Mia trudged up the walkway, exhausted from her hectic day at work. As she approached her apartment, she noticed a figure huddled on the steps. Her curiosity piqued, and she quickened her pace.As she got closer, her eyes widened. "Babes! What's wrong? How long have you been out here?" Mia asked her etched on her face.Isabella's pale face lifted, her eyes sunken. "Mia...I'm so sorry. I've been trying to reach you. What kept you so long today?"Mia's concern deepened. "Girl, it's a long story, but right now I'm fucking exhausted and tired; enough about me, over to you, what happened? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost or lost someone?"Isabella's voice trembled. "I've been out here for hours. I called, texted...you didn't respond nor did you return any of my calls."Mia's eyes narrowed. "I'm so sorry, babe; I was at work. What's going on?"Isabella gestured weakly. "C'mon Mia, easy on me with the questions, let's go inside. I need to sit."As they entered the apartment, Mia's gaz
Isabella's eyes sparkled as she sipped her coffee, her smile radiant. Mia's apartment was cozy, filled with warm light and comforting aromas.Mia settled beside her, curiosity etched on her face. "So, Isabella, what are your plans?"Isabella's expression turned skeptical. "Plans? I'm still figuring things out. Not gonna lie, I don't want to be idle."Mia nodded encouragingly. "You deserve a break, but I know you're itching to do something."Isabella's thoughts drifted to her finances. "The partial payment from that crazy contract helped with my sister's medical bills, but he still owes me. Besides, my job isn't complete yet, and I haven't given him a child."Mia's eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't rely on him, you know. You need stability."Isabella sighed. "I know. I’m desperately in need of a job. Something meaningful."Mia grinned mischievously. "What if I found you a job and coincidentally, it came with a marriage contract attached? Would you accept?"Isabella's laughter filled the ro
Mia flung open the door, her expression fierce, expecting to see Alex's smirking face. But instead, she was met with James' pale and sad visage. His eyes, once bright and confident, now seemed sunken and desperate.Mia's aggressive stance faltered, her expression softening. "James...what are you doing here?" She stuttered, taken aback by his unexpected visit.James' voice cracked as he spoke. "Sorry to disturb you, Is ... .Isabella here?" His eyes scanned the hallway behind Mia as if hoping to catch a glimpse of his estranged wife.Mia's face contorted in a mixture of pity and guilt. "Uhm, not at all, I….I haven't seen her. I've been trying to reach her, but she's not responding to my calls." She hesitated, unsure how much to reveal.James' face fell, his eyes welling up with tears. "Oh...okay." His voice was barely above a whisper.Mia's expression turned sympathetic. "Hey, are you okay? I was actually about to come to check on her soon. I've been worried sick."James' eyes locked on
Isabella burst through the hospital doors, her eyes scanning the hospital frantically. She rushed to the reception desk, her voice shaking with urgency. "I need to see my husband, James Reed. He's a patient here."The nurse behind the desk looked up, her expression calm. "Ma'am, please, you need to calm down. Can you please tell me what's wrong?"Isabella's eyes flashed, her voice rising. "What's wrong? Seriously? I just received a call saying my husband was rushed down here and you stand here asking me what's wrong? My husband is here, and I need to see him right now."The nurse's expression turned sympathetic. "Ma'am, I understand. But you need to calm down, let's wait for the doctor attending to your husband to come."Isabella's face twisted in frustration. "No, I won't calm down. I need to see him. Now." Her voice echoed through the hospital lobby.A doctor approached, his expression firm. "Ma'am, I need to ask you to comfort yourself. You're in a hospital for God's sake, and not
Steve burst through the hospital doors, his face etched with concern. He had just heard the news about James' accident and had rushed to the hospital to see his best friend. As he entered the waiting room, he spotted Isabella and Mia sitting, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.Steve rushed to them, his voice urgent. "Bella, what happened? I just heard about James' accident. Is he okay?"Isabella looked up at Steve, her eyes confused. "I...I don't know. I was just as shocked as you. I don't know what happened; immediately I got the news, I rushed down here."Steve's eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. "You don't know? But he left the office saying he was going to look for you at Mia's place just a few hours ago. Did you not see him?"Isabella stuttered, her eyes darting around the room. "N-no...I didn't see him. I swear, Steve. I have no idea what happened."Steve's expression turned dark, his voice low and menacing. "You know you're the cause of all of these, if you hadn't left the
"Emily? What are you doing here?" Steve asked, his voice gruff.Emily's smile never wavered. "Really? C’mon, have you forgotten I'm also a close friend and also a business associate with James? Anyways, I heard about his accident and I just had to come and see how he's doing," she said, her voice dripping with insincerity.Mia raised an eyebrow. "That's very kind of you, Emily. But I'm sure James would rather not have you here right now."Emily's smile faltered for a moment before she regained her composure. "Oh, I'm sure James would want me to be here for him. We're old friends, after all, and we have a lot of things in common."Isabella's eyes flashed with anger. "You're not his friend, Emily. You're just someone who's been trying to sabotage our marriage from the beginning, someone who has been forcing herself on a man who doesn't want her and will never want her "Emily's smile turned icy. "That's not true, Isabella. I'm just someone who cares about James and wants to see him happ
