CHAPTER 70"You may now kiss the bride," the priest said to Gideon, closing the bible that he held. Everyone in the venue cheered as Gideon swept Valerie up from her feet and kissed her passionately.Alan, dressed in a black suit, stepped on the podium steadily, holding a megaphone, "May I have your attention, everyone!" He belted, and his eyes scanned everyone as their loud cheers slowly came to a mute.The security guards present at the scene began to rush over to where Alan was, but Gordon put his hands up to stop them.Gideon placed Valerie on her feet and held her wrists to lead her to the sofa on the other side of the podium but she resisted and stood there, glaring daggers at Alan.Alan opened the briefcase he held in his hands and brought out a stack of papers before turning to face a red-faced Valerie. "You thought you could get rid of me so easily, but you were wrong. When I am determined to get something, I will get it. And there is no one on this earth that can stop me," H
CHAPTER 71Judge Juliet's square-framed pair of glasses settled on her nose as she sat down on her chair. She picked up a stack of papers, looked at them, and placed them on her desk, before raising her eyes to meet everyone in the courtroom.Her hands moved to pick up the gavel and the whole courtroom went silent as she struck it against the sounding block on her desk.The court clerk cleared his throat and clutched the file in his hands tightly, "Case 112, Mr. Alan Carson vs. Mrs. Valerie McCarthy and Gideon McCarthy, a custody dispute regarding their minor child, Mayté Diaz,"Beads of sweat gathered around Valerie's forehead as her eyes met Maria's. Sensing Valerie's distress, Maria leaned into her cousin to whisper in her ear, "We will win. We always have, chin up. Tell them the truth and we will testify if called to," Valerie nodded and pressed her lips together, observing Alan's lawyer, Tilly Carson, his famous cousin, as she walked up to stand before the judge.Judge Juliet cl
CHAPTER 72ONE YEAR LATERValerie stirred up from her deep sleep as she felt the ray of sunlight hit her back. She tried to move but she found herself nestled on Gideon's chest, with his arm and leg wrapped around her. She slowly removed his arm and settled on the bed.Her thoughts drifted off to the events of last night. The mind-blowing hot bath sex recommended to them by a marriage therapist.It has been a year since the court dispute with Alan and a few months later, Maria recommended a counselor in Carriacou to them. Only because she believed that Valerie hadn't fully gotten over Alan, and even after Valerie had convinced her not to because Alan was behind bars, she still went ahead with it.A few months after the court case, life for Valerie was peaceful and amazing. Spending time with her husband and her child was what she had always hoped for, and soon her happiness started to get filled with worry when the phone calls started.Five months ago, Valerie started to receive multi
CHAPTER 73Glimmering decorations hung over Valerie's beach house living room, coupled with a large, block-lettered gold sign that read, 'Happy 29th, Valerie!'. An array of food trays stood before caterers in the corner of the large room as the 90's jazz music played in the background.Valerie was seated before her vanity mirror testing the different colors of lipsticks with Gideon just gazing at her sweetly from behind. She noticed him staring at her and she swiftly rolled her swivel chair around for her to face him, "What's wrong?" She asked, worry written all over her face."Nothing, just admiring how beautiful you are," Valerie pressed her lips together, and pressed the back of her wrists against her forehead, feigning a swoon, "It's all thanks to you that I am this beautiful. You have taken care of me all these years now, what do you expect?" She inquired in a soft voice, before going to sit on his legs and press a kiss on his lips.In retaliation, Gideon grabbed her ass, allow
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
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 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 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 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