《Love, Lies and Billionaires》


 Chapter 1

    He turned her over and, bncing her legs around his waist, he slid into her again, locking lips with her to suppress her moans.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She managed to breathe in pleasure. The pping sounds grew faster, and she dug her perfectly manicured fingers into his back.


    Then he pulled out, releasing his semen to the ground, then he tossed her onto the already ruffled bed and stared at her. Lustful smiles spread across their faces as they looked at themselves.


    He got on top of her and took her breast in his mouth, caressing her nipple with his tongue while his hand squeezed the other breast. Then he slid down, and she released a gasp as she felt his tongue inside her.


    Her body shook at the third orgasm. ¡°You are way better than your friend,¡± he said as he exchanged his lips with his fingers, thrusting deep inside her as he looked into her eyes, his manhood erect beneath him.


    ¡°How many times are you going to remind me?¡± she replied, a disgusting grin ying on her lips.


    Maren blinked back her tears as she walked down the aisle, trying to contain her anger at what she had just watched on the hotel¡¯s security footage.


    She loved this man¡­ well, used to, and he had repaid her with sleeping with her slutty best friend. They didn¡¯t even respect the fact that it was her day, her wedding day!


    dly, the veil shielded away the fact that her makeup was already half damaged from the tears she had shed while she watched that atrocity.


    Through the veil, she could make out his smiling face at the altar, waiting patiently for her to get to where he stood. If not for the flowers she held, she wanted to clench her fists so badly.


    How could someone cheat so boldly?


    Getting to the altar, the priest began- reading words that she didn¡¯t care to listen to. All she was focused on was the disgusting cheat before her and the asional cheer she got from her best friend like she was in support of her wedding, as if she didn¡¯t let her fiance pound her a few hours ago.


    ¡°¡­In sickness and in health, till death do you part?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± he replied, maintaining his broad smile.


    Then it was her turn to reply. He left the question hanging as she was now really furious hearing the way he had confidently said I do. The entire guests fell silent, waiting for her to reply.


    She just stood there staring at him, fuming. She had initially nned to forgive him after the wedding, but not after dealing with her best friend. But now, she is starting to rethink it.


    ¡°Fuck this,¡± she said and without warning, her handnded hard on his face, earning gasps from different angles of the hall. She threw away her bouquet and tore off her veil, then traced her way through the guests to where her best friend sat.


    ¡°You whore!¡± She said and ripped her bridesmaid dress in two. ¡°Since you go around fucking other people¡¯s fiances, why don¡¯t you make it a profession?¡± She raged.


    ¡°Maren!¡± her mom screamed.


    The entire hall was thrown intomotion as everyone watched the wet eyes bride use her best friend of sleeping with her husband.


    ¡°Maren, what are you doing?¡± Irene said innocently, trying to cover up her body with what was left of her clothes.


    ¡°Cheap slut,¡± she continued, ¡°What did he tell you?, that he loved you? Well guess what, he also told me that and here we are Irene, here we fucking are,¡± she said, her voice breaking as more tears streamed down her face.


    Irene stood up from where she sat, her face serious and unremorseful. ¡°I¡¯ve always been better than you, Maren. Admit it. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re just finding out. This had been going on for as long as you¡¯ve known William¡­ ¡±


    Maren didn¡¯t let her finish as she pushed her. Irene lost bnce and fell back. Luckily, she was caught on time by some people who stood behind her.


    ¡°We both know you also aren¡¯t innocent, Maren. You¡¯re also as fucked up as much as your fiance,¡± she spat as she regained her bnce.


    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Maren screamed.


    Maren held her hand over her mouth, trying to prevent the tears that threatened to burst out froming out. She staggered back and her parents came to hold her to prevent her from copsing to the ground.


    She watched as her friend left the hall, her shoulders hanging high like someone who had just won a draw. Maren wriggled free from her mum¡¯s grip and turned to her fiance, who stood stunned at the altar. Murmurs from the guests filled the air.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± She went in for another p on his face, but he was ready for this one and dodged it. ¡°I wasted two years with you, William.¡± her voice shook and tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°We can go on with this marriage and talk about thister, Maren.¡± his voice was low, trying to hide his embarrassment.


    She scoffed in disbelief. ¡°Go on with this marriage?¡± She gestured around and to her face, which had ck lines from her washing mascara. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable William, you couldn¡¯t even respect this day. To think I overlooked your ws to make sure you were happy, but look what I got William¡­¡± she paused as the tears choked her.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry Maren, I don¡¯t know what came over me. I¡­¡±


    ¡°What came over you?¡± She charged at him, but her mum was quick to hold her back. ¡°It just had to be Irene, didn¡¯t it?Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Stop this, Maren. Do you always have to be so dramatic?¡± William asked suddenly, his voice was serious.


    This took her aback as she sucked in her tears and inspected him. She could now see how unremorseful he looked.


    ¡°You know what?, I can¡¯t,¡±she said and turned to leave.


    ¡°Maren, please,¡± her mom begged.


    ¡°Mum, no, stop it¡±


    ¡°If you leave this ce Maren, I¡¯m going to withdraw my support from yourpany¡± she stopped in her tracks and turned to him.


    ¡°Fuck you¡­¡±


    Knock knock!!


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you alright?, you¡¯re obstructing traffic¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry. I must have drifted away,¡± Maren apologised, snapping back to reality.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,dy. Get your car out of the road,¡± the man outside her car queried in a husky voice.


    Maren shuddered at the memory; the smile on Irene¡¯s face stered in her mind like an awful song as shemitted that atrocity with her ex fiance. She pulled up in the parking lot of the premises and got out of the car.


    She looked up at the building she stood in front of. It read ¡®Sovereign Nexus¡¯. Taking a deep breath, she walked in, making her way to the elevator, which always took her to the CEO¡¯s office.


    If her calctions were correct, she¡¯d been there four times this week but hadn¡¯t met the CEO avable. She prayed a silent prayer that she would meet him as the elevator opened at the topmost floor.


    Walking down the hallway, she surprisingly found the door open. She sighed in relief as she knocked twice and peeped into the massive office.


    ¡°You know, those people are too fucked up to be dealt with. I¡¯m not ready to sacrifice mypany for anything.¡± She could hear a voice from the office as the upant seemed to be on a call, but the person¡¯s spin chair was turned to the window so she couldn¡¯t see his face.


    Then, he finally turned and as he saw her, he paused and his grey eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ll call you back, Eddie,¡± he said quietly and dropped the call.


    ¡°Can Ie in?¡± She asked, putting on her most cheerful face.


    He nodded her in and she walked in and took her seat on the chair on the other side of the table. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m¡­¡±


    ¡°Maren Sinir,¡± he interrupted, his eyes on the files on the table as he seemed to be searching for something.


    Maren scoffed inwardly. Thatst name now made her sick whenever she heard or saw it on paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s Sharppe actually, Maren Sharppe¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s true, you¡¯re divorced.¡±


    ¡°Actually, we were never married, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I hear you need a loan,¡± he said as he pulled out a file and dropped it on the table in front of him. The file looked simr to the one she had submitted earlier when he wasn¡¯t around.


    Maren gritted her teeth. This gorgeous man was beginning to get on her nerves, but she sucked it in. She really needed this. ¡°Yes, mypany is fast going downhill. I really need your help¡±


    ¡°Good to hear,¡± he said and began slipping through the file.


    Maren raised a brow in confusion. This really was exhausting, she thought. The normal Maren Sharppe would not have been this patient. But there she was, seated in one of thepanies she had envied, at the mercy of its CEO.


    ¡°You know, when I heard you called off your marriage yourself, I was really impressed,¡± he said as he raised his head suddenly, catching her staring.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you gossiped, sir,¡± she said innocently, intending to piss him off.


    He smirked, getting the humour. ¡°Well, William Sinir was, as I like to call it, a contender. And as petty as it sounds, I find joy in whatever diforts him,¡± he said, twirling a pen between his fingers, his eyes fixed on her.


    ¡°We would have been better of together, you know¡±


    Maren rolled her eyes ¡®This again, she thought. ¡°Do I get the loan Alexander?¡± She asked seriously.


    He chuckled, ¡°Quick to drop the character, I see. I knew you¡¯d snap.¡± he seemed to be enjoying this.


    ¡°Do we always have to go over this?¡± Maren asked, her impatience starting to get the better of her.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you try to be difficult each time, Maren.¡± he stood up and slowly walked behind her. She felt his breath on her skin as he shifted her hair and nted a kiss on her neck then traced his fingers into the opening of her clothes. ¡°But you and I know you¡¯re not, darling¡±


    Goosebumpsid a nket over her skin, the way he always called her darling sent shock waves through her body. Scenes from the past shed in her mind, but she snapped out of it quickly and pped his hands out of her cloth.


    Alexander smiled and walked back to his side of the desk. ¡°I really admire you, Maren. ¡°Always trying to fight your urges even when it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re losing,¡± he resumed his seat, a cunning grin ying at the corner of his lips.


    ¡°I just want to save mypany, please,¡± she said, her fists clenched beneath the table and out of his sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s really good to see that expression on your face, Maren,¡± he said, a grin gracing his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m here strictly for business, Alexander. Whatever happened before now, never happened please.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°It looks to me like that¡¯s not the only thing that needs saving, darling.¡± he paused and leaned on the table facing her. ¡°Out of all William¡¯s rivals, you chose toe to me for help. Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m not doing this. Not today¡± she picked up her bag and stood up to leave. Alexander fell back in his chair, amusement written all over his face as he watched her walk towards the door.


    ¡°I can spare a few notes,¡± he echoed, stopping her in her tracks.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in for your games Alexander¡±


    ¡°On one condition though,¡± he said and pulled out another file and opened it before cing it on the table, urging her toe take a look. She walked to the table, keeping an eye on him as she looked through the papers in the file.


    Her brows creased. ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡± he just chuckled, his grey eyes looking her over as he did. ¡°What do you mean I have to report to you monthly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, darling,¡± He grinned and leaned forward again. ¡°I get to be your boss. I mean, I have to have a part in your life one way or the other, right?¡±

 Chapter 3

    ¡°What¡¯s on my schedule for today?¡±


    ¡°Well, you asked to see the CEO of the pivot point about your meeting with himst week and that was scheduled for this morning,¡± she said, going through a clipboard. ¡°Then, Mr Gustavo¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, is that the man that came to me about that car or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡­¡±


    ¡°Tell him to go to his insurancepany or write him a check. Just get him away from me,¡± Maren said in frustration, and Louise scribbled something on the clipboard.


    As they were about to enter the hallway, an elderly woman suddenly emerged, holding aundry basket.


    ¡°Good morning, Mom.¡± her smile was broad. Her mom just gave her a yful scowl. Maren ignored it. ¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have known if you agreed to attend to him today.¡±


    ¡°Ohe on mom, you know I¡¯m always busy.¡± She whined and wrapped her hands around her mom tightly from behind. ¡°Alexander doesn¡¯t give me any break and you know that¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll need to have a word with him then.¡±


    Maren scoffed and let go of her, ¡°That is practically impossible, mom. That man cares about no one but himself. He¡¯ll never listen to you¡±


    ¡°Anyway Nathan needs you, you need to take some unpermitted break sometimes,¡± her mom¡¯s feeble voice said, worry written in her face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± she said cheerfully as she began walking away. Louise walked behind her. ¡°You really need to stop doing theundry, though. We¡¯ve got people for that, Mom,¡± she said as she walked towards the exit.


    They both climbed into the back seat of one of Maren¡¯s cars and, when they secured the doors, the driver started the engine.


    ¡°Speaking of Mr. ckwood, he requested the client records for the month¡±


    ¡°Why?, he never asks for that,¡± Maren asked, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He seemed really serious about it.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, send it to him. He basically runs thepany, anyway¡±


    *****


    The doors of the main entrance swing open with the guidance of two hefty men and he walked in majestically. His presence caused whispers as the workers scurried to their stations.


    He paid no attention to them and walked straight to the elevator. Tapping his foot impatiently on the ground, he took asional nces at his watch, as it seemed to take forever for them to get to the top floor.


    ¡°Good day Mr. ckwood,¡± Louise stood and greeted in surprise as soon as he set foot in her station.


    ¡°I hope Maren¡¯s on the seat,¡± he asked, his hands sped behind him as he stared at her.


    ¡°Ye¡­yes sir,¡± she stammered, avoiding his eyes. He shifted his gaze away from her and proceeded to Maren¡¯s office, which opened easily.


    ¡°Whatever it is, tell them I¡¯m busy,¡± Maren said, her face buried in an open file and many others stacked around the table.


    Mr. ckwood scoffed, making her pause and slowly lift her head. She stood up almost immediately. ¡°Alexander, what are you doing here?¡± Her expression was a mixture of surprise and annoyance.


    He strolled forward, looking around. ¡°Is this how you run this ce?¡± He walked to a shelf filled with books and files. There was a golden horse statue sitting at the top. He ced a finger on it to check how dusty it was.


    It was. He turned his gaze back to Maren and raised a brow. She looked away and one guard walked forward, allowing Alexander to clean his finger on his shirt.


    ¡°This ce is a mess, Maren¡±


    ¡°What are you here for, Alexander?¡± she asked, turning to him. He walked back to her table and stared straight at her. His grey eyes drilled half an inch into her soul as seconds went by.


    ¡°I want you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Mummy!!¡± a tiny voice called excitedly and a little human ran past Alexander and into Maren¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Nathan, what are you doing here, darling?¡± Maren asked, picking him up in her arms.


    A youngdy rushed into the office after a brief knock, partially panting. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Sharpe. He outran me, I tried to stop him¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you this morning mummy, where were you?¡± He whined while ying with her hair.


    ¡°Mummy had to work, Nathan. She replied. ¡°Why did you make Aunt Rose chase you? That¡¯s not very nice¡±


    ¡°I wanted to see you, but she wouldn¡¯t let me,¡± he whined again, hugging her around her neck and burying his face in her hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my love,¡± Maren said, trying to soothe him. She raised his head to look at him. ¡°Alright, you know what you¡¯re going to do for mummy?¡± He shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re going to go with aunt Rose and I promise when I get back, we¡¯ll go out for your favourite ice cream. Would you like that?¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± He eximed happily, making Maren smile. She set him on the ground and he ran to meet Rose, who held out her hand to take his.


    ¡°Bye mummy!,¡± he said as he skipped towards the door, holding Rose¡¯s hand. ¡°Bye mummy¡¯s friend!¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He was finally gone, and an unsettling silence followed. Alexander, who had been quiet all this while as everything yed out, now turned to Maren, maintaining his stern, ufortable gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I um¡­I rarely allow him around here. I really don¡¯t know why she brought him here in the first ce,¡± she tried exining. She paused to see the mixed expression on his face.


    ¡°His William¡¯s though. I¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to make you an offer,¡± he interrupted, his face getting serious. One guard who came with him walked forward bearing a file, he ced it on the table before her. ¡°Open it¡±


    Her brows creased as she looked through it. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±


    ¡°I want you to marry me¡± Maren paused as if to let it sink in before giving off a loud chuckle.


    ¡°Good one, Mr. ckwood,¡± she said, flipping through the pages. She looked up when she heard nothing from him to see the seriousness in his face. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only temporary, Maren. We¡¯ll go our separate ways after¡± they locked eyes for a while. Hes intimidating hers until she gave in and looked away.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll want to marry you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m giving you any choice, Miss Sharppe,¡± he replied. His brows arched in an evil expression.


    She turned back to him and back at the file, biting her lower lip. Her heart beating fast and her mind amodating a thousand thoughts per second. She sharply looked back at him.


    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±

 Chapter 4

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this idea one bit, Maren,¡± Mrs Sharppe said, picking at her food that night at the dining table.


    ¡°Come on now, Mom. I also don¡¯t like it but I need this, please.¡±


    ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t work out? What if he harms you in between the union? Giving you full ownership of thepany isn¡¯t enough reason for you to sacrifice your happiness, Maren¡± her brows were furrowed; heavy with worry.


    ¡°I know, mum,¡± Maren whined. ¡°He¡¯s not given me any choice, anyway. I need that man off my neck, Mom¡± she paused and looked at her Mom whose eyes were fixed on the te of grits in front of her.


    ¡°You were the one who told me he¡¯s been hitting on you for a long time and now you want to jump at such an offer?¡±Her voice was calm, but angry. ¡°You¡¯re getting too ambitious, Maren. Just like your father¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Maren¡¯s brows creased. ¡°I¡¯m nothing like Dad. He was thoughtless and too ahead of himself. I¡¯m only getting married to Alexander to¡­¡±


    ¡°Mummy, am I going to have a daddy?¡±


    Both Maren and her mom turned to Nathan, who had been eating quietly at the table. Her mom turned to her then looked away, leaving her to think of how to answer her son.


    ¡°Look baby, mummy is getting married but you don¡¯t have to have a dad if you don¡¯t want to¡±


    ¡°I want a dad, mummy¡± he replied, almost immediately.


    Her chest dropped in relief. ¡°That¡¯s nice to hear, Nathan,¡±  she smiled, caressing his hair gently.


    ¡°Nice save,¡± her mom remarked dryly, keeping her eyes on her te. ¡°You¡¯re raising a smart kid you know¡±


    *****


    The car swerved into the parking lot of an exquisitely but peacefully decorated premises.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know why I have to see your father,¡± Maren said as they both got out of the car and headed towards the building.


    ¡°You say too much, miss Sharppe,¡± Alexander replied, keeping his gaze ahead of him. The hospital doors were open for them and as soon as they stepped inside, that sick smell of drugs hit like a wave.


    All Maren could see as she looked around was her dad being carried on a stretcher, blood flowing from his chest as his eyes hung open and his life slowly left him.


    ¡°When we get in, follow my lead¡± they had just entered an elevator aiming for the third floor. ¡°My father is not an easy man to convince, so be careful with your words¡±


    Maren just stared in silence. The door opened and Alexander suddenly grabbed her hand and locked his fingers with hers.


    ¡°Tim, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Hi, dad,¡± Alexander said with a broad smile. His father was lying in bed, covered with a thick nket. His body had needles in it and different colours of what looked like drips were connected to it.


    ¡°Man, am I d you came, son. I feel like a potato in this ce,¡± he said. He was an old man alright, but he wasn¡¯t as old as Maren expected. More like someone in histe sixties drained by stress, Maren thought.


    ¡°That nice nurse assigned to me had to¡­¡± he paused and squinted his eyes while adjusting his sses. ¡°My, some gorgeousdy you¡¯ve got there, Tim,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah Dad, this is Maren¡­¡±


    ¡°Sharppe?¡± His dadpleted, delight written all over his face.


    ¡°Nice to meet you sir,¡± Maren said, shing her most sincere grin. He really seemed like a nice man, Maren thought.


    ¡°Come,e,¡± the frail man said, gesturing for her toe closer. Sheplied and moved over to the side of his bed, maintaining her smile. He took her hand in his and stared straight at her.


    It was evident that this man used to be a stunner in his youth and though time had covered it up, some traces remained on his facial features.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard so much about you, my dear,¡± he began. Maren nced at Alexander with a questioning look, but his face was turned away as he pretended to search for something on a table opposite the bed.


    She turned back to his dad and smiled. ¡°It really is a pleasure to finally meet you sir. When Xander told me about your health, I could wait to meet you.¡±


    Mr. ckwood¡¯s smile was warm, and his touch was even warmer. It was obvious Alexander inherited nothing of hospitality from this man. And what did he mean his father wasn¡¯t easy to convince? This man ispletely loveable.


    ¡°I¡¯m d Tim here finally brought a responsibledy. His attitude even got better. You¡¯ve really changed my son, miss Sharppe,¡± he remarked warmly. ¡°I¡¯m really happy I¡¯ll get to attend your wedding¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be delighted to have you as my father-inw, Mr ckwood¡±


    ¡°Oh no, call me Philip¡±


    ¡°When I said y along, I didn¡¯t mean to be besties with my dad,¡± Alexander said as they entered the car to head back.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not the one who lied that we¡¯ve been together for a year. What were you expecting, Tim?¡± she asked mockingly.


    Alexander was silent as the ride progressed. Maren stole nces at him asionally, as she didn¡¯t know him to go silent for so long.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve told your dad about me¡± she finally said, breaking the silence. Her face was turned to the window.


    Alexander shrugged and hesitated a little before replying. ¡°He¡¯s a sick old man. He needs bedtime stories sometimes¡±


    Maren¡¯s cheeks reddened unintentionally, and she didn¡¯t know why her insides jumped. It was true she used to take a fancy to Alexander, but that was more than three years ago. Him telling his father about her shouldn¡¯t mean anything to her¡­right?


    ¡°He¡¯s a really nice man. If only you had inherited that¡± she said, but Alexander stayed quiet, now looking down at his phone. She turned to him. ¡°Why does he call you Tim?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t appreciate you talking about the aftermath of the visit to my dad¡¯s ward, Maren.¡± He snapped.


    Maren wrung her nose and turned away. Letting her mind drift off.


    ¡°So, about your son.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Maren stood in front of the dressing mirror, staring at her reflection. She couldn¡¯t believe that she could still be in this position after what Williams did to her three years ago.


    The makeup artist had just finished on her face and left Maren in the room, admiring herself. She really was proud of what she had achieved in those three years. The best being Nathan.


    ¡°You really drained my beauty when you dropped out of me, Maren,¡± her mom said, walking into the room.


    ¡°We both know that¡¯s a lie, mom, I look more like grandma and you know it¡± her mom chuckled and walked further into the room. She ced her hands on her shoulders while looking at the mirror.


    ¡°You¡¯re from a pretty generation then, my dear,¡± she said, and Maren smiled. Then silence engulfed the room as each person struggled with their thoughts. ¡°Are you sure you want this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared, mum,¡± Maren said quietly. ¡°But it¡¯s for the best, right?¡±


    Her mom kissed her brown hair, then smoothed it with her hand. ¡°Whatever you do, I¡¯ll always be proud of you my love¡± she shed her an assuring smile.


    ¡°Mummy?¡±


    They both turned to view Nathan in a tuxedo, his brown hair gelled to shine in the light, a little flower tucked on one side, close to his chest. Standing outside the door. Maren smiled, almost moved to tears at how cute he looked.


    ¡°Oh, Nathan¡± she said and stood up from where she sat to meet him. As she stood up, his eyes widened. She nodded on seeing his expression. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re as cute as mummy is,¡± she said, holding back her tears.


    Nathan chuckled and stretched his hands to her. She bent to his level and hugged him tightly. She just wanted to see him happy.


    *****


    ¡°Now here¡¯s our groom!!¡±


    ¡°Where have you been, Eddie?¡± Alexander asked,ing down the stairs as he fastened the buttons on the sleeve of his white shirt.


    ¡°Alex, my bro!!¡± Eddie hailed when he got to the bottom of the stairs, with the energy of a drunk while raising a bottle of wine in the air.


    ¡°Stop it, Eddie. I don¡¯t have time for this¡± his face was serious with what seemed like anxiety written on it.


    Eddie set the bottle on the table and turned to his friend, a teasing grin spread in his face. ¡°Come on now, you need to loosen up a little. You look like a nervous wreck with that face¡±


    Alexander ignored him. ¡°Where are the others?¡±


    ¡°You know, we did have a bachelor¡¯s night without you,st night. ¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Rx, they¡¯re all sobered up. You¡¯ve got nothing to worry about, bro¡± he paused and looked at his friend. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s just a wedding. It¡¯s not that deep.¡±


    ¡°My dad is going to be there, okay? It¡¯s really deep, Eddie¡±


    Eddie copsed onto one sofa in the sitting room where they stood. ¡°You¡¯ve always been obsessed with pleasing that old man and you hardly disappoint him, so what¡¯s the fuss?¡±


    ¡°I just need this day to be perfect, that¡¯s all,¡± he said while checking his wristwatch. ¡°It starts in three hours. Why isn¡¯t Maren here yet?¡± He asked no one in particr.


    His friend chuckled on the sofa. ¡°Now I get it. This is more about your father¡¯spany, right? Or is it about Maren?¡±


    ¡°Come on, be reasonable, Eddie. The old man¡¯s in his final days. I¡¯d like to give him a nice show, which is my marriage ceremony, before he finally leaves. That¡¯s not too much to ask for, is it?¡±


    Eddie just scoffed and stood up to face his friend. ¡°You and I know you¡¯re doing all this to get thepany your father wrote about in his will. You can tool the old man, Alex. But you can¡¯t fool me,¡± he said with a grin and moved away from him towards the exit of the house¡±


    ¡°You can choose to believe what you want to believe, Eddie. Just make sure my wedding is perfect,¡± he called after him.


    An hour to the wedding, and Maren hadn¡¯t yet arrived. He had given the driver he sent to her a call, and he confirmed that they were on their way, so he called down a little.


    Few minutester, there was a kind ofmotion downstairs and Alexander walked down to the sitting room where it came from, hoping it was his bride.


    ¡°Thank goodness¡­¡± he stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Hello, Alexander¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here? Who let you in?¡± Alexander asked, gritting his teeth.


    ¡°Chill out, baby bro. I only came to pass a peaceful message. His tone was gentle and icy.


    ¡°I¡¯m not your brother!¡± Alexander shot back, moving closer to him. The other man was unmoved, a bitter smile spread across his face. ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°Watch your tone, bro,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m not here to banter words with you or attend your false wedding. I¡¯m here to warn you¡±


    Alexander scoffed, dryly, ¡°About what, hmm?¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Dad¡¯spany is mine. I¡¯m the first son and I deserve it¡±


    ¡°You lost that right the day you made that stupid decision, fool,¡± Alexander spat, veins building at the sides of his neck. ¡°You¡¯re not dad¡¯s son and so, you better fuck off.¡±


    This man smirked, looking down at his brother as he was taller. ¡°You really have lost your respect, Alexander¡±


    ¡°Leave my house and my life¡± Alexander¡¯s eyes were starting to show a little redness.


    ¡°I know the old man is dying. You¡¯ve be as greedy as he is. ¡± he paused and edged forward, his face was now serious. ¡°You know nothing Alexander¡±


    ¡°Sir, the bride has arrived,¡± a voice called from the head, which popped out of the door from outside.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you get back to your false wedding and your little wife. I¡¯ve juste to tell you not to assume thatpany. That¡¯s all. ¡± He turned and headed towards the door.


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    He stopped midway and gave augh, which rang around the building. It sounded¡­dark.

 Chapter 6

    Alexander tried so hard to focus on the wedding and not think of his brother, who had just threatened him in his own house. He stood at the altar, forcing himself to smile as he caught sight of his father sitting at the forefront of guests, an observing expression on his face.


    The pianist increased the tempo of the tune as all eyes turned to Maren, who was walking down the aisle apanied by one of Alexander¡¯s uncles.


    In almost no time, Maren was standing at the altar, shing the realest smile she could form as she stared at Alexander.


    ¡®What if it¡¯s not worth it, Maren? What if mom was right?¡¯ her mind raced as soon as the priest began making them recite their vows.


    ¡°I do,¡± she replied, and her voice echoed in her head.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Everywhere went silent as Maren stared straight at Alexander, waiting for the next action. Suddenly, there were amusing cheers from the crowd, and Maren was forced to turn towards the cheer.


    Right there, walking down the aisle, was Nathan, walking steadily and excitedly to the altar bearing the ring. Maren was surprised but couldn¡¯t help but smile, her anxiety suddenly drifting off.


    Nathan got to where they stood and raised the cusion to his mom, beaming.


    ¡°Oh Nathan. Who put you up to this?¡± Maren asked quietly. The priest chuckled and relieved him of it.


    Before she could say another word, Alexander bent to his level with a wide grin. His hand caressed Nathan¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Did I do good, Alex?¡± Nathan asked excitedly.


    ¡°You did great, little man,¡± Alexander said and extended his knuckle for a fist bump, which Nathan took, ted.


    Maren looked back at Alexander when Nathan had left, with surprise written over her face, but she decided to leave the questions till the end of the ceremony.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± Maren said when the ceremony was finally done and everyone was about and chatting with one another.


    ¡°What was quick?¡±


    ¡°Turning my son to your side and all.¡±


    Alexander clicked his tongue, looking far off. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, but thed is free spirited so we worked it out¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Well son, I¡¯llmend you on this one,¡± his dad¡¯s frail voice came from behind and they both turned to face him. He was in a self propelled wheelchair, a smirk yed on his lips.


    ¡°Thanks dad,¡± Alexander said with a brief smile. ¡°Most of it was Maren¡¯s idea. She really has an eye for perfection. Isn¡¯t that right, baby?¡± He asked, turning to her.


    The thought of him calling her baby sent a shiver down her spine. She looked up at him and back at his father before shing her brightest smile. ¡°It was my pleasure really, Philip.¡±


    ¡°Also, I heard that was your son back there¡± Maren froze on the spot and she could feel the tension in Alexander¡¯s body too. They¡¯d left that detail out in their plot.


    ¡°Yes, Nathan he¡¯s¡­


    ¡°Such a brilliant child he is,¡± Mr. ckwood said. ¡°The boldness to walk down the aisle. You don¡¯t see that every day. If only Tim to birth a child before my days are up¡±


    There was an ufortable silence which hung between awkward and embarrassment, but none of them voiced anything.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to head back to the hospital,¡± he announced, checking his wristwatch. ¡°Congrats once again, Tim.¡± The wheelchair began moving away and two guards walked closely behind.


    They watched as Nathan walked up to the wheelchair, but they couldn¡¯t hear their conversation as they were far off. All they could see was Nathan giving him a fist bump before happily strolling to where they stood.


    ¡°Hi, little man,¡± Alexander said, bending to his height.


    ¡°Grandma said to get mummy, Alex.¡± His tiny voice sounded like a children¡¯s melody.


    ¡°Now where is grandma, baby? And rose?¡± Maren said, taking his hands away from Alexander¡¯s.


    ¡°They¡¯re standing by the house with a lot of people,¡± Nathan replied, stressing the ¡®lot¡¯ indicating he didn¡¯t like the amount.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go then,¡± she replied, baring her dress in one hand and holding Nathan¡¯s hand in the other, leaving Alexander behind.


    ¡°Mummy?¡± Nathan asked when they had walked some distance. ¡°Is Alex going to be my daddy?¡±


    *****


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you one big, badass actor?¡±


    Maren shrieked and turned around to see Alexander standing at the door. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. You scared me,¡± she said, turning back to the clothes she was unpacking, ignoring hispliment.


    He walked further into the room and closed the door behind him. ¡°Just got off the phone with my dad. He seems really convinced by your act¡±


    ¡°Well, good for you,¡± she replied, obviously uninterested in the conversation. She walked over to therge wardrobe, but before she could open it, she felt a hand around her waist.


    Alexander drew her closer, nting kisses on her neck, and she also couldn¡¯t resist. He slowly traced his way to the button of her jeans and slowly unbuttoned it.


    ¡°No, stop,¡± she said and pulled away from his grip and away from where he stood. ¡°This is not an actual marriage. I don¡¯t have to do anything with you because I¡¯m living in your house, Alexander,¡± she said, resuming what she was doing.


    ¡°You¡¯re mine now. You¡¯ll do what I want.¡± he had resumed his ce behind her. He slid his hand into her jeans and into her underwear, finding his way to her clitoral area.


    Moans escaped her lungs as he caressed her clit with his fingers, he had to shield her mouth with his other hand as her moans got louder by the minute. He withdrew his hand and turned her to face him, locking her lips in a deep, hungry kiss.


    In seconds, different clothing flew around the room as Alexander continuously thrust his already erect manhood into her from behind, nonstop.


    pping sounds filled the room, apanied by moans and soft bed creaks. ¡°god, I hate you, Xander,¡± Maren moaned, her brows creased in intense pleasure. Alexander kept going.


    ¡°Fuck! I missed this,¡± Alexander moaned as he finished all over her.


    ¡°This is wrong, Xander,¡± Maren said as sheid down on the bed, panting. There was silence after that, as though both were thinking about what they¡¯d just done.


    ¡°Nathan called me dad¡±

 Chapter 7

    ¡°These came in for you, Mrs. ckwood,¡± Louise said, walking into her office, an enormous bouquet in her hands.


    Maren looked up at it for a second, then back down at what she was doing. ¡°Who¡¯s it from?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say a name,¡± Louise said, looking at the tag attached to the flowers. ¡°It only says congrattions, beautiful. Just like the others.¡±


    ¡°Well, put it with the others then,¡± she ordered without looking up.


    ¡°I think you have an admirer, Mrs. ckwood,¡± Louise said, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear with a mischievous grin ying on her lips.


    ¡°Well, whoever it is must be some rich chicken who¡¯s refused to show himself,¡± Maren said, and Louise busied herself with looking through the gifts supposedly previously sent by the same person.


    ¡°But aren¡¯t you a little curious, though?¡±


    Maren dropped the pen in her hand suddenly, looking up. ¡°I see you have all the time in the world, Louise. Perhaps your job has be too easy.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am,¡± she apologised and walked out the door.


    ¡°I really need Alexander to get thatdy out of mypany,¡± she said, caressing her temple.


    ¡°Good day, sir,¡± Maren heard from outside the door a few minutester.


    ¡°Pick your things. We¡¯re heading out,¡± Alexander said, walking into her office.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there,¡± he replied, turning away from her to the table where her congrattory gifts were kept.


    Maren clicked her tongue and turned back to what she was doing. ¡°I have a lot to do. I can¡¯t,¡± she stated.


    Alexander was now looking through the bouquet. He picked up one and stared at the tag. It was nameless, but it really did catch his attention. He dropped it and walked back to her table. ¡°I don¡¯t think I gave you much of a choice, my love. ¡±


    ¡°Alexander, please. Like I said before, I¡¯ve got a lot of things to do.¡±


    Alexander mmed the table with his palm, making her heart skip a beat. ¡°Need I remind you that I own thispany, Mrs. ckwood?¡±


    *****


    ¡°Your sudden marriage was said to be a sh one, Mr. ckwood. Any rification or objection to that?¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mr. ckwood, rumour has it that you only married Miss Maren Sharppe because of your father¡¯s will. How true is that?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. ckwood, ording to research, you allegedly destroyed your wedding ceremony and used your husband of cheating on you with your best friend. Should other women take this as an iconic move?¡±


    ¡°In rtion to that, do you think getting married to your ex fiance¡¯s rival was the best decision? How do you want your son to view you?¡±


    Maren cussed under her breath as they struggled to swim through the sea of reporters crowded in front of the building they had just arrived at.


    The urge to turn around and p some sense into one of them grew stronger as the guards tried almost in vain to control them. They were so frustrating!


    ¡°Mr. ckwood, it was said that you¡¯re coveting what rightfully belongs to your brother, and you¡¯ve never officially denied this. Care to share your thoughts?¡±


    Almost immediately, Alexander stopped and turned back sharply, locking eyes with the male reporter who had just spoken. Every other person took the cue and fell silent.


    Two of the guards who followed them behind turned around and took a hold of the man, each by one hand, and began pulling him away.


    ¡°You rich people have always been experts in theft even when ites to family, you sadist.¡± The man shouted as he struggled with the guards. ¡°You can silence me all you want, but we all know you¡¯ll go down soon¡±


    Maren was confused, but she didn¡¯t dare question Alexander, especially not on a topic she had just witnessed a man going to be tortured for.


    ¡°Go fuck yourself, Alexander ckwood!¡± Maren could still hear his voice in the distance after they entered the building. They got into an elevator together, without any guard, and Alexander pushed the button for thest floor.


    ¡®It¡¯s always thest floor,¡¯ Maren thought. Trying to distract herself from thinking about asking Alexander about his brother. She stole nces at him as the silence in the elevator weighed down on her.


    His face was serious, making his jawline look even sharper as he stared into nothingness. He wasn¡¯t even conversal. Maren didn¡¯t have enough time to worry about that as the elevator door opened.


    ¡°Hold on to my arm and smile. I can feel the confusion on your face,¡± He said as they stepped out. Sheplied, wrapping her hand around his muscr arms and that intriguing familiar scent clouding her senses.


    They walked down the hallway, with each staff they encountered bowing in greetings as they passed by them. It really felt good to be treated that way.


    Alexander led her to the front of arge door which looked heavy to open and as if to prove her right, there were two guards who opened the door to let them in.


    Inside was a long conference table with a few of the seats on one side of it upied. Sitting at the head of the table was Alexander¡¯s father.


    ¡°d you finally decided to join us,¡± he said as they walked in, his voice ringing throughout the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dad. I was engaged with some things. I lost track of time.¡± Maren noticed the nervousness in his voice as he avoided his father¡¯s gaze.


    Alright, take a seat,¡± his father said, making Maren realise they had been standing, and she still has her hand wrapped around his arm. They walked over to the empty part of the table and took their seat.


    ¡°And good day to you, Maren,¡± Mr. ckwood said, opening a file in front of him, not looking up at her. A shiver ran down her spine as the man she had bonded with days ago now sounded so unfriendly.


    ¡°Good day, Mr. ckwood,¡± she replied, trying to make her voice as cheerful as she could. She turned to Alexander, who was staring straight into thin air and then back to the men who sat opposite them at the table.


    Mr ckwood suddenly cleared his throat, bringing all eyes in his direction. ¡°First of all, I know all about your marriage, Alexander.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Maren¡¯s heart sank, but she kept her eyes on Mr. ckwood. She could feel Alexander¡¯s body tense up beside her, a look of dread on his face.


    ¡°You really think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡± He asked casually. ¡°You¡¯re my son, Alexander. You¡¯re very predictable,¡± Maren could swear she saw a sh in his eyes as he raised his face to meet his son¡¯s.


    Alexander¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bounced up and down, but he kept his gaze on his dad.


    ¡°But¡± he continued, then paused. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it. Because, for the first time, you put so much effort into something and didn¡¯t fuck it up¡±


    Okay, Maren was starting to get pissed. How can a father be so harsh on his son? Why was he being all saucy after pulling an all gracious act the previous times they¡¯d met?


    She looked back at Alexander, who had his head bowed, staring at the table. ¡®Why wasn¡¯t he saying anything? Does he just let his father bring him down like he was some child?¡¯ Maren¡¯s head raced in anger, but she didn¡¯t dare voice her thoughts.


    ¡°That being said, let¡¯s get to the real reason we¡¯re all here. Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Does he always speak to you that way?¡± Maren said, trying to catch up with Alexander, who was angrily walking out of the building in a hurry.


    ¡°Is he always like this? I mean, changing his attitude once it was rted to work?¡± They had stepped out of the building and only a few people were outside as it was now evening.


    They both entered the car and when the doors were secured, the driver began making a reverse. ¡°Does he even care about you?¡±


    Without warning, Alexander grabbed her by her throat and pinned her to the car seat. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever speak about my father in that manner ever again.¡±


    His grip tightened, and Maren could see the anger in his eyes. She struggled to free herself as she was losing air. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it¡± she managed to squeak.


    He stared deep into her eyes for a while till his grip loosened and he began to slide his hand away from her neck, down to her chest and into the open part of her dress. Tracing his hand with his eyes as he went.


    Maren held her neck in pain, but she could feel his hand squeeze her breast and caress her nipple for a while before he turned back to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go get dinner,¡± he said quietly.


    *****


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine. You worry too much.¡±


    ¡°I worry too much?¡± Her mom asked, her brows were furrowed in annoyance. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the person who told me he had you pinned to the car seat by the neck?¡±


    ¡°Well, I said I¡¯m fine, you should take my word for it, mom¡± she replied, trying to contain her anger as well.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re okay, what are you doing here and not in his house?¡±


    Maren paused from what she was doing and turned to meet her mom¡¯s gaze. ¡°It¡¯s the weekend. Am I not allowed toe spend time with my mom anymore?¡±


    ¡°Stop it Maren,¡±


    ¡°Alright, I needed a break from him. A break from that environment.¡± She said, looking away from her mom, whose ck eyes seemed to be trying to bore a hole into her body. ¡°At least for Nathan¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only using Nathan as an excuse, Maren. Since when do you defend him?¡±


    ¡°Mom, please, we¡¯ve been over this. It¡¯s temporary, it¡¯ll be over soon,¡± she protested, trying not to re up at this point.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want him to take your life before you realise this is a bad idea¡±


    ¡°Mom, even if this is a bad idea, I can¡¯t leave mom,¡± she said in frustration at having to repeat it over and over again. ¡°So it¡¯s either I go with the flow or he kills me,¡±


    Everywhere fell silent after she spoke and her mom seemed to have given up. ¡°Do you love him?¡± Her mom suddenly asked.


    ¡°Mom, you know I¡¯m only doing this so I can get full custody of mypany. Why¡¯re you making this seem like such a big deal?¡± She said and walked away.


    Her mum smiled a knowing smile and shook her head.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡± Maren¡¯s voice rang throughout therge house a few minutester. ¡°Nathan?¡± She called, looking into all the rooms on her way to the sitting room.


    ¡°He was in his room not long ago,¡± her mom said as she came out, hearing the ruckus.


    ¡°If he was in his room, I won¡¯t be looking for him, mom¡± she spat, worry written all over her face. ¡°Rose?¡±


    No answer, ¡°Rose!¡± She screamed, her heart racing a thousand miles per second.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± a voice answered quickly and a slim but prettydy appeared, looking all frightened.


    ¡°Where were you?¡± Maren thundered, staring down at her. Her eyes shed in anger and fear.


    ¡°I was cleaning Nathan¡¯s room upstairs. I didn¡¯t hear when you called, ma¡¯am,¡± she answered, avoiding Maren¡¯s murderous gaze.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°And where is he?¡±


    ¡°He asked to go y in the garden minutes ago, ma¡¯am¡±


    Maren didn¡¯t even let her finish. She darted out the front door and out into the garden. Thoughts rushed into her head as she turned to the back of the massive house to the garden which was behind.


    Nathan?¡± She called again, but there was no answer. She got to the garden, but he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Nathan?¡± Her voice was beginning to shake. She walked further into the garden, as it was arge one.


    She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see her mom, who had been following her. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s here somewhere,¡± she said quietly.


    Maren kept walking. ¡°Nath¡­¡± she stopped in her tracks at what she saw in front of her.


    ¡°Mummy, the nice man bought me a gift,¡± Nathan said innocently. Lifting a toy dinosaur for his mom to see.


    Maren¡¯s terrified expression turned into instant rage. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 9

    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Maren¡¯s eyes shed with raw anger and her fists clenched slightly.


    The man, who was crouched in front of Nathan, slowly stood up and turned to Maren. He ced his face in a rxed expression and his muscr chest rose and fell in a rhythm.


    ¡°Nice to see you too,¡± he said, his baritone filling her ears, reminding her of the man she had once shared everything with, who had now be her enemy.


    ¡°Mummy?¡± Nathan¡¯s little voice called in confusion at seeing his mom¡¯s countenance.


    Maren turned to him sharply. ¡°Nathan, Nathan. Come here,e to mummy¡± heplied and hastened towards his mom. Maren took his hand and pulled him behind her.


    ¡°How did you get in?¡± Maren asked, keeping her gaze on him.


    ¡°You sessfully raised a smart child, Maren. How long were you nning to keep him a secret?¡± he asked and folded his enormous arms across his chest.


    ¡°Get out of my house¡±


    He smirked, ¡°You really do know how to keep a grudge don¡¯t you?¡± he strolled forward a little, his hands tucked into his pockets. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know his father, does he?¡±


    ¡°Nathan baby, let¡¯s go inside,¡± Maren¡¯s mom called from behind. Nathan walked over to her, clinging on to the dinosaur. ¡°Mummy has a few words to say to the nice man,¡± she added while shing a deathly look at him.


    ¡°He knows his father, and it¡¯s definitely not you, William¡± Maren replied when they were gone.


    William chuckled and moved closer to her, close enough for their bodies to touch. He ced his palm on her face, his hazel eyes piercing into hers.


    The feeling of his palm on her skin sent shivers down her spine the way they usually did and softened her expression a little. ¡°Maren dear, you¡¯re hurting yourself, you know. Both of us know you¡¯re weak. You can¡¯t contain this for so long¡­¡±


    She suddenly pped his hand away, her softened expression getting more deadly. ¡°I have single-handedly raised Nathan alone for three years. I do not need anyone, especially not you.¡±


    ¡°I do not need you. Nathan doesn¡¯t need you and he never will! You narcissist.¡±


    William¡¯s brows creased sharply. ¡°You will not keep my son away from me. ¡±


    ¡°Watch me,¡± she said and turned to go back into the house, but she was suddenly pulled back by her hair, which caused her to let out a quick scream.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Look, woman, Nathan is a Sinir. And we Sinirs always know and abide by our roots. I¡¯m not here to listen to whatever crap you want to say. I just want my son.¡± His voice was raspy, like someone who was high on alcohol.


    ¡°Nathan will never be yours,¡± she said in between struggling to free herself and trying to keep her tears from falling.


    ¡°You will not keep my son away from me, you whore,¡± he said, pulling her hair even more.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± Maren half begged.


    ¡°You think getting married to Alexander makes you a heroine? It only confirms the¡­¡± he sharply let her go, pushing her to the ground with force.


    William nced at her as she wriggled to regain bnce and then back to his hand. She had dug her nails into the back of his palm, living nail marks and little blood sipping from it. He became even more annoyed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve onlye out as a harlot by marrying Alexander, you shameless little slut. I will not repeat myself when I get back, Maren. I need my son,¡± he said, staring daggers at her.


    Maren didn¡¯t reply. She just remained on the ground, staring at him, her entire world crashing all over again. Was this the man she had actually loved? She asked herself. She kept her eyes on him as he turned back and began to walk away.


    *****


    The club was dimly lit, with loud music ring through the speakers and different bodies huddled either together or in separate, sexy positions.


    ¡°Been a while since we¡¯ve been here, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve been here. You, just you, Alexander,¡± Eddie said as they stepped into the building.


    ¡°Well, I have work to do unlike you,¡± Alexander replied yfully.


    Eddie chuckled, ¡°Oh really?¡±


    ¡°Hi Eddie,¡± a voice called from behind and ady bounced in front of them. She had on avender body con dress which was slit open at the sides and back.


    It was obvious she had nothing on, on the inside as her pleasant features bounced from every move she made.


    ¡°Trisha!! My baby,¡± Eddie said, pulling thedy by her waist for a hug. Alexander slightly shook his head and walked ahead of them towards the elevator.


    ¡°You left so early yesterday, you didn¡¯t get to meet my sister,¡± Trisha said, rubbing her entire body on Eddie as they followed Alexander behind.


    ¡°You have a sister?¡± Eddie asked in amazement. ¡°How have I never met her then?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the shy type, but you¡¯ll get to meet her,¡± she said, as all of them got on to the elevator. ¡°She¡¯ll do very well with Mr. Arrogant here¡± her voice was lowered as she left Eddie and slowly slid her hands around Alexander¡¯s chest, to the amusement of Eddie.


    ¡°I think what you need is a job, Trisha,¡± Alexander said, looking up at her from his phone.


    ¡°Jesus! Did someone forget his diaper?¡± she eximed in frustration and left him. Eddie chuckled. ¡°Your friend is such a killjoy Eddie¡± she turned back to him and bit her lips while giving him an irresistible stare.


    The elevator door opened, and they all got out, with Eddie¡¯s hand making some movements inside her dress. They stepped into the dimly lit lounge, which usually only consisted of Alexander and whomever he wanted around.


    ¡°And the prodigal son decided to return to his people,¡± the man behind the bar announced.


    ¡°Hi, Mike¡± Alexander greeted, absentmindedly.


    ¡°You never cease to amaze me Alexander,¡± Mike said, walking out of the bar with a bottle of champagne and two wine sses. He walked to the middle of the room where a ss table stood, surrounded by sofas.


    He took a seat on the one facing Alexander and cocked it open, letting out a loud boom.


    ¡°Woah!!¡± Eddie screamed from a corner where he was lying on arge sofa while Trisha explored his body with her tongue.


    Make gave a low chuckle and poured the wine, turning to Alexander. ¡°This minute you¡¯re one hell of a serious minded businessman, the other you¡¯re getting married to some hot chick. What¡¯s up, man?¡±


    Alexander picked up one ss and took a sip. ¡°Okay, first, she¡¯s not some chick¡­¡± he paused and looked up at the neer, who walked towards him.


    ¡°Hey, baby¡±

 Chapter 10

    Alexander raised a brow at thedy who just walked into the room and then turned back to his drink.


    ¡°Xander, baby,¡± she sang, beaming. She walked up to him and settled on the sofa beside him. Alexander was unmoved. ¡°Why so quiet? Tell me you¡¯re not excited to see me and I¡¯ll know you¡¯re lying.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here, Kim?¡± Alexander asked, keeping his eyes on his phone. Uninterested with whatever was going on around him


    ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to see my man any longer?¡± She leaned towards him and began caressing his body from the open part of his shirt. He didn¡¯t stop her. She went ahead to unbutton the rest of his shirt.


    She got on top of him and began kissing his nowpletely exposed chest. Slowly, she traced her way to his belt buckle and began unfastening it. Then she rose her head, going in for a kiss on his lips.


    In a sh, she was on the ground. He had pushed her off of him. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± She screamed, getting up from the ground.


    Everyone fell silent, including Mike, who had been sipping his drink, watching everything y out. And even Eddie and Trisha, whose moans were beginning to fill the room. They both sat up and turned in their direction, arranging their clothes.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting all disgusting ever since you got married to that- that low life,¡± she stressed, her eyes burning with fury. Alexander was quiet, sipping on his drink. His shirt, still unbuttoned.


    ¡°You are nothing but a lying, cheating asshole, Alexander. And that your whore of a wife-¡±


    In a blink of an eye, Alexander was up and in front of her face. ¡°How dare you?¡± His voice was low but eerie. She took a step back with every step he took.


    Every other person in the room was on edge as Alexander¡¯s move was unexpected.


    ¡°She¡¯s as stupid as every other woman who has had the heart to give another man a chance to fuck her after a shameful break up. Especially someone like you, Alexander.¡± She stressed further, with an aura which was meant to test Alexander¡¯s patience.


    Without thinking, he grabbed her throat and pinned her to the nearest wall, making sure to hit her head as he did. She struggled to get free, but she was no match for his strength.


    ¡°Hey hey, everyone calm down,¡± Eddie said, strolling a little closer to where they stood.


    ¡°You will not speak of or about her in that manner again.¡± He squeezed tighter. ¡°You are a slut who doesn¡¯t deserve to be loved, Kim. And it¡¯s going to remain that way¡± his grip got tighter, and she was beginning to turn pale.


    ¡°Calm down now, Alexander. You do not want the blood of a whore on your hands,¡± Mike said. He was also on his feet, but his expression was uninterested, as he really didn¡¯t care what happened to her.


    He just didn¡¯t want any blood on his premises.


    Alexander gritted his teeth as he stared at her. Veins grew on the side of his neck and made their way to his forehead.


    ¡°Let go Alexander,¡± Eddie said. He was now beside him and carefully ced his hand on his friend¡¯s. ¡°She¡¯s not worth all this, please.¡±


    Alexander turned to his friend and then back to Kim, who kept hitting at his hand, trying to breathe. He then let go, making her drop to the ground, holding her neck and coughing.


    ¡°We all know you want something from her, Alexander.¡± Kim struggled to say while gasping for breath. ¡°You never love anyone, not even yourself. We all know your n Alexander, you¡¯re selfish,¡± she spat. Seriousness and anger spread across her face.


    Alexander turned to her with what she said, suddenly sinking into his head. He turned to Eddie, who looked away, and Mike, who just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°I mean, you are Alexander,¡± Mike finally said. They¡¯d been talking behind him and they¡¯de to a conclusion about the reason he had gotten married to Maren.


    He turned towards the elevator, which they hade through while buttoning his shirt. ¡°Fuck all of you¡±


    *****


    ¡°What did I tell you about leaving my house?¡±This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Staying at your house wasn¡¯t stated in the contract. Me and Nathan¡¯s moving to your house was totally by choice. You shouldn¡¯t make a fuss about it,¡± Maren replied, avoiding his intense gaze.


    He turned to face her and took her face with one hand, and turned it to him slowly. They were on the balcony outside her room upstairs and the wind blew steadily, blowing her hair behind and exposing her neck.


    Alexander just stood there quiet, his hands on her chin and staring straight into her eyes. His grey eyes burned into her skin, but she couldn¡¯t look away as his grip was firm on her face.


    ¡°Okay fine, we¡¯ll go back¡± she finally said, not out of fear but uncertainty of what was running through his mind. She pulled away from his grip and turned to go into the room.


    ¡°Do you know how many people would try to hurt you if you stayed here?¡± He finally said, stopping her in her tracks.


    ¡°Thanks to you,¡± she replied, almost in a murmur.


    ¡°What did you think of me, Maren?¡± His voice was unusually calm.


    Maren was confused at his question, but mostly at his urge to have such a conversation with her. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I mean, you¡¯re my boss,¡± she managed to say after a brief hesitation.


    He moved closer to her and held her face in his hands. ¡°I am trying to protect you and Nathan Maren. The earlier you see that, the safer for both of you.¡±


    She scoffed and pulled away again, almost convinced that this man was on some kind of medication. ¡°Protect us from what? No one is after us, Alexander. And I am not making your enemy our enemy.¡±


    Maren turned around and began to leave again.


    ¡°William is not happy. And I know he was here.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Maren sat in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her face was void of expression as she admired the neck piece she wore. As she did, the diamonds on her wrist shone in the bright light which illuminated the room.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡± a maid stood at her half-opened door, with a pleasing demeanour. Maren turned in her direction slowly. ¡°Master said to call you down.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said in a quiet voice and turned back to the mirror when she had left. It was dark out and Alexander had made her dress up exquisitely for the gathering they were going for.


    In minutes, she made her way down the stairs. Her silver heels made soft clicking sounds on the ground as she walked. Quietly, she got to the sitting room where Alexander stood facing the window, waiting for her.


    She made sure to arrange her red, flowing body con dress before he turned to her. Slowly, he turned to view the presence in the room and paused unwittingly.


    His eyes travelled from the hair on her head to the shoes on her feet. The more he stared, the more ttered she got. She looked away. The off shoulder hand strap of her dress fell further down her hand and she reached out to pull it up.


    ¡°No, leave it that way. I love it¡± he finally said, making her turn to him. He ced the ss of wine which he harboured in his hand on the table nearby and walked over to her.


    Slowly, he ced his hand around her waist and reeled her closer to him. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he stared at her lips. Maren thought she would melt if he kept up with staring at her.


    Then he leaned in and gently ced his lips on hers.


    ¡°Mummy?¡±


    They both disentangled and turned to the tiny voice behind. Nathan stood there in his pyjamas, staring at Maren with the saddest but cutest eyes he could. Rose stood by, worry stered all over her face.


    ¡°Oh Nathan, you should be in bed. It¡¯ste, you know¡± she bent and picked him up. Careful not to ruin her makeup.


    ¡°Where are you going mummy?¡± Nathan said, his hand was on her earring, carefully examining it.


    ¡°Not anywhere far, baby. I¡¯ll be back before you even know it¡± she assured him, the guilt of spending only a little time with him in the past week washing over her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to wait up for you.¡± He replied to a note of finality in his voice.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s so sweet, Nathan. But you don¡¯t need to worry. I¡¯ll be back soon, me and Alex.¡±


    At the mention of Alexander¡¯s name, Nathan turned to him as if just realising that he was also in the room.


    ¡°Alex, will you bring my mummy back early?¡± his voice was soft, making his words sound more like a plea.


    ¡°Your mom will be back before you know it, little man.¡± Alexander said. He walked closer to where Maren stood and shed Nathan his killer smile. ¡°Who¡¯s a brave little man?¡±


    Nathan didn¡¯t respond, he just looked down at his fingers, which he had intertwined. ¡°Come here,¡± Alexander said and took him out of Maren¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to hurt Alex if mummy doesn¡¯t get back early?¡± Alexander asked again. Nathan slowly pointed to himself, raising his head to look at Alexander. Alexander raised his brows. ¡°Oh really? You¡¯re going to hurt Alex?¡±


    Nathan gave a nod and a small smile. ¡°Okay, now I¡¯m scared,¡± Alexander said and Nathan chuckled. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll bring mummy back soon so you don¡¯t have to hurt me alright?¡± Alexander finally said, taking note that they were runningte.


    He tickled Nathan and set him on the ground. He extended his fists for a fist bump and Nathan took it heartily. ¡°Now go to bed, little soldier,¡± he said and ruffled the little boy¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Bye mummy¡± he said, hugging his mum by her leg, then walked further to where Rose sat and followed her upstairs to the room.


    *****


    The ride to the venue wasn¡¯t long, but it was a really silent one. Lately, Alexander has been acting all weird but caring and Maren wasn¡¯t sure she liked it.


    The only reason that kept her going was the fact that her son had formed a strong bond with him and they seemed to really get along with each other.


    While still deep in thought, the car slowly came to a halt and shes from different angles blinded all upants of the car. The guards who had upied the car which had followed them quickly came out to control the crowd, keeping them from touching either Maren or Alexander.


    As soon as they got inside, Maren felt what it felt like to be in the presence of the elite. She unconsciously kept her hands locked into Alexander¡¯s as they walked further into the hall.


    ¡°Now there he is,¡± a well-polished man in a three-piece suit called and walked towards them with a smile. He had firmly gripped around a ss of wine.


    ¡°Uncle Harry!¡± Alexander said cheerfully, and disentangled himself from Maren to hug the man. On first look, he had a very young visage, but Maren could guess he was in histe fifties. ¡°You made it¡±


    ¡°I did make you a promise, didn¡¯t I?¡± his uncle replied and broke the hug, not after giving him a hearty pat on the back. ¡°There was no way I was going to miss this one, you know. Your dad is going to kill me if I did¡±


    ¡°I really am d you came,¡± Alexander remarked, maintaining the widest grin she had ever seen him put on.


    ¡°Nah, no need for that. I¡¯ll be leaving soon anyway,¡± he said, and they bothughed. They stopped and uncle Harry finally noticed Maren¡¯s presence. ¡°And this must be the wife.¡±


    Maren almost rolled her eyeballs in disgust. Being called ¡®the¡¯ wife made her feel like an item. ¡°Nice evening, sir,¡± she managed to say, in the nicest way she could. With her brightest, false smile.


    ¡°Such a lovelydy,¡± he said, looking her over. Okay, that one made her smile a little genuinely. I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t make it to your wedding and my baby brother has to be the one to apany you to the altar,¡± he added.This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, no worries. Duty calls, I guess,¡± she replied and gave a dry chuckle.


    ¡°My, I am loving this one Alex,¡± he said and looked straight at someone who had just walked into the building. ¡°I have to run along now. I¡¯ll catch you guyster.¡± He said and walked away from where they stood.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Alexander said and ced his arm for her to take. She could feel the tension in his body as they locked arms. She really was learning new things about this man.


    They strolled in silence towards the stage where Alexander¡¯s father stood, speaking to some people. Maren took the time to look around and someone in the midst of some other people caught her attention.


    A shiver ran down her spine as William¡¯sughter rang through her ear. Alexander noticed her countenance and followed her gaze. William turned almost immediately, and they locked eyes.

 Chapter 12

    Maren¡¯s body tensed up the more she looked in his direction and even worse as Alexander had also caught sight of him. There was only a slight chance this night would go well at this point.


    ¡°Alright, stay here,¡± Alexander half murmured and disentangled from her arm.


    She held him back quickly before he could leave. ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡± She asked, her heart now increasing its rate.


    ¡°This ceremony is being held in my honour. I get to decide who attends or not,¡± Alexander stated with the utmost seriousness.


    ¡°You can just let him be and he won¡¯t cause any trouble?¡±


    ¡°Either way, he¡¯s not invited,¡± he said and pulled away from her grip. She walked over to a corner and stood, waiting for the worst to happen.


    ¡°And how is everyone doing?¡± Alexander asked, putting on a cheerful face as he reached where the small crowd gathered.


    ¡°it is an honour to finally speak with you in person,¡± one of the youngdies amongst them said, her heavily painted red lips dancing as she spoke. She stuck out her hand for a handshake. Instead, he took it and kissed its behind while shing her a smile.


    Maren rolled her eyes where she stood. ¡®He¡¯s so dramatic, she thought.


    Thedy blushed and slowly withdrew her hand. The rest of individuals in the group said a word or two to him before he finally shifted his gaze to William, whoseposure had been top-notch the whole time.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯re having a good time,¡± Alexander said, maintaining his smile.


    ¡°As much as you are,¡± William replied, returning the energy. The rest of the group took the hint and slowly dispersed in different directions.


    Alexander chuckled and took a step forward but far enough, keeping a reasonable distance to avoid suspicion. ¡°You really know how to show up where you aren¡¯t invited or wanted, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°You know, we haven¡¯t really met after you made Maren suck your balls¡± he shot back. His grin was wide.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe find me? The way snuck your way to frighten a little boy¡±


    ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re aware I want custody of that frightened little boy, Alexander¡±


    From where Maren stood, they were out of earshot, but she could feel the tension between them.


    As she watched them quietly exchange bloody words, a server passed by her, bearing a tray of winesses and she quickly relieved him of one. She drained the ss in one gulp and resumed watching her past and present.


    She really didn¡¯t know why she felt so uneasy, but somehow, she had be scared of William more than Alexander. She focused her gaze on William, whose dark green suit shed with Alexander¡¯s burgundy.


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re married to my whore of an ex doesn¡¯t make you his father, Alexander,¡± William said. The calmness of his voice was not rhyming with his words.


    Alexander shut his eyes for a second, sucking in the urge to disfigure this money¡¯s face.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t invited. What are you doing here?¡± he asked, not willing to exchange any words on that topic.


