CHAPTER TWENTY*The Radiant Isabella 3--How I met your father*He didn't pay any attention to the man gruelling at his feet. His hazel eyes were still locked on the woman dressed in a strange well-fitted corset and a fathered hat even though it was the late 20th century. He was amused and intrigued by the lady before him.She bowed her head a little as her body swayed."My sincere apologies sir, for impeding your trip. But I'm in dire need of a lift as I have important supplies due and I'm running out of time. If you could be so kind as to help me, sir... I would never forget it in her lifetime and I shall pay back if you want!" She spoke as calmly as possible. But wait a minute! What did she just say? Repay him?! How on earth will she repay the Jordans of all people?! Although her family had done several businesses with them, she wasn't quite sure if he knew she was from the Dankworth family.She raised her head to meet his face. It was rather expressionless. She could not fathom wha
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE*The Radiant Isabella 4--How I Met Your Father*The Jordans' house was a mansion with huge three-story buildings towering above other buildings around it. The building was akin to a castle, typical of the Victorian era. Turrets and dormers jutted out from the building. The stained glass reflected the receding sunset, casting a pale tint of orange.She inhaled and exhaled repeatedly and then squared her shoulders resolutely."Let's do this! Remember, family, comes first." She reassured herself."I'm ready."The huge door creaked open as the butler announced her presence. "Isabella Dankworth coming through!"The nice fragrance of flowers that beautifully decorated the foyer wafted through her nostrils as she stepped in. The room was large with tall ceilings, light fixtures, Tiffany lamps(with lampshades made of glass) and candles glittered in the hallway, living room and the dining room at the other end of the large room. The butler, a tall, somewhat lanky man in a ta
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO*The Radiant Isabella 5--How I Met Your Father*A cold splash of water on her face jerked her from her sleep. Her drowsy eyes flew open in irritation but dilated in shock to see who was standing at the door, Lady Claire with her hands on her hips and eyes flashing with outrage. Beside her was a chubby woman dressed in an apron."Good Morning little princess. Hope you slept well?" Her shrill tone was laced with mockery.She swung up in hysteria not knowing what to do or how to respond."You fool! Do you know what the time is?!" She rasped."G-Good morning my Lady, I-I am very sorry for my tardiness." She sputtered with her head bowed and eyes lowered.The cold gush of air from the opened window of the small cottage sent a shiver through her body. Her now wet clothes clung to her skin."Humph! Alice, you're in charge! Give her all the dirty work and ensure she does everything!" She whipped around and stormed out, the receding clicking of her low heels signalled her dep
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE*That bitch!*"Hmm, that's quite the story. Very intriguing indeed. Your mother was a hero! Plus, who would have known that your father was a hot man in his youthful days! I see where he gets his looks!" She winked at Janice.They both chortled heartily. The two girls were sprawled out on the love seat sofa. Two empty bottles of red wine champagne were on the floor. They had been drinking while they were lost in the stories of the past."She said, no true love without obstacles. Maybe the obstacle is my father's disapproval I don't know. But she said I will understand when I get older. Hannah, I'm not sure if I understand" she shook her head in uncertainty.Hannah placed her hands on her shoulder with a smile on her face."You need not worry. I'm sure you will understand when the time is right. For now, let's focus on you getting better okay?" She reassured her friend.Janice nodded. "I suppose you're right!" She grinned. She needs to live in the present and no
Hello dear readers!Thank you for following my story until now. I'm so sorry for the pause. The reason was beyond my control and some other unforeseen personal reasons as well.The Good news is that I will be resuming very soon. In fact, as soon as August the 1st. Stay tuned guys!If you may have any suggestions or corrections as regards my story, I am very open to hearing them.you can drop your comments.I really appreciate your support. please refer your friends to read, vote and support my story.Thank you very much!🤗With love, Jenny🤭
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR*Ooops! Serves you right bitch!*"Ahem. Good day, and welcome to St. Lauren's Tea shop. What may I uh offer you?" Rachael forced a smile as she reached for the iPad from her apron.Janice and Hannah seemed to be so engrossed in their discussion that they didn't notice her at first. Hannah noticed first and nodded to her."What would you like to take Jane? I suggest something that will help with your recuperation."Rachael's brows shot up suspiciously. Recuperation? Was she sick? That explains why they rarely come around like they used to."Hmmm," Janice said dragging the word out as she thought of what to order. With narrow eyes, She mulled over the menu a little longer and then her eyes sparked up as she got the best pick. With her slender coloured fingers pointing at the particular menu she wanted, she declared breezily, "I will have a herb tea blend with organic ginger and Aronia berry."Rachael keyed the order in the iPad and turned to Hannah. "And you Ma'am?"
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE*she made a fool of me!*Judith raced to the VIP section, panting with her eyes widened in shock."Oh my! Miss Jordan this was a terrible accident. I apologise for my co-worker's tardiness she's still new." Judith begged. Rachael scowled at Judith discreetly.Janice was too focused to get herself out of this mess that she didn't pay any attention to Judith.Hannah jolted up and scurried to Janice's side to help her up.She turned to Judith "Where is the bathroom?" She asked holding Janice around her waist to steady her."She will show you.", Judith cocked her head to Racheal. Rachael nodded frantically and led them to the bathroom.Janice was finding it difficult to walk because some of the contents of the cup had seeped through her sandals. Hannah lent her a hand as they wobbled into the bathroom passed the prying eyes of the public.Janice quickly got the water running and cupped her hands through the running water and dabbed it on her face. Rachael fetched so
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX*There's Fire on the Mountain!*"You know if the manager finds out about this, you're screwed!" Judith snarled pointedly at Racheal."And so are you! I mean, it's your shift, not mine." Rachael spat as she simpered, looking pleased with herself.Judith cringed at the last statement for she knew Racheal was spitting facts! It was her shift in the first place and she allowed Racheal to swap places with her. Nevertheless, they are both dead if they don't do something about it!Judith took in several deep breaths to calm her grating nerves."Fine. You're right! If the manager is let in on what transpired today, then we're both toasts! Laid off even with no questions asked. Miss Jordan is a very invaluable customer here, the manager will always side with her. So the problem is, what are we gonna do to evade that? I can't afford to lose my Job, Racheal. I'm the only breadwinner in my family right now." She queried frantically. Rachael paused as her lips formed a hard line
*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