"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
Diane felt the hair on the back of her head stand as Liam's car zoomed in.She stood stiff to the spot hoping her sincerity could get to him.Liam alighted from the car, he was dressed in a casual Tee and jeans.“Liam,” Diane called out and rushed over into his arms.Liam didn't stop her, he just stood rooted to the spot.“I am sorry Liam,” she pleaded desperately.“Did you do that?” Liam questioned with a raised brow.“What?” Diane responded swiftly disentangling herself from him.“Rissa's son! Were you the anonymous source that reported it?” Liam questioned suspiciously.“I didn't,” she said unfazed.If Liam didn't know better, he would have believed her.But Diane was a lying fox, how could he discern her lies from the truth?“I want to have a conversation with you babe,” Diane said sweetly.“Don't call me that! It is disgusting,” Liam said and walked out on her.He entered the mansion and his gaze fell on the spot where broken glassware was.Obviously, Diane had tidied it up.He m
Diane felt hurt from the pit of her stomach as Liam had left her unbothered.He had locked himself inside his study giving her no chance to apologize.Initially, she had planned on pretentiously showing remorse.She sat on the bed and opened the spyware.To her annoyance and disdain.Liam had been chatting with Rissa.Her worst fear is about to be unleashed A resurrection of the affection between the two before she tricked them into mutual hatred.She had instilled the spyware in Liam's phone without his knowledge.From their six years of marriage, she had always had access to his chats.This had set her mind at ease that he was not cheating on her.But the downside was that she had always known all his surprise plans for her before he executed them.She felt heartbroken when Liam praised Rissa's son.It irritated her to the core knowing fully well it was his business competitor’s son.Adrian hadn't hidden his affection for children from her, but it hurt her more that he felt it tow
Adrian's lingering gaze made Rissa smile shyly.It was her first date in a long time and she wasn't sure if she still has the touch.She wore a maxi strapless gown, which accentuated her curves, and four-inch heels.Her simple yet elegant accessories added colour to her eyes.She wore her hair up in a bun; she had requested Mandy’s help with the makeup.To her amazement, it was flawlessly done as opposed to Mandy's hideous usual one.“I stayed up all night on YouTube for this”, Mandy had boasted.Feeling proud of the attractive makeup on Rissa's face.Rissa knew, of course, that she always had a cute face, but living carefree for some years had rid her of the flair for sophistication.“I must say, you look so stunning”, Adrian praised her.He kept glancing at her while awaiting their order in the exquisite restaurant.As usual, he was formally dressed in a black suit but his choice of tie looked less formal with polka dots.“Thank you, Adrian”, Rissa responded, smiling.A waitress bro
“Mum, are you dating Dad now?” Caleb's tiny voice sounded from behind Rissa.She turned and saw Caleb flashing his missing tooth.“Aren't you supposed to be in bed?” Rissa questioned, overwhelmed.“I couldn't sleep; Mandy was loud”, he responded, scrunching up his nose.Mandy eyed him maliciously “How was I loud?” “You were loud like this”, Caleb said and made a shirking noise.Rissa had to cover his mouth to stop him.“Keep quiet; it is late, sweetheart”, Rissa cautioned him and he adhered to it.“Okay, sorry, mum”, he responded dejectedly and made for his room, giving Mandy a dirty look.“That wasn't nice Caleb!” Rissa said.“Sorry mum! Sorry Mandy,” Caleb said and walked out gently.Rissa and Mandy exchanged knowing looks and smiled warmly.“Thank you Mandy”, Rissa said.She recounted the memory of her first meeting with her.Mandy had looked hideous on the outside but turned out to be a total sweetheart on the inside.“There is no need for that, you and Caleb have been keeping me
“Aren't you Liam Hickson's cheating ex-wife?”, Mr George questioned suspiciously.Rissa was overwhelmed and gave in to her impulsiveness.She smacked him across the face, taking him and everyone else in the office by surprise.“How dare you accuse me, you freaking snitch!” she shouted at him.To her relief his confidence dwindled, replaced by grief.He picked up his briefcase to leave when the security personnel walked in to arrest him.Rissa's heart thumped loudly in her chest.Not now! Not when her life just started making sense that her past would resurface to ruin things.She picked up her phone and dialed Mariah’s number who picked up immediately.She was about to talk when Abraham's masculine voice came through.“Rissa it's been a while”, he said hastily.“Hello, Abraham; I hope you are doing great?” She said, smiling pleasantly.“Yes, thank you, sorry your mother cannot pick up the call, she is suffering from toothache”, Abraham said calmly.Rissa felt suspicious at Abraham's