    ¡°Can¡¯t Ie greet an old friend?¡± He said and extended his hand for a handshake, but Alexander pped it away. William chuckled dryly and looked to where Maren stood. ¡°I see Maren decided to stay back to avoid any drama. Good for her¡±


    ¡°Baby, Mr. ckwood is such a darling,¡± a voice said from behind, and ady with jet ck straight hair appeared. She stopped and eyed Alexander before grabbing onto William¡¯s arm. ¡°Mr. ckwood senior, I mean,¡± she corrected.


    ¡°Who said I wasn¡¯t invited?¡± William asked rhetorically, a victorious expression stered on his face.


    ¡°William, let¡¯s go speak to ¡°someone¡±¡± she said, emphasising on the someone.


    ¡°Oh my god, Irene,¡± Maren said, taking her ce beside Alexander. As if controlled by some force, some individuals in attendance took out their phone and began taking pictures and murmuring at the same time.


    Irene rolled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, Maren. We can all just be mature human beings and not have this conversation,¡± Irene said, slight unease in her voice.


    ¡°I guess your definition of maturity is showing up with the man you stole from an acquaintance.¡± Maren spat, ¡°You really do have no shame¡±


    ¡°There was never any love for you around here, Maren,¡± Irene hissed, a satisfied grin disyed on her face.


    ¡°You disgust me¡­¡±


    ¡°Gather round everyone!¡± They heard through the speakers, and they all turned towards the stage where Mr. ckwood stood. Two guards stood behind him as he looked through the crowd.


    Good thing he was quick enough to stop a chaotic scene from ying out.


    Alexander walked towards the gathering crowd, but not after giving William a long stare. Maren turned back to Irene. ¡°Just stay away from any other thing that has to do with me¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to tell me, bitch,¡± she replied, batting long, falseshes. ¡°Run along now,¡± she added, waving her fingers.


    ¡°By the way, your dress is nice. Really expresses the depth your boobs can go,¡± Maren remarked as she walked away. She smiled when she heard Irene gasp in anger.


    Maren walked over to where Alexander stood beside therge stage. But she didn¡¯t speak to him as his entire attention was directed towards the stage. His father, precisely.


    Cameras shed as Mr. ckwood cleared his throat. ¡°My guess is only a few people here know why exactly I called for this gathering. Others just saw this as an opportunity to spend more money on outfits. And others are here for gossip.¡±


    The crowd chuckled; guilty as charged.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Anyway, without wasting much of our time, you all know I retired just a few months ago because of reasons known to the public.¡± He paused and searched the crowd. ¡°But a rich man never rests for his thirst for power and wealth knows no bounds,¡± the crowd murmured in approval.


    ¡°That being said, allow me to bring to the stage, my son Alexander ckwood!¡± sounds of pping filled the hall.

 Chapter 13

    Palms jamming together rented the air as he took his pace beside his father. ¡°Over the years, Alexander here has been more than the son I asked for. And his hard work has made him who he is today,¡± Mr. ckwood said.


    Maren couldn¡¯t help but smile at the corner, and the crowd also agreed.


    ¡°Now that aside, I¡¯d like to officially hand over the ownership of mypanies to thest man standing in the ckwood family.¡± He announced. pping and cheers filled the air and even Alexander couldn¡¯t hide his grin.


    Mr ckwood gently stepped away from the pulpit, carefully supported by the guards who stood beside him, and Alexander stepped forward.


    He cleared his throat and scanned the crowd before looking back at the microphone like he was nervous. ¡°I, um- it really is a pleasure being here tonight-¡±


    Maren couldn¡¯t help but stare at this man who she was locked in with. It was true they had had an encounter a long time ago before she and William¡¯s break up and they had made out over drinks.


    But that was a long time ago, and she hadn¡¯t taken it as anything even when she found out he was a rival with William because it didn¡¯t matter- right?


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m really grateful to my father, Philip ckwood, and my lovely wife, Maren ckwood, for this opportunity¡­¡±


    ¡®Yeah, it didn¡¯t matter that she had also cheated,¡¯ Maren thought and blushed when Alexander smiled at her. She turned to the crowd and caught Irene holding on to William with a scowl on her face.


    Her smile grew broader. ¡®William never deserved you,¡¯ she told herself. And definitely not that bitch of a person she used to call her best friend. ¡®He definitely didn¡¯t deserve Nathan, and he isn¡¯t going toy another finger on him,¡¯ she swore.


    ¡°¡­Come on up, Maren,¡± she snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name. She turned to the stage where Alexander stood beaming and gesturing for her toe up.


    She gave a brief smile and climbed up onto the stage, apanied by cheers from the crowd. She got to where Alexander stood and he surprisingly grabbed her by her waist and gave her a peck.


    Fighting to keep the red from appearing on her cheeks, she turned to the crowd. A wide grin disying on her face.


    ¡°Now I know what you all are thinking- our marriage was sudden. It was probably nned.¡± He paused and scanned the crowd. ¡°Well, I can assure you that it wasn¡¯t¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her cheerful guise. ¡®What the hell was he doing? Their marriage was exactly nned! What would people say when they parted ways after the six months of the contract psed?¡¯ her mind raced.


    ¡°We are in fact as in love as many of you once were¡­¡± Alexander said, insult intended.


    Maren checked her phone and took a glimpse of the time for the umpteenth time. Not that she wanted to, but she just saw that as a better thing to do than stare into the eyes of strangers who either adored or wanted to murder her.


    Turning her gaze back to the crowd, she caught sight of Irene leaving the exit, but William stood firmly in ce. His face exhibited signs that he wasn¡¯t buying an ounce of what Alexander was saying.


    It was as if William sensed her staring at him, and he turned to her. But she was quicker and looked away.


    ¡°That being said, I¡¯d like to thank each and everyone of you who made it here tonight and to my dad who¡¯s trusting me with this weight of responsibility.¡± He finally said, and Maren quietly sighed in relief.


    ¡°Thank you all, and goodnight.


    ¡°Bold move back there,¡± Maren said dryly as they both walked into Alexander¡¯s living room.


    Alexander shrugged, ¡°Well, I had to say something¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Well, you did say a lot,¡± she said quietly as he sank into one couch, not knowing what she wanted his reply to be.


    ¡°My dad did seem pleased¡±


    Maren rolled her eyes. He always had to bring up his dad. Couldn¡¯t he just do something because he felt good about it?


    ¡°Are you always trying to please him?¡± her voice was almost in a whisper as the entire building was thrown in silence from the night.


    Alexander didn¡¯t reply. He just sat there scrolling through his phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± She asked, trying to draw his attention back to her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You were trying to convince everyone that we¡¯re in an actual marriage. What happens after the contract is fulfilled?¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be your problem. I¡¯ll handle it¡±


    Her brows furrowed, not just because of the way he just brushed her off, but because of his nonchnce. ¡°But it is my problem. You just convinced the entire city that we are in love and in five months, we¡¯ll be separated. How do you want people to view me?¡±


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t care about what people would say,¡± he said and stood up from the couch. Heading towards the staircase.


    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about how other kids would act towards Nathan.¡±


    This made him stop in his tracks. He withdrew the foot which rested on one of the stairs and turned back to her. He took her face in his palms and stared into her eyes, instantly giving her jelly feet.


    Despite her heels, he still was inches taller than her, making his eyes leave dents in her face.


    ¡°I am Alexander ckwood. No one dares make fun of anyone I care about, okay?¡±


    Maren wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that and she didn¡¯t want to get her hopes high, so she was at a loss of words. She just stared back at him and nodded.


    Frankly speaking, she¡¯d choose Alexander over William anytime, but Alexander was someone she has never learnt to read. He always gave mixed feelings and had different energies around her.


    She couldn¡¯t say the same when he was around Nathan, though.


    When words failed to roll out of Maren¡¯s lips, Alexander took the opportunity and leaned forward to kiss her.


    She moved her head backwards a little and looked deep into his eyes. ¡°Do you love me?¡±

 Chapter 14

    A slight creak from the front door and she was on her feet. She slipped into her fluffy flip flops and trudged out of her room.


    She poked her head out in the hallway, but it was as silent and empty as the rest of the building. She proceeded further out the door as to the front door.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± She muttered quietly. It was locked. She turned and looked around the living room, and there was no sign of anyone. She could swear it was the door creak she had heard, and she was sure she had locked the door.


    A bread knifeid on the kitchen counter. She grabbed it and ambled around the house searching the numerous rooms within.


    Unsessful in finding an intruder and tired, she turned back and headed to her room. ¡°God, I really need to get enough sleep. I think I¡¯m beginning to hear things¡± she sighed and closed the room door behind her.


    ¡°Ahh¡± she shrieked and dropped the knife, which made a sound that echoed through the house. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing sneaking into my house?¡± She asked as she picked up the knife.


    ¡°When you¡¯re given a job, you¡¯re expected to obey the instructions, Irene,¡± the male voice replied. His face was to her window, twirling a pen between his fingers.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± she said, folding her arms, a frown stered on her face.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± His voice was calm and distant, like his mind was on something else. She walked up to her bed and sat down, cing herptop on herp to resume what she was doing.


    ¡°How did you even get into my house, you freak¡± she asked, somewhat pissed.


    ¡°What you should be asking is how you will pay for your disobedience¡± he turned to her and dropped the pen on a table in the room.


    ¡°For all I care, our deal was off once I did exactly what you told me¡±


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t, Irene. You went too far.¡±


    Irene sighed and looked up at him before standing up. She walked slowly towards him, gently putting one leg in front of the other.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we do what you¡¯re actually here for, Alexander,¡± she hissed as she got to where he stood. He just kept staring at her. His face was expressionless.


    Slowly, she grabbed his hand and ced it on her perfectly rounded ass, and controlled it to squeeze it. She bit her lower lip and touched his face. She smiled when she noticed he didn¡¯t remove his hand.


    ¡°You know you want me, Xander. You¡¯re just using Maren as a cover up,¡± she said and searched his eyes, but there was nothing for her to see in there. Then she leaned forward and locked lips with him.


    He squeezed her ass further and slowly raised the short re skirt she wore, exposing the bare skin beneath. He felt the interior walls of her mouth with his tongue, but then suddenly, her back was to the wall and his hand on her neck.


    ¡°You are just another call girl, Irene,¡± he said. Irene didn¡¯t even say a word or struggle. She just stared at him, anger welding in her. ¡°You were supposed to back out when it was all done, but you decided to do against my orders.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t own me¡±


    ¡°But I paid you¡­¡±


    ¡°And I rejected it!¡± she spat, ¡°You can¡¯t control me, Alexander, I¡¯m not Maren-¡± Alexander cut her short as his grip on her neck became tighter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare speak about her that way. I don¡¯t know the kind of game you¡¯re ying, but you¡¯re going to lose,¡± he threatened. Irene would have scoffed if his hand was almost damaging her throat.


    ¡°Back off whatever the fuck you¡¯re doing and quit trying to intimidate Maren, alright?¡± He asked and raised a brow, releasing his grip a little.


    She didn¡¯t respond. They just stared at each other, each one seeming to plot how to murder the other in their mind. Alexander finally let go and turned around to take his leave.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really have feelings for her,¡± Irene remarked, straightening her neck. She really was a troublemaker. He ignored her and reached for the door handle.


    ¡°I bet you don¡¯t know who she really is. She¡¯s blinded you with that goody nature of hers,¡± she stressed, trying to get on his nerves. ¡°She is no better than me, Alexander. You can say she¡¯s more slutty than I am¡­¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be quiet for once?!¡± He thundered, turning back to face her. Irene took a step back, her face grew pale from fear. ¡°Maren is a better person than you. Don¡¯t you darepare her to yourself ever again,¡± he said, his eyes burning with rage.


    With that, he turned away from her finally and walked out the door. ¡°And quit fooling around with William. It¡¯s disgusting,¡± he added and mmed the door behind him.


    *****


    ¡°Nathan? baby¡± Maren called while walking down the hallway to his room. She was all dressed up in tight fitting mom jeans and a white crop shirt, her hair was packed in a low ponytail.


    She got to his room and stood at the door, watching Rose brush his hair while he sat ying games on his small tab.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost done ma¡¯am,¡± Rose said.


    Maren walked further into the room and bent in front of him, smiling. ¡°How was your night, baby?¡±


    ¡°I had a dream, mummy¡± he said, his eyes still transfixed on the tab.


    ¡°Oh yeah? What about?¡±


    ¡°You were in it and Alex was in it and¡­¡±


    ¡°You weren¡¯t in it?¡± Maren asked.


    ¡°I was, but I was different. I was tall and¡­and¡­¡± he stammered, his brows were furrowed.


    ¡°And what baby?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember mummy¡±


    ¡°Done!¡± Rose said and walked out of the room.


    Maren pulled Nathan¡¯s cheek yfully and smiled. ¡°Alright, time to go,¡± she said and stood up.


    Nathan obeyed, put the tab aside, and stood up.


    ¡°Are you excited?¡± Maren beamed as they walked down the stairs and towards the door.


    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m going to get the biggest ice cream they¡¯ve got,¡± he blurted excitedly. Maren just smiled in response, proud of the child she had raised.


    They walked out the door and got into the awaiting car. The engine started almost immediately.


    Mummy, the nice man from the other day, was here yesterday.


    Maren turned to him sharply. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Alright baby, did you have fun?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± He almost yelled, as he carefully climbed up the staircase, supporting himself with the rails.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Now go up to your room. Mummy has to take care of some things, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡¯


    As soon as he was gone, her bright smile wiped off and turned into an angry frown. She turned around and walked down to the kitchen, where she suspected Rose was.


    As she expected, she was there doing the dishes with one of the other maids. ¡°Wee, ma¡¯am,¡± they both greeted in unison when they noticed her presence.


    Maren didn¡¯t reply. She just stood at the door and folded her arms, watching them. ¡°Who let William into the house?¡± Her voice was ufortably calm.


    They both turned to her, confusion written on their faces.


    ¡°How did Mr. Sinir get into the house and get to Nathan?¡±


    Rose froze where she stood, and her eyes widened. She¡¯d been with Maren as a caretaker for four years when Nathan was born. Maren trusted him in her care. She had never gone against Maren¡¯s orders during those years.


    ¡°T-the guards let him in and he requested to see Nathan when he got in. There was nothing I could do ma¡¯am I¡¯m sorry,¡± she exined, tears forming beneath her eyes.


    Maren shut her eyes for sometime, in realisation. She hadn¡¯t informed the guards about William. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I had to hear it from Nathan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry ma¡¯am, I was scared,¡± she apologised, avoiding Maren¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Did he say anything when he was here?¡± She asked. There really was nothing she could do, though. Nathan was safe, so she really didn¡¯t think about punishing her like she should. Plus, she¡¯d been faithful to her all these years.


    ¡°He wanted to take Nathan out for a treat-¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Maren¡¯s temper rose. ¡°Did he?¡±


    ¡°No, Nathan wouldn¡¯t let him¡±


    Maren¡¯s shoulders dropped in relief. At that point, different thoughts ran through her mind about what could happen if Nathan had agreed to go out with William.


    She turned back to Rose. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever let that man near my son ever again. And always keep Nathan in your sight, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Rose replied as Maren walked out of the kitchen.


    *****


    ¡°For the construction fee, we¡¯ll get back to you on that, sir.¡±


    ¡°How long are we talking?¡±


    Maren¡¯s brow creased in both stress and annoyance. She¡¯d been attending to clients all day and keeping up with their shenanigans while trying to be professional. But this-this was the second time this man had asked this question.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    She sucked in her anger and kept her eyes on herputer, which she has been on all day. ¡°Soon enough, sir,¡± she answered, trying to hide her disgust.


    ¡°I¡¯ve sent a document to your email to yourpany, sir. It should be printed and brought to your next appointment.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take my leave now. Thank you,¡± the man said and walked out of the office.


    ¡®Yeah, you should,¡¯ Maren grumbled in her mind. She finished up what she was doing and threw her back into the chair. A sigh of relief escaped her lungs.


    She really needed a break and not just from work, but from every other thing happening in her life. It was just so exhausting when she thought about it.


    Although nothing remarkable had happenedtely except the fact that herpany had risen so high in the business industry. Aside from that, the week had been thankfully quiet.


    A gentle knock on the door made her realise that she had ced her head on her table and was almost asleep. ¡°Oh, my god¡± she said rubbing her eyes ¡°Come in¡±


    ¡°Looks like someone didn¡¯t get enough sleepst night¡±


    She paused halfway, rubbing her eyes. She knew that voice. ¡°William,¡± she said and her eyes were now wide open. Her tiredness suddenly left her with anger taking its ce.


    ¡°What are you doing here? And why were you at my house?¡± She asked sternly.


    ¡°Does everything have to be a fight with you?¡± He said, moving closer to the table. ¡°I¡¯m not permitted to see a child we produced together?¡± He took his seat on the edge of her table and folded his arms.


    He was in a white round neck which looked a little too tight on him and showed off his muscr arms and chest. Qualities of his Maren always got hypnotised by.


    Blinking away her thoughts, she brought her eyes back to his now grinning face.


    ¡°You will not speak about Nathan like he¡¯s an item. What are you here for?¡± She asked, focused on his face. He didn¡¯t reply and just stared at her. His eyes seemed to be conducting an x-ray through her clothes.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it¡± she stood up and walked away from the table. ¡°I¡¯d really like it if you take your leave now,¡± she said, now avoiding his gaze. He had seeded in making her feel like a little girl once again.


    He chuckled and stood up from the table, walking towards her. His arms were still folded. ¡°You know one thing I love about you? You fight your feelings,¡± he spat. He was now so close to her.


    Bringing her face upward with a finger, he made her look into his eyes as he spoke. ¡°You look so pretty when you do that.¡± he grabbed her waist and reeled her closer.


    A shiver ran down her spine at his touch. It always got her, no matter what. William leaned forward and ced kisses on her neck.


    Her breath shook and her brows creased as she felt like an ocean beneath. He stopped and leaned close to her ear. ¡°Say you don¡¯t miss me, and I¡¯ll go¡± he said and looked into her eyes searching for an answer.


    None came.


    He pressed her closer and engaged her lips in a passionate kiss. She ced her hand on his hard chest and felt more of him. She realised¡­she did actually miss him.


    ¡°Mrs ckwood, I¡­¡±

 Chapter 16

    Surprisingly, they disentangled rather slowly at the sound of the voice. Maren turned to Louise, who had just walked into her office. She folded her arms.


    ¡°I am so sorry ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t mean to barge in. I promise I didn¡¯t see anything. I swear,¡± she blurted. Her hands were visibly trembling.


    Maren was unmoved. Her face showed no emotion as she stared at her. William, by the way, seemed amused. He resumed his ce on her table while a smirk yed at the corner of his lips.


    ¡°What do you want Louise?¡± She asked firmly.


    ¡°I um- I got the signed documents from the logisticspany like you asked,¡± she replied, looking down at the document to avoid her boss¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Hand it over,¡± Maren said, while stretching her hands. Louise walked over quickly and ced the file in her hand and turned around to leave, but then stopped and turned back around.


    ¡°I really am¡­¡±


    ¡°Just get out!¡± Maren ordered, making her scurry out the door.


    William chuckled quietly after she left, earning himself a death stare from Maren. She dropped the file with force on therge table. ¡°You seem to be enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he just stood up from the table to face her, their bodies almost touching. He made a move to ce his hands on her waist again, but she noticed on time and pped his hands away.


    She raised a brow. ¡°Really? Is that all that you think about?¡±


    William shook his head slightly, ying confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We¡­I just got caught by my secretary, William. Stop trying to y dumb,¡± she said and moved away from him.


    ¡°So what?¡± He edged closer to her. ¡°She¡¯s your secretary. You¡¯re her boss. You can punish her for barging into your office. It¡¯s actually really simple,¡± he added and tried touching her.


    ¡°No, stop,¡± she pped his hand again. ¡°I don¡¯t want you, William. I¡¯m married to Alexander and I¡¯m happy with him. I won¡¯t have you ruin my life again,¡± she said, but it only earned her a chuckle from William.


    Her brows creased in anger, she folded her arms. ¡°Get out¡±


    ¡°Hey, slow down. It doesn¡¯t have to be like this, Maren. I want you, I really do¡­


    ¡°Get the fuck out!!¡± she almost screamed. Her eyes were now reddened from holding in her tears for too long.


    William paused for a while, then raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ll go,¡± he said and walked over to the door. He ced his hand on its handle, then paused to look at her.


    ¡°Get out of my life!!¡± Maren quickly said before he could say anything. He just scoffed and left.


    Maren turned around to face the table. ¡°Fuck!¡± she muttered quietly, trying to suck in her tears. She shut her eyes, anger clouding her mind.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    She wasn¡¯t angry about Louise walking in on her making out with William or angry with the fact that Wim was so thoughtless, but she was, in fact, angry with herself.


    All her life, she has been an indecisive little girl who just waited till her mom, or probably the universe, to make a decision for her. Now, being an adult, things were different, and she had to make tough decisions.


    There was Nathan to care for and her mom and Alexander and she had just discovered she hadn¡¯tpletely gotten over William, no matter how much she tried to cover it up.


    Maren blinked back her tears and ran her fingers through her hair. She really shouldn¡¯t be having such a breakdown, she thought to herself. She just needed to get through the six months for the contract and she would be in control again.


    She walked to the other side of the table and sank into her chair, suddenly remembering Louise. After Alexander had granted her the loan to save herpany, he assigned Louise, who used to work at hispany as a front desk as her secretary.


    He had given her the spot because of her loyalty to make sure the reports of Maren¡¯spany gets to him or possibly keep an eye on her. And that was what Maren was worried about.


    Shaking her thoughts away, she drew closer to the table and resumed her work.


    ¡°Mrs. ckwood, a letter came in just now for you,¡± Louise said, marching into Maren¡¯s office.


    ¡°A letter? Who still writes those?¡± She asked, engrossed in what she was typing.


    Louise chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m as grossed out as you are, ma¡¯am,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who¡¯s it from?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say in the envelope. It¡¯ll probably be written in the letter,¡± she said, shrugging her shoulders.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t opened it yet?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t know I could do that.¡±


    ¡°What if it were a letter bomb?¡± Maren said, hoping she¡¯d get the humour, but obviously she didn¡¯t as she began fumbling with the envelope.


    Maren paused and looked up at her, making Louise stop midway from opening the letter. ¡°I was joking,¡± Maren stated.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I-I didn¡¯t get it¡±


    ¡°ce it on the table,¡± she ordered and turned back to herputer. Louise obeyed and turned to leave. ¡°And-¡± Maren suddenly said.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± she turned back around.


    ¡°About today,¡± she began, keeping her eyes glued to the screen, that she hadn¡¯t noticed Louise fumble with her nails. Something she did when she was keeping, something she shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Do you report stuff to Alexander?¡±


    ¡°I give uratepany reports to Mr. ckwood, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise replied, extra humility in her voice that always disgusted Maren.


    ¡°I mean aside from that¡±


    ¡°No, not really,¡±


    Maren raised her head to look Louise in the eye. ¡°What do you mean, not really?¡±


    ¡°Well, he calls my desk sometimes to ask how you¡¯re doing. That¡¯s all¡±


    Maren raised a brow. ¡°Why can¡¯t he just call my phone?¡± She asked rhetorically. ¡°Anyway, I want nothing of anything you saw today to get out. Am I clear?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I saw nothing, Mrs. ckwood,¡± she replied. There was silence as both women were to their thoughts.


    ¡°You can go, Louise,¡± she said after a while.


    After she left, Maren sighed. She didn¡¯t trust her. Her agreeing to keep shut was not ensuring enough. Her gaze turned to the letter on her table. She picked it up and pulled the paper from it.


    Boldly written on it in block letters was: ¡°I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!¡±

 Chapter 17

    The dining table was silent except for the tes and cutleries which seemed to be having a discussion which echoed through the room.


    Of all the faces which included Maren Nathan and Alexander, Maren¡¯s was the most clouded and she picked at her food like it was prepared with too much vinegar.


    She stole nces at Alexander from time to time, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice as he was caught between eating his food and his phone. She turned to him again, but this time, he caught her gaze. Making her turn away quickly.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± He asked, but she just shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me that. You¡¯ve been quiet for the past few days now. What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    Maren took the risk and looked up at him, meeting his eyes. She searched his


    expressionless face for the slightest sign of emotion, but she got none.


    The annoying part was there was worry in his voice when he spoke. But his face sent a different message. She turned back to her food and to Nathan, who was quietly eating at her side.


    Her mind raced, searching for the right words to start with. ¡°Is there anyone trying to get to you?¡± She finally asked, keeping her eyes on the food in front of her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alexander asked, his voice getting curious. He dropped his cutlery on the te and pushed it forward, indicating he had lost interest in taking another bite.


    ¡°Other than William, who else are you rivalling with?¡± She asked again.


    Alexander leaned back in his chair and stared into space like he was trying to think. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I have an urate answer to that.¡± He said and paused. ¡°I mean there are a lot and there are some I¡¯m just a threat to,¡± he added, a hint of pride in his voice.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± He asked, now looking in her direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m being threatened¡± she blurted.


    ¡± How?¡±


    ¡°I received a letter a few days back¡±


    ¡°And what was in it?¡± Alexander asked.


    ¡°Mummy, I¡¯m done eating,¡± Nathan said when dropped the ss of juice he held to his mouth.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Maren replied with a brief smile. Rose appeared from within to clear all the tes on the table. Including Maren¡¯s, which she had given up earlier. And when she was done, she took Nathan by the hand and led him up the stairs.


    Maren stayed silent for a while, as if reminiscing on if she can trust him.


    ¡°Go on, what was in the letter?¡± he urged.


    ¡°It said I know who you are,¡± Maren replied, keeping her face away. At first, when she had read it in her office, she hadn¡¯t taken it seriously and took it as a joke, but as she left her office, it began to bother her a little.


    And now that she had said it out loud to someone, she felt scared.


    Alexander was quiet for a while, then he scoffed out of nowhere, earning him a pissed stare from Maren.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Sounds more like a joke to me,¡± Alexander said. ¡°Looks like someone is ying a prank on you, trying to scare you or something¡±


    ¡°Well, whoever it is, is doing a great job.¡± Maren shot back. ¡°But what if it¡¯s not?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not, then maybe you have a new rival in yourpany. You see, that¡¯s the thing about being sessful. You be a threat to others, Maren.¡± his eyes were now glued to his phone¡¯s screen.


    Maren almost rang her nose in annoyance. ¡®Look at this man school me about owning apany,¡¯ she thought. ¡°This doesn¡¯t sound like some rival, Alexander. A rival doesn¡¯t send a letter saying I know who you are¡±


    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s a prank. You really shouldn¡¯t be over thinking this,¡± he said absentmindedly. ¡°Besides, what do you think the person knows about you?¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat at that question. ¡®What did the person know?¡¯ her mind repeated. She turned back to Alexander and stood up. ¡°I have no idea,¡± she began, making her way out of the dining room.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break?¡± Alexander¡¯s voice came from behind her. ¡°Take this week off. You seem a lot stressed.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks¡±


    *****


    The car pulled up in front of the third park in the city, which was less crowded and mostly opulent kids went to, to avoid being scolded by parents who trained their children differently.


    As soon as the engine stopped and the car door was opened for them, Nathan dashed out of the car towards the entrance where a guard stood.


    Maren watched as the guard bent a little to his eye level and said some inaudible words to him before letting him through.


    She smiled as she watched him run in excitedly, but he halted when he got to the middle of therge ground, which was surrounded by y equipment and about a dozen children using one or another.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± Maren asked when she got to where he stood. She noticed the expression on his face. He was scared.


    Maren frowned, as she knew his fear was her fault. She hadn¡¯t let him mix with kids his age. He had only grown up knowing she, Rose, and her mom.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. They¡¯re friendly,¡± Maren said with a smile.


    ¡°Really, mummy?¡± His voice was low as he kept his eyes on the little creatures all over the ce.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll want to be friends with you.¡±


    He was quiet and just stared in the distance. ¡°Promise?¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°I promise, Nathan. They¡¯re all your friends, okay?¡± She assured him, not even sure herself. ¡°Alright, why don¡¯t you go y?¡± she added.


    ¡°Okay,¡± he replied and began walking towards the main ground. Maren stood up and watched him go before looking around for a ce to sit and look after him.


    Settling down on afortable steel bench, watch him approach a little boy who was ying with some toy cars to get her with a girl who seemed more interested in the cars than the boy.


    She smiled as she watched them wee him, happy to have one more person in theirpany. Suddenly, she felt like a proud mom all over again.


    ¡°Maren ckwood?¡±

 Chapter 18

    ¡°Maren ckwood?¡± A feminine voice called from behind. Maren turned sharply to view a brte with a stature like that of a goddess. Her hair fell over her shoulders andplemented her red coloured lips.


    ¡°Hi?¡± Maren returned.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ve met before,¡± thedy said as she noticed Maren¡¯s expression, trying to remember if she knew her.


    ¡°Oh, alright¡± Maren shrugged, rxing her face.


    ¡°Can I sit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± she adjusted, and thedy took her cefortably beside her. Together, they stared ahead, watching the kids.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ne, by the way, Ne Burton. Nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, same,¡± Maren replied, unsure of what to say next.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m a really big fan of yours,¡± Ne began, keeping her gaze ahead.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Maren raised a brow. ¡°Really? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything worthy of having a fanbase¡±


    Ne chuckled dryly, ¡°I just really admire your strength you know¡± she said and paused ¡°You know, handling break up with your fiance, being a single mom and then finding your way out of all of it and then being the wife of your fiance¡¯s rival¡±


    She paused as she noticed Maren¡¯s silence.¡±I¡¯m sorry, I hope I¡¯m not triggering anything with my words,¡± she asked as she turned to look at her face.


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s fine. Go on,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying that if I were to be in your shoes, I¡¯d have had a major breakdown. I mean, just having Zack after my husband got a divorce gave me enough reason to take my life. But seeing how brave you are and how well you handle everything, it really gave me a lot of hope¡±


    Maren finally turned to her, sucking in the tears that threatened to burst out. She gave a weak smile. ¡°That¡¯s a really nice thing to say. Thank you,¡± Ne shrugged and smiled back.


    ¡°Your son¡¯s over there too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the one there with your son,¡± she replied, gesturing to one side of the ground.


    ¡°Lovely kid he is,¡± Maren remarked. And silence engulfed both women. She looked checked the time. They¡¯d been there not up to an hour, so she decided to wait a little longer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just have to ask. How did you handle things?¡±


    Maren blinked a couple of times, unsure of what thisdy actually wanted. ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t easy like you said, but it just had to work out. And I guess that¡¯s what kept me going,¡± she replied. Careful not to say what she has actually gone through.


    She wasn¡¯t about to tell aplete stranger how her life was and is tearing apart. For all she knew, she could be a reporter digging for dirt on the elite.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t his fathere for him? Doesn¡¯t he want him?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Maren shot at her, her brows arched in a really nted line. The guards who stood behind edged closer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it that way,¡± thedy interjected quickly.


    Maren stood up suddenly, her eyes burning with anger. ¡°Well then, miss Ne, I think that¡¯s enough. I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± she said and walked towards Nathan, took him by the hand and led him out of the park.


    Maren sighed when they were safely in the car. She wasn¡¯t actually angered by what thedy had said. She only needed a reason for the conversation to discontinue, and that was really a nice way of getting the hell out of there.


    *****


    ¡°Hi Mom,¡± Maren¡¯s voice rang throughout the house, which seemed void of upants. ¡°Mom?¡± She called again but still got no reply. She turned to Rose, who came in after her with Nathan. ¡°Get him to his room, I¡¯ll go look for mom. ¡±


    Rose obeyed and made her way up the stairs with the little boy. Maren went to the kitchen to look for her mom but was met with just the maids who told her that her mom was indeed around.


    She went out to the garden, but she also wasn¡¯t there. She began to worry. Her bedroom was also empty. Then a thought hit her. The only other ce possible for her to be.


    Maren made her way to the basement. The stairway was dark and dusty and she made sure to avoid touching anything as she made her way down the stairs.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in here, baby,¡± her mom answered from a dimly lit part of the space.


    ¡°What are you doing in down here?¡± Maren asked while fighting to get free from the cobweb which had attached itself to her body.


    ¡°Oh, nothing much,¡± her mom replied. In Front of her was arge box with the contents spilled around her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those dad¡¯s things?¡± Maren asked, slight disgust in her voice.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m just going through it. To see if he left anything of value behind.¡± Her mom said and dropped a document which raised so much dust which choked them.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing of such in there, mom¡± she coughed. ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time¡±


    ¡°Oh stop it, Maren,¡± her mom scolded after having her own session of coughs. ¡°Your dad was only an over ambitious fool. Not an animal.¡±


    Maren chuckled. She knew it was wrong to insult the dead. But let¡¯s call a spade a spade, right?


    ¡°There¡¯s definitely going to be something useful here,¡± she added and continued her search. ¡°What are you doing here, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Well, I came to spend time with my mom. But she¡¯s busy going through her dead husband¡¯s useless stuff. Isn¡¯t that nice?¡±


    ¡°You are so dramatic, Maren.¡±


    ¡°You raised me that way, Mrs Sharppe,¡± she said, batting hershes.¡± Her mom just smiled and silence took over the damp smelling, dusty basement.


    ¡°Was dad always like that when you married him?¡±


    ¡°Well, I knew he was an ambitious person when we first met. In fact, I liked that about him. But as the years went by, it turned into some kind of obsession and he hardly came home. Always chasing after one thing or the other¡­¡±


    ¡°Which ended up killing him¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure I¡¯ll remember what you look like wherever he is¡± her mom¡¯s voice was low and emotionless.


    Maren paused for a while, as if contemting on what had happened to her dad. ¡°I¡¯ll be upstairs.¡±

 Chapter 19

    The private lounge of the second to thest floor was as quiet as it should be. The only sound that could be heard was the low musicing in through the speakers.


    Alexander was seated on one sofa, a document spread open in front of him. He seemed not to mind it as he scrolled through his phone in one hand and a ss of white wine rested in the other.


    Soon enough, the elevator door opened to two hefty men who seemed to half dragged a man out of the elevator with them.


    ¡°Let go of me, will you? Do you know who the fuck I am? I could have you gone at the snap of my fingers¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± Alexander¡¯s voice came suddenly, making him shut his mouth quickly. The men roughly hurled him on his knees in front of Alexander.


    ¡°Sir?¡± His whole body trembled as he knelt before Alexander.


    ¡°Not such a talkative anymore, are you?¡± His eyes were still focused on what he was doing on his phone. The man was quiet. Sweat was beginning to form on his forehead despite the cold temperature the AC gave the room.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± Alexander asked. He took a sip of the wine.


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m so sorry. Whatever I did¡­¡±


    ¡°Answer the fucking question, fool¡± Alexander snapped


    ¡°Y¡­yes, you¡¯re Alexander ckwood, sir,¡± he answered, whimpering. He was in a three-piece suit. Evidence that he was taken while at work or in a meeting. The clothes were wrinkled and almost torn due to struggling and pulling.


    ¡°Hmm¡± Alexander grunted. He then put down his phone and the ss of wine on the table. He picked up a pack of cigarettes from the table and put one between his lips.


    ¡°My guess is if you¡¯re asked, your answer would be you have no idea why you¡¯re here,¡± he said, searching his pockets for a lighter.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know, sir, please.¡±


    The lighter red, and Alexander took a puff. ¡°Mr Hermes is it?¡± The man nodded quickly, like his head was missing a screw. ¡°Well then, Mr Hermes, do you know thepanies I own?¡±


    ¡°Yes, very much sir, and I avoid crossing paths with them in any way I can, sir,¡± the middle-aged man answered. The hair which extended to his forehead now glued to his skin because of the sweat.


    ¡°Except you¡¯ve not, Mr Hermes.¡± Alexander¡¯s voice was terribly calm. He picked up the file which wasid on the table and threw it at him. He was lucky to catch it despite his trembling hands.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°That is the report from one of mypanies forst month¡± smoke spilled from his lips as he spoke.


    The man opened the file and flipped through the pages ¡°You mean Versa¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, you bastard,¡± he interrupted him sharply. ¡°It shows yourpany somehow managed to steal an idea before it was released¡±


    ¡°But¡­but I don¡¯t understand. Yourpanies have never been on our target list. I swear I didn¡¯t know this was yours¡±


    ¡°If you were so smart, you¡¯d have done your research and know that it belongs to Mrs. ckwood, my wife¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯m sorry for my ignorance.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know you¡¯re sorry and I forgive you¡±


    ¡°Oh thank you, thank you sir,¡± the man said, almost kissing Alexander¡¯s feet.


    ¡°But you¡¯re going to have to pay though¡±


    ¡°Anything, any amount sir,¡± the man begged. His palms sped together and his head was bent beneath Alexander¡¯s feet.


    Alexander gave a guttural chuckle and dropped the cigarette in an ashtray whichid in the middle of the table. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money, dude.¡±


    The man slowly raised his head from the ground. His heart seemed to run a million miles per second. He gulped, the lump stuck in his throat before he asked the most scary question ever. ¡°What will you do with me, sir?¡±


    ¡°You see, I¡¯ve heard a lot about yourpany and numerouspanies which have fallen victim to your sneaky fingers. I¡¯veid waiting for you to take the bait and Vo! There you are¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir. I promise it won¡¯t repeat itself.¡± Alexander took a seat from his wine and set it down.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t.¡± He snapped his fingers to the hefty men who had brought him, drawing their attention to him. ¡°Take him away till I figure out what to do with him,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°No, sir, you have to believe me. I can fix this, I swear I can,¡± the man shouted as he was dragged away. ¡°Just give me one chance please, Mr. ckwood¡­¡± his voice finally faded in the distance.


    The lighter red, and another cigarette was lit, but this time with more interest. The elevator beeped open at his fourth puff.


    ¡°Why the fuck do you want me here?¡± The feminine voice questioned as she stood before Alexander. ¡°I thought you¡¯re happily married to your bloody wife and don¡¯t want whores like me around.¡± Her arms were akimbo as she spat what she spat.


    ¡°You know you really need to fix yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh¡± Alexander shushed, slowly. I clouded if smoke followed, falling directly on her face, making her crinkle her nose in disgust. ¡°Watch your words, Kim. Don¡¯t piss me off¡±


    ¡°Why have you sent your men to bring me here?¡± she folded her arms, anger visible on her face.


    Alexander poured himself a ss of wine. ¡°You have the liberty to walk out of here if you want¡± he took a sip from the ss. Not minding her.


    She eyed him and sighed. She took her seat beside him on the sofa. ¡°What do you want from me, Alexander?¡± Her voice was now calmer.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Can you just say it already? You don¡¯t have to be this way all the time.¡±


    ¡°Kneel,¡± his voice came with depth and order.


    Kim scoffed and blinked multiple times in disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. I thought you were yapping about having a wife the other day. ¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t let my wife do the duties of a dog.¡± A cloud of smoke blurred her vision.

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you have a visitor,¡± a voice called from the other side of her room door.


    ¡°Is it Louise?¡± She asked, not taking her eyes off from what she was doing on herptop.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± the voice said and paused. ¡°She says her name is Ne¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She was at the door before the maid could finish the name. ¡°Did you let her in?¡± Maren asked as they both made their way down the stairs.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. She seems like ady of great affluence. I couldn¡¯t let her remain outside.¡±


    Maren didn¡¯t reply. She was fixing her hair in a bun just right enough to make her look like a mom.


    ¡°And what¡¯s this little Cutie¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Mom?¡± Maren called as she stopped at the entrance of the sitting room. All eyes turned to Maren. Her mom was crouched in front of a little boy, making the cringiest of sounds which were supposed to tter the boy.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Maren asked, facing thedy.


    ¡°Maren! That¡¯s no way to wee a guest¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± she rubbed her temples as her mom stood upright and threw her a scowl.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine,¡± Ne said with a smile. ¡°I just came over to apologise for the other day. I really didn¡¯t mean to upset you¡±


    Maren sized her up as she spoke. It was like Maren hadn¡¯t seen her clearly that day at the park. Her once yellow looking hair was actually golden- dyed or not. Her clothes looked like they were sown, especially for her. And those essories¡­ let¡¯s not go there.


    In summary, she was exquisitely beautiful.


    ¡°I really hope there¡¯s a way I could make it up to you,¡± Ne added.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Zack?¡± Nathan¡¯s tiny voice came from behind Maren. He walked out further and stood beside Maren, but kept his eyes on the little boy who stood with Ne.


    ¡°Nathan!¡± the boy chuckled heartily. All eyes were now focused on the excitement both boys felt at seeing each other. But Maren¡¯s mom seemed to feel it more than others.


    ¡°Well, I guess I have no other choice then. Nathan has chosen his stand,¡± Maren said and gave a brief smile.


    ¡°Getfy, my dear, while I make them get you something,¡± Maren¡¯s mom said as she dashed out of the sitting room, making Ne swallow her protest.


    ¡°Mummy, can I go y with Zack in my room?¡±


    Maren paused for a while, as if searching for what to say. She looked at Ne, whose smiling face seemed to be fixed that way. ¡°Sure, Nathan. I and Zack¡¯s mom kind of have to talk, anyway¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± both children eximed as they rushed to meet each other. Zack¡¯s yellow hair seemed to shine as he leaped happily into Nathan. Rose, who had been watching everything from behind, came and led them up the stairs.


    ¡°Well, you seem really hell bent on being here, don¡¯t you?¡± Maren asked. They were sitting opposite each other in the sitting room. A ss of fruit wine rested on the table in front of Ne


    Ne chuckled quietly, ¡°Well, I¡¯m here mostly because of Zack. He¡¯s never been that child to make friends. You know, he grew up to only know four walls and a caretaker that never actually knew how to make friends.¡± She said,


    ¡°So when he asked if he could see Nathan again¡­¡±


    ¡°He asked to see Nathan?¡± Maren asked, suddenly washed by guilt.


    Ne nodded and smiled. Maren¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°I guess he wasn¡¯t happy with the way he left the other day and wanted to see him again. Then I knew this was my chance to apologise.¡±


    The room was quiet after that. Maren just watched her visitor intently as she lifted the ss to her lips.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Do you want to go out sometime? Maybe we can talk?¡± Maren finally asked.


    ¡°That¡¯ll be really nice,¡± she smiled. ¡°And I have the perfect ce in mind. ¡±


    *****


    ¡°So tell me about yourself. You don¡¯t seem like someone who fights for hierarchy in the business world¡±


    They were seated in a private booth at a ssic bar in which Ne had booked. There weren¡¯t many people in it despite the fact that it was midday, and the tempo of the music was just enough for people to hear each other speak.


    ¡°Oh no, my great grandfather was a duke and so was my grandfather. My dad was the civilised one, and he didn¡¯t ept the duke title but he did ept the money though¡± they both chuckled. ¡°You can call it old money¡±


    ¡°So your father is¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, he put that money into food use alright. He¡¯s a multimillionaire and he won¡¯t let me work, so I feed off his hands.¡± Her expression dropped


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not so bad,¡± Maren said, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°Left for me, I¡¯d choose that life, girl. ¡±


    Ne chuckled, her honey coloured eyes brightened a little. ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s not as nice as it sounds.¡±


    ¡°So, what about Zack¡¯s dad? Why did he decide to file for a divorce?¡±


    ¡°Well, he gave reasons like he was tired and wanted to be with someone else. Even before the divorce, I knew he was cheating, but I kept up with it.¡± she paused and took a sip of the coffee in front of her. Which, by the way, is so inappropriate to take by that time of the day.


    Maren just stared. Half wishing her case was like that instead of William jerking off with Irene on their wedding day.


    ¡°But I guess he made a better choice than William, right?¡± Nemented, half hoping she¡¯d get the humour.


    Maren scoffed, ¡°Definitely. He was an asshole¡± the women chuckled at their past as they proceeded to know more details about each other. But the more she stayed there, the more people began to recognize her and stare.


    This made her ufortable and reminded her why she never actually went out in a long time.


    ¡°Could you excuse me for a second? I¡¯ve got to use the bathroom,¡± she said and Ne nodded in excuse. Maren took her purse and made her way to the bathroom, avoiding the eyes which seemed to attach to her body as she walked past.


    She turned on the tap above the sink, while staring at her reflection in the mirror. She¡¯d never actually felt William should have gotten a divorce instead of cheating until she heard Ne¡¯s story.


    The thought of it choked her. She bent down and sshed some water on her face. Arms wrapped around her waist.

 Chapter 21

    Just as she bent to get some water on her face, she felt arms wrap around her waist. She shrieked and turned around sharply, sshing water all over herself and the intruder.


    ¡°Let go of me, you freak,¡± she said, struggling to free herself. Unfortunately, there was no one else in the bathroom to witness it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fight it, Maren,¡± the male voice warned. His arms tightly fastened around her.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you do now? You stalk me? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I was already here, alright? I saw you walk in with your new friend, and I just couldn¡¯t resist this,¡± he confessed, referring to her entire body.


    Maren resisted the urge to let out the red, which threatened to appear on her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t you have better things to do, William? I mean, you have Irene¡­¡±


    Before she could say another word, he pushed them back with his lips and she melted in his arms, letting him press her body closer to himself.


    ¡®You really shouldn¡¯t be doing this¡­ but it¡¯s William. We never actually separated¡­he made a fool of you¡­but this feels so good¡­but Alexander¡­¡¯


    ¡°Stop!¡± she joggled him away from herself. This time, she caught him off guard, so he let go quite easily. ¡°Stop it William. You need to stop this.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked, like the reason wasn¡¯t as obvious as human existence.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m married to Alexander!¡±


    William scoffed. ¡°You both need to drop the act. It¡¯s so obvious the marriage was arranged. He doesn¡¯t love you and you also don¡¯t love him, Maren. Be truthful to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± she ran her fingers through her hair. ¡°You can¡¯t say that!¡± The tempo of her voice rose. ¡°William, you made a fool of me. You dumped me! You blindly gave up your support for me, William!¡± Her eyes were not red with fury.


    ¡°I¡¯ve realised my mistake, Maren, and I¡¯m back to you. You do not need Alexander. He¡¯s a greedy asshole!¡±


    ¡°Where were you when I needed you, William? I faced disgrace and mockery after her breakup was all over the news. Mypanypletely crashed when you withdrew your assistance¡­¡± she paused and sucked in her tears.


    ¡°Where were you when Nathan was born, when he wouldn¡¯t stop asking me about his father? Alexander brought me out of all of those things and you didn¡¯t. So it should be none of your business how things go on between us, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay look¡­


    There was a loud banging on the bathroom door. ¡°Is everything alright in there?¡± A voice asked from the other side.


    None of them answered. Maren just stared at him like she was plotting the perfect way to take his head off his neck.


    ¡°You know we can talk this out, just like the old times.¡±


    ¡°No, I am not speaking to you about this anymore. Leave me and Nathan alone¡± she walked angrily towards the door, unbolted it and shot him a murderous look before turning the handle.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡± The worker who was at the door asked on seeing Maren¡¯s demeanour, worry written on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Maren replied quickly, and walked past her. She walked straight to the booth where Ne sat despite the sea of eyes which were glued to her body. Apparently, the worker had drawn attention to the bathroom with her loud knocking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the hell out of here,¡± Maren said as soon as she got to the booth.


    ¡°What the fuck happened in there?¡±


    *****


    ¡°Now, isn¡¯t this nice?¡± Mrs Sharppe asked as she dug her gloved hands further into the soil. The warm afternoon breeze blew the few strands of hair that weren¡¯t tucked into her bun, into her mouth as she spoke. She smiled as she worked.


    Maren, on the other hand, worked with the cutters as she trimmed the low hedges which made up the mini maze in the garden. ¡°You know I never really like gardening, Mom. It¡¯s a dirty sport. ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a sport, Maren, it¡¯s a hobby, and it¡¯s rxing, you know¡±


    ¡°Whatever¡±, she groaned. Handling the cutter with more force.


    ¡°Quit fooling around with that thing, youngdy. Get over here and touch some soil,¡± her mom ordered as she threw some flower seeds in the hole she had dug and covered it up.


    Maren rolled her eyes and put the cutter away and slipped on some gloves before joining her mom, who was crouched on the ground.


    ¡°You don¡¯t learn a hobby, Maren. Ites naturally, but in this case, you¡¯re going to learn to garden and make it your hobby, alright?¡± her mom said. A hint of tease in her tone.


    ¡°What do fun about inhaling weed and dipping your fingers into possible dung infested dirt, anyway?¡± Maren asked, refusing to give in to her mom¡¯s words.


    ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t interesting to me at the first instance, but I began doing it when your father started acting up. He¡¯d leave me worried for days withoutmunication and instead of clouding my mind with different thoughts, I dug the ground and fed it some seeds,¡± she said and paused.


    ¡°It felt like I was burying some of my thoughts along with the seeds, sometimes. What I¡¯m trying to say is it would be really nice if you¡¯d get yourself a hobby to get some stress out sometimes,¡± her mom finally said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, Mom. I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Someone is here to see you, Mrs. ckwood,¡± a maid said, standing at the mouth of the garden.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Maren asked, keeping her eyes on the soil she was tilling.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡±


    Maren raised her head at the sound of the voice. Her mom followed suit. They both slowly rose up from where they were crouched, their gaze set upon the being who just walked in.


    ¡°Louise, what¡¯s wrong?¡± judging from the fear and worry on Louise¡¯s face, it was obvious something was terribly wrong.


    The young secretary slowly walked towards Maren, who already had her gloves off and stretched forward a brown envelope. She half snatched it from her and hurriedly pulled out the paper from the already open envelope.


    Boldly written on the paper was: ¡°I¡¯M COMING FOR YOU!!¡±

 Chapter 22

    ¡°This was you, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How nice of you to pay a visit, Mrs. ckwood,¡± William smiled, amusement on his face.¡±These walls truly have missed your presence¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up¡± she walked up to where he stood in his office and pushed the paper to his chest. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡±


    William, stunned yet amused, took the paper, looked at it and chuckled. ¡°Who¡¯s this clown?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha, very funny. You can call yourself a clown for all I care, but you need to stop this and at least send an email or something,¡± she said sarcastically.


    ¡°What the hell are you saying? I¡¯d never do a thing like this. If I wanted to threaten you, there are other ways I could do that¡± a mischievous grin yed at the corner of his lips.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Maren rang her nose in disgust. This really was the worst time for his dirty, mindless words.


    ¡°Alright, what makes you think I¡¯d do this huh?¡± He asked topose himself after seeing her facial expression.


    Now, thinking of it, Maren didn¡¯t know why it could have been him. She probably just got angry with what had happened thest time and thought maybe he¡¯d been the one behind this.


    She clicked her tongue and snatched the paper from him, then turned around towards the exit.


    ¡°I¡¯ll being for my son! Be safe alright?¡± he called after her.


    ¡°Go fuck yourself,¡± she said and banged the door shut behind her.


    *****


    As soon as the elevator doors opened, she strode down the hallway with heavy steps which led to Alexander¡¯s office. It was morning, and she knew he would definitely be avable at that time.


    With her brows furrowed and her hand clutching tightly to the rectangr envelope, she stormed into the office with no courtesy whatsoever. ¡°Alexander!¡± She bellowed as she pushed the door inward, letting herself in.


    Both Alexander and the two men seated at the other side of his table were both startled and confused. They all had their eyes on her, but Alexander was the most angry.


    But she didn¡¯t care. She was down for business. She needed answers. Alexander stared at her for some seconds before he turned back to the men seated before him, who looked annoyed despite knowing her status.


    ¡°Please excuse us,¡± Alexander said to the men, trying to contain his anger. The men obeyed and slowly stood up and walked towards the exit.


    Maren walked closer to the table and pulled out the paper from the envelope. ¡°ying a prank on me, huh?¡± Maren said and mmed her hand on the paper, which she had ced on the table. ¡°What does this look like to you?¡±


    Alexander turned to the boldly written texts and raised an indifferent brow before pouring himself a ss of wine.


    ¡°I¡¯d really like you to exin why your enemies areing after me, Alexander. ¡± Her voice was covered with anger.


    Alexander took a sip of the wine and kept his gaze on her without uttering a word.


    ¡°You know this isn¡¯t funny anymore. I need you to find who¡¯s doing this Alexander. I need to know that Nathan is safe, that I am safe!¡±


    Alexander remained indifferent and silent. He just stood up and walked to the massive window behind his chair and began looking outside, as if waiting for a war to begin.


    ¡°Fucking say something!¡± she thundered, making him turn around to view her.


    He walked back to the table. ¡°Well then,¡± he downed the rest of the contents in the ss and set it on the table. Maren just watched him. ¡°Since we¡¯re supposed to exin things, how about you exin this?¡±


    Pulling open the lower drawer of his table, he pulled out a phone which was obviously not his and sild it to her.


    Maren¡¯s eyes went wide with shock. Her heart beat rate multiplied the longer she stared at the picture in front of her.


    ¡®What the fuck were you thinking?¡¯ her mind raced ¡®He¡¯s Alexander ckwood. Of course he¡¯s going to have spies around¡­Funny how you thought he wouldn¡¯t find out, you little slut¡¯


    ¡°Oh, so now spy on me?¡± It was out before she could stop it and even if she¡¯d stopped it, she was at a loss for other words to say. At least her anger had subsided.


    ¡°This was brought to me by an informant. But before that, this was emailed by a member of the press asking for a huge sum of money or this goes out,¡± Alexander said, veins were starting to build at the side of his neck.


    ¡°Is this what you do when I give you breaks? You¡¯re the wife of a really influential person, Maren. You shouldn¡¯t be doing this, especially not in public!¡±


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be prying into my private life, Alexander. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± She folded her arms and averted her gaze to the ground.


    Alexander¡¯s brows furrowed. Like what the hell was this bitch saying? With angry steps, he turned around the table to the other side where she stood.


    Maren looked up toote and before she could look at him, he was already so close to her that he got her pinned to the wall.


    ¡°The moment you said I do on the altar made you my property and whatever happens to my property is a sole business of mine,¡± Alexander said, surprisingly quietly and staring straight into her eyes. ¡°Alright?¡±


    Maren, who still had her arms folded, could only stare back and nod as his gazemanded so much obedience that knocked out every word she could think of.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be seen just anywhere. Maren and I do not want to see you anywhere around William. Do not tarnish my image with your carelessness.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what to do, Mr. ckwood¡± her voice was calm but filled with mockery. She was trying hard to muster courage and stand up to him.


    Before she could utter another word, she caught a movement of his hand from the corner of her eye and quickly shut it, expecting the worst. For the next few seconds, everything was still until she felt the warmth of his hand on her face.


    He tucked the strands of hair which fell on her face behind her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t make me do things both of us will regret, my love.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Maren copsed into her office chair with a heavy sigh and shut her eyes. The week had been uneventful except for the fact that she had been here and there attending one meeting or the other, which was really frustrating.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Maren answered to the soft knocking on her door.


    ¡°This is the report from thest meeting in Moscow, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise said, tendering a few papers attached together by a paper clip.


    ¡°Did you run it in the database?¡±


    ¡°Sure, ma¡¯am,¡± she answered, and Maren tapped on the table for her to drop it. ¡°And there are the conditions the party nners dropped by this morning.¡±


    Maren watched as she dropped a file of papers on her table. She drew closer and opened the file to go through it. Louise stood by and watched her boss read through silently for about a minute.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for all this. It¡¯s a garden party and there won¡¯t be many guests. These look like conditions for a carnival.¡±


    ¡°These are the only kinds of services they provide ma¡¯am¡±


    ¡°I asked for an organisation that ns little parties, Louise. Do I have to spoon feed you to understand what I say?¡± Maren said, rubbing her temples. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to scold her.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll look for another organisation,¡± she apologised quickly.


    ¡°Nathan¡¯s birthday party is tomorrow, Louise. If you don¡¯t get everything under control before today ends, I¡¯ll send you back to where Alexander got you from, alright?¡± Maren said seriously, but her tone made the threat seem empty.


    Louise just bolted her office after apologising a few more times. Maren just ced her head on the table. She was exhausted, but she was grateful.


    It was the fifth month of the contract and nothing remarkably bad had happened. She has received no letter telling her that her throat would be slit soon, nor has Wim surfaced with his shitty flirting ways.


    Overall, she just needed this contract to get over with.


    ¡°Knock knock!¡± A cheerful voice called, making Maren¡¯s thoughts drift away as she lifted her head.


    ¡°Hi,¡± Maren greeted with a weak smile.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Someone looks tired,¡± Ne said. Her leather boots, which she wore to match her leather overcoat, sounding soft, and she took gracious steps towards Maren¡¯s table. She pulled out the seat and settled in it.


    ¡°Well, you definitely are better looking than I am,¡± Maren said in apliment, but also in fact.


    ¡°Aww, thank you,¡± she whined with a brief smile. ¡°So I took your advice to not let the body go to waste, and I applied at a modelling agency,¡± she said, beaming.


    ¡°Okay! I knew something was different alright¡± Maren¡¯s smile broadened but failed to hide her fatigue.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking at LA¡¯s uing top model, girl,¡± she announced, flipping her golden hair. She turned to Maren, as she hadn¡¯t reacted the way she expected. ¡°You are one heck of a worn out bitch, Maren.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, god I¡¯m so tired,¡± she grumbled, leaning back on the chair.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it. You¡¯re taking a break. Do you want to murder yourself? Nathan still needs you if no one does. ¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, but work makes things get out of my head, you know. Plus, there¡¯s just so much to do in such a short time, Nell,¡± she said and looked straight at her friend, who knew there was nothing she could do to talk her out of working.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, alright?¡± Maren added, shing her an assuring smile, which kind of felt painful as itsted.


    ¡°Times like this, I¡¯m grateful I¡¯m jobless,¡± Ne said, making Maren chuckle a little. ¡°Anyway, Zack was whining about Nathan¡¯s birthday tomorrow. Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I could be of help with the preparations, you know, not like I¡¯ve got anything doing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s a garden party and I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll want to see a lot of faces there, so there¡¯s actually nothing much to prepare for¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I just dropped by to break the news to you,¡± Ne said as she picked up her bag and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m picking Zack up from preschool today¡±


    ¡°Bye!¡± Maren said and watched one of thest people she expected to be friends with leave her office.


    Maren wasn¡¯t sure about the reason she¡¯d be friends with Ne. She didn¡¯t know if it was because their stories were almost simr or because their sons had be friends before them.


    In all, Maren made sure to not trust her the way she¡¯d trusted Irene.


    *****


    .  ¡°You know this party would have been better off at our house, Maren,¡± Mrs Sharppe said as she straightened therge table at the center of the garden, even as the nners had corrected it for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°Well, Alexander requested it be held here. So I don¡¯t think I had much of a choice.¡± She replied as she looked around, inspecting the work they¡¯d done. Her mom just pouted and walked towards the house.


    ¡°Good morning mom!¡± Maren heard and turned to see Ne approaching along with Zack in a cute ck tux baring a wrapped package, which he held with both hands.


    ¡°Now look at this, cutie,¡± Maren said as she bent to his level and pulled his cheek yfully. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know, I¡¯d think you¡¯re the birthday boy¡±


    Zack giggled and stretched the package to Maren. ¡°This is for Nathan, Nathan¡¯s mom¡±


    ¡°That is so nice of you, Zack,¡± Maren said and pulled him in for a hug. ¡°I¡¯ll go keep this on that table for Nathan, alright?¡± Zack nodded excitedly.


    ¡°Gosh, we¡¯re so early,¡± Ne said as Maren turned away from the table. ¡°Zack woke up so early today and wouldn¡¯t let anyone go back to bed¡±


    Maren smiled ¡®kids!¡¯ she thought. ¡°You¡¯re not that early, though. The guests should be arriving soon and so will Nathan,¡± she replied, walking over to where the workers were.


    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll just be over¡­ Maren?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked absentmindedly, still keeping her eyes on the workers.


    ¡°Did you invite him?¡±


    Maren turned in the direction where Ne was looking and saw a smiling William bearing a gift and waving at her.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡±

 Chapter 24

    ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m thest person to ask that question,¡± she said, her eyes darting here and there like she was looking for something.


    ¡°I thought he was married to that Irenedy?¡±


    ¡°He said they¡¯re separated and I guess it¡¯s true because I haven¡¯t seen her around using me of stealing her man.¡± Maren replied, and Ne folded her arms and kept her eyes on William.


    William walked over to where the twodies stood, maintaining his smile. They both watched as she stretched the little box towards Maren.


    ¡°A gift for my son,¡± he said, keeping his eyes on Maren, not minding the murderous res from Ne.


    Maren just stared at him and then at the gift table, indicating he should drop it himself.


    ¡°No, I want you to do it,¡± he insisted. Maren just rolled her eyes, snatched the package from him and dropped it on the table before turning to him and folding her arms.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Really? At my son¡¯s birthday party?¡± William asked, checking his wristwatch like he was nning to leave soon¡­or not.


    ¡°This party was strictly by invitation, and you were definitely not on the list. I really don¡¯t even want to ask how you got past the guards¡±


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been away to Spain on business for a long time and all I could think of is my son. I¡¯m back now, and I want him. If I can¡¯t have both of you, I want him by all costs¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his seriousness, but she maintained herposure and kept her gaze on him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just help ourselves and make this day go well for us all, okay?¡± He said and picked up a ss of wine from one server who passed by with a tray to go serve the guest who had just arrived.


    She stared at him for a while as he took a sip of the wine before she walked away to meet the guests.


    ¡°Philip! You made it!¡± Maren eximed as she sighted Mr. ckwood at the entrance of the garden.


    ¡°Well, there was no way I¡¯d miss Nathan¡¯s birthday, Maren,¡± he replied and reached out for a hug from her. She took it with surprise on his face and somehow it felt so fatherly.


    It made her wonder why he was so hard on Alexander.


    ¡°Have this* she said as the three guards who apanied him each gave her a gift bag.


