《Revenge After Divorce Novel by Black Rose》


 Chapter 1

    <strong>OLIVIA</strong>


    Two Days Later


    ¡°Lock her up, and don¡¯t let her see the sun ever again. She doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡± Nick barked at the New Vige Town police. His eyes were cold as ice, filled with hatred.


    The officer roughly shoved me into the filthy, smelly cell before mming the bars shut. I turned to look at Nick and Sandra. They stood together, looking like old friends¡­ or lovers. She was why he had turned against me, though I didn¡¯t understand what had motivated her.


    We¡¯d grown up together, did everything together. We¡¯d watched each other¡¯s backs. And now she stood beside my husband as he threw me into jail for something I didn¡¯t do. A few hours ago, I was cooking dinner for my husband, waiting for him toe home from work. Even after the incident with Sandra in the kitchen, and even though things had changed between us since Sandra came back, I still had hope that we could fix things. Then this happened.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    The way Nick had looked at me when he arrived with the police broke my heart, too. I¡¯d never seen such hatred in his eyes. It seemed Sandra had wrecked my marriage and turned him against me, feeding him lies. And he had believed every word.


    I had tried to plead with him, tried to make him see reason. ¡°Nick, please! I didn¡¯t do this. Sandra is lying. I don¡¯t know why. Please, believe me! I didn¡¯t push her, I didn¡¯t kill her baby, and I didn¡¯t steal from you. You know I could never do something like that,¡± I had insisted, but he hadn¡¯t listened. Instead, he hade back from the hospital the next day with the police, using me of stealing from him.


    I didn¡¯t know when things had gotten so bad between us that he stopped trusting me. We were happy once, making ns for our future. Then I let a snake into my home, and it turned on me.


    I had to tried to plead with Sandra too. ¡°Sandra, please. Tell him the truth. Tell him I didn¡¯t do this. I don¡¯t know why you turned on me like this. Why would you lie to him like this? You know I could never do any these things. I didn¡¯t push you, and I didn¡¯t even know you were pregnant. Why would you do this? Tell the truth!¡±


    Instead ofing clean, Sandra had teared up and said, ¡°Olivia, you¡¯re so cruel. Even now, you me me for what you did. What did I ever do to deserve this from you? I was your friend, and I loved you. But you never cared about me. You knew I was pregnant. Yet you still pushed me. I didn¡¯t even tell Nick about it when you started stealing from him! I kept your secrets, and this is how you repay me?¡±


    I felt all hope drain from me then. None of that was true, yet Nick had believed her.


    Sandra cried and turned to him. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told you anything about what she¡¯s been up to. It¡¯s my fault she¡¯s acting like this. Forget everything I said and listen to your wife.¡±


    She turned to me and smirked without him seeing. ¡°Olivia, I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯ll go back abroad. I¡¯m sorry I ruined your marriage. I forgive you for everything, and I know you didn¡¯t mean to push me. But you shoulde clean about all the money you stole. I¡¯m sure Nick will forgive you, and you can fix things.¡±


    Nick¡¯s eyes softened when he looked at Sandra. He believed all the nonsense she was spewing, and my heart broke when I saw him look at her that way. That softness used to be reserved for me, his wife.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Sandra. You aren¡¯t the cruel one who¡¯s been cheating, stealing, and plotting behind my back,¡± Nick said coldly. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her to take those pills to avoid having my baby. You didn¡¯t push her down the stairs.¡± Then he turned to me and said, ¡°I promise you, Olivia, you¡¯ll pay for everything. For as long as I live, you¡¯ll never have peace.¡±


    The temperature dropped a few degrees, sending cold shivers down my spine, knowing he meant every word. I never thought he could do something like this to me or utter such hateful words, and I couldn¡¯t stop the tears from falling.

 Chapter 2

    OLIVIA


    As I stood in the cell, my thoughts went to my grandma. What would happen to her now that I was locked up? My chest tightened as I thought of her and her fragile health. Hearing about my arrest might kill her.


    Nick turned to the officer. ¡°She¡¯s to have no visitors and isn¡¯t allowed outside. Let her rot in this cell. She can die here for all I care!¡±


    My heart shattered into a million pieces. I felt hot and struggled to breathe.


    How was my grandmother going to know that I was all right if I couldn¡¯t have visitors? This would kill her! My throat felt like it was closing, threatening to cut off my air supply. I wanted to give up so badly. But then I looked at the satisfied gleam in Sandra¡¯s eyes. Determination flooded back into me. I wasn¡¯t going to let that witch win.


    By then, I was drenched in sweat, my eyes wide as saucers. I was sure I looked pale as a white sheet.


    The nice policeman looked terrified. ¡°Sir, she can¡¯t breathe. Should I call the doctor?¡±


    Maybe I should tell Nick I¡¯m carrying his baby? ¡°Nick, actually¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why would you call a doctor?¡± Nick asked, snapping at the officer. ¡°She¡¯s faking to manipte me¡ªshe¡¯s a master at doing that.¡±


    Tears continued to stream down my face. This was the man who once couldn¡¯t stand to see me hurt, and now he was the one causing me the most pain.


    What did Sandra do to my husband to change him so much? I wished I knew what she used and how, considering she had Nick eating out of the palm of her hand within six months.


    I should have never have asked her to stay with us when she returned from abroad. I should¡¯ve helped her find her own ce to rent. If I had known her true intentions, I would¡¯ve kept my distance. But I had thought I was helping my best friend. I had even begged Nick to give her a job at hispany.


    He eventually caved and put her a job in the finance department. Working there, she managed to make it look like I had stolen from my husband, and he had believed her.


    ¡°Sandra?¡± I said, wanting to plead with her, once again, to tell the truth.


    Nick turned to me, shielding her with his body, further piercing my heart. He was so protective of her already.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut up?¡± He tilted his head to the side, daring me to say another word. I swallowed the words trying to escape. ¡°You¡¯ve hurt this woman enough. You have no right to speak to her now. And I swear to God, Olivia, I¡¯ll make you pay for this.¡±


    I wanted to speak, to beg him to hear me out. I wanted to ask him to not to tell my grandmother about this, to lie and say I was traveling or something. He knew how delicate her health was, and this was going to kill her.


    Suddenly, the music on the radio at the guard¡¯s station stopped, and a reporter¡¯s voice came on. After a brief introduction, I heard words that made it feel like my world was truly spinning out of control. ¡°The wife of the owner of Jones Enterprises was arrested this evening. The missus of the Jones family and former Financial Manager of thepany is used of stealing millions. Sources say that Mr. Jones called the police and had her arrested. We¡¯ll bring you more as the story develops.¡±


    ¡°No! Nick, please, no! My grandmother will hear this! I don¡¯t want her getting sick again. You know how fragile she is. Please, Nick please, go and see her. Make up something¡ªtell her it¡¯s all lies. Tell her I¡¯m okay.¡±


    My heart was breaking. My grandmother was all I had now that I¡¯d lost him. I couldn¡¯t let her to die; I still needed her.


    ¡°You love to run that mouth of yours, don¡¯t you?¡± Nick sneered. ¡°Say one more word, and I¡¯ll personally make sure that your precious grandmother learns firsthand what it¡¯s like to have a thief for a granddaughter. I¡¯ll show you both a side of me you¡¯ve never seen before.¡±


    I opened and closed my mouth, too afraid to speak. Instead, I opted to let my eyes do the pleading, But Nick merely spun around and walked away.


    I watched until he turned the corner and then broke into a choking sob, a lump in my throat making it hard to breathe. The man who had been my everything, who couldn¡¯t go an hour without checking on me, was now my tormentor. It felt like I was dying¡ªmaybe I was and I just didn¡¯t know it.


    The officer noticed and rushed over with some water. I couldn¡¯t understand why he was helping me, but I was grateful. I needed it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to cross a man like that,¡± he said, handing me the bottle, ¡°but it seems you¡¯ve made a big mistake.¡±


    With trembling hands, I epted his offer, then gulped the water down. My hands shook so hard that the water spilled down my chin, soaking my chest. I gave the officer a sad smile. ¡°What I did was to help my best friend,¡± I said, ¡°and she turned him against me. If I¡¯d known she was going to do that, I never would have helped her.¡±


    Iughed bitterly. I was no longer the protected and loved wife of the Jones family. Now, I was theughingstock of New Vige, the wife who was sent to jail by her own husband for stealing millions. I was pitiful, indeed.


    Myughter turned into sobs once more.


    ¡°Oh, miss,¡± the officer said, ¡°People can be cruel. I¡¯m sorry you¡¯re learning that the hard way.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Someone pped, and the officer turned to look. Sandra stood there, smirking.


    ¡°You¡¯re good, Olivia,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you that. Now you¡¯ve managed to convince this idiot that you¡¯re the victim. What did you promise him? A roll in the hay? Because we both know you¡¯ve lost everything. Your body¡¯s all you have left.¡±


    Hearing her voice made me want to reach out and strangle her. ¡°I¡¯m not like you,¡± I spat.


    The officer left, giving us privacy I didn¡¯t want.


    ¡°Oh, you still think you¡¯re better than me? Even after everything I¡¯ve taken from you?¡± She cackled, clearly enjoying my misery.


    Why hadn¡¯t I seen her for who she truly was? ¡°You¡¯re vile,¡± I said, ¡°and this isn¡¯t going tost. I¡¯ll get out of here, clear my name, and then I¡¯lle after you with everything I¡¯ve got.¡±


    She stoppedughing, her expression hardening in a way that shook me to my core. ¡°Listen here, Olivia. This isn¡¯t high school or college. I¡¯ve grown up, lived, and seen things. I¡¯m not the same Sandra from back then. I¡¯ve changed. And I swear, if you daree after me, I¡¯ll do more than just frame you for theft. I¡¯ll kill you.¡±

 Chapter 3

    OLIVIA


    I sat in the dark jail cell, thinking about my baby and how he was going to survive in a ce like this. I didn¡¯t care about myself¡ªthey could keep me there for as long as they wanted¡ªbut my baby didn¡¯t deserve this. He didn¡¯t deserve to be born in a jail or suffer for my sins.


    It was only the second day of my incarceration, and the police were keeping their word to Nick about not letting me out. But I thought they were taking it too far; they hadn¡¯t given me food since I arrived.


    It was good that nothing stayed in my stomach anymore. I¡¯d been starting to have morning sickness. But I still felt hungry, even though I knew whatever I ate woulde back up again.


    ¡°Oh, my baby,¡± I said, caressing my stomach, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you¡¯re going through this, that you¡¯re going to start your life into this world like this. But I swear to you, I will protect you. Your father will never know you exist, and he¡¯ll never hurt you or me ever again. He¡¯s done enough.¡±


    The cell door opened. I stood as Nick¡¯s best friend, Ethan, came into view.


    ¡°Oh, Olivia. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there. I just found out what happened, and I gave Nick a piece of my mind. But he won¡¯t budge. He won¡¯t even show me the proof he ims to have against you. He refuses to drop the charges and get you out.¡±


    I smiled sadly. ¡°It¡¯s all right, Ethan. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re here. I need your help.¡±


    He sighed, pity in his eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pity me,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I just need your help me with something, but don¡¯t tell Nick.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Olivia, he only let me to see you today. After this, he won¡¯t let mee back.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s make it count,¡± I said with a nod. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant. It¡¯s still early, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose my baby in here. Please, help me.¡±


    His eyes widened in shock. ¡°Olivia¡­ Nick doesn¡¯t know, does he?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°That moron. How could I be friends with someone so stupid? That woman you call your friend has him eating out of the palm of her hand, and he just can¡¯t see it!¡± He started pacing, but we didn¡¯t have time for his anger.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Ethan, please. Forget about Nick. Karma will deal with them both. I have to worry about my baby.¡±


    He stopped and peered at me, concern in his eyes. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll see what I can do. I¡¯ll try to get you some prenatal vitamins to keep the baby healthy and then see about bribing a guard to get you that medicine and tell me when you go intobor.¡±


    Relief flooded me. ¡°Thank you, Ethan. Please, check on my grandmother from time to time. Let her know I¡¯m okay, and tell her not to stress or worry about me.¡±


    He gave me that pitying look again.


    ¡°Stop looking at me like that. I¡¯ll be fine. Just help me with this, and everything will be all right.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it, Olivia. I don¡¯t know how you can be so positive when you are in a situation like this.¡±


    I had no choice. I couldn¡¯t afford to fall apart¡ªI had a baby and my grandmother to think about.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up, Mr. Lewis,¡± an officer informed Ethan. ¡°You only get ten minutes, and not a minute more.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do as I promised,¡± Ethan said. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to be able to see you again. Stay strong, Olivia.¡±


    I smiled faintly and nodded. After he left, I felt a small surge of hope that my baby was going to be all right. Ethan was a man of his word. He would find a way to help me.


    Iy down on the thin mattress in the corner, curled into the fetal position, and thought about everything that had happened in such a short period of time¡ªhow my best friend had betrayed me, and how I had let my marriage fall apartpletely, all without even knowing it. I fell asleep with those thoughts in my head.


    The nging of the cell door woke me up. ¡°Here. This is for you.¡± The officer nced around before tossing a small stic bag into my cell. ¡°From Mr. Lewis. I won¡¯t always be around, but when I am, I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± He closed the door and left.


    I rushed to the stic bag and found both food and vitamins inside. Tears welled in my eyes, grateful to Ethan for what he¡¯d done. I quickly ate the food, took the vitamins, and drank water from the tap.


    Lying back down, I caressed my belly. ¡°Everything¡¯s going to be okay, baby. I promise.¡±

 Chapter 4

    OLIVIA


    NINE MONTHS LATER


    Prison had been hard, not just because I was pregnant but because of how I was treated. But I was grateful for one thing¡ªEthan kept his word. The guard he¡¯d bribed continued to bring me vitamins and took care of me as promised.


    But when he wasn¡¯t around, the others would conveniently ¡°forget¡± to feed me. There were days I was so hungry that my stomach ached. One day, I yelled until someone finally came. But instead of food, I got a beating.


    They beat me so badly that I had a ck eye and bruises all over my arms and legs. But through it all, I protected my baby. Even after the beating, they didn¡¯t give me any food. From that day on, I learned to stay quiet when that officer wasn¡¯t around.


    I rationed my food, eating small portions and saving some in case I didn¡¯t get any the next day. I was skin and bones, and I worried about my baby. Was he getting enough nutrients? Would he be born healthy?


    The thought of my baby suffering only made my resentment for Nick grow. I hated him more with each passing day.


    My belly was huge now, heavy. Today, I woke up feeling ufortable and exhausted. I didn¡¯t touch my breakfast when the guard brought it. A dull pain throbbed in my back,ing and going. Every time it hit, I froze, holding my breath until it passed. I thought I might be inbor, but my water hadn¡¯t broken.


    Still, something was wrong. Impatiently, I waited for lunch, hoping to ask the guard to contact Ethan and bring a doctor. I couldn¡¯t lose my baby¡ªnot after everything we¡¯d been through together.


    I drifted in and out of sleep. The pain kept getting stronger, more frequent. On several asions, I bit my bottom lip to prevent from screaming. Finally, the cell door opened. I was leaning against the wall, breathing through the pain. But at that moment, it felt like some entity out there in the universe was finally on my side.


    Suddenly, my water broke.


    The guard¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°I¡¯ll get Mr. Lewis!¡± He dropped the te of food he was carrying and ran off.


    I gripped the bars, pulling on them so hard I thought they might break.


    The guard came back, panting. ¡°Mr. Lewis ising.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I managed to say.


    He just stood there, helpless. ¡°Please, keep the baby in. I don¡¯t know what to do. Wait for Mr. Lewis!¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    If I wasn¡¯t in so much pain, I might¡¯veughed. He clearly had no idea that once the baby decided toe, there was no stopping him. But I hoped he would hold off; this cell was no ce to have a baby.


    After what felt like forever, with me lying on my back and feeling the babying, the cell door opened once again. ¡°Olivia! I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary.¡± Ethan rushed in with a doctor.


    The doctor took a quick look and said, ¡°She won¡¯t make it to the infirmary. The baby¡¯s crowning. He¡¯sing now.¡±


    At that moment, my resentment for Nick hit a new level. My baby was going to be born in a filthy cell all because Nick believed some woman he barely knew over me. He had condemned me to this suffering.


    ¡°Olivia, you have to push,¡± Ethan said. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t what you wanted, but the baby¡¯sing now.¡±


    His voice pulled me back to reality. It wasn¡¯t about Nick anymore. It was about my baby. I pushed as hard as I could. I pushed with everything I had. Soon after, my baby¡¯s cries filled the air, and tears streamed down my face. The doctor handed him to me.


    ¡°Is he okay? Is he healthy?¡± I asked, staring at him. He was so small.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need to examine him, but he looks good¡ªjust a little underweight but good.¡±


    I smiled through my tears. ¡°His name is Samuel. Give him myst name, not Nick¡¯s, and keep him safe. Take him away from here, Ethan.¡± My heart broke as I handed him over.


    ¡°You can hold him for a little longer,¡± the doctor offered, but I shook my head.


    He¡¯d been born in this dirty cell. I didn¡¯t want him to spend a second more in here. ¡°No. Take him away and check him out to make sure he¡¯s healthy. And remember, Ethan¡ªdon¡¯t ever tell Nick.¡±


    I sobbed as I watched Ethan leave with him. ¡°Nick, you¡¯re going to pay for this. I swear it.¡±

 Chapter 5

    NICK


    Two years have passed since that woman humiliated me, since I found out she stole millions from me. While I had nned to start a family with her, she had secretly been taking birth control pills. Why couldn¡¯t she have just told me she wasn¡¯t ready for kids? Now, I know why¡ªshe was still in love with her ex and was only with me for my money.


    How could I have been so stupid and blind? When Sandra told me that Olivia had a hand in what happened to my mother all those years ago¡ªhow they met, how Olivia ¡°just happened¡± to save her from being hit by a car¡ªI refused to believe it at first. I thought my wife could never be capable of such things.


    Then she gave me that recording of their phone call, where Olivia had admitted everything: how she¡¯dnded her ¡°golden goose,¡± how her life was going to change for her and her grandmother. As if that weren¡¯t enough, she stole from me. Sandra had showed me the proof.


    I recovered some of the money, but only a small portion. Thinking about her still fills me with rage. How could she have been so cruel? My mother loved her!


    ¡°Nick!¡± Sandra snapped me out of my thoughts. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to go pick up your parents. I¡¯m finishing up with dinner. It¡¯ll be ready by the time you get back.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Sandra thesest two years, I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve made it through.


    My parents have been traveling the world, and they¡¯reing home today. They¡¯re going to be so disappointed when they find out what happened with Olivia. My poor mother. She trusted that good-for-nothing woman.


    Anger surged as I grabbed my keys.


    ¡°Nick!¡± Sandra¡¯s voice stopped me again. I turned to face her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about her,¡± she said softly. ¡°It only makes you angry. Today is about your parentsing home. Let¡¯s focus on celebrating, not on the past.¡±


    I gave her a small smile. What would I have done without her?


    At the airport, I spotted my mom first, followed by my dad, and their guards carrying the bags. Her face lit when she saw me.


    She rushed over, throwing herself into my arms. Iughed, hugging her back as Dad shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re suffocating our son, woman!¡± he grumbled. Mom shot him a re over her shoulder, and he raised his hands up in mock surrender. Watching them, a wave of sadness washed over me. I had thought Olivia and I would have what they had. I guess it wasn¡¯t meant to be.


    ¡°Goodness! You¡¯re so thin! Does Olivia not feed you anymore? Where


    is she, anyway?¡± Mom asked, her smile fading slightly.


    I sighed. This wasn¡¯t the time or ce to tell them. ¡°Let¡¯s get home, and I¡¯ll exin everything,¡± I said.


    They exchanged a nce, and Mom¡¯s face brightened again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s at home with a baby! Oh, I knew she¡¯d give me a grandchild soon!¡±


    My heart sank. She had no idea Olivia never wanted kids¡ªonly my money.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not like that.¡± I opened the car door for her.


    Dad got in after her, his face already turning cold.


    I started the car and drove off. Mom wanted to ask more questions on the way, but Dad convinced her to wait until we got home. Thankfully. Talking about Olivia wasn¡¯t easy, and I wasn¡¯t looking forward to the conversation.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    Once we got back, I told them everything: how Olivia had pushed her best friend down the stairs, killing her child; how she¡¯d stolen millions from me; how she was never in love with me, never wanted a baby with me; how she was secretly on birth control the whole time; and how she had just wanted my money.


    ¡°She is not the person you thought she was,¡± I said. ¡°Olivia is cruel.¡±


    Mom looked at me as if I¡¯dmitted a crime. ¡°Nick, are you insane?¡± she shouted, furious.


    I stared at her, baffled. Hadn¡¯t she heard what I said?


    Mom shook her head, sadness and disappointment etched across her face. Dad hadn¡¯t said a word and refused to look at me, but his eyes were icy cold.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not Sandra who¡¯s clouding your judgment?¡± Mom asked sharply. ¡°Are you sure she


    isn¡¯t the reason you¡¯re thinking this way?¡±


    ¡°Sandra is the one who showed me the truth about Olivia,¡± I insisted. ¡°Without her, I¡¯d still be under Olivia¡¯s control. You should be grateful to her!¡±


    Mom¡¯s eyes shed with anger. ¡°Grateful? To a homewrecker? Dear God, what must her grandmother think of us? Michael,¡± she said, turning to my father, ¡°go to Olivia¡¯s grandmother and apologize. Tell her we had no idea and that we¡¯ll get Olivia out of jail.¡±


    Dad stood, ready to go, and I was stunned. How could they still be so blind?


    ¡°She¡¯s dead,¡± I said quietly. ¡°She died a few months after Olivia was arrested.¡±


    Mom¡¯s face crumpled, and a tear slipped down her cheek. I wanted tofort her, but Dad beat me to it, pulling her into his arms.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a fool, Nick,¡± he said, his voice hard. ¡°I didn¡¯t raise you to be this foolish. I hope you don¡¯te to regret this.¡±


    I sat there, feeling utterly lost. Why were they defending Olivia? Why did she still have such a hold on them?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get my daughter-inw out of jail,¡± Dad dered. ¡°And Nick, if you don¡¯t drop the charges, I will disown you.¡±

 Chapter 6

    NICK


    My parents left and Sandra came out from the kitchen. She was crying and I didn¡¯t like it. I didn¡¯t know why my parents would be so cruel to her, she was not the one who did all those things to me. she was the one who saved me from a bad situation and showed me the kind of wife I had.


    I didn¡¯t understand why they would treat her that way. ¡°Sandra, I am so sorry. I will talk to them again and make them understand. I will show them the proof of Olivia¡¯s crimes and then they will believe me and ept you as my close friend.¡±


    I took her into my arms and consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t get her out Nick, am scared of what she will do to me when she gets out. Please, let her stay there.¡± She cried even more, making my heart tighten. I wished I could let her stay; I wanted her to stay there longer but my parents were not joking when they said they would disown me if I don¡¯t let her out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you. that woman will nevere anywhere near you. but I have to make that call. I have to let her out or my parents will never forgive me. But worry not, they will be the ones to send her back to jail when they see the proof of her crimes.¡±


    She looked so scared, Olivia left her with huge scars and now she was getting out without paying for her crimes. I hated that she had a hold on my parents to a point that they refuse to believe she could be a bad person.


    ¡°Wait here, I need to make that call.¡± I wiped her tears and left her sitting on the couch. I made a call to my best friend first. I needed his advice. ¡°What is it Nick?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I call my best friend without being asked that?¡± he chuckled on the other side. ¡°No, you can¡¯t, because I know you and you only call when you want something. What do you want this time?¡±


    Ethan was not the same with me, since I got Olivia arrested, he didn¡¯t like that. ¡°My parents want me to get Olivia out of jail.¡± I waited for his response, but none came. ¡°Ethan, are you still there?¡±


    ¡°I am here but I don¡¯t know what you want me to say about that. you know how I feel about what you did but you told me it was none of my business. So, I don¡¯t understand why you are calling me about this.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I cut the call. I was never going to get anything out of him with that attitude. I knew Ethan since we were children, when he doesn¡¯t like something, he speaks up and it doesn¡¯t matter what you say, he never changes his mind about it. He was stubborn like that.


    I made a call to the police chief dropping the charges, but he told me toe in to sign some documents. Told me that my parents were already there and giving him hell. I sighed feeling defeated. I went back inside and found Sandra sitting there staring at nothing.


    I went and crotched in front of her. ¡°Hey, everything is going to be okay. I will not let her get anywhere near you. I will protect you; I promise. Olivia will not hurt you again.¡± She gave me a small smile; she wasn¡¯t happy, and I knew it. I wished I didn¡¯t have to get her out.


    But knowing my parents, they would take everything I have worked so hard for, if I don¡¯t do what they want. ¡°I have to go to the police station; I will be back soon. Sam is going to stay here and protect you. he will be right outside.¡± She nodded and I took my keys and left.


    When I got to the station the police chief was already waiting for me. ¡°Come this side Mr. Jones.¡± He looked scared with beads of sweat forming on his forehead. I knew it was all my father¡¯s doing. I followed him to his office where my parents were sitting and waiting.


    He gave me the documents. ¡°Are you sure you want me to do this before you look at the proof of everything she did?¡± mother folded her arms and said nothing. She didn¡¯t even look my way. I looked at father and his eyes were cold and distant.


    I sighed then signed the papers. I looked back at them, and they still looked like they didn¡¯t want me there or to hear a word of what I had to say. I handed the documents to the police chief then walked out of there. I was angry!


    I went and sat in my car then lit a cigarette. Bad habit I know but the situation with Olivia stresses me out. I started smoking when she was arrested, and it became a norm whenever I was stressed. It calmed me down.


    I kept my eyes at the door of the police station, after what seemed like forever father came out first. I put out the cigarette and sat up on my chair looking at the door. Mother came out and I waited until she came out.


    When I saw her, my heart skipped a beat. She looked frail, pale and dirty. The clothes she wore were the ones she was arrested in two years ago. She looked so skinny and malnourished. I got so angry seeing her that, i thought they would take care of her. I never ordered for her to be mistreated, she is my wife and they should have known better.


    I only said she could not have visitors, that they should not let her outside. I never asked for whatever they did to make her look that way. With anger, I started my car and drove off. Guilt eating me up inside but still hoping she woulde home to me so i can make it up to her.

 Chapter 7

    OLIVIA


    Prison became hell for me after I give burn. The policeman who helped me before, transferred two dayster I think he was so traumatized by what he saw that he didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near me after 1 had an infection after giving birth, but I didn¡¯t know that it was an infection. I thought it was just side effects after giving birth.


    No one told me what was normal and what was not in that situation The policeman¡¯sst good deed was to tell the doctor about it when I asked him to. The doctor checked on me and told me that I had what is called PDI (Pelvic inmmatory Disease) she said bacteria infected my uterus and surrounding areas after giving birth


    She gave me pills, said I would be fine after taking them and I only took them for a day until those animals decided I deserved a beating because Nick ordered them to.


    They beat me up so badly and flushed my pills down the toilet. They never told anyone about my beating, and no one cared to check on me. I was almost dead and smelling because of the discharge when a new police officer came into my cell


    I think he was a recement for the nice one who left. He took me to the infirmary where I woke up a weekter with my womb gone. The doctor told me that the infection spread and damaged it. By then i was numb to everything.


    I kept quiet and never spoke to anyone since that day. I was dead. inside and the only thing that kept me going was my baby. I didn¡¯t Care whether they brought me food or not. I didn¡¯t care when they beat me up and left me for dead.


    I wanted to die, but for some reason, that never happened. That damn police officer always found me and took me to the doctor. She always told me I was the most unlucky woman she has ever met. 1 couldn¡¯t dispute that; a lot of bad things have happened to me.


    I know a year has passed since a gave birth and that would mean. my baby boy was now a year old. I often wonde. .how he looked, if he would recognise me one day when I see him. My cell door. opened, and I braced myself for another beating.


    I knew that when that door opened, those animals were bored and wanted to entertain themselves with me. Beating me up and forcing me to scream. I knew my screams gave them pleasure and


    satisfaction. So, I stopped screaming, I would just let my tears fall, it pissed them off, but I didn¡¯t care.


    This day, instead of the animals I was waiting for, my mother and father inw¡¯s faces appeared. When I saw them, I fell on my knees and cried. My mother¨Cinw rushed to my side and held me tightly crying with me and apologizing over and over.


    ¡°Mom, oh mom, you are here.¡± I lost hope of ever seeing her a long time ago, I thought she came back and sided with her son. But she didn¡¯t, she was here. I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from falling.


    ¡°Oh, my daughter, I am so sorry that I didn¡¯te back sooner. If we knew, we would have returned a long time ago. Am sorry Olivia.¡± My father¨Cinw came and helped me up. He looked at me and teared up. I must look so bad for him to tear up and look so sad like that.


    ¡°Oh, my daughter. What have they done to you?¡± He hugged me tight, I felt safe in his arms. He has always been like a father to me. ¡°I am alright, dad.¡± He shook his head then turned to the other man that was also standing there looking like he was shocked to see me.


    ¡°I want to know what happened to her while she was in here. This is your station David, and my daughter looks like she was treated worse than an animal and David, I will have your head for this.¡± | looked at them, the man was the police chief.


    I hated him too. ¡°Mr Jones, I didn¡¯t know anything bout her mistreatment, I will investigate and get to the boom of this.¡± I scoffed. ¡°There is no need for that, my husband wanted me to be mistreated and they followed his orders.¡± My mother¨Cinw shook her head crying when she heard me say that.


    ¡°Olivia what are you saying?¡± She asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me mom, I will be fine. Just please look after my grandma while I am in here. I have not been able to see or talk to her in two years. I need to know that she is alright.¡± My mother¨Cinw cried even more.


    I went and hugged her. ¡°I will be fine mom, don¡¯t you worry.¡± She


    ¡°You are not staying here Olivia, we are getting you out and taking you home.¡± I could not believe what I was hearing, I fell on my knees and cried painfully holding my chest.


    shook her head wiping her tears but more came worry.¡± She


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry now child, everything is going to be alright.¡± I could not stop crying. I had lost hope of ever getting out of jail and seeing the outside world.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Where is my grandmother, I want to see her. She must be so worried and not seeing me for this long must have deteriorated her health. I want her to know that I am alright.¡± My mother¨Cinw looked at me with sad eyes as we were about to get into the car, and I wondered what happened to my grandmother.


    ¡°She got too sick, didn¡¯t she? I knew something like that would happen. Please, take me to see her, she needs to know that I am okay.¡±


    ¡°Your grandmother is dead, Olivia. She died a year ago.¡±

 Chapter 8

    OLIVIA


    I felt numb as I sat in that car, ¡°Take me to!


    grave, I want to see it.¡± I wanted to tell her how sorry I was for not being there for her, for not being able to take care of her like she did with me when my. parents died. I wanted to apologise to her for causing her death. We don¡¯t know it, but we will find out and let you know.¡±


    I nodded, I wanted to ask where they were taking me because my home with Nick was no longer my home anymore. It stopped being. my home the day he sent me to jail. I didn¡¯t care where they took me, it didn¡¯t matter to me anymore. My grandmother was dead, now I only had my son.


    I looked out the window as we drove, the ce seemed familiar ye different at the same time. There were some new buildings I didn¡¯t know, probably built while I was inside. ¡°Don¡¯t you want something to eat Olivia?¡±


    My mother¨Cinw asked, she was sitting right next to me. she didn¡¯t care that I was dirty and smelling. She was sitting right there holding my hand. ¡°No, I am not hungry.¡± I was not used to eating at anytime of day.


    I was now used to eating once or never. I looked out the window. again and I saw that they were taking me to the hospital. ¡°I am fine, I am not sick, and I don¡¯t need a hospital.¡± My father¨Cinw nced at me from over his shoulder. ¡°I want the doctors to be the ones to tellAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    me that.¡± I forgot how stubborn he could be.


    I kept my mouth shut and looked back out the window. We got to the hospital, one that he built. One of the prestigious hospitals in the world. Being in jail made me forget the luxuries I used to enjoy. Now


    they mean nothing to me.


    e alread


    waiting. ¡°


    We went inside and the head of the hospital Olivia, it is good to see you. I heard about your misfortune on the news, and I am sorry that happened.¡± I just looked at him and said nothing. He heard what Sandra and Nick wa I need everyone to hear


    and not the truth.


    I don¡¯t know what he was sorry about, he did nothing to me. ¡°Right! Come this way, I have asked a physician, psychiatrist and gynaecologists to meet us there.¡± Nice, my inws were about to learn that I lost my womb in prison. Great!


    But I said nothing, I followed the doctor to the room. The three doctors in there with two nurses and they greeted us respectfully. It felt strange being treated with respect, there was no respect for anyone in prison. ¡°Mrs Jone¡­¡± I cut the nurse short. ¡°Olivia, call me Olivia.¡±


    The nurse looked at my inws, I didn¡¯t even look back at them, they didn¡¯t know my pain and I was not ready to tell them what I went through in there. ¡°Olivia, pleasee through this way, there is a shower there and everything you need.¡± I nodded.


    Ist had a shower a year ago, after I gave birth to my son. The doctor there allowed me to shower. That was it, after that I would clean myself up as much as I could in my cell. There was no soap. so, I made do.


    I took off the clothes I was wearing, they were big on me now and they were the only thing clean on me. they took them that day and gave me overalls. Feeling the warm water hit my body, I could not help but cry. I had been through a lot in the past two years.


    My husband sent me to jail for something I didn¡¯t do, I had my baby


    in prison, I lost my womb in prison, and I almost died in prison. My grandmother died while I was in prison, I didn¡¯t even say goodbye. I cried some more.


    Then I stopped and scrabbed myself clean. I tool out an hour in that shower when I was done, I wore the gown that was ced there for me. it felt good and warm. That too almost made me cry. Everything felt strange and surreal.


    When I got out my parents inw were sitting there with the doctors patiently waiting for me. when I got out, they stood. ¡°Are you alright?¡± my mother¨Cinw asked, and I nodded. The doctors asked me toy on the bed.


    ¡°We will be right outside when you are done.¡± My mother¨Cinw said and I nodded once again. I no longer liked using my words anymore, my words got me into trouble and earned me a beating in jail. The doctors started examining me.


    The physician started examining me and taking blood samples, he kept ncing at me am sure he wanted to ask what the hell happened that my body looked like that. My body held scars, each one with a story of it¡¯s own. When he was done probing me, the gynaecologist started her examination. ¡°Oh, dear God. Who butchered you like this?¡± she eximed in shock when she saw my insides. I said nothing and justid there.


    She came and stood next to me. she looked like she wanted to cry.¡± What happened to you Olivia?¡± she asked, and I just looked at her. she looked up and blinked her tears away. I didn¡¯t know what she was sad about.


    She was not the one who lived through it. When she was done, she told me to get dressed. She then called the psychologist. ¡°Olivia, I want to talk to you about what you went through in prison.¡± I shook


    my head and get from the bad


    was not reads to talk about it. I west to get dressed and got out of


    ward. My pararits inw stood when they saw me 1 am not ready to share with anyone about my experience there, but i mgmise. Twill let you know when I am ready


    My motheriw nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you can tell us when you are ready¡± was grateful for their understanding ¡°The doctors won¡¯t tell un anything about your exam and we will not ask. We will wait for you to tell us. Come on, lets go home Home, I didn¡¯t know where that was anymore. But I followed them anyway.


    We drove out of the hospital and my mother¨Cinw asked. ¡°Olivia did tick dworce you?

 Chapter 9

    OLIVIA


    I wished he did. I didn¡¯t even know why he didn¡¯te to the prison to serve me with those divorce papers. I waited for him toe: I was ready. Why didn¡¯t he do it? ¡°No, but I want to divorce him, you can tell him to bring the divorce papers and I will sign them.¡±


    wanted nothing to do with that man, ever again. All I wanted was for him to release me and set me free. Those divorce papers will free me from him. My mother¨Cinw didn¡¯t ask any more questions after that.


    We drove to their house; it still looked the same as I remember it. * Do you still not want anything to eat?¡± I shook my head no. ¡°I am not hungry, but I would like to rest.¡± She nodded. My father¨Cinw has been quiet all this time. ¡°You know where your room is. Go and rest.


    I didn¡¯t want to sleep in the same room I used to share with Nick when we came to visit. ¡°Can I please use another room and can l borrow your phone please. I would like to make a call.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Sure, choose any room you like and here is my phone. Don¡¯t worry, I will get you one tomorrow.¡± I thanked her then walked up the stairs. The chose the first guest room far from the room Nick and I used.


    I sat on the bed and made a call to Ethan, I wanted to know how my baby was doing. It rang a couple of times before his voice came on the line. ¡°Mrs Jone, to what to I owe the pleasure of receiving your call this evening?¡± he thought it was Nick¡¯s mother calling.


    ¡°Ethan, it¡¯s me.¡± There was silence on the other end of the line to a point that I thought he cut the call. ¡°Ethan?¡±


    ¡°Olivia, is that really you?¡± I nodded as if he could see e. ¡°Yes, Ethan, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°When did you get out, where are you, are you alright, oh God Olivia, tell me where you are, and I wille for you.¡± I appreciated his concern. ¡°I am fine Ethan, am with my inws. How¡¯s¡­¡± I went to the door and looked out to make sure his parents were still downstairs. I didn¡¯t want them knowing about Samuel either.


    ¡°How¡¯s Simuel?¡± I missed my son so much. ¡°I just came back. yesterday from seeing him. he has grown so much Olivia and he is smart and very handsome.¡± I teared up, I missed so much in his life.¡± Thank you, Ethan, for everything you did for me and for taking care. of him. One day I will be able to repay you for your kindness.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, I didn¡¯t do any of it to be repaid. We are friends Olivia, and I would do anything for you. does Nick know you are out?¡± I didn¡¯t care whether he knew or not. That man ruined my life, and I hated him with passion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about Nick, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course, would you like to see Samuel?¡± I wanted to, so badly but I needed to get back on my feet again before I could see him. I didn¡¯t want my son to meet a shadow of his mother. I wanted him to see me in a good light and going to see him like this was not a good idea.


    ¡°I will see him soon Ethan, I just want to get back on my feet first. I don¡¯t want him to see me like this.¡± He was silent for a while. ¡°I can help with that, I can give you a job and¡­¡± I cut him short, he was Nick¡¯s friend, and he has already done enough for me.


    ¡°Thank you, Ethan but I will be fine on my own. I will call again soon.¡± I cut the call andid on the bed for a few minutes before getting up and going back downstairs.


    My inws were still sitting there talking. ¡°Mom, here is your phone, thank you.¡± I handed it to her and went back to my room. I needed to get the hell out of there, that was no longer my home. I needed to get a job and go back to my grandrgother¡¯s house. That was my home


    I needed to start over there not at Ethan¡¯s home. Here he coulde and go as he pleases. It is his parent¡¯s home, and he was their son. They would not turn him away because of me. I tossed and turned on the bed, but I could not find afortable position.


    I ended upying a nket on the floor, I feltfortable there, I was no longer used to sleeping on afortable bed, I was now used to the hardships of prison. Maybe I will get used to a bed as time goes by. I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep.


    Just as I was drifting off, I heard a noise, and I jumped up. I looked around only to see that it was a branch from the tree outside scratching on the window and making that noise. I went and closed the window.


    I was so jumpy because I got used to prison and there when I heard a noise. It was usually my cell door opening, with those guards bringing me food or those animalsing to beat me up for their amusement. I couldn¡¯t sleep after that. Prison ruined me, no. Prison didn¡¯t ruin me, Hick and Sandra did, and I am going to make them pay for it. One way or another.

 Chapter 10

    NICK


    I didn¡¯t go home after seeing her, I went straight to the bar and started drinking. I couldn¡¯t get her image out of my head. a looked so so frail. Why did she look like that, was prison that bad for her?¡± Give me another.¡± I ordered to thedy that was serving me.


    She walked away but instead ofing back with my drink, she came back with the bar tender. ¡°Mr Jones, I think you have had enough. Do you want me to call a taxi for you?¡± he must think I am child and that I can¡¯t think for myself.


    I am not a child, and I can drink as much as I want. ¡°James, give me my drink.¡± I said with a threatening voice, well, I wanted it to be threatening but I am not sure how threatening I am in my current state. ¡°Mr Jones, you have been drinking since you got here, three hours ago. I don¡¯t think you can handle more.¡±


    I red at him, I am still the heir of the Jones family, who was he to tell me what to do? ¡°James, if you don¡¯t want to lose this business of yours, then you will give me what I want.¡± He shook his head like he felt sorry for me. why would he feel sorry for me? I have everything I could ever want and need.


    ¡°Okay Mr Jones, stay put and I will go and get your drink.¡± That¡¯s more like it. I am Nick Jones and I get whatever I want. Her face. shed in my mind and my chest tightened. I got so angry that I threw the ss I was holding on the wall almost hitting a guy that was standing there.


    Why was seeing her affecting me so much? She is nothing to me God damn it! The guy I almost hit with the ss came overlooking angry. Just as he was close my guard stepped forward and I leaned


    back on my chall watching him


    I wanted him to start something with me, it would be a gon distraction, hitting something or someone just to stop myself from thinking about that damned woman ¡°Do we have a problem?¡± Oliver my guard asked


    God! I hated his name, every time someone calls it, I am reminded of that woman. His name is simr to Bers. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have a problem.¡± Said the man moving backwards. He nced at me, and 1 smirked. That¡¯s right, go away!


    ¡°Goodness, Nick! So many bottles, are you trying to kill yourself?¡± I lifted my head to see Ethan standing there, I smiled. I missed him.¡± Ethan, you are here. Good,e on, let¡¯s drink. It¡¯s been a long time since we had a drink together.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He looked at me then shook his head, but he came and sat next to me anyway. ¡°You want to tell me what happened?¡± I shook my head, I don¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡°No, but I do want to drink. Tell James to give me another bottle.¡±


    ¡°No more alcohol for you. now, get up, am taking you home.¡± No! I didn¡¯t want to go back, that ce reminded me of her, it will be worse now that I have seen her. Sandra tried to remove all traces of her in that ce, but she could not remove the memories we have made there.


    Every time I go into that kitchen, I see her moving around humming and cooking. Every room in that house reminds me of her. My heart. ¡°I am not ready to go home yet.¡± He looked at me with pity, no one. should look at me with pity.


    I am not pitiful, Nick Jones is not a pitiful man, I am a powerful man, respected too. How dare he look at me like that. ¡°I will only stay if


    you tell me what brought this up, what made you drink this much, is it because of Olivia?¡±


    ¡°What do you know about her?¡± I question defensively. Ethan lifted his hands in surrender. ¡°I only know what you told me that your parents wanted you to get her out.¡°I nodded reaching for the bottle in front of me. only to find it empty and that frustrated me to no end.


    ¡°Where the fuck is James and that drink!¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with James Nick and you know it.¡± He was right but I wasn¡¯t about to admit that ¡°Then there is no point in us staying here if we are not going to drink. ¡°I stood up and stumbled towards the door almost falling.


    ¡°Oliver, why did you let him drink so much, what is the point of having you around, if you are not going to stop him from doing things like these. ¡°Ethan scolded as he and Oliver helped me out the bar. My mind went to the night I got so drunk that Olivia helped me to bed.


    We were celebrating our honeymoon and she told me to let lose. And I did, we were in our hotel room, so I didn¡¯t care about drinking too much. In the morning, she gave me hangover soup and nursed me back to health.


    I wiggled out of Ethan and Oliver¡¯s hold moving away from them.¡± Nick, where the hell are you going? The car is this way!¡± Ethan yelled but I ignored him walking away, more like stumbling about. They must have followed me because they reached me in no time and stopped me.


    I struggled to get out their hold again, but they held me in ce, and I stopped struggling. I was so tired. ¡°What is wrong .th you man why are you acting like this

 Chapter 11

    ETHAN


    Oliver and I shared a look after Nick passed out. We both knew who he was talking about, we knew who he called his heart. Olivia. But why would he be so affected by her? he was fine when she was in jail the past two years. He didn¡¯t care whether she lived or died. He was busy parading that woman around.


    Now that she is out, he has a problem. No! Nick should give others a chance too. ¡°Help me with him and don¡¯t ever let him drink this much again. Call me in early the next time he does something like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr Lewis.¡± We ced him on the backseat of the car and Oliver stayed with him. My phone wirang just as I was about to start the car. I took it out of the pocket and a number I didn¡¯t know shed on the screen, I frowned answering it. ¡°Ethan Lewis.¡±


    ¡°Hi, it¡¯s me.¡± My heart skipped a beat when I heard her voice looked at the backseat and Nick was out cold Hi, how are you doing, who¡¯s phone is this? I didn¡¯t even know what to say I didn¡¯t expect her to call me. I wish I could see her; Ist saw her a year ago when she gave birth to Samuel


    ¡°I am alright, the phone is mine. Nick¡¯s mother bought it for me this morning.¡± I didn¡¯t like that she was staying there. Yes she is still married to Nick, but he is living with another woman in their home Why must she stay at his parent¡¯s house like she wanted to fix things with him. Made s did an am just fooling myself


    ¡°Ethan, are you there? I snapped out of it and cleared my throat Yes, I am here. What do you need?


    ¡°I want to know where my grandmother is buried¡±


    shit! Forgot about her, she asked me to look after her and I did send money to her but there was no time to go and visit her. I was busy with taking care of Samuel that I forgot all about her.


    But mypany made sure to send money to her every month. She must hate me for not taking good care of her, she was the only family she had. Shit! ¡°Olivia, I am so sorry about your grandmother, I wanted to go and see her like you asked but there was too much going with¡­¡± Oliver cleared his throat and that is when I remembered that I was not alone.


    Shit! He heard her name, now he knows who am talking to. ¡°With Samuel, I know, and I don¡¯t me you for anything Ethan. You had your hands full.¡± I nodded as if she could see me. ¡°I will find out about what you asked, I will get back to you inter.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I cut the call then started the call and drove off. I kept ncing at the backseat as I drove. When we got to his house. I asked Oliver to go and open the door. I woke Nick up and I helped him to the door. That woman was already standing there waiting.


    She made me sick. ¡°What happened to him, where was he? I was so worried I ignored her, I do not talk to the likes of her. ¡°Move.¡± That was all I said, and she moved aside and let us in. ¡°When he didn¡¯te homest night, I was worried, I went to the office hoping to find him there, but he wasn¡¯t there. Where did you find him?¡±


    Why was she still talking? I helped Nick to bed then turned around and made a called as I left. ¡°It¡¯s me, find out where Olivia William¡¯s grandmother is buried.¡± I then cut the call then walked out. My car was parked in the driveway with my guard outside smoking.


    ¡°Give me one.¡± He handed me a cigarette and lit it for me. ¡°Is Mr Jones alright?¡± I looked back at the house puffing out smoke. ¡°He has to be, he is the one who did this. He can¡¯t act like he is not alright now. I warned him when he sent her to iail, but he didn¡¯t listen. He will have to live with his decision.¡±


    Nick is selfish, he went on with his life while Olivia was rotting in jail for something she didn¡¯t do. The man imed to love her and yet. He didn¡¯t even investigate, he believed that woman and sent his wife to jail. Now he goes around drinking and asking for his heart back, where the hell did he think his heart was for the past two years?


    Fucking moron! ¡°Do you think he wants her back and do you think she would want him back if he pursued her again?¡± that question made me angry. I threw the cigarette on the ground stepping on it with my shoe.


    ¡°Why the hell would she want a man who sent her to jail for two years? Olivia is not stupid, Nick might want her back, but she will never go back to him. Not now that she knows the kind of man he is.¡± ¡°What do you think he will do when he finds out about Samuel¡±


    In a matter of seconds, I had my guard pinned against the car with my hands wrapped around his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t fucking bring Samuel into this, he is my fucking son! Nick has nothing to do with him, do you understand?¡±

 Chapter 12

    NICK


    Sandra must have been worried sick when I didn¡¯te home yesterday. I left going to the police station to sign the release. documents since I was forced to drop the charges by my parents. She must have thought that I saw Olivia and wanted her back. Which I did, but it was the way she looked that got me distraught.


    She was not the Olivia I knew, and I wanted to know what happened in there. I thought going out drinking was going to make me forget the way she was, but it made it worse. The first day I drank and slept in my car then went back at it again until Ethan was called toe pick me up.


    I was angry with him too, he was my best friend, we grew up together. How can he not know that he got drunk and got Sandra pregnant? Now since the baby was no longer there because of my wife, Sandra didn¡¯t want Ethan to know about that night.


    Olivia should have been there for her, supported her but instead she got jealous of the time Sandra, and I spent together working and instead of supporting her. She pushed her causing her to lose the baby. I wanted to tell Ethan about it so badly, but Sandra made me


    promise not to.


    She said it was too painful to keep thinking and talking about it. That maybe Ethan didn¡¯t even remember the night they spent together since they were both so drunk and she woke up early that morning. and rushed to work before Ethan woke up. Also, Ethan never brought up that night with Sandra or mentioned it to me.


    Which told me that he didn¡¯t remember thing about it.


    Sandra is a woman and is afraid that Ethan would think she was trying to trap him and ruin his reputation or to get somet out of him. Also, because the baby was no longer there. It wo nave been difficult to prove what she said happed. I know Ethan and he was not the kind of man you use of something without proof. We were alike that way.


    So, I had no choice but to take care of Sandra. Not for me but for the two most important people in life, to make up for what they did. I could understand Ethan was drunk and didn¡¯t remember that night with Sandra. But my wife, Olivia knew what she was doing and still refused to apologize. That was what got me angry more than the money she stole.


    More than her infidelity even. I was willing to look past that and work on our marriage because I love her. To have a family with her but. she was so damn stubborn. I had to appease Sandra too, to somehow make it up to her for everything they put her through.


    Never in my wildest dreams did I think they would mistreat her int prison; she was my wife, and they should have known better. It hurt seeing her that way and it doesn¡¯t help that I never went back to see


    her after I sent her there.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    It¡¯s just that more and more things kepting up. How she was still seeing her high school boyfriend, Sandra showed me pictures of them together. Pictures she herself sent to her. She showed me her conversations about how she was nning on stealing enough money from me then divorce me and leave with him.


    That was why I never asked her for the divorce, I thought being in jail was going to humble her ande back to apologize and make things right with me. especially because that boyfriend of hers didn¡¯t even go to see her in jail. Not once did he go there asking to see her.


    I gave the order for her not to have visitors because I didn¡¯t want her seeing him, but he never showed. The only person Olivia saw in the past two years was me, Sandra and Ethan the day after she was arrested.


    I tried looking for the man and confronting him for sneaking around with my wife. But Sandra spoke some sense into me, told me that it would only degrade me talking to him and that I was better than that. she was right, if I had confronted him, he would have thought that he was in the same level as me.


    But he was far from it, I wanted to show him how much power I have, what I could do to him if he crossed me. But it was like he disappeared into thin air the moment Olivia got arrested and took the money with him. That was why I never found it. I will admit that I didn¡¯t look hard enough for it as well.


    I figured it would teach my wife a lesson, show her that I was the only man for her, the only one she could trust, the only one who could provide for her the way she deserved and make her happy. Thinking about all that made me drink even more.


    I wanted to ckout if possible. I could not keep thinking about the secret I was keeping from my friend about his child, and I could not keep thinking about how my wife looked when she got out of there.


    For the life of me I could not think about how proud and stubborn she was. All I wanted was an apology from her then we could move with our lives. Sandra was her best friend, and she would forgive her in a heartbeat if she humbled herself in front of her.


    But no, Olivia can not be told what to do. Even in her current situation, the woman I inarried will note begging even though she was in the wrong. With the way I drank, I barely remember what happened after Ethan got to the bar.


    I just hope I didn¡¯t drink myself so much that I spilled my guts to Ethan and told him about what happened between him, Sandra and his baby.

 Chapter 13

    NICK


    I woke up feeling like I was hit by a truck. Iid there with my eyes. closed just listening to my aching body and regretting drinking so much. But then something moved by my side, and I opened my eyes then turned. Only to find Sandra sleeping next to me.


    I forgot about my aching body as I jumped out of bed. ¡°What the hell Sandra!¡± she jumped up and sat on the bed disoriented and looking around. ¡°What, what is the matter?¡± bloody hell! ¡°What do you mean? You are in my bed!¡± she rubbed her eyes getting out of bed as if she did nothing wrong.


    ¡°Oh, that. Sorry, I had a nightmare, and I couldn¡¯t sleep. So, I came here, and I asked if I could sleep with you, and you said yes.¡± What! How drunk was Ist night? Because I didn¡¯t remember any of that. Sandra, I was drunkst night, you shouldn¡¯t have taken anything I said seriously and besides. I am a married man, and this bed belongs to my wife and I.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    She didn¡¯t look at me, she lowered her head then picked up her slippers and wore them. She walked to the door but before she got out, she said. ¡°I am sorry to have sullied your marital bed, I never wanted to be a bother to you, and this will not happen again. Am sorry.¡± She then walked out leaving me feeling guilty for being too harsh with her.


    Sandra had no one, she caly had Olivia and after she went to jail, she had me. Now I was snapping at her for no reason. Shit! She helped me so much in the past two years and I see Olivia one time and I go crazy. That damned woman!


    But what happened to her? Who I sawing ou


    station was not my wife, she was a shadow of the woman I once


    new. I looked around searching for my phone, I found it still in my pocket. I dialled Given, my head of security.


    He picked up almost immediately. ¡°Boss.¡±


    ¡°Find out everything about what happened to my wife while she was in prison. I want to know every little detail.¡±


    ¡°You will get everything within the hour.¡± I cut the call and sat on the bed with my eyes closed. My head was killing me. But I could not sit there and nurse my hangover, I had apany to run. I stood going to the bathroom.


    showered and when I came out. My bed was made and on the


    bedside table was a ss of water and two aspirin tablets next to it. That made me even more guilty, I was harsh to her and yet. She still took care of me. what an asshole I was.


    I drank the pills then got changed before going downstairs. I looked around hoping to see Sandra and apologize but she was nowhere to be found. I sighed and took my briefcase before walking out the door.


    The car was already running with Oliver standing next to it smoking. ¡± Good morning, sir.¡± I just nodded and got inside. We drove to work in silence. When we got to the office, before getting out, I asked. ¡°Did the missuse by the house yesterday?¡±


    Oliver looked shocked by my question, but he knew better than to question me about it. ¡°No, sir.¡± My heart sank, where was she? Why didn¡¯t shee home to me? I got out of the car and went into the building. The employees or tered when they saw me going to their respective workstations.


    When I got to my office I sat behind my desk and looked at our


    wedding photo. She looked so beautiful and happy there. Where did


    we go wrong? My phone wrang and the caller was my mother. 1 sighed before answering. ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are still alive. Good to know.¡± My mother a ¡®her sarcasm.¡± What can I do for you, mother?¡±


    ¡°You can tell me why you haven¡¯te to see your wife since she got out of prison, do you want to lose her Nick, are you now nning a life with the woman you are living with, do you want to divorce your wife for her?¡±


    I wondered what gave her that impression. ¡°Sandra and I are friend¡¯s mother. Also, if Olivia wanted me, then she would havee home to me, but she didn¡¯t.¡± my motherughed mockingly on the other end of the line. ¡°I always thought we raised a smart boy, but I see now that I have been fooling myself,¡±


    I kept my mouth shut because I didn¡¯t know what she meant. ¡°Nick, do you think she wille to you, just like that, like nothing happened? You sent her to jail remember? You hurt that girl.¡± She hurt me first, but I still wanted her back and I was willing to forget everything she did and work on our marriage.


    But she still hasn¡¯t made a move. ¡°You know what, I hope shel divorces you because you are very stupid.¡± She then cut the call. I sighed leaning back on my chair. Why was I the one who was supposed to go crawling to her and begging.


    She was the one who wronged me first, she never apologized for what she did to her best friend and me. she was so arrogant as if she did nothing wrong. It made me angry that she didn¡¯t even think of my feelings through all that.


    She was my wife and I wanted her to sit down with me and exin why she did what she did. But no, she was stubborn. My phone rang again, and I sighed thinking it was my mother again. But it was Given.


    ¡°Talk to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange boss, I didn¡¯t find anything.¡± A frown appeared on my face, what did he mean he found nothing, she didn¡¯t just look like that something must have happened. ¡°borate.¡±


    ¡°Boss, I checked everything in the prison. All I got are details that she was there for the past two years and her release documents. Other than that, there is nothing. No report of her being sick, nothing.¡± My frown deepened. ¡°Keep digging, something happened in there and I want to know what.¡±


    I cut the call, what happened to you Olivia?

 Chapter 14

    ETHAN


    I was about to drive out to pick up via, so I can take her to her grandmother¡¯s grave just sat in the car when James, my driver and bodyguard spoke. ¡°Sir, I just got an alert, someone just essed Mrs. ?Jones¡¯s prison record ¡°Nick! What the hell are you looking for?


    ¡°We knew this might happen one day James, that is why we took so many precautions. I assume they didn¡¯t find anything, yes?¡± He nodded. I could not afford to let Nick find out about Samuel. He didn¡¯t deserve to know anything about that boy.


    ¡°Keep it that way. And James, if Nick ever found out about Samuel and everything that happened to Olivia in there. I will forget everything we have been through and all the years you have worked for me. That means, I would put you down like I dog, if that ever happened.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    He swallowed hard and started the car. Nick thinks he is the only one who is connected enough to make things happen. I was connected too, and I didn¡¯t be a tech billionaire by chance, I was and so were my people. If I didn¡¯t want him to find anything then he will not!


    Getting to his parent¡¯s house Olivia was waiting outside. She looked so skinny, but she didn¡¯t lose her beauty. She was still as beautiful as the day Nick first introduced her to me. She still took my breath away and made me so stupid that I stumble on my words.


    I got out of the car, and she smiled at me. ¡°How are you, Olivia?¡± she nodded getting into the car. ¡°I could be better, but I am taking it one day at a time¡± Sitting nex to her in the backseat, being that close to her, it made happy


    ¡°Everything is going to be alright, trust me.¡± she offered me a small smile and the rest of the drive was silent. I didn¡¯t care at t not talking, she was next to me and that¡¯s all that mattered. The car came to a stop at a graveyard.


    She took a minute before getting out of the car. In silence, I led her to her grandmother¡¯s grave. It was sad because it had no headstone of picture on it. It was just a grave. ¡°This is it.¡± She nced at me. with her eyes already glittering with tears.


    Her grandmother¡¯s grave was the only one with no headstone or photo. I could only imagine what she was feeling at that moment. Before I could offer my apologies and tell her that we can fix it. That we can put a headstone on the grave. She fell on her knees in front of it crying uncontrobly.


    I wanted to take her into my arms andfort her. Tell her that everything was going to be alright. That we could make that woman pay for what she did to her. But I had to hold myself back, she was still my friend¡¯s wife. My moron of a friend. He didn¡¯t deserve her.


    ¡°Look at it Ethan, look at my grandmother¡¯s grave. It looks like someone who had no family. She was buried like a dog. Nick didn¡¯t even bother to put a headstone on her grave, how could he do something like Ethan, please tell me how.¡±


    Seeing her crying like that hurt me deeply. She didn¡¯t deserve to suffer like that. she deserved all the good things in life. ¡°Nick didn¡¯t bury her from what I heard. Her neighbour buried her, but she is also an old woman on pension. She didn¡¯t have enough money to put a headstone and all that. but she did what she could. We should be grateful for that.¡±


    cold and distant. ¡°You are telling me that he didn¡¯t even have the


    decency to bury my grandmother?¡± I said nothing but look a r. the way she was looking at me got me scared.


    Something changed in her at that moment, I didn¡¯t know what, but she looked cold and had these dead looking eyes. Gone was warmth. in them that I loved, gone was the spark in them, that twinkle. especially when she smiled. Now, I can¡¯t even tell what it was that remained in those beautiful eyes.


    ¡°I want them to pay Ethan, I know Nick is your friend and I will not involve you in this. But I am going to make him pay, both him and Sandra.¡± The look in her eyes when she said that scared me but also made me want to help her in any way I could.


    ¡°We will out a headstone on your grandmother¡¯s grave, and I can give you a job.¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, you have done enough. Just continue taking care of my son.¡± She stood and looked at the grave one more time.


    ¡°Nick is the one who is going to regret everything, and he is the one who will one daye here and put a headstone. He is the one who is going toe here begging for my grandmother¡¯s forgiveness. Mark my words.¡±


    Having nothing else to say, I nodded. I didn¡¯t know what she was nning but I knew what I had to do. ¡°You should start applying for jobs then if you don¡¯t want me to give you a job. I will give you a good rmendation.¡±


    Sheughed so hard throwing her head back. She looked like a mad wornan. Even herugh was sad. ¡°You rmendation will mean nothing Ethan. I have a criminal record; I was imprisoned for stealing millions from Jones enterprises. Who do you think will dare hire me after that?¡±


    I bailed my hands into fists. Nick sure ruined this woman, how was i going to help her when she didn¡¯t trust me?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ethan, I will be alright. How can I not worry when she had dead eyes like that and looking like a skeleton? Damn you, Nick!

 Chapter 15

    The anger 1 Tub when my grandmother¡¯s grave was mouse Budil. The pain though, was more than the anger I felt. The sonian did manything for me and made sure I studied and became the woman i am today Yet I was not there when she needed me the most, I was not there to give her a proper burial.


    She was buried like a dog with no headstone or photo. It broke my heart that things got so bad that she became coteral damage. But I was going to make things right, those who wronged me, those caused me this pain, are going to feel the same pain ten folds.


    ¡°Take me back Ethan, I am just going to tell Nick¡¯s parents that I am going back home.¡± He nodded and we left the graveyard. Leaving


    grandmother with a promise that I was going to do right by her. The drive back was silent with me thinking of ways to make money. I had no job, and no one was going to hire me with a criminal record.


    That was what Nick wanted when he got me arrested and he did swear to make me pay, to make my life miserable for as long as I live am going to wait for you and take you to your grandmother¡¯s house ¡°i shook my head in the negative, I had inconvenienced him enough


    will be alright Ethan you can go about your day. You are the CEO sta tip techpany, you can¡¯t waste your day with criminals.¡± His face hardened as he looked at me if it was before, I would have been intimidated by that look. But now that I have seen real animals, that threatening look, ording to him, was nothing at all.


    It didn¡¯t scare or intimidate me in the least. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever call yourself a criminal, not in front of me and I am not least


    there and do what you need to then we can leave¡± I got out of the


    eat but before belosed the door, I said. ¡°In the eyes of thew, I am a criminal, your friend made sure of that ¡±


    I did not give him a chance to try and convince me that I was wrong. Or that I was not a criminal, and I was arrested for something I didn¡¯t do. The fact was that I was arrested, booked and served time. That means, I am a criminal, my record says so. How on applications, I can¡¯t skip that box asking if you have a criminal record.


    Now I will have to fill it in and exin the kind of crime I havemitted, Who would hire me then after reading that. ¡°Olivia, you are back. Are you alright, do you need anything.¡± I gave my mother¨Cin-w a smile. I was grateful to her, if it weren¡¯t for her, I would still be in that jail cell being beaten every day for amusement.


    ¡°Am fine mom, I don¡¯t need anything. But I do want to talk to you and dad.¡± Before she could say anything, dad appeared. ¡°We can talk about anything you want my daughter,e this way.¡± He took my hand leading me to the lounge.


    We sat and I sighed. Before, I would have been hurt to do what I was about to do, but not now. ¡°I just wanted to thank you both for everything you have done for me. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would still be ¡°I choked but I refused to cry, so. swallowed hard clearing my throat before continuing.


    ¡°Any way, I wanted to tell you that and if I had something, I would have taken you out for a meal to say thank you, but I have nothing at the moment. So, my words would have to be enough. Also, I am going back home.¡±


    My mother inw stood, ¡°Olvia, this is your home. Which home are you talking about?¡± I knew she was not going to take this well. ¡°I am Going back to my grandmother¡¯s house, If I am going to start over, it


    has to be away from thick and he family


    ware my mother inw toed me a daughter. ¡°He an way Bar Ch Tosose that things are not well between you and hus. But we don support that he daybe our son but we don¡¯t


    ut what he is doing. This is st your home


    Hangs between and I are not as simple as you put it mom. He sent me to jai and didn¡¯t even want to hear my side of things. All he


    and shirt was for me to apologize to that woman when I did nothing wrong. When I refused, he sent me to jail and ordered then ever to let me see the sur, not to allow me to have visitors. So, mother, things are not good between Nick and I. Nick, and I are over.


    Her teary fell. I didn¡¯t like hurting her feelings but saying things are


    it well between her son and I beltling it like it was just an argurivent we can easily resolve, pissed me off. She knew as well as did that my situation with her son was way more serious than that.


    didn¡¯t mean it like that Olivia, I just don¡¯t want you to go. You are my daughter and I want you to stay


    ¡°We wants to leave then let her go, no need to beg her ¡°We all hurned and Nick stood by the doorway looking angry. I was angry myself, but I figured it was a waste of time. He meant nothing to me, and I was going to treat him as suchR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    turned back to my parents inw ignoring Nickpletely.¡± Goodbye mom, I wille back and see you one day.¡±


    I turned to have but before walkingpast Nick, I stopped and spoke.¡±


    1 gr a divorce, I will be expecting the papers and don¡¯t worry. I Gon¡¯t want anything of yours. t just want to be free from your

 Chapter 16

    OLIVIA


    Being back home felt strange and familiar at the same time. Every room I entered filled me with nostalgia and vivid memories of my grandmother and 1. The house was dirty and full of dust. Walls needed paint and floors needed to be scrubbed.


    I roughly wiped my tears away as I cleaned. I have cried enough at the graveyard; it was time for me to act now not to cry, a knock came through the door, and I went to open. May was standing on the other side of the door with a pretentious smile on her face.


    The woman must think I was still the same na?ve Olivia from before. Yes?¡± I said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Olivia, it¡¯s me, May.¡± Did she really think I didn¡¯t know who she was? But I went along with her. Oh, I couldn¡¯t recognise you, it¡¯s been so long.¡± She pushed me aside and went inside.


    It annoyed me but I kept my mouth shut. ¡°Goodness! This house needs a good scrubbing! I heard about your arrest, and I want you to know that I didn¡¯t believe a word they said. Media can be cruel but don¡¯t worry, I am here now.¡± I rolled my eyes and went back to what I was doing. May liked acting like she had influence when the only thing she had was a craving for it.


    She looked disappointed that I was ignoring her. ¡°Anyway, I wasing from work, and I saw that the gate was open here. I wanted to see who it was since your grandmother is no longer¡­¡± my re made her stop talking and swallowing hard.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to have you back. We should have dinner sometime and don¡¯t worry, am buying.¡± I wished she could just stop talking. Her voice was annoying, and her fake smiles made me want to puke.


    *ape what was on a


    tod at her To Fork lisicare


    actly are you here? Fake


    you me they why


    WATER BARNET se per bare still the same nude Givis


    Ban dormed of twent back to what I was doing without sening


    they how this weason for hering Sandra


    whatever, he she and her feelings were the


    might have send her


    kor knock came on the door, a


    sighed At first, ignored i


    sk persisted I dropped the


    Hing was May egen Hut the sem annoyed and ready to give her a ce of my mind But it went May was my grandmothee friend and neighbour The


    *mory held the ept saying as fened Finvited er de would offer you tes udma, but I have nothing here i


    and your grandial the Bank out a card and gave it to


    ew grosary Hama


    words warmed my heart I hoped my grandmother felt the same way was framed grandma I never stole from my husband. I was amsted for something I didn¡¯t do and the person who turned him against me was Sandra.¡±


    The old woman¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Olivia, the only Sandra I know is that friend of yours from school. The orphan girl your grandmother took care of.¡±


    ¡°The very same one, I don¡¯t know how she did it but she convinced


    my husband that I was evil and he believed her.


    1 am so sorry child, but your grandmother and I never doubted you for a second. But you know your grandmother¡¯s health was not good. Her blood pressure skyrocketed when she saw the news. It didn¡¯t help that she wasn¡¯t allowed to see you and was chased away from your husband¡¯s house by some woman. Could it have been Sandra who chased her away?¡±


    My blood boiled, grandma went to Nick, and he let Sandra chase her away without talking to her? how could he? ¡°After that visit, reporters kepting and hounding your grandma. She couldn¡¯t take it and one day she copsed and was taken to the hospital.¡±


    She paused looking through me as if she was in deep thought.¡± Because she didn¡¯t have enough money to stay longer in the hospital. She was sent back home and a monthter she was gone.¡± The pain I felt was unbearable.


    My chest burns and my heart broke into a million pieces. He let that woman chase my grandmother out of his house like a dog or a beggar. Nick is going to pay for what he did, and I was going to make sure he does.


    Swallowing the lump in my throat I spoke. ¡°Thank you for being


    there for her when I couldn¡¯t for giving her a burial and me an opportunity to say goodbye to her will find a way to repay your kindness, I swear


    ¡°No child, I don¡¯t need to be repaid. Seeing you out of jail and back home is repayment enough for me.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 17

    NICK


    ¡°What are you standing there for? Go get me my daughter¨Cinw back, tell her you are sorry and that you will do better. Go, Nick, go now.¡± Said my mother hitting me over and over while crying. She loved Olivia and I didn¡¯t like seeing her that way. But what else could I do when she didn¡¯t want me? I was not going to force her to want me


    I held her hands to stop her from hitting me, ¡°Mom, she doesn¡¯t want me going after her. you heard what she said. She wants a divorce. and nothing I say will change her mind. I am sorry.¡± She cried even more freeing herself from my hold. It hurt, the way she looked at me was like she was looking at someone she despised.


    ¡°Get out, get the hell out of my house Nick!¡± she screamed at me, I looked over at dad, but he just sat there as if nothing was happening. I knew then that I had done more than just disappoint my parents, I hurt them. ¡°I am sorry mom.¡± She only red at me and pointed at the door.


    I gave her a sad look before leaving. Ethan and Olivia were no longer outside. They were gone. I sat in my car for a while. ¡°Where to, sir.¡± Oliver asked but I ignored him. She asked me for a divorce, she said she wanted to be free from my clutches.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    It hurt, I still loved her, and I wanted her back, but she hates me. I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialled Ethan. I didn¡¯t care that he was with Olivia, he was my friend first before he was hers and I needed him. ¡°Nick.¡± The bastard was cold when he answered.¡± I need you; I will meet you at your office in an hour.¡±


    I then cut the call; I did not want to give him a chance to make un an excuse as to why he could not meet with me. ¡°To Lewis tech.¡± I told Oliver then rxed on the chair and closed my eyes. Ol ¡®s words kept ringing in my head. ¡°I want a divorce, I want nothing from you, I want to be free from your clutches.


    She wanted me to free her to continue where she left off with her


    boyfriend. That was why she didn¡¯te back home to me when she got out. Now that I knew about her rtionship, she wanted to leave me, and she wanted nothing because she still has that money, she stole from me.


    Women are cruel! She got my parents angry with me and crying for her. They had no idea who she really was. Those thoughts got me angry, how dare she? After everything she had done and the pain, she caused me. She had the audacity to demand divorce from me? she didn¡¯t even apologise or show remorse.


    What the hell did she think I was? ¡°Step on it, Oliver. What are you, an elder? Drive the damn car!¡± I sat up straight and looked out the window. Still feeling angry about what she said at the same time feeling sad that she didn¡¯t want to be with me.


    Did she ever love me? my chest hurt when I thought of that to a point that I felt like the pain was real, by real I mean like I was stabbed, and it hurt. I guess in a way I was wounded, the woman was my heart and she just ripped it out of my chest and stomped on it.


    She didn¡¯t care that she was hurting me, she didn¡¯t care for my feelings. All she wanted was to divorce me. Ethan and I got to his office at the same time. I was still struggling to breathe on the backseat that I couldn¡¯t get out.


    ¡°Sir, we are here.¡± I ignored Oliver. He turned to look at me then frowned. ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± I still ignored him. He jumped out the car and came to open my door. ¡°Mr Lewis, something is wrong with the boss!¡± the moron yelled to Ethan who was busy on his phone.


    He shoved it in his pocket then rushed to us. He looked at then shook his head. ¡°What is wrong with you, do you need a doctor?¡°) shook my head. ¡°You are sweating Nick, something is wrong with you.¡±


    ¡°I said am fine!¡± I snapped at him fussing over me like I was some damsel in distress. I pushed Ethan away and got out of the car. But the pain in my chest remained. It was suffocating ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office then if you are alright.¡±


    He walked ahead and I followed. I tried to keep a straight face but the pain in my chest was causing me to sweat. I could feel my forehead was drenched in sweat and it was not that hot. The walk across the reception area to the elevator felt like miles and miles Yet, it was only two feet away from the elevator.


    ¡°Sara, bring cold water.¡± Ethan instructed his secretary as I went inside and threw myself on his couchying there with my eyes closed. My chest hurt. I heard himing in and closing the door behind him.


    ¡°You want to tell me what the hell is wrong with you?¡± I kept my


    mouth shut, not that I didn¡¯t want to, but the pain was so intense to a point that I couldn¡¯t talk. ¡°Here, drink some water.¡± I opened my eyes and drank the water finishing off the whole bottle in one go


    Ethan looked at me with pity and I hated it. ¡°What is wrong with yo man?¡±


    ¡°She wants a divorce, she wants to leave me man.¡± Ethan straightened ring at me. ¡°What the hell did you expect when you sent her to jail, when you didn¡¯t take care of her grandmother while she was in there knowing very well at her health was fre died alone and was buried like a dog man!¡±


    He paced the room. ¡°You are very selfish Nick, you only care about yourself and no one else. Now, here you are after everything you did to that poor girl, looking sick andining about her wanting to leave you, while you live with another woman in her home!¡±


    I didn¡¯t think of it like that. ¡°Serves you right Nick, you might be my best friend, but I support Olivia on this one. You have been a jerk and I told you this from the beginning. Now man up! You made this bed and now it¡¯s time youy on it!¡±

 Chapter 18

    NICK


    Ethan said something that got me thinking Everything else he said made sense and I regretted it. But didn¡¯t get why he would say ! didn¡¯t take care of my wife¡¯s grandmother. I might have refused to see her because of how ashamed as of facing her after sending Olivia to jail. But I did send money to her card every month.


    She should have been taken care of even with Olivia in jail, I never sent ?livia to jail so I could punish her grandmother. ¡°Ethan, you know me man, do you think I didn¡¯t take care of her grandmother?) sent her money every month for the past two years. I might not have gone to see her, but I did make sure that she had money to live afortable life.¡±


    ¡°You sent her money, then why was she buried in an unmarked grave?¡±


    don¡¯t know Ethan, the person who buried her might not have known that she had money in the bank. To be fair, she might not have known herself that she had that kind of money in the bank. Olivia¡¯s grandmother was an old person, and she didn¡¯t have apps to


    check on bnces


    Am sure she only used what she got from her pension and didn¡¯t know that there was more. ¡°When did you find out that she died?¡± That I was ashamed of, I found out a month after she died, and I


    didn¡¯t bother to go check her grave


    ¡°That is not important¡±


    ¡°Olivia might not think so. I have work to do Nick and am sure you do too Please leave ¡°I knew he was annoyed when he chased me out.


    At least I felt better after talking to him and looking at things in Olivia¡¯s point of view.


    I stood and walked to the door. I opened it but before noing out, I turned and asked. ¡°I have been trying to get informati about what happened to my wife while she was in prison. But someone blocked. it, it¡¯s like nothing happened there besides what I know. But what is. on the file and how she looked say different things. Can you help me find out what they are hiding?


    He was the best tech guy I knew, Ethan can get through any system and dig out anything he wanted. It didn¡¯t matter how well and secured you think you hid your information, if he wanted it, he was going to get it.


    He lifted his head and gave me a funny look. ¡°What is it that you want to know exactly, that she wasn¡¯t happy in prison or maybe that she didn¡¯te out looking like a model since that ce is like: paradise. What exactly do you want to know Nick?¡±


    I knew the ce was no paradise, but I have never seen anyone.e out looking the way my wife looked. Something must have. happened or was I trying to find something on the prison to justify sending her to jail or to make myself feel better about what I did.


    ¡°You are right, prison is no paradise and expecting to see her different than what she is now is delusional.¡± I walked out feeling like the world had turned upside down. Everything was wrong. My wife wanted nothing to do with me, my best friend is angry with me. for what I did and my parents too. Even though they didn¡¯t know why I did what I did.


    I wasn¡¯t going to tell them well; they love my wife, and I was not about to make them hate her for this. I would rather suffer than let my parents hate my wife. They can me me for her leaving, at least they can still visit each other and talk.


    ¡°Where is the missus now?¡± I asked Given to keep an e on her, I needed to know she was safe. ¡°She is at her grandmother¡¯s house.¡± I nodded getting into the car. ¡°Take me there.¡± I just wanted to make sure she was alright. I wished I could help her get back on her feet, take her to the doctor to check on her and see if everything was fine with her health.


    But I couldn¡¯t do any of that, she wanted nothing to do with me.¡± Stop right here.¡± We stopped at a distance, but I could see the house. clearly. Curtains were drawn but the gate was open indicating someone was inside.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I wanted to get out of the car and walked in there. To take her by force and send her to the hospital. Demand to know what happened to her. most importantly, I wanted to be close to her, be in the same room or space with her, even if it¡¯s just for five minutes.


    I jumped when there was a knock on the window, I was looking at the house I didn¡¯t see that she wasing behind us. She was holding a shopping bag; she must have gone out to the store before we arrived. Given opened the window.


    ¡°Are you here to give me the divorce papers?¡± Now that I was seeing her up close, I saw that she was a different woman. Although she was much thinner than before, her features had bes much better looking and her eyes were more expressive. My wife couldn¡¯t look me in the eyes long, she would shy away and avert her gaze.


    But the woman in front of me, looked me dead in the eyes without blinking and asked me that. ¡°No, I was just passing through.¡± She gave me a look that broke my heart, there was no emotion when she looked at me. No sadness, no anger, just a nk stare as if she was looking at a stranger.


    Even strangers got some emotion from people when they looked at them, confusion, fright, amusement, annoyance. Anything. But I got nothing. ¡°You will let me know when the papers are ready then.¡± She said then walked away.


    I got out of the car and watched her leave, I wanted to call out to her and ask if she was alright. If she needed anything, but I couldn¡¯t, I opened my mouth a couple of times, but nothing came out. In my head though, I did say. ¡°I miss you, my heart.¡±

 Chapter 19

    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t expect to see Nick so soon after asking him for a divorce. I thought he brought the papers already when I saw him parked around the corner from my house. Only to find out that he was spying on me. he thought I was still the na?ve Olivia he sent to jail to believe the lie he told me about passing by.


    must admit though, my heart skipped a beat when I saw him and that happened because of one, I was scared that he brought the divorce papers. I don¡¯t know why because I was the one who asked him for divorce. All I can say is that it was not easy letting go of someone I still had feelings for. Two, because I was afraid of how final divorce will make things.


    The divorce was not going to affect me alone but my son as well. Samuel is a boy, and he will one day want to know who his father is. I needed to be sure what to say to him when that day came. But I didn¡¯t want to think about that, all I knew was that I wanted to be free from Nick.


    He hurt me too badly that I no longer saw a future with him, I may still love him but love alone was not enough. My husband disappointed me, and I didn¡¯t see myself getting over that any time. soon. He was also, not making things easy for himself and me.


    The man moved my best friend into my house the moment he sent me to jail. That alone told me that he wanted nothing to do with me and that fighting for our marriage would be useless because I would be fighting alone and fighting a losing battle.


    I had no strength for that or the time. I needed to sort things out for myself and quickly so I could bring my son back home. Another


    thing that brought me hope was the amount of mone, ound in my grandmother¡¯s bank ount


    When I went to the shops, I thought would only find a few hundred. dors or fifty dors. I just wanted to buy a few food items but


    when I checked the bnce, it was over two million in there. My jaw dropped making me wonder why Ethan would send my grandmother so much money


    He did tell me that he sent her money every month while I was away. So, I called him to ask and return the money. That was when I found out that he was not the only one who sent my grandmother money, Nick did too.


    Apparently, he was still sending money to that ount even after my grandmother died. They both were. I understood Ethan might have done it to make sure that I was taken care of one day when I got out. But Nick? His actions were confusing.


    Why would he send money to my grandmother after letting Sandra chase her out of the house? It was either he was bipr, or he genuinely cared. Which I found hard to believe. His actions told a different story.


    When I knocked on his window, I wanted to ask him about the money, but I stopped myself. I was going to use that money to start a business and take care of my son. We deserved it after what he did to us. Already, I wasn¡¯t asking him for anything in the divorce. The money he sent my grandmother was what I was going to get. from him.


    When I got home after talking to him. I started working, checking. online for someone to design and develop my website. I wanted to start a business in tax administration. Helping people with their taxes and financial consultations.


    I doubted anyone would want my help with their money after that scandal, but it was what I was good at. Starting my own business was better than looking for a job where I would be discriminated against because of my criminal record


    My phone buzzed and Ethan¡¯s name popped on the screen. I quickly picked up worried that something right be wrong with Samuel,¡± Ethan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he chuckled on the other end. ¡°Nothing is wrong, I just can¡¯t sleep, and I thought of checking on you, why are you up sote?¡±


    I sighed feeling relieved that nothing was wrong with my son. ¡°I was busy working, as I said, I want to start my own business, but I want a website designed first so that clients can be able to find me.¡±


    ¡°What type of business were you thinking?¡±


    ¡°Tax admin and financial consultation.¡± He was silent for a moment that I asked. ¡°You think it won¡¯t work, don¡¯t you?¡± I knew it would be difficult but for Ethan to not say anything meant that my chances of seeding were zero.


    ¡°I am just thinking that maybe you should not start with finance, your are good, I know that. But after that scandal, it might be difficult to find clients who will trust you with their money.¡± I knew it, but I thought I would try any way.


    ¡°Listen, why don¡¯t you start a logisties business, I will be your first client. We were looking at getting logisticspany to deliver our electronics to nearby cities then our drivers can deliver locally. Our electronics division has been growing rapidly and we are looking at partnering with a courierpany to deliver our stuff. What do your think?¡±


    The corners of my lips curved into a small smile, the first genuine smile I have had in over two years. ¡°I would like that; I will email the guy to change the specs on my website.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t, I will personally get that done for you and market your business for a discount.¡± He knew me too well. If he didn¡¯t charge me, then I wouldn¡¯t have agreed. I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement; things were looking up for me.


    ¡°Send me the contract and the invoice when you are done. I look forward to a good working rtionship Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Me too,¡±N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 20

    NICK


    ¡°Gentlemen, if this is what I flew all the way from New Vige for, then I am not impressed. We have a reputation to protect, and you bring me ideas like this? Do better!¡± I stood and fixed my suit jacket. I walked to the door but turned to the group. ¡°I want to hear something better tomorrow and it better not be a waste of my time.¡±


    I then walked out of the boardroom, I have been there for two days now, and they were yet to give me something I could work with. Just because Jones¡® enterprise was a bigpany did not mean we should rx, there was a lot ofpetition out there. ¡°Sir, I have ordered your lunch, it¡¯s in the room.


    I went towards the elevator but then turned around. ¡°I want to eat out today, I need the fresh air, I need to clear my mind and think. Take me to those beach front restaurants.¡± Olivia liked beach front restaurants. She like the breezeing from the beach, she would close her eyes and feel it caressing her face gently as it passed. Like a gentle kiss from a lover saying hello.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I could picture her in my mind, looking content with her eyes close and a small smile ying on her lips. We had some good times. ¡°Sir¡± I opened my eyes, I was standing in the lobby with my eyes closed, daydreaming about my wife. It was stupid.


    I didn¡¯t say a word to Owen, I just walked out as he followed. I left Given back at New Vige to keep an eye on Olivia and the reports I had been getting were also adding to my frustration. Apparently, my wife has been busy this week, rerg office spaces and moving in furniture.


    Now she was surrounded by men painting and moving in furniture.


    One of them was looking at her with a lustful gaze on one of the pictures Given sent me. It got me so angry, who the he¡± td he think he was to look at her like that. He had no right! The disrespectful prick!


    ¡°Sir, we are here.¡± I looked and we were parked in front of the restaurant. I opened the window, and the sea breeze came in making me miss my wife even more. She wanted a divorce and there I was thinking about her. In anger, I opened the car door getting out and mming it hard as closed it.


    Why did I have to bother thinking about her when all she wanted was a divorce? She was supposed toe back to me, why doesn¡¯t she? All I wanted was an apology for what she had done, was that so hard to do? I clicked my tongue and walked forward.¡±


    When I got to the restaurant the hostess there was smiling a little too much. ¡°Good day sir, table for two?¡± I nced at Owen, and hel shook his head in the negative. ¡°For one.¡± Her smile widened and I got annoyed. If I was not hungry, I would have left.


    She led me to the table and took my order. I sat down looking at the ocean. I watched as the waves moved back and forth. I couldn¡¯t help. but zone out again thinking about my wife. How was I going to get her to do what I wanted?


    If she was the Olivia I once knew, then I wouldn¡¯t have had a problem getting her to do what I wanted. But the woman who asked me for a divorce was no pushover, she was never going to let me walk all over her. that thought made me smile.


    ¡°Sir, your food.¡± I snapped out of it and that girl was standing in front of me. ¡°Thank you.¡± she smiled and walked away. I started eating. but the food couldn¡¯t go down. I was hungry yes, but I couldn¡¯t eat. I pushed the te away then looked over at the beach.


    That was when I spotted someone, thought I knew with a child. I stood in a hurry making the chair fall behind me. Owen w myside in a second shielding me. ¡°Sir, is everything alright?¡± I pushed him aside. ¡°Pay the bill.¡± I walked off after telling him that.


    I rushed towards the man with my shoes filling up with sand. But I didn¡¯t care, I needed to see them up close. When I was close enough, my feet couldn¡¯t carry me any longer and I stopped. My legs. were shaking so hard that I thought they would give up on me.


    ¡°Ethan?¡± I called to him not sure if it was him. But the way he tensed when he heard my voice confirmed it was him. ¡°Samuel,e here, my boy.¡± He called the boy, but heughed as he moved further away from himughing. He must have thought they were still ying.


    Ignoring me, he rushed to pick up the child and held him in his arms. The boy giggled as he threw him over his shoulder. ¡°Who is that kid with Mr Lewis? He looks so much like you, boss.¡± Owen asked as he joined me. I tensed but said nothing.


    I waited for Ethan to turn around. He did and he didn¡¯t look happy to see me. He came towards us with the boy but his face was facing the other direction with how he was holding him, which I thought her did on purpose. But I had already seen him.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Nick?¡±


    ¡°The better question is, who¡¯s child is that, Ethan?¡± Anger shed in his eyes but then chuckled. ¡°If you were a good friend and an even better man. You would know who the child belonged to.¡± He started. Walking away but before passing us, he turned the boy around. again Carrying him a different way so I could not see him.¡±


    ¡°Ethan, stop right there!¡± He ignored me and continued to walk. I


    found my strength and hurried to catch up with him. I held his arm stopping him. ¡°Let go of me Nick, I am warning you. don¡¯t do


    anything stupid in front of my son.¡± His voice was stern and cold as he said that. He was like a different man.


    His child? No, that child fucking looked like me. he roughly pulled his arm away, but I held it tighter, I needed answers, who was his mother, when did he have him and why didn¡¯t he tell me about him?


    ¡°Leave my daddy alone!¡± the boy cried out and involuntarily, my hand fell, and I watched as he walked away with him.

 Chapter 21

    I was busy showing the guys where to hang a painting in the PROSITION AIDE WHEen Nick came in looking like he was ready to murder someone. ¡°Everyone out, now! The guys scattered leaving me standing by the reception desk wondering what the hell got into


    The man to act like that.


    esowy waked towards me with his eyes locked on me like I was his prey. The look in his eyes got me thinking back to prison, to how Those animas in there used to look at me when they were about the reat the hell out of me.


    I shuddered. He stood a foot away from me still not saying anything but looking at me. I didn¡¯t back down either, prison taught me to face bulles head on even when I knew I was out matched and


    outnumbered. ¡°Do we have a child together.¡± My heart grew cold, and I could feel my hands shaking a little.


    But didn¡¯t avert my gaze from him knew he found out something, Our didn¡¯t know what I bailed my hands into fists with my nails dipping in the palm of my hands. The pain stopped the shaking, and I looked him dead in the eyes. ¡°You like torturing me, don¡¯t you?¡±


    He closed that distance faster than could blink. ¡°Answer the question Diwa, do we have a child! he yelled causing me to jump a Title But looked him dead in the eyes and answered. ¡°What more Do you want from me Nok, was sending me to jail not enough for HOLY NOW YOU COome here yelling my ce of business about things koow nothing abou¡­¡±


    toped my poker face was as good as my words, because I could afford for Nick to find out about Samuel. He broke eye contact


    at


    and started pacing. I let out a breath I was holding, ¡°I saw Ethan


    today in Summer Strand. He was with a boy about a year and m?


    months old.¡±


    My heart was booming in my chest when I heard that. It was so loud. that I could hear it in my ears. ¡°Say something!¡± he yelled once more. causing me to cringe. ¡°Stop yelling! So, you saw Ethan with the boy, what does that have anything to do with me, why are you yelling at me and not your friend?¡±


    His nostrils red indicating how angry he was, but I was not about. to tell Nick anything about my son. When I wanted to tell him about my pregnancy, he was busy with my friend and even sent me to jail before I could do it. Now hees here acting like he had the right. to know about him, no. it didn¡¯t work like that.


    ¡°Olivia, that child looks exactly like me. do you see this birthmark on my eyebrow? He has the same one in the same ce. He has my eyes, my nose, hell! he even has some of your features. Tell me the truth Olivia, I beg of you. did you have a child I don¡¯t know


    w about?¡±


    I chuckled mockingly, the audacity the man had to ask me that. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your buddies back at the prison if I had a child. You are their boss, right? So, why don¡¯t you ask them instead ofing here yelling about nonsense and wasting my time.¡±


    Dear Lord, Nick was going to find out about Samuel. If he started digging, then he would know that I had a child back then. He red at me, and I red right back. As much as he was angry, I was angry too. I would rather die than have my son know him as his father. He and I deserve better than what Nick Jones has to offer.


    ¡°I swear to you Olivia, if I find out that you are lying to me I will¡­¡±


    ¡°You will what Nick, huh? What will you do, send me to prison again?¡±


    I didn¡¯t care what he had in store for me, but I would be damned if I let him take my son. He was all I had, and Nick was not getting him. Over my dead body! ¡°Ethan¡­¡± he chuckled shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Ethan said that the boy was his son and the boy called him his father. But he never told me anything about having a child.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with me? or you just like pinning everything in the world on me because I am the evil Olivia who got your beloved Sandra to lose her baby. Now because Ethan didn¡¯t tell you about his son, Olivia the devil spawn is to me!¡±


    I could see the doubt in his eyes when I said that. it was like he thought of something then he sighed. He looked hurt and sad. I have never seen Nick like that but before I could even feel sorry for him. those emotions were gone as fast as they came.


    am


    It was like I was the one seeing things. ¡°You know what, I wasted your time. But if there is something going on here, I will find out, one way or another I will know what you and Ethan are hiding


    sorry 1N?velDrama.Org content.


    and when I do¡­¡±


    I cut him short, I hated being threatened by him. I hated that he was so inconsiderate towards me.


    ¡°Tell me, what more do you want. Was it not enough that I didn¡¯t


    even get to say goodbye to her, moving Sandra into my house, or me losing my¡­¡±

 Chapter 22

    OLIVIA


    I stopped myself right in time before I let it slip that I lost my womb in prison and a year and four months of my son¡¯s life. ¡°Go on, Olivia Tell me what you lost, I want to know.¡± I turned giving him my back. You lost the right to ask me questions the day you called the police on me and sent me to jail for two years. Oh, wait. It would have been longer if your parents didn¡¯te back, and you wouldn¡¯t be bothered.¡±


    I sighed turning back to look at him. ¡°Just leave Nick and nevere back here again. When the divorce papers are ready. Send yourwyer with them and I will sign, there is no need for us to see each other again.¡± There we go again, a sh of pain in his eyes and it was gone before I could even react making me feel like I was


    seeing things.


    He looked at me for a while before turning back and walking out my door. The guys rushed back in surrounding me. ¡°Mam, are you alright, did he hurt you? we can call the police if he hurt you.¡± I chuckled, clearly, they didn¡¯t know who Nick was if they thought calling the police would do any good.


    ¡°I am alright, he didn¡¯t hurt me. Now, get back to work, I want to be open for business by the end of this month.¡± They scattered and I went to the back in my soon to be office. I took a seat and that was when I started shaking hard and crying at the same time. Nick found out about Samuel, how?


    I took out my phone with my hands shaking so much that it fell. I bailed my hands into fists trying to calm myself before picking up my phone again. I took deep breaths before dialling Ethan. All I


    wanted to know was if my baby was alright.


    ¡°Divia, I was about to call you. Nick saw u idn¡¯t know he was there, he just showed up and saw Samuel, but it was only for a second before I took him away from there ¡°Ethan spoke before ! could say anything. ¡°He was just here asking if I had a baby I was hiding from him where is Samuel now?¡±


    ¡°We justnded in Tyger valley, I couldn¡¯t leave Samuel in Summer Strand after Nick saw us. I took him and his nanny away from there. Knowing Nick, he will leave no stone unturned looking for him even though I told him he was my son.


    Well, I knew that from the way he looked when he came here. ¡°It¡¯s alright Ethan, thank you for helping me once again.¡±


    ¡°Anything for you, Olivia. But¡­¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°But what?¡± please, I could not afford to lose Ethan as a friend but if he couldn¡¯t lie to his friend anymore then I would have no choice but to bring Samuel back before time. ¡°I think you should tell him Olivia. You didn¡¯t see the look in his eyes when he saw Samuel.¡±


    He sighed on the other end. ¡°I know you want to protect him, but I don¡¯t think you need to protect him from Nick. I know I sound silly right now because what the man did pissed me off and I thought he didn¡¯t deserve to know Samuel but after I saw him today¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Well, my worst fear just came through. ¡°Bring him back then, there is no better time for him to meet his mother than the present.¡± If he couldn¡¯t continue to keep the secret then I could not force him. I might not be ready, but I had no other choice.


    ¡°That is not what I me: Olivia. I just mean that you should consider telling him. The man did you wrong, I know, and I am not making excuses for him. But I think he would make a good father.¡±


    I never doubted that. Nick was a good man that I believe but I did not trust him. not after everything he has done to me, I couldn¡¯t. ¡°My son was born in a dirty prison cell because of him¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, you said you lost your what?¡± oh, I forgot Ethan didn¡¯t know about that part. ¡°Olivia, what did you say you lost in prison?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter Ethan, bring my son and I will make a n. But Nick is not going to find out about him whether you help me or not.¡±


    ¡°Olivia, did you lose your womb in prison? So, your file in there is not only hiding the fact that you had a baby in there but because you also lost your womb and your ability to have more children, Damnit Olivia! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± he sounded so hurt.


    ¡°I had already bothered you enough, it¡¯s not a problem Ethan, I have Samuel and that is enough. But don¡¯t ever tell me to tell Nick about him, there is a lot more that happened to me in that prison, the ce he sent me to. I lost so much Ethan,¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the line. ¡°Ethan are you still there?¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°I am here, it just hurts to hear about the things you have been through while In there on your own. Am sorry Olivia, I will never suggest you tell Nick anything. You tell him or not it is up to you, and I will not interfere. He brought this upon himself.¡±


    I appreciated his words. ¡°Thank you, Ethan. But we both know Nick doesn¡¯t know how to quit, he will not stop until he finds the truth. I will get the business up and running thene for Samuel. I need to be able to protect him and make sure Nick won¡¯t take him away. from me before that.¡±


    fick doesn¡¯t deserve to be a father to my child. Not after using me of murdering Sandra¡¯s baby and sending me to jail. It was his fault that I can¡¯t have more children, his fault that he didn¡¯t know he had a son. He wanted to punish me, then he should have known that everything had consequences. It would be a cold day in hell before I tell him about Samuel.

 Chapter 23

    NICK


    A month has passed with my people searching the hole of Summer Strand for that boy but so far, they have not been able to find him. Ethan might have moved him somewhere else, but I couldn¡¯t find any record of any other ce he might have travelled to after leaving Summer Strand. The records show that he came back to New Vige after leaving Summer Strand.


    I considered the possibility that he might have just let who ever was looking after the boy to travel with him somewhere else. But I checked for anyone travelling with a boy names Samuel from Summer Strand in that week but no luck.


    I couldn¡¯t eat, I couldn¡¯t sleep, all I did was work and trying to find that boy. I tried seeing Ethan and asking him about that boy, but he would not talk to me. He just seemed like he resented me, and I didn¡¯t know why. The man was worried about me knowing about his son yet, he didn¡¯t know about the one who died.


    I wished I could tell him to stop being full of it and tell me what I needed to know. But I made a promise to Sandra that I wouldn¡¯t say anything to him about that child. But why was he keeping mine away from me? Olivia tried to lie to me that day, but I could tell she was not confident in what she was saying.


    She knew something about that child. She and Ethan were hiding something, and I needed to find out what it was. ¡°Boss, we are ready.¡± Given said. ¡°I am no longer going to that meeting, tell Shonda to reschedule it. I am going to my parent¡¯s house.¡± I knew they were angry with me, and I had not gone there since that day when Olivia asked me for a divorce.


    But i needed them, mom would be able to talk to Olivia and she would tell her about the child, I walked out of the office and ded


    to the car. Just as I got out of the office a truck passed by wi¡­en. O &S Logistics. I watched it as it drove by. That was one of Olivia¡¯s trucks. I assumed O was for Olivia and S for who.


    Her logistics business was starting to be recognized, I have also sent clients her way but asked them not to mention my name when they contacted her. I didn¡¯t know why I even bothered when she wanted to divorce me. Maybe I was trying to make up for the two years she spent in prison. I didn¡¯t know myself.


    ¡°Boss?¡± Given called to me, he was standing by the car with the door opened. I went and got inside. I looked out the window as we drove. My phone buzzed in my pocket. Sandra¡¯s name shed on the screen, and I couldn¡¯t help but think about what Olivia said.


    Maybe she wanted me to kick Sandra out of our house before she coulde back to me and tell me about that boy. The phone stopped ringing with me looking at it and not answering. A text followed soon after. ¡°Hey, Nick. I wanted to know what time you will be picking me up for the g.¡±


    Shit! I cursed under my breath. I had been living in the office and not going home since I came back from Summer Strand. I spent every waking minute trying to find that boy and ways to get Olivia¡¯s file from the prison.


    If I could get her file, then I would know If she gave birth in prison or not. I tried looking for those police officers who were working there the time she would have given birth but no luck. One was dead and the others disappeared. Which made mee to a conclusion that Olivia had help.


    IAMAA


    Someone didn¡¯t want me to find out what happened to her in there and that someone was connected almost to the same level as I was. It was someone with the means to make people and prin records disappear. I couldn¡¯t think of anyone other than my best riend Ethan, he was the only person other than myself with abilities likeR¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    that


    Which would exin why he refused to help me find those prison records. My people tried and failed to get them. ¡°Boss, we are here.¡± I looked out and we were parked in front of my parents¡® house.


    I opened the door and walked out. I opened the front door and walked inside. I could hear my mother¡¯s voice as I walked in. I followed it to the lounge where she was sitting and talking to my


    father.


    When they saw me, they kept quiet. I went and joined them. ¡°What is wrong with you, why do you look like you have been living in the streets?¡± mother asked but I didn¡¯t respond. Iid back on the couch with my eyes closed. I was tired.


    ¡°Son, what is the matter, is thepany in trouble?¡± I opened my eyes when I heard my dad¡¯s voice. I haven¡¯t heard it in a while. It was good to hear it. ¡°No, dad. Thepany is doing very well.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you look like that? you are so thin, Nick. Are you sick?¡± my mother¡¯s concerned voice came and my heart broke. She still cared for me, even after I disappointed her. She cared. ¡°No mom am not sick. I just haven¡¯t been eating or sleeping well.¡±


    She shared a look with my father. ¡°It¡¯s because of the divorce, isn¡¯t it? You can divorce Olivia if that is what you want Nick. I love her like a daughter, and I hate what you did for things to get to this point. But If divorcing her is going to make you happy, if that woman makes you happy then we will support you


    There was nothing between Sandra and I. but I was happy that they cared enough to want to support me no matter what I decided to do. ¡°I want you to talk to Olivia for me mom. I tried to find him myself, but I couldn¡¯t. Please mom, talk to her. I need to know about him, and I need to find him.¡±


    My parents looked confused. As they should, I was not making any sense. ¡°What are you talking about Nick, do you want your wife back?¡±


    Yes, I did but that was not why I needed their help. ¡°No, I mean. but I can do that by myself.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want us to do?¡± my dad asked. ¡°I think Olivia had my baby while she was in prison?¡± mother dropped the cup of tea she was holding, and it shattered at her feet.

 Chapter 24

    NICK


    Silence followed the shuttered cup. The helper came rushing and cleaned up the mess. Even after she was gone, my parents still did not say a word. They must have been very shocked by the news.¡± Nick, what are you telling us, what makes you think Olivia had a baby in prison?¡±


    I sighed then narrated the story to them. Of how I saw Ethan and the boy. How he looked like me and even had my birthmark. Everything, by the time I was done, my mother was in tears. I didn¡¯t want to hurt her again.


    ¡°You are telling me that we might be grandparents and we don¡¯t even know about it?¡± I nodded making my mother cry even more. Oh, Nick. Do you see now why it was a bad idea for you to send her to prison? You would have been raising that child together now instead of looking for him.¡± my heart sank.


    If that boy was mine, then it would mean that she was pregnant when I sent her to jail. It would mean she had my son in that ce. Oh, dear God, what have I done? I lowered my head, and I could not help the tear that dropped out of my eye.


    I couldn¡¯t bare the thought that I might have let my son be born in prison, how was I ever going to make up for that, for missing everything. Oh, God! ¡°Son, we will get to the bottom of this. If this boy is yours then we will find him and bring him home to his family. Olivia had no right not to tell you or us about him.¡±


    Father said patting me on the back. ¡°What are you saying? I might want to know my grandson but don¡¯t say Olivia had no right to hide him from us. Our son sent her to jail, you saw how she was when we


    got her out from there. She was abused in there would have done


    were on her shoes. What was the point of telling a man


    who sent her to jail about her pregnancy**


    Mom was right, I did wrong by Olivia and if that boy was mine then I wouldn¡¯t me her for not telling me. ¡°I get she was hurt by what Nick did but to hide his child? That is wrong and I won¡¯t tolerate it.¡± Dad said standing up mAll content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do what I think you are going to do, James Jones.¡± Mother warned and that made me think that they had a way to find out the truth. ¡°Mom am begging you, if you know something about this or have a way or finding out. Please help me out. I know I


    disappointed you, but this is a step in the right direction. Please, help


    me.¡±


    ¡°We will help you son,¡± my mother red at him. I didn¡¯t know why my mother didn¡¯t want to help me with this. I knew it was my fault that all this happened, and I understood why Olivia would want to punish me, why did she?


    ¡°Mom please,¡± she just walked away, and I sighed sitting back down. not knowing what to do. ¡°I will talk to your mother; no Jones will be raised by strangers while we are alive. You have done your wife wrong, and I am angry with you for that. But we are talking about my grandson here, a Jones and I will do everything in my power to get


    him home.¡±


    I appreciated his support, but I didn¡¯t want him and mom to fighter over this. ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t do anything if mom doesn¡¯t want you to. I will find another way; I just don¡¯t want you fighting because of this.¡±


    He ignored me and went to stand by the window looking out. Het was a stubborn old man, and I knew when he s his mind on something. He never stops until he got what he is looking for. We


    +25 BON


    were the same in that way.


    I left him going to find my mother. I found her in her rose garden tending to her flowers. ¡°Mom?¡± she didn¡¯t even nce at me continued what she was doing. ¡°Mom, I am trying to find your grandson here. Why won¡¯t you help me?¡±


    She snapped her head my way looking angry. ¡°I will help you by talking to Olivia, but I will not allow your father to do what he wants to do. We promised that girl that we will respect her privacy and I n on honouring that promise.¡±


    What was she talking about? ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Nick. No! you have caused that girl enough pain. Don¡¯t make us hurt her even more. She is your wife and might be the mother of your son. Do you want to ruin any chance of ever getting back together with her? because what your father wants to do will do just


    that.¡±


    I ran my hand through my hair frustrated, I wanted my wife back and. our son. If we had one. I didn¡¯t want to ruin¡¯my chance with her. But how was I supposed to go on without knowing the truth? Ethan won¡¯t tell me anything and my connections have been useless.


    ¡°Fine mom don¡¯t do it. I will find another way.¡± I told her then left. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. When I got to the car, I just sat there thinking about everything I did wrong. How I got to where I was and if it was worth it.


    ¡°Boss, where to?¡± asked Given. ¡°Take me to my wife.¡± He hesitated and I red at him. He said nothing just started the car and drove. I just wanted to see her, even if it was from a distance. I hadn¡¯t seen her the past month.


    We stopped across the street from her office. ¡°We are here, boss.¡±


    ¡°I have eyes Given; I can see that.¡± he was pissing me off. ¡°Ms Sandra called while you were inside the house, and she asked me to ¡­¡± I cut him short. ¡°Say her name one more time Given, I dare you!¡°

 Chapter 25

    QUVU


    got out of a tex in front of Nick¡¯s home. Her mother called me toe and see them. She said they wanted to talk to me about something urgent / wondered what it was, but I came up with nothing else other than that Nick told them about Samuel and they wanted to know if he was their grandson or not.


    it was not about to tell them either, I couldn¡¯t talk about my son without thinking about what their son did to me. without resenting tum and everything he stood for. I hoped for their sake they didn¡¯t ask me about my son


    1 walked to the front door and Lupita their helper opened the door before I could knock ¡°Missus, you look beautiful and it¡¯s good to see you¡°I gave her a small smile. She was a nice olddy. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you too Lupita.¡±


    She led me to where the Jones where sitting, the atmosphere was tense, and I knew they were going to ask me something I was not going to like. Nick¡¯s mother stood when she saw me. She gave me a hug and spoke. ¡°I want you to know that I had nothing to do with this, I fought against it, and I am sorry that I couldn¡¯t stop him.¡±


    What is going on? I looked over at Nick¡¯s father and he didn¡¯t look pleased at all. ¡°Take a seat, please so we can talk.¡± I went and took a seat, but I was notfortable. ¡°Nick was here.¡± She started then looked at her husband.


    She was angry with him, i could tell but I didn¡¯t know about what.


    Those two were the perfect couple, so in love and couldn¡¯t take their eyes off each other. But not today. Today, one was angry and the other couldn¡¯t even look at her.


    ¡°He told us about the boy.¡± I assumed he told them and that was


    top why they called me there, to confirm what he told them beating around the bush. I know that child Nick saw is his, Olivia. Now, tell me where my grandson is. His father said.


    I sat there looking at him, my blood boiling and hands bailed into fists. ¡°You can¡¯t deny that you had a child in prison, I saw your medical records from the hospital and how you lost your¡­¡±


    ¡°James Jones!¡± He was going to say how I lost my womb. I thought they said they would not check my medical records, that they would wait until I was ready to tell them. Why did they have to go behind my back to get them?


    I stood with my bag in hand, I was so disappointed in them but what was I expecting? Nick was their son, and I was nothing but a daughter inw. ¡°Since you know all there is to know then, there is no need for me to stay here any longer or answer any questions.¡±


    I walked to the door, my mother¨Cinw rushed after me stopping me before I could walk out. ¡°Olivia, I am sorry. I told him not to do it, but he would not listen. I know this is upsetting but I get where they areing from. They just want to know about the child. Please, forgive them, forgive us.¡±


    I offered her a small smile; she has been good to me all these years. She never saw me as below her son¡¯s standards; she loved and supported me from the beginning. It would be hard for me to keep my distance from her.


    ¡°I am not saying that I will never forgive dad, but it will take time for me to get over what he has done to me. You both gave me your word that you would not check my medical records, that you would give me time and let me tell you when I am ready. Dad didn¡¯t keep


    that groenten, the moment it was not convenient for him, he chose to betray my Truth and side with Nick


    Two hurt when they got me out fought they were on mide, 1 should have known that they would always put their son¡¯s eds. first before mine I don¡¯t me day for what he did though, Nick is hut on it¡¯s only logical for him to want to protect him. Goodbye


    mom¡±


    Oliva¡± she called my name as I walked out. I could hear it in her voice that she was crying I wanted to turn back and gofort her But I couldn¡¯t, I was too heartbroken myself and if I had gone back. would have ended up saying things to her I would haveter regretted


    As I stood there waiting for a taxi to arrive, I could not help but shed


    tear or two. This was my family and now I was truly alone. My phone vibrated in my hand and Ethan¡¯s name appeared on the screen. I wiped my tears before answering.


    ¡°Hey, Ethan.¡±


    ¡°Hey Liv, listen, there is a business g I was invited to this evening. Do you want to be my plus one?¡± I was in no mood for dressing up and socializing after what just happened. I just wanted to go home and eat junk food watching series on tv.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be goodpany, Ethan. Thank you for inviting me but I can¡¯t go ¡±


    ¡°Low, this is a business g, and you have a small business. Being there will give you a chance to meet potential clients and market your business. Olivia, if you want to have a rtionship with your son sooner rather thanter, I suggest you grab every opportunity you can find in business and use it Grow your business and bring


    your son home.¡±


    Why did he always have to make sense. ¡°I will have to go get something to wear then.¡± It¡¯s been a minute since Ist attended one of these things. Even before I went to prison, Nick was no longer taking me with but Sandra. Sadness enveloped me, if I didn¡¯t see Nick or his parents in the near future, I would be happy.


    That family has caused me enough pain. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, I am sending a dress over to your house and people to help you prepare. I will see you at seven.¡±


    PRAMENN


    P


    with family with her husband


    hed sighed. This was


    Patton Paders at whisper about me and


    what to be could viral hember, a kock


    packup aut w 44*


    *****eathtakingly beau Olivia gave him a nervous


    bearful, I


    LATER


    ¡°I was about to call you, I don¡¯t think am ready to do this.¡±


    ¡°Get your bag, Olivia. We are going to this g. That dress deserves to be seen and not hidden. Just like you, now, let¡¯s go. We are alreadyte.¡± I wanted to protest but he already walked away and. was now standing by the car with his back on me.


    I went back inside, checked myself in the mirror one more time before grabbing my bag and going out locking the door behind me. Ethan opened the door for me, and I got inside. He got in after and


    sat next to me.


    His driver started the car, and we were on our way. I was so nervous that my stomach churned at the thought of being around the people. from that world again. I was no longer their peer; I was now just another woman pretending to be something she was not, and I was afraid they were going to see right through my act.


    A warm hand was ced on top of mine stopping me from thinking. I turned to look at him and there was warmth in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, I will be with you every minute we are in there. You will not be alone, and no one will dare say a thing about you with me there.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¦§


    He was right, who would dare insult Mr Lewis¡¯s date? No one, not unless they were powerful enough to stand his rage when it came.¡± Thank you, Ethan.¡± I just needed to remind myself that I was going there for my son. To get new business to be able to bring him home.


    Thinking about Samuel and bringing him home got my stomach in knots. It scared me to think of what might happen when I bring him. back. His father might fight to get .ull custody of him, and he would.


    -win.


    He was a better parent than me in the eyes of thew. He was a


    billionare with a good family background and no criminal record. I, on the other hand had no one. No support system, no family and no financial stability.


    I couldn¡¯t even afford a goodwyer at the moment to give me a fighting chance. Which was why I needed to hold on a little bit longer to bring him back. Nick and his family had already shown me what they were willing to do to get him and I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    ¡°Liv, we are here.¡± Ethan brought me back cutting my train of thought. I looked out the window and we were in front of the venue. There was a red carpet reporters with their cameras shing in every direction. I took a deep breath. This was for Samuel, I reminded myself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t answer the reporters, just walk by my side and everything is going to be alright.¡± I just nodded; I couldn¡¯t trust myself to speak. Our turn came for us to get out. The driver stopped the car and went around to open for us.


    The cameras were now on us with the reporters eager to see who was going to get out of that car. Ethan went out and the cameras. shed blinding me a little. I closed my eyes momentarily to clear my vision.


    Ethan offered me a hand and the questions started. ¡°Mr Lewis, did you bring a date?¡±


    ¡°It seems the New Vige¡¯s eligible bachelor brought a date to the annual g for the first time ever, who could the luckydy be?¡± anothermented on the side. I didn¡¯t know why they couldn¡¯t wait to see who it was instead of specting.


    When I finally got out of the car. Silence followed, Ethan and I walked forward. Then it was like the reporters were snapped out of


    kan, Mark in the venu she and her aneren started shing in our dielkie, b? en sen atomky to ng deer at that time getting inside


    tapane valve one ones i dese cly pride. But what I didn¡¯t realize


    empat, we startupted Nick¡¯s speech. He was up enght a nu and the rest of the people in there.

 Chapter 26

Revenge After Divorce Chapter 26N?velDrama.Org content.

 Chapter 27

    NICK


    ¡°Wee to the corporate business annual g, my name is Tom, and I will be your host this evening. Without wasting anymore of your time. I would like to call to the stage to open for us. New Vige¡¯s favourite billionaire. He needs no introduction as many of you already know him, some of you have had the pleasure of doing business with him and some know him through his good deeds. around the city. Ladies and gentlemen. Let us put our hands together and wee to the stage, Nick Jones of Jones Enterprises.¡±


    The room erupted in apuse; I was annoyed in a second. I didn¡¯t need to be there, but I didn¡¯t attend the past two years and Sandra insisted wee to this one. I should have been at the office facilitating the search for my son.


    As I sat there watching peopleing into the g, my mind was on my parents, wondering how their talk went with Olivia. Also, I was curious to learn about what they knew about her that I didn¡¯t. I took my time getting up on that stage after Tom called me.


    Just as I was about to open my mouth and speak. The door was banged loudly making me look to see who that was. Everyone in the room seemed to be curious as well. What I didn¡¯t expect was the see my wife standing there looking like an angel.


    No, she looked like royalty, her dress, how it fitted her, she looked like a model in a magazine Someone ordinary people could just look at and admire from the pages. She was like a dream, and I found my mouth getting dry.


    I watched as Ethan offered her his arm and she took it. My anger


    mes from the pilt of my stomach, it was caused by jealousy, I wanted


    the took the one leading her to the tr


    to be the one who¡¯s


    and the one tocking to those besful eyes of hers


    hated that everyone was looking her, had their eyes on her undressing her and some admiring her. I cleared my throat loudly to the mic reminding them that I was still there and that was my wite they were staring at


    They turned their attention back to me, but others still took another look at her. Which pissed me off to no end. ¡°Good evening, I will not take thuch of everyone¡¯s time. I only came up here to dere the gels open and so it is


    then stepped down leaving everyone still looking at me. ¡°Thank you, Mr Jones. Our next speaker is zoned the MC out. Went back to my seat then nced at where Olivia and Ethan were sitting. He was whispering something to her ear, and she had a small smile ying at her lips


    balled my hands in fists getting angrier. ¡°Hey Nick, we don¡¯t have to stay, we can leave ¡°Oh no, I was not going anywhere now. I was staying right where I was ¡°We are not leaving.¡± I told Sandra with my eyes still on Olivia


    She must have sensed someone looking, well, staring at her


    because the scanned the room and our eyes locked. She only locked at me for a second before averting her gaze. Which made me want to get up from my seat and go there.


    ¡°Nick¡± i didn¡¯t knowen I stood up, I was not only thinking about going there, my body was already doing what my brain was thinking. was on my feet ready to go there when Sandra called my name.¡± Get up, let¡¯s go


    here are we going the asked standing up. I didn¡¯t answer but that the way to the sable my wife and friend were sitting at. Ethan saw me and shunk he head in diseproval. I didn¡¯t care w! er he approved of my actions or not


    That was my wife he decided to parade around in front of so many people. What did he think they would say about me when he was busy whapering sweet nothings to her ears with me there! ¡°Go and seat on that table. I want to sit here


    told some guy and his date. Olivia didn¡¯t even look at me and I hated that. Why was she avoiding me like I was not even in the room? ¡°What are you doing Nick?¡± asked Ethan. I took a seat, I averted my gaze from Olivia briefly and nced at Ethan.


    ¡°Joining my best friend and my wife at the table. Something wrong with that?¡± Ethan just shook his head looking at me as if he felt sorry for me. I chuckled shaking my head, he was the one who was going. to be sorry soon if he didn¡¯t stop what he was doing. Olivia was still my wife, and he had no right to bring her there.


    ¡°You look good, Olivia. Prison agreed with you.¡± I red at Sandra when she said that it was not the time for her to be saying things like that ¡°Am sorry, I was justplementing her. She looks really beautiful for someone who just got out of jail.¡±


    She spoke loud enough for the people in the next table to look over. Sandra, go find Given outside to take you home. I think you have had enough for the night.¡± She wanted to say something, but I shook my head slightly and she shut her mouth


    She got up and took her tog before leaving the table. ¡°Are you not going after your date Ick? That is not so gentlemanly of you. A man doesn¡¯t let his date go home alone. You are losing your touch my


    friend¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I didn¡¯t know what Ethan was ying at, but I didn¡¯t like it. Olivia didn¡¯t look at me once, since I got there. She was avoiding me altogether, yet. We were sitting at the same table. ¡°Excuse me miss. My name is Brandon Ryan, could I please have this dance?¡±


    Where did that fuckere from and how dare he? Just as I was about to speak Olivia beat me to it. ¡°Olivia Williams, and it will be my pleasure.¡± She took his hand, and I watched as they went to the dance floor hand in hand.


    ¡°This boy is testing my patience, who the hell does he think he is to ask my wife to dance in front of me? and since when does Olivia use her maiden name? she is still a Jones, we are still married for God¡¯s sake!¡±


    Ethan chuckled. ¡°He is Brandon Ryan, sole heir to the Ryan properties empire and our equal in the business world. But you already knew that. You are just pissed that someone like Brandon sees beauty and value in the woman you threw away. Go ahead and divorce her my friend. See if she willck anything after with men like Brandon eying her.¡±

 Chapter 28

    OLIVIA


    ¡°You look like a queen Mrs Jones, and you move gracefully like one as well.¡± Brandonplemented; I didn¡¯t know he knew who I was. I must have shown my shock because he said. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be shocked, everyone here knows who you are and wondering why you and your husband came here with different dates.¡±


    I was afraid of something like that, but Nick and I could never appear in these circles together again. ¡°Are you one of those who are wondering, Mr Ryan?¡± he chuckled spinning me around. ¡°No, I already know what happened. The moron didn¡¯t know his wife well enough to trust her. He sent her to jail and is now jealous that I am dancing with her instead of him.¡±


    Iughed; I should have known he was someone powerful enough to provoke Nick like that without fear of the consequences. ¡°How do you know that I didn¡¯t do what they say I did?¡± He smiled; the man was beautiful, not handsome but beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Because I know how to read people and you don¡¯t look like the type who would be with a man for his money. You are a prideful woman Mrs Jones, and your husband was a fool for mistreating you like.


    that.¡±


    ¡°Can we not talk about him, please.¡± He chuckled showing a dimple on his left cheek I didn¡¯t notice before. ¡°Alright, how about we talk about meeting each other again on Monday, my office at nine?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Business?¡±


    He gave me a mischievous smile when I asked that. ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t dare disrespect ady like you. I just came across your small business, and I want to support you. you never know, I might


    need your help too one day.¡±


    I chuckled shaking my head, the man was not only beautiful he was charming too. ¡°Can I cut in?¡± Nick said, I didn¡¯t even see him.oming. Brandon and I stopped dancing. ¡°I will see you on Monday, miss Williams.¡± He winked at me, and I shook my head smiling.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He was working on Nick¡¯s nerves on purpose. ¡°Don¡¯t smile too much, people might have the wrong idea.¡± I just nced at him. I was in no mood to deal with Nick¡¯s tantrums. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I than walked away. I was not about to dance with him as If nothing was wrong.


    I headed to thedies¡® room and people kept looking at me as I passed. I walked into the bathroom and went straight to a stall. I sighed as I sat on that toilet seat. I didn¡¯t want to use the bathroom; I just needed a break from those people.


    I felt like everyone was looking at me and Nick made it worse by moving from his table to ours. Then sent Sandra away. People were already talking and what he did made it worse. Now wanting to dance with me as if we were close. He was suffocating me.


    I sat there for a moment before going out and checking myself in the mirror. When I got out of the bathroom, Nick was standing there. I walked right past him. ¡°Olivia?¡± he called my name, but I pretended. not to hear him as I walked back to my table.


    When I got there Ethan was talking to some men and he said when I got there. ¡°Here is the owner of the business I was telling you about. We have only worked with them for a month and already, I can see the difference. Olivia, this Mr Ryan senior, the father of the man you were dancing with earlier and his associates.¡±


    He offered me his hand and i shook it. ¡°Nice to meet you Olivia, I saw you met my son.¡± Not knowing what else to say, I nodded.


    What is it with the Ryan men today, first it was your son dancing with my wife and now you are here.¡± Nick said as he took a seat.


    I was so embarrassed by Nick that Flowered my head in s¡­.ne. What was Mr. Ryan going to think of me now. ¡°I would say we can tell a good thing when we see one and this wife of yours is a sight for sore eyes. ¡°He then chuckled standing up.


    ¡°It was good to meet you Olivia, I hope to see more of you in the future and I must say. Those pictures of you I saw didn¡¯t do you any justice Good evening.¡± He then walked away with Nick ring at him. ¡°Liv, I think it¡¯s time we leave, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I nodded standing up and picking up my bag from the table. I was grateful to Ethan for suggesting we leave because Nick was slowly. bing a problem. ¡°I think I will leave as well.¡± Ethan red at him. ¡°You are acting like a child.¡±


    ¡°Say that again, Ethan.¡± I just walked away leaving them there. I was not about to be part of another scandal. If they wanted to act like kids in front of everyone, they could do it without me there. Ethan soon caught up with me by the door just as I was about to go out.


    ¡°Sorry about that, Nick can be a pain in the ass sometimes.¡±


    I said nothing, I didn¡¯t want to talk about Nick.


    The ride back was a silent one. ¡°Thank you for bringing me, Ethan. I think Mr Ryan wants to do business with me. I have a meeting at his office on Monday at nine.¡± He nodded with a proud smile on his face. ¡°That is good Olivia, but I don¡¯t think you will be working with Brandon, I think you will be working with his father. He is the one managing the import export part of the business. Brandon manages the real estate.¡±


    Before I could answer Ethan, my phone pinged indicating an


    muretaje I checked it and : didn¡¯t recognise the number. I


    soever the message and it read My father approves Brandon

 Chapter 29

    OLIVIA


    I stood in front of the tall skyscraper building of Ryan Properties with my hands sweating and my feet glued to the ground. I was supposed to have gone inside ten minutes ago but my feet were heavy as cement. In my mind I kept thinking about that text Brandon sent and wondering what it meant.


    What did his father approve of? Was it the business deal we spoke. of or something else? Being in prison made me a suspicious person, I could no longer take anything someone said at face value. I had shown Ethan the text trying to get his views on it and all I got from him was.


    ¡°Be careful, Olivia. Brandon is Nick¡¯s business rival. They might not run in the same circles in business, but they are still rivals, I can¡¯t exin but be careful.¡± He looked angry when he told me that and it made me wonder if Brandon was his rival too.


    But I did not ask him. here I was standing there not sure if going in was a good idea. I needed the business, and mypany was small. I couldn¡¯t afford to turn away business because of Nick. The man was a billionaire, he could take care of himself. I, on the other


    hand, couldn¡¯t.


    With that thought in mind, I took a deep breath and walked inside. The receptionist gave me a wid smile. ¡°Wee to Ryan Properties, how can I be of assistance?¡±


    ¡°I have an appointment with Brandon Ryan, my name is Olivia


    Williams¡±


    ¡°Ms Williams, Mr Ryan haseen waiting for you, take that elevator


    Ivia


    the twentieth floor, he is the only one in that floor. I will ca he assistant and tell her you areing up.¡± I thanked her then walked to the elevator I rode it to the twentieth floor and when I got out. His assistant was waiting for meText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She gave me a polite smile then led me to Brandon¡¯s office. When I got inside, his father was also there. He smiled when he saw me. Mrs Jones, good to see you again.¡°He offered me a hand to shake. Brandon was sitting behind his desk with a mischievous smile on his


    face


    His father offered me a seat, the assistance came in with coffee then went out closing the door behind her. ¡°Olivia.¡± Said Brandon and I just nodded taking a sip of my coffee. ¡°Well, Olivia, I will get to the point. I want you to work with us to bring Nick down.¡±


    My hand froze midair with the cup still in hand. ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡± Brandon rounded the desk and came to join his father and I. ¡°Nick sent you to jail for something we believe you didn¡¯t do, and he has been blocking us from developing in Summer Strand and Delft Town costing us millions in the process.¡±


    I listened still not sure where I enter in all that. ¡°That is not all, Nick¡¯s


    father was involved in the ident that killed my wife or he knows something about that ident and refuses to tell me about it. My guess, it was someone close to him who was involved in that ident, and he helped the person to cover it up. I want to teach that family to stop ying with people as if they are toys.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, but I understood why they wanted to take. them down and the, were right about one thing. That family did act like gods who could do whatever they wanted to people and get away with it. ¡°What do you say we teach them a lesson or two. Show them that they are still human and that they too can get hurt. They


    need to be humbled¡±


    I kept quiet, I was angry about what that family did to me. About being sent to jail for something I didn¡¯t do and for wh hey did. Going behind my back and checking my medical records just because they owned the hospital.


    ¡°If we are going to do all this, then we do it in business we cripple it and not any other way. Then am in. but I need to know what is in this for me? I have responsibilities and one of my conditions is that we do everything by the book. No tricks, no ying dirty just in old business.


    Ryan senior stood. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do it any other way. ying dirty is their thing not ours. If they werew abiding citizens, then Jamest would havee clean about the ident that took my wife¡¯s life.¡± I could see the pain in his eyes when he spoke about his wife¡¯s ident.


    it made me think of my grandmother and how Nick didn¡¯t event bother taking care of her. She died alone and was buried in an unmarked grave like she had no one. If he had taken care of her, she wouldn¡¯t have died unnecessarily like that, she would have stayed in the hospital and gotten better.


    But she thought she had no money to stay and get treatment that she went home and died. Alone.


    If he had allowed her to visit me, I would have told her that Ethan was going to take care of her, and she would have held on for me. until I got out. But he was Nick Jones the billionaire and no one can defy him, not even the police. He sets the rules, and everyone follows them without question.


    ¡°What about business? You know I have a small business and Nick can squash me like a bug. I need to be able to stand on my own and be able to protect myself should he decide toe after me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, you will be my exclusive logisticspany and I will send everyone I know your way. Your business will be booming and a listedpany by the end of this year. Then our revenge can begin.¡±


    Nick thought I will not do anything about what he did to me, mainly because I was no onepared to him. But he was soon going to learn never to underestimate people and that revenge, is a dish best served cold and I was about to serve him mine.

 Chapter 30

    NICK


    I went straight to my parent¡¯s house after the gals. I was pissed by what Olivia did there, allowing Brandon to dance and fin with he


    She was all smiles andughing as they danced like an old couple Brandon is going to stay the hell away from my wife if he knew what was good for himn.


    Going to my parent¡¯s house was the only logical thing I could do in that situation. I was too angry to go home, about one, being that didn¡¯t want to go home and face Sandra I was angry with her for what she did at the g, and I was afraid if I went home. I was going to say things I was going to regret. Second, I was going to find out what they learned from Olivia after taking to her


    But by the look of things and how she was behaving towards me. I had a feeling that it didn¡¯t go well. Given parked in front of the house. 1 am going to sleep here, no need to wait for me, you can leave if you want to. ¡°I told him then went into the house


    My parents were still awake, the light was still on and when I went inside, they were sitting far from each other and not talking. Father was watching tv while mom was reading a magazine. ¡°Should I even ask what is going on here?¡± no one responded, it was like 1 was talking to myself. ¡°Mom, dad, what is going on?¡±


    Mother didn¡¯t even nce at me, she kept her focus on the magazine she was holding ¡°Can somebody say something, please!¡± 1 needed to know how it went, where my son was and if my wife aomitted that the boy was ours.


    ¡°Your mother is acting like a child, or like she doesn¡¯t want that child¡± Mother threw him an icy re ¡°Did I say I don¡¯t want that


    child? You never heard me utter those words. You just don¡¯t want to be told when you are wrong, but you are. What you did to Olivia is wrong¡±


    I had never seen my parents talk to each other like that and I felt responsible for what they were going through. I shouldn¡¯t have. brought them into this, I should have looked for my son on my own and leave them out of it


    ¡°I guess you know something then, what is it?¡± mother ced the magazine she was holding on the table and looked at dad. He was acting strong like he didn¡¯t care but I could see that the fight with mom was affecting him.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Olivia did have a child in prison, but we don¡¯t know what happened to that child. He might not have lived or otherwise the police chief or the men you paid to check on her would have told you. also, the prison¡¯s record doesn¡¯t show anything about her ever having a child there.¡±


    Father paused and I waited for him to continue. I could tell there was something he was not telling me, and mother¡¯s res were not helping the situation. But I can admit to one thing, they found out more about the situation than I did. ¡°We only know this because we took her to the hospital that day after being released.¡±


    That made sense. ¡°Father, I know it in my heart that the boy is mine. I felt it from afar even before I saw that he was a replica of me. Olivia did have my child and my best friend helped her hide him from me


    Mother¡¯s re was now directed at me. ¡°Even if that were true, it has nothing to do with you. that girl did what she could to survive, and I too was never going to give you my child after what you did. I will tell you this Nick, you will leave that girl alone and you do not


    mention this in front of her again. You will learn to have patience and one day she will tell you about your son


    I chuckled and father stood on his seat NEVER WILL NOT ALL ITI¡± Dad bellowed. ¡°Dad wait mon are you asking me to abandon my son? Also, are you sure Olivia will tell me about him if I want? She is angry mother ¡°Mom stood and looked me dead in the eyes


    ¡°And whose fault is it that she is so angry? Is it not yours? Stop being a spoilt brat and grow up Nick Take responsibility for what you did.¡± She said then walked away ¡°Dad can borrow your ear he shook his head.


    ¡°I may have taken your side and betrayed that girl But that doesuct mean I will allow you to hurt her even more. Be content with what i gave you and ept my help to help you look for my grandson Also, send her the divorce papers and set her tree. She deserves to be happy after everything we have done to her.¡±


    Wow! He did a three sixty fast. A second ago he was on myside and now he was warning me to steer clear of Olivia What did the man want from me? ¡°But dad, without her help. We might not find my son. If she got help from Ethan like suspect We will never find child. Ethan is my best friend and he knows me better than anyon If he doesn¡¯t want me to find my son then I will not find him


    Dad walked to the kitchen, and I followed waiting for him to say something smart to help me get my son back. He poured himself a ss of water and drank making me stew a little bit as he took his time drinking it ¡°Your mother and are already fighting like cats and dogs for what I did. It¡¯s enough now son. We have done enough Set her free, give her the divorce papers then you and I can look for my grandson¡±

 Chapter 31

    NICKText ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t believe father was advising me to let my wife go, he was the one who taught me that you don¡¯t give up on family, that you fight for your family and that you always try to make things right with the people you love. Yet, today, that same man was telling me to give up on my wife. The mother of my son and just let her go.


    What a hypocrite he was being. Am sure he and mother had their issues as well. Did he give up? No. they were still together, raised me together as a family, why did he ask me to give up on mine? I did my wife wrong that I know but what was I supposed to do when all the evidence was against her?


    I just wanted her to acknowledge her wrongdoing and learn from it. Sandra, was her friend, and she needed her to do right by her. It would have taken time for her to get over what she did, but she would have forgiven her eventually. I didn¡¯t care about the money she stole; she was entitled to it as my wife.


    I wish she would have asked for it instead of stealing it but that didn¡¯t matter, material things would never matter more to me than she does. Olivia is my heart and always will be. Whatever she needed, all she had to do was


    ask.


    But then my wife, may God bless her, is a very stubborn woman, she doesn¡¯t do anything she doesn¡¯t believe in and for some reason, she did not think she did anything wrong that day when she pushed her friend and causing her to lose her baby.


    I know that day she was angry that I went home with Sandra when it was our anniversary. I also acted cold as if I didn¡¯t care about the effort she made and forgot about the anniversary. The truth was that I didn¡¯t forget, just that I was still waiting for her gift to be delivered. Also, it didn¡¯t help that Sandra had been showing me evidence of her stealing from me.


    That day she had just shown me messages between Olivia and her high. school boyfriend, where they made ns to be together. The man even asked her to make sure she never gets pregnant for me as he was the one. who deserved to father her children. My wife was eager to tell the man that she was taking birth control pills to prevent that.


    I was angry that day and felt like a fool. I was going to talk to her about the whole thing, but she decided to go overboard and do what she did then refused to apologise for it. Sandra was distraught. I had never seen a woman who had just lost her baby before and the way she cried moved me.


    My wife had done her wrong and was not willing to make it right. Then she told me that the baby was Ethan¡¯s and that just broke me. The man was my best friend, and my wife caused his baby¡¯s death. How was I going to look at him in the eyes again knowing that. I wanted to tell him so many times and apologize to him for it but Sandra didn¡¯t want me to.


    She had her reasons of course but I couldn¡¯t just sit back and not punish Olivia for what she did. I wanted her to learn that doing wrong by others had consequences. I used the fact that she stole that money and sent her to jail for it since there was no evidence of her pushing Sandra.


    I never knew that she was pregnant, and I was going lose her and my son in the process. That I was not only sending her to jail but my son too. Also, I could tell that something happened to her while she was in there. When she came out, she was no longer the woman I married.


    She looked broken and I wanted answers as to what happened to her while she was in there. But she wont talk to me. She mes me for all of it and she was right to do so. I shouldn¡¯t have sent her there. I should have found another way to punish her and now she was punishing me and not telling me where my son was and asking for a divorce.


    It hurt to think that she was eager to go and be with that man when I was there ready to ept her back into my life. Why didn¡¯t she love me? my phone rang bringing me out of my trace. I checked the caller, and it was Sandra.


    I still didn¡¯t want to talk to her and so. I cut the call then sent her a text telling her that I will be spending the night at my parent¡¯s house. Iid there just thinking of ways to make my wife see that I still wanted her back, that I still loved her and wanted to be with her. That she had my heart and no one. else.


    ¡°Nick, are you still awake?¡± mom¡¯s voice sounded on the other side of the door. I didn¡¯t want to talk to her either. I had caused enough problems between her and father by asking for their help. I didn¡¯t know what they found or how bad it was but with how she reacted to it. I can assume it was bad.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you are sleeping, but if you are not. I want you to listen to me and hear me well my son.¡± I was curious to know and so I listened. ¡°Olivia has been through a lot, and it is all because of you. she had your son in prison and a lot more that I can¡¯t tell you about happened. She is broken Nick, and she mes you for all of it.¡±


    What stuck with me from what she said was that she lost more in prison. that she could not tell me about. What was it, why was there no record of it and who was helping her conceal those records. Why didn¡¯t she want me to know. ¡°If you love her son, you will have to be patient. Give her time and let here back to you on her own. Keep your distance but do things for her to show her that you are there for her and still love her.¡±

 Chapter 32

    OLIVIAN?velDrama.Org content.


    With the business I got from Ethan plus the others that wereing through, which I didn¡¯t know where they came from or how they came to know about us. I had to hire more people to help out. I hired seven more drivers, another administrator and fleet coordinator.


    It was bing too much for me to do everything on my own with the logistics side of the business and the consulting side. I would work at night. as well just to make sure that I deliver to our clients. My business was growing fast, and I didn¡¯t know how that was happening.


    It was clear that it was not just Ethan who was helping me but someone else. as well. I thought of Nick but then dismissed that thought, Nick would never help me. He hated me. ¡°Jane, pleasee to my office.¡± I called her. Jane was helping me in the consulting side of the business, but she was not putting much effort into her work and missing deadlines. +


    A few minutester she came in chewing gum. Gosh, I hated a woman who chews gum in the workce, I felt like it was not professional at all. But that was just me, I couldn¡¯t control my people like that telling them what and what not to do. It was just a gum, and no one hasined about it.


    ¡°You called?¡± she said with an attitude and a raised eyebrow like she didn¡¯t even want to be there. Like I was wasting her time calling her to my office. ¡± Take a seat.¡± She sighed looking annoyed. ¡°Do I have to?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Excuse me? I am your boss, and I am telling you to sit down.¡± She said something under her breath that I didn¡¯t get but sat down.


    She was exhausting to deal with, this would be the third time talking to her about her work. She would improve for a week and do everything right then go back to her old habits. It was exhausting, she was good at what she does, but her attitude was bad.


    ¡°I want to know what is going on with you, make me understand why you keep doing the same thing over and over again. We have spoken about this two times and both times you promised that it will never happen again. You have done it again, why?¡±


    I could see that she didn¡¯t like that I was calling her out. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are giving me such grief about this Olivia. You know my work and you know I do it well when I do it. I just need flexibility like you.¡± I raised an eyebrow, did the girl think that my job was easy? I had a lot more on my te then she does.


    I work from home sometimes because I want to concentrate without being bothered and go to meetings trying to get new business for thepany to continue. For her to continue having a job and getting a sry. She had the audacity to say my job was flexible.


    ¡°Do you understand what I do, Jane?¡±


    ¡°Am not stupi Olivia, I have a business degree, I understand very well what your job entails. All I am asking is to work from home from time to time as well. Have flexible hours, so I can be more productive. What is wrong with that?¡± I chuckled. She wasn¡¯t serious.


    ¡°Jane, I will give you two options because I am done reprimanding you. it¡¯s either you pull up you socks and do the job I hired you to do or resign. I don¡¯t have time to baby you here. This is a ce of business not your mother¡¯s house. If you don¡¯t need this job, then leave so I can get someone who.


    work.¡±


    wants to


    She looked angry and I was waiting for her to explode but she didn¡¯t. ¡°Fine, but can I at least get an assistant? The work is bing too much for me alone to handle.¡± The girl was really pushing it. ¡°Jane, I hired Lauren as my assistant for a reason. She might not have the same qualifications as you do but she does have the experience in the job. Use her, that is what she is here. for. We cannot afford to hire someone else right now.¡±


    She stood. ¡°Are we done?¡± the attitude she had was driving me crazy. But I was going to give her onest chance to redeem herself. ¡°Yes, we are done, and I expect the work you are behind with on my desk before the end of business.¡±


    She nodded then left my office. I sighed feeling exhausted. She didn¡¯t understand that I didn¡¯t sleep working hard to get this business to where !


    wanted it to be. I wanted my son back home, but I couldn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t afford to.


    I continued working but when I reached for my cup. My coffee was finished, and I needed it if I wanted to finish the day. Last night I only slept for two


    I hours and now I was exhausted. I walked to the kitchen but before I could enter, I heard Jane talking and I stopped and listen.


    ¡°Exactly! I do most of the work, clientse here because of me and my work. She forgets she doesn¡¯t have a good reputation in the business because she stole her husband¡¯s money and went to jail. Does she think people trust her with their money? No. it is not her they trust it¡¯s me that is why she brought me here.¡±


    Her words hurt me; this was a woman who looked like she was hungry. during the interview begging me to give her a job. Saying how much she has been struggling to get one in the current economy, now I was the viin?


    ¡°But miss Olivia works hard Jane, you are not the only one doing the work. This is her business, and she wants it to seed. You have not seen it; she would work here tillte. Three times I have stayed here with her keeping herpany as she worked and helping her, she would leave before midnight and be here at six in the morning. I think you are being unfair to her.¡± that was Lauren my assistant.


    ¡°You shut up Lauren, of course you would say that because you are her favourite. I don¡¯t even know what she likes about you because you don¡¯t know anything as well. You are not even educated enough to be helping with. this job.¡±


    I entered the kitchen right at that time. She could say anything she wanted about me, but not about a hard¨Cworking person like Lauren. ¡°Since you no longer want to be here Jane, I will make it easy for you. Pack your things and leave the building, you are fired.¡±


    ¡°What! You can¡¯t fire me, you need me!¡± she bellowed. ¡°No darling, I don¡¯t. I can find another you tomorrow. You are not the only one who is educated, a lot of people are educated out there and they are willing to do anything to have a job like yours, the one you are taking for granted. I just hope you won¡¯t regret this one day. Now leave.¡±

 Chapter 33

    OLIVIA


    I was busy in my office doing two people¡¯s jobs since I fired Jane. I have asked Lauren to advertise the position for me, but the process was going to take at least a month before I could get someone in to fill the position. Meanwhile I would have to suck it up and do the work. It was my business. after all, and it was growing fast.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I had two big clients and over fifteen smaller ones. Then the individual tax and finance consulting for the small businesspeople in town. It seemed like I was going to have to hire someone else to help with the work if things continued the way they did.


    My door opened and closed. ¡°Lauren, it¡¯s good you came in. I wanted to ask if the truckpany got back to you regarding those two trucks we want to buy and please ask HR how far they are with hiring the two drivers who are going to be driving those trucks. We need to keep this moving so we can take the load off our current drivers.¡®


    There was no response until I lifted my head, and I was shocked to see Nick standing there just watching me. ¡°Nick, what are you doing here?¡± he didn¡¯t say a word, he just ced a brown envelop on my table in front of me.


    I took it and opened it. Insideid the divorce


    papers, I took them out and read them. He didn¡¯t give me anything like I asked. I went to thest page, and he had not sign them yet. I looked at him, he still didn¡¯t say a word just watching every move I made.


    I took a pen and signed my name on thest page. I then put the papers back into the envelop then handed it to him. He took it then walked out of my office without saying a word. After he left, I tried working but I couldn¡¯t. My marriage of four years just ended, and the man didn¡¯t say a word about it.


    I didn¡¯t know what I expected him to say but I didn¡¯t think it would be like that. I loved the man and spent four years with him. Hell! we were nning at family together and now I was going to raise our son alone. That was not the n.


    Our n didn¡¯t include him sending me to jail, it didn¡¯t include our son being born there and it certainly didn¡¯t include me asking him for a divorce. Our n was that I was going to stay home until I fall pregnant then look after our son.


    We were going to be a family, a small happy family but now all that has gone. down the drain with just a stroke of a pen and a quiet man who delivered the papers. I tried putting the issue out of my mind and working but I couldn¡¯t.


    Memories of our life together came rushing back into my head making me


    nu ex- sad about how things transpired between my husband and I. I mean, husband and I. ¡°Mam, are you alright?¡± I didn¡¯t even see when Lauren entered my office or how long she was standing there for.


    ¡°I am alright, Lauren. What can I help you with?¡± she came closer to my desk. ¡°But mam, you are crying, you are not alright.¡± I felt my face and indeed, my face was wet with tears, and I didn¡¯t even realise it. I tried wiping them away, but they kepting.


    ¡°Am sorry Lauren, I don¡¯t know what got into me.¡± It was embarrassing for the boss to be crying in front of her assistant like that and it was unprofessional of me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go home mam, it¡¯s almost the end of the day anyway. You can pick this up again tomorrow.¡±


    That was a good idea, I couldn¡¯t let other employees to see me like that.¡± Good idea, did you need something from me so I can do it before I leave?¡± she shook her head. ¡°No mam, it can wait until tomorrow. Go and I will lock up.¡±


    I nodded picking up my bag andptop before leaving the office. When I was safe in my car in the underground parking. I let it all out. I might have been. the one who asked for the divorce, but it didn¡¯t mean that it didn¡¯t hurt.


    This was my life that ended and in the way it did. It was still a loss for me, and it hurt. I don¡¯t know how long I sat there for, but I drove home eventually and when I got there. I opened a bottle of wine and started drinking.


    1 needed it after the day I had. One bottle turned into two and then I found myself calling Ethan. ¡°Olivia, is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean yes. Well, my marriage ended today, officially. That¡¯s right, it is overrrr, finished, am single now.¡± I told him with a drunk voice slurring my words as I spoke. ¡°Aming over.¡±


    ¡°No! nope, I don¡¯t want you here, I just have a question for you.¡± I closed my eyes feeling like dozing off. ¡°Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What is the question?¡±


    ¡°What question?¡± he sighed. ¡°You said you had a question for me, what is it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I want to know why your friend chose Sandra over me. is she better than me Ethan? Maybe she is and is why my husband chose her. I mean my ex now. Did I tell you we are divorced now; I signed the papers today. You know, he didn¡¯t say a word to me when he served me the papers. Your friend is cruel Ethan.¡±


    ¡°I aming over; you are in no condition to be alone tonight.¡±


    ¡°Nope, am fine. I just want to work hard and show Nick that I can be something in this life without him. I want the next time he sees me; I want¡­¡±


    That was all I could remember before the darkness consumed me

 Chapter 34

    NICK


    ¡°We have lost five contracts in thest six months, five! Does anyone want to tell me when we became the losing team?¡± I was pissed to no end, a year ago apany popped out of nowhere and started making waves. I didn¡¯t notice it until we were in the same room bidding for the same contract.


    I didn¡¯t know where they came from or who the owners are, but they are giving us a run for our money. They won that contract and they have been winning them since. It¡¯s been six months now and we have lost five bloody contracts to them, and I wanted to know why. I needed to know how as well.


    Granted, they were good, but they had no background or reputation to speak of. I didn¡¯t understand how investors and others put their trust in them. Because of that, we were losing, and they were winning. I called a deep briefing to try and find out what the hell is going on with my team.


    ¡°Lina, what have you found about them?¡± I have asked her to do some digging on those people and find out everything she could about them. She looked nervous when she got up and I knew it was not going to be good news.


    ¡°Sir, I have checked, and I got nothing new. I still can¡¯t find who owns the business or who is backing them because that is the only logical exnation as to why the investors are trusting them with their money.¡± I red at her; did she think I didn¡¯t think of that?


    ¡°Something is got to give people; we can¡¯t keep losing contracts to businesses that started yesterday. Do better! This is Jones enterprises, we are a big brand with a good reputation, let us not lose that now.¡±


    Thepany was still fine and doing well financially but it won¡¯t be like that for too long if this continues. On the other hand, Olivia¡¯spany is also a big thing. They just released a statement that thepany will be listed next month.


    Even my ex was doing well while I was struggling. Maybe I was being punished for what I put her through. Maybe I needed to repent, and everything would go back to normal for me and mypany.


    ¡°Just work hard from now on, I know none of you want to lose your jobs and the only way to prevent that is to work hard on the current contract.¡± I walked out of the meeting room feeling frustrated. Nothing was going my way, and it was driving me insane.


    ¡°You look like you could use a drink.¡± I lifted my head and Ethan stood by my door. We had not been speaking muchtely. I had been busy trying to get us new business and he was busy with Olivia and whatever else he was doing besides hiding my son.


    ¡°I could id but I can¡¯t go out, I have much to do.¡± He came in and sat in the chair in front of me. ¡°If you are going to stay here then make yourself useful. Take this and do a background check on these people. I tried and my people can¡¯t find anything on that business.¡±


    He picked up the folder, opened it then ced it back on the table. I raised an eyebrow. ¡°I already know who they are.¡± I stopped what I was doing. I knew if someone could find anything about them it would be Ethan.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    ¡°Tell me everything you know. The bastards have been taking every contract I bid for. I don¡¯t know how or why the investors would put their trust on them. They are a newpany not even two years old yet.¡±


    The more I thought about that damnpany the angrier I got. They were nobodies and yet, they werepeting on the same level as Jones enterprise. They shouldn¡¯t even be mentioned in the same sentence as mypany and yet there they were taking everything from us like we were the armatures.


    ¡°If you paid attention, you wouldn¡¯t have had to go digging to know who owns thatpany. But it¡¯s like your business brains flew out the window. the moment your wife left your side.¡± I bailed my hands into fist with my anger rising.


    How dare he speak about Olivia in front of me, like I wanted her to leave me. I was waiting for an apology, and she asked me for a damn divorce instead. ¡± I don¡¯t want to talk about Olivia Ethan.¡± The reason he and I were no longer that close was because of Olivia and the secrets he was keeping for her.


    Ethan now knew more about my wife and son than I did. ¡°Did you at least sign the divorce papers?¡± I went back to working on myptop. Clearly, he didn¡¯t want to tell me who the owner of that business was. I thought of everyone I knew who could have made a move like that one and all of them were in the dark, same as me.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine If you don¡¯t want to talk about it. But I was thinking about you as your friend. Now that you are free, you can make an honest woman out of Sandra and marry her already. The girl has been by your side for over three years now Nick. Everyone can see how much she loves and worships you.¡±


    I stopped working and red at him. ¡°Not everyone is like you, Ethan.¡± He raised an eyebrow. ¡°What does that supposed to mean?¡± he asked as if he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. ¡°It¡¯s not important. Just tell me who owns the damn business already.¡±


    He was now annoying me, just standing there judging and drinking my whiskey. ¡°What are you going to do with them when I tell you.¡± I smirked, I was going to make sure they never to mess with me or mypany. ¡°I know that look Nick.¡± I stood.


    ¡°They must be taught a lesson never to mess with legends in this business. And I know just what to do to wipe them off the business world.¡±


    He chuckled shaking his head. He looked amused making me feel like the biggest fool. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you won¡¯t have the guts to do anything to the owner of that business then. You wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± He then walked to the door about to leave.


    ¡°Ethan!¡± he looked at me over his shoulder with a wide smile on his face.¡± Olivia, your ex¨Cwife owns the business.

 Chapter 35

    NICK


    I have been going out of my mind since Ethan told me about Olivia being the owner of that business. I still couldn¡¯t understand how she got investors to work with her after the scandal of two years ago. She must have a big backer because there was no way in hell, she managed to do that all on her own and within a year..


    ¡°Now I see why the business has been suffering, you sit behind that desk and daydream all day instead of working.¡± I snapped out of it and my father was standing by the door. He didn¡¯t look pleased at all. ¡°Father, what are you doing here?¡± he walked in then came and sat in front of me.


    ¡°I am here to help you save the business since you can¡¯t seem to do it on your own.¡± I sighed, he didn¡¯t understand, if it were anyone else, then I would have taken them out already, but this was my wife, the mother of my son, I couldn¡¯t hurt her like that a second time.


    ¡°I understand you have been trying to find out who owns that MW&O Corporation, and I am here to offer a solution.¡± I sat up straight moving ufortably on my chair. ¡°What solution is that do you know who owns it?¡± he shook his head in the negative.


    ¡°No, but we are about to find out.¡± Before I could ask what he was talking about, Ethan walked in and greeted. He took a seat on the couch, and I wondered why father brought him there or did hee on his own to see me?


    ¡°Now that you are here Ethan, I will get to the point. I know that you and my son have not being seeing eye to eye and I am sorry about that. But this is business, and he needs your help.¡± Ethan nced at me. ¡°I know Nick might be proud to ask for your help, but he needs it. In order to take down that MW &O Corporation we must know who owns it so we can find their weaknesses.¡±


    1 tensed, wondering what he was going to do when he found out it was Olivia. Father was ruthless when it came to business, he was worse than I was. ¡°I am sorry Mr Jones. But I can¡¯t do that, these people are only trying to make a living and taking them down is not an option. Why don¡¯t you up your game andpete with them fairly?¡±


    Father¡¯s jaw tensed and I knew it was not going to be good. ¡°Let me tell you a story Ethan, maybe after hearing it, you will change your mind and see things my way.¡± Ethan and I shared a look. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a man, a businessman with a wife and child. He was a good man, but he had a problem with alcohol.¡±


    He paused and looked at Ethan. ¡°One dayte at night, the man called me. he was hysterical and scared. I almost didn¡¯t answer that call because that man and I were not friendly, but our sons were best of friends.¡± We knew then that he was talking about Ethan¡¯s father. I wondered where the story was going but I said nothing as I was curious to know.


    ¡°Since my son was not home that night as well and had left with his. I took the call thinking it was about him. The man told me toe and that he needed my help. He said I must tell no one and gave me his location. I went.¡±


    By this time Ethan¡¯s jaw was clenched, I could tell he was angry. ¡°When I got there, the man was drunk and had gotten into an ident that killed some woman. Thinking of his son and his business, I helped him cover that ident up. Made it look like he was never there and got rid of any evidence that he was.¡±


    I was shocked, father helped Ethan¡¯s father cover up a crime. ¡°The woman died in hospital a dayter and that man was never the same after that. He drank more and even got into another ident that took his and his wife¡¯s life.¡±


    He looked at Ethan. ¡°You see son, you have a business, an inheritance because of me. Now, I am collecting a debt. I need you to tell me who owns that damn business so I can take them down and save mine. You owe me that much for what I did for your family.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say. That woman who died in that ident was Mrs Ryan.


    remember Brandon left New Vige after that and went abroad. He only came back a few years ago when his father retired and took over the family business. ¡°I wish you hadn¡¯t told me that Mr. Jones. I didn¡¯t need to know what you did for my father. But since you already told me, thank you.¡±


    He stood; I could see how broken up he was about whatther told him. Ethan, I didn¡¯t know.¡± He nced at me nodded. ¡°I know Nick. I know.¡± He walked to the door, but father stopped him.


    ¡°You are not leaving here until you tell me what I need to know.¡±


    ¡°Father, no!¡± the man didn¡¯t even look at me. he kept his eyes on Ethan. ¡°I am only going to help you just this once and then that is it. You will not hold what you did for my father over my head after this. I need your word that your will never bring this up again and that after I help you. we will be even.¡±


    I hated what father was doing, Ethan had already told me who owned the business without being threatened to do so. I wished he would have spoken to me first before doing all this. It was not necessary.


    ¡°What if I have one more thing to ask you.¡± Ethan looked at him with so much anger. ¡°You can only ask me for one thing Mr Jones, you choose which one.¡± I liked how he was handling him. father could be a bully sometimes.


    ¡°Fine, tell me who owns that business, and I don¡¯t mean the little mice. running around doing his bidding.¡± Ethan nced at me before looking back. at father. I was so tense and worried about what he was going to do that I didn¡¯t know I held my breath until Ethan spoke.


    ¡°The owner of the business is Marcus Walker and his partner. I have not been able to find out who the partner is but they say she is a financial guru.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

 Chapter 36

    OLIVIA


    ¡°When did you decide that our partnership was over?¡± Mr Ryan asked, I knew from his facial expression the day we started the partnership a year ago that he was willing to do anything to bring the Jones¡¯s down. That was when I started looking for another investor.


    ¡°I decided the moment you started using dirty tricks to get their contracts and approaching their clients behind their backs to sign with you. I told you from the start that if this was going to work then there should not be any dirty tricks. But you went back on your word and hired one of his people to work for you. I can¡¯t work with someone like that.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°I thought you of all people would understand why I did what I did. James had a hand in my wife¡¯s death and Nick sent you to prison for something you didn¡¯t do. I thought you would want revenge as much as I do.¡±


    I leaned forward. ¡°Mr Ryan, I want revenge as much as you do but I want to get it the right way. I don¡¯t want to be involved in corporate espionage and illegal monitoring and phone tapping of people¡¯s personal phones. That is not who I am, and I don¡¯t want to go back to prison. The truth is that I have too much to lose Mr Ryan, and you don¡¯t.¡±


    I could see how angry he was. ¡°I should have known that you are just like them, you want out of the deal, then it will cost you to buy me out. It will be double the amount I invested, and I will be taking my business as well.¡±


    ¡°Very well then Mr Ryan, you will have the contract before the end of business.¡± I could see the shock in his eyes when I said that. He thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford it. ¡°Paying me that much money and losing my business will bankrupt you, Olivia. Are you willing to take that chance?¡±


    ¡®t worry a


    I nodded standing up. me, Mr Ryan, I will survive. It¡¯s what I do.¡± I bid him farewell before leaving his offices. A car I had be familiar with was standing there when I got out. I went and got inside. ¡°How did it go?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He was not happy, but I think he wants to see how I will survive without his business. More than anything, he wants to see meing back to him. begging for him to give me his business again.¡± He scoffed. ¡°That is never going to happen. These people have used you enough Olivia, I will not allow them to use and abuse you like that, ever again.¡±


    His words gave mefort. We drove to his offices and got inside. ¡°Sir, Mr. Jones senior is here to see you. I put him in meeting room two.¡± I frowned. Why was he there? ¡°Go to the boardroom and watch us from there.¡± I nodded going to the boardroom.


