CHAPTER 45 Fareeda fizzled around with the key in her pockets while turning her head around to check if anyone was coming. For now, she wasn't interested in any small talk or long talk, she just wanted to take a hot bath, eat strawberry oatmeal, drink cranberry juice, throw the bloody clothes she was wearing away, watch the last episode of Love Island, and then sleep. Any other plans she had would have to wait till tomorrow.She opened the door, and the familiar scent of raspberries filled her nose as she shut the door. Lord, she missed her bed. "Hopefully, I don't have any more far away jobs I need to handle," she muttered to herself and started stripping herself off her clothes before entering the bathroom and washing up.After she had her bath, she moved to where the light switches were and turned them on, illuminating the room and causing her to kick those bloody clothes under her drawer. She turned back and the look on her face spelled horror as she saw Alex on her swivel c
CHAPTER 46Days later, in the quiet solitude of her room, Valerie traced her delicate fingers over her flat and warm belly as she rocked herself forward and backward on the rocking chair that she got from Shein last week. She was a hundred and one percent sure that she had taken dozens of birth control pills after having sex with Alan. What was she going to do now? What are people going to say? What are his parents going to say?She imagined a scenario of her and Alan informing his parents together about her pregnancy… except, it wasn't for the man she married. She could picture the shock on their frail faces when those words comes out of their mouths, "Mom, Dad. We are pregnant," The only positive thing that could come out of this interesting piece of information is that she was pregnant with their grandchild immediately after their first grandbaby passed. The blogs were going to eat this up if they ever found out, but it was hard to keep a secret when you live a life as an unpre
CHAPTER 47 The soft glow of the computer screen cast a pale light in Fareeda's dimly lit office as she sat hunched over her desk, her fingers danced across the keyboard with ease, and her tongue constantly moved to lick her lips and twist them out of impulse. Alex thought that his little confrontation days ago would have done something to change her mind about ruining him and his self-entitled family, but he didn't know that he was in for the surprise of his life. Even if she knew Alex was a dimwit, she wished she knew what was going on inside his big, empty head. He was definitely planning something but she was ready for him.A smirk appeared on her lips as she began to form a composed and carefully worded email, her words laced with veiled threats and calculated manipulation. When she finished, her fingers hovered over the "Send" button and her heart raced with anticipation as a tight-lipped smile appeared on her lips. She felt a surge of grim satisfaction fill her and then
CHAPTER 48Valerie wrapped her coat around her shoulder tightly as she sighted the black limousine just a few meters away from the estate's gate. A small sigh left her lips as she began to walk briskly toward it, constantly whipping her head around the area to check whether anyone was following or watching her.She noticed the tinted glass as she drew closer. The glass slowly winds down to reveal a brunette woman in a pair of big black shades that cover half her face.She tried to remember if she had seen or come across the woman but she couldn't recall, or maybe they hadn't met before, but why was she here?"Please get in," Irene Colette said in a soft voice.Valerie quirked an eyebrow and raised her hand to protest, "Who are you? And why on earth would I want to get into a car with a total stranger?" Irene Colette smiled and answered, "Think of this meeting as your redemption or your road to freedom," Valerie pressed her lips together to form a thin line, contemplating whether or
CHAPTER 49Irene sat on the couch in her office and took a sip of her black coffee while cross checking the story that her team had written and was waiting to publish at 9 pm sharp. A video recording of Valerie's testament and the files that Fareeda sent her were already in the story. The only thing that was left was for Irene to tell her team to press the release button.Her publicity team had been working all day to tell the public to tune into their pages on all social media platforms for a mid-week scandal.Overall, everyone anticipated the scandal, they knew that it was a big deal if Hush Havens couldn't wait until the weekend to release the story. Her team even went as far as to tease the contents of the scandal with the headline being, "BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS THAT CONCEALED THE UGLY FACES OF BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE," Irene was thrilled to release this story not because she was already loving the engagement that the teaser was getting, but because she knew what Alex was like.Alex
CHAPTER 50 "She was brought here just in time thanks to you. Any further delay would have brought even more complications to her and the baby," Valerie heard the doctor say from where she was pretending to be asleep.She had woken up some time ago but she couldn't open her eyes because she heard voices in the room. Besides the voices in the room, she'd hear the door open and close at intervals, and at night she'd feel as though someone were watching her. Not Fareeda, but the woman who shot her.She remembered the harsh dark lines that ran across her forehead down to her lips. Those lines drew her back to the memory she thought she had kept hidden away. Now, everything was coming back to haunt her."The baby?" She heard Fareeda ask quizzically."Yes, the baby. Valerie is pregnant and I'm happy to confirm that the baby is still alive," Valerie impulsively ran her free hand that was not held by a large needle and was connected to a drip over her stomach. "Is she awake? She just ran h
