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Chapter One hundred and sixty-three
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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
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-six
Lana’s POV His eyes glistened with unshed tears, and his hand shook at the thought of what he was about to do. But he was not the only one trying not to cry; the other doctors were around too, as were some nurses. In their eyes, I could see the tears they tried to hold back. Fred looked at her, and she smiled at him, nodding slowly. Giving him a silent go-ahead to do something, which for him might be the hardest thing he’s ever had to do, he would miss her; that much was evident, but she wanted this. This was not what they were trained to do. They were trained to save, but it seems that this one went beyond saving. Once, a wise man told me that ‘a person should always know when to step back and surrender. Doing that does not mean you give up; it just means that you are mature enough to see the bigger picture’. My only wish as we all stood around her bed, waiting for the final moments of Kathy’s life, was that she had been given the opportunity to know that wise man. Why he had c
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-seven
Lana’s POV “Do you think we should invite Fred to the dinner?” I asked, putting on the pair of earrings Cameron had purchased for me for the dinner. The emerald glistened under the light of the chandelier above us, deflecting its rays elegantly. They were beautiful, but I was not in the frame of mind to fully appreciate them. I pulled on the strands of my hair next, willing them to sit in place so I could attach pins to them. “If you think it is necessary,” he answered, coming to stand behind me. His hand slipped around the small of my back. “But if you ask me, I will say you should give it time. He just lost his sister; let him mourn.” Once again, he was right. Cameron was always right. I had only thought it was better for him to be around people; it would reduce the pain he felt. “Technically, I am her sister too.” I joked. Cameron nodded. “He was closer to her than you were.” Obviously, he did not get the joke. “Just give him time. For now, I would like for you to be here,
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-eight
Lana’s POV We sat atat a round table facing AndréAndré and the detective—Michael, if that was even his real name. Sally’s face had taken on that seriousness thatthat she usually donned when she was in the courtroom,courtroom, and she eyed the detective with something akin to disdain. “I want to know what this is.” She stated that her voice was flat and void of any emotion. emotion. “Why did you place a spy in my house? What did you hope to achieve?” she scowled at André and then at the detective. “I just wanted you to be fine.” Andre commented;; the frustration in his voice was crystal clear. Sally gasped and placed her hand on her chest. “How very kind of you!!” her voice dripped with venom. "Suddenly, you are concerned about my wellbeing. Am I supposed to fall at your feet and thank you for such kind gestures?” Andre’s helpless gaze strayed to my face, and I shrugged. Sally had every right to be upset, and I was not about to go and tell her that she was taking things too far
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and sixty-nine
Lana’s POV Andre was intent on proving himself to us, and that led him to bring out his computer and access the Ranhold database, and that was also what led to us finding out that he had been booted out of it. His access was now restricted, and it came as a shock to him—to all of us—that if the CEO of a company was locked out of his own database, what does that mean? Andre was pissed, and the rest of us could only watch as he made several calls back home, although it did not look like this would be rectified soon. We had no idea what he intended to access using the database, but at least this had succeeded in proving one thing: Andre and Freda were not on the same side, at least not in this fight. Sally said nothing after that—at least, nothing to counter Andre’s loyalty—and it looked like she and Marcus might make up after all. Cameron and I returned to our room a little while later, leaving Andre to sort things out with his company and Sally to sort out her feelings with Marcu
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Seventy
Andre’s POV I was a fool. I had been one for a long time without even realising it. Still, it was not too late for the tables to turn, and it was time they did. My mother had had me under her grasp for a long and it was a shame it took me so long to realise who she really was. I was sorry—to myself more than anyone else—that I was more of a victim in her web of lies, deceit, and endless plotting than all the others combined, but no one would ever know. When I was finally in the privacy of my room—thankfully, Marc was not here—I let out the tears I had been holding on to. I could not believe the calibre of person my mother and her influence had reduced me to. Her greed had seeped into me at some point, and I had failed to see that there was more to life, especially when you were with the people you loved and who loved you back just as much, and because of that, I had lost two beautiful women. It was her fault; I had no one to blame but her. Still, I had to accept the fact that s
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and seventy-one
Andre’s POVCartonica was indeed one of the most beautiful places to exist, and we had not even walked for that long. The soft crunch of leaves and twigs beneath our feet provided a soothing accompaniment to our chatter-less walk, filling the air with a gentle rhythm. In the distance, my eyes spied high-rise buildings radiating the rays of the evening sun and imbuing the rest of the surrounding buildings with their warm glow, which illuminated the vibrant hues of the city. “I’m glad we came out here,” Sally said from beside me. Her voice had an otherworldly tinge to it. It was as though she was far away, even when she was right beside me. “I never knew such a beautiful place existed.” She took a deep breath in, and from the corner of my eyes, I could see the tension in her shoulder. “So peaceful.”At a loss for words, I could only nod in agreement. Although, for a moment, I had been distracted by the peaceful facade that we walked around through and the air, which scented like a co
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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
