Emily's POV My cheeks glistened with the pool of tears rolling down my cheeks as I listened to the story of how Mrs Florence Pries, Joanne's mother, had adopted me in secret.The story did not seem to add up when she talked about the sudden death of my father not long after his father's demise."I'm so sorry, Florence," I murmured, feeling a sense of heaviness."It's fine. It's not your fault. It's your husband's grandfather who killed your innocent father," she suddenly exclaimed with an angry expression in her eyes as she seemingly relived the moments of the hurt she had gone through.For some reason, it hurt me as well."Excuse me? Mr Richard would never," I retorted, causing her to raise a brow in shock as she stared at me like I was a monster with two heads."What? How do you know that? You were just a baby when he hijacked you just to gain access to your wealth," she insisted, but I shook my head."No. Mr Ruchard is a legally rich man, and all that he has was acquired by him an
Eric's POV As the plane ran down the tarmac, I felt a warm leap in my heart at the thought of seeing my beautiful wife and daughter after close to a week of not being with them. I lifted my wrist to check the time. It was barely a few minutes to twelve am. The partners I had gone to see had offered that I stayed over to rest before travelling back, but I would not let anything come between myself and my reunion with my family. It felt nice to be able to call them a family of mine. Not just my mother and my sister, but now my wife and daughter. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I thanked the strange fate that had brought Emily back to me, rescuing me from being trapped in a marriage with Lola. It was indeed a miracle to me, and nothing would change my opinion about that. Soon enough, I was home. The house was dead quiet as I walked in. Of course, everyone would be asleep. Feeling parched, I strode into the living room to grab a glass of water from the fridge when I thought I
Emily's POV "Yes.."My eyes widened as I stared into Eric's. His eyes had told me all I needed to know before he said anything verbally.I shook my head slowly before rising from the bed, moving far away from him.Just how cruel could his family he?As I travelled back in time, taking a trip down memory lane, I recalled the times I had spent with grandfather Richard.Had all his care and concern for me been nothing but deceit and hatred for my family?Did that mean no single person in the Wilsons family actually loved me?Did that mean I was just a tool to grandfather Richard?Cecilia and Alicia, who had never hidden their dislike for me since I came into the family, seemed to be the best people in the family at the moment.They were sincere in their hatred for me.They did not adopt me to steal from my grandfather, neither were they sick and domineering enough to trick me into returning, in the name of love, just to rape me in the night.Tears rolled down my eyes freely as I realise
Eric's POV 'The number you're trying to call is currently switched off and out of coverage...'"Ugh! Dammit!" I groaned, flinging my phone on my bed.How could my driver have been silly enough to let Emily just leave with Mia without a clear explanation of where they were going?Was that what I freaking paid him for?I shrugged on my jacket after knotting my tie, ignoring the pounding ache in my head before rushing out.I grabbed my phone on my way out and dialled Collins' line, which he answered in the second ring."Hello, boss. How are -""I need you to track down my wife's location as soon as possible, Collins. I'll send you her number.""On it, boss," he replied sharply before ending the call.I rushed into the living room to see my mother and sister having breakfast, but I ignored them and rushed out before they could delay me with their talks.My own family was missing!What would I do if Emily and Mia left again? No! They can't leave me again.I should have known better than t
Emily's POV "Ugh!"A feeling of deja vú hit me as I slowly opened my eyes to my environment and blinked repeatedly to adjust my eyes to the dimly lit room where I was in.It was nowhere familiar.My head ached badly for some reason, and my throat was unusually dry.Where was this place?My eyes darted around the environment lazily but suddenly widened at the deeper realisation.The dimly lit room was damp and barely painted. The walls were high, and there were barely any windows except for one, which was also really high that it would be impossible for anyone to try to reach it.I tried to rise to my feet, but I could only move as much as an inch."What the hell?!" I muttered in annoyance.My hands and feet were strapped to a chair with a thin cord that cut into my flesh like a miserable animal.As a cockroach ran past me, a loud shriek of fright escaped my lips.What in the heavens was I doing here?My memory failed me as I tried to recall the last events leading to my current state
Emily's POV "Good choice then. I guess it's off with your daughter's head!"My eyes widened as I shook my head vigorously."No! No! I'd do anything, Max. She's innocent. She does not deserve any of this."He chuckled, standing up straight before heading towards the door."Baby, you don't know anything yet. I will make sure you never see her again."As tears streamed down my cheeks in pain, he bent to my level again and took my wet cheeks in his hands."That's not all I'd do," he squatted, staring into my eyes with a promising glint."I know you love, Eric. I've always known anyway. He was the main obstruction that hindered you from loving me. All the while you claimed to hate him with passion, I knew it was a facade. I only hoped it would pass. Do you know what I'd do to him?"My heart leapt to my throat."Max -""I'd give you two options. It's either you kill him yourself by simply passing a bullet through his damned skull."I felt like cold water had been poured on me as goosebumps
Eric's POV As the cars honked on the road, my driver pressed down on the horn, blaring it loudly, but it barely had any effect on the traffic."Check for an alternative route," I snapped at my driver, who nodded and began to type into the cars GPS.We had been in the same position for over thirty minutes without due to the traffic.I wondered why there had to be traffic today of all days.My feet had not stopped bouncing, and neither had my fists been unclenched since I received the call from that bastard who hijacked my wife.Max was back.It had been three days since I got the unnerving call from him, and his line had been unreachable since then.Every day had been spent trailing one location or the other that Collins had found, but we had always come to realise that it was just a trick.A migraine slowly built in my head as I wondered why on earth had gotten him out of jail against my order.Could it be my mother, who was angry that I had put him in jail? Could it be Alicia who s
Emily's POV I shoved him repeatedly, but Max was determined to have his way with me.As his lips furiously danced against mine, he grabbed my flailing arms and held them tightly to prevent me from resisting him.It was hard to overpower him.I felt weak and helpless as he fiercely grabbed the hem of my blouse, but I kept squirming in a bid to save myself.He pulled away to glare into my eyes as tears poured down my cheeks."So you can let Eric have his way with you, but you don't want me to touch you?"I stared at him, shivering in his embrace.As I thought of what to do, I suddenly lifted my knees to jab him between his legs, but he caught it before it even journeyed halfway.A gasp escaped my lips."Max, please don't do this."His eyes darkened and blazed with fury, and his pressed on my hanging knees tightly."Did you ever say that to Eric?"I had no answer to give him as he stared at me with demanding eyes."Answer me. Did you?!" He yelled even louder, causing me to flinch. "I-I
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