Zane’s POV Desperate to regain some semblance of control, I put on my usual mask of indifference before arching an eyebrow, and asking in a calm tone. "What the hell are you doing in Texas anyway, Noah? Don't you have patients to tend to? A hospital to run? Or did you just abandon all that to come pester me as usual?”Noah's grin widened, and a mischievous glint in his eye as he said. "Even doctors need vacations sometimes, my friend. And what better time to take one than when my best buddy decides to spring a surprise marriage on everyone?"His words set off a round of good-natured teasing from Randolph and the kids, their teasing comments about Trina and me and our ‘whirlwind romance’ filling the air. But it seems they were the only ones enjoying their own teasing show. I could sense some undercurrents of tension in the room as I finally focused on silently observing everyone in the room. Father seemed disinterested with the goings-on in the room as he continued calculating all his
Noah Hemsworth's POVI literally dragged my feet as I made my way into my apartment, as I was so tired and dead on my feet after another grueling day at the hospital. The house felt empty and quiet, a complete opposite of the chaos I had just left behind. Upon getting to the living room, I sank into the sofa with an exaggerated sigh of relief. Phew! Saving lives is surely a very good thing but it can also be very strenuous! I had thought that working in a public hospital was too tasking but when my good friend Zane built my own hospital for me, I came to realize that being the chief medical director is even more grueling!Just then, my stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten in hours. Should I order takeout or muster the energy to cook? Urrgh! The life of a bachelor! Perhaps this is a sign for me, a signal of getting myself a companion to come back home to.Just as I was about to cave and reach for my phone to order pizza, it suddenly buzzed in my hand. Zane's name flashed
Trina's POV After the awkward and tense moment which occurred after Zane convincingly played his part of a possessive and jealous ‘husband’, perhaps too convincing if you ask me, I felt very flushed and too worked up with emotions that I needed some fresh air. Therefore, I quickly excused myself as soon as Dr. Noah steered Zane away.I strolled for over an hour, walking around the stables, the poultry pen, and cow shed without really seeing the farm animals enclosed there as my mind was elsewhere. Finally, after I regained my composure considerably, I slowly made my way back to the main house. I took a deep breath, savoring the scent of nature in the air as I stepped onto the porch. It was lunchtime, and I couldn't help but feel both anticipation and unease. This is just our second day in the ranch house but already, I was fed up with the eating arrangements in this house. Sitting on the same table with Donald, Nicola, Zane and most especially Mandy, I really wasn't looking forward t
Trina's POV I didn't have even the faintest idea what was going on with the two best friends, or perhaps it's all part of the play acting thingy we are doing, who knows? Even Mandy seemed to be frustrated with what was going on as I saw the way her fork was clattering against her plate a bit too forcefully as she watched the two men fawn over me. Anyway, I was glad and very much relieved when the very awkward and tense lunch was finally over. Before anyone could get up from the dining table, Zane smoothly got up, smoothening his already impeccable suit as he spoke in a tone that was lighter than usual. "If you'll excuse me, I have a date with my little angel." As if on cue, l heard my little munchkin let out a very delighted giggle. She jumped off her seat and bounded up to Zane, with her light blue eyes shining with excitement as she asked. "Are we going now, Daddy? Are we?" The transformation in Zane was immediate and startling. His usually aloof features softened instantly,
Trina's POV After what felt like eternity, Zane closed the MacBook, kept it aside on the bedside drawer before dimming the lights and shifting into a lying position.My heartbeat instantly increased its speed as I felt the warmth of his body lying down there just a few inches away from mine. There was something about the moment… it felt quite so cozy, so intimate… All of a sudden, I felt Zane turn his body around to face mine before he called out, "Wifey?" His voice sounded a bit husky in the darkness as he called out to me with that nickname that still makes my heart lurch, especially the way he said it in that low tone. But wait, how did he know I wasn't yet asleep?!I turned my head to look at him, grateful for the dim light that hid the blush I could feel creeping up on my cheeks. I swallowed hard, as my throat suddenly felt dry. "Yes?" I managed to whisper. He already knows I’m awake so there's no need to pretend otherwise.Zane's eyes met mine in the dim light, and for a momen
Jayden McAllister's POV I stood by the window of the living room, with my gaze fixed on the sprawling surrounding of my grandfather’s ranch, but my mind was elsewhere. For the past two days, I had been silently observing the peculiar goings- on within these walls. After all, it's what I do best. Watching. Observing. Analyzing. I know others might see what is happening as just a chaotic jumble of interactions and emotions, but as for me, I foresee a bright future. I see connections and opportunities.My parents were at the center of my attention as my full focus was on the two of them. They thought they were merely playing the roles of pretend husband and wife as a charade in order to convince others. But unbeknownst to them, I saw right through their so-called acting. The way my mom's breath would catch whenever Dad entered the room she's in or whenever he moves closer to her, the almost imperceptible softening of my father's usually stoic and aloof features whenever Mom spoke, or wh
