CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX*She needed a challenge! *It was a misty chilly Saturday morning and Janice vowed that today she would go jogging instead of being slothful and sleeping in the house almost all day.She needed a challenge! And today seems like the right time to do it.She groggily forced herself out of bed, yawning loudly. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and strolled to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She finished in three minutes, washing her face. She dabbed a towel on her face and sauntered to her walk-in closet. She flicked open the wardrobe compartment that housed all her workout clothes and equipment. She sneezed loudly, rubbing her nose. Damn! It's frigid cold outside.This could be one reason to deter her from jogging outside but she shook her head frantically, reiterating the importance of today's workout. She won't be lazy anymore. No excuses whatsoever Janice! Today we will be doing a little jogging around the compound. We need to get your lazy body bouncing back! We need t
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN*Whatever means necessary, he will not hesitate to seize*His naked body was draped in the duvet as he stared at the ceiling mindlessly. He slept naked yesterday without realizing it. He had worked so hard at the stables, losing track of time and getting back to the Cabin pretty late. He had lazily jumped into the shower for a quick one with sleepy eyes and by the time he got to the bed he was already fast asleep. He yawned and flexed his muscles. His eyes flickered to the clock at his bedside table. 7:10 am. He stared at the window, the dark was still fresh and the sun is gleaming weakly through the window.He yawned again. As much as he would love to continue his beauty sleep on the bed some more, he got work to do today.Saturdays are for track run exercises at the stables. The horses need some early morning exercises around the wasteland. He sighed deeply. By the way, it's been a couple of days since he last set his eyes on her. Hope she's doing fine thou
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT*Obsession*His Jaw twitched as he took in all her features with his eyes ravaging every inch of her body.Although she appeared rather simple in yoga pants and a tank top with her Nike sneakers, but there was something sexually tantalizing about the beads of sweat grazing her creamy silky skin and the way her blonde hair was moist from the sweat clinging to the soft skin on her face. His hands flexed to resist the burning urge to fists her wet sweaty hair in his hands and lick the sweat off her naked body. Her chest was heaving as she panted from the strenuous morning track exercise she did. He was even surprised to see her today working out and then showing up at his place this early morning. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her in her workout clothes. She looked incredibly sexy even without make-up. Her morning face is so beautiful. She's indeed a natural beauty."What took you so long to get the door?" She queried breathlessly.He chuckled then resp
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE*So that means it's just going to be the two of us...*"I love the surprise on your face." She grinned at him.He chuckled. "Well, I can't help it. How were you able to convince your father that fast? I'm dying to know." He folded his muscular arms against his broad chest, hard biceps flexing viciously. Distracted by the tantalizing view, Janice swallowed a lump in her dry throat. Fuck! She was dying to dig her nails into his strong arms. She forced her gaze back up to his face and gave him a tight-lipped smile, hoping that he didn't catch her eyeballing him again."Well, it wasn't much of a big deal. I just had to reinstate the fact that I am a grown-ass woman who can make decisions that concern her well-being without necessarily seeking validation from her father. And I promised him I was gonna be alright." She shrugged, gesturing her hands expansively as she explained.He pressed his lips and simply nodded."That's great. So you told him about me?". Her brow
CHAPTER SEVENTY *She Can't wait to see him in action again. *By the time she returned to the residence it was already 9 am.She had insisted on jogging back to the house. Today was a challenge after all for her! Although, she wanted to take a short stroll to the stables to give a helping hand to Drake in walking the horses but he vehemently refused and insisted she retired to the house and have a proper rest before horse riding with her father. It's been a while since her last horse riding exercise. She's kind of nervous and anxious that she may fuck it up and make a mess. But Drake was sweet enough to reassure her that she would do absolutely just fine."Is that what is getting you so worked up?" he chuckled amusingly."but I can't help it! I haven't been horse riding in ages especially since you vanished. I feel like my childhood trauma of horses is creeping back to me." she whined, pouting her lips like a child.He chuckled, his ocean blue eyes dancing as he reached for her s
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE *Horse keeper getting set! *Clad in his esquire apparels, he plodded the hilly paths unto the stables. He was dressed in plain combat jeans, a cotton long-sleeved shirt, and leather boots. His cowboy hat gave it a final touch of Scottish countryside style, making him a typical handsome Scottish horse keeper. The sun was glowing in the bright blue sky dotted with silver clouds floating around the sky. The stables came into his line of vision and he whistled. He paused to catch his breath and stretched. After a long while, he is finally doing his actual job- horse riding with the jordans. He flexed the muscles in his neck, making it snap as he rubbed on it rapidly. He sighed deeply and opened the wooden barn door into the stables. Startled by the abrupt noise of the wooden door giving way, the horses started neighing in response. The horses were lined out chronologically in their respective stalls. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, It's time for a little b
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO *The Scottish sexy Horse keeper! *Roughly ten minutes later, the white-coloured Hilux squealed to a halt, startling the poor horses which were neighing in response, in front of the stables where Drake was already waiting. Momentarily, The passenger's car door flung open, revealing Mr Jordan dressed in brown denim jeans and a polo T-shirt with a white baseball cap. He also wore dark shades and hiking boots. He held his breath as the other passenger's door tugged open. She hopped down with a little difficulty, adjusting her jeans. She wore black denim jeans buckled with a leather belt and a V-neck-shaped polo T-shirt and knee-height dress boots. She pushed the car door closed and came to her father's side and they both held hands while walking towards the stables. In a closer view, he could make out that her blonde hair was pulled back up into a sleek low bun. Thus, accentuating her oval-shaped face. Damn, she looked more breathtaking and absolutely gorgeo
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE *Her childhood Trauma*"Wait a minute, Are you serious?!" Mr. Jordan nodded, smiling widely. "101%. Don't tell me you forgot?" She swallowed with confusion furrowing her brows. "but I do remember, as clear as day, that the incident happened when I was eighteen years old. I can never forget that. I never realized I gave her a name. I must have been..." her voice faltered. How could she forget the day she broke a leg? The day she nearly gave up on walking ever again? The very day she saw her life slipping out of her very hands. She was helpless and miserable. The day she thought she was done for. She had never been more afraid! That day is ingrained in her memory like a marking that has been stamped in her head with a permanent marker. An indelible mark. Her father smiled at her ruefully, clamping a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I understand love. You were so traumatized by the incident that you forgot. I'm sorry to dig up some bad memories for you. I didn
*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