Tracy's boggy eyes irked Adrian. Did he just hear her mention Pandora's box? His hunch must have definitely been right.Bianca’s graceful return in the middle of the Hickson’s crisis seems too suspicious. But how many people know Bianca enough to consider her as the perpetrator?“I don't have it”. Adrian lied.He felt less of himself for doing that, but was he obligated in the first place to hand it over to his aunt or her friend?Curiosity engulfed him; who was this stern-looking woman whose simple smile changed her whole face in a glimpse and made her appear friendly?“I wasn't asking you to hand it over or agree that you have it”, Tracy said smiling pleasantly at him. He almost scoffed, the woman looked so accommodating with just one mere smile.“Adrian, my father told me about it before he passed on, should in case you were too clueless to find it; you were young and unserious back then, you know”.Bianca's words pierced his fragile heart. His grandfather didn't approve of Bianca'
“I heard you were a grumpy little boy once”, she teased and Adrian laughed. He felt at ease with himself and enjoyed the party till they decided to leave.The next day turned out really eventful for Liam Hickson who had to deal with business associates who were quite problematic.After he had managed to squeeze out some time to himself, he made for his therapist’s office, hoping for some tranquillity.He got to the front door when he stopped abruptly hoping desperately he had heard wrongly. Silence followed before the initial voice he heard spoke again.“You aren't responding, Tracy; I said we need to get that proof from Adrian; Liam looks too relaxed”.“Let me think, Diane, approaching Adrian Grey didn't work out; he was just as pigheaded as I was told; he denied its existence”, Tracy said, nettled.Liam staggered backwards. Wasn't he hearing right? An unlikely, least expected are plotting against him, a known enemy and a supposedly paid friend.He contemplated barging in through the
“I need you to do something for me, Rissa”Adrian's words sent chills down her spine, what could he possibly want? Does it have something to do with Liam's visit?“Please, Rissa, move back into my apartment; I do not mind staying in the mansion”.Adrian's countenance made her sad; all she could read was desperation; it must definitely have something to do with Liam's visit.“Was he here to threaten you? I mean Liam”“No, on the contrary, he requested a truce”“A Truce!” Confusion engulfed Rissa; Liam was gullible-minded but quite pigheaded to request for a Truce with someone he wanted to show supremacy towards.“Yes, it turns out my sister, his therapist and Diane are trying to drag him down alongside his father for the secret I hold”.Rissa felt pity for Liam at that moment; he wasn't totally guilty; it was Rowen, his father, a man who takes pleasure in using other people's emotions against them.His bedridden state had saved him from taking responsibility for all the troubles his gr
“Amber, I cannot accept your offer; I am sorry”, Liam said pleadingly. Before he could explain further Amber dropped the call. He tried reaching out to her but she didn't pick up.Liam sank back on the bed dejectedly clenching his teeth irritably. He had liked her as a friend but not in a romantic way.“Don't beat yourself about it, Liam, she will meet her perfect match soon”, he soliloquized loudly, trying to make himself feel less guilty.He rolled about in bed for about thirty minutes before he finally slept off. A continuous knock on the door jabbed him out of his sleepiness.“Open the damn door before I break it down”.Liam rolled over and fell on the floor, bewildered; he switched on his bedside lamp and took a peep at his fancy wall clock. It was way past midnight.“Open the damn door, Liam!” The screaming intensified.He knew instantly he was in for a bumpy ride that night. He was still dressed in a shirt that he had on earlier; the depressing day had left him so drained that
Rowen jolted up and screamed out in his hoarse voice. He grabbed the bedsheet for support feeling shivers down his spine.Two housekeepers rushed over after hearing his scream, he looked at their stunned faces and managed to raise his quivering hand to shut his mouth.“Mr Hickson, is anything the problem?”He didn't respond, he knew they wouldn't probe him further, they dare not. One of them moved close and adjusted his bed; he waved his hand dismissively, signalling that they were leaving.They left him undisturbed and went about their duties. He couldn't get any more sleep that night. Not with the loud banging of the door from Liam's room.Thankfully, it stopped along the line; his memories haunted him relentlessly, and so did his nemesis.Edward Grey of Perchy Peach whom he had befriended for years before they had to put their companies first and become enemies.His infatuation with fierce Bianca had complicated their relationship further, in his unconscious state, he had heard Bia
