“Why are you doing this father? That little boy needs his mother.” In the office at the ranch, Mark’s dad and his grandfather had a heated conversation. “That Edward’s granddaughter can not stay married to my grandson. That family brings nothing but trouble.” Old Mr. Johnson insisted. “Father, why can’t you let whatever issues you and Mr Edward have go? At Least for these children. I don’t want my son to marry someone who will never make him happy.”l He tried to change his father’s mind but as always he never succeeded. “Sasha is the right woman for him." "He does not love her." "He may be infatuated by that Edward's granddaughter, now but eventually he will learn to love Sasha. She is a good girl and will be an excellent mother to my great grandson.” Mr Johnson sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes not interested in arguing anymore. "You are unbelievable." Shaking his head, Mark’s dad left banging the door on his way out. “Calm down honey, let’s see what Mark has to say
Melissa lived in Edward’s mansion for weeks’ training every day. Though her grandfather was against her plans, he would not let her face the Johnsons on her own. He watched her run around the field every morning and work out in the gym. Often instructing David to be too hard on her whenever she got flustered and left in the middle of the practice. Standing at the floor to ceiling window, he watched his grandchildren teasing each other. Back then, he never thought his choices in life would hurt his family this much. Looking at his grandchildren reminded him of how close and happy his boys were. “They are getting along very well.” Lucy said, placing the tea tray on his office desk. “Yes, if only I can stop her from doing what she is planning. Prevent her from being so hateful and resentful, then we would all be happy.” “Are you afraid of meeting Johnson face to face?” She asked handing him a cup of tea. “I knew this day was inevitable, but I’m worried about what it might do to
"Oh wow." Diana uttered when she saw the magazine's cover picture. "I would love to see your face Melissa. Haha, how does it feel to lose the love of your life?" She laughed holding Melissa's picture. Sasha had finally managed to get what she wanted. With Mark out of the picture, Diana planned to get Melissa. She had a perfect plan to catch her prey. "Ma'am, we have a problem. Luke Edward has been snooping around our territory asking about the supplier. What should we do?" Her assistant walked in breathless. "Why spoil my happy moment?" She asked, turning around. "Do something to keep him busy in his own company so that way he will leave my business alone." Since the organization broke up, Luke Edward ordered his people to stop all illegal transactions but Diana gathered some customers and went on with the supply. She had made her factory under the Edward's. For years she had been supplying without Luke Edward's knowledge. After closing her casinos for two months, they were open
Everyone in the mansion stopped to stare at Melissa as she walked down the stairs in a short sleeved white dress that flared around her ankles. Raising it slightly with one hand supporting herself on the handrail with the other, she gracefully took a step after the other. "Thank you." She smiled as David offered his hand guiding her down the last steps. "My baby sister looks stunning. When Mark sets his eyes on you, he won't know what hit him." He teased, handing her a gun. "Don't flatter me, brother. You know why we are going there, so don't get carried away." She said putting the gun in her clasp pochette bag. "Do you need to take that?" Joining them, Betty asked, with a concerned look on her face. "Yes aunt I have to. I'm not leaving that place without my son no matter what." Sighing, she turned to look at her aunt. "For your safety aunt, you can't come. Please stay here. I don't want you to get hurt." "I promised to take care of you, honey." She touched Melissa's hand
The two old men sat out of breath after slapping and punching each other a few times. "You're getting old Edward." Mr. Johnson sneered, stretching on the coach. "You never see yourself, do you Johnson? You're way older than I am. I only let you go out of pity." Mr. Edward spoke, wiping sweat from his forehead. "You want us to start again Edward? Don't be too full of yourself." Mr Johnson got up pointing a finger at him then sat back as fast wincing in pain. "This body keeps failing me." They both laughed despite the exhaustion and pain. "What happened to us, Edward? You were my best friend, my brother." Johnson asked, feeling worn out. "I always ask myself the same thing." Mr Edward sighed. "That night when the police arrested me, a dark cloud fell in my heart. I hated you so much for what you did to me. Seeing my father's disappointment in me completely broke me. All these years I've tried to get back at you so I can erase that pain." "I know you never believed me back then bu
Looking for a way into the party hall through the back door, Betty bumped into Lisa carrying Tommy in her arms. David had left her in the car after warning her not to join the party for her safety which she agreed to only to put him off. "Where is Melissa?" She asked, taking Tommy from her to calm him down. "She is coming. I left her talking to Mark back there. We have to get to the car." Lisa responded, proceeding her to the car. "Is she okay? Calm down." Betty asked, kissing terrified Tommy on the cheek. "She asked me to wait in the car." Lisa stopped at the doorway as she glanced back. "I have to look for her. Don't cry honey, I'll go get your mum. Stay with aunt Lisa okay." Betty handed Tommy back to Lisa and went into the building calling out to her. "Melissa, Melissa." Worried she may get hurt, Betty ran along the corridor opening all the doors shouting her name. "Betty!" When she heard her name, she closed the third door she had opened and turned to look at the men be
