~~~~~ Disentangling Mysteries ~~~~~The chateau hummed with strain as Arnold's determined plans unfurled. Taylor conflicted between devotion and concern, kept on executing his lord's requests. The insight about Alice's supposed treachery with the first life partner spread quickly, creating shaded areas over her family's standing.Amid the disarray, Alice ended up bound to the lavish walls of Arnold's house. The room's glory stood out strongly from the trepidation in her eyes as she argued for her opportunity. The housekeeper, trapped in the crossfire, quietly noticed the unfurling show.As days passed, Arnold's tenacious quest for control increased. He moved chess pieces on the leading body of trickery, organizing a story that would keep Alice snared in his web. The pressure inside the manor reflected the tempest seething outside, an illustration of the strife inside its walls.In the meantime, Taylor wrestled with the ethical ramifications of his activities. He was unable to shake of
Alice raised her eyes to glare hard at him, she wondered helplessly why he wanted only her for his heir. "I can't do that, you see am sorry for messing with you but the truth is I am not interested in all this. I just want to go home, let me go home please." Alice mumbled with a pleading expression, she looked helplessly and lost. "I can't just let you go, I need an heir to my empire and I want you to be the mother of my heir. No one else, if you keep refusing to accept my request then I will keep you locked in here. " Arnold muttered in a cold tone, he turned around ready to walk away after giving her his piece."You are a demon, you are a devil, you are heartless. How can you do this to me? I have never offended you or come across your path, what hatred do you have for me?" Alice asked raising her head, she stared at him with a disgusted expression. "My marriage got called off, my fiancee cheated with my sister I never wanted her to do that. I never wanted to be here at first, I wa
~~~~~ Brooks Mansion ~~~~~Sophia and Jade both paddled their way into the mansion after getting out of the car, Jade held onto Sophia's hand pulling her into the mansion. "Are you alright? Don't worry mum and dad will accept us back, we just have to plead with them and that's all." Jade muttered standing in front of Sophia and holding her hands. Her face was red from the slaps she received from her parents, her eyes had a bit of a cold expression in them. Jade lovingly rubbed her face to clear the color from it, he placed a peck on it when she didn't answer him."I understand Jade, will they tell us to get out of the house as my parents did? I don't know what to do if they tell us that, why can't everyone understand that we love each? Why? Why can't they see our love and yearning for one another?" Sophia questioned faking a pitiful expression, she acted docile with tears flowing down her eyes. Jade felt touched by her tears making his heart ache in pain, he raised his hand and broug
Mr. Brook glared at his son with disgust and disappointment, he was highly disappointed in his son for choosing to go on this path, and he ( Jade ) thought the path he chose was the right one to trend on. "Honey? What are you doing? Won't you stop them? Honey, please stop them, if they leave people will talk about our family." Mrs. Brook muttered running to her husband and holding onto his hands, she pleaded with him to stop their son from leaving. "Honey please listen to me, stop him from going. Stop him already." She shook her husband harder.Sophia glared at Jade from the corner of her eyes as he attempted to pull her out of the mansion, she wondered what he was thinking. "Jade, let's just have a reasonable conversation with your father. You don't want him to be angry with us, you know this isn't the right way to solve things." Sophia muttered trying to stop him from leaving, "listen to me Jade, we can plead with him to accept us. He is your father, after all, I don't want you to g
~~~~~ Arnold's Mansion ~~~~~Two days passed in the blink of an eye, everything that happened within those days was like a dream to Alice. She had remained adamant and stubborn about not listening to his words or bearing his child, she had refused to eat for two days wanting to starve herself to death and to convince him ( Arnold) too. But Arnold refused to budge either, he instructed the maids to keep sending her food regardless of her content denial. He also intensified the suffering of her family by 10 folds each passing day as she denied his request."Get some food upstairs, prepare a new dish and present it to her. Make sure she finishes it." Arnold ordered the maids, after walking into the kitchen to get a glass of water. He was ready to continue in the cat and mouse game with Alice till she gave up, taking a phone from the insides of his pocket he placed it on the tray. "Also show her the videos on the phone and tell her, I am waiting for her reply." He added and the maids nodd
~~~~~ Dennison Enterprise ~~~~~"Mr. Lycan explain to us, what is happening to the company. Mr. Lycan, you bragged about making the company enter new heights, tell us what is happening." "The stocks are falling daily, there is no standard reason for why? Tell us what is happening to the company." Reporters asked various questions about Lycan who was climbing out of the car, Lycan is the son of Mr. And Mrs. Dennison and the elder brother of Sophia and Alice. He had blue eyes as Alice did and also beautiful facial features, his hair was dark in color making him stand out from the rest people in his family."The news is also spreading that your younger sister cheated with the fiance of the eldest? Mr. Lycan is this true, is this the reason why the wedding was called off at the last moment? Is this the reason for the stocks falling?" "The videos posted by your younger sister on her Instagram page, tell us is that true? Was the youngest daughter of the Dennison making out with her sister
