Jessica shouted disdainfully at the top of her voice. Her arrival sent a pang of chill down all the maids' spines. She carried her tired legs as she held onto the railings of the staircase, making her way to the upper part of the mansion.Getting up, she walked past Bernard’s room, but suddenly turned and walked towards the room. “Bernard!” She yelled, waiting outside the door with her ear placed beside it to eavesdrop on any sound coming from inside.“Bernard, I’m home. I've hired a new lawyer. Are you sleeping?” She continued to hope that he would come out. When it felt like eternity and Bernard didn’t reply, she pushed the door open and went inside the room. She decided not to enter earlier because Bernard always calls for privacy. Once she was in, she scanned her eyes around to check if she would see Bernard. “I see you’re sleeping; good for you. You didn’t disobey me and leave home,” she sighed contentedly after seeing a figure wrapped in a duvet lying on the bed.She turned a
Once Ethan, Fiona, and Rowan settled in the car, Ethan suddenly spoke like he remembered something. “Let me speak to Nana,” Ethan suggested. Fiona didn’t doubt Ethan’s plan; she allowed him to do things the way he knew it was perfect. Ethan put a call across to Nana and told her that his friend, Lim Ming, a renowned doctor, was going to meet her at the mansion's entrance. Ethan told her that Lim was going to give Nana his name card and Ethan’s own; that way Nana would be able to recognize that Lim was from Ethan, and then she would give the sample she collected to Lim. “He will call me as soon as he receives it from her. I trust him,” Ethan assured Fiona after hanging up the call. Fiona wore a small smile and stared into Ethan’s eyes. She doesn’t know why Ethan was going out of his way to help her, but all she felt right there was gratitude. She doesn’t have money; without him, she would have been lost. “Thank you, Mr. Miller,” Fiona appreciated, still maintaining eye contact. Sh
Armed with all the necessary evidence, Ethan finally submitted the case for trial.On the day of trial, everyone stood up as the judge entered the courtroom, a high-rise building designed to be spacious and well-lit. As the judge sat down, the people present also took their seats afterward. Silence ensued in the room as the tension grew thicker, such that a knife would cut through. Fiona sat on one side, exuding an aura of confidence because the odds of winning the case were in her favor, and who was representing her again? The legendary lawyer, Ethan Miller. Jessica, the plaintiff, stood at one side; one couldn’t tell the look on her face, but it was smug, the one she always wore when things seemed to be going in her favor. She seemed to be optimistic about today. The judge cleared her throat and spoke. "Case number 1011: Fiona Robinson vs. Jessica Robinson." Plaintiff’s attorney, please state your case.” The judge’s voice was firm and authoritative as her gaze lingered around th
"Is there anything you've been giving to the late Mr. Robinson in the past year?" Because his autopsy results showed that he died from a slow poison.” Jessica's heart skipped a beat, the shock on her face mirroring everybody's own, as Ethan's question seemed to catch her and everyone off guard.Why was Mr. Miller asking her that? What did he know?Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead. “You don’t have the right to ask my client such a question!” Attorney Thompson countered, defending Jessica, who sighed internally at the rescue because she didn’t know what to say at that moment. She was gobsmacked. "My lord," Ethan said, directing his gaze at the judge. "Permit me to call on Robinson's family doctor, who performed an autopsy on Mr. Robinson after he died in the hospital," Ethan concluded, turning to the doctor and gesturing for him to enter the witness box.As the doctor approached, Jessica felt a surge of panic. ‘What did he discover that she didn't know about?’Fiona sat w
As the judge passed her verdict, Jessica’s face contorted into a mask of shock and horror. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Life imprisonment? With caning? It was a fate worse than death. She fell on her knees, her body trembling, her voice barely a whisper. “This can't be happening,” she muttered, tears streaming down her eyes. Who would have thought she would end up this way? The wife of a famous CEO ending up in life imprisonment? And caning for God knows till when? Would she be able to endure that?She wailed and cried bitterly on the floor as two law enforcement officials approached her and lifted her up. “Get your filthy hands off!” she yelled, trying to break free from their grip. “You can’t take me to prison; I'm Beckett Robinson’s wife... You won’t do such to me!”. As much as she attempted and struggled to break free, the law enforcement officials’ grip was so tight on her that she couldn’t even make any movement away from them. Bernard, with a grave and bitter
As Fiona, Nana, and Ethan left the courthouse, they headed straight to Rowan’s school to pick him up since it was closing time. Once they picked up Rowan from school, they headed straight to the apartment to get their belongings. “Mama, where are we moving to again?” Rowan raised a curious gaze to stare at his mother, who wore a small smile on her face. Fiona stopped in her tracks and turned to him. “We are going to grandpa’s mansion; that’s our home now,” Fiona answered gleefully. “Are you serious? Did Ethan win the case for us?” Rowan probed further with a small grin on his face.Fiona smiled softly and turned to Ethan, who stood near his car, staring at the mother and son. "Yes, Mr. Miller won the case for us," Fiona answered, then turned back to Rowan, who ran to Ethan immediately after what the mother said, hugging him around his legs.“Ethan, thanks for helping Mama,” Rowan muttered in an appreciative tone. His action did nothing but melt Ethan’s heart. He had never been part
