“Really?” Elena raised her brows.“Yes, ma’am. I just confirmed it,” her assistant, Marvella answered over the phone.“Alright, thank you.”“Any problem?”She raised her head to look at her mother who settled in front of her.“My assistant said I have been nominated.”“Nominated? For?” Her eyes lit up.“One of the projects I created has been nominated as the best project of the year, and I have been nominated as the fast-rising CEO of the year… if that is a thing,” she chuckled.“Wait, really?!” She widened her eyes and she nodded her head.“God! Congratulations, my dear!” She exclaimed and pulled her up into a hug.“Come on, Mum. It’s just a nomination. It’s not like I’ve won and been awarded,” she chuckled as she pulled away gently.“Don’t say that,” Karina slapped her arm gently.“I am so proud of you my dear. It’s not up to six months since you came to the limelight and you are getting the recognition you deserve already!” Karina said in nothing but excitement which rubbed off on
“Daddy!” Natalie screamed the moment Zeke’s face popped up on the screen and Nathan turned to cover her mouth with his hand.“Let go of me!” Natalie screamed and pushed his hand away.“Don’t shout!” He snapped back at her.“You just did too!”“I was trying to tell you not to!”Zeke smiled in amusement as the kids bickered and then cleared his throat. He had not talked to them or seen them in almost two weeks.He had not seen Elena either. Most times he visited her company, she was not on seat, so he could not meet her.“Hi, guys!”“Daddy,” they both chorused this time, their voices lowered.He smiled and then watched the excitement plastered across their faces.“Is something going on? You look more hyper than usual.”“Did you not miss us? We’ve not talked since forever. Mum has been guarding her phone the past few days so we could not talk to you,” Nathan pouted.“What are you saying? I have missed you terribly!”“Then… will you come over?”“To your house? Natalie, you know I…”“Dad,
“Elena, I am sorry,” Zeke exhaled, already stressed.He was hoping the woman would not scold the children in his stead and this alone was stressing him.“We just wanna talk to Daddy,” Nathan mumbled and her brows drew together again.Had they started talking to him because she told them he was their father?Hold on… Her mind traveled back to the time she was looking for her phone and found it in their room.They had been talking to the man way before she even confirmed it to them.Did Zeke tell them?It was possible, after all.Her children were so adamant that he was their father even before she told them and it dawned on her now.He must have told them which made them so unconvinced that he was not.“Zeke?” Ray snatched the phone from his daughter and then looked at the screen.Elena breathed out and shook her head. She didn’t want this to happen… not when her father was around especially.The man and her just ended their silent treatment a day ago and she did not doubt that they c
Elena brushed past the woman and then ran as fast as her legs could carry her to her children’s room. She pushed the door open, rushed in, and then walked further to the room.As it was late already, they were already asleep, so she settled beside Natalie on her bed and then buried her face in her palm.If it was true and her daughter was truly sick, she probably would never forgive herself. How could something like that go past her?How could she not know?!She was aware of the cold, as she had been told by her homeroom teacher and honestly, she thought it was normal as the weather was not exactly friendly either.She turned on the lamp on her nightstand and then dropped her hand on the girl’s forehead. She was… cold.“Oh, God.”“Natalie,” she whispered and shook her gently.“I think you should let her sleep, ma’am.”She turned to look at the woman who had entered the room with her and then exhaled.“She is cold.”“We will take her to the hospital tomorrow,” the woman said.Elena
“W… what are you saying?” Elena stuttered as her head suddenly went blank.Was the boy pulling a prank on her?While she hurried away, he and Ariana rushed after her.“I… I tried waking her up but she is not answering! Her body is cold and she is… she is not opening her eyes!” Nathan cried profusely as he ran after his mother.Elena pushed the door to their room, knelt beside her daughter, and then shook her gently.“Darling.”She turned to look at Ariana, shook her head, and instantly, she carried the little girl up and clutched her to her chest.“The hospital!” She cried.“What is going—”Karina and Ray who had heard the screams from their room had rushed in and then stopped abruptly at the state the room was in.Elena ran past them, and Ariana followed suit.“Natalie,” she whispered in her ears continuously as she descended the stairs.When she got outside and looked around for their chauffeur, Ariana tapped her back and raised her car key. “I’ll drive, let’s go.”Without hesitati
“W… what?” Her legs weakened and her father grabbed her hurriedly.“I am sorry. Although we would need more tests to be certain. It would take a few days before the test result returned and while we wait, she should be admitted so that we would keep a close look on her.”“Hold on… acute leukemia? What could have caused it? She is just a baby!” She cried out.“My parents don’t have it. Their parents don’t. It is not hereditary so…”“Of course, a child can develop acute leukemia even if there is no family history of leukemia. Acute leukemia is a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, and it can occur in children without a known family history of the disease. So, most cases of childhood leukemia occur sporadically, meaning they are not inherited or related to a family history of cancer.”“B… but not my child!”“As I have said, we need to run more tests to be certain. She will move to a new ward soon.”The doctor and the nurses bowed gently and then walked past the family.
