Chapter 7
“Welcome to the land of wealth and riches, honey. Nothing is too expensive when money is involved”
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Two weeks later
Hannah is seen climbing down the stairs, all dressed, ready to resume the MacKenzie company as the new CEO.
Just then she saw Arianna, walking out of the kitchen putting on a white long robe making her look so sexy. She was holding a cup of coffee in her hands.
She could swear that nobody would believe that this woman was in her 50s but she looked so young and sexy. A lot of people would probably think they are sisters.
“Good morning mom” Hannah muttered as she moved towards her and kissed her on the cheeks.
“Good morning honey. I can see you are all set for work” Arianna said with a smile plastered on her face, as she examined Hannah’s dress.
“It’s your first day as CEO, remember what I told you. You are now Cinderella Mackenzie, you should never let anyone intimidate you, heads high, walk majestically.
And if anyone dares disrespect you, fire them immediately. Think high of yourself, you are now the queen of Mackenzie’s kingdom “ Arianna said and Hannah smiled and nodded in response.
“The driver is waiting outside, and my PA is waiting for you in the company to put you through everything you need to know. You don't want to be late, you should start going” Arianna said and Hannah smiled at her and nodded in response.
She hugged Arianna and was about to leave when she suddenly felt dizzy.
“Are you alright, Hannah?” Arianna asked and Hannah nodded. Just as she was about to move she felt her head start spinning and just then she fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
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Hannah opened her eyes and then noticed she was in her room.
“Hannah” she heard Arianna call her and she turned to her.
“What happened?” Hannah said as she tried standing up from the bed.
“You passed out,” Arianna said and helped her sit properly on the bed.
“Oh my goodness! I must be so tired. That would have been the reason I passed out, I’m so sorry” Hannah said and Arianna smiled at her.
“You shouldn’t apologize. I asked the doctor to come to check on you and he did. He had just left for quite a long time, `` Arianna said and paused.
“Ok, but I’m fine now. I need to go to work now, I’m fine” Hannah said and tried standing up from the bed but suddenly paused when Arianna broke the news to her.
“You are one week pregnant, Hannah”
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I can’t be pregnant!! It’s not possible!! I can’t be carrying the child of someone who I don’t even know. That rapist owns this pregnancy. I can’t keep it” Hannah said as tears welled up in her eyes.
“You can’t remove it either. You have to keep the pregnancy, you can’t kill an innocent baby” Arianna said and Hannah stared at her with tears in her eyes.
She would love to keep this baby but she was scared. At first, she didn't know the rapist or his identity. She didn’t even see him that night.
And the fact that all the babies she’s given birth to in the past had died immediately after they were born scared her, and the last pregnancy she had, she lost it. She was scared something like that would happen again.
“I understand how you feel Hannah. You should keep the baby, I’ll help you take care of it. You have me, you do not need to worry about anything” Arianna said and Hannah nodded in response.
Arianna moved toward Hannah and engaged her in a warm hug.
“You are going to be fine,” Arianna said, patting Hannah’s back.
*******four Months later*******
Hannah is seen alighting a black sports car which looked very expensive.
She was putting on a black suit. Even though her stomach was big from the pregnancy, the suit still fitted her perfectly well.
She would have worn her normal long and big gowns, but because she was going to be attending a meeting with the board members, she needed to look professional.
Just then Hannah’s assistant rushed towards Hannah and collected her bag from her.
“Welcome ma’am Ella“ Her PA, Chelsea greeted with her head bowed and Hannah smiled at her.
Everybody in Mackenzie’s company knows her as Cinderella Mackenzie. Instead of calling her Cinderella, they call her Ella which is short for Cinderella.
“Is my mom here yet?” Hannah asked.
Arianna had left home so early saying she needed to meet with some people to discuss business, that she would be attending the board meeting.
“Yes ma’am, she’s in the boardroom with the board members, and the board meeting will commence in the next 15 minutes, “ Chelsea said Hannah nodded and checked her phone as it vibrated. It was a text from her mom Arianna asking her where she was.
