CHAPTER 52NICOLEThe news of Amelia’s death brought a wave of shock over me. If her brother was really doing this for her, then why kill her? Something is aloof here.“Chris, what do we do?” I asked him as I handed him back his phone.“Nothing. We go home and think this through.” He replied.Later that night at dinner, I started to try and put some pieces of this puzzle together.“Could it be the guard? I mean he was there the whole time.” I asked Chris.“Could be. Or maybe she’s just such a bitch and offended someone in there. Would her own brother have her murdered?” Chris simply said and continued his meal.“No, I don’t think so.” I replied.We continued our meal in silence but my mind kept going over the possibility that our visit may have led to her death.Why else did the person supposed to collect the briefcase not show up? Unless they knew we were into them. Besides me, Chris, the guard, Amelia, Ben and the head detective, no one else knew exactly what we there for. Someone m
CHAPTER 53NICOLEI lean in some more against the wall and strain my ears to hear the words clearly. I couldn’t quite make out the owners of the voices because I was hearing them faintly.“We have to stop this, it’s gone too far.” The first voice came.“What do you mean stop this? I had Amelia poisoned because of this. We stick to the plan.” The second voice replied.I clasped my hand against my mouth as I heard the name, Amelia. This has to be Casper, it has to be him.“You don’t understand, Chris is calm, when he’s calm, that means he has everything under control. He’s onto us.” The other voice came.This other person must be the mole. I didn’t know whether to confront them or call Chris. I quickly looked for my phone to text Chris but I realized I left it in the safe locker.I hurried out to the safe locker and texted Chris to let him know what I heard and suspected. There was no reply. I called him but he kept ending the calls.I figured he was probably giving his keynote lecture
CHAPTER 54CHRISVery soon I’ll find out who exactly went into my server room to help those idiots hack my client details. Finally something was going right.I kissed Bella on the cheek after sharing the news but she didn’t seem to share in my pleasure. Her eyes were fixed on Ben who excused himself immediately I broke the news.“Isn’t that suspicious to you?” Bella asked, still looking in Ben’s direction.I don’t understand why she is so bent on making Ben the culprit in this. I’ve known him since my college days. Me, Ben and Amelia always used to hangout. It was even through Ben I met Amelia.Now that I think about it, he did have a crush on her at some point but she liked me instead so we never really spoke about it.‘Could Ben really have something against me? Nah. It’s just Bella’s words trying to take root in my mind.’When I don’t answer Bella’s question. She pinches my arm lightly and continues.“Look I know you trust him with your life and I trust him too but we have to be ca
CHAPTER 55CHRIS“Baby, they’re asking for donations for the new church building, how much should we donate?” Bella asked, causing me to turn my eye away from the man.“Whatever you decide is fine with me.” I quickly said and turned my head to look back at the man but he was no longer in the pew I just saw him.“Fuck.” I cursed aloud.“Chris! We’re in church and why are you cursing?” Bella asked, slapping my forearm lightly.“I think I just saw Casper. I’m not sure but he looks like him.” I replied I grimaced and turned towards the entrance and I saw him leaving. I didn’t want to get up abruptly and chase after him as that may create a scene.We came with just one bodyguard at Bella’s request. She didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention so I texted my guard outside immediately,‘The man in a gray hoodie heading towards you, stop him.’“Casper? Then what are you still doing here?” Bella stood up immediately and chased after him.Aunt Alice shot her a look but she didn’t mind and
CHAPTER 56NICOLE“Mrs Bale, can I please see you in my office?” Doctor Enzo was asking me where I sat down beside Chris on his bed. He was responding to treatment but he was still unconscious, I only pray that he survives this. The doctors said he would be fine and he should wake up soon enough.I only have to pray and be patient. Casper is still on the loose and the police are doubling down on everything they can find to catch him.Chester and his men are on the prowl as well but I’m not very hopeful, whoever this Casper guy is, he is very dangerous and slippery.“Okay doc, right behind you,” I said and kissed Chris on his cheek before leaving behind the doctor.As we pass through the reception hall, to the doctor's office, I see the huge presence of the press outside, everyone waiting to hear the outcome of the accident.The security and police were doing a great job of keeping them at bay outside but as soon as they saw me, a flurry of questions started flying at me.“What is the
CHAPTER 57NICOLEBen never mentioned anything about Mr. Gomez’s resignation. Perhaps he didn’t know or he did, and knowingly didn’t mention it, so that by the time Chris found out, it would be too late to track the man down.I took the documents from the HR manager and took pictures of them. I sent them to Chester with a follow-up text.‘I need you to find me this man. He’s somewhere in Europe. I believe.’“Keep this meeting between me and you,” I said to the HR manager who nodded in agreement.I left the HR office and went to my office, had a brief meeting with my department, and discussed our numbers for the quarter.I kept the meeting brief because I wanted to return to the hospital as soon as possible. When it ended, I waited for them to leave before downloading some of their files onto my laptop to cross-check at the hospital.I had a ton of work left undone due to my absence. John was doing an amazing job but still, I needed to be sure.As I was about to leave, Charlotte came i
