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Bound By A Contract 21
"Where have you been, Elizabeth?" Cole asked immediately I opened the door. He only ever used my full name when I was in trouble, and when I heard it, I would shake all the way to his office, but this time I rolled my eyes and closed the door.Now, I was not just a secretary."I went out," I responded simply, and glanced at him sitting on the sofa directly opposite the door. He was still dressed in yesterday's clothes, and his hair looked wildly tangled. He looked like a mess."Where to? Your phone was off throughout and I could not reach you nor track down–""Is my phone being tracked?" I interrupted, incredulity dripping from my words. Cole looked at me and shrugged, like I should not have been surprised."You're my personal secretary, so I need to know where you are. At all times," he said."I am no longer working for you and–""But I'm still paying you," Cole retorted, raising his voice by an octave."Until when are you going to lord that fact over me?" I asked and sighed loudly.
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Cole stopped the car at a high complex building few minutes away from the hotel."What is this place?" I asked, playing with my fingers as I stared at the building.The place was brightly lit, yellow lights casting soft shadows on the people moving past the sidewalks. Two hefty men wearing dark shades stood at the door of the place, with a book in each of their hands."You'll see," he mysteriously answered and walked out of the car, turning around to open my door with his hand outstretched towards me. Like clockwork, I held his hand and stepped out, our fingers instantly lacing through each other's.My face suddenly felt hot and sweaty, and I quickly counted to ten in my head as I tried to calm down. Luckily, Cole was more focused on getting to where the men stood, so he did not see my face.We climbed the few steps forward and stopped in front of the men, and Cole turned to one. "Cole Winston."The bulky guy glanced at the notepad in his hand and nodded, handing Cole a ticket as both
Bound By A Contract 23
"Did you have me followed? You know what, never mind," I said angrily, glaring at the cinema screen."I met him at the e-section of the library, where I was having problems with my search results and he guided me through it," I explained shortly, avoiding Cole's eyes as I tried without success to follow the movie."Just like that?" Cole asked, an angry tone evident in his voice as he balled his hands into fists and began to rub them."Yes. Just like that. All he did was help me," I retorted, my mind already scanning through my bags for the piece of paper Dave had written his number on.I subtly avoided Cole's eyes as I glanced down at the photo. It was taken from the angle of the window where I had sat that day, and I cursed myself inwardly for picking that spot. It made our position look incriminating, but it still was not enough reason for Cole to spring it up on me like this.He grabbed his phone, stuffed it into his pockets and leaned back, crossing his arms in the table as he sig
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I had arranged to go sight-seeing with Crystal and Beth the next day while the men bonded over a game of soccer.The next morning, I woke up very early to arrange my outfits on the bed, taking a couple of pictures when I finished. My Instagram had been inactive for some days, and Cole's PR had already contacted me about it."You have to post pictures everyday, Liza. They will complain about it, but eventually they'll be the same people rooting for your marriage," the woman advised as she kept us up to date with our publicity in San Francisco.I sighed and drew the curtains open, the blueness of the water immediately reflecting in the room. Social media was slowly becoming an unhealthy companion.I heard a groan behind me."Are you meeting them so early?" Cole asked and stretched his limbs, carrying one of the pillows we used as partitions to his chest. Only one thought crossed my mind as I looked at him: he had an ugly morning face.His hair was dishevelled and stuck out wildly in eve
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I forced my eyes open, the horrid smell of smoke rushing into my nostrils as a tear rolled down my cheeks. "No," I whispered repeatedly, shivering in fear as I looked around the room. I raised my fingers to my face and began to count them, taking deep breaths as I forced myself to calm down.I was in the Maldives in a warm, nice room with a soft bed and surrounded by blue water and clear skies. "Nothing is burning," I called out to myself twice, trying to think of other things even as the smell of burning flesh thickened.I opened my phone and nearly dialled Cole, but I stoppped myself at the last second. He was in a video meeting at the lobby downstairs, and he would most likely ignore my call. I checked the time on the wall clock: Ten am. Kath would still be at work, and I was not close enough to Crystal or Beth to share this problem with either of them.Seeing no other option, I grabbed a journal from my bag, ready to write down a stream of thoughts, when my hand touched something
Bound By A Contract 26
When Cole came back, the girl ran forward to hug him. More like, she padded over to him with an ear splitting grin on her face."Oh, Cole, sweetheart. I've been trying to reach you. There was–"He pushed her away, a frown on his face as he turned to me. "Who is she?""You can ask her. She is in front of you," I calmly responded and leaned back as I watched them in disgust. He squinted his eyes at the girl, staring at her for a moment until his eyes widened in realization."I met you in Spain, right? Maria?" He inquired and the girl shook her head and grabbed his arm."Kiera. I'm also–""What are you doing here then? Did I not pay you off?" Cole interrupted her again harshly, not minding her belly bump as he pushed past her and sat down on a couch.The girl pouted her lips and walked forward to meet him again, trying to hold him but he removed his arm and fixed her with a stern glare."I'm pregnant," she said simply and I almost burst into laughter when Cole continued to look at her wi
