Seeing how his sister cried bitterly because of a man, Jayden felt depressed. He moved closer to her before he held her into an embrace.
"It's okay, Chloe. I understand how you feel, I really do," he continued to stroke her back while she sobbed. "But you'll only get hurt, if you don't let him go. You're my kid sister, and I wouldn't want you hurting. Ethan doesn't deserve you. Why don't you try someone else? Ivan loves you, give him a chance,"
The moment she heard his words, Chloe suddenly withdrew from his embrace, pushing him away. She glared at him, her eyes filled with nothing but anger.
"Jayden, do you even care about me? "she asked, in exasperation. Here she was crying out to him how much she loved Ethan, how she couldn't live without him and instead of encouraging her to fight for him, giving her a helping hand, he was telling her to let him go? And move on with someone else?
"You know I care about you more than anything in this world," he told her.
"No!" she yelled at him . "You don't care about me at all! I'm telling you, I love Ethan so much and all you could do is ask me to let him go? Do you really think it's easy? Huh? Don't you get it, I don't want any other man! I don't love Ivan! It's Ethan I want!"she uttered, as tears continued to stream down her face.
"You love him, no doubt about that! But, does he love you!" Jayden asked. "No, he doesn't! Why do you really want to hurt yourself? How could you stoop so low, to fight for a man who doesn't even give a damn hoot about you? Do you realize, your are tarnishing the image of this family?"
"Look Jayden, I don't care! All I care about, is winning Ethan's love, the rest can go to hell for all I care," she said before she staggered to the stairs and walked out on him. Her tone was harsh as she said those words.
"Chloe, don't you dare walk out on me! We are not done talking! If you keep behaving like this, don't blame me for what I'll do next," he threatened. But, Chloe wasn't having any of his threats. She halted in her footsteps before she turned around to look at him.
"I'm sorry brother. But, it's too late to back down, now. Ethan is mine and will always be mine. I won't let him go. He doesn't love me now, but eventually, he will. You can do as you wish, but I won't change my mind. What I want, I'll get," she said before she shut the door to her room close.
Jayden, stood there as he glanced at the closed door. He was out of words to say. Was this the Chloe he knew? Was she really his little sister, daddy's daughter? What happened? Why was she hell bend on hurting herself? Why was she trying to cling onto this man, who didn't want her? This questions ran wild in his head, but he didn't have the answers to any of them. Something had to be done and very fast. Resolving to have a talk with Ethan, Jayden retired to his room.
Kindred hospital
Aviana woke up as the birds of the sky were singing merrily. The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. Golden fingers of sunlight lit up the scene. The just-risen sun shone softly on the city streets, bringing with it a flurry of early morning activity.
It had been three days after the accident. Waking up early in the morning, cleaning up her brother had become her daily routine. She walked into the bathroom and came out with a towel and a basin of water, generally, for cleaning Hayden.
As she wiped him, Hayden's index finger moved. She didn't give much thought, as she thought that it was her illusion. She continued to wipe him while she sang their favorite song, they used to sing when Hayden was little.
Hayden's index finger moved again.
"No, this couldn't be just an illusion! I'm sure, I saw him move his finger, twice," she murmured, as she rubbed her eyes twice to ascertain it wasn't an illusion. He moved again and this time, not just his finger, his hand moved. Was he waking up?
In a moment, she jumped up and rushed out of the room just in time to see the doctor talking with Devin. They turned to look at her as she came running, panting heavily.
"What's the matter?" the doctor asked. Aviana pointed at Hayden's room.
"Doctor, come and have a look. Hayden just moved his finger! It's like he's waking up!"
They were surprised. James calmly followed Aviana and went straight to the bedside to check on Hayden. Aviana stood at the door, as James went in, afraid that she would disturb him as he checked on her brother. She was so excited, her heart pounding heavily as if it would jump out of its cage.
Devin followed them and stood at Aviana's side, watching James examine the boy. Finally, James straightened up, turned around and walked over to them.