“You should drop my bag in my office and bring my documents, it’s on my office table. I’ll be in the boardroom” Hannah said and Chelsea nodded in response as they walked inside the company,
The past few months haven't been an easy one for Hannah. After she found out she was pregnant, Arianna asked her to rest, till she gave birth before she would Resume as the CEO.
But Hannah insisted on working and Arianna had no choice but to accept her decision. She would do anything to make Hannah happy.
*****Hours later******
The board meeting is already over and Hannah is seen walking out of the board room with her mom, Arianna.
Suddenly one of the board members walked towards them.
“Ma’am Ella. Your presentation was great. It would surely lead this company to another level. Keep up the good works” The board member said Hannah smiled at her and she walked away.
Arianna stared at Hannah with a smile on her face, she was a hardworking person, and truth be told she was so proud of Hannah. She was proud of the woman she was becoming. She didn't regret the day she helped her.
******5 months later******
A black car screeched to a halt in front of the hospital.
Arianna rushed out of the car and rushed inside the hospital to call the nurse. Her daughter was in labor, and Hannah is about to give birth.
The nurse rushed out and helped Hannah inside the emergency room.
Arianna is seen pacing to and fro in front of the emergency room, looking so tense and scared. She knew giving birth wasn't such an easy process and Hannah had been inside the delivery room with the doctors for over an hour.
She just hopes she's okay. She could hear Hannah screaming in pain, This made cold shivers run down her spine.
Just then her voice suddenly died down, Arianna became scared and immediately the door to the delivery room burst open revealing the doctor.
“You are Mrs. Mackenzie right?” the doctor asked with a smile on her face and Arianna nodded in response.
“Congratulations, your daughter has just given birth to Octuplets.
Four boys and four girls” the doctor said and Arianna opened her eyes wide in shock.
“Octuplets!!”
TBC
Chapter 8“Congratulations, your daughter has just given birth to Octuplets. Four boys and four girls” the doctor said and Arianna opened her eyes wide in shock. “Octuplets!!” Arianna said, almost yelling. Hannah’s stomach was so big, she had always thought there were more than one baby inside, probably triplets or quadruplets, but the fact that it was octuplets was so shocking. “Can I see her now?” Arianna asked“Yeah, sure after the nurse finishes cleaning the babies and the mother then you can see them,” the doctor said and Arianna nodded in response.After The nurse had finished cleaning the babies, Hannah. Arianna went inside the ward to see Hannah and the babies. She met Hannah lying on the bed staring at the babies which were laid on a big baby cradle beside her. “Oh my goodness!! Hannah, congratulations “ Arianna said and Hannah smiled at her weakly. Hannah had felt so much pain while giving birth to the babies, but immediately she saw the babies, all the pain she felt d
Chapter 9Hannah walked inside her kid's room and met them playing with their toys. With the way they were looking so calm, one would think they weren't the ones turning the whole house upside down some minutes ago. “Mommy” Addison called as she saw Hannah walk inside the room. She dropped her toy and went to hug her mommy, while the rest of the kids did the same. Hannah smiled and sat on the ground while the kids surrounded her. “Mommy, do you want to tell us a story?” Audrey asked happily. “No honey, I'm here to tell you, guys, something else,” Hannah said and the kids raised their eyebrows staring at her, waiting for her to speak.“Sweethearts, we are leaving New York City, “ Hannah said and the kids opened their eyes wide in shock. “We are leaving?” Jaxon asked and Hannah nodded in response.“Why mommy,” Allison asked“Why are we leaving mommy?” Jasper asked curiously “And where are we going?” Aubrey asked and Hannah smiled. If there was one thing about her kids, they love a
Chapter 10It was morning and another brand new day to be precise. Hannah had woken up so early and got dressed. She had wanted to visit Brandon’s company, BRC. co.Arianna had told her Brandon was going to be available at 7:30 Am. She had already scheduled a meeting with him and he was willing to meet. She had to go early because her mother had told her Brandon doesn't like clients who come late to meetings.She got dressed and went to the kid's room. There she met them while still asleep. She sighed softly as she stared at them. They had come just yesterday, and she needed the kids to rest, after today she had planned on getting them to start a new school.She smiled at them before walking out of the room. On her way out of the house, she met the nannies and the maids. She had told them to make sure they give the kids anything they want while she is not at home. With that, she walked out of the house.She hopped into the new car Arianna had gotten for her before she arrived in Atlan
