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FIFTY-FIVE
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Hey, buddy? What did you bring your favorite uncle?"
"You're my only uncle and I brought you a shirt. Dad said you'd love it" Zander said."If your father said I'd love it then I will definitely not love it. Let's see it, the sooner the disappointment, the faster I'll get over it""Let's go. It's in my bag" Hand in hand, Zander and Darren went up the stairs. Emilia smiled, sitting on the arm of the chair Max had just sat on but he dragged her onto his lap and nuzzled his nose on the crook of her neck. She sighed."Darren's right. It's as if he knows you picked something awful for him"Max grumbled "It's not awful. I like that shirt""Then why didn't you get one for yourself?""It's too bright," he said then realizing he was contradicting himself, he grinned up at her "I guarantee Dar will love it. He's my brother and I know him""It's your birthday that's coming up soon. Let's see whRelated chapters
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife FIFTY-SIX
"Ma'am" TC got to his feet as she entered the kitchen. The warm weather in Hawaii had made her even more beautiful. Tanned skin, bright eyes, lighter hair color, they all suited her. He understood the reason Carter was protective of her and went around snapping at any man who looked her way. "Walk with me. I need to talk to you about something" she said heading towards the door that led to the garden. He wondered if she'd somehow sensed something in Hawaii. He'd stopped two guys from attacking her. One had been following her for some time while the other had been waiting for her at home. TC had grabbed the first one and they'd fought but since he had attacked first, it meant he had the upper hand. As for the second one, he'd had to knock him out cold and carry him to an old empty warehouse Trent had discovered. Both men had a tattoo of two hands shaking meaning they were Petrov's guys. It also meant that they wouldn't talk even if he tortured them so he'd decided
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife FIFTY-SEVEN
"Hey, do you have time for lunch? We need to talk" "I was on vacation and today is my first day back at work. I don't think I'll be able to breathe let alone have lunch" "It's important Em" "How about tomorrow then?" "Dammit, just come see me. I managed to free up my lunch today and I can't say it over the phone" Thea was grumpy sometimes but never snappy. The fact that she sounded so curt made Emilia sit up. "What's wrong Thea?" "Lunch. I'll come to you at the hotel" she answered then hung up. The call put her on edge. Instead of concentrating on her work, she spent the whole morning wondering why Thea wanted to have lunch urgently until one of the employees came to get her. Apparently, one of the guests complained about them and he wanted to see the manager. Since he'd booked one of the VIP suites, Emilia couldn't ignore him. "What happened?" she asked the woman who was part of the executive housekeeping team
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife FIFTY-EIGHT
Emilia refrained from rolling her eyes. "The manager of this hotel. If you will excuse me, I have work to do. Leave the details of the watch at the front desk and I'll have it taken care of" As she walked away, she realized that chances were that the watch wasn't even lost. That guy was just one of the attention seekers who had nothing to do but bother people all day. She gave the staff until noon to find it. She would bet her life that he would come forward to say that it was in his room the entire time. By the time lunch hour arrived, she had forgotten all about Thea's call until she barged into her office "Hey, sorry I forgot about..." "Where's TC?" she cut her off."He's not with me today. I told him to keep an eye on Zander. By the way, do you know Genevieve has been pretending..." "Forget about your mother-in-law. We have an even bigger problem" "Which is?" "The fact that your bodyguard isn't even a bodyguard
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife FIFTY-NINE
Earlier that day "I'm bored," Gwen said getting up. She'd been spending her time with Lisandra or Albert but now that she had broken up with both of them, she had nothing to do or anyone to talk to. She found it funny how her life had revolved around those two. First Lisandra since they were teenagers then after Albert came into her life, she'd split her time between them. It scared her to think what would have happened if she hadn't seen their true colors. At least she had the chance to start over before it was too late. But she was at a loss for what to do. Staying at home all day was starting to get old. At first, she was hurting too much to realize what time of day it was. But after Darren took her out and she met Trent, she realized just how long the days were when she had nothing to do. It made her wonder if it was time to get a job. As the youngest in the Carter family, her family had given her whatever she wanted. Sometimes she didn't even have to ask, Ma
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY
"All the girls are looking at TC. Didn't you notice?" No, she hadn't. But now that Zander mentioned it, she realized it was true. Most of the women were busy ogling him. Even the ones with partners couldn't help themselves. Annoyance had her glaring at them. He was with her and Zander. Even though they didn't know he wasn't her husband, shouldn't that be the first thing they assumed because they were together? All of a sudden she felt possessive "Finish your food. We're leaving" "Why? Are we going somewhere else?" "No. We're going home. Hurry up" "Okay," he said in such a sullen voice that she felt obligated to add, "I'll buy you a game on our way home if you finish in five minutes" At that, he pushed the plates away and said "I'm done. Let's go" Gwen and TC looked at each other and then burst out laughing. Only two things in this world would make Zander forget about food. Games and chocolate
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY-ONE
