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Chapter One hundred and fifty-seven
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TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifty-eight
Andre’s POV “Mr. Andre, this is about your wife, Kathy. And as I mentioned before, it is extremely urgent.” I stared into the room of people who all looked like they could swallow me whole, and I tightened my grip around the phone. Although Cameron looked chill, Sally and Lana were a direct contrast to his demeanour. If they had fangs, I was sure they would be baring them at me. Marcus sat quietly on the chair and looked as though I had just saved him from the jaws of a beast. I glanced around the room again, and with the way these women were glaring at me, you could say I did save him. I returned the phone to my ear, silently apologising to Lana for the interruption. “Doctor...” I began, drawing out his name for their benefit. “I am currently in the middle of something; if we can talk later,” I glanced at Lana. “In fact, I will give you a call as soon as...” “Your wife Kathy is dying, Mr. Andre.” I froze. Every part of me froze; my heart, which had been pounding in my chest, c
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifty-nine
Lana’s POV While Sally and Marcus had chosen to go to the hotel first, I opted to join Cameron and Andre to visit Kathy at the hospital. I could not keep the thought that Kathy was actually dying out of my head, and the fact that Cameron had been in the know—even met with her—and failed to inform me somehow angered me, but now was not the time to be throwing tantrums. I was here not just because I was curious to know why Kathy asked for me but also to support André. Although we had a lot going on between both of us right now, seeing him break down like that at the news he received had wounded my heart. I hated to admit it, but I had loved this man once, and I could not bear to just watch while he went through something as bad as losing a loved one. He might not have loved her, but he was married to her for some time, and there was actually a time in the past when he thought he did. I glanced out of the window as the car that Cameron’s father had sent to escort us from the airpo
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Sixty
Lana’s POV When I joined Andre and Cameron again after changing into the scrubs, they were both standing in front of Kathy’s bed, where she lay, propped up against pillows. Her eyes were merely sunken holes in her face, and the balls looked up when I entered. A ghost of a smile flitted across her features, and her head nodded subtly. There was a small cord fitted into the holes of her nostrils, which I assumed was the oxygen and probably connected to the life support machine that sustained her life. “Lana,” her small voice filtered across the room. “You are here.” I approached her with slow steps, my heart racing in my chest. I was all too familiar with this scene. It struck a chord deep within me, uncovering long-forgotten memories. Memories that I had tucked deep in the back of my heart brought tears to my eyes. “Hey,” I answered, balancing myself at the edge of her bed. I took her frail hand. Andre was already on the verge of tears, and even now, I could see that he was fi
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-one
Lana’s POV Cameron’s eyes darkened considerably at my words, and his arms around my waist tightened, pushing me against the hard walls of his chest until it was almost too hard to breathe. I stifled my laughter. “Should I not care about him?” I arched my brow. “His wife is dying, and don’t forget.” “Don’t remind me.” He growled. “I understand his wife is dying, but from tomorrow on, you will stay by my side and hang only from my hands.” I frowned. “I am not your jacket, Cameron.” “And you are not his jacket either. I hate seeing you too close.” His mouth closed around mine, and his tongue knocked upon my teeth, begging me to open up. My mouth was ever willing, and he slid his tongue swiftly into mine, entangling it with mine. “It’s like someone’s holding my heart and squeezing it.” He said this, pulling himself out of the kiss. “It hurts.” Throwing my arms around his neck, I pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. My body responded to him naturally, and the sleep that had fill
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-two
Lana’s POV The tension in the air was palpable, but I was determined to salvage us out of this. The doctor worked his jaw, rubbing the spot where Andre had landed the punch. He pushed himself forward in his seat. “First of all,” he started slowly. “I will explain to you what Kathy’s illness is and the point at which it is at now.” He paused, allowing us—Andre, especially—to calm his racing heart and cool down his heat. “I already explained to you all what this disease meant. Her lungs have collapsed, robbing her of the ability to breathe. It is at stage four, and as you saw, she does not have much time left. The only thing that is keeping her is the machine, and as soon as we turn it off, Kathy will no longer be with us.” Pain was evident in his face as he spoke. And again, I had that feeling that he and Kathy might have a relationship that was more than doctor and patient. Who was he to her? Was he a man from her past? Was this why he could accuse us of knowing nothing about he
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-three
Lana’s POV Although Cameron was not my husband yet and therefore could not speak for me, my legal adviser was Sally, and she was available. She jumped to her feet, pushing herself forward until she was leaning on the doctor’s desk and peering into his eyes. “And I am her legal adviser.” Sally imputed, glaring daggers at him. “Do I also have no right to say she does not need to come to any conclusions right now because evidently she is not in the right frame of mind?” While Cameron and Sally struggled with the doctor about whether I should or should not take the test, my mind played and replayed the doctor’s words over and over again. My father had never mentioned having any family beside my mother and me, so was there any truth in what this man told us? I glanced at him, the storm in his eyes as he bared down at Sally. Did he have any reason to lie to me? I could think of none. Before today, I had no idea such a person existed in this world, and if not for the fact that Kathy h
