The car stopped in front of the mansion, and Zeke breathed out in relief as there were no reporters in sight. Since their mansion was quite secluded, it was possible that they could not find their way there. Elena got out of the car, opened the car for her kids, and then watched as they got out gently. “Let me hold your backpack for you,” she extended her hand at her kids who were sulking. “Never mind,” Nathan brushed her hand away gently, picked up Natalie’s hand, and then walked to the gate with her. Zeke got down from the car, rested on the car, and then watched them as they waited by the gate. Elena hurried to them, rang the bell, and then placed her face on the security camera that was under the gatekeeper’s jurisdiction. The gate opened instantly, and she motioned to her kids to enter. Instead, they both turned around to face their father and then waved their hands at him gently. “Get back safely, Da…” Nathan picked on his finger and swallowed. “Uncle,” he said, raised
After she left her mother’s warm embrace, Elena stood in front of her children’s room and then pressed her lips together, wondering if she should enter or let them be. A minute literally passed since she stood there before she finally summoned the courage to knock on their door and then push the door open. As she entered fully, she watched the kids who sat on the bed, side by side with their books in front of them. “Uhm… are you working on your homework already?” She asked, her hands clasped in front of her as she walked slowly over to them. While they only nodded their heads in unison without raising their heads to look at her, she stood by the edge of the bed and then shook her leg gently. After a while, she settled on the edge of the bed and then dropped her hands on her thighs. “Are you… mad at me?” She asked. “No, why would we be?” Nathan answered, still not looking at her. Elena exhaled and then shook her head. “See, see, you’re both holding a grudge. Can we just talk it
The water she just poured into her mouth choked her the moment she read the headline from the news on the television. Camilla sprang up, widened her eyes, and then curled her fist tightly into a ball. ELENA HAD CHILDREN?! And… they belonged to… ZEKE?! “No. No. No way!” She screamed and smashed the remote control against the wall. He has kids? That was not possible! He… he had never slept with her! Right? He never told her he did! But… he never told her he didn’t either. “Fuck, no!” She screamed and looked around for something she could smash against the wall. Was that why he broke up with her? Because of those bastard kids of his?! Hold on… How the hell was that possible?! Staring at the video that popped up on the screen, her blood boiled more. It was a video of Elena picking up her kids from the school and sighting Ryan and Jeremy was enough to make her mad. Those two assholes had never shown her any support all through her years with Zeke. While Jeremy was noth
“I need to find Ethan,” Zeke exhaled as soon as he entered Jeremy’s office. Jeremy and Ryan had already returned to Jeremy’s office and Zeke had gone back to meet them there. They both turned their heads to look at the man who was breathing heavily, and Ryan stood up. “Have a seat first. You want water?” Zeke moved his hand away from his shoulder and then settled on the couch. “Water is not my problem right now.” “Zeke,” Ryan shook his head. “I have been trying to take down the articles, but… they are refusing to. Their largest shareholder is not in support, they say,” Zeke said. “Largest? Who?” Jeremy raised a brow. “It is that psycho obviously! What is worse is that every media station that is not in cohort with me is airing it. Should I just… buy all the media companies in the USA?” Zeke asked. They both stared at the seriousness on his face and then shook their heads. “You’re serious?” “Of course. My team has managed to take down a few of them, but not from the main sou
Chloe glanced at the dashboard of her car, dialed Elena’s number for the umpteenth time again, and then returned her eyes to the road. Her number was switched off according to customer care and she knew that she ought to call her later but she wanted to talk to her urgently. She thought of going to her company first, but then she had to reach home to her mother. There was one thing about their mother and that was always calling them over whenever something was happening or wrong. She could have opted to not go, right? But, who would arrive at her company in the next hour? Her mother. Her mother would literally sit down in her office and watch her work in a very uncomfortable manner till she agreed to talk to her. How did she know this? Her brother was a victim. In the past whenever their mother called for Zeke, he would tell her she was busy and would see her later and his mother would act as if she heard him already only for her to appear at his office. Zeke didn’t like t
“Why did you all hide it from me?” After everyone had settled and the atmosphere looked better, Brenda asked, her hands clasped together. “It would do more harm than good,” Zeke answered without filtering his words. Brenda snapped her brows together and asked. “What do you mean by that?” “Is it not obvious? You never liked her,” Chloe rolled her eyes. “I never hated her either!” She protested. “I have never hated Elena. I just… okay, I just didn’t trust her. You married her so suddenly and it was… suspicious. I mean, I thought she could be a gold digger. But I have never hated her, and you all know that.” Of course, they knew. At random family gatherings, she asked her when she was going to give her a grandchild and sometimes she asked how her parents were fairing. Sometimes, she asked if she was not going to work and remain a housewife, and sometimes, she doesn't even talk to her at all. “You let Zeke welcome another woman in. That woman! You knew she was Elena’s best friend
