MIRANDA For the first time since I had met Hazel, I saw fear in his eyes.He let go of my hand and balled his fists as he assumed a fighting stance.When Ramos' dogs began to approach, my eyes lit up as I remembered the pepper spray I had put inside my bag. Back then, I didn't think it would come in handy but I just carried it because it gave me a sense of security without Hazel.Who knew I would need it so soon? Taking it out of my bag, I sprayed it at the men who had approached us. They cried out, falling to the ground as they had not expected it.Merely inhaling it made me feel very uncomfortable, I could not imagine how much pain the eyes of the men were in.Hazel turned and briefly smiled at me as he proceeded to kick the men who had already fallen to their knees.Despite seeing his men on the ground, Ramos did not make any move but just kept smiling at us with his arms folded.Hazel was still kicking the rest of his men when six black jeeps suddenly pulled up behind Ramos. Men
MIRANDA Hazel and I both came out of hiding, picked up sticks for protection, and began to run out of the woods.Fortunately, we did not meet any of them and finally reached the road. We both sighed in relief and threw our sticks when we saw a cab.We got into the cab after Hazel instructed the driver to take us to the restaurant where we had parked our car.Once we got there, he took out his wallet and paid the driver. We made a few inquiries at the restaurant and found out about a hotel that was close by.Hazel drove our car to the hotel and booked a room. Once we were inside, I sat on the bed and checked my bag which had gotten wet.Our phones had both gotten wet and gone off and I couldn't walk properly because of the thorns stuck to the sole of my feet. I had also dropped my pepper spray before we jumped and felt bad about leaving it behind."Let me have your phone," Hazel told me. I gave it to him and he opened both our phones and went to the balcony, placing the phone parts in
HAZELI walked to the balcony and called someone I hadn't spoken to in a while."If you're calling me today, then the world must be about to come to an end," President Rowland said to me when he answered my call."Good evening, old man," I addressed him as fondly as I used to.He laughed, "I see you still take pleasure in getting on my nerves. So tell me, what gives?""I'm afraid this isn't a courtesy call, Godfather." I went ahead and explained everything that Miranda and I had experienced in Caracas to President Rowland.He became my godfather when I was eighteen. At the time, he was not the president of my country but just a businessman.My father had just revealed his lover whom he had been cheating on my mother with, and it turned out that they'd had a son together for years. His company, which was his' and my mother's sweat was sold to Tim Rowland who was a wealthy businessman. Even though it was a small company then, I sought to buy it back because it had my mother's sweat.I a
MIRANDAAfter Ramos threatened to break down the door and finally kicked it, I gathered the sheets with my fists, feeling chilled to the bone as my teeth chattered in fear.The sound of gunshots made me cover my ears with my hands. My heart raced as my lips pressed into a thin line, while I closed my eyes.Then suddenly it became quiet. I hugged my knees while still sitting on the bed, barely feeling the impact of the injury under my feet because fear gnawed at me.I suddenly heard a knock on the door and a familiar voice say, "Open up."My heart skipped a beat as the voice sounded so much like Hazel's."Was that Hazel?" I wondered."Open up, Miranda, it's me." It was indeed Hazel.My eyes lit up and I got off the bed and ran toward the door to open it. I suddenly stopped when I recalled Ramos' voice from earlier. What if one of Ramos' men was pretending to speak like Hazel? It was a long stretch but not impossible."Is it really you, Hazel?" I asked...."I heard Ramos'......""It's you
MIRANDA I never knew being bathed by a man could feel so amazing; especially a man like Hazel Duke. Once we were done, he carried me out of the Jacuzzi and patted my body dry with a towel. Afterward, he took me back to the bedroom and placed me on the bed."Don't move," he ordered when I tried to get up. I had completely forgotten that my feet were still sore."Tell me which of these two clothes you would like to put on." He showed me a robe and my favorite pajamas."I'll go with the pink," I replied pointing at the pajamas.He returned the robe and helped me put on the pajamas. Afterward, he changed out of his towel, putting on a black robe before lying beside me on the bed.After a brief moment of silence, he said, "Let me call the doctor and find out if he is close."After speaking to the doctor, he assured me that he would arrive in no time."Thank you," I replied."You're welcome. Tell me, Miranda, before you were brought to me to become my wife, what was your dream?" He sudden
MIRANDA The doctor arrived shortly after and administered an injection into my veins to prevent infection. He gave Hazel a few instructions along with a tube of cream before leaving.After the doctor left, Hazel began to apply the cream under my feet while I stared at him wondering if everything that had happened so far was a dream.In spite of all that had happened between me and Hazel, it was still difficult to believe that he was the Hazel I knew.He had suddenly become a different man; Kind, patient toward me, loving, and tolerant. Without a doubt, I believed he had feelings for me but how long was it going to last for?Was he the same way with his ex-wife Shayla when they were together? From what I gathered, they had been in love before he married her. Had he been this caring too?I could still recall the first time I met her, she had felt sorry for me when she learned that I was Hazel's new wife, at least, that was what she had told me. Was it a good idea to ask Hazel about his
