Chapter One Hunredd and Five: A Freah StartLily's POVThe morning wind was chilly with the scent of damp earth and the distant scent of burning wood from the neighbor's houses. The sun wasn't high yet, so soft golden lights glowed all over the village. The scene was peaceful, but inside me, something enormous is about to change.Simeon had just announced something that left me speechless.“We’re leaving this place,” he said, his deep voice calm yet firm. “All of us. We’re moving to the city to start a new life.”For a moment, silence filled the room.I looked at Nelson, my chest racing. His eyes were shocked, and I could tell what was racing through his mind. This was the only life he had known. This is where we had lived, suffered, and thrived. And yet, at the same time, I knew that he too had been looking forward to a new beginning—like me."Are… are you serious?" Nelson finally voiced, his words a soft whisper.Simeon nodded. "Yes. It's time to move on."A knot filled my throat.
Chapter One Hundred And Six: The Truth About SimeonLily's POVIt was not even dawn yet when Simeon stepped back from the balcony, phone pressed to his ear. He was speaking in hushed tones, but I could still hear snippets of what he was saying. He was giving orders, giving instructions, and telling someone to pick us up.I sat up on the hotel bed, stretching my arms, still dazed by the exhaustion of the past few days. All of it had occurred so suddenly. We were no longer at the venue where we had spent most of our lives. We had left behind the constant brawls, the fear, and the bloodshed.Nelson was sleeping half on and half off the couch, but the moment Simeon finished on the phone and turned around to us, he sat upright, rubbing his eyes."Who was it?" Nelson rumbled, his voice rough with sleep.Simeon pocketed his phone. "One of my security team. They're coming to take us in."Nelson frowned. "Security team?" He sounded perplexed. "You have a security team?"Simeon smiled faintly b
Chapter One Hundred And Six : A New Beginning Lily's POV The city air in the morning was something different—lighter, fresher, bursting with the energy of a city that never slept. Stepping out of the hotel with Simeon and Nelson, I felt like I was entering a new life. A new life free from the violence, the struggles of the past, and the constant battles for survival. Simeon had made up his mind—we were leaving, starting over. And that meant going to his company. I already knew that Simeon was rich. But Nelson was still in shock. Even as we entered the black SUV that we had been waiting in, he kept looking at Simeon as if he was seeing him for the first time. You're saying," Nelson said slowly, "that the whole time you had all that? You've been living like a king and we were stuck in that dump?" Simeon grinned, revving the engine. "I didn't say I was struggling." Nelson sneered. "Yeah, but you also never said you were a damn billionaire.". I chuckled. I was not shocked. I had se
Chapter One hundred and Eighr : The Battle of the Past and PresentLily's POVThe office was quiet, except for the metronomic clacking of my fingers against the keyboard. The city lights in front of the colossal glass windows gave a glow to the gleaming marble floor, making the room seem ethereal. It was already past midnight, and yet I remained in the office, hunched beside my desk, double-checking all the pieces of information of the upcoming project proposal.I wasn't just working hard—I was fighting.This wasn't just any project. This was personal.Adrian, my ex husband. Adrain company was bidding on the same deal, and I knew all too well what that meant. He wasn't just trying to win; he was trying to prove something—to himself, to Simeon, and worst of all, to me.My fists curled up at the very thought.Adrian had always been patronizing, but this was different. He was no longer just a business rival. He was after something I was struggling to claim for myself, something I needed
Chapter One Hundred and Nine : Painful Lily's POVI had never been more determined in my life.I had been working for weeks day and night on this project, putting in every ounce of energy and effort I had. Every report, every proposal, every presentation—I had gone over them more times than I could count. And the reason was simple.Adrian.My ex-husband's company was bidding on the same project, and I was not about to let him have it. This was not business to me—it was personal.I had to prove that I was not the same woman whom he used to dominate. I had to prove to Simeon that I was not just his secretary—I was an equal worker to stand alongside him.I had pulled late hours, lost sleep, and labored more than I ever did. And now, today was the day. The final meeting. The decision that would determine it all.I took a deep breath as I stood beside Simeon and Nelson outside the big conference hall. Tension was in the air. We had done all the groundwork that we could. Now it was time to
Chapter One hundred and ten: Unmasking the TraitorLily's POVThe moment the news came out that Adrian's company somehow obtained our project proposal, I knew something was amiss. There was a traitor among us.It was not an accident. It was not a mistake. There was a person in Kingsley Enterprises who gave us confidential information to Adrian's company to sabotage us. But why? And who?I sat in my office staring at the lengthy list of employees who had access to the information on the project. There weren't that many of them. Simeon, of course, had the most clearance. After that were the top executives, the law department, and a handful of special employees of the marketing and development departments.I clenched my teeth and curled my fists. "I will find you," I muttered to myself. "And when I do, you will wish that you had not betrayed this company."The Investigation BeginsI was not going to sit back and let this happen. This was personal.I started by requesting access to the se
