Chapter 96Michael's POVI couldn't wait for Jason to pack the car in the right position after numerous attempts to wake the gatekeeper, who had been dead asleep. I kept wondering why no one ever bothered go lock the gate."How dare she," Jason said, reminding me of the bond Mrs. Cooke and I shared. "You loved and took her as a mother."She was the only one I was close to; I could tolerate her, and somehow, she gave me a motherly feeling. I couldn't figure out why she stabbed me in the back. I had always loved her, and everything was happening like a dream."Jason, I don't know how I'm going to make her face the law. I mean, this is Mrs. Cooke we're talking about...I really don't know what to do," I said, feeling broken. But Jason's face held no emotions as he looked straight into my eyes."You don't care about her anymore. This isn't the time to feel pity for anyone; this is the time to serve justice to whoever needs to be served. Michael," he paused, placing his right hand on my lef
Chapter 97Raymond's POVI fumed with rage as I watched Ambrose being interviewed. My anger kept boiling over as I watched him, all smiles, speaking about the success of his business. The same business he had ripped people off to acquire more wealth and fame."All this will end soon," I muttered, looking into my cellphone as news began to pop up. These news caught my attention as I saw Mrs. Cooke's picture and the headline: "Billionaire's Maid Guilty of Manipulation and Harmful Mixture, Wanted for a Fine of $12 Million Dollars." I smiled, knowing fully well that I knew most of the hidden parts where she might have kept her head. No doubt, I was going to acquire all the money Michael had placed on her head.But then, the "harmful mixture" caught my attention as I remembered I had once detected something like that. But then, I couldn't get the weight off my mind; I needed to see Michael again. ........... Few moments later"Get out! To think you have the nerve to come here to his offi
Chapter 98Michael's POV"What!" I exclaimed, looking into Raymond's eyes, my own eyes filled with anger. I didn't think I'd heard everything Raymond had said; probably I must have hurt my ear during the gunshot that killed the gatekeeper."Michael... I... I'm so sorry, I just..." Raymond stammered."You animal!" I fired, my fist connecting with a loud crunch, sending blood gushing from the bridge of his nose."Michael, you have to calm down," Jason intervened, holding my hand to prevent me from throwing another punch as Raymond rolled, groaning in pain.I took a deep breath, easing my anger and wrath. I watched Raymond groan in pain, and somehow, I felt torn within me. I signaled to Jason to call the medical team."I brought you into my home, hoping you'd become useful, and you chose to betray me this way?" I asked, looking closely at him as his knees remained on the floor."My offenses are punishable by law. I have lots of regrets, but I just want you to give me one last chance. I s
Chapter 99Freya's POV"Billionaire Michael Smith Jenkins: Arrested for Murder of Sister." "Mom, could you read this... or probably my eyes are playing a trick on me?" I stammered, my hand shaking as I managed to keep the phone from falling. "It's been all over the news since yesterday. The country is making a fuss about it. I didn't want to call your attention to it, since all you do is confide in this place without even stepping an inch out," Mom blamed, but I wasn't really in the right mood to argue. I placed my hand on my chest to stop the erratic beating of my heart, at least to calm myself. "Michael is no murderer. There has been some misunderstanding, and I'll prove to everyone that he is not his sister's murderer," I said, determination evident in my voice. I scratched my hair, thinking of possible measures to take."You won't make any irrational moves. This is not your place, Freya. You'll be seen as an accomplice too." "What the hell does that even mean, Mom? Everything
Chapter 100Freya's POV"Death?" I asked, the words slowly escaping my mouth as my heart began to pound. Had they found out that my mom possessed one of the Jenkins' property ? I wondered, my heart beating like a drum."Freya, you have to open this door if you want to see Ambrose die. You have to open this door if you want to save Michael," Raymond's voice echoed as I blinked my eyes twice. Was this another part of his scheme to betray us again? No way!"I don't need your help. Without your help, I'll storm into Ambrose's home and find the evidence I need.""Evidence? You think Ambrose would ever leave any trace at his home? You're not that stupid, Freya," he said as I exhaled a chuckle. I had never mentioned knowing anything about the bracelet to him. Somehow, Ambrose would still have it in his secret room, and..."Ambrose has found a way to eradicate every trace. You can't do this alone, Freya," Raymond interrupted my thoughts as I closed my eyes deeply. I didn't trust him a bit, b
Chapter 1Freya's POVI stood frozen, my eyes fixed on the grand staircase as my life flashed before me. I had vowed never to get involved with rich and influential men like Michael Smith, the billionaire I had just married. But life had other plans."Miss Rogers, we don't really have to maintain an intimate relationship when we're alone," Michael said, his voice piercing through my thoughts. "The contract doesn't apply except when a third party is involved."I turned to face him, my heart sinking. His words were cold and detached, his eyes devoid of emotion. I forced a reply, trying to keep my tone neutral. "Oh, yes."Michael's gaze swept over me, his eyes lingering on my face before he turned to leave. I watched, feeling a surge of resentment, as he ridiculed me with his towering height."Mr. Smith," I called out, my voice firm but polite. He paused, his back still turned to me."Where's my room?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even. "You didn't show me my room."Michael turned, hi
