Elena winced in pain for the umpteenth time as her lower belly shook in pain and stood from where she sat, then walked to the tall standing mirror in her room.
She raised her chiffon top and then stared at her flat belly.
Wondering why her stomach hurt, she poked the lower belly gently and then winced again as the pain hit her.
“Aw!”
“I should go to the hospital tomorrow…” she said to no one in particular after glancing at the wall clock and realizing that it was almost seven in the night.
After she had left Zeke’s company in the afternoon, she had come straight home and had been literally sleeping since then.
The last thing she wanted was to think about the divorce paper that she had received earlier the day as it does nothing than bring tears to her eyes.
Finally, she trailed her eyes to the brown envelope on the nightstand beside her bed and then exhaled.
It was not a dream, indeed.
Her husband has presented the ‘death note to her.’
As she stared at her reflection in the mirror for as long as only God knows when, a knock came from the door and then the door opened almost immediately which made her drop her clothes abruptly.
“Nina,” she swallowed hard as their middle-aged housekeeper entered.
After staring at her with a bit of suspicion in her eyes, she called, “Mrs. Russo.”
“Yes?”
“You told me to let you know when your husband arrives,” she said.
Elena’s eyes lit up with hope and turned to face the woman fully. “Zeke is back?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Okay. Okay, thank you.”
Nina nodded her head and stared for a while at her madam who paced around the room, completely forgetting that she might still be standing there before she moved inside fully and closed the door behind her.
“Mrs. Russo.”
Elena clasped her hands together and turned to look at the woman, “Yes?”
“A… are you okay?”
Elena swallowed the lump in her throat before she nodded her head. “Sure. Why do you ask?”
Nina inhaled and shook her head. She knew Elena so well. It has been three years since Elena joined this house and it was safe to say that she knew everything that was going on in the house.
She could say for sure that the Elena that entered this mansion three years ago was no longer the one in front of her.
The woman who has the brightest smile ever, and then prettiest smile now looks ‘odd’. She could swear that Elena was starting to look more than her age. The woman had gotten weary, she rarely smiled. No. She does not even smile anymore.
Maybe the last time she saw her smile was… one years ago?
Still, she did not doubt that the once happy Elena was buried deep inside this wearily-looking woman.
“You know… I am always here for you, right?” She asked.
Elena smiled with so much pain in her eyes and then nodded her head gently. “I know, Nina. I do.”
Even she had missed those moments when she used to sit with Nina and talk and laugh as if she did not worry about anything in the world.
How she suddenly turned this way… she did not know.
Nina nodded her head, dropped her eyes on the brown envelope on the table, and then to her stomach before she looked at her again.
“He is with someone though. I thought I should let you know,” she said.
Elena raised her brows, “Who?”
Nina hesitated for a while before she inhaled and answered, leaving the woman dumbfounded. “Your best friend.”
After Nina left the room, Elena staggered to the bed and settled at the edge of the bed before she palmed her face.
She had always heard about the term weapon fashioned against someone, but what she had never imagined was that she would be meeting the weapon fashioned against her in this lifetime of hers.
“That leech,” she growled in anger.
Zeke would never see her in a good light. Maybe the earlier she realized that the better it would be for her.
If he wanted to talk, or maybe sort things between them for the better, he would not have brought THAT woman to this house while she was still there.
That was the amount of respect that he had left for her and she felt so bitter to know that things were never going to work between her and her husband.
Her eyes dropped to the brown envelope again, she stood up, grabbed it from the nightstand, and then removed the document for the first time since she had collected it from him.
As she read the content, tears laced in her eyes and she tried as hard as she could to control it.
It was when she saw the tears that fell on the paper in front of her that she burst into fresh tears.
“Y…I don’t deserve this… Zeke,” she cried as if he was somewhere listening to her.
Through teary eyes, she looked around for the pen she usually has on the drawer in the room.
===
“Aw!”
Elena cried out from her sleep and gently sat up.
She reached out for the switch behind her bed frame and then switched it on while she kept her other hand on her stomach.
It hurt so much more than it had hurt during the day and she raised her head to see the time.
It was past eleven so she knew she had to wait till the next day to leave the house like she had initially planned and then maybe visit the hospital.
When another sharp pain shook her, she screamed and then pulled the duvet away from her body.
However, sighting the bloodstain on the bed, she widened her eyes in horror as the surge of hysteria hit her.
“Shit!” She burst into tears and struggled to get out of the bed.
