Aiden was in his office doing business when his office phone began to go off. Being that he was reviewing some important documents, he left it for his assistant to answer it. Five seconds later, his phone blew up again, so once more he let it go to his secretary. But then his cell phone started to ring. He checked it and saw that it was Katherine. He pushed his work aside and with a smile, he answered. "Good morning, my love. How are you?" He asked, but Kat's heavy breathing told him something was wrong. "Katherine, are you OK? Did something happen to the twins?" He stood up, waiting for her to answer. "The kids are fine, Aiden, but I'm not," she answered, her voice cracking at the end. "Why? What's wrong baby?""Have you seen the papers this morning, Aiden? There's a photo of us on the front page kissing, and now my business place is crawling with paparazzi. I'm even scared to send the children to school right now, so they are here with me.""Oh, Katherine, I'm so sorry, I didn't
Aiden saw that Patrick was sweating like a whore in church. He was nervous, and he had all right to be. He even had the nerve to ask if they knew who was embezzling money. Yes, they know who it is, it's you, Aiden said internally. "Something like that," Aiden responded as he took a seat behind his desk. Patrick stared at him, a bit confused. "What do you mean, something like that? He sounded flustered as he said, “It's either they did or they didn't.”Aiden disregarded the question and followed up with one of his own."Patrick what am I to you?" Patrick observed Aiden with a sense of bewilderment. “What do you mean?" "It's a pretty straightforward question Pat, What am I to you?" Patrick began to consider the question, exploring various ways to respond. "Well," he began. " You're one of my best friends. In fact, you're like a brother to me, even though we don't see eye to eye sometimes. But that's how families are, right?" "So you see me as your family?" He asked as he began punc
During the weeks that followed, Katherine became more understanding and was by Aiden's side every chance she got. He was angry at himself about the situation, but Katherine's presence and words of encouragement made it bearable. Kat's mother and father were also supportive. They would ensure to check up on Aiden every now and again. Things weren't as bad as before, and they couldn't be happier. Aiden and Dustin were at Aiden's house waiting for Katherine and Taryn so that they could have couples game night. They were setting up the different games they would play on a large, round coffee table in the center of the living room. They also had an assortment of snacks and other treats. "I'm looking forward to a night of fun and games," Dustin spoke as he placed three bottles of sparkling wine in an ice bucket. "The ladies are gonna love this," Aiden added as he placed four large cushions on the floor. "Yeah, I think they will," Dustin agreed. "They deserve this,"Aiden
Katherine was awakened by the scent of smelling salt and cleaning agent. She knew she was in her Café, but her head felt dizzy, and her thoughts were scrambled. "Kat, can you hear me?" Taryn's voice echoed in Kat's ear. and everything came back to her memory. Her mind was no longer dazed and confused by the atomic-bomb-like-news she had gotten from Violet. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Violet was telling the truth or if she was lying because she was hurt because Aiden turned her down. "Kat?" Taryn called out loudly, making Katherine's ear ring. "How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked, waving three fingers in Kat's vision. "Three, and I don't think you should be waving them if you want me to see them clearly," Kat stated as she tried rising to her feet. Taryn helped her up and placed her in a chair to sit. "What the hell happened? Please don't tell me you used too much bleach and disinfectant, and it knocked you out," she said. "No it's not that," Katherine en
The ladies entered the living room, and the smell of pizza invaded their nostrils. They were impressed when they saw how well the men had set up for the evening. "Wow, this looks really good," Katherine stated as she walked up to Aiden. "Thanks, Dustin and I tried." He then placed a small kiss on her lips. "Good job, both of you," Taryn responded as she kissed Dustin. Dustin then whispered something in her ear. "So are you two ready for a fun night?" Aiden asked. "Yes, but we need to freshen up first," Kat said as she took Taryn's hand. "Give me a minute, Kat," Taryn began. "Dustin wants to talk." "Okay, I'll be upstairs," Kat nodded. "I'll go check on the pizza," Aiden said. "Okay see you in a few," Kat kissed Aiden before heading upstairs. Taryn and Dustin were now alone in the living room. "I have news for you," Dustin exclaimed with wide eyes. "News? Is it good or bad?" "Baby, I'm not even sure what to call it, but it's big.""I don't think it's bigger than the news I
Katherine had been feeling distant from her kids since her engagement. Although the twins had packed schedules with school and after-school activities, and Kat was tied up with her job, she hardly ever got to enjoy evenings with them anymore. She was grateful to have Miss Polly by her side. Katherine decided she was going to spend an entire weekend with her children, especially since she and Aiden would be getting married, and she didn't want the twins to feel as if they were no longer the centre of her world. Aiden suggested that she take them to Lake Anna for the weekend and Katherine agreed. She packed up the car beforehand so that when the day came she didn't have much to do. So when Friday arrived, she intended to leave work early so that they could reach the lake before nightfall. "I can't wait to show the kids where Aiden spent most of his childhood," Kat confessed to Taryn, who was going to run the Café for the weekend. "They will definitely enjoy it there. Dustin sh
It was now Sunday evening, and Katherine and the kids got back from Lake Anna an hour ago. They came home to the surprise of a well-prepared dinner spread made by Aiden, who was beaming with joy as he greeted them at the kitchen door. They praised Aiden for his efforts and thoughtfulness as he ushered them to their seats. "How was your weekend ?" Aiden asked the children as they sat down. "It was amazing," the twins said in unison. "We had the best time on the lake," Nate began. "We went lake gliding." "Bird watching," Nola added. "Lake diving." "Yeah, and we went out on a glass-bottom boat and saw so many fish," Nola added. "That must've been amazing," Aiden gasped. "It was." "I even caught a harpon," Nate raved. "Harpon?" Aiden asked curiously. "It's called a Tarpon Nate," Katherine corrected. "Yeah, I wanted to cook and eat it, but Nola got sad, so I threw it back." "You're a wonderful and considerate brother Nate," Aiden said, smiling at him.
