Ida's heart is pounding in her chest. The moment the huge looming mansion came into view, she couldn't believe her eyes. In the last two years of her failed relationship with Kevin, she visited this place twice. She recognized this place immediately. But never in her entire career did she imagine that Kevin Hamilton is related to her boss Leo Hamilton. They share the same last name, but she never thought that they were related. And she never in her worst nightmares imaged to be trapped between these two Hamilton men. One, who is her ex, and the other one, her boss and her one night stand.
As far as she knows, Kevin is an only child and his father is no more. She knows that his uncle is taking care of them. How would she know that his said 'Uncle ' is this young and let's not forget handsome.Even Kevin never mentioned it either. If Kevin is related to her boss, she does not understand why he is still searching for a job living with his mother, and depending on her money for his expenses.'After the betrayal from Kevin, this is the last place I wanted to step my foot in. I cannot face Kevin again. Not when he is announcing Clare as his fiancee ' she thought worrying her lower lip. She is so distracted, that she doesn't notice that Leo is observing her keenly.Leo's eyes zeroed in on her lips. The images of her lips and how he devoured her mouth popped into his mind. His eyes turned heated and he could feel the tightness in his pants. He averted his gaze immediately.'Damn it. Why is she affecting me this way? She was supposed to be Kevin's fiancee. But something must have happened between them. I only ever heard praises about this one from Hailey. But, I can see that something is not right here. Who was the other woman who pushed Ida inside my room? And who is this mysterious financee whom Kevin is going to announce today ' he thought.Their car stopped in the driveway of the Hamilton mansion, which is constructed in European style. He eyed his assistant who looked pale and froze in her seat."How long are you planning to sit here?" he asked calmly. Her head snapped in his direction and she looked flustered and embarrassed. Immediately she unfolded herself out of the car while he did the same.Reporters are milling around with their mikes and cameras. A makeshift stage is arranged on the right side of the mansion, where Kevin will announce who his future wife is."Uncle, we were waiting for you" Kevin, his nephew rushed to escort Leo. But the moment he caught sight of Ida standing behind Leo, he froze with shock.He became pale and worried. He is scared to imagine his uncle's reaction if he finds out about his affair with Claire and how he cheated on Ida.Leo didn't miss Kevin's reaction.'Why does Kevin look scared?' he wondered."Oh, it's Mr. Leo Hamilton. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Claire, Kevin's fiancee" Claire walked over to where they were standing and introduced herself proudly. But just like her so-called fiancee, she froze with shock when she saw Ida.'What is she doing here? Is this how she is planning to take revenge on me? Did she say anything to Leo? If that happens, then Leo Hamilton will kick me out of here in a split second. I have to do something before she could ruin my plans ' She became worried and decided to destroy Ida.Unlike Kevin, she didn't freeze. She plastered a fake smile on her face and gasped with shock."Oh my, Ida, I thought you might not be able to make it today," she said with fake happiness and rushed to hug her.When Claire hugged her, Ida wanted to push her away. But she couldn't afford to make a scene in front of her boss on the very day of work. She pried herself away from the clutches of Claire and took a step back and away from her."President Hamilton, this way please" She ignored Claire and Kevin and escorted Leo in the direction of the press conference. Leo followed after her, ignoring Kevin and his Fiancee. He recognized Claire from the video footage he saw that morning. She was the one who pushed Ida inside his room and locked it afterward. He understood what must have happened and suddenly why his nephew's fiancee changed.'This Claire is bad news. I cannot allow Kevin to marry her. She will ruin our family name. A woman who can leave her friend inside the room of a stranger cannot be trusted ' he decided to break this marriage."Ms Wilson" he stopped Ida. She stopped walking and turned to face her boss. This is the first time he addressed her directly. His intense gaze was upon her, and she tried hard not to squirm."Sir?" she looked at him trying to look calm and composed. The images from last night flashed inside her mind, making her face go red.Leo gave her a knowing look. He can understand what she is thinking. Because he is thinking the same. He ignored his need for her and concentrated on the matter at hand.
