Clara smiled at the middle aged man seated opposite her as he signed the papers in his presence. He was done signing and looked up at her with a smile too.“I am very sure it would be nice doing business with you Miss. Harper.” Mr. Norman said with a wide smile.“Of course, Mr. Norman. I am looking forward to our plans together.” Clara replied as she checked the papers. She checked if his signature was everywhere it was supposed to be and it was.“I will take my leave.” She said and stood up.“Have a nice day.” He said to her and she nodded with a smile before walking out of his office. As she headed towards the elevator, she pulled out her phone and dialed Dexter’s number. She waited for him to pick up and he did after a few rings. She was already in the elevator and she pressed the button to the ground floor. “Missing me so much already?” Dexter teased, she rolled her eyes before responding.“No. I am calling to inform you that it is done. The Blackwell's wealth is down by thirt
Xavier walked out of his car and headed into the house. He got in and met Kathrine and his daughter seated in the living room.Immediately Sarah noticed his presence, her face lit up.“Daddy.” She called happily and rushed to him, Xavier faked a smile as he lifted her in his arms and spun her around. She giggled and wrapped her hands around his neck.“I missed you, Daddy.”“I missed you too.” He replied and kissed her cheek. Xavier glanced at Kathrine who was staring at them. She looked away from him as their eyes locked.Ever since the night of the ball, she has been a little scared of Xavier. He has always been nice to her and never showed how cruel he can be.Xavier slowly dropped his daughter on her feet.“Sarah, can you go up to your room for a few minutes? I have to talk to your mother about something.” Xavier said as he stared down at her.“Okay, Daddy.” She replied and walked up the stairs. Xavier waited till she was out of sight before walking towards Kathrine. He slowly to
Clara heard her phone ring in her sleep, she groaned and decided to ignore it. She was too exhausted and needed to sleep. It stopped ringing but started ringing again immediately. Without opening her eyes, she used her hands to search for the phone on her bed. She finally found it and picked up the call without looking at the corner. She placed the phone on her ear and sighed before speaking up.“Hello.” She called with a sleepy voice.“Clara.” She heard the caller say softly. She knew who it was immediately and opened her eyes.“Xavier.” She called back and waited for him to speak. She didn't bother to ask how he got her number, she knew he would find his way. All she wanted to know was why he was calling.He didn't say anything so she decided to speak. She looked at the time before placing the phone on her ear again.“It's the middle of the night, why are you calling?”“I… I am… ““Drunk.” Clara ended his statement for him. She could tell he was, his heavy breathing, the sluggishn
After having breakfast with the kids, it was time for Xavier to leave. The kids stayed back while Clara followed Xavier out. He called his chauffeur earlier and sent Clara’s address to him. They got to the car and Xavier turned to Clara with a smile.“Thank you, I know I wasn't supposed to call you. I’m sorry if I made things awkward this morning too but thank you.” He said and Clara nodded.“Sure. You are welcome.” He was about to turn but she hurriedly spoke up which made him stop.“So, how did you ask her about it?” Clara asked. Xavier raised his brows confused as he wondered what she was talking about.“Huh?”“Well, I am guessing it went bad. That explained why you drank so much.” She said.“What are you talking about?” Xavier asked.“Are you going to keep Sarah or you are going to let her go with her mother? Are you kicking Kathrine out?” She asked. Xavier was confused and shocked. How the hell did she know about it?He was sure he didn't blab things out last night so how the h
Xavier stared at Kathrine and Sarah as they walked down the stairs. Sarah was crying as the maids behind them dragged their bags.After Xavier left Clara’s house earlier, he headed to the hospital and informed Kathrine to be there with Sarah. The DNA test was done and the result was out hours later, Sarah really isn't his daughter. Katherine knew she couldn't argue about it anymore, she knew she had been caught.They got to the living room and Sarah rushed to Xavier, she held his legs and looked up at him in tears. “Daddy, please. I don't want to leave.” She cried. Xavier didn't say anything as he stared down at her.“Come on Sarah, let’s go.” Kathrine said.“She is staying.” Xavier suddenly said and Sarah’s cries died down.“Wha… ““You are leaving but she is staying.” Xavier cut Kathrine off as she was about to argue with him. “She is not your daughter.” She scoffed. Xavier stared at her in disbelief, she wasn't remorseful at all. She doesn't care.“Sarah, do you want to go wi
Clara walked down the stairs looking elegant as always in her dress, her kids were in the living room already, waiting for her. She got to them and Kaylee smiled widely at her.“You look beautiful, mummy.” She complimented her and Clara smiled. “Thank you, baby, you look amazing too.” Clara replied, she giggled in response. Clara looked at Kayleb expecting him to say something about her dress too but he didn't say anything.“What?” He asked, noticing Clara was staring at him for a long time.“Won't you say anything about my dress?” Clara asked.“What do you want me to say about it?” He asked back with a frown and Clara stared at him surprised.“Kaylen… ““Can we just go now and get this over with? And when are we going back home?” He asked rudely. Clara glanced at Kaylee confused, he was in a good mood till they started getting ready. What changed so fast? Kaylee shrugged in response and Clara looked at him.“Kaylen.” Clara called but he ignored her and then walked out of the hous
