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10|With Little Preparation
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2021-06-19 16:37:00There were several guards stationed throughout the floor and two outside Clarke's private ward. Their only job was to keep the media out. The last thing they wanted was stories of his father, true or otherwise, making the rounds. A CEO on his deathbed wasn't good for business and share prices.
Lois flew to him when they walked in. He hugged her, and she wept harder as he gently patted her head. It all made sense now, Liam thought, her lack of inspiration, the listlessness, the faraway look in her eyes. It wasn't that she couldn't paint. His Mom didn't want to. How could she when her best friend and soulmate was staring death in the face?
"Oh Mom," Liam whispered in her hair as he squeezed her. "You should have told me."
"You are here now," Lois gave him a shaky smile as she sat down again and took his father's hand.
Liam reluctantly approached the bed, a visceral feeling of terror bubbling at the pit of his stomach. He couldn't understand how Clarke had shrunk and aged so much in a space of a few hours. But, his father looked so serene as he slept. Liam knew, though, there was nothing peaceful about what he was going through, not with all the constant beeping and wheezing of the machines working overtime to keep him comfortable and the tons of tubes attached to him.
He leaned over and kissed his forehead.
Clarke opened his eyes. "There he is–" He said in a weak voice and tried to point a frail finger at him.
At that moment Liam would have given anything to hear his strong, roaring voice, the same one he'd used earlier to back him into a corner.
"You are such an old fool," Liam whispered.
"I guess you take after me then," Clarke shot back, and they both laughed tearfully.
"We are going to fix you," Liam said with conviction. "We'll beat this, and you'll come back stronger. I need you to come back and kick my butt and question all the decisions I make for Anderson Logistics."
"Don't complain when I do." His father's chuckle turned into a long fit of convulsive coughs that didn't seem to stop, even after making him take small sips of water.
Willow and Holly called in his doctors, and for fifteen minutes, the room was in chaos as they worked frantically to get him comfortable. Clarke passed out soon after they gave him a shot of morphine. Liam suggested they give his Mom something to help her sleep too, but Lois refused. She wanted to keep vigil over her husband.
Liam met with the doctors in a bland conference room on the administration floor, and they discussed his father's treatment plan.
"What's the prognosis?" He asked Dr Smith, the lead oncologist.
She's happy they caught the disease early enough, but she was worried it could have spread in the six months Clarke had delayed in getting treatment. As things stood, she and her team were running numerous tests to figure out the extent of the damage.
"I get that, but what are his chances?"
Dr Smith gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "We'll do everything we can to fight this. The five-year survival rate is about ninety percent."
Liam wished they didn't have to discuss the odds, but ninety percent sounded promising to him.
Almost an hour later, he left the conference room more optimistic than he was when he entered.
He checked on his father again. Clarke was still out cold, and so was his Mom. Both his sisters were wide awake, though, working furiously on their laptops.
Holly had to cancel her midday recital at the Civic Theatre and all other future performances until further notice.
Willow also had a nightmare on her hands with a new art installation at Fugue Art Gallery in Forrest Creek where she worked as a curator. She'd have to miss the first few showings, but her assistant would handle things in her absence.
He'd barely sat down in the only other empty seat in the room next to the bed when Mrs Gibson and her impressive troop of assistants showed up, and life as Liam knew it was over.
From that moment on, with little preparation and no guidance, he stepped into the CEO role he'd fought so hard to reject.
Bab terkait
Begin Again 11|Dad Isn't God
The next several weeks passed in a blur as Liam adjusted to his new role. He was constantly sitting in various meetings, attending numerous conferences in and out of the country and making sure his father received the best treatment. His days began as early as 4:00 AM and some nights he'd only drag himself to bed after 2:00 AM. He was cranky and short-tempered, not surprising since he was running on two hours sleep at the very least. In those first few weeks, he made a lot of enemies in and out of the company; as a result, his security detail had to be ramped up following anonymous death threats. Liam found the endless army of guards annoying, but the board didn't want to take any chances, not when Anderson Logistics’ share prices took a beating following the news of his father's illness. He wasn't their best choice, but for now, he was the only Messiah who could safely wade them out of shit-creek.He made a lot of shakeups internally. He disbanded the
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19Begin Again 12|Obsession
Crush was hopping when Liam finally made it there almost an hour later.There were people everywhere, grinding and stepping on each other. Liam was glad his cousins had a VIP booth. He couldn't handle all the rowdiness tonight."You made it!" Julian hiccupped over the loud music; his speech already slurred as he stood and hugged him, almost toppling him over."Easy buddy." Liam pushed him back on the sectional couch and turned to Matthew. "How much did he drink?""All those," his cousin pointed at a line of empty shot glasses lined up on the bright yellow cube."What happened?" Liam asked as a scantily dressed waitress appeared at his side. He ordered the most expensive bottle of bourbon. After the hellish day, no, few weeks he's had he deserved every drop."He got dumped," Matthew said. "She left him for a wealthier, older man.""Ouch!" Liam touched his heart dramatically and rolled his eyes heavenward."How's the old man?"
