** In Raymond's Car** Raymond looked at Ava who was sitting at the other edge of the car "I'm sorry about earlier" He said but Ava didn't respond to him. "I truly am. it does something to me seeing you with that guy and yes, I know it's selfish and that's why I'm apologizing" Raymond said to her again. Ava looked at him and looked away again, the driver announced their arrival at the Sphinx' Group Hotel. They laughed from the car and headed for the V.I.P elevator that was in the private parking lot. Raymond saw the surprised look on Ava's face and he turned to explain to her "I had the private car park and elevator made so I can avoid the press, the elevator leads directly to the last floor, which is mine" Raymond said with a hint of pride in his voice. Ava nodded and joined him in the elevator, Raymond stared at Ava who made sure to avoid his face. The elevator bell rang and Ava stepped out of the elevator into the hall way that lead to Raymond's suite, Raymond placed the
**Ava's Residence** After the boys had freshened up and they've all eaten, they went outside for their horse training, Mark stood guard while they practiced with their tutor. Summer came out and saw Mark and the boys at the stable, when she was sure that they couldn't see her, she brought out her phone and made a call. "Dad, something is wrong" She whispered "Are you alright?, What's wrong" Mr Murdock said. "I'm fine Dad. It's Ava, she went out with Raymond" Summer told her Father. "Okay??, I don't see the problem?" Mr Murdock said. "I forgot to mention this earlier but Ava told me Raymond had something important he wanted to say to her" Summer said. "It could be anything, I don't think Raymond knows enough for us to be worried about" Mr Murdock tried calming Summer down. "Dad you don't understand, when Raymond saw me today he was distant and different almost like he was avoiding me and it was his idea that Leonard and Leighton stay with him instead of staying with yo
***Ava's Residence*** "Hello, Summer." "What are you doing here?" Summer asked rudely. "Is that how you talk to your guest?" Bella smiled at Summer. "Uninvited guest, yes." Summer tried to close the door, but Bella held it. "Don't be rude. Won't you invite me in?" Bella pushed Summer aside and entered the house. "I see the whore isn't around," Bella said, scanning the living room with her eyes. "I'm calling the guards to drag you out," Summer texted Mark. "There’s no need for that, love. Just tell her I know my son is here. If she doesn’t want her sons far from her, she should send Andre back to his father." Bella made to leave, but Summer stopped her. "Your son isn’t with you? Why would he be here?" Summer asked. A knock on the door interrupted them."Come in," Summer said, and Mark walked in. "You, I know you," Bella said to Mark before turning to Summer. "Tell my husband’s mistress I stopped by. Bye, love," Bella said and walked out. "Mark, would you like to stay here fo
***Kindle Heart Hospital***Ava was preparing to go see patients when her office door opened."Doctor Ava, can I have a minute?" Doctor John said as he walked into her office."Yes please, come in" Ava pointed at the seat."No thank you, I won't be staying for long, I just wanted to know how you are doing" Doctor John said."I'm good. To be honest, I saw your calls yesterday but I was busy at the moment and I planned to call you back but I slept off early, I'm sorry" Ava explained."I understand, it's fine. The last time we spoke, you said you loved chocolates, so I got you something, I hope you don't mind" Doctor John brought out the box of chocolate in his bag."I don't mind at all" Ava collected it and opened the wrap."Wow, this is awfully nice, thank you" Ava said smiling at Doctor John."I also wanted to ask if you would be free for dinner on Wednesday" Doctor John asked."Wednesday?, Not really, I have to be with my kids " Ava said apologetically."Oh, I see. Well I'm glad you
Raymond's Residence As soon as Raymond arrived at his mansion, Elliot ran to meet him and briefed him. Raymond nodded at Elliot's words. "Where is she now?" Raymond asked. "She's in the basement, Sir," Elliot replied. Raymond headed to the basement, opened the door, and saw Zara Clarke tied to a chair with duct tape over her lips. "Hello, Zara," Raymond said as he pulled a chair and sat in front of her. Zara's face was streaked with tears. "Remove the duct tape," Raymond ordered one of the bodyguards. As soon as it was removed, Zara started crying. "Please, Sir, I am innocent," she pleaded. "Zara, I know you're innocent. All I want to know is who burned down my company," Raymond said. "I...I... didn't do it, Sir," Zara stuttered tearfully. "Then who did? Because your car was found close to the company," Raymond told her. "I swear I don't know anything about it, Sir," Zara cried. "Oh, okay. Here's what will happen: I'll show you a picture, and after that, I'll ask you this
