Ivy's world is turned upside down when her luggage is mixed up with a man's at the airport - a man she comes to learn his name as Tarquin Brian Jones. He proposes a contract marriage, and Ivy is thrust into a new and complicated life. As their relationship develops and the tension between them grows, Ivy finds herself fighting to show Tarquin that she is more than he sees her. But with the presence of Tarquin's mistress and his sister, Morgan, who holds a grudge against her, Ivy is faced with difficult choices. Would she cling to hope that everything will change for her good or give up hope?
view more"What the hell?" Tarquin exclaimed, his jaw clenched in anger. He stood in the bedroom, staring in disbelief at the contents of the suitcase that had just been delivered to him. Inside were several women's undergarments and clothing - obviously not his own belongings.
He fumed as he tried to wrap his head around what had happened. His assistant had been sent to pick up his luggage from the airport, so how could this have happened? He wondered if his assistant had made a mistake, or if something more sinister was at play.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he picked up the phone and called his assistant. "Get up here, now," he barked, his voice cold and commanding.
There was a moment of hesitation on the other end of the line, then a stammer, "Yes, sir."
Tarquin ended the call without another word, his mind racing. Who had taken his belongings? And what were they doing with his things? He had to find out what was going on, and fast.
In the meantime, he had to figure out what to do about the missing suitcase and its contents. He couldn't imagine the owner of the other suitcase would be too thrilled to find their belongings in the hands of a complete stranger. He needed to get the situation sorted out as soon as possible.
With a sigh, Tarquin considered his options. He could call the airport authority and see if they could help track down the other suitcase, or he could try to find the owner himself. He decided to try the airport authority first, hoping they would have some record of the other suitcase and could get it back to its rightful owner.
Pacing around the room, he waited impatiently for his assistant to arrive. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.
A few minutes later, John, Tarquin's assistant, burst into the room, looking flustered.
"I'm so sorry, sir," he said, his words slipping over each other. "I don't know how this happened."
Tarquin didn't respond, his anger building as he looked at the pile of clothes and underwear that had been dumped in his room. He knew John had to be responsible for this, but he wanted to hear what he had to say for himself first.
"Well?" he said, his voice tight. "What's your explanation?"
John's face in his voice.
"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this," John said, his voice pleading. "I know It wouldn't be easy to find the luggage quickly but I will do whatever it takes to find it before today ends.”
Tarquin sighed, still unsure of what to do. On the one hand, he was furious that John had messed up. On the other hand, he knew it would be a hassle to find a new assistant. He needed someone efficient and reliable, and he wasn't sure how easy it would be to find someone who fit that description.
"Find my luggage within the next 12 hours. I don't want to care about how you do it; all I know is to go back to the Airport to ask for my luggage, trace it to wherever that idiot who thinks he/she can get away with it, took it to. I don't care how you do it, but make sure you provide my luggage before the eve of the day I resume or else you will get fired and sued also for the damages, am I clear?" Tarquin stated clearly to him and he heaved a sigh of relief
"Thank you, Sir. I'll sir," John said and quickly stood up, and turned to leave but before he could Tarquin stopped him.
"Take this thing out of my room, I don't want to see it. Also, tell the cook to prepare something nice, mom is coming over soon." He informed him before walking over to his closet.
"Yes Sir!" John replied and walked out of the door with the suitcase before slamming it shut lightly.
Tarquin sighed and rubbed his arching temples, being a tough Boss to your employees isn't easy, but he believed employees trample on weak Bosses which he vowed he would never be to any of his employees so he would rather hold on to the facade of being harsh and heartless, than doting and understanding.
When you are harsh, your employees will get serious with whatever you ordered them to do. Besides they would never dare to go against you but when you appear very soft and understanding, they would want to ride over you and do as they please.
Since he is paying them every month, they ought to do whatever his order is, and also follow his own rules. No one deserves to tell him what to do, Tarquin had always thought.
*
As the evening drew closer, the sound of a car pulling up to the mansion signaled the arrival of Tarquin's mother, Mrs. Caroline Jones. Tarquin made his way to the dining room to meet her, where a delicious meal had been prepared.