On the plane back home, no one spoke to Melissa. She sat with sleeping Tommy in her arms remembering Mark's hurt disappointed look as they drove away. She wanted so much to go back. Hug him and tell him how much she loved him, how much she missed him but she couldn't. With every waking moment, she missed waking up to his smiling face watching her sleep but it was over now. He deceived her many times; she didn't know what the truth was anymore. "Grandma, what is wrong with mummy? Why did she leave daddy today?" Standing behind the door at the mansion Melissa overheard Tommy and her aunt's conversion. "Mommy is just going through something right now. We have to be patient with her. I'm sure she and your daddy will be okay soon." Betty tried to explain as simply as she could. "Grandma, I don't like this mommy. I miss my daddy. He has been feeling pain every day. Can't mommy go take care of him to make him better?" "Don't worry honey, mommy will take care of daddy and he will get
At the breakfast table, they all sat enjoying their meal when Melissa joined them. Looking around she sat at the table but no one paid any attention to her. After Mr. Johnson's visit, she hoped to see Mark when she got from her room but he didn't show up making her feel a little disappointed he had given up on her. "Are you waiting for someone?" Her grandfather asked when he noticed how her eyes kept darting to the entrance. "Hmm! No, who could I be waiting for? You are all here apart from uncle of course." She said coughing a little to mask her feelings then concentrated on her meal and missed the look they exchanged between them. "Mummy, do you have to go to work today?" Tommy asked after the meal as she got up to leave. "Yes honey I have to, why are you asking?" She sat back to talk to him. "I want to go to the park. Can you take me?" "I can't right now baby, why don't you let grandmother take you and next time mummy will accompany you." She tried to persuade him but he
At Edward's mansion, the whole family sat together for the first time since the explosion. The blast that claimed three of Mr Edward's employees. Mr Edward accompanied by David made a press briefing assuring the country that his family was safe and the explosion was caused by a gas leak. Now with the renovations complete, the mansion stood greater than it was before. Mr Edward, Ms Lucy, and Mr Johnson sat in the garden talking mostly about their childhood and how their lives had changed since they fell apart. Thanks to Diana's confession, they now knew her grandfather was the one who planted the gold jewellery in Edward's jacket, sending him to prison. Moses' father was an employee at Johnson's farm but got fired when his drinking and negligence caused the farm a handful of cattle. When Edward's father replaced him, Moses father committed suicide, and since then, Moses blamed Edward for his ruined childhood. When Edward started the organization, Moses' empire collapsed. He
“Richard, you’ve come." Cassandra rushed from the first floor carrying a doll in her hand and a lady dressed in white running after her. "Aunt Cassandra!" Mark stared at her as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Cassandra!" Her sister peeled her from Mark. “You see, I told you Richard will come for me and our baby." She smiled, holding onto Mark’s arm, stopping him from leaving. “Yes Cassandra, let him have some rest first." Sasha’s mother took Cassandra’s hand forcing her to let go of Mark. “So sorry for that." Sasha’s mother apologized holding Cassandra back. “They diagnosed her with dementia. Most of the time she makes things up and confuses people." She explained to Mark who froze staring at Cassandra. After learning of Cassandra's evil scheme that kept his family apart, Richard sent her away. They didn't have her imprisoned but Richard declined all communication with her. “Oh! I'm so sorry." Mark took a step back when she tried to hold his arm again. Staring at what
At the states, Sasha sat opposite her mother and grandfather, biting her fingernails. She couldn’t dare look her grandfather in the eyes. “Please forgive me. I never meant for all this to happen. Mum!” When her mother overheard her phone conversation with Diana, she forced her to confess to her involvement in Melissa’s kidnapping. “I can’t believe you are capable of this Sasha. Do you see how your obsession with Mark has hurt people?” Her mother asked with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry!” She sniffed trying to hold her mother’s hand. “This is my fault. I pushed my daughter and granddaughter too hard. I turned them into heartless monsters. Being a Johnson was my dream and now my children suffer because of my greed.” Sasha’s grandfather said ashamed of what he had made them do. “No father, you only did it thinking of their well being. Don’t blame yourself father, they chose to force what was not working.” His eldest daughter tried to console him. “But I put the idea in them. How