Aviana swallowed, not daring to ask.
"How is he?" Devin was the first to ask. "Did he move? Is he going to wake up, soon?" James glanced at Aviana and then at Devin, his face expressed seriousness.
"He's out of coma," he uttered, a wide smile played on his face, finally revealing the good news. "He's awake, but he needs to stay in the hospital for a few more days for more exam....."but before he could finish his statement, a stormy wind rushed past him. She had run.
She was happy. Who wouldn't be? Her brother had been in a coma, nobody could tell when he would wake up. It was indeed a miracle. They walked away, leaving her alone in the room, with her brother to catch up on the lost moments.
"Hayden, you're awake! I missed you so much! Finally, you're awake!" Aviana could hardly contain her tears of joy. She held him in her arms so tight, afraid that he would disappear the next moment.
"I'm sorry for what happened Hayden! It will never happen again! I love you so much, I can't bear to lose you," she said as she held him tightly, and placed a wet kiss on his forehead. Tears continued to stream down her face, tears of joy. She were extremely happy, she couldn't wait to reveal the good new to her mother.
Just in time, Joana was calling. Without giving her time to say a word, Aviana exploded with the good news, "Mum, Hayden is awake! He's finally awake!"
Joana hung up the phone as soon as she heard the good news. Aviana walked back to the bedside. Hayden silently sat on the bed.
"Hayden, you must be hungry after being in a coma for three days. I'll get you something to eat," she said before she rushed out of the room.
G&K companyThe Urkel family, known for their massive wealth had very many high end dynamic businesses established in different parts of the city. Apart from the very many businesses they had in the city, there were other businesses in other countries.There stood, in the middle of the city, a tall building, 80 storeys tall with G&K embedded on top. The area in which the building was situated was large and spacious. And, from the top floor, high density of businesses and busy traffic could be seen from above. The area was so expensive such that only the Urkel could afford, given the weight of their pocket. This large building was one of the many businesses they owned, the biggest and the headquarters to be precise. Ethan, as the ceo, was in charge of the company.A high end, dynamic, expensive navy-blue Sedan screeched to a halt in front of the building. It was a classy four door car. Jayden exited the car and walked into the building. While inside
Beverly hillsChloe sat on the sofa, like a princess as she swayed her legs from left to right while holding a glass of wine in her hand. Her eyes were bloodshot due to the hangover. Across her, sat a lady in her early 20s basically of the same age with Chloe. She was her best friend, Ann. Although, the previous night, Chloe was drunk, she could vividly recall what had happened that night.She could remember the argument she had with her brother, Jayden. She had spoken to him in a manner that she had never done before. But, one thing she was sure about, she meant every word she said to him. She would never give up on Ethan for anything in this world. But, that wasn't the issue at hand. Her main problem was Ethan.She was gradually losing him. She needed to do something and very fast before it became too late. This morning when she woke up, after she had her breakfast, she invited Ann to come over to their mansion. She needed someone to talk to, someone who
Aviana, Hayden and Joanna were getting ready to leave the hospital. After Hayden woke up, they remained in the hospital for a few days because Hayden needed to be examined to ascertain he had no other underlying health problem. After a few days, Hayden was fully recovered. He could walk, run and even eat on his own. Given that Joanna cared too much for her son, she didn't allow him to take walk outside the hospital and if she did, she had to be there to supervise. After they were done with signing of papers, and had packed their belongings, they exited the hospital. An ear-to-ear smile played on their faces. It displayed how happy they were. As they walked out, Aviana looked back and heaved a sigh of relief. The past few days had not been easy for her. Waking up every morning with the hope of finding Hayden awake only to get disappointed, wasn't easy for her. She had been worried and gloomy all through. But now, he was at their side, and they could be a happy family once aga
