CHAPTER 66 LILY’S POV As I stared at that figurine, the gory image of me grabbing it and driving into the side of Noah’s neck over and over again before burying it there as blood flushed out filled my head, darkening my thoughts. I wanted to hurt him back. To retaliate most brutally. I wanted him to feel the tremendous amount of pain his betrayal had caused me. But in the wake of the moment, I realized I couldn’t do it. No matter how much I wanted to, how badly I wanted to force myself to grab the figurine and get this over with, I just couldn’t. I was helpless against him. The memory of all he had done for me, the good times we shared with my kids lit up in my mind, engulfing that dark thought. All I could manage to do was push him away which seemed easy because he wasn’t using much effort to hold me back. I landed a slap on his right cheek before yielding to the compulsive sobs that shook me like a violent earthquake, the tears in my eyes falling in torrents down my cheeks
CHAPTER 67ROBERT’S POVThe noisy buzzing of my phone disrupted my sleep as I groaned loudly in frustration upon waking up. I usually switch off my phone before going to bed to avoid disturbances such as this. But last night I was so tired and forgot to do that. Now my sleep was ruined, and it wasn’t even 7 a.m. yet.Who could be calling at such early hours of the morning? I just hoped it wasn’t Carrey. At this point, I don’t think I can take any more devastating news of the company losing another client or learning we’d gone lower in the ad agency rankings.Blindly, I reached across the bed for my phone which was on top of the nightstand, knocking down a few things as I did. Not bothering to check the caller ID, I answered the call and with a frustrated, sleep-deprived tone asked, “What is it?...”“Boss I finally found her!” Frank’s overexcited voice boomed through the phone speaker.“What?...” My eyes widened, the drowsiness in them suddenly vanishing like it was never there. As i
CHAPTER 68 ROBERT’S POV ~ I shot Frank a furious glare and slashed out a sharp breath, not saying anything. I returned my attention to Lily and took off the small sack bag covering her face only for my jaw to drop on seeing her. ~ “Please I’m sorry…” she pleaded desperately with eyes that were red and swollen from too much crying and dishevelled hair that plastered on her face due to sweat. “Spare my life… Don’t kill me…I didn’t mean to do it…” My brows furrowed deeply in confusion as I stared at her, scrutinizing every inch of her features. After giving her a thorough look, I concluded that the woman shivering and whimpering before me wasn’t Lily but someone else. Though she shared some sort of resemblance with Lily especially in terms of facial structure as they both had a delicate heart-shaped face that could easily fit into the cup of my hands, she was anything unlike Lily. The Lily I knew, my Lily had thick ebony black hair that always tumbled carelessly along her ba
CHAPTER 69ROBERT’S POV“Grab a knife and cut the remaining ropes restraining that woman,” I ordered Frank with a firm tone. “We can’t be holding her here against her will when she has a life out there to live.” I turned and started making my way down the hallway to leave. I wanted to leave immediately for the hospital Lily’s mum was admitted. There wasn’t enough time as I still had other important business matters to attend to before the end of the day. But Frank said something that stopped me.“Boss, I can’t let her go,” he said a bit hesitatingly, his voice carrying a note of apprehension as if something bad was going to happen if he let her go.My brows pinched in bafflement as I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at him. “Why?”“If we do, she won’t think twice about going to the police to report us,” he explained.My brows furrowed even more as I looked away in deep thought. Frank was right. I didn’t even think of that. What do I do about this now? I had already too much o
CHAPTER 70 ROBERT’S POV ~ I wasn’t thinking clearly. An unquenchable rage filled every part of me, driving my thoughts and control. In a swift move, I grabbed the knife from the floor and aimed for her left breast where her heart lay, right where she had stabbed my grandpa twenty times. ~ Frank came from behind to restrain me just in time before the tip of the blade could connect with the woman’s chest. Skillfully, like one trained to do so, he held my right arm where I held the blade and twisted my fingers a little in a way that made the blade fall off, and kicked it under the bed. The woman’s eyes bulged, as though they were about to fall out from their sockets, her face etched with the terrific expression of someone watching their life flash before them. Paralyzed by fear, she gasped and panted like one having a panic attack. Instinctively, she began cowering back until she reached the edge of the bed without knowing and tumbled off, hitting the floor with a hard cras
CHAPTER 71ROBERT’S POV~ I resisted Frank, swinging my elbow back as it connected with the side of his face. I tightened my grip on the poor thing’s neck and she gasped desperately for air that was fast eluding her system, her skin turning scarlet red like a swollen tomato. I wanted to squeeze the living breath out of her and watch her die that slow painful I wanted. ~But in the wake of the moment, I remembered Frank’s words and realized I was letting anger cloud my judgment. I wasn’t a bloody murderer like her and will never be.With a disgustingly defiant expression on my face, I released my grip on her neck and looked away from her pale face with a conflicted heart. She cradled her neck and coughed violently to regain her lost breath, looking at me like I was a monster straight out of the pit of hell. But I was only a monster she made. Before she killed my grandpa, I don’t think she bothered to conduct a background check on him to know the kind of family he came from. If she di
