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Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice TWENTY-EIGHT
THE NEXT day afternoon, NORA COULDN'T stop tossing and turning on her bed. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't do her home projects, she couldn't even count to ten without getting distracted. She just couldn't shake off the feeling of acknowledgment that was buzzing inside her. She needed to talk to someone. Nora straightened abruptly from her bed and reached for the walkie-talkie she and Max shared. The walkie-talkie was one of the many presents Max had gotten on his birthday which they'd turned into their personal medium of communication. And they took practicing their walkie-talkie lingo seriously. Like, VERY SERIOUSLY. "Alpha-Two-Zero, this is Bravo-One-One. Are you on the horn? Over!" Nora spoke into the walkie-talkie impatiently. When she didn't get a response in five seconds, she pressed the PTT button again. "I repeat, Alpha-Two-Zero, are you on the rubber duck? Over!" She had the click from the other end and then Max's voice followed, "Loud and clear, Bravo-O
Last Updated : 2024-01-01Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice TWENTY-NINE
"COME ON, Dad. Let's watch a movie together," Nora whined with pleading eyes, tugging at her father's elbow as she tried to get him to come along with him. She never would have thought getting her father out of his office to watch a movie would be way more difficult than explaining the difference between "Stealth" and "Celeste" to Max. Her old man was as stubborn as a mule but she was built even more stubborn. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, right? "Honey, I have work to do. You just go on and watch the movie without me," Brad replied impassively as he began to open his laptop. "No Dad!" She retorted, pushed the laptop back close, and snatched it from his grasp. "This is Sunday. Sunday is family day. Remember?" Brad exhaled. "Yes, but. . ." "Not buts, Dad! You're not exempted from the rule just because you're the head of the family." "Who made this rule for Christ's sake?!" "You did!" He paused. "Oh, right." "Come on, Dad. Just one mo
Last Updated : 2024-01-06Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice THIRTY
"WE NEED Daddy to be free on a weekday!" Max announced rapidly. Nora sat straight. "What is this idea?!" "Okay!" Max leaped onto her bed and went on. "The preschool and elementary school are having a joint Parent-child Day on Friday, right?" Nora nodded vigorously. "Mm-hmm! Why?" "This could be a really, really great chance for mommy and daddy to get along," Max said. "I heard parents get to do a lot of fun things together with their kids." "Oh? I don't really know. I never attended one," Nora said with a shrug. "Really? Why?" "Well, for one, Dad's rarely free on weekdays," Doris said. "And there is also my "crowd noise trigger" thingy." Max gasped in recollection. "Ah! It's true. I almost forgot you can't stand loud noises. I'm sorry. Nora shook her head. "Oh, no! It's okay. I can attend this one!" "You can. . .?" "Yeah! This year's Parent-child Day's theme is "Craft-tastic" which is more of a craft-making event. People are going to be mor
Last Updated : 2024-01-06Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice THIRTY-ONE
IMMEDIATELY AS they entered the gymnasium, they were greeted by cheerful volunteers who handed them their supplies and directed them to their tables. The tables were covered in plastic tablecloths, and each table had its own box of supplies: scissors, glue, markers, paints, glitter, and more. Each family had to spin a wheel and create whatever the wheel pointer chose. Their team was supposed to make a miniature maze out of whatever they wished. After they had gathered ideas from each one of them regarding how the maze should appear, they came to the final conclusion of creating a wooden tabletop maze that is open to the air, with lights and decorations inside and out. The maze would be designed with a musical key at each dead end that buzzes when a wheeled toy or whatnot comes in contact with it. But when it reaches the end of the maze, it triggers the motion sensor which prompts a sequence of flashing lights and a victory tune, so that the player gets a big celebration for
Last Updated : 2024-01-08Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice THIRTY-TWO
"THEY ARE SO HOPELESS!" Nora breathed in resignation. Max nodded. "Mmm. Agreed!" They sat solemnly in their "rendezvous point" reevaluating their life decisions. Whenever they tried to get their parents together, something always went wrong and derailed their plans. "I never thought matchmaking was this difficult," Max whined disheartenedly. "It always went smoothly when other kids did it in movies." He glanced at his big sister with a pout. "They're never gonna get along, are they?" Trying to cheer her brother up, Nora said with a grin and a shrug, "Let's look on the bright side. We won the best crafters award." He glared at her with a look that said, "You think I care about that?" Nora shifted in her seat, chuckling nervously. "I guess not," she muttered as if reading his mind. Max dragged his eyes away from her and exhaled profoundly. She peeked at her brother from the corner of her eyes. He was gazing at something in the distance, absently p
Last Updated : 2024-01-09Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice THIRTY-THREE