    Marcas Walker, my high school sweetheart.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I met him by ident in summer strand four months ago. I was there on business when we bumped into each other in a hotel lobby. I didn¡¯t. recognize him at first because he was taller and more handsome than before.


    We got talking and he asked about my imprisonment. He like everyone else read about it in the news, but he was on his way abroad when the news broke.¡®


    He thought he was going toe back sooner but starting his business there took longer than expected because of permits and all that. when we met, he had justnded in Summer Strand four days before.


    A weekter after I came back, he came to me with evidence of everything Mr Ryan was doing. I thought we were winning those contracts fair only to find out that he had an inside man feeding him all the information he needed about Jones enterprise¡¯s strategies, and he put tabs on their phones.


    I confronted Brandon about it, and he told me it was business and nothing. personal. I told Marcus I wanted to get out and he said he would be willing to back me. We signed a contract three months ago and then money was in my business ount a dayter.


    Since then, we have been looking for new business and getting things ready to buy Mr Ryan out. Today when I went there, I thought he was going to deny all the usations, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Mr Jones, to what do I owe this visit?¡± Marcas asked as he took a seat.


    ¡°You have been making a fool of me Mr Walker and I want to know why?¡± that did not look or sound like dad at all. ¡°I am not sure what you are talking about Mr Jones. I don¡¯t even know you for that matter.¡± He chuckled.


    But I could see the threatening look in his eyes. ¡°You know me well enough to think you can approach my clients behind my back and get away with it.¡± That was Mr Ryan not Marcas but because the business is now associated with Marcas, and no one knew about Mr Ryan. All his dealings will fall on Marcas.


    ¡°It is business Mr Jones, if your clients could jump ship so easy then they were not loyal to begin with. I don¡¯t understand why you would degrade yourself like thising here for people like that. it is beneath you sir.¡± Father¡¯s eyes turned cold.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to take me on son, believe me when I tell you this. It will not end well for you. so, be warned, don¡¯t y with fire or you will get burned.¡± Marcas stood and walked towards father. He stood as well and waited for him.


    They were like two bulls in one kraal fighting for territory. ¡°Mr Jones, if the fire is too hot for you to handle then I suggest you get out now because there is a new yer in the game and things are still going to get hotter from here on. And never threaten me again because you don¡¯t know what I am capable of.¡±

 Chapter 37

    OLIVIA


    I have not been at ease since the visit we got from father. His threat was real, and it got me scared that he was going to do something awful either to Marcas or the business. When I told him about my concerns, Marcas told me not to worry about it and that he was going to take care of it. So, I left everything in his capable hands.


    Right now, I was with Ethan, and we were picking up Samuel from Tyger Valley. I was worried sick about his reaction when he saw me. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was going to remember me or not. I only saw him once after I gave birth to him and now, he was two years old and talking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he will remember you. No child could ever forget his mother.¡± Ethan tried to assure me, but it wasn¡¯t working. ¡°What does he like? I don¡¯t want to get there empty handed.¡± We were at the airport gift shop. ¡°You are enough gift for him, but if you want to get him something then get him a toy. car, the transformers. He is obsessed with those.¡±


    I nodded; I was not a good mother. I didn¡¯t even know what my own son liked. All I cared about was starting a business and growing it. And keeping him away from his father, but what was the point when I kept him away from me too? I fought back tears as I browsed the cars and decided to get him the whole pack of them.


    We paid and went out. The drive there was a silent one. I was worried sick about how my son was going to receive me. ¡°Do you think it is a good idea taking him with me now?¡± Ethan nced at me. ¡°It¡¯s always a good idea for a child to be with his mother, Olivia and your son is going to love you.¡±


    Thoped that was the case, Samuel knew him more than he knew me, he loved his uncle Ethan, but he knew nothing about his mother. It was my fault as well as his father¡¯s but mainly mine. We parked in front of a modest house with a big rose garden in front.


    ¡°We are here, are you ready?¡± I wasn¡¯t, but what choice did I have? I was already there and turning back now was not an option. I just had to brace myself and take the rejection. It would be my fault any way. I didn¡¯t say a word, I just got out and Ethan did the same.


    When we got close to the door, it opened and the cutest boy I had ever seen came out running. I thought he was going to Ethan, but he ran past him and threw himself at my legs hugging them. ¡°Mommy! You came for Samuel, you are here.¡±


    I looked at Ethan confused, and he chuckled shaking his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I was going to hide his mother from him, did you?¡± I mouthed a thank you then picked my son up and span him around. He giggled making me smile. ¡°Oh, I missed you so much.¡±


    I said kissing him all over his face making him giggle even more. ¡°Mama stop!¡± he saidughing, oh how good it felt hearing him call me mama. looked at Ethan and he had the biggest smile on his face. We walked inside and I showed him the cars.


    He jumped off me and yed with them on the carpet. ¡°Thank you for telling him about me. where did you say I was.¡± I was afraid, really afraid that he was going to reject me. ¡°I told him you were sick, that you were going to get better ande for him. I showed him pictures of you all the time and told him you are his mama.¡±


    I teared up. I couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°And his father?¡± he looked away and I sighed. ¡°He knows me as his father, I did show him pictures of Nick too, but he calls him uncle.¡± Iughed; I knew he did that on purpose, but I didn¡¯t mind. My son knew who I was and that was enough for me.


    When the time was right, I was going to tell him about his father. ¡°Look mama, this is bumbo bee!¡± he said showing me the yellow car. ¡°It¡¯s bumble bee baby, do you like him?¡± he nodded then went back to ying as if I was not even there.


    I was d he epted me though, ¡°Thank you for everything Ethan, you did. a great job with him.¡± he shook his head. Ady about my age came out bringing us something to drink. ¡°This is the person you should be thanking. Lupita, this is Olivia, Samuel¡¯s mother.¡±


    She smiled politely. ¡°Good day mam.¡± I got up and gave her a hug. ¡°Thank you for taking care of my son Lupita and it¡¯s not mam, it¡¯s Olivia.¡± She smiled. ¡°Would you minding back with us and continue looking after him?¡± I wanted him to continue being looked after by someone he already knew.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I didn¡¯t want everything to be strange for him. ¡°I would like that very much ma¡­Olivia but I have to look after my grandmother as well and¡­¡±


    ¡°Your grandmother cane with us; I will pay for whatever she needs.¡± She looked shocked when I said that then looked at Ethan who nodded. Then I would love to go with you.¡±


    ¡°We leave tomorrow then; you can leave and go prepare whatever you need to. Take the car and I will see you and your grandmother tomorrow.¡± She thanked me then left. ¡°Why do you still look so worried? Everything is going well.¡±


    It was going well but how well was it going to go when we get back to New Vige? It wont take long for the Jones family to know about Samuel and they would want to see him. what then? I wanted my son to know his family, but these were not the best of times for us all.


    I was in the middle of a business war with his grandfather and father. How was that going to affect him? ¡°You are worried about them, aren¡¯t you?¡± I nodded. ¡°I am always avable to help and put Nick in his ce if you need me. but I suggest you make things easy for yourself and tell them about him. maybe that way, they won¡¯t be so dramatic about the business thing.


    I guess we were going to see about that.

 Chapter 38

    NICK


    ¡°Nick look, isn¡¯t that Olivia?¡± I turned to look; I didn¡¯t need to be told twice that was my wife I was seeing. Even with her back on me, I could tell it was her and herughter confirmed it. I would recognize thatugh anywhere, the kind that made my world stand still and everything in it disappear then it would just be she and I. with herughing like that.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, my God! She is with Marcus Walker, her high school boyfriend and your friend. Dear Lord, we will never find good men and get married because Olivia has all of them wrapped around her little finger.¡± My blood boiled when Sandra made thatment. I wasn¡¯t going to go there but thinking about it, it made me angry.


    I walked there and with each step I took. I could feel my anger rising. I stood behind her with that Marcus guy facing me and Ethen facing the other way doing God knows what. ¡°So, is this what you do?¡± she said nothing, didn¡¯t even turn to look at me. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Nicky boy, it¡¯s nice to finally meet you.¡±


    I red at him, who the hell was he to disrespect me like that. Calling me a boy in front of my wife, what the hell was he ying at. ¡°I don¡¯t know you and I would appreciate it if you never called me a boy again.¡± I warned with my voice low and stern. Heughed throwing his head back, mocking me.


    I was about to say something when Ethan turned, and I saw my son in his arms. I froze and looked at him. he looked just like me. ¡°Mama, take Sameul.¡± He said to Olivia with his arms stretched out for her to take him. Now it was confirmed, Olivia had my child while in prison. No wonder she hated me so much.


    I did more than just send her to prison, I sent our son there too. ¡°Impossible! How can you have a child, when did you have him?¡± Sandra questioned. Olivia paid her no mind and so did I. My eyes were on my son. When did she bring him back?


    ¡°Don¡¯te and say Nick is the father because we both know you Olivia and your whoring ways and¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Not in front of my son.¡± Both she and Olivia looked at me shocked. Did she really lose faith in me, did she think I would side with someone who is talking ill about my son? ¡°Leave.¡± I ordered Sandra. ¡°But Nick, we came here to do shopping, and we have not¡­.


    ¡°I said, leave.¡± She looked hurt but she said nothing turning around and leaving. ¡°Interesting.¡± Said Marcas and I red at him. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t re at me like that. I am just wondering where that protectiveness was when you sent her to jail. I mean from what I heard that woman¡¯s word wasw to you.¡±


    This Marcas guy was pissing me off. ¡°Nick, this is not the time.¡± Ethan said and he just pissed me off even more. ¡°You may entertain my wife¡¯s whoring in front of my son, but I will not!¡± both men red at me. what the hell did Olivia give them to make them give her their blind loyalty.


    It was like she could do no wrong in their eyes. ¡°Am taking my son,¡± said Olivia standing up with Samuel in her arms. Before walking away, she looked at me with so much disappointment and spoke. ¡°I was going to bring him to you to meet him tomorrow, but I don¡¯t think that is a good Idea. I don¡¯t want my son in the presence of someone who isfortable calling his mother names.¡±


    She then turned and walked away. I clenched my fists angry at myself for overreacting. I should have walked away; Olivia wasing around, and I ruined it. Fuck! ¡°Are you happy now Nick, huh?¡± I red at my friend; he should have stopped me sooner before I made a fool of myself.


    ¡°Your son is still going to continue calling me dad if you continue this way. I regret telling Olivia to bring him back. You don¡¯t deserve to be his father.¡± He followed Olivia leaving me with that guy who thought he couldpete with me for my wife¡¯s affection. He had a satisfied smirk on his face as if he was pleased to see me making a fool of myself.


    ¡°You my friend, are making it easy for me to take your wife. Well, technically, she is no longer your wife. You are divorced. So, I can take her and treat her better than you ever did.¡± The man was trying my patience. ¡°I am not going to y your game. Just because you managed to dazzle her with money and resources for her business doesn¡¯t mean you can have her.¡±


    Heughed standing up. ¡°We will see about that Nicky boy, remember, Olivia was mine first and we never broke up. You on the other hand are just the ex- husband her grandmother and your mother chose for her. you were never her choice. But I was. Think about that?¡±


    He said then walked away following the others. I was so pissed that I kicked the table they were sitting on. His words ringing in my head. ¡°You were never her choice.¡± I leaned against the wall of the restaurant they were sitting on, feeling like I couldn¡¯t breathe..


    ¡°Boss, are you alright?¡± asked Given. ¡°Have someone follow them. He must make sure to keep my son safe but to do it from a distance. I need him to give me reports about everything that happens to him.¡± I said without opening my eyes and trying to regte my heartrate.


    ¡°I will do it myself boss, the young prince deserves only the best.¡± I nodded; he was right. He was the best. Having found new courage and determination. I opened my eyes. I would be damned if I lost my wife a second time.


    I lost her the first time, and it was my fault but now she was back and she had my son. I need them in my life. I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialled a number I have not dialled in a very long time. ¡°Sir?¡± came a voice I had forgotten and never thought I would be so d to hear. ¡°You know what has been happening, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± That is what I liked about him always well informed. ¡°I want it done without hurting my wife.¡±

 Chapter 39

    OLIVIA


    He let her call me names in front of our son. He might have stopped her and took my side, but I could see that she still had a hold on him. I wished I knew what Sandra has on him to make him so loyal to her like that. The man never even showed emotion the day I gave him signed divorce papers.


    He brought them to my office, ced them in front of me and waited for me to sign them. Since he said nothing, there was no need for me to say anything as well. I just signed and gave him the papers so he could sign. them as well and file them with the court.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The man took the papers and walked out. It was like nothing happened, like I just signed another contract with a client and not a document that marked the end of our union. But then again, I was the one who asked for those. divorce papers, I didn¡¯t know why I was so emotional that day.


    ¡°Hey, turn that frown upside down. That woman is beneath you. Her words. should not have an effect on you and so is Nick¡¯s. They deserve each other, they are like dogs who only know how to bark, and you can ignore a dog. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to it just because it¡¯s barking.¡±


    We have just gotten to my ce. Lupita took Samuel, Ethan drove to work, and I was left with Marcas. ¡°I am not bothered, I just thought he would hold his tongue since his son was there.¡± He held my hand ever so tenderly making me look at him.


    I couldn¡¯t remember thest time someone held my hand like that. ¡°Olivia, you are an amazing woman, you are beautiful, independent, intelligent and smart. Nick had you and didn¡¯t appreciate you. What he did further proves that he never deserved you. Don¡¯t bother with him, focus on your son and me of course.¡± He said winking at me making meugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, I might forget about Nick, but it will be difficult to forget about his father. That man can be ruthless when ites to business, and you provoked him.¡± he scoffed. ¡°Let the old man bring it. I am not afraid of him or his son. if is ruthless, so am I.¡±


    He was taking all that lightly, but I wasn¡¯t. The Jones¡® didn¡¯t get to where they were by ying nice when it came to business. They might not have spilled blood, to my knowledge but they were ruthless in every way possible. Father scared me that day.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want us to rx only to be sidelined by them and end up losing everything. I don¡¯t think I can take that.¡± He turned serious suddenly. He looked me dead in the eyes and spoke. ¡°Hey, trust me. there is nothing they can do that I wouldn¡¯t return ten folds. Don¡¯t worry about the business either, it will be alright.¡±


    He sounded so confident when he said that, it made me wonder what resources did he have that he could use to take down Jones enterprises. They were fossils in the business with a reputation to protect. They were not going to just sit by and let a nobody take all that away.


    The men I involved myself with in business seem to forget that I had a lot to lose. I had a son to think of and I didn¡¯t want to go back to prison or to mess. much with Nick. I lost so much in the hands of that man that I was scared to cross him again. That was why I just ignored him when we meet.


    I didn¡¯t want to say the wrong thing and he sent me to jail again. ¡°Oliviae back to me. where did you go now?¡± I sighed. Am sure Marcus could see the worry written all over my face. ¡°Look Olivia, I am not the Ryans, and I am not Nick Jones. I will not disappoint you like they did, and I will not do anything that will put you and your son in danger. I promise you that.¡± a


    I looked at him and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. If I wanted to teach Nick a lesson, I needed him by my side. ¡°We can move on to the second stage of the n. Let us act now before they do. That way, they will y defence while we are on the offense.¡± He smirked


    ¡°Now you are talking.¡± He stood with his phone in hand and went out into the back yard. I stood going to check on Samuel, but I bumped into Lupitaling out of his room. ¡°He is asleep, I am going to pick up grandma now.¡± I nodded.


    Grandma Susan went to y cards in the park with the other old people. She saw them when we arrived yesterday and said she wanted to go. Lupita took her this morning because she wouldn¡¯t stop nagging. ¡°Take your time since Samuel is asleep.¡± She nodded and went out.


    I opened the door to my son¡¯s room, and he was sleeping peacefully with a thumb in his mouth. He looked just like his father. No wonder Nick recognised him at first nce. But it must have hurt for Samuel not to acknowledge him when we saw him earlier.


    He must have thought that we never told him about him. But he knew who he was even if he knew him as his uncle. Curtesy of Ethan getting back at him. A knock came to the door, and I closed Samuel¡¯s room and went to open the door.


    A delivery guy was standing on the other side of the door holding a bouquet. of yellow roses. My favourite flowers. ¡°Good day mam, I am looking for Mrs Olivia Jones.¡± I frowned. It couldn¡¯t be, could it?


    ¡°That is me.¡± he handed me the flowers. ¡°Sign here mam.¡± I looked at the flowers. ¡°Who are they from?¡± he shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know mam, I am just a delivery guy, check the note but I need you to sign here.¡± I signed and closed the door. I took the note, and it read. ¡°You can y with that boy all you like but sooner orter. You will be mine again. My heart.¡±

 Chapter 40

    OLIVIA


    ¡°Beautiful flowers, who are they from?¡± asked Marcusing in and standing next to me. ¡°I think they are from Nick.¡± He didn¡¯t say a word and just moved away from me. ¡°They mean nothing, flowers are not going to erase everything Nick did to me, and they will not change our ns. Nick Jones is still going to pay for what he did to me, and I am going to make sure of it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know who I was trying to convince by saying that, the truth was that the flowers affected me and left me with many questions. Like what made. him send me flowers suddenly, what was going through his mind, and did her think they were going to fix anything?


    ¡°Phase two is underway. It will be any day now; we just have to wait.¡± Okay changing the subject was a clear indication that he didn¡¯t want to talk about Nick. ¡°The flowers don¡¯t change anything Marcus, really.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I felt the need to convince him of this. I just did.


    ¡°I understand, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± I nodded and went back to the lounge but then something on tv caught my eye. I increased the volume, and at reporter was standing in front of a factory and first responders and police. were all over the scene.


    ¡°First responders are working hard to put out the fire that broke out at MW& O Corporation¡¯s factory just an hour ago. Fortunately, the factory was empty at the time the fire broke out. Officials will beunching an investigation as to what started the fire. I am¡­¡± I switched off the tv and turned to look at Marcas.


    That was our biggest factory in New Vige and now it has burned to the ground. Everything we have worked for over the past couple of months has gone up in smoke. My knees grew weak and Marcas supported me and helped me to the couch.


    Hey, don¡¯t stop. Look at me. breathe.¡± I did as he said but I was angry and felt helpless.


    ¡°Listen, we knew they would strike one way or the other. Right, we expected an attack from them, we knew something was going to happen and we took precautions, remember?¡± what the hell was he talking about? We didn¡¯t n for them to set fire on our factory!


    ¡°Yes, we expected them to strike but not like this!¡± Marcus chuckled. ¡°I expected anything and that is why I took precautions. I am used to businessmen who y dirty Olivia. This is not my first rodeo.¡± I looked at him confused.


    ¡°Some of the stock and materials are in storage. What we had in the factory was what we were going to give out as promotional items during theunch. Don¡¯t worry, we are not cancelling theunch, and we have another factory we can utilise.¡± He did think of everything.


    ¡°Are you okay now, can I leave and go check on things?¡± I nodded and he got up and left after kissing me on the forehead and assuring me that everything was alright. I still couldn¡¯t believe that happened. Did Nick really do that or was it his father?


    I knew they were ruthless in business and could bankrupt you with only a phone call if they so pleased. But I never thought they would resort to such despicable means. I sat there staring nkly into the wall.


    Just who was I married to? I felt like I didn¡¯t know him at all. Or maybe I did, and I just didn¡¯t want to see it. After a while I switched the tv back on wanting to see what the news were saying. Marcus was on with a reporter.


    ¡°Mr Walker, let me start by saying I am sorry about what happened. Now, will this have an effect on theunch yourpany has been advertising, will MW&O survive this?¡± Marcus chuckled. I looked at him closely trying to see if he was worried or showed concern by what happened but there was nothing.


    The man was acting like nothing happened and yet I was dying on the inside hurt by the events that took ce and the loses we were going to endure.¡± No, none of this will affect theunch, MW&O is not a startup. It might be new in the city, but we are a big branch abroad. This is just a set back that will be rectified. I am just d that no one got hurt in the fire.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The man was cool as ice and even had a smirk on his face. Did I misjudge Marcus and underestimated his abilities because he came from humble beginnings? I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know that man well. The Marcus I knew was just a boy in high school who had nothing like me. I didn¡¯t know Marcas the businessman.


    Maybe I should trust him. My phone rang and I took it from the coffee table, and it was Ethan. I answered. ¡°Olivia, I am sorry about what happened. If you and Marcus need my help. Don¡¯t be afraid to ask. If Nick or his father did this, then I want to help you take them down.¡±


    I wondered what happened between him and Nick for him to want to take my side in this. Ethan would help me with anything but not at the expense of hurting Nick. With Samuel, he helped because he knew one day Nick was going to find out about him.


    ¡°Thank you, Ethan. But we will be alright.¡±


    ¡°I can help you find out who was behind the fire if you don¡¯t want my money.¡± I shook my head as if he could see me, but I didn¡¯t want him involved. I was going to fight my own battles with my partner. ¡°We are alright, Ethan. Really. Thank you for the call. We will talkter.¡±


    I cut the call and just as I was about to ce the phone back on the table it pinged indicating an iing text. I checked it and it was an unknown number. The text read, ¡°Regretting your decision, yet?¡±

 Chapter 41

    UNKOWN POV


    Somewhere downtown of New Vige City, the shadiest ce in the city, two individuals were meeting. The other was a young master of one of the prestigious families in New Vige. The young master¡¯s luxurious car was sticking out like a sore thumb in that ce. One could tell it didn¡¯t belong there.


    But to him, the car was unmarked and mysterious, not like the other cars he owned that were marked and could be easily recognised. The other was in disguise, no one could tell who the person was. Or what gender.


    The voice was modified and had a mask cover the whole face. Even the young master didn¡¯t know who the individual was, but he was happy with the information the stranger was providing for him. ¡°Are you prepared to enter the next stage? You saw that Walker was not affected in the slightest by what we did today. I want us to do more.¡±


    The young master said, he thought that burning that warehouse down was going to stop Olivia and Marcus, but the stubborn man appeared on tv talking about theunch still being on. That fire was supposed to stop theunch indefinitely. They both could not stand to see Olivia seeding.


    ¡°That is the least of our problems. That moron Jones want to help her, he went crazy when he heard about the fire and even called someone to find out who was behind it. He even asked for his people to make an anonymous donation to herpany to help her with the damages. In this rate, that bitch is going to be a billionaire in the next six months and then she will be untouchable.¡±


    The stranger said sounding angry by what Nick was doing. ¡°Sandra gave that moron every reason in the book for him to hate Olivia, but it is not working. The fool is still holding a candle for his wife. He wont make a move on her no matter what she does. We need a new n.¡±


    The young master sighed thinking. ¡°What do you suggest we do, I got nothing.¡± The stranger smirked, ¡°I thought you would never ask.¡± The young master was curious to know what the stranger had to say.


    ¡°We hit them at both ends, weunch an attack on Jones the same time we attack Olivia and Marcus. That way no one will have time to help another, they will be too busy fixing their own mess that there will be no time to offer help to one another.¡±


    The young master liked the n. ¡°That could work, but father suggested that we don¡¯t hit Walker on the businesses he has here, he suggested we hit him abroad where he is well established. That is the root of his business where all his moneyes from. If we hit that, then it will be over with Walker.¡±


    The stranger nodded liking the idea. ¡°Good, that is a sound n. I want Olivia to suffer and I want the Jones to go down. I didn¡¯t kill those people he hired in prison to look after her for no reason. I want him to hurt the day I reveal what those people did to her in his name.¡±


    The young master was shocked. ¡°You did something to Olivia while she was in prison, why and what did you do?¡± the stranger scoffed. ¡°You will have to wait and find out like everyone else. His parents think what they know is all I did, they have another thinging. Not even Olivia knows about this one. It wille as a shock when she finds out and it¡¯s going to kill the both of them.¡±


    The young master¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°You are going to kill Olivia and Nick? I didn¡¯t sign up for that, we said we were going to make them suffer, no one said anything about killing them.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    The stranger scoffed. ¡°You are such a moron, what good will their deaths. do? It won¡¯t give me the satisfaction I want. I need to see them lose everything, to suffer and wish death upon themselves. I want to see them. jump off the tallest building in New Vige after am done with them.¡±


    The young master sighed relieved. As much as he was a rebel, he didn¡¯t have blood in his hands, he was a coward who hid behind his money and power. ¡°I will contact you about the next assignment, I don¡¯t want to give them rest. I want them awake at night wondering what ising next. I want their resources depleted with them trying to fix everything. They are going to pay for what they did.¡±


    The young master liked the sound of that. ¡°It will serve them right, if Olivia had agreed to be mine, none of this would have been happening. But she decided that she was better than me, but I will show her who is superior between she, the man she chose and I


    The stranger scoffed. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just do as I said and stop drinking because if you drink too much and end up revealing my n to someone. I will have your head, remember, I have eyes and ears everywhere. I will know.¡±


    He then walked away leaving the young master mumbling to himself. ¡°Your act all cool with your mask and being mysterious. I am not as stupid as you think I am, just you watch. I will get Olivia to be mine and we will see who willughst.¡±


    He watched the stranger disappear then took his phone out and dialled his father. ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°That he will contact us, but he loved your idea of hitting Walker abroad and hiding it until it is toote. Oh, wait. I forgot to tell him about the hiding it part.¡±


    The old man scoffed. ¡°You are such a moron; you might look smart in front of everyone, but you are just an empty vessel. Your mother and sister would be so disappointed in you.¡±

 Chapter 42

    NICK


    I was woken up by my phone ringing nonstop. I tried to ignore it, but the person was persistent. He would call and cut then start again. Without opening my eyes, I picked up the call. ¡°What!¡± I was so annoyed; did they see the time? Well, I didn¡¯t know what time it was as well, but it was not the time to be calling people.


    ¡°Sir, I am sorry to wake you, but you have to see the news, it¡¯s bad boss, really bad.¡± I was awake in a second. I got out of bed wearing only my shorts and went to switch on the tv. ¡°We don¡¯t know who leaked it, but Jones enterprises stock is plummeting over the news.¡± I caught that bulleting at the end.


    I didn¡¯t know what it was about and what was it about our stock plummeting. Just what the hell was going on? I cut the call and checked on my phone. Written in bold the article was there. ¡°Jones enterprise stock is plummeting following the news of their former CEO James Jone¡¯s dirtyundry being aired for everyone to see.


    Mr. Jones senior is used of stepping out on his wife and enjoying time with a young call girl whose name was not disclosed. Sources say that the girl is old enough to be his daughter. Though not illegal what he did. His reputation is suffering a great deal.


    ording to the employees of the club and the footage that was leaked, Mr. Jones senior has been a frequent member of the club for months now.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe the nonsense. My father would never do such a thing. Who the hell was smearing our name like that?


    I got dressed and drove to my parent¡¯s house, they might not know about what was happening and I wanted to be the one to tell them. I dialled the man on the way. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Find out who did this and find a way to discredit the news. Find evidence that they are false and that my father was framed. I need all this within the hour, our stock is plummeting, and we can¡¯t afford for them to dive any further than they already have.¡±


    I then cut the call, he would know what to do and I was confident we were going to put the matter to bed before lunch then I will be going after the one who did this. He has messed with the wrong family.


    Getting to my parent¡¯s house, I couldn¡¯t believe the vultures. The reporters. filled the street in front of my house with news vans. Cameras set up and waiting. Do they never sleep? It was after three in the morning for goodness¡¯s sake. They were taking the ¡°News don¡¯t sleep¡± thing so seriously.


    I drove around the back and got into the house like that. My parents were asleep and had no idea what was going on out there. I went to their room; I had to wake them and tell them what was going on. ¡°Mom, dad. Wake up.¡±


    Dad jumped up. ¡°What is it?¡± he said getting out of bed still looking disoriented. ¡°Dad, we need to talk.¡± He looked at mom who just turned to the other side and continued to sleep. Dad and I walked out to his study.


    He sat behind his desk. ¡°What is it Nick, did you even see the time?¡± I said nothing but switch on the TV. He looked at the news and I saw shame in his eyes. My heart sank, ¡°No, dad, no. don¡¯t tell me they are telling the truth.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Nick.¡± I got pissed, how could he? ¡°Then please tell me, what is it like dad?¡± he stood. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this.¡± He was slowly pissing me off, our stock was plummeting, and he was busy telling me it was not like that.


    ¡°Did you see our stock? Investors have been calling, the board, everyone wants answers, and I don¡¯t have them. then you tell me it¡¯s not like that? your are not denying anything dad, so tell me what you mean. Why you would go looking for call girls, is mom not enough for you anymore. Is this some¡­ I would say midlife crisis, but you are passed that. so, what is it?¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    c eves M


    The anger in I suggested that he was sleeping with call girls. brought a chill into the room. ¡°Never ask me something as stupid as that, ever again and I will never betray your mother like that. this isplicated.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand what the man was talking about. My phone rang before I


    could ask my father any more questions. I checked and it was the man. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Yes, talk to me,¡± he was silent for a while. ¡°Tell me like it is, what did you find?¡± he sighed. ¡°The video is legit; it was not doctored, and the employees. are telling the truth. Sir, has been frequent to the club and I saw the girl he always spends time with when he is there?¡±


    I turned to look at dad. ¡°What did she have to say?¡± my father was not the person I thought he was. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say sir. But she did confirm that she has been seeing your father for nine months now. Always goes there on Fridays and pays cash.¡±


    I clenched my jaw with my anger rising by the second. ¡°So, everything they are saying is true.¡± It was more like a statement not a question. ¡°Yes, everything they are saying is the truth but¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡± I needed something to squash the news but so far, I had nothing. He just confirmed that everything they were saying was the truth and so did my father. I needed to find a way to make all that go away before. it affected our family and business any further.


    ¡°The girl mentioned that she never slept with your father, she told me that. they only sit and talk for an hour then he would pay and leave. She said he has been doing that since they met and not once did, he ask to sleep with her or showed interest in doing so.¡±


    Just what the hell was father doing with that girl? ¡°Who leaked the information?¡± he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I will not ask you again, who the hell leaked the information?¡± he was making me angrier than I already was.


    ¡°Olivia and Walker.¡±

 Chapter 43

    NICK


    I threw the phone on the wall, and it shuttered into pieces. Father looked at me with a raised eyebrow not moved at all by my outburst. Just when I thought I was wrong about my wife, she goes and does something like this, If she wanted to be with Walker, then why couldn¡¯t she just be with him without doing such things.


    I now don¡¯t regret sending her to jail, it was clear that she deserved it, it was only a pity that my son had to be caught in the middle of his mother¡¯s schemes resulting in him being born in prison. I wanted to make it up. to her for sending her there. To bring her back home but I was just fooling myself.


    Olivia was worse than I thought, it was clear that I didn¡¯t know the woman I married at all. ¡°Stop pacing of you will dig a hole in my study and I don¡¯t want that.¡± he was pissing me off as well. How could he be so cool when our world was falling apart.


    ¡°Reporters are camped outside waiting for you. Our investors and board of directors want answers, hell. I want answers as well. Just what the hell are you doing with that girl dad? Why couldn¡¯t you just go see a shrink if you needed someone to talk to, why go to that club, to her?¡±


    He learned back. ¡°Anyone outside of this family is not important. Investors. we don¡¯t need, and the board has no say in how thispany is run. This is the Jones enterprise; it is our name on those doors no one else¡¯s, if they want to go then they can go, and we will be fine. Wee from old money. son and what we dered is not even close to what we own.¡±


    I was shocked, I never knew that he never told me. I always thought that the business started with grandpa then him and now me. I didn¡¯t know wee from old money. ¡°How old, dad?¡±


    ¡°Ten generation¡¯s old. So, trust me when I say, we will be alright.¡± At least that part was sorted but still, our reputation was still on the line, and he was. hiding something. Now the sun wasing up and mother was going to wake up soon.


    ¡°Look Nick, I know you want answers, and I am going to give them to you. but not before I speak to your mother first.¡± The bastard wanted to go lie to my mother and cover his ass. I was not going to allow him to make a fool of my mother.


    I was going to be there when he spoke to her, I too deserved to know what he was hiding. ¡°Fine, dad. But we can¡¯t keep hiding in this house, sooner orter we will have to go out there and answer for this or at least give a statement of some sort.¡±


    Father ignored me and walked out with me following behind. ¡°I am going to make breakfast for my wife.¡± Okay whatever he was hiding was bad if he was going to bribe mom with breakfast. ¡°Is this going to affect this family. more than it already has, will it affect mom that much?¡± dad said nothing as he took out ingredients to make the breakfast.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    I decided to keep my mouth shut and check on the news on my phone. ¡°We have been waiting for Mr Jones senior to give ament on the news about him that brokest night. The Jones enterprise has not issued at statement as well. Now the question remains. Are they hiding something? Stay tuned as we continue to wait for the Jones to say something.¡±


    ¡°Switch that off Nick, we don¡¯t need that here, not now.¡± I nced at him, and he didn¡¯t look bothered at all. Old money or not, I didn¡¯t want to be remembered for this scandal everywhere I went. I still had Olivia¡¯s scandal following me and I didn¡¯t need another.


    But I kept my mouth shut since he thought he was going to solve this and that there was nothing to worry about then I was going to wait and hear what he had to say. Mom soon walked into the kitchen, already showered. and looking fresh.


    ¡°Something smells nice, morning darling and Nick. What are you doing here. this early?¡± I looked at dad waiting for him to deal with it. ¡°He is here for me. Sit down and I will serve you breakfast then we talk.¡± Mom looked at me and I said nothing and focused on my coffee.


    ¡°Okay¡± she ate talking to me from time to time and asking when I was going to talk to Olivia about bringing Samuel for a visit. Talking about Olivia pissed me off, that woman was a snake, and she knew how to y people with that innocent face of hers.


    I just told mom that I will ask her, or she could call her and find out. ¡°Okay, am done now. Let us talk James. I can feel the tension in this kitchen, and I don¡¯t want to have to resort to cutting it and you will a knife to get to the bottom of what is going on.¡±


    Father nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the lounge.¡± Mom stood and they followed each other out. I followed too but dad turned and red at me. I stopped and watched them walked to the study and closing the door behind them.


    I went there and put my ear to the door trying to listen to what they were. saying but no. I couldn¡¯t hear a thing and that frustrated me to no end. What! Why the hell would you do that for, couldn¡¯t you find another way? You are not a stupid man James but this time, what you did, it was stupid. Damn it!¡±


    I heard mom¡¯s voice, and I opened the door curious to know what was going on. They both looked at me. ¡°Does he know about this?¡± mom asked, and dad shook his head. Gone was the cool demeanour he had earlier now reced by shame. I wonder what that was for.


    ¡°Well Nick, your father decided to look for your sister without telling me.¡± I frowned confused; I didn¡¯t have a sister.


    ¡°From his first girlfriend who died before we met. He told me about her when we started dating but he didn¡¯t know where her mother disappeared to with her. You have a older sister and that is who your father has been spending time with. The moron!¡±

 Chapter 44

    OLIVIA


    I sat there watching the news with my jaw dropped. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing and seeing in the news and the silence from the Jones family was worrisome. They must know that the situation was not going to go away without them addressing it.


    It was midday and the news broke in the middle of the night apparently and still there was no statement issued by thepany or the family. Their stock continued to plummet, and it was not looking good. Every news house. was running the story and the video of dad going into the club anding out an hourter.


    Besides the news I wondered who did it, it was clear that the whole thing. was intentional and the question on my mind was who did it. Who had the guts to attack the Jones directly like that, I feared for that person because once they find out who the person is. That person was going to regret messing with them.


    ¡°I wish I had thought of something like this a long time ago, but I take my hat off to the person who thought of doing this. Because of him, I now own fifteen percent of Jones enterprise. I bought the shares of one of their shareholders because he did not trust they will resolve the situation, and hel didn¡¯t want to lose out.¡±


    That was Marcusing in, I didn¡¯t hear a knock or maybe I was not paying much attention to anything else. ¡°Did you do this?¡± I asked him, he was one of the people who had a motive, I mean we both thought they were the ones who burnt down our warehouse.


    ¡°How can you even think that?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, I bought the shares, I was not about to pass that opportunity by. I am a businessman. first Olivia, but I didn¡¯t do this. I am not like that, and I came here to ask if you had something to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Me? why would you think I did it?¡± he shrugged. ¡°Because of the same. reason you thought I did it.¡± I sighed. ¡°I got this text a few days ago.¡± I showed him the text I got. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this sooner? I will check and try to find out who sent it.¡±


    I shook my head, I already asked Ethan to check for me and the phone was not registered. It was only used once to send that text then it was disconnected. ¡°I already checked, and I found nothing.¡± He nodded. ¡°I think it¡¯s someone you know. Do you think the Ryans could have done it?¡± I didn¡¯t know.N?velDrama.Org content.


    I knew they were capable of tapping phones and corporate espionage, but I didn¡¯t know if they could do something like that. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I didn¡¯t want to use anyone without evidence. I was used without evidence, and it was not nice. It ruined my life. If I was going to use someone of something, I would need evidence like with the Ryans before.


    ¡°This is getting out of hand Olivia. Whoever burned down our warehouse might be the same person attacking the Jones family now. The Jones might not be our enemy at the moment but someone else who wants to make it look like they are.¡±


    He could be right, but what would that person¡¯s end game be? Nick and I were divorced, and I had nothing to do with him. hell, I didn¡¯t even have business dealings with them. ¡°If that is the case then what could be the reason for pinning us against each other?¡± he shrugged.


    I sat back, maybe I didn¡¯t think this revenge thing clearly. It seemed to bring us more trouble than it was worth. I wanted a peaceful life with my son and if I continued to pursue revenge. I might not find peace for a very long time.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± I shrugged, I was exhausted, and we were not even on the second stage of this revenge thing, and I no longer wanted it. ¡°That maybe we should put a hold on the second stage of our n.¡± He looked at me for a while without saying a word.


    ¡°Revenge was your thing, Olivia. If you want to stop it, then we stop it. I do whatever you want me to do when ites to the Jones. I understand why you would want to stop and keep the peace with them. They are your son¡¯s family.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on theunch right now, anything else can take a back seat.¡± He nodded and got up saying he was going to make some calls. I guessed to put everything for stage two on hold for the time being. As much as the news kept going. I still believed that dad was not that kind of a person.


    The man loved his wife too much to do something like that. The way they were with each other, the way he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. Someone like that would not change overnight. There must be an exnation.


    ¡°Looks like the Jones family ising out to give us their side of the story,¡± a reporter said, and I increased the volume wanting to hear what they had to say. ¡°Good afternoon, sorry to keep you and everyone who has been at the edge of their seats following the story and waiting for us to respond.¡±


    That was Nick, he looked so handsome up there. ¡°I will start by saying we will not be taking questions after my father speaks to you and we ask that you respect that.¡± he continued. Then stepped down giving his father a chance to speak.


    Senior looked aloof as he stood there. ¡°Good afternoon, I James Jones would like to confirm that the video you have been seeing is legit.¡± The reporters went crazy asking questions, but he kept his mouth shut not answering either one.?


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop then I will leave this stage, and you can continue specting.¡± Silence. It was like no one ever spoke. The man still has a lot of power and influence. ¡°Thank you. As was saying, the video is real and that is me. But I didn¡¯t go there for the reasons you think, I went there and kept going there to build the courage to tell my daughter who I am.¡±


    The reporters blew up, no one would listen after that until he and the family went back inside leaving the reporters there. To say I was shocked it would be an understatement. My phone pinged and I checked it.


    Nick sent me a text and I clicked on it. ¡°I know you did this; you are so vile Olivia; my father and sister have nothing to do with our fight and what I did to you. but In your anger you went too far. Await my retaliation, no one messes with my family.¡±

 Chapter 45

    OLIVIA


    My hands shook as I typed a reply. ¡°Nick, I didn¡¯t do this, you have to believe me.¡± my eyes were glued to the screen waiting for his reply. I didn¡¯t want to get on Nick¡¯s bad side like that. I wanted revenge yes but in business. I would never go after the family like that. I was not that kind of person.


    Also, why did he think I did this, what evidence did he have to think that I would do something like that? I stood and started pacing. Nick could be a hot head and there was no telling how he was going to retaliate. He already sent me to jail for something I didn¡¯t do once, who knew what he would do this time.


    My head was spinning as I kept checking the phone and going to messages like one would magically appear. With him telling me that he understood or that he sent the text to the wrong person, that it was not meant for me. But nothing.


    ¡°Olivia, what is wrong.¡± Marcus askeding in. I handed my phone to him. showing him the text. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of man this is, doesn¡¯t he know the kind of woman you are, how can he even think you would do something like this? You were his wife, and he should know that you are better than that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t think I mattered that much to the man, if he could send me to prison. for Sandra back then, a nobody, who knew what he was going to do this time when he thinks I went after his family. ¡°Olivia, what are you afraid of? I told you that I will protect you.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He didn¡¯t know Nick; he was not from there and he didn¡¯t know the kind of connections he had and the damage he could cause. ¡°I am afraid that he will take my son away from me.¡± Marcus said nothing. ¡°We can send him away again if you want to. Trust me, he will never find him, I will make sure of it.¡±


    I appreciated his willingness to help but I didn¡¯t want to send my son away again. I wanted to be with him, and I didn¡¯t want to miss more of his life while I fight with his father. ¡°No, I am not sending him away. If Nick doesn¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t do this then I will wait and see what he is going to do. But I am not sending my son away again.¡±


    He pulled me to sit on the couch. ¡°I will have someone here twenty¨Cfour seven keeping you and your son safe. If Nick or his people try something, we will be ready. Don¡¯t worry everything is going to be alright.¡± I nodded just to get him to shut up..


    But I knew Nick better than he did, if he wanted to do something to me, then no one was going to stop him. Nick Jones always got whatever he wanted. I took my phone and texted Ethan. ¡°Nick, thinks I am the one who leaked the information about his father.¡±


    pressed send and within a minute my phone rang. ¡°What makes you think he suspects you?¡± he asked the moment I answered. ¡°Because he sent me a text telling me exactly that and said i must await his retaliation.¡±


    Ethan cursed under his breath. ¡°Olivia, I think someone is setting you up and preventing you two from ever reconciling. Even if it¡¯s not as husband and wife but just you two getting along for the sake of Samuel is a threat to this person. He or she wants to keep you fighting as enemies.¡±


    Sandra came to mind. That woman has been out to get me the moment shended in New Vige. She turned Nick against me, and she admitted to wanting revenge on me. for what, I didn¡¯t know. ¡°You think it could be Sandra again?¡± Ethan sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know Olivia. I didn¡¯t think much of it when I saw the news. I didn¡¯t think Nick could be this dumb again but clearly, I was wrong. I will look into it and get back to you.¡±


    I cut the call, and I looked at Marcus. He was quiet and even looked angry. ¡°I need his help; he helped me before.¡± I told him. ¡°Yes, he did, and I am not disputing that. But tell me this, if he were asked to choose between you and his best friend. Who do you think he would choose?¡°.


    I kept quiet. Ethan and Nick grew up together and have been through a lot together. Yes, he helped me before and I know he only did that to punish Ethan for being stubborn and letting his child be born in prison. But I didn¡¯t think Ethan would choose me over Nick, not fully.


    ¡°Your silence says it all. You can trust Ethan he is a good guy but before you put all your trust in him. think, Olivia. I am leaving, call if you need me.¡± he stood and left. I sat there scared out of my mind thinking about what that man would do.


    Not knowing what he was going to do and when to expect it drove me crazy. I jumped at every little noise with the events of the day I was arrested back in my head. It was quiet like it was now when he budged in with police and sent me to jail.


    I stood and went to close all the windows and making sure both doors were locked in the house. Then I went and close my son¡¯s window then climbed into bed next to him pulling him towards me. ¡°I promise you baby, I will not let anything happen to you. Mama will rather die than let anyone hurt you or take you away from her.¡±


    I prayed in my head. ¡®Lord, give me strength and please protect my son.¡±

 Chapter 46

    NICK


    Two dayster and the news about my dad and sister had not died down yet. I was sick of it and wanted it to be over already. But it seemed the reporters were not going to stop until they got the whole story. My parents refused to indulge them, they refused to give a statement again and give them the full story.


    I have been working from home because my office is crowded by those vultures. It didn¡¯t help that mywyer wanted me to let my son stay with Olivia. She said it was good for children to grow up with their mothers, but my concern was the kind of role model Olivia was going to be to my son. The woman was not who I thought she was.


    She went after my family, she might hate me, but she went after her son¡¯s family. What was that? our son still has to know us; what did she think she was doing when she put something like that out in the world for all to see. Did she want our son to grow up thinking that our family was bad?


    I didn¡¯t care what thewyer said, as soon as the whole thing is over. I am going to take Samuel from her. I was going to let her keep him and visit from time to time but now. I didn¡¯t think Olivia was a good mother.


    ¡°Nick?¡± my mother called, and I kept quiet. I didn¡¯t want to talk to her. she and father hid the fact that I had a sister all these years. Kept me in the dark as if I was a child they were protecting. ¡°Nick, where are you?¡± she continued to call my name and I kept my mouth shut.


    Soon the door to the study opened and she poked her head in. ¡°There you are, didn¡¯t you hear me calling?¡± I kept quiet and just looked at her. ¡°I know you are not happy with us for keeping your sister a secret from you, but you have to understand one thing. This is none of your business.¡±


    I frowned looking at the woman, I couldn¡¯t believe she just sad that, it was my sister she was talking about. ¡°I know she is your sister but what good. would it have done to tell you about her when your father tried and failed to find her? any way now you know about her, and we need your help.¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    Now it was convenient for them they tell me, and they want my help. Parents sometimes can be cruel. Mother didn¡¯t care how I felt about the whole thing, as she said, it was none of my business and yet they need my help. ¡°We want you to go and get her. bring her here so we can talk to her and maybe find a way to resolve this.¡°;


    I frowned. ¡°Really, mom? I thought it was none of my business.¡± She sat down. ¡°Now is not the time to be acting like a child Nick, those reporters. must be hounding her like dogs. Her life is never going to be the same again


    a time like this is not


    after this and leaving her alone to fend for herself a


    good. Please son, do this for me.¡±


    I stood and took my keys then left without saying a word to her. I was not doing it for her, I was doing it for my sister. She doesn¡¯t deserve to have her life sttered in the news like that because of our father. They might not know who she was now but sooner orter they were going to find out and when that happened.


    They were never going to let her have peace. It was better she came home. where she could be safe. Given drove me there while my other guards drove behind us. I didn¡¯t want those reporters getting close to us and I didn¡¯t want them seeing her face when we leave that ce.


    When we got there, those people where indeed, in front of the club. Those who wanted to appear on tv were there as well. The club must have been making money since the story broke. People would do anything to get their two minutes of fame.


    ¡°Go around the back and see if there is no door there.¡± There should be one for the employees. Given drove around the back and indeed, there was a door. We stopped and knocked on it and a security guard opened. ¡°Mr Jones, good morning, sir.¡± Being well known could be a curse sometimes.


    ¡°You know who I am here for?¡± he quickly nodded. I was curious to see the girl. ¡°Come this way, the second madame is this way.¡± Second madam, what was that about?¡± he led us to the back where the offices were. He knocked on the door and someone inside invited us in.N?velDrama.Org content.


    He opened the door and poked his head in. ¡°Madame, someone is here for you.¡±


    ¡°Is it Mr Jones?¡± she asked sounding happy. ¡°Yes, but the young Mr Jones.¡± There was silence. I pushed the guard aside and walked in. A beautiful woman sat behind a desk. She looked at me when I walked in. ¡°You must be Nick,¡± she said leaning back on the chair.


    ¡°Yes, and I thought you were a call girl.¡± She frowned then chuckled. ¡°Well, I am. But I also own part of this ce but when a client requests my services and are willing to pay. They get them, just like your father.¡±


    ¡°Our father you mean.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I knew there was a reason I was sofortable with him.¡± she looked like an interesting woman.


    ¡°You came here to see for yourself your call girl sister?¡±


    ¡°I came to take you home, but I see now that I don¡¯t need to. You are safe since you are the boss.¡± She stood and took her bag. ¡°No, I will go with you. I would like to meet the woman who chased my mother a way the day she brought me to my father.¡±

 Chapter 47

    NICK


    I was shocked, mother would never do something like that. ¡°What are your talking about?¡± she ignored me and took her bag then hearted to the door with me following behind. ¡°I assume you parked at the back, yes?¡± I nodded. and she walked forward.


    I couldn¡¯t get what she said out of my mind. What did she mean mother chased her mother away? She didn¡¯t seem angry that father found her, she was angrier that he didn¡¯t tell her that he managed to find her. Would someone who chased her mother away back then do that? I didn¡¯t think so.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much little brother, I understand where your mother wasing from. From what I have been told, her rtionship with your father was still new when my mother went there with me. she must have felt threatened by her and me.¡± I said nothing. She sat next to me in the car and Given drove us home.


    Could it have been mother who warned her mother not toe back with her? I didn¡¯t know what to think. ¡°if I knew that my family was this rich, I wouldn¡¯t have been in this business but I grew up not knowing my father and mother wouldn¡¯t tell me. After her death when I was struggling with my sister. I tried looking for him, but I had nothing to go on.¡±


    What? She had a sister; did that mean she was also my sister? ¡°We have another sister?¡± I asked and she chuckled shaking her head. ¡°No, she is my sister, mother had her with another man. The one who raised me, well, he did the best he could, but he died first before mother. ident.¡±


    I sighed relieved, she was too much on her own and I didn¡¯t think I could. handle another sister. ¡°Where is your sister now?¡± she shrugged. ¡°Around, she is a grown woman now. Shees and visits when she can other than that, she never tells me where she is.¡± I nodded.


    When we got home, we went around the back. ¡°It seems I am not the only one the vultures have been stalking.¡± She said pointing at the news vans. Given parked the car and we got out. Mother came to receive us by the door.


    ¡°You must be Faren, wee.¡± I watched my mother to see if there was any guilt on her face, but I saw nothing but the smile she wore. ¡°And you must be Mrs Jones.¡± Mother nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes,e this way.¡± She led us to the dining room.


    Food was already on the table. ¡°We were about to have ate breakfast, join us.¡± She offered and we took our seats. Father couldn¡¯t stop looking at her. Mr Jones, good to see you again. Or should I call you Mr Saunders?¡±


    Father chuckled. ¡°No, Mr Jones is fine. Or you can call me father.¡± That didn¡¯t sit well with me for some reason. ¡°We are not there yet, Mr Jones.¡± He nodded looking disappointed. I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore as I excused. myself and left the table.


    I couldn¡¯t stand the look of disappointment on my father¡¯s face and the pretend look on my mother¡¯s face. She was over friendly like someone who had something to hide. I went to the bar in the other room and poured myself something to drink.


    It wasn¡¯t long before father joined me. He poured himself a drink and downed it all at once. ¡°That bad?¡± he shook his head. ¡°I failed; I didn¡¯t look for her hard enough.¡± I frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he sighed taking a seat next to me.


    ¡°I looked for her after taking over the business, when I had the resources at my disposal, but I couldn¡¯t find her. for two years I looked but found nothing. Then you were born, and I stopped looking. Until a year ago after getting Olivia out of jail and seeing her so pitiful reminded me of her. so, I started. looking again until I found her nine months ago.¡±


    I kept my mouth shut; it was none of my business. ¡°I should have never stopped looking for her, if I didn¡¯t stop then she wouldn¡¯t have ended up in that ce.¡± Well, I had no words to that. ¡°I need some air, tell you mother am in the garden when she looks for me.¡±


    I only nodded and watched him leave. I finished my drink then decided to go back to the dining room. It was time I gave my sister a chance. When I was close, I heard her talking. ¡°So, you don¡¯t want me to tell your husband that you were the reason he couldn¡¯t find me. the reason my mother never went back to look for him?¡±


    I listened waiting to hear mom¡¯s reply, hoping she was going to deny her usations. ¡°You can tell him if you want but I wasn¡¯t about to let your mother ruin my rtionship. Even so, I gave her enough money every month to take care of you.¡±


    My sisterughed mockingly. ¡°Mother died when I was twelve and my sister seven. You say you sent money to her? then why did we struggle like that if you did? There were days when there was not enough food for all of us to eat. My sister and I would eat dry bread while mother went to bed hungry. So, where was that money on those days?¡±


    Indeed, where was it if mother sent money to them? this was getting moreplicated. My phone rang and I moved away from the door to pick it up. What?¡±


    ¡°Sir, we have an opportunity to take him. do you still want us to do it?¡± I thought about it for a moment. ¡°Yes, take him.¡± I then cut the call. ¡°What have you done, Nick?¡± father asked from behind me. I turned to look at him.¡± What have you done, son?¡±

 Chapter 48

    NICK


    ¡°Dad, I¡­¡± he shook his head with a disappointed look in his face. ¡°You took that boy from his mother, didn¡¯t you?¡± I said nothing. ¡°Damnit Nick, didn¡¯t you learn anything from what is happening between me and your sister? Why would you do something like this?¡±


    ¡°Because Olivia is not a good role model for my son.¡± Father scoffed. ¡°And you are?¡± I kept quiet, at least I was better than Olivia. ¡°Nick, this will further drive a wedge between you and the mother of your child. Is that what your want? For your son to be torn between you and his mother, what do you think he will say one day when his mother tells him that you kidnap him and took him away from her just because you could?¡±


    I still said nothing, but I knew one thing. Olivia brought all that to herself. ¡°Do you think we don¡¯t want a rtionship with our grandson? We do but we were giving Olivia time. We wronged her for you, and we want her to be the one to reach out and let us see him. You wronged her too but instead of making things right for the sake of your son. You go and do this.¡±


    I was tired of everyone walking on eggshells around Olivia when she was busy attacking us for no reason. Smearing our name in public like that.¡± Olivia was the one who leaked that information about you and your daughter to the press.¡±


    Father looked at me funny. ¡°If you think that, then you don¡¯t know the kind of woman your ex¨Cwife is.¡± Why was he taking her side in this? ¡°Did you hear what I said, she leaked that information dad. She caused all this.¡±


    Father shook his head. ¡°No, son. I caused all this. I went about it the wrong way and Olivia might have changed aftering back from jail, but I don¡¯t believe she did this. What motive could she have to do this?¡±


    ¡°How about the fact that you betrayed her when you got that information. about her, when you told me she had a child in prison. Don¡¯t you think that is motive enough for her to want to get back at you?¡± father sighed.


    ¡°You see what doing things without thinking does? First it was Olivia and my


    betrayal of her and then my daughter. The truth is Nick, I shouldn¡¯t have told you about her, I should have let her be the one to do it when she was ready. I was impulsive and told you betraying her in the process. It wasn¡¯t right. I don¡¯t me her for wanting to get back at me.¡±


    He might regret what he did but Olivia had no right to do what she did. No right whatsoever. ¡°I have to go.¡± I stood but father stopped me. ¡°If you are going to take that child from his mother, then you are no to your apartment with that woman. You are going to tell instructed to take him to bring him here¡±


    oing to take him whomever you


    I frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t frown. You think I am going to let you raise my grandson with a stranger? That is never going to happen. Your mother and I are more than capable of taking care of him. I don¡¯t trust that woman Nick and why is she still living with you?¡±


    His one to talk, his wife chased the mother of his kid away and made sure she never returned. Yet he sat there judging me. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about her, but I will call them to bring Samuel here, I fished my phone out of my pocket and made the call


    Mother came in with Faren walking behind her. ¡°My girls, there you are Father said with a huge smile on his face. ¡°Darling, I have something to tell you.¡± I held my breath worried that she was going to tell him about what she did.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What is it?¡± asked father. I looked at my sister and she looked like she couldn¡¯t be bothered. ¡°I asked Faren toe live with us¡± I frowned. But a smile broke on father¡¯s face. He was happy. ¡°That is good news, did you agree Faren, do you want toe stay here with us?¡± she nodded.


    ¡°Yes, at least until all this blows over.


    ¡°Nonsense! This is your home, and you can stay as long as you want. This house is big, you can go a week without seeing us if you want to ¡°I chuckled and they all looked at me. ¡°What is so funny?¡± asked mother.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I am just happy that we are going to be one big family living under the same roof.¡± Mother raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t live here anymore.¡± She spoke. ¡°Oh, I know but I am moving back home. My son ising to stay with me, and I will not be living in another ce while he is here.¡±


    Mother¡¯s smile was quickly reced by anger. ¡°What the hell did you do, Nick Jones?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I took my son from his unfit mother.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have said that. Mother pped me so hard that I saw stars dancing in my line of vision.


    Silence followed the p. ¡°To think I thought you were smart. You are such a fool. Who taught you that it was a right thing to take a child from his mother? Why have you turned into a monster?¡± that got me angry.


    ¡°I learned from my mother, at least I am taking my son and bringing him to his family. What about you mother? Are you not the biggest monster in this room?¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Father bellowed. ¡°Never talk to your mother like that, boy. Or you will have me to deal with.¡± Iughed. He was such a fool. ¡°Do you know what she did?¡± father red at me, and I kept my mouth shut.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what she did, but you don¡¯t get to talk to her that way, not in my presence. I told you the same thing she did. You are wrong, Nick. Being angry when we tell you is not going to change that.¡±

 Chapter 49

    OLIVIA


    I sat on the couch close to the window watching Samuel y ball with Lupita. It has been two days since Nick threatened me and I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off my son. Not for a second. He was the only thing Nick could take from me that would destroy me.


    I was so paranoid that I jumped at every little thing and always looking around. I have been working from home afraid that if I left, It would be thest time I saw him and I would never see him again. Marcus was the one who was busy taking care of business the past two days.


    Sorting out theunch and dealing with the construction people rebuilding the warehouse. I was only dealing with the factory workers and doing paperwork. I ced theptop on the coffee table and turned fully to the window and watched my son y.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    He wasughing and running around chasing the ball. He would try to kick it then end up being the one who falls. I liked how he always got up and tried again. While I was still looking at that, two cars stopped in front of the gate.


    I jumped up rushing to the door. By the time I opened the door. Lupita was on the ground and the man, Owen. One of Nick¡¯s guards was heading to the gate with Samuel in his arms. ¡°Owen!¡± he stopped then turned to look at me.


    Before he could speak, Given appeared. ¡°Missus. Am sorry, but don¡¯t worry sir will take good care of him. please don¡¯t make a scene or he is going to cry and that won¡¯t be good for anyone.¡± My son looked confused, but he wasn¡¯t crying. My heart sank. ¡°Why is he doing this Given, do you think this is right?¡±


    He lowered his head in shame. ¡°Missus, let us take him without any drama. You can follow us and talk to the boss about it. But not in front of him.¡± I was holding my tears; Nick has done it again. Ripping my heart right out of my chest and literally breaking it.


    I walked towards him and Owen looked at Given. He nodded. ¡°Baby, these men are going to take you to uncle Nick, don¡¯t worry I am going to be driving


    behind you and I will meet you there alright?¡± he nodded. My poor boy.¡± Guess who else you are going to meet there?¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± he asked with a bit of excitement. ¡°Grandma and grandpa.¡± He smiled. Given was right, it was better he didn¡¯t know he was being taken away from his mother by force. I didn¡¯t want him traumatized over this.


    ¡°Now, go with them and am going to get my car keys and follow you.¡± I kissed his forehead and watched as they got into the car and drove away with him. I let my tears fall as I went back to the house. Mam, I mean Olivia. Am sorry. I should have been more careful.¡± Lupita looked worried.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lupita. There is nothing you could have done. Those her his father¡¯s people and they would have taken him even from me and there would have been nothing I could have done to stop them. just like now.¡±


    I took my keys and headed to the door. ¡°Call Mr Lewis and tell him what happened. Tell him I went there.¡± She nodded and I walked out. I got into my car and cried for a bit before starting the car and driving off.


    On the road I wondered where they took him. to his house or his parents¡® house. Not wanting to go to my old home. I opted to driving to his parent¡¯s house. I didn¡¯t want to see those people; I was not ready to see or talk to them after what they did.


    But Nick was forcing me to. Oh, how I hated that man, I stopped right next to the news vans, if Nick Jones didn¡¯t give me my son, they were going to get another scandal, and I didn¡¯t have to go far to make them miserable. The news vans were right outside.


    I walked towards the door and one of them noticed me. ¡°Olivia, why are you here, are you and Mr Jones getting back together, are you working things. out?¡± I smirked, Nick had another thinging if he thought he was going to take my son without a fight.


    ¡°Let me go inside and check on things with the family. When am done, I promise, I wille back here and answer all your questions.¡± Lwalked away heading to the door. I knocked once and helper opened. A smile broke on her face. ¡°Missus, you are here. Oh, your son is so adorable!¡± I offered her a smile as I walked inside.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± she pointed to the lounge, and I walked there. She pulled me by the arms and whispered. ¡°The whole family is in there, even the estranged daughter.¡± Interesting, I went there, and they were all around my son.


    Mom, dad and Nick. The woman who I assumed was his sister was sitting there watching them. no, she was not watching them, she was watching mom and the look she was giving her was one of disgust and I wondered what that was about.


    But I wasn¡¯t there for that, I was there for my son. ¡°Samuel?¡± I called my son, and he turned to look at me then jumped off the couch and ran to me. Mommy, you came!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Yes, baby I came. Mommy will never leave. you.¡± I beckoned for the helper toe and take him.


    ¡°Mommy wants to talk to uncle and grandma and grandpa then I will take you home.¡± He nodded and he went with the helper. ¡°We told him this was wrong Olivia; I don¡¯t want you thinking we had anything to do with this, but Nick is stubborn.¡± Mom said.


    I looked at Nick. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you think I leaked the news about your sister. But I will not let you take my son; you don¡¯t deserve to be his father and Nick. If you dare, try to stop me from taking him. I will go out there and tell them everything that you did to me. the instructions you gave to the guards. in prison, the things they did to me following your orders and you taking my son because you think I did this to your family. Everything, even the things you pretend to have no clue about.¡±


    His sister pped her hands with a huge smile on her face. ¡°You tell him girl; I don¡¯t know what he did but taking your son away from you is wrong.¡± He turned to Nick and spoke. ¡°I like her!¡±


    ¡°Stay out of this!¡± Nick said with a stern voice. Thedy¡¯s expression turned cold in a second as she looked him dead in the eyes. ¡°Or what, what are you going to do?¡±

 Chapter 50

    NICK


    She was pissing me off big time. She knew nothing of what was going on between Olivia and I. yet, she insisted on poking her nose where it doesn¡¯t belong. ¡°Stay out of this, you don¡¯t know what is going on here and being a Jones for all of two minutes, doesn¡¯t give you the right to involve yourself in my business. Stay on yourne.¡±


    Sheughed throwing her head back. ¡°You are funny, little brother. I have not been a Jones for two minutes; I have been one all my life. Just because your mother prevented me from growing up as one doesn¡¯t mean it just happened over night.¡±


    ¡°What, what do you mean by that?¡± father asked looking shocked. Mother on the other hand was ring at Faren, while she couldn¡¯t care less about the trouble she just caused. ¡°Faren, tell me what you mean by that.¡± father asked his daughter, but she didn¡¯t even spare him a nce, her eyes were fixed on me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your wife that.¡± she answered still looking at me. ¡°I am not here for that, and you can go back to your family feud as soon as I get my son and get the hell out of here.¡± Olivia said pissing me off even more.¡± Do you think threatening me is the way to go, Olivia?¡± she looked at me with those icy eyes of hers.


    That look was new to me, just what the hell happened to my wife? ¡°Oh, I am not threatening you, Nick. You lost the right to that child the moment you sent me to jail and letting him be born there. If you want a child of your own, why don¡¯t you go and make one with the woman you are living with and. leave mine alone.¡±


    She was pissing me off to no end. How many times must I tell the woman that nothing was going on between Sandra and I. ¡°Just because you keep insisting that there is something going on between Sandra and I. won¡¯t make it true. That is my son, and you won¡¯t keep him away from me, Olivia. I won¡¯t let you.¡±


    My sister tensed at the mention of Sandra and that made me wonder If she knew her or something. ¡°I can make your life miserable Nick as much as you. have mine. You already think I am the one who did this right, so why not let me go out there and tell the world the kind of person you and your family are.¡±


    ¡°Olivia!¡± Mother looked so disappointed when she heard that, mother loved. Olivia more than anything. She was her saviour after all, and she put her at high regard. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this mother, but as much as you love and would do anything for your son, including betraying people¡¯s trust. So will I for my son.¡±


    Mother didn¡¯t say a word after that. ¡°Olivia, your mother did nothing to you. I was the one who betrayed you and I would like for you to take your anger out on me not her. I was wrong child but as you said. A parent is blinded to everything when ites to their children¡¯s happiness and so was I when I did what I did. I am sorry.¡±


    Olivia chuckled, it was like she didn¡¯t hear a word father said, or she did but it meant nothing to her, she of all people should know that father apologises to no one and yet she was taking his apology as a joke. I was starting to hate what she stood for.


    ¡°I appreciate the apology father, I do but it will take time for me to trust this family again. Just because you own things and have the power to find out. everything and anything you want about people doesn¡¯t mean you should use it. You took confidential information and used it because it was for your benefit. You didn¡¯t care about me or what I wanted.¡±


    I was really getting pissed. ¡°Olivia, this is still my father, and you don¡¯t get to speak to him that way.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Okay, Nick and she is right. I had no right to use her information for my gain. Well for yours, it was hical of me. I am sorry Olivia.¡± Fuck, who the hell did she think she was reducing my father into a begging man. James Jones begs no one for forgiveness. You take what he gives you and be content with it.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Who the hell did Olivia think she was taking his apology for granted like that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you are so angry. He didn¡¯t tell me anything just that you had a child nothing more.¡± She red at me. ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t speak to me.¡±


    I chuckled and I saw my sister leaving. Mother had been quiet the whole time not even looking at us. I didn¡¯t like that she was sad. Olivia had no right to make them sad when they saved her ass and got her out of jail. ¡°How about we call it even then Olivia. They got you out of jail and they gave me. that information as repayment for that. how about we leave it at that, and you never mention this again.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Alright, Nick. If giving you my information without my permission was pay back for getting me out of jail, then fine. I will never bring this up again as long as I get to leave with my son right now and you won¡¯t bother us after that.¡±


    Before I could say anything, we heard a screaming from the other room. I didn¡¯t know Olivia could be that fast, the woman was out of the door in seconds while we were still looking at each other, she was gone. ¡°Nick! Call an ambnce.¡± She yelled from the other room and that was when my parents and I snapped out of it and ran over there.


    Olivia was on the floor with our son on herp while my sister stood on the side. My son was unconscious, and his lips were turning blue. I took my phone and called an ambnce and exined how dire the situation was.


    ¡°What happened to my son?¡± I asked ring at that woman who called herself my sister. ¡°We were ying and the next second he struggled to breathe then he passed out.¡± Anger rose from the pit of my stomach. ¡°Get the hell away from my son.¡±


    ¡°Nick?¡± I red at father, my son was fine until she came over. ¡°Not now father. She¡­¡±


    ¡°You all shut the hell up! My son is dying, and you are busy fighting?¡±

 Chapter 51

    OLIVIA


    The moment I heard that scream something in me moved. I knew something was wrong with my son and I had to go there and save him. By the time I got there, Nick¡¯s sister was kneeling over him blowing air into his mouth. I pushed her aside and checked on my son. His breathing wasboured as if something was blocking his airway.


    I called Nick for him to call for help. Then they started fighting right in front of us. I didn¡¯t care who did what at that time, all I needed was for my son to be alright. Everything else I could deal with after he was taken care of, and I knew he was alright.


    His sister might have done something to him, or it just happened. Children. get sick all the time and we could not me people for that. ¡°Olivia, she was alone with him. Samuel was fine when she wasn¡¯t here then all of a sudden, he is turning blue and struggling to breathe?¡±


    ¡°Nick, I am warning you. stop.¡± That was his father, by this time his sister was crying. I was about to say something, but I heard sirens then I picked up my son and ran past them going to the front door. Nick got there first opening the door for us and we met the paramedic at the door.


    They took him from me and ran to the ambnce with him. Nick and I followed. We were holding hands as they worked on him putting tubes on him and whatnot. I was so scared that I was going to lose him that nothing else mattered.


    ¡°He is stable now; do you want to ride with us to the hospital?¡± I quickly nodded and got in. Nick got in as well. ¡°Take him to Jones memorial. I will call ahead.¡± The paramedics nodded and left. ¡°Will he be alright?¡± I asked the one sitting at the back with us checking on Samuel.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say mam, but he is stable right now. Mind telling me what happened?¡± he asked, and I shook my head. ¡°He wasn¡¯t with me; he was with his sister, and she said they were ying and then he struggled to breathe.¡± The man nodded.


    Nick was done with the call to the hospital and by the time we got there. A team of doctors was already waiting for us. By the time the ambnce. stopped the doors were opened and my son was taken away in seconds.


    By the time we got out of the ambnce they were already inside with him. I ran after them, but they stopped me telling me I could not go any further. Nick got to me and held me from behind and that was when I broke down. crying.


    ¡°Shhhh, he is going to be alright; he is in good hands.¡± He held me tight and kept repeating that. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t have happened Nick, you shouldn¡¯t have taken him. maybe this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡± He didn¡¯t say a word and kept holding me.


    His parents and sister came in at that moment. Nick let go of me and charge. to his sister. His father blocked his way preventing him from getting to his daughter. ¡°Nick, stop what you are doing, you should be focusing on your son right now and not this.¡± I went and sat on the chair ignoring them.


    His mother came and sat next to me. ¡°I am sorry Olivia; the doctors will save him, and we will find out what happened to him. if she had something to do with this, then we are going to make her pay.¡±


    ¡°Do not pour fuel to the fire, we don¡¯t know what happened and this is my daughter you are talking about.¡± Nick¡¯s father said taking his daughter¡¯s side. ¡°And this is our grandson we are talking about, if she did something to him, then I will make her pay James. You can fight me if you want but I will not let this go.¡±


    Mother was pissed ring at father. ¡°Mother is right, we don¡¯t know


    anything about your daughter, we just met her and if she did something to my son then I will not let it go father.¡± Father looked at his family then asked for his daughter to leave with him.


    ¡°If you go now James, don¡¯te back and I don¡¯t want to see you in my house.¡± Mother threatened. ¡°Are you giving me an ultimatum?¡± father asked shocked by his wife¡¯s words. I never wanted any of this to happen. These people loved each other but ever since they got me out of jail. It has been one thing after the other.


    ¡°Take it however you want James. But mark my words, if you go with her, take her side without her being cleared of any wrongdoing. You don¡¯te back to my house.¡± Nick just stood there saying nothing while his parent¡¯s marriage was falling apart.


    ¡°Enough! We don¡¯t know what happened yet. Let us wait for the doctor.¡± I said now tired of listening to them bickering. They kept quiet but ring at each other from time to time. Nick and his mother sat by my side. While father and his daughter sat further away from us but in the same waiting room.


    After what felt like forever, the doctor appeared. We all stood up and met him halfway. ¡°I am pleased to say the boy will be fine, but we would like to keep him overnight for observation.¡± I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. My son was going to be alright and that was all that mattered.


    ¡°Doctor, what cause this?¡± asked Nick. The doctors sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, we have done some tests and waiting for results but for now nothing is jumping out. It¡¯s like it never happened, it¡¯s strange. We ordered plenty of tests to figure it out.¡±R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    That was strange. How could a child just struggle to breathe like that and turn blue and the doctors see nothing? ¡°Can I see him?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes, he is awake.¡± He led the way while the others follow. ¡°You, I don¡¯t want you. anywhere near him.¡± Nick said to his sister. ¡°Then I will also wait here.¡± His father said. ¡°Do whatever you want dad.¡±

 Chapter 52

    NICK


    I was scared out of my mind when I saw him like that. Olivia was right, I shouldn¡¯t have taken him away from her. He was not even with me for an hour and that happened. My son was not safe with me. As much as I wanted to be with him and take him away from his mother. I didn¡¯t think it was a good time to do so.


    I did not trust the woman who imed to be my sister. Father was too blind to see it, but I was not. She did something to my son and I was going to prove it. One way or another, I was going to prove that the woman had ill intensions towards us. Maybe she still held a grudge for what mother did to hers.


    But to take that out on my innocent boy was something I was not going to tolerate. She could do anything she wanted to me, mother or father but not my son. He had nothing to do with all this. Her anger should be directed at the people who wronged her not my son. I watched her finish her coffee and throw her empty cup into the trash.


    She turned a corner, and I left the others and went to take that cup. I ran straight to theb downstairs. ¡°Where is Mark?¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± he yelled from the back. I walked to him and ced the cup on his desk. He took it and shook it. ¡°Okay, I guess you didn¡¯t bring me coffee, so what¡¯s with the cup?¡± he asked. ¡°I want you topare the DNA from that cup to mine.¡± He raised an eyebrow but knew better than to ask questions.


    ¡°Since you came here by yourself and not Given or Owen, I am guessing you want the results as soon as yesterday, correct?¡±


    ¡°You know me too well.¡± I told him then turned and left. I needed to find out for myself from my own people that the woman was who she imed to be. Then figure out why she targeted my son. Getting back to Samuel¡¯s room, I found Olivia on her own sitting next to his bed holding his hand.


    I walked in and she didn¡¯t even turn to look at me. it hurt to see how much I didn¡¯t matter to her. As much as I was angry with her for what she did. I still wanted her to be innocent, but she kept showing me that she was far from being the woman I thought she was.


    ¡°You can take him with, and I will not try to take him again.¡± She scoffed.¡± It¡¯s funny how you think I needed your permission after what happened. You can try and take him away from me again, but I will take you to court this time and see what judge in their right mind would give custody of a child to a man who let something like this happen to him.¡±


    My heart broke, she thought I let this happen to our son. Maybe she was right, maybe I was to me. If I hadn¡¯t taken him, maybe none of it would have happened. ¡°You might be right; I will not take him again. I will wait for you to allow me to visit, I will note without your permission.¡±


    Maybe she was not as bad as I thought. Maybe I overreacted because of what she did. Maybe she was the better parent. My son didn¡¯t even know I was his father, he kept calling me Uncle Nick and imed that his father was Ethan.N?velDrama.Org content.


    It hurt but if he looked up to Ethan as his father then I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better man to y that role. My friend and I might not see eye to eye from time to time, but he was the best man I have ever known.


    ¡°Olivia, where did we go wrong, how did we get to this point that now we see each other as enemies, what are we fighting for, why are we fighting each. other for?¡± I didn¡¯t know anymore; she and I were supposed to be a family. But we were fighting each other. She turned to look at me and that look sent a chill down my spine.


    She gave me a look I didn¡¯t understand, I didn¡¯t know if I could call it hatred or disappointment or anger. Maybe it was a mixture of all those things. It made me think back to the house when she threatened me. she said she would tell the world what I did to her even the things I pretended not to know.


    What was it that happened to her that she thought I was responsible for? Maybe if I knew that then I would know why she was fighting me so much. Are you really asking me that, Nick? As if you don¡¯t know or you just want to further make a fool out of me?¡±


    Well, that answer alone told me that she was never going to tell me what she thought I did. But I was going to find out, I needed to know what she was talking about to be able to understand. ¡°I will be outside.¡± I walked out not wanting to make her angrier than she already was.


    Just as I rounded aer, I saw that woman talking on the phone and it sounded heated. I took anotherer wanting to be close to her to hear what she was saying. The woman had secrets, and I wanted to find out what they were.


    ¡°Well, you were taking long doing your part that I had to do some demonstration to show them that I can make their lives miserable.¡± What was she talking about, was she talking about us and what she did to my son? I fumed in anger.


    ¡°Then do your part and I won¡¯t have to do it again. But I will not wait forever, want to see results, or I am stepping in and taking over. Remember, If I take over, bad things are going to happen, and you wont like it. I don¡¯t want to be at odds with you little sis, but I will risk that if you don¡¯te through.¡±

 Chapter 53

    NICK


    As pissed as I was about the whole thing, I knew I had to y it smart. She was the owner of a brothel, and I would like to think she didn¡¯t get to where she was because she yed it safe. She had skeletons in her closet, and I wanted to find them, but I wasn¡¯t going to find anything if I was hasty. The woman was hiding something, and I needed to know what.


    She should never have gone after my family and maybe she would have still had a good life, but she decided she wanted more. She maybe my sister but that did not mean she had good intentions. I moved away then took my phone. and dialled the man. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Find out everything you can about my so¨Ccalled sister.¡±


    ¡°Already done, sir. I do a check on everyone iming to be a part of the family?¡± that was why he was there, to protect our interest and for interest¡¯s sake. I asked. ¡°Did you do a check on my wife as well?¡± silence. ¡°Did you?¡± he cleared his throat.


    ¡°Your sister is who she ims to be, and the madam did send money to her mother every month, but it seems that money was used by her stepfather. He had a drinking problem and was abusive to her mother. Also, you will never believe who her younger sister is?¡±


    I waited to hear what he was going to say next, I didn¡¯t care that he said she was my sister, I was only going to believe that when I got the results I did myself. ¡°Who is it?¡± I asked eager to know what my sister was hiding


    ¡°The woman you have been ying house with for thest three years.¡± I froze, she said she didn¡¯t know where her sister was. How could she not know when they were in the same city. Also, was it a coincidence that her sister was living with me, and she just happened to be my sister? What were the odds.


    ¡°When did you find this out?¡± I asked curious to know. ¡°When your father asked me to do a background check on her.¡± that meant father knew about the money. mother sent to them all these years and he still never said anything to mother. Did I judge him too quickly? Then why was he acting dumb at the house when his daughter spoke of this?


    Maybe he didn¡¯t say anything because he didn¡¯t want to bring out the past, maybe he was just grateful his wife took care of his daughter or maybe e was waiting for the right time to talk to mother about #


    ¡°Are you sure Sandra is her sister?¡± I asked once again not able toprehend what was going on. What did it all mean? She is her sister afright, helf sister but her sister none the less.¡± I sat on the hearest chair I could find with my mind going a hundred and eighty per minute.


    How was Sandra living with me and her sister being my older sister? What did it mean, did she seek me out? She was Olivia¡¯s friend, did she know she had a sister? But she said Sandra was an orphan when they met. Did she lie to Olivia? It didn¡¯t make sense. Well, it could have been that their parents were already dead when she met Olivia which made her an orphan,


    But why didn¡¯t she mention a sister? I stood and went back to Samuel¡¯s room eager to ask Olivia about this. But when I got there, she was asleep on the chair with her head on our son¡¯s bed. I went out and asked the first nurse I saw to bring another bed.


    Her body was going to be sore with her sleeping like that. I waited for the nurse to bring the bed and set it up. I then picked her up careful not to wake her, like she did a million times before, she snuggled on my chest making my heart. skip a beat.


    I gently ced her on the bed, and she turned to the other side. I covered her with a nket then went to seat on the chair she previously sat on. I looked at her then my son and I could tell she was his mother. He has her eyes and chin. While everything else was mine.


    I sighed sending a text to the man. I needed to know what he knew about Olivia. He was loyal to the Jones family, and I didn¡¯t know why he wouldn¡¯t tell me what he found about my wife. Also, who the hell asked him to look into her?


    Yes, his job was to gather intel about everyone we associated with. He did that. same with Olivia when we met but I didn¡¯t know he did it again after prison. I felt frustrated because it seemed like everyone else knew about my wife¡¯s time in prison while I knew nothing.


    Even my best friend knew about it while was in the dark. ¡°I need to know everything you found about my wife. Send it to me.¡± I pressed send and waited. It wasn¡¯t long before he replied. ¡°Am afraid I can¡¯t do that, sir. I am not at liberty to share that information with you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t sit still after hearing his reply. I went out and called him again. ¡°What the hell do you mean not at liberty to share, who do you think you are talking to? I am your boss, and you will give me what I need.¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Actually sir, you are not my boss, your mother is. She is the one who brought me to the Jones family after she got married to your father. I am loyal to her, and I give out the information she wants me to give. She did not give me authorisation to give out this information and so I won¡¯t. If you want answers. Ask your mother.¡±


    He said then cut the call. Just what was mother involved in, did I not know the woman who gave birth to me? what the hell was going on with my family, why did I keep finding out things about them like that?N?velDrama.Org content.


    Who the hell were these people I called my parents, and did I ever know them?

 Chapter 54

    NICK


    I paced in front of my son¡¯s ward not able to think clearly. I didn¡¯t know what to think to begin with and that was what frustrated me the most. My parents appeared with food, and I looked at them, I mean really looked at them as if I was seeing them for the first time. I might as well have been since I didn¡¯t know half the things I was finding out about now.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    First my sister and now this. I thought the man was someone my father had like I had Ethan to find out things for me. But he was not father¡¯s person but mothers. Also, why didn¡¯t I know a thing about her family when I knew everything about father¡¯s side of the family.


    I just assumed she had no family left but I was beginning to doubt that. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± mother asked as soon as she was close enough. Not wanting to ask questions in front of that woman, I said nothing.¡± Could you apany me to go find the doctor? I still have questions, but I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡±


    She quickly nodded handing the food to my father and we walked away from them. When we were far enough, she stopped and looked at me. ¡°Tell me why you really took me away from your father?¡± I sighed and looked for the nearest empty chairs.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sit there.¡± She looked at me sceptically, but I walked forward, and she followed. I sat down and she sat next to me. ¡°Who are you?¡± she looked at me confused. ¡°What are you talking about? I am your mother, of course.¡± I shook


    you?¡± mother didn¡¯t get it. my head. ¡°No, I know that, but I mean who are you?¡± mother didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°Just say what you want to know Nick and stop asking me stupid questions.¡± She was frustrated I could tell but I was too, and I needed answers. ¡°The man, he said he is loyal to you and why have I never been told anything about your side of the family?¡± mother¡¯s demeanour changed instantly when I asked about her family.


    ¡°What made you ask about them now?¡± wasn¡¯t it obvious? They were hiding. things from me, and I needed to know why. ¡°Just tell me the truth mother, what is going on between you and that man and why don¡¯t I know anything about your family?¡±


    She sighed her facial features softening. ¡°Well, I guess you are old enough to know.¡± I turned fully to look at her. she rubbed her hands together as if she was nervous. I had never seen the woman nervous about anything. Even when Faren used her of sending her mother away and threatening to tell father about it. The woman was not nervous.


    But for some reason, talking about her family made her nervous. ¡°My maiden name is ck.¡± Okay, so what? I didn¡¯t get what she was trying to say. Mother could see the confusion on my face because the next words she said sent me jumping up from the chair and almost falling face first of the hospital tiled floor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be slow Nick, I mean my maiden name is ck, as in the cks of Summer Strand.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. The cks of Summer Strand, a wealthy mafia family that has been there for generations. Why didn¡¯t I know this? Shit! I had always been afraid of the cks the most when I did business in Summer Strand.


    Only to find out that they were my family. Just who were my parents. ¡°So, that would make you the mafia princess?¡± mother chuckled. ¡°I was until I disobeyed my father and refused to marry from another mafia family. I was so in love with your father that I broke our customs and married outside of the circle. Father disowned me but gave me ¡°The man¡± said He was thest thing he would ever give me and that I should never show my face in Summer Strand again.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand. How could she have just been able to leave like that. ¡± know what you are thinking, yes, they wanted me dead even my own brother offered to kill both your father and i. but my uncle, my father¡¯s younger brother refused. He said if they killed me, then they would have to kill him too. So, father said he could leave with me and never return. We were banished from the family and Summer Strand.¡±


    Jesus! The man was my uncle. Fucking Hell! ¡°Mom?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to react to everything. She patted my knee standing up. ¡°No one knows about this, and no one ever will. I am the older missus of the Jones family and that is it.¡±


    She was about to walk away when I asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you want him to tell me about Olivia?¡± mother turned to me, and she gave me that look she gave me. thest time. The one that got me scared and I think I finally understood where it came from.


    The mafia in her was awake and that was what that look meant. ¡°Because you don¡¯t deserve to know, not yet any way.¡±


    ¡°But she is my wife, if it¡¯s something that could help me understand what is going on then I need to know.¡± I demanded and mother walked back towards me. she was like a predator stalking her prey. She stopped right in front of me, she was so close that we were breathing the same air.


    ¡°Never demand anything from me, you are my son, but I decide what to tell you and what not to tell you. Olivia is not your wife anymore, you divorced her. you live in the same house as the woman responsible for everything and yet you have the audacity to demand things from me. grow a damn pair Nick and open your damn eyes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know the woman in front of me and I have to admit. She scared the hell out of me. She then smiled like nothing happened and patted my shoulder.¡± Remember what I said son and don¡¯t demand things from me.¡±


    She then walked away smiling, and I watched until she turned a corner. ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡±

 Chapter 55

    OLIVIA


    When I woke up, it was morning, and the doctor was busy with his morning. rounds checking on Samuel. I was on the bed next to him, and I didn¡¯t know how or when I got there. I suspected Nick but then again, the man would never do something like that for me. it was sad to even think that he would.


    ¡°You are wake, good. I have a report for you, and you have many visitors out there waiting for you. but your husband wouldn¡¯t let theme inside.¡± I just looked at him, he knew that Nick was no longer my husband. I was sure the whole world knew, and he insisted on calling him that.


    ¡°I guess you are not a morning person, alright. Do you want me to call him for you?¡± he was pissing me off by the second. ¡°Oh kay. Any way. Your son is fine, and the teste back negative. We are still not sure what caused the reaction that he had but I will ask that you be careful. We don¡¯t know if it was something he ate or touched but I suggest you watch him closely from now on.¡±


    I sighed relieved, but he couldn¡¯t have gotten something from my ce. We had been there for a couple of months, and nothing happened. Whatever happened, it was at Nick¡¯s parent¡¯s house, not mine. Which was why he was never going back there.


    ¡°Right, I have signed his discharge papers, and you can take him home the moment he wakes up.¡± I thanked him and he walked out. Nick¡¯s mother came in with a shopping bag shortly after. ¡°Good morning, I thought you could use a change of clothes, and I brought food.¡± She ced everything on the bedside. table.


    ¡°Thank you, I will pay you back for this.¡± She waved her hand. ¡°Nonsense! Just because we had a disagreement or that you are no longer married to my son, doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t take care of you. I love you Olivia like a daughter and you are the mother of my grandson.¡±


    I nodded, she has always been nice to me, she was not like other mother¡¯s inw who terrorised their daughters inw. The woman genuinely cared for me. Do you mind telling me, what the doctor said?¡± I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Come on,


    Olivia. Just because James went behind your back to get your information doesn¡¯t mean I am the same.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°They didn¡¯t find anything on the tests. They still don¡¯t know what caused that episode, they think it might have been something he ate or touched. But they are releasing him today.¡± She smiled relieved. ¡°Oh, thank God! Am so d he is alright.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    She then turned serious. ¡°Olivia, I know I have not been the best of motherstely. I failed to protect you from my family, and I am sorry for that. But I will tell you this, I know you didn¡¯t leak the news to the press, and I know someone is trying to frame you.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow wondering what she knew that I didn¡¯t. ¡°I have someone looking into this for me and I will find out who it was soon. I was not here to protect you when Nick sent you to prison but I am here now.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this, why wont you take Nick¡¯s word for it and believe him?¡± I wanted to know what her motive was. ¡°Because there is no way in hell this is a coincidence, someone is working overtime to make sure things never go well between you and Nick. Also, no one messes with my family like that and get away with it and you Olivia are my family, and I will protect you just as much as I would protect Nick.¡±


    I wanted to ask more but the door opened, and Nick, Ethan, Marcus and dad walked in. ¡°I am so d that my grandson is alright.¡± She said all smiles as if she was not serious a moment ago. Maybe I underestimated mom. Or I judged her too quickly.


    ¡°Is the doctor releasing him?¡± asked Nick not really looking at his mother. He only nced at her then focused on me. I just nodded. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me when this happened?¡± Marcus asked as he came closer to me.


    ¡°You are not the father of the child so; you were not needed.¡± Nick responded. Marcusughed turning to look at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know what I am Jones, so shut it.¡± Nick closed the gap between them and I felt a headacheing.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t behave then I will ask you both to leave.¡±


    ¡°He should leave, I am the father, and I have every right to be here.¡± Nick retaliated. ¡°Actually, I am the one in the birth certificate not you. You are the biological father, and I am his father byw and every way that matters. So, you both leave.¡±


    ¡°You put him in my son¡¯s birth certificate?¡± Nick asked looking hurt. It pissed me off to no end. What right did he have to be hurt. I went closer to him; I didn¡¯t want to yell in my son¡¯s room and wake him up. ¡°Where were you when Ethan was registered as a father in your son¡¯s birth certificate, huh?¡± he said nothing.


    ¡°I will tell you where, you were busy ying house with the woman who betrayed me and forgot about the wife you sent to prison. Ethen is right about one thing; he is and has been more of a father to Samuel than you, if you don¡¯t like it, I don¡¯t care, deal with it just like I dealt with everything your people put me through in that damn prison.¡± I whisper yelled with my anger rising to the surface with each word I spoke.


    ¡°There it is again; what do you think I did to you in there Olivia and what people are you talking about? You keep saying my people, but you don¡¯t tell me what people, what happened to you in there and what makes you think I had anything to do with it?¡± I looked at him and he looked like he had no idea what I was talking about. Or was he ying me? I clearly heard those people and what they said.


    Every time they came at me, they said ¡°It¡¯s time to y little girl, the boss wants you to suffer in here and have no rest. We obey the boss¡¯s orders and what Mr Jones wants; he gets.¡±

 Chapter 56

    OLIVIA


    ¡°Enough! If you want to be a father to your son, Nick. Then I suggest you start acting like one and stop ming people for not being there for your son. Now we will not be arguing in front of Samuel, the boy has been through enough already.¡± His mother reprimanded looking angry. If there was one thing I liked about his mother.


    It was that she did not take her son¡¯s side when he was wrong, she told him off and didn¡¯t have mercy while doing so. I didn¡¯t even take the shower I was supposed to take, I just woke my son up and told him we are going home. ¡°I am taking you home.¡± Marcus offered and I nodded.


    ¡°I will bring you all something to eat.¡± Ethan offered. ¡°I am going to be the one taking them home.¡± Nick said but no one paid any attention to him. his sister sneered on the side and Nick red at her. I could tell that those two will never get along, they already didn¡¯t trust each other.


    Marcus, Ethan and I walked out following each other. Nick¡¯s mother ran and caught up with us. ¡°Olivia, remember what I said. Be more careful now, not all who smile andugh with you have good intentions. Keep your eyes open and I will talk to you as soon as I get the information.¡± I nodded and she gave me a sad smile before letting me go.


    I wondered what she found that made her believe that I didn¡¯t leak that


    information when her son was convinced that I did it. Could it be that she knew


    who was responsible or have a suspect in mind? ¡°Hey,e back to me, where is your mind at?¡± Marcus snapped me out of my trace bringing me back. to reality.R¨ºAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    We were already outside standing in front of the car. He has the door opened for me to get inside but I was just standing there lost in thoughts. ¡°Are you alright, Olivia?¡± Ethan asked getting closer to us. ¡°Yes, I am alright. I will tell you both about what am thinking when we get to the house. Right now, I just want to get my son home.¡±


    Ethen nodded going to his car which was parked next to Marcus and drove off telling us that he was going to get the food order from the hotel and meet us at my house. I got inside the car and Marcus drove off. ¡°I thought you put someone on the house to protect us from Nick and his people.¡± I confronted him.


    My son was taken right in front of the house, and I saw none of his people.ing out to help. ¡°My people are there, and they got everything they did on camera. I told them not to act, if Nick didn¡¯t give you Samuel back willingly. I was going to leak that video to the media and then help you take him to court. He was going to lose custody of his son because those morons used his marked cars, and they are under his employment.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying, there I was thinking that he too failed me like Nick did. I thought he lied when he said he had people watching us and protecting us. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted them. ¡°I didn¡¯t just want to protect you Olivia, but I want to have something tangible to use against Nick.¡±


    He sighed running his hand through his head. ¡°You told me that the man had connections, I wanted to have enough evidence that even his people wouldn¡¯t be able to save him. That video was guarantee that you would win your son¡¯s custody and Nick would never bother you about that again. We can still use it if he dared try something again.¡±


    Nick ruined me to a point that I was suspicious of everyone, even the people. who were trying to help me. ¡°I am sorry for doubting you, Marcus. It¡¯s just that when they took Samuel, and no one showed up. I thought I was all alone and that I lost him.¡±


    I might have thought I lost my son, but I was not going to roll over and let Nick take him. I was going to fight to get him back and I was willing to tell the world the most painful things that man did to me. I was ready to give Nick Jones the fight of his life. No one was going to take my son from me without a fight.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I understand.¡± I was grateful to him; I really was but I wished he understood that I had changed. That I was no longer the na?ve Olivia he knew. I was a changed woman, no one went to prison and came back the same. That ced changes you even without having people torture you every day because your husband told them to.


    When we got home Lupita cried seeing Samuel back, Grandma Susan didn¡¯t want to leave his side. While Lupita bathed him, grandma sat facing the bathroom and asked Lupita not to fully close the door so she could keep an eye on them.


    When she put Samuel to bed grandma didn¡¯t want to leave his room. I tried to convince her to get some rest, but she refused. She reminded me so much of my grandmother. She would have been the same as Grandma Susan, stubborn and relentless.


    I took a shower and by the time I got out Ethan was back with the food. We sat on the table and ate. ¡°I don¡¯t trust Nick¡¯s sister.¡± He said out of the blue. Both Marcus and I stopped eating and looked at him. ¡°What? The woman is not just a call girl. She owns that club, and she had ties to the underground gang. I don¡¯t trust her.¡±


    I frowned, could it be that she really did something to my son? ¡°The doctors found nothing wrong with Samuel and we can¡¯t use her without proof. It doesn¡¯t matter who she works with or where she works. She might be innocent. Come back with evidence I will believe you.¡± Ethan just shook his head and continued eating.


    ¡°Tell us, what was it that got you distracted at the hospital earlier. Did Nick¡¯s mother say something to upset you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°On the contrary, she said I should be careful, that not all who smile at me are my friends. She believes that someone is trying to frame me.¡±

 Chapter 57

    OLIVIA


    The guys shared a look like they did not believe that Nick¡¯s mother had good intentions. ¡°I know it sounds strange, but it makes sense to me. Look at all the strange texts I keep getting after each incident. Someone wants to make me look bad and she said she would find out who it is and send me the information.¡±


    The guys said nothing. I understood where Marcus wasing from, Nick has not exactly been a model citizen when it came to me. The man has done a lot to hurt me, and he didn¡¯t know his mother. So, he didn¡¯t believe his mother would take my side in this. He might think that she wanted to trick me or something.


    But I had to trust someone, until his mother shows me something to mak doubt her, I will give her the benefit of the doubt. She was not her son. ¡°I would me listen to her when she said be careful. She is right, not all who smile with your are your friends. Take Sandra for instance.¡± He said that looking at Ethan.


    He frowned getting up. ¡°I will not stand for this, am leaving. Olivia. Call me when you need something.¡± I nodded and he left. ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat him that way you know.¡± Marcus shrugged. ¡°I did nothing wrong, I just looked at the man. If he was innocent, why is he so guilty?¡± I said nothing to that.


    But I did notice that he did not eat much. He was ying with his food.¡± Marcus, is everything alright?¡± I was so focused on my son that I didn¡¯t notice that something was amiss with him. ¡°Everything is fine,¡± I looked at him. he was saying everything was fine with his mouth, but his eyes were saying something else.


    ¡°Then ying with your food and looking distracted.¡± He gave me


    why are yo a smile trying to convince me that he was alright. But the smile did not reach his eyes. I sighed cing my hand in his, he looked at my hand and stilled.


    ¡°Marcus, did something happen with thepany, are we not going to be able to have everything ready for theunch?¡± he lifted his head and looked at me. No, theunch is going ahead as nned, but¡­¡± he paused looking away from me.


    ¡°But what? Talk to me please. I am also the owner of the business and we both shoulder the responsibilities if something goes wrong.¡± He shook his head. standing up. ¡°It has nothing to do with our business. Everything is fine on that front.¡±


    I stood too. Something was wrong, it might not have been with our business, but something was wrong somewhere, I could tell. ¡°Then what is bothering you?¡± he sighed turning to look at me. ¡°Someone is stealing money from my business. They are taking small amounts at the time so that no one notices.¡±


    I felt defeated, when were we ever going to get peace? We had stopped the revenge on Nick. We should be having some peace in our lives, but it was not happening. Instead, more problems came to light. ¡°But you did notice and stopped it. How much did they take?¡±


    He sat back down, now that I looked at him closely. The man looked exhausted like he had not been sleeping. I felt guilty that I didn¡¯t notice. That was a man who noticed everything about me and made sure I was taken care of.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°I only noticed because we do a sweep for viruses on our servers every month. They have taken about 1,2 million dors over thest month and if I didn¡¯t do the sweep then they would have taken more. I would have only noticed when I had nothing.¡±


    My heart ached; it could be because of me that this was happening to him. He had no problems with his businesses until he started working with me. ¡°My people are still trying to find out who did it. They did find out the transfers were being done from here and they are still trying to locate the person¡¯s IP address.¡±


    It was clear that it was because of me, it could be the same person who had our warehouse burnt down. ¡°I am sorry Marcus. This is all my fault.¡± He quickly shook his head. ¡°No Olivia, you didn¡¯t steal from me, so you did nothing wrong. Also, don¡¯t worry about the two million, I am worth more than that. I am just pissed that they decided to go after my money like that. these people are nothing more than mere thieves and we are going to get them.¡±


    Still, that did not put my heart at ease, they were targeting him because of me and the sooner we found them the better. ¡°What can I do to help?¡± he gave me a tender look making butterflies surge in my stomach. Get a grip Olivia, why in the hell would you feel like that, the man is your business partner nothing more.


    I reprimanded myself, I had not been very lucky in the love department, and I was not about to entangle myself in another situation. What I had been through was enough and I was not ready for anything like that. I still had a lot more. going on that I needed to focus on.


    ¡°You are already doing it, being here with me. allowing me to spend time with you and your son. That makes my nerves and heart still. Like with you by myside I can face anything and win.¡± Now why did he have to go and say lo things like that when I was trying to not think about him that way?


    I smiled moving away from him keeping a distance between us. I started clearing the table. ¡°Good, let me know if there is anything more, I can do.¡± He smiled and started helping me. Dear Lord, please stop. I wanted to keep my distance and you being this close is not exactly helping.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You seem ufortable.¡± Iughed nervously. But before 1 could answer my phone beeped and I rushed to it. There was a text from Ethan, and it read. ¡°I am sorry for leaving like that. I just don¡¯t like being used of things I know nothing about. How about I make it up to you. dinner tonight?¡±


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± asked Marcus. I typed a reply and sent it. ¡°Yes, everything is fine. It¡¯s just Ethan.¡± He frowned but nodded. My phone beeped my hand again and I check. It was Ethan again. ¡°Perfect, I will see you tonight.¡± I frowned then checked my reply to him.


    I face palmed myself, I said yes to dinner when I wanted to say no. Jeez what the hell was Marcus doing to me?

 Chapter 58

    NICK


    ¡°Tell me something, mother. Am I really your son, did you give birth to me?¡± was pissed, really pissed at her. How could she? ¡°Stop being dramatic Nick and tell me what you mean?¡± I looked at father, but it was like he was not even there. The man had not said a word to mother and I since that incident at the hospital.


    ¡°Why would you take Olivia¡¯s side like that in front of everyone, in fact, your always take her side on everything. Why do you do that mother, is Olivia¡¯s happiness more important to you than mine?¡± the woman red at me sending a cold shiver down my spine. I had a fair amount of regret when she gave me that look.


    ¡°So, in your opinion, you want me to take your side even when you are being a moron? I told you to grow and be the son raised you to be. Maybe then I will start taking your side. Until then, do not question me about nonsense and I want you out of my house. You have your own, go back there. Your father and I need some peace and quiet.¡±


    The woman was merciless with her words, I was her son and yet she treated me like I was a stranger. Even father was more affectionate with his long¨Clost daughter than she was with me. Was she always like that or she changed now? ¡°Are you kicking me out of my own home?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what are you going to do about it? I raised you to be the man that you are. You have your own home and possessions. I have done my job as a parent, so yes. I want you to leave Nick and the next time youe over, call first.¡± She walked away leaving me with my jaw on the ground. ¡°Dad?¡± he did not even nce at me.


    He stood and walked to the opposite direction. My ¡°Sister¡± appeared out of nowhere. ¡°I see that things are not going so well for you, Nicky. Want big sis to help you out?¡± I sent a re her way, she was thest person in the world I would ever ask for help.


    walked away angry. Given was standing by the car smoking when I came out. He put out the cigarette stomping on his with his foot to make sure. ¡°Where to, sir?¡± he asked opening the door for me. ¡°My house.¡± I leaned back on the chair and closed my eyes.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Why was my world turning upside down while Olivia was living her happily ever after with her high school sweetheart and my best friend. Raising my son, without me. Everything was just wrong, and it pissed me off!


    ¡°Sir, we are here.¡± I opened my eyes then got out of the car. I needed some rest, the past two days had been long for me, and I needed to recharge before thinking of ways to make things better for myself. I walked in through the kitchen door and Sandra was eating take out sitting on the kitchen counter.


    I then remembered that she was my sister¡¯s younger sister. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you had a sister?¡± she tensed for a moment before cing her cutlery down and turning to look at me. she stered a smile on her face getting up from the chair.


    ¡°Nick, you are back. Sorry I didn¡¯t cook and got takeout since I didn¡¯t think you would being home. But I can make you something quickly if you want or I can order take out for you as well.¡± She was avoiding the question I asked.


    People who normally did that had something to hide. What did Sandra have to hide then. ¡°No, am fine. Now answer my question.¡± She turned and went back to her seat and started eating again. I went around and stood in front of her on the other side of the counter.


    She would not look at me, it was like the food she was eating was more important than me. I banged the counter with my hand making her jump a little. ¡°I hate being ignored Sandra, now I will not ask you again.¡± She ced down her cutlery and looked at me with sadness in her eyes.


    I immediately felt guilty for raising my voice at her. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you about her because there is nothing to tell. My sister and I don¡¯t get along. The woman left me alone back home as soon as she turned eighteen and never looked back. She is dead to me, that is why I never mentioned her.¡±


    She looked sad when she told me that. but then I thought back to what our sister said that she would go and visit her but she didn¡¯t know where she lived. ¡°Does your sister know where you are?¡± she shook her head. ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t.


    Dit and I want to that way. You don¡¯t know her Nick, she is bad news. You have to believe me on that.¡±


    I looked at her, but I didn¡¯t know what to believe. It was not a coincidence that both sisters ended up in my family. Something was up with them, and I needed to find out what it was. ¡°You have to believe me, Nick. If she came out and told you about us being sisters, then she wants something from you.¡±


    I said nothing but turned and went to my room. Something was going on with those two, one of them was lying about something but which one? I ced my jacket on the hanger then took pills out to help me sleep.


    I turned walking back to the kitchen to get some water but when I appeared Sandra was on the phone, and I stopped to listen. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that and if you didn¡¯t tell him about us being sisters then who did? Because I didn¡¯t tell him!¡± she nced back and I hid.


    ¡°You better not mess things up for me, find out who told him about us and take care of this. You said I must do my part but I will not be able to if I am associated with you. Remember why we decided to hide our rtionship!¡±


    She then cut the call and ced her phone back on the counter. I walked back inside, and she jumped a little. ¡°Nick, you scared me. changed your mind about the food?¡± I looked at her wondering what the hell was she and her sister up to. ¡°Why are you so jumpy?¡±

 Chapter 59

    NICK


    She got down from the chair and started packing everything away. ¡°I am not jumpy, Nick. You just scared me that¡¯s all.¡± I watched her every move trying to see any sign of deceit. What the hell are you and your sister up to Sandra. ¡°You said I should not trust your sister, what has she done?¡±


    She looked so nervous. ¡°What?¡± I chuckled; the woman was taking me for a fool. ¡°I asked what has your sister done that you say she cannot be trusted?¡±


    ¡°Oh, well. Many things. She is awful Nick.¡± Interesting, she could not even tell me one thing she did. ¡°Awful, how?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this Nick, it hurts me to even think about it so please. Respect my privacy.¡± She exploded. ¡°Wow! There is no need for that, I just want to understand. How am I supposed to protect you from her if you don¡¯t tell me the truth? I protected you from my wife remember?¡±


    She sighed then stopped what she was doing and sat back down. I waited for her to say something. ¡°My father was an alcoholic. An abusive alcoholic.¡± Okay, I knew that. I wanted to hear why she thought her sister was horrible. Why was she ying me for a fool, and they were up to something.


    ¡°Our mother died, when I was seven and my sister twelve.¡± I knew that too. ¡°My father took custody of us; we worked and took care of us. But every time he would drink, he would beat my sister up. It got so bad that she even dropped out of school.¡± I felt sorry for her, and she looked hurt as she told me the story.


    But what did that got to do with her sister being awful? ¡°Father would scold me but neverid a hand on me. At least not until she left me there when she turned eighteen. Since she was not there for my father to use as a punching bag, he turned me into a punching bag.¡± A tear dropped from her eyes. She looked like she was back there again, and I did that to her.


    I felt guilty for doing that to her. ¡°I prayed every night that he would note back home and then he would, and he would be drunk. He would start byining about small things, food being cold or demanding food when he didn¡¯t do groceries, and I always had to provide it. He didn¡¯t care where it came from but when he wanted food. I had to make sure he got it.¡±


    She sniffed shaking her head. Sadness filled her eyes as she looked through. the wall as if she was seeing something else other than the painting that hung there. ¡°He would beat me up and those nights. I would pray that my sister woulde back and take me with her. but guess what, she never did.¡±


    She chuckled mockingly. ¡°I had to endure that for three years until he died in an ident. My sister showed up at the funeral like nothing happened and driving a new car. She had a good life while I suffered. My sister didn¡¯t even think of me when things were going well for her, she forgot about me and so, I forgot about her, she is dead to me and I mean that.¡±


    Well, I believed that she did believe what she was saying but there was something else. Something she was not saying and that something could be the reason she and her sister were working together. The question was, what was it?N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°You know, one night people broke into the house. My father was passed out on the couch, and I was in my room. I jumped when I heard the door thinking it was my father, when I appeared it was them and they came after me. I ran to my room and got out through the window spraying my ankle in the process. That night I slept on the streets, yet I had a sister who could have saved me. but was too busy enjoying her life to care.¡±


    I wondered if she knew the kind of job her sister was doing back then or is still doing. I think if she knew then she wouldn¡¯t me her so much for what. happened. Maybe she was ashamed of what she was doing that she would rather have her sister far away than for her to see how she turned out.


    ¡°I understand that but why wont you give her another chance. What you are saying happened a long time ago, she might have changed, might be a better person but you won¡¯t find out if you keep her at arm¡¯s length.¡± I can¡¯t believe I was taking that woman¡¯s side.


    She had no excuse for abandoning her sister in that situation no matter what she did for a living. It would have been better if she took and risked her finding out what she did then leave her in a bad situation like that.


    ¡°No, my sister has not changed, she is worse than she was before. I am even scared of her and what she might do one day.¡± I frowned and closed the distance between us. Sheughed nervously. ¡°I mean, I am afraid of her world not her. I don¡¯t want to end up in that world. Anyway. Now you know why I don¡¯t talk about her.¡±


    She jumped off the chair and hurried off to her room leaving me with more questions than answers. She meant what she said, I saw the look in her eyes when she said she was afraid of her sister. I saw terror in her eyes, and she wasn¡¯t faking it.


    I looked in the direction she disappeared to then went to my room. I took my phone and dialled my uncle. ¡°Yes, what do you need?¡± mother must have told him I knew who he was because there was no ¡°Sir¡± when he answered the call this time.


    ¡°I need more information on my sister, there is more to her than what meets the eyes. I need you to dig deeper and find out everything you can about her.¡± there was silence. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± silence. I took the phone off my ear and checked it.


    The call was not dropped but he was not saying anything. ¡°Hello, are you there?¡±


    ¡°I will get you the information you need but be careful how you use it when you get it, or you will regret ever asking for it.¡±

 Chapter 60

    OLIVIA


    ¡°Why do you have that look, what happened.¡± I lifted my head and looked at Marcus. ¡°I just said yes to dinner with Ethan, tonight.¡± He paused what he was doing and just stared at me for a minute. He then ces the te h was holding into the sink then wiped his hands. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to leave so that you can get ready for your date.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a date its just dinner.¡± He waved his hand going towards the front door with me following behind. ¡°It¡¯s okay Olivia, go and enjoy yourself. I will see you.¡± he walked out then closed the door before I could say more. I sighed feeling defeated. ¡°You like him, don¡¯t you?¡± I turned and Lupita was standing there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± I walked past her going to the kitchen. ¡°Right, then why do you look so guilty about going to dinner with Mr Lewis?¡±


    ¡°Lupita! It¡¯s bad to listen to other people¡¯s conversations.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to; I wasing to the kitchen to wash the dishes when I heard you.¡± I sighed turning to face her. ¡°It¡¯s too soon for me to go out on dates and besides. My son just got out of the hospital. I wanted to say ething just clicked. ¡°Oh, you mean that¡­?¡± I nodded. ¡°Oh.¡± That oh was getting a little annoying. ¡°So, you like Mr Walker but going out with Mr Lewis.¡± She made it sound like it was a bad thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Ethan and I are friends, and we are going out as friends. He is just trying to make it up to me for the way he left earlier.¡± She looked at me with a raised eyebrow ¡°What?¡± she was annoying now. ¡°Girl, do you see the way that man looks at you?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°That man looks at you like you are the only woman in the world. In my opinion, that is not how you look at someone who is just your friend. That man is head over hills in love with you and you are just too blind to see it.¡± No! it couldn¡¯t be.


    He was Nick¡¯s best friend; he wouldn¡¯t do that to him. they loved each other, they were bros. he would never look at me that way. Lupita must have been seeing things. ¡°No, Ethan wouldn¡¯t do that, he is loyal to Nick, and I was his wife. He will never cross that line.¡± Or would he?


    Lupita shrugged. ¡°Maybe I am seeing things, and I have not known Mr Lewis that long. You know him better than I do.¡± Did I? I decided to not entertain her, I had already said yes to dinner, and I was not going to disappoint the only person who offered me a helping hand when I needed it.


    It was just dinner nothing more. ¡°I am going to get ready, are you sure you are going to be okay with Samuel and grandma on your own.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will be just fine.¡± I nodded and went to shower. I thought about what Lupita said as I showered but decided to take it out of my head. Even if Ethan did have feelings for me, I wouldn¡¯t cross that line with him. Besides being Nick¡¯s friend, I didn¡¯t see him that way and felt nothing but friendly feelings for him. if that was even a thing. I got out of the shower and got ready. When I was done, I walked out still wearing my slippers and holding my shoes and bag.


    I was surprised to see that Ethan was already there waiting. ¡°Am Ite?¡± I asked checking the time. ¡°No, I am early. I wanted to see Samuel first before we left. He was asleep when I was here earlier.¡± I guess we had the same thought. I also wanted to spend a few minutes with my son before we left.


    ¡°You look beautiful.¡± Heplimented and I gave him a smile. ¡°Thank you, you look good too.¡± Lupita coughed and I red at her. she smiled and looked away. I didn¡¯t want to think about what she said or it was going to distract me the whole evening. I wore my shoes then yed with Samuel for a while before Ethan and I left.


    Lupita put ideas in my head and now I couldn¡¯t look at Ethan in the eyes. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yes, am fine.¡± If you called me wondering if he had feelings for me fine then yes, I was very fine. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel like going out then we can go back.¡± I shook my head.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    1 had already said yes and besides. If we don¡¯t go now, he might ask again and saying no would be awkward. ¡°Am fine, really.¡± When we got to the restaurant, everything was fine. He didn¡¯t act different and was the Ethan I knew.


    Lupita must have been mistaken his looks for something else. I felt relieved that I started enjoying myself. we wereughing and talking the whole time. I felt like myself again, like the Olivia from before prison.


    ¡°Thanks for tonight, Ethan, I didn¡¯t know I needed this until I got here.¡± He smiled as he got into the car about to head no to Ethan, but Marcus made me so nervous that I ended up typing yes instead of no.¡±


    ¡°If you are notfortable with Mr Walker around then tell him not toe here anymore. Tell him to meet at the office if he has something business rted to discuss. You can¡¯t have someone you are notfortable with in your home.¡±


    I shook my head, she got it all wrong, I liked having Marcus around. ¡°That is not the case Lupita, I like having him around and maybe a little too much.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She said, then her eyes widened as if somback. ¡°I needed this too. It has been a rough couple of days and I needed a break.¡±


    ¡°More like a rough couple of years for me. thank you for doing this.¡± He smiled. ¡°You are most wee.¡± The driver got out of the parking and joined the road. We were having champagne in the back seat talking about the couple who were on the table next to ours.


    The wife or girlfriend insisted the guy buy take away for her to eat at home tomorrow. The guy looked like he was going to pass out when she asked that. We assumed he didn¡¯t have money to buy more food just for that date. He paid and excused himself to go to the bathroom and never came back.


    We wereughing about that when a bright light from an oing car blinded us. It looked like it was passing but then hit us on the side. The car rolled a couple of times before ite to a stop and then silence.

 Chapter 61

    OLIVIA


    I was drifting in and out of consciousness. The first time I was woken up by water dripping onto my forehead. At least I thought it was water. With difficulty, I opened my eyes and looked ahead. I saw shadows moving. My eyes were so heavy that I closed them again and passed out.


    The next time I woke up I was lucid enough to hear voices. I didn¡¯t know who the people were, but I heard one of them say. ¡°She better not be dead or if she dies, you follow.¡± Why was I going to be dead in a dream? ¡°Who¡­are..you?¡± I mumbled. The woman must have heard me because she called someone.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°She is alive, she¡¯s talking.¡± She sounded so excited to hear me talk. I cked out again. Then the dream changed. I was in a beautiful field with wildflowers everywhere. Fresh air and I felt so light and free. ¡°Olivia?¡± I turned and my grandmother stood not too far away from me.


    I ran into her arms and held her tightly as I cried. ¡°Am sorry grandma, for everything. I am so sorry.¡± She brushed my backforting me. ¡°It¡¯s alright now sweet girl. I am fine and you have nothing to apologise for.¡± I broke the hug and looked at her.


    She was so beautiful and radiant. I sniffed and hugged her again. ¡°Oh, grandma. I missed you so much and I am sorry you didn¡¯t get to meet my son. You would love him grandma. He is the sweetest boy in the world.¡± She chuckled breaking the hug and looking at me with a smile.


    ¡°You, silly girl, of course I know your son. I am always there watching him, both of you. you are doing a good job with him Olivia and I am so proud of you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but cry again. She wiped my tears and gave me a smiled.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave now my sweet girl.¡± I shook my head no; it was too soon, and I wanted more time with her. ¡°Not yet grandma.¡± She gave me a sad smile. ¡°It is not the time for you to be here Olivia and the longer you stay here, the more difficult it will be to get back.¡± I still shook my head no.


    My grandmother smiled. ¡°Silly girl, who is going to take care of your son if you stay here? He needs his mother you know. Go back to him.¡± Samuel, my son. The thought of him being alone without me scared me. ¡°See that feeling, hang on to it.¡± I was confused what feeling was she talking about.


    Then before I could ask more pain came and I winced. ¡°That¡¯s the one that will take you back to him, remember Olivia, I am always watching and protecting you both. I love you my sweet girl.¡± She was fading as she spoke. I wanted to chase after her but the pain in my head was too much.


    I opened my eyes a little and I saw a man hovering over me, I didn¡¯t know him.¡± Good, we almost lost you there. Stay with me for a little while longer, we are almost there. Just hang on?¡± I moved my hand searching for something to hang on to like he said.


    But I couldn¡¯t find anything. ¡°You moved your fingers, good. Keep doing that, focus on your hand and keep moving it.¡± What the hell was he talking about, I didn¡¯t move only my fingers, I moved my hand. But I was so tired, did I work too hard? I must have there has been a lot going on at worktely.


    ¡°My son.¡± I mumbled. The man brought his face near mine, too close for my liking. Please don¡¯t kiss me, I don¡¯t know you. please don¡¯t. As if he heard me, the stranger turned and put his ear next to my mouth. ¡°Repeat what you said,e on, focus for me, listen to my voice and don¡¯t sleep.¡± But I was tired and who the hell did he think he was to tell me not to sleep.


    ¡°My son.¡± I repeated. ¡°Hey! Was there anything about a boy in that car?¡± he yelled. He was so loud, I wished he could shut up, I wanted to sleep. ¡°What child?¡± another one I could not see yelled back. ¡°She keeps saying my son, do you think there was a baby in the car?¡± I closed my eyes so tightly trying to prevent the noise.


    It was working because their voices became softer and softer. ¡°Hey! I said don¡¯t sleep, not yet. Tell me about your son, was he with you in the car?¡± I wished he could just shut the hell up. His yelling was causing me a terrible headache.


    ¡°Open your eyes Miss, your son needs you to wake up and stay with me.¡± my son, I wanted to stay awake for my son, but it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. I was so tired that I needed just to sleep for few minutes. I was going to be alright when I woke up.


    Samuel would understand and Lupita was there. ¡°Where am I, grandma.¡± I remember I was with her not so long ago; did she go to sleep? ¡°We are almost there, three more minutes!¡± oh how I wished I could shut the man¡¯s mouth with a p.


    What kind of man was he? talking so loud like that, I didn¡¯t think he had a wife, If he did. He wouldn¡¯t be so loud like that, it was embarrassing. I closed my eyes and felt myself drifting away into the darkness. I was really tired.


    ¡°We are here!¡± my head pounded when the man yelled again. I heard noise I didn¡¯t know where it wasing from then I felt myself moving and before I knew it there were bright lights above me. the funny thing about them was that they were moving or was I moving. I closed my eyes and I was out.

 Chapter 62

    NICK


    I budged into the hospital doors and ran to the reception. ¡°My wife, where is she!¡± the woman behind the desk looked scared by my outburst. ¡°Olivia Jones, I was called and told she was in an ident. Now tell me where the hell she is?¡± her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, Mr Jones, she is in the intensive care unit on the third floor.¡±


    I rushed to the elevator, and I got there just as it closes didn¡¯t have time to wait for another one and so. I took the stairs taking them two at a time. ¡°Aming Olivia, hang in there.¡± I said in my head scared out of my mind that she was not going to make it.


    By the time I got to the third floor I was sweating like a pig with my shirt drenched in sweat and sticking to my body. I didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°Someone tell me where my wife is!¡± I yelled as soon as I busted through those doors from the staircase.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    A nurse came over to me. ¡°Sir, are you all right? ¡°I flung her arm away from me. who the hell did she think she was to touch me. ¡°I am Nick Jones, and I am looking for my wife!¡± she frowned. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± she shook her head. ¡°No sir, I am new here, but I can help you find your wife.¡±


    I pushed her aside and walked forward. ¡°Somebody in this damn hospital bettere out here and tell me where the hell my wife is!¡± I stood in the middle of the floor and shouted for all to hear. ¡°Jesus, Nick. This is still a hospital even if your father owns it.¡± I turned and the guy Marcus was standing there looking at me like I was some moron.


    I charged towards him. ¡°Tell me where Olivia is, where is my wife?¡±


    ¡°Ex, wife and the doctor is still busy with her.¡± he was not answering my question, and it was pissing me off. I was so close to losing it and punching him in the face. ¡°I asked where not who was busy with her!¡± before he could answer, if he was going to answer.


    The door to a ward that was not too far from us opened and the doctor came out. When he spotted me, he came to me. ¡°Mr Jones, good that you are here. We need you to sign some forms for your wife and¡­¡±


    ¡°She is his ex¨Cwife; they are divorced, and I don¡¯t think he should be making any medical decisions for her.¡± the moron butted in poking his nose where it didn¡¯t belong. ¡°The divorce is not finalized so technically; she is still my wife and my responsibility!¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Very well Mr Jones,e this way.¡± We moved away from Marcas and stood far from him. ¡°Tell me doctor, how is she?¡± he sighed. ¡°She was fine and responsive when she got here but seriously injured. Your wife¡¯s brain then swelled up quickly and we had to put her in aa to give the brain time to heal. Her brain is still swelling up. We need you to sign these forms so we can open her skull to give her brain time to heal and for the swelling to go down.¡±


    My heart ached. How did that happened and where the hell was sheing from? She was supposed to be home with our son. ¡°Okay I will sign.¡± I took the forms and signed then handed them back to the doctor. He took them and checked. ¡®


    ¡°We will perform the procedure right away.¡± He said but he didn¡¯t leave, he still stood there like he has something to say. ¡°Was there something else?¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°Mr Jones did your wife do some backroom abortion or something?¡± in seconds I had him pinned against the wall with my hands tightly wrapped around his neck.


    ¡°We are the Jones family; we own this hospital and many other businesses. My wifecks for nothing. How dare you suggest that she would ever go to some backroom for an abortion!¡± the doctor struggled to breathe.


    The papers were on the ground, he dropped them as he was trying to get my hands off his neck. ¡°Her uterus¡­¡± he said with so much difficulty. I loosened my grip on his neck. ¡°What about her uterus?¡± the doctor coughed and inhaled sharply.


    ¡°It¡¯s the way it was removed Mr Jones, it¡¯s like it was done by an inexperienced doctor and they did a lot of damage. That is why I asked, I meant no disrespect. Sir.¡± My arms fell, the doctor quickly picked up the signed consent forms and hurried away.


    My mind was spinning, and I felt like I was losing it. She had a baby in prison and lost her uterus. My head buzzed. I looked around on the direction board and found what I was looking for. I hurried to the elevator to the fifth floor.


    When I got there, I budged into the doctor¡¯s room. Fortunately, she was alone busy on herptop. ¡°You are an OBGYN, correct?¡± she stood. ¡°Yes, Mr Jones. Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°I have questions.¡±


    ¡°Anything, sir¡±


    ¡°What happens when a woman loses her uterus?¡± I fired away and watched as her face turned serious. ¡°When a woman¡¯s uterus is removed sir, the woman loses the ability to have children. If the woman¡¯s fallopian tubes are left in ce when the woman¡¯s uterus is removed. Then the woman can still have her biological children even though she can¡¯t carry them herself.¡±


    I felt dizzy like I was going to fall. I threw myself on the doctor¡¯s couch feeling like I was going to fall at any moment as my knees threatened to give out on me. ¡°If the fellow tubes¡­¡±


    ¡°Fallopian tubes, sir.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that. if they were also removed? Let¡¯s say the person who removed the uterus was not experienced and ended up removing everything. What then?¡± the doctor went around and took her seat. ¡°Then she will never have a child of her own. Not unless she adopts a child. There are many ways to have children these days and¡­¡±


    The doctors voice faded away and all I could hear was my heart booming in my ears. No wonder she hated me so much. Oh, dear Lord, what have I done?

 Chapter 63

    NICK


    The doctor continued talking but all I could hear was the sound of my heart thumping in my ears. I felt suffocated as if the walls were closing in on me. The doctor¡¯s room felt too small, and I stood and stumbled to the door getting out. I couldn¡¯t breathe, I needed to get out, not only of the room but out of the hospital. I needed to feel fresh air.


    ¡°Mr Jones, are you alright, do you need help?¡± I could hear the doctor rushing after me and asking questions, but my goal was to get to the elevator. But with each step I took, the further the elevator seemed to be. It was like it was moving further and further away from me the closer I thought I was getting.


    My chest tightened and I grabbed my shirt with both hands from the neck then ripped it open. Buttons flew in all directions. I felt like I was moving downward instead of forward, then I hit something, and I heard the doctor screaming.¡± Code Blue! Code blue!¡±


    What the fuck was a code blue? I needed to get the hell out of there, the walls were slowly closing in and the air around was now thin and suffocating. I moved trying to get up, but the damn doctor pinned me down. ¡°Don¡¯t move Mr Jones, we are going to make you feel better soon.¡± Before I could say anything. I was lifted and moved.


    I was so disoriented that I didn¡¯t know what was happening around me. My eyes grew heavy, and I thought, what the hell? no one would miss me if I were gone anyway. I ruined my wife, how the hell was she going to forgive me after that. the woman lost so much in that prison I put her in.


    I closed my eyes and let the darkness consume me. I didn¡¯t know what was happening because when I opened my eyes again, I was in the field, on my right Olivia sat on a nket with a pic basket next to her. She wore a beautiful floral dress, yellow. I was admiring her beauty when I heard the most intoxicatingugh.


    I turned and a boy about five or six was running around ying with a dog. He fell and the dog went to his face and started licking him all over his face making him giggle some more. ¡°Blue! Leave my son alone.¡± Olivia yelled, I turned back to the boy and that was when I saw that it was Samuel.


    ¡°He will never get to have siblings because of you, are you happy now, Nick? You broke me, are you satisfied?¡± I shook my head and just as I kneeled to touch her arm she disappeared. I looked around, Samuel and the dog had disappeared as well.


    The beautiful flowers started turning ck as if they were burned. I could hear a sound of a child crying; I looked around searching for him but I could not find him. Everything around me was ck and looked like it was rotting. I got scared and my heart rate increased as I frantically searched for my wife and son.


    The crying didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Olivia, Samuel!¡± I ran towards the sound but when I got close it sounded on the different direction, I ran there but it sounded on the other side. I copsed on my knees with tears running down my cheeks. I desperately wanted to find my family, but I didn¡¯t know where to look.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°You did this, Nick. Are you happy now?¡± the voice came, and I frantically shook my head getting up from the ground. ¡°I am sorry! Please, forgive me.¡± I pleaded as tears continued to roll down my cheeks. ¡°Will sorry change what happened?¡± the voice came again, and it carried a lot of pain.


    Tension gathered on my shoulders and my chest tightened. It didn¡¯t matter how much I apologized; it was not going to change anything. Defeated, I sat on the ground and hung my head low. The beeping sound got me lifting my head and opening my eyes.


    Bright light blinded me making me close my eyes then opening them back again. Only to find myself on the hospital bed with a tube on my nose. I removed it and the drip on my arm as well as that thing on my finger. ¡°What do you think you are doing? You just had a heart attack for God¡¯s sake!¡± mother saiding in.


    I searched for my clothes and wore them. ¡°Get back in that bed Nick and don¡¯t make me repeat myself. A heart attack is no joke!¡± mother yelled, and I red at her. ¡°Did you know? About Olivia, did you know, mom?¡± she had a sad look when I asked about Olivia. She knew and she didn¡¯t tell me.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me it was this bad mother, why did you let me continue hurting her when you know I have already done enough?¡± it was her turn to re at me. ¡°I told you to give her time, I told you to stop bothering her and I told you that if you wanted her back then you would have to show her. didn¡¯t I tell you all that?¡±


    That was not the same thing! ¡°How about, Nick, on top of your wife giving birth in prison, she also lost her uterus there as well. She will never have children again. That would have been much clearer!¡± I yelled.


    As much as I was yelling at my mother, I knew she was not at fault. She was only trying to respect Olivia¡¯s wishes of keeping that a secret. Now I knew why she fought with father when he gave me that information. They must have brought her here after getting her out of jail. Father got that information from her medical records here.


    A lone tear escaped my eye and dropped on the floor as I was putting on my jeans. ¡°Get back into bed Nick, what is done is done. All we can do now is make sure Olivia is taken care of and lives a happy life. No more taking her child from her or hurting her in any other way. She has endured enough in the hands of this family son.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°A mere heart attack is nothingpared to what I put her through mother. Do you know who did that to her?¡± mother shook her head no. Then I am going out there to find out who butchered her like that using my name while doing so! And mother, I am going to kill that person with my bare hands.¡±

 Chapter 64

    NICK


    I walked out of my ward with mother calling my name. I bumped into father outside.¡± Son, I thought you just had a heart attack. Was your mother just scaring me to get me here?¡± he looked so worried. ¡°Apparently, I did have a heart attack, and I just discharged myself.¡± I walked past him. ¡°Nick, where the hell do you think you are going then?¡±


    ¡°To find out who did that to my wife using my name.¡± father said nothing else, I believe that he too knew what I was talking about. I was the only moron who didn¡¯t know and kept causing her pain on top of everything else. I went to the third floor where ICU was. When I got there Marcus was still there. He didn¡¯t say a word to me.


    I went and opened Olivia¡¯s room. Ethan sat on a wheelchair by her side with a bandage on his head. What the hell happened to him? he let go of her hand when ! got inside. ¡°What happened to you?¡± I asked. ¡°I was in the same car she was in.¡± what the hell was he doing with her?


    ¡°We wereing from dinner when the ident happened. Nick, that was no ident. That person bumped into us on purpose. He wanted to cause that ident.¡± I fumed in anger, was that the same person who did that to her? was he continuing to torture her to make her think I was the one doing it?


    My hands shook at my sides as anger rose from the pit of my stomach. When I find the bastard, he was going to know who I am. ¡°I am going to find out who it is, Ethan and I am going to kill him.¡± he looked at me then shook his head. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I wish you could stop pretending to care for her when we both know that is not the case.¡± I frowned, how could he say that to me? he knew me better than anyone and he of all people should know how I really felt about my wife.


    ¡°Is that what you think? That I am faking it?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t say a word and just looked at Olivia. ¡°Have I been so bad that you, my best friend has lost faith in me?¡± Luan remained silent. I nodded then walked towards the door but before going out I turned to him.


    ¡°Did you know?¡± he looked at me and frowned. ¡°Did you know what they did to her in prison?¡± he sighed. ¡°I knew about the abuse when she gave birth to Samuel. She didn¡¯t tell me, but I could see it. The bruises but we had no time to talk about it.¡±


    Ethan was there when my son was born? What kind of a father was I? a lousy one I quess. I threw her in jail and forgot about her. Not once did I go and check on her. I was content with the reports my people gave me and didn¡¯t bother to go myself and checked.


    I was so consumed in making sure that Sandra wasfortable, that she got all the help she needed to heal from the miscarriage and in all that time my wife was suffering. ¡°Did she ask you to hide her information, records of what happened to her in there?¡± he nodded.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    That was the first time my friend and I had an honest conversation in three years.¡± Did you read the contents.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I wanted to respect her privacy. I hid the information, but I didn¡¯t read it.¡± So, he didn¡¯t know. He must have thought he was only hiding the fact that she had Samuel in prison and nothing more.


    I nodded and left the room. I couldn¡¯t even look at Olivia long enough in that hospital bed. I was so ashamed of what I had done that I couldn¡¯t even look at her. The consequences of my actions were starting to be clear for me.


    I saw that she was not the same that day when my parents got her out, but I didn¡¯t know how much she had changed until today. I promised her grandmother that I would take care of her when we got married. She trusted me with her, and I failed her.


    I failed them both and I had no excuse for it. When I got out the hospital Given was standing next to the car smoking as usual. Looking around I felt like I was seeing the world for the first time, like nothing was the same as when I went into that building.


    I sighed and got into the car. ¡°Take me to nana¡¯s grave.¡± Given looked at me. ¡°Sir, we didn¡¯t book any trip to go to Greenfield, but I can do it now.¡±


    ¡°I am not talking about my nana; I am talking about Olivia¡¯s grandmother.¡± Given didn¡¯t say a word but started the car and drove off. Twenty minutester we stopped at the cemetery. I never went there before so; I didn¡¯t know where her grave was. Which was shameful for a son inw.


    Given directed me to it and I went. Tension gathered on my shoulders when I saw the grave, Olivia was right, she was buried like a dog in an unmarked grave. I was only content with sending her money and ashamed to look at her after sending her granddaughter to jail that I didn¡¯t even go to her funeral when she died.


    ¡°Nana, forgive me. I failed to keep my promise to both you and your granddaughter. I am sorry, I was ashamed to face you back then.¡± A tear dropped from my eye. I remember the day she went to my house a month after I sent Olivia to jail.


    I couldn¡¯t face her so, I told Sandra to tell her that I was not home. I could hear her begging to wait inside for me, but Sandra refused. I could hear the pain in her voice, and it broke me. that day I had put on my headphones so I could not hear the pain in her voice as she spoke.


    More tears came. ¡°I will make things right nana, I will start caring for Olivia as much as you did. I promise not to fail her again or you.¡± I stood then took my phone out of my pocket and called the funeral home. I ordered a tombstone and for them to do her grave nicely. Then I called my helper at home and asked her to look for picture of her to be put on the headstone.


    When I was done, I went back to the car. I got inside and closed my eyes. My chest felt tight each time I thought of my wife and what I had done to her. ¡°Given, I want you to gather all our men, here and abroad. We are going hunting.¡±

 Chapter 65

    NICK


    A week past and Olivia had not woken up. It was driving me crazy. I had tried everything I could think of to get her to wake up. I have asked the nanny to bring Samuel to the hospital to see and talk to her. hoping that she would wake up, but she didn¡¯t. I even let Marcus go into her room and talk to her. mother and father tried as well but my beautiful wife remained sleeping.


    Ethan was discharged four days ago, but he too lived in the hospital same as me. I would work during the day then at night I would be at the hospital with my wife. Marcus and Ethan rotated the day shift when I was at work. They would be at the hospital keeping an eye on her. We were working on the theory that if that person who ran them off the road wanted her dead, then he was going to try again.


    For the sake of Olivia, we all put our differences aside and worked together to protect her. In the past week I had seen how much my wife was loved and cared for. The two men I thought had different motives towards her showed me that they cared for her as much as I did. They might not like the fact that I was the one in charge of her medical decisions, but they let me be, for her sake.


    They showed me that they wanted what was best for her and I was d she had them while I was busy acting like a moron the whole time. Some one knocked on the door and I stood and went to open the door. I didn¡¯t want to¡¯yell for them toe in and disturb my wife.


    When I opened the door, a man I didn¡¯t know stood on the other side. A frown appeared on my face, and I was instantly on alert. ¡°I wish you were this alert all the time and stop calling me for information you could get yourself.¡± My frown deepened when I heard the voice.


    It was the voice of a man I had been hearing a lot on the phone but never saw the person. He was actually there. ¡°Uncle?¡±


    ¡°Hello nephew, I am not going to stay long. I am here to warn you. stop digging.¡± He then turned to leave I grabbed his arm stopping him from leaving. ¡°Why? What is it that you don¡¯t want me to find?¡± I demanded. He shook my hand off then red at me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I have done what I came here to do and warned you. if you want to continue digging then be prepared to go to a funeral home to pick out a casket for your wife or son. Depending on what would cause more pain to you and satisfy him. but knowing him, he would go for your son knowing very well that your wife can¡¯t have another child. Now that, is going to be the best revenge he can ever have on us.¡±


    He then walked away leaving me confused and angry. Who the hell was the ¡°He¡± he was talking about. ¡°Tell him to show his fucking face and stop being a coward!¡± I yelled after him before he rounded a corner.


    My phone beeped and I took it out of my pocket. It was a text from him. ¡°Trust me, ¨C you don¡¯t want him showing his face. I am going underground. Don¡¯t contact me, for your sake, I hope you listen to me.¡± I threw the phone against the wall, and it shuttered into pieces.


    ¡°Nick! What has gotten into you?¡± mother said looking shocked by my outburst. I didn¡¯t even see her there. ¡°Did something happen to Olivia?¡± I shook my head. ¡°She is still the same.¡± Mother had a sad look in her eyes. Then I thought of something, and I closed the distance between us.


    ¡°You said the man was my uncle. Right?¡± mother¡¯s sad face turned serious in seconds but nodded. ¡°Who is he afraid of more than anything in this world. Someone that could send him into hiding.¡± Mother¡¯s facial features tightened.


    ¡°Never ask me that again.¡± She then walked past me going into Olivia¡¯s room. I got to her before she opened the door. ¡°This is not the time to be hiding things, mother. That person could be responsible for putting my wife in that bed and everything else that happened to her!¡± mother shook in fear.


    She shook her head, ¡°No, it can¡¯t be him. no, you must be mistaken.¡± She said moving backwards terror covered her face as she kept saying no. it was clear that the person was worse than I thought. I had never seen the woman so scared in my life. Just who the hell was he?


    ¡°Mother?¡± she jumped in fright that I stopped a foot from her and watched. Father appeared, ¡°What happened, is Olivia¡­?¡±


    ¡°No! she is not.¡±


    ¡°Then what happened to your mother?¡± worry covered his face as he kept looking between me and mother. ¡°I don¡¯t know, the man came and told me to stop digging or I was going to be picking out a casket at a funeral home for my wife or son depending on what will satisfy him. who is the ¡°he¡± he spoke of?¡±


    Fear past through father¡¯s eyes and I was taken back. Father feared this person as well. Just who the hell was he? ¡°Did the man came here, himself?¡± I nodded and he sighed. ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°He said he was going underground and not to contact him.¡±


    ¡°Then you do as he says, stop digging.¡± Father said taking mother¡¯s hand then turning to leave. ¡°No, you are not leaving here without telling me who the hell this person is and why he is after my family!¡± father tensed then stopped.


    ¡°Nick, son. I love you but if the man told you to stop digging then stop digging. If would break your mother if we lost, you.¡±


    I chuckled. I couldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°Do you think it doesn¡¯t break me every day to see my wife like that? listen to my son asking when his mother is going to wake up and y with him. knowing that that he might be responsible for what happened to her in that damn prison. Don¡¯t you think that breaks me every day? I would rather die than fail her again father and I will not stop digging.¡±


    Father gave me a sad look. Mother looked like a crazy woman at that time mumbling something none of us could hear. ¡°Do you see how your mother is just by hearing about him?¡± I nced at mother and my heart ached. ¡°Think about how she will be after losing you.¡±

 Chapter 66

    NICK


    I thought Ethan has something to do with my men at the prison disappearing but after what I had witnessed with mother, father and the man. I was beginning to think that whoever they were afraid of was the one responsible. I hit the wall repeatedly feeling angry and helpless.


    With all the fucking money I had, I couldn¡¯t do anything to find that person or protect my wife from him. just who the hell was he? ¡°Woah! The wall did nothing to you man.¡± Ethan said stopping me from hitting the wall. My knuckles were raw and bleeding. My hand throbbed but the pain was nothingpared to the pain and anger I was feeling inside.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I wished everyone could stop asking me that question and assuming the worst about my wife. ¡°Mother knows who did this, or at least I think she does, but she is too afraid of him to even say his name.¡± Ethan¡¯s jaw tightened.


    ¡°Then we find him ourselves, he didn¡¯t go after Olivia alone. I was also in that car; I could have been killed.¡±


    ¡°I was warned against doing that, I was told to stop digging.¡± Ethan frowned. ¡°Since when do you listen to anyone?¡± I didn¡¯t but the situation was different. ¡°He threatened my family, Ethan. Well, the man told me that is how he operated. Takes someone I love the most to cause me more pain.¡±


    ¡°Who is the man and why does he know so much about him? we must find him and make him tell us everything he knows. I am not going to let this go Nick. Him threatening your family is reason enough to not stop. This person has to be stopped.¡± I knew that as well, but I had to admit that I was scared.


    I didn¡¯t want to dig my son and wife¡¯s graves. I had done too much damage to them already I didn¡¯t want to add their deaths on the list. I couldn¡¯t live with that. ¡°I think we should tread lightly on this one Ethan; this man sounds dangerous; the man even went underground to hide from him and my mother had a nervous breakdown. She is with doctors as we speak. Father said she got worsest night and now she was right upstairs being treated.¡±


    Father came here this morning to tell me about mother. That made me call off my men. The situation with her told me that maybe I shouldn¡¯t be hasty or stubborn about this. ¡°Just who the fuck is this man you keep talking about?¡± Ethan was angry, I was too but my hands were tied.


    ¡°Someone like you who works for my family gathering intel for us. He also, happens to be my uncle and I trust him with my life. He has protected my family for many years.¡± Ethan paced. I understood where he wasing from, I felt the same way but there was nothing I could do. All I wanted then was for my wife to wake up.


    I wanted to take her out of the hospital and out of the country, but the doctors advised against it. Said she was too fragile to be transported out of the hospital let alone travel out of the country. I felt like I was failing her again.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Then if we can¡¯t dig, what is the n. We can¡¯t fight an enemy we can¡¯t see Nick. We need to know who this person is, find his weaknesses and attack.¡± He was right but how were we going to find him without putting the lives of my son and his mother in danger?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Ethan; I feel so helpless and the worse part of this is that I am the reason all of this is happening.¡± He stopped pacing and looked at me. ¡°What did you do now, Nick?¡± was I that bad that he would think I did something again.


    Just who was I to my friend now? A monster who only knew how to hurt those he loved? Oh, dear lord. Don¡¯t let me be that to my loved ones. I couldn¡¯t take it, my eyes were now opened and I yearned to change who I had be.


    ¡°I did nothing, the only thing I did was send my wife to jail to appease Sandra, that is how this whole thing started. In that prison.¡± Ethan clicked his tongue angry. ¡°How could you even say her name out loud, why would you even send Olivia to jail to appease her? she is nothing to you!¡± he yelled.


    I didn¡¯t want to do this, but I think it was time Ethan knew why I was protecting Sandra. ¡°You are such a fucking moron, you are right. It is your fault, everything, all of it. You caused it and now you stand here looking helpless and hurting. For what, you should be happy this is happening and¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± I yelled; I knew I was at fault, but I did it for him as well. ¡°Enough? Do you know when something is enough, you Nick Jones who has no boundaries? You have got to be kidding me¡­


    ¡°I did it for you!¡± I yelled and he stopped pacing and red at me.


    ¡°For me? are you kidding me, what the hell did sending your wife to jail have anything to do with me?¡± he yelled back.


    ¡°Everything, it had everything to do with you¡± he chuckled shaking his head. ¡°You are unbelievable!¡±


    ¡°That was your child whose death my wife caused!¡± he stopped then turned to look at me. I never wanted him to find out this way. In a yelling match in the middle of the hospital ICU. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? I don¡¯t have a fucking child.¡±


    ¡°That you know of Sandra was only four weeks pregnant when Olivia pushed her in anger causing her to lose her baby.¡± Ethan still looked confused. He must have been too drunk that night to remember what happened,


    ¡°Exin yourself, you told me you sent Olivia to jail because she stole from you, what the hell are you talking about now?¡± I sighed and went closer to him. ¡°Sandra didn¡¯t want me to tell you because you wouldn¡¯t believe her and because the baby was no more for a DNA test to be done. But in your drunken state you slept with her, and she fell pregnant.¡±


    Heughed so loud that I got angry. ¡°This is hot funny!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. You got yed mate.¡± He continued tough. ¡°Thest time I drank out of my mind was the day of your wedding. I never drank like that again. If you want my whereabouts four week before you send Olivia to jail, I can provide that for you. in fact, I was not even in the city that time. I was travelling a lot between Summer Strand and Tyger Valley. I would be in New Vige for hours before I had to go back.¡®


    My head buzzed and my hands went numb. My chest tightened and my insides grew cold. I sent my wife to jail for nothing.

 Chapter 67

    NICK


    My whole body shook in anger, and I pushed myself off the wall. ¡°I am going to fucking kill HER!¡± I pushed right past Ethan and just as I rounded a corner my sister appeared out of nowhere. ¡°Woah, where is the fire?¡± I red at her, the sight of her made my stomach churn. ¡°Get the fuck out of my way!¡± my voice was dangerously low and threatening.


    ¡°Okay, jeez!¡± she moved aside, I took one step, but Ethan held my arm stopping me.¡± Why didn¡¯t you tell me this before? I could have told you the truth and prevented you from making the biggest mistake of your life.¡±


    ¡°She fucking convinced me not to! I believed her and her doctor confirmed everything! What was I supposed to think?¡±


    ¡°Tell me the name of the doctor, I will go there. I want to know why he lied.¡± The damn thing was a web of lies and even her doctor was involved. I remember that day I wanted to bring her here, but she refused and said she wanted her doctor.


    The man has a practice close to the mall and I took her there. I told Ethan the name of the practice and the doctor and rushed off. She fucking yed me! getting out of the hospital I was seeing red. Given spotted me then threw the cigarette away.


    He must have seen my expression because he didn¡¯t open the door for me or ask questions. He went straight to the driver¡¯s seat and started the car. I got inside. ¡°To my house.¡± The car moved and it felt like it was moving slow. Cars stacked the freeway with people going about their business.


    I looked out the window and with each car that passed people looked happy and smiling. It was like they were mocking me for ruining my own life. For being stupid enough to be yed by a woman to a point that I got blinded to the truth.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this, Nick. You have to believe me, please.¡± Olivia¡¯s please of that day rang in my head. She told me that she didn¡¯t do it, she pleaded with me to look into it. To believe her but I didn¡¯t. I turned my back on her protecting a liar who was only using me.


    What was her intension? To get my wife out of the way, but for what? What did she have to gain by telling lies about my wife. Were any of the things she told me about her true? Her affair with Marcus while we were married, the text messages with her telling Sandra that she didn¡¯t want a child with me.


    I was so stupid, if Olivia was taking birth control, then how did she fall pregnant and why had I not asked these questions before. Why had I not asked Marcus why he got involved with my wife while she was married to me. with the little that I have seen of Marcus, his interaction with Olivia. It showed that he cared but it didn¡¯t seem like something was happening with them.


    Dear lord, how could I have been so stupid! Soon Given parked in front of my house: Lights were on and I didn¡¯t even wait for him to properly park the car. I jumped off eager to have my hands wrapped around that woman¡¯s neck and squeezing the life out of her.N?velDrama.Org content.


    She looked for my weakness and exploited it separating my wife and I in the process. Did Olivia even steal from me or was it all her? damn it! I budged into the house; the door was unlocked. ¡°Sandra!¡± I yelled her name as I walked towards the kitchen looking for her.


    ¡°Sandra,e out here!¡± I headed to her room but when I got there it was empty. Sandra!¡± I went to the bathroom, and it was empty. Where the hell could she have gone at that hour? I went back to her room and that was when I noticed the opened closet.


    All her clothes were gone, only empty hangers remained. With anger I took the sidemp and threw it against the wall, and it shuttered. I took another and did the same. Then I went crazy in that room, the mattress flipped over, the base. Anything I could find I threw.


    I was so angry. The bitch left, who the hell could have warned her. ¡°Given!¡± I yelled his name, and he appeared as if he was standing right outside the door waiting. ¡± Find her, find that fucking bitch and bring her to me.¡± he nodded and turned to leave.


    ¡°Given?¡± he turned to look at me. ¡°No onees back here without her; do Lmake myself clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± He then left. I fumed in anger; my chest rose and fell. She tricked me and my wife paid the price for my stupidity. For not seeing through her schemes. Oh, the face things I was going to do to her when I find her. a sinister smile appeared on my as I thought of ways I was going to kill her.


    People thought I was only ruthless in business, but they were wrong. I never had to be ruthless outside of the boardroom because everyone respected me and my wife. My whole family, no one dared to try anything with us. But now the fight was out of the boardroom, and it was time they knew who I was.


    It was time I showed the world what happens when you mess with Nick Jones and his family. My phone rang and I took it out of my pocket. It was Ethan. I hoped he had better luck than I did. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I frowned getting angrier. It was no time for him to y with me like that.¡± What the fuck do you mean nothing. Did you go to the right ce?¡±


    ¡°I am not stupid Nick; the owner of the store told me that he moved in a month after that incident. He said the ce was empty and the owner said it was in the market for three months before he rented it. That it was never a medical clinic but another store.¡±


    1 fumed in anger, she had everything nned and I fell for it. Fuck! ¡°It seems it was nned well in advance just for that day to fool you and you fucking fell for it. What is that bitch saying.¡±


    My hands shook, she yed me for a fool but why? ¡°When I got here, she was gone.¡±

 Chapter 68

    ETHAN


    Something clicked in me when Nick told me that, ¡°Let me call you back Nick.¡± I cut the call and rushed to my car. ¡°Go back to the hospital.¡± The drive back to the hospital felt very long and it didn¡¯t help that was on the edge of my seat with worry, My stomach twisted painfully at the thoughts I was having.


    I hoped it wasn¡¯t true, but it would be the only thing that made sense in all of this.¡± Step on it or find back roads, I don¡¯t care, just get me there and fast.¡± My driver swerved and started overtaking cars careful not to hit anyone. We got to the hospital in record time, and I rushed to the third floor


    Those few minutes in the elevator felt like hours, why didn¡¯t they make those things a little faster than they were. Getting there I looked around and couldn¡¯t spot the person I was looking for. Instead, I saw Marcus in the waiting room reading something in the newspaper. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    He ced the news paper aside with a frown on his face, I didn¡¯t like the guy, I knew he wanted Olivia even though he has not said anything to her or made a move but am a man too and I knew how men do things. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are talking about.¡± I don¡¯t know how he became such a sessful businessman when he was so slow.


    ¡°Nick¡¯s sister, where is she?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she said she was going to check on Olivia.¡± My heart jumped. ¡°And you let her be with Olivia alone?¡± I turned rushing to Olivia¡¯s ward. I pushed the door open, and she was standing by her head, I didn¡¯t know what she was doing but I didn¡¯t like it.¡± What are you doing?¡± she frowned moving away from her and picking up her bag from the chair.


    ¡°I was visiting my sister¨Cinw.¡±


    ¡°She is not your sister¨Cinw. Get out.¡± A frown appeared on her face. Maybe she was not used to people talking to her like that as the madam of the brothel. ¡°You don¡¯t tell me what to do and I will not¡­¡± I knew where she was going with the whole thing. I went to her, grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the ward.


    Marcus was standing there with his hands in his pockets with a raised eyebrow. I wanted to punch him in the face for putting Olivia¡¯s life in danger like that. we rotated watching her because we didn¡¯t want anyone close to her and doing something to her, the person who run us over was still out there and he let that woman go in there alone.


    ¡°Let go of me!¡± I shoved her away and she turned and red at me. ¡°Nick told me about you being Sandra¡¯s sister as well.¡± She didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°After Nick left, I heard you talking on the phone and telling the person to leave now. That he wasing. You were warning your sister that Nick knew about her scheme, and he was going there.¡±


    A devilish smirk appeared on her face. ¡°And so, what if I did.¡± I fumed in anger when she said that. I rushed to her, but Marcus stood in my way. ¡°Get the hell out of my way Marcus.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t do that man; I know she is a pain in the ass, but she is still a woman, and you can¡¯t hit a woman.¡± That thing was not a woman, she was the devil herself.N?velDrama.Org content.


    ¡°You knew about Sandra¡¯s scheme from the beginning, you were in it together. Weren¡¯t you?¡± she smiled ying with her hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are angry about this, you should be happy, I mean, my little brother did divorce Olivia and that brought you two closer together. You want her, don¡¯t you?¡± guilt hit me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it and there is nothing wrong with it. She is a free woman now and you can both do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Something is seriously wrong with you. why would you want to separate Nick and Olivia. What will you gain buy doing that?¡± Marcus asked with a disgusted look in his eyes. ¡°This was not about me; this was about my sister and giving her what she wanted for the first time. It was also about¡­¡±


    She stopped herself before she continued. ¡°About what?¡± she did not answer. ¡°I have said enough, my sister wanted Nick, and I gave her Nick. Nothing wrong with that.¡± she then turned to leave but Marcus stopped her. ¡°No, you don¡¯t get to leave like that, this is more than giving your sister what she wanted. There is something you are not saying, and I am not letting you leave without telling me.¡±


    She roughly pulled her arm away from Marcus and clicked her tongue in anger. ¡°I will not be¡­¡±


    ¡°You will not be what, what do you know about this whole thing? You see, I knew the first time I saw you that you were bad news. You acted like you didn¡¯t know where your sister was, and she acted like you two don¡¯t get along. While you were working together this whole time.¡± I didn¡¯t know when Nick got there.


    ¡°Oh, little brother. There is a lot you don¡¯t know, and I wish I could tell you, but I can¡¯t. It is not my ce. But I was not about to let you harm my sister. She lied, who doesn¡¯t?¡± she said it so casually like it was something normal.


    ¡°You might have helped her escape now, but I will find her and when I do. I will kill her.¡± she smirked then turned serious in the next second as if we imagined the smirk on her face. ¡°No, you won¡¯t, no one is going to be doing anything to my sister and if you have already sent your dogs after her. then I suggest you call them off.¡±


    Nick fumed and I was there with him, who the hell did she think she was. She was nothing but a mere madam and was giving Nick orders. She might have been his sister, but they were worlds apart. ¡°And why would I do something as stupid as that, huh?¡±


    She chuckled with that devilish look in her eyes. ¡°Because if you don¡¯t and something happens to my sister. Not only will you lose your precious Olivia. I will make sure you lose your son too.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have the power to take me on sis, so I suggest you tread lightly¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Nick. You tread lightly, do you want to bet your son and Olivia¡¯s lives on that? because I can prove how much power I really have.¡±

 Chapter 69

    NICK


    I saw red when she threatened my family like that. In a second, I had my hands wrapped around her neck and squeezing. I was ready to kill her right there and then and prevent her fromying a finger on my family. ¡°Why are you not stopping him from strangling her?¡± asked Ethan on the side.


    Marcus shrugged. ¡°They are siblings and siblings fight.¡± Those morons! ¡°You kill me, you never know who did all those things to Olivia.¡± I let go of her neck as if it burned me. Ethan was all up in her face in seconds as I stepped back. She coughed uncontrobly and then the evil woman smirked.


    ¡°You are so easy to fool Nick, did you really think I was going to tell you?¡± she shook her head as if she pitied me, me, Nick Jones, ¡°I will tell you this though, this whole ident brought you and Olivia close. Or it brought you closer to her because she is out and might not feel the same when shees to. At least you got to spend two weeks with her, so I guess that¡¯s something.


    She continued to smirk as I looked at her with nothing but hatred. She was more than just disgusting, she was evil. Somehow, she knew about what happened to Olivia and I got the feeling that it was not only the ident she knew about but more. ¡°You should be thanking me little brother.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you, what should he thank you for? Being evil and sick?¡± sheughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be emotional Ethan, you can still have Olivia. Nick here is only close to her because she is unconscious but when shees to, she won¡¯t want him anywhere near her and you can go back to loving her and not telling her.¡±


    I looked at Ethan, he looked guilty, but it was not the time to ask him about that now. ¡°You know who caused the ident, don¡¯t you?¡± Ethan asked closing the distance between them and she kept moving back. ¡°Would you stop that,ing close to me is not going to help with anything.¡± Ethan stopped.


    I wished father never found her, she was evil, and I was right. She did something to my son that day. With the way she was talking, I knew she was more dangerous than she seemed. ¡°Fine! I caused the ident.¡± Ethan turned red in the face and his hands shook. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you? you could have killed us!¡±


    She shrugged as if it was the most normal thing to do, just confess to a crime like it was just another Tuesday. ¡°That was not the n, if I wanted you dead, I would have killed you when I stopped to check on you after running you over. But I didn¡¯t, he wanted to show Nick, that he could get to anyone he loves and there was nothing he could do to stop him. So, Nicky boy, how do you feel about not being the most powerful person in the room? Must suck, huh?¡±


    She said then walked away, I hated that the only thing I could was watch her walk away when I knew she was involved in hurting Olivia. She was right about one thing though, it did suck not being the most powerful man in the room, especially in that situation.


