Lily's anger simmered just below the surface as she hailed a taxi and headed to her Dad's company.Anderson Affairs. She couldn't believe her father's audacity. Pushing Price down the stairs, killing him, and now trying to act like nothing was wrong? Unacceptable.Being stiff necked and... Just there, like nothing happened.It's getting on her nerves now that she's out of the house. She has to right the wrongs or Price will never rest in peace, and neither will her heart settle as well.She gets down in front of the company and glances up to look at the name glittering in the afternoon sun.She had always been looking forward to inheriting it when Reese retires, but now, if he retires tomorrow, it's getting liquidated immediately.Her determination only gets steeler and steeler as she pushes open the door to the company building and enters, completely walking past every regular protocol and just right into the elevator.As she burst into her father's office, his assistant looked up i
Luc's at work when the message comes in."Yes?" He asks as his secretary pushes open the door and comes in."I received a call that requires your attention sir.""Okay...? Are you trying to keep me in suspense? Come on, what is it?"His secretary takes a deep breath. "I received a call from Anderson's Affairs, right from the secretary to Reese Anderson, the CEO."Lucas looks up to meet his eyes. "Right from the boss? What did he want?""He says that Mr Anderson wants to meet with you...""With me?""Yes. He said for business purposes."Lucas's face hardens. He remembers their last encounter that he had gone to visit them at home. The man he left behind didn't seem like someone who would want to meet over anything at all.But curiosity gets the better of him and he's willing to know what Reese wants, what he wants so bad that he should ask to see him, for business."When did he say he would love to meet?""Today, if possible. He's actually still on hold.""Ah, I see. Tell him I'm not b
Already on his eighth glass of wine, Reese glances angrily at the large double doors of the hotel and he curses. "That trash bag."He swigs the whole glass of wine at once and returns it to the breakfast table where he had sat. He dropped a single bill on the table and proceeds to leave.Just then, he hears the door and then footsteps coming to that side. He turns to check if it's his visitor and sure enough, it is. Lucas strides towards him, one hand in the pocket and the other one swinging his car keys in his hands. He stops and then smiles, a supposed to be charming smile but in the situation, it's far from it.It's more of a mocking and degrading smile."Oh, hi. Something came up and I had to make a detour. Why don't we have a seat?" Luc smiles pretentiously as he pulls up a chair for himself and sits down.Reese smiles back, his own smile just as strained and pretentious."I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long?" Luc asks as he settles down."Oh, not at all. I came here t
Stella, in the dead of the night, wakes up and looks to her side.She absentmindedly noted that Reese is not in bed. She doesn't bother to put on her slippers and heads down the stairs, past the living room, into the kitchen.It's her kitchen anyway so she doesn't need any light to know where things are. She walks over to the knife cabinet and pulls it open. She rifles around, her head up, her eyes staring blankly into the cabinet.She lays her hand on the largest knife and pauses, then she pulls it out of the cabinet.There, in the deep dark, she stares at the tiny glint of the knife...The minutes pass by and she just stares at the knife, seeing it and not seeing it at the same time.Suddenly, blinding white light floods the kitchen and the knife drops from her hands with a jerk.Reese peers into the kitchen and sees her bending to pick the knife, return it and close the drawer."You startled me." Stella remarks as she walks over to meet him by the kitchen entrance.He looks into th
Coming back to herself a bit after Stella tells her the news over the phone that same morning that her father has said he's going to return the Wood's money since he's gotten another sponsor.She'd been cold on the phone.Returning some money does not and can not stand in place of a child that's been lost... She feels terribly cold in the house alone. All the ice cream in the fridge has melted and the food almost spoilt.She swipes it all into a large trash bag after setting aside some ingredients that are still good enough to make something.She looks at the counter at the end of her house chore and eyes the ingredients she had salvaged, to see what she can make out of them. The only option she gets is noodles since that's basically the only thing she does not have to go to the grocery store to buy.She opens the overheard cupboard and picks out one medium large ramen noodles. She proceeds to cook it to satisfaction and even the aroma of the food gets her hungry even before it is rea
Lily's hands trembled slightly as she turned the key in the lock of the house that's always so eerily quiet. The grocery bags weighed heavily in her arms, but not as heavily as the one in her chest. She walks in and goes right to the kitchen where she arranged everything she had bought earlier into the fridge, using the opportunity to rearrange her thoughts. What does she even want to say to them exactly? Clearing her throat out loud, she stands straight and looks at the fridge like it's another person. "Hi, I just want to tell you that... Hi?! Too casual. Let's try again." Hermind racing through the rehearsed words she would say to the Woods, she starts again with talking to the fridge like it's a human. "Good afternoon, I'd love to have you know... Ugh. Too formal!" "Hey, you think I killed Price? Why will I be carrying his child then?! Why would I even say that? It's too classless." She sighs as she closes the fridge, frustrated. She stood there for a moment, letting the stead