Diane's smile faltered as she saw Rissa and Adrian walk in.To talk about an unpleasant coincidence, this was the highest of it.They were talking about something hilarious and laughing.“Mrs Hickson”, she heard her lawyer call.Diane bit her lower lips in annoyance “I hope you understand perfectly well”, the lawyer said firmly.“Of Course Mr Bennett”, she responded nonchalantly, still distracted by the unpleasant peasant situation in front of her.She fought back the urge to snap them and publicize them.But her fear of the ruthless Adrian Grey held her back.She covered her face with her fringe and sunglasses.Yet she still fears the risk of exposure.“Can I leave now?” Bennett said with a smile plastered on his face.“Thank you, Mr Bennett,” she responded.The lawyer picked up his bag and left.Adrian and Rissa sat in the VIP section undisturbed.They kept talking about Caleb sharing likes and dislikes.“Enough about our child; let us talk about you, Rissa Stonebridge”, Adrian sai
“Is this enough response to your question?” Rissa asked sweetly.She watched Adrian's lingering gaze on her succulent lips.“Didn't know you were a great seductress”, he responded smiling.His worries melted away at the moment.“Didn't know I still have a touch of it”, Rissa responded with a wink.“Don't know why I’m always smitten by the fierce part of you”, Adrian said playfully.They both laughed wholeheartedly, a rich sound of two mesmerizing voices.“I’m still in contact with Liam Hickson; yes, he mistreated me in the past, but he wasn't a bad person to me initially; he was fragile and gullible, but I can assure you I only care about his wellbeing, but nothing romantic”, Rissa said.Adrian made a gesture of understanding by putting his hand on his chest playfully.“Caring about his well-being alone makes me jealous, but I can still live with that. Diane tried to gaslight me with the evidence”, Adrian confessed.“Diane? When? Where?” Rissa questioned suspiciously.“She was in the
The door opened with a loud thud and Adrian jumped up abruptly, his heart thumping loudly that he could barely manage to stand up straight. Rissa rushed towards them, and they all gathered around the surgeon, who threw a casual look at Rissa's exquisite shimmering flowing white gown.“The surgery was successful”Just one word and jubilation filled the air; Bianca and the baby boy had made it, and to their relief, Caleb hugged his cousin Gracia, who was still so overwhelmed that she had gotten a little brother at her teenage age. Bianca’s husband broke down in tears and Adrian had to console him.Adrian held Rissa's hand, and they exited the hospital; now that the baby had been born, they could enjoy the later part of their wedding party in merriment. Once they returned to the venue, Rissa rushed back to her changing room, where her designer was waiting patiently; Adrian had booked her for the whole day’s worth, so she had no problem with their little charade.“Let us skip the second l
The cool breeze blew in Rissa's face, and she felt bliss formed in her heart; for the second time in her lifetime, she heard the priest announce her arrival.“Here comes the bride”All heads turned in her direction, and thousands of eyes followed her gentle stride; from the pleasant look on their faces, her designer had done a flawless job. The stress that came with fitting her bulging stomach into the elegant dress she chose was a really hilarious moment for Camela. Rissa had vowed that her pregnancy wasn't going to stop her from slaying to her wedding.Abraham got up, Stella gave him a reassuring nod and he made for Rissa's side. She gave him a soft smile as the feeling of safety engulfed her; he had been nothing short of a wonderful father figure since she met him, and she wasn't willing to trade him for anyone, even if her real father were to show up, which was very unlikely. Walking her down the aisle, Abraham had truly earned it.Rissa's eyes met Adrian's, he looked at her so dr
Rosa kept shooting daggers at Adrian, but he didn't care; all that mattered was getting them deported out of Los Angeles. The police officers ushered them into the van. Bryan was silent, which bothered Adrian a little, but he overlooked it.Mrs Denver didn't show up; she had invited them, Bryan and Rosa, over only to hand them over to Adrian, who was hellbent on putting them behind bars or getting them deported. Unfortunately, Bryan had no other recorded crime aside from illegal entry, but Rosa could spend a few years behind bars for abetting Diane's crimes.Rosa was being dragged forcibly by a policeman when she screamed out; he released her arm as black blood was seeping out; Adrian remembered their last encounter, the bullet wound, and explained to the officers; they allowed her to undress the wound, to their surprise, it was rotting away.Adrian closed his eyes, disgusted by the pungent smell coming out of them; they decided to take her to the hospital while Bryan was to go into d
“I believe you are holding our family's treasure, Mr. Hickson.”Mrs Denver's loud voice cut through the air, the amusement behind her voice, a loud sound of victory. Liam contemplated calling off her charade but he decided to be civil about it.“I thought you said she wasn't your husband’s illegitimate daughter?” he questioned with a slightly raised brow.“I lied, but now that the three of them are dead and I don't have to take sleeping pills to force myself to sleep, I need to rub it in my husband's face by burying her ashes beside his”.Liam paused for a few seconds savouring the bitterness behind her words. She wasn't totally wrong. Diane’s bad blood was inherited from her callous father, Mr Denver, and they didn't really deserve any mercy. He looked down at the ceramic he was holding and stretched it forward to her.He had achieved his aim already, so having her ashes taken away by her family wasn't a big deal. His mind drifted off to the day he got their divorce papers signed, th