Chapter One hundred and Eleven : A Night of Love and ComfortLily's POVI had not realized how fatigued I was until I looked at the time. It was already past 9 p.m., and I was still in my office, papers scattered around me and my laptop screen glowing dimly in the gloom. My eyes ached from reading all the reports I had been poring over, but I could not stop yet. The project was too important. I had to make sure that everything was perfect.Just as I was reaching for another document, my office door groaned as it swung open. I glanced up, expecting one of the assistants, but instead, Simeon walked in, his trademark expensive suit on, his hair slightly disheveled as though he'd been running his fingers through it."You're still here," he said, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I have too much to do. I cannot slacken."Simeon walked over to my desk and, without speaking, closed my laptop. I gaped in astonishment. "Hey! I was still workin
Chapter : Unfinished BusinessLily’s POVThe conference room was quiet except for the sound of papers shuffling and the occasional murmurs from Simeon and me. The past few days had been exhausting, with back-to-back interviews for the vacant managerial position in one of Simeon’s companies. We had already seen so many candidates, some promising, some outright disappointing.I rubbed my temples, glancing at the list of applicants left for the day. Only three more to go. I was about to call in the next person when the door suddenly opened.A woman walked in confidently, dressed in a sleek black dress and heels that clicked against the tiled floor. At first, I didn’t react—until my eyes traveled up to her face.My breath hitched.Vanessa.My hands clenched into fists as I gripped the papers in front of me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. What was she doing here?I turned to look at Simeon, and I could tell he was just as shocked as I was. His sharp eyes darkened slightly, but his face remain
Chapter Title: She Must Not ComePOV: LilySimple English | Very Long | Emotional & SuspensefulI was in the living room, laughing with Leora. We were talking about a movie that we all watched the night before. It was funny and confusing at the same time. Nelson was in the kitchen, trying to warm up the leftovers. Simeon was reading something on his phone and drinking tea.Leora smiled and continued, "That time when the man stormed into the wedding with the incorrect trousers still makes me laugh!"I laughed too. "And the woman fainted! I did not even know if she was pretending or not!"Simeon smiled but did not say anything. He was subdued.Then Nelson's phone beeped. He looked at it and stiffened right away. His smile disappeared. He stared at the screen for a long time.Simeon noticed. "What is it?"Nelson didn't answer. He just handed the phone to Simeon.I turned back to look. "What happened?"Simeon read slowly from the message."Hi Nelson. I'm fine now. I've missed you. I want
Chapter 154 : The Picture That Changed EverythingLily's POVThe afternoon sun cast a warm glow through the windows as we remained in the living room. Simeon was on the phone, fingers moving quickly. Nelson was across from him, looking at the floor, while Leora had a sip of tea in silence next to me.Simeon's phone suddenly buzzed. He looked at the screen, and his face immediately altered."Deji just sent something," he said, voice tight.He opened the message and we all clustered in silence. The picture revealed a woman at the hospital reception speaking to the receptionists. My heart jumped."That's… Camila," I gasped, recognizing her immediately."What? Let me see," Nelson's head snapped up.He grabbed the phone from Simeon and looked at the photo. "No, it can't be. She told me she was at home the entire time."Leora leaned in closer. "Are you sure it's her?"Simeon nodded. "Deji explained to me that she was attempting to convince the hospital staff to report Camila was taken in if
Chapter One hundred and fifty three : The Hospital ClueDeji’s POVI ventured out in the early morning. The message we had gotten last night did not escape my mind. Camila was supposed to be at the hospital. Redhill Hospital. But we all knew that it was a trap. Nelson had come very close to going, but we discouraged him. Now it was my turn to check out the facts.I just wore jeans and a shirt. I did not want to be noticed. My phone was charged, and I had a small camera in my backpack in case. I rode a bike to the hospital so I could go fast and unnoticed.Redhill Hospital was massive. Very clean. Nurses hurried in and out, patients wandered about, and there was a hint of medicine in the air. I walked straight to the reception desk. There was a woman in her late forties at the desk. She wore glasses and was weary-looking but pleasant."Good morning, ma," I said to her with a grin.She looked up and smiled at me. "Good morning. How can I help you?"I tried to remain calm. "Please, I'm l