The events of the day had taken their toll on his appetite, and he found himself forcing himself to eat. He didn't want to worry his mother, but the thought of his missing luggage weighed heavily on his mind. Who had taken it, and why? He couldn't stop the flood of questions that kept swirling through his head.
John had spoken to the airport authorities, but they were unable to locate the missing luggage. He was promised that CCTV footage would be checked to see who had taken it, but in the meantime, he was at a loss as to what to do.
"Tarq, are you okay?" Mrs. Caroline asked, concerned by the lack of conversation at the dinner table. She watched as her son picked at his food, his expression unexplainable. "You've hardly said a word all evening. Is something bothering you?"
Tarquin forced a smile. "I'm fine, Mom. Just a bit tired, that's all."
Mrs. Caroline studied her son's face for a moment, unconvinced. "You can talk to me about anything, you know that, right?"
Tarquin sighed. "I know, Mom. It's just... complicated." He trailed off, not sure how to explain the situation.
"Is this about the company? Don't you want to take over the company?" Mrs. Caroline pressed.
“Mom, the problem is my luggage is missing. It was exchanged at the airport,” Tarquin announced.
"Oh, It's not the company." Mrs. Caroline asked, a look of confusion on her face. "Wait! What do you mean, your luggage is missing?"
Tarquin explained how he'd arrived at the airport, ready to head home after months abroad, only to discover that the suitcase waiting for him was not his own. He'd spoken to several officials, but no one could tell him where his luggage had gone or how it had been switched.
"That's terrible, Tarq," Mrs. Caroline said, shaking her head. "I can't believe the airport could make such a mistake… but you can always rebut everything in the luggage, it shouldn't be a reason for you to be worried,” Mrs Caroline assured.
"Had it been that was the case I'd have been relieved Mom, but that isn't the case at. All the company documents are in the luggage. I mean the company's documents which Dad handed over to me which will prove that the company should be rightfully handed over to me are in the suitcase I came back home with which had been lost," Tarquin explained and his mom instantly dropped her cutlery.
"But...but that's impossible," Mrs. Caroline said, looking shocked. "Your father trusted you with those documents, and now they're gone? That's a disaster!" She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "And you say the airport is going to look for them? That's not good enough. Those documents are the key to everything!"
Tarquin nodded. "I know, Mom. And I know how important they are. But I don't know what else to do. I'm just hoping that the airport will find them and that everything will be okay."
"We have to do something, Tarq," Mrs. Caroline said, her mind racing. "We can't just sit here and wait for the airport to maybe, possibly find those documents. What if they're never found? What if they're gone for good? We need to take action."
“Don't worry Mom, the airport authorities had always swung into action, they would find it soon,” Tarquin assured.
"But what if the luggage isn't found?" Mrs. Caroline asked, her voice trembling with concern. "What if it's truly lost, and all those important documents with it? I know your father trusted you with the documents, and it's not your fault, but what if it's too late to fix this?"
Tarquin tried to muster a reassuring smile. "Mom, I know you're worried, and I am too. But we have to stay positive. I'm sure the airport will find the bag, and everything will be fine. And if they don't... well, we'll deal with that if it happens. But right now, let's focus on staying positive and hoping for the best."
His mother took a deep breath, calming herself. "You're right, Tarq. And you know I'll always support you, no matter what. Even if the documents are lost, I know you're capable of more than just taking over your father's company. You're so much more than that."
"Right!" Mrs Caroline suddenly uttered which made his fork pause.
"Have you been informed yet?" She asked and looked at him directly in the face.
"Informed of what?" He asked her in confusion.
"That it was your father's last wish that you get married before the company is fully handed over to you," she announced which sent chills down Tarquin's spine.
"Marriage? What the hell!" He dropped his cutlery and stood up immediately.
"I'm full," He announced and turned to leave the dining room.
"Tarq, come here, let's talk about this," His mom pleaded softly but he refused to listen and continued walking away.
Tarquin ran his hand through his hair as he continued walking away.