Aviana and Hayden sat on the sofa, making fun as they recalled their funniest childhood memories, while Joana busied herself in the kitchen. "Sis, do you recall the day when you farted in public? And when you realized people were looking at you, you covered your face with your hands to hide your embarrassment. It was hilarious," said Hayden, trying so hard not to laugh. In the end, he couldn't hold his laughter any longer. He laughed uncontrollably. Recalling that day, Aviana laughed too. It was one of her most embarrassing moments. "That day I really didn't mean to. I had stomach upset and you know it," she said trying to defend herself. As Hayden continued to laugh, Aviana got annoyed. Seeing her roll up her sleeves threateningly, Hayden was just about to stop laughing when she suddenly launched forward and started tickling him under his little armpits. "You mess with your sister, you get the tickster! The infamous killer who kills cute little kids like you
Chloe's phone's ringing, picking up, she answers, "Hello Ann." On the other side of the phone, Ann's voice is heard, speaking. "Chloe, you were right. Indeed something happened that day. On that day, Ethan was involved in an accident....." Before she could finish her statement, she was interrupted by chloe's panicked voice, "What! An accident! How! Where! But I didn't notice any injury on any part of his body! Oh Ann, I'm so stupid! How could I have judged him so quickly! How could I jump into conclusion! I f**cked up Ann! And to think that he has another woman! Ann, I really think I should apologize! I don't even know if he'll forgive me! I messed up, big time!" Ann was speechless. She didn't even allow her to finish whatever she was saying, she just jumped into conclusions. After a long pause, Ann finally spoke,"Chloe, calm down! Nothing happened to Ethan. He's fine. Yes, he was involved in an accident, but he isn't the one who got hur
Aviana woken up by the smell of freshly baked cupcakes, without even opening her eyes, her head rose automatically from her bed, while her nose sniffed along the direction in which the smell was coming from. A moment later, she stopped at the entrance of the kitchen. Her nose was buried in a soft and warm substance. Still groggy, Aviana moved up and immediately started munching on the substance after realizing that it was actually the vanilla chocolate-flavored cupcakes she loved since childhood. "Hey, drool face! Why don't you wake up first and then you can continue eating? I pinky swear I won't disturb your nose's impression in the cupcake!" Hearing those words and the chuckle that came along with the words, Aviana suddenly opened her eyes to see Hayden standing in front of her who was holding the cupcakes she were messily eating to her face. He was wearing a chef's apron, small in size, and which had stains of flour on it, and his black hair was an organized mess. His fai
Jenny, the receptionist, sat on the armchair, twisting her head quizzically, thinking of what next to do. Suddenly, as if she recalled something, she jerked forward, picking her phone and made a call. As soon as the call went through, Jenny spoke immediately, "Hello ma'am, are you kind of busy? You see, there is something that you need to know. Could you please go somewhere private? I really don't want any other person to hear what I'm about to say. I could get into big trouble if it goes around." She had heard from the other side, people shouting. It seemed the woman was in a bar. When she heard the woman's footsteps and the noise fading off, Jenny relaxed. "Okay, I'm already outside, away from the others. Say what you have to say, Jenny and allow me get back to having fun with my friends." After a prolonged silence, Jenny finally spoke, "Ma'am, a certain woman went into boss Ethan's office just now! And with the way she is dressed, she doesn't have class at all! I
Beverly hills The area around the sofa was crammed with bottles, cans and more bottles of alcohol. Small green flasks of gin, large clear bottles of absolut vodka, broken maroon bottles of whisky, assorted cans of bitter beer, a few saffron colored bottles of white wine and empty-handed bottles of intoxicating red wine. They formed a small structure around the sofa. Jayden stepped inside the living room. The first thing that hit him was that overpowering scent of alcohol, and the scent had already clung into his nosestrils. Had she been drinking? Again? Jayden had feared that this would happen, but now, anger had replaced his fear. He was angry because his sister had succumbed to the powerful attraction of alcohol. Angry because she had completely become an alcoholic. Angry because she had ignored the fact that she wasn't an ordinary person, but an Anderson for that matter. Drinking wasn't allowed. And here she was, sitting on the floor, drinking herself to dea
