SIX YEARS AGO“You’re what?!” Derek exclaimed out loud, shock reverberating through his whole being as he stared at Denise, who was staring back at him very calmly, as though she had not just dumped the biggest … and most terrible news of his life on him.“Pregnant. You know … the thing when a woman has sex with a man and then a few weeks later, her body feels funny and different, so she takes a pregnancy test which comes out positive. I’m pregnant, Derek.”“I got that part. The other part is what I don’t understand.”“The part about me keeping the baby? What's there not to understand? You know how much I've always wanted children. I’ve never gotten pregnant before, not that I've tried to do so anyway. I'm not aborting my first pregnancy.”“I’m married…”“I know that, dear. I don’t know why you had to rush to get married, but if you had had the patience to wait instead of getting hitched to the first desperate female you found, then maybe you would have received this news differently
“You’re a very beautiful woman, Ava. Any man would be lucky to have you as his woman.” Steve complimented Ava as they sipped their wine and waited for their food.“Thank you, Steve. I really appreciate you saying that.” Ava replied.The compliment warmed her heart, especially since it was coming from someone like Steve, who himself was one of the hottest men in the country. Ava was beginning to like him more than she had thought she would, which was no surprise because if there was one thing that Steve possessed in abundance, it was charm and charisma.It was a different kind of charisma from the one that Derek possessed or used to possess. Whereas Steve was light-hearted, easy-going, and happy-go-lucky, Derek was the opposite in that he was dark, brooding, and oh-so-serious.“Earth to you, Ava. Your mind is elsewhere. Am I that boring?” Steve asked her, but he was joking.“Oh, no. I was just thinking to myself how different you are to Derek.” Ava replied.“Oh? I guess you could say
When the news of Derek’s disappearance finally broke out and people began to speculate that he did not disappear of his own free will, the news spread like wildfire. This was after nearly two weeks of his disappearance. Suddenly, news outlets, as well as several gossip blogs began to spread the news. “Billionaire Derek Turner missing … Foul play suspected.” “Derek Turner kidnapped and presumed dead. Live in girlfriend and mother of his child arrested in conjunction with his kidnap.” These and many more headlines, with different speculations as to what had happened to Derek, were being peddled on the news outlets. The police immediately swung into action, although it was difficult to know exactly what to search for, especially since so much time had passed. For one thing, Derek’s car had disappeared alongside him. For another, he had left messages with several of his acquaintances, including business associates that he was going to be gone for a while and was going to be unre
Denise couldn’t stop shaking, but she tried to answer the questions of the police … of which there were many, as best she could.No, she wasn’t the one who kidnapped Derek and she would never do something like that because she had nothing to benefit from it.No, she and Derek did not have any major fight that would have led to him abandoning her and Barry and going away for a while.If he indeed decided to go away for a while, it was because he wanted to or for other reasons best known to him, but not because she had done something to him.This particular answer wasn’t exactly true considering what she was suspecting that Derek knew, but the police did not need to know that.No, she wasn’t aware of where he could have gone, as he had never disappeared this way before and she had no idea of any hidden property in the woods where he could have gone to as they said he told someone.Yes, she would cooperate with the police and if any new details sprung up that would be useful to their sea
"Yo, I sent you a message just now but you didn’t respond.” The caller said into the phone without a preamble. It was a male voice. Denise wished she hadn't picked up the phone. She had not heard that voice in years, but she would recognize it anywhere, anyway. “Oh,” Denise said, thinking fast. She did not know how on earth to reply to him or what the hell she should say to him, but she had a very good idea of what he wanted. “Well, where are you, and how have you been?” “What do you care?” “Oooooh, I see that you know who I am. Is that any way to talk to your dearest baby daddy? I made you a mother, remember? How is my beloved boy doing anyway? I mean, it's a boy right?” He asked, his tone mocking. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about and I’m going to hang up on you now.” “Oh, come off it, Sweet pants. You know exactly what I’m talking about and you wouldn’t dare hang up on me unless you want problems … And by problems, I mean massive ones that you won’t b
"Well, it’s very simple, sweet pants. You owe me big time and I've come to collect.” the man said, leering at her in a way that showed that he was up to no good, which wasn't a new thing, come to think of it.“I don’t understand what you mean when you say that I owe you big time. If you can remember very clearly, you tricked me into leaving the country with you by promising me a great acting job, only to lead me into something entirely different. Till today, no one, not even Derek, or his sister who is my close friend, knows what actually went down in those three years I was away.” Denise retorted angrily, amazed and appalled in equal measure at the nerve of him.She could not forget in a hurry how this asshole had ruined her life, her relationship, and even the career that she was only just trying to rebuild again. It was etched in her brain forever.EIGHT-PLUS YEARS AGOMarriage …Denise still could not get over the fact that Derek had proposed marriage to her and even worse … that
Andrew Tanner … He was one of the biggest film producers back then, which was about ten to twelve years ago. He had started young but had quickly grown to prominence and in his heyday, produced and directed a series of movies that had done pretty well.In recent times though, he had gone off the grid, and many people speculated different reasons that could be the cause for his sudden decision to take an extended break from the movie industry, but no one knew the exact reason.And now, here he was looking like a million bucks, and was clearly the answer to the prayer that Denise had been praying all her life … which was to meet someone big in the industry who would catapult her to her destined greatness.“It’s so nice to meet you, sir,” Denise told him, trying not to make it too obvious that she was so excited to meet him.“And you too. Judging from the look on your face, I take it that you’ve managed to recognize me. I don’t have time to waste because I’ve got an important meeting c
Rooney scrambled to answer his ringing phone, ready and eager to carry out to perfection any order that the caller had for him.She had paid him a hefty sum of money some days back and the thought of all that money sitting in his account and ready to be spent as soon as he finished with this job was making him ecstatic.Yet, that wasn't all that she was going to pay him according to what she told him. Boy! Was he a lucky man or what?“How’s it going, Rooney?” The caller, the same female who gave him the order to kidnap and hold Derek hostage asked him.“It’s going very well, ma’am. He’s regained consciousness.”“That’s good. Make sure to keep him alive and await my next instructions.” The woman ordered.“I will, ma’am. You have my word on that." He assured her and then after the call ended, went to check on his prisoner.He opened the door to the room where the prisoner was housed and after taking a look at him, he winced. The guy was in very bad shape and it did not look like he was