CHAPTER 58NICOLEWow, this is not going as I planned at all. I didn’t think Brenda would get suspicious and invite Claire.If anyone knew my sister, it definitely would be Claire, and considering our history since I took Bella’s body, this was going to be a crazy meeting.Brenda got up and briefly hugged Claire before the two took their seats.“Hi, Claire.” I greeted, forcing a smile.“Hey! Bella, do you know Brenda too? Small world. I heard about your husband. I’m so sorry.” Claire said in her usual cheerful manner.Typical Claire, cheerful for no reason with the heart of a beast.“I just met her yesterday, she says she’s Nicole’s sister,” Brenda replied to her before I could say anything.“Sister?” Claire asked, looking at me bewildered before she burst into uncontrollable laughter.There was no way in hell she was going to believe it but this is a good time to show Brenda what kind of a snake Claire is and to call her out.“C'mon Bella, be serious. I’m the only thing close to a si
CHAPTER 59NICOLEThe day finally came for my husband to go home. He could sit in a wheelchair now but would still be under constant watch. He started occasionally getting seizures recently but the doctor assured us it was nothing fatal.The board was still on him to name someone as the New CEO while he was recuperating. A new face for the company as the shares were still plummeting hard.The media wasn’t helping either with various speculations flying up and down the internet. Competitors were taking advantage of the turbulence and luring away customers.It was slowly becoming a very difficult situation for Chris to handle. Casper was still out there somewhere, probably smiling at everything happening and the mole was still unknown.“Thank you, doctor. I’ll take good care of him.” I said to the doctor as I wheeled Chris out of the hospital room.We planned to move very early in the morning to avoid the press and it worked. There was minimal presence outside.We got home and settled i
CHAPTER 66AUTHOR’S POV“Mason and Claire Reyes. The court hereby finds you guilty of the murder of Nicole Reyes and you will be sentenced to life imprisonment with the option of parole. All of her assets in your name, including your shares in her company will now be transferred to her living relative, Mrs. Annabella Bale with immediate effect. This claim has been backed up by multiple witnesses including the prosecutor’s Aunt, Madam Alice Lawrence, and Sister Abigail Lance of St. Stephens orphanage home as well as the evidence of the original birth certificate of Mrs. Nicole Reyes. Court dismissed.” The judge gave his verdict and slammed his gavel.Chris had fought tooth and nail to find ways to prove that Bella was Nicole’s sister and that she got all her assets and shares when the truth about Nicole’s murder came out.They were able to get one of the sisters of the orphanage to back up Aunt Alice's claim and Nicole’s original birth certificate was obtained from the hospital in Manc
CHAPTER 65NICOLE“Chris…..I,” George tried to speak as his mouth shook but Chris cut him off.He looked at George like a Tiger observing his prey. “I don’t want to hear it,” Chris took out a document and handed it over to George. “Here, I took the liberty of preparing the documents and you should be lucky that I am buying this from you at the actual price. My original plan was to leak the video and when your shares started dropping, I’d buy as many as I cared to but I’m doing this for your wife and my nephews.”I could tell George was more confused as to why Chris was buying his shares rather than why he had a video of him being intimate with Claire.George looked at me and I frowned. The man was a good man when we partnered. He helped my company but he let that witch dig her claws into him so deep that he even started stealing from the same company he was a majority shareholder in.I brought out the documents of the fake transactions he and Claire used to steal the money and handed
CHAPTER 64“Let me answer that,” A voice came from behind me and I was stunned when I saw Casper pointing a gun at us.How did he even get past all the guards we had outside?Chris’ eyes tightened and he clenched his fist, his eyes fixated on Casper but I could see the worry in them.Casper grabbed me from behind and I screamed. His arm went around my throat as he pointed the gun to my head and I could feel my heart race. My breath easily became labored and my body shook.“How did you get in here?” Chris bellowed, his bad legs meant he couldn’t move but I could feel he was trying.Ben’s eyes slowly darted between Casper and Chris but there was a mischievous look in his eyes that I couldn’t quite place until he spoke.“Oh, Relax Chris. Casper is only here to do what we should have done a long time ago,” He smirked and walked up to me.It turned out I was right all along. No wonder Casper got access to the house. Everything that happened yesterday and earlier was a farce. I wonder if Ch
