HUDSON'S POV "So boss, we are to resume our trips to the Red Bites today, I presume?"James asked cheerily as soon as I settled at the back seat of the car. His words obviously held an underlying meaning but was I going to acknowledge it? No! So I kept quiet, not sparing him a glance. 'Big headed talkative, just won't stop teasing' I grumbled in my mind and took a moment to scroll through the messages on my phone. But then, after some seconds I noticed we were not moving, the car wasn't moving, rather we just sat silently in the car. I was on my phone, and he... well, he was doing God knows what at the front seat and so I proceeded to stare at him through the rear view mirror. As if on cue, his eyes met mine on the mirror and like the idiot he was he went ahead to ask, "Is there a problem, Boss?" and quite cluelessly at that. Was he pretending to not know what he was doing right now? My lips pursed in a tight line, a distasteful scowl evident on my face as I stared at him. "
Note from Author; Hey guys, before I start let me apologize for dropping this. I am so sorry, but I'm trying to avoid any miscommunications that's why I am dropping this message. There has been a bit of an edit at the end of the last chapter (chapter 50), nothing too major just a scene that best explains the beginning of this very chapter. The edit is most likely to reflect on Monday due to the fact that it's currently a weekend. Again I apologize, I know how this sounds and you might probably cuss me out but don't give up on the story pretty please. Your continuous reading means a lot to me. Thank you for your understanding in advance. ******** CHAPTER 51 HUDSON'S POV Everyone immediately froze in place, the sheer intensity of her tone overlapping every other action, even James was forced to pause. "Stop." she repeated breathlessly and in my fuzzy gaze I saw her hurry towards me. Or was I imagining it? "Let him go," she said as she got closer, her words obviously di
VALERIE'S POV These past weeks has been spent with me going through files upon files, documents upon documents that revealed the most unbelievable informations.I couldn't even believe these people were my family members. For heavens sake the company was founded and grown through the sweat and blood of their own Father! Why ruin his sweat because of greed? They had eaten so deep into the damned subsidiaries they headed! Manipulations here and there, all at the main branch of each subsidiary.How was this even possible? They make so much profits yet have incurred so much debts! Loans everywhere with different suppliers, "What the hell is this?!" I snapped, unable to take much more as I flipped through more pages of the report. After the account managers of both De Hernandez Buildings & Repair and Commercial Kitchen Design & Installations had that distasteful display at my house I was forced to have an even more thorough checks and my God!You will not believe how deep these family
VALERIE'S POV My heart had to be next worst organ living in my body, right after my hairless skin pores. Like I literally had almost zero to no hairs on my skin! You would have to look closely to be able to detect any, that's if they were even there in the first place. And as for the life pump in my chest, all it does is to betray me every single time when it's cooperation is just needed. Like seriously, Hudson was the enemy. That fact is well known in body, soul, spirit, mind... you name it! So tell me, why is this damned heart of mine skipping beats just cause of a glance at our supposed enemy, instead of standing solid on our agreed resolve. Why? If this isn't betrayal, what else is it? I sighed deeply, getting ready to launch more complaints in my mind when a voice snapped me right out of it, "Hey! I was just trying to help!" I blinked, my brain registering my environment in a jiffy as I looked up at Rob's amused face and back to an... angry looking James? Before final
Valerie pov My confusion deepened as Hudson swiftly pulled out a chair from a nearby table to ours, invading my personal space. I quickly swallowed the water in my throat to stop him in his tracks and that was where it all went wrong. The water immediately clogged my throat, forcing a good measure of it into the wrong hole down my throat. My eyes bugged as a fit of coughs and gasping followed immediately, "Careful! You're going to get yourself hurt!" Hudson boomed and sprung up from his chair like a mother hen to get me a napkin. If my throat didn't feel like it were literally set on fire, I would have knocked down a couple of glass cups from the sheer force of his shouts. In seconds he was by my side, panicking and easing down gentle pats on my back while dapping every water droplet on my face. To say I was surprised by this whole display would be an understatement. Girl, I was stunned! He was just busy fuzzing over me, coupling my cheeks, feeling my temperature...like...l
VALERIE'S POV *Knock at the door* for some seconds, and a black haired young girl poked in, "ma'am?" I raised my head from my laptop to the angle the voice came from, smiling as I noticed it was the same girl from the IT department that I met earlier. "We're all set for you ma'am, at the conference room." She said, smiling gently. My ears perked up at her words, "Oh! Right!" I immediately moved to stand up but then I remembered the thing I kept on my desk, so I sat back down. "One minute please." I called out to the girl before going ahead to mumble absentmindedly as I shuffled through several paperworks on my desk. "I, ugh... I just need to... Erm..." I paused for a second, realizing what I was doing and quickly stole a glance at the door and sure enough she was still standing there, watching me. The moment our eyes met she smiled nervously, making me smile too before I resumed searching for it. This time more seriously and further off the desk. "Where is it... Where is... Wh
HUDSON'S POV Will it be strange if I said seeing my ex-wife was like a breath of fresh air?You know, like that feeling of when you've been stuck underwater for so long and then you finally get pulled out, the air rushing into your lungs suddenly feel so delicious that you could taste it? That's the feeling right there!I couldn't believe it honestly. Everything was happening so fast, I could hardly keep up with these new emotions going on inside of me these days. But one thing was clear though, 'I'm attracted to my ex-wife, Valerie.'Yes, that's what it was. Attraction.I maybe ignorant on some matters because I didn't want the burden that came with it but I wasn't a fool. I knew myself and behaviors better than anything, lying to oneself is like petting an open wound. You're too scared to apply gauze on it cause of the pain you might receive but at the same time, you give the injury space to be infected and eventually rot on that part of your body. Same thing with lying to yourse
