~~Maddie~~“You were in love with him.” I said slowly.She looks at me with so much affection, and careful consideration. “It was a few years after the death of your grandmother.” She said.“Hmm, here I was beginning to think you were my grandmother.” I joked.She chuckled, “I never knew her, but your grandfather worshiped her. He loved her too much. I didn't think he would be able to love me like that.” “But he did.” I said, smiling at her.“Yes, he did. Your Mother not so much. But she came around later.” “How did my grandma die?” I asked.“You don't need to know that Maddie.” She said sweetly. “But I do. She's family.” I said.She took a deep breath, “Cancer.” She said,My breath shuddered immediately, my Mom died of cancer. She held my hands, “it doesn't mean anything, Madison.” I closed my eyes, thinking of so many things at the same time. This can not be happening. At least not right now.“You shouldn't be here.” I heard Sheila's voice. I opened my eyes immediately. “Victo
~~Victor~~The Doctor's voice faded as I looked at Maddie. Her face was white and she just stared at him.When I came to, the Doctor was explaining things to her. “Fortunately, we caught it early.” “Fortunately?” She asked, sarcastically, “doctor it's cancer. There is nothing fortunate about it.” “I'm sorry.” He apologized, “do you have any history of cancer in your family.” It took a while for her to respond, “my mom.” She looks at Sheila. “My grandmother.”“Okay, we will start running some tests. And I will keep you informed.” he left almost immediately.“He is very subtle.” Sheila said.“He took really good care of me the last time he was here. I think I'm growing on him. The way he is growing on me.” Maddie tried to make a joke.“You know you don't have to do this alone.” I said, holding her hands.“We got this. All of us.” “She didn't respond to me, instead she said, “you should get tested Renee.” Surprisingly, Renee looks at me. I simply gave her a nudge to save something p
~~Victor~~“I know, I still can't believe it.” I said storming out of the lab. They all followed me.“She is making it hard for Maddie to get her grandfather's company back.” I said.My blood was rising and I was filled with rage, I can believe Thea will be this desperate. I got to my office and sat on my seat, brought out a bottle of tequila from underneath the table with some glasses.I poured for myself, and took a sip. “I'm not going to do it.” I said after much silence.“What?!” My father exclaimed.“I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to help Thea destroy what is Maddie's inheritance.” “The boards of directors won't agree with you.” He said.“I don't care about the boards of directors. I don't care what they have to say.” “But you do care. Because they can unseat you from that seat. Inheritance or not.” My father said.“I can't believe this.” I said, standing up.“We are not asking to get in bed with her.” He said.“Too late.” I murmured.“Just compromise.” “What's the alt
~~Victor~~I punched the wall, forgetting where I was. It made a bruise on my fingers because of the impact.“Let me clean that up for you.” The Doctor said, I shook my head implying no.Everything was falling apart. Different thoughts were going through my head at the same time. I couldn't think straight. When will all this stop, when will people stop coming for us. All my life people have had it out for me but not as much this pass few years.“There is no other pharmaceutical companies with this drug?” I asked him.“No, there isn't. Your company was developing it before you left. It's in the distribution stage now. They're just holding on to it.” “It's not my company anymore. You said it yourself.” “I'm really sorry, but there should be a way for you to get it from Mr. Stone.” “Oh there is a way. It involves me selling my soul.”He chuckled and I smiled. I looked around his bedroom. He had no pictures around.“Are you married, Doctor?” I asked.“No, I'm not. Divorced.” He replie
~~Victor~~“Go ahead, why'd you stop?” Leo mocked me.It took everything in me not to punch him in the face. My hands were still in a fist midway in the Air.I let him go and decided to walk out, “I will release the drugs.” I stopped in my tracks. “On one condition.”I turned around to look at him, “two conditions actually.” He says getting comfortable.“What?” I asked, staying a few feet from him.“A deal between my company and…” he snickered “And what Leo?” I asked, getting impatient.“And Thea Moore's company.” He finally let the bag out of his mouth.I thought I didn't hear well, “did you just say Thea Moore?” I asked.“Yes, those are the two conditions in which I will release the drugs. I will give you a sample of it when you say yes and the rest of it when we finalize the deal. I don't have much use for it anywhere.”“How do you know Thea Moore?” I asked.“None of your business.”“Tell me!” I screamed at him.“Bring it down. I didn't. Mother did.” He said, taking his seat. “She
~~Thea Moore~~“How often does he go out without checking with me first?” I asked my security team surveiling Victor.“Not much ma'am, apart from the time he meant his mom at home. There is no visit you don't know about.” One of them said.I was still not convinced, something was going down and I didn't want him to know about it. I haven't yet figured out how fully invested he is in me.I opened the adjacent door into my office, “you found him yet.” Stephanie asked.“No!” I said walking to my desk.“I don't think we can rely on Renee. She is invested and loves her sister.” Leo's mother said.“I know.” I said, not paying attention to her. “What do you mean by you know. Is there something going on we should know about?” She asked, like she was entitled.“Your son may own a company, but that does give you the right to speak to me that way.” I said, boldly to her.“That's enough, Mom.” Leo said to her. She shoved him off. I looked at both of them. It looked like his mother is the one con
