Halsey stirs and slowly opens her eyes. The sun is shining brightly and she can hear the birds chirping outside the window. She feels a lot relaxed, albeit a little sore between her legs which only proves that last night wasn't a dream. To her slight surprise, she’s now wearing a long shirt, probably Nathan’s, and yet, he’s nowhere in sight.For a moment, she panics, wondering where he is when he walks out of the bathroom. He’s still shirtless but is wearing a pair of pants. Seeing her awake, he smiles and slides into bed with her.“Hey you,” he grins, nuzzling her nose. “Slept well?”“Mhmm…” Halsey nods and softly kisses him. Nathan pins her down and deepens the kiss, ready for another round when they hear someone entering the room.Jo is startled to see Halsey and Nathan in bed together, unsure of what’s going on. “Jo!” Halsey squeals. They quickly straighten up, red faced. Halsey turns her attention to her daughter. For a moment, she can’t speak, feeling tongue tied. How is she go
When Lincoln arrives at the abandoned court, he finds that Nathan is already waiting for him. He’s also holding a basketball in his hand. They glare at each for a few seconds, silently challenging one another. Nathan is cocky, with a sly grin on his lips while Lincoln is vengeful. His blood boils at the sight of his mortal enemy, the very person responsible for his separation from Halsey.“You know…” Nathan begins as he dribbles the ball. “I used to think that when we’ll finally come face to face, I’ll probably end up beating you up. Or killing you. I didn’t know which one I’d do.”“Do you know now?” Lincoln sneers.“Yeah,” Nathan nods. He pauses and positions himself in front of the hoop. He casually flicks the ball and it goes straight through the hoop.“I pity you,” he says. “What a lousy existence to have. Losing everyone you love for your pride. Living with Daniel to make yourself feel better. I can’t imagine a worse punishment.”He catches the ball and holds it on a finger, eas
Damien is quietly sitting across the table with his legs crossed. Nathan is warily watching him, wondering what this man wants. He arrived that morning to the hotel right on time. Hal is also in the office with them, hoping that everything goes well. “Why did you save us that night?” Nathan bluntly asks. “Halsey told me that you owed her a favor for saving your life but I don’t buy it. You’re the heir to Salvez’s business. Why will you risk your father’s life?” “You are quite correct,” Damien nods. “I didn’t save you simply because I owe your girlfriend my life. I saved you for another reason.” He hesitates before taking out a file from his coat’s pocket and places it in front of Nathan. “These are the details of a surgery I had undergone when I was a teenager,” he says. “The heart I received was originally meant for Katherine Argon…Jason Argon’s sister.” Nathan and Hal exchange an astonished look. “Jason? Our Jason?” He gapes. “I knew he had a bone to pick with you but you’re the
Daniel is in his office, going over the notes of a recent patient who happened to come to him. The patient is the daughter of Governor Hampton, the same person who’s going to run for the next election. Daniel is highly interested in the case. The surgery isn’t complicated to him since he can do even the most complex transplants but there’s only one problem.Hampton’s daughter isn’t scheduled to receive the heart but someone else is. There’s a knock on the door and Hampton enters the room. The governor is wearing a mask and a hat to disguise himself. He takes them off and greets Daniel.“Hello, Governor Hampton,” Daniel greets, shaking his hand. “Please take a seat.”Hampton takes a seat. Daniel waits for the man to speak.“My daughter, Riley,” he begins. “Was diagnosed with cancer when she was only six. It was spreading all throughout her organs and for years, we had to put her through chemotherapy in order to get rid of the cancer. Finally, she’s cancer free but-”“Her organs are fa
