CHAPTER 25[CHANNING EMPIRE]"Why do I even need an appointment? I’m a Bentley, for God's sake!" Martha exploded at her secretary, after being informed yet again that there was no available time to meet with the CEO of Channing Empire.For almost three weeks, they had been calling the CEO’s office. Just to get a personal meeting with Elizabeth’s husband. The month was almost over, and still, the Channing Empire hadn’t resumed its financial support for Benzone Telco.“CEO’s schedule is full. They said they can’t fit you in.”“So what?” she snapped. “My father’s associated with the Channings. They can't treat me like this. I need to speak with their CEO. Call the driver, we're leaving.”“But you have an upcoming meeting with the board of directors.”“Cancel the meeting, Shanaya. They’re just going to complain about the company. Bunch of impatient idiots!”“Y-Yes, Madam.”“Make sure to clear my schedule for the rest of the day. Elizabeth’s husband needs a lecture from me.”As soon as he
CHAPTER 26 (PART 1)"Wulf…" Elizabeth bit her lip and closed her eyes.“You wanna come with me, Kitten?" he asked softly."W-Where?"His large hand was already cupping her left breast."Anywhere you want. You want to leave the country?" His fingers teased her sensitive buds."I-I’ll leave it up to you..." she whispered breathlessly. Her body arched slightly as her lips parted in response to the sensation.She opened her eyes when he released his hand on her, but before she could react, she let out a small gasp as he lifted her without warning. She found herself straddling him, her chest pressed against his firm body.He gently lifted her chin with his fingers, making her look at him."Beautiful," he whispered, placing soft kisses around her mouth before claiming her lips in a deep kiss.They managed to settle in just making out. It seemed that Wulfric was deliberately holding back. "Hmm..." Liz moaned softly against his lips."Stick your tongue out, Kitten," he commanded.She obeyed
CHAPTER 26 (PART 2)“We're riding one of these?” Elizabeth asked in awe when the car stopped at the dock where enormous yachts were lined up."Yeah," Wulfric replied casually."Which one is yours?" Her eyes scanned for the most modest, smallest boat. "Is it that one?"Wulfric laughed at the one she pointed to. "How wealthy do you think I am?""Just enough," she teased.It seemed impossible that one of those massive luxury yachts right in front of them belonged to Wulf. She knew those yachts cost billions of dollars. Montiner Construction wasn’t even ranked among the top 25 richest companies in Southshire in terms of finances and assets.“What is that supposed to mean?”"It means you have just the right amount of money. You're not insanely rich, but you're not going to go bankrupt if you spend millions in a day either.""You're crazy, Kitten," Wulfric laughed. The sound of his laughter was like music to her ears."And you're old," she quipped back, pouting playfully.His grin vanished,
CHAPTER 27Pristine white sand was the signature of the Island Resort. Elizabeth couldn’t contain her excitement to run on the beach and swim in the inviting crystal blue water.But before that, she needed to accompany Wulfric to his launch meeting with Mr. Llewon. Roxy had mentioned their boss had known the client for a long time.“Nikolaus,” greeted the man in his fifties as her boss shook hands.“Mr. Llewon.”“Just Raf. Mr. Llewon sounds too formal. I was good friends with your late mother.”So Wulf’s mother had passed away? That explained why, aside from Sozy, she hadn’t met anyone from his family. She never really had any intentions of getting to know them either, knowing they likely considered her as nothing more than a mistress.“Raf, how are you?” Wulf’s voice remained formal.“Enjoying my life with my wife. Retiring was the best decision I made. So, I could travel the world before my time is up. It’s something Cairus needs too. Your father takes work far too seriously.”Liz
CHAPTER 28"Momma needs to know," Earl nodded firmly as if they were having a serious meeting. "We’ll tell her, Lottie. Ask Auntie Sozy if we can borrow her phone. Let’s tell her we wanna call Momma and give her kisses.""Okay."The two high-fived and stood up, ready to leave the room. But their jaws dropped when they saw Liz standing at the door."Momma?"Lottie immediately ran towards her. Clung to her leg as if they hadn’t seen each other in days. "We miss you, Momma. Liz sat with them on the carpet. "What is it you want to tell me?"The twins exchanged glances, silently nudging each other to see who would speak first."Come on. Did you do something wrong?" "No, Momma," Earl shook his head quickly and climbed onto her lap. Lottie followed, planting little kisses on Liz's cheek. "Then tell me, why do you seem hesitant?""Because Aunt Sozy said we might have seen it wrong. But we’re sure," Lottie explained. "Hmm…" Liz gently ran her fingers through her daughter’s hair, encouragi
CHAPTER 29She had no right to confront him.The nerve she’d have if she even tried. Elizabeth was just the mother of his children. Whatever the reason Eva left or distanced herself, the undeniable truth remained—she was the legal wife.Hadn't Liz noticed that Wulfric never took off his wedding ring? There was only one meaning to that—Wulfric loved his wife and was still waiting for her to return. Now that the woman was back, it was time for Elizabeth to leave.When she returned to the office, Roxelana was frantic on the phone, juggling one call after another. Even the phone on Liz's desk wouldn’t stop ringing.“Yes, Sir. I assure you; everything is under control,” Roxy said, gesturing toward her, asking where their boss was. Liz shook her head that made Roxy's shoulders slumped.“What’s going on?” Liz asked after Roxy put the phone down.“The clients are looking for CEO Montiner. It seems news has leaked that money is missing from the company.”Her blood ran cold. “M-Missing?”Roxy
