There was a minute of awkward quietness that evolved after what Zachary said, while waiting for a response from Zayn, none of them was ready to interrupt; they were anticipating Zayn's reaction. Not him, because at that moment he was trying to apprehend what his grandfather just said. None of them ever spoke about his marriage with the lady before, including Jennifer. He inferred everything was cooked up just to make him return home. When he gaped at Mr. Carey gave a nod to what Mr. Redgrave said. The truth sounded more like an outburst to his ears, it was something he had never foreseen or ever thought about and it left him speechless for a minute. If he had a wife before, then that implied the marriage with Gwendolyn was void. His body pulsed with ire, prompting him to extend his hand to his neck and loosen his rose tie. Somehow the office strangely felt hot, perhaps because he was shocked. Nothing made sense to him, he assumed all of them might be playing a trick on him. None of
“Thanks for coming tonight. How's Zayn doing?” Kathryn asked, on her way to the dining room. She drew a seat for herself while Gwendolyn also did the same. The maids came over and served their food before leaving. “He's doing well. He sent his regards. I don't think I'll be waiting for Dad to return, if he doesn't join us for dinner, I'll give him a call tomorrow.” Kathryn checked her watch, and with a long sigh, she gazed at the entrance. “He didn't say he'll be late tonight. I told him you're coming home to have dinner with us, he thought Zayn would be present too because he intends to have a conversation with him. Is it important?” She asked curiously.She shook her head vigorously. “No. Since it's been a while we talked, I want to ask how he's doing.” She paused for a while, recollecting what she said about Zayn. She couldn't think of anything her father would want to discuss with him. He didn't tell her anything. “Did he by any chance tell you why he wants to see Zayn?”With a
Ever since they had the conversation during their ride, a series of thoughts had overwhelmed his mind. When he thought of what Jace told him, he was still perplexed. No chance, the person Jace might be referring to couldn't be his grandfather. On the other hand, there were a lot of people he had been close to for the past few days but none of them appeared to be dangerous. After all, people knew how to conceal their intentions. He was in his office while having a smooth conversation with Kevin, Jace returned to his office after meeting his grandfather. Zayn insisted he wouldn't be tagging along because he had other important business to attend to, although he hadn't officially taken over business because Mr. Carey was the acting vice chairman, Zayn had some major work that couldn't be neglected now that he had returned. The moment Jace slumped onto a couch, Zayn dismissed his executive assistant with a gesture. Kevin handed over the files to him before exiting the office. “Did grandf
“We don't have many scenes left to shoot. I just think that the shoot is almost over. Gosh, to be honest, I wish it wouldn't end this soon. I have so much fun working with you, Gwen.” Shane expressed his dissatisfaction, looking straight into her eyes. Ever since they arrived at the restaurant, sitting at the VIP's he had been talking nonstop. Gwendolyn wasn't as enthusiastic as he was, however, she didn't want to ruin his moment, it appeared that he was enjoying himself. Thinking about right from the moment the director introduced them, at that instant she knew Shane idolized her more than anyone else. After all, she was mostly everyone's favorite and always left a remarkable impression on anyone she ever had a shoot with.“Have we met before?” She enquired. She presumed their current shoot shouldn't be the first thing that brought them together. She couldn't recall if they had met before, but she knew it was not their first time meeting.“Mh-mmm, I can't say we've met before and I
“What was that earlier?” Gwendolyn shut the door behind her, dropped her heels on the floor, slumped against the door, and then buried her face in her palms. Recollecting the event that happened two minutes ago, her heartbeat rapidly. She couldn't believe they kissed. “What's wrong with me?” She lowered a hand to her chest which was beating faster than before, pouting as she soliloquized while gazing on her feet as she curled up. She couldn't believe that she kissed him even though the first kiss was a mistake. However, it was certain that she didn't regret it but why was she feeling strange even after the kiss? She was pondering what Zayn would think of her after she took the opportunity. Gwendolyn tried to snap out of it but her mind kept drifting back to Zayn no matter how hard she tried to distract it. ‘Am I in love with him?’ Even though the question was an absurd question to ask herself, she still contemplated the answer. She could scarcely deny her feelings for him if she didn
“Come to think of it, you haven't told me about your date. Did you have fun?” Jace enquired about the date since Zayn wasn't talking about it even though he had been waiting to hear him say it since it was taking him longer than expected so he decided to ask.While sitting on a swirling chair, he flipped through the paper that required his signature. There were piles of documents, some he needed to access just as Mr. Carey informed him earlier, and some that required his signature before they were taken away. He twirled the pen in his hand, staring at the name on the contract before signing it. “It's a one-billion-dollar project, Jace. Mr. Carey brought the records earlier, why should we assign this project to them?” He ignored his question, paying his undivided attention to the papers. Jace couldn't argue or bug him to respond to the question he asked so he decided to play along. He believed that if they couldn't talk about the date now he would ask him on their way home later. Sinc
