not sound friendly. Olivia-Marie had been happy that she could get a reaction out of him even though it seemed like it was a negative one. He seemed more human to her now than ever. However, now that anger lines were visible on his face, she was not so sure she liked any reaction from him. She was sure he was gentle with Elara, smiling at her and just being a gentleman."Why do you keep screaming at me? You keep making me feel bad," she muttered and he almost laughed in her face."What are you doing here? If you have no reason to be here, then I suggest you leave; I have no time to stand around and discuss with you," he replied, ignoring what she was feeling anyway."Ezra, you know you are a jerk," she asked and he stared straight ahead, blinking multiple times. "A big fate jerk," she muttered, feeling tears well in her eyes. She didn't know why she was there but she wanted to come here."If that is what you have come here to
Olivia-Marie stood out of the gate; the man who had let her in had gotten an earful from Ezra and she stood there watching. She watched Ezra get into the back seat of the Range Rover; she began to think of when she thought he was the one for her and why she thought it. The driver drove past her and she tried to peer into the car but Ezra had his face buried in a book.She had promised herself that she had to have him for herself; he was everything that a woman would want in a man and even more, he was well-mannered and even rich. His beauty was nothing to joke about.She knew that if she kept pushing, she would be the laughing stock at the end but if she ended it now, then she would still be a laughing stock. Her friends were going to make endless fun of her life. She spent eight years clinging to a man she knew was going to leave her in a heartbeat; she knew that if his first love ever showed up, then this was the end. However, she did not want to accept it was the end so she held on
Elara could not believe her eyes; she wondered why Olivia-Marie would come here to see her. "Are you going to tell them to move?" she asked. Elara was sure that there was something very different about the woman standing in front of her. She was not the same one who had bawled out her eyes at the gate the other day."Let her through," Elara said, taking her step forward. Both bodyguards shifted to the side for her to go through. "What are you doing here?" she asked and Olivia-Marie smiled."I am here to see you," she said and when the expression on Elara's face did not show her that she was welcome, she decided to explain. "Why do we talk? I am sure we have a lot to say."Elara turned to her assistant and gave orders. "Clear my schedule for the afternoon." She did not know why she did that but it seemed as if Olivia-Marie had something important to tell her."Okay, ma'am," she replied."I will go alone from here," she said. The bodyguards bowed to her before leaving without a fight; h
"What?" The man looked genuinely concerned that he had missed an opportunity to make so much money."Micah and Cora, the woman who paid you, have come in and confessed, so you do not have to worry about trying to take a deal to save yourself." The man looked fidgety as he realised that if Cora had come in to confess, then there was really no escape for him anymore. He should not have pretended to be too tough, but he was sure that if he had taken the money, he would have been hunted down, and the money would have been returned to Ezra."I see?" the man said in a singsong voice. "But you are yet to find the woman, aren't you?" The man asked, as even Cora did not know where they had hidden Elara. She told them to do everything at their own discretion, as she did not want to be tied to something as terrible as that."What do you mean?""Cora paid us alright to kidnap her but she had no idea where she is and even worse, my partner and I have a plan that if one of us does not show up after
Ronan and Ezra got to the station and saw the man who had helped with the kidnapping of Elara. The policemen said that the man had refused to speak and that they caught him when he was out buying supplies. They asked that they be allowed to see the man, as they could maybe find a way to force him to confess. The police officers agreed because they knew that it was useless for them to disagree, as they would still find a way to have their way. Ronan and Ezra made a plan, hoping that they could both stick to it and that way get him to say something incriminating."I respect a man who works hard for his money," Ronan said as they sat down. The gruff and big man looked up. Ronan could see the realisation on his face before he cleared his throat and tried to act like he did not recognise the two men in front of him. "I am Ronan Quinn; it's nice to meet you." Ronan took out a card from his card holder and slid it across the table to him.The man looked down at the card without touching it.