It was the next day, Fiona was dressed up and ready to leave for her Beckett’s enterprise, a company specializing in indoor farming techniques to produce fresh, locally grown food year-round. She wore a pantsuit with black shoes and a handbag that complimented her dress, all trying to be simple. Standing in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her light silver gray eyes sparkled. She couldn’t help but smile at how things changed for the better within a few weeks. She had almost lost hope while she was in the motel with Rowan. Her mind drifted away from that thought, now remembering the letter her father wrote to her. Telling her to rebuild his company. She gulped down nothing in her throat, swearing inwardly to fulfill what her father wanted. She wouldn’t want to disappoint him again, so she must do everything to make the company excel more than it was doing. “Mama, I’m ready for school; I don’t want to go late today,” Rowan called his mom’s attention, prompting her to
Rooted on the spot, Fiona felt sadness crept into her heart. Her shoulders slumped and her knees trembled. She felt like if she continued standing on the spot, she would fall to the ground. This wasn’t what she was expecting—being shunned by every member of the board.She clenched her trembling and sweaty hand into a fist, trying desperately to fight the turmoil within her, but it was not as easy as she had thought. Tears that had glistened in her eyes like a cloud of gloom threatened to break free, but she held them, trying not to make them think she was weak.‘Fiona, you’ve got this; don’t give them that impression that you’re incompetent. Don’t let them win with just their mean-spirited comments. Be strong like you always are,' she muttered inwardly to herself. She did a mental sigh followed by a forced smile, and just as she summoned up the courage to speak and defend her ego, another member of the board beat her to it. “Why not let the young woman grab a seat?” A member who had
The sound of Alaina’s phone jolted her out of sleep as she rubbed her face to clear her sleepy eyes. She reached out for the phone on the side shelf beside her bed. Yawning and covering her mouth with her other hand, she answered the phone. “Hey, why are you calling so late?” She frowned as if the person at the other end could see her face. “I just needed to hear your voice, that’s all,” a deep masculine voice echoed at the other end. She rolled her eyes inwardly. “And what if my husband was home by this time that you called?” She sneered. "Well, you mentioned earlier that he went to his ex-wife's birthday."“Oh,” she yawned slightly. “I totally forgot I did, so, tell me, you didn’t just call to hear my voice, right?” She voiced out her suspicions. ”You caught me.” The caller paused for a moment before continuing speaking again. “It’s about Jackson and his...”“Please hold on." She caught him off, standing up from the bed as she heard the sound of the doorbell. “I think Jackson i
“Miss Chloe, you lost him, and he is now mine!” She said possessively, wrapping her arms around Ethan’s waist, and a smug smile was playing in her lips. Chloe gasped inaudibly and stepped backward. She had thought that Fiona would be annoyed with Ethan if she made her believe Ethan didn’t tell her beforehand that they dated. What Fiona did was the opposite of what she had expected. Fiona, on the other hand, knew what Chloe could be up to. She has had many encounters with her in the past when her father was still the CEO. She knew how mischievous she could be. And if it were to be some months ago that she didn’t know or was afraid of how she was feeling towards Ethan, she would have flared up and left the spot, but right now, she knew what she wanted. She loved him, and she wouldn’t allow any woman to come close to separating them with lies. Ethan at the sametime was shocked, but he was adept at masking his expression with his cold aura. He didn’t know Fiona could be so possessive,
“Hey, Rowan, Daddy is here.” A small smile lit up on his face as he walked closer to them. If the rest of the crowd were closer to where they were, they would have known that Jackson was Fiona's ex-husband, and that was the least she wanted. Jackson was from a low-class family, so he wasn't well-known in the city, and their marriage wasn’t known to anyone. Hearing Jackson’s voice, Fiona spun her head back, as her back was to where he was coming from. She arched her eyebrow, her face twisting into a sneer. She never thought he would be here, and when he arrived with Chloe, she couldn't ask them to leave. It doesn't portray who she was. She spoke as she felt his presence beside her. “Jackson, don’t make a scene here. Respect yourself!” She warned sternly with a cold voice void of emotions, moving away from him to stand beside Ethan. Jackson smiled bitterly, biting hard on his lower lips. “Are you saying coming to meet our son is a scene or a crime?” Jackson countered, his hands cro