CHAPTER 51Valerie was discharged from the hospital the day before Alan's wedding at the estate. As her driver pulled over at the estate parking lot, she was too consumed with her thoughts to even notice the changes that were going on in the compound.The trees were shaped evenly to form Scarlett and Alan's ship names. There were gold chairs lined in tow at the far end of the estate greens, and an unusual amount of people walked up and down around the place. A low grunt left her lips as Fareeda helped her out of the car and her face contorted into one of distaste as she took in the new changes. Fareeda shifted close to her and whispered in her ear, "Do you want to see him?" Him.Valerie should have known that Alan's good guy facade was too good to be true. But, what hurt her the most was the fact that she allowed herself to be loved by him and she was sure that she put in her all to make the relationship work.And this was what she gets for falling in love? Valerie gulped and fak
CHAPTER 52 'This is so wrong Valerie,' a voice in her head told her several times before she actually broke the kiss.She placed her hand on her head and paced around the room, still breathing heavily from the kiss they had just shared."This is so wrong," she said and sat on the foot of the bed, taking a moment to swallow thickly and catch her breath. "What was I thinking?" she whispered under her breath and sprang up from the bed. Alan rushed toward where she stood and cupped her face to meet his eyes, "I know that I'm supposed to be married tomorrow but we will figure it out, right? We will," Valerie pushed his hands off her face, her lips quivered as she tried to hold her tears in. "What baffles me the most about this whole thing is that you thought I was going to forgive you so easily! And like a fool I opened my arms to welcome you back, forgetting all I went through in these past few weeks. Harsh realizations hitting me from all corners and now you want to take advantage
CHAPTER 82 - FINAL CHAPTERValerie was discharged from the hospital a week later, and after they moved into their new home in the Maldives, Gideon never left her side. After several pleas, Gianna agreed to leave Fareeda alone and return to Spain, but not before forcing her son to appeal to the Spanish and Maldives governments to have Fareeda taken to jail, prompting her to go back into hiding. Fareeda continued to tail Valerie, her presence marked by the scent of her shampooed hair and body mist."Is this what she's going to do for the rest of our lives?" Gideon asked one evening while they were relaxing in their gazebo.A confused looking Valerie dropped the cocktail she was sipping and faced her husband, "Who? What are you talking about?" "Fareeda. I know she follows you around. Is she like your bodyguard? Did she make a pact with you to ignore living her own life to focus on yours? It's absurd how everywhere that you are, the wind still carries the aura of a second person," Valer
CHAPTER 81"I'm sorry! It was the alcohol!" Scarlett's screams and sobs rang in Valerie's mind as she gained consciousness while in the hospital. "She's going into labor now!" The nurses yelled as she felt herself being placed on a stretcher, and then being rushed into the emergency room."She is in a critical condition, sir! We cannot allow her to push while she is unconscious, she may lose her life!" Another nurse screamed at Gideon."I can see the baby's head!" Another nurse added. "Get Doctor Michael! Where is Doctor Michael?" This was the thing about pregnancies and going into labor, everyone was always so stressed out and crazy. Even as she felt weak, she could still tell what was going on around her. She could hear the loud thumps and thuds on the floor, the click and clack of the nurses' block hills. The clean smell of the white walled hospitals, and the smell of fresh blood oozing out of her vagina.On hearing a nurse suggesting the emergency room, her eyes flew open, "I do
CHAPTER 80Seven months later. Gideon had the whole suitcase cleared out and taken to his private jet because his parents decided that it would be better for Valerie and the babies in her stomach to have the chance to take in the good life in a different environment. Actually, the doctor said so, but everyone except Valerie agreed to it.Valerie hated many things about pregnancy, but one of the things that she hated most was the fact that she wasn't having one, but two babies.She almost fainted at the gender reveal party that her in-laws hosted two months ago because she was scared to have one baby, but now two was indeed a crowd. But, so far, being pregnant in the McCarthy household has been great. Everyone was wrapped around Valerie's fingers, she had had numerous tea parties thrown in her name, been sent congratulatory notes and presents from Spain's big dogs, including the president, Fareeda sent her two lovely electronic cots and with beautiful notes, and Gideon's mom visited
