SJ entered the conference room the following day. Upon hearing that he is back in the office, a meeting was called by the board of directors to discuss the situation that Kincaid Development is currently going through.
He gave them a nod before sitting on his chair at one end of the table, beside his father, who is the President of the company. He took the tablet that Debra handed to him and looked down at the agenda for their meeting.
It only contained two. The continuous decline of the Kincaid stocks and their nomination for him to step down as CEO of the company.
SJ looked up and stared across the table, his expression unreadable.
“Alright,” his father started calmly as he looked across the table. He clasped his hands on the desk and cleared his throat. “Now, let’s discuss the agenda. Steve, you can start.”
“Thanks, Alex. I’m very sure you all know the ongoing news circling around,” Steven Bergman,
Elli moved quietly around SJ’s house a few hours after she had arrived from Kincaid Tower, bringing along her things. She sat on the chair at the terrace and stared blankly at the garden for a long while. She then covered her face with her hands as tears finally spilled down as she recalled the conversation she has with Florence.“Elli, I don’t know how to tell this to you,” Florence started patiently. She looked at Elli with a sad look. “But, with the ongoing news right now, the board has decided to take you off the team for a while until everything is over. I was not in agreement with it, but it was a majority vote.”“I understand,” Elli responded quietly. She clenched her fists under the table as she looked at Florence as well as her staff. “I would have done the same thing if I’m on their shoes. Maybe it’s for the best.”“But, you started this, Ms. Elli,” Natalie insisted sof
Elli woke up to a bright light above her. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glare and was surprised at the IV tube inserted. She stared at it for a while before turning to the side and saw Paige, looking down at her calmly.“Thank God you’re awake,” Paige said with a smile as she took her pen light and gently examined her eyes. “SJ’s been pestering me with messages for the past hour for an update of your condition. Do you know what happened to you?”“I was talking to William,” Elli answered slowly as she tried to remember. “I think I was getting emotional on what happened when I suddenly felt unwell.”“Uh-huh,” Paige stated calmly. “I’m just waiting for the test results, Elli. I have my suspicions already from the account William gave. It’ll be here in a few minutes.”“Did he call SJ?”“Yes,” Paige replied. “Un
January 16, 2017I just got home from the Kincaid country house after talking with Jackson Kincaid. It looks like that Alessandra will be getting her way after all. For years that I had been trying to ignore the promise that I made to her, I finally had to give in.I’ve got cancer again. What a way for the first month of the year. This time, Dr. Marsden said that surgery is out of the option as well as chemo. The cancer had spread all over my body and he’s only giving me six to ten months. Six f8cking months to put Elli’s well-being in order. I don’t know how to go about this. I can’t tell Elli about the cancer yet.I finally talked with Jackson Kincaid on his long-time suspicions. I was right. He knew who Alessandra the moment he met her years ago. I told him the request she made to me, and I waited quietly for his reaction. He asked me some questions and even checked if there was a note or letter from her. I told him there was. Af
SJ watched calmly as the car of Elliot Grande approached the driveway of his house, Thursday afternoon. He stood and waited as the car finally came to a stop and watched as Elli’s father alighted from the car along with to his annoyance, Ronald Blake, and Archibald St. Claire.“Where’s Elli?” Elliot then asked patiently.“She’s inside, preparing coffee for you,” SJ answered formally. He stood his ground when the older man immediately tried to go inside. “Before we’re going in, I just want to warn you that the moment I see her getting upset, the meeting will be over. She was hospitalized over some events last Tuesday and I don’t want to happen again.”“Perhaps you are not taking good care of her, Kincaid.” The older man commented.“That’s not a concern of yours, Mr. Grande,” SJ returned calmly.“It’s my daughter we’re talking about,&rdqu
Elli breathed in and out slowly to stop the tears, welling behind her eyes to fall on her cheeks. She clenched her fists gently to calm herself. She closed her eyes for a while, calming herself before starting anything.“Are you okay?” Elliot Grande asked calmly. “Do I need to call your husband?”“I’m fine,” she answered. She stood up and went to retrieved something from the drawing shelf at one side of the room. She clutched at it tightly before sitting down. “I have to do this. I will deal with my husband’s anger later.”“Elli, I just want to be your father,” he begged calmly.“I know,” she answered. She gave him a small smile. “But I don’t want to think that every time you will be seeing me, you will think that mom abandoned you. I don’t want you to think that mom fell in love with someone else that made it a reason for her not coming back. Because she
