Moore’s private farmhouse:-Nathan exchanged a brief look with Dash, building up to the real reason for their private meeting. “Or more like request something crucial from you!”Intrigued, Mr. Moore leaned in, his curiosity piqued. He looked at the two and voiced out his curiosity.“What?” he inquired, sensing a shift in the atmosphere.“Something that is very precious to you, but you can’t keep it anymore!” His tone was laced with a mysterious vibe, causing the old man to frown in bewilderment.“What request do you have?” He couldn’t help but address the exchanged glances between the two men in front of him. “Mr. Kingston, please be clear about what you’re asking.”Nathan met Mr. Moore’s gaze with determination, ready to broach the topic that brought him back to his hometown all the way from London.“Paradis d’Amour!” An exclamation perking up the ears of the old man.In an instant a scowl etched on his face. Mr. Moore’s brow furrowed deeply as Nathan mentioned his prized property. T
Circuit Court of Elegant City:-The courtroom was hushed as Kiara stood in the witness box, her heart pounding with nervous anticipation. She glanced around, the solemn faces of the jurors and the imposing presence of the judge a constant reminder of the gravity of the situation. Dave, her attorney, had prepared her well, but nothing could fully quell the anxiety that bubbled within her.As she took a deep breath, Daniel, the plaintiff’s attorney, approached the witness box with an air of confidence. He was a tall man with a sharp jawline and piercing eyes, and he wasted no time in beginning his questioning.“Ms. Jones,” Daniel began, his tone measured, “can you confirm that you were the Chief Financial Officer at GRACE Corporation during the period in question?”Kiara nodded, her voice steady as she responded, “Yes, I was the CFO at GRACE Corporation.”Daniel paced in front of the witness box, his eyes locked on Kiara. “And can you also confirm that during your tenure, you had access
Courtroom:-“I see. So when you came to know about it, why didn’t you leave the company already given your press conference revelation that you are the wife of Mr. Viaan Adams?” Daniel asked the question that was the crux of the entire case, and the one that Dave made prepare Kiara well.Kiara gulped the lump in her throat, glancing at Viaan. The man nodded at her, asking her to answer the question honestly. Then her eyes caught Dave’s eyes and the attorney signaled her the same.Taking a deep breath, she started. “When I first knew about their rivalry, I didn’t have much hope in my marriage. In the press conference, I revealed that my marriage was in conflict initially. And when I joined GRACE, my marital equation was the same. So, I didn’t give it much thought because I thought we’d get divorced soon and then their rivalry was not my lookout.”Daniel’s frown deepened, and he adjusted his microphone before pressing further. His accusatory tone remained, causing Kiara to steel herself
*Flashback*In the dimly lit boardroom of GRACE Corporation, the tension hung heavy in the air. Hunter Brown, the CEO of the company, and Charles White, a senior executive, stood at opposite ends of a long, polished table. Their faces were etched with frustration, and their voices rang out in sharp tones."Charles, I can't believe you're still pushing for this," Hunter said, his voice laced with exasperation.Charles clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. "Hunter, I've been with this company for over two decades, and I've seen it all. Your decisions lately have been reckless, and they're hurting the company."Hunter's fists tightened at his sides. "Reckless? Charles, I'm trying to innovate and adapt to a changing market. We can't stick to the same old strategies forever."Charles took a step forward, closing the distance between them. "Innovation is one thing, Hunter, but you're risking everything we've built. The shareholders are getting anxious, and our competitors are gaining ground
‘First Hunter, now Natasha… one by one, both my children left me. The more I loved my family… tried to keep it close, the more it broke and scatted like beads.’ she mourned, her voice quivering with grief. She hugged her knees even closer to her chest, as if trying to shield herself from the pain that had engulfed her. For the last two hours, she sat on the tiled floor with her knees to her chest and her arms securing them in place as tightly as they could. Her shoulders trembling with the waves of sobs. Her doe eyes glistened with warm tears that didn’t let them dry even for a second in the last couple of hours. Hair messy and the dress wrinkled, not quite suited to the status of Mrs. Brown, the wife of Charles Brown. Yet, she cared less. Less of people, less of society and its standards, and definitely less of her husband whose matrimony provided her with a hefty title. The mother couldn’t do anything back then when Hunter had suffered at the hands of injustice by his own father.
Viaan’s POV:-The car screeched to a halt outside the hospital. My heart pounded like a drum in my chest as I flung open the car door and practically threw myself out onto the pavement.My frantic pace almost turned disastrous as my shoes skidded, nearly causing me to lose my balance on the freshly mopped floor.“Viaan, careful!” I could hear Kiara’s voice, distant and urgent, cautioning me to be careful, but her words fell on deaf ears.I cared none of such warnings as my feet leaped to the elevator, already punching the button by the time I sensed Kiara and Leo reached behind me. Their hurried breaths matched the frantic rhythm of my own, but my sole attention was stuck to my mother.My Maa!My only parent!The woman who had raised me, loved me, and been my anchor through life’s storms. The woman I cherished above all else and loved to my death.‘Come on, come on,’ I muttered under my breath, while my trembling fingers stabbed at the button repeatedly, willing it to descend faster.
