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Chapter Seventy-Five
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TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Seventy-Six
The board members were all seated; even McCoy was here, which I noticed with a bit of amusement. After the argument yesterday and my threat, I expected he would refuse to show up for the meeting today, but I guess he decided to call my bluff, or did he want to see if I was only playing mind games?I stood from my seat, calling the hall to silence. All eyes turned to me. “Yesterday, I informed us that a representative from BlackBrick would be visiting us.” Murmurs ran across the room, and they glanced at each other. I smiled. “Well, today, we have with us that representative. Please, welcome, Cameron Myers.” I gestured with my hands to where Cameron sat beside me. “CEO, BlackBrick Global.”Mouths went agape, and gasps filled the room. I was sure that they were not expecting the CEO himself to present the proposal to them. They all jumped to their feet, their eyes leaving me to rest hungrily on Cameron.“Sir,” McCoy said. “We didn’t think you would come all the way here by yourself.”
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Seventy-Seven
Cameron’s POVI walked into the shop with my heart in my mouth. This was something I wanted to do, something I’d been putting off for a long time now, and with the speed at which my relationship with Lana was going, this time seemed like the best time, or I could just wait till never.But I was not sure. Would she want this? Was she ready for this big step in our relationship? Everything in my body screamed a very big no, but Darby said, “Yes!!!”“Christ! You don’t know Lana like I do.” Darby said, admiring the various assortments of jewellery and rings in the shop. She almost cried when she saw one, and she wiggled her fingers dreamily. “I think this one would suit me just fine.”I scratched my head. I could still remember the first time I asked Lana out and the look on her face as she turned me down. I shook my head, clearing the memory from my head. That experience had left a bad taste in my mouth, and I did not want to go through it again.But I also wanted to do this. I wanted to
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Seventy-Eight
Kathy went over and gave Andre a slight peck on the cheek, which he wiped off immediately. Typical, I thought expressionlessly. I was a fool for thinking André could ever change. I saw Kathy smile meekly at him—a smile that did not reach her eyes—before turning to me. Andre did not return her smile, nor did he look at her. His attention was concentrated on me, and this made my face flush red from embarrassment. What is he doing? I wondered. His wife is right there. The least he can do is respect her. But I have never known Andre to respect any woman except for his mother. That one had him under a special spell.Kathy tapped my arm gently. “We should be on our way.”“Oh,” I said, shaking myself out of the thoughts that consumed me. I allowed him to lead me out of the house, not sparing either Andre or the house, which had been my home for five years, a second glance. “So long, Andre,” I muttered under my breath.“I am sorry for keeping you waiting,” Kathy apologised as soon as we were
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Seventy-Nine
I was weak to the knees when I returned home. My meeting with Kathy got me thinking about a lot of not-good scenarios. Possibilities of a future, and none of them ended in a good way. I would die before I let André take my children from me.Darby and Cameron were back, and they looked like they had a good time. They kept smiling at each other and whispering behind my back like high school sweethearts. I did not even want to know what was going on between them. I was already in a foul mood, and I didn’t want to soil it any further.I retired to the children’s room, where they were with the nanny. They were already asleep, and the nanny was reading a page from a children’s book. “Thank you, Page.” I said it with a tired smile. “Did they eat before they slept?”Page nodded. “Yes. I made sure to feed and bathe them.”“Thank you.” I said again, peering into their cots. My little joy-givers. They looked so small and so beautiful. Don’t worry, my darlings. I won’t let anyone take you away fr
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Eighty
Andre’s POVThe plan was underway, and I was happy. Once Kathy succeeded in getting close enough to Lana and brought me samples of the kids’ blood, fluid, nails, or anything else that belonged to the children, I would carry out the test, and I was sure those children were mine.Let’s see Lana resist me when I am the only key to her seeing her children. I wished I did not have to do this, but she was leaving me no choice. I wanted her, and I must have her. I glanced at Kathy, who lay asleep beside me, and I had to give it to her. She really was something, coming up with this idea and following it through.Although I had to remind myself that she was also doing this for her own selfish interests, not because she actually wanted to help me, As she said, what she wants, she gets, and I did not care what it was she wanted as long as it brought me something that I wanted as well: my family.“Hey,” she said, blinking her eyes open. “You are still awake?”She turned to glance at the time on h
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Eighty-One
Freda glared at me. But I understood where she was coming from. This company was everything she worked for. It was her life—everything that she owned—and someone threatening to acquire it would definitely make her furious. I understood that. But I did not understand why she was taking the threat seriously. Lana just acquired Lukem, and I doubted she had the money to buy out our company, and even if she did, were we selling? Our company’s stocks were stable in the market, and we were still scaling up.There was nothing to be furious about. Even she should know that Lana was only bluffing. She wouldn't, really. Even with BlackBrick by her side, she did not have the means to do what she said.The thought of black brick brought a sour taste to my mouth. So that was why she refused our proposal, because Cameron had already offered her one. I don’t know if I should take this to be a good thing or a bad thing.After all, this could mean that they were nothing but business partners and I cou
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Eighty-Two
Cameron just got off the phone with the family lawyer, Sally, and documents were already in process. He whistled happily as he went to the kitchen, breezing gracefully through the dining room and looking blindly for the refrigerator. He was blind to happiness, which made me wonder if he should be happier than I am.Some hours later, Sally’s expensive-looking yellow and black Chevrolet Camaro pulled up by their gate; it’s expensive horn reverberating around the compound and sending the twins into a state of frenzy when they realised it was one of their favourite guests at the gate.I looked around me; everything was going so fast. I almost fell back into a state of fear, but Cameron’s eyes seemed to stare at my face at the same moment, as if to say, Don’t even think about it. She came inside, carrying the twins on each arm while their nanny was holding on to her bag. She dropped her bag and stretched her slender arms towards Cameron, both of them embracing for a moment that seemed spe
TOO GOOD TO LEAVE TOO BAD TO STAY Chapter Eighty-Three
The nurse Andre had met at the hospital was at least thirty years old, and if she was younger than that, then she did not look her age. She definitely looked thirty, and this made Freda somewhat pleased. It meant that the lady would be open to reason, and this meeting that they had in this very expensive restaurant was not going to take very long. She had done this on purpose—choosing this restaurant for its class and luxury. Usually, she only ate here with men of high esteem. Men whom she was going to do business with or was already doing business with. Their pockets were large, and they never shied away from the things on the menu. That was why this place was the perfect place to meet this nurse.Her name was Kelly—what an odd name for a woman—Kelly Austin, and she was a practicing nurse with a meagre income, which was not enough to sustain herself and her daughter. She was a single mother, and Freda smiled. Why were they making her job easier for her? She always welcomed a challe
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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
