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I walked Anderson out to the parking lot, standing there until he drove off. Once he was out of sight, I turned back toward the house, hoping to retreat to my room in peace. But as I entered the living room, I found Mother standing by the stairs, as if waiting for me. After everything that had happened, I wasn't in the mood to talk. What she did earlier was uncalled-for. Father has done so much for me, more than I could ever ask for. Yet, she had the nerve to question his role in my life, asking what he had really done for me. "Let’s talk for a few minutes." She said, her voice softer than usual. I said nothing and walked past her. She’s my mother, she should know me better than anyone. She should remember the life I have had, especially with my birth father, who never showed me any care or kindness. All he ever did was hurl insults, making me feel worthless. When I was six, I came home from school one day, and Mother told me he had died. That was the last I ever heard of him. Moth
It's crazy how everyone knew, but I didn’t. It was so embarrassing that I had to lock myself in my room all weekend. I’m grateful the weekend is over, and I will finally be leaving the house. I had been starving, but thanks to the junk food and water in my room, I managed to feed myself while staying indoors. Now that I'm going out, I plan to stop by a good restaurant and have a healthy breakfast. I woke up as early as 5:30 a.m. to get ready for work, knowing there will be a bunch of documents to go through since I spent the weekend doing nothing. It was supposed to be a relaxing, stress-free weekend, but that changed when I found out I had been deceived by the people I called family. I finished getting ready for work, applying a bit of lipstick and then checking myself in the mirror. Today, I decided against wearing a blazer. I was tired of them and thought I should try something more stylish and revealing. I had a few new outfits from Ethan that stopped just above the knee but ha
EthanThis wasn’t the plan—flying back to the country when I still had work to finish. But I have to clear things up with Emily. I didn’t expect her to find out so soon. Mother had sworn never to tell her about it, so what changed? What misunderstanding led her to reveal the truth about her father? If there’s anyone else to blame, it’s her ex-husband.I reached out to Lisa, who told me it started at the dinner they attended at the mayor’s villa. Thankfully, Emily didn’t go; it could have been even worse.My thoughts were interrupted by the surrounding movement. I looked up to see people leaving the plane, it had landed, and I hadn’t even noticed.I followed the crowd, picked up my bag, and made my way out of the airport. As I reached the exit, I spotted Father waiting with his guards. I had asked him to pick me up.I walked up to him, smiling before he noticed me. "Father." I called as I got closer."Ethan, welcome." He pulled me in for a brief hug. "Was your flight delayed? Why are y
Ryan I had concluded my meeting with my employees, ready to move on to my next appointment. Upon reaching the parking lot, I found Jasper still cleaning the car I had instructed him to prepare a few minutes before I wrapped up the meeting. Standing behind him, I spoke up. "What did I tell you? We are running late. If you can't get it done, let's go with the other car." I said. He paused, glancing back. "One minute, it will be done soon." He responded, his attention back on his work. I looked at the other cars in the lot; they were all clean. Why did he insist on taking this particular car? "Jasper, leave it. Let’s go with the other car." I instructed, marching toward the vehicles. I heard his footsteps behind me, following in my direction. As we reached the cars, I heard a horn, which made me halt. Turning around, I saw Ethan stepping out of his car, heading toward me. I knew he had been out of the country, when had he returned? He rarely stayed around. He marched up to me, stop
I was done with my client and headed to pick up Zara from her apartment. Seated in the car, I was still waiting for her to come out so we could leave for school. It was a two-hour drive to get there, and we needed to start before it got late.The creaking of the door caught my attention. As I looked in that direction, I saw Jasper helping her carry her bag out of the apartment, with Zara following behind.They dropped the bag into the car before settling into their seats."Why didn’t you get ready earlier?" I asked as she tightened her seatbelt.She glanced at me briefly, letting out a small sigh. "I’m sorry; I don’t feel like going. You said I would have to stay there until the weekend." She pouted her lips. This was her way of trying to back out, but it wouldn’t work. I had paid for her fees, accommodations, and everything she needed; there was no way she was getting out of this now."Are you happy being a dropout? Going back to school, isn’t that what your brother wanted?" I asked
"I think he's protecting someone from harm. He knows something he's not saying. He obviously ran into me that day, before I marched the brake." Jasper said.There’s no way he isn’t sure of what he’s saying. He was the one driving the car, while I was deep in thought, even though my gaze was on the road. He knows something he’s not revealing."Let’s starve him and see if he opens up. Somehow, I feel those gunshots were meant to harm me. Anderson hasn’t even come out to say a word to the media; he’s been invited but is avoiding them.""Nothing makes sense, the way the car broke down, the wait, how Anderson showed up and delayed you by the road. Nothing makes sense." Jasper replied. I believed him; this must be his instinct talking, and I have never doubted him when it comes to serious matters.I just hope Anderson has nothing to do with the gunshots. If he does, I won’t just cause him pain; I will make sure to ruin his company.I got into the car while Jasper drove me back to the office
