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Chapter One hundred and twenty-Six
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and twenty-seven
She couldn’t possibly know the kind of trap she was walking into. Despite the perils of the business world that she had successfully navigated to this point, Freda still considered Lana a little too gullible at this point. That’s why she had just consented to the invitation without giving it a second thought. Freda had planted camera men with equipment ready to stream their conversation, and her legal team had also invited the senior team; there was no way Lana could escape their interviewing wits without getting herself into a scandal that would surely burn her in one way or another. Freda smiled, satisfied with her own plan, and sat in the restaurant, waiting for her team of lawyers and then her prey. Lana, dressed in a sleek and sophisticated ensemble, exudes confidence and poise. She donned a tailored black pencil skirt that fell just above her knees, paired with a crisp white blouse adorned with subtle lace trim and a delicate silver brooch. A fitted blazer complements her cur
Last Updated : 2024-10-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and Twenty-Eight
“What do you mean by seeing me before she dies?” “It’s what you heard, Cameron.” He could feel her cracking voice as she tried to bite back the tears. “Will you please calm down and tell me how all this happened?” “Two weeks ago, she was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. The doctor gave her two months before she gave up the ghost, and she has been in the hospital ever since.” “Why are you just telling me about all this now?” “We’ve not been able to reach you up until now!!” She screamed, the frustration in her voice always showing itself. “I’ll be home the first thing tomorrow morning.” “The earlier, the better.” He dropped the call, his heart racing in fear and anticipation, not knowing what he was going to meet at home. He hated seeing his mom cry, but now that she was sick and on the deathbed, He couldn’t even bring himself to imagine how it must have been. This was surely the end of the work for the day; there was no way he could sign these papers in front of him i
Last Updated : 2024-10-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and twenty nine
The trip to Cartonica had been gruesome, lasting seventeen hours, but Cameron had paid no attention to the time spent. If it were within his power, he would have stopped the pilot from giving them the two-hour stopover that occurred in between the trips. As he got down from the phone, he quickly took off his phone from the flight mode as previously advised by the pilot and placed a call through to Becca. The call droned on until it was forwarded to the answering machine. It was strange for her to leave her phone hanging, but then strange things had been happening these days—a lot of strange things. He properly straightened the jacket he was wearing and headed towards the relaxation area like the other travellers, paying constant attention to the expensive, shiny timepiece on his hand, measuring the time used and the time he still had. He looked around the airport, searching for somewhere he could find something to fill his stomach on, and discovered where they had landed was more
Last Updated : 2024-10-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and thirty
Lana sat in the depressingly massive office space, staring at the mountainous stacks of paper sitting before her in a very neat manner as a million thoughts crossed to and from the thresholds of her mind. She tried her possible best to make it make sense to her in a way she knew wouldn’t. Cameron had not told her he had a family; no, he never mentioned a family in her hearing, and now that she knew about it, she couldn’t help but fight the feeling of doubt and uncertainty that was slowly finding her way to the memories of him that she held sacred. Restless, she stood up from the chair and paced to and fro the office space, not even knowing where she was itching from. She took her phone and went to his office upstairs, not looking for anything in particular. On getting to the door of his office, she met the secretary prancing out of the office. “What were you doing?” she asked suspiciously. “I went to supervise the cleaner and made sure she did her job the way she’s supposed to,”
Last Updated : 2024-10-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and thirty-one
The company’s cafeteria, known affectionately as “The Hub," was a warm and welcoming oasis in the midst of the bustling corporate landscape. The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, enticing employees to take a break from their desks and gather around the tables. Known for its warm and inviting atmosphere, the Hub boasts comfortable seating and vibrant décor, and the menu is diverse and affordable, offering a range of options to suit various tastes and dietary needs. The Hub serves a mix of classic comfort food, international cuisine, and healthy options, all at prices that were streamlined to suit the needs of the middle- and low-class workers of the company. From hearty sandwiches and soups to flavorful curries and stir-fries, there’s something for everyone. Lana watched as employees lingered over their meals, the hum of conversation and the clinking of utensils against plates creating a sense of community and camaraderie. The Hub seemed to be more than a place to
Last Updated : 2024-10-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and thirty two
The thirty minutes were shorter than he had anticipated, and with the assistance of the embedded computer in the car, he effortlessly navigated his way to the carefully structured city of Singer. As he drove, he tried to remember some places or roads but discovered that most of the structures he was familiar with were either bulldozed off or renovated to look like something new. He remembered how the TV presenter had described Singer on a programme in the past year. ‘Singer, the capital of the famous Cartonica offers a home to all and many; businessmen and women, industrialists, students, entrepreneurs, and even thieves, loafers, and criminals will have somewhere to put their heads. Home to the Myers Dual Islands, one of the most beautiful chains of private islands in the region, it boasts the most entrepreneur-filled city of the year. When you are thinking tourism next, think Singer, the city of skyscrapers.’ He turned away from the busy motorway to the more private road that led
Last Updated : 2024-10-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and thirty three
“Why is the house void and empty? Where are all the maids?” Cameron questioned, taking in the beauty of the hallway as they walked past it. “They are retired to their quarters, sleeping. You know how Mother always capitalises on retiring to bed early,” she replied, taking Cameron down another trip through memory lane. “Yeah, yeah, I do.” He chuckled, trying to keep abreast of the moment. “Welcome back; you’re finally here after all these years.” She spun back to look him directly in the eye and raised her hand to caress his face, suddenly realising how tall he had become. “How long has it been? Fifteen years?” Cameron nodded his head in approval, suddenly ashamed of how long he had forgotten this place he had once treasured. “Go to bed now and rest well; we’ll visit Mother first thing in the morning,” she urged, opening the door of his long abandoned room for him. “I’ve had it cleaned and arranged, but I also made sure it was exactly the way you left it. Welcome back home, princ
Last Updated : 2024-10-29TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter One hundred and thirty-four
“Becca? Are you with me?” His voice jolted her back to life, pulling her away abruptly from her reverie. “Yeah?” she answered, looking around the room like a chicken that had just witnessed the sacrificing of her mother. “I had been talking with you for over five minutes now, and you were not responsive.” “Five minutes? Was I lost in thought for five minutes?” “A little more than that. I was about to ask you what happened to mom.” “Well,” she started, “she had this coronary artery disease. It’s a heart condition where the lungs do not seem to have the strength to carry the blood to the heart, and the heart also doesn’t have the strength to pump enough blood.” “I didn’t know you were a medical prodigy,” he commented. She shrugged, staring daggers at him. “That was how the doctor described it. Now, coronary artery disease doesn’t have a cure; it can only be mitigated by pills and a change in lifestyle. But then, in the worst case, a heart transplant would be the only pathway ou
Last Updated : 2024-10-29
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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
