"So it was you?" Rissa questioned glaring at Adrian while pacing endlessly in Doctor Snow's office.Adrian was agape as he kept staring blankly at the paper he was holding."Is...is there a possibility of the result being wrong?" he asked, facing Doctor Snow, whose countenance remains unshaken."Mr Grey, I can assure you it was accurately done," Doctor Snow responded firmly.Adrian sat back on the chair, dejected; how was this any way possible? Fathering a child he does not know of.Before he could gather his thoughts, Rissa faced him angrily “You ruined my life and marriage!" She said it with so much hate and spite.Her words juggled Adrian's dwindled memory, he had dreamt of a woman telling him the same thing."It was you! Room 302 Charleston Hotel, November 3rd, seven years ago," Adrian rambled on wide-eyed.Before he could complete his words, Rissa smacked him across the face and walked out angrily.Doctor Snow was perplexed witnessing the awkward situation, especially for a man l
"I am sorry I was late Mr Stockholm," Adrian said with a pleasant smile and shook the other man's hand."It is fine Mr Grey, the dinner is just about to commence," Mr Stockholm responded pleasantly.Mr Stockholm's bodyguard opened the door for Adrian, and he walked in swiftly with his head up high; his domineering aura took over as the domestic staff bowed slightly at his presence.He walked past them into the spacious dinner hall decorated with a shimmering interior."Mr Grey, you are welcome," numerous prominent personalities were greeting him the moment he walked in and he kept shaking their hands politely.Despite every fibre of his being, he would have rather spent more hours staring into Caleb's mesmerizing eyes.His smile faltered when he saw Liam Hickson who pretentiously reached out to honor his presence."Welcome Mr Grey," he said in an icy cold voice despite the mockery smile plastered on his face."I know you are familiar with each other already, Mr Grey, and here is Mrs D
Rissa stole a glance at Adrian as he passed by, she hid behind the bronze statue at the front entrance of Perchy Peach.It is still unbelievable for her after two weeks that her son's accident perpetrator was his father and her boss.She watched the staff and security personnel bow slightly as he walked in.To be honest, Adrian Grey's aura was really domineering and authoritative.She closed her eyes at the memory of smacking him across the face at the hospital."Miss Stonebridge, are you okay?" she heard Mr George say.Adrian stopped in his stride and looked towards the direction of the voice.Rissa closed her eyes in embarrassment and surfaced from behind the bronze statue."Yes....I ..am fine, Mr George," she responded, stuttering.To talk about wrong timing! Mr George always had it."Good morning Mr Grey," Mr George said quavering as he noticed the CEO's presence.Rissa bowed slightly still embarrassed "Good morning Mr Grey," she said and bit her lower lips.Adrian smiled coyly ob
Liam kept picking drinks from different manufacturers and checking through their ingredients before throwing them into his shopping cart.It was his usual periodic habit of tailing their competitors and tracking new products and acceptability.He picked up a can of drink and was about to throw it in the cart when a child ran towards him, and the drink fell from his hand to the floor.Caleb stopped in his stride with guilt written all over him; he picked up the can and handed it over to Liam. "I am sorry," he said, scared of the intimidating figure in front of him.Liam, sensing his unease, bent slightly to meet with his shorter height and ruffled his hair lovingly."It is fine, young lad; you want a drink?" he said, smiling.Caleb didn't respond as Rissa had warned him sternly against taking things from strangers.Liam smiled and stretched out his hand with two cans of drink, gesturing towards him.Caleb collected it reluctantly and ran back, disappearing to the third row of the depar
Diane sank into a seat facing Liam, who was being fed by the housekeeper before she walked in.The moment he saw her, he stopped eating and ordered the housekeeper to excuse them.She batted her long lashes pitifully, her eyes sunken from lack of sleep and tears.Liam scoffed loudly "I think I get it now”, he said, nodding his head weirdly."What?" Diana questioned quietly."You were always such a good actress, always the best at flowing in with each scene”, he said, staring at her dry, chapped lips."I don't understand, babe”, she stated and burst into tears."Aren't your boxes filled with tons of makeup?" he asked sarcastically.Diane touched her dry face "I...I couldn't; I am too depressed for that," she responded downcast.Liam clapped his hands together in mockery "Terribly great actress""Babe, I can explain…I want you to believe me, I know......" She started but Liam interjected hastily."Do you know what Rissa told me? She wished me many more happy years in ignorance," Liam re
