CHAPTER HUNDRED NINETY-FOUR *Poor child coming into such a cruel world....*"Wait a damn minute! What on earth is going on here?" Monica wailed in confusion and bewilderment."How come you didn't know?" Khloe parted her lips to accommodate faster pants as she shook her head repeatedly in a feeble attempt to snap herself from this dream. If only it were a dream..."But the nurse called me, Khole and told me about it. I-I didn't know she kept it a secret from you." Monica rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she squinted in deep reflection."But why?! Why would they keep something like that away from me?" She queried frantically as tears brimmed in her wary eyes."I can't believe I lost my baby!" she sobbed in her hands covering her mouth.Monica was moved with compassion and sadness as she stood up and wrapped her arms around her sister gently, cautious of her condition."Oh my God, Khole. I'm so sorry that this is happening to you." She said softly as she patted her back gently, kissing
CHAPTER HUNDRED NINETY-FIVE*Oh, she cursed the day she was born!!!!!*"Left for me, I wouldn't want you to come into this cruel world, much less into a broken home." she passed a venomous icy stare at Jeff who was still on the other side of the partition transparent glass.He returned a smirk and chuckled.Amber gulped in apprehension as she turned to face her father whom she was not sure she even recognize.The man that wanted to desert her for good? She wanted to scream and blurt out all the emotions she was been bottling up for years but she couldn't. It was as if all the words died in her mouth as soon as she parted her mouth to speak.It must have been obvious because Monica placed an encouraging hand over her back, urging her to let them all out."C'mon, Amber. I'm sure you want to say something to your Dad right?" she whispered to her.Amber gulped and nodded slowly, scared to even look her own father in the eye.Granted, she had humiliated him and did not live up to his perf
CHAPTER HUNDRED NINETY-SIX*This is her retribution and she must face it with open arms*"You are a mistake!!! You shouldn't have been born!" Monica screeched."you are the reason why my sister lost her child in the first place !!!! And now, you don't even mind losing another one do you?" Jeff's lip curled up into a mocking smile." I could care less what you bloody think Monica! You turned my wife against me! I knew you never liked me at all. Why don't you go find a man of your own and quit interfering in my family affairs huh?!" he barked fiercely, the veins from his neck popping out violently.Monica glared at him pointedly and scoffed."You are a lost cause, Jeff and from the moment I set my eyes on you, I knew that my sister was making the worst mistake of her life!" she squealed in rage, pounding her hands furiously in the air.His face contorted in disgust as he glowered at her."Say what now!!!!?? You bitch!!! What do you care?! You have always been a hopeless romantic! You
CHAPTER HUNDRED NINETY-SEVEN *You transformed my whole life and made it new again*"Phew! What a journey down memory lane!" Janice exclaimed and reached for her glass of wine and took a gulp."I didn't want to remember that. After all the horrid things those girls did to me, I just wanted nothing more than to Completely shut it out of the recess of my head for good." she cringed as she guzzled down the remaining contents of her glass.Releasing a blurb, Janice edged closer to the table, she propped her hands on the table, locking her hands together as she pierce a steady gaze to her best friend across the table.Hannah shot her a puzzled look.She smiled and shook her head dolefully."Still, there were both good and bad memories. Like how the events of the big trio orchestrated our encounter and we became the best of friends like we are now." Hannah chuckled and extended her hand over the table to grasp her hand gently, caressing her hand sweetly with a wide grin plastered on her fa
CHAPTER HUNDRED NINETY-EIGHT *South Africa in a bit!*Days passed by like a blur and even before one can say Jack Robinson, Saturday came slamming on their faces.The chirping of the early morning bird at her slightly ajar bedroom window roused her from sleep. She yawned deeply, flexing her muscles. She rubbed her eyes groggily and glanced at the bedside alarm clock.The time reads; 7:27 am.Suddenly her eyes popped open as the realization dawned on her.Today is Saturday!!!!! Today is the trip day to South Africa and her flight is due by 10 am!!!! She scooted over to her bed and grabbed her phone. With a mere hand gesture, the phone came to life and several notifications popped up 4 missed calls from Drake and 10 missed calls from her father.Shoot! In a swift moment, She sprung from the bed like a spooked dog. Being late gives you this adrenaline you never thought you had especially if what you are almost running late for is very very important to you.She ran to the bathroom a
CHAPTER HUNDRED NINETY-NINE *"Get your bags packed you are going to South Africa"*She descended the stairs gingerly, and the Nike sneakers she wore thumped the flooring as she came downstairs.The hushed voices of two men ceased as she rounded up the corner of the stairs and into the dining room.She must have interrupted their discussion because, as soon as they spotted her they ceased laughing.She arched her brows dubiously. What were they babbling about?"Good morning Princess, you finally joined us." Her father said as if he was just seeing her for the first time.Drake quickly rose to his feet and held out the chair for her to the seat. She was touched by his urbane gesture.She gulped as his strong forearm was almost touching her as she slumped into the chair. She forced a gaze to the table, pretending to be fascinated by the food in front of her.He returned to his seat and she felt the table quivered as he did so."So I got a call from our travel agent and he says they will