    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± she said with a broad smile. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re getting better, sir,¡± she added


    ¡°I¡¯m d as well.¡± He said and looked at the time. ¡°Where is Alexander?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know. He left for a meeting early this morning and said he¡¯ll be back soon but he¡¯s nowhere to be found.¡± Maren said and noticed his impatience.¡°No worries, Nathan will be out soon and we¡¯ll begin.¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t stay, dear. I¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandpa?¡±


    All eyes turned to the little man who had spoken behind Mr. ckwood. ¡°Now here¡¯s the birthday boy!¡± Mr. ckwood said and Nathan hugged him tightly by the leg.


    Nathan was all dressed up in a white suit, which he had picked out himself and his hair brushed simply. Maren just stood by, both surprised that Nathan had called him grandpa and how quickly they had formed a bond.


    ¡°You know, grandpa has to go work, but don¡¯t worry, grandpa got you something,¡± he said and gestured to the bags in Maren¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Thank you grandpa,¡± he said excitedly.


    ¡°Alright now, run along. Don¡¯t keep your guests waiting.¡±


    ¡°Thanks a lot, Philip,¡± Maren said as she followed Rose, who held Nathan, into the garden.


    ¡°The birthday boy has arrived!!¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ****


    ¡°You think because you dumped Irene and began making appearances in our lives you can just show up one day and decide to take Nathan?¡± Maren raged


    ¡°I¡¯m his father, Maren. I have a right to be in his life,¡± William said, with all seriousness in his tone.


    The party had ended hours ago and everyone had surprisingly behaved themselves, which made Nathan¡¯s birthday one of the many he won¡¯t forget.


    It was now dark outside and every other person had gone except William, who seemed like he¡¯d nned to take Nathan that night.


    Maren scoffed and walked so close to him that he could feel her breath on her face. ¡°Father? You weren¡¯t even good enough to be a husband! You cheated on me on our wedding day!¡±


    ¡°You walked away without blinking an eye and now you think you can just stroll back in here and expect him to call you dad?¡±


    William tucked his arms into his pockets, standing his ground. ¡°You of all people should know that a child needs both parents to grow up. You need to do what¡¯s best for our son¡±


    ¡°Okay, first of all, he¡¯s not our son. He¡¯s my son and second, you¡¯re thest person who should be talking about what¡¯s best for someone you weren¡¯t there for when he was born!¡± She shot back, her voice rising and going round the house gradually.


    No one else knew better than to show up in the living room at the sound of their voices.


    She pushed at his chest but instead, it made her move back as he seemed rooted to the spot. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know you, William. He calls you ¡®the nice man¡¯ and acknowledges Alexander as his dad.¡± she folded her arms across her chest and moved closer to him.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, you¡¯re not even his actual father¡± her voice was low, icy and serious.


    William scoffed in amusement. ¡°That has to be the worst joke to ever be told.¡±


    ¡°Unbelievable right?¡± Maren asked, fighting the urge to smile at the initial disappointment on his face, which he had tried to hide. ¡°Nathan is not yours. You¡¯re just a cover up for my shit,¡± she said with so much confidence.


    William smiled and shook his head slightly. ¡°Go work on your lies, Maren. You¡­¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here?¡± Alexander¡¯s voice came, grave and husky.

 Chapter 25

    ¡°What were you thinking? How could you say a thing like that? Don¡¯t you know words like that could lead to¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom, could you  just be quiet for one minute!¡± Maren screamed. Her brows were furrowed with confusion. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know the gravity of what I said? I was frustrated and angry and¡­and he pushed me to the wall that I just had to say it, alright?¡±


    Mrs Sharppe just stood stunned and paranoid as she watched her daughter run her fingers through her hair, her thoughts falling into each other as seconds passed.


    What did Alexander say about all of this?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re rivals for a reason, mom. William has as much power as Alexander does. If Alexander interferes, it¡¯ll only be more trouble.¡± Maren said, ¡°God, we¡¯re toast,¡± shemented. Her voice shaking, her hands were slightly trembling.


    Her mom noticed and held her hands quick enough to stop her from pulling her hair. She held her hands and sat on a chair beside her. ¡°How long did he give us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He said he¡¯ll take it to court if I don¡¯t do a DNA test,¡± she said as a tear dropped from her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s going to take my son one way or another, mom¡­¡±


    Mrs Sharppe pulled her daughter close and ced her head on her chest as tears cascaded down her cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, no one is taking Nathan away,¡± she said, trying to believe her own words.


    ¡°What are we going to do, mom?¡±


    There really was nothing they could do, and both of them knew it. Whan Alexander had intervened during their argument, it had led to nowhere as William seemed to have the upper hand against both of them.


    It was hopeless fighting him and if they went to court, there was a probability that William would win and when it gets legal, it wouldn¡¯t end well and the DNA testes out that he was the father¡­ either way, they were fucked.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take the DNA test,¡± Mrs Sharppe said confidently.


    Maren raised her head slowly, her eyes now red and wet. ¡°What?¡±


    *****


    A client sat in front of her in her office as she scribbled some things on a piece of paper, hoping he hadn¡¯t noticed the bags beneath her eyes, which was really obvious by this time.


    She finally raised her head and handed him the folded paper before turning back to herputer.


    ¡°Excuse me, you spelt the CEO¡¯s name wrong¡±


    ¡°What?¡± She asked, looking away from theputer to the paper the man raised for her to see. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she apologised and trashed the paper before writing another one.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you okay?¡± He asked, concern written in his tone.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine, just haven¡¯t been getting enough sleep,¡± she replied with a straight voice. She cross checked the writing before handing it to him.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be on my way,¡± he said as he stood up and left.


    ¡°Oh my god, Maren. Tell me it isn¡¯t true,¡± Ne queried as she rushed in, slightly brushing the man who had gotten to the door before her, which startled him.


    ¡°Tell you what isn¡¯t true?¡± She asked, startled and confused.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to hide it, Maren. Your mom already told me,¡± Ne said, settling herself on the chair and focusing her gaze on her friend.


    ¡°Oh fuck. My mom is such a snitch.¡± She ran her hand through her hair and avoided Ne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Well, she¡¯s trying to look out for you,¡± she said and edged closer to the table. ¡°How did this happen, Maren? I thought you said he wasn¡¯t serious about this?¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I¡¯m as confused as you are.¡± She sniffed like someone who¡¯s on drugs. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to take away my son¡±


    ¡°What about the test result? Has it arrived?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no use Nell. He¡¯s going to take him, he¡¯s going to take Nathan away.¡± She was now running her hands harder and tugging at her hair. ¡°William is going to take him. He¡¯ll maltreat him, he¡¯ll abandon him. Possibly kill¡­¡±


    Ne went in quickly and pulled Maren¡¯s hand from her hair. ¡°Hey, hey stop, stop it¡± she clenched her hands. ¡°Hey look at me,¡± Ne said and Maren slowly looked up. She looked so terrible and worn out, and dark circles were beginning to form around her eyes.


    ¡°God, you look more terrible by the second.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡±


    Ne rolled her eyeballs. ¡°Look, you can¡¯t be doing this to yourself. You need to be strong. Nathan needs you to be strong. You can¡¯t fight William if you¡¯re looking like a drink all day¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°I just need him to let my son be, Ne* she grumbled and pulled away from Ne¡¯s grip. She stood up and walked over to a little table in a corner of the office.


    Ne watched her as she pulled out one of its drawers and room out a small tube of pills and popped an uncertain amount into her mouth before washing it down with a ss of wine.


    ¡°What are those for?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Ne. I¡¯m fine,¡± she said and proceeded to pour another ss. ¡°Drink?¡± She asked drowsily, but Ne just stared at her, at a loss of what to do. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no then,¡± she concluded and downed the paltry amount she had poured.


    ¡°And what¡¯s Alexander saying about all of this?¡±


    Maren scoffed- like a drunk. ¡°He¡¯s so useless in all of this. William is Nathan¡¯s father, legally. If this goes to court, one way or another, William is going to win the case. I really don¡¯t know where Alexander can step in in all of this¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t lose hope yet Maren.¡± She stood up and walked up to where she stood. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been proven that he¡¯s Nathan¡¯s father yet¡± her voice was low and unsettling.


    Maren turned to her, a glint of light in her eyes. ¡°What are you driving at?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you¡­¡±


    A knock at the door got both their attention. ¡°Come in,¡± Maren answered, bringing the ss close to her lips.


    Louise walked in, bearing an envelope. ¡°Ma¡¯am I¡¯ve got the¡­¡±


    Maren hurriedly dropped the ss back on the table and walked to her, followed by Ne. ¡°Is that the test result?¡±

 Chapter 26

    Maren surged forward towards her startled secretary and yanked the envelope from her fingers. She hurriedly pulled out the paper and read through it.


    ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± She asked, turning away from the paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s the report from the finance desk which she requested for on paper,¡± Louise asked, utterly confused and terrified by her boss¡¯s appearance. ¡°What test result are you talking about, ma¡¯am?¡±


    Maren closed her eyes and caressed her temples. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Louise. Get back to your station,¡± she ordered and Louise turned back to the door but maintained her expression.


    ¡°You really need to calm down, Maren. Please,¡± Ne begged when they were both sure Louise had left. Maren walked back to her table and ced the paper on it before sinking back into her chair.


    ¡°Being like this isn¡¯t going to solve anything. You know that, right?¡± Ne added, not knowing what else to do. ¡°You really need to be sound right now. For Nathan¡±


    Maren was quiet. Her mind drifted between running away and just letting everything y out the way it wanted.


    ¡°The weaker you get, the easier it is for William to take him away from you.¡±


    Suddenly, Maren sprang to her feet. ¡°Nathan!¡± She began looking around her office as if searching for something. She picked up her bag and headed towards the door, leaving Ne behind, confused. ¡°William will stop at nothing to take Nathan. I need to be with him.¡±


    ¡°Mummy, are you sick?¡± Nathan asked with a confused but curious look on his face.


    ¡°No baby, mummy¡¯s just tired¡± she replied after a pause.


    ¡°Why did you say I need to be safe? Are bad mening?¡± He asked innocently as he busied himself with her hair, which she rested on his leg.


    She sniffed and slowly sat up to look at him. He shed her a grin in a bid to brighten up her face as her face was clouded and gloomy.


    Maren fought back her tears and returned the smile, as she knew what he was trying to do and didn¡¯t want to disappoint him.


    ¡°Bad men aren¡¯ting, my love. I won¡¯t let them,¡± she finally replied.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Is that why you brought me to your room and won¡¯t let anyone in?¡± Maren could only stare at him, not knowing how to answer him.


    A knock sounded at the door, pulling both of them at attention just at the perfect timing. ¡°Maren baby, it¡¯s mummy¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want toe out now, mom¡± she answered, turning her attention back to Nathan.


    ¡°The test came in the mail¡±


    ¡°Nice trick, mom¡± she shot back, uninterested.


    ¡°Why would I joke about such a thing?¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened a little. Her mind was racing her and her body was beginning to tremble. Nathan leaned forward and peered into her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong mummy?¡± He voiced, but he got no answer and she just stood up slowly from the bed, staring at the door. She knew that on the other side of the door held the fate of her and her son.


    ¡°Stay here baby¡± she said, and unbolted the door to view her mum, who had a white envelope in her hand with a logo of the hospital. She looked from the envelope to her mom.


    Mrs Sharppe carefully handed it to her, and she fidgeted with the unbroken seal. She sessfully pulled out the paper and read through it for a second.


    Believe me, at that moment, everything froze, including the air. Nothing else seemed real apart from the paper, which seemed immortal at that point.


    The moment felt like it hade to stay, but when it was over¡­


    ¡°Fuck!¡± A tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly shielded her mouth with her hand to suppress the scream which kicked at her throat to be set free.


    Mrs Sharppe didn¡¯t even have to ask what was on the paper. It was obvious. She could only watch as more tears streamed down her face in silent tears as she was trying not to rm Nathan.


    Maren knew this was all her fault. During her argument with William, she had angrily agreed that if he wasn¡¯t Nathan¡¯s father, he¡¯d let them be for good. But if Nathan turned out to be his, he was going to permanently take Nathan into his custody.


    She was angry, she was blinded. She was scared; she was sorry.


    *****


    ¡°Well, you really seem better than before,¡± Ne said as she raised the ss of blue wine to her lips.


    Maren poured herself another ss as the wind which blew in through the balcony swept her hair across her face, but her expression remained neutral


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s been two days since the test came in and he hasn¡¯t shown up. I really don¡¯t know what to think at this point, and staying paranoid isn¡¯t really a good option.


    Her eyes were fixated on the garden, which was a direct view from her room¡¯s balcony. Zack and Nathan yed around in it and Rose sat nearby, watching.


    ¡°Why do you think he has note to take Nathan yet?¡± Ne asked, setting her ss on the little table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s probably stalling. William isn¡¯t someone to rush things unless he wants to. That one thing he has inmon with Alexander,¡± she added casually. ¡°He¡¯lle, eventually. I mean, he is Nathan¡¯s father.¡±


    Ne turned away from the ying children and looked at Maren. ¡°Does Alexander know about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. How do you think I¡¯m not working today?¡± Ne just shrugged. ¡°He doesn¡¯t give a shit if it doesn¡¯t involve hispanies,¡± Maren exined.


    ¡°Jeez, that¡¯s messed up,¡± she remarked and turned back to the garden. There was silence after that and the only sound that could be heard were the trees rustling against each other because of the wind, and the asional conversations between the two boys.


    ¡°So what will you then do when William finallyes?¡± Ne finally asked.


    Maren clicked her tongue and raised the ss close to her lips. ¡°I really don¡¯t know. But he¡¯ll never take Nathan from me.¡±

 Chapter 27

    The car came to a screeching halt and almost ran into the other car in front of it. Maren¡¯s eyebrows were furrowed and heavy with anger and fear.


    She drummed impatiently on the steering wheel as she peeped at the traffic light, which chose the worst time to turn red.


    Rose, who sat in the back seat, could only steal nces at her boss through the rearview mirror as she knew the situation they were in was half her fault.


    Maren stepped on the gas as soon as the light turned green, throwing rose back in her seat. She was d she had learned how to drive a long time ago and not rely on drivers.


    Keeping her eyes on the road and her mind on her aim, she swerved into an estate and increased the eleration as it was a straight road. Finally, she turned and brought the car to a halt in front of a massive gate.


    She watched as a button on the gate turned red and the auto gate began opening¡­but slowly. She sat in the car, tapping her feet lightly on the gas pedal and fuming as she watched the gate sluggishly open up.


    ¡°Fuck this!¡± She turned off the engine and bolted out of the car, mming the door behind her.


    Rose pursued suit as Maren squeezed her way through the gate and angrily made her way through the massive but pleasantpound to the front door of the house.


    ¡°Nathan!¡± Maren¡¯s voice echoed through the house, ignoring the guards around the entrance. ¡°Nathan!¡± She screamed again, looking around the house.


    ¡°Mummy?¡± The voice came from the stairs at the far other end of the living room. Maren bolted over to the staircase and met Nathaning down.


    ¡°Oh my god, Nathan¡± she eximed as she pulled him in for a tight hug while heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°Baby, are you okay?¡± She asked, looking him over with a look of dread on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, mummy¡± Nathan said, confused but d that his mom was here.


    ¡°Did he do anything to you?¡± Maren asked again, looking straight into his eyes.


    Nathan frowned. He was starting to get scared. ¡°No mummy. He said we¡¯ll go out for ice cream,¡± he said and paused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong mummy?¡±


    ¡°Oh nothing baby,¡± she said and pulled him in for another tight hug.


    ¡°Now, isn¡¯t this nice?¡± William eximed, strolling down the stairs.


    ¡°Rose,¡± Maren called as she stood up from where she had crouched to hug Nathan. Rose, who had been watching silently in relief, quickly walked closer to where they stood.


    ¡°Take Nathan with you and stay in the car,¡± Maren ordered as she kept an angry eye on William, who had a pleased mien stered all over his face as he got to thest step on the stairs.


    William just folded her arms and watched Rose and Nathan walk out the door before turning to Maren, maintaining his demeanour.


    ¡°How dare you kidnap my son!¡± anger shed in her eyes.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kidnap ¡®my son¡¯, Maren. I¡¯m a cheat, not a monster,¡± he replied, like being a cheat was some achievement. ¡°I only asked to be with him for sometime. There¡¯s no harm in that, is there?¡±


    ¡°You literally told your men to hold rose back while you went to get Nathan¡±


    William chuckled and walked over to a table where a bottle of wine and a ss stood. He uncocked it and poured himself half a ss while looking at her.¡±It only sounds like an abduction when you say it like that.¡±


    He took a mouth full and after letting the sting go down his throat, he shed her a smile, like it would pacify her. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, he followed me and did all he did, on his own will.¡±


    ¡°You are a lunatic, William!¡± She shot back, moving closer to where he stood. ¡°He¡¯s just a kid. You could traumatise him!¡±


    ¡°Frankly speaking, we only yed a few games and got to know each other. Nothing more than that, Maren,¡± he said. Dismissing what she said and downing the rest of the ss.


    ¡°Youy another ginger on my son and I promise¡­¡±


    ¡°You promise what?¡± He interrupted and ced the empty ss on the table. He folded his arms and walked towards her. Close enough for their bodies to almost touch.


    Looking down at her, she could smell his breath of his favourite wine as he spoke. ¡°You promise what, Maren. Don¡¯t forget, he¡¯s also my son. You really can¡¯t do anything against me¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true¡± she said and pushed him. Instead, he caught her hand and pulled her close, then wrapped his other arm around her waist. Pinning her against his body.


    ¡°Let go of me, you fucked up piece of shit,¡± she retorted, as she knew trying to wriggle free was useless. William was quiet, staring at her with obvious lust in his eyes.


    ¡°You know, we could just raise Nathan together and we¡¯ll put all these behind us,¡± he breathed. His familiar alcohol filled breath fanning her face. He bent his head and kissed her neck, automatically rendering her powerless.


    ¡°We could put the world behind us and be a happy family¡± he traced the kiss up to her jaw and squeezed her ass. She turned her face away and tried to stay mad at him and notpletely melt at his touch.


    Slowly, he traced his hand and squeezed it into her office pants and felt her bare ass beneath. She bit her lower lip to avoid letting out the gasp which hung at the tip of her lungs, as she really didn¡¯t know why he let him do this to her.


    ¡®You were happy before and after him¡­He broke you¡­he left you¡­he wasn¡¯t there when you needed him the most¡­he doesn¡¯t actually still love you¡­¡±


    ¡°We will be happy together,¡± he whispered in her ear.


    ¡°No!¡± She yelled and pushed his body away from her beforending her hand hard on his face. ¡°Keep your filthy hands out of my life and Nathan¡¯s¡±

 Chapter 28

    ¡°Won¡¯t you do something about this? William has taken Nathan once and it¡¯ll take him nothing to do it again, Alexander.¡±


    Alexander was quiet. He just sat in his swaying office chair, flipping through files on his desk. Maren was restless and angry as she paced, waiting for him to say his first word since she entered the office.


    She stopped and settled herself on the chair on the other side of the table, making him lift his head to meet her weary gaze. ¡°Please Alexander¡±


    Dropping the pen he held, he sighed and opened up another file on the table. ¡°This is theption of the activities which go on in three of William¡¯spanies,¡± he said, flipping through the documents.


    Maren watched in marvel and anticipation as a lot of thoughts ran through her mind at once.


    ¡°Two out of three have secretpartments used in moneyundering.¡± He said and flipped through more pages. ¡°Here contains the statements of victims of unnecessary assaults on workers from one of William¡¯spanies.¡±


    Alexander said and looked up at Maren before closing the file.


    ¡°Where did you get these?¡± She asked, impressed.


    ¡°Courtesy of my father,¡± he replied and took out a stick of cigarette from a drawer. He lit it and took a puff of pride. ¡°There¡¯s all the evidence to keep Nathan away from him.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something about it earlier? And why haven¡¯t you implemented it yet?¡± She asked impatiently. ¡°You know William is a dangerous man. He couldn¡¯t be nning some stupid shit right now.¡±


    Alexander remained unmoved but kept his eyes on her as more smoke was released from his mouth and escaped through therge window.


    ¡°What then¡­¡±


    ¡°Nice hole¡±


    All attention was turned to the male voice whose owner stood at the door, looking around.


    ¡°This is just the perfect ce for a pussy toe hide from responsibilities,¡± William said and walked further into the room, to where Alexander and Maren sat watching him.


    Maren looked at Alexander, who had his eyes fixed on William, but his expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°I¡¯m d both of you are here,¡± he began and ced him hands into his pockets. ¡°That way, I won¡¯t have to repeat myself. Or rather, so my message will be passed across efficiently.¡±


    He paused and looked at both faces, visibly enjoying the irritated aura in the room.


    ¡°What are you here for, William?¡± Maren asked, her impatience getting the best of her.


    William smiled and walked a little closer to Maren. ¡°If you must know, I need my son,¡± he stated. ¡°I¡¯m taking this to court.¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat, which seemed to leave a dent that stung. The longer it lingered, the more it felt more like a heartache. Still, she kept her eyes on him and maintained herposure.


    All was silent for the moment except for the faint hissing sound of the cigarette Alexander quenched in the ashtray.


    ¡°You would do no such thing, William,¡± Maren warned, staring daggers at him.


    ¡°Oh, but I will¡± a mischievous grin yed at his lips as that was the reaction he had matched down there to see. Although Alexander¡¯s was disappointing, it was expected.


    ¡°And your chicken of a husband wouldn¡¯t be involved. It¡¯s a family matter,¡± he spat, turning to Alexander.


    Maren also turned to Alexander, who seemed like he was avoiding eye contact, as he was so focused on the liquor he was pouring himself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it this far, William,¡± Maren said, her voice failing to hide the fact that she was trying to plead with him.


    He just chuckled dryly. ¡°Well then, since your ¡®husband¡¯ has decided to go mute, I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± he said and turned towards the door.


    ¡°Mr Sinir,¡± Alexander¡¯s voice finally came. William stopped in his tracks and turned around. ¡°See you in court¡±


    *****


    ¡°Mr William Sinir, ording to recent rumours, your ex fiance refused you any part in your son¡¯s life. What are your thoughts on that?¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°It was said that Mr. ckwood, your ex fiance¡¯s husband, is having a struggle with you over your child. Sir, what would be your next action, Mr Sinir?¡±


    ¡°Mom, are you still watching this shit?¡± Maren groaned as her mom sat In Front of the TV which apparently, only she used. Although she had chosen to watch that station, she had an irritated scowl on her face.


    ¡°He¡¯s so disgusting,¡± Maren remarked as she settled in the chair beside her mom.


    The scene showed William, who was crowded by reporters as he was leaving hispany. It was as though he wanted them there to question and crowd around him, as there were only a couple of guards keeping them back.


    ¡°He¡¯s such a pathetic attention seeker,¡± her mom added, her eyes sending spears at him through the TV.


    ¡°Sir, ording to eyewitnesses, you were spotted having a conversation with Chief judge Whitlock. Are you taking the situation about your son to court?¡±


    William stopped suddenly, and the camera was quickly positioned in front of him to get him at the right angle. And microphones of different shapes and sizes were ced near his mouth for him to speak into.


    He looked directly into the camera and shed a mischievous grin. ¡°Whatever rumour you¡¯ve heard is notpletely true,¡± he began. ¡°But I can assure you that in two days¡¯ time,¡± he stuck out two of his fingers to show two.


    ¡°We will know who¡¯ll get to care for my son between me and Alexander,¡± he said and stared straight at the camera with war in his eyes.


    The more Maren looked into his eyes, the more her goosebumps spread across her body.


    ¡°Fuck him!¡± She said and turned off the TV. She sank back into the sofa, her mind amodating different thoughts at once. If she said she wasn¡¯t scared, then she was a dirty liar, but she knew she had to stay strong no matter what.


    ¡°Did you know about this?¡± Her mom asked after a momentary silence.


    ¡°Yes. He showed up yesterday at Alexander to break the news,¡± Maren replied.


    ¡°And what is Alexander going to do about it?¡±


    Maren sat up and turned to her mom before standing up to leave. ¡°He¡¯s ready for him¡±

 Chapter 29

    As soon as Maren set foot into herpany, the workers reduced their volumes to murmurs and stares. She wasn¡¯t bothered, though.


    It was only normal that they talked about how frightened she could be when the fate of her keeping her son was going to be decided the next day.


    Head forward and apanied by just one guard, she got onto the elevator, ignoring the greetings of some workers which she knew were just so they could hear her say something.


    No matter how much she tried tofort herself, her mind still drifted to the fear of what might go down the next day at the court and deep down, she prayed that Alexander¡¯s n would work out.


    She wasn¡¯t scared- at least not like before. It was more of an anxiety she felt just as the elevator opened on her office¡¯s floor.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise greeted as Maren passed by her station. Maren ignored and proceeded forward to her office. ¡°A man is here to see you, ma¡¯am,¡± she added quickly and stood to follow her.


    ¡°Send him to my office in five minutes,¡± she said without stopping.


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise said, just as Maren got to her door and pushed it inward. ¡°He¡¯s already in your office,¡± she continued quietly.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Maren stood at the door and looked into her office. In there sat a man and two men in uniform, each standing on each side of him.


    She took a deep breath and walked it, drawing the attention of the three men at once. ¡°I¡¯m not answering any question from journalists,¡± she stated and walked to her chair.


    The man just smiled and kept his eyes on her as she pulled off her coat and ced it on the hanger.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to ask you questions for journalism ma¡¯am¡± his deep baritone ran through her head as she took her seat in her chair.


    She looked at this man thoroughly. His calm demeanour didn¡¯t sit well with his muscr and evidently agile body. His brown hair blended with his white inner wear and brown long sleeve coat, which failed topletely conceal a scar from a deep cut on his arm.


    The man stared back at her patiently. Hisvender coloured eyes were mysterious yet beautiful the more they stared at each other.


    ¡°What, then, are you here for?¡± Maren finally asked, snapping out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Well first, good morning Mrs. ckwood,¡± he began , and Maren almost rolled her eyes. ¡°I am Micheal Katz, a private detective investigating the murder of Mr William Sinir¡±


    ¡°Do you¡­¡± Maren paused as what he said had just sunk in. She blinked multiple times, confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯m Micheal Katz¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard that part, Micheal,¡± she said dismissively. ¡°What do you mean by William Sinir¡¯s murder?¡±


    ¡°Well, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry to break the news to you this way, but Mr Sinir was found dead in his safe house early this morning and judging from the state of his body, he seemed to have been killedst night¡±


    ¡°Hold up, hold up.¡± She tried toprehend what he was saying. ¡°So you¡¯re saying William is dead, and he was killedst night in his safe house which I¡¯m just knowing about?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± the detective answered patiently.


    Maren chuckled, making the detective sigh. Exactly the reaction he was waiting for. ¡°If this is William¡¯s way of surrendering, tell him he¡¯s still going to be expected tomorrow and he should stop spreading shit about himself,¡± she said and pulled open her drawer to begin her work.


    The man gave a momentary smile and pulled out a picture from the inner pocket of his coat. He ced it on the table and slit it to her.


    She paused from what she was doing and looked up at him, then she looked down at the picture when he gave her a go ahead nod. She slowly picked up the small paper and gave it a nce.


    The more she stared at it the more she couldn¡¯t look away. The scene in the picture was both disturbing and depressing.


    William¡¯s lifeless body was spilled on the ground in the middle of the dimly lit living room. His neck had been slit round just enough depth to make him bleed quickly and then there were multiple stab marks which looked like the weapon had been dragged down in a line to tear his body.


    In summary, it was a terrible sight to see.


    ¡°No, no¡± Maren muttered, shielding her mouth with her to avoid letting the sob sound escape as tears began building beneath her eyes. ¡°No, William, no!¡± she said a little more audibly, letting her tears fall freely.


    She threw the picture on the table and supported the hand on her mouth with the other as she turned away and cried uncontrobly.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry ma¡¯am¡± Micheal said, snatching the picture and putting it back into his coat pocket. ¡°I was told you were to get married to him approximately five years ago, but you called off the marriage because to found out about his promiscuity¡±


    Maren could only nod as the tears choked her.


    ¡°And if not mistaken, he had been sleeping with your best friend¡± she nodded. ¡°Now, five yearster, Mr Sinir was back to you to gain custody of a child who he had no investment or yed a part in raising. How did you feel about that, Mrs. ckwood?¡±


    Maren stopped and cleaned her eyes, trying to control her emotions. She has dealt with detectives enough times to know that that was a trick question. And if she was bursting with too much emotion, she might raise false suspicions.


    ¡°I mean, I was angry.¡± she sniffed. ¡°He appeared from nowhere to im Nathan and even kidnapped him once. I have a lot of reasons to kill him, but I still felt something for him. I loved him.¡± She said, her voice giving away to more tears.


    ¡°Any idea who might have done this?¡± Micheal asked calmly.


    ¡°William had lots of enemies. Those he¡¯d had something to do with and those he hadn¡¯t spoken to directly. Including Irene¡­¡±


    ¡°And Mr ckwood?¡±

 Chapter 30

    ¡°And Mr ckwood?¡±


    ¡®Shit! Alexander¡¯ Maren¡¯s mind raced. He was so quiet when William broke the news about taking the whole situation to court and why did he tell her about those documents in time?


    It was as though he felt like it wasn¡¯t going to work, so there was no use and had a n B¡­


    ¡°Ma¡¯am are you okay?¡± Micheal interrupted, breaking into her thoughts.


    ¡°Alexander would do no such thing. He was ready to face the judge tomorrow. He had critical evidence that William was a criminal,¡± she blurted.


    ¡°Mrs ckwood, I meant his father, Mr ckwood senior.¡±


    Maren¡¯s eyes widened slightly in the realisation of what she had just spilled. That file was only going to be released in court, though how it was obtained was illegal and incriminating and now she had unknowingly bbed about something so confidential.


    ¡°What was that about critical evidence, ma¡¯am?¡±


    ¡°Maren baby. Are you alright?¡± Mrs Sharppe asked as soon as Maren set foot into the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom¡± she answered, walking past her mom to the minibar at an end of the living room. Her mom was quiet, but she could hear her words through the silence. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard mom, his detective paid me a visit at the office this morning¡±


    Maren uncocked a bottle and poured herself half a ss. ¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡± She asked. Her mom walked over to the bar and leaned on the counter.


    ¡°He¡¯s up in his room with the tutor.¡± Maren just nodded and sipped the liquid from the ss. ¡°Alexander was here earlier. He looked worried,¡± her mom added.


    ¡°They¡¯ve probably gotten to him too,¡± she said, remembering what she had mistakenly said to the detective.


    ¡°Do you think he did it?¡±


    Maren took a big sip from the ss and turned her eyes away from her mom in thought. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that. For as long as I¡¯ve known Alexander, he¡¯d see killing William as showing weakness and Alexander would rather fight and fail¡±


    There was a pause and everywhere fell silent, with Maren sipping in the crimson coloured liquid.


    ¡°He deserved it¡± Mrs Sharppe suddenly said, making Maren almost choke in surprise. He was an asshole. I never actually liked him for you, Maren. I thought I could learn to like him since he made you so happy,¡± she added matter-of-factly.


    ¡°He deserved to die and someone had to do it¡±


    ¡°No no, stop it mom. Stop it,¡± Maren said as she dropped the ss and turned around to where her mom leaned on the counter. She hugged her mom from behind and rested her head on hers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have you say any of that,¡± she said infort. ¡°And we do not talk ill about the dead anymore, mom¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Mrs Sharppe chuckled and patted Maren¡¯s hand, which was wrapped around her waist as both fell silent and contemted the past and present.


    Mom, did you kill William?¡± Maren asked softly.


    The woman scoffed. ¡°I wish,¡± she replied, and Maren giggled. ¡°Are you okay, baby?¡± her mom asked again after a brief silence.


    ¡°Mmm¡± she nodded, though her mom couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°Mummy?¡± Nathan¡¯s voice came from the staircase which he was climbing down from, apanied by the tutor.


    ¡°My baby,¡± Maren called and let go of her mom to meet him. She kissed him on his forehead before taking him up in her hands and kissed his cheek, which always made him ticklish.


    ¡°You¡¯re back early, mummy¡± Nathan said.


    ¡°Yes baby, mummy isn¡¯t having one of her best days. But I¡¯m fine, alright?¡± Maren said, and he nodded and dug his fingers into her hair.


    ¡°Mrs. ckwood¡± the tutor called as she got down from the stairs and stood in front of Maren.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Miss Sarah? Did Nathan do something wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, mummy!¡± Nathan said, quickly


    ¡°I know, my love. You¡¯re a good boy,¡± she said and tickled him, also trying to cheer herself up.


    The young slender tutor chuckled, ¡°Nathan didn¡¯t do anything wrong, ma¡¯am. He¡¯s improved really well this week,¡± she said and shed them a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy,¡± Nathan giggled heartily.


    ¡°I just wanted to say that I¡­I um, I heard about your ex fiance, Mr Sinir,¡± she began carefully and trembling as she spoke to avoid offending her employer. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about what happened to him,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I mean, it was going to happen one way or another so it¡¯s alright¡± Maren replied.


    Thedy nodded, not sure what she meant by that and she wasn¡¯t about to ask her what she meant.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll be on my way,¡± she finally said after a moment of silence. ¡°Bye Nathan¡± she said cheerfully.


    ¡°Bye Sarah,¡± he replied waving his hand.


    Maren¡¯s smile was wide. She really wasn¡¯t happy about William¡¯s death, but the thought of the state she would have been in if he hadn¡¯t died brought some light to her face. And seeing Nathan smiling, knowing she wouldn¡¯t have to be worried about losing him, was just the best feeling ever.


    ¡°Thinking of it now, Maren, didn¡¯t Alexander tell you he had to help his dad with something yesterday?¡± Mrs Sharppe said and Maren¡¯s eyes grew wide in the memory.


    *****


    ¡°Well then, Mr ckwood, if we can¡¯t get to your father, we¡¯ll get to him through you¡± Micheal said and a cloud of smoke clouded his view making him blink multiple times.


    He stared and waited till the smoke cleared before staring directly at Alexander, who was seated restfully on a sofa beside him.


    ¡°What do you have for me?¡± Alexander finally spoke.


    ¡°Just a few questions sir¡± Micheal said and paused ¡°Where were you on the day of Mr Sinir¡¯s death¡±


    Alexander scoffed, his broad chest moving in motion. ¡°I was on business with my father, as usual.¡±


    ¡°What nature of business sir, if I may ask¡±


    Alexander raised a brow at the man for a second before turning away from him again, ¡°We were to meet with some clients¡±


    ¡°Outside yourpanies?¡± Alexander turned to him again, this time with slight annoyance.


    ¡°Yes, outside mypanies¡±


    Micheal sighed silently, giving in to the fact that this man had short patience. ¡°Very well then, Mr ckwood. I was told reluctantly though that you have incriminating evidence against the deceased.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 31

    ¡°I said, Mr ckwood, that I was told¡­¡±


    ¡°I heard you the first time,¡± he interrupted and leaned forward to quench the cigarette in the ashtray. His face was gloomy, as he knew who had disclosed the information.


    ¡°So, sir, is there a chance I can get my hands on them?¡± The detective asked.


    Alexander leaned back into his sofa and scratched his almost bare chin in thought. ¡°Do you have a warrant for this?¡±


    ¡°Certainly sir.¡± he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and showed it to him with bold shoulders.


    Alexander looked away from it and contemted. It really wasn¡¯t easy getting that information. There was a lot of breaking in, colossal sums of money spent and, of course, torture involved before they could pull it off. ¡°I can¡¯t show it to you,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°Respectfully, sir, that will be gged as obstruction of Justice if you don¡¯t,¡± he said, trying his best to use offenceless words.


    ¡°What are you now, FBI?¡± Alexander scoffed


    ¡°I in fact am, Mr. ckwood,¡± he replied and pulled out a badge which clearly confirmed it. ¡°On leave for an ident, which almost cost me half of my body,¡± he exined and tucked the badge back.


    ¡°You¡¯re a man of fame and great affluence and a lot of people admire, respect and, of course, fear you. I¡¯m guessing you do not want anything that could tarnish your image,¡± Micheal said, getting a little too serious.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Obstruction of justice is a crime punishable by thew and surely you do not want to be tangled in that kind of web, sir, as a lot could go down.¡±


    Alexander turned sharply and locked eyes with him as he knew what he meant by that. One mind didn¡¯t want to let go of the document, considering the way it was gotten. Another mind really was all for his reputation.


    He turned to one guard, who stood nearby and tapped his fingers. The guard left immediately and after some minutes of silent waiting; he returned bearing a file which Alexander signalled to give to Micheal.


    The detective opened it and flipped through the pages as Alexander poured himself a drink.


    ¡°I need a copy of this,¡± he said, looking up.


    *****


    ¡°He¡¯s dead, so what?¡± Edie said, holding two bottles of beer in one hand and an opener in the other. He handed one to Alexander, who was slumped on a sofa glued to his phone.


    ¡°More than half of the city thinks I had something to do with it¡±


    Eddie took his seat on a sofa opposite Alexander and opened the beer before passing the opener to Alexander. ¡°I mean you¡¯ve been rival with him since eighth grade, you married his fiance after they broke up, and you¡¯ve screwed her even before the breakup¡±


    ¡°Shut it Eddie¡±


    ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t let him take his child when he came for him and then suddenly, he decides to take everything to court, then he¡¯s murdered¡± he stopped, then gulped down half of the bottle. ¡°You killed him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Alexander looked up for the first time since he walked into Eddie¡¯s house. ¡°Eddie, seriously?¡±


    Eddie just shrugged his shoulders.


    ¡°There is no way I was going to kill him when I knew I had an upper hand in the case. That¡¯s stupidity and a waste of chance to make a fool of him.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be sincere. You weren¡¯t certain you and Maren were going to win the case. We all know William had always been cunning, he knew the easiest ways around things,¡± Eddie replied, now sipping on the beer.


    ¡°We had him at a tight corner this time and there was no way he was escaping this one. You knew it, Eddie, you¡¯ve seen the evidence¡±


    ¡°Like I said, you weren¡¯t sure it was going to be enough. You have a motive, Alex, you¡¯ve always had,¡± he said usingly.


    ¡°So we¡¯re pointing fingers now, right?¡± Alexander said, as he put his phone down and picked up the beer to open it. ¡°What about you Eddie?¡±


    ¡°What do I have to do with any of this?¡±


    Alexander took a gulp. ¡°That¡¯s the point. You don¡¯t have any major roles in this whole story, so it¡¯s easy for you to get away with anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± he chuckled nervously.


    ¡°Alright then. We both know you both never saw eye to eye after our friendship broke up. He was your bully back in high school and he stole your girlfriend¡±


    ¡°Okay, that is a really irrelevant fact. I can¡¯t kill him just because of that. We were in highschool Alexander. We were just being teenagers¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not done,¡± Alexander said, a mischievous grin disyed on his lips. ¡°What about that time at your dad¡¯s funeral?¡±


    ¡°Alexander don¡¯t, don¡¯t say it¡±


    Alexander chuckled, ¡°That time at your dad¡¯s funeral¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m serious Alex¡±


    There was even more amusement on Alexander¡¯s face as Eddie¡¯s darken in anger. ¡°The time at the funeral when you caught him flirting with your mom¡±


    ¡°I swear to god, you¡¯re going to be next to die, Alex¡±


    Alexander gave off a gut wreckingughter which rang throughout the house. ¡°Now that the reaction I was waiting for,¡± he said as he regained himself.


    ¡°That guy was so disgusting,¡± Eddie said, shaking off the memory.


    ¡°You were so mad, I thought you¡¯d kill him on the spot,¡± Alexander added in betweenughs.


    ¡°William really messed with me that period,¡± Eddie said, his fists clenched. ¡°He was an asshole.¡±


    Alexander finally stoppedughing after a few minutes and everywhere fell silent as both men¡¯s minds drifted to their high school days.


    ¡°But he really was a good guy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, before he became a total piece of shit,¡± Alexander remarked. ¡°I mean, we used to be friends. The three of us and Harry. ¡±


    ¡°god, Harry!¡± Eddie eximed as they diverted from the original topic, which was really typical of them when they were together. ¡°RIP bro,¡± he muttered and Alexander affirmed.


    There was silence after as they both remembered both their friends who had died.


    ¡°Hey, what about thatdy, Irene? Maren¡¯s best friend,¡± Eddie suddenly said.


    ¡°Oh yeah, they separated a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± He asked. ¡°She could have killed him, you know. She also has a lot of motives.¡±

 Chapter 32

    ¡°Are you okay, Maren?¡± Ne asked as she slipped into one of the facial chairs beside Maren. She put down her bag somewhere beside her and almost immediately, ady came to attend to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m good, I mean, why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Maren asked, without looking at her as her face was covered in a facial mask, but she knew it was Ne who had just spoken.


    ¡°So you¡¯re holding up fine?¡±


    ¡°Really, Nell?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking. I mean, he was your ex fiance after all and the father of your child,¡± she said defensively.


    ¡°I like the fact that you said the word ¡®ex fiance¡¯. I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s the father of my child, I get to choose who¡¯ll father my child.¡±


    ¡°Ooh, spicy¡± Ne said, as her legs were ced in a footbath, the mouth she was referring to Maren.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t care what happened to him,¡± Maren added.


    ¡°Be honest, Maren, you still had feelings for him,¡± Ne said, but Maren remained quiet, so she went on. ¡°If really didn¡¯t care about him, you wouldn¡¯t have given him a chance toe at you.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, you never really took his appearances as a problem till he took his demand for Nathan seriously. So I essence, part of you missed him¡±


    Maren scoffed, but remained silent.


    ¡°But anyway, that¡¯s all gone now, right? He¡¯s dead,¡± she added as they began to put on her own facial masks. ¡°I do feel sorry for him, though. Didn¡¯t get the chance to actually be with his child. Must have been really hard for him¡±


    Ne said, half sympathetically. After that, both women remained silent, only able to hear the low, soft music ying and the asional sounds of the tools used by the female attendants.


    ¡°So what about the detective? Has he gotten any lead?¡± Ne asked curiously, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Not yet. Apparently, William was involved with some criminal organisation and his currently on their tail, so we haven¡¯t really heard from himtely¡±


    And what¡¯s his name again?¡±


    ¡°Micheal,¡± Maren replied.


    ¡°Hmm, Micheal¡± Ne was quiet in thought for a moment before she spoke ¡°Come to think of it though. Who hired him? I mean, nobody¡¯s heard anything from Irene. William suddenly dies and then he shows up¡±


    ¡°Well, ording to Alexander, he is and acquaintance of William¡¯s and he just had to take the job when his friend died so, that¡¯s pretty much it¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not, ¡± sounds pretty suspicious to me. I mean, if Alexander didn¡¯t do it, then who killed him?¡± She asked and paused. ¡°Could it be Irene?¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Maren suddenly gave off a short, sharpugh, which startled the entire attendants around them. ¡°Irene is as chicken as she looks. She¡¯s all bark with no bite¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s just her way of keeping suspicion away from her¡±


    ¡°That could be true, though. But I¡¯m not buying any of it,¡± Maren said. Ne was silent for sometime but it seemed she really disliked silence as she spoke up again.


    ¡°Was he always that bad?¡±


    Maren gave a heavy sigh before allowing words to flutter out of her throat. ¡°William was a really nice person. I mean, he was really nice to me. He was caring and made sure I was alwaysfortable.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Maren¡¯s voice was steady and void of emotion. ¡°It really was all good for about a year we dated. And then his mom died, and he gradually began to change- his mom was a lovely woman by the way¡±


    ¡°You think he changed because his mom died?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, he used to be friends with Alexander¡¯ back in high school but he suddenly changed towards them one day but remained the same with me. Then suddenly, after a year and some months, his attitude changed for no reason.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it was because of Irene?¡±


    ¡°Could be. But Irene did say they¡¯d been having an affair for as long as we¡¯ve been together so, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s entirely the reason.¡±


    ¡°Well, now we¡¯ll never know the reason for his change in attitude.¡± Ne shrugged. ¡°When is his burial, anyway?¡±


    ¡°In a week I guess, ording to Micheal.¡±


    ¡°But they can¡¯t bury him without knowing the killer, right!?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. I mean, whoever did it did a clean job. ording to the guard who found him, there was no sign of struggle, no break in and most importantly, no weapon was found around the scene to get a fingerprint or something. So basically, he has no lead.¡±


    They were just about taking out the facial masks on both women¡¯s faces.


    ¡°You think Irene will show up?¡±


    Maren scoffed, ¡°Definitely¡±


    *****


    Maren sat in the car, staring into space. She was d no one could see her because the ss was tinted and soundproof. She really didn¡¯t know what she was doing there in the first ce.


    ¡®I really shouldn¡¯t havee,¡¯ she thought, crinkling her ck gown in her hands. She looked at the journalists, who were also all dressed in ck, who passed by the window.


    She knew she¡¯d be asked tons of questions which she wasn¡¯t ready to answer and she really didn¡¯t want to get emotional seeing William put on the ground.


    Knock, knock, Maren?¡± A voice distracted her from her thoughts. ¡°Maren, you need toe out now,¡± Ne said, peering through the window, though she knew she¡¯d only be able to barely see a silhouette of anyone inside.


    Maren took a deep breath and tried clearing her thoughts before she put on her dark shades, picked her phone and opened the door.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± Ne asked as soon as she got down.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine, thanks,¡± she replied, and they made their way to where everyone was seated, staring at the priest. She made her way to where Alexander sat and took the seat beside him while Ne sat beside Eddie.


    ¡°Hi sexy,¡± Eddie said, making Ne roll her eyes in disgust, but to his amusement,


    Alexander, who has been more caring these days, gently ced Maren¡¯s head on his shoulders, making her smile inwardly. The priest began speaking to the hearing of those who wanted to.


    Not long, someone who caught almost everyone¡¯s attention walked over to where they sat and took her seat beside them.


    ¡°Well, hi¡±

 Chapter 33

    ¡°Well, hi¡± the neer said in a low voice as she sat. Maren raised her head at the sound of the voice and turned to look beside her.


    ¡°I was thinking you wouldn¡¯te.¡±


    ¡°You really have the guts to show up here, don¡¯t you, Irene? Maren spat but quietly, to avoid attracting attention to herself while keeping her eyes forward and focused on the priest who had begun to speak.


    He held a shiny Bible and began to speak in a gentle, yet authoritative and audible tone.


    ¡°Dear friends and family, we gather today to bid farewell to a remarkable individual, William Sinir. A man of great vision, entrepreneurial spirit, and of course, a man of great leadership¡­¡±


    Maren almost scoffed, but kept it inside of her. As much as she felt sad that he was gone, being beside Irene only reminded her of everything both of them had done and it made some kind of hate grow inside of her again.


    ¡°Why did you decide toe, you fake ass bitch?¡± Irene whispered.


    ¡°At least I didn¡¯t go into hiding after William left me,¡± Maren shot back, making Irene turn to her sharply and eyed her with contempt.


    The sun cast gloomy rays over the graveyard as usual, but Maren still insisted she¡¯d keep her sses on regardless, so no one could see her actual expressions.


    She stared at the mahogany polished casket, which had a golden cross up front and was designed with gold lines at the sides. She just wished William would walk out of it ande take his whore home.


    ¡°I know you killed him,¡± Irene said, now looking towards the priest.


    Maren scoffed inwardly. ¡°Why would I want to do that? He¡¯s the father of my child.¡±


    ¡°To take revenge,¡± Irene stated.


    ¡°Darling, if I wanted revenge, you¡¯d be in his ce. You were the beginning of this total shit¡±


    ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t, you were!¡±


    ¡°¡­ William¡¯s legacy will live on through the lives he touched and the businesses he built. May his memory inspire us to strive for greatness, even as we mourn his passing,¡± the priest concluded, and they all rose for prayers.


    Maren, on her own part, was confused. What did Irene mean by it was her fault? She thought as she heard the priest increase the volume of his voice a little, making it hard for her to pour some more hate on William and Irene.


    ¡°¡­May his soul rest in perfect peace and may our lord bring peace andfort to those he left behind.¡± The priest said in conclusion.


    They all echoed ¡®Amen¡¯ before the sound of dirt being shovelled into the grave was heard, followed by asional sniffing from an elderlydy, who Maren knew as William¡¯s paternal aunt.


    For the record, they were never on good terms while she was with him. The ceremony was done and people took their turns in dropping a flower on the now closed grave.


    ¡°What do you mean, it was my fault?¡± Maren asked, finally letting out the question which was stuck in her chest. She was walking quickly, half trying to catch up with Irene and half trying to avoid the reporters who were at her heel.


    Irene sighed and let go of her dress, which she held up to avoid stepping on it then she turned to Maren. She was about to speak, but then her eyes wandered to the reporters who stood behind Maren, their cameras ready in their hands.


    Maren noticed and turned to them. ¡°Would you get the fuck away?¡± She said in annoyance. They all scurried away, and Maren turned back to Irene. ¡°d to see you still have some regard for decency.¡± She said,


    ¡°Now what did you mean by it was my fault? What did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°I know you might deny whatever I want to say, but I know it¡¯s true. William was a lot of things but not air¡±


    Maren rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, please¡±


    ¡°You put him under pressure, Maren. You wanted a child before you guys got married, but he knew he couldn¡¯t¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Let me finish!¡± Irene shot, staring daggers at Maren. ¡°He came to confide in me each time you guys had the discussion and that was how we got intimate, Maren. William was a really good man, and you knew it.¡±


    ¡°He held himself all the while till his mom died and that was when he decided he was done with you so he could get with me because I understood him better and he loved me for that¡± her voice was beginning to break as tears built beneath her eyes.


    ¡°He tried all he could to get you out of his mind, but somehow, he found himself in your arms all over again, Maren. You¡¯re ungrateful and inconsiderate!¡± She spat, making Maren more confused.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°He agreed to go on with the marriage because he didn¡¯t want to hurt you. You weren¡¯t supposed to find out about us. At least he didn¡¯t. I wanted you to find out before the wedding, but of course you were too engrossed with yourself to notice anything¡±


    ¡°William loved you so much and I hated it because I saw the way you made him feel, Maren. Sometimes when we¡¯re out, I have murderous thoughts but I still could get myself to kill you¡±


    ¡°Irene, stop this. I really need to understand you.¡± Maren half begged as she was getting worried and tears threatened to burst out of her lids.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    People who were still around discussing or saying a few words to the journalists began to turn in their direction as the tension was beginning to get obvious.


    ¡°Maren, is everything alright?¡± Alexander asked, and he ced his hands gently on her shoulders from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied, telling him off.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± He asked, eyeing Irene.


    ¡°Yes, we just have a few words to say to each other. We¡¯ll head home when I¡¯m done¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± he answered and kissed her hair before leaving.


    Irene gave a shortugh after he left. ¡°I am loving the pretense, Maren. I can¡¯t wait for both of you to screw yourselves up,¡± she said, trying to get her tears back into her eyes, if it was possible.


    ¡°Please, just tell me what you meant by everything you said.¡±


    ¡°William was impotent, alright?!¡± she snapped.


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 34

    ¡°William was impotent, alright?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me right, Maren,¡± Irene replied, gritting her teeth. ¡°And you would have known if you had listened to him, gave him a chance to speak¡±


    ¡°Stop it Irene, you¡¯re messing with me¡±


    ¡°Of course, this is the best time for jokes,¡± Irene said sarcastically.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Irene,¡± she said almost in a whisper as her voice was beginning to fade from the tears which choked her. Goosebumps traced their way to her brain, and the atmosphere suddenly became cold.


    ¡°He said you were always telling him how you wanted a child before the wedding and you always seemed so happy talking about it that he never had the heart to tell you he could not fulfil that one wish of yours¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she muttered and staggered back a little, holding herself from doubling over as a tear dropped from her eyes. By this time, everyone around noticed something was wrong, but they didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯de any closer to confirm.


    Irene didn¡¯t care, she continued. ¡°You¡¯re selfish. You¡¯ve always been. Even while we were friends, Maren, you were self-obsessed. If it wasn¡¯t in your favour, you weren¡¯t involved.¡± Irene spat.


    Maren held her chest, her eyes darting here and there in confusion. Every sound she heard was now an echoing blur. Her mind was racing as Irene¡¯s words rang in her head ¡®William was impotent!¡¯ ¡°No!¡± she said, but this time in a normal tempo.


    Suddenly, everything came back to normal. She seemed to snap out of it, wipe her tears, and walk back to where Irene stood.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible!¡± She thundered but in a low voice, trying so hard to not attract attention. ¡°William is the father of my child and get knew it¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you badly want him to be the father of your son,¡± Irene said, mockery filling her tone. ¡°William is not the father of your son and he knew it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible. The DNA test confirmed it, you¡¯re spewing rubbish Irene¡±


    Irene scoffed bitterly, ¡°Wake up, Maren. The DNA test was forged. William manipted it, and I helped him. I wanted to see you suffer when I found out you had a child and I knew the only way was to make him torment you by iming your son¡±


    ¡°But William obviously had other reasons toe back to you to im Nathan. He still loved you and wanted to save you the shame once you¡¯d realised that you are a slut.¡±


    A tear dropped from her eyes. ¡°We never separated, Maren. I still loved him, but his heart was with you, so I gave him the freedom to go after you. Him iming your son was supposed to be more easy than it was. It was not supposed to go this far.¡±


    ¡°No, stop it!¡± Maren warned, as she could hear the sound of her own heart breaking all over again.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t supposed to take it to court, but he was so stubborn and obsessed with getting back with you that he wouldn¡¯t listen to me. And now¡­¡± her voice drifted away.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be true!¡± She whispered, her heart aching in her chest that she could feel it in her head.


    ¡°Maren!¡± someone touched her shoulders from behind, bringing her back from the confinement of her own head.


    She turned around to view Ne¡¯s worried look, then turned back to where Irene stood, but no one was there. She shut her eyes, trying to get a hold of herself. ¡®I¡¯m in my head, I¡¯m in my head,¡¯ she tried convincing herself.


    ¡°Are you okay? You don¡¯t look so good¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Irene? Was she here?¡± she asked, silently praying what had just happened was just her conscience ying tricks on her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Maren? Do you need something?¡±


    ¡°Stop it Ne, just tell me, was Irene here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she left you not long ago. I thought you guys were done talking. What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± she muttered, shielding her mouth with the back of her palm, trying not to cry.


    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t talk, at least let¡¯s get the hell out of here, everyone it almost gone¡±


    Maren braced herself and looked around the almost deserted graveyard. Her eyes caught sight of William¡¯s aunt who stood by his grave clutching a thick covered book in her arms.


    She shed Maren a murderous stare, making Maren turn away from her. A fresh rain of guilt washed over her all over again.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Ne asked again, her face wrinkled with fear and worry. ¡°What did Irene tell you?¡±


    Maren blinked multiple times before grabbing Ne by her hand. ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s get out of here,¡± she said and they both made their way to Maren¡¯s car in which they had bothe.


    ¡°Where is Alexander?¡± Maren asked as she walked hurriedly towards the car with Ne trying to keep up behind.


    ¡°He left minutes ago. I guess he had enough of the questions from the reporters, or something.¡±


    The guard who stood by the car opened the back door for them just as they approached and Ne allowed Maren to get in first before following suit.


    The clouds darkened a little and droplets of rain began dropping almost immediately when the driver started the engine. Maren had her head resting on the window, her mind going back to what Irene had said.


    ¡®Was she all that is or was Irene just trying to get into her head like she always did?¡¯ if she was, she really hadn¡¯t noticed. And why hadn¡¯t spoken up while they were together? She could have understood¡­right?


    Just before the car wentpletely out of the gate of the cemetery, she caught sight of Irene standing at a side of the gate, her hair and dress were being drenched with the rain.


    Her eyes were squinted as she watched the car drive out, giving her a ghoulish look with only her head moving with the car.


    It felt like she was looking straight at Maren through the ss, but Maren knew the ss was tinted, so it was half impossible.


    Thunder stuck, and Maren blinked. Irene was no longer there.


    Maren closed her eyes and tried convincing herself one more time that she was just seeing things, but as soon as she opened her eyes, the question hit her.


    ¡®Who the hell was Nathan¡¯s father?Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

 Chapter 35

    ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet ever since you got back from William¡¯s burial. What is the problem?¡±


    Maren didn¡¯t respond. She just sat at the table on her room¡¯s balcony, her eyes glued to the screen of herptop.


    ¡°What the hell happened that day Maren, talk to me,¡± her mom persuaded, settling into the chair opposite her, cing a cup of tea in front of her. ¡°You turned off your phone after that day and even Alexander hasn¡¯t been able to reach you.¡±


    Maren reached for the cup and lifted it to her lips, making sure to not lock eyes with her mom. She took a sip of the tea and ced the cup in front of her mom, meaning she wasn¡¯t interested.


    Her mom narrowed her eyes at her. ¡°At least if you wouldn¡¯t speak, listen to me.¡± Maren still wasn¡¯t moved and one could tell that her attention wasn¡¯t entirely on what she was doing.


    ¡°Well, Micheal, the detective was here yesterday while you were busy wallowing in your mind¡± her mom went on, anyway.


    ¡°He could get a hold of the twopanies which he secretly worked with and trust me, what I saw in his report wasn¡¯tforting at all.¡±


    ¡°Whatpanies?¡± Maren suddenly asked,


    ¡°Oh, so now you¡¯ll talk?¡± Her mom shot.


    ¡°Mom, please tell me,¡± she begged, finally lifting her head to meet her mom.


    ¡°That was another evidence Alexander had withheld but was contained in the file which he gave Micheal¡± her mom replied.


    ¡°What did you see, mom?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± she began, ¡°Obviously these men were into shady businesses. But what no one else knew was that they were into organ harvesting.¡± Her mom said, making Maren wring her nose in disgust.


    ¡°Yeah, there was also picture evidence which he showed me and trust me when I say I sometimes still see those things when I close my eyes at night¡±


    ¡°I guess the good thing about all of this is that William wasn¡¯t involved in the harvesting, ording to the men he had apprehended. He just needed a favour from their boss who is nowhere to be found, by the way¡±


    ¡°So, if we had used that evidence against him in court, it would have been useless?¡± Maren asked.


    ¡°Exactly what I had asked him. ording to him, there was a chance that it could be used against him because it was really incriminating. Plus, he might not see iting so none of them might not be there to testify against it.¡±


    ¡°Chances of him being screwed in court was fifty to fifty despite the other evidence on him, Maren,¡± her mom said in conclusion.


    ¡°But Alexander said there were testimonies from some of his assaulted workers and the moneyundering?¡±


    ¡°Michael¡¯s assumption is that probably, William had figured some workers were going to snitch about the moneyundering, so instead of torturing them himself, he went to Gustavo, the boss of the harvesters¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a really stupid thing to do. William would never do that¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too. But it¡¯s just an assumption though, he hasn¡¯t fully investigated that part for now, he¡¯s focusing on finding Gustavo. It¡¯s graduated to an FBI case.¡±


    ¡°I hope they find him and find who killed William¡±


    Maren said but her mom kept quiet, staring at her as she pressed the buttons on the keyboard half mindedly.


    ¡°Are you ready to tell me what happened at the funeral?¡± Her mom asked after the long silence.


    Maren sighed, but kept her eyes on theptop. ¡°I met Irene at the funeral,¡± she said and paused, as if searching for words to say.


    ¡°Okay? Go on!¡±


    ¡°She told me everything,¡± Maren said with a firm voice.


    ¡°Told you what? Can you please stop these few words sentences?¡±


    Maren took a deep breath, raised her head to view her mom, then closed herptop. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m screwed.¡± Her mom gave her a questioning look, but she just looked away towards the garden as she fought her tears from falling.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    She ran her hands through her hair and turned back to her mom, thinking of words to use to exin all what Irene had told her.


    ¡°Irene told me everything. How she and William¡¯s affair started,¡± he began, but her voice failed her as it began to quake. ¡°She said I caused everything and-¡±


    ¡°And what?¡± Mom asked. Her voice was firm, but worry was written all over her face.


    ¡°She said their affair started when he always went to confide in her. He always told her the problems we had in our rtionship, mom.¡± She said and paused.


    ¡°Which was?¡±


    Maren raised her eyes to meet her mom¡¯s. ¡°William told her he couldn¡¯t father a child. ¡±


    There was a long silence at that point, and the only thing heard was the whooshing of the wind on the trees as both women just stared at each other.


    After a while, Maren¡¯s mom gave something that sounded like a snicker. Maren was sure she heard wrong until she did it again, and the next came as a chuckle.


    Maren looked at her mom in confusion, hoping she hadn¡¯t gone mad because what she had just said had no iota ofedy in it. ¡°What¡¯s so funny, mom?¡± she asked, her stinging tears suddenly drying up.


    Her mom held her stomach while she gave a shortugh. ¡°It¡¯s just so funny how typical a liar William was. And she believed him? How else did Nathane about?¡±


    Maren didn¡¯t respond. She just stared at her mom and let her have her moment as she chuckled and took a mouth full of the tea which had be too warm by the way.


    Her mom suddenly stopped and looked at her. ¡°Wait, you believe him too?¡± She asked, her face getting serious again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t know, mom. I¡¯m just really confused right now. She said a lot of things that day. Things that I could confirm myself. I really don¡¯t know what to believe, mom¡±


    ¡°What about the DNA test? I mean, the test confirmed that he¡¯s the father¡± her mom asked.


    ¡°That was rigged, mom. Irene confirmed it. They both nned it to make us suffer¡±


    Her mom turned to the garden, quiet in thought after that, and Maren stared at her in anticipation.


    ¡°But what would you be worried about if you were sure William is the father?¡± Her mom finally asked, quietly, ¡°What have you done, Maren?¡±

 Chapter 36

    ¡°What the fuck did you tell Maren?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing in my house?¡± Irene asked absentmindedly as she put a pot of water on the gas and turned it on.


    ¡°I demand you tell me what you told Maren, that she refused to speak with anyone.¡±


    Irene turned away from him and turned off the faucet to wash some vegetables. He waited patiently, watching her back as she worked. She finally turned to him and ced the bowl on the counter.


