Valerie's POV I stood up from the floor where I was cowering in anxiety and raced to the door with all my will power, leaving back all the dark memories that threatened to consume. Those double doors had never looked so beautiful, just standing there, shining like the key to my salvation. And finally, when I reached the handles I swung it right open, the warm breeze of the evening immediately hitting my tear stained cheeks and I slammed the door shut behind me. Trembling from both adrenaline and relief as I relaxed my back against it. Just as I thought I was safe, sharp excited screams suddenly filled the air and shook the devil out of me. "Surprise!!!" I stood frozen, my panicked eyes wide as I slowly took in the scenario in front of me. Everyone was present, Papa, Nanny Beth, the kids and even the staffs of the house, both old and new. Each person blinking excitedly at me while holding unto balloons and roses. By the side in the spacious yard was a long line of buffet, hel
HUDSON'S POV "So you see Madame, it's a win win situation. You help me, i help you." I said with a small smile and clapsed my hands on the table. I had just delivered a top notch offer on a platter of gold. An offer that would send all those old bastards who called themselves my investors crawling on the floor with greed and excitement. An offer she wouldn't get on a normal day, but instead of excitement all i met was the same expression that she had on ever since she got here, totally blank. I could understand though, a person of her caliber ought not to show weakness to anyone to avoid being taken advantage of. I applaud her skill to maintain But I was getting fed up at the same time. Time was not on my side and she knew that, so what's with all the silence? "So what do you say?" I asked, " Madame?" my tone a bit forceful. She cocked her head to the side at the change in my tone, but could you really blame me? I was the person in the position of need, I needed her on
HUDSON'S POV "You cannot do this! This should be illegal!" Cornels yelled, red veins popping on his forehead. "I can't do what exactly?" I asked calmly, a smirk playing on my lips. This dumb ass man thought he was the only one authorized to play the game, he had some nerves. The other investors had already filed out, leaving myself, Paul and red faced Cornels in the room that was used for the meeting, that obviously ended in my favour. None of the other idiots that had planned this whole coup with Cornels even dared to speak for him. Such traitorous old bastards! The minute I walked in, okay, maybe more like barging in since it was a supposed secret meeting to leave me stranded and then the assistant sent as Madame Joyce's representative appeared and announced her newest investments, every other person on the board of investors quickly switched sides in the blink of an eye. Could you believe that? If you didn't know, you would think Cornels was on drugs to even propose tha
Hudson POV As soon as the words left the mouth of whoever was at the door, I shot up from my seat and literally ran to the door. My legs had a mind of it's own at this point, with excitement coursing through me i flung the door wide open, causing it to bang against the wall behind as I yelled, "James! Hand over the evidence!"But instead of meeting James, I came face to face with a dark haired man. What the hell? My eyebrows knitted together as I assessed the the man's work clothes. "Errhm, Sir?" The same feminine voice that announced someone was at the door said. I let my eyes drift to her, and sure enough it was that daring brunette from down the hall.What was her name again, b...Blair?...Bendy? Beth...Ugh, whatever. I had to give it her though, the woman really was persistent. She had been actively trying to get on my bed for months now, always showing up randomly at my door when Paul was not close by. Where was Paul anyway?"Sir," she called again, straightening up, her boobs
HUDSON'S POV "Boss," he repeated, walking inside the office. "I apologize for taking so long boss, I had a bit of a err... situation..."I remained quiet, staring intensely at the nervous looking engineer seated in front of me.The man kept darting his eyes between James and I, while still holding onto his chair. "Err, boss?" James called out again, this time his tone was more skeptical. But I didn't acknowledge him.I was pretty sure I looked just about angry at this point but that wasn't the case at all. For some unknown reason my heart kept pounding loudly in my chest, Since James walked in. I had been struggling to control my quickened pulse rate, but it only seems to get worse as the brown envelope in James hand came into my line of sight.But why though? Was it excitement? I mean, I could understand if it was. I would finally be getting the info about that... that...ugh! That man, yeah, THAT man.I would be getting all the info I wanted about him. It was a thing of joy, wasn't
VALERIE'S POV "Say you will take it, mommy. Say it," Miley whined while holding on tightly to the seat belt of the Pink Ferrari. I sighed, rolling my eyes at the eagerness of my four year old daughter that wants to go to school in a pink Ferrari. What does she even know about cars? "C'mon out, you're still in your uniform and it's probably smelly by now" I responded, moving to open the door of the car. The car was absolutely closed, with no space for even an ant to crawl in so how did she get inside with the doors closed? I mentally gauged the height of the car door and Miley's height, they weren't too far apart. So the possibility of her climbing in through the windows was very high. I sighed at the realization, "Ugh, these kids..." They just keep doing the most unusual things. I pressed the door handle and it spread open like a butterfly wing revealing an awe struck brown haired Miley. Her green eyes shun with wonder and excitement the more the door opened to it's limit, i
HUDSON'S POV It has been at least a couple of weeks, if not a month since I started frequently a certain Red Bites restaurant a couple of blocks away from Val's office and at least a two hours drive away from my office.You might want to ask why I kept driving from such a distance, taking so much stress and literally coming from the one end of the city to the other just to have dinner/lunch. But honestly? Even I don't know the answer to that question. I have been asking myself over and over for the past three weeks now and somehow I still came up with nothing. This was all James fault, I asked him to deliver to me complete info of the man messing around with Val, but instead of doing that he went right ahead to take those devilishly tempting pictures of her and then delivered it to me!There has been no single info about the mysterious man till this very day. Heck! Till this very minute that I was seated at the back of my Bentley staring out through the windows to the damned Red Bi