    ¡°Are you just going to let her go like that? she just admitted to being involved in that ident, well, she said she did it.¡± Ethan bellowed and I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. ¡°You are right, she did admit to causing it, so, why are you letting her go, were you not in that ident too?¡± he huffed.


    ¡°Interesting!¡± both Ethan and I turned to Marcus sending res his way. As much as Ethan and I didn¡¯t get along that well over the past couple of years. We still shared one thing, our resentment for Marcus. ¡°What is so interesting?¡±


    ¡°The both of you, now I get why you became best friends, you both know how to talk very well but when ites to acting, not so much. Youck in that department.¡±


    I closed the distance between us, he heard her threaten my family and yet he still wanted me to do something that was going to put them in danger. ¡°I also know why it would be easy for you to act in this situation, because you don¡¯t have a family of your own. No wife and no kid. You would never understand what it means to sacrifice for the sake of your family.¡±Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Marcusughed. ¡°You call this sacrificing? You are hrious¡± heughed and that just made me angry, I punched him in the face. He stumbled backward a bit, and I took my fighting stance waiting for him to retaliate. But he didn¡¯t, he just spat out blood. ¡°Interesting, indeed.¡±


    ¡°Nick, you have not sacrificed anything other than Olivia. Now you are being a coward and calling it sacrifice. You don¡¯t want to go after your sister and whoever she is working with because you are afraid you will lose. You don¡¯t even know what your bully looks like and already you are afraid to take him on. You are spoilt and always have been and you are used to having things given to you, easy. You like easy.¡±


    He closed the distance between us. ¡°Let me tell you something, Nicky boy. This fight will not be like all those times you got things resolved easy by other people. This time you will have to man up and make real sacrifices and it won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    He was pissing me off big time but there was some truth to his words, it was not going to be easy to get rid of whoever was after my family. Not until I know who he is and why people were so afraid of him, why they were willing to do anything to please him, what did he have that made him scarier than me and my family.


    Because people around here, feared the Jones family but he doesn¡¯t seem to be afraid. Why? ¡°Get out of my face Marcus before I punch you again.¡± I threatened. He was getting to me, and I didn¡¯t like it one bit. ¡°I will not let you do that again. I am not afraid of you, but this is not the time or ce. Use those balls you seem to have with me on your real enemy.¡°

 Chapter 70

    NICK


    While we were busy ring at each other, doctors ran past us going to the direction of Olivia¡¯s room. As if we nned it. All three of us ran there as well, my heart was already beating fast worried that something might have happened to her while we were busy arguing out there. When we got there, we stood by the door and watched as the doctor took out the tubes from her mouth.N?velDrama.Org content.


    Her eyes were closed and for a minute there I thought she was dead. My heart sank to the bottom of my stomach and my knees grew weak. That was until she coughed that my world lit up again. I walked forward and she frowned looking at me. I stopped in my tracks remembering that we were not on the best of terms,


    My sister was right, I was the one getting close to Olivia and she was not there with me, she didn¡¯t even know what was happening the past two weeks. ¡°Water.¡± Her voice was scratchy, and Ethan jumped and poured water for her and helped her drink. My sister was right about him too. My best friend had feelings for my wife,


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Marcus asked now standing on her left while Ethan stood on her right. I was standing at the foot of the bed not too close. I didn¡¯t even know when Marcus got to her side as I was focusing only on her, happy that she woke up and was okay,


    ¡°Like I have the biggest hangover of all time, my head is killing me.¡± the doctor smiled. ¡°It seems everything is alright. I will send a nurse to bring you something for the pain. Wee back Mrs Jones.¡± He said then walked out leaving us with a confused looking Olivia,


    She looked between me, Ethan and Marcus. Am sure wanting answers about being called Mrs Jones. The morons looked at me, selling me out to the woman. ¡°Am d you are Okay Olivia; Samuel will be happy to see you.¡± I wasn¡¯t about to talk about what they wanted me to talk about.


    She gave me a cold look and my heart sank. She still hated me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I lifted my head to look at her when she asked that. I pleaded with my eyes hoping she would see how much I wanted to be there and how sorry I was for everything. But she continued to look at me coldly,


    I looked at the two morons hoping they would plead my case, but they kept their mouths shut and their eyes on the ground as if there was something very interesting on the oor. ¡°I will go call your nanny and tell her to bring Samuel.¡± She said nothing just watched me closely. Sighing, I turned and walked out.


    watched from the ss on the door as she turned to Marcus smiling at him. She liked him, I could tell because she used to smile at me like that. look at me like that. it seemed my friend and I lost to the not so new guy. Sighing I turned away from the door.


    My chest tightened and I held on to the wall. ¡°Son, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I straightened and gave him a brave face. ¡°Am fine dad.¡± He had a lot to deal with already with mother, he didn¡¯t need to worry about me too. ¡°I was told Olivia is awake,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Yes, I came out here to call the nanny to bring Samuel.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t look alright; do you want me to call the doctor to check on you?¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°You had a heart attack, Nick. You are allowed to rest and take care of yourself. Olivia is awake now and she is going to be ok. You can take care of yourself.¡±


    That¡¯s just it, she was going to be okay which was what I wanted. But how okay was she going to be. No one knew what she was feeling after what happened, everyone is just seeing the brave face she puts on but was she ok? I didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡°Am fine dad, really.¡± He was not convinced but he nodded. ¡°Did youe here to see Olivia?¡± he sighed. ¡°No, I came here to get you. your mother wants to see you.¡± my chest tightened, and tension gathered on my shoulders., Was my mother alright, was she ever going to be alright?


    It seemed the women in my life were suffering in silence while putting on a mask for the world. ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried now, she is alright and just wants to see her son.¡± I nodded sending a text to the nanny telling her that Olivia was awake. I shoved it in my pocket and straightened avoiding the pain in my chest.


    ¡°Let us go see mother then.¡± Father led the way, and I followed touching my chest trying to sooth the pain. When we got to the psych ward, Lhesitated before moving forward. They say when a persones to this floor of the hospital, they never fully recover, and they be patients forever.


    I didn¡¯t want that for my mother, I wanted her to be alright and to not be afraid. But how was I going to help when I didn¡¯t know who she was afraid of and why she was afraid of him. ¡°Father, after mother is out of the hospital. Could you tell me who this on is that you are all afraid of?¡±


    Father didn¡¯t say a word, he just walked forward and opened the door to mother¡¯s ward. Ihad not even gone to see her since she was admitted. A lot has happed that I didn¡¯t get time to visit. What a bad son I was. I walked in after father. Mother looked so much better and more like her old self.


    She smiled when she saw me. ¡°Nicky how are you feeling?¡± well, thest time she saw me I discharging myself from the hospital to go looking for the man responsible for what happened to Olivia. ¡°Am fine, mom. I lied right through my teeth.


    ¡°I know you want answers, and I will give them to you but just stop digging. It¡¯s dangerous Nick. Trust me on that.¡± I sat on the bed next to her. ¡°I have stopped digging mom. I now know it¡¯s dangerous.¡± I looked at father. ¡°I just found out that your daughter is the one who caused Olivia¡¯s ident and the way she spoke. It was like she was not working alone.¡±

 Chapter 71

    OLIVIA


    I listened as Marcus and Ethan told me everything that har ned over the past two weeks. I couldn¡¯t believe I missed so much. I didn¡¯t care tha. Nick imed our divorce was not final and that I was still his wife. I cared about the fact that he did what was best for me and made sure I got the best care. On that one he was thinking Be the Nick I once knew not he monster he becameter.


    ¡°Thank you, guys, for taking care of me and making sure that my son was safe. Before any of them could answer, the door opened, and Samuel walked in first followed by Lupita and Grandma Susan. ¡°Mama!¡± he rushed to my bed, Ethan helped him up and he gave me the biggest hug. He must have missed me, my poor son.


    ¡°How are you baby?¡± he gave me a thumbs up and a smile. ¡°Thank you for bringing him, Lupita, how are you grandma?¡± she waved her hand sitting on the chair next to my bed. ¡°I should be the one asking you that you gave us quite a scare Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Am sorry grandma.¡± She stood taking something out of her bag. ¡°Here, I made you a nutritious soup, you need it to get your energy back.¡± My stomach rumbled embarrassing me. I covered my face, and everyoneughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed, you were in aa after all so being hungry is normal.¡±


    She handed me the soup and spoon. It smelled so good. Samuel already forgot about me and was now ying with Ethan. I was d he had good role models in his life. He was going to need them as he grew. His father won¡¯t be frequent enough in his life for Samuel to learn something from him. I didn¡¯t want him to be.


    No matter how good he was when I was in aa, it didn¡¯t mean Nick Jones has changed. It just meant that he was getting better at manipting everyone around h¨¬m. he might have showed concerned, and I might have acted bravely around him, but I was far from it. The man was my monster, and no one knew it.


    I remember standing in front of him at his parent¡¯s house threatening him with a brave face fighting to get my son back. That day I had shown bravery and was willing to do anything in the world to get my son. For he is my light in the dark world Nick created for me. I had to fight to get my light back or I was going to be lost in the darkness and there would be no more Olivia.


    That day my insides were twisted in knots as I faced the monster I used to sleep next to. The monster I used to admire and snuggle to thinking it was my salvation. The monster I grew to love and epted as a big part of my life. I didn¡¯t know then how dengarnya & could be at how it would one day hurt me in the worst possible way sy fife with Nick was like taking in a wild animal and bringing it into your home and cave it as a pet. You get sofortable with it that you forget it¡¯s primal nature, you forget that it is a wild animal. You love it and then when you least expect it, it bared its teeth at you showing it¡¯s fangs reminding you of how dangerous it actually was.


    That day when he locked me up and refused to listen to a word I said. I had told myself that he still loved me that he was going to remember the good times we shared and remember that I was his heart like he used to call me. I believed he was going to look into the whole thing ande for me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    How naive I was, how foolish! I had forgotten that Nick and I were worlds apart. He was at the top of the food chain, and I was at the bottom and that gave him the power to do whatever he wanted with me and there would be no repercussions for him. No consequence to his actions. Back then I still believed in thew, the justice system and that it didn¡¯t matter what Nick wanted, thew was thew.


    That no one was allowed to break it and not even Nick Jones. I had hope that for as long as some one found evidence, that I was going to be freed. But that is a poor man¡¯s wish that thew could somehow protect them but that was far from it.


    I was no longer the protected Mrs Jones; I was a criminal from humble backgrounds. and now was going to protect me from the wrath of the rich Nick Jones. I soon learned that the man was noting for me and instead. He was punishing me for something I didn¡¯t do. Protecting a woman I once called a friend and forgot about the orphaned girl he called his wife.


    Nick broke me and made sure I never forgot who was in charge. Those cages in prison were not safe for me. instead, they were my worst nightmare and those who executed his evil deeds made sure I new where the punishment wasing from.


    ¡°Sweet Olivia, what is wrong child, are you in pain?¡± Grandma Susan asked as her hand advanced towards my face and I moved back confused as to what she was doing. Her hand froze in the air and she gave me a sad look. ¡°I am only trying to wipe your tears before your son sees them child.¡± I touched my face and indeed, it was wet with tears.


    I had not noticed I was crying the whole time. The soup in my hand had gone cold and I wondered just how long I was lost in my thoughts for. ¡°I am alright grandma; I was just thinking.¡± I gave her a small smiled as I wiped my face.


    I knew she didn¡¯t buy what I was selling but it didn¡¯t matter, I didn¡¯t want Nick Jones near me, he was not good for my sanity, but I also knew that if the man wanted to be near me then there was nothing, I could do to stop him. I learned that the hard way.


    ¡°I will take them home, you rest now.¡± Ethan said, he looked at me with sad eyes and I wondered what that was about. He came and gave me a hug then whispered in my ear. ¡°Samuel is fidgeting and looks unsettled. Your emotions are affecting him somehow. Try to remain calm, I will be back, and you can tell me what you need me to do.¡±

 Chapter 72

    OLIVIA


    I appreciated Ethan¡¯s words; he always knew just what to say to calm my nerves. He was my strength. But as much as I looked up to him for strength, support and assistance. I knew at the back of my mind that Ethan was Nick¡¯s person not mine. That man would never do anything to hurt his friend.


    He may be angry with him at times and for whatever reason. But when ites down to it, his loyaltyid with his best friend. ¡°I saw you crying, what was that about? I can get the doctor toe and give you something for the pain.¡± Marcus, dear old Marcus. He came into my life and helped me out of a bad situation.


    ¡°I think the Ryans were involved in what happened to the warehouse.¡± Marcus raised an eyebrow probably thinking that I had lost my mind. ¡°Think about it, the Ryans were not happy when I pulled out on the deal. They wanted revenge on the Jones so bad that they wanted to hurt them where it hurt the most and them working with me was going to deliver a good blow to the Jones family.¡±


    It made sense. ¡°They only let me out of our deal because they thought I would not make it on my own and that I was going to go begging to them eventually. But that didn¡¯t happen, instead, we announced aunch of our new branch. What better way to get back at me than to destroy what I was trying to build. They are not above burning down our warehouse.¡±


    ¡°I hear you but¡­¡±


    ¡°What about the text I got, it said ¡®regretting your decision yet¡® the only decision I had made a couple of weeks leading to that incident was cutting ties with them.¡± Marcus sighed. ¡°I will look into it. They may have burned down the warehouse, but I don¡¯t think they have the resources to steal from me. Someone else did that.¡±


    I sighed, I didn¡¯t want to think about someone else being involved, I especially didn¡¯t want to think that Nick was involved. I stopped my revenge on him because I saw that whatever I did, Nick was always going to win.


    ¡°Rest for now and not think about any of this. I will look into it, and you focus on recovering. Theunch is less than a week away and I can¡¯t have aunch without my partner, now, can I?¡± thatunch was not about only introducing our business to the world but about our equal partnership.


    To show those who didn¡¯t have faith in my abilities that I was more than capable of handling their money. That I was more than that scandal from two years ago, more than just the former Mrs Jones. It was about introducing Olivia Williams, the mother and businesswoman.


    ¡°I will not miss that for the world.¡± He frowned and got serious. ¡°You better not, you scared the hell out of me when you didn¡¯t wake up. Don¡¯t do that again Olivia.¡± He warned as if I did that to myself. ¡°I will be fine, and I promise not to get into more idents.¡± I still wondered what happened back then.


    Before Marcus could say anything else. There was a knock on the door, we looked at each other than the door opened, and Nick¡¯s face appeared, I tensed but tried not show how affected I was by his presence. What could he want?


    ¡°Marcus, I would like to talk to Olivia alone.¡± I looked at Marcus and he looked at me. I pleaded with my eyes for him not to leave me alone with the man. ¡°How about we have a moment of our own outside first. I have something to run by you.¡± I sighed feeling relieved that he was going to take him away from me.


    Nick reluctantly nodded and stepped back out. Marcus nodded at me before going out. They did not close the door properly and I could hear their voices. ¡°What is it?¡± I heard Nick asking. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want you here man, I suggest you don¡¯te back again.¡±


    Thank you, Marcus. You are starting to get me. ¡°Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do?¡± I tensed, what was I thinking? That Nick was going to roll over and do as Marcus asked? Naive Olivia.


    ¡°Nick, you should be focusing on what we discussed, you being here is not helping anyone. Your focus should be on what we spoke about. Things are still going to get crazier from here on. I suggest you focus on stopping it and not fighting me here. Your fight is not with me, and you know it.¡±


    What were they talking about? I wondered now curious to know what happened in the past two weeks that I was out. They told me about Nick spending his nights here but nothing about other things. What were they hiding?


    ¡°I told you how much of a risk that will be.¡± I got up from bed and walked to the door. It took time to get there because for some reason, my legs forgot what their job was. When I finally got there, I was dead tired and regretting my decision to get out of bed.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org.


    opened the door, and they turned towards me. ¡°Tell me what you are talking about. If it has something to do with what happened to me, then I deserve to know.¡± The men shared a look. I did my best not to look at Nick. I kept my eyes on Marcus, Sweat covered my forehead as the pain started reminding me that I was not fully healed,


    ¡°Let me get you back to bed.¡± Marcus offered after observing and seeing my sorry state. But I stubbornly shook my head. He clicked his tongue then cooped me up and took me back to bed, ¡°I said I needed you to heal and getting out of bed like that is not part of healing.¡±


    He reprimanded tucking me in properly in bed. I caught a glimpse of Nick¡¯s frowning face. ¡°I still want to know what you are hiding from me.¡± I nced at Nick and his eyes were already on me. I didn¡¯t know what emotion that was I saw in his eyes.


    ¡°Nick, get the hell out of here and go do what you are supposed to do.¡± To my surprise, Nick turned and left. What the hell was going on between those two?

 Chapter 73

    ELODIE


    After Nick finished telling us about Faren, I looked at James hoping to hear something hopefule out of his mouth. For the first time I was hoping that the man would do something to protect our family. But as usual, he said nothing about his daughter and pretended like we didn¡¯t just hear what she did.


    He pretended like he has been pretending all these years like he didn¡¯t know I had a hand in that woman¡¯s disappearance, the mother of his daughter. Like always, he pretended like everything was alright. He smiled then turned to me. ¡°I convinced the doctors to let me take you home, you look so much better now, my love.¡±


    I offered him a small smile wondering if he feared me still. When I told him who I was back then, he disappeared from my life for almost a month. Then came back as if nothing happened and told me he was ready to face the whole mafia for me.


    I had been moved back then and thought he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I was in love, still am but I never thought he would be so¡­ordinary. Apletely different person bringing me to apletely different world than the one I grew up in. At first, it was a thrill and I felt at peace.


    But as time went by with my husband ying by the rules in business and losing to morons. I got tired, the mafia princess in me woke up. Underground, in the business world and all those who mattered knew of Elodie the Don¡¯s princess and what she was capable of. For a while I went to important meetings with James.


    Just by hearing my name and the people trembled. Business boomed and I was d my husband didn¡¯t have a problem with me being feared more than he was. I was okay with that but sometimes, I wished he would take charge and show me what he could do. But he never did, and I never stopped hoping.


    This time as well, I hoped he was going to burst out of those doors and go looking for his daughter and put her in her ce. Tell her to stop messing with my son or Olivia and her son. it seemed I was going to have to be Elodie the mafia princess once more.


    I am getting tired of this shit. I love my husband I do, but there was no violent bone in his body. I let him take the credit in the business world wanting to strengthen his reputation and for people to fear him so they wouldn¡¯t mess with him, and it worked then Elodie rested again. Now I had to deal with his daughter too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± he sighed packing my things into a small bag. ¡°All I want is for us to have peace, for Elodie to have peace. Going after Faren will not bring peace.¡±


    ¡°And avoiding the problem will?¡± he said nothing, and I didn¡¯t waste my breath any further. ¡°Do you think she works for him?¡± a shiver ran down my spine and tension gathered on my shoulders. She better not be working for him because that would mean he never forgave me.


    That like the dangerous snake he was, he wasying low in the shadows and waiting for the opportunity to strike. didn¡¯t want to think about that. I didn¡¯t want to think that while I was happy with my family and traveling the world. He was watching. It gave me an unsettling feeling.


    I got off the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that.¡± he nodded, and I got changed and we left. When we got home. He organised food for us, and we ate in silence. Deep in our thoughts. ¡°Do you think I am a coward?¡± no, my love. You are just a man who loves peace but forgets that for peace to reign, violence needs to happen first.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°No, you are not. You just not built to deal with violence.¡± He said nothing, God! I loved that man. I left my family for him. coward or not. He was mine, my husband and he epted me as I was. Blood in my hands and all.


    ¡°I am going to the office and check on things. Nick is too preupied with what is happening with Olivia that work would be thest thing in his mind. I don¡¯t want thepany to suffer more than it already has.¡±


    This is what I loved bout him, his dedication to his work and family. ¡°Go, I will be alright.¡± He nodded and left. I waited a few minutes making sure he was gone before going upstairs and changing. I chose a ck tracksuit and sneakers. Then I went to the garage and took my bike keys. I climbed on it then opened the garage door and drove out.


    I felt myself being able to breathe again. I couldn¡¯t exin it. Each time I got onto that bike and riding down the freeway. There was something freeing about it. The sun was setting and it¡¯s orange rase hit my face just right. It was like it was weing me back to the night life once again.


    ¡®Hush now, I am an old woman with a family. I am not back merely a visitor in the night.¡® Getting to Faren¡¯s club, it was packed in front with lonely people looking for entertainment. How I wished my life were that easy.


    I drove around back and stopped at the back door. I got off the bike and the bouncers looked alert. Good, you can¡¯te after my family then have morons guarding you. I removed the helmet and then turned to them. confusion hit their faces, and I gave them a smile.


    ¡°I am here for my stepdaughter.¡± They shared a look before opening the door for me. interesting, so. They knew who I was huh, but the question was, which version of me did they know? I walked inside following their directions to her office.


    When I got to her door I stood and sighed. I don¡¯t want to do this; it will hurt James. But I had to find out if he was still after me. I will not rest until I know. Without knocking I pushed the door open. She rose from her seat, and I put my hand out stopping her.


    ¡°You better sit down and tell me who you are working with and what does he want with my family.¡± She sat back down but look to her right and fear covered her face. I turned that way and shock covered mine. ¡°Hello little sis, long time no see.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Payback 73

    OLIVIA


    I listened as Marcus and Ethan told me everything that happened over the past two weeks. I couldn¡¯t believe I missed so much. I didn¡¯t care that Nick imed our divorce was not final and that I was still his wife, I cared about the fact that he did what was best for me and made sure I pr the best care. On that one he was thinking like the <b>Nick </b>I once knew not he monster he <b>became </bter.


    ¡°Thank you, guys, for taking care of me and making sure that my son <b>was </b><b>safe</b>.¡± Before any of them could answer, the door <b>opened</b>, and Samuel <b>walked </b>in first followed by Lupita and Grandma Susan ¡°Mama!¡± he rushed to my


    bed, Ethan helped him up and he gave me the biggest hug. He must have missed me, my poor <b>son</b>.


    ¡°How are you baby?¡± he gave me a thumbs up and a smile. Thank you for bringing him, Lupita, how are you grandma?¡± she waved her hand sitting on the chair next to my bed. ¡°I should be the one asking you that, you gave us quite a scare <b>Olivia</b><b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°Am sorry grandma.¡± She stood taking something out of her bag. ¡°Here, I made you a nutritious soup, you need it to get your energy back.¡± My stomach rumbled embarrassing me. I covered my face, and everyoneughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be embarrassed, you were in aa after all so being hungry is normal.¡±


    She handed me the soup and spoon. It smelled so good. Samuel already forgot <b>about </b>me and was now ying with Ethan. I was d he had good role models in his life. He was going to <b>need </b>them as he grew. His father won¡¯t be frequent enough in his life for Samuel to learn something from him. I didn¡¯t want him to be.


    No matter how good he was when I <b>was </b>in aa, it didn¡¯t mean Nick Jones has changed. It just meant that he was getting better at manipting everyone around him. he might have showed concerned, and I might have acted bravely around him, but I <b>was </b>far from it. The man was my monster, and no one knew it.


    I remember standing in front of him at his parent¡¯s house threatening him with a brave face fighting to get my son back. That day I had shown bravery and was willing to do anything in the world to get my son. For he is my light in the dark world Nick created for me. I had to fight to get my light back or I was going to be lost in the darkness and there would be no more Olivia.


    That day my insides were twisted in knots as I faced the monster I used to sleep next to. The monster I used to admire and snuggle to thinking it was my salvation<b>. </b>The monster I grew to love and epted as a big part of my life. I didn¡¯t know then how dangerous it could be <b>and </b>how it would one day hurt me in the worst possible way.


    My life with Nick was like taking in a wild animal <b>and </b>bringing it into your home and raise it as a pet. You get sofortable with it that you forget it¡¯s primal nature, you forget that it is a wild animal. You love it and then when you least expect it, it bared its teeth at you showing it¡¯s fangs reminding you of how dangerous it actually was.


    That day when he locked me up and refused to listen to a word I said. I had told myself that he still loved me. that he <b>was </b>going to remember the good times we shared and remember that I was his heart like he used to call me. I believed he was going to look into the whole thing ande for me.


    How na?ve I was, how foolish! I had forgotten that Nick and were worlds apart. He was at the top of the fou chain, and I was at the bottom and that gave him the power to do whatever he wanted with me and there would be no repercussions for him. No consequence to his actions. Back then I still believed in thew, the justice system and that it didn¡¯t matter what Nick wanted, thew was thew.


    That no one was allowed to break it and not even Nick Jones. I had hope that for as long as <b>some </b>one found evidence, that I was going to be freed. But that is a poor man¡¯s wish that thew could somehow protect them but that was far from it.


    I was no longer the protected Mrs Jones<b>; </b>I <b>was </b>a criminal from humble backgrounds and now was going to protect me from the wrath of the rich Nick Jones. I soon learned that the man was noting for me and instead.


    He <b>was </b>punishing me for something 1 didn¡¯t do. Protecting woman I once called a friend and forgot about the orphaned girl he called his wife<b>. </b>


    Nick broke me and <b>made </b>sure I never forgot who was in charge. Those cages in prison were not safe for me. instead, they were my worst nightmare and those who executed his evil deeds made sure I new where the punishment wasing from.


    ¡°Sweet Olivia, what is wrong child, are you in pain?¡± Grandina Susan asked as her hand advanced towards my face and I moved back confused as to what she was doing. Her hind froze in the air and she gave me a sad look. ¡°<b>I </b><b>am </b>only trying to wipe your tears before your son sees them child.¡± I touched my face and indeed, it was wet with


    Tears.


    I had not noticed I was crying the whole time. The soup in my hand had gone cold and I wondered just how long I was <b>lost </b>in my thoughts for. ¡°I am alright grandma; I was just thinking.¡± I gave her a small smiled as I wiped my


    face.


    I <b>knew </b>she didn¡¯t buy what I was selling but it didn¡¯t matter, I didn¡¯t want Nick Jones near me, he was not good for my sanity, but I also knew that if the man wanted to be near me then there was nothing, I could do to stop him. I learned that the hard way.


    ¡°I will take them home, you rest now.¡± Ethan said, he looked at me with sad eyes and I wondered what that was about. He came and gave me a hug then whispered in my ear. ¡°Samuel is fidgeting and looks unsettled. Your emotions are affecting him somehow. Try to remain calm, Iwill be back, and you can tell me what you need me to do<i>¡± </i>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>0074 </b>

 Novel Payback 74

    <b>Chapter </b><b>0074 </b>


    OLIVIA


    Lappreciated Ethan¡¯s words; he always knew just what to say to calm my nerves. He was my strength. But as much as I looked up to him for strength<b>, </b>support <b>and </b>assistance. knew at the back of my mind that Ethan was Nick¡¯s person not mine. That man would never do anything to hurt his friend.


    He may be angry with him at times and for whatever reason But when ites down to it, his loyaltyid with his best friend. ¡°I saw you crying, what was that about? I can get the doctor toe and give you something for the -pain.¡± <i>Ma </i>


    <b>dear </b>old Marcus. He came into my life and helped me out of a bad situation.


    ¡°I think the Ryans were involved in what happened to the warehouse.¡± Marcus raised an eyebrow probably thinking that I had lost my <b>mind</b>. ¡°Think about it, the <b>Ryan </b>were not happy when I pulled out <b>on </b>the deal. They wanted revenge on the Jones <i>so </i><b>bad </b>that they wanted to hurt them <b>where </b>it hurt the most and them working with me <b>was </b>going to <b>deliver </b>a good blow to the Jones family.


    It <b>made </b>sense. ¡°They only let me out of our deal because they thought I would not make it on my <b>own </b><b>and </b>that I <b>was </b>going to go begging to them eventually. <b>But </b>that didn¡¯t happen, instead, we announced aunch of our new branch. What better way to get back at me than to destroy what I was trying <b>to </b>build. They are not above burning down our warehouse.¡±


    ¡°Thear you but¡­¡±


    ¡°What about the text I got, it said ¡®regretting your decision yet¡® the only decision I had made a couple of weeks leading to that incident was cutting ties with them.¡± Marcus sighed. ¡°I will look into it. They may have burned down the warehouse, but I don¡¯t think they have the resources to steal from me. Someone else did that.¡±


    I <b>sighed</b>, I didn¡¯t want to think about someone else being involved, I especially didn¡¯t want to think that Nick was involved. I stopped my revenge on him because I saw that whatever I did, Nick was always going to <b>win</b>.


    ¡°Rest for now and not think about any of this. <b>I </b>will look into it, and you focus on recovering. Theunch is less than a week away and I can¡¯t have aunch without my partner, now, <b>can </b>I?¡± thatunch was not about only introducing our business to the world but about our equal partnership.


    To show those who didn¡¯t <b>have </b>faith in my abilities that I <b>was </b>more than capable of handling their money. That I was <b>more </b>than that <b>scandal </b>from two years ago, more than just the former Mrs Jones. It was about introducing Olivia Williams, the mother <b>and </b>businesswoman.


    ¡°I will not miss that for the world.¡± He frowned and got serious. ¡°You better not, you scared the hell out of me when you didn¡¯t wake up. Don¡¯t do that again Olivia.¡± He warned as if I did that to myself. ¡°I will be fine, and 1 promise not to get into more idents.¡± I still wondered what happened back then.


    Before Marcus could say anything else. There was a knock on the door, we looked at each other than the door <b>opened</b>, and Nick¡¯s face appeared, I tensed but tried not show how affected I was by his presence. What could he want?


    ¡°Marcus<b>, </b>I would like to talk to Olivia alone.¡± I looked at Marcus and he looked at me. I pleaded with my eyes for him not to leave me alone with the man. ¡°How about we have a moment of our own outside first. I have something to run <i>by </i>you.¡± I sighed feeling relieved that he was going to take him away from me,


    Nick reluctantly nodded and stepped back out. Marcus nodded at me before going out. They did not close the door properly and I could <b>hear </b>their voices. ¡°What is it?¡± I <b>heard </b>Nick asking. ¡°She doesn¡¯t <b>want </b>you here <b>man</b>, I suggest you don¡¯te back again.¡±


    Thank you, Marcus. You are starting to get me<b>. </b>¡°Who are you to tell me what Lean and cannot do?¡± I tensed, what was I thinking? That Nick was going to roll over and do as Marcus asked? Na?ve Olivia


    #


    ¡°Nick, you should be focusing on what we discussed, you being here is not helping anyone. Your focus should be on what we spoke about. Things are still going to get crazier from here on. I suggest you focus on stopping it and not fighting me here. Your fight is not with me, and you know it.¡±


    What were they talking about? I wondered now curious to know what happened in the past two weeks that I was out. They told me about Nick spending his nights here but nothing about other things. What were they hiding?


    ¡°I told you how much of a risk that will be.¡± I got up from bed and walked to the door. It took time to get there because for some reason, my legs forgot what their job was: When I finally got there, I was dead tired and regretting my decision to get out of bed.


    I opened the door, and they turned towards me. ¡°Tell me what you are talking about. If it <b>has </b>something to do with what happened to me, then I deserve to know.¡± The men shared a look. I did my best not to look at Nick. I kept my eyes on Marcus. Sweat covered my forehead as the pain started reminding me that I was not fully healed.


    ¡°Let me get you back to bed.¡± Marcus offered after observing and seeing my sorry state. But I stubbornly shook my head. He clicked his tongue then cooped me up and took me back to bed. ¡°I said I needed you to heal and getting out of bed like that is not part of healing.


    He reprimanded tucking me in properly in bed. I caught a glimpse of Nick¡¯s frowning face. ¡°I still want to know what you are hiding from me.¡± I nced at Nick and his eyes were already on me. I didn¡¯t know what emotion that was I saw in his eyes.


    ¡°Nick, get the hell out of here and go do what you are supposed to do.¡± To my surprise, Nick turned and left. What the hell was going on between those two?

 Novel Payback 75

    ELODIE


    After Nick finished telling us about Faren, I looked at James hoping to hear something hopefule out of his mouth. For the first time I was hoping that the man would do something to protect our family. But as usual, he said nothing about his daughter and pretended like we didn¡¯t just hear what she did.


    He pretended like he has been pretending all these years like he didn¡¯t know I had a hand in that woman¡¯s disappearance<b>, </b>the mother of his daughter. Like always, he pretended like everything was alright. He smiled then turned to me. ¡°I convinced the doctors to let me take you lone, you look so much better now, my love.¡±


    I offered him a small smile wondering if he feared me still. When I told him who I was back then, he disappeared from my life for almost a month. Then came back as if nothing happened and told me he was ready to face the whole mafia for me.


    I had been moved back then and thought he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I was in love, still am but I never thought he would be so¡­ordinary. Apletely different person bringing me to apletely different world than the one I grew up in. At first, it was a thrill and I felt at peace.


    But as time went by with my husband ying by the rules in business and losing to morons. I got tired, the mafia princess in me woke up. Underground, in the business world and all those who mattered knew of Elodie the Don¡¯s princess and what she was capable of. For a while I went to important meetings with James.


    Just by hearing my name and the people trembled. Business boomed and I was d my husband didn¡¯t have a problem with me being feared more than he was. I was okay with that but sometimes, I wished he would take charge and show me what he could do. But he never did, and I never stopped hoping


    This time as well, I hoped he was going to burst out of those doors and go looking for his daughter and put her in her ce. Tell her to stop messing with my son or Olivia and her son, it seemed I was going to have to be Elodie the mafia <b>princess </b>once more.


    I am getting tired of this shit. I love my husband I do, but there was no violent bone in his body. I let him take the <b>credit </b>in the business world wanting to strengthen his reputation and for people to fear him so they wouldn¡¯t mess with him, and it worked then Elodie rested again. Now I had to deal with his daughter too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± he sighed packing my things into a small bag. ¡°All I want is for us to have peace, for Elodie to have peace. Going after Faren will not bring peace.¡±


    ¡°And avoiding the problem will?¡± he said nothing, and I didn¡¯t waste my breath any further. ¡°Do you think she works for him?¡± a shiver ran down my spine and tension gathered on my shoulders. She better not be working for him because that would mean he never forgave me.


    That like the dangerous snake he <b>was</b>, he wasying low in the shadows and waiting for the opportunity to strike. didn¡¯t want to think about that. I didn¡¯t want to think that while I was happy with my family and traveling the world. He was watching. It gave me an unsettling feeling.


    I got off the bed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about that.¡± he nodded, and I got changed and we left. When we got home. He organised food for us, and we ate in silence. Deep in our thoughts. ¡°Do you think I am a coward?¡± no, my love. You are just a man who loves peace but forgets that for peace to reign, violence needs to happen first.


    ¡°No, you are not. You just not built to deal with violence<b>.</b>¡± He said nothing, God! I loved that man. I left my family for him. coward or not. He was mine<b>, </b>my husband and he epted me as I was. Blood in my hands and all.


    ¡°I am going to the office and check on things. Nick is too preupied with what is happening with Olivia that work would be thest thing in his mind. I don¡¯t want thepany to suffer more than it already has b


    <b>+251 </b>


    This is what I loved bout him, his dedication to his work and family. ¡°Go, I will be alright.¡± He nodded and left. I <b>waited </b>a few minutes making sure he was gone before going upstairs and changing. I chose a ck tracksuit and sneakers. Then I went to the garage and took my bike keys. I climbed on it then opened the garage door and drove


    out.


    I felt myself being <b>able </b>to breathe again. I couldn¡¯t exin. Each time I got onto that bike and riding down the freeway. There was something freeing about it. The sun was setting and it¡¯s orange rase hit my face just right. It was like it was weing me back to the night life once again.


    ¡®Hush now, I am an old woman with a family. I am not back merely a visitor in the night. Getting to Faren¡¯s club, it was packed in front with lonely people looking for entertainment. How I wished my life were that easy.


    can¡¯t


    I drove around back and stopped at the back door. I got off the bike and the bouncers looked alert. Good, youe after my family then have morons guarding you. I removed the helmet and then turned to them. confusion hit their faces, and I gave them <b>a </b>smile.


    ¡°I am here for my stepdaughter.¡± They shared a look before opening the door for me. interesting, so. They knew who I was¨Chuh, but the question was, which version of me did they know? I walked inside following their directions to her office.


    When I got to her door I stood and sighed. I don¡¯t want to do this; it will hurt James. But I had to find out if he was still after me. I will not rest until I know. Without knocking pushed the door open. She rose from her seat, and I put my hand out stopping her.


    ¡°You better sit down and tell me who you are working with and what does he want with my family.¡± She sat back down but look to her right and fear <b>covered </b>her face. I turned that way and shock covered mine. ¡°Hello little sis, long time no see.¡±

 Novel Payback 76

    ELODIE


    My <b>hands </b><b>shook </b>at my sides as I continued to watch him. He has grown so much that he had grey hair <b>on </b>his head and beard. But still had the same scary eyes I always avoided looking into. Thest time I saw him, he had a gun to my head. His hand trembling with anger, his eyes looked like those of a predator watching as his prey was being taken away.


    Anger coated those features, and I knew he wanted blood. Not just any blood but mine. I never understood that, I thought he loved me, that he would do anything to protect the. but on that day, gone was the protective brother I once knew and was reced with a monster who wanted me dead.


    A smile appeared on his face and even that got my blood running cold. He opened his arms, and I regretted not bringing a weapon. I thought I would just scare Faren into telling me who she was working with. Never did I think I would run into him. ¡°Come Ellie, give your big brother a bug, it¡¯s been a while, little sis.¡±


    Ellie, that was the nickname he gave me. ¡°My little Elodie. Your big brother will always be there to save the day, no matter what situation you find yourself in. Just know that your big brother is not far away. That he will always arrive just in time to save you. My little Ellie¡± he used to say that to me. when I had messed up a mission and had to call him to help me fix it before father found out.


    He woulde running, he had my back, and I had his. We were a team, at least I thought we were, until that day. ¡°Oh well. I thought you missed me as much as I missed you¡± he studied me, fear paralyzed me as I wished he could stop looking at me. I wanted to turn around and run away but fear got me stuck in one ce with my feet feeling like they weighed a ton.


    ¡°Your look today reminds me of the <b>good </b>old days, God! We had some of the best of times together. Do you remember Ellie?¡± he looked like the brother I once knew, spoke like him as well. But I would never forget the monster I saw that day, I thought I <b>would </b>die by his <b>hand</b>.


    ¡°Okay, since you don¡¯t want to talk to me then, I will leave Maybe we will see each other <b>again </b>when I am in New Vige.¡± He walked past me, and I didn¡¯t know where I got the courage from, but I found myself talking. ¡°What do you want with my family?¡± I watched as those deadly eyes of his turn cold.


    He then shook his head as if trying to control his anger. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. let¡¯s talk about us, how is life with the rich boy, has he been treating you well?¡± I tensed; I didn¡¯t want him talking about my family like he knew them<b>. </b>I wanted him to tell me why he was after them


    ¡°I am sure you know everything about me and my family Luke. Now tell me, why are you after them, did father order it, the council?¡± the council, ruthless old bastards from each <b>mafia </b>family. They made the rules and detected how we lived our lives. The order to kill me didn¡¯te from them ording to my uncle.


    It came from my father, but I knew they would have given the same order. ¡°Don¡¯t ask about things you don¡¯t want answers to Elodie.¡± He called me by my full name, he was getting angry, something is wrong, something was happening back home, within the mafia but what.


    ¡°I have two children now, a daughter and a son. My son is younger than Nick by five years and my daughter¡­¡± he looked sad when he spoke of his daughter. Also, I never heard anything about him having a daughter. His wife, Emily had a son. ¡°My daughter was born first<b>, </b>and she is two years younger than Nick. beautiful that <b>one</b>.¡± So, the way he spoke told me that his daughter was alive, but it sounded like they were estranged.


    ¡°I would like to meet them one day and maybe you can meet Nick.¡± He gave me and evil smirk that send cold chills down my spine. ¡°I have already met Nick, in fact, we have been working together for the past five years.¡± My insides grew cold, worked together for five years, that was when Nick opened that mall in Summer Strand<b>. </b>Oh Lord. When he saw the horror in my face heughed. ¡°You didn¡¯t think that <b>anyone </b>coulde to Summer


    Strand, our territory and build a mall without us having a stake in it? Come on sis, you know us better than that and I must say. Your son has a neck for business and has made us <b>a </b>lot of money.¡±


    Oh Nick, child am sorry I failed. I should have kept an eye on <b>you </b>and who you went into business with. I thought they left me alone and forgot about me since they banned me from my home and hometown. Nothing had happened over the years, and I rxed <b>and </b>let my guard down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry sis<b>, </b>I will take good care of your son, but¡­¡± that cold look in his <b>eyes </b>returned and a shiver ran down my spine. ¡°But <b>what</b>, what does he have to do to get out of the deal?¡± I knew it was impossible, but I had to try.


    ¡°Now you know we don¡¯t work that way. Not unless your son dies.¡± I knew that but he didn¡¯t, Nick didn¡¯t know <b>he </b>was doing business with the ma. I should have told him about my family a long time ago and maybe. <b>I </b><b>could </b>have prevented this.


    ¡°Ohh, don¡¯t look sad now. I am just getting to know my nephew.¡± Somehow, I didn¡¯t believe that was all he was doing ¡°She,¡± I pointed at Faren who shook in fear when my brother looked at her. ¡°She said you ordered her to cause Olivia¡¯s ident. Why would you do that? Olivia did nothing to you.¡± he nodded.


    ¡°You are right, she did nothing to me. that was to show that son of yours that my power was far more than he can imagine. To show him that I can get to his son and even his wife. But that was not the lesson.¡±


    ¡°Then what was the lesson?¡± a devilish smirk appeared on his face. ¡°That he should not mess with what is mine and there be no consequences.¡±

 Novel Payback 77

    NICK


    ¡°Dad, calm down and tell me what happened.¡± He was not making sense. He was hysterical talking about mom, was not sure what he was saying, ¡°Just get here Nick, now! We must find your mother,¡± Find mom? Just what the hell was going on? I went out and rushed to the car telling Given to drive me to my parent¡¯s house,


    I was so worried that I could feel the tension gathering on my shoulders. Could mother have gotten worse after getting home? I didn¡¯t know what to think and father <b>was </b>not making it easy for me. I could tell that he was extremely stressed that his sentences made no sense. ¡°Is there something wrong with this <b>car</b>?¡±


    Given gave me a confused look over the mirror. ¡°No sir.¡±


    ¡°Then fucking step on it!¡± I knew it was wrong taking my anger out on him he had been working for me for many years now. He of all my people should know when something was urgent. Now he was driving like we were going to the mall to do grocery shopping. I <b>could </b>see my father¡¯s car on the driveway when we got there.


    I hurried inside. ¡°Dad!¡±


    ¡°In here!¡± I hurried there but found him alone drinking, I forrowed my eyebrows confused. ¡°Where is mom?¡± he shrugged and that just got me even more confused. What was he hysterical about then because he was calm now.


    ¡®Why am I here, dad?¡± he nced at me then walked past me. ¡°Let¡¯s go get your mother, I put a tracker on that bike of hers for when she did something like this.¡± Now a frown appeared on my face. Mother had a bike. Why didn¡¯t I know about that?


    ¡°I <b>know </b>you must have many questions and yes, your mother has a bike but please, don¡¯t ask your questions now. Ask them after we prevent her <b>from </b>killing my daughter.¡± I stopped in my tracks at the mention of that evil


    <b>woman</b><b>. </b>


    ¡°Nick, not you too. Please son. No matter what she has done<b>, </b>she is still my blood, and I don¡¯t want her dead.¡± Mom was not a killer. ¡°What makes you think mom would do anything to her and why do you think she is with her.¡± he came to me then showed me his phone.


    A red dot was at the club, Faren¡¯s club. ¡°That is where you mother is right now.¡± I hated the position father was putting me in. Faren has caused me <b>so </b>much pain, she and Her sister and whoever else she was working with. I would like nothing more than to see the woman dead. Yet, on the other hand my father seemed to have a soft spot


    for her.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s s go. We are taking my car.¡± He nodded and we left. When <b>we </b>got to the club we went around back and indeed, mother¡¯s bike was there. Father recognized it instantly. I was impressed. That thing was a beast, and it belonged to my mother. I had newfound respect for the woman. She has ss, style and good taste.


    The bouncers said nothing but opened the door for us. We walked forward to her office. The door was slightly opened when we got there. Father and I shared a look. I then pushed the door opened and the first person I was one of my investors from Summer Strand. I didn¡¯t know he had interests in such businesses.


    ¡°Nick! Wow, I didn¡¯t think I will see you.¡± I walked inside only to look back and find father frozen in ce. Eyes wide looking at the man. It was like he saw a ghost. ¡°Dad, this is my business partner, Luke from Summer Strand.¡±


    Father shook his head. ¡°Nick, please take your father and leave. I will be right behind you; Luke and I still have things to discuss.¡± I raised an eyebrow. Just what the hell was going on? ¡°Mother I. ¡±


    Now Nick! For once, listen to me and do as I say. Take your father and leave.¡± Mother said with a stern voice, not only that, but she also had this terrified look in her eyes that <b>she </b>was trying to hide. Was there something going on between her and that man. Was she cheating on dad<b>? </b>


    I looked back at my father and the man I saw was <b>nothing </b>like the strong man <b>I </b>knew. The man in front of me was almost shaking in fear and frozen in ce not moving. I nced at mom<b>, </b><b>and </b>she nodded. ¡°Nick, we will talk some <b>other </b>time. Take your father home as your mother says.¡±


    Luke said patting my shoulder, but his eyes were on my father. It was like the two men knew each other and it looked like mother was in the middle of whatever was going on between the men. Without saying another word, I took my dad, and we turned around and walked back out.


    He was quiet the whole way back to the car. Even when we sat in the car the man was silent and he looked like he was deep in thoughts. It angered me to see him that way. What did Luke have to do with my family? What rtionship did he have with my mother?


    ¡°He


    ¡°Dad?¡± silence, Given nced our way still behind the steering wheel. ¡°Do we take him to the hospital?¡± he asked, that was a good question, but I did not have an answer. I didn¡¯t know what was wrong with the man. could be having a stroke boss, and we wouldn¡¯t know. I read somewhere that sometimes you don¡¯t notice signs of stroke. That you might think a person is alright while they are having a stroke.¡±


    What Given said scared me half to death. ¡°To the hospital then, hurry.¡± Given stepped on it as he drove us to the hospital, but my mind was not on him but my mother and Luke. What the hell was going on between them?


    I wished I could contact the man and ask him to find out everything he could about Luke. Yes, we did background checks when we started working with <b>him </b>and he came up clean. But then again, he was from Summer Strand, he might have known my mother from there. But <b>from </b>what mother told me about her family.


    I got worried that Luke might be an enemy to my mother¡¯s family and that was why mother wanted me to leave with father. <b>But </b>then if he <b>was </b>an enemy that would mean thad been working with the enemy all this time. Oh, lord. Let it not be the truth.


    <b>Chapter </b>0078

 Novel Payback 78

    <b>Chapter </b>0078


    FLODIE


    How the hell did those two find out where I was? My heart almost jumped right out of my throat when Nick showed up at the door with his father behind him. I was sure Lake was not going to let them leave this ce. What a beautiful family you have here little sis, it¡¯s a pity that your rich boy is still a coward.¡± Heughed throwing his head back.


    ¡°I seriously don¡¯t understand what you saw in that man, you left everything behind, your reputation, inheritance and a damn good lifestyle and for what? A coward that shakes in his boots at the sight of danger?¡± he shook his head. He would never understand, and I didn¡¯t expect him to.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand brother, love can make all that you mention seem like nothingpared to it¡¯s power.¡± Anger shed in his eyes. ¡°I dare you to tell me I don¡¯t understand one more time. Go ahead, say it.¡± The threat in his voice was clear as day. I didn¡¯t know what he was talking about or why he was that angry.


    ¡°Stay <b>away </b>from my family Luke, I left all those things behind<b>, </b>and I never set foot in Summer Strand like he ordered. I have been living ording to the conditions he set for me when I left. Please, let my son out of the deal and I promise you will not see any of us ever again.¡± He chuckled as if he has heard the funniest joke.


    ¡°I wish I could little sis, but you know as well as I do that is not how we do things. Your son has to pay, and his debt will be wiped after.¡±


    ¡°What debt is what and why did you say he went after what was yours? If you are talking about Summer Strand, we both know you would have stopped him from opening that mall if that was what you really wanted. So, I know this is not about the mall, so. Tell me, what is it that he did to you?¡± he looked at me for a long minute before walking out leaving me there with more questions than answers.


    When he left, I rushed to Faren pulling her close to me by her clothes. ¡°How the hell did you get to work for Luke?¡± Fear shed in her eyes. ¡°When he first approached me, I was angry and <b>wanted </b>revenge on you for what you did to my mother and I.¡± I let go of her and moved back.


    ¡°I was working fordy Samantha here as one of her girls. One day she took me and another girl to Summer Strand. It was an exclusive party, and they wanted girls who could be discreet. It wasn¡¯t only us but each madam from different clubs <b>had </b>to provide two of their best girls. The money was <b>really </b>good, and I needed it so<b>, </b>I agreed.¡±


    I sighed <b>taking </b>a seat in front of her. somehow, I felt guilty for what she went through. It was my fault she had to resort to such a life. I should have just taken her and sent her mother <b>away</b>. But I didn¡¯t and now that decision wasing back to bite me in the <b>ass</b>.


    ¡°When we got there<b>, </b>I met him. I think it was his bachelor party, at least that was what I heard. He targete and asked me to sit with him and he kept asking me questions. Later that evening, he told me he knew who i was and who my father was. Told me if I worked for him, he would pay my debt to Lady Samantha and make me partner in the club. Of course, I agreed. I had been looking for my father for a long time.¡±


    I sighed, Luke took advantage of her, and I gave him that opportunity. ¡°I have been working for him since. I knew who


    your husband was the moment he stepped through those doors. He had showed me pictures of him and you all. I was angry that my father chose to raise Nick and abandon me, was it because he was a boy?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it is because Nick is his son with his wife, and he loves him. he loves you too, that I know even though you keep causing his family problems. He didnt even want me toe here today.¡± She looked like she didn¡¯t believe a word I said. I wouldn¡¯t believe me either if I were her.


    ¡°Tell me, what is Luke nning?¡± fear shed through her eyes once again. ¡°I will not betray Luke; I am what I am today because of him, besides that, you know as well as I do that no one crosses Luke and live to tell the <b>tale</b>.


    He is your brother, talk to him.¡±


    Like she was not there when I was talking to the man. Luke <b>was </b>no longer the brother I knew, and he was out to get me, what I didn¡¯t know was where he got his orders from. Was it him or the council?


    ¡°I would find a way to get away from Luke, if I were you, before it¡¯s toote.¡± She shook her head looking sad.¡± It¡¯s already toote for me. I <b>have </b>seen and know too much to get out. The <b>only </b>way out for me is death.¡± I felt


    sorry


    for her, but she was right. Death <b>was </b>her only way out


    ¡°Am d you know that because the next time youe after my family, I will kill you myself before Luke can get


    his hands on you.¡± I then walked out feeling like crap. How could I have known that the decision I made so many years ago would have such consequences?


    How the hell was I going to fix everything? Luke was not going to back down, instead he was going to elerate things now that I knew he was behind everything. But what the hell did he mean Nick went after what was his?

 Novel Payback 79

    NICK


    The doctors checked on father, and they said it was only shock. That he <b>was </b>going to be alright, but they wanted to keep him overnight for observation. Since it was alreadyte, I decided it was a good idea to go check on Olivia. I had gotten used to sleeping next to my wife again, it gave me peace being with her.


    Smelling her scent, listening to her heart <b>beating </b>and just bearing her breathing and knowing she was alive gave me peace in the past two weeks. After sending Given home went up to the third floor. When I got close to her door, I could hear voices. It was Marcus, I could feel my anger rising, I didn¡¯t like the man with her.


    I knew he wanted her, and she was interested in him too. Dn¡¯t she know that she was mine, that she belonged to me? I understood her anger, but I was not going to tolerate her behaviour of <b>entertaining </b>other men when I was there waiting for her. No one could ever be with <b>Olivia </b>but me.


    I walked into the room, Marcus was standing by her bedside, and I pulled the chair and sat on the corner then picked up a magazine <b>and </b>started flipping through it. I knew they had their eyes on me, but I was not going to look at them. I also knew that she didn¡¯t <b>want </b>me there but how was I going to get her back if I kept my distance?


    She needed to know that I was there and willing to work things out. Now that I knew that Sandra and her sister nned on separating us, I knew now more than ever that needed to get my wife back. I did her wrong and I wanted to make It up to her. she needed to know how sorry was for everything that I did.


    ¡°Nick.¡± Marcus called my name, but I ignored him. I could see now that the man thought he could control me, but nobody controlled Nick Jones. ¡°Nick!¡± I lifted my <b>head </b>to look at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I went back to the magazine as if he didn¡¯t say anything ¡°<b>Nick</b>, we need to talk.¡± He went over to the door, but I did not move from where I was seating.


    ¡°Come on, man.¡± I lifted my head again. ¡°You and I have talked enough. <b>Now </b><b>we </b>have nothing to talk about.¡± I nced at Olivia, and she looked pale. I wanted to ask if she was alright, but I knew she did not want to talk to me. so, I stood and went out. Marcus followed me, probably thinking that I was ready to talk to him.


    The moron! I walked away going to look for a doctor. ¡°Nick!¡± I turned fast and he almost bumped into me. ¡°Stop shouting my name in this damned hospital and I am getting tired of you telling me what to do to protect my wife. Why don¡¯t you start minding your own business from now on and leave me the fuck alone!¡±


    We stood there ring at each other. ¡°You know, if I didn¡¯t care about Olivia and she was still your wife. I would back off as you said but I can¡¯t because she is more than just my business partner. She is the woman I care about, and I will do anything to protect her. so, go on and y bodyguard while I go out there and find the person who is working with your sister and stop him before he does something else.¡±


    He must have thought I didn¡¯t know who the person was but what I had encountered a couple of hours


    had a feeling that the guy Luke, was the one working with Faren. The question now was why he wanted to harm my wife and what was his rtionship with my parents.


    ¡°You already know who it is, don¡¯t you?¡± I turned around and left him standing there without answering him. I did not answer to him. I saw a nurse and stopped her. ¡°Please find a doctor, my wife seems to be in pain.¡± The nurse nodded then hurried to the opposite direction.


    I went back and before I entered, I heard Olivia say. ¡°I don¡¯t want him here Marcus, what does he want <b>anyway</b>?¡± my heart sank but if I wanted her back, then I was going to have to endure all of that. so, I opened the door and walked in before Marcus could respond.


    I went back to sit on the chair in the corner. ¡°I have a few things to take care of at the office<b>, </b>I wille in and check on youter on. Do you want me to bring you something?¡± she shook her head and Marcus left. I sat there for a while without saying anything. The nurse came in and gave her meds then went out again.


    ¡°I am sorry, Olivia, for everything I did to you. I should have believed you and I should have never sent you to prison. Please, find it in <b>your </b>heart to forgive me, my heart. She said nothing, instead she turned to the other side for me not to see her face. It hurt, but I was willing to take li until she forgave me.


    ¡°I found out that Sandra was <b>never </b>pregnant.¡± She turned so fast ring at me. the anger in her eyes could not be mistaken. She was even shaking. ¡°Get out,¡± I looked at her but didn¡¯t move. ¡°Get out! Get the hell out of here Nick, I never want to see you again. Get out!¡± she screamed at me.


    I had never seen her that angry before, it <b>shocked </b>me. I stood up and went closer to her bed, but she screamed causing me to stop in my tracks. ¡°Aaah!¡±


    ¡°Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get any closer, I want you out of this room. You have done enough to me, and I want you out. I don¡¯t care what you found out because none of it will change anything Also, I will not forgive you for this just because you you didn¡¯t. <b>now </b>know that Sandra is not who you thought she was. I begged you to believe me, to look Into it but please leave and nevere back. I hate you.¡±


    My chest tightened and I struggled to breathe. My eyes locked on hers and all I could see were zing mes of anger and hatred. She meant it, she hated me, my mind went nk, and my eyes fogged then I was out.

 Novel Payback 80

    OLIVIA


    He clutched on his chest bending a little. His face twisted telling me that he was in pain. His eyes locked on me, and I saw pain in them. I watched as he stumbled a little losing strength on his knees finding it difficult to stand. Soon, his knees gave out and he fell on the floor. I sat there for a second not sure what was going on


    Then I pressed the emergency button next to my bed and next my room was filled with doctors and <b>nurses </b>tending to him and asking me what happened. I had no words to say, I just kept my mouth shut. Soon, he was taken out of my room, and Iid back closing my eyes.


    Nick was no longer my problem and whatever happened to him had nothing to do with me, that was his family hospital, and they would take care of him and inform his family. I only needed to think about myself and concentrate on getting better and going back to my son. I was almost falling asleep when the door opened.


    I opened my eyes only to be met by those of Nick¡¯s mother sighed, I was not in the mood for that family, I just needed a break from them. ¡°Olivia how are you?¡± she asked as she pulled the chair her son was seating on earlier, closer to the bed. ¡°Am getting better.¡± She nodded. ¡°I was called by the doctors; Nick had another heart attack.¡±


    He had a heart attack before, and this <b>was </b>the <b>second </b>one. Interesting, the man was very healthy and watched what he ate, what <b>could </b>have caused it? ¡°Doctor says it was brought on by extreme stress. He has been under a lot of stresstely with your ident.¡± I didn¡¯t know what she was trying to say or what she expected me to say.


    ¡°I know he did you wrong Olivia, but he is in pain too. He regrets everything he did to you, more so now that the truth has <be </b>out. He feels terrible and that is putting more stress on him.¡± 1 remained silent as I didn¡¯t know what she expected me to say.


    ¡°I am not <b>asking </b>you to forgive him, but I am asking you to please, for my sake. Take it easy on him.¡± I chuckled; there it was. A mother would always take care of their own. I did nothing to him. if he is stressed then that has nothing to do with me. talk to him about taking care of himself and reduce his stress levels.¡±


    I then turned the other way, done talking to her about Nick didn¡¯t even want to hear that name. I was mad at that man for everything he did to me, now he came to me apologizing as if that was going to bring back the two years I spent there. My grandmother and my uterus. His apology meant nothing to me.


    but it was not ¡°I will <b>leave </b>you to get some rest. I am sorry to have bothered you.¡± she was trying to guilt trip me, going to work. I <b>was </b>no longer her daughter inw, so I didn¡¯t have to feel guilty about anything. But as soon as the door closed my mind went back to Nick, how hurt he looked when I told him I hated him.


    How he clutched on his chest as if he wanted to pull his heart right out. Part of me was worried about his illness. He was too young to be having a second heart attack and made me wonder if I was being too hard on him if maybe I was the cause of it all.


    But then again, how much did I lose because of Nick Jones? Doctors called mine a butchered surgery because what <b>that </b>prison doctor did to me, she did not care that she was taking away my ability to carry my own children, to feel them grow inside me or was she instructed to do just that. now I would have to <b>used </b>someone else to carry and grow my children for me. Nick was cruel, if he was involved in that too.


    I shook my head trying to get rid of those thoughts there was no point in thinking about it. It <b>was </b>done and there was nothing I could do to change it. Thinking about it caused me pain and anger. It <b>was </b>pointless.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡± Ethan¡¯s voice sounded and I turned. ¡°Yes, how are you?¡± he walked closer to my bed looking Jike he had something to say. ¡°I just checked on Nick; his mother told me he had another heart attack.¡± It was <b>a </b>statement not a question, so I didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I heard it happened right here in your room.¡±


    ¡°What exactly do you want to <b>know </b>Ethan, why don¡¯t you ask?¡± He pulled a chair and sat down. He looked me in


    the <b>eye</b>, and I knew then that the <b>man </b>who sat in front <b>of </b>me was not my friend but Nick¡¯s best friend. ¡°I know you and Nick have your issues. Hell! I don¡¯t like half the things the man did to you, but¡­¡±


    He paused and looked at me, but I still said nothing. There was nothing to say to that version of him because no matter what I said. He would take his friend¡¯s side. ¡°Nick issick Olivia. I am not saying you have anything to do with that but in a way you do. Nick is like this because he¡­?


    I heard enough; I didn¡¯t want to hear about how sick the man was. He has put me <b>through </b>so much and I was notining. ¡°Ethan, I love you and appreciate everything you have done for me, but I will not sit here and listen to you talking about how sick Nick is and how it is my fault I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s my fault, it would serve him right for what he did.¡±


    I paused and he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. ¡°You better go be by your friend¡¯s side. He needs you.¡± he stood looking disappointed, but I didn¡¯t care. I was tired of them walking all over me as if I had no feelings. I was human too.


    He opened the door then turned to look at me. ¡°I love you too, Olivia.¡± The way he said it left me with questions.


    Chapter pa


    #35 BONUS

 Novel Payback 81

    ELODIE


    I <b>have </b>been anxious the past week, not because of my family, well, in a way it was because of my family. Nick was out of the hospital and resting at home. His father was the one running thepany in his absence. But the family. that got me worried was my brother, I knew he was nning something, and I wanted to know what it was


    I also knew that something was happening back home, and didn¡¯t have a way of finding out since my uncle went underground. He was the one who would have gotten me all the information I needed. I had a feeling that he knew more than <b>what </b>he was leading on when he went undergrond. I think he knew that my evil brother wasing for me.


    <b>What </b>I didn¡¯t understand was why he <b>was </bing after me now, what did Nick do that pissed him off so much. I tried asking Nick about it, but he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. There was a knock on the door, and I waited as the helper went to open the door.


    My brother appeared with two men following behind. I was shocked to see him in my house, and I was frightened as well. The <b>man </b>already made it clear that he wasing after my family and him being in my home, didn¡¯t sit


    well with me.


    Ellie are you not going to greet your big brother?¡± even that sounded like a threat. ¡°Hello Luke. What are you doing here?¡± I looked around for something I could use as a weapon should he attack me. ¡°I thought you wanted to know why I am going after your family, and I am here to tell you. Not unless you are not interested in knowing


    He raised an eyebrow, I shifted ufortably on my seat. ¡°Of course, I want to know.¡±


    ¡°Good, you two. Connect those to the tv.¡± He instructed the men he was with, and they started working on my tv. I kept my eyes on Luke. ¡°Why are you after Nick and his family? They have done nothing to you.¡± he looked angry when I said that,


    ¡°They have done nothing to me, are you sure about that, Elbe?¡± I shifted on my seat; I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Just tell me why you are after them, Luke and maybe we can find <b>a </b>way to resolve it.¡± He gave me a smirk. ¡°My thoughts exactly Ellie, finding a way to resolve this. But before we get to that I will tell you why I am after your son.¡±


    He paused and looked at me, but I said nothing, waiting for him to tell me. ¡°Remember I told you I had a daughter?¡± <b>what </b>the hell could Nick have to do with his daughter? I nodded though wanting him to continue. ¡± Olivia is my daughter¡± My eyes widened in shock and my mouth hung open


    When I was over that anger rose from the pit of my stomach, Luke was sick. ¡°How could you? you knew about Nick and Olivia and yet you let them get <b>married</b>? You are my brother for God¡¯s sake!¡± he was sick, how could he allow this to happen?


    He looked very angry when I said that. ¡°You keep saying that I am your brother, but I am not. I am just a man your parents took off the streets <b>and </b>raised as their own. Why do you think they let you live and marry outside of the mafia n? Because you are their blood but when I wanted to marry the love of my life who was pregnant with my daughter. Your father told me <b>that </b>he will kill her and my <b>unborn </b>baby if I <b>dared </b>marry her <b>or </b>go near <b>them</b>.¡±


    He paced. ¡°I had to watch from a distance as she moved on with her life and marry some moron.¡± He stopped. pacing and looked at me with so much hatred. ¡°<b>Yet</b>, with you, he didn¡¯t even protest, he let you walk away <b>and </b>marry the man of your dreams. That was because you are his daughter, and he wanted you to be happy while he couldn¡¯t <b>care </b>less about my happiness.¡± I <b>was </b>so shocked that words left me.


    Luke was not my biological brother and <b>Olivia </b>was his daughter. Now I got why he wanted me dead so much that day, why he hated me as if I did him wrong. I also get why he was after Nick, he hurt Olivia badly. Oh, dear Lord What was I going to do?


    #


    ¡°As if that was not enough, having to watch my daughter grow up calling another than <b>father</b>, your son marries her and then hurts her. send her to <b>jail </b>for shit she didn¡¯t do Then¡­¡± he chuckled darkly shaking his head. ¡°Then I find out that your father, sent people to her while she was in there, in your son¡¯s name to torture her. when I asked him why, you know what he told me?¡±


    I still said nothing, father was responsible for what happened to Olivia, oh my God. ¡°He told me that no one hurt his grandson and not pay the price. After everything I sacrificed for him and your family. My daughter meant nothing to your father, and I meant nothing to him as well, so, I am here to give you a choice, something your father never gave me.¡±


    He turned to the men he came with. ¡°Switch it on.¡± The man switched on the tv, and Nick and his father appeared. James was in his office working and I could tell the feed was live, but he wasn¡¯t aware he was being watched. Nick sat on the couch doing something on his phone. My heart sank when I saw that.


    ¡°Luke, I know father did you wrong and I am sorry about that. I know Nick wronged your daughter as well, but he is trying <b>to </b>make it up to her, please give him a chance to work things out with her.¡± I begged; I was not ready for whatever he was nning to do with my family.


    my


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that, I want you to choose Elodie, who do I kill, your <b>coward </b>of a husband or your son?¡± knees grew weak, and I copsed on the couch. ¡°No, little sis, you don¡¯t get to do that. it¡¯s either you choose, or I kill them both. What will it be?¡±


    -Oh Lord, father, what have you done.

 Novel Payback 82

    ELODIE


    The Don has managed to ruin my life a second time. He should have never gone after Olivia<b>, </b>Nick too. Look at what was going to happen now. The man in front of me wanted revenge for what was done to him and there was no getting out of it. How was I supposed to choose between the two people I love.


    I couldn¡¯t help the tears that left my eyes, I was in pain. It didn¡¯t matter who I choose, I knew that the choice I was going to make, would haunt me for the rest of my life. ¡°I don¡¯t have the whole day Elodie, I still have to go back to summer strand and kill the Don, your father. I will be damned if I let that old man hurt me again. Tonight, he dies.¡±


    My heart sank, I knew something was going on back home, Luke was nning to kill the Don; leader of our <b>n </b>and I knew he wouldn¡¯t do it alone. He must have the support of the other elders, my father must have done something else to piss off the elders and that was why they were okay with letting Luke kill him and take <b>over </b>as <b>head </b>of the family.


    We might have not spoken in years, but he was still my father, and I didn¡¯t want him to die. ¡°<b>You </b>are stalling and if you waste anymore of my time. I will kill them both. I killed the love of my life trying to get rid of that man he married. Killing your family, will serve as justice for what was done to mine.¡± Oh my God, Luke killed Olivia¡¯s mother?


    ¡°You say <b>you </b>loved her, but I don¡¯t think you know what that means, if you did, you wouldn¡¯t have put her in danger and end up killing her in the process! And why did you go after Olivia and her son then, what did they do to you?¡± he walked towards the couch and crotched in front of me.


    his eyes were cold as ice. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to kill her; she was not even supposed to be there. As for Olivia<b>, </b>I needed her to wake the hell up and see the danger surrounding her. your family is poison including you, Ellie. You know I <b>was </b>happy when she married your son, I thought she was finally safe, and I could rx knowing she was taken care of but then your son sent her to jail, and your father hurt her!¡±


    th.¡± He chuckled shaking his head his eyes red as if he were crying ¡°But it¡¯s done and killing a member of beloved family, will serve as justice to what <b>was </b>done to mine. Now choose or I kill them


    your


    I trembled; how does one make such a choice? I looked at the tv, seeing how oblivious they were to the situation, how they didn¡¯t know that in the next second our lives will change forever. Please, forgive me. ¡°Shoot them both.¡± Luke ordered on the phone, and I jumped <b>up</b>.


    ¡°No! I choose my son, don¡¯t kill them both. I choose <i>my </i>son I want him to live.¡± I broke down and cried after saying that. I turned away from the tv, but I heard a shot, and my mind went nk. Oh James, my love. Please, forgive me.


    ¡°Now, do you understand why I am here?¡± I said nothing as I continued to silently cry. I just killed my husband; I felt my stomach twisting and my chest burn. I was in an unimaginable pain. ¡°<b>You </b>chose to kill your husband and let your son live. That¡¯s what parents do Ellie, they protect their children and that is why I am doing this as well. To protect my daughter.¡±


    He stood and walked to the picture of my family hanging on the wall. ¡°I also, should have been allowed to have this. But your father only saw me as a killing machine and undeserving of love, family and that kind of life.¡± He turned back to me.


    ¡°Ellie, I still love you as my sister, but I will kill your father for what he did. That man has taken enough from me, and I am not going to let him take some more. Going after Olivia even after I let my daughter suffer and struggle all her life as I watched from afar was thest straw. He shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡±


    sight about that, he shouldn¡¯t have, Olivia did nothing to Nick and I was sure father knew that. but the Don


    being who he was, I don¡¯t think he cared about that. he just did as he pleased because he could.


    ¡°I am leaving now, if you do anything to try and warn the Don about what¡¯sing. I wille back and kill your son.¡± I shivered, he turned to his men. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They walked out. I turned <b>to </b>the tv and now James¡¯s office was filled with people, employees and paramedics came in.


    My chest tightened, I still had hope that maybe he was alive, maybe Luke didn¡¯t kill him and that maybe the whole thing was a warning to me and Nick not to mess with his daughter again. But I watched as the paramedic shook his head. There was no audio on the screen, but I could see their faces that my husband was dead.


    the


    I broke down and cried. It was painful, I left everything to be with that man. He risked his life to be with me<b>, </b>daughter of the mafia kingpin. He loved me regardless of my family and the blood he knew I had in my hands. He still loved me and yet today. He died by my hand. Luke¡¯s people might have pulled the trigger, but I made the


    choice.


    My phone rang from the couch, but I didn¡¯t pick up or even look at it. I knew what was <bing </b>and I wasn¡¯t ready to hear it. I wasn¡¯t ready to face the reality of what I had done. ¡°James, please. Forgive me.¡°

 Novel Payback 83

    OLIVIA


    Today I got discharged from the hospital. I was happy and couldn¡¯t wait to get home. See my son and just rest in my own bed. But I couldn¡¯t get hold of Marcus toe <b>and </b>pick me up. I didn¡¯t want to try Ethan after the conversation we had the other day. What he said made me feel ufortable. I wanted to keep my distance from <b>him </b>for a while.


    So, I walked out of the hospital about to call a taxi when a car stopped in front of me. When I looked, the driver was Given, one of Nick¡¯s guards and driver. I raised an eyebrow wondering what he was doing there. ¡°Missus, can I take you home? Sir left me here to run errands for you, he said I should get whatever you need.¡±


    Still, I didn¡¯t understand, why would he do that? ¡°I am not your Missus anymore Given, so, you don¡¯t have to call me that and thank you, but I will take a taxi.¡± He got out of the car. ¡°You will always be Missus to me and please. Let me take you home or sir will not be happy with me, you know how he is. Please.¡±


    He was right, I knew how Nick was and if he heard that he let me take a taxi. He would take his anger out on him. I sighed. ¡°Fine, you can take me home but next time tell your boss I will not be taking one of his cars. We are divorced and I don¡¯t want anything to do with him.¡± he nodded with a small smile opening the door for me.


    We drove off and I looked out the window. Given used to be my driver and Owen only tendered to Nick while we were married. Being in the car with him driving me gave me a sense of nostalgia. But I shook my head removing all those thoughts. We could never get back to that stage.


    Given¡¯s phone rang and it connected to the car. ¡°Sir?¡± he answered. ¡°I need you to get to my parent¡¯s house, now, something happened to my dad, and I need <i>my </i>best men there!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. On my way.¡± Given made a U¨Cturn heading the opposite direction <b>to </b>my house. ¡°Drop me off somewhere, I will get a taxi home.¡± I didn¡¯t want to intrude in whatever it was that was happening at his home and with his father. It was none of my business.


    ¡°Am sorry, but I can¡¯t do that Missus. You are still my responsibility and <i>if </i>you want to get a taxi then you can get it from the house, but I will not leave you here.¡± It was no use arguing with him, he was never going to drop me off.


    I sat back and rxed wondering what the hell was going on with his father. I took out my phone tried Lupita again, but she didn¡¯t pick up. I sent her text telling her I was <b>discharged </b>and that I was going to <i>be </i>home soon.


    When we got to Nick¡¯s parent¡¯s house, the street was full<i>. </i>Police cars, his security team patrolling <b>and </b>all of that made me think that something bad happened and or someone tried something again. Given drove around back and stopped there.


    rst


    ¡°Pleasee with me, Missus. It¡¯s not safe here and we don¡¯t know what happened.¡± He was right, <i>I </i>also didn¡¯t want something happening to me <b>again</b>. I needed to stay safe for my son¡¯s sake. We walked inside and thing I heard were his mother¡¯s cries.


    We hurried to the lounge and Nick <i>had </i>her in his armsforting her. I awkwardly stood there not knowing what to do. ¡°Sir, where do you want me?¡± asked Given, <i>Nick </i>lifted his head and saw me, something flickered in his eyes,


    but it was gone before I could determine what it <b>was </b>


    His mother lifted her head <i>off </i>him and when she saw me. I saw hatred in her <b>eyes</b>, and I was taken <i>back</i>. What could <i>I </i>have done to her to provoke a sudden hatred<i>? </i><i>¡°</i><i>I </i>am going to call a taxi and <b>head </b>home.¡± I said to no one <i>in </i>particr as I turned around to leave.


    Owen to take you home.¡± Nick said then left the room before I could protest. I was left with his <i>made </i>me ufortable. I <i>didn¡¯t </i><i>know </i>if <i>I </i><i>should </i>sit or continue


    Chapter on


    standing.


    I also, didn¡¯t know if I should ask what happened or just pretend, I didn¡¯t hear Given¡¯s call. ¡°It¡¯s your fault.¡± She suddenly said making me frown, I just got there, what could be <i>my </i>fault now. ¡°Sorry, but I am not following¡± She stood abruptly and charged at me.


    I was still confused as to what was going on, when she got to me, she wrapped her hands around my neck and squeezed. ¡°I will kill you, I will fucking kill you!¡± she look mad, I didn¡¯t know what I did to her or what she was ming me for.


    But there was no time to ask, I was trying to get her hands off my neck. ¡°You did this, I wish I never met you. My life and my family. We were all fine until you came into our lives. You are a curse Olivia and today I am going to end you!¡± I was struggling to get her hands off me.


    I was still weak, I just got out of the hospital. Nick came rushing and removed <b>his </b>mother¡¯s hands off me. ¡°Mom! What are you doing?¡± his mother pointed at ine while crying, ¡°She is the reason your father is dead! She did this to our family, it is all her fault Nick, her!¡±


    I was shocked, Nick¡¯s father was dead. ¡°Mom, please. Olivia just got out of the hospital. She had nothing to do with father¡¯s death, but I promise. I will find out who did this.¡± His mother shook her head vigorously.


    ¡°It was her father who did it, he is getting revenge on us for what you did to her, it¡¯s her fault!¡±

 Novel Payback 84

    OLIVIA


    I was even more confused, what the hell was the woman talking about? She must have been confused and grieving for her husband. We both knew that my parents died in an ident when I was little. My father couldn¡¯t have been the one who killed her husband. Maybe she was just looking for someone to me for what happened.


    I understood and I didn¡¯t hold a grudge against her, that was until I heard the rest of it. ¡°Mom, you know Olivia¡¯s parents died a long time ago. Come on, sit down I will ask the maid to make you tea. It will calm you down.¡±


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want tea and the man who died is not her father. My brother, Luke, the man you have been working with in Summer Strand is her father. He told me everything today and even told me that he is watching you too Nick.¡± My head buzzed; I was no longer interested in leaving but in understanding what she <b>was </b>talking about.


    How could her brother be my father? That was impossible, right? ¡°Mom, what are you saying?¡± Nick enquired after ncing at me. I wanted to know the same thing. I no longer cared about my sore throat. ¡°Luke is not my biological brother, my parents adopted him before I was born and I never knew. He <b>told </b>me <b>today</b>,


    We continued to stare at <b>her</b>, I was not interested in that part of the story I was more interested in him being my father, ¡°He told me that he and Olivia¡¯s mother were in a rtionship, but father forbade him from being with her and threatened to kill her and her unborn child if he didn¡¯t listen<b>.</b>¡± <b>She </b>red at me.


    ¡°He left her mother while she was still pregnant with her? my knees grew weak, <b>and </b>tension gathered on my shoulders. What was I hearing, how could my father not be my father? ¡°But mom, I still don¡¯t understand why he would after father for something I did. I was the one who wronged Olivia and if he wanted revenge then he should have <be </b>after me.¡±


    His mother looked at him then broke down and cried, ¡°He wanted us to feel the pain of losing someone we love just as he lost <b>Olivia¡¯s </b>mother and couldn¡¯t raise his daughter. He said killing your father will serve as revenge for what my father did to him. I want this woman out of my house Nick, your father is dead because of her.¡±


    She red at me so hard that if looks could kill, I would have been dead already. But I couldn¡¯t concentrate on that. My real father <b>was </b>alive and has been watching me from a distance because her father forbade him from being a father to me, why?


    ¡°I am not at fault; I didn¡¯t ask him to do <b>this</b>. Why would you me me for the <b>sins </b>of someone I don¡¯t even know and why would he listen to your father when he forbade him from being with my mother and me?¡± his mother chuckled and stood.


    Nick quickly stood blocking her way and preventing her from getting to me. her eyes <b>were </b>zing with anger <b>and </b>hatred<b>. </b>¡°You don¡¯t know who I am or what I am capable of. What my family and your so¨Ccalled father is capable of. No one says no to my father!¡±


    all this,


    The conversation was getting even more confusing, Why couldn¡¯t people say no to her father, was he God? I certainly didn¡¯t think so. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me then? From what <b>I </b><b>am </b>hearing your father is the <b>caus </b>why are you not ming him, is it because he is a god no one says no to?¡± she chuckled.


    I <b>had </b>to admit that chuckled send cold shivers running down my spine. I had never seen the woman like that before and she scared the shit out of me. but I was not going to leave until I hear what that was all about.


    ¡°He <b>might </b>as well be a god, my father is the Don, head of a <b>mafia </b>family in Summer Strand <b>and </b>his word isw. My brother, your father is his son, and you <b>can </b>guess little one what kind of monster he is to be sitting at his right- hand side. Killing is <b>a </b>hobby for him, and I am going to make you pay for what he did to my husband!¡±


    <b>I </b><b>had </b>not even processed the fact that I <b>had </b>a father I didn¡¯t know about <b>and </b><b>now </b>I had to hear that he belonged to a mafia family and that he killed people for fun. My head buzzed it was too much to <b>take </b>in. Why didn¡¯t he appear


    when I was thrown in jail, when I went through everything that I went through.


    Why appear now when I was doing well for myself why was he even seeking revenge for me when he didn¡¯t care if I lived or died in that prison. I had a lot of questions and no answers. I couldn¡¯t even ask Nick¡¯s mother as she seemed to have only found out about the whole thing today


    There was also the fact that the hated me now. Nick on the other hand said nothing. He just took a seat and hung his head low. ¡°Get the fuck out of my house Olivia before you leave in a body bag¡± I nced at Nick, and he didn¡¯t move from where he sat. I guess the hatred 1 felt for him was now mutual.


    I turned to leave but her words stopped me dead in my tracks ¡°Watch your back Olivia because I am not going to let this go¡± She was the second person to threaten me that way. First it was Sandra and now her. I bailed my hands into fists with my nails digging in the palm of my hand.


    I didn¡¯t care about what she was going to do to me, I cared about her going after my son to hurt me.


    ¡°Bring it on then, I would rather team up with the devil than let youe anywhere near me. mark my words, youe after me, I find my so¨Ccalled father and team up with him to cause you more pain than what you are feeling right now. Try me.¡±


    Chapter PORS

 Novel Payback 85

    OLIVIA


    When I got outside, my hands shook, and I couldn¡¯t stop crying. I thought Nick¡¯s mother was the sweetest person in the world, but she was just a murderer disguised as a housewife. I couldn¡¯t believe the woman I trusted turned out to be this. She threatened me for something I didn¡¯t do Why couldn¡¯t she go after her mafia brother and leave me out of it?


    I


    1 never asked him to kill anyone or do anything for me, hell never even knew the man existed and already I was being med for his sins. Dear Lord, what have I done to deserve such a life<b>. </b>All I ever wanted was to be happy with my husband, start a family and be happy.


    But when that didn¡¯t work out, I only wanted to make something of myself and <b>raise </b>my son. But that didn¡¯t look like it was going to be possible either because everywhere went. Trouble followed. Maybe Nick¡¯s mother was right, maybe I <b>was </b>a curse.


    I wiped my tears and with my shaking hands I took out my phone and called a taxi. I stood there waiting with my mind jumbled up. Everything was happening so fast; I went back to the text I got and read it again. Could he be the one who sent it to me?


    Was he warning me against the Jones family? If that <b>was </b>the case then he was toote, he shouldn¡¯t have let me be involved with them to begin with. But he was busy being a good little soldier for his mafia father that he didn¡¯t care what happened to me.


    Gosh! I hated the man, I had not <b>even </b>met him, but I already hated him. himing back made my life even worse than it already was. The taxi arrived and I got in. just as the driver took off, my phone rang. It was Marcus. I answered but I couldn¡¯t help but cry.


    ¡°Olivia, what is wrong. What happened? Talk to me.¡± I couldn¡¯t speak, the lump in my throat kept growing and growing threatening to cut off my air supply. ¡°Olivia, please. Tell me where you are, and I wille for you. I went to the hospital when I saw your missed call and I was told you were discharged. Are you home?¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t speak; I was just crying. I handed the phone to the taxi driver<b>, </b>and he put it on speaker and spoke with Marcus. He told him where we were and that I was crying and couldn¡¯t speak. Marcus <b>gave </b>him a different address to take me to.


    When we got there, and I looked outside. It was an office building, but I was not familiar with it. Marcus <b>was </b>standing outside his car and when he saw the taxi. He rushed towards us and opened the door for me, helping me out. He took me into his arms embracing me. I felt safe there like I belonged.


    Like nothing could ever hurt me as long as I was in his arms. ¡°Go to the car, I will join you now.¡± I left him talking to the taxi driver and went to his car and got inside. I was no longer crying just feeling drained. Marcus came back and got into the back seat next to me.


    ck¡¯s


    ¡°Ready to tell me what is going on?¡± I sighed, where was I supposed to start? With my father is alive mother is a mafia princess, and she threatened me or Nick¡¯s father is dead? ¡°Talk <b>to </b>me Olivia, hearing, you cry like that hurt me. I never want to hear you cry like that ever again. Please, tell me <b>what </b>is wrong.¡±


    I narrated the story to Marcus, and he kept quiet and let me speak. When I was done, he was no longer looking at me but outside through the window. Hands bailed into fists with veins popping. He was angry. ¡°How dare she?¡± he said then turned to me.


    ¡°How dare she threaten you, she can¡¯t deal with <b>her </b>brother because she knows he is <b>more </b>dangerous she ising after you? let here and I will show her <b>who </b>I am.¡±


    and


    <b>now </b>


    ¡°Marcus, I don¡¯t want you dealing with these people, now that there is even mafia involved. I don¡¯t think getting


    #


    Grates res


    on their bedside is a good <b>idea</b>.¡± He took my hands in hisan gave me this tender look. It was a bad time for all of it but I found myself drawn to those eyes of his. I couldn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°Olivia, I am not afraid of any mafia. If theye after you then they will have me to deal with and <b>ording </b>to what you told me she won¡¯t juste after you, not when your father is now on your side and openly seeking revenge on them for what Nick did to you, she will think twice before doing anything and even if she does. I will be waiting for her.¡±


    I looked at the man and there was no fear in his eyes, only determination and it made me wonder what it was ! didn¡¯t know about <b>him</b><b>. </b>¡°Marcus, my ex and his family are dangerous. I didn¡¯t know it before and now that I know. I fear them and what they are capable of. Why are you not afraid of them?¡± I didn¡¯t want another drama like with


    Nick


    If Marcus was dangerous as well, I would forget what I felt for him and stay away. Not only that but I would cut ties with him. Nick showed me what being na?ve does to a person. ¡°I am not from any mafia family if that is what you are asking. But I am connected with many different organisations that could do a lot of damage to the Jones should I <b>ask </b>them to.¡±


    What he said didn¡¯tfort me, instead it made me scared. The thought of going after the Jones and what they could do scared me to death. I had my son to think of <b>and </b>I couldn¡¯t just involve myself in things like those. ¡°Trust me Olivia, I <b>am </b>only dangerous to those who cross me and those I care about. And if the Jones family want to know just how dangerous I could be, then they muste after you and they will see.


    1:

 Novel Payback 86

    NICK


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, what to think. For two days, <b>I </b><b>have </b>not said a word. Mother med Olivia for father¡¯s death but we both knew that I <b>was </b>to me. Today was my father¡¯s funeral and as I stared at the casket. My mind took me back to when it all started, Olivia begging me to give her friend a job.


    back Sandra telling me all those things about her and showing me evidence of her wrongdoing. I wished I could go there and not listen to her. Fire her and make <b>sure </b>she never came anywhere <b>near </b>us again. I wish I had protected my wife instead of listening to a stranger. If I had, I <b>would </b>not have sent her to jail.


    She would still be whole, and we would be happy raising our son<i>. </i>But I was blind, dumb and na?ve. I let my emotions lead me and I didn¡¯t use my brain. My wife got hurt <i>in </i>prison and her monster of a father killed mine. It was all my fault.


    Mother wanted blood; she wanted revenge but how could she want to get it on Olivia when I was the one who started the whole thing. ¡°Nick, it¡¯s time for you to speak¡± Ethan nudged me. he has been a good friend since this happened. Never left me alone even for a second.


    He was the one who made the funeral arrangement because mother and I were out of it. I walked forward and spoke about my father. ¡°James Jones, a good man, good husband, good businessman and a good father. He didn¡¯t deserve to die this way. He still had a lot to live for, to see my son grow up, teach him how to y ball like he taught me and teach him how to be a good businessman.


    That was the first time I spoke in two days, giving <i>my </i>father¡¯s eulogy. I scanned the crowd hoping to see <i>Olivia </i>and my son but they where nowhere to be found. I had hoped she woulde and bring Samuel to say his goodbyes to his grandfather.


    But I didn¡¯t me <i>her </i>for noting, not after mother attacked her and med her for what Luke did. Olivia didn¡¯t even know Luke. Ethan cleared <i>his </i>throat taking the paper I had written on and continued with the eulogy.


    My mind was not there, I kept looking at father¡¯s casket and guilt ate me <i>up </i>inside. <i>I </i>was to me, fatherid in that box because of me, <i>why </i>didn¡¯t Lukee after me? that was one question I didn¡¯t have an answer to, and I didn¡¯t understand why he did that.


    <i>The </i>funeral continued until everything was done, father buried <i>six </i>feet under, and only fresh soil remained. I stood there looking at it as <i>if </i>someone was going to tell me that it was a prank, that <i>my </i>father was not dead. ¡°<i>Let¡¯s </i>go <i>man</i><i>.</i><i>¡± </i>Ethan said<i>. </i>


    <i>I </i>appreciated everything he has done for me and <i>my </i>mother during this time. He put aside our <i>differences </i>and became my friend without me having to ask. He took charge and made sure father <i>had </i><i>the </i><i>best </i>funeral.


    <i>¡°</i><i>I </i>need a minute alone.¡± He nodded then left me there going to stand by the car. <i>I </i>took out my <i>phone </i>and dialled Luke. <i>¡°</i><i>Nephew</i>! Good to hear from you, beautiful service you <i>had </i><i>there </i><i>for </i>your father. You <i>have </i>outd <i>yourself</i><i>.</i><i>¡± </i>I <i>looked </i>around but I didn¡¯t see <i>anyone </i><i>besides </i><i>Ethan</i>.


    ¡°Did you receive the flowers I sent? It was the least <i>I </i>could do since <i>I couldn¡¯t </i><i>be </i>there in person.¡± If that was <i>the </i>case, then <i>how </i><i>did </i><i>he </i><i>know </i><i>about </i>the service? ¡°<i>I </i>want to <i>ask </i>you <i>something</i>.¡±


    <i>¡°</i>Go ahead<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>His voice was so <i>cheerful</i><i>, </i><i>it </i>was annoying, ¡°<i>Why </i>didn¡¯t you <i>kill </i><i>me</i><i>, </i><i>why </i>didn¡¯t you take your revenge out on me? <i>I </i>was the one <i>who </i>hurt Olivia <i>not </i><i>my </i><i>father</i>. <i>Why </i>did <i>you kill </i><i>him </i><i>instead </i>of me?¡± <i>my </i><i>voice </i>was <i>raised </i>towards <i>the </i><i>end</i><i>, </i>


    and my <i>father </i><i>paid </i><i>for </i><i>it </i><i>with </i>his <i>life</i>. He didn¡¯t deserve it<i>. </i>¡°Your mother <i>didn¡¯t </i>ow <i>what </i><i>I </i><i>don¡¯t </i>care <i>about </i><i>that</i><i>. </i><i>I </i>want to know <i>why </i><i>you </i><i>killed </i><i>him </i>


    NICK


    #


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, what to think. For two days, I have not said a word. Mother med Olivia for father¡¯s death but we both knew that I was to me. Today was my father¡¯s funeral and as I stared at the casket. My mind took me back to when it all started, Olivia begging me to give her friend a job.


    back Sandra telling me all those things about her and showing me evidence of her wrongdoing. I wished I could go there and not listen to her. Fire her and make sure she never came anywhere near us again. I wish I had protected my wife instead of listening to a stranger. If I had, I would not have sent her to jail.


    She would still be whole, and we would be happy raising our son. But I was blind, dumb and na?ve. I let my emotions lead me and I didn¡¯t use my brain. My wife got hurt in prison and her monster of a father killed mine. It was all my fault.


    Mother wanted <b>blood</b>; she wanted revenge but how could she want to get it on Olivia when I was the one who started the whole thing. ¡°Nick, it¡¯s time for you to speak.¡± Ethan nudged me. he has been a good friend since this happened. Never left me alone even for a second.


    He was the one who made the funeral arrangement because mother and I were out of it. I walked forward and spoke about my father. ¡°James <b>Jones</b><b>, </b>a good man, good husband, good businessman and a good father. He didn¡¯t deserve to die this way. He still had a lot to live for, to see my son grow up, teach him how to y ball like he taught me and teach him how to be a good businessman.¡±


    I scanned the <b>crowd </b>hoping to see Olivia That was the first time I spoke in two days, giving my father¡¯s eulo and my son but they where nowhere to be found. I had hoped she woulde and bring Samuel to say his goodbyes to his <b>grandfather</b>.


    But I didn¡¯t me her for noting, not after mother attacked her and med her for what Luke did. Olivia didn¡¯t even know Luke. Ethan cleared his throat taking the paper I had written on and continued with the eulogy.


    and I My mind was not there, I kept looking at father¡¯s casket and guilt ate me up inside. I was to me, fatherid that box because of me. why didn¡¯t Lukee after me? that was one question I didn¡¯t have an answer to, didn¡¯t understand why he did that.


    The funeral continued until everything was done, father buried six feet under, and only fresh soil remained. I stood there looking at it as if someone was going to tell me that it was a prank, that my father was not dead. ¡°Let¡¯s go man.¡± Ethan said.


    I appreciated everything he has done for me and my mother during this time. He put aside our differences and became my friend without me having to ask. He took charge and made sure father had the best funeral.


    ¡°I need a minute alone.¡± He nodded then left me there going to stand by the car. I took out my phone ar Luke. ¡°Nephew! Good to hear from you, beautiful service you had there for your father. You have outdone yourself.¡± I looked around but I didn¡¯t see anyone besides Ethan.


    alled


    ¡°Did you receive the flowers 1 sent? It was the least I could do since I couldn¡¯t be there in person.¡± If that was the


    then how did he know about the service? ¡°I want to ask you something.¡±


    case,


    ¡°Go ahead.¡± His voice was so cheerful, it was annoying. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me, why didn¡¯t you take your revenge out on me? I was the one who hurt Olivia not my father. Why did you kill him instead of me?¡± my voice was raised towards the end


    It made me mad that I did wrong, and my father paid for it with his life. He didn¡¯t deserve it. ¡°Your mother didn¡¯t tell


    your


    1?¡± I frowned. ¡°Tell me what? You <b>know </b>what I don¡¯t care about that. I want to know why you killed him


    Theughed.


    ¡°Because your mother chose <b>him</b>.¡± I froze. ¡°What?¡± that came out as a whisper, and I wasn¡¯t even sure he heard me until he replied. ¡°Your mother is the one who chose your life over your father¡¯s. It was either you or him and your mother chose you and let him die. But then he died for your sins. Now you get to live your life knowing that your father died because of you.¡±


    He cut the <b>call</b>, and I was left standing there shocked by what I heard. Then anger rose from the pit of my stomach. I could feel my stomach surge like waves at sea as my anger rose with each second I stood there. I hurried to the car; Ethan looked at me confused but I said nothing


    I was too angry. ¡°Drive!¡± I ordered as soon as Ethan got into the car. Owen didn¡¯t ask questions, he drove. ¡°What is wrong man?¡± asked Ethan, I turned my head and looked out the window. I didn¡¯t want to talk, at least not to him.


    When the car stopped in front of the house, I got out and rushed inside with Ethan calling my name. when I got inside, I scanned the room for my mother, and I found her seating on the couch. I went to her and grabbed her hand pulling her towards father¡¯s study.


    ¡°Nick<b>, </b>what is wrong? You are hurting me!¡± I paid her no mind. I opened the door to the study and shoved her Inside then close the door right in Ethan¡¯s face then locked it. ¡°Nick! Don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± Ethan yelled on the other side, but I ignored him


    I kept my eyes on my mother, reading her face trying to see if she was capable of doing something like that. ¡°Did


    kill father?¡± I blurted. Shock covered her face then sadness followed. ¡°Did <b>you </b>ask him to kill father instead of me?¡± her lips quivered, and tears spilled from her eyes.


    <b>you </b>


    Answer me!¡±

 Novel Payback 87

    OLIVIA


    I felt better after spending line with Marcus, he had a way of making me feel safe when I am with him, his words warm my heart and the way the man cared for me, made me feel like I could be happy again. But I couldn¡¯t let myself think about such things, not when things were going downhill again for me.


    I didn¡¯t know when I would have peace and focus on my son, my business and maybe finding love again. ¡°Hey, are you still thinking about those people? I told you not to worry, everything is going to be okay, you will see.¡± Marcus brought me back from my thoughts.


    I turned to him and gave him a small smile. He <b>was </b>driving me back horne, I missed my son and the fact that his nammy didn¡¯t get back to me, got me worried. ¡°<b>No</b><b>, </b>am fine, just thinking about things in general, nothing Important.¡± He studied me.


    ¡°Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything¡± That warmed my heart, he really did care for me, and I wished my mind was focused enough to acknowledge that fact and maybe act on my feelings for him. But this was not the time. ¡°I am fine Marcus, really.¡± He nodded focusing on the road. When we got to my house he stopped.


    ¡°I will not being in, but I wille and check on youter on. I still have business meeting to attend then I wille <b>over</b>.¡± I nodded getting out of the car. ¡°Do you want me to bring you anything when Ie?¡± I shook any head. ¡°<b>No</b><b>, </b>I am fine. I will see youter.¡± I watched him drive off then <b>walked </b>towards the front door.


    1 knocked then tried the doorknob. It opened and that made me frown. My son was just kidnapped not too long ago and yet Lupita left the door unlocked. Yes, it might have been Nick who did it but still. I would rather they be safe than sorry.


    I walked in. ¡°Lupita!¡± I called her name as I walked in. I needed to <b>talk </b>to her about the whole thing, she can¡¯t just leave a door like that not after everything. ¡°Lupita, where are you?¡± I yelled as I walked into the lounge. ¡°We are in here <b>Olivia</b>.¡± She yelled back <b>and </b>I followed her voice towards Samuel¡¯s room.


    When I opened the door, my heart sank, Sandra sat there with a smirk on her face and my son next to her sleeping The sick woman had a knife right on my son¡¯s pillow, grandina Susan tied up and with <b>a </b>tape on her mouth. Lupita standing by the chest of drawer¡¯s tears stained her cheeks and hands tied to the <b>back</b>.


    No wonder she didn¡¯t answer the phone <b>when </b>I called. I shouldn¡¯t have known something <b>was </b>wrong because she never ignores my calls <b>and </b>if she missed my call, <b>she </b>would <b>call </b>right back but this time she didn¡¯t, why didn¡¯t I think of this sooner, <b>why </b>didn¡¯t I juste home?


    ¡°Wee home, Olivia. We <b>have </b>been waiting a long time for you, where have you been?¡± I stood by the door not knowing what to do or how to react to the situation. I should have asked Marcus to <be </b>in with me. ¡°<b>What </b>are you doing Sandra?¡± she brushed my son¡¯s hair, and he didnt even move, nothing


    That got me worried. ¡°What did you do to my son?¡± I took two steps towards the bed, but she took the knife and put it on his throat stopping me in my tracks. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you and don¡¯t worry, he is just in. P sleep. Now answer my questions, where have you been?¡± I stood there looking at my son.


    I wanted nothing more than to rush to him and check <b>if </b>he was alright. ¡°I was with Marcus.¡± She tilted her head to the side and stared at me. ¡°You never were a good liar, now tell me the truth. Where have you been?¡± she pressed the knife harder on my son¡¯s throat and drew blood.


    Anger, <b>pain </b>and shock washed over me when I saw that blood. Still my son didn¡¯t move<b>, </b>and I wondered what kind of <b>sedative </b>did she give him. ¡°I was with Nick first, his father passed <b>away</b>.¡± She looked shocked by the news and her eyes turned crazy suddenly.


    ¡°Why did he call you, he should have called me<b>, </b>I should have been the one by his side. When did his father die?¡±


    ¡°Two days ago,¡± Sandra went crazy, ¡°I have been here sincest night and you were busy with Nick this whole time! I should have killed this brat of yours just to teach you a fucking lesson!¡±


    ¡°Sandra, I told you I was not with Nick the whole time, I was with Marcus. You can call Nick <b>and </b>confirm what I am saying.¡± Her eyes looked wild, and I fear what she was going to do. ¡°Look, tell the what you want, and I will give it to you.¡± I needed her out of my house and away from my son. I also needed to take him to the doctor to get checked out.


    ¡°I want you to call Nick, I need him toe here, and I ware you to make him understand that everything I did was for him. make him understand that I didn¡¯t want to lur him just to get him away from you.¡±


    1 looked at <b>Sandra </b>and a thought came to mind. If I wanted to get rid of Sandra. I needed to find a way to get Nick out of our lives forever. ¡°I will tell him all that and in fact. You were right Sandra; Nick is not Samuel¡¯s father.¡±


    She looked at me then back at Samuel. <b>She </b>thenughed throwing her head back, the woman really was crazy. knew you were not <b>as </b>innocent, as everyone seems to think you are. Nick has to know, and you are going to tell him, call him Olivia, I don¡¯t care what story you make up, just get him here or this brat of yours dies!¡±

 Novel Payback 88

    NICK


    Mother jumped in fright when 1 yelled. ¡°Nick, open this door!¡± Ethan sounded on the other side banging the door, but I kept my eyes on my dear mother. The one who thinks she <b>has </b>the right to y God and choose who lives or dies. ¡°What did you expect me to do Nick? If I didn¡¯t choose he was going to kill you both!¡±


    I chuckled shaking my head, she should have let him kill us both then or choose father and let him kill me. I <b>was </b>the one who wronged his daughter not father, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have chosen him, mother. I was the one who hurt Olivia, father did nothing wrong and yet you sacrificed him, why?¡± now my tears spilled from the corners of my


    eyes.


    I was hurt, mother yed God and got an innocent man killed. Not just any man but her husband<b>, </b>my father. Nick, you are my son, and you have a lot to live for. <b>I </b>couldnt let him kill you. your father has <b>lived </b>a long, fulfilled and beautiful life. If he was the one who had to choose, he would have made the same choice.¡±


    She said crying but I wasn¡¯t moved. She let my father die, I didn¡¯t know how to look her and not feel repulsed by what she had done. ¡°I never want to see you anywhere near me, <b>ever </b>again. You do not contact me or be in the same space as me. from today onwards, you are dead to <b>me </b>I turned around to open the door, but she grabbed my arm holding it tight


    ¡°Nick please, try to understand son, I did this for you. I couldn¡¯t let him kill you please understand.¡± I roughly pulled my arm away from her then opened the door getting but. Ethan peeked inside then ran after me. ¡°What happened Nick, why would you leave your mother like that? she is hurting man.¡± I stopped abruptly.


    ¡°Never call that woman my mother again. She is dead to me!¡± Ethan just stared at me as if I was <b>crazy</b>, he didn¡¯t know what that woman did, and I hated her. she wanted revenge on Olivia for what her father did, yet. She was the one who asked her brother to kill him she was evil! And I wanted nothing to do with him.


    I left Ethan standing there and walked out. I got into the car and told Owen to drive me to my house. I needed to be alone, and I needed to think. Mother was just as bad as her brother. I got into the car and learned back closing my eyes. I felt a headacheing. But my phone vibrated in my pocket.


    I saw Olivia¡¯s name on the screen and my chest warmed. She will always have my heart, no matter what Olivia will always be mine. ¡°Hello.¡± I answered the call closing my eyes waiting to hear her soothing voice.


    ¡°Nick, pleasee to my house, it¡¯s important.¡± My eyes few opened and I sat up straight. ¡°What is wrong Olivia<b>, </b>is Samuel ok?¡± I asked now worried sick; Olivia <b>was </b>still mad at me and I knew she wouldn¡¯t just invite me to her house. Something must have happened.


    ¡°Nick, please, don¡¯t ask me questions juste.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± She sounded off on the phone like she couldn¡¯t talk, like she was scared of something. ¡°Owen, take me to Olivia¡¯s house and step on it.¡± I ordered, now I couldn¡¯t sit still worried sick. Different scenario¡¯s ran through my mind


    Whenever something happened with Olivia, she would call Marcus or Ethan. She never called me, if she called me then that meant something was really wrong. But what could it be? When we got to her ce. Owen parked the car on the driveway, and I walked to the door then knocked.


    Olivia opened the door and let me in. I looked around but didn¡¯t see anything wrong. That was until she led me <b>into </b>Samuel¡¯s room, and I saw Sandraying by his side with a knife. There was dry blood on my son¡¯s neck and pillow, but it didn¡¯t look like much..


    ¡°Nick! Good that you are here.¡± She <b>gave </b>me a smile getting off the bed, my heart was in my throat by then. What was the crazy woman doing to my son! ¡°What the hell are you doing, Sandra?¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t have to worry, this brat is not <b>yours</b>. Olivia lied to you, she just confessed.¡± I looked at Olivia, but she was already by Samuel¡¯s side trying to wipe the blood off. ¡°What are you talking about and why would you have a knife on my son¡¯s throat! What did you do to him?¡± How I was angry.


    I didn¡¯t know what was going on and seeing my son not moving like that got my heart beating fast, something was wrong with him. ¡°See<b>, </b>Nick, I didn¡¯t lie to you and I did well getting her away from you. she is a liar, that child is not yours, never was. She lied. We can now go back to our lives and forget about her, or you can punish her again if you want. She lied to you.¡±


    Sandra looked like a crazy person, I looked at Olivia. ¡°She is right Nick, Samuel is not yours. I am sorry for lying to you, well, I didn¡¯t lie. You got information that I <b>had </b>a baby in prison, I never said he was yours, you and your parent¡¯s <b>assumed </b>he was.¡±


    My frown deepened, was she trying to get Sandra to leave, was that why she was saying all those things? I nced at Samuel; the boy looked like me. ¡°Okay, Sandra<b>, </b>I need you toe with me. I will deal with Olivia. You know I won¡¯t let her get away with this.¡±


    She smirked looking at Olivia like she had won, she looked crazy and nothing like thedy I knew? What could have happened to her. ¡°I think we should kill this brat and cause her as much pain as she caused us.¡± Before I could say anything, Sandra charged towards the bed with the knife held high ready to attack.


    ¡°Sandra, No!!¡±

 Novel Payback 89

    OLIVIA


    I heard Nick yell, and I turned to see Sandra with the knife held high charging at me. Nick was by the door, I think frozen, and I did the only thing I could do. I covered my <b>son </b>with my body and soon I felt stabbing pain on my shoulder then warm liquid spilled out. ¡°Sandra! what the fuck are you doing?¡± Nick said but I didn¡¯t turn.


    The knife stuck on my shoulder, and I could feel the blood wetting my blouse back and front. I could hear Lupita screaming on the side. ¡°I am getting rid of that brat, Olivia has shown us that she is not going to leave us alone but, if I kill the brat. She will get the message.¡± Sandra sounded crazy, out of her mind.


    ¡°<b>Owen</b>! Owen, get in here.¡± Nick yelled, I slowly got up, pain spread through my body as I moved. When I turned, Nick held Sandra, and she was struggling to get out of his hold. Owen budged in and his eyes widened when he saw the scene. ¡°Take her to the car.¡± He ordered.


    Owen took Sandra out <b>and </b>Nick came my way, but I shook my head stopping him in his tracks. ¡°Call an ambnce and help Lupita and grandma out of the restraints.¡± Nick made the call then helped Lupita who ran to me as soon as her hands were free.


    ¡°I need to stop the bleeding.¡± She looked around and found Samuel¡¯s nkie. She pressed it against the wound as she kept apologizing as if she was the one who stabbed me ¡°Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! your presence in my life caused this, take Sandra and get out of my house and out of my life. Am done with you.¡± he looked hurt and defeated. ¡°But Olivia, Samuel is still¡­¡±


    ¡°Has nothing to do with you, he is mine and I told you that he is not your child. Now get the hell out but keep Sandra safe, I <b>want </b>her arrested for this.¡± Before he could say anything, the paramedics arrived.


    They worked fast packing my wound. ¡°We have to take you to the hospital for the knife to be taken out.¡± I pointed at my son on the bed. ¡°Check on him, he hasn¡¯t been moving and I don¡¯t know what she gave him.¡± they rushed to my son, and they confirmed he was breathing.


    Then they took us both into the ambnce. I told Lupita to stay behind with grandma who has not said a word since the tape was removed from her mouth. The drive to the hospital was not long and when we arrived, we were taken to different directions despite my protest.


    I was given something for the pain before the knife was taken out of my shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like being at home Mrs Jones. You were <b>only </b>discharged a few days ago and you <b>are </b>already back here.¡± The <b>trauma </b>doctor who took care of me while I <b>was </b>admitted there said.


    ¡°Trouble seems to find me wherever I go, doctor. Now please take me to my son.¡± He finished off then took me to the paediatric <b>ward </b>where Samuel was. My son was still asleep, and the doctors told me that he was given a strong sedative, but he was alright.


    The small cut on his throat was cleaned <b>and </b>bandaged. ¡°Mam<b>, </b>since a child was involved, we had no choice call the police and child protective service.¡± My eyes widened, if they dared take my son, I was going to hunt Sandra down and kill her myself.


    <b>Soon</b>, Nick<b>, </b>Marcus who i assumed was called by Lupita or Ethan because they arrived at the same time and child. protective services. I exined what happened to the police and child protective services and Nick coborated <b>my </b>story.


    ¡°You can <b>leave </b>now.¡± Nick looked at me as if I was crazy for asking him to leave. ¡°This is my son, Olivia, I am not leaving until he wakes up.¡± I chuckled. ¡°This is not your son and even if he was. I was riot going to let you anywhere near him. you protected the woman who did this to him, you send Sandra to the psych ward instead of calling the police on her. what the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡± Ethan and Marcus asked at the same time. You didn¡¯t see her<b>; </b>she was crazy and she didn¡¯t belong in prison but in a facility where she will get help. No one in her right mind will do what she did.¡± Marcus chuckled and Ethan closed the distance between him and Nick.


    He then punched him in the face sending him to the ground ¡°You piece of shit! You never learn, do you? that woman is not crazy but evil. I understand that you don¡¯t know Samuel and have divorced Olivia. But what kind of a monster are you to let a person who hurt a child go free?¡±


    Nick stood up and spit blood. ¡°She is sick Ethan; you didn¡¯t see her, that was not Sandra in there.¡± Marcusughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what she gave you, not long ago you wanted her dead for what she did, for lying to you but ? today you want to get her help. I don¡¯t know if you are confused or just in <b>foolish</b>.¡±


    Nick red at Marcus. By then, it was clear to <b>me </b>that Nick didn¡¯t deserve to be <b>in </b>our lives, I did well hiding Samuel the first time but now it was time I got Nick out of our lives for good. ¡°<b>Leave</b>, Nick. You have no business being here.¡± He red at me.


    ¡°I told you I am not leaving until he wakes up.¡± I closed the distance between us. ¡°And I am telling you that you <b>have </b>no business here, Samuel is not your son. Do a DNA test if you want to but he is not yours!¡± ¡°Nick studied me.


    I did my best not to show it in my face, but I was scared. Nick was unpredictable. ¡°Fine I will do the test.¡± He turned and walked away. ¡°Olivia<b>, </b>what are you doing?¡± asked Ethan looking concerned. ¡°Getting your friend out of mine and my son¡¯s life and the two of you are going to help me make that happen. Those test results will show that Nick is not the father, I don¡¯t care how you do it, I just want it done!¡±

 Novel Payback 90

    OLIVIA


    The


    guys had no choice but to listen to me, well, I didn¡¯t give them much of a choice. They could both see that Nick was blinded or bias when it came to Sandra. The man was protective of her to a point that he risked his son¡¯s life for her. Even after what she did, right in front of him but Nick found a way to keep her from being punished.


    <b>Nick </b>soon came back with a doctor, before the doctor could go into Samuel¡¯s room to get the sample. He looked at me. ¡°Are you sure about this? I know it¡¯s not necessary because I can see that Samuel is mine. Why are you trying to prove that he is not? You don¡¯t have to prove anything tone and Sandra will not hurt either of you again. She is locked up.


    I said nothing but stared at him, trying to be brave for my son. When I didn¡¯t answer, he sighed and gestured for the doctor to go inside. He <b>walked </b>in with the doctor and watched as he took samples. I looked back as the <b>two </b><b>and </b>they nodded. ¡°It shall be done.¡± Said Ethan with anger. ¡°I will set everything up.¡± Said Marcus.


    I nodded and watched as the doctor and Nick came out of my <b>son¡¯s </b>room then him telling us that the results <b>will </b>be ready in forty¨Ceight hours. ¡°You should go home.¡± I red at him. ¡°You really are not meant to be a father. Do you think after everything that happened that I would leave my son here alone and go home?¡±


    1 chuckled shaking my head, wondering what the hell I saw in the man to begin with. I tried to remember why I loved him, but I couldn¡¯t. Just how blind was i? I wondered, ¡°You want me to leave my son, alone, in the same hospital as the woman who tried to kill him?¡±


    ¡°As I said, the psych ward is secured<b>, </b>Sandra will not be going anywhere, you and Samuel are safe.¡± Ethanughed. ¡°I <b>think </b>you are the <b>one </b>who should leave man, like seriously. I can¡¯t stand to even look at you right now.¡± Nick looked at his friend as if he couldn¡¯t believe what <b>he </b>was hearing.


    He then turned around and left. The two waited until he was gone then went a different direction. I could not believe Nick did that, I was his wife, and he sent me to jail, no questions asked. Sandra was nothing to him and yet he was protecting her.


    Just what the hell was going on between those two, did Nick like Sandra? It didn¡¯t matter and it was none of my business. I gave my statement to the police, and they were going to follow up with Sandra¡¯s doctors about the


    matter.


    The cop I spoke to suggested I got a restraining order against Sandra; <b>it </b>was not a bad idea. Whatever happens in the future, they need to <b>have </b>a record of the woman¡¯s crimes. I went <b>and </b>sat by my <b>son¡¯s </b>bed. I don¡¯t know how long I sat there but I must have fallen asleep because I was woken up byughter.


    When I opened my eyes, Marcus and Samuel were sitting on a nket on the floor eating. A smiled formed on my lips when I saw that he was alright. ¡°Hey, you are <b>awake</b>.¡± Inodded getting up from the chair going to join them.


    But it proved to be difficult with one hand working. ¡°Hey, sit back on the chair and I will bring food to y frowned, I wanted to join them. Marcus brought me food and I ate. Didn¡¯t even notice how hungry I was until I started eating


    When I looked out the window, it was already dark out. ¡°Doctor came by and said she will discharge Samuel in the morning. She said he <b>was </b>fine.¡± I nodded, happy to hear the news. ¡°What about the other thing?


    He lifted his head to look at me briefly. ¡°It¡¯s taken care of.¡°I appreciated what they were doing for me. I didn¡¯t ask about Ethan; he must have gone home<b>. </b>I got up after I was done wanting to use the bathroom, but I didn¡¯t want to <b>use </b>the one in Samuel¡¯s room.


    IL


    I went out to look for one and when I was walking back to Samuel¡¯s room. I heard someone call my name. Olivia<b>.</b>¡± I turned and a middle¨Caged man stood not too far from me. I didn¡¯t know him and so I gave him a weary


    Chapter tition


    <b>look</b>. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I am not here to hurt you,¡± he was crazy if he thought I was going to stand there and believe a word he said.


    I have been through enough to know not to trust strangers, actually. People in general in my case<b>, </b>stranger, friend, husband. I could not trust that easily. I turned and hurried away, but I could feel his footsteps behind me. ¡°Did Nick do that as well?¡± 1 stopped in my tracks then slowly turned to look at him, he kept a safe distance <b>from </b>me. ¡°I was told he <b>was </b>at your house and when he left. You and your son were brought here. Did he do that?¡± No, he couldn¡¯t be who I thought it was


    ¡°Olivia, I don¡¯t like seeing you hurt like that, tell me who did that to you?¡± I just looked at him, the way he spoke ¨C told me that he was exactly who I thought he was. The man who imed to be my father, the mafia killing dog.


    ¡°I know you have questions, and I can answer all of them if you would give us time to talk.¡± I had nothing to say him, after all these years and everything I had been through He just shows up and pretend to care. No, it didn¡¯t work that way. He doesn¡¯t get to do that.


    ¡°Talk to me, please.¡± I chuckled feeling my anger rising. ¡°If you are so good at what you do, why don¡¯t you find out for yourself what happened and while you are at it. Stay the hell away from me, I want nothing to do with you.¡®

 Novel Payback 91

    ELODIE


    Loud defining sound boomed outside, the house shook and he cup I held in my hands fell shuttering into pieces. My first thought was earthquake, <b>I </b>hid under the kitchen counter trying to keep myself safe. Another boom was heard on the outside and the house shook even more. Fear gripped me, my chest tightened.


    Tension gathered on my shoulders and my stomach churned. ¡°Oh, Ellie! Come out,e out wherever you are!¡± I froze, dear Lord, it wasn¡¯t an earthquake but something worse. The devil himself hase for me. Did he hear , about me ming his daughter for what he did and came for revenge?


    Another booming sound was heard, screams and burning flush lingered in the air. My front windows were broken. I got out from under the table and rose. Burning flesh and smoke hit my nostrils. ¡°Come on Ellie, you don¡¯t want more innocent people to die, do you?¡± <b>what </b>the fuck was <b>Luke </b>doing?


    I could hear sirens from a distance, they should have given me a sense of relief but they brought dread to me. they didn¡¯t know what they were dealing with. I wished they turned back and ignored themotion happening <b>on </b>this side of town. Knowing Luke, things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.


    I opened my front door, which was not necessary since the whole ss on the side was shuttered and I could walk right out if I wanted to without opening the door. Force of habit, I guess. ¡°There you are!¡± heughed like a crazy person that he was.


    ¡°What are you doing Luke?¡± I looked around in horror, neighbour¡¯s houses on fire, people running on the streets getting into their cars and hitting each other as they tried to escape the horror. ¡°I am getting your attention, since I didn¡¯t get it thest time.¡± He walked towards me slowly


    Death filled his eyes; he should have been named the angel of death not Luke. Luke was good in the bible. I think.¡± I want your son here, Ellie, he needs to answer for his sins. Get him here.¡± Before I could respond a car stopped in my driveway.


    One of his men got out and went to open the back door <b>and </b>dragged Faren out. What the fuck did she do now? I wondered. ¡°He and this bitch are going to know who I am today. It¡¯s clear it was not enough that I killed their father that they want to follow him so soon.¡±


    Oh, Lord, what the hell did Nick do this time. ¡°I don¡¯t see you moving Ellie, or do you want to see how serious I am about this.¡± I looked around at the damage to the infrastructure and people¡¯s houses and wondered how serious he needed it to be.


    ¡°Bring her here.¡± The man dragged Faren forward. She was crying and begging. I told her to get away from Luke. I warned her that something like this might happen. Clearly, she didn¡¯t listen. I took out my phone and dialled Nick. Of course, he didn¡¯t pick up, he said I was dead to him and wants nothing to do with me.


    How the hell was I supposed to stop Luke? ¡°Make it quick, Ellie.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Why would I bring my <b>son </b>here? So that


    you could kill him? I don¡¯t think <b>so</b>.¡± Heughed then pulled a knife out of his pocket then ced it Faren¡¯s neck. She cried even louder. I felt for her, <b>I </b>really did. But <b>there </b>was nothing I could do for her.


    ¡®She is not my daughter Luke, she means nothing to me.¡± he gave me that devilish smirk of his, one I knew all too well. He was going to¡­my mind went nk, as I watched Luke slice her throat. Blood spilled from her neck; her hands flew to the wound trying to stop the bleeding. Eyes wide and frantic. But it didn¡¯t even take two minutes for her to fall to the ground.


    ¡°That is what I am going to do to your son if he doesn¡¯t stop hurting my daughter. Today, it¡¯s your stepdaughter and neighbours and tomorrow, it will be your son.¡± It was like I was having an out of body experience. I was looking at Faren on the ground.


    Her eyes stared at me; she was no longer struggling. She locked to be at peace. I lifted my head and looked at Luke. ¡°Are you not satisfied with killing my husband and my father. How many people must die before you stop?¡±


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± my heart stopped for a second. Why the hell was he there, no, no! Lukeughed. ¡± Nephew<b>, </b>good you are here. Your mother was just asking me how many people must die before I stop. Why don¡¯t you answer that question, how many people do I <b>have </b>to kill for you to stop hurting my daughter?¡±


    Nick nced my way then saw Faren and he paled <b>instantly</b>. ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°Purpose or not. You hurt Olivia again and this bitch here got her sister out of the Loony bin. She is out there now, , and we both know who she is going after next.¡± Nick looked like blood was drained from his face. ¡°Luke, it¡¯s not


    Nick¡¯s fault that Faren broke her out and whatever she does will not be his fault <b>too</b><b>. </b>Please, let him go.¡±


    My insides were in knots. ¡°I will let him go, he is going to find that woman and he is going to send her to prison. I will torture her the same way my daughter was tortured and make her lose the same things my daughter lost while in there in his name.¡±


    Good, Nick was safe as long as he found that woman and do as Luke instructed. But did he have to go crazy like this? ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look so relieved now sis, I am not that kind¡± He said but before anything else. He stabbed nick on the stomach then on his thigh. ¡°No!¡±


    I rushed to Nick¡¯s side and got to him just as he fell on his knees holding the side of his stomach. ¡°Each tinte my daughter gets hurt, you get hurt. I will keep you alive and torture you until you learn not to mess with what¡¯s mine.¡±

 Novel Payback 92

    OLIVIA


    ¡°At least let mee and help with the pealing!¡± I yelled from the lounge unable to sit still, Marcus peeked from the kitchen. ¡°You stay right there; I said I am cooking you dinner and that is what I am going to do. I don¡¯t want you in this kitchen until am done.¡± He was making us dinner.


    He came here with ingredients and told us that he was cook dinner for us. Grandma Susan, Lupita and I were <b>ordered </b>to sit and watch tv. He brought us snacks then took Samuel with him to the kitchen. He was wearing an apron and everything


    ¡°Give him a chance, he might surprise us.¡± Grandma Susansaid with a small chuckle. ¡°Lupita. Could you please order <b>a </b>pizza for us, just in case this dinner doesn¡¯t go as nned.¡± Lupitaughed but pulled her phone out to ce the order. We had to be <b>prepared</b>; we didn¡¯t know how skilled the man was in the kitchen.


    Samuel kepting out looking dirtier than thest time he came out and that got me even more worried. ¡°Do we tell him if the food is terrible or do we pretend then have our pizza when he is gone?¡± Lupitaughed. ¡° Pretending includes cating the food and pretending like it¡¯s good. Where do you think, the pizza is going to fit in then? I think we should have an ambnce on standby.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow <b>wondering </b>what the ambnce was for ¡°Food <b>poisoning</b>¡± Iughed, Lupita was silly. But then again, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prepared. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, you will eat that man¡¯s food with a smile on your face no matter how it tastes.¡±


    Grandma Susan reprimanded; she must have seen that I was thinking of doing what Lupita suggested. ¡°Of course, grandma.¡± I said but I still had a <b>frown </b>on my face. ¡°What <b>gave </b>him the idea anyway, am sure you said something Olivia, you got us into this mess.¡± Lupita used.


    ¡°No, I said nothing, you both saw how he just showed up, he didn¡¯t even call.¡±


    ¡°It could have something to do with the date you had with Mr Lewis.¡± I forgot about that, we <b>had </b>an ident that day and it wasn¡¯t a date. ¡°Dinner will be ready in five minutes.¡± He came out and said I nodded with a smile but inside I was worried sick.


    ¡°Do we make our way to the dining room now or wait to be called?¡± asked Lupita but I didn¡¯t answer, I sat there wanting to prolong the inevitable. Grandma Susan stood and walked towards the dining room. Lupita looked at me, but I shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to go. Sheughed. ¡°That is your man Olivia<b>, </b><b>and </b>he cooked for you.¡±


    ¡°He is not my man, and I didn¡¯t ask him to¡­¡±


    ¡°Come ondies, food is on the table.¡± He appeared and said, <b>I </b>reluctantly got up and made my way to the dining table. Food was already there but covered so we could not see what it was. But the smell got my stomach rumbling. Okay, it might not be bad if it smelled like that.


    I took my seat, and he ced a jug of juice on the table then opened the dishes. Seafood, vegetables, tofu, <b>¡­</b>.of. The food looked and smelled amazing ¡°Dig in and tell me what you think.¡± I picked up a prawn and popped it into my mouth.


    It was fried with garlic butter, and I don¡¯t know what else he put in there, but it tasted amazing. I moaned as I savoured the taste. ¡°You have outdone yourself Marcus, the food is amazing ¡°Iplemented d I didn¡¯t have to lie


    A knock came through the door. It wasn¡¯t a knock though, more like banging on the door as if it was police. We shared a look and <b>Marcus </b>stood. ¡°I will get it.¡± We sat there waiting. A momentter, Nick¡¯s mother budged into the dining room


    12


    She looked at the table then at each one of us. ¡°Must be nice hey, dining and eating good food while my son is in the hospital!¡± Nick was in the hospital. ¡°Don¡¯t yell in front of my son.¡± I warned, I didn¡¯t care what happened to her son, but she couldn¡¯t vell in front of mine and scare him


    ¡°I will do what I damn well please. Your father turned my neighbourhood into a scrap yard, killed Faren and stabbed my son. All because of you!¡± I slowly stood. ¡°Lupita, please take Samuel to his room. I waited until they were gone then pointed a finger at her.


    ¡°I am getting tired of being med for everything that goes wrong in your family. I am no longer your daughter <b>Law </b>and what happens in your family has nothing to do with me. I would appreciate it if you would stop ming me for it.¡± She red at me.


    She was a different person, nothing like the woman I once knew, a woman who loved and cared for me. Now, she hated me with a passion. ¡°It was your father who did all those things, he will not stop going after him because you keep getting yourself hurt, looking for attention. Don¡¯t you care about all the people he is hurting because of you?¡±


    I fumed in anger, how dare she. ¡°Looking for attention? Did I ask for Sandra to kidnap my son and try to kill him, did I ask for your son to protect her instead of sending her to jail where she belongs? Don¡¯te here talking about me looking for attention.¡±


    She went around the table and came to stand in front of me ring at me. ¡°So, that is what this is about, the fact that he didn¡¯t send her to jail, but he sent you, <b>now </b>you are sending your father after him to make him pay for that You are so cruel Olivia, evil even and¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Marcus bellowed. ¡°Why are you here woman? Isn¡¯t her father, your brother, why don¡¯t you talk to him instead ofing here spewing nonsense?¡± she turned to Marcus and looked at him from top to bottom. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but this is none of your business, stay out of it.¡±


    tit¡± ¡°No, you stay out of it and please, get out of my house and nevere back.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You are pushing it Olivia, you are pushing me, be careful not to push me to the edge or you will regret i

 Novel Payback 93

    OLIVIA


    I watched as Marcus escorted her out of the house then sat down and continued eating. Lupita raised an eyebrow, but I paid her no mind. Marcus came back and looked at me funny as well. ¡°What?¡± he shrugged. ¡°I am just wondering if you are okay.¡± I shoved more food into my mouth and ate.


    ¡°You should eat Lupita, bring my son back to eat as well.¡± Marcus furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°You said you will take care of everything. I am deciding to trust you on that and live my life. I am tired of letting these people dictate my life, am tired of their threats and am tired of giving them my time and peace of mind.¡±


    A smile appeared on Marcus¡¯s lips. He stood up <b>and </b>pulled me up from my chair, While I was still wondering what was going on, he smashed his lips on mine. My <b>eyes </b>widened in shock, but he didn¡¯t stop kissing me. I then closed my eyes and let myself feel and enjoy the kiss. ¡°Ee!¡± we pulled apartughing.


    Samual was standing there with his eyes covered, Lupita had a mischievous look on her face. I was d grandma Susan didn¡¯t see that. ¡°Okay, let us not let this good food go to <b>waste</b>, lets eat.¡± I sat down and started eating like nothing happened. But I couldn¡¯t look at Marcus.


    The feeling of <b>his </b>lips on mine lingered. I touched my bottom lip gently with the tip of my fingers reliving the kiss in my <b>head</b><b>. </b>¡°Olivia, are you alright? Your ears are red.¡± Marcus chuckled, and I red at Lupita who was focused on her food as if she didn¡¯t just embarrass me like that.


    ¡°Eat


    your food, Lupita.¡± She chuckled. When we were done. Marcus and I went to sit on the couch while Lupita <b>did </b>the dishes. ¡°Thank you.¡± he suddenly said. ¡°No need to thank me, you are the one who cooked for us. I must admit, I was worried about the food. We even ordered pizza just in case.¡±


    Heughed pulling me closer to him. Iid my head on his shoulder. ¡°Well, I can cook but that is not the reason I am thanking you. I am thanking you for allowing <b>me </b>to take care of you, for letting me in.¡± I nodded but said nothing.


    I was starting to doze of <b>when </b>another <b>knock </b>sounded on the door. Lupita went to open, and Ethan appeared. When he saw me and Marcus like that, he stopped and looked at us without saying a word. I cleared my throat getting off Marcus.


    ¡°Ethan, you just missed dinner. Marcus cooked for us. I can fix you something quickly if you are hungry.¡± He <b>nced </b>at Marcus. ¡°Am fine, <b>thank </b>you.¡± he then handed me an envelope. I took it and opened it. It was the test


    results


    ¡°That is what Nick is going to get when he gets out of the hospital. On top of his world going downhill, he is now going to get the results you wanted stating that Samuel is not his son. I hope all of this makes you happy.¡± I frowned.


    I took


    ¡°What are you saying, Ethan? You agreed to do this for <b>me</b>, and you know why I am doing it.¡± He sighed <b>a </b>seat opposite us. ¡°I know why you are doing it, <b>and </b><b>I </b>agree. That is why I helped but Nick¡¯s life is a mess right now, Olivia and getting these news is going to break him.¡±


    Well, I could not me him for thinking of his friend. Nick was his best friend, and it was natural for Ethan to <b>want </b>to protect him, but I was not going to let that happen at my son¡¯s expense. ¡°How long are you going to keep the truth from him?¡±


    1 shrugged ¡°I can¡¯t answer that Ethan, you can see how things are. Samuel is not safe for as long as Nick is in our lives. I am not safe <b>as </b><b>well</b>. I don¡¯t know how long this willst but we, the three of us are going to make sure it neveres out.¡±


    ¡°Who are you going to say is the father?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t owe Nick anything, so, I don¡¯t have to say anything


    about that,¡± he nodded but I could see that he didn¡¯t like the idea at all. <b>¡°</b>He killed his sister, you know. Your father.¡±


    ¡°I was


    I said nothing. I just wished everyone could stop calling that man my father. He was never a father to me. told he sliced her throat right in front of Nick¡¯s mother. He then got into a gun fight with the police but of course they lost the fight because the man brought an army to New Vige.¡± <b>Ethan </b>sighed.


    ¡°You have got to talk to him Olivia<b>, </b>ask him to go back to summer strand. He killed innocent people, burnt down their houses because he kept throwing grenades <b>as </b>if they were candy. He did a lot of damage. We don¡¯t need his kind here. Ask him to go back.¡± 1 frowned.


    . ¡°Excuse me?¡± seriously, what was going on in Ethan¡¯s mind? ¡°Olivia, that man is doing all of this for you and¡­¡±


    ¡°Did I ask him to do it? I only met the man <b>once </b>and only said a few words to him, what he does has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Ethan, I think it¡¯s time you went home.¡± Ethan nced at Marcus then me. ¡°I am not leaving until <b>Olivia </b>says Olivia. I am not ming you here, but the man is killing innocent people all in the name of protecting you or avenging you, that tells me that he will listen to you if you speak to him.¡±


    He might be right, I never wanted to talk to that man, but people are dying there, and he didn¡¯t care. Maybe talking to him wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t pressure her.¡± Marcus intervened. ¡°It¡¯s alright Marcus.¡±


    Before I could say anything more, we heard a loud noise of a window breaking then a break flew above us hitting the TV. It was the window behind us. A brick was thrown into it. While we were looking at a firebomb was thrown In after and another and another. <ol start="50"><li>50. </li></ol>


    Fire spread quickly in the house, I jumped up and rushed to Samuel¡¯s room to get him out. But Ethan beat me to it. He was alreadying out with him when I got there, Lupita was with Grandma Susan and Marcus was checking the window to see who threw that brick in. we rushed to the door just as Marcus opened the door.


    Bullets rained on him.


    ¡°No!¡±

 Novel Payback 94

    OLIVIA


    I watched in horror as Marcus fell backwards, Ethan hiding behind the door and crawling away with Samuel. Grandma Susan falling next to Marcus and defining screams of Lupita. The door closed, I was not sure if I was the one who closed it, or Lupita did..


    Everything was happening so fast <b>that </b>I couldn¡¯t register who was doing what. Ethan carne back still with my son in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go around the back,e on!¡± he yelled but I couldn¡¯t leave Marcus and Grandma Susan. I didn¡¯t want them to burn to <b>death</b>. I couldn¡¯t even tell if grandina was still alive, but Marcus was.


    But he was losing a lot of blood. He has too many holes on him that I didn¡¯t know which one to put pressure <b>on</b>. It didn¡¯t help that the fire was getting closer, smoke filled the house and the heat from the fire was unbearable.¡± Come on, Olivia, go get into the car and I will help Marcus.¡± Ethan shouted.


    1 looked around, Lupita and grandma were no longer in the house. I didn¡¯t know when they left, my focus was on Marcus bleeding on my floor. The fire was getting worse and aggressive, consuming everything in its path. Coughing, I got out of the house through the back door and got into <b>Marcus¡¯s </b>car.


    Lupita sat in front with a terrified looking Samuel, grandma at the back and I next to her. <b>Ethan </b>ce Marcus next to me then quickly closed the door and started the car. ¡°Marcus, open your <b>eyes</b>, please don¡¯t sleep.¡± I could see that he was losing strength.


    I looked back in the direction of my house as we sped off from the back streets. ck smoke filled the air, I got angry just looking at it. ¡°How is <b>grandma</b>?¡± asked Lupita. I nced at her. she looked like she was sleeping. It would be good if she was not dead. I couldn¡¯t have that in my conscience.


    I was the one who asked Lupita toe here with her, what would I say if she died. How would I look at her? no, she better be okay. ¡°It¡¯s just a graze on the arm, she will be okay, but I think she fainted because of shock.¡± Ethan answered on my behalf.


    I couldn¡¯t tell what was going on even though I was next to her. I just saw blood and my mind went <b>nk</b>. I kept my hands on Marcus wishing I had more <b>hands </b>to put pressure on the wounds. His shirt stuck on his blood as the blood kept soaking it.


    I kept my hands on the wounds on his chest, that was where the heart was. Somehow, I convinced myself that if his heart <b>was </b>fine then everything else could be taken care of. He had more holes on his stomach and as he breathes, more blood came out from them and that¡¯s <b>what </b><b>drove </b>me to the edge.


    By the time we got to the hospital, <b>Ethan </b>ran inside and came out with a team of doctors and two beds. They opened the car doors on both sides, others took grandma while others took Marcus and ran inside with them. I followed <b>behind </b>with <b>Lupita</b>. Blood covered my hands and top.


    When we got inside a nurse saw me and asked to check on the. ¡°It¡¯s not my blood<b>, </b>am okay.¡± She pointed at my arm. Blood was running down a bullet hole which I didn¡¯t even notice I had. ¡°It¡¯s a through and through. I will just clean the wound and bandage it.¡±


    I nodded and followed her. Lupita was already sitting <b>on </b>the chairs with Samuel looking lost. She was scared for her grand mother¡¯s life. Just as I was. The nurse took me to a room and dressed my wound. When I was done<b>, </b>I <b>went </b>to find Lupita. ¡°Hey, I will book you into a hotel with Samuel so you can rest. I will stay here with <b>grandma </b>and Marcus and let you know of anything.¡±


    She looked in the direction grandma was taken. ¡°Who did this?¡± I sighed takin


    a seat next to them. Samuel was asleep. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I feel like I have so many <b>enemies </b>right now that I don¡¯t know who could have done this.¡± We stayed in silence for a while<b>. </b>


    <b>¡°</b>Call me a taxi, Samuel must be shocked, and it will not be good for him to be here when he wakes up. We seem to live in hospital these days. We should have a wing reserved just for us with the way things are going.¡± I chuckled. I liked how she could make jokes even in the situation we were in.


    <b>Lasked </b>the receptionist to call a taxi for them then walked them out. I watched them leave then went back inside. and went looking for Ethan. But the man was nowhere to be found, and I didn¡¯t have my phone. I went to wait in the waiting room.


    Soon the doctor appeared and told me that they checked on grandma and she was fine and that the bullet only grazed her arm. But was given a sedative to sleep as she was in shock and her blood pressure was high. I thanked him and sat there waiting.


    I must have fallen asleep because I was woken up by Ethan anything?¡± I shook my head. I thanked him for the clothes


    Here, I got you a change of clothes. Have you heard en went to the bathroom and cleaned up.


    When I Bot back, I sat down next to Ethan. ¡°I sent my men to investigate the shooting They found a footage from your neighbour and It showed three men and a woman. I asked them to send me the tape so that I can see, but I think the woman is Sandra<b>.</b>¡±


    I thought about her, but I wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°This is why I asked you to talk to your father, Sandra is not only angry about Nick now but about her sister that man killed. This has to stop Olivia or more people are going to get hurt.¡±


    Chapter 0005.


    1

 Novel Payback 95

    OLIVIA


    We sat there in silence waiting for his men to send the footage for us to see. I didn¡¯t have to see it to know It was Sandra and Ethen kept telling me I should talk to that man How was I going to do that when I didn¡¯t even know how to contact him?


    ¡°May I use your phone; I need to give Lupita feedback about her grandmother.¡± Ethan took out his phone and handed it to me. I took it and called the hotel, and they connected me to her room. I told her what the doctor told me, and I could hear the relief in her voice when she heard the news.


    I gave Ethan his phone back but not before looking at the time. It had been three hours since Marcus was sent for surgery, and we have not heard anything. It worried me to death. I needed to know how he was doing ¡°Nick, where are you going?¡± I lifted my head to see Nick about to pass the waiting room.


    He didn¡¯t look good at all. He looked pale as if he was in a lot of pain. He was holding the side <i>of </i>his stomach and limping. ¡°I have to go out there and look for Sandra.¡± He <b>nced </b>at me but briefly. ¡°I get that man, but you can¡¯t go like <b>that</b>. look at you, can¡¯t even stand straight.¡±


    ¡°I will be fine, but I have to find her.¡± he limped trying to walk away but Ethan stood and stopped <b>him</b><i>. </i>¡°I can¡¯t let you leave like this Nick, your people and mine are out there looking for her? stay in the hospital and rest more so


    you


    can heal.¡± Nick nced at me again.


    I am to me for everything that happens to ¡°I can¡¯t, her father is going to do worse to me if I don¡¯t find her soon. I just


    Olivia¡¯s house. He is going toe for me because ording to him, heard from Given <b>what </b>happened at


    He was not wrong though, if he sent Sandra to jail like he was supposed to, none <i>of </i>this would have happened. But he decided what was best for her was a psych ward. Its secured, he said. She wont escape, he said. But he didn¡¯t count his sister breaking her out,


    Now she almost killed us all. ¡°Olivia is going to talk to him, and you will just be in the way like this. Go back to your ward and rest.¡± Nick nced at me, but I didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything to me?¡± I scoffed and looked away.


    He was not the man I wanted to talk to. Unfortunately, <i>the </i>one I yearned to talk to might not be able to talk to me anytime soon. ¡°Olivia<i>?</i>¡± he called my name, but I pretended not <i>to </i>hear. Nick was nothing but a nuisance in my life.


    <i>¡°</i>Leave her alone, Nick. Olivia is now better than us because she has a mafia kingpin of a father looking out <i>for </i>her, <i>she </i>couldn¡¯t care less if he killed you. yet, you are the father of her son. Despicable<i>.</i>¡± His mother said joining Ethan and Nick.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing <i>my </i>son is not his then. I wouldn¡¯t want him to have a father <i>who </i>couldn¡¯t care less if he got hurt. As long as <i>he </i><i>kept </i>his mistress from jail<i>. </i><i>My </i><i>son </i>and <i>I </i>deserve better than that, better than <i>him</i>.¡± <i>his </i>mother¡¯s face twisted.


    ¡°You forget where we took you from, Olivia. You were <i>nothing </i>before you met me just a stray dog no one wanted and working for change. I made you a Jones and cleaned <i>you </i>up. Now <i>that </i>you have a little money you think you are something? <i>No </i><i>darling</i><i>, </i>you are still nothing.¡±


    Her words hurt me, but I wasn¡¯t going to show her that, yes I was not rich<i>, </i><i>but </i><i>I </i>was managing when I met <i>her</i>. my grandmother and I didn¡¯t <i>go </i>hungry, <b>and </b>we didn¡¯t beg from anyone. I <i>was </i><i>working</i>. ¡°<i>And </i>you <i>wonder </i><i>why </i><i>I </i>


    <i>Alu </i><i>so </i><i>much </i>right <i>now</i><i>.</i><i>¡± </i>I <i>told </i><i>her </i>then <i>looked </i><i>away</i>.


    <i>wrong </i>in <i>her </i><i>life</i><i>. </i>What about everything <i>that </i>is going wrong in


    OLIVIA


    We sat there in silence waiting for his men to send the footage for us to see. I didn¡¯t have to <b>see </b>it to know It was Sandra and Ethen kept telling me I should talk to that man How <b>was </b>I going to do that when I didn¡¯t <b>even </b>know how to contact him?


    ¡°May I use your phone; I need to give Lupita feedback about her grandmother.¡± Ethan took out his phone and handed it to me. I took it and called the hotel, and they connected me to her room. I told her what the doctor told .me, and I could hear the relief in her voice when she <b>heard </b>the news.


    I gave Ethan his phone back but not before looking at the time. It had been three hours since Marcus was sent for surgery, and we have not heard anything. It worried me to death¨CI-needed to know how he was doing. ¡°Nick, where are you going?¡± I lifted my head to see Nick about to pass the waiting room<b>. </b>


    He didn¡¯t look good at all. He looked pale as if he was in a lot of pain. He was holding the side of his stomach and limping. ¡°I have to go out there and look for Sandra.¡± He nced at me but briefly. ¡°I get that man<b>, </b>but you can¡¯t go like that. look at you, can¡¯t even stand straight.¡±


    ¡°I will be fine, but I have to find her.¡± he limped trying to walk away but Ethan stood and stopped him. ¡°I can¡¯t let you leave like this Nick, your people and mine are out there looking for <b>her</b>? stay in the hospital and rest more so you can <b>heal</b><b>.</b>¡± Nick nced at me again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t, her father is going to do worse to me if I don¡¯t find her soon. I just heard from Given what happened at Olivia¡¯s house. He is going toe for me because ording to him, I am to me for everything that happens to her,¡±


    Heu


    was not wrong though, if he sent <b>Sandra </b>to jail like he was supposed to, none of this would have happened. But he decided what was best for her was a psych ward. Its secured, he said. She wont escape, he said. But he didn¡¯t count his sister breaking her out.


    Now she almost killed us all. ¡°Olivia is going to talk to him, and you will just be in the way like this. Go back to your ward and rest.¡± Nick nced at me, but I didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°Aren¡¯t <b>you </b>going to say anything to me?¡± I scoffed and looked away.


    He was not the man I wanted to talk to. Unfortunately, the one I yearned to talk to might not be able to talk to <b>me </b>anytime soon. ¡°Olivia?¡± he called my name, but I pretended not to hear. Nick was nothing but a nuisance <b>in </b>my


    life.


    ¡°Leave her alone, Nick. Olivia is now better than us because she has a mafia kingpin of a father looking out for her, she couldn¡¯t care less if he killed you. yet, you are the father of her son. Despicable.¡± His mother said joining Ethan and Nick.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing my son is not his then. I wouldn¡¯t want him to have a father who couldn¡¯t care less if he got hurt. As long as he kept his mistress from jail. My son and deserve better than that, better than him.¡± his mother¡¯s face twisted.


    ¡°You forget where we took you from, Olivia. You were nothing before you met me. just a stray dog no one wanted and working for change. I made you a Jones and cleaned you up. Now that you have a little money you think you are something? No darling, you are still nothing.¡±


    Her words hurt me, but I wasn¡¯t going to show her that. yes I was not rich, but I was managing when I met her. my grandmother and I didn¡¯t go hungry, and we didn¡¯t beg from anyone. I was working, ¡°And you wonder why I <b>hate </b>your family so much right now.¡± I told her then looked away,


    This woman was ming me for everything going wrong in her life. <b>What </b>about everything that is going wrong in


    my life. What about what I had lost in the hands of her son? Didn¡¯t my life matter?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Nick, you are in pain, you need to rest.¡± She told her son, but I paid them no mind. ¡°Not so fast little sis.¡± That voice, I knew that voice. ¡°Do you see why I keeping back Ellie?¡± I turned and saw him standing a foot from Nick and <b>his </b>mother<b>. </b>


    With his hands in his pockets wearing a designer suit. ¡°Why do I always <b>have </b><b>to </b>hear that something happened to my daughter and why do I have to keep seeing her in these ospital walls?¡± he tilted his head to the side like a


    lunatic.


    Fear coated Nick and his mother¡¯s faces. Interesting! ¡°Olivia?¡± Ethan called my name probably wanting me to say something to the man, but I couldn¡¯t. now that he was in front of me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say <b>a </b>word to him.


    ¡°I was just leaving to go look for her.¡± Nick said breaking free from his mother and standing straight. Beads of sweat covered his forehead; one could tell <b>he </b><b>was </b>in pain but was trying to appear strong. ¡°Luke, please. Let him rest <b>for </b>a couple of days. His people are already out there looking for that woman, they will find her.¡±


    His mother pleaded. Luke, his name was Luke. It didn¡¯t suit him, he was ruthless he deserved a Russian name, strong and powerful just like he was. A predator. ¡°No, Olivia sits here in this ce homeless. Am told her house burned to the ground. Where is she going to go after this?¡±


    I studied him<b>, </b>he didn¡¯t look at me but kept his focus on them. ¡°I will give her one of my properties <b>and</b>.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you.¡± I cut Nick short. Did he think I was going to ept things from him, really? After everything. He must be joking. ¡°You heard her, she doesn¡¯t want anything from you.¡± his mother turned and <b>red </b>at me. ¡°What is it you want then, Olivia?¡±


    ¡°For you and your son to leave me alone. Your brother too and to stop acting like going around killing innocent people is for me. I never asked for that and he is <b>nothing </b>to <b>me</b><b>.</b>¡±

 Novel Payback 96

    NICK


    I nced at Luke when Olivia said that he looked as bad as did. Hurt. He and I had something inmon, we both loved <b>Olivia</b><b>, </b>but she resented us for different reasons. She hated me for what I did to her and protecting Sandra now. But what she didn¡¯t know was that I was doing it for her this time.


    Me sending Sandra to the psych ward was not to protect her but to punish her. I wanted her to suffer in <b>there</b>, for them to keep her so drugged up that she didn¡¯t know if she wasing or going. If it <b>was </b>night or day.


    I wanted her to lose sight of reality that she would wake up five yearster with no memory of who she was to begin with. But I couldn¡¯t tell her that. I had to let her hate me then see for herself what she would have been like after I was done with her.


    But I didn¡¯t count on Faren breaking her out, I didn¡¯t even think of her when I sent Sandra there and I still didn¡¯t know how she did it because a lot had happened following her escape. I hated Luke but I was pleased by <b>what </b>he did. Killing Faren and riding us of her evil.


    She was on my list of targets after her sister Sandra. But he beat me to it. Now with everything that was happening and him on my neck about everything. I might have to kill Sandra instead of punishing her like I wanted to.


    What hurt me more though, was my wife sitting in the waiting room at night, waiting to hear about another While I was standing there hurt and in need of her love and affection. I <b>knew </b>she couldn¡¯t see my efforts, but I <b>had </b>hope that one day she would.


    I didn¡¯t mind her seeing me as a viin now, but I <b>had </b>hoped she would hang on and that in time she would see that I did everything for us and our son. Not even Ethan knew what I was up to and that was why he hated me to for what I was doing


    I wanted to tell him but was going to tell Olivia and she was not going to believe it. I didn¡¯t mind her hating me as long as she was going toe back to me in the end. I promised myself after I found out the truth about everything that happened to her that I was going to do everything in my power to avenge her.


    Luke was not helping though, and I didn¡¯t have time to go after a mafia kingpin. I had all the money in the world to take him on. As father said, we came from old money and my spending has not even made a dent in my finances.


    But Luke was not the priority, Olivia and my son were. Though she insisted that Samuel was not <b>mine</b>. I was not going to be fooled again, that boy looked like me and I didn¡¯t care what the DNA said. He was mine, even if he was not my blood but he came from the woman I love.


    So, I will love him till the day I die and then he will get everything I own. That boy is a Jones, and he deserved everything good in his life. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want anything to do with me or not <b>Olivia</b>. I will still protect you. parents don¡¯t need to be liked by their children<b>, </b>but they <b>do </b>have the duty to protect them, whether they like it or not. Isn¡¯t that right, Ellie.¡±


    Luke said, he hid the pain well, but it was the kind of pain 1Jmnew all too well because I was feeling it. He could hide it from mother and even Olivia, but he couldn¡¯t hide it from me. he was as desperate as I was, to prove <b>himself </b>to Olivia.


    Mother said nothing and he chuckled then looked at me and frowned. ¡°Why are you still here, don¡¯t you have someone to find? Or do you want me to cause you more pain before you learn?¡± the doctor came and interrupted <ol><li>US. </li></ol>


    Olivia stood, she looked scared, <b>and </b>my heart sank. I was losing <b>her</b>. ¡°It was a difficult surgery and Mr Walker lost a lot of blood. But we did manage to stabilise him. he is very critical, and the next few days will determine how things will go for <b>him</b>.¡± the doctor reported.


    A lone tear escapes her eye, and I wanted so badly to go and wipe it away. Take her into my arms and tell her that everything was going to be alright. To tell her that I was there for her, to tell her to see me.


    ¡°Thank you, doctor. When can I see him?¡± she asked eagerly. My chest burned. I was losing her to him. ¡°<b>Give </b>us some time for him to be moved then a nurse is going toe and take you to see him.¡± she nodded, and the doctor walked away.


    Ethen went to her and embraced her. I wished it were me<b>, </b>that it were my arms she was in and not my best friends. for her not be sad and crying for another man<b>. </b>I yearned to touch her, smell her scent and tell her everything I had been up to.


    Ask her toe home with <b>me</b>. ¡°Hey, I said get the fuck out of here. You have been treated enough.¡± Luke barked<b>, </b>I nced at him. he had the same desires I did. To hold his daughter and tell her how sorry he was for not being there for her, but same as me, he couldn¡¯t.


    I


    I understood why he took his anger out on me, he wanted someone to me just like I did. 1 had Sandra and he had me. I limped away leaving the love of my life behind. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Liv, we are going to be together soon, promise.¡°¨CI whispered as I walked away.


    My heart ached as the distance between us grewrger. I took out my phone and dialled Given. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°Find a nice house for Olivia, it must be child friendly. But Have thewyer put it in my wife¡¯s name, tell every real estate agent to only give her that house. I know she will want to pay for it, but they must make up some story to <b>give </b>it to her at a low rate. I will find a way to give the money back to her.¡±


    sir<b>, </b>


    <b>? </b>


    ¡°Given sounded sad. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell the missus everything?¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet<b>, </b>Given.¡±

 Novel Payback 97

    OLIVIA


    My heart ached seeing all those tubesing out of him. Just hours ago, we were having a nice dinner, and he was kissing me. Now he wasying on a hospital bed with tubes all over. We had <b>a </b>moment just one fleeting moment of peace and quiet before all went to hell again.


    I was beginning to think that Nick¡¯s mother was right. I was a curse, because everyone who got close to me got hurt. Look at Grandma Susan and Lupita. They were fine living a peaceful life in Summer Strand before I came along


    1 brought them here and look what happened. Grandma almost died, Lupita too. Marcus was fighting for his life with no hope of waking up. It would have been fine if it were me who kept getting hurt but the people I cared about? It was too much.


    ¡°Look at you, social climber. Now that you don¡¯t have Nick, you are looking for another man with deep pockets to support <b>you</b>, when will <b>you </b>learn Olivia that you don¡¯t belong in our world that it was never for you, what must happen for you to understand that?¡± Nick¡¯s <b>mother </b>said standing by the door.


    Hatred and anger coated her facial features. I wiped my tears and walked towards the door. I wasn¡¯t about to fight with her in Marcus¡¯s room. I walked out closing the door behind me. ¡°What exactly do you want from me? tell me.¡± I was exhausted and I couldn¡¯t deal with her anymore.


    ¡°I want


    it you to get the hell out of our lives and go back to where you came from. Take your father with you while you are at it.¡± I looked at the woman trying to remember the times when she spoiled me rotten. The times when seeing me made her day


    I guess a lot has happened since then. ¡°I wish I knew why you hate me so much now. You <b>know </b>I did nothing wrong, and you know I didn¡¯t ask for Luke to kill your husband. <b>Even </b>if it was to avenge me, I never asked for it. So, why are you ming <b>me</b><b>?</b>¡±


    She scoffed flipping her beautiful hair back. ¡°Olivia<b>, </b>it doesn¡¯t matter if you asked for it or <b>not</b>. What matters is that he is doing it for you. why don¡¯t you see that and save us the pity party?¡± she paced, and I just stood there watching her.


    ¡°Did you see how my son looked? He is hurt Olivia, but he is out there looking for your tormentor because your father <b>ordered </b>him to. If he refused to go, he is going to kill him. Nick is the only one I have left. My husband is dead, and I don¡¯t want to lose my son. But because of you, that might just happen.¡±


    I still said nothing, I felt like she wanted to vent, and I just stood there and took it. Not because I agreed with her but for all those times, she treated me well. For all the opportunities she gave me in life. But after today, she is dead to me. my debt to her <b>will </b>be repaid.


    ¡°I will promise you this <b>Olivia</b>. If something happens to Nick, I aming after your son. You are a mother too now and if you let you father go too far and I lose my son. You will know the pain of losing a child too. Even if he kills me after, it <b>would </b>be worth it.¡±


    She said then walked away. ¡°I will never let that happen.¡± I slowly turn to look at the man. He was like a ghost <b>who </b>just appeared out of thin <b>air</b>. ¡°What do you want? Why is it <b>that </b>you can¡¯t see that everything you are doing is ruining my life and putting the people I care about in danger?¡±


    He studied me for a moment. ¡°You look just like your mother.¡± My chest tightened. Mother died before I could know her. I don¡¯t even remember what she looked like anymore. I was only a child when she died. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about my mother!¡± <b>sadness </b>shed through his eyes, but it was gone before I could blink.


    ¡°<b>Sara </b>was the love of my life, but I failed her. I was a coward, and I didn¡¯t fight for her. for the both of <b>you</b><b>. </b>I let


    Elodie¡¯s father dictate my life, and I lost her.¡± that pain returned but it was gone in a sh again<b>. </b>Yet, I was not moved.


    I struggled with grandma after mother died. He was there, watching and did nothing ¡°I regret my life choices Olivia<b>, </b>but I will be damned If I let another member of the ck family ruin my life or yours. I will have them all six feet under ground before I let that happen.¡±


    <b>? </b>


    He spoke as if killing would impress me, who the hell did he think I was. ¡°When I was growing up, I needed you. when I went to school with broken shoes because grandma couldn¡¯t afford to buy me new ones. I needed you. When I was sent to prison for something I didn¡¯t do, I needed you. when I got hurt while in there, I needed you. I don¡¯t need you now. Am fine on my own now.¡±


    His eyes turned ice cold and the temperature around us seemed to drop. ¡°You getting hurt in prison is what drove me over the edge, when I found out that Ellies father was the <b>one </b>who sent people to hurt you in Nick¡¯s name, I started¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait,


    what?¡±


    ¡°The man who raised me, Elodie¡¯s father. Is the one who sent people to hurt you in prison.¡± My heart broke, I have never even met the man and yet he took so much from me. what did I do to deserve that from him, such cruelty?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he is dead now<i>. </i>I killed him.¡± my head buzzed; I didn¡¯t care that he killed him, but I did want to know why he wanted to hurt me so much<b>. </b>¡°What did you do to him that he wanted to take his revenge out on me?¡±


    He stopped pacing and looked at me. ¡°The only thing I did that was wrong in his eyes was making contact with you.¡±


    Chapter Goo

 Novel Payback 98

    OLIVIA


    The frown on my face deepened, 1 didn¡¯t know If he was a pathological Har or that he was good at ying people. Either way, I didn¡¯t like it. ¡°You never made contact with me, what are you talking about? What I am getting is <b>that </b>the man had me tortured because he could and for whatever reason he had that I will never get to know!¡± I was shaking in anger; he should have stayed away from me if he knew something like that would happen. He should <b>have </b>never made contact and just when did he make contact? ¡°I didn¡¯t make contact directly, but I had people keep an eye on you. When they informed me about your imprisonment, the Don found out and he didn¡¯t like it.¡±


    He sighed running his <b>hand </b>through his hair. ¡°He sent people to hurt you to teach me a lesson, that when he tells me something, I do it, no questions asked or there will be consequences.¡± He let out a dry chuckle. ¡°As if I made contact physically, the man still went ahead and hurt you to punish me. I couldn¡¯t let that slide, I did as he demanded all these years and stayed away from you, watched you suffer, yet that was not enough for him.¡±


    He paced. ¡°He went too far this time, <b>and </b>I had to act. I know it was a little toote and you had already suffered but I couldn¡¯t let it continue. So, I killed him and took over his organisation.¡± I just looked at him. in that twisted mind of his, he thought he did the right thing. He didn¡¯t see how messed up that was.