BRAD WAS signing a couple of contracts, when his assistant, Mark Turner, walked in to remind him of his 2:00 p.m. schedule. "Mr. President, you have an executive committee meeting in two minutes," he chimed in his usual teasing and jovial tune. "Thanks, Mark!" Mark Turner was more than just an assistant to him—he was a friend and confidant and had been by his side for many years. He had been instrumental in assisting him navigate the transition from employee to president of the company and had continued to be a pillar of support in the years since. Mark was like a brother to him, and he was among the few people he trusted implicitly. Brad stood up quickly to make for the boardroom, but a piercing, excruciating pain struck his abdomen so hard that he groaned out loud, clutching his stomach. He'd felt a mild discomfort a couple of hours ago. Thinking it was because he'd skipped breakfast, he had gone all out, stuffing his stomach with delightful delicacies, but th
Last Updated : 2024-01-10Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice THIRTY-FOUR
"ALRIGHT, THAT will be all for today's meeting. And sorry again for waking you up this early," Doris said, bringing the meeting to a close with a resolute tone in her voice. Turning to Geneviève, she confidently delegated the remaining tasks to her, trusting that she would be able to handle them with ease. The team leaders said their goodbyes and logged off the call, while Doris sat back and admired the smooth and efficient way in which the meeting had gone. Nothing gave pleasure than working with such a capable and competent team. Doris stood from her seat and stretched her stiff joints, hearing the muffled cracking with every twist of her body. She gasped as her eyes went to the direction of the clock. It was already nine. THE KIDS! Hurriedly, she changed into her nghtdress and zoomed out of her room. And just when she was about to reach for the front door, it swung open abruptly and a frantic Nora charged in. "Doris! It's. . . It's Dad!" She said in regular pa
Last Updated : 2024-01-11Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice THIRTY-FIVE
DORIS' EYES wavered as Brad stared right back at her, his dull eyes wide and unblinking. She felt her heart skip a beat as their gazes locked, and she couldn't help but smile. Uh. . .!" In a need to avoid the awkward moment, Doris asked, "How do you feel? Are you still in pain?" Brad did not respond to her questions. He just kept staring at her. His silence was deafening, and his unblinking stare sent shivers down her spine. She felt as if she was being scrutinized, and examined under a microscope, and it made her feel vulnerable and uncertain. The tension in the air was palpable, and she held her breath, waiting for him to say something, anything, to break the silence. But he did not and as his gaze lingered, she could feel the temperature in the room rising, or perhaps it was just her own body heating up under his intense scrutiny. She expected him to flare up and begin to remind her how many laws she'd just broken by stealing a kiss from someone without their consen
Last Updated : 2024-01-11
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Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice WRITER'S NOTE
PHEW! Finally, we've come to the end of the beautiful love trip! And to everyone who boarded this ride—TENKISSES! I can't begin to express how thankful I am for giving this book a chance and I hope you loved it just as you loved the first book "When The Wrong One Loves You Right" I'd love to hear your thoughts so don't hesitate to leave me a review. It means a lot to me. Now, to my nieces, who inspired "Nora and Maxie" character, I love you so much. To my incredible readers, editor, and everyone who helped make this book a success, I'm so thankful to every one of you for your support through it all. You're all awesome! And you all deserve a Happy Forever!Big Heart, Bethel W.C. Eke
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice EPILOGUE
TWO MONTHS LATER. . . Doris was finally happy with her family! And she enjoyed every moment of it. Her life had been a roller coaster in less than a year. She'd been through heartbreak, and pain, and had almost lost her son. Now, all she wanted to do was enjoy the little beautiful moment she shared with her family. She'd kept her promise to Lucy. She had transferred her sister to a better hospital where she was receiving the best treatment. And as for Lucy, she dropped all charges against her. She wanted to live her life in peace and happiness and she also wanted the people around her to be happy. And that was why she was riding Sam to the Evans Mansion to meet that hard-headed father of hers. Doris had flown all the way to Italy and spent a week there just to convince Sam that no woman was better for Charles Evans than her. The moment they walked into the mansion, Doris watched as they watched each other for a long moment. No words were said. And then, th
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice SEVENTY
DORIS SLOWLY made her way up the rooftop of the almost dilapidated building. Praying with every wrinkle in her that the kids were safe. As she rode alone to the address that Lucy had sent her, a lot of thoughts and questions kept swirling in her head. Why was Lucy doing this to her? What wrong did she do to deserve? She tried to think of how and when she'd offended Lucy. She'd been nothing but good to her so why was she doing this? As Doris got to the rooftop, the voices of three kids who were tied to chairs so close to the very low railings, called out to her behind the duct tape muffling their cries. Doris' heart dropped to her stomach as she watched them struggle. She ran towards them to free them from their bondage but Lucy held Max's chair, tilting it towards the low railings, causing the poor kid to whimper in fright. "Move another inch and I will let go," Lucy threatened in a matter-of-factly tone. Doris held up her hand in surrender. "Okay, Lucy," she
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice SIXTY-NINE