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19Begin Again 13|Broke Him
Liam's night wasn't about to get any better. He found Laura waiting in his living room. "What are you doing here?" He demanded as he dumped his messenger bag on the couch and threw off his jacket. He was planning to go over the dozens of reports waiting for him and prepare for an out of town meeting. "I missed you, Li." She pouted as she pranced to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back. They were ‘on’ again it seemed, Liam thought. After being ‘over’ for four months. He couldn't remember what ticked her off the last time. But he was pretty sure it was his fault. It was always his fault. "I have to work tonight," Liam pushed her hands away and turned to the stairs. He had to be upfront with her; there could be no misunderstandings and unnecessary expectations. "I have to work every night from now. If you thought I didn't have time for you before, I sure as hell won't have any now." "I know," she cried as she ra
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19Begin Again 14|To Be A Mom
After weeks of constant puking and generally feeling miserable, Eden plucked up the nerve to make a doctor's appointment. The receptionist was super nice, and she pencilled her in for 12:30 PM. Eden was happy with her time slot, even more grateful that the doctor was on the 4th floor of Van Holt Industries, her new place of employment where she’s been working as a junior Personal Assistant to the Marketing Director for almost three months. Her employer’s owned the building since the dawn of time, but only occupied the top fifteen floors. The bottom five were rented out to various businesses, with the ground floor serving as a mini shopping mall with all the different stores, coffee shops and restaurants. The wide choice of food was Eden's only comfort about the job she hated. There was nothing wrong with being an assistant to be fair, but it wasn't a job Eden saw herself doing for the rest of her life. The constant running of errands, typing u
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19Begin Again 15|Too Young To Be An Aunt
Eden returned to her desk ten minutes later with a script in her hand and a dazed look in her eyes, her mind racing chaotically. She was going to be a Mom. She was carrying Liam Anderson's child, former motorsport racer now CEO of one of the biggest logistics companies in Rock Union. A married CEO. She'd obsessed over him those first few weeks after their encounter, consumed every little tabloid story she could find on him. There were plenty. But nothing about his marriage. She figured he'd managed to keep that part of his life very private. When it became clear, with each passing day, that she was nothing but a hookup where Liam was concerned, she'd firmly put him out of her mind. But now she had a part of him growing inside her– "Are you okay?" Lucia, the other junior assistant she worked closely with, asked when Eden sat down. She nodded and hastily stuffed her scan and prenatal vitamins script in her bag. She didn't want anyone at work to know she's expec
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19Begin Again 16|Imperfect Timing
It took Eden fifteen minutes to get to her parents' penthouse. She knew they were both livid judging from the cold, silent way they regarded her when she came in. Both, professors at Rock Union University, prided themselves on being rational, thinking people who used words instead of fists, and the quieter and calmer the tone, the better. "I'm sorry you found out the way you did," Eden apologised as soon as she sat in the loveseat facing the endless pool on the deck. "Is it Simon's?" Erica McBride asked in her breathy voice, hope lighting up her small face. Eden always thought she'd easily be the prettiest woman in the room if she could smile more. She had the same slanted brown eyes like her. Her olive skin was smooth and ageless, thanks to the copious amounts of skincare products lining her vanity station in her enormous walk-in closet upstairs. Her brown hair was always kept in a chic bob, and she wore very little makeup. But she was still striking
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19Begin Again 17|Homecoming
[Two Years Later]... Eden's friends were already waiting to welcome her home when she pulled into the driveway of the single-story bungalow on Alice Lane, a quiet suburban street six blocks away from her old apartment in Forrest Creek. The 'sold' sign propped on the front lawn filled Eden with pride. She'd done it, bought her first home. It was small. Only two bedrooms. But since it was on a corner lot, she had a bit of extra yard space. With a growing, rumbustious little boy, she'd need plenty of yard space. She turned to check on Aiden sleeping in his car seat in the back. Her heart swelled with a love so intense she thought it would burst and shatter in her chest in a kaleidoscope of fragments. He was the love of her life, the light that had pulled her out of her darkest days. The moment she knew of his existence, she began to live and breathe for him. Eden unsnapped her seatbelt and pushed out of her Toyota Prius. Her friends ran to her wh
