August 3, 2024. Chapter 1-2.
Two days had passed since Riley and Charles had a DNA test. Charles' people facilitated the entire process, leaving only Riley and Adrian to wait for the results."I still can't wrap my head around it." Anthony panned from Adrian to Riley, saying, "How disastrous it would have been if Adrian married Leni?""Tell me about it," Abner agreed. "But thank goodness fate had other plans."That day, Charles instructed the Kings to lounge inside the conference room at Moana Bay Resort. They were seated in front of a round table, waiting for Charles to arrive.In the last two days, the Kings had connected with Charles, catching up on each other's lives while maintaining a safe distance. They understood that while Charles had an instant connection with Riley, he also wanted to ensure she was his daughter. "What if the test turns out negative? I would feel so ashamed," Riley muttered while feeling her heart pounding against her ribcage. "How can you not be his daughter?" Anthony asked. "Are you
"My whole family was against my relationship with Raelyn," Charles revealed. "But looking back now, I realized how it was mainly Calvin who provoked it."While Charles told the story of the past, Riley and the rest of the Kings paid attention to his tale. The conference room was silent, and only Charles's voice could be heard. "My relationship with Raelyn started as a secret, but it was Calvin who told on me. He shared Raelyn's background with my parents," Charles said. "My mother and father could not accept that I would rather choose Raelyn than the socialites in our circle.""When Calvin suggested I marry a girl they approved of, I left home. I rebelled and was determined to make it on my own, but it was more complicated than that," Charles sighed as he continued. "While living with Raelyn, my father froze my bank accounts. He even threatened to exclude me from the will, but I remained stubborn. However, when my mother and Calvin used their influence to deliberately make our lives d
The warm sun cast a golden hue over the sandy beach as waves gently lapped at the shore. Charles and Riley lay on their sun lounges next to each other. Their faces tilted toward the sky, basking in the sun’s embrace. “I love the beach,” Riley and Charles said at the same time, which caused them to laugh. “Great minds think alike,” Charles remarked, and Riley nodded in agreement. “Your mother also loved the beach,” Charles commented. “I don’t know why. I just love the beach,” Riley said with a smile. “And Adrian loves the beach too.”In front of them, Adrian was swimming farther out into the water while Abner emerged from the waves. Anthony asked from a distance, “Does he always swim this much, despite his leg condition?”“Yeah. Well. Swimming was always his passion,” Abner replied. Riley observed Abner’s reluctant answer. That was one thing they had yet to tell Anthony, but she knew Adrian would soon share the good news with his father. Over the past two days, they had thoroughly
While Adrian and Riley were building relationships with their fathers, back in Halliport, a scheme was brewing. From a prestigious restaurant, Leni Eros entered a private room where Tonet and Fredrick waited for her. "Good evening, Leni. I am so glad you accepted our invitation," Tonet said while standing up. Fredrick rushed to pull a chair out for Leni and said, "Please take a seat."Leni would not have accepted their dinner request if not for the fact that her threat had not affected Adrian. She expected Adrian to come running back to her, begging for her forgiveness, but instead, he was nowhere to be seen.Now, she was no longer sure if she wanted Adrian back. However, she was certain that she wanted him to pay! She wanted Adrian to regret choosing Riley over her. She wanted Adrian to beg for her forgiveness, and maybe she would consider giving him a chance to be part of the Eros family. Settling down, Leni said, "So what's the plan here?""I suggest a cooperation between you, m
"Woah! What is this about?" Riley asked the second Adrian carried her in princess style into their resort bedroom. "To celebrate the unexpected changes in our lives," Adrian concluded. He smiled at Riley and said, "I think luck has been on my side since I married you, Honey. I never truly thought that my father would side with me. I thought I had lost him forever."Riley chuckled. She wrapped her arms tighter around Adrian's neck and claimed, "Are you kidding me? You have changed my life in ways I never thought possible."She pondered briefly before saying, "When you proposed marriage, I did not know what to expect." Adrian had laid her in bed. She continued, sitting down, "At first, I was worried about getting into a loveless marriage." When her husband's lips twitched at her last statement, she quickly added, "But I ended up falling in love and meeting my soulmate.""Then, you gave me back my hopes and my dreams. You helped my mom - Aunt Renee, get better," Riley said, still not us
Riley could see that both Charles and Anthony were star-struck. They weren’t with a famous actor, but Kyle Wright, one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country.Instead of leaving early for the airport, Abner, Anthony, Riley, Adrian, and Charles found themselves having coffee with Kyle at the bar. Apparently, Kyle had won the bid for the resort! He had stayed three more days to formalize the sale contract. “So, technically, you are now staying at my property,” Kyle proudly revealed as he crossed his legs. “But in two years, this will become a Diamond Resort.”Now and then, Anthony stared at Kyle in awe. Abner got along just fine with Kyle and surprisingly knew how to please the man. “I heard so many good things about the CEO of the Wright Diamond Corporation. I must say, you look more handsome in person, Mr. Wright,” Abner said with a big smile. “Thank you, Mr. King,” Kyle replied nonchalantly. “When the media takes pictures of me, I often frown. I give a stone face in person, s
"Kyle just told me, and oh, my god, I'm just in shock! I called as soon as I heard, hoping your jet had not yet taken off!" Gaby, Kyle's wife, said on a video call with Riley. "I don't know how to start. I'm sorry, but I am happy for you at the same time. I'm sorry for all the things that you went through -"In the video call, Gaby rested her hand on her chest, saying, "I would know. I went through hardships too, but yours -" She gasped, holding back the tears in her eyes. "It's nothing compared to what you have been through."Riley sucked in a deep breath. She said, "If I focus on the pain, I might just drown in sorrow, so my dad and I agreed to work on a better future for us as a family.""That's true," Gabrielle said. "I'm glad you met your father and cleared up all the misunderstandings. It's not too late, Riley.""No, it isn't," Riley agreed. "We can still make up for lost time.""Atta, girl!" Gabrielle complimented. "That's the spirit.""Hi! Hi, Uncle!" Suddenly, little Kenneth
Charles stayed with Riley and Adrian in their villa for two days. He worked remotely while ignoring all of Leni and Ramona's calls. Charles discovered many details about Renee and Raelyn's suffering in Calvin's hand, further fueling his anger toward his older brother. At the same time, he spent more time with Riley. He wanted to stay longer, but not only did work await him, Charles knew he needed to find more evidence that connected Ramona to Calvin. "I'll miss you, Dad," Riley said while embracing Charles tightly. Charles pecked Riley's forehead and said, "I'll miss you more, my daughter." He turned to Adrian and shook his hand. He said, "Just a few more days, Adrian, and you'll be out in that chair."Adrian smiled and answered, "I love my wheelchair. I'm not in any hurry, Dad.""Sir?" Ben, the bodyguard, opened the rented car door for Charles, and he walked in. "I'll be in touch. Take care, both of you."Riley did not want to part with her father, but she knew they had to do what