Jonathan had only ever had Lil in his mind and heart. He never had any girlfriends or scandals, but even so, girls would find their way into his hotel rooms, or his associates would send him ‘gifts.’ He had dealt with all of them harshly. But even then, they never stopped. The slim prospect of being the young mistress of the Smith Group was too much of a temptation. He had met Vivian Stone on a business trip around four years ago. He realized he had been drugged and locked himself in his hotel room. But unfortunately, whoever had schemed against him had thoroughly prepared. He was locked inside, the landline was dead, his cell phone had no reception, there was no WIFI, and worst of all, there was no water in the bathroom. Jonathan had thought that if he did not die, he would surely get a psychological disorder other than kidney deficiency. It was then a male voice knocked on the door. Jonathan had assumed the voice sounded like his assistant - Vincent and Jonathan had confir
Liliana dozed off in the hospital bed after the medication took effect and dreamt of the events seven years past. “And now I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The priest announced. Liliana’s heartbeat picked up as Jonathan leaned into her to kiss her. The first kiss that she had saved up for him. She was a bundle of nerves. It was quite unlike her calm, collected, and confident self. But the moment their lips met, he said the most hurtful words she had ever heard, “Did you think you could be my wife because you schemed and trapped me into this? You can enjoy the vacant position of Mrs. Smith that you covet so much. But you will never have a place in my heart and life.” The others saw them as a loving couple who kissed and cherished the moment that bound them as one. But Liliana knew that it was the beginning of her doom. Her father had coerced her into the marriage, and she knew his family had forced him. But she had held the hope of living together harm
Instead of defending herself, Liliana turned off all the lights. That had caught the assaulters off-guard.As expected, she sneaked out of the window and locked herself in the small study room.She could tell she was drugged, but there was no way she could escape and continue to keep her cover.Without bothering to take off her gorgeous wedding dress, she submerged herself in the cold water of the tub.Just as she had dozed off, the bathroom door was pushed open.Her husband came stumbling in and cursed.“I never knew you would stoop so low that you drugged me.”He was sluggish as he tried to lift her and throw her out. But unbeknownst to both, they ended up consummating their marriage.As they were about to drift to sleep in the morning, a few maids barged in, helped them change, and dragged them out of the room.They got their marriage certificates in their muddled state.Everyone who looked at them saw a loving couple who couldn’t keep themselves sober enough to get the certificate
Liliana had been wearing a mask to ensure she was not recognized. As luck would have it - her father, Lester Aprice, and her step-sister, Lydia Aprice, happened to arrive at the same time. Ironically, it was Lydia and not her biological father who had recognized her. Lydia berated and called her names, but Liliana only looked at her father. Lester, however, treated her like foul air. Lydia had always been impatient, and in less than two minutes, she was infuriated by Liliana’s indifference. She rushed toward her, but Liliana sidestepped, and she fell on the ground due to inertia. Lester finally reacted as he slapped her in the face. That was what Jonathan saw as he exited the lift with his assistant. “What’s going on here?” He asked coldly. He did not seem to like the Aprice family either. Before Liliana or the receptionist could reply, Lester said, “This shameless shank pushed Lydia, causing her to bleed so much. She kicked a fuss out of nowhere and hurt her.” The receptioni
Three months after their encounter in the mall, Liliana packed up and flew back to P city with her twins. She had returned. This time, she would not leave her home or her heritage. A week later, she showed up in the Smith Group again. This time she gave Vincent’s card to the receptionist and asked for a meeting. The receptionist was surprised to see the old worn-out card. But she nonetheless called Vincent and asked for his confirmation. Vincent, having known Liliana in Maple City, came downstairs to pick her up personally. Jonathan pretended to go out to ask Vincent for something and ‘accidentally’ met Liliana. Vincent and Liliana’s mouths twitched as they saw through him. Vincent coughed to save his boss from embarrassment. “Miss Green, this way, please.” Liliana nodded and followed. As soon as they were seated, she said, “Please call me Mrs. Liliana, and don’t mention my last name from now on.” Vincent was stunned. “May I ask why?” Liliana curled her lips, “Because I am
Liliana looked at Jonathan in surprise. Ever since they met in Maple city, his reactions had been weird. “Am I missing something here?” She asked in a neutral tone. Jonathan gulped a glass full of water to keep himself from choking. “I am sorry about that day. It was my fault.” He did not know what to do other than give empty apologies. “What exactly are you apologizing for?” She asked him straightforwardly. “For not protecting you, for not seeking justice for you, for letting you get hurt in my turf, for letting them walk away Scott free.” He listed his reasons. ‘For not recognizing you, for not finding you sooner,’ he added in his heart. “As long as you are not apologizing for them, we are fine.” Liliana smiled sadly. “What does that mean?” Vincent asked. “That brings me to our conditions - I have a history with the Aprice family and Vivian Stone. That episode seven years ago had nothing to do with you. The same goes for what happened in the mall in Maple City. While your p
Jonathan looked at the girl in front of him. She was most certainly the girl from his childhood, one he had wanted to cherish and marry. He did not know how to tell her that someone pretended to be her to hurt her. “Lydia Aprice pretended to be someone I once knew as a kid and came to claim an acquaintance. I felt she was lying, but she had all the proof that she was indeed the person I knew. I have never had any relationship whatsoever with her. The only thing is I let her hover around me until she got in my way or my nerves. And that was because I had no proof that she was fake.” Liliana looked at him quizzically. Jonathan did not want to strain their relationship and thus kept things vague and concise. He drank some water and confirmed, “You can rest assured that I won’t be helping her out. I have a score to settle with her as well.” Liliana nodded with a blank face, “Alright!” Jonathan added, “Vivian Stone is someone I despise from the bottom of my heart. She initially coer
A few days later, a sensation broke out in P city. Smith Group had partnered with L&L Designs. L&L Designs was a sophisticated luxury brand in Maple city that had spread around the world in the past, but they had refused to enter P city. Many big brands were trying to collaborate with them but had failed. The netizens and the socialites in P city went crazy. No one had seen the mystery founder and designer behind L&L Designs. Everyone wondered how the Smith Group managed to get the partnership. L&L Designs had always had its private studio and had never cooperated with anyone before. This time L&L Designs ventured to open a branch in the central mall owned by Smith Group. Vivian went blue reading the news. She was supposed to be Jonathan’s girlfriend, but he had mercilessly rejected her proposal to open her boutique in one of Smith Group Malls. Now he signed up her competitor in such a high-profile manner. It was a slap in the face. Even worse, she heard it on the news and w
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