CHAPTER 111 Serene "You have 10 minutes to say whatever you want," I said while standing in my office. "We need to protect you and our son.” “From who?” I laughed. "Look, I know you will not believe anything I say, but I need you to understand that my uncle is not who you think he is.” “Excuse me?” I raised my brows. "He was the one who drugged you the other night and has been plotting to take over your empire once you get married, Serene," he explained, but I couldn't help but laugh. “Diego Myers are you even listening to yourself right now?” I questioned. "Serene, please put whatever we have behind you and put our son's well-being first. He—” "Whatever we have is a deep scar that cannot be healed, one that will linger for decades. That child you claim to be looking for receives the highest level of security possible. I know you are the only threat, so stop it, okay?” "Serene, you do not know what you are doing; when Max discovers Miguel is my son, he is not going to take
CHAPTER 112Nelly When one has access to the richest secrets, they are exposed to their weakness. For years, I have lived off the wealth and protection of poor Diego and his wicked uncle. At times, I regret not forcing him to take all of the necessary steps to ensure my permanent place in his life; instead, I am hanging like a tormented creature. I have given Max Cruz enough time to locate Diego and send me to him because I am all he needs to see. I grabbed my phone and was about to call Max when George entered."Hello George, I hope you have brought some good news," I said, pretending to smile at him for the first time.“Uhmm, not Ms. Mendoza I just came to inform you that Mr. Myers is uncomfortable with you staying in his home, so it would be—”"Uh, George, calm down. I know you are just carrying out the orders you were given, which is very nice of you, but believe me when I say Diego will change his mind once he sees me, so how about you join me for coffee?" I said but he turned m
CHAPTER 113 Diego I had to cut ties with Sofia; I thought I was doing her a favor but instead discovered I was digging my own grave. What else could she possibly want? I did not give her a difficult assignment. All she had to do was pretend we were a couple in front of my uncle, but she has gone so far as to involve Serene, and I simply cannot compromise. If only she knew Serene was the reason I gave her that job in the first place. Now that Sofia is no longer involved in my plans, I will see what Grace suggests. I got in my car and drove home; just as I was about to park, Sonia knocked on the window. ‘She is so shameless; even after sleeping with my uncle, she still wants me,’ I said in the back of my mind. I opened the car and walked away as if I had not seen her. I could hear her calling my name and running after me, but I couldn't care less. "You kept us waiting, Mr. Myers," Serene said as I entered the living room. "Serene," I whispered, surprised to see her in our house. "
CHAPTER 114Nelly I have finally landed and I can not wait to see my sweetheart; I know he misses me. I got into the car and kissed Max Cruz before we drove home. I expected to find Diego at home, but Grace was the only person I met. "Welcome, Ms. Mendoza," she said, taking my bags upstairs exactly as she should.Since Diego was not home, I went for a walk outside the mansion while Max took a nap. "Hi, have you seen Diego?" I asked one of the guards.“No madam, I didn't,” he replied."Get lost, fool," I said before standing in front of Max's Mercedes.'Hmm, you look just like you did when you were bought; I hope you are prepared for the fun we will be having inside you,' I thought to myself before returning inside.“Grace!” I called out as I needed some coffee."Miss Mendoza, are you looking for me?" she asked."Yes, I am so tired from my flight and wondered if you would mind making me some coffee," I said, smiling."Not at all; I will have it delivered in no time," she said before w
CHAPTER 115SERENE I have not gotten enough sleep in a few days and just want to get away from all the drama and love battlefield. To be honest, the chemistry between Diego and Miguel is undeniably adorable; it makes me think of my late father. Every time we ate out, he would let me choose what I wanted us to eat. I got up from my couch and went to check on Miguel; I could tell he was sleeping soundly, so I stood by the door. "What are you doing at my nephew's door?" Charlotte asked, whispering."Stop being so protective; I am his mother," I said softly, pulling her cheeks."I know, but I am his favorite aunt, so he is my responsibility now," she said."Looks like someone is being overprotective, but when are you going to make me an aunt too?" I asked." What? No, I do not know, and I am afraid of falling into the wrong hands," she explained, and I understood what she meant."Oh, come here, silly girl," I said, pulling her into a hug."That was comforting; you have not massaged my he
CHAPTER 116Nelly What the hell is Max doing bossing me around in such a large city? I am the Queen of Fashion, and nothing I bring to the table can be less than what the client wants. To make my stay here more convincing, I need to present my designs to the company Max's friend runs, and if she likes them, I will certainly get the job, and all I have to do is convince Diego that I am a changed woman."Wow, Nelly, you look amazing. I guess your first day at work will be fantastic," Max said as I made my way downstairs."Oh come on, you know, I am always a gem, can not fail at anything," I said, taking the files off the table."One more thing," he said, as I was about to walk out.“Huh? What now?" I asked."Do not forget to be ethical; my partner is a little too humble, so do not ruin things there, OK," he warned, as I simply nodded and began walking towards the car.“Good morning, Ms. Mendoza. I hope you enjoy your ride," The driver said, but I had to push him out of the way."The ne
