CHRISTIAN’S POV“I’m sorry Mr. Gates. I wanted to be at the auction but something came up, Don’t worry I already prepared a beautiful donation to the museum.” I said on a call while standing in front of the full-length mirror that was almost taking up one part of the wall in my room.I knotted my tie and buttoned up my white shirt, “Oh no need to thank me, Mr. Gates. Please accept the donation, I have to go but I’ll check on the museum later.” I tapped the ear pod on my left ear and the call ended.I removed it and dropped it on the table as I wore my suit jacket. I had this jacket custom-made for my dad’s retirement party, I was representing the company, and also being the favorite son just meant I had to look my best.I always looked my best on a normal day but this day was more important, Today is the day I find out if my father would hand over the company to me or not. I couldn’t help the feeling that Alexander knew the condition Dad gave me.He was so nice when he came by yesterd
HAYLEY’S POVAfter I excused myself from Christian and his brother, I grabbed a glass of champagne and drank it all in one gulp before taking another glass. I could sense the tension between Christian and his brother, I didn’t know much about their family so I wouldn’t want to conclude that there was bad blood between them.“You’re still a heavy drinker I see,” A familiar voice said from beside me and I turned to face the person talking.My eyes almost widened, it was the same man I had met at the business gala. For him to be here again, I guessed he was important to the family too.“It’s you again, Liam I think? Am I right?”“Yeah, it makes me happy that you remember my name. I must have made quite an impression, most ladies never do.” He smiled, he didn’t dress much.Everything he wore screamed business casual but yet pretty expensive, he didn’t seem proud either which was a green flag for me.“I wouldn’t say it was an impression, I just tend to remember men who are polite to me. Wh
CHRISTIAN’S POV Terry followed the ambulance behind speedily as it rushed my dad to the hospital, I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. It wasn’t the first time in my life that I was scared that someone I loved was going to die, doesn’t mean it gets easier each time.Soon we arrived at the hospital, The paramedics quickly got down and the nurses rushed out of the ambulance with a stretcher and placed my dad on it.Hermione rushed out of her car as they had been following us behind, I got down from the car along with Hayley and hurried towards her.“Bernard, open your eyes, please. Don’t do this please.” She cried as they were pushing him inside the hospital speedily, she ran with them while her hands gripped the stretcher.“I’m sorry, you can’t go in with us ma’am.” One of the nurses said to her as others rushed him into emergency,“But he’s my husband, I should be able to go in. please!” They ignored us, and two doctors on duty were immediately at our disposal and rushed into the
THIRD PERSON’S POV “Then do you care if I do this?” In a matter of seconds, he closed the gap between them. His lips crashed against hers, She couldn’t resist neither could she push him away. She returned his kiss, their tongues entwining, he tasted like alcohol and she wanted to get drunk. The kiss grew passionate, it was a kiss born out of anger, confusion, and the tension that had been between them. She could only claim that she hated him, but a part of her wanted this. She wrapped her hands around his neck as her fingers worked their way in his hair, She moaned in his mouth and he lifted her by the thighs. He stopped to stare at her, Hayley could feel her cheeks heat up. He carried her towards the living room sofa before placing her gently on it and hovering over her. “If we’re going to do this, then we’ll do it my way. Will you agree to my terms?” He asked her, “Yes, anything you want.” Her voice was raspy, she was needy. She just wanted him as soon as possible, her body wa
ALEXANDER’S POV“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Hermione sprung up the minute the door to Dad’s hospital ward opened and I walked in. I wasn’t surprised to see that she wasn’t alone, but I didn’t think my cousin Liam would show up with my other cousin, his sister Stephanie.Ever since Stephanie got married, we didn’t get to see her much. Except for when we went to her first child’s naming ceremony and now she was heavily pregnant again. Sometimes I wonder why people settle for the worst partners, her husband keeps her home most of the time like some trophy. It’s a miracle to see her here today.“Mom, just let me explain.” I tried to calm her down“You don’t get to say shit to me, Alexander, take a look at your dad” She pointed to where Dad lay fast asleep on the bed with the heart monitor beeping beside him.“I don’t want your face to be the first thing he sees the minute he opens his eyes. You didn’t care enough to follow us to the hospital yesterday, did you? And now
HAYLEY’S POV “Remember this, because it won’t happen again” His words kept replaying in my head for the past two days since the mind-blowing sex we had. I didn’t think I’d let myself go like that, but I hadn’t stopped myself from reminiscing the kisses he placed on my thighs. How he buried himself inside of me, how nice he was for the very first time, the way he couldn’t keep his eyes off me, and how he told me how good I tasted. It was the first time in my life that validation from a man made me feel so good about myself, even though I looked like cheap merchandise the way I sprawled on the sofa in front of him and he touched everything in my body. “Hayley, Hayley” My mom, Angela tapped my hands continuously snapping me from my self-induced trance. “Are you okay?” She asked in a worried tone as she set a glass of water in front of me, I had come to see my mom. I knew I couldn’t tell her about the contract with Christian, but now that I had little money on me I quickly shopped for
