Rush was direct. He loathed Ezrah, so anyone close to him had to taste his anger. “I don’t have a problem with her as a person but with who she works for.”Michelle was stunned. What gave him the right to choose her friends for her? Or did he think that Madison would harm her?“That is not up to you. Madison is my best friend, just like Coco, so it doesn’t matter who she works for.”Rush was not accepting it, knowing the type of influence Madison had on Michelle. “What if she’s Ezrah’s spy? She could send information about you to him.”Michelle chuckled. She had never had an argument like this with Rush throughout their working journey, and why was he treating Ezrah like some kind of enemy?At this point in time, Ezrah would never try to hurt her as he was still remorseful for everything that happened to Michelle.He was her ex-husband, not some kind of terrorist. “If Ezrah needs information about me, he won’t need Madison to do it. He has his ways. Now please excuse us.”Rush was sti
Madison swam to where Michelle kept the wine-filled glasses, picked up one and took a sip. Michelle and Coco swam to her side, but they all remained in the warm water.“Michelle, Ezrah hurt you so bad. I think he should be the one to heal your wounds.”The expression on Michelle’s face turned grim with Madison’s words. “That would never happen, and I’m beginning to believe that he indeed sent you here.”Madison knew when to stop. All she wanted was for Michelle to find the happiness she deserved, which she had not found all these years.“He didn’t, but I won’t say anymore. I’m only concerned about why you have not moved on. You can’t mourn your late unborn child forever, Michelle. Give life a chance.”Michelle knew she had been trapped in the loss of her child, but moving on with Ezrah or any other man was not an option.She loved too hard, and it broke her so bad. “I’m happy with the way my life is. I don’t want any changes done to it.”“You won’t give your parents a grandchild?” Mad
Ezrah completed the payment transaction on his phone without ending the call. “Done.”“It’s in your email,” the voice at the end of the line said, adding, “It’s nice doing business with you.”Most people would have argued about the sudden increase in the price, but not Ezrah when he wanted something badly.He ended the call without responding to the man and checked what was sent to his email. Lake had already ordered some drinks, but seeing Ezrah’s grim expression, he got curious.“What is going on?”“I always knew that Rush guy had something up his sleeves.”Ezrah forwarded the email to Lake. Lake only read a part of the report but could not contain his bewilderment. He exclaimed, “Oh my God. He is a billionaire, so why did he become Michelle’s bodyguard?”Ezrah clenched his jaw, understanding why this report was very expensive. There was a part of Rush’s life that was known, but the other part was well hidden, and yet the investigator managed to uncover it.Not getting a response fr
The next day at Michelle’s penthouse, three women were sleeping on the same bed.After eating, drinking, talking, and dancing the night before, they ended up tired and fell asleep on Michelle’s king-size bed.Madison was the first to wake up due to her ringing phone. “Hello,” she responded in a sleepy voice, a male voice sounded on the other end of the line.“Are you even coming home? I miss your breakfast,” it sounded like Sebastian was nagging.If he wanted to live by himself, he would have gone to a hotel and not Madison’s house.It had been boring since he got there because she had almost always not been around.“Seb?” Madison thought she was hearing things wrong to hear him nag.“Yeah, who else could it be?” Sebastian asked with a blend of sarcasm and humor. Madison had no plans of going home early.“Sorry. I was thinking of passing by Lake’s house to return his car.”Sebastian sounded saddened on the other end of the line. Being the weekend, there were no emails or office work fo
“What are you doing? Just overtake her and shoot. I will drive her car far away where we can set both the body and car on fire,” one of the men in a car behind Madison spoke. He was a professional assassin, and eliminating a woman was nothing hard for him, except that his partner was being dumb.“That sounds like a plan,” his partner responded and made a move to overtake, but suddenly, the car in front of them made a U-turn.“What is she doing?” Confusion brewed in his mind at the change of plan since the road the target was heading towards was quite busy.It wouldn’t take long before someone calls the cops if they sense something fishy.“Changing direction, I guess,” the partner, who was also the driver, spoke in annoyance.This job was supposed to be easy but suddenly became one of the most difficult for them.“The road she’s headed to is a busy one. Fuck,” the driver cursed. His partner began to think of an alternative.“Keep driving. Don’t lose her and make sure she doesn’t get t
Ezrah had seen the guy when Lake was busy raining punches on the one on the floor.Without a thought, he sheltered Lake with his body, and the bullet pierced through his shoulder. The closeness allowed him to kick the guy in the stomach. The gun fell as he groaned from pain when more knee kicks flooded his stomach. The first guy was also reaching for his gun from where it fell a distance away, and seeing that both Ezrah and Lake were busy, Madison could only kick the gun further away.The sound of police sirens was soon heard, followed by Madison’s car. Sebastian had ransacked her room for her car keys after calling the cops.Already knowing Lake’s house, he was headed there when he stumbled upon the action. Lake pulled the wristwatch from the guy’s wrist before the police apprehended them.“Are you guys alright?” Sebastian asked before his eyes narrowed to Ezrah’s stained shirt. “Ezrah, you are bleeding.” Sebastian was genuinely concerned. Madison hastened to Ezrah’s side, but he
