Noah's POV:Where is she? She should be here by now... Not only is Eden not here, but neither is Mrs Clancy or Martin. They should all be waiting in the wings because the memorial is about to begin. Literally, there are only minutes left. There's an excited buzz around the hall as everyone waits eagerly to see what is beneath the black cloth on the stage. People are wandering about talking among themselves while others take their seats to wait.Looking around, I'm pleased with the results of our hard work. The team have been working around the clock to get everything ready in time. There are photographs of a young Eden with her parents, others of Mrs Clancy with them, and some of Eden and her father working on the doll's houses together up on stands all around the room. People are crowded around them, speculating whether we'll finally get to see the illusive Clancy granddaughter.Some people have asked me about her, if I've ever met her. It's surprising how much people are intereste
Eden's POV:I walk into the hall, searching for Noah. The hall is full of people, mostly looking impatient, but I can't find Noah anywhere. I could really use just being able to look at him for a moment. I need to pull myself together so that I can actually get through this memorial without my grandmother beside me.No one has noticed me or if they have, they pay me no attention at all. It's refreshing. I like the feeling of anonymity that I have as Eden Winters but the second I climb on that stage all that will disappear. Even with everything else that has happened today, I still find a second to resent that. I don't really want to give it up. I don't want everything to change but it will."Oh! Eden! You're here!"I'm drawn out of my thoughts by Sally, my HR rep and perhaps the only person in the company who knows who I am, except grandma and Martin... And maybe whoever sent me that email today. The thought of that email brings a frown to my face. They certainly picked their momen
I really didn't have time to prepare for this and so I have no idea what sort of crap is coming out of my mouth right about now. Seriously, I'm practically talking gibberish. Everyone else seems to be following along though so I guess I'm not doing too bad. Either that or they are just too polite to show their boredom on their faces."When we first started the Clancy houses," I say probably a little too quickly, "I really wasn't interested. There were about a million things I'd have rather been doing but my dad was insistent. By the end of that first summer, I was obsessed with my new doll's house and all the amazing furniture my dad had made for it, so when he suggested we do it again the next year, I was all for it."They're all awing as if I've said the cutest thing and I'm not actually an adult but a little kid all over again."Summer quickly became my favourite time of year," I tell them. "I'd eagerly wait for my dad to take me looking for a new house to work on. We'd just pick
Noah's POV:This is so frustrating. I should be in the hall with all the others, giving Eden my support. Glancing at my watch, I realise that the event will be well underway by now. The last thing I want to be doing right now is having some sort of secret meeting with one of the few people at Clancy's that I outright dislike."What do you want?" I ask when James Artie makes his way towards me.He looks around us before speaking as if he thinks we're in some sort of a spy movie or something, making me like him even less."Hurry the hell up," I growl. Eden is waiting for me... well, not literally but I want to be there for her. Not to mention, I really don't trust James Artie. He's probably even more crooked than his dodgy nephew, Lewis. "What is this all about?""Alright..." he starts gruffly. "I emailed Eden today.""And?" I don't understand what he's talking about. Why would he email my assistant? Unless he knows who Eden actually is..."And I just thought she should know the t
Eden's POV:As Sally continues to introduce me to various investors and business contacts that my grandma has been gathering for decades, my eyes keep wandering to where Noah is standing waiting for me.He's probably furious. He looks furious.How am I going to explain this whole thing to him in a way that will make him understand. I could easily distract him with the situation with grandma or this whole mess with Martin but I don't want to do that. I want him to know the truth. I want him to understand why I came to work at Clancy's. Not just why grandma wanted me to work for the company but why I chose to come.But that means finding time to explain when all this is going on. I don't really know if that's possible.When I'm not worrying about what Noah is thinking, I'm checking my phone to see if Martin has sent news. I wish this thing was over already so I could rush over to the d*mn hospital. That's where I should be, right next to my grandmother.The whole thing just keeps g
Noah's POV:I feel sort of useless. Eden is crying as she sits next to her grandma's hospital bed. I'm eyeing Martin suspiciously. If what James said is true and Martin killed Eden's parents, he really has some gall being here at all. It's hard to imagine a person being so unfeeling that they could live in such close quarters with the family of the people they killed. And what's even more bizarre, is Eden's reaction. James said that he sent Eden an email about it. I can't believe she's letting Martin anywhere near her grandmother.I have a strange protective urge to throw him out of the hospital room myself. I just can't understand how Eden can just sit here with him. Then again, she's got a lot to be distracted by.The doctor has just been in to check on Mrs Clancy and it would seem like she has been keeping some secrets of her own. This family seems to be all about their secrets."She was sick?" Eden asks, her voice quiet and slightly disconnected, like she's somewhere else.N