"Sweetheart, he....you know what! We will talk about that some other time; Mr Grey has to leave," she said, flustered.Adrian took the clue instantly and offered to drive them back home, which Rissa rejected, but Caleb begged her to accept."Mum! he was telling me a story", he pleaded desperately.Rissa rolled her eyes "Fine”, and walked up to Adrian's car sitting in the hospital parking lot.They alighted in front of the house and Rissa took Caleb to the front pouch where Mandy was waiting."Mandy! The doctor said I am fit now!" Caleb screamed excitedly, and Mandy laughed."That is my superhero”, Mandy responded, playfully hugging him."Mandy, please take him in; I want to have a word with Mr Grey”, Rissa said, pointing towards Adrian's car.Adrian waved to Caleb and Mandy as they looked in his direction.Mandy blushed sheepishly, she moved closer to Rissa's ear and whispered to her."Go out with him if he offers; he is so damn handsome and wealthy!" she said, and Rissa laughed.Ma
Diane stood frozen on the spot. Was it a nightmare? She had better wake up fast.To her dismay, the blood loss didn't cease.She heard the siren of the ambulance van from afar and quickly rushed out to meet up with it.The moment the ambulance van stopped, she pretentiously fainted, which hastened the paramedics to attend to her.Some others went into the house and Rowen was wheeled out with oxygen to support his shallow breathing.Words spread fast across to Liam, whose mind was shattered at the unfortunate situation the Hicksons were in.The same day, Rowen had emergency surgery, which left him in a vegetative state."Mrs Hickson, I am sorry it is gone now," the sonographer said sardonically.Diane closed her eyes and wept loudly; she clenched her stomach, slashing at it."Easy, Mrs Hickson, I am sorry, but the gestational sac that I saw yesterday has emptied and disappeared completely, but not to worry, miscarriages aren't uncommon," she said, trying to console her.Diane scoffed l
"This situation is quite tricky Rissa," Stella responded dumbfounded."I know mum, I am as confused as you are," Rissa responded, her voice faltered the moment Caleb walked into the room."Are you on the phone with granny?" Caleb said enthusiastically.Rissa punched the speaker on the phone and Stella's voice echoed in the room."Sweetheart, I have missed you," she said joyfully."I miss you too granny, is grandpa home?" Caleb questioned."No, he is down at the cabin tending to the flowers," Stella responded "That reminds me, I think we might be leasing the cabin out to tourists for Christmas visits""Great idea, mum," Rissa responded, smiling."Granny, I met two nice men, Mum's boss, the other her friend," Caleb said.Rissa rolled her eyes as her mother busted out laughing, leaving to Caleb; he wouldn't mind them hosting Adrian every day.But Rissa knows better than to be led by childish fantasy, Adrian Grey is no average man, and she was not ready to allow Caleb to be tagged as his
Adrian's eyes widened in amazement, he had actually wished he could call on a fairy godmother as he usually imagined as a child. He was an adult now, such delusion could never solve his problems.But Alas! One has shown up all dressed stunningly turning all heads. He was tempted to rush out of his office as he stared intently at the CCTV footage where Rissa was surrounded by multiple paparazzi.She looked too confident to be calling whatever she was saying a bluff. Was her unexpected presence a solution or going to escalate the problems further?Whatever she was trying to do, he wasn't sure it would be effective except for her stunning look, which obviously had the best effect already.“Mr Grey, Miss Stonebridge has found us a solution”His secretary's words jolted him out of his depressed state. He didn't care about being classy and rushed down the stairs to the front door of Perchy Peach where Rissa was being interviewed.“As I had said earlier, those are the differences, check it o
“What do I want? So annoying when you ask in that manner” “What do you want Mr George?” Adrian questioned again; this time, his voice was firmer and dangerous. “Wow! So scary, well if you must know the only desire I have is to watch your company crumble”, Mr George said laughing awkwardly. Adrian resisted the urge to punch him in the face. This definitely was a bigger conspiracy, obviously; Mr George wasn't capable of orchestrating such alone. “Tell your sponsor that you make a great puppet, smart move on his part, someone would have to take the fall eventually…. someone easily dis..pen..sable”, Adrian said, smiling wickedly and taunting him. One of the few tricks he had picked up in his years as an actor. He stared intently into George’s eyes, his furrowed brow satisfied Adrian. Obviously, his trick had hit a nerve. “I am nobody's puppet! We are into a respectable partnership agreement, and we both have equal rights”, he responded defensively, crossing his arm over his chest.