CHAPTER 117Nelly Those two are so foolish. They should just wait and see what I am capable of after I sign the agreement with Ms. B. I was about to enter the lift when the secretary unexpectedly called me back. "Madam, please return; it is time to go inside," she said, and I smiled as I walked back, wondering where the interviewer had come in from.“Next!" I heard a voice come from the door next to me. When I stood up to adjust my skirt before walking in. I finally walked in and saw Neina seated on the sofa behind the door, and I assumed she was there for something, possibly begging for a job. "Good afternoon, my name is—” "Wow, what a surprise, Ms. Mendoza," Charlotte said, sitting in the boss' chair.‘Wait, how is this even possible? Could Charlotte be the boss?' I asked myself."Excuse me," she clapped her hands, drawing me out of my reverie.“What? I mean what are you doing sitting on that chair? Do you want Ms. B to kick you out?" I asked, smirking."Oh Nelly, you are so funny
CHAPTER 118Serene Grace just came to spend the day with us, and I could tell my son was having a great time with her. What a wonderful grandmother I have found for my son; she treats him as if he were her child. It is a shame she does not have kids. I can only imagine what she is going through. I was still seated on the bench near the roses when I noticed the car Charlotte and Neina had taken. I quickly rose and walked towards them."Hello there, welcome, and I hope you enjoyed the office," I asked while they both looked at each other.“Well we did but —" "Listen, ladies; I will not spare either of you if you broke anything in my office, Charlotte, did you?" I asked her."Huh? Me no way I didn't do anything like that it's just that —”"Hello, Ms. Brights. You had a bad visit today. I can not be as audacious as Nelly. Mendoza was there," Rina interrupted Charlotte.“Who!" I asked, unable to believe my ears."That is what we were trying to say; Nelly was the designer you were going t
CHAPTER 235Serene “Diego is…is everything OK?” I wondered what had happened to have him cry like that."Why Serene...why?" he asked in a hurtful tone as I struggled to understand what was going on."I…I do not comprehend what you are saying, Diego. Is everything okay?” I asked, looking at him confused.“No!” He went down on one knee and said, "Nothing is fine unless you accept my proposal.""Diego,” I whispered."Serene Brights, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?" he begged, tears streaming down his cheeks and his lips shivering.“Ye…yes I will…I will marry you," I murmured, helping him get up as we hugged.“Woo!" I heard Grace and Miguel.So they were pretending to be asleep.(Two days later)I stood in the center of the stairs, a veil enveloping my head like a breath of silk.My wedding gown was beautiful as dew, exquisite and unbending, just like I had weathered all storms.My babies clutching to the lace sleeves and chatting fast. Two similar gifts were
CHAPTER 234Serene Two weeks later Our home was filled with peace, and everyone had the smiles we had all been waiting for. The girls were preparing for their naming ceremony.The entire house was filled with balloons and flowers. Grace and Rina were racing up and down making sure nothing went wrong since this was a ceremony they did not want to ruin at any cost.Miguel exclaimed, "The priest is here!" and everyone moved to greet him."Be blessed, my kid," he whispered, resting his hand on top of Miguel and offering him a sweet.“Mommy, can I give the girls some?" Miguel asked about breaking the sweet."Oh no, baby, you'll give them plenty when they grow," I smiled.We went to sit around the fire as the priest started the ritual. He sprinkled olive oil on their foreheads and smiled at them."Great riches and power are within their destiny, and joy will always be a part of it, but dark times will come," he warned, causing my heart to skip a beat before he added, "But they are strong
CHAPTER 233Serene I awoke to the sound of a little scream coming from one of the cradles and rushed out of bed, only to find Diego already cradling the baby who had awoken.“Hey that was fast," I smiled."I know, madam, you can sleep," he said, carefully turning her from side to side."No, maybe I need to feed her," I said, preparing to take her from him when she began sobbing."I think she wants to remain with Daddy," Diego murmured, and I smiled, wondering how she had already taken sides.I am not sure how I fell asleep, but I woke up every time a small cry sounded from the crib. The next morning, we all prepared to travel to New York. "Mommy, I hope you will snap plenty of pictures of my sisters when we get on the plane," Miguel stated as we climbed into the Van."Yes, my darling," I said as I brushed his curly hair.We arrived at the runway and boarded the plane. "Goodness, I can not wait to get to New York," George said."Me neither," Rina murmured, going to rest on his shoulde
