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
Jonathan wanted to laugh at Henry’s face but held back. He asked to noone in particular. “Are you talking about Andrew Jacobsen’s daughter?” Henry mumbled, “I don’t know.” Lil rolled her eyes, “Yes. Andrew Jacobsen’s daughter. You will meet her soon. She will take over Uncle’s work, and their cooperation with Smith Group is on the top of the list.” Jonathan was stunned. Wasn’t she a little too well-informed? Lil only shrugged at Jonathan’s enquiring eyes. “Mer has been my best friend since diapers. We tell each other everything.” Jonathan nodded at her and did not ask further. “You mentioned that Vivian Stone was your rival in Kings High.” Jonathan changed the topic. He had been itching to ask about that since she mentioned it in the press conference. Jenn raised her hand, “I also want to know.” Liliana shook her head, “We were in Kings High together. I am a year younger than her, but we were in the same class, and I always got better grades than her. She saw me as her riv
Liliana explained to an eager audience. “As I said Yes and No.” _ The first one is the most underrated and overlooked one. If one can score an A+, either in the entrance or the class - they qualify for a scholarship. A+ is 95% for Kings High and isn’t easy to achieve. There were only seven students in the last three decades who managed it. As a sub-clause - the scholarship student can also pass on the scholarship to another student who did not get in. _ She thought about how to add further without blowing her trumpets and added. _ This sub-clause was added recently at my request. The chosen student has to pass a series of tests which were also designed by me. And trust me when I say - none of those tests are easy. The student sponsored by my scholarship managed to earn his own after two semesters, and we chose another student. Subsequently, we supported four students throughout my tenure at Kings High. _ She paused to see if they had any questions and continued when they
Jonathan wondered if he was one of the people she took note of, those she deemed noteworthy. Was he important enough? More than that, he wondered who she was. A knock came before a waiter pushed open the door of the lounge where they were staying. And with it came a click-clack of heels that caught everyone’s attention. “Look at the heartless women who did not come to see me for five months.” Liliana sighed as she got up and walked to the door. Mariana hugged her tightly and sighed, “Damn! I missed you.” She looked at Jenn and eyed her to come closer. Jennifer trotted towards them and joined in the hug. Henry ran towards them and exclaimed, “Group Hug!” as he wrapped the three girls in his embrace. Mariana immediately broke the hug. She pushed him away and exclaimed, “Who wants to hug you?” Henry sat back on the couch, “Your temper has not changed.” Mariana saw Jonathan and, for once, did not retort to Henry. She stared daggers at Jonathan instead. Jonathan was confused at
Mariana wasn’t reconciled. Her grudge against Vivian was long-standing, but Liliana had stayed her hand. “You were the one who stopped us from retaliating.” Henry shook his head, “You still don’t see the whole picture.” Mariana huffed at him. Jenn asked, “I did not understand either. What happened when you were 16?” Liliana heaved a sigh, “She could not beat me in exams. So, she decided to get ahead of me by ensuring that I would be incapacitated and unable to write exams. She is laughable. Truly!" She sighed at the wasted potential and added, "The fact is she can’t touch me. She might not know it, but we know she can’t.” “Mer is the heir of Jacobsen. Vivian will toe the line with Mer. Even if she doesn’t, Mer is flanked by a bodyguard all the time." She turned to Jennifer and said, "You, my lovely Jenn, do not have that luxury. You have a younger sister who is still in college, a grandmother in a hospital which the Stones have a few shares of, parents who are working in small
While one group was having fun in the lounge, Vivian Stone encountered another bout of humiliation. She arrived at the venue in all fan-fare, but the bouncers checking the invitation denied entry. She had not received her invitation, so she had asked Terry to be her date. However, Terry had assumed that she only needed a plus one and gave his invitation to his assistant, who also wanted to bring a date. Now they stood at the entrance in an awkward state. Vivian complained, saying she did not bring her invitation as she was accompanying Terry. She tried to pull her rank and shouted. How could a lowly guard not recognize her and stop her? “How dare you stop me? Do you know who I am? A lowly guard like you is not even worthy of washing my shoes! Get out of my way!” Terry was embarrassed. He had only seen Vivian being gentle and polite. Even in his dreams, he could not have imagined she could throw her weight around, despite being in the wrong. However, he tried his best to medi
Terry escorted Vivian inside, who was still grumbling about those lowly people. For the first time since their acquaintance, Terry felt like he was seeing the real Vivian. He had been over the moon when she had called back to confirm she would be his date. She had declined him when he asked. Perhaps she was waiting for a better offer. She had been unapologetic when he said he would have to cancel his date. Now, he realized she only used him for his invite. No wonder she had not been bothered that she was messing up his plans. For her, they were simply people unworthy of her concern. He vowed to distance himself from her in the future. It ought to be easy since he was always the one who had been vying for her attention. After all the guests had arrived, a waiter came to inform Jonathan. The stars of the show began to tidy themselves. Henry and Mariana made quite a stir. They were both quite catchy. Only a few people in the upper class recognized Mariana as she had left for Map
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