~~Victor~~I watch her smile dry up from her face. She was scared but her expression changed in an instant.“I didn't kill my father,” she said, swallowing hard. I could hear her from her seat.“Oh, you think.” I put on my TV, it shows Thea kissing her father in his sleep.“Stop it!” She screamed before it could go any further. “How could you?!” She screamed charging at me. Thankfully there were security personnel in the room. They held her before she could make move.“Now, here is the new deal. You are going to send those forty chemical compounds and you are not going to say anything about it till I tell you too.” I said standing close to her.“You think you could manipulate me. Create a video of Madison, have our children see it and am just supposed to forget that.” “You think you and your family could kill my mother and I am just supposed to forget too. Right?”.“You are delusional. We didn't kill your mother.” I said to her.“He did.” She said pointing at my father, Edward.He l
~~Victor~~I watched as they pulled her away from the room, the nurses were saying anything and I wasn't seeing the doctor.I observed with a heavy heart as they escorted her out of the room. The nurses seemed frantic, their words blending together in a flurry of activity, and I couldn't catch a glimpse of the doctor anywhere in sight.“Can someone tell me where Doctor Shepard is?! I screamed loudly.In a moment of desperation, I raised my voice to a shout, calling out for Doctor Shepard. The urgency and fear in my voice echoed through the corridor, pleading for someone to provide me with information on his whereabouts.One of the nurses came to me, “Mr. Reynolds, please leave. Let us attend to your wife.”A nurse approached me with gentle firmness, addressing me by name. "Mr. Reynolds, please step outside and allow us to care for your wife," she implored, her tone a mix of concern and professionalism.“She is not my wife.” I whispered as I was directed outside.As I was guided toward
~~Victor~~“Matthew! I'm right here.” As I said those words it felt like some sand particles were dropped into my throat.I kept walking deeper into the mall but I didn't see him, just some of his minions pointing guns at me from across the wall.“Well, well.” Matthew came out clapping his hands with a smirk on his face. It was taking everything in me not to run towards him and see if I could end this once and for all.But nope, I have to think of Madison and the kids.“Why are you doing this Mathew?” I asked him.He shrugged his shoulders and then stared at me. “How does it feel to be the lesser man right now?”“I don't understand you.” I said to him, trying not to jump out of my skin because of the weapons close to me.“Madison needs a bigger man and right that isn't you.” He said.“So you are the bigger man because you are holding a shopping mall hostage?” I asked him, sounding disgusted.He placed his two hands in front of him, “anything for a reunion with my girl and my boys.”“
~~Victor~~I stood in front of the giant window in my office. Marveling at the sight of the city from where I stood.This city has taken a lot from me. It has also given me plenty of reasons to keep on fighting.I took out my phone and opened it. My wallpaper showed Choice. Madison likes calling her Miranda.I know that's her name but I prefer, Choice. She makes me think of the different ways I will choose to protect my family even if it means giving my life for them.She looks so pretty in this picture and peaceful like she doesn't have any care in the world.“Turn on the TV!” Alex shot at me while he barged into my office.“Oh please, come in.” I said sarcastically.“Just turn on the TV!” He yelled“Okay.” I said softly. I turned on the TV and it was showing a mass shooting in a shopping mall.“Is this any of ours?” I asked him.“No, but Madison and the kids are in there.” He said.I felt numb and the whole world seemed to stop moving. The sound of the remote falling down brought me
~~Madison~~It feels like the world is finally in our favor. Our lives have been filled with so much joy and glamor that sometimes I begin to doubt that I went to some certain things in my life.Life has been good. My career has been flourishing and so has Victor's. He has opened fourteen more branches in different parts of the world.Mark and Meave left the country because Mark is overseeing some of the branches. That was after we found out his fiance wasn't a real fiance after all. She was fake and used to trick Meave.She nearly killed him when she found out but I'm happy she found someone to love her just the way I am loved.Cynthia is living her best life with my step brother, Philip, who is in the race for Mayor of the city. She has been helping him with his campaign and so have we in our free time.Renee and Michael are having a blast, especially with Isabella. They looked so lovely and happy. I'm so glad she found me and I found her because I wouldn't have made it out of some
