Vivian’s POVI laid on the bed and cried bitterly and regrettably.Syrus’s response was clear and audible. I listened to the full conversation between Syrus and his mother, and in the end, he had chosen his inheritance over me.“You were such an idiot, Vivian,” I told myself in regret.My mind flashed back to standing in front of dad, Manny and Ted, and Belinda, and telling them that I chose Syrus over all of them, but now that it was Syrus’s turn to choose me for once, he blatantly refused.I felt used. I felt foolish and stupid. I felt horrible.It was because of my actions that my family had experienced everything that we had gone through. So many things had gone wrong since the day I left my family for Syrus, yet, he could not do the same for me, and that was why he had stood with Georgia right in front of the camera with smiles. My heart broke into a million pieces, and just when I thought I could not hurt anymore, my heart ached some more. I wanted to just die as I cried and cri
Syrus’s POV“As an institute for business in this city, we are here to sign and seal the deal, as we have officially decided to award Mr. Syrus Vale a contract, just as we have told him during his party,” Mr. Dobson, the head of the City’s Business Council said confidently.They were all seated in Syrus’s boardroom; Syrus and his lawyer, Davis, and members of the City’s Business Council that came along with Mr. Dobson. After Mr. Dobson’s declaration during the small party hosted by Syrus’s mother for Georgia’s pregnancy, they had scheduled an appointment there and then to seal the deal at Syrus’s company.“Thank you, Mr. Dobson,” Syrus told the lead representative, knowing how important and big this deal was to him.Once it was signed and sealed, a general public announcement would be released to the general public to inform them that Syrus’s company had been included in the list. It was a rare opportunity that rarely came, and one that would boost up the company in a few months; som
Syrus’s POV“What the heck?!” Syrus groaned in pain just as he tasted blood in his mouth.It made him recall the first time that he had received a punch from Vivian’s father; when he and Vivian had gone to announce their engagement. Syrus could remember vividly, and that was majorly the reason he had stayed away from her family completely. In truth, he had disliked them, because that had been Syrus’s first punch.“Are you sick in your family?!” Syrus bellowed in pain.He feared that Manny would have broken a tooth, and if that was the case, Syrus swore that he would make Manny regret his actions with everything he had.“How dare you?!” Manny roared in anger, so much so that he almost made Syrus and everyone else in the boardroom.“What gave you the right to come in here and act like a beast?” Syrus asked as he felt the taste of blood on his tongue. The spot where Manny’s punch had landed on his face ached like hell, which was even enough reason to get Manny arrested.“What gave you t
Vivian’s POVI was in the kitchen making lunch when I heard the door open. I smiled as I stirred the pasta; Manny was back in time for lunch as I had just finished the cooking. He had left some hours ago saying he wanted to make a quick stop somewhere and that he would be back soon. Anyway, I decided to make something delicious for him and me, and that was after I had ensured that dad had taken his medication and was resting properly.“In here, Manny!” I called out; there was excitement in my voice, and even I could feel it.The moment a shadow fell on me from the kitchen door, shiver ran through my spine, and fear gripped me; it was Ted, not Manny.“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the jolly little sister of the family,” Ted sneered.I felt the heat of his words on my skin and my heart began to race faster. Then I managed to turn, but it did not prepare me for the rage and bitterness that I saw in Ted’s eyes.“Why did you come back?” Ted asked angrily and bitterly.I swallowed hard, try
Vivian’s POVI could not believe what Ted just told me. My knees became weak and almost gave way, but I found a way to stop myself by gripping the kitchen counter firmly.Ted noticed it and smiled mischievously. “You had no clue, right?” He sneered. “Aw, poor Vivian who thought she was the golden little family princess,” Ted mocked clearly. “We are broke and there is no inheritance anywhere, so I hope you get out of your delusion and realize that nothing is as you see or think in this family,” Ted’s voice was firm and venomous, as though he wanted his words to eat deep into me.And they did.“Leave her alone,” came Manny’s gruff voice from behind Ted.Apparently, Manny had walked into the house and to the kitchen, but we had been too caught up in our conversation that we did not hear him, and I wondered if he had heard our conversation, or more so, Ted’s gripping words.Ted did not bother turning to Manny, and he did not turn and leave me alone as Manny instructed him. Instead, he wal
Syrus’s POVSyrus paced about the living room boiling with rage. Davis stood close to one of the couches, confused. He did not know whether to sit, although he would very much like to, but then again, he had no idea if it would aggravate Syrus. Syrus had made him come to the house as well after the saga at the office. This was part of the scenarios that Davis always liked to avoid, because in situations like these, especially when he was dealing with a man like Syrus Vale, it would never end up well.Then Nancy sat in the living room, her expression unreadable as she watched Syrus walk about and boil with rage.“That son of a bloody bastard!” Syrus bellowed. “How dare he? As a result of what he had done, I have lost the one contract that meant the world to me!” Syrus continued to blow hot.Davis was quiet, because he did not know what to say, and at the same time, he did not want to say the wrong things. With how angered Syrus Vale appeared to be, he could fire Davis in a heartbeat,