"I want to speak with my nephew and his new fiancee. Inform them to meet me in my office" With that said, he turned and disappeared inside the mansion.Speaking with Kevin and Claire was the last thing she wanted to do. But at the same time, she cannot ignore his direct command. So she reluctantly walked towards the duo, who were glaring daggers at her."President Hamilton wishes to speak with you both. He is waiting for you in his office" she spoke monotonously and rushed to follow after her boss.Clare wanted to kill Ida. But she cannot. There are so many reporters around, just a small mistake would cost her everything she has ever worked for.On the other hand, Kevin is scared.'Did my uncle find out about what happened?' he feared the wrath of Leo Hamilton. He walked inside the mansion with dread. Kevin cursed himself for having an affair with Claire. If he could have shown some restraint, then this wouldn't have happened, and he wouldn't have to face this today.On the other hand, As the heir of the Hamilton family, Leo had to take up that responsibility at a very young age. He is forced to be stern with his family members to keep them in line. Everyone in the family fears him. He always prided himself that he never made any mistakes, until now. His irresponsible and very tempting mistake is walking inside his office with her eyes downcast. She intentionally left the door open. "Looks like you are scared to be in the same room with me" he drawled casually. Her head snapped in his direction and her eyes became wide with fear and distress. She wanted to quit this job the moment she recognized who he was. But she worked hard to reach where she is now. She only ever heard good things about her new boss. He is said to be a workaholic and a good boss. She knows it's impossible to find a job like this again in this life time. More over she has her student loans to pay and almost half of her salary will go to that. Her bills and expenses are another thing. She is worried that he night misunderstand her as a gold digger. But she is not."I...i..i..i" she stuttered, unable to utter a single word.But he looked at her misery.
Leo watched her misery with amusement. "I. It's not like that, President Hamilton" she replied with difficulty.He raised an amused eyebrow."Is it? Then why did you leave the door open?" he inquired.Ida looked at the open door with a frown. She intentionally left it open. He is right. She is now scared of being in the same room with him. She doesn't remember everything that happened between them the previous night. But the soreness between his legs is telling it all. He left marks all over her body, that will take a few days to heal completely. Her cheeks turned pink at the remainder of what happened between them. She prayed that he wouldn't notice how much he was affecting her.He didn't miss the blush and he found it cute. She is cute, smart and interesting. He liked that combination very much. A rare but alluring combination. She is saved from replying to his question when Claire and Kevin walk inside the room. Her face turned bitter and she made it a point to ignore them. Le
Leo is fuming. He understood why Kevin agreed to marry Claire and why Ida was framed and pushed out of Kevin's life. He was cheating on Ida and he made it look like the other way around. Ida is innocent in this scenario, but they are making it look like she is the bad guy. He doesn't want Kevin to announce Claire as his fiancee. 'She is not fit to become his wife. A woman who is so cunning cannot become a good wife and daughter-in-law. She is a gold digger and trapped Kevin for his money. Like an Idiot, he fell for it ' he thought with anger. On the other hand, Ida is tense. The anger radiating from Leo is scaring her. She is worried that he is angry with her. 'He believed the lies Claire just made up. Will he fire me from my job? If he does, then where will I find a good job again so soon? I wasted all my savings on Claire for her stupid start-up business which was a waste of money. I have to tell him that Claire is lying and hope he will believe me ' she thought with panic."Pre
Leo wanted to meet his mom before leaving the mansion. When he walked out of his office, he saw his elderly mother almost running outside the mansion in a hurry."Mom?" he called her, but she was in a world of her own. She didn't seem to hear him. She rushed out. Quickly he followed after her to see why she was in a rush.He stopped in his tracks when his mother touched Ida's cheek tenderly. And what surprised him the most was the smile on Ida's face. Both the ladies are happy to see each other."Mom know who Ida is? Did Kevin Introduce her as his girlfriend?" he wondered.The thought of Ida and Kevin together left a bad taste in his mouth. He approached them casually. He is curious. "I am so glad you are doing well now" Ida was saying.Grace smiled fondly."And I should thank you for that. If not for you, I wouldn't have been breathing today" she told the fact.Leo frowned. He didn't understand why his mother was speaking like this. "Mom, you know my new assistant?" he asked casual
