They all stared at the door, like it would burst open to reveal an unwanted intruder.At that moment, Laura's phone beeped, signifying that she had a message."Lucy, please come get the door," Anna called out as she admired her perfectly manicured nails."It seems there are more important matters that Laura must attend to," Grace said as she stared at Laura, who was reading the message on her phone."Of course, there are always more important things than her family," Anna mocked.Jerry was silent, comfortably sitting on the couch, unbothered about the whole situation.While Lucy goes to check who was at the door, "Dad, tell me mom's name; I have to go now," Laura states."You only need to do something simple; you should be asking me what I was about to say," Jerry said to her.They could hear the voices from the door. "I wonder who that is," Ann muttered."Maybe Laura brought bodyguards," Grace said, raising her shoulders and hands in a shrug.At the door, Lucy opened it, and standing
"Uhm, Mr. North told us not to worry that he has already spoken to you," Beth replied.Tim looked at Jason, wondering if he was thinking what he was also thinking."Beth, are you talking about my brother?" Jason asked."Yes, sir, he told us specifically that you both had agreed to postpone the production and that we had more time to come up with a better design," Beth quickly explained."Da*n," Jason cursed under his breath before adding, "Why did you not confirm from Bailey or from me?""I'm sorry, sir," Beth replied in regret.Jason ended the call and turned to Bailey. "Put a call through to Shawn's office and ask if he is in.""Okay, Mr. North," Bailey replied and hurried out of the office.Jason had a dark look on his face. He was pissed that Shawn had chosen to tamper with his most expensive collection."Jason? You need to be very calm," Tim said softly as he stared at Jason."Of course, I am calm; why were you also not aware of the change?" Jason said."You are supposed to recei
"You wouldn't dare!" Shawn shouted, standing up from his seat, his veins visible on his neck."Watch me do it, Shawn; next time you won't mess with my collection or my client," Jason shot back and shut the door behind him.As Jason walked over to the elevator, he saw Shawn's secretary hurrying into the office."Why did you..." Jason heard Shawn ask just before the door shut behind her.A triumphant smile spread across Jason's face as he muttered, "You want war; I'll give you war."Jason had no intention of carrying out his threat against Shawn, but having him think he could was a good hold on Shawn."Jason, please tell me you didn't piss him off," Tim asked as soon as Jason walked back into his office.Jason smiled, his dimple showing off his boyish look as he replied, "No, I only ruffled his fur a little.""Oh, no, war is coming; I need to get new arms. That smile on your face says you didn't just ruffle his fur; you outright pulled them out," Tim replied, shaking his head in concern
"Are you my mommy's friend?" Lisa asked the women in front of them."Uhm, yes, I am," Lily replied, her voice stuttering as she stared at the faces before her."I'm Lily's friend, and your mommy is Lily's friend, so she is my friend too," Natasha replied.Liam had a confused look on his face as he turned to Natasha. "I don't understand," he replied.Lily laughed; the child was cute, which made her like them. "Come on in; let's go have our seat."Natasha and Lily had recovered from the surprise of seeing the children's faces."These children look so much like Jason!" Lily whispered to Natasha."It would have been such a blessing if these kids were Jason's," Natasha whispered to Lily, staring at the children sweetly.The children had just moved to New York, so there was no way they were Jason's."A blessing indeed, Natasha," Lily whispered back as they sat down in the living room.Liam and Lisa were looking at the two women cluelessly, wondering what they were talking about."Do you lik
Laura turned to him and said, "Uhm, it seems my car just developed a fault.""Oh, how bad is it?" David asked, looking towards Audrey."It has to be taken for repair; I'm afraid it won't be able to take Laura back to the hotel." Audrey replied."I can do that; don't worry; that is, if you don't mind Laura," David stated.Laura thought about it for a minute before replying, "I would really appreciate that, David, but there's just one problem.""What is that?" David asked."I need to pick up my children on the way back," Laura told him.David's face had a little surprise on it. "Uhm, that should not be a problem," he quickly replied to mask his surprise, adding, "I'm done for the day, so I'm free."Laura had noticed the look on his face, but she was impressed that he had refrained from making the usual comment she usually hears."Okay, thank you so much," Laura told him before turning to Audrey to say, "What about you?""I'll make sure the car gets to the workshop before heading home,"
"Lisa, do not open that door," Laura scolded as she hurried over to her and pulled her back."Mummy, I want to see Aunt Audrey," Lisa said, pouting."Aunt Audrey didn't come with me today; you'll see her another time. Wait here, okay," Laura explained, adding, "Liam, make sure Lisa does not come out."Liam grinned from ear to ear, his shoulders high, as he walked over to Lisa. "Now, I'm in charge," he said.Lisa squeezed her face, folded her hands, and said, "No, you're not."Laura rolled her eyes as she opened the door. She stepped out and closed it behind her."You're alone," David stated, looking behind her."Yeah, I am; I'm afraid I have to stay longer than I thought," Laura told him."Oh, that's not a problem," David responded with a smile."Thank you, David, but I can't keep you here for that long; you should just go. My kids are still playing inside, and Lily has offered her driver to take us back to the hotel." Laura stated."Oh, I see. Okay, I guess that means I won't get to
