The day went by faster than they wanted and Thea found herself at the hospital in the night. She had to sign a few documents at the hospital. When Ash insisted that he came with her, she refused.Ashton walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water from the fridge. He took a large gulp before sealing it back. His eyes darted to the tray of cupcakes that sat on the kitchen counter immediately and he smiled as the memory came flushing in."Master Ryder?" The feminine voice called and he almost yelped in fear. How had he not notice that Mary would be home now. "Are you alright? You were smiling to yourself," she said to him and he just chuckled."I'm fine Maria, I'm just too happy that I can't keep my smile away.""But what could make you this happy-" she stopped herself then thought. "Oh my Gosh, don't tell me it's-""In more ways than one." He joked."You guys finally made up, I'm so happy." She squealed."I'm happy too Maria, I'm too happy that I fear this happiness won't last,""Don'
"Why do you say Samson killed her?" Peterson asked. "Samson was seen an hour after she left.""Because Samson was in love with my girlfriend! He was jealous of the both of us so he took her away from me." "Mr. Phillips, do not make accusations you cannot prove.""I'm telling you, he's lying to you!" He blurted out before cooling down. "He's lying to you," he repeated with a sigh. "Well can you prove it?" Peterson asked. "No but-""Did you see him?" Zachary cursed when he didn't have anything to say. "No," Zachary said in defeat. "Then, I believe we are done here."---"What's on your mind?" Thea asked him. He never ceased brushing her hair with his hand as she planted herself to his chest."I'm thinking," he said."About?""My sister," he answered without missing a beat."Oh," she said. "Freya's death came as a shock to me,""Me too, I flew over immediately I heard of it. I am working with the police force in investigating who murdered her but everything seem to revolve around it
"Fiona what's wrong?" Thea hastened her steps."My God, he scares me. I think you're the only one that can handle him." Fiona said."Fiona-""Are you still wasting time? My God, go!" Fiona pressured and Thea was forced to walk to the direction of his office immediately."Mr. Ryder," she said when she entered. He was filing in documents in his safe when she knocked and entered in his request."What a pleasure making it early Miss Kennedy. I believe I would have to throw a tantrum before seeing you every morning considering you are the one with the fame.""Absolutely not, sir." He turned to her now with his brow raised in amusement."Sir?" He asked."Em...what am I supposed to say? You are my boss in the office, i-" He pulled her closer, surprising her. "I can't know you by your first name while in the office. You said so yourself." She stuttered."What if we compromise. You get to call me Sir when we are in public but in private, I'm just your Ash." His nose trailed down her cheeks."A
Designer heels hit the floor simultaneously with melodies clicks. The lady dressed in a very short but sleeved gown with her bag on her right hand strolled into the office as if she owned the place.Claire overheard that Ashton had claimed a very famous company and she itched to she what it looked like."Ashton's Fiancée," she said to the receptionist. A man in his mid-twenties sat up from his seat immediately."Please hold on, let me inform-""I said, I am your boss's Fiancée. I don't need you phoning him. I did that a while ago!""I still need to phone his secretary at least," the man said."I'm giving him a surprise, please let me in.""If you insist ma'am. Go on, he's on the 3rd floor." She took her bag from where she had kept it and started going towards the elevator.---"And Thea," Thea paused when she was already at the door and turned to him. "It's tomorrow, you should be there Thea, I want you to be there.""But-""As my secretary, you should be at my call. I don't want thin
"I'm so happy you could make it to my place. It's the first time I've had a friend over."It was Saturday once more and they had just gone shopping for some particular things to make them look good tonight."I'm glad too Fiona,""So let's start with the make up.""I thought you said we were looking forward to a great artist a while ago." Thea said and Fiona demonstrated dramatically."Wala...here she is, your one and only true makeup artist, Fiona Weston" Thea burst out laughing. "What's funny?" Fiona put her hands in her waist acting sassy."You? A makeup artist? A professional one at that? I don't believe you.""Trust me, I am able to make someone ugly turn into a princess." Fiona retorted."You do know that you can be ugly and still be a princess, don't you?" Thea asked chuckling."Oh I do, I've seen lots of them." The both laughed. "Well sit, we can't be late.""Okay, okay." Thea said taking her seat in front of Fiona's vanity mirror.---"Here let me help you," Claire said reachi
Thea found herself in an unfamiliar hallway. She walked further to find an elevator looking back to ensure that she wasn't caught or followed.Unexpectedly, she was pulled into a room and the door shut with a thud. She screamed but masculine hand muffled her voice before she could alert anybody."Help-""It's me," it was then she looked at the man pinning her to the door. She relaxed visibly before hitting him painfully. "You scared me,""I'm sorry,""It's okay-""Not for scaring you, for what you saw at the hall." She looked away immediately."So she's back," Thea said and he nodded softly. "And you had your arm around her." She continued."I-""You let her kiss you," Thea continued and the words come out spitefully."I'm sorry, I couldn't push her away everyone was looking." He said."So I am just going to be the other woman?""Of course not, you are the one for me, you have my heart with you and you know it.""Save me your meaningless lecture Ashton. If you did love me again then w
