At the get together dinnerAnd just some steps more to get to him, he replies to her "It's Su.. Susan and John." He stammers as he speaks. As Ketty sees Susan, she is lost in astonishment at her whole appearance, that she couldn't hold back her thoughts.With a very sweet voice she says "Come in, Hi Susan, you look absolutely stunning today. What is the secret?"Susan blushes unresistably, "Thank you, ketty. That's very sweet of you." She says as she walks into the house, directed towards the dining room.Still staring and amazed at her, she continues to comment on her appearance, "No, seriously. Your smile lights up the whole room, Susan." She mutters in amazement as she pulls the chair out for her to sit.Susan, still smiling, replies her back with her eyes looking down, "You're making me blush, Ketty.""Alright, since you can't take it one at a time, it completely." Ketty mutters as she praises Susan. "And those eyes of yours, they're like diamonds shining in the sun.–"Xander Laug
"A smart colour for a smart Monday morning." Xander puts out a smile as he arranges his blue long sleeve collar whilst walking towards the mirror. Standing in front of the mirror, in his elegant suit and tie, admiring his appearance. He feels confident and stylish in his outfit, as always. However, as he gazes at his reflection, a hint of a smirk forms on his lips as the words of Susan echoed in his head "One of the most handsome men in this part of our world." But then the smirk fades as he remembers the part of her statement that irked him, "But you know, I really don't like how stern and bossy you are at the office. It's so annoying."His expression becomes thoughtful as he stares at his reflection, contemplating how he is perceived by those around him. The aim was to maintain a professional demeanor in the workplace, but perhaps he had taken it too far, becoming too strict and intimidating.Still fixing his gaze on the mirror, he knows it was a harsh truth, but one that he can't i
Standing close to the entrance door of his office, an elderly lady with deep dark brown eyes. Her waist clinched in and her hips flared out in a way that was both sensual and elegant. Wearing a fitted dress that hugged every inch of her body, accentuating her every curve, smiling in a very mischievous way as she gradually moves towards his table. Aunty Tina, Xander's aunty. His late mother's elder sister, he lived with after the demise of his parents.His eyebrows furrow, giving him a wrinkled brow. His mouth, set in a tight line and his lips, pressed together firmly. His eyes are narrow and piercing. He feels a knot form in the pit of his stomach."Hello, Xander," Aunt Tina says, her voice soft and gentle. "It's been a long time–""That doesn't answer the question." He chimes in."Who let you in here?!"Aunt Tina simply smiles at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Your secretary let me in, dear. She knows I'm here to see you. Now, don't be rude. Invite me to sit down atleast."X
As Xander replies Ava's question, curious to know what the problem is with Susan, Aunt Tina can't help but pause as she steps out of the office. Surprised and confused, thinking of what could be the reason a staff will burst into Xander's office in that manner. She presses her ear against the door, trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. She can't help but feed her curiosity as she is interested in what could be happening behind the closed doors and she can't resist the urge to listen in."She has no experience, no track record, and no qualifications. And yet, she's the one you turn to for advice on important company matters? That's not fair to the rest of us who have been working here for years!" Ava mutters bitterly.Xander leans back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "Ava, I understand your frustration. But I have my reasons for choosing Susan as my personal adviser.""And what reasons might those be?" Ava asks, crossing her arms over her chest abruptly with a stern look.
Ava's eyes widen in surprise, and she quickly stands up from her chair, nearly knocking over her cocktail. She stammers "I'm... I am so so sorry ma'am, I had no idea. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am.""Naaa... It's okay." She waves off Ava's apologies. "No need for the apologies. I mean, I would still act just the same way if I were you. Atleast now I know I can have a seat, right?""Sure ma'am." Ava stands up, stretching her hands towards the closest seat to Aunt Tina.Ava quickly tries to compose herself, straightening her posture and adjusting her clothing. She takes a deep breath and tries to maintain a calm and collected demeanor."Let me have what the young lady is having." Aunt Tina calls out to the server as she sits down. Setting up her bag, she cuts in. "I was hoping to catch you alone so we could talk. I've been away for a while, and I haven't had a chance to catch up with Xander. How has he been doing?""He's doing well, ma'am"–Ava relaxes slightly, realizing that Aunt
The door opens even before Ava ends her statement. Susan walks in, her face frowning as she raises a chin higher than the other. Noticing the worried expression on her face, Ava asks "Hey Susan, is everything okay?" her voice laced with concern. "I think the question should be, where have you been? Boss lady." Susan smiles as she grabs a chair and takes a seat. "Because I stopped by earlier to check on you, but you weren't around. A bit worried though, but went back to my office to check back later on you."Ava takes a deep breath and tries to stay calm. "I'm sorry dear. I had to step out for a bit. I had an emergency to take care of.""Emergency?!" Susan repeats, sounding anxious."Yeah, yeah. Emergency." She smiles. " I was pressed and feeling unease so I went to make use of the restroom. Is that not enough emergency?" She replies as they both laugh out loud.While lost in amusement, as they continued laughing, Susan cuts in. "That reminds me. Did you see or meet the lady that barg