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19Begin Again 18|Happy Here
Tired of entertaining himself, her son ran up to her, and Eden spent a few minutes throwing him up in the air and making aeroplane sounds as they zoomed around the room. By the time she set him down, she was out of breath and a little tired. She looked through the bag for his toys, but Aiden picked a book instead. Sienna and Lydia read it to him while she and Cassandra went through the house, checking what needs to be done. The kitchen was their first stop. The cabinets were old, but Cassandra thought they could do them up by repainting them. They'd leave the top ones white and paint the bottoms powder blue to go with the fitted gas cooktop. Grammy’s vintage fridge would fit in nicely too to complete the farmhouse look. Eden wasn't too concerned about the open plan living room. Her new three-seater would arrive in a few days. She'd hit the rooftop flea market at the weekend for a coffee table and a couple of armchairs, she could always refurbish them the way
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-06-19
Bab terbaru
Begin Again 196|We'll Always Be Together
[Six Months Later]... After months of preparations, Eden's weeklong exhibition at Fugue was a smashing success. She even managed to sell two of her paintings. But with all the smiling and pandering she had done to Rock Castle's uber-rich, she would not have expected anything less. So when Saturday rolled around, the only thing she wanted to do was to crash on the couch and put up her feet. Not a lot for a girl to ask. But she wasn't destined to enjoy the little things in life. Having tried every trick in the book to get her to give up her spot on the couch and leave the house with him, Liam finally let the cat out of the bag. Her friends had tasked him with the sacred job of dropping her off at Heat for a surprise baby shower. Eden didn't want to go anywhere, but she would never hear the end of it if she didn't show up. So she threw on a pair of black leggings—the only thing in her closet that still fit her— and Liam's denim
Begin Again 195|Begin Again
As Liam watched Eden slowly make her way to him, he was overcome with emotion. The whole day he had tried to keep it together, and he had lost track of the number of times his cousins had had to stop him from running to her guest suite to see her. And now that she was here, and they were so close to the start of their next chapter, hard as he tried to blink away his tears, Liam couldn't. He choked back a sob, unable to believe how lucky he was. He had never seen that many brides before, but Eden took the number one spot from the few that he had. She looked incredible in her dress, a vision of grace and elegance and beauty, exactly how he imagined a real-life princess would look. But then again, she was his Princess, his hell, his paradise, and her slow progress down the aisle wasn't working for him. He crossed the room in few quick strides, and in a heartbeat, he had her in his embrace as he kissed her fiercely, much to everyone's surprise and cheers.
Begin Again 194|First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life
Wedding fever hit town as soon as the press release about Eden and Liam's impending nuptials went out. For days the announcement, posted on Anderson Logistics website and all the company's socials, was the number #1 trending topic on all social media platforms. The internet was in disbelief. Thousands of Liam's adoring fans couldn't accept that the day they had dreaded was finally upon them, and the Three-Month Prince was officially off the market. Well, almost off the market. Like most people who have an unhealthy obsession with their idols, they had to share their outrage and sadness with strangers on the internet. Overnight, Eden became the villainess, the woman who had ruined all their fantasies, and they couldn't understand why, out of all the beauties in the universe ready to fall at his feet, Liam would choose her. She had to have used some kind of witchcraft or love spell on him, they said. And when Sienna's exposé on t
Begin Again 193|Something About Almost Dying
Liam headed straight to his study as soon as they got home and spent almost an hour on the phone with his father. Like he'd expected, Clarke was against the meeting and even more disturbed when he brought up the idea of dropping the charges. "Are you insane?" His father barked on his end, and if they were in the same room, Liam knew he would have likely throttled him. "We almost lost you. You almost died! How can you even think about this?" "What other choice do I have, Dad? He's watching Eden. We're getting married in three weeks. I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder. What kind of life will that be for Eden and our children?" "James told you there's a way to handle this. Aleksei and his brother are dogs. They should be put down." "And what will that make us?" Liam asked sadly. "I didn't call to ask for your permission. I was simply informing you the meeting with Andrei is happening." He clicked off before his father could pus
