-- Alexander --I stood in the space of my office, staring out at the busy streets for a long moment, my mind racing. Every decision I’d made, every step I’d taken to build the life I thought I wanted, was starting to crumble.I'd felt the eyes glued on me the second I'd walked into the building, the undercurrent of tension running through my employees like an electric wire. Everyone was scared for me. Scared for the company and the doom it was about to face.It was like the world was counting on me and the gravity of pressure felt heavy, forcing me into a state of depression. I felt hopeless and I couldn't even let it show. Shame washed over me. It was my company, yet it felt like I had no control of every single piece of it. I was the damn CEO for goodness sake. I balled my fists into my pockets, digging my nails deep into my palm. I hadn't slept in the past three days. I felt restless."Sir!" My office door flung open. I turned away from the window and saw Nicholas walk in with a d
-- Alexander --It wasn't a mistake. I wasn't dreaming. My eyes weren't seeing things. It was Grizelda. Truly the woman I'd been searching for and thinking relentlessly about like a mad man. I couldn't believe she was standing right in front of me.She looked so beautiful. Maybe because it felt like forever since I had seen her. Her skin was the finest shine now. Her hair like the best hairstylists all gathered in one place had attended to it themselves. She wore a long white dress that fell to the ground and covered the heels that she might have been wearing under it. It hugged her in all the right places, showing me curves that I might have never noticed or knew existed on her.Her gown was even more stunning than the one I bought for Lucy, although I'd spent so much money on it. It wasn’t just elegant, it screamed expensive and I was confused. Her choice of color baffled me. Every other person at the party went along with the dress code, all glamored in either wine or black, yet sh
-- Grizelda --I felt bored in my own welcome party. I realized how much I wasn't used to my own set of rich people. They were pompous and proud. At least, the ones that were currently present at the party hosted because of me. I had to keep my smile while they all eagerly came to greet and talk to me. The men came off as irritating.They knew I wasn't married and they thought they could use the opportunity to show off their assets in conversations and throw nothing other than wealth from their mouths. I fought hard from reminding them that they couldn't be compared to my father's, so what was the essence of bragging to me about it? Couldn't they be sensible enough to know that money was far the least of my concern?I needed a real man for goodness sake!In the middle of conversations, my mind pondered off to Leo. Somehow, I felt uncomfortable that he was with me at the party. I had tried to convince my parents to let me leave him behind at home under the care of my hired nannies, but
-- Alexander --My heart felt painful as I watched her stand on the stage and address her guests. It felt like a dream. I wanted to pinch myself to wake up. It was a dream, wasn't it?I felt my insides going into a turmoil. The woman on the stage was unrecognizable. That wasn't the Grizelda I knew. That wasn't the woman I'd gone on dates with and with whom I'd decided to spend the rest of my life. That was someone else. Someone powerful, untouchable.It was a side of her I'd never seen. Confident, completely at ease, easily fitting into the world of the elite. A world consciously at her fingertips.Amongst the crowd around me, my ears picked up hushed voices belonging to a group of men in particular. They stood not far from me, so I could hear them clearly."Yeah, I never knew James' daughter was this breathtaking. She really is the Grizelda Williams whom I hear is supposed to be some kind of business genius, even though she's always kept out of the spotlight. She makes me want to hav
-- Grizelda --“Grizelda,” He called my name from behind and my breath seized.I knew he was coming to talk to me and most of all, I'd seen him speaking with my son but pretended not to notice. I was pissed at Vicky for not keeping to her word and I had to hurriedly send a random woman to help me rescue Leo. Thank goodness that she had quickly agreed to help me. After all, the woman had seemed so excited to witness me talk to her like I was some goddess or angel.Slowly, I turned away from the group of women I was giving a bit of my attention to and faced Alexander. Silently, I prayed to God that this wasn't about Leo. That he hadn't noticed Leo's resemblance with him or I doubted I was ready to answer any of his questions. He didn't deserve any answers. He didn't deserve anything at all that concerned me and my life. Not anymore.I tried to keep a cool and distant expression as I stared into his hazel eyes that was no different from Leo's ones. Leo was the cutest child I ever laid my
-- Grizelda --The next morning, the loud sound of my alarm pinched through my ears. I dragged myself from bed even though I knew I had no plans of leaving the house. I decided to work from home this time.I stepped into the shower first thing and took a cold bath before wrapping myself in a thick bathrobe and heading down the stairs to be sure Leo hadn't gone to school yet. I needed to see him. I needed to see the face that lighted my soul and gave me reason to stay alive in this cruel world.He sat at the dining table, all focus on the breakfast dished before him by my dutiful maids and not noticing me as I stood watching from afar. I took in a sharp breath while staring at his face. The way he smiled. The way he furrowed his brow when he concentrated. It was like staring at the man I once loved, himself. As much as I distanced myself from Alexander, Leo remained the subtle reminder that Alexander’s presence was still everywhere in my life.And I kept that truth all to myself. Away
