Olivia ~•~My brows crippled in disbelief as I saw the news. It didn’t even take up to twenty-four hours before Sandra started spreading the news on the internet.I had woken up to several calls from Amanda and when I didn’t, she sent me a text which contained a link to a blog post. Before I even clicked on it, I knew it had something to do with me. But I was even more shocked when I saw the headline of the post. It had Sandra’s fingerprints all over it. The title made my stomach twist: "Trouble Looming? Olivia, the Returned Heir, is Pregnant with Kidnapper's Child. Will Alexander Finally See Sandra as the Perfect Match?"I let out a dry chuckle even if nothing was funny. I had warned Alexander to talk to her but I guess he didn’t listen to me. Ever since I left his house the other day, we hadn’t spoken to each other. He didn’t reach out to me and I didn’t care to contact him either. But after seeing the news, I couldn’t help but call him to confront him about it. I dialed his nu
Olivia ~•~After dropping the kids at school, I went to the mall to do some grocery shopping. I needed anything that would distract me from my reality. I also wanted to use it as a way to pass the time until Maya would call me back for our planned spa date. It was her last day in New York, so she suggested that we go to the spa for a relaxing day. With everything that had been going on, I needed the treatment more than any other person did. I didn’t hesitate to agree to the plan when she first mentioned it. A part of me was sad that she was leaving. She was the only genuine friend I had in my life. I always hoped she wouldn’t turn out to betray me. When I was done shopping, I pushed the trolley to the counter. Throughout my time at the mall, I noticed how people looked at me with judgmental eyes and whispered to themselves. I chose to ignore them but this time I couldn’t hold myself back when one of them started saying mean stuff and was loud enough for me to hear. “What is you
Chapter 87Olivia ~•~As I lay on the couch, my phone buzzed with a text. I looked at it to see it was from Maya. [ I hope you’re ready, I’m picking you up in five minutes.] I smiled as I read her text. The spa was the perfect distraction I needed from everything that was going on. I stood up from the couch and made my way to my room. I indulged in a quick shower and changed into a more comfortable outfit. I made sure to complement it with a hoodie because I didn’t want random people to start examining my body since the news about my pregnancy was all over the internet. My hands hovered around my stomach. I noticed some slight changes. It felt like my stomach was finally protruding. I was bringing another life into the world and it felt so surreal. I never expected it because I wasn’t planning on having another baby. But now, I had no choice but to accept my fate. Deep down, I promised to give my baby the best life, no matter what was going on around me. With a renewed determi
Olivia ~•~There was a brief silence on the other end before a familiar voice cut through the line, sending a cold chill down my spine.“Olivia.” I clutched the phone tighter, my heart racing. I had been dreading this call ever since Ethan was arrested. Hearing his voice brought back memories I was trying so hard to suppress. “Ethan,” I replied, trying to steady my voice. “What do you want?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I didn’t want to draw the kid's attention to me. Ethan laughed, a burst of humorless laughter. “Are you seriously asking me?” He muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice. I remained silent. “Why didn’t you tell me about our baby?” He added and I scoffed. “What baby?” I asked, pretending I had no idea what he was talking about. Ethan hesitated for a while, then he cleared his throat and continued. “Have you forgotten that it is everywhere on the internet? Just because you let Alexander put me in prison doesn’t mean I don’t know what is going on.”
Olivia ~•~It had been three weeks since I last spoke to Alexander. I didn’t reach out to him and he didn’t care to contact me either. Whenever the kids asked me about their father, I always came up with one excuse or another. But even if Alexander wasn’t speaking to me, he still delivered the office keys to me. At first, I didn’t want to accept it anymore but when I talked to my sister about it, she convinced me to take the keys. However, I still didn’t start setting up the company because of all the numerous hospital check ups I had. I planned on finally setting up the office with the help of Amanda. It was the weekend and I planned on dropping the kids off with my mother and then going to the new place with Amanda. “Are you guys ready to spend your day with grandma?” I asked the twins as we made our way to the car. They both nodded in unison and we settled down in the backseat. The ride to my mother’s house was a brief one. I also didn’t spend a lot of time there before goin
Alexander ~•~My hands hovered around my keyboard as I contemplated dialing Olivia’s number. It was my usual routine ever since I found out about her pregnancy. I mean, ever since I said some hurtful things to her when I found out about it. I was so upset that I let my emotions cloud my judgment. I regretted my actions and wanted to make it up to her but I was scared of her reaction. She didn’t care to reach out to me and I felt she didn’t want anything to do with me again. I had asked the building manager to call me whenever Olivia finally began the office setup, but ever since I delivered the keys to her, she hadn’t visited the building. I hated myself because I felt she didn’t want to set up the office again. After all, she was upset about my behavior. I had fucked up and I needed to fix it instead of running away from my problems. Three weeks had passed and I hadn’t seen the twins because I was feeling too guilty and couldn’t look Olivia in the eyes. She was going through
Olivia ~•~“I got you something to show you how sorry I am,” Alexander added. “Follow me.” He gestured towards the door. I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should follow him or not. But my curiosity got the best of me, I dropped my package on the counter and trailed behind him as he led me outside.My jaw dropped and I was taken aback by the sight in front of me. Alexander was apologizing to me with an expensive car with a sign saying: “I’m sorry, Olivia.” I felt a mixture of different emotions and I didn’t know how to react. “Olivia.” Alexander turned around and reached for my hands. “I’m really sorry. I’m sorry about everything that happened. I’m sorry that I let my emotions get the best of me.” I opened my mouth to speak but I was at a loss for words. I liked that he apologized to me but I just couldn’t forget about everything that happened just because of an overdue apology. “I was angry at Ethan and I took it out on you,” Alexander added, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.