Eden's POV:"Eden," Noah whispers, shaking me slightly.I hadn't realised that I'd fallen asleep, my head resting on my grandma's hospital bed while I hold her hand desperately tight."You need to rest," he tells me. "Let me take you home?""I don't want to..." I begin, my voice drifting away. "I won't leave her."Martin is sitting on the opposite side of the bed, a sad look on his face."Eden, I can call you if anything happens," he offers but I shake my head."No," I insist. "You guys can go, but I'm not leaving.""I'm staying with you," Noah says sternly. He's got a strange look on his face like he wants to say something but is holding it back, probably because he's worried about me."At least, let me get you something to eat," Martin says, getting to his feet."I'm not really hungry," I say with a yawn.I don't even know what time it is. Am I supposed to be hungry right now? Looking down at my watch, I'm surprised to find it's close to midnight. I don't even know how Mar
It's been a long twenty-four hours. Eden keeps insisting that Martin and I should go to work but I'm not leaving her alone and I'm definitely NOT leaving her here with Martin.Even if she trusts him, I really don't.Although apparently that distrust doesn't count when he tells us that he's going to head out to get us some fried chicken. I'm starving and I can think of nothing better than some fried chicken right now. It takes me several minutes before my mouth clears from thoughts of fried food and I'm able to recognise this for the opportunity it is. We're finally alone.But I don't rush to speak. Even though I know exactly what I need to say to her, I'm not sure how to actually start the conversation. She's got a look on her face that doesn't really belong there. It's a mixture of exhaustion and misery and it doesn't look good on her. Then again. I don't think either of those things look particularly good on anyone."Eden," I try to broach the conversation."Mhmm?" she asks, h
Noah's POV:When I manage to get through the crowd of people, I find Eden sitting at the centre. She's in a metal chair with a hot drink in her hand and she's shaking slightly. My eyes linger on her momentarily before they take in the person talking to her, or more precisely the clothes they are wearing.Eden is speaking to a police officer.What the hell happened? I move to her side quickly, before crouching down to check on her."Eden, are you okay?" I ask.She gives me a small smile and offers me a shaky hand. I take it, feeling the cold that is emanating from her skin."I'm alright," she answers but I struggle to believe her."What happened?" I demand."James…"That's all she needs to say for me to see red. "Where is he?""The police have him now," she tells me, her voice hollow like she's overwrought with emotion."Do you need to stay here?" I want to take her away from all the prying eyes. I know Eden won't be enjoying the attention she's currently getting."I don't
Noah's POV:Mrs Clancy is happily talking away about Eden. Her voice is filled with evident pride. I'm surprised that Eden's been gone this long. It's been almost half an hour and I had gotten the distinct impression that she would rush back."I wonder what's taking Eden so long," Mrs Clancy's words echo my own thoughts.Getting to my feet, I reply, "I should go find her."Mrs Clancy smiles at me as I make my way out of the room in search of her granddaughter. Just outside, I'm glance around. I'm not really sure where to look for Eden. Coffee was just Mrs Clancy's excuse to get Eden out of the room. All so she could ambush me with questions. Questions I would have answered even if Eden had been in the room.The nurses are sitting at their desk, chatting away happily and there are several patients wandering about, but there's no sign of Eden. I pull my phone out of my pocket and call her. It's not like I can search the entire hospital, although I will if I have to. Even if it does
Eden's POV:I'm pretty sure grandma shouldn't be having caffeine so I forgo the coffee and just wander around instead. I tell myself that I'll give them ten minutes – exactly ten minutes – and then I'll head back.I hope Noah knows what he's getting himself into. Grandma is sneaky and she knows exactly how to dig for information. She'll have a wedding date, the number of kids he wants and the names and numbers of his immediate family members all within that ten minutes I'm giving them.Any longer and she'll wrangle every secret he's ever kept out of him.I'm not sure where to go so I head towards the exit, thinking that I'll get a little air. My mind immediately returns to the events of the previous day. It had taken ages to explain everything to the police. They'd have what felt like hundreds of questions.They have more, of course. They want witness statements from all of us. I guess, that's what I'll be doing tomorrow in between trying to fix the mess that James and Lewis have
