CHAPTER FIFTY_ SIX~NORA~I opened my eyes slowly to see Ethan trying to resuscitate me. He was leaning against me and using a towel on my forehead. I saw relief in his eyes when he saw that I was awake. Then, the door swung open, and angry Aiden rushed in and began punching Ethan. At that point, I began to wonder what was going through Aiden's mind.Ethan didn't know why Aiden was pounding him that hard. He tried to block the punches but Aiden wasn't backing down. I struggled to stand up from the bed, but I was too weak to. The sounds of his blow filled the air, and Ethan let out shouts of pain as each punch landed on parts of his body. It was as though Aiden was intentionally targeting Ethan's face, as more of the punches landed on his face. The noise attracted the maids, and they soon began to flood into my room. But, that was all they could do. Flood in, and watch the drama as the two brothers struggle with punching and blocking. The domestic staff that gathered around covered
CHAPTER FIFTY_ SEVEN~NORA~Just as I was about to hug my mom, she disappeared and I drifted a little from the dream and saw myself in another world. I saw myself wandering around aimlessly, then I saw Allison standing in a corner and laughing with my ex-boyfriend and Chris was seated beside them. His face was buried on the floor, so I couldn't see his facial expression.I found myself back in the first dream. I was standing in a room, and my mother was in front of me. She was speaking, but I couldn't make out the words. I tried to focus on her lips, but the more I focused, the more the sound around me faded away. It was as if I was sinking into a void. My mother's face grew dimmer and dimmer, and I felt myself falling. And then, I opened my eyes slowly. I felt a warm, solid presence behind me. I also felt as though I was in motion, and I realized that I was being held in someone's arms. I turned my head slowly, and I saw Aiden's face. He was looking down at me, his expression full
CHAPTER FIFTY_ EIGHT~NORA~"Who is this?" I repeated, my voice trembling slightly.There was a pause, and then the voice spoke again, this time with a chuckle. "Don't you recognize me, Nora? I'm hurt."My heart leaped into my throat. I wasn't sure I recognized the voice. I had thought it was someone else, but hearing the voice for the second time proved me wrong. I didn't know who he was nor the cause of his calling me. It made me more curious, the fact that he he knew my full name. I sat up on the bed, curling my knees in front of me as I wrapped my other arm around my knee. My eyes searched the room as the conversation proceeded, although it wasn't heading anywhere yet. "What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady."Calm down, Nora Amelia James. We are just getting started."I was reeling from the shock of hearing the unknown voice again. But more than that, I was confused and worried. How did this person know my original name? It was something I had never shared
CHAPTER FIFTY_ NINE~NORA~My mouth watered as I waited for more information from the strange caller. I wasn't sure why I was giving him a listening ear and believing what he was saying to me. "Allison is secretly building her own company, and that is where she is transferring all the money from your mother's company."The revelation that Allison was secretly building her own company hit me like a ton of bricks. I was completely floored by the information.But I couldn't help but wonder: if this person knew so much, why hadn't he already taken revenge on Allison himself? Why was he coming to me instead? I had to know more."Why are you coming to me with this information?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly."I want you to have your rightful inheritance. I know I don't have a claim to the company, but you do. And I know the location of the construction site. I can give you directions."I was speechless. The idea of having my rightful inheritance was enticing, but I couldn't help bu
CHAPTER SIXTY~NORA~"The last time, he took Archie's snacks. We even tried to get it from him but he was stronger than the both of us combined. Yesterday he slapped Archie for no reason and hit his head on the table. Today, he took Archie's pen and notebook. I do not know why he is always hurting Archie, " Aria complained bitterly. I let out a sigh, as I stared at Archie with so much concern. He didn't say a word to debunk what his brother had just said, which simply meant that he was affirming to it. He just stared down at the tiles, with a sad look on his face. I pulled him closer and hugged him tightly. "I will go to your school and have a heart-to-heart talk with your school teacher. They would be the ones to stop him from bullying you, and if he continues, then I will know the next step to take," I assured them."Mom, there's one more thing," Aria said, her voice filled with emotions. It was as though she had just remembered something serious. "What is it?" I asked, moving al
CHAPTER SIXTY ONE~NORA~I reached for my phone, making sure that the door to my room was open, just a crack. I then pretended to be on a call, holding the phone to my ear and talking into it."Yes, I'm still here," I said, in a low voice. The footsteps stopped, and I could hear the maid's panting from outside my door."Thank you so much for your help," I said, into the phone. "I appreciate it. Having an extra copy of the financial records is a huge relief. I knew I could trust you. I also know you are the only one who'd be able to help me get an extra copy of the financial records from the James Group of companies. "I could hear the maid's footsteps shifting as if she was trying to get a better listen to my conversation. I hoped she would believe my ruse.As I spoke into the phone, I stole a glance at the mirror in my room. The mirror was standing on the wall, and I stood away from it so she wouldn't see me through the mirror. She could only hear me, but I could see her. And I saw
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO ~NORA~As I was about to leave the dining room, Aiden's voice stopped me in my tracks. "You guys sure are leaving the dining hall a lot!" he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice."Sorry, Aiden," I replied, trying to sound apologetic. "We won't be gone long, I promise.""You are making the food tiring and making today's dinner boring. I am tired of this continuous walking around the place.""I am sorry," I apologised again tapping his chin gently. He moved his face gently away from my hand and forced on a brighter look. I gave him a quick smile and hurried off, hoping I hadn't upset him too much.I climbed the stairs to my room as gently as I could, to avoid making any sounds. As I approached my room, I noticed that the door was ajar. I stopped in my tracks and peered inside. There, in the middle of the room, was the maid, rummaging through my belongings.My heart sank, and my mind raced. I knew exactly what she was looking for. I felt a sense of violation. I s
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE~NORA~Just as I was handing the phone to Aiden, he stretched his hand to receive it. The maid lunged at me, snatching the phone from my hand. I was caught off guard, and she managed to yank the phone from my grasp. With a cry of rage, she threw the phone to the ground, smashing it into pieces.I stood there, stunned. The pieces of my phone lay scattered on the floor, and the maid was panting with anger and fear. The look in her eyes was wild as she tried to calm her panting self down. The room was filled with gasps and murmurs, everyone in shock at what had just happened. Aiden held up his hands, trying to calm the crowd."Everybody, please stay calm," he said, his voice loud and clear. "We need to handle this situation carefully and rationally."I could feel my heart racing, my head spinning with what had just occurred. But I forced myself to focus, to stay calm. This was no time to panic.I knew Aiden would make the right decision. I was sure that I could bank