Begin Again 192|Finish Strong
The botanical gardens were in the northern part of Rock Castle, and on a good day, it would have taken them under ten minutes to get there from Van Holt Industries. But, it took them almost twice as long because, by the time they left the doctor's rooms, every man and his dog was out and about, running their morning errands. By the time they arrived, the place was almost packed to capacity. Everywhere they turned, they were greeted by people on their picnic blankets with their wicker baskets; others were on camping chairs under big shady umbrellas, already sipping beers and turning sausages and steaks on their braai stands even though it wasn't even 10:00 AM yet. "Look at this place," Eden murmured, her eyes flitting everywhere. "We can't let Aiden out of our sight. I don't want a repeat of the aquarium. What if Aleksei is here?" "He's in jail, remember?" Liam reminded her as he lifted her chin. "He can't hurt us." "But his brother is around—"
Begin Again 191|Too Many Expectations
Liam never thought he'd survive two weeks in hospital. But he did. With lots of patience, tons of reports and proposals to keep him sane and an endless supply of meds to ease his pain. Before he knew it, the dreaded family fun day, months in the making, finally snuck upon them. However, Anderson Logistics' big day coincided with his hospital release and their first check-up with Dr Emily. Eden was highly strung, anxious out of her wits when she came to pick him up. "There's so much to do today," she wrung her hands as they watched James scoop Aiden up and grab Liam's travel bag. It was amazing how much stuff he had managed to collect over the past couple of weeks. His duffel bag was now heavier than it was when Eden first dropped it off. "Tell me what's wrong," Liam said as he wheeled himself around the room and paused in front of her. He didn't need the wheelchair now, but he found it very comfortable, way better than sitting on the stiff bed. "So, what's wrong?" he pulled her do
Begin Again 190|We Don't Kill People
The thought of spending an indefinite amount of time in the hospital did not please Liam at all, so as soon as they returned to his ward after their brisk walk, he tried every trick in the book to get Eden to speak to the doctors and get them to discharge him. But she refused to do his dirty work, much to his dismay. He thought she would want him home as soon as possible. "Whose side are you on?" He glared at her. "Yours, of course. I don't want to take any chances, you know," she said as she helped him up on the bed. Their son was now sitting on the floor, craning his neck at the blank TV screen in the corner and sipping his boxed juice. Liam had never met a kid who loved TV as much as Aiden, and he wondered if it was normal. Maybe spending all that time with Brenda during the day wasn't such a good thing. Maybe he needed to start going to school to get his mind stimulated. "I'm someone's fiancée now, you know, and I need the groom pr
Begin Again 189|It Will Always Be Yes
Later that evening, when Eden walked into Liam's ward with Aiden in her arms, she was surprised to find him clean-shaven and fully clothed in joggers, sneakers and a hoodie as if he was ready to go somewhere. "Dad!" Aiden shrieked with joy as soon as he saw his father rolling around the room in a wheelchair. Liam roared right back at him, his voice thundering through the room as he opened his arms. "Kool-Aid!" Eden set their son down, and he ran to his father. Liam scooped him up despite his visible agony but yelped out in pain when he tried to throw him up in the air. Eden was instantly at his side, worry dancing in her eyes, the travel bag in her hands falling at her feet with a dull thud. Aiden, too, look just as concerned. "I'm okay," Liam assured them, but the anguish on his face told a different story. "Why are you even out of bed?" Eden scolded him, much to Aiden's disapproval. "Mom, no!" He shook his hea
Begin Again 188|A Lifetime Of Kisses
Eden looked up, startled out of her mind to see his eyes were open. "Liam!" She was instantly on her feet and kissing him on the lips as she sobbed so loud she thought she'd wake the patients in the neighbouring rooms. "Oh my God, it's true. You're awake! I was starting to think they lied." "If you keep crying, I might just pass out again!" He growled and patted the empty spot on the bed. "Come here!" She sank beside him, and he drew her closer and placed his hand on her tummy. "How's my little warrior?" Eden burst into tears again at his words. "You heard everything I said that night?" "Of course I did," he smiled tearfully as well. "I may have been dying, but I'm not deaf, you know." "And you're not angry?" "Why would I be angry?" Liam asked. "Because you just found out about Aiden and now—" "Now our family will be complete," he pulled her down, and she nestled in his arms, careful not to touch his wound. "I l