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-four
Lana’s POV Sally was not leaving my side. Neither was Cameron. None of them was going to let me make this decision on my own, if it came to that. I think it was because they thought I was going to decide to do something as stupid as giving out one of my kidneys. But even I was not that good, I must confess. Don’t get me wrong. It seemed like the right thing to do—perhaps a valiant act on my part—to try and save the life of the woman who might be my sister, but I was no knight in shining armour, brave, and riding a white horse ready to save the day. I was a mother, and before I thought of anything else, I had to think of my children and if it would have any effects on them. Giving out a kidney was risky—at least I knew that much—and maybe the doctor would tell me all about that later because, besides being Kathy’s brother, he was a doctor and his duty was to humanity. Right? Still, I kind of knew that there was plenty of risk involved in doing something like that. My only lung
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-five
Lana’s POV The words of the doctor struck a hard spot in my heart. I felt a lot of emotions all at once. First, I felt relieved; perhaps he meant I did not need to donate any of my organs anymore, but then fear gripped me. What did that mean? I caught the thought. Of course not. If Kathy was... I could not even think of the words, but if she were, then he would not be standing here right now looking so composed. Then, was there no need for the transplant again? Had they found another way to keep her alive? His expression betrayed nothing. Most importantly, I was disheartened because I had wanted to take that test not just because I might have a chance at helping Kathy, but because the test would show if we were really related, as the doctor had stated earlier. “What?” I choked out. “Did something happen?” He shook his head, but only then did I see the sadness in his eyes. “Kathy would like to see you,” he informed me. “Just you, Lana. The others will go in after...” he glanc
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TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and three
Andre’s POV Two Years LaterMy mother was upset that I had gone behind her back to sabotage her. To sell her company to that little brat—that is what she refers to Lana as now—who knew nothing about business, but I did not have to tell her that it was either that or see her remanded in prison. To watch everything I had and everyone I loved taken away from me. I did not need to tell her that we were lucky we had a choice. The poor girl had no choice back then and had to take life as it was handed to her. My mother would live—abort sourly—but at least she would still live. We could build back the company even if it took a long time. Thankfully, all she had back then was a minor heart attack. As for the little brat, Lana, she and Cameron got married two years ago and have spent the last two years of their marriage touring the world.I was envious of the love they found. The comfort they gave each other, the strength in their numbers, but as time went on, I too was beginning to live wi
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and two
Lana’s POV The house was still the same way I remembered it. The chairs, the arm stool, and the and the settees All of the arrangements were still the same, and it struck a chord of familiarity within me. I settled into the plush armchair and watched Andre move towards the bar, his demeanour calm and composed. It was hard to reconcile this composed man with the man I had known years ago. Andre returned with a glass of red wine, just the way I liked it. He handed it to me, then sat across from me. “Have you come to a conclusion regarding what we discussed?” I crossed my legs, one above the other, and stared blankly at him. “Regarding what exactly? The only thing I remember that we have yet to talk about are the kids and how we’ll split their days between us. Other than that, I don't think we have any unfinished business. Except you are talking about signing the documents, which would see me as the new CEO of Ranhold.” Andre heaved a long sigh and rubbed his temples. Was he beginnin
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred and one
Lana’s POV We spent the next week gathering evidence against Freda and meeting with potential witnesses who could testify against her if we were to take her to court, but it seemed as though that would not be needed. It was some time towards the end of the week when what was going to be our break happened. It came in the form of André getting a recognition award. I had no idea what his relationship with Freda had been like following everything that had happened lately, so I cannot talk about that. But upon receiving the award, Freda was so happy with her son that she decided to allow him to make certain decisions that regarded the leadership of Ranhold. In the past, André had been nothing but a figurehead. Although he sat in the CEO position, his mother, Freda, usually handled all the decision-making, and everyone knew this. He was useless, and if it was important that his signature be appended to a document, he had to get permission from Freda first before doing it. But now, all
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Two hundred