Olivia ~•~ Amanda and I headed back upstairs to meet Alexander. As we entered the room, she grabbed her bag from the chair. “Well, I think this is my cue to leave,” Amanda said with a playful wink, a hint of mischief in her eyes. With a sly smile, she turned and sashayed out the door, leaving Alexander and me alone. “Do you know Ethan did this to me purposely?” I asked as I turned to Alexander. “He called me from prison and said he purposely impregnated me so I would be trapped with him.” Alexander’s eyes grew wide in shock. “Are you serious?” I nodded. “Yeah. Everything is actually your fault. You made him feel insecure and he punished me for it.” “I always knew that man wasn’t good for you.” “Yeah, right.”“But I’m here for you now. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me.” Alexander said, his eyes locked into mine. “I care about you a lot and the baby doesn’t change anything.” I smiled, feeling grateful to hear those words from Alexander. “Thank you, it means a lot
Chapter 230Riley Burke ~•~We were talking about random stuff, and then out of the blue, she stared at me and asked. “I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a while. Have you met someone new? Are you seeing anybody?” “Emm… huh? Wha….” I stuttered as I tried to form a coherent sentence. I had no idea why I found it difficult to answer her question. It wasn’t like I ever kept my love life a secret from my mother, her question just caught me off guard. My mother was always the first to know whenever I got into a relationship or met someone new. But this time, her question felt like a trap. What if she knew about me and Mason and was just asking to see if I would tell the truth? But there was actually nothing going on between Mason and I. I mean. We hadn’t even gone out on a date. I wasn’t even sure I really liked him or wanted to date him. He just talked to me and sent me a gift basket. I let out a deep breath and cleared my throat. “I’m not seeing anybody,” I replied, my voice st
Riley Burke ~•~I called Mason’s phone severally but he didn’t answer. I was upset for a moment but I decided to calm down. I figured he would be busy with his family, due to everything that was happening. Or he could be asleep because the day was already dark. After tossing my phone on the bed, I decided to rest my head for a few minutes. But the next time I opened my eyes, I saw that it was morning. Sunlight streamed through the window, making me realize I hadn’t closed the curtains before I slept off the previous night. I blinked repeatedly as I tried adjusting to the brightness coming through the window. Letting out a loud yawn, I sat upright on the bed and reached out for my phone on the scattered sheets. As I picked up my phone, I glanced over the screen to see what time it was. But I realized I had gotten a lot of calls from Mason. I was deeply asleep and didn’t hear when the call came in. I contemplated returning the call but it was too early. I decided to wait for a l
Mason Craig~•~A few moments later, I heard a loud bang on my door, followed by my mother’s angry voice. “Mason Craig! Why did you choose to betray our family?” I had no idea how long I had been asleep for but I jerked back to reality after I heard those words come out from my mother’s mouth. I stood up from my bed immediately and walked to the door. My mother had a disappointed look on her face as the door swung open. “What are you talking about?” I asked, my brows etched in confusion. “So you decided to tell your little girlfriend about what we did? You decided to snitch and betray your family?” She questioned, her voice laced with disdain. My eyes were still thick with sleep and it took me a minute to process what she was talking about. “What do you mean? What girlfriend? I didn’t say anything to anybody.” I responded, my tone defensive. “Oh please!” She waved her hands violently in the air. “Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. Follow me downstairs, your fa
Riley Burke ~•~After I was done talking to Mason, I went to meet Rowan because he asked me to meet him after my class. We were meant to go back home together. He was waiting for me in the driveway. I settled down in the front seat of the car and fastened my seatbelt. As we drove back to the house, I contemplated telling Rowan about the situation with Mason. But I wasn’t sure if I should say anything. Rowan would be so upset and probably tell my parents about it. I didn’t know if I wanted anybody to know what I knew Mason personally. It was best if I kept it away from them for a while. After an exhausting drive, we arrived at the house. “Is Belle still pissed at you?” I asked Rowan as we both stepped out of the car.He shook his head. “Yes, I messed up big time and I’m not sure she’ll forgive me easily,” Rowan admitted, running his hands through his hair. My lips parted and I blinked. “What? How did you mess up?” My curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t resist asking him
