"What are you doing?" Ophelia murmured softly as she slipped from underneath him and stood looking at him as he maintained the same posture from earlier."I am just trying to tell you that you should not open Pandora's box if you would not be able to handle it," he said and she shook her head."Wait, let me get this straight.""Get what straight?" he asked, straining his back and sitting like he was being invited. His legs together and his hands on them."The facts," she said, trying to keep her voice down. Luckily for them, the staff had left the house, and they were supposed to call them over if they needed their meal to be prepared. Ophelia was sure, however, that she was not going to go to call them just yet; she needed to clarify what was going on with them."What facts?""Just a minute, let me gather my thoughts," he nodded and rested in the chair, waiting for what she would say. "So you do not believe in love right?""I told you this from the beginning, I do not," he answered,
"Why did I not think about helping him?" Ophelia asked as she got to her room door. She decided to drop off the bag in the room and then get back to the kitchen to help him. She might not be able to tell him that she liked him or be in a relationship with him, but at least they could act like a couple for the public, and they could be friends too. "Let me help you, sir," she heard a voice come from the kitchen, and it was unfamiliar to her. She wondered who it was. "There is no need for that." Cade's voice was firm and off-putting. "But sir, you are doing our work as staff, and we feel bad because since we got here we barely have any work to do," the girl said. Ophelia wanted to burst into the room and make the flirting girl uncomfortable, but she was also curious as to how Cade was going to handle the situation. "And shouldn't you be happy about it?" Cade asked. It made sense that a person would feel okay with receiving pay without working, so why was she complaining? Did she nee
"You were enjoying the attention, weren't you?" Ophelia asked. She did not want to make it a big deal, but she could not help herself; she had to know if he was enjoying the attention that came with talking to a girl who was throwing herself at him."What?""I mean, it must have been so long since a girl wanted you," she continued, coming down from the stools and turning her back to him so she could fiddle with the tangerines in the bowl in front of her."What the hell are you saying?" he asked, walking to her. She heard his steps get louder as they approached her, and she turned to him with a smile on her face."I mean, just think about it: since you got married to me and people think we are happily married, you have barely had women throw themselves at you, and I have not had men approach me either. We are both beautifully stunning people, so it must be difficult for them to keep to themselves."
"Mr. Vale, you have a call from the police station," Sue said, standing by the door."The station? Can you tell them that I would call them later?" Cade said he was feeling weird about it. He did not know what to expect from the police because today was the questioning."It is important," she said. "And then I would transfer it to you," she said before closing the door and returning to her desk.Cade looked down at the intercom with the blinking lights. He took a deep breath before taking out the phone and pressing it to his ears. "Hello?" he said with a squeaky voice."Mr. Vale, so sorry for disrupting your busy schedule, but we need you to come in.""Me? Come in?" Cade said like he had lost comprehension of what to say. His brain was a scattered mess because he did not know what to expect."Yes, the culprit is asking for you," he said before taking a deep b
"What?" Cade felt his mouth stay ajar and could not shut. He blinked multiple times, hoping that he would not hurt his eyes."I am..." Valerie stopped midway because the door opened and Ophelia stood there. "Is this your wife?" she asked, standing up and turning to Ophelia, who stood there. "It is so nice to meet you." Ophelia looked at the woman, nodded without saying anything, and diverted her eyes to Cade.Both of them were in awe at the sight they saw her. Ophelia had tin foil wraps against her hair that made her look like she came in from a cartoon; her nails were undone, and they looked strange. Cade looked at her from head to toe—the Ophelia he knew would not show up here looking like that. She would rather die than get caught looking like that outside."What are you doing?" Cade was standing slowly to his feet as the chair moved back with a strong screech to the back."Why did you not t
"I did not get this from anywhere; I have this because it is the only image I have with you before you up," Valerie said, taking up the picture that Ophelia forced out of Cade's hand and dropping it to the table."Then that means you do not mind doing a maternity test?" Ophelia asked, crossing her hand over her chest."Of course, what do you want from me? I would give it to you immediately," she said, going for her hair."Give it here," Ophelia stretched her hand, ready to take the hair from her. Cade was shocked at her reaction and held Ophelia's hand before she could take the hair. "Don't you want to know if she is really telling the truth?""Let us get a bag for that," Cade said, walking to the door and speaking to an officer he met outside. The man brought the bag, and they put the hair inside."Before going on and on talking about whether you ate his mom or not, I think we s
Cade dropped Ophelia off at the salon and then went on to drop off the specimen at the centre before going home. He had suggested coming to pick her up, but she told him she had her car and needed to take it home that night just to be safe. He agreed and told her that he would make dinner and be waiting for her. The people in the salon were touched by his gesture and would not stop going on and on about how sweet her husband was and that they were shocked that they had not been playing a show for the media and that they were actually interested in each other.Cade got home and decided to make some chicken soup and some noodles for her. He specifically asked that the staff steer from the kitchen; that was his tuff now. He wanted to impress her and that was why he was going all out. When she strolled through the door, she was drawn to the kitchen by the scent that hit her nostrils."What smells so heavenly in here?" she groaned as she came in.
