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MALCOLM I didn't bother to listen or reply to my mum's words. I found my way to my car, anger surging through my veins. I was just so close to getting Lucian punished for his crimes, now my mum has spoiled that. I never knew she would step in. My plan was to get Lucian arrested and jailed before she even realizes that he was arrested. I never thought that she would actually know about it this quick and step in instantly. BANG I landed a punch in my car. I was just not capable, being rich and being able to run a business isn't all there is to life. I must admit I lacked the wit and cunningness of people in the business circle. I always preferred to do things the right way. But now, with my daughter and Leilani in line. I don't think I could keep that up. I am going to do anything to keep them safe. And for Lucian, be it now or later. I will definitely make him pay for what he did. Even if it means forsaking the morals I made myself obey. I got into my car and put my head down on t
MALCOLM "Take a look at how miserable you look. You can't even concentrate on your work," Michael complained, but I ignored him and kept downing the bottle of alcohol in front of me."Leilani and her daughter are just a few kilometres away from you. Yet you sit here all the time wallowing in self pity. What exactly is wrong with you? You chose to stay away from them, yet you beat yourself for it," Michael continued."Just let me be, Michael!" I screamed."Suit yourself, man," he yelled back and walked away slamming the door.I banged my fist on the table and rose from my seat. I know my decision to leave Melinda and Leilani alone was impulsive and stupid. But there was nothing I could do. I felt like I shouldn't be next to them when I couldn't bring down Lucian. I failed as a father to Melinda and Leilani and I couldn't bear to look them in the eyes, knowing that they both still had scars they got from Lucian. Even though I was away from them, I never really left them my eyes were on
LEILANI "Ma'am, you have a visitor,'' my secretary announced once she stepped in. I stared at her in confusion. I wasn't expecting anyone today, so who could the mysterious visitor be? "Let the person in," Sienna told the Secretary, who bowed and left. Sienna patted my back. "You signed up for unexpected meetings when you became a businesswoman. I'll go pick up Melinda from school later. So, concentrate and thank me later." Saying this, she turned around and left the office. I watched as she left the office, I sighed and made sure my hair was properly done. No matter what I was going through, I wouldn't want people to see me looking tattered, I am a CEO and I have an image to uphold. My office door is suddenly pushed open. I raised my head to see the so-called visitor who doesn't know how to knock. I'm greeted by the most unexpected person. "What is Malcolm's mom doing in my office?" I wondered. Nevertheless, I sat still and didn't bother to say a word. I had gotten wind of
ELODIE âWe have to leave the city. I can't let anyone take my baby away from me,â I said in panic and led Frank to a secluded corner of the house, away from Miranda. âWhat's going on?â he asked, surprised at my outburst. âWe need to leave this goddamn place. Everyone is after Miranda. They all want to take her away from me!â I cried and grabbed his shirt. âI still don't get what you are trying to say, honey. Could you calm down and explain things to me,â he said and held onto my shoulders and stared deeply at me. âI⊠IâŠâ I stammered, unable to form a word. Frank gently rubbed my back. A few minutes later, I explained the dayâs occurrence. He exhaled once I was done with my explanation. âSo you want to leave the city because you are afraid that this so-called Leilani will suddenly show up and take her daughter?â he asked, earning a glare from me. âShe is my daughter, not anyoneâs daughter,â I fired. He raised his hand in surrender. âListen, honey, I don't think what you are a
CHAPTER 47MALCOLMâIâm sorry but they deserved it,â I put out my honest feelings to Leilani,But then, it was as if that wasn't what she wanted to hear.âWho are you to judge? Aren't you the same as them? You all rejected me when I needed you most. And now you try to tell me who deserves to be punished?â she exploded and glared at me.I opened my mouth to talk but suddenly didn't have anything to say. Leilani shot me another cold glare, then walked away dragging an unwilling Melinda along. I stood as if rooted to the ground watching them walk away. I didn't know how to react or what to do at that moment. My foot moved even before I could think of it. In a flash, I ran after them and took Leilaniâs hand.âGive me a chance to explain myself. I promise I had your best interest in mind when I did what I did, "I pleaded.Leilani gave me a downgrading look as if I just told the biggest lie of the century.âLet go of me,â she said and tried to pull her arm off my grasp, but I held her even m
MALCOLM "I see you seem to have resolved your misunderstanding," Melinda exclaimed and sat in between Leilani and me. I tried to ruffle her hair, coincidentally, Leilani was also about to do the same. She ended up grabbing my hand while I held onto Melinda's hair. "Sorry," she muttered and quickly pulled her hand away. "I hope you two are not fighting over my hair," Melinda exclaimed, making me laugh, the same as Leilani. "I'm glad you are on good terms now," she muttered and munched on a cookie she had gotten. "Lookalike, MumâŠ" Melinda called, bringing our attention to her. "I don't like it when the two of you get mad at each other or fight. It hurts and disheartens me. Promise me that from now on, you will quietly resolve whatever misunderstanding that arises between the both of you." I quickly nodded in agreement to her words, and then the both of us stared at Leilani, waiting for her response. She sighed. "Alright, Linda. Let's leave now, I'm exhausted," she mumbled. We
