Jessica halted abruptly, her heart skipping a beat. Whose voice was that? Why did it sound so familiar, and how did they recognize her?Despite her efforts to identify the person, she couldn't reach a conclusion. Slowly turning around, her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in shock as she saw who stood in front of her.She pointed a finger at the strikingly handsome man, attempting to recall his name. After a brief moment, she exclaimed, "Mr. Lawrence Bryce!""What brings you here?" she inquired. Lawrence responded with a sly smile, the edges of his lips curling up in a mischievous manner. "Please, call me Lawrence," he said, smiling at her. He extended his arms for a hug, and Jessica instinctively embraced him, the hug lingering longer than intended.Feeling uncomfortable, Jessica shifted in his arms, prompting Lawrence to release her. He apologized gently, "Forgive me; it's been a while I hugged a pretty lady. I suppose that's why I let it linger longer than it should have." Je
Jessica gazed at Justin, the anger evident in his eyes sending shivers down her spine. Swallowing hard, she replied, "I am going home with you."Realizing she didn't grasp his question, Justin asked again, "What was your purpose in coming to the company? Did you think you might encounter Nicholas? Is that why you came?"Wide-eyed, Jessica stared at Justin in shock. Why would he suggest that she came to the company to see Nicholas, her ex? Does he think she still harbors feelings for Nicholas after everything he did to her? Jessica wondered.Despite her shock, she managed to reply to him in a calm tone, "I didn't come to see Nicholas; I brought you some food."For the first time, Justin noticed the bag Jessica was carrying, realizing there was food inside for him. She had brought him food but opted to hug another man? His anger surged, raising his brows, he snapped, "Did I ask you to get me some food? Whose command led you to do that? Huh?"Justin was clearly provoking a confrontation.
"Come here," Justin said, pulling her up and bringing her close to him. He placed her head on his chest, gently caressing it. Jessica took in a deep breath; he smelled so nice that she wanted to lay there on his chest forever. Justin, with the remote in his hand, reduced the volume of the television.Feeling it was the right moment to ask some questions, Jessica, being a medical doctor, understood the implications of taking medicine without eating food. It could be very dangerous to the system, depending on the type of drugs."Can I ask you some questions?" she asked, feeling Justin's heart skip a beat. She looked up at him, and he returned her gaze."Uhmmm, yeah, sure, you can ask," Justin replied. Jessica lay back down on his chest. "Did you take your medication in the morning?" she quizzed. Justin, for a few seconds, wondered why she had asked him that particular question.He tried to think of a reason, and when he couldn't find one, he answered, "I take it every day," he sighed. "
Days later, Jessica woke up, glancing beside her to find an empty space where Justin usually lay. The sound of running water emanated from the slightly ajar door to the toilet. A smile graced her lips as the memories of the previous night flooded back. Justin had returned home with a bouquet of flowers and a gift box, a thoughtful gesture for her birthday, which she had mentioned earlier that day.After visiting her mother, Jessica returned home and prepared a delightful dinner to celebrate her birthday. As Justin and Kelvin entered, they were greeted by the enticing aroma that filled the house. Without delay, Justin placed the gifts in the sitting room and headed straight to the kitchen, where an unaware Jessica was engrossed in her cooking.Hugging her from behind, Justin breathed in her soothing scent. A playful kiss on her neck made her giggle as he spun her around to face him. Jessica noticed the fatigue in Justin's eyes, likely from a busy day at the office.Despite the demandin
Jessica tilted her head, meeting his gaze. Another surprise? She was completely bewildered. What more could there be? She hadn't noticed any other bags outside; where could he have kept it? She pondered."Oh, really? Let's see it!" Jessica exclaimed eagerly. Justin reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope, dangling it in front of her. Jessica took the envelope from him and opened it.It was an appointment letter from Dr. Richard Anderson at Lakeville Hospital in the United States. Jessica was surprised to see his name – the best orthopedic surgeon in the U.S. She glanced at Justin, then back at the paper.Was this really happening? The document stated she was to visit the hospital in a week for a thorough diagnosis of her hand by Dr. Richard. Overwhelmed with joy, Jessica, in excitement, threw her arms around Justin's neck, hugging him tightly."Thank you so much," she lifted her face from his neck, kissing him on the lips. Pulling back, she gazed into his eyes, "This is my
Justin noticed his grandmother hastily approaching and met her halfway. They embraced each other in a long warm hug."Oh, my grandson, I have missed you so much," she placed her two hands on his cheeks and proceeded to hug him again. Jessica stood beside Justin, smiling from ear to ear. She loved witnessing the affectionate bond between the grandmother and grandson.In fact, it was during Old Mrs. Hemsworth's birthday party that Jessica had witnessed a new side of Justin. She hadn't known he could be so affectionate with a woman. Jessica believed it was his grandmother who had unlocked this new side that she had been enjoying lately. She smiled to herself."Oh, Jess, my daughter," Old Mrs. Hemsworth came to Jess, enveloping her in a bear hug. Jess hugged her tightly, and when she released her, she planted a kiss on her forehead."Thanks for inviting me to your home, Grandma," Jessica said with a smile.Old Mrs. Hemsworth held her by the hand, saying, "You are invited at all times. Anyt