Lana’s POV Back at my apartment, we laid out all the new information we had gathered. It felt like we were finally making progress, and the weight of uncertainty was beginning to lift. But then a call entered my phone, which was going to either bring everything crashing down on us again or continue pushing us forward.We had laid everything on the table in front of us, and we were about to start sitting through them when the ringtone of my phone shattered through the peace, quiet, and anxiety that had settled over us. Sighing and thinking it was from one of my colleagues at Lukem, I pulled the phone from my pocket and paused when I saw the caller ID displaying on my screen.“Hmmm... Andre.” I said it out loud, alerting the other guys to who the caller was. Without waiting for their response, I swiped on the screen and placed the phone in my ear. “Hey, Andre.” I greeted. “What’s going on?”“I found something.” He announced. From over the phone, I could not make out the time of his vo
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Ninety-nine
Lana’s POV Fred smiled warmly, taking a seat beside Clara. “It’s been a long time, Aunt Clara. We have so much to catch up on, but there’s something important we need to ask you about first.”Clara looked at him. “Of course, anything. What do you need to know?”Fred glanced at me, and I handed Clara the letter. “We found this among my father’s papers. It mentions a promise to protect you. We need to understand what happened.”Clara took the letter and began reading it. As she read through it, I noticed the change in her expression. She took a deep breath and glanced up at us. “This... this brings back memories I thought I’d buried. Your mother and Mr. West were the best friends I ever had. But there was more to it, and it brought trouble or would have brought trouble had Mr. West not decided to act in what he believed to be the best interest of everyone, including your mother. Fred’s face lightened up, as did mine. “What do you mean?”Clara sighed. “Secrets.” She whispered. “Anne an
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-eight
Lana’s POVFred shrugged. “She hinted at societal expectations and family obligations,” he replied. “But she didn’t give specifics. I think she knows a lot more than she’s letting on.”I nodded slowly. “My father never mentioned anything about your mother or you and Kathy. And I started going through his papers; maybe I would find something.”Fred’s expression softened. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but it is not to be helped. I cannot say I know how you feel or what you are feeling right now. Finding out that a person you think you know has another side, which you have no idea of, can really do something to you.”I reached out and touched Fred’s hand briefly. “We’ll figure it out together. I have some of my father’s old letters and documents that might help us piece things together. Maybe we can confront Freda again with more concrete questions? What do you think? Right now, she’s the only person who can give us answers, and we are not even on good terms.”We returned to m
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-seven
Narrator’s POV Freda’s smile faltered for the briefest of moments, a shadow crossing her eyes before she quickly regained her composure. She leaned back in her chair, interlacing her fingers and resting them on her desk.“That’s quite a heavy topic, Fred,” she said, her tone now more serious. “Why are you suddenly interested in this?”Fred shrugged. “Perhaps after Kathy’s death, I realised something. I just want to know why he abandoned my mother, why he chose his other family above us, and why he caused us so much pain and loss. I want to understand all of these things; perhaps it would help me forgive, let go, and move on.”A shadow of a smile crossed Freda’s face. “Ahhhh... I guess it runs in the family then.” Fred narrowed his eyes, wondering what she meant by that statement. “I don’t understand. What runs in the family?”Freda stood to her feet and approached the floor-to-ceiling window, which offered a great view of the city. From here, he could view the city’s skyline and wat
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and ninety-six
Narrator’s POV Freda’s office was located on the uppermost floor of the skyscraper that acted as Ranhold’s headquarters, a detail that made Fred pause as he stepped out of the taxi five minutes ago. He blinked against the rays of sunlight reflecting off the monolithic structure of steel and glass, momentarily blinded. The reflective surface mirrored the city below, creating an illusion of infinite depth.The other buildings around it were similar in their grandeur, each with its own unique design. For the umpteenth time since his arrival in the city, Fred was reminded of how little he had traveled. There were places outside of his known world yet to be explored, and this city of steel and glass was one of them. He had spent—wasted—five minutes entranced by the sleek, modern design, temporarily forgetting his purpose for being there.Pulling himself back to reality, he straightened his suit and approached the entrance. The revolving glass doors spun smoothly, ushering him into a grand
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Ninety-five
Lana’s POVI took tentative steps towards the bouquet. Whether unconsciously or by some reflex response in our system, we all had taken steps away from the bouquet. For some reason, we felt threatened by it. This was not the first time we would receive threats disguised as gifts, and I guess that has taught us a lesson. Slowly, I pulled out the card in the bouquet and glanced at Cameron and Sally, who both gave me curt nods. I opened it and began reading it aloud. “Congratulations on Zoe’s recovery. Best wishes for the future. – Freda.”The room fell silent as the implications of the message sank in. Sally was the first to break the silence. “Freda has acted once again. First of all, it was an almost dead bird on my door, and now congratulatory bouquet?”My grip on the card tightened. “Is this supposed to mean something?”Cameron stepped closer, resting his hand on the small of my back. “Hey, we’ll keep our guard up. She’s only trying to play mind games, but we won’t give her the sat
