“What do you mean doctor? You have to do something!” Zander yelled in frustration startling his wife and the oncologist in charge of her treatment.The doctor was used to reactions like this from his clients. He shook his head sadly “Mr. Scott, believe me…we have tried every form of treatment and we have failed” “Then try again!” Zander retorted angrily, his hands trembling on the desk. He could hear Laurie sobbing softly beside him so he tried to calm down. “This cannot be happening to me now”The doctor shook his head “Please calm down Sir. We are doing the best that we can to save your wife…”Zander banged hard on the desk in frustration “Your best is not enough! Is this the best you can do? Really! She is not getting better!”“Can you calm down Zander? Please…” Laurie pleaded, sniffling and wiping her tears gently with her handkerchief.“We can try the radiation this time Mrs. Scott” the doctor spoke again addressing Laurie who shook her head furiously.“No…please I can't go thro
(PRESENT DAY)The knock on her door wouldn't stop. Cassie woke up feeling like she had run a marathon in her dreams. “I am so tired”. She sat up in her bed and looked around the room. Her head was spinning.The knock came again breaking through her hazy thoughts and forcing her wide awake “Ma’am! Miss Cassie!” She recognized Jeffrey’s voice. “Please come in!” she called out. She tried to stand and the wave of nausea hit her with force.She ran into the bathroom just as Jeffrey walked into the room. “Ma’am it is time for….” He paused staring at the bathroom as the sound of her vomiting echoed in the large room.“Do you need help Miss?” He asked unsure of what to do.She rinsed her mouth first and walked out of the bathroom, making sure to wrap her robe around herself tightly.“No Jeffrey. I am alright” she replied. She watched him expectantly.Realizing that he had not explained his presence in her room, Jeffrey shifted uncomfortably “Ummm….it is time for your morning gym ses
Cassie tried to avoid turning around to steal glances at him as he pounded at the sack furiously. She glanced at him again as she worked on the treadmill. He was hurriedly pulling off his loose shirt. The sight of toned abs and his large biceps took her by surprise.“Oh” she gulped and missed her step on the machine.“Are you okay ma'am?” The instructor asked, reaching out to steady her on the treadmill.She nodded, her cheeks turning bright red with embarrassment. “Yeah”He didn't even flinch or notice them. She stood, mouth open staring at him.Her instructor stood watching her, puzzled.His back and chest glistened with sweat. He only stopped for a few seconds to adjust the wrap around his fingers and then continued to pound at the hanging sack.Probably sensing that he was being watched, he turned around suddenly to face them. “Uhmm” Cassie cleared her throat and looked around the gym, smoothing her hair nervously with her hands.When she eventually found her courage and turne
Cameron’s smile was filled with mischief. He looked around the office and faced his brother with a smirk. “This office still looks the same. Boring” Zander ignored his comment. “Cameron Scott” Cameron chuckled softly “In the flesh!”Zander scoffed and walked towards his bar. He poured himself a drink and turned to Cameron who had not moved from the spot.“Are you done touring the whole of Europe? Are you sure you've met all the beautiful women yet?” He teased.“Oh absolutely not! But I had to cut my trip short. I hear we have more interesting business at home” Cameron replied, his curious eyes watching Zander's face closely.Zander gave him a knowing smile and picked up an empty glass “Care for a Drink?”“Sure”“Whiskey, scotch, wine…”“None of that soft stuff. Whiskey please” Zander knew that despite his playful attitude, Cameron was always fishing for information. He poured another glass of whiskey and walked towards his brother with the glass.He had not seen his brother in
Cassie could sense the tension in the room as she walked in. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and clutched at her long red dress. “I thought we might have to pull you to this place with a string young lady” an older lady she could tell was Zander's mother scolded her from the table. All eyes were on her. She felt like a sheep walking into a den of lions. She mumbled an apology under her breath hoping it was heard and walked to the seat that had her name on it. She found herself sitting right next to Zander who didn't even say a word to her. He turned and scanned her from head to toe, then gave a simple nod of satisfaction.She sank into the seat and stared at her plate, wishing that the dinner was over.Zander cleared his throat and addressed everyone calmly “Well…I suppose we are all here now. This is Cassie Barns, the surrogate carrying my child…Laurie's child.”Zoe scoffed, eyeing Cassie in disgust. She didn't bother to hide the irritation in her eyes. “She is a str
Cassie ran into her room leaving Jeffrey and the security men outside. She quickly banged the door in their face, ignoring Jeffrey’s attempt to ask if she was doing okay.She slid to the floor with her back to the door and broke down in tears.“What did I do to deserve this?”“You are Nothing!” Zander's mother's voice echoed again in her head.Her body shook violently as she sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself. She cried until her body felt like it would collapse from exhaustion. Her phone started to ring, breaking through her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID but it wasn't a saved number. She ignored it, swiping at the screen furiously to stop the call.Her mind went back to the events of the last hour. She had not expected any grand welcome but she didn't expect the hostility either.A little coldness would have been understandable but this was shocking. If Jeffrey had not intervened when he did, she would have been physically assaulted or worse.She couldn't understand w