CHAPTER 232Diego "In other news, millionaire Diego Myers has been cleared of all charges following his detention in London, and some individuals have lately posted touching images of him and the Queen leaving a hospital after his release. Could he be the father of the two angels we saw?” The reporter remarked this as she zoomed in on a shot of Serene and me strolling with the girls."Gosh, these folks never miss an opportunity to create a trend," Serene commented, taking a seat next to me, but I had to ask if she needed anything since the prospect of her fighting an entire nuclear war alone terrified me.“No, I'm OK. You're acting strange lately, are you OK?” she asked."Yes, but I have been thinking about something, and you do not have to agree if you are not ready," I answered when she asked for my opinion."After everything you have been through, I was thinking about you going to therapy." You have been through a lot. I just want you to be OK.”“OK, I'll. Anything else?" She aske
CHAPTER 231Serene It was a Saturday morning, and I awoke with the sensation that something was missing. I am not sure what it is, but I know a part of me is not present. "Good morning," Diego said, strolling in with flowers in his hands."Hello, where have you slept?" Rina had informed me he had not gone home, so I inquired."Umm, somewhere safe. I can not go home until I know it is safe for everyone, but for now, we need to get your belongings together and go," he stated."Finally, they are going to meet their brother and grandmother," I grinned.I watched Diego prepare my bags as I calmed the girls down after they began weeping."Ms. Brights, you appear to be in for a lot of fun," observed the doctor as he strolled in."Definitely, but I will be around, so it will be fantastic," Diego said, as the doctor nodded and walked away.Pete walked in and assisted Diego with our belongings, as I made my way to the car behind them. I am not sure why they had to hire so many guards, but Dieg
CHAPTER 230Nelly Sofia raced to the door after hearing a loud knock.“You!" She exclaimed, and we all turned to see who she was referring to, stunned by what we were witnessing.Charlotte Brights What is she doing here after beating Sofia?“Move!" she pushed Sofia and made her way inside.We were all surprised, and Sofia was seething as she went after Charlotte, preparing to grab her by the hair, when Charlotte grabbed her firmly and twisted her arm."Do not even lift your unclean hands at me, okay," she told Sofia, who was crying in anguish."Let go of my arm, you bitch; I will call the cops. How dare you do this to me in my own home?" Sofia replied."You are stupid for not double-checking the property paperwork. This is a house Serene bought for me, but I asked her to give it to you because I knew I would need it on a day like today, so do not push it or I will kick your ass out right now," Charlotte said, flinging Sofia to the floor.Max, Sandra, and I looked at each other in sh
CHAPTER 229Serene It began to rain violently outside, and lightning streaked across the skies, while thunder boomed as if someone had turned on its top roar. I was lying on my bed with my kids next to me, unable to stomach having them removed.“Ms. Brights, that was amazing. We have not seen situations where women give birth two months earlier to healthy kids like these," the doctor stated as he strolled in, taking notes and looking at my girls while I smiled.Just as I thought stillness would reign, two small screams filled the room, and Rina whispered gently."They’re perfect," she whispered.Wow. Perfection is something I never expected to find again after all the relationships I had broken and the loved ones I lost. If Neina had waited a little longer before drinking, she may have seen the two angels she desired to see so badly.I sat up straight after looking at my beautiful pink-cheeked infants, who were deep asleep.“Would you like something?" Rina asked, standing up already.
CHAPTER 228Serene We were on our way home when the weather became terrible, and something unexpected raced through my legs.“I…I think my water broke…Take me to the hospital," I told the terrified chauffeur."What? Are you OK?” Kyrell as I nodded.The storm outside blew like my heart's sorrow, while thunder boomed and lightning left marked wounds over the night. Just as we were about to reach the hospital, a terrible pain struck me, and I could not help but scream as the pain intensified "We are almost there, Serene; hang in there," Kyrell murmured, pressing his palm across my back, but my body was crumbling, while my heart was already broken.Just as we were getting out of the car, George raced up to us and helped Kyrell hold me until the nurse provided a wheelchair. “Stay with us, Serene; You're going to be OK." Little did we know that trouble had already reached us. They took me inside as soon as I arrived at the maternity ward. Pete stormed into the room, revolver pulled and
CHAPTER 227Serene Pete found Charlotte's location, but before we could go to her, she requested me to go find her alone. I knew things might either go well or poorly, despite Kyrell's protests.The address she provided me was an abandoned warehouse outside of London where many criminals would hide from the police. It had rusty timbers and smashed window frames, and the stench of unclean water and rot permeated the air, indicating that many secrets and dead were likely buried inside.My footfall reverberated as I walked with one hand on top of my bump. Pete moved behind me, lurking near the holster beneath his coat. While Kyrell and the other guys guarded the exits.I entered the room, where Charlotte was clothed in gray from head to toe. I could see her luggage in a corner. I could also smell the gasoline from a tiny bottle beside her.“Did you come alone as I asked?" Charlotte shouted out, her voice reverberating off the empty walls."I am not dumb, Charlotte; concern should be th