Meanwhile, Isabel was watching her phone ring, but she refused to pick it up.He has been calling her nonstop for the past two and half hours, and she has been ignoring every one of his calls.She didn't want to speak to the man, especially since she learned that he'd kept his bodyguard on her tail before he left Colby.How dare him?She knew he was insecure, especially with her newlyfound closeness with Austin, but she never expected him to stoop to the level of keep hawk eye on her.How dare he?Who told him that he could waltz into hers and her son's lives, and try to control everything about her.Well, she gave him the right, after she breached their contract and lied to him about his son. But she has been trying to condone all his excesses, giving him some level of control.After all, she belonged to him, as he claimed.She allowed him dictate core decisions of her daily lives, like what to eat, when to sleep, when she leaves the house, or how often he wants to fuck her.The
Watching the man leave, Shakira was furious.She couldn't understand the man's indifference towards her ever since she returned from her trip.Ever since he went to that wedding in Seattle, she has noticed the change in his attitude towards her.He has become more distant and less susceptible to her charms. Although she knew their relationship has been on shaky grounds for the past couple of years, it become more and more glaring since his trip to Seattle.He stopped wanting to spend time with her, became invulnerable to her seduction and doesn't pay attention to her anymore. He hasn't given her a complete hour of his time since she returned from her last trip, nor has he touched her.He was holding and that could only mean one thing.Has another woman caught his attention?Was there another woman trying to take her position in the man's life?Impossible!You are never going to allow another take your place, Shakira. Never.Her inner woman said to her.You are the rightful Mrs. Berna
Zachary stepped out of the car, after he ended the call with his boss, his eyes not leaving the silhouette figure roaming around the house.On second thought, he returned into the car, opened the glove compartment, and he pulled out his .49 Glock.He'd kept the gun there for emergency purposes, which had rarely happened. At least, not since he got the gun registered. And he doesn't mind using the gun now.After closing the door gently, he approached the house in slow strides, keeping the gun in motion and ready for any action.The intruder has disappeared from his fight, but he knew whoever it was, was still roaming around the house, looking for a vulnerable point to use to his advantage.Zachary made his way to the back where he heard rustling sound coming from. Getting to the back, he saw the intruder standing by the back door, trying to pick the lock.Judging by the size of the silhouette and the rough appearance of the hands, he could tell it was a male and he was armed.Zachary
Isabel was shaken, even after the paramedics left with the unconscious man.One of the officers stayed back with her, while the other accompanied the paramedics, to watch over the intruder.She was horrified, wondering who the intruder was, and what his intentions were, because a gun was found near him.He didn't seem like he'd only come to rob her.What if he'd succeeded and broke into the house, or what if she wasn't alerted earlier?The outcome would've been tragic, even though she didn't want to think about it.There was no two ways about it. The man would overpower her, hurt her and her son, steal from them and get away with the crime.Chills traveled down her spine, leaving goosebumps in their wake every the thoughts flashed her mind.Due to the shock, she was unable to speak, even when the policeman was asking her vital questions.It was Reynolds who gave them the answers they needed."Ma'am, you should be more grateful for the type of neighbors you have." The officer, who'
"Who was that?" Sebastian asked Isabel, as she turned to him, her face ashen.Watching blood drain from her face, he immediately figured that the something has gone wrong."What happened?" He asked concernedly, bridging the gap between them,"Talk to me, Ladybug, who was that and what did the person say to you."Isabel couldn't find her voice to speak.She was horror-stricken, thousands of thoughts running through her head."Isabel." Sebastian called her name, this time shaking her vigorously, but she was too dumbfounded to speak.He snatched the phone from her, went to her recent calls and he dialed the number.It was sent to voicemail."Fuck!" He cussed impatiently, dialing it again. This time, it was switched off.Agitated, he returned his attention to her,"Who was that and what did the bastard say to you?""Nothing." She finally found her voice, snapping her attention from the thousand-and-one morbid thoughts in her head,"Don't you dare lie to me, Isabel Hadid." He warned h
Sebastian did not wait for Zachary to come open the door for him, before he alight the car."Has the bastard said anything helpful?" He asked the man, surveying their surrounding.They were in an old abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere, miles away from Colby."Not yet, boss. He still insist that he doesn't have any idea who his sender was." Zachary replied to him, and he grunted something incoherent, as they strode towards the rundown, dilapidated warehouse."How's Ms. Hadid handling everything, boss?" Zachary asked him, concern etched in his voice as he opened the wooden door for the man to go inside."Not very well. She's shaken and traumatized, and wouldn't speak to me because I've allowed this motherfucker go scot free from the law." He replied nonchalantly,"And I think it's fair that my son looks at me with contempt, because he thinks that I cannot protect him and his mother."He paused for a second, stealing a glance at Zachary,"I need to find the motherfucker who has
Sebastian took Zachary's suggestions to heart and he'd the perfect mule to execute the plan with.He would do anything to take his woman and his son home.Two days later, him and Isabel were driving back from the cafe, in his car, when her phone began to ring.From the driver's side, he turned to her, watching her raise the phone to her face.He noticed her brows furrow as she stared at the ringing phone, hesitation coloring her eyes."Why the face? Who's that?" He asked her, concern etching his voice."It's an unknown number." The fear in her voice couldn't be missed, as much as she tried to sound calm."Give it to me." He outstretched his hand, to take the phone from her, but she refused to give it."Isabel..." He drawled in a warning tone, but she didn't give the phone to him."Don't worry." She told him, silencing the phone,"I'd rather not accept it."Sebastian was bewildered by her reply.He watched her put the phone into her purse, after blocking the number, then she zi
Isabel's eyelids fluttered open, her vision blurry. She winced, squinting against the bright light. A gentle hum filled her ears, and she felt a subtle vibration beneath her.As her gaze cleared, she took in her surroundings. She lay on a plush bed, surrounded by sleek, cream-colored panels. A small, elegant table stood beside her, holding a glass of water and a vase with fresh flowers.Confusion swirled in her mind. Where was she? How did she get here?What about her son, Reynolds? Where was he?She struggled to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her. She fell back onto the pillows, gasping.A figure emerged from the cabin's shadows. Sebastian.Wait...what was he doing and where were they?His chiseled features etched with concern, sat beside her on the bed and she flinched, shifting away from him."Isabel, welcome back," he said softly, his voice soothing. "You've been asleep for a while and Reynolds have been worried about you."The mention of her son's name caused her m
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