After the meeting ended, Austin didn't return to the company because he had another important thing to handle at his mansion. He wasn't surprised when he received her message that she was at his mansion but what perplexed him was she told him her flight would be a bit late due to the weather forecast. Was she playing a trick on him this time? The car skidded to a halt in the garage, Austin alighted from the car and headed in. Since he never hired any maids because of privacy, the whole house was as hushed as a grave. He saw her sitting on a sofa with her legs crossed. “Leave us, Brand,” Austin ordered imperatively.He nodded, veering around, and then exited. Emily pivoted her head to look over when she heard his voice, and then she rose and skipped a few steps away from the sofa.“But you said your flight would be forty minutes late.”“Well, surprise! I'm here now. You haven't changed the passcode so I let myself in.” When his expression was as sour as lemon, she tried to explain to
Still, there was nothing he could do in his capacity. He had tried to contact the headquarters through his father's connection but none was enough to resolve the matter. All the shareholders wanted an annual board meeting to be held as soon as possible. No doubt, that was a hint of scandal, Mr. Whitlock knew he was about to lose his essential slot over a trivial matter because of his son's recklessness. When it had gotten to the point when no one believed that he hadn't done anything to degrade their company's reputation at Redgrave company, Austin had to narrate what he did at the company over again. His mind never suspected Zayn because he believed he wasn't a threat to begin with, but Jace, he suspected him. He couldn't conclude what he had done wrong, all he could tell was what Jace Redgrave didn't like about him at their first encounter. He'd decided to leave a good remark next time they would be meeting. After three hours, Mr. Whitlock was able to address the issue with the ac
“Your three days are over. Tell me, why should I accept that actress who supposedly used you?” The weight of frustration hung heavily in his mind as he whimpered, his voice laced with desperation. “How many times must I tell you that she didn’t use me? Shouldn’t you be grateful that she’s the reason I’m alive? You’re the one who refuses to accept Gwen, but I’m not marrying anyone other than her. I love her, and that should be all you need to know. Stop being such a stubborn old man.” Though Lucien’s anger had dissipated, a certain stubbornness still clouded his grandfather's acceptance of the woman he adored. He could sense that the unexpected invitation to the office was merely a prelude to their confrontation. “Of course, I'm mostly grateful for that. I would have given her a tower of gold if she was wise enough to report you missing the moment she found you. My great-grandchildren shouldn’t have a mother like her.” He declared, his voice steeped in disdain. “My children don't de
After showering, she sidled across the room to his walk-in closet. She selected a long blue shirt and wore it over her pants, the shirt barely reached her thighs, and her curly hair tumbled over her shoulders. She glanced at the mirror on her way out of the closet, she noticed her nipples were conspicuous, stiffened in the shirt, but she barely cared about that. She stroked a strand of hair behind her ear and dampened her lower lip.She seemed refreshed. Their conversation replayed in her head, echoing in her mind as each word reminded her of a tingling feeling she felt earlier. When he asked if she wanted to get married, she felt the yen to say yes if it was him; remarrying him would be a wish come true, but Gwendolyn still assumed they could be fucking buddies until both of them got tired of each other. After all, she believed it would happen one day. ‘If it's you then I don't mind. ’ She hit her forehead when she recalled what she said. She only said that during the heat of the mom
As the echoes of the conference meeting faded away, leaving behind an air thick with unspoken words, the last few attendees ambled out of the hall, their footsteps becoming feeble. A palpable tension hung in the atmosphere, settling heavily on Jace's mind like a suffocating air. He remained seated, his thoughts a chaotic like a total disaster, knowing all too well that he needed to confront the unyielding silence that stretched between him and Lucien. Every time their eyes locked, a flicker of unquenchable curiosity sparkled in Lucien's gaze, silently pleading for acknowledgment. He despised not talking to his elder brother and he didn't want to be the first person to break the eerie silence.“You look like someone who just lost his first love, Jace. What's the matter? Are you going to stay angry at me forever?” Lucien's voice sliced through the stillness, a sharp voice to the thick awkwardness they had both been sidestepping for days.Jace hardly reacted to the teasing remark. His ex