Viaan’s POV:-Taking a step towards her, I felt my eyes burning with the tears. My vision blurred as I walked until a choked sob erupted without me realizing it. “Maa…” I hear myself whisper, my voice trembling with emotions that had been bottled up for days.My breathing became shallow. My eyes, filled with tears I’d held back for far too long, couldn’t tear away from her. I felt a trembling in my hands, a mix of anxiety and hope coursing through me. The world around me seemed to blur, leaving only my mother in focus.“Viaan…” Her eyes shone upon seeing me. Her lips twitched on corners until they curled up in a heartwarming smile at me. Although her face contorted with pain, she smiled through it for me.My lips quivered as I fought back another sob, biting down hard on them to regain my composure. My throat felt constricted, and I stood there for a moment, frozen in disbelief. After agonizing days of helplessly craving to see those closed eyes open once again, my mother was finally
Viaan’s POV:-“I missed you, Maa… I missed you so much…” And there I complained like a kid. My voice quivered as emotions surged through me like a tidal wave. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I let my guard down and allowed my vulnerability to show in front of so many people.Tears flowed freely from my eyes, their salty trails soaking her hospital gown. I made no effort to stop them; I had waited for this moment for so long, and now that it had finally arrived, I couldn’t contain my overwhelming emotions.The weight of the past days, filled with worry and fear, came crashing down on me. “I… I thought I would never…” I began, my voice trailing off. I couldn’t bring myself to voice the painful thoughts that had haunted me during her coma.My mother was back. I mustn’t think of anything else.She knew the depths of my despair, and she was here to reassure me. Her frail yet warm hands gently cupped my face, wiping away my tears with a tenderness that only a mother could
Writer’s POV:-Mr. Moore wiped the sweat off his forehead while waiting for the call to be received.“Hello!” The reply came as soon as the call was received.“I have done my work. Now give me my thing back!” He said over the call.“I am impressed with your quickness, Mr. Moore.” a masculine heavy voice was heard from the other side. “I thought you would still take a few more days. But no. You proved why this is priceless to you. Excellent, old man.” With a dark chuckle, the man added. The words were more like a mocking of Mr. Moore’s efforts, and that made the elderly man clench his fingers.Mr. Moore’s entire body shook with rage. At that moment, he wanted nothing but to thrash everything around. To get the man in a chokehold and punch him straight across the face for making him dance on his fingers. However, the helplessness of the situation had him holding from behind. He can’t act repulsive. Not at this stage when he is so close to the one thing that he has been finding for sever
Viaan’s POV:-I helped Maa get down from the car, supporting her gently as she stepped onto the gravel path. As soon as her eyes fell on the scene in front of us, she froze. Her fingers tightened around my palm, clutching mine with a grip that spoke volumes.“Viaan, this…” She began, her voice trailing off as disbelief washed over her.Not believing what she saw, she was struggling to find the right set of words. Her lips wobbled putting an impromptu pause. She looked back at me, her gaze searching for confirmation, her body trembling slightly.That was my cue to confirm her doubts.With pride and emotions lacing my own voice, I squeezed her shoulders and nodded. “Paradis d’Amour, Maa. Our dream.” I announced, taking my mother in a half hug from sideways, holding onto her as tightly as I could.She averted her gaze back to the property. With a dip in her brows, she looked at me once again, “Huh?”I knew, I knew she was getting the meaning of my words but the yearning self of hers want
Writer’s POV:-“Where are you taking us, Viaan? At least tell me now.” Leena asked for the nth time, getting annoyed at her son’s silence over the matter.Viaan, like the previous times, smiled mischievously and answered without looking back. “Patience, Maa, patience. You’ll come to know soon.”Leena scoffed audibly, narrowing her eyes at her son’s mischief, and scolded him lightly. “That ‘soon’ of yours has not come since the last three and a half hours of our journey. How long more would you keep it a secret?” Her eyes wrinkled at the corners while her nose flared in annoyance.Her anger didn’t seem to affect Viaan a bit as the man chuckled loudly. “As I said, it is a surprise, Maa. I’m not telling you to spoil the fun already.” He refused to reveal, making his mother smack his arms from the backseat.“You have become too naughty these days.” She said through her gritted teeth, only to get a burst of hearty laughter from her son.Huffing, she crossed her hands across her chest and s
Writer’s POV:-“Thank you so much, Guys.” An emotional Viaan expressed his gratitude to the two of the constant pillars of his life.Receiving brotherly pats on his back as a response, he reluctantly broke the hug. His dull face was uplifted with the pure essence of their support throughout his life.“You —” Ryan started to speak, but then his eyes narrowed as he studied Viaan’s features more closely. “Were you crying, Viaan?” His eyes scanned Viaan’s face with concern.On cue, Leo also took a closer look. “Yeah, you look off!” He exclaimed, pointing out the obvious signs of distress.Viaan stilled. His smile dropped into a thin line. Immediately, he averted his eyes away from them and looked everywhere around.How come Ryan observed that? His shoulders tensed once again.“No. Why would I cry?” He chuckled nervously shrugging his shoulders, not wanting them to read his face further.“Then why are your eyes red and moist?” Ryan scoffed, narrowing his eyes. “Don’t lie through your teeth