    All of what he was telling me was messed up and he didn¡¯t see it. He was ruining my life; I had more enemies than the president all because of him and his family. ¡°But rest assured, <i>I </i>will not let anyone hurt you again, Olivia. I am here now; it might bete, and you might not need me, but I am not going anywhere.¡±


    I just looked at him feeling nothing but anger towards him. ¡°Stop killing people in <i>my </i>name because that is exactly what your father did when he hurt me in Nick¡¯s name. He made me believe that he had something to do with what happened to me and it wasn¡¯t right or fair to either me or Nick. He yed God with our lives, deciding our faith for us, that was wrong.¡±


    I turned to go back into Marcus¡¯s room. I was done talking to the man. ¡°Please don¡¯tpare me to that man.¡± I stopped then turned to look at him. ¡°I think you are worse than that man.¡± Pain shed in his eyes and this time. He did not hide it. He looked vulnerable and <i>if </i>I wasn¡¯t so angry. I would have felt sorry for him.


    I walked away before he could say anything else. I walked into Marcus¡¯s room, sat on the visitor seat and took his hand. ¡°Marcus am sorry this happened to you. Please wake up, I promise to stay away from you when you <b>wake </b><i>up</i><i>. </i>I can¡¯t have you or anyone else close to me getting hurt anymore. Just wake up for me please.


    A lone tear escapes my eye. <i>Maybe </i>I was not meant to have people in my life, maybe <i>I </i>was meant to be alone and that was <i>why </i>people close to me always got hurt. Nick sending me to jail just sent the dominos falling and when they start falling. Nothing can stop them until they all fall<b>, </b>and they have been falling.


    I felt like the only way to stop them from falling any further<i>, </i>I would have to cut ties with <i>the </i>people closest <i>to </i>me. Nick was already out of <i>my </i><i>life</i>, he was out the day he sent me to <b>jail</b>, Ethan and Marcus should be next. Lupita and Grandma Susan would have to <i>go </i>back to Summer Strand as <i>well</i>.


    The time hade for me to stand on my own and face whateveres my <i>way</i>. <i>The </i>n was not to puyone else in danger. Ethen already got into an ident because of me. grandma Susan got shot, Marcus too. I didn¡¯t want anymore people getting hurt.


    <i>I </i>kissed Marcus on the forehead then sat back on the chair<i>. </i><i>My </i><i>mind </i>was <i>made </i>up, as soon as the shops opened the following morning, I was <i>going </i>to book Lupita and <i>her </i>grandmother on the first flight to summer strand. <i>Look </i><i>for </i>a school for Samuel and cut ties with Marcus and Ethan


    <i>I </i>was <i>woken </i>up by a <imotion</i>. <i>At </i><i>first</i>, I thought <i>I </i>was dreaming but the <i>Marcus¡¯s </i>room. Themotion was <i>happening </i>


    outside his door.


    I went there and opened the door. Ethen was there wrestling with Nick who wanted toe into the room, ¡°What is going on here?¡± they stopped and looked at me. ¡°Go back inside Olivia.¡± Ethan said with a stern voice.


    ¡°No, she is not going anywhere. I got the results; <b>Olivia </b>and I have questions.¡± I looked at him<b>, </b>pain, anger and frustration covered his face. ¡°I have nothing to say to you. You saw the results and we are divorced, I never asked for anything on the divorce, so please. Move <b>on </b>and let <b>me </b>and my son live our lives in peace.¡±


    Pain covered his face; he stopped struggling against Ethan hold. His eyes fixed on me as if I had stabbed him in the heart. His eyes turned red quickly as if he were crying. ¡°Olivia.¡± My name came out as a whisper, it was like saying it was painful. It hurt to see him that way, but it was for the best.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if he <b>is </b>mine or not. Please let us talk, just for five minutes then you can make a decision after.¡± I shook my head no then walked back into Marcus¡¯s room. A one tear escaped my eyes as I leaned against the door.


    ¡°I told you no more crying and no running.¡±

 Novel Payback 99

    OLIVIA


    A small chuckle escaped my lips, he was awake and had taken out the tube in his mouth. His voice was scratchy from the tube. Wait! A frown reced the smile I <b>had</b>. ¡°Why did you take out the tube, you could have hurt yourself.¡± 1 reprimanded rushing to his side. He offered me smile.


    ¡°If bullets can¡¯t hurt me then there is nothing this little tube could do to me. I am indestructible.¡± He joked. He was back. Oh, thank the Lord. Now it was time to do what I set out to do. ¡°Let me get the doctor to check on you.¡± .just as I turned to leave, he held my hand.


    ¡°Not yet just give me water.¡± I poured him water from the g next to his bed and helped him drink. I ced the cup back. He still held my hand. ¡°Tell me, why were you crying?¡± I smiled at him. ¡°It¡¯s not important now.¡± He studied me but did not force <b>the </b>issue.


    What i


    is this I hear about you wanting to leave me.¡± I gave him a sad smile; he must <b>have </b>heard me talking to him earlier. ¡°Do not focus on that now. Focus on getting better and leaving this ce.¡± He watched me but I kept eye contact. It would be a while before I could look into those eyes again or even see his face.


    ¡°Am sorry this happened to you, Marcus. But I will make sure something like this never happens again.¡± He looked at me without saying anything. I straightened. ¡°Well, I am going to get the doctor.¡± I turned to leave but he called my name. I stopped but didn¡¯t turn to look at him.


    ¡°Are you saying goodbye to me, Olivia?¡± my heart sank, I was but I didn¡¯t want him to know. I couldn¡¯t risk his life again and never wanted him to be in the hospital because of me. ¡°Let me get the doctor.¡± I walked <b>out </b>without answering him. I could feel that I was going to break if I stayed in that room any longer.


    I found the doctor and I stood outside as he checked on him. I kept looking through the ss on the door and his <b>eyes </b>were fixed on me each <b>time</b>. I moved away from the door and waited for the doctor to finish. He came out and sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that he is awake, but he woke up before tine. We will <b>have </b>to put him back under, he is putting strain on his body, and he needs time to heal.¡± I looked at the door. ¡°Why did he wake up sooner than expected?¡±


    ¡°Some people do wake up early even with anaesthesia. That is why we need to give Mr Walker more and have him under for at least another eight to twelve hours.¡± The doctor exined. ¡°So, go ahead and give him.¡± the doctor sighed. ¡°That is the problem, he doesn¡¯t want us to, and I think it has something to do with you Ms.¡±


    I looked at his room door. What the hell was that man thinkng? ¡°I will get him to agree doctor,e back in a few minutes to get it done.¡± The doctor nodded and left. I stood there for a while not knowing what to do.


    I sighed then walked back into his ward. ¡°The doctor told me you refused to be put under again.¡± He watched me until I sat on the chair next to his bed. ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°Why? You need this to give your body more time to heal. You experience trauma Marcus, and your body needs time to recover. Hours ago, doctors were not even sure if you were going to wake up and now you want to put strain on your body. Why?¡±


    He looked at me funny. ¡°Because I know if I agree to go under again. I will not see you when I wake up.¡± I


    ed and closed my mouth not knowing what to say. ¡°<b>See </b>what I mean, you wont even deny it. How do you expect me to go under knowing that?¡±


    ¡°Marcus¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Olivia. I am not doing it only to wake up and find you gone.¡± He looked angry and sad when he said that. I felt <b>bad</b><b>. </b>¡°I am not going anywhere; I will be right here when you wake up. How can you even think I would disappear


    13


    leaving you like this?¡± he watched me.


    ¡°But that is what you were <b>nning</b>, am sure in that mind of yours leaving is the best thing to do because I got hurt, correct?¡± I swallowed but didn¡¯t answer. The man could read me like a book. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, Olivia. We will get through <b>this</b>. Just, don¡¯t run.¡±


    He didn¡¯t understand, him being by my side is guaranteed that he was going to get hurt again. Not only by Sandra and her people but there was Luke to consider as well. The man was not <b>a </b>saint and was hell bent on protecting me.


    ¡°I promised to be here when you wake up.¡± He took my hand in his, it still felt a little cold. ¡°Don¡¯t make any life changing decisions while am under. Okay?¡± I nodded. I was going to do as he said. Wait for him to wake up and for the doctors to tell me that he is recovering well.


    But in the meantime. I had to get Lupita and her grandmother out of New Vige, find Samuel a school and buy a house. I needed to get the ball rolling on all of those by morning. In no time the doctor came and administered the anaesthesia and Marcus was out. I was d he woke up and that the doctors were optimistic about his <b>condition</b>.


    I walked out of his room feeling tired and drained. My body screamed at me to take care of it, get some rest. But there was no time. I had a lot to do and for once, I had to do them on my own.


    I couldn¡¯t rely on others anymore. ¡°How is he?¡± asked Ethan taking a seat next to me in the waiting <b>room</b>. ¡°The doctors are optimistic, but we will <b>know </b>after he wakes up again in the next eight to sixteen hours.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°Nick was admitted again, he copsed after we left here. It¡¯s not looking good Olivia.¡± He sighed hanging his head low. ¡°I know that man is not perfect, and he caused you a lot of pain. But <b>your </b>revenge on him¡­¡± he shook his head looking grim. ¡°Your revenge on him is going to kill him, he already has a weak heart and if things continue this way. He won¡¯t make it.¡±

 Novel Payback 100

    OLIVIA


    Guilt ate away at me, now that I knew that Nick wasn¡¯t the one who sent those people to hurt me in prison. I felt guilty that I was doing all that to him. yes, he did his fair share of hurtful things to me, but I did not want him to die. One day Samuel was going to ask who his father is and why he wasn¡¯t in his life.


    I want to be able to look my son in the eyes one day and tell him who his father is and why he wasn¡¯t in his life growing up. It would kill me to have to tell him that his father died, and I had a hand in it. ¡°Ethan, I don¡¯t want Nick in our lives, he might be <b>innocent </b>on somethings, but he has done a lot to me and his presence in our lives right now, is putting my son and everyone I love in danger,


    Ethan nodded, he knew as well as I did that the decision made to keep Nick away, was not taken lightly. I was sorry he was sick but as guilty as I felt, I couldn¡¯t let him back in, not with Sandra still on the loose and not when he is still protecting the woman. ¡°I know, Olivia but my friend is sick, and it doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡±


    <b>He </b>stood, ¡°You are going to need a ce to stay since your <b>house </b>burnt down. You can stay with me or use one of my properties.¡± I shook my head no. I said I wanted to stand on my own and that was what I was going to do. Staying with him was not going to help me in any way. ¡°Thank you, Ethan but I am going to be fine.¡±


    He looked at me. ¡°Olivia<b>, </b><b>I </b><b>will </b>not let you stay at a hotel with a child. He needs to be <b>in </b><b>a </b>home, to y and go outside whenever he wants to. He can¡¯t do all that while stuck in a hotel room.¡± I offered him a smile. He took care of Samuel for two years, I got where he <b>was </bing from, and I liked that he cared about him.


    But I was his mother, and I was going to provide for him. Care for him and keep him safe. ¡°We will be alright, really and we won¡¯t be at the hotel long. A week at most then we will be out.¡± I wanted to tell him what my n was but then that would defeat the purpose of what I was trying to achieve.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± He started walking away but then stopped and came back. I wondered what he forgot. ¡°Olivia, when all of this is over, I would like to take you to dinner. I want us to talk about something.¡± My mind went wild thinking about what he wanted to talk about. But no matter what I had in mind, I still didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Alright Ethan.¡± I <b>agreed</b>, <b>the </b>man took care of my son for me and the least I could do is listen to him when he wanted to talk. He grinned then walked away, leaving me wondering what that was about. I fell asleep on the chair after he left, and I was woken up by the doctor after checking on Marcus. He was doing <b>his </b>morning rounds before he left.


    He told me that Marcus was doing well, and <b>they </b>expected him to make a full recovery. I was d to hear that. I then went and checked on Grandma Susan and the doctor told me that she would be discharged in the afternoon. I called Lupita and gave her the news before going to the cafeteria for coffee.


    I was waiting for the shops to open so I could do some shopping for Lupita and her grandmother before sending them to the airport. Their stuff burned with my house. I sipped my coffee slow<i>/</i>with my mind focused. ¡°Olivia.¡± I


    tensed, I didn¡¯t want to talk to the woman, <b>and </b>I wished she <b>could </b>leave me the hell alone.


    ¡°It must be nice being you, <b>huh</b>? Sipping coffee <b>while </b>my son isying on a hospital bed with a weak heart. If things continue this way for him then he is going to need a transnt soon. Are you going to give him your heart since you are killing bis?¡±


    I had no time for her. I stood and went to throw the cup in the bin then started walking away. But the devil visited <b>me </b>early <b>that </b>morning. She came and stood in my way stopping me from leaving. ¡°I am talking to you, <b>Olivia</b>, you ungrateful brat!¡± I red at her.


    She was pushing me, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before I pushed back. ¡°Get out of my way Elodie.¡± Sheughed when <b>I </b>called her by her name. ¡°Now, I am Elodie. What happened to mother? You used my family enough and now you call me by my name and help in killing my son. Wow, you are good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you, I don¡¯t have anything to do with what happened to Nick and you know it. You are just looking for someone to me but that person is not me. I am grateful for everything you did for me and even getting me out from jail after your son sent me there. But I will not stand for anymore insults.¡±


    I paused taking deep breaths, I was tired and trying not to get angry. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that everything your family <b>has </b>put me through is punishment enough for whatever it is you are ming; me for?¡± she scoffed flipping her beautiful <b>hair </b>back, I always loved her hair, how thick and foll they were.


    ¡°You think <b>that </b>can ever be enough? My husband is dead Olivia and you father can¡¯t let my son breathe. How do you think I feel about <b>that</b>?¡± I couldn¡¯t anymore I just couldn¡¯t take it. I tried moving past her again, but she *moved as well stopping me from leaving.


    I pushed back and that was my mistake. She pped me hart across the face that I saw stars. ¡°You will lose that hand for what you did.¡± His voice was cold, low, yet stern. The temperature in the cafeteria dropped a few degrees. Fear covered Elodie¡¯s face. She kept opening <b>and </b>closing her mouth, but no words came out.

 Novel Payback 101

    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    ELODIE


    Bloody hell! where did hee from? Olivia just scoffed then left us there. I wanted to stop her, tell her to save me and that I was sorry. That I didn¡¯t mean to hit her. But it was toote, she was gone, and I was left with the monster I used to call my brother. Right now, he looked exactly as he did the day he wanted to kill me.


    The day my father pardoned me and banished me instead of having me killed. Luke <b>was </b>livid that day, he wanted me dead, but he could not kill me when the Don had already pardoned me. ¡°You think you can do as you please with my daughter like your father did, is that it Elodie? Or you just don¡¯t respect me enough to stop yourself from doing shit like this?¡±


    A shiver ran down my spine, I got cold and yet it was hot outside. ¡°Luke, I didn¡¯t mean to but the things you are doing are leaving me with no other choice but to take my revenge on her. you are hurting my son, Luke.¡± He gave me a dry chuckle.


    what t your father did to her and me is not enough. You have to go and hit her<b>, </b>is that right?¡± I kept my mouth shut. There was no point in saying anything to him when he was like that. I regretted hitting Olivia as well. I didn¡¯t mean to. But I got so angry when she didn¡¯t show any concern for Nick


    He did a lot for her <b>and </b>yet she forgot all about that. ¡°Answer me Elodie, or do you want me to show you how angry I am?¡± I scoffed, what was he going to do? We were in a hospital for goodness¡¯s sake and one that I now


    OWIL.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think I will do anything here, is that it?¡± I said nothing. Fast, Luke took my arm and before I could protest, he was dragging me away towards the stairs. ¡°Let me go!¡± I yelled but he wouldn¡¯t listen. The funny part was that the hospital staff that we passed, did nothing.


    They just looked and continued with what they were doing didn¡¯t understand how people could just watch a woman being dragged away like that and do <b>nothing</b>. Just what kind of people did James hire in the damn hospital!


    When we got to the stairs Luke let go then red at me. ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t do anything to you because we are here or because we were raised together or maybe because you are a woman. Which one is it?¡± I knew better than anyone that it didn¡¯t matter that I was a woman.


    Luke and I had the same training and woman or not. The mafia didn¡¯t care, if they want you dead, you die. I kept quiet, the hope I had now gone. ¡°I thought as much.¡± He said then lunged at me. I dodged the attack, and he stumbled almost falling down the stairs.


    He steadied himself then chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s what am talking about, that is the Elodie I want not the rich housewife you have been pretending to be.¡± I threw my bag to the side and ripped the opening on my skirt to give me more room. It was time I fought back against Luke.


    Money and men we both had. Our fight had nothing to do with <b>that</b>, if we wanted, we could go into war for <b>months</b>, even years with no one surrendering. If that were to happen, many innocent people would die. I didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°There you go little sis. Time to show big brother what you are made of.¡± He taunted me, just <b>like </b>he did when we were growing up. But back then it was different, he was my big brother, and he wanted me to be able to defend myself when the time came.


    Now, we were fighting for our offspring. This time, I was the one who threw a punch. Luke didn¡¯t dodge, he weed it then smirked. From there on it was a full¨Cblown fight with us exchanging punches. I could fight, but I felt his hit, he was a man and when he hit me. he made sure I felt it.


    At some point we fell and ended up at the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Stop!¡± <b>he </b>stopped and looked at me. ¡°I get the point Luke, I do, and I am scared of you. But how long are you going to punish me for, you already killed my


    husband and my father Luke. What more do you want?¡±


    That was when I broke down and cried. Pain of losing James sat heavy on my shoulders, my chest tightened. I was not sure if it was because of exhaustion from the fight or because of the pain in my heart. I sat there feeling helpless and heart broken.


    ¡°I was hoping to see father again one day but now I won¡¯t get that chance because you killed him.¡±


    ¡°You did <b>what</b>?¡± a <b>familiar </b>voice sounded<b>, </b>and I lifted my lead to look. Tears stained my cheeks but seeing him made me cry even more. He looked like a younger version of father; I never notice how alike they were until now. Uncle went into hiding the moment we got to New Vige but protected me <b>from </b>the shadows.


    It had been years since Ist saw his face and seeing him now made me break down. ¡°I killed the Don, good to see you again Matteo.¡±


    ¡°You killed my brother?¡± he closed the small distance between him and Luke. I stopped crying and watched. ¡°Why would it bother you that I killed him? the man took your wdman and married her, then banished you for sleeping with her. you still want to fight for him?¡± what?


    <b>¡°</b><b>He </b>was my brother!¡± Luke chuckled. He was not bothered at all by uncle¡¯s outburst. But if I were him, I would be <b>afraid</b>. ¡°You <b>know</b>, Matteo. I found something interesting in the Don¡¯s office when I went through his things. Want to know what I found?¡±


    Uncle backed up. ¡°Leave Luke and never show your face in New Vige again<b>.</b>¡± Lukeughed like he heard the biggest joke. ¡°And if <b>I </b>don¡¯t leave<b>, </b>what are you going to do?¡± uncle red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t try me Luke¡­¡±


    Luke cut him short. ¡°No, <b>don¡¯t </b>try me<b>, </b>Matteo. You left Summer Strand with your tail between your legs and chose to leave with Elodie. I <b>never </b>understood why until now. <b>Why </b>don¡¯t you tell her why you chose to leave with her and why your brother spared you.¡±


    Uncle said nothing and came to help me up. ¡°Like father, like daughter.¡± Luke said thenughed walking away. Uncle froze and so did I.

 Novel Payback 102

    OLIVIA


    After leaving Nick¡¯s mother with her brother, I thought I should check on grandma and see if her doctor wont discharge her so I could leave with her and drop her at the hotel. But the doctor wasn¡¯t there. I waited for a few minutes but gave up and decided to go back and get her in the afternoon like the doctor said.


    Just as I was leaving, I saw Luke dragging his sister towards the stairs, part of me wanted to ignore everything and just leave. Let them deal with each other. But when I saw that no one was doing anything, I decided to follow them and stop Lake if he tried anything 1 knew Elodie hated me now, but I didn¡¯t want her dead.


    I opened the door slightly and listened. I heard them talking and then the fighting started. I peeked in and what I saw I could not believe. Nick¡¯s mother was fighting like a trained assassin, but her brother was even worse. There I was sneaking around hoping to save her when the time came but what I saw was not a woman who needed saving


    I watched for a while until another man showed uping downstairs. They called him Matteo, but his name was not important. What was important was how he reacted when Luke said like father like daughter. Ibailed my hands into fists feeling my anger rising. He lied to me about killing him.


    He was still protecting him and wanted me to stay away. ¡°Uncle, what is he talking about?¡± I heard Elodie say as 1 was about to leave. I stopped wondering why in the hell would she call him uncle when he was her father.


    ¡°This is not the time to be talking about this,e, let me take you home. You are a mess.¡± Elodie pulled her arm away from him. ¡°No! we are not <b>leaving </b>here until you tell me what he meant.¡± The man tightened his face and shut his mouth.


    ¡°Did you and mom have an affair?¡± The man, Matteo threw a re her way. ¡°Your mother and I didn¡¯t have an affair. We were very much in love and until my brother met her and wanted her for himself.¡± He sounded angry when he said that which made me realize that he was not the man I thought he was.


    Maybe Luke did kill his brother. ¡°Then why is Luke insinuating that I am your daughter?¡± she questioned. Matteo sighed. ¡°The Don never took no for an <b>answer</b>, and I knew that if your mother refused his advances, he would kill her So, she agreed to be his, but we <b>never </b>broke things off,¡±


    He sighed then went and took a seat on the <b>stairs </b>looking defeated. ¡°We continued our rtionship while she was with the Don as well. Three yearster the Don wanted a child but thought your mother couldn¡¯t have any. So, they adopted Luke.¡±


    Oh, it was clear that they could have children, or at least she could because there was Elodie. Sweet little Elodie who now hated me. ¡°Then two yearster I got your mother pregnant but when she found out, she got scared of what the Don would do when he found out and she broke things off with me.¡±


    ¡°What you are telling me is that she lied to her husband and told him I was tus.¡± Matteo shook his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t <b>lie</b>, she just <b>never </b>said anything.¡± As if that was different, I scoffed. ¡°The Don raised you as his and I yed the role of your uncle.¡°Wow, that was deep. Even my problems were not as twisted as that.


    Well, maybe finding out that my father is a mafia kingpin who killed his adoptive father. That part was twisted. I even sat down listening to the gossip that I forgot I had things to do. ¡°When did he find out that I was not his?¡± the man hung <b>his </b>head low.


    ¡°A month before you came along with that boy telling him that you wanted to marry him, he wanted you dead, of course.¡± Of course, because that¡¯s what people do when their children are in love! Bloody mafia,


    ¡°Your mother begged him to let you live and banish you instead. The Don asked me to <b>leave </b><b>as </b><b>well</b>. He wanted to get rid of his problems. Me and you, he was mad at me, but think he understood that your mother <b>was </b>mine first


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    before he stole her from me. but when that happened. He decided it was best we both left never to return again.¡±


    Elodie sighed. ¡°You let me believe that I was <b>his </b>daughter all these years, even after we left summer strand you still didn¡¯t tell me, why?¡± why indeed, I also wanted to know. ¡°What are you <b>doing</b>?¡±


    Without looking back to see who it <b>was </b>I answered. ¡°Listening to Nick¡¯s family drama. Apparently, his mother¡¯s father is not her father but her uncle and her uncle is her father. Confusing, I know.¡± I said with my eyes fixed on the two individuals <b>at </b>the bottom of the <b>stairs</b>.


    ¡°Olivia, what did you say?¡± I tumed and found Ethan standing behind me. I blushed in embarrassment and <b>stood </b>up. ¡°I thought Luke was going to hurt her, I saw him dragging her here and I came to check but things got interesting¡±


    How did he find me anyway? ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were such gossip,e on<b>, </b>it¡¯s rude to listen to other people¡¯s private conversations like that.¡± oh well. He led me out and asked. ¡°Where is Luke anyway? I thought you said you followed <b>him </b>here.¡±


    15


    ¡°He left after letting it slip that Elodie¡¯s father was that man and not the one she grew up believing it was.¡± Ethan looked at me with amusement in his eyes. ¡°What?¡± he chuckled<b>. </b>¡°It¡¯s good to see you like this. Acting normal and not looking sad. But it is still rude to listen to other people¡¯s private conversations.¡±


    He said with a raised eyebrow, I covered my face in embarrassment then the unexpected happened. I felt Ethan¡¯s lips on mine and my eyes widened in shock.


    +26 BONUS

 Novel Payback 103

    NICK


    I just discharged myself <b>again </b>from the hospital when I woke up. I was mad at my body and my heart for giving up on me. it was not the time for me to be sleeping in hospital beds. A lot was at stake. Sandra was still out there<b>, </b>and I knew if she could convince me to turn against my wife and send her to <b>jail</b>.


    Then she would not stop until she was dead. She already tried and falled when she shot up her <b>house </b>and burned it down. She was going to try <b>again </b><b>until </b>she seeds. I didn¡¯t know <b>what </b>she wanted anymore. I knew she <b>Was </b>obsessed with me and wanted me for herself.


    What I didn¡¯t understand is how she thought we <b>could </b>be together after everything she did. I couldn¡¯t stand her<b>, </b>I was separated from my wife because of all her lies, and I might lose her to another man, all because of what she did. Also, because I was stupid enough to believe her.


    I went to Marcus¡¯s ward to see if Olivia was there, I still wanted to talk to her. tell her that I didn¡¯t <b>care </b>if Samuel was mine or not. That I still wanted her, I wanted them both and I wanted us to be a family. I wanted to exin to her what my intentions were and ask her to give me time to resolve things.


    Ask her not to give up on me just yet. But, when I got to Marcus¡¯s ward, she was not there, and I went to check on her nanny¡¯s grandmother¡¯s <b>ward</b>, but she wasn¡¯t there either. I gave up thinking <b>that </b>she had left the hospital.


    I walked towards the elevator and that was when I saw my best friend kissing her. Rage surged <b>within </b>me. I rushed to them and pulled Ethan away then punched him on the jaw. ¡°You bastard!¡± I punched him again and again.


    ¡°I knew you wanted her, but I didn¡¯t think you would act on it since you are my fucking best friend!¡± I hit him again. He was trying to stop me and not hitting me back. That just made me <b>angrier</b>. ¡°Nick stop, you are still weak! and overexerting yourself for no reason.¡±


    ¦§


    That just sent me over the edge, so, the reason he was kissing my wife was because he thought I was fucking weak. ¡°I will show you who is weak then Ethan.¡± I gathered all the little strength I <b>had</b>.


    ¡°That is not what I am saying, and you know that!¡± I punched him hard on the face sending him to the ground. I <b>was </b>mad, so mad that he of all people would do me like that. ¡°Stop it!¡± Olivia screamed on the side. I paid her no mind as I went and kicked my friend while he was down.


    I was seeing red; I was busy worried that my wife will be taken by Marcus and not focusing on Ethan, and he took that as an opportunity to make a fucking move! ¡°Nick, if you don¡¯t stop, I will forget that you are sick and fight back.¡± He said covering his face as I kept kicking him.


    ¡°Do whatever you want, you piece of shit! How can you betray me like <b>that</b>?¡± I was angry but more than that. I was hurt. Ethan was my best friend, I thought even if he had feelings for Olivia, he would not act on them out of respect for me. but I was wrong.


    I should have been keeping an eye on him and not Marcus. The man was bold to try something like that. ¡°Nick. Jones! Stop what you are doing, right now!¡± <b>Olivia </b>yelled on the side. I stopped and looked at her. I wanted her back so bad but now two men were after her.


    She was my fucking wife! Didn¡¯t they get that? ¡°How could you let this happen? Am out there risking my life to get things¡­¡± I stopped myself before saying more. I looked at Ethan then back at her. I couldn¡¯t believe <b>she </b>would go for my best friend.


    Wasn¡¯t being separated from her enough punishment for me, why did she have to let him kiss her! my heart raced. I ced my <b>hand </b>on my chest as if that was going to stop it from racing. I bent down feeling like I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I didn¡¯t know when Ethan got to my side. ¡°Nick, are you alright, should I call a doctor?¡± he tried to touch me, but I


    pped his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t you touch me! you are dead to me Ethan.¡± He threw his hands in the air.


    ¡°Oh, stop being fucking dramatic, I kissed your ex¨Cwife. Deal with it!¡± the smug bastard. I tried throwing a punch at him, but he dodged, and I didn¡¯t know what <b>happened</b>, but I found myself falling. He was right, I was weak. Fuck!


    ¡°Look at you,e on man.¡± He said sounding frustrated. By this time Olivia was already calling for help. She sounded scared or like she cared. Maybe I heard what I wanted to hear. I don¡¯t know. Soon I was on a stretcher and being wheeled into a ward.


    Fuck! I cursed feeling angry that my body was so weak. The stab wound that Luke gave me was also throbbing. Fucking unbelievable. ¡°Give him something strong to <b>knock </b>him out and next time. Don¡¯t let him fucking leave the hospital!¡± Ethan yelled at the doctor.


    ¡°Mother fucker, you are not my mother. You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do. If I want to leave, then I will.¡± I tried sitting up on the bed<b>, </b>but I was so weak than I fell back feeling tired just by doing that I hated what was happening.


    ¡°Yeah right, then get up since you are so strong and fine. Get up and leave.¡± Ethan mocked and I wanted nothing more than to punch him again. The smug bastard! ¡°Get out, get the fuck out of my ward. I don¡¯t ever want to see you.¡± I yelled.


    ¡°With pleasure.¡± Ethan said leaving the room. Olivia was about to leave as well when I stopped her. I wanted her by my side. ¡°Please, stay.¡± She stopped then looked at me. Please, my heart. Stay with me just this once.¡± I begged.


    It was unlike me, Nick Jones begged no one but I did. I begged my wife to stay with me. I missed being near her, I missed everything about her, and I was not above begging to get it.


    +35 BONUS

 Novel Payback 104

    OLIVIA


    I sat by Nick¡¯s side until he was knocked out by the sedative the doctor gave <b>him</b>. I waited until he was taken back to the room he was in before he <b>apparently </b>discharged himself then left the hospital like I nned to. By then it was already eleven in the morning, and I had a lot to get done.


    I did my shopping, getting new phones for all of us, clothes aptop then went to meet with a real estate agent about a house. She showed me pictures of a few but there was one that caught my eye. The others were not what I was looking for. They were condos and I didn¡¯t want that, I wanted a house.


    I even looked for a school for Samuel and made appointments to go and check them out. I then rushed to back to the hospital after calling Lupita to meet me there. I wanted to take them to the airport after picking up Grandma Susan. s, they didn¡¯t want to go, and this is what I got.


    ¡°Are you crazy, when have you ever heard family abandoning each other when times are tough? If you want to go to summer strand then by all means, you can go.¡± Grandma Susan said and gave me no room to argue. I looked to Lupita for help, and she just gave me a weird look like she was saying. ¡°You must be crazy if you think am going to leave you here alone.¡±


    I I


    wanted, loved and supported. In Lupita I had found more than a nanny but a sister I never had. I was grateful. I then took them back to the hotel and went to meet with the agent. She showed me the house and I loved it.


    Also, it was not as <b>pricey </b>as I thought it <b>would </b>be, she told me it has been on the market for a long time that the owner dropped the price so it could sell. I was happy about that, the house was the four¨Cbedroom house and had enough space<b>, </b>a back yard and swimming pool.


    It was what I <b>was </b>looking for, perfect for my little family. I checked the time then went back to the hospital to check on Marcus. When I got there, he was already awake. He looked sad and angry, I wondered what news he got from the doctor that made him so angry.


    I walked in and when he saw me, I saw relief in his eyes. Did he think I left? ¡°Hey, <b>how </b>are you feeling?¡± <b>he </b>said nothing. I went and took <b>a </b>seat next to his bed<b>. </b>¡°You were not here when I woke up. I thought you left me.¡± 1 chuckled. ¡°I told you <b>that </b>I will not leave until you are alright.¡±


    ¡°Olivia,e here.¡± I stood and went closer to the bed. He took my hand in his and kissed the back of it while looking at me. my heart skipped a beat. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you again.¡± I said nothing, ¡°Do you understand how important you are to <b>me</b>?¡± he questioned but I said <b>nothing </b>because I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>how important I <b>was </b>to him.


    He was my business partner, my hot business partner <b>that </b>had feelings for. But he never <b>made </b><b>a </b>move and so, I kept my feelings to myself. ¡°Olivia, I heard what happened. I raised <b>an </b>eyebrow. ¡°The nurses here gossip, I heard that Nick and Ethan fought over you.¡± I sighed; I didn¡¯t know that whole thing <b>will </b>inspire gossip amongst the


    nurses.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think, it was¡­¡± I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>how to exin it. Ethan just kissed me, and Nick saw us. I was not sure what to say to Marcus. ¡°It¡¯s alright, but I never want to hear that something like that happened again. I never want to hear about another man kissing you.¡±


    Well¡­¡± Olivia, if you don¡¯t know then I will tell you, I want you to be mine. I have <b>not </b>said or done anything to show you that but that is because a lot has been happening and I was not about to add on <b>your </b>te. But I see now that <b>was </b>a mistake.¡±


    I didn¡¯t get what he meant, <b>and </b>he didn¡¯t give me a chance to think about it as he pulled me closer to <b>him </b>making


    me fall on top of him that captured my lips. I melted into his arms, the kissed started slowly but turned hungry and passionate in seconds.


    He pulled out and looked me in the eyes. ¡°Mine!¡± he said tracing his thumb on my bottom lip. ¡°Do you understand that?¡± I had no words. Today has been crazy, Elban kissing me out of the blue, Nick fighting him and begging me to stay by his side. Then now Marcus kissing in like he was punishing me for it all.


    ¡°Close the door, <b>Olivia</b>.¡± What? I looked back at the door, and it was closed. ¡°It¡¯s closed, are you feeling alright, should I call a doctor?¡± maybe there was something wrong with his vision and no one noticed. ¡°I <b>can </b>see that it¡¯s closed, and I don¡¯t need a doctor. What I need is for you to go to that door, make sure it is closed that no onees in here.¡±


    I frowned, what the hell did he want to do? I didn¡¯t ask though and I didn¡¯t move as well. ¡°Are <b>you </b>going to close that door, or should I?¡± I looked at him wondering what the hell was <b>on </b>his mind. He removed the monitor thing on his finger and when I saw he was about to get up. I went to the door and locked it then turned to re at him.


    The man still has holes in his torso, and he wanted to get out of bed, what the hell was wrong with him ¡°I should be the one ring, not you. <b>now</b><b>, </be here.¡± I went and soon we were cramped on the small hospital bed.


    My head on his leg and mine open in front of <b>him</b><b>. </b>I was like a roasted chicken on disy, and I didn¡¯t <b>care </b><b>because </b>what that man was doing was something that has never been done to me before. The man was skilled with his hands, he <b>was </b>ying my pussy like he <b>was </b>ying some keys on a <b>no</b>.


    I didn¡¯t know I had so many sports that could make me scream like that. Nick was <b>good</b>, granted but he had nothing on Marcus.


    ¡°I said you are making a noise, keep quiet or I will not stop what I am doing, and I will not let you cum either.


    Fuck!

 Novel Payback 105

    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t know how he expected me to be quiet when he was doing, such things to me. But I tried and then I ended up sounding like a wounded animal. I didn¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t say no when he asked me to strip and get on the bed. If I had will power, I wouldn¡¯t have been in such <b>a </b>predicament.


    ¡°Do you


    now understand when I say I don¡¯t want you to let another man kiss you?¡± I moaned, unable to speak. The pleasure was too much<b>, </b>and I wanted to cum. But Marcus knew just how to send me over the edge but stop just in time before I could cum. It drove me crazy.


    ¡°I see you still have not found your voice or learned the lesson I am trying to teach you.¡± bloody hell! I shouldn¡¯t have let him kiss me again, I shouldn¡¯t have locked that door. Damn it! I shouldn¡¯t have done <b>a </b>lot of things. Marcus and I were not in a rtionship or at <b>least </b>I thought we were not but what was happening said that we


    were.


    He was acting like a jealous boyfriend trying to prove a point and unfortunately for me. I was weak and I let himmand me and make me do what he <b>wanted</b>. Now here we are, Secondster Marcus yanked down my top and moved my bra cup to the side. My luscious breasts spilled free, and my nipples hardened begging for attention.


    My pussy vibrated and got even wetter. Instead of touching my breasts Marcus stared at them, hunger written all over his face. The man still had bullet holes on his torso, he shouldn¡¯t be doing such things. My <b>mind </b>told me to stop him at some point but then he would do whatever he was doing with his fingers inside my pussy and my mind would go nk.


    No rational thoughts entered it just the fact that I wanted to cum so badly that I begged him to let me. ¡°I will let you cum if you tell me, you understand that I am the only man who gets to touch you now, who gets to taste those lips and no one else.¡± He looked at me slowing his pace in fingering me.


    I tried meeting his fingers halfway, but he pressed on something inside me, and it got my legs trembling and I felt myself built up quickly. I just needed a little push, and I woulde undone. ¡°Please¡­¡± I begged but he just stared at me. Not moving, not giving me what I so desperately wanted.


    ¡°I see, you still <b>want </b>to weigh your options, see who you would choose between the three of us.¡± He chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°No¡­¡± I uttered breathlessly. Didn¡¯t he understand that I just wanted to cum then we could talk about whatever he wanted to talk about?


    Marcus scanned my naked body, his gaze burning with desire. ¡°Well, you are not going back to <b>Nick</b>, and you are not going to be with his best friend<b>. </b>You are mine and by the <b>time </b>I am done with you.¡± he shook his head chuckling dryly.


    ¡°You will <b>know </b>it too.¡± I trembled nodding. No words were <b>needed</b>, I just wanted him to perform his magic, do whatever he was doing down there and make me fucking cum. He with his left hand, he gently traced the outline of my corbone before teasing my nipples.


    They hardened further. He pushed his fingers slowly <b>in </b><b>and </b>out of my pussy, it clenched and unclenched around his fingers. <b>I </b>wanted him to go fast. I tried meeting him halfway, fastening the pace but he stopped me. pressing my belly with his left hand t on the bed.


    Then his right hand worked on me, going <b>in </b>and out then pressing things I didn¡¯t know existed in there. Making my legs tremble and my body jerk up. I felt myself building up again and I could not help but beg. ¡°I understand, please, <b>don¡¯t </b>stop. Make me cum.¡± A smirk appeared on his lips, and he went fast.


    In and out. Pressing and releasing. It didn¡¯t take long before I moaned loudly. I was sure the people heard me all the way to the reception on the first floor. I just couldn¡¯t keep it in. When he saw that I was about to cum he took out his fingers and I went crazy..


    Chapter nos


    I wanted to cry; he was being cruel but in the next second was ying with my clit then pinched it. He inserted two fingers inside then <b>said</b>. ¡°Now you can cum¡± he pressed on something in there while pinching my came strong and hard,


    clit and <b>I </b>


    My legs tremble and he kept pressing and teasing me with his fingers. When I was done, I panted like a dog. Tired and flustered. Most importantly, I gain new respect for the man. I lifted my head and looked at him. his eyes were already on me as he kept licking his fingers one by one. My cum coated them but it was like he was licking something really good and I smiled.


    Yep! I got a new man, and he <b>was </b>skilled with his hands. Made me wonder what else he could do with other parts of him. his mouth and the like. ¡°I meant what I said, Olivia 1 nodded getting up and going to clean myself up.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that; you are still injured.¡± I told him now that my mind was working again. I checked his bandages, and they still looked clean. Thank goodness! I think am doing just fine and I got the kind of medication I have been craving for.¡±


    I smiled embarrassed then went and took a seat next to him I was content and felt like life was going to get better from there on. With him by myside. To <b>think </b>I wanted to leave him.


    ¡°Olivia, I meant what I said. You


    re not going back to Nick because I won¡¯t let you and you are never going to let Ethan kiss you, now you are mine and I think I have made myself clear on that.¡± indeed!

 Novel Payback 106

    SANDRA


    ¡°You useless pieces of shit! That witch is still alive, the one you shot was that Marcus guy. I <b>don¡¯t </b>want him dead, if I can¡¯t kill that witch then I want <b>Marcus </b>alive to keep her busy, take her away or marry her for all I care. I just want her out of mine and Nick¡¯s lives.¡± I hired morons! I wanted them to kill Olivia.


    Or better yet, kill that brat of hers to make her feel the same pain I was feeling. My sister disappeared but I know she is dead wherever she was. Thest time I spoke to her was when she got me out of that mental institution, and I never heard from her again. I went looking for her at the club, but no one seemed to know where she was.


    I knew Olivia had something to do with her disappearance <b>of </b>her father did. Either way, I was not about to let her get <b>away </b>with it. ¡°Mam, we did what you asked, and we want to get paid for that job.¡± I red at <b>him</b><b>, </b>the audacity of the man<b>. </b>They didn¡¯t even get the job done!


    ¡°You are crazy if you think I am going to pay you for that job. I hired you to kill Olivia or her son and you only managed to shoot up a house, shoot the wrong person and turn her house <b>down</b>. None of that is what I hired you for!¡± they were making me angry. Nick was drifting further and further away from me, and they were busy telling


    me nonsense.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, you were also there that day, if we were doing such a lousy job then why didn¡¯t you do better?¡± he was making me sick this one. I took my gun and shot him on the leg. He screamed in pain. ¡°Do you have something else to say, huh?¡± I said getting up in his face.


    ¡°<b>Hey</b>, stop, he didn¡¯t mean it.¡± The other one said stopping me, but I was so fired up that I shot him again and again then grinned as I watched him struggle to breathe with blood flowing. It was a good sight, and it made me a little better.


    The other two looked at me as if I had lost my mind. ¡°<b>Now</b>, gentlemen. Do we still have something to say on the matter or we are going to go out there and find fucking Olivia Williams and fucking kill her, what will it be?¡± they got up and headed to the door without saying a word.


    Today we were going to spend the day tracking Olivia to see <b>where </b>she was staying. I needed that woman dead and soon. We sat outside the hospital from morning till noon and no sign of her leaving. ¡°I am going in there to check if she is there.¡± I told the guys then went out of the car and walked inside.


    I took the elevator to the third floor but as the <b>elevator </b>opened, Nick <b>was </b>standing there. My heart skipped a beat. He looked sick and weak. What the hell was Olivia doing to him. ¡°Hey.¡± I greeted stepping out and the elevator closed behind me.


    He <b>stared </b>at me without saying a word. ¡°Look, if I knew you were here, I would havee sooner. But I didn¡¯t know.¡± He can¡¯t be angry at <b>me </b>for not showing up, no one told me he was hospitalized, ¡°Look babe, I get that feel neglected, but I swear, I didn¡¯t know you were here. Tell me, what is wrong?


    He continued to look at me without saying anything. ¡°Okay then, I will make it up to you. just tell me what you want, and I will do it. But you can tell me on the way. I am taking you home.¡±


    <b>you </b>


    ¡°You really are sick, aren¡¯t you?¡± that hurt but I got where he wasing from. Being in the hospital alone was not nice. ¡°Okay babe, I already said am sorry. I got busy looking for my sister and Olivia that I didn¡¯t check on you. from now <b>on</b>, I promise to check in with you all the time and you won¡¯t have to be alone again. Now can we please go <b>home</b>?¡± he smiled at me, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me first. I have something to show you.¡± I got excited; it has been a while since we did something together. Before that damn witch Olivia was released from prison. ¡°Oh yeah, what do you want to show me?¡± He smiled offering me his hand and I took it, excited to see what he got for me.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if I told you.¡± he winked at me and my heart danced. I would be damned if I let fucking Olivia take him away from me, he belonged to me. he <b>called </b>for the elevator, and it opened. We walked in <b>hand </b>in hand. I couldn¡¯t contain the smile on my face.


    Nick was mine and Olivia was just a distraction. Sure, at first, I wanted to steal his money and be gone but the little voice In my head told me that I should give him a chance and am d I did. He made me happy.


    The elevator pinged and we got out. I stopped in my tracks and a frown appeared on my face when I saw where we were. ¡°Why are you bringing ma back here, are you trying to make a fool out of me, is that it, you think I am a fool, Nick?¡±


    I was angry, how could he take me there. He cupped my face. ¡°Hey, remember the n fromst time? I told you that I needed Olivia to believe that you are no longer a threat, that you <b>are </b>not in my life so she can let her guard down and I can do what I need to do. I need to find a way to send her back to jail like we did thest time.¡±


    He sighed looking sad. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be separated from you but if there is an investigation then you will be all over it. The police will find out what you did to her house and Marcus getting shot in the process. I need to find a way to me all that on Olivia but I need to be able to say you were here the whole time. I will get the doctor to back date your admission to make it look like Olivia is <b>crazy </b>and out to get <b>you</b>.


    His n made sense. He was looking out for me like he did before. I nodded and we walked in the doctor <b>came </b>to us. Take her and make sure she doesn¡¯t escape this time. My initial instructions still stand. I will be back to check on her within a year.¡±


    I went crazy when I heard that. ¡°Nick! Get back here, Nick!¡±


    Chanter 0107

 Novel Payback 107

    NICK


    Sandra was crazy, out of her mind. The way she just spoke as if we were together. Like nothing happened. Was just ¡­I don¡¯t know, crazy. But her crazy got me <b>a </b>second chance and I used it. Sending her back to the psych ward and leaving her screaming my name as I left. But with her, I was not going to make the same mistake I did with Olivia.


    I was going to check on her every chance I got to make sure she was getting what she deserved. She yed with the wrong person. She thought she was smart when she yed me like that, making me <b>send </b>my wife to jail for nothing and getting me to abandon her in there. Whispering in my ear and like a fool I listened.


    Not again, I leamed my lesson and Sandra was going to pay. Luke was going to get out of my life and I could work on getting my wife back. We had lost a lot of time because of everything Sandra did, <b>and </b>I didn¡¯t want to lose a minute more. I hurried to the third floor hoping to see her so <b>I </b><b>could </b>exin everything to her.


    My ns for Sandra and how I nned on making it up to her for everything I did in the past. She could <b>name </b>anything, and I would do it for her. I would <b>give </b>her the world if she demanded. Olivia was my heart, and I had been living without my heart for a very long time. I needed to get it back so that I could beplete.


    When I got to the third floor, I rushed to Marcus¡¯s ward and when I got closer. I saw Ethan standing there. I fumed in anger; the bastard didn¡¯t listen even when I gave him the beating of his life. Well, it wasn¡¯t that bad because I wasn¡¯t at full strength, but he should have gotten the message.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± I asked as soon as I got to him. he turned to look at me. his eyes red as if he were crying. <b>My </b>anger subsided and worry covered my face What could have happened to him, was Marcus <b>dead</b>. God! That would be best.


    Before I could ask what was wrong, I heard moans. I frowned looking at Ethan. He didn¡¯t say a word but looked back at the door. No! this cant be happening. ¡°<b>Ethan</b>?¡± I didn¡¯t know what I was calling him for, that could not be Olivia.


    That could not be my wife. It <b>couldn¡¯t</b>, she wouldn¡¯t. Ethan sniffed still looking at the closed door. My knees grew <b>weak</b>, and I found the closest thing to bnce with. No, Oliva no. my chest tightened, tension gathered on my


    shoulders. <b>No</b>!


    The moans got louder and louder. They were driving me crazy! That was my wife, in there. No! she couldn¡¯t. Ethan.¡± My voice came out <b>as </b><b>a </b>whisper. My friend looked at me with pity in his eyes but the longer he looked at me, pity turned to anger.


    Ir


    ¡°<b>This </b>is all your fault?¡± I raised an eyebrow but said nothing, whatever he was thinking was not important. My wife was in there with another <b>man </b>as I <b>stood </b>there listening to her moaning in pleasure. He didn¡¯t know what <b>something </b>like that did to a man¡­


    With each moan and the louder she got. The more broken I became. Yeah, he was right, it was my fault that I ended up in that situation, listening to my wife being pleasured by another man. I was stupid and took her for granted. Look at me now.


    ¡°Because of you,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I¡­ Nick, I have never hated you more in my life than I do at this moment. You and I are done.¡± He said <b>then </b>walked away. I didn¡¯t care what he thought of me. he wanted my wife as badly as I did, and he was not going to get her.


    <b>I </b>am happy about that, but it seemed I was losing her too. That part hurt like nothing I have ever felt before. Worse than when she told <b>me </b>that she hated me. when she stayed with me withoutining a few days ago. I was happy.


    I thought we were making progress, I guess I was wrong. ¡°How do you feel?¡± I didn¡¯t have to turn to know who


    that was. ¡°Must hurt, huh?¡± he said, and I wished I could pinch him in the face. But he was still my father¨Cin-w. ¡°Oh, well. You brought it all upon yourself and I am happy that my daughter finally saw the light and got the hell away from you.¡±


    He said then patted me on the back before walking away whistling. I wanted so badly to move away from that door. Leave and pretend I didn¡¯t hear what I was hearing and work on getting her back. But my feet felt like cement, heavy and rooted to the floor.


    I couldn¡¯t move. The way she was moaning, I wondered where the hell the man got strength from. ¡°The people who shot him should have finished the job.¡± I found myself saying out loud. I would have delt with Olivia¡¯s cries after he was dead and not whatever was happening behind that door.


    It hurt; my chest hurt. I wished I could open it and let fresh air in. I felt like it would get better if I did that, wounds that were on the inside hurt worse than those on the outside because at least those could still get some air. father said that to me once.


    My


    I thought the man was crazy but now I believe he was right. My chest burned and I wished to get some air in there to sooth the pain. Or for my wife toe out and tell me she was just ying a prank to get back at me. anything to make the pain go away.


    Soon, the moans stopped, and I waited patiently for her toe out. For me to see her and exin everything to her. maybe then she woulde back to me. I was willing to forget about what I heard and take her back. But when the door finally open and her eyes met mine. I knew it was over.


    There was no regret in her eyes, no shame in seeing me standing there. Nothing. She just said hello then walked


    away.

 Novel Payback 108

    <b>OLIVIA </b>


    When I walked out of Marcus¡¯s ward, Nick was standing there. I greeted him then left. My man told me to have nothing to do with him and that was what I was doing. I was giving myself a chance to be happy and I was not going to get that if I kept Nick Jones around. Our chapter together has ended, and I was opening a new chapter with Marcus.


    What did he and Sandra say again the day they locked me up? Oh, I got it. They said, I was busy cheating with my high school sweetheart. Yet, Marcus was not even back at the time. Now I was doing exactly what they said I was doing back then. Except, I was not cheating like they said. Nick and I were divorced, and I was free to do whatever I wanted


    With a smile on my face, I took the elevator downstairs. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what Marcus did to me. damn! That man had skilled <b>hands</b>. I could still feel the serisation down there and it <b>was</b>¡­ I couldn¡¯t describe it. When I got outside, I inhaled. The air felt fresher, and the sun shone brighter.


    I felt <b>like </b>better days were ahead of <b>me</b>, well, of course that was short lived when someone grabbed me from behind pulling me away from the sidewalk. I struggled but their grip tightened, and he shoved me into the car and the car drove off.


    Everything happened so fast that by the time I looked around the hospital was getting smaller behind us. In the car were two men, one driving the car and the other sitting next to me pointing a gun at me. fuck! I should have known that nothing good <b>ever </b>happened to me.


    There has to be something going wrong, all the damn time! Where the fuck was Luke when I needed him? ¡°Where are you taking me and who are you?¡± the one next to me smirked, ¡°you will know soon enough, just sit back and rx.¡± He was crazy if he thought I was going to let them take me without a fight.


    I eyed his gun, and he whistled wiggling his fore finger at me. ¡°don¡¯t even think about it. Our boss already wants you dead and if I shoot you now and only bring a body to her she would be ecstatic.¡± Her, so. That meant their boss was a woman.


    Could it be Sandra? Nick¡¯s sister was dead so it couldn¡¯t be her. Or was it his mother? I wouldn¡¯t put this past her; she did threaten me before not once but multiple times. She could be behind this. But where the hell did, she get ruffians like these ones?


    They didn¡¯t even tie me up, which told me that they were telling the truth. They would use that gun on me, and it would make their boss happy. Whomever she was. I sighed sitting back on the chair. If it was Nick¡¯s mother, then I


    could reason with her.


    Oh,e o


    on, Olivia. If she resorted to kidnapping, then there was no reasoning with her, this only meant that she had taken things too far and <b>was </b>not going to let you go alive. Your body will be found in a ditch somewhere. Shit! I had to get the hell out of that car before we got to wherever we were going. ¡°I can pay double what she is paying you. all you have to do is let me out here and I will find my way back.¡± Nothing, they didn¡¯t even look interested. The one next to me even looked bored by my proposal. ¡°My father is a mafia kingpin from summer strand, and he will be looking for me, do you want to get on his <b>wrong </b>side?¡± <b>they </bughed, probably thinking it was a joke. Well, to be fair, I didn¡¯t know if Luke was going toe looking for me and I was trying my luck.


    ¡°You think a kingpin from summer strand would let his daughter roam around the city without security, and the mafia kids from summer strand don¡¯t live the town because of all the danger they would be in? Do you think we are stupid?¡± how the hell was I supposed to know that, I wasn¡¯t raised by them!


    ¡°Well, I am here and with no security. If you think I am making a <b>fool </b>of you then fine. Wait and see for yourselves


    +35 BONUS


    what happens when hees for me.¡± I bluffed. Oh, please Luke, Come for me. I prayed In my head. I was fucked and I knew it.


    The guy next to me looked at me for a while as if he was thinking about what I was saying but then in the next second the one driving spoke, killing all the hope I had. ¡°I am not stupid enough to cross that woman for a story. I know her and what she is capable of. I don¡¯t want to die, you are going to herdy and what she does with you, is up to her, after delivering you to her, I will be paid and disappear.


    He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to see the both of you ever again after this. That bitch is crazy.¡± The one next to me frowned. ¡°Call her as soon as we get there so she cane with our money.¡± Then my hope died. They were more scared of the woman than a mafia kingplu.


    Call me crazy but that got me curious to know who the bitch was. If I get out of this alive, then I am going to learn how to fight and defend myself. a lot has been happening my life for me to keep waiting on others to save me when things like these happen.


    Even Elodie knew how to fight and hold her own. Granted, she was a mafia princess but with how my life was going, I needed to fight like her as well. This <b>shit </b>has to end We drove out of town a little and stopped in front of a rusty abandoned warehouse.


    My body was not even going to be found on a ditch, it was never going to be found period. It was going to be mauled by wild animals and all I would get is an empty grave


    ¡®Call her.¡± the one next to me said as soon as we stopped. Even if I wanted to run there, I was not going to get far. ¡°She is not picking up.¡± The driver said. ¡°Keep trying<b>!</b>¡±

 Novel Payback 109

    NICK


    After watching Olivia leave, I turned my head to the room and Marcus was <b>already </b>looking at me with a smirk on his face. I <b>wanted </b>to wipe it off with a punch. The bastard, be thought he had won. But he has not. <b>Olivia </b>was still mine in every way that counted. He was just a distraction I was going to get rid of.


    I walked into his ward. ¡°Good to see you are feeling better Marcus, though I would be careful if I were you. somethings might just get you sleeping <b>forever</b>. But not on tfortable bed but on the <b>b </b>in the mortuary downstairs.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Nick, you are funny, howe I didn¡¯t know you were such <b>a </b>funny guy?¡± he was pissing me off, he thought he could mess with what was mine and I would let it go. ¡°Lam <b>only </b>going to warn <b>you </b>once, leave my wife alone.¡± He turned serious in seconds. Good, now we were getting somewhere.


    ¡°Or what? And she is not your wife, stop calling her that, she is your ex; you would do well to remember that.¡± I smirked and walked closer to his bed. ¡°You don¡¯t want to take me on Walker, Olivia is mine, I might have done some shit to her but that is between us.¡±


    His eyes turned ice cold, and a smirk appeared on my lips. ¡°<b>Nick</b><b>, </b>do your worst but you are not <b>going </b>to scare me. yes, at some point she was yours but not now. Now she is mine and soon she will be taking my name, <b>you </b>mean nothing to her now and the sooner you ept that, the better it will be for everyone.


    Better for everyone, he must be <b>sick </b>in the head if he thought I was going to let her go. Marcus was not going to get Olivia. She <b>was </b>mine and he needed to understand that, and I was willing to make him if he didn¡¯t get the message on his own.


    I might have let things slide with Luke because she was her father, but I was willing to go to war with Marcus for her. she <b>was </b>my world, and I would be damned if I let the likes of him take her away from me. ¡°I think it would be better for you to let her go. I won¡¯t warn you again Marcus. Olivia is mine, I am her first true love, and she wille back to me. it¡¯s your <b>choice </b>if you want to be there to see that happen or be dead.¡±


    ayou


    I shrugged. ¡°Either way works for me.¡± I turned to leave but he said something that got me shaking in anger. know Nick, I had a dog once and it used to bark just like you it annoyed the hell out of me because that was all it knew how to do. Bark. You know what I did to that dog?¡± he tilted his head to the side looking at me as if he didn¡¯t see me as a threat at all.


    His mistake. ¡°I will tell you any way. I put that dog down. Do you want to be like that dog, Nick?¡± I smirked. Game <b>on </b><b>then</b><b>. </b>¡°Have a <b>good </b>day Marcus and I hope you get out of here fully recovered.¡± I said then walked out.


    I took my phone out of my pocket and made a call. ¡°Sir?¡±


    ¡°We are going after Walker, get everyone together, here and abroad. I want us to hit him from all side and I want to see results by the end of the day.¡± I then cut the call. It was time I used my money to solve my problems. Marcus might have the money, but he didn¡¯t have old money like I did.


    I was willing to spend every dor making sure that I take and destroy everything he owned. For disrespecting me and fucking my wife! I left the hospital and went home. It had been a while <b>since </b>I went back to my house. Everything there <b>didn¡¯t </b>feel right anymore.


    The house had traces of <b>Sandra </b>in it, and I was sure Olivia would <b>not </b>want to live in it again. I would have to buy another house for her, one that would mark new beginnings for us. I took a well¨Cdeserved shower and ate good food before going to <by </b>down.


    Am not sure how long I slept for, but I was woken up by my mother. ¡°Mom, what are you doing <b>here</b>?¡± she was sitting on my bed with a huge simile on her face. I frowned wondering what the hell she was smiling about.


    172


    ¡°You are finally doing it.¡± I looked at her confused. What the hell was the woman on about? ¡°You are finally fighting back, what I see on the news has Nick Jones written all over it. I was wondering when my son will finally


    Good to know he still exists.¡± She got up and I did too.


    show


    dn


    Clearly something was happening if the news were reporting; it. ¡°What are they saying?¡± mom pped her hands in excitement. ¡°Well, Walker enterprises is being investigated by the federal government also, the IRS is investigating. <b>Apparently</b>, they have been invading tax for years. Someone leaked evidence to that extent.¡±


    She chuckled walking away. Now my people are working, now it¡¯s time to sit back, rx and wait for Walker¡¯s move. My phone vibrated and I checked. Speak of the devil. Walker.¡± I answered walking to the kitchen. ¡°Is that your move, Jones? I thought you would y fair but game dh.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°There is a saying Walker, I don¡¯t know if you English people know it but it goes something like this, all is fair in love and war.¡± Heughed. ¡°Interesting, I thought you just couldn¡¯t take that you lost the girl, and I got her. But you can <b>call </b>it whatever <b>you </b>like, remember one thing though, Olivia is the one who chooses in the end.¡±


    He chuckled dryly. ¡°The question is, Jones. When all this is done, when we have yed our game and let¡¯s say you win. Who do you think Olivia will still choose? Think about it.¡± He cut the call.

 Novel Payback 110

    OLIVIA


    <b>-25 </b>BONUS


    Minutes turned to hours with those two unable to get hold of their boss. They were getting impatient and frustrated, and it scared me. I did not <b>want </b>them to take out their frustrations on me and I didn¡¯t want my <b>son </b>to grow up without me. I had already lost so much time with im I didn¡¯t want to lose more.


    ¡°What the fuck are we going to do now? We have been here for hours and still can¡¯t get hold of her.¡± The driver said to his partner, I sat there calmly watching them. there was no need to agitate <b>them</b>, they were already <b>going </b>crazy because their boss was not picking up. ¡°I don¡¯t know <b>an</b>; we can lock her in here ande back tomorrow.¡±


    Oh no! that was not good. I couldn¡¯t be there for that long, had already been gone for the whole day, Samuel <b>and </b>Lupita were going to expect me toe home soon. They had <b>not </b>heard from me since morning. It would worry them if I don¡¯t show, and they can¡¯t get through to my phone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it; she was so desperate to <b>have </b>her and now she is not answering. Do you think something happened to her?¡± the one who pointed a gun at me asked. The driver stood then nce my way. ¡°Then we kill her and be done with this.¡± That was when I stood, I was not ready to die, not yet.


    I still wanted to see my son grow, see what kind of man he will be, what kind of wife he will one day marry and what profession he would choose. I want to hold my grand children one day, dying now <b>was </b><b>not </b>an option. ¡°Since your boss is a no show, <b>how </b>about we go back to my original deal?¡± they shared a look.


    Now they were thinking about it. The crazy woman they spoke of was nowhere to be found and they were stuck with me. they could either make a deal with me or kill me. those were the two options I had. ¡°Which one are you talking about, your mafia father or you paying us double what that crazy woman was going to pay us?¡±


    Why would I be talking about my mafia father when they had taken me hours ago and he didn¡¯t show? ¡°The one where I pay you and you let me go.¡± They shared a look. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say we agree, how are we going to get the money? Because we want it today before we let you go.¡± That <b>was </b><b>easy</b>, all I needed to do was to make a call.


    I didn¡¯t have billions, but I had enough to pay those two. ¡°Theed to make a call for my people to send you the money.¡± They shared a look, the driver took out his phone and handed it to me. ¡°<b>Dial </b>and put it on speaker, we don¡¯t want you calling the police.¡± I started to dial but we saw two carsing our way.


    The driver quickly grabbed the phone out of my hands and shoved it back into his pocket. There goes my hope! The two cars were luxurious which told me <b>that </b>their boss was well off. I was curious to know who it was before but now that she wasing, <b>not </b>so much.


    I was scared to death of what she was going to do to me. the cars came to a stop and the door opened from the one on the back. Four men got out and went to the one in front. They opened the door to the back, and I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes when I saw him.


    ¡°Well, I guess you are learning. I was wondering how long it was going to take you to turn these morons to your side.¡± He said and I frowned. ¡°How did you know I was here and how did you find out about this conversation?¡± it was weird and very disturbing.


    How could he possibly know what I had been talking about with those men? ¡°You are my daughter, Olivia. Did <b>you </b>really think, I would just leave you out there alone to fend for yourself? I made that mistake before<b>, </b>not again.¡±


    The two men looked pale. ¡°Do <b>you </b><b>know </b>me?¡± Luke asked them and they couldn¡¯t even speak. They were <b>shaking </b>so hard as if they were looking at the devil himself. ¡°Well, you reaction says you do. But I am wondering, why didn¡¯t you believe her when she told you that I woulde for her?¡± okay! That¡¯s it!


    ¡°How the hell did you know all that? you just got here; how could you know what we spoke about?¡± he shook his


    <b>head </b>like he could not belleve I asked him that. ¡°I put a tracker on you, and <b>a </b>microphone. They are very small and can¡¯t be detected. The tracker tells me where you are, and the microphone let¡¯s me listen when things like these happen.¡±


    I shuddered, Jesus Christ! Luke was sick, did that mean he heard everything that happened between Marcus and I? shit! And when the hell did he do all this and where the fuck did he put those things? ¡°Don¡¯t look like that, I don¡¯t listen to your private moments. I turn it off when you are in the hospital in Marcus¡¯s room.¡± oh, thank God!


    But fuck! When the hell did he do it. ¡°It was when <b>you </b>got into an ident the first time. Well, when I arranged for your ident.¡± Bloody hell! I fufned in anger<b>, </b>I almost died in that damn ident, and he arranged it?


    ¡°Okay, I can see how angry you are right now<b>, </b><b>and </b>I get it. But we will not talk about our family issues in front of strangers.¡± Before I could say anything, Luke looked at his men and ordered ¡°Drop them off at the police station. You are going to confess to what you did but if <b>you </b>decide to be clever and not do it. I wille after you and i will put you both in the ground¡± His men hurried to take the guys and took the <b>one </b>car driving away.


    Then he turned to look at me as if nothing happened.


    I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>if it was shock or what, but I just stood there numb and looking into space. I didnt know he would do that, Hell! i thought he would kill them, he was a mafia boss after all and killing was part of his everyday life. Why did he let them go? i wondered, not that i wanted him to kill them but i wanted to know why he didnt.


    ¡°Jesus, you need to learn how to take care of yourself. Are you now shocked that i got them arrested or that I didnt kill them? i <b>am </b>not the monster you think i am Olivia, what i do is not who i am. Also, you shouldn¡¯t be bothered. about what happens to those two. Damnit Olivia, where is your self¨Cpreservation? feeling sorry for them?¡±


    Self¨C<b>preservation</b>? I didn¡¯t know if that word triggered me, but I found myself pping him so hard in <b>the </b>face.

 Novel Payback 111

    OLIVIA


    Shock covered his face, eyes wide and his men took steps closer to their boss pointing their guns at me. what the hell did they think I was going to do? I couldn¡¯t even fight and yet they pulled their guns on me. He turned to them and red. They lowered their guns putting them away before stepping back.


    He looked <b>back </b><b>at </b>me then suddenly burst outughing. I was confused as to what he wasughing at. He was crazy. ¡°That, I can work with. But you still have more to learn, ps don¡¯t usually work when you are dealing with bad guys. You need to learn how to shoot and how to fight properly.¡± I looked at him.


    I know I said I wanted to learn but I never said I wanted to learn how to <b>shoot </b>or to learn from him. what the hell gave him the idea that I would ask him for anything I Just Walked past him and got into the car he came out from. I was tired and hungry, I just wanted to go back to the hotel, see my son, have a shower and a goodnight sleep.


    Few minutester he can into the car and sat next to me. the driver started the car and drove off. He kept looking at me but not saying anything. I was d because I <b>had </b>nothing to say to him. ¡°I was d you thought <b>of </b>


    1


    your e of need. It soothed my heart to know that you know that I will always be there to save you.¡±


    me <i>in </i>


    I threw a re his way, <b>what </b>the hell did he think? That I <b>was </b>as twisted as he was? ¡°I only said that to scare the men, but it didn¡¯t work. Your name or reputation doesn¡¯t carry as much weight as you think it does. Those men were more <b>scared </b>of their boss than you.¡± he chuckled dryly ¡°That is not <b>what </b>I saw when I got there.¡±


    He shrugged, God! He was so fool of himself. ¡°Do you want some dinner? <b>We </b>could go and get something before taking you back to the hotel.¡± I just looked out the window and said nothing. ¡°Okay, maybe another time when you have not spent a day with criminals.¡± That got my blood boiling.


    He let me spend a day with criminals! ¡°Why did you note sooner? You knew where I <b>was </b>the whole time, why didn¡¯t


    youe?¡± he shrugged. ¡°I wanted their boss, there was no point ining sooner and not knowing who hired them. I wanted their <b>boss </b><b>so </b>I could kill them all. But she didn¡¯t show. She must have realised who you are and who your father is and decided to abort the mission.¡±


    Oh, he was so fool of himself! But I did wonder who their boss could be, they were scared of her and said she was crazy. I thought of Sandra many times but if it were her, she would have <b>shown</b>. Sandra wouldn¡¯t have passed the opportunity to see me suffer. So, it couldn¡¯t have been her, Nick¡¯s mother was another suspect.


    But then why didn¡¯t she show? ¡°Could be your sister, she might have changed her mind after thinking about it <b>more </b>and what you might do to her or Nick if something were to happen to me.¡± he smiled. ¡°Now you are starting to get it, bad things would have happened to her and her son if something had happened to you.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if the tracker Luke put on me was a good idea. But I liked the fact that someone would <b>know </b>should something happen to me in the future. It kind of put my mind at ease. Strange, I know but a lot has happened to <b>me </b>and none of it <b>good</b>.


    It would be nice to have someone there when something <b>happens </b>again. ¡°Tell me about my mother.¡± His face suddenly turned serious, I only remember her deep blue eyes and smile. I <b>can¡¯t </b>really remember anything else about her, her face for instance, I don¡¯t remember much about what she looked like.


    But I remember her deep blue eyes, now that I was older, I could tell that even though she smiled at me, she was a sad woman. Her <b>eyes </b>were distant and cold. There was no warmth in them even though she smiled a lot. Maybe that smile I remember was covering for all the heartache and pain she was going through.


    My poor mother, she must have loved this monster at some point and losing him might have been painful for her. ¡°Your mother was the love of my life. I was willing to change for her, be a better man, <b>look </b>for a job like a normal person and take care of her, she was my everything.¡±


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    He sighed, I still said nothing. I wondered if grandma knew that Luke was my father and not the one who died. ¡± But the Don wouldn¡¯t let me go, when I told him I wanted out and wanted to lead a normal life. He asked me who was going to take over from him when the time came. The selfish bastard said I knew he didn¡¯t have another son but me.


    He shook his head. ¡°He said he would rather kill her than have the lead a normal life and leave him. I thought he was joking until your mother called me to tell me that somtone was at the house, and they asked her to call me. I went to the Don and asked him to spare her and that I was going to stay. From that day on, I never got close to your mother, I feared for her life <b>and </b>yours.¡±


    He looked out the window. ¡°I sacrificed my happiness, for her to live. She waited for two years for me, hoping I would go back. It hurt me to see her sad like that. But <b>then </b>the man you knew as your father came along and she looked better. I hated that another man was making her happy.¡±


    The way he said it made my heart race. ¡°What did you do?¡± didn¡¯t know if I wanted the answer to that question, but I had already asked. ¡°I sent my people to kill that man, the n was to kill him then take you and your mother and run.¡± My hands shook ¡°She was <b>not </b>supposed to be in the car¡­¡±


    A lone tear escaped my eye. He killed her.

 Novel Payback 112

    OLIVIA


    ¡°I didn¡¯t <b>mean </b>to hurt your mother; you have got to believe that, we spent weeks scouting and learning that man¡¯s routine. Your mother was never with him, he was always alone. We thought he <b>was </b>alone that day as well<b>, </b>but your mother was with him.¡± he tried to exin but my head was buzzing <b>and </b>the pain I felt in <b>my </b>heart was unimaginable.


    He imed to love her and yet, he killed her. ¡°Why did you want to kill the poor man in the first ce? He did nothing to you!¡± I yelled in anger. ¡°He was not as inocent as you think, he did nothing to me, but he was abusing your mother. The bastard hit <b>her</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>I was <b>not </b>golug to sit back and let it happen. The n was to get rid of him. and take you both into hiding <b>so </b>the Don won¡¯t find you.


    I chuckled. ¡°How did that work out for you, huh?¡± he <b>averted </b>his gaze from me and looked back out the window. It didn¡¯t work out as you know, the love of my life died because of me.¡± that was all he could think about. What about me? I suffered after mother died; I became a burden to my grandmother.


    ¡°Did grandma know about you?¡± he nodded, <b>oh</b>, dear Lord. Why didn¡¯t she tell me? ¡°She said she would tell you when the time was right. But she didn¡¯t want meing around or being in your life after your mother died. She med <b>me </b>for it even though she didn¡¯t know I was actually involved. She <b>med </b>me because I left and hurt her.¡±


    I wished I had more time with grandma. I wished I could ask her why she didn¡¯t tell me about the monster sitting next to me. ¡°Why are you telling me this now? You could have let <b>me </b>live in ignorance. Why did you have to tell me, what do you hope to gain by telling me?¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Because Elodie <b>knows</b><b>, </b>and I didn¡¯t want her to be the one to tell you. I wanted to tell you the truth myself. <b>I </b>didn¡¯t mean to kill Sara and¡­¡±


    ¡°But you did, because of you I grew up without a mother!¡± I yelled, he killed my mother, I would have loved to know her, feel her love even if she <b>was </b>cold and distant. Her being around would have made <b>a </b>huge difference in my life. But he stole that from me. he robbed me of her. I couldn¡¯t stop my tears.


    ¡°I am sorry, Olivia. You don¡¯t know the hell I have been living in since that incident. Knowing that I had a hand in her death killed me and of course, it made the Don happy. He thought I killed her on purpose¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a fuck about the Don or the hell you were in! my son, will never get to meet her, you robbed him of that, and you robbed me of her love and everything I would have gotten from her. I want nothing to do with you. stay away from me and my son.¡± I wished I could get out of the car and walk.


    But we were still far from town, those guys took me out of town, and I hated them for it. I didn¡¯t want to be next to that man anymore. I wanted <b>nothing </b>to do with him. ¡°I will stay away if that is what you want. But I want you to know that there is not a day that passes without me thinking about what I did. It will forever haunt me<b>, </b>and I am sorry.¡±


    As if sorry was going to bring back my mother, yes, he was trying to help her, but he shouldn¡¯t have tried <b>to </b>kill my father. He should have just sent people to scare him into stopping what he was doing to my mother. But because he was a criminal who always used violence to solve his problems. He thought killing him was the best solution. Look where that got him, where It got me. I cried harder, he tried to touch me<b>, </b>and I recoiled.


    I didn¡¯t want the likes of himforting me, he looked hurt by my actions, but I didn¡¯t care. He was nothing to me and I didn¡¯t know him to begin with. ¡°We are here.¡± The driver said and I couldn¡¯t be happier. I got out of the car and rushed into the hotel.


    <b>I </b>took the elevator up to my floor. I was a mess, and I hoped my son wouldn¡¯t be awake to see me like that, when <b>I </b>got there, I knocked as I had lost my bag with my key and everything I just got when those guys took me grandma Susan opened the door and when she saw me. she opened her arms, and I fell into them and cried.


    She didn¡¯t ask questions she just let me cry on her shoulder wetting her blouse. When I <b>had </b>enough, I pulled out. She wiped my tears and spoke. ¡°Go clean up, I will ask them to bring up some soup for you.¡± Grandma Susan and her soup. But I appreciated having her around. I went into the bathroom to clean up before going to see Samuel.


    I took a shower and when I <b>was </b>done, I wiped the mist off the mirror and looked at myself. trying to find traces of my mother, to see if I looked like her, if I had her eyes. But didn¡¯t. I had Luke¡¯s eyes now that I knew <b>him</b>. I had his chin too. Maybe everything else was my mothers, I wished I could remember her.


    The bathroom door opened, andLupita walked in. ¡°Granda sald you are not well, and I came to check on you.¡± I just cried, I thought I was done crying but clearly, I was wrong. Lupita <b>took </b>me into her arms. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, Olivia. Whatever it is, we are going to get through it, ogether.¡± That warmed my heart.


    I was not alone, in whatever happened in my life, I was never alone.

 Novel Payback 113

    112


    Chapter <b>0113 </b>


    MARCUS


    As soon as I was told about what Jones was doing. I asked my people to make sure my money was safe, I didn¡¯t care about the businesses he was targeting, they only represented a fraction of what I owned. The man didn¡¯t know who I was, he thought he was dealing with an ordinary <b>man</b>, but I was far from it.


    I was raised by my mother until was sixteen when big men in luxurious cars showed up one day. I didn¡¯t know who they were or why they were there. Their auras scared me, I was after all just a poor boy living with his mother, such cars I only saw on tv at a friend¡¯s house as we didn¡¯t have any at home.


    There was just something about them I couldn¡¯t put my finger on. Something familiar especially about the one who seemed like he was the boss and yet, I had never met the man. My mother called me that day and told me that the man who came was my uncle.


    I thought mom didn¡¯t have family, but she told me he <b>was </b>not from her side but my father¡¯s side, my blood boiled when I heard that. Hell! all the time we suffered I would dream of being rich and yet I was told my uncle was a rich man? Clearly my father came from a well¨Coff family.


    I didn¡¯t care if he was present or not. Just for him to send us money so we wouldn¡¯t go hungry. By the time my mother exined what happened between them. I was not interested in the bastard, all I wanted to know was why they were there. My so¨Ccalled uncle told us that his brother died and left everything he owned to me.


    They wanted me to go back with them to be sign for everything and be sent to business school in order to manage everything. Those were his conditions, go back with his brother, finish school and take over his business. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to leave my mother, but she told me to go.


    I did and I don¡¯t regret it, today I am worth billions close to the Jones¡¯s if they were to dere all their fortune. Now Nicky boy, wanted to y dirty because he thought he had all the money in the world to take me on. I wasn¡¯t going to y his game; my focus was going to be on Olivia,


    Speaking of which, I have not heard from her since she left here, did she maybe have second thoughts about us after leaving here? I had been calling her but no answer, at first, it rang when I called but now, it wasn¡¯t going through. Which got me every worried.


    I called Ethan to ask about her and I even called Nick. None of them knew where she was. I called my men and asked them to start looking for her. it was unlike her to just disappear like that. not being able to get hold of her drove me crazy. Especially after what happened.


    I needed to know she was okay, I could not afford to lose her, I just got her. I wanted to leave the hospital, but the nurses were watching me like a hawk. They even had security sitting by my door and I knew there was only one person who would do something like that, Olivia. I liked that she was looking out for me..


    But I wanted to know if she was okay too and not getting hold of her on the phone was not helping with my recovery. Where the hell could she be? I thought she might have been asleep at the hotel but when I called there, I was told she never made it there.


    ¡°Where the hell is she?¡± Nick said budging into my room. he looked like he was about to lose his mind. I do believe that he cared about Olivia and might still love her. but his kind of love is twisted. ¡°I was the one who called you to ask about her, why would I do that if I knew where she was? Think Jones, think.¡± Seriously, his reaction was starting to make me worry as well. ¡°You im to love her yet, you don¡¯t even know where she is, you are not right for her.¡±


    ¡°No, wonder she left you, a woman needs to be left alone. To have her own time to do her own things without you breathing down her neck.¡± Nick fumed.


    Chapter 03 <b>190 </b>


    Yeah? At least I always knew <b>where </b>she was, can you say the same?¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± We both turned to the door only to find Luke standing there<b>. </b>A frown on his face and he didn¡¯t look happy at all. Did he know about Olivia? ¡°What Is wrong with you? this is still a hospital, have some respect.¡± Nick and <b>I </b>shared a look, am sure both of us were wondering what he was talking about because the man didn¡¯t respect


    anyone.


    Hospital or not. ¡°What the hell are you arguing about anyway.¡± Nick and I shared a look again. ¡°You are <b>so </b>patheticl Marcus, I thought you would be better than Nick, but you are the same, none of you deserve my daughter. To you, she is just a prize to be won, a trophy to show off to everyone that you have won. You are not men but boys.¡®


    He gave us a disgusted look, which made me feel ashamed. not. Luke was going to be my father¨Cinw because I did


    Mafia or not, It didn¡¯t even matter if they got along or


    want Olivia because Nick wants her back. I wanted


    her because she was mine first before I left, and Nick inserted himself into her life.


    He had her and he yed with her. he was the one who didn¡¯t deserve to be with her. ¡°You are here busy fighting over her, yet none <b>of </b>you questioned her disappearance. She has been gone the whole day and none noticed!¡±


    of you


    ¡°I did, I called and even asked my men to look for her.¡± Luke scoffed. ¡°Did they find her?¡± I shook my head no.


    ¡°I thought as much. I don¡¯t know what my daughter ever saw in you. if it weren¡¯t for her, I would have killed the both of you right here and <b>now</b>. You <b>make </b>me sick!¡±

 Novel Payback 114

    OLIVIA


    ebep Aber daging in men fors with pot up Eating lep i don¡¯t know when


    in Lupita left my room best witin 1 with me be found but amet was next to me watching mente firmed on my lips og alle geget bring his far on my chest.


    My heart warmed, in whomeen happen, 1 stone, and I have ansetitional love from this


    whatever Ipeppers in Httle boy Tam breed red maledige ping him up going ns the front. Beakfast was already there, grandma was steady aring We have strenght I will have noe and get you two.¡±


    1 ce Samuel on his seat and took mig forlice as good¡± As if an que my stomach rumbled. Samuelughed. ¡°Mama te hungry boy 1 cost when I got back, I was to sad to eat or even


    ty


    ¡°Turn on the tv Lapits, I want to watch the staten to them¡± grandma said, her bark was on the ty as we sat on the table. It was a very nice penthouse Rot Fin was right, we couldn¡¯t stay there for long, it was not


    Spealing of Ethan, I wondered where he was, Ist saw him that day when Nick punched him for kissing me was good though, I needed to keep my distance from him of at least talk to him and set boundaries, I was never going to be with him, and I never saw him that way.


    ¡°The investigation into Walker Enterprises is still ongoing more evidence hase to light, but the police are keeping everything under lock and key. But things are not looking good for thepany. We have tried contacting the CEO Marcus Walker but have not been able to get hold of him.¡±


    I stopped eating and looked at the tv. What was going on, what was that? did Marcus know about this? He was my partner, and 1 didn¡¯t want anything happening to his businesses. Well, he was starting to be more than just a partner in business but a partner in life as well.


    I need to call him. Damnit! I lost my phone; he might <b>have </b>tried to call but couldn¡¯t get me. ¡°I need a phone.¡± said standing up, but grandma stopped me. ¡°Finish your food then deal with whatever after. You lost more weight because you are not eating ¡°I sat back down and finished my food.


    Lupitaughed and I threw a re at her she only shrugged. ¡°I got you a phone already, its on your bedside table Am sure you didn¡¯t see it,¡± I smiled at her; this is what it was like to have people on your side. They care for you and do things for you without asking.


    Having them in my life <b>has </b>been amazing. But the thing with Marcus got me worried. What could have happened of was it still my father who was after us? Was he the one after us to begin with? That part was still <b>not </b>clear, but I was not going to ask Luke. I didn¡¯t want that man near me.


    <b>When </b>we were done, I went <b>and </b>took a shower before connecting the phone <b>and </b>calling Marcus. ¡°Who is this?¡± that was how he answered the call. Understandable¨Cbecause he didn¡¯t know it was me on the other side. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Damnit, <b>Olivia</b>! Where have you been? I have been looking for you, I sent people out but have not found you. what happened to your <b>phone</b>, what is going <b>on</b>?¡± I could hear the anxiety in his voice, he must have been <b>really </b>worried. ¡°I will tell you everything when I get there, how are you feeling today?¡±


    He sighed on the other end of the line. ¡°I will be fine when I see you hurry up and get here.¡± I was about to cut the call with a smile <b>on </b>my face when he said. ¡°<b>And </b><b>Olivia</b>, don¡¯t keep <b>me </b>waiting, I want what¡¯s mine.¡± He then cut the call leaving me confused.


    He wanted what <b>was </b>his, what was that? I thought about it but I couldn¡¯te up with anything I got done then went to meet with the real estate agent <b>and </b>we finalise the sale. She told me that she will be bringing the key in


    ?


    the afternoon as he wanted people to clean up the ce a little.


    She was offering me full service and I liked it. Saved me a lot of time and money. I then headed to the hospital and bumped into Ethan there waiting for the elevator. When he saw me<b>, </b>pain shed in his eyes then he walked away taking the stairs without saying a word to me.


    I stood there confused as to what I did to the man. I took the elevator up to the third floor. When I got to Marcus¡¯s ward, he sighed when he saw me. ¡°Come here.¡± I sheepishly walked to him and stood next to his bed. ¡°Give me some love woman.¡± My faced turned red.


    My heart started beating fast as if it were going to jump right out of the confines of my chest. When I didn¡¯t move, he pulled me closer to him then captured my lips with his moaned enjoying the kiss. I felt my core getting wet and I pulled out. I didn¡¯t want a repeat of what happened before.


    Marcus chuckled. ¡°Stop it.¡± Heughed. ¡°Come, sit here and tell me what happened to you.¡± I pulled a chair and told <b>him </b>everything that happened. ¡°No wonder he was angry at Nick and I yesterday. He thinks we don¡¯t deserve


    ¡°I frowned, <b>what </b>the hell did the man know about what I deserved?


    you.


    I deserved a father and where was he? Talk about the kettle calling the pot ck. ¡°I saw what is happening with yourpanies on the news, anything I can do to help?¡± I would help where I could. Everyone now knows that he and I were business partners and if something happened to his businesses it might affect our business as well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Nick is the one doing all that. He is trying to push me to stay away from you but that is never going to happen.¡± What the fuck! ¡°What the hell is Nick thinking? He knows that if your business is affected then ours will too!¡± I fumed; this man is driving me insane.


    ¡°I said forget Nick, marry me, Olivia.¡±

 Novel Payback 115

    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t know if I heard right or If I was hearing things, but just stood there waiting for him to repeat himself. Talk to me.¡± he said, and I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. ¡°Am not sure what am supposed to say ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s <b>a </b>simple answer that I am looking for, a yes or a <b>no</b>.<b>¡°</b>oh, Lord, he did ask me to marry him. oh God. I never thought I would get married again and I was fine with that, also, Marcus and I just started dating ¡°You don¡¯t <b>know </b>me that well to be asking me to marry you and besides, we have a lot of work to do. Nick is attacking you <b>that </b>means his attacking me too. Let¡¯s focus on that.¡±


    and


    He said nothing and just looked at me. I didn¡¯t know what se to say, so, I took a seat and looked out the window. ¡°Look at me, Olivia.¡± I turned to look at him. ¡°Do I look like <b>I </b>am worried about what Nick is doing?¡± he didn¡¯t look worried at all. It <b>was </b>like those businesses meant nothing to him.


    ¡°No and why is <b>that</b>, why are you not worried about what is happening? Your assets are frozen.¡± He chuckled.¡± Yes, those that they know of are frozen. The only reason I was worried before <b>was </b>when people were stealing from me, I wanted to know who has the audacity to try something like that with me, not about the money they were taking. Also, I thought they might want to sabotage your business, and I couldn¡¯t let that happen.¡±


    Hust looked at him with nothing to say. ¡°Look Olivia, I have known you for years and yes, I left the city and went abroad. I have grown from the poor boy you once knew, even then I knew what I wanted and that was you. I still want you, Olivia, by myside and not as my girlfriend or fling or whatever. I want you as my wife.¡±


    I knew the boy <b>not </b>the man. I still needed to learn about the man, get to know him. ¡°<b>Look</b>, we can have a long engagement if that is what you want but I want you wearing my ring <b>as </b>a sign that you are mine and I am yours. Marry me, Olivia Williams. Forget Nick and what he is doing, he will get tired when I don¡¯t y his game and to be honest. I don¡¯t <b>have </b>time to y with a grown man, but I will y with you.¡± he winked at me making me blush.


    What the hell, it¡¯s been three years <b>since </b>Nick and I were ever anything. Our marriage ended <b>when </b>he sent me to jail. Two yearster we got a divorce, now I was a free <b>woman </b>who could do whatever <b>she </b><b>wanted</b>. ¡°A long engagement it¡­¡±


    ¡°<b>No</b>!¡± we both turned to the door and Nick <b>was </b>standing there looking angry. We were busy looking into each other¡¯s eyes that we didn¡¯t notice when he got there. ¡°No, what?¡± he threw a re Marcus¡¯s way then looked at me and walked in and stood in front of me.


    ¡°Olivia don¡¯t do it. Please don¡¯t marry this man.¡± He looked like he <b>was </b>about to cry, I wished I had this Nick back then but instead I had the cruel and heartless one. The one who served me with divorce papers without saying a word, like he just wanted to get it over and <b>done </b>with. That same man was standing in front of me now asking me not to marry someone else.


    ¡°Olivia, please. We can still fix things. I <b>know </b>I did you wrong and I caused you so much pain. But I can make it up to you, anything you want for us to fix things, I will make it happen. You name it and it will be so. Please, my <b>heart</b>. Don¡¯t do it, don¡¯t leave me. give <b>me </b>time to exin things to you and maybe you will <b>understand</b>.¡±


    My heart, it has been a long time since I heard him call me his heart. I used to like it when he called me that, my heart would flutter, and butterflies would swarm in my stomach. But <b>now</b>, nothing happened. Hearing It didn¡¯t make me feel that way, maybe I was over the man. ¡°Nick, we <b>have </b><b>nothing </b>to talk about, we are divorced and¡­¡±


    ¡°Just give me time to exin things to you <b>and</b>¡­¡±


    ¡°Nick, there is nothing to exin, I know everything that happened. It happened to me, remember?¡± he was starting to piss me off, what was there to exin when I was the one who went through everything. ¡°I know you let Sandra fool you <b>and </b>you sent me to jail without hearing my side of things. You locked me up there and didn¡¯t


    even allow me visitors. My grandmother died and I never go to say my goodbyes.¡±


    I sighed as I wiped a lone tear that escaped my eye. ¡°As if that was not enough, I had my son there and I lost¡­¡± I stopped myself before I could say more. ¡°Nick, please leave You are upsetting her and making her cry, I don¡¯t like that, please leave.¡± Marcus tried to kick him out. ¡°I am not leaving; this is my wife and¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not your wife anymore, we are divorced. Now leave!¡± the audacity of the man. He looked at me for a while then turned and left. I wiped my tears then turned to Marci ¡°I have something to tell you, if you want to marry me then you should know the truth about what happened to me back then. When I was in prison.¡±


    I


    He should know what he wanted to get himself into. I was no longer the Olivia he once knew. I was now a grown damaged woman. ¡°There is nothing you can say that would change my mind about you, Olivia. And besides, know all there is to know about your stay in that prison. That is why I moved back here permanently when I found


    out.¡±


    I looked at him shocked, I thought only Nick¡¯s parents knew about that. ¡°Olivia don¡¯t over think it, I want you as you are, I don¡¯t care about anything else. Now, are you going <b>to </b>marry me or not?¡±

 Novel Payback 116

    NICK


    My feet felt heavy as I walked out of the room, I felt empty inside as I was leaving my heart behind. She did not <b>want </b>me anymore and she was ready to marry someone else. Why couldn¡¯t she see me, why couldn¡¯t she see that I was there, trying to make things right between us. Why won¡¯t she give me a few minutes of her time to exin what I had been doing?


    It hurt me to see her cry like that, for the first time <b>since </b>she got out, I saw how hurt she was by my actions. I wished I could tell her how much I regretted everything, how sorry I was and to tell her that I had fixed grandma¡¯s grave. That <b>1 </b><b>had </b>sent Sandra up stairs and had her locked up in there. That she was never going to hurt her or us again.


    To tell her that everything was going to be okay, that I didn¡¯t care if Samuel <b>was </b>not my son or that she slept with Marcus, I didn¡¯t care about any of <b>that</b>. I just <b>wanted </b>her back. I needed her back. Tension gathered on my shoulders, and I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe. I went to the staircase and opened the door taking a seat there.


    I took out my phone and sent a message to Ethan toe and get me. I pocketed my phone then sat there with my head between my legs. I was drained but most importantly, was hurting. I thought I had time to fix everything. time to show her that I <b>was </b>no longer the man who didn¡¯t believe her.


    That I was <b>a </b>changed man, one that was willing to fight for her, fight for her <b>love </b>and affection. But Marcus had other ns, while I attacked hispanies, he was shopping for an engagement ring. I should have seen iting but I didn¡¯t. I heard the door behind me <b>open </b>then closed. I knew it could only be Ethan.


    ¡°I <b>saw </b>Olivia when I wasing up.¡± I didn¡¯t move, he only saw her while I heard her about to agre another man. ¡°<b>Man</b>, what is wrong with you? you are in a hospital, when you are feeling pain, you should be asking the doctors to help <b>not </b>me and besides. You said you wanted nothing to do with me.¡±


    And yet, he came when I asked for his help. ¡°Why did you call me?¡± he asked sitting next to me, I lifted my head. Worry covered his face when he saw me. ¡°Man, are you crying, what is wrong Nick?¡± I shook my head not knowing how to answer that question.


    I was at fault; I was the reason my wife wanted nothing to do with me. I shouldn¡¯t be crying now that she wanted to move on with her life. But God damnit! We belonged together. ¡°She agreed to marry <b>him</b><b>.</b>¡± Ethan gave me a confused look. ¡°Marcus asked her to marry him, and she agreed.¡± Pain shed through his eyes.


    Oh, yes. My friend, we both lost her. but she was never yours to begin with. He cleared his throat and schooling his face to look like he was not bothered. ¡°That was fast, didn¡¯t they just started seeing each other, what is the rush?¡± what was the rush indeed, Marcus was up to something, and I needed to know what.


    ¦°


    I could not let him marry my wife, Olivia was mine and I <b>would </b>be damned if I let him take her away from me. Nick, what are you thinking? I know that look man and I know when your wheels are turning. What is the n?¡± so eager to help as if he was going to have a chance with my wife. What a moron.


    ¡°The n is to make sure that my wife doesn¡¯t marry someone she doesn¡¯t <b>know</b>. The n is to get her back so that she and I can be family again. The n is to <b>grow </b>old with her and look back at this andugh. Tell our children about it and how we overcame it all and stayed together. That is my n. What is yours?¡±


    He frowned as if I had insulted <b>him</b>. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look Ethan, I know you want my wife and I know you only <b>want </b>to help me to eliminate thepetition because you think that if Marcus is out of the way then there is no stopping you from trying your <b>luck </b><b>with </b>her again and that is because you <b>don¡¯t </b>think I can get her back, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He sighed then shrugged. ¡°You know me too well. If you want honesty then here goes, you never appreciated her when she was yours, she always showed you that she loved <b>you </b>and what did you do, huh? <b>Spat </b>in her face and sent her to jail. You don¡¯t deserve her <b>man</b>.¡±


    I chuckled dryly, all this time, my friend thought I didn¡¯t deserve my wife and that he was the one who was right for her, the friends we keep! ¡°Are you still my friend Ethan or my rival?¡± he sighed. ¡°I am your friend and yes, I want your wife. I am not ashamed to admit that I have feelings for her, but I also know that she doesn¡¯t want me, she never did.¡±


    Heughed mockingly. ¡°It is true what they say my friend, at we can¡¯t get those we want because they are either taken or they don¡¯t want us. And those who want us, we don¡¯t want them. It¡¯s twisted, I know but you can rest assured that I will not be going after your wife again. It¡¯s clear I never had a chance with her.¡±


    That was good to hear. ¡°Help me get her back man, help me stop her from marrying that man.¡± He sighed. ¡°How are you nning on doing that?¡± that was for me to know and for him to shut up and help when I asked him to. ¡± Nick?¡± he raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Man, it was you who sent the IRS and the FEDs to hispanies¡± I said nothing, and he stood. ¡°You have made a mistake man; you should have asked me before going after him like that.¡± I frowned. Marcus was not a big yer. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about It, Marcus will get what¡¯sing to hlin.¡± he shook his head.


    ¡°No Nick, you are going to get what¡¯sing to you if you don¡¯t stop this now and make sure this investigation disappears.¡±

 Novel Payback 117

    NICK


    Ethan liked exaggerating things, what could a small¨Ctime businessman do to me? 1 am Nick Jones, and I have more wealth than he did. Why would I fear him? Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets and gave me a look like I was the biggest moron who ever lived. ¡°What?¡± he chuckled dryly. Opened his mouth to say something but closed it again<b>. </b>


    I knew what was happening when he was like that. he was trying to tell me whatever it was in the most respectable way possible to avoid swearing the shit out of me. <b>¡°</b>You know how mypany is mostly into information gathering?¡± I nodded like a five¨Cyear¨Cold.


    ¡°Do you think I would have let anyone near Olivia without doing a little research on them?¡± I shook my head again, maybe I was the biggest moron who ever lived. Why didn¡¯t I think of that, why didn¡¯t I ask him to look into Marcus? I think it was because she knew him from back in high school that I never thought he <b>was </b>a threat.


    What a moron I was, that was how I lost her in the first ce. Not looking into things when it was the obvious thing to do. I bailed my hands into fists cursing myself in my head. Maybe she was right to leave me. ¡°Well, I found out that he left school in the middle of the year back then. I looked into it and found out that he ended up in London.¡®


    furrowed my eyebrows; it was no surprise that he came from London, but I didn¡¯t know he left school in the middle of the year. ¡°So? We all know that he was abroad but what does that have to do with anything?¡± Ethan red at me this time.


    ¡°Tell me something, Nick. When did you be so ignorant and stupid?¡± those words made me angry, I was already losing everything I held dear, and I didn¡¯t need anyone to remind me how stupid I <b>had </b>beentely. ¡°If you have something to say about Marcus then say it. But don¡¯t call me stupid.¡±


    A sigh left him. ¡°Nick, which families are the most powerful in London, count them in order then tell me which on you think he belongs to.¡± My frown deepened. In order, there were three most powerful families in London. The royal family was first on the list. Then the Gopi Hinduja then Sir Leonard vatnik.


    My heart raced when I got to that name. it could not be. No! With the way your facial expression just changed. I think you have just figured out who the hell Marcus Walker is.¡± I <b>ran </b>my hand through my hair and started pacing. Fuck! No wonder the man didn¡¯t care one bit that I went after hispanies; those were nothingpared to the wealth the man had. He was richer than I was by a couple of billions. ¡°Then why the hell is his name Walker?¡± Ethan just looked at me. I am sure my friend was wondering why the hell was my brain <b>not </b>working.


    I was wondering the same if that made him feel better. ¡°Because he kept his mother¡¯s <b>name</b>, probably because he didn¡¯t want to bring attention to himself. Or maybe he wanted morons like you my friend to start shit so he can show you who the hell he is! I don¡¯t know. All I know is that his father died that year, and he left everything to him.¡±


    Why would he do that? what was I saying, he was his fucking son! Damnit Nick. ¡°How do I fix things Ethan?¡± he furrowed his eyebrows and stared at me. ¡°Why would you ask me that when you didn¡¯t ask me anything when you started this whole shit?¡±


    ¡°I fucked up, I know. But how do I fix it?¡± Ethan groaned in annoyance. ¡°Can you reverse the damage you already caused?¡± he knew very well that I couldn¡¯t, it was out of my hands now and was in the hands of authorities. ¡°I could bribe a few people to let it go.¡± Ethanughed throwing his head back.


    ¡°Do you want yourpany to be the one under investigation now after trying to bribe the FBI and IRS and whoever else you are thinking of? Don¡¯t be foolish. Did he seem like he was going to retaliate?¡±


    +26 BONUS


    I threw a re at him; I had be a Joketely and it didn¡¯t feel good. Olivia made me who I was before and after she left me. I didn¡¯t know who I was without her, and spent the past years fumbling around in <b>the </b>dark. ¡°How am I supposed to know <b>that</b>? at first, he sounded like he was going to retaliate but then when I saw him again, he was busy proposing marriage to my fucking wife! didn¡¯t think to ask him anything after that.¡±


    ¦°


    The fucking man was <b>taking </b>everything from me, why in the devil¡¯s hell did he evene back here? <b>Was </b>it specifically for Olivia or was it business? ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think you should go after him now. Let this one y out and stay away from him and Olivia. You actively pursuing Olivia may piss him off and that could backfire on you.¡± ¡°1 am not fucking doing that!¡± leaving my wife was not an option. I wanted Olivia back and I wanted her to know that. I didn¡¯t want her ending up with Marcus when I was waiting for her. ¡°Tell me something Nick, do you have a rtionship with some royal family because he does, and he will bury you if you continue pestering him.¡±


    I swirled and hit the wall hard repeatedly. My anger blinded me as I kept hitting it ignoring the pain I was feeling. Ethan tried to stop me, but I was too far gone. He must <b>have </b>called security because two of them wrestled with me, moving me away from the <b>wall</b>.


    My hand was bloody and raw. Skin opened and I think bones were showing. ¡°What the fuck are you doing, man? Seriously Nick, what the fuck!¡± I could hear Ethan shouting at me on the side. I didn¡¯t care, I was hurting, angry and lost.

 Novel Payback 118

    OLIVIA


    I looked at the man before me and I couldn¡¯t help but feel lucky and blessed. Not many would want a damage woman like me, but he knew everything, and he still wanted <b>me</b>. ¡°Marcus, this means I can¡¯t carry a child and¡­¡±


    ¡°Does it also mean you don¡¯t have eggs?¡± I frowned. ¡°olivia, you have everything we need to have a biological child if that is <b>what </b>we want <b>in </b>the future. We can get a surrogate to carry the baby for us. Also, we <b>can </b>adopt if that is what we want. You have no excuse to refuse to marry me, at least you can¡¯t use that one.¡±


    I looked at <b>him</b><b>, </b>he had <b>everything </b>in the world at his disposal, he had the money, the looks, the charm, everything! He could get any <b>woman </b>he wanted but he was choosing me. I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Olivia, I love you, scratch that. I am in love with you. I always have been since high <b>school</b>.¡±


    He took my hand in his, giving me a tender look. ¡°When I was away, I <b>had </b>people keeping an eye on you. I was still studying myself and had no ess to my money, but my uncle agreed to have people look out for you. Then you got married to Nick unexpectedly. I was hurt Olivia <b>that </b>I didn¡¯t want to know how happy you were with him. I pulled the people back and worked hard.¡±


    He caressed my hand looking at it as if it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. ¡°Then my operations manager came here for business a couple of months after you got arrested and he told me about it. It was in passing but I knew I had toe back. Especially when they said Nick was the one who sent you there.¡±


    He looked up at me. ¡°I am sorry I didn¡¯te back sooner, just wanted to make sure everything was alright on that side beforeing back. I knew my stay here would be longer.¡± Why <b>would </b>he me himself for something he didn¡¯t do? I didn¡¯t even expect him toe back, hell! I didn¡¯t even know where the man was after he left school one day and never <b>came </b>back.


    ¡°Let us not dwell on the past, it¡¯s done.¡± He offered me <b>a </b>small smile. ¡°God! You are beautiful.¡± He suddenly said with a wide smile <b>making </b>me blush. ¡°I am going home today; I don¡¯t care what the doctors say but before I leave. I want to know.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Yes, Marcus, I will marry you¡± he looked at me like he didn¡¯t hear me. ¡°I think I am going to need you to repeat that, what did you say?¡± Iughed. ¡°I said I will marry you.¡± he let go of my hand and turned to search under his pillow then he brought out a small box.


    He opened it and the most beautiful ringid inside. When the hell did, he get time to buy a ring? Well, wealthy people could just call jewellers, and th


    would bring whatever they want to them<b>. </b>maybe that was what he did because there was no way he went out of the hospital to buy it. Or did he have it all along?


    ¡°Can I put this on<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± I gave him my hand and he slid the ring in. it fit perfectly like it was made just for me. I lifted my hand admiring it. it was a work of art, beautiful and sparkling. ¡°Give me some love woman. I worked hard for it.¡± Iughed going in for a kiss.


    He pulled out then looked at me as if he couldn¡¯t believe I agreed. ¡°I love you, in whatever happens. Please don¡¯t forget that.¡± I nodded then he pressed the button next to his bed. A nurse came running. ¡°Get my discharge papers ready, I am leaving.¡±


    The


    poor nurse looked shocked, but I just nodded, and she walked away. There was no point in trying to reason with him, the man had already made up his mind and no doctor was <b>going </b>to stop him from leaving if he wanted


    <b>Jo</b>.


    Soon he was dressed and ready to leave. Just as we walked out of the ward, I saw Ethan and Nick walking towards the elevators. I hoped Nick wouldn¡¯t give me grief about any of this. The man had done enough already.


    Then there <b>was </b>Ethan, I didn¡¯t know what he thought would happen after he stole a kiss from me, did he maybe think that I would suddenly fall head over hills in love with him? he would be stupid if that was what he thought. He was Nick¡¯s best friend, and I never saw him any other way than a friend. When we got to the elevator, they were still standing there, I got the feeling that they were waiting for us. But they didn¡¯t see us. Nick looked cold and distant with a bandage on his hand.


    Ethan looked mad, really mad. ¡°Gentlemen.¡± Marcus greeted then look my hand. Nick followed his action<b>, </b>and his eyes lingered on the ring. Sadness covered his <b>face</b><b>, </b>but he said nothing. He already said what he wanted to say. There was nothing more to say now.


    ¡°Why the long faces? It¡¯s a beautiful day and am going home. Life is good, you should enjoy it.¡± Marcus said to the friends when they didn¡¯t respond. Nick didn¡¯t spare him a <b>nce</b>, he focused on the closed elevator door like we were not even there.


    Ethan chuckled dryly. ¡°Enjoy it while itsts Marcus, but I can assure you, it won¡¯tst¡± I hated what Ethan said, I looked at him and his eyes were already on me, he shook his head then looked away. I wished it was back then when I used to care what others thought of me. but it wasn, that time has long gone.


    The new Olivia, the convict, doesn¡¯t care what others thought of her. Marcus wanted me as I was and I was not about to let anyone ruin things for <b>me</b>. I was determined to seek my own happiness and to hell with everyone.


    Life was too short and in a moment¡¯s notice, it could be taken away from you. <b>so</b>, I decided to enjoy what I had with Marcus, as long as itsts as Ethen said. The elevator doors opened, and Marcus stepped in first and I followed.


    ¡°Coming? Oh, wait. Let me enjoy my life with my woman. While itsts as you said Ethan<b>, </b>I never know what Nick is going to throw at me. so, wait for the next <b>one</b><b>.</b>¡±

 Novel Payback 119

    NICK


    ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it!¡± Ethan bellowed next to me he might have seen my fists and thought I would go crazy again <b>and </b>punch the elevator doors this time. But that was not the case, I was angry seeing her wearing his ring, but I decided not to do anything. It hurt so badly that was numb.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, all I wanted was to get home and drink myself to a stupor. ¡°I was not going to do anything.¡± Ethan gave me a sceptical look, his hands that were in his pockets were now out and hanging on his sides. He was ready for anything, if only he knew that the only stupid thing, I wanted to do was to drink myself to death.


    Elevator doors <b>opened </b>revealing my mother. She looked shocked to see me but said nothing moving to the side for us to enter. We silently entered and stood there. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡± I nced at it, but said nothing. looking forward and waiting for the elevator doors to open so I could get the hell out of there.


    As if it heard me, it opened, and I stepped out hearing Ethan say as I <b>walked </b>away. ¡°He was fighting with a wall.¡± I didn¡¯t turn, I continued walking. It was like I was having an out of body experience. Like my body was not mine as I walked. Getting outside, Ethan¡¯s driver was standing there.


    I headed to the car and hopped in looking out the window. Mother and Ethan soon joined me. but I didn¡¯t look in their direction. I wished I could dig into the confines of my chest where my heart was and rip it right out. Stick my hand out of that car window and let some air sooth it.


    It hurt so much that my chest burned. People think stab wounds and bullet wounds were painful. But those <b>had </b>never been in love. Hell, I was stabbed and had two heart attacks but none of that painpared to the pain I was feeling at the moment. ¡®Sandra, I curse the day you came into my life. If it weren¡¯t for you, I would still <b>have </b>my wife.¡®


    I cursed the bitch in my head. ¡°I prepared your favourite; you shoulde to the house with me so we can enjoy dinner together. It¡¯s been a while since we did that, before your father died.¡± She was trying to manipte <b>me </b>into going home with her. if it were any other time, I would have gone but not this time.


    This time I just wanted to drink, I wanted to forget, to feel numb and not think. ¡°It¡¯s not good for you to be alone at this time Nick, the house is big, you <b>should </be back and live home with me.¡± I still said <b>nothing</b>. ¡°Ethan, tell your driver to take us to my ce.¡± I turned right at that time and red at her.


    She never did know how to take no for an <b>answer</b>. She pushed and pushed until she got what she wanted. Well, not this time. I was not in the mood for her tricks. Ethan kept his mouth shut; he knew very well what my n <b>was </b>when I got home. It was the same thing I did when my mother told me to marry Oliv


    A woman I knew nothing about, I wanted to choose my own wife. But the woman was determined, she even threaten me and manipted me with tears until I gave in, that day, I asked Ethan to join me at the club and drank <b>until </b>I passed out. I didn¡¯t remember much about that night


    But I remember the next morning like it was yesterday. She woke me up with banging on my door and dragged me to go meet Olivia. My head was so heavy, and it hurt. I had the biggest hangover, and I wanted to meet her and be done with it.


    But then I saw her. I had just taken a sip of my coffee, <b>and </b>I was about to ce the cup down. When I looked up, the most beautiful woman I had everid my eyes on wasing our way. She was not wearing anything fancy, just a yellow sundress, sandals and carried a small handbag. She had sunsses on, and I couldn¡¯t see her <b>eyes</b>.


    But damnit, I wanted her. I didn¡¯t care about the Olivia my mother dragged me to go meet. I was already nning on getting up and following her, but then <b>she </b>came and stopped at our table. She gave my mother a smile and I was blown away.


    She had the most beautiful smile with the whitest teeth. She took a seat, and I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her. I wanted her to take off those sunsses <b>already </b>so I could see her eyes. When she finally did, those emerald orbs of hers drew me in. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at <b>her</b><b>. </b>


    I <b>didn¡¯t </b>even hear when my mother introduced her, but when I heard that she was the woman who was going to be my wife. The headache subsided, my eyes and mind cleared. Then I asked my mother to leave us. I wanted <b>no </b>disturbances with her, I wanted us to be alone. I wanted to continue looking at her until sunset and all the way to sunrise again. I couldn¡¯t get enough of looking at her, each time she smilled my heart skipped a beat.


    Then we started talking, it was like we have known each other for many years. She was mine and I was hers. When time came for us to get married, I was marrying her for me and not my mother anymore. I was already falling in love with my wife. She had my heart that very minute Iid my eyes on her and now she was leaving me.


    How can my heart not break, how can I go on? I was a morco, I know. But she always had my heart, even in those moments of stupidity. ¡°Nick!¡± I jumped a little when my mother screamed my name shaking me. ¡°What!¡± I was annoyed.


    ¡°I have been calling you for thest five minutes and you were not responding. You were just staring into nothing and not moving! What the hell, Nick. don¡¯t ever scare me like that again, I thought you died!¡± she shouted at me with tears in her eyes. ¡°I wish I was dead.¡± I said then opened the door and walked <b>out</b>.

 Novel Payback 120

    Chapter <b>0120 </b>


    ETHAN


    Hearing my friend utter words like that stung. Sometimes we take things and people for granted. A few days ago, I was determined to take my friend¡¯s wife, well. Ex wife from him because I felt like he didn¡¯t deserve her, that he didn¡¯t appreciate her enough. All true but, I never stopped to think what he might be feeling.


    Nick has always been bossy and acting like he had everything under control. Like life for him is not something that just happens, that he makes things happen and controls the variables. Because of all of that, I forgot that my friend was a person too, that he had feelings and got hurt. I knew Nick¡¯s anger very well and most of the time it was just that.


    Unreasonable anger caused by business and nothing more. But I was starting to see a different side to the man. The human side he has been hiding well from all of us. The side that <b>is </b>vulnerable, the one that showed that the man also needed support, love and care. He fucked up big time and that is something he was not used to.


    But he acknowledges that and is willing to put in the work to make things right. But how could he when I have been nothing but an obstacle in his way. Starting from the Week Olivia was released from prison and I was called to pick him up at the bar. When he let <b>slip </b>that he wanted her back.


    How could he want her back after everything he did to her, everything he put her through? I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I thought she deserved better, that she deserved me, but boy, was I wrong. Marcus came into y and showed us both how it¡¯s done.


    I thought when Nick gave her the divorce papers that all I needed to do was to help her heal then make my move. But then things didn¡¯t happen quite like that. First, Olivia didn¡¯t want me, never did. Second, now more than ever I see how much Nick really loved his ex¨Cwife. Now thinking back to when she was in prison.


    The man worked all the time, day and night. I hardly saw him, never socialized and even lost weight. Now that I think about it, the man was depressed and I as his supposed best friend, missed it. I was busy helping his wife and <b>was </b>too angry to care about him and what he must have been going through.


    The man sent his wife to jail because he thought he was giving me justice, because he thought it was my baby that psycho woman lost. He <b>was </b>thinking of me that whole time was busy helping his wife and looking for a chance to be with her. what a friend I was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will go and be with him. I will take care of him, it¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    With a heavy heart, I got out of the car and followed him into the house. I found him with a bottle of scotch in hand and drinking from the bottle. I can¡¯t believe how selfish I have been this whole time. ¡°Share.¡± He handed me the bottle and I joined him on the kitchen ind.


    I swung the bottle taking a huge sip of the scotch. I was feeling like shit for what I had been doing to the man. I even helped sell that the boy was not his. I was such a shitty friend. I swung the bottle again gulping down as much as I could before handing it back to Nick.


    He took it and drank from it as well. ¡°Ethan, do you think she will ever forgive me?¡± he said that with the saddest voice I <b>have </b>ever heard. I had to turned to look at him to make sure that it was him who spoke. He nced at me briefly and that was when I saw how red his eyes were. The man was crying. Tension gathered on my shoulders and my heart ached. ¡°She will Nick, give her time.¡± He hung his head low then his shoulders shook.


    Shock hit me when I realized he was crying. I didn¡¯t know what to do at that point. I knew he was hurting but I didn¡¯t know how much until then. ¡°<b>She </b>will be married to someone else by then and I will <b>never </b>get her back. You can see how Marcus is, the man is good, <b>and </b>I <b>know </b>he will treat her well. She will never leave him for me, not after everything I put her through.¡±


    I patted his back trying tofort him, all he said was true and I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>what to say to make him feel better


    +20 BONUS


    Chapter 012C


    about everything. Not able to stand seeing my friend that way, I made up my mind. ¡°I say fuck It! let¡¯s go after Marcus,bine our resources and give it all we got.¡± He lifted his head and looked at me for a second.


    ¡°I appreciate what you are trying to do Ethan, but we can¡¯t go after Marcus, he is the man she chose and Olivia deserves to be happy. I can¡¯t fuck up her life again man, I have done enough already. They say when you love someone or something. You have to let it go and if ites back to you, then it <b>was </b>meant to be yours.¡±


    He said that with <b>a </b>straight <b>face </b>as if he was trying to convince himself of the nonsense he was spewing. ¡°But this shit hurts so badly, why hasn¡¯t anybody said anything about how much love hurts?¡± I wished I knew but I have never been in love before, and I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>what it felt like


    Yes, I had feelings for Olivia, would I call them love? No, I don¡¯t think so. I just like the woman¡¯s character, the way she carried herself and everything. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, man.¡± A knock came through the door, and we looked at each other wondering who that could be.


    While we were contemting on whether to go open the door or ignore whoever it was and continue drinking. We heard the door opening then closing. Still looking at each other, none of us <b>moved</b>. It was clear whoever that was, had a key to the house.


    Soon he appeared. We looked at him shocked. ¡°What?¡± he said as he walked towards us, took the bottle from Nick and drank from it as if he was drinking water. Nick and I shared a looked. ¡°Why the hell are you looking at me like that for? I also had a bad day and need a drink.¡±

 Novel Payback 121

    OLIVIA


    I got out of the car and Marcus got out as well. He gave me a passionate kiss before pulling out. ¡°I miss you already.¡± I blushed. He <b>was </b>dropping me off at the hotel. We needed to pack our stuff and move into the house I bought for us. We went to fetch the key after leaving the hospital and I wanted us out of the hotel the next day.


    ¡°I miss you too.¡± <b>He </b>smiled thep kissed the tip of my nose then my forehead. ¡°You are loved, Olivia Williams.¡± He said before getting back into the car. I watched it drive off before getting inside the hotel with a <b>huge </b>smile on my face. I was happy, for the first time in a long time, I was genuinely happy, and it was all thanks to that man.


    I rode the elevator up to the penthouse and when I got there. Lupita was at the door with her arms folded in her chest. ¡°Spill!¡± I frowned stopping in front of her, I raised an eyebrow wondering what she was talking about. ¡°Oh, no girl! I saw you down there. I was standing on the balcony when I saw a scene down there. So, spill. I want to know everything.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but blush. I covered my face with my left hand. Lupita must have seen the ring because she screamed jumping up and down making meugh. Grandma and Samuel came rushing to the door opening it wide.


    ¡°What is happening out here?¡± she asked looking worried, picked up Samuel stillughing. ¡°Olivia is engaged.¡± Grandma looked at me and I showed her my hand. She took it and looked at the ring then lifted her eyes and looked at me.


    Her eyes were teary. ¡°Oh, Olivia. I am happy for you child. No one deserves this more than you do. You have been through a lot <b>child</b>, it¡¯s time for you to be happy now.¡± I smiled also getting teary. ¡°Tell me child, which boy is making an honest woman out of you.¡± Iughed. Grandma was exactly like my grandmother.


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh, I see how all three of those boys look at you. I can tell they all have feelings for you even that ex husband of yours.¡± I frowned when she mentioned Nick. The man didn¡¯t care about me, what grandma Susan saw was not right. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, you might not see it because of all the anger you have towards him, but that man still loves you. am just saying ¡±


    ¡°Let us go inside.¡± We all walked inside. Samuel went to y with his toys on the floor. We sat around the table while Lupita made a call to ask for champagne to be sent up to the penthouse. ¡°Olivia, I am not saying go


    back to your husband or forgive him. that is all up to you. but child, if you are going to get married to someone else. Then. you will have to forgive him not for him but for your sake.


    I listened attentively. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go into marriage with someone else with the baggage from your first marriage. You will end up scrutinizing everything that man does andparing him to your ex. It won¡¯t be fair on the poor man and <b>you </b>will end up getting a divorce because of that.¡±


    What <b>grandma </b>said hit home. ¡°Forgive him Olivia and move on. Life is too short to be holding on to grudges and the past. Move on child, you have a second chance at love and happiness. Use it.¡± I got up and went to hug grandma.


    By this time, I was already crying. Lupita came in with the champagne and stopped in her tracks when she saw I pulled out and wiped my tears. ¡°Okay, I thought we were celebrating but now I don¡¯t know. What are we doing or what happened?¡±


    I chuckled going to sit back down<b>. </b>¡°Nothing is happening, we are still celebrating.¡± A smile broke on her face as she gave us champagne sses. She poured us some and ced the bottle on the table. ¡°Here is to Olivia <b>and </b>Marcus. May you two be happy and blessed. You deserve all the happiness in the world after what <b>you </b>have been through.¡®


    We clicked sses and drank. We continued conversing andughing. But grandma¡¯s words rang in my head. She was right, I had to unburden myself and forgive Nick for what he did to me. forgive myself for falling for him back


    then. I thought he <b>was </b>a good <b>man</b><b>, </b>but I was wrong. I was love, and I tried to make it work but It didn¡¯t.


    It was not my fault what happened, and it <b>was </b>in the past now. I had to move on from it, not forget everything but ept it happened and move on with my life. If I continued giving Nick control over my life. Then I would never move on, never be happy.


    ¡°We are moving tomorrow. The house is ready. This evening Marcus is going to get someone to put furniture in it and when we get there tomorrow, everything will be ready for us.¡± Lupita cheered. ¡°I enjoyed staying here but it <b>was </b>starting to get annoying not being able to go <b>to </b>the part with Samuel. I am ready to <b>leave</b>.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°So, it¡¯s Marcus, huh?¡± grandma asked, and I nodded. ¡°You chose well, that young man looks responsible, and he has been there for you. I hope he makes you happy.¡± I smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happens in the future, I have learned that the future is not guaranteed for any of us. From now on, I am going to live for today and enjoy today.¡±


    my son who <b>was </b>Grandma nodded. ¡°Even so, you must n for the future<b>, </b>you have Samuel now.¡± I nced at my ying on the floor. ¡°I have made ns for him.¡± life was strange, if one told <b>me </b>a year ago that I would be happy today. I would haveughed in their face.


    I was down and out when I got out of jail. Broken, damaged and penniless. But today, I owned a business, have my son with me and engaged to be married to the man who valued me, who epted me for who I am. Broken with scars and all.


    ¡°Hey, why are you crying now.¡± I didn¡¯t even notice I was crying until Lupita said something. ¡°These are tears of joy. I havee a long way, and I am happy that things are looking up for me now.¡±

 Novel Payback 122

    Chapter <b>0122 </b>


    NICK


    ¡°You jerk assess should stop looking at


    me like <b>that </b>as if I stole something from you.¡± I wondered how he wanted us to look at him and he did steal from us. My bottle of scotch in his hand or did he think he brought that with him when he decided to crush our drinking session? Bloody mafia! Thinking everything belonged to them and they could take anything they wanted.


    I stood up and went to open the cupboard taking out another bottle. ¡°See, you have more alcohol and yet you were giving me the looks for this bottle. Stop being stingy.¡± Ethan dramatically threw his hands in the air. ¡°Man, are you serious? If you wanted to drink you could have bought your own and drink it wherever you used to drink. Why are you here?¡±


    Luke gently ced the bottle on the table then turned to Ethan, giving him an icy looked. Ethan backed up. Listen man, you don¡¯t get to look at me like that. I am your daughter¡¯s saviour and if anything happens to me. You will never have a rtionship with her.¡± My friend was drunk I could tell by the stupid answer be Pave


    Luk


    If the man wanted him dead, he would be, and <b>Olivia </b><b>would </b>never know it was him. ¡°You are one to <b>talk</b>, you also don¡¯t <b>have </b>a rtionship with her like you hoped you would. The three of us are on the same boat.¡± That hit home, that was the very reason we were drinking


    ¡°What is so special about Olivia any way that three <b>powerful </b>men would be depressed because she wants nothing to do with them. I mean look at us, huh?¡± he stood as if he was not getting the point across when he is sitting down.


    ¡°I am a mafia boss, well educated, own manypanies, a billionaire. Why do I care if a daughter I know nothing about doesn¡¯t want me in her life? I was fine before I interfered with her life, and I will still be fine If I don¡¯t get involved. I don¡¯t need Olivia in my life.¡±


    He bragged but the funny thing was that his mouth was saying one thing, but his eyes were saying another. He <b>was </b><b>sad </b>that Olivia didn¡¯t want him in his <b>life</b>. He yearned to be part of it, hell! if she were to call him now and ask <b>him </b>to go over there. He would jump and leave us here. Why was he there anyway?


    ¡°And you, a gentleman, eligible bachelor in the city, the kind of man many women would line up just to see up close. A man many women want and yearn to have on their beds. Sessful billionaire. Youck nothing boy and yet you are running, after my daughter like a dog with a bone. Pathetic!¡±


    I chuckled at the insult at the end of his praise. <b>Ethan </b>had his mouth hung open not believing what the man just said<b>. </b>¡°<b>What </b>are youughing at? You had her in jail for two years, never visited and yet the moment she got out, you <b>were </b>after her, why?¡± I shouldn¡¯t haveughed.


    I should have kept my mouth shut and maybe he wouldn¡¯t have said anything to me. ¡°In all the time she was away, you never dated anyone, stayed with a crazy woman and worked like a <b>poor </b>man trying to make ends meet. What the fuck is wrong with you? did you honestly think that she would take you back after everything you <b>did</b>? What a moron!¡±


    Wow! Maybe that was why he came, to insult us while drinking our alcohol. ¡°I get that you are upset but there is really no need to insult us.¡± Ethanined grabbing the bottle in front of Luke and took a swing at it gulping <b>down </b>a mouthful.


    Luke just shook his head taking a seat. ¡°We are pathetic.¡± He mumbled, we were indeed. ¡°You should <b>know </b>something about your daughter. This is the same thing that is making you go crazy now because she doesn¡¯t want you near her.¡±


    I sighed taking a sip from the bottle I was holding ¡°<b>Olivia </b>is pure in every sense of the word. At least to me she is. Your daughter has that thing about her, that charm that makes you want to keep her close, protect her from this


    cruel world.


    I stared at the bottle in hand thinking about my wife. ¡°When she smiles, it¡¯s always genuine, when sheughs, oh, she <b>has </b>such a beautifulugh. The way she carries herself, the way she never judges anyone and just epts people for who they are. Always sees the good in everyone no matter how bad they are and¡­!


    ¡°Like you¡± Luke cut me short. ¡°Yes, Luke. Like me. I was bad, I did really bad things to her, hurt her.¡± I shook my head feeling the tears sting andying heavy in my eyes <b>as </b>they were going to fall at any moment. ¡°I think maybe at the back of my mind, I was counting on her goodness and ability to forgive when I did all those things


    ¡°And you forgot about her pain.¡± Luke said and all I could do was nod. As good as she was, I forgot she was human too and could get hurt. I forgot the most important thing, to protect her and her heart. I failed her and all for nothing


    ¡°Man! This is depressing. We were supposed to be getting unk and forgetting anything and everything to do with Olivia Williams.¡±


    ¡°ck¡± Luke corrected.


    ¡°What?¡± Ethan was confused. I was too at first until I figured it out. ¡°She is not a Williams but a ck. She is my daughter, Olivia ck¡± Ethanughed. ¡°Oh, man! I think the pathetic one here is you, look at you iming her like that after giving us that big speech.¡± Silence followed his words.


    The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees as Luke stood from his chair and closed the small distance between him and Ethan. Eyes cold as ice, killing intent clearly visible in them. for some reason, my <b>heart </b>picked


    up pace.


    Now it was booming in the confines of my chest as if it were going to just jump right out of my mouth. ¡°What did you say? Repeat yourself, I dare you.¡±

 Novel Payback 123

    NICK


    I tightened the cap on the bottle then gripped it by the neck hard, waiting for Luke to make a <b>move </b>so I could show him not to mess with me. not in my house. He came all the way there and for what? To start shit, not on my watch and certainly not in my house and not with my friend too. ¡°Calm down man, what? It¡¯s okay for you to insult us and we can¡¯t do the same?¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t back down but still I could see the <b>fear </b>in his eyes. One wrong move Luke¡¯s men would storm the castle and there would be no escape for us. But hell, I was going to sit back and let him start shit in my house<b>. </b>


    The tension in the house was suffocating to a point that I felt myself getting sober. Damn him! I wanted to get drunk so much that I forget my name, then suddenly, Luk burst outughing. Ethan and I shared a look, the man was crazy <b>as </b>fuck.


    ¡°I got you good man! Damn, it works every time.¡± He said to between hisugh going back to seat. He took the bottle and gulped it down. He ced it back on the table and sighed turning to look at <b>Ethan</b>. ¡°You are right, I am the pathetic one.¡± He chuckled mockingly.


    ¡°But I knew if I came here, I will not be alone.¡± What the fuck? Did my house just turned into a pathetic gentlemen¡¯s club? Shit! Ethan joined him andughed. I couldn¡¯tugh, she left with everything good in my


    ¡°Nick,e on <b>man</b>. Don¡¯t do this.¡± I looked at my friend, he was trying to make me feel better but unfortunate for him. it wasn¡¯t <b>working</b>. Only Olivia could make me feel better. I excused myself and walked to my room. On my bedside table. I opened the drawer and on the false bottom, pulled out the rings she gave me when I gave her the divorce papers.


    It was the engagement ring I gave her and her wedding band. I acted like I wasn¡¯t affected that day when she took them off and handed them to me. I kept my mouth shut the whole time afraid if I spoke. I would have only begged her to stay with me. to give me another chance, promised I would do better.


    I didn¡¯t know the full extent of what I had done to her at that <b>time</b>. The damage I had caused. All I saw was the wornan I loved wanting to leave me. for the life of me I couldn¡¯t understand why. I envisioned myself going to pick her up in jail <b>after </b>her <b>five</b><b>¨C</b><b>year </b>sentence.


    Her smiling when she saw <b>me</b>, well, maybe not smiling because she would have been angry with me for letting her stay there for five years. But I would still smile at her and when she got close. I would give her a big hug, tell her how much I missed her and how sorry I was.


    Then take her home and re¨Cintroduce her to society as the spoilt missus of the Jones family. By then, her debt to my best friend would have been <b>paid </b>and Sandra would <b>have </b>been appeased. But things didn¡¯t go as I <b>envisioned</b>. They took a turn for the worst and there was <b>nothing </b>Lcould do to stop them.


    Now I was all alone in our marital home staring at the rings I gave her to make her Mrs Jones. Just when did I fuck things up so much? ¡°Man,e on. You need to stop that put those away ande with me.¡± Ethan said taking the rings from me.


    ¡°She is <b>wearing </b>someone else¡¯s ring now.¡± I <b>found </b>myself saying with the <b>reality </b>of my situation sinking deeper and making me even more depressed. ¡°I <b>know </b>but <b>don¡¯t </b>think about it. let¡¯s make it tomorrow¡¯s worry. Tonight, we drink.¡±


    I stood <b>and </b>followed him out. The bottle of scotch I had taken out was already empty. They were now on the third bottle. It <b>was </b>clear we were all depressed and by one person Olivia, do you know how <b>powerful </b>you are? Do <b>you </b>know that all of us here would die for you? we would give you the world if you demanded.


    In our lives you are everything, like a queen. No, not a <b>quee</b>, you are like the goddess of love. One that can¡¯t be


    ignored. We all yearn your presence, your affection and to in favour with you, my heart. You are loved and you


    are love.


    ¡°Come on man, have a drink.¡± <b>Ethan </b>handed me a ss. And I down it. ¡°That¡¯s more like it, have another.¡± He gave me his taking the empty ss and pouring for himself ¡°If any of you mentions this to anyone, I will kill you. my men can¡¯t know 1 was moping around like this.¡± Luke threatened.


    A whole mafia boss, he was right, his men would lose all respect for lim If they saw him like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry man, <b>what </b>happens at the Jones household, stays at the Joiles household.¡± Ethan said with his speech starting to slur.


    If it were any other time, I would haveughed. ¡°I will drin to that.¡± they clicked sses. The drinking seemed to be working for the two. We heardmotion outside and we shared a look. ¡°Leave it, my men will take care of whatever it is.¡±


    Luke said pouring another ss. Themotion continued I stood going to check. It was my house and I didn¡¯t want his men doing what they did at my parents¡® house and neighbourhood. The noise got louder the closer I got to the door.


    Multiple voices could be heard, and I thought I heard Marcus as well. But it couldn¡¯t be him, he wouldn¡¯te to my house. I opened the door and Luke¡¯s men formed a wall in front of my door arguing with Marcus¡¯s men.


    The bastard was standing there, hands in his pockets as if nothing was happening. I walked towards him, anger rising with each step I took. When I got to him, he smirked, I lost it. I threw a punch at him sending him to the ground.

 Novel Payback 124

    apter 0124


    NICK


    His men quickly gathered but he waved them off as he stood ¡°<b>That </b>was uncalled for.¡± He said spitting blood on <b>the </b>ground, I hated the man, I hated what he stood for and that he was getting everything that belonged to me. You deserve that and more. What the hell are you doing here?¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make hitting ine a habit,<b>I </b>might just <b>retaliate</b><b>.</b>¡± Hefaised an eyebrow looking at me. I didn¡¯t know if he was trying to <b>warn </b>me or taunt me. ¡°<b>What </b>the fuck are you doing here Marcus?¡± he shoved his hands back in his pockets.


    ¡°I want to see Luke. I know he is here. Tell <b>him </b>toe out and see me if you don¡¯t want me going into your house.¡± What the hell could he want from Luke. Well, he <b>was </b>going to be his father¨Cinw. I guess they did have <b>something </b>to talk about.


    I turned to one of his men. ¡°Call your boss.¡± He nodded golig inside. ¡°So, <b>how </b>is life in the Jones <b>family</b>?¡± the bastard. We just saw him <b>a </b>couple of hours ago and he was asking as If we have not seen each other for years <b>and </b>we were not friends, why the hell would he ask that. I red


    ¡°What? I am just making small talk, nothing wrong with that.¡± I continued to re at him not saying anything There was nothing to say to the man. ¡°I am going to get her back, you know that, right?¡± heughed. ¡°Oh, Nick. If Olivia was going to get back together with you, she would have done so during the past fourteen months she¡¯s been out.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°It didn¡¯t happen then and now that she is wearing my ring. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s ever going to happen. I suggest you forget about that, she is noting back to you because I will not give her a reason to <b>even </b>think about you.¡± I wished I could punch the smugness off him.


    ¡°Mr ck says youe inside if you want to <b>see </b>him.¡± fuck! He was drunk and stupid and now he didn¡¯t want his men to see him like that, which made me wonder. Has he never gotten drunk in front of his men before? ¡°You heard the man, so, are you going to let me in or are we going to keep standing here measuring dicks.¡±


    The fucking bastard! I turned and walked to the door. He followed behind and I led him to where we were sitting. When we appeared Luke and Ethanughed. I was not sure what they wereughing at and I was not interested.


    ¡°No man no! this is being cruel. We are drinking here trying to forget everything and you appear here like nothing happen. Come on man!¡± said Ethan between hisugh and it dawned on <b>me </b>that they wereughing at me. I must have looked very angry and annoyed.


    ¡°The lucky bastard who gets to be with my daughter. <b>What </b>are you doing here boy?¡± asked Luke. ¡°I need your help. Olivia is moving into the new house tomorrow and I promised that I would get everything ready. But now there are things I can¡¯t get and I need you to help me with them.¡±


    The mocking face <b>was </b>gone in seconds from Luke as he stood. ¡°Whatever my daughter needs.¡± The bloody traitor, I did say that he would jump if Olivia were to call on him. ¡°Tam going too,¡± Marcus frowned when Ethan said that. ¡°Then I will <b>not </b>stay here alone, aming too.¡± I bought that house, and I knew my wife¡¯s taste.


    I would be more help than all of thembined and besides. That was the house I got for her and will soon be our home when we got back together. I wanted a mixture of me and her in it. Marcus furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°You just punched me and now you want to help with the decorations, are you serious?¡± I finished the drink in my ss. ¡°Yes<b>, </b><b>I </b>am serious. You are the one who came into my house after taking my wife, you deserved that punch, and I am not doing this for you but for my wife.¡±


    ¡°You have got to stop calling her that <b>man</b>. It¡¯s offensive.¡± I smirked as I led the way to the door. They followed behind and we got into the cars and drove off with our men. I swear those who saw us might have thought that it


    was the president passing with that convoy.


    If those who knew <b>us </b>saw us might think we were good friends, yet, the reality was far from It, we were frenemies bonding over our love for Olivia. I wished she knew the lengths we would all go to please her, be in her life.


    We gathered all that we needed, from couches<b>, </b>kitchen appliances paintings with Luke getting art studios opened for us in the middle of the night so we could get what we needed. We got back to the house around two in the morning.


    I got out of the car and admired it, it was exactly <b>what </b>I wanted; I should thank Owen for getting everything together so well for her to get this house. It was perfect fors. I envisioned our little family living in there.


    Me out in the porch teaching Samuel ser and basketball The barbeques we would have on school holidays with our friends and family. I saw us happy in there. ¡°Are youing in or you going to stand there all night?¡± the cheeky bastard asked going into the house holding one of the <b>paintings</b>.


    I walked inside and our imen were already being bossed around by the interior decorator which Marcus called to help promising her to triple her fees. The littledy was incre <b>than </b>happy to wake up her people anding with us to help.


    She helped with choosing the furniture as well. But I told her what Olivia liked and what I liked. Marcus also gave his opinion. But what we got was mostly my taste and <b>Olivia¡¯s</b>. ¡°I am going to fix Samuel¡¯s <b>room</b>.¡±


    ¡°No, I know Samuel better than you do. I will help with his room.¡± Ethan said pushing me aside. I hated that he knew him more than I did. I just followed behind. ¡°Hey, hold up, that is my stepson you are talking about. I <b>should </b>be the one to decorate his room.¡±


    ¡°Back the fuck off!¡± Ethan and I both said at the same time making Marcus stop in <b>his </b>tracks.

 Novel Payback 125

    Chapter <b>0125 </b>


    OLIVIA


    Marcus called very <b>early </b>in the morning asking if we were ady to leave. It was five in the morning when he called, and he sounded drunk. I didn¡¯t know why he would be drinking when he still had medication to take. But I didn¡¯t say anything because I wanted to see him for myself also, it sounded like he was not alone wherever he was.


    I tried asking but he was already talking to someone else telling them not to touch something. Then the line went dead. I woke up then and packed thest of our stuff. We only had clothes, everything else burned with my previous home.


    When I finished packing, I ordered breakfast for us. I didn¡¯know what state the house was going to be in when we got there. There might not be time to get breakfast and there might be things to buy and errands to run. I <b>wanted </b>us to at least have breakfast before going there, Marcus <b>said </b>a car was going to be here around eight.


    Around seven, I woke everyone up to shower and have breakfast. ¡°God! I am still feeling tired, I hope we don¡¯t have much to do when we get there.¡± Lupitained as she threw herself on the chair taking a bacon from her te and munching on it.


    ¡°I think Marcus got many things done. Maybe we will <b>have </b>a few things to buy which we can do any other <b>day </b>it doesn¡¯t have to be today.¡± She nodded. Grandma appeared with Samuel and joined us at the table. We ate while talking.


    Marcus called again at around eight telling me to get downstairs and that the car would be there in two minutes. We carried our stuff out to the elevator going downstairs. While the others went to the car, I checked out of the hotel and paid whatever I <b>owed</b><b>. </b>


    When I walked out, I saw familiar faces, some of Marcus¡¯s men, Nick¡¯s, Ethan¡¯s and even some of Luke¡¯s men. I furrowed my eyebrows confused as to what was happening I got worried that we might be in danger and <b>that </b>was why the men in my life each sent their men to get us.


    I didn¡¯t <b>waste </b>time getting into the <b>car </b>and we drove off. I was curious to know what was happening and even wanted to ask the men<b>, </b>but I stopped myself, they might have been told not to say anything. When <b>we </b>got to the house, I was shocked.


    The front yard was filled with <b>guards</b>, there was a fire going and nick was at <b>the </b>grill with an apron on. My frown deepened when I saw him instead of my fianc¨¦. ¡°What is going on here?¡± asked Lupita<b>. </b>¡°I am wondering the same thing.¡± I spoke.


    I saw new flower beds added in front of the house making it more beautiful and weing. Marcus did a good job. But then again. I was not sure if it was Marcus I should be giving the credit to or my ex¨Chusband. We got out of the car and walked into the gate.


    <b>Nick </b>gave me a small smile. Samuel spotted Ethan and ran to him. why <b>was </b>he there, just what the hell was going on? I gave Nick a nod and walked inside. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the inside of the house. I didn¡¯t need to change anything, it was perfect, it had everything I needed, my taste.


    I looked back at Nick, <b>and </b>he was busy with the grill. Nick, are you responsible for this? I mentally questioned as I saw some items that he liked in the house. A frown appeared on my face. Marcus came out from somewhere in the house. When he saw me, a huge smile broke on his face. He looked happy to see me, and he was drunk.


    Just what the hell did I miss? He gave me a hug and a kiss. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked gesturing to the house. I offered him a smile. ¡°It¡¯s perfect, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could take all the credit, but I had help and a lot of it.¡± that part was clear, he couldn¡¯t have done all that by himself. ¡°Nick, Ethan and Luke helped.¡± 1 frowned when he mentioned Luke. Why would he ask Luke for help?


    -


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want him in your life for whatever reasons but, he wants to be there for you, and I didn¡¯t need his help, but I asked for it anyway to include him in your life in a small way. Family is difficult Olivia, ask me, I know.¡±


    He pulled me into his arms giving me a short hug. ¡°My uncle was not happy when my father whom I didn¡¯t know left me everything he owned. My uncle felt like he deserved any father¡¯s things, and I could tell that he would do anything to get them. so, I shared my wealth with him because of two reasons. One, we don¡¯t choose our families and two because I didn¡¯t want to die young


    Well, I didn¡¯t know what that has to do with me and Luke, but 1 appreciate him sharing that with me. ¡°And the barbeque outside?¡± heughed. ¡°We were hungry after all the work was done and we have been drinking so we opted for a barbeque than takeaways.¡± Interesting.


    So, they were bonding over me in my house without my permission. Wow! ¡°You don¡¯t look happy; I can clear the house now if that is what you want. These people mean nothing to <b>me </b>and chasing them out will not be a problem. You matter, your happiness andfort matters. Tell me what you want, my queen and it shall be <b>so</b>.¡±


    He noticed and that was enough for me<b>. </b>¡°Thanks babe but that won¡¯t be necessary. <b>You </b>have your fun.¡± He kissed my forehead. ¡°Come on, let me show you around the house so you can tell me what you want me to change.¡±


    I looked at the house and everything was perfect, Soon Ethan called us to eat, and it was lunch time already. Luke was drunk sitting in a corner like a little boy who had been reprimanded and was now on time out. Ethan was singing along to the music and dancing. Nick was acting like the man of the house preparing and serving everyone. Marcus was glued to myside as if I was going to disappear.


    My son was having fun dancing and ying with Ethan. I looked around at the people in my yard and internally prayed that the peacests.


    L

 Novel Payback 126

    <b>Chapter </b><b>0126 </b>


    <b>OLIVIA </b>


    It has been a peaceful couple of months to a point that I even felt ufortable. Waiting for the other shoe to drop because knowing me, things like peace neverst. I have been having these anxiety attacks every morning wondering what the hell the day had in store for me and when it ends, and nothing happens.


    I would sigh in relief and thank God I got through yet another day without any issues. <b>¡°</b>Olivia<b>, </be out! How are we supposed to help you pick a dress if you hide in there?¡± oh, I almost forgot lost in my thoughts that I forgot what we came here to do. These past couple of months I have been nning my wedding.


    With the help of a wedding nner and Lupita. Marcus didn¡¯t want to wait long and so did i. I did say that I was living for today and I was happy with Marcus now and I didn¡¯t want to wait for things to change again for me to live my life. So today, I was dress fitting but have been in this fitting room for almost fifteen minutes.


    Thinking about my grandma and mother. What they would say if they saw me in this dress. If they would have been happy for me or disappointed that my first marriage didn¡¯t work? My grandma was very old school and believed in perseverance. She would have told me to give Nick another chance if she were here.


    ¡°Olivia! <b>If </b>you don¡¯te out of here this minute, I aming in.¡± Iughed, she sounded frustrated. I opened the door and walked out. Her mouth hung opened and her eyes sparkling with the tears she was holding. That was my third dress, and I felt like it was the one.


    ¡±


    ¡°Oh, child. You look like an angel<i>.</i>¡± Grandma said dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Lupita came and hugged me. Marcus will not recognize you in this dress. You look breathtaking, Olivia. This is your dress.<b>¡± </b>I smiled trying not to cry myself. I did that a lot in the past, now it was time for me to be happy.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I went and changed then got the dress. We went to get something to eat at a beach front restaurant. I like the sea breeze caressing my face as we ate. It was beautiful, calming and peaceful. I really liked it.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>can¡¯t wait till the wedding; Samuel is going to look amazing.¡± Iughed. They didn¡¯t want to show me his suit. They just told me that it looked like Marcus¡¯s suit which I have not seen. ¡°Olivia, right?¡± someone said from behind me, and I turned to look. it was an older gentleman, I didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± I was already on guard; I should have known that the peace was not going tost. ¡°Your soon to be father¨Cinw. You know Marcus doesn¡¯t have a father anymore. I am what he has, Warren, his uncle.¡± He said taking a seat next to Lupita.


    We were supposed to only see them at the wedding. When Marcus called them to tell them about the engagement and invited them toe and meet me. they said they could not make it and could onlye to the wedding. It was a shock seeing him there.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Warren. I thought I will only get to meet you at the wedding.¡± He gave me a funny smile. but I did not read too much into it. he called the waitress and asked for a menu then ordered something for himself.


    ¡°That was the n until I thought of something urgent that needed to be addressed.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows wondering what that could be, did we maybe forget to invite someone important from their family?


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. It can be fixed very quickly, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± He said taking a sip from his drink. Now I was more curious to know what the hell that was. ¡°Okay, that is better then. We can talk about it at home, we are heading there after this. Where are you staying?¡± he gave me that funny smile again or was it how the man smiled.


    It made me ufortable. ¡°I am staying in a hotel, and I won¡¯t be here long. There is still a lot to be done back home, and I want this business to be concluded here after we done eating. As I said, it¡¯s something quick.¡± I didn¡¯t know what else to say. The man was rude that was clear. He didn¡¯t even acknowledge grandma and Lupita.


    +26 BONUS


    Chapter <b>0126 </b>


    <b>Rich </b><b>people </b><b>and </b>their <b>shit</b><b>. </b>This was <b>my </b>family! <b>We </b>got done and I waited patiently for him to bring up <b>that </b>business he spoke about. But the man ordered another drink instead, keeping me in suspense<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Marcus tells <b>me </b><b>that </b><b>you </b><b>were </b>married before.¡±


    I shifted ufortably on my seat. <b>¡°</b><b>Yes</b>, I was.<b>¡± </b>He nodded. ¡°And <b>he </b>tells me that you are a convicted criminal<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>So, Marcus was discussing me with his uncle. Wow. <b>¡°</b>Yes, am<b>.</b>¡± Now I was already on defence, I didn¡¯t know where the man was going with all his questions<b>, </b>but I didn like it.


    ¡°They say your first husband was the one who sent you to jail because you stole from him<b>.</b>¡± I fumed in anger. <b>I </b>didn¡¯t like the man. ¡°Yes, he did but I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    He lifted his hand to silence me. ¡°Oh<b>, </b>no need to exin. I know the story of how you were framed and all that. but to be honest, I don¡¯t believe it. no husband would just send his wife to jail for no reason. You must have done something.¡± I said nothing because there was nothing to say<b>. </b>


    It was clear that his mind was made up about me. maybe he was there to tell me not to marry Marcus. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything. I already know all that I need to know. But I need you to sign this.¡± He gestured for the man who was standing behind him.


    I assumed he was his bodyguard. The man handed me a brown envelope. I opened it and took out the papers inside. In bold it was written, PRE¨CNUPTIAL AGREEMENT. looked at it and felt very offended. Marcus didn¡¯t give me ¨¢ prenup, but he was, or did Marcus send him to give it to me?


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, did Marcus ask you to give me this?¡± his expression hardened. ¡°Why would a love¨Cstruck man think of something like this? I am not the one who is <b>in </b>love with you Olivia and I can see you for who you are. So, if you want this wedding to continue and if you are not after something then you will have no problem signing that.¡±

 Novel Payback 127

    Chapter <b>0127 </b>


    OLIVIA


    Anger and humiliation were what I felt at that moment. What did the man take me for? A gold digger? If that were the case, then I would have taken half of everything Nick owned because we didn¡¯t sign anything and he of all people owed me that and more after what he did to me. yet didn¡¯t take anything.


    ¡°if I was after Marcus¡¯s money then I would have started with my ex¨Chusband¡¯s. I will have you know that I work hard for everything I own, I never asked Marcus for anything and never will. I have my own things and money. It might not be as much as he has but it is mine and I worked for it. I didn¡¯t get it from anyone, it was not handed to me.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I didn¡¯te here for a speech Olivia and if that is how you feel. Then you will have no problem signing that document.¡± I was angry, very angry. I thought of just standing up and leaving him there but then I thought of that would just prove his point if I didn¡¯t sign.


    ¡°Give me a pen.¡±


    ¡°Olivia, don¡¯t you want to talk to Marcus first before you sign that?¡± grandma asked, and I gave her a smile. ¡± Marcus is the one you are marrying and if he wanted you to sign that then he would have given it to you himself. Why don¡¯t you talk to him first before signing that.¡±


    The man nced at grandma looking at her like she was something dirty stuck from under his shoe. I hated that the most. ¡°Who are you to talk here? I thought you were just a bystander, someone brought into the family by the nanny. You have no say here or you are hoping to benefit from my nephew as well.¡±


    That did it. I grabbed the pen from the guard signed the paper then threw it at him. ¡°There, I don¡¯t need your nephew¡¯s money, and you have no right to speak to my family like that it doesn¡¯t matter if you see them as beneath you. also, after the wedding, I don¡¯t ever want to see you anywhere near me ever again.¡±


    Heughed as I stood, and we left. I was fuming in anger the whole drive home. Grandma and Lupita didn¡¯t say anything either. It hurt that they were disrespected like that. ¡°I am sorry grandma.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry child, it is not your fault and it¡¯s not the first time a rich person treated me that way. It doesn¡¯t bother me.¡±


    That got my heart sinking to the bottom of my stomach. ¡°You are my family grandma, don¡¯t mind what that man said. Marcus and I respect you and I didn¡¯t choose you as my family because I felt pity on you but because of the love and support you have given me.¡± she offered me a small smile.


    ¡°Olivia, you can¡¯t control how other people behave and they are not a reflection of you or anything you have done. That is just who that man is and there is nothing we can do to change that. but we can decide how we react to what he said, and I have decided not to let it bother me. but let me give some advice. Don¡¯t ever do anything without talking to your husband, especially something as important as what you have done.¡±


    I sighed, I knew that, but I didn¡¯t want that man to think that I didn¡¯t want to sign because I wanted to convince Marcus to not let me sign it. I wanted him to see that I was not after anything. ¡°You have to tell Marcus what happened.¡± Lupita said.


    ¡°No, I will only tell him after the wedding. I don¡¯t want it to seem like I want him to change the decision his uncle made. He is his family and is trying to protect him. even though he went about it in the rudest way possible.¡±


    They didn¡¯t say anything. When we got home Marcus was there, he smiled at me, but I didn¡¯t smile back. He talks to his uncle about me and now he thought I was a gold¨Cdigging criminal after his nephew¡¯s money.


    He looked confused when I didn¡¯t acknowledge him and just went to my room. I didn¡¯t want to explode and tell him off. I needed to calm down first before I would talk to the man. It¡¯s fine talking to him about me, he was going to find out anyway and my past was not a secret. Many people knew about it.


    But the way he just twisted everything made me angry. But <b>if </b>signing that paper was the price, I had to pay to be with the man I loved then so be it. ¡°What!¡± I heard Marcus say and I knew either Lupita or grandma told him what had happened.


    Soon the door to my room opened and he walked in. ¡°Am so sorry, Olivia. I didn¡¯t send him to give you those documents, I swear I didn¡¯t. please, believe me.¡± I knew he didn¡¯t even think I had my doubts when that man gave me the documents. ¡°It¡¯s fine Marcus, it¡¯s done, and I signed the document.¡±


    He chuckled dryly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because I am going to go there and rip that document to pieces. If I wanted you to sign a prenup, I would have given it to you myself. <b>I </b>know Warran, he can be an asshole, and I know that he was to you and grandma. I am going to make this right, my love.¡±


    He turned to leave, and I sighed. If he went there then that man was going to think that I came home andined to Marcus about it. ¡°Stop!¡± he turned to me with a confused look. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that document or that he brought it to me. but I do care about how he treated my family. How he spoke to grandma. If you are going to talk to him about anything, let it be about that and not the prenup.¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±

 Novel Payback 128

    Chapter <b>0128 </b>


    MARCUS


    I cursed under my breath feeling angry. When I told Warren about Olivia, I didn¡¯t do it because I looked down on her, I did it so that he heard it from me and not anyone else. The news about that incident were easy to find and I didn¡¯t want it to seem like I was hiding it. Now the man use that to make my fianc¨¦ feel bad.


    He made her and her family feel small. And he made me scen like an asshole to the wornan I was nning on spending the rest of my life with. I thought he was better than that, but I was wrong, he was an asshole who made my fianc¨¦ sign a prenup behind my back.


    ¡°I will be right back.¡± I turned to leave; I couldn¡¯t even look at Olivia in the eye after hearing what he did. No wonder she looked off when she came back, she was angry, and it was my fault. I got into my car and made some calls. Our wedding was in three weeks, and I was still dealing with family members who didn¡¯t know their boundaries.


    ¡°Where is Warren?¡± I called his guard; I wasn¡¯t about to hide that I was looking for the man. He didn¡¯t even look me up when he got here because he knew I wouldn¡¯t have agreed with what he did. ¡°We are at Monte Vista Grand Hotel.¡± I cut the call and drove out heading there. What the hell was his n? To make Olivia call off the wedding.


    The more I thought about it the angrier I became. Getting to the hotel, I was about to make another call when I saw his guard standing at the entrance. I knew Warren sent him to get me. I got out leaving the keys to the valet. He greeted when I got to him, but I ignored him. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    ¡°This way.¡± He led the way to the elevator, and it took us to the fifteenth floor. It was a penthouse. The bastard liked luxury and yet he was biting the hand that fed him. ¡°Ahh, nephew. Good to see you. want a drink?¡± he was so cheerful as if he did nothing wrong.


    ¡°Why?¡± he furrowed his eyebrows as if he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. I should have never given the man anything back then. ¡°I am afraid you will have to exin if you want me to understand and probably respond to what you are asking or talking about.¡± I chuckled. He must have thought I was a moron or something.


    ¡°What right did you have to give my fianc¨¦ a prenup?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that.¡± he said as if it was nothing and that just pissed me off. I pped the ss he was holding out of his hands, and he sighed looking at the mess. ¡°I own half of everything you own and if something happens between you and Olivia, then I will lose too.¡± I chuckled; I should have known it was about him.


    ¡°Is that why you did it? to look out for your interests? Did you forget that everything I gave you I can take back just as easily as I gave you?¡± heughed as if he was not bothered by my outburst. ¡°I want the prenup now.¡± He stoppedughing and all amusement left him.


    ¡°Let me remind you of something dearest nephew since you seem to be blinded by that gold digging woman¡­¡± I punched him so hard on the jaw that his face turned to the side. Silence filled the room; his guard didn¡¯t even have a chance to move, and I had already punched him.


    ¡°Punch me all you like but I am doing this for you. if I was someone else, I would have let you marry that woman and take everything you own for myself. remember the agreement we signed? It says if anyone of us does something to put the business and our interest at risk. The other has the right to take everything. I can use your precious fianc¨¦¡¯s past to take the business from you if you destroy that paper. Your choice but either way, I win.¡± I fumed in anger but at the same time, I knew it was for nothing.


    Warren was right, I didn¡¯t even know why I signed that damn thing. What was I thinking, anyway. It was not like I wanted to give Olivia half my wealth and she didn¡¯t care about it. but I wished he never went about it the way he did. It hurt her.


    ¡°Did you have to disrespect her family?¡± heughed as if he was mocking me. ¡°You mean that miss matched family of domestic workers? Please, I treated them the same way we treat our servants back home.¡±


    ¡°Except they are not our servants back home, they are Olivia¡¯s family and in case you forgot, I was just like them and¡­¡±


    ¡°And look at how my brother¡¯s money cleaned you up and made you into a prince that you are today. You are no longer that servant boy you once were Marcus. You are now a billionaire, act like it!¡± Iughed feeling frustrated, people like Warren who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth don¡¯t know what it was like to be poor. I did. ¡°People like you who were born with a silver spoon sticking out of your ass are cruel and I don¡¯t want you at my wedding. You disrespect Olivia and her family then you disrespect me. also, I will have mywyer look at that


    do agreement once again and if I find even one loophole. I am taking everything I ever gave you and see what you then.¡±


    I turned to leave but before I could close the door he spoke. I suggest you thread lightly, dear nephew because if you keep pushing, I might just push back and trust me. I will win, I always win. Don¡¯t try me.¡± anger rose from the pit of my stomach surging as if I were going to explode


    ¡°Uncle, I will say this once. I am no longer that na?ve boy you manipted and threatened into giving you half of what he owns. I am a man now and I have learnt a lot. Take me on and trust me, you will know what it is to lose.¡±


    X

 Novel Payback 129

    Chapter <b>0129 </b>


    NICK


    ¡°Olivia¡¯s wedding is in two weeks.¡± I ignored Ethan, I knew he only wanted a reaction out of me, but I was not going to give him the satisfaction. ¡°She looks happy, it¡¯s been a while since Ist saw her smiling so much. Marcus must be doing something right.¡± Still, I said nothing. ¡°What do you think Nick?¡±


    I stood and went to stand by the window. We were in my office working on a deal. Since I decided to stop bothering Olivia while she was with Marcus, I threw myself into my work and have spent most days and nights in that office.


