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LUCAS. “Have you made up your mind? Are you coming with me to the banquet?” I asked Sophia, giving her a sideways glance as we sat in the backseat of my Bentley. It took a while for her to calm down after we left the cemetery.I had to signal Rick to take a longer route to the office. I wanted her to have someone beside her as she cried and remembered her parents.“I will go with you,” she replied, her voice resolved and determined.A smirk curled my lips. I reached for a strand of her hair before playing with it in my hand.“Wait for me at our home. I’ll take you shopping when I knock off from work,” I said before looking outside the window. Rick had just parked in front of the Hart Group building.“Our home?” Sophia’s voice came.I glanced at her, giving her one of my rare smiles.“Yes. Ours.”Looking at Rick through the mirror, I instructed, “Rick, take my wife home and ensure her safety.”Elias still had his goons searching for her. I needed to make sure he didn’t meet her alone
ELIAS.“Dammit!” Dad’s angry voice echoed in the four walls of my office and I flinched. “I thought we had gotten rid of that bastard! Why did he have to come back? Why? The Hart Group can only belong to me!!” He looked at me, his eyes flitting with fury. He pointed a finger at me, his jaw clenching. “How can you be so useless? It’s been three years and you still can’t surpass Lucas! You’re the same age but you can’t even keep him out of the company! He just returned and you already gave up the CEO’s position just like that!” “Dad, I didn’t expect him to come back so soon. Grandpa said he would make me the CEO if Lucas didn’t come back in three years! But he came back right before I could get the position!” I replied, feeling frustrated. All that I had done to reach this point was for nothing. Lucas easily took it away just by showing up and saying a few words.It was hard for me to even get the chance to work as the acting CEO. If I didn’t get married to Sophia and have control ov
LUCAS.“If you need anything, use this to call me, my number is on speed dial,” I said, giving Sophia the phone I had gotten for her. “I changed your number. You can add other contacts that you need to communicate with.” I had gone to pick her up after work, wanting to get her a few clothes and also, a dress she would wear at the banquet. Sophia got the phone and studied it. A small sad smile crossed her lips. “Thanks Luca… but I don’t have anyone to add. The only people I was close to were Elias and Violet. I couldn’t even make new friends because I thought I had everything I wanted. A husband and a best friend. Who knew…” She trailed, her eyes welling up with tears. My heart clenched when I saw her sad expression. “Hey… fuck those who betrayed you... They aren’t worth shit,” I said and Sophia chuckled. “That’s right, they can go to hell for all I care,” she replied as she switched on the phone before going to the contacts to see the only contact that was saved on her phone. He
SOPHIA.All was going well until I heard Elias’s voice in the store. My heart jumped to my throat and my stomach twisted and turned this way and that the entire time he was here. I thought he was going to see me, so all I could do was hide in the fitting room as he and Lucas talked. I didn’t dare come out until someone knocked on the door. “Soph, you can come out now,” Lucas’s voice reached me and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I had already changed into the red gown that Lucas had picked. After looking at myself in the mirror again, my face flushed. Oh my… This was…I bit my lower lip and opened the door before stepping out.“Are you done……..” Lucas trailed as he swept his eyes up and down my body. “Fuck,” I heard him curse and I tried to hug myself to hide the exposed parts of my body. The dress that Lucas had chosen had cutouts on the sides and a long dipping cleavage. It was fitting on my hips and ass before flaring out from the knees until it swept the gro
LUCAS. “She’s accepted the hot drink, Sir,” Sarah reported after coming back from Sophia’s room. I was in the study, sitting on my swivel chair while sipping on my expensive whiskey. It was all I could do to keep the edge off. I had been irritated the moment Elias walked into the clothing store, ruining the mood between Sophia and I. Luckily they didn't bump into each other. If Sophia wasn't in the fitting room, Elias would have seen her and ruined my plans. I couldn't have that... I want him to see her when she's started opening up to me. I want him to see her when it's too late for him and all he can do is regret losing her... I want him to realise he had lost a diamond, but by then, she would be in my arms, being treasured by me- just like she deserves. “How is she?” I asked Sarah after taking a sip, the amber liquid burning my throat before settling in my chest. But it did nothing to soothe the ache in my heart, my thoughts flittering to Sophia. “She didn’t look so good, sir
ELIAS.“Eli, don’t you think this apartment is not suitable for our baby?” Violet asked me as we sat in the living area of her apartment, watching a TV show.My eyes instantly shot to her belly, my hand reaching out to caress her stomach.“You chose this apartment, so I think it’s fine. Why do you think it’s not suitable?” I asked, looking at her.“Well, for starters it’s not safe for me and the child. We need a house that can guarantee our safety. I mean, what if people found out I was carrying your heir and decided to get rid of me?”“Secondly, our child needs a place with a big yard for him to run around as he likes. This place is too small."I furrowed my eyebrows.She had a point but... getting her a villa would be too costly for me. I can’t spend money anyhow now... not when the assets I had access to when I was married to Sophia have been frozen. And it's all because of...I looked at the woman carrying my child before tucking a stray hair behind her ear.Violet was beautiful wi
