After dinner, everyone leaves Ashton and Judith alone and goes to the lounge to have some air and maybe some discussion over things, like Raine has been desperate to see her and share some news that's been bothering her."So hey, I told you I had a ton of things to tell you right?"Ivy nods, listening closely. Raine is just as grown a woman as she is so why would she be coming to her to ask questions? She's a professor on top of all of it so what could she..."How do I get a man off my back?" She suddenly asks.Ivy is momentarily speechless since that's completely not what she had been expecting to hear. "How do you get a man off your back you say?"Raine nods and sidles closer so Hanson who's busy on his phone call won't hear a word. "I know I am old enough to have a man, infact get married but I don't want this man and he's been bothering me."Ivy chuckles. "That's actually kind of cute. Who is he and what don't you like about him?"Raine leans back and sighs. "He just makes me unco
Richard hears a knock on his door the same night. He jumps, startled. He's basically in hiding, in exile so no one knows if he's at home or not or whatever but there, the knock sounds at the door once again.Being freshly released and for some reason, an increased fear of Grant washes into his mind makes him extra cautious about who he lets into his house, even now that he has finally gotten round to repairing his door knob, changing it into an automated one that cannot be broken into easily.He drops the wash cloth in his hand and picks up a knife before cautiously going to the door. "Who's there?"He hears a muffled voice and tries to peep outside but he still can't see who's at the door. He takes a deep breath and positions the knife so it can respond easily if he's suddenly attacked. He turns the lock and opens the door and he sees who's there. The door beeps loudly signifying the opening of the door.His hand drops to his side and he simply turns and walks inside, shaken. "You
Ivy rubs her back against Ashton's chest as he washes her front side, then vice versa.They switch places, their bodies touching all the while and this time, Ivy does the washing.After about ten minutes of intense kissing and washing and soaking in the tub, Ashton picks her up and they both head into the shower.The water is as perfectly warm as it can ever get and it only stimulates them further. Under the shower, Ashton and Ivy dance a couple's dance, their eyes closed in peace and the ecstacy of being together. After sharing a ton of intimate moments, both of them head to bed, exhausted and more in love than they have ever been.Ivy scoots into Ashton's warm hands and nestles there like a chick in her mother's feathers. She smiles contentedly, her eyes closed.Ashton catches the small smile. "What's making you smile so much?"She chuckles. "It's a lot. There's a lot to be grateful for actually. I mean, I've been attacked, kidnapped, being victim to a ton of things and yet, I have
The next morning, in the lobby of Ray Corporation, the back view of a woman is in sight as she pushes aside the glass rolling doors. She looks around and smiles to herself, though the purpose of the smile remains unknown.She walks to the reception. "Hi, I want to see Ivy Wright."The lady at the table looks up at her. "Good morning ma'am. You want to see the current CEO?""Yes. I want to. Is there a problem with that?" She asks, raising her palms and flattening them."No ma'am, not at all. Do you have an appointment with her? Or is she at least aware that you're coming to see her?"Arielle chuckles. "I don't need any introduction. I am her best friend. She might even fire you if she finds out that you're keeping me standing like this for no apparent reason." She leans in the counter and reduces her voice so only both women can hear. "I'm certain you don't want to lose your job, or do you?"The naive lady shakes her head negatively. "Alright ma'am. Give me a minute to place a call to
Even hours later, after Arielle's departure, Ivy still can't wrap her head around the fact that that Yale, the lady she had met about two times had been the one to kill Tiara.Now, she knows, but now does she go about proving it?She stands up from her chair and wanders to the long glass window which she stares out through while sipping on a glass of juice, smoothies or shakes. She's too lost in thoughts to have time to order for one so she just looks outside.Even though she's far from the lowest floor, she still is able to make out some shapes and happenings down there like cars coming to a halt or someone running.Bored, she raises her head and her line of sight goes right to a large billboard not very far away from the office, it has an advert on it with students walking around and reading and having fun.Seeing this, something that she is forgetting is tugging on her brain, urging her to remember. She focuses intently on the billboard and at a little point forward, they show lect
Liam walks pretty fast and catches up to Raine as she's about to open the stage wooden doors. "Hello Miss Wright."Raine turns with the normal smile. "Hel..." She sees its Liam. "Liam? What are you doing here?"Liam chuckles. "I should be asking you that but you are my lecturer so I can't ask. I've been in this school for the last three years, you're the new comer." Liam looks over her shoulder and sees Tyler is waiting for him to leave or something. "Can we talk inside please? I don't want the sun to burn my skin."Raine rolls her eyes, aware that facials is everything to an influencer. "Fine, come on in."Liam walks behind her, casting occasional glances to Tyler, who by the way, is still following as well. "What's his deal?" Liam mutters under his breath."Did you say something?""What? No. Not at all." He guesses that she doesn't know that that man is there, probably doesn't even know about his existence at all due to the cold aura which she carries around herself.When they arriv