"Mom?""Wait, I am thinking of what we can do to escape this; this is good for us. You've been free, and now we can leave if we can just find a way." Micah stood in a corner as he watched his mom pace around the room with her hand stroking her chin. He did not need her to speak for him to know that her mind was going in every direction possible. He bit his lower lip as he thought of how he would dissuade her and convince her to accept her fate."They don't know that we are connected to those men; maybe if the men do not confess..." she trailed off as she knew the possibility of that was very low. She was sure that the wealthy family would do all they could to coax the truth from them. "This is all your fault," Cora stopped and put her eyes on her son.Mixah shuddered at the thought of what had happened; he did not like it at all. How could she try to blame him for decisions she made without him? He was locked up in jail and did not know anything about what she was planning, so how was
Cora knew there was no escape for her now; all she could do was hold onto Elara and act as if she knew nothing. There was no way she could escape, and her entire plan seemed ruined."To what do we owe the pleasure of your coming here?" Cora asked; she was trying her best to act mature, but Ronan and Ezra already saw through the facade."We are here to pick up Elara Quinn; just tell us where she is and we won't make a scene and will be on our way without a word," Ronan said gently. He seemed more composed than Ezra, who was shaking with anger. All Ezra thought of doing was beating up the owner, but he knew that it was wrong to do so, and that would make them find Elara quickly; in fact, it might even make it worse for them."You are making a dangerous claim right now," Micah said, standing up, and you, more than anyone, should know that it is wrong to frame someone for something they have not done."Have not done? You know fully well that your mother is the one behind the kidnapping of
Micah sat in shock after hearing all that the lawyer explained to him; he stared at the man hoping that he would begin to laugh at how gullible he was and that none of that had happened. When the lawyer did not look like he was about to laugh, he hoped that he would be rudely shaken from this dream he seemed to be having and every tug in his life would be back to the time before he lost Elara."Why on earth would you allow her to do that?" Micah asked, picking at each word gently. He wanted to scream and pull out the hair of his lawyer, but he knew that was not going to make anything better; it might even make it worse if he did not take care."She is the only one who can sign off for you, and all the documents had your legal signature and stamp." Micah could understand how she got the stamp, but how could she get the signature? It made no sense except that she forged it. Why did she forge his signature? What was she trying to get by forging it to sell off all they had? Has she done th
"Mr. Micah Swanson, you are free to go," the officer said, unlocking the cell door and opening the gate. Micah stood up from the floor where he had been and walked to the gate. It made no sense because just yesterday Ezra had threatened to make sure he spent the rest of his life behind bars since Elara was still missing and Micah did not say a word about it."To go where?" Micah asked with a frown."To go home""Am I free to go home?""Do you need me to get an interpreter for you?" the officer asked angrily. He hated that Ezra and Ronan had walked in there and asked them to let Micah go without allowing them to do their jobs, but there was no way they could say no to them. It was more of an order than a request, and since both families were involved, the officer would rather keep his job than go head-to-head with them."I just won't understand why you would let me go without an explanation," Micah said, still staying inside the cell. He felt some kind of chill fill his entire body; he
"Ezra Are you sure this would work?" Clara asked with tears in her eyes. It had been four days since Elara had gone missing and the media had gotten a whiff of it. No one knew how this happened because they had been careful enough but there was a link to sow who might have leaked it to the media and none of them cared who leaked the information; all they cared about at that moment was finding Elara and making sure she was alive."Ezra, Daddy has enough to pay the ransom and bring her back home," Isla added. Unfortunately, for every six hours that they spent waiting, the ransom kept on going up, and now they were up to one hundred sixty million. The kidnappers had threatened to beat her up in the next six hours, and Ezra had come up with a plan. The viability of the plan was not certain, but they wanted to do anything to make sure that Elara came back to them alive."I have the money and I would pay; I wouldn't ask you for a dime. We know that Cora and Micah are behind this, even thoug
"She is being a bit difficult. What do you want me to do?" one of the men said over the phone before aggressively pushing out a whiff of smoke from his mouth. The other man took the cigarette from his hand and blew on it before returning it to him."Make the ransom call, but make sure that they are not able to trace it to me," Cora said silently over the phone. Remember that you would be the one to take the fall for anything that happens." Cora wanted them to know she had no part in the situation, even though she was the mastermind behind it."We understand.""One hundred million and my son.""What about our payment?" the man asked. This was the most dangerous job that they had ever taken, but they took it because of the risk involved. If they can coax the money from the Quinn family, then they would get to walk away with thirty million without sweating, as they have always done in the past."I told you that after we get the ransom, then you get your payment," Cora said angrily. She d
Micah did not want to believe that his mother would go so low to do something like this. It made no sense because everyone who had a working brain could trace it back to her without any issues. "Can I request a call?" He asked the officer as he dragged him back to the cell he had been."You can't" the man's voice was firm and Micah could tell that bargaining was going to be hard. "Please you have to help me or else I might end up suffering something I never did" Ezra said trying to stop him from dragging but the man was obviously stronger than him. "Please, don't I have the right to a phone call at least" he added in an almost crying tone. He knew it was possible that the Quinn family had cut off his communication line but then considering how things were going he would not blame them if they did. "I can't offer that to you at this time, maybe try later" the man said and pushed him into the cell without a word before walking away his ears deaf to the continuous plea from the man be