Lincoln arrives at Jamie’s apartment to discuss about their deal. She has an investor lined up for him who can buy his shares and has already acquired five percent from his father. He knocks on the door.“Come in,” her voice comes from inside. He unlocks the door and enters only to find Damien and another familiar face: Governor Hampton. He’s instantly enraged and turns to Jamie.“What the hell is he doing here?” He snarls, pointing at Damien. “He’s not invited to this meeting, is he?”“Relax,” Jamie assures him. “Damien is an old friend.”“I told you that he won’t be pleased,” Damien smirks. Jamie rolls her eyes and sits on the couch. She motions Lincoln to join her.“He let that brat and Nathan go!” Lincoln exclaims. “Why should I trust him?”“I let him go because I owed a favor to Nathan Michell’s girlfriend,” Damien grins. “I’m not indebted to her anymore. Besides, I never said I’ll end the enmity.”Lincoln doesn’t trust him at all. Seeing his distrust, Hampton barges in.“He want
Lincoln steps out of the bathroom, refreshed. He has been assisting in numerous surgeries and is very tired. His phone begins to ring. It’s Jamie.“What’s the news?” He asks her.“The deal is done,” she replies. “Once the board meeting takes place, Salvez will support you. Daniel will be kicked out. But I’m still curious. How is this gonna help you get Halsey?”Lincoln smirks and says, “Once I take over the hospital, I’ll gain influence over Daniel’s properties. There’s a property of his up south where no one goes. It’s been abandoned for a long time but that’s where I’ll take Halsey. After the board meeting, Salvez will whisk her away from that wretched hotel. He’s got spies there. They can manage it. After she’s been taken, Salvez will remove her entire existence. No documents, ID nor any kind of paperwork will remain. He’s got friends in the government.”From the other end of the call, Jamie is listening intently. She looks up at Nathan and Halsey who are also listening. Nathan had
Daniel is in his office, going over a few files. He’s reading them with interest. Someone is interested in a donor’s heart but the heart is scheduled to go to a kid who’s under Daniel’s care. The interested party is willing to pay him with a fifty million dollar property up in New York. It’s an opportunity he can’t miss.There’s a knock on the door but he doesn’t look up. It’s probably a nurse who’s supposed to leave a file on his desk.“Put the file on the desk,” he offhandedly says.But he hears the chair creak and someone sits across to him. He looks up and is stunned.“Hello dad,” Nathan says with a grin. “Long time, huh?”Daniel’s lips purse in anger. “What the hell are you doing here?” He snarls. “Haven’t you done enough damage?”“Shouldn’t you be happy to see your son?” Nathan coolly asks. “After all, I was in jail the last time you saw me. You should be proud that I managed to climb my way up despite being labeled as a criminal.”“You’re nothing but a filthy mafia!” Daniel sna
Halsey is in deep thought. She’s completely zoned out, her mind only replaying Daniel’s threat. Ever since that encounter, she can’t help feeling that something is gonna go wrong.Jo pouts at her mother. For the past hour, Jo has been trying to tell Halsey about her new doll but her mother isn’t paying attention.“Mommy!” Jo exclaims. “My new doll’s hair needs to be braided!”“Huh?” Halsey blinks in confusion before realizing that she has been ignoring Jo. “I’m sorry, Jo. I was just…”She takes a deep breath and pulls Joanna to her lap. “You’ve got my full attention,” she swears. “I’ll braid your dollie’s hair.”“Okay!” Jo squeals. Halsey tries to concentrate on playing with Jo. Someone knocks on the door and she looks up to find Nathan there, smiling.“Daddy, look!” Jo gleefully says as she holds up the doll. “Her hair is braided!”“That’s very nice, Jo,” Nathan compliments her. “Why don’t you go downstairs and play with Trent? He brought you the basketball set you’ve been asking for