Tim stepped out of the car and walked up to Jason. "What is it you want to get so I can get it for you?"Jason was distracted, and Tim had blocked his view. "Uhm, Tim," Jason said, clearing his throat, adding, "Please step aside.""I should what? Are you alright? Do you need water?" Tim asked, stepping closer to Jason.Jason was frustrated; instead of trying to peer over Tim's shoulder, Jason stepped around him, but the lady was gone. He had not seen her face, just her back and lovely hair."Damm!" Jason hissed and turned back to Tim with raised brows."What?" Tim asked, confused."Did you do that on purpose?" Jason asked, with his brows still raised."Do what? Did I do something?" Tim asked, still clueless as to what Jason was referring to.Jason stared at Tim's clueless face and shook his head as he said, "Never mind.""Okay, would you still go to the doctor's place?" Tim asked."Yes, the file I need is in a brown envelope on my reading table." Jason said that and got back into the
Laura held her breath, wondering why her father was silent. She hoped that for once in her life, her father would truly be a father and tell her what she wanted to know. "Dad? Are you still there?" Laura asked, just to be sure. There was silence on the other end. Lara was getting frustrated, but she kept it in and asked again. "I'm sure you don't plan to stay on this call forever, dad," she said. "Sign the papers to me, Laura, and we will talk," Jerry said at last, ending the call. "Damm!" Laura cursed as she threw the phone on the bed and sank down on it. The weight of her frustration was getting unbearable. She picked up her phone and typed a message: 'Tell me just one thing: my mother's name. Laura sent the message, hoping that whoever had sent her that message would reply. "I just need to know," Laura muttered. It's barely been a week since she got back to New York, and so much has happened. If finding out about her mother and what happened that faithful night seven year
Shawn and Tobias looked back instantly, and the shock on their faces was so appealing that it brought a smile to Lily's face. "Laura? What are you doing here?" Tobias asked, looking shocked. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Laura said as she walked over and sat in front of them. Before they could answer, they heard a knock at the door, and Laura said, "Oh, that must be him." "Aunt, I thought you said she left," Tobias said, looking at Lily. Lily remained silent and only responded with a shrug. Laura opened the door, and Jason walked into the office, a sight that only made Tobias more scared and Shawn visibly angry. "You were saying something about my family," Laura said, addressing Shawn. "What is going on here? Why does this feel like a trap? Are you suspecting us of something?" Shawn asked, standing up suddenly. "Nobody is suspecting you of anything; we are just asking you about your last statement," Lily said, breaking her silence. "You know what? I'm leaving. I only
As soon as they were alone, Jason turned back to Laura and said, "Let's hear it."Laura shook her head and replied, "Jason, up until this morning, I didn't have the information I have now. I was actually trying my best not to be angry at you.""Why would you be angry at me? If for anything, I should be the one pissed, because you were not picking up my calls and you left without any notice from the event that day.""I know, but if you hear me out, then maybe you will understand my reasons," Laura said, holding up her hand."Okay, you have the floor," Jason said as he took his seat a few feet away from her."I came back to town to find my mother and to find out what happened to me seven years ago," Laura said.Jason was silent as he watched her speak, his expression neutral. Laura brushed her hair behind her neck and continued to explain her mother's relationship to Lily."Suffix it to say that I found my grandmother, but I was not able to find out what happened that one night that I c
Grace walked into Jared's office, demanding to have an audience with him."I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't go in now; he is not on sit," the receptionist said apologetically."I know he is in there; tell him that if he does not see me now, he won't like the next news he hears," Grace responded.Having no choice, the receptionist put a call through to Jared's office again and relayed the message.After a few minutes, she dropped the phone and said, "You can go in, ma'am.""I thought as much," Grace replied, and she walked straight to the elevator.It had been radio silence since her last confrontation with Jared, but now she was going to rain down all the anger she felt within on him."I told you not to come here, Grace," Jared said as soon as Grace walked into his office."I don't give a damn what you say any longer, Jared," Grace replied with scorn."What exactly do you want, Grace?" Jared asked."What do I want? Huh, that's rich coming from you." Grace replied, adding, "You know I h