Back in the present time, The PenthouseViaan’s POV, :Looking at the keys, I fisted them tightly. I was in my penthouse where I had come just an hour ago to get freshened up. Last night, I had to lie to Kia and Maa as I had spent entire hours in planning for the surprise for Maa. Then this morning the leftover documentation took my time while I also went to check for last-minute preparations. I just happened to come here one hour ago as I can’t go directly to home. And as soon as I came here, the first thing I did was to call Maa. She deserves the surprise the most.All through this while, I also kept myself reassured that this was not a dream anymore but a reality.A beautiful reality.A certain kind of peace filled my heart. I felt the cores of my eyes moistening up. Our dream was finally completed.“Paradis d’Amour is finally ours, Papa. I completed your and Maa’s dreams.” My voice choked with emotions as I looked at the picture frame on my desk while placing the keys reverently b
Writer’s POV:-“Did Viaan tell when will he come?” Leena asked Kiara who was serving her breakfast.Her hands stopped in the air and she raised her head to her mother-in-law. “No, Maa. He had just dropped the text last night that he wouldn’t be coming home tonight as he had an urgent meeting and some important work. So, he is perhaps staying at the penthouse itself.” Kiara sighed, continuing to fill Leena’s plate.Leena nodded recalling the text Kiara showed her last night. Viaan had specifically mentioned to tell Leena about it, he himself didn’t text her thinking she must be asleep by then.It was around eleven in the morning. Both the ladies were having a late breakfast today, as Kiara was nauseous and not feeling good this morning; thus she had delayed her meal.Although Leena had something light earlier as she had to have medicines as well, she still joined Kiara in the late meal.It was Leena’s assistance that she was even eating, lest she was all ready to ditch the breakfast to
Writer’s POV:-“And the man said that Mr. Adams is ready to meet at the earliest possible date,” Daniel revealed, sounding serious and firm.Hunter sat straight with a jerk, his brows dipping in. “How come he agreed this early? Didn’t he and his lawyer want time?” The question triggered his mind, he inquired in a disbelieving tone.The frown went deeper on his face; his eyeballs moving constantly as he tried to figure out Viaan’s step. One thing was crystal clear neither Viaan nor his lawyer saw this proposal as a simple invitation to get rid of legal troubles. Hence it was very much acceptable for his rival to seek time to agree or even deny.That’s why, even when this frustrated Hunter, he was ready for any secret investigation Viaan did on him. But little did he expect, that his acceptance would come this early and fast.He heard Daniel huffing from the other end and came out of his thoughts. “I have no idea, Sir. But if they are ready then why not proceed? This was the plan after
Writer’s POV:-“Kia, calm down. Ryan said that he won’t reveal anything to Viaan.” Sophie tried to calm her down, but the girl was far from calming down.A ready havoc was created in her mind and heart and she had no idea how to deal with it.“But he didn’t even give me any time, Soph. All he allowed me is tonight.” Kiara retorted, holding her breath in apprehension.She can hear her heart pounding in her ears, and sweat beads adorning her temples even after the decreased temperature of AC.Her words followed a silence before Sophie sighed audibly. “You have taken more than you should, Kia. You can’t avoid it any longer. Dr. Ryan was right when he said the more delay you are making the harder it would be to make Viaan understand.” Sophie indirectly quoted Ryan’s words from the last evening.“Out of all people, you should be understanding my dilemma, Soph.” Kiara clicked her tongue, getting annoyed at not finding any solution. “I didn’t wait for Tyler to just wake up, but I needed to k
Writer’s POV:-“Not only this but also the fact that Aaron is Tyler and Sophie’s son!” Ryan’s voice was steady, but there was a hint of solemnity in his tone.As Ryan dropped the bombshell, Kiara and Sophie froze, their eyes widening in shock. The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of the revelation.A revelation that Kiara least expected today.The room fell into a stunned silence. The only thing audible at that moment was the ticking of the clock and the lazy evening wind coming through the open windows of Ryan’s cabin.With a composed face, Ryan watched the two women in front of him, trying hard to digest the truth he just disclosed.He knew this was going to be their reaction once her tells them the truth, but still watching them doing so, made him amused.Did they really think they would keep this massive truth away from him?Did they seriously think he wasn’t going to find it out, ever? He was a doctor, for God’s sake. It was impossible for this truth to be a secret fr