Beverly Hill frowned upon opening her eyes hours later.Her head ached so much and even her bruises,impacted by her father,were left unattended to.How many hours has she been unconscious?"Well,well,well," came Mr Hill's voice.Beverly looked up."How do you feel,dearest daughter?" he smiled "Don't worry..your wounds will heal immediately you do as I say"Beverly sighed.She was in so much pain but didn't forget that her mother was nowhere there."Where's my mother?" she asked as she managed to get up from the bed. Mr Hill gazed at himself in the mirror.Beverly noticed how neatly dressed up he looked."I asked where is my mother!" she screamed.Mr Hill slowly turned to his daughter."Your mother is on her death bed" he said with a stern look on her face."What? What..what do you mean?" her breath hitched."What else do I mean?!" he laughed "Your mother is about to die" he said more plainly.Beverly rushed towards him."No.. no..what have you done! Where is she!! Take me to her..you b
"Please.," Beverly spoke with gritted teeth "Please,give me the antidote"Mr Hill squatted to her level.He held her chin.As much as she hated it and wanted to pull away,her mother's groans were a constant reminder of what was at stake."Not so fast,my dear" he smiled as he caressed her cheeks "It feels so good hearing you beg me with the same mouth you've used to curse me"Unable to bear it anymore,she looked away from him."Don't be shy,your mom doesn't have much time left." he taunted "Beg properly,""How else do you want me to beg?" she sobbed "Please give me the antidote! Mother mustn't die!"A hard slap sent her on the floor with a bleeding lips."Don't you dare raise your voice at me,you good for nothing! It is up to you whether she dies or not.""No,please" she crawled back to his feet "Please,please father...I am begging you,don't let mother die.She means everything to me,I can't live without her.Please don't take her away.Please,I am begging you at your feet." she sobbed har
Jamie found herself back at the Bryan's mansion early that morning.She need not think of how she got back here.After Jake forced himself on her,he must have brought her when she passed out."Are you okay?"Jamie looked up.Mr Bryan stepped in.Tears filled her eyes as she stood up on her feet.The moment he crossed the distance between them,she crashed into his arms and sobbed."Dad.." she cried "I..I can't do this anymore.Jake wants to take my child away,I..I can't let him""It's okay, dear.Stop crying" "It's not okay," her sobs became loud "He..he forced himself on me.He kept saying I'm his second choice and that he would never let me go"She withdrew and stared at him with teary eyes."He doesn't love me," she sobbed "Why wouldn't he let me go? Father talk to him,make him understand that I want a divorce"Mr Bryan sighed,"I will see what I can do,Jamie. You have to eat and then take a rest,come""No, father I don't feel like eating.""Jamie-""Please,dad.I just...want to be alone
Hailey was excited to receive Stephanie and Edward back home.The table was filled with varieties of food and wine and although all Diana wanted to do at that moment was be alone,she couldn't afford to say no.Edward already had in mind what to do once he dropped Diana off,however considering the effort Hailey must have taken to welcome them this way,he also had no choice than to sit at that table and have lunch."It was a week you took away from here but it felt so much like a year!" Hailey cheerfully said "I kept worrying about you, Stephanie.I hope Edward took proper care of you?""Yes,mother" Diana replied,her expression gloomEcstatic,Hailey failed to notice the tense atmosphere."You have no idea the things I was up to while you both were away! I will show them to you immediately after lunch.I have even prepared the baby shower party and trust me, it's gonna be lit! Oh my God..I can't believe we're gonna have kids running here and there,making me chase after them to come have br
Diego was coming down the stairs after some minutes bath.He had a large envelope in his hands containing the marriage certificate.Mr Hill got up on his arrival,he smiled broadly and was obviously excited."That was marvellous," he laughed as he parted Diego's arm "Her screams made me ecstatic,and her cries and pleas almost made me want to beg you to stop too" he joked as he chuckled.Diego wondered in his mind how this could be a father to a child.The man proved to be heartless,greedy and lack a high sense of sensibility.Saying nothing,he brought out the white documents inside the envelope.He hesitated,praying that the stupid man would not go through the certificate.It didn't have Dustin Anderson's name on it.It stated that he,Diego Louis would be legally wedded to Beverly Hill.Should Mr Hill see this.."I don't know how you're gonna make her sign this,Mr Hill." he spoke "She's unconscious and I told you I have work to do.""Not to worry about that, Don" he said "You go ahead with
Since their arrival back at Chicago,Diana had,for two weeks,not set eyes on Edward nor did she hear from him.She needed no one to tell her anything because it was more than obvious that he'd be at work.Work relating to Stephanie,that very much she understood.Hailey and Henry had both gone for some business meetings with their associates and she was left alone at home.Hailey had second thoughts leaving her alone in the large house but Diana managed to convince her not to feel afraid.There were bodyguards around,she reminded.Feeling bored she had no idea what to do.It has been weeks since she cleared her reading appetite and that reminded her of the novel she'd found in Edward's closet.Once There Was A Man.She sighed as she retrieved it from where she'd hid it and immediately sat down to read.Just then,her phone rang and it was Edward.Intense pain passed through her heart.But she reminded herself again that she caused everything on herself.She wasn't supposed to fall in love