Ethan walked into "The Intoxicated" Entertainment clubhouse, the familiar buzz of energy and laughter wash over him. He spotted Alex and James who were already seated at their usual position. “Hey, look who finally decided to show up!” Alex called out, a playful grin spreading across his face. His eyes twinkled with mischief as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. James, ever the composed one, merely raised an eyebrow but offered a smirk.Ethan shrugged nonchalantly, but inside, he could still feel the residual warmth of the passionate encounter he’d just had with Aviana. The slightly disheveled state of his hair and the faint trace of lipstick lingering on his collar were the only signs that might give him away, but he hoped they would go unnoticed. “Traffic,” Ethan replied coolly, sliding into his seat with an air of indifference. He could see the knowing glimmer in Alex’s eyes, the way he leaned in just a bit closer, eager for any hint of a story.“Right,” Alex said, chuckl
Aviana walked into the house, her blouse still partially buttoned, a telltale sign of the passionate encounter she’d just had with Ethan in the car. As she fumbled with the remaining buttons, trying to regain some semblance of normalcy, a small, curious voice called out from the living room.“Big sis!” Hayden appeared around the corner, his bright eyes wide with curiosity. He was clutching a toy car tightly in one hand and staring up at his sister with a mix of innocence and suspicion.Aviana, momentarily flustered, straightened up and tried to smooth her disheveled appearance. “Hey, Hayden,” she said, forcing a casual tone. “What’s up?”Hayden’s gaze remained fixed on her, his little brows knitting together as he took in the scene. “You’re home pretty late, Big sis. And why are you buttoning your blouse like that? Did you and Uncle Ethan have a... uh, fun time in the car?”Aviana’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. She froze mid-button, her mouth slightly open as she tried to proc
Aviana lay in Ethan's arms, their bodies intertwined in a comfortable silence that spoke volumes of their deep connection. The room was quiet, save for the soft rhythm of their breathing and the occasional contented sigh that escaped their lips.Ethan gently brushed a strand of hair away from Aviana's face, his touch tender and filled with affection. He couldn't help but marvel at how natural and right it felt to have her in his arms, to feel her warmth against him.Aviana shifted slightly, her head resting against his chest as she looked up at him with a soft smile. "You know," she murmured, her voice tinged with a hint of playfulness, "you have a way of making everything feel so... perfect."Ethan chuckled softly, his heart swelling with love for this woman who brought so much joy into his life. "I'm just glad you feel that way," he replied, his voice gentle. "You mean the world to me, Aviana."Aviana's smile widened, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest as she gazed up at
Ethan looked up, his face flushed and his posture stiff as he tried to hold Aviana close. His usual aloof demeanor was completely absent, replaced by a flustered and panicked expression. “Faith! I—I didn’t expect—” he stammered, his words tumbling out in a jumbled mess.Faith couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. Ethan, the ever-composed boss, was now visibly flustered, with his shirt slightly askew and a look of sheer bewilderment on his face. Aviana’s cries were still unabated, adding to the hilarity of the situation.“Uh, Sir,” Faith said, trying to suppress her laughter as she walked over to them. “It looks like you’re having a bit of a rough time here.”Ethan, still holding Aviana, glanced at Faith with a mix of frustration and embarrassment. “Faith, I... I don’t know what to do. She’s... she’s crying because I figured out something too quickly, and then I made it worse by saying I got help from Scarlet. I don’t know how to fix this!"Faith’s eyes twinkled with a mix of amuseme
