CHAPTER 36 (PART 1)"Liz, my goodness, is that you?" Cecil couldn’t contain her excitement when she approached her.Like her, the old woman wore a mask and a hat to hide their face from the public’s eye."I missed you too, Cecil. Where’s Sir Arthur?" Liz asked."He’s upstairs. We need to hurry before Martha’s guard catches us." Cecil had sternly instructed her not to tell anyone where Arthur was admitted.She grabbed Liz by the arm and pulled her towards the stairs as she spotted someone approaching. Panic was etched on her face."I'm sorry, Liz, but we can’t use the elevator. We have to be careful.""Are you sure you can manage, Cecil?" Liz asked, concerned, when Cecil mentioned that Arthur's room was on the 26th floor. "I can go on my own if it's too much.""I’ll manage. I should’ve done this a long time ago. I was too afraid of Martha."Liz carefully assisted Cecil with each step."I should’ve made sure you were safe back then," Cecil said regretfully."I’m okay now,” Liz reassured
CHAPTER 36 (PART 2)“Where’s Auntie Pretty, Momma?”She made sure Earl’s seatbelt was securely fastened before answering, “I’ll meet her later.”“But Daddy said you went out with Auntie. Who did you visit at the hospital?” Earl even pointed directly at the Mother Sedon building in the distance.“Just a friend, Baby.”“A guy friend, Momma?”Why is Earl suddenly so nosy?“How did you know I was here?” she asked instead and raised an eyebrow at her kids who simultaneously pointed at Wulfric behind her.“Daddy’s a stalker!” Lottie yelled, giggling. “It’s not our fault, Momma.”Wulfric calmly responded, “Rufus told me.”She wasn’t surprised at all by his answer. Elizabeth had asked Rufus to drop her off a few blocks away from Mother Sedon yet they still managed to track her.Shaking her head, she got into the car. She thought the two little ones would give her a break during the drive but they continued with their questions—especially Earl who interrogated her like a detective trying to ge
CHAPTER 37Dorothea and her plans for the day were canceled because something urgent had come up with her best friend. However, she texted Elizabeth the address she had been asking for:‘8 Burn Road #04 Soutshire City.’“Oh, Burn Road!” Liz exclaimed. Nearly stumbled into Wulfric’s hard chest and almost fell down the stairs.“Jesus! Careful,” Wulfric snapped.He inspected her left knee. Seeing no injury, he picked up her phone instead. She quickly snatched it back and glared at him."Nosy much?""What are you planning to do at that place?""I’m going for a little trip. Why? Do you want to come along?”Wulfric’s jaw clenched and his forehead creased with irritation at her sarcasm. It wasn’t like she could help it—he always got on her nerves, even though she had no right to feel this way."I'm asking you nicely, Elizabeth.”"Elizabeth. Elizabeth," she muttered under her breath, mimicking him. She wanted to yell at him to ask where his 'kitten' was now."You can’t leave tomorrow. There’s
CHAPTER 38Elizabeth had no idea how she managed to leave the compound. She sat in a daze for the entire ride straight to her friend’s apartment.The only thing she could remember was Rufus catching her as her knees finally gave way. The three receptionists who greeted her had panicked and rushed to fan her. Thankfully, she didn’t faint…“Dory!” she shouted as she frantically pressed the doorbell.Her best friend looked disheveled and groggy when finally opened the door.Liz brushed past her. “Dory, I think I’m going crazy!”Dorothea yawned as she flopped down onto the couch.“Do you know where I just went? To the Channing Empire!”“Hmm…”“Oh my God, that old man is NOT my husband!!!” She’s almost hyperventilating.“What happened to you?” Finally, her bestfriend sat up.“It’s not him, Dory! It’s not him!” she exclaimed, punctuating her words with frantic hand gestures to emphasize that Attorney Uztaz was not her husband.All this time, she thought that the old man was her husband!But
CHAPTER 39"Daddy’s here! Daddy’s here!"Charlotte’s excited squeal jolted Liz awake. Disoriented, she reached for her phone to check the time. It was already seven in the evening—she had cried herself to sleep.“Earl, Daddy’s here, and he brought many gifts!”There are piles of paper bags scattered around Dorothea’s living room. Lottie was excitedly bouncing in front of Wulfric, while Earl was content to hug his father tightly.“Where’s your mom?”Liz quietly closed the bedroom door, but she stayed close, listening.“Still sleeping like a baby. Auntie Pretty went out, but she said the nice gentlemen are outside watching us.”“Where have you been, Dad? Why didn’t you call?”“Yeah, we missed you! And we left our house. Momma said she was bored, but we know she’s lying.”“Is she mad?”Liz held her breath at the tender sound of Wulfric’s voice.“We don’t know, Dad. She was mad at you before you left. What did you do to Momma?” Earl’s small voice sounded accusing.Liz smiled faintly. Earl
CHAPTER 40Back at Southshire Center again. Elizabeth had been standing in front of the Channing Hotel for quite a while now.There was no other Channing who would want to meet with her except her husband. He already knew about the twins. There was no running away anymore.This was the same hotel where she and Catherine had clashed at the Elite Party. Surely, even that incident had made its way to Chairman Channing. After all, the man who was her husband on paper owned the hotel, and his influence was vast.A man approached her. He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his hair neatly cut and looked even more dignified with the specs he wore."Mrs. Channing, welcome to Channing Hotel," he greeted with a slight bow. The two receptionists behind the desk audibly gasped in surprise. “I’m Holand. This way, please.”He led her towards the elevator.“Aren’t you coming with me?” Elizabeth asked in confusion when Holand remained standing outside.“The elevator is reserved for VIPs. It will take
CHAPTER 41By late afternoon, she finally arrived at the house where her kids used to live. Earlier that day, she’d stopped by Sir Gustave’s mansion to let him know she’d decided to stay in the house he was renting out. Sir Gustave had been shocked to see her show up at the massive gates of the Hacienda. He even offered to let her stay at the mansion for the night, but she turned him down right away. Not wanting her to struggle, he had three maids clean the house for her—something he’d never done before. He also made sure she didn’t leave without eating, and since she was starving, she didn’t argue. “Montiner,” she muttered with a bitter smile and shook her head. How naive she had been to overlook so many things.Now it finally dawned on her—the clues had always been there.Montiner Construction wasn’t even among the top companies in Southshire, and yet this man could afford a luxury yacht, pay millions of dollars, and receive invitations to elite parties.She should’ve known then
CHAPTER 42[WARNING]Her chest rose and fell rapidly as he straightened up, his eyes dark and menacing.“You have no escape from me, Kitten. No escape,” he promised in a low, threatening tone.He reached for the hem of his shirt from behind, muscles flexing with every movement. She swallowed hard when she heard the slow pull of the zipper on his pants—a sound that sent a thrill through her body like a warning she found herself eagerly anticipating.His boxer briefs could barely contain the bulge between his legs. She knew what was underneath—large, throbbing, and veined.“Eyes on me,” Wulfric commanded. He was dominant in bed, just as he was in everything else.Obediently, she tilted her head back, watching as he shed the last of his clothes.Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his impressive length spring free, and she gasped softly, her lips parting in temptation. She wanted to look down, to take him in fully, but she couldn’t. She was a prisoner to Wulfric’s intense, commanding g
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!