ITALYLEXI"Thank you for the patronage. Please, do come around next time." The cashier said, handing over the things we picked at the mall to us. I collected it from her and returned a wide smile. With Isabelle's hand intertwined with mine, we trekked home since the mall we visited was just down the street. It was Isabelle who suddenly requested chocolates and creamy yogurt who made us step out of the house at that time of the night.Just as we were about to step into the house, I sighted a bouquet of flowers by the entrance, wrapped with a blue wrapper. A part of my brows creased as I looked outside, trying to see if the owner was around, but I couldn't find anyone."Mum, is that yours?" Isabelle asked, letting my hands go.With creased brows, I shook my head negatively. "No, darling. It's not mine. I don't know who owns it," I responded.Isabelle rushed to where the bouquet was kept, picked it up, and removed the letter from it. Before I could reprimand her for picking up what doe
LEXI"Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into England. Please turn off all portable electronic devices and stow them until we have arrived at the gate. In preparation for landing in England, be certain your seat back is straightened and your seat belt is fastened." The announcer's voice wafted into my ears, and I obliged, doing what he asked me to do for myself and Isabelle, who was sitting beside me.After what seemed like forever, our plane landed, and we trudged out after clearing our bags and taking them.I shut my eyes and opened them back as I inhaled the fresh air of England, the same country that held most of my memories. I wouldn't say that I had the plans of returning now, but my father's situation forced me to come back. Yesterday, when mom called me again, she told me that his condition is now stable, but the little girl in me wouldn't want to stay back in Italy knowing that her father is in a critical condition, which was the reason I booked the next flight
LEXIStepping out of the airport, we luckily found an empty cab and hopped into it after tucking our luggage into the trunk. The drive began, and a deafening silence fell in the car. It felt peaceful and surreal. I loved every bit of the atmosphere. "Isabelle, I hope you didn't do anything when I left you at the reception." I asked, breaking the silence. I didn't know why I felt like Isabelle shouldn't be trusted. Maybe because she was too quiet and behaved when I returned from the bathroom. That wasn't who Isabelle was. She lifted her head, glanced at my face, and gave me a knowing look. "What do you mean, Mum? Do you think I have committed a crime?" She questioned. I swallowed hard, piercing into her gaze. As I had suspected, the glimmers in her eyes were filled with eagerness, which meant she was hiding something from me."What is it, Isabelle? Say the truth right now. You know very well that I didn't train you to be a liar." I held her hands, looking into her eyes as I muttered
RYANI searched the crooks and crannies of the airport for Lexi and Isabelle but never found them. It was as though they appeared for a second and vanished into the thin air afterward."Maybe they had gone this way," I told myself, hopping into my car."Drive!" I ordered, and my chauffeur started driving. However, I never caught a glimpse of her. My heart twitched. It was as if thousands of hands were squeezing it. "Where are you, Lexi? Where did you go?" I mumbled, sweats shrouding my body like a cloak. My breathing was unstable.After an hour of driving aimlessly on the streets of England, I commanded, "Pull over!" My chauffeur glanced behind me briefly, "Huh?""Can't you hear me, or are you just dumb? I just asked you to pull over. Stop the car, you fool," I yelled, exasperated. And immediately, he swerved his hands to the side and stepped on the brake. The car made a screeching sound before it stopped.I jumped out of the car and scrutinized the vicinity with my eyes. Hopefully,
LEXI"Father!" I shouted, running toward my family, who was already seated on the bed. His pale face had become fresh and alive, and his whitish lips had become plum and succulent. When he gaped in my direction and saw me, his perfectly molded lips curved into a sheepish smile."My daughter is here!" He muttered before his gaze darted over Isabelle, and his smile widened. "Oh my God! My princess is here!" He exclaimed, reverting his gaze from me as he focused on Isabelle. He totally forgot that he was about to greet me, and that almost made me jealous of Isabelle. But I was the one he knew before knowing Isabelle. I am his daughter."How are you doing, grandpa? You were sleeping when we got here yesterday," Isabelle asked in her tiny yet sharp voice.My father ruffled her hair and pulled her cheeks gently. "I'm okay now, my damsel. Seeing your beautiful face is enough to heal me," he affirmed, grinning.With pouty lips, I went to sit beside my mother while I watched Isabelle and my fa
LEXII blinked, uncertain of the suitable expression to make to the surprising revelation and turn of events. The famous Donald Simeon turned out to be the fake taxi driver and the one who sent me a bouquet the previous week. "Lexi, this is Mr. Donald Simeon, the partner who will help you when you become the CEO." My father's voice lingered in the air, causing me to veer around so that I could focus my attention on him."Uhm... Oh! Okay," I mumbled, my eyes flickering continually as my mouth widened. "Hello, Miss Lexi. I'm Donald Simeon, your COO," Donald introduced, stretching forth his hand for a handshake, which I took after a brief hesitation. There was something surprising and suspicious about the attitude he pulled up. There wasn't an iota of surprise on his face, as though he already knew I was the one he was coming to meet. I found it weird, but I shrugged the thoughts away as I shook his hand. "I'm Lexi Alexandra. Please, let's achieve a lot together." I mumbled with a lop