In the infinity pool that comes with the penthouse, someone is having fun, having some champagne on the glassy edge of the pool. She swims with her back, gently stroking the water in soft motions as she lets the cool breeze and the warm water coat her body and she relaxes, a smile playing on her lips.Her phone buzzed incessantly, notifications flooding in from every corner of the world. She scrolled through the endless stream of messages, comments, and tags, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. The premiere of her latest movie had been nothing short of spectacular, and the buzz surrounding it was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Her face was everywhere—on billboards, trending hashtags, and magazine covers. Overnight, Alicia had become a household name, from an unknown woman to a star.The movie Spellbound had been such a hit that she's been shocked as well. Even the director that she'd had some fun nights with was not expecting it. Just another averagely rated movie, even
Mikayla stood in the center of her office, her gaze focused on the view of the city below. The sun was setting, casting a golden colour across the skyline, but there was no beauty in it for her today. The scandal that had erupted on social media was spreading like wildfire, threatening to engulf everything she had worked so hard to build, with the immense help of Lucas.Even if she can afford to lose it, she can't afford to lose it, disappointing Luc. She holds back from grabbing her phone and even calling him, but she can't do that without solving the issue at hand first.Hita, her PR manager, was pacing back and forth in front of her desk, her tablet clutched tightly in her hands, her face a mask of worry."Ms. Mikayla, we need to respond immediately," Hita urged, her voice a mix of urgency and desperation. "The longer we stay silent, the more damage this does to our brand. People are already starting to believe the rumors. Our customers are demanding answers!"Mikayla turned away f
"Do you, Bethany Mikayla Callaghan, take this man, Lucas Pierce Santinello to be your husband?" "I do." Her crisp voice shouts in the beautiful wheat field where the wedding is being held. "Do you, Lucas Pierce Santinello, take this woman, Bethany Mikayla Callaghan to be your wife?" "I DO!" He yells even louder, looking handsome in his new haircut and tailored Italian suit. "This two are now pronounced husband and wife." "You're now fully mine, CEO of Mi-nello Group." Bethany laughs. "See a whole Conglomerate CEO talking to a small person like me." "Ooh, I plan to show you tonight that you're not small and neither am I." She laughs. "You naughty man." She whispers as she leans in for a kiss. Amidst the whoops and holler, Lucas kisses his wife on the lips, causing there to be a ripple of jealousy in the crowd. Both Miles and Maya comes forward to hug their parents and pose for a family picture. Lucas picks up Maya while Mikayla picks up Miles, all beaming at the camera, the f
Of course, after dramatically disrupting the ongoing funeral, Grey, Smith and a couple other officers walk to the front of the coffin."Sorry to disrupt this perfectly ongoing funeral of a woman who committed suicide..."The whispers begin. They had been told she died in her sleep after all."Mr Reese Anderson, you're under arrest for the murder of Ronald and Minta Callaghan and Price Woods, your daughter's late husband."The entire hall is thrown into intense chatter and chaos.For the first time in days, Lily's eyes regains focus. "What?"Grey turns to look at her. "You knew your father killed your husband and yet you protected him. You're also under arrest for aiding and abetting murder.""Who is Ronald and Minta Callaghan?" Lily asks, completely ignoring the words of the officer of her own arrest."The parents of Bethany Callaghan who we all know to be Mikayla Anderson."That's the final straw."I killed Mum... I killed Mum... I killed Mum..." Lily begins to mutter again, throwin
The same time, Lucas pays the taxi driver, gun securely in his back and Mikayla in his side.He holds her hands and since it's his house, he's able to know the nook and cranny of the house, including places where you can get in without being spotted by any cameras.He leads them to the side where there is a doggie fence. "I'm sorry." He whispers to Mikayla as they both have to crouch to pass through the place.Mikayla shoots him a smile and a thumbs up as she comes out after him.He holds her hand once again, and as slowly and as stealthily as possible, they make their way to the back door which serves as their entrance into the house.As soon as the door clicks shut behind them, they both sigh in relief.Just then, the lights turn on and they are standing right in the middle of the kitchen, lights shining down on them.The man who gets them immediately yells and pulls out a gun. "Down!" He yells and they comply. He is joined by two other men and they drag them out to living room whe