"They are moving, I have to get to Melissa." Mark glanced at the tracker in his hand. "We are almost there." Robert fastened his seat belt. "Once they pass the bridge it will be too late. Call Andrew and the police chief, they have to close the road." Mark instructed him. "I can't lose you again Melissa." He said to himself looking at the wedding ring on his left hand clutching the steering wheel. "Careful bro. We can't save her if we are dead." Seated beside Mark, Robert cautioned as he accelerated the speed. "We are running out of time, Robert. I promised to protect her." "And you will get her back." On the other side, David and his security team raided the house. They shot dead most of Diana's men, injuring several of them. "Where did they take my sister?" He beat up one of the guards but no matter how hard he hit him, he didn't say a thing. "Stop, you're going to kill him." The lady who helped Melissa shouted. "These people know nothing, even if you kill them they won
"Ma'am, we have a problem." One of Diana's men got into the office out of breath. "Our men on the perimeter just informed me, there are several vehicles with armed men ending this way." "What? Are they police?" Diana asked as she gathered her things, stuffing them in a travel bag. "No, they look like the men from Edward's security." He explained. "Damn it. How did they find us?" She ran a hand through her hair. "What do we do now ma'am?" "Get my car ready. We have to get to the plane." She ordered walking out. "You think you can outsmart me?" Diana banged the door open and woke Melissa up. "What happened? Ouch, you're hurting me.""Get up." Diana pulled Melissa up by the hair then frisked her body for a phone. "You brought them here." "What's going on? I have nothing on me, Diana." Melissa cried out as Diana pulled her hair. "What is this?" Diana asked, looking at the tiny red light on Melissa's necklace. "What?" "F*ck, this led them straight to us." Diana plucked off the n
Two days earlier. In Mr Edward’s office, Mark almost went mad calling everyone on his contact list. As he looked for ways to get Melissa back, David and Mr Edward organized a search team with the police and his security team when Luke Edward barged in. "You have to get out." "Luke!" Mr Edward roared as the door bust open. “There is a bomb in the office dad. We have to leave now.” The three men stared at him as he checked the bookshelf and the cabinets.Trying to get information on the new gang in town, Luke sent one of his trusted men to investigate. The man was later captured and tortured. While locked up, he overheard the plan to bomb Edward's mansion and as they took him out to finish him off, he escaped. Then went straight to Luke's office. When Luke got the information, he instructed his men to take him to their private doctor as he ran to the mansion. Though he never saw eye to eye with his father on most things, he still loved him and was willing to risk his life for h
When Melissa opened her eyes, she glanced from the blue bed sheets to the gray painting on the wall. With her hands and feet tied, she looked around the unfamiliar room. A few minutes later, the door opened inviting in a young lady carrying food and water on a tray, followed closely by one of Diana’s armed men. “Take some medicine for your head.” The lady instructed, handing her the glass of water and a white pill. “Please untie my hands.” Melissa requested which the man obliged to. Then cuffed her left hand on the bed. “Make sure you eat. I’ll come for the plate later.” The lady instructed, after making sure she had swallowed the pill. “Where is Diana? I want to see her. I demand to know if anyone survived the explosion. Hey, where is Diana?” She asked, but no one talked back to her. They left the room, locking the door. Curled on the bed, Melissa stared at the food for a while. Watching the explosion felt like her world had ended. She didn’t want to imagine life without Mar
Driving from Edward’s mansion with her brother, Melissa got a message from Sasha. She asked to meet at a hotel a few miles out of town for some interior deco inputs on an office she was opening in the States where she planned to relocate to. “I’m afraid I can’t come with you to the company. Sasha wants us to meet for lunch. She needs my help with something.” She informed David after reading the message. “Are you sure it’s okay to meet with her alone? I can take you there.” David said, feeling restless about the meeting. “She is not that bad of a person when you get to know her and I have to be friendly with her for Mark. The two families are very close. Whether I like it or not, she will always be around whenever we go for any of Johnson’s family functions.” She said, trying to ease his worries. “The driver will take you. Be very careful. If you suspect anything, get out and make sure to call me once your meeting is done.” He instructed, still feeling reluctant to let her go a
Seated in the office at the steels company, Melissa smiled remembering the wonderful places they visited over the weekend. The family of three took road trips most of the free weekend's, which was both exciting and educational for Tommy as they visited different parts of the world. Mark was extremely affectionate, always pampering her and providing everything they needed more than they asked for. Which often reminded her of her father. The man who worked hard to provide for his little girl. After the ceremony they had moved into the Johnson's mansion but since his mother was back at the farm and her aunt had moved to live with the Edward's as she prepared to move to her husband's home, they went back to the villa house. After years of mourning, Betty reunited with her son and husband. Cassandra didn't accept Richard going back to Betty. In a fit of range she attacked Betty and threatened to slits her throat if she didn't turn down Richard, luckily Richard and the family interve