Nicholas had taken her occupation into account when they were selecting a car for her.
He could have bought her a regular car, without the upgraded things in it. But he knew that placing extra safety specs in it would be more useful to her.
She yawned.
“Guess I have to head to bed now..” She got up from the couch.
Her yawn was so contagious that he yawned as well, “Mn. Me too..”
&nb
Heather fell asleep soon.In the other room, Nicholas was still on his phone reading some articles.‘What do you get a woman for Christmas?’ He typed on his phone.‘56 of the Best Gifts to Get the Women in Your Life This Holiday Season’. It read.He clicked on the link.‘Back Massager Neck Massager. Dainty Initial Necklace Gold Filled Initial Coin Necklace. Terrarium Candle. Drawstring Cosmetic Organizer.’ He continued reading, trying to find a present that would suit Heather.He already prepared something for her two weeks ago but he couldn’t help second-guess himself.At the end of the article, he sighed. He was even more confused.‘I’ll just sleep this off..’ It was already one o’clock when he finally fell asleep.Kriiiing! Kriiing!!!!!!!!The next day, Heather woke up first. She forgot to turn her alarm off the night before. She’s off for a few days so she didn’t need to wake up so early like usual.With squinted eyes, she moved to shut off the alarm by her bedside.She groaned as
Heather felt heat reach her head.She could feel the man’s gaze on her as she enjoyed every bite on her food.‘Why is he looking at me? Geez.. it’s so awkward..’“Ow!” In her moment of distraction, she accidentally bit her tongue. Tears welled up in her eyes.“Are you okay?!” Nicholas came to her side immediately.She shook her head and held up her hand. “Mn. I’m okay. I just accidentally bit my tongue.”It was still slightly painful but she could still manage.She drank some water to calm her nerves.“You sure, you’re okay?”“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m okay.. Go.. go.. Just eat.. I guess I got too greedy with the food.. Ahaha..”Her cheeks became even redder after realizing what she said.‘Damn. Can I just hide in a hole right now?!’Her neck shrunk as she tried to continue with her food.“Careful..” He reminded her.She nodded, avoiding his eyes.The food was delicious but his gaze made it impossible for her to digest the food well.The coffee just made it worse. She only took a few si
Music dominated the Anderson family’s residence that morning as each of them took turns in singing.Andrew, Diana’s younger brother also joined them. Though once in a while, Diana would catch him being busy on the phone, a faint smile on his face.Soon, it was lunch time.They temporarily left the speakers playing some Christmas carol playlist as they went to the dining room.Rosemary and Philip couldn’t suppress the feeling of joy in their hearts. This is their first Christmas with Diana after all. Usually at this time, although they would be celebrating the Christmas spirit, it would still have a tinge of melancholy. Rosemary would still miss the baby that died in birth all those years ago.Fortunately, this was the end of it.They have found Diana, whom they once thought to be dead.Not only that, Lucas would also be their son-in-law soon. They were naturally in a celebratory mood.Heather was drawn into everyone’s mood that she didn’t have time to feel awkward being in their prese
Nicholas straightened his back as he chewed on the hotdog.“Mn..” He nodded. “It’s good.”Heather’s heart hammered against her chest. She felt her whole body heat up.‘Is he so comfortable with me because he sees me like his sister?’Heather didn’t know where these thoughts came from.She thought she had always been self-assured.But why is it that when it comes to Nicholas, she couldn’t help but be self-conscious.She wouldn’t let herself believe that such a great man like Nicholas would have eyes for her.She may not come from a poor family but her family’s social standing is not up to the Griffin clan’s level.Although Diana’s family have always been good to her since they reunited with Diana and they acknowledged her close friendship with their daughter, she doesn’t know much about Nicholas’s family.Diana was immediately accepted by Lucas’s family, even before her ties to the Griffin clan were revealed.Heather didn’t think that the same would happen to her.Also, what if they wo
“W-what are you doing?” She stammered, her eyes widened in shock.His face was too close to hers.She could practically see every strand of his eyelashes.His azure eyes seemed to look into her soul.“Like I said, I’m seducing you..” He chuckled softly.The sound sent shivers down her spine.But to her bewilderment, she was not disgusted or angered.Was his seduction working on her?“Stop joking already..” She evaded his eyes.A second later, she felt his hot hand cup her face, making her turn to look at him.She felt hot under his gaze.“Who said I was joking? Do I have to spell it out? I’m sure your sexy, smart brain knows what I mean.. I want you, in every way. I also wish that you just don’t see me as a friend only.” He searched her eyes as he said this, hoping to see the truth in them.He hoped that she felt the same way and that he had just not put their relationship at risk by doing this.Heather was shocked beyond words. “You–are you saying you like me more than as a friend?”
