"Err hmm" He stuttered, his eyes widening as he witnessed Amanda standing there, shirtless, desperately trying to salvage the situation.Amanda froze, mid-action, her face turning beet red as she realized the compromising situation she had unwittingly landed herself in. The room fell into an awkward silence."I...I didn't mean to," Amanda stammered, trying to find an explanation. "I was just, looking..and" Wills kept pointing to her chest but she didn't get the message until he had to talk. "Your top" Suddenly realizing that she was shirtless, Amanda gasped, embarrassed beyond words. She quickly covered herself with her hands. "What are you doing here?" she yelled. "This is my room," Wills said softly, still trying to recover from the shock. "You were supposed to be gone." Amanda continued yelling. "I forgot my badge," Wills exclaimed. He looked in the direction of his closet, walked there hurriedly and grabbed a shirt. Looking away, he handed her the shirt. "Cover yourself up pl
Wills staggered towards them, his face pale and his clothes stained. "It's not that bad" he gasped. "I am coming from the hospital. This will heal up in days."A wave of panic swept over Amanda as she rushed to support him. "What exactly happened?" she demanded, her voice trembling."I... I got caught up in a protest downtown," Wills explained, catching his breath. "Things turned violent, and I tried to intervene. They attacked me.""What?" Amanda exclaimed. "Let get you inside first" "But there is good news too." Wills started as he walked inside with Amanda's support. "We caught Mr. Kenny's killer. "Are you serious?" Amanda asked, her eyes widened with shock and curiosity. She helped Wills to relax on the couch and she sat beside him." "Who was it? How did you get him?" The children stood in shock, their arguments forgotten. Adora's eyes welled up with tears as she clung to Amanda. Others stood still with intent attention, waiting for Wills to give them a detailed explanation. "
At Rowan's house, news reached his parents that he had not been going to work as he used to. Madam Xi decided to reach out to him at home. Approaching the front door, Madam Xi tried the password but it didn't work. She then pressed the bell firmly. Moments later, the door opened, revealing a surprised Rowan, who clearly hadn't expected a visit from his mother."Mother?" Rowan uttered, a mix of surprise and shame. "What in God's name do you look like? Madam Xi exclaimed, seeing how unkept he looked. "Mom, please come in." Rowan said softly, dismissing his mother's worries. Madam Xi exclaimed once again when she entered the house. "What? Rowan" she screamed, "what in God's name is going on here?" She looked around the disorganized house. "Where are your workers? Anna! Anna!" "Nobody would answer you, mom," Rowan said nonchalantly. "I am the only one here. I have dismissed them all." "What? Why? What is going on with you, Rowan?" His mother questioned? "You have been in and out of
It was a cold evening and Aniya visited Wilson. She had tried all she could to reach him but he kept ignoring her. She decided she to visit him, which he agreed to when she made mention of Amanda. Although his security man allowed her in without stress, she waited for a long while at the door, the chilly breeze cutting through her. When the door opened, Wilson was standing at the entrance, his hands still on the door and with a stoic expression."Go on, I have less than five minutes to spare," he said with no concern. Aniya hesitated for a moment, taking in the somber atmosphere and of course, Wilson's rude behavior. "Is it the case that the Xi boys weren't raised properly or Amanda had really messed with your lives? It has to be one of the two." "Now you have less than four," Wilson said, his voice devoid of emotion. Aniya sighed before she continued. "I wanted to talk to you about Amanda," she began, carefully choosing her words.Wilson's eyes darkened. "There's nothing to talk
Amanda placed a slight knock on Wills's door. He was in the study where she came to join him. She held a brown envelope behind her."Can I come in? Amanda asked. Wills looked up from his work, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Of course, come in. Since when did you start asking?" Amanda stepped in, "Do you have a moment? There is something I need to ask you" Wills looked curious, "that sounded too serious and I don't like it." He gestured for her to sit, his attention fully on her now. "What is going on, Amanda?"She handed him the brown envelope, saying, "I found this." "What is it?" Wills asked but Amanda gestured to him to open it. Wills took the envelope, his brows furrowing as he opened it. His eyes widened as he went through the documents inside. "How did you...?"Amanda interrupted, "Is that what matters to you right now? Well, I stumbled upon it while organizing some files. I cleaned the whole room out. Now tell me, Why didn't you tell me about this?"Wills sighed, pla