    It was starting to feel like before, when Olivia was in jail and all I could do was work. ¡°Nick am talking to you.¡± heined, I turned to him. ¡°What do you want me to say than, weren¡¯t you the one who told me <i>to </i>let her be happy with Marcus, so, why do you care what I think about her wedding?¡±


    He just looked at me. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be upset about it man, telling you to stop bothering her didn¡¯t mean you must forget her altogether. You have not seen her in thest few months man. She seems smitten by Marcus, and I still want her back with you.¡± I just turned back to the window looking at the view of the city.


    I could see the whole city from up in my office, the view was even better at night. The city Is beautiful in the cover of night. ¡°Come on, man.¡± He was beginning to irritate me, what did he want me to say? ¡°Tell me what you want me to say Ethan and I will say it.¡± he gave a pitiful look; I hated it when he looked at me with pity.


    I wasn¡¯t a pitiful man; I might have been losing my wife but that didn¡¯t mean I was pitiful. I had everything I wanted. But even with that story I was telling myself, the only thing I ever wanted and need is my wife back.


    ¡°Am sorry, are you going to the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Get out, get the fuck out of my office since you have nothing better to do than to torment me. leave!¡± he didn¡¯t look bothered by my outburst, he looked amused instead. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you would act like you are alright when I can clearly see that you are not. Olivia is¡­¡±


    ¡°Olivia has nothing to do with my son or my family. Why are you even talking about her?¡± mother saiding in. I didn¡¯t even know what she was doing there. ¡°What do you want, mother?¡± she acted shocked that I asked, and I furrowed my eyebrows looking at her.


    She called me weak when I did nothing to go after Marcus some more and I didn¡¯t have time to exin to her why I stopped. ¡°This is still a family business, Nick and as a member and missus of the Jones family. I have a right to be here.¡± Right! Trust Elodie Jones to make everything about her.


    ¡°Now, Ethan, why are you talking about that woman here? Don¡¯t you know that Nick doesn¡¯t want anything to do with her?¡± wow! I wondered where she got that from. I didn¡¯t remember telling her something like that.


    ¡°I was just asking Nick if he is going to the wedding.¡± Mother frowned. ¡°Why would my son go to the wedding of the deceitful woman?¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± I reprimanded. ¡°What?¡± she asked acting like she didn¡¯t just say that. what happened to mother that she hates Olivia now, those two were inseparable. What the hell happened, because I knew for a fact that Olivia did nothing to me or her and she knew that.


    ¡°You can say what you want about Olivia, but she is not a deceitful woman, and you know that. also, I don¡¯t appreciate you calling her names in my presence.¡± Mother frowned. ¡°Nick Jones, I will hate you for as long as I live if you dare bring Olivia back into our lives.¡± Where the hell did she get that from now?


    Don¡¯t give me that look, I know you, I gave birth to you and if you are speaking this way about her than that means you have not given up on her. Nick, if you bring Olivia back into our lives then that means you are inviting Luke into our lives. Not only him but his mafia too. I have lived that life, and I don¡¯t want it anywhere near me


    ever again.¡±


    She paced working herself up for no reason. ¡°Luke nearly killed you because of that Olivia, your father died, because of her and you want to bring her back into my family? Over my dead body!¡± I went and took a seat and leaned back resting.


    ¡°Mother, you seem to forget one thing, Olivia was not at fault about what happened to father, you are. You were the one who chose him over me and now that his dead you want to me it on Olivia? Really, mother.¡± She was making me mad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go around ming Olivia for your mistakes and your life choices. Even if I didn¡¯t bring her back into this family, I will not be bringing her back for you. I will be bringing her back for me, she will be my wife like she was before, and you can stay the hell away from us.¡±


    She looked at me shocked as if she didn¡¯t expect me to say that. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you think before you speak, Nick. But some of the things you say hurt. I have made mistakes; am not denying that but who is themon denominator in everything that has happened to us? Olivia


    Mother was acting Hollier than thou. But she was not innocent. She had her sins and had no right to be throwing stones. ¡°You know what mother; I have heard enough. Please leave and don¡¯te back here, you have no business being here, Jones pr not. I run thispany, not you.¡± she looked hurt by my words.


    I didn¡¯t want it toe to this, but she was pushing me to the edge. ¡°I will leave, but if you dare bring Olivia back into our lives. I will kill her then wait for her father or you since you care about her so much toe and avenge her. but it wouldn¡¯t matter what you do then because she would be dead!¡±

 Novel Payback 130

    Chapter <b>0130 </b>


    NICK


    I sat there and watched my mother leave after dropping such a bomb on me. I didn¡¯t know if I should take what she said seriously or as just rumblings of an old and frustrated woman still grieving the loss of her husband. As a son, I should be listening to my mother and trying to make her life easy.


    But my mother was like no other, she was no ordinary woman and even the way she spoke one could tell that she wasn¡¯t the housewife everyone knew her to be. Mother had mafia blood running through her veins and even when I want to ignore some of the things she says, it¡¯s hard to because of her background.


    I might ignore them only to regret itter when she acts on them. ¡°Tell me what is on your mind?¡± Ethan brought me back from my thoughts. I looked at my friend and he had this look <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t decipher on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make of the threat my mother just¡­ I shook my head no longer able to continue with what I was saying. I wished I remained ignorant to everything that she was and still is. It was true what they said that ignorance is bliss. I was good not knowing that when my mother says she would kill me, she spoke of something she could actually do.


    ¡°Look man, Luke is starting to see you in a different light and not as someone he wants to put a bullet through his head. Don¡¯t go spoiling that because of your mother. In whatever you do about what she said and Olivia. Make sure you protect her this time.¡±


    I sighed feeling exhausted. When would it end, when would I get my happiness back and not have to worry about my mother or anyone else ruining things for me. I went to the small table at the corner on my office with my liquor and poured myself a drink.


    The hard liquor burned my throat as it went down, and I weed the sensation. I turned to my friend. ¡°I don¡¯t n on hurting Olivia but sometimes things happen that are out of my control that I end up being to me for them one way or another.¡±


    I sipped my drink. ¡°I am not saying I have not done shit, I have, and I have apologized for all of it. but then there is my mother who is just waiting to start shit as well. What am I to do with that?¡± Ethan shifted on his seat. I studied his movements, and he continued to shift ufortably on the seat.


    ¡°What are you hiding?¡± He quickly lifted his head to look at me. when Ethan was going to lie, he looked a person in the eye to try and convince them that he was not lying. But I knew him better than anyone. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Ethan. You don¡¯t have to tell me. as long as it won¡¯t put the people I love in danger.¡±


    He nodded. I went back to my seat and leaned back. I turned the chair around looking back at the view of the city. Nick, tell me the truth. Are you really going to let Olivia marry Marcus, are you really giving up on her?¡± to think he was the one who convinced me to let her be happy he sure was worried about me losing her.


    Or was he worried about himself not having a chance with her once she was married to Marcus and wanted to use me to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen? I hated the person I had be, now I was doubting my friend because of all the shit that happened recently.


    ¡°Let it go, Ethan. It¡¯s done.¡± I answered without turning to look at him. ¡°Gentleman!¡± I heard Marcus¡¯s voice.¡± Sir, I tried to stop him, but he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± My PA said. I just lifted my hand and waved her off. No one could stop Marcus from doing whatever he wanted.


    Piece of shit managed to take my wife, and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. what wasing into my office unannounced? ¡°What are you doing here? You seem to forget that we are not friends Marcus.¡± I asked still look at my view and sipping on my drink.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te for you, Nick.¡±


    ¡°Whoever you <b>came </b>for, I am sure he has a phone. You could have called but no, <b>you </b><b>came </b><b>in </b>person instead<b>. </b>I wonder why. Regretting taking what belongs to me already?<b>¡± </b>I heard him chuckle. He must have thought that I was making a joke, but I wasn¡¯t.


    If he <b>was </b>tired of my wife, then I was more than happy to take her off his hands. <b>¡°</b>You wish boy, Ethen. Be my best man. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea though, we are not friends as your best friend said. But you mean a lot to Olivia and because of her. I want you there.¡±


    Iughed. ¡°Stop trying to justify it man<b>, </b>you don¡¯t have friends and that is why you are asking mine.¡± This time I turned because I wanted to see the look on his face. And yes, it was priceless, hahah. ¡°Fine, I don¡¯t. happy now?¡± he looked at bit sad when he said that.


    I wished I could feel bad for him, but I couldn¡¯t, it was just so satisfying seeing him that <b>way</b>. <b>¡°</b><b>It </b><b>is </b>true what they say, huh?¡± he furrowed his eyebrows.


    ¡°What?¡± Iughed now feeling more at ease and a little happy. I have notughed in a long time and I must say. The man made my day. ¡°That we can¡¯t have it all. I mean look at you, billionaire with all the money you can spend, my wife on your arm and son. And yet, you don¡¯t have a friend to stand by your side on your wedding day.¡± I saw that sadness again and I couldn¡¯t control myughter. Jesus! Somethings are just too good. ¡°You are right, Nick. We can¡¯t have it all. just like you can¡¯t have what is now mine even with all the money you also have.¡± He shrugged. The bastard.


    ¡°I will stand with you.¡± I looked at Ethan, no I red at him. ¡°Sometimes one must do something for another from the goodness of his heart, to be kind. It¡¯s Marcus¡¯s day and he wants to share it with me, I say why not and so what if we are not friends?¡± the smirk on Marcus¡¯s face made me want to wipe it off with a punch.

 Novel Payback 131

    Chapter <b>0131 </b>


    OLIVIA


    It¡¯s the day of the wedding and I couldn¡¯t sleep a winkst night. I didn¡¯t remember myself being that nervous on my wedding day with Nick. What was different about this one? I tried<b>; </b>God knows I tried. I drank warm milk, camomile tea but none of that worked. I was still up at two the morning not able to sleep.


    I couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly why. Now Lupita was mad at me because I didn¡¯t want to wake up and get ready. She wasining about beingte and all that. but a bride is alwayste, what¡¯s new? ¡°Olivia!¡± I wished she would stoping into my room and trying to wake me up every five minutes and let me get the sleep I need then I can wake up.


    ¡°Call Marcus and tell him to move the start time by an hour or so because I am not going to rock up there with bags under my eyes.¡± Iined turning to the other side and sleeping some more. My eyes were heavy with sleep that I found Lupita annoying for trying to deprive me of it.


    I head footsteps moving away and a smiled rxing while snuggling my pillow. Marcus would understand. I was starting to fall into deep sleep when I felt something cold being poured on me. I jumped up gasping. I was so mad and ready to give whoever did that a piece of my mind.


    But when I came to, grandma stood there with a bucket in hand. She didn¡¯t look pleased at all. ¡°Grandma.¡± She elicked her tongue. ¡°Go shower, your make up people are waiting for you and don¡¯t make mee back here to look for you again.¡± Wow! I didn¡¯t know she could look that scary, it was unlike her.


    She walked out and Lupita appeared with a smirk on her face. I gave her the finger and sheughed. I went into the shower and used cold water to wake myself up. If I had used warm water, then I would have fallen asleep in that shower and angered grandma some more.


    At least I only had to get myself ready, Samuel was getting ready with Ethan and Marcus. I didn¡¯t know what got into Marcus that he asked Ethan to be his best man. But I let it go, he had his reasons. They both did and it had nothing to do with me.


    I was just d that Nick has kept his distance all this time. Made me feel like he had epted the fact that we were over, and I was d. I got out of the shower and put on my gown then went out of the room. indeed, the make -up people were already waiting for me.


    I took a seat, and Lupita handed me a cup of coffee and a slice of toast. I was grateful because I knew I wouldn¡¯t have had time to have something. They got to work on my hair while we were talking andughing and drinking champagne.


    Soon they were done with me and I moved, and they did Lupita and grandma¡¯s makeup then we all got dressed and we were ready to go. We were about fifteen minuteste. The limo was already waiting outside for us. I wanted to go with my family.


    I already didn¡¯t have anyone to walk me down the aisle, Luke offered but I refused. I could not give the man such an honour after what he did. He did not deserve it and not only because of what he did to my mother, but he was not a father to me. so, why would I have him giving me away on my special day?


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked grandma. I was alright, for some reason. I felt at peace. ¡°I am fine grandma, am happy and at peace. I think all the nerves I was feelingst night preventing me from sleeping are all gone.¡±


    She offered me a smile. ¡°I wish your mother and grandmother were here to see how beautiful you look. I am s they are both happy wherever they are, looking down on you and smiling.¡± I teared up when she said that. I wished I had them with me this day.


    But God had other ns for them and me. ¡°Thank you.¡± when we got to the church Ethan was pacing in front then


    stopped when our car stopped next to him. Lupita opened the door and got out. Ethan peeked into the <b>car</b>. ¡°Are you trying to give that man a heart attack?¡± Iughed.


    But he was not having it. ¡°This is not aughing matter Olivia<b>; </b>the man got me out here going crazy because you were not showing. Am sure he was thinking you ran off and went back to Nick.¡± I frowned.


    ¡°Oh,e on, don¡¯t give me that look, my best friend is not a bad man he just did bad things. Am going in to tell him you are here. Don¡¯t stay out here too long or he will just die on that alter.¡± Iughed as he walked away.


    My poor man must have been really worried. We walked up the stairs and grandma and Lupita gave me a hug before going inside and leaving me there. I took deep breaths trying to calm down. I could feel my nerves returning now knowing that all eyes would be on me.


    My song soon yed, and I took onest deep breath, and I walked in. I didn¡¯t look at anyone else, my focus was on the man I was marrying looking handsome on the alter with my son by his side. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off me as I walked along. The world disappeared and all who remained were just the two of us.


    When I got to him, he smiled and whispered. ¡°You look breathtakingly beautiful, my love.¡± I smiled ¡°You don¡¯t look too bad yourself.¡± Heughed; he looked so handsome in his suit. The ceremony started but I couldn¡¯t hear a thing.


    My focus was on the smile and winks the man kept giving me. a mischievous smile yed on his lips with a promise of being naughtyter. It made me want to get the hell out of there and go be alone with him.


    ¡°If there is anyone here, who knows of any reason these two cannot be joined in marriage, please speak now or forever hold your peace.¡± I heard that part and the reason I heard it was because I had many people who were not very pleased by the wedding.


    ¡°Good, let us continue¡­¡±


    ¡°I object!¡± a voice I knew all too well suddenly said. I held my breath not wanting to turn to look at him. ¡°Why, if I may ask.?¡±


    ¡°Because the bride is already married, to me.¡±

 Novel Payback 132

    Chapter <b>0132 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I couldn¡¯t tell how I was feeling, I didn¡¯t know if it was anger or disappointment. Silence fell in the church after his words. ¡°Nick, this is not the time for you to y games Ethan said taking a few steps in his direction, but Nick paid him no mind. The bastard kept his eyes on me the whole time and I on him.


    ¡°Is the gentleman telling the truth?¡± asked the priest, I didn¡¯t know what made him think that anyone would be paying attention to him. ¡°Nick?¡± Ethan called his name, and I kept my eyes on him waiting for him to say it was only a joke, a dy tactic, whatever. I just wanted him to say something to clear the whole mess up.


    ¡°Nick, man, sit down. We don¡¯t have all day; I want to make this woman my wife.¡± It was Marcus who spoke this time. But still Nick didn¡¯t pay him any mind, he kept his eyes on me. that was when I knew that nothing either one of the men said, he was not going to answer them. ¡°Nick?¡± called his name.


    ¡°My heart.¡± My own heart boomed in my ears when he called me that, I didn¡¯t know what was happening. ¡°Am sorry.¡± When he said that, I didn¡¯t know what to say or how <b>to </b>feel. My head buzzed and I felt a little lightheaded.¡± What are you talking about, Nick? You and Olivia are divorced, and it has been some time now. So, please just sit down and let us continue.¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t get it; I knew Nick better than anyone and right at that time. He was not telling lies, for some reason he did believe that we were still married. I didn¡¯t want to know what the reason was, I just wanted to get the hell out of there and for us to sort the whole mess somewhere else and away from these people, our guests.


    ¡°Nick!¡± Marcus was losing his patience, that was when I averted my eyes from Nick and turned to look at him. ¡± Let¡¯s go to the hotel.¡± I whispered but he heard me, he raised an eyebrow but then nodded. ¡°Everyone, if you could follow thedy back there, she will take you to the reception area, have a drink and eat some food. Thank you for your understanding.¡±


    He then took my hand then turned to Nick. ¡°Follow me, you too Ethan.¡± He then looked behind Nick and I saw Lupita getting up. I was grateful, she was going to take Samuel as we sort the whole thing out. Marcus red at Nick who still had not taken his eyes off me. I followed Marcus out of the church as Ethan and Nick followed behind.


    We got into the car and drove off to the hotel, I should have known that my happiness was not going tost long. Nothing of mine eversts. I was wondering when the other shoe would drop, and it just did. I just didn¡¯t think it was going to drop on this day. Oh, Nick. He always did have the worst timing of all.


    Starting from when he sent me to jail, and I was pregnant with our son. Now the moron didn¡¯t even know his son very well because he was not fit in my eyes to be a father to him and he kept doing things to make me believe that I made the right decision.


    When we got to the hotel, we went up to the honeymoon suite. Marcus must have booked it for us to spend the night after the wedding and before we left for our honeymoon. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Marcus bellowed as soon as the door to the room closed.


    Nick only kept his eyes on me even as he answered Marcus. I have always told you that she was my wife, always referred to her as such, it is not my fault that you didn¡¯t listen.¡± I raised an eyebrow; I remember signing the divorce papers he gave me and that was a year ago.


    ¡°You are fucking divorced!¡± Marcus was angry and I was just numb. ¡°You never signed or filed the divorce papers, did you?¡± Nick shook his head when I asked, and I just sighed and went to take a seat. I was exhausted.


    He came and sat opposite me. ¡°You asked me for a divorce, I was not ready for and It didn¡¯t even cross my mind. I did a bad thing; in fact, I did many bad and painful things to you. but I always hoped that we would fix things and get back together. I had to give you those divorce papers because you kept asking about them<b>, </b>but it was never


    what I wanted.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Nick.¡± Ethan sounded defeated. I on the other hand was defeated. Nick just had to be in the middle <b>of </b>everything to do with me. Good or bad, the man was in the centre of it. ¡°Am sorry, my heart. This was not meant to hurt you, but I couldn¡¯t sign them. Olivia<b>, </b><b>I </b>have loved <b>you </b>since the first time Iid my eyes on you and that time I didn¡¯t even know who you were.¡±


    2113


    He paused rubbing his hands together, something he did when he was nervous. ¡°That day, when I saw you, I was ready to ghost the woman my mother was forcing me to marry and follow you. I was willing to risk everything for you and when you turned out to be the woman who was going to be my wife. My heart settled, the storm within settle and I was ovee by a sense of peace. I can¡¯t let that go.¡±


    Marcus chuckled. ¡°Why did you wait until now to mention this little information, was it to humiliate me or Olivia, what did you hope to achieve, Nick?¡± I wanted to know the very same thing. ¡°<b>I </b>thought I could let her go; I thought I would let her get married then sign and file the divorce papers. But I couldn¡¯t, I just couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You know what, get out. Get the fuck out of here, Nick!¡± Marcus bellowed. Ethan had been standing by the door silently looking at Nick. I didn¡¯t know what was on his mind, but he looked pleased. ¡°Olivia<b>, </b>could we please meet up and talk? Please, my heart. Just an hour of your time.¡±


    He pleaded, if there was one thing I liked about Marcus, it was that he never interfered when something was directed at me, he let me make my own decisions. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. I needed to make sure that he was okay with me talking to Nick, his feelings were hurt too.


    ¡°Sure, now please leave.¡±

 Novel Payback 133

    <b>Chapter </b><b>0133 </b>


    <b>NICK </b>


    **)


    I sat in <b>the </b>church wearing my <b>best </b>suit attending the wedding. I thought I could do it, I thought I could sit there and watch her marry someone else. But I was only lying <b>to </b><b>myself</b>, because the problem started when she didn¡¯t show up on time, I kept checking the security cameras at my ce hoping to see her in one of them.


    I was happy she didn¡¯t show because to me that told me that she didn¡¯t want to marry someone else. That there <b>was </b>still a chance for us. While Marcus was going crazy and going off at Ethan to do his fucking job as the best man and find her. I was happy with my legs crossed. Happy that the bastard didn¡¯t win after all.


    That there was a chance for me with her after all. All hope left me when Ethan came back and told him that she <b>was </b>outside. The smile on his face killed the one I had on mine. My heart broke in an instant, but I <b>still </b>told myself that I could do it, that I could sit there and let her be happy with him, but how could i?


    And then she appeared from the entrance looking breathtakingly beautiful, even more beautiful than the day we g breathtakingly beautiful, even more beautiful than the day we got married. She looked radiant and that dress on her, she was perfect, tension gathered on my shoulders and something heavy sat on my chest. It was like a huge rock was ced on my chest cutting off my everything.


    I felt like I was dying, I might as well have been because my heart, was about tomit herself to someone else. I didn¡¯t know when I stood up and objected to the marriage. just know I did, and I did it on time. As they were going crazy my eyes were on her, my lifeline, my love and my soul. The love of my life and my heart.


    The woman with which my whole being belonged. She held my everything in her little hands. She gave me a confused look, but I kept looking at her. she knew me better than anyone in the church and she knew that I was not telling lies. She was mine and I was still hers. We said till death do us apart, she and I.


    Neither of us were dead yet. Marcus went on and on, but I kept my eyes on her, my sanity. My life. I don¡¯t think I have ever been more vulnerable in my life than at that moment. Olivia, see me, look into my eyes and see me. see how naked I am in front of you, how vulnerable, how weak, see me!


    That was what I was saying in my mind the whole time I was looking at her and hoping that she would. Even at the hotel, when I exined myself, I was asking her, no begging her to see me, to choose me, toe back to me. because I needed her more than I needed air to breathe. She was my everything.


    I couldn¡¯t lose her. ¡°You bloody bastard!¡± Ethan said as soon as we were safely behind the confines of my car. He thenughed out loud. It might have been funny to him, but it wasn¡¯t to me. my little stunt at the church might have bought me sometime. But it didn¡¯t mean she was going toe back to me.


    ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t care about everything I said in your office that other time. You knew that she was still married to you, and you could stop the wedding if you wanted to. But why wait until thest minute though?¡±


    A sighed left me as I looked out the window. ¡°That was not my n, I didn¡¯t want to stop the wedding, I thought I could go through with it, sit there and let her be happy. But I couldn¡¯t, it was too painful to watch her slip away from me like that. I just couldn¡¯t.¡±


    I rubbed my chest with my hand as I felt the tensioning back. The way she looked to Marcus when I asked if we could talk. That told me that she trusted and respected him as her partner. That she didn¡¯t want to do anything that would hurt his feelings.


    Olivia, did you know that hurt my feelings. Did you know how deep it would cut me to see you do that, asking him for permission to talk to me, your husband, have I really lost you? my heart ached. ¡°Damn, man. I feel for you. fuck, this shit is messed up.¡± Indeed, it was but I had no control over what I was feeling.


    I should have been the one standing by her side like that with our son when we renewed our vows as I nned we would. It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen that way, she was supposed toe back to me after prison. But everything


    $


    <b>Chapter </b>0133


    <b>just </b>went <b>to </b><b>shit</b><b>, </b>and <b>I </b><b>set </b>the ball rolling<b>. </b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>You know </b>that she <b>can </b>just get awyer <b>go </b>to a judge and make this divorce happen, whether you want <b>it </b>to or <b>not</b>.<b>¡± </b><b>I </b><b>knew </b>that and that was why I never told her about any of it. ¡°Fuck! I call myself a professional <b>in </b>information gathering and yet I <b>didn¡¯t </b>know about <b>this</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>always called her my wife, I never stopped. Why did you think I was doing that?¡±


    ¡°Shit man, I don¡¯t know. I thought you were just used to calling her that. I didn¡¯t think you meant it in a literal sense of the word. Shit!¡± I said nothing as I watch people on the outside going about their business. They looked happy while my world was falling apart.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I am happy you stopped it. but that also means you have a problem<b>.</b>¡± I furrowed my eyebrows and finally turned to look at him. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Your mother.¡± My chest burned when he mentioned her.


    am not an unreasonable man, and I am not an


    ungrateful son but if my mother goes anywhere near Olivia, I swear to God and whatever else is out there. I will kill her with my bare hands.¡±


    4+

 Novel Payback 134

    Chapter <b>0134 </b>


    OLIVIA


    As soon as they left, Marcus loosened his tie then took off his jacket, shoes, pants, everything. ¡°I am sorry about what happened. I didn¡¯t know he never filed the papers.<b>¡± </b>He paid me no mind as he threw everything he was wearing on the chair. ¡°Do you want me to help you out of that dress?¡± I shook my head in the negative.


    He nodded then headed towards the bathroom. Before he entered, he turned to me. ¡°It better be off when Ie out.¡± My eyes widened, he turned and got into the bathroom closing the door behind him. soon<b>, </b>I heard the shower running and I sighed sitting on the bed.


    Fucking Nick Jones! Who the hell did I wrong in my past life to end up with him? the man knew how to fuck up my life like he had a manual on it. one could even say he was a subject matter expert in that, he was good, really good. I don¡¯t even remember why I loved him in the first ce.


    Did I even know him? I don¡¯t know how long I sat there for, but I was brought back by the bathroom door opening and Marcusing out. He looked so handsome, wearing only a towel. He furrowed his eyebrows then leaned against the door frame.


    ¡°I said, I wanted that dress off by the time I came


    out. Why is it still on?¡± I swallowed getting up from the bed and taking two steps towards him. ¡°Stop right there,¡± I stopped in my tracks and lifted my head to look at him. ¡°Take it off.¡± His voice was low and his face void of emotions.


    ¡°Marcus am sorry I really didn¡¯t know about this, Ni¡­?¡±


    ¡°No talking, strip!¡± I looked at him, he didn¡¯t even let me finish exining myself. ¡°Olivia, do you understand the words that areing out of my mouth?¡± I nodded; I wasn¡¯t dumb. ¡°Then do as I say, strip.¡± I unfasten the dress and soon it dropped to my ankles.


    ¡°Everything¡± I whipped my head up and looked at him. he was still leaning on the doorframe, arms cross on his chest and looking at me. I did as told then stood naked in front of him. he took his time looking at me, from head to toe. Then like a predator he was, he pushed himself off the doorframe and took small steps towards me.¡®


    My heart was beating so fast and hard that I could hear it in my ears. It was so loud that I didn¡¯t even know what I was feeling at that moment. When he was close, my head lowered, and I focused my gaze on my feet.


    I was ashamed, the man had not seen me naked, likepletely naked. He didn¡¯t know what my body looked like and that was the first time. I had scars, healed but scars none the less. He knew about the ones I had on the inside, but he didn¡¯t know about the ones I had on the outside.


    I felt ashamed all of a sudden and self¨Cconscious. I wasn¡¯t like other women, I didn¡¯t have a perfect body to boost about, I was broken and damaged. I felt his hand on my chin<b>, </b>and he gently lifted my head to look at me. our eyes locked, I couldn¡¯t read his face. ¡°So, fucking beautiful!¡± he dered, I swear the man was blind. ¡°Why would you apologise for a moron like Nick?¡± huh?


    ¡°Did you


    ask him not to file those papers?¡± I was about to answer when I felt his hand on top of my pussy touching it. he was not doing anything. I tried to look down, but he wouldn¡¯t let me. ¡°Keep your eyes on me. did you ask him.¡± I shook my head no.


    ¡°Then why are you apologizing for him?¡± I felt him starting to y with my folds and I whimpered. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the stunt he pulled was to hurt and humiliate me and not you?¡± sadness covered my face. ¡°Fix your face, Nick can¡¯t do anything to me.¡± he dipped his finger inside. My nipples hardened.


    ¡°The man loves you and that is why he never filed those papers but what he did today was to humiliate me. what i want to do, is to make love to you like I nned on doing after the wedding. Nick will not stop me from being with you and being happy.¡±


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    I wanted to answer, to say something but I couldn¡¯t focus. His fingers going in and out of my pussy were starting to make me lose my mind, I didn¡¯t want to sound stupid and say something that was not relevant. ¡°Open up for me.¡± I dly opened and he inserted another finger. ¡°Oh<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>moan.


    ¡°Get on the bed, sit by the big pillow and open up facing me<b>¡± </b>I hurried to bed and did as told. I opened my legs facing him and his eyes darkened. Raw desire written all over his face. ¡°y with yourself<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>I started ying with my clit with my eyes focused on him.


    He started stroking his dick as he watched me. I could feel the pleasure building up and I moaned closing my eyes. ¡°Ahh!¡± I didn¡¯t know when he moved from where he stood, but I felt his warm breath between my legs and my hand being move from my pussy and reced by his tongue


    Goodness! I thought his hands had magic but no, his tongue had magic. I didn¡¯t know half the things I was saying as he ate me up. ¡°Am Cuming!¡± I shouted feeling my legs starting to tremble. ¡°Not yet.¡± He got up andes up to me, kissing me and making me taste myself.


    Then without warning he entered me making me jerk from the bed. He was big, I could feel my pussy walls expanding and my pussy pulsing. ¡°You are mine; do you understand <b>me</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>I nodded. ¡°Words, Olivia, use words.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Please.¡± I sounded so desperate, and I was. I wanted him to move but he wasn¡¯t moving. He was just in there with his dick that kept jerking inside me. ¡°What do you want?¡± fuck! <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>want you to move, I want you to make love to me. please.¡±


    ¡°Your wish is mymand, my que

 Novel Payback 135

    Chapter <b>0135 </b>


    NICK


    When we got to my ce, I threw myself on the couch while Ethan poured us something to drink. He handed me mine then sat opposite me. He kept ncing at me with a smile on his face. I knew he wanted to say something, but I wasn¡¯t going to ask. If he wanted to say something, then he would say it.


    ¡°So?¡± there we go, my friend could not keep his mouth shut for anything. I raised an eyebrow just waiting for something stupid toe out of his mouth. ¡°My friend is back, and I am happy.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows, that was unexpected. ¡°Look man, I know you have done a lot of shit to your wife, and I have done some shit to you as well. But¡­?¡± he paused taking another sip from his ss.


    ¡°I am happy to see that the man I know is still there, the one who fought for what he believed in and one who loved his wife more than anything in this world.¡± I really didn¡¯t expect that, I felt it. ¡°Thanks man<b>, </b>but this fighting will be for nothing if she doesn¡¯te back to me he stood and went to refill our sses,


    ¡°Even so man, you will know that you have done everything you could to get her back. It will hurt to lose her, but you also can¡¯t force her to be with you. I am just d that you have finally seen the light and fought for her in the end.¡± I wished Olivia could see that; she could see me.


    ¡°I hope Olivia sees it the same way you do.¡± He shook his head. ¡°She might not see it the same way I do, but she does see how much you are fighting to get her back. Trust me, she knows how sorry you are and how much you regret everything that happened.¡± I hoped she did.


    ¡°Nick Jones!¡± I felt a headacheing, that was my mother already shouting my name anding to cause trouble. Ethan gave me a look then shook his head. ¡°Remember what I said man, you don¡¯t want her ruining everything you have done so far.¡± I felt like my head was splitting in two. My mother has be an annoying person.


    Like those typical mothers inws who hated their daughters inw. I never used to have such problems, but I had to go and send my wife to jail causing all this shit. ¡°Nick!¡± I didn¡¯t know what the reason was for her to shout my name instead of justing in and say what she wanted to say.


    When she finally appeared, she stood there ring at me with her hand on her waist. ¡°What the fuck did you do?¡± I didn¡¯t dignify that question with an answer, she came because she heard exactly what I did, and her asking was just her way of making me repeat myself. ¡°I am talking to you!¡± God! Why did she have to raise her voice.


    4


    ¡°I am not deaf mother, I can hear you and you know exactly what I did, isn¡¯t that why you came, because you know?¡± she scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t be smart with me, didn¡¯t I warn you not to do something like this, did I not make myself clear as to what would happen if you did?¡±


    Mother must think I am still a child who couldn¡¯t think for himself. Or maybe she thought I was na?ve and stupid and didn¡¯t know what I was doing. ¡°Mother, did you forget that you raised an independent man? When you raised me that way, didn¡¯t you want me to be the kind of man who makes his own decisions instead of running to you all the time?¡±


    She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. I stood, I loved her, she was my mother, and I would prefer it if we didn¡¯t fight. We were all each other had, there was no other family for us, well. Except for the man and Luke. But they were not close family. I held her shoulders as she looked at me fuming in anger.


    ¡°Mother, do you know how much I love you?¡± her facial features softened a little. ¡°I love you so much and I don¡¯t want for our rtionship to take so much strain. I need you in my life mother but if we continue this way, ou rtionship will suffer. Is that what you want?¡± she sighed shaking he head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what I want, son. I just want to protect you. since Luke arrived and started seeking revenge for Olivia, I fear for your life. I fear that if you get close to her again then this time, I will lose you just like I lost your father


    and I <b>will </b>be all alone. I don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t want to go through something like that again. Not after what my father did.¡±


    I sighed<b>, </b>sometimes all it took was for people to open up and talk about things. ¡°<b>Mom</b>, <b>I </b>am not leaving you and Luke is not going to do anything to me. he might be angry that I stopped the wedding but that is not something to kill over.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know Luke like I do. My brother can be a monster when he wants to, and he doesn¡¯t need a valid <b>reason </b>to be one.¡± I supposed she knew him better than I did but still. ¡°Mom<b>, </b>Luke has changed a little after meeting Olivia, what I think he wants is what every parent wants. For their children to be happy and protected.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I know Nick, but your happiness contradicts his daughters like now, you stopped her wedding, something that would have made her happy. How do you think Luke is going to take that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how he takes it, mother. Luke needs toe to terms with the fact that his daughter is my wife, and I want her back in my life. The sooner he epts that I am not going anywhere, the better it will be for all of us.<b>¡± </b>


    Mother sighed looking defeated as she took a seat. ¡°I hope he has changed as much as you say he has because if you are wrong. I am afraid that I will lose you this time and will be all alone.¡± My poor mother.

 Novel Payback 136

    Chapter <b>0136 </b>


    NICK


    Ethan clicked his tongue on the side, I had forgotten that he was there while I was having a heart to heart with my mother. ¡°What is the matter with you, can¡¯t you see that we are talking about something important here, what are you even doing here?¡± mother was annoyed. But I didn¡¯t think she was annoyed by Ethan but by the fact that she was not getting her way.


    ¡°I am here for my friend but let¡¯s not get side tracked here, Nick, did you forget that this woman, your mother, can¡¯t be trusted?¡± now he was pissing me off and it showed on my face when I sent a re his way. He lifted his hands up in surrender.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to upset you, and I don¡¯t mean to diminish what just happened here. You two making up and clearing things up is good and all but that only works if your mother is telling the truth. Let¡¯s face it, your mother has not exactly been a fan of Olivia since, well, everything. She might be okay with everything now because Olivia is not back with you yet, but tell me, what happens when she doese back?¡±


    I looked at my mother, but she avoided eye contact, just what the fuck did I have to do to get through to the woman? It was like talking to a brick wall and everything I said just bounced off it, nothing prated and actually stayed with her. ¡°Mother?¡± God! Why did Luke have to kill my father?


    Iwouldn¡¯t have to deal with this if he were alive. He knew just what to say and do to get her to back down.¡± Mother!¡± she jumped a little when I yelled at her. I didn¡¯t mean to, but she was pushing my buttons. ¡°What! You don¡¯t have to yell at me.¡± she became defensive, and I knew that my friend was right, mother would never ept Olivia back into my life.


    ¡°Tell me the truth, would you ept Olivia as your daughter inw again if she were toe back to me and treat her the same way you used to?¡± she looked at me with pleading eyes and I knew she was never going to.


    ¡°You have to understand Nick, a lot has happened, and I me her for your father¡¯s death. I might have been the one who chose but I wouldn¡¯t have been put in that position if it weren¡¯t for her and her father. Luke did that because he was avenging her. my rtionship with her will never be the same and I would prefer it if she didn¡¯te back into your life, our lives.¡±


    Fuck! I went and poured myself a drink. ¡°I think that is a good idea sis, now tell your son to sign those divorce papers and set my daughter free.¡± The fucking bastard, he too was getting used to justing into my house unannounced like that bastard Marcus.


    Just what does a man have to do, to keep such morons out! Mother jumped and stood when she heard Luke¡¯s voice. I saw fear in her eyes, and I knew just how vulnerable she was, it hurt to see her jumpy like that whenever her brother was around. I didn¡¯t like it.


    Mother was too much but she did not deserve to live her life in fear. She deserved some peace in her life and I was going to get it for her. ¡°Look, Olivia and I will talk and sort this out. If after our talk what she wants is for me to sign and file the papers then that is what I will do, until then. I ask that you both be on your best behaviour.¡±


    I gulped down my drink, these two were stressing me out! I am with Nick on this one and¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± mother and Luke said at the same time shutting Ethan up. I raised an eyebrow looking at them. Ethan raised his hands in surrender. ¡°You are not family, and this is none of your business, stay out of it.¡± mother said.


    ¡°Better yet, why don¡¯t you leave and let family talk.¡± Okay, so now they were family ganging up on my friend. don¡¯t know whether to be happy, shocked and scared out of my mind by the two of you ganging up on me like this. But it is creepy as fuck! Nick, am leaving before the ck mafia eats me for dinner.¡±


    He quickly <b>left </b>not giving the two a chance <b>to </b>say something else. I just stood there feeling like I didn¡¯t belong in my own house. Luke went and sat where my mother was sitting then patted the space next to him.


    Mother went and sat next to him, but I could see she was notfortable. Suddenly<b>, </b>Luke pulled her into his arms and embraced her, mother was so stiff and tense, I could tell she was not expecting that, I wasn¡¯t too, and I was just as shocked. ¡°Let¡¯s stop fighting now, Ellie. Let¡¯s let the kids deal with their own issues<b>.</b>¡±


    My eyebrow shot up; Luke has a sensitive side? It was weird as fuck to see and I was sure even if I told someone about this, they would say I was making it up. ¡°We have caused each other enough pain, don¡¯t you think its time to call it truce, for the sake of our children?¡±


    Mother pulled out of the hug and looked at her brother. ¡°They are too much, aren¡¯t they?¡± Luke nodded. ¡°They are draining the shit out of me?¡± theyughed. Okay, what the fuck was happening? ¡°Remember what we used to say?¡± Luke looked horrified and I got curious.


    ¡°No Ellie, we were kids back then, we didn¡¯t know that our kids would be such handfuls<b>, </b>I <b>mean</b>, look at them? Olivia has no sense of direction in her life, and she doesn¡¯t want me anywhere near her. Nick is like a lovesick puppy running after her ass. That is not what we imagined they would be.¡±


    What? Really now, mother wasughing the whole time. <b>¡°</b>No, it isn¡¯t.¡± she then turned serious. ¡°You hurt me brother.¡± She said with a small sad voice sounding like a little girl. Luke pulled her into his arms once again and this time. She settled into them. I fucking give up!


    ¡°I know sis, am sorry. Everything is going to be fine from now on. I promise.¡± Fuck me!

 Novel Payback 137

    Chapter <b>0137 </b>


    OLIVIA


    The next day, Marcus treated me like a queen. He had breakfast brought up and ran me a bath. Then he asked if ! still wanted to go to our honeymoon as nned. He said we can call it a pre¨Choneymoon or just a vacation then go on our honeymoon when the wedding finally happens. Obviously, I refused and told him I wanted to sort this thing with Nick out and we can have our wedding then go on honeymoon.


    Of course, he agreed. Even offered to take me to my meeting with him but I told him I wanted to do it on my own. Now I was standing in front of a mirror after finishing getting ready and not sure if I wanted to go. I should have let him apany me. it¡¯s just that this meeting could go either way because with Nick, you never know what to expect.


    ¡°You can do this, Olivia. Remember, that man who ims to be your father can hear everything and will be there should something go wrong, not that it would but just in case.¡± I gave myself a pep talk but I think I just wanted to say something to alert Luke of my ns and for him to be ready. I didn¡¯t know why I felt funny about meeting Nick alone.


    I finally left after talking to myself in the mirror for almost thirty minutes. I think I just wanted to bete so that he would get tired of waiting and leave. I don¡¯t know what I was thinking. When I got to the restaurant. I was disappointed to be shown to his table, I thought he would have left but no, he waited.


    He stood when he saw meing and pulled out a chair for me. he looked more nervous than I did, and I wondered why. He was the one who requested the meeting and yet he was the most nervous. ¡°I took the liberty of ordering a drink for you, I hope that is alright.¡± It was more than alright; I needed the drink.


    I took a huge sip nodding. ¡°I see you needed it as much as I did.¡± Weughed; it was silly. How could we be so nervous as if we were meeting for the first time. Even our first meeting wasn¡¯t as bad, at least I don¡¯t think it was.


    ¡°So¡­¡± a sigh left him. ¡°I think you know why I called you here, but I will try and exin.¡± I kept my mouth shut, he called the meeting, he must do the talking. ¡°Olivia, firstly I want to apologize for ruining your wedding, I didn¡¯t mean to. As I said, I thought I could go through with it, but I just couldn¡¯t.¡±


    He paused and I took another sip from my drink. It wasn¡¯t my show. I was just waiting for something that had to do with me then respond. ¡°The reason I couldn¡¯t let you marry him is the same reason I didn¡¯t sign those papers. I know I have done so many hurtful and painful things to you, but I thought I was doing the right thing. Starting from the beginning.¡®


    He paused taking a sip from his drink, I knew it was getting difficult for him. ¡°I didn¡¯t do what a husband is supposed to do and that is to protect his wife. I sent you to the wolves instead and judged you without evidence and for that, I am sorry. For everything I did after as well. But through all that, I never lost hope that one day we will fix things and get back together. I still love you; Olivia and I want you in my life.¡±


    ¡°Please, give me another chance, allow me to make things right.¡± I sighed, I wished for this while I was in prison, I prayed for it, sometimes I would envision him walking through those doorsing to get me out and telling me that he made a mistake. But that never happened. Now, I didn¡¯t need it.


    ¡°If you had told me all this a month into my sentence then I would have probably forgiven you and given you another chance. But a lot has happened, and I don¡¯t think there is anything that could be done to fix all of it. what I don¡¯t understand is when did you lose trust in me to a point that the only solution you saw back then was to send me to jail?¡±


    I shook my head, I didn¡¯t need to go back, what was done is done. ¡°Never mind that, it¡¯s in the past. I do forgive you, Nick. Because if I keep this hatred inside then it is only going to destroy me, and I don¡¯t want that for myself. I have a son to think about and I need to be okay, for him.¡±


    *25 BORUS


    <b>I </b>finished my drink now feeling hot and bothered. Not in that way but in a way that had made me feel like a burden was being lifted off my shoulders. Maybe I did need closure with Nick, put everything that happened between <b>us </b>in the past and move on with a clean te.


    ¡°So, with that being said and me forgiving you. It doesn¡¯t mean that I want you back, our rtionship, our marriage is over, and it has been over for a very long time now. It Is time to ept that and move forward.¡±


    He looked like he was going to cry, and I did feel sorry for him but there was nothing I could do to make him feel better, it was not my job anymore. ¡°For me to be able to move forward though, I am going to need you to sign those papers and let me go. You owe me that much after everything we have been through.¡±


    A tear escaped his eye, he didn¡¯t bother to wipe it off. He kept his eyes on mine and then another tear dropped and another. It hurt to see him cry like that and not even bothered by the people. It was the first time seeing him so vulnerable.¡±


    ¡°So, this is it, it¡¯s over between us?¡± I nodded. He lowered his head and his shoulders shook. Tears dropped on the table and my chest tightened. I couldn¡¯t stay there any longer<b>, </b>so, I signalled for the waitress then paid the bill before leaving.

 Novel Payback 138

    Chapter <b>0138 </b>


    NICK


    When she told me that she forgave me, my heart danced. I was so grateful to her for that and even saw our future together. That was until she told me that she didn¡¯t want me back and that the only thing she wanted was for me to sign the divorce papers and set her free. I couldn¡¯t help the tears; I knew there were people around, but I didn¡¯t


    care.


    I let my tears fall feeling my heart break in half. Olivia, do you know how much you are hurting me? I didn¡¯t think she knew for if she did<b>, </b>she would not have done it so carelessly. She would not have just left me like that.


    Olivia, do you know that without you my life has no meaning?


    I didn¡¯t think she did because to her, I was just the man who hurt her. I was heartless and yet. She was the one who had my heart. She left me at the restaurant, and I didn¡¯t have the energy to leave. My head was still lowered, and my tears were flowing like a river.


    ¡°Fuck! Man,e on, let¡¯s go.¡± Oh, she must have called Ethan because he was the one who said that. at least she cared enough to call my friend when she saw I was not alright. I didn¡¯t move, how could I, I was and am Nick Jones. It was enough that the people inside saw me shed a tear, but I was not about to show all of them that I was crying like a little boy who needed his mother.


    ¡°Fine, you right. We will wait until you feel better than we can go.¡± He sighed taking a seat next to me. I heard him order a drink for himself. By now he must have figured it out, that my wife was noting back to me. that she wanted nothing to do with me. I didn¡¯t me her, I just thought she would give me a chance to fix it.


    But I thought wrong, she was happy with someone else, and I was just a thing of the past. But then why didn¡¯t she tell me how to get over her, how to get over my feelings for her, how to stop loving her. why did she only leave me with the pain to deal with.


    It hurt, my chest burned, I wished I could open it and show her what she was doing to me. how she was slowly killing me. call me selfish but I was a man in love but did many stupid things and ended up losing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry man, you will heal, and you will find happiness again.¡± Iughed mockingly at Ethan¡¯s words.


    He was trying to make me feel better, but it was not working. How could he even think I would ever find someone like her again? She was one of a kind and her kind was very rare and I knew that. he knew that as well. ¡°I wish that were true my friend, I truly do. But there is only one Olivia, and she doesn¡¯t want me.¡±


    I stood and headed for the door, leaving him paying the bill and running after me. I got into my car and just as he got to it. I drove off. I wanted to be alone. I drove and drove with no destination in mind. I just wanted to clear my head.


    By the time I stopped at the gas station it was already four hourster. I only stopped because I ran out of gas. I filled up and checked my phone. I had too many missed calls and texts from Ethan, my mother and even Olivia. I checked hers and she was asking if I was alright and that I should call Ethan and tell him I was alright.


    I pocketed my phone and got into the car driving off. I thought she called to tell me that she changed her mind and that we could work things out. But no, she just wanted me to tell people where I was. Didn¡¯t she know that she broke me, didn¡¯t she know that I saw no reason to talk and be around people right now. Didn¡¯t she know that all I wanted was her and now that I didn¡¯t have her, I couldn¡¯t stay and watch her love someone else? She should know all that because she was the one who stole my heart and kept it.


    As selfish as that sounds after everything, I did to her, that was how I felt, and I did what I did because I thoug¡® was doing right by my friend and hers. I never thought my actions would result in such predicament.


    I heard a car hocking and that was when I got startled and stopped the car on the side of the road. I was so lost in


    <i>1/2 </i>


    |:??? ? ?? ??? ????? ????????AP


    my thoughts that I didn¡¯t notice I had moved to anotherne and was now facing oning traffic.


    Olivia, do you see what you do to me?


    You make me lose my mind.


    My phone vibrated in my pocket, and it made me so angry that I took it out and threw it away without checking who the caller was. I was done, I just needed to be alone, and they kept pestering me. I sat down on the side of the road feeling defeated.


    I don¡¯t know how long I sat there for but by the time I got up. It was already dark. I cut myself with a rock as I was getting up which pissed me off even more. There was a lot of blooding out and yet the cut was so small. I left my car there and walked the short distance to the convenient store I saw at a distance.


    When I got there, I got a bandage and covered my hand. I looked at where my car was, and it seemed too far for me to walk back. ¡°Come here.¡± Thedy looked at me funny. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you I just want to make an exchange.¡± She gave me a sceptical look but came towards me keeping a good distance.


    ¡°Do you see that car over there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡±


    ¡°Take it, here are the keys and give me yours. I am too tired to walk back and get it.¡± she looked shocked. It was an expensive car. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I nodded. A huge smile broke on her face, and she handed me the keys to her old Toyota Camry. I took them and took the car and drove off.

 Novel Payback 139

    Chapter <b>0139 </b>


    OLIVIA


    Two days have passed and there has been no sign of Nick. His phone was not going through and Ethan had sent out Owen and others of Nick¡¯s men to go looking for him. He has also been everywhere looking for him in the ces that they usually go to, but he was not there. Everyone was getting worried, and I couldn¡¯t help but me myself for his disappearance.


    I saw he was not alright that day and I shouldn¡¯t have left him like that. Maybe I should have made sure he was fine before leaving. ¡°Where the hell is Olivia? Olivia!¡± I sighed, there we go, it has been long overdue. I knew one of these days she was going toe and me me for everything.


    ¡°Olivia, just when I thought I could give you the benefit of the doubt you go and do something like this.¡±


    ¡°I told you that Olivia did nothing wrong. She called me that day to be with Nick when she saw he wasn¡¯t alright. I am the one who let him drive off on his own not Olivia. If you want someone to me, then me me.<i>¡± </i>Ethan saiding in. I didn¡¯t see he was right behind her.


    ¡°People, we are not here for that. Ms Williams or shall I say Mrs Jones, I am detective Rogers from missing persons. I just want to ask you a few questions about the disappearance of Mr Nick Jones, your husband.¡± Then there was that. Nick and I were still married, and the wife is always the number one suspect.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is, Ist spoke to him two days ago.¡± The detective wrote on his little book. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>understand that your husband stopped your wedding three days ago. How did you feel about that?¡± I frowned. Now he was going to say I did something to Nick because he stopped my wedding. ¡°Do I need awyer?¡± I questioned.


    I didn¡¯t want to say something that was going to push me into a corner and result in me going back to jail for something I didn¡¯t do. ¡°<b>If </b>you have something to hide then yes, but if you don¡¯t have anything to hide then I don¡¯t see a reason for you to call awyer.¡±


    ¡°No, Olivia. Call awyer.¡± Ethan said and I did as he asked. Nick¡¯s mother red at him. ¡°You call yourself Nick¡¯s best friend and this is what you do? Don¡¯t you want him to be found, or do you know where my son is.¡± Ethanughed. He was not amused but he was getting angry. ¡°Nick is a grown man, and he can do whatever he wants. He drove himself alone and left me there. I don¡¯t have to take this from you, and I will not allow you to treat Olivia like she did something wrong.¡±


    Nick¡¯s mother pped her handsughing. ¡°Is that so? Alright Ethan.¡± She then stormed off and left. ¡°Mrs Jones, when you get yourwyer, I suggest youe to the station to answer more questions. Here.¡± He gave me his card before following Nick¡¯s mother out.


    I sighed feeling defeated. ¡°Where the hell could he be?¡± I just shrugged; I didn¡¯t know Nick that well anymore. I spent two years of my life in jail and when I came back there was no connection between us. A lot changed in that time, and I no longer knew the man or what he liked anymore. ¡®


    ¡°I should have followed him that day.¡± Ethan sat down looking like he aged a few years. ¡°I have looked -everywhere Olivia, even check flights to see if he travelled out of the city but there is no record of him leaving. I


    don¡¯t know where else to look now.<i>¡± </i>I could see how frustrated he was. ¡°The police are going to find a way to pin his disappearance on me.¡±


    I said with a low voice, I could already tell from the line of question that detective took that he med me. he thought I had something to do with his disappearance. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen. I was the one whost saw Nick. If they want to me someone then it should be me.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°They might even me Marcus too; they could say he was angry about Nick stopping the wedding that he did something to him. no matter what we do here, they will find a way to me us. The only choice we have in getting out of this shit is finding fucking Nick Jones. But where?¡±


    I was tired, seriously what was so difficult for Nick tomunicate and tell people that he was alright. Was he maybe doing this on purpose to punish me for asking him to <b>sign </b>the papers? <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t put that past the man. Nick can be too much when he wanted to.


    ¡°I know Olivia, call Marcus and tell him what is going on then go to the police station with yourwyer. Here is the number of the one I use; he is the best and he will help. just tell him I gave you the number<b><i>.</i></b><b><i>¡± </i></b>I took the card.


    ¡°Olivia, I won¡¯t let the Jones family me this on you.¡± I just nodded, if the Jones family wanted to me this on me then they had the power to do just that. but this time it won¡¯t be that easy. I would be damned if I let that family send me back to prison for something I didn¡¯t do.


    I would work with Luke if I had to, but I was not leaving my son again and being imprisoned for this. Nick fucking Jones bettere back and sort this out because it would be a cold day in hell before I let anyone separate me from my son again and send me to jail for nonsense.


    Marcus walked in looking worried, Ethan must have called him first before I could. He took me into his arms. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>anyone wants to get to you<b>, </b>they will have to go through me first. I will be damned if I let that happen.<b>¡± </b>I appreciated him being there for me. ¡°Well, you might need to get awyer too. The detective acted like I was angry at Nick for stopping my wedding and that I might have done something to him.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the station, mywyer will meet us there. I want him to say that to my face and produce evidence to that effect. None of us are going down for that selfish bastard.¡±

 Novel Payback 140

    OLIVIA


    I have been treated badly before by police and that was because Nick ordered them to. I thought this time would be different, but I think it was worse. When we got to the station, mine and Marcus¡¯swyers were already there. We were both taken into interrogation. I thought we would be separated but <b>no</b>.


    Firstly, the detective said we were his number one suspects when we got there which ourwyers protested to and demanded evidence. That was when we were taken into interrogation. ¡°Let us begin, I will start with you Mrs Jones. Tell me, where did you go after leaving the restaurant where you were meeting your husband?¡±


    ¡°Stop calling him her husband.¡± Detective Rogers just nced at Marcus then looked back at me. Mywyer nodded; I had nothing to hide anyway. ¡°I went to the shops then home.¡± He nodded. ¡°What did you buy, and do you have the receipts?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do. I can get them for you.¡± he nodded. ¡°Now tell me, how did you feel after your husband stopped your wedding?¡± I sighed, now I was going to be judged by my feelings and not the evidence. ¡°I was angry of course; I signed those divorce papers a long time ago and Nick never filed them. it has been over a year, and he said nothing. Only to stop my wedding thest minute.¡±


    He frowned looking at me then wrote something down. ¡°We have found your husbands car.¡± He looked at me as if he wanted to see my reaction, I was not sure what he was hoping to see or how he was hoping I would react. Okay, where?¡±


    ¡°Not so fast, apparently, he gave it to some woman who works at a convenient store in a small¨Ctown way the city. Now we checked where the car was parked and there was blood there. We tested it and it was your husband¡¯s blood.¡± My heart pounded in my chest. What the hell happened to Nick.


    outside


    If they found blood, did that mean he was hurt wherever he was? ¡°Now here is my question, why would your husband give away his expensive car for an old Camry?¡± how the hell was I supposed to know that? ¡°I think one of you


    had Mr Jones followed, I think one of you was angry enough to want Mr Jones dead.¡±


    That part just pissed me off, if I wanted him dead then I would have asked Luke to get rid of him and I was sure there would have never been any evidence of foul y. ¡°Look, stop using us of things without evidence.¡±


    Marcus was getting angry, the detective looked at him with a smirk. ¡°Is that so? Tell me something, do you know that your fianc¨¦, a missing man¡¯s wife is set to inherit everything her husband owns? Half goes to her and the other half goes to her son in the event of his death.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know that. Mywyer protested and the detective let us go telling us not to leave town. ¡°Olivia, I don¡¯t care if you get everything, just tell me where my son is, please, I want to know if he is alright.¡± Nick¡¯s mother looked defeated, and her eyes were red.


    The funny thing was that she really thought I had something to do with Nick¡¯s disappearance. ¡°Look, if I wanted to do something to Nick, I would have done it when I got out of jail or when Luke came into my life. I didn¡¯t do this.¡± She looked at me with pleading eyes and I wondered what kind of a monster did she think I was.


    Where the fuck are you, Nick? Marcus took my hand, and we left the police station. Now again, for the seco time, my life had to stand still because of fucking Nick Jones, I swear I regret the day I met that man.


    ¡°I think I should pull my own resources and help find Nick. This thing doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to go away as easy as I thought. We must find Nick and alive because if he is dead. That detective is going to me his death on us. Especially you, since it now seems like Nick is leaving everything to you and Samuel. To them, that is <b>a </b>billion dors¡® worth of reasons to kill him.¡±


    Oh, how I wished I could have killed the bastard for real so that at least this time, if I go to jail. I go for something I


    had actually done. But Marcus was right, we needed to find the bastard. ¡°I think I have just the person <b>to </b>contact and ask for help¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I didn¡¯t want to owe him anything or ask him for anything but If anyone could find Nick, then it would be his uncle, my father. Luke. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to try first? I mean, at least now we know the direction he went to, we might get lucky and find him.¡± yeah, I would rather ask Luke for help as ast resort.


    My phone rang, I checked it, but I didn¡¯t know the number, also, with what was happening. I didn¡¯t want to ignore calls only to find outter that it was Nick. ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Olivia, it¡¯s me.¡± I frowned, bloody shit! I forgot the man had things put on me. ¡°Why are you at the police station, something wrong?¡± was he genuinely asking or that was a way if talking to me, a reason to <b>call</b>.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I mouthed Luke. ¡°I think you already know what I am doing here.¡±


    ¡°No, Olivia. I don¡¯t, I just check your whereabouts these days I don¡¯t listen. For privacy and I figured you will tell me when you need me. am trying to be a better man here, a better father. So, please tell me, what are you doing there?¡±


    I might as well tell him. ¡°Nick is missing, and the police think Marcus and I did it because in his will, he left everything to me and my son.¡±


    ¡°And Elodie didn¡¯t tell me this why? You know what, forget it. leave this to me and I will find the selfish bastard!¡±

 Novel Payback 141

    OLIVIA


    I was about to protest and ask him to let us try on our own, but he had already cut the <b>call</b>. Great! Another thing for Nick¡¯s mother to me me for. She will think that I asked Luke to help and wanted to get her son into trouble. But then again<b>, </b>both Nick and Luke were grown men. Nothing I say or do was going to change who they were or what they wanted to do.


    If Nick was hurt, he should have found a way to call and tell people where he was. Not unless he couldn¡¯t for some reason. Also, when he gave his car away then he would or could have given thatdy some kind of a message to indicate that he needed help. Or was giving the car away the indication of him wanting help?


    No one could know what was going through that man¡¯s mind when he did what he did, and I didn¡¯t know why I was being med for his stupidity. ¡°What is the matter?¡± I sighed feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. ¡°Luke,¡± Marcus gave my hand a little squeeze.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡°He is going to look for Nick.¡± He nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think it matters who looks for him as long as he is found. Then I want nothing to do with the man.¡± I felt the same way, God knows I was tired of everything in my life being about Nick Jones. i just couldn¡¯t get rid of the man no matter how hard I tried.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home. We need some rest and wait for Luke to give us news.¡± I needed the rest; I needed sleep more than anything as I had not been sleeping well the past two days. When we got home, Ethan was there. I frowned wondering what the man was doing there.


    We stopped the car and got out. ¡°What now?¡± I asked not sure if I wanted to know because I knew whatever it was that woulde of his mouth was just going to depress me. ¡°My men found Nick¡¯s phone.¡± Okay, that was a good thing or not. ¡°So? What are we supposed to do with that?¡±


    Asked Marcus but the way Ethan was looking, it was like he had something more to say. ¡°I want to know if we should take it to the police or keep it?¡±


    ¡°Take it to the police, obviously!¡± wasn¡¯t that the right thing to do? ¡°What if we take it to them only for them to find something more incriminating on it. what then?¡± I didn¡¯t understand Ethan¡¯s logic, I had nothing to hide, I didn¡¯t know why he was worried.


    ¡°What if we don¡¯t take it to them and then there is something on it that could help find Nick what then?¡± I didn¡¯t know where their minds were at but to me it was pretty clear. ¡°Olivia, we are already suspects, why don¡¯t we check what is on it first before giving it to the police?¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°So that when we find something there that could be incriminating to any of us, we can destroy it before the police found it.¡± Ethan supported. I couldn¡¯t believe him; Nick was his best friend! Or so I thought. ¡°That would be abstraction of justice and tempering with evidence. That too can send us to jail.¡±


    I sighed; they were draining me more. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care what they find in there. I know I didn¡¯t do anything to Nick, if either of you have something to hide then by all means, go through the phone and do whatever you want with it. just don¡¯t get me involved.¡±


    I left them standing and went into the house. I hung my bag then took off my shoes and went straight into the kitchen. I poured myself a ss of wine. The first one I drank in one go while standing. Mm that hit home, just what I needed.


    I poured the second one and sat on the kitchen counter. That was when Marcus came in. ¡°We are only trying to protect you. we don¡¯t know what happened to Nick and we don¡¯t want whatever it ising back to you. let¡¯s face it, Nick is an asshole who always finds a way to fuck you over.¡±


    I knew who Nick was, but I was just tired of my life revolving around the man. ¡°You know, when we started dating, I thought we would keep our distance from them. but then you invited them to help with my move and then they became like distant cousins or friends we talk to when we need to. But that move made them think it was okay to stick around.¡±


    I downed the second ss. ¡°I wanted Nick out of my life, and I only let him hang around because you kept him around. Even after everything he has put me through. I don¡¯t know how you could just be friends with him.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°Are we fighting right now, over Nick?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Marcus. I am just telling you how I feel.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Do you want to know why I kept him around Olivia?¡± oh, so now he was going to tell me. I wondered why he never said anything before. ¡°I kept Nick around for you.¡± Iughed out loud.


    Seriously? ¡°You mayugh all you like my love, but there wille a day when that boy knows the truth about his father, and you will have to exin why he was not around. Keeping Nick around works in your favour in the future. So, you could tell your son that even if your father and I didn¡¯t get along. Even after everything he did to me, I kept him around for you, so that you know him. that is why I tolerate the man¡¯s presence. For you and your son!¡±


    My heart sank, I med him and yet it was all for me. I never thought of it that way, but he did. He was always ten steps ahead and always thinking of ways to make things better for me and my son. ¡°I am sorry Marcus.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Do you really think I want to be friend with your ex, a man who did all that to you? you have a child with him Olivia, you can¡¯t just cut ties with him and think it will be the end of it. think about that the next time you want to me me for things.¡± Shit! Bloody fucking Nick Jones!

 Novel Payback 142

    OLIVIA


    You know when the world has turned against you, when nothing you do seems to go well. Everything you try seems to fall apart. That is what is happening to me right now. Nothing in my life is going well. Back when I was arrested, I thought if I had money like my husband did then things would have been better.


    Now, I have the money and the support but for the life of me. nothing is going well. It¡¯s been a week and Nick Jones is still missing. The police are on my back about the whole thing, watching my every move as if I will lead them to where the man is. My hope, Luke. ended when the third day came and gone with no word from him.


    Right now, all the evidence the police have points to me having something to do with his disappearance. Ethan and Marcus gave them the phone and they found all the texts and calls nothing more. But they still feel like I am hiding something. Marcus was right, Nick Jones always finds a way to fuck up my life.


    Marcus might love me, but no man will stand for such nonsense. He came into my life when everything was going to shit, things started getting better but now they are back to where they started. Through all that, there is onemon denominator, Nick Jones and his mother of course, ming me for everything going wrong in their lives.


    I am tired, very tired. I wish I can just disappear like Nick did and go where no one knows me and maybe I will get some peace. I was looking forward to my wedding but now I don¡¯t think that will ever happen since I am still married to the man who I am now used of hurting. Fuck my life!


    ¡°Am back,¡± said Marcusing in, he has been keeping his distance from me and I understand. I med him without cause and now I don¡¯t know what to do to get things back to how they were before. He is now focusing on work and Samuel. I think he is just tolerating me now.


    ¡°I made lunch.¡± He didn¡¯t even look my way. ¡°I already ate, thanks.¡± I sighed and went to join him on the couch.¡± I am sorry Marcus, I won¡¯t say I didn¡¯t mean what I said because I did at the time, but that was because I didn¡¯t know why you did what you did. I now know that it was for me and my son, and I appreciate it. please, forgive my ignorance.¡±


    It is the first time he has sat down long enough for me to offer a proper apology to him. he nced at me but said nothing. I also kept my mouth shut because I didn¡¯t know what else to say or do for that matter. Sometimes we women me our men for shit while we don¡¯t even know the whole story.


    Instead of talking to them we me them and get angry. Which is what I did to Marcus when the man has not given me a reason not to trust him. ¡°Olivia, what does it mean to you when I tell you that I love you and want to be with you?¡± that was a difficult question.


    If I am being honest with myself, I don¡¯t know the answer to that. ¡°See what I mean? You don¡¯t even know what loving you means. What I mean to you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°That is not the case Marcus, I know you love me but to be honest, I don¡¯t know what that means. I was in love once and I thought I knew what that meant but I didn¡¯t.¡±


    He chuckled shaking his head. ¡°So, Nick ruined you for the rest of us. At least for me, tell me something. Why did you agree to marry me then?¡± okay, I guess this is the day of honesty. ¡°I agreed because you make me happy, you make me feel alive, something I have not felt in a long time. You make me feel safe and loved.¡± He nodded.


    ¡°If I make you feel safe and loved then why would you think I would put you in an ufortable positi reason. Do you think I am like Nick? Please, don¡¯t crucify me for his sins because I have not done anything to deserve that.¡±


    r no


    That hurt, maybe I wasparing him to Nick without even realizing it. ¡°I am sorry Marcus, I truly am.¡± You see, loving a damaged woman is not easy, we take our shit from our previous rtionships and bring it on to the current ones causing unnecessary pain and conflict.


    Making Marcus feel like that was not my intention but thats exactly what I did. Made him feel like he was <b>not </b>doing enough or that he was not putting me and my feelings first while he did all he was doing for my sake. The man was not thinking of today, but the future and I didn¡¯t see that. but how could I?


    I am damaged after all, busy looking for red gs instead of enjoying my life with him. ¡°It¡¯s alright Olivia, but don¡¯t everpare me to Nick. If you don¡¯t understand something I am doing, then ask me and I will exin it to you.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Luke called<b>, </b>he said he was on his way back. I asked him if he found Nick, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He just asked me to tell you that he is on his way.¡± Luke has not called in over a week and now he was calling Marcus instead of me.


    That got me worried, maybe he called him because he has bad news, ones that I will not be able to handle. ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried, he didn¡¯t sound like there is bad news, he only sounded tired on the phone, let¡¯s have hope.<i>¡± </i>That was easy for him to say, he was not the one standing used.


    A loud knock sounded on the door. We shared a look before he stood and went to open. I was expecting Luke since he said he was on his way. But when Marcus came back, he was with detective Rogers. ¡°Mrs Jones, I am cing you under arrest for the kidnaping of your husband Nick Jones. you have the right to remain silent¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡±

 Novel Payback 143

    <b>Chapter </b>0143


    OLIVIA


    We all turned and there stood Luke. Anger visible on his face, hands clenched into fists. ¡°Who are you?¡± detective Rogers asked. ¡°I said shut the fuck up and get your fucking hands off my daughter before I cut them off!¡± I cringed at the anger and the man didn¡¯t look like he was joking. The two policemen with Rogers¡¯s hands went to their guns holding them and waiting.


    Luke nced at them then back at Rogers. ¡°Tell your dogs to keep their hands off those guns if they know what is good for them.¡± detective Rogers red at Luke and closed the distance between them. I wanted to stop him, he didn¡¯t know what or who he was dealing with, and I didn¡¯t want my house to turn into a crime scene.


    I quite loved the house. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I am an officer of thew, and you are interfering with thew here. I suggest you let me do my job if you know what is good for you and stop threatening me.¡± Luke chuckled, slightly shaking his head.


    The man stood tall then the chuckle disappeared like it was never there. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees and his eyes were cold as ice. The detective shifted ufortably when he saw that Luke was not backing down. ¡°Say that again, I dare you.¡± I knew things could get out of hand and fast.


    I didn¡¯t want a shoot out in my house, Samuel might not be home, but I still wanted him to have a home when he came back. So, I did the only thing I could do. ¡°Luke?¡± I called his name, but it was like he couldn¡¯t hear me. ¡° Luke, please.¡± Still nothing. He was clenching and unclenching his fists as if he was going to punch the detective.


    ¡°Dad!¡± that did it, his head snapped my way, and his features softened. His hands unclenched. ¡°Yes, my love<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>He looked emotional now. I had never seen that side of him before. It was like he was about to cry. ¡°Please stop, your grandson lives here.¡± I looked at him with pleading eyes.


    Besides that, if he tried something then that would put me in an even deeper hole than the one Nick dug for me. he nodded his head. ¡°Okay,¡± he then turned and walked out. The detective turned to me. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a father, Mrs Jones, our records show that your father died years ago. If that is the case then who is that, is he the one you used to get rid of your husband?¡±


    It was my turn to re at him, I should have let Luke punch the shit out of him. ¡°My fianc¨¦ is not like¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up Mr Walker, I am not talking to you. you! turn around.¡±


    ¡°I keep telling you to not touch my daughter, but you don¡¯t listen.¡± We turned again and Luke was standing there, and a smile broke on my lips. He saved me, he came through for me like he said he would. He stood there with a beaten and buttered Nick.


    ¡°Mr Jones?¡± Rogers eximed also shocked to see Nick. He kept his eyes on me. for a minute before turning to Rogers. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he looked surprised by the question, he cleared his throat. ¡°I am doing my job Mr Jones; I have evidence that suggests that your wife had something to do with your disappearance.¡±


    Nick only red at him. ¡°Do I look like someone my wife could kidnap, with all my resources and my security. Are


    you


    insane?¡± the detective seemed ufortable. ¡°What evidence do you have that suggests that my wife is a kidnapper?¡± the detective said nothing.


    ¡°So, you harassed my wife for nothing?¡± still the detective said nothing. ¡°Get the fuck out.¡± He ordered with anger. ¡°I said get the fuck out!¡± the two policemen hurried out first. ¡°Alright, Mr Jones. I will leave. But I want you toe to the station and tell me what happened to you.¡± nick sneered.


    ¡°Do you think you are qualified to tell me what to do after what you did? If I didn¡¯t show up here today you would have arrested my wife for nothing and you want me to tell you what happened? Why don¡¯t you do your job and investigate thene back and tell me what happened. I want to hear what you find within two days, or I will


    have your job.¡±


    The detective looked shocked by his outburst. He walked out without saying another word. I threw myself at Luke and hugged him. at first, he didn¡¯t react, I think he was shocked by my behaviour but after a while he hugged me back. ¡°Thank you.¡± I whispered.


    I was grateful to him; he didn¡¯t have to help me. I asked him to stay out of my life and he could have just reminded me of that instead of helping me. ¡°Always, my love. Always I pulled out of the hug and gave him a smile. I was really grateful.


    Nick cleared his throat, and I threw a re his way. ¡°You almost sent me to jail, for the second time!¡± I shouted with my anger now rising. The man was selfish. ¡°Luke,e let¡¯s have a drink, you look like you need it.¡± Marcus said to Luke.


    He looked at me and I nodded. He left with Marcus and Nick looked at me with a pleading eye. Yes, a pleading eye since the second one was swollen shut. ¡°Am sorry, Olivia. I didn¡¯t mean to. I only wanted to be alone. I needed time to think and sort myself out. I didn¡¯t think something like this would happen.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°That is just it, isn¡¯t it? you don¡¯t think, you just do whatever you please and to hell to whoever gets hurt in the process. Where the hell were you?¡± he sighed. ¡°I really didn¡¯t mean for any of this.¡±


    ¡°I asked where the fuck were you? why was your phone found in the woods and why was there blood where your fucking car was?¡± he hung his head low. ¡°<b>I </b>got tired of the calls and in anger I threw it away. I cut myself on a rock that¡¯s where the blood came from.¡±


    With his head still hanging low he answered, he looked like an abused little boy. ¡°You still have not answered me. where were you?¡± he lifted his head and looked at me. ¡°The cabin where we spent a week after our honeymoon.¡±

 Novel Payback 144

    NICK


    After I left, I didn¡¯t care about a phone because I wanted some peace and quiet. I didn¡¯t think of the mess my disappearance would cause back there. When Luke and his men showed up at the cabin, I was busy chopping wood. He didn¡¯t ask questions when he saw me. the man rained punches <b>on </b><b>me </b>then threw me in the trunk of his car and drove me back here.


    That was why I looked the way I did. Coming back and finding Olivia about to be arrested, I understood Luke¡¯s anger. His daughter was about to be arrested again because of me, that made me angry not only at the detective for doing a poor job but at myself for putting her through that again. She was right not toe back to me.


    I couldn¡¯t protect her, the only thing I seem to be good at doing was causing her pain and sending her to jail. The way she looked was like she lost weight; my heart sank. I really have messed up her life and it was enough. I had to let her go and find her peace and happiness. But I must say, having her shouting at me and demanding answers got me both amused and ashamed.


    Amused because I felt like she cared for me and ashamed because I put her through that shit again. ¡°Am sorry<b>, </b>my heart. I will fix things for you. give me a day and everything is going to be okay.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for her to say more as I turned and left. When I got outside, I looked around. Fuck!


    I didn¡¯t have a car or a phone to call one. Now I had to go back and ask for a phone. I knocked once and she opened and gave me her phone. She knew me too well. I thanked her and made a call to Owen toe pick me up. He was so excited to hear from me, I swear he sounded like he was crying.


    When I was done, I turned to give her the phone. She red at me not taking the phone and I couldn¡¯t look at her long, so I lowered my head. ¡°Stop fucking up my life Nick.¡± I nodded, this time I did not to it intentionally, but I got where she wasing from. She took the phone from me then got inside closing the door behind her.


    I sat outside waiting for Owen to pick me up. Right then, I knew what I needed to do. It hurt but it was clear what needed to be done. Owen stopped in front of the house and my mother got out first and I cursed under my breath. I didn¡¯t need her shit today.


    ¡°Oh, my son.¡± She hugged me and I red at Owen over her should. He just shrugged with a smile. he looked relieved. ¡°What happened to you?¡± mother asked touching my face. Am sure I looked terrible. ¡°I am fine, mother. Let¡¯s go.¡± She wouldn¡¯t keep her hands off me. ¡°Mother. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She was ring at the door, and I took her hand almost dragging her to the car. I didn¡¯t want her starting shit with Olivia over this, ¡°She had something to do with this, didn¡¯t she?¡± she asked when I closed the car door. ¡°If you mean finding me and bringing me back then yes, she did.¡± Owenughed


    Mother red at him. ¡°What are youughing at, do you see his face? His eye can¡¯t even open!¡± Owenughed, there was one thing I liked about him. he wasn¡¯t scared of my mother like Given and the others were. ¡°Good, for once he has battle scars and they suit him.¡± I chuckled; Owen was a moron.


    ¡°This is not aughing matter Nick, look at you.¡± I sighed feeling exhausted already. ¡°Mother please, not today.¡® She wanted to say more but I took her hand and gave it a little squeeze. ¡°You have already made peace with your brother. Don¡¯t ruin that by making this more than what it is.¡± She looked at me for a while before nod¡±


    But I still can¡¯t believe Luke put me in a trunk and drove four hours with me in there. I was lucky it was cold, or I would have suffocated to death in there if it was hot. Not that he cared about that but still. When we got to my ce, I asked Owen to call mywyer.


    ¡°I hope that is to take Olivia out of your will. I can¡¯t believe you left her everything.¡± Motherined but I said nothing as I walked inside with her following behind. I went into my room and stripped getting ready to take a shower. A picture of her on my bedside table caught my attention.


    I went and took it. she looked happy there with a huge smile on her face. I remembered when it was taken. She demanded to go to the beach, and I protested until she emotionally ckmailed me, and I took her. I just wanted to watch the game, but she wouldn¡¯t hear it. when we got there, she got out and ran to the ice cream truck and got


    herself one.


    I remember watching her talking to ady that was in front of her and they wereughing. I wondered how she could do that, just make conversation with strangers like that and theyugh. She turned to me while stillughing and I took that picture.


    I sighed cing it back and going into the shower. If I kept going down memoryne then I was never going to do what I wanted to do. I showered and by the time I got out. Mywyer was there. ¡°Good to <i>see </i>you man, people thought you were dead.¡±


    ¡°What gave them that idea?¡± I asked taking a seat. ¡°Police. Morons! ¡°So, what can I help you with today?<i>¡± </i>I nced at my mother who didn¡¯t seem like she was going to leave. ¡°Mother, give us a minute, please<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>She scoffed and left mumbling something.


    ¡°I want you to file these and see if you can¡¯t speed up the process. I want it finalized as soon as possible.¡± I said giving him the divorce papers I had just signed. ¡°I assume we are taking Mrs Jones out of the will now?¡± I shook my head<i>. </i>


    ¡°You see this paper, to me it means nothing. In the eyes of God and everything that matters<b>, </b>Olivia is and will always be my wife. She still gets everything.¡±


    ¡°You are such a moron!¡± mother saiding in.

 Novel Payback 145

    OLIVIA


    I slept well that night, so well that I even slept in. I had no worry that it could be myst night as a free woman and sleeping on afortable bed. I didn¡¯t sleep well since Nick disappeared because the detective was on my case threatening me about jail. I would stay up at night unable to sleep thinking about different scenarios of me in prison.


    I didn¡¯t know what I was going to be like this time around, but I knew enough about prison to know that it was not going to be a walk on the park. I also, know that this time. I was going to be many years before I could see the sun again. The thought of my son visiting me in jail killed me. I wouldn¡¯t sleep after that.


    Even though Marcus was not talking to me, he would wake up and take me into his arms without saying a word. I think that was his way of telling me that he was there for me and that I was safe. That I had nothing to worry


    about.


    I woke up and sat there looking at the ceiling and thinking about how fucked up my life almost got. The door to my room opened and Marcus walked in. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± I did sleep in and woke up at noon. ¡°Your father made lunch,e on.¡± I frowned when he mentioned Luke, especially that he was my father.


    Also, I thought he was going to leave, I left them still talking and drinking and went to bed. I didn¡¯t know he slept over. ¡°Don¡¯t frown, you already don¡¯t look good when you wake up.¡± He teased and Iughed throwing a pillow at him. ¡°Am serious, you already took that first step yesterday and called him dad. Why not give him a chance?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if having Luke in my life was a good idea. He was a mafia kingpin after all, and I didn¡¯t want his behaviour rubbing off on my son. ¡°Olivia?¡± I snapped out of it. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I am getting up, and I will join you soon.¡± He came and kissed my forehead before leaving the room.


    A sigh left me then I got up and went to shower before joining them in the dining room for lunch. ¡°You look much better than yesterday.¡± Lukeplimented. ¡°Nothing a good night sleep can¡¯t fix, I guess.<i>¡± </i>He nodded. ¡± Samuel?¡± I asked, I missed my son.


    The way he and Lupita were always out made it seem like they don¡¯t even live in the house. ¡°Went out with Ethan.¡± I frowned. Why would he be out with Ethan? ¡°Olivia, it¡¯s like you have amnesia, Samuel knows Ethan as his father and when he wants to spend time with him then that is what will happen.¡±


    He sounded annoyed or was it just me who was over thinking. ¡°Why are you keeping up this act? Nick is not going to do anything to you and telling him about his son will not change anything.¡± I threw a re at him; how could he know that. did he know what I have been through with that man?


    He ced his utensils on the side and looked at me. ¡°Olivia, I know you have your reasons for not telling Nick about his son and not telling your son about him too. But that man loves that boy and standing in the way of their rtionship might not be a good idea. Take it from me, I know.¡±


    What did he know really. ¡°It¡¯s not the same and you know it you stayed away because you were a cow¡­¡± I stopped myself before I called him names. ¡°Say it, I stayed away because I was a coward. But it is moreplicated than that. you might think or see me as a monster, but Elodie¡¯s father was the devil himself. Why in the hell do you think he got you tortured in jail when you did nothing to him?¡±


    He stood and went to stand by the window looking out. ¡°You might think I wanted to stay away because I was a coward and maybe I was. But I was not about to risk the devil getting to you just to I could satisfy my selfish need to be with you. if not wanting any harm toe to you is being a coward, then I was the biggest/one of them all.¡°.


    He spoke with his back still on us. ¡°But you staying away didn¡¯t help in the end. He still got to me and hurt me,¡± he nodded his head. ¡°You are alive, are you not?¡± that hurt, so that meant his father hurting me was fine as long as I was alive.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the kind of life the don led. If you think what he did was cruel then be happy you didn¡¯t get to see and experience the rest of it. you are alive Olivia, and I am grateful for that because you get to be with your son. You get to see him grow and you get to give him your love. Be grateful he didn¡¯t kill you and only took parts of you.¡±


    What he said may have been the truth, but it was still hard to swallow. ¡°You see, the don didn¡¯t need me to make contact with you but the moment he knew I was looking into your imprisonment and the moment he saw the news about you, he acted, to protect his grandson.¡±


    Heughed, ¡°The don was a monster and the only reason he didn¡¯t kill you is still because of Nick. He just wanted to punish you, but he couldn¡¯t kill you because he too saw how much he loved you, as much as the don could not see or talk to Elodie. As much as he knew that she was not his biological daughter, he still regarded Nick as his grandson.¡±


    He turned back to me. ¡°You should be grateful to Nick for his love and affection because they kept you alive when a monster wanted you dead. I found outter what was happening and acted but If he wanted to kill you, you would have been dead by the time I found out. Think about that the next time you see your son. Think about the fact that his father is the reason you are able to be with him today.¡±


    He then took his jacket and walked out. I was pissed. ¡°What the hell is he saying? That I must thank Nick for what he did?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that is what he Is saying, and you know it. I understand what he is saying as much as Nick hurt you you are still alive today about to be my wife because of him!

 Novel Payback 146

    Chapter <b>0146 </b>


    NICK


    I looked at the paper in front of me and I could not help the tear that fell and dropped on to it. it was official, final, finished. Whatever word was used for when things end. But the important thing was that my marriage with Olivia hase to an end. On my desk sat the paper attesting to that fact.


    It hurt because that was not what I wanted but it is what it <b>is</b>. I have hurt Olivia Williams so much. The funny thing is that hurting her was thest thing on my mind. I never wanted to hurt her, never wanted any harm toe to her. she was supposed to be the spoilt missus of the Jones family, but I did the opposite of that.


    I broke her heart in a way that it would take another man to repair it because I had already failed to protect it. ¡°Sir, the car is ready.<i>¡± </i>I wiped my tears off and wore a hard expression. No matter how hurt I was, my men should not see me cry. I was still their boss, and they needed to respect me.


    I walked out and got into the car driving to Olivia¡¯s ce. For the first time, I called and asked for permission to go over there, I could have just rocked up there like I always did but that would not be respecting her and her new life.


    I did say that I was going to change and fix things for her and that starts with the small things like calling when I wanted to go to her house. Asking for permission from her and if she said no, listen and stand down. If I ever wanted to have a rtionship with her in the future, even if it¡¯s a friendship.


    I needed to learn to ask for things and not do then because I could. Think of her and her feelings first and listen. When we got to her house, Ethan¡¯s car was there. I was jealous of my friend. He got to see them whenever he wanted because of his rtionship with Samuel. I wished I had what he had. I wished it could be mine once again.


    I sighed and stepped out of the car. I went and knocked on the door. I could hearughter on the inside and that made me <i>so </i>envious. I wanted to be part of that, the door opened and Marcus was on the other side.


    ¡°Come in.¡± he said moving to the side. I might resent him for taking what was mine, but I respected him. how matured he was and how he handled things. The man was level¨Cheaded and always thought things through. I walked in and he led me to his study.


    I couldn¡¯t help but linger though looking at Samuel, Ethan and Olivia ying. I didn¡¯t know how he could be okay with that, those three looked like a family, I didn¡¯t know how he could be fine with that while he looked like he was on the outside looking in


    ¡°This way man, I don¡¯t have all day. I need to go back to my family.¡± A lump on my throat grew when he referred to them as his family. He was right they were his but that didn¡¯t make it an easy thing to swallow. They were mine once and I would do anything in this world to be able to say those words again. And with pride like he just did.


    I cleared my throat and followed him into the study. I got confused when he closed the door behind him. I thought he was going to call Olivia to join us. It was our marriage that ended, and Marcus had nothing to do with any of


    that.


    ¡°Oh, Olivia is noting. She said I could deal with whatever you came here for.¡± I swallowed hard but my mouth. was so dry. She was already treating him like her husband. I ced the envelop on the table. ¡°I thought she would like to know that.¡± he took it and opened it.


    A smile broke on his face. ¡°Finally, I get to marry the woman I love. Thanks man.¡± He said getting up and walking to the door. He opened and stepped out but then turned and poked his head in. ¡°Was there something else?¡± <b>I </b>shook my head in the negative. ¡°Great, you can show yourself out. I am going to give my wife to be the good news.¡±


    He then left me there and a secondter I heard Olivia scream andugh. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. I lost her and it was my fault. I slowly stood from the chair. I looked around the study and there were pictures of the


    family of three around.


    They looked perfect together<b>, </b>except, the dad was not me but someone else. My chest burned. I walked out pulling my phone out of my pocket. I nced at them, but no one paid me any mind as they were celebrating the news. ¡°Wanna meet and have a drinkter?¡± I didn¡¯t know where Ethan came from, but he was standing next to me. ¡°I don¡¯t know if am up for a drink.¡± I patted his shoulder the head to the door. ¡°Nick?¡± I stopped but didn¡¯t turn.


    ¡°It will be all right, just you wait.¡± I took in his words for a minute before opening the door and walking out. I hope you are right my friend. I stood next to the car and made a call.


    <b>¡°</b>What do you want?¡± he asked. ¡°Give me permission to go to summer strand. I want to focus on my business that side. It has been suffering with everything that has happened.¡± There was silence on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Are you there?¡± I heard him sigh. ¡°You mean you want to run away, hide and bury yourself in work for a while.¡± Yes! I fucking wanted to run. I felt suffocated in New Vige. ¡°<b>I </b>can¡¯t breathe here man<b>; </b><b>I </b>just need sometime. Everywhere I go here I am reminded of what I lost. I need a change.¡±


    Silence followed my words. ¡°I ran myself after putting my foot in my mouth after she gave me a chance to be in her life. I made a mistake telling her she was alive because of you. it¡¯s fine,e so we can hide together. We deserve to suffer.¡± He then cut the call leaving me with questions.


    What did he mean by that and why would he say those words to her?


    *


    Chapter <b>0147 </b>

 Novel Payback 147

    Chapter <b>0147 </b>


    OLIVIA


    It has been a month since my divorce finalized and a month since Ist saw Nick. Marcus told me that he moved to Summer Strand. That was good that he told someone this time and didn¡¯t just disappear. I didn¡¯t want to be harassed by the police again over him disappearing without a word to anyone.


    Today is my wedding day. But this time we didn¡¯t want all the fuss, we are going in front of a judge and getting it done. Then we are leaving for our honeymoon. Am excited about it. A knock came to my door, I was busy fixing <b>my </b>hair. We only had a few minutes before we had <b>to </b>meet Marcus in court.


    I invited the person in and Lupita walked in. ¡°You look beautiful.¡± I smiled. The dress really was breathtaking. I couldpromise and get married in court but not on my dress. This was still my wedding day<b>. </b>¡°Thank you, Lupita. Is it time already?¡± I frowned turning to look at the clock hanging on the wall.


    ¡°No, but there is someone here to see you.¡± she didn¡¯t seemfortable when she said that, and I wondered who the hell could it be. I didn¡¯t want any issues this time around and I didn¡¯t want anyone ruining my wedding with Marcus a second time.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to be okay this time.¡± She said then walked out without telling me who it was who wanted to see me. a minuteter Elodie walked in. I sighed and sat down. Nothing good ever came with me meeting Elodie. She hated me now and only wanted to insult me every time she saw me.


    Why would Lupita let her in here. ¡°I am not here to fight or to insult you. I just want to talk.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. That was new and surprising. ¡°Imean it Olivia. I don¡¯t want to fight; I don¡¯t think I have any fight left in me now.¡± I sighed and gestured to the chair next to my dressing table.


    She took a seat. ¡°You look beautiful in that dress.¡± Sheplimented and I frowned. This had got to be a trick. ¡° Marcus is a lucky man.¡± Okay, someone please tell me what the fuck is going on. She sighed. ¡°Olivia, I came to apologize for my part in everything that happened.¡±


    Okay, definitely a prank. Elodie would never apologize to me. ¡°I know it¡¯s shocking but this whole thing caused me to lose my husband and my son. Nick doesn¡¯t want to set foot in New Vige anymore and keeps saying he is not ready. It doesn¡¯t take a genius to know why.¡±


    I wondered what that got to do with me, I had a wedding to get to and had no time to be entertaining whatever that was. ¡°We used to get along very well you and i. that was until I became your typical mother¨Cinw and hated you for things you had no control over.¡± Okay, maybe it was not a prank but why do this now?


    ¡°You were good for Nick, even though he went and messed it up in the end and I yed my role as well in making things worse. Am sorry, Olivia. I wish I could go back and change how I dealt with things. But losing James and having the ck familying back into my life just turned everything upside down.¡±


    I sighed taking a seat on the bed, it was clear that she was going to be long. ¡°You don¡¯t have to seat; I know you have a wedding to get to. I hope Marcus makes you happy, you truly deserve it. as much as I wish you and Nick can get back together, I know it will never happen.¡± She stood and took her bag.


    ¡°I do hope that everything works out for you.¡± she offered me a smile before walking out leaving me confused and relieved at the same time. Lupita came back inside. ¡°If you still want to marry that man then it¡¯s time to leave.¡±


    I stood and we walked out following each other. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Elodie and what she said. I wondered what the hell made here to me today of all days. Was she nning something? ¡°How is the security in the car with Samuel?¡± he was driving with Ethan. ¡°It¡¯s sufficient, you know how Ethan is where Samuel is


    concerned.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Do you think she will try something?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, she apologized but the events of the


    past makes me suspicious of everything to do with that family. She might seem sincere, but you <b>can </b>never know.¡± Lupita said nothing. When we got to court, I looked outside for anything suspicious before getting out.


    Luke was there as well so, I felt a little safe. But my heart was not at ease. The Jones family was unpredictable to say the least. We went inside and saw Marcus. He looked nervous and yet we were doing this for the second time. Iughed.


    But everything went well. We went before a judge and got married. Then went out to have a family lunch. Marcus booked the whole restaurant for us. He said he didn¡¯t want strangers on our wedding day. Only friends and family. His uncle came and has been giving me looks the whole time<b>. </b>


    I didn¡¯t care about him, he meant nothing to me and after the wedding. I won¡¯t see him again and I was good with that. ¡°Olivia.¡± I cringed, why did I have to think about him. talk of the devil. I turned and stered a smile on my face.


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± he asked, and I frowned. ¡°How does what feel?¡± he chuckled pretending like we were getting along and having fun. The bastard. ¡°Getting everything you ever wanted.¡± My smile widened and his fluttered.


    ¡°It feels good. Marcus is a good man, and I am lucky to have him in my life.¡± Heughed out loud that Marcus nced our way and raised an eyebrow. I just smiled at him trying to tell him that I was alright. ¡°Oh, you little bitch. You do know I am going to get you for the shit you caused. If I lose everything, I own because of <b>you</b>, rest assured that I will being for you.¡± he said that between his teeth.

 Novel Payback 148

    212


    Chapter <b>0148 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I stered my own smile not wanting to give anything away. It was clear the bastard only came to this wedding to warn me. I wondered what the hell he was talking about. ¡°It would be nice if you told me what you are talking about.¡± He chuckled<b>, </b>but his grip on the ss tightened.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend as if you don¡¯t know. We both know that you are not as innocent as everyone seem to think you are. You might have Marcus fooled and running around making things happen so you are in his will but I am not fooled. I see you<b>, </b>Olivia.¡± I nced at Marcus with my smile now fluttering


    What the hell did that man do? Why did the man I fell for always put me into shit I don¡¯t need? First Nick and now Marcus. Why the fuck do I attract trouble everywhere I went? <b>¡°</b>Look, I know nothing of what you speak of. But if there is something like that then I will fix it. as I said, when <b>I </b>signed those papers. I don¡¯t want anything from Marcus. You have to believe that.¡±


    He nced at Marcus then when he saw that he was not looking at us. His facial expression changed into a cold one. ¡°I don¡¯t have to believe anything. If you didn¡¯t want this to happen, you wouldn¡¯t have ran to him with what happened. What the hell did you think would happen? You said something because you wanted something to happen, and it will. To the both of us.¡±


    He thenughed out loud like we were having the most fun. I on the other hand could not pretend anymore. The man was serious and threatening me on my wedding day. Just what kind of life was I going to have with Marcus with someone like that threatening me?


    ¡°Everything alright here?¡± I didn¡¯t see when he came. My focus was on that man in front of me, he was cunning and could pretend very well. ¡°Everything is fine. I am just hungry. I have not eaten anything.<i>¡± </i>He looked at his uncle, but the man maintained his smile.


    ¡°Come on then, let¡¯s put some food in you.¡± I offered a smile as we left going back to <b>our </b>table. I didn¡¯t think I could even eat after that. ¡°What did he say?¡± he asked, and I shook my head. ¡°Nothing.¡± He studied my face. ¡° Olivia, I am your husband, and I don¡¯t want you hiding things from me. besides, I know my uncle and how cunning he is. What did he say to you?¡±


    I was going to tell him but not at that time. ¡°Why don¡¯t we enjoy this day, and I will tell you what he saidter, okay.¡± He looked at me then nodded. He looked back at his uncle then red in his direction. He lifted a ss to him with a smile on his face. Fuck!


    The day went on, but I was no longer feeling it. I kept looking at Samuel to make sure that he was still in my line of vision. I didn¡¯t care what the man did to me, but I hoped he wouldn¡¯t do anything to my son. Luke patted me on the shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for a father, daughter dance.¡± It wasn¡¯t time for that. so, I frowned. ¡°It¡¯s time Olivia,e to the dance floor with me.¡± I reluctantly stood and followed him to the dance floor. ¡°My men just called to tell me that you were threatened, and I want to know who did it?¡± I had forgotten about his little device.


    ¡°Promise me that no one will be listening to us tonight.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it I just asked him to pay attention today, now tell me. who is it and why is hreatening you?¡± I sighed; I didn¡¯t know why he was threatening me instead of dealing with his shit with his. new. Why involve me?


    ¡°It¡¯s Marcus¡¯s uncle, he made me sign a prenup before behind Marcus¡¯s back and I told him about it. I think Marcus is threatening to cut him off because he threatened me saying that he wille after me if he loses everything.¡± Luke nodded and looked over to him.


    <b>¡°</b>I see, do you want me to do something about it, eliminate him maybe so that he doesn¡¯t get a chance to <b>act </b>on his threat?¡± I wished I had such a heart, I wished I could just say fuck it and let Luke kill him. but I was given such a


    weak heart.


    ¡°No, but I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on him. I don¡¯t want anymore bad things happening. I just want to have some peace and be happy.¡± He nodded. ¡°Not to worry then, I will do as you ask. But if he gets out of line in anyway. I will kill him.¡± he then left me on the stage and walked away.


    Marcus came and joined me. ¡°Luke knows, doesn¡¯t he?¡± I only nodded. ¡°Good, maybe he can kill him for me.¡± <b>I </b>wonder what kind of men did I have in my life. Why was killing the only solution they could think of. ¡°No one is going to kill anyone. Luke knows and he will monitor the situation.¡± Marcus frowned.


    ¡°You still need to tell me what he said so I can see what to do on my side.¡± I nodded. I didn¡¯t want this day to end up like this. The day went on and just as we were about to leave. His uncle came to us. ¡°Nephew! Congrattions. I wish you nothing but happiness.¡±


    Marcus said nothing and just looked at him. ¡°Well, I will be gone by the time you return, I just wanted to wish you well and to give you this wedding gift.¡± He handed an envelop to Marcus. He took it and opened it inside was a card. Marcus threw it on the floor after checking it and that was when I saw it.


    It was a number of a divorcewyer. ¡°it¡¯s not toote to make things right, my dear nephew. But enjoy it while itsts. See ya!¡± he walked away leaving me with a fuming Marcus.

 Novel Payback 149

    hell happened to him to make him drink this much anyway?¡± Owen looked at me with pity. This time I didn¡¯t mind the look; I was pitiful indeed. ¡°He lost his wife.¡± The way Owen said it was like she died or something.


    ¡°That is bad man, I am sorry to hear that. I can¡¯t imagine what it must feel like. I don¡¯t know what I would do if my Elsa died. I think I would go crazy.¡± Olivia got married today, this day marks the day <b>I </b>officially lost my heart. How could I even think of alcohol poisoning when I didn¡¯t have a heart?


    I could have alcohol poisoning any day, it could kill me even, I wouldn¡¯t mind. At least this hole and emptiness inside me would be gone. When I got to Summer Strand everything was upside down and there was a lot of work to be done.


    I buried myself into work and tried to forget about everything and New Vige. I would work the whole day without thinking about it or feeling it but the moment I left the office it woulde back. It was this emptiness inside that could not be filled by anything.


    I tried different things over the past month to try and ease it, but nothing worked. It made it worse instead. I had the same feeling and lingering loneliness when Olivia was arrested. Back then I would tell myself that she would be back one day, and we would be alright. It would ease then, and I would live another day.


    This time, it was not going away, and I think it was because I knew that she was nevering back. That I was alone and that she left me. this time the loneliness, the emptiness will linger until God knows when. I didn¡¯t know what to do with it. it just fucking hurt, so much.


    Owen came to me. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s your mother again.¡± I sighedying my head on the counter. ¡°She is going to keep calling if I don¡¯t answer, isn¡¯t she?¡± mother, mother, mother. What could you possibly want now? I divorced Olivia just like you wanted, she is not in my life anymore. What is it now?


    I took the phone from Owen. ¡°Mother.¡± There was silence on the other end. ¡°Okay then, it¡¯s clear you don¡¯t want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Nick.¡± She called my name just as I was about to cut the call. ¡°Yes, mother.¡± She sighed. ¡°I have apologized to her.¡± I kept quiet. ¡°I was wrong to me everything on her.¡± I still kept my mouth shut. ¡°Please,e visit. I miss you or I coulde over and spent a few days with you.¡± she had got to be joking.


    ¡°I am busy mother; I won¡¯t have time for you even if youe.¡± Silence followed my words. ¡°Fight for her.¡± I chuckled getting pissed. ¡°What do you think I have been doing since she got out of jail? I tried mother, God knows I tried. But it didn¡¯t work. All I managed to do is push her into the arms of another man. What more can I do now anyway because she is married?¡±


    ¡®enly. I stood


    Iughed mockingly. ¡°She is not mine to fight for anymore, mother and I think you apologized a little toote. The damage has been done and there is no fixing it.¡± I cut the call and felt suffocated in the bar then stumbled outside.


    I stood there looking at the sky. ¡°Don¡¯t punish me like this I said as if God could hear me, if there was a God. ¡°I have already lost her, isn¡¯t that punishment enough?¡± I wished whatever being was out there could talk back.


    ¡°At least take away the hole inside me, it¡¯s killing me the most.¡± I sat down feeling defeated with my head between my legs. ¡°It hurts, please take it away. I can¡¯t bare it anymore.¡± A tear dropped from my eye then another


    and another. ¡°Can I join you?¡± I heard a voice.


    I lifted my head to look at the woman. I didn¡¯t care that I was crying. She was a beautiful little thing. ¡°I know how you feel, and I came to this bar to try and numb myself, it doesn¡¯t work, does it?¡± I just looked at her as she sat


    next to me.


    ¡°People can be cruel out there.¡± I wondered what happened to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they say it gets better with time. Not sure how much time though because I have been at it for six months and it still hurts like it happened yesterday.¡±


    What the fuck was she talking about. ¡°My fianc¨¦, he died six months ago, killed by an armed robber.¡± Oh, poor thing. ¡°Did your wife leave you or is she dead too.¡± I frowned and she pointed at my wedding ring.


    Funny that I never took it off. ¡°Yes, she died.¡± She nodded. I know the feeling of losing someone very well. It doesn¡¯t matter if you are a man or a woman that shit hurts the same. It leaves a hole inside that you can¡¯t seem to fill no matter how hard you try.¡±


    She knew exactly how I felt. I found myself pulling her close and smashing my lips on hers. Kissing her aggressively and with so much hunger. I have not been with anyone else since Olivia. She responded with just as much passion if not hunger.


    It got so heated so fast that I wanted to have her right there and then. ¡°Sir, let me take you back.<i>¡± </i>Owen said. I didn¡¯t even know where he came from. ¡°Do you want toe with me?¡± she nodded getting up and we followed each other to the car.


    In the back seat we were busy kissing and by the time we got to my ce. We were already half naked. She was naked with only my jacket on. I only had my underwear on. Getting inside we only closed the door, and I took her on the couch.

 Novel Payback 150

    Chapter <b>0150 </b>


    OLIVIA


    We were on the ne on our way to our honeymoon. I had just told Marcus everything his uncle said to me at the reception. He was currently mad and drinking too much whiskey. He was angry that his uncle said all those things, but I think he was angrier because I didn¡¯t tell him sooner. He wanted to turn the jet around to go and deal


    with it.


    I, on the other hand was enjoying a travel magazine with a ss of champagne. I was not about to worry about something that has not happened and might not happen. We were told his uncle left the city before we did. So, currently, he was in London and was no threat to my son. Also, I believed he wouldn¡¯t try anything until Marcus cuts him off officially not just hearsay or suspicion.


    ¡°Why am I the only one who is worried about this?¡± I frowned and lifted my head from the magazine and looked at him. ¡°Am sorry, am just frustrated by all this.¡± I closed the magazine and stood up. I hooked my arms over his neck making him look at me with a frown. ¡°You are not the only one who is worried about it. but for now, there is nothing we can do until he does something.¡±


    I gave him a kiss on the cheek then a peck on the lips. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t think he will do anything until you cut him off, that is when we should be worried because then, he will have a reason to want revenge. For now, we enjoy our honeymoon.¡± I gave him another peck on the lips.


    He pulled me closer by my waist then deepened the kissed and I moaned in his mouth. He pulled out. ¡°Don¡¯t moan like that, you will make me want to take you right here.<i>¡± </i>I blushed and tried to get back to my seat, but he wouldn¡¯t let go of my hand. ¡°You have done some damage, and I need your help and resolving the issue.¡±


    I frowned but then he looked at me and I followed his eyes only to see there was a tent in his front. ¡°How?<i>¡± </i>it was just a simple kiss. ¡°You have that effect on me and your moans¡­God damnit, Olivia, you drive me crazy<i>.</i><b><i>¡± </i></b>I blushed hard. ¡°This is why I made sure this jet has a room, shall we, Mrs Walker?¡±


    Goodness! I didn¡¯t know how to feel being called a Walker, it felt so strange. I think it was because I was used to being called Mrs Jones. it was going to take some time to get used to being called a Walker. ¡°Are youing to fix your mess or should I take a cold shower. But that would be cruel.¡± He teased.


    I took his hand and led him to the back where the small room was. I closed the door then made him stand right there. I slowly took off my clothes, teasing him as I did. The tent on his pants grew with each clothing item that I took off.


    Which made me proud of myself. he found me attractive even though I saw myself differently. When I was left with only my bra and underwear, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed under his breath and fast he was in front of me kissing me.


    Then my bra was gone, I didn¡¯t even know how he did it. while I was looking at that, he moved from my lips to my neck and that got me moaning louder. Then I heard a rip sound, and my underwear was gone. I tried to look but he wouldn¡¯t allow me.


    But I knew I was never going to be able to wear it again. I was sure it was pieces wherever it was. ¡°You drive me


    I while kissing crazy!¡± he dered picking me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he took me to th <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    He gently ced me on the bed and hovered over me. ¡°Fucking perfect!¡± goodness! That got me wet and my clit throbbing. I wanted him so bad, but he was taking his time. He traced each scar I had on my body and kept leaving kisses on each one.


    Each wet kiss he left burned my skin, it made my whole bodye alive. It made me yearn for more. It yearned to be touched and caressed. As if he could hear my thoughts, he did just that driving me crazy. Then I felt his warm


    breath between my legs, and I moaned louder. ¡°Oh!¡±


    ¡°Your moans drive me crazy.¡± He dered but I didn¡¯t want him talking, I wanted him to act, to insert himself deep inside me and make me feel like a woman. As if he could hear myints. The man did exactly that.


    ¡°Am sorry, my love. I will only eat that pussy after we done. Right now, I want to be buried deep inside you. feel your walls clenching around me.¡± that just drove me to the edge. He was still talking and not moving.


    Maybe he wanted me to adjust to his length, but I just wanted him to move. When he continued to give my breasts attention and not moving. I moved my hips. ¡°So greedy!¡± he dered but I didn¡¯t care. I wanted what I wanted, and I wanted it now.


    When he finally moved, I wished I didn¡¯t move first. At first he was a little soft, nice and slow. But then he picked up pace mming into me hard. Long liard strokes that I could feel him deep inside me.


    I was a mess moaning loudly and getting exactly what I wanted. The man reached ces I didn¡¯t know existed and all of it made me wonder where the hell has, he been all my life. Fuck!


    ¡°I love you, Olivia. With all my heart.¡± He dered but I couldn¡¯t answer him. he turned my mind into mush, and I couldn¡¯t think straight. As if he was angered by my silence, the man mmed into me harder and faster making me moan even louder.


    I was sure everyone of the jet stuff could hear us all the way to the pilot. But at that moment I didn¡¯t care. I was enjoying whatever that man was doing to me. his stroke came faster more rushed and sloppier, and I knew he was Cuming. I had alreadye twice already, and I was about to cum with him the third time.


    He gave me onest stroke and we came undone at the same time. ¡°I love you too.¡±

 Novel Payback 151

    Chapter <b>0151 </b>


    NICK


    I stretched and turned, only for me to fall hard on the floor groaned still with my eyes close as I felt my head pounding like I was hit by a truck. ¡°I knew I should have woken you up, look now you fell.¡± Who the fuck was that? I forced my eyes to open but the suning from the window blinded me.


    I rolled over only to hit my head on the couch. ¡°Fuck!¡± I bnced with my hands and got on to the couch. I lowered my head as it felt heavy. ¡°Close the curtains<b>, </b>please.¡± There was no response but soon it got darker. I opened my eyes and there she was. Wearing nothing but my shirt on. Just what the fuck did I dost night?


    ¡°Owen!¡± I yelled for my driver, but my eyes were still on her, her eyebrows creased as she frowned. She might have figured it out that I don¡¯t fucking remember who the hell she was and how she got into my house. Owen walked in. ¡°Sir, you called?¡±


    I nced at Owen, I didn¡¯t need to say more, he knew my predicament. ¡°That is Ms Natasha Lockwood, you invited her herest night after the bar.¡± He exined. ¡°Wow, I will leave this here and go get ready to leave.¡± She said cing the tray she was holding on the small table next to the couch then she walked away.


    Why the hell did she make breakfast? ¡°Why didn¡¯t she leave after waking up, isn¡¯t that how one¨Cnight stands supposed to work?¡± Owen shrugged. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know sir, you might have promised her something and that is why she stayed.¡± I cursed under my breath. What the fuck did I do?


    My mind went to what she was wearing, and my eyes widened. I started looking around and, on the floor, but nothing. ¡°Sir, what are you looking for? Maybe I can help.¡± By now, I was on my knees checking under the couch. ¡± Did someonee in here and clean?¡± Owen shook his head still looking confused.


    ¡°Fuck man! How could you let me do that?¡± he still looked fucking confused. Why the hell did I hire this guy. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>didn¡¯t use a fucking condom with her!¡± I yelled in anger but regretted it as soon as I was done as my head felt like it was splitting in half.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am clean. I am a doctor after all and my healthes first.¡± She saiding in and walking past us as if weren¡¯t even there. What did I expect? I just chased her out of my house and used her of not being clean. To be fair, I had never done something like that before and it scared the shit out of me.


    Both Owen and I watched her leave and as soon as the door closed, I looked to Owen. He knew exactly what I wanted. ¡°She is indeed, a doctor at SS General Hospital. She is a surgeon, and her husband died in a robbery gone wrong six months ago.¡± Mmm not bad at least she didn¡¯t lie about who she was.


    ¡°From what I can tell, she is a good person and before you ask. No, she doesn¡¯t do this kind of thing. I think it was her first time too that is probably why she didn¡¯t leave when she woke up. She doesn¡¯t know the rules.¡±


    ¡°She is beautiful, I wished I could remember whatst night was like with her.¡± Owen cleared his throat. ¡°What?¡± he couldn¡¯t look at me and I wondered what the hell happened. ¡°Tell me!¡± I forgot yelling made my headache even worse. ¡°Well, you did it here so¡­¡± I was confused, what the fuck was he trying to say.


    ¡°Yes, where the hell did you want me to do it, outside?¡± he was making me angry, why was it so difficult for him to just tell me what he wanted to tell me. god! Sometimes I missed Given for such things. <b>¡°</b>I mean you slept with her right here in the living room.¡± I threw my hands in the air in frustration.


    What the hell was wrong with the man? He cleared is throat when he saw how frustrated I was. ¡°Sir, the whole house has cameras, only your room doesn¡¯t and if you slept with her here then that means¡­¡± oh fuck! Bloody hell. just how fucking drunk was i?


    ¡°I got it,¡± I sighed not sure what I wanted to do. ¡°Get me the tape and delete everything else. Make sure no one else sees it.¡± he reached in his jacket pocket and took a thumb drive. ¡°I took over the control roomst night when


    I saw what was happening. Everything that happened is in there and it is the only copy. I can destroy that one as well if you want.¡±


    Now, I could kiss the man, he could bepetent when he wanted to. I handed the thumb drive back to him. ¡± Destroy it.¡± part of me wanted to see what was recorded in there but another part didn¡¯t want to. What was the point of that? I wasn¡¯t going to feel the same way I felt when I slept with her and watching it was not going to achieve anything.


    It would only invade her privacy, and I didn¡¯t want that. ¡°She is a nice woman sir and might be a good distraction from you know who. Why don¡¯t you give her a chance. Nothing serious just spend time with her, she can keep your mind off everything.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t such a bad Idea, but he already said she was a nice person, and a nice person wouldn¡¯t want to see me again. But she could keep my mind off things. ¡°Send her flowers with a note apologizing and asking her for another chance to make things right. Leave a number for her to call if she wants to.¡±


    Owen nodded and left. Doctor Natasha, do you know the kinds of shoes you are to <b>fill</b>. The kind of woman you are to distract me from, are you up for that or will you fail just like Sandra did when she tried. Would you annoy me the same way she did, because if you are then you better not even try.

 Novel Payback 152

    Chapter <b>0152 </b>


    NICK


    I was busy working in my office when Luke suddenly budged in. I frowned cing the documents I was holding on the table. He looked worried and it was unlike him. My mind went to the one person that could get Luke looking like that and I stood now my own heart beating fast. ¡°What is the matter?¡± he looked like he has seen a ghost.


    ¡°I just got a call from one of my men<b>, </b>it seems Samuel was taken.¡± No! ¡°I had listening devices nted inside her house and I heard from there what happened. They have been trying to get hold of Olivia and Marcus but with no luck. It is up to us to find him.¡± fuck! Why did New Vige always find a way to suck people in?


    Seriously, I was starting to move on from that ce and now I was being sucked right back in. But then again. I would do anything for Olivia and that boy. ¡°When do we leave and do, we know where to start?¡± Luke nodded. ¡°I have a pretty good idea who might have done it, and we leave now.¡± Shit! I made ns with the doctor and now I was about to stand her up.


    I made a call to Owen as we walked out of my office, I wanted him to apologize to the doctor for me and tell her some story as to why I could not make it to our date that evening. My worry was not with her though, the message was justmon curtesy. Samuel was my priority, and I knew Ethan was already on it, but I also wanted to be there.


    Part of the promise I made to his mother to make things right with her also included him, taking care of him when she couldn¡¯t and right at that moment, she couldn¡¯t. Luke looked like he could kill someone. ¡°So, who do you think did it and why?¡± I wanted to distract him from whatever he was thinking into thinking about something else.


    Like murdering the man who took him in the first ce. I wanted him thinking of different scenarios he would torture him when we found him because that was what I was thinking about as well. What kind of a monster kidnapped a child?


    ¡°Marcus¡¯s uncle, he threatened Olivia at the reception.¡± What the fuck? And there I was thinking I was the worst thing that ever happened to Olivia. But it seemed I was not the only one. I knew it was bad but I kind of feel good knowing I was not the only one who was bad. The ever soposed Marcus Walker had ws too.


    ¡°Why did he threaten her, didn¡¯t he want her marrying Marcus?¡± goodness! I didn¡¯t know why that made me so happy. If that were the case then that meant I could still fight for my family, my wife. ¡°No, he made Olivia sign a prenup and she told Marcus about it. when he found out he got angry and started the process to cut him off and take everything he owns.¡±


    Fuck! Walker¡¯s fortune was huge and even with half of it one would still remain a billionaire. Any greedy man would retaliate if that fortune was threatened. Damnit! Now I felt bad for being happy thinking Walker was a fuck up. Only to find out that the man was only trying to do the right thing when the fucker did this.


    ¡°Why do you look so disappointed, what did you think the threat was about?¡± I was not going to tell him. the fucker would turn on me faster than he kills that monster who took his grandson. ¡°Am disappointed because this man only waited for them to leave to pull this stunt, He didn¡¯t want them around to stop him when he does it.¡±


    I sighed as I settled into my seat. ¡°This is going to cause conflict between the two and a lot of


    e will go around.¡± Luke said nothing but asked for the hostess to pour him a drink. I declined it, I wanted to be sober when I got to New Vige. Also, I was afraid I would drink too much and end up doing stupid stuff I don¡¯t remember the next day. Like sleeping with the doctor.


    God! That was fucked up. She better not ask me about it or I would not be able to answer her. before take¨Coff<b>, </b>I made a call to Given. ¡°Sir?¡± I missed that guy. ¡°Gather the men and meet me at Olivia¡¯s house. Someone took Samuel¡± I heard him curse under his breath.


    ¡°I will do that, and I will put out feelers to see if I can¡¯t find anything.¡± That was why I kept him around. ¡°Good, I will see you soon Given.¡± I cut the call. ¡°<b>If </b>I didn¡¯t know better, I would say you are gay the way you go on about these two men of yours.¡± I raised an eyebrow as I didn¡¯t know how to answer that.


    ¡°Then am d you know me better.¡± The moron. The engine rumbled from under us, and we started to move. I looked out the window and said a little prayer. I asked God to protect the boy, as much as I didn¡¯t have a rtionship with him, I wanted nothing bad to happen to him because that would kill my wife.¡®


    ¡°Do you want me to find a way to get in contact with them well, they might think I was the one who did this if I called. I regretted even asking. ¡°No, don¡¯t do anything until we find a lead. There is no point in worrying her when we have nothing. I want us to call and tell her when we have something to go on.¡±


    I nodded, he was right, I couldn¡¯t even imagine how she would feel hearing the news. God! I wonder what it would be like seeing her again. I know a month was not that long and definitely not <b>as </b>long as the two years she was incarcerated. But back then I fooled myself into thinking she was going toe back to me.


    But now, I was going to see her for the first time as someone else¡¯s wife. Thinking about it hurt. Something inside me twisted painfully causing me to rub my chest trying to soothe the pain. Dear God, be with me. Give me enough strength and wisdom to find my boy. Let me not fail them this time.

 Novel Payback 153

    Chapter <b>0153 </b>


    NICK


    When we got to the private hanger, it was filled with both mine and Luke¡¯s men. They were armed to the teeth. Good, that British men was going to have a small army of his own. He nned this very well and I was sure he prepared for everything. Only, he thought his nephew was the one who was going to be going after him.


    He didn¡¯t count on us being the ones to do the heavy lifting If he didn¡¯t know that Olivia had me and the whole ck mafia n behind her then he was going to regret his decision pretty soon. As soon as the ne door opened Given was standing at the bottom looking pissed. I knew then that he found something, and it was not good.


    I hurried down the steps and met him down. We moved further away. ¡°He used <b>local </b>men<b>; </b>our men went to get them so we can interrogate them.¡± the fucker! Who the hell did he think he was using locals for his dirty dealings; didn¡¯t he know who those men respected? This was going to be easy. Maybe God does answer prayers after <b>all</b>.


    ¡°As usual, you did well Given. We will meet you at the warehouse.¡± He nodded walking away to the car he came with. I went and joined Luke. ¡°My men found the fools who helped the man, they killed them all except one who was taken by some men.¡± My eyes widened. What the fuck were those fucking mafia men doing?


    ¡°Please tell me something, do these men know what it is to get information out of people? Because we wanted those morons for the information, how are we going to get that now that they are fucking dead!¡± I tried keeping myposure, but I think it showed how angry I was on thest part when I raised my voice.


    ¡°Give me some fucking credit Nick, the ck mafia doesn¡¯t keep morons around. They found out that the British paid them to take the boy and send him to the airport where they were to meet someone and get paid. They did get paid but the one who knows what ne he got on is the one those men took.¡±


    Fuck! Please God, I know I have not been good but since you have started answering my prayers, please answer this one too. Let the men who got him be mine. I want to find my son, for me and for his mother. ¡°What the fuck are you doing? You are fucking wasting time! Jeez¡± I should have known Luke knew nothing about prayer.


    We got into the cars, and we were off. I looked out the window attentively as if I was going to see something that would help find Samuel. It was stupid, I know but hope is a funny thing. Those who have experienced something simr would know what I was talking about.


    The damn thing never lets you give up no matter how bad things get. Even those who kill themselves struggle with it at first and pray to be saved. We went straight to the warehouse and when we got there. My men were standing outside. I searched for Given with my eyes worried that they might not have been the men who got that


    moron.


    When I didn¡¯t see him, I took long strides to get into the warehouse. I saw him standing in the middle with his back on me. ¡°Please tell me you are the one who got the moron who escaped from the mafia.¡± He turned to look at me with a serious expression and just as I was about to sigh in defeat.


    A smile broke on his face. ¡°We can¡¯t let the mafia do all the heavy lifting now, can we? This is our territory after all.¡± A chuckle escaped my lips. ¡°Fucking morons! This is not about you.¡± Lukeined as he went to join Given walking past me.


    I chuckled now hope returned to full force. See, I told you. hope was a funny thing. Luke stood¡­ front of the man, but he only nced at him then averted his gaze. Luke chuckled shaking his head, I knew he was already thinking of ways to kill the moron.


    I went and stood next to Luke. He started from my shoes going up and when he saw my face, his eyes widened. A smirk appeared on my face; I might not be a criminal, but I had people who got things done for me in my name. for those who have heard of me know what I can, or shall I say. What my people were capable of.


    ¡°Mr Jones, sir, I didn¡¯t know he was your family. If I knew I wouldn¡¯t have done it. I swear <b>on </b>my mother¡¯s grave, I wouldn¡¯t have.¡± I nced at Luke, and he threw his hands in the air looking frustrated. The man was drunk on power that it didn¡¯t feel good having someone else being respected instead of him.


    ¡°You are not telling me what I want to hear or do you want him to make you talk.¡± He shook his head vigorously. ¡± No sir, I will talk. We were paid a million, all we had to do is take the child and take him to a private jet at the airport. That is all we did.¡± I continued to stare at him.


    He still didn¡¯t tell me who paid them or where the jet was going. ¡°I don¡¯t know the man, but he looked rich and I heard thedy who works there talk about being in London in five hours. After looking at the time.¡± Then it was clear. Marcus¡¯s uncle took Samuel.


    ¡°Now do we call them?¡± I asked Luke. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find him first then call.¡± I shook my head. ¡°You still don¡¯t know your daughter very well. If we keep this from her until it is toote. She will have our balls, and I would like to keep mine, thank you very much. I still want kids. But you can continue to hide this you are old and have no use for your balls.¡±


    Luke threw a re my way. ¡°Did I tell you how gay you are acting? Fine! Find them and tell them.¡± he sighed as we walked away. ¡°It seems we are going back to the jet and going to London. Fucking ce is always cold. I fucking hate the cold. The things we do for our children, fuck!¡±


    *

 Novel Payback 154

    Chapter <b>0154 </b>


    LUKE


    When I got the call about Samuel my insides went cold. My thoughts went to Olivia and how she would feel when she heard the news. My poor daughter would me herself and even think she was not a good mother because she left him. Most importantly, he was my grandson, and I think part of the reason Olivia let me keep the listening devices was to also keep him safe.


    If she found out that he was taken, and my people did nothing about it. it would break her heart, and she would lose faith in me and my ability to protect her. I wanted <b>to </b>find that man so badly so I could teach him a lesson he would never forget in his entire life. The moron got the guts to go after what¡¯s mine. He went into the lion¡¯s den and took its cab. What the hell did he think was going to happen after that.


    When I find him, he was going to hear the lion¡¯s roar<b>, </b>and it will shake everything I would level London if it meant getting my grandson back. ¡°Would you stop cursing and tell me what the n is? We are going to London and in case you didn¡¯t notice. We have no back up, our men are staying behind. He is at an advantage. How are we going to deal with that?¡±


    A smirk appeared on my face, I didn¡¯t me the boy for being nervous, he didn¡¯t know the extent of my reach in this world, but he was about to find out. ¡°Just because we are called the cks of Summer Strand doesn¡¯t mean we only operate in Summer Strand.¡± He gave me a confused look.


    He could be slow sometimes. ¡°We have branches of the ck mafia all over the world, but the biggest one is Summer Strand. In London I have about two hundred men.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°If you call that small then how many men does the Summer Strand branch have?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Over a thousand, at least thest time I checked we were around there.¡± Nick¡¯s eyes looked like they were going to pop right out of their sockets. Very funny but I couldn¡¯tugh. Nothing about the situation we were in was amusing.


    I raised a finger to stop me from talking as I was going to say more. Which made me frown. No one has ever done that to me. if he were one of my men and not the father of my grandson. I would have chopped that finger off just for the disrespect.


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t let me talk to Olivia, but this is important. Your uncle took Samuel, Luke and I are on our way to London to find him.¡± I didn¡¯t know what Marcus said on the other end of the line. ¡°Do whatever you want Marcus. I only called to inform Olivia about the news, I couldn¡¯t care less what you think about me. but I will suggest you stop being insecure and help Olivia find her son, your stepson now that you married his mother.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow watching him as he cut the call and curse under his breath. <b>¡°</b>What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He is an ungrateful bastard that one who always thinks he knows better.¡± That was not what I asked but I let him vent. ¡°The audacity of the man to tell me to ept that Olivia chose him and was his wife now. He said I must ept that and stop making up things. Who the hell does he think I am?¡±


    Well¡­¡± Don¡¯t you dare support him, Luke.¡± He warned and Iughed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to. At least you told him what happened, it is up to him to tell Olivia or not. But you and I are not the ones who will be in trouble when she finds out that he knew before hand about her son.¡± That seemed to make him feel better.


    I kept looking at my phone waiting for news from my men. That moron didn¡¯t know who he was dealing with. He thought he could just do as he pleased because he had money. Rich fucking morons who had no clue who fucking runs the city they live in or even the world for that matter.


    Nick frowned then threw a re my way ¡°Stop fucking pacifying me Luke! I am not a fucking child.¡± Iughed; I didn¡¯t think he was going to pick up on that. ¡°Then stop acting like one, Marcus knows which buttons to press to get you worked up and you are so easy. You fall for it every time.¡± He really did.


    My phone pinged and I checked. A stnile broke on my face as I read the contents of the message. ¡°What is it? tell me.¡± I chuckled at how eager he was. It didn¡¯t matter that Olivia was lying to him about his son. I think he could feel that boy was his blood and was willing to do anything to get him back safe.


    ¡°My men have found Manor Walker as well as the mansion and all the other properties they own in and outside London.¡± His smile mirrored mine. If Elodie had married into the Santos n then Nick here would have grown up in the family and he would have been formidable. He would have been a force to be reckoned with.


    ¡°Do you want to have some fun dear nephew?¡± with a devilish smirk on my face I asked. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°I thought you would never ask.¡± Weughed. Even theughter was heavy. We knew that in whatever we do when we got there. Samuel needed toe home and safe. ¡°Oh, just normal mafia fun, guns, arson<b>, </b>kidnapping a certain family. The usual.¡±


    I said it casually to see his reaction. At first, he didn¡¯t give anything away. Oh, he better not be a coward like his father was. ¡°That sounds like music to my ears and very much fun. Where do we start?¡± that¡¯s my nephew, he had ck blood indeed.

 Novel Payback 155

    Chapter <b>0155 </b>


    OLIVIA


    As soon as Marcus told me what was going on, I stood from the pool chair I was sitting on and headed inside the hotel. I should have known he would do something like that I just thought he would wait until he was cut off officially for him to act but I was wrong. His uncle was eager to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen and what better way to do it than to kidnap his nephew¡¯s stepson.


    ¡°Olivia, what are you doing?¡± I got into the hotel and started packing, I didn¡¯t know why he was asking when he could clearly see exactly what I was doing. ¡°You should be calling the jet and telling them we are heading to London.¡± I told him as I continued to shove clothes into my suitcase. I didn¡¯t want to waste any second.


    I should have known; I was his mother, and I should have done better, He threatened me at the reception, and I should have known that he was not going to wait until he lost billions to act. I should have thought about it and known that he was going to act now to prevent that from happening.


    I should have listened to Marcus when he wanted to turn the jet around. But I didn¡¯t think and that was the problem. I thought everyone was as sensible as I was but my recent encounters with people like his uncle should have taught me something but clearly it didn¡¯t. because here we are, my son gone and I on the other side of the world unable to do anything about it.


    ¡°Olivia, you know how Nick is, he could be lying for all we know.¡± I stopped what I was doing and looked at him with my hand on my waste. ¡°I know Nick can be an asshole when he wants to but he will never lie about something like this. If he specifically called to tell us this and not Ethan. Then that means it¡¯s serious.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°It means Ethan is searching hiswork of connections to find clues on my son¡¯s whereabouts and he was never going to call and tell me until he found something. But in this case, Nick found something first, did you expect him to keep it to himself and not tell me?¡± he said nothing but took out his phone and made a call.


    When I was done, I ced my bags by the door and waited for Marcus to finish with his clothes. ¡°So, are you going like that?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow. I looked at myself and I was still wearing a bikini. I didn¡¯t even realize because my mind was no longer working. I need to see my son and only then will my nerves settle.


    I went and changed then we left. In the car there was silence. Both of us deep in thought. ¡°Did whatever you were doing to take everything back from your uncle go through? I still had the feeling that he acted because whatever Marcus was doing went through.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but thest time I checked we still had a few things to sort out and that was five days before the wedding, and I told my people not to bother me until after the honeymoon. Maybe they finished and presented him with the documents. I honestly don¡¯t know.¡±


    I wished I could me him, but he didn¡¯t know that his uncle was going to do something like that. my son had nothing to do with everything, but I didn¡¯t think he cared about that at all. I looked out the window feeling like the car was moving very slowly. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, Olivia. He will pay for this; I will make sure of it.¡±


    He dered but I said nothing. I didn¡¯t want to say something I wouldter regret because I wasn¡¯t thinking straight and everything in me med him for what happened. I felt like he should have left it at the prenup and not take it any further.


    But was stubborn and did the opposite of that. look where we were now! ¡°Olivia.¡± He called my name and whipped my head in his direction. I thought he still wanted to convince me that he was going to fix thing, and I was ready to give him a piece of my mind.


    ¡°We are here, let¡¯s go.¡± I was wrong, he was outside the car with a hand extended to me. I looked around and only then did I notice that we were at the airport. I took his hand and got out. The jet engine was already running. We headed there while one of his men took our bags in.


    I sat down and fasten my seat belt. I didn¡¯t want anything to dy the trip. Soon Marcus joined me and a few minutester we took off. it was going to be my first time in London, and it was for something like that. I thought my first time there would be on vacation or something along those lines.


    But no, I was going there to confront an arrogant billionaire and to try and get my son back from him. I had nothing to offer him to make that happen, but I hoped that my husband would give up his fortune to make that happened. Sick, I know but I had no other choice.


    ¡°I have just been told that Nick and Luke are in London.¡± I nced at him, and he showed me a text on his phone. If it were any other day, I would be worried about them being together but now. I didn¡¯t care. I knew they were chasing a lead about my son, and I knew from deep inside me that they were going to do anything to find my son and bring him back to me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look surprised by this?¡± was there anything to be surprised about in that? he too got them involved when he wanted to get things done. Also, Luke had listening devices in my house and at the office. What made him think that he wouldn¡¯t know about his uncle taking my son?


    ¡°I am not sure why you are surprised, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know what kind of people those two are.¡± A sigh left him. ¡°I know and that is why I am worried. Look?¡± I turned to him, and he showed me picture of burning houses. I frowned wondering what the hell was happening.


    ¡°That is what worries me, those two have been burning properties belonging to the Walkers<b>, </b>my properties. I don¡¯t know why they couldn¡¯t wait for me to point them to where he might be keeping Samuel.¡± My frown deepened.

 Novel Payback 156

    Chapter <b>156 </b>


    OLIVIA


    ¡°Let me get this straight, you are pissed that they have destroyed your property and you wanted them to <b>wait </b>until you could point them in the right direction or the direction you think he might be keeping him<b>, </b>is that what you are saying?¡± seriously, I wanted to make sure that was what he was saying before I could explode.


    <b>¡°</b>If they had waited or at least asked me, I would have told them possible ces they could look at without them having to destroy my properties. Is there a need for property distraction in this to begin with? Come man, they are just being spiteful now.¡± I chuckled not believing what I was hearing.


    ¡°Not so long ago, you didn¡¯t believe Nick about this, you thought he was lying about the whole thing and now you are angry they didn¡¯t consult you before they started searching for my son? You are unbelievable.¡± Samuel was not his son, granted but for him to be upset about his properties and not my son when we just got married got me worried.


    ¡°Olivia don¡¯t take this in a way that it is not meant to be. Luke and Nick don¡¯t need to destroy my properties to look for Samuel. They could have searched those properties without causing damage to them. I am told they have an army with them. are you telling me that they needed to burn them down in order to find your son?¡±


    ¡°(


    Fine! They might have gone too far but still<b>. </b>It sounded like his properties were more important than my son. Sure, they could have handled the situation better though I can assure you that they did that out of frustration not intentionally to mess with you.¡± heughed. I didn¡¯t find anything funny in what I said.


    <b>¡°</b>Will you ever stop defending Nick? He is with your father the mafia kingpin. That is his style, and Nick would do anything to stick it to me. they did all that on purpose, trust me, I know.<i>¡± </i>He said taking a sip from his drink, which pissed me off to no end. ¡°When all of this is done, send me a bill of all the damage they caused, and I will cover it.¡±


    He snapped his head my way. ¡°I never asked for that and I did say to not take this in a way that it is not meant to be,¡± Iughed. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are pissed, that Nick called and told us about my missing son which your uncle took or about your property or the billions you might lose if that is what he demands. Which one is it, Marcus?¡±


    He gulped down his drink and I couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I am pissed that I can¡¯t be there looking for him. I am pissed because I caused all this shit. I am the one who Is cutting him off and he took your son to retaliate. I am the one who is supposed to be going to each property we own looking for him. can you imagine how scared he must be?¡±


    Shit! my mind went way too far with this. I thought he only cared about his property and not my son. ¡°Those things I can rece or buy new ones. But I can¡¯t buy or rece Samuel if something were to happen to him. I am scared Olivia especially after finding out that Nick and Luke are already in London and with an army. It¡¯s clear they are telling the truth, and I don¡¯t want to ept that.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows not sure what to make of what he said. He just said he was scared of what might happen to my son and now he didn¡¯t not want to ept it. what exactly was he saying. ¡°if I ept that my uncle took Samuel, then I would also have to ept that I am to me. We just got married my love, how do you think it feels and looks when my uncle does something like this?¡±


    He chuckled pouring himself another drink. <b>¡°</b>It makes me feel weak, like I can¡¯t protect my family. He did this on purpose to show me that he is better than me and that taking everything from him is not going to be that easy. He is showing me that he will fight for everything he had, and he will go to any lengths to prevent me from taking it.¡±


    Heughedying his head on the seat with his eyes closed. ¡°He forgets that there was a reason his brother decided to give everything to his long¨Clost son instead of him. his own brother knew the kind of monster he was


    and <b>that </b><b>is </b>why <b>he </b>left him nothing. <b>I</b>, on the other hand gave him half <b>of </b>everything and he went behind my back and did what he <b>did</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    His facial features hardened. ¡°Even with everything I gave him, he still went and did this. It¡¯s time he knew that <b>I </b>am not the boy he took in and groomed all those years ago. That is why I wish I was the one on the ground right now so I can show him the monster he raised.¡±


    The temperature dropped on the ne, and I wished I had the ability to make it go faster. His demeanour <b>scared </b>the shit out of me. Marcus was always calm and collected. The man looked at every scenario before making a decision or acting. But the man in front of me didn¡¯t seem like he was thinking <b>at </b><b>all</b>.


    He was cold and I didn¡¯t know what this version of him was capable of and for the love of God I didn¡¯t want to find out. As much as I wanted my son back, I didn¡¯t want another Luke in my life. He was enough with his mafia<b>, </b>but I couldn¡¯t have my husband be like that.


    Even if he already was, I didn¡¯t know about it and to me. he behaved and that was what I wanted. No other version of him was ever going to be eptable to me. ¡°Let Nick and Luke be the ruthless ones; you <b>are </b>a husband and a stepfather. Be better!¡±

 Novel Payback 157

    <b>Chapter </b><b>157 </b>


    <b>NICK </b>


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    When Luke said we were going to have fun in London, I was worried. Let¡¯s face it, the man was a mafia kingpin, and his idea of fun was not like a normal man¡¯s idea of fun. When I asked what kind of fun was there to be had. He mentioned


    guns, arson the works. It got me shaking to my core. We were looking for a child and those things were not exactly child friendly.


    But then again, kidnapping a child was not child friendly either. The man took my boy and didn¡¯t think about how he would feel being away from his family. He took him for his own selfish <b>reasons </b>and that couldn¡¯t <b>go </b>unpunished. Some people needed to be severely punished in order for them to learn.


    So, I agreed with Luke¡¯s n even though it made me sick. But then the fun started, when we got to London and met with his men at the airport. I felt like the most powerful man in the world. Hell, I had money and power but that felt like a different kind of power. Which it was. The way those men worshiped the ground we walked on.


    The respect they gave us, the way they shielded us as we went to the cars. The convoy from the airport going to the Walker properties. I must admit, the power was intoxicating, no wonder Luke was drunk on it. I would be too. Getting to the Walker properties we asked the helpers where their boss was, apparently, he was called the duke. They didn¡¯t know or at least that was what they led us to believe. Luke wanted to kill them all, but <b>I </b>suggested we let them go and burn the houses, well, they were not houses but manors. Marcus was fucking rich that he got me envious even with all the money I had.


    Maybe I didn¡¯t quite get how to spend it. but he definitely did. Thest ce we got to, the stuff pointed us to his family home where his wife and daughter stayed. We were heading there currently, and I hoped we got there before Marcus did.


    We just got word that he justnded at the airport and when I told Luke. He cursed and asked some of his men to go be with his daughter. <b>¡°</b>If Olivia gets there first, she will not allow us to take his family no matter what he did. She doesn¡¯t believe in the eye for an eye thing.¡± Luke nced my way, and a smirk formed on his face.


    Oh fuck! What the hell was he thinking. ¡°Then, I guess we better get there first and make sure they don¡¯t catch us when we leave. If that man wants to y hide and seek with the mafia, then let the games begin.¡± I was afraid he was going to say something like that. ¡°Step on it!¡± he ordered the driver, and he did as told.


    The Audi had speed and that man could drive. The others followed suit, and we drove in those country roads as if we were on a high¨Cspeed chase with the police. Olivia<b>, </b>my love. Do you see the lengths we would go through for you?


    You are the most loved woman in the world, I hope you know that. when we got to the house, we could see security outside with guns and I knew we were in the right ce. ¡°The moron must have heard what we have been doing and doubled security around his family. But he doesn¡¯t know what he is dealing with. But he will soon find out.¡±


    Luke said with pride, our driver slowed the car as we approached the gate and the ones at the back with security passed us going straight for the gate. When the guards saw that they were not stopping, they started shooting.


    Okay! Being in Luke¡¯s world was not so fun anymore. I cringed worried that those men would die. But damnit! They were loyal and willing to die for their boss. They crushed into the gate and bullets rained on their cars. They didn¡¯t get out and I was sure they were dead.


    The driver handed Luke a loud hailer. ¡°<b>If </b>you want to die for a man who kidnaps kids then by all means continue firing at us. But you must see by now that you are outnumbered and that we are not here for you. <b>so</b>, put down your weapons and we can talk.¡± The guards shared a look. they put down their weapons and I let c a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    24


    Chapter <b>157 </b>


    I had prevented the deaths of innocent <b>people so </b>far<b>, </b>but I <b>didn¡¯t </b>think I could do it there if they didn¡¯t put their <b>weapons </b>down. We got out and only then did I realize that the cars were bullet proof and that the men were safe.


    I sighed<b>; </b>Luke might be a lunatic, but <b>he </b>cared for his <b>men</b><b>. </b>Now tell me, where is the family.<b>¡± </b><b>The </b>guys pointed inside the house. Luke and I walked in, and the mother and daughter were sitting on the couch looking terrified.


    ¡°Good afternoon,dies. Sorry to budge in unannounced. We are looking for the <b>man </b>of the house <b>and </b>it is quite urgent.¡± He spoke like a gentleman, and I rolled my eyes. <b>He </b>could pretend, I give him that. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you could be so kind and call him to tell him we are here for the boy he took We would appreciate it.¡±


    The wife frowned not moving. I feared for her life if she was going to be stubborn. ¡°Mam<b>, </b>you don¡¯t want things getting out of hand here. You have a daughter to protect so suggest you do as he says. Call your husband.¡±


    She took out her phone and dialled. ¡°Put it on speaker.¡± She did as told. The phone rang and he picked up. ¡°Honey are you okay?¡± the bastard. ¡°She will be fine as soon as you bring that boy to us.¡± Luke was the one who answered.


    There was silence on the other end of the line. ¡°You think I won¡¯t do it?¡± Luke chuckled. ¡°If you are as connected as you think you are. Try finding out about the cks of Summer Strand. While you are at it. find out about me, the head of the n. Boy, I killed my father to get here, do you think I care about your family?¡±


    ¡°If you dare touch them, I will¡­¡±


    ¡°You will what? Harm that boy? I don¡¯t think you will because if you do, I will make you suffer. You decide, your family alive and safe or that boy you kidnapped. Your choice. Am good with either one.¡±

 Novel Payback 158

    Chapter <b>158 </b>


    NICK


    There was silence on the other end of the line, and I held my breath hoping the man was smart enough to make the right decision. While we were still waiting for him to respond, the line went dead. Luke chuckled with an evil smirk on his face. I wondered what he was thinking because I was never going to let him hurt a child.


    ¡°Well, it seems you don¡¯t mean much to your husband. All he cares about is his wealth. Anyway¡­¡± he stood, and I did the same. ¡°Take them to the car, we are taking them with us since the man doesn¡¯t want them. we will keep them.¡± okay, that was not so bad. He said nothing about hurting them just taking them.


    It was going to scare him enough to act, I hoped. He and I walked out. ¡°Tell your boss that I have taken his family. Tell him if he wants them back then he knows what he must do.¡± He told the guards. We got into the car. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here before Olivia and Marcus arrive.¡± I agreed fully with that one.


    Olivia would think I was a monster if she saw me doing something like that. she already thought of me as one, I didn¡¯t want to give her the impression that I was an even bigger monster than she thought. ¡°You still care about her, don¡¯t you?¡± I was surprised by his question. Sure, I cared about Olivia, but he was the first to tell me to leave her alone.


    Why was he interested now in knowing if I cared for her or not. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± he chuckled. ¡°<b>If </b>you didn¡¯t care, you wouldn¡¯t be here. You would have told me to deal with it myself, which I could have, I mean, I have all the manpower, and I don¡¯t need you to be honest. I just wantedpany.¡± Wow.


    He was right though, I couldn¡¯t dispute that, but to tell me to my face was something else. Just as we were halfway back Luke¡¯s phone rang. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, and a smirk appeared on his face. ¡°Put him on.¡± He said taking the phone off his ear then putting it on speaker.


    ¡°I know you took my family.¡± He said but Luke said nothing. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you want this brat back unharmed, you will get Marcus to draft a contract giving me back what I had and there must be a use in there that states that he will not take it away from me again. Once I get the confirmation from mywyer that everything is done. I will bring the boy.¡±


    He negotiated, at least that was better, we were now talking and that was a start. ¡°I hear you but tell me something. What should I be doing with your family so long? I mean you did kidnap a child and took him halfway across the world. That cannot go unpunished even if you do bring back the boy you took unharmed.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like where that was going. ¡°If you dare touch my family, I will¡­.¡± Luke cut him short. ¡°You will what? Please go on and tell me what you think you will do because I am very much interested in hearing it.¡± I wished I could punch the man in the face.


    What kind of a father put material possessions instead of his family. Well, look at me being the pot calling the kettle ck. I did the same thing he did and send my wife to jail for a moron. I should keep my mouth shut with this one even though I didn¡¯t do it for possessions, actually, I think I was the worstpared to him.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t touch my family man, I don¡¯t know you and I don¡¯t want to know but I have resources, and I am not afraid to use them.¡± Jesus! Was the man a moron. Could he see that he was at a disadvantage? Didn¡¯t his people tell him the kind of a monster I was with?


    ¡°Listen here and listen well. I am not going to tell your nephew anything. You do it yourself. Also, if I don¡¯t get that boy back by this evening. You will receive a finger from your daughter and if still don¡¯t bring him back. You will receive a finger every hour until I get him back.¡± I cringed when I heard that.


    I could imagine a child¡¯s finger being cut off and how painful it would be for him. ¡°You forget something important.¡± Lukeughed. ¡°This is not aughing matter, I too have something you want, and I can just as easily do what you are threatening to do to my daughter.¡±


    I fumed in anger when he said that. ¡°Just you try, and you will get much more than just a finger. I am telling you now, if there is even a hair out of ce when we get him, you will regret it.¡± I said now my anger rising. Luke smirked and I wanted to wipe it off with a punch. The man was threatening his grandson, and he was here smirking and ying games with the fool.


    ¡°Well, you heard the man. Until this evening, if not. The fur will begin.¡± He cut the call, and I red at him. ¡± What?¡± I didn¡¯t know how the man¡¯s brain worked, and I didn¡¯t care to, but he was close to driving me insane.¡± How could you threaten someone who has Samuel? Don¡¯t you think he will do what he says he will do<i>?</i>¡±


    Luke turned fully to face me. ¡°I have delt with a lot of morons like him. it¡¯s for them to threaten someone but hard to act.¡± Iughed. ¡°If that were the case then we wouldn¡¯t be here, he took Samuel and to me, that is acting enough. Do you want more for you to believe it? let¡¯s face it, maybe this moron is not like the other moron¡¯s you have faced.¡±


    He looked offended by what I said but I didn¡¯t care. Why in God¡¯s name was he so stubborn? A child¡¯s life was in danger. ¡°You really do think I am stupid. My men have already tracked his location and are on the way there now. You think I would keep him on the call for this long for nothing.¡®¡±


    Oh, now I must really look like a fool. ¡°I told you before, the ck mafia doesn¡¯t hire morons. I have good people working for me or I would have been dead by now.¡±

 Novel Payback 159

    Chapter <b>159 </b>


    OLIVIA


    When wended in London and got out of the ne. My heart almost stopped when I saw so many men in ck standing there. Marcus and I looked at each other confused. I even thought they were agents of some government organisation or something. That was until we got down and one who seemed to be the leader of the group came forward and greeting me.


    He paid Marcus no mind as he told me that my father the don told him toe get me. I was shocked because firstly, I didn¡¯t know what the hell the don was and secondly<b>. </b>I thought the mafia was back in Summer Strand. There was no way Luke flew all those men there. Marcus and I followed them in our car.


    The car was brought by his driver to the airport. On the way he was telling Marcus how much damage was caused by Nick and Luke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that Larry, am here now and I am going to sort all this out.¡± I couldn¡¯t believe they burnt down so many manors, just how long have they been in London to have caused so much damage.


    What was I even thinking, I could see how many men he had and getting those manors was not a problem for him. even if Marcus did send me the bill to pay for that damage, I was sure it was going to leave me bankrupt. There was no way that damage was less than a million or two. ¡°Where are they now?¡± Marcus asked Larry.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know sir, but I think they are on their way to the family, if not already there oring back. The staff is traumatized sir, they have never experienced something like this.¡± Marcus sighed, ¡°Did they get to my house?¡± Larry shook his head. ¡°Then take us there then we will contact them and find out where they are.¡±


    Larry agreed, I kept my mouth shut as I didn¡¯t know what to say. The damage was done and the only thing that was on my mind was my son and how he was doing. I felt his hand on mine and gave me a little squeeze. I turned to look at him. ¡°He will be alright, he is not a monster, he actually likes kids, and they love him.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, if he was not a monster then why did he take my son to begin with? Normal people didn¡¯t need to kidnap children to get what they want. He must have seen my face because he sighed running his hand through his hair. ¡°I know his actions don¡¯t support what I am saying. And I will not defend that.¡±


    Good, I didn¡¯t need to hear him defend that man, he threatened me and took my son. To me, he was never going to be a good person no matter what Marcus said. When we got to his ce, many cars parked outside and even filled the street. Marcus clicked his tongue. ¡°These morons are here now, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Larry looked terrified. ¡°You can leave Larry; we will be fine.¡® I told him, the poor old man had been through enough for the day. He looked at Marcus for approval and he nodded. The man got out of the car so fast and within a minute, he was gone. If it were any other time I would haveughed.


    I sighed getting out of the car. Those men didn¡¯t even mind us. They just nced at us then continued minding their business. I rushed inside wanting to see my son. But I got disappointed when I got inside and found Nick ying with a little girl. Our son was not a girl, who was that girl.


    He was so focused on what he was doing that he didn¡¯t notice me standing by the door. <b>¡°</b>I thought Samuel was a boy and you went and found a girl. Hello Lilly.¡± The little girl jumped up and rushed to Marcus and hugged his legs. Marcusughed picking her up.


    ¡°Goodness! You have grown so much. What had your mother been feeding you.¡± that was when I noticed the woman sitting on the couch looking scared. I walked in and took a seat next to Nick. He lost weight in thest month.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± that was the first thing I asked him. he cleared his throat. ¡°Luke¡¯s men went to get him.¡± I frowned, why were they there then if Luke¡¯s men were the ones who were going to get my son? He was going to be terrified seeing them. at least he knew Nick and Luke but not those men!


    *


    ¡°By the time we got the call and tracked them we were already on the way here. Luke sent his men to go check the location and bring him back if they find him there.¡± Nick exined seeing that I was getting angry. ¡°Do you know that it is my son your husband took?¡± I questioned the woman, Marcus nced our way.


    ¡°My son, is just couple of years younger than your daughter. I would have thought someone who has kids of his own would never do something like this, just what kind of aman did you marry?¡±


    Marcus asked the little girl to go y in the room. he came and sat next to the woman. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry, I know you didn¡¯t know about this, but you are the only one who would know where he is keeping him. they have searched everywhere that we know of, do you have an idea of where he might be?¡±


    The woman cried making me mad. ¡°It¡¯s no use crying, my son was taken away from his home and flown out of the country. How do you think he feels right now? He doesn¡¯t know your husband; do you know how traumatized he will be by this whole thing?¡±


    She sniffed. ¡°My husband is not a bad person, but you Marcus, how could you do this to him, how could you take away everything from him for a woman you met yesterday. My husband has been with you for many years, and this is how you repay him?¡± Iughed, really? ¡°I swear to God if you don¡¯t tell me where my son is right now, you will regret meeting this woman, I dare you to try me.¡®


    ¡±


    x

 Novel Payback 160

    Chapter <b>160 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t know where that anger came from, but I just exploded when she said those things. I didn¡¯t care about any of that, I just wanted my son. ¡°That¡¯s my daughter, if you thought I was bad, then you haven¡¯t met my daughter. Well, you have just now but she is worse than I could ever be.¡± Luke saiding in with a tub of ice cream in hand.


    The man was making it seem like we were a family of mafias there, I threw a re at him and he lifted his hands up in surrender. ¡°See, I am even scared of her myself and yet she is my daughter. My only child. That boy is her only child as well and trust me, she will gut you and leave you bleeding to death if you don¡¯t give her son back.¡±


    Jesus, Luke! Marcusughed. ¡°Now I see why you want to take everything from us, you are being threatened by this family of gangsters you married into. I thought I knew your character and the type of woman you would marry but I didn¡¯t. your uncle should be in the cabin up in the mountains. That is the only ce that is not in the Walker name.


    She red at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go get my son.¡± Luke raised a hand like a schoolboy in ss about to answer a question. ¡± What!¡± I was getting irritated. ¡°My men are already there, just wanted her to confirm that is the right ce.<i>¡± </i><b>I </b>sighed and took a seat. ¡°Why the hell are they here anyway?¡® I questioned. But before anyone could say something. Nick gave me a te of food and I frowned looking at it. ¡°I know the kind of monster you turn into when you are hungry. Knowing you, until Samuel is found and back in your arms, you will not think of yourself. So, here is some food. Eat.¡± I was hungry, Ist ate breakfast in the morning and nothing since.


    I took the te and thanked him. ¡°Way to make me look bad in front of my wife.¡± Marcusined but I didn¡¯t have time for him. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I know your wife better than you do. She was my wife longer than she has been yours.¡± Oh, for the love of God! Couldn¡¯t they just shut up and focus on the matter at hand?


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Luke crossed his legs and watched eating the ice cream. ¡°Tell me Marcus, why didn¡¯t you believe Nick when he called to tell you about this?¡± I knew what he was doing, he wanted me to react, but I wasn¡¯t going to give him what he wanted. Luke was cunning. ¡°I don¡¯t have to answer that, you know Nick.¡±


    Marcus saiding to sit next to me. ¡°Look at you? do you think this is healthy?¡± we all turned to the woman who¡¯s name I didn¡¯t get or cared to know. ¡°These men are fighting over you and it¡¯s clear that they spend a lot of time in each other¡¯s spaces. How are you raising your son with them bickering like this all the time. I am now beginning to think that my husband did well taking him.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know when I got up from my seat but in seconds, I was in front of her and giving her the biggest p I could master. Silence fell in the room. ¡°Say it again?¡± I was so angry, who the hell did she think she was to judge me. she knew nothing about me or my life.


    ¡°I told you not to poke the bear, but you can¡¯t seem to keep your mouth shut.¡± Luke said on the side. The woman continued to hold her cheek ring at me. I clicked my tongue and went to sit back down. Marcus still looked shocked by my reaction; I was too. I had never hit anyone before, that was my first time, and my hand hurt.


    Luke¡¯s phone rang and we all looked in his direction hoping that it would be his men telling him that they found my son. ¡°Yes, good job. Now bring him here.¡± He said on the phone, but I didn¡¯t care much after hearing they got him. ¡°Well, I did warn him, but he wouldn¡¯t listen, leave him there.¡± I kept quiet and looked at him wondering what he was talking about.


    He pocketed his phone then went back to eating his ice cream as if nothing happened. ¡°Luke?¡± Nick called him. ¡° What?¡± he fired back. ¡°What did he say?¡± Nick asked. ¡°Oh, you want to hear what he said, my bad, I thought you were still talking to her.¡± I frowned. This was not the time for his silly jokes.


    ¡°Dad!¡± I yelled in frustration, and I smiled appeared on his face. A genuine smile. I had never seen one of those on him before. It was good to see. ¡°He ising back baby girl, don¡¯t worry, he is not harmed.¡°. ighed, relieved


    about that part. But I was never going to be okay until I had him in my arms.


    ¡°Who did you say they must leave behind, is my husband alright?¡± the woman fired asking one question after another. ¡°Oh, now you are interested in what happens to him?¡± Luke said sarcastically. ¡°Please, tell me he is okay.¡± She begged now all the arrogance she had gone.


    ¡°Well, if someone finds him on time and call help for him. then he will be fine, if not¡± he shrugged. ¡°Though with the way you described the ce, I don¡¯t think many people go there and even if they do, no one will just <i>go </i>inside someone¡¯s house uninvited.¡± Luke said and shrugged like it was the most normal thing to do.


    The woman started crying and I could see Marcus was not happy. I didn¡¯t know if he was sad for the woman or his uncle. He was his blood after all. ¡°Olivia, talk to him.¡± he said. ¡°And say what?¡± seriously what did he want me to say to Luke?


    ¡°Letting him die like that is not something you would do. <b>Tell </b>your father to give her a phone to call help for him.¡± what Marcus said annoyed me.


    ¡°Here he is and he can hear you. there is no need for me to say anything.¡±


    2/

 Novel Payback 161

    <b>Chapter </b>161


    OLIVIA


    Marcus followed me to the kitchen, probably wondering why I was being stubborn about this. But that woman¡¯s husband traumatized my son, taking him from his home and flying him across the world. And for what? To get money from his nephew? Samuel was not Marcus¡¯s son; he should have gone after something that was Marcus¡¯s


    not mine.


    ¡°Olivia, I know what he did is unforgivable. But I am already taking everything from him and his family. Lilly will no longer have the same lifestyle she grew up with. Things will change for her big time, school, friends, everything. I can¡¯t take her father away from her too. Believe it or not. My uncle is a good father to his daughter.¡± I wished I could shut him up with a punch right on the mouth. How could he try and manipte me like that? actually that was emotional ckmail, and I didn¡¯t like it. Fine, I will tell Luke to give her a phone. But I am not going to forget this.¡± I told him then walked out of the kitchen. I felt like he was, yet again, putting his family over my son.


    I guess blood really is thicker than water. ¡°Give her the phone.¡± I told my father. The way he looked at me, I could tell that he was angry, that he didn¡¯t like it one bit. ¡°Are you sure honey? People like that should not go unpunished because they will continue with this kind of behaviour. Someone must stop them.<b>¡± </b>


    As if he was the right person to stop anyone. He has blood in his hands, and many died by his and yet. No one has stopped him yet. ¡°My husband feels for his niece, he feels that he has already taken enough from her, and he can¡¯t take her father too,¡± I went and sat down. ¡°Luke said nothing, but I could see his hands bailed into fists.


    He was angry but didn¡¯t want to say anything. <b>¡°</b>If it¡¯s what you want then fine.¡±


    ¡°It is what she wants.¡± Marcus saiding in and taking a seat next me. ¡°If you believe that, then you are a fool. But then again, you know that it¡¯s not what she wants but because it is what you want to happen to ease your conscious, you are letting her save a man who doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± Nick said.


    ¡°Stay out of this, Nick. It doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± Nickughed. I was already fed up and couldn¡¯t wait to have my son and get the hell out of London. I never wanted to set foot in this ce again. It would only be a reminder of what happened here. Luke did give the woman a phone to call help for her husband.


    ¡°It¡¯s clear you rushed into this marriage without getting to know the kind of woman you are marrying. I know it¡¯s none of my business, but you have just started your marriage on the wrong foot. I hope you will be able to make up for itter. But the possibilities of that happening are close to none. You want to know why?¡±


    Because already to me, the most important people in your life are your blood rtives not me, your wife or my son. We both are not your blood so, wee second to them if our feelings are considered at all. I wanted to open my mouth and say all that, but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself <b>to</b>.