Chapter 11She hopped out of the car and was about to walk inside the restaurant when she bumped into someone who she never expected to see.“Hannah!!” Rhoda, her best friend, called out in shock as she saw Hannah.Hannah stared at Rhoda angrily, memories of years back when she caught her sleeping with her husband came running inside her head like a flash. All she wanted to do at this moment was just to kill her.“Y-you are still alive” Rhoda stuttered. She didn’t know why but she suddenly started feeling scared as she saw Hannah.“Of course, I’m not alive. This is my ghost and I’m here to kill you” Hannah said and Rhoda stared at her without saying a word. Her eyes scrutinized Hannah who was now looking even more beautiful than before.She now had a better shape than before that Every man will want. She felt so jealous of her immediately. She thought she was dead but no, she was alive, sound, and healthy. They never heard from her again after she was raped but now suddenly she appea
Chapter 12“Mommy what happened to your face?” Her son, David asked. Oh! It's nothing honey, mommy is going to be fine” Rhoda smiled as she starred at her son, David who looked so much like Jeff. She had a son for Jeff years back and he's six years and some months old. Rhoda was glad she has a son for Jeff. There was no way Hannah could steal Jeff from her and her son. She had gotten rid of her before, she was definitely going to get rid of her again, this time it was going to be for good but at first she needed to make her pay for hurting her today, Rhoda thought as she smiled at her son while patting his hair.**********************Meanwhile, Jeff is seen pacing to and fro in his room. He was still in shock that he had saw Hannah. The guilt he tried to bury year's ago were back. he needed to find Hannah and make things right. He regret betraying her in the past.The moment he saw Hannah today, he realized one thing, he was still in love with her.He had noticed Hannah was look
Chapter 13Hannah’s Car screeched to a halt in front of Brandon’s company. She put on a long jacket to cover up herself. She didn’t want anyone to know she was dressed that way. She walked inside the company and walked inside the elevator to Brandon’s office. Immediately, the elevator stopped at the last floor, she took a deep breath before walking towards Brandon’s office. She planted a soft knock on the door but there was no response. She then creaked the door opened and peeped in. There she met Brandon standing close to the window of his office staring outside the building. He looked so lost in thought that he barely noticed she was inside the office. He seems to love the outside view of his company because she had seen him standing at the same spot yesterday while staring outside, Hannah thought. She then dropped her on the chair and removed her jacket. She shortened her gown and took a deep breath before walking towards Brandon. She stood behind him wanting to touch him but
Chapter 14“Let’s get married,” he said coldly and Hannah stared at him with a confused expression on her face.“What? You mean you want me to be your wife?” Hannah asked and Brandon stared at her with no expression on his face, without saying a word.“Marriage isn’t what you just get into. You barely know me and I barely know you and you want us to get married. You must be joking “ Hannah said and scoffed. She stared at Brandon and chuckled, he's unbelievable, she thought. Just because she asked him for help doesn’t mean he should start asking for marriage, who does that? she thought. “I know. That’s why I’m asking you to be my wife and you're gonna say yes because I do not take no for an answer” Brandon said coldly. “Are you trying to force me into marrying you? And why do you think I’m going to say yes?” Hannah asked while staring deep inside Brandon’s eyes like she was searching for something.“For the sake of your company and most importantly…” Brandon paused and brought out a