CHRISTIAN’S POVFLASHBACK“You stupid bitch!, you can’t seem to do anything right! Why would you earn $100 only in one night?” I could hear my mom’s boyfriend yelling from my sleep accompanied with the sound of things breaking.My eyes fluttered open, as I sat up straight on the bed. It hadn’t really dawned on me what was going on yet, my vision was still kind of blur.“Shane, stop. Shane stop it” I could hear my mom cry, I heard something break and my mother yelped in pain, that was the height of it all, I ran out of my room and towards where the noise was coming from.I halted in my steps as my eyes widened to the scenario happening right in front of me. I was only 14 at that time, what could I possibly do?My mom was on the floor, crawling backwards away from her boyfriend with a bleeding nose, he was holding a horse whip and he whipped her, I watched my mom cry in pain, he raised it up to whip her again and I rushed to push him away from her.“Get out of the way boy! If I didn’t k
“Are you waiting for someone?” Khalid noticed I was still staring at my phone.“No, it’s just Hayley hasn’t called since the last two hours that I had tried her number.” I tossed my phone on the glass table, not caring if the back of it cracked. I could always get another; I could get a thousand phones if I wanted to.“Oh, your fake wife.” He chuckled.“Shut up man, the walls have ears.” I leaned in to whisper to him cautiously.“Relax, we’re daytime drinking. And we’re only like five in the club right now, so you have nothing to worry about.” He assured me and I leaned back calmly into the couch.“So what about Hayley?”“What about her?” I raised my brow in confusion.“I mean the two of you are living together, plus the chick is fine as hell. Don’t tell me you haven’t hit it.” He winked playfully, I tried to put on a straight face but a chuckle escaped my lips.Khalid sure always knew had to get answers out of someone, I definitely couldn’t hide the truth from him. I was going to te
ONE WEEK LATERCHRISTIAN’S POV “Yes, Officer Gavin. I appreciate your efforts. Thank you.” I said, and the call dropped. I turned from the window and faced Hayley, who was lying down on the bed. We were both fully discharged from the hospital, and Khalid was still there. And I always made sure I checked on him every day. Hayley, on the other hand, still had to go to the hospital for her antenatal. Officer Gavin was telling me about Denver, and they caught him. He didn’t even hesitate to cooperate with the police; he sold Alexander out. The police were now looking for him, he and Alexander made the deal about putting the bomb under my car. And other news aside, the person who was trying to poison Bernard was a maid in the house. Her motives weren’t clear yet, but she was with the police now. I also heard that Cassidy fell to her death—not that I was being insensitive, but she deserved it. That would be the last time I would ever see Cassidy in my life, and I was thrilled, to be hon
CHRISTIAN’S POV My eyes fluttered open, and immediately I became conscious. Pain surged through my head. I raised my hand slowly to touch my head, and I realised there was a bandage on it. My body ached all through; it was like all the pain I hadn’t felt for the few moments I was asleep was all coming to me at once. The accident replayed vividly: Khalid, the screeching of metals, the flames licking at the car, and Khalid’s shriek of pain as the car engulfed in flames with his legs still trapped while his body was out of the car. Panic seized me as I scanned the unfamiliar surroundings I was in. I figured I was at the hospital; the curtains and the beeping sound of the heart monitor gave that away instantly. “Where’s Khalid, Khalid?" The words fell from my lips in a desperate plea, and my voice was hoarse from the terror that had gripped me in my sleep. The fear that my friend could be dead was the only true friend I ever had. And it would be my fault; I wouldn’t be able to forgive
HAYLEY’S POVIt’s been three days since Cassidy and Rebecca held me captive. I haven’t had food or water and am hungry and tired. My vision is starting to blur as I am slowly losing strength.I slowly closed my eyes. Maybe if I could get a little rest, it would take my mind off the hunger. But then Cassidy splashed me with another round of cold water. I opened my eyes and raised my head, gasping for breath.I shook my head to get the water out of my eye, and the sound of a stainless steel bucket falling on the floor drew my attention to Cassidy, who was standing right in front of me.“I told Christian, he has to meet me here by 1 p.m. Well, would you look at the time? And still no Christian.” She exhaled, almost disappointed.Christian was coming here? I almost felt a sense of relief, but then coming here was a trap. Cassidy was just going to kill us anyway.“Can you see that we can’t trust men and that they are all the same, but don’t worry, I’ll get revenge for us?” she teased, my