MIRANDA Seeing the surprised look on my face, Hazel chuckled, "What do you think? I will burn down the kitchen? I learned how to cook when I was young because back then, I didn't want to rely on anyone."I wanted to ask him what the situation was like back then, but I was too hungry to form the words. I stared at him as he put the pot on fire and began to cook the noodles.Seeing that his attention was no longer on me, I took advantage of the opportunity and walked closer to the pack of noodles. I knew I couldn't wait for him to finish cooking.Picking up a pack of noodles, I quickly hid it under the shirt of my pajamas.He suddenly turned to stare at me and I gulped. My face which had turned red, contorted in pain and my heart rate increased.Hazel noticed my condition and walked up to me, "Are you okay? Are you in any pain?"I regretted not telling him the truth from the beginning. I didn't want to seem like a liar so I nodded, "Yes, I am fine. I think I need to use the restroom. I'
MIRANDA The man posing as Hazel got up with a strange look in his eyes.As he approached me slowly, I took a few steps back, warning, "Don't come any closer, otherwise I will stab you with this fork.""This doesn't seem like a joke," were the words he said before he turned around and walked away. I noticed he was heading toward the kitchen and ran back to the bedroom, locking the door.Recalling that I had just eaten the food he made, my heart raced even more. I didn't know what to do. In a city where I knew no one else, how could I find out what was going on?I wondered when exactly Hazel was switched and what had happened to him."Who was the man I gave myself to?" It was most likely the impostor because the Hazel I knew wanted our relationship to be different. He had clearly stated it in the contract he made me sign."Miranda, this isn't funny anymore. Open up, I'm worried about you," Hazel's voice followed by a series of knocks on the door, made me take a few more steps away from
MEL I walked into the home of my best friend, Miranda which had been thoroughly decorated. "Mel! You came!" she exclaimed and wanted to get up so she could hug me. "No, you don't need to get up," I said stopping her. "You just brought a new life into this world and should get all the rest you need." She rolled her eyes, "It's been over three days, Mel and I feel quite strong. I gave birth but everyone acts like I'm handicapped. My mom, my mother-in-law, my husband, and now you." I laughed, "They can't help it. You are their princess. Where's everyone by the way?" She sighed, "They are all in my son's room. I instructed the maids to send you here because I wanted us to chat for a little. It's been a while." I sighed, "Yeah. It's been quite hectic, with my pregnancy and all. I rarely even go to the company because Simon takes care of everything and insists I should rest." Miranda smiled, "He is just like Hazel, but I can't blame him. Your stomach is protruding because y
"Wow! I am so happy, Simon." Gia gushed. "I feel as though I am dreaming." "The party will be held at seven," Simon added. "When it's time, I'll pick you up and take you to the venue, okay?" She nodded her head excitedly. "Now, you can go back to your office, I have a lot of work to do." As she walked away, Simon smiled, "Finally, I'm going to put an end to all the drama and enjoy my marriage to the fullest." While in her office, Gia kept daydreaming about how the news of her upcoming wedding to Simon would go viral. Thinking about how sad Mel would be when the time came, doubled her happiness. After spending a little time in her office, she went out and did some shopping, getting herself a nice dress for the party. At six-thirty, she was ready and waiting for Simon to pick her up. She imagined how envious of her, people would be, as well as the various opportunities that would be open to her once she became Simon's wife. If only she had known that Simon would be the o
After leaving the station, Gia went back home. She felt so happy that everything had gone her way and she began to celebrate. She changed the password of her door, just in case Simon wanted to come around to pay her a visit. She had a feeling it would happen anytime soon. When she heard a knock on the door, she opened it a little and saw her boyfriend, Bill outside. "What do you want?" She asked. Bill scoffed, "What sort of stupid question is that? And why did you change the passcode of the door?' She smiled, "Have you forgotten that this is my house? Yes, I paid for this house so I can decide to do whatever I want with it." "What has gotten over you?" He asked her in surprise. "Why are you being so rude? Move away, and let me in." However, she slammed the door on his face. He knocked on the door again while she went straight to the room and began to pack up his things. Putting all his stuff into a bag, she came back, opened the door, and threw his bag outside. "What