When the call came, Max was in a meeting. Calvin didn't bother preparing him or beating around the bush. He told him straight forward what had happened and that he was going after the kidnappers because he couldn't do anything more for Gwen. She was on her way to the hospital with two gunshot wounds. One on the abdomen and the other one on her arm. Max found himself between a rock and a hard place. His son was missing while his sister was in the hospital. Alone. Who was he supposed to tend to first? They were both his responsibility. He'd made sure to always be there for Gwen, hoping to fill in the shoes of their father. She'd been the apple of their father's eye but hadn't gotten to spend much time with him. While their mother had been busy running Carter Industries, Max had been forced to look after his siblings. Even teachers went to him whenever they had something to say about Gwen or Darren. He'd made sure they didn't feel the absence of their parents. But now that he
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY-TWO
"Can we talk?" Thea asked pulling him aside. "What is it?" "Em is angry so don't hold it against her. All these years, Zander was the only person who kept her going. He's basically her world. I hope you understand why she's acting that way" "I know and I'm not holding anything against her. I just wish she would let me be by her side" "She'll come around. The reason I wanted to talk to you was because we know who took Zander" He straightened up "You do? Have you told the police yet?" She snorted "I am the police" "Who was it?" "The people you refused to work with. It was my idea to stop the deal with the shipping company. Take this as Emilia's love for you. We investigated every deal you made just to make sure you didn't fall into the wrong hands. Em always said that she was protecting Zander's inheritance but I think it was because she didn't want you to do business with criminals" she said and
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife SIXTY-THREE
The waiting was suffocating. As each hour passed without news of Zander, Emilia felt her heart slowly withering away. It was two days after he was kidnapped and there was no news. The kidnappers hadn't called to ask for anything or make threats. The police weren't saying anything but she knew that was bad news. If the people who took him didn't want money then it could only mean they were using him for something else. For all they knew he could be already dead. The more she thought about it, the more she felt as if she was losing her mind. If they wanted to hurt someone they should have taken her. She didn't mind what happened to her as long as her baby was safe. The house was in chaos with everyone trying to comfort the other. Mel tried to make them eat while Max hadn't slept a wink. Preston hadn't left his side either. Darren came back from the hospital saying Gwen was out of danger but still unconscious. The police had also set themselves up in the living room waiting f
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The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.5
EMILIA & MAX He didn't have to worry about the kids. They loved staying with the Jennings, especially now that they'd adopted a little girl. Zander was fascinated by Blossom while Gabby treated her as her doll. Soon Max was sure they were going to have sleepovers and joint parties. He had an hour before his flight so he called Darren. Gwen's outburst had reminded him how he'd neglected them over the years compared to when they were young. He thought they were grown-ups and didn't need him anymore but they were still his siblings. Even when he was grieving, he still had to remember he wasn't the only one who'd lost a mother. They both had. Now three of them only had each other. There was also the fact that his girlfriend had lied about who she was and her actions had led to their mother's death. He couldn't imagine the kind of pain Darren was going through. "Hey, what's up?" "I brought the kids to the Jennings for the weekend and I have an hour. Wanna have a drink?" "No thanks. I
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.4
HENDRIX & SAWYER "Hey, have you seen..." "Shut it" Hendrix whispered "I finally managed to put her down for a nap. If you wake her up with your big mouth I will push you off the balcony" Sawyer bit back a laugh "My watch, I'm looking for my watch" "You have more than twenty watches, babe. Why do you bother looking for one?" "The one Em and Zander gave me when he was two. Remember?" "You lost it?" He screeched in a whisper. "I misplaced it. That's why I'm asking if you have seen it" "Why are you so careless? Have Cosima help you find it. I'm going to catch some sleep before that little devil wakes up" Sawyer watched him head to their bedroom thinking that he was thriving as a parent. It suited him. He loved being a dad and every time Blossom made a sound, he'd rush to see what their daughter wanted. The adoption process had been hard but it was worth it. He couldn't ask for anything more out of life. Well, except for having his friend back. No one could have expected t
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.3
THEA & PRESTON Thea looked around sighing. While newly married women were on their honeymoon, she was busy at the office trying to solve the latest crime which just happened to be a breaking and entering case. Because she'd held her wedding out of the blue, her boss had told her to first tie up some loose ends before taking her vacation days. She'd never wanted to punch the man so bad. It wasn't as if she was the only cop in the building and she was only taking two weeks off. At one point she'd even thought of resigning but she loved being a cop. So she was busy debating whether to ask for a transfer to another division. Could she be better at something else? Say traffic police or... The thought of it had her shivering. She would rather quit than join another division and start all over again. But as much as she loved her job, it wasn't fair to Preston. He was the one who had convinced her to get married hastily in an attempt to cheer up their friends. They'd only been engaged for a
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue.2
