Alicia's POV "Ugh!"I felt like a huge block of cement was on my head as my eyes fluttered open in a strange place.Certainly, the ache in my head could be compared to a thousand army stomping on my head.Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the light, and to my shock, I was in a cold and damp old room, which smelled of mothballs and mildew, with cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and cracks running along the walls.I struggled to lift myself up, placing my arms on the elevated surface to serve as a platform to stabilise me while I stood."Eww," I gasped when my palms landed on a slimy surface, and the cold grease moistened it."Where on earth is this place, and what the hell am I doing there?"I could not but wonder out loud when I took in the horrible surroundings around me.My nose scrunched in disgust at the abandoned food particles, which was reeking in a corner, making me want to barf on the spot.This had to be some abandoned shack of some hoodlums or something.I wringed my arms in a bi
Joanne's POV It was a rainy morning when I had snuck out of the house to pay Eric a visit at the hospital but gotten the shocking news that he was no longer there.Seeing Emily so distraught and sad made me feel uncomfortable. I knew I just had to step in.I had been unfortunate with relationships because all I had ever gotten were the stupid men who only wanted to date me because I was wealthy. Seeing the relationship that Emily and Eric shared inspired me to start seeing that not all men were horrible.Ot had been the sweetest thing when Eric had helped ke find my sister despite everything wrong I had done to him.A crimson tint flooded my cheeks when I recalled how I had almost seduced him back then at Allura Gardens, where he was hanging out with Emily. Gosh, I had done a lot of crazy things in my life, but that was the worst of them all. I hated to think that I almost ruined the marriage that had come to mean so much to Emily.Back at the hospital, the doctor I had met there,
Emily's POV I swayed with every bump of the private car Eric had sent to pick me and Mia up. "I'm sorry about that, ma'am," the driver apologises, driving a little slower. "Mummy, where are we going? Are we really going to see my dad?" Mia asked, bobbing around like a ball pm the seat with a wife grin on her small face. I flashed her a tired smile. She had to come along after I had been convinced enough that Eric wanted to see me. Had he finally remembered me? Had he regained his memory? Oh God! All I could do was pray and hope he had regained his memory, as the last thing I wanted was to be thrown out of the hospital again. My insides twisted into a knot of uncertainty as we approached a certain turn and made a complete u-turn. "Hey! Where are we going? That's not the way to the hospital!" My mind was high on alert. I did not completely trust this man before following him. The only reason I had was because he mentioned Eric's name. Had I been too hopeful? What if he was sen
Lola's POV I couldn't stop pacing around the living room, my hands reaching into my hair to tug at its roots as I struggled to make sense of the situation. What was going on, and where was everyone? The house had been silent for days since Alicia's disappearance. I couldn't even, for the life of me, figure out where Cecilia was, and what she was still doing. Even Rico had not told me anything more about his progress in the kidnap of Alicia, and he wasn't answering my calls. Letting out a loud groan of frustration, deciding to just watch a movie and calm down. The last thing I needed was to lose my baby because of any stress. However, as I sat to watch a movie, I thought back to Eric, who I had not been able to find for weeks now. Not even Emily could be found. Had Joanne gotten to him, and had she told him about me? My mind flashed back to the last encounter I had had with her at the hospital before she had stormed off. "You must think you're secured, Lola," she announced from
Cecilia's POV Weakness and blackness had been my abode since the day I was dropped off at the hospital by Alicia weeks back. She had barely betrayed me more than a week before she stopped coming, and I could only ponder upon and brood upon myself and my life. How had I been reduced to this? I had descended from being the ruling lady of the Wilsons to a lowly old lady who was bedridden because of ill health. How had Lola become a monster under my roof, and I had not realized? My tears rolled down my cheeks at the thought of ruining my own family with my own hands all because of my greed. Now, the inheritance I wanted to lay my hands on was at Lola's mercy because I had just brought her in to be the mother of my grandchild. I doubted Eric would ever forgive me for ruining his life like this. Perhaps, I was doomed to be wretched. I guess Karma was real. I had come into the Wilson family the same way. I had married into the Wilson family because of their riches. When my husband died
Lola's POV My body trembled in uncertainty as I sat in the living room, staring into space after reaching Cecilia through Alicia to give her a piece of my mind. I was glad that I had gotten that off my head. Now, I just had to find out where they were. I also had to reach Eric somehow, but his phone had also been out of coverage for days. My lips pressed together in a deep scowl. Something was not right about Eric's disappearance from the hospital, and I would not rest until I got to the root of the matter. Toying with my phone, a myriad of thoughts ran through my mind at once. I had not gotten any feedback from Rico since Joanne had spoken in the background earlier. A wicked smile played on my lips at how I had combated the stupid announcement that Jaonne had made on the news. It was a good thing that I had dirt on her. How else would I have diverted the bad press? I ran a hand through my hair for a moment. Suddenly, a loud gasp escaped my lips as my baby kicked in my stomach.