Charlotte's POV "Put those roses right there, make it a heart shape." I ordered a maid closest to me."Yes Ma'am Charlotte," the maid answered quickly and got into action. Her delicate fingers forming the pattern nicely, I nodded in approval and used the opportunity to check the romantic candle lights I had ordered another maid to set up from the door of the bedroom to the bathroom, rose petals leading the way."I want everything to be perfect! No mistakes are allowed at all, otherwise you will get it from me!" I warned sternly and a few of them at the bedside trembled from fear as they cross checked the bed designs.Humph! They knew just what I was capable of, no need to explain more. The few disrespectful ones that had dared to break the rules would surely teach the rest not to cross me.Pfft! They always end up making me look like I was the bad guy but then again did they obey the rules and i still punished them? No!I was no monster after all, just a simple don't speak when I'm t
CHARLOTTE’S POV“What? What did you say?”“They are still under the same roof? My Huddie is still living in that house? With her? with bitch Valerie?!"He simply nodded in confirmation, amplifying the horror I just heard. “How?!” I blasted, loosing my shit right then and there. “How is any of that even possible?! He should’ve left her by now! They should be fighting and him not forgiving what she has done! How can they still be together? That’s impossible!”“It is possible!” Raymond insisted, his tone similar to mine. “I saw him myself! I saw Hudson drive into that mini city of his- the Sky Walls! I saw him, and even waited for over an hour to see if he would come back out, but he didn’t! The man simply went home to his woman and kids, get over him kiddo. We need to leave the country before things get out of hand!”“No,” I responded, not wanting to believe a word he said.“Kiddo, You-“No! I said no!” I boomed, smashing the glass of water I was supposed to take my meds with. “I’m not
VALERIE’S POV“He just suffered from a mini panic attack, ma’am”“Given his age, attacks like this could often lead to stroke, full blown heart attacks, or even death on the spot!” The doctors voice resounded in my ears, sending yet another terrible ache throughout my temples. It has been this way since we took Papa to the hospital. And by we, I meant myself and Babara.Patricia came along too but quickly left after hearing he was still breathing and alive. Davis didn’t even come at all. Displaying their exact feelings towards their own father. Making me wonder even more that; what would have happened if I had already driven out of the estate before he collapsed today? What would have become of my Papa? Would he have- would he have really died? Just like that? Because his own children were too busy fussing over him instead of hurrying to get him to the hospital immediately?!“We have managed to stabilize his blood pressure for a bit, but I would advise no more shocking news to be brou
HUDSON’S POV“Daddy is making dinner, yay!” Miley's excited voice filled the air.“Yup!” I concurred, enthusiastic as I turned around to face the kids- my guests. “Good evening, pretty princesses and handsome princes! You can call me chef of sweet meals, and I will be preparing dinner!”“Yay!” Aby clapped happily as I introduced myself, smiling as she looked into the camera.“Since when did daddy become a chef? Do they learn that in business school too?” Mason asked curiously, looking around for answers. So typical of Mason, linking stuff around and asking questions as soon as they popped in his head.“No sweetie, no one learns cooking at business school.” Her sweet voice sounded in the air, answering Mason’s question. And in no time her face came into view, her smile flawless as she angled the camera to capture herself as well. “Daddy knows nothing about cooking, which is why I am here recording this moment! First time ever for the popular Hudson Rodriguiez to be in the kitchen! We h
Valerie’s Pov“Is mommy, okay?”“Mommy? Oh!”“Don’t worry, sweetie. She’s probably just tired, let’s leave her be, hm?” Nanny Beth’s voice fade in the background, my mind dulling out the conversations around me as I cuddled up myself even more on one of the living room couches. Inhaling the strong masculine scent of the sweater I currently had on, which actually belonged to Hudson.The sounds of shuffling footsteps soon filled the air, let me know they were indeed leaving me be, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Silence was all I needed right now. To think.It been hours, 24 hours at least since I last laid eyes on Hudson. Since we had that exchange at the secret room, and since he found out about everything that I had so desperately wanted him to know nothing of. Not one of my favorite moments I tell you. That night was simply the worst!So bad that I couldn’t stop crying on my steering wheels, unable to properly see the road. The tears just kept falling, choking me as his words rang
VALERIE'S POVMy lips parted slightly at his tone, completely offended. “Why are you making it sound like I’m some evil person?” I questioned, wiping every tear on my cheek dry as I glared at him.“Well, aren’t you?” He pressed, “If you doing all this; discreetly installing cameras in my house, invading my privacy, monitoring my movements and interactions, approaching and seducing me with revenge at the center of your heart, leading me on, taking advantage of me, using me in all aspects! Sex, comfort, warmth, safety… even involving my kids in this! Making me believe… making me believe we were official, that we had a good thing going!”“We were official!” I insisted hotly, but he didn’t seem to care. “If you doing all this is not called evil, then I don’t know what else is!” He spat, “This is me that you played with! My feelings and emotions! You used my love for you against me! That’s what you did!”“Well, I didn’t ask you to fall for me, did i?” I snapped, equaling raising my voice.