“Shit, my baby!” She cried as she stood still, her legs wide apart, and then unplugged her phone from the charger.
She browsed through her contact list and then dialed Zeke’s number.
It rang for a while before it ended and when she called it back, it was switched off.
Sluggishly and in pain, Elena dragged her feet to the door, opened it, and then walked slowly to Zeke’s room.
When she got to the door, she hit the door and called his name. “Zeke.”
“Fuck, harder!”
She heard the unmistakable voice of Camila and she suddenly felt her heart squeezed tightly in her chest.
“Z… Zeke!” She ignored the sounds of slapping of butts and the high screams that came from the room.
“P… please,” she sniffed, the pain getting unbearable.
Still, none of them answered her and all she kept hearing was the moans and screams coming from the room.
While she was in pain, they were having… sex?
She turned around gently and began to walk towards the stairs while she browsed through her contact list again.
After a while of ringing, the receiver picked it up, and her low, cracked voice came up.
“Don’t you sleep in the night, Elena?”
“H… help me.”
“Sis?” Aria’s voice came up immediately.
“Come… come here. Hurry.”
“Fuck! What is going on, Elena?!”
“Come. over. here!” She hollered with the last strength in her and then struggled down the stairs.
She could have gone to wake the maids, but, the last thing she wanted was them seeing her in this situation when her ‘husband’ was inside… fucking another woman.
If she could get to the gate safely without passing out, then, she would be fine.
“But… my baby… please…” she sobbed as she walked out of the big door of the living room.
As she dragged her feet to the huge gate of the mansion, she sobbed.
“I… I will make you regret this, Zeke.”
“Y… you will pay for what you’ve done to me this night. I… I swear.”
===
Elena did not know how long she lay on the cold floor outside the mansion, barely hanging on to life before the headlight of the car almost blinded her and made her close her eyes.
The car pulled to her side abruptly, and Aria got down and screamed.
“Elena!”
She rushed to her, knelt beside her, and pulled her to sit gently.
“What is going on? Why are you out… Blood?!” She screamed in horror as her eyes fell on Elena’s white night dress soaked with her own blood.
“H… hospital…” she said weakly.
“Where is Zeke? Why are you here alone?”
“H… hospital, Aria. M… my baby,” she grabbed the tip of her cloth.
“Your ba… Shit, you are pregnant?!”
“Jesus fucking Christ!” Aria shrieked as she struggled to pull her sister up and then walked her slowly to the car.
After she had settled her in very well, she rushed to the other side, got in the car, and then drove away with the highest speed possible.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but I will kill Zeke anytime I see him!” She threatened, tears laced in her eyes too.
“Fortunately, she arrived here earlier, else it might have been a different story entirely.”The doctor said as he adjusted the intravenous drip and then turned to look at Aria who stood behind him.“Is she okay now? And the baby?”“Yes, I must say, he is a fighter. He hung onto his mama really well,” he said and Aria smiled weakly.“Thank you.”“She should be awake soon. I will come back to check up on her,” he said and she nodded her head.“Alright. Thank you, Doctor.”After the doctor exited the room with the two nurses, she returned to sit beside her sister’s bed and then picked up her phone to check the time.It was almost six in the morning, and all she had been waiting for through the night was Zeke’s call.Was he not aware that his wife was not at home… in the room with him?Or… had he gone on a trip or something?She knew she had to keep all options open.Her sister has a nice relationship with her husband… as she had been told.It had taken everything in her to not go to the
Zeke could swear that he heard no single thing amongst what the woman on the stage in front of him had said as all he wondered was how a person could not have changed a bit in the last six years.In a split second, he asked himself if he was seeing correctly and if the person in front of him was his ex-wife, Elena.As the woman rounded her speech and everyone clapped their hands for her, a waiter stopped in front of him, and without thinking twice, he pushed the man away and clasped his hands together.Watching her being escorted out of the stage and to the door at the back of the stage, he hurried to the direction, without giving a damn about the people that were obviously looking at him.As he got out of the event hall which led him down the hallway, he looked around and saw the men who had escorted her in front of a door, he dashed there.“Excuse, sir. You can’t enter.’Zeke raised his brow at the man who just said to him and then looked at the other man beside him and took a step