GENERAL"I welcome you all to the most anticipated unveiling ceremony of the Alexandra's Conglomerate." The host's voice reverberated across the hall. Men and women of class and elite families trooped into the event hall, dressed in their best dresses. The decoration of the hall screamed luxury and exquisite. You don't need to be told before you know that they are worth fortunes.Reporters were seated at a side of the hall, clicking their cameras but not moving to the guests because they had been warned to do whatever they wanted in the corner provided for them unless they wanted to be sued.Ryan and Jasmine sauntered into the hall with their arms locked. Their eyes flickered briefly, astonished by what they were seeing. "Fuck! This isn't a wedding ceremony, but it looks heavenly. Just how wealthy is the Alexandra's?" Jasmine gasped, her eyes broadening with satisfaction and admiration. "I made the right choice to be here today," she whispered. "Maybe I can see great Alexandra himse
GENERALRyan and Jasmine couldn't believe their eyes and ears, especially when Gerald confirmed that the woman standing in front of them was indeed Lexi, the same woman he divorced and chased out of his house."How the fuck did this even happen? How did Lexi become the daughter of Alexandra? How did she become superior all of a sudden?" Different questions sprouted in Jasmine's head. Her hands trembled rigorously as she grabbed the side of her dress, snapping her teeth. Her face was reddened, and irritation swirled in her stomach. "This got to be a dream. This has to be a dream. This mustn't be Lexi," she said in between gritted teeth.The fact that she looked hotter, sexier, and more beautiful caused thousands of needles to pierce into her heart. She was a lot better than when she was still in Ryan's house, where she was tormented."Are you fine, sir? Do you need some water?" Gerald rushed to the side of Ryan, who had reclined on the chair due to the shock he just witnessed. He took
LexiDriving into the car park, I turned off the ignition and stepped out of the car. I walked into the elevator, and a ding sound ripped through the air as it reached the floor where my office was located. The moment I stepped out, a loud sound filled the air, startling me and causing me to take a few steps backward. Widening my eyes to look in the direction of the sound, I realized that it was a party popper. Before I could comprehend what just happened, I heard, "Welcome back to work, President Lexi. And congratulations on your recovery," my staff said in chorus, and that was when I saw everyone's faces. Aside from the staff from other departments, the office area is filled with staff from the Presidential Department.My heart tingled with admiration and excitement. I loved that. They all clapped their hands afterward. Donald sauntered out of their midst, holding a bouquet of red roses. "Welcome back to work, Lexi," he mumbled, handing over the flower to me.I narrowed my gaze as
GENERAL"Can you hear me?" Lexi asked again when he didn't answer her previous questions. She stood up and held his arm, her brows raising and her eyes widening.Since he couldn't talk because of the oxygen fixed in his nose, he blinked his eyes and nodded to her question.At the same time, Zoe and Emily ran over and intentionally pushed Lexi away. Thankfully, she was able to maintain her composure with the help of the bed. She knew the two witches were just trying to frustrate her and make her act like a madwoman, but she would forgive them today and deal with them another time."My son!" Zoe called. "Brother!" Emily spurted out, holding his arm. The duo smiled, looking at Ryan, whose gaze was focused on Lexi."How are you feeling?" Zoe retracted her gaze from him and moved it to Emily, "Go and inform the doctor that he's awake," she ordered.Nodding, Emily left the room and returned almost immediately with the same doctor who attended to Lexi. As soon as he saw Lexi, his brows cre
GENERALAnger coursed through Zoe's veins as she heard what Lexi said. It was as though she was slapped hard in the face. Her face turned crimson red with lines of anger scribbled on her facial features. She gritted her teeth and took steps forward. "What! What did you just say? How dare you call me by my name?" She shouted, her veins popping out due to anger.Lexi chuckled nonchalantly, "What was I supposed to call you with? Your daughter's name? Zoe is your name, so I will call you by that. Or... What were you expecting me to call you?...." She paused, raised her brows, and glanced at her quizzically. When she finally thought of something, she erupted into laughter, covering her mouth with her hands, "Don't tell me you are expecting me to call your mother? Oh my goodness! Have you forgotten that you are not my mother? You reminded me many times back in the days," She taunted with her words, ignoring the murderous glares emitting from them. She was less concerned. She loved it. Tha
