Hailey was now sitting on the bed with her eyes in the door's direction. She was neither sad nor mad. She only gave the door a blank look. "Kendrick, do you also think I bully you a lot?" Bully him? Kendrick almost laughed."No, you don't," he replied simply and sat beside her."Then I don't care what the Butler thinks." She shrugged and stood up. "I'll get you something comfortable to wear." She walked inside the closet and returned with a t-shirt. "If he doesn't believe that I don't intend to harm you, I can't help it. Time will show him the truth, right?" She looked up and gave him a smile. Kendrick's eyes lingered on her face as she helped him change into the shirt. She didn't care what the Butler thought about her as long as he believed in her. He also didn't care about the Butler's thoughts. But he cared about her thoughts.And her feelings. *****When Hailey woke up the next day, she glanced at the empty space beside her. Her shoulders dropped but her lips curled up into a
"Your favorite, Madam. Master told us to cook your favorite." Lizzy followed behind her and answered.Hailey had picked up a vegetable from the fridge and her hand paused at the maid's words. Then she chuckled. All the food the servants had been cooking was her favorite. So it had been Kendrick's orders. And the maid found this as the perfect opportunity to let her know. She shook her head and stood up straight with the vegetable in her hand. She wasn't even surprised, as the servants would jump at any opportunity to ship her together with Kendrick."Would you like to have anything, Madam?" The maid's surprised gaze darted from Hailey's hand, which held the vegetable, and her face."No, Lizzy. I'm going to cook." Hailey took an apron and wrapped it around herself. "Really?" The maid's expression brightened. Her reaction was completely different from the Butler's."Yeah," Hailey answered her with a slight nod. "Replace these ingredients and help me cut the vegetables, we're going to
However, his tone indicated more than that. And as Hailey walked closer to the living room, she subconsciously slowed down her footsteps. She didn't stop walking though until the living room came into view. And not only the maids, but she also found the Butler as well as the bodyguards in the living room. They were all lined up in front of Kendrick who sat on a chair. His back was to her and the Butler was standing close to him.And instead of the office clothes she expected to see him in, Kendrick wore a t-shirt because his bruised arm now wrapped in a new bandage was in her view.No wonder the maids had spoken about his injury. Hailey had initially wondered how they saw the bruise on his arm.But more than that, Hailey's new surprise was directed at something else. Or more literally, someone else. Kendrick and his words... She had to stop in her footsteps and conceal her presence to make sure her ears weren't playing tricks on her. "You are not allowed to speak ill of her both in
"Collins, give her a good reward," Kendrick added. And after the Butler left with the maid who was smiling from ear to ear, he turned to the other servants and said, "You are all dismissed.""Yes, Master," They all answered and bowed their heads before walking out of the living room in a single file. "M–Madam." One of the two remaining maids was the one that first noticed her. She didn't meet Hailey's eyes and lowered her head in guilt. Hailey smiled and look past the maids, she couldn't take her eyes off Kendrick. "The food is ready, Lizzy. Could you help me distribute them?" "Yes, Madam." The maid nodded rapidly. "We don't deserve to take pleasure in your hard work, thank you, Madam."The other maid said her thanks, as well as the guards and Hailey walked past them and sauntered toward the couch Kendrick sat on. "You've been listening." Kendrick rose to his feet and stared down at her. Hailey wasn't surprised that he knew. He seemed to be aware of a lot of things. "I made brea
"Kendrick, you..." Hailey was speechless. She'd almost forgotten his cunning side. "Mm, What is it?" He gave her an innocent look."Did you just trick me?""I don't know what you're talking about, Hailey."Hailey groaned and retracted her hand with the spoon. This would be too embarrassing. What if one of the servants or even the Butler suddenly walked in on them? Hailey gave him a helpless look and she had no choice but to feed him with her hands. As she did that, Kendrick's other hand was now on her stomach. It was an awkward position. "Ken—Kendrick, stop moving." Hailey fought so hard to focus on feeding him. "Are you distracted?"She didn't need to look at his face to know that that smile was still present."Yeah." Hailey didn't see any point in hiding the truth. "So keep still, otherwise I'll spill the food."But her warning went on deaf ears as he began tracing strange patterns on her stomach. Was it a good idea to sit on his lap? Hailey gulped. And if she ran away now, it
The footsteps were coming from the kitchen's direction and Hailey took a different route. She slowed down her footsteps as she walked out of the house and made her way to where her greenhouse stood. It had been quite some time since she visited her garden and it felt like days. Since Kendrick wouldn't leave her alone with his endless taunting, she might as well spend some time with her babies.She had initially intended to stay home because, well... She had expected him to do something crazy like wanting to go to the office with the wound on his arm. And if possible, she could also keep him company. But Kendrick had been rational enough to stay home and tend to his wounds, and also maybe to have a word with the servants. Hailey's heart was as light as the fresh morning breeze as she breathed in the slightly chilled air. Her hair fluttered with the wind and she rubbed her shoulders with both hands wrapped around herself. She should have worn something heavier.When she got inside
