67Anitra's POV:When Anitra arrived at New York after two years, his plan was to cause chaos in Riverside Highschool. All he wanted was to piss Ace Hampton off. To tick him off. And then he noticed Ace's unusual obsession towards the golden hair English girl.Anitra was excited about this. Excited to know Ace's weakness. His plan was to use Catherine against Ace but as time goes by he found himself completely enamored with her.She was what he didn't expected. He didn't expect her to be submissive and feisty at the same time.She threw him completely off guard and for a long time he didn't know what to do with her.He felt confused, and he wasn't the type of guy to get confused easily.Before he realized what was going on, the girl has completely captured his affection.He started seeing her more than just Ace's weakness and started seeing her as someone he wants to keep closer to himself, someone he wants to make friends with.Catherine Meyers is someone he wants to have close to h
68Ace's POV:"Aunt Veronica called me last night to ask me about our wedding arrangements and how we want it. I told her that I have to discuss them with you first." Chelsey said.I picked her up from her apartment some minutes ago and together we are driving to school.Chelsey wasn't as bad as I thought she was when I first met her.In fact I found out that we might have a lot in common.She is a strong woman, something I expected of her since she's from a wealthy family. She is ruthless, something we share in common as well.As the day went by I realized that she wasn't as bad as I thought.No matter what I think I can't avoid this marriage.I was able to make a choice with Kisa, mother will not let me do that again.I won't even talk about it.Thanks to Catherine Meyers, the girl I fell stupidly in love with over the years, now I don't have a choice. Now I have to put up with a girl I don't feel anything for.Who cares about love anyway, love is overrated. Love means nothing.Love
69Catherine's POV:"Catherine, sweetheart. Are you there? Are you awake? " A voice asked. " I can't believe that you pushed yourself to the point of fainting. This is not good, Catherine. I told you that I'll take care of everything. You need not worry. "Mom?I opened my eyes and saw my mother sitting down on a chair beside my bed. A towel and a bowl of water beside her.I winched and stared at her."You're awake." She said happily."How long have I been sleeping?" I queried."You've been out for twenty four hours, Sweetheart." She responded and touched my forehead with the back of her hand. "Ace Hampton was the one that brought you to the hospital according to the doctors. What happened?"Ace?My mind started recollecting what happened.How he spoke to me like I meant nothing to him.Maybe I mean nothing to him now.Tears rushed down my cheeks. My eyes closed."Oh dear." Mom said and wrapped her hand around my shoulders. "Heartbreak is hurtful. I'm sorry for whatever it is that hap
70Ace and Chelsey sat down opposite each other at the restaurant.They were out having the lunch that Ace promised her the other day but couldn't make it because he had to drive Catherine to the hospital.Of course he came up with a different excuse.He couldn't tell her the real reason why he couldn't make it." Are you okay?"Chelsey questioned, her eyes holding Ace's."Yes Baby, why do you ask?""I don't know." She responded truthfully, she twirl her fork around the spaghetti sauce and sighed. "I just feel like you're not very open to me."" Come on, Chelsey. I'm open to you. We are going to get married soon, you can't say that." Ace said to her and she chuckled."Really? You should have thought of that when you left me standing meanwhile you're with that girl! Do you think I didn't know? I just kept quiet, I'm not a fool." Chelsey gritted out.Ace has been trying to avoid stuffs like this.He took Chelsey's left hand in his and started caressing it."I'm not here to fight with you
71Catherine's POV:I stood in the luggage area with a template of Talia's name raised. The girl insisted that I pick her up from the airport and I have no objection.She won't allow anything other than a 'yes'.My best friend is crazy."Zooming out on me are we?" A voice asked and I quickly snapped out of my thoughts.I wrapped my hands around her waist and hugged her to myself "I missed you so much," She laughed and patted my back."I've missed you too girl friend, you look good." She said and I smiled.Do I?I don't think so.I placed her suitcase inside the trunk of my car and walked around the car to climb on the driver's seat."Wow, I don't remember the last time I came to London, it has been so long. the last time I came here was with my father and that was when I was I think 12 or 13," Talia said while glancing at the window."You have been to so many places you even fly when you were just 12 that is wonderful, not many people can say that I can't imagine the number of people
~Love was at my doorstep,But I chased it away~Catherine POV:When I opened my eyes, I was already in my room. Mom was sitting down on the bed, her phone against her ear while Talia was wiping my forehead with a towel.When she noticed that I was awake she grabbed my hand and squeezed it."You are awake." She whispered.Obviously I am awake. But what the hell happened after I fainted?Mom glanced my way and stopped talking to whomever it is she was talking to on the phone.She closed her eyes briefly before walking towards me."What happened?" I inquired. My head hurts. It hurts like a bitch."What were you thinking, Cat? Don't be too hard on yourself. Ace getting married isn't the end of this world and you know it." Talia said to me.No.She was wrong.Ace getting married is the end of everything for me.I can't sleep knowing that in the next few days he would be completely hers.Chelsey's.I hate her already even though she did nothing to me.I caused everything. I am the architec