*Diane's Dream*Clara tried holding Diane's hand, but she pushed her hands away; the pain in her eyes, the unspoken resentment, she wondered how she even recognized her, but none of it seemed to matter; she just wanted to get out of her sight.“I am sorry my child”Diane turned around and gave her a disdainful look as if it mattered at all; all she wanted was to return to Rissa's ward and infuse the poisonous substance into her bloodstream. She looked around herself, everywhere looked so bright and deserted.She walked on, ignoring the helpless lady standing by her side pleading for her forgiveness; her life had been made miserable all thanks to her mother's reckless choice of man.“Diane, I never abandoned you, it is just….”“Save it to yourself, woman; I do not think I want to hear your excuses; I just want to get the hell out of here.”To her surprise, the woman did as she said, within a split second she disappeared, replaced by an all too familiar face, Mr Smith. Diane felt fear
“Adrian, am I pregnant?” Rissa wanted to scream but she held it in. An awkward silence ensued in the room; Adrian looked away instantly, avoiding Rissa's piercing gaze. Liam took it as a clue to leave, his bombshell seemed to have caused a shift in the atmosphere of the room.“I will check up on you later,” Liam said and winked playfully at Caleb, who smiled warmly in return. He walked out of the room with Adrian by his side. The moment they were out of sight, he apologized profusely to Adrian for spilling the beans. He had unintentionally eavesdropped on Adrian and the doctor's conversation earlier, which made him realize she was pregnant at a very early stage.“It is fine; congratulations to you, too. I guess Mrs. Hickson must be overwhelmed.”“She is, our daughter Bella is barely eight months old and……wait! Why are we talking about this?” Liam said bewildered.“Beats me too; we aren't friends after all,” Adrian responded, and awkwardly, they both laughed heartily.Adrian and Liam
Bryan paced endlessly, agitated by the silence around him. She had promised to reach out to him when the coast was clear but apparently something unfortunate had happened. He ruffled his lustrous hair as frustration welled up in him. Rosa wasn't the type to ghost him indefinitely.He thought inwardly about taking the offer discreetly. Mrs. Denver had reached out to him without Rosa's knowledge; she had warned him of her two-faced plot, and he was caught between calling it a bluff or actually naming her a traitor.Diane and Rosa have their pictures and videos circulating the internet. He was certain they were together but had she changed her mind and taken Diane's side again? He didn't want to talk about it.A knock sounded at the door, and he opened it immediately; he staggered backward, startled; he had expected a hotel attendant, but to his amazement, two prominent men in Los Angeles had paid him a visit.“Can we come in?”Bryan’s eyes widened, and he stared intently into Adrian Gre
Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-ThreeWhen It Seems to Be OverLiam couldn't help but feel impressed by Adrian Grey again. He had always surpassed his expectations in every way possible. The news of his family's safe return had raised a lot of jubilations that made even Liam happy.When the news of Rissa and Caleb's kidnap was aired, fear gripped him; he couldn't take his eyes off his family for days. He felt bad for Adrian, but he felt worse because it was Rissa. Bella crawled up to him enthusiastically flaunting her rattle in his face.Liam picked her up and wrapped his arm around her, she was growing up way too fast that it gave him unexplainable joy. Amber entered the room looking dejected and Liam got worried. He walked up to her and inquired what the problem was, her response shocked him to the bone marrow.“You mean we are having another baby?” He questioned wide-eyed.Amber responded with a short nod and busted into tears. Liam left the room immediately to drop Bella with her n
“Shall we play a game, Adrian?” Her devilish wink sent shivers down his spine; he looked down at Caleb, who seemed to be fidgeting too; he exchanged knowing looks with him, assuring him of having the situation under control.“The rules are simple: just nod your response, no talking, you talk, he dies! non-negotiable”.Adrian closed his eyes and nodded in affirmation, Diane sat up on the chair and faced him while still on his knees. Adrian could feel his knees hurting, but he didn't care at all; all that mattered to him was getting his family out of the hellhole.“Did Mr Smith offer you a deal?”Adrian nodded affirmatively, and Diane cursed inwardly; she suspected that sly bastard was up to something; she should have thrown him to the fishes when she had the chance.Her phone rang, and she looked over at it; she exchanged stiff glances with Rosa, who got the message clearly. Rosa came close to her and held Caleb by the shoulder while Diane left to pick up her discreet call.Rosa star