    She raised her eyes to meet his face. ¡°What don¡¯t you go ask the bitch herself¡± she spat and pulled out a knife.


    ¡°Like I said, she¡¯s refused to speak with anyone, plus I want to hear it from the horse¡¯s mouth.¡±


    Alexander sat behind the counter and watched Irene¡¯s knife slice the veggies slowly.


    From where he sat, he observed that her actions were slowed and her face confirmed that she wasn¡¯t okay, with reddened eyelids and bags beneath them.


    She was quiet, which was so unusual for her and she wasn¡¯t scared one bit when she found him in her house and that made him decide to go easy on her.


    ¡°This is your cue to speak Irene, I believe that¡¯s how a conversation works¡±


    ¡®Crunch!¡¯ the knife made arge cut ¡°First, you break into my house as usual and then you ret to force a conversation. What do you want from me, Alexander?¡± She asked, keeping her eyes on the carrot she had just begun to chop.


    ¡°Would you just answer the question and stop trying to y victim?¡± Alexander said, raising his voice a little.


    ¡°Victim?!¡± She stabbed the knife onto the chopping board and turned to him sharply. ¡°I¡¯m ying victim? But I¡¯m the same person who got used, fell in love like a fool and still got yed with! And I¡¯m not the victim?¡± She half screamed.


    ¡°I am not someone you¡¯de to only when you need someone to carry out your dirty bidding, Alexander. I am not your whore, I am not your pawn, alright? This is my house and I¡¯ll have conversations when and with whom I choose!¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at him, raging, then turned to the pot whose water had begun to boil.


    Alexander smirked and rested on the counter. ¡°I see what this is about. It¡¯s about William, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Irene angrily dumped raw pasta into the pot of boiling water and waited for it to go all in before putting on the lid. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what this is all about?¡± She asked. ¡°You¡¯re here for the gossip. More words for you to say when next you¡¯re interviewed about William¡¯s death?¡± she said.


    She scoffed wickedly. ¡°You know, I was angry when William told me you guys used to be friends. You are the worst person to be friends with. Alexander, you set him up, you stole his fiance and then killed him. Then you go about taking glory and fame at those talk shows and news where they ask you for your opinion about his death.¡±


    By this time, her chest was raising and falling faster than normal. She pulled out the knife, which she had stuck into the chopping board, and resumed her cutting.


    Alexander folded his arms while maintaining his smirk. ¡°I really like the fact that you exempt yourself from all what you just said when, in fact, you were the sole origin of it.¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯te to me, you would be standing in my kitchen spilling shit from your fucked up mouth. If you had just gone ahead with your n with me being in it, we won¡¯t he having this conversation, Alexander¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, I¡¯d say I did you a favour. I mean, you did find love, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°And you ended up killing him, didn¡¯t you?¡± She spat, cutting out thest of the bowl of veggies. ¡°You are a selfish son of a bitch, Alexander, a coldhearted monster! And if you ask me, you¡¯d look betterying in a casket than William¡±


    With that, she turned back to her cooking, leaving Alexander, who seemed like he was thinking.


    ¡°I really am not here to point fingers or exchange irrelevant words with you,¡± he finally said and heard her let out a sarcastic scoff. ¡°I just need to know one thing. What exactly did you tell Maren?¡±


    ¡°And like I said, go ask your little harlot of a wife. I think she¡¯d exin it better,¡± she says, her back still turned to him.


    In a blink of an eye, too quick for Irene to think of a counter, Alexander walked over to the other side of the counter, picked up the knife before turning Irene to face him and ced the knife half an inch away from slicing her neck.


    Irene didn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to be stubborn about everything, Irene,¡± he warned, veins building at the sides of his neck.


    Irene stared back at him, her eyes looking directly into his without blinking as she stayed quiet. Her lips slowly curled up into a smile. ¡°Oh, I see what this is about, you¡¯re scared!¡± she spat, but Alexander stood his ground, maintaining the distance of the knife.


    ¡°You really have no balls, do you? You¡¯re scared I ratted you out to your goody two shoes of a wife.¡± She said, amused that she could read him for the first time and indirectly knew something he didn¡¯t want out.


    She chuckled. ¡°All mighty Alexander fucking ckwood is actually a fucked up pussy¡± Alexander stayed quiet but his impatience was gradually pushing him forward. ¡°Now that¡¯s something I¡¯d like to rat about.¡±


    ¡°Just answer the fucking question!¡± He thundered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you, Alexander. I can see you¡¯re not scared to pick up a knife one more time and kill me the way you killed William. Go ahead¡­¡±


    She shut her eyes and shuddered as Alexander had edged the knife close enough to her neck that she could feel it on her skin.


    ¡°Answer the fucking question!¡±


    She inhaled shakily and tried so hard not to swallow. ¡°Why will I give Maren the pleasure of knowing now when I could just watch her find out that you are a fucking psychopath?¡±


    Alexander gritted his teeth and stared at her for a while before letting her go and tossing the knife into the sink.


    Irene held her neck as she leaned on the counter and watched him walk towards the door.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay for lunch? I¡¯ll try not to kill you first,¡± she said as he mmed the door behind him.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 37

    ¡°Alex!¡±


    ¡°How are you doing, little man?¡± Alexander asked, returning the tight hug which Nathan threw to him. ¡°Hey look at me,¡± he urged and Nathan obeyed, breaking the hug. ¡°You missed me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Nathan stared at the ceiling and sped his hands behind his back as if not wanting to say what was on his mind. ¡°Nooo,¡± he said quietly, with a goofy smile on his lips.


    ¡°Now that there is a lie. You¡¯re going to tell me you didn¡¯t miss big ol¡¯ Alex?¡± Alexander asked with a pretend frown on his face.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Nathan replied, nodding.


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t believe that¡± he said and grabbed Nathan by the waist and buried his head in his stomach as he blew on it, making Nathanugh out loud while he struggled to pull Alexander¡¯s head away from him.


    ¡°Should I go on?¡± He asked as he stopped when he noticed Nathan was almost choking from theughter.


    ¡°No, go away from me,¡± Nathan said, still giggling.


    ¡°Oh yeah? How about I just¡­¡±


    ¡°No, stop it Alex,¡± he said as his tiny fingers struggled to push Alex, who was about to resume.


    ¡°Okay then, have it your way.¡± He said and looked behind Nathan at Maren, who had been quietly unpacking some of her things but was now on her phone, but stillpletely ignored them.


    ¡°Hey, do me a favour.¡± he turned back to Nathan. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to your room so I can talk to your mom? I promise we¡¯re going to have some fun when I¡¯m done¡±


    ¡°Okay¡± Nathan replied.


    Alexander smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my boy.¡± he stood up from where he was crouched and ruffled Nathan¡¯s hair as he ran through the hallway to his room before closing the door behind him.


    ¡°Hi,¡± he said, staring at Maren.


    ¡°Hi¡± she returned, quietly.


    He ran his hands through his hair like some sophomore who was anxious to ask ady to prom. ¡°Ah¡­ when did you get back¡±


    She rolled her eyes and turned to him. ¡°Really?¡± She asked. He just shrugged and gave her an ¡®I don¡¯t know what else to say look¡¯. ¡°Not long ago¡±


    ¡°Well, I called in while you were at your mom¡¯s. I don¡¯t know if she told you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she wouldn¡¯t stop bbing about how and why I needed some sunlight¡±


    Alexander smiled and folded his arms, keeping his eyes on her.


    ¡°Why are you staring at me, Alexander? I¡¯m not back here because I want to. I¡¯m here to save your ass from the press¡± she tucked her hair behind her ear as she spoke.


    ¡°Perhaps you could save be the stress and please tell me what happened between you and Irene at William¡¯s funeral¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat at his words, but she didn¡¯t know why. To be honest, she wasn¡¯t expecting the question, but she knew she should have.


    She was the one who¡¯d had a heated conversation with Irene at a solemn gathering and then ran to hide at her mom¡¯s house and shut the door to everyone.


    How on earth was she not expecting Alexander to be concerned, especially now that he¡¯s proving to care more than ever?


    Maren¡¯s eyes widened a little as she stared back at Alexander, who had taken a seat beside her on the bed.


    ¡°Look, I get it if you¡¯re still angry and remembering what she said would wield something up inside you¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Alexander¡± she interrupted him. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± she turned away from him, her mind searching its depths for words to rece: ¡®I just found out I¡¯m a whore¡¯ which her mind kept repeating after that day.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s cool,¡± he said, quietly.


    Maren really wasn¡¯t sure of the reason she didn¡¯t want to tell him about the fact that Nathan wasn¡¯t William¡¯s and he was some kind of miracle child or something.


    Perhaps it was the fact that Alexander¡¯s strict and authoritative manner had suddenly put on a calm and caring one, which she hadn¡¯t enjoyed long enough to ruin.


    ¡°Any day now,¡± he said, interrupting her thoughts.


    She raised her head from her feet, which she had suddenly gained interest in, and met his bright grey eyes.


    ¡°It was nothing much, actually.¡± She began, surprised at her ownposure. ¡°It¡¯s just annoying old Irene trying to make me the bad person as usual,¡± she said and looked away again.


    ¡°I mean, what did she mean by everything was my fault? How was I supposed to know I was hurting William when he wouldn¡¯t open up to me?¡± She bbed.


    ¡°Then he went to her, like a sneaky bastard he was and told her everything. Excuse me, I¡¯ve got ears too!¡± She nagged. Alexander remained quiet.


    ¡°And all for what? Because she was my best friend? I don¡¯t believe he loved her. He knew the way she was. For god¡¯s sake, she slept around! She never stayed with one man for more than four months. She always wanted ¡®someone new''¡± Maren continued, forgetting Alexander was sitting beside her.


    Her voice was beginning to quiver, and tears slowly built beneath her eyes. ¡°I really don¡¯t see how I pushed him to Irene, really. I¡¯m sure whatever I did wasn¡¯t that deep, was it?¡± She asked rhetorically, but Alexander felt an urge to reply and made some kind of grunting sound.


    She ignored it and continued. ¡°I loved him. I really did, and he knew it. I never meant to hurt him, really. I just¡­¡± Her voice broke as a tear rolled down her cheeks.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Hey hey¡± Alexander shushed and pulled her to rest her head on his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s okay. It¡¯s enough,¡± he said while patting her back gently.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Maren. Irene is just bitter about this entire situation. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll regain herself when all this blows over,¡± he assured.


    Maren silently sniffed and was still for a moment. ¡°What if Irene killed William?¡± She said, sitting upright to face Alexander.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. She does have a reason to¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, while she was talking to me, she mentioned she loved him, but somehow he still came back to me¡±


    ¡°You mean she killed him because she was jealous of you?¡±


    ¡°That too but also, she said she gave him the go ahead to do what he wanted, but he took it too far,¡± she said and paused, lifting her eyes to Alexander, who still looked somewhat confused.


    ¡°Irene¡¯s a really dangerous human being.¡±

 Chapter 38

    ¡°Boys, go y upstairs,¡± Ne said to Nathan and Zack, who had been running around between both women¡¯s legs.


    The boys scurried carefully up the stairs and, as their giggles faded, Ne turned to Maren, hoping to finally have some time to talk to her.


    They both strolled out the door and onto thepound, which was decorated by short hedges which formed a circle around a horse statue which stood in the middle.


    ¡°Nice house,¡± Neplemented, looking around though she knew hers could top it. ¡°I honestly can¡¯t believe Alexander consented to our being here. I always thought he was some kind of possessive monster,¡± she said jokingly.


    ¡°Well, then there¡¯s not much difference between us. I also thought the same honestly,¡± she said and paused as they got to the end of the path which they were following.


    ¡°But then, Alexander¡¯s suddenly changed. He now cares more and doesn¡¯t really bug me if I don¡¯t meet the monthly deadline. It¡¯s strange but I think I love it¡± she smiled inwardly.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± she replied and fell silent, not knowing how to convey her curiosity. ¡°Okay, so I get it. We¡¯ve known each other for barely three months, so I understand if you don¡¯t want to talk about what happened at William¡¯s funeral¡±


    Maren was silent, but her mind amodated multiple thoughts per second. Ne was right.


    She never actually wanted to tell her about it because she simply didn¡¯t feel the urge to tell an almostplete stranger how Irene had painfully exined what happened more than three years ago.


    Like how was she going to say she had been a selfish bride who never listened to her groom, so he confided in her best friend about his impotence, which they had both kept a secret and then they ended up falling for each other? Now she had no idea who Nathan¡¯s father was.


    ¡°Earth to Maren,¡± Ne said, half peering into her face.


    Maren snapped out of her thoughts and turned to Ne. ¡°I never really thought of it like that,¡± she said and paused. ¡°It¡¯s just really hurtful to think about it¡±


    Ne remained silent as Maren searched her thoughts, trying to know if she could trust her. ¡°I think we should sit for this, ¡± she finally said.


    *****Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    They were both seated on the garden chairs, and Ne¡¯s eyes seemed to be frozen open.


    ¡°Ne?¡± Maren called, looking straight into her eyes and shaking her hand softly. ¡°Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°Wait, so what you¡¯re trying to say is Nathan is currently fatherless? No offence,¡± she finally spoke.


    Maren just looked away. The fact that she said no offence only made it hurt more.


    ¡°Well, when you put it that way¡­¡± she said defensively. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t believe Irene, especially now that she¡¯s angry that William is dead. She¡¯d do anything to make sure she¡¯s not the only one said in situations like this¡±


    ¡°To be fair, she¡¯d be a sadist to joke with something like this,¡± she stated, still in shock. ¡°Does Alexander know about this?¡±


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m nning to tell him either, except he finds out himself, which is practically impossible.¡± She said, and both women fell silent again.


    ¡°Have you at least tried finding out if it¡¯s true? I mean, I know it might be scary, but you need rity, right?¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. But what if it is true? I mean, I really have no memory of being with someone else. This is all really confusing¡± her brows furrowed.


    ¡°You need to go for a DNA test. In a differentb this time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯d be damned if I was in this situation.¡± Ne said after a brief pause. ¡°This only reminds me about what I actually admire you in the first ce.¡±


    Maren smiled, but short enough for it to not look like a blush. ¡°Not really the time, Ne,¡± Ne just shrugged.


    A strong wind blew, sending both women¡¯s hair into their faces. Ne stared into space, her expression fell as her brows furrowed.


    She removed the strands of hair which found their way into her mouth and stared at her feet.


    ¡°Unrted, but I his reminds me about the time i and Richie were still married¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, you¡¯ve never actually spoken about him¡±


    Ne¡¯s smile was a mncholy one, but she tried to hide it. ¡°There really isn¡¯t much to say about him though,¡± she began.


    ¡°He was my first love. We met on a cruise ship during one of my dad¡¯s business meetings. My dad never really let me mix with people, so when he approached me, I instantly fell for him¡±


    ¡°I mean, he was thoughtful and charming. With the brightest smile¡­god! I still feel butterflies when I think about him,¡± she said, taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Usually, when I go on cruise meetings with my dad. He neglects me throughout till it¡¯s time to go back home, but this one was different. Richie kept mepany throughout the week.


    He has apanied his friend who was my dad¡¯s colleague and saw it as a vacation. She said and paused. ¡°He asked me out after a week of talking on phone and I epted as he seem really perfect¡±


    ¡°Two months after that, he proposed. My dad was more happy than I was. I mean, who would be happy that his daughter, who he hardly let out of the house, finally found the love of her life?¡±


    Her smiling face suddenly dropped. ¡°But then, I found out he was seeing someone else even before he filed for a divorce.¡±


    ¡°I was angry, Maren. He didn¡¯t even care about Zack, who was barely a year old then.¡± She said, trying so hard to not get emotional. ¡°I begged him though but he wouldn¡¯t listen so I had to agree and so did my dad¡±


    The wind was as strong as this the day he left and all I could have was the tter of the window panes as I watched him walk into his car where thedy was seated waiting. ¡±


    ¡°Where are they now?¡± Maren, who had been quiet all through, finally asked.


    ¡°Well, thedy is somewhere in Italy,¡± she said, back to her normal emotion.


    ¡°And Richie?¡±


    ¡°He died¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± Maren eximed.


    ¡°He died on his way to his house from my house,¡± Ne replied.


    ¡°Your house?¡±


    ¡°The police reported break failure and they never actually found who did it¡±

 Chapter 39

    ¡°I¡¯m going for a DNA test, mom,¡± Maren said, running her fingers around the tips of the ss of wine in front of her.


    ¡°That seems like the only thing to do right now though¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared mom¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± her mom asked, as she divided an apple with the golden table knife in her hand.


    ¡°I mean, I really have no memory of having sex with anyone aside from William. And Irene sounded so serious. I don¡¯t think she was lying, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Well, only a test would prove that at this point.¡± She lifted a saucer of apples, which were already sliced into chunks, to Maren. ¡°Apple?¡±


    Maren looked at the apples and then at her mom. She just told her she was scared that Nathan¡¯s mom was a whore and all she could do was offer her apples?


    She loved her mom, but sometimes her confused emotions in critical times were just annoying. She was the same way when her husband, Maren¡¯s dad, died. Mrs Sharppe was indifferent for the first few days after he died. Butter on, the grief picked up and began to mourn.


    Maren picked a chunk from the saucer and tossed it into her mouth.


    ¡°Whateveres out of this, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± her mom added.


    ¡°The DNA¡­¡±


    ¡°What DNA?¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she rose her eyes to meet Alexander, who had just walked into the dining room.


    ¡°You¡¯re back early,¡± Maren said quickly, trying to change the subject. She paused as she noticed his fallen demeanour. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my dad¡± he scratched the back of his neck. ¡°He slumped in his office again¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± her mom asked,pletely in the dark.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Maren asked, worry and fear stered on her face.


    ¡°He¡¯s at the hospital. I came to get a few things. I¡¯m heading back now¡±


    ¡°Can Ie?¡± Maren quickly asked as Alexander hurriedly climbed up the stairs.


    ¡°Whatever¡± Alexander replied.


    ¡°I¡¯lle too,¡± Mrs Sharppe said, popping a chunk of apple into her mouth.


    ¡°What about Nathan?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll be fine. He¡¯s got Rose and the tutor¡¯s still around. There¡¯s a lot of things to keep him distracted. He won¡¯t notice we¡¯re gone.¡± She said and walked past a worried Maren. ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±


    The sick and deathly smell of the hospital ended behind the door of Mr. ckwood¡¯s private ward as it was well ventted and lots of bouquets of flowers stood on a table at one corner of the room and provided a fresh smell to the room.


    They all stood around the bed on which hey, except Maren¡¯s mom, who saw standing as a task and found a chair to sit on.


    As everyone watched in silence, Mr. ckwoody motionless, with only a few tubes attached to his body, which Maren guessed were for his stabilization. The only sound that could be heard was the beeping of the monitor.


    Of all the faces in the room, Alexander was the most disturbed, and he seemed to avoid looking at his dad. Maren noticed and walked over to where he stood resting on a wall.


    ¡°What did they say happened to him, exactly?¡± she asked, standing in front of him.


    ¡°Well, he never fully recovered the previous time. He has asked to be discharged so he could go back and work. It was all the stress and every other thing that made him slump again today.¡±


    ¡°Gosh,¡± Maren could only say. As she had a lot of words to used to scold both Alexander and his dad, but she remembered how he always when anyone talked ill of his dad.


    ¡°Will he be alright?¡± Her mom asked, ¡®really?¡¯ stare from Maren. ¡°What? I¡¯m just asking,¡± she mouthed, making sure Alexander didn¡¯t see her.


    Alexander ran his hand through his hair and scratched his neck. ¡°I hope so. I really don¡¯t know.¡± He replied, and Maren had never seen him look so helpless and confused.


    ¡°We just have to-¡±


    ¡°Mr. ckwood-¡± a short man in a white coat came through the door and paused as she walked in. ¡°Well, I see the entire gang¡¯s here. Wee,¡± he said and adjusted his sses.


    Maren was the first to say, ¡°Is he going to be alright?¡±


    The man, obviously the doctor, just walked over to the white liquid packed in a bag which was hung and connected to Mr. ckwood¡¯s body and examined it.


    He then turned to the monitor, which was beeping steadily and took a clipboard from the tform which it stood and took down some records.


    ¡°All I can say is he¡¯s responding slowly to treatment but his health is in a really unstable state and it¡¯s not been ascertained for days now¡±


    ¡°Days?¡± Maren asked and turned to Alexander. ¡°He¡¯s been like this for days?¡±


    ¡°Yes, about four days,¡± the doctor said, not taking the hint to shut the hell up.


    ¡°What was the use telling you anyway?¡± Alexander said, still looking away.


    Maren blinked multiple times and folded her arms, visibly taken aback. ¡°Really, Alexander?¡±


    ¡°Please, please, this really isn¡¯t the time,¡± the doctor said, taking the words right out of Alexander¡¯s mouth but innocently. ¡°Unnecessary stress which he put himself through caused Mr. ckwood¡¯s current state¡±


    ¡°Coupled with the fact that he hadn¡¯tpleted his treatment thest time this happened,¡± he adjusted his sses.


    ¡°So what exactly should be done right now?¡± Maren¡¯s mom asked.


    ¡°Honestly, the only thing to be done is to watch him. Hopefully, he¡¯ll be better by thising week.¡±


    The room fell silent like they were grieving in advance, each eye staring from Mrs. ckwood to something else no other person could decipher.


    ¡°Very well then, I¡¯ll leave you all. I suggest you presence around here more often. Mr Alexander, you especially.¡± He said and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Thanks doc¡± Alexander said as he walked out the door.


    ¡°Why will you keep such a thing like this for so long?¡± Maren asked almost immediately as the door was shut. Alexander just rolled his eyes and kept quiet.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go get some fresh air,¡± Mrs Sharppe said, but none of them paid attention to her.


    ¡°The fact that we¡¯re not in an actual marriage doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t care about things that go on around you. Especially when ites to your father¡¯s health,¡± she said, trying to not get angry.


    Alexander sighed and looked at her for the first time since they walked into the room. ¡°Look, I love you but honestly I don¡¯t think you need to know about everything, especially if I don¡¯t want you to¡±


    ¡°So you-wait what?¡±

 Chapter 40

    Maren was seated on her office chair staring straight at an envelope which stood innocently on her table. When her secretary had brought it in together with other files she had asked for, she really wasn¡¯t expecting it to be amongst them.


    She had put every other thing aside and kept the envelope in the middle of the table and was just staring at it without bothering to break the seal.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°god! I e as soon as you dropped the call,¡± her mom said as she practically strolled through the door while looking around. ¡°Wow! I haven¡¯t been here since your father died. You¡¯ve really given the ce a shine.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t still have that sick smell of old documents and work, though.¡± She added and finally turned to Maren, who had ignored whatever she had said. She walked towards the table and drew out the seat. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± She asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s arrived,¡± Maren replied and held her own face in her hands.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t opened it yet?¡± Her mom asked and snatched the envelope from the table.


    Suddenly, the air grew still and the only sound that could be heard was the rustling of the envelope as Mrs. Sharppe fumbled with it.


    Few secondster, all fell silent and not even Maren¡¯s mom moved. Maren slowly turned to the elderly woman who she had turned away from. Both women locked eyes and Maren¡¯s heart rate doubled its speed.


    Mrs Sharppe dropped the paper on the table slowly while keeping her eyes on her daughter. Maren stared into her mom¡¯s eyes, looking for a hint to break the suspense, but saw nothing as her face was expressionless.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± Maren asked but got no answer, so she slowly drew the paper towards herself.


    Slowly, she turned her eyes away from her mom and looked down at the paper.


    *****


    It was a warm evening-at least it was warm to Maren as she set foot in the restaurant, fancy enough to be passed as a ssware store.


    Apanied by Alexander, who she locked arm with, she walked steadily, fighting to keep her mind in the present as her thoughts threatened to knock her down.


    Maren used the time to look around with the sole aim of distracting herself as they both stood at the front desk while the over smilingdy checked the reservations list.


    The week hadn¡¯t been nice at all. There¡¯d been a lot going on, including Alexander¡¯s dad¡¯s health taking a turn for the worst that even the doctors looked at it as an almost hopeless case.


    But as usual, Alexander seemed unbothered and went on with his work like nothing was happening. He covered up so well that he¡¯d agreed to attend a business dinner with some managers and some others who were superior to him.


    Did he always try to make things look like they were going fine, or did he just see business as superior to other things? She wasn¡¯t sure.


    All she knew was that she was in a short blue evening gown, eight centimetre silver heels, walking hand in hand with Alexander as his plus one.


    ¡°Maren?¡± She heard her name and snapped back to reality.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you alright? I called your name a couple of times before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit tired,¡± she said, and forced a smile.


    ¡°Well, this will only take a few hours and we¡¯ll be out of here,¡± he replied and guided her into the main dining area, then to the VIP section where there was arge round table where some other people were already seated.


    ¡°Mr ckwood!¡± One man, looking like he was in his middle fifties, called as they arrived. Maren¡¯s eyes drifted to thedy who sat beside him. She looked so young that Maren guessed she was either her age or just a little younger.


    Sensing Maren¡¯s gaze upon her, she waved her perfectly manicured fingers at her, which made Maren confused about her next move, so she waved back in the same manner, making thedy clear her throat ufortably and turn her attention back to her phone.


    ¡°Good evening, sir,¡± Alexander greeted politely, shing his most humble grin.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee to join us, son.¡± The man said as Alexander drew a seat for Maren to sit and then took his afterwards. ¡°We¡¯re waiting for one more person and we¡¯ll start¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be alright,¡± Alexander said. ¡°A good evening to you, Mr Harrington¡± Alexander said to another man at the table, who seemed kind of uninterested with whatever they were saying.


    ¡°Alex, my boy,¡± He said casually as he lit a cigarette. ¡°Been a while. We sat at a table like this,¡± he added and took a puff.


    ¡°Yeah, I think thest time was before my dad¡¯s handover.¡±


    ¡°Ahh, Philip ckwood¡± the man said in a drowsy voice, which kind of irritated Maren. ¡°How¡¯s he?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s improving¡±


    Maren turned to him at the lie, but then turned away quickly when she felt him slightly squeeze herp.


    ¡°Very good. I hope he gets better soon,¡± the first man who had spoken said, and the table fell silent.


    ¡°You know, one thing I like about you Alex? You are not much different from your father.¡± The drowsy voiced one said. ¡°Philip was a really dedicated man to business and always looked out for each and everyone of us around this table. Isn¡¯t that right Harrington?¡± He said and took another puff.


    ¡°Certainly. I really wish he were here. He¡¯d..¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m enjoying you gentlemen speaking about my father in past tense.¡± He hissed, with a hint of warning in his tone.


    Maren knew this was her cue to shut her ear to the conversation, so she took her phone out and saw multiple missed calls and texts from Ne.


    ¡°Maren! Where are you?¡± the text read.


    ¡°At some stupid gathering with Alexander,¡± she replied, feeling like a teenager one more time. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Your mom told me,¡± she replied almost immediately. Maren rolled her eyeballs. Her mom always had to be the snitch.


    ¡°What did she say this time?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s Nathan¡¯s father?¡±

 Chapter 41

    ¡°But you know you really didn¡¯t have to tell Ne.¡±


    ¡°Come on, we both know you need someone to tell your pain aside from me. And Ne looks like the choice for that,¡± Mrs Sharppe said from the other side of the phone.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s not. For all I know, she could be some psychopath who killed her ex-husband.¡± Maren muttered inaudibly.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Her mom asked.


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just saying you can¡¯t just let her in on everything that happens to. I¡¯ll do it myself if I want to do it.¡± She said and clicked away on herptop, which was on the table in front of her.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve heard. But admit it, she is a pretty good listener.¡± Her mom said, but Maren didn¡¯t reply. ¡°So tell me, how¡¯s Alexander holding up? How¡¯s his dad?¡±


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s-¡± she turned around as she heard the door click shut. She turned back to the phone on seeing the visitor. ¡°Mom, can I call you back?¡± She asked, and her mom hung up the phone.


    ¡°Still not going to knock, are we?¡± she said, the clicking sound of herptop filling the silence.


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here. ¡± Alexander¡¯s voice came, calm and deep.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s the weekend and I have lots of things to work on before Monday.¡± She replied, keeping her eyes on theptop.


    Slowly, Alexander sat at the edge of the table and closed theptop. Making her sigh and get her fingers away from the keyboard so he could close itpletely.


    ¡°My sturdy, my house. I get to tell you where to be and when¡±


    ¡®Yep, he¡¯s back¡¯ Maren thought. ¡°I just really need to meet the deadline. A deadline which you imposed. So if you wouldn¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to get back to it¡±


    ¡°Very well then, I guess nowhere in my house is wrong.¡± he grabbed her gently by her neck, rendering her helpless and made her look up at him, then leaned in to kiss her.


    ¡°Mr. ckwood¡± a voice came after a knock on the door.


    Alexander closed his eyes in anger at the interruption. He ignored it and proceeded with his deed.


    ¡°Stop, what are you going?¡± Maren asked, nuzzling him away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± he said as he let go of her neck and sat up.


    ¡°Your guards don¡¯t intrude this way unless it¡¯s urgent¡±


    ¡°So what?¡± He asked, obviously trying to y dumb.


    ¡°It might be important,¡± she argued.


    ¡°Or could just ignore it¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± age said and stood up from where she sat. Alexander just tilted his head slightly and walked up to the door. ¡°What is it?¡± She said to the guards, who stood really upright behind the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb, ma¡¯am, but there¡¯s a man outside to see you both. He says his name is Micheal Katz¡±


    ¡°Micheal?¡± She repeated. ¡°What the hell is he looking for this time?¡± She asked no one in particr. ¡°Alright, let him in. We¡¯ll be down soon.¡± She said and turned back to Alexander, who was still where he was, arms folded.


    ¡°It¡¯s the detective. Probably here to arrest you or something,¡± she said, still holding on to the door handle.


    Alexander scoffed. ¡°You think I did it?¡±


    She shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know, we might probably find out in about five minutes¡± she said and walked out the door, whether Alexander wasing or not.


    ¡°Mr Katz,¡±  Maren called as soon as she got to the base of the stairs. ¡°Have a seat please,¡± she said to the man as he stood at the door in between two guards.


    ¡°Can we get you anything?¡± Alexander interrupted as the man took his seat on a sofa.


    ¡°A ss of water would do,¡± Micheal said, looking at Alexander, who signalled to a guard to go alert the maids.


    ¡°To what do we owe this visit Micheal? To not send me to jail I suppose?¡± Alexander asked, settling himself on a sofa adjacent to Micheal¡¯s.


    The ss of water arrived almost immediately and Micheal raised it to his lips and took heavy gulps as both Maren and Alexander exchanged a stare.


    ¡°Wow, I really needed that.¡± He exhaled and dropped the now empty ss.


    ¡°What do you have for us?¡± Maren asked.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯d noticed, I¡¯m just returning from the scene, halfway on foot. But before then, we could apprehend the leader of the gang of harvesters, and we got him talking.¡±


    Micheal paused and looked from one person to the other, enjoying the anticipation on their faces.


    ¡°Well, ording to him, William dide to him for a favour, or rather a job offer. He wanted some of his staff to pledge their loyalty and silence when they discovered his hidden activities.¡±


    ¡°He said: William told him that he would have told his guards to do it, but he knew that¡¯ll only mean extra heads would roll, eventually. So he told him to do it.¡±


    ¡°So what does that have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, one man died in the process and William refused to pay him in full, and that was how they became enemies. But here¡¯s the thing, Gustavo had nned to kill him earlier but instead, someone beat him to it¡±


    ¡°How do we know if he¡¯s telling the truth?¡±


    ¡°A man of his profession hardly tells lies,¡± Micheal replied, looking Maren in the eye and making her kind of ufortable.


    ¡°In summary, that led us nowhere. But we did get something from him.¡± He started again. ¡°He said that on getting there and finding William dead, he decided to ransack the whole ce. Which exined why the whole ce was a mess when he was found¡±


    ¡°During his search, on getting to William¡¯s bedroom, there was a piece of cloth which seemed to have been torn by the handle during an assumed struggle.¡±


    Micheal reached into a little bag which he carried and pulled out a folded evidence bag from it and showed it to both of them.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This here is a piece of cloth from our killer with his or her blood smeared on it.¡±

 Chapter 42

    Thunder crashed as the rain poured unapologetically, which set the mood for Maren as the car drove along the dark, straight road.


    She counted the cars which passed by hers as they were so few and she tried to get her mind off the words she was going to be hearing soon.


    With her head resting on the ss, and her eyes watching the raindrops roll down the ss, she wondered what exactly she was going to do when she got to her destination.


    It seemed everything was happening so fast and confirming that William actually isn¡¯t the father of her child, was one of thergest events that clouded her mind though she didn¡¯t let it show.


    The car swerved into an estate and began on another straight road, but this time Maren knew this road and looked ahead as she sat up.


    It didn¡¯t take too long as the car slowly reduced its eleration and entered through a sharp-edged gate and made its way to the parking lot.


    The driver turned off the engine, and all went silent except the rain, which didn¡¯t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. Maren peeped through the window but could barely make out the building as the rain on the window blurred its structure, though lights reflected through some of its windows.


    A building she had almost spent half her life knowing.


    She turned away from the building and took a deep breath as thunder crashed. She finally took a grip of the door handle and got out to the awaiting umbre being held by the driver.


    Together, they made their way towards the entrance of the building. Maren reached to knock on the door, but paused and looked up at the door, memories shing back to her.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m back here,¡± she muttered and finally ced a knock.


    There was silence at first, then a voice said from the other side. ¡°Who is it?¡± The make voice came suddenly, which startled Maren. She was sure she would have heard his footsteps if not for the rain.


    ¡°Is Irene home?¡± she asked, still in shock. There was no response, but she heard the door unlock and opened to them.


    ¡°Friend of Irene¡¯s?¡± The man asked as Maren got in but the driver didn¡¯t. He just turned around and headed back to the car.


    It was not until the door was shut and bolted that Maren took a good look at the man, or should she say boy?


    He was dressed in a simple round neck and shorts despite the cold, though he has a pair of ck socks on. He had bright blue eyes that greatly suited his nicely structured face, which looked so naive that Maren was tempted to ask about his age.


    The guy just watched as Maren looked him over till she got to his jet ck hair.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat? I¡¯ll go get her down.¡± He said, feeling kind of ufortable already. Maren watched him climb up the stairs with so much agility and confidence that confirmed that he definitely wasn¡¯t a new staff member.


    ¡°Damian, who¡¯s that?¡± Maren heard her voice before the guy could get further up the stairs, making her straighten up where she stood.


    ¡°I friend, I think?¡± Damian replied.


    Maren kept her eyes on the staircase and, as soon as Irene set eyes on her, her demeanour changed. Both women maintained eye contact for a while, exchanging silent words.


    ¡°Are you okay, baby?¡± Damian said, breaking the ufortable silence.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t call me that,¡± Irene said, turning her gaze from Irene. ¡°Just an uninvited guest, but I¡¯ll handle her. Go wait upstairs,¡± she ordered, but instead of obeying immediately, he grabbed her waist and began kissing her neck, which made Maren wrung her nose in disgust.


    ¡°Let go of me, stupid,¡± Irene said, though everyone in the room knew she didn¡¯t mean it. She managed to pull away his hands, which were already underneath her short nightie and halfway into her panties.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting upstairs,¡± he said and bounced up the stairs with a mischievous grin on his face.


    As soon as he was gone, Irene turned back to thedy standing at her door, keeping her eyes on her as she trudged down the stairs.


    ¡°You might as well take a seat if you wish,¡± she spat as she walked to the lower part of her fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine from which she poured for herself.


    ¡°Fucking minors now, are we?¡±


    ¡°Minor? I¡¯m twenty-two!¡± Both women heard from atop the stairs.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Irene yelled back and turned to Maren. ¡°Yeah, what he said,¡± she said defensively. ¡°You¡¯d do worse if you were in my shoes. Drink?¡±


    Maren took a deep breath and walked over to a couch. She needed to control herself if she wanted her journey here to be productive, because this was about to be a long night.


    She took off her coat and settled on a couch just as Irene handed her a ss containing crimson liquid.


    ¡°You look terrible,¡± Irene said, taking a sip.


    Maren rolled her eyes. ¡°Won¡¯t you at least ask me what I¡¯m here for?¡±


    ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    ¡°I need to know something,¡± Maren said, keeping the untouched ss on the ss round table in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Oh wow, now you need my help?¡± She snarled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. I just want a few words,¡± Maren shot back.


    ¡°A few words, huh?¡± She poured herself another ss and sat up on the couch. ¡°Since when do you need to hear a few words from little ol¡¯ husband thief like myself?¡±


    Maren rolled her eyes again. ¡°You really don¡¯t have to be so dramatic¡±


    ¡°Coming from the lunatic who ripped my dress in half in front of everyone on her wedding day,¡± Irene raged. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve wanted to say that forever. ¡± She sighed and took a sip of her drink.


    Maren chuckled dryly, the memory tickling her wickedly. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not going to y your games, Irene, especially not now. But for the record, if I was in a stable state that day, I¡¯d have done worse,¡± she sneered.


    Irene paused and looked at her. Sensing the bad side of Maren she¡¯d tolerated in the past. ¡°State your business and leave. You¡¯re stinking up the ce.¡±


    ¡°I need to know people I¡¯d been with while we were friends.¡±

 Chapter 43

    ¡°I need to know the people I¡¯d been with while we were friends¡±


    Irene paused for a while and lifted her eyes from her ss before giving off a scoff. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± She asked, but only got a stare from Maren. ¡°Wow, so now I¡¯m some¡­ I don¡¯t know, dick documenter?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, Irene. I know it soundspletely ridiculous and probably inappropriate, but I you¡¯re Irene. I mean, we used to do things together back then. You basically introduced me to more than half the men I met before William,¡± She said and paused. ¡°I know you can tell me¡±


    Irene went silent for a while as her index finger circled round the tip of her wine ss like she was in thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you remembered that I hooked you to half the men you know, including William, but nope, I¡¯m not doing this,¡± she said and down the rest of her ss. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be your victim one more time.¡±


    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Maren asked, confusion printed on her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve used me your life, and I¡¯d be a fool to let you do that one more time. So if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ve got better things to do than sit here and help you remember your dirty escapade.¡±


    She stood up from where she sat and walked to the kitchen counter where the half filled bottle of wine sat.


    ¡°Oh my god, Irene,¡± Maren grumbled and walked towards her. She stood a few feet from her and folded her arms and watched her down another ss. ¡°I just need you to do me onest favour and this is what I get?¡± she asked, gesturing with her hands.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she said drunkenly, or probably pretending to be.


    ¡°Every sentence you¡¯ve made sense I walked in here has been about the past, Irene. If I¡¯ve hung on to it the way you have, I definitely wouldn¡¯t be here. I¡¯m here asking for your help to clear my confusion and you¡¯re just acting up like an overgrown baby!¡±


    There was a thunderp, and the storm raged stronger. Irene raised a brow and finally dropped the ss. Her face got serious.


    ¡°Did you even stop to think about why I keep dwelling on the past? Well, maybe we never actually got to talk about it!¡± She raged.


    ¡°You think I got closer to William just because he saw me as a confidant? No Maren, everyone saw me as a confidant. He was just another name on the list.¡± She said and moved closer to where Maren stood, looking at her.


    ¡°William was obsessed with you, but you failed to see that because your selfish desires blinded you. Who wants this? Maren, who said this? Maren, who thought of this? Maren. All I ever heard was Maren, Maren, Maren!¡±


    ¡°All William talked about was you, Maren, but you never did that unless he did something extremely great for you. You confided in me, he confided in me, so I did the stats and concluded that you didn¡¯t deserve him.¡±


    ¡°I seduced him countless times, but of course, the fool was a loyal mess and wouldn¡¯t take a second nce at me. I wanted to save him from you so bad that I recorded some conversations we had whenever you were mad at him and used him of being with someone else, but it didn¡¯t change his mind.¡±Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°It felt like you were immersed in some kind of voodoo or something that only affected him,¡± she added, running her hands through her hair with a hint of violence.


    ¡°William was one of the most loyal men ever to be created on this earth till that day of your wedding at the hotel,¡± she said with a short smirk.


    Maren shut her eyes in pain from the memory, but opened it almost immediately.


    ¡°I made him drunk, Maren. And you would have seen that if your stupid suspicions did not blind you,¡± she spat. ¡°He never wanted it, but I guess I¡¯m as irresistible as ever.¡± A hint of pride crept into her voice.


    ¡°Fuck what I said that day. That was the first and only time we fucked! And it felt so good to finally take what was yours, you selfish fool¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Irene!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Irene yelled back, veins creeping on the sides of her neck as she got more angry by the minute.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always walked in your shadow, Maren. I always tried to be there for you, making it my sole aim to make sure you¡¯re okay whenever you were down. But you never reciprocated it. You were so full of yourself!¡±


    ¡°god, I was so mad at William. He was such a fool. Going after you, even after what you did to him and what you didn¡¯t.¡± She said and pushed Maren. She lost bnce and moved back a little but still didn¡¯t react. A tear fell from her eyes.


    ¡°He tried exining that what he did wasn¡¯t intentional, but of course you never listened. You treated him like he was some idiot when he came back to beg you and I watched from the shadows like some reject in love¡±


    ¡°William came back to me when he knew getting you back was hopeless but I wanted you to suffer emotionally the way you made us both so I poisoned his mind with the idea of iming Nathan at all cost because it was obvious that you loved him so much and wouldn¡¯t let him go easily¡±


    ¡°I wanted you to feel pain, but William saw it as a way to get close to you in a different way. I hated him so much!¡± She screamed, loud enough to be heard over the storm.


    She stopped for a while and edged closer to Maren. ¡°I owe you nothing, Maren, but you owe me a lot. Still, here you are trying to make it seem like we¡¯re all good and ask me such a ridiculous question.¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°I guess little miss perfect still has some undisposed skeletons in her cupboard.¡± She folded her arms, letting her lips curl up into a smile. ¡°Your son is a bastard Maren¡­¡±


    Maren surged forward and zipped the rest of her words into her mouth with a hard p.

 Chapter 44

    It took a few minutes before either of them realised what had just happened.


    Maren stared down at her hands, which were now shaky. She couldn¡¯t believe she had actuallyid her hands on someone she had once loved so dearly.


    She raised her head slowly just as Irene straightened her neck, which had turned to the right because of the p. Let out a low mocking chuckle as her neck cracked back in ce.


    Maren, realising that she wasn¡¯t even remorseful, was filled with rage once more. ¡°You can insult me all you want. Call me whatever you want but you will not drag Nathan into this, alright?¡±


    Irene chuckled again and brushed her hair away from her face. ¡°Wow, I think I needed that,¡± she said and sighed. ¡°Just look at us. Two fucked up women who used to be friends but ended up fucking up each other¡¯s lives¡±


    ¡°We are not the same Irene¡±


    ¡°Oh, but we are,¡± Irene said with a glint of amusement in her eyes and walked over to the lower fridge and pulled out another bottle, uncocked it and drank straight from it.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ve got everything figured out? Or do you think you could keep secrets? Well, just so you know, you have always been bad at keeping secrets, Maren. You want to talk about the present? Well, let¡¯s go,¡± she said with a serious face and took a gulp of the liquid.


    ¡°Oh, my god Irene, stop this! What is wrong with you? You¡¯re so miserable that you go around getting people into your own misery. If you hadn¡¯t put that stupid idea into William¡¯s head, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll still be here right now,¡± she fired.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ept things the way theye or rather crawl into a fucking hole and die or something and stop spread your bad luck while making everyone around you the viin in your fucked up story!¡±


    Maren stopped her chest, raising and falling from the weight she had just released from it. Both women went silent. With the only sound to be heard was the rain and the faint sound of the liquid bouncing in the bottle each time Irene raised it to her lips.


    Irene just stood there, staring at Maren. Her hair ruffled, making her look crazy. Her eyes were dimmed but glued on Maren like she was preparing for an attack as she filled her body with the alcohol.


    Maren stared back, her mind wondering if thedy in front of her was actually mentally sound, as she wouldn¡¯t be so surprised if she wasn¡¯t. She never knew Irene was this bitter about a lot of things, and that was enough to make her go crazy.


    She did feel sorry for her though, living all these years with nothing but hate and revenge bottled up in her heart. That was such a heavy thing to carry for so long.


    After the staring contest, which seemed like it would go on forever, Maren suddenly turned away and headed for her coat.


    ¡°Thanks for nothing,¡± she said and yanked the coat off the couch and began to put it on.


    ¡°Maybe you should ask yourself what happened the night you had the best sex of your life with a man named Alexander.¡± Irene yelled as Maren headed out the door. ¡°Fucking bitch!¡±


    ¡°Way to put up a show, babe¡± Maren heard Damian¡¯s voice as she walked out the door.


    ¡°Lock the door ande to my bed,¡± Irene replied.


    The rain was still pouring when Maren got out, but she didn¡¯t mind. She just needed to get the hell out of that toxic hole.


    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so sorry ma¡¯am. You should have rung so I¡¯lle get you,¡± the driver said, getting out of the car hurriedly on seeing Maren.


    She just ignored him and hopped into the car. ¡°Drive,¡± she ordered, and the engine started immediately. As they drove out of the premises, Maren could see Irene¡¯s silhouette watching them leave.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    The time said past eleven at night, which meant she was there for more than three hours and got nothing but nagging and bad energy from Irene. It was like she never knew her.


    Reying everything that went on, she tried to convince herself that Irene only said all she said to make her as bitter as she was, and she wasn¡¯t going to allow that.


    But then, Irene¡¯sst words hit her. ¡°Alexander!¡± She muttered. She suddenly remembered that night like it had just happened.


    *****


    The dance floor was illuminated with different colours of dim lights as bodies rubbed on each other to the rhythm of the music, which boomed loudly from the speakers of the club.


    Right in the middle of the crowd were two sweaty and half drunkdies who seemed like they¡¯d been there since forever.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s about time I went home¡± Maren yelled, trying to make her voice heard over the loud music but an effect of her drowsiness.


    ¡°Two shots of vodka, dawg,¡± Irene said to the bartender, panting from all the excitement. ¡°You are not going anywhere, bitch. You are staying right here by my side while party our asses off,¡± Irene replied and downed the tiny cup of liquid which the bartender had brought and passed the other to her friend.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not taking another of this, Irene. Let¡¯s get the hell out of here! ¡± She whined and nuzzled the cup away from her.


    Irene literally took the liquid and forced it down Maren¡¯s throat, almost choking her while sheughed in satisfaction.


    ¡°There, now you¡¯re going to stay. Besides, you haven¡¯t gottenid yet, which, by the way, is thest on our agenda tonight.¡± She said and flipped her hair.


    ¡°Laid? Are you serious?¡± Maren almost shrieked, still getting over the sting from the alcohol. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m dating someone if you¡¯ve forgotten. William Sinir? Does that ring a bell?¡± Maren was tapping her fingers repeatedly in front of Irene¡¯s face, taken over by the liquor.


    ¡°Oh,e on, it¡¯s just for a night. I won¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t¡± she said, watching as her drunk friendid her head on the table and stared at the bartender weirdly. ¡°Get a hold of yourself, will you? No one will notice you if you remain like this¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up,¡± Maren said, pping her cheeks and sitting upright.


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± Irene said and turned to the man who had just walked up to where they sat at the counter.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful¡±

 Chapter 45

    Maren turned, on hearing the male voice beside her. She had to blink multiple times to unblur her vision so she could view him clearly.


    ¡°Hey, I know you. You, the man William does business with,¡± she said, smiling, and extended her hand drunkenly for a handshake.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say business. We¡¯re-¡±


    ¡°What are you doing out here, anyway?¡± She asked, interrupting him. ¡°You seem like the kind of man who¡¯d be choosy about his location. ¡±


    ¡°If you can be here, what stops me from being here?¡± He asked, returning her stare.


    ¡°Maren, take this,¡± Irene called and shoved a ss into her hand. ¡°It¡¯s water. Drink up so you don¡¯t lose yourself.¡± She added, eyeing the intruder.


    Maren pped herself a few more times, expecting the water to take effect immediately.


    ¡°What did you say you were here for again?¡±


    ¡°Just out with a few friends for a drink-or two. No harm in that, right?¡±


    Just then, Irene leaned forward and whispered something into her ear, and smiled before leaving.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in the VIP area or something?¡± She said, drinking the rest of the water in the ss.


    ¡°Actually, I was thinking we could go somewhere else. Away from all these?¡± he said, looking around.


    ¡°Nah, I think I¡¯ll stay here,¡± Maren replied, cing her head on the counter and staring at him.


    In truth, she was gradually getting out of her drunken state and was partially aware of what was going on.


    He stared back and raised a brow.


    ¡°Oh, what the heck,¡± she said and sprang up. They both headed towards the back exit of the club, with Maren leading ahead. ¡°What was your name again?¡±


    ¡°Alexander ckwood¡±


    Okay, that was not her proudest moment, but Irene was right. She did have the best sex of her life that day and she had hid it from William. Luckily, Alexander had been kind enough to do so too.


    She could still remember what Irene had whispered into her ear that day. ¡®Never go raw!¡¯.


    Those words now rang in her head as the real problem at hand was if she did go raw that day, as she was too high into the moment to record the little details of the night.


    All she could remember was the way he made love to her so passionately and his breath on her neck. The way he handled her so gently, like at the slightest wrong move, she¡¯d break-


    ¡®Snap out of it¡¯ she told herself ¡®You¡¯ve got other issues to think of other than getting yourself shamelessly aroused through your thoughts.¡¯


    As she turned away from the window, which she had been facing all this while, her eyes caught sight of her faint reflection in the rearview mirror.


    A voice whispered, ¡°Alexander is your baby daddy!¡±


    *****


    Maren walked out of the conference room with a smile on her face. For the first time in weeks, she could actually put on a genuine smile.


    Following behind were three men. The one directly behind her was in a ck suit. His eyes glued to the screen of his phone while the two other men behind kept their head up and looked ahead. They were obviously guards.


    She cleared her throat as he took his seat on the other side of her table. ¡°So Mr-¡±


    ¡°Sedrick¡±


    ¡°Mr Sedrick, you-¡±


    ¡°it¡¯s just Sedrick¡± he corrected again, still looking down at his phone.


    Maren took a deep breath, trying to refrain herself from saying something rash to this spoiled brat in front of her, who she had to keep up with all through the meeting.


    Plus, she was too happy about this that she didn¡¯t want some gen z piece of shit to spoil it.


    ¡°Well, sir, about what we talked about back at the meeting. Your father¡¯spany is one of the most renowned in the city and the warranty of the partnership will depend on your own party. But ording to what your dad has printed here,¡± she said, and picked up a file which she had brought in herself.


    ¡°He said he¡¯s yet to finalise the whole arrangement so he would get back to us as soon as he can, right?¡± She took her eyes off the documents when she noticed that he hadn¡¯t been paying attention at all.


    ¡°Sir, are you still here?¡± She asked, starting to get annoyed.


    ¡°Yeah sure. Whatever you say,¡± he replied absentmindedly.


    Tired of pushing further or trying to have a conversation with him, she simply picked up a pen and carefully scribbled her signature on the lines which were ced for her party to sign.


    ¡°Are you going to sign or your dad will?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just hand it over,¡± he said, gesturing to the pen and looking up for the first time he put down his own signature.


    ¡°Alright then. It¡¯s done.¡± She sighed and smiled but he still didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Why couldn¡¯t your dade?¡± She asked. Finally, letting it out of her chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He said something about some trip he had to make. I know it¡¯s a lie, though. He makes me do this once in a while. I think he wants to get used to his business,¡± he scoffed in amusement. ¡°He¡¯s so old¡±


    Maren noticed he was done speaking and quickly wiped away the irritated look on her face, recing it with a professional one.


    ¡°Very well then, it¡¯s done. I guess you can leave now. A copy would be sent to your father very soon. Thank you¡±


    Finally!¡± He eximed and stood up, straightening his neck.


    Maren stared at him as he began to leave. He seemed like a promising young man whose upbringing was marked by excessive pampering from his mother.


    But she didn¡¯t care about him or where he came from. What she knew was herpany was rising higher and faster than she imagined, and that was one of the best feelings ever.


    She leaned back in her chair as the young man left and smiled. Herpany was finally getting the recognition it deserved.


    ¡®Does Alexander have a hand in it?¡¯ she thought, but she brushed it aside as quickly as it came.


    Her phone vibrated, intruding her thoughts, and she picked it up hastily and checked the notification which had juste in.


    Her heart skipped a beat.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°6¡±

 Chapter 46

    Alexander climbed down the few stairs that led out of the hospital, his demeanour more gloomy than when he entered.


    Ignoring the greetings from his personal assistant, he dove into the car whose door was held open by the PA. The engine started immediately, and the car zoomed off.


    ¡°Sir, a message came in for you,¡± the dark-skinned man announced and waited for a response, hoping Alexander was listening.


    Alexander, whose eyes were now glued to his phone screen with his brows creased, repeatedly tapped on his phone, indicating that he wasn¡¯t interested in whatever the man was saying.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the message from?¡± He finally asked as the car came to a halt at a traffic light.


    ¡°It¡¯s from Micheal Katz, the detective,¡± the man replied. His voice was deep, filled with strength and agility.


    Alexander gave a silent sigh and hesitated for a while before replying. ¡°What¡¯s the message about?¡±


    ¡°It came on paper,¡± the man said and pulled out a sheet of paper from a file which he had ced in between him and Alexander.


    It took a while for Alexander to react as his mind was clearly troubled, but he finally turned to the man and relieved him of the paper.


    ¡°He says the investigation looks like it¡¯s out of his control at this point.¡±


    Alexander quietly read through the words written and then suddenly he put it down and turned back to his phone.


    ¡°How is it my business if the killer had mixed his blood with William¡¯s?. I didn¡¯t call for this investigation.¡±


    He said to inform you that there might be a deeper investigation in the future, but for now it seems all the leads led to a dead end,¡± he added, keeping his head forward like he didn¡¯t dare look at his boss.


    ¡°And why couldn¡¯t hee tell me himself?¡±


    ¡°ording to the messenger he sent, he had to report to his base and there was no way he could make it in time.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Has Maren gotten the news?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, Mrs. ckwood has been unreachable to anyone on call for a few days. I, inclusive.¡±


    *****


    ¡°Are you going to tell him?¡±


    ¡°Hell no,¡± Maren replied and squeezed the paper, which was sitting on the table in front of her. ¡°Nathan is mine and I don¡¯t care if he has a father or not.¡± She said to Ne, who apparently had been there when Louise had brought in the DNA test earlier that morning.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone from his house for days without reaching out. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s going to think something¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked, fumbling with her phone in her hands.


    ¡°Of course he would. But he¡¯d definitely think something¡¯s off, but not the fact that our one night stand years ago had resulted in a child and I didn¡¯t know and now I¡¯m keeping it a secret from him.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Ne said, her mind only half way present.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just cook up something about mypany or something,¡± she said out loud, but deep down, her guts were tearing her apart.


    Her story was indeedplicated because her son isn¡¯t actually herte fiance¡¯s child because he¡¯s impotent instead, he was the child of herte fiance¡¯s rival who she had cheated on him with and now they were in a contract t marriage which by the way was going to be fulfilled soon and she really really didn¡¯t know what to do.


    She ran her fingers through her hair in confusion but trying to calm herself down. Her mom had also been around when Louise came in, but so typical of her, she didn¡¯t dwell too much on it and simply took Nathan and Zack out for a treat.


    In moments like this, Maren wished she had inherited that trait from her mom. Not the indifferent part, but the part which always made her calm despite how bad the situation was.


    If she was beingpletely honest with herself, she wasn¡¯t freaking out the way she thought she would when it was confirmed that her past had actually caught up with her and it was really scary.


    Like how is she going to live knowing that Alexander ckwood, William¡¯s once friend and rival, was her baby daddy for the rest of her life?


    That really was a juicy story for the nosey press.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be freaking out or something?¡± Ne finally said, putting away her phone.


    ¡°Well, I promised I won¡¯t. Besides, he¡¯s never going to know and so will Nathan, right?¡±


    Ne just shrugged. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re handling this pretty well, maybe we should change the topic? I mean, any progress on the investigation?¡±


    Maren studied Ne for some time. She looked so innocent with her honey coloured eyes always looking like it was pleading forpanionship. She was young alright, but she still was capable ofmitting murder and then was asking for updates to keep her off her heels. Maren thought.


    ¡°Alexander¡¯s assistant texted me about it, informing me that Michael had conducted a test on the blood, but it was already mixed up with William¡¯s, giving the impression that it was deliberately done.¡±


    ¡°Oh, wow,¡± Ne said and rxed into the chair she was seated in. ¡°Well, at least what we know is whoever the killer is, he or she is really smart,¡± she remarked.


    ¡°If anyone should have killed him, it should be me,¡± Maren, who had been quiet for some time, suddenly hit the table and said. ¡°I mean, he cheated on me with Irene, acted like aplete idiot when I confronted him, and then came back to im Nathan like he¡¯s some trophy.¡±


    ¡°Then it turns out he wasn¡¯t even the father in the first ce, and now he¡¯s dead for no reason. I should be the one with the knife, Ne,¡± she added, fuming.


    Calm down, Maren,¡± Ne said quietly. Her eyes partly widened in reaction to the show Maren had just put up. ¡°I get it. You¡¯re just tense about this entire revtion. Let¡¯s not drag unnecessary suspicions to ourselves, alright?¡± She said, keeping her eyes on her.


    Maren stared back, but didn¡¯t utter a word. About a minute passed, then suddenly both women muttered.


    ¡°Did you kill William?¡±

 Chapter 47

    The night was still and cold when Maren walked into the house. No one was in sight, as the entire staff was expected to be done with their duties by that time.


    She looked around the living room, but even Alexander wasn¡¯t there. She just ignored and walked further towards the staircase as she was too tired to even think straight.


    But deep down, she was really happy. She¡¯d pushed aside every other thing and focused on work as she¡¯d risen a little on the business pyramid and was getting a lot of recognition, but that only meant more work.


    Alexander had been so coldtely and hardly even came home, which she suspected was because of his dad¡¯s health status. But she didn¡¯t mind. She just needed her peace of mind and some rest.


    Rose?¡± she called out quietly as she set foot on the first step. She suspected Nathan would be asleep and thought it best to not make known of her presence to him.


    Especially these days that she really didn¡¯t spend enough time with him.


    ¡°Rose?¡± she called again but louder this time a ascended further up the stairs.


    ¡°Wee ma¡¯am¡± Rose¡¯s small voice came from up the stairs as she looked down at her employer.


    ¡°Nathan¡¯s asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He asked about you a number of times and even asked to wait up for you,¡± she replied and stood straight in front of Maren, who had now gotten to the first floor.


    She sighed and proceeded towards her room, too weak to think of another way to apologise to Nathan for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°Alexander isn¡¯t back?¡± She asked as she lightly pushed her door open.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen him all day.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, you can go to bed,¡± Maren ordered and closed the door behind her.


    *****


    Maren was still up on her phone towards midnight when she heard the front door re open and then heavy steps pounded on the stairs as whoever it was seemed in a hurry or something.


    ¡°How is it possible?¡± Alexander said, and he burst through her door, his eyes a little reddened as his chest rose and fell slightly more often than normal.


    Maren sat up on her bed, startled to death. She put her phone away and got out of the duvet. She frowned as she stood up. ¡°How¡¯s what possible?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about,¡± he raged.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have any idea, Alexander. We¡¯ve basically not spoken in two days, so what could possibly be wrong? What are you talking about?¡± She asked calmly. Half in confusion and half because she was tired.


    ¡°Who the fuck is Nathan¡¯s father?¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and it felt like the earth stopped spinning. ¡°Fuck!¡± Her head screamed as she could only stare at Alexander while her brain searched for what to say.


    ¡°What?¡± she muttered gently, but to Alexander¡¯s hearing.


    ¡°How long have you known about this? Does your mom know? And how the fuck am I Nathan¡¯s father?¡± Alexander asked, his voice now echoing throughout the house noisily, but the staff knew better than to stick their noses in what was going on.


    Maren folded her arms at thest question. ¡°Really? Do I have to exin how a man bes a child¡¯s father?¡± She asked, her fatigue suddenly leaving her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y with me, woman,¡± she growled, making her move back as he edged closer.


    You¡¯re asking me?¡± She said, raising her tone a little. ¡°You should ask yourself that question. I¡¯m not the one who goes around sticking my organ into people¡¯s partners and even asking for sex when theye begging you for a favour. Genius¡± she spat.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± he muttered and ran his hands through his hair in realisation. He turned back to her and ced his hand on his hip.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°How did you get to know about this, anyway? Did Ne tell you?¡± She asked.


    ¡°If I¡¯m his father, then how did the first test show that William was responsible?¡± He asked, ignoring her question.


    Maren was quiet for a while, but then his impatience was scary. ¡°The test was rigged. William and Irene had it all nned out. He was impotent and useless and so is your attitude. Why are you making such a fuss about it?¡± She asked,ing closer to his face, but he looked away.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± She said, following the direction in which he had turned his face. ¡°You don¡¯t want him, do you? You selfish bastard. I knew you were air Alexander.¡± At this point, she was trying to refrain herself from crying as her lips trembled while she spoke.


    ¡°I knew you actually never had true intentions for me. You just wanted to show William how much of a man you are.¡±


    ¡°Well, guess what? You¡¯re not half the man you think that you are and in situations like this, William is a bigger man. At least he had the balls to fight for a child that wasn¡¯t his¡±


    ¡°Why would you keep a thing like this from me?¡± He asked, deliberately ignoring what she had said earlier.