"You are a natural, Mr. Hamilton," one of the clients Mathew Roderick praised Leo. He is the CEO of one of the most prestigious companies in the world. They have been supplying raw materials to the Hamilton group for a few years now. Today they met to finalize the details of their new project. Mathew is in his late fifties. He lost his wife and son to an accident fifteen years ago. From then on, he was single and buried himself with work. He never looked at any other woman, until recently.They are playing golf in a popular golf club where the membership is offered only to a limited number of clients who are the richest in the city. Leo Hamilton was one of the very few men who was invited to join this club as a member. Most of the people had to apply for the membership. This meeting was lunch only. But Mathew requested Leo for a golf match, to which the latter agreed. Leo and Mathew swung their golf clubs, and Leo's ball reached near the hole, hence the praise.Ida offered a napki
Ida splashed some water on her face. She clutched the sink in a tight grip. She is hurting. Her pain is still new and raw. Twenty-four hours ago, she didn't know that her life was going to take a turn for the worse. All her dreams of a happy life with Kevin are shattered by his betrayal. She never thought that Clare was hiding so much jealousy and bitterness towards her. Two people whom she trusted dearly slapped her so hard, that she is now left picking up pieces of her life from scratch. She took a deep breath and willed her tears to not fall. She quickly composed herself and left the washroom. She doesn't want to keep her boss waiting. Hurriedly she walked towards their cabin, only to come to an abrupt stop when someone called her name."Ms. Wilson" Sean stopped Ida when she walked past him. "Hey," he greeted her with a small smile.Ida gave him a forced smile in return."I am sorry. It looks like i kept you all waiting. Let's go" She misunderstood his intentions. He shook his h
She froze with shock. Slowly she understood what he meant. It might be her emotional turmoil or the betrayal of the two close people in her life. His question broke the lid she was trying to keep on her emotions.Slowly she approached his desk and flattened her palms on the desk before leaning down towards him. To an onlooker, it looks like she is trying to flirt with him. But only he can see the storm brewing in her grey eyes. She is killing him with one look. And he is feeling like an assh*le for even asking her about Sean. For some reason, he trusts her. He knows she is not like that. But still, he allowed his conflicting feelings to get the better of him.Ida's heart is feeling battered and bruised. His words of comfort and his trust which he showed back in Hamilton mansion gave her heart some solace. It felt like a salve, a comfort blanket. But now, his question is feeling like a stab. Her eyes pooled with unshed tears. Her breathing became choppy and her lower lip wobbled."I kn
The next morning, Ida woke up feeling tired. She couldn't fall asleep the previous night. She couldn't forget the slap on her cheek or the slap on her life. She can never forget or forgive what Claire did. She might even forgive Kevin sometime in the future. Maybe five or ten years down the line. But Claire used to be her best friend and she was like Ida's family. Her betrayal hurts the most. Ida got up and freshened up on autopilot. She quickly got dressed and pulled her hair into a tight bun. She is not much into makeup. But one look at her left cheek made her wince. Her cheek is not as swollen as it was last night. But now, it's not as swollen, but still red and tender. One side of her mouth is also a bit red and swollen. When Claire slapped her yesterday, her lower lip was split, and started bleeding. Now that the bleeding has stopped, it's still an angry red and swollen. Everyone can see this. Today she is forced to apply makeup to hide the abuse from Claire. In the Hamilton bu