I pulled up in the parking lot, stepped out of the car, and made my way to the entrance with deliberate calm. I couldn’t afford to draw any unnecessary attention. I moved straight toward Alex’s office. Reaching the door, I knocked gently and waited.Before I could get a response, the door swung open, and there was Alex, grinning at me.“I got your message. Where is she?” I asked immediately, but he only laughed, strolling back to his desk.I stared at him, feeling a surge of irritation. Was this some sort of joke? I had left my work and driven here, putting everything on hold. I drove at a high speed, risking my life.Stepping inside, I closed the door. “Tell me this isn’t a joke. What was that message about?” I wanted to believe he was just testing my patience, that she was here, and he was just waiting to get a rise out of me.“You had her for four years, and you signed the damn papers. Why are you still looking for her?”I felt a flare of anger. Did he really think I would linger o
"What are you talking about? Warned by whom?" She asked, but my eyes were drawn to her pink succulent lips. I so wanted to ravage and devour those lips, I was nearing my moral limits.Heat filled my groin. Fvck! This girl is driving me nuts."I have been having messages to stay… I'm sorry I have to do this." I said, and next thing, I crushed my lips into hers, with our tongues interlocking. She stiffened momentarily and melted in my kiss. I got so deeply engrossed that I closed my eyes to savor the moment while it lasted."Stop." She then recoiled like she realized something and pushed me away. The sparkle in her eyes said otherwise, so I attempted to near her again, but she took a step back."Is this why you have been wanting to see me? Why would you do that? You claim you are getting threat messages, but this is what you have in mind?"I didn’t know what had come over me; I wanted to stop, but I couldn’t. Seeing her now felt dangerously intoxicating. I wanted her in every way imagin
EmilyIt’s been two weeks since everything unfolded, and today the primary election was being held. Father went to the venue alongside Mother to keep him company. Don’t get me wrong, he didn’t go there to support the Mayor. In fact, he believes there’s no chance the Mayor would be among the winners of the primary election. So there’s no guarantee he will even make it to the general election.I had visited the hospital earlier to check on the well-being of my child before heading back home to watch the election updates unfold on the screen.Father had spoken to Ryan about letting his mother have her freedom now that my father had been caught. Though, they’re still going back and forth because Ryan believes she might try to visit him in prison.To make things final, Father advised Ryan to visit the penitentiary and instruct them to deny her any visitation rights. He left for the prison about an hour ago and has yet to return.Since everything was over, I finally had nothing to worry abo
Screeching the car to a halt, I turned off the engine and stepped out. This was the same place where he had once admitted to orchestrating all the tragedies. Why bring me here again? I scanned my surroundings, my eyes darting to every corner. The area was eerily quiet, too quiet. Not a car, not a soul in sight. He knew what he was doing, using this secluded place to his advantage. The sharp tone of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out and saw Ethan's name flashing on the screen. Great. What now? Ethan had a knack for calling whenever he felt like it, speaking to me like I was beneath him, and then cutting the call before I could say a word. I answered, bringing the phone to my ear while my eyes continued scanning the vicinity. If he brought me here, he could be watching. I had to stay alert. "What the hell did you get involved in? Is this how you plan to take care of my sister?" Ethan's voice boomed through the phone. My jaw clenched. His tone was grating
Ryan I couldn’t believe he ended the call. He’s still as rude as ever. I knew he didn’t just call me; he’s only working with me because that’s what Emily wants. I stood up abruptly, unable to sit still while she was missing. "Where do you think you are going?" Mother asked, preparing to stand up. She’d been indoors ever since I ordered the guards not to let her leave the house. The maid had called earlier to inform me that she hadn’t been eating. That was the only reason I came to see her. She could starve for all I cared, I wouldn’t mind. Amber is gone because of her carelessness, and honestly, I wouldn’t care if something happened to her too. "I'm heading out. I’ll see you later." "You can’t leave me here! I need to step out of this house; I can’t stay locked in forever." She demanded. "I only came here because you’re my mother and because of what the maid told me. Otherwise, you wouldn’t see me here." I paused before adding coldly, "A new maid will be here later to keep yo