“Go on.”“There has been unusual movement at the house since last week. But, we are yet to figure out what is wrong.”Zeke pressed his lips together as his man said and then leaned in his seat gently.He had not seen Elena for over a week. He had visited her office three times in the last week but her assistant had told him that she was on leave instead.When he asked her how long, she only told him she did not know either.Elena was not one to miss work, he knew that much.And it was even the fact that she was still in the country that bothered him.Not that it was a bad thing… but if Elena was out of the country… Maybe for a business, it would be understandable as to why she had not been at work.The children had not been going to school too… since last Monday!Ariana had not been at work either.His informants had yet to gather what was wrong and they only could if they could follow one of the cars that left the mansion.He was quite uneasy about this because Elena had strongly war
It had taken Elena everything in her to deliver the news to the man who stood astounded in front of her. Three days ago, the doctor had backed up his claim with the result that Natalie indeed has Leukemia. He proceeded to tell them that the lymphoid cells that had turned into leukemic cells had reproduced many new cancer cells in her body. Which eventually overwhelmed the bone marrow, spilled out into the bloodstream, and spread to other organs. According to him, she needed to undergo treatment instantly before it got uncontrollable, and there, Elena had told the doctor she would be her daughter’s donor. The doctor said to her that they would need to carry out a test to know if she would be a match first and while they were at it, her parents including Ariana decided to get tested too, hoping that one of them would be a match. However, a while back… he returned with the result. #FLASHBACK# “I am sorry to inform you that none of you is a potential match for being a donor,” he ann
“No, baby, no! Daddy is not dying,” she bent down and then cupped her cheeks gently.Afterward, she turned to look at Nathan and then smiled at him. “You did well.”“He will be fine, right?”She nodded her head and then stood up.“We will stay with him,” Nathan said and moved over to his bed when they saw her walking to the door.She nodded her head, stepped out of the room, and then closed the door behind her.As she descended the stairs, she glanced at her family who sat away from each other in silence, and then dropped her hands on her waist.“How is he?” Karina stood up and then asked.“He is still unconscious,” she answered.Karina stopped in front of her and then held her hands. “I am sorry, I was not aware that he was there,” she said.“I know, mother. It is not your fault,” she covered her hand on her mother’s before she finally moved away.Looking down at her father and then Ariana who looked more solemn than ever, she exhaled and then smacked her tongue.“I guess you two wil
Karina watched the man who tried to stand up by himself but soon collapsed back on the floor and then exclaimed, stretching her hands like she wanted to stop him from falling.“Help him!” She yelled at the gatekeepers who were yet to reach the man and then turned to look at Ryan and Chloe who ran to the manThe two men curled each of Zeke’s arms around their necks and then pulled him up slowly.It seemed as though he had passed out as they felt no movement from him at all, and gently, they began to walk back to the gate of the mansion.Karina sighed, and then turned back inside, leaving the others to follow her.“Oh, Jesus! Finally!” Chloe shrieked, jumped up in excitement, and then rushed to the gate too, Ryan following closely behind her.~~~“Elena…” Ariana breathed out, rushed closer to her sister who stood by the door, and then grabbed her hands.“Let go!” Elena snapped and then yanked her hand away.“I am sorry, please,” she sniffed and then clasped her hands together.“Stop say
“How did you know this?” She asked as she moved the duvet from her body.“I overheard Grandpa and Aunt Ariana talking about it. I am certain, Mother. Go and save our daddy. He will die!” He cried out.She looked at Natalie who looked quite panicked like her brother but said nothing.~~~MEANWHILE…“How dare you two play this kind of game with me?!”Ray and Ariana turned around instantly at the sudden holler of Karina and then pressed their lips together.They were talking about the possibility of Zeke still being outside in the rain or not and Karina had overheard them.“Mum… we can explain,” Ariana shook her head and waved her hands at her mother.“Explain? Explain? Are you kidding me?!”“Karina.”“Are you saying that Zeke had been kneeling in front of our house for the past… two days? What am I even saying? This is the third day!”“He is just putting on a charade!” Ray snapped.“A charade? Really, Ray? That is not for us to judge, I have told you!”“Let him be. He will get tired and