    Marcus was my husband, he didn¡¯t have to put my son first, but I thought he would at least put me first. ¡°Nick, please don¡¯t. I know what I am doing, and I know my wife. If she had let my uncle die when she could have saved him, it would have haunted her. yes, I asked because of my selfish reasons but for her too. Olivia doesn¡¯t need something like this weighing on her. she has been through enough.¡±


    Well, I guess both my current and ex husband knew me well. They were both right. ¡°That¡¯s enough, you are both right and I am mad. Now, I don¡¯t want to talk about it, I just want my son so I can get out of here.¡± They both gave me the same look.


    I looked away; I didn¡¯t have time to be dealing with them. I wanted my son and to go home. I heard a car outside and jumped and ran out. I ran to the car and when I saw him sleeping on the back seat. I cried, I was happy to see him safe and unharmed. I opened the door and took him into my arms holding him tight.


    I didn¡¯t want to let him go or take my eyes off him. I felt like he would be gone again if I did. He stirred. I gave him kisses on his forehead and cheeks. ¡°Mama.¡± He said with a soft voice. ¡°Yes baby, I am here.¡± He went back to sleeping in my arms. Oh, thank God he is alright!


    I turned to walk back inside with him. Nick and Marcus were standing by the door looking at us. I said nothing as I walked past them, Nick followed behind me. I went and found an empty room and got inside cing my son on the bed thenying next to him.


    Nickid on the other side holding him. I didn¡¯t have time for strength to be telling him to leave. Marcus stood by the door and watched us then turned around and left. Maybe because he could see that Nick¡¯s focus was not on me but on Samuel.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is about you boy, but every time I see you or near you. I feel like I have known you all my life. Like you are my blood. I know I am not your dad, but I do wish I <b>was</b>. Am d you are back safe.¡± He said removing hair on his face. I felt a pang in my heart.


    ¡®Nick, you are his father. He is your son and what you feel is the bond between you. I am sorry I told you he was not. I wanted you gone, and you wouldn¡¯t have if you knew he was yours. I am sorry I have to keep you apart. I hope you will understand when you eventually find out the truth.¡®

 Novel Payback 162

    Chapter <b>162 </b>


    NICK


    My heart swelled seeing Samuel back safe. I was worried especially when that man threatened to do harm to him. <b>I </b>was worried sick, and I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe. Like if something were to happen to the boy, it would affect <b>me </b>more than it should. As he was not my son. But there was something about him.


    Something I couldn¡¯t ce my finger on, I had a connection to the boy, I couldn¡¯t exin. If he were born at home with me and Olivia, then I would say it was because of that, but he was born in prison, and he had a close rtionship with Ethan and not me. But why did I feel the way I felt about him? maybe it was because he was part of Olivia, and I loved her.


    When she came into the house with him, I followed. I don¡¯t know why but I followed and got into bed with them. Olivia on the one side and I on the other. Samuel in the middle. I thought she was going to chase me away or Marcus would say something. But to my surprise, none of them said a thing.


    Marcus only peeked at the door before leaving us there. Maybe he was still guilty about what happened earlier. I felt bad for a moment but then I didn¡¯t care, I loved the boy, and I was happy he was back alive and well. Marcus and Olivia can fix their shitter, I was just d they let me stay by his side.


    I didn¡¯t know when I fell asleep, but I woke up to him pocking my cheeks. I slowly opened my eyes so as to not scare him. I found his big blue eyes staring at me. ¡°Hello.¡± I whispered; he giggled then jumped off the bed. Mama, he is awake!¡± I sat up to see where Olivia was.


    She was on the floor with a nketid out and toys. Which told me that she was ying with Samuel when he decided to wake me up by poking me. ¡°Oh, you woke him up.¡± She covered her mouth pretending to be shocked. Samuel giggled and ran to her burying his face on her chest. ¡°Hide me, mama so he doesn¡¯t see.¡±


    Oliviaughed covering his head with her one hand and holding him with the other. My heart warmed and I found myself smiling. After a long time after we broke up, I smiled. A genuine smile and it was all because of the two of them. they held a special ce in my heart.


    ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡± I asked now getting up from bed. I didn¡¯t want it to seem like I was doing this on purpose and trying to get between her and Marcus. ¡°Three hours, I woke up not so long ago as well. Father cooked if you are hungry.¡± My stomach growled. And I chuckled embarrassed.


    ¡°Am d you didn¡¯t hear mine. It was like a wounded animal was trapped in there.¡± Weughed. ¡°Oh, I know exactly how that sounds.¡± Weughed some more. I never thought we would get to a ce where we would be able to be like this andugh together.


    ¡°Did you eat?¡± she nodded. ¡°Yes, we ate.¡± I nodded getting up and going to the door. Before I opened, I turned to look at them. ¡°Did he eat as well?¡± she shook her head. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to.¡± I walked back to them and crotched in


    front of them.


    ¡°Hey little man, you still don¡¯t want to eat? I can make you anything you want.¡± He looked like he was thinking.¡± Pancakes!¡± he said excitedly. His mother and Iughed. ¡°He deserves them after¡­everything.¡± She nodded getting <ol><li>up. </li></ol>


    I took Samuel from her, and we walked out. Luke and Marcus were sitting in the lounge talking. Olivia, Samuel and I went to the kitchen. I checked for the ingredients then started making the pancakes as I ate on the side as


    well.


    Samuel was talking the whole time and eating strawberries. I wasughing and smiling the whole time we were together. We felt like we were a family, and I didn¡¯t want it to stop. My heart ached when I thought of how they would leave, and I would be alone again.


    1/2.


    <b>¡°</b>What is it, are you in pain?¡± she askeding to my side. She must have seen my facial expression change. What shocked me was the fact that she cared enough to ask. ¡°Is it your heart?¡± she asked once again. Dear Lord, she cares about me, that made my chest warm.


    Olivia, don¡¯t you know that my heart beats perfectly when you are around, when weugh and y with our son like this? He is not mine; I know but for now, in this moment, he is mine. ¡°Am alright, I just thought of something.¡± She still looked worried making my heart swell.


    We heard someone clearing their throat and we turned to look. it was Marcus, Olivia moved away from me as she was so close. ¡°I just want beer from the fridge.¡± I was standing by the fridge so; I took the beer out and handed it to him.


    He took it and thanked me then left without saying a word. Damnit! It made me feel guilty, Olivia was his wife. I wasughing and ying house with his family. It made me feel guilty, why did he have <i>to </i>be the level headed one? If he was not, I wouldn¡¯t be guilty, but he was.


    ¡°<i>I </i>will leave you two.¡± I told Olivia. And walked out of the kitchen to go join them in the lounge, Luke gave me a nod when I came in with a smile on his face. What the hell was he up to? ¡°So, how was it?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows not sure what he was talking about.


    ¡°Spending time with Samuel without Ethan always taking the spotlight.¡± Oh, ¡°It was good, thanks.¡± He nodded. I nce at Marcus, but the man only focused on his beer. ¡°Marcus wanted them to stay for a week. To <i>see </i>his home and everything. We are heading back tomorrow.¡± My heart ached.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave, not without them. ¡°I am going home; I can¡¯t stay a minute longer in this ce.¡± Olivia saiding in with Samuel following behind. Marcus looked at her and I could see the pain in his eyes. He was starting to be me.


    ¡°Can I have a word?¡± he frowned but got up anyway. We went outside. ¡°What is it?¡± he looked irritated. ¡°Don¡¯t be me, Marcus. Olivia loves you and she chose to marry you. don¡¯t spoil that by acting like me. you are married now, and your priority should be her. don¡¯t put others before her or you will lose her just like I did.¡±

 Novel Payback 163

    Chapter <b>163 </b>


    MARCUS


    I frowned, since when is Nick the reasonable one? By staying a week with Samuel here, I thought I would make up for the honeymoon that was ruined by my uncle, and she would be at ease with Samuel with us. I didn¡¯t know I was pushing it. I seemed to be making a lot of mistakes, and I didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Why did you force her to make Luke help that woman?¡± I sighed. I had many reasons for that and none of them were the ones I provided. ¡°I will tell you but don¡¯t go running to my wife about it. I will tell her when the time is right.¡± Nick nodded but I could tell he was not going to like what I was about to say.


    ¡°That woman in there and I used to date.¡± Nick didn¡¯t look as shocked as I thought he would. He just stared at me. so, I continued. ¡°We dated for about a year until I brought her home to meet my uncle. I guess she liked him more than she imed to love me. but she ended up leaving me for my uncle and six monthster they got married.¡± Still Nick kept his mouth shut. ¡°I was hurt because she was the first person I loved after Olivia!¡± He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°I was keeping an eye on her while I finished my studies and getting training on the Walkerpanies and fortune. Then I heard she married you and I gave up and got serious with her. then she left me for my uncle and that was that.¡±


    I sighed finishing the rest of my beer. ¡°I loved her, but I asked Luke to help because she seemed to genuinely love my uncle. They had a good life together and I am about to take that away from her. I don¡¯t want to take the man she loves as well. She deserves to be happy and so do you, Nick. I am sorry you can¡¯t have Olivia though.¡±


    Weughed. ¡°Then start treating her well. I lost her because I put Sandra first just like you are putting that woman¡¯s happiness first before hers. Her husband wronged Olivia and you are taking her side. Don¡¯t follow in my footsteps because it wont end well. She is finally happy, even if it is with you. don¡¯t hurt her like I did. She too, deserves to be happy.¡±


    I thought about it, and he was right. I was doing exactly what he did. I didn¡¯t even see it and if he were someone else. He would have let me dig my grave then help me bury myself in it. but he didn¡¯t. instead, he called me out on it. maybe he was changing.


    ¡°Thanks Nick.¡± I told him then went back inside. I went straight to my wife and gave her a hug. I thought Nick was trying his nonsense again and using Samuel to get close to Olivia. But that was not the case. The man saw that I was hurting my wife, and he stepped in to ease the situation.


    My wife seemed shocked as she didn¡¯t hug me back for a while. ¡°Am sorry.¡± I whispered in her ear, and she finally hugged me back. I sighed. ¡°Can we talk?¡± I asked pulling out from the hug. She looked at Samuel. ¡°I will not let him out of my sight.¡± Luke said. He might not want to admit it. but he was changing too.


    That cold heart of his was starting to warm. We walked to the room they slept in. ¡°Am sorry, my love. I didn¡¯t mean to put her before you. I just thought losing the money was enough, I didn¡¯t see that I was doing what Nick did to you before until he pointed it out to me. Am sorry. It won¡¯t happen again and if you want to go home tomorrow, then that is what we will do.¡±


    She looked at me with teary eyes, fuck! Why didn¡¯t I see this, why didn¡¯t I see that I was repeating the past and hurting her the same way Nick did. What a fucking fool! I thought Nick was the worse yet, I was exactly like him.


    ¡°I want to go home.¡± I nodded. ¡°Then we go home. Please, next time call me out of my bullshit, I can¡¯t and don¡¯t want to repeat the events of the past. Forgive me.¡± oh, what a moron I have been. ¡°Tell me what you want.¡±


    ¡°I want that woman gone.¡± I didn¡¯t say a word, I went back inside, and my wife followed. ¡°Please get your daughter and leave my house. You can drive yourself if you still remember how to because Jerry is gone.¡± I told her, she looked hurt. ¡°Marcus¡­?¡± she called my name more like she was questioning my intensions.


    ¡°Do you want to stay here? You are not here because I invited you. I still want nothing to do with you. so, please


    I assumed going to get Lilly. I leave my house.¡± She looked at me with sad eyes then stood and walked past te then turned to my wife. ¡°What else do you want?¡± she looked at her father and Luke frowned.


    ¡°No, whatever it is you want to say, better not have anything to do with me or my men. They are here to protect me and the lot of you. they are not going anywhere until we leave London. Period.¡± She pouted and I wanted tough so bad.


    She said she didn¡¯t want Luke in her life but the way she was starting to respect him and not talk back when he was like that. showed me that she was warming up to him. It¡¯s fine, my love. Just endure it for a couple of hours and we will be home and far away from your father and his men.<b>¡± </b>


    Luke red at me. ¡°I wonder what the hell my daughter fed you two, to be acting like morons all the time. You make me sick!¡± he was just saying that, he secretly loved that we <b>cared </b>about his daughter or we wouldn¡¯t be here.

 Novel Payback 164

    Chapter <b>164 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I have been wondering about what Marcus said the whole week we have been back. We left London the following morning. Nick and Luke went back to Summer Strand, and we came home. But the events of the day stuck with me. spending time with Nick showed me a different side to him. what he would be like being Samuel¡¯s father.


    It was clear the man loved his son<b>, </b>and it only made me feel guilty about what I did. But then he went further than that and put Marcus straight. The Nick I knew would have taken advantage of that and tried to separate us. But this one didn¡¯t. instead<b>, </b>he told my husband what he was doing wrong. That too showed me that he was a different


    man<b>. </b>


    A more matured man. ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± Marcus said wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing my neck. ¡°Just thinking about Nick and how much he seems to have changed.¡± He nibbled on my earlobe. ¡± Thinking about another man while you are in my arms, what a naughty wife you are.¡±


    Iughed hitting him yfully. ¡°It¡¯s not like that and you know it.¡± he turned me around to face him. ¡°I know love, but how about I give you something else to think about<b>.</b>¡± I furrowed my eyebrows wondering what he was up my to. He has been asking for us to take a trip together as a family and I have been putting it off.


    I think it was because of what happened to my son a week ago. ¡°It¡¯s nothing bad, just something we spoke about and if we still want to do it. then the time to start is now. The process is long and can take up to a year trying to get things in ce.¡± I frowned this time. What the hell was the man talking about.


    ¡°You will have to remind me because, I don¡¯t remember.¡± He left a kiss on my forehead before taking my hand and leading me to the couch. We sat down and he looked at me with a serious expression this time.


    ¡°Do you still want to have a baby?¡± oh, that. I have not thought about it. we just got married and there was no rush. But then again, he was right about the process taking time. Also, I didn¡¯t want just anyone carrying my child.


    ¡°I do still want another child, but I figured since we just got married, we would wait a little while before that.¡± he nodded. ¡°That is not a problem then, when you are ready, we will start the process.¡± I nodded; it was going to be a long process indeed.


    With my eggs being extracted and frozen while we look for a suitable person to be the surrogate. Also, it might not happen on the first try and we would have to go through the whole process again. Checking the surrogate is healthy, physically, mentally, emotionally. We didn¡¯t want someone who was going to just wake up and run away with our child.


    ¡°You know what, let¡¯s start the process. I will find out everything I can about it and clinics or ces we can use to find surrogate mothers. There is a lot to be done, and I want to start.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows.


    He took my hands in his and looked into my eyes making me shy a bit. ¡°My love, I only asked because I wanted to know if that is still in our ns. I didn¡¯t ask because I wanted it to happen now. You are right, we just got married and we must enjoy each other before the babyes. We can wait even a year. I don¡¯t mind. I just want you.¡± that warmed my heart. He was so considerate.


    ¡°You do remember that I will not be the one carrying the baby, right?¡± heughed. ¡°I know but the question is, do you.¡± I frowned. ¡°Olivia, the moment the doctor tells us that we are pregnant, you will be all over that poor woman. You will not leave her side, and it will be like you are the one carrying our baby. So, no, my love. You will be carrying that baby one way or another or you will at least be insufferable as if you were.¡±


    Iughed hitting him with a pillow. He made me happy and was getting to know me too well. ¡°You know I would be guilty and hurt that I am not the one carrying him.¡± would he know I was his mother. Will we bond like I did with Samuel?


    *


    I didn¡¯t want to wait a year though, I did that in my first marriage, and I ended up having my son in jail. I wanted the experience to be different this time. Yes, it was already going to be different because I will not be carrying the baby. But I wanted his father to be there with us, for us to enjoy it.


    ¡°I know my love, but I don¡¯t want you to think about it that way. We at least get to have our biological child even though you won¡¯t be carrying it. others don¡¯t have that chance.¡± He was right they didn¡¯t, they couldn¡¯t even fall pregnant because of one reason or another.


    I was lucky the baby was going to be ours. ¡°Thank you for always setting me straight when you see that I am overthinking. I love you, husband.¡± The smile on his face widened. ¡°I love you, wife.¡± He then gave the a passionate kiss.


    If I could fall pregnant, I would have been by now the way we were going. I pulled out. ¡°Samuel and Lupita will walk in any moment now.¡± He sighed. ¡°Can you tell Lupita to stop keeping our son all to herself? We hardly see that boy, and where do they go anyway?¡± Iughed<b>; </b>he was being jealous now.


    ¡°Leave them alone,¡± he didn¡¯t look happy with pouty lips. I gave him a kiss. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait; I want to start the process now.¡±

 Novel Payback 165

    NICK


    <b>It¡¯s </b>been a month since the incident with Samuel and I have been trying to get together with the Dr, but she has been ying hard to get. Eventually, I got fed up with her games and I told her she should tell me if she has <b>no </b>intention of getting together with me so I can stop pestering her.


    The good doctor seeing that I was not about to y her game, came up with the excuse that I should understand that she had a busy schedule as the doctor and so on. <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t care less about that. We were both adults and the least we could do was act like it.


    If you don¡¯t like someone or something, just say it and not y games wasting people¡¯s time. Right now, I was sitting in an Italian restaurant waiting for her <b>to </b>arrive <b>for </b>our date. ording to the research Owen did, the doctor liked Italian food, so he booked this restaurant for us.


    I must admit, the ce was nice, looked and felt expensive. Nice ssic music ying on the background which you can¡¯t tell or see where it wasing from. Giving the ce a serene feel to it that gives customers a sense of calmness. I felt calm myself even though I arrived here feeling pissed because of the run around she gave me.


    I was not going to be running after her some more because I didn¡¯t love her, I just liked her and how much we had inmon rtionship wise. Well, I also wanted to taste her again since that night was a blur to me. I still couldn¡¯t remember what had transpired between us. Maybe it was for the best.


    ¡°Sir, would you like something to drink while you wait?¡± a waitress asked, she wore a polite smile on her face. She looked young maybe a student trying to make extra cash by working there. Her eyes bright showing her innocence. I hope the world is kind to you, little girl. May you never experience the hardships and cruelty it has to offer.


    May you be shielded to it for the rest of your life, so you can keep your innocence. ¡°Sir?¡± <b>I </b>snapped out of it and realized that I was still staring at her and now she looked ufortable. Poor girl, better get used to being ufortable because the world is a very ufortable ce to be.


    ¡°Bring a bottle of your nice red wine, please.¡± I offered her a smile. she returned it but this time, it was a nervous smile then she hurried off. poor thing. I should be least of your problems but beware of the other animals like me


    out there.


    I took the ss of water in front of me to take a sip. When I lifted my head, I saw her. wearing a long off shoulder ck dress. Her hair pulled into a nice tight bun and her lips painted red. She looked like a vixen sent only to seduce and arouse me.


    Her lips slightly parted when she saw me then a smile broke on her face. I gave a nod, and she walked towards me with her hips swaying from side to side. The slit on her dress which I didn¡¯t notice before kept opening as she walking showing a little of her thigh making me swallow hard.


    She was teasing me showing me what I could have tonight <b>If </b>I yed my cards right. When she got close, I stood acting like a gentleman. I greeted politely and opened the chair for her. the smile on her face widened as she took a seat feeling appreciated. Good, I was off to a good start.


    I caught a sniff of her perfume as she sat down, and it got me inhaling deeply. She smelled good. I went around and took my seat just as the innocent girl brought the wine. She poured for the both of us. ¡°Are you ready to order, or should I give you a moment?¡± not wanting to make the girl ufortable again, I kept my eyes on the doctor. She seemed to like that as she smiled and blushed telling the girl to give us a minute to look over the menu. She left. ¡°So, Nick, how have you been?¡± working and fucking frustrated because of the games you have been ying. I wanted to say.


    ¡°I have been well; I won¡¯t ask you since you have been telling me about how busy you were.¡± She gave a small smile taking a sip of her wine. I watched closely as her red lips parted and she ced the ss between her lips and sip the wine. It should be my dick between those lips not a ss.


    She ced the ss back on the table ever so elegantly then looked at me. ¡°I think some steak and sd will do for tonight. What are you having?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± I blurted it out, I didn¡¯t care about food. I wanted her to taste her, to feel her lips against mine. I wanted to know if they felt as soft as they looked and tasted as juicy. She blushed. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we get out of here?¡± music to my ears, yes, doctor. Let¡¯s go.


    Without saying a word, I took out cash from my wallet to pay for the wine then stood. I rounded the table and went to her side and pulled her chair out. She stood and gave me a seductive look before walking away. Not so fast doctor, you can¡¯t run away now.


    I quickly followed her out and met her by the door. ¡°Yours or mine?¡± she asked. I was not sure what she was asking. If she wanted to know if we were taking her car or mine or if we were going to her ce or mine.


    ¡°Yours.¡± I gave an answer. She smirked. The valet brought her car around and we got inside. She was the driver of course and I sat on the passenger seat with my hand caressing her thigh going higher and higher.


    I saw her breath hitch and she pressed hard on the elerator. Good, now we are on the same page. She parked the car in front of some house which I assumed was hers. Then jumped from her seat to mine. She smashed her lips on mine, and I groaned feeling how soft they were.


    She was dry humping me as we kissed. Things got heated quickly. She was now kissing my neck, and I was so hard, I wanted her so badly. But then she spoiled it. ¡°I want you so badly, I want all of you. your body, your heart, everything.¡± She whispered.


    My dick died right then. Nody, you can never have my heart, it belongs to another, and you don¡¯t measure up.


    <b>X </b>

 Novel Payback 166

    NICK


    ¡°Get off.¡± I told her, my voice low but irritation could clearly be heard in it. She continued to kiss and suck on my neck and that just got me mad. Who the hell did she think she was to think she could have my heart. What has she done to think she deserved it? I just met her and already she was being ambitious and think she could get things that don¡¯t belong to her.


    I removed her hands off me, as gently as I could. ¡°I said, get off me.¡± my voice dangerously low. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but I didn¡¯t care. I was already removing her from me. ¡°Nick, what is wrong?¡± she asked but I didn¡¯t answer, I got out of her car, and she did the same. I looked up in the sky and inhaled deeply. ¡°Nick, can you please tell me what I did wrong?¡± I nced at her and her pretty face now looked sad and disappointed. Shame, poor thing. ¡°You did nothing wrong, you just told me that you wanted me, all of me with my heart. But am afraid I can¡¯t give any of that as it belongs to someone else.¡± I tried to be as nice as I could. Olivia once told me that I was a jerk, and I was trying my best to be a better person. I was angry but I tried, God knows I tried and if this woman knew what was best for her she would not push any further. ¡°Nick, I don¡¯t want to rece your dead wife, and I don¡¯t expect to take her ce in your heart just like you can¡¯t take the ce of my dead husband in mine.¡±


    A frown adorned my face, confusion written all over it. who the fuck told her that my wife was dead? ¡°Am sorry what?¡± I thought I should ask instead of jumping to conclusions. The doctor was really starting to ruin my day the more she opened her cute little mouth.


    ¡°Listen, I know how hard it is to move on after losing the love of your life. Trust me, I know,


    and I don¡¯t expect you to be fully mine just yet. I am just letting you know what I want and what my intentions are No rush though.¡± Iughed. Look at her talking like a reasonable person.


    ¡°Firstly, who told you that my wife is dead? And secondly, what makes you think you deserve to have any of that from me? I don¡¯t even know you.¡± she was taken back by my words, she looked at me for a while and I could see her anger rising. ¡°You are the one who told me that your wife is dead.¡± Iughed, like seriouslyughed.


    ¡°When and why would I tell you something like that?¡± seriously, did she have to make things up. I was starting to really dislike her. I hated people who lied the most. Part of the reason why I sent my wife to jail was because I thought she was lying. ¡°The night we first met, we were talking, and you told me that.¡± shit!


    Why the hell didn¡¯t I remember that night? I scratched my head, that was embarrassing. How could I say something like that. what the hell happened to me that night. well, I knew what happened. Olivia got married that day and I went to drown my sorrows. And apparently to lie to people about what happened to us.


    ¡°Am sorry, I have to admit I don¡¯t remember much about what happened that night. But my wife is not dead. We divorced and she remarried.¡± She looked at me for a while. Why would you say she was dead then, was that your way of getting into my pants.¡± Iughed. Who the hell did she think I was?


    ¡°Listendy, I was drunk, my wife just married someone else. Maybe in that moment I wished she was dead and


    gone


    instead of being with someone else. It doesn¡¯t mean I wated to get into your pants which wasn¡¯t hard judging by the fact that you woke up in my house.¡±


    She tried to p me across the face, but I held her hand before she couldnd the p on me. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever try something like that with me. no woman will go around pping me as if she has a right to. Even my wife neverid a hand on me like that. who the hell do you think you are to think you can do that?¡±


    I threw her hand away then walked away from her now seething with anger. How the hell were other women raised? I clicked my tongue fishing my phone out of my pocket and dialled Owen. ¡°Where e you?¡± he let out a


    sigh on the other end.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>knew you were going to mess it up. I am right around the corner in the coffee shop. Meet me here.¡± He then cut the call, who the fuck was the boss and who was the employee? Well, I was justining for nothing. Owen could tell me off and I didn¡¯t mind because he was always right.


    The night was beautiful, so the walk was nice. I didn¡¯t get to do things like walking ever since I lost Olivia. Having to do it now felt good.


    I appeared at the coffee shop, and I could see Owen stuffing his face with whatever he got in front of him. I walked in and the bell churned as the door opened. They should have just made it a diner. Who the hell put a bell at the door of the coffee shop. People!


    I took a seat next to Owen, he nced at me then shook his head. ¡°What did you do this time?¡± why did he always think I did something? ¡°Apparently, I told her my wife died¡± Owen chocked on the coffee then coughed uncontrobly.


    ¡°Why the hell would you tell her that?¡± I shrugged; I didn¡¯t remember that night so I wouldn¡¯t know what was on my mind when I did it. ¡°It was that night, she also tried to p me and that is where I drew the line<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>Owen shook his head.


    ¡°No, you drew the line before that, what you are telling me is just something that happened after you had already drawn the line. Tell me about it so that I can know what story to make up for you when you want her back again.¡±


    ¡°She got greedy and said she wanted my heart.¡±


    S


    ¡°And your heart belongs to Olivia, I got it.¡±

 Novel Payback 167

    Chapter <b>167 </b>


    OLIVIA


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working!¡± I pushed the album I was holding away from me. We were at the clinic, or shall I say facility as they called it. looking at pictures of possible surrogate mothers. Last week they extracted my eggs and this week we were looking at surrogates. ¡°What can I do to make the process easier for you?¡±


    Asked thedy in charge of the facility. ¡°No need for that<b>, </b>we can just drop everything and go home, my love. Those eggs will still be there and viable whenever you are ready to start again.¡± I gave him a kiss. I loved how considerate he was. But that was not what frustrated me.


    I gave him a kiss on the cheek. ¡°That is not it, love. I see all their information and pictures but that is all they are. They don¡¯t give me anything about these people. Their personalities the energy when I am around them. I want to interview them in person to see for myself the kind of people they are.¡± I turned to the facility manager.


    ¡°I know you did your own interviews and done your background checks. That is all well and good, but I would like to do my own to be able to choose the woman who will carry my child. I want to have someone I have <b>a </b>connection with. I mean, she is going to be living in my house for nine months and I have a five¨Cyear¨Cold at home. If I bring in a stranger, then it must be a stranger I can somewhat trust.¡±


    The facility manager nodded. ¡°I understandpletely. Tell you what. Choose the first five you would like to interview then I will arrange for them toe in and you can do the interviews.¡± I smiled satisfied with her response. She looked like a decent woman. ¡°That would be great, thank you.¡±


    Marcus and I got up and left after she told us she will give us a call and tell us when toe in to interview the women. Marcus pinned me against the car when we got outside and kissed the living daylights out of me. when he pulled out, I was panting. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°For being the most amazing wife, the world has ever seen. I blushed. ¡°I am just trying to do what is best for our baby.¡±


    ¡°No, my love. You are doing more than that. thank you for looking out for our family and taking good care of us. We appreciate it.¡± he gave me another kiss. ¡°Tell me, what would you like to do before we go home?¡± I thought about it. something came to mind, and I knew he was not going to be happy about it.


    ¡°I want to see Sandra.¡± He looked so shocked that he even took a step back. I knew he was not going to be happy about this. But I was about to bring another baby into the world, and I needed to make sure that my biggest enemy was still locked up and high on drugs.


    ¡°Why would you want to see that woman?¡± I sighed then exined to him. He looked frustrated. ¡°Are you sure. you want to do this?¡± I nodded my head. I needed to be sure, I needed to see her myself with my own eyes.


    Thest time Nick said he locked up Sandra. She showed up and kidnapped me. I didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again. I could not take chances when It came to that woman. She hated me and would do anything to bring about my downfall.


    ¡°Please love, all I need from you is support and for you to be there with me. keep me sain when I see her then take me home to my son. Can you do that?¡± he took me into his arms and embraced me. ¡°I shall endeavour to try mydy. Come, let¡¯s go.¡®


    On the drive to the hospital, I kept thinking about everything the woman did to me. wondering if for once, Nick kept his word and locked her up. For I knew, Nick put her on a ne and told her to disappear for a while.


    Am sorry but I wouldn¡¯t put that past Nick. It was like he was bewitched by that woman. I felt his hand on mine, giving it a little squeeze. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t have lied about locking her up because he knew that a day like this maye when you want to see her for yourself. She will be there. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    28 BONUS


    <b>Chapter </b><b>167 </b>


    He <b>reassured </b>me and <b>I </b>appreciated that greatly. My mind also settled. We <b>got </b>to the hospital then went up to the <b>psych </b>ward. We asked to see her, and we were told to <b>go </b>walk <b>in </b>the visitor room and she would be <b>brought </b>to <b>us </b>


    soon<b>. </b>


    We sat on the chairs waiting but I was not at ease. <b>I </b><b>kept </b>pulling at my jersey, Marcus tried several times to get me to calm down, but it was difficult. When the door opened, and a nurse came in first then behind her a frail looking Sandra came in.


    She looked so out of <b>it</b><b>; </b>she was nothing like the arrogant woman who threatened me a couple of years <b>ago</b>. A woman who had my husband¡¯s car and confidence. A woman who wanted to rece me but failed even when I <b>was </b>not there.


    ¡°Sandra, these people are here to see you.¡± she looked in our direction, but it was like she was not even looking at us. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down and have a talk with them?¡± Irrowed my eyebrows, did she talk?


    ¡°Does she talk?¡± Marcus asked as <b>if </b>he knew I was wondering the <b>same </b>thing. ¡°She did but she hasn¡¯t said anything for months now. But we always talk to her even though she never responds. I think it¡¯s the medication she is on that is making her like this. As her family, I suggest you talk to the doctor about changing her medication.¡±


    She must be kidding me. I stood, ¡°We are not her family, I am just someone she used to know and have no right <b>to </b>ask her doctors to do anything. We will be leaving now.


    >>

 Novel Payback 168

    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel seeing Sandra like that. I felt hot suddenly and suffocating in that room. As much as I wanted her away from me and my family. Seeing her like <b>that </b>affected me in ways I never thought it would. The woman was my friend, <b>1 </b>grew up with her, did many things with her and even shared my secrets with her.


    She was like a sister I never had. That was until recently, of course. What she did to me hurt and it still haunted me. But I also, can¡¯t say that I was pleased to see her like that, yes, knowing that she was locked up and couldn¡¯t do anything to hurt me was a relief. But I wished I listened to Marcus and never gone to see her.


    I felt his hand on mine snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± I wished there was something that could be done for me to unsee what I had already seen in that room. that woman in there was not Sandra but a shell of someone that she used to be. It was not nice seeing a person like that and knowing that <b>you </b>did that to them.


    ¡°No, love, I don¡¯t need anything else. Apparently, I didn¡¯t need to see Sandra as much as I thought I did.¡± He gave me a sad look and that made me feel even worse. ¡°At least now you know for sure that she won¡¯t hurt you again.<b>¡± </b><b>I </b>nodded, that I knew very well. I saw it for myself.


    <b>¡°</b>I would like to go home to my son.¡± We nned on going to a movie, but I didn¡¯t feel like it anymore. I thought seeing her was going to make me feel relieved, but it didn¡¯t, instead, it got me feeling like shit and I didn¡¯t like it. Marcus didn¡¯t say a word, he turned the car around and drove us home.


    When we got home, Ethan was there, again. I sighed now feeling annoyed. The man has beening over to my house every day since Samuel was taken. I understood at first but now it was just annoying. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, he went through hell just like you did when that boy was taken Nick got to participate in getting him home, but he didn¡¯t and now he feels like he failed to protect him.¡±


    ¡°I get that but to be in our home everyday though?¡± Marcus turned fully to look at me. ¡°Yes, until his heart settles and until you talk to him and make him understand that Samuel¡¯s kidnapping was not his fault and that he didn¡¯t fail him or you. that is all he needs to hear.¡± How selfish was I?


    Ethan was more than just Nick¡¯s friend, but he was mine too and my son knew him as his father. Why didn¡¯t I consider his feelings about the whole thing. Samuel spent the first two years of his life with him, being raised by him and yet when he got kidnapped. I didn¡¯t even think about Ethan and how he must have felt about it.


    ¡°Thank you for being here and always putting me straight when I seem to lose my way. I didn¡¯t think about the situation with Ethan like that. I just saw an annoying man, but I didn¡¯t think about how he must be feeling after what happened.¡± I had the best husband in the world.


    ¡°Now then my love, go in there and talk to him. I will take Samuel, and we will give you time to talk.¡± We walked inside holding hands, Ethan paid us no mind as he continued to y with Samuel. When Marcus asked Samuel to leave with him. Ethan gave me a pained expression.


    Calm down Ethan, I just need to talk, and we can¡¯t do that in front of our son, now can we? That was what I wanted to say to him, but Marcus beat me to it. he patted his shoulder and nodded at him. I didn¡¯t know if it was a men¡¯snguage or what, but Ethan sighed relieved after he and Marcus shared that look and the pat on the shoulder.


    I gave Marcus a frown, but he only responded with a smile and walked out with Samuel going to God knows where. ¡°Want a drink?¡± he shook his head but then quickly stood. ¡°I will get it myself. I might regret not getting it after talking to you.¡± I chuckled but when I looked at him, I saw that it was noughing matter./


    ¡°Why would you think you will need a drink after talking to me?¡± as people we go around offending people without even realizing. There might be something I have been doing that offends Ethan and I didn¡¯t even know I was doing it.


    ¡°Olivia, you have a way of taking things that I love away from me. Now, let me get a drink and I wille back and hear what else you are going to take. It better not be my son though because I will never forgive you for that.¡± I watched as he walked to the kitchen and poured himself something to drink.


    It hurt to hear that was the kind of person I had been to Ethan. He had been nothing but good to me, but then again, it is said that a person will be good to your for as long as they need you. after that, they forget that you even exist. Another saying is that dogs are more loyal than humans, dogs didn¡¯t forget when humans would forget a person who helped them and never look back.


    I did the same to Ethan, when I was in jail, he was my saviour and even got me a doctor when I gave birth. He made sure my baby was born healthy and even did as I asked. Keeping him from his father, his best friend. Took my side over his friend¡¯s. and how did I repay him?


    Saying he was annoying. When he came back, I met him halfway and threw myself at him hugging him. ¡°I am sorry I forgot what you mean to me. to our son Samuel, how you must have felt when he was taken. I am sorry I pushed you aside and disregarded your feelings in this whole thing.¡±

 Novel Payback 169

    UNKOWN


    ¡°Listen<b>, </b>your niece better do everything I say for her to be able <b>to </b><b>ace </b>the interview or we will never have a chance like this again.¡± She eagerly nodded in agreement. ¡°She will do exactly what you say, she knows what is at stake here. Tell me, are you sure you can get her to ept my niece<b>?</b>¡± I knew Olivia better than anyone.


    If anyone could get someone into her house without anyone suspecting something, then it would be me. ¡°Leave everything to me, we will get it done. Where is she anyway? The interview is in three hours, and we need her to be ready by then.¡± Oh, Olivia. I wonder what made you think that you could live a happy life.


    How could you be so brazen to think that you deserve anything other than misery in your life. Who do you think you are to deserve that? ¡°Let me call her.¡± she stepped out to make the call as I sat there waiting. They said revenge is a dish best served cold and I fully agree with that statement.


    Sometimes one needs to wait for the right time to get their revenge. Just as I did with Olivia<b>, </b>making her think that she has won and that everything in her life is going ording to n. Then I would appear and hit her where it hurts the most. She didn¡¯t really know what I was capable of and what I was willing to do to get what I wanted.


    She came back wearing a smile on her face and I knew we were on. A few minutester the niece walked in wearing a short skirt with a top that showed her cleavage. Women these days, they did not leave anything to imagination. In our day, we used to cover up, but we still appeared elegant and beautiful without showing too much skin.


    ¡°First lesson, change out of everything you are wearing. She will not look at you twice if you go there dressed like that. I have clothes in there, go change.¡± She frowned looking like she wanted to protest but I gave her a look that clearly told her that I was not going to take no for an answer, and I was not willing to negotiate.


    Her aunt scolded her while pushing her into the room to change. I sat there wondering how the hell I got to that point. A point where I had to work with morons to get what I wanted. But then again. I was taught to use anything and anyone if it was going to get me what I wanted.


    She came back out looking exactly as I wanted her. she didn¡¯t look happy with the outfit though, but I didn¡¯t care. ¡°Now, lets go over what you are going to tell her.¡± she sat down in front of me while the aunt took the seat to my right.


    ¡°Knowing her the way I do, she will ask you why you are doing this, why you want to be a surrogate. What will your answer be?¡± she smiled and that was the first thing she did wrong. ¡°Before you answer that, wipe that smile off your face. When you smile at her don¡¯t smile so widely like that. you look like a crazy person and secondly a person with a smile like that cant be trusted. You seem too desperate.¡±


    She looked at her aunt, but the woman kept her mouth shut. ¡°I want to be a surrogate to get the money and to¡­¡± jeez! What the fuck has my lifee to. ¡°You don¡¯t answer like that. you give her a small smile like this?¡± I showed her a shy smile as I yed with my fingers looking down at my feet.


    ¡°I got into this for two reasons, one, I want to help people like you have the families they always dreamed of. I lost my mother at an early age, and I never knew my father. I always longed for a family but when I saw that it might never happen. I decided to help others instead. The second reason is that I want to go back to school. Get my degree and change my life. I want to do something that would at least make my mother proud.¡±


    I told her. ¡°That is how you answer her. also, don¡¯t look at her in the eye for too long. Be confident but shy at the same time. Don¡¯t look desperate, look confident but pitiful at the same time when you talk about your family. When you talk about making your mother proud, look her in the eyes and give her a small smile. Olivia has mommy issues so she will eat that up. You got it?¡±


    She nodded and we kept going and practicing until it was time for her to go. ¡°This is the final step and if you ace


    this, then we are in, and you will start getting the money as soon as you are pregnant. After that, the sky is the limit.¡± She gave me her creepy wide smile and I cringed. Dear Lord, the things we do to get what we want.


    ¡°Good luck my darling. Make your aunt proud and we will neverck for anything if you do well.¡± Her aunt encouraged the gold¨Cdigging woman had no shame but that was exactly why I chose to use her niece for this. They were shameless and desperate.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t even look at her husband. Act like he is not even in the room. your focus should be solely on her. Act like you not evenfortable with him around. Have a good distance between you and the husband. The woman is insecure and If she feels like you are interested in her husband then you will not pass the interview and she will not choose you.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Which one of her husbands is going to be there, damn she is so lucky to have two good look and rich men like that.¡± she said with a dreamy voice, which got me annoyed. ¡°She has one husband. She divorced from Nick. Also, all the men around Olivia are rich and very dangerous. Watch yourself if you don¡¯t want to end up somewhere regretting your life choices.¡±


    I turned to the aunt. ¡°Warn your niece against getting involved with those men or you will lose her, and you will only have yourself to me. Rich people are not rich only by working hard. They have a lot to lose and a lot to protect. One mistake and you will never see her again. You will not even have a bone to bury.¡±


    X

 Novel Payback 170

    OLIVIA


    The facility manager called us two days ago to inform <b>us </b>that she had scheduled the interviews for today. We were meeting the first five candidates we had selected. As I was getting ready, I realized I didn¡¯t know where Marcus was, as he wasn¡¯t in the room when I woke up. I finished getting dressed and stepped out of the room, only to bump into my husband, who was carrying a jug of juice.


    ¡°Perfect timing! I made us breakfast. It¡¯s going to be a long day, and I wanted us to have enough energy to get through it,¡± he said. I smiled. How did I get so lucky? I kissed him on the cheek and followed him to the dining room<b>, </b>where Samuel was already sitting and eating pancakes.


    I never understood his obsession with pancakes. He loved them, always starting his day with them. I tried to make his snacks and lunch a little healthier. ¡°Morning, baby,¡± I kissed the top of his head before sitting down. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandma and Lupita?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re here. Someone was refusing to wear socks, saying it was too hot, yet her feet are always cold,¡± Lupita said, ring at grandma as she took a seat next to Samuel, kissing his cheek. ¡°You think I was born yesterday? I¡¯ve been on this earth longer than both of youbined, and I know my body better than you. When I say it¡¯s hot, then it¡¯s hot!¡±


    Sheined as she filled her te, and I shook my head. She loved toin, butter at night, she would be grumbling about sore feet and knees. ¡°Tell them, Grandma! Who do they think they are treating you like a child?¡± Marcus said as he sat down next to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t start with me, Marcus. You¡¯re just like them, fussing over nonsense,¡± Grandma retorted. Lupita and Iughed.


    ¡°But Grandma, I¡¯m on your side this time,¡± Marcus said, but Grandma ignored him, which made Lupita and meugh even harder.


    ¡°Hurry up and eat so we can leave,¡± Marcus said, trying to stop ourughter.


    We finished eating, and I nced at Samuel. Deciding to test the waters, I asked, ¡°Samuel, do you know you¡¯re going to have a baby brother or sister soon?¡± He looked up at me with bright eyes. Oh, how I loved my son. ¡°Where is the baby?¡± he asked, and Iughed.


    ¡°The baby wille soon. Would you like a baby brother?¡± I asked. He shook his head.


    ¡°I want a baby girl,¡± he said, surprising me. I thought he would want a baby brother to y with<b>, </b>or maybe not want any siblings at all.


    ¡°What if we get you a baby brother?¡± I asked, and he vigorously shook his head.


    ¡°A brother will take Samuel¡¯s toys.¡± Oh, my dear child, if only you knew that a sister could do that too. Your toys aren¡¯t safe either way.


    ¡°Okay then, we won¡¯t get you a baby sister,¡± I said, and he nodded, satisfied, before going back to his pancakes.


    Marcus and I finished eating just as Ethan walked in. I smiled at him. ¡°Hello, people. Good luck with the new member of the family,¡± he said as he sat down at the table. Marcus and I left shortly after.


    We got into the car, and Marcus drove off, but I could see how nervous he was. I held his hand and gave it a little squeeze. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, my love. No need to worry. We¡¯ll go with the person we feel mostfortable with,¡± he reassured me, raising an eyebrow. He made it seem like I was the one who was worried, but I had nothing to worry about yet. We weren¡¯t in the insemination stage.


    ¡°Did I ever tell you how much I love and appreciate you?¡± I asked, ncing at me with a smile before focusing back on the road.


    ¡°No, you haven¡¯t,¡± He replied, chuckling.


    ¡°Well then<b>, </b>Mr. Walker, your wife loves and appreciates everything you do for her,¡± I said with a grin. He blushed, shaking his head, trying to <b>act </b>unaffected.


    ¡°Well, I love and appreciate you too, wife,¡± he replied, making meugh.


    When we arrived at the facility, the manager led us to an office and told us she would send in the candidates one by one. I poured myself a ss of water as we waited for the first candidate. When she walked in, I could already tell she wasn¡¯t going to be a good fit. She wore nice clothes, but her attention seemed focused entirely on my husband, flirting with him throughout the interview.


    ¡°Thank you for your time. Please send in the next one,¡± Marcus said, cutting her off. He must have been fed up with her. ¡°Shameless! Did you see how she was flirting with me?¡± he asked with a disgusted look on his face. Iughed. It was amusing to see how ufortable he was, but it also reassured me that he only had eyes for me. Another candidate came in, but she barely spoke and didn¡¯t impress us. Marcus dismissed her politely, exining that we had everything we needed from her forms.


    ¡°Why did you send her away?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Are you kidding? Didn¡¯t you hear how loud she was? Imagine waking up to that voice every day for nine months. No, my love. I like peace in my house,¡± he replied. I couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll find the right fit. We¡¯ll interview all fifty women if we have to,¡± he said, looking like a kid excited to find the perfect person.


    Finally, thest candidate entered. She greeted us briefly, then stood quietly, waiting for us to invite her to sit. I immediately noticed her manners, something the otherscked. I nced at Marcus and saw his interest¨Cmaybe we had finally found the one.


    ¡°Tell us why you want to do this. Don¡¯t treat it like an interview; just tell us about yourself and how you ended up here,¡± I said with a smile, trying to make her feelfortable. As she spoke, she kept her eyes on her hands and smiled when she mentioned her mother and how she wanted to make her proud. She also shared her desire to help people with no families fulfill their dreams. She was a nice girl, and I liked her.


    When she left, I turned to Marcus. ¡°I think we found the one.¡± He nodded, but there was something in his expression.


    ¡°I think <i>so </i>too. But there¡¯s something about her I can¡¯t quite put my finger on,¡± he said, still deep in thought.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Payback 171

    UNKOWN


    She came back looking pleased with herself and a huge smile on her face. The moron thought it was all her <b>doing </b>when it was I who taught her how to act, what to do and not do. Who the hell did she think she <b>was </b>toe in here acting like she did more than just act a role I created for her


    ¡°Would you stop smiling like a fool and tell us how it went?¡± she was beginning to annoy me, and we were not even <b>halfway </b>yet. I wished I could push that damned woman to make a decision so we could get to the good stuff already. ¡°They loved me, they totally loved me and Olivia. Damn! That woman is beautiful. I almost told her that I was doing this because I wanted to be her, I wanted her life.


    My frown deepened as I closed the short distance between us. ¡°Listen here, you have not been picked yet and if I were you, I would focus on practicing and being the perfect girl in case they pick you. fooling <b>Olivia </b>will not be easy especially when you start living in her house and¡­¡±


    ¡°I will live in her house?¡± she asked with so much excitement and I pped her hands. ¡°Focus! Knowing her, she will want you to live <b>with </b>them so that she can keep an eye on you and make sure everything goes well with the baby. You must learn to be Jeniffer, forget Anita and her likes, dislikes, everything. When they pick you, Anita will not exist and only Jeniffer will remain.¡±


    She jumped up and down in excitement. ¡°Anita can go to hell for all I care, I will be anyone she wants me to be if that means I will get to live in her house. Do you know where her house is? It must be in a very good. neighbourhood, I only got to see the pictures of the inside, was shown on a magazine.¡±


    She looked so dreamy, the damn disgusting woman. ¡°You will not get to live in the house If you don¡¯t get your act together. Right now, is not the time to celebrate when you still have a lot of work to do. <b>I </b>suggest you get to it.¡± she frowned but left anyway. I sighed taking a seat. Olivia, better do everything the way I want.


    Don¡¯t be unpredictable now, everything depends on you acting exactly the way you aways do. Don¡¯t change now or you ruin everything. I thought as I took a seat looking out into the back yard dreaming of the day I would get my life back


    TWO WEEKS LATER.


    ¡°Tell me now!¡± I was seething with anger; two weeks had passed and no word from the clinic. The only logical exnation there could be that the moron failed to act the way I taught her. ¡°I swear, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, they loved me when they met me. I did everything exactly the way you taught me; you have to believe me.¡±


    She was now crying, yet I didn¡¯t do anything to her, did she want to live in her house that much that she would cry like that? well, it didn¡¯t matter, our ns were ruined because of whatever she did in that damned interview. Before I could say anything, her phone rang, and she jumped and went to pick it up.


    ¡°Yes, I understand, yes, I will be there. Thank you.¡± I watched her closely with my fingers literally crossed hoping it was the call we had been waiting for the past two weeks. After dropping the call, she squealed like a pig in


    excitement.


    ¡°I told you; I did nothing wrong. They asked to see me tomorrow morning. If all goes well, the insemination will take ce in two days¡® time, then I will go and <b>live </b>with Olivia and that handsome husband of hers.¡± A smile formed on my lips, creature of habit you are<b>, </b>Olivia and that will be your downfall.


    I walked to the window and looked out. The day seemed to brighten at the news, and I thanked my lucky stars for being with me this time. ¡°Is there something else I need to know before meeting her again?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± she lowered her head before answering, she looked like one of those timid women. Jennifer¡± I nodded. ¡°Good, you have learned well, it¡¯s almost time for you to put what you have learned into


    Chapter practice. If you do a good job. By this time next year, we will be rich.¡± She smiled widely.


    God! She learned well but that horrible smile of hers still remained. I gave her my back looking back at the garden. The door opened and the aunt walked in. ¡°I heard the good news.¡± I didn¡¯t turn to her, hers and her nieces work was going to be done soon. Then it would be my turn to y.


    If all goes ording to my n, I will have everything Olivia has and more.


    ¡°Everything is going ording to n; we just have to wait a little while longer.¡± She came and stood by myside, and I frowned. ¡°No need to stand this close, you <b>know </b>I dont like people this close to me. please move.¡± I did like people close to me, but she was not one of those people.


    I was using her, and she should know and not forget her ce. She quickly moved away. ¡°Sorry, so what¡¯s next?¡± Oh Lord, what part of need to know didn¡¯t they understand? ¡°As I said, I will let you both in on the n when the time is right and when it is required.¡±


    <b>¡± </b>


    She nodded and continued to stand behind me. which pissed me off. I took deep breaths <b>trying </b>to calm myself down and not show my irritation. ¡°You never told me why you are doing this to that woman?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold myself anymore.


    I swiftly turned and red at her. ¡°Let¡¯s get something clear here, you don¡¯t need to know about my personal life, why I want to do this or what happened, how I know her, nothing. You do <b>your </b>part, and I will do mine and deliver on my promise.¡±

 Novel Payback 172

    OLIVIA


    The past two weeks passed with Ethan and Marcus doing background checks on the young woman we chose, to be our surrogate, <b>Marcus </b>liked the young woman and so did 1. But he had a feeling about her and didn¡¯t want us to go <b>ahead </b>without checking her out. When Ethan heard about that, he offered his services as well.


    They had been at it for the past two weeks and would meet every evening topare notes. If you ask me, they finished their investigation two days after they started and were just buying time saying they were still busy. Marcus was starting to enjoy Ethan¡¯spany and were now starting to establish a real friendship.


    I liked that, Marcus had no friends there<b>, </b>all his friends were back in London, he needed to have someone here to talk to other than me, as <b>much </b>as I wanted them to be friends, they were not going to do that at my expense. I <b>walked </b>to his study to talk to them about the issue at hand


    I could hearughter even before I could knock. I decided to push the door and walk in, instead of giving them a warning by knocking. I pushed the door open, and <b>they </b>were sitting on the couch with drinks on hand. ¡°Just as I thought,¡± theughter ceased, and they looked at me.


    ¡°Love, we were just taking a break, we will get back to it now.¡± Men! Couldn¡¯t he tell that it was <b>too </bte to lie? ¡°Is that so?¡± I questioned as he walked back to his desk and took a seat. ¡°Yes, love.¡± I looked at him with my eyes narrowed giving him a chance to change his mind.


    He sighed in defeat. ¡°Fine, we are done.¡±


    ¡°And you have been done a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes<b>, </b>we have. In our defence, we liked these meetings so much that we didn¡¯t want them to stop but didn¡¯t have an excuse to continue with them.¡± <b>men</b><b>! </b>¡°Why do you need an excuse when you can just be friends?¡± they shared a look as if they didn¡¯t think of that.


    It was none of my business. ¡°Okay, now tell me, <b>what </b>have you found about that <b>woman</b>?¡± that was all I needed to know, their friendship and whatnot was theirs to deal with ¡°Everything is as is on the forms. She has no parents as she said, her mother died and only has a distant <b>aunt </b>who took her in after the mother <b>died</b>. Nothing suspicious about her at all.¡±


    Ethan reported, I looked at my husband and he looked as if he was thinking about something. ¡°Are you still not convinced?¡± he sighed then stood and came to sit next to me. ¡°It¡¯s not about being convinced my love. Her information checks out and everything. But<b>, </b>for some reason<b>, </b>something doesn¡¯t feel right. It¡¯s not about trust either.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant then. ¡°Its just¡­you know when your gut tells you not do something and when you don¡¯t listen bad things end up happening? Or if you wanted to go to the shops but something stops you from going then only to find outter that there was an ident on the road you would have taken<b>, </b>and it missed you by mere minutes? Something like that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what that meant, it just confused my instead. ¡®Okay, I hear you. so, what do you suggest, do we interview more people until we get someone you will befortable with or we stop the process?¡± the ball was in <b>his </b>court, I didn¡¯t know what he wanted. Frankly, I felt like he just wanted to stall.


    ¡°<b>Ethan</b><b>, </b>can you please give us a moment?¡± he <b>stood </b>and walked out. I turned fully to look at him. ¡°Talk to me, is having this baby something you want? Because if it¡¯s not then that is not a problem. Samuel is still young we can revisit the topic when you are <b>ready</b>.¡±


    He <b>quickly </b>shook his head taking my hands in his. ¡°My love that is not the case, I want this baby more than anything. He will be a piece of me, of us and I want nothing more than to know he exists and is on his way to us.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me what this <b>is </b>about because the exnation you gave is not very convincing.¡± He sighed. ¡°You know what, forget I said anything. We did the checks and found nothing. Let¡¯s go ahead no need for more interviews. I get over this.¡± I felt bad for dismissing him like that.


    ¡°No babe, we can do the interviews and see if we can find someone you will befortable with.¡± We were married now and had to think of each other¡¯s feelings. ¡°No, my love, I am alright, I promise. I will keep an eye on her though when she is here, maybe with everything that happened with us, I want to keep my family safe.¡±


    A smile broke on my lips. He was the most considerate man <b>have </b>ever had. I gave him a kiss. ¡°If you kiss me like that again, I will call those people myself and tell them we are going ahead with Jennifer and ready to have that baby.¡± I <b>kissed </b>him again and this time I deepened the kiss


    He groaned when I pulled out. ¡°Fine, I will make the call but tonight, I want more than just a kiss.¡± I blushed getting up from the couch. ¡°Tell me what they say.¡± He nodded and I walked out. I met Ethan in the <b>lounge </b>checking something on his <b>phone</b>.


    He ced it next to him when I walked in. ¡°Come and sit here.¡± He patted the space next to him. I walked over and took a seat so that I was facing him. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take this the wrong way or as if I am butting in. I am going to say this out of concern for you and your family.¡±


    I wanted to roll my eyes, in my experience when someone starts by saying something like that, it meant they were going to butt in or when they start with ¡°With all <b>due </b>respect.¡± That meant hey were about to be disrespectful. You and your family have been through a lot. I yed a part in that as well. But this time. I think it¡¯s wise to listen to your instincts. At least your husbands. If you go through with this using that woman, I think you will regret itter.¡±


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>

 Novel Payback 173

    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    NICK


    I walked into Luke¡¯s office, and he hid his phone, strange and it got me curious, What could he be hiding? He was a mafia boss and as much as we were in good terms. I didn ask about his business, and he didn¡¯t talk about it with or in front of me. we had boundaries. Which was why Hls behaviour seemed strange to me.


    ¡°You should knock when you enter someone¡¯s office.¡± 1 raled an eyebrow. ¡°Since when is that a requirement?¡± he didn¡¯t respond but stood and poured us a drink. ¡°What brings you here?¡± he asked handing me a ss. I dly took it and took a sip. ¡°Do I need a reason toe and see you?¡± why are you acting so strange today, Luke?


    What the bell are you up to, did something happen to Olivia that you don¡¯t want me to know about? ¡°Never mind,¡± he said taking a seat on his chair. The more I looked at him<b>, </b>I noticed that he was avoiding making <b>eye </b>contact with me.


    ¡°I hope you are not as lousy when keeping something from your people.¡± He threw a re my way. ¡°I am not hiding something.¡± He was defensive. Just what the hell was the man keeping from <b>me</b><b>? </b>¡°You have two options, one, tell me what you are hiding out of your own free will or two, I get you drunk and get it out of you anyway.


    <b># </b>


    He scoffed standing up and walking to the window. ¡°You think I am weak; I see. It doesn¡¯t matter how drunk you get me; I wouldn¡¯t tell you a thing.¡± He said that still with his back on me. my suspicions were confirmed then. L¨²ke just tell me what is going on, if it was business rted you wouldn¡¯t be acting like this. So, I know it¡¯s something else.¡±


    He turned around looked at me then downed his drink. ¡°Olivia is having a baby.¡± That hit me like a ton of bricks. Olivia is having a baby, how, why? ¡°Did you hear me?¡± I nodded. Why was she having another baby? Samuel was still young <b>and </b>still needed his mother¡¯s attention.


    ¡°How is she having a baby?¡± he knew what happened to Olivia as well as I did. ¡°Surrogate.¡± Right, there was that! I stood and this time. I poured myself a drink, I downed it then poured another one before turning to look at Luke, ¡°That¡¯s good for her, she is a married woman, and they must be ready for another baby.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know who I was trying to convince by sounding as if I was not bothered by the news. I was very bothered; Olivia can¡¯t have a baby with someone else. She was mine and I was the one she was supposed to have a baby with. What are you doing, my love?


    I gave you time to live your life, be happy thene back to me, why are you taking this too far now? Why do you think the life you have with Marcus is your real life? Don¡¯t you know that your real life is with me? my chest tightened, and I slowly went back to my seat and sat down. Breathing slowly trying to calm myself down.


    ¡°Nick, will you ever get over my daughter?¡± I looked up at him and he had this pitiful look in his eyes. I wasn¡¯t going to argue, I was pitiful. ¡°I don¡¯t know Luke, what I do know is that I want my wife back. I know she is married and happy with Marcus. He is a good guy but so ami. I just lost my way there for a while but I have seen the error of my ways and I am trying to be a better man. Forher.¡±


    Luke went and took a seat. ¡°Nick, I suggest you look for a woman and live your life. Better yet, go back to the doctor. She is the only woman you have shown interest in after Olivia. Use her to get over my daughter because <b>you </b>are not going to get her back. She is happy Nick.¡±


    I knew she was happy, why the hell did he think I moved away for? I didn¡¯t want to see her happy with someone else because I knew I couldn¡¯t handle it. I couldn¡¯t say I was waiting for Marcus to mess up because he was a good guy. I was waiting for her to miss me and call me back.


    But <b>now </b>she was having a baby with him, what about me, us, <b>our </b>family and our future. Olivia, don¡¯t you know that your future is with me? you and I are destined to be together. Why are you fighting it, my heart?


    <b>1/2 </b>


    ¡°The doctor is no Olivia; I have loved your daughter from the first time Iid my eyes on her. I knew then that my heart will always belong to her. I knew that she will be my downfall. I didn¡¯t know then that I would be hers, all the more reason why I want her back. To fix things<b>, </b>make it up to her for that.¡±


    Luke sighed looking defeated. ¡°That is not what she wants <b>Nick</b><b>, </b>for your sake, let her go. You already have heart problems man, you don¡¯t want to die young, or my sister wil die along with you, she can¡¯t lose you too.¡±


    ¡°Mother lived her life the way she wanted to, left her family behind and followed her heart. Why can¡¯t I do the same? Whether you like to hear this or not. Olivia is the love of my life and in the end, she will be mine again. I give her and Marcus two years. After that, I am going after what is mine.¡±


    <i>I </i>was


    not going to sit and wait forever. Olivia and Samuel were my family not Marcus¡¯s, he was just a distraction that was soon going to be removed. I <b>would </b>be damned if I give up on them like that. ¡°Nick, whatever you are thinking, you better forget it. we are getting along fine; I don¡¯t want toe after you as an enemy again. But if you dare do something to hurt my daughter again<b>, </b>I swear to you, I will put you down like a dog and I won¡¯t lose sleep over it.¡±


    +29 BONUS

 Novel Payback 174

    NICK


    I stood and buttoned my suit jacket then turned to look at my uncle. ¡°If that is what you have to do, then do it uncle. But until then, I will go after your daughter because doesn¡¯t matter what you think of me, what I have done. But I believe that I deserve happiness Just like everyone else and unfortunately. My happiness lies with your daughter.¡±


    I did not wait for him to reply, with a heavy heart and even heavier feet. I dragged myself out of his office. We were finally getting along, talking as we should but I guess it was not meant to be. My uncle will never allow me to be with his daughter, not unless Olivia takes me back.


    I was so hurt that I didn¡¯t even feel like drinking as that too got me into trouble. Since I drove myself, I got <b>into </b>the car and sat there for a moment. I took out my phone and went to my emails. I checked my old emails between my wife and I. Emails of the time we were happy together, a time before Sandra and her lies.


    A time when I was a loving husband and didn¡¯t care about anything or anyone else besides my heart. A time when I <b>was </b><b>at </b>peace, happy and content with my life. A time when had someone waiting for me a home with a nice dinner, good conversation and lots of <b>love</b>.


    I looked at her picture, she might have grown a few years and endured many hardships, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world to me and she still had my heart. With a sigh, I ced the phone on the seat next to me and started the car.


    I drove myself to a ce where Iid my head, some would call it a home but to me, it was just another roof <b>over </b>my head, <b>a </b>shelter but not my home. My home is and will always be where Olivia is. Arriving, I parked the car on the driveway and sat there thinking.


    <b>I </b>might have sat there long because I heard a knock on the <b>window </b>and when I looked up. Owen was standing there looking at me with worry in his eyes. I offered him a <b>small </b>smile opening the door and getting out. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I nodded heading to the house with him following behind.


    ¡°I have organised the jet for us to go back.¡± I stopped in my tracks and turned to look at him with a frown. I never asked him to do that. ¡°I heard about Olivia and thought you would want to go back to New Vige. Your mother misses you as well. She calls everyday to find out how you are doing.¡± Mother.


    I missed her too, but I didn¡¯t know what version of her I would get should I decide to visit her. in the past couple of years, I learned two versions of my mother. The hateful, resentful and cunning version. The second one was the mafia princess one. That one scared me to death, she one was not my mother but a monster.


    epting Luke that way was fine because I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>any other version of him but the one, I know now. But my mother, she was a different story. I wanted the mother I knew before everything went hell the <b>one </b>who loved and was very protective of my wife. Not the one who hated her for no <b>reason</b>.


    ¡°Good thinking Owen, I will go and pack then we can go.¡± turned to leave when he spoke. ¡°I have already packed for you; I was just waiting for you to get back.¡± I nodded <b>and </b>went to sit on the couch while he went and got out bags and loaded them into the car.


    I got up and went into the car. Owen drove us to the airport ¡°What do you n on doing when you get there?¡± I shrugged, I didn¡¯t have a n, all I knew was that I <b>wanted </b>to see her, for her to know that I was still there and waiting for her.


    ¡±


    That she didn¡¯t have to do things she was not ready to just to keep a man who was not supposed to be in her life to begin with. For her to know that she coulde home if she wanted to. ¡°I don¡¯t have a n, just want to see her.¡± Owen nced at me briefly before focusing on the road.


    12


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if what you feel for <b>Olivia </b>is love or obsession, but I wish I never get to experience it in my entire life.¡± I nced at him. ¡°Then there is no point for your exigence. Love is not bad Owen, people <b>are</b>. You think I lost Olivia because our love was bad?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°No, our love was not bad, I was the one who was bad. You know everything, I did to her Owen, and you also know how much I love her. do you think I deserve to be with her after everything I did?¡±


    A sigh left him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you deserve to be with her or not. I just know that no one would ever love her as much as you do and as intensely. You have done wrong sir; you have caused her so much pain and it shouldn¡¯t be that way. Love is protecting those you love, respecting the, giving them the benefit of the doubt in times of uncertainty. You failed to do that.¡±


    Looked ahead for a while letting what he said sink in. ¡°As much you hurt her and failed her, no one else can say if you deserve to have her back or not but her, but if I were her, I would never take you back.¡± I was shocked, I never knew he felt that way.


    ¡°Then why did you arrange this trip if that Is how you feel? he nced at me. ¡°Because you are not than just a boss to me, you are more like a brother, an annoying brother. It doesn¡¯t sit well with me when you are hurting and yearning to be with her. I knew how you would be feeling after finding out that she is moving on with her life while you are still stuck in the past.¡±

 Novel Payback 175

    12


    OLIVIA


    1 hummed as I moved around the room sweeping the tiled floor. Lupita walked in with a rug in hand. ¡°I like seeing you this happy, but it doesn¡¯t mean you should be cleaning her room yourself. I will do it, take a seat and watch.¡± Lupita must think I was born with a silver spoon in my moth. I knew what hard work was and cleaning a room <b>was </b>not it<b>. </b>


    ¡°Nope, am good.¡± She shook her head as she ced the rugshe was holding next to the bed. We were busy preparing a room for Jennifer. She was going to move in with us as soon as she was pregnant. Yesterday we did the insemination and now we were waiting for two weeks to pass so we could know if she was pregnant or not.


    I knew she might not get pregnant on the first try but I wanted to be prepared anyway. ¡°Fine, I think your husband was right, you are going to be insufferable when the <b>baby </b>gets here.¡± I gave a wide smile. I would be and that would be <b>alright</b>.


    I never got to do anything of the things I was doing with Samuel. My son was <b>taken </b>away from me in only but minutes after giving birth to him then I saw him two yearster. He was no longer a baby and slept through the night.


    I struggled with my breasts getting full and I would look at them thinking that it was time for his feeding<b>. </b>Yet, I couldn¡¯t do anything about it, his father made, sure of it. ¡°Yes, why are you crying now?¡± I wiped my tears off, didn¡¯t <b>know </b>I was <b>crying </b>until she mentioned it.


    ¡°I was just thinking about <b>the </b>fact <b>that </b>with this baby, it will be like my first time being a new mother. As you know, I never got to experience any of that with Samuel.¡± She gave me a sad look and I chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, let¡¯s finish up here.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you are alright?¡± I nodded my <b>head</b>. ¡°Am fine, am over that, just a memory that came to mind reminding of things I couldn¡¯t do with my son, that¡¯s all.¡± She gave me a sceptical look, but I smiled and assured her again that I was fine.


    The doorbell rang and I told her I was going to get it. getting to the front door, I opened and there stood Nick Jones, my ex¨Chusband and the monster in my nightmares. I would think I was over everything that happened between us then something would happen to remind me of <b>what </b>I went through.


    What horrible timing he had. ¡°Nick, hl.¡± He gave <b>a </b><b>soft </b>look ¡°<b>Hello</b>, Olivia<b>.</b>¡± We stood there for a moment just looking at each other. He was still as handsome as I remember. Sometimes I forget how handsome the man was. How loving he was at some point.


    ¡°Is Ethan here?¡± he finally broke <b>the </b>silence, right! He was here for his friend not me. why the hell would I think he was there for me? arg! ¡°No, he and Marcus went out for bit.¡± He nodded. ¡°Can I wait for them<b>?</b>¡± I nodded. opening the door wider for him to enter.


    I offered him something, but he declined. ¡°But I would like a few minutes with you though, to catch up.¡± I went and sat on the couch opposite him. I wondered <b>what </b>he wanted to know, or what we were going <b>to </b>catch up on.


    ¡°How is Samuel? You know, after what happened.¡± <b>Oh</b><b>, </b>what a <b>relief</b>, he only wanted to <b>know </b>about his son¡¯s wellbeing. ¡°He is alright, I asked him multiple time if he was okay and how his time was with that man. But he lights up when I mention him, apparently, they yed together and made pancakes. He still asks about him.¡±


    I saw disappointment when I mentioned that our son still mentioned the man who kidnapped him. ¡°He asks about you too; you should visit more. Just the other day he wasining to Marcus that his <b>pancakes </b>were not as good as yours.¡±


    A smile broke on his face. I was thinking I should tell him about his son. He was changing and keeping them apart


    didn¡¯t seem like a good idea anymore. I should consider talking to Marcus about it. ¡°Well, if you like, I cant <b>cotne </b>in the morning and <b>make </b>them for him.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°How are you doing, Olivia. Are you happy?¡± I gave him a sille. ¡°I am happy Nick; Marcus is wonderful to both Samuel and L.¡± he looked hurt by my answer. What did he expect? For me to say I was not happy and wanted him back?


    ¡°Am d his treating you well and I am d you are happy You deserve that and more.¡± Well, what a surprise, I thought he was going to be angry and start his nonsense. ¡°How are you doing, Nick?¡± a sigh left him. he looked at me. ¡°Physically, I am well. My heart is fine. Emotionally, in not well.¡±


    ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± why the hell did <b>I </b>ask tha? ¡°Because I lost you, Olivia, you were everything to


    how I me, you still have my heart, and in this life, in my life. There will never be anyone for me other than you don¡¯t get me wrong, I am not saying leave your husband or taking what I am saying to heart. <b>I </b>am just telling you feel.¡±


    heart He ran his hand through his head before looking back at me ¡°I wronged you, my heart. I broke your forgetting that you held mine in your hands. I was a shitty husband, wasn¡¯t I? I failed in <b>so </b>many ways, to protect you and love you the way you deserve. That resulted in me losing you, my home, my reason for existence and my heart.¡±


    I was starting to get ufortable as I shifted in my seat. ¡°I would sell my soul to the devil if it <b>meant </b>having you back in my life. But I know that is a far¨Cfetched dream. But bey, a man can only dream and hope. Right?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Dreaming and hoping won¡¯t kill me though, but it will keep me going, until when, I don¡¯t know either. I just wanted you to know that you are loved, Olivia ck. For as long as I <b>live</b>, you are the only woman I will ever <b>love</b>. You are my heart after all, where will I get a

 Novel Payback 177

    OLIVIA


    At the moment, I was the happiest woman in the world. They say True happiness is not something to search for, something that money can buy, or something that is fixed. was sure whomever said those words was someone who lived in the olden days of my grandmother. Because in our day and age.


    Not being able to carry our own child didn¡¯t mean you couldn¡¯t have your child, as <b>long </b><b>as </b>you had the money to pay for surrogates and clinics like I was doing. In our day and age many things <b>were </b>possible, and people could buy their happiness.


    Yes, happiness is a feeling, but such feelinges from different things. Achieving your goals, your dreaming <b>true</b>. Marrying the love of your life, having another child when you thought you couldn¡¯t. it was long ago when I thought I was half a <b>woman </b>because I couldn¡¯t carry my child. I almost lost out of receiving the love my husband gave me on a daily basis because I thought I was not worthy.


    But that man saw beyond my <b>ws</b>, my scars and loved me just the way I was. Not only that, he married me knowing how damaged I was. But in his eyes, I was the perfect woman. I consider myself lucky as most women who go through struggles like I <b>did </b>continue to struggle for the rest of their lives.


    Having small moments of true happiness and then the hardships would return. I thank God and the ancestors for making my destiny and future different. For deeming me worthy of happiness once again in my life, worthy of <b>love </b>and care.


    Marcus made me happy; Samuel made me happy and now my baby. Jennifer was <b>two </b>weeks pregnant. We found out this morning and Marcus and I went out to celebrate. I was a bit tipsy, but I didn¡¯t care, I had my husband to care for me. he was the one who suggested this to begin with. Told me to have fun because there will be little time for that when the baby arrives.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Am </b>d to see you so happy.¡± I gave him a huge smile. ¡°You are responsible for that Mr Walker. Thank you for being the best husband a woman <b>could </b>ever ask for.¡± He chuckled blushing. I loved that man. ¡°Anything for my wife. I blushed.


    ¡°Would you two stop? Some of us don¡¯t have what you have, there is no need to make us jealous.¡± Marcus and <b>I </bughed. Ethan frowned taking a sip of his drink. Marcus called him to meet us there. ¡°Hello, I hope I am notte.¡± I frowned and nced at Marcus. He too looked like he didn¡¯t know that Nick wasing<b>. </b>


    ¡°I invited him, we were supposed to go somewhere together, so, I asked him to meet me here and we can go from <b>here</b>.¡± I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>if <b>Ethan </b><b>was </b>lying or not. But I chose not to ruin my day with that. I was worried <b>about </b>Marcus though. How he spoke that day told me that he was worried that I <b>might </b>leave him for Nick one day.


    I did all I could to assure him that something like that was never going to happen. I could tell he still had doubts. I vowed to assure <b>and </b>show him every day what he meant to me. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem Ethan.¡± He said taking a sip from his drink.


    ¡°What are you celebrating?¡± Nick asked after gettingfortable and getting his drink. Ethan looked at us, it was clear he did not tell his friend about what was happening. Good, it wasn¡¯t his ce to tell anyway. ¡°My wife and I are having a baby.¡± Marcus answered watching Nick closely


    Nick kept his neutral expression, taking his drink and sipping on it them ced the ss back on the table before lifting his head to look between Marcus and I. ¡°I thought you two would wait until maybe after a year into your <b>marriage </b>before having kids. I guess you are in a hurry for some reason.¡±


    I knew what he was doing, it wasn¡¯t going to work, I was too happy to care what Nick Jones thought about my His opinion didn¡¯t matter to me. I was doing what made me happy and to hell with him. ¡°Well, we love each other <b>so </b>much that we want to expand our family now and then travel the world with our kids.¡±


    life.


    Chapter


    The kids part got to Nick; I saw a flicker of pain in his eyes, ut it was gone before anyone could notice it was there. I needed to talk to my husband about telling him about his son. I no longer wished to hold grudges, I wanted to move on and part of that required letting go of secretes. And I was keeping the biggest one.


    ¡°What a nice dream you have there Marcus, I hope everything works out for you¡± Marcus frowned He took my <b>hand </b>giving me a smile. ¡°Everything will work out for us, my wife and I as well as our kids.¡± Marcum rified, it was bing clear that he was not over what Nick said the other day. It still haunted him even though he was not saying anything.


    ¡°if you say so.¡± Nick answered and that seemed to push Marcus over the edge. ¡°What exactly are you implying by <b>that</b>?¡± Nick <b>raised </b>an eyebrow<b>, </b>cool <b>as </b>a cucumber as he sipped on his drink. ¡°What exactly are you getting worked <b>up </b>for?¡±


    Marcus clicked his tongue. I could tell he was getting angry. ¡°My love, just let it go. We are here to celebrate, let¡¯s not ruin it.¡± he chuckled. ¡°Who is ruining it between your ex and I? is he not the orie who insist on being sarcastic as if he knows something about our rtionship that I don¡®, or do you both have something to tell me?¡±


    know that


    Nick ced his ss on the table and red at Marcus. ¡°You are being a dick now and I hope you whatever I said has nothing to do with Olivia. Treat your wife right man and stop the nonsense, Marcus chuckled shaking his head. ¡°Oh<b>, </b>so now you are going to tell me how to treat my wife, who the hell do you think you are to tell me that?¡±

 Novel Payback 178

    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t know what hade over my husband, but he was ruining our day. Since when did he care about what Nick said? He knew the kind of person he was, so, why was he entertaining him, or did Nick¡¯s confession bother him so much that he would act that way? 1 didn¡¯t know what to think.


    ¡°Babe, leave him be or better yet. Let¡¯s go home.¡± He threw my hand off. ¡°Leave me alone, Olivia. I am still talking to your ex here who seems to think that he has a say in our marriage. Well, why wouldn¡¯t be when you give him the opportunity to act that way?¡± what the hell was going on with this man?


    ¡°Enough! Marcus, since when do you care what Nick says or does? Why don¡¯t you focus on your wife and let Nick be? You don¡¯t have to entertain him, but you are and doing more than he is. Why would you treat your wife that and in public? What are you thinking <b>man</b><b>?</b>¡± Ethan intervened. I <b>was </b>fed up and ready to get back home.


    I <b>was </b>angry but I wasn¡¯t about to show Nick that and give him the satisfaction that he had won ining between us. I didn¡¯t know why Marcus was letting him. Nick confessed his love to me, but that was not something new. We all knew that was how he felt. Why did it bother him so much now?


    I stood. ¡°I am going home now, and I would like for you toe with me, that is <b>if </b>you <b>want </b>to.¡± He hung his <b>head </b>low before sighing <b>and </b>getting up from his <b>chair</b>. ¡°This is why I told your wife that if she wanted toe back home, I <b>will </b>be waiting. You have her and yet you act like a moron. It¡¯s like you want to lose her.¡± I threw re at Nick, and he kept his mouth shut.


    Marcus did not respond, thank God! I was getting tired of their bickering. The drive back home was <b>a </b>silent one, I didn¡¯t know what was going through that thick skull of his, but I was not about to fight with him. I wanted him to think about what happened and how he reacted. Maybe he was going to see how wrong he was.


    Getting <b>home</b>, I went straight to our room and showered. When I got out, Marcus <b>was </b>sitting on the bed. I didn¡¯t say anything to <b>him </b>as I lotioned and changed my clothes into morefortable ones. I headed towards the door and just before I walked out, he spoke. ¡°Am sorry.¡± I stood there with my back on him waiting for him to continue.


    ¡°Ever since I heard you and Nick talking. I have been scared I <b>have </b>been terrified that you will leave me and go back to him. I have been terrified that you will choose him and leave me. I have been terrified that I was going to lose you. I don¡¯t know what to do Olivia, I love you so much but when ites to Nick, I can¡¯t help but feel like I don¡¯t measure up.¡±


    Why the hell would he want to measure up to Nick? Something was definitely wrong with the man. ¡°Why would you want to measure up to Nick? Financially you two are at the same level, looks and everything else. Please don¡¯t tell me that <b>this </b>measuring up is you being a jerk like he is, because if it¡¯s that then you are doing a pretty <b>good </b>Job acting like him.¡±


    I walked out, now my anger was rising. We were about to bring a baby into the <b>world</b>, and he was acting like we were still dating and not married. Busy worrying about people who don¡¯t matter in our rtionship instead of the good that was happening.


    ¡°Am sorry, Olivia. I am <b>a </b>fool in love and scared to death to lose his wife. I don¡¯t know but what he said got


    I got to me and scared me. <b>now </b>that I <b>have </b>you, I am constantly in fear that one day you will realize that I am not the man for you and leave.¡±


    1 turned to him <b>making </b>him almost bump into me. ¡°How many times must I tell you that I am not going back to Nick? If I wanted him, I would have gone back to him already. Why would I go through all the trouble of marrying you only to go back to him? it makes no sense and the next time you treat me <b>that </b>way. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s in public or private. You <b>will </b>see what am capable of. You will not treat me the same way Nick did, I refuse to have that kind of life again.¡±


    I left him standing there, what the hell was he thinking? Treating me like that in front of our friends. I clicked my tongue <b>in </b>anger. How dare he? He knew the kind of man Nick was, he said all those things to get a reaction out of him and he gave him exactly what he wanted.


    He came and hugged me from behind. ¡°Please love, forgive his fool of a husband. He only got jealous and that is why he acted foolishly. I am sorry.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°I want to tell Nick about Samuel.¡± He removed his hands on my waist, and I turned to look at him he was angry Samuel and I are starting to get along well. He even calls me dad now. You want to tell Nick now that he is his <b>son</b>? Do you


    realize that we will <b>have </b>to deal with him often and he might even move back here. Is that what you want?¡®


    He wasn¡¯t jealous, he just didn¡¯t trust me around Nick, I could see that now. ¡°Is this about you and Samuel or about me and Nick?¡± he sighed running his hand through his head. ¡°I am not ready yet, can we wait a little while longer before telling him.¡±


    I looked at him trying to figure out just what the hell was happening to my husband. I didn¡¯t know if what he said was how he felt but his behaviour was starting to scare me a little. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we can wait.¡®

 Novel Payback 179

    NICK


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that man; it was wrong, and you know it.¡± Ethan tried to talk some sense into me but there was nothing wrong with me, I was just fighting for what was mine and Marcus was doing me a favour acting like a jerk. Getting her back was going to be easier than I thought. All he must do was continue acting like the moron he is, and I will have my wife back


    I might have not liked the way he treated her but at the same time, I was d he showed his true colours for Olivia <b>to </b>see. I thought the man was good but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. ¡°<b>Nick</b>, I am warning you, Olivia is happy with Marcus, she loves him, don¡¯t do anything to ruin what they are trying to build.¡±


    Ethan was starting to piss me off. ¡°Whose best friend are you, mine or Marcus¡¯s?¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°I might be your best friend, but you know very well that I am not the type to foolishly support you when you do something wrong. Right now, you are hurting the mother of your¡­¡± he stopped himself just in time before he could finish.


    <b>¡°</b>Go <b>ahead</b>, finish what you were saying.¡± I watched him closely waiting for him to do something that would tell me that what he said was the truth. He just sighed. ¡°Look at you looking and taking everything literally. All of us consider Samuel ours. He calls Marcus¡¯s dad just like he calls me that. we call him our son, you are too. I have heard you a couple of times. So, what is wrong in me saying your son now?¡±


    I <b>watched </b>him as he spoke, but he didn¡¯t waver, he kept his eyes <b>on </b>me and even looked bored. I must have been reading too much into what he said. ¡°Fine, I will go back to Summer Strand. But I will be back. Whether it will be toe for Olivia or just to visit. Will depend on Marcus.¡± I walked way feeling happy.


    Olivia rushed into <b>that </b>marriage with Marcus, and she was starting to see it now. That Marcus she married was not the boy she knew back in high school; this was a businessman with skeletons in his closet just like the rest of us. Fortunately, he can¡¯t hide who he really is forever.


    All I had to do was wait for him to show us all who he is and then take back what¡¯s mine. He was a good guy, granted but he was as <b>good </b>as any of us can be. We were notpletely clean. ¡°Nick, please man. Let her be happy, you had your chance with her, <b>and </b>you blew it. give her a chance to be happy as well. Don¡¯t do anything, stay in Summer <b>Strand</b>, find someone, but don¡¯te back here and cause trouble for <b>them</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Wow, <b>Ethan </b>has really changed, now he was friends with Marcus and wanted me to stay away because it made his friend ufortable. I chuckled mockingly, yeah, things really do change as time goes by, even with the closest


    of friends.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry my friend, I will leave and note back to bother your new best <b>friend</b><b>.</b>¡± I got into my car and drove off. he was making me sick; he thought I didn¡¯t know that he <b>too </b><b>was </b>looking for a chance to take Olivia from Marcus and having me far away gave him a better chance of winning.


    My phone rang and it was Luke, why the hell would he be calling me. <b>¡°</b><b>Luke</b>¡± heard him sigh on the other end of the line. ¡°What did I say when you left here, Nick?¡± oh wow he still had bugs on her. ¡°It¡¯s creepy to have bugs on your daughter like that, what about her privacy?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Her privacy ended the moment you went after her, what was that anyway? Confessing your love to her giving her the option toe back to you, what the hell is that?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I told you I wanted what <b>was </b>mine back. I told you I need her to know thating back to me was an option that will always be there.¡±


    I knew nobody understood me or my reasons, but what can a man do when he is in love? I will wait for my wife to choose me again, but it didn¡¯t mean I was going to take it easy on Marcus. I wanted for him to be on his toes every time I am around New Vige, <b>I </b>wanted him to know and feel that his could go back to her true husband any time.


    He stole her from me, and I was going to get her back. ¡°Boy you bettere back here before I <b>have </b>my people bring you back. From now on, you will not set foot in New Vige without me. It seems I am going to have to be


    your shadow because killing you won¡¯t feel as nice as it would have been back when I hated your guts.¡±


    I chuckled<b>, </b>we were getting along very welltely, and I wanted to keep it that way. The man was busy trying to build a father daughter rtionship with my mother and my father is dead. All I have now is Luke and I wouldn¡¯t want us to be on bad terms again.


    ¡°I really do love her, you know.¡± I suddenly sald, I needed him to know that what I was doing was not to hurt Olivia but to get her back with me so we could be happy together, just as we were back then. ¡°I know you do son but let her go and if it happens <b>that </b>shees back to you then it would be meant to be. For now, let her live her life the way she wants to.¡±


    He called me son, for some reason <b>that </b>go me tearing up. He called me <b>son</b>, the lost person who called me that and <b>so </b>affectionately was my father. ¡°It will be alright, boy, give it time.¡± He did it again, It was like my father wasforting me through him. I stopped the car on the side of the road and lowered my head onto the steering wheel and let my tears fall God! I missed him.

 Novel Payback 180

    JENIFFER


    The magazine didn¡¯t do Olivia¡¯s house any justice, the ce was to die for. But let¡¯s back up a little. First, her husband picked me up from the clinic. The car he was driving, it¡¯s luxury. He was a gentleman too, treated me like precious cargo asking if I was hungry or needed anything before going home.


    He actually said home as if it was our home, his and mine. Getting here, Olivia was friendly and asked her husband to show me around the house and we could meet in the dinning room after for some lunch. The food smelled delicious; I could get used to living like that. My room<b>, </b>it wasn¡¯t even anything I dreamed my room would be.


    I always thought, If I could have a room with a nice king bed, a chest of drawers and a nice, lush carpet next to it, I would be content. I never thought I would have luxury beyond my imagination. That wornan might be crazy and scary as shit. but she did keep her promises, and I was going to do everything in my power to keep this.


    I deserved all of it. ¡°Come on, lunch is ready.¡± Marcus told me, I almost offered my hand for him to take and lead me to the dining room. But I remembered that there was plenty of time for that, when we walked into the dining room, <b>Olivia </b>had an apron on and cing thest dishes on the table. Everything looked amazing and she looked dashing in that apron.


    Maybe when I became the madam of the house, she would wear that apron permanently and make us such foods. ¡± Everything looks great, thank you.¡± I took my seat, and my husband went and <b>sat </b>next to the soon to be help. That made me angry, but Iposed myself, once I gave him the baby then he would see that I was the one who deserved to be by his side not a woman who can¡¯t carry his child.


    That one only deserved to serve people like me who were able to bring life into the world. A woman who can¡¯t even do the <b>most </b>natural thing in the world women were meant to bring, carry and bring a child into the world. She couldn¡¯t do that and yet, she behaved as if she deserved a man like Marcus. ¡°Is something wrong with the food, do you not like it or do you prefer something else? I know pregnancy can be difficult<b>, </b>so whatever you need I can make for you.¡±


    She offered, that was <b>what </b>she was good for anyway, caring for those such as myself who could do <b>what </b>she couldn¡¯t. ¡°No, thanks. Everything is perfect and thank you for this. I appreciate it.¡± that was meant for Marcus, I appreciated him being the father of my child.


    She nodded, she was beautiful and wearing nice clothes that belonged to me. I was the one who was carrying an heir to the Walker empire, who the hell did she think she was to be looking better than I did. <b>Olivia</b><b>, </b>I see now why thatdy doesn¡¯t like you, a person like you should not be taking from someone like me.


    After lunch Marcus took me to the salon to get some rest, the salon¡¯s view overlooked the backyard, he was ying with that boy, Olivia¡¯s son who called him father when he wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know why the woman was <b>so </b>cruel as to make the child believe that Marcus was his father when he was not. But not to worry, Marcus was soon going to have his son and Olivia will have to tell her son who his father is.


    ¡°We cant have brats calling your father theirs, now can we? I said caressing my t tummy. ¡°Pregnancy looks good on you.¡± I jumped and sat up. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t get up on my ount, you must befortable here, that is why <b>you </b>are staying, so you can befortable and only care of that little one growing inside you.¡± got that right! But I didn¡¯t want to be arrogant, I didn¡¯t know if <b>the </b>nanny heard what I said or not.


    So, I lowered my head with a sneer on my face wondering why the help was bothering me. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for that baby toe so that Samuel can have someone to y with¡± As if, my son was not going to spent time with that boy, he was a nobodypared to him. ¡°He will make a good big brother.¡± She continued.


    Big brother my ass, ¡°You right.¡± And then she sat next to me, why in the heavens would she be bothering me like this. Did Olivia send her to keep an eye on me? ¡°Is something wrong?¡± <b>I </b>quickly fixed my face when she asked,


    getting rid of the frown. ¡°No, just my tummy not feeling too well, not sure if it¡¯s something I ate or what.¡±


    I didn¡¯t get to finish, and she was <b>already </b>ringing a bell I didn¡¯t know was there. Marcus came rushing towards us leaving that boy behind. Good, know your priorities. He didn¡¯t care about the help, he got to me and kneeled in front of me looking worried. ¡°Is something wrong, do you feed to see a doctor?¡± my heart warmed.


    But then the witch arrived as well with a worried look in her face and I just got bored, who the hell called her toe? ¡°Are you okay?¡± she questioned, and I offered her alle. If only you knew how much of an eyesore you were to me, you wouldn¡¯t be in front of me right now. ¡°Lupta is exaggerating, I was just feeling <b>a </b>little ufortable, but I am fine.¡±


    I assured looking at Marcus. ¡°Are you sure? Taking you to the doctor is no trouble at all.¡± My heart skipped a beat. He cared so much about me. ¡°I thought I was the one who was supposed to be unbearable. But here you are taking my role.¡± He chuckled getting up to kiss her. I clenched my hands into fists, he was supposed to be kissing me!


    ¡°I was just worried that¡¯s all. You are still going to be the insufferable one.¡± Sheughed kissing him back. I cleared my throat stopping them from kissing. They both blushed<b>. </b>¡°Sorry, am just not used to seeing people do that in front of me.¡± the witch smiled shyly. You bitch! Enjoy it while itsts.

 Novel Payback 181

    OLIVIA


    It¡¯s been six weeks <b>since </b>Jennifer moved in with us and west went for our two¨Cmonth scan, the baby seems fine and growing well. I was happy about that, but I was not happy about other things. I might be paranoid, but my grandma once told me never to dismiss my gut feeling and ways listen to it. Maybe Marcus was right about not trusting Jennifer in the beginning.


    But it was toote to say something now, she was already pregnant and living In our house and slowly taking my husband. The girl always acted innocent, but she would tald any opportunity to <b>have </b>Marcus tending to her every whim. Marcus doesn¡¯t work, he didn¡¯t need to. So, when I am at work, he is with her.


    I didn¡¯t mind that at first, it always made me feel at ease to have him at home with her in case something happened while I was at work. But the woman was taking it too far. We gave her our numbers to call in cases of emergency, but the girl called my husband for every little thing, and he would go running


    She never called me not even <b>once</b>, but she would call her multiple times a day. When I raised the issue with my husband, he just told me it was because she was used to being with him and was not used to me yet. I didn¡¯t want to sound like a jealous woman so, I dropped the issue.


    Like right now, I just came from work, and I have not seen my husband. Lupita said he was with her in the backyard. I know I might be over thinking everything, but it did not feel good not having his attention. ¡°Love, you home.¡± I didn¡¯t even see when he came into the house, he kissed my check. ¡°When did youe back?¡±


    <b>my </b>


    If you cared enough, you would know when I came back. But your focus has changed and now you know nothing of schedule. ¡°What was I supposed to do today?¡± he looked taken back by my question. ¡°I am not sure, but let me tell you, our baby is growing. I can already see the little bump showing¡± There was no bump yet. Nothing was showing.


    Jeniffer was still the t woman she was when she came here, if I didn¡¯t know better, I wouldn¡¯t believe she was pregnant. ¡°She is far from showing love,¡±


    ¡°You say that because you didn¡¯t see the stomach, am telling you, she has grown.¡± I frowned wondering where the fuck did, he see her stomach from. ¡°How did you see it?


    ¡°Oh, she offered to <b>show </b><b>me</b>, she lifted her shirt to show me because we were both curious to see if there was a difference and there was?¡± the excitement in his voice <b>was </b>amazing, what was not amazing though is the fact that he saw that woman half naked. I didn¡¯t know how to take that.


    She walked in just then and I couldn¡¯t help my anger. ¡°Jennifer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, <b>Olivia</b><b>.</b>¡± The way she called my name so informally as if we were friends was just amazing, ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t show my husband, you naked stomach again. There are boundaries and you just crossed one. If we want to see how much the baby has grown, the doctor will tell us that, there is no need for you to be taking off your shirt for my husband.¡±


    She looked at Marcus probably hoping that he was going to say something to defend her, but he said nothing. instead, he looked disappointed. ¡°I am sorry, I meant no disrespect, I was just excited that is all. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± She said the walked out. I turned to look at Marcus ready to give him a piece of my mind should he tell me shit about exaggerating


    ¡°Am sorry <b>love</b>, I didn¡¯t think of it that way or how it would seem to you<b>. </b>I meant no disrespect and as she said. It will never happen again. Am sorry for being insensitive. From now on, I will keep a proper distance from her and not spend as much time with her.¡±


    The apology took me by surprise<b>, </b>but it was weed. I was d he saw how ufortable the whole thing


    made me. ¡°I am not saying don¡¯t spend time with her, but you are over doing it, spending more time with her than with us, it feels like she is your family, and we are just bystanders in this picture. Tell me, when was thest time you yed with Samuel nor heard him call you daddy


    He looked guilty at the mention of that. ¡°I am not saying don¡¯t be excited about our baby, your blood and I know Samuel is not. But if things are going to change now, that when the division will start. When we decided not to tell Nick about Samuel, we wanted there to be no division of our family. But you are creating one love, you might not realize it nut you are, and it doesn¡¯t feel good. We feel neglected by you, and it hurts.¡±


    He took me into his arms and hugged me tightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I was doing that; I am so sorry love; I hope you know that. I will do better, promise I will. God! How did I lose sight of things like this?¡± I said nothing. What he was promising was yet to be seen.


    I didn¡¯t want to me Jennifer but my husband. If he didn¡¯t give her that much attention and set boundaries for


    will her. then none this would have happened. But he let his excitement blind him. ¡°Please baby, forgive me, you.¡± I just nodded and unpacked the groceries I came with


    He helped me with them then cooked dinner. He <b>hardly </b>said <b>three </b>words to Jennifer who tried making conversation with him several times. She finally gave up when Marcus didn¡¯t give her the attention she was looking for. She even looked angry there for a second. But it was gone as if it was never there.


    1 needed to find out more about that girl. Her mental state to be specific, I know the doctors examined her, but I think I should take her to a doctor I rmend for the test, <b>now </b>I was starting to see that something Marcus saw and couldn¡¯t put a finger on. It was time I protected my family since my husband was blinded and couldn¡¯t protect us and I knew just the person to for help.

 Novel Payback 182

    Chapter <b>182 </b>


    LUKE


    ¡°What the hell have you guys been doing there for you not notice that people have moved into our territory? Then you have the audacity toe here and tell me this shit. I don¡¯t want to hear it, I <b>want </b>solutions. Tell me, boss we had this problem, and this is how we resolved it.¡± my phone rang<b>, </b>and I fished it out of my pocket ready to give the person hell.


    I was furious at those morons, just because I was not acting as ruthless as I used to be they thought they could to whatever they wanted? Hell no, I was still the don and the man they feared the most. If they wanted me to instil the fear of the devil in them for the job to get done, then I was more than ready to. Bloody hell! what did they take


    me for.


    But when I nced at my phone and saw my baby girl¡¯s name, all the anger I had a minute ago left me, I felt lighter. ¡°My <b>love.</b>¡± I answered and the morons in the meeting room left one by one following each <b>other</b><b>, </b>I hoped they were going to do what they were supposed to do beforeing to me with nonsense.


    ¡°Hey dad.¡± My heart skipped a beat, and my chest warmed didn¡¯t know being called dad could feel so good or I would have killed the don years ago and went to my baby. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>sound down, what is it?¡± a sigh left her, and I sat up straight wondering what could be bothering her, <b>was </b>she sick?


    Come to think of it, she called me dad and she never called the that unless I did something to deserve it. we have not known each other long and I have been working hard trying to earn her trust <b>and </b>make up for the years we have lost. But today, she called me dad without me doing anything to earn it.


    ¡°Olivia, what is wrong my love, talk to <b>me</b>.¡± I was growing anxious, I didn¡¯t want anything happening to her, I wanted her to be happy and enjoy her life. My daughter has been through so much already she didn¡¯t need anymore heartache. Maybe that moron Nick did something to her. I swear to all that is holy, I will kill him if he did something.


    ¡°Am fine <b>dad</b><b>, </b>but I do need your help.¡± I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding, wait. ¡°You <b>need </b>my help, what is it that you need help with? Anything, I will get it done.¡± I wonder why I felt like a kid on Christmas day right now, was having children and being needed by them supposed to feel this way?


    I am excited I can¡¯t deny that. ¡°The woman who is carrying my child¡­¡±


    ¡°What happened, is everything alright? Aming now.¡± <b>I </b>cut her off <b>and </b>I was already on my feet when I heard her chuckling on the other end of the line. ¡°Dad, calm down.¡± I sighed and took a seat. ¡°Tell me what is going on already, this waiting is driving me insane!¡±


    Sheughed, good. If she was stillughing, then things might not be as bad as I thought they were. I wanted nothing to bother her right now. She was happy. ¡°She is¡­I don¡¯t know how to exin it dad, but I think she is after my husband. I know Marcus is not that kind of guy but there is something about this woman. I can¡¯t tell you what but¡­¡±


    ¡°If your gut is telling you that there is something wrong about her then I believe you, my gut is never wrong, and you are my daughter. Yours will not be wrong too. Tell me what you want me to do.¡± She sighed again, I knew she was doubting because that woman was carrying her child, but I didn¡¯t want her to regret anythingter.


    ¡°Look honey, I will look into her, and I will leave no stone unturn until I find out what she is hiding. <b>Leave </b>everything to me.¡± there was silence on the other end that thought she might have cut the call. ¡°Olivia?¡±


    ¡°Am here <b>dad</b>, it¡¯s just that I wished I had listened to Marcus when he told me that there was something about her. I wish I interviewed more women and found someone else. I wish I had¡­¡®


    I cut her short, there was <b>no </b>point or need for regrets now. What was done is done. ¡°Olivia, leave everything to me,


    I promise you that I will find whatever she is hiding and if¡¯s something that will hurt you. I will make sure to <b>keep </b>an eye on her until she gives birth then make her pay


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t do anything just tell me whatever you find, and my husband and I will take it <b>from </b>there,¡± Over my dead body will I let a nobody hurt my child. ¡°Alright, I will as you say.¡± I agreed but I had other ns. ¡°Let me know if you find anything.


    ¡°I will.¡± She cut the call, and I made one of my own to my en watching her. I assigned two to watch the woman¡¯s every move and report to me. I was not about to dismiss tid, if she said there <b>was </b>something wrong with the woman then there was.


    But what could she be after? If she wanted <b>Marcus</b>, then no problem if he too wants to be taken by another woman. Because no man is taken without wanting for it to appen. Then it would be good for my daughter to get rid of the bastard.


    My door opened and Nick walked in, when the hell did, hee back from New Vige? ¡°You back, done causing problems for my daughter?¡± he ignored me and went to pour himself a drink. The bastard. It was my liquor and yet


    he had the audacity to ignore me.


    ¡°We have a problem. Or shall I say, Olivia has a problem or thight have a problem.¡± Shit! how the fuck would he know that?

 Novel Payback 176

    MARCUS


    Ethan, Samuel and I wereing back from buying somethings for the guest room that woman was going to b staying in. We still wanted to do more things, take Samuel the park and y with him a little. The boy was warming up to me very well. He even <b>started </b>calling me dad as well. Ethan didn¡¯t like it when he heard it at first.


    He said it was going to confuse him when Nick came into the picture. But hearing him call me dad made me feel like he was my real son, and we were a real family. I didn¡¯t sure about Nick and when he came back into the boy¡¯s life. I was still going to be the father he lived with, learned from, came to with his problems.


    I was going to be every bit of a father to him as Nick would be. Both Ethan and I. I must be honest, I loved that very much. But s, after eating, the boy got sleepy, and we decided to go back home. I took him out of the car and carried him into the house as <b>Ethan </b>took out the stuff we bought from the trunk


    I walked in through the kitchen and when I was about to pass the hallway going to his room. I heard Nick¡¯s voice. At first I thought I was hearing things, until he chuckled. I stopped wondering what the hell was the man doing in my house. That was my mistake, I shouldn¡¯t have stopped because next. I heard him confess his love


    to my


    wife.


    Yes, I always knew that he loved her, I knew he was not over <b>her </b>and I knew when he moved. He wanted to get away from us and avoiding seeing her happy with someone else who was not him. I didn¡¯t think he was going to confess his love to her again though


    I was under the impression that he respected my marriage. The way he helped me told me that he did, then what was he doing? ¡°As I said, I am not saying this for you to do something about it. it¡¯s just how I feel I know you happy and you will never leave your husband for someone who has caused you so much pain. I regret everything! did, you know. I was unfair to you and cruel. I am sorry for that.¡±


    He said and I waited to hear what my wife¡¯s response would be. ¡°What is going on, why are you standing here?¡± Ethan asked. I only nced at him and walked away. I really wanted to hear what Olivia was going to say.


    <b>I </b>had to admit, Nick did change, and it was starting to show just how much he had changed. Olivia must see it as well. But the question is, did she want him back? Nick was her husband; she was used to him and knew him better than anyone. If it was before, Nick would have forced the issue with <b>Olivia </b>and demanded she make a choice and to choose him.


    Not this time though, this time he acted like a gentleman. Put his feelings out there so my wife can choose what to do herself. Why the hell did hee back? We were starting to grow our <b>family</b>, and he had toe back and confuse my wife. Damnit!


    I ced Samuel on his bed and <b>walked </b>back but stopped in my track trying to listen and hear what they were saying. ¡°Nick, I know how you feel. You are my best friend; you might have moved away, and I am now friends with Marcus as well. But he is a good man, and he loves Olivia and Samuel. Don¡¯t mess thing up for them, I beg of you.¡±


    I never thought there <b>would </b></dive a day when Ethan took my side in anything. As he said, he was Nick¡¯s best friend <b>and </b>him taking my side over him came as a big shock to me. ¡°I don¡¯t n on doing anything, <b>Ethan</b>. If Olivia wants toe back one day, I will be waiting. I just needed her to know that.¡±


    ¡°I


    I couldn¡¯t listen anymore, I walked in. ¡°<b>Nick</b>, good to see you.¡± I went and joined them. ¡°Hi <b>Marcus</b><b>,</b>¡±


    Want something to drink?¡± he shook his head. ¡°No, am good. I just came to see Ethan and Samuel. But I was told his sleeping, I won¡¯t stay long. I am going to my mother¡¯s.¡± he stood, and Ethan walked him out. Olivia was nowhere to be found. She must have gotten a <b>chance </b>to leave when Ethan walked in.


    I sat there wondering what was going through my wife¡¯s mind after <b>what </b>Nick said. Was she considering it or did


    she dismiss it? ¡°Don¡¯t do that to yourself, Olivia loves you and is married to you, we both know the kind of person she is. Loyal, trustworthy and loving She will not leave you and go back to Nick.¡±


    Said Ethan joining me on the couch. A little of the tension that gathered on my shoulders left ¡°Love is not an easy thing Ethan, those two have been through a lot. Sometimes ife throws many challenges and obstacles at you that sometimes you end up splitting. But if your love for one another is strong enough, you can get back together. I am just wondering how strong the love my wife shared with Nick was.¡®


    I shouldn¡¯t deceive myself. Olivia was mine first, but what we shared back then wasn¡¯t anything special, it was just child¡¯s y. But she did share true love with Nick, I was sure she never thought they would be divorced.


    She probably thought they would be raising Samuel together by now. Instead, she was raising him with me and Nick¡¯s friend. Am sure sometimes she thought of what life would have been like with him and their child together Nick was not a bad man, he just did a bad thing, he lost his way for a while but now he was getting back on track. That love was tainted and destroyed by everything that happened between us. Yes, he will always have a room in my heart, he was my first husband and is the father of my son. But he will never be more than that, our time came and passed. I have a wonderful husband now.¡±

 Novel Payback 183

    NICK


    1 left New Vige and returned to Summer <b>Strand</b>, needing to take care of some things. I couldn¡¯t stay in New Vige for long, especially knowing Olivia was happy with that fool. Thuit after some time, I realized I hadn¡¯t checked on Sandra in a while and needed to see if the doctor had been following my instructions.


    I decided to go back earlier this week without giving anyou a heads up. When I arrived and went to her <b>room</b>, Sandra was talking to the nurse. I stood outside her door for a while, listening to their conversation. It all seemed too secretive, and what bothered me most was how <b>Sandra </b>booked when I walked in. She appeared like a walking corpse, speaking slowly and acting like she couldn¡¯t recognize me or understand what I was saying.


    Before leaving, I confronted the nurse about what they were discussing. She gave me some nonsense about Sandra wanting extra pudding. She imed Sandra had stopped talking, but when the nurse offered her pudding, Sandra started responding after a few attempts. I didn¡¯t believe <b>a </b>word of it. The nurse was supposed to be keeping Sandra heavily drugged to the point where she wouldn¡¯t remember anything, not even her own name or what year it was.


    I went straight to the doctor and let him have it, demanding he rece the nurse and be stricter with those assigned to Sandra¡¯s <b>care</b>.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my daughter now, and why do you know about it?¡± Luke asked me.


    I knocked back the drink I was holding, the whole Sandra situation still bothering me. How long had she been lucid? What had she done during that time?


    Luke stood up, frowning. ¡°What¡¯s that crazy woman done now? Please tell me she¡¯s dead, and I¡¯ll be happy.¡± I wish I could say that, but that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°She¡¯s alive, well, and talking,¡± I said, knowing Luke wouldn¡¯t be happy about the news. He red at me. ¡°So, you came here to brag that your mistress is <b>alive</b>? What the hell do you want me to do about it? And why are you so determined to ruin my daughter¡¯s life by bringing Sandra back from the dead?¡±


    His words stung. Didn¡¯t they understand that I had changed? I knew if Sandra got out, it would onlyplicate things, especially with Olivia. If Sandra was functional again, Olivia would me me, and I couldn¡¯t risk that.


    ¡°Do you honestly think I¡¯d be here if that was my <b>n</b>?¡± I snapped. ¡°I went to check on Sandra after returning, to see if she was still in the condition, I wanted her to be in.¡±


    ¡°I guess she wasn¡¯t, and that¡¯s why you¡¯re here,¡± Luke said, looking at me with disgust. ¡°Tell me, Nick, what did that crazy woman of yours do this time?¡±


    Why did he keep calling Sandra my woman? She was never mine, and that made <b>it </b>all the more frustrating. I wanted him to understand that we had bigger problems than what he was currently worried about.


    We both knew that Sandra could be dangerous if she were to be let lose. She still med Olivia for all that has gone wrong in her life. Her sister¡¯s death, losing me, which she never had me to begin with but in her mind, I was hers and Olivia took me from her.


    ¡°She was lucid when I got there, talking to the nurse but they were all secretive. The nurse wasn¡¯t truthful with me when I confronted her about it. I spoke to her doctor as well. He is going to be stricter from now on. But¡­¡± 1 ran my hand through my hair in frustration.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t know how long she has been lucid for. ¡°I get that tell me what you are worried about now<b>, </b>what problem could she possibly cause now in her state?¡± he just didn¡¯t know that woman, she was resourceful and could do anything she put her mind to.


    ¡°I am <b>worried </b>about the fact that we don¡¯t know how long he has been <b>lucid </b>for and what she did during that time. You might <b>not </b>believe me<i>, </i>but Sandra can be pretty rihless. More like you actually, she should have been your daughter instead of Olivia. She would have fit right into this mafia life.¡±


    Luke <b>red </b>at me. ¡°I am not your mother¡¯s father, I do not wish for my children to be monsters like me. Olivia is alright just the way she is. Sandra<b>, </b>I would have killed myself, now tell me, how are we going to find out if she did something or not?¡±


    1 wished I knew. ¡°That is exactly why I am here; 1 stayed there for two more days and visited the hospital. The doctor started giving her extra care as requested and the nurse was changed. But I didn¡¯t find anything else out. I am also afraid to <b>involve </b>Ethan.¡±


    ¡°If that moron knows, then Olivia will know too. She doesn¡¯t need the stress<b>; </b>she is stressed enough as it is.¡± I furrowed my eyebrows, what was stressing Olivia, did something happen? I wondered but didn¡¯t dare ask Luke


    He was already guarded when it came to me knowing about his daughter, he knew how much I cared for her and how I could sometimes go overboard in the name of protecting her. ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    I asked him then took a seat opposite him. I tried to think of something, a way to get to the bottom of what I saw but I came up with nothing. I had <b>no </b>idea how to find the information I needed <b>and </b>the only person who could, was one I did not want to involve.


    ¡°Have your people keep an eye on the nurse she was talking to, she might lead us to something, anything¡± Why..


    didn¡¯t I think of that? ¡°Alright, I will get Given on to it, what will you do?¡± a sighed left him.


    ¡°I will do what I should have done a long time ago, keep the likes of <b>you </b>away <b>from </b>my daughter. If Sandra did something, you being close to her, will put her in danger. It¡¯s time you stayed away from my daughter Nick and for good this time.¡±

 Novel Payback 184

    OLIVIA


    ¡°hahaha<b>¡­</b>Marcus, stop it. I can¡¯t take anymore¡± that was what weed me as I got home from work. I followed theughter<b>, </b><b>and </b>it led me to the lounge. My husband and the surrogate mother of my child busy tickling each other. Well, he was tickling her. I didn¡¯t know what started the whole thing and I was not interested in knowing


    We spoke about boundaries, but it was clear my husband was not hearing me and so did Jennifer. If I were to keep talking, reprimanding andining. It was only going to push my husband further away <b>from </b>me and I didn¡¯t


    want that.


    I regretted being hasty in choosing Jennifer, I should have listened to my husband before and looked for someone else. But it was toote to change my decision. Jennifer was already pregnant; my husband was at her back and call.


    I didn¡¯t know what her intentions were<b>, </b>it was like the woman came with an agenda. But what was it? if not to carry my baby what else was she after, did she want my husband <b>and </b>my home too? ¡°Am home,¡± I announced myself but they didn¡¯t seem to hear me as they continued to converse as if I was not there.


    Jeniffer did nce my way though but pretended not to heile me, or was I seeing things since I was already suspicious of the woman? It could be. Calm down Olivia, it might all be in your head. Then again, Sandra did the same, got Nick¡¯s attention and then next thing I knew. My husband trusted her more than me.


    ¡°<b>I </b>am home.¡± I said again, louder this time. She stered a smile on her face and stood. ¡°Olivia, you back. You look tired, Marcus <b>and </b>I cooked.¡± Wow, they <b>cooked</b>, together? I thought I had nothing to worry about, but I think


    1 do.


    1 offered a tight¨Clipped smile, the audacity of the woman, but then again, I would endure until she gave birth to my child, and she would be gone. Marcus came and kissed me on the forehead. ¡°Want to eat now or shower first?¡± I lost my appetite; he cooked with at woman and expected me to smile as if nothing was wrong.


    ¡°I will have a shower, I might eatter though, I am not hungry now.¡± He nodded, I turned to leave with a <b>heavy </b>heart. Maybe it was my <b>destiny</b>, that my happiness would onlyst for a short while <b>then </b>misery would follow. Just as it did with my ex¨Chusband. Maybe my happiness was not meant tost.


    That thought hurt, I wished I <b>had </b>a friend I could unload my burden to. Someone to tell me that everything was going to be alright. But I didn¡¯t Lupita was the only one I could talk to. ¡°Can I say something, and can you promise not to be offended by it.¡± she asked appearing right in front of me.


    She seemed to know exactly when I needed her. ¡°Go ahead Lupita.¡±


    ¡°Not here, put your bag down. We are going to the backyard.¡± I didn¡¯t have the energy to talk, but then again. That might just be what I needed. I opened my <b>room </b>and ced my bag down. My husband <b>didn¡¯t </b>even follow me to ask how my day was and if I needed anything like he used to.


    He was so focused on that woman that I ceased to exist in his life. My heart hurt. Lupita and I walked to the backyard and sat on the chairs there. ¡°I don¡¯t like that look she began. I nced at <b>her</b>. ¡°You don¡¯t smile any more, Olivia. You used to smile often but not now. Now <b>you </b>walk around like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯tin, but this thing with Marcus and that woman is bothering me. but she is carrying our child, <b>and </b>I don¡¯t want to be stressing her andining about the time she spends with him. I can¡¯t do for my husband what she is doing, the least I can do is to be understanding, endure and notin.¡®


    ¡°Grandma doesn¡¯t like her, and I don¡¯t either<b>. </b>It¡¯s like she wants your husband Olivia and as more time passes<b>, </b><b>it </b>shows.¡±


    ??


    #


    I guessed that, but I was hoping my husband would be strong; enough to resist. ¡°I know she does, I spoke to her about boundaries before and Marcus as well. They assured me it will not happen again. Look at what is happening now. He didn¡¯t even ask if I was okay or how my day was. He is having so much fun with her that he doesn¡¯t care about me anymore.


    Silence followed my words as we sat there staring into nothing. ¡°Men will be men, I guess but I am <b>keeping </b>Samuel busy and away from them. I don¡¯t <b>want </b>that boy to ever feel neglected no matter what is going on<b>.</b>¡± My heart ached.


    My son. I could not keep doing this to him. he needed his faer; I could not keep getting his hopes up and then he ends up being disappointed. Nick needed to know about him as well. I took out my phone. ¡°Who are you calling?¡± Lupita questioned.


    ¡°My son¡¯s real father.¡±


    I dialled Nick¡¯s number<b>; </b><b>it </b>rang a couple of times before his voice could be heard on the other end. ¡°Olivia, is everything alright?¡± I wished my husband could ask me that. ¡°Everything is fine Nick, could you pleasee to New Vige when you get the time? There is something I want to talk to you about.¡±


    There was silence for a minute before he responded. ¡°Olivia, are you sure that you are alright? I cane now if it¡¯s something urgent.¡± Why couldn¡¯t Marcuse <b>now</b>, hug me and tell me it is not what I was thinking. That he was only being nice to her, nothing more.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush here, when you find time, pleasee through.¡± My chest tightened. I wished I could talk to Marcus about this, but he was too busy to care about Samuel or me. how much more when the baby arrives? Will he care about Samuel or will all his attention be on his new baby?


    I sight cutting the call without waiting for Nick to say anything <b>more</b><b>. </b>


    OLIVIA


    ¡°hahaha<b>¡­</b>Marcus, stop it. I can¡¯t take anymore¡± that was what weed me as I got home from work. I followed theughter<b>, </b><b>and </b>it led me to the lounge. My husband and the surrogate mother of my child busy tickling each other. Well, he was tickling her. I didn¡¯t know what started the whole thing and I was not interested in knowing


    We spoke about boundaries, but it was clear my husband was not hearing me and so did Jennifer. If I were to keep talking, reprimanding andining. It was only going to push my husband further away <b>from </b>me and I didn¡¯t


    want that.


    I regretted being hasty in choosing Jennifer, I should have listened to my husband before and looked for someone else. But it was toote to change my decision. Jennifer was already pregnant; my husband was at her back and call.


    I didn¡¯t know what her intentions were<b>, </b>it was like the woman came with an agenda. But what was it? if not to carry my baby what else was she after, did she want my husband <b>and </b>my home too? ¡°Am home,¡± I announced myself but they didn¡¯t seem to hear me as they continued to converse as if I was not there.


    Jeniffer did nce my way though but pretended not to heile me, or was I seeing things since I was already suspicious of the woman? It could be. Calm down Olivia, it might all be in your head. Then again, Sandra did the same, got Nick¡¯s attention and then next thing I knew. My husband trusted her more than me.


    ¡°<b>I </b>am home.¡± I said again, louder this time. She stered a smile on her face and stood. ¡°Olivia, you back. You look tired, Marcus <b>and </b>I cooked.¡± Wow, they <b>cooked</b>, together? I thought I had nothing to worry about, but I think


    1 do.


    1 offered a tight¨Clipped smile, the audacity of the woman, but then again, I would endure until she gave birth to my child, and she would be gone. Marcus came and kissed me on the forehead. ¡°Want to eat now or shower first?¡± I lost my appetite; he cooked with at woman and expected me to smile as if nothing was wrong.


    ¡°I will have a shower, I might eatter though, I am not hungry now.¡± He nodded, I turned to leave with a <b>heavy </b>heart. Maybe it was my <b>destiny</b>, that my happiness would onlyst for a short while <b>then </b>misery would follow. Just as it did with my ex¨Chusband. Maybe my happiness was not meant tost.


    That thought hurt, I wished I <b>had </b>a friend I could unload my burden to. Someone to tell me that everything was going to be alright. But I didn¡¯t Lupita was the only one I could talk to. ¡°Can I say something, and can you promise not to be offended by it.¡± she asked appearing right in front of me.


    She seemed to know exactly when I needed her. ¡°Go ahead Lupita.¡±


    ¡°Not here, put your bag down. We are going to the backyard.¡± I didn¡¯t have the energy to talk, but then again. That might just be what I needed. I opened my <b>room </b>and ced my bag down. My husband <b>didn¡¯t </b>even follow me to ask how my day was and if I needed anything like he used to.


    He was so focused on that woman that I ceased to exist in his life. My heart hurt. Lupita and I walked to the backyard and sat on the chairs there. ¡°I don¡¯t like that look she began. I nced at <b>her</b>. ¡°You don¡¯t smile any more, Olivia. You used to smile often but not now. Now <b>you </b>walk around like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯tin, but this thing with Marcus and that woman is bothering me. but she is carrying our child, <b>and </b>I don¡¯t want to be stressing her andining about the time she spends with him. I can¡¯t do for my husband what she is doing, the least I can do is to be understanding, endure and notin.¡®


    ¡°Grandma doesn¡¯t like her, and I don¡¯t either<b>. </b>It¡¯s like she wants your husband Olivia and as more time passes<b>, </b><b>it </b>shows.¡±


    ??


    #


    I guessed that, but I was hoping my husband would be strong; enough to resist. ¡°I know she does, I spoke to her about boundaries before and Marcus as well. They assured me it will not happen again. Look at what is happening now. He didn¡¯t even ask if I was okay or how my day was. He is having so much fun with her that he doesn¡¯t care about me anymore.


    Silence followed my words as we sat there staring into nothing. ¡°Men will be men, I guess but I am <b>keeping </b>Samuel busy and away from them. I don¡¯t <b>want </b>that boy to ever feel neglected no matter what is going on<b>.</b>¡± My heart ached.


    My son. I could not keep doing this to him. he needed his faer; I could not keep getting his hopes up and then he ends up being disappointed. Nick needed to know about him as well. I took out my phone. ¡°Who are you calling?¡± Lupita questioned.


    ¡°My son¡¯s real father.¡±


    I dialled Nick¡¯s number<b>; </b><b>it </b>rang a couple of times before his voice could be heard on the other end. ¡°Olivia, is everything alright?¡± I wished my husband could ask me that. ¡°Everything is fine Nick, could you pleasee to New Vige when you get the time? There is something I want to talk to you about.¡±


    There was silence for a minute before he responded. ¡°Olivia, are you sure that you are alright? I cane now if it¡¯s something urgent.¡± Why couldn¡¯t Marcuse <b>now</b>, hug me and tell me it is not what I was thinking. That he was only being nice to her, nothing more.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush here, when you find time, pleasee through.¡± My chest tightened. I wished I could talk to Marcus about this, but he was too busy to care about Samuel or me. how much mo

 Novel Payback 185

    MARCUS


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing<b>, </b>so, she decided to tell Nick about Samuel. She even called him her son¡¯s <b>real </b>father, like I was nothing but a recement. I saw how tired she was, and I went to call the masseuse, I had booked for her, Lupita, grandma and Jennifer.


    I wanted them to rx and be pampered. She and I had a long way to go when the baby arrived. I wanted to spoil her now before all our time was taken by the baby. I guess, she was eager for her and Nick to get back together. Maybe I was just wasting my <b>time </b>trying to show her <b>that </b>only wanted to be with her.


    1 turned back without saying a word going straight to our room. Iid down staring at the celling as if it was going to provide me with answers or great wisdom on how to deal with what was happening. I didn¡¯t know how long Iid there for when the door opened.


    My beautiful wife walked in, and I <b>could </b><b>not </b>help but take in the sight of her, she looks <b>radiant </b>but the look in <b>her </b>eyes was distant and sad. What could Nick have said to <b>make </b>her sad like that. didn¡¯t the man get enough of abusing her?


    Tsk! What did I know? She wanted to go back to him even with <b>everything </b>the man has put her through, I guess whoever said that love is blind was right. But I loved the woman with all my heart. <b>How </b>could I just sit back and watch her suffer like that?


    ¡°Why did you call Nick<b>?</b><b>¡± </b><b>she </b><b>nced </b>at me, <b>no </b>emotion whatsoever on her face. ¡°Why did I find you tickling that woman when you promised to keep <b>your </b>distance and adhere to normal boundaries of a married man?¡±


    Okay, I didn¡¯t expect that, did I maybe cause this? I sat up. She wanted to eat an unhealthy sandwich when I found her. I offered to cook her something healthy and that is how this whole thing started. We didn¡¯t n it. we were talking and it ended up there. <b>I </b>am sorry¡­¡±


    She cut me short. ¡°Your apologies are beginning to sound exactly like Nick¡¯s, they don¡¯t change anything but make me angry. We spoke about this before and you apologized and promised it was never going to happen again. But instead, it elerated. Now you are ying together like old friends.¡±


    The issue might be deeper than I thought, what was going on with my wife, did I do this, did I make her this way? I patted the ce next to me. ¡°Come here.¡± She hesitated but eventually came and sat down. ¡°Tell me what is going on?¡± for the first time since I have known her, she red at me.


    Which got me extremely worried. ¡°Didn¡¯t we talk about keeping clear boundaries with her? you promised that you would but now this?¡± I would have to tread lightly here; she was mad and disappointed at the same time.


    ¡°We did talk about it, but we didn¡¯t do anything wrong, love.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how it started with Nick and Sandra<b>. </b>Innocent little things, cooking together, spending <b>more </b>time together then next thing I know, I am neglected<b>, </b>misunderstood, not loved or cared for. I have been through it all.¡± My heart ached. She wasparing me with Nick.


    Was I doing what he did? ¡°I didn¡¯t know you felt that way.¡± She chuckled. ¡°How could you have known when you no longer talk to me, ask me how my day was, if everything is okay with me.¡± did I really stop doing all that? I didn¡¯t even notice<b>. </b>


    Maybe she was right, maybe I was too excited about the baby that all my attention got focused on Jennifer and neglected my wife and son. Was that why she called Nick? To tell him about Samuel because I was failing as his father.¡±


    That stung, I never thought I would be like my father. I was neglected to a point that I didn¡¯t even know the mar


    Chapter 185.


    existed. He <b>was </b>never in my life and only in his death he thight of me: As If the money he left me made up for all the lost time.


    ¡°I <b>won¡¯t </b>apologize because I have done that already then continued to hurt you. It was not my intention, but it happened anyway. It hurts to know that I am not different from Nick who I thought was beneath me. I thought I was a better man, but it turns out. I am exactly like him.¡± stood and faced my wife.


    This woman was about to make me a father, something I never thought I would have as every woman I have met me, married <b>¦°¦¥ </b>has been after my money and nothing more. They never loved me for me, but she did. She chose but and now was about to make me a father.


    Why was I failing her, my family? ¡°This time, I will let my actions speak for themselves. You must be tired of the apologies then nothing changes. I will do better; I will do right by you and our family. Also, you can tell Nick about his son, I am failing him <b>as </b>a father and maybe Nick will do better.¡± I kissed her forehead and walked out of the room with a heavy heart.


    What has gotten into me? why was I sabotaging my marriage, was my wife and son not enough. What else could a man possibly want that would be better than this? Nothing would everpare though, that I knew.


    I went and stood on the backyard. ¡°Marcus<b>,</b>¡± I stiffened, what the hell was she doing there, I needed time alone to think and there she was. ¡°<b>Yes</b>,¡± <b>I </b>answered still with my back on her. ¡°My feet hurt, could you please massage them for me?¡± I chuckled.


    This was why Olivia didn¡¯t trust me; she was making me look bad to my wife and I didn¡¯t know what she was hoping to gain by that. I turned to look at her, she was pouting a little. I wondered where that timid girl <b>went</b>.


    ¡°My wife¡¯s feet hurt more than yours do, she was working the whole day, and she is tired. You were resting here the whole day with everyone in the house doing things for you. if your feet hurt, go and run yourself a bath and rx in there. You can do that, right?¡±

 Novel Payback 186

    JENNIFER


    I clenched my hands into fists. Olivia, what the fuck have your done now? Marcus was warming up to me <b>and </b>doing everything I wanted. Then you went and ruined it all. You an starting to piss me off and you don¡¯t want me to be pissed off, there is a lot I can do to make your life a living hell.


    ¡°Of course, I can run myself a bath.¡±


    ¡°Do that then.¡± He was so cold to me, colder than I have ever seen him and it was all Olivia¡¯s fault. That woman doesn¡¯t like seeing other people happy, she thinks she is the only one <b>who </b>deserves happiness. He turned and started walking away.


    ¡°She might be working all day, but I am the one growing a human Inside me, your baby. I would think my job is more important than hers, not unless you don¡¯t really want this baby then I will understand.¡± He stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to look at me.


    His face void of emotions and if looks could kill. I would already be dead with the way he was ring at me. ¡°What did you say?¡± he asked walking towards me with slow steps 1 swallowed hard, I didn¡¯t want things to get to <b>this </b>point between us, but he was pushing it.


    ¡°You heard me.¡± I lifted my head high; I was not backing down. I was the one carrying his child not his wife. He chuckled coldly. ¡°My wife was right; you are after something I don¡¯t know why I was stupid enough to think you <b>were </b><b>an </b>innocent woman. Tell me, what is it you are after besides the money, we are already giving you buckets loads of that.¡±


    Money, what <b>was </b>money when I can¡¯t have him, this house and our baby. ¡°I want our family, me, you and our baby.¡± He stoppeding close to me and just looked at me confused. What did he think I was going to say? <b>I </b>was three months pregnant <b>and </b>starting to show. He needed to do right by me, or I would leave with this baby, and he was never going to see us <b>again</b>.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I heard you right, because that baby growing inside you is not yours but mine and Olivia¡¯s¡± oh how na?ve, ¡°<b>Then </b>why is it growing inside my belly and not Olivia¡¯s? I will tell <b>you </b>why, because her womb is rotten and no pure thing like a baby can stay in there. Also, this baby is not yours and hers. It¡¯s mine <b>and </b>yours.¡±


    That woman would kill me if she heard I told him our secrete. ¡°You are delusional, and I am going to bed.¡± He turned to leave, it¡¯s good he didn¡¯t believe me. it¡¯s <b>good </b><b>he </b>still thought this baby was his and Olivia¡¯s. no problem then Marcus<b>, </b>you can continue to think whatever you want but I know the truth.


    ¡°I said, my feet hurt.¡± I said out loud making him stop in his tracks. He turned to me with anger written all over his face. If he could, he would have thrown me out at that very moment. ¡°And I said, go run yourself a bath.¡±


    I chuckled and walked towards him, he stood there ring at me, his wife started <b>this</b>. I was more than happy spending my days with him and acting like a good little girl. But he went and listen to that empty vessel of his and became cold towards me.


    I can¡¯t have that. ¡°If you don¡¯t run me a bath and massage my feet. I will leave this house with this baby, and you will never see me again.¡±


    You wouldn¡¯t dare?¡± his nostrils red; he was so angry that his hands were shaking on his <b>sides</b>. ¡°Try me, <b>i </b>when am gone, you can get that rotten wife of yours to give you a child because you won¡¯t have <b>mine</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    then


    ¡°I am warning you Jennifer, try something like that with me and I will hunt you down like an <b>animal </b>and put you down.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Wanna bet your baby¡¯s life on it?¡± I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He then turned and walked into the


    house. I followed behind wanting to see where he was goin He went straight to on my face.


    y room and a smile appeared


    Good, from now on, you are going to do what I say and when I say It, then you are going to learn to love me<b>, </b>and you will divorce Olivia. She can go back to Nick for all I care but you will be mine. We will raise this child together. He ran me a bath and added bath salts in it. when he was done he got out of the bathroom intending to leave. ¡°I want my feet massaged while I am in the bath.¡± He didn¡¯t say a word just stood there ring at me.


    That is not going to help my dear Marcus. You will get used to doing this and one day you will love it and it wille naturally to you. I undressed and he turned around giving me my privacy. Not to worry my love, one of these days you will not get enough of my body.


    Looking at it, touching it and caressing it. exploring it <b>and </b>leasuring it. I can¡¯t wait. I got into the bath. ¡°I am ready.¡± I could see how tense he was. He turned thene in and took my left foot and started massaging it.


    I closed my eyes enjoying the feeling. ¡°Marcus, are you here?¡± Olivia¡¯s voice sounded making me <b>open </b>my eyes. Marcus looked horrified and a smirk appeared on my face<b>. </b>Just as I was about to speak, he red at me.


    ¡°You are not going to say anything that will make my wife suspicious of us. I will do as you ask but you will not hurt my wife like that.¡± he warned whispering, but I could see he was dead serious.


    Fine, we had plenty of time for Olivia to see that she didn¡¯t <b>have </b>a ce in our <b>home </b>anymore. I kept my mouth


    needse shut, we heard the <b>door </b>close, and Marcus sighed. ¡°I believe we now have an understanding. I and my first. I am the one carrying your baby and I want to be treated with respect and to be cared for however I please.¡±


    He red at me once again. ¡°Starting with you ring at me, there will be none of that from now on.¡±


    MARCUS

 Novel Payback 187

    MARCUS


    I was going crazy; it was like Jennifer was possessed. The way she was threatening me, It made me wonder what happened to her, the woman we met and interviewed. Or wits the person she was showing me now the real her and the woman we interviewed was fake.


    Was it all a lie? I did say there was something with her that couldn¡¯t put my finger on. I guess this was it, she was a psychopath and a pathological liar. There was no way a normal person could act the way she did. I feared for my wife as she didn¡¯t seem to like her much<b>. </b>


    I <b>feared </b>for my baby even though she seemed to think that it was hers and mine. Just what kind of psychological test did the do with these women in the clinic and how did they miss that Jennifer was fucking crazy!


    When I was done with her feet she was yawning. I left whetishe <b>was </b>about to get out of the bath. I didn¡¯t know what to do. All I knew was that I needed to tell someone. My wife? No, If I told her, it would only hurt her, and that crazy woman might do something to her. I couldn¡¯t have that.


    Why didn¡¯t I see just how much of a snake <b>she </b>was? I spent days with her, spoke with her, why didn¡¯t I pick up anything on her craziness? I took my phone out of my poclot and dialled the only friend I <b>had </b><b>and </b>someone I knew would give me sane advice. Ethan.


    It rang only once, and he picked up. ¡°Were <b>you </b>waiting for my call or something? I am not your girlfriend just so you <b>know</b>, I am a married man.¡± Heughed on the other end. Laugh now my friend for you will soon feel the same way I do <b>now</b>.


    ¡°Fuck you Marcus, I had the phone in my hand when you called. Now tell me why you are calling me thiste if you are not my boyfriend.¡± Iughed, he was such a moron, I don¡¯t want my wife to hear?¡± heughed hard, but I wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°No, Ethan, am serious. I don¡¯t want Olivia to hear this call. It¡¯s serious man.¡±


    now.


    10


    Hisughter <b>ceased</b>. ¡°What is <b>the </b>matter? You know what don¡¯t tell <b>me </b><b>over </b>the phone. I aming over He didn¡¯t wait for me to say more as he ended the call. I sighed. I hoped he would have something useful for me because I didn¡¯t know what the hell I was going to do.


    I just promised my wife I was going to change but <b>with </b>the new developments, I didn¡¯t think I would be able to. It was clear that Jennifer wanted to <b>ruin </b>my marriage, and she was going to do everything in her power to get what she wanted.


    ¡°I <b>have </b>been looking for you, where <b>have </b>you been?¡± I stiffened. ¡°I went for a walk.¡± I lied, then turned to look at <b>her</b>, I couldn¡¯t lie to her face, so I crossed my fingers hoping she didn¡¯t ask me again about my whereabouts.


    <b>¡°</b>Alright, are youing to bed anytime soon?¡± I shook my head in the negative. ¡°I am waiting for Ethan; he said he was on his way here. He wants me to help him with something.¡± That was not a lie, well, it¡¯s kind of was because I was the one who called him and need his help not the other way around.


    ¡°Alright then, I am going to bed, am tired.¡± I hugged her and just kept her in my arms. ¡°You know that I only love you, right?¡± I needed her to know that. even in moments of doubt or moments when it would seem like I didn¡¯t love her. I wanted her to know that I was hers, my heart belonged to her.


    ¡°I <b>know </b>and I love you too.¡± I sighed, I loved her so much it hurt that Jennifer was doing something like that to us. ¡°Never forget that then, even when you see me with Jennifer, I <b>want </b>you to remember that she is not the woman I love or married. You are.¡± She frowned.


    ¡°What is going on Marcus?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted you to know that there can never be anything between her and me.¡± I kissed her forehead


    when I saw Ethan¡¯s car approaching, ¡°Go to bed and I will join you soon.¡± She still looked like she wanted to ask more <b>question </b>but stopped herself.


    I was grateful for that because I didn¡¯t know how much longer I could keep lying to her for. She walked away and I patiently waited for my friend. Soon Ethan appeared and came to join me. ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t fuck up your marriage.


    H


    I was about to fuck it up. ¡°I am about to fuck it up big time man<b>, </b>the surrogate, Jennifer. She threatened to take my baby away if I didn¡¯t give her attention and do as she went whenever she wants.¡± Ethan frowned.


    ¡°Start from the beginning because right now, I am not following ¡°I started from the beginning telling him exactly what happen earlier. ¡°No shit!¡± he paced, ¡°Why is fuck is your wife so unlucky?¡± I didn¡¯t think It had anything to do with luck.


    I just think that people were jealous of her and wanted what she had: My wife was the sweetest person I <b>have </b>ever met. She had a lot of love to give and was kind. ¡°Please tell the you have some <b>clever </b>advice to give me to get out of this situation.¡±


    Ethan sighed. ¡°Am afraid I don¡¯t have anything clever to say at the moment beside telling you that <b>you </b>fucked.¡± Great! Just what I needed, to be told am fucked, as if I didn¡¯t know it already. ¡°No shit man


    are


    We stood there in silence like morons do not know what the next step would be. Yeah, I was fucked indeed, ¡°Tell Olivia.¡±


    ¡°What? How do you think she will take it? that woman called her an empty vessel with a rotten womb. Do you think I want her to say those words in my wife¡¯s face, make her feel like she is not woman enough? No, Olivia has already been through enough and for her to be reminded of what she lost is just cruel. I can¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°Then how long do you think you can keep pleasing that woman and hiding it from your wife. Because we both know that when she finds out, she is going to think you are cheating on her.¡± fuck!

 Novel Payback 188

    OLIVIA


    I trusted my husband, besides our recent disagreements about Jennifer. I felt like there was something else going on. I didn¡¯t want to think he was cheating on me with her, was not that kind of man. Well, I also thought Nick was not that kind of man.


    He said he never cheated as well, that nothing ever happened between him and <b>Sandra</b>. But in my opinion, what he did with her was far worse than cheating. He neglectede, trusted her over me and even sent me to jail. I had a criminal record under my name because of him.


    Then there was my current husband, he looked hurt when he said he would do better, when he said he thought he was better than only to find out that they were the <b>same</b>. Then he told me to always remember that I was his, that he loved me.


    That alone told me that something was going on with him, something that might make me doubt his love for me. <b>I </b>wished I knew what it was, I wished he would talk to me and tell me what was going on. I wished he would open up to me as his wife so <b>that </b>I could be there <b>for </b><b>him</b>.


    I didn¡¯t know why <b>he </b>felt it was best to deal with whatever was going on with him on his own. We were family, he has me to talk to. But at the same time, I was d he has Ethan. It would have hurt me to think that he was dealing with whatever on his own.


    I was busy making breakfast in the kitchen, I took a day off today so that I could see what was going on and also be there on the doctor¡¯s appointment. I wanted to see how my baby was growing and if there were noplications.


    Marcus came into the <b>kitchen </b>and <b>gave </b>me a kiss then <b>went </b>and <b>poured </b>himself a cup of coffee. I could see how exhausted he looked <b>and </b>that got me worried. ¡°How about we go out today after the doctor¡¯s appointment, anywhere you like.¡± He offered <b>me </b>a smile then came and lessed me again.


    But that kiss was different, that kiss meant <b>something</b>. It was like he was talking to me through it, telling me he loved me and only me. ¡°I would love that, but why don¡¯t we book <b>a </b>spar for Jennifer and maybe ask Ethan to take Samuel, Lupita and grandma somewhere. I just want this day to be just about the two of us<b>.</b>¡±


    I liked <b>the </b>idea of us bonding, maybe he was going to finally open up to me and tell me what was going on with him. ¡°Alright, you call Ethan, and I will go and inform Lupita and grandma.¡± I left him making a <b>call </b>to Ethan and I went to find Lupita


    She was busy getting Samuel dressed <b>in </b>his room. ¡°Hey, how do you feel about a day out, you, grandma and Samuel. Ethan will drive you guys around take you wherever you want to go.¡± She lifted her head and looked at me with a mischievous look


    ¡°No, it is not what you think.¡±


    ¡°But I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± She still wore that smile that said, I know what you are up to. ¡°<b>You </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>have to say anything, the smile on your face said it all.¡± Sheughed. Then why do want us out of the house if it¡¯s not what I think it is?¡± she asked <b>me </b>with a raised eyebrow.


    This <b>woman </b>was something else. ¡°Marcus and I <b>want </b>to spend the day out together, but we thought we deserve one as well.¡± She nodded but then frowned. ¡°We are leaving miss; I am carrying precious cargo alone?¡± she said mimicking Jennifer¡¯s voice.


    Did she really say something like that? yes, she was carrying precious cargo but saying it to my family like <b>they </b>have to be at her back and call because of it was not something I liked. ¡°Since when did you start calling her that?¡± she shrugged. ¡°Samuel, go join your daddy in the kitchen and we will be right there.¡±


    +26 BONUS


    My son left. ¡°Tell me Lupita, It will hurt me to hear that a guest is making you guys feel like the help in your own home.¡± She sighed sitting on Samuel¡¯s bed and I went to join her. ¡°I don¡¯t think she considers herself the surrogate, the way she is acting is like she is the madam of the house.¡±


    I frowned. I knew she had changed but I didn¡¯t think she changed that much. ¡°She would wake up and demand breakfast. From me, well she demands everything from everyone especially your husband. She gets annoyed when Samuel is with him, it¡¯s like she wants his attention to be only on her.¡±


    She told me about keeping Samuel away from Marcus, but he didn¡¯t tell me the reason why. I thought it was to give him time to care for Jennifer, I never thought it was because the woman felt like she deserved my husband¡¯s


    attention.


    ¡°Something is going on with that woman and it involves my husband.¡± Lupita frowned. ¡°Do you think she wants him or that something happened between them?¡± I sighed didn¡¯t know what to think it was draining having to


    guess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Marcus is cheating on me, but I do think that something is going on between him and that woman. I just wish he can tell me what it is.¡± We sat there in silence lost in out thought until we heard her screaming at the top of her lungs.


    Lupita and I rushed to the kitchen, and she was standing there with juice all over her, she was ring at my son and I didn¡¯t like it one bit. ¡°What is going on here?¡± Marcus was holding Samuel. What Lupita told me came <b>to </b>mind, she didn¡¯t like seeing them together like my son was taking her ce.


    ¡°This brat was running around and bumped into me causing the juice to spill all over me.¡± I shook in anger, the hell did she think she was calling my son a brat. ¡°Let it be the first and thest time you call my son a brat, we understand each other?¡± I was all up in her face at that time.


    who


    <b>do </b>

 Novel Payback 189

    OLIVIA


    <b>My </b>blood boiled<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Excuse me, what did you just say?¡± <b>Lupi </b>was right, the woman did think she was the madame of <b>the </b>house. Where the hell did, she get the audacity to say something like that to me and in <b>my </b>own house. Treating my son like that in his home, she was the guest, and she seemed to forget that.


    ¡°I asked what are you going to do if I call him a brat?¡± she repeated herself and I closed the distance between us. Marcus was quick to pull me aside. ¡°Let us all calm down here,¡± he turned to Jennifer. ¡°I know you are emotional, and little thing might upset you, but Samuel is a chilld. You don¡¯t <b>treat </b>him like that.¡±


    Sheughed as if she was a crazy woman. ¡°Then what amarrying Marcus? Is it not your child that I am carrying and trying to protect? Why would you even reprimand me and not this boy for being <b>so </b>careless? I could have been holding hot tea and it would have spilled all over me and bined me, what then?¡±


    The audacity of this woman. ¡°Lupita, please take Samuel away.¡± She did as told then I turned to her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what makes you think you can do as you please in my house and treat my child like that, but it stops now. you will do well to remember your ce in this house. You are nothing but a guest here. Remember that the next time you try something like that.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°No, Olivia, I think you will do well to remember that this guest is still carrying your child.¡± My stomach twisted in knots. I wanted to p that woman so hard. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go to the hospital for a check¨Cup.¡± I looked at Marcus, wasn¡¯t he going to say something to her?


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going anymore, my mood is ruined.¡± She said and Iughed. ¡°Then you will be in breach of your contract, and we have the right to sue you and make you go to those appointment. Remember you are getting paid to do this and if you don¡¯t adhere to the rules. Then you can talk to ourwyers and settle this with them.¡±


    Finally, <b>he </b>said something, he looked angry though, I was too. We treated her like family, and she goes and does something like that? how ungrateful. ¡°Fine, I will go. But I need to change first.¡± She walked away with <b>so </b>much attitude.


    I turned to my husband. ¡°I am sorry I didn¡¯t listen to you back then. You did say there was something about her. <b>now </b>I see what you meant. I think we let the devil carry our child and I am scared to death of what she might do if she feels threatened.¡±


    Marcus took me into his arms. ¡°Everything is going to be <b>alright</b>, and I need to tell you something but after the doctor¡¯s appointment.¡± I nodded. Soon <b>we </b><b>were </b>on the <b>road </b>heading to the doctor.


    The baby <b>was </b>fine and developing well. I was relieved to hear that, doctor also told us that we <b>were </b>out of the danger zone. He said it was going to be smooth sailing from now on. His words not mine. But I doubted it <b>was </b>going to be smooth sailing.


    Jennifer was hell bent on making our lives hell until that baby was born. ¡°We <b>made </b>an appointment at the spar for you, the driver will take you.¡± I told her. I could see she wanted to say something more, but I took my husband¡¯s hand and walked away.


    <b>I </b>have had enough of her for one day. If this was what my husband had to deal with every day with her. then I was sorry forining. I wished he told me though. We went <b>to </b>the park <b>and </b>sat there <b>in </b>silence for a while.


    ¡°It started that night when I called Ethan over.¡± I turned to him and listened. He looked lost and I hated that look on him. ¡°I told you I was going to change. But soon after leaving you she met me in the back yard. Asked for a foot massage telling me her feet hurt.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°I told her to run herself a bath and rx but she told me she was carrying my child and if she wanted a massage then that is what she should get.¡± Marcus went on to tell me everything that happened that night.


    25 BONG


    The threats jennifer made about taking <b>away </b><b>my </b>child If s didn¡¯t <b>get </b><b>what </b>she wanted from Marcus. <b>Everything </b><b>I </b><b>was </b>shocked beyondprehension<b>. </b><b>I </b>was so <b>wrong </b><b>about </b>her <b>so </b>wrong. <b>I </b><b>got </b>rid <b>of </b>Sandra and brought something worse <b>into </b>our home. I am sorry Marcus.¡±


    <b>I </bined <b>to </b><b>him</b><b>, </b>I didn¡¯t know he was going through this alone<b>. </b>¡°No need to be sorry<b>. </b>I just didn¡¯t <b>want </b><b>her </b>hurting you with <b>her </b>words<b>, </b>she is vile, also. I don¡¯t want her running away with our baby. I want you to pretend as <b>if </b><b>you </b>know nothing. I know it will hurt and make you angry seeing me with her, but we have to do this if we want our baby to be safe.¡±


    He sighed looking exhausted. ¡°That woman is crazy, and don¡¯t <b>want </b>her doing something to hurt the baby as well. Yes, for now, she seems to care about the baby because in that crazy mind of hers, it was hers and mine. But I don¡¯t <b>know </b>what she will do if we continue to convince her that it is not.¡±


    I was scared too. Dear Lord, why couldn¡¯t I just get what I wanted without all the trouble? My life was exhausting. There was never a dull moment in the life of Olivia Walker, There was always something.


    ¡°For my child, I can pretend. I will be what she wants me to be. I know it won¡¯t be easy, but I will do it, as <b>soon </b>as she gives birth, I want hermitted to a mental institution because it is clear that she is sick in the head<b>.</b>¡±

 Novel Payback 190

    Chapter <b>190 </b>


    <b>OLIVIA </b>


    I have tried, the Lord knows, I have tried. I have tried to keep the promise I made to my husband for the sake of our child. I have tried to be brave, to endure but it¡¯s too difficult. Each day I see less and less of my husband. Each day lose a part of me, a part of my marriage, my happines


    I feel like I was never meant to be happy in this world. At least not with someone by myside, maybe my destiny Is to remain alone, rasing my kids and working to make a life for them. One that will be way better than the one I had. Maybe I should just give up on love and focus on those who need me the most. My kids.


    I have desperately tried to love, first it was Nick, I gave hiny all and he betrayed me. Now Marcus, the man is doing the most for the woman who came into my home as a nobody, just carrier for my child but now seems to own my home. My house no longer feels like home <b>and </b>I


    myself not wanting to go back at the end of the day.


    I used to look forward to going home but now being home torture. How do I keep watching my husband being overly friendly with another woman? It didn¡¯t look or feel like he was acting anymore. Hees to bedte at night and leave very early in the morning.


    By the time I wake up, the space he slept on is already cold as if he was never there, only the messed up nkets provided me with thefort that he at least stayed by my side for a couple of hours. I sighed opening the car door and getting out. I have been sitting in the car in front of the house for over an hour now contemting on whether to go in or not. I walk to the door and the first thing I hear is her loudughter that filled my house. She is thedy of the indeed, for her to be thatfortable. I worry about my son for now, he has a depressed mother who only works to keep her mind off things. I keep telling myself that it won¡¯t be long <b>until </b>the baby is born but the days seem to drag long, making the months even longer.


    I twisted the door knob and walked in. ¡°Am home I announced myself with a low voice hoping they will hear and stop whatever they are doing so I don¡¯t see it. It hurts too much to see him doing things for her that he should be doing for me. Like giving her a foot rub. As usual, none of them notice my presence. Jennifer has her feet on Marcus¡¯sp and they are watching TV with one of Marcus¡¯s hand on the arm rest and the other on her foot. A sigh left me, tension gathered on my <b>chest</b>.


    I walked away to my room and took off my shoes. Marcus walks in and gives me his usual smile. Like he didn¡¯t really want toe greet me. ¡°My love, I am sorry you are having such a hard time with this. But we are almost there. Hang in there a little while longer.¡±


    That has be his thing now, every time Ie from work, he <b>gets </b>away from her andes to our room and tell me that. Then kiss my forehead and leaves. It¡¯s like he can¡¯t stand to touch me anymore. He doesn¡¯t kiss me or hug me. <b>I </b>asked him about that once but he changed the subject and walked away. I never asked again<b>. </b>


    He turns to leave but i grab his hand to make him stop. ¡°Is this our lives now?¡± I questioned, he lowers his head looking everywhere but me. He is <b>ashamed</b>, I can tell. ¡°Am hurting baby, my breaks every time I have had toe back to this house. It no longer feels <b>like </b>a home anymore, it¡¯s cold and depressing. Even our son can feel it.¡± My poor boy, he hardly makes any noise or go out of his room anymore. If he is not at school then he is in his <b>room</b>. Ethan tries but I can tell he is depressed. I can¡¯t even help him because I <b>need </b>help myself. Don¡¯t ask what kind of help, I just know am not coping. ¡°I have to go.¡± He says then frees himself from me before walking away. Stupid Oliver, I thought you said you were giving up. This has happened many times and yet. You still have hope that things will change.


    I wipe my tears with the back of my <b>hand </b>and take off my shoes. The door opens and I lift my head to look. My heart skipped a beat thinking it was my husbanding tofort me for a change. But no, it was the witching to rub <b>salt </b>to my wounds.


    ¡°I am going to say this onest time Olivia, I don¡¯t like Marcusing to your room. You must understand that he is with me now and I am pregnant. I don¡¯t need this stress. My blood boiled. ¡°Jennifer, this is still my house and


    Marcus is still my husband. He has right toe into this room.¡± She scoffs folding her arms. ¡°You like


    being pitiful, you know that? Give up already and just leave Divorce Marcus and leave us in peace.¡± I can¡¯t believe she said that.


    She wants me to willingly leave my husband for her. The weman has no shame, how can I misjudge her like this, what blinded me so much that I didn¡¯t her for who she is. A snake. ¡°Am not leaving my husband, you can forget that.¡±


    She smiled at me but it¡¯s the creepy kind and then she said it. ¡°I bet I can ask Marcus to Divorce you before this baby is born and have you out of this house.¡± She tilted her head to the side like a demented person. ¡°Wanna bet?¡±

 Novel Payback 191

    NICK


    I sat on that jet with the image of Olivia¡¯s sunken face engraved in my mind. I wanted to talk to her, find out if she was alright but as soon as the pitch was over, she disappeared. I thought <b>of </b>going over to her house to find out what was going on. Use the excuse that she invited me over not so long ago.


    But I held back, if she still wanted to talk to me, then she would have done so at the hotel after the pitch. But instead she left, that meant she was not ready to talk yet. But the <b>image </b>of her walking around looking like the dead hurt me. What could have happened to her? It¡¯s only been two months since Ist saw her and she was happy.


    ¡°Sir, we are here.¡± I looked out and saw that we were <b>outside </b>Luke¡¯s office. Did he know what was happening with his daughter? I doubt it, he would have been there for her ifthe knew. A sigh left me. Owen opened the door for me and I got out.


    When I got to his office, i knocked once and let myself in. ¡°I knew it could only be you who would <b>have </b>the guts to just enter my office like that.¡± He said signing some documents. He then closed the file and ced the pen on top of it. He watched as I poured myself a drink. His eyes narrowed looking closely at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Well, I could safely say that my uncle was starting to know me very well. ¡°Olivia.¡± That was all I had to say to get him on his feet and in front of me in seconds. ¡°What the hell happened?¡± I went around him and took a seat. ¡°Out with it already, what happened to Olivia?¡± I took a sip of my drink then ced the ss on the small table in front of me. ¡°Luke, is Olivia sick?¡± He frowned. ¡°Not to my <b>knowledge</b>, no.¡± I nodded.


    ¡°Well, I saw her. Herpany was one of those who were pitching for the contract for the development of the new mall we want to build in New Vige. I can¡¯t get her image out of my mind. She <b>lost </b>so much weight that her clothes hung loose on her. Eyes sunken <b>walking </b>around like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.<b>¡± </b>


    Luke took a seat next to me wearing the same worried look had on my face. ¡°We speak on the phone, but it¡¯s not even longer than a minute then she would make an excuse and cut the call. I just thought she was busy, it never urred to me that she might be sick. Let me call Marcus. He took his phone out then dialed Marcus. ¡°Put it on speaker.¡± The phone rang a couple of times before Marcus¡¯s voicee online.


    ¡°Luke, it¡¯s been a while. <b>What </b>can I do for you?¡± We shared a look, he sounded urgent like he didn¡¯t want to talk long. ¡°It¡¯s been a while <b>indeed</b>, is everything alright over there?¡± Marcus was quiet for a moment. ¡°Yes, yes, everything is fine. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me Marcus, if everything is fine then why does Olivia look like that, what happened to her, is she sick, tell me now!¡± Luke was getting angry, I was too. It was clear that he was lying, ¡°OH, that. It¡¯s nothing serious, she was sick for a while but she is fine now.¡± Another lie. ¡°If that is the case. Then I aming over to take her to the doctor myself. I want the doctor to tell me that everything is fine.¡± Marcus panicked<b>. </b>¡°Why do you always want to stick your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong? I told you she is fine and you still want toe here, why?


    Luke and I shared a look. It was clear now that Marcus was hiding something. ¡°Alright Marcus, I won¡¯t interfere with your family.¡± Luke the cut the call. He stood and paced the room. Tension gathered on my shoulders, <b>what </b>the hell happened to Olivia?


    ¡°The bastard has the audacity to lie to me, why? What the hell is he doing to my daughter?¡± He turned to me, Nick, is your jet avable? I want to go there, I can¡¯t bete in saving my daughter again. Something is going on and Marcus doesn¡¯t want me to hear about it. If there was nothing wrong he wouldn¡¯t have lied.¡± He was right, something was going on and I was curious to know what the hell was going on.


    ¡°My jet is fueled and ready. I will make the call, when do you want to leave?¡± 1 regretted not going to see her, if I


    did. I would have gotten her out of there already. Why didn¡® I go? Stupid Nick, what the hell were you thinking leaving New Vige after seeing her like that?


    ¡°As soon as the jet is ready I want to leave. Make the call.¡± lid as told feeling sick to my stomach that I didn¡¯t do anything. I thought I was respecting boundaries. The only one I respected boundaries might have been the time she needed me the most. Why the hell didn¡¯t i go?


    I made the call to my pilot and he told me they were going to be ready in four hours as they were busy with safety checks on the jet. I told Luke. ¡°If Marcus did something to my daughter, I am going to kill him. I am tired of men thinking they can do what they please with my daughter and not face the consequences.¡±


    one of those


    Well, it didn¡¯t take a genius to know that I was included in those men he was talking about. I was also who fucked up


    and hurt his daughter. ¡°He is the man your daughter loves and chose to spend her life with. You can¡¯t just kill him because you are angry, that will only make her resent you.

 Novel Payback 192

    MARCUS


    I should have never suggested we <b>have </b>a baby, it is all my fault that this is happening now. If I didn¡¯t suggested it, my wife wouldn¡¯t be suffering, she, Samuel and I would be happy now. Going to the park together, trips, movies, dinners. Doing everything a happy couple should be doing.


    But I got greedy, I wasn¡¯t conted with what I had and I wanted more. Why, why did i want more, why couldn¡¯t I be content with things the way they were? Was it because Sambel is not my biological son? No that¡¯s not it. It was because I was <b>afraid </b>I would lose him to his real father when the truth came out.


    I wanted to have a child of my own so that it wouldn¡¯t hurt much when he left. Basically, I wanted a constion prize which I was not ineant to have. Now I am stuck with that disgusting woman and hurting my wife. As if she has not been hurt enough, as if the pain Nick caused her wasn¡¯t enough. Why the fuck aren¡¯t humans ever content? Men to be specific. We always want more.


    More money, more sess, more children, <b>more</b>, <b>more</b><b>, </b>more. Why? I think God gave us a <b>greedy </b>heart. I hate not being able to touch her, not being able to look her in the eyes. How can I have the courage to look her in the eyes when I am hurting her the way I had been doing?


    I have no right, she deserves better. Also, how do I kiss her when my lips <b>have </be into contact with that woman¡¯s flesh<b>? </b>It might have been a kiss on the cheek but it soiled me, tainted everything about me. My kisses should have been for my wife only but because the crazy bitch <b>has </b>pushed us into a corner. I have resorted to ying by her rules. ¡°How about a kiss on the cheek babe, know it¡¯s notfortable for you to be with me fully yet, with her here¡± she would say.