***Raymond's Residence*** "Boss, are you aware of the amount that has been transferred to Miss Zara's account for the last three months?" Elliot asked. Raymond turned and looked at him."No, I wasn’t. How much was it?" Raymond asked, and Elliot showed him a file. Raymond scanned through it and was amazed. "Bring Zara to me now," Raymond demanded, and Elliot hurried out. Elliot and the other bodyguards barged into the guest room, which now doubled as Zara's room. She was only wearing a nightgown. "Even savages understand the meaning of privacy. What—" Zara was interrupted by Elliot, who shouted at the other bodyguards. "Drag her out." They dragged her out of the room and into the living room, forcefully throwing her onto the floor. "Do you know what I detest the most?" Raymond asked calmly, and Zara shook her head."Lies. I hate lies. So quit this clown act and tell me what I want to know. I’m going to give you one more chance to prove yourself useful to me, and if you can’t, the
****Raymond's Residence**** Raymond was on the phone with the Tech guys. "Boss, we've run that image and the real owner of that face died 12 years ago" Harrison, the head of the Tech department said. "So our guy is using some one else's face?" Raymond asked. "It could be that or he faked his death, anyway we have data on the recent activities made using that image" Harrison told Raymond. "What did you find?" Raymond asked curiously. "Someone using that face on a passport has travelled from England to Florida and back to England." Harrison stated. "Can we identify this person?" Raymond asked again. "Not really, they were really meticulous. We pulled the footage of the airport around the time they left, but they made sure to avoid the camera" Harrison said. "I see. Keep searching I'm sure we'll find something, he can't be that meticulous" Raymond said. As soon as Raymond ended the call Elliot walked in and whispered something in his ear, Raymond nodded and followed E
***Raymond's Residence *** It was already past 10pm when Elliot knocked on Raymond's door. Raymond opened and saw Elliot holding an envelope. Elliot handed him the envelope and they both went to the living room. Raymond opened the envelope and found a letter neatly folded. "Clean up the Mess, Agent" That was what you was written in the letter. Raymond folded it back and headed to the basement where Lucas was held, when he got there he found Lucas sleeping and he ordered the men to wake Lucas up. "What does this mean?" Raymond showed the letter to Lucas. Lucas looked at it for a while before shaking his head. "I don't know, I can't read" Lucas shrugged. "You can't what??, you can't read?" Raymond was surprised by the admission. "I don't have any formal education and not being able to read as I was told by my late friend is the most important requirement of the job" Lucas stated. Raymond stood up and whispered something to Elliot before walking out. Elliot covered Luca
**At the Police Station** Ava watched as Giovanni was taken to a cell, she and Raymond wrote down their statements and she left the building while Raymond stayed back to talk to the officers. "Why didn't you text me?" Raymond asked her as he came out. "Has he said anything about the whereabout of my kids?" Ava asked instead of answering Raymond's question. "Not yet, the officers are positive they will get it out of him before the day ends" Raymond replied. "Alright, I have called Ted, to come pick me up, you can go without me" Ava told him. "No, I won't. Hey look at me" He turned Ava to face him. "It's my kids too, I also want to find them, so if you have any lead please let me know " Raymond pleaded "It's not really a lead, Summer sent me this address" Ava showed him the address on the phone. "And you want to go alone, we don't even know if they were working together " "I don't think so, she was the one that told me about Giovanni " "That doesn't prove anythin
*_Mr. Armando's Warehouse_*Ava looked around the mansion; the gate was hard to see, carefully hidden in a camouflaged way. Bodyguards were stationed at every point in the compound, some even stood by the waterfall. Ava couldn't help but wonder who or what needed that much protection.As Giovanni parked in the compound, two bodyguards rushed to the car as if they were expecting them. The car door opened, and Giovanni stepped out, ensuring he opened the door for Ava. She smiled at the bodyguards, but they kept a straight face. Ava looked at Giovanni, who was talking to one of the other bodyguards.Upon entering one of the warehouses, Ava saw that it was a fully furnished house. "Miss Ava, welcome to my little home," Armando announced. Ava looked at the man for a brief second; if the circumstances were different, she might have fallen for that smile."Hello, it's nice to finally meet you, Mr. John," Ava said."Oh, John is Giovanni's biological dad; call me Armando," he corrected."Alrig
*_In Giovanni's car_*"So, do you want to tell me why your dad is with my kids?" Ava asked. She watched as Giovanni moved to face her better."Remember how I told you my mom died in an accident?" Giovanni asked. When Ava nodded, he continued."Your dad set the car on fire," Giovanni explained."That's not true," Ava countered."Except that it is. My mom was such a huge fan of the Smith's Fashion brand. She had every kind of cosmetic they produced. My stepdad was a friend to your dad, so he took my mom to meet your dad, and she was really happy. One day, we were at the mall picking up a few things for my stepdad when my mom saw your dad. She told me to wait so she could meet up with him. He walked her to her car, and I don't know what they talked about, but the conversation got heated. When she made to open the car door, he threw her on the floor."Giovanni forced in a deep breath."Are you sure you remember correctly, because your story isn't really making much sense?" Ava said."If y
