Chapter 18It has been a few days still the big showdown on the deserted manufacturing facility. Lily resigned from work and stayed home to rest, convalescing from her accidents after the crazy hostage scenario with Chloe. Even though she changed into pretty banged-up, she felt quite relieved that the nightmare was finally over.James hadn't left her side considering rescuing her. He felt so guilty about getting her mixed up in all his psycho ex-fiancée's drama, however, Lily tried comforting him that it wasn't his fault. She was just glad they could move forward now, together.One morning, as Lily slowly woke up, she observed James wasn't beside her in bed. That changed into bizarre – he usually waited till she became wide awake earlier than leaving the room. She shrugged it off in the beginning, figuring he just got an early beginning to his day. But then she heard loud voices coming from the hallway out the doors to the bedroom. She immediately recognized James' voice, it sounded
Chapter 19 Lily woke up feeling like total crap. Her body ached all over from the lingering bruises and her head was pounding. She figured it was from worry more than anything. It had been almost a week since Chloe's creepy phone call and there was still no sign of that twisted psycho. She rolled over, half expecting James to be gone already. He had been obsessed with finding Chloe, working pretty much around the clock with his security team. But to Lily's surprise, he was still there lying next to her, sleeping peacefully. His presence immediately made her feel a little calmer. Not wanting to disturb him, Lily just watched James sleep for a while. She hated seeing the exhaustion etched on his face lately. This whole Chloe fiasco was doing a number on him. Lily felt a surge of guilt - if she had never drunkenly married him that night, none of this would have happened. As if he could sense her watching him, James started to stir. His eyes fluttered open and settled on Lily with a s
Chapter 20 The next few days have been essentially a blur for Lily. Between looking to get over her injuries and the constant pressure of anticipating news on Chloe's whereabouts, she felt like she changed into dwelling in a peculiar limbo state. James was gone more than he was home, coordinating the manhunt along with his security men. Lily hated how hectic and preoccupied he seemed on every occasion they were together. She knew he was seeking to guard her, but the distance between them became in reality starting to wear on her. One night, Lily was curled up on the sofa mindlessly flipping through TV channels when James came through the door. He appeared past exhausted, with heavy bags underneath his eyes and a few days' worth of scruff on his chiseled jawline. "Hey you," Lily greeted him softly, patting the sofa cushion next to her in invitation. "Looks like a long day." James gave her a good smile and collapsed onto the sofa with a grunt, running a hand over his face wearily.
Chapter 21A couple of days later, Lily was fixing lunch in the kitchen when her phone started ringing. She glanced at the number - it was blocked again, just like the last time Chloe had called to taunt her.Her stomach dropped as she stared at the buzzing phone. Part of her didn't want to answer, scared of whatever deranged mind games that psycho might try. But then again, giving Chloe the silent treatment was probably exactly what she wanted.Taking a deep, steadying breath, Lily swiped to accept the call. "Hello?""Well, if it isn't always the little wifey," Chloe's sickly-candy voice at once grated on Lily's nerves. "Miss me?"Lily rolled her eyes so tough they nearly fell out of her head. "Can't say that I even have, no. What do you need this time, Chloe?"The other female let loose a derisive snicker. "Straight to the factor, I like that. Okay, I'll cut the chitchat - I wanted to individually extend you an invite.""An invitation?" Lily scoffed. "To what, your lobotomy? No than
Chapter 22A few days later, Lily was stressing out big time waiting for Chloe's next move. She kept going over the creepy phone call in her head - what did that twisted psycho have planned? Lily had a bad feeling it was gonna be some messed up shit.James was all tense and mysterious too, like he was gearing up for battle or something. He had his security team on high alert, preparing for whatever Chloe might try to pull. The whole vibe in the mansion felt dark and uneasy.Lily tried to feel positive and not allow it to get to her, but it was hard. She wished she could speak to her dad and get some fatherly advice. He always knew the right things to say to calm her down. But ever since his heart attack, he'd been recovering at some fancy private clinic upstate on strict orders not to get riled up. Which meant no drama from Lily about Chloe and the crazy marriage situation.She missed him like crazy though. Her eyes landed on her phone and she had a thought - maybe she could at least
Chapter 23 James pulled Lily's trembling body flush against his, feeling her shuddering breaths wracking her slight frame. His wife - his entire world - was shattering in his arms. All because of that unhinged monster Chloe and her latest twisted torment. White-hot rage surged through James's veins at the thought of what fresh hell Chloe had unleashed on them now. Threatening Lily's poor dad who was still so fragile after his heart attack...it was a new low, even for that depraved psychopath's standards. Using an innocent man's health to manipulate and torment them? James's jaw muscles ticked as he clenched his teeth hard enough to grind them. He could only imagine the overwhelming panic and fear gripping Lily at the thought of her beloved father being caught in the crosshairs of Chloe's warped delusions. Great, wracking sobs tore from Lily as she clung to him desperately. The guttural sounds of his brave, resilient wife completely breaking down with hopeless anguish simultaneously