Chapter 15“Hannah!” Jeff called as he saw her walking towards her car. He moved towards her and tried touching her but Hannah shoved his hands off.“What the fuck are you doing near my car? And how did you know I was here? are you monitoring me?” Hannah asked as she stared at him angrily.“No no!! I had come here to speak with some client concerning business and had seen your car, so I assumed you would be inside and I decided to wait for you here” Jeff said with an innocent look on his face.Hannah scoffed as she stared at him. He had come to speak with a client at the restaurant and when he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of Hannah’s car and decided to wait and see her. “I know you hate me for what happened in the past. I swear I didn’t intend to hurt you, I was just confused. Rhoda was pregnant for me and I badly needed a child, she threatened to abort the child if I did not divorce you. I had no choice but to do what she wanted. I regret everything, please forgive me”
Lucas had left the room to make some calls, leaving Hannah and Teresa alone in the dimly lit space. The air between them was thick with unspoken thoughts, with grief and frustration too heavy to voice.Teresa watched Hannah closely. She looked hollow—her eyes distant, her shoulders sagging under a weight no one could carry for her.“You okay?” Teresa finally asked.Hannah blinked and turned her head, forcing a weak smile. “Yeah.”Teresa hummed in response, clearly unconvinced. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a practiced ease. Smoke curled in the air between them.“Do you smoke?” she asked, offering one toward Hannah.Hannah shook her head. “No. I never have.”Teresa chuckled, taking a long drag before exhaling. “Figures.”Silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was the silence of two women who understood each other—different, yet bound by shared pain.“My mother-in-law used to hate me too,” Teresa murmured suddenly, he
Teresa sat in the back of a dimly lit bar, the scent of cigarette smoke and aged whiskey thick in the air. The place was quiet, the kind of underground haunt where no one asked questions, where secrets were currency, and where a person could disappear if they weren’t careful.She checked the time on her phone. Her contact was late.Across the table, Hannah fidgeted with the glass of water in front of her, her expression distant, lost in thoughts she wasn’t ready to speak out loud. Lucas sat beside her, his gaze locked on the entrance, his tension palpable.When the door finally creaked open, Teresa’s eyes narrowed as a tall, wiry man entered, his leather jacket scuffed and his face shadowed with stubble. He scanned the room before spotting her and sauntering over.“You’re late, Marco,” Teresa said, her voice edged with impatience.The man—Marco Ruiz—grinned as he slid into the seat across from her. “Good to see you too, Provenzano. You know how it is—hard to stay alive in this busines
Hannah stood in the dimly lit warehouse, her fingers clenched into fists at her sides. The stale scent of dust and oil filled the air, mingling with the cold fear settling deep in her stomach. The warehouse was one of many they had searched in the last twenty-four hours, but this one felt different. The moment she stepped inside, a weird sensation crawled over her skin, like a presence lingering just out of sight.Lucas moved beside her, scanning the rows of crates stacked high against the walls. His jaw was tight, his frustration barely concealed beneath his calm exterior. Teresa stood a few steps ahead, gun in hand, her eyes sharp as she surveyed their surroundings. They had all hoped—desperately—that this search would yield something more than dead ends and half-truths. But as the minutes ticked by, that hope was slipping.Brandon had vanished without a trace.Every lead they had followed led to nothing. Every whisper, every clue, every trail had been a carefully crafted illus
The night was thick with silence, the kind that felt like a living, breathing thing, pressing in on them as they stood at the edge of the abandoned docks. The stench of salt and rust filled the air, mixing with something darker—the unmistakable scent of blood.Teresa’s fingers curled around the handle of her gun as she scanned the area, her pulse drumming hard against her ribs. Her father was dead. That chapter of her life was over. But this? This wasn’t over. Not until she had him.Not until she had Brandon and brought him back to his family.“We should’ve heard something by now,” Hannah whispered, her voice tight with restrained panic.Teresa didn’t answer. She was thinking the same thing.The lead had been solid. Brandon had been held here—multiple sources confirmed it. The docks had been his prison. But as they stood here, surrounded by crates and shadows, the truth settled like ice in her veins.Brandon wasn’t here.And the blood on the floor was still fresh.Teresa crouched do