Everyone waited impatiently in the hallway at the hospital. Dexter and Xavier were pacing. Lucy and Carl were seated, carrying the twins. Mr & Mrs. Blackwell weren't there, they were back at their mansion with Sarah. It had been up to an hour that they had been waiting to get a response from the doctor, they were hoping it would be positive. Clara wasn't breathing by the time they got her to the hospital, everyone was scared. Kaylee kept crying in Carl’s arms while Kaylen looked like he wanted to cry but he was fighting his tears.Kaylee sniffed loudly and Carl looked down at her, he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair.“It's okay, she will be fine.” He whispered to her. Suddenly, the door to the room opened and everyone rushed towards the doctor. “How is she?” Xavier asked.“Is she okay?” Dexter asked. “We don't know for now but she is stable.” The doctor replied, staring at their worried faces.“Wha… What happened to her?” Lucy asked.“She was poisoned.” He repli
“What?” Xavier asked.“I know how, I really can't explain it but I just have a feeling he did it. Why does it have to happen when he showed up? Lucy was with her all day, they all had the same thing. And when I handed her the drink, she was okay minutes later. It was after she took the drink when she was with Dexter that it happened.” Carl explained and Xavier furrowed his brows.“But he said she grabbed it off the tray of a waiter. He didn't hand it to her.” Xavier said and Carl sighed. They were back to square one. He had no idea why he kept on thinking Dexter did it.“Does the Hawkins have a camera in their ballroom?” Xavier asked Carl.“I don't know, I didn't notice.” He replied.“Fuck.” Xavier cursed. “Do you have anyone you are suspicious of?” Carl asked Xavier but he didn't give him a response. “I don't know yet. Let's just hope Clara wakes up.”“Yeah.”~THE NEXT DAY Everyone was in the hallway waiting for the doctor to walk out of the room. They were hoping to hear positi
Clara and her kids sat outside Xavier’s ward, the doctors were in his ward, they had no idea what they were doing but they had been in there for over thirty minutes. After passing out, he was rushed out of the ballroom. The twins said they wanted to see if he was okay before heading home. Clara wanted to decline but she let them anyway.Carl, Lucy, and Dexter were also outside the ward with them. Lucy kept glaring at Clara but she avoided her looks.Clara turned to her kids, Kaylee was leaning on Kaylen.“Are you guys comfortable? We can head home if you want.” She said,“We just want to see if he is okay, we will leave after.” Kaylen replied and she nodded. Dexter scoffed and rolled his eyes which made everyone look at him.“He deserves whatever is happening to me or what will happen to him.” Dexter said. Clara gave him a stern look.“Why the hell are you here?” Lucy asked with a glare.“This is the last place I want to be, trust me.” He scoffed.“Then fucking leave.” Lucy snapped
DAYS LATERIt's been days since Clara left where Xavier kept her. She returned home to her kids, but no one knew what happened, she didn't tell Dexter about it. Her kids moved back in with her, she was happy around them and they were happy. Xavier travelled back to California with Lucy and Carl but they would be back the next day. They would be a party in two days and everyone was invited. Malia has to show up with Xavier of course, only if she has an explanation for her husband’s absence.Since it was just a normal party, everyone wasn't so hyped about it. Clara didn't waste her time on having a perfect dress either. The kids returned to school, they stopped being bullied. Everyone felt bad they didn't pay attention to the news about them missing, Taylor felt worse. The twins weren't talking to him, he tried to apologize to them but they ignored him just like he ignored them. Everything seemed to be back to normal, everything was peaceful again.~It was finally the day of the
A DAY LATERXavier walked into the room with a tray filled with meals. He closed the door and placed the meal on the table. He turned to the bed and stared at Clara, she was staring at him. She had a cold expression as she looked at him.She was cuffed to the bed which made moving not easy for her.“Are you going to eat now?” Xavier asked. She didn't respond, she just kept staring. He carried the tray from the table and moved closer to the bed, he dropped it next to her. In the process, his hand touched her and she whimpered. She recalled what happened a day ago, she had flashbacks and she shut her eyes in fear. She felt the hairs on her body erect as she felt shivers.Xavier furrowed his brows as he stared at her, he wondered what was wrong with her.“Please, don't touch me.” She whispered as her voice broke. Xavier noticed his hand was touching her knee, he slowly pulled away from her. She breathed heavily and slowly opened her eyes. She had tears in them. Xavier understood wha
