Chapter 40: I think my memories are returning "Mom, how does this look on me?" Eldon walked out of the changing room along with his father, wearing a yellow standard collar cardigan. He had insisted that Aiden help with trying on new clothes. Presently, Aiden had surprised his family with a shopping spree. He had taken Aiden and Elsie, bringing them to one of the biggest malls in the city. They were in one of the stalls trying on clothes. "Il mio protettore, you look so handsome," she exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug. Having had enough of the embrace, Eldon pushed his mother slightly. Confusion flickered across his face as he asked with a hand gesture, "Il mio what? What is that, Mommy?" Pinching his cheeks, she told him fondly, "It means 'my protector' in Italian." "Yes, it does," Aiden agreed, slipping his hands into his pockets. His gray eyes held an indecipherable emotion as he looked at Elsie in deep thought. As realization dawned on Els
Chapter 41; You've been missed In a rental store, Elsie rented a laptop for an hour. It was a short amount of time to accomplish a lot, and she hoped her husband wouldn't notice her disappearance. The store boy offered her his private room for a price. Elsie cracked her knuckles and stretched her arms out of habit. The laptop turned on, displaying a background photo of Trickson Dale in a beautiful sundress. Elsie couldn't help but scoff. "When I'm done with you, Trix, you won't know what hit you. You'll be begging on your knees, kissing my feet, and asking for my help." As her fingers quickly ran over the keyboard, she logged into her account on the website Dark-HorseMen, a platform where hackers find jobs and get paid. Elsie hadn't logged in for over seven years, so the new features were strange to her. There were more hackers on the web, but she was still the most wanted of all. She hadn't even been online for two minutes, and she already had over twenty job
Chapter 42: Am I Not Family? "Where were you, Elsie?" Aiden inquired the second she returned to his side, his gaze darting to her sling bag and the shopping bag she hid behind her back. The arm had gotten better so she no longer wore a cast.Aiden had seen her buying a watch and shopping for clothes. Suddenly feeling nervous, she rubbed her neck, muttering, "I went to use the restroom. Are you people done with your shopping?" Elsie's gaze fell on her little boy who was holding his father's hand. Behind them stood three bodyguards carrying several shopping bags. The little lad let go of his father's hand and took steps ahead to his mom, explaining in ecstasy, "Yes, mom, daddy bought me a load of toys and gadgets." After hearing this, Elsie glanced at Aiden, who stood mightily, and then at her son. She widened her eyes and said, "Wow, buddy. You are very lucky to have a father who loves you." "I know, mommy, but mom, where is your own father?" Elsie's heart th
Chapter 43; You are my fairytale At this point, April could not think of a way out. She desperately wished to have lunch with her brother, but unfortunately, she had to leave. In the end, she clenched her teeth, folding her hands as she offered her apology. "I'm sorry for the disturbance I caused. I will take my leave now, but before I go, can I say goodbye to my nephew?" The manager, observing the situation, could see through April's insincere apology. He understood that she was only trying to save herself from further embarrassment. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he responded, "Fine." April awkwardly handed the chair over to the manager and sluggishly made her way over to Eldon. Her intention was to stall for as much time as possible, hoping that Aiden would return so she wouldn't have to leave. April contemplated asking Elsie about Aiden's whereabouts, but deep down, she knew that Elsie, being a cunning woman, would not reveal the truth. Suppressing
Chapter 44: Contact her In the Scott Construction Company, Aiden sat in his office, radiating a cold and dominating aura. He swirled in his swivel chair, deep in thought, rubbing his chin. "Mr. President, he is here!" Joseph Lawrence announced, sidestepping as he walked into the office. He clutched a red file, trying to deal with the stress he was feeling. The company was going through a rough patch. In the previous days, a hacker had breached their biotech wall and sold company secrets to the black market and competitors, resulting in the loss of millions. This was the first time someone had successfully hacked into their system, and it made Aiden furious. However, he saw a silver lining in the situation. It had exposed a flaw in their system, providing an opportunity for improvement, and he relished the chance to punish the culprit. A man clad in a black vest and white shirt entered the room. He smoothed his tie with elegance. The arrogant look on his face tr
