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“Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll always protect them,” Ethan promised. “That’s good…” Ryan replied, a proud smile on his face. They continued to fish and chat. Ethan kept trying to catch a fish but it was still a bit hard for the young boy. However, just like Ryan said, Ethan was patient enough to keep trying despite failing to catch any fish. Suddenly, an elderly man got on the dock with a bucket and a fishing rod. He looked at the father and son, saying, “I hope you didn’t finish all the fish in the river.” Ryan glanced at the man and chuckled. He smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, we’ve left plenty for you to catch.” “I see that you brought your family on a trip… I’m staying in the suite next to you,” the man said before setting up his rod and throwing it into the river. He sighed heavily and remarked, “I wasted my life searching for money and now, I’m alone in my old age. I have the money but no family to spend it with.” “You can still have a family,” Ethan said, looking at the old
“Mr Kingsley caught an infection,” Doctor Steve told Lora. He cleared his throat and added, “I asked if he had come into contact with someone who could have had a cold and he said yes. In his condition, he’s susceptible to infections. His immune system has been compromised and his body is struggling to fight off the infection. We will keep him isolated for now and monitor him.”Lora’s heart sank. She looked at the doctor and asked, “Does it mean I can’t stay by his side?”Doctor Steve shook his head and replied, “No, you can’t. You can see him only once per day and before you go into the ward, you need to disinfect your body and change your clothes. Your husband’s health might deteriorate if he’s exposed to more bacteria.”Lora bit her lip, worry churning her stomach. She had called for an air ambulance to pick Ryan up earlier that morning.To say the children were scared to see their father motionless is an understatement. They were horrified.It was shocking to see someone who looke
“I thought I would have to work very hard to bring you down... who knew the heavens were on my side and did the job for me?” The woman said mockingly. "Look at you... who knew the great Ryan Kingsley could be so vulnerable?" The woman sneered as she looked around the ward. She wrinkled her nose at the scent of disinfectant and strong drugs. The sound of the beeping equipment irritated her to the core. "So, despite being a rich man, you couldn't save your life. Serves you right!" “I loved you, Ryan. But you chose that bitch, Lora over me. You even made me a fugitive! Now look at you! You’re a dead man! Haha! In the end, I won!”That’s right. The woman who had sneaked into Ryan's room was none other than Ivy Williams. However, she looked different from the Ivy Williams everyone knew. She had dyed her blonde hair black and she wore brown contacts to hide her green eyes. With her hair styled into a fringe, it was hard to recognise her. Especially by those who didn’t know her. Ivy had
Ivy had a smug smile on her lips when she left Ryan’s room. Her heart was leaping with joy. Finally, she had her revenge. Ryan was dying and Lora would be alone forever with her two little bastards. “Oh, Lora, you thought you could beat me… who’s the loser now?” Ivy said to herself and giggled. She entered the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. Since Ryan was in a coma, she didn’t have to worry about being caught. He didn’t know she had sneaked into his ward and he would never know the truth about the past. The thought of Ryan still feeling a little guilty towards her thinking she had saved him in the past filled Ivy with joy. With a sense of satisfaction, Ivy waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor. When it finally did, she stepped out but her smile froze when she found two men in suits standing outside. Ivy was about to make a run for it when the police who were behind the men came forward and surrounded her. “Miss Williams, you are under arrest fo
Jason had been laying low the last few days after his last encounter with Lora. Even though he had told her he would never give up on her, the resolute look in her eyes showed him that she would never love him in this life. That night, his mother had invited him for dinner, claiming there was someone who wished to meet him for business. Although Jason was no longer interested in fighting Ryan for the position of CEO, he still went to see what his mother was up to. To his shock, he happened to overhear something that shocked him to the core. As he stood outside the VIP room, his heart raced as he listened to the conversation between his mother and an unknown man. “Celeste, don’t try to act innocent in this. You wanted to get rid of Ryan, so you asked for our help. Now that I have nothing else to lose, I want to destroy the Kingsleys once and for all. I want Ryan to feel the pain of losing something precious to him,” a man’s voice came. “I’m not trying to act innocent, David. You we
