Jonathan looked at Vincent and Jennifer and sighed, “Just go with her.” Before Vincent could reply, Jenn snapped, “This is an abuse of power. How can you choose his date for him?” Vincent finally managed to get his head around it and immediately answered. “He thought I was embarrassed because of his presence, so he answered like that. I would love to be your date.” “Oh! Good.” Jennifer sat back on the chair, sipping her drink. “You were saying something?” She asked Jonathan. He replied, “Well, please tell Henry that he won’t be disappointed with the bash if he makes it to the guest list. I will also consider his suggestion. Can we take a profile picture of you for the teaser?” Jennifer nodded repeatedly and looked around the office. She walked straight to the window and leaned against it while sipping her drink. Then as if she remembered something, she switched to the left profile. Jonathan took the picture with his phone. He immediately sent it to Liliana for review, who ok
Vivian had been irked by Jonathan’s indifference, but fortunately, the heavens were in her favor. Things were looking great for her. She had boosted her image, her brand got free publicity, sales increased, and she finally uncovered the mysterious head of L&L Designs. Her lackeys in the Smith Group informed her that the girl had spent quite some time in Jonathan’s office. As much as she hated other women spending time with the man she had considered her own, Vivian could only endure it for the time being. She asked her assistant to figure out who she was. Within two hours, she had her information - Jennifer Cox came to P city from Maple City a week before. Jennifer’s detailed information was hidden. But those fit the bill. Vivian knew that the head of L&L was a young woman in her mid-late twenties, was from P city, and had established herself in Maple city. It proved their speculation that Jennifer was the head of L&L Designs indeed. Vivian had someone follow her after she exi
Vivian asked her assistant to instruct their hired keyword warriors to anonymously post her photo of having coffee with Jennifer and them talking outside the showroom on the internet. Coincidently Smith Group also released a teaser and announced that they were having a press conference in two days. Right after the press conference, there would be a Welcome Party for the head of L&L Designs. It would be hosted in the largest 7-Star Hotel in P City and was couples only. The guest list was hidden, and they wouldn’t announce it to maintain the guest’s privacy. The netizens went crazy. The girl in the teaser and the one in Vivian’s photo looked very similar. They were wearing the same dress and had similar profiles and figures. The identity of the head of L&L Designs was exposed. Vivian’s social media was full of questions asking for clarification. Even the social media of her boutique was full of questions asking for a statement from her. Vivian confidently posted the photo of the
The press conference started at 5 pm in the lobby of the 7-star hotel where the welcome bash was held. It was convenient as Jonathan and Liliana could go directly up without wasting their time. Vivian watched the press conference on the TV while getting her hair and makeup done. Jonathan guided a woman who had covered her face with a veil on her headpiece. Her figure and profile seemed to match that of Jennifer, but Vivian had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Anxiety that she could not make sense of settled in, and Vivian was so uneasy that even the makeup artist could tell something was wrong. “Are you alright, Miss Stone?” He asked. “Yeah. Perhaps I ate something bad in the afternoon. I am feeling a little queasy. Can you please get me some water?” Vivian had to give an excuse. Shortly after she asked for water, the makeup artist instructed his assistant. Within five minutes, he brought a tray full of plain water, juice, coffee, and tea and placed it in front of her.
Vivian felt her blood boiling. Liliana did not even spare her a way out. Another reporter asked why that person was wearing the same clothes as the one in the poster. “Well, it is a non-exclusive trial product from L&L Designs. We have designed a few sets which could fit a working woman who needs to dress up for occasions.” Liliana elaborated further, as it was always a touchy subject for a luxury brand. “We wanted to test the usability of a single dress on various occasions - business meets, dates, not entirely formal meetings, just everyday use. At the same time, we wanted to check their suitability for repeating the clothes. For this purpose, we have made a few copies of the same dress and sent them to some acquaintances who work in different fields.” “I picked the dress for the teaser for obvious reasons. I have always loved shades of Blue.” Some reporters questioned if she knew the girl, and she replied affirmatively. “Oh, yeah, the girl in the pictures is Jennifer Cox. S
The reporters did not buy her explanations at all and questioned her further. “I am nobody. How can I possibly ask Miss Stone for an explanation?” “Please let me go. I don’t want any trouble. Please respect my privacy. I don’t want to get entangled in rich people’s affairs.” “If I knew it would bring so much trouble, I would have never accepted the free dress, even though it is beautiful. I am too scared to wear it now.” “Why will Lil give me clothes? She is not my guardian.” “And I am an adult. I can buy my clothes.” “How could I possibly wear something from L&L Designs? L&L Designs’ products are too expensive. It’s for rich people only. Those expensive one-time-use clothes are not for job holders like me.” “I have to plan for my future and retirement. Besides, Lil only wears clothes designed by herself. I am too scared to borrow her expensive clothes.” The reporters and netizens alike felt for the timid girl. After all, a regular nobody would not like to get entangled with
Inside the hotel, Jonathan massaged his forehead while looking at the screen. He and Liliana were lounging in a room, taking refreshments and snacks. “Is she a nurse?” He asked Liliana. “Oh, yeah! She is quite good,” Liliana replied. “She would make a good actor,” Jonathan said curtly. “That’s not acting. Jenn has stage fright, so the panic and tears are real. That’s why the panicky act suits her so well. The emotions are raw. Just her words are a pile of nonsense,” Liliana clarified. “She said you take care of her,” Jonathan probed. “We should protect our own. It’s a good principle to have,” Liliana shrugged indifferently. For her, it was the most normal thing. “Is that why you are protecting me?” He questioned. “I have not protected you,” She smiled sadly. He was confused at her sadness. Why was she sad? “What do you mean?” He probed, unsure if she would answer. She clarified, “This is not protecting you. I am forcing you to choose and do things at my terms and pace. I a
Liliana carefully looked at her twins on the phone before she asked, “Have you both been behaving well?” Jo answered her immediately, “Yes, mommy. We watched the press conference and Daddy Henry and Aunty Jenn’s interview.” Li answered, “Mommy, the bad aunty will want to take revenge. Be careful!” Lil nodded, “As you wish, your highness!” Li was annoyed, “Mommy, I am being serious. You never take things seriously unless it’s our health or your job.” Lil had to console her little guardian, “I know, honey. I will be careful. Don’t worry. Besides, Mer will be here tonight.” Jo exclaimed from the side, “Really? Aunty Mer is back. Mummy, you hid it from us.” Henry complained, “You little rascals. I have been taking care of you for so long. Why do you always side with Mer?” Jenn chimed in, “Because she is more reliable than you.” Henry was speechless, “You are fired!” Jenn teased him, “You can’t fire me. You love me.” Lil shouted at them, “Stop it, both of you.” She turned to th
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