    ¡°I never wanted you to know because a part of me expected this reaction because why would you ept a child who was a result of a one night stand? How would perfect ol¡¯ daddy¡¯s boy face the public?¡±


    ¡°The other part of me wanted to keep him far away from you because you don¡¯t deserve him. You don¡¯t deserve either of us. You¡¯re just some self-obsessed, maniptive son of a bitch¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± He thundered, startling her into shutting up. ¡°If it¡¯s true that he¡¯s really my son, then maybe I don¡¯t want him and maybe I don¡¯t really love but I made you what you are, Maren. Both of you! If I was so self-obsessed, I never would have agreed to granting you that loan in the first ce,¡± he said, anger wielding in his voice.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t you a great favour Maren, and don¡¯t you throw that away and call me names because I let you.¡±


    ¡°You call this a favour? Forcing me into getting married to you so you can fulfil your selfish desires? If there was anyone who did a favour, it was me, me Alexander. God, I am so d the sixth month of the contract is almost up. Finally, we can get this over with. ¡±


    Alexander¡¯s expression softened into a confused one. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 48

    That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve kept track since the day I put my signature on your godforsaken contract and I¡¯ve waited patiently for this day ever since.¡±


    She sharply turned away from him, trying in vain to control her tears still, they rolled down her cheeks and she turned to him, anyway.


    ¡°And to think I actually cared about you¡± she hit him in his chest, but he was unmoved and just stared into nothingness. ¡°I was actually beginning to fall in love with you. But it turns out you don¡¯t care about anything except it¡¯s beneficial to you.¡± She paused abruptly as the tears began to choke her.


    ¡°You know what?¡± She said and wiped her tears with her fingers. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. I can leave now if I want but just to save my dignity, I¡¯ll let the rest of the days pse and it¡¯s over. You¡¯ll never see or hear from me and Nathan ever again!¡±


    She walked over to her bedside drawer and made to take out something but then to stopped and turned back to Alexander who just stood there.


    ¡°I just need to know one thing,¡± she said and walked back to where he stood. ¡°How the hell did you find out?¡±


    Alexander turned to her for a second before heading towards the door. ¡°It¡¯s not important,¡± he finally spoke.


    Maren rushed to the door and blocked it with her body. ¡°Oh, but it is,¡± she folded her arms.


    It was obvious Alexander didn¡¯t want to give any answer, but he really wanted to get the hell out of there.


    ¡°Maybe next time don¡¯t let your secretary get her hands on your personal stuff,¡± he said and opened the door as Maren, who stood there stunned with realisation, had moved from the way.


    The events of the night before reyed in Alexander¡¯s mind as he sat on the sofa with a ss of gin in between his fingers.


    He hadpletely lost track of the days for the contract and now, hearing Maren remind him in this manner; it had touched a spot he¡¯d caged up for so long.


    If he was being honest with himself, he didn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Tell me you¡¯re not like this because of what you told me on the phone,,¡± Eddie interrupted as the elevator dinged open. He went over to the bar, seeing that Mike wasn¡¯t around to serve them.


    Pouring himself a mixture, he came back and dropped into a sofa opposite his friend.


    ¡°The child is your. The contract is ending in a wee, k so what? You never actually wanted this in the first c, e right?¡± He asked and took a sip from his ss.


    Alexander remained silent, lost in his thoughts as he twirled the liquid in his ss.


    ¡°You really have change, d Alex. The man I used to know doesn¡¯t give a shit about stuff like this. Especially when it involves a woman. So what now? You¡¯re in love with her?¡± He asked dismissively.


    Alexander raised his head at hisst words, acknowledging his presence for the first time.


    Eddie scoffed, understanding the look. ¡°Wow, Alexander ckwood is finally in love,¡± he said, faking his amusement.


    ¡°You know I always have Eddie. I¡¯ve made it clear countless times¡±


    ¡°Well then, if that¡¯s so, then ept the child, have a proper wedding with her, and make it official this time. What¡¯s stopping you?¡± The sarcasm was really clear in his voice.


    Alexander looked away again. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s what I thought. Alexander fucking ckwood will never actually be in love with a woman when he¡¯s got his career on the line, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not on the line, Eddie. It is limiting. Having a family is limiting and you would have known that if you weren¡¯t hiding behind your dad¡¯s wealth like a pussy.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, calm down. I¡¯m not the one with a child who has your blood flowing through their veins. I¡¯m not the one you¡¯re mad at alright. Calm down,¡± Eddie said and took a mouth full of his and flinched at its sting.


    ¡°So what¡¯s it going to be? What¡¯s running through your mind?¡±


    Alexander slowly raised the ss to his lips and then let it back down at the same speed. He turned to Eddie. ¡°She can go fuck herself¡±


    The liquid in Eddie¡¯s mouth almost made a backwash as a snort escaped his lungs while trying to suppress theughter which threatened to tear through his lungs.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Alexander asked.


    ¡°The fact that you thought you can be selfless for once,¡± Eddie replied bluntly, a small grin still on his lips. ¡°No offence though, but I¡¯m your pal, and I¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡± He added, but Alexander didn¡¯t reply.


    ¡°So you¡¯re just going to let her go with your child? You seem not to be considering that. And what would your dad say when he finds out about this?¡±


    ¡°Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t think my dad would want me to ept this whole thing. He¡¯s more ruthless than I am. So, I think we should keep my dad out of this. Besides, he¡¯s not even moved in days to be bothered with this sort of thing¡±


    It was like a cloud of gloom descended on the room after he spoke as both men¡¯s mien became sober and trapped in their thoughts.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    No matter how much Alexander tried to act like everything was under control, deep down, he knew it was not.


    He had this pressing issue with his dad¡¯s health, which was nowhere near improving and then he was getting to know that his one night of pleasure with histe ex friend¡¯s fiance in the past had a child for him.


    A whisper in his head urged him to just ept this entire thing, and no one had to exin anything to the press. Plus, it would clear the rumours when no one saw a divorce paper.


    But no, he was Alexander! And this came too suddenly to just get epted that easily.


    The ding of the elevator intruded into their thoughts and caught Eddie¡¯s attention.


    The sound of heels on the white tiles filled the room as a brte walked into the room.


    ¡°Alexander, you didn¡¯t,¡± Eddie said, keeping his eyes on thedy.


    Alexander took a sip from his ss. ¡°Yes I did¡± thedy walked straight to Alexander and leaned in for a kiss to which he gave in.


    Thedy carefully licked her lips, avoiding her thick red lipstick. ¡°Who missed me?¡±

 Chapter 49

    Cameras, microphones, and, of course, lots of human beings flooded the entrance of the courthouse. They all seemed to be moving backwards as they tried to take one or two pictures and words from their star.


    The more the crowd came out of the house, the more they became uncontroble to the guards who shielded Alexander.


    He paid them no attention as he seemed to look ahead of them through the dark shades he had on. He paused in his tracks and looked down at his wristwatch, his mind searching for his next move from here his job here was done.


    ¡°Mr. ckwood, sir, your divorce with Mrs. ckwood was so sudden and out of the blue. Does this confirm the rumours that your union was a contracted one?¡± One reporter, who was also struggling with the others, managed to get close to Alexander and asked.


    ¡°Sir, in estimate, the duration of your marriage to now, miss Sharppe was an estimate of six months. There¡¯s been whispers flying around on this. Do you care to rify?¡± Another asked and almost poked Alexander with the mic, but one guard was quick to shield him.


    Alexander slightly shook his head at the idleness of the people to calcte the duration of his marriage to Maren. He paid no attention to them, but his attention was focused on the ck car behind his.


    Standing by the opened door of the backseat was Maren in a ck suit. Her hair was packed in a messy bun and her sses, which were initially worn, were now off and on her hand.


    A journalist stood by her and threw some questions while the guards fought to keep the others away.


    She seemed to be so engrossed in the interview that she didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to any other thing around her.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, what can you say about Mr Sinir, your ex fiance¡¯s death investigation?¡±


    ¡°Well, all I can say is it¡¯s being handled by the best in the country and whoevermitted the murder would be caught and be punished ordingly¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I hate to ask the obvious question here but the city is just dying to know what was initially behind your marriage to Mr ckwood¡± thedy asked just as Maren answered a previous one.


    Maren paused for a second and stared at the journalist, then at the camera, which hadn¡¯t stopped shing for a second.


    She turned the mic and straightened herself. ¡°On that, I¡¯d leave you to your assumptions,¡± she replied with a straight face. As much as she hated what was going on and how she and Alexander had ended up, she wasn¡¯t ready to say anything capable of ruining her reputation or expose any of her vulnerabilities.


    Maren turned to the car and made to enter. ¡°Ma¡¯am, just a minute more please,¡± shedy said quickly, making Maren turn back to her.


    The only reason she had agreed to be interviewed by her was because she needed a little more publicity, which she felt could help herpany. And thedy was from the biggest news publication in the city.


    ¡°Mrs Sharppe, from the judgement back in court, it says since Mr ckwood isn¡¯t the biological father if your son, he won¡¯t be involved in any aspect of his growth. What is your honest thought about that, ma¡¯am?¡±


    If Maren was being honest with herself, that question really touched a soft spot, but she stopped it from making her heart drop. By reflex, she turned in Alexander¡¯s direction and noticed him staring, which he didn¡¯t hide as he still kept his eyes on her like he could read her lips.


    Slowly, Alexander¡¯s lips curled into a smirk, and Maren turned away in both disgust and regret.


    The cameras shed into her face, and Maren swallowed with pride.


    She looked straight into the camera, her shoulders hanging with boldness. ¡°My honest thought on that is Nathan, and I do not need a man in our lives. We¡¯ll be absolutely fine without him¡± she replied and dove into the car whose engine was turned on and ready to move.


    Alexander watched the car leave, then his smile dropped when it was out of sight. Then he proceeded to his awaiting car and it sped off.


    *****


    ¡°So you guys are divorced, what now?¡± Ne said and dropped into the chair opposite Maren with a mug of hot tea in her hand.


    Maren stared up from what she was doing and raised a brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t it toote to be taking that?¡±


    Ne shrugged and proceeded to take a sip, so Maren gave up and went back to what she was doing. ¡°What¡¯s next now Alexander is gone?¡± She asked again.


    Maren dropped the pen in her hand and looked up from the papers in front of her. ¡°What next is, I take charge of my life from now on. The contract is over. I have topany to myself and I can run it the way I want,¡± she replied with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, that is nice,¡± Ne said, returning the smile. ¡°So what about Louise, your snitching secretary? You¡¯ll send her away, right?¡± she took a sip.


    Maren stopped, like she was thinking. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think so. I mean, she really is aspetent as Alexander painted her. She¡¯d be really useful being around,¡± Maren said.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think she¡¯d keep snitching?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle that¡±


    ¡°And what about Nathan?¡± Ne asked again.


    Maren shot her a ¡®you¡¯re really not questioning be right now¡¯ look, but Ne just shrugged again.


    ¡°Mom?¡±


    ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Ne whispered as Nathan gently climbed down the steps.


    Both women turned to him. The look on his face was one of worry, and he gently walked to where his mom sat.


    As soon as he got to where she was, Mrs Sharppe appeared at the top of the stairs with a neutral expression on her face, which didn¡¯t really bother Maren, but she was bothered by the expression on Nathan¡¯s.


    She turned back to Nathan and picked up to sit on herp. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡± She asked.


    He fumbled with his fingers like he was searching for what to say. Then slowly and quietly, she said. ¡°Am I going to see Alex again?¡±

 Chapter 50

    ¡°Am I going to see Alex again?¡± Nathan asked in a small voice. Tugging at his hands as if for support.


    As if programmed, Ne stood up and began walking away, shrugging when Maren gave her a ¡®really?¡¯ look. And so did her mom.


    One thing Maren had secretly been scared of was Nathan getting too used to being around Alex. And knowing Nathan, once he¡¯s taken a liking to you, it takes only a deep reason for him to change his mind.


    Maren searched her mind for an answer. If only he knew Alexander was his actual father who didn¡¯t want him. Perhaps if she told him that way, maybe Nathan finally hates him, she thought.


    Deep down, she actually thought they could have a future with Alexander. Like when he found out that he was Nathan¡¯s father, he¡¯d be happy and then they¡¯d live happily ever after.


    But she had overestimated Alexander and thought he could actually take off his selfish cloak and think of someone else for a change.


    ¡°Mummy?¡± Nathan called, bringing her back from her mind.


    ¡°Yes, baby?¡± she answered even as she still didn¡¯t know what to say. He was all too small to understand anything, even if she decided to be honest. ¡°Do you want to see him?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been-one, two, three-¡± he paused, trying to do the maths with his fingers but gave up when he couldn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen him. I think I miss him, mummy¡± he added.


    Maren thought she would tear up at that point. If only he knew the man he missed was just a big bag of dick. She¡¯d be lying if age said she wasn¡¯t expecting it, but she wasn¡¯t expecting it so soon as it¡¯s been four days since the divorce.


    ¡°Did you have a fight, mummy? Grandma says I shoulde and ask you,¡± Nathan said innocently.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Oh, now Maren saw the origin of everything. Nathan had probably brought up the topic while he was with her mom instead. She had directed him toe meet Maren.


    ¡°No, baby, we didn¡¯t have a fight. Alex and mummy are just not-¡±


    ¡®Not what, you fool?¡¯ her head screamed as no words filled in the gap.


    ¡°Mummy and Alex are going to be away from each other,¡± she finally said


    Nathan twisted his head to look at her, confusion written on his face. ¡°Away?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That means we won¡¯t be seeing each other for a long time¡±


    ¡°Really? How long?¡± He asked in a sad voice.


    Now, Maren felt like a terrible parent, but what could she do? ¡°I don¡¯t know Nathan. But maybe we could see him sometime,¡± Maren added, hoping to pacify him.


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked in excitement, so Maren, unsure at first, went with the flow.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Anything for you, baby,¡± she said and put on a smile, which she hoped was convincing enough.


    ¡°Yay!¡± He eximed, turned and threw his arms around her neck in a hug which Maren took with so much emotion. Nothing pleased her more than seeing her son happy.


    He jumped out of her arms and dashed towards the stairs where Zack peeped from. The two boys happily ran up the stairs, giggling.


    Mrs Sharppe, who Maren hadn¡¯t noticed, had walked into the sitting room, passed by and headed towards the kitchen, her nose hanging in the air.


    ¡°You are a terrible mom,¡± she said and walked past.


    Maren smiled, ¡°I know¡±


    *****


    The entire staff stood in an assembly, whispering their curiosities to one another. Some of them were as clueless as ever about why they¡¯d been assembled, while a few had an idea through gossip.


    As they awaited their host, the murmurs grew louder as each had an assumption to why they¡¯d been summoned for this august gathering.


    With heels so pointed, it could leave a mark on the cemented ground if tried and body adorned in a silky yellow suit, Maren matched into the auditorium. The murmurs dying down the closer she got to the cockpit.


    Louise, who followed close by, hastened her steps as her boss moved like a WarCraft. Hugging a digital clipboard as she did so.


    The auditorium fell into a dead silence as soon as the sound of Maren¡¯s heels seized and she was in the cockpit.


    She scanned the crowd and adjusted the mic before clearing her throat. A tinge of excitement sparked through her body, making her a little nervous as she had waited so long for this day.


    ¡°Good day,dies and gentlemen, senior and junior staff of this esteemed establishment,¡± Maren began with pride and authority in her voice as she looked from one face to another.


    ¡°As you all know, my father used to own thispany. But since he was killed, I assumed it and things have beenplicated ever since; for me and for some of you faithful fellows who have remained loyal since my dad¡¯s reign.¡±


    She paused, preparing for the second half of what she had in mind to say.


    ¡°Thispany was hopeless after my dad and I knew I had to do something to save it so I asked my then fiance for help-God rest his soul,¡± she said. ¡°But an unfortunate incident which you all know about cut that short. Nevertheless, I kept pushing.¡±


    ¡°A number of you left after that and those if you who stayed, worked for free, and I must say I¡¯m really grateful for souls like yours,¡± the crowd murmured in appreciation.


    ¡°I knew we couldn¡¯t keep on that way, so I decided to seek more support. You know, they say a problem shared is a problem half solved. I asked for support from the very renowned Alexander ckwood, who is now my ex-husband¡± she paused and lowered her eyes, fighting the urge to bite her lower lip.


    Then she pushed her thoughts and emotions aside and raised her eyes once more.


    ¡°He took over the ruling of thispany as a return for his favour and you all have worked under pressure of his iron fist rule,¡± the crowd murmured in confirmation.


    Her brows creased, and the tone of her voice increased a little. ¡°I¡¯m here today to tell you all that those days are over,¡± the crowd cheered and pped.


    ¡°You all have been so loyal and hardworking that your dedication has brought thispany into the ranks. Permit me to say you all are the best!¡± she said, amidst a genuine smile as the cheering and apuse increased.


    Her smile broadened, and she raised her voice to be heard over the cheers.


    ¡°It¡¯s a new dawn!!¡±

 Chapter 51

    The elevator dinged open and Maren walked out, followed by a man who held a blueprint. Her hair was nowing out as brown from the ck it used to be, making her look more authoritative as every step she took was one of pride.


    They both walked straight to her office and when they had settled, poured a quarter of the ss and downed it in seconds, wincing at its strong taste.


    ¡°So right here, ma¡¯am, the window will be on the east. And the main furniture of the room will be on this part,¡± the man said, gesturing to ces on the print with his finger, not minding the fact that Maren was exhausted and didn¡¯t want to hear anymore.


    She waited for a while for the drink to sink in before she looked up at the man, who was still speaking.


    ¡°Hold up. Let me see that again,¡± she said and relieved him of it. She took a nce at it for a second and nodded, though she knew there was no way she was going to understand the print of the top constructionpany architect in the city.


    ¡°I like it,¡± she finally said after a silence.


    ¡°Really?¡± the middle-aged but agile man asked, both in surprise and delight.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said and rubbed her eyes but carefully not to damage the light makeup she has on and her not too obvious falseshes.


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear, ma¡¯am,¡± he said and began folding it. ¡°When do we begin working on it?¡±


    Maren had begun pouring herself another ss. ¡°I need my new office ready in a month.¡±


    ¡°A month?¡±


    ¡°Yes, is that too soon? You¡¯re not up to the task?¡± Maren asked.


    ¡°Of course, of course I am. We¡¯ll, start working right away,¡± he said and stood up to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way now. Thank you ma¡¯am¡±


    ¡°Bye,¡± she mumbled and ced her head on the table. It was like there were some wild monkeys ying drums in her head, as it felt heavy as fuck to lift.


    When she had made a toast to ¡°A new dawn!¡± she didn¡¯t mean this way. I mean, she did like the fact that thepany was growing fast and progressing and all that. But it was so tiring that she was tired most of the time and she was always useless when she got back home.


    She was happy about all this, but she really needed rest once in a while.


    A knock interrupted her thoughts, and she groaned and sat up in her chair, trying to put on her most professional face, which just ended up looking bad.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she finally answered.


    Louise rushed in suddenly, a wide grin spread across her face. ¡°Ma¡¯am, guess who just reached out.¡±


    Maren gave her a look that showed that she was not her bestie but her boss, and she was not about to tell her about her business in a gossip manner.


    Louise quickly snapped out of her childishly thrilled manner and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, ma¡¯am. The personal assistant of the CEO of Helix group ofpanies just reached out a few minutes ago. We¡¯ve been recognized, ma¡¯am!¡± She announced, her excitement surging forward once more.


    Maren just stared at her with a nk expression on her face as she waited for thedy for an exnation.


    Louise noticing her expression slid a paper to her, maintaining her grin and Maren read through.


    Suddenly, with the energy of one on drugs, Maren¡¯s eyes widened as she hit the paper ¡°Helix!¡± She said, her fatigue disappearingpletely. ¡°Oh, my god Helix!¡± She repeated.


    She dropped the paper back on the table and looked at Louise with a sparkle in her eyes. ¡°What did they say?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Nothing much, actually. Only that we have to schedule a meeting with the CEO. I¡¯ll send you the details ma¡¯am¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting for, then? Schedule it for a day after tomorrow, but send me the details immediately!¡±N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll do just that!¡± Louise said and made to take back the paper from the table, but Maren pped it down.


    ¡°Leave it. Go, go do what I asked,¡± she ordered, and Louise scurried out the door.


    Maren stood up from her chair as soon as Louise was out the door. She suppressed her scream as she punched the air. ¡°Yes! Finally!¡± She said, beaming.


    She then stopped and turned around to grab her jacket. ¡°This calls for a celebration.¡± She said to herself as she picked her things. ¡°I¡¯m done for the day, anyway¡±


    *****


    ¡°I still don¡¯t get what so thrilling about thispany¡±


    ¡°And I still don¡¯t get how you¡¯ve never heard of thispany. ¡±


    ¡°Alright then, please enlighten me,¡± Ne said, rolling a lollipop on the walls of her mouth.


    ¡°Well, Helix group ofpanies is the third most sessful and industriouspany in the state headed by a respected and feared CEO who you actually have to pay to be told a word¡± she paused and allowed the thrill of the words she had just said to sink in.


    She flipped her hair with pride. ¡°And guess whosepany is going to be visited in two days¡¯ time by the same CEO?¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot!¡± Ne eximed a little dryly as she still didn¡¯t get it cos she knew little to nothing about the business world and its practitioners.


    ¡°god! I feel like a mini god right now,¡± she said and took a sip from her ss like it¡¯ll calm her down.


    ¡°What does thepany produce? By the way. Like, what services do they render?¡± Ne asked absentmindedly as she had pulled out the lollipop from her mouth and was looking at it so intently, like she was aiming to see the organisms in it.


    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s a sessfulpany ran by a billionaire who¡¯sing for a possible partnership with mypany. That¡¯s enough exnation for a celebration!¡± She said and stood up.


    ¡°Where the hell are you going?¡± Ne asked.


    ¡°I left work toe celebrate this massive development. I¡¯m not going to waste it at home with some stay at home mom,¡± she said yfully and turned away from her. ¡°I¡¯m taking my baby out!¡±


    ¡°No offence taken, bitch!¡± Ne shouted after her.

 Chapter 52

    The beeping sound of the monitor was the only thing that kept his mind from travelling far from his body as he watched his frail old man weather on the hospital bed.


    He stood outside by the thick ss window and watched his father¡¯s motionless body. A mixture of fear, anger, sadness, grief and a lot of other things he couldn¡¯t seem to recognize overcame him on the spot.


    ¡°I must say, your father is a really outstanding fighter, always has¡±


    Alexander looked down at the short doctor she had slid in beside him, watching his father. He returned the pen, which he held into his breast pocket and adjusted his sses.


    As a child, Alexander¡¯s father had always been strict with him and didn¡¯t let him do things kids his age did. In fact, the only reason he¡¯d let him hang out with Eddie and William was because their father was almost of the same status as he was.


    He always made Alexander think business like and not y around with good for nothing narrow-minded people; as he always said. He grew up that way and everything he did was always to please his father, and he liked every bit of it.


    Back then, he saw his dad as a god. Simr to what people his age called Santa us and were always very proud and ted whenever they received a gift from him on Christmas day.


    Alexander saw his dad¡¯s pat on the back bigger and better than apliment from the president himself and believe me when I say that getting a pat on his back from his dad was one hell of a rollercoaster of pleasing to do.


    Those days are gone now. Though the urge to please his father always remains sewn in him. Now, his dad was bed ridden and practically useless.


    ¡°It¡¯s been two days since the said day of his passing,¡± Alexander said quietly. His own words sent daggers into his chest, but he maintained a straight face.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± The doctor said, his voice firm and sure, showing signs of his years in the profession making him used to conversations of this nature.


    ¡°Like I said, Mr. ckwood really is a strong man. But honestly, the situation here is, these things dy sometimes to deceive the loved ones or give them a sense of hope and then, it takes effect just when they¡¯re hopeful enough,¡± he said, adjusting his sses again.


    The more Alexander looked at his father, the more pain creased his brows. He never grew up with a mom as a child. All he knew was his father from day one.


    Whenever he asked about his mom, his dad dismissed him or turned the tables and scolded him about something which was just awful.


    Either way, he loved the man who he now watched through the window and who was going to be gone in a matter of time.


    Suddenly, he turned away from the ss and unsped his hands from behind him and looked at his watch.


    ¡°Keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll be back¡±


    *****


    Maren stared at her reflection in the mirror in her bathrobe as water dripped from her hair and dropped to her shoulders.


    Keeping her eyes on her reflection, she picked up the blow drier from the table and switched it on.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    As the faint sound of the machine clouded her ear, she smiled. Her mind drifted to the years which had passed by and how far she hade.


    She had single-handedly sailed through the storm to get to where she was. Despite the multiple breakdowns she had gone through, both in secret and in the open.


    Now here she was, seated in front of her dresser, thinking of the best way to appear for her most worthwhile partnership of the year! The thought made her shoulders hang high and overcame her with a fresh extra coat of pride.


    In minutes, she was out of her bathrobe and dressed in a white fitted zer, a crisp, white blouse with a ssic cor style and fitted matching trousers coupled with white closed-toe heels.


    She stared at her reflection in the body mirror and smiled in satisfaction, her head screaming, dressed for sess.


    A knock on the door distracted her, making her turn towards the sound.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, breakfast is ready,¡± a maid said from behind the door.


    ¡°Down in a minute,¡± she replied, though she knew there was a high probability that nothing would pass through her throat with such an adrenaline surge which rushed through her body.


    As soon as she set foot in herpany, Louise joined her and they headed towards the elevator.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you have a meeting with-¡±


    ¡°I thought I told you to clear my desk for today?¡± She asked as they stepped into the elevator. She adjusted her zer and kept her eyes forward as she told herself she wouldn¡¯t let anything ruin this offer, which came on a tter of gold.


    ¡°Yes, I know that, but this meeting has been postponed so many times and the officials have been kept in a frustrating hold that I just thought-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Maren said firmly. ¡°What time is the Helix group scheduled to be here?¡±


    ¡°Pretty soon, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise replied and began half chasing Maren as the elevator had opened and they were now walking towards the conference room.


    ¡°Tell my operations manager and the others to be here now, and fast. Today¡¯s not a day they should be getting a strike from me¡± she ordered.


    ¡°Yes, certainly,¡± Louise said and scurried away in the opposite direction.


    Maren pushed a button which opened therge doors of the conference room. She could already imagine herself at the forefront of the entire meeting as the document will be passed to her to put down her signature.


    She walked in elegantly and took her seat at the head of therge conference table. Soon enough, her officials rushed inward and took their ces around the table as they awaited their guest.


    Minutes passed and all except Maren awaited a call for a reschedule.


    But just as they had almostpletely lost hope, therge doors opened and a party of people were ushered in.


    The man at the forefront of the party locked eyes with Maren as soon as he got in, making her heart sink.

 Chapter 53

    ¡°It¡¯s an honour, sir,¡± Maren greeted as they took their various seats around the table.


    He didn¡¯t reply. Instead, as he took his seat, some men who had walked in with him approached him with unique documents and even devices, speaking in hushed tones while Maren and her party watched in silence and patience.


    Maren watched all these go on with a smile on her face, but deep down, her heart raced with no reason known to her.


    The first thing she noticed as he walked in was the ck, fearsome snake on sword tattoo which she had seen through the unbuttoned part of his shirt, which gave him a domineering aura.


    His hair was brushed back, jet ck and long, extending to his neck. His eyes, which had initially locked in with hers, were ck and cold and it pierced through her that she¡¯d felt it sting her soul.


    Damn, he¡¯s gorgeous!


    Even with all these, that wasn¡¯t what scared her the most. That detail was yet to be figured out.


    Soon enough, everyone moved away from before him and he ended up with only a file in front of him. He scrolled through the pages for a while and then suddenly he looked up. Locking eyes with Maren immediately, as she hadn¡¯t stopped staring.


    He leaned forward, steepling his fingers together and keeping his eyes on her.


    It was toote to look away, so Maren just continued in the contest. ¡°So Mr Harding, shall we begin?¡± She finally asked, taking the chance to look away, though her mind still raced and her hands slightly shook.


    Maren concluded that she was just too excited about this entire situation.


    ¡°What do you have for me?¡± his jaw shone as he spoke. His voice was deep andmanding. Sending an authoritative echo throughout the room and a sweet chill down Maren¡¯s spine.


    Maren lifted her head and met his gaze. Her brows furrowed a little-too little and hardly noticeable. ¡®Was this man just about to ask her what herpany has to offer even as it was him who had initiated the proposal?¡¯ she thought.


    She shifted her gaze to the documents in front of her. She didn¡¯t mind because she was ready for him.


    ¡°Well, sir-¡±


    He snapped his fingers, and a man dropped a ss in front of him and began pouring the liquid, which smelt like scotch, and filled the room into the ss. When it was half full, the man stopped, cocked the bottle and left.


    ¡°Continue.¡± he took a sip and leaned back in his chair, his gaze on her more grave than before.


    Maren almost raised a brow but didn¡¯t, reminding herself that she had prepared for this along with the speech which she had practised repeatedly in her head.


    She took a silent deep breath and locked eyes with him and then began supporting her words with hand gestures.


    ¡°Well, sir, as you might have known, judging from the fact that you were the initiator of this remarkable proposal, I assure you that thispany is built on values such aspetence, integrity and excellence.¡±


    She paused, now realising that he had just been staring at her while she bbed. She blinked a couple of times, then continued when he wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°We profoundly regard conveying five star results which is evident considering how fast we¡¯ve risen up the pyramid within the space of a year-¡±


    He suddenly grunted, startling Maren a little. He leaned back on the table, interlocking his fingers, his eyes glimmering with more interest.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Mr Harding studied her as she spoke, nodding to every word she said. Whether he was listening or not, no one could tell.


    He watched her every move from the way her lips moved to the directions her ponytail moved in her head gestures. All while speaking about herpany of heart.


    Maren¡¯s party, on the other hand, was astonished at their boss¡¯s preparedness. Normally, Mr Harding should be in her ce as the initiator.


    ¡°You see, sir, my teamprises experts in their fields, and we have a proven track record of sess. We¡¯re not just about making a profit; we¡¯re about building long-term rtionships and trust with-¡±


    She came to an abrupt stop as he had his palm raised. ¡°You have a question, sir?¡± She blurted in annoyance. She couldn¡¯t take back her words now.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    The man sat back in his chair once more, a small smile ying on the corner of his lips as he engaged in another round of staringpetition while raising the ss to his lips.


    Maren¡¯s heart raced as his stare was now looking like he was waiting for her to perform some fucked up thing so he can take his people and leave.


    ¡°You know the first thing that caught my attention about your establishment?¡± He asked rhetorically. ¡°The fact that it¡¯s being run by a female. You don¡¯t see that everyday right?¡±


    Maren fought the red which threatened to disy in her cheeks. Instead, her lips curled into a humble smile. ¡°Not really¡±


    He ignored the answer and continued. ¡°Apany run by ady who¡¯s been into two publicly failed rtionships¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart dropped, along with her smile. A feeling of anxiety washing over her with a tiny glint of anger too.


    The room suddenly became ufortable as her board began shuffling in their seats, none having the balls to defend their boss.


    ¡°But even at that, she could build up her father¡¯spany to what the world calls a sess,¡± he added with some amusement which Maren thought she¡¯d seen somewhere before. ¡°I¡¯m guessing your weaknesses are your strengths?*


    This time, Maren wasn¡¯t quick to judge his words, so she maintained the line her lips drew on her face, reminding herself not to respond rudely to this gorgeous demon before her. ¡°You can say that.¡±


    The room was quiet afterwards. The officials from Maren¡¯spany avoided looking into any of their eyes. Maren, on the other hand, was looking in his direction, but not at him.


    He suddenly shifted his sleeve a little, exposing part of the tattoos on his arm, and checked the time.


    ¡°I admire you, miss Sharppe and your work towards thispany. Permit me to say the world would be better if more women were like you¡± the authority in his voice was intriguing.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Maren half whispered, gradually putting on her coat of pride once more.


    ¡°Like you said, I brought to light this proposal for the reason that I saw the potential andpetence which I supposed you and your establishment exhibits¡±


    Maren nodded.


    ¡°So with that, I¡¯d like to say, wee to the family, miss Sharppe¡±

 Chapter 54

    The night was dark and chill, sending sweet goose bumps round her body with every breeze that blew.


    The smile which spread across her face was one of satisfaction and thrill as she stared into the night. She turned to the table on which stood a teapot and its little teacup.


    It felt different as she picked it up and began pouring its hot contents into the cup. Suddenly, she felt arms around her from behind.


    She smiled. ¡°It¡¯ste. What are you doing here?¡± She asked as the muscr arms made their way into her small top and caressed her breasts. Then he withdrew them and turned her to face him.


    Helping her arms around his neck, he pulled her close and traced his lips round her neck. She shuddered and shut her eyes, inhaling his scent as he ced kisses on her neck and squeezed her ass.


    Slowly, he made his way upward and towards her ear. Her hand slid upward and touched his hair. ¡®It¡¯s long!¡¯


    ¡°Wake up!¡±


    Maren¡¯s eyes flew open, his whisper and scent imprinted in her mind. She sat up and rolled her eyes, anger oveing her.


    ¡°Is this your way of mocking me, universe?¡± She asked no one in particr as she got out of bed. She made her way to the window through which rays of light peeped.


    She drew the curtain blinds, squinting her eyes a little as the sun was a little too bright and almost blinded her.


    The household was already up and about as she watched the gardener trim the hedges. Her mind suddenly drifted to the meeting the previous day, making her ring her nose in a short annoyance.


    The document of agreement was passed to her, and she put down her signature. As she didn¡¯t, she stole a nce at the name under the second signature on the page: Kendrick Harding.


    ¡®He¡¯d be better off as a Marco,¡¯ she thought, holding back a scoff as she scribbled down her signature, then handed it back to the man who stood by who then took it to Mr Harding.


    ¡°Well then,¡± he said and stood up, followed by the entirety of his party, in unison. ¡°I¡¯d be taking my leave now. A copy will be made and sent to you,¡± he says with a note of finality, and turned towards the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you out, sir,¡± she said and also stood up. She whispered a few words to Louise, who was already standing beside her before hurrying to join them.


    ¡°I really am impressed with what you¡¯ve done here, miss Sharppe,¡± he said, as they got out to the exit and were about to descend the stairs. He turned to look at her when his party had descended and left them alone. ¡°Bear that in mind.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, sir,¡± she answered, surprised at how steady her voice was.


    ¡°This partnership is not one you see everyday so I expect your hundred percent effort and results. Or else¡± he suddenly leaned forward, making Maren¡¯s heart painfully skip a beat-he was so close that their bodies slightly touched.


    ¡°You will be destroyed,¡± he whispered, then resumed his standing position and smirked. ¡°Cheers to a new beginning¡± he extended his hand.


    Maren, still in partial shock, nodded and took this hard hand in a handshake. With that, she watched him walk down and get into the car.


    Maren clicked her tongue. She really didn¡¯t like this man. I mean, who talks about rtionship statuses during an official meeting? Was it to taunt her or something?


    Either way, he didn¡¯t seem like a nice person, but she herself couldn¡¯t deny that she was aware of the consequences when she agreed to make the deal with the devil.


    She turned away from the window and walked towards her bed in search of her phone, her mind going back to her dream.


    ¡®What the heck was he doing in her dream? Was her head trying to y games on her?¡¯ she scowled. ¡®But it felt so familiar and ¨C okay, that¡¯s enough!¡¯ she stopped herself.


    She picked up her phone, which she had slept on while she was scrolling through tiredlyst night.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t evenmended my impressive speech¡±


    There was a knock on her door. ¡°Ma¡¯am, miss Burton is here to see you,¡± a maid said from behind the door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a minute,¡± she replied, wondering why Ne was here so early.


    As soon as she unlocked her phone, notifications began popping through, but the biggest one yet was the picture of her and Mr Harding when he¡¯d leaned forward to threaten her.


    Boldly written beneath the picture was: ¡°HARDING + SHARPPE; BUSINESS OR AFFAIR?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Maren screamed.


    ¡°Oh my god Maren, you didn¡¯t mention you were getting involved with Kendrick Harding,¡± Ne used as soon as she sighted hering down the stairs, her phone in hand. ¡°The news has gone haywire¡±


    ¡°The news?¡± she asked in surprise as she picked up the TV remote and switched it on. The same picture with the same headline was being spoken about.


    ¡°I can swear there were no cameras out there yesterday,¡± Maren said, switching it off with anger. ¡°And what the hell is that headline?¡±


    ¡°But in an actual sense, what went on between both of you?¡± Her mom, who had just entered the room, asked.


    ¡°Remember Helix?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Ne eximed.


    ¡°Well, what do you expect? He¡¯s a famous figure. You don¡¯t expect him to not be noticed when he¡¯s in a neighborhood,¡± her mom responded.


    Maren¡¯s phone dinged in a notification, but this time it was different. She stared at it and smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Let them talk,¡± she


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the spirit, I guess?¡± Ne said, confusingly.


    ¡°Their usations get me more exposure that no one can ignore. Not even a certain someone called Alexander ckwood¡±


    ¡°Really? Is this your aim in all of this?¡± Her mom questioned.


    ¡°Of course not. But what can I do when mypany gets noticed by some business celebrity who wants to go into partnership with me and then I wake up with usations that go haywire which are giving me more exposure?¡±


    ¡°Mom, this is good for business. And for once since Alexander, I feel so happy shaking hands with the devil¡± she stopped as she noticed her mom¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, mom but I promise I¡¯ll be careful,¡± she assured.


    ¡°Not to be a party popper, but don¡¯t you think this was so out of the blue? The sudden partnership doesn¡¯t sound shady to you?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Maren stopped to think for a while. Her brows creased. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± her notification rang again, and she checked it.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out¡±

 Chapter 55

    ¡°You sent for me, sir¡±


    Alexander slumped in his office chair, deep in thought, while he stroked his chin. Ignoring his assistant, who had just walked in and stood in front of his table.


    ¡°Sir?¡± the man called again, trying to get his attention.


    ¡°You saw that news, right?¡± Alexander finally spoke. His voice was gloomy and deep, keeping his eyes on nothing he had been staring at.


    ¡°Yes sir, it¡¯s confirmed that Mr Harding is in the city,¡± the man affirmed. His muscr chest rising and falling in rhythm with every word he spoke.


    ¡°I really am not bothered about him,¡± Alexander said and paused. He leaned forward and picked up the ss from the table. ¡°What does Maren have to do with him? What are they up to?¡± He took a sip.


    ¡°If you want, I can find that out, sir¡±


    ¡°Of course I want that. The fact that we¡¯re no longer together doesn¡¯t give her the liberty to go in search of some hungry dick.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do just that, sir.¡±


    ¡°Find out about everything. What his business is in this city, what he¡¯s doing with Maren. Including where exactly his house it¡± he stopped and gulped down the rest of the ss before setting it on the table.


    Veins were forming on his forehead as he gritted his teeth. ¡°I might as well go pay him a visit soon,¡± he added, a hint of venom in his voice.


    ¡°Sure thing, sir,¡± the man replied and headed towards the door. As soon as the door closed behind him, it was pushed open by a slim manicured hand with red painted fingernails.


    ¡°Hey baby.¡± Thedy greeted beaming, and she skipped towards Alexander. ¡°I heard your enemy is in town and fucking your ex-wife.¡± she straight forwardly and made herselffortable on his table in front of him.


    Alexander ignored her even as she sat directly in front of him, her thighs exposed tastily and her boobs threatening to burst out of her body con dress.


    He turned away from her and reached for a drawer from which he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He took out one and put it between his lips.


    ¡°Someone seems moody,¡± she said as she took out the cigar from Alexander¡¯s lips and stuck it in hers, then lit it with the lighter which he had just brought out.


    ¡°What are you here for, Kim?¡± He asked in an uninterested tone.


    ¡°Oh, we are not doing this Xander, we are not having this conversation,¡± she took a puff.


    ¡°If you¡¯re here to gossip, then you¡¯re in the wrong ce. I¡¯ve got work to do¡±


    She took out the stick after another puff and ced it back between his lips. He epted it without resistance.


    ¡°It¡¯s not gossip. It¡¯s all over the News he¡¯s back to the city and fucking your ex-wife or should I say ex whore¡± she spat and began unbuttoning his shirt slowly.


    ¡°You look stressed, Xander. Don¡¯t let it get to you. You let her go openly and, for a good reason, fucking your enemy only shows her true nature.¡± She bit her lip and her green eyes glowed as she felt Alexander¡¯s exposed chest.


    Alexander didn¡¯t even flinch. He just sat there staring at her while she worked her hands around his body. Smoke escaping from his nostrils.


    ¡°I mean you used to be her fiance¡¯s rival but as soon as they separated, she found a way to get your dick inside of her. No surprise why she¡¯s now with Harding,¡± she hissed and slowly slid her hands down towards his belt buckle whilst leaning closer.


    ¡°Do you ever think of anything aside from sex?¡±


    Kim leaned in further and ced a light kiss on his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you love it that way?¡± She purred and reached into his already unbuttoned trouser and began fumbling with his manhood.


    She ced another kiss on his lips and stared into his eyes, a smile ying at her lips as she noticed a brief movement from him. ¡°Don¡¯t resist-¡± he grabbed her by the throat and engaged her in an intense, hungry passion.


    *****


    Maren held her hair up as the stylist fastened the silver neckpiece round her neck. She let her hair down afterwards and stared at her reflection. An incredibly stunning, sessfuldy stared at her and she smiled back at it.


    Her phone vibrated on the dressing table, and she picked it up. She was twenty minuteste.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± She asked, watching the stylist through the mirror.


    ¡°I¡¯m allll-done!¡± The stylist announced, taking her hands off her hair.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Maren said cheerfully. She made her way to the body mirror and did a little twirl.


    She was dressed in a ck evening gown which exposed her appalling features. Her hair was styled in waves with a few essories adorning it. The silver essories which she wore on different parts of her body blended really well with her silver designer heels.


    ¡°You look great, ma¡¯am. Enjoy your evening,¡± the stylist affirmed with a smile and exited the room.


    Maren smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that twice.¡± her phone rang with a notification again and without looking at the phone, she knew who it was. She picked up her purse and half hurried out of the room.


    ¡°How long is it going tost, Maren?¡± Mrs Sharppe attacked as soon as she sighted her daughter climbing down the stairs.


    Maren rolled her eyes. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not twelve anymore, you know. It¡¯s an official gathering. It¡¯s going tost as long as it would.¡±


    Her mom fell silent and just stared at her. The grey in her hair looked more obvious than before as she held onto the book in her hand.


    ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea?¡± she asked, turning back to her book.


    ¡°Yes mom. Mr Harding was thoughtful enough to make this gathering in honour of our partnership. I really don¡¯t see what could go wrong about this whole thing,¡± she thought.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± her mom finally said.


    Maren walked to her mom and kissed her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll be back before Nathan gets out of bed,¡± she announced with a smile and walked out the door.


    As soon as she climbed into the limo which Mr Harding had sent, the hundredth text from Louise came in.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s begun already,¡± the text read.


    Maren smiled in anticipation. ¡°I¡¯m on my way¡±

 Chapter 56

    The night was pitch ck when the car began to slow down in front of a massive building and made a halt behind the other cars, whose upants were taking their time to get out.


    Cameras shed as the upant alighted one after the other and walked on the red carpet which led into the hall.


    ¡®Of course Mr Harding has made it public, possibly to clear the rumours about both of them,¡¯ she thought


    Maren watched all these people walk into the building after striking one or two poses for the cameras. People she only has the privilege to see on tv or on the were now going to be in the same room as her.


    As the cars moved forward, so did Maren¡¯s till they came to a final halt at the mouth of the carpet and it was her turn to walk the carpet.


    She looked out the window and back at her hands, which were slightly vibrating because of excitement.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯ve arrived,¡± the chauffeur announced, though she couldn¡¯t quite see him through the partition in the vehicle.


    ¡°I know,¡± Maren answered in a firm voice. But deep down, her head was bursting with an adrenaline rush. This was all too exciting for her.


    She took a deep breath and put her hand on the car handle. Instead, one guard who had followed behind them in another car immediately opened the door, which she had just noticed had been standing by the door all this while.


    As soon as she set her foot out of the car, the camera shing resumed once more.


    ¡°Miss Sharppe has arrived,¡± she could hear them whisper as more cameras shed and almost blinded her. She held on lightly to her purse as she trudged steadily on the carpet, her head swooning with pride.


    ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise greeted as soon as she set foot into the brightly lit hall. She was dressed in a white two piece long sleeve and pants with her yellow hair in a ponytail. Just the right appearance to make her look like a secretary to someone of importance.


    ¡°Mr Harding asked after you. The ceremony is already in progress,¡± she added as they walked towards the middle of the hall where every other person was littered about. ¡°He requested to see you as soon as you arrive¡±


    The hall was lit with a popr soft tone yed by a keyboardist, but only a few of the guests cared to pay attention to it.


    ¡®What is he now? My boss?¡¯ was the only thing that came to her mind as her mind was numb from anticipation of how great this night would be.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± she asked, trying not to turn her head and give the whispering of other guests the privilege of getting a whiff of her extreme excitement.


    ¡°I think he should be in one of these rooms,¡± Louise said as they got to an end of the building, which looked like a back stage with two doors.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Maren moved forward and made to turn the golden knob of the door but paused when noticed Louise¡¯s absence behind her. She turned around and saw her secretary a few feet back with a small smile on her face.


    ¡°Only those Mr Harding want to see are allowed so close to the door, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise informed, noticing her boss¡¯s questioning look.


    Maren just rolled her eyes and turned the knob, which gave way easily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, I promise it won¡¯t repeat itself,¡± Maren heard whimpering as she slowly put a foot into the room. It was dimly lit, with only a table and chair as the furniture within. With no one in sight.


    Maren entered throughpletely and the door suddenly banged shut, startling her. She blinked a couple of times, reminding herself that this was not some shitty horror movie.


    The whimpering had stopped, but still no one in sight. She looked around the now silent room, though she knew it was in vain.


    ¡°Mr Harding,¡± She called, trying to see if there was a hidden door she could go through. ¡®What the fuck is this? This is a modern gathering, for crying out loud! There shouldn¡¯t be eerie shit hap-¡±


    Boom! She heard a thud from a corner of the room and then scraping on the ground.


    ¡°Mr Harding?¡± she called again, staring at the corner from which the sound hade.


    A door opened, and a figure emerged, dragging along something that looked heavy as it slowed him down.


    ¡°Mr Harding?¡± She moved back a little, careful not to stumble on her heels from the fear she was feeling as she watched the scene in front of her.


    The person turned to look at her and she could swear that was not who she¡¯de there for.


    ¡°Ah, miss Sharppe!¡± The familiar baritone called, and she turned away from the scary-looking man to the neer in the room.


    ¡°Perdon my carelessness, but sometimes you just have to get your hands dirty, right?¡± He asked with a smile which Maren could barely make out through the lighting.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    He held a piece of cloth which he used to wipe his hands and then threw it in a corner when he was done.


    Maren watched with terror in her eyes as the other man dragged a body to the corner of the room, leaving trails of blood as he passed by. She turned back to him, then to the piece of cloth, and then to him again.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t do that. I¡¯d never do that¡± he was now seated on the chair in the room with a smirk on his face. He waited till the man had shut the door behind him before turning to Maren.


    ¡°Why did you want to see me?¡± She finally asked, shaking off the shock.


    ¡°Oh, nothing much.¡± He said and stood up. He sped his hands behind his back and walked towards her. ¡°I just needed a one-on-one time before we go out there with fake smiles to meet an audience that clearly has nothing else to do tonight¡± his voice was very rxed.


    Though they were a few feet apart, his cologne still hit her, though it seemed to be having a battle with the damp, bloody smell of the room.


    Maren stared back at him, his blue eyes piercing into her like she was going to join the body in the corner. ¡°One on one?¡± She managed to ask.


    He edged closer, and Maren could now see his face better. His hair was gelled back to a shine and then tied to a knot. His beard was neatly groomed, looking like it was done to make his lips a center of attention.


    He was in a white shirt with the first few buttons open, exposing his tattoo-god! That tattoo, her head screamed. It always seemed to strike her with something she couldn¡¯t fathom.


    ¡°Funny how you don¡¯t even know me, but you jumped at my offer so quickly. You really have always been this hungry¡±


    Maren¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°What the fuck does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Sir, all the guests have arrived¡±

 Chapter 57

    Mr Harding kept his eyes on her, even at the information he¡¯d just heard. His face was expressionless and didn¡¯t look like he was going to exit the room soon.


    He took a step closer, making Maren take one back, keeping her eyes on him like she didn¡¯t dare look away. He suddenly leaned forward, leaving only a breath of space between them.


    ¡°Fix your face, we¡¯re going to meet the crowd and the press¡± he turned to the door and left.


    ¡®Weirdo¡¯, Maren thought. How the hell does she keep getting herself into shit like these? She asked herself. She really didn¡¯t want to hate this one because if she did, it might affect her teaming up with him.


    And what the hell was he trying to do? Intimidate her? She scoffed. Deep down, though, age knew that if it hadsted, her leg would be shaken by now.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    She took a deep breath but regretted it as the air which went up her nostrils was mixed with the sickly smell of blood which the room smelt of. She just braced herself and steadily made her way out the door.


    When she got out of the room, she was not really surprised but thrilled to see therge number of people who showed up. She justpletely left that area and sat beside the stage where she could be barely seen.


    There was pping and cheersing from the crowd as Mr Harding mounted the stage after being introduced by a bald head man.


    ¡°Thank you all for being here tonight,¡± he began after the cheering subsided. ¡°Now I know most of you are wondering what the essence of this gathering is.¡± He said and paused, letting the crowd murmur like it was a question-and-answer session.


    Maren rolled her eyes where she sat. ¡®Just cut to the chase already,¡¯ she thought, suddenly remembering that she also didn¡¯t know why she was there.


    A server walked up to her and offered her a ss of wine, which she knew she was going to need, so she dly epted it.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s obvious that almost all of you must have a question or two about why I got caught on camera in apromising state with Miss Sharppe, whose status was recently published in the paper, given my status as a man of influence.¡±


    Maren took a gulp of her drink, keeping her eyes on him. She really couldn¡¯t predict where he was going with this.


    ¡°By status, I mean her divorce with a really famous figure like myself.¡± Maren almost choked on her drink at those words. Fuck teaming. The man was disgusting, she told herself.


    ¡°But one thing each and everyone of us failed to see in this young woman was the strong-willed, ambitiousdy who somehow got entangled with someone like-¡± he stared straight at the main camera which stood in front of him. ¡°Alexander ckwood¡±


    ¡®Okay, this man was definitely up to something,¡¯ Maren told herself, suddenly losing interest in the liquid in her hand.


    ¡°In fact, I also didn¡¯t see that till I met this verydy in person.¡± The crowd was thrown into a storm of murmuring as he paused to let them assume what he was going to say next.


    Multiple cameras shed almost at the same time as each one of them tried to get Mr Harding¡¯s good side.


    The thought suddenly hit her again. ¡°What the fuck did he mean by I know nothing about him?¡±


    Maren used that opportunity to scan the crowd and sighted Louise standing at the corner. Her eyes filled with admiration as she undisturbedly stared at Mr. Harding.


    She took out her phone and gave Louise¡¯s phone a buzz. As soon as the call went through, Louise snapped out of it and looked down at the caller ID before turning toward her boss.


    She hurried over to her, hugging her phone to her chest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry ma¡¯am, I got carried away,¡± she apologised as soon as she got to where Maren sat.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone?¡± She remarked dismissively and stood from where she was seated. ¡°I need you to conduct a thorough research on this celebrity,¡± she said, gesturing to Mr Harding.


    ¡°Everything about him. His childhood, his parents, where he¡¯s from, everything!¡± She kept her voice low to avoid drawing attention.


    ¡°Well, Mr Harding is from this state, born and bred. Left home at the age of twenty with no reason stated. He¡¯s said to have started his career right after he left home and cut off his parents who were-¡±


    Louise suddenly looked up from her phone, which she had been reading from all this while, to see the annoyed look on Maren¡¯s face.


    ¡°So you knew all this?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a secretary ma¡¯am, that¡¯s basically my job. I take my paperwork very seriously,¡± Louise answered triumphantly.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t bother to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Respectfully, ma¡¯am, you never asked. You were all too excited about the entire thing that I didn¡¯t want to bother you with irrelevant details about such a famous figure.¡±


    Maren just stared at her, realising that she actually hadn¡¯t put in extra thoughts to this partnership and had just jumped at it like Mr Harding had said. But Louise had done some research, regardless.


    As much as she knew howpetent this yellow-haired secretary of hers was, she could swear she had done the research because she had a huge crush on Mr Harding.


    ¡°Now, to avoid wasting more of my time, I¡¯d like to clear the biggest, possibly the only question embedded in most of you individual¡¯s mind¡± the hall suddenly fell silent as they waited for his next words.


    Damn, he really knew how to create an annoying suspense.


    ¡°The only reason I¡¯m back in this city after so many years is because I wanted an official partnership with Novagen. Not every man is after every sexy pussy hees across¡±


    ¡®Did he just call me sexy?¡¯ Maren¡¯s head rang.


    ¡°Now, join me as I bring to the stage the CEO of my partnerpany Maren Sharppe!¡± He announced, but his deep voice didn¡¯t make it seem much like an announcement.


    The entire hall erupted into loud pping and cheering. He turned in her direction and shed her a brief smile.


    Keeping her eyes on him, Maren asked Louise. ¡°What country did Mr Harding reside in when he left home?¡±


    ¡°Russia¡±

 Chapter 58

    ¡°Russia¡± the name rang in her ears and she gazed at Mr Harding on the stage. Her suspicions were beginning to rise.


    ¡®Who exactly is he?¡¯


    Mr Harding, still staring in her direction, beckoned to her toe up onto the stage with a slight furrow on his brow.


    She quickly snapped out of her thoughts, took a deep breath, and mounted the stage. She shed her brightest smile and the pping and shing of cameras increased.


    ¡°It¡¯s all yours,¡± he whispered and stepped away from the cockpit. Maren¡¯s gut sank, as she hadn¡¯t been informed that she was going to give a speech. I mean, was it necessary?


    She finally fixed her face after watching him move away from the area and through one door at the side. ¡®This was just a way he could get away from all this and go do some other shit,¡¯ she realised.


    The entire hall fell silent, and the only sound that could be heard was the clicking of the cameras¡¯ shes.


    Maren stared at the mic in front of her and then at the expectant faces of the crowd. She finally cleared her through and adjusted the mic to be right in front of her mouth.


    She shed a smile as she looked up. ¡°Well, it really is an honour to have you all here tonight, so I must say I¡¯m really grateful.¡± She paused. ¡°Like Mr Harding said, this partnership was very unexpected, but I can¡¯t say undeserved.¡±


    ¡°Thest time I was on a stage like this was for a rification about my union with your very own Alexander ckwood. Today I¡¯m on this stage for a better reason, which is the growth of mypany.¡±


    The crowd cheered and pped, giving Maren the courage to go on. ¡°As you all know, and as Mr Harding earlier referenced, I¡¯ve never been in the best of unions, but that didn¡¯t stop me. In fact, that was my strength¡­¡±


    Maren put her chest forward and raised her voice, suddenly feeling like an inspirational speaker as the audience listened in silence and murmured whenever they agreed or disputed with what she said.


    ¡°Is it all set?¡± Mr Harding asked the wide-eyed man who stood at the door as he got in front of it.


    ¡°Yes, but er-sir-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear. Get the fuck out of my way,¡± he said and shoved the man to the side. He closed the door behind him and switched on the light.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all¡±


    Mr Harding stopped in his tracks and slowly turned toward the voice. ¡°Oh, my god you scared me!¡±


    ¡°Oh shut it, you pretending bastard¡±


    Mr Harding smirked and made his way to the shelf in the room, ignoring his visitor. ¡°That¡¯s no way to wee me, Alexander.¡±


    Alexander shifted his weight from one foot to the other before grabbing a chair and settling himself on it.


    ¡°Well, seeing that you decided to stroll back into the city just to screw my ex-wife, I think you¡¯ve weed yourself well enough.¡± He folded his arms and watched the other man ransack the shelf. His brows furrowed with disdain.


    ¡°Key word, Alexander. ¡°Ex¡±. You weren¡¯t drunk when you dragged her ass to court to get a divorce. So why don¡¯t you just let her be and maybe you can take a breath of your own¡±


    Alexander was quiet for a moment with the only sound heard was the sound of heavy journals and Maren¡¯s voice through the speakers.


    ¡°Still doesn¡¯t give you the right to stick your dick into every hole you see. Either way, you and I know this so-called partnership is not in her favour. Nothing has ever been in anyone¡¯s favour apart from yours¡±


    ¡°Guess we¡¯re not so different from each other after all¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just doing this to get to me. Which is very much expected, Kendrick.¡± He stood up and walked closer to where he was, now opening theprehensive books gotten from the shelves.


    His voice was low and grave. ¡°Listen up, you can intimidate anyone into being at your mercy. But you¡¯ll never do that to me, not anymore. Maren is mine regardless of if we¡¯re apart, and some false partnership can¡¯t make you a threat to what we¡¯ve shared¡±


    As soon as he was done speaking, Kendrick uncovered a book from which he pulled out a matte ck pistol and screwed to the barrel a small cylindrical attachment of the same colour.


    He fastened it, cocked the gun, and positioned the muzzle a few inches from Alexander¡¯s face.


    Alexander was unmoved. He just stood there, staring straight at Kendrick, his lips pressed into a thin line.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a little whining baby, scared to admit it when he¡¯s lost. I guess that¡¯s the way they train men these days. Either way, those balls of yours shouldn¡¯t have a breath beside me, ckwood¡± his voice was menacing.


    ¡°Call it whatever you want. You never valued that young woman and you know it. Then, someone else decides to show you the ropes, it¡¯s an issue¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to speak for miss Sharppe, but with what I¡¯ve seen, that woman is very much fine without you so you can go fuck yourself and stop making everyone your enemy at the slightest chance¡±


    Veins began building on Alexander¡¯s forehead the more he stared at him.


    ¡°I wish I could say that I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still much of a cunt, but then, I remembered that you were raised by one.¡± He tightened his grip on the trigger.


    ¡°This will be thest time you¡¯ll stand before me and spew such nonsense, Alex¡±


    The air in the room became thick with tension as the two men stared into each other¡¯s eyes. Each one nning the other¡¯s death in their minds.


    In a swift movement, Kendrick¡¯s finger squeezed the trigger further. The thin, silent, sharp sound of the gun tore the silence.


    Alexander blinked a couple of times, waiting for the pain to kick in as he stared back at Kendrick and the smoking gun.


    Kendrick smirked, ¡°Nice to see you¡¯ve still got some balls¡± he put down the gun and stuck it into his back belt, which was covered by his suit jacket. Then walked towards the door.


    Alexander suddenly realised what happened. He took a step back and turned around to see a bullet sized hole in the wall.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    He scoffed, (partly in relief) ¡°Pussy¡±


    Kendrick opened the door, then turned to him. His eyes glinted in the dim light. ¡±     (You¡¯re only lucky once)¡±m

 Chapter 59

    ¡°With that, I¡¯d like to say thank you to all of you who took your time to be here tonight to congratte me¡± another round of pping rented the air. ¡°Goodnight!¡±


    Maren climbed briskly down the stage and walked up to Louise, who held out a ss of wine to her. She grabbed the ss and downed it in one gulp, and handed the ss back to her.


    ¡°You did great, ma¡¯am,¡± she heard Louisepliment behind as she made her way towards the end of the hall and turned a corner, which led to two doors.


    She pushed in a door which wasbelleddies. She walked in and went straight for therge toilet mirror which hung majestically on the wall, its expansive ss surface reflecting the room with crystal rity.


    Standing in front of the mirror, she winced, suddenly feeling the tinge of the wine she had gulped down without thinking.


    When she was done with her session, she gently ced her purse on a side of the sink below the ss and gazed at her reflection.


    Slowly, her lips curled into a smile, and then a chuckle escaped her lungs.


    ¡®Damn, I am a boss!¡¯ her head screamed and she let out another hearty chuckle. The door sounded behind at that moment and she turned to view an elderlydy staring at her in confusion.


    Slowly, thedy retreated backward, keeping her eyes on Maren, and closed the door after her.


    Maren didn¡¯t mind, she felt like a god. She¡¯d poured out her heart to the crowd of people who she barely knew and it felt so good and she hoped everyone would hear it.


    Now that she had said all that she said, it now dawned on her that she was one of them. One of those rich mother fuckers who tells their sob stories which was hardly believable.


    She didn¡¯t care. She was one of them!


    The grin on her lips broadened, ¡°That¡¯s how to do it, dad¡± she stared at the mirror for a few more minutes, her mind building up empires of her sess.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Then she snapped out of it and reached into her purse and pulled out her red lipstick and began applying a fresh extrayer.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered whatdies did in here¡±


    Maren shrieked and dropped the lipstick into the sink. ¡°Mother f-¡± she turned around to view the intruder but was even more startled.


    This is thedies¡¯ bathroom. What the hell are you doing here?¡± She asked, her brows creased in anger as she stared at the man who was resting on the door with folded arms staring at her.


    ¡°So this is what you guys do when you¡¯re behind this door,¡± he said and began walking away from the door, looking around.


    Maren turned back to her lipstick, which had now drawn a thick line on the inside of the sink. ¡°Shit¡± she picked it out with the tips of her fingers and disposed of it in a nearby trash can.


    ¡®Well, there goes another unnecessarily expensive makeover item,¡¯ she said in her mind. She finally got her purse together and turned to him.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, Alexander? You follow me around now?¡±


    ¡°Follow you around?¡± He asked, turning to her. ¡°I heard my nemesis was in town. I thought I¡¯de say hi¡±


    ¡°This ceremony was strictly by invitation. How did you get in?¡±


    Alexander let out a guttural chuckle, but Maren was unmoved. She just kept her eyes on him, holding herself back from ring up with each second that passed.


