CHAPTER 111ROBERT’S POV~ Just then the door opened and a little girl of about eight years came running to her, shouting “Mummy! Mummy!” ~The little girl clung to Lily’s side, staring at me as though I was a strange creature that appeared from nowhere.“Mummy,” she called Lily that for the third time, looking up at her. “Who’s this man? Why is kneeling in front of you and what did he do for you to be screaming at him like that?”Lily was irritated by her sudden presence. She looked away to avoid her gaze, hiding her flushed face and trying to steady her laboured breath.Before Lily could get a grip, the little girl looked back at me again, her brows furrowing deeply. She was staring at me like I was something of interest. Something she was trying to understand.She rested her chin on her tiny fingers, her face adorably scrunched in deep thought. She cocked her head at me, throwing a question. “Hey Mister, who are you and why do you look so much like Liam?”“Huhh…” I grimaced in con
CHAPTER 112ROBERT’S POV~ “Stay away from us and never come back here or else I’ll alert the estate security!” Lily shunned me fiercely. She didn’t even wait for me to utter a word as she quickly pulled the kids inside and slammed the door in my face, leaving me to stand there in crushing silence, staring at the closed door as the weight of my past mistakes pressed heavily on my chest. ~“Lily…! Lily…!! Please you can’t be doing this. You can’t keep them away from me…” I kept calling her name but there was no answer. She was ignoring me on purpose.I wanted to bang at the door, even knock it down if I had to. But I realized doing that would only be to my detriment as it was getting dark and I’ll be drawing the attention of the neighbours, and people passing by the estate road. The estate was very quiet and serene, so any little noise could constitute a nuisance.I rushed to the windows, desperate for another glimpse of them, but the thick, drawn curtains blocked my view entirely.
CHAPTER 113 ROBERT’S POV ~ The sudden beep of my phone in my pocket startled me a bit, pulling me from my thoughts. I quickly pulled it out and glanced at the screen to see it was a notification from none other than Martin. After leaving me hanging for hours, he finally responded to my chat, his reply shocking me. ~ “Robert, I understand perfectly. You don’t have to worry about anything. I’m only this way towards her because she’s my friend and I care for her. You married her, she’s all yours. Just do your best to bring her and the kids back. I promise I won’t overstep my boundaries.” I stared at the phone screen for quite some time, contemplating my response. His reply wasn’t quite what I expected. Can I truly trust him to stay clear of Lily? Their close relationship in the past, while we were still married bothered me so much that I wanted to stop her from seeing him entirely. If he took this long to reply to me, that meant he thought deeply about this. That meant he stil
CHAPTER 114LILY’S POVFirst thing the following morning, I was in Noah’s office, waiting impatiently for him to arrive. He usually left his office unlocked so the cleaning lady could come and clean it early in the morning before he arrived for work. But I preferred to lock mine before leaving because I don’t like people tampering with my stuff. The cleaner lady only cleaned it when I was on shifts as I kept it tidy most time.I don’t usually come over to Noah’s office. It was always the other way around. But the matter at hand was driving me insane, choking me to the point of death I just had to leave everything else I was doing and come here.I can’t believe Robert showed up at my place. Digging up where I worked and sending those whack flowers weren’t enough he had to come to my house when it was almost dark, whining like an adult child. How did he manage to find my address? Who gave it to him? Or did somehow install a tracking device in my phone or anywhere around me? I doubt th
CHAPTER 115LILY’S POV~ “How?” She was so curious. “Tell me everything, Lily.”I wanted to when the door pushed open and Noah stepped in. ~“Hey Lily,” Noah smiled brightly on seeing me but was also surprised that I was in his office this early in the morning. “What brings you to my office this early in the morning?” He asked as he took off his coat and hung it on the coat rack beside the door.I gave him an awkward smile as I tried to end the call with Jane.“Can I call you back Jane?” I spoke closely into the phone. “I have to go. My boss is here.”“Okayyy,” she drawled. Somehow, I could tell she was tempted to tease me but was holding back.Normally, whenever I mentioned Noah in our conversations, she would tease the heck out of me, asking if I had finally shot my shot with him. But the urgency and seriousness of the situation at hand didn’t leave room for that. I hadn’t even told her he had proposed and that I had turned him down. She’d go bananas on me and torment me for life
CHAPTER 116LILY’S POV~ “But I do know another way,” Noah said, catching my attention as I quickly lifted my gaze to him. “A way we can use to get rid of him fast and once and for all.”“Please tell me…” I stuttered in a desperate plea.“I know a professional assassin who can finish him off once and for all so he won’t get to bother you and your kids ever again. ~“What…” My mouth dropped open as I stared at him in shock. How in the world can he suggest something like that?“It was just a suggestion,” he raised his hands innocently in surrender as if he didn’t just say that. “We’ll only carry on with it if you want…”“Well I don’t want it so we’re not carrying on with it,” I said firmly, couldn’t help scoffing in disbelief.Turning away from him, I placed my palm against my forehead and breathed out heavily in frustration. I still couldn’t believe he could come up with something like that. I hate Robert. More than anything in this world I do but that doesn’t mean I want him dead.