Chapter 24 Lily took a deep, shuddering breath, looking to compose herself after that severe second with James. Her thoughts became still reeling from Chloe's twisted threat against her dad. She felt scared out of her mind, however having James's strength and backbone to lean on helped ground her. "Okay," she said, willing her voice now not to shake. "We need to provide you with a plan to take down Chloe once and for all. Playing into her deranged game is the only way to protect my dad for now." James nodded grimly. "I've got my best security guys ready to move in as soon as we get a location on this showdown she's orchestrating. We'll be prepared for whatever sick traps she tries to lure us into." A shiver went down Lily's spine. She didn't even want to imagine what depths of cruelty Chloe might stoop to. The psycho seemed to have no limits when it came to her unhinged obsession. "I just hope your men can handle her," Lily said worriedly. "Chloe's been unraveling more and more. W
Chapter 25 Lily felt ice water slam into her veins at Chloe's ominous words. The deranged woman's eyes glittered with undisguised malice and menace, like a coiled serpent ready to strike. A low rumble sounded from James, like a warning growl from a defensive predator. He angled his body slightly in front of Lily's in a shielding stance without even seeming to think about it. "You just can't help yourself, can you, you twisted bitch?" His deep voice carried a scorching heat. "Spouting off more unhinged threats and delusions of grandeur." Chloe's eyes flashed with displeasure at his mocking tone, her lip curling back over her teeth. "Still overconfident to the end, I see. Perhaps this will wipe that arrogant sneer off your face for good." With a dramatic flourish, she pulled a small remote from her pocket and thumbed a big red button. Instantly, the shadows around the rec room seemed to come alive with movement as several hulking shapes detached themselves. Lily felt her throat co
Chapter 142: The Watson mansion was fully alive. Streamers hung cascading off of everything they could, balloons bounced merrily around various corners, and the air swam thick with the tantalizing smell of BBQ on the back porch. Today was, after all, Ave's party – but it was more than that; today was the day Lily and James had chosen to once again pledge themselves to one another.Lily stood before the full-length mirror, straightening out her simple white sundress. At seven months, she was radiant—a perfect arc the curve of her belly was, below the flowing fabric.From the doorway, the sound of a voice declared, "You look beautiful." Lily turned to see her cousin Maggie smile at her."Thanks." Lily smoothed the dress. "I feel like a beached whale, but James insists I'm glowing."Maggie burst out laughing. "He's right, you know. You look like you're about to light up his world or something." She walked over and hugged Lily. "I can't believe how far we've come since that one crazy nig
Chapter 141: Lily woke up off. She couldn't explain it, but something just seemed… off. And when she rolled over to check the time, a wave of nausea hit her. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow."Alright?" James mumbled, still half asleep."Yeah, I just feel a little queasy," Lily replied. "Probably just something I ate."James sat up concerned. "You want me to get you something?"Lily shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. We should get up anyway; Ave has that school play today, remember?"They climbed out of bed and busied themselves getting ready for the day. James went into the bedroom to awaken Ave while Lily projectile-vomited into the toilet.James had, by this time, somehow managed to dress Ave in her costume: a huge, puffy frog outfit in bright green made for the school dress rehearsal of "The Frog Prince.""Mommy!" Ave squealed as she clumped down the stairs. "Do I look like a real frog?"Lily laughed, pushing aside her queasiness. "Why, yes, my child, the fairest fr
Chapter 140: Giggles consumed the room, and James stirred awake. He opened an eye to find a little face at the end of the bed staring in at him."Daddy! Wake up!" little Ave chirped in at him.Stepping over the landmines that were on the bed, James ran his hand through the small amount of her running down her back and picked her up, digging fingers into her tummy."Morning, princess," he said by way of splaying a kiss on her forehead.Ave giggled and squirmed. "Mommy said breakfast was ready!""Oh, yeah?" said James, sitting up but not letting go of the squirming Ave. "Am I to take it that's why Mommy sent you in here to wake me up?"Ave nodded, her bouncing brown curls saying more than she could. "Yep! She said tell you there's coffee."James laughed, and if Lily knew him at all well, it was all for her benefit. "Well then, I guess we'd better not have Mommy waiting, huh?"He climbed out of bed, Ave still in his arms, and rolled out of the room. The smell of bacon and coffee wafted
