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“Dad! Help me!” Jessica barged into her father’s study at the Hart mansion. The man frowned, concern creeping into him as he looked at his scared daughter. “What’s wrong, Jessy? Why are you shouting as if you’ve seen a ghost?” Adam Hart joked even though he was worried sick. It was unlike Jessica to lose composure like this. Jessica’s chest heaved, her breathing heavy as she tried to calm herself down. She had just received news that Oliver got involved and found Claire’s daughter, which meant, not only did he know that Claire’s child was his, but he would soon find out who kidnapped the child and sent Claire threats. Knowing Oliver would be coming for her soon, Jessica panicked and ran to her father to ask for help. “I just wanted to scare Claire a little so I asked someone to take her daughter-” “You did what?!” Adam’s eyes widened in horror. “It wasn’t anything dangerous, I swear. After finding out Oliver is the father of Claire’s little brat, I panicked and wanted to ge
A few days had passed and Thalia was finally returning to school after resting at home to get over the kidnapping incident. Luckily, no harm was done to her, apart from the scare they gave her by taking her away from her family. Claire found a way to sneak Thalia out of her house without her mother's knowledge knowing how she would react if she found out about Oliver knowing he was Thalia's father. She made Thalia promise to keep it a secret so that they could "surprise" Katherine later on with the news. Thalia thought it was cool so she agreed to keep it a secret. In her young mind, she thought it was fun to surprise her Grandma later. "Daddy, are you going to pick me up from school?" Thalia glanced at Oliver and asked him. They were seated in the backseat of the sleek black car as they took her to school. Oliver had been adamant about taking his daughter to school and providing security for her twenty-four-seven. Claire had no choice but to accept his offer since the kidnapp
Roxanne sent the picture she took to her husband and sent him a text. [Check this out, Babe. This child looks exactly like Claire.] A response came through immediately at the speed of light. Henry: [I didn’t know she had a child… how old is she?] Roxanne bit her lip. From what she could see, the child was between five to six years old. Her years were tallying with the years that Claire had disappeared. Could the child be…? Her heart raced at the thought that had crossed her mind. How good would it be if it were true? However, just assuming wasn’t enough. She needed to confirm her suspicions! Approaching the little girl who was playing with some toys on the ground, Roxanne crouched down on her haunches despite being in heels. She glanced at the child and smiled sweetly, saying, “Hi, my love. You’re so pretty. My name is Roxanne… what’s your name?” Thalia blinked as she looked at the woman before her. She didn’t look like she was a bad person and the aura she was oozing was
Henry Ford rushed over to the school when his wife called him and told him they were already grandparents. "Where is she? Where's our Granddaughter?" Henry asked excitedly, grabbing his wife's arms. Roxanne chuckled, loving his enthusiasm. She arched an eyebrow and remarked, "You seem excited. Did you want us to have another child?" Henry squinted his eyes. He wrapped his arm around her waist and stated, "No... I was done getting you pregnant. Those little rascals always stole your attention. I'm just happy about being a Grandfather. Can you imagine? I'm so proud of our son." "I know... our family is growing," Roxanne stated with a smile. It didn't take long for Thalia to be brought over to the principal's office where the two adults introduced themselves. "I'm your Grandma, sweetie. Your father's Mommy," Roxanne said with a smile as she looked at Thalia. "Really? You're my Grandma?" Thalia clarified and when Roxanne nodded, Thalia jumped into her arms. "Grandma! Daddy t
Oliver's eyebrows creased and a flare of anger rushed through him. So, the person knew Thalia was his daughter and they still went ahead to kidnap her? They must have been courting death. "Who is it?" He practically growled, his jaws clenching from anger. However, he didn't expect the name that left Dante's lips. "It's Jessica Hart. I heard she wanted to drive Claire and her daughter away from Brentwood City." Oliver's eyes flitted with flames of fury. "Is he willing to testify against her?" He asked through gritted teeth. "The bastard bit his tongue," Dante hissed, clearly frustrated. "He didn't want to confess until we almost tortured him to death. It seems he owed the Harts a lot, why else would he kill himself for them?" "Ok... I'll deal with it. Thanks for the help," Oliver replied and ran a hand through his hair, pulling at his locks roughly. He then grabbed his car keys and drove to the Hart mansion in a blind rage. How dare they mess with his family? Oliver already
Claire was in her office when Oliver walked in wearing a tailor-made navy suit. His sandy brown hair was styled into an elegant quiff with the top part longer than the sides and the back. He flashed Claire a smile, his hands in his pockets as he proposed, "I want to have lunch with you." Claire raised an eyebrow. Despite him looking like a god, she couldn't spend time alone with him. She shook her head and replied, "I'm afraid I'm going to decline, Mr Ford-" "Really? Are you still going to call me Mr Ford? Claire, we have a daughter... I don't like this distance between us," Oliver stated, his eyes boring into Claire. "It's just lunch and there's also something I want to talk to you about." "What is it that you want to talk about?" Claire asked. "You can say it here." "No... it's lunch time and I don't want to starve you. Let's talk as we eat," Oliver insisted. He then added, "It's about Thalia too. We need to discuss how we are going to do this, not so?" Claire sighed, know