Emily's POV My eyes fluttered open as the sun streamed into the room. My arms reached out to the other side of the bed to Eric, whose arms I had slept in but felt it empty.My eyes shot wide open as I stared around the room, but there was no sign of him.Had something happened to him?A sinking feeling settled in my guts as I wondered where he was. The past couple of weeks had been the best I had ever experienced. I had had time with my husband and daughter without any form of intrusion from people like his mother, sister, or even Lola.I didn't want it to end. It had always been my dream for us to live in our own house, away from his family. Throwing my feet across the bed, I strolled out of the bedroom to search for him.I stopped short when I heard his voice talking to someone on the phone."Sadly, I'm alone in the room now. Maybe I can call you when he comes around, Lola."Lola? My heart skipped a beat. What was she calling him for again? Why was his voice so relaxed and calm as
Eric's POV Once Emily left for the Pries mansion, I got to work with Collins, giving him orders that I expected to be carried out before the end of today. "I want you to get me every information you can find about Lola, even those which might not be confirmed yet. I want every single piece of information you can find," I told him, pacing around my room for a while. "If you can get me information about her from her childhood, I'll appreciate that." "Yes, boss. I'm on it." I settled down in front of my laptop to try to get some work done. "Also, my wife's step-siblings. I need you to track their last location and find them." He answered in the positive, and I gave him a last instruction, "Lola's due date is anywhere between now and the next month. I need you to help me do something once the child is born." Once I was done instructing him, I brought the call to an end and settled down to do some work. "Daddy, where is mummy?" Mia's tiny voice floated into my ears from behind me.
After the ceremony, the reception was filled with laughter, music, and dancing. Mia twirled around, delighted to be part of it all, while Eric and I mingled with our guests. It felt like a dream, but I knew it was real. This was the life we had built together, after all the hardships, after the struggles.During the toasts, there was another surprise in store. Tony, who had been promoted for his incredible work in turning in Rico and Lola, stood up to make a speech. But instead of the usual brotherly words, he turned to Alicia.“Alicia,” he began, his voice uncharacteristically nervous, “you’ve changed my life in ways I never expected. You’ve become everything to me, and I can’t imagine a future without you.”There was a collective gasp as Tony dropped to one knee, holding a small ring box in his hands. “Will you marry me?”Alicia’s eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, she was speechless. Then, with a soft laugh, she nodded. “Yes, Tony,” she whispered. “Yes.”The room erupted in
Emily's POV Six months after.It was a warm and cozy evening when Eric walked into the room.I stared at his empty hands and my mouth tilted downwards in disappointment. "I thought you were coming in with my food," I pouted, my arms folded across my chest.He smirked and walked to my bedside and placed a quick kiss on my forehead, sitting beside me on the bed."I see I've become so good at cooking that you want me to be your private chef," he teased, poking my nose slightly and I rolled my eyes.I leaned closer and wrapped my arms around his necks while he wrapped his around my waist. This had become a new normal for us every evening."Let's eat out tonight," he offered. "A friend is opening this new restaurant and wants us to be one of his first customers."I pouted. "Then their food had better be as perfect as yours."His nose flicked mine and we both laughed. As out laughter died down, we leaned into each other with our eyes transfixed, but we were suddenly interrupted by the lou
Eric’s POVI sat by her bedside, staring at her, and a sigh of relief escaped my lips, but when suddenly, her eyes dimmed. They didn’t light up with recognition. Instead, she squinted at me as if trying to place who I was.“Who are you?” she asked, her voice flat and cold.I frowned, thrown off by her question. “Emily, it’s me. Eric.”She tilted her head, her eyes bright with confusion. “Eric? Do I know an Eric?”For a moment, panic gripped me. Was this some kind of lingering effect from the coma? Had she forgotten me? My mind raced, trying to figure out what was happening, until I caught the twitch of a smile at the corner of her lips.Then, it hit me—she was pretending. This was probably her way of getting back at me for what I’d done to her months ago when I had pretended not to know her when I had awoken from my own coma, thinking it was the only way to protect her from the danger surrounding us. Ithad been a cruel thing to do, even if my intentions were to keep her safe. Now, s