"What?" Cade turned to her, and she could barely keep her eyes open as she kept falling in and out of sleep; she was drunk. He stretched over and took out the cu from her hand. He began clearing the table because he had to clean up and get her to bed so she could be up for tomorrow. He had not had the chance to tell her that he wanted to be at her event tomorrow, but he was sure that she would not disagree if he said he wanted to be there; it would be good for their image as well.She was no longer responding and there was no struggle from her to keep her eyes open. Cade cleared the table and put a kettle on the stove so he could have hot water. He needed to make something for her to drink so she could cure her hangover fast. He had given in to allow her to take alcohol because she said she was going to have only one glass, but at the end of the day, they had almost the entire bottle while he tried to stop her.He had his back to her for a m
"Meeting with investors is tiring," Cael murmured, sitting in his chair, after the person they had been meeting with walked out. None of the members had said that they were giving them their support, and yet his mom seemed full of energy, as if the day had only started."You have been a good sport and on your best behaviour all day; just one more person and we can call it a day," Abigail replied, turning to him and tapping his thighs gently."Can't we just call it a day now?" He groaned, feeling tired. All he had done since lunch was sucking it up to different old bald men who did not seem interested in helping him anyway. He wondered how long he had to continue doing that with them."As I said, this is really important, and it took me so much to get to agree to see us under such short notice; the best you can do here is just do the right thing," Abigail murmured, losing her patience. After what had happened, she was not ready to allow all of these men to trample over her for no reaso
Frances was left alone; she had a lot to do, and she did not even know where to start. Abigail had told her that it was important that they kept it a secret from the entire family until the night before the wedding; that way, there was little to nothing they could do to stop it. If they knew of the plans they had to level up with Cade, she was sure that Charles would try his best to stop it in some way.She knew that with that she had to call a lawyer; all the vendors to be used would be mandated to sign off on an NDA; that way, no secret would be lost if they thought there was something to lose. She called her mom over the phone."My darling daughter that can not seem to settle down, you just left the house, and you are already calling me? How difficult is it for you to stay over at your in-law's place for a bit?" Mrs. Gates said over the phone. "If you screw this up, you would be doomed," she added under her breath.Frances rolled her eyes; it was as if her mom could get rid of her.
"Mom, you called for me?" Frances had waited till Abigail had finished her meal. From the way she fumes all the way from downstairs to her room, Frances could tell that she was very angry and that this meant serious business."I did, but first things first, can you fight?"Frances could not understand the question; it was not the kind that someone would ask you just randomly. "Fight?" she asked, causing Abigail to give her a questioning look."I mean are you willing to do what I want you to do?" Abihail clarified. "It is a dirty fight are you willing to go all in?" she added."Of course," Frances said, shifting till she was at the edge of her seat. "Why else would I stay with Cael like this until now?"Abigail beamed to herself; she was so glad that she had picked Frances. She made a good choice; at first, she was worried that she would be too calm, but she was also as power-driven as she was. It made sense for her to fight this much at the end of the day; she would enjoy it as well.
