Oh my, what a wayward son I have, tsk tsk tsk," James muttered, purposefully upsetting Arnold.
Arnold said, "Get to the point, dad. I don't have time for your blabbing." He detested it when people, especially his father, acted theatrically around him."All right, then, this elderly grandmother will explain her caller's reason. I would like to notify you that your cousin, together with his wife and child, has returned to the nation, and you are falling behind in your desire to have an heir. I'll give him the business if you carry on in this manner. You get it?" James said something serious and hung up. Arnold scowled, his eyes and face as cold as the North Pole, the phone he was holding."I will kill him then, simple"***** Room*After a while of struggling in the dark, Alice noticed a brilliant light at the end of the tunnel. She swam towards it and instantly started to pant for oxygen. She closed her eyes to the blinding brightness as soon as it appeared, and then she opened them wide again after a little while. She cast a quick glance around, attempting to piece together how she got there. Before going into unconsciousness, her only memory was jumping into the river and drowning, but that was all she could recall since she felt someone pick her up while she was unconscious.She gasped as she looked at the enormity of the room. The room surprised me with its excessive size. It resembled the big dwelling in their estate. This was the largest room she had ever seen, with three entrances situated in different parts of the space. The door pushed open, forcing Alice to look up at the enormous door behind it as she attempted to acclimate herself to her new surroundings. The one-night stand man's hands crossed in front of him as he stood at the entrance startled her and caused her eyes to widen."You? How did you travel to this location? Are you employed here as a servant? Oh my, this is awful." Alice silently stared at Arnold; she hadn't paid attention to his facial features the night before, but now that she was, she saw he appeared more, more attractive than she had anticipated. He had the appearance of a nobleman with his well-groomed face, perpetually icy gaze, heavy black eyes that seemed to suck everyone into them, and shining brown hair swept backward, yet Alice grimaced in her brain. "Respond to me? Why are you, such a handsome man, working for some rich guy as a thug?" Gazing about the space, Alice questioned."When Alice called Arnold a thug and a servant, Arnold's eyes grew icy right away, and the servants outside felt a similar chill run down their spines. Arnold murmured, "Am not a thug or a servant," as he walked unfettered towards her. "So what? Are you the gatekeeper or the gardener? The home's owner must be quite kind to let his gatekeeper or gardener have such an opulent chamber." Ignoring Arnold's icy stare, Alice shrugged her shoulders in response."Are those not also in agreement? This house belongs to me. You see that, don't you? Are you aware of who I am? When Alice persisted in misinterpreting him, Arnold let out a freezing-hot, frustrated scream. His gaze tightened as he clenched his fists and moved toward the bed, causing Alice, who was still astonished, to recoil in terror."This large mansion is yours? You are who you are? Kindly provide an explanation. Alice pleaded, wondering if she had fallen into the hands of a vampire prince or perhaps a mafia ruler, as she had read about in books."your worst nightmare""What?""My name is Arnold Hawthorne, and I am the CEO and heir to the Hawthorne corporate empire. I won't say this again, so pay attention. You are going to be my surrogate bride because I am the youngest billionaire in Country B and beyond and nobody can escape my vengeance. You will become the mother of my heir." Arnold murmured inanely and in a detached manner.seated across from her on the bed.How come?" Alice was taken aback by his statements and gasped.~~~~~ The Mansion of Arnold ~~~~~"What? Am I hearing this incorrectly?" With startled eyes, Alice said, glaring at Arnold for such a strange comment and saying, "Please be serious, I don't like jokes." After pondering for a while, Alice mumbled."I'm not kidding; I'm serious. My Heir will have you as his mother." Arnold grumbled as he looked down at her, his face expression stern and unfriendly. "Why? Why? Why do you want the mother of your heir to be me, of all the girls? Why should I pay attention to you since my wedding was just called off?"Alice asked, giving him a fierce look. For I have spared your life, I have rescued you from You're drowning in the river, Hed. You should follow my instructions without question as if I hadn't saved your ass, you would have been dead meat by now." Arnold clarified without a shred of caution."Who requested that you save me? Why did you save me when all I wanted to do was die and end this meaningless life? Since