Jason stepped into the private room and found Ryan seated at the table. He was in casual clothes and his slightly pale face was illuminated by the soft glow from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling. “Is it ok for you to be out like this?” Jason asked as he took a seat. It was a bit awkward to meet Ryan like this. They had never had a decent conversation and with what happened with Lora, the air around them was a bit tense. “It’s ok… but I can’t be out for long hours. I’m more likely to get sick if I receive many visitors but being in the open like this is ok,” Ryan responded. Jason’s eyebrows furrowed and a complicated feeling coursed through him. He glanced at Ryan and asked, “Why did you want to meet me?” Ryan suddenly smirked and asked, “Can’t I ask to meet my little brother?” Jason scoffed. He replied, “We both know we are not that close.” An awkward silence fell between them. After a few seconds, Ryan reached for a file that was on his lap. He placed it on the table an
[Ryan Kingsley is in his last days and the future of the Kingsley Group remains uncertain.][The Kingsley Group’s stocks keep dropping following Ryan’s declining health. Could this be the end of the Kingsley Group?] [The Kingsley Group is on the verge of collapse as Ryan Kingsley approaches his end.] The news of Ryan’s deteriorating health spread through the city like an angry wildfire. Ryan was going through his phone, reading the headlines when Lora grabbed his phone from him. He was better now but to avoid getting another infection, he still stayed in the isolation ward. Lora was there for her daily visit when the internet went crazy with the news of Ryan’s condition. “I don’t think you should read the news. It will just stress you,” Lora remarked as she put the phone away. “It’s funny how quickly these reporters get wind of information about me. I’m guessing this is Celeste’s doing,” Ryan replied, his eyes turning cold at the thought. “She just won’t let this go until I make a
"I'm resigning as the CEO from now onwards and Jason will be the new CEO of the Kingsley Group," Ryan announced. Ryan Kingsley had been planning on how to step down from his position as the CEO of the Kingsley Group. Jason had not confirmed if he would take over as CEO, however, Ryan still announced it, hoping Jason was for the idea. A murmur swept over the room after Ryan announced that he would be stepping down. He looked at the shareholders’ stunned faces and asked, “Why the shocked faces? Isn’t this what you were all expecting?” Lora glanced at Ryan, confusion creeping into her. She didn’t know Ryan was going to hand over his position to Jason just like that.Why did he do that and when did he plan all this?Ryan sensed her gaze. He looked at her and gave her a small smile before he mouthed that he would explain later. Lora nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. Deep down, she knew why he did that but she didn't want to accept it. For her, there was still hope for Ryan to
Hello, lovely readers, We have come to the end of this book and I'm so grateful for the support I've received. Please if you can, support this book by leaving comments in the chapters and showering it with gems. It will help to make it get noticed faster. If you're new to my work, you can check out my other books on my GN profile, I'll highly appreciate it. I will be coming back soon with a new book. I hope you continue to support me even as I challenge myself as an author. Please find me on my socials using my penname. We can interact and get to know each other, haha. Thank you once more and I hope you like my next book. Love you lots. Kisses. Natie.
Months later… “Is it ok if we leave the children with you?" Ryan asked his family. It was the weekend and Ryan and Lora had decided to take the children to the Kingsley mansion so that they could spend time together. Charles Kingsley was already holding little Lucas while Miles was holding Riley. The twins had grown so fast and could now toddle around all over the place. “I don’t mind staying with them if they are this cute,” Charles remarked while making funny faces at little Lucas. Ella and Ethan were already following Diane around, asking her to take them shopping. They seemed not to care that their parents were going to leave them there. Ryan and Lora shared a look before laughing. Lora said, “It seems we are not needed.”“That’s because they know they are in safe hands,” Ryan replied. He called out to Diane, “Sis, you can use my card-”“Come on, I have my own money to spoil my niece and nephew,” Diane replied. “Besides, the only friend I have went abroad and is yet to be ba
Three months later... Adan carried Bianca into their villa. They had just arrived at the place they would spend their honeymoon at and Adan wanted to carry his wife into their villa. He went upstairs and placed her gently on the bed. Looking down at her, he grabbed her left hand and kissed her wedding ring. “I’m happy to be here with you, Mrs Nicholson,” he said in his deep velvety voice. Bianca’s face flushed pink. The last couple of weeks had been nothing but wonderful. Adan had taken her on several dates, they spent a lot of time together and had grown closer during that time. What was supposed to be an arranged loveless marriage turned out to be a marriage that they both wanted, the contract long forgotten. They held a grand wedding in the city and after the reception, they immediately got on a flight, not wanting to delay their honeymoon. After all, tonight was the first time they would make love to each other. Biting her lower lip, Bianca remarked, “I’m happy to be you
