After ending the call with his grandmother, James took a moment to gather himself, chest heaving with barely restrained fury. The idea that his own flesh and blood was being forced to question his integrity because of this vendetta...it drove home just how insidious and far-reaching Calum's smear campaign could become if left unchecked. Well, James would be damned if he let it spread any further and engulf the two people most precious to him - his daughter and wife.Speaking of which...Lily chose that moment to hurry through the patio doors, anxious eyes sweeping the room until they landed on him and Ava. Her shoulders sagged minutely with relief, but the tautness around her mouth remained."There you two are," she exhaled shakily, moving to join them on the playmat. Up close, James could see the faint smudges under her eyes, the pinched lines of stress etched around her lips. It was painfully clear she'd been beating herself up over this steadily imploding situation too.God, how h
Chapter 77James tries to calm himself down before stepping out of the car . Cameras flashed everywhere. Reporters shouted questions. It was chaos."Mr. Watson! Is it true you've been cooking the books?""James! Did you really steal from your investors?"He ignored them all. Head high, he walked straight to the office doors. Security guards made a path through the crowd.Inside, it was quieter. But James could feel eyes on him. His employees looked worried. Some whispered as he passed.Louis met him at the elevator. "Boss, it's bad. The stock is tanking. Investors are panicking."James nodded. "Let's go to my office. We need to plan."The ride up felt long. James' mind raced. How could he fix this mess? In his office, the team was waiting. Lawyers, PR people, board members. They all looked stressed."Alright," James said. "What's our first move?"Sarah from PR spoke up. "We need to make a statement. Fast. People are believing these lies.""Agreed," said Tom, the head lawyer. "But we
Chapter 78James hung up the phone. His hands were shaking. The SEC guy had sounded serious. Really serious."What did they say?" Louis asked.James ran a hand through his hair. "They're coming tomorrow with a whole team."Louis nodded. He looked scared. "What do we do?""We get ready," James said. "Call the lawyers. Tell them the early bird thing. Get everybody working on those files. We are going to be organized."As Louis hurried out, James slumped into his chair. His mind was racing.The SEC. The heart attack. Lily and Ava.His entire world appeared to be spinning out of control.His phone buzzed. A text from Lily:"Where are you? We need you here."James felt a pang of guilt. His family needed him. But if he walked out now.He texted back:"I'm so sorry. Can't leave yet. Tell Gran I love her. I'll be there as soon as possible."Lily's reply came fast:"James. She's asking for you. Please hurry."He stared at the message. Tears pricked his eyes.But he couldn't go. Not yet. Unless
Lily couldn't believe it, that the man she had been dating for six years was going to break her heart on their wedding dayShe was on her way to their venue, when she got a call that her fiancé had been seen in a hotel with another woman. At first, she didn't want to believe it, she wanted to shake the feeling off, but she just couldn't.She decided to go see things for herself. He had called earlier that he would be late because he had important business work to do, but he never said it was going to be in a hotel with another woman. She was stunned when she opened the room and saw her supposed groom on top of another woman." Ryan!" she called out."Lily... I can... I can explain" he said, adjusting himself while the other woman tried to cover her face.She stood there shaking and speechless for a minute. " How could you, Ryan, I loved you and this is what I get in return". Tears flowed from her eyes.He tries to reach her, but she hurriedly left the hotel with tears in her eyes.Sh
Lily's eyes fluttered open, squinting against the bright rays of the morning sun streaming through the panoramic windows. She gasped, taking in her surroundings... this was most definitely not the budget hotel room she had rented. She tried to recall how she ended up there. She felt a headache as she tried to think straight.The beautiful colours on the walls, the plush king-sized bed, the vaulted ceilings, the pristine modern furnishings, everything screamed opulent wealth and riches. Then something caught her eyes, it was the glittering diamond ring on her left hand that made Lily's heart stop. She held her hand upwards, staring at it in shock."What the hell did I do last night? Where am I ?" she croaked out, looking around, cradling her pounding head as flashes came back in fragmented memories. There was drinking...so much drinking to erase bthe pain of catching Ryan with another woman. Then the unexplainable urge to get back at him, the thought of killing him or putting a ring o
Lily let out a shaky breath once Chloe had disappeared. "Well, she seems...lovely"."Don't worry about Chloe's threatens", James waved a dismissive hand. "She's all bark and no bite most of the time. Everything will be fine.""I wouldn't be so sure about that." James and Lily turned to see a stylishly dressed man strolling into the living room, a bemused smirk on his face. He had an easy, laidback demeanor about him."Louis, my own very voice, what's up" James gave him a sardonic smile. "Coming from someone whose faith in me is staggering as always"Louis clicked his tongue teasingly. "You know I've got your back, J. But you also know the Adams crew aren't to be underestimated." He looked over at Lily with an appraising glance. "No offense to the newly wedded wifey, but getting drunk-married to some random bird has properly stuck a hornet's nest with that insufferable Chloe.""Watch who you're calling a random bird, Mister," Lily arched an eyebrow. Even rumpled in James' borrowed ro
They finally came to a stop as they got off the elevator. They were ushered to the waiting room as she was informed that he had been wheeled into surgery.Shortly after, Maggie joined them in the waiting room. She looked at James with confusion but didn't say anything.The hospital waiting room felt suffocatingly tense as Lily sat sandwiched between James and her cousin Maggie. Her father had been urgently wheeled into surgery, and now all they could do was anxiously await an update.Maggie kept shooting furtive, confused glances between Lily and the intimidatingly wealthy-looking James Watson, trying to keep her cool. For his part, James simply held Lily's hand in a reassuring grip, his presence remarkably calming despite the chaos.After what felt like an eternity, a haggard-looking doctor in scrubs entered and made a beeline for them. "Family of Michael Walker?"They all rose to their feet expectantly as the doctor clasped his hands grimly. "I'll be direct with you. Your father's
The courtroom felt like a arena of hostility, tensions crackling thick in the air. On one side sat Chloe and her vernomous family legal team, radiating icy disdain. Opposite them, the regal elderly woman named Granny Daphne held court imperiously, clearly not one to be trifled with.And in the middle, Lily sat sandwiched between James and the attorney he'd hired to represent them - looking every bit the proverbial fish out of water."Your Honor, this entire situation is a despicable sham concocted by that girl and my grandson," Granny Daphne declared in ringing tones, taking the floor first. "But make no mistake, their marriage vows were very much legally binding."She turned to fix Lily with a withering look. "Despite Miss Walker's...compromised state at the time, I can vouch that my grandson acted with full capacities. He upheld the letter of the law to a conditional wife, even under suspect circumstances."Lily felt herself shrink slightly in her seat as murmurs rippled through the