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 74ROBERT’S POV~ “Wow, Robby, you’ve really outdone yourself,” Mum commended, smirking sinisterly as she looked at the lady. “I must say I never expected you to find her in such a short amount of time or even find her at all. But you’ve surpassed my expectations and I’m proud of you for that. Now, where are the twins? Once we have them in our care, we can go ahead and give this cold-blooded, heartless murderer the punishment she deserves….”“What twins?” Everyone stares at her with an electrifying curiosity. ~“Sorry for not telling you guys earlier,” my mum said. “Turned out this bloody murderer wasn’t a barren desert like I had thought. She had Robert’s babies without his knowledge while she was serving her sentence in prison and escaped with them right after she was released,” her gaze shone with lethal intent as they settled on the lady again. “She has been hiding the grandkids I desperately longed for for the past nine years and would have continued hiding them from us
ROBERT’S POV~ On seeing me approach, my chauffeur quickly strengthened himself up and froze in shock as though he’d seen something his mouth couldn’t describe. My brows furrowed as I couldn’t understand why he was looking at me that way. ~“Boss… your arm…you’re bleeding…” He stuttered in a mix of alarm and bafflement.“Oh…” I feigned surprise like I hadn’t noticed all along. “This?...” I pointed at the bloodied cut on my right arm which I sustained from the broken splinters of that chair after I crashed into it. The bastard had pushed me really well. I won’t deny he was strong and had the perfect form. He probably works out every day. Due to how busy I am lately, I couldn’t even remember the last time I hit the gym. I’ll probably start when this issue with Lily is resolved and I have my family back with me. But it was kind of amusing to know I was bleeding this much yet I couldn’t feel the pain. I guess anger can make one numb to pain and a whole lot of other feelings.Fishing out
CHAPTER 131ROBERT’S POV I couldn’t control the level of anger boiling inside me. I was so angry as I stepped out of the house I could tear the whole damn world apart. I couldn’t believe she kicked me out. Like a fucking stray dog. She didn’t believe what I told her about Scarlett, and she chose that bastard over me.She should have just let me disfigure his face. I didn’t like him or any other man getting close to her and touching her. She was mine. Mine! She had told him everything that happened between us in the past. Who the fuck was he to involve himself in matters that didn’t concern him and talk to me like that? Did he at all know who he was messing with?If he hadn’t intervened, I think there was a greater chance Lily would have heard me out. She would have believed me. Even though she had acted all berserk because I took the kids without her knowledge and said all that hurtful shit to me, I saw that look in her eyes. The heart-rending tenderness of her beautiful amber gaze.
CHAPTER 130LILY’S POV ~ “You know what?... Just leave. I’ve had about enough of you invading into my life like a damn shadow, lurking where you don’t belong. I refuse to believe what you just said because I know it’s a lie, a manipulation tactic to disorient and make me ease up to you. But it won’t work. You can’t deceive me again.”“I’m not lying Lily…” ~“I don’t want to hear it,” I brought my hand forward to stop him. “That’s how you lied to their teacher about you and I being separated and sharing custody of the kids. I never thought you’d stoop so low just to get your way. Don’t you think that’s embarrassing for someone who once thought he could get anything he wanted with the snap of his finger?” I asked with a condescending sneer.“That was different, Lily…”“Why don’t you stop being an asshole and leave like she told you to?” Noah fumed from behind me, clearly annoyed and fed up with Robert’s persistence.“Did the Chihuahua finally find its voice?” Robert sneered at Noah,
CHAPTER 129LILY’S POV ~ “Don’t bother,” Nana Mae said firmly, like one holding onto the last shred of her dignity. “I have been working here for the past two years. I know my way to the door.”She looked at me, her eyes glistening with hurtful disappointment. “I was wrong to think of you as a daughter. You’ve changed so much over these past few weeks I can barely recognize what you’ve become. If you keep up with this attitude, not only will your kids hate you but you also going to end up alone, feeling miserable and regretting your entire life.” She finished before furiously matching towards the exit. ~“My kids won’t hate me because they love me very much and know how much I sacrificed for them to be where they are now, and I can never feel miserable and alone because I have them by my side!” I yelled at her scornfully but I don’t think she heard it because the door had slammed shut, proving she’d left.If she thought her words would affect me then she was wrong because, at this
