"Sure.” Madison assented, nodding to Alvarez's idea of having some coffee at a nearby shop he had sighted on his way to her motel. "I do need some fresh air after all this crying," She joked.She didn't think it necessary to tell him that the said coffee would be the first thing she was having today. If she did, she knew he would insist on getting her something to eat. And she didn't wish to be anyone's burden.The worried look on his face told her that be didn't think it was that amusing, but she waved it off, glad that he was here as he helped her pack her luggage into the trunk of his car.Madison turned to face Alvarez as he suddenly began to laugh heartily. "Hey, watch the road," She warned jokingly, joining in his contagious laughter although she wasn't sure the reason for it. "What's so funny anyways?""I just remembered when I used to help you sneak out to watch those circus shows your father thorough despised.” He laughed again. "We really were some trio weren't we?" She join
Damien had been trying his hardest not to feel so impatient, but it was obvious that he was as he continuously tapped his palm against his thigh, waiting for Mr Rudiger’s arrival again today.After a few moments of checking his watch at intervals, his secretary finally rang to inform him of Mr Rudiger's arrival. He immediately ordered her to him in and looked up in anticipation when the door swung open."Give me good news," He said, ignoring the presence of the other man who accompanied Mr Rudiger.He frowned when he saw Mr Rudiger take off his glasses and rub his forehead. "We have been tracking the Connors like you requested, but so far we haven't been able to get any information on the immediate family, or how their empire crashed. It's almost like they all vanished into thin air."Damien's face crumpled in anger. "That's all you've come up with? It's been days. I'm starting to think you're not the right person for this job. I need something beneficial."Mr Rudiger nodded. "Fortuna
Madison woke up with a start, as the noise of the incessant banging on her door resounded heavily through the room. As she hurried to her feet, wondering who could possibly be knocking like that, a sharp ache ran through her head, making her grimace in pain. She still had the searing headache from yesterday, and she hasn’t done anything to treat it, as she wasn't sure if she could afford to get some painkillers with the little change she had. Her eyebrows cocked in surprise when she unlocked her door to reveal the motel owner. She knew he was the owner, because she had seen him the day she moved in with Alvarez. Rubbing her hands up and down to warm herself up, she greeted him. "What can I do for you today?" She asked, puzzled as to what he could want so early in the morning. Her heart skipped a beat as a thought crossed her mind. But she waved it away. Alvarez had paid for the room already, so it couldn't possibly be because she was owing. "You have some visitors waiting to s
Madison sat crouched on the floor of her small motel room, her hands placed tightly over her ears in an attempt to block out the distant sounds of the hoarded paparazzi who still swarmed outside her room actually, asking for her reappearance. Her hands pressed harder over her ears as she sobbed, the residue of tears at the back of her eyes falling down helplessly, she kept hoping for someone to come take her away from all of this misery. She was already fed up with the series of unending challenges she had to face, but now it only worsened by the day. She just wanted it all to end. She was tired of everything. As she shut her eyes tightly, tears streaming down her face, she continued crying, pouring out her pain so seriously that she didn’t even hear the door of her room swing open, until a very familiar husky called out, “Madison!" Alvarez… She looked up seeing him barge in, panic and worry visible on his face, and quickly she scrambled up to her feet the moment she saw him. "
Damien furiously tossed his phone to the passenger seat, hissing loudly as he turned on the ignition and started his car. He had no care in the world that the wind was ruffling his hair, which he hadn't even bothered to style today. He was so angry, the fury in him increasing every second and as he stepped on the gas, driving at high speed, his mind wandered away to the various issues bothering him.It was as though everything happening today was meant to frustrate him and make him furious. First, one of the maids had prepared a different coffee than the one he usually took, giving him a ten-minute allergic reaction, where he had to go to the toilet at intervals before coming to work. Next, there was no signal on his laptop back at home, and he had a project to finish, and this was why he was heading to the office this early to do it on his computer there. His car safe in the parking lot, he stood at the entrance of his large company, his mind miles away from the present. Sighing d
Madison swallowed nervously, her heart pounding as she hurriedly ran after Alvarez. She silently prayed that whatever had him in such a mood, was not as bad as she had already begun to imagine, because a lot of different scenarios had already started to play out in her head. Deciding to hear from Alvarez first before jumping into conclusions and giving herself a heart attack, she walked faster to get to him, and soon she sighted him.He was just about to go into his bedroom, and she caught him on time."Alvarez!" She called out, making him pause in his steps, as he turned to look in her direction. He frowned, a bit surprised to see her, she could see it in his countenance but that was the least of her worries now. Already out of breath from racing so fast after him, she finally got to where he was standing, and exhaled in relief slowly."Madison… What's the matter? Did something happen in the kitchen?" He asked, panic already obvious on his face.She shook her head quickly, "No, n