The room fell into absolute silence, as if everyone was trying to process what she had just said.Nora was the only one excited; she immediately exclaimed with enthusiasm in her voice, "Are you serious about that, Sonia?""Yes, Mom, I am already about a month gone," Sonia replied. Nicholas couldn't believe what he was hearing. He was in total shock. What had she just said? She was pregnant? No, it can't be possible.All eyes were now on Nicholas. Everyone wanted to see his reaction. He glared at Sonia."Why am I just finding out about this now?" Sonia was anxious. She had not expected such a fierce reaction from Nicholas."I... I am sorry. I just found out yesterday, and I wanted to tell you once we got home today, but..." She scanned the dining room with her eyes. "Since we were all having a nice time here, I decided it would be best to just say it all at once. I am so sorry," she pleaded.Nora stepped in, "Come on, Nicholas, this is something to be happy about. Don't get her so worke
She froze in an instant and immediately jerked herself away from Nicholas. After removing herself from the compromising position she had been in, Jessica stared at Justin, who was now charging towards them in fury. He knocked Nicholas out in one blow to the face.Nicholas felt something warm on his face – it was blood! He placed his hand on his face to trace the source of blood, and that's when he found it – the blood was coming out of his nose. Justin had hit him so hard his nose almost broke. Nicholas sat there, laughing at himself, at the mess he had just become.Justin, thinking he was mocking him, went for another blow. Jessica saw what he was about to do and immediately interfered, standing between him and Nicholas. "Stop it this instant, Justin! Just stop! Can't you see he is bleeding? What more harm do you want to inflict on your own brother?" she cried out.Justin glared at her with his cold, dark eyes – they were deadly, so deadly that Jessica instinctively stepped back. He y
A month later, at the Hemsworth family mansion, everyone is seated at the round dining table, having a family dinner. Nicholas's health was totally restored. He had also helped the police in apprehending Kennedy and his men, who were already behind bars. Sonia had also been prosecuted, and her license was revoked due to her crimes.Nicholas's last request before being prosecuted for his own crimes was to have dinner with everyone in the family, a request they all had granted. Everyone tried to put on a smiling face, even though their hearts ached on the inside.The energy in the room was really low. Nicholas, noticing this, raised a glass and clanked it with a spoon to get everyone's attention as he cleared his throat. All sets of eyes were averted towards him as everyone eagerly waited to hear what he would say.Nicholas smiled brightly as his eyes swept across the faces at the dining table, acknowledging each of them in an endearing manner. "Father, Justin, Grandmother, Mother, Je
Deep in thought, Justin drove to Jessica's mother's apartment. It had been two weeks since his discharge from the hospital.Two days after leaving the hospital, under persistent pressure from his grandmother and stepmother concerning Nicholas, Justin reached a decision. He chose to implore Jessica to perform the surgery on Nicholas, solely to prevent him from dyinf.This decision didn't signify forgiveness. In fact, he adamantly declined to visit Nicholas in the hospital. Fearful of what he might do to him as he remained vengeful and resentful, harboring deep anger for all he had endured at Nicholas' hands.The problem, however, was that Jessica had refused to treat Nicholas. In fact, they had engaged in an argument that led to her moving out of his apartment. All attempts to persuade her to reconsider proved fruitless. Since then, he had been trying to reach Jessica through her mother, with whom she had sought refuge.Surprisingly, when he called her mother that morning to inquire a
Having recovered from the shock of Jessica's stern attitude, Nicholas looked at her with pleading eyes. Determined to make it work, he ensured everything he said seemed to come directly from his heart. Although he had mentally rehearsed this moment repeatedly, he didn't anticipate the scene playing out so soon.When he asked his father to help him plead with Jessica the previous day, he hadn't expected his wish to be granted. However, knowing he would see Jessica one day, he prepared ahead of time. Now, she stood before him. This was his opportunity, and he promised himself to make the most of it.Rising from the bed, his gaze fixed on Jessica, Nicholas's hand was cuffed to the bed, limiting his movement. Despite the constraint, he had enough room to do what he wanted. Jessica's eyes narrowed with hatred as she witnessed his eyes clouding with tears.Scoffing, she remarked, "I am listening. Say what you want to say; I need to be on my way soon." She eagerly waited for him to beg her
