It took Lisa a while but she finally managed to make it to Rock Enterprise. Without wasting any second, she hurried to the receptionist and immediately demanded for Noah's office floor.
"Mr Grant is busy at the moment, I am unsure if he is willing to receive visitors." Those were the words the secretary blabbed to Lisa after she had gotten lost twice before finally making it here. She only needed one glance to tell that the lady behind the counter was threatened by her. She was likely infatuated with Noah as well, and clearly didn't want any competition. "Noah is an acquaintance of mine, if you don't want to lose your job I'll suggest that you let me see him immediately!" Lisa fixed her gaze on the secretary, her voice cold and authoritative. The woman's initial confidence wavered a little, before she finally yielded. "I—I need to call his office first," the secretary stammered, reaching for the phone. Her fingers trembled slightly as she dialed, her eyes darting nervously between Lisa and the phone. She whispered on the phone for a long minute, before finally flashing Lisa a warm smile. "I'm sorry about earlier, you may enter." Lisa didn't say a word to the lady before her, she merely strutted away, she didn't have all the time in the world, and she wanted to spend the few she had with Noah. "Lisa..." Noah called out tentatively as though he was playing with the sound of the name on his lips. His gaze didn't leave the paperwork before him, and he didn't seem particularly surprised to see her even though it's been three years since the last time they've seen each other. "Noah.." Lisa returned with a smile playing on her lips. It had been three years since she last saw him in person, and he seemed to get hotter each time they saw each other. Noah Grant was the kind of man whose presence commanded attention the moment he walked into the room. He had always possessed a rugged, almost primal allure, and time had only deepened that magnetic quality. His hair, a rich, deep brown, was tousled just enough to appear both stylish and unruly, as if he'd just run a hand through it. And his six foot five imposing figure was something that made Lisa crumble to her feet each time they were standing side by side. Noah didn't need to acknowledge Lisa with more than a glance, because he knew the effect he had on people—on her. Even now, after years apart, his presence alone was enough to stir something deep within her. With Lisa, Noah Grant knew that he didn't need to try at all. "You're in town, when did you get here?" Lisa asked as she slowly advanced towards Noah. He still hadn't looked up to get a glance at her, and she was doing everything she could to get his attention. With a wry smile, she reached for his chest, massaging it with her left hand, while she toyed with his hair with the right one. "What are you doing here Lisa?" Noah finally looked up from his paperwork, his hazel brown eyes locking onto hers with a cool detachment. The intensity in his gaze was enough to make anyone falter, but Lisa held her ground, determined to break through the wall of indifference he had put up. As her hand slid across his chest, feeling the firm muscles beneath the fabric of his suit, Noah's expression remained unreadable. She trailed her other hand through his tousled hair, hoping to elicit some reaction from him, but Noah didn't budge. Instead, he lowered the pen in his hand and pushed the paperwork away a bit. Then without saying a word, he reached up and casually pushed her hand away from his chest, his touch firm but not rough. "What are you doing here, Lisa?" he repeated, his tone formal, as if they were here to discuss some important business matter. This was their first meeting in years, but Noah wasn't as excited as Lisa was. "I think I asked that question first, Noah. What brought you to town?" "Olivia did. I'm here because of Olivia." He answered, and Lisa immediately froze up. "Olivia?" She returned just to be sure she had heard correctly. "Yes, Olivia. Is something the matter?" Noah inquired before returning his attention to the paperwork in front of him. Buying a company overnight was not as easy as he had thought it would be. The papers he should have filled gradually were now piled up on his table, and he had little time to play naughty games with Lisa. "No, not exactly.." Lisa replied, settling on one of the guest chairs in front of Noah's desk. "... it's just that I'm confused, why Olivia? Did something happen between you two?" For the second time, Noah raised his head to face Lisa once more. "You're still friends with Olivia, right?" "Yes, we are still friends, I guess." Lisa replied, still confused about the entire situation. What exactly did Noah want with Olivia? It definitely wasn't money, Olivia might be successful now, but she still wasn't on the level of Noah Grant. So why, what did Noah want with her after ten years? "That's excellent, you'll help me convince her to become my wife once more." His words were clear and direct, and Noah couldn't help but wonder the source of Lisa's sudden confusion. Had he spoken in riddles, or was Lisa now unable to understand basic English? "W..what? Are you insane?! Why would I ever do that?!" Lisa yelled out, dramatically rising from where she sat. "I want you, Noah, you know that! Don't ever think that I'm going to help you get married to another woman." "You're overreacting, Lisa, calm yourself down." He rose from his seat and walked over to hold her from behind, his figure towering over her petite own. He lowered his lips and met hers in a gentle embrace before cupping his cheeks in his hands. "You've misunderstood me completely, Lisa. Olivia