It took literally everything in them to convince Chloe to stay back home and rest before she could agree. “Just for today. No one is telling me otherwise tomorrow,” she snapped her brows together and they nodded their heads. Zeke moved over to her, pulled her in his embrace, and then patted the back of her head. “I am sorry I didn’t pay attention to you.” “Come on. You have more on your plate,” she groaned and then pulled away from him. “Just… find him,” she sniffed and he nodded his head. “Jeremy and I won’t rest till we find him.” “Thank you,” she smiled. “We’re leaving, mum. I’ll talk to you later,” Zeke waved his hand at his mother and she nodded her head. “Stay safe.” After Jeremy bade his mother goodbye too, he and Zeke turned around to leave but when Ryan didn’t move an inch from where he stood, they turned to look at him again. “What? Let’s go, dude!” “Uhm…” Ryan swallowed and adjusted in his stance. “I will stay a little with Chloe. You know how much she pretends
The kiss went on for a while before they moved away, breathing heavily. Chloe dropped her eyes on him, placed her index finger on her lower lips and when he looked at her back, she buried her face in her palm, feeling shy. “Gosh!” She exchanged. Ryan chuckled, stood up, and then settled beside her. “What?” He asked and tried to move her hand from her face. “Nothing. I just…” She swallowed when she moved her hands from her face to see him sitting so close to her. “I…” she shook her head and placed her hands on her lips again. “Are you shy?” Ryan asked. “What are we… now?” She shook her head and asked. “What happens after a kiss?” Ryan raised his brows. “Answer me,” she pouted and nudged him gently. Ryan adjusted in his seat, picked up her hand, and then fondled it gently. “I will ask officially.” Chloe swallowed and watched him while he started. “Will you… go out with me? Be my girlfriend.” Chloe had waited for many years to hear this from him and him saying this to her r
The call ended, and Elena shook her head vigorously.There was no way this was going on.She swallowed hard and dialed the number again but it was not going through.Skeptically, she looked around the car while she made sure she sat tightly.What if it was not a lie?What if there was truly a bomb in her car?How could anyone have had access to the car anyway?Finally, her eyes settled on the dash camera in her car and she squinted her brows when her eyes caught the faint red light that was flashing beside it.She leaned closer and when she realized that a camera had been planted in her car.No wonder he knew to call the moment she wanted to leave the car.If truly she was sitting on a bomb as he had said, then she could have died if he had called her a second late.Oh, what a psychopath!Her kids were missing and she has been made to sit forcefully in her car.She browsed through her phone and then clicked the camera application. She began to record the car and then gently down the s
“K… kids? Whose kids?” Elena stuttered.Zeke dropped the call instantly and palmed his face.“You are not talking about the kids, are you?” The gateman stuttered.“Why…?!”He sniffed and shook his head.“Why did you let them go with him?”“I have seen him before, so I didn’t think to refuse him. Besides, they called him uncle.”Zeke looked around and his phone rang again.He gritted his teeth and then picked up the call gently.“Where are my children?!” She thundered, breathing heavily.“I am going to look…”“You said Ramon has them?!”“The gatekeeper said someone came to pick them up. I believe it was Ramon.”“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Elena screamed from the other side.“Stay back, Elena, I am going to find them,” he said when he heard the sounds of footsteps.“You can’t tell me to sit back while my children are missing!” She yelled and then dropped the call.Zeke looked around and when he saw the CCTV camera, he moved closer to the security man.“Can I see the CCTV footage right away?”As
“B… but… why have you come to pick us?” Nathan stuttered as he reluctantly got out of the gate.“Your daddy sent me to pick you up. He is running late at work.”Zeke had initially thought that they were going to close by 3PM as usual but they had closed by two.“Daddy?” Natalie raised her brows.“Have you forgotten? I am his friend. His only best friend in the world.”The twins exchanged glances again.“I know you two are mad at me about what I said the last time and I am so sorry, okay? Can you forgive me already? I’m taking you to your daddy. Can we leave now?”Nathan moved over to Natalie and then held her hand. “We will wait for Daddy to come.”Ramon gritted his teeth and then forced a smile hurriedly. “Come on, guys.”“Daddy promised to come pick us up.”“But he is not here yet.”“He probably thought we would be closing by three and not two!” Nathan snapped.Oh, this boy was smarter than his age.Ramon hissed,“Actually… I should not be telling you this…” he sighed and bowed his