Georgia’s POVGeorgia’s heart did a flip-flop at Syrus’s declaration; she hadn’t expected him to say what he just said.“Is that the bone of contention now?” Nancy rose to Georgia’s defense.Neither Syrus nor Nancy knew but Georgia had instantly began to shake inside at Syrus’s declaration. She knew that she would have to be prepared, because now that she had placed herself in this position, she would have to go through it till the very end. She could not back out now. She could not risk anyone finding out that she was lying, because not only would it affect her career, the Vale family would never have anything to do with her. That would be two losses, and she could not afford that.“Mum, please stay out of this,” Syrus said angrily.His words seemed to have gotten Nancy more upset as she leaped to her feet in a fit of rage.“I have stayed out of your life way too long and that is why we are in this mess in the first place!” Nancy blew hot.“What are you talking about?” Syrus asked.G
Vivian’s POV“Hi, my name is Vivian, and I am here for the interview,” I said to the person I met at the counter with the description I was given.After what I overheard from Manny and Ted, and with the uncertainty of the meaning of their words, I just knew that I couldn’t sit idly by and wait for any of them to sell me off. Hearing that dad had the intention of using me to offset his debt and that Manny and Ted were even in on it shattered my heart. I couldn’t confront Manny about what I overheard, or even force him into explaining what he meant by those words, but the words didn’t sit well with my spirit. I couldn’t ask Dad about it either, because it dawned on me that I had been living a lie for the longest time. I had gone into the storm room and cried regrettably for hours, and after that, I had begun checking sites for jobs online.I spent the entire night looking for urgent recruitments.I knew that I would have to get a job to support myself ahd the triplets when they eventual
Syrus’s POVSyrus got into his car and drove off without his driver.He needed to handle this alone and he could not do that if he went with anyone else. Ken had made him believe that he killed the Frenchman and he had lived with that guilt for years ever since, but now, Syrus wondered if that was true. The last thing he remembered was drinking the coffee that Ken served him which he prepared when no one was looking at him. He could not fathom how he stood in front of the Frenchman all of a sudden. Syrus could not tell what happened around that time. After he took the coffee, everything around Syrus had just fizzled out.And now, Ken was using the incident to hang threats above his head. No, he could not just sit idly by and watch Ken destroy his life. Syrus even wondered why he hadn’t thought of that day’s incident before now. It was a long drive to the small town where Syrus was certain Ken’s small hospital was located. He had never been there, so he could not tell exactly where it
Syrus’s POVSyrus had been in the learning room with the Frenchman for hours learning the ropes on how to bring his father’s crumbling company back up.“In business, you must make up your mind to choose the company above anything else,” the Frenchman was speaking. “As you begin to flourish, there will be times when difficult choices will be thrown at you, even regarding the people you love dearly, but remember to always choose your inheritance and legacy,” he continued.Syrus nodded diligently. They had been on rigorous training and tutorship for months now since Anderson referred him to the Frenchman in order to save his legacy from collapsing. His father might have abandoned it, but Syrus couldn’t; he shouldn’t, because it was his legacy. Without the company, he would be left on the street with his mother and sister, and Syrus could never allow that to happen.“I knew your dad before now,” the Frenchman continued. “His name and company were on the lips of virtually everyone in the c
Vivian’s POV“You?” I asked in utter disbelief, disappointment, and shock.Why on earth was everything happening to me at the same time?Leon rolled his eyes dully. “Trust me, I have no pleasure in seeing you as well, but Diana is tied up with a customer, so you either take or, or forget about it,” Leon stated.I thought of returning into the house, but Marie would ask me why I changed my mind. I was their housekeeper, and whether I liked it or not, it was my duty to run errands for them without giving excuses, and also, I still wanted to get away from them for a while, at least. It was as though I was between the devil and the deep blue sea.“Are you coming or do I have to leave?” Leon asked impatiently.Grudgingly, I walked to the car and sat in the backseat, because I really did not want anything to do with him. Sitting at the backseat was as far as I could get from Leon, even though I still had to breathe the same air as he and tolerate his aggravating presence for a few hours.Le