CHAPTER 63NICOLEMy back was against the chest of the person who pulled me away from the door, but when the person spoke, I instantly recognized the voice. “Listen closely,” Ben whispered, releasing the pressure of his hands over my mouth.I could hear Charlotte’s saying, “I’m tired of this, I’m done.”“You’re tired when I say you are. You need to find a way to make things up with him. How else are we supposed to know what the heck is going on?” The other voice came, I recognized that voice, it was Casper’s. I recognize the voice from the other day at the spa.Ben looked disappointed as we shared a look, it turned out my suspicions were not exactly wrong. He was sharing everything with his girlfriend who was the mole that was in turn feeding Casper.I quick brought out my phone and texted my driver to come with the bodyguard. Ben had already informed the police.Then we started to hear Charlotte scream, we heard a loud bang and then complete silence rented the air.Next thing the d
CHAPTER 62NICOLEInside the executive conference room of the Strong Haven building, Chris gave a reassuring speech that was broadcast live from the building.Reassuring customers and investors alike, taking responsibility for the sudden downturn of events at the company, and promising a better tomorrow.In his own words to them, “You trusted me when my father gave me the reins of this great company. You put your faith in that young man all those years ago and I did not let you down. I only ask that you do the same now in such a time. As many of you may now know, our company suffered a data leak and the same people responsible for it also came after my life. It is said that in times of adversity, a man’s true friends will be revealed..”“I and this company are merely going through such a time, one that I know will be over soon. When this is all said and done, the ones who stood by us, our friends, will be revealed, and God helping us, we will make sure that they are duly rewarded. An
CHAPTER 61CHRISI couldn’t sleep all night. Everything Bella said made no sense and yet it explained so much.As I turned the possibilities over and over again in my mind, it began to make even more sense.Her behavior at the funeral, the altercation at the jewelry shop, her uneasiness at the award night, where Mason proposed to Claire, the iCloud name on her phone, and everything that happened afterward.Do I want to believe this? Can someone be reborn? I know I’ve heard and seen a lot of mysterious things but this one tops the chart.Bella had no reason to frame Mason and Claire for Nicole’s murder, so why would she cook up such a story? If the woman lying beside me was truly Nicole, everything she said made sense. Does this mean Nicole has been my wife all this time?No wonder she knew so much about my line of business, no wonder she could lead a team to secure a contract worth billions despite being a fresh graduate.Her story ticks so many boxes but it’s some supernatural shit
CHAPTER 60NICOLEWait a minute. How does Chris know I was doing something with Chester? Does that mean Chester didn’t keep to his word? But from the way Chris sounded, he didn’t know exactly what it was we were doing, so maybe he just had an inkling.I have to be honest with him, but how honest? Do I tell him everything? Do I tell him the real truth? Do I tell him that I am Nicole? Reborn in the body of a sister I only recently found out that I had? Would he believe me? What valid reason could I give? I have to really think about this. I have to find a smart way to do this. Not tonight.“Baby, it’s already late, remember the doctor said you need to get maximum rest. I’ll tell you everything in the morning.” I finally replied.I better have a good explanation when I wake up, that’s if he lets me off the hook tonight.“Bella, when Chester told me you had him on a job out of respect for me, I told him to keep it strictly between the two of you because I wanted to respect your choices a
CHAPTER 59NICOLEThe day finally came for my husband to go home. He could sit in a wheelchair now but would still be under constant watch. He started occasionally getting seizures recently but the doctor assured us it was nothing fatal.The board was still on him to name someone as the New CEO while he was recuperating. A new face for the company as the shares were still plummeting hard.The media wasn’t helping either with various speculations flying up and down the internet. Competitors were taking advantage of the turbulence and luring away customers.It was slowly becoming a very difficult situation for Chris to handle. Casper was still out there somewhere, probably smiling at everything happening and the mole was still unknown.“Thank you, doctor. I’ll take good care of him.” I said to the doctor as I wheeled Chris out of the hospital room.We planned to move very early in the morning to avoid the press and it worked. There was minimal presence outside.We got home and settled i
CHAPTER 58NICOLEWow, this is not going as I planned at all. I didn’t think Brenda would get suspicious and invite Claire.If anyone knew my sister, it definitely would be Claire, and considering our history since I took Bella’s body, this was going to be a crazy meeting.Brenda got up and briefly hugged Claire before the two took their seats.“Hi, Claire.” I greeted, forcing a smile.“Hey! Bella, do you know Brenda too? Small world. I heard about your husband. I’m so sorry.” Claire said in her usual cheerful manner.Typical Claire, cheerful for no reason with the heart of a beast.“I just met her yesterday, she says she’s Nicole’s sister,” Brenda replied to her before I could say anything.“Sister?” Claire asked, looking at me bewildered before she burst into uncontrollable laughter.There was no way in hell she was going to believe it but this is a good time to show Brenda what kind of a snake Claire is and to call her out.“C'mon Bella, be serious. I’m the only thing close to a si