Lucas and Mikayla are laying flat on the ground, late at night with different cars speeding by, watching and peeking out at the scene with every one of them having something to say in one way or the other.Outside the car, the listening bug should hit be able to do much so when a police car arrives on the scene and out comes Grey, Lucas sighs in relief, happy that the officer had received his message in time and had come to help him out."Sir!" The patrol officers salute their higher subordinate."At ease. Can you release them? They are currently on a mission.""What?" The patrol officers look at one another in confusion. "There is a body in the car.""And if it's not a body?" Grey asks, stepping forward and using his higher up voice."Uhm..." The officer is at loss of words. "Well, it looks exactly like a body.""Well, let me tell you something. They don't want the help of the police as it may jeopardize the lives of their children. The children were kidnapped from school earlier tod
Mikayla begins to shiver in the cool weather.Lucas stands outside, a look of immense fury on his face from what Logan is asking him to do. He grabs his phone and dials Logan who picks up on the second ring."Do you like what the package looks like? Cute, isn't it?"Lucas, seething... "What the fuck are you asking me to do? Tie up another loose end for you? What do you want from me exactly? Stop tormenting I and my woman and my family and just tell me what you're after.""This is cute but you're forgetting that I am your family too? Anyway, I do want something from you but it's extent is what I'm yet to decide on. You can start by disposing off the body first. Maybe when you finish this mission, just maybe, I might have my request ready.""So you mean this is not the fucking end of it?""Depends on how you act and what you're doing now is making me think of murdering someone else, maybe your daughter since she looks the most scared here. I'm waiting to see the body at the bottom of th
The day before, Lucas and Mikayla had left the school around six pm that evening, driving off in the direction of the apartment where Lucas had met him just four days earlier.Their meeting had not ended well then, and it does not look like it will now.Lucas receives a text message from his number, Logan. He pulls up by the sidewalk to check it."If you think you will find me at the same location as the other times, you're kidding yourselves. I told you clearly, you do what I ask you to do or you're in deep shit. You'll never see your precious children again. You'll receive the first directions in a little bit. I want you to keep going to the apartment though, your first mission is over there."Lucas punches the steering wheel, startling Mikayla a bit, her nerves are still frayed, getting so worried about her children and even worse, they are still in the hands of a maniac that no one knows where they are.Cursing under his breath, he starts the car once again and the journey continu
About to head out of the cafe, Grey pays for the coffee both men had taken with his card.Stepping outside, he inhales the crisp cool air and sighs.His phone ringing distracts him from the search of his keys and he sees the caller to be Smith."Hello Smith? Can I help you tonight?""Where are you right now?""I had a meeting with Mr Santinello and I am heading off to my bed. Do you have something for me?""Certainly. Can you drop by the office before heading home?"Grey groans. "I hope for your own sake that it is something worth my time, if not, you'll spend the whole remainder of this week in the holding cell and I mean it."Smith laughs. "Sure then. Just come on over first."Grumbling, groaning, tired, weary, weak, sleepy... All of the states of mind Grey experiences before appearing at the office. He slouches up the stairs to the office where he meets Smith bending over a computer."What do you have for me?""Before I show you, I did it to show that I did not take my job as a jok
Mikayla rushes into her car and drives off in the direction of the school, running late after a meeting, just barely ten minutes after the original closing time, she finally parks there.Not seeing any of the twins where she usually picks them up and wait for her no matter what, not even their bags to indicate that they probably just went to use the toilet, she gets down from the car and looks around to no avail.She locks up the car and walks over to the classes but it's empty, even down to the teachers, there is no one in sight that can be of help so she leaves for the school's administration building.She's immediately directed to the Dean who receives her warmly."Good afternoon ma'am. I hope all is well? Considering that you didn't call ahead to inform us about your coming.""I'm sorry as well but I ran a bit behind in picking the children up. I'm here now but I can't seem to find them.""I'm pretty sure they left the classes as soon as the school closed. You know what, children
"It's after school time. Come on, Mum is coming to pick us up." Mikes iterates as he slings his small backpack over his back and carries the lunch bag in his hands.Maya does the same thing, grabbing her back and lunch bag as well as the two of them walk in tow to where Mikayla usually showed up to pick them up, almost immediately after school.Just as they arruved, a black SUV parks in front of them.Both of them walk to the car, waiting for Mika to come out and give them hugs as she always does before tucking then in and putting their seat belts on before leaving but this time, a tall man comes out.Miles immediately steps back, standing in front of Maya to protect her... Or something like that."Hi Miles and Maya. I am Ben. Mikayla sent me to pick you up.""No. We won't go with you." Miles replies immediately.The man laughs, removing his sunglasses to reveal brown, almost friendly eyes. "Mika told me that you will say the same thing and that when you do, I should show you this." H