Damien's fingers moved feverishly over the keyboard of his computer, as he typed out all the information he needed for a project at hand.He needed to forward it to his business partner as soon as possible, and he couldn’t afford any delays at all. He was supposed to have finished last night, but of course he had to entertain Katherine, who like always never got enough.He had woken up as early as possible this morning, partly because he had to rush down to the office and finish up his work and partly because he also really didn't feel like talking to Katherine first thing in the morning. He had a feeling that talking to her would put him in a bad mood, and he was doing his best to avoid that.As he neared the last paragraph of the document he was writing, the office phone rang stalling him down for a while, and Putting it on hands-free, he listened as his secretary informed him that Mr Rudiger and the lawyer were here to see him. Instantly, his fingers on the keyboard paused, as he
"You're sure I'm not underdressed, babe?" Katherine asked for the tenth time since she left Damien's house that evening, staring up at him with a pout on her face. She had been worrying nonstop about looking too basic the entire day, and so far as Damien could count, she had already changed three times tonight; twice when he was already dressed and ready, waiting for her makeup artist to finish working on her face and fixing her hair, then the third time when they had driven a short distance from the house. Something was wrong with the dress, so she had said and she had made him drive back to the house after pleading incessantly. Though he was irritated and a bit annoyed, he had agreed, taking her back home and waiting for her to change. The last time though, when she asked about her outfit again in his car, he had simply ignored her, to avoid saying something the both of them would regret. Now, they stood outside his mother's large house, and she had just pressed the doorbell wh
~ They were drawn to each other in ways they had never experienced. It wasn’t a coincidence but an undeniable fated connection. Because when their hearts first collided, they knew their soul was already infused together. ~SOME MONTHS LATER “No way…” Madison’s hand shook as she held the white pregnancy test stick in her hand, her jaw dropping as she stared at the result she was seeing.Her hands shook heavily, and as beads of sweat flowed down her face, she began to walk away from the toilet and back to the bedroom she and Damien shared.“This has got to be a dream.” Madison muttered to herself, a tear falling down her face as she gently placed the stick on the table and continued to stare at it, but she could not comprehend what she was seeing.Her eyes closed; she tried to tell herself that, indeed, her eyes were playing some trick on her, so she had to close and open them again, but when she did… The pregnancy stick was still there.Showing two positive lines, indicating that she
“Are we there yet?” Madison queried, her hands flailing about in the air as Damien kept leading her to somewhere unknown, his hands covering her eyes.“Almost…” He chuckled heavily, and she just groaned lightly.She hated this suspense, and whatever it was, he wanted to show her it had better be worth it cause she was running out of patience.Discarding the worrying thoughts out of her head, Madison instead decided to use her sense of hearing to grasp the knowledge of where she was at the moment since she could barely see a thing.The light sand, which buried her feet now and then as they walked, signified that they were either at the beach or some park. It was the beach! She could hear the soft billowing sounds of water waves from afar, and with the cool evening breeze blowing past, carrying with it the scent of murky dust, she knew her assumption was right. But which one in particular? She wondered, and again why had Damien brought her to the beach of all places?Her curiosity soo
"I'm confident that everything will be fine." As they drove to the hospital, Damien kept assuring Madison, his hands intertwined with hers. It was as if he could sense her anxiety and the nagging reminder that she might get some bad news today. She'd avoided going to the hospital for years after being treated there when her child died. Since then, she'd vowed never to set foot in a hospital building to check on herself, regardless of whether the situation was critical. But, with Damien's constant words of encouragement and kisses on her knuckles every minute, she was doing her best to remain calm. They'd agreed to go to the hospital to be safe after she'd expressed concerns about not being able to have children, among other things. Damien, on the other hand, had suggested going to the hospital so they could both get some checkups and talk to the doctor. His suggestion was good, and she could use it... "What's going through your mind, my love?" Damien's voice jolted Madison out