Bianca stood face to face with the woman who had run away earlier. She gulped, feeling a lump in her throat as she studied Serena Pierce’s facial features. Bianca had to admit she was beautiful. She had dark brown hair with captivating brown eyes and her body was to die for. “How can I help you?” Bianca asked, sounding a little stiff. She had no idea why the woman who had run away earlier was suddenly in her ward, so she had her guard up. “Are you worried that I’ll steal Adan away from you?” Serena answered with a question. "I heard you're having an arranged marriage."Bianca frowned, irritation flaring through her. She glanced at Serena and replied, “Look, if this is a confrontation about me staying away from Adan then please, save yourself the embarrassment and leave my ward. I don’t want to fight with you. After all, your parents saved my life.” “Do you love Adan?” Serena suddenly asked. "Or are you marrying him because you were forced to?"Silence fell over the place. Bianca
“Say that again,” Adan requested, looking into Bianca’s eyes. His heart was racing at a thousand miles per second and he could feel electric currents coursing through him, an aftereffect of the passionate kiss they just shared. Bianca’s face reddened. She bit her lower lip and sheepishly said, “I have feelings for you.” Adan felt like his heart had jumped out of his chest and soared high up into the sky. A grin formed on his lips, his eyes lit up with joy and he pulled Bianca in for a hug. “I know it will take some time for you to fall in love with me. But I’m willing to wait…” Adan remarked. The two continued to share a hug until someone at the door cleared their throat. “I see you lovebirds are getting closer.” The two pulled away from the hug and glanced at the door to see Lora and Ryan walking into the ward. Lora wore a smile on her face. She looked at her friend and was genuinely happy for her, knowing Bianca already had a crush on Adan but she didn’t want to accept it beca
"What?" Bianca blinked, her heart racing in her chest. Of all things, she didn't expect Adan to ask her such a question. "Didn't you say I wasn't your type?" She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows despite the millions of butterflies that were fluttering in her stomach. Adan chuckled. He cupped Bianca’s face and replied, "I lied. Why wouldn't you be my type? You're gorgeous. You're the most beautiful blonde, green-eyed goddess I've ever seen."Bianca’s face flushed pink. She bit her lower lip and said, "I now know why you're a playboy. Your game is smooth... if I didn't know you, I would have fallen for your charms."Hurt flickered through Adan's eyes. He sighed and replied, "I'm not a playboy. That's just what I made everyone believe." "What?" Bianca laughed. "Come on, Adan. I'm back and ok now. You don't need to come up with lies because you feel guilty for what happened. I already know why you never wanted to get married." "Bee... I don't know how to say this," Adan responded. "
Hours earlier. Bianca felt like she had been hit by a truck. Every cell in her body hurt. Breathing felt like she was swallowing molten lava. She hadn't eaten in the last two days, so she was very low on energy and her injuries were taking long to heal. "Have some soup. You're going to feel better and gain some strength," the elderly woman who had been taking care of Bianca offered. With difficulty, Bianca propped herself up and accepted the bowl. She then ate the soup quickly and the elderly woman watched her with a warm smile on her face. Bianca’s face was still swollen and bruised and it was hard to make out her facial features. "Thank you," Bianca said when she was done, her voice hoarse. "Oh don't mention it," the woman remarked. "My name is Rita Pierce. The man who saved you is my husband, Josaphat Pierce. Don't worry, you're safe here. We live with our daughter, Serena and our three grandchildren." Bianca nodded, looking around and realising she was in a modest bedroom
“Sir, we've found something.” Adan’s heart jumped to his throat at those words. He turned sharply to face one of the IT men, asking, “What did you find?” “Although we can’t see the kidnapper, we can see Miss Jones being forced into a second car on a camera near the blind spot. The license plate was fake, but we are working on tracking the make and the model to know who owns the car,” the IT man reported. “What about the thing I asked you to look into?” Adan inquired. He was referring to the background check he had ordered on Cheryl. “Yes, we did find something,” the IT man replied. “She had withdrawn about a hundred thousand dollars from her savings account two days ago. However, since she didn’t use digital transfer, we can’t trace where the money went. We just have to wait until we find the owner of the second vehicle.” Adan’s jaw clenched and Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder before squeezing it. He said, “We are going to find her, bro.”“I swear, if Cheryl has anything to do
“Are you telling me none of you were able to find my fiancee?” Adan yelled. “Then what the hell am I paying so much money for?” “We are working on it, Sir,” the IT man said. “We need time-”“Time? Does my fiancee have the luxury of time? Each second that she’s out there, she’s in danger. I need to find her as soon as possible,” Adan hissed, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. It had been two days since Bianca went missing. Two days since the one who had tampered with the CCTV at the club disappeared and two days without any news about Bianca. Adan was going crazy. Who would dare kidnap his fiancee? He didn’t remember having any enemies recently. Could it have been someone with an old grudge? Grudges were not a new thing in the business world. The competition was stiff and winning certain projects meant being hated by the others who wanted the same projects. Adan hired the best hackers in the city to track Bianca. However, they were only able to find the first vehicle she was t