*Eight months later in New York*Halsey is crying hard while Nathan looks guilty while Jo is quiet. “How could you do this to me?” Halsey wails. “This…this is…this is such a betrayal!”“Hales, I didn’t mean it!” Nathan exclaims. “It was an accident!”“Dad, this really isn’t right,” Jo adds, shaking her head. “I’m disappointed in you! How could you do this to mom?”Nathan gapes at his daughter. “It was an accident!” He claims. “I swear it was! I didn’t do it on purpose, babe! I-I was seduced!”“SEDUCED?” Halsey shouts at him. “SEDUCED?”She’s now angry and she throws a pillow at him. “SEDUCED? HERE I AM CARRYING A LITTER AND YOU…YOU…”Stopping in between her tirade, she takes several deep breaths. Nathan is ashamed and sad by what he did.“YOU…YOU ATE THE LAST PIECE OF CHOCOLATE?” Halsey shrieks and throws another pillow at him. “YOU KNOW I NEED CHOCOLATES IN THIS STATE!”Nathan is truly ashamed but the chocolate was too delicious to ignore. He thought no one would find out but Jo cau
Lincoln was being carried away by Damien’s men. He’s completely catatonic, his mind in severe shock. They took him to the psychiatric hospital where the doctors checked up on him. For many days, they’ve tried to figure out what’s wrong with him but to no avail.His encephalitis has reached the advanced stage in a short period of time. The doctors have no hope now.“He’s in a sort of a self-induced coma,” the psychiatrist tells Halsey one day. “He can’t comprehend anything. His eyes are open but his mind is shut. It’s as if he had a severe shock which he couldn’t overcome.”“Can he stand trial?” Halsey asks. “There must be something you can do to make him sane again. We can’t just let him off the hook like this!”“We’re trying but in a way, his punishment is this,” the doctor concludes. “He won’t be able to stand trial but he’ll not recover from this.”Halsey glances inside the ward where Lincoln had been kept. He’s staring at the wall, unmoving for hours. His once luscious hair has fa
*Present*“They must’ve found us!” Hastings exclaims. “How? You just said it’s a safe place?“I don’t know!” Lincoln yells. “They’ll kill us. Let’s just kill the kid and-”“ARE YOU INSANE?” Hastings screams. “She’s our only bet! If we take her, we can negotiate with them and leave this place alive!”As soon as he says that, several of Damien’s guards barge out of the elevator. Without any word, Hastings enters the room and grabs Jo before escaping through the fire escape. Lincoln runs off to hide.Downstairs, Nathan, Halsey, Damien and Daniel, are scavenging the floors. Hastings’ guards are being captured by their men, leaving their way clear. “Jo!” Halsey cries. “Jo, where are you?” “Jo?” Nathan shouts. The rooms are empty and they start to ascend the stairs. Daniel breaks off from the group, heading east to find Jo. In the chaos, no one notices him leaving.Halsey is beside herself with fear. Nathan keeps a firm grip on her while Damien instructs his men to spread out. “We’ll loo
Jo is glaring at Lincoln. She’s not crying nor looking scared but rather apprehensive of the man. The guards who were supposed to watch over her that day, had knocked out Jason and kidnapped her while she was on the way to school. They lied to Nathan that she was safe so that he wouldn’t come after them.Now, hours later, she’s tied up in an empty building. They’re on the fifth floor where Lincoln and Hastings are hiding. Lincoln is glaring at the little girl and he wants to push her off the window but she’s his only leverage to get Halsey.“In a few hours, your mother will come to me and we’ll leave this place,” he grins. “And you’ll be dead.”He steps forward, a manic glee in his eyes. “Once Halsey is here, I’ll kill you and take her with me.”“My dad will beat you!” Jo sneers. “Remember what he did to the other guy when he kidnapped me? I’m not scared of you!”WHACK!Lincoln slaps the insolent child. Jo feels immense pain on her cheek and even though her eyes are stinging with tear
Halsey is feeling a little squirmish. Things have been hectic for the past few days and it has taken a toll on her health. Just that morning, she threw up everything she ate. Nathan was alarmed by her condition and insisted that she went to the hospital for a checkup. He’s sitting with her, holding her palm. They’re outside the doctor’s office. Halsey was asked to undergo some tests and now, the doctor is reading the results.“Nate, I’m fine,” she assures him. “There’s nothing to worry about. Go to work.”“No, I won’t stop worrying until I see the reports!” Nathan insists. “I want to stay here.”Halsey smiles and shakes her head. He’s so persistent in every little thing related to her health. Nathan can’t help it. He lost her once and he can’t lose her again. The moment she started to show signs of being ill, he was overcome with paranoia. He’s thinking about the worst case scenarios and his heart is filled with fear. “Is Jo at school?” Halsey asks.“The guard texted me that she’s s