Jayden McAllister's POV The next morning, I put the first part of the plan into action. As everyone gathered for breakfast, I made sure to position myself where I could observe both Mom and Dad. When Uncle Noah entered, I watched him closely."Good morning, everyone," Uncle Noah said cheerfully, as his eyes immediately sought out Mom as usual. "Trina, you're looking particularly lovely today. Green seems to be your colour."I saw Dad's hand tighten almost imperceptibly on his coffee mug as he said that. Good. That's the way to go…Mom seemed to be uncomfortable as she stammered a response. "Uhmm… Thank you, Noah. That's very kind of you to say.""It's just the truth," Uncle Noah replied, taking the seat next to her. "I was wondering if you might like to join me for a walk around the ranch later? There are some really beautiful spots I would love for you to see. You see, among Zane, Mandy and I, I am the one who knows this ranch the most. I was the most playful one amongst the three o
Jayden McAllister's POV I couldn't handle the curiosity any longer so to my own surprise, I just found myself saying, “Oh, for heaven's sake, Dad, why don't we all go? If it's not safe, we will just turn back. But I, for one, am curious about this secret hideout of yours." Eleanor nodded enthusiastically before adopting a cute puppy expression and saying, "Me too! Come on, Dad, it will be fun. Pretty please?" Nobody can resist my dear sister's cute and adorable way of pleading and so Dad reluctantly gave in and sighed. "Fine. But we will be careful, understood?" The other four– Mom, Uncle Noah, Mandy and Eleanor enthusiastically nodded while I just shrugged in response. And as Uncle Noah led us to a path which was off the main one we were walking on and into a denser part of the woods, I couldn't help but feel both excited and apprehensive. What would we find in this so-called secret base? And more importantly, what secrets would it reveal about my father's past? It's indeed a
Trina’s POV After her proclamation, Aunt Livvy wasted no time at all. The moment both Mason and I nodded our heads in agreement that Mom really deserved the grand funeral she had been cruelly denied, Aunt Livvy immediately sprang into action. She handled everything with a precision that portrayed her years of experience of managing the Caldwell empire and also, her deep love for her niece Sarah Caldwell Ryder. Within hours, she had called the archbishop, contacted every relative and every family friend across the country, arranged for caterers, and ensured that media outlets announced the passing of the Caldwell heiress to the world. The obituary was finalized, and invitations were sent far and wide. What surprised me is that as soon as she made those calls, even those people who had never once shown interest in my mother’s well-being while she was alive now clamored to attend her funeral after hearing that she was the Caldwell heiress!By the time Aunt Livvy finally finished all he
Trina’s POV From the address Aunt Livvy sent to me, I know she lives about an hour and a half drive away from my house. But when I inputted the address on the Google maps and let it direct us, it felt as if the drive to her estate was much longer than the hour and a half that I had estimated. Or perhaps it is because of the daunting task ahead of both Mason and I… of breaking the news of Mom's death to her loving aunt, that I felt so.As I drove, I kept biting my lower lip at intervals, which is a nervous habit I got from none other than Dad himself. Shaking my head as if to get rid of the numerous thoughts buzzing in it, I turned to the side, stealing a glance at Mason who was sitting at the passenger seat beside me. Just like me, he had been silent for a long while now, deep in thoughts. He was staring out of the window and I could see his clenched fists tightly around the large envelope containing the stack of letters we brought with us. I know exactly what he was thinking becaus
Trina’s POV With the amount of earth-shattering revelations we have been having these past few days, it has been one hell of an emotional rollercoaster for both Mason and I. And this latest revelation about our late Mom being the sole heir to the vast multi-billion dollar Caldwell empire left me feeling completely drained, yet somehow more complete than I had felt in years because even if nothing, I have come to realize that my late Mom wasn’t really abandoned completely by her family as we had thought. All that while when both she and I thought she had no one but Mason and I, her aunt and father had secretly been yearning for her and loving her in secret. The only sad thing is that Mom never got to know this before she died, all thanks to that devil incarnate Emily Ryder!Heaving a deep sigh, I turned to Mason, my dear younger brother who was also as emotionally drained as I was. Then in a tired voice, I said. “What do you think we should do now, Mas? This… this is something I hav