    Batting her eyshes like a vixen from hell, a torture device sent my the devil to torment my soul while I still lived. Giving me a preview of what I am to expect when I finally reach hell. ¡°Hahah! How funny¡± I thought the devil was supposed to tempt hurmans with good things. Money, sess, fun and everything we desire.


    In my <b>case</b>, I guess my desire to have a child of my own was how he tempted me and I was paying the price for it.¡± Darling, why are you sitting in the dark?¡± There goes my peace, the devil just can¡¯t let me rest. ¡°I needed sometime to think.¡± She sat beside me. Her tummy protruding, my baby is growing well and healthy ording to the doctor.


    She is the only reason I have not lost my mind yet. Seeing her grow bigger and stronger each time we visit the doctor is a reminder that this too shall pass. That we are almost at the end. That we needed to hung <b>on </b><b>a </b>little while longer. That soon her mother and I will reunite and the nightmare would be over.


    ¡°I know how hard <b>this </b>must be for you, i know that at some point, you thought you could be happy with her. You didn¡¯t know she would abandon you at a time like this and talk about divorce when you are only doing what is right for your daughter. What a selfish wife she is.¡± I know that is lie, my wife would never ask for a divorce. I might be putting her through hell right <b>now </b>but she would never leave me. The witch must be lying. What else could I expect from someone like her, with not morals, principles or dignity.


    ¡°I suggest you give it to her, there is no point in dying it, if that is what she wants. You can¡¯t force her to stay when she no longer wants you. But then again, why does it matter what she wants? We have each other and we have our baby.¡± I tightened my hold on my jacket trying to stop myself from strangling the life out of her.


    How dare she! Who the hell did she think she was? ¡°Jennifer, give me sometime alone, please. I can¡¯t think about that now my brain is exhausted.¡± Kisses my cheek and I cringed trying very hard not to recoil or p her face.¡± <b>Take </b>your time, i know it¡¯s not easy but I am here with you. She tells me then walks away,


    I watch her leave ring at her retreating back wishing I had the ability to rip my baby out of her stomach then deal with her. But then they say, vengeance is a dish best served cold. As I sat there, <b>I </b><b>was </b>counting the days until


    the dayes when I have to make that woman pay. I have recorded every threat she¡¯s made and one of these day I am going to use them against her.


    I will make her regret the day she decided to mess with me and make my wife cry. She even lost weight because of her. I can¡¯t even be by her side because I can¡¯t stand to see her that way. I am to me. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful night.¡± My heart skipped a beat. I thought she would be in bed by now, why is she still up? ¡°Indeed.¡± She stands there watching the stars and I could not help but steal nces at her.


    She might have lost weight but she didn¡¯t lose her beauty. Am sorry,¡± I say with a low voice, I didn¡¯t want her to hear, I just wanted to put it out to the universe and hope the wind would carry my words to her dreams.


    ¡°Four, I have to endure Four more months and we will be free. Right?¡± My heart ached. She was keeping count like I did. Counting down to the day we get to make that woman pay. ¡°The question is, will we be the same after four months?¡±

 Novel Payback 193

    Chapter <b>193 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t stay after asking that question to Marcus, I know that he doesn¡¯t know the answer to that question as well I might be hurt by everything that is happening but I know he is hurting as well. He doesn¡¯t show it but he is a shadow of the man I married. I have my doubts some days, specially when he is enjoying himself too much with


    that woman.


    I pour myself a ss of warm milk trying to get myself to sleep. Just when i lift the ss to take a sip, a knockes on the door. I nce at the wall clock and it¡¯s after te. Who could it be at this time? The person knocked again. ¡°Who is it?¡± <b>I </b>asked moving away from the door. If it was Ethan, he would have called first and he has a key.


    I moved back some more worried to death. ¡°Olivia, open the door.¡± I stop moving and frown. That sounded like my father, what could he be doing here at this time of the night? <b>¡°</b>Olivia! Open the door.¡± I rush to the door and open. Indeed, it is him with Nick by his <b>side</b>.


    ¡°What are you two doing here at this time of the night?¡± I ask as I move aside for them to enter. I follow them to the lounge, my dad is looking around like it is the first time hees to my house. His eyes settle on me and I see pain in them. I cover myself with <b>the </b>gown and tighten it then go and join them.


    ¡°Are you sick?¡± The questiones as a shock to me, why would he ask me that? Both their eyes are on me. Olivia, are you sick?¡± I shake my head, confused by what he is saying. ¡°Am not sick, why would you ask me that?¡± Heughs. But it¡¯s not the amused <b>kind </b>ofugh it¡¯s the mocking kind. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± We hear Marcus¡¯s voice and we <b>all </b>look in the direction hising from. When he finally appears, he stops in his tracks when he sees Nick and my dad.


    He doesn¡¯t say anything butes and joins us looking everywhere but my dad. ¡°I think you can <b>now </b>tell me what is going on. Why is my daughter like this?¡± He directed the question to Marcus but before he can answer Jennifer appears. Wearing a skimpy night dress. Nick looks at her then frowns.


    At this point, i am so embarrassed that I wish the ground can open and swallow me whole. ¡°Girl. What the hell are you wearing, why would you be walking around in someone else¡¯s house looking like that?¡± Dad asks but Nick¡¯s looks like he is putting two and two together. ¡°And who are you to ask me that.¡± Dad chuckles shaking his head. This is not good. It¡¯s not good at all.


    ¡°Dad, this is Jennifer our surrogate, you remember her, <b>right</b>?¡± He looks at me and that pained expression appears again. ¡°I know exactly who she is but what I don¡¯t understand is why she feelsfortable enough to walk around like that in this house.¡± Jennifer walks towards Marcus but when she is close enough to sit with him<b>, </b>he stands and let her sit in his ce.


    Both dad and Nick watch with interest. ¡°Please tell me this moron is not having an affair with this girl.¡± Jennifer smiles, Marcus cringes and I just hold my breath. There is no telling what Luke will do in this situation. ¡°I will take your silence as a yes, we will sleep here tonight and tomorrow you and Samuel will being with me.¡± For the first time, Marcus lifts his head to look at my father.


    He doesn¡¯t say a word but looks at him with a pained expression. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s not what you think¡­¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t deny it so there is no need to lie for him.¡± He cuts me short. ¡°Your dad is right but, we are not having


    affair we are in love and about to <b>have </b>a baby. Oliva doesn¡¯t belong here. You might as well take her with you.¡± Nick and my dad share a <b>look</b>. It is now obvious to them what is going on.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? You are just a surrogate girl, nothing more. That baby <b>you </b>are carrying is Marcus and Olivia¡¯s baby.¡± Jennifer smirked.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say <b>that </b>your surrogate is <b>crazy</b>.¡± Nick says shaking his head. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me then it¡¯s fine, am going to bed.¡± She stands and walks away. We all watch her leave. ¡°Is this what has been happening here?


    +25 ROHUS


    Chapter <b>193 </b>


    No one speaks. ¡°Marcus, how can you let this happen? This crazy woman can be a danger to Samuel, how are you fixing this?¡±


    Marcus clears his throat. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t seem like I am doing something but I am. I would like you to trust me. ¡°Lukeughs standing up, ¡°Trust you? Am done trusting you. Am going to sleep in the guest room. Nick you take the other one.¡± I cringe. Marcus sleeps in that guest bedroom now.


    I look at him. ¡°Use the other guest room the one you usually use is not clean.¡± My dad says nothing but leaves. Nick looks between Marcus and me. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem being a jerk in this situation. But I will not let you hurt her the same way I did. In fact. You are hurting her more than I ever did.¡± He res at Marcus.


    ¡°I thought you are better <b>than </b>me but you not. You are worse.¡± He says then walks <b>away</b>. Marcus chuckles. ¡°His not wrong, you know. He might have sent you to jail for shi but he didn¡¯t entertain another woman in your home while you live in it.¡± He stands as well about to walk away.


    ¡°What do we tell them?¡± My dad is never going to let this go. I want to know what we <b>are </b>going to tell him for him to stop wanting to take me away.


    ¡°The truth, we tell them the truth.,¡®

 Novel Payback 194

    OLIVIA


    If I had known five months ago what I know now, then I would have asked my father toe visit sooner. Last <b>night</b>, for the first time in five months, my husband spent the night with me. In our bed, and he wasn¡¯t gone when I woke up. He was still fast asleep next to me and <b>that </b>warmed my heart.


    Things <b>have </b>not been good in our home for months now and it was getting to the both of us. I hoped with everything I had that by the time, the four months end, we will still be a family. That we will be able to pick up where we left off and continue with our lives leaving all the bad stuff in the past.


    After showering, I went to the kitchen and the table was already set. My dad was the one busy making breakfast. Nick and Marcus were sitting on the dining table looking like someone died. I knew then that Marcus already told them everything. It was a good thing I sent Samuel, Lupita and grandma away.


    When I got in, my dad only nced at me then clicked his tongue and continued with what he was doing, I didn¡¯t have the energy to fight with him, so I went and join Nick and Marcus at the table. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Nick¡¯s question confirmed my suspicion, they already knew what has been happening


    ¡°Am fine.¡± Dad started cing food on the table. Just as he sat down, Jennifer appeared. ¡°Something smells good! Oh, am starving.¡± She was wearing short pj¡¯s again. My dad shook his head in disapproval. I never thought I would be disrespected this much in my life.


    Why the hell didn¡¯t I see how vile this woman was? Anyway her acting was good, she convinced me <b>so </b>well that I didn¡¯t suspect a thing. ¡°Marcus, can you take me shopping after breakfast, there are still somethings we have not bought for the baby.¡± My heart sank.


    That was my baby and if something was missing. I was the one who was supposed to get it, not her, she was nothing to that child. ¡°<b>Olivia </b>will get whatever is missing, she is the baby¡¯s mother Afterall.¡± Jennifer didn¡¯t seem bothered by what Marcus said.


    ¡°Take me out either way, I am tired of being in this house, need fresh air.¡± It was like she wanted everyone there to know that she had the power, that everything she says goes. She wanted my father and ex to see how pathetic I was. It hurt because I was pitiful.


    ¡°I have been meaning to ask you something, I have been thinking about It all night and I still can¡¯t figure it out.¡± My dad said looking at Jennier. ¡°Ask away.¡± She said stuffing her mouth with pancakes. ¡°What is your end game? I mean in a couple of months the baby will be born, and you will have no leverage on Marcus, what then?¡±


    I have been wondering the same thing, but I didn¡¯t have the guts to ask. The woman had a way of working on my nerves and making me so mad that I want to kill her, she was pregnant with my child, <b>and </b>I could not afford to mess with her. Not after she threatened to run away with her.


    ¡°I have the same goal, stay with the father of my baby so we can be a family.¡± There <b>we </b>go, I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>the kind of tests the clinic did, but they must have missed the fact the Jennifer was not quite right in the <b>head</b>. There was no way a sain person would say something like that, something was definitely wrong with her.


    ¡°You do realize that Marcus is married to Olivia and <b>that </b>the <b>baby </b>you are carrying is theirs not yours?¡± Jenniferughed like <b>my dad </b><b>was </b>crazy for asking something like that. ¡°What makes you think what you are saying is the truth and what am saying is not?¡± what the hell <b>was </b>she talking about.


    I swear, the more she spoke, the less I understood. ¡°You really are not well. You should thank your lucky stars you are carrying precious cargo, if not for that. I would have sent you to <b>meet </b>your ancestors by now.¡± sheughed throwing her head back.


    ¡°Am I supposed to be scared by that? man, you are not the scariest person I know. There is someone even scarier


    than you and I am more afraid of her than you.¡± her? she sather, who was she talking about? Could it be the clinic manager or someone else?


    Jennifer didn¡¯t give us a chance to ask more questions as she stood and left. ¡°Arn I the only one who heard her sey she was more scared of her than you?¡± Nick asked the same question I had, who was her?


    ¡°She must be working with someone, and she is scared of at person for some reason.¡± Nick and my dad shared a look, one that told me they knew something ¡°Tell us what you know.¡± Dad shook his head and focused on his food.


    lif


    I turned to Nick. ¡°Tell me Nick, you <b>have </b>seen <b>the </b>kind of e1 am living because of that woman and whoever she is working with or for. If you have something that could help me stop this then you must tell me.¡± Nick looked at my dad. ¡°Look at me Nick, I am the one asking. What do you know?¡±


    A sigh left him, he ran his had through his head in frustration. ¡°We are not sure if it is rted to her or what, We have not made the connection yet.¡± Nick said stalling. I knew him well enough to know his tricks.


    ¡°Tell me anyway.¡± 1 insisted, I might make a connection. I might see something they missed. I needed to know When I came to New Vige before, I went to see Sandra and found that she was lucid. The nurse was not giving her the drugs she was supposed to<b>, </b>and we are not sure how long she has been lucid for and what she did during that time<b>.</b>¡±

 Novel Payback 195

    OLIVIA


    My heart sank, why did it have to be her, why was it that whenever something went wrong in my life Sandra was involved. What the hell did I do to that woman to make her resent me so much. We were friends once; I believe I treated her well even then. What could I have possibly done to make her do all these things to me.


    How did I offend her? ¡°Olivia, her being lucid doesn¡¯t mean she is responsible for this. It can¡¯t be her because she never left the hospital, that I <b>am </b>sure of.¡± I <bughed</b><b>, </b>I didn¡¯t know If Nick was na?ve of just in stupid. He of all people should know that if Sandra wanted something. She always found a way to get it.


    ¡°Olivia<b>, </b>that facility is secure, there is no way she could have left and done all this. There must be someone else working with this woman, but it can¡¯t be Sandra. It¡¯s impossible.¡± I looked at Nick and I didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Was the man stupid, really?


    ¡°Stop being na?ve Nick, seriously, I don¡¯t know how you survived in the business world with that kind of mentality. I have known Sandra for <b>a </b>short time but even I know that if she wants something, Sh


    finds a way to get it. what makes you think that she was not involved, a secure facility, the same one she broke out of before, that


    one?¡±


    Nickughed, ¡°At least, I never let Sandra control me in my house while hurting my wife in the process. I protected my marriage and my wife from her.¡± I frowned, I didn¡¯t know where Nick¡¯s mind was at or if he saw <b>what </b>he did a different way but to <b>me</b>. it was more or less the same as the situation I was currently in


    ¡°Are you serious right now? you did the same thing, the difference between you and I. is that I am trying to protect my unborn child. What were you trying to protect when you let Sandra control you, lie to you and make you send the wife you imed to love to jail?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± my father <b>bellowed</b><b>; </b>I was just annoyed by those two grown men thinking one


    e was better than the other when they were the <b>same</b><b>. </b>It was clear that I had a type, and my type was the kind that <b>would </b>rather hurt me and care for other women for one reason or another.


    ¡°What is the point of you two fighting about who is better than the <b>other </b>when you are both the same. You have both hurt my daughter badly and yet you <b>have </b>the <b>audacity </b>to think either one of you is better? Grow the fuck up and start acting like men. <b>Find </b>out if that God forsaken woman has anything <b>to </b>do with Sandra<b>. </b>Leave no stone unturned.¡±


    The <b>two </b>lowered their heads in shame. Jennifer walked in just at the moment. I have never hated anyone life, God knows I never did but I hated Jennifer. The woman was worse than Sandra. At least she made her intension clear, <b>and </b><b>she </b>told me to my face that she wanted Nick.


    in my


    She had a goal, and she achieved it because Nick was stupid and easy to fool. But Jennifer, she mentioned she wanted Marcus, but I illidn¡¯t know <b>if </b>she was crazy or acting like she was. I didn¡¯t know if it was money she <b>wanted</b>, because if it was, <b>we </b>would have given her more.


    She was carrying our child after all and there <b>was </b>no price we wouldn¡¯t pay for her. But she was not <b>clear</b>, the <b>one </b>thing she was clear about was that she wanted Marcus, and I guess the baby was also part of the deal. But then, if <b>Marcus </b>was who she wanted then why threaten a baby that belonged to him?


    The whole situation with her <b>was </b>confusing. ¡°Who <b>died</b><b>?</b>¡± she asked scanning our <b>faces</b>, but no one said anything. ¡°Oh well, fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me.¡± she shrugged then turned to Marcus. ¡°Am ready, while we at it, we might as well meet up with yourwyer, I am tired of <b>Olivia </b>living in my house. It¡¯s time you two get a divorce and for her to leave this house.¡±


    Marcus lifted his head to look at her and I watched with interest. She was getting bolder. At first, she told <b>me </b>in secrete what she was nning and now she was bringing the divorce up to Marcus, see, she was unpredictable.


    My dadughed. ¡°I have never seen such in my life, I must say, you are very brave for a young woman. In this house are three formidable men, powerful and every sense of the word and yet you have the guts to threaten the daughter of the worse one of all. You are interesting, indeed ¡±


    Jennifer just nced at my father then looked back at Marcus. ¡°Well?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. She had us <b>in </b>the palm of her hand and at any time she could squeeze, and we would all crumble. She had the power, and she knew how to use it. ¡°Whatever made you think that I would divorce my wife?¡±


    She looked angry, she bailed her hands into fists. ¡°I said, you are taking me out and we are going to see yourwyer about divorcing Olivia. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Marcus stood and closed the small distance between them.


    ¡°And I asked you, what makes you think that I will divorce my wife just because you say so?¡± okay, he was fed up. But I was worried that he was going to push her too far and she would do something stupid.


    Sheughed then ce her left hand on her waist and <b>red </b>at Marcus. ¡°Do you think, just because they are here, I wouldn¡¯t dare do what I said I would do?¡± that was what I was <b>afraid </b>of. She was threatening to take my baby <b>away </b>again. ¡°Marcus¡­¡±


    ¡°No, Olivia<b>, </b>that is never going to happen and frankly, I am tired of being bullied by this woman, this ends here.¡± He grabbed her hand and dragged her away.

 Novel Payback 196

    Chapter <b>196 </b>


    MARCUS


    I was tired, no, I was exhausted and fed up with that womag. I tolerated everything she has done <b>up </b>until now. I was going to continue to do so until she gave birth but now, she wanted me to divorce my wife! Who the hell did she think she was to make me do that? I had been hurting my wife for months because of her and now she wanted me to divorce her? over my dead body.


    Her days of controlling me were over. I dragged her to her room then locked her up in there. ¡°You are going to stay there until you get back to your senses, I <b>am </b>going to be here day and night. Guarding you and giving you food and everything else you will need. If you don¡¯t get back to your senses, then you will stay locked up in there until the day you give birth.<b>¡± </b>


    I shoved the key in my pocket and turned, only to see three <b>shocked </b><b>faces</b><b>. </b>¡°You can¡¯t do that Marcus; it is illegal, and you know it.¡± My wife, my poor good¨Chearted wife. Did she think what that woman has been doing was legal? She threatened to <b>take </b>our baby away, disappear with her if we didn¡¯t y by her rules. Was that legal?


    ¡°Olivia,¡± I chuckled shaking my head, I was not amused, I was angry. Furious. How dare she? ¡°I know you have a good heart, and I know you want what is best for our baby, but I can¡¯t take it anymore. I can¡¯t take hurting you anymore. I <b>can¡¯t </b>take being controlled by that woman anymore. I have the proof of everything she has been doing and I <b>am </b><b>going </b>to meet with mywyer to present him with everything. He <b>will </b>tell me the way forward. Until then, no one opens that door for that witch.¡±


    I stormed off, took my car keys and left the house. When I got outside, I stood by the car and took a deep breath. For the first time in five months, I felt like I could breathe, felt like I had been holding my breath all this time. Or like I was under water unable to breathe freely and now I finally could.


    I got into the car and drove off making the call on the way. Steve, are you in your office?¡±


    ¡°<b>Yes</b>, I <b>have </b>a meeting in an hour, but I will be here after.¡±


    ¡°<b>That </b>is more than enough time to discuss what I need to talk to you about.¡±


    ¡°I will be waiting then<b>.</b>¡±


    I cut the call and switched on the radio. I opened the windows and felt the fresh air. Every time, I went out in the past months, it has always been with that woman. She refused for me to take care of my wife telling me that she was the pregnant one not my wife. That she needed to be taken care of and not a barren woman who could give me


    a child.


    My heart shuttered every time she said those things. That was my wife, and I loved her just the way she was. I married her knowing that she couldn¡¯t carry our baby. It was not because I wanted something from her, it <b>was </b>because I loved her. I didn¡¯t care about her carrying a baby because I knew there were surrogates who could do that


    for us.


    Who knew that we would get a horrible one, a monster who held us hostage in our own home, held out baby hostage and threatened to run away with her? I hit the steering wheel in anger. It was my fault. I should never have suggested having a baby. I should never have been greedy. I should have been content with the life we had.


    But no, I wanted more. I was greedy for more. Look at where that left us. Getting to mywyer¡¯s office. I parked and headed to his office. I was not even properly dress; I was in sweatpants and a t¨Cshirt.


    His secretary showed me in. ¡°Man, it has been a while and married life doesn¡¯t suit you, look at you, <b>you </b>lost so much weight, please tell me you are getting a divorce because its clear your wife is not treating <b>you </b>well. No happy man would look like this.¡± He was soon going to find out why I looked the way I did.


    Chapter


    ¡°Here, listen to these and tell me <b>what </b>to do?¡± <b>he </b>furrowed his eyebrows, I didn¡¯t have time to waste, I needed the situation resolved and soon. ¡°It must be important for you got to even offer a greeting.¡± He took the tapes and started listening to them one by one.


    His facial expression changing with each one he yed. After listening to thest one he sighed and leaned back on his chair. ¡°Yeah, this is crazy. Things like these only happen in movies man and not in real life. But it seems your home is a battlefield, and I feel sorry for you.¡®


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity, Steve; I need to know what to do.¡±


    ¡°Where is the crazy woman now?¡±


    ¡°I locked her up in her room after asking me to divorce my wife.¡± He rubbed his bold head. ¡°Well, keep it that way until you hear from me. I will present all this evidence to the judge and hear what he has to say. But I don¡¯t think you will be med for locking her up right now. you are preventing her from disappearing with your baby.¡±


    I sighed, that was a relief. ¡°Marcus, I will find a way to <b>resolve </b>this, you have paid her what was promised and have provided her shelter. Actually, <b>you </b>have done more than what you two agreed on. That is <b>good</b><b>, </b>thew will be on your side about that, I just need to find out what we should do going forward.¡±


    I stood. ¡°I will wait to hear from you then.¡± He nodded looking bothered. Huh! He was only hearing hear threats he didn¡¯t get to live with her like my wife and I did. Why would he be the one who was bothered. ¡°Steve?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Marcus.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take too long or I will be forced to take drastic measures, and I can promise you now that they will not be legal. If you take your time with this, then you will be defending me for murder.¡±


    +25 <b>BON</b>

 Novel Payback 197

    JENNIFER


    I sat in the room biting on my nails and wondering if I had gone overboard. I never thought Marcus would react that way to a divorce. I thought he would give me what I wanted like he always did but he reacted differently. I thought because I was pregnant, and he wanted the baby bally. That he would give me <b>what </b>I wanted.


    T


    ¡®Damnit Jennifer, you went too far. You shouldn¡¯t have asked for him to divorce his wife, instead. You should have asked him to kick her out of the house and let her be the one to ask for a divorce.¡® Shit! I took out my phone and dialled my aunt, that woman was going to kill me if she found out that I did my own thing and didn¡¯t follow the n.


    ¡°Oh, my goodness! You finally called. I thought something bad happened to you¡± well, I was enjoying myself too much that I forgot about her. ¡°Am fine aunt, am not hurt. But I did do something ¡°I held my breath waiting for her to respond.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± at least she didn¡¯t sound angry, well, not yet any way. But she sure was going to be angry when she found out what I did. ¡°I am locked up in my room and not allowed to leave.¡± I started. ¡°What, how can they do such a thing? You are pregnant for goodness¡¯s sake! What are those people thinking?¡±


    ¡°Just because they are paying you doesn¡¯t give them the right to lock you up like a criminal, I am calling the police.¡± Oh, Lord. ¡°Aunt don¡¯t call the police; I brought this on myself. I didn¡¯t follow the n. I used the baby to get what I want from <b>them</b><b>. </b>I <b>even </b>threatened to run away with the baby.¡± I said thest part softly hoping she wouldn¡¯t hear me.


    ¡°What? Do you realise what you have done? What the hell were you thinking?¡± there we go, the anger I was waiting for. But my aunt was not bad, I was more worried about that woman. ¡°Do you know what will happen when she finds <b>out</b>?¡± I knew what was going to happen.


    Shu


    was going to make sure that we get nothing after the deal is done. Also, I was afraid of what she might do to my aunt. ¡°That¡¯s why am calling aunt, don¡¯t tell her anything. If she asks, just tell her everything is going ording to n. <b>Please </b>aunt, or we will both be in trouble,¡±


    My aunt sighed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell her even if I wanted to. I was removed as her nurse; she might be working with someone else now to keep an <b>eye </b>on the both of us to make sure we don¡¯t ruin her ns. If she finds out about this, then it won¡¯t be from me. I might be in trouble myself because of it.¡±


    My heart started beating fast and my hands started to sweat, I felt dizzy all of a sudden and I couldn¡¯t breathe. What the hell was I going to do? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, why are you not saying anything?¡± I couldn¡¯t, I was struggling to breathe. Dear Lord, what had I done?


    ¡°Take a deep breath for me, please. You have to breathe, or you will <b>die </b>alone in that <b>room</b><b>. </b>breathe, Jennifer, breathe.¡± I did as told. I <b>grew </b>up with asthma, but it got better. I did have episodes now and then when I am under a lot of pressure and stress.


    ¡°Auntie?¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby girl. You are going to be alright.¡± She stillforted me<b>, </b>yet she was in trouble too because of me. What are we going to do? I still <b>have </b>four months to go in this pregnancy, I can¡¯t exactly run because its not part of the n and I can¡¯t live like this either. What am I going to do?¡±


    My <b>aunt </b>sighed, I brought this upon myself, but I didn¡¯t know how to get out of it. I never thought it would get to this point. I thought I would get what I wanted, and Olivia would be gone. That I didn¡¯t have to deal with that woman and my aunt, and <b>I </b>would be alright.


    I didn¡¯t know that it would end this way. ¡°You said she has someone else working for her, do <b>you </b>know this


    person? I want to know if I have seen her or him somewhere or know him.¡± my aunt sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know who she is working with, after I <b>was </b>removed from her ward I was never allowed back in and she never asked for me again.


    Shit! ¡°Aunt, I will call you back.¡± I cut the call. I was sweating and wondering if the person she was working with has been watching me as well. If that was the <b>case</b>, then that meant <b>she </b>knew everything I was up to


    1 started hyperventting, ¡°Help!¡± I yelled out now crawling towards the door, I couldn¡¯t take it. I was worried sick, and It was causing me to be sick. ¡°Please, help!¡± I yelled once more feeling my chest tightening. The door opened and Olivia stood there watching me.


    Am sure she thought I was making it up or trying to trick her. I didn¡¯t me her though, I did y many tricks on her. ¡°What is it with you now?¡± she asked looking bored. ¡°can¡¯t¡­breathe.¡± She watched me closely and maybe she saw that I was really not faking it, she helped me up and out the door.


    ¡°Nick!¡± ¡°she yelled for her ex, I didn¡¯t even <b>know </b>why she left him, she was better suited with him than with Marcus. Yes, both men <b>were </b>good looking and wealthy, but Nick was a better choice than Marcus for Olivia, not because I wanted Marcus for myself, which I did. But everything about them was <b>good</b>.


    Standing together they were a perfect couple. ¡°Nick, hurry he appeared. ¡°What is with her?¡± he questioned. She can¡¯t breathe, please help me take her to the car. We have to get her to a hospital; something might be with the baby.¡± That was Olivia sounding worried.


    wrong


    I didn¡¯t understand her, why would she be worried about me after everything I put her through. ¡°She is ying tricks on you to try and get out of this room. ignore her.¡± that was what I heard Nick say before ck <b>dots </b>started dancing in my vision. Dear Lord, I was now going to die because of everything I did.

 Novel Payback 198

    OLIVIA


    I <b>was </b>bothered by the fact that Marcus locked that woman the room. She has done a lot to us and I understood <b>his </b>anger and frustration. But I didn¡¯t think locking her up was the solution. I didn¡¯t think it was legal as well. But I believed he <b>was </b>going to find a way around it somehow and <b>that </b>when he came back from thewyer. He wille with better <b>news</b><b>. </b>


    I was going to check on her when I heard her yelling for hel. I stopped in my tracks wondering what the hell she was up to now. the woman was full of tricks that It was difficult to believe that something was wrong with her, but when she yelled the second time, I couldn¡¯t just <b>ignore </b>it, she could be in real trouble and might lose the baby if I continue to ignore it.


    I opened the door and found her on the floor looking like she couldn¡¯t breathe. At first, I thought she was just full of it but then I saw her face turning red and I knew she was hot faking it. I rushed to her and her breathing was nowboured. I called for Nick toe and help but he didn¡¯t believe that she was really sick


    I didn¡¯t me him though because that was the exact same thought I had when she yelled for help. Nick was about to leave when she suddenly copsed in my arms. <b>He </b>quickly came and took her from <b>my </b>arms,


    and we rushed to the hospital. ¡°Do you think something is wrong with the baby? Or maybe she got stressed for <b>being </b>locked up, what do you think is wrong?¡±


    I asked Nick as if he knew what was going on or that he would provide me with the answers to my questions. ¡°I am <b>not </b>a doctor, Olivia, that is why we are going to see one so that we can get the answers to your questions.¡± He didn¡¯t seem pleased to be driving the woman to the hospital


    ¡°<b>She </b>is still carrying my child, you know. It doesn¡¯t matter how bad she is, she¡¯s still the most important person to me at the moment. I might be angry with her; I might resent her for her recent behaviour, but I can¡¯t sit back <b>and </b><b>watch </b>her get hurt while she is carrying my child.¡± Nick said nothing for a while.


    We got to the hospital, and she was taken in immediately. I left Marcus a message telling him where we were. Nick came back with coffee and gave me one. ¡°Thank you.¡± he said nothing but sat next to me. ¡°You need to stop letting the likes of that woman and men like Marcus and I hurt you this way.¡±


    I nced at him, if he knew that they were hurting me, then why <b>didn¡¯t </b>they stop, why did they keep going? I had <b>no </b>words for him. ¡°<b>Olivia</b>?¡± I was getting fed up with him telling me nonsense. ¡°What!¡± he looked shocked by my outburst. But he shouldn¡¯t, he of all people should know why I was so tired.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are telling me all this now, what <b>am </b>I supposed to do with that? you hurt me, and <b>you </b>know you did, and you are telling me this now. what do <b>you </b>want me to do with it when the damage is already done? If it was written on all your faces that you will one day hurt me, believe me, <b>I </b>would have run for the hills, but it was not <b>and </b>can¡¯t predict the future. So, tell <b>me</b><b>, </b>what the hell do you want me to do?¡±


    He looked like he didn¡¯t expect all that I said, I didn¡¯t expect to say it as well, but I was tired, I truly was. These were all people I trusted and brought int my circle of life. I never thought they would hurt me and if I went around In life thinking that everyone, I meet will hurt me, then I will never have rtionships.


    I would end up alone and I didn¡¯t want that. already, I didn¡¯t have friends because I didn¡¯t trust them. I was always worried that they would one day hurt me like <b>Sandra </b>did. Forgetting that not everyone is like her. but because of what she did, I struggled letting anyone in


    ¡°You know, if I had believed that every man, I met was like you and will hurt me the same way you did. I wouldn¡¯t have let Marcus in, <b>then </b>I wouldn¡¯t have experienced the love and care he gave me, the happiness it brought me being with him. the security and tranquillity. Yes, things are not good now, but it is not my husband¡¯s fault.<b>¡± </b>


    I <b>sighed</b>, ¡°It¡¯s easy to me each other when things go wrong, and things are going terribly wrong in my


    marriage right now. but my husband is not to me alone, chose that woman; he kept telling me that there was something about her, but I insisted. So, yes. We are in this situation right now not only because of what that woman has been making my husband do for her, but also, because I chose her and brought her into our lives. I misjudged her and that is on me.¡±


    ¡°It will never be on you, my love.¡± I turned and my handsome husband was standing behind me. I offered him a smile because I knew he was only saying that tofort me to make me feel better about the situation. He came and crotched in front of me. ¡°We will get through this, I promise, In no time. Our family will go back to what it was, in <b>fact</b>, it will be better.¡±


    Nick clicked his tongue on the side and Marcusughed. Nick might have thought that we were going <b>to </b>end up divorcing but that was not going to happen<i>. </i>My husband loved me and didn¡¯t want to divorce. I didn¡¯t want it as


    well.


    ¡°Every marriage goes through it¡¯s own difficulties. It takes to people who are willing to work on the problems and fix them to stay together.¡± Nick clicked his tongue <b>again</b><b>; </b>he was starting to annoy me. ¡°What is your problem?¡±


    ¡°Am wondering why you are such a hypocrite; you say all that and yet you couldn¡¯t wait to get out of our marriage when we went through difficult times. Or was it because you didn¡¯t love me enough or want to be with me enough to work on things with me?¡±


    #35 BONUS

 Novel Payback 199

    OLIVIA


    I fumed in anger to a point that my hands were shaking. The nerve of this guy! ¡°What the hell did you just say to me?¡± my chest tightened at the thought of everything that Nick put me through. How dare hepare himself to Marcus? My husband didn¡¯t send me to jail like he did.


    He came to me and told me what <b>was </b>happening with Jenner, and we agreed to put up with it together until the baby was born. Marcus was a much better man than Nick Jones in every way. ¡°You heard what I <b>said</b>. I exined to you why I did what I did but you never wanted to hear me out. This guy here does a simr thing, and you forgive him, just like that. why, what¡¯s so special about him?¡±


    <b>??</b><b>! </b>


    Hearing Nick talk made me realize that the man was never going to understand the extent of the damage he has caused me because of what he did. ¡°Nick, do you realize that if you never sent me to jail, I would have never needed someone like Jennifer to carry my baby, I would have carried her myself. but I couldn¡¯t because of the <b>damage </b>caused to me as a result of you sending me to prison.¡±


    1 paced. ¡°My love, calm down.¡± I stopped pacing and looked at my husband. The man has always been concerned about me, put me first in everything. Then there was my ex someone who used to mean the world to me. someone I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Someone who still didn¡¯t understand what he has done to me even after all this time.


    ¡°<b>Am </b>fine, I am just angry because Nick doesn¡¯t seem to understand that we are in this predicament today because of him. Nick Jones<b>, </b>do you understand that if you never sent me to jail <b>protecting </b>Sandra, I wouldn¡¯t have lost my ability to carry a child?¡± he lowered his head in shame.


    Well, I didn¡¯t believe that the man felt any shame for what he did. His recent behaviour told me that he was a changed man but clearly, I read the situation wrong. Just as did with Jennifer. Nick Jones never changed. If he did, then he <b>would </b>have kept his mouth shut <b>knowing </b>that this was happening because of <b>him</b>.


    ¡°I need you to stop pretending, Nick. Stop pretending to have changed because you have not. Also, I don¡¯t believe you know the damage that you have cause me. not only emotional damage but physical damage as well. I am half a woman today because of you, <b>I </b>am going through this shit with that woman in there today because of you!¡±


    Passerby¡¯s whispered as they kept looking back at us wondering why the hell, I was <b>raising </b>my voice in the hospital, but I have had enough. I <b>was </b>exhausted. My marriage was new, and I was supposed to be enjoying it. instead, I was busy dealing with a woman who wanted my life and the person who cause all that was not taking responsibility for it.


    wasn¡¯t trying to make you angry; I am just


    He was there acting like <b>a </b>victim <b>when </b>he was the culprit disappointed in the fact that you never gave me a second chance to make amends for everything I put you through. I would have appreciated a <b>chance </b>to make things right with you. I did you wrong, that I admit. But I would have loved for you to have some <b>faith </b>in me and give me an opportunity to show <b>you </b>that what I did was not to punish you, and it <b>wasn¡¯t </b>because I didn¡¯t love you.¡±


    I chuckled mockingly, why was I even angry when it was clear the man was never going to understand? ¡°You might think I am a joke for saying all this. But Olivia, I thought I was doing right by your friend and mine. Sandra led me to believe that she lost Ethan¡¯s baby because of you. was wrong for not trusting you, but my heart, why didn¡¯t you give me a <b>chance </b>to make amends? You <b>know </b>that my heart belongs to you, it always will, why did you doubt that I would avenge you when the truth came to light?¡±


    My chest tightened, It felt as if my heart was breaking all over again, his grand father sent people to torture me in prison because ording to him, he was protecting his grandson and also punishing Luke.


    I lost a lot while I was in there and it was all because of the Jones family. Not to mention how his mother treated <ol><li>me. why was it that the man didn¡¯t see all of <b>that</b>? ¡°Olivia, you don¡¯t have to entertain Nick. He will never understand.¡± Nick stood and closed the distance between lin and Marcus. </li></ol>


    ¡°Who are you to say that? do you know what I have been though trying to make things right for her? then you came along and just took my wife because you thought you can. Do you know how much it hurts not being able to move on because your heart belongs to someone else. What It¡¯s like topare every woman you meet to the one you lost and no matter what you do they nevere close the woman she is?¡±


    He chuckled shaking his head. ¡°I guess you don¡¯t know because you took from me not only the best woman there is but you took my heart. So don¡¯t you dare say I don¡¯t understand because I understand better than anyone what my actions have done to my wife. I lost <b>her </b>because of everything I did. Do you think I like seeing going through shit like this knowing that I contributed to it?¡±


    He paced looking red in the face. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s nice having to worry about Sandra every time something happens to her and wonder why I never did things right to begin with. Don¡¯t you think I me myself every day for what happened? Why the hell do you think I want my wife back for? It¡¯s because I want to take responsibility for what I have done to her, so, don¡¯t talk about shit you know nothing about.¡±


    My anger got the better of me hearing Nick say all those things. I found myself in front of him and pping the shit out of him. ¡°No wonder <i>I </i>hid your son from you<b>, </b>a man like you doesn¡¯t deserve to be called a father!¡±

 Novel Payback 200

    NICK


    As if I wasn¡¯t hurting enough, Olivia went and kicked me in the gut. I felt the air in my lungs left me and I was left gasping for air and struggling to breathe. My chest not only tightened but the pain in it made me feel like my world was spinning. Just how much did Olivia hate me?


    The ground beneath me felt like it was shifting, and I felt myself falling. ¡°Nick! Are you alright?¡± I could hear Olivia¡¯s voice, but I was hearing it from far. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, all I knew was that my chest hurt. The pain was so intense that it blinded me, making me weak and unable to focus on anything else.


    Five years I have lost with my son because of what I did. The more I thought of that the more intense the pain became. I don¡¯t know what happened next but when I woke up, I was in a ward on a hospital bed. The events of earlier came back and my chest tightened with tension gathering all over.


    I did say that Samuel was my son, but Ethan convinced me that he wasn¡¯t. The doctors I trusted, everyone made a fool of me. Was I that bad of a person that everyone would hide my own son from me. that they would think he was better off without me? Dear Lord, I pray for a chance to make things right, and I pray for redemption.


    ¡°Nick, you are awake.¡± Mother, I wondered who called her. What happened?¡± I <b>didn¡¯t </b>feel like talking I was beyond sad. I wanted to me Olivia for everything but what right did I have to me her? I took so much from her and the five years she took from my son were nothingpared to what I took from her.


    ¡°Nick, are you in pain, do you want me to call the doctor, is it your heart?¡± mother fired one question after another. I didn¡¯t feel like talking. My heart was breaking as sat there. Why did I even believe that he was not mine when he looked so much like me?


    Why was I so stupid to be fooled like that? all the women in my life have fooled me. mother, about her family. Sandra about everything else and now Olivia about my own blood. ¡°Nick Jones!¡± I slowly turned to look at my mother. ¡°Talk to me, you are worrying me.¡± I felt her pain, at least she got to be with me until I grew up.


    I missed a lot of things with my son. ¡°Samuel is my son.¡± She said nothing but looked at me as If I suddenly grew horns. ¡°Nick, you will have another child, all you have to do is meet someone, get married and have children. You don¡¯t have to bother Olivia and her son. It¡¯s enough <b>now </b>my son.¡±


    1 chuckled. Even my own mother thought I was a nuisance. Way to go Nick. ¡°No, mother, I mean Samuel really is my son. Olivia told me not so long ago. I guess the <b>news </b>shocked me so much that I passed out. But am fine now.¡± my mother looked at me for a while without saying anything


    She sat on the visitor <b>chair </b>and just kept looking at me. I didn¡¯t <b>have </b>time to entertain her, I had my own issues to deal with. My son was busy calling other men father while he didn¡¯t even know what I was. To him<b>, </b>I was a stranger who <b>meant </b>nothing. That alone killed me..


    ¡°I now get what people mean when they say we reap what we sow. Olivia hiding your son from you is the result of everything you did to her. I am hurt that I didn¡¯t get to know my grandson because of that and everything I did to his mother as well. We are not <b>good </b>people my son<b>. </b>Maybe at some point we were but we lost sight of what was right and went astray. This is the price we pay for that.¡±


    Mother¡¯s words hurt me, I didn¡¯t know if it was because she has no faith in me or that she didn¡¯t believe I was a good person anymore. How would Olivia and my son see me in a different light then if my own mother saw me as a bad person.


    ¡°I get it mom, I <b>am </b>a bad person that my son is growing up calling strangers father, while I <b>his </b>father he sees as the stranger. It is all my fault I know that you don¡¯t have to call me a bad person. Lalready know that <b>I </b>am but hearing you say those words pains me.¡±


    +25 BORUS


    A lone tear escaped my mother¡¯s eyes rolling down her cheek until it dropped on her chest. ¡°I never said you were a bad person, Nick. But we did do bad things to Olivia at some point. That doesn¡¯t make us good people son. We have to first admit our mistakes and change then we can call ourselves good people. I understand why Olivia hid him from you.


    She was not helping at all. I didn¡¯t even know why she came. Well, if she didn¡¯t then who would have been sitting on my bedside when I woke up? Olivia was never going to do that. ¡°I am giving up on Olivia, I am going to let her live her life in peace. I know I said that before, but it was before I knew the extent of her pain and what she was willing to do to get me far away from her and out of her life¡±


    Mother wiped her tears. ¡°She was your great love, I know, and you will never find one like her again. But letting her go is the best thing you can do so. For her, she deserves to heal from the wounds of the past. You being around her all the time and iming to want her back is not helping. She is no longer yours to im or to keep anymore. Try to forget her my son and heal as well.¡±

 Novel Payback 201

    OLIVIA


    Two months have passed since the incident with Nick. He Has not left New Vige but also keeping his distance, The man has not asked to see his son after I identally told him. yes, Samuel was not around, but he could have asked when he wasing back but he has not. He has not ven visited my father in my house since.


    He would call my dad, and they would meet somewhere but he never sets foot in my house. It¡¯s not that I amining, it¡¯s just weird not having him around when I was getting used to seeing him every time he was around. Maybe I should be thanking my lucky stars that he finally got the message <b>and </b>is staying away from <b>me</b>.


    Then there is Jennifer, she <b>was </b>now seven months pregnan Two more months to go and we would be free from her, she was now behaving aftering back from the hospital. Now the roles <b>have </b>reversed. She doesn¡¯t demand things now; my husband is the one doing things for Iter. I don¡¯t know If he got used to doing them or what.


    He is always concerned about her, asking if she was alright, if she needed <b>anything</b>, craved anything. It¡¯s annoying and I am trying my utmost best to understand but sometimes I just don¡¯t. I don¡¯t know what Marcus¡¯s problem is and I don¡¯t have the energy to fight with him.


    I asked him before, and he said he was concerned about the baby not the woman carrying the baby. But I felt he was doing too much and at the same time. I don¡¯t want to keepining as if I am not grateful that she was carrying my child for me. I just want her to give birth already so I can have my family back.


    Now that Marcus is not forced to do anything for her, he is willingly running around for her as if he was her husband and not mine. I wont lie, the whole thing hurts. But then again, who am I to be greedy, <b>to </b><b>want </b>everything?


    I am not able to carry my child <b>and </b>yet I still want my husband to treat me like I am <b>the </b>pregnant <b>one</b>. I selfish, I think. I just wish my heart can understand that and work with me. stop being jealous and petty.


    am being


    To understand and let things y out. ¡°I am going to the shops, do any of you need anything?¡± Marcus turned to look at me, he is watching tv, the same show she likes. He used to act like he didn¡¯t like the show and now he is watching it willingly <b>and </b>even puts it on himself.


    Yeah, <b>you </b>think you know someone. ¡°I don¡¯t <b>need </b>anything, Jennifer, is there something you need from the shops so Olivia can bring for you?¡± I <b>frowned</b>, why did he feel the need to ask her himself. I asked both of them and if she wanted something she would have said so.


    ¡°I just need more ice cream, when I checkedst night there wasn¡¯t any left.¡± I tilted my head slightly to the side. Watching her pretending to be all sweet as if we don¡¯t know the kind of person she <b>is </b>already. ¡°Marcus, could you please massage my feet? They are swollen and they hurt.¡± I didn¡¯t wait to hear what his response was.


    I walked out the door and left for the shops. <b>Maybe </b>I will call my dad for us to have lunch together, at least he is still giving me attention and make me feel loved and cared for. I miss my son so much, but I am afraid to bring him and grandma home.


    I don¡¯t know how long the nice Jennifer will be around for. I don¡¯t want my family feeling unweed in their own <b>home </b>because of her ever again. When got to the shops, I did my shopping then went and put everything in the trunk.


    ¡°You have been too depressed Olivia; why don¡¯t you spoil yourself?¡® a massage will do the trick and maybe a few items of clothing while at it. a smile formed on my lips. I have been too depressed to take care of myself. I let myself go, its time for the old me to surface.


    the


    Maybe my husband will look at me again. With that thought in mind I got into the car and drove myself to mall. I started with shopping and getting a few clothing items for myself, then I went to do my nails then it was a


    172


    full body <b>massage</b>.


    +20 BONUS


    With everything done, I was feeling refreshed like I can face anything. If Marcus doesn¡¯t look at me even now, then I will know the problem is not with me but him. who knows, he might even like Jennifer now.


    I texted my dad <b>to </b>meet me for lunch at the restaurant not far from iny ce. I want to eat good food have a ss of wine and good conversations with my dad. Then have hin drive me home. Good n!


    I went to the parking lot and got to my car then drove off. time for good food and goodpany. Just when I hit the highway after joining traffic, my phone rang in my bag look to <b>check </b>if it it safe for me to take it and it was.


    I leaned over to the passenger seat to grab it from my bag. must be my dad wanting to know where I am. One thing I love about him is that he never keeps me waiting. He must already be close to the restaurant now.


    I hear a horn just as I was getting back up with my phone in hand. When I looked up a truck wasing straight at me. I look to my side and that is when I realized that I moved to the otherne and <b>am </b><b>now </b>facing oing traffic.


    I tried to think fast and swayed trying to get away from the truck <b>and </b>back in myne but there was already While I was another car close when I entered myne, and it hit me on the side and my car started spinning.


    Jane. shocked and scared. The truck, I was running from hit me on the corner and my car span back to my


    I didn¡¯t know what else happened, but I am now seeing things upside down and there is this dripping sound I am hearing. It keeps <b>waking </b>me up.

 Novel Payback 202

    hapter 202


    JENNIFER


    I can¡¯t believe how stupid I have been, I now regret forcing things with Marcus. It is <b>now </b>clear that everything I did to force him to take care of me, was not necessary. Marcus was now ignoring Olivia on his own and paying attention only to me. I should have trusted him; I should have known that he was a good man and will do right by <ol><li><b>me</b><b>. </b></li></ol>


    I was too rush and now I regret it, seeing him take care of me like this feels good. It feels great because I didn¡¯t force him to do anything of the things he was doing for me. A smile formed on my lips. ¡°I am sorry Marcus.¡± He frowned.


    ¡°What are you sorry about?¡± I sighed fixing the pillow behind me, ¡°For everything I did to you, it was not right. I will not make excuses and say it was the pregnancy. Yes, it contributed to my unstable emotions but not to my craziness the past few months. <b>I </b><b>am </b>sorry for all the trouble I caused <b>you</b>.¡± he looked at me for a while.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I am just d you realized your mistake and even taking responsibility for it. so, let¡¯s not mention it again. We have two months to go into this pregnancy. If we can get along until the baby is born, then you will get everything we promised. I don¡¯t want us parting on bad terms.¡± See, he is a good man.


    Someone else would have med me for ruining their lives but not Marcus. ¡°You are a good man Marcus and Olivia is lucky to have you.¡± he just nodded and looked back at the tv. His phone vibrated next to me


    It was Olivia. Why was she calling? She just left here what else could she want now? I ced the phone on silent then ced It facing down. ¡°Did you think of baby names yet? I mean now you know it¡¯s a girl. Do you have a special name for her?¡±


    A smile formed on his lips. ¡°Orchid, my mother¡¯s name or Lilly. I will hear what narne <b>Olivia </b>has. Maybe these names will end up being her middled name.¡± so, they have not discussed baby names yet. Olivia didn¡¯t want the child. She didn¡¯t show any excitement or making any effort to bond with the baby.


    ¡°You will make a good father, <b>and </b>I feel sorry for you.¡± he turned to me with a frown on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I am just saying that because you will be the one taking care of the baby when it¡¯s born. She <b>knows </b>you, your voice everything. Olivia <b>has </b>not made an effort with the baby, and I heard it might take a while for a mother to bond with the baby once born.¡±


    He looked like he was thinking, he must see that as well, Olivia <b>has </b>not made any effort in bonding with the baby. With everything that has happening, I don¡¯t me her, she must still be reluctant to get close to you.¡± I pouted, why was he defending her? she was his wife, I understood that.


    But even a blind person can see that she didn¡¯t want this baby anymore. Maybe at first, she did but not now. ¡°I don¡¯t think she wants the baby anymore. It might be because of what I did. But I don¡¯t think its fair for her to take that out on the baby.¡± My baby. She should deal with her own issue.


    I was more than happy with the distance she has been keeping from me. she makes me ufortable. Before he could respond, we were startled by someone budging into the house. We both looked in the direction where the person <b>was </b>going to appear from. Olivia¡¯s father appeared. The man had an aura of death surrounding him.


    He was scarier today than any other day. His eyes blood shot red, and his clothes stained with blood. Did he just kill someone? ¡°Luke, what the hell happened to you?¡± asked Marcus standing up. ¡°How dare you fucking <b>ask </b>me <b>that</b>? you are busy with this fucking slut here and ignoring your phone. Has ite to that between you and my daughter that you would ignore callsing from her phone?¡±


    I wanted to roll my eyes. Olivia again! What the hell happened to her now? ¡°No! where is my phone? Olivia left here going to the shop, she didn¡¯t call me.¡± Marcus tried to exin as he searched for his phone. He found it <b>and </b>he paled. He suddenly looked like blood had been drained from his phone.


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°There are so many missed calls. It didn¡¯t ring, it¡¯s on silem.¡± He looked at Olivia¡¯s father. ¡°What happened to my wife?¡± he chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to know, you let this piece of shit give my daughter hell, just when I thought you <b>were </b>fixing things you changed against and started serving her like she was your master while ignoring Olivia.¡±


    He closed the distance between him and Marcus. ¡°Stay with her, but when my daughter gets out of the hospital, I am taking her far away and you will never see her <b>again</b>.¡± Iwas shocked, Olivia was in the hospital.


    Before Marcus could ask anything, the man turned and left, Marcus ran after him. ¡°Luke, what happened to my wife, what happened to Olivia?¡± he was running after Olivia¡¯s father while I was running after him. ¡°Marcus, wait! You don¡¯t have shoes <b>on</b>!¡± I had his <b>shoes </b>in hand <b>as </b><b>I </b>ran after him.


    Just as I was getting out through the front door, I missed <b>a </b>step and started falling<b>. </b>¡°Ahhhh!¡± I fell on my side, but I could feel how painful it was, my tummy felt like it was splitting in two. ¡°Marcus, help me aaaah!¡± Marcus was


    by my sin seconds. Lifting me up.


    ¡°You still care more about her than your wife? You don¡¯t even know what condition she is in.¡±


    ¡°That is not the fucking case, and you know it! she is carrying our baby and is now bleeding. Have a fucking heart man!¡± Marcus bellowed running to the car with me.


    ¡°Oh, but I do have a heart, a heart to care for my daughter and to let that witch in your arms die.¡±

 Novel Payback 203

    OLIVIA


    When I came to, I wasying on a hospital bed. My arm on cast and my dad sitting by my side. ¡°You are wake, good. You gave me <b>a </b>scare. Don¡¯t ever do something like that to me again.¡± What the hell was he talking about?¡± What <b>am </b>I doing here?¡± he frowned. ¡°You were in an ident Olivia.¡± I remembered leaving the mall and¡­


    The events that urred came rushing back to me. ¡°Oh, I remember now, how did you know?¡± he sighed. ¡°I was calling you and a paramedic answered and told me about the ident.¡± Oh, I was supposed to meet him for lunch.


    ¡°What time is it? you have to tell Marcus where I am, <b>so </b>he doesn¡¯t worry.¡± My dad clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s ten pm, that bastard knows you are here.¡± My frown deepened, why was he calling my husband a bastard. ¡°Don¡¯t call him that dad.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°What else should I call him? the hospital called him countless times as your next of kin, but he didn¡¯t pick up the call. They switched and used your phone but still, he didn¡¯t pick up. I went to your house to check on him only to find himughing and talking to the slut!¡±


    My heart <b>ached</b>. ¡°He didn¡¯t know dad and I am sure there is an exnation. Marcus wouldn¡¯t just ignore calls especially from me.¡± my dad gave me a look that says, are you stupid? ¡°He said his phone was on silent and he didn¡¯t hear it.¡±


    I smiled. I knew there was a reason. ¡°I told you he had a reason.¡±


    ¡°Then why is he still not here until now? yes, that woman fell while running after him when I left the house. But he should havee and checked on your since you are both in the same hospital. But he didn¡¯t <b>show</b>.¡±


    I tried to sit up but pain shot through my leg paralyzing me that was when I realized that my leg too was Brocken. ¡°Calm down, you broke your leg and arm in that ident. You are lucky that is all, you could have died!¡± I didn¡¯t care about that.


    If Marcus was still not there than that could mean something was wrong with the baby. ¡°Take me to where he is dad, something must be wrong with the baby. Marcus would never just abandon me.¡± part of me did feel abandoned.


    He could have at least checked on me and <b>told </b>my dad <b>what </b>the situation was with Jennifer and the baby before going back to be with her, but he didn¡¯t show up. ¡°Why do you need to go there? He doesn¡¯t care, all he cares about is that woman and that baby. You are his wife and have been in an ident. The least he could have <b>done </b>ise and check.¡±


    ¡°If you are not going to take me, then I will go by myself.¡± I pressed the emergency button next to my bed. My dad just sat there looking at me. a few minutester<b>, </b>a nurse appeared. ¡°Please give me my phone. Also, get me wheelchair, something happened to my baby, I need to get there and see.¡± The nurse looked at


    my <b>dad</b>.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at him, I am not a <b>child</b>.¡± The nurse went and got me my phone then <b>went </b>out. ¡°Olivia?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it dad. Something is wrong with the baby and that is why Marcus is not here. No matter what you think of Jennifer, she is still the woman carrying your granddaughter.¡± He said nothing but stood up and walked out of the ward.


    The nurse soon returned with the wheelchair. ¡°Thank you, can you please find out where Jennifer Michaels is?¡±


    ¡°Alright and I will get you someone to take you there. But don¡¯t take too long, you are also injured and need to Test.¡± I nodded and she left. Soon <b>a </b>porter came with the nurse. ¡°She is in the maternity ward and John here is going to take you.¡± she then turns and left me there stunned.


    Wasn¡¯t maternity ward for people who have given or about to give birth? ¡°Please, hurry and take me there.¡± The


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    guy chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t hurry, we have to be careful. Look at your leg.¡± Shit, I forgot about that, the guy pushed me to the elevator then to the second floor.


    Getting there, he pushed me toward the ward. The door was slightly open. He was about to push the door <b>open</b>, and I stopped him when I heard Marcus saying ¡°How the hell was I supposed know you were telling the <b>truth</b>?¡± what was he talking about?


    ¡°The problem is that you don¡¯t trust ine.¡± that was Jennifer ¡°Shit! how did this happen, what the hell am I going to tell my wife?¡± tell me what? I gestured for the guy to open the door for me, they both turned and looked at the


    door.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± said Marcus looking shocked to see me. ¡°What is it that you don¡¯t know how to tell <b>me</b><b>?</b>¡± he said nothing. ¡°Tell me Marcus, what is going on here?¡± he still said nothing.


    ¡°I will tell you then. The baby is not yours. It¡¯s Sandra and Marcus¡¯s baby. Your eggs <b>were </b>not used for the insemination. Sandra¡¯s eggs were used. So, this baby is not yours.¡± My head buzzed, what the hell was she talking about?


    ¡°I won¡¯t go into details, but this baby is not yours. I am telling you this so that you don¡¯t even go to the Paediatric wards to see her because you won¡¯t be allowed in.¡± I looked at Marcus wanting to see if he believed the nonsense Jennifer was spewing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,


    vorry, he already did the DNA test and paid a lot to rush the results. He is the father, but you are not the


    and your fnother. Also, I would like you to leave now, I gave birth prematurely with a c¨Csection because of you ident. I don¡¯t want to see you here.¡±


    I lost all my strength. What the hell was going on? ¡°So, you didn¡¯te to see me while you knew I was <b>in </b>an ident because of this? All this mattered more than checking if I was okay, <b>how </b>much danger I am in. it didn¡¯t matter at all because now you have your child <b>and </b>to hell with me?¡±


    ¡°Olivia, <b>that </b>is <b>not</b>¡­¡±


    ¡°Save it, I now know where I stand with you. <b>John</b>, please take me back.¡± The guy pulled me out and Marcus followed. ¡°Olivia, please, let¡¯s talk about this.¡±


    Chapter <b>204 </b>

 Novel Payback 204

    OLIVIA


    My heart was breaking as John, the porter, pushed me to the elevator. I endured so much during the past months, taking Jennifer¡¯s crap and having to watch my husband being nice to another woman in front of me. I thought it would all be worth it in the end. But I was wrong, there was in happy ending for me in the story.


    Just like before, I ended up with a broken heart and resenting; Sandra. The woman sure knew how to break my heart and make my life a living hell. What was I thinking? She swore to make my life hell, and I didn¡¯t believe her. I thought it would end with Nick, but I <b>was </b>wrong again. The woman was still not satisfied with the pain and misery she has caused me.


    ¡°Olivia please, let us talk about this.¡± Marcus was following us. I was so disappointed in him, I was in an ident, he didn¡¯t even bother toe and check on me. I stood up for him to my father, I didn¡¯t know that he really didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t care what was happening at the time but the moment he confirmed that Jennifer was alright.


    He should havee to me, talk to me and exin what was going on. But the moment the baby was born and confirmed it was not mine; I ceased to exist in his life. Now he was following me around as if talking about everything now was going to help.


    ¡°Olivia¡­¡±


    ¡°shut up Marcus, just shut the hell up!¡± he looked shocked by my outburst and that just made me angrier. How could he be shocked? I was the one who was shocked and hurt. The baby we sacrificed for was not mine but his and Sandra of all people.


    I should have known something like this was going to happen the moment Nick told me about Sandra being lucid at the hospital. I should have known the extent she was willing to go to ruin my life, I should have known the moment she sent me to jail for something I didn¡¯t do. I should have known the <b>level </b>of evil and cruelty she was capable of.


    When we got to my room Marcus wanted to help me to bed but a pped his hand away and let John help me. he then left after making sure I was settled in bed. Marcus sat on the visitor chair looking like a lost puppy. What right did he have to look like that? he had none ording to me, it was a little toote for him to care now.


    ¡°I am sorry my love, when she fell and started bleeding the only thing, I could think about was the baby. Iforted myself with the thought that you at least had your father with you, when the doctor told us that they needed to perform emergency c¨Csection because the baby was in distress, I lost my mind.¡±


    He lowered his head sighing heavily. ¡°The baby survived, thank God, but when I wanted toe and inform you of the news, Jennifer stopped me telling me that she didn¡¯t want you anywhere near the baby, she imed the baby was not yours but mine and that woman¡¯s. I didn¡¯t believe her of course but she insisted. I thought she just didn¡¯t want to give up the baby and ordered a DNA test because she also not allowing me to see the baby anymore saying I wanted to give her to you when she wasn¡¯t yours.


    He paused then lifted his head to look at me. ¡°I wanted to resolve everything beforeing to you. when you arrived, I had just gotten the DNA results and they confirmed what she was saying, that you are not the mother.¡± At that point, I didn¡¯t know what to feel, I was just numb.


    *Did you


    think of me at all, of the fact that I was in an ident and could have been badly injured?¡± he lowered his head. ¡°You were on my mind my love, but I thought the situation with Jennifer needed to be resolved first.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>So</b>, to hell with me


    and if I died then I died as long as you had your baby, right.¡± He snapped his head and looked


    what at me dead in the eyes. ¡°Olivia, what do you take me for? Why would I want you to die, I just exined to you happened and in no time did I ever think that I would be better off without you.


    He stood and went to stand by the window with his back on ne. ¡°I get that you are angry but how can you think that the baby is the only one who is important to me? you are my wife¡­!¡±


    ¡°<b>Oh</b>, so you do know that I am your wife and yet you still cared more about what Jennifer said. You didn¡¯te to check on me before doing all that you did. That is not all, after all the shit that woman put me through, you still went and tendered to her every need neglecting me in the process. So, this was not the first time you neglected me and my needs.¡±


    He was looking at me the whole time I was talking, I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, ¡°Olivia¡­¡±


    ¡°You should leave, go back to the ICU and be with your baby. She is the most important one.¡± He looked hurt by my words. I didn¡¯t get why he would be hurt when he priorised everything and everyone else but me.


    **What are you waiting for? You have your baby now, leave and go be with her. my father will sort me out, that is what you had in mind when you neglected me, right?¡± he walked towards my bed, and I turned my head facing the other way. ¡°I said leave<b>, </b>get the hell out of here!¡±


    He stoppeding closer and stood there for <b>a </b>while. I never thought my rtionship with Marcus will end the same way as mine and Nick¡¯s. but they were both ending because of the same person, Sandra. I swear I did something in my previous life to Sandra that she made sure to be reborn and punish me in this life.


    Soon, I heard his footsteps, then the door opening and closing. I looked at the door and he when I let my tears fall.

 Novel Payback 205

    OLIVIA


    I should have never gotten married again. I was too delusional and thought that this time, it would work out. That it would be different, that Nick was the problem and if I could just get rid of him, then I could get rid of Sandra and everything to do with the both of them.


    Little did I know that Sandra was not done with me. The recent events made me realize that it was <b>never </b>about Nick but about me. For some reason, unknown to me. <b>Sande </b>hated me. I sat on the hospital bed, arm and leg in cast. Tears and snot falling. Thinking about the past when we were teenagers.


    What I might have done to her to make her <b>resent </b>me, but nothing came to mind. To my knowledge and <b>from </b>what I remembered, I always treated her well. My grandmother treated <b>her </b>well. Then why was she so resentful towards me?


    I must have done something really horrible in my past life to be punished like this in this one. I wished whoever I wronged could just find it in their heart to forgive me. if they cursed me then I hope the curse would lifted and 1 could findsting happiness.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I looked towards the door and my dad stood there watching me. all the tears I though <b>had </b>dried up came rushing back. They fell freely like a river in the storm. He took long strides and when he got to me, he took me into his arms, and I total broke downL


    My heart was heavy, and I felt like I was suffocating. The walls of the hospital room suddenly felt like they were closing in on me. it hurt so badly that I could <b>have </b>done anything to make the pain stop. ¡°It¡¯s alright, everything is going to be just fine, you will see.¡± Nothing was fine, nothing was ever going to be fine.


    Not as long as I was still there, in New Vige seeing my ex and my husband everywhere I <b>went</b>. ¡°Take me away dad, I want leave everything behind.¡± My dad pulled out of the hug and looked at me. I nodded. ¡°I mean it dad; this ce has brought nothing but misery to me. I want to leave go somewhere and start over.¡±


    Dad said nothing but kept looking at me with pitiful expression. ¡°What about your baby?¡± my heart broke all over again. I had so much nned for that baby, for our family. How we were going to recover from what Jennifer put <b>us </b>through. Everything!


    But it was clear that God wasughing the whole time I made those ns. He, Sandra and Jennifer wereughing and mocking me the whole time. ¡°She is not mine.¡± Dad raised an eyebrow. ¡°Please, don¡¯t ask me to <b>exin</b>, just <b>know </b>that I am not her mother. Now, will you take me away from here?¡±


    He said nothing but took out his phone and made call to the pilot. Told him to be ready and we would be there. soon. I made a call of my own to Lupita asking them to meet us at the airport. I <b>was </b>taking my family with me. we all deserved a fresh start.


    Does Marcus know about all this?¡± I didn¡¯t want to think about Marcus, he didn¡¯t care about me so, why should I consider his feelings? He had his baby, his hands were full, and we would only be a bother in his life.


    ¡°Marcus doesn¡¯t need to know, <b>no </b>one needs to know.¡± I thought he <b>was </b>going to argue or ask more questions, but he didn¡¯t. ¡°Do you want anything from the house so I can go get it?¡± I wanted nothing, if I was going to start over then I needed nothing from this time and life.


    I needed everything to be new. ¡°I just need our passports; they are <b>in </b>my bedroom in thest drawer of my dresser.¡± He said nothing but turned and left. Not even ten minutester my door burst opened and a worried Jooking Nick appeared.


    He sighed in relief when he saw me. ¡°Am sorry, I saw the ident on the news, and I recognised your car. It¡¯s good to know you are okay even with the broken arm and leg.¡± I said nothing but kept looking at him, two months


    Chapter <b>205 </b>


    have passed since Ist saw him <b>and </b>the moment he heard about my ident, he came rushing.


    My husband should have done that not him. I wanted my husband to be the one who was most concerned about me not my ex. He came in <b>and </b>sat on the visitor chair. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t bring anything; I was just so worried that I didn¡¯t think about bring something. I just wanted to know that you are okay.¡±


    Again, why didn¡¯t my husband do that?e and see if I was okay before attending to everything else. Why didn¡¯t he care enough toe by even if he found me still unconscious<b>, </b>just for him to see for himself that I was alright after the ident then go deal with everything else.


    When did I start beingst in his priority list? ¡°Olivia, you are crying, are you in pain, do you want me to ask the nurse to give you something for the pain<b>?</b>¡± the pain in my leg and arm was nothingpared to the pain in my


    heart.


    In fact, I wanted more pain in my leg and arm to distract me from the pain inside. ¡°No, I am alright, I think I am still shocked by what happened and is now starting to sink in that I could have died.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that you are fine, your arm and leg will heal, and you will be back to your old self in no time. At least you didn¡¯t lose any of them. you will be fine, Olivia.¡± I offered him a sad smile. I wished he cared back then and spoke to me about Sandra instead of sending me to prison.


    If he had, then I wouldn¡¯t be in so much pain right now. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so sad. Do you want me to get Samuel back so you can see him? maybe seeing him is going to lift your spirits.¡± How considerate, but it was a little toote to show concern how.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will see him soon.¡± My phone pinged indicating an ining text. I checked and it was my dad telling me that he wasing to get me. ¡°Nick, thank you foring but I feel <b>tired </b>now. can you pleas leave, you cane back another time.¡± He stood.


    ¡°Alight, be well, okay?¡± I nodded and he left. Goodbye Nick

 Novel Payback 206

    LUKE


    The moment I found her crying in her ward looking broken, my blood boiled. I didn¡¯t know what happened or why she wanted to leave. Or why she didn¡¯t want Marcus to know. That was not priority to me, I didn¡¯t care about any of it either. I care so much about her though, my dear daughter has been through hell and back.


    Whatever she does, she can¡¯t seem to catch a break. Everything always goes down hill sooner orter. I think it is good that she is <b>leaving</b>. I have seen first hand how much she was suffering because of that woman. Marcus not <b>even </b>noticing the sad look in her eyes every time she saw them together.


    The longing in those beautiful eyes of hers when he would massage her feet as she watched. That angered me every time, but I kept my mouth shut because she loved him and wanted to stay with him. I knew if I did something to him, she would <b>have </b>never forgiven me for it


    Now the moron has gone and hurt her <b>again</b>, more than he did before I assume and that is why she wants to leave. I thought he was better, but he is <b>not</b>. He is the same way as that moron Nick, hurting my daughter and breaking her heart as if she was something they <b>could </b>y with.


    Use as they see fit and discard when they are done. Maybe they thought it was okay to do so but I am going to show them that it wasn¡¯t, that my daughter has someone in her corner who would fight for her. just as I was getting to the hospital, I saw Nick <b>leaving</b>.


    I wondered if he went to see her or if he went to check on Sandra again. It didn¡¯t matter though, soon, Olivia <b>is </b>going to be far away from the both of them. I will give her everything her heart desires and make sure she forgets about both of them. they made me sick.


    When I got to her ward, I gave her clothes and called a nurse to help her get changed while I went to process her discharge papers. I had to sign a form stating that the hospital would not be held liable should anything happen to her as I was taking out against doctor¡¯s orders.


    When I was done, I went back to her ward, and she was done. ¡°Are you ready?¡± she nodded, I hated the sad look in her eyes. I wished there was something I could do to ease her pain. It was true that there were somethings that money could <b>not </b>buy.


    1 was a big¨Ctime mafia boss with all the money in the world and yet. I could do nothing to ease my daughter¡¯s pain. There was nothing I could buy that would erase all her pain and make her forget. ¡®Marcus, I aming for you. I told you not <b>to </b>hurt her before and you went and did it anyway. Right in front of me as if you are daring me. just you <b>wait</b>.¡®


    I pushed her out her ward <b>and </b>into the elevator. Just as the doors were closing, I spotted Marcus going to her ward. A little toote if you ask me, he was never going to see her again I was going to make sure of it.


    He has hurt her for thest <b>time</b>, never again. Getting outside, my driver was already waiting. I helped her into the


    car,


    <b>and </b>we drove off, she looked out the window. ¡°Do you need anything before we go to the airport?¡± she shook her <b>head </b>in the negative.


    ¡°Lupita and Samuel are already at the airport.¡± She nodded but said nothing. It hurt me to see her that way <b>and </b>made me resent Marcus even more. But most importantly, I felt useless and helpless. My only daughter was hurting and there <b>was </b>nothing I could do.


    It made me want to kill someone. My phone rang and it was Elodie, what the hell did she want? I ignored the call, but she kept calling. I got fed up and answered. ¡°What!¡± there was silence on the other end. ¡°If you are not going to say anything <b>then </b><b>I </b>am going to cut this call. Don¡¯t call me back if you have nothing to say.¡±


    I <b>snapped</b>. ¡°I heard what happened to Olivia, <b>you </b>must be worried about her.¡± I kept my <b>mouth </b>shut, she was


    stating the obvious, I didn¡¯t know what she wanted me to say to that. ¡°I was wondering if I could visit her. I won¡¯t bother her; I just want to see if she is okay.¡± I nced at my daughter, and she looked like she was in her own


    world.


    <b>H </b>


    ¡°There is no need for that, she is fine. She only has a broken leg and arm. She will be alright.¡± Silence again. Look, I will talk to you some other time. I have to go.¡± I cut the call and nced at Olivia again, but she looked so lost.


    She didn¡¯t even notice when we got to the airport until I tapped her on the shoulder and told her we have arrived. I helped her out and carried her to the jet: Samuel rushed to us when he saw her. ¡°Mama!¡± he yelled excitedly.


    ¡°Hey boy, wait until we sit, and you cane to your <b>mama</b>¡± He was so excited that he was bouncing on his hills waiting for me to move away from his mother. I ced her on the chair and the moment I moved, he rushed to her.


    I cringed worried that he would hurt her. but a smile broke on her face and I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. ¡°What happened to her?¡± Lupita whispered. ¡°She got into an ident.¡± I walked away but she followed <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    ¡°I know about the ident and that is not what I am asking She looks sad and we are going away to a ce I don¡¯t know. Tell me, what did Marcus do?¡± she was a smart little thing, I think Olivia is lucky to have her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he did, Olivia will tell you herself when she is ready.¡±

 Novel Payback 207

    MARCUS


    If I knewst night that today was going to be like this, I would have made better choices, done things differently and treated my wife better. In fact, I would redo the whole seven months if I could. I didn¡¯t know how badly I have been treating my wife until she cried a few minutes ago while telling me all that I have done to her.


    Nick was right, I was not better than he was. I think I might even be worse. What kind of husband did the kind of shit I did? A bad one if you asked me. It hurt me to see her crying painfully like that. It hurt even more learning <b>that </b>she was not the mother of the baby I made her miserable for.


    1 wished I could read minds and know what she was thinking. If she was willing to raise Sandra¡¯s baby with me. it¡¯s selfish, I know buf what can a man do? I am deeply in love with my wife, and I don¡¯t want to lose her. I might <b>not </b>have slept with <b>Sandra </b>and gotten her pregnant, but she was still my daughter¡¯s biological mother.


    I wanted to tear the world apart when I <b>heard </b>to undo everything she did. I wanted to investigate how Olivia¡¯s eg were not used and where they got Sandra¡¯s. I wanted to know how the whole mix up happened and I wanted to make people pay. But then Jennifer said something that made me lose all the strength I had.


    ¡°What good will it do to know how it happened to make us all pay for it when the damage is already done? You finding out everything is not going to change the fact that this baby is not Olivia¡¯s.¡± she said that without a care in


    the world.


    That was the same woman who apologized to <b>me </b>for all the shit she caused my wife and I. I should have known there was something she was hiding. Well, technically she didn¡¯t hide anything. She kept telling us that the baby was not Olivia¡¯s but hers.


    None of us believed her as we thought she was delusional. Still, if she wanted us to know the truth then she would have rified and made us understand. But she didn¡¯t, she led us to believe that the baby was ours when it was not. I was torn with no clue what to do.


    On the one side was my baby girl. Born prematurely and in ICU. Not only that, but she was not the baby I wanted to have with my wife, instead, she belonged to a woman who has been causing my wife so much pain. A woman who found a way to hurt my wife once again.


    On the other hand, was my wife. My beautiful Olivia whom I have caused so much pain, a woman i love with all my heart. A woman who was supposed to be the mother of our daughter. A woman who was now heart broken because not only <b>did </b>she endure seven months of hell because of Jennifer and me.


    But also, <b>was </b>involved in an ident, broke her arm and leg. As if that was not enough, her stupid husband prioritized other things and neglected her. to make matters worse, the baby we were waiting for and went through hell for was not hers.


    What was she supposed to do with that, how was she supposed to cope with that and what could I do to make things right? I walked around aimlessly around the hospital after she kicked me out trying to clear my head, but nothing was working.


    I took out my phone and made a call. ¡°I was just thinking about calling you.¡± came Ethan¡¯s voice. ¡°Please tell me you are back in New Vige.¡± I needed a friend, someone to help me find a way to fix everything. ¡°I just got home and wanted toe over to your house to see Samuel.¡±


    Samuel, I would have been content having him as my son and none of this would have happened. My wife should be happy, and Samuel would be home instead of living apart from his mother. ¡°There is no one home<b>, </b></dive to the hospital.¡±


    ¡°What! what are you doing there, is everything alright?¡± I couldn¡¯t tell him over the phone it was a lot. ¡°Just


    But when I got there, the room was empty, and the bed was made. I walked in and sat there waiting. I thought she was taken for check ups and that she was going to be back. was going to leave when she came back. I just wanted to see her <b>and </b>tell her I was sorry.


    Then thirty minutes passed with no sign of her. I walked out of there and stopped a nurse who was passing asking her about Olivia¡¯s whereabouts. She told me she didn¡¯t know and that I should ask at reception.


    I rushed there and when I got there, I was told that she got discharged and left. Tension gathered in my chest as I stood there not knowing what to do. ¡°Hey man, I got here as fast as I <b>could</b>.¡± That was Ethan.


    ktor


    ¡°We have to go back to my house.¡± I walked past him. ¡±


    I ignored him and called the house, but no one picked up. ¡°We have to go back What do you need there?¡±


    ¡°I want to check if my wife is there.¡®


    ¡°No need to go there, check the cameras.¡± How did I forget about that? I checked them but there was no sign of her. the only person who went there was Luke. I dialled his number, but it went straight to voicemail.


    Then I remembered what he said, ¡°When my daughter leaves the hospital, I am taking her far away from here and you will never see her again.¡±


    ¡°No! no, no, no!¡± I was losing my mind. He couldn¡¯t have taken her, he wouldn¡¯t do that, Olivia wouldn¡¯t do that to me. ¡°Marcus, you are scaring me man, what is going on? I was going crazy.


    ¡°My wife is gone, Olivia is gone Ethan, what the hell am I going to do?¡±

 Novel Payback 208

    MARCUS


    I ran out of the hospital with Ethan following behind. I was like a crazy man outside looking around as if I was going to see her. ¡°Come on, I will drive.¡± I didn¡¯t know where he was driving me, I just followed, soon we were on the road heading towards Luke¡¯s house. ¡°Do you want to tell me what happened?


    In


    I didn¡¯t know where to start, people like me turn to take things for granted thinking that they would always be there. I took my wife for granted thinking that she would never leave, that she would always be there and put up with my shit. I forgot that she was human too and had feelings. I put her through hell, and she stood by me. Yet, I didn¡¯t even notice how hurt she was by my actions. ¡°We are <b>here</b>.¡± I pushed the door open and rushed out. The house was dark indicating that there was <b>no </b>one in there. But still, I pounded on that door hoping for a miracle but nothing. ¡°There is no one there.¡± Ethan stated the obvious, I wished I could take my anger out on him.


    Punch him a few <b>times </b>for being useless. ¡°If you want me to help you, then you will have to tell <b>me </b>what happened.¡± I sat on the stoop and Ethan sat next to me. ¡°You know how things have been with Jennifer, how she kept saying the baby was not ours and how she would take her away?¡± Ethan nodded.


    ¡°Well, it turns out she was telling the truth. Olivia is not that baby¡¯s mother, Sandra is.¡± Ethan stood and started pacing. He did that for some time before he stopped in front of me and asked<b>. </b>¡°I thought <b>you </b>said the baby¡¯s


    nother is Sandra. God! I must really be tired to be hearing things like that.¡± he was in denial like I was when I first found out.


    ¡°I did the DNA, and the baby really is not Olivia¡¯s. I am the father but Jennifer ims that the mother is Sandra ¡± Ethan just stood there watching me, maybe expecting me to smile and tell him that I was joking. I wished to the gods and God above that I was joking. Or that I was sleeping and only dreaming of this shit.


    ¡°Are you being serious?¡± I nodded lowering my head. Ethan suddenlyughed. ¡°Hay no! I should have never let Olivia 6o. I should have protected her from both you and Nick. How can you both be my friend and yet be this stupid. After all you put her through with that woman and pregnancy, now she has to find out that the baby is not even hers, what he fuck is that?¡±


    I kept my mouth shut, I didn¡¯t really care about what Ethan was saying, I just wanted to know where my wife was. ¡°Are you serious right now? I would <b>have </b>left your ass as well if I were her. but wait, there must be more. Olivia would know that you had nothing to do with how things turned out. Why did she leave then?¡± I lowered my head


    in shame.


    I didn¡¯t have a good excuse for the <b>way </b>I behaved. ¡°She got into an ident, I didn¡¯t pick up the call because if was on silent and even after I heard about the ident, Jennifer fell, and she started bleeding and¡­¡± I narrated the events of thest few hours.


    Ethan just kept¨Clooking at me not saying a word. ¡°You are <b>a </b>moron, she was right, go be with your baby since that is the most important thing to you. I will find Olivia myself and I hope she divorces your ass. Putting her so much shit and not even care when she was in an ident. Who the hell are you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know who I was myself. just as I was following him <b>behind</b>, Ethan drove off leaving me there. I didn¡¯t me him, Olivia was like <b>a </b>sister to Ethan, no one hurt Olivia and got away with it, not if Ethan has anything to


    do with it.


    I took out my phone and tried her number again. But it still went straight to voicemail. I tried several times and still nothing. Same thing with Luke¡¯s phone. If anyone would know where Olivia was then it would be her father. I needed to see her, to talk to her. I needed to make things. Right.


    I dialled thest person I would ever call in a normal day. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± he answered, cold as <b>ever </b>and I would be intimidated if I were someone else. ¡°Pick me up at Luke¡¯s house, something happened to Olivia<b>.</b>¡±


    Silence followed my words.


    ¡°She is your wife; I think it¡¯s best you deal with whatever yourself.¡± Why did he have to choose the worst time to be reasonable and considerate? ¡°I am afraid it won¡¯t be that easy, Sandra did something again and this time, I believe it¡¯s the worst thing she has ever done.¡±


    ¡°I aming.¡± I knew that would get him there. I needed his help badly. Olivia might not answer Nick¡¯s call, but Luke would. They were close and he would tell Nick where Olivia <b>was </b>but won¡¯t tell me. not after how I treated <b>and </b>how angry and disappointed, he was in me.


    I was ashamed of myself as well, I never thought something like this could happen to me, while I was sitting there waiting for Nick, Ethan appeared. He must have thought about leaving me behind and changed his mind. Just as he opened the door to get out, Nick arrived.


    Ethan red at him. ¡°Are you on his side, are you here to support your brother? I assume you are <b>since </b>you both have a thing for hurting Olivia then running after when she decides to leave.¡± Ethan used<b>, </b>I could see how angry and hurt he was.


    Nick red at me. ¡°What have you done? On the phone you said it¡¯s about Sandra, I guess you lied.¡± Ethanughed. ¡°Look at the kettle calling the pot ck. It is about Sandra you moron, who else do you think hates Olivia more than Sandra?¡± Ethan was fuming.


    ¡°What did she do?¡± Nick finally asked. ¡°She switched Olivia¡¯s eggs for hers.¡± Nick furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°What does that mean?¡± he was confused. ¡°It means, you dumb, domb, that the baby Olivia suffered for is her husbands and Sandra.¡±


    <b>11 </b>


    bare


    Nick¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh, shit! we are doomed. We are never going to see her again this time and I will never get to have a rtionship with my son.¡± His eyes turned blood shot red. ¡°I am going to kill Sandra with my hands.¡±

 Novel Payback 209

    OLIVIA


    Having my son with me, made me a little better. It got me ngry at the same time. I lost months with him and for what? nothing. I made sacrifices for my <b>marriage </b>and what did I get in return? Nothing. I didn¡¯t think it was fair at all. Investing in something and getting nothing in return. As much as I have a good man by my side<b>. </b>


    It didn¡¯t help that he neglected me, that he pushed me aside and focused on that woman. I get that the child is his, but he didn¡¯t know at the time. Myints fell on deaf ears. My husband, who was once attentive turned into <b>a </b>blind and deaf man. Who could not see that pain I was feeling from the way he was behaving


    He did not see how much strain I was taking, and he did not hear myints. He basically turned <b>a </b><b>blind </b>eye to everything to do with ine. the ident was thest straw. He could have checked on me, came and told me <b>as </b><b>soon </b><b>as </b>he found out so we can see what to do,


    He didn¡¯t do that, instead, he behaved like Nick Jones only caring about what he thought was important and to hell with me and what I needed. I felt betrayed. ¡°Do you want to know where we are going?¡± my dad asked, I could already see the beautiful ind from the window.


    ¡°We are going somewhere far.¡± That was what I wanted, to go somewhere far where no one knew me. ¡°Yes, wee to the Maldives.¡± A small smile yed on my lips. Luke finally got a chance to spoil me rotten <b>and </b>I was going to let him<b>. </b>


    There, I wanted to be cared for, I wanted to be selfish for a change and have everyone do things for me instead of It being the other way around. My chest tightened at the thought of that baby, may she forgive me.


    But I was not ready to raise that woman¡¯s offspring with my husband. I was not ready to deal with anything to do with Sandra. I thought I got rid of her once, but she came back even more vicious than thest time. I was tired of fighting for everything I wanted.


    Sandra could y her game on her own for all I care. I was not ying anymore, and I was not fighting. If my husband was what she wanted, then she could have him. they could be a family and maybe, she would leave me and my son alone.


    I couldn¡¯t deal with that woman and her shenanigans anymore, I was done. The Maldives was going to be my new beginning. ¡°Olivia, we are here.¡± I looked around and the jet was already on the ground and door opened. Lupita came to me. ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on with you, but I am going to make sure that you forget whatever it is and focus on yourself for a change.¡± My thoughts exactly. She knew me better than anyone else.


    Lupita was able to tell when I was not alright just by looking at me, yet my husband couldn¡¯t see anything. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to have fun alone, I want you right by myside.¡± She offered a bright smile; I hoped she would find a good man. One who would cherish <b>her</b>.


    ¡°It¡¯s a deal, <b>now</b>, let us go and see where we will be staying,¡± I chuckled, I was <b>d </b>to have my family back with me. I had to send them away because of that woman. I was never going to do something like that ever again. From now on, my family and Ie first and to hell with everyone else.


    ¡°Olivia! Stop talking and get out here. It¡¯s alreadyte I need a proper meal.¡± Lukeined. Lupita helped me out of the jet, it was already dark, but it didn¡¯t feel like it, the night was beautiful with a nice breeze apanying


    it


    The moon sat in the sky providing the much¨Cneeded light to the dark night. The air felt fresh and light. I couldn¡¯t help but inhale deeply and released it feeling like I was releasing all the negativity and pain I came with away.


    ¡®I can be happy here.¡± I said to myself looking around. Luke sighed deeply. ¡°Olivia, can you look at the night and


    whatever else it is you are looking at tomorrow? I am tired my darling and arm starving.¡± I chuckled, I guess that was the reason the man liked cooking. He didn¡¯t like being hungry.


    Lupita finally helped me onto the wheelchair and my dad pushed me to the car. The drive to the hotel was about twenty minutes. I checked my phone, and I had a bunch of calls from Nick, Marcus and Ethan.


    I opened a window and threw the phone outside. Luke nced at me but said nothing. I was leaving everything from my past where it belonged. In the past. I was tired of always sacrificing for people who couldn¡¯t care less


    about me.


    Everyone I have ever met had done the same thing to me. used me for whatever then betray me, I didn¡¯t know what it was with me that gave everyone the impression that I could be used, that I was someone they could walk all over.


    ¡°don¡¯t think too much, it¡¯s over now and it will remain that way for as long as you want it to. I own parts of this ind; you don¡¯t have to spend money here. You can do whatever you want my people will be there to care for you and cater to all your needs.¡±


    I appreciated Lukes words. They brought somefort to me. ¡°What about the hotel?¡± Lupita asked, I was about to ask the same thing. ¡°It¡¯s mine, I got it years ago when I thought I was going to get you and your mother and leave everything behind. But it didn¡¯t work out that way.¡± He looked sad saying that.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± I looked around as we walked to the elevator, well, I was pushed to the elevator, I couldn¡¯t exactly walk in my current state. It was a beautiful hotel. I wished I was not injured so I could explore freely. ¡°Don¡¯t even, think about it, the doctor is waiting to check on <b>you </b>in your room and after that, you will rest.¡± He said then took out his phone that was ringing.


    ¡°Yes?¡± he answered, I didn¡¯t know who he was talking to, but his next words got my insides cold. ¡°Kill whoever tries to find anything about my travels. You know that no one should ever know about that. I don¡¯t care who it is, it¡¯s either you kill them or detain them for me to kill them myself when I decide toe back.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Payback 210

    ?Chapter 210


    Chapter <b>210 </b>


    <b>MARCUS </b>


    I didn¡¯t want to go back to the hospital, not until I found my wife and have spoken to her. I couldn¡¯t just lose her too carelessly like that. I needed her now more than ever, she was my reason for waking up in the morning, the reason I look strong to everyone out there. She made me feel that way just because she was there to catch me when I would fall.


    When the exhaustion hit, when all hope is gone, when nothing seemed to make sense. She was there with me and for me. she lifted me up, gave me strength and continued to cheer me on. I was who I was because I had her. she made sense of my world because she is my world.


    People say something like this a lot, I am nothing without you, then turn around and do something else. <b>Some </b>might even say I was exactly the same for what I did to my wife. But what no one understood was the fact that I got to do all that because I had a rock by myside.


    <b>1 </b>really had and was nothing without her. ¡°I am sure you are ming yourself right now, asking yourself why you didn¡¯t see iting. Wondering if she is going toe back to you.¡± I nced at Nick, as much as I didn¡¯t want to hear what he had to say. He was still the only person who understood exactly what I was going <b>through</b>.


    ¡°Do you think she is going toe <b>back</b>?¡± against my better judgement, I asked. I knew I was going <b>to </b>regret the answer. Nick sighed. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say. She might or might not. You must remember that this is <b>not </b>the first time Olivia has gone through something like this. Also, it <b>has </b>to do with <b>the </b>same person who caused her misfortune the first time.¡±


    I knew that but I still didn¡¯t want to look at my situation that way. I wanted to keep having hope and lie to myself if need be. I didn¡¯t want to think about my wife noting back, I didn¡¯t want to think about not seeing her beautiful face ever again.


    ¡°How do I get her back?¡± Nick burst outughing, <b>he </b>wasughing so hard that his was holding his stomach with tears in the corners of his eyes. ¡°This is not aughing matter!¡± it was like I tickled him; he wasughing so hard that he stopped the car on the side of the road.


    I was so annoyed <b>and </b>wished I had drove with Ethan instead. He finally stopped then looked at me and chuckled before getting back into the <b>car</b>. ¡°Oh, Marcus, you are so funny man. How can you ask me something like that, do you think she would be your wife now if I knew the answer to that?¡± he raised an eyebrow looking at me.


    I knew what he was saying was correct however, I did not want to hear it. I hoped for better advice from him since Ethan I mad at me. I didn¡¯t me him; both his friends have managed to hurt the woman he loved and could never be with.


    I also know that he was one of the few people who could find her for me. ¡°Look man, I can¡¯t say you won¡¯t get her back, but I also can¡¯t say you will get her back. All that depends on her. we are different and our situations are different. Don¡¯tpare yourself to <b>me</b><b>.</b>¡± I felt like he was mocking me when he said <b>that</b>.


    ¡°What are we going to do about Sandra?¡± Nick¡¯s expression changed so fast as if he was notughing a minute ago. Sandra was a sore subject for all of us. ¡°I want her dead, she hurt me and Olivia enough. I want her dead and want to do it myself to make sure.<b>¡± </b>


    I looked out the window not sure what to say. ¡°But she is the mother of your child, I will not do anything to her. you will decide what to do.¡± His words sat heavy on my heart.


    I hoped he would make it easy for me, kill her or don¡¯t kill her was not going to be my decision thus taking <b>away </b>the guilt I would one day feel when my daughter asks who her mother is. Now the man was telling me that I was the one who was supposed to decide.


    How <b>does </b><b>one </b>decide something like that, <b>¡°</b>I see your hesition and 1 think that Sandra knew that we would find <b>It </b>difficult <b>to </b><b>do </b>what needs to be done knowing that she is the mother of <b>your </b>child. If there was no child <b>involved</b>, and Sandra did something to hurt Olivia again like now. I was going to end her without hesitating. But this is <b>your </b>decision to make.¡±


    <b>I </b>sighed, tension gathering on my shoulders and suddenly understood what people mean when they say they feel like they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. I felt the exact same way.


    The tension that gathered there, this feeling in my chest like I had an elephant sitting on it. right then the only thing I could do was focus on my breathing. I didn¡¯t want heart problems like Nick. I had a daughter to think of<b>. </b>


    ¡°Do you want my honest opinion?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted, for some reason, I felt like whatever he was going to say was going to push me right to the edge, I was already struggling toe to terms with the fact that my wife was gone. I didn¡¯t think I could handle more.


    But then again, curiosity got the better of me. ¡°Go ahead, tell me.¡± Nick briefly nced at me; I hated the look he gave me. ¡°I think you will lose Olivia if you don¡¯t <b>do </b>anything about Sandra.¡± I was afraid he was going to say something like that.


    How the hell does one choose? As if he could read my thoughts, Nick said. ¡°It¡¯s not about choosing one over the other. It¡¯s about you asking yourself what is best for your daughter. Is it having Sandra for a mother<b>, </b>a woman who only had her to mess with people¡¯s lives, or Olivia who will never see her as her own as long as Sandra, her mother and the woman who has caused her so much pain is still around.¡±


    He sighed then nced back at me. ¡°Do you think Olivia will get along with Sandra and they will go shopping with the child and do all that women do? Do you think she will ever befortable in a ce where Sandra is? Hell, you have to choose, keep Sandra and lose Olivia.¡±

 Novel Payback 211

    Chapter <b>211 </b>


    MARCUS


    I thought we were going to the hospital to see my daughter but Niek led me to the psych ward where Sandra was. <b>I </b>didn¡¯t know what he hoped to achieve by doing that, I did have not made the decision on what I was going to do with


    think seeing her was going to change anything. Yes, I er, she hurt my wife, and I swore to protect her.


    <b>yes</b><b>. </b>


    But did she hurt her more than I did, or was what she did to her more than what I did? We both hurt Olivia and She has hurt her more than anyone could ever Imagine. My wife and I were in this predicament because of what she did in the past. But did she deserve to die? I didn¡¯t think Olivia would want that.


    Knowing her, she only wanted the woman out of her life not for her to die. When we got there, they opened for us and Nick led the way to Sandra¡¯s ward. Inside we found her sitting by the window looking out. She might have looked out of it, but she was still a beautiful woman.


    I had no doubt my daughter was going to have good features. ¡°Sandra?¡± Nick called her name, she turned and looked at us. Her gaze lingered on me. ¡°I heard the baby was born and I guess you know everything and that is why you are here<b>.</b>¡®


    I looked at Nick, he said the woman was drugged up, why was she lucid now? as if he knew my questions, he answered. ¡°I asked the doctor to stop her meds the moment I found out what happened. The drugs are still system, but she can understand everything.¡±


    In her


    Sandra gave a small smile; she has a beautiful smile that made me wonder what the hell happened to her for her to turn out this way? ¡°What happened to our daughter?¡± she asked me still keeping her smile. ¡°That is not why we came here.¡± She nodded looking back out the window.


    ¡°You want to know why and how I did it. I will tell you after you have answered my questions.¡± I could see why Nick was annoyed by the woman. He was annoying me as well; the man went and took a seat as if he wasn¡¯t even in the room. it made <b>me </b>wonder what the purpose of going there <b>was</b>.


    ¡°My daughter is fine even thought she was born prematurely.¡± Sheughed, I didn¡¯t know what she wasughing <b>at </b>as this was noughing matter. ¡°Your daughter huh? Interesting.¡± I wondered what was going on in her mind to think she would ever be a mother to my daughter.


    ¡°I guess its okay to call her yours, she is yours and I have no interest in being someone¡¯s mother. Olivia can raise her, if she <b>can</b>.¡± She looked back at me with a smirk on her face, now I got <b>why </b>Nick wanted to kill her. she was evil.


    ¡°Then why did you do all this if you have no interest in being a mother?¡± she turned back to looked at <b>me</b><b>. </b>¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± I just looked at her, if it was then I wouldn¡¯t be asking her. ¡°No wonder it was so easy to do all this, you are too slow, both of you. I don¡¯t know how you became such prominent businessmen.¡±


    What an insult, but I was not about to entertain her. ¡°I did it to get back at Olivia.¡± Her response just pissed me off, ¡°What did my wife do to you for you to want to get back at her? ording to my understanding, you were the one who went after Olivia first. After she has been good <b>to </b>you for years and even called you, her friend<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    She looked at me with anger written all over her face and nostrils ring. ¡°You <b>can </b>re at me all you want but you and I both know that the events that followed after <b>were </b>caused by your betrayal.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about what you are saying, I have achieved my goal. Olivia is miserable wherever she is and that is why you are here now looking like your world is ending. Your saint of a wife <b>will </b>never be able to stay with you after this and she won¡¯t raise my child. That means she will leave you and be miserable like the rest of us.¡±


    ¦§


    She was not normal. No normal person would say or think something like that. ¡°Nick, how could you be so blind to believe a person like this to a point that you had your own wife put in jail. How blind were you?¡± Nick red my


    <b>way</b>.


    No, I actually wanted to know, I was curious. ¡°I think I was blind, as you were when you started taking the same woman for granted. Don¡¯t y smart with me when this witch over here yed us both like morons.¡± He was right, she did y us, and we allowed it.


    Sandra had this proud smile on her face. ¡°What do you <b>want </b>me to tell her when she grows up and asks about you?¡± she had this disgusted look on her face when I asked Tell her I died, don¡¯t even think of telling her who I am. I don¡¯t want to be a mother, and I don¡¯t want your childing to look for me either. Because then she will know that she was not made because was wanted but because she was convenient to my n and when it was done. I had no use for her.¡±


    <b>? </b>


    Those words pained me. ¡°Then you might as well be dead an risk her meeting you in the future.¡± She <bughed</b>. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself now, she can¡¯t be fully yours until I sign over my rights to her and that will cost you.¡± I fumed in anger; it was not about hurting Olivia alone but also about making money.


    The woman ruined my marriage for money, she was sick in the head. I didn¡¯t know what happened or how I got to her, but I found myself choking her. ¡°I will not need anything from you once you are dead.¡±

 Novel Payback 212

    NICK


    I knew he was not going to be a good guy for long with Sandra, no one ever is. The woman had a way of making one so angry that they want to kill her with their bare hand. She did the same to me and to Luke. She was good at it. I didn¡¯t know why she was not dead yet.


    I watched as Marcus choked her, I was sure he was not in his right mind, he was so angry that he found himself doing that. I did it as well, I know the feeling. I walked out and went to find her doctor. I knocked once in his office <b>and </b>let myself in.


    ¡°Mr Jones, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Remember what I asked you to prepare for me?¡± he nodded. ¡°I need it now.¡± he looked shocked that I asked for it. what did he think it was for? ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± nodded, he hesitated but went ahead and opened his locked cab and took it out then handed it to me.


    I took it <b>and </b>shoved it in my pocket then walked out. When I got back to the ward, Marcus had stopped choking Sandra and was now standing by the door while she coughed uncontrobly. ¡°I guess your mind is now made up?¡± he didn¡¯t hesitate this time.


    ¡°Yes, it is. I want to get it done.¡± I didn¡¯t respond, just took out the needle from my pocket. ¡°You see Marcus, when you want to deal with scum like her, you don¡¯t have to get your hands dirty. Something like this <b>does </b>the work perfectly and leaves no trace.¡±


    ??


    Sandra stopped coughing and looked up at me. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t.¡± a smile broke on my face, I lost a lot because of that woman, I lost my wife, my son and my future with them. I didn¡¯t even know where they were at that moment and still it <b>was </b><b>because </b>of her.


    ¡°What makes you think that I wouldn¡¯t? you did all the shit to hurt Olivia and I. you still did more even after being locked up in here, you always find a way to fuck up our lives. You need to be taken care of, I thought locking you up in here was going to work but it was a waste of my time, and it gave you time to n something like this. I am not making that mistake again.¡±


    She stood now looking between Marcus and I with pleading eyes. ¡°Please<b>, </b>just give me the money and I will leave the country. You will never have to see me again and I will not do anything to you or Olivia again. Please.¡± I nced at Marcus; I wanted to see if he was moved or if he changed his mind.


    As much as I wanted Sandra dead, if he wanted her to live for the sake of his daughter then, I would not do anything. I didn¡¯t want to add one more person to the list of people who resent me. the ones I have were more than enough. I wasn¡¯t Luke, I couldn¡¯t handle them should they decide to retaliate.


    Marcus looked red in the face, he was angry, but I couldn¡¯t tell if he still wanted to move forward or stop everything. But I wanted the woman dead, I would rather go to hell for killing her than live my life looking over my shoulder and wondering when she would resurface again.


    I did it before, I wasn¡¯t willing to do it again, I had enough of the name Sandra and even the person it belonged to. I cursed the day I met her. ¡°Are you doing it<b>, </b>or should I?¡± Marcus asked, I guess he didn¡¯t have to deal with Sandra anymore.


    ¡°<b>Please</b>, Marcus. I promised if I evere back then you can do it. you can kill me but not now. I will note back, and I will not appear here ever again. Please.¡± Marcus turned away from her and that was when I <b>knew </b>that he was not going to change his mind.


    I closed the distance between us, she moved back until her back was against the wall, the funny thing about it all was she didn¡¯t look scared. She just had this defiant look in her eyes, and I also knew that everything she said


    previously was utter nonsense.


    If we let her go this time, she was going to take her time to n something even more sinister thene back and hit us where it would hurt the most. I was tired of all the bad things the woman could do and was capable of doing<b>. </b>I wanted to be rid of her permanently.


    She looked me dead in the eye as if she was daring me to de Maybe she thought I wouldn¡¯t if she looked at me that way. But she underestimated the level of pain she caused me, the exhausting of having her around breathing the same air I did.


    I wanted her gone and I felt like I would have peace after. I lifted the needle. ¡°Are you going to fight me or give in willingly? Either way is good with me.¡± she red at me fiercely for a moment then she tilted her head exposing her neck.


    She must have realized that I was not backing down. That it didn¡¯t matter how much she begged and pleaded the results were going to be the same. I injected her with the contents of the needle then took a few steps back.


    She slowly walked to her bed andid down<b>. </b>¡°Nost words? How disappointing.¡± She didn¡¯t say a word and justid there. Marcus turned and looked at her, he walked closer to the bed and crotched in front of her.


    ¡°You said you wanted me to tell her that you were dead, at least now, it won¡¯t be lie and she will find peace in whatever I tell her tofort her.¡± he then stood and walked out. I went to her as well. ¡°I could have been good to you. I would have done anything for my heart¡¯s friend. I would have made sure youcked nothing. That you were happy because that would have made Olivia happy. I wish you <b>lead </b>a better life and make better life choices in your next life.¡±


    I stood and walked out as well. The doctor was standing outside her ward. ¡°Take care of everything, she had no family so, you can burn her body or donate it to university students for medical studies, your choice.¡± I said then walked away.

 Novel Payback 213

    Chapter <b>213 </b>


    NICK


    I felt lighter after leaving <b>that </b>room, like a weight had bee ifted and in a way it had. There was no more Sandra to worry about, no more looking over my shoulder, no more wondering what she is nning or what she would do next. All those worries were now gone. I felt like a new man like I was born again and given another chance at life Another chance to redeem myself, a chance to make things right and getting rid of Sandra was the first step towards achieving that. <b>Call </b>me cruel but the bible says, ¡®God helps those who help themselves. Olivia, me and God forbid Marcus. <b>Have </b>been waiting for some miracle from above.


    Praying to God that Sandra changes, but no miracle came, instead, the she devil hurt us even more. Well, I guess I was not different from her after all, Maybe I was worse than she was, I mean she never killed anyone at least not that I knew of, but I did. I killed her, I could not stand to see those close to me suffer anymore.


    Even the moron who took everything from me, and that was because he has my heart with him. I didn¡¯t want her to suffer no matter who she was with because she was still my heart. But I don¡¯t think she would ever understand how much pain I felt every time she got hurt. How angry I would get every time she was happy.


    That was because she was happy without me and that just made me mad. But I would also rejoice because even after everything I put her through, she would feel at ease, and I would be happier as well.


    Still managed to find happiness, managed to smile and be happy. My heart


    ¡°Regretting what we did already?¡± I looked up and Marcus was standing a few feet from me with his hands shoved in his pockets. Head tilted slightly to the side with a worried look on his face. I smiled, for the first time in long a time. I smiled, a genuine smile. I didn¡¯t know I could still smile like that.


    Marcus raised an eyebrow am sure wondering what the hell got into me or assuming that I had finally lost my mind. ¡°Oh, no. what I just did is something I will never regret, not in this lifetime at least. I am relieved.¡± He took a few steps closer to me.


    ¡°Are you sure you are alright, that must not have been easy¡± I chuckled, he was a good guy. ¡°How the hell am I supposed to hate you when your good guy side just shines brightly like that?¡± heughed, ¡°So, you want to hate me?¡± I gave a smile patting him on the back.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t want to hate the man who took his heart?¡± before he could answer, I walked past him and pressed. the elevator button. ¡°Come on, lets go see that daughter of yours thene up with a n to bring my heart back.¡± He chuckleding into the elevator after me.


    ¡°She is so beautiful man, you are so going to be jealous of me.¡± spoken like a true father, I couldn¡¯t wait to be like that with Samuel. ¡°She maybe beautiful but I have the most handsome son in the world¡± Heughed. ¡°I believe he is mine too, so, we have the most handsome <b>son </b>in the world.¡±


    I red at him, and heughed getting out of the elevator. followed him behind. We got sterilized then wore protective clothing before going into the paediatric ward. There were a few cute babies there and the moron passed them all only to stop at a small box kind of thing with a baby a <b>small </b>as my hand wasying with cubes all over her.


    The thing looked like a rat and yet Marcus said it was beautiful. That thing¡¯s skin was so light that if I was <b>too </b>close, I could see it¡¯s insides. ¡°Dear Lord, will <b>it </b>survive? Let it survive or this man would be crushed, he can¡¯t afford to lose his wife and this thing as well.¡±


    I found myself praying for it and him on the inside. ¡°I must have gone crazy.¡± Marcus turned to me with a big smile. ¡°Why, because of what happened?¡± I wondered when he was going to stop talking about that. it was n it was done, and I didn¡¯t regret it.


    <b>e</b><b>; </b>


    ¡°Marcus, I am fine about what we did, really. I am just amazed by the fact that I find that small thing cute.¡± Illed, I didn¡¯t find it cute, It scared the shit out of me. If it weren for the machines, I swear I would have thought it was dead. ¡°Right? I told you she was beautiful.¡± Oh, Lord! Save he.


    His face then turned sad. ¡°I was supposed to be here with my wife, enjoying this moment together after all the suffering. She was supposed to be crying tears of joy and pestering the doctors to check on her more often. She would be living in this hospital<b>, </b>and I would be having a hard time getting her out of this room to eat something.¡±


    I felt bad for him. they really did look forward to this. I guess he and I were on the same boat. I didn¡¯t get to be there for my wife and son. Now he was alone with his daughter and his wife was nowhere to be found.


    ¡°I should have done better; I shouldn¡¯t have made her feel ke she was alone or that she was not priority to me. I wished she knew that everything I did was to make things easy for her. I didn¡¯t want her to get hurt. I didn¡¯t want her to be the one to tend to <b>that </b>woman¡¯s ridiculous demands. I wanted to be the one to take on all of that for her.¡±


    His words hurt me for some reason. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± we turned, and the devil¡¯s helper Jennifer was standing there. Marcus looked angry. ¡°I should be asking you that. I paid you what I promised and now you have nothing to do with this baby. If I ever see you here <b>again</b><b>, </b>I will have you arrested.¡±


    ¡°What? I am not leaving this baby alone until Sandra tells me to.¡± Weughed<b>. </b>¡°I guess you are going to wait forever then because Sandra is <b>dead </b>and if you don¡¯t want to end up like her for everything you did. I suggest you fuck off.¡±


    OLIVIA

 Novel Payback 214

    OLIVIA


    The Maldives was a beautiful ce, serene. Nothing or no ce couldpare to It. being there felt like paradise. I felt free, not once did I think about my husband, I had everything and everyone who meant something to me by


    side. Marcus was busy with his daughter, the most important person in his life.


    my


    1 limped to the balcony and closed my eyes feeling the sea breeze gently caressing my face. I inhaled deeply smiling as I did so. I should have gone there sooner. ¡°I know Nick, but I will not tell you where we are and don¡¯t try to look into it because you will be killed or detained until Ie back.¡± I didn¡¯t want to be hearing anything about the people back there.


    Luke was on the balcony as well taking a call, I didn¡¯t notice him at first until he spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that, this time, I am thinking only about my daughter, what you and Marcus want is none of my business. Don¡¯t call me again.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t go back inside and pretend like I didn¡¯t hear anything. When he turned to go back inside, he saw me.¡± Olivia don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t tell them anything.¡± I wasn¡¯t worried, Luke always wanted me away from them. ¡°I am not worried about anything because you are here.¡± A smile broke on his face.


    The man didn¡¯t smile often and when he does, it¡¯s a beautiful sight. ¡°I am d,e and join us for breakfast but be prepared, we are eating pancakes.¡± Iughed, that had Samuel written all over it. I walked back inside and out the door to the next room.


    ¡°God sure took his time creating you.¡± I looked up and a very handsome Greek god was standing in front of me. wearing <b>a </b>white linen pants and <b>a </b>white shirt. Sandals on his feet, lips a light red and juicy looking. Eyes as blue as the ocean.


    No, God sure took his time making him. he sculptured him just right. His golden hair messy on his head. Goodness! I felt alive just staring at him. ¡°Be my friend then, <b>I </b>see you like me just as much as I like you.¡± he said


    cologne. but he sounded so close, and his features were so close that I could smell hi


    Wait! I got back to my senses, and he was so close to me. I took a step back but stumbled almost falling since I still had a broken leg. That was not a good impression. He steadied me. ¡°I see how you broke your arm and leg. You are clumsy, I will have to look after you now and make sure you don¡¯t injure yourself more.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>And why would you do that?¡± we both turhed, and my father was standing there. Apron on and¡­I didn¡¯t know what the white stuff all over him was, could be flour. ¡°Hi, my name is Xander, and I am her friend.¡± Luke looked at me. I just stood there, too shocked to say anything.


    ¡°Mmm, right! Come on in then. We are about to have breakfast.¡± Before I could protest, Xander, the god, was already by the door. He turned to me with a smile. ¡°Come on¡­¡± that was my dad¡¯s room, and he was inviting me as if I was the guest not him.


    When I walked in he was already sitting next to Samuel. I took a seat opposite them, my dad brought more food to the table then joined us. ¡°So, Xander, are you a tourist or a local?¡± he nced at me smiling.


    ¡°Both I would say, I grew up here but left to study abroad after high school then came back opened my business on this side as well, you know, to create jobs for the ind people.¡± Luke looked impressed. ¡°That is good, more like giving back to themunity that raised you.¡±


    ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡±


    10


    ¡°<b>What </b>about you? I assume you are tourists seeing that you are staying in a hotel?¡± what about him, he just came out from one of the rooms, we could say the same about him. ¡°Oh, I am a businessman, and <i>I </i>own this hotel. But <b>this </b>time I wanted to show the ind to my daughter and grandson.¡±


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    The man didn¡¯t even know my name and yet he was sitting at our table eating our food. ¡°That is good to know, I always wondered who opened the hotel. It helped many of our people with jobs. Thank you, sir.¡± Luke smiled.


    He was not used to people thanking him for a good thing he has done. The man was a killer, doing <b>good </b>was not in his vocabry. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± He wiped syrup from Samuel¡¯s cheek and my baby smiled at him.


    Which shocked me because my son was not friendly to strangers. ¡°Am shocked he let you do that and even smiled at you. my grandson is not the friendly type.¡± Xanderughed. ¡°Maybe he can tell that I am a dad too. I have a boy his age. He is at the pool side with his nanny right now.¡®


    <b>Oh</b>, wow. ¡°Where is the mother?¡± I found myself asking, why did I ask <b>that</b>? ¡®Damnit Olivia, he is <b>now </b>going to think you are desperate for a man. Wait, what am I saying? He can see the ring on my finger, <b>no </b>need to worry about such things.¡±


    ¡°Well, his mother passed away three years ago in an ident.¡± That made me feel like an ass for asking. ¡°Am sorry to hear that.¡± he offered me a bright smile. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Justin and I are alright. We have healed but there will always be something missing in his life, a mother.¡± Naturally, I wouldn¡¯t forget that easy as well.


    ¡°I see you are married, or was married?¡± Luke looked between Xander and I. ¡°If you are friends, how is it that you don¡¯t know that she is married?¡± Xanderughed.


    ¡°We just met a moment ago, we are yet to get to know each other and our children <b>of </b>course. Also, I can be your tour guide and take you to all the nice spots. Of course<b>, </b>I will make sure we only go to ces that are safe for a cripple.¡± They allughed. Wow.


    ¡°Not you too, dad and it¡¯s not funny.¡± Theyughed even more, even Samuelughed. For the first time since I left home<b>, </b>I felt happy. Maybe having Xander around was not such a <b>bad </b>idea.

 Novel Payback 215

    MARCUS


    We now knew that Olivia was with Luke. But the man was not budging, he was not picking up my calls either. He only picked up when Nick called but only to tell him to not book for them. I didn¡¯t know what he expected us to do. But he knew very well that we wouldn¡¯t sit on our hands and do nothing


    Ethan for starters now looked like a caveman in just four days of them being gone. The man didn¡¯t sleep, he was busy with whatever sites he was busy with to try and locate hem. I have tried to call Olivia many times, but her number was not in service anymore. My wife hated me so much that she didn¡¯t even want to talk to me.


    ¡°Send Luke a picture of this man, ask him to <b>at </b>least take hon out of his misery. He won¡¯t tell us any way even if he knew where they were. This is a man who kept the fact that Samuel was your son, twice. He can be trusted.¡± Nick nced at Ethan.


    ¡°I think we became friends with <b>him </b>because of that quality of his, as annoying as it is sometimes, it is his best quality, and I also don¡¯t think he should suffer because of our stupidity.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Speak for yourself, I am not stupid.¡± Nick shook his head but went and took a picture of Ethan.


    We were in his ce, but the man has not said a word to us. He ate <b>the </b>food we brought though. ¡°I sent it, he may not reply though.¡± I knew that Luke could be ruthless when he wanted to. Just to remind us that he was not a normal man. Even though we got used to him and started treating him like he was one of us.


    ¡°Stop it.¡± I looked up at Nick with a raised eyebrow. ¡°What?¡± he shook his head. ¡°You are going to lose your mind if you keep thinking about it. why do you think I have been <b>with </b>you all this time? I am trying to prevent you from over thinking and neglecting your daughter in the process. She <b>needs </b>a sane father. You can¡¯t go down the same rabbit hole I went to when something like this happened to me.¡±


    Sometimes I could see why Olivia married him back then, he was not an entirely selfish person. He has his ws like everyone


    else. But deep <b>down</b>, he was a good guy. If he were that bad, he would haveughed and told me it served me right since I always made him out to be the bad guy.


    ¡°Thinking about it and the wrongs I have done to my wife is inevitable. But I will try <b>not </b>to lose my mind yet and hope that she will be back soon so that she and I can talk.¡± was going to keep it together for my daughter, Nick was right about <b>one </b>thing.


    My daughter was still in the hospital, and she needed me. she only had me, I couldn¡¯t afford to lose my mind when I have her to think about. Oh, my darling daughter, your father messed up big time, if he wasn¡¯t such a moron, you would have your mother with you.


    ¡°Marcus, what name are you going to give her?¡± a name, she didn¡¯t have a name. the one I wanted to give her was not so important anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t have <b>a </b>name; her mother is going to name her.¡± my chest hurt after uttering those words.


    I wasn¡¯t sure that my wife would <b>want </b>to be a mother to my child. Not with how she was conceived. She might have a difficult time being a mother to her. my chest tightened. I started sweating <b>and </b>finding it difficult to breathe.


    ¡°Get the <b>fuck </b>out of my house! Coming here and acting like you dying when you caused all this shit.go die somewhere else not here!¡± I was so shocked by Ethan¡¯s outburst that I forgot about my situation. I was still struggling to breathe but looking at him and focusing on him made me forget my own pain.


    ¡°What are you looking at, Nick? You did the same shit; you guys belong together and please get the fuck out of my house.¡± Nick went and took <b>a </b>seat. He pulled the chair closer to Ethan. He patted his back ignoring Ethan¡¯s protests.


    Chapter <b>215 </b>


    ¡°Am sorry man, we are sorry. We know you care <b>about </b>Olivia and Samuel. I know that you have made them your family and we keep messing with them. I know that we have hurt you and your family. We apologize, my friend. You know it was not intentional, but we still hurt you regardless, For that, we apologize, forgive us.¡±


    I sat there quietly, listening to Nick and realizing that my actions did not only hurt my wife, but they also hurt her family as well. Lupita and grandma. My son Samuel and Olivia¡¯s brother and my friend Ethan. I was too focused on my own shit that I forgot all about the other people my actions hurt.


    ¡°Am sorry, Ethan. If I could, I would promise to make things right and get your family back for you. but I <b>can¡¯t </b>make that promise. We bot know how Olivia is, she might note back to me, and I would not be able to keep that promise. All I can promise you now is that I will do better, and I will try to do right by them, if Olivia gives me a chance to do so.¡±


    I hoped she would, just like Nick, she was everything to me. I loved that woman. I just didn¡¯t get how I could mess things up so badly. How the fuck did I get to this point? ¡°Marcus, stop it.¡± Nick warned. <b>Ethan¡¯s </b>phone beeped.


    He took it, read the message. Acted as if he was not pleased with whatever was written on there, then stood. ¡°I am going to shower.¡± He spoke. ¡°It¡¯s about time, you stink and shave that beard, you look like a caveman.¡± Nick teased. Ethan said nothing but walked out.


    If that was Luke and he told him where they were. Then I was happy for him, he could go to them and be happy. Nick and I deserved to suffer as he said.

 Novel Payback 216

    Chapter <b>216 </b>


    MARCUS


    Last night, we said our goodbyes to Ethan. He said we were going to see him whenever Olivia decided toe back. He <b>wamed </b>us not to have him followed or check where he went. I wanted to so badly but at the same time, I wanted to give Olivia the space she needed to calm down. I also sent a letter for her with Ethan.


    Then I went to the hospital and spent the night being kangaroo dad to my newborn daughter. A child with no name and born into a broken family. I never wanted her to know that she was the reason my wife left me. I would like to believe that the cruel people who instigated the whole thing were the ones who were responsible for everything.


    But how would I exin to her that she spent days and maybe it was going to be months without a name, because I wanted her mother to name her, if she did that, that would mean she epted my daughter <b>as </b>her own. She might not want me back, but it didn¡¯t matter to <b>me</b>, as long as my daughter had a mother. But it was going to hurt me to lose her.


    I didn¡¯t want her to ever wonder why she didn¡¯t have a mother, why she was not loved and wanted. I wanted her to <b>grow </b>up a happy child and money can¡¯t buy her everything. It couldn¡¯t not buy her a mother or a mother¡¯s love.


    ¡°Sir, can you give me the baby now, it¡¯s feeding time.¡± That was the nurse. They came to wake me up every two hours to feed her, check her vitals and <b>see </b>if everything was alright with her. she gently took her from my chest <b>and </b>went to sit on the other chair and started feeding her.


    I watched closely as she did so, as I wanted to learn everything because soon, I was going to have to do all that myself. the thought of it all broke my heart. Some might think I wanted my wife just so she could look after my baby for me.


    But they would be dead wrong. When Ethan suggested that <b>was </b>the case and refused to take the letter to Olivia, it broke me. Nick convinced him to take it in the condition that we were not going to do anything to try and find


    them.


    We agreed of course, as much as I wanted my wife back. I didn¡¯t want to bother her; I didn¡¯t want it to seem like I was forcing her toe back home when she was not ready I missed them like crazy though. Samuel and his smile.


    Them making a whole lot of noise at the dinner table. The house seemed noisy back then but when they left, it felt empty. Not like the home it used to be. the nurse changed her nappy and told me she was going to put her back into the incubator.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave her room, but she told me she would look after her while I go shower, change and eat something. She even suggested sleep, but I couldn¡¯t sleep anyway. I hesitated to leave the hospital but eventually I


    left.


    My wife and I would have taken terns doing that. but her moron of a husband chased her away. I shook my head getting into the car and driving off. when I got to my house, I stopped and sat in the car outside. Wondering how many times Olivia did the same thing.


    How many times did she sit in her car on the driveway dreading going into the house she once called home but wasn¡¯t anymore. Dreading seeing that woman ordering her husband around and himplying with her every demand.


    How many times did she cry alone in the car wishing for everything to just go back to normal. A sigh left me. It was no pointed dying. My baby was waiting for me, she had no one there. I got out of the car and headed into the house.


    I opened the door then walked inside. It was dead quiet in there. It was lonely. I went to our room to shower, but her smell had faded. It was like she never lived there. Only Her belongings served as proof that she did at some point, she did live there.


    With sadness, I averted my gaze from her stuff and went into the shower. When I was done, I went to the kitchen to look for something to eat but I lost my appetite. It was nice cooking for people, eating alone at home was <b>not </b>something I was used to anymore.


    I wondered if Nick felt the same way after Olivia left. I got out to leave but my phone beeped. It a text from Ethan. What I saw in the picture he sent broke me. I stumbled backward before colliding with the wall behind me.


    No! this can¡¯t be happening; she wouldn¡¯t do that to me, my wife was in the arms of another man. He was carrying her bridal style and looking affectionately at her. it was like she was his world. But I could only see his side profile. The picture came with a text, ¡°This is what happens when you treat your wife like trash.¡± The pain in my chest was unbearable. It wasn¡¯t my intention, I thought I was doing right, no. Ethan just be joking with me and that guy was one of her father¡¯s men.


    at the After convincing myself of that, I felt a little better and went to my car. I sent Nick a text to meet me a hospital. He knew most of Luke¡¯s men and I wanted someone else to tell me that Ethan was just ying a cruel joke with me.


    I did not feel the drive back to the hospital, I just saw myself getting there. I was in daze I believe. I got out of the


    car and started pacing in front of the hospital waiting for Nick to <i>show </i>up.


    He appeared and stopped right in front of me. he looked worried, ¡°What happened?¡± I gave him my phone; he took it then his face fell. Seeing that, my heart broke all over again. I lost her.


    er 217

 Novel Payback 217

    +26 BONUS


    Chapter <b>217 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I got a huge shock when Xander said there was a man standing on the balcony taking photos of us. He brought us to the pool and Samuel was having fun with Justh, his son was happy that my son was smiling andughing like that. he must have missed me as much <b>as </b>I missed him


    Lupita was also enjoying herself while grandma was constantly bothering Luke. He wouldin but I think he liked it. Xander said he was going to check who the man was but then he sat back down saying he wasing our way with a low voice.


    I thought maybe it was one of Luke¡¯s men but when I turned, I was shocked to see Ethan in white shorts, white short sleeve shirt. When he got to us. He didn¡¯t say a word, he picked me up from the chair and carried me.


    He started walking way but stopped and turned to Lupita. Please look after Samuel <b>for </b>a while.¡± Lupita nodded with a smile. Xander had an expression I could not read; he must have thought that Ethan was my husband.


    ¡°Hello Ethan.¡± He ignored me and took me inside the hotel. His room, he gently ced me on the bed then looked at me, more like red at me. I felt bad for leaving without saying anything to him. out of the three, he was the best.


    ¡°Am sorry, I was so angry thank I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything else other than getting the hell out of New Vige and going somewhere far. I am sorry I made you worry, but I told dad to tell you where we were when he showed me a picture of you looking like that.¡± God, he looked horrible in that picture.


    ¡°I told you not to do something like to me again. Why are you treating <b>me </b>like those morons? You keep moving around and running away from and because of them, what about Samuel¡¯s stability and what about me?¡± I lowered my head.


    I thought I was doing the right thing. But he was right, I never considered Samuel or his stability. First, I took <b>him </b>out of his school and sent him away because of that woman. Instead of bringing him back home, I took him out of the country. It was unfair on my son; I was only thinking about myself and my pain.


    Samual had family back there as well. Three dads, even though he didn¡¯t know about Nick being his father yet. Again, I took away that chance for him to know his real father. ¡°I didn¡¯t think, Ethan. I was wrong.¡± He sighed crouching in front of me.


    ¡°We have a lot to talk about but read this first than we can talk¡± He handed me an envelop with my name on it. I looked up at him and he nodded before leaving the room. I hesitated before opening the envelop.


    Insideid a neatly folded paper, I opened it, and it was a letter from my husband. I opened the letter, and it read.


    ¡°My dearest wife,


    I don¡¯t even know where to start but let me start by telling you how sorry I am.


    I am writing to you with a heavy heart, deeply regretting the pain I have caused you. hurting you is thest thing I ever wanted to do. And I feel terrible for the distress my actions have brought in your life. Please know that I am truly sorry, and I ammitted to making things right.


    Our daughter is doing well, she doesn¡¯t have a name yet but that is not a problem. We will wait until you <be </b>back and name her. I miss you so much, Olivia. Nothing is the same without you, nothing makes sense. I am just holding on to the hope that you will return and allow me to make amends.


    Sandra is dead, you don¡¯t have to worry about her anymore.


    Take all the time you need over there, but please do not forget us. We will be here waiting for you and Samuel to


    Again, I am truly sorry for everything I did, and I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you.


    Love


    Your husband and daughter.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to think or how to feel after reading that Sandra was dead, how? Did they kill her? many thoughts clouded my mind so much that I couldn¡¯t think sight. Ethan walked in. ¡°How did Sandra die?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for him to sit down, he shrugged.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she was dead. That is news to me, but can¡¯t say am not happy about it.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to feel about it. ¡°Who is looking after the baby then, did Marcos get a nanny?¡± again, Ethan shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t <b>know </b>anything, Olivia. I didn¡¯t keep in touch with the guys, I was busy looking for you.¡±


    My heart sank, the baby didn¡¯t do anything. It was the father and the mother I was angry with. But there was no point being angry at the mother anymore. She was dead. What the hell was I supposed to do. ¡°Olivia, I don¡¯t care what Marcus wrote in that letter. But I will not allow you to leave here until you are alright.¡±


    A sigh left me. I didn¡¯t know if I should pack up and go back or continue being petty and angry. ¡°Ethan, I love you, I really do. You are like the brother I never had. But I don¡¯t think I can stay here long. That baby needs a mother and a name, my grievances are not with her but my husband and her dead mother.¡±


    Ethanughed. ¡°Well, I just got here, and I want to spend time with you and Samuel here. Marcus can wait, if he was <b>such </b>a great guy then you wouldn¡¯t be here. And forcing yourself to go back for the sake of that child is just not fair. You are not leaving, not yet at least.¡±


    Luke was going to say the same thing, it was a waste going to him. what was I going to do? ¡°Olivia, who is that guy?¡± I knew he was going to ask about him. ¡°Xander.¡± He turned to look at me. ¡°I sent a picture of the two of you, to Marcus.¡± Iughed. He was being petty and resentful.


    <b>15 </b>


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it serves him right. But can we leave this ce after two weeks then? There is a baby who needs me back there and I can¡¯t just neglect her. not when she doesn¡¯t have a mother anymore.


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>

 Novel Payback 218

    NICK


    I threw Marcus¡¯s phone away then kicked the tires of his car. I was so angry that I didn¡¯t know what to do with myself. ¡°You fucking moron!¡± I bellowed in anger. Marcus looked like he was going to faint, clutching on his chest as if it hurt. He could die for all I cared.


    It should hurt him like hell, he saw everything I went through when he took her from me and now, just when I was epting that he had her. he went and fucked it up! Nowy another fucking man from somewhere we don¡¯t know was busy giving her the attention he never gave her.


    What the hell was I supposed to do with that? ¡°You called the here for this shit? fix it, fucking fix it now!¡± I yelled in his face pulling him closer to me with his cor. I was mad, enraged. What pissed me off even more was that <b>the </b>moron just cried.


    He didn¡¯t say a fucking word, he just cried. Bloody shit! wh the hell was I going to do with Marcus. I swear to God above. If he didn¡¯t have a child to take care of, I would have killed him! ¡°Why are we such fuck ups?¡± we? I the moron just say we?


    Did


    ¡°Speak for yourself, you are the moron in this story. You say everything I did and went through; you were supposed to do better than me, you were supposed to take care of her, <b>never </b>to repeat my mistakes. You!!! fucking failed.¡± I did too in the past but God damnit, he was supposed to learn from that.


    Do better, keep her heart safe and love her. I was epting <b>that </b>she was never mine to keep but he, was supposed to keep her. I was supposed to just be a bystander, their shadow, keeping them safe from a distance. Watching their beautiful love story and watching my heart be happy.


    He fucking failed. ¡°What is the point of you yelling now? we both fucked up, you the first time and <b>now </b>me. that guy is me when you fucked up.¡± He shook his head then startedughing like a crazy person. ¡°I bet that guy feels the same way I did back then, I bet he thinks I am a moron like you do. I bed he saw a diamond tossed out and thought God is on his side.¡±


    He continuedughing as I watched him with nothing but pity. ¡°I bet he feels like the luckiest mother fucker in the world. I felt the <b>same</b>, I don¡¯t me him.¡± heughed some more then bent down holding on to his knees.


    Then theughter turned into cries. I felt like shit watching him cry painfully like that. I didn¡¯t mean to make him feel worse, but he was losing Olivia and that meant, we might nevery our eyes on her for a very long time. He might even receive divorce papers in the next couple of weeks, who knows.


    I went to him and helped him up. He suddenly threw himself at me hugging me and crying so much. People kept looking at us, am sure they thought we were gay or something. Marcus cried so much that I felt bad for yelling at


    him.


    ¡°Oh, shut up now, crying is not going to help with anything Just wait <b>and </b>see what Ethan says next. Who knows, your letter might change her mind, and she wille back He looked at me now his anger visible.


    ¡°How the fuck am I supposed to hear from Ethan? You broke my fucking phone!¡± I shrugged. ¡°You are rich, get a new one.¡± I walked into the hospital leaving him behind looking for his phone. I was hurting too. I wanted to see


    Olivia.


    I knew I was never going to get her back; she was never going to be mine again. I got that but I still wanted to see her, to make sure she was alright, to be able to see my son grow up as well. I didn¡¯t want to be fighting with her over custody because that was going to push us further apart.


    I wanted her back home<b>, </b>back in New Vige where I could just visit them whenever I wanted to. I sighed gett off the elevator. I was <b>in </b>such a <b>bad </b>mood that I found myself in the paediatric ward. The father <b>made </b>me angry,


    maybe the daughter could make me feel a little better.


    I got inside and the nurse was finishing changing her. ¡°Car hold her, do that thing Marcus, her father does when he is here?¡± the nurse smile batting hershes. Goodness! She was flirting with me, but she was so bad at it that she looked like something was in her eye.


    She told me to sit and take off my shirt. The whole time she was watching me closely. Poor thing. She then ced that rat on my chest then covered us with a small nket. wille back to check on you.¡± I said nothing.


    She left and I closed my eyes. I was tired. I thought with Sandra dead, the drama will cease. But boy, was I wrong. I felt like it was just starting. ¡°Thank you.¡± I heard Marcus¡¯s voice. I didn¡¯t open my eyes though. Having the rat on my chest calmed me.


    ¡°We mi


    might as well raise this rat of yours because it looks like it¡¯s mother is noting back. We might as well get used to it. I will ask mother to teach us a few things about talding care of a baby.¡± I heard him chuckle.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You sound like a true dad.¡± I clicked my tongue in annoyance. ¡°Just because you lot hid my son from me, doesn¡¯t mean I am <b>not </b>a true dad. You all just deprived me of the opportunity to be one.¡± I heard his footsteps getting closer.


    ¡°I am sorry about that. Olivia was just worried you will never leave her alone. That you will keep bothering her because of Samuel¡­wait! Did you just call my daughter a ra?¡± I chuckled, I was wondering when he was going to pick up on that. ¡°Nick, you moron¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhhh you will wake the baby.¡± I said with a finger on my mouth shutting him up and still with my eyes <b>closed</b><b>. </b>

 Novel Payback 219

    OLIVIA


    ¡°I am guessing that is your husband.¡± Xander said the moment he saw me. I was going to Ethan¡¯s room to get Samuel for dinner and met him on the corridor. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± He nodded, ¡°He Is very possessive of you, I see. As he should be, a woman H you Is¡­ I won¡¯t cross the line.¡± I wanted tough.


    He looked bothered by Ethan and wanted to know if he was my husband and maybe ask what happened between us, but he was holding himself back. What a gentleman. ¡°In going to get Samuel for dinner. Talkter?¡±


    ¡°No, you won¡¯t be talking to him anymore.¡± Came Ethan¡¯s voice from up ahead, he was walking towards us.¡± Samuel is sleeping, I came to tell you that now, you can go back and get some rest. I want to have a word with this guy.¡± I chuckled,


    By this time Xander¡¯s smile was gone and only a serious looking, handsome man remained. ¡°He is my friend, Ethan.¡± I reminded. ¡°Okay, I want to talk to your friend then, maybe he could be my friend <b>too</b>.¡± Xander chuckled shoving his hands in his pockets.


    Why was he still single again? Damn that man was something. ¡°I will leave you to it then, Xander, I will talk to you tomorrow.¡± I left them there and went back <b>to </b>my <b>room </b>there was no point in listening to those two bickering


    over nonsense.


    I reached to my drawer and took out Marcus¡¯s letter. Iid on the bed and read it again. We never got the chance to discuss baby names. I was sure he felt guilty about that as well. He must have been ming himself for not doing enough.


    Laying there, reading that letter made me think about my own feelings, was I angry because the baby was not mine but Sandra¡¯s or was <b>I </b>angry because he didn¡¯t care to check on me when he knew I was in an ident.


    Was going back there the right decision? ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I got a fright and almost jumped off the bed. ¡°Careful <b>now</b>! you are still injured.¡± Luke reprimanded ¡°I knocked a couple of times, but you didn¡¯t answer. You were supposed toe for dinner.¡±


    Oh, I forgot that. ¡°He was already sleeping when I got there and I came back here. Sorry I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± he sat on the bed next to me. ¡°What is bothering you?¡± I sighed struggling to sit up. I then handed him the letter.


    He read it then gave it back to me. ¡°Again, what is bothering you?¡±


    ¡°I want to go back.¡± Luke said nothing but looked at me, waiting for me to continue. ¡°That baby might not be mine, but I can¡¯t punish her for the sins of her parents. She needs me.¡± Luke just looked at me. ¡°At the same time, I am still angry. I don¡¯t want to go back yet. Marcus hurt me I need time away from him.¡±


    Luke took my hand. ¡°Then there is no need to go back, if the baby is the reason you want to go back, then I can go and get her here.¡± I looked at him shocked. ¡°What? I can¡¯t stop you from caring about that baby, but I can stop you


    from hurting yourself and going back there before you are ready is going to hurt you.¡±


    <b>? </b>


    He was right about that; I <b>was </b>not ready to face Marcus yet or talk to him about our marriage. ¡°She was born prematurely. I doubt she will be able to travel?¡± Luke <b>stood </b>


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me worry about that? there is little money can¡¯t buy Olivia. If you want that baby <b>here</b>, then I <b>can </b>make that happen without harming her. but you will have to talk to Marcus about it and if he agrees, I will <b>make </b>the arrangements.¡±


    Sighed, I would rather talk to him on the phone than see him in person. ¡°Lend me your phone please.¡± He took it out from his pocket and handed it to me. ¡°Let me know how it goes.¡± He said than walked out.


    I <b>sat </b>there for a while not sure if I should call or not. I limped to the balcony to get some fresh air. I hesitated many


    12


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    times before making the call. But his phone didn¡¯t go through. I frowned, Marcus rarely switched his phone off. I got worried thinking something might have happened to the baby. She was still a newborn and at risk for many things. I called the hospital and asked for him in the paediatric ward. The wait for him to be called was killing me. Finally, his voice came online. ¡°Hello?¡± he sounded exhausted. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± silence followed my words. After what felt like forever he spoke. ¡°Olivia?¡± he called my name. ¡°Yes, its me. what happened to your phone?¡±


    ¡°Nick broke it, wait you called. How are you doing, how Is Samuel?¡± I didn¡¯t want to talk to him like I was just on a business trip, and nothing was wrong with us. ¡°I want the baby.¡± Silence again. ¡°Marcus, did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard you. but I don¡¯t understand.¡± I didn¡¯t want to alk to him long, but I had to exin. ¡°I am not ready toe back yet so. I want to take the baby, bring her here and we wille back when the time is right.¡±


    He sighed deeply on the other end of the line. I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>what he was thinking. I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking asking for his baby like that, she was not mine and he must have been wondering what the hell I <b>was </b>thinking asking for her.


    ¡°She is so small, how <b>is </b>she going to travel?¡± what? was he agreeing?


    ¡°Did you just agree for me to take her?¡± he didn¡¯t hesitate this time. ¡°I would like to believe that a baby is safest with her mother at this young age<b>. </b>So, I have no reason to object to a mother wanting her baby. Just promise me one thing.


    ¡°What is that?¡± another sigh left him. ¡°I know Luke will probably want to make the arrangement himself. But I ask that hee with Ethan at least to be with the baby or Lupita. I am notfortable with her traveling with only the doctors and no family member.¡± That I understoodpletely.


    ¡°That can be arranged.¡±


    ¡°I have one more request.¡± I wondered what else could there be. ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°Send me pictures of her and Samuel every day

 Novel Payback 221

    Chapter221


    and <b>drove </b>off. <b>I </b>had to get to the hospital before Luke did.


    <b>I </b><b>didn¡¯t </b><b>know </b><b>what </b>that man would do to Marcus If he found him alone. The way he cut the call told me he wouldn¡¯t <b>go </b>easy <b>on </b><b>him</b><b>. </b>He never went easy on me, so I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised by his reaction. What was I thinking, asking him to be lenient?


    Oh, Nick, you are stupid Indeed. Why the hell did you meddle when you know it could affect your chance of leaving with him and being with your son. Be a father to him for the first time in his life. Why do you care what happens to Marcus?


    Just when the hell did I be like this? I hit the steering wheel hard frustrated with myself. and yet, I was driving like a mad man to the hospital afraid of what Luke might do. Marcus and I both knew <b>who </b>and what Luke


    <b>was</b>.


    Two weeks ago, he only cared about taking his daughter away from everything and everyone who hurt her. he didn¡¯t have time to be thinking about Marcus and what he had done. Now, he had two weeks to think about it and make a n to avenge her.


    My worry was what the <b>man </b>would do when he finally got a chance to be alone with Marcus after what he did. I was hooting at other drivers to shouting for them to drive faster. I knew Luke and what he was capable of. I had the scars to prove it.


    Getting to the hospital<b>, </b>I parked my car right in front and ran inside. When I got to the elevator, I felt like it <b>was </b>taking longer. I was pacing in front of it. that minute I waited in front of it felt like an hour. When I finally <b>made </b>it to the second floor.


    I went straight to the rat¡¯s room. I was d to see it was empty outside. Which meant Luke has not arrived. I sighed in relief. I went inside. Marcus frowned when he saw me. ¡°Luke is here, he just called, and he ising here.¡±


    Before Marcus could answer we heard Luke¡¯s voice. ¡°No, Luke is noting because he is already here.¡± We both turned to look, <b>and </b>tension gathered on my shoulders. The temperature dropped a few degrees and the look in his eyes promised nothing but cold hard revenge on Marcus <b>as </b><b>he </b>red at him from the door.

 Novel Payback 222

    <b>Chapter </b><b>222 </b>


    MARCUS


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    I could see the anger on Luke¡¯s <b>face</b><b>, </b>but it didn¡¯t matter. Amile spread across my own face, though it wasn¡¯t because of anything he¡¯d done. It was simply because he was here. I didn¡¯t care how intimidating he looked, ring at me from across the room. I was happy he came. was relieved my wife hadn¡¯t changed her mind. And most importantly, I was d my baby was going to her mom.


    Luke¡¯s anger didn¡¯t matter in that moment. What was his angerpared to the joy I felt just by his presence? I knew it was selfish, but what could I do? I was a father now and my daughter needed a mother. And <b>there </b>was no one better than Luke¡¯s daughter and my wife. Olivia. I both wanted the best for our little girl.


    Luke would <b>have </b>to forgive me for my selfishness and find way to be the grandfather to mine and Olivia¡¯s child. He walked further into the room, each step deliberates <b>and </b>measured, as thought he was approaching an enemy <b>or </b>hunting prey, trying not to alert them to his presence. It we almostical. How could he move like that when it was obvious he was already here, and everyone could see him?


    When he finally reached me, he stood there, scanning the room. I could tell he was looking for the baby, who was peacefully sleeping on my chest.


    Since he didn¡¯t ask about her, <b>I </b>decided to uncover her. As soon as I did, he took a step back, almost as if he were startled or afraid of what he saw. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was she really that frightening to him? Could Nick have been right when he called her a rat?


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that thing should leave; <b>it </b>might not make it, he said, taking several steps back, his voice tinged with uncertainty. The big bad wolf, Grandpa Luke, was practically retreating, doing everything he could to hide how rattled he was. It was hard not tough, here <b>was </b><b>a </b>man who feared nothing, yet he was backing away from a tiny baby.


    Seeing him like this was definitely unexpected. Nick couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and burst outughing, clutching his stomach as he bent over. I couldn¡¯t help but hide my smile; I knew I was still in trouble with Luke.


    ¡°If I¡¯d known the rat was going to scare you this much, I would¡¯ve taken my time getting ready at home,¡± Nick teased through hisughter. ¡°Hell, I could¡¯ve cooked and eaten it instead of rushing here.¡±


    Luke shot Nick a re, but it was futile. Nick was right. The man was afraid. ¡°Nick, stop being a clown and let the doctors examine her¡­ everyone out, now!¡± Luke snapped, struggling to find words to describe my daughter.


    As for me, I couldn¡¯t see anything but a tiny human a perfect little being. But I couldn¡¯t wait until she was older, growing up and demanding everything from Luke. I just knew she was going to have him wrapped around <b>her </b>little finger, and there wouldn¡¯t be a thing he could do to escape her.


    Nick and I remained in the ward as the doctors, those Luke had brought in and the ones from the hospital who¡¯d been handling my daughter¡¯s case, gathered around. They took her from me, carefully cing her on the bed and starting their examination.


    But something felt off. I didn¡¯t like how some of the doctors seemed rough with her. She was so small, so fragile, how could they just handle her so carelessly? Nick had already had to hold me back twice when I nearly lunged at one of the doctors for being too rough. How could they treat her like that?


    ¡°You better let these doctors do their jobs if you want them to approve her leaving. Or you can kiss your dream of her being raised by Olivia goodbye,¡± Nick said, and I hated that he was right. I was used to the old, reckless Nick- the one who always seemed to be making mistakes, but this rational, sensible version was a whole new experience for me.


    And I¡¯ll admit, I kind of liked him that way¡­ sometimes. The other times<b>, </b>I wished I had <b>never </b>met him. He could


    <b>P25 </b>BONUS


    be so damn annoying when he wanted to be.


    ¡°Do you <b>think </b>you guys will leave immediately?¡± Nick aske, ncing at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Why would you ask that? Did you change your mind about sending her off to her mother?¡± I asked, quickly shaking my head<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>That¡¯s not it, man.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Nick asked, now clearly not happy with the, and for <b>good </b>reason.


    ¡°I just feel like it¡¯s too soon,¡± I admitted, a slight unease bubbling up in my chest. ¡°I thought I¡¯d get to see her grow; you know? See her develop and be a proper, normal baby.


    I chuckled a little, trying to shake off the weight of it all.


    ¡°This is best for her. I know that. It¡¯s just¡­ goodbyes were never <i>my </i>thing. I hate saying them. It always makes me feel like I¡¯ll never see the person again if I say goodbye.¡±


    Nick tilted his head to the side looking at me. he had this funny look on his face as if he was looking at some moron. ¡°You don¡¯t like goodbyes yet people long to say goodbye to their loved ones when they die. So, you prefer your loved ones to die without saying goodbye.


    I red at him, wondering why I even thought he was sensible now. ¡°You know that is not what I meant, you can be a moron sometimes and I wonder why we even get along these days.¡± Nick said nothing but he got so closer to me that I took a step back.


    ¡°Stop moving, I want to whisper something to you.¡± I stopped.


    I was not in a good mood especially now that it was conformed that my daughter was leaving. She was the only family I had left. ¡°I want to know how you feel about the fact that I am leaving with the rat, and you are staying behind?¡±


    the smirk on the man¡¯s made me punch him on the side. ¡°That¡¯s ho

 Novel Payback 223

    Chapter <b>223 </b>


    NICK


    The doctors spent the night monitoring the baby, running tests to ensure Marcus¡¯s princess was ready for the journey. Like was the first to leave the hospital, iming lie was tired and needed rest. But we all knew he was avoiding being around the baby. It <b>was </b>almostical, considering he still had to travel with her.


    It made me wonder what he would do on the flight or once we returned to Olivia. Was he nning on avoiding her forever, or was this just temporary until she grew and looked less like a rat and more like a human? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Last night, I took Marcus out for drinks, and somehow, we ended up at my ce. In his drunken state, he helped me pack a few things, most of which I hadn¡¯t nned on taking. I had my own intentions.


    Leaving the clothes behind would be my excuse to spend some quality time with my son, to buy him things he actually wanted for the first time as his father. But I let Marcus do what he wanted. The man was about to send his daughter off to who knows where, with no idea when she or his wife would return. I could see the weight of it all pressing down on him.


    I was sure he had no clue what he was going to do after we left.


    I was in the kitchen making breakfast when he stumbled in looking <b>like </b>the walking dead. I handed him the hangover concoction I had whipped up. He grabbed it without hesitation and downed it in one go.


    ¡°I hope this helps with this damn headache. Why the hell did we drink so muchst night?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. He was the one who kept ordering drinks, even when we got back, he still wanted more.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember how you ended up like this?¡±


    He shrugged.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You should¡¯ve stopped me.¡±


    I nced at him, slightly amused. He was a grown man, and he wanted me to stop him from drowning his sorrows. Why would I do that? It was hisst night drinking with me for a long while. I wanted him to enjoy it.


    ¡°Take a shower, you will feel better, and we need to <b>head </b>out soon. Luke called, and the doctors approved the rat¡¯s travel. I¡¯m sure Luke will want to leave as soon as possible.


    Marcus¡¯s face fell, a bittersweet expression taking over. As much as he wanted his daughter to be with her mother, he knew it could be a while before they would be back. I felt for the guy. He wasn¡¯t a bad person, he just made mistakes, just like I had. At least his mistakes were less severe than mine. Olivia might forgive him and take


    him back.


    I hoped she would.


    A knock sounded at the door, and Marcus and I exchanged a brief look. He stood up, and I thought he was going to answer it, but instead, he headed toward the rooms. It seemed he thought it was my house, and I should handle whoever was at the door.


    I went to open it, and there stood <b>Luke</b>, his usual convoy of security cars filling the driveway. I still didn¡¯t understand why he needed so many of them.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that moron?¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I stepped aside, opening the door wider for him toe in. He followed me into the kitchen.


    +29 <b>BONUS </b>


    Chapter <b>223 </b>


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    1 pointed toward the rooms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this harder for him


    than it already is. He knows he hurt Olivia, and he¡¯s miserable because of it. Now, his daughter is leaving too. <b>The </b>man has lost enough, Luke. He doesn¡¯t need you making things worse. Let this one slide.¡±


    Luke clicked his tongue.


    ¡°If I were the kind of man <b>who </b>let things slide, I wouldn¡¯t be <b>where </b>I am today. I didn¡¯t get <b>here </b>by letting things slide.¡± He took a sip from the juice he <b>had </b>grabbed off the counter, my juice.


    <b>¡°</b>This is not your business. This is your daughter¡¯s marriage, <b>and </b>in there is her husband. Don¡¯t meddle too much.¡±


    Luke threw me a <b>re</b>.


    ¡°Since when are you this sensible? Fine. I will let it slide this time. But you better stop with <b>this </b>nonsense. Hurting my daughter shouldn¡¯t be normal for you. Olivia is good, but I¡¯m not. If you don¡¯t stop, I will make you.¡±


    1 <b>had </b>no doubt he would.


    Marcus walked in and his face immediately fell when he saw Luke.¡±


    ¡°Wipe that look off your face. You wanted this. Now man up and ept it.¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t say a <b>word</b>. He just walked into the kitchen and sat next to Luke.


    ¡°You¡¯re enjoying <b>this</b>, aren¡¯t you?¡± Luke chuckled, shaking his head, but there was no humour in his expression. You know this is happening because you hurt my daughter, your wife, right?¡±


    Marcus sighed deeply.


    ¡°With that said, what makes you think any of this makes me happy as her father?¡±


    Marcus lowered his head.


    ¡°I suggest you start using your brain. You created this situation, and now you want us to feel sorry for you? You won¡¯t get that from me.¡±


    Luke stood up.


    ¡°Nick, meet us at the hospital. If you¡¯re not there in thirty minutes, we¡¯re leaving without you.¡± He walked away, leaving Marcus and me staring at his retreating figure.


    ¡°He is cruel, right?¡± Marcus nced at me.


    ¡°As if you¡¯re any better. You¡¯re both leaving me behind, heading to my family, and taking my daughter with you. Man, you even ask how I felt about it, mocking me. Who does that?¡±


    Iughed, standing up and grabbing my bag.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will send you pictures of her every week<b>.</b>¡±


    He frowned.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you make it every day? Why must it be a week?¡±


    <b>I </b>stopped and turned to face him.


    ¡°Be grateful I¡¯m even willing to do this. Don¡¯t push it.¡±


    He red at me.


    ¡°I hope to God you don¡¯t end up in a situation like this. If you do, I will remind you of this day.¡±


    Poor guy. If only he knew, I was never going to be in that situation, unless Olivia decided to divorce him and take me back.

 Novel Payback 224

    OLIVIA


    My dad called this moming to inform me that the doctors had approved the baby for travel. I was relieved that everything had gone well, until he mentioned that Nick would be returning with him. The news didn¡¯t sit well with me, but then he exined that Nick wasn¡¯ting for me; he wasing for his son, Samuel.


    As much as I didn¡¯t want Nick anywhere <b>near </b>ine, I couldn¡¯t deny that he was still Samuel¡¯s father. I couldn¡¯t keep my son from his father any longer. Nick had the right to be with his son, especially now that he <b>seemed </b>to havee to his senses and wasn¡¯t threatening me for no reason anymore.


    However, our conversation was overheard by none other than Xander, who Ethan had been keeping a close eye <b>on</b>. Ethan <b>made </b>it clear that <b>he </b>wasn¡¯t going to let Xander take Marcus¡¯s ce. What he didn¡¯t know, though, was that I had no intention of being with anyone other than my husband.


    I might have left him after everything that happened, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t want to go back to him. He was still my husband, and I still <b>loved </b>him. We were going to work on our marriage and fix things, but I needed time toe to terms with everything that had happened.


    Besides, after everything I¡¯d been through these past few months, I needed a break from it all, including my husband.


    ¡°<b>Are </b>you telling me you have another child? A newborn? Why the hell did you leave her behind?¡± Xander asked, <b>his </b>voice full of disbelief.


    I wanted tough, really. He had no idea what the situation was, but he wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. All I can tell you is that I had to leave, and the baby had to stay. But she¡¯sing to me now.¡±


    He frowned, still thinking Ethan was my husband, judging by how overprotective he was. I didn¡¯t correct him.


    ¡°So, who is this Nick guy your father ising with?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at this point. The man was relentless. ¡°Nick is my ex¨Chusband.¡±


    His frown deepened, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head, thinking I had aplicated life.


    ¡°Why is heing here? What business does he have here?


    ¡°No, no, my man. That¡¯s none of your business,¡± I <b>said</b>, finally drawing a line. ¡°What gives you the right to ask about my family¡¯s business<b>?</b>¡±


    It was about time Ethan showed up. He was like my shadow and I could feel his presence as soon as he entered. He wasn¡¯t about to let me disappear again.


    ¡°Do you not see <b>a </b>problem with this?¡± Xander asked, clearly unable to fathom what was happening. ¡°Her ex- husband ising here. Aren¡¯t you a little concerned about that?¡±


    Xander must have thought we were some kind of weird family, and honestly, we were.


    ¡°Nick happens to be my friend,¡± Ethan said, his tone calm but firm. ¡°Why would I be concerned about himing here? In fact, I¡¯m d he¡¯sing. You should stay out of things you don¡¯t understand. It will help you sleep better at night.¡±


    Ethan wasn¡¯t making it easy on the poor guy, but I couldn¡¯t say I minded.


    I also didn¡¯t know what Xander thought was going to happen between us. His intentions were clear, he was the type of man who went after what he wanted. That was part of why Ethan kept such a close watch on him.


    #26 BONUS


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like none of you deserve this wonderful woman,¡± Xander said, his voice firm. ¡°Between you and your buddy, you both think she¡¯s something to y with, but here¡¯s the thing you seem to forget: she¡¯s the kind of woman you can¡¯t afford to lose.¡±


    Ethan closed the gap between them, and for a moment, the two men were ring at each other. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I was standing right there, yet they were talking about me as if I wasn¡¯t even present. But Xander had a point. Nick and Marcus did think I would always be around don¡¯t think either of them had ever considered that 1 might not be.


    Now, with Nicking over, <b>I </b>knew he wanted to build a rtionship with his son. But part of me couldn¡¯t help but think he was alsoing for me. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that he might try to use the absence of Marcus <b>as </b>an opportunity to get back together. That was the kind of man Nick was, stubborn, used to getting whatever he wanted.


    ¡°re at me all you want, but if you guys had taken care of her like you should have, she wouldn¡¯t be here. She¡¯d be with him and the kids, not traveling across the world. I¡¯m sure she did that to get away from either you or that Nick guy,¡± Xander continued.


    Poor Ethan was taking the heat from a stranger<b>. </b>¡°Xander, that¡¯s enough.¡± Ethan frowned, looking at me as if he couldn¡¯t understand why I¡¯d side with him while <b>he </b>was defending me. ¡°How could you just let them.


    I cut him off. ¡°I¡¯m not letting anyone do anything. Right now, I¡¯m doing what I want. This is a family matter<b>, </b>and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for you to <b>get </b>involved.¡±


    I turned to Ethan, who had <b>a </b>smirk on his face. Stupid man!


    ¡°Where¡¯s Samuel?¡± I asked.


    Ethan pointed toward Lupita¡¯s room. I started walking in that direction, but I overheard Xander¡¯s voice again. ¡°If you¡¯re not careful with her heart, a real man wille along and take her away from you. He¡¯ll show her just how wonderful she is and love her in a way that makes her forget about you.¡±


    A smile tugged at my lips as I thought of Marcus saying those exact words to Nick once, before he took me away from him. Damn, I missed my husband.


    He must be going crazy wherever he was, trying to find ways to reach me, to convince me toe back home to him. Maybe he was nning to remind me of how much he loved me. I missed everything about him, but deep down, I needed him to realize that I couldn¡¯t keep giving when he didn¡¯t appreciate me enough.


    He had taken me for granted, <b>never </b>considering my needs in the moment I needed him most. I needed to know that I, and our family, came first to him. <i>If </i>I couldn¡¯t be sure of that, then there was no point in us staying married.

 Novel Payback 225

    <b>2/2 </b>


    MARCUS


    I thought the pain of my wife leaving me was the worst I would ever feel, but I was wrong. The real pain came from losing all of them at once, my wife, my son, and now my daughter. Even the one person who truly understood what I was going through was leaving. I was going to be left alone in my misery, and I had no idea how I would get through it. How <b>was </b>I supposed to live each day without them?


    It already felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe, like my heart was about to give out right there. We were at the airport, and thest time <b>I </b>held my baby was before we left the hospital. Now she was in an incubator, being carried by the doctors, heading off in an ambnce to the jet.


    Luke¡¯s jet looked more like a private hospital ward than an aircraft. I had no doubt that my little girl would befortable there until she reached her mother. But the sight of them loading her onto the jet, leaving me behind, took thest part of my heart with them. It broke me.


