Catherine’s POV Blinding rays of sunlight diffracted through the window into my eyes, and forced them open.The blood vessels at my temple throbbed with an agonizing migraine as I carefully sat up while the antiseptic smell of the room enlightened me about the fact that I was laying in a hospital bed.Squeezing my eyes open, I stroked my temples, trying to recall how I ended up in a hospital.It was then it clicked in my head and I shot out of bed with a start.Liam had been kidnapped by unknown gunmen at the kindergarten, and I had fainted after I was given the news.My baby was abducted yet I was here sleeping like a log of wood.I was such a useless mother.As I made to remove the IV cannula from my wrist, the door opened to let Mr Thomas and Leo in.“Mummy!” Leo ran to hug me, and I weakly hugged him back as tears freely rolled down my cheeks.“I don't want you to dwell on it, Catherine,” Mr Thomas's voice wafted into my line of hearing as I rubbed soothing circles on Leo's back.
Catherine’s POV Rivulets of tears cascaded down my cheeks as I stared at Liam's side of the twins' shared room.Trembling with sobs, I reached forward to caress the messy scribbles on his wall and squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to envision Liam in the kidnapper's den.Although Mr Thomas had advised me against dwelling too much on it, I just couldn't help myself.My poor baby. I couldn't help but wonder how he was coping in a strange and scary place.Liam, who Leo often teased by calling him a scaredy cat.Liam, who couldn't sleep on his own, without coming to my room.Liam, who couldn't do without his teddy bear.The kidnappers were yet to contact us which scared me to no end.Hell, for the past three days, I had only been chewing ice cubes as food because I couldn't bring myself to swallow anything but that.I was quite proud of myself though for not breaking down in Leo's presence once.My heart shattered into irredeemable shards whenever he asked me when Liam was returning home
Laura’s POV “I want my mummy,” Catherine's stupid offspring whined, as I sat on a chair in front of him.“Really?” I chuckled, before grabbing his Joe harshly. “If you want to see her, shut your stupid mouth up else you'll starve to death.”The boy looked so much like Alessandro that it annoyed me to look at him.You must be surprised as to how I found out about Alessandro and Catherine's twins.Well, sometimes, Kennedy proved to be an efficient worker.About a week ago, Kennedy came to my apartment to give me the news that Catherine gave birth to Alessandro's children back in Canada, and it seemed Alessandro knew about it.He had also backed up his claims with pictures of the twins standing side by side with Alessandro at their kindergarten.A surreal idea of hurting Catherine had instantly struck me as I gaped at the pictures.If I wanted to make Catherine back off forever, hurting her kids would be the best move to make.Ergo, I had hired some men to abduct one of them at the kind
Catherine’s POV “Walk like a fucking human being!” The big, scary man in front of me barked, as I took tentative steps into the abandoned building, that was the kidnapper's den.“I'm sorry,” I whispered, before the second man, who was sidling beside me, suddenly shoved me into a large room.The room looked like something straight out of a horror film–cobwebs hung from the dilapidated ceiling and the window panes were rusty and hanging on for dear life.To sum it up, the room exuded an eerie aura that creeped me out.I was about to turn around when the kidnapper spoke from behind me.“We finally meet, Catherine Williams.” My breath hitched in my throat causing me to breath out of my mouth, as I slowly spun around to face her.On seeing her, a guttural gasp escaped me and I pointed a shaky finger at her.“Laura Vasquez!” I screamed in shock.I could recognize her poised face anywhere given the amount of time that I had seen her on the internet, during my period of self-loathing.So th
Catherine’s POV “Mummy, I want mint chocolate ice cream and blueberry muffins,” Liam uttered, as Leo snored gently beside him on the hospital bed.A middle-aged man who Alessandro had introduced me as Grandma's new butler had brought Leo to meet us at the hospital.After we were rescued, I had decided to take Liam to Tender care hospital in order to make sure that he had no internal injuries.Thankfully, the doctor had quenched my worries by reassuring me that he was fine.However, I had decided to make him spend a day in a private ward, under strict medical monitoring just in case.A day had passed since the whole kidnap fiasco and I was immensely reprieved to learn that Laura was now in jail.Her court hearing had been set for next week, and with the amount of evidence at hand, I knew she was going to make prison her home for a very long time.“Really?” I asked, to which he nodded.“But I don't want it now,” He smiled sheepishly. “I want it when we get home.”“Okay, baby,” I mirror
Catherine’s POV “Doctor Williams,” Someone called from behind as the coffee maker dispensed some hot coffee into my mug.It was currently my lunch break and I was in the mini kitchen adjoining my office.“Just a minute,” I uttered, and turned off the machine before facing the person; a young male nurse.“Good morning, Dr Williams,” He greeted. “Morning,” I responded. “Is my attention needed somewhere?”“Yes,” He said. “Someone in the lobby is asking for you.”A confused frown creased my forehead as I racked my brain, trying to remember if I was expecting a visitor today.“Is the person a male or a female?” I asked, placing my coffee on the counter.“A male,” “Okay, thank you,” I said. “You may leave.”As I watched the nurse leave, the gears in my head spun with befuddlement but either way, I went to see who it was after drinking my coffee.On getting to the lobby, I was met with a vast sea of strange men and women which made me even more perplexed.“Over here, Doctor Williams,” A m