~~Madison~~I froze as I felt water trail down my thighs. A gasp escaped my lips as I realized my water just broke. Panic swelled in my chest as the wetness clinged to my skin and I struggled to control my panic. “Vi–Victor.” I stammered, feeling the fear in my throat.“You are fine.” He said holding me. “Steven is outside, I will go get him.” He said, trying to leave.“No, no. Don't leave me alone.” I said to him. I held his arms.“Okay.” I took a sharp breath, taking in the pain hitting me every ten minutes and counting.“We are just going to the car.” He said.“I don't think I can!” I yelled at him, digging my fingers into his arms.“Yes, you can.” He said.Each step brought a sharp pain to my legs like I have ever felt before.It wasn't like this with Aiden and Caleb because it was a C-section.“We are almost to the door.” Victor said.“Go, get Steven.” I said to him.“Are you sure?” He asked, “it's just a few steps.”“Get him!” I yelled at him. I don't know if I meant too or did
~~Madison~~It's been a few months since my step sister kidnapped me and held me hostage for ransom money.These last few months I have been trying to heal and also grow a human being inside of me.Finding out I was pregnant came out with mixed reactions. I was glad I got to give my boys a baby sibling but on the other hand I was scared another enemy will come after us or maybe Stephanie will break out of prison.Holding this picture of myself and Stephanie in my hands reminds me of when we were little. How we did not have any evil in our mind. All we wanted was for our parents to give us sweets and treasure.“Hey, you have been staring at that picture for a while.” I heard Victor's voice behind me.“I know.” I said, putting it back in the box. “My Mom gave it to me during the trial.” I said to him.“She shouldn't have done that.” He said, sternly.“I know, but it's okay.”“No, it's not. They might be your family but all they have wanted to do was hurt you. The only person who made am
~~Victor~~I heard the door open and closed then I saw Renee walk towards me.She squatted the same way I did and placed her head on my shoulders.“When I found Madison. I thought she was going to be mean to me for having spent time with a dad that loved me. And I will be mean to her because she had our mom.” She said.“But even with all those thoughts in my head when I saw her it just flew away because she brings so much light out of her body. And maybe because her first reaction to seeing me was calling me mom.” We both laughed.She held my hands, “Madison is strong. With everything she has gone through. She is strong and capable of handling herself against that evil woman.”She scoffed, “I never understood why she still refers to Stephanie as her step sister but I see it now.” She said.“Why?” I asked her “Because she believes in love, you made her love. So you have to believe in her. Believe in her to survive.” She said.“Thanks Renee.” I said to her.“Don't just thank me. Get up
~~Victor~~It felt like the earth was spinning in different directions. How can one victory lead to another problem?“What–do you mean?’ I stammered, I could feel sweats on my forehead including on my eyes.Everything was in motion but I wasn't understanding it.“He needs to get his phone out.” I heard Renee's voice but it sounded so far away.I watched as Bethany was taken away by the police. Our eyes met and she seemed to be sympathetic.I turned my hands into a fist and released them. I did for about five minutes. It's a trick Edward taught me to do whenever I'm scared and right now I'm pretty scared.“Victor, we have to go.” I heard Alex say, loud and clear.“Yeah, yeah.” I got up and rushed out of the room with all of them racing behind me.There were a lot of reporters everywhere. My security spotted us and came to our rescue.“Mr. Reynolds, is Bethany behind this?” A reporter asked.“Have you seen the video, Victor?” Another one asked.“What video?” I blurted out.“Just let's g
~~Victor~~I buttoned up my tux as I got out of the car. Mark and Michael guarded me up to the inside of the court while my security helped Renee and Cynthia.My Mom had to excuse herself from the case because of her conflict of interest which is me. “Thanks guys.” I said to Mark and Michael.“Are you ready for this?” Alex asked me.I inhaled sharply, taking in as much air as I could.“Yes, I'm ready.” I tapped his shoulder.“Hmm, Victor.” Renee called me. I turned around to look at her.She and Cynthia were giving me the same expression they give to me before we entered the courtroom.“This is the most crucial part of this case. And it will be the end of you like I tell you to.” She said.“I will.” I said to her.“I don't need that. You have said that countless times and still misbehave. Today you are going to swear it.” She sounded serious.I laughed, so did the guys but their expressions didn't change.“Oh you are serious?” Michael asked.“I'm dead serious.” Renee said to him. “I
~~Madison~~It felt like we have been driving for hours. The van doesn't seem to stop at each checkpoint.It just drives away like a crazy person. The van, not who is driving it. Maybe who hmis driving it I could feel my wrist getting numb because of how tight the ropes are tied around my hands.I could breath because the bag over my head smells like feaces or something else. I don't know but if makes me choke and neousous.I didn't know if I should scream or kick the van until I'm able to get out. This isn't my first rodeo in getting kidnapped but have been dreaming everyday for the past week how Stephanie is going to make me suffer. Thinking straight has been thrown off the table.The van suddenly came to a stop. I heard people get down and the back of the van was opened.“Get down!” I heard a very deep voice say.Asking them for help will be a mockery to me. They are definitely going to laugh so there is no need.I struggled to lift myself up and I did. I got out of the van and th