Why will his mom raise a marriage topic? He wasn't going to get married yet, he didn't even have marriage on his agenda when he could get whosoever he wanted and enjoy himself to the core without being held back by a bondage called marriage, he thought.
He always saw Marriage as a bondage where you aren't allowed to live your life and make decisions. His mother's experience is enough to make him dislike Marriage so much.
"It is a bondage which he doesn't deserve to live in," He had always reminded himself whenever the thought of getting married someday came up in his mind.
"Come over, Christy. I will be needing your services tonight," Tarquin said over the phone to one of his numerous popular city chicks who always came around to warm his bed whenever he was in the country and needed her.
FOUR YEARS LATER.Time flew by faster than anyone could expect. Four years ago was Morgan's wedding with John but now, they are parents of a three-year-old child, Khloe who was a friend of Tessa. They were present with Ivy in her orphanage, she began the orphanage three years ago and she named it after Ivan. The orphanage had children in it, they were well-fed and always happy. They loved Ivy so much because she always brought gifts anytime she left her office to see them. Ivy had people supervising the kids and their education. She also owned a school that one of Morgan's friends was running. The school was where children in the orphanage went to and it was also close to them. Ivy had given many children to parents who were willing to adopt and she made sure to do proper investigations before giving a child to any parent. She still tried to visit the child in those parent's houses to see how the child was faring, and if the kid was being mistreated or not. Just in three years, t
Months later.John and Morgan had suspended their wedding for a long while because of Ivan's death. They wanted Ivy to be in her right mind when everything was planned.It was the day of the wedding and Ivy was with a makeup artist who was dolling Morgan up.Morgan was already wearing her wedding dress and it was really beautiful. Ivy had helped her choose it and she was also chosen as her bride's maid."The makeup is turning out so beautiful." Ivy smiled, looking at Morgan who was truly gorgeous.Everything made her glow, from her dress to her hair and makeup, Morgan was perfect."Ivy, where is Tessa?" Morgan asked and opened their lips a little for the red lipstick to be added."She's with your mom who has been more than excited about everything," Ivy replied."I don't even know who's getting married between her and me," Morgan said, causing them to laugh."Stay still." The make-up artist instructed after laughing."Yeah, your mom is so sweet. When Tarquin and I decided to redo our
Tarquin was rushed to the hospital and so were the kids. Ivy refused to be admitted, so they only ran some checkups on her and treated her burns.After the treatment, she went to the waiting room and cried, being concerned about her husband and children.Ivy's hands were on her chest, she was feeling so scared and agitated. Tarquin was in danger as well as the twins, she was afraid of losing any of them."Please survive for my sake, please don't leave me." Ivy cried and her hands transferred to her face. "I love you all so much, don't leave me. I won't be able to bear it.""Please, don't leave me." Ivy cried and coughed boisterously.She grew up without a family, she thought her life was perfect till she met Tarquin who turned her world upside down. The arrogant and cold imbecile who became the most wonderful person in her life.The kids he gave her were the only reason why she didn't kill herself, why she didn't stop striving to stay alive. They were the reason why she wanted to meet
The Jones' home.Tarquin had called Ivy when he stayed a while in the office. It was unusual for her to not answer his calls. He called her a few more times but then he got no response, he ran like a madman to the house.Reaching there, he beeped his car horn numerous times for the gates to be opened but nothing happened.Tarquin got out of his car and went to the gate. To his horror, as he pushed it, it opened without much effort.He went inside and saw the guards on the floor, dead. His heart pounded greatly in his chest and it felt like his world was going to crumble before his face.Quickly, he ran into the house but there was no one. He saw the drops of blood and panicked the more."Shit, I shouldn't have left them alone!" Tarquin cried out and gripped his hair in regret.He wanted to stay back with his family, at least one more day before resuming work but he listened to Ivy. He thought that she was feeling a bit suffocated around him, that's why she told him to leave.He respec