Things were going amazing with the wedding planning since the date was set and Katherine couldn't believe that in one month, she and Aiden will be married. A spring wedding was one of her favourites. Even though she was nervous, she was anticipating spending the rest of her life making wonderful memories with Aiden and the twins. She had a bridal fitting in the afternoon with a designer that Aiden booked, and she was left speechless when she met the talented and renowned wedding dress designer. He had great taste, and she couldn't stop praising that. Taryn accompanied her, hoping to see designs that she would like and maybe choose for herself. She and Dustin intended to get married in December. "These are all so beautiful," Kat said to her friend as she tried on the third dress. It was an appealing A-line lace dress with intricate bead work that gave it a touch of elegance."Yes, but you have to select the one that you prefer. The one that stands out the most," Taryn said as she ski
The next day, Aiden scheduled an appointment for the family to see the therapist. Surprising, the doctor squeezed them in that very same day. He also scheduled another appointment for Katherine to meet with her doctor, since she had been going through a stressful situation. "Nate and Nola are ready," Katherine told Aiden. She had left him on the phone with some clients while she got the kids ready for the day. "Give me a sec, my love," he said to her with his hands covering the mouthpiece of his cell. He then turned his attention back to the call.Katherine went and got herself ready in the meantime. After finishing up the call, Aiden got himself ready, then he and his family headed to the doctor's appointment. The therapist's office was quiet and quaint. Katherine was surprised to know that a renowned therapist would see them on such short notice, but she was getting used to the idea of things being less complicated and hassle-free since she's married to a very wealthy man. "He
The next day, it was time for everyone to go home. Violet, however, had to wait a few days before the process of being extradited was completed. "We're all set and ready to go," Aiden told the pilot after boarding the jet. Liam and Dustin fell asleep instantly as the aircraft took flight. Even though Aiden was tired as hell, he couldn't fall asleep. He watched as Nate looked through the window, admiring the scenery as they ascended high into the sky. "What's on your mind?" Aiden asked Nate as his gaze fell from a comic book that he was reading. "Oh, nothing," Nate answered. "Are you sure, sweetie?" Katherine asked when she noticed how sad his face looked. "Well, I was just wondering what my sister is doing," he said calmly. "Maybe sleeping," Kat said after checking the time. "It's still pretty early in the morning." "Oh, you’re probably right," Nate said quietly. "Yes, but I'm sure she will be thrilled to see you," Kat reassured. "I think so too," Aiden added. "In fact, ever
Violet's entire body was in pain when she came to. She found herself disoriented and upsided down, still in the vehicle and still clutching the case with the money. Her ears rang like someone had set off an alarm system inside her head. She looked around and saw the feet of two men coming towards her. They reached inside and carefully pulled her from the wrecked car. One of the men was a paramedic. He checked her out and said that she was lucky she wasn't hurt. She only had minor bruises on her face and arms.Soon Dustin and another officer walked onto the scene. As they were about to arrest and escort her to the police car, she made one last attempt to escape, but Dustin held his foot out, which caused her to trip and fall to the ground. The case flung open, causing the money to spill onto the ground. "Bastard!" she yelled from the ground as she tried to scoop up the dollar bills that were twirling around in the wind. Her heart almost gave out when she noticed something about the
The sound of the speeding car echoed through the atmosphere as Violet's goon made off with the money. Katherine and Liam ran over to the side of the beach where Nate and Aiden were. Dustin and Aiden's officer friend, officer Smith were already there. Dustin ran to help Aiden, while officer Smith watched Nate."Nathan!" Katherine shouted as she ran to her son. Nate outstretched his arms and ran to meet his mother. "Mom," he cried as they hugged each other. "Oh my sweet boy, I've missed you so much," Kat cried and squeezed him tightly. "I missed you too, mom," Nate sobbed. "Let me look at you," Kat expressed as she pulled from the embrace and began inspecting him. "Are you hurt? Are you cold? Are you hungry?" She fired off. "I'm a bit cold," Nate said, trembling. "I'll grab one of the blankets from the car," Officer Smith said. "Grab two," Katherine ordered when she saw Aiden and Dustin walking towards them. Aiden was sopping wet and trembling. Katherine hugged him tightly and