Chapter 2Freya's pov"I have to apologize for my cousins' unannounced visit which contradicted our initial arrangement," he said. " But don't worry, I'll find a way to let them out and everything can go back to how it was".There was something about his eyes; sad and lonely, but I guess my pain and misery were greater. My gaze rested on the portrait of a beautiful woman in Michael's room. He did have a woman in his heart, I wondered. Why were they apart? Was that the reason behind his loneliness and sadness?." Miss Rogers," he called, bringing me from my trance. " My cousins won't come here without an ulterior motive. I know it's going to be difficult, addressing me like a husband publicly, but we have to stick to it. That way, we both get to save the only thing that mattered to us," he paused , but I was unable to say a word, " so in the meantime, you have to stay in my room. I assure you, they'll both leave when they don't get what they want""Pretending to be a happy couple, you
Chapter 3 Michael's POV [You're a murderer. You think no one knows, but I do. You're a murderer, Michael. You remember five years ago? The world will know about you now!] Horror gripped me, my mind racing with Emma's sudden return and its connection to the ominous message. Memories of that fateful night five years ago flooded back. I knew someone else probably knew about the incident of five years ago. Someone aside Emma and I knew about Bella's death. Bella; my little sister. Who on Earth would send this message? The weight of guilt still crushed me, refusing to lift its oppressive grip. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was responsible for Bella's death. The pain of losing her was worsened by the fact that I never got to say goodbye, never got to hold her one last time. The worst part was not being able to find her body. She was buried before I even regained consciousness, leaving me with a gaping hole in my heart. The thought of her being laid to rest without me being there
Chapter 100Freya's POV"Death?" I asked, the words slowly escaping my mouth as my heart began to pound. Had they found out that my mom possessed one of the Jenkins' property ? I wondered, my heart beating like a drum."Freya, you have to open this door if you want to see Ambrose die. You have to open this door if you want to save Michael," Raymond's voice echoed as I blinked my eyes twice. Was this another part of his scheme to betray us again? No way!"I don't need your help. Without your help, I'll storm into Ambrose's home and find the evidence I need.""Evidence? You think Ambrose would ever leave any trace at his home? You're not that stupid, Freya," he said as I exhaled a chuckle. I had never mentioned knowing anything about the bracelet to him. Somehow, Ambrose would still have it in his secret room, and..."Ambrose has found a way to eradicate every trace. You can't do this alone, Freya," Raymond interrupted my thoughts as I closed my eyes deeply. I didn't trust him a bit, b
Chapter 99Freya's POV"Billionaire Michael Smith Jenkins: Arrested for Murder of Sister." "Mom, could you read this... or probably my eyes are playing a trick on me?" I stammered, my hand shaking as I managed to keep the phone from falling. "It's been all over the news since yesterday. The country is making a fuss about it. I didn't want to call your attention to it, since all you do is confide in this place without even stepping an inch out," Mom blamed, but I wasn't really in the right mood to argue. I placed my hand on my chest to stop the erratic beating of my heart, at least to calm myself. "Michael is no murderer. There has been some misunderstanding, and I'll prove to everyone that he is not his sister's murderer," I said, determination evident in my voice. I scratched my hair, thinking of possible measures to take."You won't make any irrational moves. This is not your place, Freya. You'll be seen as an accomplice too." "What the hell does that even mean, Mom? Everything
Chapter 98Michael's POV"What!" I exclaimed, looking into Raymond's eyes, my own eyes filled with anger. I didn't think I'd heard everything Raymond had said; probably I must have hurt my ear during the gunshot that killed the gatekeeper."Michael... I... I'm so sorry, I just..." Raymond stammered."You animal!" I fired, my fist connecting with a loud crunch, sending blood gushing from the bridge of his nose."Michael, you have to calm down," Jason intervened, holding my hand to prevent me from throwing another punch as Raymond rolled, groaning in pain.I took a deep breath, easing my anger and wrath. I watched Raymond groan in pain, and somehow, I felt torn within me. I signaled to Jason to call the medical team."I brought you into my home, hoping you'd become useful, and you chose to betray me this way?" I asked, looking closely at him as his knees remained on the floor."My offenses are punishable by law. I have lots of regrets, but I just want you to give me one last chance. I s
