I stood up with so much appreciation in my heart. Sarah's words comforted me beyond my expectations. It gave me a new surge of light that flowed in me ultimately.“Thank you, Sarah, for your kind words,” I said with a heartfelt gratitude.Sarah nodded. “I'm glad to have this conversation with you and I hope that my words offer you some comfort within your inner self.”“I'm pretty sure that it will,” I said and left to where Lydia was posted.“How was your conversation with Sarah?” Lydia asked me as soon as she saw me.“It was awesome and I enjoyed it a lot!” I said with excitement.It was one of the best conversations I've had ever since Aiden and I got separated. I know that I will need all the encouragement that I can muster to stay strong and fight every obstacle that comes my way.“Miss Talker?” I heard a familiar voice from behind me.When I turned around, I saw Spencer's close friend behind me. His face was contorted with worry and concern as he stared at me intently. My heart
** Spencer **I caught her right before she fell flat on the floor, her sleeping face was looking so calm and peaceful. I make her sit on the chair and relax her body, then I part her lips slightly and place mine on it, pumping air into her lungs.After thirty minutes of this continuous attempt, her eyes fluttered open. I handed her a glass of water to drink so it could calm her nerves down.“You passed out earlier, I figured out that it could be a sign of weakness so I've decided to drop you off at home and let you rest for the day,” I said.I feel like this was what she needed most. A few hours of rest and she will be fine. I don't want to stress Sydney out that much especially since Max saw her in the hospital earlier. She might not open up to tell me what's wrong with her, but I know that she's feeling exhausted and needs rest.“I'm okay, you don't have to let me do this. I came here to work and get paid, I have to keep to that protocol,” she declined.“Why?” I asked.“Why what?”
** Unknown **I sat in the tea room with Tessa. We were waiting patiently for old man Lee to arrive so we could talk and strategize on how we were going to strike down Spencer. Seeing that the elections would be coming up soon and Spencer stood as a threat in my way, the plan was to eliminate him before he did it to me.“Will the old man ever come?” Tessa groaned.“I know how impatient you are, Tessa. You will have to suck it in and pull your act together,” I snapped at her.“But…”Tessa couldn't complete her statement because old man Lee finally entered the tea room, with his security guards around him like bees swarming around honey.I and Tessa stood up and bowed to him.“Good morning, old man Lee,” we greeted in unison.“Good morning, Tessa and Collins,” he replied to us.That was my name. Collins Martins.Spencer's nemesis.“Sit down and have some nice brewed tea,” Lee said to us.We sat down and the servants poured out the tea into our cups. We sipped it calmly and quietly. Sin
** Collins **I parked in front of Spencer's Group company. I can't even remember the last time I stepped foot around this place. I haven't been around this area but because of my current mission, I guess I will be hanging around here for a while.It's not like I don't have a business to be busy with. Fortunately, I inherited the Martins company after Elizabeth and Spencer disappeared from the city. The company was handed over to me at a very young age, however, due to my mismanagement, it went over the hill.Currently, the company is on the verge of going bankrupt which is why old man Lee, who is my grandfather and Spencer's grandfather too, decided to put me into politics. The aim was to become the mayor of the city and rule over the people. With this new aim in mind, the bankruptcy of Martins's company did not matter to me or old man Lee.What would shatter us now if I did not make it to the primary elections, which is why we are set out to eliminate whatever it is that is on our w
The air was chilled and cold as the night reached and the clouds were covered with dark clouds. I walked boldly to the restaurant that Miriam had picked for our dinner date, it was classy just like she had always wanted her dates to be. I knew that Miriam liked Spencer a lot, which was not my problem. I have already made up my mind to make her mine once Spencer was out of the way.But to get the deed done, I needed someone who would be a good informant to me. Miriam was the best person to play this role, however, she must remain in the dark about the role that she was about to play. “You have a fine taste, Miriam, like always,” I complimented her.My mission tonight was simple… convince Miriam to feed me with a few important information about Spencer and in exchange for her hard work, I will get rid of Sydney Talker who posed as a great threat to her.“Thank you, Collins,” she replied as she blushed slightly.Knowing too well that Miriam was not the kind of lady who was swayed easil