With everyone’s gaze fixed on the just-arrived stretched limousine, Chloe and Jackson weren't exceptional. Earlier, Chloe felt very happy to have drawn so much attention to herself as she made her way to the event, but seeing this had gained more attention than she had made a frown crease her forehead. She clutched tightly onto the glass of drink in her hand, and her dangerous gaze was fixed on the door of the limousine. If looks could kill, then Chloe’s gaze would have been the perfect description for ‘a killer look.’ Jackson at the other end looked stupefied, with his jaw slightly hitting the ground. He wasn’t surprised that someone of such significant importance was visiting Fiona’s birthday. But remembering that she was the famous CEO’s daughter, he composed himself. So, who was this person? Just as expected, the driver’s side of the door flung open, and the driver got out to open the first side of the door. After he did, his head dropped down into a full bow and his gaze fixed
Employees from Beckett’s enterprise, Beckett’s retail outlets, Beckett’s plants, and to mention but a few of Fiona’s employees started trooping into the mansion. All dressed in elegance and expensive clothing. Fiona had thought it was supposed to be the employees from only Beckett’s enterprise, but seeing that employees from the other companies were also coming filled her heart with surprise and admiration. Although she hadn’t sent the invite, she knew who did. It was none other than Mia, the social butterfly. They had initially planned to use the living room, but with the numbers, they opted for the spacious open area in the mansion. Everyone coming into the mansion was with one present or the other, and they approached her and gave her their presents. She couldn’t count how many she had received in just a few hours into the events. As her gaze moved around the crowds, chatting and laughing joyfully among themselves, the clinking of glasses would be audible. As much as she was h
Just as Fiona had said. All she needed was sleep. After taking a long night's rest, she was up the next day and left for the company after her driver dropped Rowan off at school. Her birthday was on her mind. She was thinking about whether to celebrate it or not, so she decided to seek Mia’s opinion. “So, Mia, my birthday is in three days' time,” she said, causing Mia to turn around and face her. A huge grin on her face as she spoke with awe. “Oh, really?” Her eyes brightened. Fiona nodded in response. “So, I’m thinking..." She paused and tilted her head to the side. “Celebration?” “Of course we will celebrate it,” Mia responded joyfully. “It would be really fun,” she added with a big smile. Mia was a social butterfly, always seeking out fun and excitement. Fiona, on the other hand, was more reserved, preferring the company of only her friends and family. They were complete opposites."So we're all coming to Robinson Mansion by the weekend, right?" She said it rhetorically, not
Having gotten what he wanted from the spy, Ethan warned him to stay away from him, threatening that anytime he noticed him on his tail, he would regret doing so. The spy with bruises all over his face couldn’t help but nod at him in response. He knew he couldn’t tell Chloe what had happened because she had warned him not to leave any traces and that Ethan was a smart man. He knew that it would be either his salary would be cut or he would even risk losing the job. He decided not to let Chloe know about the mess he had caused. Ethan left in his car and headed to Chloe’s company. Once he got there, the receptionist was stunned to see Ethan Miller face-to-face. Someone she had been dying to meet. Let's just say she was a fan. “Oh my god,” she blushed sheepishly. “Do you mind if I take a selfie with you?” the receptionist asked, attempting to bring out his phone to snap her and Ethan. Ethan gave her a cold smile. “That’s not why I am here." He fixed his cold gaze on her. “I need to se
“Why are you following me!?” Ethan demanded, and disgust dripped out of every word. The spy spat out a mouthful of blood as a result of the hit from Ethan. "It's just a coincidence that we are heading in the same direction. I am not following you,” he answered, not giving in to the physical threat. Ethan dropped him and motioned for the guy in the black suit to take over. He doesn’t like to get physical in public because he wouldn’t want the news that he was assaulting someone to start flying over the internet when they don’t know the root of the matter. The guy grabbed him roughly, pinning him to his car. He smacked him across the face. “Start talking,” he thundered, and he smacked him again and again. “I said I am not following...” Before he could finish his sentence, the guy fist connected to his face. His lips and nose burst such that blood started dripping out of them. “Who are you!?” The guy brought out a g*n and pointed it at his head. Feeling the cold metal in contact wit
“I love you too, Ethan.” Ethan’s heart swelled with Fiona’s response. He felt butterflies dancing in his stomach. It was as if that was the best thing he had heard for a long time. That response meant a lot to him. He felt like he was on cloud nine, bustling with intense excitement. He pulled away from her and held her hands, their eyes locked. He caressed her hand dotingly. They stared at each other in silence.“Do you care for lunch?” He asked, searching into her eyes for answers, and when he saw the indecisiveness in them, he spoke again. “Fiona, don’t say no,” he added with a gentle, and encouraging smile. Fiona felt conflicted; she had turned Mia down just a few minutes ago because she was busy, and now Ethan wanted to take her out. She doesn’t want to decline because of the stress he had gone through to come down to her office, leaving his own personal life. It was the sweetest thing someone would do, and she appreciated it, and the only way to reciprocate was to agree to go