Ethan It’s been more than thirty minutes, and we still can’t find Emily. The certifications have been issued to the graduates, and they have taken their oaths, but there’s still no sign of Emily. She can’t just leave without informing anyone. At this point, I blame her guard for giving her the keys without asking questions. How do we find her? People are already leaving. We want to take a family picture, but we can’t find her. If only I had insisted on coming with her. If I had waited, we would have gotten here together. She wouldn’t have left without me knowing where she was headed. She knows I wouldn’t allow her to leave if she didn’t inform me where she was going. "We can’t keep waiting for her. I believe she will come home." Father said, obviously tired of waiting. He’s been seeing guests come to congratulate him on Lisa’s graduation, and has even gotten tired. He should be at home resting, not here when he still has stitches on his body. "She's old enough to take care of hers
It’s been such a busy morning since I woke up. I’ve been helping the maids prepare food for the guests who showed up even before the day had begun. It’s Lisa’s day, and everyone is happy, coming to congratulate and celebrate with her. Finally, we’ve got a neurologist at home. I’ve been wondering how she intends to go after her business.She’ll be resuming work at the hospital a few days later before flying out to her desired place, which Father is still working on. I’m going to miss her; she’s been the most supportive sister and friend I’ve had since I lost my other friends.Everything has happened so fast, in the blink of an eye. I can’t believe I’ve been married before, and now I’m pregnant. I should inform Ryan about it instead of keeping it from him."Hey, what are you thinking?" I looked at the figure. It was Lisa, all dressed up, looking stunning. She was wearing a lace-trim off-shoulder slim dress, with elegant long sleeves and a back cut into a heart shape. Her hair was styled
It was a hectic evening with Lisa. We finally managed to get her something to wear for her graduation. I’m not the one graduating, but I’m so happy she’s signing out of school.When we arrived home, Biggy helped carry the clothes from the car boot while we made our way into the living room.Father hadn’t come with us because he said the Mayor was coming over to see him. I guess he finally agreed to meet him, especially since the scandal he’s caught up in has been spread by bloggers.I’m certain that Ethan had something to do with it, but he feigned ignorance when Father asked him. Speaking of Ethan, I haven’t seen him since he left the office with Freya, who has refused to return despite his requests.We marched into the living room and found Father seated with the Mayor. Their expressions didn’t seem lighthearted.I quietly marched past them and ascended the stairs."Good day, Mayor." Lisa greeted, clearly seated close to Father, as I heard her plop onto the couch."Hello, Lisa! Cong
EmilyIt has been more than ten days since we uncovered the truth that my birth father was the mastermind behind all the chaos that has unfolded. Since Ryan lost track of him that night, there have been no further leads to locate him. My adopted father was livid when he found out, ready to take matters into his hands, but his friend Liam managed to calm him down.There’s a reason I deeply respect Liam. He has a knack for stepping in at the right moment, offering advice that’s both timely and wise. He convinced my father to let Ryan and Ethan handle the situation, especially Ryan, who has been enduring threats and even narrowly escaped death, all because of me.In four years of marriage, I had no idea Ryan was hiding such a burden from me. None of this made sense at first, but after my birth father admitted to all his crimes, I couldn’t deny the truth. He never truly liked me, not even as a child. If not for my mother standing up for me, I might have ended up in an orphanage, far remov
It took me a few minutes to bring Emily back to her senses. She was losing it and needed someone to ground her. We couldn’t fight her father here, he came prepared, determined to take her away with him. "Don’t say a word." I warned her, turning to face the man standing in front of us. He doesn’t deserve to be anyone’s father. How could Jasper not find anything substantial on him when I asked him to investigate? "I’m disappointed in you." I began, my voice steady and sharp, "not just as Emily’s father but as a so-called boss who can’t even protect his men from danger." He furrowed his brows, clearly confused, as if he didn’t understand what I had just said. "You must remember when I told you that only a fool hides while his world crumbles around him. Your men were kidnapped, yet all you could think to do was chase someone you’ll never catch." "Is this your attempt to provoke me?" He retorted, his tone calm but laced with disdain. "You’ve failed. Your words mean nothing to me." "Ca
I made sure all the plans were in place before stepping out, fully prepared. He’s coming to get Emily, while the twins and their boss are coming for their friends body, and that of his brother. I will finally uncover who wanted Emily dead and went so far as to plant a bomb in her car. The anonymous figure who’s been tormenting me for years, forcing me to divorce her, needs to be unmasked. I need answers. Why has he been doing all this? Once I was ready, I got into the car, buckled my seatbelt, and drove off. We’re out to catch two people today. "Hey, is everything set? Any movement yet?" I asked, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I exited the parking lot. My nerves were shot, not because of the plan itself, but because Ethan kept giving us problems. I could only hope he wouldn’t jeopardize this operation. "Nothing yet, but that doesn’t mean no one will show up. You’ve seen the twin brother. He’s not just starving, he’s like that because he’s been separated from his brother." K