“What is this bitch doing here Liam!” Diane cried out pissed. She felt the tiny heel of her shoe almost slip, and she staggered backwards, startled.Amber just watched her laughing devilishly; embarrassment engulfed Diane; Liam had played a fast one on her. She looked up to meet his eyes and saw a glint of guilt.What a boy! After giving her such an awful surprise at Amber's presence, he still had the guts to feel remorseful. She resolved that very second, it was time to use her usual tool, cunningness!She adjusted herself and her posture shifted, exuding dominance and confidence. She was all draped in designer, what is there to feel insecure about?“I didn't know you two are sleeping together now, typical Liam, always jumping from one woman's bed to others; sorry, Amber, it took him this long to finally give in to your desperation”.The blank expression on their faces dissipated that her taunt had worked; she inwardly raised her wine glass in merriment. To her bewilderment, Liam
“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
*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
“Boom!”Mr. Denver’s body fell with a loud thud; Diane opened her eyes gently and watched Mr. Smith tuck the gun back into his back pocket. She opened her mouth several times but no word came out of it.“Was it fast and painless?”“What?” Diane spat out, afraid; she took another look at Mr Denver's corpse.“I said when you killed my daughter Sydney, was it fast?” Mr Smith questioned again; this time around, his voice carried a pent-up emotion.“Sydney was your daughter?” She questioned wide-eyed.She had no idea about anything when she took up the offer, only that she had to save her life and be rid of her crime. She took the hand that showed up to help, despite it looking like it was sent from the pit of hell.“Answer the damn question bitch!”Diane's lips quivered; she was already accustomed to being called a bitch that she didn't feel pained by it, only that she didn't know the possible response that wouldn't lead to having a bullet hole in her face.“I…I…it was ... fa... fast”, sh
Adrian turned and stole a quick glance at Liam whose countenance was no different from his. It had taken them one hour to drive in silence before they got to their destination, but their consistent phone ringing sent uneasiness to their soul.They got out of the car and waited patiently by its side, none bold enough to switch off their phones, Rissa’s eyes had thinned dangerously while warning Adrian of what she would do if he died. He knew they had to face their challenge head-on at that crucial point.“Congratulations on your…. engagement”.Liam smiled sheepishly at Adrian's words. He didn't know if it was the best moment, but he was glad to have his competitor say such.“Thank you”.They both try to pretend not to be shaken by the precarious situation they are in. Soon enough, a red Rolls Royce zoomed in and they both adjusted their stance, hiding their vulnerability perfectly.The car came to an abrupt stop a few steps from where they were standing. Liam looked around; it was a pe
Amber picked up her setting spray and splashed it on her face. She had spent the last two hours adding flashy makeup to her face, and she couldn’t sleep all night as she had contemplated the abortion several times, but she was still indecisive after coming up with fifty reasons why she shouldn’t keep it.It didn’t help matters that Liam hadn’t called her since two days ago that she missed his call, she didn’t call him too as her conscience kept prickling her, probably Liam was pulling out after his encounter with Diane the previous day, she couldn’t be sure but one thing was certain, she wasn’t ready to trap him with an unplanned pregnancy.She wore her five-inch heels and made for the door. She turned back to the mirror to double-check her effort, and it all looked perfect as if she was on her way to a red carpet event. On a day like this, she craved some alcohol, but she knew it would be a terrible idea, considering she was heading in for surgery.“You look stunning Miss Wilson”.He
Liam opened his eyes slightly as he heard Amber's loud yell over the phone, he saw Diane hovering over him and consequently jolted up in awe. She looked over at him and smiled sweetly. To further worsen the crime, she had him bound to the chair.“Sweetheart, was your dream pleasant?”Liam scoffed loudly and tried to remove his shackle but obviously Diane had done a great job of fitting it tightly enough to resist breakage.“How could I when I woke up to such an irritating sight as you”?Diane picked up her bag and swayed her hips; she acted unaffected by his spiteful words; Liam contemplated taunting her further, but remembering how temperamental Diane could be, he decided against it. She didn’t say anything and just walked out of the door leaving him stranded.A few minutes later, Adrian and Amber rushed in, breathing heavily; relief flooded their minds as they met him unharmed, with tears in her eyes; Amber started untying him while uttering inaudible curses under her breath, which
