CHAPTER FORTY-SiX ALLISON I paced back and forth. My nerves frayed. I had been moving about the room aimlessly for the past two or three hours, and my patience was wearing thin. And then, at last, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I called out, and a maid from the Brookes' mansion entered the room. She held a piece of paper in her hand, and I knew it was what I had been waiting for.I walked forward. She walked into the room and closed the door behind her. The maid handed me the financial records, her hands trembling slightly. I took them from her, my eyes scanning the pages. But then, I looked up at her, my expression stern. "You're too late," I said, my voice cold. " Next time, be quicker. Do you understand?" The maid nodded, her eyes wide with fear. I could tell she was intimidated by me, and I felt a small sense of satisfaction."You don't have to be sluggish at all times. I hate sluggish people and do not like to work with them. Is that okay with you?" I asked her.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVENAIDEN I sat at my desk, trying to focus on the work in front of me. But it was difficult. My mind kept wandering to Nora. It had been two weeks since she had been in a coma, and I was starting to feel hopeless. And to make matters worse, sales for my company were plummeting. It wasn't getting any better. I was starting to feel like everything was falling apart.As I stared at the numbers on my computer screen, my heart sank. How was I going to turn this around? For how long was it going to continue this way?I couldn't take it anymore. I gathered my things and decided to leave work early. As I walked out of my office, I checked my wristwatch, and it was almost time for the kids to close for the day. I decided to pick the kids up from school myself.As I stepped into the office of my secretary, she saw me leaving with my briefcase in my hand and made to stand up. I knew she wanted to help with my briefcase, but I wasn't in the mood, and I didn't want to stress h
CHAPTER FORTY EIGHTEEN~AIDEN~ I was fuming as I searched for Archie with Aria by my side."Why did you let him leave? How come you don't have Aby's clue where he went?" I scolded Aria. Every person we asked seemed to have no clue where he'd gone. My heart was pounding, and all I could think was... where was he? Where could he have gone?Aria was frantically looking around as well, and I could tell she was terrified. "What if he's lost?" she asked, her voice quivering. "We're going to find him," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I hope so," she whispered. I swallowed in my anger. I knew I should be focusing more on finding Archie than venting my anger right now. I decided I would maintain my cool until we found him, and that was exactly what I was doing.We walked to a nearby shop. We didn't even know how and when we got there. We turned the corner, and I saw a familiar mop of brown hair. There he was, standing in front of a small shop, talking to an elderly l
CHAPTER FORTY-NINEThe atmosphere in the hospital room was somber and tense. The beeping of the machines was the only sound in the room. I slowly opened my eyes, confused and disoriented. My mind was fuzzy, and I had no idea at first where I was. I looked around the room, my vision still a bit blurry. I saw the faces of nurses hovering over me, and then I saw the faces of my family. They were all looking at me with relief and worry in their eyes. It was a lot to take in and a I felt overwhelmed."Hello, Nora," one of the nurses said, smiling at her. "Welcome back."I was having a hard time processing what was happening. It was all so surreal.My kids were stunned and short of words as well. Immediately, I turned my gaze to them, they jumped on me excitedly, and I couldn't help but hug them passionately.While my kids were hugging me and telling me how happy they were that I was awake, I couldn't help but notice that Aiden was nowhere to be seen. I wondered where he was and why he wa
CHAPTER FIFTY~NARRATOR~The morning light streamed through the hospital window, and Nora was gently awakened by the sunlight. She blinked her eyes open, still feeling a bit groggy from her time in the hospital. But as she sat up and took in her surroundings, she felt a sense of relief. She was finally going home.Just then, Aiden came into the room with her kids, and she felt her heart swell with love. They all gathered around her. She couldn't help but smile."Mommy!" My kids screamed at the top of their voices, as they hugged me in passionately. "Hey there. We're so happy you're doing better," Aiden greeted Nora. She smiled and nodded her head. "It's so good to see you all," Nora said, hugging her kids close. "I've missed you all so much."They all laughed and talked, catching up on everything that had happened while she was in the hospital. The kids told her about their adventures at school. It was a much-needed time of connection and bonding.The nurses came in and started pac
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE~NARRATOR~As Nora woke up the next morning, she heard the sound of laughter and footsteps coming from downstairs. She stretched and slowly sat up in bed, wondering what all the commotion was about.Suddenly, her bedroom door burst open, and her two kids came barreling into the room."Mommy! You're wake!" Aria squealed, running over to the bed and hugging Nora tightly.Archie joined in, wrapping his arms around his mom and giggling. "We've missed you so much!" he said, his eyes shining.Nora let out a smile. She wouldn't blame the kids. They haven't been away from her for so long, and it would take a while for them to get over her. Her absence had made them love her even more, and now that she had returned they were so happy to have her back. "The maids dressed us up for school as usual," Aria informed Nora. She smiled and patted her hair. "We are ready to go to school now," Archie said. Aiden entered the room, a smile on his face as he saw the kids hugging Nora.
CHAPTER FIFTY_ TWO~ETHAN~As I dropped the kids off at school, Aria started to complain about something. I could already see it coming - she was always finding something to complain about. "My eyes are itching me, Ethan. They've been itching me all morning," she said, rubbing her ear. "Do you think I might have an ear infection?"I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. I reminded myself that Aria was a kid, and sometimes kids complain about things that don't seem like a big deal to adults. I knew it was important to stay patient and understanding."Aria, I know it's uncomfortable when your ears itch," I said in a calm voice. She nodded, her eyes still fixed on mine, as she waited as though she wanted me to profer solution right away. I continued talking, still looking down at her. "But I promise, it's not a big deal. We can go to the doctor later if you're still feeling bothered, but for now, try not to worry about it. Okay?"Aria nodded and sighed. "Okay," she said, her v
CHAPTER FIFTY_ THREEWhen the doorbell rang, I knew it could only be one person and it was Ethan. I steeled myself as I went to answer the door. When I opened it, there he was, looking as handsome and infuriating as ever."Hi, Nora," he said, with a smirk on his face.I couldn't help but feel a rush of anger. Why was he acting so casual and pretending to be nice? Does he take me for a fool or what? "Where are you coming from?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. Ethan's smirk widened."What do you mean?" Ethan inquired, brushing his beard. "I mean, where have you been? How many hours does it take over to get to the kid's school, drop them off, and return home?" I questioned. I knew my questions sounded unreasonable and stupid, yet I went ahead to ask them. I demanded an explanation as to where he had been, and he should be able to tell me. "Look, Nora," he said, his tone dismissive. "I'm not your husband. I don't owe you any explanations. So I'd appreciate it if you'd mi