CHAPTER 72ROBERT’S POV~ “Just pass the phone to her,” I insisted, becoming impatient and angrier.“I can’t.”“Why?” My brows pinched in sharply.“Because she’s dead.” ~Noah’s words hit like a thunderbolt, leaving me confused and speechless. Blinking repeatedly, I brought the phone down from my ear and checked the screen to make sure I was speaking with the right person. And yes I was, Raphael Walsh – the same man Scarlett left for me, Jake’s biological father.“This is some serious talk, Raphael,” I said as I brought the phone back to my ear. “Are you being serious right now or is this some trick…?Did Scarlett tell you to do this so she can escape me and what’s coming for her? I know she’s there with you. Pass the fucking phone to her or else I swear I’ll come over there and make you regret it.” Anger lit up my tone as I vented my frustration on him.“I’m serious, Robert,” he said, his voice heavy and trembling, as if he was on the verge of tears. “I’m telling you the truth. Scarl
CHAPTER 73 ROBERT’S POV~ As I tucked my phone back into my suit pocket and headed back inside, I saw that Frank had the lady all tied up and immobilized as if she were some dangerous criminal. As my gaze settled on her, I couldn’t help but ask, “Scarlett is dead. She committed suicide last night. Tell me, did you have a hand in her doing this?” ~Frank gasped from where he was standing beside the lady, his features distorting from intense shock on hearing that. “Scarlett is dead?” He stared at me with wide eyes and a slacked jaw, saying the words like one learning to talk. But I didn’t pay attention to him as all my attention was focused on the lady. I wanted to hear from her because, from the way I was seeing it, she just might be responsible for Scarlett taking her own life.She was shocked too, even more than Frank.“Don’t lie to me or else I’ll kill you here with my bare hands,” I threatened in an attempt to make her spill the truth.“No…!” She blurted out, grimacing in bewild
CHAPTER 105LILY’S POV~ “I’m sorry, Noah,” I said genuinely. “I promise I’ll make it up to you. Anything you want.”He didn’t say anything. He just sighed dejectedly and shook his head. Turning the door, he grabbed the handle and jerked it open only to nearly collide with the company security guard who was standing by the doorway. I didn’t get what he was doing standing there. Was he eavesdropping on our conversation? ~For a split second, I thought he was but he wasn’t. In his hands was an extravagant bouquet of deep red roses, along with a sleek, elegant envelope. The sight of it made the air between us three tense and awkward.“Miss Jones, this just came in for you,” The security guard said, bringing it forward to hand it over to me.“Thank you…” My brows furrowed as I hesitantly accepted it. He bowed slightly before leaving. I closed my door and walked to my table, keeping the bouquet on it. Noah didn’t leave my office again like he wanted to. Instead, he followed closely behi
CHAPTER 104LILY’S POVThe next day I went to work earlier than usual. I couldn’t sleep properly last night because of what Nana Mae had told me yesterday. It kept ringing in my head over and over again. I spent the entire night restlessly rolling around on the bed and going to the kids’ room to check up on them.Was I feeling this miserable and angry because I was still in love with Robert? He was my high school crush, the only man I had truly opened my heart to, the man who took my virginity, the father of my children. Were all that truly the reasons I was finding it hard to forget him? Because of this unbreakable connection we share.No…no…no… I was restless as I pushed my chair back away from my table where I was working on my laptop. I couldn’t focus on work. Since yesterday, I couldn’t bring myself to focus on anything. I can’t stop thinking of Robert and that stupid look on his face. He said he wanted to tell me something but I didn’t give him the chance. What did he want to t
CHAPTER 103LILY’S POV~ I lifted my head and looked at her. “What about Liam?”“He’s playing a video game in his room.”I smiled, glad he was doing well. But didn’t he hear the sound of the glasses shattering? It was loud enough and could even be heard from outside the house. Since Nana Mae was coming from upstairs on hearing it, that meant he too must have heard it. Why didn’t he come rushing downstairs? Was she sure he was really upstairs in his room or was there something she wasn’t telling me? ~“I know what you’re thinking,” Nana Mae said as if she could read my mind. “You don’t have to worry. He has earphones on. He didn’t hear anything. And I think he’ll probably take a nap when he’s done playing to rest his eyes.”I sighed in quiet relief on hearing that. The eye doctor had mentioned that the antibiotics she prescribed would make him feel drowsy and inactive for a while, so it was important to let him rest and take time off school as needed. I fell silent, staring into sp