Elena stopped walking occasionally while she stopped to greet the people that were rushing up to her even though she could still feel Zeke’s presence behind her.Of course, she knew that people would want to talk to her, secure a meeting, and all of that after tonight’s unveiling but what she was not expecting was her ex-husband crawling up to her in that manner.“I have been trying to meet with you, Ms. Baskerville,” one of the older businessmen said to her and she forced a smile and nodded her head.Was she aware that Zeke was going to be present at tonight’s event?No.But she hoped that he would be. She wanted to see his reaction when he saw her six years later, and not to lie, she loved the mystery that was plastered across his face.Zeke was nothing like she used to know. Although she had watched all of his achievements on the internet and how he had risen to one of the top three billionaires in the whole of America. Still, the media did little justice to his current look.The
Elena twitched her lips upward and nodded her head. Whether he submitted their divorce documents or not, she cared less.“That is your problem, not mine,” she shrugged her shoulders off and then turned to leave.She made sure she did not stop walking and increased her pace till she reached her car.Her driver got down, opened the door for her, and she got in hurriedly.“Let’s go, please.”By the time Zeke got to the car, the driver had already ignited the engine and was about to drive.Zeke slammed his hands on the tinted window while he called out her name, but even if she spared him a glance from where she sat, he would not know as the windows were heavily tinted.He breathed out as he watched the car drive away, looked around, and then adjusted his clothes stylishly.He fondled his hands in a tight fist and then clenched his teeth.He did not doubt that he would not be sleeping well tonight. He needed not to be told that his usual nightmares would wake him up.Especially now that h
Zeke hesitated to get out of the car as the driver opened the door for him because he knew that getting out of the car was meeting with everyone, including Camila’s parents.It was his mother’s birthday two days ago and because everyone had said they were busy, she had fixed a dinner gathering for today. He adjusted his collar, got out of the car, and then looked around the big mansion.“Sir,” he sighted the butler from afar and then nodded his head at the man who bowed at him.“This way, sir,” he said again.Zeke nodded his head and then walked after the man who turned around and then walked ahead of him, leading him to the garden where they were probably having dinner.“Your mother is so pissed,” he said.Zeke hissed softly and then nodded his head. “How many people are present there?”“Maybe five? Or more than,” he answered, not turning to look at him.Zeke shook his head and walked silently behind the man for a while before he talked again, chuckling slightly.“What are you worrie
Zeke got to his car, and as he prepared to enter the backseat that his driver had opened for him, he turned around and then raised his head to look at his sister’s window.It had been six years since she had talked to him with a smile in her eyes like she used to and all of this was because of what happened with Elena.If there was anyone who hated him because of Elena, it was definitely her. She liked Elena and while they were still together, she used to come over once in a while just to keep her company.The two liked each other so much and back then, he hated that his sister, Chloe, was unnecessarily nice to the woman.When Chloe heard that he had divorced Elena, she yelled, cried, and pleaded with him to bring her back but it was out of his control too.He could not even find a shadow that looked like her.Her and her family’s whereabouts were encrypted and there was no way he could track her.Was she aware that Elena was back?Of course, a lot of TV stations must be circulating he
“Hold on!” Elena stopped walking and turned to look at Ariana and her twins who ran towards her.“What?”Ariana shook her head, covered the space between her and her sister, and then helped her adjust her shirt very well. Elena was wearing a pink shirt and a black suit pant which made her look so professional and corporate.“It’s your first day at work,” Ariana smiled.“You are making it sound like it is a big deal.”“Because it is. You have not worked in over five years and all you have done is supervise anonymously.”Elena nodded her head and smiled. “I know, but it’s not a big deal still.”“I know you are nervous. You can’t lie to me.”Elena breathed out. “Nothing gets past you, does it?” “It is fine, okay? You are doing well.”“I feel like all my moves will be watched now that I am back and… with my past story too. I did not expect everyone to know that I was his ex.”“The Internet does not forget, Elena,” Ariana said and she nodded her head.“You said you met him at the event?