CHAPTER 79 Three Months laterFareeda threw a robe over her head and drove to the area where the former Carson estate was situated.Yellow and black tapes were draped over the large gates, and some post signs that had, "Do not trespass," written on them were placed in front of the estate.She peeked through one of the holes in the gate and found the estate, dark and empty. Neither the streetlights nor the house lights were turned on.A few days after the news of Alan's demise got out, his mother and wife sold the estate, the remaining shares they have under Carson Innovations, and left the United States to God knows where leaving Alex Carson to rot in prison for the rest of his life.Fareeda has never felt sorry for anyone in her life, but she believed that no matter how evil a person may have lived their life, they still deserved a second chance.The Carsons that she had spent almost ten years trying to destroy were now ground to dust. Their ruin was one of the best things that e
CHAPTER 78Fareeda raised her hands to her shoulder and stepped backward, "We used to be friends, Valerie," she warned."That was before you stabbed me in the back!"Fareeda clicked her teeth, "I know I hurt you by not telling you anything, and your father didn't deserve to die by my hands, but Val, you don't know how desperate I was! I was ready to kill anyone who got in my way!" She confessed."And, what did that old and frail man do to get in your way?" Valerie asked, angrily."He helped me get some things done and then wanted to back out when he saw how much you were in love with Alan. I was so obsessed with getting revenge on the Carsons, and I didn't want you to find out about any of it because you would have hated me and kicked me out at once. It's not like that would have stopped me from destroying the Carsons, but I didn't want to lose your friendship then, especially when you needed a shoulder to lean on," Tears gathered in the corner of Valerie's eyes, and she threw the gu
CHAPTER 77Gideon stretched his arm to turn off the blaring alarm sound. As he grabbed the phone on the bedside table he turned it off, realizing that it wasn't his phone."5 am? Why did she set an alarm when we slept late?" He asked himself with a puzzled expression on his face.He curled his head to the side, meaning to wake his wife up, but she wasn't there. He placed his hands on the empty space to feel it, and his heart dropped when he found the space cold."Valerie!" He yelled but there was no answer.He got up and moved to search the balcony, the bathroom, and the toilets, before leaving to check Maria's room.Maria opened the door after several knocks, "What is it, Gideon?" She inquired angrily."Uh…sorry to disturb you but, is Valerie here?" He asked, looking inside to see."No, why?" Gideon sighed dejectedly, leaning on the wall," We slept in the same room an hour to midnight after a long discussion, only for me to wake up and not see her next to me. She only left a note,"
CHAPTER 76NOTE: 'Silence' is a place in San Resort"Wedding bells?" Gideon asked, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.Maria nodded and paced around the place, the back of her hands shielding her nostrils, "We have got to keep moving. 'Silence' would surely be around here somewhere, we aren't just looking well," she said and walked towards Valerie who's eyes were half-closed.Tapping Valerie ferociously, Maria groaned as she watched her cousin lazily get up, "Stop being like this, Val! You're too slow and it's making me nauseous,""I'm trying," she replied in a soft voice as she leaned onto Gideon for support."You are not trying hard enough. We all saw the rotting priest in that chair, none of us fainted or fell. Yes, the smell was really bad, but we all smelt it. Give it a break, you overreact a lot and it's not even that deep, given that you have actually seen so many people die," Maria chided.Maria looked up and faced everyone else, "Now, guys… since Alan has given us n
CHAPTER 75SAN RESORTPOV- "Silence is a place in San ResortGideon's jeep pulled over at the San resort at noon because it was really far from their private island at Carriacou. Before they left, they packed some clothes and other things they would be needing, because somewhere that far, needed supplies.As they walked up to the reception, Maria pulled Valerie aside and asked, "For more clarity, did the resort officials ever tell you guys why you weren't allowed into 'Silence'?" Valerie shook her head sadly, "We even met with the CEO because he and Gideon were friends and business partners. Immediately he heard that we wanted to enter 'Silence', he shook his head and told us that only staff were allowed to enter. But, we pestered one of the staff to answer our questions, and he said that the CEO meant that only he was allowed into Silence, no one else," "This makes no sense Val. Why on earth is there a place in this resort that only the owner is allowed into?" Gale shrugged, butti
CHAPTER 74"One day, we find ourselves engulfed by passion and love.When I lose myself without any choice to make she is not right beside me, tending to my every need and want.One day, I close my eyes and I find her wrapped in the arms of another.I lose my mind but there's no loss in a fool's game," Maria said, pausing after reading out a chapter of Alan's prison diary.Valerie scoffed and threw her head back angrily, "Why does it sound like he's blaming everything on me?" "That is literally what he's saying. One day you guys were in love, and the next day you are loving someone else, that someone being Gideon," Maria answered, pointing toward him.The four of them sat in a circle, the phone to which the Californian police department sent pictures of the diaries to placed in Maria's hands as she read out the content of it.Gale nudged her girlfriend to continue and then she started to read another part, "A very discerning storm starts to rumble and she who swore by day and night t