Chapter One hundred and fifty two : Just the Two of Us(Lily's POV)I had just cooked. The aroma filled the whole kitchen—grilled chicken, spicy sauce, and fried rice, Nelson's favorite. I had observed he was quiet of late. He did not laugh as much, did not smile as much. Since that message regarding Camila and the faked emergency, I knew he was troubled. Maybe food could get him to open up.I laid the food daintily on a tray and entered the living room where he sat on the couch, looking at his phone. The TV was on but he wasn't watching it. "Hey," I spoke softly with a smile. "I made your favorite."He looked up and a small smile appeared on his face. "Thanks, Lily. You always know what I need."I sat beside him and gave him the tray. He started to eat slowly.We didn't say a word for a couple of minutes. Just the muted sound of the spoon and the quiet hum from the TV. Then I took a good look at him. He looked weary—not just physically, but also in his heart."Nelson," I said slowly
Chapter One hundred and fifty one— A New PlanWe all sat in the lounge, quiet and thinking. The message still echoed in my head:"Camila is in Redhill Hospital. Emergency. Come quick."But we knew something was wrong. Simeon had checked. Camila hadn't sent it. The number was hidden. It was a trap. And now we had to think carefully.Simeon stood by the window, arms crossed. Nelson sat on the sofa, head bowed, deep in thought. I placed a cup of tea in front of them. No one touched it.I broke the silence."So… what do we do now?"Simeon turned round slowly. "They think we're stupid. That we'll charge into danger without asking questions."Nelson raised his head. "But it could still be true. What if Camila is really hurt?"I sighed. "I know. But we did look. The hospital did not have her as a patient. Simeon's contact said no one with her description was admitted."Nelson rubbed his face. "This is all too much."Simeon moved closer and sat beside me. "Nelson, you like her. That's okay. B
Chpater Pne hundred and Fity : A Message That Changed EverythingLily's POVI went to clear the plates after we ate. Everybody had loved the food. I had cooked peppered chicken and served with fried rice and served it with cold drinks. Leora helped clear the table as Nelson and Simeon sat in the living room, chatting softly.The house was quiet, warm, and peaceful. For the first time in a very long while, I felt relaxed. I even smiled a little when washing the plates. But that peace didn't last."Lily!" Nelson's voice cracked.I rushed to wipe my hands and followed him out. I saw him standing with his phone, his face with worry. Simeon was standing next to him, gazing at the screen as well."What's happening?" I asked, my heart starting to thump."It's a message," Nelson said. His voice was low. "Someone sent me this."He gave me the phone.I read it out loud:"Camila is in danger. She's been kidnapped. If you love her, go to Redhill Hospital. Alone."My chest tightened.Leora stepped
Chapter: The Emergency MessageI had just prepared the food. The smell of fried rice and chicken with pepper filled the kitchen with a savory aroma as I gingerly placed the final plate on the dining table. It was a peaceful night—one of those rare moments when we could all sit together and have a meal without stress.Simeon was already seated, his sleeves rolled up as he leaned back in his chair. Nelson was scrolling through his phone, and Leora had just come down from her room, looking tired but smiling.“Wow, Lily,” Leora said, sitting beside me. “This smells so good. You’re really spoiling us.”I smiled, wiping my hands on a napkin. “You all deserve it. It’s been a long week.”We all sat down and started eating. The food was hot, and everyone appeared to be in a calm mood. Even Simeon, who was always preoccupied with something, appeared to be enjoying a moment of peace."This is great," Nelson said, his fork stabbing into his chicken. "You've done a great job, Lily."I smiled gentl
Chapter 148: A Quiet Evening TogetherIt was an odd moment. Nelson and Liora were out, and the house was quiet. The normal business chaos, the plans, and the anxiety were all forgotten for the sake of a moment. I had been cooking for my day, something that I no longer had time for. I prepared a simple dinner—nothing fancy, merely some pasta, some salad, and some bread. But the smell of cooked food permeated the house, and I couldn't help but feel a little proud of the meal that I had prepared.I put on a loose dress, one that I usually reserved for times when I needed to unwind. Soft and unadorned, it was the perfect dress for an evening in. I had no idea why, but tonight felt different. Maybe it was because we were alone, the two of us. Maybe it was because, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I could breathe.I walked into the living room where Simeon was, organizing some papers. His usual composed self was there, but his gaze was on me when I walked in. When eyes met,
Chapter 146: Leora’s Confession(Lily’s POV)I had just finished cleaning up the kitchen when Leora walked in. She looked tired, like she had been thinking a lot. Her eyes were dull, and her shoulders were a little slouched. I could tell something was bothering her.Simeon was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading through a document. I joined him and sat quietly for a while. Then Leora came over and stood in front of us.“I want to talk to both of you,” she said softly.Simeon looked up. “Sure. Sit down.”Leora sat across from us and looked at me first, then Simeon. Her eyes were filled with something—nervousness, fear… maybe even a little hope.“I don’t know how to say this,” she began, wringing her hands together. “But I like Nelson.”I blinked. Simeon raised a brow.“You… like him?” I repeated slowly.Leora nodded. “Yes. I’ve liked him for a while now. I didn’t want to say anything because I wasn’t sure how you both would take it.”Simeon leaned back and folded his arms.