is part of a game one that I cannot lose. You might be the first person I've told this to, but I haven't signed those divorce papers."Only one out of the two things he had told Lisa was true, but Noah Grant couldn't care less. It was true, he hadn't signed the divorce papers from ten years, but Lisa wasn't the only person who knew of that. His lawyers did so as well, and the next person to find out would probably be Olivia. It didn't matter where she ran to, or whom she decided to be with, she was still legally his wife. "What? Why?!" Lisa inquired, pulling away from Noah's embrace. "You should have signed those papers years ago, what on earth are you waiting for?" "I got lazy, didn't really look at it until now." Noah replied with an air of nonchalance. It was definitely the truth. Olivia had left him after handing him the papers, and he never really bothered to even look at it after that day. He had tossed it into one of his drawers, and had only gone to pick it up a month ago, when he saw her on TV. "Sign them now!" Lisa thundered, angry and disappointed at the same time. "What do you even need them for?! She'
Olivia could sense that something was wrong the very moment she stopped in front of her apartment building. Something was different, the air seemed tensed, and every person around was staring at her as though she was a stranger. They knew who she was, she doubted anybody in the city was unaware of who she was. Yet, they glared at her with such an odd look on their faces. Her eyes scanned the surrounding, searching for something that could be the reason for the sudden attention. Her eyes fell on a few things she hadn't recognized, the most notable being a brand new sports car that rested by the far end of the building. The people who lived in this apartment weren't poor, so seeing a new sports cars wasn't exactly a big deal. Olivia only came to find out the reason why she had been getting those glares when she walked up the stairs and found Noah Grant standing in front of her door.Her heart had almost jumped out of her body, and she felt like turning around and leaving the moment he
A week had passed since Olivia encountered Noah in her apartment, and while they hadn't run into each other in a week now, she had managed to find out why exactly he had come back to taunt her after a whole decade.She hadn't really paid attention to his life after she had left him, but after a couple research, she finally fell upon Noah's problems. His half Brother, Damian Grant, was out to destroy his life. Olivia knew about Damian, the illegitimate son of the Grant family. He had been one of the few people who made life bearable for her while she had still been married to Noah. Since he hadn't been raised and spoiled as a child, Damian was a better human being than Noah, and while he had his own faults as well, he was a lot more tolerable than his half brother. From the article she had read online, she had come to know that Damian had contested Noah's ownership of the family's company. Ten years ago, Damian had been single, but had gotten married three years later, and had a daug
Michael glanced over his phone for the millionth time, expecting Amelia to call anytime soon. He was still going over everything in his head, and the more he thought about it, the more strength drained from his body. He had no idea how to break the news to Amelia or Olivia. But it was necessary he does, he wouldn't be able to cheat on Olivia, he cared for her and genuinely loved her with all his heart. After half an hour of waiting, the long awaited call finally came through, and Michael wasted no second in answering. "Where are you?" He demanded the moment he answered the phone, moving away from places where he could be overheard. "At the airport, you said you'd come pick me up, right? Or should I come straight to your office—""I'm coming to pick you up!" Michael interjected sharply, not letting Amelia finish her words, or the idea of ever visiting him while he was at work. Amelia wasn't the quiet type of girl, she always loved being the center of attention, and Michael was certa
Micheal remained stunned for a good minute, unsure if he was actually staring at the sweet Amelia he used to know. He hadn't seen this part of her, and it had genuinely scared him. "I..I'll drive you home." He managed to squeeze out after a minute of awkward silence between them."No, that's no fun at all. Show me around town, let me get to know your new life." Amelia suggested, a clever scheme to find out the lady who Michael had tried to replace her with. If Michael succumbed to her request, then chances were that she would meet this lady that Michael had fallen in love with. Michael on the hand was quick to catch on to Amelia's plans, and immediately dismissed that idea. "You're exhausted, you should get some rest. We'll save the tour for another day—""I insist! It's my body, I know what's best for me." Amelia interjected sharply. Michael clenched the steering wheel, unsure how to deal with Amelia's stubbornness. He knew what she was up to, and she wasn't doing much to cover he
Olivia paused for a moment, her gaze shifting from Amelia to Michael. She arched a curious brow at him, still unsure if she had heard correctly, or if all this was some sort of prank. Nevertheless, she took Amelia's outstretched hand, a practiced smile playing on her lips as they shook hands. "It's nice to meet you, Amelia. I hope you enjoy your stay here." Olivia said before turning to Michael a second time. She expected something from him, a sign perhaps, or even a shift in his nervousness. However, Michael stood still, his gaze focused on the ground instead of her eyes. She didn't push further, she merely turned towards Amelia who had a snarky smile on her face. "Enjoy your tour." She concluded before walking away from the two of them. She had completely forgotten why she needed Michael in the first place, all she could feel right now was anger and betrayal, but she didn't act on those feelings. She wouldn't act on them until she had heard what Michael had to say. "She's g
