Ignoring the stranger flattering question, Isabel walked past the stranger, keeping a straight face.The last thing she needed was having another man hit on her when she was yet to get rid of the two on her neck."Come on, a pretty lady like you shouldn't walk around with such expression. It doesn't suit you." The man persisted, while she walked away briskly, not wanting to be left in an awkward situation with the stranger.However, he following her, talking to her, even though she outrightly ignored him.What kind of an idiot doesn't read the atmosphere to know when a lady wants to speak to him, and when she doesn't?"I couldn't help but notice you from earlier, while you were speaking to Principal Anderson. Honestly, I was beyond captivated by your beauty and I knew I'd to speak to you before the day runs out." He continued, while Isavel hastened her steps, barely saying anything to him."I understand that you are skeptical about indulging in a conversation with a man you just me
Getting the boys out of the arcade wasn't an easy task for Isabel. She had to promise to make it up to them, before they begrudgingly followed her out."But we've not spent up to an hour there, why do we have to leave?" Oliver grumbled, as she led them to where Zachary was waiting for them.Damien Giddorti and his bodyguard, Taylor had left by the time they returned."Are we all set to leave?" The man asked them,"Yes--""Why do we have to leave now?" Oliver questioned Zachary tersely, cutting off his brother's reply."I don't understand we have to leave now, when there are still lot of games and activities to be done.""There has been an emergency, so we have to leave now." Zachary replied to the boy, expecting him to throw questions at him.Oliver would never obey any order without questioning its reasons, even if God came down and ordered him Himself.The boy was a little too assertive for his age. Reynolds too."What emergency?""I will explain better when we get to the car. Now,
Two nights later, Isabel and the boys were having dinner, when her phone began to ring from the kitchen.She excused herself, then got up to go pick the call, out of the boy's earshot.Seeing Austin's name on the caller screen, she felt a tinge of disappointment.Not that she didn't appreciate Austin who have been calling her nonstop for the past two days, to check up on her, but because deep within herself, she wished it was Sebastian calling her not him.She wanted him to be the one calling, not anyone else.But despite her disappointment, she accepted the call, placing the phone against her right ear."How are you doing, Isabel?" He asked her the second she accepted his call, his voice laced with concern and care like always."I'm fine, Austin.""You don't sound fine, Isabel. At least, not to me." He persisted,"I will be fine." She told him, sounding as convincing as she could,"Has there been any news about his whereabouts?""Not yet. The search is still ongoing, but they've found
"But, sir---""Zachary, I'm as sure as night and day, to know that someone intentionally sabotaged the helicopter, to kill me." He apprised the man, whose expression was ashen.He was in disbelief.How possible was it that someone was after his life?It seemed impossible to Zachary.Of course Sebastian Bernadotte was a wealthy man, and with such wealth comes power and fame.Such recognition comes with plenty of rivals, however, he didn't think anyone of these rivals would be so petty and stupid to attempt murder on the man."Sir, are you certain about what you are insinuating now?""I am insinuating nothing, Zachary. I am telling you what I know and believe is the reality of what happened. Someone is after my life. Someone intentionally sabotaged the helicopter's engine to kill me." He insisted, staring intensely at the man, whose lips were left slightly apart."You might want to close your mouth, before an unwelcome guest invades it."Zachary closed the gap between his lips, but the s
"What are you talking about, Isabel? Why are you asking me this?" Sebastian's brows furrowed tentatively as he stared at her,"I am asking because I need to know what I'm signing up for. I know you've just survived a near death experience and this shouldn't be the base of our discussion for now, but I need to know what I'm signing myself up for." She explained to him, ignoring the unfathomable look on his face."Should I expect loyalty from you, as much as you desire it from me? Let's talk about commitment. Is this a long term relationship or a short term relationship? Is there a future to this, or does it lead to a dead end?"Sebastian opened his mouth to reply her, but he knew he'd be lying to her, if he told her what she wants to hear.The fact remained that he has never met a woman he's so obsessed with, as much as he was obsessed with Isabel. She was the only woman who'd ever brought him real pleasure. The only woman who has left him wanting for more every single time, despite he
Throughout that remainder of that day, Isabel wasn't herself. She kept thinking about her meeting with Jasmine, her adoptive family's biological daughter, earlier that day.She was quite disappointed at the condition she met the girl. Not like she'd any expectations from them, but she felt their lives would've improved after she left.She'd always believe that Jasmine would become a model like she'd always wanted, or she would be married to a rich older man, with children older than her."What use is school and getting good grades, when I use my beauty and become a model or marry a rich man who's just few years away from his grave?" She used to brag to Isabel and her mother,"When my husband dies, I will inherit all of his properties and become a billionaire widow. I don't need good grades to achieve all that. Beauty is my asset."Her mother would give her one hundred percent support, applauding her absurd ideology."Your beauty will take your places, Jas. You don't need to be book-sma
"Wow! That is a quite a long while to be away from your family. We thought you were dead or something, until I overheard Jasmine telling mother that she met you at the ice cream parlor a few days ago."Isabel managed a grimace, but did not say anything.Even after all these years, she was still nervous about being in his presence. And although she knew he wouldn't do anything to her now, she couldn't suppress the discomfiture.Gone are those days he would threaten to unalive her if she snitched on him, or try to have his way with her.Suddenly, a voice came from upstairs and from the sound of it, Isabel could tell the owner."Why are you trying to yell down my roof, boy?"However, her heart didn't race this time, hearing the familiar voice. Her heart wasn't beating fast, nor was she scared that she might've done something wrong.This time, she was calmly waiting for the woman to come downstairs and join them.She was eager to see what her reaction would be, seeing her after nine years.