VIOLET.“... find out where Sophia has been staying...” Elias's words reached my ears and I rushed back to the living room, knowing he was about to end the call and I didn’t want him to catch me eavesdropping.I knew he had been searching for Sophia ever since she escaped. I didn’t understand why he couldn’t let her go, he had already divorced her.Anger flared through me like a tornado.It was the weekend and I planned to spend time with Elias, however, he seemed to be preoccupied with something. The moment he received a call, I knew it was about Sophia but I couldn't let him go to her.I had to pretend to be in pain just to keep him here and it was so frustrating... why can't he stay with me just because he wants to?It’s all Sophia’s fault. If she didn’t exist, Elias would have been mine alone and he would have me in his heart.I hate her so much. I hope Elias never finds her for the rest of her life!I tried so hard to get him to fall in love with me. He finally gave in and slept
LUCAS. “I’ve never been to a club before… is it fun?” Sophia asked just as I drove into the underground parking lot at the SCREAM club. “It depends… sometimes it’s a bit noisy but it’s also a place you can unwind,” I replied, looking at her. Her eyes were full of curiosity and a hint of excitement, more like a child who was about to taste ice cream for the first time. She looked sexy in high-waisted leather pants and a gold, spaghetti top with a plunging neckline. Her blonde hair was left to flow down her shoulders and she had very light make-up on. I was dressed casually too in a pair of dark jeans, a white shirt and a black blazer. Sophia had been feeling low the past few days, so I decided to take her out to lighten up her mood, A few minutes later, I led Sophia through the VIP entrance. I had ordered for Elias’s people to be deliberately given info about Sophia, so I made sure they couldn’t get my face as they took pictures.I wanted Elias to feel like he had found her, onl
LUCAS. “We found high levels of scopolamine in your father’s system. Someone’s been drugging him,” Doctor Devon Kim, my father's personal doctor, said. “They might have switched out his medication when no one was looking.” My hand clenched into a fist, anger searing through me. “What does the drug do?” I asked through gnashing teeth, barely managing to mask my anger. Who the fuck had been drugging my father and why? This was getting out of hand. “It treats motion sickness and nausea, but if taken in high doses, this drug can lead to hallucinations, disorientation, temporary blindness, and it could lead to a coma,” the doctor answered. “It seems whoever drugged him wanted him to either lose his mind or go blind. Perhaps they wanted him to do something against his will while in a disoriented state. Luckily, he collapsed while he was already here, otherwise, we wouldn’t have found out he was being harmed.” I clenched my jaw, my stomach twisting and turning with worry. I wouldn’t
UNKNOWN POV. “Boss, Lucas is admitted to the hospital with his wife. I'm sorry, we failed you." I swiped the contents on the table to the ground, banging the side of my fist on the surface of the table. “Fools! All of you! How can you fail to get rid of that bastard and his stupid wife?” I snapped, anger bubbling in my chest. They had one job... To kill Lucas and make it look like an accident. But what did they do? Lucas and his wife were still alive! "Perhaps I should kill you for failing to do your job." The man who had come to report shivered, making me scoff. “We did what you told us to do. Didn’t you tell us to make it look like Sophia’s parents’ accident, so that no one can trace it to you? That’s what we did. We just didn’t expect Lucas to be so good at defensive driving.” “Nonsense! How many times will you give me excuses? You all fail to do anything until I do it myself!” I hissed, glaring at him. I never addressed him or any of my men by their names. Those were my r
SOPHIA. I narrowed my eyes when I left Lucas’ ward and found Elias waiting for his father in the hallway. How dare he come here? His eyes widened when he saw me, a flicker of worry flitting through them.I scoffed. Who was he trying to fool? Whatever worry he was showing was fake. “Sophia, are you ok…”“Why are you here? Haven’t you done enough?” I cut him off, my voice laced with so much venom. His eyebrows furrowed. “What are you talking about?” I sneered, glaring at him. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about. You tampered with the car’s brakes and caused our accident!” Elias’ eyes grew wide like dinner plates. He shook his head, saying, “I did no such thing. I didn’t even know where you guys were.” I clutched the arms of my wheelchair, anger bubbling up within me. Apart from Elias, I couldn’t think of anyone who would want us dead. He seemed to be telling the truth, but I wasn’t so sure. He was a master at lying and pretending after all. “Look, Sophi