Eden's POV:Opening my eyes, I stretch my arms over my head. A quick glance at the alarm clock tells me it's later than it should be. I should have gotten up hours ago.I don't have time to waste.In a daze, I change my clothes and give myself a quick wash in the bathroom attached to my bedroom. I need to know what the hell is going on. Hurrying out of my bedroom, I'm surprised to find Noah in my little kitchen. He's bare foot and making breakfast."Morning," he says with a wide smile.I really love the sight of him here like this. Its not the first time I've seen him in my home in the morning but it feels special somehow. Every morning with him feels special.He tells me to sit down at the table and I only waver for a second as I wonder where my phone is. He must see my hesitation because he hands me my phone, unplugging it from the charger that is on the counter."Your battery was low," he tells me gently, as he drops a kiss to my head and places a cup of tea on the table in f
While I wait for the police to arrive, I hurriedly search through Alice's computer for anything about Luxen. I'm pretty sure that's where the company's money has gone and so it's essential that I find the information about it as soon as possible.I hear pounding footsteps and when I look up I see Noah coming towards me."What the hell is going on, Eden?" he demands."The police are on their way," I tell him, my attention returning to the computer. "Where's Lewis?""With Martin. What do you mean the police are coming?""I heard James… He's leaving. He's running away. I need to stop him."It's clear from the look on his face that he's not really following."James killed my parents.""I know.""You do?""Lewis…""Oh.""I called the police. He's going to leave the country.""When?""Alice booked him a flight in four hours' time.""So, we have time… What are you doing now?" he asks, his hand on my forearm."I need to find… There's an account – Luxen. I need to…""That's whe
Eden's POV:I'm moving on autopilot, surviving on adrenaline alone. Several minutes ago when I heard James Artie leave his office with his assistant, I had let out a sigh of relief. I couldn't believe I'd managed to remain hidden.I'd tiptoed down the corridor until I found myself staring right at Noah.My pulse had skyrocketed as I stared at him and I hadn't been able to stop the wide smile that covered my face. As awful as it was to hear James' callous words about my parents' death, I felt like I was finally able to breathe again after the longest time.I knew for sure who killed my parents.Knowing that James Artie is responsible for all the pain I've felt, that my grandma has felt in the last ten years, knowing that he is the enemy I've been trying to beat in the last few months, gave me the fire to win.That need to put him behind bars is what pushes me back in the direction of his office. I know that he's gone back to his apartment to pack his stuff. I heard him tell Alice
Noah's POV:When Eden doesn't hurry back from the loos, I don't immediately panic. It's understandable that she might need a few minutes alone after everything that we've discussed today. It feels like every day we learn something new that has the power to destroy her and yet she faces it with a strength that is beyond belief.I'm in awe of her.I don't think I've have handled all this anywhere near as well as she has if it were my parents that were murdered. In fact, I know that I wouldn't. And it's not because I'm a weak man, but rather because she is something else entirely. She has a quiet resilience, a fire that keeps her moving towards her goal, though I'm not completely sure what that is.Is she trying to save the company or discover her parents' murderer? It's hard to say and I don't think it really matters either way. One will no doubt lead to the other and vice versa.Ten minutes turn to twenty and twenty soon becomes thirty. I find myself checking the clock frequently,
"Just how much did you tell her?" Lewis shouts as he enters the room. I'm not sure who he is talking to. Perhaps his uncle?"Lewis, shut up," James retorts angrily as the door slams shut behind them. "You know full well that Eden Clancy is in the building. The last thing we need is for her to overhear you.""It's not me that told her…""No. But it is you that got caught stealing intellectual property not just once but countless times. So stop shouting at Alice.""She told…""No. She didn't. From what Alice is saying, it was actually your assistant that gave Eden the details of your indiscretion.""My indiscretion? It was your idea! I never even wanted this job and now thanks to you, Uncle James, I'm probably going to end up in prison.""Don't be such a big baby and shut the hell up. Taking a little responsibility won't do you any harm."The room falls silent and I pray to whoever might be listening that no one will come around this side of the desk. "Alice tell me everything,
After lunch we return to the company. I'm a little distracted and not really paying attention to what the guys are saying. And not because we just had a run in with Mason.That whole conversation is like a nonentity. It seems irrelevant compared to everything else that has been happening recently."Eden what do you think?" Noah asks, pulling me from my thoughts.I stand still and blink up at them both. I haven't got a clue what they want to know. What do I think about what?"Er… I'm not sure. I'm going to go to the loo."They nod before returning to their conversation. Leaving the office, I make my way across the lobby and down one corridor, heading in the direction of the toilets.The idea that my grandma has known about my parents' murder for years and has done nothing about it is really bothering me. I just can't grapple with it. It doesn't make sense. Even if she wanted to protect me, she wouldn't just allow someone to get away with killing my parents. Would she?Surely, she