***The Murdocks*** Summer woke up with her head banging. She opened her eyes slowly and scanned her environment. She remembered what had happened earlier, and her heart raced, thinking about the boys. She stood up immediately, but the wave of pain that hit her body made her lie down slowly. Her parents rushed to her side. "Oh, darling, I'm so glad you're awake. We were so worried," her mother's voice was teary. Summer sighed at the hypocrisy. "Where are they?" Summer ignored her mom. "Who?" Mrs. Murdock explained. "You were alone in the car when we found you." "Oh, please don't bullshit me. Dad, where are they?" She turned her gaze to her dad. "Honey, it's as your mother explained. We met you alone and unconscious," Mr. Murdock explained. "Oh, Dad, you are so evil. You promised to spare their lives if I brought them to you. I was on my way here. Couldn't you wait a few more minutes?" Summer cried. "Hey, darling, your father and I really don't have anything to do with that. We
***Summer's Residence**** When she arrived at Summer's place, the door was locked. She opened it using the spare key Summer kept under the foot mat and found the house empty. Ava called Raymond and explained everything to him. However, she couldn't take his outburst and disconnected the call. Then, she called Giovanni, explained the situation, and shared her location with him. She also texted Giovanni and Raymond the gate's code. Sitting in front of Summer's house, Ava cried, feeling guilty for blindly trusting Summer despite Raymond's warnings. Her kids could now be in danger. Ted stood beside the car, watching Ava. When she heard a car drive in, she raised her head. Giovanni rushed towards her, and she stood up to hug him immediately. Raymond arrived moments later, seeing Ava crying on Giovanni's shoulder. He walked towards them angrily. "Where are my children?" Raymond shouted at Ava. Giovanni stepped in between them. "This is not the time for blame, Mr. Raymond. We need
**Summer's Residence** Ava was about to knock on Summer's door when it swung open. "You've never smiled so sheepishly at me like that," Summer said, eyeing Ava's expression. "I knew you were snooping," Ava replied with a sigh. The kids heard her voice and ran to her, sharing stories and laughter. After spending time with them, Ava turned to Summer. "Why don't you take the day off from babysitting?" "Don't you have to go to the hospital today?" Summer asked. "I don't; I'm free till Monday," Ava replied. "You're trying to get rid of me because you don't want me to ask about Doc. John," Summer teased. "Giovanni," Ava corrected. "Excuse me?" Summer asked. "Giovanni, not Doc. John," Ava explained. "Oh, I forgot you guys are on a first-name basis now," Summer joked. "This is what I was avoiding," Ava smiled. "What kind of friend do you need right now?" Summer asked. Ava thought for a moment before responding, "The friend who'll mind her business and not ask unn
**Giovanni's Residence** Giovanni (Doc John) arrived at his mansion, and his security opened the gate, letting him in. Ava gazed at the house, wondering why he acted surprised when he saw her place. The house was twice as big as hers, and the yard was equally larger. The house itself resembled an ancient Roman palace—magnificent and royal. 'This man is full of surprises,' she thought to herself as she looked at him. "Your house is magnificent. Why do you work as a doctor if your family has this much money?" Ava asked curiously as Giovanni stepped out of the car. "The same reason as yours, Mon Chéri. It's more about passion, and my family is not as rich as you think," he said, opening the door for Ava. The interior of the house was breathtaking. She told herself her guess was right; it had to be some kind of ancient palace. "I don't have any live-in maids, so what would you like to drink?" Giovanni asked casually. "Water is okay, please," Ava replied. Giovanni nodded
***Ava's Residence***Ava was feeling restless, after minutes of thinking about what Giovanni (Doc John) said, she called Summer."Hey, what's up" Summer said at the other end of the phone."I'm fine, how are the boys doing?" She asked."They are helping. Leonard, Leighton, Andre, come say hi to Mummy " Summer called the kids.The three boys tried to fit themselves in front of the screen, they talked with Ava for length, even the shy Andre chattered excitedly. After the conversation had taken it's course, Ava asked them to give the phone back to Summer."You still going on that date with Raymond?" Summer asked as soon as her face was back on the screen."I don't know, Raymond saw Giovanni here" Ava sighed."That doesn't seem to annoy you, the fact that Raymond met Doc John at your place, I mean" Summer stated." Not really, it doesn't. I'm only bothered about Giovanni, We had a good time yesterday and now I'm scared Raymond has ruined it" Ava rubbed her forehead." I don't think thing
***Ava's Residence*** Ava woke up with pains in her neck region, she tried to move but she couldn't, there was an extra weight pressing down on her waist. Giovanni's scent filled her nose and she realized the warm hard surface her face was resting on was Giovanni's chest. She tried to pry her self free but she stiffened when she felt Giovanni stirred and pull her closer to himself, his both hands wrapped around her tightly but his eyes remained close. Ava thought he looked so handsome, she placed her free hand on his cheek, she stretched to kiss him but was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. She tried to pry herself free but Giovanni rolled her on top of him, she wasn't expecting that so her body had no time to react, the knock sounded again but more hasty this time. "Good morning, I have to get that" She tried to stand up, Giovanni held her pinned on top of him and kissed her forehead. "Please let me get that, it's most definitely Mark checking up on me since I came ho