~~~~~ Downtown Apartment ~~~~~ 3 am.Sophia groaned from the mosquitoes biting her body, her hands ran down her body in an attempt to get rid of the mosquitoes. After countless trials of getting rid of the mosquitoes, she sat up from the bed in anger and frustration. Her eyes drifted to Jade sleeping and snoring peacefully and her lips curved up in disgust, she rolled her eyes at him. He was the reason she was here in a downtown dump, if he hadn't been so angry and talked as he liked to his father then they would not have been in the situation. She climbed down the cranky bed, and barefooted she walked towards the window to stare out with mosquitoes still biting her body. She had no clothes to change into, she had only two clothes and they were both dirty leaving her only in her bra and panties. The stupid hotel they paid to stay in that was called an apartment had no blankets to offer except the dirty towels in the bathroom, if only Jade hadn't been so angry to nag at his father o
~~~~~ Hawthorne Business Empire ~~~~~ Arnold climbed down from the car, the door was held open by Trevor. His eyes gazed at the tall and large building before him, this was his empire an empire from where he could rule the world. He took a step forward to go into the large building with Trevor and three bodyguards behind him, the large sign on the building which was flashing ' Hawthorne Business Empire ' sparkled with a bright white and Golden light indicating business opened. The door was pushed open by the securities with their head bowed down in greetings to Ace. Arnold gazed coldly at them without so much as a nod before stepping into the huge building, his face knitted into a deep frown gazing at the ladies in the hallway. The excessive smell of various brands of perfumes, deodorants, and makeup made him feel nauseous. The ladies in the hall turned towards the door as he walked in, they bowed their heads in greeting him also trying to show off their cleavage. Only a few women w
Alice’s Promotion:Meanwhile, Arnold's father, impressed with Alice's dedication and competence, names her as the new CEO of the Hawthorne corporate empire. This chapter emphasizes Arnold's father's trust and affection for Alice and lays the groundwork for her new role as the company's CEO. In the aftermath of the chaos that had befallen the Hawthorne business empire, a ray of hope emerged from the gloom. Alice, a persistent and diligent employee, had piqued the interest of Arnold's father, Charles Hawthorne. He was impressed by her unwavering passion and skill and identified in her the attributes required to drive the company forward. Charles had seen Alice's unshakable commitment personally. Following Lily's sad death and Samuel's subsequent imprisonment, Alice remained a pillar of strength, guaranteeing the steady operation of the firm. Her tireless efforts and superb leadership abilities had not gone unnoticed by Charles's keen eyes. One afternoon, when Alice was working at her de
Father's Fury:Lily's father, driven by grief and anger over his daughter's sad death, pursues justice and vengeance. Fueled by his emotions, he takes matters into his own hands, determined to hold those guilty accountable. However, his intentions for vengeance are derailed when he is charged and imprisoned for fraud. This chapter looks into the father's desperate quest for justice as well as the ramifications that result. Samuel, Lily's father, was hit hard by the news of her sudden demise. With grief and rage intertwining within him, Samuel became seized by an intense desire for justice. He refused to accept her awful destiny as an accident and was determined to discover the truth about the events that led to his daughter's death. In the days that followed, Samuel dove into a world he never imagined he'd visit. He worked diligently to gather evidence, examine witnesses, and piece together a seemingly never-ending jigsaw. Sleepless hours were spent poring over records, photographs, an
Lily's Downfall:The discovery of Lily's relationship with Arnold's cousin upends her luxurious existence as a supermodel. The media frenzy and public scrutiny have ruined her reputation and career. Lily becomes insane as a result of her inability to cope with the unexpected setback. The chapter delves into her inner anguish and how it leads to a fatal vehicle accident that ends in her untimely death. Lily had always been a symbol of beauty and achievement. Her face appeared on magazine covers, her runway walks captivated audiences, and her every move was watched by loving followers. However, the discovery of her relationship to Arnold's cousin broke her seemingly ideal existence, throwing her into a dark abyss of depression. As the media frenzy grew, headlines screamed allegations, and cameras followed her every move. Lily's world disintegrated under the weight of public scrutiny, and the once-glamorous supermodel became a target for criticism and derision. The walls of her magnificen