Over the next few days, Daniel is kept under close observation. Hastings and Lincoln are still missing, something which is looming over everyone’s heads. Nathan is trying to find them but to no avail. He and Halsey are trying to maintain normalcy at home so that Jo doesn’t suspect anything.One night, Nathan arrives home late to find Halsey is still awake. She’s curled up on the couch, reading. When she hears the door open, she looks up and smiles.“Any luck finding them?” she asks when he plops on the seat next to her. “None,” Nathan admits. “I can’t find them. It’s like they’ve vanished.”Halsey is now troubled. Where could they be? Nathan puts his arm around her shoulder. “We’ll find them,” he assures her. “They can’t hide for long.”“I hope so,” she murmurs and hugs him.Meanwhile, miles away from Bayers’ Coast, Lincoln is feeling frustrated. He’s angry and annoyed at being locked up in the house all day. Hastings told him that they’ll be implementing their plan soon but he’s lo
CRASH!The vase breaks into thousands of tiny pieces. Standing above the broken ceramic is Lincoln, with wild red eyes. He’s in a murderous rage and he breaks everything in his vicinity. Hastings is on a couch, bored of the man-child’s drama but Lincoln is on a warpath.“I’LL KILL THEM ALL!” Lincoln shouts. “THEY’VE BETRAYED ME-”“You were stupid enough to trust a stranger,” Hastings yawns. “You should’ve come to me instead. Just like your dad did. Your stupidity cost us the hospital. If you had your shares, we’d have been unbeatable today.”Lincoln shoots him a glare but Hastings doesn’t care. They’re at Lincoln’s farmhouse, a property he had purchased a few months back in secret. Lincoln can’t fathom his loss. Jamie and Damien double crossed him but he’s more shocked by Salvez.“My father is a fool! He only wants his business to be safe but I don’t care about all that!” Lincoln yells. “I just want Halsey!”“And I want revenge against Nathan Michell,” Hastings says. “The best way to
Daniel and Lincoln stand up, shocked. They gape at Nathan who’s grinning. “What’s the meaning of this?” Daniel snarls at Salvez. “Why are you withdrawing your support? And isn’t he the head of the Michell family? He’s your enemy!”“My father is merely supporting me,” Damien calmly says. Daniel rounds on him.“Did you forget that I saved you all those years ago? I gave you a new heart!”“By killing the woman I love,” Damien quietly says. This makes Daniel even more furious. Lincoln is glaring at Jamie but she’s smug. Nathan takes charge.“Fifty five percent of the shares have been transferred to me,” he tells his father. “You’re not the chairperson of this hospital anymore. I am. It’s over for you, dad.”Daniel glares at Nathan while Lincoln is silent. He’s too shocked, too numb to say anything. Once again, he has lost. This can’t be happening, he tells himself. It’s all a bad dream!But it’s not. It’s real and it’s happening. Nathan has taken over the hospital and effectively, Linco
Nathan is sitting on the couch, thinking hard. It’s past three o’clock in the morning and he’s not sleepy. On the contrary, he’s feeling agitated about what’s going to happen in a few hours. Even if everything seems to go according to his plan, he’s still nervous. What if something goes wrong? Even one misstep can ruin years of hard work.Halsey stirs in her sleep and rolls over to the side to hug Nathan only to find the spot to be empty. She slowly opens her eyes to find him on the couch, drinking alone. He looks worried and this in turn, worries her.“What’s wrong?” she asks as she approaches him. “Why are you awake at this hour?”“Can’t sleep,” Nathan mutters as he takes a sip from his drink. Halsey sighs and sits next to him. She pours a glass of whiskey for herself. Nathan is slightly surprised.“When did you start drinking whiskey?” He asks.“I don’t drink it,” she admits. “I just wanna give you company right now, that’s all. Why? You don’t like it when I drink?”“It’s up to yo