-- Alexander --I was foolish. I was stupid. I couldn't believe how I could have acted so rashly at the welcome party. Confronting her like that. The only chance I had to clear my wrongs and I used it to lash out at her instead, making things worse for myself. Now, she'd never forgive me. And I wouldn't even know if I'd be able to see her, again.I dragged my hand furiously down my face and hastily loosened my tie, expanding the knotted space around my neck while I felt like it was choking me. I felt restless. I stood up from my office chair and began to pace back and forth.Still feeling frustrated, I walked back to my desk and swept everything off the surface, angrily, from paper to files to documents and even the mug of coffee which had been brought for me earlier this morning. "Arghhh!!! Alex, you're so stupid!" I screamed, knocking everything off without a care and the mug fell to the ground, shattering in pieces. I ran my hand through my hair afterwards and pulled at it.I felt
-- Alexander --All over again, the same thing was happening to me. I stared down at her for as long as I could and it was like time itself had stopped. I could hear the sound of my heart beating loud without an ounce of control. I felt dazed just like I had felt at her welcome party. How the fact that she had been so close to me after pulling her to my chest had done wondrous things to my soul. She was the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid my eyes on.Just like the time of the party, I felt like she was feeling the same for me and I wondered if it were my imagination. It was like she stared back at me with just about the same amount of lust in her eyes. I couldn't tell if it were ridiculous to think so. But I felt the strong force to bring my head closer towards her and steal a kiss from her lips. Just to remember how she tasted like. I was dying to remember how her lips felt like against mine.Apart from that, I tried to use a little bit of logic while I shifted from thinking wi
-- Alexander --I drove away in my car and they didn't hesitate to shut the gates behind me, the sharp clang of the metal gates symbolizing the superior power of the Williams Estate. And to think that years ago I always saw them as gods and never would have thought for once that one day I'd have the audacity to stand in front of their gates and plead to speak with their daughter.That was the kind of influence the Williams had in the entire country.But unfortunately, I'd once been married to that 'daughter' without knowing she was connected to the Williams family.I slammed my palm against the steering wheel, feeling the weight of my frustration pressed heavier on my chest.Damn you, Grizelda!I was trying my best to fix things, to prove that I was on her side in every way, yet I felt her shutting me out without any aid to it. Even audacity couldn't help me out.Her sliceful words repeated endlessly in my mind. "Then show it. Don't just fucking come and spell it out to my face."I ex
-- Grizelda --I watched Leo fall asleep on his bed while I was just almost done with reading his bedtime stories to him. His tiny body curled against the pillows, his golden hair shimmering in the glow of the nightlight and the peaceful rise and fall of his chest indicating how probably deep he was in the world of his dreams.Hopefully, it was a good dream.I brushed a stray strand from his forehead and kissed him there. My love for him only grew more everyday and the will to protect him and keep him safe grew stronger day by day as well.I remembered how my blood boiled with simmering rage during the interview earlier today.Alexander Kingston had promised me, given me his word while we stood face to face, agreeing that there would be no dragging over Leo, yet what if it was all a lie?In the blink of an eye a custody battle was placed on my table? All for what?! It was exactly what I'd wanted us to avoid, yet he brought upon a damn legal war over Leo!Jax had to be right! It would
-- Alexander --My jaw hung loose when I saw Grizelda live on the TV screen. She sat composed, but like a queen appearing with a deadly look on her face like she had come to announce the presuction of those that had dared to go against her.“I have been a single mother for years, caring and nurturing my son till this very stage." She said smoothly, her voice calm yet laced with fire and authority. "Therefore, I believe if there should be anyone willing to claim him from under my care, they should be ready to prove more capable of catering for him better than I have. But that isn't the case now, is it?” She continued.“All I sense is family legacy being placed as a priority, as well as a struggle for control being brought to my face. The people I've seen are people who refuse to accept that I have built my own life, independent of them, and I refuse to be bullied. I refuse to allow my son to be used as a pawn in their game.” Her words sounded final.I clenched my fists. This had to be
-- Grizelda --Back at my parent's mansion to spend some time with them while I also brought Leo along, I settled in front of the television in the living room as I poured myself a drink. A breaking news alert caught my attention and shock had me in its hold as I saw Margaret standing at a podium, her face calm and composed.“As a grandmother, it is well obvious that I would want what's best for my grandson. Not just because I love him with all my heart and want him by my side, but because I want to ensure he's raised in an environment that prioritizes his well-being,” she said, her voice steady. “It’s clear to me that certain environments can be bad for a child's growth and upbringing.” My grip on the glass tightened. She was making this public. She was declaring war.“If you will not turn that off, I'll turn it off myself.” My father came out of nowhere, breaking through my concentration and before I had time to object, he went ahead and disconnected the tv plug from the sockets.
