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Chapter 127

last update Last Updated: 2024-11-29 23:04:25

Rafael sat with his back to the window, staring into the glow of his laptop screen. The seriousness of the email in front of him-something to do with a comprehensive report about another act of sabotage against one of the key projects of the company made him sad.

His eyes fogged, and the words disappeared into a blaze of mental pictures of Bernice: her laughs, her fiery arguments, how she used to challenge him.

“Sir,” his assistant, interrupted gently from the doorway, “the board is waiting for your response on the proposed measures to counteract the sabotage.”

Rafael waved her off impatiently. “Tell them I’ll review it later.”

Laura hesitated. “They’ve been waiting for three days, sir. The situation is escalating—”

“I said later!” Rafael barked, his voice sharp enough to make her flinch.

She scampered off, and with a groan, Rafael leaned back in his chair to pinch the bridge of his nose. Just couldn't put himself through this anymore: not with Bernice out there, not with Alexander o
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    The silent office turned upside down when Rafael's fist cracked the glass surface of his desk and papers flew in every direction as his desk, already messy, became a battleground within the blink of an eye."Everything's falling apart," Rafael growled, his fists clenched. "And yet.all I can think about is Bernice."His door creaked open, and Gabriel stepped inside, his features an etching of concern and professional reserve."What?”"Rafael," Gabriel began, his voice smooth, almost, to keep himself in the present. "We need to talk about the company. The attempts at sabotage, the financial losses-they are still on the rise."Rafael raised his eyes; his gaze was sharp and icy. "I don't have the time for this now."Gabriel further closed in on him, firm in his voice: "Rafael, you have been doing this for days on end now, and the whole company is walking on their toes. If you yourself do not handle the crisis, we are going to lose so much more than business.""Then let it burn," Rafael ye

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    "Where could she be?" Bernice demanded tersely in the hush of Alexander's office tension and frustration edging her voice. She paced restlessly round the room, having her arms tightly crossed against her chest, as if holding herself together. Deep lines of worry engraved her face, making her look more fragile, even while her fierce determination showed no sign of faltering.Alexander leaned back in the chair beside the desk and regarded her silently. His features reflected his concern and weariness. "Bernice," he said quietly, "we're doing all that we can. Marcus has every possible lead covered and the reward will draw more information soon.""It's not enough!" she snapped, stopping abruptly and glaring at him. Glassy from the sleepless nights, angst over having her children missing was deeply ingrained in her tone. "My daughter has been missing for days, Alexander! My son. God knows what they're doing to Luca right now." The crack of her voice betrayed her, and she turned away, ref

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    “Yes, she's mine and I won't forgive you for this.” Bernice turned to walk away from the room. "Why won't you for once just listen to me?" Rafael's anguished voice rebounded down the sterile hospital hallway.Bernice didn't stop. She plunged past him, her heels clicking against the polished floor razor-sharp in her focus to the door ahead. Alexander was directly at her back, his silence a shield against Rafael's relentless attempts to speak."Bernice, wait," Rafael called again after her. "Just stop for a second!"She whirled about, her face contorted in anger. "Stop? Stop for what, Rafael? Listen to more of your nonsense? Watch you twist the knife you've already plunged into my back? I had enough of you. Now, get out of my way."At his side, Rafael's fist clenched as his jaw worked overtime. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just­"You just what?" she spat, voice low and trembling. "You just accidentally ran over a little girl that happens to be mine? Or did fate decide to throw you back

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    "What do you mean, is she yours?" Bernice's voice sliced through the strained silence in the hospital room.Rafael bristled at her tone; his expression gave not an inch. He turned to Mia lying in the hospital bed and looked back at Bernice. "You heard me. How am I to know she's mine? You kept this from me for three years, Bernice. If they were really my children, why hide them?"Those words sent Bernice backward in a quivering step. This tide rose inside her. The heave of her chest, as she struggled for composure. "Do you hear yourself right now?" she spat. "What kind of man looks at his own flesh and blood and doubts them?"Don't you turn this on me," Rafael snapped, his voice rising. "You disappeared from the city without a word. You never told me you were pregnant. And considering what I caught you doing-"Bernice's head snapped up, her eyes ablaze. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!"I saw you!" Rafael shot back, anger bubbling. "You were in bed with another man, Bernice. I did

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    Rafael walked into the hospital the next morning to see Bernice sitting alone in the waiting room. That was his chance to talk to Bernice with Alexander interference. "Bernice. We still have a lot to talk about. I need the whole truth." The deep voice of Rafael echoed within the near-vacant waiting room of the hospital.She sat straight up in one of those damned uncomfortable steel chairs without attempting to glance up. Her hands were clenched into her lap, the knuckles white. "What truth, Rafael? My daughter is in this condition because of you and you think I want to talk to you? " Her voice managed to slice weariness and anger.Rafael winced but didn't back away. "That's not fair, Bernice.""Fair?" She whipped her face up to him, eyes ablaze. "Do you even know what that word means? You should not even be here."Without anything from Rafael, one of the nurses went up to Bernice apologetically. "Ms. Bernice, the doctor on duty attending Mia, wants to see you. It's about her conditio

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    Thicker than the antiseptic smell of sterile things, it seemed to choke the air. Rafael had his fists clenched at his sides as he stood in the doctor's office. He had barely made out the words said by the doctor-a blur of possibilities and medical jargon just floating over his head. At no time did his gaze leave Bernice, who was frozen in front of him, her eyes flickering between fear, anger, and disbelief.Just then, the doctor was suggesting that the father of the child might be a match for the blood transfusion. The implication was as loud as clear.Father, the word stuck in Rafael's head like a splinter, deep, leaving an ache so painful. This was something he was not ready for. This was something he had never been ready for.All color siphoned from Bernice's complexion, while she flitted between the doctor and him. The weighted nature of this all clapped solidly onto her shoulders made its presence known in her ashen expression-a perfect mask of deflection, tainting reflections o

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  • His uncle's sweetheart    Chapter 135

    "You think you can just waltz back into her life like you own it?" Alexander's voice cut through the sterile hospital air, sharp and controlled, yet with fury simmering unmistakably beneath, as he stood in the hall, his eyes locking onto Rafael with a ferocity which drew the attention of passing nurses.Rafael, who had just stepped out of Mia’s room, exhaled slowly. His heart was already heavy from seeing his daughter so fragile, and now Alexander was here, adding to the weight. He adjusted the collar of his jacket, his eyes narrowing as he met Alexander’s glare head-on."I’m not here for a fight," Rafael said, his voice calm but edged with steel. "I’m here for my daughter."Alexander took another step closer, folding his arms over his chest. The smooth exterior still beamed, but in his eyes, disdain pulsed in its wake. "Your daughter?" he jeered. "You don't get to call her that. She doesn't even know who you are."Rafael's jaw clenched, his fingers flexing to his sides. Not easily ri

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