Bound By A Contract 27
"So did you resolve it?" I asked Cole immediately I entered the room, but there was no response. He just stared blankly at the wall, and it was only when I cleared my throat the second time that he turned to me."What did you say?""What did she want?" I inquired and he shook his head."She is trying to threaten me," he explained shortly and I furrowed my brows."Of course. She wants to talk, right?"He nodded and leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling like an answer was waiting there. I was tempted to throw blame at him, but we did not need that right now."So what do we do?" I sat next to him and asked.He looked at me again. "We?""Of course. This affects me too." I felt partly guilty for her arrival, because I was pretty sure she had followed me on Instagram and saw the pictures and videos, especially the one of the hotel.His expression became soft as he sighed and moved closer to me. "I don't believe the child is mine, but she has an incriminating video of our night
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Cole called Kiera afterwards and she agreed to meet up with him in two days, muttering something about antenatal care."Good. In the meantime, I will try to find out as much as I can about her," I offered when he dropped the call and turned to me."Alright then." He glanced at me and maybe it was a trick of light, but I saw his eyes shine with appreciation.Cole and I spent the remaining part of the day in our suite, with me teaching him how to fake concern for the pregnancy. At one point, he raised his hands in exasperation and stood up from the bed."Why exactly do I have to do this, Elizabeth?""It is simple. She needs to feel like you have accepted her story, and she will be more receptive. Then you begin to subtly hit her," I explained with a small smile and added, "not physically though."Cole looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Did you mean that as a joke?"I looked away from him and scratched the back of my neck. "No, never mind.""Let's continue," he said and sat back again
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Bound By A Contract 137 EPILOGUE
Eliza's PovMonths had passed since that fateful night, a night filled with terror and despair, but also with courage and resilience. Our lives had been forever changed by the events that unfolded, and yet, somehow, we found a way to heal and move forward.Evelyn was locked away in a high-security facility, paying for her crimes. The legal battle that followed was arduous, but justice prevailed, and we were able to gain custody of the children. Riel and the twins, Mia and Liam, went through a difficult period of adjustment, but with the love and support of our family, they began to heal.As for Cole and me, our bond grew stronger through the trials we faced together. We learned to lean on each other and trust in the power of our love. The scars of that night were a constant reminder of our strength and resilience. We vowed to protect our family at all costs and cherish every moment we had together.In the aftermath, we sought therapy to help us navigate the emotional trauma we had end
Bound By A Contract 136
ELIZABETH The phone rang.I turned and tossed as I was the only one awake at the moment, with Cole snoring peacefully close to where I was.He needed it. He had been a good boy doing all the work all night long, I groaned as I got out of bed making my way all naked to where the phone of the cabin."Can you pick that up please." Cole grunted in his sleep.Last night had been a hell of a night, and we've done several things all night till daybreak. It all started with the couples bonfire night —As the last day's event , guess we had too much of the local brewed drink of the South Africans.Could it be termed as?Reconciliation sex? It was far more than that.It was the One month of getting back together with Cole and all we've done during those times was literally fuck all day.We were like new couples who couldn't take our eyes and urge off each other.It was all we did more so it was the reason why we had taken the trip.Olivia had been there first to look at it then had sent the lin
Bound By A Contract 135
COLE.THE best decision I had ever made in my life was getting rid of Evelyn and that of course was after the Dna test came out negative.Guess Eliza was shocked when my doctor gave out the evidence, I was not the father of Sarah but in a way I felt concern for her well-being.Just like Adrian who was sitting close to Eliza and been in Riel life.I had been jealous for a while seeing them together but then I had taken my mind off it by looking at the face of the judge.It was all going in my favor, there was maids and guards all there to tell the court of how Evelyn had been toxic all this while.All of a sudden, it became a two-way case with me battling for the custody of two children.An Alpha man in every sense…It was funny that Evelyn was only starting to love her child after she found out that she has a part of my finances willed to her name but that had been a trap at my end.Women like Evelyn deserved to be in rehabilitation or even worse hell."Is that all or there are still
Bound By A Contract 134