"How about this?" Kendrick held her chin and made her look up at him. "If it turns out to be a boy, I'll let you name him. And if it's a girl, I'll do the same.""Really?" Hailey's lips parted and he gave her a nod. "That's a great idea, Kendrick. No matter what gender, I'll love my baby the same." Her head was back again on his shoulder and she let out a sigh of contentment. "Kendrick, if it's a girl, what are you going to name her?" She asked a few moments later. His soft laugh reached her ears before he replied, "My Grandma." "Really?" He nodded.Hailey smiled and met his gaze. "That will be so sweet of you, Kendrick," she muttered. And another curiosity hit her. "Kendrick, where is your grandma?" The words were out of her mouth before she could think twice.Apart from Kendrick's parents and that strange lady present at their wedding, she never knew of any of his other relatives. He should at least have grandparents, right? Kendrick's hold on her hand loosened and his smile d
***Two days passed by in a flash, and Hailey had no qualms with looking after Kendrick. He'd do the dressing by himself and his wound was healing rapidly. And apart from that, the servants' actions towards her had taken a tremendous turn. If they weren't nice to her before, then they were now. She'd been pampered non-stop even by the Butler. And unlike before that she would walk in on the maids and find them conversing about either her or Kendrick, nowadays their conversations were mostly about themselves and other things that caught their interest. Hailey strolled down the stairs with her bag hanging on her left shoulder and her phone in one hand. She hadn't noticed her sister's missed calls since she woke up. Why did Chloe call her several times? Could there be any problem? It wasn't possibly about their last conversation right?It had taken her sister by surprise when Kara broke the news of her decision. She wasn't possibly going to scold her for how irrational she was, right?
Sharelene stood in a corner, watching everything unfold. The family was in a frenzy. She could only see fear in their eyes and hear the fright in their voices.As the staff wheeled Hailey out of the emergency room, a deafening silence fell upon the hallway. And Ken...He hadn't been himself since they came here. He hadn't been himself since a few days back when he learned Hailey was kidnapped. Neither would he speak to anyone, nor listen to those that tried to talk reason into him and advise him to take it rationally. Since a few days back, he was the complete opposite of the man she had met many years ago and had a second chance of getting close to again. The man that would always keep calm no matter the circumstances...He was nowhere to be found. Ken was completely different from that man she knew. In her mind, she'd almost gotten what she wanted... Or more specifically, what her family wanted. But now, staring down at the ring on her finger, it was as if the engagement neve
```````And every day, Kendrick lived in guilt. For the next several months, every minute of his life was consumed by guilt. It took him weeks to gain her mother's favor, and even months to regain her grandfather's. He would come back every day, hoping that her eyes would at least flutter. Her bump kept increasing at an alarming rate. His every day was filled with fear and trepidation. And one day, her eyes did flutter. He was supposed to feel joy, but not at a chance that more trouble loomed ahead. Her pregnancy was due and not a week after that, the babies arrived. His real fear resurfaced at that moment. The fear that they would never be able to hold their bundles of joy together. The fear that he would never get the chance to tell her that he loved her. However, she proved the doctors wrong, chasing away his fears. Now, staring down at the babies, her utmost gifts to him, Kendrick had never felt so much contented in his life. He'd never been able to wipe off his smile sin
***Kendrick paced in front of the Emergency Room. His heart was in his stomach and his hand never left his hair. It was as if she'd been inside there for hours now despite being wheeled in just now.No amount of self-reassurance could calm him. No one attempted to offer him reassuring words even. They've all been in the same dilemma.Her mother wouldn't stop crying and he couldn't find the heart to offer her those words he'd yearned so much to hear. Hadn't it all been his fault? Hailey was pregnant. How was that possible? When they arrived here, it was the first thing the nurses said after taking her vitals. But Kendrick still found it hard to digest.And the fact that the child would definitely turn out to be his only made him more confused. It made him angrier with himself. "Ken, what is going on here?" Rushed footsteps sounded in the hallway and he glanced sideways to find his parents as well as Sharelene. "What are you doing in this place? Is someone wounded?" Asked his f
~~~'Hailey.'Kendrick's hands trembled and his grip on the gun threatened to loosen. Staring up at the balcony where she was being held captive, he fought not to let the rage take over. The rage that became multifold the moment he sighted them dragging her here. Her body was limped. She looked worse than how she'd looked in the video. And an almost similar-looking lady, whose face was cascaded with tears, was being held at gunpoint beside her. Was that her mother? "Don't worry, Mr. Reid." Standing with them were the three shareholders. "She isn't dead yet. But she'll soon be, if you don't follow our commands."Mr. Weimar and the rest. Kendrick's assumption hadn't been wrong. They had a hand in this. "Already, you've broken one of our rules," scoffed one of them. "We thought we told you to come alone. Coming here with your friend is like seeking more trouble. Will Mr. Carter be competent enough to fend for himself?""Shit! Buddy, these stupid old fools are underestimating me," De
