Mariana steered the topic to their scandals as soon as Liliana and Jonathan were back.“Are you going to sue Vivian?” She asked.“Yes!” Jonathan said without any hesitation.James saw the satisfied expression on Mariana’s face and his lips curled up involuntarily.Henry asked something he had been curious about for a long time, “Why do you hate Vivian so much? By rights, shouldn’t you dislike the Aprices more?”Mariana wanted to snort and ignore Henry as she had been doing all these years. But suddenly, she realized she did not dislike Henry at all.Her only discontent with Henry was her grudge against Jonathan that had spilled over, but she had already begun to forgive and accept Jonathan. As such, she was unsure how to interact with Henry.Everyone could see the conflict on Mariana’s face and could barely hold on to their laughter.Liam saved her embarrassment as he asked, “I was curious about that too.”Jennifer piped in, “Me too! Lydia and Lester forced you to donate so much blood
They all laughed. Jonathan squeezed Liliana’s waist. He could see the suffering of the nine-year-old motherless child who had also lost her father and home.Circumstances and a bastard father had forced her to live with an abusive stepmother and stepsister.Liliana understood his gesture and added, “Lydia and Rose are very uncomplicated. They are easy to read. They are vicious, greedy, thrive on others’ misfortune, are easily jealous, lack all moral compasses, and don’t have all that much brain. They are petty people who can be read, dealt with, and manipulated easily. But most importantly, they were always fated to be doomed. We are just delaying it for our amusement.”Jonathan smiled helplessly at her simple gesture of consoling him.Liam was paying attention to everyone, a habit from work. He was happy to see them getting along so well.He could also see some sparks between Vincent and Alice as they bickered and very subtly competed.What worried Liam the most was James and Marian
While the friends were having fun inside the hospital room, the internet was going crazy.Alice had shared a lengthy post which was immediately re-shared by Vincent.The multiple-threaded post was titled - the truth behind the pictures - and it showed the six scandalous pictures of Liliana that had shown up a few weeks back and the whole truth behind those._The first post showed her with the grandpa hugging her in his arms.The short video included Lilina showing him her acceptance letter from the best university in the country with a full scholarship for her double degree in Business and Design.The old man had been tearful and kissed her forehead saying, ‘I knew you would get it. Your grandfather and your mother went to this university. They would have been proud to see this.’Liliana had hugged him, and the video still in that frame was the circulated photo._The second post showed the picture of her being held bridal style by Andrew Jacobsen while she looked intoxicated.The sh
Jonathan woke up the next day to see Liliana sprawled half on top of him as always. It was the first time since his surgery that she had agreed to sleep on the same bed as him, and he was more than happy to wake up to that sight.He gently untangled himself from her and went to freshen up.He then checked on the kids and adjusted their positions in bed.Nathaniel woke up suddenly when Jonathan tried to straighten his hands which he folded in his sleep.Nathaniel couldn’t sleep well because the doctor had hooked several tubes and monitors to his body. He had to sleep in a straight position.“It’s still early. Go back to sleep!” He said as he gently straightened his posture and checked on the tubes.“Where is mommy?” Nathaniel asked groggily.“She is sleeping. It’s still early. Go back to sleep, buddy. I will wake you up when it’s time for the rounds.”Jonathan gently caressed his face and kissed his forehead.Nathaniel closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Jonathan was happy to see h
Liliana woke up to see Jonathan looking at her affectionately.She began to fidget at the intensity of his gaze, and he chuckled at her nervousness.He caressed her head and told her to freshen up.“How are the kids?” She asked as she drank water.“Sound asleep. Li had bent his hands, I untangled it, and he went back to sleep as well,” He explained with a soft smile.“You look happy,” She remarked.“It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to provide security to your wife and kids,” He admitted.“It’s a wonderful feeling to feel secure as well,” She laughed.Liliana looked at her phone after she had freshened up and was surprised to see Alice’s messages.Alice had been her assistant for years, and she knew her well. She would only send succinct messages for important stuff, so Liliana always checked her messages first.Mariana’s messages would come last because she was used to bombarding all her thoughts in text.Liliana saw Jonathan’s statement and was teary-eyed.She had never doubted hi
The following week passed peacefully for the Smith family as Nathaniel and Jonathan recuperated well, and finally, the doctors cleared Li for discharge.They went home and spent another joyous week together without any work or studies. Playing, building things, cooking, working in their garden, climbing trees, and doing all sorts of activities together.Jonathan had never been so happy as he had been in that week.The family of five enjoyed their time off as they recuperated and created memories. Liam and the others dropped by often, and they all had fun.On the other hand, James and Mariana were still in a tug of war.They were pretending to be a couple, both unwilling to be the first to give up. James was having a lot of fun watching Mariana act all cute and clingy while seething in anger.Mariana, on the other hand, was scared. She was scared that one or both of them would take things too far to the point of no return. She also hated being so pretentious around him. She wanted it