Tyler walks up to the second floor with the woman walking right in front of him.The whole board? It's a little hard to believe. Why would they want to see him?He has never even seen past the head of the faculty staff ever since he was accepted to work at the NYU and suddenly the entire board wants to see him.He has a sense of foreboding and that does not feel nice, no, not for anyone.At the top of the stairs, they walk past some offices and come to stop in front of one large one, signifying a conference room inside. The lady he had been following turns to him. "Please give me a moment to inform them that you're around."He nods and she knocks and goes inside. For a split second, all he sees are chatting faces, cool and stuff.Just that minute seeing is more than enough to make him relax his nerves. They seem cool and chill so it can't possibly be something bad, he thinks.Less than a minute later, she reopens the door. "They will see you now Mr Reef."He steps inside the room, lo
Arielle knocks softly on the door.A familiar male voice sounds from inside. "Come inside."She pulls down the doorknob gently and opens the door. She looks around cautiously before going inside.Hank looks up as she comes in. He waves her over to a chair in front of him, not leaving his chair. He trains his eyes on her and watches her every movement. "That was fast, I know I told you to report to me whenever something interesting happens."Arielle smirks easily. "Of course, I won't be here if not for that. Something interesting happened very early this morning. She used to be my best friend so I know her favorite hours of the day to be generous, I made good use of that and went to see her.""Her? You mean Ivy Wright?"Arielle nods. "Yes, her. I went to see her and you didn't tell me what a posh place she took over. I was enamored as soon as I saw the place, the arches..."Hank raises his eyebrows. "You didn't come here to discuss a beautiful place with me. Why are you here?"Arielle
"Calm down, she'll be fine." "How can I be calm when I can hear her screaming her lungs out here!" Ashton half yells at Grant and then composes himself. "Sorry but I can't help feeling like this when her screams seem to be pushing at my heart right now." Grant smiles and puts a hand on his shoulder. "You'll be fine." In a little bit, the agonizing screams stop and there's calm. Ashton springs to his feet the third time in a minute. A nurse comes out. "She delivered safely. It's a baby girl. She's been dressed now. You can..." She hears her name being called again and goes back inside, not finishing her sentence and the look she gave to Ashton makes him three times more scared. Ivy is in the labour room, her contractions had suddenly started while on a road trip so Ashton had drove like his life depended on it. Well, maybe because his wife's life depended on it and so did his. The baby had come two weeks earlier than the date she's supposed to arrive which has got all of them
She hugs him gently on the bed and presses a blue button above his head.In about a minute, the doctor with his levy of nurses open the door and come inside. Ivy leaves them to it and steps out for the moment. As soon as she steps out, everyone crowds around her."What's wrong?""Why are the doctors rushing in like that?"Ivy smiles and motions them to calm down. "He woke up just now. I called the doctors for their routine check. We may be able to see him after his checkup."They all sigh in relief and some even hug in relief.She waits with them outside and after a little while, the doctors and nurses finally come out of the room."He's fine now. You all can go in to see him."Without waiting for any other confirmation of any sort, they all push past them like the really big family they are portraying and go inside the room, Ivy goes in last but Veronica gives her the chair so she won't stay standing, tired because of the life growing in her belly.At first, there's nothing but then
The next three hours is a flurry of activities as their families begins to troop in, Grant joining them at a point."Where is he?" Judith asks as soon as she arrives, talking Ivy's in his."They just wheeled him out of the surgery room. I was told to wait outside while they set him up or something."Judith nods. "Oh thank goodness. How did you find him?"She glances at Grant who shrugs right back at her. "I had help from a police officer. He helped me locate him.""Don't tell me it was that one on the news?" Veronica chips in as she comes by, coming into the discussion."Yes, it was him. He just wanted Trust Financials as a reward but I knew he was going to betray me anyway so I didn't really give him.""But the news didn't say you were there?" Judith quips this time."Well, I left there with Ashton and came to the hospital so I wasn't really there. Just popped in and out." She smiles, turning slightly red as she covers one lie with another.Grant laughs and then quickly masks it with