"Who did this?" he demanded.Ida is both amazed and shocked. She was not expecting anyone to see past her makeup. Everyone saw how she looked and a few of them even complimented her. But no one knows that she doesn't like attracting attention to herself. She'd rather remain as a wallflower than become popular. She wanted to just work and wanted to be left alone. But still, she is forced to apply makeup and doll herself up today. 'Beauty is deceiving. Put on an expensive dress and cake your face with makeup, and done. No one will bother to look past that mask ' These are the words Kevin once told her when she expressed her apprehension of accompanying him to a party. And his idea worked too. No one bothered to look past her forced smile and the mask she wore. But she knows differently. She knows that beauty is only skin deep. A person who can look past that mask named beauty can never be bad. He is perceptive. "Ida" Leo cupped her cheeks with his fingers and gently pulled her face
"Leo, I am fine" Ida complained. But Leo refused to listen to her. He is always insisting on carrying her everywhere these days. She is thirty-seven weeks pregnant now and she gained a lot of weight. All thanks to Leo, Grace, Sara, and Walter. They kept pampering her to the point that Leo refused to walk on her own these days. He insists on carrying her everywhere."Who said you are not? I like carrying both of you in my arms. Why do only you get to carry our daughter? Why can't I carry her?" he asked with a playful wink.Ida groaned and gave up arguing with him. She knows that he will not listen to her, so she lets him do as he pleases."Oh Ida, you woke up? Here, drink this milk. Grace found this recipe somewhere. And it is said to be good for both the mother and the baby" Sara explained while placing a huge glass of milk in front of her.Ida sighed heavily. Her day usually begins like this from the moment she and Leo announce her pregnancy. Sara and Grace dismissed the cook and th
After two months... In one of the private beaches in the Bahamas, Rose is lying on the beach on top of one of the beach chairs with her eyes covered with shades. She is dolled up in a black two-piece bikini. Her sun-kissed tan skin is looking good on her. She gained a few much-needed pounds, which gave her curves that went on for days. She is looking peaceful and content. "Baby doll, here, drink this juice" Leo handed her a glass of cranberry juice, which is tangy, and she happened to crave the tangy taste these days. "Thank you" she replied with a small smile and sipped the cool refreshing drink. She hummed with approval as the taste of the juice made her tastebuds come alive. It's been two months since that fateful day. And two months two weeks from the day she lost her baby. And a year from the time when she first met Leo. At the beginning of the year, she doesn't know that her life is going to change so much. She was still under the wrong belief that she would be marrying Kevi
The next morning, everyone gathered in the graveyard to attend Selene's funeral. Walter was not interested in giving a proper burial to the person whom he treated as a daughter but she almost destroyed his family. He wanted to burn her body in the inferno and get rid of her. But Sara insisted that they needed a proper burial. So hence he arranged this small arrangement. Clovia was brought from the center to attend her mother's last rights. Ida was discharged from the hospital. Leo is standing beside Ida and is looking as interested as Walter.The priest started the procedure. "I request you to speak about the diseased" the priest requested. It is customary to speak well about the dead person. But no one came forward to speak good things about Selene. Because she never did anything good to anyone. "Let's skip the speech and proceed to the last step. Let's drop her coffin into her grave" Walter muttered impatiently. Apart from Sara who seemed a bit sad about Selene's death, no one i
"Sara? Are you alright?" Richard asked with worry.Sara nodded mutely. Her gaze is still fixed on Selene's dead body. She recollected her sweet moments with Selene. Her eyes watered with sadness. There was a time when she used to share everything with Selene. But she failed to recognize how and when Selene started to harbor this much hatred for her. She suppressed her sadness and blinked her eyes to clear her gaze."Call my father. He needs to know this" she muttered before locking herself inside the bathroom to wash away Selene's blood from her body along with her memories.Richard dialed Walter and told them everything that happened in the mansion. "What? I am coming now" Walter promised before disconnecting the call.When Sara stepped out of the bathroom after a long shower and freshly changed into another set of clothes, she saw that her room was spotless again. Someone cleaned everything. Broken vase, droplets of blood, and the dead body. It was as if nothing happened. If her bo