“You were right Linda” Cassie sat with Linda in her kitchen, watching her chop vegetables. She had managed to find a silly reason to leave the mansion since Jeffrey and Zander were away on a business trip.“Rich people are different,” she continued.Her mind replayed the events of the family dinner again and she pushed them away, forcing herself to focus on the small bowl of ice cream in front of her. Linda watched her silently as she played around with her spoon, managing a few scoops of the vanilla and banana flavored ice cream.“I thought you loved Vanilla and banana” Cassie had the same question on her mind. This was usually her favorite flavor. She has even craved them so badly the week before. “It is my favorite but…I don't know, I just don't want it anymore” Cassie replied pushing the bowl away.Linda smiled, reaching out to take away the bowl of rejected ice cream. “You really are pregnant Cassie”Cassie looked up at her in confusion and she quickly explained.“The wild
Everyone in the kitchen froze except Cassie who was confused. She took a quick look around her and realized that the warm smiles on their faces had been replaced by terror.She slowly stood from her seat and stood watching Zoe who stood at the door in gym wear glaring at them.“What are you doing here?” Zoe asked, not bothering to hide her anger.Cassie smelt trouble brewing but she couldn't come up with a good escape plan. Zoe was standing at the door and she couldn't leave.“I was hungry so…” she began Zoe scoffed, staring her down from head to toe.“And what? You think you can walk in here and order our staff around?!” she asked, furiously.“No! No! I just wanted something to eat” Cassie replied meekly, staring at the floor.“The nerve of this bitch! How dare you?!” Zoe yelled.Cassie knew she had to leave. She didn't understand why Zoe was mad at her but she wasn't sure she wanted to find out in this situation.She hurriedly grabbed the cup of hot chocolate in one hand and the s
Dr. Brown's brows went up in surprise but she quickly recovered from her shock and smiled.“You didn't seem open to seeing someone new the last time we spoke…”“Oh no no no, that's not what I meant…” Zander quickly interrupted, sensing what she thought he meant.“Oh”“I met her a long time ago. She was the surrogate I chose for my baby”Dr. Brown narrowed her eyes but didn't reveal any emotion on her face.“Go on”He chose his next words carefully, making sure that he didn't pass any wrong messages across.“We had a terrible misunderstanding after she lost the pregnancy in an accident and we parted ways in a horrible manner…”He then proceeded to narrate the entire story leading up to when he found out that Cassie had been framed by his sister and Bella Hampton. He left nothing out. He also told her of his meet ups with Cassie and how they went.At the end of the story, Dr. Brown lifted her head from her notepad and exhaled slowly.“How do you feel about the situation right now?” she
“Did Maya asked you to come to my house by this time? Did she tell you about my meeting with your brother?” She asked in disbelief.She had to stop this nonsense soon enough. Maya was beginning to overstep her boundaries. “He is not my brother! Stay away from him!” Cameron spat out.Making sure that she was looking him straight in the eye, she said “You cannot order me around anymore. Do not get ahead of yourself”Before she knew what was happening, he quickly grabbed her arm tightly and forced her to look into his face.“Let me go! You are hurting me!” Cassie screamed but he squeezed her arm harder.“I do not want to see him anywhere around you ever again!” He ordered, his eyes cold and unfeeling.Fighting back the fear that surged through her, she shook off his hands forcefully and increased the distance between them.Like someone who had just been possessed by something, it looked like he had just realized what he did.He took a step forward but she backed away even further, poin
Her soft round eyes met his across the bucket of chicken and it felt like time froze in that moment.“Why?” She asked softly, breaking the silence.He considered his answer very carefully, knowing that it could ruin the moment if he was careless about it.“Because, I think you might be the light I have struggled to find for so long”He held her gaze, hoping that his eyes told her the many things he couldn't put into words.She didn't look away or pull her hand away and he considered it a good sign.She opened her mouth to respond just as the doorbell rang, shattering the moment and forcing him to let go of her soft hands.“I am not going expecting anyone. Who could it be at this time?” She muttered as she got on her feet and headed towards the door.He heard her gasp softly and rose to his feet, wiping his hands on the paper towel. Then came Cameron's voice.Cameron - “Hey babe. I was just in the area and I wanted to check on you”.Cassie - Sounding irritated and whispering harshly “Y