    ¡°Same thing your boyfriend reminded me about, except he showed no surprise,¡± he said, standing a couple of feet away from her.


    Maren rolled her eyes. ¡°Alright, look, I do not have the time or the strength for any of this. You can stay as long as you want but stay the fuck away from me,¡± she said and headed for the door.


    She turned the handle of the door, but nothing happened. She tried again, but the action urred. ¡°Fuck¡± she muttered.


    She turned around to see Alexander¡¯s smiling face with a key dangling on one of his fingers. ¡°Open this door right now. Alexander,¡± she said, quite calmly.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d do that?¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to do this Alexander,¡± she urged further.


    ¡°So you¡¯ll hear me out?¡±


    Maren sighed and walked over to her previous position; resting on the sink with her back to the mirror. ¡°You know you don¡¯t deserve this, right?¡±


    ¡°And he doesn¡¯t deserve you,¡± Alexander spat.


    Maren scoffed in amusement. ¡°Is this what this is about? You want to talk about Mr Harding?¡±


    ¡°Oh, cut the formal bullshit, Maren¡±


    ¡°You know what? I really want to hear what you have to say,¡± she said and put down her purse, folding her arms. ¡°Go on, make a fool of yourself¡±


    Alexander chuckled, ¡°You really have always been gullible, Maren¡± she was quiet. ¡°Don¡¯t you see what this is all about? You don¡¯t see through the lines?¡± His voice was quiet but using.


    ¡°I mean, we get a divorce and then a few months after some foreigner shows up and offers a partnership deal¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, I¡¯d say that what this generation calls being an influencer,¡± Maren quickly remarked.


    Alexander ran his fingers through his hair, holding on to his patience. ¡°Stop ying dumb. I know you understand what I¡¯m saying. Kendrick is not what he seems¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re one to speak. At least he cares about something. On your own path, you care about nothing that doesn¡¯t have your name written on. Not even your son.¡± She spat, her anger rising slowly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never said it out loud, but I know and you¡¯re never remorseful about it¡±


    Don¡¯t make this about me Maren, I¡¯m trying to pro-


    ¡°Oh, shut up. I¡¯m sure your gut irritates you just thinking of that word. I know what this is about Alexander and trust me, you¡¯re going nowhere with it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget that that divorce was an agreement between both of us and your going back on it now is just a waste of your time.¡± She stated matter-of-factly.¡±


    ¡°You can be enemies with whomever you wish, but make sure to keep your filthy hands off whatever directly concerns me, asshole¡± she suddenly yanked the door key from him and headed towards the door. Each step was one of anger.


    Alexander sighed. ¡°You can choose whatever you want to, but I promise, Kendrick is not who you think he is.¡±


    Maren finally opened the door and walked out, but then turned to him. ¡°Maybe I like them bad¡±

 Chapter 60

    ¡°Mr Harding has been looking all over the ce for you,¡± Louise attacked as soon as she saw Maren walk into the main grounds of the hall.


    She sped up her walking pace as Maren angrily marched towards the where Kendrick stood with some men. Louise turned to look at her boss and noticed her demeanour while keeping up the pace. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    Maren just kept her eyes forward, and just as she was about reaching where he stood, she fixed her face. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let just wrap this up and get the hell out of here¡±


    ¡°Where have you been, Maren?¡±


    On normal terms, Maren¡¯s heart would have skipped a beat hearing him pronounce her name for the first time, but she¡¯d bottled up too much anger that the beat wouldn¡¯t skip.


    ¡°I got caught up in some shit. I¡¯m sorry.¡± She exined, her facepletely rxed. She wasn¡¯t going to let Alexander ruin this night. ¡°What am I needed for?¡±


    Kendrick studied her for a while, his hands sped behind him. ¡°Nothing much, just some questions from the press¡±


    *****


    You¡¯re saying you¡¯ve never seen this ce before?¡±


    Maren shrugged, but kept her eyes out the moving car window with a smile on her face. ¡°Nope,¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not bothered about it?¡±


    ¡°Well, Louise had contacted her by my request and, ording to research, she¡¯s the best in the state. So, no, I¡¯m not bothered at all¡± the breeze swept her hair into her eyes but she didn¡¯t bother removing it. The air smelt so fresh.


    Mummy, where are we going?¡± Nathan, who had been quiet since the beginning of the journey. Maren, for the first time since the journey, Maren looked away from the open window.


    She made sure she put it back up, then turned to her little son, who was curled up in her mom¡¯s arms. She stretched out her arms. ¡°Come here you¡±


    Nathan excitedly crawled into her arms and settled on herps. ¡°Mummy is going to make us very happy, baby¡± she said, and gave him a peck on his cheeks which made him giggle.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t we happy, mummy?¡± he asked, innocently.


    Maren smiled, trying not to look in her mom¡¯s direction as she could feel the ¡®I told you so¡¯ scowl on her face. ¡°Of course we are, baby. I just want us to live better and never have to worry about anything, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± he answered, not really getting the point.


    Maren finally nced at her mom, who just looked away from her. ¡°Where we¡¯re going, Zack¡¯s doesn¡¯t live too far from there, you know?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± He asked, his face brightened a little.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Maren answered, happy that she¡¯d made the right move.


    ¡°Can I go over to his house, mummy?¡± Maren thought for a while before looking back down at him.


    ¡°Well, why not-¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± He eximed happily, then resumed ying with the toy truck in his hands. Maren smiled and gently kissed his hair.


    ¡°You cheat,¡± her mom used with a smile ying on her lips.


    Maren just chuckled, ¡°Learnt from the best.¡± Her mom just shook her head, then turned to the road ahead of them.


    Maren did so too and watched the car in front of them as it moved steadily, careful to move too far from theirs. She wondered how much longer it would take, at the same time she loved the suspense.


    Minutes passed, then suddenly, the car began to reduce its eleration. Then, they turned a corner and a massive ck gate with no see through barriers came to view.


    Both cars stopped and waited for the gate to openpletely before driving in.


    ¡°Looking good,¡± Maren said as the car moved through the gate. They drove further inside as that was in sight were low hedges which were used to outline the path the cars took.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± Maren gasped as a building came into full sight after about twenty seconds of driving. The car in front of theirs was the first to pull into the parking lot, then theirs followed suit.


    ¡°So miss Sharppe, this is it,¡± a slimdy in a designer suit and a bob announced with a smile as she got out of the first car.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Mrs Sharppeplemented, her neck raised high to view the building.


    ¡°It¡¯s massive!¡± Maren¡¯s grin was the broadest as her eyes sparkled with admiration


    ¡°This way, please,¡± the slimdy instructed, her voice coated with self pride. They all obeyed and walked towards the main door. Thedy pushed in therge heavy door which opened the marvellous sight within.


    ¡°Who did you say built this again?¡± Maren asked, not taking her eyes off the unfathomable yet incredible statue in the middle of the room.


    ¡°It was built in the neen forties by a lord and his second wife. But it was renovated not too long ago by my teen to fit in our modern designs¡¯ ¡® she exined.


    Maren walked around the empty space of the castle-like house and headed for a staircase which stood at each end of the room. She went up a few steps, then looked down. The space wasrge enough to harbour a lot of guests for a party.


    She smiled, as her next move had just crept into her mind.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Shall I show you to the garden?¡± She said and walked straight from the statue to a door at the side of the room.


    They all followed behind, astonished, and watched her push open the door to a breathtakingly majestic garden, which sprawled across acres of thoroughly manicured terrain.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Nathan eximed, taking the word out of everyone¡¯s lips.


    Lots of green grass stretched towards the edges but was broken by clusters of ancient trees which seemed to have been there for as long as the original structure was. They were old, but they showed signs of extreme care over the years.


    The stone path was clean and shiny, which matched the outer walls of the fountain which stood in the middle of everything.


    Overall, the best detail about it was the tranquillity which the atmosphere bore. ¡®Perfect for meditation and dirty business,¡¯ Maren thought, a mischievous grin ying at her lips.


    ¡°Mummy, whose house is this?¡± Nathan asked, his brows still raised in childish wonder.


    ¡°This, my love, is our humble abode.¡±

 Chapter 61

    Alexander rushed through the white hall, knocking into one or two nurses as he did, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. His eyes were forward and focused on his destination.


    The guard who followed behind, though supposed to keep a reasonable distance, was now unable to catch up with him, as he was approximately flying.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± an elderlydy who looked like a ward cleaner screamed as Alexander¡¯s sprinting startled her, making her run into her own waste trolley.


    He just dashed past her and ran to a door. He turned the handle, but it did not budge. He tried again while trying to hit it with his shoulder, trying to break it down.


    ¡°The fuck?¡± He yelled and moved to therge transparent window. ¡°Hey, get your filthy hands off him¡± he banged on the window and screamed at the men in white coats who stood around his dad¡¯s bed.


    ¡°If I get through this door, I promise I¡¯ll have your heads.¡± He went back to the door and tried again, hopelessly. ¡°I¡¯m warning you,¡± he raged, banging more profusely on the window.


    One of the doctors turned to him and made a gesture that they¡¯ll soon be done.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y with me, man. Open this fucking door right now,¡± the ordered and continued his struggle. Alexander turned to the guard who had juste up beside him. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there, break this fucking door!¡± he screamed.


    The man took over, using his entire weight on the thick door. By this time, they¡¯d managed to gather a crowd.


    Alexander hurried over to the window again and peered through. ¡°No, don¡¯t you touch that-don¡¯t you-¡±


    Beeeeep!!! ¡°Fuck!¡± Alexander screamed.


    Bam! The door was down. Alexander immediately shoved the guards aside and dashed into the ward.


    ¡°No, dad!¡± He yelled as he tugged at the tubes and masks attached to his body. His face turned red andrge veins popped up on his forehead. ¡°No, no. What have you done?¡± He said, attaching and detaching what his hands could reach.


    Sir-¡±


    ¡°Shut up¡± he yelled at one of the doctors who trieding close to him. ¡°Dad?¡± He shook the man on the bed when he was satisfied with what he was doing.


    ¡°Dad, dad. No!¡± He screamed and slowly fell to his knees, burying his face in the bed sheet. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to go this way,¡± he muttered, his voice shaking with suppressed tears.


    After a moment of silence with all the doctors watching with gloom on their faces, Alexander stood up and wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt and turned to one doctor, who seemed like the superior.


    ¡°I had so much respect for this institute. Why this?¡± His voice was now surprisingly normal.


    ¡°I am so sorry, sir. It was really hard taking this decision, but we were only obeying orders.¡±


    Alexander¡¯s eyebrows raised in anger, grief, and curiosity. ¡°Orders from who?¡±


    *****


    ¡°Cheers to sess!!¡±


    ¡°To sess!¡± They all chorused as their sses clinked together. Maren was the first to put hers to her lips and down half the ss.


    ¡°This is one of the best decisions you¡¯ve ever made, girl,¡± Ne said, taking a sip from her ss. She tucked her golden hair, which Maren had just discovered was dyed, behind her ear as the wind threatened to make a part of what went into her mouth?


    ¡°I know, right?¡± Maren replied with a broad grin on her lips.


    ¡°Man, this would have cost a fortune,¡± Ne remarked, looking around the massive garden for the one millionth time. ¡°Right?¡± She turned back to Maren.


    Maren looked away and smiled, bringing the ss to her lips like it would save her from answering the question.


    Ne raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s really suspicious. How much did this cost?¡±


    Maren almost choked on augh and put down the ss on the table at which they sat. ¡°I mean, look around you. Does thise cheap? Just a few million. It¡¯s not that big of a deal¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, Maren. You¡¯re one of them now.¡± Ne said with a hearty smile on her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. One of them?¡±


    ¡°Those bastards with a one ss thingy on their eyes with fancy walking sticks, bitch. You¡¯re one of those billionaires now. You¡¯re unstoppable!¡±


    ¡°Hey, not so fast, baby steps.¡± Maren said, though deep down, she¡¯d repeated those words over and over in her head.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t baby steps, Maren. This is massive¡± she took a sip of her drink as silence engulfed both of them with only the sound of the rustling trees and chirping of birds being heard.


    Ne picked up her phone and began swiping through while Maren was all jumpy and screaming with joy in her head.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯d be able to do all these if you had stayed married to alexander?¡± Ne suddenly spoke.


    Maren turned away, her mind drifting from being nk to having an answer, then repeating the process again.


    She blinked a couple of times and stared down at her drink like it held the answer.


    Ne suddenly looked up from her phone. ¡°Oh my god, I really meant no harm. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to answer,¡± she said innocently.


    ¡°I and Alexander¡¯s rtionship was great for so long and honestly, what I felt for him was genuine. Alexander is not a limiting person at all, he¡¯s just reallypetitive in a really frustrating way.¡±


    ¡°For the short time I got to actually know him, I-¡±


    ¡°Maren¡±


    Both women turned towards the voice and met Mrs Sharppe with a grave look on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, mom?¡± She asked as the woman walked closer to where they sat.


    She grabbed a nearby chair and joined them at the table, then handed over her phone, which they had just noticed she was holding.


    ¡°-that the doctors at his family hospital confirmed the death of Mr. Philip ckwood in the early hours of yesterday.¡± His son, Alexander ckwood-¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡±

 Chapter 62

    The car came to a smooth halt at the parking lot of the cathedral, taking its ce in the midst of many other cars.


    Maren¡¯s gaze fell on her reflection in the rearview mirror. The ck eyeliner which she had used under her eyes made her look more moody than she already was.


    She silently thanked God that she hadn¡¯t thought of bringing Nathan to witness what she felt wasing, though he had begged toe along.


    Maren?¡± she heard Ne call, peering hopelessly through the tinted ss of the car. Maren turned to her reflection again and took a deep breath before getting her things together and getting out of the car.


    As soon as she got out, she put on her dark shades and bounced alongside Ne towards the main building.


    ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m doing this,¡± Maren remarked, looking away from everyone who stared at her longer than they should, knowing the shades were as good as useless in hiding her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s there not to believe? You¡¯re here to honour your ex father-inw and your son¡¯s grandfather. You are doing the right thing,¡± Ne assured but Maren knew there was nothing that could alter what she was feeling on the base of her stomach.


    The thought of Alexander¡¯s blood still running through Nathan¡¯s veins was something she knew was still going to hunt her in a good way or bad way.


    They got to the entrance of the building, walked in, and stopped. ¡°Wow, that is a lot of people,¡± Maren confirmed.


    ¡°And we¡¯re an hour early. How are there this much people already?¡± Ne asked, looking up from her wristwatch.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s how it is when you¡¯re someone whomands as much respect as the president.¡±


    Maren scanned the crowd, looking for the best ce to get a seat. Somewhere where no one would bother her. But just as she looked around, the thing she dreaded the most urred.


    Her eyes rested on Alexander, who was speaking with a few people and just at the right time, he turned and locked eyes with her. Even with her shades on, she could feel him staring into her eyes.


    He kept his eyes on her for a while and when he finally turned back to the people he was speaking with, Maren had the consciousness to look away.


    She looked down and sighed. ¡°Fuck!¡± Then turned to Ne. ¡°Can you get us some seats? I¡¯ll be back¡±


    Ne¡¯s brows creased slightly as she watched Maren walk away, though it didn¡¯t show because of how hidden her brows were under her fringe.N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    ¡°We really hope you find the heart to take this loss,¡± Maren heard one man say as she got close to where Alexander stood with his small crowd.


    ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± Alexander answered and rested his eyes on Maren. The people noticed and turned their heads to view the intruder.


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll go take our seats now Alex.¡± Another man said and spread his arms for a hug while Maren watched in half grief. Others just shook hands with him and walked away from him.


    They stood staring at each other for a while. Then Alexander raised his head a little at her and held his hands behind his back. ¡°Want to talk?¡±


    ¡°Yea-um-i guess, let¡¯s do that¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t believe I¡¯m actually here.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you came,¡± Alexander replied, staring into thin air with his hands sped behind his back.


    They emerged from the building and walked slowly towards an empty spot where no cars were parked.


    Maren took off her sses and stared at Alexander. She was d she did, as she could now see his face clearly.


    His face was gloomy and pale, almost like that of some undead creature. His forehead wrinkled into folds, giving him the appearance of being much older than his age. It was obvious that his mind and body weren¡¯t handling the grief so well.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your dad¡± she finally spoke as they stopped at the edge on a high ground. ¡°I wish I could have seen him before he died.¡±


    Alexander shrugged, ¡°He was supposed to be dead about a month ago anyway, but I guess the life support just worked over effectively¡± Maren noticed the pain in his voice. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you saw him or not anyway, he onlyd little strength to say three words to me a couple of weeks back¡±


    Maren¡¯s curiosity set in, and she bit her lip. That really wasn¡¯t the time to ask silly questions. ¡®Your contract ex-husband and father of your son is grieving, for goodness¡¯ sake!¡¯ her head screamed.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asked, looking straight at his face as she moved closer. A part of her felt the urge to say fuck it and get the hell out of there. The other wanted to stay and be with him at the ceremony and, obviously, she¡¯d pick that side after much hassle.


    Alexander sighed and looked down at his feet, and all Maren saw was a little boy who¡¯d lost his father. A sudden softness mixed with guilt washed over her.


    ¡°I just really need to get through this day,¡± he answered firmly. I mean, I literally don¡¯t know more than half of the people in there, but they all knew my dad and each one of them keep trying to extend their condolences in different annoying ways¡±


    He paused and looked back up, taking a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s depressing¡±


    Marenpletely closed the gap between them, held on to his arm and rested her head on it as both of them stared into the valley below in silence.


    ¡°Did you ever hate the way your dad treated you?¡± She asked in a small voice.


    ¡°My dad really wasn¡¯t as bad as he seemed. Honestly, I think, he was always uptight because my mom had hurt him¡±


    Maren almost chuckled at the thought of Mr. ckwood being a lover boy, but obviously-not the time ¡°She left him?¡±


    ¡°No, he divorced her. If you ask me, I really don¡¯t know why. He never told me and warned me to never speak of her ever again. And he sew me just that way till hisst words¡±


    ¡°What was your mom like?¡± she asked after a brief moment.


    Alexander paused for a second and stared down at Maren, though he could not see her face, just her hair.


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t really there for most of my life, but while she was there, she wasn¡¯t less of a mother than you are to Nathan.¡±


    Maren raised her head and met his eyes. That was something she¡¯d waited so long for someone to say out loud.


    ¡°I think we should go back into the cathedral,¡± Alexander said, breaking the emotion-filled silence.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be better,¡± Maren replied and broke arms with him as they turned around and headed towards the building. ¡°So, um, rumours have been passing that there were orders to pull the plug on your dad?¡±

 Chapter 63

    The organ music swelled, as the procession began, led by a bishop, followed by Alexander¡¯s uncle¡¯s both the one she¡¯d met at Alexander¡¯s hand over party and the old frail one who had escorted Maren to the altar on their wedding day.


    Behind them was Alexander and then Maren, who now had on shades again staring at the ground trying to avoid an unwanted angle from showing on the cameras of the press.


    The following behind was a sea of guests of notable figures from various fields who bothered to join in the procession into the church.


    The air was thick with emotion as they got to the altar and began dispersing to their various seats.


    On the other hand, Maren decided not to overthink it and simply walked over to where Ne was seated, making herselffortable.


    It was when she had sat that she realised how packed to capacity the cathedral was with dignitaries, celebrities, and ordinary citizens all gathered to pay their respects.


    When all had settled in their ces, the bishop began addressing the congregation. ¡°We gather today to celebrate the life of a truly extraordinary individual. A man whose presence was felt and whose absence will be felt in generations toe¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Looks like you have everything under control over there¡± Ne said, gesturing codedly towards where Alexander was seated.


    ¡°That man is broken, Ne,¡± Maren said in a quiet voice, resisting the urge to look at the altar where the casket sat.


    Ne raised a brow. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re only feeling this way because of his dad¡±


    ¡°Of course. What other reason? Did anyone else die?¡± Maren shot.


    Ne raised her hands slightly in surrender. ¡°If you say so,¡± she said and turned back to the priest, who had begun other rites.


    Maren looked away, her eyes drifting to the conversation she¡¯d had with Alexander.


    ¡°So, um, rumours have been passing that there were orders to pull the plug on your father?¡± Maren asked and bit her lower lip, hoping she hadn¡¯t triggered a nerve.


    Alexander just looked ahead and kept walking in the leisurely space they both were. Maren turned to him, resisting the urge to touch him as she needed her hands to hold up her long gown.


    ¡°Is it true?¡±


    Alexander tucked his hands into his pockets. ¡°Yes, it is¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god¡± Maren¡¯s brows creased in both worry and disgust. ¡°Who would order such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Apparently, it was my prodigal good-for-nothing brother who decided to announce his existence by killing his own father¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, that¡¯s horrible. He sounds like a terrible person wherever he is,¡± Maren added, her brows heavy with more irritation.


    Alexander raised a brow and looked at her. ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°God, I feel sad for your dad, having a son like that,¡± Maren continued toment.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Alexander grunted and turned his head forward again. Then silence followed as they were now feet away from the building.


    Maren suddenly picked up pace, then stopped and turned to face him. They both stared at each other for a while, with Maren fighting the memories that threatened to resurface in her head.


    ¡°I really am sorry about your dad and er-¡±


    ¡°It really doesn¡¯t have to be weird, Maren,¡± Alexander interrupted, noticing the reluctance in her voice.


    ¡®Thank goodness¡¯ Maren¡¯s head rang.


    ¡°I¡¯m just really d you could make it,¡± he replied, and she smiled in response.


    ¡°Why did your mom say she couldn¡¯t make it again?¡± Ne whispered, jolting her back from her reverie.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Some cooked up story about Nathan wanting her to stay with him since I couldn¡¯t,¡± she whispered back.


    ¡°Your mom is such a drama queen¡±


    ¡°She probably just dislikes them for reasons known to herself,¡± she added, and finally lifted her eyes forward and focused on the bishop, who said words she wasn¡¯t paying attention to.


    She avoided looking in Alexander¡¯s direction, though she thought she felt him nce at her once or twice.


    At this point, she really didn¡¯t know what she was feeling on the inside. But this was not what she imagined when she decided to slip into a ck dress toe honour Mr ckwood.


    Alexander, as she¡¯s noticed, is not softer than he ever could, but she wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or bad thing.


    ¡®He¡¯s probably just too shaken about this entire thing,¡¯ she assured herself. She unconsciously turned her head and rested her eyes on him.


    She still had feelings for him.


    ¡°He may be gone, but his legacy will live on through his son, us, and the lives he touched.¡± the bishop¡¯s voice came loudly through the speakers again.


    There was a murmur of amen. From angles of the building before, the bishop gave the ground to whomever wanted to say a few words of tribute.


    Alexander¡¯s most senior uncle, who Maren guessed wasn¡¯t so much younger than Mr. ckwood, was the first to step up. That was the first time she¡¯d heard him say a word, and he really thought and spoke like Alexander¡¯s father.


    The next toe up was the other uncle, who was more free spirited than all the others. He spoke for only a few minutes before turning to Alexander, who bluntly declined to give any form of speech.


    Then close friends followed, each one giving their unique perspective to Mr. ckwood, which Maren listened to with actual admiration.


    Then, after the short mass came to an end, the bishop finally said the final blessing and processed out of the building.


    ¡°That really wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be,¡± Ne said as she and Maren made their way towards their separate cars, which were parked side by side.


    She kept her gaze forward, but deep down she wanted to look around for a strange figure which she could ce as Alexander¡¯s brother.


    A smile crept onto Maren¡¯s lips as her gaze fell on Alexander, who stood in the midst of some men who seemed to be giving him some advice he didn¡¯t want to hear, judging from his uninterested facial expression.


    ¡®Since when was Alexander so polite?¡¯ she thought.


    Maren could remember when her mom was in that situation when her dad died. Like her mom wasn¡¯t on good terms with her dad, she really didn¡¯t want to hear whatever shit they had to say to her about him. And she¡¯d made it clear by walking away when either of them approached her.


    ¡°Drama queen,¡± she murmured and almost chuckled.


    ¡°Alright, time to get the hell out of here,¡± Ne announced as they got to their cars.


    ¡°Hey, can I talk to you for a second?¡± Maren heard as she was about to get into the car. She turned to meet Alexander¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I was wondering if maybe after this blows away maybe we could talk?¡± He almost stammered.


    Maren smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t make it weird, Alexander.¡± She said and paused. ¡°It¡¯ll be nice to talk though.¡±

 Chapter 64

    ¡°Good choice for a bribe,¡± Maren said as she held a ss to her lips, looking at the houses in view.


    The night was pitch ck, with only the full moon to brighten the sky. There wasn¡¯t so much wind, which was just perfect as they¡¯d considered a roof top as their choice of location.


    There was not too bright lighting around them, which not only served as their source of illumination but also as a source of warmth.


    Alexander scoffed inwardly and waited till the server poured each of them a ss of the almost yellow coloured champagne.


    Maren stared at the rooftops of the sshouses, trying to free her mind during this once in a lifetime chance to not work.


    ¡°Shall we make a toast?¡±


    Maren turned to face him. ¡°Alright.¡± She picked up her own ss carefully. ¡°A toast to life, new beginnings, and¡­¡±


    ¡°Forgotten pasts?¡±


    A small smile appeared on Maren¡¯s face. ¡°Too soon soldier.¡± She clinked her ss on his even if he wasn¡¯t ready, then took a sip.


    ¡°So sorry I couldn¡¯t make it to themittal service, by the way. I was really upied that day¡± she asked after a brief silence with only the faint sounds of car engines below to be heard as the building on which they sat was tall, just perfect for a private dinner.


    ¡°I mean, your presence would have meant a lot, but I had Eddie by my side throughout, so I guess that¡¯s enough¡±


    ¡°d you understand¡±


    ¡°So how¡¯s work? How¡¯s the new upgrade? How¡¯s Kendrick?¡±


    Maren paused for a moment and stared into his eyes, but they were nk, so she looked back down at her drink.


    ¡°It is stressful, I can tell you that, but if I¡¯m being honest, it¡¯s enjoyable. I mean, working and seeing the actual results of your hard work is the most rxing feeling ever. And yeah, Kendrick makes everything easy when he can. ¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°So you like him as your boss?¡± Alexander as after contemting for a while.


    She took a silent deep breath reminding herself about self control and the fact that she should have prepared for this when she blindly agreed to his offer. ¡°He¡¯s not my boss alright? He¡¯s a partner and please let¡¯s not get started on that topic tonight¡±


    Maren saw his adam¡¯s apple bob up and down in his throat as he focused his gaze on her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Is this what this is about?¡± Her voice was calm. ¡°Trying to be sneaky to get things out of my mouth?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. If I wanted to do that, I¡¯d have lots of men at my fingertips,¡± Alexander replied with his usual authoritative tone.


    ¡°Well, great¡± she picked up her ss and took a sip.


    ¡°So what about my son? Haven¡¯t seen him in a while precisely since you practically eloped with him?¡±


    Maren almost scoffed her drink back into the ss. ¡®Your son?¡¯ her head screamed


    ¡°He¡¯s your son now?¡± she said and ced the ss on the table.


    ¡°He was always mine.¡± his voice was now calmer.


    ¡°Oh really? What about the time you foolishly rejected him, obviously out of your own selfish decision?¡±


    ¡°Maren, please, let¡¯s not have this talk now. Not today. I only asked a harmless question about our son¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, our?¡± Maren scoffed and threw her head back. ¡°He¡¯s my son alright? He¡¯s fine without having a father, always has.¡±


    Alexander raised his hands a little in surrender. ¡°Alright, fine.¡±


    Maren just grabbed her ss and down the rest of his content while looking away from him.


    Alexander smiled inwardly as she returned the empty ss to the table. He could feel her body tense up a little. She probably thought he¡¯d push it further.


    Then his face straightened, and he leaned forward from the rxed position he had been since the night began, his expression neutral.


    ¡°I really want to know something though,¡± he began, his eyes focused on her like he was staring straight at her skeletal figure.


    Maren turned to him again, her face as serious as his. This night wasn¡¯t going ording to how she thought it would.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Alexander took a sip of his drink. ¡°I want to know how exactly you feel about me¡±


    ¡®That was I credibly straightforward¡¯ she thought.


    She fought the urge to blink multiple times, as that would mean he¡¯d caught her off guard and she was going to give him that entertainment. So she just stared back, though his eyes seemed to intimidate her.


    Soon enough, she gave up on the gaze and turned to the bowl of grapes in the middle of the table, which they¡¯dpletely ignored since it arrived.


    She plucked one and popped it into her mouth. She looked up at Alexander again, as her tongue yed around with it before her teeth took over.


    In truth, she was stalling, her mind racing, thinking of her to say what was on her mind.


    ¡°Should I be honest with you?¡± She finally said, after swallowing the fruit in her mouth.


    ¡°Please¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never loved anyone as much as I¡¯ve loved William.¡±


    Alexander leaned back in his seat, but his expression remained unchanged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare act surprised¡± she said and paused, but he didn¡¯t react. ¡°But if I¡¯m being honest with myself, I did develop feelings for you during the marriage, but I felt it was wrong, so I tried suppressing it¡±


    ¡°Coupled with the fact that you were being an inconsiderate, selfish douchebag,¡± she said and took a breath.


    ¡°I thought I could actually love you, Alexander.¡± Her voice was more rxed. ¡°I mean, during the time she softened and actually cared about me. But obviously, it was an act!¡±


    ¡°Forgive me for being delusional and thinking that in every story like this one, a sudden marriage always begins with the man having hidden feelings for thedy.


    ¡°Because I promise it¡¯s not going to happen again, so don¡¯t bothering for me because I am done with this¡± she stopped and leaned forward.


    ¡°If I love you, I don¡¯t.¡±


    Alexander drummed his fingers on the table as the silence persisted. Veins appeared on his forehead as he shifted his gaze from the table to Maren.


    How long have you waited to say all that?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t imagine¡±

 Chapter 65

    His shoes made soft but heard sounds on the marble floor as he got out of the elevator.


    With his phone in one hand and a suitcase in another, he strode towards arge ck door almost at the end of the hallway.


    He got to the door, then paused. Slowly putting away his phone. At the same speed, he stepped away from the brown foot mat in front of his door and took a look at it.


    His brows furrowed as the rug has slightly turned to the left. With carefulness, he turned it to its right position.


    Slowly and quietly, he pocketed his phone. His hands slowly reached underneath his long leather coat where his trusty Beretta was holstered. He pushed a button on the side of therge door and it began to open at a steady pace.


    Sure enough, someone was or had been in his office, as he was sure he¡¯d put off all the lights in the office. Especially the one at the corner where his shelf of special documents was kept.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    His grip on the gun tightened as soon as the door opened wide enough for him to walk through, his sense aroused. He took and step with the gun pointed in front of him. He advanced further into the room.


    His eyes scanned the room from left to right with the gun pointing in every direction he turned, but he couldn¡¯t quite see the entirety of the space on his left as a cupboard stood in the way.


    With no one in sight, he moved further into the room with calcted precision and cocked the gun.


    ¡®Bang!¡¯ He could recognize the sound of the fridge on the left of his office.


    His grip on the trigger tightened as he calcted his movements to strike.


    ¡®Three, two¡­ Bang!¡¯ he pulled the trigger lucky enough, the figure was quick enough to move and slightly dodge the bullet.


    ¡°What the fuck? Are you trying to kill me, too?¡± Alexander asked, shock visible on his face and a beer in his hand.


    ¡°The hell do you think you¡¯re doing sneaking into my office?¡± Kendrick asked, his brows rxed, but he still pointed the gun at his intruder.


    ¡°Came to grab a beer,¡± he replied and took a gulp from the bottle and swallowed hard. ¡°Terrible choice, by the way,¡± he said and dropped the bottle on a table nearby.


    Kendrick tucked his gun away and put down his suitcase before turning around to settle himself behind hisrge office table.


    ¡°So help me God, your head would¡¯ve been rolling by now,¡± he said, amused by the thought. ¡°What the hell are you doing here, by the way? And did you walk here alone?¡±


    Alexander spread his hands. ¡°Like I said, came to get a drink. Which I really regret now¡±


    Kendrick kept silent and just busied himself with the things on his table while Alexander folded his hands and strolled around the office, touching what he wanted.


    ¡°Nice office,¡± heplimented, touching a medium-sized golden award which was in the shape of arge bullet but on a second look, it looked like a blimp.


    ¡°Care to share why you decide to y ninja rather than being at your office making yourself useful?¡±


    Alexander smiled but kept looking round the office. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know exactly why I¡¯m here.¡±


    Kendrick scoffed, ¡°Loitering is a really punishable offence on these premises and right now you¡¯re engaging in the worst kind, Mr. ckwood?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess that¡¯s why you were aiming to make me a range target?¡± Alexander was now in front of the table.


    Kendrick almost chuckled, ¡°Trust me, if I wanted to use you as one, you¡¯d be saying yourst prayers in an ambnce by now¡± he said and a silence followed as each man made as if plotting the other¡¯s murder.


    ¡°If this is about Maren, then you¡¯re wasting your time,¡± Kendrick finally said and turned away from him.


    ¡°Quite on the contrary, sir¡± he ced both hands on the table and leaned forward with seriousness written ¡°I want to know why you killed my father¡±


    Kendrick raised his head to him and squinted his eyes. Making him look more menacing, ¡°And who¡¯s your father?¡±


    ¡°Quit fucking with me, Kendrick. Jokes aside. I really should have strode into this ce with a gun to your head, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯ll always be a pussy then¡± the grin on his face was obvious now.


    ¡°Mr Philip ckwood is my father in case you forgot¡± he gritted his teeth.


    ¡°And what do I have to do with him?¡±


    Alexander hit the table hard in anger, but Kendrick remained unmoved. He¡¯d seen this a lot of times.


    ¡°You ordered the plug to be pulled on him. You murdered him!¡±


    Kendrick paused and interlocked his fingers. His face was both calm and amused. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Who exactly told you that?¡±


    ¡°Argh!¡± Using his hands, Alexander pushed away all the files and other items off the table. Veins began to appear on his forehead.


    ¡°I was told the orders were given by a direct rtive, and I know it was you, Kendrick. And you had no right to do that¡±


    In a sh, Kendrick was up from where he sat, the amusement wiped away and his lips were turned in an upside down smile. His beard glistened in the light and moved with every word he spoke.


    ¡°My name is Kendrick Harding, aka ckwood. The first son of Philip and Hailey ckwood, and the rightful heir to whatever my father owned. I had every right to do what I did, Alexander,¡± he roared.


    Alexander scoffed, ¡°A for effort on the unnecessary intro. But one thing you¡¯ve nevere at peace with is the fact that you are not one of us. You are not a ckwood. You¡¯re just some proud, greedy mother fucker who refused to y by the rules given to him¡±


    ¡°If ying by the rules meant sucking his dick and being you, then I¡¯m d I decided to suck my own dick¡±


    Alexander straightened himself where he stood and now stood face to face with Kendrick. Each man¡¯s breath fanned the other slightly as they stared daggers at each other.


    ¡°Father disowned you for reasons best known to both of us. I am the only offspring of Philip ckwood.¡±

 Chapter 66

    ¡°I bet you think you¡¯re better than me,¡± Kendrick echoed with a menacing grin on his face. ¡°Did you ever think about why he treated us that way?¡± He asked rhetorically.


    ¡°Because he knew the little boys who mom gave birth to. Mom was smart, too smart and yes, it did rub on us both and that was what dad was scared off,¡± Kendrick exined and Alexander just watched him in anger.


    Kendrick folded his arms and moved away from the table, but kept his eyes on his little brother. ¡°How about a little story time, hmm?¡±


    He walked over to the fridge and took out a bottle of beer. ¡°By the way, this is the best where Ie from.¡± He uncocked it and took a few gulps.


    ¡°We used to be so close, Alexander. I mean, we only had each other. Mom was busy, dad was busy, we were alone. It wasn¡¯t any better when they both began having issues.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can remember that part vividly because you were a victim of their violence once,¡± he said and took another gulp.


    ¡°One thing you never noticed, dear gullible brother of mine, is that dad envied mom. He saw so much potential and ambition in her that it scared him off, so he wanted to suppress that ambition, but she refused.


    ¡°She wanted to expand, go all out with her business. She was steadfast and strong-willed that she never listened to dad and was what resulted in their issues and eventually, your father filed for a divorce with the im that she was disrespectful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just saying all this because you were her favourite,¡± Alexander spat.


    ¡°And I guess the reason has be clear now, right? While you were busy hiding behind dad¡¯s legs, mom pumped me with her zeal.¡±


    ¡°She make me see things in a way neither you nor dad saw or reasoned even till the dad she left us with dad and walked out the door¡±


    ¡°You, Alexander, were too foolish to read between the lines. Too blind to see what dad was actually doing and what he seeded in doing.¡±


    ¡°What? He chose and limited our friends, while our age mates fucked and drenched themselves in PS. He bent out necks in his bloody documents¡±


    ¡°You should be grateful, sonic,¡± Alexander said and folded his arms.


    Kendrick scoffed and turned to the fridge, then pulled out another bottle of bear and passed it to his brother.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I think you need this right now,¡± he offered. Alexander looked at the bottle, then army Kendrick, before collecting it and taking a gulp.


    Kendrick walked away from him and was not strolling around the room, beer in hand and looking around. ¡°He wasn¡¯t doing us a favour, Einstein. He was making us who he wanted us to be, how he wanted us to be. ¡±


    ¡°He knew that definitely if he¡¯d let us we would have been better than him because, of course, mom¡¯s smartness rubbed off on us both. Dad never wanted anyone to do better than him.¡±


    ¡°Always wanting to have the upper hand in everything, so it decided to groom us and stop us when we showed signs of bigger ideas.¡±


    ¡°He made any idea we had look bad and worthless and you would have noticed that if you hadn¡¯t stuck your hand a thousand inches up your own ass¡±


    ¡°I saw that. ¡°I observed that, and not just because he was hard on me, but because of the numerous times I received scolding for deciding to make apple pies from apples,¡± he added.


    ¡°So when I decided to finally have some balls, I confronted him, but of course he brushed it aside and called me ungrateful.¡±


    He took a sip from his bottle and smiled at Alexander¡¯s angry and astonished look on his face.


    ¡°That, baby brother, was the only trigger I needed to tell myself that I needed to leave and be my own man¡± he paused and chuckled. ¡°god, I can remember that night like it was yesterday¡±


    ¡°He threatened to disown me, but still, I left because I was done being a pussy. I made you an offer toe with me, but as usual, you chickened out and hid away in your room as he ordered you to, Alexander.¡±


    Kendrick paused and smiled, then turned to his brother. ¡°I remember looking up and seeing you watching me leave through the window and all I could think of is what he would do to you¡±


    ¡°Evidently, I was not wrong,¡± he concluded and walked away from his brother, who now had his fists clenched.


    ¡°I was sixteen-¡±


    ¡°And dad had you at the balls?¡± Kendrick interrupted, ying with a globe, which he had picked from a shelf. ¡°You had a chance to make a choice, but you chose to keep being in his shadows. All for what? Little credit and a part from his will?¡±


    ¡°All he made you do was see everyone as apetition just like he did¡±


    ¡°He made me into a man. And you¡¯re just saying all this because you know I was always better than you.¡±


    Kendrick chuckled, making Alexander¡¯s tight grip on the bottle burst it apart.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he told you that the minute I left the house. Come to think of it, why do you think he began calling you Tim?¡± He asked, ignoring the mess all over his office floor but Alexander kept silent.


    He walked over to his chair and sat withplete amusement.


    ¡°I was once worthy of that name but when I refused to be his puppet, he threw it at the next avable person who was just gullible enough to swallow whatever was fed to him¡± his face became serious. ¡°He never even had the balls to legally disown me. ¡±


    ¡°Look around you,, Alex. Mypany is the third most sessful in the state. You think a daddy¡¯s boy would have done that? I¡¯m going to rise above that soon, man. I¡¯m sure of it,¡± he said with a satisfied and victorious smile.


    At this point, it was obvious that there was nothing else Alexander could say of this eye opening revtion. He hadpletely been in the dark about so many things for so long.


    He finally stood up from where he sat.


    ¡°You can say whatever crap you choose, but what I know is I only, had the right to pull that plug¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on, I had to. He was in pain, you are torturing him-¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know that?!¡± He bellowed


    Kendrick paused, taken aback. He raised a brow. ¡°Oh wow, someone¡¯s got some dark shit going on¡±

 Chapter 67

    Alexander¡¯s eyes were now wide and red in fury. Veins appeared on the sides of his neck and forehead with his fists clenched beneath him.


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is-¡±


    ¡°I knew he was in pain. And I instructed it. How do you think he became like that in the first ce?¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Kendrick ced his elbow on the table, interlocked his fingers, and ced them under his jaw. His eyes sparked with interest.


    ¡°Wow, I really did underestimate you. Please tell me more.¡±


    ¡°Apart from mom¡¯s part, I knew about everything. I observed it too, Kendrick, and chose to keep quiet to see what I could get from him. I won¡¯t deny I really thought I could gain a lot from him, but you were right. He was a pain in the ass¡±


    ¡°god, that man was a monster. His health was failing quite alright, but I wanted to make sure he never came out of it easy and alive. I spoke with his doctor, our family doctor, and reluctantly helped me¡±


    ¡°I vowed he would suffer Kendrick.¡± He suddenly shit his eyes and caressed his temple with one hand. ¡°You really can¡¯t imagine what he made me go through.¡±


    Kendrick fell back in his chair but kept his eyes on his brother. ¡°No need to go into details. I knew who that man was,¡± he said and paused. ¡°You should have left with-¡±


    ¡°I knew I should have left with you,¡± he snapped. ¡°I realised that the hard way¡± he copsed into the chair which he¡¯d stood up from.


    ¡°I only regret not being the one to pull the plug.¡± Then silence engulfed them both as each man was soaked in their thoughts.


    ¡°Well,¡± Kendrick finally said, and pulled out one drawer beneath the table. He pulled out a bottle of wine with the body covered with the skin of a lion.


    He ced it on the table and pulled out two winesses. ¡°You¡¯re wee to drink with me if you wish,¡± he offered and uncocked the bottle, which gave off a loud sound, then poured into the sses till they were half full.


    Alexander looked at his brother, who raised a brow for him to go ahead. He finally grabbed one and took a sip. Kendrick also followed suit.


    ¡°One more thing though,¡± Alexander said and put down the ss, his eyes still burning with fury. ¡°Stay away from Maren¡±


    Kendrick was calm as he stared at him. He raised the ss and took a sip, indicating that he¡¯d been waiting for this moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let us do this to ourselves,¡± Alexander warned. Instead, Kendrick just gave off his signature guttural chuckle, which rang through the room.


    *****


    The sounds of cupboard and wardrobes opening and closing were the only thing to be heard as Maren sort through her clothes, obviously in search of something.


    She pulled out heaps of folded clothes and ced them on the bed before violently unfolding them.


    When that heap was done, she moved back to the almost empty wardrobe and rummaged through it. She suddenly paused and slowly reached for something.


    From it, she slowly dragged out a red-


    A knock at the door came, making Maren turn sharply towards the door. ¡°Ma¡¯am, your mom requests your presence downstairs, in the dining room¡±


    ¡°Be right down,¡± she shouted back and turned back to the cloth in her hands, then stuffed it down into the wardrobe and far from prying eyes.


    She walked down the stairs briskly, eyes on her phone as she walked to the dining room.


    Believe me when I say it wasrge as fuck. She followed the scent of the various meals lined up at one part of the table as pulled out a chair.


    ¡°I think you should put that phone down, youngdy,¡± her mom said as soon as she took her seat as she ced another covered dish on the table in front of Maren.


    Maren looked up from her phone, suddenly more aware of her surroundings. ¡°Oh, my god, mom. Who the fuck is eating all this?¡±


    Her mom chuckled and settled in another seat, which she had pulled from the head of the table. Which was just adjacent to where Maren sat.


    ¡°Well, you decided to buy arge house. Why not eat like people inrge houses do?¡± She replied in amusement.


    ¡°These don¡¯te cheap, you know that, right?¡± Maren queried further with a look of horror on her face. Her mom just shrugged and uncovered a bowl of vegetable sd.


    Maren, still in her state, reached for therge covered dish in front of her and uncovered a stuffed whole chicken.


    ¡°Who the fuck is going to finish all these, mom?¡±


    Mrs Sharppe just ignored her and began helping herself to the sd. Maren helplessly just smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Nathan?¡± Mrs Sharppe asked as she began slicing a portion of the turkey not too far from her.


    ¡°He wanted to go out to the park, so I told rose to take him,¡± she responded, slowly sipping on the broth


    ¡°There¡¯s a park around here also?¡±


    ¡°Ne took him and Zack some other time and ever since, those kids have refused to stay at home¡±


    Silence overcame the room, and each woman focused on their food.


    ¡°Those boys are going to grow into fine young men,¡± Mrs Sharppe remarked, breaking the silence. Her eyes on her food.


    ¡°They better,¡± Maren murmured.


    Maren¡¯s mom raised her eyes to her daughter, then turned back down at the food.


    ¡°That reminds me.¡± She began. ¡°Are you getting back with Alexander?¡±


    Maren rolled her eyes. Clearly, she¡¯d been expecting it earlier. ¡°Really mom? You really want to do this now?¡±


    Her mom nodded. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯d just run away with work as an excuse¡±


    Maren knew her mom was right. There was no argument there, and she¡¯d been avoiding this topic ever since that dinner, as she really didn¡¯t want to give it a second thought. But now she had no choice.


    ¡°He is the father of my son and your grandson. But he did hurt me so badly by refusing to ept Nathan directly or indirectly.¡±


    ¡°Where are you going with this, Maren?¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is-¡± her voice trailed off as she stared at the food in front of her, which she had lost interest in a minute ago and was now turning the spoon yfully in it.


    She shrugged. ¡°I mean-¡± her brows creased. She raised her head to meet her mom, who had also been staring at her. ¡°I don¡¯t know, mom¡±

 Chapter 68

    Water sshed around as people-mostly men dived into the pool.


    ¡°Oh my god, I can believe I let you talk me into this, Ne.¡± Maren said, dodging the ssh of water with a scowl in her face. She turned around as she didn¡¯t get a response and met no oneing behind her.


    She sighed and walked a few steps, looking around where she had juste from. ¡°Ne?¡± She didn¡¯t walk too far as she saw Ne almost glued to a yellow-haired guy in trunks and dark shades.


    She seemed so annoyingly interested in what he was saying as she wasughing loudly and grinning so broadly, all while ring at him.


    Maren could only roll her eyes and mutter, ¡°Whore¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, I really didn¡¯t even think of it that way,¡± Ne said out loud and broke into another feat ofughter which the guy reciprocated.


    ¡°Do you mean-¡± they bumped into Maren, whose arms were folded but still managed to hold on to her drink. ¡°Oh my, Maren. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t see you there¡±


    ¡°What the fuck Ne¡± she said dryly.


    ¡°I¡­really¡­don¡¯t get you,¡± Ne said, making a face that showed her confusion.


    The man suddenly extended his hand for a handshake. ¡°Hi, you must be Maren Sharppe. I¡¯m Martin Barnes¡±


    ¡°Get that thing away from me,¡± Maren spat, making the guy retrieve his hand almost immediately.


    ¡°O-kay, um I¡¯ll be right over there when you¡¯re done with all this,¡± he said and detangled from Ne.


    Ne folded her arms and her face got serious as soon as he left. ¡°Why¡¯re you such a sour pussy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, tasty pussy. But I didn¡¯tpletely consent to being here but here I am and you¡¯re fucking off with some hot ass stranger,¡± Maren snapped and turned towards the loungers which lined up a few feet beside therge pool.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you understand why I¡¯m with him, so why don¡¯t you live a little?¡±


    They both got to the line of loungers, and Maren was the first to settle into one. Sheid on it and ced her drink on the nearby small table.


    She then covered her beautiful bikini-clothed body with her kaftan and brought down her sses to her eyes like it would stop her from hearing what Ne was saying.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be best if you pick your ass up and get fuckingid, Maren,¡± Ne said with a mischievous raised brow, ¡°knowing that you work too much and we both know you¡¯ve been starved for too long.


    ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m living off of the after result of having that thought once,¡± she replied with her eyes to the sky as the sun cast elegant rays on her skin.


    Ne shrugged, as she really wasn¡¯t going to let Maren ruin this opportunity. ¡°Alright, have it your way, but I¡¯m going to go meet Keith if you¡¯re not going to be this way throughout.¡±


    ¡°This is a private overpriced pool, alright? And there are lots of famous dicks around which are not going to waste. Not on my watch¡± she turned to leave.


    ¡°Why does he even bear Martin? He¡¯s fucking white¡±


    ¡°His parents were both ck,¡± Ne said as she began walking away. ¡°And that is very fucking racist, Maren!¡±


    ¡°If you need me, you know where to find me!¡±


    Maren almost giggled as Ne¡¯s voice faded. If she was being honest, it really was nice. I mean, the atmosphere was just right to be outside.


    And yeah, Ne was right. She really had been working harder these days and feeling the wind on her skin was really soothing and-


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± Maren shot up from where shey. She was dripping wet from her shoulders down, as her face had barely escaped the spray.


    ¡°So sorry¡± the guys anddies who had been ying in the pool echoed, but not for long as they resumed their games.


    Maren was fuming alright but there really was nothing she could do. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, summoning all the self control she had left in her body.


    When she was satisfied, she opened her eyes again and looked around at the pieces of shit who had gone back to what they were doing.


    She turned to the lounger and thought there was no way she was going to lie back there.


    Angrily, she turned towards where she hade. Looking for a washroom, a lounge, or possibly an exit. She kept walking till she got to the end, then turned a corner.


    Not like she didn¡¯t have a pool back at home, she thought. She really didn¡¯t know why she¡¯d agreed toe with Ne.


    She wrinkled her nose at the couple who were sprawled on the ground, intensely making out with no decency at all. She turned away, trying to push the picture out of her mind, but she knew it¡¯ll take a lot more effort than that.


    She kept walking till she got to a door which read authorised personnel only.


    Maren looked around the door and didn¡¯t see any hazard sign, no sign that it was some door which led to some power house or weapon room.


    Basically, nothing that stopped her from wanting to know what was behind the door. So she did. She turned the handle slowly and pushed it in.


    The unlocked door gave in easily, without a sound, and Maren took her time before poking her head through.


    She sighed with both relief and excitement before closing entering and closing the door to the loud music and gross people behind her. She stood a few feet away from the door and looked around with a smile on her face.


    In front of her was a pool about five feet deep. Not asrge as the one outside, butrge enough for a party of few friends.


    The water was still and blue thanks to the lighting on the base of it. She looked around but saw no one but a bottle of wine and a ss sitting on a little table on one side of the room and a couple of loungers on each side of the table.


    ¡®This looks more like some private pool¡¯ she thought. ¡®Stingy mother fuckers! Leaving that crowded dirt pool to everyone¡¯s use¡¯


    She smiled to herself and walked towards the one lounger where she took off her kaftan and ced it on it before diving deep into the water.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    The water was warm and just right enough to make her stress ease off a little. She stayed under for seconds with her eyes closed. Letting her body feel the water and run through her hair.


    Then, ssh! Maren¡¯s eyes shot open as she had felt the water being disturbed by a heavy presence. She quickly swam up and to the corner of the pool where she could rest her back and wait to see who her aplice was.


    She stayed at the corner after getting the water out of her eyes while she waited for the person who was now swimming towards her to reveal themselves.


    As the person got closer and closer, Maren¡¯s temptation grew to dive back into the water and pull them up.


    But just before she could do that, a head popped up, which made her eyes widen and shivers run down her spine.

 Chapter 69

    A small part of the head popped out first, then the entire head before Maren¡¯s eyes rested on the face.


    A shiver ran down her spine and she could feel her heart skip a beat as they both stared at each other.


    ¡°Hi¡± the male voice rang, tearing through her ear and drawing her slowly out of her shocked state.


    ¡°Hi?¡± she managed to say, but it came out more like a whisper. She just could get her eyes off him as she watched the part of his hair which was still in the water float around.


    ¡°Did I scare you? You look like you just watched a clip about how you¡¯d die.¡± His voice was calm.


    ¡®I wish!¡¯ her head screamed. Finally, she blinked away her thoughts and looked away from him. ¡°Yeah, a little. I didn¡¯t expect anyone to be here.¡± She could now hear her heartbeat in her ears.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t expect anyone to be here at all,¡± he said and Maren now realised and wondered how he was bent so that only his head was visible even as she tried to see the rest of his body in the clear water.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, do you mean-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, authorised personnel only.¡± He said and finally stood straight, giving Maren the exclusive sight of that menacing snake tattoo. ¡°I¡¯m that authorised personnel¡±


    Maren almost held her chest as she could feel the air choke her the more she stared at him.


    She could not see more than half of his body, but she could see his tattoos drawn like a sleeve from his shoulder bone to wherever it went.


    His wet long hair somehow managed to arrange itself andp to the back with the ends glued to his neck.


    She felt so dirty staring at him and unconsciously resisting the urge to bite her lips the more she watched drops of water somehow drip slowly down his muscr body.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll leave,¡± she said, snapping out of her thoughts and sat up on the shallow end of the pool.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. You can stay if you want. It¡¯s nice having someone around here anyway,¡± he replied and dove back into the water while Maren watched, obviously not wanting to go.


    Not because of him, but because she really didn¡¯t want to face those annoying assholes, and she wanted to save herself the stress of searching for Ne who was probably drunk somewhere.


    Maren watched him strike different styles of swimming from where she sat and just wondered how and why he was here in the first ce.


    After watching for a while, she felt thirsty and not just down there but in her throat, so she got up and headed for the bottle of wine.


    She uncocked it and poured herself some and when she turned around, she found him floating in the water and staring at her.


    At that point, Maren became frozen, and she stood there with the ss to her lips, staring back as his grey eyes rooted her to the spot.


    ¡°Er-you want some?¡± She finally asked, after managing to slowly get the ss away from her lips.


    ¡°A little. I don¡¯t drink while taking a swim,¡± his voice rang throughout the room and he proceeded to do a butterfly stroke beforeing up again to where Maren was now back in her previous position, holding out the ss for him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk much or you¡¯re always too shocked to speak?¡± he asked after he took a sip of the wine and set it beside Maren.


    Maren suppressed a scoff while taking a sip of the wine. ¡°Definitely the second one. I mean, youmand so much respect and fear from basically the entire city, yet you somehow manage to be in the most casual ce in this city.¡±


    Kendrick smirked, but this one felt genuine and not what he did when he wanted to mock someone. ¡°Well, I am just a man, right? Plus, this ce isn¡¯t exactly that causal. I own half of this ce¡±


    ¡°Do you go partnering with everyone?¡±


    ¡°No, just the ones who are worthy of it and, or have lots of potential¡±


    ¡°That how they do it in Russia?¡± She suddenly asked after a brief pause.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    His face broke into an impressed smile. ¡°Someone¡¯s been doing their homework¡± he swam to the edge and sat down close to her.


    ¡°Why did you leave home in the first ce?¡± She asked when he¡¯d satfortably.


    ¡°Well, um, I needed to expand. I needed to be my own man, but mostly because my father was an asshole.¡±


    ¡°Who is your father?¡± She suddenly asked, talking before thinking. Kendrick turned sharply to her, his face gloomy for a second. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that came out wrong.¡±


    His face was suddenly back in the neutral way. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. He¡¯s dead now, though. But you did not want to know him while he was alive,¡± he answered.


    Silence took over the room and the only sound that could be heard was the faint sound of the outside music and theughter of people who passed by the door.


    Maren, on the other hand, was mostly thinking of how not to look at the gorgeous figure sitting beside her.


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t strike me as someone who¡¯d sit and talk to people this way the first time we spoke.¡± She suddenly blurted.


    He downed the little wine which was left in his ss. He chuckled and set the ss down. ¡°It¡¯s just something we do tomand respect, you know. Like I said, no one expects one of the most famous men in this state to put on a clown mask, alright?¡±


    Maren chuckled at the thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m also human, and I know when to be stone faced and when to live a little. I¡¯ve got lots of dislikes and I¡¯ve got likes. And one of those likes is to take sit and talk and possibly swim with stunning women¡±


    Okay, thatst part made Maren¡¯s brain stop for a moment, as she really didn¡¯t know the right action to make at that moment, so she just stared at him as he dove into the water.


    He shot out of the water again and turned to her. ¡°Come on in. I watched to swim earlier so you can¡¯t lie that you can¡¯t¡±


    ¡°No, I think I¡¯m fine. I think I prefer watching you,¡± she said with a smile.


    ¡°And where¡¯s the fun in that? Come on,¡± he half begged and swam towards her. ¡°That¡¯s what you were here for, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Well, mostly because I was ditched by my friend,¡± she answered, looking down at Kendrick who was now so close to close that her toes were only half an inch away from his chest.


    ¡°Looks like that¡¯s a good thing from where I stand,¡± he said quietly. The empty room exaggerated the sexiness of his baritone.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m fine¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± Without warning, he pulled her by the hand into the water and because of his swiftness, she fell right into the water and he didn¡¯t waste time to grab her.


    There they stood, their faces inches away from each other. His arms were around her waist and her hand around his neck as they stared into each other¡¯s eyes.


    Slowly and somewhat unconsciously, she traced her hand down to his chest and touched his tattoo.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± he whispered.


    Her brows furrowed. ¡°Familiar¡±

 Chapter 70

    Her eyes traced her fingers around the ck snake as her mind searched its depths for reasons and answers.


    ¡°Familiar?¡± he asked


    She suddenly pushed him away from her and held her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s fine. I shouldn¡¯t have pulled you that way,¡± he apologised and continued his swimming. ¡°The offer¡¯s still open if you want to take it. ¡±


    Maren watched him and asked herself what that was all about. What did her head mean by familiar? Where has she seen that tattoo from? Or was it just the slut in her speaking?


    ¡°Well, what the heck!¡± She said out loud and dove into the pool.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s the spirit,¡± Kendrick cheered with a smile as she swam from one end to another. ¡°You really are an excellent swimmer,¡± heplimented when she finally popped out of the water.


    ¡°Took swimming lessons to get out of the house as a kid. But only for a short time, though.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Looks like it was a short time well spent. With that skill you¡¯d do well in the olympics. Let¡¯s not even speak about that body- (beautiful)¡±


    Maren didn¡¯t know what that meant, but from the tone of his voice, she knew it meant something really good that made her cheek a little red.


    ¡°What did you do when you left for Russia? I mean, how did you get on your feet in a ce like Russia?¡± She asked as they floated around in the water.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, trust me. I had to eat shit on the street for weeks before I began going on errands for Viktor. From there I was recruited as-¡± he paused. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to bore you with my life story.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I want to hear it,¡± she insisted with a pleasing smile.


    ¡°Well, the men who killed Viktor recruited me. Apparently, he was an enemy, but I was just a loyal kid running errands¡± he swam around her as he spoke and she had to turn around to keep listening.


    Maren chuckled, ¡°Kid? If my research was correct, you were twenty when you left home.¡±


    ¡°And if my research is correct, you¡¯re the prettiest, most ambitiousdy I¡¯ve ever met,¡± he said and swam behind her. She did turn this time and just shut her eyes when she felt his hands on her body.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She whispered and shuddered as she could feel goosebumps spread up to her brain.


    His hand traced its way down and into her bikini panties. ¡°Just say stop and I will,¡± he whispered in her ear.


    Her brows creased in pleasure as she felt his hand in her clitoral area. ¡°This is wrong,¡± she managed to breathe.


    He dug his hands deeper, making a moan escape her lungs. ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t,¡± he replied and took out his hand.


    She opened her eyes to see him in front of her and just when she thought he¡¯d stopped at his own will, this gorgeous man pulled her closer with one hand and dug the other deep inside her.


    As he thrust continuously and carefully, she tried biting her lips to not alert anyone with her moans, but it was no use. Ne was right, she had been starved for too long.


    Kendrick multi-tasked as his other hand was now busy with squeezing her ass while he gave her love bites on her neck.


    ¡°Fuck, stop!¡± She yelled as she was near her climax and Kendrick, getting the message, pulled out of her and cupped her face in with both hands.


    She opened her eyes after her body had shaken off the feeling to meet Kendrick¡¯s, which was filled with admiration mixed with lust. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t consent to, alright?¡± He said, staring deep into her eyes.


    She stared back into his eyes, feeling like a child again. His touch was so soothing that she forgot that they were still in the pool and she didn¡¯t know what time it was.


    Evidently, he was softer than he looked. I mean, he was almost dressed in tattoos, long hair and the body of a god. Most importantly, she was merely just his business partner.


    He had so much to pride with abs she had nothingpared to him. Being soft around her really felt like a plus for her and she could feel an orgasming up just from the thought.


    Maren didn¡¯t reply. Her brain wasn¡¯t even functioning properly to process words, but Kendrick didn¡¯t mind. He leaned in and engaged her lips in an intense passion.


    His tongue traced the inner walls of her mouth and he sucked both her upper and lower lip at intervals. He kissed her hungrily and gave her little to no time to breathe, but Maren didn¡¯t care. It felt so good!


    One hand went to her back and pulled her closer, making her feel his size down there, which was already hard but surprisingly not erect yet.


    Maren didn¡¯t know how, but somehow, she felt her back touch the side of the pool and, before she could think about it, Kendrick broke the kiss and moved to her neck.


    He traced the kisses down her neck while squeezing her breast and for a moment Maren hoped he¡¯d unhook the clock and touch her properly.


    ¡®You¡¯re going to regret it you little whore¡¯ her mind screamed, but soon enough the voice went silent when she felt him lift her leg up and she opened her eyes only just realising that he was now bent below her, inside the water.