CHAPTER 30She would have to borrow from Dory since she didn't want to use Wulfric's VIP card. That might become yet another thing he'd throw in her face once confrontation happened. "Hello, Auntie Pretty.” Lottie waved when Dory opened the door. She wrapped her little arms around Dory's legs and looked up at her with a wide grin. "Did you miss us? We missed you too."Dory glanced at her. Liz bit her lip and lowered her gaze. Her best friend immediately understood. She was so dizzy she could barely keep herself upright."Of course, I missed you! I've been bugging your mom for days to bring you over. Come in, my babies! Auntie will make cookies, milk, cake, and candies for you."Dory carried Lottie inside. While Earl stayed close to Liz, casting concerned glances at his mother.Liz collapsed onto the couch, her temples throbbing, her eyelids heavy."Momma, are you okay?" Earl asked while munching on a cookie.She weakly gave him a thumbs-up and, with half-closed eyes, tried to smile a
CHAPTER 31She must be hallucinating!When Liz opened her eyes, she saw Wulf's face—worried and panicking.Yep! Her fever must be really high for her to start seeing things like this.There was no way Wulfric would be in Dory’s condo. He was mad at her, after all. He might even have the police waiting for her at the office tomorrow. But no matter what, at least she was certain that he loved the kids.It felt like a dream. When she woke up again, she’s already in Wulfric’s bedroom.“Daddy, Momma’s awake again!” Lottie shouted beside her.There was a sudden clatter from the bathroom before Wulfric rushed out like lightning, followed closely by Earl, still half-dressed in his pajamas.“Are you okay? How do you feel?”Before Liz could react to Wulfric’s concern, their eldest son pushed him aside and snuggled into her waist.“Momma, Lottie, and I were so scared.”Wulf sighed and chose to remain standing, instead. Twins had already taken their places on either side of her.“Did Daddy make y
CHAPTER 56 The investigation was immediately closed just days after what happened to Arthur. The truck driver who crashed into him was also dead, and Martha didn’t bother to file a case against the company that owned the vehicle.“The cellphone wasn’t among the things recovered from Sir Arthur during the rescue operation. We’re still looking for it.”The weight on her shoulders grew heavier. There was so much she didn’t know. She had settled into the idea that she was the reason for her stepfather’s coma.She paced back and forth in front of him.“Who was he talking to? That person is definitely responsible for all of this, Wulf.”“We’re getting there, Kitten. We have a list of suspects, but we need evidence.”“Martha—”“She’s one of the suspects,” he agreed with her accusation.“Who else could have done it but her?” Her anger towards the woman surged again. Wulfric reached for her hand, gently stroking it, slowly calming her down.“We’re also looking for Eldrige, Sir Arthur’s secret
CHAPTER 55"One, two, three. Charge!"Sir Arthur's body jerked as the defibrillator pads pressed against his chest."Again! Increase the charge!"It was only when a hand gently gripped her arm that Elizabeth snapped out of her daze."Ma'am, we need to step outside," a nurse said, deliberately blocking her view of Arthur."No. I'm staying here!” she screamed when they stepped in her way, preventing her from getting closer to the patient."Papa! Pa! Let me get close!"Wulfric's security team rushed back into the room, this time pulling her away. She cried and struggled, her vision blurry with tears, but she could still clearly see Arthur's heart rate spike before crashing back to a flatline."Let go of me! That's my father! Papa!""Ma'am, please cooperate. We'll be in trouble with Sir Wulfric if you don't. Please, come with us," one of them pleaded as they restrained her, pinning her wrists as they carried her out of the room.They set her down at the end of the hallway, but as soon as
CHAPTER 54They didn’t have dinner the previous night.After their moment on the countertop, Wulfric carried her to the living room, and eventually, they ended up in the master bedroom.Her sleep was interrupted several times, waking to find him between her thighs again, or sometimes, already inside her, thrusting deeply.So, by the time she woke the next day, it was already afternoon. She found herself alone in bed, wearing one of Wulfric’s loose t-shirts and boxer shorts. Feeling a mixture of hunger and the soreness in her body, she forced herself to get up and head to the bathroom.Wulfric found her washing her face. He had already prepared a warm bath for her, complete with her favorite bath bombs, filling the room with a delightful fragrance.She had plenty of stocks of these in both the master’s and the guest room, along with her other hygiene products that filled the bathroom cabinet. Wulfric never complained about it. In fact, he once helped her shop and organize everything in