“Can we not go to school today, Daddy?”Natalie forced a solemn look as she stared at her father who addressed her dress.“What?” “We are not going to tell mummy.”“What?!” He widened his eyes when Nathan added.“We’re going to act as if we went to school and then when it is time, you will take us back home,” Natalie said.“Jesus, when did you two become like this?!” He exclaimed and the twins burst into laughter.“You are being dramatic, papa.”“You want me to join you to lie to your mother!”“You are exaggerating. It’s not gonna be a lie. We’re just gonna tell her that we went to school…”“Whereas you didn’t?” He cut her short and she clasped her hands together.“Exactly.”“How did you two come up with that idea? It is so…”“Perfect? We know,” Nathan smiled.“Not perfect, guys!”Natalie covered the space between her and her father who knelt in front of her and then wrapped her arms around his neck.“That is because we have missed you, daddy. We want to spend the rest of today with
“But Daddy, do you pull your friends' clothes?” Natalie asked after they had watched Ramon out of the compound.“We were only talking. It is nothing serious. Trust me.”“I thought you were fighting. About what he told us.”Zeke sighed and then glanced at Ariana who chuckled. “We have settled everything. He had apologized for saying something like that so we are good now.”“Hmm,” Nathan rolled his eyes.“I am being serious.”He held the door for them and they both entered the car.“Have you told mummy?”He parted his lips and then scratched his forehead. “I forgot.”“Daddy!” They both exclaimed and he rushed back inside.Ariana laughed as they watched him run to the big door and she turned to look at the twins.“Your mummy will agree. Don’t worry.”===“Daddy, do you know our birthday is on Saturday?”He nodded his head as he took a turn out of the street before he glanced at them through the rearview mirror.“I do.”“We will be six years old!” Natalie shrieked and he giggled.“The ‘Ye
By the time Zeke and Elena got to the living room, Ramon was ready to leave. “Oh, I was just going to come to you to say bye!” He exclaimed, smiling. Zeke needed not to be told that the man was wearing the fakest and forced smile ever. “Oh… is that so?” Elena smiled and then moved away from Zeke. “I… sorry about your face,” she pointed her finger at his face and he chuckled. “I probably deserve it.” She nodded her head and he leaned closer to her gently and then hugged her. “I have missed you.” Zeke watched, with his hands curled into a tight ball. “When will I see you again?” She asked him. “When you feel like seeing me… but soon,” he pulled away and then stared at her. “Soon,” he repeated and then glanced at Zeke. He turned to leave the room after bowing at the old couple and then Zeke hurried after him. “Are you going to pick a fight again?!” Ray hollered. Instead, Zeke curled his arm around the man’s neck, turned back, and then smiled. “Not at all, fat
After they disentangled from the hug, Ariana waved her hands at her sister and then exited the room, leaving just the two of them in the room.When she got up to the living room, she rolled her eyes backward when she found her mother cleaning Ramon’s wound.Oh, Zeke should have hit him harder!At least, disfigure his face for the rest of his life.She grunted and then walked to the big door that led outside the room.“Where are you going?”“The twins are in the car. So, I’ll check up on them.”“Why won’t they come in, in fact?” Ray rolled his eyes.“I bet they think Zeke has come to return them so they chose to stay in the car till he returns,” she laughed.She dropped her eyes on Ramon, twitched her lips upward, and then said, “They love their father so much, you know. At this point, I can’t wait for them to become a proper family.”She said on purpose to rile Ramon up.Instead, the man only watched her while he faked a laugh.“Just leave them to do their thing,” Karina rolled her ey
“Zeke, no please!” Elena screamed and rushed to the man who threw a punch in Ramon’s face. She grabbed his shirt and tried to pull him backward but he would not budge. He kept hitting the man while Ramon raised his hands defenselessly. Zeke pulled him up, and then shoved him against the wall, “What are you doing here?” “C… Chill… you’re gonna kill me,” he coughed, trying to move Zeke’s hand from his neck. “What the hell are you doing here? How dare you show your face here?” “What are you saying, what have I done?” “You’re going to feign ignorance?” “I don’t know what…” Zeke raised his fist and tried to punch him again but Elena was quick to wrap her hands around his wrist. “Jesus, Zeke, you’re going to kill him!” “Let go, Elena.” “No, not on my watch.” “Why would you even let him in?!” He snapped and yanked his hands from her grip. “Just let him go.” Zeke turned back to look at Ramon, tightened his grip around his neck, and then breathed heavily. At that
“Where are the twins though? I have not seen them anywhere around?”Ramon asked as he stared at Elena who settled on the couch opposite him.“Oh… they are at their fa— They are at Zeke’s house,”“Oh…” his mouth formed an O and he nodded his head.“So… Can we talk now?” She asked.He nodded his head, bowed his head, and then palmed his face.Elena watched while he did that for a while before he started.“It was during the time Natalie was sick that I heard about my origin.”“My father had always claimed that he was an orphan. He said it was just him and that his family had died during a plane crash and he was the only survivor. We believed him of course, till recently when my brother called to tell me the truth.”“My father is Russo. He is Zeke’s uncle. Surprising, right?”Elena swallowed and then nodded her head.“After he told us, my brother thinks that it was right that he pursued his rights. He said he had shares at their house and since then, he has been out of reach.”“Your broth