***"Hailey, listen to me!" Rob grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look up. "This is important, you have to take it."Nothing was more important to Hailey right now than getting away from him. Not only did she fear these drugs he had brought her, but she also feared the way his demeanor had changed ever since he returned with them.Of course, even if Rob was really trying to save her, there was no way she was going to cooperate with him.Yesterday, he'd secretly taken her blood, waking her up. And he returned this morning, looking agitated and somehow angry at her. "Hailey!" Rob's hold became tighter. "You must take these drugs immediately. I can't get you out here if you don't. Please, Hailey." He softened his voice. "Just take the damned drugs, you'll feel better. We both will feel better.""What exactly is wrong with you?" Her mother's voice faded in the background. "Leave her alone, she doesn't want to take them. Please I'm begging you, don't torment her any further."While he
Maniac.Hailey lifted her hand weakly to send a slap across his face, but her hand went limp and fell mid-way."M–Murderer." She pushed his chest. "Just go, leave me alone.""Hailey." Footsteps approached the room and Rob said frantically, "Please hold on." He touched her forehead. "You're sick. I'll get someone to treat you. I'll get you out, I promise."Then he sprang to his feet and left, closing the door behind him. Hailey was left wondering how such lunatics could be left wandering among normal people. She sniffed and waddled back into her mother's embrace. How blind had she been to associate with these kinds of people in the past?And how could she put a stop to these endless noises and intense headaches? She didn't want to remember? She didn't want to recall whatever they had shared in the past. ***'Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum.'Kendric
...The hours dragged on, and from the tiny cracks in the wall, it seemed night had come. Still in her mother's embrace, Hailey shut her eyes to keep up with that pain.Both hands were wrapped around her stomach and she'd shiver now and then. As much as she'd like sleep to overtake her, it didn't. The exhaustion weighing her down didn't let her achieve that. The exhaustion caused by the aches all over her body. Her head pounded constantly, the voices also became louder each time she was left to her thoughts. Those hallucinations were neverending, and very soon she was afraid that they'd burst out, damaging more parts of her brain.The darkness slowly disappeared and the creaking sound of the door made her aware that morning had come. Another day of torture and pain."Hey, wake up!"Before cold water or anything worse could be splashed on her, Hailey leaned away from her mother's embrace who was also awake."Take your food!" The man burly man threw a food box and a water bottle at them
***"Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum. They have laid traps for you, Ken—"Hailey was cut shut by a hard slap across her face. Bound to a chair with ropes, cold water was splashed on her face. She licked the side of her lips, tasting the metallic liquid; the only thing that kept her from fainting."Damnit! Woman. I told you to leave the trap part out! Are you deaf or what!?" The man holding a camera in front of her shouted. "Now, let's take another video. You will say everything you were asked to.""Stop wasting your time, Man," the portly man said and walked forward. "I don't think this lady is willing to cooperate.""I told you she's a stubborn one," Chloe scoffed from a corner."Now listen to me, Young lady." The portly man approached her and lifted her chin. "If you keep acting this way, we can't fulfill our promise to you. Give us your cooperation
***"Buddy, this is serious. How could she just disappear into thin air? Is there a chance that they're hidden somewhere in this city?"This city? Probably not. Kendrick had turned the whole city upside down. He'd deployed every force he could think of. They'd searched everywhere; every warehouse, every dilapidated building. There was no sign of them. It had been three days and there wasn't any traces of them. He'd driven to the cemetery that day, hoping more than anything that she hadn't spent the night there. And his prayers turned out to work. Only that, what actually happened was worse than spending a night in the cemetery. The sight of her phone by the cemetery gates was all he needed to know that something bad had happened. She was abducted. And there was still no traces of the suspects. Her sister and that guy. "Damnit! This is all screwed up." Devon paced for a while before sitting on the couch. "You didn't tell me you've taken her back. You never should have allowed her