Olivia found herself staring blankly at the computer screen, the way she had for nearly the past fifteen minutes. With a shake of her head, she drew herself out of her thoughts and tried to focus on getting some work done. But no matter how she tried, the events that had happened downstairs continued to play out in her mind repeatedly. That other woman, Amelia... The way she had acted with Michael spoke of a very long term relationship. She had introduced herself as his fiance, and the hesitation she had seen on Michael's face had been nearly enough to break her heart. Michael had been something she had never thought she would meet after what she had endured with Noah. Noah had done terrible things to Olivia's mental and physical state. All the times he had treated her like she was worthless, and she had been unable to realize all the signals. But once she had, it had almost been too late. She had lost her child but she had been fortunate to come out with her life. In the years aft
Olivia's eyelids drew back just seconds before the alarm clock beside her bed released a particularly aggravating ring that was guaranteed to wake the dead. Her pale blue eyes flickered around the room for a few moments before the ringing became too much to bear. Placing a firm hand on the device, she turned off the alarm and moved the soft blankets off her body. "Sometimes I wonder why I even still keep that thing around," the woman monologued, her gaze momentarily fixated on the annoying machine. Olivia had always been a light sleeper and an early riser, which meant she did not really need the clock. But she still left the small shoebox sized object sit on the bedside table everyday. Just in case. Olivia went down the stairs and straight to her laptop where she wasted no time in pulling up her emails. There was a notification there for a new one and she pulled it up quickly. It was a message from Damian expressing his personal thanks for the invitation to the city and an affirmat
Olivia made sure to inform Michael and Damian about Noah's intent to announce her pregnancy to his family. They were set to travel later that day, and she had already gotten her things packed. After learning of the plan, Damian had immediately gotten prepared and set off for home. To make sure that Noah didn't get suspicious of him and Olivia, he knew he still had to pretend to be the villain. It was crucial that they didn't get caught, especially when the final hearing was barely two weeks away. Two hours after his arrival, Noah and Olivia's car pulled into the driveway. Noah was the first to step out, a steady and warm smile spread across his face as he opened the door for Olivia. "Thank you." She whispered before locking arms with Noah. Just like the man beside her, Olivia was forced to put on a bright smile. She hated being here, she hated anything that had ties with the Grant family, and their family home was the epitome of everything she despised. Regardless, she kept her tru
The past week had been nothing short of hell for Olivia. The mere fact that she had to sleep and wake up beside the man who she knew for certain had killed her friend was already enough to ruin her entire day, now the police didn't seem to be taking Lisa's case seriously anymore. To them this was just a simple robbery gone wrong, and since they had no lead on who the culprit might be, there was little they could do. Olivia fought back the urge she had to scream out her lungs. She just couldn't believe what was happening, life was just unfair, and the evil ones always seemed to be winning. She was tired of it, but she knew that she couldn't let her rage get to her. The last thing she wanted was for her to tip Noah off especially now that she was so close to achieving her plan. Noah on the other hand couldn't care any less about Lisa's death. His wounds had healed considerably, and now that he didn't have to wear bandages anymore, he wanted to take things to the next level with Olivia
Noah immediately drove to see his doctor the moment he finished with Lisa. But before he left, he had instructed his men to make sure no evidence of him entering the apartment was found. They had cleaned Lisa's body well, making sure that Noah's DNA would not be found anywhere on her body, as well as cleared any security footage. Afterwards, his men had staged a robbery and had made sure that they were witnesses who would claim that Lisa had indeed died at the hands of a robber. As Noah drove back home, he prepared himself for the torrent of questions that he would definitely receive from Olivia. He would have to explain the bandages wrapped around his head, and he would also have to explain where he had been all this while. He knew for sure that she would have already received news of Lisa's death by now. And judging by the time, Noah already expected her to be home by now. After more than half an hour of driving, Noah finally arrived home. As he had expected, Olivia was home, her