"Grant! Watch out!" Ivy yells as she grabs the gun laying closest to her.Grant whips around and stares right into the barrel of a Beretta '94 that had been left behind by one of Mike's own men.Mike chuckles painfully. He glances momentarily at Ivy who's fiddling with the gun in her hand and scoffs. "You can't even handle it, how can you use it?" He takes his eyes off of her and focuses it on Grant. "So you killed my little brother because he raised the gun at you first? Why am I not dead yet?"Grant rolls his eyes. "Is this one of those villain long talks? I'm sick of them, come on. Just drop the gun and accept your fate. Is that so hard? You lost the fight. Well, leave then." Grant mutters disinterestedly even though he's looking right at a loaded gun.Mike shakes his head. "A fight isn't over until it's really over. Do you know why I took that man? Her husband? After she passed out, I was determined to make him a widower who lost his baby by not letting her to go the hospital on t
Recovering from the gunshot and sudden appearance of Grant, Ivy runs for Ashton's who's very weak and his pulse is irregular. She looks around and her eyes land on a bunch of keys on one of Mike's men's trousers.He smirks at her when he sees her eyeing the keys. "Come get them darling."There's a second gunshot and a glaring hole appears right in the middle of his forehead and he falls to the ground. Wordlessly, Ivy runs for his body and removes the key. Mike's men all flee seeing that one dead. They all drop their weapons and run away, leaving Hank and Mike.The fact that her brother just murdered someone doesn't count at in the current circumstances. She loses the chains that he's been tied down with and he falls limply down into her arms. She holds him up with her strength, not letting him hit the ground, the same way he had cushioned her head that night Mike had hit her in the stomach.He moves ever so slightly and his hand come to rest on her legs before he closes his eyes, a ve
True to his words, Hank calls her in thirty minutes. Reminding her that she has thirty minutes to get there. "Where am I meet you?" She asks him on the call."Grey Street Garage..."She immediately springs up from her chair, grabs all the documents from the table and hisses, remembering that place. She had been locked in a warehouse on the same compound for two nights. She inhales sharply and she's sure she's ready to go there.Not like she has a choice anyway.Anita sees her breeze right by but she doesn't say anything, guessing it's about the call that brought back her appetite momentarily. She sighs, wishing her boss well. If everyone in the whole wide world has to go through such thing, she'd never wish it on Ivy. She's basically the best boss she's ever had.The best of the best.Which is why she wishes her luck silently as the elevator doors close with Ivy inside.As soon as she's on the ground floor, she dashes for her car, checking the time every few seconds. It takes about t
The first day went by...So does the second.On the third day, it has Ivy in a bind, pacing in her office.Anita comes in with a plate of vegetable salad and mashed potatoes, and steak in another plate along with another takeout cheeseburger and fries, even chicken nuggets as well, hoping she would eat one of the many dishes.She hardly acknowledges her entrance as she sets all of them down on the table and looks at Ivy as she paces around her table, her eyes not leaving her phone.Even Anita has no idea what she's waiting for but it seems to have so much importance to her so she can't interfere but she can eat while waiting... Right?"Ma'am, you won't eat lunch again? This is the third day you're skipping your breakfast and lunch."Nobody knows about the baby except her family, his family and himself.She looks askance at Anita and then looks away again. "I'm fine. I ate a lot last night.""Really? I was the one who threw the dishes away this morning."Anita has been the one bringing
"Ma'am!" The officer yells as he bangs his palms flatly on the table. "This place is no joking area. There are conclusive evidence against you, all of this interrogations are simply formalities! Do you accept the fact that you did kill Tiara or not?"Yale scoffs. "Technically, Richard killed her not me."In the interrogation room directly upstairs, Richard scoffs. "That bitch said so? She's just trying to shift blames. She was the one who absolutely killed Tiara. As Ivy said in the press conference, I only aided and abetted. I am well aware of that and I am not denying it. But I really didn't kill Tiara."Downstairs. "He aided and abetted? That rat. He was the one who dragged her body to the car and suggested we dump her in the ocean!"Upstairs. "That whore. She said I suggested it? She hit Tiara over the head and make her pass out which I totally witnessed. Then we thought she had died. Thinking of it now, she had not even seemed any scared at all, she just said we should throw the b
A murmur ripples through the whole crowd.Time seems to stand still.The point exactly was that nobody was expecting that was what she had come to say. Nobody, not even Anita who plugs in the flash drive and the presentation begins.Almost soulless and robot-like, Ivy turns around to the projector behind her that has a picture of cars. Not very specific car but a lot of them.Then she begins her presentation, using the laser pointer to point at the things that matter. "We all know Tiara died and her body had been fished out of the sea. Well, she didn't drown, she was murdered so that means she had been carried or somehow transported to where her body had been dumped. There are things called dash cams..." She uses the laser to point just as the image changes into a car's close up view.There is a small device with a blinking red light and she points to it. "That's called a dash cam and not every car has it but every two of five does. Which is why, from the place she had been killed, I