“Is he still there?”Chloe rolled her eyes and nodded her head in response as if Jeremy who just asked the question was in the car with them.The man had left after waiting with them for a while and it was just her and Ryan in the car.It was past ten in the morning. THE THIRD DAY. And while they were in the car, they munched on shrimp crackers and talked before Jeremy’s call came in.“He is,” she finally answered.“So, you and Ryan are there… watching him?” He chuckled gently over the phone.“Come back here, please… and talk him out of this. It’s been over two days already.”“Did anyone see him again? Aside from Ariana?”“No one has been out of that house. And even when Ariana returned about four hours ago or so, she didn’t spare us a glance! That lady, I can’t believe she could be like that to us.”“I wouldn’t blame any of them, trust me.”“You should, Jerry! Those people are being cruel!”“Your brother treated them wrong, so it was only right that they retaliate that way.”“But thi
Before he stepped out of the car, he dialed Jeremy’s number first and then waited for the man to pick up which he did after the call was almost ending.“I hope you are calling for something very important. It’s so early in the morning, dang it,” Jeremy hissed.“There is a problem,” Ryan exhaled.“Good, I love to hear that. What is wrong?”“It is Zeke. You need to leave everything you are doing and come over here, right now. Please.”“What is wrong with Zeke?”Ryan glanced out to look at his friend before he answered Jeremy and a long silence ensued.“Share me your location,” he said and then dropped the call.After he ended the call, he placed a call across to Chloe too, and then explained the situation at hand before he finally stepped out of the car.He moved over to Zeke, palmed his forehead, and then dropped his other hand on his waist.“W… what in the name of madness is this?” He moved to his front, leaned down, and then lifted his chin up with his hand.Staring down at his frie
“Is he truly outside?” Karina rushed to her husband as he entered the room and he swallowed, entering fully.“I have told him to leave. He is leaving already,” he answered and then looked around the living room.“Where is Ramon? I ran into him outside the door here.”“He has gone to see Elena,” she replied.“Was he truly on his knees?”“You worry too much, Karina.”“Answer me, Raymond.”“Do you think that man has what it takes to do that?”He knew so well that his wife would not agree to the fact that he had left Zeke on his knees outside their mansion.“Honey, I really think you should stop interfering in their business.”“Whose business?” He feigned ignorance and settled on the chair.“Elena and Zeke. Raymond, they are not children.”“You are not honestly rooting for them again, are you?”“I am in support of whatever Elena chooses. I can’t make decisions for her and you need to know that too.”“In the past, you were against their union! I should have listened to you.”“That was beca
“Who did you say is asking for Elena?”“A Zeke Russo, sir.”Ray drew his brows together and turned to look at Karina who sat on the couch away from him.“Don’t let him in.”“Raymond,” Karina called him softly.“Let him return to wherever he is coming from or you will be losing your job!”The gateman bowed and then rushed out back.Delivering the message to the man in a rather harsh way, he closed the gate and returned inside.“Something happening?” His partner asked him as he returned inside his quarter.“The man outside. Boss said he does not want to see him in this compound or I will lose my job.”“Wait, really?”“I am telling you,” he exhaled and then settled on the chair in front of the big screen.“W… what is he doing?” He stuttered as he watched the screen.The other man rushed to him, drew his brows together, and then parted his lips.“Is that what I think it is?”“He is on his knees?” The gatekeeper asked rhetorically and then stood up hurriedly.___________“Hey, are you craz
“Take, one more spoon,” Elena patted her daughter as she took the last spoon of her food and after the girl collected it from her, she cleaned her mouth with a handkerchief and then leaned back.“Are you full?”Natalie nodded her head and then turned to look at her plate where Nathan had dropped a piece of meat in.She raised her brows, smiled gently, and then picked it up.“Thank you.”Nathan watched her sister chew it completely and then asked. “Do you want more?”She shook her head and then instead pulled off her cap. “See, my hair is starting to grow.”Nathan stared at her head where he could barely see a strand and then chuckled. He pulled off his cap too, bowed his head, and then showed her his. “Mine too.”“But…” Natalie tilted her head. “I can’t see any hair there.”“Same. There is no hair on your head either.”They dropped eyes on each other, and Elena pressed her lips, thinking Natalie had taken offense at his comment when her facial expressions literally went unreadable.Sh
“So, you’re not going? Really?”Zeke ignored Ryan totally, his head buried in his laptop and the man shook his head. Ryan exhaled and collapsed in the chair opposite Zeke and palmed his face.“Your daughter… Natalie is getting discharged today and you really are not going there?!”Still, he was mute. Maybe if Ryan peeped to check what Zeke was typing continuously on the keyboard, he would see that the only word he kept typing was ‘Natalie.’“You know, you are an asshole, right?”Still, he was mute.“She is leaving the hospital today. It means she is hale and healthy already. It means she can move around freely and you can meet her as you please, you know?” Ryan reminded him.When Zeke did not answer, he leaned closer, pushed the laptop shut, and then hissed.“What are you planning? I can swear that you are not busy and you were typing shit right there.”“C… could you see them home safely?”“Dude, that is your duty, not mine!” Ryan snapped with creased brows.Zeke nodded his head, exh