That night, while she and Sebastian were making love, she decided to bring up the subject of helping the Hadids to him."Sebastian, I want to speak to you about something." She whispered to his hearing while he was buried deeply inside her.He stopped thrusting, breathing heavily as he searched for her eyes,"What do you want?""A favor."He kissed her sweaty forehead, still lodged inside her,"Anything for you, Little Rabbit." A glint of mischief sparkled in his eyes as he stared into her,"Tell me anything you want and I will make it happen." "It's about my adoptive family." She told him, and his demeanor changed,"What about them?""I went to visit them today." She began, "And I was appalled at the condition I met them. Jasmine is a single mother, Khalil is jobless and their father, died two years ago."Sebastian cleared his throat, but did not say anything."Mother said he did some bad investment, which cost him almost everything they had, except the house. He died not long aft
While they were having lunch, Sebastian made his intentions of coming to their home clear to their home."Isabel and I are getting married soon." He told them, and we have come to seek for your blessings, Mrs. Hadid."Patricia looked at her daughter, Jasmine, then her attention returned to Sebastian who has barely touched the meal served to him."Okay, Mr. Bernadotte, you've my blessings to marry Isabel, my daughter." The woman said without any hesitation, which Isabel found odd.Of course, she knew they were intimidated by Sebastian's presence.Who wasn't?Everyone she knew, was intimidated by the man's presence and they all accord him with utmost respect.But, Patricia and Jasmine seemed terrified of him, in a way that seemed quite suspicious to her."Isabel," Patricia called her name and she turned to the woman,"Child, you made the right choice. Mr. Bernadotte is a good man and he will keep you happy." The woman advised her,"I am so proud of you, Isabel and I know your father
After ending the call with Detective Jonas, Sebastian called Pierre and gave him the assignment of sniffing Damien Giddorti's ass"Pardon my asking, Mr. Bernadotte, but this is unlike every other assignment you've been giving me?""Yes, I know, but I need every information you can get on that son of a bitch.""What kind of information do you need?" Pierre asked the man, still confused about his request."Have you been told anything about him?""I just received a tip of an alliance that Giddorti Enterprise is pumping Wall Street with drug money, so I need you to help me find out if it is true or not." Pierre wasn't comfortable with the assignment, and he aired it to Sebastian immediately."Mr. Bernadotte, you need to understand that this isn't as easy as you think. Whether or not Giddorti is involved in any illegal activities, busting him would do you no good.""There's always a hierarchy, and trust me, someone like Damien Giddorti can never be at the top of the food chain. It i
Sebastian was eager to facilitate the wedding process, and make it happen at soonest.Left to him, they would've gotten married that weekend, but there was a lot of preparations to be made, and Isabel has insisted that he postponed it, because she needed to tell her family about it."The same family who set you up, and nearly had you kidnapped, if not for Fowler's timely intervention?"He wasn't thrilled with the idea of her going to meet them, and that was mostly because they were still in his custody, unbeknownst to her."Despite what they've done to me, they are still my family, and I do not intend to get married without getting their blessings." She was honest with him."I've no friends, nor do I have anyone elsewhere except them. And although they might've wronged me countless times in the past, I don't think it is fair to cut them out of my life just like that, because they saved me too.""And you've done well to repay them every kindness they've shown you. Yet, they continu
Like Sebastian avowed, he got the lady from the stored fired from her workplace, then got her arrested.Isabel wasn't supportive of his decision, but since he'd threatened to extend the lady's stay behind bar, if she begged him on her behalf, she decided to not say anything to him. However, she showed her displeasure, which he ignored."This should serve as a lesson to anyone who decide to disrespect you." He told her, as the officers took the crying lady away."Now, remind me what it is you wanted to get?"Isabel was quiet for a while, as the crowd dispersed, but a good amount of passerby were looking at them, awed to see Sebastian, his triplet sons and his new girlfriend."Nothing..."He threw her a discerning glare, then took her hand into his,"If I could remember, the Genesis of this misunderstanding was you trying to see if a particular shade of foundation matched you skin tone, right?"Isabel said nothing, prompting Oliver to say yes to the man."I still remember the brand,