Alessandro’s POV “Yo, what got you smiling like that?” Ethan nudged me, and I smiled again as I brought the glass of vodka to my lips.Presently, we were at the opening ceremony of a mutual friend's club.“This afternoon, I asked Catherine out on a date and she agreed to it,” I said. “No matter how much I replay the conversation in my head, it still feels surreal.”“You've made significant progress in your relationship within a short period,” Ethan clapped my back enthusiastically. “I can't be prouder of you, bro.”“Thanks, man.” I beamed, staring at the dark screen of my phone.For some odd reasons, I suddenly had the urge to call Catherine and shamelessly proclaim my love for her.Doing that would probably creep her out and we were yet to even start our relationship over.Plus, I didn't want it to end before it started.+THE NEXT DAY+“Let's do this,” I muttered underneath my breath, as my Porsche Cayenne screeched to a stop, in front of Catherine's place.Afterward, I climbed ou
Catherine’s POV The next morning, I was roused up by the incessant ringing of the doorbell.Groaning, I grabbed my second pillow and pressed it against my head as I borrowed myself into the bed.However, that did little to stop the annoying sound from drifting into my ears and irking the fuck out of me.Muttering incoherently, I slipped my feet into my fluffy paid of indoor slippers and headed out of my room.Before going to answer the door, I made a quick stop at the twins' room to see if the noise had also woken them, and thankfully, they were still sleeping peacefully.Afterward, I jogged downstairs to answer the door.A frown of confusion creased my face upon seeing Alessandro's assistant, Marco.“Good morning, Ma'am Catherine,” He greeted. “It's been a while.”“Yeah, it has,” I stifled the urge to yawn. “Did something happen?”“Not quite, ma'am,” He responded, before bringing out a gift bag from behind him and outstretching it to me. “Boss asked me to give it to you. My apologie
ONE YEAR LATERAllison's POV “Dinner is ready,” I announced, bringing out the tray of rotisserie chicken from the oven. “Leo and Aiden, are you done setting the table?”“Yes, baby.”“Yes, mummy.” Father and son replied in unison, as they entered the kitchen.After our wedding, Leo bought a mansion in Canada, and it was there that our little family lived now.He had told me that he decided to make Canada his permanent place of residence because of me. Mu close friends were here, and he didn't want me to be apart from them.Plus, my winery was also here. About a year ago, I finally reisgned from Leo's company and took over running the winery.So far, the experience had been quite exciting and rewarding, albeit challenging sometimes.“Hmm,” Leo closed his eyes and nodded in approval. “It smells so nice in here, my love.”“I eventually made the rotisserie chicken,” I replied, to which Aiden cheered. “with fried rice.”“And I bet it's gonna taste nicer than anything,” Leo said, walking up
Allison's POV “Where are you taking me?” I asked, cuffing my hands around Leo's wrist, as he led me out of the house, with his hands placed on my eyes, obstructing my vision.“It's a surprise, baby.” He said, and I could almost see him grinning mischievously.Three days had passed since our wedding, and in another three days, we were going to leave the country for our honeymoon in Greece.“Here we are,” Leo said, taking his hands off my eyes. “Have a look.”A gasp forced itself out of my throat when I saw a new black Mercedes Benz parked in the driveway, with a white bow taped to the trunk and the headlights.“How do you like it, my love? Is it to your taste?” Leo asked, as I gazed at the car in surprise.“It's perfect,” I whispered, shaking my head in happy disbelief. “I love it.”“I'm glad to hear that, honey,” Leo said, hooking an arm around my waist. “You love the color, right? Or would you like me to get someone to paint it to your desired colour?”“No, I love it like this,” I b
Leo's POV “You have a message,” Liam announced, gesturing to the gift bag he was holding, as he entered the room.Today was D-day. After many years of challenges, trials, and tribulations, Allison was finally going to be my wife just like I had always wanted.I had to pinch myself thrice when I woke up that morning, in order to be sure that I wasn't dreaming and today was really happening.“From who?” I asked, as he handed me the bag.“Allison.”My face softened with a wide grin as I retracted a burgundy velvet box from the bag.“I wonder what this is,” I muttered to myself, as I flipped the box open.My grin widened, to the point where my eyes creased when I saw the contents of the box; it consisted of a golden wristwatch, a pair of golden cufflinks to match with a golden pen.On the three items, my initials–LDS–was intricately inscribed on it.I couldn't help but feel warm and touched by her thoughtful, sentimental gifts, so I decided to forgo my initial choice of cufflinks and wri