“Add an Oreo-flavoured ice cream for my beautiful lady here,” Oliver said to the ice cream vendor at the amusement park after Thalia had placed her order. “Is she the mother of your adorable daughter?” The vendor asked as he prepared the orders, glancing fleetingly at Claire who stood behind Oliver and Thalia. Oliver smiled, his heart stirring at the mention of Claire being the mother of his child. He nodded proudly and replied, “Yes, she is.” The gender smiled and remarked, “You make such a lovely couple.” Claire’s eyes widened and her face flushed. She frantically waved her hand at the vendor and stammered, “N-no, w-we’re no-” “Thank you for the compliment,” Oliver cut in, stopping Claire’s refusal. “You’ve got a beautiful family, cherish it,” the vendor told Oliver who grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll cherish them with my life,” he responded. Claire’s face continued to burn as the two talked. She wanted to correct the man but she thought twice about it… she couldn’t. No
"Thalia!" A gasp left Claire's lips just as a deep flush crossed her face and spread to her neck. She could feel Oliver's eyes on her and she didn't dare look up at him, her heart pounding. "She isn't wrong, Ma'am. A picture of you and your husband sharing a kiss would look lovely in your home," the photographer urged. "Yes, yes! You can frame it and hang it on the wall! I've seen many families do that," Thalia remarked. "Daddy, what are you waiting for? Give Mommy a kiss and take a picture." Claire was about to argue when Oliver tightened his hold around her waist and declared, "Ok, I'll give Mommy a kiss." "No, you're not!" Claire snapped, glaring up at Oliver. "It's just an innocent kiss... Thalia is watching," Oliver pointed out in a low voice that only the two of them could hear. Claire glanced at Thalia and saw how her large doe eyes glinted in anticipation. She wound up biting back the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue. Sighing deeply, she silently agreed. "
Years came and went... After a warm shower, Oliver stood behind his wife to help her wear the necklace that was engraved with their children's names. "So, you know what today is?" He asked as he placed the necklace around her neck. "How could I forget?" Claire arched an eyebrow. "You've been talking about it for months.""Yes... because I've been preparing a vacation for us for when this day comes. I can't believe it's been eight years already," Oliver remarked. When he was done putting the necklace around Claire's neck, he placed a soft kiss in the crook of her neck before saying, "You've made me the happiest man on earth, Angel."Claire sighed before leaning back into Oliver. She remarked, "Time flies."Everything was going well for everyone. Oliver Ford had taken over as chairman of the Ford Corporation after his father, Henry Ford, retired. With Oliver's leadership, the company was taken to greater heights and it expanded to more foreign countries. As for his marriage with Cl
"Uncle Jake. Remember how you owe me?" Thalia said with her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm here to collect."Oliver, Jake and Liam were left to babysit the kids while their women went out to relax. The men chose to let the kids play in the playroom while they caught up on a few soccer games that they had missed during the week. However, Thalia saw this as an opportunity to collect her debt from one Jake Norton. He was seated in the living area, invested in a soccer game when she confronted him. Jake's eyes widened. He didn't expect the little one to interrupt him when the game was just getting good. His favorite team were leading and he wanted to see how it would end. He chuckled and replied, "You want to collect now? Let's wait until the game is over, ok?""Are you trying to run away from paying your debt, Uncle Jake? A real man sticks to his words," Thalia remarked in her adorable voice. Jake sighed. He said, "Ok, you win, sweetheart. So, tell me. What do you want me to do f
A few weeks later..."I can't believe you guys are having a double wedding! I'm so freaking jealous! I want to get married again so that we have a triple wedding!" Claire exclaimed after Quinn and Aria were done with their makeup."Oh my... you two look so gorgeous. I love the designer wedding dresses," Claire remarked with a smile plastered on her face. "It was more convenient since we were both getting married this year. Besides, Jake and Liam are ecstatic about getting married on the same day," Quinn replied, smiling. They had come to that decision during Thalia's birthday party. Oliver suggested it and the rest thought it was a good idea. "I'm more surprised that Aria is getting married. She's just a year older than me. We promised to get married at thirty," Evelyn remarked. She sighed and looked at her friend in awe. "You make such a beautiful bride, Ari. Congratulations."Aria smiled, looking at herself in the mirror. She couldn't recognise herself. With her hair pulled up int