Chapter 45: What Will I Gain from This Exchange? At this point, Joseph Lawrence raised his head and accused, "Which Cryptess? She has been off the network for almost a decade now. How can you contact her? Do you think if I could contact her, I would get you?" Everyone knew that Cryptess, after hacking into the most impossible system ever built and winning the "Queen of Hacking" title, went offline and never returned. Some rumors said she had died, while others said she got married and had a family – that she wanted a life away from the dark web. No one could locate where she was, nor any of her highly skilled hacker friends. Quickly, he responded, his chest rising and falling. "Cryptess is back online. She logged in recently, and I have her personal contact. We are friends online; she will do this," he admitted, his voice trembling. "Alright," Aiden scoffed coldly. He took to his feet, adjusting his tailored tie. Aiden's eyes narrowed, his earlier frustration fueli
Chapter 46: Dahlia is a devil in wolf's clothing! Upon arriving at the corridor that led to the room, Elsie's heart raced faster than before. Even her breathing was audible. It was a nature of hers to hyperventilate when nervous. That room may hold the secrets to all her unanswered questions. She may finally find out what was in that letter and what Dahlia was keeping in that room. Secretly, she stopped in her tracks. Elsie shut her eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. It was an exercise her therapist had advised her to use when stressed or during moments of anxiety. Dahlia might have noticed as she looked over her shoulder to find the worker a few steps away. He was bent, tying his shoelace, and he was humming "Liberian Girl" by Michael Jackson. She rolled her eyes at the scene and continued walking. Hearing her footsteps, Elsie raised her head, stopping the tune. She jumped to her feet, feeling much better than before. She diligently
Chapter 47: Were you expecting someone else? "President, he is here!" Joseph Lawrence announced the arrival of Cryptess, a man with a pot belly and a thick white beard. He carried a sachet hanging over his shoulder, smiling eerily. "You are Cryptess?" Aiden, who was standing by the French window, swirled to find an old man staring at him. To everyone's knowledge, Cryptess was the goddess of the Darkweb. She was said to be drop-dead gorgeous, bewitching men at a mere glance, or incredibly ugly, with a face that scared her opponents. To their surprise, Cryptess was the man—an old man with a Santa beard? Could this be a disguise? "Yes, I am. Were you expecting someone else?" The old man belly laughed, caressing his stomach. He limped to the couch and began to set out his devices. This didn't amuse Aiden; his facial expression remained cold and void of emotions. Aiden kept his distance as the man carried out his magic. He soon breached the biotech wall.
Chapter Four: Mate?"The alpha male is not just a leader, but a guardian." - Unknown ___ In the torturing basement of the Crescent Moon Pack, a dungeon meant for defilers of the pack, the stench of blood and sweat filled the air. Kael and his beta, Lyra, strode in powerful strides towards the dungeon where the head witch was being kept. They had been successful in eradicating almost all the witches that had attacked them. "Why do you think the witches attacked us yesterday?" Lyra inquired softly, her voice echoing in the marble halls, as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "What do you think?" Kael retorted, subtle anger lacing his voice. He glared at her as if she had asked him to bite off his finger and increased his steps. Ly
Chapter Three: Kaiya, are we going to die? "Werewolves are like the ocean, you can't control them, but you can learn to navigate their tides." - Unknown ___ Kaiya and Linda ran swiftly through the darkened forest, their feet pounding on the soft ground. Kaiya's heart raced, both from the physical exertion and the sheer terror of the situation. "Hurry, Linda! He's coming after us!" Kaiya yelled, glancing nervously over her shoulder. Linda's breath came in short gasps, and Kaiya could see the strain on her face. She knew her asthmatic friend was struggling to keep up the pace. Suddenly, a bone-chilling howl pierced the air, sending shivers down their spin
Chapter Two: I want to see you happy "The things that go bump in the night, are not always monsters, sometimes they are just lost souls." - Unknown ___ Surprisingly, the day wrapped up as if the awkward conversation with her boss had never happened. Kaiya had never been happy, so she took out Linda to a small restaurant by the town borders to celebrate. It was a dumb but necessary idea. In the restaurant, they sat in a garden-themed backyard awaiting the waiter to come and take their orders. Sitting across from each other, Linda smacked her pink-painted lips several times, her legs bouncing nonstop. She wore a bright smile which happened to complement the black skin-tight dress she was wearing.