Mr. Hemsworth arrived at the hospital with his mother and wife an hour later and stormed in the direction of Nicholas' ward. He had informed the hospital earlier that day to update him once his son woke up. The hospital was heavily guarded, as two sons of the most powerful and influential man in London, whose lives were still in imminent danger, were in different wards.For all Mr. Hemsworth knew, the culprit who had shot his second son was still at large. Until apprehended, Nicholas and even Justin were not safe. Who knows, the person trying to kill Nicholas might be attempting to cover up a dark past. Justin had mentioned that Nicholas was working with a cult. Could it be they wanted to silence Nicholas for good to prevent him from confessing to his crimes and thereby mention their involvement in money laundering and the attempt on Justin's life?Whatever it was, he would hear it now that his son was awake.As soon as they entered Nicholas' ward, Mr. Hemsworth motioned for the gua
The doctor suddenly remembered he had given the nurse a task earlier and asked her to inform him as soon as it was completed. That had to be what she had come to tell him about.He corked a brow up and asked curiously, "Are the test results out?" Laura nodded in response to his question. She wore a grave expression on her face, which was really unsettling to Mr. Hemsworth, who was clueless about what was going on."What test results? Can someone explain to me what exactly is going on here?" he snapped in frustration.The doctor immediately felt the need to explain before things escalated any further. "I am sorry, Mr. Hemsworth, for keeping you in the dark. The thing is, in this hospital, it is standard procedure to conduct a full check-up on our patients to ensure they are medically fit," he exchanged glances with the nurse and continued, "we ran some tests on Nicholas, and it appears the results are out," he concluded.Mr. Hemsworth was a little tense. The girl's reaction hinted t
Mr. Hemsworth stormed into the hospital an hour later with his bodyguards, looking as ferocious and angry as ever. No one dared to stop him; just the sight of him alone was very intimidating. The security stationed at the entrance had to make way for him after seeing how he had been greeted by the policemen. They already knew who he was; if the police, sent to protect the hospital, had allowed him to gain entrance at this crucial time when security was heightened, then they felt they had no choice but to do the same.Nicholas had been brought to the hospital in his disguised state, so the security men had no clue who the person being protected in the ward was. The hospital kept his identity a secret, and only people who had the right to know due to a role they had to play were informed. Seeing Mr. Hemsworth storm in, the security men gave each other a knowing look; whoever was being protected must be related to him in some way.Once inside, Mr. Hemsworth stood still as his ferociou
The man who had accidentally knocked Nicholas down immediately alighted from his car. Upon reaching where Nicholas lay in a pool of his blood, being washed away by the soft patter of rain falling, he gasped in shock but immediately recollected himself. "Is he dead?" he thought in fright as he fell to his knees beside Nicholas."Hello? Hello?" he said as he shoved Nicholas lightly.No response!"Oh my God! What have I done?" the man cried in fear. His heart was thumping heavily against his chest. With trembling hands, he brought out his phone and dialed 999, London's emergency contact."I knocked down a man; he needs help!" he cried as soon as the call connected, staring down nervously at Nicholas.The road was a lonely one. He contemplated carrying Nicholas into his car and taking him to a nearby hospital. He glanced at Nicholas' unconscious body again, and a thought crossed his mind, one that chilled him to the bone, causing his jaw to drop as his eyes widened."What if he is dead?
As soon as Jessica turned, a slight frown etched her face. Standing behind her was Dr. Martins, the same man she had heard from Nicholas, accused her of having a hand in the attack on her husband.When Dr. Martins found out few days ago, just like everyone else, that Jessica was Dr. Alexandra, he was absolutely gobsmacked. He wondered how that could be and thought back to the day Jessica was acting a little nonchalant in his office, realizing it was because she already had a solution to her husband's predicament.He had been scared to approach her due to the way he had treated her in the past—all the snide and sarcastic remarks he made in her presence hadn't gone unnoticed. From the beginning, he had made it clear he really didn't like her, but Jessica always responded to his ill treatment with kindness. To him, she was just acting, being the badass actress she was, which even infuriated him more.Pondering on the next steps to take, he had summoned the courage to meet Dr. Alexandra,
Sonia was petrified, visibly shaken. Just who is this man, she wondered? The seconds it took for the man to respond felt like a million years to her. Her heart kept thumping against her ribcage."Who am I?" the man asked mockingly as he snorted a laugh. Sonia's eyes widened.Hearing the man speak again intensified her fear. She knew she had heard that voice before, but to whom did it belong?She cried pleadingly, "Please don't hurt me. Whoever you are, please don't harm me.""Hahaha, you should have thought of that when you decided not to keep to your own end of the bargain. Now move, slowly," he snapped angrily, pointing the gun more aggressively towards her as he motioned for her to go in the direction he wanted.That was when it hit her!"Is it you? What are you...wait, how did you know where I live?" she asked, trying to mask her fear."How the tables have turned. It wasn't difficult to find you at all. All I had to do was a little investigation. You said you would find me and kil