Jace Lockhart pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance."It'll be ready by the end of the month I promise-""Don't make promises you cannot fulfill Lockhart. You owe me since the beginning of February last year.""I know and I assure you that I will get your money before the end of this month." He said."Ending of the month you say, fine. I'll wait but if I don't get the money by then you'll know what I'm really capable of, I assure you that Mr. Lockhart!" Jace sighed tiredly as he removed the phone from his ear. He dialed another number on his phone after a while of thought."Hello Claire,""Hey," she said."How close are you?"---Ashton was seated in his office, typing on his laptop attentively. When his phone rang, he picked it up without even glancing at it. Slowly, he drifted his attention to it and saw that his Financial secretary was calling."Hello Josh, have you sent it?"Ashton cursed loudly when he was given a negative answer. "Why, why, why?!" He blurted out. "Where the
"Where were you last night?" Ashton froze at the door to his home. Releasing who spoke, he shut the door softly."That's none of your business," he told her, beginning to walk further into the kitchen."You were with her, were you not?" He grabbed a bottle of water in the fridge and began walking upstairs but she followed immediately."I don't know what you even see in her. We have a future together Ashton, you should be bothered about us, about our marriage.""There will be no marriage between us," he simply said dumping the can of water on his night stand."What?!" She shrieked. "No, no, no..." She tried to clear her head. "You don't know what you are saying. We are getting married by the end of the month, is that understood?""And you should be out of my building before tomorrow night else, you get to sleep outside."She chuckled. "You have got to be kidding me. You chose her over me? Let me tell you want thing I'm sure of Ashton, we will get married to each other. Come what may, I
"I do," Thea said, her voice echoing the silent hall. Freya held her lips in excitement. 'Now, you have been called to love one another. With the power invested in me by the church and the word of God, I declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.' His hand went round her waist instantly bringing her close to him. He closed the gap between them without wasting any time, sealing their lips together in a deep kiss. Absent minded to the never ending cheering of the crowd, they sealed their newly founded bond. When he finally let go, they were taking deep breaths, paying for the lost ones."Hey," he said. She smiled back immediately, muttering something similar to a 'hi'.---Clinging unto his arms, she smiled at the guests that greeted hem warmly. "Mr and Mrs Ryder, what a pleasure," Ashton shook hands with the CEO of Vogue. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Gabriel," Ashton said immediately.He pulled him forward for a hug but then whispered, "You caught a beautiful
Ashton opened the wardrobe where he usually kept his things, searching earnestly for something. How could he be so careless to have lost it?He combed his hair in frustration. An hour ago, he found out that her promise necklace still hung around her neck like she never took it off, while his, was somewhere in the house. He shut the wardrobe as quietly as he could so he wouldn't wake her up.He walked out of the room, trying to remember where he was with it last."Master?"The young man turned immediately to the soft voice of his maid."Maria," he said. For a moment there, they stared at each other. Her, trying to figure what he was doing up by this hour of the night. She stared right at his worried face. How was he going to explain to her that he misplaced their matching necklace?"Did I wake you up?""No, no you didn't. I was going to fill up my jug of water...tell me Ashton, what bothers you?" She said to him but he shook his head."It's nothing, get some sleep.""Are you in search
"Father?" The voice sent chills to their spine. Ashton walked into the sitting room with Thea trailing behind him. He just couldn't believe his ears, he wasn't sure he heard right.Ashton halted in his steps. "Is it true? You sleep around.""So you believe a common woman. She came here to tell lies about me and you all believe her?" Austin blurted out."Is it true or not?" "Of course it's not! She's only a liar who wants to ruin my family because I couldn't make one with her," Ashton scoffed. "How can you even say such a thing? It wasn't mistake that you have a son with her, you filled her mind with empty promises and now you speak Ill about her?""She was the one fooling around with me and why are you even defending her? She's just one of them, she was just a whore looking for who to please then." Ashton recoiled in shock at his father's words. "Whether she was a whore or not, she carried your child and she deserves your respect!" Ashton blurted out too. "I'll have you know that I
Alicia Saunders stood before Austin now, in anger."Why didn't you just let us leave?" She retorted. "If we would have left, my son wouldn't be dead. He was the only one I had left." Alicia blurted out."Why do you always take everything away from me? You took my freedom and now you take my only source of joy!" She screamed."What is going on here?" Elizabeth questioned, as she strolled into the sitting room. The guards that would've stopped her form gaining entrance into his home when she blatantly told them that she wanted to see Mr. Ryder whether he wanted to or not, stood far behind them witnessing the whole scene."Nothing Lisa-" Austin tried."Oh there's something. Till how long will you keep hiding it." Alicia yelled at him."You be quiet!" Austin snapped."Who do you think you are to come into my house and yell at my husband?" Elizabeth icily said.The woman walked closer to Elizabeth. Lisa raised a brow at her in question. "You really do not know?" Alicia asked but then said.
