“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,
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
Have you ever regretted making a decision?The decision I made seven years ago got me into this, and I regret it. The heavy prison gates creaked open, and sunlight shone a blinding white directly on Fiona Robison’s tear-filled eyes. Two years. Two years stolen and wasted on a crime she didn't commit. She has finally been released. Yet, it wasn't pure joy that filled her. It was a bitter cocktail of longing, disgust, and hatred. All of this for two different people. She clutched the worn photograph in her pocket—the image of her son, Rowan Watson, his gap-toothed grin—a glaring contrast to the harsh reality that she had experienced in prison. Taking a shaky breath, she hailed a cab, ignoring the tremor in her voice."Tanglin," she rasped, the word a foreign taste on her tongue. She highlighted in front of a sprawling mansion with a big iron gate. Despite the steely resolve hardening within her, a tremor ran through her hand as she fished out a crumpled twenty-dollar bill for the f
Fiona, recognizing the voice, swallowed hard and whipped her head around to meet the smug face of Brenda, Jackson’s mother. During the years of their marriage, Brenda was the most caring and loving mother-in-law, but right now to Fiona, she was the direct opposite of what she used to be. Fiona need not be told that things have changed since she left for prison. She turned away from her as soon as she took a glance at Brenda, who felt nonexistent with the unkind gaze Fiona shot her. Brenda seemed very shocked by Fiona’s reaction because years ago, Fiona would miss no opportunities to please her. Fiona's jaw clenched tight, but her voice remained steady. "Who am I?” She bit her lower lips, her gaze moving between Jackson and his smug accomplice Alaina. “I am the rightful owner of Veritas Holdings." She stated. She shifted her gaze to Brenda, who had just joined them. “I just put your ungrateful son in charge!” she gritted, aircoating the ‘ungrateful’. “And now I am back to claim the
Fiona stood rooted to the ground. She was expecting a divorce. If Jackson hadn’t been quick enough to demand a divorce, she would have done that first. After all, what’s there to stay in a deceitful marriage for? She turned and wore a small smile across her face, trying all hard to be strong for Rowan, who was clinging to her. She felt like a dagger was plunged into her heart, seeing Alaina and Jackson hanging all over each other, but what would she do? “Like I said earlier, Jackson, you don’t deserve me.” Her voice was firm, strong, and unwavering. Even though she felt betrayed by her husband and best friend, she wouldn’t allow them to see through her helplessness. Jackson fluttered his eyes. He'd expected Fiona to fall to her knees and beg him to take her back, knowing she had nothing to fall back on. Jackson had claimed ownership of every little thing she had. Jackson smiled wickedly, relishing in Fiona’s helplessness. He knew when she felt hurt, but he didn't care. “I wonder if
Fiona instinctively hid Rowan behind her in an attempt to protect him, as fear gripped her like icy talons, paralyzing her with its chilling touch. The tinted windows of the massive Mercedes-Benz offered no clues about the identity of the person inside. Just as she was about to gently move away from the car, the driver's door swung open.A tall, muscular figure of six feet and two inches stepped down, sunlight glinting off his short, styled dark hair. He wore a crisp, white dress shirt that stretched slightly across his broad shoulders, with the sleeves pushed up to reveal strong forearms. A simple Paul Newman Rolex Daytona peeked out from under his cuff. His features were sharp and defined, with a strong jawline and warm brown eyes that added to his captivating and dashing appearance. She fluttered her eyes, trying hard not to believe whom she was seeing. The legendary lawyer and founder of the highly regarded Miller Law firm in front of her? She gasped inaudibly, masking her surpr
“Mama, look at grandpa!” Rowan's high-pitched squeal snapped Fiona out of whatever was going on in her mind. She instinctively whirled her head in the direction in which Rowan had pointed. Her jaw hit the ground. She felt like her heart stopped pumping blood into her body. She couldn’t believe her eyes or what she was reading on the small TV mounted on the wall of the motel room where they had both lodged for the past two weeks since the incident of her divorce with Jackson. That same day, she returned to her father's mansion, hoping he would take her back now that she had learned her lesson and lost everything she had worked hard to build to Jackson's deception.She just held onto that glimmer of hope; maybe he would have let go of her past mistake, but to her dismay, her father still rejected her again, telling her he had long broken ties with her. The thought of what made her father denounce her years ago felt like a broken record playing in her mind, repeating the same melanchol
“You still have the guts to show your face? When it was so sure that you don’t stand a chance to inherit anything from father,” Bernard’s voice, dripping with condescension, welcomed her.Fiona didn’t utter a word; instead, she sat gently on the plush couch in the study with Rowan beside her. Mr. Logan cleared his throat and opened a leather-bound will. The room was hushed; the only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock. "We gather here today to fulfill the final wishes of Mr. Beckett Robinson. This will was dated [02/10/2023]. I assure you, all legal formalities have been adhered to."A tense silence filled the room."The first clause is standard. All debts and taxes have been settled promptly. The second clause regards any minor dependents. As there are none, we move on to the heart of the matter."Fiona’s heart clenched, hearing what Mr. Logan said. ‘He never welcomed me two weeks ago; why did I even think he would recognize my son, whom he had just met once before his
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