Dear Readers, I know it’s been a few days since the last update, but I’ve been busy revising the previous chapters to make sure you get the best reading experience. If you're ready to dive back in, feel free to start from Chapter 219, titled “Go Shawty, It’s Your Birthday.” I promise it’ll be a fresh and exciting experience this time around! I’ll be back to regular updates starting tomorrow. Thank you for your patience and continued support!
(JARED’S POV) I lowered my head in remorse, and when I stole a glance at Dwayne, he had the same sober look on. Fair enough, I wasn't the only one facing the brunt of Mrs Meyer's chastisement. I tried to say something, to apologize for our juvenile display at least, but Dwayne beat me to it. "Umm...we will go get some fresh air," he said, his voice collected. "We will give you and Arielle some space." My brows knitted in a frown, as I felt the urge to snap and demand why he'd decide for us both. But I got in touch with my emotions real quick, taking an inward breath as I realized he was right. We're both grown men, and this wasn't the time for us to be at each other's throats. Not when Arielle was ill. We owe her that respect and decorum. So I nodded at Mrs Meyers in agreement. "Yeah, well step out now." She rolled her eyes, eyeing us both. "You had better." We took that as a cue and simultaneously turned for the door, but we bumped into each other as we went. I shot Dwayne a dir
JARED’S POV)I arrived at the office, intent on doing a little work before returning to the hospital. But concentration never felt like a Herculean task like it felt for me today. The more I tried to focus on work, the more my mind remained restless. My thoughts kept drifting back to Arielle, wondering if she was okay. And the other times, it wandered to Oliver, and if he has been able to get the drug from Sofia.Two hours later, as I sat behind my laptop, fiddling with the keys, Oliver returned. "I got the drug," he said, his face in a smile as he walked in and closed the door behind him.I sat up in my chair, my eyes conveying my curiosity. "That easy?" I asked, my tone skeptical.He sighed, taking a seat in front of my desk. "Miss Sofia refused at first–wouldn't even open the door," he explained. "But then Miss Tiana intervened, spoke to her privately for a while and that did the trick because the next minute, she walked out smiling, the drug in her hand."I frowned, my eyes dilat
(JARED'S POV)"Are you in that much hurry to get rid of us?" I asked Maverick, raising a brow as I tried to stifle a grin. He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with more mischief. "Maybe. My mommy needs rest and she doesn't need two bodyguards watching over her."Dwayne and I exchanged puzzled looks. What was this kid saying? We were trying to protect his mother, not guard her like prisoners. As if on cue, Mrs Meyers, who was almost dozing off on her seat, stirred and opened her eyes. She tiredly stretched her arms, and then her eyes landed on us."It's time for you two to leave," she announced, her voice gentle but firm. "You should go home, freshen up, and have a change of clothes and proper meals. I appreciate you both coming, but I just have to insist that you leave."Dwayne and I protested in unison. "We're fine–" but she held up a hand, cutting us off."I mean it, you two. You can't stay here all night. Besides, I'm sure you both have work to attend to tomorrow." She glanced at t
(DWAYNE’S POV)I paused in my tracks as I took some moment to take in the sight before me. Arielle was sitting up on the bed, while Jared sat at the foot, feeding her. Scanning the room further, I realized there was no sign of Mrs Meyers and Maverick.Where could they be? But the sight before me wouldn't let me dwell much on the thought. It was hard to ascertain how I felt at the moment. The scene playing out before me was proof that all my efforts have been wasted. I briefly stared down at the food package in my hand, and for a moment, I wanted to match over to Jared and haul him away from her.That was supposed to be me. How come he was here this early, earlier than I was? From the look of things, it seemed I wasn't the only one who had the plan of returning early to the hospital this morning.If only that traffic that occurred on my way here didn't happen, I probably wouldn't be in this position. And Jared wouldn't be having the time of his life smirking at me triumphantly.“I dou
(ARIELLE’S POV)I turned in my sleep. My left side was beginning to hurt from lying on it for too long. Morning sounds floated around me, and I dated a peek out the open window from my lying position. The lights hit my eye with such harshness that I shut them back and willed myself to go back to sleep. I was very grateful to be lying on my own bed, in my own room, under my own roof, far away from the smell of disinfectant and air freshener laced with a myriad of medicine smells. I felt nauseous at the mere thought. This felt good— being back in my room felt good.But apparently, fate had other plans because almost immediately I settled in for another round of sleep, the sound of the doorbell ringing through the house filled my ears and chased away whatever little tranquility I was trying to savor.The ringing didn’t stop no matter how hard I tried to will it away into nonexistence. I let out a weak sigh and gently threw the bed covers off my body. I swung my legs down to the floor wit