Adrian locked hands with Rissa who put her ear gently on his broad chest. It feels like home, very homely, but it was too good to last a century.Adrian stared blankly at her, hoping desperately the world could be in favour of all their wishes. Everything was going on fine, so smoothly that he was feeling quite uneasy about it all.Tracy had committed suicide in prison after leaving a note stating she had gaslighted Bianca Grey and Diane Donaldson to do her bidding.They both got out unscratched after paying a meagre fine. Bianca left Los Angeles willingly after apologizing to those she had hurt, and Diane disappeared into thin air.Adrian couldn't be sure of how Liam Hickson handled the evidence he gave him secretly. But Golden Fingers seems to be back in all its glory, fiercely competing with Perchy Peach in the market.The only thing that reminds me of the scar of the battle is that Adrian insisted Rissa stay in his apartment, and this time around, she didn't refuse.The happiness
Adrian stretched out his hand and threw the flash into the air, three eyes followed its movement till it landed on the intruder's palm. Liam’s eyes widened at Adrian's foolishness.“Shedding blood wasn't necessary in the first place so I won't if you both stay put till I leave”.He shot the air to show them he was capable of destruction if they did not comply. Rissa and Amber heard the sound and fear gripped them. They hastily hid behind Adrian’s car while the intruder successfully ran off excitedly.There was no way they could be sure of who was behind the mask; too many people were after that evidence.“We will all get killed at this rate!” Liam said angrily.“Should I have allowed him to kill them?” Adrian shot back, returning his exact energy.They both stared intently into each other's furrowed brows and, at the same time, ran forward to check up on their women. Rissa and Amber were literally shaking from fear.Diane brought out a telescope, and her focal point was on Rissa and A
Liam carried the white porcelain close to his chest and moved slowly in a staggering motion.Amber stood by his side while other people kept making speculative guesses about their current relationship, but she couldn't care less; Liam needed her now, and she was there for him.The long siren kept the street bubbling as more people kept showing interest in Rowen's death. The families of the victims of the faulty construction gathered to protest in front of Golden Fingers.Tracy had made it her plan B by reaching out to them all from the onset and using their pent-up resentment for her own bidding. They kept demanding the truth from the grieving Liam Hickson.Despite the security personnel stationed around, they kept coming up with provocative billboards and ensured they posted the videos on social media to amass public sympathy.Liam disappointed them by reacting calmly against their expectation. Bianca’s reaction was the worst; she had actually surrendered to the police for a malicio
“My girlfriend is losing consciousness”, Adrian shouted distressed.The policemen stationed outside the mansion exchanged confused looks. One of them called the emergency service. Adrian, sensing impending defeat, hastily immersed in his acting skill.“I need to get her an inhaler before it is too late. Are you going to take responsibility for that? I have one in there”, he said, pointing towards his apartment.The hesitance of the police made him glare more at them, they finally agreed that he could go in there but must only return with an inhaler.Adrian smiled inwardly at successfully fooling them; he carefully laid Rissa on the relaxation chair and rushed in; one of the policemen stood beside her, watching her gasping for air.He rushed straight to his study and picked up the box. He unboxed it and brought out a small flash, he knew shredding the papers would leave some evidence behind. He tore them into pieces and flushed them down the toilet. He was about to rush out when he rem
Amber hastily picked up her bag and rushed out of the office. Her secretary, a lanky tall man, requested he follow her, but she outrightly rejected the offer.Rissa's call had destabilized her emotions, and the only thing that mattered was finding Liam, the grieving Liam.She knew better than to be at ease knowing fully well the emotional disturbances that he had gone through the past few months. She kept calling his number repeatedly before she left her office but he wasn't picking up.Amber got into her car and zoomed off thinking of where he could be.“Liam! Liam! Where could you be?” She kept humming while driving at high speed.The memory of their childhood resurfaced in her mind, the days Rowen scolded him badly; Liam had always hidden himself in his late mother's room or swam endlessly in the pool till he was almost out of breath.Where would the adult Liam want to be, she wondered?The car came to an abrupt stop in front of the Hickson's mansion and she alighted hastily. She a
*Bang* A cold chill swept over Adrian as two bodies dropped unconsciously on the floor. He hastily rushed over to Rowen Hickson who was already coughing blood. “Call an ambulance!” He screamed in agony. One of the bodyguards rushed over to Tracy whom his fired bullet had grazed her arm. She wriggled around in pain. No one had seen it coming; she wasn't expected to shoot Rowen Hickson on the spot. The angry blaring of the ambulance siren made them all alert; Bianca just stood at a spot, horrified, not daring to move or speak. A million self-blame ran through her head. Why had she given in to Tracy's trickery from the start? She had assumed using Rowen Hickson's enemy to punish him would relieve her resentment towards him for orchestrating her brother's death and denying their child. In the end, it all turns out to be false, and Rowen is dying as a result of her foolishness. Rowen and Tracy were ushered into the ambulance van. The police also arrived at the scene immediately; Tra
“I was,” Rowen Hickson said with confidence. Being baffled was an understatement as Adrian exchanged gazes with the security personnel.Bianca said she had suspected someone from the CCTV footage showing up every night for three consecutive nights and always staring at Adrian's apartment. So they decided to set a trap for him that night.“What sly bastard did our trap…..”Bianca was saying as she walked into the living room. The word got stuck on her tongue when he saw who the intruder turned out to be.Shocked, she backed away from the room to catch her breath. What was Rowen Hickson doing there? Wasn't he bedridden?Rowen just looked over at her and looked away instantly, not caring about the emotion that was evident on her pale face.“Why are you here Mr Hickson?”“You know why I am here Adrian”.“You have all the resources to hire someone to do it, why are you here by yourself?” Adrian questioned suspiciously.“Could I trust anyone with it? Of course not”“Excuse us”, Adrian said