Sebastian’s relationship with his father was not great, so he was reluctant to make the call. “Why not talk directly to Michelle?”That was the option Ezrah had planned earlier, but after what had just happened, it was no longer an option.“If Rush finds out that we know who he is, Michelle might be in danger.”“Who is he?” Sebastian asked seriously.Ezrah tossed his phone to him after opening the report. It seemed that Sebastian was equally in the dark about Rush’s identity.After consuming quite a lot of alcohol the previous night, Madison could no longer endure the discomfort that came with it.“Lake, do you have a maid?” she asked. Lake smiled and retorted, “Yes, but not for cooking.”A blush, stained Madison’s cheek from embarrassment when she realized she had been caught and denied it.“Who said I wanted to cook?”Lake smirked. Since she was being stubborn, he decided to expose her. “You look like you are hungry.”“You are so silly,” Madison nudged him playfully on the shoulder
The revelation brought a sudden silence to the room. Ezrah couldn't shake the feeling that Odette might truly be Michelle's twin sister.The way they both resorted to faking their deaths to resolve their relationship issues seemed to be ingrained in their DNA.Mr. Newman continued his explanation. "Rush nearly lost his mind when he believed Odette was dead."Sebastian interjected, "That still doesn't justify keeping him close to Michelle.”How could he live with himself if something happened to Madison?The recommendation likely came from his father, but Sebastian was troubled by the kindness Madison had shown him.She was a good woman who didn't deserve to be caught up in their relationship drama.Mr. Newman ignored the interruption and continued to explain. "When Rush saw Michelle on screen for the first time, he regained his composure and sought ways to be near her."As he spoke, Esther’s voice was heard from the background. “Grandpa, come and play.”"She's a pretty doll. I’m talki
Congratulations, Mr. Newman. Your wife is one month pregnant," the doctor declared, the atmosphere filled with excitement. The bond they shared brought them unparalleled happiness, each genuinely happy for their friends, including little Esther. Zora and Madison spent time with Coco, leaving Esther with the men. The triplets were adorable, the boys taking after their father and the girl after her mother. "I swear, Zora, this is my first and last time. It hurts like a bitch," Coco said, as Zora and Madison laughed. "I heard women were designed for this. You did amazing, mama. Congratulations," Zora kissed her on the forehead and said. Months later, Zora and Ezrah welcomed their twins, Eugene and Eugenia Gannon, and five months after, Madison had a baby boy, Justin. Esther was the best big sister anyone could ask for. Ethan and Ethel welcomed a daughter, and a year later, they had twins, two girls. Lucas never remarried, unable to get over his ex-wife. One day, he received a messa
The day before, Rush had called to inform Ezrah and Zora that he and Odette had a son. Due to the distance, they had not yet visited, and now, he was meeting Lake at the hospital without Coco by his side.“Ezrah, what are you doing here?” Lake asked, his joy radiating on his face, but Ezrah was surprised to see him so happy at the hospital.“My wife fainted, and what are you doing here? I don’t remember the hospital being a place for happy people.”Lake laughed and made a joyful revelation. “My wife had triplets. Two boys and one girl. I was just about to call you.”Ezrah recalled Lake wishing for triplets; it seemed he got his heart's desire and something to keep his parents busy.“Congratulations, Lake, you got what you always wanted.”“Yeah, we found happiness. Congratulations to us, but what’s wrong with Zora?” Lake asked again, his joy fading due to the news about Zora, but Ezrah’s explanation lifted his spirits.“I suspect she’s pregnant. She refused to take the pregnancy test, a
“Lucas, you are insane. I will never choose you over Ethan, and I will never have anything to do with you again,” Ethel said through gritted teeth. Lucas was furious.“Then you leave me no choice,” he yelled and pulled the towel from her.She ran to seek cover in the closet, but he caught her and pulled her to his chest.Ethel felt ashamed and furious as her naked body pressed against his.She tried to free herself, but he was stronger and also drunk.“Why do you want to hide from me? We’ve had each other many times,” he cooed in her ear, but all she felt was disgust and anger.“We were married then, but not anymore. Just let me go,” she tried to push him away to no avail as he tried to force some alcohol down her throat.“I was ready to be kept on the side, but you refused.”After successfully getting the alcohol down her throat and watching her frown as he forced her to swallow it, his lips were closing in on hers.Ethel felt a burning sensation down her throat, and as a woman who n