Moments later, Heather finally finished cooking dinner. She prepared the dinner table and went to call Nicholas who was already done with the storage room as well. Heather was astounded when she saw the storage room all organized. She thought it was already organized before he started doing anything, but now, she could see that it became even better. “Wow..” Heather was speechless. She didn’t know what else to say. “It’s good, right?” Nicholas was proud of his work. Heather absentmindedly nodded, her mouth agape. “Food’s ready?” “Mn.” She nodded. “Yeah.. Let’s eat..” Nicholas shut the door of the storage room and followed her to the dinner table. Nicholas made sure to pull the chair out for her, assisting her. He looked at the table. On it were a plate of classic dinner rolls, creamy mushroom chicken and garlic mashed potatoes. Heather kept glancing at Nicholas, watching his reaction. Though she had learned to cook for herself after she entered College, she wasn’t so con
Meanwhile, Diana and Lucas were now spending Christmas dinner at the Lovell family’s residence.Morris brought Katherine with him.Priscilla’s family were also there, with Rowena bringing Leopold with her.Ernest and Lillian looked over with so much joy and warmth in their eyes. However, there was a tinge of sadness in them.After the wonderful dinner, everyone left, leaving the two grandparents.“Our grandkids have grown up.” Lillian said as she sat on her chaise, looking at the old family photos.“Yes. If Lucas could give me a great grandchild soon, then I will be fulfilled. What about you?”“Not quite.” Her eyes glistened.“Hmm?”“It’s been years..”“Ah.. Yes. It has.” He went to sit beside her, pulling her close.She leaned her head against his shoulder.“I wonder how he is now. I’m still hoping and praying that we will be able to meet him..”“Me too. I haven’t given up either.”“My Adrian.. I wonder how he is now.. Is he eating? Is he sleeping well? I hope he doesn’t get sick oft
Chantal had arrived just a month ago at Vapros, an island country close to Maconia and Great Blackhampton.It is mostly densely populated and urbanized, and about three-fourths of the country’s terrain is mountainous, concentrating its population of 125.5 million on narrow coastal plains.She is now in the city of Legazlos, the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 37.4 million residents.She had never been here before and was hoping that nobody would recognize her.Surely, no one would think that she’d be here.There were too many people in one city alone, nobody would bother with her as they were busy with their own lives.These days, Chantal couldn’t help but wonder if she was naturally born unlucky.She came to Vapros, wanting to start a new life.But not long after her arrival, Chantal, who had thought she was finally free to be who she wants to be, explored life in the new city.Before she left Great Blackhampton, she had moved her money to a new account s
Lillian, Ernest and the rest arrived at the airport and were quickly assisted through the process. They were able to leave the airport and head to their residence easily. Adrian looked around and saw that everything seemed strange in his eyes. Nothing was familiar to him. It was when they were finally close to the mansion when he recognized the structure. He had dreamt of this place so many times. It had become hazy at some point. But now, he could see that this was more or less the place he lived in before he was taken. It had some new additions along with other changes such as the paint and the landscape design. But the overall structure was the same. As they entered the gates, he saw that there were a lot of people outside of the house. They were lined up even in this cold weather. Most of them seemed to be wearing uniforms under their black coats. The only ones who looked different than the others were the three couples and two young men. “Ah.. Everyone’s here.” Emma smiled
Adrian and Violet were apprehensive when they saw the big plane that they were going to ride on.Fortunately for them, they were flying through the private plane of the Lovell family, else, they would be even more embarrassed by the way they were acting.To their memory, this was their first time being on any plane.That simply was not true for Adrian, as the family had gone on vacations before that needed the plane. It’s just that this memory may have been forgotten by Adrian already.As for Violet, this was her first ever flight.They at least knew what a plane was.They were only anxious as to how they would feel once they’re already up in the air.Lillian and the rest tried to distract them from these thoughts.Hugh and Leroy offered them some wine and snacks.Emma and Priscilla showed them the movies they could watch on the screen in front of their seat.Lillian especially made sure they felt warm and comfortable, giving them blankets and pillows, showing them how to recline thei
“Yes, Dad. Alright–Mn..Goodnight.” Lucas said to Hugh on the phone.Hugh had called him to let him know that they would be heading back in the morning with Adrian and his friend, Violet.Hugh and Leroy’s secretaries have received updates regarding a background check on Violet’s family.They’ve decided to let Violet stay with the Lovell family as a guest.In the residence, there’s usually only the elders living with their staff. Usually, it would be busier during holidays and if there are any special occasions. In those times, everyone would gather in the residence and stay in their rooms reserved for them.Lillian and Ernest have held out hope that Adrian would return to them so they never thought of letting anybody else use it.Lillian would personally clean it and it was only in the later years that she let her staff help her.She wanted to preserve whatever remaining scent Adrian had left.There were times when she would burst out in tears, realizing that she could no longer recall