Liam entered Aria’s apartment for the first time. He noted how cosy and homely it felt. There were blue couches in the living room and grey curtains on the windows. Liam’s eyes fell on the portrait of a little boy hanging on the wall. His heart raced as he looked at the boy who had dark brown curly hair with fair skin and hazel eyes. ‘Is that my son?’ He thought in his mind. The boy took after Aria but he had his eyes. Liam's heart felt warm. He glanced at Aria and eagerly asked, "Where's Jayce? Where's my son?""He should be in the kitchen with his nanny. Let me get him," Aria responded, her stomach a bundle of nerves. She still couldn't believe what was happening. It all felt surreal. Just the previous day, she didn't know who Jayce's father was, but now, not only did she find out who it was, but he also proposed to her. Who knew she would end up with the stranger she had a one-night stand with?Her heart was filled with warmth and sweetness. Aria looked for her son and sure e
Sophia Hill was over the moon at the thought of her long-time dream finally coming true. When she left the special forces and joined Liam’s company as part of his security team, she developed a crush on him.She did all she could to get noticed by him and when Liam noticed how good she was, he promoted her to be his personal bodyguard. However, that was just it. Liam never made a move on her or spared her a glance. Sophia thought since he was a player, it wouldn’t be hard for him to fall for her. However, nothing of that sort happened. Liam kept her as a bodyguard and never saw her as anything more. A chance came for Sophia to make Liam hers. He accidentally got drugged at a party and Sophia was ecstatic about such a great opportunity. To her shock, she found him making love to another woman in the room she had booked for him. Fierce jealousy rushed through Sophia and she wanted nothing but to separate the two but it was too late. All she could do was wait until Liam was done. She
Liam’s heart was beating like a drum within the walls of his chest. He took in a deep breath as he held the envelope. His friends stood beside him, waiting to read the results with him. Oliver patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry… even if you don’t turn out to be the father, you still love Aria and you will be with her.”“That’s right. Look at me and Lucian. We may not be related by blood but he’s my son and I love him. I’m sure Aria’s son will love you regardless.” Liam let out a breath. He glanced at his friends and they nodded at him in encouragement. Ignoring his pounding heart, he opened the envelope and took out the document with trembling hands. “The results are usually at the bottom of the page,” Jake remarked. “Don’t waste your time reading the statistics.”Liam’s eyes went to the bottom of the page and he read the results in his heart. A smile crossed his lips before it turned into a grin. “The child is mine! Aria’s son is mine! Haha! I have a son!” Liam exclaimed,
“What?” Jake’s eyes were almost popping out of their sockets. “Is it the same Aria we all know? Wait, she’s back?”Liam almost laughed at his friends' reaction. He knew they would be shocked. He and Aria had a huge age gap but surprisingly, they got along well. No one would know they were nine years apart in age if they saw them together. This was why Liam was convinced she was the one. He wanted someone he could relate well with as a wife. Forever is a long time to be with someone you can't stand. He nodded and replied, “Yes, it’s her. She’s working at my company-”“Liam… she’s like a sister to me. Are you really in love with her or you’re taking advantage of her?” Oliver questioned, his eyes narrowed down at his friend. “I wouldn’t propose to her if I didn’t love her-”“You what? Are you crazy? Do you think Uncle Adrian will agree? He knows you’re a player,” Oliver said. “You could have started by winning him over first.” “Well, I’ll do that but first, there’s something I need he
Liam's hand trembled when he held the familiar bracelet in his hands. What did this mean? Why was this bracelet with Aria?He took in a sharp breath, his heart clenching at the memory that flashed through his mind as he examined the bracelet. It was definitely this bracelet. He may not remember anything from that night but he remembered how brutal he was. The drug had taken full effect and he lost control. It was like a beast within him was unleashed and he devoured the woman who had walked into his room without mercy.This was why he felt guilty when he found out it was Sophia. He was so rough and probably hurt her during the session. This was why he kept her around to compensate her. However, the bracelet in his hand brought back part of his long-lost memory. The woman beneath him was struggling when he became so rough he had to grab her neck to pound into her like a crazed beast. He recalled how she held his wrist and the bracelet in his hand was on her wrist. The bracelet was m
"Why can't you take me seriously, cupcake? I really want to marry you," Liam said after Aria tried to brush off his words as bluff. Who didn't know that Liam never wanted to get married? He had been announcing it for years since she knew him. She chuckled and uttered, "You don't need to lie, Liam. I know you." Liam furrowed his eyebrows. He remarked, "There you go again using my reputation to judge me. I want to marry you, Aria. You're the right one for me... I can feel it in my bones."“B-But you haven’t even met my son yet,” Aria mumbled when she realised he wasn't joking. “I’ll meet him before we have our wedding,” Liam replied. Aria’s eyes widened into saucers. She asked, “We will have a wedding?”“Of course! Isn’t that how people get married?” Liam arched an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted a contract marriage. Like you need a wife and I’m available-”“It’s not a contract. I want to marry you for life,” Liam proclaimed. “Till death do us part.”Aria bit her lower lip as she th