Mason Craig~•~After Riley left, I remained in the office for a few more minutes. I needed some time to think and clear my head. I was certain that Riley didn’t believe anything I said and I had no idea how to make her see that I was being completely honest with her. Even if she eventually comes around, things will still be weird between us because of my parent’s behavior. After meeting so many shallow people, I finally found someone worth starting something with again. But it was already crumbling before it could even start. I didn’t have any other classes, so I decided to head back home. I locked the office and made my way back to my car. My uncle was a professor at the university, so he gave me a spare key. He asked me to go there whenever I needed a break from the crowd. He was one of the reasons why my father allowed me to attend Columbia University. He wanted me to go to a different country for college, but I didn’t want to go far away. Most times, I do regret my choice. I
Riley Burke ~•~I was already pissed when I saw Mason walking into the class. But his stupid text only fueled my irritation more. He still had the guts to ask if he did something wrong. Whenever I was upset and couldn’t do anything about it, my legs automatically started shaking. Liam noticed and tried his best to calm me down.I hated the fact that I was about to crash out in public. At first, I didn’t want to respond to his text. But out of annoyance, I responded to him and then blocked his number afterward.I didn’t want him to contact me anymore.After what felt like an eternity, the class was finally over. At one point, I even wanted to walk out of the class, but Liam persuaded me to stay. As everyone left the class, I wanted to rush out before Mason could get the chance to speak to me, but he was faster than me. I knew I wanted to have a conversation with him to demand answers but I wasn’t interested anymore. My daddy was going to take care of everything. “What do you want
Mason Craig ~•~After thinking about what to do for a while, I decided to tell Riley about it. I could imagine how devastated she would be if she found out about it from someone else. I didn’t want her to think I was part of it in any way. I knew telling her was me betraying my parents, but I didn’t care. The truth was going to come out eventually. I didn’t want it to look like I was enabling their behavior. At first, I wanted to call Riley and talk to her about it over the phone, but since we had a class together later in the day, I decided to leave it. I would have a conversation with her after our class. A few hours later, it was time for me to leave for school. I was already running late, so I grabbed my keys and bag before rushing down to the car. While I was on my way to school, I couldn’t stop thinking about the damage my parents had caused. They were so hungry for power and success, it wasn’t healthy. Even if they were giving me the silent treatment, I was still determ
Riley Burke ~•~As I got to school, I contemplated going back to my dorm room or going to class. I wasn’t sure I was in the right head space to see Mason. My mind was spinning with different thoughts and I was laced with anger. I couldn’t believe someone would betray me like that. I felt so stupid and used. I didn’t even know what to say to him. As I stepped out of the car, I decided to call Harper first to ask if she was in the room. I didn’t want to go to meet in an empty room, it would just fuel my frustration more. Harper didn’t answer her phone. I was guessing that was in class and couldn’t take the call. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I decided to call Amelia instead. I let out a relieved sigh when Amelia answered on the first ring. “Hey, what’s up? Are you in class?” I asked with a hint of urgency in my voice. “No, I’m in the dorm room.” She replied. “What’s going on?”I didn’t want to talk on the phone. “You’ll see me soon.” I ended the call and made my way to the dorm
Riley Burke ~•~It was finally time for me to leave for school.The driver was already waiting for me downstairs. I took one last look at my reflection in the mirror. I was satisfied with my look and my outfit for the day. I wore a pink sweatshirt and a short leather skirt with boots. I grabbed my coat and bag and then arranged my hair before heading downstairs. I only had one class, so I was kind of thrilled about it. Plus, I’ll also get to see my friends and Mason. As I walked down the stairs, I ran into my mother and Caroline discussing seriously in the living room. They were so engrossed in the conversation that they didn’t hear me walk down the stairs. “What’s going on?” My voice diverted both of their attention to me: I was able to hear some of what they were saying, so they didn’t see the need to keep it away from me. Plus, I deserved to know. I asked my father to keep me in the loop and he agreed to do so. “They finally found the people responsible for tarnishing the com