Madison felt a wave of depression wash over her as she spotted the familiar car and the man standing beside it.Phanuel's eyes lit up at the sight of Madison, but when he noticed the man next to her, his gaze dimmed."Madison, I've been waiting here for two hours," Phanuel said accusingly, causing Madison's eyebrows to raise."Is that supposed to make me happy or sad?" she asked, unfazed. Sebastian frowned, wondering if she had a two-sided personality. Why was she suddenly being so rude?Phanuel had a bitter look on his face. "I expected you to at least feel sorry since I dropped everything to be here."Madison scoffed, feeling like she was being treated like a rehab center."Phanuel, right now, you look like a clown or maybe you've gone blind. I'm not Rachel, so drive away and don't come back."She tried to walk past him, but he spoke in a pleading tone. "Madison, we need to talk.""We have nothing to talk about."Madison held onto Sebastian as they entered the elevator, but Phanuel
Madison could not help but feel used. Her only reason for accepting Sebastian in her apartment was because he asked and since she had nothing against him, she accepted but now, she could not help but question if she did the right thing.“Why do I have a feeling that you came to enquire about Michelle?” She asked suspiciously, Sebastian did not deny it.He only took advantage of Lake and Ezrah not wanting to have him to gather more information about Michelle from Madison.The girl had been so secretive, not even mentioning ever being married before.“You have every right to feel that way but I just want to know what I’m up against. Look, I can pay for the information if that is what you want,” Sebastian concluded, Madison was upset. She raged,“You are such an asshole. Do I look to you like I need your money?”Sebastian felt guilty but which other way for him to ask when he didn’t know Madison well enough?He only heard Michelle telling her that they hadn’t had enough time, meaning the
Madison took deep breaths to calm herself, especially when it involved Piper’s father. In the end, she decided to reply to Ezrah’s father.“Sir, I closed early from work yesterday with my boss’s permission to attend to a few other things. I don’t know where my boss is, but if you give me time, I can make a few calls.”No matter how hard she tried, Mr. Henshaw refused to give her breathing space.“Yes, I called after you sent those documents, and you said you had closed for the day. That is so disrespectful,” he accused.Madison did her best to remain calm. “That was a directive from my boss. I had no choice but to obey.”“See her attitude?”Mr. Henshaw was upset, earning the support of Ezrah’s brothers because of how cheeky Madison always was to them.Ezrah did nothing about his secretary’s unwelcoming attitude. “It’s the same with Ezrah. You have to let me teach her a lesson.”Mr. Henshaw was getting aggressive, so Mr. Gannon took control of the situation in a slightly angry tone.“E
Ezrah’s expression only softened when he gazed at his mother. “Let’s talk inside. Madison, you should be there too.”Mr. Henshaw did not like Madison’s presence at such an important meeting since she was difficult to bend.“Does your secretary have to be in this meeting?”Ezrah glared at him, as if he asked a nonsensical question and responded with a sarcasm-laced voice.“Is it not about the termination of our contract? Why should she not be there?”Whatever was discussed, Madison would be the one to make it official by putting it into writing. It would also be good that she received first-hand information since she knew about the details of the matter.As soon as everyone was seated in Ezrah’s luxury office, Louis said to him, “Son, why did you terminate our contract with the Henshaws without my knowing?”Ezrah was about to respond when Ethan interrupted rudely. “That is why you should have let us handle the company.”Though knowing that his brothers have always been like that, Ezrah
Zora is not dead. Who do you think owns the rival fragrance company?" Ezrah asked, the atmosphere in the office changed. The shocked look on their faces was remarkable. His mother was the most affected by the news. But his father felt guiltier for forcing Ezrah to remarry. Worst, Ezrah even engaged Piper. The news was too heavy for them. "Ezrah, Zora isn’t dead? Why did you not tell us before? Why did you agree with me to get engaged if she was still alive?" His father could not understand the logic behind his actions until Ezrah began to explain it calmly to him. "It was just recently she returned with a new identity. If you haven’t made her out, I won’t say anymore." Ezrah ended it there, lest the Henshaws cause Michelle any more trouble when they found out her new identity. His mother, who had been too calm to speak suddenly did so with great determination. "I have to see her." It was ill of her to not see her daughter-in-law if what Ezrah was saying was the truth. She had n
Rush wondered who it was, but upon hearing the name, he couldn't help but link it to Ezrah. It was too late to stop this meeting as a knock already sounded on the door, and Rush went to answer it. The middle-aged woman beamed at him, forcing him to smile back at her. Ezrah had both her mother and father’s features. Before the woman uttered a word, her gaze lingered admiringly around the office, and Michelle was already on her feet. “Mom,” Michelle broke into tears as she went to hug the middle-aged woman. Louisa equally had tears in her eyes. If she had not pestered her husband to give her Michelle’s location, she would not have believed that she was indeed alive. “Zora, do you know for how long I mourned for you?” Her teary voice blended with the salty liquid cascading down her cheeks, her eyes turned red. Michelle was guiltier, leading Louisa to a sofa and pouring a glass of water for her. “I’m so sorry, but I had to do it.” Louisa disagreed with her. “You should have told m
This was too heavy for Louisa to say, especially considering how badly Ezrah had treated Michelle. How she wished she had known. “Zora, Ezrah is indifferent. He doesn’t understand relationships. You must have lost a child, but I believe there will be many more to replace the lost one when you finally meet someone you love. It might not be from my son, but I believe you will find happiness,” Louisa said sincerely. She loved her son, but his actions were unpardonable. How could he treat his wife badly for any reason? It's not as if anyone forced him to marry Michelle back then. It was his own decision. Though the middle-aged woman had not directly stated what she wanted, Michelle was getting clarity now. “It’s hard for me too. I loved Ezrah for five years and married him for three years. That child was the emblem of all the sacrifices I made.” Louisa understood her point and moved strands of hair from her face to the back of her ears. Slightly nervously, she began to explain. “But
“I’m all ears,” Ezrah said from his side of the line, not believing how distant things were between them.How was he to bridge the gap now? Ezrah was lost for a moment as he heard Michelle’s stern warning.“You are not to have any relationship with the Henshaws and to never interfere in whatever I do with them.”The corner of Ezrah’s lips curled upwards. It seemed that Zora had not softened as he thought.“That is already done. Is there anything else?” Ezrah asked seriously, hatching his own plans against Piper.“No. That is it. Thank you.” Michelle ended the call instantly.Ezrah never found it hard to do anything other than to withdraw these charges. Then an idea popped into his mind and he called someone.“I’m going to send the picture and name of a woman to you. She would be released from the custody of the FBI, but I want you to set her up with a crime that would send her to life imprisonment.”There was a slight pause at the end of the line, and Ezrah thought the person had not
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