SJ sat silently on his chair and watched as Elli continued to talk with her father. He listened as she told him about her childhood, regaling him with stories that she and her mom did. She had also shown him the pictures that she has.He also noted that Elliot Grande seemed to have years added on to his life. The older man’s face somewhat had his wrinkles disappeared as well as the strain that SJ has noted when they met.“Sir, dinner is ready,” William announced quietly beside him.“Open up some wine, William,” SJ instructed.SJ turned to them as he stood up.“Dinner’s ready,” he said patiently. “I had Chef Andres prepared your favorite, Elli.”Elli smiled at him gratefully and it tugged his heart.“You should meet him, dad,” she then said to Elliot as she held his hand as they walked towards the dining room. “His cooking has always been perfect for my taste
SJ looked up from the paper that he is reading the following day when he heard a car driving up outside. He looked at his watch and saw that it’s only nine in the morning.He looked upstairs to see if Elli has finally decided to come out from their room, but he noted that she still didn’t. After she run upstairs, SJ berated himself angrily over what had happened. However, instead of going after her, he called up Brian and met him over some drinks. He vented out all his frustrations to his best friend and by the time he went back home, Elli already was deeply asleep.He then regretted over what he did, and his friend scolded him over that. Brian lectured him the entire time that were together.“You should have gone up after her and settled that fight!” Brian scoffed at him angrily. “She’s your wife, Kincaid! She’s not like those bimbo’s you’ve been dating. Get that through your head!”He woke up e
Elli was sitting on her bed in the room that was said to be hers when she was small when there was a soft knock on her door on an early Friday morning. It has been two weeks since she walked out from SJ’s house. Two weeks of crying and moping. Two weeks of waiting for him to come knocking on her door and asking her to come back. Two weeks of missing him terribly.SJ had never bothered. She kept checking her phone for any messages or calls from him. She didn’t get even just one. It only broke her heart even more.The knock came again.“Come in.”She wiped her tears when she saw her father at the doorway, looking at her with concern.“Sweetheart, you need to eat,” her father said as he took the tray from the help behind him and entered her room. He gently placed it on the foot of the bed before pulling up a chair beside her and sat down. “You need to eat for that baby you’re carrying.”&ldq
7 Years Later… SJ looked up from the contract document that he is reviewing inside his office at the sound of his two sons, squealing and laughing at the game they are playing with their playmates. He smiled at the sound of them enjoying the sunny afternoon. After scanning through the document one more time, he finally signed on his name indicated below and closed the folder and putting it on his outgoing tray. He stood up and walked towards the glass door that will lead him out to where his sons are. He stood there for a while and watched as seven-year-old Michael run happily while holding a giant pinwheel in his one hand as his younger brother Alexander Philip, who just turned five last month, was running after him, clapping happily. Their nannies were keeping a close watch on them while he saw William arranging the long table outside by the pool with Cherry and two more helpers. “My turn!” Alexander exclaimed as he pointed at the pinwheel.
Elli leaned on the bed that night two months after she got out of the hospital and watched as SJ continued swaying their baby and humming lightly to get him to sleep. The look on his face squeezed her heart so tight, the look of pure love visible on his face. It's been two months since that eventful night. Who would have thought that something dreadful and dangerous had led to something much more memorable with the birth of their son? Michael Elliot Kincaid. Elli could feel tears in her eyes when SJ told her the name that he wants for their first born. The name is not from someone in his family but from hers. She remembered hugging him so tight that he had thought of Michael Porter. She was planning to use that name on their future children. “Well, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have gotten married in the first place,” SJ pointed out with a smile. He gave her a long kiss. “I told your dad about it, and he was more than happy about it. I also discus
SJ watched, with tears in his eyes as the baby was finally laid on Elli’s arms and she lovingly cuddled him, looking down at him with so much love in her eyes. The baby is continuing to cry in his mother’s arms.“Hi, baby,” Elli whispered softly, rocking him gently. The baby, somehow felt familiar with the voice that is soothing him, started to lower his cries. “Mommy’s here. I’m so happy to see you. I love you so much, sweetheart. You just made me the happiest person, right now.”Elli turned towards him and smiled up at him widely.“I love you,” SJ said as he kissed her head gently and his one hand shakily touch the top of the head of his first-born. He could feel tears running down his face. “Hello, son. Daddy’s here now.”The two looked down at their baby lovingly, just feeling the joyful moment it brings them.“I hate to interrupt this moment, guys, but I need y