    He didn¡¯t dare look down. She just wanted him to do his thing. She was happy she had chosen the Brazilian-cut as he just pulled the strings and her panties were off.


    ¡°Ahh¡± her lungs betrayed her as she felt his tongue reach into her.


    She was scared for a moment that he would take in too much water, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t his first time as he kept licking her clit with his tongue and he expertly sucked on the lips of her cunt.


    She pulled at his hair the more intense it got, but she didn¡¯t want him to stop. She wanted him to go on forever.


    She wanted him to be hers¡­

 Chapter 71

    ¡®Wake up!¡¯


    Maren¡¯s eyes fluttered open at the whisper and it took her some time before her eyes unblurred and she realised where she was.


    Knock, knock


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, breakfast is ready,¡± she heard the voice of a maid behind the fastened door. She tried moving her hands, which were wrapped weirdly around the white pillow, but they felt so heavy.


    It was like she¡¯d lifted dumbbells three times her normal capacity. She resolved to raise her head at least to ascertain where she was, but as she made the slightest move, a sharp pain shot through her skull, making her wince in pain.


    She shut her eyes to let the pain pass away and when it did; she thought of how exactly she was going to move.


    What the hell happenedst night?


    Slowly, she tried to move her body, since her hands and head had refused to cooperate. She moved her legs and the familiar, pleasing pain in between her thighs tore through her.


    At least she could remember what happened to that part. She smiled weakly and applied more effort, which helped her move her body so she could face the ceiling.


    She heaved a sigh of relief when the light from the familiar chandelier blinded her vision for a few seconds.


    A knock came again. ¡°Maren, it¡¯s mom. Can Ie in?¡±


    Maren opened her mouth to speak, but it seemed her lips were too sour and dry and she¡¯d lost her vocal cords. Had she moaned that hard? She asked herself.


    Gently, she managed to detangle her hands from the pillow and turn her headpletely to the ceiling.


    ¡°You alright there, baby?¡± Her mom¡¯s voice came again.


    Maren blinked though with so much effort as she tried to muster the strength to get out of bed and unlock the door, or at least say something.


    ¡°Maren? I¡¯ming in,¡± her mom said and turned the handle and pushed the door inward, letting herself in.


    Maren could only turn her eyeball and watched her mom walk into her room with some Tylenol and a tall ss of water.


    ¡°Oh, my god Maren. Look at yourself. You¡¯re a mess!¡± Her mom rolled her eyes and set the contents of her hands on the bedside table.


    Her mom sat on the bed and turned to her bedridden body with an annoyed scowl on her face. ¡°Did you forget you have a child and you run apany? Where the hell were youtest night?¡±


    Maren wished she had the answer to that also, as her head ached badly when she tried to think. She turned her gaze from her mom to the ss of water on the table.


    ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t speak now?¡± her mom asked and Maren half rolled her eyeballs. It was obvious her mom was trying to punish her by asking obvious questions.


    dly, she was nice enough to take the ss and take it to Maren¡¯s mouth. The water passed through her throat painfully at first, then gradually she began to feel her throat again and even the weight in her head began to lift.


    When the water was more than half gone, her mom took away the ss and watched her try to sit up.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    The least her mom could do was help her up, but instead, she just sat there with her arms folded till she finally painfully sat up and rested her back on the backrest of the bed.


    ¡°Now, are you ready to tell me where you werest night that you left everyone worried, including Ne? ¡±


    ¡°Ne?¡± she managed to squeak.


    ¡°Yes, you were brought in by some driver who refused to say a word to us. Are you alright? Were you kidnapped in some way?¡±


    Maren smiled inwardly. ¡®Way far from that, mom,¡¯ her dirty intrusive thought replied as the only thing she could remember tickled her insides.


    She really couldn¡¯t remember what had happened the previous night, but all she knew was she wasn¡¯t physically hurt and she didn¡¯t feel any urge for regret.


    So it was safe to say she had had an enjoyable time-whatever it was she¡¯d done.


    ¡°Mummy?¡± A soft knock came from behind the door. Maren avoided her mom¡¯s eyes, which she could feel were burning through her skin with ¡®I didn¡¯t raise you this way¡¯


    Mrs Sharppe made her way to the door and opened it. ¡°Grandma, is mummy inside?¡±


    ¡°Nathan?¡± Maren called weakly but happily. Her mom opened the door widely for Maren to view her little son standing innocently and worriedly at the door in his pyjamas with the inscription ¡°Mommy¡¯s little soldier¡±


    Seeing his mom, the tension in his face lightened a little. He hurried over and climbed onto the bed with all the strength he had andy on his mom¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Where have you been, mummy? I was looking for you¡±


    Maren smiled and patted his hair, turning away from her mom, whose eyes threatened to tear her apart. ¡°Mommy¡¯s is fine and I¡¯m here now, alright? I won¡¯t leave that way again¡±


    ¡°Promise?¡± He asked quietly.


    ¡°I promise,¡± she said and kissed his hair. They stayed that way for a while till her mom walked over to the bed and sat beside them.


    ¡°Nathan, go take your bath and have breakfast. Grandma has some things to say you mummy¡±


    Nathan looked up at his Maren as if waiting for her to refuse and let him stay. And in truth, she also didn¡¯t want him to go as he was her ticket to not exin that she wasn¡¯t sure if she had had sex with one of the most influential men in the state.


    ¡°Nathan?¡± Rose called from outside the door, and Maren knew she just had to give up.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine baby, go with Rose and have your bath. Immediately you¡¯re done,e back and be with mummy, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, a little lightened up. He climbed down from the bed and headed for the door, which Mrs Sharppe helped him open.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am I don¡¯t know how he opened his room¡¯s door himself,¡± rose exined on seeing her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rose. Just get him ready for the day,¡± she advised and closed the door behind her.


    Finally, she turned back to Maren, who was turned away from her with a smile on her face. Her memory had suddenlye back to her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got lots of exining to do, youngdy.¡±

 Chapter 72

    ¡°Wee back ma¡¯am¡±


    ¡°Louise, what¡¯s on schedule for today?¡± Maren asked, ignoring the greetings of her staff and just waving to some in reply.


    ¡°Basically, everything since you took your sudden vacation.¡±


    On an ordinary day, Maren should have been pissed at the tone of Louise¡¯s voice, but she was too satisfied to think about it.


    They both got on to the elevator and Louise pushed the button to the floor where Maren¡¯s office was located.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got lots of meetings and lots of documents to sign, and they¡¯re all stacked on your table, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise continued, strolling through a digital clipboard.


    Maren didn¡¯t need to be told. She knew she¡¯d have a shitload of work to do the moment she stepped into her building.


    ¡°Oh and also ma¡¯am,¡± Louise said, drawing her attention back to the present as they both stepped out of the elevator and began walking towards her office.


    ¡°Mr. ckwood was here yesterday. And even waited a little but left when you didn¡¯t show up,¡± Louise informed.


    Maren wanted to sigh and rolled her eyes, but instead a thought struck her and she smiled and felt a little guilt. She opened her office door with her key card and they both went in.


    To be honest, she was expecting a bouquet and possibly a bottle of pink wine to be sitting on her table, but she remembered that only she had ess to it.


    And if he had been that thoughtful, he would have dropped them at her house as he¡¯de around, ording to her mom.


    Her eyes fell on the heap of files stacked on her table, and they almost widened. Louise wasn¡¯t kidding when she said a lot.


    ¡®How long was she gone? It was just two days. How did all this happen and when?¡¯ she asked herself as she knew she couldin.


    She took off her coat and ced it on the hanger before dropping into her chair and pulling close to the table.


    ¡°Lastly¡­actually there is no other thing that¡¯s all that¡¯s been going on while you were gone,¡± Louise said, looking up for the first time since she began walking with her boss.


    Maren just stared at her in a way that read, ¡°Are you done?¡± But Louise didn¡¯t dare say another word, so she averted her gaze. ¡°Send me a copy of activities. I¡¯ll see how I¡¯ll handle it,¡± she finally said and took a file from the stack.


    ¡°Sure thing, ma¡¯am,¡± the secretary said and walked out of the office.


    Maren was now left alone, with no idea how she¡¯d handle all this in such a short time. She just has to brace herself for a stressful rest of the week.


    She smiled as she opened the file she had taken out. Not from the contents, but from the memory that just hit her. She knew this world was her punishment for the extreme partying she¡¯d done with Kendrick.


    He¡¯d taken her out after their pool session and he¡¯d insisted, despite her protests. Sheter agreed after much persuasion, not like she needed it though. She was ready to follow him to the end of the world at that moment.


    ¡°Where the hell are we going?¡± She asked as they climbed into the vehicle.


    ¡°That¡¯ll spoil the fun, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°But this will confirm the rumours.¡±


    ¡°Tell me you care about the rumours and I promise I¡¯ll take you home,¡± he said with a challenging voice.


    Maren bit her lower lip as she stared at him. He really didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity. She chuckled. ¡°Can you at least tell me where we¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see,¡± he said with a contagious grin on his face. He sat up straight and turned towards the driver. ¡°Ricky, the usual!¡± He ordered, and he started the engine without uttering a word.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Kendrick took her hand. His sparked with excitement. ¡°You¡¯re going to love this so much,¡± he assured her. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as she saw the genuineness in his eyes.


    Minutester, they were in their sixth round of shots at a VIP only bar, drunk and almost throwing up in each other¡¯s mouths as they kissed while the music yed loudly and everyone around themughed either drunk or amused to see someone like Kendrick behave so out of character.


    Theyughed loudly at the slightest joke anyone made and Maren even stood up drunkenly to bust a few moves which she invited Kendrick for, but he declined countless times till she gave up and danced to the amusement of the onlookers.


    They yed andughed some more in the blue lighting of the building, till it was dark outside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± Maren whispered as sheid her head on his shoulder as she fought to keep her eyes open in the booth where they both sat.


    ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± he whispered back, unable to turn to look at her due to fatigue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, anywhere¡± she raised her head up and looked at him, which he reciprocated. They stared at each other for a while, Maren¡¯s eyes straying to his lips asionally.


    Then, just at thest minute, sheid her head back on his shoulder.


    She was silent for a while and Kendrick thought she¡¯d finally given up and fallen asleep, but then, suddenly, she jerked up with a start and Kendrick, startled, turned in surprise in the direction age had gone.


    ¡°Is there a backdoor in this building?¡± She excitedly asked the bartender, who nodded, with his own share of surprise written on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s that way,¡± he said, pointing to a corner which one would have to turn.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, turning back to where Kendrick was with the same energy. She got to where he was and began pulling him by the hand.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± He asked with curiosity in his tone.


    She just turned and shed him a wide grin before pulling him some more, urging him toe with her. He gave up eventually and stood up.


    She took him by the hand and walked hurriedly towards the path the bartender had pointed. And when they got to a hallway and were out of sight, she picked up speed and practically skipped, knowing where she was going or not.


    Finally, they got to a door and pushed it inward. It gave way to a dark empty cold alley with only a light at the end as the source of illumination.


    She pulled him till her back was on the wall and he was towering over her and their faces were a breath away from each other.


    Maren held onto his face and stared into his eyes, not knowing if it was real or the alcohol was acting.


    With no words spoken and no time wasted, their lips connected like two opposite poles. They kissed hungrily into the night, sucked on their lips, and pressed their bodies into each other.


    Suddenly Maren pushed him aside and ran to a corner. She bent her head and out came everything she¡¯d taken that night.

 Chapter 73

    Maren bit her lip and smiled at her own stupidity and sluttiness as she stepped out of the car and headed for the front door that evening after work.


    She¡¯d had the time of her life with Kendrick, and even when she¡¯d thrown up, he didn¡¯t make her feel disgusted with herself.


    That was thest thing she could remember of that night. She didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d gotten in or out of the car which had dropped her at the house or if she and Kendrick had fucked or not.


    She hoped not. And at the same time, the thought tinged her senses and made her cheeks flush a little.


    The door was open when she got to it and she just turned it and went in withoutining or querying anyone as she had been through a stressful day and wasn¡¯t about to add to it by scolding anyone.


    ¡°Wee ma¡¯am¡± a maid greeted with a little unease on her face which Maren just ignored and began climbing up the stairs. She turned towards her room but on second thought, she turned the other way and began walking towards Nathan¡¯s room.


    It was only wise to be with him as an apology for leaving him worried that night, even though he¡¯d been with her throughout the previous day, she thought.


    As soon as she turned the handle and pushed the door inward, she froze at what age saw within as she looked from her son, who was sitting on his bed, to the figure crouched in front of him.


    She seemed to have intruded on something as they both turned to look at her, noticing the colour drained from her face.


    ¡°Hi mummy¡± Nathan was the first to speak. He greeted happily, not really getting what was going on.


    ¡°You came back from work early.¡± Alexander¡¯s voice rang throughout the room.


    Maren did respond to either of them and just stared at Alexander. Actually, her body was frozen, but her mind wasn¡¯t and it screamed in guilt.


    ¡°How the hell did you find this ce?¡± She managed to mutter.


    Alexander stood on his feet, knowing he wasn¡¯t going to answer that as it was the most irrelevant and self answerable question to ask.


    ¡°Is that all you have to say for yourself after acting outside your motherly duties?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare school me on how to be a parent, Alexander¡± her mind was suddenly working once more.


    Alexander rubbed his temples and took a look at Nathan, who was sitting innocently on his bed and watching them both, then back to Maren. ¡°Let¡¯s not do this here, please. We have a lot to talk about¡±


    He passed by her and headed for the door, but she didn¡¯t turn around and follow him. Instead, she went to Nathan and sat beside him.


    ¡°How are you, baby?¡± she asked with a smile while smoothing his hair with her hand.


    ¡°Mummy, is Alex going to leave again?¡± he asked quietly, and Maren could feel her body heat up with anger. ¡®Was that all he cared about now?¡¯


    She sighed and looked at Alexander, then back at her son. ¡°I really don¡¯t know Nathan but I promise I¡¯ll tellter, alright?¡± She said, as that felt like the only reasonable thing to tell him.


    He nodded, and she smiled, ¡°Where¡¯s Rose?¡±


    ¡°I sent her out of the room,¡± Alexander answered, even if Maren had asked Nathan.


    ¡°Alright then, when she gets back you¡¯ll take a shower and get ready for bed, alright?¡± She kissed his forehead and stood up.


    She walked out the door first, but she could swear Nathan waved at Alexander, who held the door for her and it made her almost go mad.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing trying to manipte my son?¡± she asked angrily as they both walked down the hallway. She upfront and made her way to her room.


    ¡°Manipting? I¡¯m just trying to be a father¡±


    She spun around. ¡°Don¡¯t you give me that bullshit, Alexander. We talked about this¡± she turned back around and talked towards a door and entered.


    Alexander followed suit and closed the door behind him. ¡°I never said I was going to listen, did i? Look Maren, I¡¯m not William and I will not let you deprive me of my right to be with my son¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever call William into this, he was a better man than a thousand of you could never be¡±


    ¡°He was trying to cause you pain!¡± Alexander argued


    ¡°No, smart ass, he genuinely cared. I knew William, and he didn¡¯t care. He wouldn¡¯t go that far. He was not Nathan¡¯s father, and he knew it, but he still came for him, Alexander.¡± she turned to her wardrobe and began searching for clothes to change into.


    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re going to give him credit now?¡±


    ¡°You rejected Nathan the moment you found out he was yours, you selfish son of a bitch¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m here now and I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll bear the consequences whatever it is.¡±


    Maren shot him a murderous look. She wasn¡¯t buying what he was selling. She walked over to where he was folding her arms and looked him directly in the eye.


    ¡°Like I said earlier, we don¡¯t need you. Whatever the fuck made you not want to be a part of Nathan¡¯s life, I suggest you get back to it¡±


    She walked away, but before she could take reasonable steps, he pulled her back and made her face so close up his chest that she could hear his heart beat quickly. She really didn¡¯t know what it meant, and she didn¡¯t actually care.


    All she wanted was this man out of her house!


    ¡°Look, I know you make things so difficult because that¡¯s your way of expressing your anger and that¡¯s fine,¡± he began softly, his fresh breath fanning her face.


    ¡°All I want is to take responsibility over Nathan and I¡¯m sure deep down you don¡¯t want your child to grow up without a father or the way you-¡±


    She pushed him so hard away from her that he staggered back a little. Her brows arched so well that they almost touched the tip of her nose.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever say shit like that again. Don¡¯t you ever make reference to my life in topics like this. Never!¡± She screamed.


    ¡°You can¡¯t ckmail me emotionally Alexander, and you know it. I¡¯ve been through this and go through it over and over again till you give the fuck up,¡± she raged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this one more time. We don¡¯t need you. Nathan doesn¡¯t need you and he never will. I¡¯m enough of a parent that he needs, so get your filthy self out of this house,¡± she fumed, ring at him.


    They stood staring at each other for some time, Maren panting in anger and Alexander just watching in shock. A minute passed and Maren heaved a self control sigh and turned back to what she was doing.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing all this is because you now fuck around with Kendrick?¡±

 Chapter 74

    Maren paused abruptly from what she was doing and bit her lower lip but didn¡¯t dare turn around as she could hear Alexander take steps towards her.


    ¡°I forgive you though because I really don¡¯t want some silly bar performance toe between us¡± his voice was calm, and he pocketed his hands as he watched her back.


    Maren¡¯s head raced a thousand times per second, thinking of a way toe out of this. She didn¡¯t owe him any exnation, did she?


    They weren¡¯t married anymore and the only thing keeping her from getting a restraining order was because Nathan still thinks he¡¯s a good man, right? She searched her mind.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°So you stalk me now?¡± She blurted as she turned sharply around to face him, her face more serious than before. ¡°I can¡¯t do things at my will because I was once married to you?¡±


    ¡°And you chose to do them with someone like Kendrick?¡±


    Maren scoffed and folded her arms. ¡°So this is about Kendrick, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re jealous that I always chose your rivals over you. Why do you think it¡¯s that way, ckwood? Have you ever sat to think about it?¡±


    Alexander rolled his tongue around in his shut mouth and just stared at her. It was clear that he silently recited his own share of self-control as the night had arrived and the entire house became silent, with everyone expected to have retired to their beds.


    ¡°Okay look, I really don¡¯t care who you¡¯re with or what you do with them. All I ask for is another chance, Maren. I¡¯ve sat and I¡¯ve thought about this, and I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Something inside of Maren softened a little, but she knew that was just the white angel being gullible.


    This was the only time she¡¯d seen or heard Alexander apologise and that was supposed to mean something, but of course, she let the red angel win.


    ¡°I know you Alexander, and you want something.¡±


    ¡°I want to be in Nathan¡¯s life. ¡±


    ¡°No, something else,¡± she said, squinting her eyes as she took a step closer to him. Alexander rolled his eyes in frustration, but he was not giving up anytime soon.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He asked.


    ¡°You want something and only I and/or Nathan can give it to you. So cut the shit and just spill it¡± she spat.


    ¡°Oh, my god, Maren.¡± He ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°You¡¯re being so problematic right now. I mean, I really didn¡¯t expect getting to you to be easy but this, I really wasn¡¯t expecting it to get this far.¡±


    ¡°I know you Alexander. If you weren¡¯t going to benefit from something, you don¡¯t chase it this far. I mean, isn¡¯t that the reason we got married in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°You are being unreasonable right now¡± he rubbed his temples


    ¡°Just tell me the fuck you want!¡±


    ¡°I want to protect you!¡± He screamed and sure enough, it rang throughout the house. He ran his fingers through his hair again, trying to calm himself down. ¡°I¡¯m trying to protect you, okay,¡± he added, his chest rising and falling.


    Maren chuckled dryly. ¡°I¡¯m trying to be nice but, that is the stupidest thing you¡¯ve said since you walked into this room. Protect me from what? What¡¯s worse than being in this situation?¡±


    ¡°How do you think they didn¡¯t disy your face all over the inte for being a slut?¡± he thundered, his anger gradually getting the best of him.¡±


    She scoffed, ¡°Okay, first you stalk me, then you try to take credit for stopping a group of jobless mother fucker or possibly the press from publishing a story about me living my life?¡±


    ¡°Anyone could have done it, Kendrick could have done it! I mean, he is higher in status than you are,¡± she spat.


    ¡°That is exactly what I¡¯m talking about. He is trouble, Maren. I¡¯m trying to protect you from him. He¡¯s bringing out the worst part of you! You¡¯re finally getting yourself up the businessdder and that¡¯s not the kind of news that should be heard about you, alright?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t school me about that shit either, Alexander. Kendrick didn¡¯t bring out the worst in me. It¡¯s rather the opposite. He made me feel so alive and I don¡¯t care if the entire world thinks I¡¯m fucking him¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re dealing with, do you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care and you also shouldn¡¯t. You can¡¯t tell me how I¡¯ll live my life, Alexander. Those days are gone. And paying off some junkies isn¡¯t a good enough excuse for you to just walk back into my life.¡±


    Alexander was getting restless, ¡°Oh, my god!¡± He held Maren by both shoulders and rocked her. ¡°Are you listening to what I¡¯m saying? Kendrick is not what he seems, you shouldn¡¯t be around him.¡±


    ¡°Stop-stop-stop it!¡± she shouted and pushed him away from herself. She held her forehead and walked around in a small circle.


    ¡°Now I know what this is all about; the social media stuff,¡± she said and walked back to face him but kept a reasonable distance in case he still had the thought of shaking her again.


    ¡°You¡¯re scared of everyone seeing that you¡¯ve lost to yet another rival. You know, I never understood how you feel about having so many rivals. Isn¡¯t it exhausting?¡±


    ¡°Why not grow up, you jealous fuck and just ept defeat for once and stop making anyone higher or on the same level as you, your rival?¡±


    ¡°god, Maren, you really don¡¯t understand¡±


    ¡°Then make me understand!¡± The room fell silent, and for once they could hear the still silence from the night.


    They exchanged stares and for the first time, Alexander was the first to fold.


    ¡®Something really must be wrong somewhere¡¯ that gullible white angel whispered again.


    Alexander pocketed his hands and put his back on the wall.


    ¡°Make me understand or I¡¯ll just keep making assumptions, Alexander¡±


    He raised his head to her again, and Maren thought she could feel his heartbeat from where she stood. He looked away again.


    Her expression softened a little. ¡°Talk to me.¡± she took a step closer.


    And just like a fish takes the bait, in a swift move, Alexander cupped her face with his hands and locked her lips in a needing passion.

 Chapter 75

    Maren was now certain something was up with Alexander and kissing her was just a way to distract her from it-it worked, though. But only for that moment.


    What she knew was he was trying to get with her by any means, but what she didn¡¯t know was why? Did he actually want her, or would he get something if she got back to him?


    And what did he mean by you don¡¯t understand? Why was he so paranoid about Kendrick-¡®Okay, stop it, stop it¡¯, she reminded herself. ¡®You¡¯re not going to let him put bad thoughts about Kendrick into your head¡¯


    If she was being honest with herself, she really did love Alexander till he fucked it all up. But that kiss-that kiss was heavenly, and it reminded her of the wonderful memories they¡¯d shared.


    Now, she was deeply interested in Kendrick, even if she didn¡¯t know how he felt about her.


    But he seemed so nice and made herfortable that-


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡±


    Maren snapped out of her thoughts on hearing the sound of her chauffeur¡¯s voice. She turned to look at him but turned to the window as the corner of her eye caught the sight outside, in front of herpany.


    ¡°What is this?¡± She asked no one in particr as she stared out the window where there were a handful of journalists with their tiny microphones and shing cameras obstructing the path where the car was to park.


    Once they realised who was in the car, she rushed over, peering through to see if they could get a pic or two, but even they knew their cameras couldn¡¯t prate the tint.


    ¡®What the fuck is going on? What are they looking for?¡¯ Maren thought as she calcted her movements to find an escape route to get into the building.


    ¡°Park over there,¡± she ordered, pointing to a spot where she knew she¡¯d have a better chance of getting through without being asked questions.


    The chauffeur did as instructed and came to a halt where she had pointed. Maren took a deep breath, scanned the area, and finally alighted.


    With quick steps as the press had followed the car behind and were now on her tail, she began climbing up the steps.


    Luckily, the guards at the door noticed their boss in distress, and the heftier in the duo walked down to guard her up the rest of the way.


    As she turned to view the journalists, her eyes caught sight of a couple of strange, elegant cars which she hadn¡¯t noticed earlier parked just where hers used to be parked.


    ¡°This way, ma¡¯am,¡± the guard said and opened the door for her to get in.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± She eximed as she got onto the elevator. ¡°What the fuck is going on?¡± She took out her phone and began scrolling through social media, but she couldn¡¯t find any news about her.


    She sought to ask Louise, but noticed that she hadn¡¯t met her at the door when she came in. The elevator dinged open and she stepped out.


    She got to the front of her office and took out her key card, but just as she was about to open it, she paused and stared at the door. Then she leaned forward with her ear to the door.


    Sure enough, she wasn¡¯t hearing things, especially not the loud chattering from the people outside.


    Someone or some people were in her office!


    Thest time someone barged into her office was the time Micheal hade to break the news about William¡¯s death and he had ess because her office used a mere key but now with the advanced key, someone still managed to get in.


    She listened again just to be sure and, just as before, she heard voices. She mustered courage and pushed the door inward and sure enough, whoever was in there didn¡¯t even have the courtesy to lock it.


    The door gave in easily and quietly. Maren stood at the wide-open door to see two figures. One standing and one sitting.


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± she said almost sternly, drawing both¡¯s attention to herself.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡± Louise greeted with a pale face and trembling body.


    ¡°I should have known something was fishy. How the hell did you get into my office?¡±


    ¡°The key-the emergency key-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the name, Louise! Emergency key! Not to use it when I get an uninvited guest!¡± Maren scolded, walking over to the table. She ced her handbag on it and folded her arms. Staring at the guest who was sitting and smiling at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry ma¡¯am. I swear I didn¡¯t want to use it but he insisted. I had no choice. I mean, it¡¯s Mr Hard-¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s Mr Harding! You should have called first. ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, ma¡¯am. I promise it won¡¯t happen again,¡± a startled Louise apologised.


    Maren shut her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. ¡°Just leave, Louise. I¡¯ll handle youter,¡± she ordered.


    ¡°Alright, ma¡¯am, I¡¯m sorry, ma¡¯am¡± she repeated as she walked out the door.


    Louise closed the door and only then did Kendrick turn towards Maren, who still held her frown with an amused spark in his face.


    ¡°Nice acting¡±


    ¡°Acting? You think I¡¯m acting?¡± Maren asked as she hung her jacket on the hanger beside the window. ¡°How¡¯d you like it if your secretary got into your office apanied by an unannounced guest?¡±


    ¡°Frankly, he won¡¯t be alive to give his own side of the story.¡±


    Maren shot him a re and sat in her chair. ¡°And what the heck do you mean bringing the entire news publication to my office?¡±


    ¡°You should know I wouldn¡¯t do that. It¡¯s the price I pay for being a public figure¡±


    ¡°So you were followed here?¡± She asked, trying to calm her nerves.


    ¡°You can say that,¡± he replied and picked up an origami bird and yed around with it using his fingers.


    Maren sighed, ¡°What the hell was Louise doing in here, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Thought I¡¯d talk with someone before you arrive. And I have to say, you¡¯ve got a splendid secretary. Hold on to her,¡± she said with a smile.


    Maren didn¡¯t even have the energy to address that, so she just brushed it aside and pulled out a drawer from which she took out a bottle of rum.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°What are you doing here, anyway?¡±


    Kendrick chuckled and shifted the bottle close to him and poured a quantity for himself.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t show up unannounced, you know. Do you see the kind of crowd you pull with you?¡±


    He took a sip and looked at her. ¡°Just say the words and I¡¯ll leave¡±

 Chapter 76

    As much as I want you out of here, I want to know what happened that day we went out¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I do. I just want to know how many drinks you ordered,¡± she chuckled.


    ¡°You mean how many drinks you ordered?¡± he replied.


    ¡°Okay, quit the suspense and just talk¡±


    He chuckled and took up the ss from the table. ¡°You actually were the only one who made orders that night. I only foot the bill¡±


    Maren scoffed in amusement. ¡°Really? I couldn¡¯t move the next morning and I really can¡¯t remember the details¡±


    ¡°Well, it sounds to me like you had fun.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but honestly, I really don¡¯t want to do that again. Not so hard next time.¡±


    ¡°Next time?¡± The question hung in the air as Maren stared at him, searching his face for a confirmation that she¡¯d just said something shitty, but his face just held a smirk.


    The initial fear she had for him the first time she saw him suddenly crept in again. ¡°I was just saying. It¡¯s just a-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he interrupted and focused on his drink.


    ¡°Well, then, now to my previous question. What really are you here for?¡±


    ¡°Just thought I should drop by. See how you¡¯re doing considering the fact that you half fainted that night?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Maren asked, amused and a little embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t believe she was so lightheaded. ¡°Well, you should have called instead of bullying my secretary into letting you into my office.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    He just stared at her when she was done and raised a brow.


    She chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that face. If you wanted to get my number, the power is right in your pockets.¡±


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to get it that way, so I decided to drop by. Did I do the wrong thing?¡±


    Maren was silent, as it seemed something had struck her. She turned away from him and focused her gaze on something else, though she could feel his eyes pierce through her skin.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± His baritone pierced through the air and kind of startled her, which made her press her eyes shut for a second.


    She hesitated for a while as she searched her mind for the right words to express her thoughts. She clicked her tongue and looked down at the file, which she had opened earlier.


    ¡°It¡¯s just-i don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just a thought but, this doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± she said and caught his rxed gaze.


    ¡°I mean, I really enjoyed being with you and all that, but this just doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    Kendrick studied her for a while, from her creased brows to the way her hands moved in gestures.


    ¡°Is this about Alexander?¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the question, and her head began asking questions. Was this really about Alexander? Had he finally gotten into her head?


    ¡°I bet he pulled some move about you not knowing who I am and I¡¯m not what I seem, and-¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± She yelled, by reflex. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologised, the white angel whispering ¡®Busted!¡¯ in her ears. ¡°It really isn¡¯t about Alexander. And if he did say that, he¡¯s not wrong, but at the same time, it¡¯s not because of him,¡± she added, in a breath.


    ¡°What do you want, Maren? I know it¡¯s a little too early for that, but I feel like it¡¯s a question you need to think about.¡±


    Maren sucked on her lower lip as though trying not to make it obvious.


    Did she really want Alexander back, or did she want to continue what she¡¯d started with Kendrick? Now that she was thinking about it, she really didn¡¯t know Kendrick, and everything was happening so quickly.


    And what did Alexander know that he wasn¡¯t telling her? She shook off her thoughts and looked up at Kendrick, who had been staring at her.


    She sighed, ¡°Like you said, it¡¯s too early to decide.¡±


    ¡®So you¡¯re just going to keep screwing two men, you slutty bitch?¡± The red angel screamed into her ear, which she shook off.


    Kendrick stood from where he sat with the ss which he had refilled earlier and walked towards the shelf which her golden horse stood and made like he was studying it.


    Maren watched his every movement as his heavy build moved around her office, trying to guess what he was thinking about.


    It was amusing to her that the all known and famous Kendrick Harding was in her office walking aimlessly like some lost puppy.


    Apart from him being physically attractive, she sort of found him emotionally attractive, too.


    Though they¡¯d spent just a day together and both of them were drunk for more than half the day, there was still something that held on to how he¡¯d made her feel that day and that was something she couldn¡¯t really remember feeling from Alexander.


    But back to reality, who the hell was this man? And what really did he see in her that he was willing to stoop low and be in her office with no sole aim?


    She really wished she could voice her thoughts as she watched him walk over to therge green nt with sword-shaped leaves and pointed tips which rested just beside the door.


    ¡°Hmm, snake nt. I have one of these,¡± he said, examining it. He turned to her and took a sip.


    ¡°Okay?¡± she said, confusingly. He was acting really weird, and she was starting to get scared.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be real with you.¡± The seriousness in his voice made her even more scared.


    She straightened in her chair. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to do this so soon because I know you¡¯re going to definitely hate me.¡± He strolled towards her, one hand in his pocket.


    Maren¡¯s body stiffened, expecting anything at this point. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Just a little something to remind you of something,¡± he said in a rxed voice, which made his voice more menacing.


    ¡°Stop this, you¡¯re scaring me¡±


    Slowly, he pulled his hand out of his pocket and held out something for her to see.


    Frozen and stiff in her chair, Maren¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

 Chapter 77

    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at that thing for the past forty-five minutes, and I¡¯ve been asking about it for the past thirty.¡± Neined as she seared her tea absentmindedly.


    ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to tell me what it is, at least you should exin where you left to that day at the pool. You¡¯ve been avoiding that conversation all these days¡±


    Maren ignored her still and just stared at the locket with a silver chain in her hands. She gazed at it, with everything Ne said, falling in her ear but not getting to the drums.


    ¡°Maren? Are you still here?¡± Ne looked up from her phone as her friend neither moved nor spoke. ¡°Maren?¡± She poked her with a finger.


    ¡°I¡¯m still here, Ne¡±


    ¡°Then say something,¡± she snapped, and Maren finally turned to her for the first time since she walked into the tearoom to meet her.


    Maren ced the locket on the table in front of her and finally took up the teacup, which now harboured lukewarm tea.


    ¡°Care to share what that is?¡± Ne asked as she turned off the screen of her phone and ced it on the table.


    ¡°It¡¯s a locket,¡± Maren answered, taking a sip of the tea, though she knew there was no use sipping since it was now almost cold.


    ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a locket. Whose is it? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you in one¡±


    Maren was quiet for a while and stared into space. Her mind seemed to be jumping in and out of reality.


    ¡°My father gave it to me a long time ago, but it got lost and I never bothered looking for it.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Well, mostly because I hated him before he died, but also because he didn¡¯t bother about it when it got lost,¡± Maren answered, her eyes still lifted into space.


    They were lucky they were almost the only ones there otherwise, one would have thought Maren was some fortune teller telling Ne how she¡¯d die.


    A server walked to their table and ced two saucers of croissants in front of each woman.


    ¡°So where did you then find it?¡± She took a bite from the warm pastry.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Her voice trailed off. ¡°Someone else found it.¡±


    ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to know who that was-¡±


    ¡°Kendrick Harding,¡± Maren interrupted, and she could feel the shock in her silence.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You mean the same famous Kendrick Harding who everyone knows?¡±


    Maren rolled her eyes, ¡°Yes Ne¡±


    ¡°I thought you guys were just business partners, since when did he be your little scavenger hunter? How the hell did he find it?¡± She paused and gasped, widening her eyes. ¡°Is he your long lost brother?¡±


    Maren scoffed, ¡°Of course not, Ne. Definitely not. Jesus, Ne!¡±


    Ne shrugged. ¡°How, then, did he find it? I mean, he didn¡¯t just stumble upon it and assume it was yours, did he?¡±


    ¡°Well, he did see my picture and my dad¡¯s in the locket, so if he¡¯d stumbled on it, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯d know who it belonged to right away.¡±


    ¡°But he didn¡¯t, did he? That¡¯s going to sound super shady, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t stumble upon it. Honestly, he refused to tell me how it got to his hands.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting it to be that easy, anyway.¡± She bit into her croissant again and sipped the tea. ¡°Anyway, that aside, youpletely ditched me at a ce I took you to,¡± she used.


    ¡°You started it. I only went with the flow and took your advice. Was it supposed to be the other way around?¡± Maren replied, brushing her thoughts aside and getting her shine back.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t leave the pool area unannounced and then show up at my doorstep in a strange car wasted.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t going to just stay back while we¡¯re getting banged by your whitish ck boyfriend,¡± Maren snapped back.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡± she raised her head and looked at Maren intently, to which Maren looked away with the teacup raised to her lips. Ne squinted her eyes.


    ¡°Where did you go? And with whom?¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t have to answer that question if I don¡¯t want to,¡± she said, batting her eyshes.


    Ne suddenly shed a smile. ¡°You did getid, didn¡¯t you?¡± She teased.


    Still not going to reply, Ne,¡± Maren replied, still refusing to look at her. A scene from that time at the pool shed in her mind, making a shiver run down her spine.


    ¡°Oh my god, was it that good? You¡¯re reddening up,¡± Ne chuckled.


    Maren turned to her sharply. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± She dropped the cup on the table and picked up her phone hurriedly. Using it as a mirror, she checked her checks one after the other. ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± she argued. In truth, her cheeks did feel hot and flushed.


    ¡°I wonder who that was,¡± Ne teased further, pretending to be on her phone whereas her eyes were half watching Maren.


    ¡°Well, think all you want, you¡¯re never going to get a name from my mouth¡±


    ¡°Ha! So you did getid,¡± she chuckled heartily while Maren realised she¡¯d just been a careless blurt. ¡°I really am a good coach.¡±


    Maren smiled, ¡°Well, that¡¯s definitely the only thing you¡¯re going to get¡± she took up the teacup again and took it to her lips.


    ¡°Wild guess, it was Kendrick¡±


    The tea came rushing back up Maren¡¯s throat and out it came from her mouth. She spat it out.


    ¡°What?¡± Ne asked in shock, looking at the mess her friend had just made drawing a little attention to the table which they sat at.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? Why would you give such a guess?¡±


    Ne shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe because I wouldn¡¯t know the names of random strangers and it definitely wasn¡¯t Alexander or William¡¯s dead ass, was it?¡±


    Maren knew she was right, but it caught her off guard and even the liquid couldn¡¯t stay in there. Damn, she hated feeling guilty. It was like a heavy wet sack stuck in your throat and wouldn¡¯t go down, only up.


    ¡°Well, you could have just said some random stranger instead of just saying Kendrick so bluntly¡±


    Ne just giggled as they watched a server walk over to the table with a towel which he used to wipe the table.


    ¡°Hey, that reminds me, what about the detective?¡±

 Chapter 78

    ¡°You¡¯ve held a nervous expression ever since you got back from work yesterday. Is there something wrong?¡±


    Maren raised her eyes to her mom, then looked back down and sucked on her lip. Bher mind was racing and her heart beat increased its pace each time she remembered it.


    After she¡¯d spoken to Kendrick again on the phone, she¡¯d tried to calm down and wait for it to y out, but it was no use. Her mind was already filled with anxiety and the reason wasn¡¯t really clear to her yet.


    ¡°I brought you some juice,¡± her mom informed and Maren let her eyes trail to where the reddish pink liquid stood in a jug.


    She knew within her that her mom won¡¯t leave till she said a word and that was the reason she¡¯d brought the juice.


    One mind urged her to tell her everything, another stopped her and reminded her that this was her mom¡¯ste husband she¡¯d be talking about if she decided to speak and that wasn¡¯t a conversation her mom would like to have.


    Seeing her mom almost peering into her face, she finally looked uppletely. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom¡± she forced a smile, but it was obvious her mom wasn¡¯t buying it.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t seem fine to me¡± she pulled a chair from one side of the table and sat adjacent to her daughter. ¡°You¡¯ve locked yourself up in this dark, study since yesterday and refused to say a word to anyone.¡±


    ¡°I believe if this ce was locked you won¡¯t be able to get in, mom¡±


    Her mom just brushed it off ¡°You¡¯ve been acting really strangelytely. From going out with someone you¡¯re yet to tell me about, to being moody all of a sudden. It¡¯s not healthy Maren¡±


    Maren locked eyes with her mom and saw the seriousness and worry which her voice conveyed. She¡¯d just realised she hadn¡¯t been spending time together like before.


    They hadn¡¯t had one of their usual talks ever since Kendrick came into the picture.


    As much as Maren wanted to be open to her mom, she wasn¡¯t ready to let her in on something like this, though she knew that was the best option right now.


    In fact, secretly, she worried about the olddy. She wasn¡¯t getting younger and though she wouldn¡¯t admit nor show it; she was getting weaker and more frail and Maren really didn¡¯t want to put more of her problems on her. She felt she should handle it on her own.


    She reached for the jug and poured herself half a ss and took a mouth full gulp. She looked at the liquid in the ss and thought she needed something stronger.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, mom,¡± she said with a straight face. ¡°I mean, aside from work, I really don¡¯t think I¡¯ve been worried about anythingtely¡±


    A scowl appeared on her mom¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit, youngdy. I gave birth to you and I know when something¡¯s going on with you and when you¡¯re trying to hide it¡±


    Maren almost wrung her nose at her mom¡¯s senses. She knew she wouldn¡¯t drop it till she said something that¡¯ll appease her.


    She heaved a silent sigh and looked her mom in the eye. ¡°Alright, fine, you win.¡± She surrendered. ¡°It really is nothing serious. I mean, it¡¯s nothing that should bother, really¡±


    ¡°I still want to hear it,¡± she insisted.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just I decided to look ring for the detective in charge of William¡¯s murder; Micheal and he¡¯s not been really responsive about the entire thing though he¡¯s still on it and has made little yo no progress¡±


    ¡°Go on, I really don¡¯t see any sense in what you¡¯ve said,¡± her mom said.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°The part that bothers me is ording to him. Irene is has not been since for about a week now and he suspects she probably knows something¡±


    Mrs Sharppe was quiet for a while, as she always was when her mind was cooking up something.


    ¡°Did he ask you questions about her whereabouts?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I told him we haven¡¯t spoken in almost a year.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she knows something? Or she just decided to get off the face of the earth?¡±


    Maren fell silent. She really had thought about this, and she knew it was weird for Irene to just disappear without making a show or something.


    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s fishy. I mean, Irene was anything but a coward. She¡¯d rather spill the truth and go down than run away with what she knew.¡± She flipped the pages on the file in thought.


    ¡°I called her phone and even sent text messages, but I got nothing. Her phone has been untraceable and her house was locked when Micheal arrived. He had to break in to find any clues if there were any.¡±


    ¡°Did he find anything?¡±


    ¡°Nope, instead, her house just looked like she had just stepped out to and would he back soon¡± Maren turned away from her mom and stared into thin air.


    ¡°You¡¯re worried about her, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Faint lines of veins appeared on her forehead as she blinked a number of times. ¡°I mean, I really didn¡¯t feel it this way when I read the texts from Micheal. But now saying it out loud-¡±


    ¡°You miss her, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I miss who she used to be and I just want her to be safe wherever she is.¡± She paused, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t feel pity for her because of what she did to me, but I really don¡¯t want anything bad to harm her, mom. I lost William, I-¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± her mom shushed, sensing the quake in her voice. Maren shut her eyes tight for a few seconds. ¡°That¡¯s enough thinking for one day, don¡¯t you think? Maybe you shouldy back a little and don¡¯t follow him up for sometime¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Mom. Thanks.¡± she opened her eyes again and took another gulp of the juice. ¡°And next time, please bring something stronger.¡±


    ¡°You know I wouldn¡¯t do that. What kind of mom would I be if I did?¡±


    Maren chuckled, lightening up a little. ¡°You¡¯re the best mom either way,¡± she smiled.


    She loved her mom and always listened to her, but not in this situation. It was her ex-best friend involved in this one and there was no way she was going to just sit back and watch.


    What if she was in danger? There was no way Maren was going to rx. She swore to get to the bottom of it.

 Chapter 79

    ¡°Dude, you really need to quit making uninvited appearances in my office,¡± Kendrick warned as she ced his gun back into his drawer.


    ¡°My office is an invitation only zone and you really should respect that¡±


    Alexander smirked. ¡°Or what? You¡¯ll send your men to me? You¡¯ll kill me? Ooh, I¡¯m so scared. Well, lock your door next time¡±


    ¡± (cunt)¡± Kendrick spat and got back to what he was doing, scribbling something on a nk sheet of paper. ¡°What the hell are you doing in my building?¡±


    Alexander just headed straight for the chair on the other side of Kendrick¡¯s table and made himselffortable.


    ¡°I see you finally got to Maren, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What now? You¡¯re the manager of the FBI or you just spy on people for fun?¡± Alexander just smiled and kept his eyes on his brother. ¡°You really need to do something better. I see owning apany has gotten a lot easier.¡±


    ¡°Well, unlike you, I¡¯ve got people who handle most of my work.¡±


    ¡°You know that only makes you look ipetent, right? Making people do your sums. Where¡¯s the ountability in that? Do better, lil bro. I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t learn that from your dad.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Alexander clenched his fists slightly and gritted his teeth, but then he sighed and put on his self control coat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for you to coach me on how to run apany.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here for a more irrelevant issue.¡±


    ¡°You had the guts to stick your balls down her throat but you didn¡¯t have the guts to tell her that we are rted¡±


    Kendrick looked up and raised a brow. ¡°Are we?¡±


    ¡°Just cut the crap. You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about¡±


    Kendrick finally sat up in his chair. His long ck hair glistened in the light. ¡°Look Alexander. I really don¡¯t have the time to exchange words with you, especially not today. I¡¯ve got a very special guesting over and you really should leave,¡± he stated.


    ¡°Besides, you clearly also didn¡¯t have the balls to tell her, so I don¡¯t see the difference here. If you ask me, I¡¯d say I was saving you the embarrassment of her finding out I¡¯m the sessful one despite you being the one who learned from dad.¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t get any excuse for you, though. Care to share what you¡¯re so afraid of?¡±


    ¡°If anyone is scared of anything, that should be you, Kendrick. You know she thinks you¡¯re a really terrible person for pulling the plug on dad.¡±


    ¡°Courtesy of you, I presume,¡± Kendrick interjected, clearly uninterested with what he was here to say.


    Alexander¡¯s lips curled into a smile as he watched his elder brother. ¡°I¡¯m sure you want to avoid anything that would make her hate you and ruin your ns, don¡¯t you?¡±¡± he chuckled menacingly.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won. The high and mighty Kendrick Harding always seeds in getting whoever he wants.¡±


    Kendrick almost rolled his eyes. ¡°Can you just quit being childish for once?¡±


    ¡°Oh I will, just wait till she finds out who you actually are, what you actually do and most importantly, why you¡¯re actually so interested in screwing her¡±


    Kendrick¡¯s eyes shot him a deadly re as both men maintained eye contact for about a minute. How dare he threaten him? Kendrick¡¯s mind raged. How much did this joker know?


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    *****


    Maren had never driven this far on her own before, and she surprised herself by doing great at it.


    She drummed her fingers impatiently on the steering wheel as her eyes moved from the traffic light to the rearview mirror, which was illegally turned towards her.


    The mascara on hershes made a little spot beneath her eyes because of the countless times she had blinked her way back to reality.


    12¡­11¡­10¡­


    Maren bit her lower lip. She needed to calm her nerves, or she¡¯d lose itpletely. Her eyes darted to the upant of the ck BMW X5 in front of her.


    There in the back seat stood a little girl of about age seven, staring at her. She tugged at her pigtails with one hand while she had two of her fingers in her mouth.


    Maren smiled and the little girl smiled back and waved before someone guided her to sit.


    Her car began to move and Maren realised the traffic light had turned green, so she stepped on the gas. Surprisingly, seeing the little girl had made her calm down a little, and she was no longer sucking her lip.


    Luckily, there weren¡¯t so many cars on the road and that was probably the reason her mind strayed away from the road more often than normal.


    She was now on a straight road and her destination wasing to sight slowly and the thought of what to expect made her lip go back into her mouth.


    Swerving right, she brought the car to a halt in between the cars at the parking lot.


    The car made a beep sound as it locked and Maren put on her dark shades and made her way to the entrance of the massive building.


    ¡°Maren Sharppe,¡± she told thedy at the front desk, who searched for her name on theputer in front of her.


    Maren used the time to look around where she stood, which looked like a lobby. It was two times bigger than hers and had a little waiting centre where a few people were seated.


    It had a pleasant view from the inside, though one couldn¡¯t see what was going on from the outside.


    Everyone who passed by minded their businesses and didn¡¯t even give her a second nce, which was something the workers here possessed that hers didn¡¯t and it made her wonder what kind of hand Kendrick used to run the ce.


    ¡°Alright,¡± thedy finally said. She looked up and signalled to two guards who Maren had noticed earlier as she walked in that they really didn¡¯t have any job doing there.


    They came forward, and thedy signalled to them once more.


    ¡°This way, ma¡¯am,¡± she said to her, and she did as told, half knowing what was going on.


    They led her into the elevator and pushed the button to the eleventh floor, which, by the way, wasn¡¯t thest floor in the building.


    The doors opened to a hallway, and they walked through with her in front. At the end of the hallway stood a door which the men stopped at.


    Confused, Maren turned around, wondering why they¡¯d suddenly stopped. But when they wouldn¡¯t still budge, she reached for the door and pushed the button.


    The door opened at a good pace and only when she was in did the men turn around and leave.


    ¡°Kendrick?¡± She called and took a step forward.


    ¡°I thought you would change your mind.¡±


    She turned toward the voice. ¡°Trust me, I almost did.¡± She walked further till she came out to some sort of balcony which she could swear could be the size of a mini bedroom.


    He was sitting at a small table which harboured two chairs as fresh air blew, sweeping his hair into his eyes and blowing away the smoke which escaped from his lips and nose.


    ¡°I¡¯d really appreciate it if you¡¯d get down to business. The suspense is really killing me¡±


    Kendrick smirked, but still didn¡¯t look at her. Maren could see his expression wasn¡¯t as bright as usual.


    ¡°Well then, I suggest you take a seat.¡±

 Chapter 80

    Maren held her chest as she staggered back a little. She held her chest and her face turned pale, her eyes appearing empty.


    ¡°Maren!¡± She heard him call her name after the ringing in her ears stopped. Her back finally hit the wall of the balcony and she looked down at the moving cars in the road, her vision blurred and spinning.


    She held onto the side for support as her mind seemed to have shut down.


    ¡°Hey, hey look at me,¡± Kendrick¡¯s voice came again as he tried to bring her head back to its ce.


    She turned her gaze away from the road to him. About all she could see was the blurry presence of two extra Kendricks.


    Her chest rose and fell rapidly and she tried in vain to swallow the lump which was stuck in her throat. She shook her head a little, trying to clear her vision, but it was no use.


    ¡°I¡¯m a whore!¡± She muttered. Hot tears formed a stream beneath her eyes. Clouding her already blurred vision and she could feel a severe headachee up on one side of her head.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please step away from the edge, Maren¡±


    ¡®You slutty bastard. William was way better than you. He only cheated with one woman, but you slept with the entire country. You¡¯ve always had it in you, you shameless whore. Now face it, face the consequences of your-¡®


    ¡°No!¡± Maren suddenly screamed. Her eyes were almost bloodshot. ¡°You¡¯re lying. We¡¯ve never met before. I don¡¯t know you and I¡¯ve never had anything to do with you!¡± She screamed, her veins almost popping out of her neck.


    Kendrick edged forward a little but carefully, ¡°Okay, calm down. We don¡¯t want to rm anyone,¡± he said, staring deep into her eyes with concern written all over his face.


    She fell silent as she looked at him. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her chest rose and fell in rage. Slowly, he got closer and touched her arm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± She suddenly screamed, yanking her hand away from his grip. Kendrick let go of her and just stared at her as she came at him.


    With all the little strength she could muster, she pushed him on his chest, which only made him barely take a step back. ¡°You¡¯re a liar! A monster! You¡¯re trying to get to me, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re trying to get something out of me.¡± She pushed him again


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± She screamed and pushed him again. More tears rushed from her eyes and weakened her, making the next push seem like nothing.


    Kendrick, taking the chance, gently pulled her away from the edge and to the middle of the space and carefully, fearing that she¡¯d do something dangerous, she pulled her close to him and ced her head on his chest while she sobbed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered, the initial fear of her jumping off the balcony wiping off his face. ¡°I should havee clean earlier, but I wasn¡¯t sure how you¡¯d take it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± she managed to say in between sobs. ¡°It¡¯s not possible¡±


    ¡°I understand if you hate me because you can¡¯t remember. And it was as good as taking advantage of you. But believe me, I was so confused when you walked into the room. You were so drunk and I knew I should have stopped you when you made the first move,¡± he exined.


    ¡°You seemed so happy that night, Maren. It was obvious you mistook me for someone else, but I was also carried away by everything about you even in your drunken state. You looked so pretty, Maren¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. Tell me you¡¯re lying, Kendrick,¡± she insisted, her voice quivering from the tears.


    ¡°I figured you¡¯d be ashamed if you woke up next to a stranger, so I just left. I really am sorry,¡± he said and gently smoothed her hair with his hand.


    She was quiet for sometime as her mind raced in thought of how she was going to say this to anyone. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier?¡±


    ¡°Because I knew you wouldn¡¯t believe me and you¡¯d be mad at me for stealing your locker, but that was the only thing I could use as evidence, Maren.¡±


    Slowly, she lifted her head from his chest and looked at him in the eye. ¡°Why then did you decide toe out now?¡±


    ¡°After that day, I wanted you so badly. I had people search for you. Maren and I found out everything about you and, just to be sure about you address, I sent you flower after your wedding to Alexander¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d remember me the moment you saw me, but it was obvious you didn¡¯t. That night was probably just a night to you.¡±


    Maren¡¯s expression softened and her eyes trailed to her fingers, which were still on his chest and caressing the tattoo.


    The red angel appeared in her mind ¡®That shit never left your mind, did it? You little slut¡¯


    She stared at the tattoo for a while, her mind taking her back and making her faintly remember licking on it in the spur of the best sex she¡¯s ever had.


    Confusion took over her and all she wanted to do was cry and scream out of her chest. Her head ached and her legs felt like jelly at the thought of how her life was going. How was she going to face Nathan and exin that his mom was a slut in her days?


    She lifted her eyes to Kendrick again, whose expression was the softest she¡¯d ever seen of a man. Really, his face didn¡¯t portray his character.


    He had strong and powerful features, and she¡¯d seen him kill someone before. But the man who stood before her now was gentle.


    Tears glistened beneath her eyes and Kendrick took it as a sign and pulled her close with his hands, which never left her waist.


    The wind blew and carried a sense of warmth with melted Maren into his arms instantly. She could hear the rapid beating of his chest slowly reduce its pace and she also gently rxed her shoulders.


    ¡°I love you, Maren¡±

 Chapter 81

    He popped out from under the duvet and nted a kiss on her lips before settling himself beside her, their chest rising and falling in unison.


    Covering their bodies with the duvet, they stared at the ceiling in silence, each person drowning in their own thoughts.


    She turned to face him, then ced a hand on his chest. ¡°Isn¡¯t there some meeting you have to attend to?¡±


    He looked at her and raised a brow. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the next thing you have to say after the multiple orgasms?¡±


    Red crept to her cheeks, and he hit his chest yfully, ¡°Stop it. You know what I mean. Was I supposed to say thank you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be very much appreciated, yes¡± he turned away and smiled to himself.


    She just chuckled and rolled to the other side of the bed where a bedside table stood. She reached for her phone and turned on the screen.


    ¡°Oh, my god!¡± she screamed and sat up in the bed, shielding her body with a part of the duvet.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Kendrick asked, looking away from his phone.


    ¡°How long were we up? It¡¯s past ten!¡± She says, her eyes wide in surprise.


    ¡°So?¡±


    Maren scoffed, ¡°Excuse me, ¡®Mr I don¡¯t have to work all the time, I¡¯ve got lots of money I have nothing to do with.¡¯ I have to go, alright? I¡¯ve also got a family to attend to,¡± she said and slipped into her flip-flops.


    ¡°You might not mean it that way, but that hurts, you know.¡± he turned back to his phone.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you know that,¡± she called from the shower. She turned on the tap in the bathtub and when it reached her level of satisfaction, she added a generous amount ofvender-scented bath salts, and watched as they dissolved with a smile. Scenes from the night before shing into her mind.


    Carefully, she squeezed in a rich, creamy bubble bath into the water, which created a fragrant foam that danced across the surface. The sweet aroma of vani took over the room.


    When she had stirred it and they¡¯d mixed, she gently slipped in and settled herself inside, the bath foam covering the rest of her body apart from her head.


    She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet smell of the water for a minute before another smile crept to her lips again.


    ¡°Whore¡± she muttered, usingly. She could do this forever.


    ¡°Looks like everything¡¯s been taken care of at home.¡±


    Her eyes fluttered open at his voice and she turned her head to view him standing at the door in something as simple as just shorts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind beingte for another day,¡± she smiled. Her eyes strayed down to his crotch and that size which had been inside her all fucking night.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m up here,¡± he reminded, and she chuckled, a strategy to avoid biting her lip. ¡°Your phone¡¯s been buzzing and ringing. I thought I¡¯de tell you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who are they from?¡±


    ¡°Louise, mom-Alexander¡±


    Maren¡¯s smile dropped a little, and she sank back into the tub and shut her eyes again.


    ¡°I know that face,¡± Kendrick said and took a step further into the room, folding his arms.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to have this conversation, please.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too, but you really can¡¯t keep ignoring the fact that your feelings for Alexander are undeniably mixed. And moving back in with him only made it worse¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± she asked, still refusing to look at him.


    ¡°I should be asking that question,¡± she said. His voice was now more serious.


    She opened her eyes and turned to him with raised brows. ¡°Really?¡± Kendrick only stared back at her.


    ¡°Okay, look I don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯m going to exin this but I really, honestly, only got back to Alexander because he is Nathan¡¯s father and Nathan¡¯s grown so ustomed to him.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough reason that I want my son to be happy?¡±


    Kendrick didn¡¯t reply, but it was obvious he wasn¡¯t buying it, and he really didn¡¯t want to make matters worse.


    ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re going to say, like you always do and I won¡¯t deny it, Alexander has shown a better version of himself these past few weeks and it¡¯s made me think so much but honestly I really don¡¯t know why I¡¯m still so drawn to you more than to him. It¡¯s just-¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright,¡± he interjected, cutting her short as he could feel the stir in her emotion.


    She fell silent for a while and looked at his beautiful, tattoo covered self. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, I know it¡¯s wrong being here and there at the same time and I really am trying to make up my mind so no one gets hurt, alright?¡±


    Kendrick just stared at her and bottles up his words. Then, steadily, he walked over to her and nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Just finish up and answer your phone¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Maren thought as he walked out of the bathroom. She shook off the feeling and tried to focus on taking her bath as she sank back into the water with only her face on the surface.


    Two weeks ago, after the entire revtion with Kendrick, she¡¯d agreed to get back with Alexander not just because of Nathan but secretly also because she wanted eyes averted from her while she snuck out with Kendrick.


    Instead, it made it worse. Now she was even more torn than she ever was, getting to know both of them.


    Even bad enough was Kendrick seemed to be on her neck each time something about Alexander came up and she was certain it wasn¡¯t jealousy, but something else she couldn¡¯t decipher.


    She held her breath and slippedpletely into the water, hoping it would help her keep her mind from thinking about Irene who still hadn¡¯t been heard from.


    It¡¯s been almost a month and Micheal hadpletely ghosted them, which was really suspicious but that was just another to the list of suspicions she had about everything going on.


    She wished this could all just go away. Like some wind could just blow and she would wake up from all of this andugh it off.


    But it couldn¡¯t and she couldn¡¯t just ignore some vital details of her life just like that.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    Suddenly, her eyes flew open. She had to get to work!

 Chapter 82

    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡± Louis greeted as soon as Maren passed by her station.


    ¡°Good morning to you too, Louise,¡± Maren answered as he walked past without turning to her. Ignoring the fact that age hadn¡¯t received her at the door again.


    As soon as she was almost at her door, she paused, then creased her brows before walking back to Louise¡¯s open door.


    She stared at Louise, who had her eyes down on her desk as she seemed to be busy and didn¡¯t notice her boss¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Louise?¡± Maren called, keeping her eyes on the secretary.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± she answered and raised her head to view Maren¡¯s questioning look.


    Sure enough, Maren was certain that what she had seen with the corner of her eye wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Louise¡¯s face showed a mixture of unease and somehow calmness as looked straight at Maren. Her eyes were wide with what she felt, yet she tried to force her face into what it usually was.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Maren asked gently as she stood at the doorway.


    ¡°Yes, sure.¡± Louise answered, forcing a smile, which just ended up looking weary and weird. Maren wasn¡¯t buying that.


    Maren¡¯s eyes trailed to her body and noticed her feet tapping silently on the ground, but Louise stopped it as soon as she noticed her eyes.


    It seemed the more Maren looked at her, the whiter she got and she looked so pale that she could faint at the slightest contact with anyone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Louise,¡± she warned. ¡°Is something wrong somewhere?¡±


    ¡°N-no.¡± Maren watched her eyebrows slightly bounce up and down. She¡¯d never seen her act this way before.


    ¡°It¡¯s just my kind fever whiches once in a while, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t need to worry about me,¡± she urged and shed more of her weak smile.


    ¡°If you needed a day off, you could have just made a request¡± Her voice was filled with concern.


    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve got anything to do aside from work,¡± Louise insisted, now avoiding Maren¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t look so good. Which is bad for me and therefore bad for business. So get your shit together on time cause you¡¯re getting off work early and you¡¯re taking tomorrow off, alright?¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s really not-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an order!¡± Maren said and walked away, towards her own office.


    *****


    ¡°Oh, my god! Alexander, you can¡¯t keep doing this every time,¡± Maren argued as she stormed into the room.


    ¡°I keep doing this every time because you keep ignoring my words.¡±


    Maren just sat herself on the bed and began taking off her shoes, ignoring what he was saying. Alexander walked towards her and stood in front of her.


    ¡°I came back from a trip which I was away for a week and didn¡¯t care to ask how it went?¡±


    ¡°Is this what this is really about, or you¡¯re just looking for a way to get words out of my mouth?¡± She spat.


    ¡°I want you to talk to me, Maren. You¡¯ve been acting so strangetely and it¡¯s really not good for us.¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡®Us?¡¯ Maren almost scoffed. He had gotten so soft that it was almost so annoying, but sweet.


    ¡°Look, Maren, I know I fucked up. I know what I did to you and Nathan. And I truly am sorry. All I¡¯m trying to do is love you, but you¡¯re making it so difficult¡±


    Maren folded her arms and stared up at him. She hated when he pulled that card, which she knew deep down was a sincerity card.