CASPIAN.“Shit,” I cursed, looking down at the vast city below us.I was never one to make mistakes but this... this was a total fuck up. I knew Lucas would never blame me. As expected, he said he would have still gotten into an accident if it was meant to happen. But I begged to differ... if I had updated him, he would have been more cautious. The only relief was that he didn't get killed in that accident. Otherwise, I would have never forgiven myself. Ever. Glancing at Carla, I admitted, “You were right. I should have told Lucas. All this is my fault.” We had gone out to a balcony at the far end of the hallway, wanting to give the couple privacy. “Don’t blame yourself… I also knew, but I didn’t say anything either. Who would have thought they would make a move while we were on the island?” She replied, tucking her short hair behind her ear. There was some stray hair that kept blowing in front of her face, and I was tempted to brush it away for her. I looked away, placing my han
LUCAS.“Help me up,” I said, glancing at Caspian who looked like he hadn’t slept or bathed in days. He was blaming himself for not telling me about my former nanny's death. However, the accident wasn't his fault. We wouldn't have known they had tampered with the car... so whether he told me earlier or not, the accident would have still happened. “No… stay still. You can’t move in your condition,” Sophia said worriedly. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks, and I just wanted to kiss them away. They made my heart ache. “If I don’t get up, how will I hug you?” I uttered just as Caspian came to my side to help me out. I bit back a groan as I sat up, my back resting on the headboard. Every cell in my body was in pain, but I didn’t show it, not wanting Sophia to worry. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel guilty that I shielded her with my body. “Be careful,” Caspian whispered, his eyes falling on my broken arm and leg. I nodded and signaled for him to leave the room with
SOPHIA. My head throbbed as I struggled to open my eyes. Where was I?I gulped, trying to swallow, but I felt like I had swallowed a piece of hot coal. “Water,” I croaked out, wincing. It was too painful to talk.No. It was painful to do anything, even breathing. “Here’s water,” a female voice reached my ears, and my eyes slowly fluttered open, my headache feeling more intense at the blinding white light. A glass of water was brought to my lips, and someone helped to prop my head up. I took a sip of the water, and my throat instantly felt better. “Thank God you’re awake now. I was so worried.” Now that my head was clear, I could make out the voice that was speaking to me. I turned slightly to look at Carla’s worried face. Alice was by her side, looking down at me with tears filling her eyes. “What happened?” I asked, realising I was in a hospital ward. Suddenly, a flash of memories rushed through my mind, making my heart pound like a galloping horse. Our car was hit by a tru
LUCAS. “I’ll drive my wife back home… Caspian, can you give Wilson a ride?” I asked, looking at him. It was the next day, and we had just gotten off the ferry after a few hours. The ride back to town was a bit far, and I wanted to be alone with Sophia. Caspian rolled his eyes. “It’s fine. As long as he stays the fuck away from my sister.”I let out a chuckle. “I thought you wanted her to get married.”“It’s not me… it’s mom who’s been pressuring her,” he replied, his jaw clenching. “Well, then Wilson is not so bad—”“Do you really think my parents would accept a bodyguard or assistant as their son-in-law? I would rather prevent her from falling in love than her having to fight with our parents because of a man,” Caspian said. Adrian and Damian had already left the moment we arrived. Adrian had an ad to shoot, while Damian was on call at his family’s hospital. Carla was talking to Sophia a few meters away, probably making plans about their schedule for the week.I sighed, looking
SOPHIA. “I’m so hungry!” Alice exclaimed as we walked towards the long wooden table that was set on the beach.The sun had set below the horizon, casting a golden-red glow over the ocean. We had already changed into dry clothes when we got called for dinner at the beach. I looked around, loving the set-up. Lanterns hung from nearby trees, illuminating the table that was laden with grilled seafood, roasted vegetables and lots of other foods. “You'd be hungry after all that screaming. Jeez, I thought someone was trying to kill you or something,” Caspian remarked, earning a glare from his sister. “Are you even my brother?” She questioned. “How could you splash water at me like that? I’ll tell Dad and Mom that you bullied me on this trip.” “What are you? Five?” Caspian asked, laughing. “Go ahead… they are going to tell you to get a husband instead.”“You–” Alice fumed. She rushed towards Wilson and grabbed his arm. “I already have a husband. This one.”We all froze. Dead silence fell
SOPHIA. My eyes fluttered open, and the moment I moved, I felt like I had been hit by a truck. A small moan escaped my lips, flashes from last night rushing through my mind’s eye. We went at it like rabbits. In the end, I was the first to pass out. I could tell how hard we went at it from the aches in my body. It was like we were trying to make a baby. I tried to move, but realised there was something hard inside of me…My eyes widened.It seems I had slept off with Lucas’ dick still in my core. His strong arms were holding me as he spooned me, the warmth from his body seeping into me. “Good morning,” Lucas’s deep voice reached my ears, and I raised my head, turning to look up at him, my face burning. I bit my bottom lip. “Morning.” Lucas smirked, reaching over to tuck some of my hair behind my ear. “Tell me what –”“You won the bet. What do you want?” We spoke at the same time, and my eyes widened. What did he mean I won the bet? I clearly passed out first before him…“No, I