LEILANI "Let me help you with that," Malcolm whispered from behind. I tried to utter a word of protest, but surprisingly, no word was forthcoming. I stayed rooted to the ground as he untied the apron and gently turned me around, in such a way that I was directly facing him. He pulled the apron off my head, his fingers lightly brushed past my neck, I felt jolts of electricity from within me, my body came alive for the first time in five years. I shuddered at this new feeling and looked up at him, only to see him staring down at me as if he also felt the new feeling. We both stood there lost in each other's gaze. Suddenly, his head began to move lower and his lips neared mine. I forced myself to look away, but couldn't. I felt entrapped in his gaze and lost in the desires he just awakened. Instead of looking away, I leaned even more. His lips finally met mine and he claimed it, taking me on a tantalizing but tempting joy ride. Our lips moved in sync. I melted in his hold and felt my leg
ISABELLE Elodie kept trying to make me leave, but that wasn't any of my business, I came here to meet Frank, not her. Maybe she must have forgotten that no one can change my mind, except myself. I kept shut and let her waste her speech. To keep myself busy, I looked around their tastelessly furnished house to keep myself occupied. I glanced at a photo on the wall for a second. "Huh?" I muttered and looked at it again. It was a photo of Melinda alongside Elodie. They were smiling at each other and Elodie held her ever so dearly. "You know Melinda?" I asked and gazed at her. She doesn't reply and looks away. I tapped her arm. "How come you know Melinda? You've been living in Australia since forever?" I noticed she got tense. "Did I evoke this much fear in her?" The mere thought of it made me feel proud of myself for a job well done. "Of course, how wouldn't I know her, Melinda is such a sweet soul. And her mother, Leilani, I have no words for her. They are too lovely." I e
LEILANI Here I am, seated on the sandy beach overlooking the vast water. However, instead of watching the water being pushed around by the waves like everyone else, My entire attention is on my two adorable kids, building sand castles in a corner. âStop that, Melinda,â Miranda screams at Melinda who was so invested in destroying the sand castle she had built. âLetâs do something else, Iâm tired of building sand castles every time we visit the beach,â Melinda yells and continues to kick and scatter the sand castle they had spent almost an hour building. âMelinda, stop that,â I yell, bringing their attention to me. âShe doesnât want to play with me,â Melinda complains, her eyes getting moist. âYou mustnât run around all the time,â I say, but Melinda was hearing none of it. She threw herself on the ground and began to roll herself on the floor. âMelinda, stop that,â I say, now pissed off at her unruly behaviour. She rises from the ground and grabs hold of Mirandaâs swimsuit. âTh
FIVE MONTHS LATER MIRANDA âStop that Melinda!â I screamed as she continuously banged her spoon on a stainless plate, creating a loud disturbing noise. âYou never like playing!â She screams back, giggling. âIâm trying to study,â I replied, pulling my hair. But my crazy twin smiled and banged the spoon on the plate even more loudly. âFine,â I say, slamming my book shut and rising from the bed. âWhat do you want to do?â I ask. âYes!â she screams and leaps up. Itâs been five months since I was taken home by my real family, five months since I discovered Aunt Isabelleâs true colours, Five months since I found people who sincerely love me and wished the best for me. Honestly, my family has become the most important part of my life. I can never stay a day without seeing them. My mum, Leilani, treats me like I'm the most precious thing on earth, and most times I wonder why Melinda never gets jealous. My dad, on the other hand, treats me like I'm the most delicate thing on earth. He
MIRANDA âIs that another me?â the little girl who looks exactly like me gasps I stood still, unable to say a word and watched as she also took steps towards me, her legs shaky and her eyes fixed on my face the entire time. Getting to me, she raises her hand to touch my face. But then, I am reminded of Aunt Isabelle's words about her being the major reason why my parents don't want me. "Don't touch me," I snarled and roughly shoved her aside. "I need to speak with Malcolm Blake and his wife," I said, older this time. "That's my mum and dad," the girl who looks exactly like me says. I glanced at her and eyed her unpleasantly. "I'm not dragging that with you," I snarled at her. "Anyone getting the duo, or I should barge in and find their suite myself?" I ask. "No, I'll call them," the lady says. Nodding my head at her answer, I stood still watching her make a phone conversation. "They'll be here soon," she says, putting down her phone. "So doppelgangers are real," the annoyi