Lily was surprised to hear that, so she gripped her hand tightly and asked, "What else is there that I haven't said?"Laura shook her head and replied, "No, not you; it's from me.""Oh, what is it?" Lily asked.Laura pulled her hand from Lily's grip and brushed it through her hair as she sighed deeply."Actually, I came back to town because of two things. The first was because of the note you sent to me about my mother, and the second was because I wanted to find out what happened to me about seven years ago." Laura explained.Lily's face squeezed in confusion as she asked, "Something happened to you? What might it be?""Well, I don't know either; all I know is that I got pregnant after, and that was what resulted in my father sending me away from town," Laura replied."What?" Lily exclaimed in shock."Yes, you see, I was betrothed to Jared Tuner, but my stepsister set me up that night," Laura said, explaining what Grace had told her about the same night.There was more confusion on L
"Jason?" Tim called, wondering what was wrong."Okay, Liam, thank you for calling me. Do you know where you stay?" Jason said this on the phone.Tim realized he was talking to Laura's son and shrugged, hoping he got the answer he was looking for."No, that's fine. How is Lisa?" Jason asked.Just like magic, the hard look on Jason's face cleared as he spoke with the children. After a few minutes, the call ended."So?" Tim asked."They are leaving in two days," Jason said."What two days?" Tim replied, surprised."Yes," Jason replied, his voice sounding dejected."Oh, oh," Tim muttered."What did Gift say?" Jason asked."Nothing, just like I told you she would," Tim replied, adding, "Don't the kids know where the house is?""They don't; I think Liam called me from the card I gave him sometimes back," Jason replied."Hmm, well, I think you have tried all that you can," Tim said encouragingly.I am really going to lose Laura, Jason thought as he sat there, staring into space.*************
When Jason walked into the office that morning, everyone who saw him knew something was wrong."Jason, you don't look so good," Tim whispered behind him as they walked through the building lobby."You look like you did not get any sleep last night," Tim added as he noticed a few people staring at Jason."That is of less concern right now, Tim; I need you to get Gift here today," Jason replied as they boarded the elevator."Gift? You mean the same Gift Hatcher?" Tim asked."Yes, I need to ask her about Laura. She mentioned some time ago that they had been childhood friends," Jason replied.Tim shook his head, knowing that was not going to be a good idea, considering the outcome of the last meeting Gift had with Jason."I can basically feel you shaking your head from here," Jason muttered."Uhm, I just don't think Gift would be a good idea; I mean, after the last time, she would not be so keen to see you." Tim explained.Jason was at his wits end, and he was only trying to hold it all t
Jason woke up that morning with a heavy concern in his heart. He had tossed and turned through the night.The night before, he had been stunned by Tim's statement, and for a moment, his heart had frozen."What did you just say?" He had asked."Humm, I just heard from Emily, who heard from Laura's live-in nanny that Laura is leaving town," Tim had replied carefully.Jason had sat at the back of the car, stunned by the news. He had imagined a lot of outcomes from her sudden departure from the hotel, but he had not imagined that she would leave town."When did you get this information?" Jason had asked."Uhm, just before you stepped out of your office," Tim had also replied catiously."Why isn't she telling me about leaving town? Why is she suddenly avoiding me?" Jason asked himself, feeling a sinking feeling in his belly.Now, at the dawn of a new day, Jason climbed out of bed, looking dazed as he murmured, "I never thought I would feel this way."He walked over to the balcony and stare
"I really must have feelings for him," Laura muttered under her breath."Laura?" Teressa called again."I'm fine; I just felt a tiny pain in my chest," Laura said."Okay, let me get you water or something," Teressa said, hurring over to the mini-kitchen in the apartment.Laura's phone rang, and she saw Audrey's name on the screen."Hello, Adurey," Laura said, picking up the call."I think something must be really wrong," Audrey said in response."What?" Laura asked, her brows squeezed in confusion."You never miss a chance to work; that's why I'm wondering what's going on. How are you feeling now?" Audrey asked.Laura shook her head as she replied, "I'm fine, Audrey; I'm just not up for work yet.""Okay, no problem; I just wanted to check in on you," Audrey replied."Thank you," Laura replied, adding, "If there is anything that requires my urgent attention, please let me know.""Don't worry, I will," Audrey replied before ending the call.Laura pulled the phone from her ears and rubbe
"Hello? Lily?" Jason said as soon as he heard her voice."Jason, how are you?" Lily said, breaking into a smile as she realized it was Jason."I'm okay. How are you? Is Laura there? I called to speak with her," Jason replied.Lily looked back, and to her dismay, Laura was gone. She looked from Audrey to Tina, both of whom had unreadable expressions on their faces."Humm, she is not feeling too well and has taken the day off," Lily replied, adding, "If there is anything you want us to help you with, I'm sure Audrey would take care of it.""Oh, yes, of course," Jason replied, the line silent for a few seconds before he added, "Are you aware she moved out of the hotel?"Lily coughed slightly as she replied, "Uhm, yes, I am.""Uhm, so do you know where she moved to? Well, not that I am particularly interested; I'm just, you know, trying to be a good neighbor; I believe we were neighbors," Jason replied, forcing himself to stop after realizing how he must sound."Hmm," Lily said, her brows