CHAPTER 117 LILY’S POV ~ “Wait, Lily. I know another way.” I turned to face him, my brows pulling in. What other suggestion did he want to make again? “Let’s…” he hesitated as though this was hard for him to say. “Let’s move out of the country.” ~ “Uhh…” My brows knitted together as I stared at him in confusion. He never ceased to amaze me with his ideas. First, he proposed hiring an assassin to take out Robert. Second, to drag the matter to court and now to fly out of the country. I was starting to think he was taking this too far. “Yes…think about it,” he was almost hysterical as he moved out from the table and approached me. “You, me and the kids, just the four of us. We can move to Africa or to some quiet luxurious island nation where Robert would never think of finding you and slowly rebuild our lives there.” He seemed excited as he said that almost as if this was some breakthrough idea that could make a difference. I don’t think I have seen that kind of look
CHAPTER 118ROBERT’S POVWith the help of one of the security men who guarded the estate, Lily’s house was in. The security guard who knew my family. I was able to find out the school my kids were attending. It wasn’t that difficult because he said almost every child in the estate attended the same school.I couldn’t stay in that empty room to watch Lily from the surveillance equipment today because I decided to visit my kids. As much as I wanted to see the look on her face when she saw that every work-related file, document and mail on her system had been wiped out and her boss getting mad at her, I’ll have to pass it on for later. My intel, the security guard there will fill me in on everything.My chauffeur and I stopped by a bakery to buy some cupcakes for the kids and their classmates. I would have opted for ice cream but they’ll melt before we get there. I don’t know their favourite food yet but I hope they’ll like it. Every child likes ice creams and cakes. As we took the rid
LILY’S POV5 years later… The wedding bells rang softly in the cathedral and everyone rose to welcome me, the bride as I graced the aisle in my wedding gown which flowed like a river behind me. My face was covered with a veil, and in my hands was a delicate bouquet of white roses and baby’s breath. My arm was entwined with Frank’s who escorted me down the aisle, to the altar. After I came back to New York, he confessed to helping Scarlett sabotage me at Robert’s company fifteen years back which led to me being sacked. He asked for my forgiveness and I granted it. If he hadn’t brought up the incident, I don’t think I would have remembered because it’s been long. As sign I had truly forgiven him and my intentions towards him were good, I couldn’t think of any other person asides him to walk me down the aisle. We became closer than we were years back after that happened.. The guests were extravagantly dressed, beaming with smiles as their head turned and gazes glued to me in adm
CHAPTER 172LILY’S POV All my life, I don’t think I have ever felt this much hatred radiate from a person. I thought Scarlett’s was intense and overbearing. But Noah’s was on a whole different level. So cold, so menacing, so consuming it chilled my spine. Just how can someone harbour this much hatred to people related to him? He had gagged me, and tied my wrist because I wasn’t making it easy for him with all my persistence and reluctance in going to which ever place he wanted me to go with him. I once heard him say we were going to Fiji, a quiet luxurious island country far from US. Not to mention he had me caged in his brutal dominance. I couldn’t move a single muscle as he pressed the muzzle of that gun against the side of my head, the cold metal reminding me that the slightest move would end it all in a heartbeat. Being at the forefront of all these, I bore the brunt of all that angst, hatred, malice, anger rolling off in waves from him and crashing against me as he shout
CHAPTER 171 NOAH’S POV ~ You might be a lot of things son but you’re not a murderer,” father said, drawing my attention. He’d been torn and shaken to the core after I pointed the gun at his beloved wife, not knowing what to do. “You’re good,” he continued gently, careful with each word that left his lips as if afraid not to provoke me further. “I can see it in you. Just put down the gun, let’s talk things through. We have a lot of things to tell you. A lot of explanations to make. I know you think we abandoned you but we never did.” ~ He attempted to come close, taking slow cautious steps to me. “If you could just let us…” “Don’t come any close or else I’ll put a bullet through your mouth hole!” I snapped like one possessed, pointing the gun at him, my fingers gripping the handle so tight my knuckles turned white. "Did you watch me grow? Do you have any idea what I endured as a child?" I shouted, throwing the words at him like daggers, each one more vicious than the last.