Teresa barely had a second to react before the door to her office swung open. The moment her eyes landed on the man standing there, a cold shiver ran down her spine. Her father.Bernardo Provenzano. The man she had once idolized. The man she had spent her entire life trying to please.And now, the man she had just betrayed.He stepped inside with a slow, deliberate pace, shutting the door behind him. The soft click of the lock sent her heart into overdrive.“Oh, my little princess,” he murmured, his voice filled with mock tenderness. But his eyes… they were filled with nothing but hatred.Teresa’s hands gripped the arms of her chair, knuckles turning white. Fear slithered through her veins, but she refused to let it show.“How disappointing,” he continued, shaking his head as if she were a child who had misbehaved. “I thought you were different. Better. Not like your mother.”Teresa inhaled sharply.His mother.For years, she had believed the lie—that her mother had been killed by a r
The beeping of machines was the only sound filling the hospital room. Jessica lay on the hospital bed, her skin deathly pale, her chest barely rising under the weight of the oxygen mask secured over her face. Wires and tubes connected her to the machines, keeping her alive, but just barely.Hannah stood frozen in the doorway, unable to move. The doctor’s words still rang in her ears, cutting deeper than any wound ever could.“She has a five percent chance of survival,” the doctor had said, his voice clinical, detached. “She lost too much blood, and the delay in medical care worsened her condition. We’re doing everything we can, but you need to prepare for the worst.”The worst.Hannah clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. This was her fault. If she hadn’t suggested they escape… if she had just listened, just stayed put, Jessica wouldn’t be lying here, fighting for her life.And Brandon…A fresh wave of pain hit her. He was gone. Taken. She had watched him surrender himsel
The river had given them a chance, but it hadn’t given them freedom.Brandon collapsed onto the muddy shore, gasping for air. His limbs ached from the relentless current, but he didn’t have time to recover. Jessica.Lucas dragged her up the embankment, his breathing ragged. She was completely unconscious now, her body limp in his arms. The river had sapped whatever strength she had left. Her wound was bad—too bad. If they didn’t get her help soon…No. He couldn’t think like that.“Teresa,” Brandon barked, snapping back into survival mode. “Where’s the nearest hospital?”Teresa, still soaking wet, flipped open her laptop with shaking hands. Water dripped onto the screen, but she didn’t stop. “There’s one about six miles south,” she said breathlessly. “But there’s a problem.”Brandon exhaled sharply. “There’s always a problem.”Teresa gave him a grim look. “Bernardo’s men will have every major road blocked. They’re already watching the airspace. If we head to that hospital, they’ll find
The cave was damp and cold, the scent of moss and river water clinging to the air. Shadows stretched across the rocky walls, their flickering shapes cast by the distant glow of searchlights cutting through the trees outside. They had barely made it out alive.But they weren’t safe.Brandon pressed his back against the jagged rock, listening. Boots crunched against gravel just beyond the entrance. The soldiers were closing in. They had minutes—maybe seconds—before the cave was compromised.Lucas sat against the far wall, pressing his hand against Jessica’s wound. She was slipping fast, her skin pale, her lips trembling.“I can stop the bleeding, but not for long,” Teresa said, her voice tight with urgency. “But she needs real help, Brandon.”Brandon looked at Jessica’s barely conscious form, then at Hannah, who was up beside Teresa, shaking from the cold,she looked so pale. He had promised to protect her. He had promised to protect all of them.He clenched his fists. Promises meant not
The night was supposed to be theirs. They had escaped, survived impossible odds, and left Bernardo bleeding on the cold ground. But fate had other plans.They wondered how come he was alive. They had witnessed him go on his knees, blood all over him.The deafening roar of helicopter blades grew louder, sending shockwaves through Brandon’s chest. The floodlights cut through the dense trees, slicing through the shadows that had once been their cover. The tracker beneath the seat blinked like a taunting heartbeat—steady, unrelenting, and damning.Teresa’s fingers flew over her laptop, her breath ragged. “I need time,” she muttered, panic lacing her voice.“We don’t have time,” Lucas growled, yanking a rifle from the back. “They’re here.”Jessica shifted, barely conscious, her breathing uneven. Hannah took a deep breathe while having a second thoughts.Maybe she should just surrender herself to Bernardo and all this would be over. But Brandon here would rather die than watch her go back