(JARED’S POV)I couldn’t quite put what I was doing in the kitchen into the adequate words, but I felt my way through it. I pulled out a pan from the cupboard above me and placed it down on the cooktop. Moments later, Dwayne shuffled into the room.Arielle had fallen asleep on our watch— more like she’d asked us to give her space to rest from our bickering. It was always Dwayne instigating fights and bickering.“You’re not given up on seeking me out, huh?” I said to him with a little eye roll.He let out a scoff and walked past me to the other end of the kitchen. “You wish. I’m here for something better. You’re not worth my time,” he said.I bit back a sharp retort and pretended his words hadn’t sent a convulsing sting down my spine. He was clearly in the kitchen for some silly competition. But I was more than ready for him this time. Arielle was yet to touch either of our flasks which were cooling away in the fridge somewhere. So technically, we didn’t have any place making more food
(JARED’S POV.)The room was still covered in a cloud of smoke. I stood in a state of confusion, unsure whether to start cleaning the kitchen from the pan on the floor or the lump of burnt ginseng lying on the other side of the kitchen. Then there was the cooktop to clean out.Arielle shook her head and opened the windows wider to let out the smoke.“Oh yeah,” I cursed under my breath and beat her to open the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard.“What were you even cooking?” she asked, with an amused smile.“I was trying to cook some soup,” I replied like a child caught doing something silly.Dwayne, unbothered by the chaos, continued preparing his Caesar salad. “I told him to stick to stocks and shares, but he didn’t listen,” he chuckled, clearly finding this whole thing amusing.“This is all funny to you, right? Well, it’s all your fault. If you hadn’t riled me up I’d have kept my focus on the pan and none of this would have happened,” I pointed at him accusingly.Dwayne shr
(JARED'S POV) “Ma’am, you need to quiet down. You’re drawing so much attention to us,” Tiana rushed over to restrain her. “Let them hear! Let the world hear, Jared Smith, you wicked man!” Sofia’s mother screamed, her voice raw with grief and fury. “It’s your fault my daughter is in that ICU, fighting for her life! If anything happens to her, I swear to God, you will pay for this!” Her words were like a slap, each one stinging with a venom. I took a step back, trying to keep my own voice steady, trying to keep control. “Come on, ma’am, this isn’t the time for this. This isn’t the place for this kind of conversation.” “I’ll speak my mind whenever I damn well please, Jared!” she spat, her face twisted with anger. It was then that I saw him—the man standing at her side. Sofia’s father. I had no idea he was here. Wasn’t he supposed to be recovering from his illness? What was he doing here, in the same hospital as Sofia? Sofia’s father took off the oxygen mask he’d been holding against
(JARED’S POV.)I stopped by a flower shop on my way to the restaurant. Thankfully, the storekeeper was a friendly middle-aged lady. She took me through the large shop, showing me different flowers sticking out of fancy flowerpots. The place was designed to have an infinity garden theme—it felt like a walk in paradise, with all the smells and sounds. There was a deer statue in one end and a flowing water fountain from which fishes jumped into the air on the other. A squirrel sat on a rubber tree statue in the far corner, while a bunny stuck its head out of a log somewhere else. I let my awe of the place cover up for the fact that I didn’t know what flower to get Keira.“Having a hard time deciding what to get her?” she asked with a kind smile.I nodded, scratching the back of my head in embarrassment. “Gosh. I don’t even know what which to get her. She loves Lavender, hit I want to pair it with another nice flower,” I confessed.“Well, no one ever goes wrong with a mix of lavender and
(ARIELLE’S POV.)I sat in my office for the first time since the hospital incident, and I had to keep a hard fight to keep my mental energy flying high. I couldn’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the mountain of work that welcomed me on my first day. Jared and Dwayne had insisted that I let things at the restaurant handle themselves under Stephen and Rebecca’s care. And even though they’d done their jobs very thoroughly, I still had a mountain of paperwork to sign through. Turns out the administrative expectations of the restaurant didn’t take a break like I did.I heard a knock on the door and raised my head from the document before me. Stephen walked in, his lips stretched out in a goofy smile as always. Rebecca pushed past him almost immediately.“Get out of the way, Ste…,” she began saying but paused to observe him. He’d frozen still with the smile still intact, like a mascot. “Hey. Earth to Stephen,” she snapped her fingers in his face and caused him to jump back in fright.“T
(ARIELLE’S POV.)The other parents were taking forever to get ready. The sun was going down and the skies were stained a bright orange. Jared looked at his watch multiple times and I could tell he was growing restless and would’ve disappeared if Maverick’s emotions weren’t involved.The public address system crackled to life and the principal took the stage. All eyes filed in the direction of his booming voice. “In a matter of moments, the race will begin… hold on. I’d like to acknowledge the presence of our biggest sponsors…,” he said. But we didn’t need to hear him finish his sentence.Out of the blues, Mr. Langley appeared in sight, Tiana perched on his arm. They had the facetious look of hypocrites putting on a good show for all who cared to see.“What are they doing here?” my mother asked, her face set in a skeptical frown. I looked at Jared too who was having a hard time concealing the contempt on his face. We exchanged a knowing look and I shook my head in the negative to keep