“Morning, princess.”Madison groaned, her eyes fluttering open as Damien’s loud greeting roused her from her slumber.“Go away.” She mumbled, eyes still closed as she turned sideways on the bed, intent on continuing her sleep, but he just wasn’t having it.“No, I won’t. Wake up, princess.” He said again, using his hands to nudge her shoulders again, and she let out a frustrated hiss.“I think I can handle you calling me ‘princess,’ and the word alone will make me wake up. You know I like it.” She mumbled, hands rubbing at her eyes as she tried to gain consciousness of her surroundingsDragging the blanket with her, Madison pushed herself into a sitting position against the headboard, yawning and stretching.She looked over to where he was standing, and her lips fell open when she saw he had a tray in hand.A tray of food? What was in there? She began to wonder, but she didn’t need to think much because, soon enough, the smell of freshly fried eggs, bacon, and pancakes filled the air,
The moment Damien placed his lips on hers, Madison knew she was lost already.Finally, after her fears and worries, she was doing this. She was going to enjoy tonight, and since it was their first time since whenever, she just had to bask in it.Closing her eyes and letting out a hum the second he placed her on the soft king-sized bed they shared, Madison’s left hand wandered to his hair, gripping the strands tightly. She moved forward to deepen the kiss, feeling his hands also moving, and she let out a sigh when his thumb caressed the bud of her puckered nipple.He was still kissing her. Their tongues lip locking lightly, and every move he made sent warmth rushing through her body and made her heart race. Suddenly, Damien pulled back and smiled softly at her before placing a gentle kiss on her neck, and she heard him whisper, “Fuck Maddie. Your scent… it’s driving me crazy and… I’ve missed you so much….” He trailed off, his voice shaking as if sobbing and the sound tugged at her he
“Sure, I’ll come visit.”“We will come visit.” Damien chimed in, throwing Madison a wink, and she just laughed softly.His hands wrapped possessively around her waist, Madison leaned further into his arms, sighing satisfactorily as she bade her family goodbye.Watching as everyone got into the jeep Damien had provided to take them home, she continued waving at the moving car until finally, the vehicle was out of the mansion’s heavy gates, and it was just her and Damien standing outside in the cold.It’d been a long night, filled with eating, drinking, and dancing, and now it was all over, and as much as she had not wanted the event to end, she was rather grateful.She was tired, and she could do with some sleep as it stood. “Hey, lovebirds.” A familiar voice called behind, and they both turned back to check.It was Alvarez, and he was coming down from the mansion's stairs, bag and suitcase packed already, and Madison’s brow raised immediately, the sleep at the corner of her eyes disa
“…I still have a lot to say, but this toast would be incomplete without my late father, Mr Daniel. It’s so funny how everything that happened all till this day is somehow intertwined with the events of the past. I can’t say the memories are worthwhile, but then everything happens for a reason, and I know that wherever he is right now, he would be watching us with love, admiration, and pride. I am also proud, not because of my achievements or everything I might have gained in these past few years. But because of what I became after all these incidents. I would never have imagined this scenario, but I am grateful for it. This enmity and malice between our families have been long gone, but we still have to look out for each other, especially when the situation gets tough. However, it can only get better from here. That I know!” The sound of applause filling the room as Damien continued his speech had Madison’s lips quivering, and she fought the urge not to cry.The way he spoke was so e
“Hello, mother.” Damien smiled ruefully, his arms wide as he embraced Mrs Connor, and she dutifully fell into his warm hug.“Son…” She began, “You look so good and strong already. How are you doing?“ She queried with a raised brow, and Damien chuckled all the more.“I’m doing fine, as you can see, thanks to Madison.” He finished with a wink, and the pretty older woman laughed heartily.“Come in, come in,” Damien said again, his hands outstretched as he led her into his modest abode.Kissing her on both cheeks, he allowed her to wander in and turned to face the rest of Madison’s family.Her father, brothers and their spouses were all present tonight for the reunion party and from the look of things, there was going to be a full house.However, Damien reveled in it. He was more than happy that they’d all honored the invitation, and knowing that this dinner event would usher in many more to come, his eyelids twinkled as another waning idea flickered into his thoughts.“Hello, brother.” M
“I’ve been trying mother’s cell phone, but it hasn’t been going through, father. Where is she?” “Hello to you too, Maddie.” Mr Connor greeted, and Madison sighed, rubbing her left hand on her forehead. “Afternoon, father. How are you doing?” She politely asked, a smile flickering on her lips as he replied “I am doing okay. Better than ever. Your mother went to the grocery store nearby to get some things for dinner tonight and….” “Why is she still going out on her own father?” Madison abruptly asked, continuing, “Damien’s made sure she doesn’t have to worry about all these. You both… I mean, the household staff he hired should be able to….” “You know how stubborn your mother can sometimes be, and I couldn’t object. She wanted to go out and get the things she needed specifically. Just leave her be.” Mr Connor said, and Madison could only jet out a worried exhale. However, hearing her father’s cheery voice lifted her heart enthusiastically, and tears pooled at the back of her eyes.