Allison's POV“And I'm done,” Ophelia announced, after giving my face a final dab with the beauty blender. “You look ravishing, Allie.”Clasping my hands together to tame my nervous excitement, I breathed out. “So can I open my eyes now?”“Yes, most definitely.”Inhaling sharply, I flapped my eyes open and gasped on seeing my beautiful reflection in the mirror.Ophelia had hearkened my choice and instructions to the very least detail and had done a great job with both my face and hair.My makeup was a natural, dewy look that accentuated and drew more attention to my facial features rather than having a huge slab of foundation pasted on my face while my hair was tossed in a sleek, french bun with a diamond brooch inserted beside it.I looked like a princess who had just stepped out of a fairytale book, and I could barely hide my excitement as I assessed my face, a huge smile plastered to my face.“I look gorgeous,” I said. “You did a wonderful job, Lia, and I don't know if I'm ever gon
Allison's POV As I stepped out of the bathroom after taking a refreshing shower, my phone pinged with an incoming call.On seeing that it was Tasha calling, I smiled before answering the call and pressing the phone to my ear.“Babe, you have to come to the balcony right now,” Tasha started with a tone of urgency. “Something happened.”My heart did a back flip as goosebumps instantly crowded my entire body. “What happened? Is Aiden okay?”“Just come quickly, alright? We are waiting for you.” She said, before hanging up.Swallowing harshly, I flung my phone on the bed before making my way to the closet to grab a casual outfit, while hoping everyone was alright.Fuck, I genuinely hoped nothing bad had happened on the eve of my wedding.That would be a sign of bad luck and I didn't want that. I just wanted to have my happily ever after with Leo, Aiden, and possibly our future children.We were currently lodged in a hotel in Las Vegas, as that was the destination of our wedding.Leo, his
Leo's POV “Stop it, can't you see that Aiden is here?” Allison scolded me, as I slotted my hand beneath her shirt to cup her breasts.The three of us were sitting on a sofabed in the private sitting room of my beach house in Turkey. Three days had passed since I proposed to Allison and we officially became a soon-to-be married couple.The rest of our family were currently at the other side of the beach house. I had designed the building of the beach house in such a way that my little family and I could have our own private time whenever we wanted, without any disturbance.“But his attention is fixated on Mickey mouse. He can't see us.” I argued, sliding my hand in between her legs which earned me a smack on the shoulder followed by a glare.As I made to defend myself yet again, my phone vibrated with a message.Reading through the text message which was sent by my mum, I smiled. “Mum and Dad are going for a walk downtown and they want to take Aiden with them.”“A walk with grandma an
Allison's POV “Baby, you forgot to tie your shoelace properly,” Leo scolded, as we walked out of the garden to have lunch in the balcony.Along with Leo's parents, siblings, sister in law and Aiden, we were currently at Leo's vacation house in Turkey having fun.A week had passed since the twenty seventh wedding anniversary of Leo's parents, and in all honesty, the celebration had yet to end.After the huge party that happened that day, Mr Alessandro and Ma'am Catherine hosted an intimate dinner among thier close family and friends to mark the occasion.Truly, it was good to be wealthy in a classy manner.I had also gotten the opportunity to meet Ma'am Catherine's best friend, Rita, who reminded me so much of an older version of Tasha.Their friendship was really wholesome and cute, and I could only hope Tasha and I turned out like the both of them in the future.As I made to bend down to tie my shoelaces, a quick realization struck me; I was wearing beach slippers and not sneakers o
Allison's POV “Ophelia called just now. They are leaving very soon, so we have to be on our way now.” Leo announced, as I helped Aiden into his shoes.“Alright, we are ready,” I said then averted my gaze to Aiden. “Right, baby?”“Yes, mummy!” He beamed like a Cheshire cat. “We are ready to meet uncle Liam and Aunty Lia.”Today was the twenty-seventh wedding anniversary of Leo's parents, and so, we were currently in America to celebrate the beautiful occasion with them.To me, they were the most adorable couple that I had ever seen and met.They both loved each other so much and Mr Alessandro always seemed to be worshipping the ground his wife stepped on. He looked at her with so much adoration and love and it was just so heartwarming.“Fuck, I can't believe I forgot,” Leo said, moments later as he parked the car in the driveway of the event center. “What did you forget?” I huffed incredulously, to which Leo smiled before pressing a quick, chaste kiss to my lips.“This and I also for
Allison’s POV “You look ravishing, baby,” Leo complimented as he walked into the room, a smirk plastered to his lips as he regarded my body. “Thanks, babe.” I darted him a quick smile before returning my attention to my reflection in the mirror and putting finishing touches to my makeup. I was clad in a figure-hugging lilac dress that stopped past my knees while my feet were slid in a pair of violet heels and my purse was silver. “What do you say we cancel the date and just stay home?” He suggested coming behind me to lock his arm around my waist. “We can always N*****x and chill, my love.” “I'm sorry, horndog but that isn't happening,” I said, then pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips and eased myself out of his hold to grab my purse from the dresser. “By the way, I thought we were meeting at the restaurant. What changed?” “Nothing, I just decided to come pick you and Aiden up.” He shrugged. “And I don't regret changing my mind because I've got a lovely view of your ethereal