Immediately the call disconnected, Gwendolyn swerved around to look at him, holding her phone tightly. Her countenance wasn't pleasant, she was still worried despite her father assuring her everything was fine, he just needed her to be at the hospital with her stepmom.“Is everything all right?” His brows furrowed with confusion. Seeing how worried she looked, he couldn't gauge if everything was all right.With a shake of her head, “I’m not sure. I should be heading to the hospital now. He said she needs me there like I'm a doctor. I wonder if everything is fine as he said.” She enunciated impatiently. She stepped away from the chair, and then to the exit. Lucien tagged behind her as both of them ascended the stairs together. ”Hospital? Did something happen? Did he tell you what happened?“Yes. Remember I told you she's pregnant, right? I think it's almost time. She might be feeling uncomfortable. She'll need me there. She's in her third trimester. Fuck, I'm supposed to keep my phone
In the next second, they were back in his bedroom, still engaged in a passionate and lips-devouring smooch. Gwendolyn could scarcely explain how he brought her back to his room, the only thing she knew was when she eventually opened her eyes to look at him, they were both on their feet near the king-size bed. His mouth left hers in a swift motion, grazing her cheek down to her neck with kisses, her body quivering with nervousness. She was feeling nervous, and at the same time, her need was about to make her lose her mind. Every time his tongue brushed on her skin, her stomach always tingled. Suddenly, his hand caressed her back slowly, vaguely searching for a string. There, he found the zip. He zipped down her gown with reluctance. Even though he already felt his erection, hardening below, he was more willing to create room for a change of heart, if she wanted. Nevertheless, she wasn't going to stop him, they had both lost their minds in the pool of lust and love.“Ah, Lucien,” She
“Hi, Gwen.” He grinned winsomely, however, she leveled him a killer look as she contracted her lips into a frown.“You haven't answered my damn question. Are you stalking me now?” She seethed.“I’m not. Why are you avoiding me again? I thought we already talked about this yesterday. You won't answer my call or reply to my text, why are you doing this?” He enquired calmly, with one of his hands stuffed in his pocket.She hissed quietly as she rolled her eyes. “I told you, I don't want trouble. I just hope you'll understand this and leave me alone…because you're making everything hard for me by showing up before me. I can't deal with all of this.” She wagged her hands in the air, whimpering with frustration while trying not to look at him.Hearing that, he skipped a few strides close to her. He extended his hand to touch her so she could look at him but he hesitated. “Making everything hard for you? That's not what I'm trying to do. Do you have some minutes? Let's talk somewhere else, i
“Did you also threaten Mr. Robert the same way you threatened Gwendolyn?” Mr. Redgrave grinned cunningly. He spun around, walked up to a couch in his bedroom, and sat down carefully, holding his walk-stick close. He cupped his chin, staring at his grandson in a calm steady manner. “Did he say I threatened him?” His lips cropped into an indignation frown.“Isn’t that what you always do? Using people's weakness against them.”“Is that what you think of me, Lucien? Would you say that to the man who raised you and your siblings? That aside, Mr. Carey called me. Why are you bringing up a divorce now after two years of your marriage to his daughter?” “It has nothing to do with you.” He retorted.“It has everything to do with your grandfather. Have you forgotten we have a bargain?” He reminded him. If perhaps he had forgotten, he was more willing to remind him about it all.His body pulsed up with anger. Every word his grandfather said kept hitting his nerves. He was at the peak of losing
“I surmise I was worried for nothing.” Immediately after the teleconference ended Margaret puffed out a sigh of relief, shuffling away from him to get seated on the couch in his home office. “It’s late,” He glanced over the wall clock. It was already past midnight and he was tired after a long day. If the project wasn't important to Margaret he wouldn’t have assisted her. His resting time was important to him more than anything else.“Thank you so much. I'm so lucky you're my husband, Lucien.” She muttered, pausing for air before continuing. “There's something I'd like to discuss with you but it seems that you're drained tonight. Maybe tomorrow.” She struggled with words, hoping that wouldn't provoke him.“Yes, I'm tired and I can't listen to anything right now. Also don't get your hopes up,” He shut his laptop, rose from his swirling office chair, then took his phone on his desk and headed toward the door. She watched him until he exited the office. She puffed out a despairing sigh
“I'm not supposed to tell you this.”Perplexed, his brow ceased. “Tell me what? Did my grandfather threaten you?”She groaned with frustration and dampened her lower lip to hide her anxiety but her lips were still trembling. She attained her erect posture, staring deeply into his mariner blue eyes, she breathed out slowly and then turned to the chair. She sat down and gestured to him to do the same. However, he remained on his feet, stuffed his hands in his pockets, impatiently waiting for her to divulge every secret she was holding in.“I was invited to Redgrave mansion, and at first, I thought it was you who sent the invite. It turned out to be your grandfather, Mr. Robert, who approached me. I realize that what I did to you was terrible. However, I want to remind you that I asked for your consent, and you agreed to marry me. I didn't understand why people thought I had forced you into this. If you had refused that day, I would have accepted it, although I might have still tried to