CHAPTER 170 NOAH’S POV ~ Once the kids were settled and ready to fly, I returned my full attention to the rest of the family. I pointed my gun straight to Juliana’s head. “Now, for the final rites.” ~ “Now, for the final rites,” I said with a crooked smile curving my lips, the cold metal clicking as I cocked the gun, ready to take the shot when suddenly, Martin lunged forward, throwing himself in front of her. “No!” he shouted, voice cracking with desperation as his chest rose and fell heavily. “Don’t do this please…! If you have to kill someone, kill me instead!” Fear and panic was written all over their faces. I could even pick out the heavy, disturbing sound of their breaths as it gushed out from the lungs. Did they think the gun was for fancy? Think I won’t shes blood before I left? I whiffed out a frustrated fume, facepalming internally. This Martin was a fool indeed. Was that his genius plan all along, to step in when I wanted to kill someone so he could take the sho
CHAPTER 169NOAH’S POV ~ “The kids now!” I returned my gaze to Juliana with a scowl. She quickly ran into the car and brought them out. ~ As Juliana brought them forward, they cowered in fear, almost on the verge of tears seeing the gun I had to the side of their mum’s head. Liam was in crunches and could barely walk properly while Lila was nervously fiddling with her hair. At the sight of them, Lily jolted as if triggered by their presence, almost freeing herself from my grip. Her muffled cries as she struggled grew louder, more disturbing and unbearable as she desperately tried to break free from my hold. “Keep quiet, woman, or else I’ll hurt them!” I snarled at her, and she became calm like a puppy, her eyes red and puffy as tears mixed with sweat dripped from her eyes and stained her cheeks. She was easy to control. All I had to do was threaten to hurt Robert, the kids, or anyone else close to her, and she’d comply. She was selfless, willing to sacrifice herself for ot
CHAPTER 168NOAH’S POV At the hangar… Lily and I waited at my hangar for Juliana to arrive with the kids so we can be on our way. My private jet was ready and the pilot was inside waiting for us. The kids were the only ones keeping us. If it weren’t for them, I would have left with Lily hours ago. We will be leaving for a quiet luxurious island country far away like I wanted, where no one will ever find us. It’ll be like going on a vacation only that the vacation will last forever. I doubt Lily even told the kids about the idea when I first mentioned it to her because she never liked it in the first place but pretended she needed time and their permission. Juliana, how much I hate calling her name and remembering her stupid face, was already five minutes late. Over the phone while she and Lily was speaking, I made it clear to her I don’t condone lateness. It seems she wants to taste my patience. I brought a gun along. After I take the kids from her, I’m going to kill her. Fi
CHAPTER 167 LILY’S POV I woke up feeling all groggy, like I had been out for days. Whatever sedative he injected me with must have been very strong for me to be feeling this way. Every part of my body ached and throbbed including the part between my legs as I brushed my thighs together to ease the pain and discomfort. Cradling my head, I let out a slight wince as I slowly pulled up from the bed. My vision blurred for a moment before adjusting to my surrounding. I didn’t know how long I’d been unconscious. It was hard to tell because the windows were shut, the room filled with bright, artificial lights, leaving no space for natural sunlight to come in. Then I saw him. Noah. He stood at the foot of the bed, completely unclothed with his member on full display. My breath caught in my throat, the shock of seeing him that way sobering me up completely. My brows knitted deeply, different questions racing through my head. Why was he naked in front of me? What was he planning on d
CHAPTER 166 LILY’S POV ~ A painful trail of tears left my eyes and stained my cheek. I wiped it and looked away, not wanting him to see me in such a state. Even if he did, it wouldn’t change anything. It won’t have any effect on him. The Noah I knew was gone, replaced by a cold, heartless monster of a man. I was too dazed by this discovery to think clearly. I found it so hard to believe. I could have sworn he was good. It felt real. I was sure I wasn’t dreaming. When did he turn into this? ~ “Why are you doing this?” I choked out weakly. “What did he ever do to you?…” “He took everything from me, Lily,” he said, his expression twisted with hatred so deep it made my skin crawl. “You’ve never been in a position where someone takes everything from you without even lifting a finger. So no, I don’t expect you to understand. I’m just returning the favour.” “What could Robert have possibly taken from you for you to want him dead? I mean look at you… you’re perfect. Your life is p
CHAPTER 165 LILY’S POV Arriving at Noah’s place, I quickly made my way to his room only to see him seated on his bedroom chair, his legs crossed on top of the table as he played with a lighter, flicking it on and off. I was shocked to see him like that. But worse, my lips thinned in exasperation as my gaze burned into him. I left everything else I was doing and drove to this place like a mad woman, almost running into a truck only to see he was in perfect condition. “How could you play with my feelings like that?” I shot at him, my expression filled with anger. “You told me you were dying. I left everything else I was doing… I nearly had a heart attack from…” “What exactly were you doing?” He cut me off with a cold, nonchalant tone, not bothering to spare me a glance as his eyes were fixed on the flame. He was looking into them with a ruthless expression as if he wanted to vent his anger by setting something ablaze. I couldn’t help but scoff in a mix of disbelief and