Elli finally stood up, holding on to the grab rails, from the bowl after she finally relieved herself and pulled up her underwear carefully. She winced a bit when she felt a pain on her lower back as well as her belly. She turned to flush down the toilet and noticed that she had a pinkish discharge on the bowl, and she took note of that for her next appointment with Paige.“Marissa, do you have my phone?” She called out softly. “I’ll call SJ and tell him that I want to go upstairs to the room and rest. I don’t feel like going back to the function anymore.”“Yes, Madam,” Marissa answered softly. “I’ll have your phone ready when you come out.”Elli heard the door to the bathroom open when she had another pain shot up her belly. She massaged her stomach gently, breathing slowly and calmly. After a few minutes, she finally decided to unlock the door of the stall that she occupied.“Do you
SJ looked at his watch for the fourth time and looked towards the doorway and waiting for Elli to appear back from the bathroom. He is tapping his hand lightly on his leg, a motion that his mother had accidentally saw when she turned to receive her wine.“Is something wrong, dear?” Mrs. Kincaid asked in concern.“Elli’s not yet back from the bathroom,” he answered calmly.“Give her another two minutes, dear,” she replied, putting a hand on his and squeezed it lightly. “It usually takes a little longer for pregnant women.”SJ nodded and pulled out his phone. He dialed Stu’s number and waited for the bodyguard to answer his phone. He grimaced and cursed silently when his call went unanswered. He pressed the number again and still his call went unanswered.He looked up and motioned to Sam.“Yes, sir?”“Please check on my wife,” he whispered straightly. &l
SJ held Elli’s hand as he gently assisted her down the Range Rover late Friday afternoon in the driveway, fronting The Grande Duchess Hotel, who is fully lighted for its inauguration. He made sure that her dress behind is flowing neatly.“Thanks,” Elli said with a smile and her hand automatically went to her stomach, which is now round and big. “Do you have my jacket?”He nodded as he placed them around her shoulders.Elli is now nine-months pregnant and in a few days will be giving birth to their baby.A son.SJ couldn’t hide his happiness when during their gender reveal, the baby is a boy. He wouldn’t mind having a girl as well and he will make sure that after a few years, he will be having one.Both of their families as well as their friends were overjoyed by the news. Piles of gifts started arriving at their home and Elli was shaking her head in amusement when SJ had converted one of the guest ro
Elli hugged her grandmother after the wedding ceremonies were over as well as the picture taking was completed. As instructed by SJ and getting her consent, they allowed one official photo by photographer be uploaded by the wedding organizer that SJ had hired. It created a buzz online the moment it was uploaded. “I can’t believe you came all the way here, Grams,” Elli said with a smile after giving her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m so happy that you’re here. As well as with you, Grandpa and Uncle.” She then hugged them both. Elli was glad that she decided to go overseas and see her mother’s family last year. She spent most of her time with her grandfather, who she knew was a hard man based on her mother’s journals as well as from her father. It took her a while but finally, she was able to convince him that she will lead the life that she wants. “That man better take care of you, Ellisande,” Phillip Montagu said seriously as he hugged her tightly.
SJ watched lovingly as Elli stood at the end of aisle while Luisa, Paige and Jasmine helped put on the veil that was included in the dress that he had custom-made for her. He saw her smile widely when she was handed the bouquet of flowers made of peonies, tulips, and roses with some lush greens.That night when Elli had told him about their baby where he couldn’t sleep, he decided to give her a surprise.He will marry her all over again.With their wedding anniversary coming up in less than two weeks, he had to pull a lot of strings to make everything happen. He sought the help of his mother, his and her friends, Debra, and her father, who he called overseas that same night.He had to pay a big amount just to get Le Bernardin to say yes to his plan because the place has been known to never accept any occasions. He had to rely on his biggest connection and that was Elli’s grandfather, who he finally got to talk to a few days ago.SJ was
SJ gently pulled a sleeping Elli to him and watched her snuggle automatically closer to him. He dropped a soft kiss on her forehead and just continued watching.He could not sleep even after making love to her.He just can’t. Not after getting the best news in his life.“I’m going to be a dad?” He asked when he finally stood up. “You’re not joking, right?”Elli shook her head with a smile, tears running down her cheeks. “This is supposed to be my surprise for you once we get to Le Bernardin,” she answered as she took the ultrasound photos from him and looked down at it lovingly. “But I got upset when I saw you pull those brakes.”SJ chuckled as he placed both hands on her face.“I knew you can make it to top five when you were still practicing,” she said softly. She placed her hands on his as well and smiled through tears. “I watched the replay of the race be