GENERALLexi darted her gaze between her parents. She found their reactions suspicious and scary. Her mind missed a beat. Has something happened to Ryan? "Mom...? Dad...? Where is Ryan?" She asked again, her eyes dilating in anticipation of what her parents' response would be. She just hoped that it wouldn't be bad news. She owed him a lot. She would have been dead before they got saved if he hadn't intervened and stalked enough time for them. The last thing she wanted to hear was that he was gone. "The doctor said that he was in a more critical situation, and it was only by a miracle that the bullet didn't get to his heart because it was just a tiny space between his heart and the spot the bullet pierced into. He has been operated on and is out of danger, but he hasn't opened his eyes since then," her mother explained calmly. There was guilt in her eyes. Even though Ryan had once maltreated their daughter, they couldn't help but feel indebted to him. It would have been a differ
GENERAL FLASHBACK TO 12 HOURS AGO Ryan sat in his car, resting his arm on the steering wheel and staring at the mansion in front of him. He was contemplating whether to enter or not. He was there to check on Lexi, but he was scared to step in because he didn't know the reaction he would meet. The memory of the humiliation he received at the hospital was still vivid in his head, and he wouldn't want to suffer the same thing again. "You just need to go. Isabelle isn't her daughter alone. She is also yours," he mentally told himself. Shutting his eyes for a few seconds, he sighed and opened them back. Just as he unlocked the door and was about to step out, he sighted Lexi running out of the house with an oversized gown that she clutched to avoid stepping on as she walked. His brows crinkled. Why was she running? Where was she going? She looked like she was in a haste, yet she didn't take a car with her. He suspected something and decided to discreetly follow her to find out what was h
GENERALSilence overwhelmed the atmosphere at the sound of the gunshot. Ryan glared at Jasmine, shocked and afraid. What was that sound? Where did it come from? "Mommy!" Isabelle cried out, her voice lingering in the air with a lot of worry mixed with it. Her voice jerked Ryan out of his reverie, and he looked behind him. That was when he realized what was happening. It turned out that the gunshot that reverberated in the room was real and Lexi had been shot instead. Blood gushed out of her side as she clutched it tightly with her hands. Her body shook. "Argh!" Lexi winced as her body hurriedly wallowed in the pool of pain. An excruciating pang of pain coursed through her like fire on dried leaves. Ryan blinked with his mouth widened, his eyes darkened, and tears rushed to his lids. What! Jasmine really did that...? "How dare you, Jasmine?" He growled. His voice resounded like thunder, sending fears down the spines of Jasmine and her men, but they were smart enough to conceal th
GENERALLexi flinched in fear as she felt a liquid substance splashing over her. Unlocking her eyes swiftly in fear, she was shocked to find Jasmine, standing over her and pouring water over her and her daughter. The craziest part of it was it wasn't clean water, and it was already emitting a stench odor. She almost puked as the horrible smell drifted into her nose. Thankfully, she had shielded Isabelle, which protected her from the water. "What are you doing, Jasmine? What water is this?" She yelled at her, hovering over her daughter. Her voice was shaky and pathetic. None of her words wafted into Jasmine's ears. She didn't stop pouring the water until she finished the one in the bucket. Then, she flung the bucket away. "What do you think I am doing? I am trying to wake you up. Is that a bad thing to do?" She responded to her with an indifferent expression. She was totally not bothered and nonchalant about her actions. "And you think waking me up this way is the best way? How
GENERAL "She is not picking up," Lexi's mother informed with concern in her voice, bringing her phone from her ear and staring at the screen, which was displaying her daughter's name.Mr. Alexandra's eyes skimmed over the clock that was glued at the top of the entrance. It was already 8 pm, and she hadn't gotten back since she left home. She didn't dress extra when she left in the afternoon, so they didn't think where she was going was far. They wondered if she was still with Donald, as she had said before she left the house.Mr. Alexandra picked up his phone and put a call across to Donald, who picked up on the second ring. "Hello, President Alexandra," Donald greeted on the other side of the phone the moment he picked up. For some reason, he found the call surprising, and he was curious. Did something happen to Lexi? It had been days since he last saw her because he had been busy at the office. Since the CEO wasn't around, he had to take over so that there wouldn't be any flop i
GENERAL Lexi's heart almost jumped out of her mouth when she heard Jasmine's statement. She didn't want anything but her life. But why? All she has ever done for her was in her favor. She didn't let her enjoy her marriage, yet she never argued with her. She walked out of the marriage for her. Her eyes blinked, and tears flowed out. "Why? Why does it have to be my life?" She asked in a croaky voice, swirling her tongue over her lips. Her eyes were reddened and teary. Jasmine chuckled, "It doesn't have to be you. It can be your adorable daughter," she stated, acting like she was about to pull the trigger. Lexi pushed her baby behind her and shrouded her with her body. "Don't do this, Jasmine. Leave my baby out of our mess. She has nothing to do with what happened between us," she said. "What!" Jasmine's brows crinkled. Then she smirked slyly, "She has a lot to do with what happened between us and the horrible incident that happened to me. She was a mistake. She wasn't supposed to