"What? Who?" Wills asked. He had yet to receive his answer when a shadow fell over the room as the doorbell rang. A series of authoritative knocks followed. Wills paused mid-dial, looking at Amanda with wide eyes. "They are here already," Wills said softly. "This can't be real," Amanda muttered, her voice barely audible. She clung to her mother. The knocking intensified and a stern voice echoed from the other side of the door, "Open up! Police!"Wills and Amanda exchanged a frantic glance. Amanda signaled to her mother to handle the kids. Mrs. Roberts ushered the children to a room, trying to prevent them from seeing what will happen next. "Don't make me repeat myself" Mrs. Roberts yelled softly when they protested. Wills, gripping his phone, approached the door. Amanda, fear etched on her face, stood still. "Open the door now!" the voice outside commanded."Almost there" Wills called out loudly so they could hear him. At the door, he hesitated for a moment, then slowly unlocked
"Come on, Rowan. You will hurt him this way" Jack rushed to him and pulled Rowan back. "Hey brother, what a surprise. You have not spoken to me in a year but you come running to defend your little lover when I haven't even laid my hands on her?" Wilson sneered."Grow up, Wilson" Jack retorted, still holding Rowan back. "Oh, you came with your little puppy too." Wilson said, smiling mischievously. Rowan charged towards Wilson again but Jack stopped him again. "Let it go, man" he then turned to Wilson. "You sure deserve that blow." "Cut the crap and get to the business of the day." Wilson snapped. "What do you want?" "Nice question." Rowan responded. "I am going to ask you once. Delete what you posted on Social Media and apologize to Amanda publicly for what you said and have cost her" "Easy!" Wilson exclaimed. "But to what do I owe that?" He asked, grinning. "Don't play games with me, Wilson. What the hell is going on? Why are you accusing Amanda of murder?" Rowan demanded, his
Wills's eyes narrowed, hurt evident in his expression. He stood frozen, watching Amanda embrace Rowan. Amanda slowly pulled away from the hug, her eyes still fixed on him. "I couldn't get the news off social media for now but I will. You can trust me on that" Rowan said, ignorant of Wills's position behind him. "Mhmmn" Amanda nodded. "Do you have somewhere to stay or you want to come with me?" Rowan asked, ignoring Johnny's besture that the question was a wrong idea. "No…thank you. I will go with him" Amanda responded, pointing to Wills. Rowan and Johnny turned to see the person she pointed to. "Oh, Detective. How have you been?" Rowan said awkwardly."Wills, Rowan got me bail. I can't believe it." She wore a mixture of anxiousness and gratitude on her face.Wills, caught off guard, managed a tight smile. "That's... great, Amanda." He turned to Rowan, "thank you very much. I have tried to do that but I'm part of the case so my hands are tied." "It's alright. I'm sorry for the str
It's Amanda's birthday, Rowan didn't mention anything to her. The children only greeted her casually, not wanting to get her suspicious.That evening, Mrs. Roberts came into her room with a nice dress, insisting she put it on.“Why do you want me to wear this mother? I am not going anywhere.” Amanda protested.“Because I bought it for you and it's your birthday. I want you to dress nice. Show Rowan that you've still got it.” Mrs. Roberts said, helping her get dressed.“How many times have I told you that we are taking things slow. I have nothing to show.” Amanda snapped.“You are the one taking things slow, not him. We all know that. Just cheer up already and start having
Two days passed and everything seemed to be going on well. Although Amanda is still reluctant around the house, especially with Rowan's parents around, the tension has died down. The other staff had also returned, lifting Amanda's mood. The children were also finding their ways around Rowan and the house. That afternoon, they were planning Amanda's surprise birthday, huddled together, trying to conceal their plans when Rowan walked in on them. Rowan raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance."What's going on here?" he asked with a playful grin.Adora, attempting to act casual, replied, "Oh, nothing. Just talking about, you know, stuff."Rowan chuckled, "Stuff, huh? Seems like some secret stuff. Should I be worried?"Tyler stepped forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "No worries, Dad. Just some top-secret mission planning. You'll find out soon enough."Rowan raised an amused eyebrow, "Top-secret mission, eh? Well, I won't pry. Just remember, I'm good with surprises too."“Not our kin
“What is going on here?’ she asked, trying to understand the situation. Mason tried to explain but Rowan stopped him, lying. “Nothing, just having a conversation with the kids.” “I see,” Amanda responded. “Go and get your stuff. The cab will be here in a few minutes” she had finished her statement before she noticed the expression on the kids’ faces. “What is it?” Adora spoke up, “I thought you broke up with mom because she lied. Now you are doing the same. Amanda's expression changed, concern overtaking her expression. “Lied about what?”Rowan hesitated, unsure of how to explain. "I had a bit of an accident, hit my head on the wall. I'm okay, just a little dizzy."'What?” Amanda exclaimed, rushing toward him. “Let me have a look” Tyler returned to the room, followed by Mrs. Roberts with a cold compress. "Here, Put this on your head. How did this happen?’ she asked. “How bad is it? Do we need to get you to the hospital?” Amanda asked. “No, I will be fine,” Rowan responded, placing