Jude, who had spent the night at Riley's, showed up at Mel's company before she even arrived. He was filled with so much anger because of what Riley had told him, and he had four men with him, all armed. He planned to deal with Mel thoroughly. They hid and waited for Mel, until she showed up, went into the company and up to her office. Afterward, Jude led the men, and they all barged into Mel's office. When Mel saw Jude, she rolled her eyes, "What do you want?" He turned and gestured to the men, who took out their guns and pointed them at her. "What does it look like, Mel? I'm going to give you a taste of your own medicine. Simon has divorced you, so he is not here to protect you. Just as you forced Riley at gunpoint to say those things, I am also going to force you to your knees at gunpoint and make you clear her name. I will reveal who you truly are to the entire world." Jude snarled. Mel chuckled, "Is that what Riley told you?" She threw her head back and laughed, "Oh Ju
After spending time thinking about what to do, Sandra finally made up her mind. She called Becky and Aria; the maids she had planted in Simon's house, and asked them to meet with her secretly. Since Simon was not home, it was easy for the maids to sneak out and hurry to meet Sandra at the agreed location.Sandra stared at the bottle in her hand, with the liquid inside it, and said, "I never wanted it to get to this Simon, It's all your fault. You just have to die. As for Gia, she will learn the consequences of double-crossing me. Gia, watch what I will do to you once Simon dies and I take control of the company. Both you and Mel will learn that I am not someone to be trifled with."Simon was in his guest house with Mel when he received a call from the man he had planted in Sandra's house. "Okay, thank you," he replied. After the call ended, he turned to Mel and said, "Finally, Sandra is taking that bold step we wanted her to take." Mel gasped, "Really? I never really thought sh
Sandra got out of her car, her face beaming with excitement as she thought, "Mel has signed the divorce papers, moved out of Simon's house, and found accommodation elsewhere. Meanwhile, Simon is having an affair with his ex, taking her out to dinner, and even getting intimate with her. How would Dad react to this amazing news?" She could not wait to present all the evidence she had before her father. She believed that once he realized that Simon's wife had divorced him due to his infidelity, he would never forgive Simon. Even if he did forgive him, their relationship would never be the same again and nothing could make her happier than that. Of course, that would also pave the way for her to get the company back from Simon. Because once his father gave him the order, Simon, who valued his father's approval and happiness more than anything, would have no choice but to obey him. When Sandra walked into the house and her father saw her, he sighed. She sat beside him and as
After Riley left, Mel and Simon spent some more time together at his guest house, taking pictures, making videos, and talking about their plans before Simon eventually left and went back home. In the morning, while it was still very early, Mel got dressed and ready for work. She packed the fruit Simon had brought the previous day into a bag and left for her father-in-law's house. She planned to go to work from there, so she had to leave early because she had a lot to do at the company. When she arrived at his house, Simon's father was so happy to see her. "I have missed you," he told her. "I thought you guys had gotten so busy that you'd forgotten about me." "That is not possible," Mel told him. "Here, I brought some of your favorite fruits." He smiled, "Why did you go through the trouble? There are more than enough fruits here for me." "I know," Mel replied, "I just... I still wanted to bring something that you would like." "Thank you," he beamed. "You must have your hand
When Mel opened her eyes, Simon was sitting up staring at her with one of his hands gently stroking her hair. "Good morning," She told him. "Morning, Darling," he replied. She was about to speak when he placed his hand on his chest as though he was in pain. She immediately became alarmed and sat up, "What is it?" Hand still on his chest, he smiled, "You are beautiful." She furrowed her brows, "What?" "How can you be so beautiful even in the morning?" He asked. "Just the thought that I won't get to see you until evening makes my heart hurt." She shook her head, "You are impossible. Is that the new pickup line these days?" He threw his head back and laughed, "Seriously, I have no idea. I'm just expressing how you make me feel." She looked at the time, "It's almost 5.am. You should leave now so our plan doesn't get ruined. He sighed, "It seems those two vultures are already awake. I need to be very careful." As he got up to leave, Mel asked him to wait, so she coul
When Simon arrived at his company, he could not stop smiling due to the conversation he earlier had with Mel. However, when Gia walked into his office, dressed in a provocative black dress, the smile on his face disappeared, and he pretended to be sad. She stood on the other side of the table and said, "Simon, I know you told me not to come into your office, but I'm worried about you. I see the way you look sad and worried. For old times' sake, I can't just leave you all by yourself." Simon stared at her from head to toe and said, "I thought I told you that this form of dressing is not allowed in my office." She smiled, "Oh, I actually came with a jacket; it's just that it's in my office." He stared at her exposed thighs and scoffed, inwardly thinking, "I can't believe I was ever in love with someone this shameless." "It seems you have a lot on your mind," she said, turning to the other side and taking a chair with her so she could sit closer to him, "Do you want to talk