MADELYN “Coffee or tea?” I stiffened. I know why she brought me back here. “ Why did you pick this cafe, when there are hundreds of others?” She smiled lightly, her hand rubbing the back of her neck. I noticed how she winced, but I couldn't tell if she was hurt physically, or otherwise. Cara beckoned on a waitress nearby. “ Two cups of grande Mocha please.”I watched quietly. Observing the environs for any signs of danger. So far, it was just I and Cara. Nicholas or Natasha were no where in sight. I heaved a sigh of relief when my eyes met that of Oliver's, one of my guards. If anything should go wrong, he would get to me before a hair on my head is harmed. This sucks! I couldn't even have coffee with my sister without being at alert. In my purse laid a small knife. What is family without trust? “ You should stop acting weird and tensed. Loosen up. Glance around all you want,” her eyes travelled around, and I did same. “ There's no one here, but us. I hav
NICHOLAS. Fear. The one feeling that's present in every human. Even in a monster. It was present in my dad shortly before he died, I saw it in mom's eyes when she got admitted into a mental home. It was the same feeling present that now engulfed my little Ms. Sunshine, Madelyn. After today's meeting, I suspected there was something going on with Cara. For once, I read a person wrongly. I initially thought she was backing out, or perhaps she had gotten tired of her father and I, but, it was something else. Turned out Cara wanted revenge on her sister more than I wanted revenge on her family. Her eyes shone with hate when she told me how much she wanted Madelyn dead. Dead? If I had been the same old person who thought taking revenge revolves around killing a person, I'd have gladly indulged her. But no, I want Madelyn Black to pay twice. She can't do that when she's dead. “ What do you want, Xavier? Or should I say, CEO Nicholas Brightman..” Natasha s
MADELYN As I walked out, Cara and I exchanged glances. Natasha was oblivious of what went on right in her presence. My guards were already outside waiting for me. My car was parked just besides the textile store. They had come in it, while I came in a taxi. “ Let's go.” James held out the door and I climbed in. Once in the safety of my car, I felt relieved. If it had not been in a cafe, Nicholas would have tried to hurt me or take me along with him. 6:50pm. Jason would be searching for me. Speak of the devil, his call came in. “ Where are you, wife?” Where am I? That means he didn't check the tracker. I couldn't possibly tell him that I decided to meet with Cara, neither could I afford to mention that Nicholas came to visit. “ Oh, I just stopped by the park. I needed fresh air and that was the only place I could think of.” No one spoke on the other end. Did he believe that ? Perhaps, he's trying to check the tracker. “ Nichol.. Sorry
JASON Unsettled, I paced around the waiting room just of outside Madelyn's ward. There was this guilt that filled me. Perhaps it was her fear for me at that moment that brought about this. I thought of many ways where I could have been the cause of her misfortune. At the end, none of them seemed logical, but I was still going to take the blame anyway. This happened because of me. “ Calm down, Jason. The doctor will be out in no time and then we can find out what's wrong with her.” Grandma held my hand and drew me in for a hug. I was scared. Terrified. What if something bad happens? I would livd with the guilt of it till the end of the world. “ Grandma, I.. I hurt her. If I had waited till tomorrow before we talked about her meeting with Nicholas, she would still be very much okay...” The doors flew open with a strong gust of air, and our attention went to the male doctor. It was a critical condition, and I had no choice but to let a male examine her. Madelyn was
GRANDMA LORELEI Seeing the blissful look on Jason's face reminded me of his Dad. This was how Black reacted to the news when he found out his wife was pregnant with Jason. Staring at his pretty face as he helped Madelyn out of the hospital, I realized they were much alike in so many ways one could think of. But Jason never wants to accept it. Not because he doesn't see it or didn't know it, but because he swore never to be like his father. He held a grudge against him till he died. Even after death, Jason still isn't willing to forgive. I used to have the exact same fear he had. That I would never be able to raise my kids in the right way. Black and Caspian were my retribution for how I failed to raise them. I did all I could, but they ended up on the wrong paths. Not financially or morally, but how could two brothers be at loggerheads because of the women in their lives? How could a mere lady come in between them? I failed at parenting. But, Jason was
NATASHA'S MOM “ Have you been to the graveyard to see Caspian?” The family doctor Williams, who hasn't contacted me in a while just called and those were the first words he said. “ No, Doctor Williams. I'm about to, why do you ask?” I wasn't only sinning against Heaven, but against Caspian. I wasn't planning on going tonight, but I just couldn't spit out to a stranger that I wasn't going to be at my husband's grave tonight. “ Surprisingly, Black's body has been found. In place of the shallow unmarked grave they had dug in remembrance of him, stands an actual tombstone with his name and date of death on it. His body was never missing, someone hid it.” The phone dropped from my hand to the floor. I was left speechless. Who would have kept Black's body for this long? “ Mrs. Caspian? Are you there? I'm at the Black's family grave yard, you can come over.” I heard a beep indicating the call has been ended. It was so hard to figure this out. I'd
JASON We drove home and I helped Madelyn prepare dinner. She always wanted me to sit around the kitchen and watch her do the cooking when I'm home with her. Its still a surprise she can cook. Most princesses don't know how to. “ I still can't believe we're pregnant, Maddie.” She turns to me and flashes a brief sweet smile before stirring the beef. “ I'm as excited as you Jas. Baby number 8? I be damn excited.” We go on and on discussing what gender it would be and what name we would give our baby. “ We shouldn't have any kids after this one, don't you think?” That's a weird question to ask, but whatever she feels is good for her. We already have a truck full of kids, I'm sure we can't afford to have any. Not financially, but she's been through a lot already. Eight kids? We should put an end to it after this one. “ Whatever is good for you, honey. You know I won't complain. In as much as I want us to have a mansion full of kids, I also
JASON The shower ran freely and the water coursed down my body. I heard a knock on our door and listened to my wife's footsteps towards the direction of the door. “ He's in the shower, but the moment he's out, he will come see you.” She knocked on the bathroom door and announced, “ Grandma wants you downstairs when you are done, she says it's important.” “ Alright, I'll be out in no time.”Several minutes later and a towel hung around my neck as I tried to dry my wet hair. “ We are not even, Jason.” Oh, we are. We are. “ You are wrong, we are. Don't worry, I will come straight to you after the discussion with Grandma. I wouldn't want my pregnant wife to feel sex starved.” “ Whatever.” Grandma sat behind the TV in the living room, with her hands fidgeting. She held my mobile phone tightly, and I caught the look of fear I hadn't seen in years. The last time I saw her this petrified, was the night Dad died. “ Grandma, you called for me..”But,