Soon, the driver, John Garcia, pulled up outside of the hotel where Lillian and the rest were staying.Adrian was no longer as anxious as he was half an hour ago, still he could still remember the bullets trying to penetrate through the car and the explosion after those goons’ cars had collided.Detective Jones glanced at him, noticing how pale Adrian was.Still, he commended him for not breaking down and not getting in their way.And also, because of him, they were able to rescue so many people who have been missing for years.Perhaps the Mayor might even think of rewarding Adrian because of his contribution.At the moment though, it was inappropriate to bring it up, given what the man had just experienced.So after escorting them to the hotel, Detective Jones left them, joining the other Officers with the rescued people.It was a field day for the reporters, gathering outside the police department.On the televisions of most households, they showed several people with their heads lo
As John Garcia was driving the car forward, everyone in the car held their breaths.They already knew that those people were Mortimer’s men. They could only play along for now, hoping for them to think that Adrian was in the other cars.But then–that possibility is very low.The black car they’re in was far from ordinary upon close inspection.And like clockwork, shots rang.Adrian ducked, covering his head with his arms.John Garcia gripped the steering wheel while Howard Dawson and Detective Jones cocked their guns.A voice of one of the policemen came on the comms. “Keep going. Follow the second group!”No matter what, they couldn’t let Adrian and the people who had just been rescued be in Mortimer’s hands again.John Garcia didn’t hesitate and quickly sped on.Mortimer’s men have picked the road where there’s only farm crops on each side, the road only leading one way.The city was still quite far so blending in or hiding in some alleyway would still be impossible.For now, they s
The drive was calm, with John Garcia, the driver not making any stops if he could help it.The car could drive even without gas as it can run on solar power.It could be recharged at a charging station, could store gas and could be powered through solar. This is all thanks to the upgrades done by the Lovell Technologies.With the drive being calm, Adrian fell to sleep.Even Detective Jones dozed off as well, his head hitting the window a couple of times.An hour into the drive, the car suddenly beeped in alarm.Adrian and Detective Jones groaned, having been woken up by the alarm.“What is it? What’s happening?” Detective Jones asked.“There seems to be an accident up ahead.” John Garcia answered, pointing at the GPS shown on the screen in front of him.“Is there another road we can take?” The bodyguard, Hoyt Cole asked.“This is the only road back to Westbury..” John Garcia answered.“Maybe the road is not totally blocked–” Detective Jones said.“Alright then–we’ll keep going..”“Sta
After canvassing the full layout of the building and accounting the number of people inside, Detective Jones and the other Officers made their strategic plan.An hour later, they made their move.Adrian was made to stay in the car while he viewed their perspective from the tablet device.He was given eyes for different cameras. Two more Officers were also monitoring it from their tablet devices.They compared every person found to the sketches from Adrian’s description of the people held captive. And also of the ones Adrian said were the people who ordered them around.Adrian watched as the trained Officers infiltrated the area covertly.CCTV cameras were hacked and made to play the same view over and over again.They knocked out the guards with tranquilizers, making sure they wouldn’t be waking up so soon.They were separated into groups. One made way to the sleeping quarters of the captives, another entered the main building, and another surrounded all possible exits.There were onl
Adrian held her hand, squeezing it.At that moment, Hugh returned to the room and was startled by the silence.“What happened?” He asked. His eyes wandered to Violet who now had her head lowered, her hand covering her eyes and her shoulders shaking.‘Is she crying?’ His brows furrowed.“Violet just remembered what happened that time when she was taken away.” Emma summarized it for him.He nodded. “By the way–I’ve just received information just now. Violet–it has something to do with you. If this is not a good time, I won’t say it.”She looked up, quickly wiping her tears with the cloth napkin.“No, please, I want to hear it.”Hugh nodded.“What is it, Hugh?” Emma asked.“It’s about her family.”They all glanced at Violet, gauging her reaction.“I remember–my mother died that time.” She said.Hugh nodded, confirming what she had remembered.Her heart fell. Deep inside, she was hoping that she was wrong. That she remembered it wrongly.Tears continued to fall down her cheeks. The napkin
Knock. Knock.“I’ll go get it..” Emma said.She opened the door and saw her younger brother, Adrian.“Ah.. Adrian.. What is it?”Adrian was startled.He stepped back to check if he knocked on the correct room or not.“You have something you need from Violet?” She smiled.His brows shot up. “Oh. Um–I was going to bring her to the dining room.”“Ah.. I see. Well, just in time. We’re done here as well.” Emma smiled. She turned her head and called over. “Come on you two..”“Okay!” Priscilla said. “Let’s go Violet..”Priscilla brought Violet over.Adrian was struck for a moment when he saw Violet.He had never seen her so dolled up.Her hair was beautiful and so is her overall look. Her face was even more beautiful than usual.Violet’s head hung as her cheeks blushed bright red.Adrian cleared his throat.“Let’s go..” Adrian tilted his head.“Mn.” Violet nodded.