~How can I rest when you're slipping away from me~Catherine's POV:At first I didn't know what to say. I just kept staring at him while he acted as if I wasn't there."You are getting married." I whispered softly. He looked into my eyes and cocked his head to the side."Why? You don't want me to get married?" He queried.No, I don't!But how can I say that to him?I have no right over him anymore."I am sorry." I whispered and advance towards him again. This time he didn't stop me from placing my hand on his chest. "Forgive me Babe. Please. Your butterfly is sorry."He lost it when I referred to myself as his Butterfly.He grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me closer to him, so close that our chest was touching."My Butterfly? What right do you have to utter such words? You're a fucking bitch for saying that to my face!" He bellowed and pushed me away from him.I gasped. My hands covering my mouth as I couldn't believe what was happening.The last time Ace used force on me was back in
74Mrs Meyers is seated in her office and before her is Mrs Hampton who was sitting down on a couch with her lawyer.Mrs Hampton was going through the company's documents with her lawyer and was ready to sign it as soon as possible while Mrs Meyers watched on.There was nothing she could do.This was her last chance."Can you sign it already? We don't have much time left." Mrs Meyers said, her eyes constantly shifting to the door.She was anxious about the fact that her daughter might barge in and destroy everything.Veronica Hampton grabbed a pen from her bag and with a smirk on her lips, she sighed her name on the documents with the instructions of her lawyer.After signing the documents it was passed to Mrs Meyers and she signed it as well. The company was officially a Hampton property."I just transferred $1 billion pounds to your account, hope you can manage it." Veronica said and chuckled. "You can start packing up your belongings now, the company needs a Hampton's touch in it."
101"Is that true?" Veronica Hampton asked and Ace hummed softly." We visited the hospital earlier today and the doctor made it known to us." He responded calmly and glanced at Catherine. "Do you want to speak with her?"Catherine shook her head frantically but Ace casually shrugged his shoulder.She still found it extremely hard to make a conversation with Veronica Hampton."Yes, of course. Put her through." She uttered. Ace handed over the phone to a shaky Catherine and she took it, just then Anitra walked out of the kitchen."Hello, Mother." She greeted her." Ace told me that you're pregnant." Veronica Hampton said and Catherine nodded." Yes, ""I am glad." Veronica Hampton uttered softly which threw Catherine off guard. She wasn't expecting such response from her. "A young Hampton. It has been long overdue. Congratulations on your pregnancy, Catherine Hampton. I'll send a professional nurse down to London that will always look after you and make sure that my grandchild is healt
100After the judge declared Alexander Meyers and his wife guilty as charged, things have been significantly different in Catherine's life.She felt more at peace with herself. She stopped feeling guilty of being the only one that survived the accident.She feels more relaxed to stand before her mother-in-law.She stood outside their apartment building, waiting for Ace to drive out their car from the garage but she wasn't just waiting, she was lost in thought as well.For the past three days she hasn't been herself. She missed her period the other month and this month as well, she wondered if she had an infection. She fell sick constantly and missed a lot of lectures. She hated the fact that Ace missed his lectures as well because of her."Get inside the car and stop thinking." Ace called her out.Catherine sighed softly and walked over to him. "Sorry," she mumbled before getting inside the car.When Ace joined her inside the car, he took her hand in his and lightly squeezed it. "I do
99 It was the final court hearing of the case between Mr. Alexander Meyers and Mrs. Danielle Meyers. It was a famous case being held on TV screen where everyone can watch it. Veronica Hampton was sitting down on her office, her laptop in front of her as she watch the trial. "Your honor, Catherine Meyers Hampton was loved by my client. He provided for her. Sent her to the best school in the whole of United States of America. If my client had anything else planned for her he wouldn't have let her acquire education. My client is innocent." The defendant attorney claimed. "Objection, your honor." Said the plaintiff as he stood up from his chair. "Overruled, Defendant, you can continue." Veronica Hampton balled her hand in a tight fist and slammed it on the desk. She grabbed the telephone on her desk and speak into it get inside my office right now, Mereda. A few seconds later she walked inside the office standing in front of Veronica Hampton. "You call for me Mrs Hampton." She