ELIZABETHGoosebumps…It was a day to the trial and that seemed to be what took over all or most of my mind, I didn't know how to deal with all of the pressure.Work that week had been hectic, yet at the same time it had been distracting enough that it kept me afloat all this while, it had been the main reason I had not wallowed In what could be the decision made by the court.The wind found its way past my body feeling it with smoothness but left my soul bare, dark and inexpressive.I was out at the mall, smiling at the door man that held the door while I stood looking past the opened door with two bags in my head.As my gaze shifted to the second car, a convertible, where a tall, handsome man was alighting, dressed in rolled up top and faded jeans. I reeled back in shock as he turned towards where I was with Cole slipping out of my lips silently.Disbelief fought with unmistakable recognition, I was barely ten minutes from my house and of all the malls in the whole of the city, h
Bound By A Contract 133
ELIZABETHWe were always in pursuit of perfection and after getting it all, what else?The need for Perfection was by far the greatest flaw of any man and I found myself succumbing to the same fate.I have gotten the revenge I had spent the last five years of my life looking for but still had no satisfaction—It was all like vanity.To make matters worse Riel had incessantly been talking about his father, in a way it seemed like the two had a bond I couldn't quite describe almost as though they were meant to be with each other all this long while.It was the main reason I had moved out of the hotel and gotten a place, I couldn't just live a life where I kept looking over my shoulders if Cole would pop in anytime and demand for his child.Suddenly, it was starting to look like the game had turned against me and I was the one at the end of everything all, I was the one that was mocked by fate.Over the next few weeks, I worked very hard at blocking Cole out of my consciousness, and
Bound By A Contract 132
ELIZABETH.It calls for celebration right?The thought of how Cole would feel hearing that I had taken this from him at the last moment brought a smirk to my face.It took me five years, five good years and finally I could say that I had gotten a revenge that was worthwhile.He had rang them in my presence and they had given him the news.A part of me felt a kind of sympathy for the man that had been my husband and who was definitely the father of my child but soon the expression and sick feeling gave room for the grudges I had against him.I was half home and was giving Evelyn the gossip of how everything went when she informed me that she was no longer at the suite but was now at her place.Apparently, she got a call from the office and since she couldn't leave him behind she had gone with him to her place."Why do I have a feeling you just want to see me?" I asked.She scoffed ." Just get your ass here."Change of plans…I thought to myself as I turned the car three-sixty degrees a
Bound By A Contract 131
COLE "What!"My car came to an abrupt stop on the road, I thought I was done hearing bad news and this popped up out of nowhere.I couldn't think about the possibility of this happening,I couldn't think about me losing the deal and if it was happening that way it was starting to look like Karma was all out to get me.I swerved my car in a complete U turn and headed straight back for the company driving crazilyStill running the thought in my mind, In a way it was hard to believe everything he was telling me, as I couldn't quite place it around my mind.The more I thought about it, the more I saw reasons not to.I rang the company while driving through the highway like quite an insane person. The only memories that kept going through my mind were two.The first had something to do with getting there as fast as I could and the other was a warning thought about how fast I was driving.This shouldn't even be happening, I had outbidded the least person by a whole lot.They picked after r
Bound By A Contract 130
ELIZABETHImagine the shock.I stood there looking at the prospective bidders and there — Right there was Cole's name.A smirk crawled across so fast as the speed of light, you wouldn't have caught a glimpse of it if you didn't look.One thing I have gotten to know about my Ex husband was he went for only deals that were deemed necessary and important. If he was going for this it meant it was quite as important.It could mean only one thing…The thought of the implications passed through my mind.There was a need for me to know, a need for me to know how important this was to me."Do you have any idea of how important this deal would be to him?" I turned to Annabelle—My lawyer."You mean you don't know?" She looked at me puzzled.The look she gave me was as though I didn't know what was going on …What looked to be trending.If it was, it got me wondering Olivia didn't mention it to me-"Know what?" I looked at her expressing the same emotions that was right they're still on her face.
Bound By A Contract 129
ELIZABETH There was only one way to explain how blissful a home is and the truth is there was nothing like home?Could there have been anything more?Certainly not as the best part of any entity was getting back home after staying away for so long.No matter how one looked at it… it turned out to be that home is where the heart is .That was the case with my mind all through the trip back home to start. I didn't know what to expect when I got home, whether good or bad.Five years had not been a short while and it was easy to see that a lot had changed during those long while.All through this while I had been far away from home and had probably missed the concept of what a good home could be but the moment my plane landed in the track I could see everything again.The probabilities were high and I could tell everything from the moment we walked through the airport hallway pulling out bags.From a frantic Riel excited to have a feel of the city to myself that didn't know how to take
