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Chapter One hundred and forty-six
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TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and forty-seven
Freda sat in her office, going over the activities that were drafted by the company’s human relations team to boost efficiency and productivity among the staff. Against her wishes, they had printed it on hard paper and had it submitted to her desk, and she realised their decision was the best way, although it required defying her direct orders.Her mind drifted to the impending issue at hand, and she reached for her phone, putting a call through to the legal team to know about the latest updates.As usual, they kept her going with the news that we’re doing something about it, and she hung up the phone, a little disappointed, not knowing what to expect. Looking around the office and even standing up to close the office door to be sure she wasn’t being snooped on, she picked up the phone and called the person she had sent on a private assignment.“How is it? Are you done with it?”“Not yet, though the first phase is currently in development. Just calm down and use your seatbelt; you’re
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and forty-eight
Sally, unsure of who she had a case with that could go this far, drove straight to the police precinct, not even daring to use her brakes for a moment. The police precinct stood proudly in the centre of the city, its gate lit with a statue of the police badge. Sally drove in, nodding her head at the security man, and could only breathe when she was inside the protective confines of the station. Once inside the station, she rolled down her protective window, coughing at the impact of the fresh breeze hitting her face. She looked around for the detective who had called, and she saw him on the far side of the station, walking towards her car. “Good evening, Miss Sally,” he greeted, hands resting on his hips. “There is nothing good about the evening, detective,” she responded shakily. “Talk to me; what did you see?” “Someone after my life.” “I am going to need you to calm down and tell me what happened.” “Okay, I just got back from work and I went to my residence. I have no staff
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and forty-nine
The knock became louder and more frequent, and whoever was on the other side of the door didn’t seem ready to stop knocking until someone answered. With instincts kicking in instantly, the detective removed his gun and ordered Sally to stay back, going for the door knob with trained caution.“Hello, who’s there?”“We heard a loud noise from here; is everything alright?”“Yes, we are alright.”“We need to make sure; please open the door.”“Can I choose not to?”"No, sir, the company's policy demands that you open this door for a full security sweep. You have five minutes to open up, or we’re coming in either way.”“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” the detective answered, and he moved towards the door, his gun still in front of him as he turned the knob.The door opened to reveal the hotel’s security staff, heavily armed with different artillery and tools. They greeted Sally and the detective,“Why do you have a weapon? Are you licensed to carry that?”“I’m a detective with the police departmen
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifty
Lana picked up the call and placed the phone on her car’s docking panel, switching to her wireless earphones. It was Sally again. “Do you think I should tell mom about this?” “No, don’t tell her. It could cause damage to her and make her unsettled.” “Oh okay. When are you coming to see me, though?” “I am already on my way. I should be there in forty minutes; just hang on a little more.” "Okay, I will be expecting you.” “Have you called the detective this morning?” “He had a very late night because of me; I wouldn’t want to disturb him this early in the morning. “No problem. What would you like me to pick up for you at the supermarket?” “Hygiene products; I left in a rush, and I’m too scared to even go out of the hotel room.” “Noted, hang in there,” and she ended the call, focusing on the traffic-laden road ahead of her. Lana stopped at the next convenience store she noticed and picked up the hygiene products just as her friend had ordered them alongside some other products.
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifty one
Lana’s POV We had lunch by ourselves at a simple yet elegant restaurant across the hotel where Sally had taken up temporary residence. She was still agitated by the whole thing that happened—that much was evident—but thankfully, we were beginning to get it in the back of our minds. Sally had hinted that she suspected someone, and I wanted to ask who it was. If she was thinking about the same person as I was, it could not be a coincidence, right? But then, I also did not want to reopen wounds when they were still just newly bandaged. We said nothing as we ate. While I tried to think of the best way to brush through the topic with Sally without agitating her further, I knew Sally had a lot on her plate, and I wondered if I should disturb her. Thankfully, a call came in, ripping me out of my dilemma. I said a silent prayer to whoever the caller was before glancing at the caller ID on the screen to see that it was none other than Cameron himself. Unconsciously, my face gave way t
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifty-two
The drive back home was short. As expected, I met Cameron with the children. He gleamed at me from the counter, where he was, and waved his soapy hand at me. “You just missed lunch.” He announced. “What’s up?” I threw my bag on one of the bar stools and went over, embracing him from behind and drinking in his scent. “A lot.” I answered. “But I already had lunch; thank you. I had to; Sally was too distraught.” He turned around, carefully plucking me away from him. “What happened? Is she alright?” I shrugged and moved to the fridge, scowling at its contents before finally settling for a bottle of water, which I downed in three gulps. “I hope so. She is trying to hold up well, but I can tell she’s breaking apart.” I shuddered as the image of the bird flashed through my mind again. “Okay, skip the suspense. Tell me what happened.” “She called during the wee hours of the morning, and I went to see her today. She sounded so disordered, frantic, and scared, so unlike herself, and it
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifty-three
The sun peered through the windows, causing me to close my eyes as soon as I opened them. I blinked, then tried again, turning to the side of the bed where the light was not so bright. I touched the bed, wondering if Cameron had spent the night over yesterday or if he had gone home without even bothering to wake me up. Oh, shit! I jumped from the bed, panicking. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table, checked the time, and cursed out loud again. I was supposed to be with Sally yesterday; why had Cameron not even bothered to wake me? And I had obviously missed the children’s school time. I catapulted to their room, cursing all the way. They were not there. Not a good sign. I checked the kitchen, then the garden, then the small arthouse we had gifted them, then all the other rooms. There was no sign of them anywhere. Shit! I cursed again, wondering why Cameron had not bothered to wake me. I rushed back to my room, grabbing my phone from the nightstand where I had left it. I wa
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and fifty-four
Cameron’s POV The restaurant I had asked for us to meet at was quite secluded—more to her own advantage than mine—and she had yet to say a word to me, although I have caught her glances several times. I paused on the lobster rolls, which I had ordered, and set down the cutlery. “Let us get down to business now, shall we?” She smiled. For a woman her age, I had to say that she had quite a beautiful smile and looked younger. It was too bad that her heart was not as sweet as her smile. “I thought you would never ask.” She replied, following my lead and setting down her utensils as well. She dabbed at her mouth, then smiled again. “I never knew such a place existed in this city. Thank you for bringing me here.” “Pleasure.” When I had invited her here, I had a half-mind that she was going to actually take on my request and see me. But seeing as she was here, I guess she needed this meeting just as much as I did. I cleared my throat. “This is not a business meeting, ma’am. And
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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