VALERIE’S POV“Valerie,”One word.Just one word, my name even but right now hearing it seemed like a sentence.A death sentence.To the few seconds of my life that I had before coming into this room, the plans that I made, what I intended to do tomorrow and most of all, to the life I had recently started getting used to. A life I so badly wanted to hold on to, doing my all to ensure nothing goes wrong. Or at least not end just yet.But it seems the heavens had other plans. ‘The lying tongue must be condemned, right?’Cause I sure was starting to receive that condemnation right now. Right here, in this moment… by the blue depths fixated on me right now.“What is all this, Valerie?” His deep voice resounded in my ears, confirming I was not imagining things. That what I was seeing right now… was all real. All real, like a scene from a horror movie. And I was so not prepared.With a soft gasp, my lips parted. My legs trembling as quickly the intense realization of how bad this exact situ
HUDSON'S POVMy very house where I moved out from to be with Val!Could you believe that? I was literally staring at every nook and cranny of a house i had lived for 5 years, before finally moving out and currently about to sell off because I wanted no use of it. I wanted no memory of it.“Good lord,” I muttered, turning on my feet as I took in the entire space. Feeling more and more like a bucket of cold water had been dozed on me as several thoughts plagued my mind. My throat going dry as I blinked repeatedly, trying to make sure this wasn’t some sort of trick that my mind was doing. But it didn’t go away, none of the stuff I saw in the room; they didn’t go away. And that was when real terror engulfed my heart, my mind going into a state of panic as I looked again at the screens. Sighting everywhere the cameras covered; From the front doors, down to the living room, the kitchen, dining area, stairs… my room that Charlotte destroyed! Charlotte’s room! Aby’s even! maids’ quarters… e
HUDSON’S POVWe are advised that in everything we do in life, we should be patient, right? The patient dog gets the fattest bone! Isn’t it?How come that didn’t seem to be applicable in this situation? In this very moment where I was watching my woman with another man for heaven’s sake! In fact, it seemed like the more I stayed in my car, the more unanswered my questions became and somehow, I wanted those answers right here and right now!At least right now when both Val and that damned bastard had left the building.I couldn’t even begin to understand what they were doing. On one hand, thoughts of them together… meeting up behind my back had already plagued my mind. But on the other, I couldn’t seem to understand why they weren’t staying long inside the building. First, it was Rob that left and now, Val has also driven out!Although she did spend quite a few minutes longer compared to how fast Rob had left, but that did not stop my curiosity.Without wasting time, I jumped out of my
VALERIE’S POV“Something wrong?”I just shook my head as a no, to Rob’s question. “It’s nothing, Hudson is probably having a hard time with the kids.” I explained, it was his day at home with them. So maybe… maybe he was having a hard time.“You often say he is extremely good with the kids, what could be the problem today?” Rob pressed, voicing the exact same question that came to my mind the moment I told myself Hudson was having a hard time.Either way, I just shrugged it off and faced the matter at hand. “So, where is the money?” I asked, facing Rob and the extra person in our midst. “Mr.…”“My name is irrelevant!” The surprisingly young man spoke, “I’m just here to ensure you get your locker, and this is it. Whatever you find in there has to be what you’re looking for. This is the part where I take my leave” he concluded abruptly, giving a slight bow before leaving. Not even letting me speak further.“That was hasty,” I scoffed, facing Rob as he used the key given by Mr. ‘I do not