Arnold's Cousin:Exposure Arnold had always thought his family was normal, with no skeletons in their closet. But on that terrible day, his life crumbled into a thousand pieces. It began like any other day: Arnold awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside his window. Little did he realize that his cousin's dark secret was about to be revealed, tearing the fabric of their seemingly idyllic existence. As Arnold walked downstairs to the kitchen, he noticed the tension in the air. His parents were crowded together, their faces filled with worry. Arnold approached them with caution, sensing something was amiss. "What is going on?" "Why do you both appear so troubled?" Arnold inquired, his tone tinted with apprehension. His mother looked at his father, her eyes heavy with despair. "Arnold, we have something to tell you. "It is about your cousin, Mark." Arnold felt his heart skip a beat. Mark, his cousin and childhood playmate, was always mischievous but never malicious. He couldn't compr
A New Beginning:The thundering thunder of gunshots rang across the courtyard, and the pungent scent of cordite stung Arnold's nostrils. He clutched Alice against him, ready for the inevitable shower of bullets that would rip through their bodies and end their lives. But the onslaught never arrived. Bewildered, Arnold opened his eyes to see the mercenary firing line swaying in bewilderment. Their raised weapons' barrels were aimed skyward, sending columns of smoke harmlessly into the night air. Alice awoke in his arms, her eyes wide with the same bewildered apprehension as they gradually untangled themselves from their protective hold. The remaining henchmen in the courtyard were in chaos, their attitudes ranging from combat-ready to completely disoriented. A low, rumbling cadence of rotor blades reached Arnold's ears, quickly increasing in loudness. A big black helicopter banked over the estate, its running lights strobing crimson against the clouds of bitter smoke that remained in t
The Final Showdown:The sleek black automobile raced through the night at breakneck speed, its tires screeching as Alice blasted around bends with reckless accuracy. Arnold's knuckles were white on the door handle, his body tight like a bowstring in gloomy expectation of the upcoming struggle. Finally, the formidable gates to Harris' huge estate appeared ahead, flanked by armed soldiers in defensive positions. Alice grimaced as she pressed the pedal, sending the automobile rushing toward the entryway like a bullet. "Get down!" Arnold yelled, grabbing her by the shoulders and yanking them both into a defensive huddle as bullets exploded. Bullets ricocheted off the strengthened chassis as they smashed through the gates, scattering shattered metal and splintered wood. The car fishtailed wildly before Alice regained control, the tires wailing in protest as she slid across the courtyard in a spray of debris. More armed guards approached them from all sides, raising their firearms and aimin
Arnold's Awakening:The heart monitor's steady beep was the only sound in the dimly lit hospital room. Arnold's unmoving figure appeared pallid and emaciated against the stark white blankets. Tubes emerged from his body, carrying vital fluids and medications. Alice kept a single watch at his bedside, her eyes swollen from sleepless nights and a constant stream of tears. "You have to wake up," she said softly, grasping his limp hand. "The kids need you. "I need you." As if responding, Arnold's fingers trembled almost slightly on her hand. Alice's head jolted up, and new tears welled up as she examined his face, looking for any additional indications of consciousness. Arnold's eyelids flickered open gradually and painfully. He blinked owlishly, his brow furrowing in puzzlement as he took in the sterile surroundings. "A...Alice?" His voice was barely more than a croak. "Arnold!" She leaned closer and cradled his face in her quivering hands. "You are awake! Oh, thank God, you are awake!"
Risky Confrontation:The information I had gathered against Damian and Lily felt like a lead weight in my hands as I walked into the heart of their operations—a generic office building that served as the facade for their massive criminal empire. My instincts told me to turn back and wait for the authorities to handle this sensitive case. But a deeper, more basic drive pulled me forward: a burning desire to look into the eyes of the monsters who had attempted to destroy my family and demand answers. My stomach churned with a horrible sense of anticipation as I walked through the magnificent lobby, my heels tapping on the polished marble with each determined stride. I could feel the weight of interested eyes on me, wondering what business a hugely pregnant lady had in this den of dishonesty and deception. If only they knew the truth: the unassuming figure in front of them was a lady forged in the fires of adversity, a force of nature propelled by unbreakable love and an unflinching sens
Unveiling the conspiracy:The farther I went into Lily and Damian's convoluted web, the more I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole, with each new revelation more weird and unnerving than the last. Financial data, once a jumble of numbers and figures, began to take on frightening new significance as patterns formed, portraying a picture of systemic fraud and embezzlement on a scale I couldn't fathom. Damian's deceit appeared limitless. He'd spent years painstakingly siphoning money from the Hawthorne empire, using a large network of shell businesses and offshore accounts to hide his activities. And Lily, that nasty snake, had been his willing accomplice, her beauty and guile providing the ideal distraction as Damian worked diligently to undermine Arnold's authority from within. As the scheme unfolded before me, layer by layer, I felt a surge of righteous rage rise in my chest. How could these horrible, soulless animals attempt to destroy what Arnold and I had built? How could