    The more she stared at him searching her mind for words, the more she couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty by the way strong and arrogant Alexander hadid down his character to try to please her.


    Sometimes, she silently begged for him to go back to his usual character so she could spit in his face and shove him aside. But now, even Nathan had let the name ¡®dad¡¯ slip out of his mouth once.


    ¡°I was only out a few times to clear my head, that¡¯s all,¡± she finally said and looked away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Maren.¡±


    Maren¡¯s expression changed almost instantly. ¡°Thanks for reminding me why I¡¯m trying topletely get over you and why I shouldn¡¯t stop.¡± She stood up from the bed and walked towards the wardrobe.


    I know you¡¯ve be some kind of close friends with Kendrick¡±


    ¡°Oh wait, you spy on me now?¡± She shit and she spun around to face him. She ced her hand on her forehead and shut her eyes while she sighed. ¡°We talked about this Alexander. Why do you keep going back and forth?¡±


    ¡°Because I know you don¡¯t hate me, otherwise you¡¯d have never agreed to moving back here or even listen to another word I say. All I want to know I¡¯d why you¡¯re acting this way despite all my apologies?¡±


    ¡°Because you counter those apologies every time, Alexander. I mean, we talked about this before I agreed to get back into your life that I was just doing this for Nathan and for peace to reign and not for you to monitor my whereabouts¡±


    ¡°You clearly agreed that I¡¯d have my freewill and not be some teenager who has to take permission to live!¡± she said, her chest rising and falling as her eyes dug into his.


    As the silence persisted, each person contemted what they¡¯d be. The entire situation had been a total wreck. Still, none of them had enough balls to leave the other.


    Maren couldn¡¯t deny that she still felt something for Alexander and she tried so hard to convince herself that it wasn¡¯t pity. The more she stared at him, the more he did what he did, the more she resolved into the warmth of his act.


    As much as she tried to think about Kendrick most of the time, there was just something-something that always pulled her mind back to this race, which had been there for her when William wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Okay, look, I know you might be hanging out with Kendrick. I mean, he¡¯s charming, more sessful-¡±


    She folded her arms and squinted her eyes. ¡°Are you gaslighting me?¡±


    ¡°Let me finish, please.¡± He begged and took a step closer to her. ¡°I know Kendrick seems like the perfect manpared to what I¡¯ve been towards you and Nathan, and I really am sorry about all of that.¡±


    ¡°I just want a sincere answer to this one question.¡±


    Maren just stared at him. Not willing to risk telling him to ask or telling him not to.


    ¡°Alright. Do you still want me in your life?¡±

 Chapter 83

    The phone buzzed for the umpteenth time and Maren finally picked it up and found the guts to switch it off.


    What she needed now was definitely not another excuse to exin, lie and definitely not face what she knew wasing.


    She finally stepped away from the table and sped her hands in front of her before shing a smile at the men who sat around the table who were now looking at her with expressions which questioned her actions.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If it¡¯s that urgent, you know you can excuse yourself and take it, right?¡± One man with a scanty moustache said to Maren.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s definitely not that urgent. It¡¯s probably just my social media fans calling or something.¡±


    ¡°Does that actually happen?¡± Another asked.


    ¡°Yeah, sometimes,¡± she replied dismissively and turned back to the chat behind her. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work, shall we?¡±


    She struggled with her phone, her bag and a booklet in her hand and she stepped onto the patio of the cafe.


    Pulling out her sses roughly from her jeans, which she had hurriedly put on to work today just to get out of the house. She put on the sses as soon as the door was held open for her, as she saw that the inside was packed with people.


    She¡¯d chosen a public cafe for the sole reason of not being found at her usual tea room, where she suspected whoever wanted to could find her.


    Scanning the area through her dark shades, she strolled down the aisle of booths and mouthed sorry when she found them upied.


    A buzz from her phone made her fumble with the jean jacket which hung on her arm as she pulled the phone out and stared at the caller ID. She just sighed and turned off the screen before resuming her search for a spot to hide.


    ¡°Are you leaving?¡± She asked the couple who had just stood up from the booth at the end of the aisle.


    Thedy¡¯s brows creased as she tilted her head while looking at Maren like she was someone who¡¯d risen from the dead.


    ¡°Yes, sure,¡± the man¡¯s voice came, and she took hisdy¡¯s hand and pulled her along. Maren watched them leave, and she saw thedy turn around to nce at her one more time.


    Maren ignored it and sank into the booth, and with her eyes closed, she heaved a heavy sigh of relief. The sses were never a good disguise, anyway; she thought.


    But that was the least of her problems now. She was a fugitive running away from everyone in her life, not having the balls to continue any of what she¡¯d started.


    Both Kendrick and Alexander had been blowing up her phone all day. Alexander kept texting and calling when she hadn¡¯t taken his first call and Kendrick¡­well, she¡¯d been ghosting him all week.


    ¡°Good day ma¡¯am. What can I get for you?¡± Maren¡¯s eyes flung open at the sound of the voice and she turned to view a youngdy about the same age as Rose standing and smiling by the booth.


    She was in a white shirt and trousers, which Maren thought wasn¡¯t really the right uniform for a cafe.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just have some ck coffee,¡± Maren replied. Something stronger would have done the trick, but she was in a local cafe. She wasn¡¯t going to risk asking for rum like she sometimes did in the tearoom.


    ¡°Right away, ma¡¯am,¡± she replied and picked up the teacup of the table, which Maren was just noticing, then walked away.


    Maren took a deep breath to calm her nerves, trying to convince herself that she had everything under control, whereas the red angel whispered otherwise.


    She could do this, right? She asked herself. Though she hadn¡¯t given Alexander a definite answer the other night-with reasons not known to her. She knew that soon she¡¯d have no choice but to answer as that time was really, really close.


    Deep down, she knew the answer was on the tip of her tongue and just waiting for her to let it out, but she was just being a pussy, as usual.


    Thedy returned bearing the coffee. And as she stirred the sugar into the liquid, her mind seemed toe together and make a resolution.


    She had to tell everyone the truth!


    *****


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you have a visitor,¡± a voice came from behind the door after a knock.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± She asked absentmindedly as she clicked away on herptop, hoping Ne was finally back from her shoot in Mumbai.


    ¡°They call him Mr Harding¡±


    ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Maren¡¯s head screamed as her entire body froze. She remained that way for another minute till a whisper reminded her that Alexander was supposed to be in the living already.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she muttered and sprang up from the chair. She knew this day woulde when these two would meet and she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them both from tearing each other apart.


    She yanked open her wardrobe to find something less showy to change into, which was a real deal as she did it, so paranoid that she ended up scattering the entire thing.


    In time, she was into better andfortable pants and she headed out.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got some balls to show  up here, in my house, don¡¯t you think?¡± She could hear Alexander¡¯s voice from down the stairs.


    ¡°Been a while since I came here. You don¡¯t do much touching up, do you?¡± Kendrick said, looking interestingly around.


    Maren got to the top of the staircase and stopped, realising that she hadn¡¯t seen Nathan since she got back. And knowing this night might end pretty badly, she turned around and headed for his room.


    Gently, she opened the door and found Rose patting his sleeping head. She gave a small smile and walked over to his bed, then ced a kiss on his forehead before smoothening it. She took a quick gaze at him, then remembered that she had some matter to attend to.


    Kendrick clicked his teeth, ¡°Damn, I should have killed you the thousands of times I had the chance¡±


    ¡°Now I know why dad let you leave, you selfish bastard. You were always a thief, taking what never belongs to you. I hate that you¡¯re my brother Ken-¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 84

    Maren stood at the top of the stairs, suddenly dumbfounded as she stared down at the two men in the living room, who also stared back at her.


    For minutes, everyone just exchanged nces, which included the terrified look Maren¡¯s face slowly held.


    ¡°Maren, look, it really is moreplicated than it sounds¡± Alexander was the first to speak as he slowly advanced forward to where she stood.


    She didn¡¯t move, nor did she speak. She wasn¡¯t even sure she wanted an exnation.


    She just watched him slowly walk up to where she was while Kendrick stayed down with his hands sped behind his back and his face showed no emotion.


    Maren shifted her gaze from Alexander to Kendrick and then back to Alexander. And just as the gears in her head began to move again, she blinked multiple times, forcing her tears back inside as she turned away in the direction she hade.


    ¡°Maren please-¡±


    ¡°Let her go Alexander,¡± Kendrick said firmly. ¡°Some things are better left unspoken about.¡±


    ¡°If you understood that, you wouldn¡¯t have walked your ass into my house,¡± Alexander said as he climbed back down the stairs.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if you hadn¡¯t been such a bbermouth. And more importantly, if you had the courage to actually tell her we are rted, as someone who she was once legally married to,¡± he said in a rxed voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t put this on me, Kendrick. You¡¯re no less a pussy than I am.¡± He edged closer. ¡°You knew she wouldn¡¯t take it well regardless of who it came from. That¡¯s why you never told her yourself. If at all you nned on letting her know¡±


    Kendrick smirked. His baby brother really was getting smarter, or was he getting more obvious?


    Just as the smirk hade, it wiped off again and Kendrick took a step closer, making the space in between them as short as a breath.


    ¡°If you ask me, I think there is more than just reading minds for you to do. You just broke Maren and I sure will fix her.¡±


    *****


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Maren screamed again and ran her fingers through her hair as she tried in vain to stop the words from reying in her head.


    ¡°My god! I¡¯ve missed a lot,¡± Ne said, her brows arched as she took a sip of the red wine. She returned it to the table and ced her hand on Maren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What are you going to do now?¡±


    ¡°Well, first, I¡¯ve moved outpletely from Alexander¡¯s life and I don¡¯t care if my phone dies from his calls.¡± Maren answered after a brief hesitation.


    ¡°You think that¡¯s the best thing to do?¡±


    Maren suddenly mmed the table with her hand and turned to a startled Ne. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ne. What would you do if you found out you¡¯re an actual whore who¡¯s been sleeping with two brothers, both in the past and present?¡±


    Ne shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯ve got this under control more than I¡¯d have¡±


    ¡°How was I so oblivious?¡± Maren whined and ced her head on the round ck table.


    ¡°I think a better word is ignorant-or is it blinded?¡± Ne said, squinting her eyes in thought.


    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± She mumbled with her head still facing down.


    ¡°I think it was right there in front of you but you just never took a second look at it¡± Maren slowly began to raise her head from the table as seemed to now see what Ne was saying.


    ¡°You probably just felt it was impossible, so you never had the thought. I mean, these are two people who you¡¯ve never seen together in a room till that night. All you knew was that they were enemies. Which is reallymon for Alexander to have¡±


    Maren whined and moaned in realisation as her head fell back on the table. ¡°I hate that you might be right, Ne.¡±


    Ne smiled at her wisdom and took another sip of her wine.


    How did I not see this resemnce in their character earlier?¡± Maren said, suddenly bringing her head up again. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s always somethingmon between siblings, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Ne nodded with the ss between her lips.


    ¡°I mean, Kendrick is more reasonable than Alexander, which probably shows his seniority over Alexander. Alexander is a little more soft-hearted than Kendrick. But both of them have very low quality of selflessness in them¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably reallymon amongst man at the top of thedder¡±


    ¡°No, theirs feel so simr now that I think about it,¡± Maren said, and both women felt silent. The chilling wind blew but all it could do for Maren was send a shiver down her spine and cover her with a nket of goosebumps.


    ¡°Why would they keep such a thing from you, though?¡±


    Maren tilted her head a little and looked ahead and at nothing in particr as she allowed the red angel to whisper into her ear.


    ¡°Was I just some prize?¡± She asked out loud.


    ¡°Prize for what?¡±


    ¡°For somepetition. I mean, first to get the girl wins. Because for as long as I¡¯ve known those two, they have never been on good terms. What if I was the prize for their little game and they¡¯d nned to tell after one had won?¡±


    ¡°Nah, sounds like a stupid idea, like something Alexander woulde up with and Kendrick would decline. No offence though¡±


    ¡°So I was supposed to find out for myself? God, I¡¯m so stupid,¡± she groaned and paused for a while before she turned to Ne. ¡°What would you do if you were in my shoes?¡±


    ¡°What shoes?¡±


    ¡°If you found out you¡¯ve been screwing your ex-husband/ father of your son and his brother?¡±


    Ne chuckled a little evilly and ced the ss of almost finished wine on the table.


    ¡°That really is some messed up shoe to be wearing. But if I were to be in that situation, I think I¡¯ll eliminate one of them, just make him disappear with no trace and-¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough!¡± Maren cut her short. Her eyes were wide with terror. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea, Ne. Why would you think of a thing like that?¡±


    ¡°Rx, I was just saying. I mean, it makes things a lot easier judging the fact that you¡¯re screwed between two men who are mad over you,¡± Ne defended.


    ¡°Besides, you didn¡¯t let me finish. I was about to say, the hardest part is choosing who¡¯d be leaving our life, which, by the way, is a choice you need to start thinking about, and fast!¡±

 Chapter 85

    ¡°Okay, you both need to stop stalking me, alright?¡± Maren said as her shoulders rxed a little from the shock she had just felt.


    She walked over to her table and took out some papers from the drawer, which she spread out on the table.


    ¡°Besides, it¡¯s the weekend. What the fuck are you doing around here?¡± she asked Kendrick, who just stood at a corner of her office with his arms folded while he watched her.


    ¡°Are you going to say something? Or are you just here to creep me out and leave¡± she said as she raised her head from the papers with the one she¡¯d been searching for.


    He smirked and finally moved away from the wall, his arms still folded. Before Maren could look up, he was already at the table and so close to her that she made outlines of his tattoos with her eyes.


    ¡°Well first if all, like you guessed, I know you¡¯ve been busy aside work, and I knew you¡¯d be here to get something¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weirdly specific, but go on,¡± she said, trying to keep her eyes on him to avoid showing the fact that his entire presence was intimidating.


    She held her breath as she thought she would choke the more she inhaled his cologne.


    ¡°What are you really angry about? If at all you are¡±


    Maren was taken aback and couldn¡¯t help but raise a brow. ¡°If at all I am?¡± She repeated, the intimidated feeling suddenly washing away. ¡°I¡¯m hurt, Kendrick. I¡¯m hurt that you kept such vital details away from me.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I could have expected it from Alexander, but not from you. You¡¯re the older one, you should have some balls¡± she spat and began walking away, instead she was pulled back by a heavy arm around her waist.


    The action was so swift it startled her a bit and she couldn¡¯t help but sense the seriousness in his eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Alexander. You can¡¯t walk away from me just like that,¡± he said in a menacingly authoritative tone, which Maren could remember from the first day they¡¯d met in the conference room.


    As much as Maren felt a little shaken, she kept her cool and remained where he kept her; close to his chest, and just stared at him, looking for a hint of anger on his face.


    ¡°You can ignore him, but you can¡¯t ignore me, and both of us know that¡±


    ¡°So what now? You want to exin yourself?¡± Maren asked, raising a confident brow. He looked down at her for sometime before raising his eyes to look away in the distance.


    ¡°Okay, I know it¡¯s sound really wrong to keep away such an information from you but-


    ¡°Care to share the exact reason I was kept in the dark?¡± She interrupted before she could stop herself.


    Kendrick was quiet for a moment before looking back down at her. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know¡±


    Maren shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes. She wasn¡¯t buying that shit.


    ¡°Actually, I just felt that you wouldn¡¯t want to be with me anymore,¡± he quickly added, and Maren¡¯s expression softened a little.


    ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    Kendrick raised an obvious brow.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think what Alexander put me through should affect my perspective about you. Especially now that I¡¯ve gotten to know you,¡± she said calmly.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you think?¡± She asked, raising a confused brow at the way his gaze on her intensified.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just felt-¡± he leaned forward slowly and gently, his lips iming hers, which she didn¡¯t resist.


    Slowly, they began till they really got into it and it intensified with each person feeling the other¡¯s body, warmth, and of course, tongue.


    She traced her hands, which she¡¯d just noticed had been resting on his huge arms, which threatened to tear apart the round neck white top which he wore, up to his face and held it as he kissed her deeply.


    Maren didn¡¯t know how and why, but the longer he kissed her, the more it felt different. It felt like he was trying to pass a passionate but somewhat important message.


    Like he was begging not to let go of him. So, being the person she was, she let go of her body and allowed him to do his thing, putting aside the fact that she was supposed to be mad at him and probably still be interrogating him.


    She felt his hand slide down and grab her ass, giving it a slight squeeze, which made her run her fingers through his long hair.


    The kiss got greedy quickly and Kendrick squeezed her ass a little tighter, making a moan escape her lungs. Then, just at the right moment, he reached for legs and ced her in a sitting position on her table.


    They exchanged nces as if waiting for the other one to make the first move. Instead, their eyes made the conversation for them.


    Maren let her eyes stray to his little man below and raised a teasing brow, coupled with a smile.


    ¡°Really?¡± he took a step closer to her.


    In a sh, her fingers drew him closer with his belt as she hastened to undo its buckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, unleash that whore you¡¯ve caged up for so long,¡¯ the red angel whispered in amusement in her head as Kendrick engaged her lips one more time. She ignored it. They were too judgemental anyway.


    She let herself go and moaned loudly as she felt him reach inside of her. Thankfully, no one would hear them, as she was expected to be the only one in the building.


    He fastened her legs around his waist and thrust repeatedly and greedily like some under fed dog and all she could do was hold on to him and feel his every move.


    The more he went and the closer she came to her climax, the more her anger and paranoia about what she¡¯d just found out faded away, as he seemed to be controlling every part of her.


    Soon enough, they were both done and panting from the quickie they¡¯d just had. Their bodies remained glued together, and Maren rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.


    The entire room fell silent as both seemed to contemte on what they¡¯d done till Kendrick felt it was the right time to break the silence.


    ¡°I know this might not be the best time, and I know you will not believe me, but I¡¯m a hundred percent sure of what I¡¯m about to say.¡± He began, then paused. In case she had any objection but none came as Maren had no words nor expectations.


    ¡°I know Nathan¡¯s mine¡±

 Chapter 86

    A thick, disturbing silence hung in the air as the car rode smoothly on the tarred busy road.


    Maren had her head resting on the window at the back seat where she sat as she watched the road move swiftly below them, surprisingly not making her nauseous, like it normally would do to an average human being.


    But Maren wasn¡¯t just an average human being because her mind wasn¡¯t actually on the road but at different ces and amodated lots of thoughts at once.


    ¡°So what? You¡¯re going to ignore me despite being in the same space with me?¡± Alexander asked, lifting his head from his phone, which he had been staring at with his brows arched a little.


    Maren didn¡¯t reply. She hadn¡¯t even been listening to what he¡¯d been saying after they¡¯d gotten into the car and shut the doors.


    ¡°I did suggest we take different cars, didn¡¯t I?¡± she finally spoke, keeping her eyes where they were.


    ¡°And where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±


    She turned to him and raised a brow.


    ¡°Oh,e on, you really still can¡¯t be that mad at me for that, are you?¡±


    ¡°You think trying to apologise to me and then turn the tables is a good enough exnation for keeping your brother¡¯s identity from me?¡± she asked with a frown and turned back to the window.


    Alexander looked at her for a while in thought. ¡°But is it such a big deal, though?¡± He asked and paused and before she could say another thing, he interrupted. ¡°Are you more than what I think to him?¡±


    Maren¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she forced her eyes from widening in shock. Thest thing she wanted was toplicate things further. So she just kept quiet and ignored him.


    ¡°I mean, I know you two are so close, but did you have feelings for him? Or rather, did you guys fuck?¡±


    ¡°Way to wild guess Alexander,¡± Maren shot quickly, her heart slightly pounding in her chest.


    ¡°I still want an answer, Maren. Answer me!¡± he ordered, pulling her with force to face him.


    Maren could see anger-or was it pain in his eyes as they bore into hers, searching for answers?


    ¡°Do you have feelings for Kendrick?¡± His voice was grave and serious and Maren reminded herself to thread with caution as he would go scot-free if he killed her here and now.


    ¡°You want honesty?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please¡±


    Her heart raced as she searched for the answer she knew she didn¡¯t have suddenly remembered the revtion with Kendrick that day at her office.


    Alexander was not the father of her child and she knew it and Kendrick wasn¡¯t willing to rush her just to allow Alexander to wallow in delusion for a while.


    Now looking at Alexander, she could see sincerity in his actions, and it made her heart sting a little.


    She swallowed, her throat suddenly turning dry. She tried opening her mouth to speak, but words hadn¡¯t formed in her head yet.


    ¡°Your brother is a good man honestly, but I really am not certain if I have any feelings towards him,¡± she finally blurted and paused, waiting for his reaction.


    But none came. He just returned her gaze. The air in the car suddenly became thick and sickly for Maren till, suddenly, he let go of her hand, which she¡¯d just noticed he had been caressing, then took out his phone and began scrolling again.Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no,¡± he said stubbornly, and Maren heaved a silent sigh of relief.


    She really didn¡¯t know why she felt so scared finding out, but whatever initiated the feeling, she let it do its thing. She really didn¡¯t want any drama.


    She just turned back to her part of the car, hoping you just enjoy the rest of the ride to the destination she wasn¡¯t certain about.


    *****


    The sun was already out and shone brightly even through the window when they arrived at the empty ce covered with just sand and no structure orndmark insight.


    ¡°We¡¯re here, sir,¡± the driver announced, putting off the engine.


    Maren brought down the ss to her eye level and looked out. ¡°You sure we¡¯re at the right ce?¡±


    ¡°Is this the right ce?¡± Alexander asked the driver, also noticing how deserted the ce looked.


    ¡°This is the exact location of the coordinates in the text, sir,¡± he replied with his head straight, looking ahead as if he didn¡¯t dare look at his boss in the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Do we have to-¡± she couldn¡¯tplete it as Alexander had already gotten out of his car and was now heading to her side.


    He opened the door and held it for her to alight. ¡°If he says it¡¯s the coordinates, then it¡¯s the coordinates.¡± He stated, reading Maren¡¯s questioning look.


    She finally got out of the car, but not after putting on her dark shades to block out the effect of the sun on her eyes.


    ¡°So where is he now?¡± Maren asked grudgingly as she put one leg in front of the other, carefully regretting the heels she¡¯d worn which sank into the sand, making her movement challenging.


    Alexander, in turn, held her hand to support her as they walked away from the car like they could see their host.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have worn-


    ¡°Of course I see that now, Alexander¡± she interrupted in a frustrated voice, tucking the loose strands of hair which the wind blew into her mouth behind her ear.


    Just as they were about to take another step, the sound of an automobile caught their sight and they both stopped to watch the ck Mercedes Benz, s ss pull up beside them.


    It took a short time before the engine was turned off and the door finally opened.


    ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t think either of you would answer my text¡± Micheal said as the car closed shut.


    ¡°You think? After ghosting us and leaving us in the dark about the two cases in your hands,¡± Maren said, folding her arms.


    ¡°Well, I apologise for that, but it seemed like the wisest thing to do at that time and if you look around, you¡¯d notice that we¡¯re in a deserted location. I think it should click that things aren¡¯t as they were with me¡±


    ¡°Well, I see you ride a better car¡± Alexander pointed out and Micheal shrugged in agreement.


    ¡°I really want to hear the exnation, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± Maren stressed.


    Micheal looked at her and sighed. ¡°The thing is, I got back into the FBI but before that I¡¯d been receiving threats from surprisingly untrackable people to drop Mr Sinir¡¯s case which I ignored at that time but now that with my gang, I sort of needed a new gig that¡¯s why I listened to the threats.¡±


    Maren looked at him with a disgusted expression. ¡°And Irene¡¯s case?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s a job for the local police,¡± he replied.


    Alexander sighed and rubbed his temples. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is you¡¯re useless to us and you brought us all the way out there to make that clear?¡±


    Maren¡¯s phone buzzed in her hand and she turned it on to take a look at it. She stared at the screen for a while before raising her head to Micheal.


    ¡°Is this some kind of joke?¡±

 Chapter 87

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Micheal asked confusingly.


    Maren turned to Alexander. ¡°It¡¯s a text from Irene,¡± she replied, her brows heavy with so many emotions.


    She turned back to the phone and clicked something before putting the phone to her ear.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alexander inquired.


    Maren didn¡¯t reply and stayed quiet for a while. ¡°The number says unavable.¡±


    ¡°Well, what does the text say?¡± Micheal asked.


    Maren gave the phone to Alexander and, as he gazed upon it, his body stiffened.


    ¡°How true is it?¡±


    *****


    ¡°Oh my god Alexander, what are you saying?¡± Maren screamed, tears cascading down from her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re so disgusting right now,¡± she added as she stormed off through the entrance of her house and was about to climb up the staircase.


    ¡°Hey, hey. Look at me,¡± he said, quickly pulling her back. ¡°I know there¡¯s nothing I can say to pacify you right now, but please hear me out¡±


    Maren¡¯s throat was so packed with tears that she couldn¡¯t even utter a word. Her heart was breaking a thousand times all over again and it felt like a million spares were being pierced into her heart.


    ¡°No amount of words are going to justify what I did and I¡¯m really really sorry, but you have to believe me when I say I did it because I was in love with you¡±


    ¡°I fell for you the moment I first saw you at you and William¡¯s engagement party and I knew I just had to do everything I did to get you Maren¡±


    ¡°I knew the only way I could get to you was through Irene and though she didn¡¯t want to do it, sheter gave in with reasons which she never disclosed to me¡±


    ¡°No! You¡¯re a liar, a cheat, a monster! Alexander. You¡¯re lying. You orchestrated the entire thing and lured Irene into it,¡± Maren spat, trying to free herself from his firm grip.


    She was relieved that at least no one was around to watch the sight, as her mom had taken Nathan to his great grandma¡¯s side for the week.


    ¡°You really have to believe me. She did it at her free will. The first set up was the day at the bar, but I didn¡¯t get the chance to be with you that day, so we arranged for another way¡±


    ¡°Believe me when I say having an affair with William was entirely Irene¡¯s n. I never suggested that to be honest, but when it began to work, I really couldn¡¯t object, so I made her make sure you never got married to William.¡±


    ¡°God! Are you listening to yourself right now, Alexander? You are one hell of a selfish person, aren¡¯t you? You hurt William, you hurt Irene, you hurt me, Alexander. You nned our entire break up with Irene and you made some unknown person kill William for nothing!¡±


    She wiped her tears with the back of her hand, but it was useless as more just streamed down.


    ¡°I hate you so much right now.¡±


    ¡°I know, and I respect that, but you have to believe me that I really love you and I couldn¡¯t bear seeing you with someone else and I knew I had to do something, or you¡¯d slip away,¡± he exined.


    ¡°You knew I had loved William, and he was the only man I had grown to love. You say you love me, but you kept quiet the first time I cheated on William with you.¡±


    She sniffed. ¡°You kept mute and watched me break down when it was over between me and William. Alexander, you watched me go through hell when Nathan was born and I had to deal with him coupled with the bills.¡±


    ¡°If only I¡¯d know you were the creator of this game, I¡¯d have nevere to you for help! I should have known something was fishy in the manner at which you willingly granted me the loan without asking for a pay back¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯re a demon Alexander!¡± She screamed and ran through her hair with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m such a fool. I can¡¯t believe I actually married you¡±


    ¡°I love you, Maren, and I¡¯m sorry. I really mean it.¡±


    Maren closed her eyes in self control for a moment. Trying to stop herself from doing what the red angel was whispering in her ears.


    ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t want you anywhere around me or anywhere around Nathan. I want you to get the fuck out if my life and never show your face anywhere near me ever again¡±


    ¡°Maren don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°But before that, I want you to tell me where the fuck Irene is. And before you give me some bullshit about not knowing, just don¡¯t¡±


    Alexander paused for a while and looked away before a heaving sigh. ¡°I know whatever I say is just another bullshit, but I swear on whatever you believe in that I don¡¯t have the slightest idea where she is.¡±


    She charged, her tears suddenly drying up. ¡°I¡¯m not buying that shit and the earlier you speak up, the less painful your sentence would be,¡± she said on a serious note.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, Maren. I mean, we did have an argument a few weeks before she went missing with her throwing a few treats, but I promise you that I wouldn¡¯t hurt Irene¡±


    ¡°She had a thousand ws, but I actually got to know why you chose her as a best friend¡±


    ¡°You know no amount of sweet words you say about her are going to change the fact that you¡¯re a liar and a murderer, right?¡± Maren chipped in.


    ¡°Look, what I¡¯m trying to say is I really don¡¯t know where she is. I did some scouting at her house after the detective went in, but I found nothing. I really am as worried about her as you are.¡±


    ¡°Did you fuck her?¡± She suddenly asked.


    Alexander raised his gaze to her and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Just answer the fucking question! Did you fuck her, Alexander?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I really meant business when I approached her. I really don¡¯t see how this rtes to the current situation, Maren.¡±


    Maren remained silent and sized him up with her eyes. She knew he was telling the truth about not fucking her, but his entire existence deeply irritated her.


    She suddenly took a step closer to him. ¡°Do me onest favour, Alexander,¡± she said, staring straight into his eyes. Her eyes were red with both rage and tears. ¡°Fuck off!¡±

 Chapter 88

    Maren¡¯s heart was tearing apart, and she just had to give herself a week break or she¡¯d probably rip someone¡¯s head off at the office or something.


    She just couldn¡¯t contain her anger and sadness at what Alexander had done, and she meant it when she said she didn¡¯t want to see him again.


    How could someone be so selfish? She asked herself as sheid on her bed with her eyes facing the ceiling.


    How could someone destroy someone else¡¯s rtionship without remorse just to be with the person? That is some messed up shit, you know?


    To think Irene was in on the n since sat one and she hadn¡¯t noticed. She¡¯d been that oblivious all this time?


    She knew she was supposed to be mad at Irene with this new information, but somewhere deep down; she felt some kind of pity for her and she wished she could speak to her onest time to hear her own side of the story or at least make peace with her.


    There was no denying that she missed Irene. I mean, this was her best friend from day one and though she¡¯d hurt her badly a thousand times, she still had a soft spot for her and she wanted to see her one more time.


    If only search parties worked like charm, Irene would have been found by now, as Maren had informed the police, and they¡¯d called for a search party like she was some lost dog.


    Maren knew she had to get to the bottom of all these and age needed to do it fast in case Irene was in some kind of danger.


    She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything if she kept wallowing in her misery on her bed, so she sprang up and headed for her wardrobe.


    There was no way she was going to believe Alexander, as he¡¯d lied to her countless times, so what was another lie to the list?


    She pulled out a ck suit from her wardrobe and quickly put it on. Checking and putting on a little makeup, she headed out of the room.


    ¡°Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence¡±


    ¡°Mummy!¡± Nathan cheered happily and got down from the chair he was sitting on and ran to hug her. She wondered why he was so thrilled to see her when he was basically with her all through the night, but she picked him up in her arms, anyway.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Her mom picked up a cookie from the saucer, which was previously in front of Nathan, and took a bite with her eyes fixed on her daughter.


    ¡°You finally got out of your hole after all these days,¡± her mom said with a questioning look, which Maren understood.


    ¡°Not now, mom. I really have somewhere to be,¡± she whined and turned to Nathan, who was sucking on a cookie with a small smile on his face.


    ¡°Nathan, mummy has to go somewhere and I promise when I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll not lock myself in my room anymore, alright?¡±


    Nathan nodded, not wanting to speak with a full mouth. She smiled and gently let him jump down from her arms.


    As soon as he was away from her, her face became serious and she turned her gaze to her mom. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± she headed for the entrance.


    As she got into the car which was parked just outside the door, three other men got into the car behind and both cars zoomed off.


    *****


    The sound of crunching flesh and muffled cries of pain filled the small room, and the only man seated had his hands and feet tied painfully.


    The man who stood in front of him showed no mercy as he administered partial blows on his face and body and even when he tried to speak, only small breaths managed to fly out.


    He was wearing a round cor which used to be yellow but was now covered with red and some other colour which was hard to decipher.


    The man¡¯s eyes were only half open and partly swollen, but his lips were torn beyond recognition and covered in red, which dripped down to his chest.


    ¡°Sir, you have a visitor,¡± a guard whispered to Kendrick¡¯s who had been watching the scene with folded arms.


    He grunted and gritted his teeth, but kept his eyes on what he¡¯d been watching. ¡°Who the fuck is it?¡±


    The man hesitated and looked at his boss¡¯s face before whispering, ¡°Miss Sharppe.¡±


    Kendrick turned to the man swiftly, his iris suddenly dting along with his expression, which has softened. He turned to the man, who was still giving punches, and snapped his finger.


    ¡°Clean this shit up,¡± he ordered and headed for the exit, followed by the guard who had brought the message.


    He walked out of the building which was beside the main building and met Maren outside, resting on her car.


    ¡°What a pleasant surprise!¡± Kendrick announced with a bright smile. ¡°Guess I¡¯m that irresistible, aren¡¯t I?¡± He smirked, and Maren rolled her eyes.


    ¡°To what do I owe this visit?¡± He asked as he got to where she stood and stood a couple of feet in front of her.


    ¡°I called your office but was told you weren¡¯t in. That¡¯s quite unusual, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well, I had some important matters to attend to here, which would take pretty much the entire day. So yeah, today¡¯s my day off¡±


    Maren let her eyes stray in the direction which he hade from. Then brought them back to him and secretly scanned his appealing appearance for nothing in particr.


    ¡°And like they say, all work and no y makes jack a fucking dull prick,¡± he added. ¡°So you seem really serious today, so I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re here for business. So what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I need your help,¡± she stated, and Kendrick¡¯s brows arched as he sped his hands behind his back and took a step closer to her.


    ¡°Go on¡±


    ¡°I need your men to do some investigation on my missing friend.¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t want me involved in that. Why the sudden change of mind?¡± He argued.


    ¡°I was angry that time, alright? You were being a piece of shit and thest thing I needed was you being an asshole just like your brother,¡± she blurted in one breath and Kendrick gave a slight nod in understanding.


    Maren took a deep breath and shook off her stress before she straightened her face again. ¡°I need you. I need your men to find Irene¡±

 Chapter 89

    Only the stars were in the sky when Maren got down from the car with her eyes glued to her phone, which she has basically been staring at since she got out of the elevator at herpany.


    With calcted steps, she walked into the house and bolted the door behind her, then turned to the perfectly silent household of hers.


    She walked up the stairs and got into her room, which she also locked behind her.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Maren eximed and almost dropped her phone as she shut her eyes to suck in the fear which had just radiated through her body. She took a deep breath, then opened her eyes again.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing in my room, mom? And at this time of the night. Shouldn¡¯t you be knitting a sweater in a rocking chair or something?¡± she asked as she began pulling off her clothes.


    ¡°Well, I felt my daughter¡¯s been acting so strange and distant these past few weeks and decided that if she wouldn¡¯t talk to me, maybe I should do some snooping of my own¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s really disrespectful, right? Invading my privacy and all¡±


    Mrs Sharppe scoffed silently. ¡°Since when do we have boundaries? I disposed of your tampons as a teen, youngdy¡±


    Maren rolled her eyes at her mom¡¯s character of always being so dramatic.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean you have to break into my room and go through my stuff like I¡¯m seventeen,¡± she said, still not looking in her mom¡¯s direction.


    ¡°ept my apologies then, my love¡±


    ¡°Whatever, mom, I¡¯ve been out all day. I really don¡¯t care if you sell the house,¡± Maren added, not actually meaning it.


    Her mom stayed silent for a while and just watched her walk around half naked as she prepared to have her bath. She waited and had patience till the shower was turned off and Maren stepped out.


    ¡°Now Maren, where did you get this?¡± she asked again.


    Maren raised her head from the numerous cosmetics lined up in front of her and turned in her mom¡¯s direction.


    Her face turned pale for a second and her heart skipped a beat as she took a nce at what her mom held in her hands.


    ¡°I thought I lost it a long time ago, but I was wrong,¡± she replied and turned back to what she was doing. Blinking multiple times to get herself back on track.


    ¡°I think I was there for that part. Where did you find it?¡± her mom stressed further.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t see why it¡¯s such a big deal, Mom,¡± she replied, applying some pinkish coloured cream on her face still with her bathrobe on.


    ¡°You could make things a lot easier if you¡¯d just answer the question, you know.¡±


    ¡°Kendrick. Kendrick found it. Actually, he had been with it all these years since the first time we met about six years ago,¡± Maren exined reluctantly.


    Her mom fell silent and looked at the locker in her hands before opening it to view the picture inside.


    Maren paused from what she was doing and turned to her mom. ¡°I know that¡¯s the only thing we have of dad that aren¡¯t burnt or locked in the basement and I know you want it put away for good. But I really don¡¯t want to do that.¡±


    Her mom ignored her words and just kept staring at it with her brows creased.


    ¡°How did you meet the Kendrick of a man again?¡± Her mom suddenly asked, with her eyes still on the pendant.


    ¡°Urrrgh, mom. Are we really doing this again? We¡¯ve gone over this a thousand times,¡± she grumbled as she helped herself to some clothes.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    She turned as her mom was silent and caught the olddy giving her that warning stare.


    ¡°Alright, fine! I really don¡¯t see how this all corrtes, though.¡± She got out herptop and ced it on herp while she sat on the bed.


    ¡°The night I asked for your permission to have a girls¡¯ night with Irene, we had too many shots and we both got drunk, but I was more than Irene was.¡± Her hands began typing like she was documenting what she was saying.


    ¡°Before the outing, Irene made me make a stupid promise that I¡¯d get into a man¡¯s bed that night, which, by the way, was part of her and Alexander¡¯s n.¡±


    ¡°So she apparently got me so drunk that when Alexander cane along I didn¡¯t have the sense to resist, so we walked away from the main grounds to the part where the rooms were and that¡¯s all I could remember till I met Kendrick again¡±


    Her mom raised her brows at her when she paused and didn¡¯t want to continue.


    ¡°Well, go on,¡± she urged.


    ¡°Come on mom, you¡¯re making this seem like I¡¯m some third grader reciting the multiplication table,¡± Maren whined.


    ¡°Well, you have to finish what you started. Go on!¡±


    Maren just rolled her eyeballs. ¡°Well, apparently what happened after that was when I was supposed to get a room with Alexander, he allegedly went off to probably speak to the manager or something and then drink me wandered off into another room where Kendrick was lodged¡±


    ¡°And that how the entire ident happened and I could remember so we¡¯ll because that tattoo never left my mind even after that night¡±


    ¡°And just so I could remember, he¡¯d taken the locket from me as a proof,¡± she said and ended her narration.


    ¡°You did say that night led to Nathan, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Maren sighed, still not getting the point of the interview. ¡°Yes, mom. I was too drunk to tear open a condom.¡±


    Her mom fell silent after that. Her mind was obviously distant.


    ¡°Mom, if you wanted to chat you should have just said so,¡± said, typing away on herptop.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯d I wanted to just chat. I would have said so.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the matter? And please, can you quit staring at that thing like it¡¯s some new item?¡±


    Her mom paused for a while. ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious about how Kendrick got this. Because if my memory still works fine, this isn¡¯t the locket your father gave you. It¡¯s your father¡¯s¡±

 Chapter 90

    Maren froze for a few seconds before she slowly raised her head to meet her mom¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, mom. You¡¯re talking shit,¡± Maren quickly blurted.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t try to make me feel like I¡¯m so. I do not have amnesia, youngdy¡±


    Maren suddenly closed herptop with force. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little toote to be up, mom? Some of us have work to do in the morning¡± she stood up and headed for herptop casing.


    ¡°Save me that bullshit, Maren. I know you know what exactly I¡¯m talking about. Yours had a golden chain, and this is silver. And don¡¯t give me a shit about not remembering cause your father reminded you about it every day¡±


    ¡°Maybe the gold just washed off with age. Maybe it was fake gold. I mean, dad was too self absorbed to buy real jewellery for any of us, anyway.¡± Her brows were now furrowed as she carried out her actions with a little aggression.


    ¡°This is pure silver, Maren. Gold doesn¡¯t wash off that way,¡± her mom argued back in a slightly raised voice.


    Maren abandoned what she was doing, stomped towards her mom and folded her arms. ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.


    ¡°That this isn¡¯t your locket, Maren.¡± Her voice was now a little calmer. ¡°It definitely has a picture of all of us, but it¡¯s not yours. It¡¯s your father¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe I took dad¡¯s that day by mistake,¡± Maren insisted stubbornly.


    ¡°Why the hell are you ying dumb, Maren? I know you know exactly what I¡¯m saying. You knew he never took it off. That was the only thing that reminded me that he still loved us both, Maren. I¡¯m sure you can remember¡± her voice quivered a bit.


    Maren looked away from her mom and blinked multiple times, trying to fight back her tears, which were triggered by so many emotions.


    ¡°He found it anyway,¡± she managed to whisper.


    ¡°You really aren¡¯t seeing the picture, right?¡± Her mom stressed, trying to look her directly into her eyes. ¡°Kendrick is air¡±


    *****


    Maren tried as much as she could to focus on the road as she drove to a destination unknown to her.


    She¡¯d been driving more often these days, and she liked it because she thought it helped her clear her head for sometime and allowed her to think of other things like how long it took for the traffic light to turn green and how fast she could overtake trucks.


    But no matter how she tried to think of other things or upied her mind with shit, her mind still drifted back to the original reason for her being behind the wheel.


    ¡°Kendrick is air!¡± Her mom¡¯s voice echoed through her head.


    What she¡¯d feared all these while had finally caught up with her.


    The moment she¡¯d taken the locket from Kendrick and looked at it clearly, she knew that it was her dad¡¯s but she¡¯d kept it to herself as she was so absorbed in the moment after the reveal that he¡¯d been the one she¡¯d had the best sex of her life with five years ago.


    She didn¡¯t want to over think it and just let it go and maybe it¡¯ll all pass away. Especially now that she was certain that Kendrick was the actual father of her child. Which, by the way, was another issue that bothered her.


    She hit the steering wheel with so much force that it felt like it would break. ¡°Fuck!¡± she screamed, trying not to go crazy.


    Where the hell did she go wrong? She asked herself as she used her free hand to brush her hair out of her face.


    If only her mom hadn¡¯t walked into her room to do some scavenger haunting. Probably she¡¯d still be leaving in her ignorance by now.


    If she was being honest with herself, she really didn¡¯t know why she felt so scared about the truth, but something deep down didn¡¯t just want to know.


    It was like something within kept whispering ¡®what you don¡¯t know can¡¯t kill you¡¯ and she¡¯de to ept those words and pushed every thought about the locket aside.


    But now her mom was involved, and she knew that if she didn¡¯t do anything to confront Kendrick, her mom would do it herself-yes, her mom was that ruthless.


    The sound of a siren tore through her thoughts. She looked into the side mirror and saw a police car was on her tail.


    ¡°Shit!¡± she swore and gently brought the car to a halt at the side of the road and turned off the engine. She bit her lip as she watched the police care to a halt behind hers and a uniformed officer stepped out.


    He tapped on the ss as soon as he was near the vehicle and Maren brought down the ss.


    ¡°Good day, officer,¡± Maren greeted with a bright grin.


    ¡°Licence and registration please,¡± he ordered, ignoring her greeting.


    ¡°Having a rough day? That makes two of us,¡± she said, trying to light up the atmosphere a little as she fumbled with her purse. She seeded in pulling out the two documents and handed them to the middle-aged man.


    He took a nce at her licence and raised his eyebrows ¡°Miss Sharppe!¡± He eximed ¡°I could have sworn I could recognize you,¡± he said heartily.


    ¡°You caught me,¡± she chuckled dryly.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing riding on these rough roads at such a high speed?¡± He asked as he handed the documents back.


    ¡°You know, business. I¡¯ve got a meeting I¡¯ve got to attend to and you know what they say. If you want something done well, do it yourself.¡±


    The man nodded approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s true, that¡¯s true. But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s best you turn it down a little? You almost had me writing you a speeding ticket.¡±


    ¡°Well, I apologise officer. I¡¯ll be sure to remember my training at driving school¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± He returned her smile. ¡°I¡¯d hate to keep you and your meeting waiting. So have a nice day, ma¡¯am¡± he tipped his cap and began walking away.


    ¡°Yeah, you too¡±


    As soon as he was away from her car, she brought the windows back up and rested her head on the headrest.


    She closed her eyes and released a sigh. She really had to get things right and if she wanted to do that, the best way to confront her fears.


    The white angel whispered in her ear, ¡®Next up, Kendrick fucking Harding!¡¯

 Chapter 91

    Maren raised her eyes for the paper on the table as soon as the knock on the door came. She knew who it was, and she gritted her teeth, just knowing that she would lose a verypetent staff at any moment.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she answered and sat up straight with her eyes on the door.


    Louise came in, file in hand, as she approached Maren¡¯s desk with her cheerfully fixed face.


    ¡°These were the documents dropped off the other day that needed your signature, ma¡¯am,¡± she announced, and Maren tapped the table for her toy them.


    ¡°You sent for me?¡± Louise asked, staring at her boss who hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off her since she walked in.


    Maren scanned her from her head to where was visible to her. She looked so elegant in the yellow zer and trousers which she wore.


    She packed her hair into a loose bun in the middle of her head, which really gave her that sassy look coupled with the redness of her lips.


    She really was the one thing Alexander had given her that she hadn¡¯t regretted, and just the thought of what she¡¯d done sent a thousand tiny needles into her skin and angered her.


    Until now, Louise had been a really reliable and hardworking secretary who was ready to fill in her absence even when she wasn¡¯t asked to, and Maren knew she was going to miss that.


    Maren¡¯s eyes traced their way back to Louise¡¯s face, which now held a mixture of confusion and fear.


    ¡°Is there a problem, ma¡¯am?¡± Louise managed to squeak as she shifted from one foot to the other.


    Maren sighed and shifted her gaze to the tile in front of her. ¡°There isn¡¯t. Except you want to make it one.¡±


    The secretary¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°I really don¡¯t get you.¡±


    ¡°I just need a brief answer or confirmation about something¡±


    ¡°What could that be?¡±


    Maren raised her gaze back to the youngdy and leaned forward on the table. ¡°Thest DNA test which you picked up¡±


    *****


    She bit her lip and stared out the window of the moving car. Her mind drifted off in different directions.


    She was thankful that she hadn¡¯t decided to drive herself or she¡¯d be halfway to emptying half her entire bank ount as a plus for a person of her status.


    The more the ridested, the more she developed second thoughts on whether to go, as a lot was going to be determined in less than an hour.


    And that really gave her the chills.


    At the right moment, Maren¡¯s eyes turned forward and the view of Kendrick¡¯s house became visible.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± the chauffeur announced as they waited for the gate to openpletely.


    Slowly but smoothly, the car pulled into the driveway and parked at a spot which was meant for vehicles which belonged to visitors.


    The car engine turned off and Maren took a deep breath, trying to contain the massive amount of anxiety she was feeling right now.


    What if he really was lying? What if they¡¯d never met, and that was just a forged copy of the locket? But why would he lie? Just to get her? Or was he some undercover agent trying to ruin her?


    More importantly, who exactly was the man in particr?


    All these questions ran through her mind as she stepped out of the vehicle and headed with calcted steps towards the massive and elegantly designed building.


    She didn¡¯t even get to push the doorbell when it opened to the smiling face of a maid.


    ¡°Miss Sharppe, master¡¯s been expecting you,¡± she informed and paved the way for Maren to enter.


    With steady steps, she walked in and turned around. ¡°This way, ma¡¯am,¡± she said, indicating that she was to go up the stairs.


    Maren lifted her eyes to the many staircases which went round a fat pir and up to a part which wasn¡¯t visible from where she stood.


    The maid nodded, as if in encouragement at seeing Maren¡¯s eyes.


    With no words said, Marenplied, and they both began the journey up the roll of steps till they finally got to a door, where the maid bowed and climbed back down.


    Maren looked at the door, which she stood before. The door, which Maren stood before, was brown and had a design that resembled flowers, but upon closer inspection, appeared to be giant sshes of brown paint.


    She knew Kendrick to be overly dramatic sometimes, because what was it with the strange room? The other times she¡¯d been in his house, they¡¯d either been in the living room or in his room.


    She had a strange feeling about this room-or maybe it was just the nervous feeling in her stomach. Yeah, that had to be it, she concluded and reached for the handle.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never decide toe in.¡± His baritone filled her ears as she sighted him staring out the window with his back to her.


    ¡°Good choice of location,¡± sheplimented as she looked around the room.


    It was widely spaced with a high ceiling but it was furnished like a living room and study , had sex and had an incredible child because the interior designs were to die for.


    ¡°It¡¯s my everything room.¡± He exined. Ie in here when I need to get away from things and think for a while, and it¡¯s everything¡± he turned around to look at her.


    Maren felt frozen to the spot as they locked eyes. Her intrusive thoughts got the best of her as he strolled towards her.


    ¡°You do look beautiful,¡± heplimented before turning his gaze to the rectangle-like bottle which he had picked up and began pouring into two sses.


    ¡°Thank you¡±


    ¡°You look a little shaken. Is everything alright?¡± he asked and extended a ss to her, which she took.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡± she took a sip of the liquid but was too absentminded to feel its sting in her throat.


    ¡°Well then, if you say so.¡± he downed the ss in a gulp and began pouring another. ¡°How about you take a seat? You said you wanted to talk to me about something?¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Maren watched his every movement like he was some serial killer. ¡°I really don¡¯t think sitting would be necessary, Kendrick.¡±


    ¡®If that¡¯s even his real name,¡¯ the red angel whispered.


    ¡°Really? Why so?¡± he asked and settled himself onto a sofa from which he could view her directly.


    ¡°I just want to know how you got that locket¡±

 Chapter 92

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Maren asked, holding the ss a little too tightly so that her fingers began to turn red.


    ¡°I mean, there¡¯s no point trying to lie anymore, is there?¡± He replied, his eyes moving to her fingers on the ss and back to her face. ¡°I admit I did know your father!¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying my father was a dangerous man?!¡± The ss shattered all over the ground and the liquid sshed along with it.


    ¡°Hey hey, calm down¡± he was already in front of her and gently opened her hand, which was clenched into a fist to let the remaining ss fall out.


    Maren¡¯s face just stood frozen and she let him pull her away from the ss so he could clean it up and also clean up the cuts the ss gave her on her palm.


    ¡°Your dad wasn¡¯t a dangerous man. He was involved with dangerous men,¡± he exined, cleaning the wound with disinfectant on a cotton wool.


    Maren just watched him, not knowing what to make out of what he¡¯d been saying for the past twelve minutes.


    ¡°Your father, just like you, was a very ambitious man who wanted more wealth than he could acquire. So he came to Leonid Ivanov, my boss and predecessor, and pledged with everything he had to be loyal to him¡±


    ¡°Who is Leonid Ivanov?¡± She managed to ask as she slowly raised her eyes from her palm to his face.


    Kendrick paused at what he was doing as both of them locked eyes and held it for a while.


    He finally gave a silent sigh and shifted his gaze back to her palm. ¡°Leonid was one of the most feared mafia bosses in Russia. He was often called  (Sukhoy) for his ruthlessness and no one dared cross paths with him.¡±


    ¡°So you can imagine the shock I felt when Mr Sharppe walked into his office and made such a pledge¡±


    ¡°His own future blinded him, that he forgot to read between the lines of what he was actually getting himself into.¡± He was now done with the cleaning and was putting away the equipment while Maren watched.


    ¡°Leonid found his guts pretty interesting and decided to give him a chance. He gave him a year to show him what he¡¯d got. He gave him everything to set up hispany from the pathetic business it used to be.¡±


    He walked over to the minibar and took down another ss of wine and a ss for Maren.


    ¡°While I watched it all y out from the shadows, I trusted none of them. Your father was a cunning man, but Leonid was smarter and knew all his tricks. ¡±


    ¡°Eight months into the period of the trial, your dad began taking secret steps, which displeased Leonid and they began to have issues from time to time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Leonid noticed and got angry. Your dad was called to order and given another chance, but I guess he was already so engrossed in it that he went back after a while.¡±


    ¡°Then, the part which you noticed began to happen. Leonid began little by little, taking what he¡¯d given him. A lot transpired between them behind closed doors, which I wasn¡¯t involved directly in.¡±


    ¡°But as the story went, Mr Sharppe had challenged Leonid and, being the man he was, he sent his men to kill your father. His locket was like a prize along with every other thing he had left, which Leonid took,¡± he concluded and took a mouthful of the wine.


    Maren was speechless and just stared at Kendrick. She stared so deeply into his eyes like she was expecting a spear to tear through the window and pierce his heart.


    ¡°I know it is hard for you to believe but honestly I also was rooting for your dad when I first saw him but I guess you can¡¯t trust everyone¡±


    The silencested for almost a minute until Maren slowly turned away from him and gave off a scoff.


    Kendrick frowned and tilted his head at her. ¡°What was that?¡±


    She chuckled, but it wasn¡¯t just a chuckle. It was a mixture of mockery and bitterness. ¡°Oh Kendrick,¡± she said before lifting her head to meet him.


    Her eyes were now a little darkened and a little wet beneath, but a small smile yed at her lips.


    ¡°You must think I¡¯m a fool, right?¡± She began as she ran her fingers through her hair as if for support.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    She scoffed again. ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about, Sukhoy.¡± She spat, her face getting a bit more serious, and so did Kendrick¡¯s at the mention of that name.


    ¡°You know, I did a little research of my own beforeing down here just to know if my mom was actually wrong about you.¡± She stood up from where she sat and strolled towards the sitting room part, then turned to him and folded her arms.


    ¡°Yes, my father hade to Leonid for help. Yes, he¡¯d been greedy and got Leonid angry. But Leonid died before my father did!¡± She half yelled.


    ¡°This made you his sessor and with that anger, you killed my father!¡±


    Kendrick maintained hisposure and just watched her as she spoke.


    ¡°It was a little hard to obtain because everyone was so scared of the great mafia lord Kendrick Harding. Leonid was a kinder person than you are. You never like him for that and never wanted him to forgive my father.¡±


    ¡°They both called a truce before he died and you hated it. It¡¯s notpletely confirmed, but they said you were the one who killed Leonid, you monster!¡±Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    Her eyes were beginning to tear up and despite trying to force it back in, it still rolled down her cheeks. ¡°You killed my father to prove a point, Kendrick, and then you took everything from us after his death¡±


    ¡°God, I hated my dad so much after that, but that was because I didn¡¯t know all this then.¡± Her voice was beginning to crack.


    ¡°And then I came down here to at least hear your own side of the story and maybe forgive you but you didn¡¯t tell an ounce of truth¡± tears now cascaded down her cheeks.


    ¡°You¡¯re a liar Kendrick! But what was I expecting? You¡¯re Alexander¡¯s brother, after all,¡± she sniffed. ¡°I thought you were different. I thought I could trust you, Kendrick.¡± She shut her eyes in pain.


    ¡°Did you think saying I love you was going topensate me for killing my father?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you daree close to me!¡± she interrupted as he¡¯d stood up from his sitting position.


    ¡°Look, you¡¯ve caught me. I lied about all those things, but what I didn¡¯t lie about is that I love you and I¡¯m sorry. I honestly admit that I was so full of myself and I wasn¡¯t thinking straight, but that was before I knew you were his daughter¡±


    ¡°When I found out, it was already toote, Maren, as the years had already passed. The only thing I left for your dad was thepany and when I found out that you¡¯d assumed it through those letters I sent, I had to back down¡±


    ¡°When I was sure of your location, I told myself I was going to tell you everything and hoped you¡¯d forgive me but when I finally got to know the sober part of you, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it because I was so crazy about you¡± he confessed.


    ¡°After that night at the bar I looked for you and that was when I found out you were Mr Sharppe¡¯s daughter and that was when I had the entire plot and the story about the locket, in case you wouldn¡¯t remember me-¡±


    ¡°Alright stop, that¡¯s enough!¡± She screamed. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to hear it. You can save that shit for when you¡¯re dead cause that¡¯s the next time I want to see you,¡± she said angrily.


    She picked up her things and turned to him after wiping her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just as fucked up as Alexander.¡± She turned the handle of the door and walked out, but then turned around. ¡°Goodbye Kendrick¡±

 Chapter 93

    A YEAR LATER


    ¡°Ding dong!¡± Maren could hear the doorbell ring from her bedroom, then the sound of the door being opened and then inaudible voices then-


    ¡°Maren Sharppe!!¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± she swore, startled and stared into the mirror. The view of the eyeliner she was applying on the right side of her eyes had gone zigzag.


    She took out a piece of wipes and just took off the entire thing and headed for the door and down the stairs. She knew that voice even in her sleep.


    ¡°There¡¯s my mother fucking bitch!¡± Ne screamed as she sighted Marening down the stairs. She ran to her and almost swept her off her feet.


    ¡°Alright, easy there,¡± Maren said as she returned her hug with a wide grin. ¡°Bitch, I thought your flight was tomorrow. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing. The flight was too far away, so I took my dad¡¯s private jet to be here today,¡± she exined and hugged her again.¡±


    Maren shook her head in amusement. ¡°You never change, do you?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for you to show me around this beautiful city or even the country.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for about a year and I barely go out, so that¡¯s half impossible, Nell¡±


    ¡°Nathan!!!¡± Zack¡¯s voice echoed from behind as both women were too engrossed in themselves to recall that they both had kids who were friends.


    They watched as Nathan, who had juste out with Rose and Zack, who had just walked in through the door, both ran to hug each other with so much happiness that it took some time before they let go.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Zack was also part of the reason we just had to take my dad¡¯s jet. We starved these kids, you know. Video calls never did anyone good,¡± Ne said with a bright smile on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to finally have you both here, Ne,¡± she said and pulled her in for a hug again.


    ¡°I know,¡± Ne replied and patted Maren on her back while they hugged.


    ¡°You just left without any notice, Maren. That was really wrong, you know, and you didn¡¯t take my calls for a month. You almost had me file for a missing person case, you know,¡± Ne nagged as all four of them rode in a limousine to a location where the kids had chosen.


    ¡°I know, Ne, and I¡¯m sorry. You continuously repeated this for the entire year, and I continuously apologised.¡± Maren said with a chuckle.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not enough. And you still owe me an entire exnation for that stunt, don¡¯t you forget?¡±


    ¡°Definitely. I¡¯m willing to exin everything to you¡±


    The vehicle finally came to a halt and the chauffeur open the door for them to get off. In front of them was a massive building painted in the colours of the rainbow with some funny-looking man on the banner of the building.


    ¡°Ice cream!!¡± Both boys cheered and hurried towards the entrance, where a man opened the door to let them in.


    ¡°So, care to share what drove you out of your birth city with your entire family?¡± Ne asked as they were finally seated with a scoop of ice cream in front of each of them. While the boys giggled with three scoops each.


    Maren sighed and looked in the distance with a weak smile on her face. ¡°Damn, thest three years was a fucking lot Ne, and you were there for most of it¡± she began. ¡°From William to Alexander to Kendrick. god it was a lot¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, I¡¯d say I¡¯d like to hear Kendrick¡¯s part. I mean, I was so sure you were so in love with him.¡±


    ¡°Well, he was a liar, Ne. He killed my father¡±


    ¡°Oh, my god¡± Ne eximed, trying to keep the ice cream in her mouth from pouring out.


    ¡°Yep, he was just like his brother. They were both monsters, and I really didn¡¯t want to see either of them and that¡¯s why I refused to attend Irene¡¯s funeral¡±


    Ne¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Irene was found dead in an alley two months after we moved. Her throat was slit¡±


    ¡°Jesus! Do you suspect anyone?¡±


    ¡°My guess is Alexander, but I don¡¯t have enough evidence. I think it¡¯s fair to just let it go since both of them jointly hurt me,¡± Maren replied with a straight face.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve gone badass, Maren,¡± Ne praised and took another spoon in her mouth.


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t easy putting my life back together after all that, and being here in the new city is kind of helping a little.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You know, my mom used to think it was a terrible idea building anotherpany branch here. But guess who¡¯s on vacation in the Bahamas?¡±


    Ne looked at her and smiled. She really was happy for her friend. She reached across the table and took her hand. ¡°You really are a strong woman, Maren and I am so proud of you¡±


    Maren returned her smile. ¡°Thank you Ne,¡± she replied and then suddenly let go of Ne¡¯s hand. ¡°Stop it, you¡¯re going to make me cry¡±


    Ne chuckled and got back to her ice cream. ¡°That reminds me, what happened to your secretary, Louise?¡±


    ¡°Damn, Louise. She was a good secretary, but I found out she was spying on me for both Alexander and Kendrick. I think she and Kendrick used to fuck once, but I¡¯m not sure¡±


    ¡°God that¡¯s so mess up¡±


    ¡°Oh, and she forged the second DNA test because she was in love with Kendrick and didn¡¯t want her boss to know he was the father of her child.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot,¡± Ne leaned back in her chair.


    ¡°So that¡¯s basically it, my love,¡± Maren said and smiled. ¡°It was worth moving, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Definitely!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just really d you¡¯re here, Nell,¡± Maren said, and both women chuckled.


    *****


    Maren was seated in a massive office with great lighting and venttion, and her table was scattered with papers and files.


    ¡°Of course we can render our services,¡± she said on the phone. ¡°Yes, I can clear my schedule after our first meeting and we can have another after that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± She said and dropped the call. Just as she picked up her pen, she heard a knock on the door. ¡°Come in¡±


    An average height, dark haireddy walked in bearing three files and an envelope. She ced it on one side of Maren¡¯s table.


    ¡°These came in for you ma¡¯am¡±


    She took a nce at it and turned back to what she was doing. ¡°Alright, you can leave.¡±


    As soon as the door was closed behind thedy, Maren lifted her eyes to the envelope and took it. She checked the body for a writing or inscription, but it was nk so she broke the seal and looked inside.


    In it was just a white paper, so she carefully took it out.


    On it was written:


    ¡°YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD RUN?¡±


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