At first, he didn't realize what had happened to his grandson. When Zachary put a hand across his face but he stepped backward, his grandson only loathed body contact, especially with the people he didn't know. Doing the same thing to him made him wonder what had happened to him. He had a series of questions he wanted to ask. Why haven't you been coming home? What happened to you? A lot that he couldn't even remember all.A few months ago, he vividly remembered what his butler divulged that very day, Lucien left home without a bodyguard and also he didn't tell anyone who he was meeting that day or where he was headed. Being the grandson of a tycoon, he was aware of the kind of danger swirling around him like the wind at every corner, yet he left home without his bodyguards. For weeks, his corpse was never retrieved or found, yet Zachary presumed it was better to pronounce him dead after months of searching with shattered hopes. It had been five months, two weeks already. When he rec
The next day she woke up to the sound of her alarm. She extended her hand to the nightstand and turned it off, posed up purposely, and scotched to the edge as she put both feet on the floor. She rubbed the heel of her hands on her face to make her vision a bit pellucid.She took her phone as she leaped up. She slid into her scuffs, went to the bathroom and did all that was necessary before stepping out. She was expecting Lilith to show up anytime soon and that was why she was getting ready before she arrived, they were leaving early today. Moreover, since his next session with his therapist was fixed for next week she had absolutely nothing to worry about. After getting ready, she sauntered casually out of her room and skimmed at his door before heading to the kitchen to grab something to eat.When she got to the kitchen, she only had coffee and bread because she didn't seem to have the yearning to eat her favorite breakfast. The moment she strode out of the kitchen, she checked her w
Despite being caught red-handed, he still maintained his calm countenance, he presumed that the worst might happen if he ever got swayed. However, Jennifer was still worried after he almost called her by her name, perhaps he did call her by the name. She never expected that to happen since it was their first meeting after being missing for months.After she enquired what she had done wrong and received no response from him, she suspected something peculiar about him. Although he seemed perfectly fine, his face was pale yet he was glowing like a rose, his eyes were devoid of emotion which left her completely speechless, pondering what could be wrong.He tried all he could to articulate his words in a way she wouldn't have to get worried but it was quite difficult to always pretend everything was right when it wasn't, especially when he desperately wanted to recall all his forgotten memories. If none of it was going to flash across his head, he wanted to at least catch a glimpse of what
After getting ready to leave, she sauntered casually to his room to inform him before heading out. It wasn't something she used to do but she had the yen to talk to him before leaving for the location she wanted to see him and ask about how he was feeling. As she entered, it came as a big surprise to find him still in bed which was quite usual. It aroused her anxiety. Staring at him as he slept, he looked pale than yesterday. She leaned over and tapped him gently on his bare arm since he was shirtless and the duvet was half close to his chest. Gwendolyn didn't have the time to drool over him, it was something she couldn't resist ever since she set her eyes on him but today, she was concerned to know about how he was truly feeling. “Good morning, Zayn.”Although he wasn't fast asleep when she spoke, her voice echoed in his slumber. Slowly his long eyelashes began to move as he tried to figure out how close she was through his vague vision, if she was leaning so close he would have to b
When he requested an explanation, Mr. Robert didn't know what else to tell him as the conference was urgent and they only had forty minutes before it was initiated. His persistence in doing what he wanted wouldn't let him surrender to anyone, or accept what he was saying. The moment he made up his mind to leave the mansion and the butler couldn't stop him, his phone rang and when he checked the caller ID, Zachary was the one calling, like he knew that with amnesia, no one could still control his grandson.He informed him about the situation, the new vice chairman was presumed to attend the meeting but Zachary wanted to announce his return as everyone already thought Lucien Redgrave was dead after he went missing for months. Back then he was the vice chairman of all Redgrave's companies before Mr. Carey was appointed to take over the position after what happened. Mr. Carey was the only one he could trust with the company's finances, now that his grandson had returned, he hadn't decided
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
Two hours after the harrowing incident, Mr. Kane reached out to Lucien, informing him that he had just arrived at the airport and was on his way to the company. Lucien felt an unsettling tension knotting in his stomach at the thought of the meeting. Despite their many attempts to connect over the past weeks, some unforeseen obstacle always intervened. Now, with an important board meeting underway, he regretted his inability to go to the airport himself. Instead, he urged Jace to make the trip, accompanied by a few bodyguards—a precautionary action against any unexpected threats that might arise.Although anxiety gnawed at him, Lucien found solace in the skills Jace brought to the table, he trusted that he could handle the situation without a scratch on him. Every five minutes during the meeting, his phone vibrated gently on the table—texts from Jace, each one carefully crafted to reassure him of his safety. Yet, amid the flurry of updates, a flicker of doubt gnawed at him. He couldn’
“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