I never asked for it, you should deal with it rather than me." Tears were welling up at the corners of Alice's eyes as she yanked at Arnold, but she held them back.Do you even know who I am, to talk to me like that? Arnold questioned, his eyes growing as frigid as the North Pole and the Atlantic Ocean. "I refuse to listen to you because, regardless of who you are, you are not God. You strike me as a pervert who is only looking for a woman to plow your c*ck into." Alice firmly responded to him, clenching her fists and displaying a fierce determination in her gaze. "What did you say, you? A misopportunist? Me? What the devil is wrong with your brain, a pervert?" Arnold gave Alice a retaliatory scream, reaching out to seize her jaws but stopping short of actually hurting a mere girl."I won't sleep with you or have sex with you for you to give birth to my kids, I won't even lay my hands on your body. You will give birth to my heir through artificial insemination and that's it, nothing else " Arnold explained glaring hard at her. Alice's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Artificial what? Why would you do that to me? Why?" Alice screamed as her gaze roamed around the room, "Perhaps are you out of sperms, is that why you are forcing this on me?" Alice questioned when a thought struck her head. Arnold's lips parted in slight shock but it was not noticeable to Alice, he quickly arranged his expression. He wondered what the young lady was thinking in her little head that made her come to such conclusions about him, anger bubbled up from the depth of his heart but he retrained from choking her to death. "I am well and fit not out of those you mentioned, so stop thinking rubbish in your damn head," Arnold grumbled, he blushed slightly from talking about his manhood but
~~~~~ Dennison Mansion ~~~~~ Cold evening.Jia Dennison (Alice's mother.) sat with a sulking expression on her face, her always sparkling pretty eyes looked dull and almost lifeless. She looked like a pregnant mother who had just lost her unborn child through miscarriage, she sat without any aim or motives just staring at the mansion's door waiting for Alice to come home or walk inside with a bright smile like she usually did. "Alice, come to mother. I miss you so much, don't do this to me. Alice." Jia mumbled in an inaudible voice to herself, big fat tears fell from her beautiful blue eyes which Alice got from her. Mr. Dennison sighed gazing at his wife from the top of the stairs, his expression was no less than his wife but the tears in his eyes refused to fall. He too was missing his beautiful daughter, he had sent men to search for her in the whole of city C but she was nowhere to be found. He slowly climbed down the stairs walking towards Jia, a fake smile stretched on his lips
~~~~~ Arnold's Mansion ~~~~~ The next day.When Alice woke up she was met with darkness, she groaned in pain raising her head from the bed. She glanced around her wondering how she had ended up in the bed, The last she remembered was crying close to the window and there she had fallen asleep. A sharp pain shot through her head "Ah! What the heck is happening to me?" She grumbled raising her hand to her head, when she touched her head she jolted backward "Oh my I could boil an egg with my head." She mumbled realizing the pain and weakness in her body.Everything that happened before she passed out flashed before her eyes, she remembered arguing with the weird man who wanted her to bear his child. She remembered how she had firmly refused and he had then told her he would lock her up till she agreed, tears peeked through the corner of her eyes when she remembered his words. Her situation was hopeless, as she wallowed in her pains, sorrows, and regret the door pushed open revealing a yo
~~~~~ Arnold's Mansion ~~~~~Taylor sighed looking at his twin brother walking away, the truth was they were both twins born to the same parents. Their parents had an estate and a rich business but neither of them wanted to run it, Terry wanted to become a doctor and Taylor was willing to sacrifice his life for Arnold. They both chose their various careers leaving their parents helpless. "What did Terry say? Is she alright or dead?" Arnold questioned walking out of the room which jolted Taylor out of his thoughts. "I think she is okay master, there's nothing to worry about." Taylor muttered turning towards Arnold, "That's good then." Arnold mumbled turning back to walk into his room."Master what should we do about her parents? They are looking all over the country for her, we can't keep them in the dark for too long." Taylor remarked talking about Alice's parents. "I got some intel that the mother fell unconscious today, I think we have to return her sooner than later," Taylor adde
~~~~~ 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
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