Everyone murmured as she said and then made her way to the elevator while a lady rushed after her. As they entered and the elevator closed, she took a last glance at the surprise that was still plastered across their faces.The woman in the elevator shifted uncomfortably in front of her and she raised her brows. “Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?”“N… no! Not at all,” she stuttered, her head bowed.“Oh?” Elena chuckled.“I… I am your Secretary. I am Marvella Hayes,” she introduced.“Marvella…” Elena smacked her tongue and then nodded her head.She knew about the lady and how capable she was even in her absence. Maybe what everyone didn’t know was that, apart from the CCTV cameras that were evident, there were hidden cameras at every angle, hidden or not, in the company which delivered everything, including what they were saying to give her accurate information about what happened every day in the company, so yes, many people will be fired today.The elevator finally stopped, and Mar
“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
Elena looked out of the door for the umpteenth time and then sighed before she returned to stab a piece of apple in the bowl in her hand.“Give up. He’s not coming,” Ariana breathed out.“Who?”“I know you are waiting for Zeke.”“I am not!” She denied and Ariana nodded her head.“Besides… how did you know he is not coming?” She asked.“It’s been almost a week. He left without telling you and has not returned since then. He didn’t call you either.”“Something… might be wrong with him,” she shrugged her shoulders off.“Something like? Chloe was here and she didn’t deliver any bad news, so, what something?” Ariana asked.Elena sniffed, bit her lower lips, and then turned to look outside again.She did not want to admit that she was worried, but deep down, she knew she was.He was supposed to be here…He had promised he would be by her side till Natalie got discharged.He left that morning and had not returned since then.He didn’t even call her!She suspected so strongly that her father
“Did something happen?” Ryan asked Zeke again. This time, he had pulled the car gently into his compound and had followed him out of the car.Zeke had kept mute the entire time in the car and even though he and Chloe had thrown random jokes, or started random conversations with the hope that he was going to join, he kept mute still.Still, Zeke said nothing and made an entrance to the big door of his house.“No, I am certain something happened. What is wrong? You said you were going to stay for a while. You said you wanted to see your daughter.”“Ryan…” Zeke finally exhaled and swallowed.Entering the living room fully, he turned around, dropped his eyes on the couple, and then palmed his forehead.He was keeping his feelings bottled up. He felt like he wanted to cry.But, he was a man and he should not cry, right?But, fuck that.He had little regret in his life, but this…?He would forever regret it.It was something he could have controlled. He did it anyway. He thought it was the
When Ray suddenly burst into laughter, Zeke’s eyes fluttered as though he had said something very funny. He tilted his head and then sighed.“Sir?”“Is this some movie show?”“You asked…”“How much do you want, Zeke?”“I have answered you.”Ray shook his head, “My daughter is not an option.”“Everything I did is for my family, father.”“I am no father of yours and they are not your family either.”Dumbfounded, Zeke nodded his head and then smacked his tongue. “Sir.”“I am grateful to you for what you have done for our family. For my grand daughter.”“It is my responsibility as her father.”“You have no responsibility to fulfill, dear,” he chuckled rather sarcastically.“So, see her as much as you want to while we are still in the hospital. Elena included. I can assure you that will not happen again after she has been discharged.”“Fath—”“You can’t have her again!” He snapped and then palmed his forehead.“You don’t even deserve her.”“I will make myself worthy of her again,” he said.
“Are you sure? If it were up to me, I’d suggest that you stay here for a few more days,” Elena said, worry plastered across her face as she watched the man who did his shirt button.It was early the next morning and Zeke had already asked to be discharged even though the doctor had suggested that he should spend at least a day more.He insisted that he was good already and that he had no other complaints and if he did, he'd let the doctor know.“He does not listen,” Chloe who stood beside Ryan rolled her eyes and hissed.“I don’t like it here. I could not sleep well in that bed,” Zeke snapped his brows together as he glanced at the bed.“As if you’ve ever slept well in any bed,” Ryan rolled his eyes.Zeke swallowed, moved over to Elena, and then dropped his hands on her shoulders.“I am fine. I promise.”She exhaled, nodded her head, and then sniffed. “You better let me know if anything goes wrong again.”“I promise. Now, we gotta wait till Natalie gets discharged, right? The surgery
“So… how are they? My daughter and… and the donor?” Elena asked.“Rest assured, they are doing well. However, the donor… Mr Zeke. The anesthesia wore off during the surgery and he was aware during the entire procedure. Although it is highly unlikely for a person to wake up during the surgery, as the anesthesia is designed to keep them in a deep sleep state. Still, it is not impossible. It is a rare case, but it still happened with him.”“So? Is it going to be a problem?”“Not really. We made sure to adjust the anesthesia levels to ensure he was comfortable and pain-free. He will be taken to a recovery room soon where he will be monitored as the anesthesia wears off completely, but he may experience some discomfort, pain, or nausea… oh, and difficulty sleeping. But be rest assured, all of these can be managed with medication,” he informed.“Oh, God,” Elena palmed her mouth and then sniffed.“He is out of danger, Ms. Baskerville, I assure you. And your daughter too. The surgery was a s