Two men were standing on the balcony when Liam's car drove into the compound. One of them was Liam's father, while the other man looked younger. Elena didn't need to guess twice who it was. She couldn't see his face from the car, but with the energy the man oozed as he waved at the car, she couldn't wait to see him up close.Liam told Luke to drive the car into the main garage. Which was a rather slow process typical of Liam, who always had his car hurriedly parked at the front of the house, and was already jumping out. Elena decided not to stare too much or ask too many questions. She was going to sit back, mind her own business, and observe how friendly Liam was with his step brother, Ethan.When Luke stopped the car, Liam waited. He didn't jump out. Even the guard was surprised as he opened the door for him. Elena opened her side of the door by herself. Liam got out, and instead of heading out, leaned on the car, tonguing his teeth loudly."You're stalling," she whispered to him
Liam wanted to skip lunch, he wanted to give excuses on why he couldn't be there. But he knew it would be a disastrous first impression. Hell would break loose — or at least begin to boil from within — if he missed lunch. Liam was soon to learn that Ethan hadn't returned to America alone. He had come with his mom, Rhoda Hemsworth, a woman of Israeli descent. She was having her rest in her room on the third floor. Ethan hadn't had any rest and wasn't surprised; his stepbrother was a laughing ant in a pan. Brilliantly hyperactive.When Liam came to stand by the door, he watched with mixed feelings as Elena was already smiling at Ethan. That was quick, he thought."Hi, brother," Liam said, smiling and extending a hand. "It's good to see you again."Ethan had a tight smile as he took his hand. "You were fixing some things with the chauffeur?"Liam quickly glanced at Elena whose lower lip twitched in apology."Ah, yes," he said. "He was giving me a rundown of a slight issue with the car."
Ethan was the opposite of his brother, Liam, Elena noticed. It was barely two weeks after his arrival, and there had been three parties in the house, one of them involving the whole relatives. Even Mr Paul, who Elena thought never laughed, was over himself with smiles and silly remarks at Ethan's jokes and energy. Not once did Mr Griffin grab Ethan's shoulders or swing a drunk arm over his neck, and exclaim, "Now this is what we're talking about!"The house was always brimming with the sound of Ethan's voice. He made new friends, entertained old ones who came calling. Loud music was never absent in his room. The maidservants were always on the move. Ethan rolled out dollar bills to the guards and maidservants at random, winning their smiles and reverence. Strange girls entered and left the house.His mother would stand by him during these, grinning warmly. The smile of a proud mother. His father would only smile and pass by to his business.Liam was always absent in these parties.El
"SMITH?!" Elena's voice boomed around the living room of her father's house.Chelsea sat there on the sofa facing Elena, filing her nails. Her stomach was still flat, but it was clear she had taken in. Jennifer was seated away from them, her fingers tapping away on her laptop, a headset over her ears. Their mother was out to a yoga class, and their father stood at the door, his hands planted on his hips. "Answer me, Chelsea," Elena shouted again. "Is it the Smith I know or another guy altogether?""I'm not happy with this questioning," Chelsea grumbled."Shut your mouth!" their father thundered. "I don't believe you could still speak even after this rubbish.""Dad, what rubbish are you talking about?" Chelsea retorted. "When has it become a crime to get pregnant for a man you cherish?"Elena's face cracked up in laughter. The thoughts of how probable this situation was flickered around Elena's mind.Smith and Chelsea weren't total strangers. Few weeks after Elena and Smith began to d
Liam was solemnly sitting behind his desk in his office when his reinstated secretary called to tell him he had a visitor. It was almost 4 p.m. and Liam planned to go home early."Tell the visitor to return tomorrow; I am closed for the day," he said.There was a hesitation from her side, before she said, "It's Charlie, your friend.""Tell him I said I'm closed for the day," Liam retorted, setting the phone down with a loud thud.Did Charlie think Liam was a fool all this while? It had been over a month now and this was the first time Charlie was coming to him, after that incident with Mr Parkwood and his granddaughter."What nonsense," he snapped.He had scarcely recollected himself when his phone buzzed. The secretary again."Can I be at peace for once?" he shouted into the receiver. "Tell the motherfucker to leave, I said.""Sir, it's another visitor," she said. "A woman."Liam glanced at his watch. "Does she bring business?""Yes, sir. She's been coming for a while now.""If that'
Elena laid on her bed, and closed her eyes. But she was far from getting comfort. The gold chandelier hovered above her, silently, like a lone bird which was sad, too, just as Elena was.The black box clock beside her bed had "7:00 PM" in large red letters. Elena watched it, wondering how it felt to be happy again, to be at peace with oneself.From a flat oval device hidden somewhere in her room, a sad melancholic tune seeped out, clouding her mind. How the hell was this device always able to detect her mood and play tunes accordingly?She sat up, and stared at the screaming luxury of her room, the millions in her bank accounts and the luxurious life open for her. How then was her heart pulsing in great agony? How wasn't money the solution to this stuff? Why were the troubles of her life eating deep into her fabric of peace?She had just concluded a call with Rosa, and the latter had gone on and on, enlisting the good news of her life so far: Her
"Mr Packwood runs a cult, and calls it his bodyguards," Charlie said as he sat on the couch, a bottle of cold beer in his hand. "He said he entrusted them all with his life, because they had — we had — gone into a devilish pact with him. We know all of his secrets. Even the ladies rubbing oil all over his thighs. They know he's a devil."He looked Liam over, who was listening too hard to this tale."I'm not saying this so you go and fight him," Charlie said. "It's their family shit. And if the police does nothing, it shouldn't bother you.""That's bullshit," Liam retorted, shaking his head. "I almost lost my life because of this man's trickery. There ain't no way I'm letting him go free with this."Charlie leaned forward, his eyes earnest and pleading. "Liam, listen to me. I know I've told too many lies and done lots of shits, and you don't trust me anymore. But listen to me this one last time."He dropped the bottle and clasped his hands
It was two days after Liam's fight with his bodyguard that Elena gathered enough courage to go back to the track of her initial plan: the elimination of Smith. Well, elimination was a strong word, but she loved the way it sounded in her mind.Now that Luke was walking around the mansion, sulking, and with a cross plaster on his nose, Elena didn't know who else to turn to. Chris was too strict and too loyal to Liam to lead his wife into such a dangerous adventure.By the way, since the incident with Luke, the other guards — including most of the maidservants — began to avoid Elena like a plague. They would only spit out their greetings, not looking her way, and then look for holes to hide. No one wanted to seem flirty with the boss's wife.Sometimes it was funny, other times it wasn't. Elena didn't want to be seen as such a person. But it was inevitable. Liam's love over her was so large and overwhelming that forces trembled in its presence.Elena