Trina's POV The morning started as it always did this past few weeks since both of my children started living with me. It was chaotic, noisy, and filled with the usual back and forth of both the silent whizz kid Jayden and chatterbox Eleanor getting ready for school. Between helping Eleanor finding her misplaced shoes, reminding her about her forgotten lunchbox, listening to the mild bickering between the two siblings and last minute homework checks for Eleanor, I barely had time to dwell on my own thoughts. Mason and I drove them to school, with the car filled with Eleanor's usual cheerful chatter and Jayden’s occasional interjections. When we arrived, my little munchkin, as always, hugged and kissed me goodbye before she turned to do the same to Mason. After pecking him on both cheeks, she pulled back and raised her little finger at him in a warning gesture, saying, “Don’t you dare pull another one of your disappearing stunts on me again. You had better be right here in this car
Trina's POV Before I could react to her loud squeal of delight, my mischievous little munchkin had already sprinted towards us, with her little feet barely touching the ground as she literally flew to my brother. She crashed directly into Mason’s waist, with her arms automatically wrapping themselves tightly around him. Caught off guard, Mason almost stumbled back but due to his physique and balance, he fortunately didn't. He laughed out loud, obviously very pleasantly surprised as he exclaimed and greeted. “Whoa! Hi there, Princess Eleanor!” Hearing her beloved nickname, Eleanor instantly beamed. She tilted her head up at him, with her doe-like light blue eyes shimmering with awe. “It’s really you?” she whispered, before tightening her little arms around him, as if afraid he might vanish. With a huge, pleasant grin on his face, Mason knelt down to her level, and in a very soft and gentle voice, addressed her. “Yeah, kiddo. It’s really me.”She instantly threw her arms around h
Trina’s POVFor a prolonged time after we finished our discussions and staggering revelations to each other, Mason and I just remained sitting in the living room, not doing or saying anything more as we were still trying to process the tangled mess of truths and revelations that had we had unraveled to each other in the past few hours. I have no idea what was going on in Mason's mind but as for me, my own mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts which were mostly questions that I have no immediate answers for. Like what step should Mason and I take now after knowing all that we have come to know today. Just then, out of the blue, the sharp ding of the oven timer broke through the silence. At first, my brows furrowed in confusion as I was momentarily disoriented before I suddenly remembered what I was doing before Mason arrived.I exhaled deeply. Of course, it's the chocolate cheesecake. I have completely forgotten about it! Grateful for the distraction, I quickly stood up and made
Zane's POV The lawyer just sighed and shook his head before responding. “The only reason why you didn't find any evidence of that is because you only looked into his past, Sir. You didn’t check what he was currently doing in secret. If you had, your investigators, who I know are the best, would have definitely found it.” He paused before adding, “And as for his terrified reaction when you exposed the dirt in his name and everything else... it wasn’t because he was devastated that he had just lost money for himself, Sir. No, not at all. It was actually because of Ms. Sarah’s two children who are now the inheritors of the company, according to the last will Ms. Sarah had made before she went into a coma. The truth is, he was busy working very hard behind the scenes, desperately trying to source legitimate funds to clear all the debts and also erase all those crimes you uncovered which Emily had committed in his name, just to make sure that the company was completely clean before handi
Zane's POV I couldn't believe what my ears just heard. Duncan Ryder was trying to divorce the woman he loved so much that he tortured his own daughter and previous wife because of her? Is it because he had finally discovered that she never really loved him and was only just using him as the means to an end? Is the puppet trying to free himself from the clutches of his puppet mistress who had been pulling his strings and playing him as a fool all this while?The lawyer solemnly nodded and reiterated. “Yes, Duncan Ryder is definitely divorcing his wife. In fact, he had secretly started the process a long time ago. But after his ex-wife's sudden death, he was forced to halt everything because he wanted to conduct a secret investigation about her mysterious death first and didn’t want his wife Emily to suspect anything.” Hearing that, my brows instantly furrowed. Something about this didn't sit right with me. So in a cool voice, I ordered. “Elaborate.” The lawyer sighed as if preparing
Zane's POV Even though every single fiber of my being screamed at me to go after Duncan Ryder and demand answers about what had just transpired between him and Trina and why both of them had looked so shaken after he had left, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave. At least not yet. Not without making sure Trina was okay first. I knew that even if I did leave to chase after him, my mind would still be stuck here with her. So, instead of going myself, I spoke into my earpiece, giving my bodyguard Don a direct order. He had followed my car on his power bike and was the perfect man for the job. “Tail him.” I said to him. “Report to me about every place he goes and every single thing he does.” Don instantly responded, “Roger that, Sir.”And as he revved off his power bike and immediately zoomed after Duncan Ryder, I refocused my attention back on the house. Through the thin curtains, I could see Trina still sitting frozen in the exact same position she had collapsed into earlier.