Two hours later, Rowan returned to the house. He had taken a walk after separating from Amanda to get hold of himself. By the time he entered the house, the lingering tension seemed to have dissipated. “That's a good thing” he said before heading to his room. He had almost walked past when he noticed Tyler sitting in a corner right under the stairs. Rowan approached him. “Hey buddy” Tyler looked at him and looked away immediately. “Can I sit?” “If you are asking because you want me to say no, you don't need to, it's your house.” Tyler said, playing with his fingers. “No..I am asking because I am about to intrude on your solitude, your personal time.” Rowan responded, careful with his words. “May I?” Tyler nodded. “Watch your head” he said to Rowan as he tried to fit in under the stairs. “How are you holding up?" Rowan asked, not sure of how to start. Tyler glanced up, his eyes revealing a mix of uncertainty and vulnerability. “Holding up with what? Your parents being mean to my
Rowan, frantic and torn, ran after Amanda, calling her name in an attempt to catch up.Madam Xi, now feeling awkward, said, "you don't have to leave. I guess Amanda is still angry.""You have no right to tell us what to do." Mrs. Roberts snapped. "One moment, we are liars and manipulators that you want out of your son's home and another moment, we are perfect strangers for your home.""I understand your anger." Mr. Xi retorted. "But if what our children just said is true then we have to help them.""The only help I can give to my daughter is to support whatever she wants." Mrs. Roberts snapped. "If she says she leaves, then we leave. I won't have her stay with the godforsaken people she called in-laws.""I see we are already on the wrong side here. But this anger of yours won't hel
"Mom! Dad?" You didn't tell me you were coming" Rowan said, sensing the escalating tension."Yes darling. We felt we can stay here with you for now instead of stalking you with calls. And your dad is not perfectly well yet." Madam Xi responded. "And you didn't inform me?" Rowan exclaimed. Without waiting for a response, he continued. "That's okay, I can work with that but what is going on here?" Madam Xi pointed accusatory fingers. "Look at what you've brought into your home, Rowan! Strangers! Your ex-girlfriend, her mother, and their children!""Mom," Rowan said softly but Madam Xi didn't listen. "Amanda and her family have invaded your home! I won't allow this. They need to leave immediately!""Invaded?" Mrs. Roberts snapped. "We are just here temporarily not to stay."Mr. Xi, angered, retorted, "Temporary or not, I won't have strangers, especially those associated with this unfortunate situation, invading my son's home. This is unacceptable.""Stop saying we have invaded" Mrs. Ro
The tension in the room died down immediately and silence took over. Mr. Wills walked up to Rowan and said, "How could you still defend this woman despite the damage she had caused to your family? How could you even choose to be with a woman with such baggage?" "To begin with, she has done no bad to my family and I do not think anyone should dictate how I treat my family or get angry when I treat whom I love right. Mr. Wills scoffed, embarrassed by his response. "You should not have left them to be my son's responsibility in the first place." "You are totally right. They wouldn't have been subjected to insults from irresponsible people." Rowan responded. "Lesson learnt. It won't happen again." He turned back to Amanda, "go and pack your stuff. My men will help you. Without hesitation, they started packing. Wills's parents were obviously displeased by the situation but they stepped aside quietly, watching as Rowan's men helped with their luggage. Rowan came with his escort so it
Jack and Johnny exchanged glances, unsure of how to diffuse the news. "Oh sorry, young men. We haven't seen him either since we got here. Jack answered. "Thanks." Mason said. He turned to Tyler. "Let's go. I want to be by mom's side when she wakes up." They watched the kids walk away before they exclaimed simultaneously. "Wow" "Creation has favored you man. I think you should go claim your children right away." Johnny said smiling. "They are smart" "And the same reason it will be difficult for him to win them over." Jack chimed in. "They know too much for their age. 10 year olds don't…" "Eight!" Rowan interrupted, correcting Jack. "They are eight." Jack grinned mischievously at Rowan, "he deserves the Mr. Father of the Year award for at least knowing the age of his kids." Johnny joined in, "Looks like fatherhood came knocking sooner than expected, Rowan. How are you planning to handle this genius squad?""You will definitely have to brush up on your astrophysics and medical jar
"Where is my daughter? Where is Amanda? Mrs. Roberts demanded, her voice echoing through the hospital reception. Her eyes darted around, searching for any sign of her daughter. The kids surrounded her like police officers. "Hold on ma'am. This is a hospital, the noise isn't necessary." The nurse at the reception responded to her. "Is that…? Jack asked but didn't finish the statement since he got the answer he was looking for. "Amanda's mother? Yes" Rowan responded, his eyes fixated on the kids. "And they should be her kids," Jack said softly, almost a murmur. "Obviously," Johnny added. "I think Rowan should be prepared to double his security because that little girl is fine as fuck." Rowan and Jack gave him uneasy glances, "Sorry man" he said. "But the boys sure look like you." He mumbled. "My daughter is Amanda Roberts. I was told she was brought in here." Mrs. Roberts answered the nurse. "Oh, then you should talk to Mr. Xi." The nurse said, pointing to Rowan down the hall at