James got worried when Mariana did not come back for a while.He searched for her and finally found her on the balcony, sighing while looking at her phone.Despite her bad temper, he thought she was charming.He watched as she pouted, scrolled her phone, and finally called someone.In just a minute, she was laughing.But James felt bitterness in his heart when he saw her laugh.She was always scowling in front of him. Yet, she was laughing like a giggly teenager while talking to someone else.They hung up quickly enough, and she smiled, shaking her head.He went close, and she frowned on seeing him.His irritation grew.“I was looking for you. You disappeared when you came out.” He said gently.She looked at him strangely at the gentle tone and shook the goosebumps off.James wanted to strangle her but kept his temper in check.Her subsequent words, however, made him fume.“I was just talking to Liam and lost track of time. Let’s go inside, and please don’t kiss me again.” She indiffe
There was no humor in Mariana’s laughter.“James, it’s just you and me here. Can we stop pretending? Have you not humiliated me enough? When is it going to be enough so you can stop your revenge?” She asked in extreme frustration and agony.“Is that what you think?” James was surprised.He admitted that he pestered her to have his revenge for their encounter abroad.But after getting to know her, he just wanted to spend more time with her and tease her. He had long forgotten about revenge.They were friends. They had spent a lot of time together in the last few months. Especially in the past three weeks, they had been so close.Irrespective of where they had started, he thought they had formed a bond. But clearly, he was wrong.“Is that not true? Do you like me? Are we dating? Is there anything going on between the two of us?” Mariana asked.James could not answer her. His feelings were unclear, and he did not know what to say since Mariana was in tears.“Did you forcibly kiss me befo
Liam finished his narrative and went close to Kyle.He knelt beside his half-brother and said, “Kyle, you are my brother by blood. But in my heart, you have always been my son.”“I will do anything and everything for you. Not because I feel obligated or you were a responsibility thrust onto me, or because my mother ruined your mother’s life. But because I love you from the bottom of my heart. If anything happens to you, I will lose my mind.”“What happened to previous generations is their karma and their lives. What we do defines our life and our karma.”“You are my son and will remain so until you return to P City Military as the Colonel. Until then, you mustn’t tell anyone about it.”“I never told you about your mother because I have immense respect and compassion for her. I did not want to lie to you or gloss over her story. I wanted to tell you when you are older, so you can appreciate her sacrifices.”“Nevertheless, you will always be my son and my highest priority. I love you so
Liam took a while before he braced himself for the next part.“My mother thought my father was cheating on her with Aunty Keira.”“My father kept everything about Aunty Keira a secret because he hadn’t identified all the people on the inside who worked for him. So for her safety, he dealt with everything directly. He had created a fake ID and passport for her for an emergency. If she ran into any trouble, or if he died, then she could flee and settle down abroad.”“My mother thought he was planning to elope with her. She went after him when he had sneaked out, and she took photos. The next day, she posted all those photos in the newspaper calling Aunty Keira a bad person for flirting with a married army man and ruining a military marriage.”“Naturally, everyone found out, and the bad people captured and bullied Aunt Keira.”“The plan was almost complete. As per military protocols, my father had to prioritize the mission. My father had the last bits of information in place. So he hasti
Liliana began when Liam stalled for time.“Kyle, your mother comes from a long line of military spies. You know what a spy is, right?”Kyle nodded.“Traditionally, only men are sent as spies because women are physically more vulnerable and comparatively more emotional. However, during your mother’s time, there was a very powerful mafia in Z city. He was extending his terror in P city. He had bribed and coerced many people at higher positions - so he would not get caught. Someone inside the Military betrayed us, and he found our spies.”Liam added, “He killed 25 of our most trained and skilled spies within a week. It left the P City Military in a very vulnerable position. My father was the Army Commander at that time. My Grandfather was in a higher position, and the mafia approached my grandfather for something. When he refused, he killed him.”“Among the 25 spies, three were from your mother’s family. Apart from them, almost 100 people from the force - Police and Military - lost their