Vivian’s POV“Vivian, are you busy?” Marie asked me.It was evening and I had done everything she needed me to do, but as soon as she asked the question, I got up energetically.“Not at all,” I answered, because I wasn’t busy, and I wasn’t equally tired.“Are you sure?” Marie asked; she was always very thoughtful and kind, and I could never get enough of it.Since I started to work here, I had to literally pinch myself everyday that this wasn’t a dream. It was a reality! “I am certain,” I answered. “Is there something you want me to do for you?” I asked.“Uh, yes,” Marie answered.“What might that be?” I asked.“I shipped in some things I bought, and they have arrived. I would’ve picked them up myself, but Vale is having a little headache, and I cannot leave him right now,” Marie said.“Oh my goodness, is he okay?!” I asked, genuinely worried.“Yes, he is,” Marie said, but she sounded downcast. “It’s just a mild headache,” she added softly.“I know I shouldn’t pry, but is something w
Syrus’s POV“Do you see what you have done?!” Nancy fired at Syrus, extremely upset now.Syrus looked at his mother and sister, and the anger he felt about the situation grew increasingly. Then he turned to Davis and barked. “Don’t just stand here watching like a dumbass. Go and get her!”Davis rushed out of the living room instantly. Then Syrus turned to his mother, boiling with rage. “And what the fuck did I do?” He asked Nancy.“Can’t you see that you have hurt her deeply?” Bonnie said before Nancy could say a word.Syrus looked at his sister, and for the very first time, he had the strong urge to strike her for not minding her damn business.“Bonnie, get upstairs to your room,” Syrus commanded darkly.His voice, powered by intense rage, sounded dreadfully like thunder, and Bonnie cowered under it. She did not waste time before dashing upstairs like a scared kitten.“Syrus, I know you think you are grown because you run the company and keep us afloat financially, but that does no
Georgia’s POV“What did you say?” Georgia asked as she stood shock-still.After all the stress she went through just to make sure that everything worked smoothly for her? She could hardly believe her ears! “I said we would be using another reputable hospital for the test,” Syrus repeated patiently.“But why the change?” Nancy asked, equally surprised.“Mum, please stay out of this,” Syrus warned respectfully. “This is solely between Georgia and I,” Syrus said.For the first time in a really long time, Georgia was speechless. Her heart was beating really fast, and she did not know what to do. Georgia felt like she had been ambushed. After taking the pains of going to Syrus’s doctor and forcing him into doing her bidding, Syrus comes up with this ridiculous idea of a different hospital right when they were about to leave? “You cannot ask me to stay out of this, Syrus!” Nancy blew hot. “This is my grandchild we are talking about…” Nancy was saying.“Not until proven otherwise,” Syrus c
Georgia’s POVGeorgia arrived at Syrus’s house; it was the day of the pregnancy test appointment, and Georgia was confident more than ever. Syrus’s doctor had instantly cooperated after she made that video; he could not afford to lose his career, and probably his family, because he knew quite well what was at stake if Georgia should release that video. He also knew that the world would believe Georgia over him, and he did not stand a chance against her.“Every man has something to lose,” Georgia said proudly to herself as she entered the living room.Bonnie was the first person she met.“Georgia!” Bonnie said in childlike excitement as she rushed over to Georgia and enveloped her in a tight and warm hug. Georgia forced a smile, but she didn’t even want to be hugged like that. “Bonnie…the baby,” Georgia whined coyly.Bonnie released her almost immediately. “Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! I wasn’t thinking,” Bonnie said, apologizing frantically. Then she led Georgia into the living r
Vivian’s POVI hardly slept through the night, because I kept thinking about my encounter with Leon. There was obviously another lifestyle that he lived that Diana did not know about; one that entailed shady deals.Whether or not Manny and Ted connived together to lie about Ted owing a drug lord some money, one thing was clear; Ted and Leon were into something illegal and dangerous, because Jane was killed, and somehow, Ted was involved. My heart beat faster. It was as though my head would explode from trying to piece everything together. I stayed in bed thinking and trying to wrap my head around everything, so much so that I didn’t even know that time had ticked by so fast.By the time I got up from my bed, freshened up and hurried out of the room, it was already past 8am. I ran into Mr. Vale in the living room.“Good morning, Mr. Vale,” I greeted.He had his eyes on the TV, watching highlights.“Please call me Vale,” he responded. “All that formality makes me feel like I am in an of
Georgia’s POV“How dare he?!” Georgia barked.She was still boiling with anger and rage as she made her way out of her doctor’s clinic. “How dare he tell me what to do? How dare he suggest such nonsense?” Georgia fumed some more.She almost went back into his office to lash out at him even more, because he had no right. Georgia had managed to climb the ladder of success on her own accord without the help of anyone. She had single-handedly made a way for herself in a world that only cared about people with the money, power, and influence, and so she did not need anyone to tell her what to do or not. Her mother had tried for years to project her bitterness, anger, jealousy, and negativity on her, but Georgia had managed to weave through all that. She knew what she was capable of, and she would not allow the mere words of her doctor to pull her down. If she had listened to him when he had advised her to keep the baby and tell her older fling about it, she would never have gotten this f