DARREN Even though he knew the streets of New York like the back of his hand, Darren felt lost. Every time he looked up, it took him a moment to remember where he was and why he was there. Sometimes he'd find himself in a place but not recall how he got there. If he'd listened to Preston and not rushed to fall in love, he wouldn't be in that situation. A few days after his mother's death, Nadia, no, Oksana had gone to him and confessed everything. She thought he needed to know who she was and why she'd approached him. As if knowing she was the one who got Lisandra out of prison would make him feel better. If he had known what she was going to say, he would have chosen not to listen. He would have decided to only know his Nadia and not the woman she claimed to be. He didn't want to believe she was capable of lying and killing. Or that she had family ties to a Russian criminal organization. He'd fallen in love with her because she was different from the women he'd known. Innocent, c
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife Epilogue
GWEN & TC "Am I allowed to ask where you're coming from?" "I would tell you but then I'd have to kill you" TC replied. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her, a light peck on the mouth, and then deciding it wasn't enough, he pried her lips open with his tongue. Gwen sighed, opening up to him. He needed to come up with new ways to distract her from asking about his job. Although she wasn't complaining. He had a way of making her forget everything with only a simple touch. She tried to remember if anyone had ever made her feel that way. Was there anyone before him? She couldn't recall. No one could compare to the way he made her feel. "How long until we can go on that vacation? I want to be able to do this all day without worrying about..." Her phone rang. He jerked his head back smiling but she knew he was annoyed. "Damn phone calls" "What happened to being a supportive partner?" He drew his lower lip between his teeth. A sign that his patience was thinning. She answ
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-SEVEN
It was easy to picture them having a girls' day out together with Gwen and Thea. Gabby too. They would go to spas, have their hair and nails done, and do all the girly things she'd missed out on doing with her mother. Her mind conjured the perfect family gathering. With all her friends and family. Wouldn't that be something? "I felt the same way about Max. He looks so much like his father. I couldn't believe it" "Honestly I always feel proud whenever people tell me how much Gaby resembles me. It's so satisfying to know she at least takes after me and not her father" "She does. Down to the shape of your nose. She will break a lot of hearts when she grows up" "Hush, don't let Max hear that. He's embraced this Texan lifestyle. Next thing you know he's going to buy a shotgun to keep boys away from his daughter" Emilia had no doubt he would do that in a few years. The thought of him fighting with teenagers over his daughter excited her. She couldn't wait to see who would win. "I don
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-SIX
Seeing that man had made her feel uneasy. All throughout yesterday she was nervous and kept jumping at the smallest sound. Sleep evaded her because she couldn't stop worrying about her children. What if someone broke in and hurt them? She just got Zander back. Losing him would destroy her. Max must have noticed how on edge she was because he took the kids and Mel out, telling her to relax. It was his way of giving her a day off. But all it did was give her more nerves. Instead of resting, she went around the house, looking for something out of the ordinary. A broken window or door. Anything to indicate she wasn't overreacting. Her search stopped outside Genevieve's door. Since Gwen went off on her, she hadn't left her room. Emilia wondered if the woman was repenting. That was if she was capable of repenting. She wasn't a saint but she knew she couldn't ignore her child, especially if he was in the hospital. How had she done it? Genevieve sure was one of a kind. Emilia couldn't believ
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-FIVE
Lisandra's heart skipped a beat just as realization dawned on her. She wasn't free. Those guards had known the police were on their way and they had left after getting rid of any evidence that could point to any of them being there. That was why the house was so clean. They'd scrubbed down every inch of it, probably getting rid of evidence like fingerprints and stray hairs. Son of a bitch, her benefactor had really called the police on her. But why? Their deal was to distract the Carters while she took her revenge. Had she had a change of mind? Damn that bitch to hell. Spinning around, she ran the other way, swearing she would rather die than go back to prison. When she got to the road, her legs quickened, hoping the police cars wouldn't catch up with her. The second they realized the house was empty, they would know she had escaped and start chasing her. As she speed walked, she tried to think of reasons why her benefactor had cast her aside. Had she done something to change her min
The Vendetta of the Returned Wife ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-FOUR
The guards were acting strangely. Lisandra had been keeping an eye on them and that's how she knew something was up. Ever since she stepped foot in that house, they hadn't let her out of their sight. Everywhere she went they followed. Kitchen, living room, bedroom, and even the bathroom. Their excuse? Her benefactor had told them to keep an eye on her so she wouldn't escape. It didn't make sense that she'd want to escape when she had nowhere to go but that bitch had insisted on having her men there. But before going to bed she noticed how they all sat in the living room watching TV. She had never seen them all together in one place so she thought maybe they were celebrating something or they had come to trust her. However, before she could get to her room, one of them got up and made it there ahead of her. He checked the windows to make sure they were locked then stood outside her door, telling her to hurry up. Normally they just let her do whatever she wanted. Lisandra dragged her