The breakfast table was very lively. Ophelia did not know if Charles had always been like this; she would have thought that he was just a stuck-up old man who liked to get rich and play matchmaker; however, that morning he was the one making all the jokes and talking at every chance that he got.After breakfast, Charles invited them to his study to sit and have tea with him. "I know you are going to work, but there are some days that you have to take it easy," he said to Ophelia.She had said that she was going to work when she had gotten there earlier, even though she was not. At lunchtime, they were going to meet her father, and then they said that they were going to spend the rest of the day together. Ophelia had asked countless times what they were going to be doing, but Cade had said it was a secret. She wondered what secret or surprise he had planned and when he had the time to plan it.Cade had called Harper; he was going to use this opportunity to pass on to her a very firm me
Ophelia had woken up early and she was ready to go to work. She stood in front of Cade's door, wondering if he was enjoying his break. She had expected to see him come to her room and even stalled all morning, but he did not show up at all, which was a bit of a concern for her. As she raised her hand to knock on the door, it flew open with him standing there, a huge smile plastered across his face."Ophelia," he said, excited to see her since he was going to her room to meet her."You are dressed," she murmured, looking at him from head to toe. She had been expecting to meet him still dressed in his pyjamas. "You are dressed," she said again, raising her head to hum, wondering if he did not hear her the first."Yes, I am," he nodded, and she took a step back to inspect his clothes."Are you going to work?" she asked, and he shook his head. "Then?" she needed answers, and he seemed to be taking his sweet time with responding."We are going to see my grandfather and your father," he said
Frances got to the house at the crack of dawn. She had gotten a message from Cael that his mom wanted to see her, and it was urgent. Frances was happy that Abigail called for her, which was a very rare thing for a woman to do. It was always as if she was independent and did not rely on anybody, but seeing that she was the one to reach out first, she was ready to do what she could do for it to work out. She made her way to Cael's room. She was no stranger there, as she had spent many nights with him. The staff who saw her did not bother to stop her from asking questions. It was like she blended right in. She stood and knocked on the door; when she did not get any response, she let herself in and sat on the bed. It was only when she was inside the room that she noticed he was in the shower. She wondered the reason he was getting up so early. He always stayed in bed till the last minute and spent the day on his winning terms. He never allowed the things happening around him to influenc
"Mom, I heard what had happened," Cael said, going into his mother's room. The staff were already gossiping that a strange woman had come home and had lunch with Charles. They did not know the true tale, and no one could say what it was but Abigail's screaming and throwing of things, who seemed to be enraged."What did you hear? Did you hear the full story or did you hear the gossip from the staff?" Abigail screamed as he got into the room and closed the door. She knew that her energy should have been directed toward someone else, but she could not help the way she felt at that time."I heard what the staff said," Cael said in a careful voice. He had seen his mom get range a few times, even with the way Charles treated her sometimes. All she did was take it with good faith. It was the first time she had made bad gossip on the lips of the staff, and it was bad. Usually, the sons and cousins were the topic of discussion amongst the staff."Okay then, that means you do not know what happ
"I will make dinner for you," Ophelia murmured. She felt bad that he had waited to eat with her only for her to come home with a full stomach."You will cook for me?" he asked, staring at her."Of course," she said, trying to wiggle her way out of his arms that were now firmly wrapped around her. "Let me go; I would love to make a meal for my husband.""I like the sound of that." Cade's voice had suddenly gone down from the tone he had and was now sounding deeper than usual."That I am going to make you dinner?" She asked confused. It was not the first time she cooked for him, so what was so fascinating about it?"Not that," he whispered, shifting closer to her with his arms still wrapped around her."Then what?" She said her face scrunched up as she replayed the conversation in her mind. "Husband?" she asked, realizing that maybe that was what he meant, even though she hoped it was not."Yes," he said, trying to nod his head in that position."This is not the first time I have called
Cade got into the house, his mind thinking of how chaotic the day had been. The drama and how his grandfather handled the situation were very foreign to him. His grandfather had never reacted so childishly ever. He was a bit afraid of what his teacher could do. After all, she had the advantage of being publically declared the madam of the Vale family.He was going to make dinner for Ophelia since she was so busy they could not go out for dinner, but it seemed as if the events of the day drained him so much that he decided to lie down in the living room for a moment, and somehow he fell asleep on the spot.Ophelia felt so drained as she walked in through the door; she had been on her feet all day and had barely had any time to sit down and rest. It was so bad that she had gone from one meeting to another without fail. She was working so hard to show her dad that aside from giving him an heir to take over his company, she was more capable of taking care of it herself as well.She walked