"No!!" Andrew's voice echoed in the building that Thea actually sat up in alert.The timer that was facing her began it's count. She tried to move away but the layers and layers of fuel making it harder than it was. Her muffled voice screamed out for Andrew but it couldn't get anywhere.Her eyes locked on the timer again as it click 9 mins."Help... anybody!" Her muffled voice wanted to scream but everything looked like she wasn't saying anything. Her body full of sweat and her heart pumping with so much intensity. Panic sets it when she finally drew a conclusion.She was gonna die!"Ashton! Andrew! Anybody...let me out of here!" At least that was what she tried to say.---Ashton gripped the hand of the nurse that had been treating him for the past 5mins now. He had found the strength to say something at least."Thea, I have to get to Thea," he lifted himself to a sitting position."Mr. Ryder sir, we are on the way to see her, you are unwell-" Ashton pulled the drip out of his hands.
Jace hid in the shadows watching carefully as Andrew crossed the threshold of the building. Retreating further into the night, he waited carefully as Andrew climbed the stairs leading to where was.The only visible belonging was his boot as he hid in a corner, waiting.Just as Andrew crossed him, he raised the metal in alert waiting for the right moment. He stepped out of the shadows immediately Andrew was in his line of sight. Before the man could turn, Jace raised the metal and hit it against his back sending him to the floor completely."Andrew Ryder, if I'm not mistaken. You've made a big mistake coming here." Jace said to him and Andrew struggled to lift himself off the ground instead.---"What happened to Thea?" Zachary's voice laced with intense concern."We got into an accident and I passed out when I woke, I found out someone took her,""My goodness," Freya's voice sounded from the other side."I need you.... to help me... please, get the police." His voice strained as
Thea stirred in her sleep, but she was restricted in her movements. She winced in pain as her vision now became clear after being blurry and weak."Hmm, you're awake." That deep voice made her pause. She turned in alert to the source of the voice. She sat up, dragging herself backwards till her back connected with the wall."Jace," she whispered to herself and the hair at the back of her head stood."Hello to you too, Thea." Jace said.Thea's eyes widened when she was connected to. "Jace, Jace please..." she now reeked of sweat and her fingers trembled in fear. Her trembling lips tried to go the words, "bomb."Layers and layers of fuel were connected to her chained wrist."Jace, please let me go. I didn't do anything to you. I...." Her voice broke. He did nothing but stare at her trembling form."Do you like my present? I knew it would surprise you when you woke up.""Jace, a bomb? Where did you....You have a bomb?""I have my ways Miss Kennedy, it wasn't for you at first but recently
Ashton barged into ward in hurry, swiftly followed by Thea."Sam?" Thea called with concern laced in her tone. Samuel sat up with his back against the wall."Samuel you are alright?" Ashton said sitting besides him. "Thank God you didn't die,""I am, I just got hit mildly. Just a sprain on the ankle." Samuel said."You got hit!" Thea stressed out."I was heading over to my car when this car came from nowhere. Thankfully, I was able to get out of the way in time." Samuel said."Samuel did you see the plate of the car?"Samuel looked at Ashton for some seconds before saying. "That isn't important,""How can you say that it isn't important-""Jace is in town!" Samuel blurted out and Ashton frowned."What?!" Ashton was forced to blurt."Jace Lockhart is in town, we got a report, he was at the market place today. I wanted to get to you so you and Thea could leave the city before nightfall." Samuel said to him."You are avoiding the topic still, you know who hit you, tell me!""Ashton, when
Tap!Ashton looked up from the file he was holding to stare at the lady walking around his work space. A mini-library to be precise."Which one will I pick?" She muttered to herself. His attention went back to the documents in his hand. His own moved, as if signing something then he let it down in the table again."I think this one is better-"He cleared his throat intruding in the conversation she was having with herself. "You won't find anything interesting in there, I am not a fan of romance novels.""Oh my, as if I didn't know." She picked a random book from the shelve and sat before him crossing her legs."You want to read in here?" He asked her in surprise."Can't i? Is something here that I'm not supposed to see? Do you do something in private that-""Just stop,""But,""You can read in here if you want, I was only asking." He cleared his throat before getting occupied again."Do you think I should get my hands manicured?" She said after a while."Since when do you even do thos