THE NEXT morning, Brad rode in Doris' car as they hurried toward the private apartment where the special detective, Jean, Evelyn, and Jason awaited them. Detective Jean who was helping them with Doris' stalker case had sent them a collective test that he'd gotten a lead that could help them identify the psychopath terrorizing her life. Yes, it had all been a plan! Doris coming into the limelight with all that maximum force wasn't only because she wanted to pursue her career again but also because it was a plan, she'd come up with to pull the perpetrator out of his hole in order to capture him once and for all. They were basically fishing and Doris was the bait. As Doris narrated the whole plan and where they'd left off, Brad couldn't help getting increasingly worried. He still hasn't gotten over the fact that she'd almost lost her life and that they'd lost their daughter four years ago. Now, she was putting her safety on the line to catch a criminal. A
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice SIXTY-EIGHT
AS EXPECTED the anonymous threats came flooding in again but this time Doris was not scared. In fact, she'd been going all out. Ever since the press conference that had announced her as the president of D&M agency and her comeback as Supermodel Doris Evans, she'd been nowhere but in the public eye. She revived her social media presence, attended as many interviews as possible, and rode on whatever publicity came her way. She'd even given Geneviève the permission to commerce project expand D&M. She was not going to let some psychopathic person pull her down. AGAIN. She wasn't about to go down without a fight. And she was very well prepared. After a busy day at work, Evelyn drove Doris back home for their once-in-a-week "Girls' Night Out". That was just their upgraded version of a slumber party. As they drove into her driveway, Doris was surprised to find Brad and Nora on her doorstep. The moment they stepped out of the vehicle, Nora screeched wit
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice SIXTY-SEVEN
BRAD WAS A MESS! He'd never been this messed up in his entire life. Not even when his ex-wife had cheated on him. He missed Doris so much. The thought of her consumed him and filled him with longing and regret, but he knew there was no going back. He tried to focus on the present moment, but it was like a mirage, shifting and changing before his eyes. He thought about her every moment. He was even beginning to see things. He saw her everywhere he looked, her face smiling at him from every corner of his home. . . at work. . . at the coffee shop. . . everywhere. He thought he could get over her by overrunning himself with work. But, the more Brad tried to bury himself in work, the more he found himself thinking about Doris. And when he turned to alcohol for comfort, it only served to make him feel even more empty inside. He was in a vicious cycle, unable to escape the memories of her that haunted him day and night. It was as if she had become a ghost, a specter th
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice SIXTY-SIX
IT WAS already a week and Doris still couldn't get over her pain of losing Brad again. She missed him so much. She was in great pain that it hurt to even breathe. Ever since she got back to Paris, no one knew she'd arrived. Except, Max's Nanny, Lucy who had been nothing but an angel, looking after not just Max but also Doris. Doris hadn't even contacted her best friend yet. She wanted to make sure she was at least sixty percent before she met anyone she knew, especially Evelyn. Because she was bound to have another emotional breakdown once she faced her and knowing her best friend, she would book the first flight to LA to give Brad a piece of her. And she didn't want any more chaos. Doris wasn't the only one who was wrecked by the whole situation, Max was in an even more terrible state. He'd been diagnosed with separation anxiety two days after they arrived. He couldn't eat or sleep properly. And that only added to Doris' list of concerns. She hated seeing her son thi
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice SIXTY-FIVE
BRAD TURNED to face Lydia. Lean, dark features set with chilling intent as he gave her a quelling look of granite hardness. "What are you talking about? He demanded harshly. Lydia crossed her arms and gave Brad a condescending look. "Oh, please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Brad. I know you're a smart guy. And I'm pretty sure you've known a long time that Nora isn't your biological daughter." Brad's hands curled into fists as he tried to curb his temper. Lydia was right. He did know that Nora was not his biological daughter. He'd found out about the onset of her condition when the hospital had run an overall test on Nora and her Blood type had come out as a Blood type O whereas he was a type AB and so was Lydia. That piqued his curiosity which had led him to run a paternity test. He'd been shocked to his bone marrow when the result came back negative. The little princess he adored, the only beautiful thing that came out of his failed marr
Love's Inferno: When Fire Meets Ice SIXTY-FOUR
"WHAT IS it, Mrs. Hopkins?" Doris prompted, a mixture of anxiety and concern in her tone. "It's Nora," Mrs. Hopkins replied. "She wouldn't stop crying since she arrived from the event." "What? Why?" Doris was saying those words a lot today, that she was starting to dread them. Concern shifted to anger on the older woman's face. "Well, apparently, her so-called mother left her a few minutes after they got to the museum to attend to a very crucial appointment and promised the poor child to return just in time. But still, now, her mother is nowhere to be found. She's not even taking her calls. Nora was brought home by Ethan's mom and since then she hasn't stopped crying. . ." Doris began to hurry towards Nora's room as Mrs. Hopkins followed behind her. How could Lydia do this to her daughter? As she approached her room she could hear her whimpers from within. She knocked softly on her door. "Nora, honey, are you okay?" "GO AWAY!" Nora screeched as her wailing am