"What are you doing here, Alex?" Bella asked, not smiling and looking around if anyone was watching,"C’mon, you don't have to be hostile towards me. I was worried about you, Bella. After James came to my place to look for you, I thought he must have hurt you or done something to you."Mia, standing next to Bella, didn't give him a second glance, her expression cold and unyielding. "You need to leave now, Alex," she said, her voice firm. "Or I'll call the cops on you.”Bella's eyes narrowed, her expression suspicious. "Why did you do it?" she asked, her voice firm.Alex looked confused, his expression innocent. "Do what?" he asked, his voice soft. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bella."Bella's eyes flashed with anger, her expression furious. "Don't play dumb with me, Alex," she said, her voice firm. "I know you're involved in James' accident. And I want you to tell me why."Alex's expression changed, his eyes narrowing, his face twisting in anger. "How dare you lay such accu
"Hey babes, that reminds me, have you heard anything from the police concerning James's accident?" Mia asked Isabella as they both prepared to step out.She shook her head, her expression somber. "Not really," she replied, her voice soft. "They've carried out all necessary investigation but I hope they find out who did it and apprehend the culprit. It's just so frustrating not knowing what happened."Mia nodded sympathetically, her eyes filled with concern. "I know, Bella. It's terrible. But I'm sure the police are doing everything they can to investigate. They'll find out who did it, don't worry, you need to take a break from all of this and allow them to do their job."Isabella smiled weakly, her eyes welling up with tears. "Thanks, Mia. Just talking to you makes me feel a little better. But I'm still so worried about my husband, he's been through so much already, and now this...it's just too much."Mia hugged Isabella tightly, trying to offer what little comfort she could. "I know
Everyone looked at each other confused, unsure of what was happening. "What are you talking about, Phil? I'm confused about your interest in this," James asked, his voice laced with concern. James shook his head, trying to clear the confusion. "Wait a minute, the lady you're talking about is Emily?" he said, his voice slow and deliberate.“Emily right here is the reason I'm in town, the same woman who does want me in her life and that of our unborn child, and surprisingly, she's here trying to pin my own child on another man who doesn't even want her. How pathetic can you be Emily?” He said, feeling disgusted by Emily's act.“Phi..Phil? What are you doing here? Ho..how do you both know each other? She asked as she stuttered.She stood there, her face burning with embarrassment, as she took to her heels, her mum following closely behind. She couldn't believe what was happening, and she just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. As they walked away.Mrs. Valerie turned to
Emily walked to the center of the crowd, trying to draw attention. She stood tall, her eyes scanning the sea of faces before her. "Attention, everybody," she said, her voice clear and strong. "I would like to make a wonderful announcement. It's a discovery I just found out minutes ago, and I'm sure it will be of interest to you." The crowd began to murmur, their faces filled with curiosity and anticipation.Mrs. Valerie, who was standing at the edge of the crowd, looked around and then back at her daughter, wondering what her daughter was up to. She walked to meet her daughter, a look of concern etched on her face. "Emily, what's going on? What are you doing?" she asked, her voice low and urgent. But Emily just smiled and continued to speak, her voice growing louder and more confident.James, who was standing a few feet away, looked around confused. His eyes searched for his wife, and he felt a sense of relief when he felt her arm at his back. They held hands, and he turned to her,
Emily was sitting on her bed, staring at her phone in frustration. Phil began disturbing her phone with calls, and she decided to pick up. “What is it? For God's sake, what do you want from me Phil?" she asked, her voice firm and annoyed. "I have told you countless times to stop calling me, we've got no business together." Phil's voice was calm and persuasive on the other end of the line. "C'mon Emily, why are you acting weird? We both know I am the father of the child you're carrying, so allow me to take my responsibilities."Her anger and frustration boiled over at his words. "What stupid responsibilities?" she spat. "I have told you we've got no business together and no child together whatsoever. Just leave me alone, Phil." His tone turned slightly aggressive, and Emily could sense the desperation in his voice. "Emily, don't be like this. I know we had a thing, and I know I'm the father of your child. I want to be involved in your lives, and I want to take care of you both."Emi
James didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to accept that his dad might not make it. He held his hand, talking to him, trying to keep him awake. "Dad, stay with me," he said, his voice shaking. "Please, don't leave me. I need you." Dr. Smith held his shoulder, his eyes filled with a deep sense of concern. "I think you should get your wife here, or it's too late," he said, his voice low and urgent. "It's possible he wants to say something important." He quickly brought out his phone, his hands shaking as he scrolled through his contacts. He found Bella's number and dialed it, but she wasn't responding. He tried calling her again, but it went straight to voicemail.He wasn't sure where to go, or what to do. He knew that he had to find his wife, but he had no idea where she was. He thought about going to the hospital where Miranda was; he was certain she must have been discharged by now and he doubted she would be there. He knew that the only place to go to was her previous apartme
Both best friends decided to go drinking to clear their heads, sitting at the bar, drinking and chatting.James was nursing a whiskey on the rocks, while Steve was sipping on a beer. The bartender, a friendly woman with a warm smile, was polishing a glass and listening in on their conversation. James was staring into his drink, his eyes lost in thought. Steve, noticing his friend's distant expression, decided to speak up."Yo man, I think it's high time you reduce your intake of alcohol," he advised, his voice laced with concern. "It's getting too much. You're drinking every night, and it's starting to affect your daily life, you rarely come to work. I think you should give this girl a break not after everything that has happened." He looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as he gazed at Steve. "Bro, just let me be," he said, his voice low and even. "I'll be fine. I just want to drink to clear my head off, and that's all; without her, I can't think straight; she isn't responding to m
Miranda tried sitting up, confused about what was going on and what James was talking about. "What truth is he talking about, Bella?" she asked, turning to her sister with a look of confusion. She then turned to Mia and asked."What's going on, can somebody please talk to me? Who is this young man and what truth is he talking about?" Mia looked at Bella, who took a deep breath before speaking."I'll explain, Mimi, please just calm down," Bella said in a low tone, trying to soothe her sister's frazzled nerves. "He's my husband, on a contract, but trust me, all of these will soon be over," she added, her voice barely above a whisper. Miranda's eyes widened in shock, and she looked like she had been punched in the gut. "What! You're kidding, aren’t you? Are you trying to tell me you got married without letting your only family hear about it?" she shouted, her voice rising in anger and hurt.She looked down, feeling guilty and ashamed. "I know I should have told you, Mimi, but it was all
James and Bella both rushed down to the police station, their hearts filled with excitement and relief. As they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of Miranda, standing in the middle of the room, looking weak and frail.Bella's eyes widened with joy and concern as she rushed towards her sister, throwing her arms around her in a tight hug. “I'm sorry all of these have to happen to you, Mimi," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"Miranda, who was extremely weak, couldn't utter a word, only stood there looking at her sister, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. Bella held her tight, tears of joy streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, my little one. I promise I will never let anything happen to you, because you are never leaving my sight," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "I was so worried about you." James stood back, watching the reunion with a warm heart, feeling happy that Miranda was finally safe.As Bella continued to hug her sist
"C’mon, Bella, you've been like this for weeks; you need to get a hold of yourself," James said, his voice filled with concern as he noticed Bella's mood. "I promise, Miranda will be found and brought back." Bella looked up at him, her eyes red from crying, and her face pale with worry. "How sure are you?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear. "It's been weeks, and we haven't even heard anything from them, and neither are the police saying anything. She's the only family I've got, and you want me to act like nothing has happened to her."He took a deep breath and pulled Bella into a hug. "I’m not saying that, I know it's been tough, but we can't give up hope," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. "The police are doing everything they can to find her, and I'm sure they'll come up with something soon." She pulled back and looked at him, her eyes searching for answers. "But what if they don't?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if we never see her again?"James's
"You need to calm down, babe, I had to rush down here immediately; I got your call," James said, trying to calm Bella down. "Trust me, if the kidnap isn't connected to anybody, we will surely get a call from them requesting a ransom; let's just give them a few hours." Bella, whose eyes were filled with tears, shook her head. "I'm just confused, what's going on?" she asked, her voice trembling. "First, it was me, now my innocent sister... Who knows who might be next?"He pulled Bella into a hug, trying to comfort her. "C’mon, you need to stop thinking about it and hope we get a call soon. We'll get through this, okay," he said. "We'll find out who's behind this and we'll get your sister back safely." Steve, who had been quiet until now, joined the conversation. "Don't worry, I promise we'll get her back," he said, his voice filled with determination. "But I had no idea you've got a sister all these while." Bella sniffled, wiping her tears with her sleeve."She was at the hospital all