Eric’s POVLola’s grip on Dante was ironclad, her hand steady as she pressed a knife to his kneck in a swift turn of events. Her face was a mask of cold determination, showing no trace of fear or doubt. The room was filled with Dante’s bodyguards, all standing frozen, unsure of what to do. The air was thick with tension, the weight of the situation pressing down on everyone."What the hell is going on here?" Dante gritted out unable to free himself from her choke hold.“Let me go, or I’ll blow his brains out,” Lola hissed, her voice low and menacing.I stood a few feet away, watching the scene unfold. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. I had never seen anyone so cold and mean in their resolve, and it was unsettling. Lola wasn’t bluffing; I could tell by the way her hands wrapped tightly around the knife and edged closer to his skin, the sharp edge of the blade graxing his neck. This wasn’t a game to her. It was life or death.Dante’s bodyguards exchan
Joanne’s POVI sat by Emily’s bedside, my eyes fixed on the slow rise and fall of her chest. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor was the only thing that reassured me that she was still here, still fighting. My sister, one of the strongest people I knew, had been through so much. But this… this was different. It felt as though she was slipping further away with each passing hour.“Emily, please,” I whispered, squeezing her cold hand. “You have to come back to us.”I hadn’t left her side since she’d been admitted. It was sad that Eric had to rush off without seeing his wife hit it was for a good cause.Lola and Rico had to be stopped no matter what. I was glad that Tont and Eric were finally closing in on them. I just hoped to hear the good news that they had apprehended those sneaky snakes.Mia was asleep after I had lulled her with a lullaby. The last thing I needed was for her to see her mother in this state.Suddenly, the sound of her crying baby reached my ears, and I felt
Eric's POV I rushed back to the hospital with Mia, who I realised wasn't so ill. She was just a bit feverish, so I decided to take her with me to the hsopairl where her mother was admitted. As we pulled over at the hospital, I turned to her. "Princess, how do you feel now?" I asked, touching her forehead to check her temperature, but her body was quite warm. "I want to see mummy," she whined, her eyes wide and teary. "I miss mummy." I let out a sigh. "Yes. You will see her. We are at the hospital where she is." Her eyes lit up like she had just been given an ice cream. "Really?" She gasped. "Mummy is here?" I nodded, and she let out a loud squeal. I stared at her in surprise. Wasn't this the girl who wasn't feeling well a while ago? I shook my head with a small smile. Inguess she was just missing her mother. "Let's go see your mum," I said to her, picking her up and locking the car. I could only hope to God that my wife and baby were okay. Joanne had not called me to tell me
Joanne's POV As I watched Emily's back disappear into her room, I could only feel sorry for her. I obviously had an idea of her pain.Forgiveness was not so easy. It truly was divine.The giggles of Alicia and Tony drew me out of my thoughts, and I stuck my tongue out at them, clearing my throat."What is the matter, Joanne?" Tony asked with a daring smirk, but I shook my head."Nothing at all. I'm just enjoying thoughts of attending weddings.." I started, trailing off to enjoy his smirk falling. "And maybe even better, a chief bridesmaid."My mother burst into provocative laughter.He flung a throw pillow in my direction, and it hit me square in the face. "Ow.. My nose. You're a bully, Tony," I whined."I can agree with that," I heard the familiar voice of Eric Wilson and smirked in triumph, bumping my fist with his."Hey, there, brother-in-law," I greeted, seeing as Eric strolled into the living room a few minutes after Alicia. "It's been quite a while. A very long one."He smirked
Emily's POV I sat in front of the television, munching on a large bowl of chips, which I had been so desperately craving for weeks now.My protruding stomach made it hard for me to hold the book of chips as closely as I wanted to.The news that the television was showing made my heart leap for joy."Billionare businessman, Eric Wilson exposes his fiancée in a grand party intended to be their baby's welcoming ceremony. The billionaire exposed that the baby of his fiancée was not his child with proof. Despite the glaring proof, Lola tried to deny it by saying that he was not in his right frame of mind. For a moment, it was almost believed until the police stormed the scene, charging her for various crimes, including attempted extortion and kidnapping. The culprit, Lola, however, fled the scene and has been missing for over a month since the incident...."I had heard everything from Joanne and Tony—even though he was barely at home these days because he was hellbent on getting Lola and
Eric's POV As I walked off the stage confidently, my shoulders felt lighter, and I was glad to have put an end to the shenenigans of Lola. She was now in the spotlight she so admired and wanted but not for the reason she wanted.I watched her face drain of its colour as she stared into the booing and disgusted faces of the guests she had invited, now an object of mockery at her own party."No. He doesn't know what he's saying," she screamed into the microphone, forcefully drawing the attention of all the guests who were already making their way out of the hall. Her makeup was already running down her forehead and face slightly due to her sweats and tears.I folded my arms across my chest, my brows slightly cocked as I stared at her from across the hall. I stood waiting for a signal to get rid of Lola once and for all."What do you mean, Ms Lola?" A nosy press lady holding up a camera asked loudly. "Are you saying that what we just heard was wrong? Are you saying Mr Eric Wilson is no