The flight from West Virginia to Jamaica was almost six hours. When they landed in St. Mary, Aiden had already arranged for them to be picked up and taken to the nearest resort, which was fifteen minutes away from the airport. Aiden informed everybody that Violet was staying in a nearby town called Port Maria. They got to the resort and settled in, collecting their bearing and going over their plan a few more times. Even though Aiden encouraged her to get some rest, Katherine stayed up and made some spaghetti and meatballs for everyone to eat. "Katherine sweetheart, I really wish you would get some rest," Aiden pleaded as he stirred a pot of sauce, which he was ordered to do. "I'm almost done here, and besides, this is what's keeping me sane. This is my therapy," she told him. "I understand how you're feeling, my love," Aiden began as he placed a kiss on her cheek. “This will all be over soon. I already have everything set in motion." "I am so grateful to have you by my side," Ka
Aiden was already working on accumulating the ransom for Nathan. He made various phone calls, while Dustin and the officers packed up their equipments. "Aiden, what are you up to?" Dustin asked as he joined him in the kitchen. Aiden was still busy with his phone in his hand typing away."I'm working on getting my son back," he simply answered with his attention still set on his phone."Aiden, I know you and I saw that look in your eyes. Please let us do our jobs."He took his attention from his phone, and was now looking at Dustin in disbelief. "Out of all the persons, you're gonna say this to me?" He questioned Dustin. “Dustin, I know how the system works, and I'll be damned if I sit on my ass and wait for them to get shit done," he made clear."I hear you, but there's a protocol that we have to follow.""Screw protocol. I'm not wasting another minute," he stated. "So what do you want me to do?" "I want you to be my friend," he simply said. "You know how much Katherine and the k
Aiden tried his best to hold his composure and not overreact. He wanted to tell Violet a piece of his mind, but he thought staying calm would be better in this situation. "Violet, do you have any idea what you've done?""I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm spending quality time with my lovely nephew," she stated."Listen to me, Violet, you have to bring Nathan home. I'm sure he misses his family," Aiden said, as he felt a headache coming on. "But he's with family. Have you forgotten I'm Aunt Vi?” she snickered over the phone."Let me talk to him," Aiden demanded. "He's taking a nap at the moment, but we could talk, you know I have a lot to say to you.""Well at least let me see him. Let's video call," Aiden requested. "Now why would I do that?" "So that I can see that Nate is doing well." "He is. He's just taking a nap. The plane ride was tiring for him." "Where are you Violet?" Aiden questioned. "You'll find out soon enough. First, let's get down to business.""What business?"
Dustin and Liam got lucky while following some leads. They called Katherine and Aiden and told them that the SUV was spotted about five miles from the highway, so they were to meet him there. Aiden knew how stressful the situation was, and he did not want to make matters worse for Kat, so he tried to convince her not to come with him."Sweetheart I can't imagine what you're going through, but I think it's best you stay put until I find out what is going on.""Aiden, you know I can't do that. I have to make sure that my baby is safe," she said as she took up a water bottle. "I know you might be feeling helpless not knowing where Nate is. Trust me I feel the same way, but you stressing out is not good for your condition.""My condition?""You know, being that you're pregnant and all. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you or to the babies.""Nothing is gonna happen Aiden, I'll be fine," she reassured him."I just want to make sure," he said softly. "I understand, but we are wastin
An hour later, Katherine was at the school. She had called Aiden to tell him what was going on. He was on his way home. She also called Dustin and he and two other officers met her at the school. She tried her best to remain calm as she spoke to Nate's coach, along with the principal, and two security guards. "How could you guys let this happen?" Katherine fumed."Let what happen Mrs. Windsor? Ms. O'Hare comes to visit them all the time. Isn't she their aunt?" the principal questioned."Yes, she's their aunt, but she has no right to visit them, let alone pick them up from school. She's mentally unstable." Katherine gave out. "Oh my," the coach exclaimed in shock."Mrs. Windsor, we did not know. We are truly sorry," the principal apologized. "You will be sorry, she wasn't even listed on their emergency contact. Why would you let her take him?” Katherine sobbed the last part."Do you have any security cameras around here?" Dustin asked, trying to defuse the situation. "Yes, we have