(DENZEL'S POV)The gears clicked into place in my head. I’d been missing a key detail this whole time. Of course. “Your nephew. The kid is your nephew!” I pointed out in a moment of eureka. “Of course. Jared Smith is your brother. Now you’ve made me look stupid,” I said with an animated pout."You’ve been stupid from the start," Dwayne said, amusement laced with dry contempt. "That’s your problem, not mine. Stay away from Jared and his family." My brain was racing. My lips stretched out in a smile. “You see, sir, actually I think we’ll make a good team.” He raised an eyebrow."I know how it goes with you rich brothers—fighting tooth and nail over family assets. Even if you are a Mafia godfather, so what? There's still more wealth to go around in the wealthy Smith, right? You’re using a fake identity to compete with him, which means there’s a reason. Whatever it is, I can help you." I was on a roll now, the more excitement buzzing in my veins as the more I realized. “Jared owes
(DENZEL’S POV.)I licked my lips in self-absorbed satisfaction as I watched the gears in the man’s head move. He’s a dangerous man.That’s the first thought that struck me.There’s a vast difference between how men and women look at other men. A woman might first notice the tailored black suit sculpting his broad shoulders and tapering waist, the sharp cheekbones and chiseled jaw that gave him a sculpted air.But I? I saw the quiet promise of violence beneath his composed demeanor.He stood tall, his frame lean but deceptively powerful—built for precision rather than bulk. Those weren’t gym-trained muscles but the product of relentless, high-intensity exertion. A body honed for efficiency. For lethality.A man like Jared was a lion or a tiger—the noble king of the jungle. But this man was a leopard. Not the biggest beast in the wild, but the deadliest.I made a mental note: If I could deliver someone this menacing into my grandfather’s service as a foot soldier, the old man might jus
(DWAYNE’S POV.)My legs carried me in the direction I’d been looking earlier, my eyes involuntarily scanning the place for any signs of the face I’d seen. He was supposed to be away— at least for a long time. So it didn’t make any sense that I was seeing him out here in the open. Maybe I was just paranoid. Or maybe it was just my mind giving me a reason to keep away from Jared while he attained hero status before his son.I stepped around a family of three, the parents laughing as they tied their legs together with their little daughter’s. It was a simple, beautiful moment—one I had no right to interrupt. The little girl giggled, catching my gaze, and I gave her a quick wink before moving on. Then I saw him again. This time, he was in motion, moving through the crowds. My pulse slowed in calculated awareness. I didn’t know if he was the mastermind or just another pawn, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. I murmured “excuse me” and “sorry” as I cut through the moving bodie
(DWAYNE’S POV.)“Fist bump?” I held out my hand for Maverick and he brushed his knuckles gently against mine and pulled it backwards with a soft “whoosh” to mimic an explosion. Jared was in the corner. He’d finally let the paramedics tend to his injuries which thankfully didn’t need any serious medical intervention. Half a bottle of spirit and swabs of cotton later, he was all fixed up and ready for the race.The public address system crackled to life and all heads lifted up to the now cleared stage where the principal was standing, his face devoid of its usual sternness. The smile on his face seemed so out of place — and must have been an uncomfortable expression for him to make— because it looked more like a grimace than anything else.I pulled Maverick in closer and stroked his hair tenderly. Jared’s eyes trailed to us and he looked away.“I want to sincerely apologize again for the accident earlier on. You must believe me when I say the school will never do anything to put our st
(DWAYNE'S POV)I couldn't remember ever being scared as I was when I saw the chandelier falling. Without thinking, I bolted off my seat with one mission in mind; save Maverick. Fortunately, Jared was faster. And for the first time, I didn't think about who saved the little boy first, no thought of competition whatsoever. All that mattered at that point was that Maverick was safe.I just couldn't imagine what would have happened if anything had happened to either Maverick or Jared. As much as I hated to admit it, Jared was still my blood and that was not changing. I would rather have him alive as my sworn rival, than dead.As we stood there, trying to process what had just happened, parents approached us to offer consolation and thank the stars for not letting harm come to either Maverick or Jared. A group of school staff approached us, too, looking worried and apologetic."I'm so sorry, everyone," Maverick's class teacher said, her voice shaking. "It was an accident, a totally unexpec
(ARIELLE'S POV)After that round of activity was over, there were subsequent ones, and soon it was time for the talent show. In the talent show, parents anxiously watched as their kids and wards who were participating came on the stage. I was anxious as well, as Maverick was also participating.Minutes ticked by, and pupils trooped in and out of the stage for their performance, but there was no sign of Maverick. I shifted impatiently in my seat, wondering when his turn would be. His class teacher had earlier come to pick him up, citing that he had to get dressed in his costume in preparation for his performance, but there was still no sign of him.I was just about to turn to the others to voice my concern when Maverick emerged. He was the last to appear as others were already done with their performance. I sat up properly in my seat, curious about what Maverick would show. I turned to others to see if they were as anxious as I was, and that was when I found that Jared was no longer i