Ava walks through the door of her apartment building, feeling utterly drained as she had a long day and it's wearing on her.. She trudges up the stairs to her apartment, fumbling with her keys until she finally unlocks her door."Finally!" she mutters exhaustingly as she steps inside. The familiar warmth of her living room greets her. She kicks off her shoes and flopped onto the couch, staring blankly at the TV. The noise of the news report, just background noise to her.Ava's mind still reeling from the events of the day. The endless stream of emails. It had all been too much. She rubs her temples, trying to massage the tension out of them.After a few minutes of sitting there in silence, she forces herself to get up and do something useful. She knows that if she stays still for too long, she will definitely feel even more overwhelmed.She wanders into the kitchen, rummaging through the cupboards. She finds a half-empty bag of chips and grabs it, snacking absentmindedly as she paces
Answering Ava's call while stretching, his voice groggy and irritated. "Why this early, Ava? Do you know what the time is?"Ignoring his tone, Ava launches into her monologue, "Remember that night, Xander? The night we spent together? It was amazing. I thought we had something special. I know we never gave it a name, but we were an item, right?""Hey, young lady, that was just a onetime fling and nothing more," Xander snarls, his voice firm. "I'm now your boss at the office, don't forget that. You need to understand that and move on."Ava feels her heart sink at his words, but she refuses to give up. "But Xander, that night was beautiful, and we both enjoyed it. Why are you acting like it meant nothing to you?""Okay, that's enough for this morning already." Xander cuts in. "We are not having this conversation."Ava feels a lump form in her throat. "But I love you, Xander. I can't just forget about you like that."He hangs up before she could say another word, leaving her alone in her
"Meehhn... That was hectic but cool, though." John bounces on the couch. They just got back from the hospital. The two elbow bodied lover men, sits across from each other, excitement radiating from their faces with Susan in the living room. They already decided to get married on the same date, a year ago, as a symbol of their love and commitment. While ketty hastens her way upstairs to clean up Susan's room up as to make it conducive for her. As a patient coming back from the hospital doing this isn't right. Coming down stairs, Susan stands up to join Ketty go upstairs to her room but Ketty stops her. "Susi, you just have to pick up a few important things you'll needing because you're not staying here alone.""Er...–""No, no, no." Ketty waves her finger. "It's not an option and if I remember vividly, I didn't ask for your opinion."Susan's jaw drops."Then where do I go? If I don't stay here." "You're staying with your man in his apartment."Susan shakes her head in disagreement. "No
An hour since the blood transfusion and the machines read loudly. Susan slowly opens her eyes, her vision blurry at first. As her surroundings come into focus, her first sight gazes at Xander, sleeping on a small couch nearby. She tries to sit up, feeling groggy and disoriented, but she still holds up persistent to wake up but she falls back asleep. As soon as ketty hears some sounds, she stands to observe Susan. Just then, Xander wakes up, feeling so tired. He rubs his eyes, looking around the room, seeing John Ketty, who appears to be staring. "What..." He chuckles, surprised. "What happened? Why is everyone staring at me and is she okay?" He takes a fast glance at Susan.John relieved, smiles back at Xander's facial expression. "Bro, you're awake. Susan had a moment of distress after the blood transfusion, but she's stable now. We're still trying to figure out what caused it. There is surely nothing to worry about.""She is showing signs of waking up. Let's stay by her side and mon
With the insistence in his tone, ketty asks the nurse to stand behind her. "We need immediate medical help here! She has lost consciousness, and we need to examine her condition thoroughly. Please call for another doctor to stand by."Both Xander and John exchange worried glances and quickly leave the room to find another doctor while Ketty focuses on examining Susan. As they step out, they sight a doctor coming out from the ward near to that of Susans. He stops him, explaining the matter. "Ooh, that's what the scream earlier on was about?" "Yes, doctor." "Let's get going then." He follows them."Come on, Susan, wake up." Ketty keeps muttering to herself. "I shouldn't have let you walk out on your own, regardless of your insistence. What have I done?" She pats her forehead, blaming herself.---Several moments pass as Ketty carefully checks Susan's vital signs, monitors her breathing, and performs various neurological tests. When the other doctor steps in again after a while, he loo