Warehouse.Annabel took them to an abandoned warehouse that used to belong to her family. She tied Ivy up in that place and placed the twins on the bare and cold floor.Ivy didn't try defending herself too much because she was scared that Annabel would do something terrible to her children.The twins were crying on the floor and Annabel was annoyed with their cries."Oh shut up! Little brats." She spat bitterly. "It's because of you and these fools that I wasn't able to complete my mission."Ivy wanted to speak but her mouth was sealed, so she made muffled sounds."You wanna talk? What do you want to say, do you desire to beg me for your life or say your last prayer, which one?" Annabel asked with a smirk.Ivy nodded disorientedly, she had to say something, anything that could save her life and that of her children. She loved her kids so much and she preferred dying than seeing them get hurt.Annabel decided to fulfill her wish and make fun of her. She sauntered to Ivy who was tied to
The Jones' home.It was early in the morning and Ivy woke up early to make breakfast for Tarquin and herself but to her surprise, Tarquin was already in the kitchen making breakfast."That smells yummy." Ivy grinned and walked to him."Thank you, I'm making it with lots of love," Tarquin said, affectionately.Ivy smiled and pecked him on the cheek. He gave her a boyish smile and continued cooking."This is going to be delicious and you're going to lick your fingers once you dig in," Tarquin said."You mean that I would lick my plate till there's not even a single drop of sauce on it?" She raised an eyebrow, waiting for his reply."Yeah, there will also be a certain urge to even eat the plate too." Tarquin teased her.Ivy laughed and smacked his back playfully."Stop exaggerating."Tarquin chuckled and leaned closer to kiss her lips. Finally reaching her, he pressed his lips on hers and they both smiled."Are you feeling comfortable with that thing in you?" Tarquin asked, referring to
California.John and Morgan were walking on the side of the road, their hands were locked and they were talking.Morgan had been working for more than a week in the bank and it wasn't easy but he was already getting used to it."I hope no one mistreats you there, they have the right to hurt my baby," John said, feeling a little worried about her.Morgan smiled at him and swung his hands."They treat me well, especially my colleagues. Although I've met some impatient customers, everything has been fine. One of the colleagues collected my number and added me to a WhatsApp group, it's been so much fun.""I'm glad that you're enjoying it there. '' John beamed.They hadn't seen each other since she started working, so he hadn't had the chance to properly ask about her work experience."Morgan, if anyone harasses you there. Just tell me and I will dash there to bash their faces." John said and she laughed."I trust you. I know the lengths you can go for me and I can assure you that I've not
Italy~ Florence.Emma was eating with Fredrick, he had been a constant visitor to majorly satisfy her urge but he liked her.He had not related his feelings to her but he planned to."I don't feel like eating anymore, I don't have an appetite." Emma sighed and dropped her spoon.Since she found out about Ivy being alive, She had not been happy since then. It made her sad that her enemy was alive, she hated Ivy so much because she had ruined her plans from the beginning.It was because of Ivy that Tarquin became a little distant. It was also because of Ivy that she went to prison. If she hadn't intervened then Tarquin would have been paying for her crimes."Damn her!" Emma shrieked and banged her fists on the table, she had this anger surfing in her every time.She was like a volcano that kept erupting without warning."Damn who? What are you talking about?" Fredrick asked.He knew exactly what she, speaking about he only feigned ignorance."It's none of your business, I just need you,
Annabel, who was behind a tree, looked away from where Ivy was."You have guards, that was a clever move from Tarquin, a really smart one." her smirk slowly changed into a frown.It wouldn't be wise for her to contact anyone other than Emma. It was only Emma that she contacted when she escaped from the police.Annabel had overheard Morgan panicking about the coffee, this made her incredibly suspicious about their knowledge of her deeds.To be safe, she decided to leave the house, a night before the wedding.She didn't call Emma at that time but waited for the next day to see what would happen. She entered a cab and told the driver to stay a little bit far from her house.It was surprising to see the cops at the house and John with them. She had made a good decision by running away.Shelodged into a hotel, wore a disguise, and also used a fake identity.After a while, she started monitoring Tarquin and to her shock, she saw Ivy.Ivy was alive. She never expected it to turn out like tha
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