Rissa shut the file with a thud immediately after she dropped the call.“What the hell could have actually happened?” she thought, confused.Caleb sure is an active boy but he was never the type to hurt anyone.Rissa was still caught in between her steaming romance with her extremely attractive boss and getting a hang of her responsibilities at work.Still, Stella wouldn't stop calling her in a few days' interval to seek pregnancy counsel, claiming she hadn't had any child in thirty years.She picked up her bag and rushed out of the office sending Adrian a quick text on her whereabouts.If Mr George wasn't fired she would have had to seek his permission.Without any superior to report to, she had been saddled with the responsibility of dealing with the CEO directly by her colleagues.When was Percy Peach going to get a replacement for Mr George?She got into the cab hastily staring intently at her ringing phone.Rissa contemplated picking it up and she eventually did.“Is he okay?” Ad
“I don't like Miss Bernard!” Rissa said, pouting.Adrian just smiled knowingly “Is that jealousy I am sensing?” he questioned playfully.“Didn't you see how she was literally drooling all over you earlier today?” Rissa said, rolling her eyes.“She already said her word was a slip of the tongue, she didn't mean it”, Adrian said defensively.“And you believe that?” Rissa said in a disbelieving tone.Adrian didn't respond, he loved her jealous tone.He was enjoying himself at the moment.“By the way, how did you know his school?” Rissa asked curiously.“Mandy told me, I called her when you weren't picking up my call”Adrian responded as an unsaid pain laced his mesmerizing eyes.“I am sorry, Adrian; I shouldn't have shut you off from your parental rights”, Rissa said apologetically.“It is fine; I wasn't upset, just disappointed; I am glad we sorted it out”, Adrian simply responded.Rissa hugged Adrian lovingly, she busted into tears as she reminisced over the memory of it all.If Adrian
“Mr Grey, were the pictures real or photoshopped?” The interviewer questioned swiftly.Rissa bit her finger nervously as she watched Adrian's countenance shift from the screen of her laptop.Adrian adjusted on his seat, doubling up his domineering aura.“They were real," he responded.Breathes were drawn from millions of viewers, Rissa included.“You mean you have an illegitimate child?”The interviewer questioned again taunting him.“I do not approve of my son to be called that, although I wasn't aware of his existence for six years now, he is my son”Adrian responded sternly, stressing out his last sentence.“My apologies, Mr Grey, but are you aware that said mother of your child turned out to be an ex-wife of Liam Hickson of Golden Fingers, your business competitor?”.“I am aware”, Adrian responded dismissively.The interviewer was taken aback by it so were millions of viewers.“She cheated on him”, the interviewer said coyly.Liam stared intently at the screen of his phone desper
Abraham rushed out and turned the car around.He was sweating profusely despite the winter night it was.Stella screamed out loudly accentuating his uneasiness.Abraham rushed back to her side and held her waist.Stella's phone rang loudly but Abraham yanked it out of her grasp.He gently carried her into the car and zoomed off hastily.Rissa felt the air at the nape of her head rise.“I thought it wasn't time?” She questioned feeling unease.“It isn't; the doctor said it was preterm labour”, Abraham said hastily.“How is she?” Rissa asked, pacing nervously.“She has been wheeled into the theatre”, Abraham responded.Rissa's heart thumped loudly in her chest; carrying a twin pregnancy at fifty-eight was a great risk.Rissa's phone chimed and Adrian's message came through.“How is my queen doing tonight?” he asked seductively.“I am tensed; my mum is in preterm labour”, she typed back hastily.Her phone rang immediately and she picked up.“Is she okay?” Adrian questioned worriedly.“I
“That's my father”, Adrian responded bewildered.He turned to the excited old man and raised a questioning brow.“Oh my! You look just like him”, the farmer responded hastily “Where is he now?”.Adrian felt confused, but obviously, the old man seemed acquainted with his father in the past.“He is late, he died ten years ago”, Adrian responded.The farmer’s countenance dwindled.“I am sorry, he was such a good man”, the farmer affirmed.“How are you acquainted with him?”, Adrian questioned curiously.“I had a contract with his father, your grandfather’s company back then, I supplied raw fruit for processing until the company grew bigger and grew their own farms”, he responded sincerely.“Oh! It is great to meet you; I actually took over the company now; my grandfather is late too”, Adrian said regretfully.“My condolence to you young man”, he responded.“Thank you. I am Adrian”, he hastily responded.Rissa joined in their little discussion before the old farmer left.Luke and Anabelle
“Rissa was just a victim”, Liam responded.“Wow! This is huge, Mr Hickson”, the interviewer said, adjusting to her seat.“It is, she trusted the wrong people, and we hurt her”, he added with pent-up emotion.“So you mean Mr Grey's lack of disclosure in his interview was to save himself?” the interviewer questioned suspiciously.“Yes, admitting to raping my woman wouldn't have worked well with his image”, Liam responded confidently.“This is a lot to take in, so your wife orchestrated the whole ruckus?” the interviewer further questioned.“True, my ex-wife Diane Donaldson hired Adrian Grey to ruin my marriage to Rissa”, Liam said, acting remorseful.“I feel terrible for getting played and succumbing to their game”, Liam added hastily.Adrian threw his phone to the wall as he watched the interview with Rissa who was shivering.“That scumbag! He is trying to amass public sympathy, I will sue him for defamation of character”, Adrian fumed angrily.Rissa found it all difficult to take in;
Adrian's phone kept blaring endlessly but he kept ignoring it.Rissa felt uncomfortable but kept quiet pretending to be focused on dressing Caleb up.“He is all ready”, she said, patting Caleb's shoulder who was excited to visit an amusement park with his father.Returning to Los Angeles earlier than planned was important the moment Liam Hickson revealed their backstory to the media.“Mum, aren't you coming with us?” Caleb questioned pleadingly.“Sweetheart, Mum has to take care of some things”, she responded with a smile on her face.“Okay, I will enjoy it with Dad”, he said, pecking Rissa's cheek and rushing towards Adrian, who watched them with pure love.“We will be back soon”, Adrian said and smiled warmly at Rissa who responded with an affirmative nod.She watched them leave and heaved a sigh of relief.She sank into the sofa and rested her troubled head.“What am I supposed to do?” She soliloquized.Adrian had been acting unaffected despite the negative backlash he was getting
Rissa opened her eyes gently and was met by a pair of red worrisome ones.“Babe, are you awake?” Adrian called continuously.Rissa nodded slightly in affirmation and watched him heave a sigh of relief.“I shouldn't have left you at home alone, I am sorry”, Adrian said regretfully.Rissa noticed two other people and they were in a moving truck.“Relax, I called the ambulance van when you fainted, they are paramedics”, Adrian said reassuringly as if reading her thoughts.She tried to open her mouth but the words wouldn't come out.“Don't worry, Caleb is fine; he is home with Mandy; I left some competent bodyguards with them”, Adrian said reassuringly.Rissa sank back into the soft slab with her mind in shambles.What the hell was going to happen?They got into the hospital and Rissa was admitted to the VIP section as per Adrian's instruction.She winced slightly when the pin was inserted into her vein.God knows she hated hospitals totally.“I am fine, Adrian; I just got a little lighth
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