CHAPTER 53“I-I’m not,” she whispered in reply.“I should be the one cooking—spoiling you with food and delights.”“It’s nothing much. Just lasagna and—”“Roast beef, apple pie. All made with effort and love.”Her heart pounded. Did he know? Could Wulfric sense that she’s in love with him?“Lottie and Earl often boast that you always cook them food with love.”“Y-Yeah…” she let out an awkward laugh, relieved that he hadn’t caught on.“Tell me more about them.”“They’re not picky eaters.” She suddenly felt excited to talk about their children and to share more. “Did you know that when they were babies, Lottie loved sweet potatoes? And Earl, he’d chew on corn even though he didn’t have teeth yet.”Wulfric’s eyes sparkled with interest, encouraging her to continue.“I’d gather those from the backyard or sometimes get extra supplies from the hacienda that people gave away. Whenever I dug up sweet potatoes, Lottie always trailed behind me.”“She’s clingy.”“Very,” she giggled, momentarily
CHAPTER 52“W-Wulf, maybe we could—”“No,” he cut her off firmly, shaking his head. “I already know what you’re going to say, Kitten. I won’t let you be soft-hearted about this. Have you forgotten what Martha did to Arthur?”“But I just feel sorry for them, and—”“I already gave in to you earlier. She made you suffer, and she even threatened to kill our children before they were even born. That woman is pure evil, and I would fight her to protect you and our kids. Honestly, I should have shot that bitch when I had the chance!”Before she could respond, Wulfric knelt in front of her, catching her off guard. She grimaced as he pressed a clean handkerchief against the wound on her knee.“Look at what you’ve done to yourself. You should’ve called me instead of climbing over the fence.”She pouted. “Rufus is such a snitch.”“He’s loyal to me. You nearly gave him a heart attack.”“I’ll apologize. Where is he?”Wulfric didn’t answer, and from his silence, she quickly sensed that there was mo
CHAPTER 51 She still couldn’t believe what she had discovered, especially after seeing the undeniable proof that Arthur’s properties had been under her name for a long time. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t understand why he did it. Martha was his daughter, not her.What shocked her even more was the extent of Arthur's assets. He owned several properties abroad, including condo buildings and commercial establishments that generated monthly income. It was more than enough to cover his medical expenses.If Eldridge knew about all of this, why had he insisted that she marry in exchange for the money?“Please wake up now, Papa. Earl and Lottie want to meet you.” She carefully wiped Arthur’s body as she spoke.The doctor had informed her earlier that there were some improvements. His body was starting to respond to the medication.Her thoughts were interrupted when Cecil stumbled into the room, looking as if she might faint. Liz rushed to her side as the housekeeper clung to h
CHAPTER 50Frustrated, Wulfric ran a hand through his hair, gripping it tightly before squeezing his eyes shut. He never imagined stepping foot inside his father’s lair again. He had cut ties with the Manor ever since his mother and older sister passed away. Every corner of that house was a painful reminder of the worst part of his life.Their family was a complete disaster!His mother was a martyr, while his father did nothing but chase after women.Living like a bachelor, as if he didn’t have a family to consider. He must have thought Wulfric was too young to understand what was happening. Unlike his sister, who would cry along with their mother every time she found out their father had another mistress.Cairus never cared. Wulfric doubted the old man even had the capacity to love.Even when his sister and mother passed away, Cairus remained cold, simply telling him there was nothing he could do—they were gone, and no amount of grief could bring them back.Fuckiing hell!That’s why
CHAPTER 49Eva is Wulfric’s ex-girlfriend?!No wonder Angus kept calling her husband "papa." Everything started to make sense now.Elizabeth and Wulfric were both startled when the elevator doors opened. She was on her way back to their children’s room.“Kitten,” Wulfric called out in a hoarse voice. His unshaven stubble and half-closed eyes made her think he hadn’t slept at all last night.“Kitten,” he called her again, reaching out for her.Without thinking, she instinctively pulled her arm back, causing him to frown.She hid her hand behind her back and offered him a small smile. “Hi. Good morning.”“Why are you keeping what’s mine from me?” he demanded firmly instead.She stepped back as he tried to reach her again, which only deepened the frown on his face.The door at the far end of the hallway suddenly opened, making Wulfric turn sharply in that direction. He glared and angrily asked, “What the fuck did you tell her?”“I don’t want to argue with you. It’s too early,” his father
CHAPTER 48After dinner, the helpers escorted Lottie and Earl to the lanai to enjoy the chocolate fountain and ice cream, personally prepared by an international chef.The children gave her puppy eyes and sided with their grandfather, and she reluctantly allowed them to go.As she walked through the hallway, her steps halted in front of a large, captivating painting in the second living room. At first glance, she thought it was Angus, a child around nine to thirteen years old, but as she looked more closely, she realized it was actually Wulfric.The painting also featured a younger version of Chairman Cairus Channing and two women. She guessed the woman standing next to the Chairman was Wulfric's mother, while the younger one appeared to be in her late teens.Aside from the household staff, there were no other family members around, which made her curious about the two women in the painting. Wulfric had never mentioned anything about them.The Channings were indeed a secretive family!