Olivia felt her blood run cold the moment the police officer announced to her that Lisa was dead. At first she thought it was all some sort of prank, but the sound of ambulances in the background was enough to convince her that this might not be a joke. "W..what are you talking about? What are you saying?!" Olivia stammered as she forced her body to stop trembling. How on earth did this happen? Why? How?"I understand that you're in shock, but I'll need you to calm down ma'am. Right now we don't have the full details of the story, and we'll need your help if we're going to get to the bottom of it." The officer on the other side calmed Olivia. They had gone through Lisa's phone, and from the data collected from her device, they had enough material that suggested Olivia was her closest friend. So far it looked like a murder, and some witnesses had reported seeing a hooded man enter her apartment minutes before they heard a gunshot. The shattered glass and scattered living room suggest
Noah had thought that after his warning, Lisa would finally learn her place and stop interfering in his plans. But after receiving a call from his henchmen, informing him that Damian had recently gone to visit Lisa, Noah had finally come to the conclusion that he could no longer let Lisa stay around any longer. He had warned her more than enough times, but she had simply refused to listen to his words. Slipping a pistol and a silencer into his pocket, Noah made his way towards his car. He needed to pay Lisa a visit, and this visit was necessary in order to shut her up for good. Lisa had made it clear that she wouldn't stop being a burden to his plans, and Noah was simply sick and tired of tolerating her acts of insolence and defiance. Noah's mind wandered as he drove towards Lisa's apartment. He wondered how Olivia was going to react to the news of hearing that Lisa was dead, and if it was going to affect her pregnancy in any way. The last thing he wanted was to jeopardize her heal
Damian made it to Olivia's office after thirty minutes of being on the road. Lisa's words had given him a little bit of hope, now all that was left was for him to confirm things with Olivia. If they happened to be true, he would do all that he could to help her out. Lisa was right, he was the one gaining the most from all of this, and because of that he needed to show efforts in taking Noah down. Getting down from his car, he rushed into the main building, hoping and praying that Olivia had come to work today. He had barely finished with the receptionist when he was approached by a figure he wasn't quite familiar with. However, Michael knew exactly who Damian was, and he had recognized him the moment he laid eyes on him. "Is there something you want, Damian Grant?" Michael asked with raised brows and mild hostility. He didn't want to judge Damian because of Noah, but it had become impossible to think about the Grants without immediately assuming that they were up to something bad.
Damian could feel his anxiety growing as the days passed. His final court hearing with Noah was approaching soon, and so far he was on the losing end of the game. There was barely a month left before they got down to the final stages of the succession crisis. He had run out of ideas on what to do, and it seemed like Olivia wasn't making much progress with her plans.He got down from his bed, confused and feeling miserable. There wasn't much he could do anymore, and he hated that more than anything. If he lost, Noah was going to take everything and leave him with nothing, and he simply just couldn't sit still and let that happen. He needed to speak with Olivia, to know exactly where she was headed to with this plan of hers. Getting down from the bed, Damian entered the bathroom and immediately freshened up. He had been in town ever since Noah and Olivia got attacked, but hadn't made his presence known to anybody. He had been watching Noah and Olivia from the shadows, and the things he
Noah was the last person Olivia had expected to come to her office, and quite frankly she didn't know how she didn't see it coming. She should have expected it, Noah was never going to let her go without trying to know everything that she was up to. She was grateful for her secretary, if it weren't for her, Noah would have caught her in Michael's office, being intimate with the man."There was no need for you to come here, Noah." Olivia argued as she lifted her head up from the system that she was barely using. "I was worried, pregnant women shouldn't be in the office, Liv. You should be at home, resting—""I am fine, Noah! How many times do I need to tell you that?!" Olivia interjected sharply, annoyed and angry that Noah wouldn't just let her live her life in peace. What was up with him anyway?! "You should go back home, you're distracting me from work, and there isn't really anything for you to do here." Noah sat still, contemplating on whether or not he should confront Olivia ab
Although Noah had a feeling that Olivia was not going to work, he hadn't expected that she would be heading for Lisa's home. He had paid some of his henchmen to keep an eye on Lisa ever since the day she told him that she was pregnant. And today, they had called to tell him that Olivia just pulled up to Lisa's apartment, and had spent more than half an hour inside with Lisa as well. He had immediately prepared himself and had driven straight to Lisa's. Olivia was already gone by the time he arrived, but that didn't stop him from entering the complex, and heading straight for Lisa's home. He wanted to know what they had discussed, and he needed to know why Olivia had come here. Without knocking, he stormed in and entered the room to find Lisa on the couch, holding a half glass of champagne and watching television."You son of a bitch—" Lisa's words were drowned out by the shock of seeing Noah in her living room. Her surprise soon turned to rage, and she hurled the glass in her hand