"You should eat and not starve my grandchild for nothing," Mrs Bryan appeared in front of Jamie's room "You're hurting so much while trying to hide your love for Jake"Jamie who had been acting so reserved dropped the sweater she was knitting and turned to look at her mother in law."I have had breakfast and I don't have the appetite for lunch" she answered,ignoring Mrs Bryan's second request.She stepped further into the room."When did you have breakfast?""I ordered." she replied curtly "You ordered?? When there's lot of food in the house? The breakfast table was filled and I ended up asking the servants to dispose off the huge leftovers and you saying you ordered?"Jamie heaved a sigh,"Your son might have forced me back here, Mrs Bryan but I don't consider myself a part of this family anymore," she explained calmly "As soon as I can,I will file for a divorce so before then I don't want anything from you nor your son""What are you saying, Jamie??" asked an alarmed Mrs Bryan.She w
The driver Edward sent to pick Diana up drooled openly the moment she stepped out of the building.Cladded in a red off the shoulder gown that was slit to her thighs,Diana Collins rocked.Her white skin and elegant face caused the servants to marvel and giggle secretly because they actually thought she was going on a date with Edward Collins.And that wasn't the truth.Diana ignored the looks and went into the limousine.She had dressed her very best and even applied enough make up just to hide her facial expressions.Since she'd be going to see her husband with his first wife,she must put up a very good fight and hide the pain that was heavy in her heart.They must also not see that she is hiding her heartbreak and the hurt she feels by Edward's betrayal.Even by feeling strong,she felt like crying all over again.She carefully wiped away the small tears in the corner of her eyes.To think that all Edward's care and affectionate words were all a pretence.Stephanie will always have the
The upcoming wedding ceremony of Edward and Diana shutdown the whole Illinois. Everyone was talking about the pre-wedding photos and they all anticipated the wedding day. People were curious where the wedding would take place.A day before the wedding, the location was revealed and half the population were disappointed. It was to take place at the beach and no one knows why sophisticated couples like Edward and Diana chose such a location.No one was as disappointed as high school girls who had lied to their parents the school had organized a trip. A whooping sum was allocated to their accounts and the girls were beyond elated. This is because they had guessed that the wedding would be overseas, possibly Paris, England or even Dubai. So they had duped their parents of a huge amount of money at the expense of being caught and expelled by the school. Despite this huge risk, they were not frightened of the consequences because they would do and give anything to attend Diana and Edward's w
Hailey showed equal surprise. But more than that she was happy and grateful. She had little hope of seeing Diana and also her grandchildren. As she came and stood in front of her, Diana had no idea what to do. She wondered whether to apologize. She didn't know what to expect because during her stay at the mansion, her and Hailey were close enough to pass for mother and daughter. Since she has been away for few months it was only natural to jump into her mother's arms and hug her tightly.Edward kissed her forehead and whispered, "It's the surprise" and then he left them. After a moment of silence, Diana parted her lips and spoke with her head lowered, "I..I don't know if I still have the privilege to call you mother." she lifted her head with tears in her eyes. In order to vindicate herself, she could easily explain that her sister was the mastermind but then again, she wouldn't do that."I'm to blame to everything," she began "I accepted to be a surrogate because my life was hard
The whole Illinois was thrown into jubilation in the early hours of October fifteen. Groups of Stephanie's fans that had now turned Diana's fans had come with lots of gifts and flowers but they were not allowed into the hospital.Still, this did not baffle them. They sang and expressed their happiness carrying beautifully decorated banners all over the streets. It was celebration galore.Meanwhile, Diana was yet to regain consciousness. Earlier that morning she had opened her eyes but closed them almost immediately. The doctor explained to the Collins' that she needed adequate amount of rest after being in labor for nine hours.Edward was super excited and Stephanie too. In fact as they stared at the baby boys in the crib she agreed that she could never have brought herself to murder this handsome creatures.She couldn't stop checking on them. Hailey was equally excited while Henry had spent some time admiring the new kids before he went off to the company.A while later, some of Hail