** Sydney **“Lydia, I know that you're busy at work but I can't help but miss you,” I said.I was feeling bored at home. Lydia was on her night shift which meant that I was going to be alone till tomorrow night. Since I couldn't sleep at all, I decided to call her and talk with her for some time.“I know how much you're missing me and I hope you know that I'm done for if my boss catches me stuffed up in the toilet on a call,” she said in a whisper.Her voice was so low that I barely heard what she said. “I know how you're feeling but just spare me five minutes of your time, please.”“Fine! You know that I can't resist you,” she said with gritted teeth.“So tell me how your work is going?” I asked.“Today was awful. Someone died and the doctors kept yelling at us because they wanted to save that patient's life,” she replied.I sighed, feeling bad for the patient who had died.“Sorry to hear that. I can't wait to see you tomorrow,” I said.“Same here. How did your work go?” “Aiden an
I felt the cold water being splashed on me several times, I gasped and snapped my eyes open immediately. I was in an unknown room and my hands were tied to the back of the chair behind me. Tessa and Collins stood in front of me with a concerned look on their faces, but when they saw that I was okay, their smiles were replaced by a smirk.“I'm deeply sorry for the way Tessa mishandled you. For a second, I thought you were never going to wake up,” Collins mocked.“Get me out of here. How can you be Spencer's cousin brother and still have the mind to do this to me?” I asked him as tears spilled down my eyes.I don't understand why this is happening to me. This isn't the way I mapped out my life to be. Leaving my marriage was never my intention but being kidnapped by Spencer's cousin's brother is way out of the league. It's not even making any sense to me at all.“Unfortunately, I believe that you have not asked Spencer about his past. Let me give you some highlights of what happened to S
** Spencer **I was uncomfortable on my bed… I can't tell why but I had a bad feeling about something, I can't even comprehend what the thing is. I rolled on my bed several times until I could not bear it anymore.I picked up my phone and left for the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. While on it, I call my mother. Whenever I feel down, she has always been the person who comforts me and assures me that everything will be fine.“Hello, son. How are you doing?” Elizabeth's soothing voice rang in my ear.“Mother, I'm not sure how I'm doing. I mean, physically, I'm okay but emotionally, I'm uncertain about it,” I replied honestly.“Why are you feeling like that?”I sighed. “I don't even know.”“Spencer, is there any woman in your life?” The question threw me off my guard. I was not expecting her to ask me such a thing. Not like I don't share stuff with my mother, but I keep her in the dark about my sex life.I scratched my forehead softly, contemplating whether I should come clean with
** Sydney ** The day had finally arrived. The warm sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the bridal suite, casting a soft glow over everything it touched. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection in awe. The white dress I wore was a dream, elegant and simple, yet breathtaking in its detail. The lace sleeves hugged my arms, and the fabric flowed down like a waterfall, pooling gently at my feet. I could hardly believe it was me. I couldn’t help but smile, my heart fluttering with excitement. Today was the day I would marry Spencer—the man who had walked into my life at a time when I needed him the most, and the man I had grown to love more than I ever thought possible. The past few months had been a whirlwind, but in that moment, nothing else mattered. It was just us. There was a knock at the door, and Lydia, my best friend and now my maid of honor, peeked her head in. “You ready?” she asked with a grin. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, my voice shaking sli
Elizabeth was sitting calmly in the living room, her legs were crossed and I could feel the elegance as it emanated from her calmness. My heartbeat was louder than the sound that came from the movie that she was watching in the television."Mom, you're here," Spencer said to get her attention.She turned around and smiled at him, when she looked at me, she maintained a mild expression before looking back at her son. "Yes, Spencer. I was bored at my place so I decided to come over and see you and Sydney," she replied to him.Spencer ordered a tray of fruits for his mom while we settled down to keep her company."You are looking healthy, Sydney," she complimented me."Thank you," I said with nervousness. I felt like my nervous system was going to break down any minute from now."Spencer, can you spare me twenty minutes of a private moment with Sydney?" Elizabeth asked her son.Spencer nodded and stood up, "Okay."As soon as he left, my heart sank further because I thought that Elizabeth
** Sydney**I felt his touch on my hair and earlobe and neck, his hands were all over my face but his touch was gentle, sweet and arousing. I stirred my eyes open slowly, I didn't want to wake up in the first place because the last few events have been exhausting for me.Learning the truth in the most painful manner was exhausting enough for me, I was glad that I was done with the Talker's family although it was not yet official. Aiden had really used my heart and broken it into a million pieces but in the darkest of hearts, I have found Spencer and he was willing to be my ride or die for life and nothing was going to change that forever."Good morning, sleepy head," Spencer murmured in my eyes and I giggled, that sweet feeling of being a loved woman has returned to me again."Spencer, why are you disturbing I and the baby so early in the morning?" I asked, pretending to be angry at him.He kissed my forehead and then my baby bump that was more visible now, we were almost at sixteen w
** Sydney ** I had thought about it for days before deciding to make the trip to see Joyceline. Part of me had wanted to avoid her altogether, to leave everything she had done in the past where it belonged—behind me. But there was another part, the part that needed closure, that needed to confront her, not out of anger or vengeance, but to finally