Chapter One: The beginning "The supernatural is the natural, not yet understood." - Elbert Hubbard ___ In the beautiful city of Voldermont, known for the void icy cold river that encircled the town and its touristic caves and beautiful forest, the cold wind carried from the river swept into the window of a three-storey building, making everyone shiver. "Have you contacted the man for the new windows?" Linda Crowe, the best friend and five-year roommate of Kaiya, asked as the moment she arrived at Kaiya's cubicle. She placed a cup of hot coffee with no cream on the table. Linda, a twenty-three-year-old ebony lady with heavy curves and brown butt-length braids. "Huh?" Kaiya raised her celery-green eyes to meet her friend's darker
Author's AppreciationI started writing this earlier without this novel being finished, because I wanted to say something from the heart and not rushed. That doesn't mean my other appreciations are not from the heart. They are!You see, I have never been good with words and not always known how to respond to messages, emails, and so on. I am a freaking walking disaster, a one-woman circus clown kind of show, but I say this with much confidence: when I read a book and I laugh hard, feel hate, dislike, and cringe at moments which genuinely become a part of me, even if just for a time - it fills in my heart. I am overwhelmed by such talent to aid me grapple with my own emotions and go over every scene. Feeling satisfied and still wishing for more. Looking at you, Ashley Peston, you perfect angelic wordsmith.And I want that to be the same feeling my readers get from
Epilogue Elsie's POV Six months later. I got a call from the prison, concerning Trixson's plea to have me visit her. I should have said no. However, I needed to hear what she wanted to say. Trixson had been sentenced with a double life sentence for the murders she had been involved in. Boris had been given ten years for being an accomplice in Henry's homicide. Trixson had Boris sneak into the rehab disguised as an operating nurse and provided him the drugs Henry overdosed on. After this, Boris' conscience could not bear the burden of the secret. Hence, he came to me. He had to, after I provided him photos of Trixson and Director Lee's affair. All that helped take off the rose-colored glasses he wore aroun
Chapter 137: I have you Aiden stepped out of the prison gate, blinking in the bright sunlight. He had dreamed of this moment for what felt like an eternity, and yet, it still felt surreal. He was finally free. As he looked around, his eyes scanned the crowded streets, searching for a familiar face. And then, he saw her. Elsie stood out from the crowd, her flaming red hair shining like a flame. She wore a bright smile, and her eyes sparkled with tears, as she waved at him. Aiden's heart skipped a beat as he made his way towards her. Elsie still looked as beautiful as she did the first time he saw her at the Scott mansion. She wore a knee-length red dress that clung to her skin, exposing her heavy curves. As a result of the pregnancy, Elsie had gained weight, and her chest and ass had grown bigger too. She was
Chapter 136: Prison Life Aiden's POV The courtroom had been filled with a sense of tension and anticipation. The judge, a middle-aged woman with a stern expression, sat at the bench. I stood before her, my eyes fixed on Elsie, who had been crying non-stop. The prosecutor stood opposite me, arms crossed. The judge announced, "After careful consideration of the evidence and the severity of the crime, I hereby sentence you to 7 years in prison for withholding information and obstruction of justice in relation to the double homicide case." My eyes had widened for a brief moment, but I accepted the sentence with a nod. I knew I deserved this punishment for my actions. The judge continued, "While I acknowledge your cooperation with the authorities and your expression o
Chapter 135; Promise me Two months later. On the day of Aiden's trial, after he had refused to file for bail, Elsie kept Eldon entertained by playing Legos when Aunt Rina walked in. The little lad ran to hug Rina, and she kissed him on the cheek. "Aunt Rina, where have you been? I've missed you," he exclaimed, his dimples creeping up as he smiled. Leaning in, she explained in a sweet voice, "I was busy, boy. But I'm back now..." Elsie, leaning against the counter in the kitchen, found their encounter very cute. She sometimes envied Eldon's relationship with Rina. A huge grin curled up on Eldon's lips, and he raised his arms, shouting out of ecstasy, "Yay, we'll all play together!" "We will," Rina confirmed, nodding her head. She reached out to touch the boy's cheek and pinched it fondly. "You should go to your room and wait for me there while I talk to your mom." The kid threw his arms up in happiness, spread them wide like wings, and ran out, making plane