Chapter 318 – I loved you before, but not anymoreA week ago, Ethel arrived home with Ethan, but he was called away to take care of a few things because Ezrah was still on his honeymoon.The past month and a few weeks had been peaceful, and with Ethel moving in with Ethan, she had no need for a bodyguard. However, on this particular night, things did not seem the same after Ethan left.Unlike his brothers, Ethan never had his domestic staff live with him, but after his mansion is ready, that will change.They were not only planning their wedding but also their future together. All that they wanted for their kids, they wanted to ensure they had it in the mansion.Ethel had gone to shower after a tiring day at work only to find Lucas seated on her and Ethan’s bed.“Jesus, what are you doing here?” She halted in her steps, right in front of the shower room door.Lucas looked drunk, which made Ethel scared. Before she could reach for her phone to call Ethan, Lucas took it from her and inst
“Why? Don’t you like it?” Ezrah asked teasingly. Zora screamed, “Like it? I love it, Ezrah. I’m a lover of pools, but I’ve never seen anything like this before.”She couldn’t take her eyes off her room. Everything was natural, with multiple pools scattered around.For the first time, words failed her when she tried to describe the aesthetics of the room.It looked as if it were carved out of natural rocks.Even the footsteps around were made of natural black stones, and the water was crystal clear. She could also see the Mediterranean Sea in the distance.“To clear up your confusion, we are at Papa’s beach, and this is one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. I thought you would love this as a honeymoon location.”Zora, though rich, had been too focused on business and revenge before. Honestly, she had never heard of this place.“I’m fascinated to be here.”“Great. Let me explain further. This is Calilo on the Greek Island of IOS. There are only 35 suites in this hotel, and each r
The silence was thick in the air as everybody waited for Ethel’s response, which was not forthcoming.Feeling like he was just being used, Ethan had the understanding that she could not bring herself to trust him.“Dad, she doesn’t love me,” he said on behalf of Ethel. Lucas smiled, but his smile soon went stiff when Ethel responded.“I do, Ethan.”She saw Ethan freeze with a shocked look in his eyes and explained.“I mean, I never imagined having anything to do with my ex-husband’s kid brother, but I’m ready to give it a try.”“You do?” Ethan was so shocked that he lifted her in the air by the waist. “I love you so much, Ethel. I will prove it to you.”Their lips met once again, but they were rudely interrupted by Lucas. “Dad, how can you condone this? It’s shameful.”He could not believe how his submissive housewife could take an interest in his kid brother. This was unexpected.Ethel should have rejected Ethan and not this. However, his mother spoke this time.“You know what, Lucas
“Kate?” Lucas turned in the direction of Ethel’s gaze, calling out accusingly, but Kate made a 180-degree turn and was headed to the exit when the man she came with blocked her.It was obvious that she was trying to escape the accusation, but everyone was interested in hearing what she had to say.Homewreckers were not exactly welcome at occasions like this, as every woman with a man of her own began to get protective.“You seem to be running away,” the man she came with said, not pleased by the revelation.Lucas walked towards her and questioned, “Did you kick her in the stomach?”Kate was covered in so much shame that her lips trembled because of all the gazes on her and replied, “It was an accident.”“No, it wasn’t,” Ethel interrupted, not upset but wanting to prove a point.“You said I didn’t deserve to carry his child because he didn’t love me. You were right because he divorced me,” Ethel smiled, no longer feeling the pain of losing her scum husband.Only Lucas had a pained expr
From a distance, Ezrah and Zora watched everything unfold.“Lucas, I need to put him in his place. Can you give me a moment?” Ezrah was about to go to the scene of the incident when Zora held him back.“No. Didn't you say that Ethan seemed genuine with his feelings? Let’s see how he handles this situation.”Ezrah was unsure if Ethan could come out of this cleanly, reminding Zora,“You told me to protect Ethel or better still, let me get her bodyguard.”Zora shook her head. “Sometimes, the heart doesn’t know what it wants until the opportunity presents itself. Let Ethan deal with it.”Ezrah smiled and relented. “Alright. If you say so.”They heard Lucas mocking Ethan and Ethel. “Why? Can’t you kiss your woman? Sebastian has kissed Madison like three times already, even though they aren’t the bride and groom.”Indirectly, he was taking away the opportunity for Ethan to use the event as an excuse for his inability to kiss Ethel.“Lucas, how we choose to define our relationship is none of
Everyone was excited for Ezrah and Zora, and right after the cake cutting, the couple's dance was announced.Ezrah and Zora had just left the dance floor and were speaking to some guests when other couples took over.Ethan saw it as the perfect opportunity to dance with Ethel, but there were other men eyeing her as well, and they were not afraid to show it.To make matters worse, they reached her before him.“Hi, I’m Rick,” one of them said. Ethan didn't recognize him from their company, which could mean he might be one of Zora’s co-stars.Ethan didn't like this but knew he had to be a gentleman to win Ethel's favor.“Ethel,” she responded with a forced smile, trying to be polite, and somehow, she was glad to see Ethan nearby.It was Ezrah’s birthday, and his focus would only be on his wife. Her bodyguard was there to protect her from danger, not lovers, so he was with the other bodyguards.The only man she had loved all her life was Lucas, and she had never had the chance to mingle b