HUDSON'S POV Huh?Unable to reach contact? "It's probably network issues, try again" James offered and I nodded in agreement, dialing the number again. "Network these days have been messy..." James voice faded as we listened to it ring after dialing."Sorry, you're unable to reach this contact please try again later. Thank you," Same robotic reply sounded through and we shared a knowing look.But instead of saying the thought that was already on both our minds, James said instead. "Maybe it's your phone, there's probably no signal in it. Try your other phone,"I heaved a breath and picked up my other phone beside a pile of documents on the table. My fingers felt heavy as I scrolled through a bunch of other unsaved numbers seeing as it was my business phone. I didn't save hers too but somehow I just knew which was hers and I dailed it.After spending nights upon nights in the darkness of my home office, with my fingers hovering over that very number, to dial it and hear her voice for
HUDSON’S POV“Do you understand now?”“First, the man you wanted left you, Amelia left you, Ethan also did, and now… your own father has abandoned you.” her voice sounded softly, almost considerate but the underlying cruelty was hard to miss. A total contrast to the nonchalant expression on her face, like even speaking to the woman on phone was not worth wasting her energy.It was enchanting, to say the very least.“No one wants you; no one wants to be with you.” She whispered slowly, “You will die alone, Charlotte. A long, lonely death. Remember that,”And just like that, the call ended. The phone sliding from her ears, every movement smooth like she had finished the deal right then and there, which she had though. The bait had been set.The bait we both agreed upon after Ethan showed up at our doorstep, with information about Charlotte. A very daring attitude from a person with his record of betrayal. Ever since he attempted to kidnap Valerie back then, he had gone off record. Which
CHARLOTTE'S POV“Oh yeah?” she sneered, sounding totally unbothered as I continued to brew with anger. “What will you do to Drake then? You see he made a deal with me; to hand over all his dealings with my family, testify against you in court, revealing all the many corpses that was buried underneath the garden in his house for you.”What?“What are you talking about you bitch, I killed no one!” I responded, my breathing shaky as memories of how so many dead bodies were used as fertilizer for the rose garden back home. Dead bodies that were as a result of several tortures and beatings given to men doing business with the heartless man that was my father!It was all him!How come this bitch was saying something else here? How did she even know about the bodies?!“Those corpses are as a result of the many murders that you have done over the years, Charlotte!”“That’s not true!” I argued angrily, losing my cool.“But Drake said it is, and he is testifying against you in court!” she insis
CHARLOTTE’S POV“What the hell are they doing?”“Why are they even together at the hospital? Just what the fuck is this?!” my voice resounded everywhere, bouncing off the walls in the apartment I currently occupied with Raymond.But could you blame me? I was pissed off!Pissed off by the stupid ass video that was been displayed on the tv screen! A video of what supposedly had happened between my man and that bitch Valerie today! Or was this some sort of trick? That bitch Valerie was pulling a stunt again?But even if she did, how did Hudson come onboard with this?! To do this with her! Act like they were all perfect and okay, when I knew they were not! They most definitely were not! They shouldn’t even be!Valerie’s schemes have been exposed! Hudson knows all about this now, I was sure of it! I watched him drive off angrily that night, away from their new place. He didn’t go home that day I sent those cameras, they had a fight. I was sure of it!So why instead of packing his things an
HUDSON’S POVSilence settled between Val and I as we walked all the way to the ward. Our fingers still interlocked, until finally we reached the very door that held Miley’s excited laughs behind it. And then I stopped, facing Valerie right then.“What money?” I asked, but she simply blinked. Probably not expecting my question, but I heard the conversations between her and her aunties anyways. Or at least part of it, since they were already speaking before I arrived there. So…“The money your aunt was referring to” I explained, my voice calm as I waited. “She said something about a stolen money that was in Mason’s name, and you were going to be arrested for it if they called the cops. What was that all about?”“Oh,” was all she said, a deep sigh following right after. “It’s… it’s a bit personal,”Huh?“Personal?” I repeated, not believing she was about to do what I thought she would do. “How personal is this that I can’t even know about it? Mason is involved here, that’s my son, Valeri
HUDSON’S POVComing back home was nothing short of what I had expected. My kids gathered were together, happily playing games, absolutely oblivious of the current happenings surrounding me and their mom. As far as they were concerned; daddy had to take a little trip to check out a building site.A strategy Nanny Beth took to save them from the hassle of wondering why I wasn’t home for 2 days. But aside my kids, everything else seemed fine. The maids, Nanny (Whether or not she knew, she didn’t behave like it at all. But assuming she didn’t know anything will be highly stupid on my part cause Valerie tells her almost everything despite their huge age difference!) but above all, there was no Valerie.I wouldn’t lie to you, a part of me immediately thought of going back to the house outside the city, to check if she had still gone back there. But I just held back. Forcing myself to focus on taking a nice shower, eat a really satisfying meal and then catch up with my kids.The last time I
VALERIE’S POV“I-I’m truly sorry,”“I am- am so sorry for lying about that day,” I apologized, my voice breaking as I tried to keep my tears at bay. “I shouldn’t have lied! I should’ve… I didn’t know you and the kids were at the office, I didn’t know you guys wanted to surprise me so we could have lunch together. It’s all my fault! I’m sorry…”“Of course you are. You are sorry now, Valerie.” His voice sounded in the air, bitter but yet so calm. Unlike his explosive self that I had seen that day in the secret room. “But you weren’t sorry when you just lied to both me and the kids that day, running off to go clear evidences of your actions for fear that someone would get to it first before you do. Maybe someone already got to them-Charlotte had! She did send a few cameras after all; I’m guessing that is what got you agitated and also what had been bothering you days before the kids and I even went to your office!”“No! That’s not it at all,” I rushed to explain, “I wasn’t bothered about
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 ha