-- Alexander --I leaned back in my leather chair, steering myself slowly to the left and slowly to the right, lost in the turmoil in my head. It felt like the wrong time to remember Grizelda's painful words to me at the hospital but I did and clearly."I've decided to give Jax a chance in my life..." She had said.The words were like tiny needles pricking against my skin.Jax Grey. He was finally successful in taking Grizelda from me.Apart from that, there was a lingering pain in my chest. I felt deeply broken inside because it felt like everyone was suddenly against me. I felt alone with no one to turn to.I stared once again at the crumpled drawing Leo had given me last time I picked Spencer up from school. I'd been the one to crumple it, squeezing it tightly in my hand while emotions welled up inside of me. It was a picture of a family, properly colored with crayons.No matter how many times I stared at the drawing, I felt the same amount of emotions brewing inside of me. It was
-- Grizelda --The front door being slammed shut echoed through the house. I soon heard Leo's footsteps followed by his lovely voice."Mommy!" he called out in a shrill voice.I stepped out of the kitchen to meet him. I dried my hands on a dish towel as I met him in the hallway. His face was red from the cold, his blond hair pointed in all directions and his bag almost slipped off one shoulder.The paper he held commanded my attention."Look!" he said excitedly as he stretched the paper toward me. "Something new I made at school today!"I collected the drawing from him. My breath got caught in my throat as I realized what he drew this time.It was a picture of himself, unmistakably and Alexander. It was drawn in vibrant crayon colors. Leo had drawn himself in his favorite red shirt as he held hands with a tall man who looked unmistakably like Alexander.The man had the same blond and hazel eyes. The title was written very boldly. Me and the man who looks like me!I forced a smile. "My
-- Alexander --The afternoon light poured into my office and radiated off the polished wood of my desk. The financial report I’d been working on untouched for the past hour on my computer screen stared back at me. My head was in another dimension. I kept thinking of my argument with my mother.Grizelda’s supposed betrayal with Jax Grey still played in my head.It was a story I believed to be true all those years ago. Lucy showed me the so called evidence of Grizelda's infidelity. She cried and consoled me, telling me I deserved better. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be logical then.But now? All I could think of was if there must be more to the stor I should know about.I leaned back in my chair as I stared at the ceiling deep in my thoughts. My head was completely filled with doubt. Could it really be that something did go on between Jax and Grizelda, or could those photos have been entirely fake, purposely made to look that way? Probably edited too.Those photos always felt
-- Grizelda --The custody fight hanged over me like a dark and unrelenting storm. Even in my leisure time, I was unable to relax because of the heaviness I felt when I thought about it. Margaret not only wanted to take away Leo from me but my identity. I didn’t know what else I was asides being a mother.I decided to bury myself in work but little good did that do. The numbers and quotations just blurred into one huge mess of gibberish before my eyes. I leaned back in my chair as I rubbed my temples. I needed to keep busy otherwise my mind would spiral into places I didn’t want it to go. I couldn’t afford to fall apart now.A soft knock on the door startled me.“Come in,” I called. I bent over the papers scattered on my table. I needed to appear or give the impression I was busy.Vicky stepped inside, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She had always been proactive, sorting my needs before I even knew. I gave her a grateful look, my eyes twinkling with delight as it expressed the r
-- Alexander --"You have crossed a line." I said as my voice trembled with anger.My mother who stood in the centre of my office didn’t flinch at my tone, she didn’t even blink. She just stood there, arms folded with a rigid posture as the cold matriarch she has always been."Leo is my grandson," Her words were measured and deliberate. "He belongs in the Kingston family."Her words sent my mind reeling. I glared as I launched myself to my full height. "Leo stays with his mother," I snapped. "And you had no right to serve Grizelda custody papers without my blessing. What were you thinking?""I was thinking about Leo’s future. Your son's future." she said with an icy tone "The Kingston's name. The legacy you seem so fixated on ruining."I could barely restrain my anger as my hands were clenched into fists. "This has nothing to do with legacy. This is about Leo. He’s a child, not some object to be added to the Kingston's collection. No matter what the case may be."Her lips curled into