Diane stood in Liam's way smiling sweetly at him. Liam felt irritated from the depth of his heart; Amber was in danger; he needed to be there.“Where are you headed in such a rush?”“None of your concern Miss Donaldson”.Diane scoffed loudly; hearing Liam refer to her as that infuriated her. She adjusted her stance exuding dominance. She was certain he was aware of her leveling up and dining with the upper authority now; she had to live up to it.“I need to talk to you; let us go back to your office, Liam”.Liam checked his Rolex watch as his heart was beating loudly. He was about to yank Diane out of his way when his phone rang and he picked it up instantly.“What is the situation?” He questioned suspiciously looking into Diane's amused face.“It is all under control. Don't come, Mr Hickson”, Adrian said calmly.“I have Miss Donaldson right in my face here”, Liam pointed out.“Great! Keep her occupied. Don't worry, Liam, I will keep Amber safe”.Liam dropped the call while still star
The evening wind blew in Rissa's face allowing her to inhale the healing nature has to offer. She slightly touched the strangle mark on her neck as her mind drifted to it.“Are you okay?” Adrian questioned worriedly. Her quietness had made him uncomfortable and he blamed himself for risking her life by bringing her to the party.“Who would be okay after a conversation with the devil”.Rissa said sarcastically and Adrian laughed. They had all exchanged uncomfortable looks when Mr Denver had requested that they hand over something of his in their possession.Amber had discreetly drawn out her dagger from her undergarment in case they got attacked right there, but to their surprise, Mr Denver laughed hysterically and called his word a sick joke.The joke was really depressing in reality!He had left their table afterward and focused his attention on mingling with other guests. Relief flooded their minds, and they planned their quick exit before they got whisked into something dangerous t
The older man chuckled softly as the reaction he got from them was exactly what he was hoping for. Adrian exchanged knowing looks with Liam who was as taken aback as he was.“Seeing the top two business Mongols and competitors sticking side by side, Miss Donaldson must really be something”.“We are…..” Amber tried to cut in, but Liam stopped her discreetly. Obviously, they aren't at a tea party trying to gain ground. This mastermind is unknown, they shouldn't match up to him yet.“Oh, Miss Wilson, I heard your parents passed away last year; my condolences.”Amber swallowed hard; who the hell was this man? He seemed to be conversant with them so well that he acted so familiar, yet they had never met him before. Amber was not the type to be big on surprises, and she most definitely hated this particular one.“Do you run a company too?” Adrian's voice came through; he tried to sound confident and firm despite his heart thumping loudly in his chest.“Nah! I don't like the business world;
With another glance at the mirror, Diane felt proud of herself; a few times she visited an exquisite spa, her skin was glowing and radiant once again. The makeup artist had done a flawless job which made her look beyond perfect.It was her day, she kept reminding herself despite knowing her birthday party was a mere facade. It was a gathering of murderers hiding behind the mask of the law.“Miss Donaldson, the party is about to commence”, Her personal assistant reported to her.“Thank you Bridgette”, she responded enthusiastically. The fair-skinned petite girl bowed slightly and left.Being a puppet ain't all that bad, unlike Sydney, who tried to play the princess; Diane knew her place better and was ready to stick to it. She definitely owes them her life for getting out of her crime unscratched.Strangely enough, her victim committed suicide out of guilt for framing her in the first place. His suicide note was detailed enough to include that piece of information.Diane stood up abrup
“Everything looks unusually quiet”, Rissa said tapping her feet as she was feeling uneasiness from the pit of her stomach.Adrian moved close to her and wrapped his arms around her curvy hips seductively, he lifted her chubby cheeks to face himself and looked into her eyes.It has been a month since his discharge from the hospital and his horny feeling has almost been blown out of proportion. Rissa had denied him intimacy on the ground that he wasn't healed enough yet. He was more than thrilled to return to her that day after his checkup to share the news of his full recovery and hopefully make love to her.To make matters worse, he had returned to meet Rissa dressed the part as the short dress she had on had accentuated her shape and barely left anything to the imagination. He knew the feeling had been mutual but Rissa was always more logical than he was in that regard.“Can we not think about that for a second?” he whispered into her ears seductively, and she smiled inwardly.Sensin