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED*Hello South Africa!*"We will be arriving in Cape Town, South Africa in five minutes." the Pilot announced through the speakers.Janice's heart drummed in anticipation as she gazed outside the plane through the window. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the view.It was breathtaking !!! The stunning coastlines and dramatic mountains and beautiful floral landscape.Drake chuckled as he watched her intently. She was gawking at the window with dewy eyes like a dramatic kid at the first sight of food."You seem very excited ." He smirked at her.Realizing she was drooling, she quickly jammed her lips together and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.She laughed it off nervously."I can't help it... It's my first time in Africa!" she gushed."I can't wait to land and let the first African breeze hit me hard against my cheeks." "We will be landing soon." Drake winked. Heat rushed through her body like an avalanche. He was so gorgeous in his grey sweatpants and swe
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED-ONE *"I would rather eat you than eat a brunch"*After having a quick shower with Drake waiting in the living room, she padded to the living room with her robe on.He was so engrossed in the magazine he was reading that he didn't notice her presence at first."Ahem!" she cleared her throat, startling him. He didn't look surprised. On the contrary, he looked entertained.Her cheeks heated as she remembered what she was wearing.She covered the exposed V-neck shape of her robe and glared at him pointedly."What's you looking at, you pervert!" she squealed.He held up his hand in defence." I didn't even look at first until you made it obvious."She scoffed."Well, why don't go out and have a great look at the African women? They certainly have the looks I must say. Perfect match for a womanizer like you." she scowled at him.Drake couldn't help but cackle."You don't mean that do you?" He sneered, grating her nerves."Of course, I don't! Why would I bother? You are
*To forever and beyond…*The day of the trial had arrived, and it felt as though the world held its breath. The courtroom was filled with journalists, spectators, and photographers positioned on all corners of the courtroom doors waiting. They were all here for the same purpose: the moment the world would witness as justice decided the fate of Mr. Jordan. In other words, the downfall of the Jordans.The courtroom was so unnervingly quiet that you could hear a pin drop as every creak of a bench and every rustle of paper lingered in the tense air.Janice Jordan sat at the front with Finn beside her. Her uncle came with some family members and they sat behind the pew. Janice’s hands trembled in her lap, fingers clasped so tightly together that her knuckles turned white. She glanced at Finn beside her, his jaw set, gaze fixed on the judge as if nothing else existed. This was heavy for him especially but at last he would witness the final judgment and hopefully get the justice his late f
*He had to bear the consequences of his actions.*Janice sat in an uneasy silence, staring out the window as the news sank in, each word settling into her mind like stones dropped into water.She could hardly believe her ears. Her father has been arrested?! This was the first time such news would reach her ears. The mighty Jordan was arrested?!"Janice? This isn't the time to space out!" Finn's voice yanked her out of her reverie. She blinked repeatedly as her brain was still processing this whole unexpected turn out of events. She gulped. "What's going to happen to him, I-I don't even know what to say. He's the only family I've got, Finn," her words barely squeak out of her lips."Unfortunately, it may be nothing good, Janice. This is the moment of truth, and justice must not only be done but it must be seen to be done." A cold shiver pricked against her skin like goosebumps. As much as she tried to ignore it, it was the hard truth. Her father had done horrible things in the pa
*Was this the end of the line for the mighty Jordan family?* "Janice, I'm so sorry you had to go through this alone, " Finn said, pulling her towards him for a long hug as he stroked her hair. Janice broke into tears, sobbing as her body shook with the weight of losing a child, a part of her that she wasn't fortunate to bring into the world. She sniffed and muffled against his chest, "I didn't mean to hide this from you, Finn. This is shocking news to me as well." "It's alright, sweetheart." He said gently as he continued to stroke her hair. Then he broke the embrace and cradled her wet face in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "Look at me, Janice," he wiped her tears with his thumb. His heart tightened seeing her like this. "I promise I will wipe the tears off your face. We can always make another one." She momentarily stopped crying and looked at him wide-eyed. "You didn't even ask if that child is yours, Finn." He chuckled and shook his head. "I didn't