After they left the store, Isabel could tell the boys were in a sour mood, and she didn't know what to say to cheer them up."Boys, do you want to go to the arcade now?" She asked them, hopeful they would say yes, but they didn't."We are fine." "Yeah...I think I'd rather go home."Both Oliver and Reynolds spoke respectively."Boys, I don't think you should be feeling sad about what that lady did, or anything she said to me." She told them, watching their sullen faces."You see, sometime the best answer to give to people who are being intentionally disrespectful to you, is silence.""But, mommy, she crossed the line calling you a lowlife and us, the b word." Alexander argued,"She was being disrespectful to you, but you did not defend yourself. Sometimes, people need to be taught that they can't go around being rude to anyone they see, because they feel like they can.""She needs to be taught a lesson." Reynolds concluded,"One she wouldn't forget in a hurry. Nobody disrespect my mo
Several minutes later, Sebastian was spooning Isabel whose head was rested against his chest.They were still exhausted from their earlier intense and passionate lovemaking and their hearts were beating in a rhythm."I'm indeed the luckiest man on the planet." He told her, possessively tightening his arms around her petite form."Had anyone told me ten to fifteen years ago, that someday I will become obsessed over a woman and desperately want to make her mine, I would've called the person a goddamn liar."Isabel let out an exhausted, but satisfied sigh."But here I am, at thirty-five, obsessed over you and wanting nothing but to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm the luckiest man on earth.""Likewise me, Sebastian." She whispered to him,"Who could've known that I would end up getting married to the same man I once despised like my life depended on it. But, here I am.""I'm no believer of fate, or destiny, but I think the only explanation to our relationship is destiny. We were
"What the hell are you talking about, Isabel?" Sebastian questioned her,"Why would you ask me to do that?""Because, I think it's the right thing to do, since we are both about to enter a new chapter of our lives." She explained to him.Now, it was her turn to beg him."I don't care about the both of them, Sebastian, but I do not think that I want us to have a life where we have people like them hovering over us." She continued, taking his other hand into hers."I understand that they must've wronged you in one way or the other, but I need you to let go of everything that happened. I do not want our children to be raised in this rivalry, which would mean passing it to their own children, who would also pass it to theirs, and the circle continues endlessly.""Isabel, what you are asking for is impossible. I owe no grudge against Shakira for what she did, but I don't think I would ever forgive Damien Giddorti for all he has done." He avowed to her,"Do you know what that bastard did
"I want nothing to do with that son of a bitch who ruined my life." Joan spat, the second Sebastian made mention of Damien Giddorti's name."Trust me, Ms. Lively, I do not want anything to do with him too, but I need the bastard to face the consequences of his actions." He explained to her, "And I saw the file on the rape charge you raised against him three years ago. However, for some reason, which I believe he'd influenced, the charges were dropped."Joan scoffed, staring at her palms which she placed on the table."I know you must be wondering why I am interested in your case, or why I suddenly believe you after all these years. The truth is that, Damien Giddorti has always been a bastard, but recently, he thought it would be funny to assault my wife, to spite me." Sebastian continued, leaving both the scar-faced man and Joan bewildered."Yes. He tried to take advantage of her, despite knowing that she's mine and although I got him arrested, but he was bailed out because there was
After over an hour of driving around Manhattan, Sebastian and Moses finally found the address they were looking for."Sir, I think you should stay here, while I go in and find the apartment." Moses offered to the man, who was seated at the backseat, staring at him through the rearview mirror."You know what floor her apartment is on?""No, sir, but I will ask around.""Ask them what? You've no picture of her, nor do you know what her name is or what she look like."Moses did not say anything.Sebastian brought out the piece of paper he'd copied the information about the lady into, then he handed it to Moses."That is her name, phone number and address. Although, I do not suppose that the number is still active, because I can't seem to reach her with it."Moses took the paper from the man, stole a glance at it, before he shoved it into his pocket.While Sebastian waited in the car, he stepped down, then made his way towards the several storey apartment building.Once he entered, he