98Ace was laying down on the bed pressing his phone. He had a zoom meeting with his mother and some employees a few minutes ago and he was just intending to get out of the bed.The bedroom door was pulled open and Catherine walked in. She was wearing a black short and a white camisole, her hip length golden hair was packed up in a high ponytail and her face free of make up.“You done with the meeting, Babe?” She whispered asked as she walk into the room. Ace's mouth lifted in a small smile as he tapped his side of the bed for her to sit on.Catherine chuckled at his gesture and slowly walked up to him, she slipped her feet out if her slippers and climbed on the bed. She placed her hand on his chest and stared inside her phone. "How was the meeting?" She inquired curiously.Ace slowly caress her back as she talk to him. The best leisure for him is hearing her talk. Her voice sounds like music to his ear and her touch set his body aflame. The kind of attraction he felt for her was tota
97"What happened?" Catherine asked and took the phone from Anitra."Police reject the bail of Chelsey Black." She read out loud and chuckled. "This is mother's handwork."Ace took her hand in his and let out a deep breath. "She deserves whatever Mom will throw her way, she shouldn't have touched you at all.""That is by the way, are you both leaving already?" Anitra questioned and Ace hummed. "We're done for the day." He replied.*****It has been two weeks since Ace and Catherine returned to London and resume college, a lot of things had happened within the two weeks and one if them was that Chelsey Black was fined £100,000 for physically assaulting Catherine Meyers Hampton. Catherine and Ace were done with their classes for the day and we're going to the parking lot, the security team following them at the back. As soon as they got to the parking lot she got a phone call from her Mother."Hello, Mom?" "Hi, Catherine. How are you?" Mrs Meyers asked. Catherine got inside the car
96Ace sat down on the bed beside Catherine and took her hand that has all sorts of wire fixed on it in his hand and sniffed in.“I'm sorry, Butterfly.” He whispered. He should have cut out the bullshits and had Chelsey walked out of the restaurant, but for some time he thought that it was cute seeing Catherine stand up for herself.He had no idea that Chelsey would go to the extent of physically harming her, he never thought of the possibility of such thing happening.The door was gently pulled opened and a nurse walked in. She smiled at Ace and walked around to Catherine's side of the bed. "Good afternoon, Mr Hampton."she greeted him."Good morning, Nurse. " Ace responded calmly. It has been more than 6 hours and Catherine was yet to wake up. It scared him a lot.The nurse checked the drip connected to Catherine's body and checked her body temperature then write it down on her chart.."She will wake up very soon. Don't worry." The nurse told him.He truly hope so.After the nurse le
95Catherine was wearing a lose jeans trouser and one of Ace's t-shirt. She sat before the vanity mirror putting on her lip gloss as some of the servants pull out their luggages.They will be returning to London that same day and she was just getting ready. Ace left for his Mom's room 30 minutes ago and she was still waiting for him to get back to her.The door was pulled opened and Ace walked in. Catherine stared at him through the mirror and cocked her head to the side, scrutinizing him as he walked up to her.“You ready, Butterfly? We don't have much time.” He said as he grabbed his hair brush from the vanity.Catherine packed her make-up kits inside her make-up bag and stood up from the chair, she turned around to face Ace and smiled lovingly at him, her eyes almost closing. “Ready. What did you talk about with your Mom?” She asked her, she walked towards the bed and grabbed her handbag then straightened herself.“Just school stuff and our security of course,.” He responded and to
94Catherine took a deep breath and composed herself before looking up at Ace."Baby." She whispered and stood up from the couch, he walked up to her and pulled her towards his chest, wrapping his arms around her protectively.He kissed her hair and caressed her back slowly. "Is Mom back? Did something happen? Why were you sitting like that?" He inquired." No, I was just feeling a little bit down when you walked in . It's nothing serious." Catherine responded calmly. She gazed up at him and smiled. " How was your day?" "Great, did you have a great time with your mother?" He asked. While they both started walking towards the staircase."Yes, she apologized as expected of her, what about you?" She inquired."Since we will be going back to college tomorrow I thought about spending sometime with them." Ace responded softly, Catherine nodded her head and intertwined their hands."Mother said that she wants us with her during dinner, but first you need to wash up." She told him and winked
93"I can't believe you Mom, you took such a huge step and you couldn't even tell me about it. What did you take me for? You didn't think about my safety. What if he comes after me without my knowledge? What if Mrs Hampton really didn't find out what you did. What if, Mom?" Catherine questioned angrily when she visited her mother the next day.She was beyond pissed off, Alex is a psychopath he is the kind of person to go to any lengths in achieving their aim, someone who caused the death of his brother and then take custody of the daughter for more than four years before carrying out his plan, someone with such patience and calculative method can do anything, he is sick!"I wanted to tell you about it sweetheart. I just didn't think of telling you immediately, you just got married. I didn't want to spoil your mood. I'm truly sorry baby girl. I don't think of you as a child that shouldn't know about something like this, especially something that can cause you a lot of harm. It wasn't i