Pulling off his coat, Edward stormed into the hospital while sweating. He tossed the coat aside and immediately found his way to the reception with Hailey and Henry following behind."I'm-""The VIP room, sir" the receptionist answered before he finished speaking. "The last floor." she further described and Edward raced towards the elevator.Since Hailey and Henry were not up to his pace, they were left out of the elevator.Edward's heart was jumping in anxiety. Alone in the elevator he could hear his heart beat racing rapidly. If Stephanie hadn't been around and willing to help...his thought trailed off. He blamed himself for not being frequent with the due date. He was completely occupied and didn't want to show Diana and his unborn kids to the public yet. However,He stepped out of the elevator and picked up a steady race. Luckily, his eagle eyes spotted Stephanie afar off. When he got there, she approached him totally panic-stricken."Where is she?" Edward askedStephanie's eyes t
Hailey was having a quiet tea with Henry. Together they had watched the viral video of the crash scene at the bridge and how Edward had flown in to save Diana.It was all over the internet including the family feud that was witnessed by passerbys between Ryan and Edward.People were still waiting patiently for answers but after a month there was nothing. Edward had handed the company to his most trusted man and instructed him not to grant any interviews and reject every calls.Hailey was glad Edward found Diana after all and although Edward was refusing her calls she hoped that Diana and the unborn kids are doing okay.Tantrums and vile words were no longer thrown at Diana. After all, the citizens had witnessed Stephanie save the her and even shot at the man who had threatened Diana and the unborn kids. This left the entire Illinois in confusion. Not to add to the fact that they were all ashamed of how they'd jumped into conclusions and cursed at an innocent woman."Have you tried cal
Diana had a hard time falling asleep. Still in a private hotel booked by Edward, she hoped to speak with Stephanie but the latter had locked her door and would not listen to anyone.Edward managed to help her fall asleep and now as the sun rays seeped through the curtains a face popped up in front of her.Yawning, she got up and rubbed her eyes."There she is," Edward smiled "The love of my life and the woman of my dreams."Diana smiled."How was your night, hubby?" she could see him clearly now"Since you were by my side, it was perfect." Diana realized that he was all dressed up."Where are you going so early??"Leaning in, he stole a quick kiss and began heading for the door."It's a surprise, I'll be back.""B-but Edward-" before she could speak he was off. Diana wondered what the surprise could be. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Stephanie's door opening. She hurriedly got out of bed and wore her slippers. When she got out of the room she met Stephanie with a tray o
Somewhere in Illinois, Ryan was laid to rest. No one was present in the funeral, except Stephanie, Diana, and Edward. It was a month after his death and Edward was recovering very quickly.Despite Diana's insistence for him to rest he refused and really wanted to organize a large funeral ceremony for Ryan."Edward, is that necessary?" had been Diana's reply."Yes, babe." he answered "I know he doesn't deserve it but still we're brothers and I acknowledge that. Things only went awry, and I still wish he had just humbled himself. We would have made the perfect duo.""But Stephanie-" Diana had said "She's refused to speak to anyone."Edward pulled out his phone, "She'll be fine." he said and then proceeded to make a call through when Stephanie had stepped into the room."No need for that," Edward and Diana turned to look at her."I want a peaceful funeral." she sniffed "Just me and him."Edward stepped forward, "I understand if you want a peaceful funeral but you're keeping us from att
Beverly stepped out of the plane first and Layla followed second. Two months in France has come to an end and now she is back to Illinois.Mike had followed them after all, but only after everything was settled back at the Don's estate. They drove to a hotel first and Layla was the first to crash on the bed. She was tired from the flight and soon dozed off quickly.Somehow, Beverly couldn't sleep despite how tired she looked. She was nervous because in an hour or two, they'd be meeting with the only man she had come to love. The same man who had married her but only for nine months as the contract had said.Having spent two months and some weeks away, only six months and some weeks were left. Mike had managed to convince her to meet up with him and hear his thought. If it were left to her, she would have just collected herself together and move on with her life.Mike came from behind with a glass of juice."Thanks." Beverly whispered.Slipping his hands into his pocket, Mike said"I
A week later Jake could walk around on his own and although the hospital declared him fit and still needed to take some rest, Mr Bryan came with the police.It was all his plan. The police were friends of his and Mr Bryan did not file for a case against Jake. He only wanted Jake to change for the better.When Jake saw the police, fear was written all over his face. In silence, they cuffed him and began to take him away. Mr Bryan watched, hoping that he would turn back and apologize.Mrs Bryan met them at the door as they were about leaving. "Please don't take my son to jail," she began to plead "Let go off him!""Mrs Bryan please let us do our job. Your son needs to understand the importance of human feelings. Until he is remorse for his actions, he would be sent to jail." the cop replied hoping that Jake would grab the message.Mrs Bryan held her son's face, "Jake, please apologize already. Is your pride more important than spending the rest of your live in jail away from everyone??