CHAPTER 128LILY’S POV~ “I said now!” I yelled at them. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”They both jumped in fear. Liam gave Robert a quick hug before they raced to their room like they were being chased by a monster.After I heard them shut their door, I faced Robert because I didn’t want them to witness what was about to happen. ~“You have some nerves showing up at my kids’ school and pulling them from their classes even after I warned you not to get any close to them,” I said, my eyes burning into him with murderous intent. At this point, if Noah proposed we hire an assassin to take him out again, I’ll pass it in a heartbeat because I’ve had just about enough of him.“Still, that isn’t enough reason for you to do this,” he said, gesturing toward the mess I made on the floor. His frustration was evident, and judging by the look on his face, what I did really got to him. Just exactly what I wanted.But I couldn’t help snorting in disbelief, a scornful smirk curving the side of my
CHAPTER 127LILY’S POVWe drove straight home after Nana Mae made it known to us the kids were safe and home. Noah was speeding on the way he almost ran into a construction vehicle. I hadn’t seen him this angry and serious in a while.If Nana Mae hadn’t called, we would have been on our way to New York. Noah had wanted to drive to his hangar and get one of his private jets to take us when she called. I was relieved we didn’t leave the city. The thought of meeting with Robert’s family members filled me with nothing but dread and rage. They were monsters, and seeing them will bring back a lot of memories I struggled to forget.I couldn’t believe Nana Mae was asking if I was sure Robert was the one who hurt me. Like what the fuck! Did she think I was lying or making a big deal out of the matter? Robert had probably put up an act to deceive her and the kids. That’s what he’d been doing ever since he arrived – putting on acts and pretending to be sorry while in reality, he had ulterior mo
CHAPTER 126LILY’S POV~ “I have nothing to say to you,” I sneered at her coldly. “Just know that if anything happens to my kids, I’ll make sure you lose your teaching license and I’ll burn this school to the fucking ground. Now, where did he take them?!”“I don’t know…” She squeaked amid the tears burning at the back of her shielded eyes. ~“What do you mean you don’t know?” My eyes were wide as I stared at her in disbelief.“He didn’t say…” she muttered.I gripped my forehead, feeling the panic flood my system. How do I find them when I had no idea where Robert had taken them? I didn’t have his contact and didn’t know any means I could use to get to him. As far as I was concerned, this was a kidnap. Robert had kidnapped my kids.Quickly, I rushed out of the office, determined to get to Noah and tell him because he’ll know what to do in this kind of situation. Miss Hampton tried calling me back but I ignored her like she didn’t exist. If anything happens to my kids, I’ll make sure
CHAPTER 125LILY’S POVNoah and I pulled up to the school just as the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. The whole area was filled with parents who had come to pick up their kids. Nothing warmed my heart more than seeing little children reunite with their parents after a long day in school and telling them how it went. I couldn’t wait for Liam and Lila to tell me how their day went.We waited for Liam and Lila in the spot where they usually stayed after school to wait for me. But five minutes went by, ten, fifteen, getting to twenty minutes yet they were nowhere to be seen.Having this odd feeling that something could be wrong, I stepped out of the car in search of them, telling Noah I would be right back. Why were they taking so long? What could be keeping them? Usually, they wait for me at that spot before I even arrive.I went straight to their classroom only to see their classmates were gone, leaving the classroom empty. The hallway and other classes were empty too. Tensio
CHAPTER 125LILY’S POV~ Moments later, Tony, the head of security came back on the line. “Mrs. Jones, I have gone through all the footage of your office and can confirm there was no unauthorized entry. I’ll send it to you so you can see for yourself.” I didn’t wait for him to finish as I put the telephone back into the casing. I glanced around helplessly, feeling the tears I was holding back trail down my cheeks. Sooner or later, Noah will come asking why I hadn’t sent the pitch to him. What do I tell him? What do I do now? ~I was fretting, pacing the length of my office like a crazy ass scientist when the door pushed open and Noah walked in. My heart skipped a beat on seeing him and I had to place my hand against my thumping chest to steady it.“I’m sorry…” Noah apologized, his brows furrowing in confusion as he found my reaction a bit disturbing. Vaguely disturbing. I had never reacted like this whenever he came to my office. “I didn’t mean to startle you like that.”“It’s oka