"Hmmm. Susan, I need to tell you something, something that will be hard to say and even harder to believe. But I need you to listen, please. Growing up living with my aunt, whom I loved so much. She was like a second mother to me. But little did I know that the woman I adore is," he breathes heavily. "In fact, the devil herself." Susan, knowing nothing is wowed, "What do you mean, Xander? How could your aunt be...?"Interrupting her, Xander continues. "Just listen, Susan. It's important you understand as it might help you remember some things alright. My aunt recently confessed everything to me. This week, she finally got to pay for her crimes and is now in prison. She is charged with murder, kidnapping, and manipulation. It's unimaginable what she has done." He hisses.With an unbelievable look on her face, she adjusts to ask him. "Murder? kidnapping? I can't believe it. Who did she...?" "She killed her only sister because she was obsessed with a man. That man was my father. My aun
A bustling morning outside the courthouse as Xander and his sister, Ketty, strides purposefully towards the entrance, leaving John to watch over Susan until their return with good news. While walking down to the courtroom, Xander whispers, "finally sis, we're here. The day we've all wished and worked for and those responsible will finally face the consequences.""Absolutely, bro. Susan deserves closure, and we owe it to her to fight for the truth. After what has happened to our family, the separation and the ordeals, things like this should be put out as an example to warn evil people of what the consequence of their actions will be," Ketty replies in an angry tone.Inside the courtroom, the session begins. The police inspector presents the evidence, meticulously laying out the case against the suspects, which are Miss Ava, Mrs. Tina Godfred, and her husband, Mr. Godfred. The instigator and her accomplices."Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, we have substantial evidence th
"How are you feeling?" John gives her a warm hug. "We rushed here as soon as we received Xander's call." Seeing John, Susan's eyes light up with recognition and relief."I was wondering when you'd come. I'm so glad to see you." She looks at Ketty, her expression confuses. She drags John much closer to whisper into his ears. "But who are these two people with you?" John and Ketty exchanges puzzle glances, their minds racing to understand the situation.John is so lost. What is happening here?" He questions in his mind. "Susan, don't you remember? This is Ketty, your sister-in-law to be, and my sweetheart. And the man beside her is Xander, your boyfriend.""Boyfriend?!" She chuckles for a while and breathes down when she sees it wasn't funny and no one else was laughing, obviously herself. "Wait a minute, you're serious?" "Of course. I am,"Her brows furrow with confusion clear in her eyes. "Miss Ketty? Mr. Xander? I'm sorry, but I don't remember any of you. According to the doctor, I
"Doc... Doctor! Doctor! Please come quickly!" Xander howls out of the door and the Doctor on duty for the night shift rushes into the room, noticing the urgency in the voice. "Oh, it's you, Mr Xander when did you step in?" The Doctor asks him out of curiosity. "She's awake!" Xander cuts in, pointing to Susan's bed, paying dumb ears to how he entered the hospital premises without a sight.The doctor hastens to Susan. "Wow. Just stay aside. Let me pay attention to her." "But why is she asking me who am I? And why is she in the hospital? Doctor, what's happening?"The Doctor examines her while trying to calm both Xander and Susan. "ma'am, how are you feeling and can you recall the last incident before the hospital?" He observes her expression and lamentations."Am feeling okay, but sore on my body, it's feels like I rolled from a hill down. For the last thing that happened, I can't recall anything, and why am I at the hospital?"The doctor, after listening to her, turns to Xander his s
"Wait... Wait a minute." Xander stops for a second, stunned and shocked. "You were the doctor who delivered me and ketty at the hospital?" "Wow... Ketty? Is that her name?""Yeah. Dr Godfred or whatever you bear, but you sold my sister under my aunt's influence? Is that what you want to tell me?" Fast running tears run down Xander's eyes as he rethinks everything.Mr. Godfred with a heavy sigh, "Yes, Xander, it pains me to admit it. I was weak, and under the influence of your aunt, I made a terrible decision. I sold your sister to ensure her safety, or so I thought at that time. So did your aunty think, but I couldn't sell her as my heart will not sleep. I gave her away to my elder sister, who was married and didn't have a child back then. So instead of selling, I gave her over. I know that nothing I say here can make you forgive me and my act, and I take full responsibilities for my actions."Xander's emotions surge with anger and sadness coursing through him. "How could you do such
"Whoops." Xander exhales lightly, standing outside the police station, his heart pounding in his chest. The air feels heavy, suffocating almost, as he contemplates the upcoming divulgence. He knows he has to embrace the truth, no matter how painful it might be. If Susan's parents were responsible for the death of his own parents, fine. But he can't hold it against Susan. He's already undoubtfully in love with her and she is the one for him and he can't let vengeance cloud his judgment. As he steps in, the heavy oak doors swung open, revealing the bustling police station within. Detectives hurriedly moving from one room to another, their voices muffles by the thick walls. He takes another deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead while he closes on a distance to the front desk. "Excuse me," he calls out to the officer behind the counter. "I'm here to see Detective Reynolds. Is he in?""Yeah.""And do you mind pointing in the direction where he is?"Just as he conversed with the