Chapter Three Hundred and Thirty*The unexpected and Sad Revelation*Finn's (once Drake but will be called his real name henceforth)hammered as he paced the narrow room with the burner phone clutched tightly in his right hand and his left hand frantically raking through his sandy brown hair.Every creak of the floor, every rustle outside the window, seemed like it could be Fergus’s men clawing closer.They were running out of time.With the government closing in and Fergus’s rage nearly tangible, Finn knew their only chance was to reach out to someone who could help them disappear. His father’s old friend, Yamato—a man, both feared and revered, a former militant from Japan who had once pledged his loyalty to the family.Yamato listened in silence, his deep breaths echoing through the line. Then, without a word of question or reprimand, he simply said, “Be ready. I will take care of the arrangements.”A wave of relief coursed through Finn's body at once. His father had been right af
Chapter Three Hundred Twenty-Nine*My real name is Finn Orwells and not Drake Hughen.*He knew of one place Fergus wouldn't dare to look.The drive to his special hideout was unbearable, long, and tedious. It was a rocky path in the thick of the forest but close to a river bank. He usually came here when he needed some privacy from the Jordans and planned his next revenge move. But right now, the reverse was the case. How ironic did things turn out to be? He was literally bringing his arch enemy's daughter to his secret hideout, away from the hawk eyes of his evil brother-the person he was supposed to be working alongside.Well, things had changed. Maybe he had changed, too.But right now... he had a purpose.He glanced at the passenger's seat, where Janice was sitting quietly. Apparently, she was still shaken by everything that had unfolded. Poor woman... He had to protect her even from his own family.I'm so sorry, Mother....but I think I broke the rule.He gulped. I had fallen
*At any rate, he must save Janice.*The heel of his boots pounding in her stomach sent her to the floor, retching and wheezing with her heart in her throat, threatening to explode. A crushing pain seared through her chest. She sprawled on the ground, with her eyes shut tight, gasping for air desperately. The blindfold was restricting her vision, so she couldn't see who it was, but she could feel the extreme coldness exuding from his presence. "Let's try again, shall we, darling. And this time I won't go easy on you. I suggest you answer my questions if you want to leave here in one piece and see your asshole of a father!" the menacing raspy voice roared across the empty room. The man cocked his head to the two huge guys in black and at once they heaved her roughly to the chair and tied her hands and legs to the chair. The sound of the cocked gun jolted a shiver down her spine. He took long strides towards her and trailed the gun around her exposed chest, her buttons had come undon
*He must save Janice no matter what!*"What do you mean you haven't seen her?!" Mr Jordan bellowed through the phone, his hands trembling badly."You need to calm down, Mr Jordan. Remember, this is bad for your health. I will be at the shortly. " Matt spoke as calmly as possible through the phone."Calm down? What if something happened to her, Matt?! You were supposed to take care of her and now..." He paused, taking a sharp breath as he rubbed his temples frantically to ease the tension building up inside of me.Where on earth was his precious daughter? What could have happened to her?"Please, exercise some patience, Mr Jordan, while I wait for the construction team to help me remove my door. As I explained to you, Janice just stormed out of the house and locked me inside because she took the remote with her. She must have been in a hurry or something. I think maybe she's at her best friend's house, Hannah."Mr Jordan's eyes lit up.That may be true....who else will Janice be wi
She was super excited and relieved to see Drake coming to her rescue. Tears of relief etched at the corner of her eyes. He came for her! He must have sensed that I was in danger! But how did he know where to find me....? She pondered silently as she arched a brow at him curiously. "Drake! How did you know that I'm here?" She quizzed.He shrugged, winking at her."I just know, Janice. Now come one before Matt comes out!" He urged, waving her over.Her heart jumped at the mention of Matt. That monster! She never wants to be around him ever again! For now, she has been rescued, and she can safely go home and put this whole marriage behind her.Luckily, she has the videotape as evidence to nail Matt on the cross and call off the engagement. She rushed to the car and opened the passenger's door in the front seat and settled on it, jamming the shut quickly.For now, she will have to ask questions later."You good, Janice? I hope he didn't hurt you in there?" Drake asked, although his
*...if it wasn't Drake, then I would rather not love at all.* Damn it! Matt found out already? How did he even know about this? I thought he wasn't aware of it. What do you mean, Janice? Of course, Matt had been watching you non-stop! Only a fool wouldn't be aware of the deep connection that exists between you and Drake. At this point, I wouldn't even be surprised if the maids knew as well. The voice in her head taunted her. She bit her bottom lip frantically, trying to rein in the turbulent thoughts writhing inside of her head. She had to act cool and unbothered. Pretend as if you didn't know what he was saying, Janice. Act cool and get the hell out of here! The voice rang inside my head again like a Belfry. She sucked in several deep breaths and looked up at Matt intently, a smirk curling up her lips. "I have no idea what's you babbling about, Matt," she snapped, feigning ignorance. Matt scoffed, shaking his head. "Stop lying, Janice. It's too obvious! I'm not a