CHAPTER 102LILY’S POVAfter I got out of the taxi, I quickly rushed into the house. I slammed the door shut and pressed my back against it as though I just encountered something horrifying. That horrifying thing was Robert. I broke down in sobs that I had been holding back all through the ride as I screeched my back against the door and crumpled hopelessly on the floor. I tried to hold back my outburst as Liam was probably upstairs in his room and I didn’t want him to hear me crying. But my sharp intake of breath was making it extremely difficult.Shaking my head in agony, I managed to get a grip and pushed myself up. I dragged myself to the refrigerator in the kitchen. I pulled its door open and rummaged through but didn’t find what I was looking for. A frustrated groan escaped my lips as I slammed it shut and checked the shelves but still couldn’t find it.I was desperately searching for a strong alcoholic drink to drown the storm of emotions raging inside me and hope it would som
CHAPTER 101ROBERT’S POV~ “Who does he think he is?” “We’re all CEOs, he’s no better or richer than us.” “What makes him think he can just walk in and out of this boardroom like he owns the place after that cringe episode with that lady?” “I bet he wooed her to his bed and fucked her and now, she had come to her senses, realizing what an arrogant jerk he is.” “If he feels he’s way above our league and can’t sit down to listen to what the chairman has to say then he should have continued fucking his whore and not bothered coming.” “Why is the side of his cheek red? He must have been slapped by his whore.” ~“Not only is his agency sinking lower than the gutter in the rankings, but he’s also stooped so low as to resort to screwing desperate whores and dragging them into professional meetings like this.”Their sniggering voices and prickly comments had me baring my teeth, hissing at them. I wanted to find whoever made the last comment and gouge his eyes from their sockets
CHAPTER 100 ROBERT’S POV “Don’t you dare call that name again! You lost the right to do that nine years ago. Stay the fuck away from me and keep pretending I don’t exist to you. I’m not the same Lily from nine years back. If you fuck around with me I’ll show you the other side of me. And if you ever think of following me, I’ll call the police on you and make sure you taste what it feels to be locked behind bars.” Lily barked at me and slapped me. A powerful one at that. No one has slapped me this hard before. In all my time of knowing her, I have never seen her this angry. She was always calm and collected even in the worst of situations. But now, it was as if a wild beast of anger and hatred had been festering inside her all these years and saw this as the perfect opportunity to unleash its ferality. I held my cheek where she had slapped me. It was throbbing with pain yet I was oblivious of it. I just held it and continued staring at her, almost on the brink of tears as I
CHAPTER 99 LILY’S POV My heels went click clack as I raced into the building which was the venue for the meeting. I was almost breathless and flustered as I was running dangerously late. The meeting was scheduled to hold at 10:00 am but it was 10:30 already. In important meetings like this, every company representative needed to arrive early. I didn’t want anyone looking down on me as if I were unprofessional, and Noah wouldn’t be happy with me if I missed it. I woke up this morning only for Liam to come complaining to me he was feeling pain around his right eye. I checked it to see a boil growing inside, under the base of his eyelids. Because of that, he couldn’t go to school which resumed for a new session today. I had to take him to the eye doctor. That was what made me arrive late. However, upon entering the boardroom where the meeting was held, I was fortunate and relieved to see they were about to start. Everyone was taking their seats. I didn’t expect to see this man
CHAPTER 98 LILY’S POV ~ I picked up the fork and strengthened myself up. I was about to hand it to him when the sight that greeted me had my jaw falling to the table. Noah was holding out a small opened black box towards me. Inside the box was an expensive-looking diamond ring beautifully sitting on the plush casing. ~ The fork I was holding fell from my grasp as I froze. My eyes which were large from my shock locked unto Noah’s. He had a dreamy smile spread across his face. “Lily Jones, meeting you and spending time with you has been some of the best moments of my life. You are the perfect woman for me, and I want what we share to last forever. So I ask, will you make the happiest man on earth by agreeing to marry me?” The question reverberated in my head over and over again. I felt like I was caught in a daze. Like my reality was twisted or something. What could possibly make him think I was ready for marriage? What made him think I was the perfect woman for him? Was it
CHAPTER 97 LILY’S POV Clad in a black evening gown with a thigh-high slit, I sat on my vanity, doing my makeup after fixing my hair. I was preparing to go on a date with Noah. He’d asked me out the day after our intense hot make-out in my office. I finally agreed to give it a shot because I know I have kept him waiting for too long. He’d been asking me out for over a year now and I keep making excuses on why I can’t accept. Accepting to go on this date with him will be like my own little way of thanking him for everything he has done for me and my kids. He’ll be taking me on a dinner date in one of those fancy restaurants in the city. Deep down, I kind of wished it was something simpler like a movie date or sightseeing just I don’t have to waste this much time dressing up like I was going to contest for a beauty pageant. After finishing my makeup, I used a setting spray to make sure it stayed in place. I cast one last glance at my reflection and I was satisfied with the res