Chapter 139James lay on his back on the pristine white sand beach and took a pounding from the burning Maldivian sun. His hand reached up behind him for the coconut cocktail, tasting sweetness in his mouth as the gentle lapping of waves broke almost ten meters away from shore. It was the first time he had really been allowed to relax, barring a three-month period, since they had released the secrets of the Shadow Council onto the world."Penny for your thoughts?" The sound of Lily's voice broke through his reverie. She settled herself down on the lounger beside him. Her skin was golden against the sun.He smiled, squeezing her hand, saying, "Just thinking how surreal this all is. A year ago, I was knee-deep in conspiracies and shadow organizations. Now I'm sipping cocktails on a private island."Lily chortled; that sound always hit James in exactly the right place in his heart."Life's funny that way, isn't it?" she said, turning her head to look at him with her chin resting on her a
Chapter 138: James was pacing his living room relentlessly. Elena was with Rachel. It was all over. Well yah, anyway that was supposed to mean.Lilly squinted at him from the couch. "James, honey, you're going to wear a hole in the carpet. Come sit down."He sucked in a deep breath and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry; I just… I just can't help but feel this is too easy. After everything we've been through, this is just too easy."Lily squeezed his hand reassuringly. "James, I hardly think that anything about this has been easy. But maybe, this is the way it ends. Not really with a bang, but with a whimper."There was a pounding on the door. The teenager was on his feet before James could even open his mouth. His heart pounded in his chest. This was it.The door was thrown open. To find Rachel standing there—grimy, dirty, and obviously completely exhausted but still with the fires of determination burning behind her eyes. And past her."Hello, James," came the soft-spoken voice of Ele
Chapter 137: Rachel's hands trembled on the wheel. She drove the car towards the lighthouse. It was a full moon drooping low into a mess, ever drooping across the sky to the west, throwing a queer, sickly light over the whole demesne. She could not believe the fact that she was actually doing this, meeting secretly with her mother, Elena.She couldn't bat the feeling away that this time—this time—things were different. There was no hand in the place that could have been straightened just then, and scarcely a hand for him to take.Beside the lighthouse was her mother's car. Ray closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and felt her hand shake again, then brought it quickly up to her chest and gripped hard. "You can do this," she whispered to herself.She scrambled out of the car and up the serpentine path to the lighthouse, where waves dashed to the rocks and her feet crunched over gravel.One figure stood at the top by the railing, looking out at the water: Elena. His mother.Rachel's hea
Chapter 136The world had barely had enough time to absorb the shock that came with the downfall of Shadow Council. News channels were all agog with relentless updates, while governments scurried to try and react to the development; people all around tried to understand what all this really meant and what the implications of the bombshell were that shook the very fundamentals of society.But there was so much more to it than that which James Watson could see coming.He found himself standing outside the hospital room after just a moment's hesitation on the other side of the door handle. He could see from the small window that Louis was lying in a bed, hooked up to a lot of machines, Rachel sat at his side.He steeled himself, took a deep breath, and walked in.Rachel lifted her head. Her eyes were red, red, but glittering. "James," she said very quietly. "I didn't expect you to be here.""How is he?" asked James, who had moved now and stood at the foot of Louis's bed.Rachel sighed. "
# Chapter 135: James took a deep breath and brought his head counterclockwise to his team, tired yet charged. It was time to engage their plan."Okay, let's go over this again. Hawk, are you set up with that kill switch or what?"Hawk just nodded. Her fingers danced across the laptop keyboard. "Okay, I am ready as I will ever be, but remember, this is one shot deal.""Right," James confirmed, turning towards Kelvin. "You got your contacts on standby?"Kelvin lifted his phone reassuringly. "They're all set, just waiting for our signal now."Glancing toward Angie and Agent Johnson, he asked, "You two sure about this? This is going to be dangerous."Angie made a show of rolling up her eyes. "Please. After all else we've done? It's just another Tuesday."It was Johnson's turn to chuckle. "What she said. We've got your back, James."James bobbed his head, his fear mixing in with his excitement. This was it: the last big push to finally bring down the Shadow Council."Alright then," he sai
Chapter 134: Days passed after the warehouse before a blur of debriefings, media frenzy, and shock waves that echoed across the globe. Standing smack in the middle of this hurricane, shaking the very roots of governments and institutions around the globe, was James and his team.They now sat in a safe house, courtesy of Agent Johnson—now an unlikely ally in all of this, ever since the exposure of the Shadow Council. There, in that very suburban home, the living room had now become something of a command center: there were laptops and papers all over, the place cluttered with empty coffee cups.James rubbed his tired eyes at the news playing on mute on the television. Of course, the headline scrolled by in the news: "Global Markets in Turmoil as Shadow Council Revelations Continue.""You should get some rest," Angie said before putting a hand on his shoulder. At least she looked a little better now, with the bruises from her captivity fading, but there was a new hardness in her eyes.