Goosebumps erupted on Sara's skin. Selene looks scary and pure evil when she is laughing like this."You were cherished by Richard and by your father. They were treating me like a princess while I was ignored and my importance in the Giovanni household was minimal. I wanted to ruin you too. I want to take everything you had. So I did. I used Tony and planned that accident to kill you. But somehow, you escaped. After you were out of the picture, I married your dearest Richard and made his life miserable. I raised my daughter like a princess, while you and your daughter were living out there miserably. I lived your life after replacing you in the Giovanni mansion and you were forced to turn into a pauper. You had everything but still living like an orphan. And your daughter? She was kicked and pushed from one orphanage to another. But I found out that your daughter is alive. So I tried to kill her. But she escaped. No, Leo Hamilton saved her every time. The same man whom my daughter is
'Sara, I will kill you today ' Selene thought venemously.In her room, Sara couldn't fall asleep after her talk with Richard. There was a time when she was too young she used to feel that marrying him would be enough for her in this life. But now, so many years have passed and she is not the same. She still likes him, but she doesn't know if she wants to marry him or not. Ida no longer needs them to take care of her. She is blessed with Leo now. After struggling for so long, all she wants in this life is peace. 'I don't even remember most of what happened in these two decades. I was in a coma after giving birth to Ida. It was Nancy who took care of me like a mother. I can never repay her kindness. She is the person who saved my life. I will talk to Dad and ask him to give some properties to Nancy so that at least she can live in peace during her old age ' she thought.Sara is standing near the window, facing away from her room entrance. She was standing there from the moment Richard
"It was not what it looked like" he muttered.Sara could sense bitterness and resentment in his tone. She understood that his relationship with Selene was not good."I know Selene might not have been a good wife. But what about Clovia? What do you think she would do if you married me leaving her mother? How are you planning to explain it to her?" she inquired.Richard looked at Sara. "I have only one daughter, and that is our daughter Ida. Clovia is not my daughter. I never shared a room with Selene after I married her. She became pregnant before marriage. So I was blackmailed into marrying her so that she can give a decent father to Clovia" he explained.Sara is stunned. "I..." she is at a loss for words.He understood her dilemma. "Sara, please, think about what I suggested. Don't you think we both deserve our happily ever after? Do you think that it's fair for us to end up alone in our old age? Don't you think we need someone when we get old and our daughter becomes busy with he
In the rehabilitation center where Clovia was admitted, the doctors are giving her electric treatment often to help her recover. The frequency of the electric shocks to Clovia made her head feel hazy and heavy. She is taking a little longer to identify the objects she is looking at, and she even forgets about why she got there. It took her a good five minutes to remember everything. Leo, his marriage to Ida everything Clovia did to Ida, and how she was stuck in this torture chamber."No, I have to get away from here as soon as possible. If they keep giving me electric treatments like this, I might completely lose my mind. If that happened, then I would lose my Leo forever. I have to escape" she decided to herself.So this time, even though she was awake, she didn't make any noise to alert the nurse or the doctor. Her ears perked up and she strained to hear for any movement outside her room door. When she heard nothing, she slowly sat up from the bed. She made her way towards the door
In the rehabilitation center, when Clovia gained her conscience, she found herself gagged and bound to a stretcher. White hospital walls and beeping machines greeted her in the otherwise quiet room. Slowly when she remembered what happened to her a few hours ago, she started to panic. She frantically started tugging at her binds and screamed behind her gag. She planned to kill Ida and even hospitalized her. But she never expected to find herself in a place like this. "Ahhh...lt m g..." she said something, but her words came incoherent and muffled. She looked angry and would have killed the doctor and the nurse who gave her the electric treatment, but she was tied down to a stretcher and she couldn't move.As her anger started building, her heart rate and blood pressure began to rise as well. This made the machines start beeping loudly, alerting the nurse station outside. Immediately a couple of nurses rushed inside and looked at how Clovia was tugging at her binds almost with too mu