72 HOURS CHRISTIAN’S POV The sunlight penetrated the room as I stood by the crack in the window and sipped wine from a small glass. My phone was in my ear when Officer Gavin called. Different things were going through my mind; everything was my fault. From the start, I had always been the problem. Not once have any of Hayley’s mistakes occurred if she even had any. None of them had come back to either haunt me or get me kidnapped. But here I was, putting her in danger yet again because of my bad choices. I just kept proving her mother’s point that I was no good for her. And now that she was carrying my baby, what good could I possibly be to the innocent creature? “Officer Gavin, it’s been three days, and you still haven’t found her,” I complained as I turned away from the window. “What if something else happens to her? I don’t trust those two girls who have her. i…I already told you that I didn’t know where they were. Fuck! If I did, I would drive straight down and get my woman
HAYLEY’S POVI became conscious of the splash of cold water all over my face and tried to jerk up. But my eyes darted down to the rope tied around my legs to the chair, and my hands were tied to the chair behind my back.I struggled to see if I could loosen the rope on my hands, but all my efforts were useless. I exhaled heavily and raised my head to hear someone’s heels hurting the floor.I was sure that it was the person who abducted me. A petite lady with brown hair and blue eyes walked towards me with a bowl, and she smirked.“Re-Rebecca?” I mouthed as my eyes widened in disbelief. She used to be Christian’s secretary. Of course, she would want my head; Christian wasn’t paying her attention anymore. They weren’t having any of that good sex, and then he fired her.I could tell the minute I saw how he looked at her that day when I went to his office. They had something going on, but then I thought it would be Cassidy, but the turns of events were rather shocking.“I’m happy you rem
CHRISTIAN’S POV“Come on, Hayley. Pick up the phone."I mouthed as I paced around in the living room. I reacted stupidly yesterday; I shouldn’t have talked to her like that. I shouldn’t have told her to abort the baby; what stupid suggestion was that?And now that she had left home, I had no idea where she was. I couldn’t reach her; she was picking up my calls, and she still hadn’t come back home.Maybe she was right, and having a baby would change me. It would make my life in a different light. She wanted me to listen to her so badly. It wasn’t like she was forcing the baby on me; she understood even my own plight.She just wanted to talk, to figure out a solution, and I completely shut her down. It was like I was now making my own life more miserable than it already is.“She won’t pick up your calls, Christian." I turned to the sound of Riele’s voice; she was coming from the kitchen holding a glass of booze.“Thanks a lot for the help,” I replied sarcastically.She rolled her eyes.
His eyes widened, and then a storm of emotions brewed on his face. My hands started shaking nervously, and I could tell that he was pissed—like pissed as fuck.“Pregnant? Are you kidding me, Hayley? Is this some sick joke?”I shook my head. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I thought having a baby was a good thing. Whether planned or unplanned, we had the resources to take care of it. But then I understood that Christian wasn’t ready because of what he was going through at the moment.“No, Christian. It’s true. I know we didn’t plan it, and I swear I was scared to tell you." He cut me off“How long have you known?” He dropped the whisky bottle on the bedside drawer and faced me, his back resting comfortably on the bed's headboard.The scenario looked like a teenage girl opening up to her father about her unwanted pregnancy."Yesterday, the doctor said I’m three weeks pregnant. And that I was going through too much stress.”He scoffed, “Too much stress? I guess he’s a stupid doc
HAYLEY’S POVMy heart had been pounding in my chest like crazy since last night; I had blacked out suddenly. When I woke up, I was being treated by a doctor, and Riele was by my side.She had told me that Christian went to trash the wedding; to be honest, I wasn’t exactly expecting him to be calm about things. Ever since my dad almost overdosed and died, he just left again and never came back. So if I heard he was starting a new life after all the pain he had put us through, I would crash the wedding too.But that wasn’t my problem out of the many problems on the ground. Hermione had come to see Christian to clear things up, and coincidentally, she came with Liam.“It’s safe to say that we are both victims, Christian.” Hermione started, and the air in the living room was thick with tension as she and Liam faced Christian.I wasn’t sure what Hermione wanted—maybe reconciliation? But she was also a victim of Bernard’s lies and secrets. Liam, on the other hand, just wanted to be clear
CHRISTIAN’S POVIt felt like everything hidden was slowly unraveling itself for me, and each time I found out the truth, I couldn’t help but feel like I had been fooled my whole life. No one cared enough to tell me the truth about anything; I had been living in a lie.Looking for truths that were right under my nose the whole time, the feeling of betrayal suddenly turned into a fresh wound again. I couldn’t possibly trust anyone anymore—Hayley, maybe, or even Riele.My grip on my steering wheel tightened as my car was almost going full throttle. Hayley fainted out of nowhere, so I called the doctor to attend to her at home. I also made sure I called Riele before I left the house.I thought maybe I would be mature enough to deal with the new truth I found out about my mum, but I couldn’t sit back knowing I could see her again after so many years. And she was under a new identity and getting married too. I would lose my mind if I didn’t get closure.I parked like a crazy person in front