(7PM DINNER TIME)Zander took one last look at his shoes and exhaled sharply before pressing her doorbell.He couldn't help the anxious pounding in his chest as he waited for her to open the door.He heard some movement behind the door and soon after, he was staring at her face to face.“Hey, you made it”She sounded disappointed for a moment. Did she expect him to turn down the invitation?“Yeah….” He trailed off, feeling the awkward tension between them go up several degrees.He chose to wear a shirt and suit pants without the jacket and tie for thirty dinner but from her dressing, she was going for a more casual look.Her hair fell in loose curls, framing her face beautifully and she wore a strapless floral dress that hit the floor in graceful waves.Tearing his eyes away from her smooth skin, he cleared his throat.“Can I come in?”She opened the door wider with a nervous smile, giving way for him to enter the room.“Sure”His eyes fell on someone standing with her hands crossed i
(SEVERAL HOURS EARLIER)Cassie smiled at the pizza delivery guy who had just brought in her order, signed and carried the large box into her house.She had ordered the pizza on her way home, eager to just relax and spend some time alone.Ever since her modelling career kicked off, it has become increasingly difficult to get any quiet time for herself.On her way to the living room where she had a movie waiting, she grabbed a bottle of wine.“It is ME time!” She took one look at the sofa and another look on the floor, then settled for the comfort of her sofa.Making herself comfortable on the sofa, she opened the box and poured herself a glass of wine. Few minutes into her movie, the doorbell rang and she turned to the door in frustration.Who is it again? I am not expecting anyone this evening. The doorbell rang again and again in quick succession until she was forced to get up and get the door.She looked through the monitor and rolled her eyes, then opened the door to let Maya in
Zander paused at the therapist's door for a minute and considered running away.Come on Zander! You're not chickening out of this right now! Dr. Kim's words came rushing back to his mind.“Maybe the answer is in healing from your wounds”You have spent a long time running away, Zander. How much longer until you actually break down? Taking a deep breath, he turned the door handle and walked in.His therapist was a kind looking woman that looked old enough to be his mother. Her soft smile and warm greeting made him feel at ease.“You are Dr. Brown?” It wasn't exactly a question but it sort of came out that way.She laughed a little and waved him to a seat.“I take it that you were expecting something else. Someone much younger perhaps?”He shifted nervously in his seat and cleared his throat “Err…not really. I am not sure what I was expecting. Sorry if I sounded weird”She shook her head with an understanding smile “In this room, you are allowed to be your weird self. There are no
“Okay let's get a shot from the side. Can you look up and into the distance for me, Cassie?”Drowning out the noise in the busy studio, Cassie obeyed the photographer’s orders as usual.“How much longer do I have to stay this way?” She whined.He only chuckled and changed his position to take even more shots.“Alright, you can change the pose. How about some skin?”Their eyes met and she raised a brow at him“How much skin are we talking about?” He moved over and adjusted the oversized shirt she was wearing to give a little teasing view of the lacy bra she was wearing underneath.“Let us start here. Give me some spicy poses, okay?”She nodded and changed her pose severally while he took his shots.“Oooouuu that is really nice! I love that. Hold on a minute!”Few shots later, he got bored of the look again and she laughed at the pout he made.She loved working with Liam. He found a way to make the shoots fun and enjoyable every time.Suddenly, she noticed everyone staring at the entra
Zander got out of his car and hesitated for a few minutes, trying to build up his courage. He was finally having a face to face conversation with Cassie but he wasn't sure if he could go through with it.“How do I face her after everything that has happened?” His phone pinged and he checked the new message. It was from Cassie and it read;“Hey. I got to the restaurant a bit early. I am waiting in the private room you reserved.”He glanced at the building. She was here already?His heart began to sound furiously in his chest. He was hoping to get some time to catch his breath before she arrived. Well, here goes.He forced himself to move away from the car and walked up the stairs.As he was led into the private room where she was waiting, he found himself struggling to keep a steady breath.She looked breathtaking even when she was dressed in a casual top and jeans. She let her long hair fall on her shoulders and barely wore any makeup.He approached the table eagerly and debated in
Zander got out of his car and hesitated for a few minutes, trying to build up his courage. He was finally having a face to face conversation with Cassie but he wasn't sure if he could go through with it.“How do I face her after everything that has happened?” His phone pinged and he checked the new message. It was from Cassie and it read;“Hey. I got to the restaurant a bit early. I am waiting in the private room you reserved.”He glanced at the building. She was here already?His heart began to sound furiously in his chest. He was hoping to get some time to catch his breath before she arrived. Well, here goes.He forced himself to move away from the car and walked up the stairs.As he was led into the private room where she was waiting, he found himself struggling to keep a steady breath.She looked breathtaking even when she was dressed in a casual top and jeans. She let her long hair fall on her shoulders and barely wore any makeup.He approached the table eagerly and debated in