Chapter 97Raymond's POVI fumed with rage as I watched Ambrose being interviewed. My anger kept boiling over as I watched him, all smiles, speaking about the success of his business. The same business he had ripped people off to acquire more wealth and fame."All this will end soon," I muttered, looking into my cellphone as news began to pop up. These news caught my attention as I saw Mrs. Cooke's picture and the headline: "Billionaire's Maid Guilty of Manipulation and Harmful Mixture, Wanted for a Fine of $12 Million Dollars." I smiled, knowing fully well that I knew most of the hidden parts where she might have kept her head. No doubt, I was going to acquire all the money Michael had placed on her head.But then, the "harmful mixture" caught my attention as I remembered I had once detected something like that. But then, I couldn't get the weight off my mind; I needed to see Michael again. ........... Few moments later"Get out! To think you have the nerve to come here to his offi
Chapter 96Michael's POVI couldn't wait for Jason to pack the car in the right position after numerous attempts to wake the gatekeeper, who had been dead asleep. I kept wondering why no one ever bothered go lock the gate."How dare she," Jason said, reminding me of the bond Mrs. Cooke and I shared. "You loved and took her as a mother."She was the only one I was close to; I could tolerate her, and somehow, she gave me a motherly feeling. I couldn't figure out why she stabbed me in the back. I had always loved her, and everything was happening like a dream."Jason, I don't know how I'm going to make her face the law. I mean, this is Mrs. Cooke we're talking about...I really don't know what to do," I said, feeling broken. But Jason's face held no emotions as he looked straight into my eyes."You don't care about her anymore. This isn't the time to feel pity for anyone; this is the time to serve justice to whoever needs to be served. Michael," he paused, placing his right hand on my lef
Chapter 95Michael's POV"You were right to drop a mobile phone with her mom," Jason said, breaking the silence as he drove on the highway. "She might want to reach out to you." I didn't say a word, feeling so broken. Even when I turned to leave, Freya never looked back."She still loves you," Jason said. "You said she never said the last words, right?" He asked, as I let out a cold, mirthless laugh. "Love? What if she was right? Maybe I actually forced myself on her too much. I mean, I didn't think I'd ever been rejected in my life."Jason nodded, his eyes fixed on the road. "She'll come around, I promise. Besides, your marriage with her was probably a way for Grandpa to execute one of his hidden plans.""Jason," I called, pausing as I looked at him, even though he had his total attention on the road. "What's bothering you?" he asked."What do you think about Grandpa?" I asked. "Doesn't it ring a bell? What if he knew everything that had happened in the last five years and...?"Jason
Chapter 94Freya's POVOne week later....I could feel the Christmas breeze as I closed my eyes, savoring the air. The snowfall today was quite minimal compared to the past weeks; it had filled the city like a sea. Every night, while I lay there, I couldn't help but think about Michael. I wondered how he was doing, how he was fighting for everything that mattered to him. I wondered if he had found the gatekeeper. But then, this was for the best. If I didn't go away, I didn't think everything would go back to how it was. Somehow, my presence had disrupted a lot of Michael's plans, and besides, the contract would be dissolved in barely two weeks. Michael and I would become nothing but strangers."Don't you want to go to him, or at least go see your son?" Mom asked, her voice breaking the still calmness of my thoughts as I froze."I'm okay," I said, forcing a smile. "At least, he'll get to choose his inheritance now," I said, my voice low."My child," Mom said as she sat beside the littl
Chapter 93Michael's POVI had asked Jason to wait patiently while I washed off the tension that I had experienced earlier. The image of the gatekeeper's head bursting and the sound of the gunshot almost sent me crazy, but I was strong enough to brace myself. I couldn't go over to his family without washing off. There was still a lot to be done, and Grandpa would be happy now, after all, Freya left. One by one, they were all getting everything they wanted; but then, I wouldn't let myself be on the wanting side again. If there was anything to do, it was to protect the only legacy I had.As I stood in front of the mirror, styling my blonde hair into its usual way, I heard the lock on my door turn. "Jason, open up," I said, wondering why he had come over."Michael," Jason said, finally closing the door behind him. "Michael, he's here," he said, his voice low, as I raised an eyebrow. I couldn't quite figure out whom he meant."Do you mean Raymond never left? Is he trying to get on my ner
Chapter 92Michael's POV"Please don't kill me. I swear, I know nothing of what happened five years ago." The gatekeeper said fearfully, and one could detect that something about the way he acted was linked to the past. Had he been threatened by Ambrose? I needed to ask him what connections Mrs. Cooke had with the past. Everything was too difficult for me to understand. After many promises to send him and his crippled child abroad as a way to save him from Ambrose's threats, I could see the gatekeeper's walls breaking, his determination to hide the truth beginning to waver, as he began to weep. "Let's go somewhere safe," he said, his voice low as he scanned everywhere to be sure no one was following. I also kept my eyes on deck.We got to the gatekeeper's home, and I felt the discomfort of residing in a little place like this. The floors weren't tiled, nor were they properly covered against cold and crawling insects. My heart broke, determined to keep the promises I made with him."W