WARNING: This chapter contains a graphic description of sexual abuse which may be triggering to some readers. If you are sensitive to this, please, skip this chapter!The next few days were normal, there was no drama in the city. The Blackwells family returned to California except for Xavier, Lucy, and Carl. The news about the wedding had died down since it had been done. Clara knew Xavier was on to her so she decided her kids would be safer with Dexter. She moved them to Dexter’s house but visits them every day. The kids were okay with this, they loved Dexter anyway. They stopped going to school, Clara couldn't risk it. She doesn't want them to go missing again, if they do, she might lose it. Clara returned to work the next day after her kids were found, she made herself the talk of the city again. She topped the business chats in days which gave everyone something to talk about. She was back and better! Malia was quiet which was suspicious but Clara decided to not worry about i
Clara drove into Dexter’s house, she pulled over, and rushed out of the car. She rushed into the house and screamed happily as she saw her kids. They rushed to her, she bent to their level and hugged them tightly.“I missed you both so much.” She sighed.“We missed you too.” They chorused. Dexter stood and watched them with a smile.She held them for a very long time before letting go of them. She ran her eyes and hands on their body to see if they were hurt.“They are fine, Kaylee added a little weight too. They are really fine.” Dexter said, walking towards them.“Really?” Clara furrowed her brows and stared at Kaylee, she smiled and spun around.“So, this is the part where we tell you what happened?” Kaylen asked and she and Dexter nodded in response.“Well, the night we were taken, we thought they hurt you too 'cause we saw the guards on the floor when we were dragged out of the house. We thought it was a kidnap, well it was.”“Xavier’s guards took us and took us to the penthouse
It was finally the day the whole city anticipated. The day Malia Parish will be getting married to Xavier Blackwell. It was the talk of the city, most of the people had forgotten about the disappearance of Clara’s twins. They focused on the wedding. Clara was hurt by this, the cops gave up the search but the organization didn't. They knew Xavier took them so they focused their search on that. Clara was mad at the whole city, she was forgotten and no one cared about her. The arrival of the Blackwells was announced a day before the wedding. A lot of people were invited to the wedding, important rich families in and out of the city. It was the day Clara would get her kids back and it was a day of happiness for the Blackwells and the Parishs too. In short, that day was the day it would all change, for good or for the worse. Clara exhaled heavily as she stared at herself in the mirror, she was dressed in leather pants and a jacket. Her hair was tied into a ponytail with a few strand
It's been days since the twins went missing, the whole city knew about it. Xavier was nowhere to be found too.Clara searched everywhere she could, she knew Xavier had taken them but she had no idea where he took them to.Tokyo was helping her with the search, the whole organization was helping her. Tokyo assured her that they would be found, and she informed Clara that Xavier hadn't left the country yet or the city. He was still around, he was hiding somewhere with her kids. If he tries to leave the city or the country, they will know about it. Clara was trying her best not to lose it, Dexter was supportive too. Malia released the news about her wedding with Xavier, it would be done in a few days. It was sooner than everyone expected but it was to Clara’s advantage. Xavier will definitely show up on the wedding day, what is a wedding without the groom? She would get him and get her kids back on that day. The news about the twins missing and Malia’s wedding coming up was what eve
“No, no, no.” Clara muttered as she got off the bed, she rushed into her closet and got dressed in seconds. She grabbed her keys and phone and rushed out of the room. On her way, she tried calling Xavier back but the call wasn't connecting. She tried calling Dexter too but he wasn't picking up. She got out of the house, got into her car, and drove out of the mansion. She kept calling Dexter as tears welled up in her eyes, she was terrified. She had no idea where to go, so she decided to head to his house. Tears kept streaming down her eyes, she hoped he was okay. She arrived at his house in minutes and rushed out of the car. He doesn't have guards around or maids, he prefers to stay alone.“Dexter.” Clara yelled as she hit the front door, she forced the door open and rushed in. She froze when she saw him walking down the stairs.“What? What's wrong?” He asked. She rushed to him and hugged him tightly, she cried as she hugged him. Dexter was confused but he hugged her back.“Di
Clara sat in her office, she went through her computer, replying to all emails necessary and doing other work. Her kids were running around the room, sometimes they ran out of her office and ran back in. She wasn't bothered, as long as they were happy and okay. Kaylee ran to Clara and stood next to her. Clara ignored her and paid attention to her work. Kaylee knew she was intentionally ignoring her. She poked Clara’s shoulder but she was still ignored. Kaylee smiled and poked her repeatedly.“Mummy.” She called and poked her. “Mummy.” “Mummy.” Clara exhaled heavily and turned to her.“Yes, Kaylee?”“I am hungry.” She whined and Clara looked at Dexter, he seemed busy with the cellphone with him.“What do you want?” She asked and Kaylee shrugged in response.“I don't know.” Clara was about to speak when the door to her office opened and Tokyo walked in. Clara was surprised to see her, the same as the kids.“Tokyo.” Kaylen called happily, he stood up and was about to rush to he