put everything to rest. The drive to the jail was long, giving me too much time to think. As I parked the car and walked inside, my heart beat steadily in my chest, though I wasn’t sure if it was from nerves or resolve. It felt surreal, walking into this place, knowing that the woman who had once been my friend had turned against me in such a cruel way. They led me through the dimly lit hallways to a small room, separated by a pane of glass. Joyceline would be brought in soon, and I would finally face her. I sat down on the cold metal chair, my fingers tapping lightly on the surface of the table as I waited. When she entered, escorted by
** Sydney ** The pen trembled slightly in my hand as I hovered over the final line of the divorce papers. It was surreal to think that after everything, it was finally coming to an end. My marriage to Aiden—the lies, the manipulation, the deceit—was all about to be over with one stroke of a pen. I let out a deep breath and pressed the ink down, signing my name for the last time as his wife. It was done. I was free. I sat back in my chair, feeling both a weight lift off my chest and a strange emptiness settle in its place. It wasn’t like I was sad to see Aiden go. In fact, I was relieved. But the reality of it all—how much I had endured, how much I had fought for, only to end up here—left me feeling raw, exposed. “You alright?” Spencer’s voice cut through my thoughts, gentle but concerned. He was sitting across from me, his eyes soft as he watched me. I nodded, giving him a small smile. “Yeah. It’s just… surreal.” He reached across the table and took my hand, giving it a comfortin
** Spencer ** “Sydney, we need to talk about this now,” I said. She nodded, biting her lip as she tried to hold back more tears. “I just… I don’t know what to do or say now.” I gently took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll figure it out, Sydney. You’re strong. And whatever you decide, I’ll be here for you. Always.” She looked up at me, her eyes filled with gratitude, and for a moment, the tension in the room lifted. We sat there in silence, just the two of us, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe—just maybe—things would be okay again. I stayed close to Sydney, watching as the emotions played across her face. Her eyes, once filled with hurt and confusion, softened slightly as the reality of everything settled in. I could see the exhaustion in her, both from the ordeal with Aiden and the emotional rollercoaster she’d been on ever since he came back into her life. For a moment, I didn’t know what else to say. I just held her hand, letting the sil
Spencer’s POV I lost track of time after they took Sydney in. The sterile hospital walls felt like they were closing in, and the ticking of the clock in the waiting room was deafening. I kept pacing, back and forth, my mind racing with worst-case scenarios. What if the drug Joyceline gave her had lasting effects? What if the baby was harmed? Every minute felt like a lifetime. Max had come by earlier, sitting with me for a bit before he had to head out. His presence had been grounding, but now I was alone, back to circling the room. The nurses occasionally gave me sympathetic looks, but none of them had any answers. I ran my hands through my hair for what felt like the hundredth time. I couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not after everything. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door to the waiting room swung open. I spun around, my heart pounding as the doctor walked in, clipboard in hand. I rushed up to him before he could even say a word. “How is she? Is Sydney okay? And the bab
**Spencer** The tension in the police van was palpable, the hum of the engine the only sound breaking the silence as we raced toward the location Collins had texted me. My hands were clenched tight, knuckles white from the grip I had on my phone. The moment the message had come through, I knew this was it—this was where Joyceline was holding Sydney. A sense of dread had been eating at me ever since I found out what Joyceline had planned. I should have seen it coming. After all, she was never one to back down, especially not when it came to getting what she wanted. But this… this was insane, even for her. I glanced at the police officers sitting beside me, their faces grim and focused. They had been briefed, and they knew how delicate this situation was. Sydney was pregnant, and any wrong move could not only endanger her but also the baby. The head of the task force, Officer Richards, looked over at me. “We’re almost there. Stay calm, Martin. We’ll handle this.” I nodded, swallowin
** Sydney ** I sat at the café, stirring the spoon in my coffee absentmindedly. The tension in my stomach hadn’t eased since Joyceline had called. I glanced at the door every few seconds, scanning each new arrival. My nerves were on high alert, and it didn’t help that Joyceline had always been good at getting under my skin. I tried to recall the last time we had spoken before everything exploded. She was the person I trusted with everything, my best friend—or at least, she had been before the betrayal. And now, here I was, waiting for her as if things hadn’t completely fallen apart. The door chimed, and in walked Joyceline. She wore her signature smirk, her eyes scanning the café until they landed on me. Her outfit was immaculate as always—a designer coat draped over her shoulders, her heels clicking as she walked confidently toward my table. Nothing about her seemed different on the surface, yet there was something in her eyes… something I couldn’t quite place. “Sydney,” she gree