CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR~AIDEN~"And you thought it was nice to keep it from me, right? Aiden, we are married for god's sake!"Nora had been scolding me for the past one hour. It was funny that I just stood there like a log of wood, watching her speechlessly. Her voice filled the room, and I could tell that she was angry. Ethan stood behind us, watching the drama unfold. I wished I could send him away because his presence irritated me. "Aiden, I know you can hear me. I am sure you are not deaf. Why didn't you tell me you have a brother? A twin, for that matter?" She scolded further. I was frozen in place, unable to speak as Nora's words hung in the air. I had never told her about my twin brother, and now I was being called out on it. I felt a mix of shame and anger, knowing that I had been caught in a lie of omission. Ethan's presence was like a knife by my side, a reminder of the secret I had kept from Nora. I struggled to find the words to explain myself, but nothing came to mind.I d
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE~ NORA ` As I stormed out of the corridor, I was still fuming from our argument. I needed some time to cool off, and I headed to the living room to get some space. But as I opened the door, I was greeted by an unexpected sight - my kids were playing with Ethan! They were laughing and having a great time, and I couldn't help but feel conflicted. Their laughter brought Joy to a part of me. But, a part of me remained angry about what Aiden had said. It meant so much disrespect to me, and I wouldn't let it slide, just like that. I wanted to just return to my room and have some rest, but their conversations wouldn't let me. I was tempted to eavesdrop on them for reasons I do not know. "Mr. Ethan, what's your favorite color?" Archie asked, his big eyes staring up at Ethan with adoration. "Blue," Ethan replied with a smile. "Blue is a great color," Archie said thoughtfully. "It's the color of the sky, and the ocean, and my favorite toy, a blue ball." "Wow, you're qu
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIXAIDENEthan and I entered my room. I sat down on my bed immediately. I got in, while Ethan sat on the couch by my bedside. I turned around to face him, and then I cleared my throat. My eyes fixed on him."So, what brings you here, brother?" I asked, my voice wary. I knew that Ethan wasn't one to just show up without a reason. I knew for a fact that Ethan had ulterior motives, being the reason he decided to show up at my place. "Can't I just come to visit my twin?" Ethan replied, a smile playing on his lips. "Sure, but we both know that's not the real reason," I said, crossing his arms. "Fine, you've got me," Ethan said, his expression turning serious. "There's something I need to talk to you about." I sighed, bracing myself for whatever Ethan had to say."I am here to watch your back and help you in anchoring the family's company. You know, it's been a while, and you need me by your side?"A frown formed on my face. Is that what he wanted to talk to me about?
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN NORAI sat at my desk, staring intently at the financial records in front of me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. There were too many inconsistencies, too many numbers that didn't add up. I felt a pit of anxiety in my stomach, and I knew I had to get to the bottom of this. I furrowed my brow as I examined the records again and again. It was becoming clear that something was amiss. At regular intervals, large sums of money were disappearing, unaccounted for. They should have been recorded in the financial records and bank statements, but there was no trace of them. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something fishy was going on, and I needed to find out what it was. But how? Allison had bitten more than she could chew. She was aware of the huge sums that had disappeared from here. I was certain that she had a hand in whatever it was that was stealing money from the company. And, I was ready to get to the root of the matter n
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT ~ALLISON ~I sat at my desk in my office. I was feeling tired, restless, and frustrated. I found myself hissing at every single second that passed by. I just couldn't help it cause I was no longer in control of myself. I wished I knew the reason for my frustration, but I didn't.I opened a particular document more than three times and still ended up doing nothing about it. I closed the document finally, hissed loudly, and placed it back in the drawer. This continued for a while. I picked up my telephone and placed a call to the financial manager, and he picked up the call without any delay. "Hello," his voice sounded from the other end of the phone. "I need the company's record in my office right away," I said, with a stern and commanding tone. "Yes ma," I heard him say, "Then I hung up immediately." I was sure he got my message already, so why wait further?I relaxed on my chair and gritted my teeth continuously for a very long time. Then, my mind quickly fl
CHAPTER'S THIRTY _ NINE~NORA~I lay in my bed, as I rolled around restlessly. It was morning, but I couldn't stand up from my bed. I wasn't sure what the time was, but I knew it was morning because my 5 a.m. alarm rang a very long time ago. I had to switch it off and return to bed. Maybe I was feeling down because of the very terrible dream I had. Maybe not. I tried to wrap my head around the reason for my unusual uneasiness. I couldn't even remember the dream that got me up panting, and almost screaming my throat out. Thank goodness, I controlled the urge. I couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Yes?" I asked, forcing my words pit of my mouth. Yeah, I was that tired. It was difficult for me to speak as well."Ma'am, breakfast is ready," I heard the cook announce. "What?" I shouted as I jumped out of bed. I went straight to my window and opened the curtains. The day was so bright outside, but I didn't notice because the li
CHAPTER FORTY ~NORA~I was still panicking, as my eyes were fixed on the phone that was ringing in front of me. I didn't know what to do, or the next step to take. "Mom, your phone is ringing, " Aria informed me. I turned to her with a smile and picked up the phone from the table. "Who is calling you so desperately, so early in the morning?" Aria asked me. It was then it dawned on me that I had missed the first call and the phone was ringing for the second time. I ignored her and made to leave with my phone, but Ethan held my hand, so I stopped moving against my wish. "What do you want?" I asked. It was difficult for me to hold in Al my anger, but I tried my best to do so. Ethan was a pain in my neck, I wouldn't lie. I swallowed I'm my anger and remained still as my phone continued to ring. "Who is calling you so desperately? Isn't it too early?" He asked me. "Why does that have to be your problem? Do I go around monitoring who calls you and who doesn't?" I fired at him. "Y
CHAPTER FOURTH ONE~NORA~I got outside the building and picked a cab to the venue we had agreed to meet. I tried to stay put and not make the driver wonder the reason for my panic. Soon, he stopped me at the place I had asked him to, and I paid him before alighting from the cab. My feet and hands were wobbling so badly that I was scared that I might fall. I tried to steady my movement so I wouldn't resolve into falling against my will and wish. I found somewhere secluded to hide myself a bit by the coffee shop. I looked around for Chris, but he wasn't anywhere near. Why would it take anyone so long to just get out of his office and stroll down here? I just had a feeling that all wasn't well, and I have been trying to shove the feelings aside, ever since I walked out of the house. I felt as though something had gone wrong already. My heart was pounding in my chest as I checked her watch for the umpteenth time. Chris was late, and I was starting to get even more worried. What if som