Liliana walked up to them and hugged them.She checked them from head to toe, much to the boy’s embarrassment. When she was satisfied that they were unharmed, she spanked them.Li looked at his mother incredulously, but she glared back at him.“How dare you run away? Didn’t you know the address of your home? If you encounter something you can’t handle, you come to me. Is that such a difficult concept to grasp?”“Look at how filthy you have become! Is this how you plan to set an example for your siblings?”Kyle hugged her and sobbed, “I am sorry, Mommy.”Li did the same, and Liliana hugged the two children close.Liliana exclaimed, “Ah! It reminds me of when we had just returned to P city. Jo - that traitor, left me for her father. I had the two of you to hug.”She led them to the ensuite bathroom and asked them to clean up. She sat them down and asked them to drink water and eat the pies she had made that afternoon.After the kids were well-fed and hydrated, she sat on the couch with
One day after the divorce, Mariana took the twins to see grandma Preston.Kyle was supposed to leave with her but changed the plans last minute when Nathaniel called, saying he had something to discuss with Kyle.On the other hand, James had taken Jacob’s twins out with him.Jacob did not realize that Kyle and Nathaniel were at home.He turned on Netflix and beer and enjoyed the rare me-time.Liam unexpectedly came back, and upon gathering that they were alone at home, they locked the doors and windows and started making out.Their time together was always short. They had to act like they were just friends.It was tiring, and Liam always felt sorry for Jacob. The man had left everything and followed him to P City, but he kept him away like a dirty secret.Their noise had attracted the two kids who were deep in discussion in Kyle’s room. They thought it was a thief and tiptoed to find him.Unexpectedly, they witnessed something not appropriate for their age.They hid behind the curtain
Liliana, Jonathan, and all their friends lived a non-gossipy, uneventful life in the next few years.Jennifer got married to Junior Doctor Cox.Jacob’s company got listed.Leonardo stabilized his business and left to complete his studies.Vincent and Alice McDraw tied the knot.Henry had a whirlwind romance with a difficult patient, and they ended up in a shotgun wedding.Henry collaborated with his cousin Amelia to perform some of the miraculous medical feats which brought the Qazi family to the forefront of the Medical industry as they had been for generations. Terry Draw ended up with his assistant’s sister. Surprisingly, that was the most challenging match as his assistant accused him of betraying him. He took a long time to accept the truth.Terry completed the Green Field orphanage within the stipulated time. His achievements were widely renowned, and he ended up as the spokesperson for Green Living.He would go on to collaborate with several charities and manage most of the no
James remained unperturbed and laughed.He added when he had calmed down.“Jacob said he kissed Mariana and realized that he was gay.”Jonathan was speechless. He hadn’t expected that twist.James ignored his friend’s expressions and slurred, “He said they were best friends and sort of dating. But the vibe between them was closer to cousins than lovers. When they kissed, he realized how much he never wanted to kiss any girl in his life ever again.”Jonathan had to stifle his laugh.‘Good for Jacob!’‘Poor Mariana lost her first kiss like that. Tch! Tch!’James continued his ramble.“Then they became even closer. Which may have been why Mariana never dated anyone.”Jonathan thought about it and added, “Makes sense! She wouldn’t have needed to look for a relationship, and others would have assumed she wasn’t available.”James continued, “Jacob once took her horse riding. She fell and had a fracture. Her hymen tore when she fell. Then I slept with her and shouted at her for making a fuss
The next four months went by uneventfully, except for Liam being missing for that long and the Preston family members trying and failing to get any benefits from Mariana.Finally, a series of good news came one after the other.Liliana was pregnant. The couple had wanted to keep it a secret until the first trimester ended well. Then when the doctor confirmed everything was alright, they made the big announcement to their friends and family members.Liam came back after completing two different massive projects.He had ended Bronsson Mcclory’s illegal business completely and had apprehended him.Jeffery Cruise kept Mcclory in strict custody until the courts sentenced him to life imprisonment. Then he was sent to a high-security prison that held long-term inmates.Mcclory’s entire business, all networks, all partners and associates, clientele - the police had nabbed all of them.Consequently, Liam worked with several different authorities to arrest everyone from the criminal underground
Jonathan and Liliana stopped talking and embraced each other while lying quietly on the bed.Jonathan was about to drift asleep when Liliana spoke.“Do you still want to have another child?”He was stunned and sat up immediately.“What do you mean?”She turned around and asked, “Well, you never brought it up since we talked about it half a year ago.”He couldn’t understand what she was getting at. He asked, “So?”She mumbled, “I just think it is the right time, and maybe we should try. I will turn thirty soon, and it might cause complications.”He asked, “I still don’t know what you are trying to say.”She rolled her eyes and asked, “I want to know if you still want another child. It’s been half a year since we started living together. What do you think? Are you ready? Do you think having Li and Jo is enough?”He lay down and turned her towards him.“This half a year is the best half year of my life. I love you very much and would love to spend the rest of my life with you. Jo and Li