MIRANDA I was so engrossed in the storybook Aunt Isabelle had purchased for me when I noticed someone trying to come into my room through the window. Scared, I got into the closet to hide myself. I wouldâve called Aunt Isabelle, but then I recalled that she had warned me on several occasions to always keep my windows locked. Not wanting to get scolded by her, I carefully hid myself inside my closet and shut the door, heart beating erratically and waiting for the intruder to show up. However, after a long wait, no one showed up, making me look out of the closet. Then, I heard someone screaming for help. People asking for help was a normal occurrence in our neighbourhood. Iâve always watched a lot of people struggle with their captors. It was a daily occurrence that scared me. But then, I always watch to know who to look out for. Like always, I tiptoed to the window and that was when I caught sight of a familiar woman being pulled by the hair. For some reason, the way the man was tuggin
"Miranda." I gasped and stared wide-eyed at my little angel staring down at me. The maniac kept tugging my hair to bring my attention to him, but then it was as if I couldn't feel any of those at this moment. My entire focus was on the little girl in the window. "MiranâŠ" I try to call again. But then, I'm cut shut as a familiar voice calls out the name before I could complete it. "Miranda," Isabelle's annoying voice sounded. At that moment, I felt my skin crawl and my heart began to beat frantically. "Don't tell me Elodie and her husband gave my daughter to this witch," I mumbled, gripped by fear. Having witnessed what Isabelle is capable of, the last thing I want is to have her next to my loved ones. Most especially, my daughters, but it seemed like that was just my wishful thinking. Eyes still on the window, I watch my daughter's face lit up with a smile the moment Isabelle reaches her side. I watched, with tears trailing down my cheeks as Isabelle fondly pats my daughter's hai
LEILANI âWhat?â I gasp in shock. Malcolm ignores me and rises from his seat. I grab hold of his hand to stop him from walking away. âHow can you just drop an information like this and suddenly try to leave without explaining things to me?â I ask, still in shock. Disbelief clearly written on my face. âWhat? You suddenly want to believe my words right now?â Malcolm asks and pulls his arm off my grasp. âMalcolm,â I whisper in shock at the force he used in pulling his hand away. âWhat Leilani? What! I'm sick and tired of constantly having to explain myself to you countless number of times. I try to please and understand you all the time, but you keep making things hard for me. Tell me, do you even believe what I just said about Elodie?â He suddenly throws a question at me. I stare at him without saying a word. Honestly, this news is a shocker and I'm having a hard time believing it. âSee, you donât,â he says. Casting one last look at me, he dumps his cutleries, not caring if they f
LEILANI âWhen did we suddenly get to this?â I ask myself. I stood in place, too shocked to move. This was the first time a gun was being pointed at me. Yeah, I live in the United States, and shooting often occurs. But then, this is the first time Iâm actually witnessing it. I watched as the guy pulled the trigger. âIs this my end?â I ask. Suddenly, Iâm snatched like I weigh nothing and thrown aside. âYou really want to die, donât you?â Malcolmâs angry voice echoes. His voice sounded so far away, yet I was in his arms. My focus was on the masked guy trying to get away. I watch as he slips into one of the hospital rooms. âBaby,â Malcolm calls, shaking me rigorously. âHuh,â I answer absent-mindedly. âLeilani!â he suddenly yells my name. Making me snap out of whatever trance I was in. âHe tried to shoot me,â I mumble. âI almost died without meeting my daughter,â I begin to cry. âAlmost, but you didnât,â he says, pulling me further into his arms. âShe is dead,â I mumble, point
LEILANI The moment Frank runs past us with his skinny wife in his arms, Malcolm and I immediately run after him. Getting outside the building, Frank runs over to an old truck that looks like it will break down at any minute. âAre you honestly taking her to the hospital with that?â I ask âLetâs use my car,â Malcolm calls after him. Soon, we all got into Malcolmâs car, and he speeds to the hospital. Getting to the hospital, Elodie is lowered into a stretcher and wheeled into the emergency room. Malcolm and Frank goes off, as Frank mentions that he would like their family doctor to attend to her since he works here. I watch as both of them walk away in search of the doctor. Frankâs sister and I rushes after Elodie, who was already wheeled to the emergency room. âHas something like this happened to her before?â I queried her. She gave me one downgrading look and didnât bother to answer. It is already bad enough that I havenât seen my daughter even when Iâm already in Colorado. Now,
LEILANI "You should pull yourself together, Lani. I'm sure you don't want Melinda to worry about you," Malcolm says the moment he ends the call. I didn't say a word and quietly snuggled into his chest. Honestly, I, too, knew I must have frightened Melinda. Heaven knows how she is feeling right now. This is one of the reasons why I said I'm not a good mother. "I'll go heat the milk. You need something to help you calm down," Malcolm says and proceeds to leave the room. Just as soon as he leaves, my phone rings, and I realize it's Sienna after speaking with Sienna. I felt calm and knew that I didn't need the milk to calm me down again, as my best friend had already did. I rose from the bed and found my way down the stairs. I was barefooted, so my feet barely made any sound. Getting to the kitchen, I found Malcolm on a call with his back turned on me. Not wanting to distract him from the call, I quietly stood behind him while waiting for him to finish answering the call. "You mean my