Ethan stood outside Aviana's office door, his mind racing with thoughts of how to approach her. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then knocked gently."Come in," Aviana's voice called from inside. Ethan entered cautiously, finding Aviana seated at her desk, engrossed in reviewing some documents. She looked up as he entered, her expression neutral but her eyes betraying a hint of wariness."Avi, can we talk?" Ethan asked softly, stepping further into the room.Aviana leaned back in her chair, her expression cool and composed despite the underlying irritation. Ethan stood before her, unsure of how to break through her icy demeanor."What's there to talk about, Ethan?" Aviana began, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she tapped her pen on the desk. "I don't expect you to have figured out the reason I'm mad at you already. It might take you a day, a week, or a lifetime to figure it out. Who knows?"Ethan blinked, taken aback by her blunt honesty. "Avi, I—""Nope," Aviana cut in,
Scarlet grinned at Aviana's comment about Milo, nodding in agreement. "He definitely does. But speaking of being kept on your toes, how's my brother treating you these days, Avi?" Scarlet asked playfully, raising an eyebrow teasingly.Aviana's smile faltered immediately at the mention of Ethan, her mood shifting drastically. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before responding. "Ethan?" she replied tersely, her voice edged with irritation. "He's... he's fine."Scarlet sensed the change in Aviana's tone, her playful expression fading as she picked up on the underlying tension. "Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?" she asked cautiously, eyebrows raised in mock concern. Aviana scoffed, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Paradise? More like a roller coaster," she muttered, her hands gesturing animatedly. Scarlet sighed dramatically, leaning back in her chair as she looked at Aviana with exaggerated concern. "Okay, spill the tea, Avi. What happened between you and Ethan this
Twenty minutes later, Scarlet arrived at the office, her steps purposeful as she made her way to Ethan's office. She knocked lightly on the door before entering, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern."Brother," Scarlet greeted warmly, her voice tinged with a hint of apprehension. "You sounded pretty serious on the phone. What's going on?"Ethan rose from his chair to greet her, grateful for her presence. "Hey, Scarlet," he began, gesturing for her to take a seat opposite him. "Thanks for coming."Taking a deep breath, Ethan recounted the events of the morning's meeting with Aviana. He described Aviana's distant demeanor, his attempts to understand her mood, and the abrupt end to the meeting after confronting her.Scarlet listened attentively, her brow furrowing with concern as Ethan finished his explanation. "So, you think Avi's mad at you, but she won't tell you why?" she summarized, her voice soft with empathy."Yeah," Ethan replied, running a hand through his hair in frust
The boardroom was set for the meeting with the marketing team, and Aviana, with her usual efficiency, had everything organized meticulously. As they settled in, Aviana took her seat beside Ethan, her posture erect and her expression composed. However, her eyes betrayed a hint of icy reserve that Ethan couldn't ignore."Good morning, everyone," Ethan greeted cheerfully, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. Aviana responded with a polite nod but remained focused on the agenda in front of her.The marketing team leader began presenting the new campaign strategy, and Aviana listened intently, jotting down notes and occasionally exchanging professional remarks with the team. Each time Ethan tried to engage her with a comment or question, Aviana responded curtly and kept her interaction strictly business.Ethan, increasingly uncomfortable with Aviana's cold demeanor, shifted in his seat, trying to catch her eye. "What do you think about the demographics for the new ad placements?" Aviana
Aviana stood in Ethan's office, a stack of documents in hand, ready to brief him on the day's schedule. Despite their personal relationship, she maintained her professional demeanor, a testament to her dedication as his personal assistant."Good morning, Ethan," Aviana greeted, her voice carrying a blend of warmth and professionalism. "Here's the rundown for today. We have a meeting with the marketing team at 10 AM to discuss the new campaign strategy. Then, you have a lunch meeting with Mr. Johnson from Capital Investments at 12 PM."Ethan, leaning back in his chair, flashed a playful grin. "Sounds riveting, as always, Avi. Did you make sure they're serving my favorite dessert at lunch?"Aviana rolled her eyes playfully, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "I believe they're more interested in discussing investments than your sweet tooth, Ethan."He chuckled lightly, enjoying the banter. "You never know, Avi. Dessert is a serious business."Aviana continued with her briefing, detai