    ¡°Hey man, remember what I told you. Throw yourself into your work, keep busy, don¡¯t let yourself overthink. Call us whenever you need to talk, and you can talk to Samuel tob. I¡¯ll send you pictures every day<b>, </b>okay?¡± Nick tried tofort me, but how was I supposed to feel better when everything that mattered to me was gone? My family was no longer with me, and the work he wanted me to focus on felt meaningless. Walker Enterprises practically ran itself. I didn¡¯t need to be there for it to function.


    Okay, judging by the look on your face, work isn¡¯t the answer. Tell me, is there a country you don¡¯t operate in?¡± he asked, his tone hopeful.


    I frowned, confused. Was he giving me a hint about where they were headed? ¡°The Asian countries,¡± he said, clearly excited. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go establish Walker Enterprises there? It¡¯ll take your mind off things, and you won¡¯t be so depressed about all this.¡±


    Did that mean they were going to Asia? Hope red in my chest. Maybe I wasn¡¯t aspletely lost as I¡¯d thought. Nick might not have told me exactly where they were going but he gave me just enough of a clue to know where to look. For the first time in a while, I felt a glimmer of purpose.


    ¡°I think I will do that. Thanks, man.¡± I patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Give this to Olivia for me.¡± <b>I </b>handed him a


    letter.


    He took it and slipped it into his pocket. ¡°I will. Don¡¯t stress. I will see you when Olivia lets me.¡± Then he walked toward the jet.


    <b>Soon</b>, Olivia. I will see you soon.


    I stood there, watching as the door close <b>and </b>the engine rumbled to life. My heart shattered at the thought of being left behind, alone. I couldn¡¯t bear to be in my house, it felt like a prison, each room haunted by the memories of what I had lost.


    I decided to stay at a hotel, it seemed like the only ce I could find some peace. I couldn¡¯t be in a house where I had hurt my wife, where she had to witness my betrayal, where she never truly felt at home or wee.


    Maybe I should buy a new house for her<b>, </b>somewhere we could start fresh, a ce to call our own, where we could. rebuild our family and our lives. A new beginning, away from the past.


    As the jet lifted off, my heart broke even further. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to steady myself, remembering Nick¡¯s words. I exhaled slowly, releasing a tension I hadn¡¯t even realized I was holding. My shoulders loosening as I did so.


    I pulled out my phone <b>and </b>dialled a real estate agent. It was time to find a new home, one where my family could


    After the call, I reached out to the office. ¡°Boss, are you in London?¡± Steve asked, lils voice full of curiosity.


    ¡°No, I am still in New Vige. But I want you to gather the legal team for a meeting on Friday.¡±


    gon


    Dr. or what I


    There was a brief silence on the other end. Steve was probably trying to figure out what had gone wrong, <b>was </b>nning.


    ¡°Sir, whatever I might have missed, I will fix it before you get liere. I¡¯ll make sure everything is taken care of,¡± he said quickly, eager to prove himself.


    I smiled, appreciating his dedication. ¡°Steve, nothing¡¯s wrong, I just think it¡¯s time we expand Walker Enterprises to Asia.¡±


    Silence again.


    ¡°May I ask what brought this up?¡± Steve replied carefully. I remember when I suggested it, you said you didn¡¯t want to expand anymore. You said thepany was big enough and you had everything you needed.¡±


    I chuckled. That was one of the reasons I kept Steve around, nothing slipped by him. His memory was and I couldn¡¯t get away with anything.


    impable,


    ¡°It¡¯s because now I have a son and a daughter. Thepany is doing well, and I¡¯m notcking in money. But with a family growing, I think it¡¯s time to think bigger. It¡¯s not enough to divide among three.¡±


    I could practically hear Steve¡¯s mind working, ¡°I¡¯ll pull the same data I prepared before, but I¡¯ll make sure to ount for any changes. Policies and things have definitely shifted in the past few years.¡±


    ¡°Of course, <b>Steve</b>. I¡¯ll see you on Friday,¡± I said, ending the call.


    I slipped my phone back into my pocket and caught a glimpse of my lock screen, my wife and son smiling, and my daughter on the page.


    I missed them so much it hurt.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my darlings. I¡¯ll bring you home soon. Give me six to eight months, and I promise you¡¯ll be back with me.¡±


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Payback 226

    Chapter <b>226 </b>


    NICK


    I guess it was time to face the fact that I had screwed up. I wasn¡¯t even with my son yet, and I¡¯d already messed things up badly. I had told Marcus to open a branch in Asia, but I swear I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s where we were heading. I just wanted to help him take his mind off things, so he wouldn¡¯t end up overthinking himself into heart problems like I did when I lost Olivia.


    But now, sitting on the jet, Luke finally told me where we were going. There was no way in hell I was going to confess to what I¡¯d done. If Marcus somehow found us, it would be because fate or whatever was out there was looking out for him.


    I decided to bury my head in the sand and pretend I had no idea what was going on. ¡°Nick, what have you done?¡± Luke asked, his voiceced with suspicion. I lifted my head, putting on a neutral expression. I gave him a confused look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I even raised an eyebrow for effect.


    There was no way I was going to admit it now. He wasn¡¯t going to hear the truth from me. I¡¯d already stopped him from giving Marcus a hard time, and I knew he wasn¡¯t about to let this slide.


    ¡°Nick, I can always send you back where I found you and make sure you never get close to us again, no matter what you do or what resources you have.¡±


    I put on a look of surprise; I knew he wasn¡¯t bluffing. He could make that happen, but how could I have known where we were going? I had no way of knowing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. You¡¯re just upset because I convinced you not to give Marcus a hard time.¡±


    Before he could respond, I stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the baby.<i>¡± </i>He frowned, then turned to look out the


    him and made my way to the room. The doctor was there, checking on


    window. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as <i>I </i>lef


    the baby when I walked in.


    ¡°Is she alright?¡± I asked.


    The doctor nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s doing just fine, a healthy baby, just a little premature,¡± the doctor said. I felt relieved. Marcus must have been worried about her traveling at such a young age.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯ll keep checking in on her, but if anything changes, please let me know immediately.¡±


    The doctor raised an eyebrow, probably questioning why I was so concerned when I wasn¡¯t a doctor myself. But I didn¡¯t care. I had promised her father I would take care of her, especially since her so¨Ccalled ¡°big bad grandpa¡± couldn¡¯t even get close to her.


    I grabbed a drink and took a seat away from Luke. My mind kept drifting to Marcus, what was he doing right now? Knowing him, he was probably still at the airport, overthinking or even crying like a fool.


    It was hard to believe I had ever been that way. What was it about Olivia that made us lose our minds? She was beautiful and kind, but there was nothing extraordinary about her, so why were we all so obsessed with her? ¡°She inust have bewitched us somehow,¡± I muttered to myself.


    ¡°Is that so? And who, exactly, are you talking about?¡±


    I jumped. When had Luke gotten there? He was now standing over me as I sat, ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± I quickly said. ¡°The baby¡¯s fine, by the way.¡±


    He nodded, taking a seat opposite ine.


    Why couldn¡¯t Luke understand? I was trying to escape from him, and that¡¯s why I was sitting there. The flight was going to be long, and there weren¡¯t many ces to hide from Luke, but I wasn¡¯t about to give in.


    ¡°Nick, whatever it is you¡¯re hiding, it better not hurt my daughter. Olivia¡¯s been through enough already, and she doesn¡¯t need any more heartache from you or Marcus. Get your priorities straight.¡±


    His words hit me hard, making guilt w at my chest. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t do anything bad, but you have to understand, I didn¡¯t know anything when I told Marcus about it. I just wanted him to focus on something other than Olivia while we were away.¡±


    Luke raised an eyebrow, and I knew I was about to get in deep trouble with him. His voice grew stern, and his face waspletely unreadable. That look sent a shiver down my spine, he looked exactly like he did when he was after me before.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked, his voice icy and firm.


    ¡°I told Marcus to open a new branch of hispany in Asia¡± I admitted. Luke straightened and sighed. ¡°You can be really stupid sometimes, you know that?¡±


    I stayed quiet, knowing it was better for me to say nothing.


    ¡°You do realize Marcus runs a multibillion¨Cdorpany, right? You really think he won¡¯t find us in the Maldives if he wants to?¡±


    Well, he should¡¯ve told me where we were headed. If I had known, I would¡¯ve suggested Africa. He wouldn¡¯t have found us there.


    But I stayed silent, not daring to say anything. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be good if they meet, sort things out, and maybe go back home or get a divorce. Honestly, I don¡¯t care,¡± he added, contradicting himself.


    He turned to face me. ¡°Don¡¯t actively direct him to where we are. If he finds us on his own, fine. But if you tell him, then we¡¯re going to have problems, you and me.¡±


    I nodded like a child being scolded by his father.


    He sighed and sat down. I still didn¡¯t want to sit with him, but who was I to argue? It was his jet, and I had messed <ol><li>up. </li></ol>


    ¡°How is she doing?¡± he asked, shifting to the serious stuff,


    ¡°She¡¯s doing well,¡± I replied. ¡°There¡¯s a young guy there who ims to be her friend, but I can tell he likes her.¡± Luke smiled. He better wipe that grin off his face because Ethan and I weren¡¯t about to let him have her. Olivia belonged to us, not some stranger.


    ¡°Wipe that look off your face. Xander¡¯s a good guy, and he has a son who¡¯s Samuel¡¯s age.¡±


    Why did that matter? Olivia didn¡¯t need more kids around her; she was fine on her own. She just needed to go back home and leave that guy behind. Don¡¯t worry, Marcus. Ethan and I will fight for you. That guy won¡¯t get Olivia.

 Novel Payback 227

    Chapter <b>227 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I was hoping for. When Nick and my dad walked in, I found myself looking past them, almost expecting to see Marcus right behind them. I had told the man I needed time to myself, yet deep down, I still hoped to see him. How pathetic, wanting one thing but wishing for something entirely different.


    But then, seeing the baby, it shattered me. It was the first time Iid eyes on her, and I hadn¡¯t realized she would look so fragile. She was so tiny, like she might break if I even touched her. It didn¡¯t take long for me to notice that my father seemed ufortable around her. I understood, though; it was also my first time seeing such a small baby. Still, I felt a sense of relief hearing the doctors say she was doing well. They gave me instructions on how to care for her, and one of them stayed behind at my father¡¯s request to assist with her.


    I was grateful for the help. Being in a foreign country with a baby who had medical needs wasn¡¯t going to be easy, even with all my father¡¯s wealth. I needed the doctor¡¯s support, and I needed Lupita.


    ¡°So, this is your baby?¡± Xander asked, standing next to me and gazing at the baby, who was sleeping soundly in the incubator.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re here,¡± Nick muttered, his voice sharp. He was standing near the door with Ethan and Samuel. I could feel my body light up with a mix of emotions from seeing the baby, but Nick didn¡¯t seem to understand why she was so tiny or why she slept so much.


    Xanderpletely ignored Nick, as though he wasn¡¯t even there, and I knew that was only going to fuel Nick¡¯s anger. Nobody ever ignored Nick Jones.


    ¡°You¡¯re not family. We need some time alone, as a family, to talk. Please, give us the room,¡± Nick said sharply.


    I decided to tune them out. I had a baby to focus on, not a bunch of grown men acting like children.


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, you¡¯re not family either. So, we can leave together,¡± I shot back.


    ¡°He¡¯s not leaving, he is my dad!¡± Samuel suddenly piped up. We all turned to look at him, surprised. I hadn¡¯t told him that Nick was his father, how did he know? Nick wore a foolish grin on his face.


    I knelt down in front of Samuel.


    ¡°Sweetheart, who told you that Uncle Nick is your dad?¡± I asked gently.


    Samuel grabbed Nick¡¯s hand, standing in front of him like a little protector.


    ¡°Grandpa told me. He showed me pictures. He said my dad was busy but woulde back when he was done with work. Dad came back to me now. Don¡¯t send him away.¡®


    A wave of relief washed over me. Luke had done the right thing, and I was thankful he¡¯d told Samuel that story. ¡°Grandpa was right. Your dad dide back to you. No one is going to make him leave, okay?¡±


    Sarnuel nodded, then turned to Nick with a big smile on his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave now Dad. You can stay here with me<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Nick¡¯s face shifted in a way I couldn¡¯t quite read.


    ¡°<b>Yes</b><b>, </b>boy, I won¡¯t leave. How about we go shopping tomorrow? Dad didn¡¯t bring any clothes.¡±


    Samuel¡¯s face lit up, and he nodded eagerly.


    My heart ached. Why had I kept them apart for so long? I had been focused on my own needs, neglecting my son


    and his feelings. I was thankful that my dad had noticed this and stepped in to help.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he your father?¡± Xander asked, curiosity in his voice, as he pointed <b>to </b>Ethan.


    Samuel nodded proudly. ¡°He is! I have three dads, my daddy Nick, my daddy Ethan<b>, </b>and daddy Marcus. Grandpa says I¡¯m blessed because other kids only have one dad, but have three.¡±


    He beamed with joy as he spoke.


    ¡°Yes, boy. You have three,¡± Ethan said, lifting Samuel up and spinning him around. ¡°And no one can bully you


    because your dads will always be there to protect <i>yo </i>


    The room was filled with Samuel¡¯sughter, his giggles ringing through the air. Nick nced at me, his eyes red and swollen, as if he was holding back tears.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he mouthed, and I gave him a soft smile in return.


    ¡°You have such an interesting family, Olivia. How about I take you out to dinner so I can hear more about it?¡± Xander asked.


    I raised an eyebrow, surprised. I had thought the situation would make him run for the hills, which would have been just fine with me.


    I didn¡¯t feel that way about him, I missed my husband.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Ethan asked, clearly puzzled by Xander¡¯s offer.


    Nick, without a word, took Samuel¡¯s hand and walked out of the room. I appreciated that he was thoughtful enough to remove him from the tension that seemed to be building.


    Top of Form


    Bottom of Form


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xander asked, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Ethan let our


    a chuckle and shook his


    head.


    ¡°Olivia is a married woman, not here to entertain other men. You can clearly see she just had a baby, and yet you want her to leave her newborn and go out with you? Who does that?¡±


    Xander stepped closer, closing the small gap between them


    ¡°The problem is you thinking I¡¯m like you guys,¡± he said coolly. ¡°I would never take her away from her baby. I¡¯ll cook dinner here for her, and we¡¯ll eat while looking after the baby. And don¡¯t talk to me about her husband. If he was so perfect, he¡¯d be here with his family.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°That¡¯s enough. You don¡¯t know anything about this family, so don¡¯t you ever spew nonsense about Marcus again. And if you were the better man you im to be, you¡¯d know when to step back and let the family handle its own matters.<b>¡± </b>


    Nick, now without Samuel by his side, spoke with authority


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are or what makes you think you have the right to interfere in this family. But let this be thest time you do something like this, or you¡¯ll regret it. Now, get out.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, unsure whether to be offended or amused that they seemed to think I couldn¡¯t take care of myself<b>, </b><b>or </b>if I should be grateful for the way they were protecting my husband. Their actions made it clear, though, they had both epted that they would never have me, and that Marcus was my husband.


    ¡°Xander, I don¡¯t think now¡¯s the right time for us to get to know each other,¡± I said<b>, </b>my voice steady. ¡°I have my


    baby here, and my focus will be on her, nothing else. But thank you for thepany.¡®


    L


    He similed at me, then walked over and kissed me on the forehead. That was enough to get him swiftly escorted out of the room by Nick and Ethan.

 Novel Payback 228

    Chapter <b>228 </b>


    NICK


    I thought I knew what joy and happiness were, but then I heard my son defend me. He stood in front of me, protective and determined, insisting that I shouldn¡¯t be sent away. A warmth spread through my chest, filling me in ways I¡¯d never experienced before, making me feel more alive than I ever had.


    So, this is what people meant when they talked about the joy of having kids. I¡¯d been grinning like a fool since that guy left and made me angry.


    ¡°Did you find yourself a woman?¡± Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. I frowned.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    He took a sip of his beer, not breaking eye contact. ¡°You¡¯ve been smiling like an idiot, like you¡¯re thinking about someone you love, someone who makes you happy. A woman.¡±


    Iughed, shaking my head. Luke chuckled too, but then he added, ¡°As much as you look ridiculous with that smile, I¡¯d be d if you found a woman.¡±


    Iughed even harder. ¡°Who said only a woman can make a man happy?¡±


    <i>They </i>both stopped and turned to look at me at the same time, like I¡¯dpletely lost my mind.


    ¡°Nick Jones, are you sure you¡¯re still a man? Would a man say something like that?¡± Luke said, looking utterly


    confused.


    He looked so funny saying it. Ethan wore a simr puzzled expression.


    ¡°Am I still your best friend?¡± Ethan asked, his voice slightly dramatic.


    I shook my head, still smiling. ¡°You are, and you always will be.¡±


    Ethan sat up straight, suddenly more serious. ¡°Then tell me, who is she? Where¡¯s she from? How did you meet? I have to know everything about the woman making my best friend smile like that.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s no woman, truly. I¡¯m just happy with the warm wee I got when I arrived.¡± Then, I turned to Luke, my expression growing serious. ¡°Thank you, Uncle. About Samuel¡­ I don¡¯t know why you did it, but my son always knew who I was because of you. I¡¯m grateful for that.¡±


    Luke waved me off, as if it was nothing. ¡°I did it because I know what it feels like to be apart from your child. I couldn¡¯t be with Olivia, and she didn¡¯t even know I existed.I wanted your son to know about you, even when we weren¡¯t there for him. I wanted him to understand that you love him, and you¡¯ll be there for him when the timees.¡±


    Tears welled up in my eyes. I wasn¡¯t usually an emotional man but hearing that hit me harder than I expected. I hadn¡¯t realized just how big¨Chearted Luke was. It was true what they said: never judge a book by its cover. Luke didn¡¯t seem like much on the surface with the kind of work he did, but slowly, we were getting to know the man behind it all. A good man.


    ¡°Oh my, are you going to cry now? I¡¯m leaving!¡± Ethan teased, and we allughed. I hadn¡¯t felt this light¨Chearted in a long time.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be here,¡± I said, taking a sip of my drink. ¡°But I can¡¯t help but think of the hell Marcus is going through right now, and alone.¡±


    <b>We </b>fell into a brief silence<b>, </b>sipping our drinks.


    ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll be alright?¡± Ethan asked, breaking the quiet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered, looking down at my drink. ¡°He¡¯s not me. She might give him a second chance.¡±


    Luke nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I think they¡¯ll be just fine. Did you notice how she looked behind us when we arrived, like she was expecting him to be there?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t noticed that, but I did notice how radiant she looked. Even with the cast on her leg, she looked stunning in that dress. It reminded me of the first time we met.


    ¡°Nick?¡± Ethan called, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned to look at him.


    ¡°Did you say something?¡± I asked.


    He shook his head disapprovingly. ¡°I know you, man. Don¡¯t go there. Don¡¯t even think about it.¡°.


    I sighed, nodding. He was right. I shouldn¡¯t. Olivia wasn¡¯t mine anymore. I¡¯d lost her, and it was time to stop thinking about her that way.


    ¡°So, what fun things can we do around here?¡± I asked, trying to shift the focus.


    Both Luke and Ethan looked away.


    ¡°We can¡¯t tell you that,¡± Luke said. ¡°Since you came with the baby, you¡¯ll be helping the women with that.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe Luke had just said that.


    ¡°Yeah, man, it¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± Ethan added. ¡°Besides, that baby makes me ufortable. I like babies, but that one doesn¡¯t even look like a baby. She¡¯s so small, it breaks my heart.¡±


    Wow, so because they weren¡¯tfortable with it, I was supposed to pick up the ck?


    ¡°I¡¯m so going to tell Marcus where we are so he cane take care of his daughter himself,¡± I said, deadpan.


    They both snapped their heads toward me, wide¨Ceyed.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll tell Olivia it was one of you who did it,¡± I added, my grin growing as their


    eyes widened even more.


    Fools. They wanted all the fun while I yed daddy to Marcus¡¯s ¡°rat.¡± No way.


    ¡°Come on, you already know what to do with her. I heard from the hospital how you and Marcus took shifts taking care of her. What¡¯s so different now?¡±


    Ethan nodded in agreement. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no need to threaten us. This will give you more time with both kids, Samuel and the ¡®rat,¡® as you call her. You get to be a dad, man<b>. </b>Embrace it.¡±


    They both nodded, agreeing with each other as they stood up.


    I didn¡¯t know where they were going until I saw Olivia approaching. I stood and met her halfway.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I need help¡­ with the baby,¡± she said, her voice soft but urgent.


    Without waiting for her to say more, I led the way, and she followed closely behind me.


    When we got to the room, Lupita was sitting there, watching the baby. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw she was alright.


    ¡°That doctor showed me how to feed her, but I¡¯m scared. Can you help?¡± Olivia asked, and I was d she did.


    She sat down, and I¨Cgently picked up the baby, cing her carefully in Olivia¡¯s arms. I then took the bottle and showed her how to feed her. When the baby started sucking on the bottle, a smile spread across Olivia¡¯s face.


    In a way, we were both getting to experience what it was like to have a newborn. With Samuel, she had been in jail, and I hadn¡¯t even known about him. This was our chance to experience everything we had missed with him, do-over. I was determined to make the most of it.


    a

 Novel Payback 229

    Chapter <b>229 </b>


    MARCUS


    ¡°Why are you still not doing what I asked? The boss has been on edge, and you¡¯re still dying things. Do you want to be fired, is that it?¡± Steve¡¯s voice was sharp with frustration.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, Steve, but we can¡¯t rush these things. There are permits we need to get, and those things don¡¯t happen overnight. You only told us about this on Tuesday, did you think everything would be wrapped up in just a couple of days?¡± My legal team was doing their best to manage, but I could tell they were feeling the pressure.


    I had just arrived in London after finalizing the deal on the house.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to put so much pressure on them, Steve,¡± said, trying to ease the tension. ¡°I just want things to be at least clear by the end of the month. I want to be there myself to check the locations. That should be enough time to get the permits, right?¡± I asked the legal team.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be sure, sir. Theirws are different from ours, and we don¡¯t know how long a process like this will take,¡± one of them replied, offering excuses I wasn¡¯t interested in hearing.


    ¡°Then book a flight and go there,¡± I said, my tone firm. ¡°Take whoever you need, take Steve if you want. Hire locals when you get there. Make it happen.¡±


    I turned and headed to my office, the weight of my responsibilities pressing on me. I needed to join my family soon; I couldn¡¯t afford to take too long. My kids were growing without me, and my wife¡­ I shook my head, trying to push the thought aside.


    I powered up myputer, ready to dive into work. Just as was about to start, my phone pinged. I reached for it on my desk and checked. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it was from Nick. I quickly opened the email on myptop. Attached were two pictures of my wife feeding our daughter.


    Another picture followed, showing Olivia with both kids. Samuel wore a smile on his face, gazing fondly at the baby. My heart warmed. The email read: ¡°She named her Lilly. She said she was her little flower.¡±


    Lilly. My baby finally had a name, a beautiful one.


    I spent several minutes just staring at the pictures. It would have been better if they were home with knew I had to be patient. Persevere. Everything would be fine.


    ¡°Steve! Get in here!¡± I called out. It was time to make sure all those men were working hard.


    I needed to bring my family home.


    Steve rushed into my office. ¡°Sir?¡±


    I nced at the picture on my screen, which I had set as my wallpaper. ¡°Come here.¡±


    me, but I


    Steve walked around my desk and looked at the photo. He smiled when he saw it. ¡°Is that the new addition to the Walker family?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°She, all of them, are the reason I have to get to Asia. I need to bring them home.¡±


    Steve¡¯s smile faded, and he frowned. ¡°Speak freely.¡± He moved back around and stood in front of me, arms crossed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what bringing them home has to do with Asia. You could just take the jet and go get them. Why go through all this trouble?¡±


    I sighed, wishing things were that simple. I wished I could just get on the jet and go pick them up. But it wasn¡¯t


    that easy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, Steve. We men mess up sometimes. I did too, not intentionally, of course, but I still made my mistakes. Now my wife is gone with my kids. All I know is they are somewhere in Asia. She said she needed time, but I don¡¯t think I can wait too long. I don¡¯t know how long they¡¯ll be away for.¡±


    I sighed and pushed my chair back, walking over to the window. London looked beautiful, but the dull weather only deepened my mood. It mirrored my state of mind. ¡°Going to Asia is my way of keeping myself sane and trying to find them.¡±


    I turned to Steve. ¡°Do you understand now?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I understand, sir. I hope everything works out for you. I¡¯ll go ahead and book flights to Asia. Expect good news in a week, us being there.¡±


    That was what I appreciated about Steve, his reliability. He left, and I returned to myputer, staring at the picture of my family on the screen.


    I picked up my phone and dialled Nick¡¯s number. It rang for a while, and just as I was about to end the call, he picked up.


    ¡°Marcus.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the pictures, man. I really appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just keeping the promise I made.¡±


    I nodded, even though he couldn¡¯t see me. ¡°Did you give her the letter?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    I sighed, not sure how to continue. I had a lot to say, but not to him, to her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to talk to me, do you? She¡¯s the one you want to talk to.¡®


    Another sigh escaped me.


    ¡°Listen,¡± Nick said, his voice bing quieter.


    Then I heard Olivia¡¯s and Samuel¡¯s voices on the line.


    ¡°Mom, put her on my chest. I want to hold her too.¡±


    That was Samuel.


    ¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still so small, baby, but I promise, when she¡¯s older, I¡¯ll let you hold her and y with her whenever you want.¡±


    That was Olivia<b>. </b>


    I listened in silence, hearing their voices fade into the background.

 Novel Payback 230

    Chapter <b>230 </b>


    XANDER


    ¡°I told you that I am not leaving here until I make Luke feel what I felt when he took my father from me. when he felt me as an orphan with nowhere to go.¡± I have been looking for that man for many years now. I forgot about him for a while when my wife was still alive. She made me feelplete but then she felt me as well.


    ¡°All I am saying is that you must be careful. You know what he is capable of.¡± My friend warned. I scoffed, if he didn¡¯t want people going after his family then he wouldn¡¯t be doing what he was doing. ¡°Man, he makes me so angry. He is out here ying happy family with his daughter and grandson. Does he think about what he has done to people like me.¡±


    I would have forgotten about him and continued to live my life rising my son. But I had to see him, a face that has haunted me for years. Happy with his daughter and grandson. He didn¡¯t even know who I was, he even shared a


    meal with me, smiling as if nothing happ


    I sat there wishing he could choke on his food and die. ¡°Listen, I get that seeing him brings back memories, but you have already left the gang, don¡¯t go back there man. You have a kid to thing about.¡±


    ¡°That is exactly why I want to do this, for my son and I never said I wanted to go back to the gang. I will handle this myself. he doesn¡¯t know me so that is good for me. he won¡¯t see iting.¡± My friend sighed on the other end of the line.


    ¡°What about the two guys you said are there?¡± I was still waiting for information on them. I needed to know what I was up against before I act. But I was going to find a away, no matter what. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, I will find a way.¡±


    I then cut the call, I was tired of him telling me to stop this when he didn¡¯t know what it was like to lose a father and growing up in the system at that age. He grew up with both his parents. He and I were not the same.


    When I turned back after talking on the phone, that guy Ethan was standing not to far from me. I wondered if he heard anything. ¡°Good, you are here. Did Olivia agree to have dinner with me?¡± I asked rising an eyebrow. If he heard anything then he was going to say something.


    He looked at me with a neutral expression. ¡°What game are you ying¡± I shrugged. He didn¡¯t want to know what


    my ns were because they were going to hurt him the most seeing how protective he was of Olivia.


    <b>? </b>


    ¡°You already know my n. I want Olivia and I want to have dinner with her tonight. If not tonight, then another night. But I will be having that dinner with her, and I will be working on having her ept and divorce that good for nothing husband of hers.¡±


    I provoked. But the man onlyughed. ¡°Do you even know who you are calling a good for nothing?¡± tell me then, who is Olivia¡¯s husband and how will he affect my n? ¡°<b>I </b>suggest you do your research first before you insult people.¡±


    Could her husband be working with her family or one of his men? If so, then making him feel the pain of losing Olivia will not be a problem. If he worked with her father, then he was no saint. ¡°I don¡¯t care who he is or what he does. If he let a woman like Olivia go, then he is the biggest fool in the world.¡±


    Ethan closed the distance between us, I think he was going to be the first one I get rid of when the timees. He was going to be annoying. He thought we were on the same level and yet he didn¡¯t know a thing about me.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take your own advice, do some research about me beforeing to stand in front of me like this.¡± Heughed, I was amusing to him. he had been hanging around Luke for a long time that he didn¡¯t see or value other people.


    ¡°Man, I don¡¯t care who you are or what you think you are made of. But me, Nick, Marcus, Luke and Olivia. Are on a level that you can only wish and dream to be in. just because Olivia is a good person and entertains you doesn¡¯t mean you are in her league.¡±


    I chuckled, I didn¡¯t want to date her anyway. I did when I first met her, but then I met her father and all I felt was resentment towards her. The all mighty was unfair. How could something so beautiful and puree from a man like that.


    ¡°Oh Ethan, what is yourst name again and where do youe from? I want to do due diligence and get the right information.¡± Heughed, ¡°Look up Marcus Walker, that is Olivia¡¯s husband, then look up Nick Jones, Olivia¡¯s ex, then me Ethan ck. You don¡¯t have to look up Luke. You will understand who we are just by looking those names up.¡±


    He said then turned and left. Good, I got what I wanted. I took out my phone and dialled a number. ¡°These are the names.¡± I said as soon as the call connected. ¡°Do you have something to write with?¡±


    ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Marcus Walker, Nick Jone and Ethan ck. Get me everything you can about them¡± I said then cut the call. ¡®I am sorry Olivia, but I can¡¯t let you off. your father has to feel what it is like to lose someone, just as I did. He must learn that everything he does has consequences. If I have to use you to teach him that lesson, so be it.¡±

 Novel Payback 231

    Chapter <b>231 </b>


    ETHAN


    After dealing with that guy, I went looking for Nick. I overheard part of his phone call, but I couldn¡¯t make sense of what he was saying. Still, I had a feeling he was up to something. I never fully trusted him<b>, </b>especially when it came to Olivia and Samuel. Those two were everything to me, and I couldn¡¯t afford to fail them again or let anyone hurt them. They had already been through too much.


    ¡°Nick, Nick?¡± I called out as I approached his room, feeling anxious.


    He stepped out, looking displeased. ¡°What? Why are you calling me like there¡¯s a fire in the hotel?¡± He was annoyed, but I didn¡¯t have time for that.


    ¡°I need to talk to you. Come to my room, now.¡± I turned to leave, but then he spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. If you have a problem, go find Luke. You told me to be a father, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing. Go sort your stuff out with him.¡±


    He started to go back inside, but I stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s about Samuel.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for his reply and walked away. It was the only way I could get his attention. Sure enough, a minuteter, he walked into my room, worry all over his face. ¡°What happened to my son?¡±


    I almost wanted tough. ¡°Feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    He furrowed his brow, clearly confused. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Calling him your son. Feels good, huh?¡±


    A smile tugged at his lips. ¡°Of course it does. You know how it feels too. He¡¯s practically yours.¡± And that was true.


    ¡°Look, man, nothing¡¯s wrong with Samuel. I just wanted to get your attention.¡± He let out a relieved breath. ¡± Alright, what¡¯s going on?¡± I took a seat. ¡°I think we need to keep a close eye on Xander.¡± He raised an eyebrow, likely thinking I was talking about him wanting Olivia and how we had to protect her for Marcus¡¯s sake.


    ¡°We¡¯re already keeping an eye on him, Ethan. With the two of us here, there¡¯s nothing he can do. He won¡¯t get Olivia. Marcus will be pleased. Now, can I go back to the baby?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, wondering when he stopped calling the baby a ¡°rat.¡± He¡¯d clearly grown fond of her in just a few days. That was impressive.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. Yes, we need to keep him away from Olivia and Samuel, but not for the reason you¡¯re thinking.¡± Nick sat back down, clearly intrigued.


    ¡°You know something I don¡¯t about this guy?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to exin it, but something felt off with him. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>don¡¯t know, man, but I have a bad feeling about him. He¡¯s always been shady since I got here.¡±


    Nick sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you might be projecting everything we¡¯ve been through onto this guy?¡±


    Top of Form


    Bottom <b>of </b>Form


    I understood what Nick was getting at, but I knew that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Nick, you know me. I always try to see the best <b>in </b>people. But that guy, Xander, he just rubs me the wrong way. Look at Marcus, I didn¡¯t like him at first, but he never gave me the same gut feeling Xander does.¡±


    Nick sighed. ¡°What kind of feeling are we talking about here<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    I already told him; I wasn¡¯t sure how to exin it. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ he could be dangerous.¡±


    Nickughed. If I¡¯d known he was going tough, I wouldn¡¯t have even bothereding to him.


    ¡°Tell me, Ethan. What do you think that guy could do to any of us with Luke and his men around? If he tried anything, he¡¯d be stopped before he could do any real damage. Or, if you¡¯re still worried, just do what you do best. Tap into the hotel cameras. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    He stood and walked out.


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t a bad idea. I¡¯d gotten so caught up with olivia and everything that I hadn¡¯t been as vignt as usual. Maybe it was because Luke was around that I let my guard down. But that wasn¡¯t going to work. I needed to stay sharp.


    I pulled out myptop and started working, trying to focus. But soon, my phone rang. I nced at the screen, it was Marcus. Part of me wanted to tell him about my suspicions, but I knew it would only add to his stress and


    worry.


    ¡°Marcus, my man, how¡¯s it going?¡± I asked, trying to keep the mood light.


    He chuckled, but I could tell it was forced. ¡°I¡¯m fine, still standing. I¡¯ll be much better when I have my family back with me.¡± He was trying to sound okay, but I could hear the pain behind his words.


    ¡°They¡¯re alright, man. I promise,¡± I reassured him.


    There was a brief silence before he sighed deeply. ¡°I know they are. I heard them talking when I called Nick earlier.¡±


    That was good to hear. Nick had done right by him. ¡°Yeah, Nick said you needed my help with something?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± he replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure he mentioned my ns to expand to Asia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he did,¡± I said, curious about where this was going. I wondered what Nick was thinking telling Marcus to do that.


    ¡°I need as much information as you can get your hands on about that ce. Anything at all,¡± Marcus continued. I figured him staying busy might not be such a bad thing for him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you everything by tomorrow, Marcus.¡± I hesitated before adding, ¡°What is it, did something happen?¡±


    His voice grew serious. <b>¡°</b>Ethan, tell me what¡¯s going on?¡±


    I took a deep breath. Should I tell him or not? I didn¡¯t want to add to his worries, but I had to say something.


    ¡°I want to do a background check on that guy, the one I sent you a picture of. Something about him doesn¡¯t sit right with me,¡± I admitted.


    Marcus cursed under his breath. ¡°Ethan, leave the research forter. It¡¯s not priority right now.¡±


    But then his tone shifted, more intense. ¡°Find out what you can about him. I¡¯ignored my gutst time and look what happened to my marriage. I can¡¯t afford to have regrets again<b>.</b>¡±


    He was right. We couldn¡¯t just ignore this. We needed to know who this guy really was.


    ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± I said firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know what I find.¡±


    Chapter <b>232 </b>

 Novel Payback 232

    Chapter <b>232 </b>


    OLIVIA


    It¡¯s been a week since Lilly came to live with me. My baby was growing, though not as quickly as I had hoped. Still, I could see progress, and that gave me a sense of relief. I registered her using the documents the doctors had brought back, and I chose Marcus¡¯s mother¡¯s name as her middle name. I was sure he would be pleased by that.


    These days, I spend most of my time with Lilly in my room. Lupita and Grandma woulde to visit us asionally, then disappear again. I liked that they were enjoying their time, but I missed Samuel. The boy was hardly ever around. If he wasn¡¯t with Ethan, he was with Nick or my father. They always seemed to have something to do with him. Maybe they were trying to help Nick bond with him more, to make up for the time they lost together.


    I did me myself a little for that. Back then, Nick hadn¡¯t been the best role model, and I had done what I thought was best for Samuel. Still, he hadn¡¯t said anything about it, which made me think he was just happy to be a part of Nick¡¯s life, and that nothing else mattered. And, truthfully, that pleased me, because even though I could justify my actions, I was still feeling guilty about it all.


    A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I wondered who it could be, Lupita, the guys? They never knocked; they just walked right in.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I called out. The door creaked open, and Xander appeared. I hadn¡¯t seen him for a few days, not that I missed him, but I had noticed his absence since he was usually around.


    ¡°Xander, good to see you,¡± I said as he shed me his charming smile.


    ¡°I finally get to see you. Those guys are always guarding your room like you¡¯ll disappear. I couldn¡¯t even get close to this side.¡± Heughed, his tone light. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. They were definitely overdoing it, but I wasn¡¯t bothered by it. Xander was harmless, and if I wanted to be with him, well¡­ there wasn¡¯t anything they could do to


    stop me.


    ¡°Forgive them, they¡¯re just being protective of me and the baby,¡± I exined as Xander poured himself some juice and sat beside me. He seemed a little disappointed by the extra attention I was receiving, but I understood where he wasing from.


    ¡°<i>So</i>, when are you going to let me help as well?¡± he asked, his voice filled with yful curiosity.


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten used to being around you,¡± he continued, ¡°and now that your people are here, and the baby¡¯s here, I hardly see you. I don¡¯t like it. Let me cook you dinner, and we can chat and catch up. What do you say?¡±


    It was just dinner, nothing too much. ¡°Sure, why not?¡±


    Xander smiled widely. ¡°Great, let me check your kitchen and see what you have. I¡¯ll go buy whatever else I need.¡±


    I nodded, watching him head to the kitchen. I had no idea what he was looking for in there, but I wasn¡¯t too worried.


    ¡°I¡¯ll need a few things,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you for now to do a bit of shopping, then I¡¯lle back and cook for you.¡± He was already heading out, and I didn¡¯t stop him.


    As he left, I thought of the letter Marcus had given me through Nick. I hadn¡¯t had time to read it, but now, with a quiet moment to myself, I decided to take a look. I carefully picked up the letter from where I had ced it earlier, making sure Lilly wasfortable on my chest as I stood.


    I unfolded the letter and read the words in Marcus¡¯s familiar handwriting:


    ¡°My dearest wife,


    L


    I hope you and our son are doing well.


    I miss you so much, Olivia. I miss our family, and I miss our lives. I am not coping without you all here. Now, even our new addition is leaving, and I feelpletely alone in the world.


    Baby, I am sorry for everything I did. Please, think abouting home and letting me make up for it. Anything you want, I will give you. But please,e back to me.


    Take care of yourself and our kids.


    I love you so much.


    Your husband,


    Marcus¡±


    I stared at the letter for a moment, feeling the familiar ache in my chest. The poor fool, didn¡¯t he know that I missed him too? I was going to go back to him when the time was right. But right now, I had Lilly to focus on, and once she was ready, we would go home to him. But not yet.


    I nced down at Lilly, her tiny face peaceful as she slept against my chest. ¡°Daddy misses us, little one,<i>¡± </i>I whispered softly. ¡°He wrote us a letter. He says he wants us toe home. Do you want to go back? Not yet right? Yeah, not yet, baby. But we will soon.¡±


    I kissed the top of her head, knowing that when the time came, we¡¯d find our way back home, together.


    I ced the letter back in the drawer and picked up a book, gently opening it to start reading to Lilly. Soft ssical music yed in the background, setting a calm atmosphere. I settled into my rocking chair, the gentle motion soothing both Lilly and myself as I read aloud.


    Before long, Xander came back, and I could hear him moving around in the kitchen. Whatever he was making smelled amazing, and my curiosity grew. Despite the pleasant scent filling the air, my eyelids felt heavy. I rubbed my eyes, trying to stay awake, but the exhaustion from the day slowly overtook me. Eventually, I sumbed to sleep, Lilly stillfortably nestled in my arms.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I had slept, but I was jolted awake by voices.


    ¡°I told you; I never want to see you here. Why are you here when Olivia is sleeping?¡± I recognized Ethan¡¯s voice, sharp and protective.


    ¡°Well, Olivia agreed to this,¡± Xander replied, sounding calm but firm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Get out,¡± Ethan demanded.


    The conversation pulled me fully awake. ¡°Ethan?¡± I called softly. The voices stopped, and both men appeared at the doorway.


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to kick me out, Olivia. I¡¯m not sure if he thinks I broke in here or what,¡± Xander said, his tone light but clearly irritated.


    I rubbed my eyes, still feeling groggy but not wanting the tension to continue. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Xander. I¡¯m sleepy anyway. I¡¯ll eat when I wake up. Thank you for cooking for me.¡±


    Xander didn¡¯t look pleased<b>, </b>but he sighed and nodded, heading out of the room without another word.


    Ethan followed him, his expression still a bit tense, but he respected my wishes. The room settled back into quiet, and I closed my eyes again, hoping for a peaceful rest.

 Novel Payback 233

    Chapter <b>233 </b>


    XANDER


    I was furious about what happened earlier. I didn¡¯t even know where Xander hade from or what he was thinking showing up there like that. I¡¯d checked before going back to Olivia¡¯s room<b>, </b>and everything was fine¨Cshe and Samuel were outside, ying by the pool. Then, out of nowhere, Xander appeared.


    I had finished cooking, but the food wasn¡¯t ted yet. I had been taking care of the final touches, and now I was stuck trying to figure out a way to get Olivia that meal. Damn Ethan. That guy was always too much. Why couldn¡¯t he just mind his own business for once?


    I¡¯d run background checks on all of them, Ethan, Nick, and Marcus. They were all prominent businessmen. Ethan was a millionaire, while Nick and Marcus were billionaires practically on the same level of wealth. Olivia certainly knew how to choose them. From what I gathered, none of them worked with Luke. They just hung out with him because he was Olivia¡¯s father.


    Still, they¡¯d do well to stay out of my way and stop meddling in things that weren¡¯t their concern.


    Top of Form


    Bottom of Form


    My phone rang, and when I saw the caller ID, I groaned. It was my friend. As soon as I answered, his voice came through, urgent and sharp: ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t go through with it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance,¡± I said, my tone more irritated than I meant. ¡°But I was about to, until Ethan showed up and stopped me.¡±


    He sighed heavily. ¡°I beg you, rethink this. She¡¯s not to me for any of this. If you want to deal with someone, deal with her father. She was just a child back then, and I¡¯m sure she had no idea what her father was involved in. How can you punish her for his sins?¡±


    I was getting frustrated now, his words grating on me. He was starting to meddle in things that weren¡¯t his business, and I¡¯d had enough. Back then, he¡¯d felt sorry for me, taken me in when I had nothing. I worked like a ve for his family, but I was grateful, they gave me a chance.


    But that was the past. I was no longer that helpless kid. I was a grown man, a father, and I could make my own decisions.


    ¡°They say the sins of the father fall on the son,¡± I said, my voice cold. ¡°It¡¯s a shame Luke doesn¡¯t have a son, but a daughter will do just fine, too.¡±


    There was a long pause on the other end of the line, so quiet that I almost thought he hung up. I pulled the phone away from my ear and checked the screen, still connected.


    ¡°Listen to me, Xander,¡± he said, his voice firm. <b>¡°</b>If you wont think about your son and stop this, then I¡¯ll have no choice but to act as well.¡±


    What the hell did he mean by that? I could feel my blood pressure rising. ¡°Are you taking their side? You, of all people, the one who knows everything I¡¯ve been through<b>, </b>you¡¯re going to turn your back on me? You¡¯re going to betray me? Are you really going to do that?¡±


    He sighed heavily. ¡°I don¡¯t want to, Xander. That¡¯s why I¡¯m begging you to stop. But if you won¡¯t, I¡¯ll have no choice but to save you from yourself. For Justin¡¯s sake. He deserves better than this. He¡¯s already lost his mother, Do you really want him to lose his father too?¡±


    I could feel the emotional pressure building, his wordsce with guilt. It felt like maniption, but I couldn¡¯t


    ignore the truth in them. He was ying the emotional card, and it was hitting hard. I trusted him, why was he doing this now?


    ¡°Do what you must,¡± I said, my voice low. ¡°And I will do what I must.¡±


    I ended the call abruptly, feeling a mix of anger and frustration. My thoughts were clouded<b>, </b>but I couldn¡¯t stay there. I needed to get away.


    I walked out of my room, heading toward the cemetery where my father was buried. It had been years since I¡¯d visited. I had avoided it, weighed down by the guilt of how long I¡¯d let it go, never bothering to find the man who had shaped so much of my life.


    But today was different. Today, I felt the urge to tell him that I had finally found the one who had ruined everything. It was time to confront him. For the first time in a long time, I found the courage to do this.


    I stopped by a nearby shop to pick up some fresh flowers and made my way to the cemetery. It wasn¡¯t far from the hotel. This ce, this neighbourhood, used to be home. It was where I grew up.


    When I arrived at my father¡¯s grave, I knelt down and began cleaning the area. I removed the weeds and the dry grass, the years of neglect slowly fading away as I worked. Once it was clear, I ced the flowers on the grave.


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s me, Xander. I¡¯m sorry it took me so long toe and visit. You must have been watching everything from up there, and I know you understand why I stayed away.¡®


    I paused, feeling the weight of the silence around me. The wind rustled through the trees, and I could almost hear his voice in the stillness.


    ¡°But I found him, father. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I came to tell you that it won¡¯t be long now. You¡¯ll soon be able to rest in peace, and I¡¯ll keep the promise I made to you all those years ago. The time ising. You¡¯ll get your peace.¡±


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm the emotions rising within me. ¡°I have a son now, father. I know you must have felt the pain of leaving me behind, but I¡¯m okay. My son and I are okay.¡±


    I looked down at the grave for a moment longer before standing up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, when I¡¯ve finished what I started. When Iplete my mission, I¡¯ll bring you a surprise. Olivia¡¯s head. Rest easy for now.¡±


    I turned to leave, a sense of purpose growing stronger within me. This wasn¡¯t just about me anymore. It was about keeping my word, fulfilling a promise, and bringing closure to a chapter that had haunted me for far too long.


    Chapter <b>234 </b>

 Novel Payback 234

    Chapter <b>234 </b>


    NICK


    I had been in the baby room, looking after the baby while Olivia took a well¨Cdeserved break. I had just finished changing her and ced her back into her bed. I went to make her bottle, and when I returned, I found that guy, Olivia¡¯s friend, standing there, looking at the baby. I had no idea when he came in or how.


    I had only stepped away for a moment to use the bathroom, and when I came back with the bottle, he was just there. It felt like he had just appeared out of nowhere. A miracle, maybe? But I didn¡¯t believe in miracles or coincidences. Ethan had mentioned he didn¡¯t like the man, and I found myself agreeing with him, but this situation was just too creepy.


    I stood behind him and watched as he slowly looked at the baby before turning his gaze to Olivia. ¡°She¡¯s going to be beautiful, I can tell,¡± he said, speaking to a sleeping Olivia.


    Well, Sandra, her mother, wasn¡¯t unattractive, she was beautiful. The only thing shecked was a good heart. As for her father, Marcus, he was a handsome man, but not better looking than me. In fact, I was still the best looking out of the three of us.


    Then he said something that made me stop in my tracks. ¡°I would have let it go; you know. For the sake of the children, I would have and just put my focus on Luke. Everything would have been fine.¡± That¡¯s when I started paying closer attention. What was he talking about? Did this man have ulterior motives? Was there a deeper reason for his friendship with Olivia?


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked, my voice sharp. He tensed but quickly turned around with a forced chuckle.¡± Nothing just came to check on mom and the baby. I haven¡¯t seen Olivia in a couple of days. I missed her,¡± he said, clearly lying.


    Ethan had told me he found this guy in the kitchen, cooking while Olivia was asleep. I couldn¡¯t figure out if he was just weird or genuinely had something off about him. Either way, something didn¡¯t sit right, and we needed to figure out what was going on.


    We couldn¡¯t let things continue like this; it could turn uglyter if we didn¡¯t address it now. We¡¯d made that mistake before, turning a blind eye, and it was time we learned.


    ¡°As you can see, she¡¯s asleep. I¡¯ll let her know you stopped by,¡± I said, trying to keep my cool, not wanting him to think I was on to him just yet. I wasn¡¯t about to be overly nice either; that would raise suspicion. ¡°What are you still standing there for? Leave<b>, </b>seriously. This is exactly why I don¡¯t like you,¡± I added, my patience wearing thin. He just chuckled, shaking his head, but I wasn¡¯t backing down. The feeling in my gut told me I had to keep an eye on him.


    ¡°I get why you guys don¡¯t like me,¡± he said, his tone dripping with arrogance. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m a better version of all of youbined. You¡¯re worried that Olivia will see that too, and that scares you. You¡¯re all terrified that I¡¯ll take her away from you and make sure you never see her again.<b>¡± </b>


    The way he said it sent a chill down my spine. There was something unsettling in his words, something beneath the surface. It wasn¡¯t just arrogance, it was a threat, subtle but sharp. The look in his eyes, the way his expression shifted, it all felt off. It made my stomach twist, because I couldn¡¯t quite grasp what he was really getting at, what was lurking behind his words.


    He wasn¡¯t just talking about being better. There was something darker in thatment, something dangerous in the way he was watching me. I didn¡¯t know exactly what the man was thinking, but I sure as hell didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Yeah, keep dreaming. Now leave,¡± I said firmly, watching him closely as he walked past me. He gave me a smirk that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Just who the hell was this guy? As soon as he left, I sent Luke


    a message to meet me in the baby¡¯s room.


    I knew the man hated being in there, but I also knew he wouldn¡¯te if he didn¡¯t think I had a serious reason for calling him. Luke didn¡¯t respond to the message, but a few momentster, he appeared, standing at the door.


    I nced at the baby, then at Olivia, still sound asleep. Slowly, I walked toward Luke. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the lounge,¡± I said, my voice low. He furrowed his brows but followed me without saying a word.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked impatiently as we stepped into the lounge.


    ¡°Do you know Xander from somewhere?¡± I asked, watching him closely.


    Luke frowned, clearly taken aback. ¡°Where would I know him from? I just met the guy. Nick, you, and Ethan need to stop bothering him, he¡¯s fine, nice even. I like him. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯m leaving.¡± He turned to walk away, and I felt a wave of unease.


    Luke might not know every person he¡¯d crossed paths with. What if this guy was someone dangerous? A son of a rival, or worse? Why else would he talk about Luke like he knew him? It didn¡¯t add up, and that thought alone had me worried.


    Before I could stop him, I blurted, ¡°I don¡¯t trust him either.¡±


    I was startled to hear Olivia¡¯s voice behind me. I thought she¡¯d been sleeping. She must have overheard us.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer when it came to dinner¡± she said, walking over to me, her voice steady but filled with concern. ¡°He got pissed when Ethan kicked him out, saying he wasn¡¯t done and there were things still left to add. But when we ate, the food was fine. So, what exactly was he nning to add?¡±


    Her eyes locked onto mine. ¡°And I heard what he said when I was asleep. The way he said it¡­ it scared me. I won¡¯t be na?ve like I was before. If I have to, I¡¯ll be the bait. But I won¡¯t be na?ve. This is my family we¡¯re talking about. I won¡¯t just stand by and let someone destroy it. Not again.¡±


    Her words hit hard. I hadn¡¯t expected her to be so determined, but I could see the resolve in her eyes. She wasn¡¯t going to let this go, and neither was I.

 Novel Payback 235

    Chapter <b>235 </b>


    MARCUS


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± My voice was low, but it carried a dangerous edge as I paced back and forth across the office. The phone pressed tightly against my ear; I was on a call with Ethan. He was giving me some feedback about the man who had been getting close to my family the one I didn¡¯t trust. The one who was starting to make me see red.


    ¡°Listen<b>, </b>man, I¡¯ve already told you. I will keep an eye on him and the family,¡± Ethan said, his tone calm, almost too calm for the situation. ¡°There¡¯s no need to panic.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. ¡°Are you serious, Ethan? You think I¡¯m going to just sit back and rx while there¡¯s a potential threat lurking around my family? You want me to just let that go?¡± My pulse was racing, blood pounding in my ears as I struggled to keep my anger in check.


    ¡°Do you honestly expect me to just sit here, waiting for something to go wrong while I know there¡¯s a man who could hurt them? How am I supposed to do nothing? You know that¡¯s not me.¡±


    I could feel my hands clenched into fists. How could Luke have been so careless? How could he not have done a background check on this guy? It was maddening. My mind was spiralling as I thought about all the ways things could go south. The thought of my wife and children being in any kind of danger, it was unbearable.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what,¡± I continued, my voice rising. ¡°I¡¯ve got this. I will handle it. But you better have eyes on him, Ethan, because if something happens to my family, I swear to God.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a little advice, Marcus,¡± Ethan cut in, his voice turning sharper. ¡°Stop acting like a child. You need to trust us. There are three of us here, me, Luke, and Nick. We can handle things. Xander is just one man. Do you honestly think he can take us down?¡±


    I felt a brief wave of frustration and guilt wash over me. I knew Ethan was trying to calm me down, but at that moment, I couldn¡¯t see past the fear gnawing at me. The urgency in my mind told me there was no time to waste. But, deep down, I knew Ethan was right, Xander was just one person. Still, that didn¡¯t make me feel any better.


    ¡°But here¡¯s my advice to you, Marcus,¡± I shot back, at the tone Ethan used. I knew whatever he was going to say was going to make me mad. ¡°If you want Olivia back, if you really want her back, you will respect her wishes. She has made it clear. When she¡¯s ready to talk, she will. Until then, stay the hell away from her. Understand?¡±


    My fist collided with the wall, the force of my anger reverberating through my entire body. I could feel the sting in my knuckles as the wall cracked, to be fair, it was just hard dry walling, but the pain was nothingpared to the ache in my chest. This wasn¡¯t about just protecting my family anymore. This was about her, Olivia. The woman L loved. The woman <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t stand to see slipping further and further away from me,


    ¤¹¤Ù


    I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. His words hung heavy in the air as I breathe in trying to calm myself before giving Ethan a response, but all I could hear was my own blood pumping in my ears. I was done being calm. This wasn¡¯t something I could let go, no matter the cost.


    ¡°Your silence says it all, Marcus. You¡¯re about to do something reckless. I¡¯m warning you for thest time, calm down, trust us, and find something else to focus on. Right now, you¡¯re making me regret even telling you what¡¯s going on.¡±


    So now he regretted being honest with me? Too damn bad. He¡¯d already let me in on everything, and there was no taking it back. ¡°Why the hell didn¡¯t Nick listen to you about this guy? When he left here, he promised he would keep him away from my wife and kids. So why the hell is he letting him get close to them? What¡¯s he doing letting this stranger into my family?¡±


    The rage simmered beneath my skin, hotter with every passing second. What the hell had I been thinking,


    believing anything Nick said? I was damn sure the man was busy ying house with my kids, trying to charm my wife and worm his way back into her life while I was stuck here in New Vige. The whole situation was spiralling out of control, and I felt like I was losing my grip on everything. My family, my trust, my peace of mind, it was all slipping through my fingers.


    The words from Ethan on the other end only fanned the mes. ¡°Look, Marcus, the guy¡¯s good. You would swear he was a saint if you met him. He¡¯s got that innocent look, ke he couldn¡¯t hurt a fly. But don¡¯t be fooled, he¡¯s got a sharp tongue, a smart mouth. He knows exactly what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    My teeth ground together, frustration making my head throb. Why the hell is he telling me this? I didn¡¯t ask for a rundown on the guy. I didn¡¯t need to know how charming of smooth he was. Thest thing I wanted to hear was how this man was winning over everyone around him.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about him like he¡¯s your new best friend, Ethan,¡± I snapped, the words bursting out of me. ¡°Like he¡¯s some kind of goddamn saint! What the hell is going on here? Are you all really blind to what¡¯s happening?¡± My blood was boiling, and no amount of control was going to calm me down now. ¡°God, this is insane. I¡¯m sitting here losing my mind, and you¡¯re all acting like it¡¯s nothing. But this is my family we¡¯re talking about! And I¡¯m supposed to just sit back and let some guy get close to them while I do nothing? No. I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    My thoughts were racing, one after another, and every time I tried to focus, they only made the situation worse. How had I let ite to this? How had I allowed myself to believe Nick¡¯s promises? The anger I felt now, toward Nick, toward this mysterious man, toward the whole damn situation, was suffocating. The more I thought about it, the less I could think straight.


    If you¡¯re not going to listen, I¡¯m hanging up. But if you dare show up here, all hell will break loose.¡±


    Hell had already broken loose. What the hell was he talking about?


    **


    make y


    ¥¯

 Novel Payback 236

    Chapter <b>236 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I was still on talking with Nick, trying to figure out how we were going to handle Xander without bringing my father into this mess. We both knew that if we involved him everything would spiral out of control. The ind, the people, nothing would be untouched, and we couldn¡¯t risk that.


    Éí


    We finally agreed to take matters into our own hands, bringing Ethan in since he was the one who had seen thising from the start. It should¡¯ve been a no¨Cbrainer, but couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of how stupid I had been. Why had I trusted people so blindly? I should¡¯ve learned my lesson after Jennifer, after everything that went down with her. But here I was, repeating my mistake, putting my faith in Xander.


    I should¡¯ve been more cautious, especially with someone I didn¡¯t know. But no, I let my guard down, and now look where we were. The consequences were closing in on me, and I couldn¡¯t stop them. Olivia, when are you going to wake up? What was it going to take for you to finally see the truth and stop letting things slip through your fingers?


    Nick¡¯s phone rang, and he nced at me before answering. It¡¯s your husband,¡± he said, his tone neutral. My heart skipped a beat. I missed him. I missed hearing his voice more than I had realized.


    ¡°Put him on speaker,¡± I said, my voice barely a whisper. ¡°I want to hear what he wants.¡±


    Nick did as I asked, and within seconds, Marcus¡¯s voice boomed through the speaker. ¡°Nick Jones, just what the hell are you doing there? Is this really how you are honouring the promise you made me?¡±


    I froze. He was livid. The way his voice carried such authority and frustration made my pulse race. I could tell something had set him off.


    ¡°Marcus, how¡¯s it going, man?¡± Nick chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, but it was clear Marcus wasn¡¯t having <ol><li>it. </li></ol>


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me stupid questions, Nick. Why the hell didn¡¯t you listen to Ethan when he warned you about that guy? What¡¯s it going to take for you to take him seriously and protect my family?¡±


    Oh crap. Ethan had told him. I felt the weight of his words like a p to the face. Why would Ethan do that? I wasn¡¯t sure, but now I had to deal with the fallout.


    ¡°Marcus, please don¡¯t me Nick or Ethan,¡± I cut in quickly, hoping to calm him down. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m the one who trusted Xander and got us into this mess. I will fix it. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. Nick and I already have a n.¡±


    There was a tense silence before Marcus¡¯s voice thundered again, even angrier than before. ¡°Now you have got my wife involved in this? Are you all that ipetent? You think bringing Olivia into this mess is going to help?!¡±


    I felt my eyes widen in shock. He was beyond furious now. His words hit like a punch to the gut, and I felt every ounce of his anger through the phone.


    ¡°Marcus, listen to me-¡±


    He cut me off, his tone sharp andmanding. ¡°No, you listen to me, Olivia Walker. I am still your husband. Just because I let you stay there doesn¡¯t mean I have stopped being the man of the house. You will listen to me when I speak, and you will stay out <b>of </b>this. Luke and the others will take care of it. Your job is to take care of our kids. Do you understand me?¡±


    His voice was somanding, so firm, that it should have made me angry, I should¡¯ve felt defiant, like I had every right to stand my ground. But instead, his words hit me in a way I wasn¡¯t prepared for. A part of me felt a surge of desire and longing<b>, </b>emotions I hadn¡¯t realized I was suppressing. The way he spoke to me, the authority

 Novel Payback 237

    distractions. No room for anything else.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± He called my name again, and the way it rolled off his tongue sent a shiver down my spine. It was a sound that could reduce me to nothing more than putty in his hands.


    ¡°Yes, love?¡± I responded, almost breathlessly, as if the mere sound of his voice could make me forget everything else.


    ¡°Do you understand what your responsibility is over there?¡± he asked, the weight of his words pressing down on me. There was no room for error, no room for doubt.


    The part of me that wanted to resist, that wanted to challenge him<b>, </b>shrank away under the force of his question.¡± Yes, I do,¡± I replied, my voice softer than I would have liked. Why was I so meek now? Why was I acting like some obedient mouse, following his everymand without question? Damn it, Marcus. I shouldn¡¯t have answered that call. It had only led me straight into the web he was spinning.


    ¡°Good.¡± His voice dropped lower, more intense. ¡°If anything happens that affects you or the kids, I expect you to get on your father¡¯s jet ande back immediately.¡±


    What else could I say? There was no room for argument, no space for me to assert myself. It was as if he had already mapped out every step of my life, and I had no choice but to follow. What was left for me to do? I was trapped in his expectations, tangled in the power he still wielded over me.


    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± I muttered, the words escaping my lips almost automatically, as if I had no other choice but to obey.


    ¡°Good. Remember, I love you.¡± His words wrapped around me like a warm nket, chasing away the coldness I had been carrying for so long. Suddenly, Xander and whatever ns he had faded into the background, insignificantpared to the effect Marcus had on me.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± His voice was softer this time, more intimate. Why was he calling my name like that? Or was it simply because it had been so long since I had heard him say it, and now it was affecting me more than I realized?


    ¡°Yes?¡± I responded, my voice barely above a whisper, caught in the moment.


    ¡°I said, I love you,¡± he repeated, and something in the way he said it stirred something deep inside me.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± I replied without thinking, the words flowing so naturally, almost like a reflex. And in that instant, I knew there was no escaping what I felt for him, no matter how hard I tried to deny it.

 Novel Payback 238

    real test was about to begin. I could only imagine how the king and his princes would react to the sleeping beauties. Would they rush in, panicked and reckless, or would they y it cool, carefully measuring their next move?


    Either way, I was going to get the answers I needed. I would wait. Watch. And when the time was right, I would make my next move.


    It didn¡¯t take long before Ethan showed up. He was the one who had looked me up, the only one of them with the skills to dig into my past like that. The others might be capable in their own ways, but Ethan? He was the real investigator, the one who could uncover everything I had tried so carefully to bury.


    He approached the pool with urgency, his gaze darting between the two women. His eyes narrowed as he tried shaking them awake, but it was no use. They werepletely out of it, their bodies limp and unresponsive.


    Panic shed across his face as he pulled out his phone, no doubt calling the others for help. Within minutes, Nick appeared, followed closely by Luke. They moved swiftly, assessing the situation with a mix of concern and confusion. Luke immediately took out his phone, dialling a number. Most likely to the doctor, to get confirmation on what had been done and what their next move should be.


    I sat back, watching with a quiet amusement as they continued to try and rouse the women. They were getting more desperate now, but I could see that nothing was working. Nick was scanning the area, looking for answers that weren¡¯t there. He had no idea who was behind this.


    I stood up slowly, taking off my hat with a deliberate motion. I wanted him to see me, to know it was me who had orchestrated this little scene. I wanted the satisfaction of knowing that he would realize, perhaps toote, that I was always one step ahead of him.


    As I stood there, our eyes met across the pool. His expression shifted immediately, anger shing across his features. The heat in his gaze was unmistakable, and I could see the tension in his jaw as he processed what had happened.


    A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips, my confidence growing with each passing second. I had their attention now. I had them exactly where I wanted them. Let them feel the weight of their own mistakes.


    Now, it was my turn to y.

 Novel Payback 239

    Chapter <b>239 </b>


    NICK


    I was in the middle of tending to the bay when Ethan¡¯s call came through, pulling me out of my thoughts. Olivia had been distracted, almost lost in her own world ever since she spoke to her husband three days ago. I could see it in her eyes, she was far away, locked in some distant memory. I had a feeling we wouldn¡¯t be staying here much longer. But before we left, there was still Xander to deal with.


    We couldn¡¯t afford to let him follow us back home with whatever issues he had, issues we still hadn¡¯t fully figured out. We knew who he was and why he might hold a grudge against Luke. But what we didn¡¯t know was what his endgame was, what ns he hadid out. That was the real concern.


    When Ethan called and told me that Lupita and the old woman weren¡¯t waking up, a cold chill shot down my spine. My heart lurched into my throat as a sense of panic began to rise. I nced at Olivia, trying to mask my sudden unease, and quickly excused myself from the room. <b>I </b>needed to handle this, and I didn¡¯t want her to see the fear I was feeling.


    I didn¡¯t exin anything to Luke. I didn¡¯t have all the information myself, so there was no point in filling him in with iplete details. I simply told him to follow me, urgency in my voice. When we arrived at the pool, Ethan¡¯s pale face said everything. He looked like he had seen a ghost, his usualposurepletely shattered.


    We checked on Lupita and the old woman, and though their breathing was steady, no matter what we did, they wouldn¡¯t wake up. It was like they were trapped in a deep, unshakeable sleep. I felt a pit grow in my stomach.


    We scanned the area for any signs of what might have caused this. There were no immediate signs of danger, no obvious toxins, no strange substances around them. But then, as I scanned the surroundings one more time, I caught sight of something that made my blood run cold.


    Across the pool, standing with that infuriating, knowing smirk on his face, was Xander. My gut clenched. It was him. He had done something to them, and I could feel the anger beginning to bubble up inside me. His look told me everything I needed to know.


    If I could, I would¡¯ve crossed the distance between us in an instant, my hands around his throat, squeezing the life out of him until he confessed to whatever twisted thing he had done to those women. The desire to make him suffer for this was overwhelming.


    But I knew I couldn¡¯t let my emotions take over. Not yet. First, I needed answers. And Xander was the only one who had them.


    ¡°The doctor will be here shortly to check on them,¡± Luke said, his voice a little unsteady. I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from the two women lying motionless by the pool. My mind was racing, and I was already thinking about how to break the news to Olivia. If she found out about this, there was no telling how she would react. She would lose her mind.


    ¡°Xander did it,¡± I said, my voice t, not wanting to sugarcoat it. I had no doubts in my mind.


    Luke shot me a look of disbelief. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    I didn¡¯t have the patience for his questions. How could he still not see it? The man was standing across the pool, smirking like he owned the ce. I kept my focus on the women, wondering what the hell he had given them to put them out like this.


    ¡°Look,¡± I said, pointing across the pool. ¡°He¡¯s standing right there.¡±


    They both turned to look, but I didn¡¯t shift my gaze from the women. I had to figure out what was going on with them. I needed answers, and fast. I was sick of this feeling of helplessness, watching things spiral out of control.

 Novel Payback 240

    Chapter <b>240 </b>


    ¡°Why would he do this?¡± Luke¡¯s voice broke through my thoughts, and it took all my restraint not to snap at him.


    ¡°Why would he do it?¡± I repeated, my tone getting sharper. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Luke. But whatever it is, it has something to do with you. No man targets your daughter without a damn good reason. Think. What happened between you and him? What¡¯s the history here?¡±


    Luke looked offended, his face flushing with anger. ¡°Nick, never dealt with that boy. I don¡¯t know who he is or who his family is.¡±


    I let out a frustrated breath, my patience wearing thin. ¡°His mother died when he was five,¡± Ethan said, his wordsing out tightly controlled. ¡°She had cancer, and she passed away. His father¡­ well, he was shot dead. That¡¯s all I could dig up on him. Not much else.¡±


    Ethan¡¯s voice was quiet, still shaken by the situation. ¡°I will look into it, but from the moment we got here, that kid has been nothing but nice. His shown no signs of resentment or anger toward me or Olivia. In fact, he looked like he was trying to get close to Olivia, maybe even build a rtionship with her. I don¡¯t get it. I don¡¯t know what this is all about.¡±


    I turned to Luke, frustration bubbling up inside me. ¡°When did you be so na?ve, Luke?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe he was falling for Xander¡¯s act. ¡°How are you not seeing past his fa?ade? His ying you, and you are letting him.¡±


    Luke opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off. I didn¡¯t have time for this. We needed to deal with the situation at hand.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± I muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s just figure out what¡¯s going on with these two. We can worry about Xanderter. Right now, we need to get answers.¡±


    I could see the way Luke bristled at my tone. He wasn¡¯t used to being spoken to like that, he was the one who gave orders, not the one who took them. But I didn¡¯t have the luxury of worrying about his pride right now. There was a bigger issue at hand, and it was pressing.


    ¡°If it was Xander who¡­¡± Luke trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. The frustration, the anger, it was all starting to boil over inside me.


    I raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with his hesitation<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>If? You¡¯re still saying ¡®if¡®? After everything that¡¯s happened, you¡¯re still questioning this?¡±


    My patience snapped. I stepped closer, my voice sharp andced with fury. ¡°Luke, just what the hell is wrong with you? Did you forget who you came here with? Olivia, her children.., your family. Are you willing to bet their lives on that¡­ boy and trust him like this?¡±


    The words hung in the air, thick with tension. I could see the flicker of anger in his eyes, the frustration building as he processed what I had just said. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he growled, stepping forward. ¡°Olivia and her children. And no, I¡¯m not just going to throw their safety away like you seem to think I would. But I¡¯m not going to blindly trust you either, Nick. You think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s at stake here? You think I¡¯m willing to let this situation spiral out of control?¡±


    I could feel the weight of his challenge, the sting of his words, but I wasn¡¯t about to back down. Not now. ¡°Then stop being so damn stubborn and listen,¡± I snapped. ¡°Because right now, that¡¯s exactly what¡¯s happening. We¡¯re dealing with a dangerous man who¡¯s willing to manipte anyone and everyone to get what he wants. And you¡¯re standing there, ying nice with him like nothing¡¯s wrong I can¡¯t let that happen.¡±

 Novel Payback 241

    Chapter <b>241 </b>


    OLIVIA


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to tell her.¡± Nick¡¯s voice floated through the crack in the door as I walked back from the kitchen, a ss of water in hand. The tone of his voice was serious, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something wasn¡¯t right. Who was he talking about? What was going on? And most importantly, why was he so concerned about not telling me?


    ¡°What will be the point of keeping it from her? It¡¯s not like they aren¡¯t here, and she¡¯s going to ask when she doesn¡¯t see them,¡± Ethan¡¯s voice followed. The words made my heart start to race. What weren¡¯t they telling me?


    I paused, listening closer, and then heard Nick again, his voice low butced with tension. ¡°I don¡¯t care. We keep it to ourselves as long as we can. I am not willing to face Olivia right now, not with everything else going on.¡±


    That was when I couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. My curiosity burned, and my instinct told me that whatever they were hiding, it had to do with me, and probably my children. I couldn¡¯t stay out of it any longer. I reached for the door handle and pulled it open.


    The second they saw me, both of their faces froze, their shock evident. I didn¡¯t say anything, my gaze fixed on them, but I stepped aside to let them in. They hesitated, clearly unsure, but eventually, they stepped in, their footsteps slow and reluctant. I shut the door behind them, feeling a strange heaviness settle over me.


    I walked toward the couch and sat down, feeling a cold knot of anxiety in my stomach. I didn¡¯t say a word, but I waited. And after what felt like an eternity of silence, the weight of the moment pressing down on us, Ethan exchanged a look with Nick before turning back to me. He sighed deeply, his expression strained.


    ¡°Lupita and Grandma are with the doctor in the next room, Ethan started, his voice heavy with concern. ¡°We don¡¯t know exactly what happened, but I found them by the poolside, both of them asleep. They won¡¯t wake up, no matter what we do.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. ¡°Are they injured?¡± The question felt like it came from somewhere far away, like I was detached from my own body.


    ¡°No, there are no injuries,¡± Nick responded quickly, trying to ease some of the panic I could feel building inside of me. ¡°They¡¯re just¡­ sleeping. That¡¯s all.¡±


    I nodded, though it didn¡¯t bring me anyfort. I was on the edge now, feeling a strange sense of foreboding. This wasn¡¯t something that was supposed to happen, not here, not now. My mind was already racing, trying to piece together what had happened. And then<b>, </b>as if on instinct, my husband¡¯s words shed through my mind. I needed to act, and I needed to act fast.


    ¡°Tell the pilot to get ready,¡± I said, my voice sounding steadier than I felt. ¡°We are sending them to New Vige. Call Marcus and have him receive them, look after them. If he asks<b>, </b>tell him I am alright and that I wille back. if it bes too dangerous or if it affects the kids.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, I stood<b>, </b>my legs feeling heavy as I made my way toward Lilly¡¯s room. My mind was already working through the n, my focus narrowing to the task at hand. But as I entered Lilly¡¯s room and closed the door behind me, the exhaustion finally hit me like a tidal wave. I sank onto the couch, the full weight of everything crashing down on me. My body felt like it was made of lead<b>, </b>every muscle drained of energy.


    What was happening? What had Xander done?


    I closed my eyes, trying to block out the flood of thoughts that threatened to overwhelm me. But all I could see was his face, the smirk, the coldness in his eyes, and I couldn¡¯t shake the image<b>. </b>Every part of me screamed for answers, for closure. Whatever he had nned, I knew it was far from over. He was ying a game, and I was caught in the middle of it. The feeling of helplessness gnawed at me, but something in me burned with an


    Chapter


    241


    unwavering desire to face him. I couldn¡¯t sit idly by while he toyed with my family.

 Novel Payback 242

    Chapter <b>242 </b>


    I took a few moments to steady my breathing and gather my thoughts. My pulse was racing, but I refused to let fear take control. I needed to act. I stood up with renewed determination, brushing the remnants of doubt away. I didn¡¯t want to think about Lupita and Grandma any longer had to find Xander, he was the one I needed to confront. He had answers, and I wanted them.


    Without hesitating, I walked toward the door, opening it carefully. The air outside was cool, but it did nothing to calm the fire inside me. The balcony stretched out before me, and there was a small ledge separating my room from my father¡¯s. My heart pounded in my chest as I climbed over it, careful not to make a sound. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know I was leaving, especially not Nick. I couldn¡¯t afford distractions now.


    When I slipped into my father¡¯s room, I was relieved to find it empty. Without wasting another second, I grabbed the phone and dialled my room. Nick picked up almost immediately.


    ¡°Look after the baby. I¡¯ming. Don¡¯te looking for me,¡± I instructed, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. ¡°I wille back on my own.¡±


    Before he could respond, I ended the call. I didn¡¯t want him to argue, didn¡¯t want him to try and stop me. This was something I had to do on my own.


    I ran down the hallway, my feet barely making a sound against the marble floors. The hotel was quiet, almost eerily so. I didn¡¯t stop until I reached Xander¡¯s room, my pulse hammering in my ears. I hesitated for only a moment, and then my hand reached for the doorknob. But before I could knock, the door swung open, revealing Xander standing there, his face a mixture of surprise and something darker.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± he said, his voice smooth and dripping with intrigue. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    His words were calm, but there was something about his tone that made my skin crawl. He wasn¡¯t expecting me. But that only made me more resolute.


    ¡°You wanted me, didn¡¯t you?¡± I said, my voiceing out stronger than I felt. ¡°Well, here I am.¡±


    Xander¡¯s eyes gleamed, and a smirk spread across his face. For the first time, I saw a side of him I didn¡¯t recognize. The smirk sent an icy chill down my spine, a feeling of unease creeping over me. Before I could react, he closed the distance between us, and I barely registered the sh of movement as he took something from his pocket.


    I tried to step back, but my body was too slow. I felt a sharp pinch at the base of my neck, and my vision blurred. The world tilted, spinning dangerously around me. I staggered, struggling to stay on my feet, but he was already holding me, his arms encircling me as if we were embracing.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee here, Olivia,¡± Xander¡¯s voice was low, but there was no mistaking the satisfaction in it. ¡°Now you are mine.¡±


    The words barely registered before the darkness rushed in, overtaking me. I tried to fight it, tried to call out to Marcus, to anyone, but my thoughts scattered like fragile ss. Marcus, I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t keep my promise to stay out of this¡­ Please forgive me.


    And then everything went ck. Thest thing I felt was Xander¡¯s grip on me, the weight of his presence pressing down on me as I lost consciousness.


    X


    Chapter <b>243 </b>

 Novel Payback 243

    Chapter <b>243 </b>


    XANDER


    I had thought it would take longer for my n to unfold, that I would have to exert more effort to see any real results. But I quickly realized that Olivia wasn¡¯t the patient, calcted type. She was impulsive, more than I had anticipated. Being the good girl she was, she didn¡¯t make me wait. She came straight to me, served herself up like an offering, a gift I could easily im.


    It was almostughable. She handed me the opportunity on a silver tter, offering her trust, her vulnerability, her very presence, all without me lifting a finger or doing more than what I had already orchestrated. She practically ced her head on a tter, and I couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued by how easily everything was falling into ce.


    But time was critical. If she showed up at my door alone, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the others arrived. I had to act fast, everything needed to go ording to n.


    As Olivia finally passed out, her body limp and unguarded, I wasted no time. I dragged her inside my room, covering herpletely to keep her hidden. After securing her, I moved quickly to check if anyone had noticed her absence. I listened intently, straining to hear anything that would signal trouble, but there was nothing, not yet. Still, I had no time to waste.


    I carefully lifted Olivia, her body heavy but manageable, and began weighing my options. The stairs or the service elevator? Neither was ideal. My mind raced, calcting the quickest and least risky option. But then I heard it, the sound of hurried footsteps approaching.


    Theundry shaft was the only immediate option. Without hesitation, I shoved Olivia¡¯s legs into the narrow opening, the rest of her body following. Her unconscious form fell in with a muffled thud. I didn¡¯t stop to check; there was no time. I straightened up, smoothing down my clothes and walking toward the elevator as if nothing had happened, my expression unreadable.


    And then I saw him, Ethan. He was heading straight for me, his pace quick and purposeful. I could already tell what he was after. ¡°Where is she?¡± he demanded before even reaching me, his voice sharp and frantic.


    I raised an eyebrow, feigning confusion. ¡°Where is who?¡± I asked, my tone innocent, as if I had no idea what he was talking about.


    His anger red, his face red with frustration. ¡°Where the hell is she?¡± he repeated, his voice growing louder, demanding an answer.


    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a smallugh, amused by the desperation in his voice. ¡°Yelling at me isn¡¯t going to change anything,¡± I said coolly, crossing my arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Where is who?¡±


    His hands shook with anger, but I could see something else in his eyes, fear. That was interesting. Who exactly was he to Olivia that he cared so much? Was he, her ex? The idea intrigued me, and I found myself briefly toying with the thought. It could add a newyer to this situation, make it even more¡­ entertaining.


    ¡°Where is Olivia?¡± Ethan demanded again; his voice nowced with panic.


    I chuckled softly, taking a step closer. ¡°You lost her? Pray I don¡¯t find her first, because if I do¡­ trust me, it won¡¯t just be sleep I put her in like I did to the other two women.¡± I let my words hang in the air, just enough to unsettle him.


    I had no intention of giving up my advantage just yet. I needed time to execute the next part of my n, and Ethan, with his emotional outburst, was only providing a distraction. He was stumbling right into my trap.


    ¡°Let me in your room to check for myself,¡± he demanded, His voice trembling with urgency.


    I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his persistence. ¡°Why would I deny having her? I didn¡¯t deny what I did to the others.¡± His re only intensified, but he had no choice but to follow me as I turned and walked back toward my


    room.


    4


    I opened the door and stood aside, watching as he barged in his eyes scanning every corner, every shadow, as though expecting to find Olivia hiding in a closet or under the bed. He was wasting his time. I knew she wasn¡¯t in there.


    I leaned against the doorframe, watching him, not in the slightest bit concerned. I had bigger things to worry about now, like my date with both Olivia and my father. Ethan¡¯s frantic search was just a minor interruption in the grand scheme of things.


    Chapter <b>244 </b>

 Novel Payback 244

    Chapter <b>244 </b>


    Time was slipping away, and I couldn¡¯t afford any more distractions. But for now, I let him continue, savouring the moment. When he eventually realized that Olivia wasn¡¯t there, it would be toote for him. By then<b>, </b>my n would already be in motion, and nothing would be able to stop me.


    Ethan¡¯s search for Olivia came to an end, and as his eyes finally met mine, I saw something in them, something I hadn¡¯t anticipated. The desperation, the fear, it was almost tangible. His posture had shifted, his previous anger dissolving into something softer, more.,. vulnerable.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said, his voice breaking as he stepped toward me, his hands trembling slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to harm her. Whatever vendetta you have against her father, take it out on him, not on her. Olivia is good. She¡¯s the glue holding all of us together. Without her¡­ without her, we are nothing.¡±


    His words hung in the air, the weight of them sinking into me. His desperation wasn¡¯t just for her safety, it was for everything that Olivia represented to him and, I assumed, to the rest of them. It was clear now: Olivia wasn¡¯t just another person in their lives; she was their anchor. Losing her would destroy them. That much was evident in his voice, the way his plea seemed to reverberate with something deeper, more personal.


    His attitude had shifted so drastically. The anger, the aggression, the sense of power, gone. In its ce was pure vulnerability. And that vulnerability¡­ it was a new weapon in my arsenal.


    I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the shift. Ethan had been a wall of defiance, but now, he was pleading. This was a side of him I hadn¡¯t expected to see. I felt an almost twisted satisfaction in watching him break down in front of me, his usual defences crumbling away. It was all too easy to see how much Olivia meant to him and how deeply his feelings ran.


    That was exactly what I needed. Every word he said, every ounce of emotion in his voice, he was handing me everything I had been waiting for. Information, leverage, the perfect way to strike.


    I wasn¡¯t going to y nice anymore. This wasn¡¯t about Olivia¡¯s safety; it was about making Luke pay in the most excruciating way possible. If Ethan had any idea what I had nned, he would be on his knees begging for mercy. But he didn¡¯t. And that was the beauty of it.


    I stepped forward, my gaze fixed firmly on his, my face an unreadable mask. ¡°Thank you, Ethan,¡± I said, my voice smooth, almost calm. ¡°You have just given me everything I needed.¡± His expression faltered, confused by my sudden shift in tone.


    He didn¡¯t know that his words, his vulnerability, were nothing but a tool. A tool that would make my next move all the more satisfying.


    The n was in motion, and there was no turning back now. His pleading was just a momentary distraction, a fleeting attempt at saving the woman he clearly cared so much about. But there was no saving her, not from me, not from what wasing.


    I turned away slightly, as if lost in thought, my mind already racing through the final steps of my n. I could almost hear my father¡¯s voice in my mind, a reminder of the promises I had made. ¡°What did I tell you, Father?¡± I murmured to myself, as if he were standing beside me, watching my every move. ¡°I always keep my promises<b>.</b>¡±


    Soon, everything would fall into ce. And when it did, Luke would finally feel the full extent of my revenge. Olivia would be the key to breaking him, and the rest of them would crumble in the aftermath. Ethan¡¯s words were just the final piece of the puzzle. I would give them exactly what they feared most, the loss of their precious Olivia, and watch as everything fell apart around them.


    <b>I </b>paused, a dark smile tugging at the corner of my lips. ¡°You will soon rest in eternal peace, Father.¡± The words felt almost too light for the weight of what they meant. But in my mind, I was already several steps ahead, already savouring the moment when the final blow wouldnd.

 Novel Payback 245

    Chapter <b>245 </b>


    NICK


    I paced the room, the steady rhythm of my footsteps doing little to quell the growing anxiety in my chest. Each minute that passed felt like an eternity. I kept ncing at the door, hoping to see Ethan walking in, Olivia by his side. But the minutes dragged on, and no one came.


    It all started when I got that call from Olivia. The second I heard her voice, a cold, heavy weight settled in my chest. ¡°Nick,¡± she had said, her voice shaky, and then the line went dead. My heart literally stopped. Before I could gather my thoughts or tell her to stay safe, to stop whatever she was nning, the call ended. I tried calling back immediately, but there was no answer.


    I had no idea what was going on, but I knew it couldn¡¯t be good. Panic set in, and I immediately told Ethan what had happened. We both stood there, staring at each other, unsure of what to do next. There was so much at stake, and the baby was a constant reminder that we couldn¡¯t afford to be reckless. I couldn¡¯t leave her with Ethan, he wasn¡¯tfortable with her, and honestly, neither was I. The tension in the air had been palpable when we spoke about it, and neither of us wanted to take that risk.


    In the end, we both knew what had to be done. Ethan would be the one to go after Olivia, find her, and bring her back safely.


    And now, here I was, waiting, waiting for him to return. Every time I heard footsteps in the hall<b>, </b>my heart would race in my chest, but each time, it turned out to be nothing. The hallway remained empty, no sign of them, no sign of Olivia. With every passing second, my anxiety grew. The fear that had been sitting in the pit of my stomach now bubbled to the surface, choking me.


    My mind kept reying the worst¨Ccase scenarios. I couldn¡¯t help it. What if Olivia was alone with Xander right now? What if something had already happened? I tried to convince myself that Xander wouldn¡¯t hurt her, that he wanted her, but not in the way I feared. He wanted to im her as his own, to make her his woman, but that didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t try to control her, to make her submit to him. He was a man with his own demons, and I knew that all too well.


    But the truth was, Xander had far more sinister ns for her than that. I tried to block the darker thoughts from my mind, tried to suppress the gut feeling that told me he was capable of things I couldn¡¯t even fathom. He might look clean, innocent even, but I knew better. Xander wasn¡¯t the man he appeared to be. He was as dangerous as they came.


    I was no stranger to violence, Luke and I both had blood on our hands. If I really thought about it, what I did to Sandra¡­ it wasn¡¯t the same, though. I told myself it was justice, what happened to her was nothing like what Xander and Luke were capable of. But the doubt crept in, gnawing at me. Was I fooling myself? Was I just as monstrous as them?


    It didn¡¯t matter.


    The thought of Olivia<b>, </b>trapped in the hands of someone like Xander, was enough to tear my mind apart. I couldn¡¯t lose her. Not after everything.


    I opened the door again, desperate to see some sign that Ethan wasing back, that everything would be okay. But when I saw him approaching, my heart sank. His shoulders were slumped, his face a mask of defeat. My blood rani cold.


    I froze in ce<b>, </b>panic flooding my veins. My mind went nk, and my body was paralyzed by fear. The twisted scenarios that had been racing through my head were all bing too real, too possible. None of them were good.


    ¡°Ethan<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I called, my voice barely above a whisper, like I was afraid to hear what he would say.


    He lifted his head to look at me, and it was like seeing a ghost. His eyes were bloodshot, red¨Crimmed, and hollow, filled with a kind of dread that I had never seen before. His face was pale, and there was a sheen


    of sweat on his forehead. It was the look of someone who had already seen too much. Someone who had already lost.

 Novel Payback 246

    Chapter <b>246 </b>


    My knees buckled under me, the shock of what I was seeing hitting me like a physical blow. ¡°No,¡± I whispered, the word barely escaping my lips. ¡°What happened, Ethan? Where is she?¡±


    He didn¡¯t speak immediately. His gaze dropped to the floor, as though he couldn¡¯t bear to meet my eyes. When he did speak, his voice was low, almost broken. ¡°Xander¡­ Xander has her,¡± he said, and the words cut through me like a knife.


    I felt the world tilt beneath me, the floor shifting under my feet. Olivia, my Olivia, was in Xander¡¯s hands. The man I had always known to be a predator was now holding her, and I couldn¡¯t protect her from him.


    I felt the weight of my failure like a crushing force. I had promised to keep her safe, and now she was somewhere, alone with him, God only knew what he was doing. My mind raced, but there was no solution, no quick fix. All I ? had was the overwhelming sense of helplessness.


    And in the silence that followed, all I could think was that it was toote. Far toote.


    What was I going to tell Marcus, the kids, Lupita, and Grandma when they finally woke up? The thought of facing them, knowing I couldn¡¯t give them any good news, made my stomach churn. How could I exin that Olivia was missing, possibly in the hands of someone dangerous? How could I break it to them withoutpletely shattering their world? I had no answers, no reassurance, only uncertainty and fear gnawing at me.


    For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I found myself looking up, though I wasn¡¯t actually staring at the heavens. I was staring at the ceiling of the hotel room, but it felt like I was reaching for something beyond the sterile white walls and flickering lights. In my heart, I was praying. I was begging, pleading, for Olivia¡¯s safety, for her to be found unharmed. She had already been through so much, too much. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of her enduring any more. Not again. Not after everything.


    My mind raced with a thousand different scenarios, each more horrifying than thest. Every second that passed felt like a lifetime, and yet, I had no control over the situation. I didn¡¯t even know where to start looking, where to go, or who to trust. But one thing was clear: we needed a n, and we needed it fast.


    The kids. The thought of them waking up, their innocent faces searching for their mother¡­ It made my heart ache. They needed someone to care for them, to keep them safe while we went after the monster who had taken their mother. We needed a nanny, someone reliable who could step in and provide the care andfort the children would undoubtedly be craving. We couldn¡¯t afford to wait, every moment that passed meant Olivia was further from us, further from safety.


    I stood up, pacing the room as the urgency of the situation started to press in on me. There was no time to waste. We had to hit the streets, kick down doors, talk to anyone who might know something. The monster who took Olivia was out there, and I wasn¡¯t going to stop until I found him, until I found her.


    But first, I had to make sure the kids were taken care of. Their world was about to be turned upside down, and I didn¡¯t know how much more they could handle. But I had no choice. We had to move fast, and we had to do it without falling apart. I couldn¡¯t let my fear, my helplessness, show. Not now. Not when they needed me the most.


    I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I had to be strong for them. For Olivia. For everyone.


    And somehow, we would find her, Somehow, we would bring her home.


    X

 Novel Payback 247

    MARCUS


    Two days. It had been two days since Ist heard from the guys, and it felt like an eternity. Thest time we spoke, Nick had called me with a strange message: go pick up Lupita and Grandma at the airport. He mentioned something about them being asleep, but the way he said it, the way he avoided details, it didn¡¯t sit right with me. He wasn¡¯t forting, and I couldn¡¯t quite piece together what he meant.


    When I finally picked them up, the weight of his words hit me. They weren¡¯t just asleep, they were in a deep, unnatural slumber. I had rushed them to the hospital, desperate for answers. The doctors confirmed my worst fears: there was nothing physically wrong with them, but they remained unresponsive, caught in this inexplicable state of sleep. They were being fed through cubes to ensure they didn¡¯t starve, but it felt like a temporary fix, like we were just biding time until something more sinister revealed itself.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the situation, my mind racing, twisting with questions. My family, my wife, my kids, were out there, and I couldn¡¯t get a single answer. I had been trying to reach anyone, but no one was picking up. My calls went unanswered, and the silence drove me crazy. My anxiety was building, every unanswered call adding fuel to the fire. I needed information. I needed it now.


    The not knowing, the uncertainty, was starting to eat away at me. But deep down, I kept telling myself that if something serious was going on, Ethan would have told me. Just like he had when he warned me about Xander, there was no reason for him to hide anything now.


    Still, that nagging feeling wouldn¡¯t go away. It was like an itch I couldn¡¯t scratch, a whisper in the back of my mind telling me something wasn¡¯t right, that they were hiding something from me. Maybe it was something with Olivia, maybe one of the kids¡­ Whatever it was, it felt like they wanted to handle it first, to fix it, before they broke the news to me. But what if it was toote? What if they were already in danger?


    I had to know. I had to find out what was going on, but I had no idea where to even begin. If I knew where they were, I would¡¯ve been on the next ne, heading there without a second thought. But the uncertainty was suffocating. Every passing second felt like I was losing precious time, like they were slipping further away from <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    I dialled Nick again, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn¡¯t expect him to pick up, I had called so many times, only to be met with silence. But to my surprise, this time he answered. His voice was tense, clipped, like he was holding something back.


    ¡°Marcus,¡± he said quickly, his voice almost t. ¡°Yes, something happened. Olivia¡¯s been taken. We believe it was Xander. No, we haven¡¯t found her yet. The kids <i>a </i>


    fine, though. Don¡¯t call again. I will reach out to you when we


    find her.¡±


    Before I could process his words, before I could ask the thousand questions flooding my mind, the line went dead. He hung up.


    I stared at my phone, the reality of what he had said sinking in. Olivia¡­ taken. By Xander. I couldn¡¯t breathe. My mind was a whirlwind of chaos, how? Why? What did he mean by ¡°we haven¡¯t found her yet¡°? Why hadn¡¯t he told me more? I couldn¡¯t understand why he had cut the call so abruptly.


    It felt like everything was slipping through my fingers, like I had no control over what was happening to the people I loved most. The kids were safe, at least, but Olivia my wife, was out there somewhere, and Xander was the one who had her. The thought of that monster having her, of what he might be doing to her right now<b>, </b>made my blood run cold.


    I tried calling back, but there was <b>no </b>answer.


    I wanted to scream, to break something. But there was nothing I could do. Nothing but wait for Nick to call me


    back. Wait for someone to find her. And wait for whatever nightmare wasing next.


    I hated feeling so utterly powerless. The weight of it was suffocating, gnawing at me with every passing moment. I couldn¡¯t shake the sense that I was the worst husband, the worst father. If only I had done things differently, if only I had been more present, more understanding, she wouldn¡¯t be in this situation. If I hadn¡¯t neglected her, if I hadn¡¯t pushed her away with my thoughtlessness and mistakes, she would still be here, safe with me and the kids. None of this would have happened.


    I couldn¡¯t escape the guilt that was eating me alive. I was the reason she was gone. I was the one who had driven her away, made her feel like she had no choice but to leave. The pain I caused her, the weight of my own failures, it had pushed her into the arms of someone far worse than her father. I had created the perfect storm, the one that led her straight into the hands of a monster, someone who would exploit her vulnerability for his own twisted gain.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± I whispered under my breath, the words heavy with regret. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I keep failing you, failing us. I¡¯m sorry for everything, for being the man I was, for not being the man you needed me to be. I know I don¡¯t deserve your forgiveness, but please¡­ please hang in there. Keep fighting. You are stronger than you know. And they will find you. I won¡¯t stop until they do.¡±


    Every fiber of my being screamed for her, for the chance to undo the damage I had caused. But I knew that was impossible now. All I could do was hope. Hope that she was holding on, hope that she knew I still loved her, even if my actions had made it hard to see that. Hope that somehow, someone, somewhere, would find her before it was toote.

 Novel Payback 248

    Chapter <b>248 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I woke up to a freezing chill creeping through my body, my back pressed against something cold, almost like I was lying in a freezer. My eyes fluttered open, but the dim light around me made it hard to make out anything clearly. As my senses returned, I realized something else, the absence of Xander. Where was he? Where was I?


    The room was small, barely furnished, with no windows. My mind raced, trying to piece together the situation. Was this the hotel basement? Did the hotel even have a basement? My head was spinning, and confusion clouded my thoughts. I had no answers, just questions that only deepened my sense of panic.


    I scanned the room, trying to orient myself. The cold stone beneath me seemed to stretch out in all directions, giving the ce an eerie, oppressive atmosphere. There was nothing of note except for a cross that hung on the wall, an unsettling reminder of the twisted ce I found myself in. It was the only thing that felt familiar, yet out of ce in this strange, sterile environment.


    I tried to move, but a sharp panic surged through me as I realized I couldn¡¯t. I thought at first I might be tied up, but as I flexed my hands, I saw they were free. My fingers moved, the sensation returning to them, but I couldn¡¯t feel my feet. Desperately, I tried to move my legs, but they wouldn¡¯t budge. The panic in me grew stronger, my heart pounding in my chest. It dawned on me then: he hadn¡¯t tied me up. He didn¡¯t need to. He had known I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape, that my body would be paralyzed, trapped in this hellhole,pletely at his mercy.


    I yelled out, desperate for help, but my voice echoed weakly in the confined space. It was futile, just an empty sound swallowed by the cold stone. I pushed against the surface beneath me, attempting to sit up and escape, but that¡¯s when I realized what I had been lying on. It wasn¡¯t just a cold b. My breath caught in my throat as I saw the grim truth. I was lying on top of a grave, a cold, unforgiving b of stone. I was in a catb.


    The realization sent a tremor through my entire body. Fear wrapped around me like a vice, tightening with each passing second. This was a ce for the dead. Why had Xander brought me here? What was his n?


    I regretted my impulsiveness in that moment. I had acted without thinking, rushed into a situation I wasn¡¯t prepared for, and now I was paying the price. I hadn¡¯t considered the consequences of my actions, the danger thaty in waiting. How was anyone ever going to find me in a ce like this? Who would think to look for me here, among the forgotten and the buried?


    A wave of self¨Cloathing crashed over me. I had promised my husband I wouldn¡¯t take any risks, and now here I was, stuck in this nightmarish situation. It served me right didn¡¯t it? I had been too forward, too reckless. Why had I ever thought that I was somehow special, that Xander wouldn¡¯t do anything to him. I had underestimated the depth of his cruelty.


    <b>e </b>I had underestimated


    The sound of footsteps interrupted my spiralling thoughts, and I froze, heart hammering in my chest. I couldn¡¯t see where the noise wasing from, but it was too close. started scanning the room in a panic, my mind racing to find anything, anything, I could use to defend myself. But the room was barren, the cold stone walls offering nofort, no weapon to help me.


    Then the door creaked open, and Xander stepped inside, a snug grin spreading across his face as he carried a bag. His eyes glinted with a mixture of amusement and malice. You are awake. Good,¡± he said, his voice dripping with dark satisfaction. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for us to y.¡±


    hapter 249

 Novel Payback 249

    hapter <b>249 </b>


    My heart dropped into my stomach. His words sent a chill deeper than the cold that already gripped me. I had no lea what he was nning, what horrors awaited me next. But one thing was clear, he wasn¡¯t done with me yet.


    ander stepped further into the room, his eyes glinting with an unsettling mix of amusement and admiration. he soft thud of the bag hitting the floor echoed in the cold silence of the room. He didn¡¯t seem in a rush, no, he as almost casual about it, like we were two old acquaintances having a chat.


    I thought it would take me a lot longer to get to you,¡± he said, his voice almost yful, as he took a step closer, yeing me with a strange intensity. ¡°With all those men surrounding you, I figured you¡¯d have a dozen guards on ou at all times. But here you are,ing to me.¡± He paused for a moment, still smiling that smile that made my


    in crawl. ¡°Olivia, you are full of surprises.¡±


    sat there frozen, the weight of his words slowly sinking in. He didn¡¯t just see me as a threat; he saw me as a uzzle, a challenge.


    I should¡¯ve known,¡± he continued, shaking his head like he was mildly disappointed with himself. ¡°You¡¯re no rdinary woman. You¡¯ve got the guts, the cunning, and the strength. No wonder Ethan lost his mind when you isappeared. He never imagined you would pull something like this. But I know better.¡± He gave a mocking half- ow. ¡°You are a force to be reckoned with.¡±


    couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak, my mind racing as I took in my surroundings. This was it. This was the moment I ad feared but somehow always knew woulde. The game had changed, and now I was trapped in it.


    ander didn¡¯t waste any time. With deliberate slowness, he opened the bag at his feet and beganying out the ols inside, one by one. The metallic clinks echoed louder in the otherwise silent room. Each item he pulled out as sharp, gleaming, designed for pain. I felt my pulse quicken, my throat tightening as the realization hit me, he asn¡¯t just here to talk.


    took a shallow breath, trying to stay calm, but I could feel the bile rise in the back of my throat. My heart sank to my stomach. This was it. He was going to break me. For what? For who? I had no idea, but that didn¡¯t matter. I as about to be tortured.


    forced my eyes to look at him, the fear trying to w its way into my mind, but I refused to let it show. My gaze as steady, unwavering, as I stared back at Xander. I had to find a way out. There had to be something, anything. it my mind was nk, the sight of the glinting steel in his hands making it hard to think, hard to breathe. ander met my eyes, that twisted smile still tugging at the corners of his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>, </b>Olivia,¡± he said, his ice a low, mocking murmur. ¡°This will be¡­ educational. For both of us.¡±


    wallowed hard, feeling the cold sweat trickling down the back of my neck. It wasn¡¯t just the tools that terrified e, it was the knowing look in his eyes, he was savouring this. And that terrified me more than anything else.


    ouldn¡¯t give in. Not yet. Not ever.


    lenched my fists at my sides, bracing myself. Somehow, someway, I had to stay in control. If I let him see my ar, he¡¯d win. And I couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    it as Xander moved closer, the weight of what wasing next settled heavy in the pit of my stomach.

 Novel Payback 250

    OLIVIA


    A tremor ran through my body as I saw himing closer, his hand gripping another needle. I hade to fear both needles and Xander, for they had been the instruments that brought me to this terrifying ce. The thought of either one made my skin crawl. My muscles, once eager to run, now felt like they were trapped under thickyers of cement, unmovable and heavy.


    ¡°Please, Xander,¡± I begged, my voice strained with desperation. ¡°We don¡¯t have to do this. We can talk about it. There is no need to go this far.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even flinch at my plea. He stood still for a moment, his expression a cold mask of indifference. Then, as though the thought amused him, he chuckled softly.


    ¡°Come on, Olivia. This needle? It¡¯s not going to hurt you. It¡¯s going to make everything much more interesting. You will be numb; you won¡¯t feel any pain. I promise,¡± he said, his voiceced with a twisted reassurance.


    How could I trust anything he said? Xander was a man of lies and deceit, a man who revelled in power and control. He knew well that his words meant nothing. And yet, here I was, with no way to stop him. He kept moving around me, circling me like a predator, and I fought to stay still, my mind racing.


    ¡°What are you nning?¡± I wanted to scream, but the words choked in my throat.


    Xander¡¯s movements slowed as he positioned himself behind me. ¡°I have to inject this into your back. You wouldn¡¯t want to make this harder on yourself, would you?


    I stared at the floor, unable to respond. My mind raced with panic. What was he trying to do? Was he nning to paralyze me, to trap me in a state of permanent helplessness? Why did he need to numb me? Was he going to make me suffer in ways I couldn¡¯t even imagine?


    He made another move toward me, and instinctively, I tried to push him away, to break free from his hold. But my body, weak and uncooperative, failed me. His eyes shed with anger.


    ¡°Look,¡± he snapped, his voice cold and harsh, ¡°if you¡¯re going to keep resisting, then I will just do this the hard way. I will skip the needle and go straight to the pain. Is that what you want? To feel everything, every agonizing moment? You think you can handle that kind of torture?¡±


    His words hit me like a p to the face, and the truth behind them sent a chill down my spine. Xander was no longer the man I thought I knew, he was something darker now, a side of him I had never witnessed before. A monster, lurking just beneath the surface. It was true what people said, that everyone had two sides. And I had just awakened the evil side of Xander. I couldn¡¯t escape it.


    ¡°Well¡­?¡± he pressed, his gaze unwavering. ¡°What¡¯s it going to be?¡±


    I hesitated, the fight draining from me with every second. What choice did I have? The fear of the unknown, of what he would do next, gnawed at my insides, but I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of the pain he threatened. It was a twisted sort of mercy<b>, </b>I realized.


    With great effort, I stopped struggling. My body trembled as I leaned forward, resigning myself to what was about to happen. I would rather endure the numbness now and let the sedative or whatever it was wear offter. I had to endure somehow.


    The needle pressed against the skin of my lower back, and could feel the cold metal puncture my flesh. A sharp, stinging sensation followed. My eyes fluttered shut, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out. The tears came anyway, rolling down my cheeks as I tried to hold on to whatever small piece of myself was left. The pain I feared the most was now reced with an eerie numbness, spreading through my body, dulling my senses. I felt


    detached, floating somewhere far from this nightmare, but the knowledge that it was only temporary haunted me.


    When Xander was finished with the injection, he moved around me again, stepping away with a deliberate slowness that made my pulse race in anticipation of what was toe. He approached his tools with a calm, almost methodical air, each instrument he examined as though it held some secret, some power. He picked up one tool after another, inspecting them with a twisted curiosity, before finally settling on a small scalpel and a pair of tweezers. I watched, my heart hammering in my chest, wondering what his ns were for those.


    A horrible realization hit me when he turned toward me again, his eyes cold and gleaming. He moved to where Iy, and suddenly, without a word, he grabbed hold of my foot. My mind screamed in protest, and for a moment, thought he was going to cut off my toes, or worse, my whole foot. The horror of the thought gripped me tightly, and my heart threatened to leap out of my chest.


    But instead of severing my foot, Xander¡¯s focus was on my left foot, and more specifically, my big toe. My body. stiffened, bracing for the worst as he held my toe firmly in ce, but it wasn¡¯t as violent as I had feared. He was simply¡­ cutting my toenail,pletely removing it from my toe.


    I


    Tears welled up in my eyes, and they fell freely down my cheeks as I watched him take his time, almost savouring the act. I wasn¡¯t in pain, not physically, anyway. But my body knew that if I weren¡¯t numb from the injection, the pain would have been unbearable. The thought of what he was doing to me, what he could have been doing to me, sent a wave of nausea through me.


    Xander seemed to take pleasure in the process. He worked with slow precision, carefully trimming and removing the toenail, inspecting it like a scientist fascinated by some grotesque specimen. He made sure to prolong each cut, each movement, as if drawing out the misery of it. It was as though he revelled in my helplessness, in the way I was reduced to a mess of tears and snot, crying out silently in my own mind, while my body remained unable to do anything but lie there, frozen.


    I could barely hold myself together. The humiliation, the fear, the sense of vition, I could feel it all deep within my chest. The numbness of the sedative didn¡¯t protect me from the emotional torment. It only made it worse. The reality of my situation, of what Xander was capable of, was sinking in, and the horror of it wed at me from the inside. I could feel myself breaking, one small piece at a time, with each stroke of his scalpel and each agonizing second that passed.


    I wanted to scream, to fight back, to make him stop. But all I could do was cry, my body trembling with the effort to resist, even though I knew I had no strength left. No control. Xander wasn¡¯t just hurting me physically; he was taking everything from me, piece by piece.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Payback 251

    Chapter <b>251 </b>


    OLIVIA


    The tears wouldn¡¯t stop. I waspletely numb to the pain in my feet, but the sight of Xander meticulously cutting and removing my toenails sent waves of horror and helplessness through me. I had no idea whether toenails grew back after they were surgically removed in such a brutal way, but the thought of it made my stomach churn.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I sobbed, my voice breaking as I pleaded with him. The tears streamed down my face, unable to stop. I wasn¡¯t sure what was worse, the pain I couldn¡¯t feel or the torment of watching him work so calmly, so coldly. It was as though he had done this a thousand times before. The sight of the tiny toenails being ced in a small, neat box made my breath catch in my throat.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I gasped between sobs, barely able to force the words out. It felt like my whole body was shaking, though the numbness in my feet made it hard to tell if that was real or just my mind frantically trying to escape the horror.


    Xander didn¡¯t even flinch, his focus never wavering as he continued his task. When he finally looked up at me, his eyes met mine with an unsettling calm. ¡°Oh, this?¡± He shrugged lightly, the corners of his mouth twitching into something almost like a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just to send a message to your father. To show him that I mean business. I am not ying games here.¡± His tone was cold, almost detached, as if the cruelty of the situation didn¡¯t even faze


    him.


    ¡°If you behave,¡± he continued, his eyes glinting with an eerie sense of satisfaction, ¡°this is the only thing I will do to you. But if not¡­¡± He shrugged again, letting the implication hang in the air like a suffocating cloud.


    I could already feel the weight of his threat. The way he so carefully removed each toenail, the concentration on his face, told me everything I needed to know. This wasn¡¯t a man unfamiliar with torture. This was his domain, this twisted, sadistic game he yed. And I was just another pawn, another casualty of his sickening need to control and break others.


    I didn¡¯t say anything. There was nothing left to say. The tears flowed freely, but they didn¡¯t faze him in the slightest. He was unaffected, as if this was just another mundane task for him.


    I cast my eyes around desperately, searching for any escape route, but what was I even looking for? We were in a catb, a ce buried so deep that no one would think to look for me here. There was no exit, except for the door through which he had entered. I nced at the tools he had brought in, the sharp instruments, the cruel precision in his movements. No weapons, no help, just me and Xander, trapped in this suffocating ce. No one wasing for me. No one knew where I was.


    I forced my eyes away from the door, my heart sinking as the bleak reality set in. I was alone. Helpless. And even though the pain wasn¡¯t yet real<b>, </b>the fear gnawed at me. I could feel the weight of his control in every action he took, in every word he spoke. He had nned this, everything. This was a ce where he knew I couldn¡¯t escape, where no one could reach me. He had done this before, I could tell.


    ¡°You know<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he said suddenly, breaking the silence, ¡°I liked you from the first moment I saw you.¡±


    His voice was casual, almost nostalgic, as he looked at me, strange smile ying on his lips. ¡°When Iid my eyes on you, I thought to myself, ¡®Damn, heaven finally sent <b>me </b><b>an </b>angel to spend the rest of my life with.¡±


    <b>He </b>paused, almost as if savouring the memory. My stomach turned at the thought of what he might have imagined<b>, </b>how he might have romanticized this twisted fantasy <b>in </b>his mind.


    <b>¡°</b>But then<b>¡­</b>¡± His voice <b>dropped</b><b>, </b>and he looked back down <b>the </b>toenails in his hand<b>, </b><b>picking </b>them <b>up </b>one by one <b>and </b>cing them carefully <b>into </b>a small <b>box</b>. <b>¡°</b>Then <b>you </b>turned out to be <b>Luke¡¯s </b>daughter.¡± He shook his head <b>slowly</b><b>, </b><b>a </b><b>deep</b><b>, </b><b>almost </b><b>palpable </b>disgust <b>twisting </b>his features. It was as <b>if </b><b>I </b><b>had </b>made <b>a </b><b>choice </b><b>in </b>who <b>my </b><b>father </b>


    was. ¡°Why did you have to be that man¡¯s daughter? Why did you have to shatter my dream like that?¡±

 Novel Payback 252

    Chapter <b>252 </b>


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond. What could I say? That I didn¡¯t choose my father? That I was just as trapped in this fate as he was? There were no words that would change anything. There was no argument that could stop him.


    His eyes met mine again, and I saw something darker there, something more unsettling than anything else he had said. A twisted bitterness, a resentment that had festered for so long. I wanted to scream, to fight back, to find some way to make it stop. But all I could do was sit there, frozen in ce, helpless as he continued with his work, his sick, twisted exnation of his motivations as if I was supposed to care.


    But there was nothing left for me to do except survive this. Keep my head down. Hold on as long as I could. Maybe, just maybe, if I was strong enough, I would find a way out of this nightmare.


    But for now, all I could do was endure.


    The thought of my kids, my beautiful, innocent children, growing up without me was a constant ache in my chest. It was like a vice tightening around my heart, and the weight of it nearly crushed me. I had never imagined that this would be the price I would pay. I should have never let ite to this. I should have stayed home, stayed with them, stayed with Marcus. I was being selfish, thinking I could handle everything on my own, thinking I could fix things by running away.


    I had made a choice to leave the hotel that day, to venture out and find Xander, thinking I could take control of a situation I didn¡¯t understand. How foolish I had been. I should have listened to my husband, should have stayed out of it like he asked. He was right all along, and I had ignored him. I had ignored everything he warned me about. I could almost hear his voice in my head now, telling me to be careful, to stay safe, and to keep my focus on our family, not on some dangerous, toxic mess that I had no ce in.


    Oh, Marcus. My heart twisted at the thought of him. He would be losing his mind,pletely unravelling, when he found out what had happened. The look on his face when he realized I had been taken, kidnapped, trapped in this nightmare, would haunt me forever. And I deserved it. I deserved every ounce of anger, every bitter word he might throw at me when I finally made it back home¡­ if I ever did.


    I shouldn¡¯t have left him. Shouldn¡¯t have left the safety of our home, where everything was stable, where we were a family, even if things weren¡¯t perfect. I should have stayed and tried to fix the mess I had made between us instead of running away to chase answers that didn¡¯t belong to me. I could have dealt with my issues with Marcus, could have found a way to make it work. But no. I chose to ignore it, to run, and now look where it had gotten me, trapped in the dark, suffocating catbs, far from my family, far from the life <b>I </b>had taken for granted.


    I had been reckless. Selfish. A fool who didn¡¯t think things through. And now, I was paying the price for that foolishness. If I ever made it out of here, if I ever saw my kids again, I would have a lifetime of regret to live with. How could I have done this to them? How could I have been so blind?


    There were no guarantees, no promises that I would ever see them again. The walls of this ce, this graveyard of stone and shadows, felt like they were closing in on me. I had put myself in a situation where no one would be able to find me, where no one even knew where I was. I had made my bed, and now I had to lie in it. But as the cold reality of it all sank deeper into my bones, the only thing that kept me frompletely breaking down was the small flicker of hope that still burned inside me, that maybe, somehow, Marcus woulde for me.


    Maybe, somehow, my family would still be there, waiting for me to return.

 Novel Payback 253

    Chapter <b>253 </b>


    NICK


    It had been three days since Olivia disappeared, the longest, most agonizing three days of our lives. Every day felt like a never¨Cending loop of despair. We woke up, checked the rooms, scoured the ind, hoping to find some trace of her. But no matter how much we searched, it was as <b>if </b>she had vanished into thin air. There was no sign of a struggle, no indication that she had left the room, and absolutely no lead to follow. It was like she was swallowed up by the earth itself.


    The ind wasn¡¯t thatrge, and it seemed impossible that someone could just disappear like that. But here we were, endlesslybing through every corner, every inch of the ce, but we kepting up empty. It felt like we were chasing ghosts. The stress, the exhaustion, the hunger, none of it was helping our situation. It wasn¡¯t that we didn¡¯t have food. We had plenty of food. But none of us could bring ourselves to eat.


    The nanny we had hired to take care of the kids, a kind woman, had been cooking every day, trying to keep some semnce of normalcy. But the truth was, no one could stomach the thought of eating while Olivia was still missing. We all felt like we were suffocating, like nothing mattered anymore.


    Samuel, poor boy, had been asking about his mother constantly. It broke my heart every time he did. I never knew how to answer him. Each time he asked, I would tell the nanny to call Marcus if I wasn¡¯t around, hoping that Marcus could provide some kind of exnation. But I couldn¡¯t help feeling like I was failing Olivia all over again, failing Samuel by not having any answers to give him.


    I felt utterly helpless. We had just returned from another round of searching, and once again, we had nothing. We were sitting in the lounge, the TV droning on in the background, but I knew none of us were truly watching it. We were all lost in our thoughts, the silence oppressive, the tension thick.


    Then, there was a knock on the door. At first, no one moved. We were too worn out, too defeated to care about anything at that moment. But the nanny got up to answer the door, and when she returned, she held a box in her hands.


    ¡°Mr. Luke, it¡¯s for you,¡± she said, her voice trembling slightly.


    The mention of Luke¡¯s name snapped us all to attention. We had posted a reward, a significant one, hoping that someone would have seen something or heard something. Maybe, just maybe, this was the lead we had been waiting for. A small glimmer of hope flickered in my chest, and I couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of anticipation. Luke ripped open the box without hesitation, his movements impatient, desperate. Inside, there was another box, small, about the size of a watch box. The way he paused, holding the box in his hands, made me anxious. We were all silently watching, all of us holding our breath. What was inside? Was this it? Had someone actually sent us something useful?


    Luke finally opened the small box, and when we saw what was inside, I thought my heart might stop. My entire body went cold, my blood turning to ice.


    It was her toenails.


    ??


    A small collection of toenails, neatly ced inside the box like some sort of grim trophy. My throat constricted. I couldn¡¯t breathe. My hands trembled, and I could feel a wave of nausea rising up in me,


    Luke¡¯s hands were shaking as he held the box, his face draining of colour. I looked at Ethan, and I could see the raw pain in his eyes, the anger, the despair<b>. </b>His face was red with emotion, and I knew that beneath the surface, he was ready tosh out.


    Olivia was being tortured. There was no question about it. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. The cruelty, the sadism of it, it was too much to bear. My mind aced, but all I could think of was one thing: <b>Please</b>,


    God, let her be alive.


    Luke¡¯s voice, hoarse and filled with barely contained rage, broke the silence. ¡°He¡¯s torturing her,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°This¡­ this is what he¡¯s doing to her.¡±


    The room was silent, heavy with the weight of the revtion. The box of toenails sat there like a sickening reminder of how far Xander was willing to go. And as much as I wanted to break down, to give in to the horror of it all, I knew one thing: we couldn¡¯t stop now. We couldn¡¯t give up. Olivia needed us more than ever, and this, this twisted gesture, was a message we couldn¡¯t ignore.


    ¡°He¡¯s sending a message,¡± Luke finally said, his voice cold and filled with rage. ¡°But it¡¯s not just to me. It¡¯s to all of us.¡±


    I could feel the anger building inside me, the urge to do something, anything, to make sure Olivia was found and freed. We had to get to her. We had to stop Xander before he did worse. There was no time to waste.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I whispered, the question echoing in my mind, a desperate prayer. ¡°Where the hell is she?¡±

 Novel Payback 254

    None of us had an answer. But we had to keep searching. We had to keep fighting. Because this, this box, these toenails, was only the beginning. And we wouldn¡¯t stop until we found Olivia and brought her home.


    ¡°It¡¯s time, then.¡± Luke stood up; his presence suddenly more intimidating than I had ever seen before. The shift in his demeanour was palpable, like a switch had been flipped inside him. He was no longer the man who had been frantically searching for Olivia, the man who was broken by grief. Now, he was something darker, something colder, a predator in every sense of the word.


    ¡°Xander wants Luke the predator,¡± he said, his voice steady, almost clinical, ¡°then he will get Luke the predator.¡± The words sent a chill through the room. This wasn¡¯t the Luke I knew. The man standing in front of us now was someone else entirely. His eyes, once filled with doubt and uncertainty, were now hardened, resolute. There was a cold fury in his gaze that I had never seen before, a willingness to do whatever it took, no matter the cost.


    I nced over at Ethan, the rational one among us, the one who always kept his head when things got out of control. But as I looked into his eyes, a wave of fear washed over me. There was no calmness there now. His expression was tight, his jaw clenched, and his eyes were dark with a mix of anger and resignation. He wasn¡¯t going to stop Luke. But the look on his face terrified me.


    What were they nning? What was Luke nning? And more importantly, did I want to stop him? The question lingered in my mind, the weight of it heavy and suffocating. A part of me wanted to pull Luke back, to remind him that we couldn¡¯t descend into the depths of hell, even if it meant finding Olivia. But another part of me, deep down, in that quiet ce buried under the fear and the panic, wondered if I should just let him do it. Let the devil loose, let the monster out, if it meant Olivia would be brought back to us.


    I knew what Xander had done to her. I had seen the toenails. I knew the kind of pain he was capable of inflicting. And as much as I hated to admit it, a part of me wanted him to feel the weight of that cruelty, wanted him to suffer the way Olivia was suffering. I wanted him to understand that if you touched someone we loved, there would be consequences. Real consequences.


    But was this the way? Was bing the very monster we feared the answer? Could we really justify it, no matter how desperate we were to bring Olivia home?


    Ethan¡¯s eyes flickered to me, and for a moment, I saw the conflict in them too. He wasn¡¯t just worried about Luke; he was worried about us. About what we were bing in this search for Olivia. There was a fine line between justice and vengeance, and we were getting dangerously close to crossing it.


    But the truth was, none of us knew how far we were willing to go. We were in uncharted territory now especially Ethan and I. The man who had kidnapped Olivia wasn¡¯t just a criminal, he was a sadist, a person who enjoyed torturing others. And every fibre of my being screamed for revenge. The anger burned through me like fire, and a part of me wanted to see him pay for what he had done to her.


    Luke turned to me then, his eyes dark but steady, and for a moment, the man I loved was back. The love I saw in his eyes hadn¡¯t disappeared entirely, but it was tempered by something far more dangerous now.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop until she¡¯s back,¡± he said softly, as if reassuring me. But the intensity in his voice made my blood <b>run </b>cold. He wasn¡¯t just saying he was going to find her. He was telling me that nothing, not Xander, not anyone, would stand in his way.


    I had no doubt he meant it.


    ¡°Whatever it takes,¡± he added, his voice quiet but filled with <b>a </b>cold determination that made my stomach drop.


    Ethan stood up, his hand rubbing the back of his neck, clearly torn. ¡°You need to be careful,¡± he warned, his voice strained. ¡°I understand the need for revenge, but if we let that consume us, we will lose ourselves in the process.


    We can¡¯t be like him.¡®


    But I wasn¡¯t sure Ethan was even listening anymore. Luke was already walking towards the door, his eyes never leaving the path ahead of him. He had made up his mind. There was no turning back.


    And as for me¡­ part of me wanted to stop him, wanted to pull him back from the edge. But another part of me, the part that had watched Olivia suffer, whispered that maybe, just maybe, letting Luke do this was the only way to make sure we brought her home.


    Maybe the only way to fight evil was to be something darker than what we were. Maybe the only way to save Olivia was to unleash the very monster that lived within us all.

 Novel Payback 255

    Chapter <b>255 </b>


    NICK


    The ind was still, too still. No one slept that night. Luke had kept busy with his men, the sound of his voice drifting through the halls, low and intense. I couldn¡¯t make out the words, but I could tell they weren¡¯t discussing anything good.


    05/18/16/


    Ethan had joined them; he was more involved than I would have liked. I had asked him to keep an eye on Luke, to make sure things didn¡¯t escte further. I didn¡¯t trust Luke, not when he was like this, wild, unpredictable, the kind of man you couldn¡¯t reason with once his mind was made up. He was like a caged animal finally set free, and I was terrified of what he might do to the people on this ind. They were innocent; they didn¡¯t deserve to be dragged into whatever madness Luke was nning.


    As for me, I was stuck dealing with the kids. I tried to keep my mind upied, tried to push away the dread gnawing at me. But before anything, I knew I had to prepare. I organized money, lots of it. It felt like I was bracing for something big. Something I wasn¡¯t sure we could undo once it started.


    I had a sick feeling in my gut that many people would needpensation once Luke¡¯s rage was unleashed. I tried to talk to him, to convince him to stop whatever he was doing, but my words fell on deaf ears. Nothing I said worked. Maybe I wasn¡¯t convincing enough. Maybe I gave up too quickly. Or maybe, just maybe, I didn¡¯t want to stop him at all. Maybe I was letting it all happen. I didn¡¯t know.


    I was conflicted. On one hand, the mother of my child was <b>in </b>the hands of a monster. But on the other hand, her father, Luke, was about to unleash chaos on an ind that would never recover. And where did that leave me? Standing between them, trying to find some middle ground knowing all along there was no way out.


    I wasn¡¯t even sure what I was supposed to be doing anymore. By the time we were done, I was sure the ind would be empty, its people scattered, running as far as they could. The ce would be a ghost town. To make matters worse, Marcus had been calling me every day, demanding to know where we were. He was in Asia, hunting us down. I could feel the clock ticking. It was only a matter of time before he found us, before things got


    even worse.


    But there was no way I could let that happen. If Marcus got here before we found his wife, I didn¡¯t know what would be of the ind. I barely slept, only managing two hours before the sun even started to rise. And as soon as it did, Luke and Ethan were back.


    ¡°Get dressed. We are leaving. Ethan found his home. He told us he grew up here. We found his home.¡±


    My heart sank. What were they nning to do with his home? Did they think there was something left there? Xander had lived in a damn hotel, like a tourist. It didn¡¯t make sense. It didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to know what you¡¯re thinking, Nick. You can stay behind if you¡¯re notfortable,¡± Luke said, his voice cold, almost mocking.


    But I wasn¡¯t about to stay behind. Not now. I was the only one left who had any semnce of reason. Ethan had been consumed by anger, his once calm demeanour now reced with a vtile edge. Who would keep things in check when they all lost it? I had no choice. I had to go.


    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± I said firmly, standing up and heading to change. When I returned, the room was empty. A quick nce out the window showed everyone already outside, standing by the cars, ready to go.


    I sighed, dread settling heavy on my chest. I knew this was just the beginning. By the time I made it downstairs, they were already in the cars. No time for small talk, no time for anything. We just drove,


    The drive wasn¡¯t long. It didn¡¯t take much time to get to what was once Xander¡¯s home. It had long since been abandoned, the house looking like it had been forgotten by ime itself. The yard was overgrown, the windows dark


    and empty. There was no sign of life.


    We searched the house, each of us trying to find some clue, some trace of what they were looking for. But there was nothing. It was as if the ce had been untouched for years. I stood there, staring at the empty house, confusion and frustration swirling inside me.


    Luke was the first to speak. His voice was like ice, cold and unforgiving.


    ¡°Burn it to the ground. Then we go find where his parents are buried.¡±


    My mouth hung open in shock. Burn it to the ground? I couldn¡¯t understand. What was he hoping to aplish by destroying this ce? It was already gone. And yet, I knew better than to argue with him. The man was a ticking time bomb, and once he decided on something, nothing could change his mind.

 Novel Payback 256

    Chapter <b>256 </b>


    The decision was made, and there was no going back.


    But deep down, I wondered if this was truly what we had all been waiting for. Or if it was just the beginning of something far worse than any of us could have ever imagined.


    His men didn¡¯t question him. They simply went to work, following their boss¡¯s orders without hesitation. The cold efficiency of their actions made my stomach turn. I stood at the sidelines, watching as they prepared to carry out whatever twisted n Luke had in mind.


    Part of me desperately hoped it would end with nothing more than the destruction of an old house, a symbol of whatever Xander¡¯s past had been. But deep down, I knew it was never going to be that simple. Then, I heard Ethan¡¯s voice cut through the silence. His words sent a chill down my spine. ¡°I found where his father is buried.¡± I froze.


    My heart pounded in my chest as I turned sharply toward him, my eyes narrowing with horror. A wave of dread washed over me. I knew exactly where this was going, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could bear to watch. I red at him, a surge of anger and disbelief rising within me.


    ¡°What are you going to do with a grave, Luke? Don¡¯t bring the dead into this. Leave them in peace.¡± Luke¡¯s chuckle was low, almost predatory. He looked at me, his eyes gleaming with a dark amusement. There was something unsettling about the way he carried himself now, like a man who hadpletely abandoned any notion of morality.


    ¡°At least his father is dead,¡± he said, his voice dripping with a venomous calm. ¡°Whatever I do, it will only hurt him. Not his father¡¯s bones. But my daughter, Olivia¡­ she¡¯s alive. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s feeling the pain. The pain that bastard inflicted on her. And now, it¡¯s time for him to feel it, too.¡±


    The way he said Olivia¡¯s name, it wasn¡¯t just anger; it was pure, unbridled rage. It was as if he believed that taking this action would somehow make things right. But I could see it in his eyes, the obsession, the way he fixated on revenge as if it would bring him peace. I didn¡¯t know what to say. Part of me wanted to stop him, to beg him to reconsider. But I knew Luke, knew that trying to talk sense into him now was a lost cause. What bothered me most was how easily Ethan hade to this conclusion. There was no hesitation in his voice, no second thoughts. He had fully embraced this path, a path that would lead them to the grave of a man long dead.


    But for Ethan, it wasn¡¯t about justice or closure, it was about making the man who had hurt Olivia suffer. I could hear the bitterness in his words as he spoke of Olivia. He wasn¡¯t wrong; she was alive, and she was the one who had been left to bear the scars of her father¡¯s cruelty. I couldn¡¯t argue with that.


    But this, this was something else entirely. Destroying a dead man¡¯s grave wouldn¡¯t fix anything. It wouldn¡¯t heal Olivia¡¯s wounds. It would only tear open more. But Luke and Ethan didn¡¯t see it that way. They were too consumed by their rage to care about the consequences.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± I said, my voice shaking with frustration. ¡°Destroying his grave won¡¯t bring Olivia back from what he did to her. It won¡¯t undo the damage. It won¡¯t stop the pain.¡± Luke¡¯s eyes narrowed as he took a step closer. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to undo anything. I¡¯m not trying to fix things. I¡¯m making him pay for every moment he caused my daughter to suffer. And if you¡¯re not with me then you¡¯re against me.¡®


    His words hit me like <b>a </b>p in the face, but the bitterness of them didn¡¯t surprise me, Luke had never been someone to think things through. He was always driven by instinct, by raw emotion. And right now, he was consumed by the idea of retribution. Nothing else mattered I wanted to walk away. I wanted to turn my back on him, on this madness.


    But I couldn¡¯t. Not when there was so much at stake. Not when the ind itself was teetering on the edge of destruction<b>, </b>and I was the only one who might still have the power to stop it. But how could I stop Luke when he


    was so determined? How could I prevent him from tearing down everything, both literally and metaphorically, that had stood for so long? I didn¡¯t have the answers, but I knew one thing: we were spiralling toward something we couldn¡¯t take back. Whatever happened next, I had to make sure I was ready to face it. Ready to face the consequences of our actions. And when it all went wrong, and I knew it would, I had to be prepared to pick up the pieces, no matter how broken they were.

 Novel Payback 257

    Chapter <b>257 </b>


    XANDER


    For the past few days, I had watched them stumble around in their futile attempts to track me down. Every morning, they would set out at dawn, and every night they would return empty¨Chanded, their efforts wasted. It was amusing to me.


    They had no idea where to look, no real understanding of how to hunt someone like me. It was almostughable. I had thought they were dangerous, but I quickly realized how wrong I was. There was nothing good about them, nothing that made them worthy of fear.


    Perhaps they just hadn¡¯t met their match yet. Until now.


    Now, they had encountered me, and they knew they were nothingpared to what I was capable of. They were amateurs, ying a game they couldn¡¯t win. But Olivia¡­ she was another story. She surprised me. I had expected more resistance from her, some fight, some fire. But instead, sheplied.


    She ate the food I gave her, barely muttering a word of protest. The silence was almost worse than anything. I could tell that the trauma from what I had done to her was starting to sink in. The damage was done, and it pleased me in ways I couldn¡¯t fully exin.


    The toenail incident¡­ it had worked its magic. Watching that process unfold, seeing her struggle, paralyzed and unable to move, was a kind of torment I knew she would never forget. That was the point. It wasn¡¯t enough to hurt her physically; I wanted her mind to break.


    To make her feel like there was no escape, to be trapped in her own body, forced her.


    gan to endure the horror I inflicted on


    It was working. She was broken. Each time I entered the room, I saw that look, the scared, distant look in her eyes. It was almost¡­ical. She was terrified of me, and that terrified look was exactly what I wanted.


    ¡°I will leave you alone again,¡± I told her, grinning as I spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t try anything.


    Iughed aloud, mocking her helplessness. Of course, she couldn¡¯t do anything. I had injected her again, ensuring she stayed docile and unable to resist. It was only a matter of time before I was ready to finish what I started, before I could see the life drain out of her and ce her head on my father¡¯s grave as a twisted token of my affection.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I added, feigning innocence. ¡°I forgot you can¡¯t move your legs. My bad.¡±


    I whistled as I turned and left the room, leaving her behind in her prison of stillness. As I made my way out, a sick smile yed across my lips. I had ns to visit my father¡¯s grave. Tomorrow, I would bring him the gift I had promised. And then I would send Olivia¡¯s body to Luke.


    He wouldn¡¯t even notice the missing head. It would be just another body for him to bury, another casualty in his twisted game. But things didn¡¯t go ording to n.


    When Larrived at the graveyard, I wasn¡¯t prepared for what I saw.


    There were people there, Luke¡¯s people. A dozen or more of them, gathered around the site, digging up my father¡¯s grave.


    I froze, my breath catching in my throat. I quickly ducked behind another headstone, hiding myself from view. I watched, my pulse racing, trying to make sense of what was happening. What were they doing? Why were they digging up my father¡¯s remains? My mind spun, trying toe up with an exnation, but none of them made sense. I could barely contain my anger. How dare they? This was the final insult. It wasn¡¯t enough that they had taken my father¡¯s life, they were desecrating his resting ce as well.


    One of Luke¡¯s men shifted, and the movement gave me a clear view of the grave. My blood ran cold.


    ¡°No!¡± The word came out as a whisper, weak and helpless, a far cry from the rage I felt inside. I gripped the headstone in front of me for support, my knees trembling beneath me. I couldn¡¯t believe what I was seeing. My father¡¯s casket was being pulled from the grave, falling apart, his bones scattered. The remains of my father, once dignified and at peace, were being torn from the earth like they meant nothing.


    I couldn¡¯t take it any longer. I didn¡¯t know when I stepped from behind the gravestone, but suddenly I was there, standing in the open. My voice cracked with fury.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing with my father¡¯s remains?¡± I bellowed, the words thick with heartbreak and anger. Wasn¡¯t killing him enough? Now you won¡¯t even let him rest in peace?¡±


    The sound of my voice drew Luke¡¯s attention. He turned slowly, his face unreadable. He seemed almost¡­ amused by my outburst. As if he expected this reaction, as if this was all part of some sick game to him.


    <b>¡°</b>(


    ¡°There you are,¡± he said calmly, walking toward me with that same cold, detached smile. ¡°I was wondering when you would show up.¡±


    I gritted my teeth, my body tensing with the need to strike, to hurt him in ways he would never forget. But Luke was always two steps ahead. I could see it in his eyes, in the way he walked toward me like he wasn¡¯t threatened at all.


    ¡°Give me my daughter,¡± Luke continued, his voice smooth, as if he was negotiating a deal. ¡°And I will give you your father¡¯s remains. Or you can keep her, and I will take them, throw them somewhere you will never find them. The choice is yours.¡±


    The coldness in his words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to scream, to fight him with every ounce of my being. But I knew, deep down, I had no choice. Olivia was my leverage. She was my only hope of getting my father back, even if it was just his bones. I hated that I had to make this choice, hated that Luke had put me in this position. But I had no other option.


    I felt my heart break in a way I never thought possible. The world was spinning out of control, and I wasn¡¯t sure how much more I could take.


    I stood there, torn between the man I had be and the man I once was. The man I used to be would have fought for my father¡¯s remains, no matter the cost. But now, it was a matter of survival. It was Olivia¡¯s life, or my father¡¯s remains. And I had to choose.


    But no matter what I chose, I knew one thing for certain: everything was about to get worse. And I didn¡¯t know if I was ready for it.


    Chapter <b>258 </b>

 Novel Payback 258

    Chapter <b>258 </b>


    XANDER


    I was about to take the biggest gamble of my life, and I knew it. Luke was offering me a choice, an impossible one. It was a trap, a setup where only he could win. The terms of his proposition were clear: there would be no chance for me to exact my revenge on him, and there was a very real possibility that I would lose my life in the process. But I wasn¡¯t ready to die, not yet. Not when I had a son waiting for me, hoping I would make it back.


    I had to think fast. Luke had me cornered, but I couldn¡¯t show him how much fear his words stirred inside me. I had to put on a face, act like I was in control, even if I wasn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t just about surviving this moment; it was about finding a way out. I wasn¡¯t going to let him win that easily.


    I stood tall, trying to exude confidence, even though inside felt like a bundle of nerves. My heart hammered in my chest; my hands clenched into fists at my sides. I could feel the sweat starting to bead on my forehead. If I didn¡¯t hold it together now, I was done.


    Luke, as always, kept his gaze steady, unblinking, measuring me like a predator sizing up its prey. He was so calm, so controlled. I hated him for it. But I wasn¡¯t going to back down. I had to stand my ground, even if I was terrified.


    ¡°I will give you three options,¡± I said, forcing my voice to sound confident, though I could feel the tremor in my throat. I hoped they did not hear it too.


    Luke¡¯s eyes narrowed, his face a mask of indifference. The man was impossible to read, but that didn¡¯t stop me from continuing.


    I stood there, locked in a silent battle with him. His men were behind him, their eyes fixed on me, waiting for the next move. But all I could focus on was Luke, his chilling presence, the way his calm demeanour never wavered. It made me wonder if all this was part of his game, a way to lure me in, to break me down slowly. Or was this the real Luke? Had I been wrong in thinking I could match him?


    I had been so sure of myself before, convinced that I could outsmart him, that I could get the upper hand. But now. I realized how much I had underestimated him. This wasn¡¯t just a man I could confront head¨Con. He was ying a long game, and I was just another pawn.


    I swallowed hard, my mouth dry, and forced myself to look him in the eye. I had to keep moving forward, even if my insides were screaming at me to run.


    ¡°Option one,¡± I began, my voice steady but sharp. ¡°You take me. You torture me. Maybe even kill me. But here¡¯s the thing: if you kill me, Olivia dies, too. You will never find her. She will be lost to you forever. So, go ahead, take me out if you want. But know this, you won¡¯t get the satisfaction of seeing me die alone. She will be gone as well. And trust me, Luke, that¡¯s not a fate you want. You think I¡¯m a monster, but you are the one ying with lives. You are the one who has no mercy<b>.</b>¡±


    I watched him carefully as I spoke, hoping he would flinch, give something away. But his expression remained the same, cold, detached. It was maddening.


    ¡°Option two,¡± I continued, taking a breath. ¡°You give me my father¡¯s remains. I leave this ind, and when I am far enough away, I will tell you where Olivia is.¡±


    Luke didn¡¯t flinch this time either, but I saw a flicker <b>of </b>something in his eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it told me he was weighing my words. Still, I wasn¡¯t convinced he would actually entertain the idea.


    I pressed on. ¡°But we both know how this will end. If I give you Olivia and you my father¡¯s remains, you will have no reason to keep me alive. You will just finish what you started. So, let¡¯s not pretend like you would actually let me walk <b>away </b>from this. You are <b>a </b>monster, Luke, and you know it. I don¡¯t think you will spare me. You would


    have no reason to.¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer right away, just stared at me with that same unreadable expression. His silence was infuriating, but I kept pushing, determined to make my case.


    ¡°And option three,¡± I said, lowering my voice slightly. ¡°I leave here. You reset everything to the way it was before I arrived. No more games. No more threats. Then, in five hours, I bring Olivia to you.¡±


    I waited, watching him closely, knowing this was myst chance to convince him. His gaze flicked to Nick and Ethan, his ever¨Cloyal men, as if contemting the feasibility of what I was suggesting.


    ¡°What makes you think I won¡¯t have people following you the moment you leave here?¡± Luke asked, his voice sharp, but not with anger, more with curiosity.


    I let out a soft breath, trying to keep myposure. ¡°What makes you think I¡¯m stupid enough to walk straight into your trap?¡± I raised an eyebrow, daring him to doubt me. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot. I will be going to my room at the hotel when I leave here. You can send whoever you want to follow me. But as long as I know they are tailing me, I¡¯m not going anywhere near her. And you know what will happen, Luke? She will be left to die, hungry, thirsty, without anyone to care for her. And that will be on you. Your choice.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for his response. In truth, I couldn¡¯t stand to stay there any longer, locked in this tense, suffocating standoff. I hadid my cards on the table. Now it was up to him to decide if he would y along or if he would take the easy route and end me right then and there.


    As I turned to walk away, I could feel the eyes of his men on me, the tension thick in the air. I couldn¡¯t let myself falter, couldn¡¯t show them how terrified I was. But every step I took away from Luke, every moment I put between myself and them, felt like walking through a minefield. I knew I wasn¡¯t out of danger yet.


    I prayed they wouldn¡¯t shoot me in the back. I prayed I wouldn¡¯t end up lying there, cold and lifeless, buried with my father¡¯s remains. But most of all, I prayed for Olivia, not for her safety no, I wanted to go back to her, get her head and burry it with my father like I promised.


    I told Luke I would leave her at the grave site, but I never said anything about her being in one piece when I deliver her.

 Novel Payback 259

    Chapter <b>259 </b>


    NICK


    I had been holding onto the hope that once Xander showed up, everything would fall into ce. That the mess would be cleaned up, and we could put an end to the nightmare that had been guing us.


    Luke and Xander reached some sort of agreement, at least, that¡¯s what I gathered, but the specifics were still hazy in my mind. Luke had told Xander to bring Olivia, or he would destroy his father¡¯s remains.


    What exactly that meant, I wasn¡¯t sure. It felt like a vague threat, but the tension in the air told me it wasn¡¯t just idle talk. Xander responded with some sort of counter¨Cdeal, loaded with things I couldn¡¯t follow. Honestly, I was drained. I didn¡¯t care about the details anymore. I just wanted this whole nightmare to be over. But Xander wasn¡¯t backing down, and neither was Luke.


    Luke had his men tail Xander. And, as expected, Xander went straight to the hotel. He wasn¡¯t trying to outsmart anyone or go off the grid. He was ying by his own set of rules, one that I didn¡¯t fully understand.


    As I sat there, I watched Luke, his eyes narrowed, burning with suspicion. ¡°You are still not convinced, huh?¡± I asked, trying to sound casual. But underneath, a knot twisted in my stomach.


    Luke shot me a re, his gaze hard as stone. ¡°Are you questioning my n, Nick?¡±


    1 sighed and leaned back, rubbing my temples. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning your n. I¡¯m just wondering why you think having him followed is going to solve anything.¡±


    There was a brief silence as Luke stared at me, his expression unreadable. He


    ahead, but for once, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like we were in the dark together.


    calcting, always two steps


    ¡°You really think this is going to work?¡± I asked again, my voice softening. ¡°What happens after this? After Xander brings Olivia, or doesn¡¯t? What do you expect to happen?¡±


    Luke¡¯s eyes flickered, his lips twisting into a thin smile. ¡°<b>I </b>expect one of two things. First<i>, </i>Xander will keep his word, and he will return to the ce where he¡¯s hiding Olivia. He will bring her back like he promised. Or second, he disappears, vanishes without a trace. And that means we are back to square one.¡±


    The words hung in the air, a heavy cloud that I couldn¡¯t shake. Back to square one. Searching for Olivia again, while Xander sat back, watching from the shadows,ughing at how foolish we were to trust him. I felt my stomach churn.


    ¡°We are gambling, then,¡± I muttered, mostly to myself. But Luke heard me.


    *


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Luke said, his voice cold but with a hint of grim determination. ¡°And I¡¯m willing to take that risk.¡±


    I nodded slowly. ¡°Fine. Call them off.¡± I didn¡¯t like it, but it was the only move left. There was no point in keeping Xander under surveince anymore, especially if we were just waiting for him to follow through with his promise or disappear. Either way, we would be stuck.


    Luke raised an eyebrow at me, clearly surprised by my decision. ¡°You want them to be called back?¡±


    I shrugged, feeling a twinge of annoyance. I wasn¡¯t in charge of this operation, but for some reason, the task had fallen to me now. When they were assigning the jobs earlier I wasn¡¯t involved. But now that it was time to call hack the men, it seemed like I was the one who had to do it


    I nced at Ethan, hoping he would take some of the burden off ine. But as usual, he just shrugged. ¡°You are the one who insisted on calling them back. So go ahead, Nick. Do it yourself.¡±


    I shot him a frustrated look. ¡°You are no help.¡°.


    But he didn¡¯t seem to care. So, begrudgingly, I did what I had to do. I picked up the phone and made the call, telling Luke¡¯s men to stand down. I could feel the weight of the decision in my chest as I hung up. The sense of impending danger seemed to intensify. We were making moves without knowing what would happen next, and that terrified me.


    The hours passed slowly as we waited for word. Luke¡¯s men were stationed at the cemetery, watching for any signs of Xander and Olivia. But as the second day began and still no one had heard from them, the tension in the room reached its breaking point. There was a sense of unease, as if we were all walking on a tightrope, and one wrong move would send us crashing down.


    My phone buzzed again. Another call.


    Marcus.


    I groaned, barely able to hide my annoyance as I answered. Marcus? What now?¡±


    ¡°Tell me when we are getting close,¡± his voice crackled through the speaker. There was something in his tone that made my stomach twist.


    I frowned, a sense of dread seeping into my bones. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    He chuckled, but it wasn¡¯t a friendlyugh. It was the kind ofugh that sent chills down your spine. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Nick. But when you start hearing about bombings across the continent, when you hear of random terrorist attacks happening out of nowhere¡­ just know it¡¯s me. I¡¯m looking for my family in the only way I know how.¡±


    I froze.


    My heart skipped a beat.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Marcus wasn¡¯t making an empty threat. He was warning me. The realization hit me like a brick to the chest. Marcus had already crossed lines that no one should cross, but this? This was a whole new level of madness. He wasn¡¯t just trying to manipte the situation. He was willing to destroy everything in his path to get what he wanted. And his family¡­ do I tell him where we were or was that going to make matters worse, I didn¡¯t know. Smoke and fire. The words echoed in my head. Marcus wasn¡¯t bluffing. He was a man of action. If he was serious about this, if he truly started nting bombs, the consequences would be catastrophic.


    I could hear the coldness in his voice, he didn¡¯t care who got caught in the crossfire. He didn¡¯t care about the lives that would be lost. As long as he found his family, nothing else mattered.


    And suddenly, the stakes were higher than I could have ever imagined. We were no longer just dealing with missing persons and old grudges. We were on the brink of something muchrger, something that could tear the continent apart.


    ¡°Marcus¡­¡± I whispered, but he had already hung up.


    The silence that followed was deafening. The air felt heavy thick with dread.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what our next move should be. Xander, Luke, Ethan, Marcus, none of them were ying by the same rules anymore. It was all chaos, and I had no idea where to go from here.


    All I knew was that the world was about to change, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t stop it.


    Chapter <b>260 </b>

 Novel Payback 260

    Chapter <b>260 </b>


    ETHAN


    The moment Nick hung up the phone, his face shifted, his expression unreadable. It was as if all the colour drained from him in an instant, his skin paling in a way that I had never seen before. I had been around Nick long enough to know that he was no stranger to bad news, but this? This was different. It was as if something beyond our worst fears had just been set in motion.


    We had already been living through the chaos, Luke, Xander, Olivia¡¯s disappearance, and now, the kids were safe with us. That much, at least, had been a small mercy in the storm. But Nick looked like he had just been hit with the weight of something even worse, something that none of us could prepare for. My mind raced, trying to figure


    out what could possibly be so bad. And then it hit me. Could it be 2 No, it couldn¡¯t be.


    Before I could make sense of it, I moved closer to Nick, my concern deepening. I needed to make sure that whatever was going through his mind wasn¡¯t as bad as I feared. Leaning in, I whispered in his ear, my voice low to make sure no one else overheard. ¡°Did something happen with Lupita and Grandma?¡±


    Nick didn¡¯t respond right away. His eyes were distant, empty. Something was off. Whatever had happened on that phone call had shattered something inside him. I could almost feel the weight of his thoughts, pulling him deeper into a ce I couldn¡¯t reach. His silence told me everything he was in a ce I couldn¡¯t follow. And I didn¡¯t like it one bit.


    His gaze met mine, but it was like he wasn¡¯t really seeing me. His eyes looked almost dead, devoid of life. ¡°I think we should tell Marcus where we are,¡± he said, his voice hollow. The words struck me like a punch to the gut. Tell Marcus where we were? What the hell was going on?


    Before I could process that, Luke¡¯s voice cut through the tension. He sounded irritated, like he was already over the conversation before it had even started. ¡°Why would we tell Marcus where we are? He¡¯s just going to cause more trouble. No, just because Olivia isn¡¯t here doesn¡¯t mean we give him any information.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off Nick. I needed to understand what was going on in his head, but he wasn¡¯t giving anything away. Still, I couldn¡¯t ignore it. Something was happening, something he wasn¡¯t telling us. And I knew him too well, whatever it was, it was big.


    I nced at Luke, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. <b>¡°</b>I think the situation has changed. Don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Luke scoffed,ughing under his breath. ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s the same as it ever was. Marcus can stay wherever he is, we¡¯re not telling him anything.¡± He brushed it off with a wave of his hand, but I could see it, there was something between the lines, something Nick wasn¡¯t saying, something that felt far worse than I had first imagined.


    Nick¡¯s shoulders slumped, a deep sigh escaping him. ¡°I think Nick has something to tell us,¡± I said, trying to bring him back into the conversation.


    Nick shot me a sharp re, and for a moment, I saw the anger sh in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t angry at me, though, he was angry at the situation. The frustration was eating away at him, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak.


    Luke¡¯s patience, always thin, was starting to wear even thinner. ¡°Well, talk then, Nick. Don¡¯t leave us hanging.¡® His voice was impatient, his gaze fixed on Nick as he waited for him to speak.


    Nick stood there for a long moment, his jaw clenched. I could see his internal battle ying out in real time, his desire to protect everyone around him, but also the unbearable weight of the truth he was holding back. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter than I expected. ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t dismiss Marcus like this.¡±


    I felt the air shift, like a storm was about to break. The words left Nick¡¯s mouth, but the silence after them was


    deafening. Something had changed, something terrible. I couldn¡¯t wait any longer, my curiosity took over, and I leaned in closer to him, my voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Nick, I¡¯m getting tired of all this. It¡¯s either you tell us what¡¯s going on, or you keep quiet. But no more holding back. I don¡¯t want to hear another word about Marcus unless you¡¯re ready to tell us everything.¡±


    Luke grumbled from the corner, unwilling to let go of his stance. ¡°Not now, Ethan. We still have Olivia to worry about.¡±


    But Nick was done holding back. The truth came crashing out. ¡°Marcus isn¡¯t bluffing. He¡¯s threatening to bomb certain areas of the continent. He said he¡¯ll keep going, setting off bombs, until we either find his family or tell him where they are.¡±


    The air in the room turned to ice. My stomach twisted violently, the weight of Nick¡¯s words hitting me like a freight train. My blood turned to ice, and the room felt smaller, the walls closing in around me. Bombs. The very idea of it felt like something out of a nightmare. But the reality of it was worse than anything I could imagine. Luke, ever the sceptic, chuckled darkly, shaking his head. ¡°He¡¯s bluffing, Nick. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d actually go through with it. Not him.¡± He sounded almost relieved, like he could dismiss the threat with augh. But I wasn¡¯t


    so sure.


    Nick¡¯s face hardened, his eyes darkening. ¡°Check the news, Luke. He¡¯s already started.¡±


    My heart stopped.


    He¡¯s already started.


    I grabbed my phone in a panic, opening the news app without thinking. The first headline that shed across the screen made my blood run cold: Explosions Rock Major Cities Across the Continent, Authorities Investigate Possible Terrorist Activity.


    The news didn¡¯t lie.


    Marcus wasn¡¯t ying around. He wasn¡¯t bluffing. The bombs had already started going off, and there was no telling where or when the next one would hit. The fear I had tried to suppress for so long now washed over me in waves. What we had been doing, searching for Olivia, trying to control the situation, was nothing. It was child¡¯s ypared to what Marcus was capable of. He wasn¡¯t just a man we had to worry about finding his family. He was a threat to everything.


    Luke¡¯s expression fell as he took in the news, his cocky bravado quickly fading. ¡°This¡­ this is real,¡± he muttered, as if the gravity of the situation had finally sunk in.


    We had no idea what Marcus was capable of. But one thing was clear now, everything had changed


    X


    Chapter <b>261 </b>

 Novel Payback 261

    Chapter <b>261 </b>


    NICK


    Luke¡¯s face changed from shocked to anger very quickly. ¡°Tell him, tell the moron where we are!¡± he bellowed throwing his hands in the air. ¡°How could this moron do something like this? I am the only one who is supposed to do things like these. You boys are supposed to keep your hands clean!¡± he paced the room.


    He was frustrated. ¡°Since when did Marcus be worse than me in things like these, just what the hell is wrong with him?¡± he said to no one in particr. I didn¡¯t know if he was just frustrated or a little impressed by his son inw. He turned to me with a re. ¡°What the hell are you waiting for? Do you want him to bomb more cities before you tell him where the hell we are?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. Just moments ago, Luke had been telling me to keep everything from Marcus, and now, here I was, being med for not telling him where we were fast enough. It felt like I had no ce to stand, caught between a rock and a hard ce. But it wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on that. I needed to get answers, and fast. I grabbed my phone and dialled Marcus, my hand trembling slightly.


    The call connected, and Marcus¡¯s voice came through loud and clear, calm and collected as though nothing had happened. ¡°Nick? Tell me some good news, brother, where is my family?¡±


    His words, so smooth and emotionless, sent a cold shiver down my spine. Something had definitely shifted in him. The man on the other end of the line didn¡¯t sound like the Marcus I remembered, the one I had left back in New Vige a couple of weeks ago. No, this was someone else entirely. A part of me wondered if Olivia¡¯s disappearance had pushed him over the edge. Had itpletely broken him, or worse, made him someone I didn¡¯t recognize?


    The way he spoke, his cold demeanour, it was like he was no longer the same person. His actions had crossed every line imaginable, going far beyond anything I had ever thought him capable of. I wasn¡¯t sure if there was anying back from that.


    ¡°We are in the Maldives,¡± I said, my voice a little tighter than I intended.


    Marcus let out a low, deep chuckle on the other end. It wasn¡¯t theugh of someone who was relieved or amused, it was dark, unsettling. ¡°Now, was that so hard to say? Did really have to do all this damage just to get you to tell me where my family is?¡± His tone was mocking, like he was enjoying the chaos, as if he wanted to see how far he could push before I cracked.


    I sighed, a deep, weary sound. The man on the phone wasn¡¯t the friend I had left behind. It wasn¡¯t the man who had stood by me through thick and thin. This was someone else entirely, a stranger in his ce. ¡°Just don¡¯t do anything else, Marcus,¡± I said, my words shaky but firm. ¡°Juste over quietly. We can sort this out without any more destruction.¡±


    But Marcus wasn¡¯t listening. Heughed again, and this time it was even colder, more mocking. ¡°Who are you to tell me what to do?¡± he sneered. ¡°I asked you nicely, and you still held out. You ignored me even when my wife was taken. You chose to keep quiet. Now, after everything, who the hell are you to tell me what to do?¡±


    His words hit me hard. He was right, in a way. I had failed him, failed to <b>act </b>when I should have. And now, everything was spiralling out of control.


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say. I was at a loss for words. So, did the only thing I could, I put the phone on speaker, wanting Luke and Ethan to hear what Marcus had to say. Maybe they would know what to do.

 Novel Payback 262

    Chapter <b>262 </b>


    ¡°Marcus,¡± I finally said, my voice breaking through the silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought I was doing this for your own good. I promised to take care of your family before I left, and I didn¡¯t want to call you until I had something concrete to report.¡±


    But Marcus wasn¡¯t having any of it. His voice was bitter, full of resentment. ¡°But you failed, didn¡¯t you? My wife was taken. Her sister and grandmother? Sleeping beauties. Do you think this is some kind of cartoon, Nick? These are real people, real lives you let get used like this by some idiot!¡±


    His words struck like a whip, cutting through the air with sharp precision. He was right, in a twisted way. We had all failed, allowed things to escte beyond control.


    Without another word, Marcus ended the call, leaving us stunned into silence. The room felt colder now, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. My mind raced, but I couldn¡¯t find a way out. What had we done? What could we do now?


    Luke¡¯s voice broke the silence, low and rough. ¡°We can¡¯t just let this go on. We have to act, and we have to act fast.¡±


    But I didn¡¯t know what to do. How could we fix this? How could we bring Marcus back from whatever darkness he had fallen into? And more importantly, how could we save his family from the fallout of his choices?


    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing we can do,¡± Ethan said, his voice barely above a whisper. The weight of his words hung in the air like a dark cloud. His usual confidence was gone, reced by a sombre tone that made it clear just how serious things had gotten. He nced around at the


    group, his eyes heavy with the burden of the situation. ¡°We find Olivia, before he gets here. We need to get to her first, no matter what it takes.¡±


    Luke, standing rigid with frustration, let out a low growl, his hands clenched at his sides as if he were physically holding back the fury boiling inside him. He stared into the distance for a long moment, his thoughts clearly racing. Then, slowly, he turned to face us. His expression hardened, his voice darkening with resolve. ¡°And once we find her,¡± he said, his tone cold and calcting, ¡°we leave no stone unturned. We dig deeper than we ever have before. There¡¯s no room for half¨Cmeasures now.<i>¡± </i>


    The air in the room grew heavier with each word that passed Luke¡¯s lips. His voice carried a weight that demanded action, as if he knew there was no turning back. Every decision, every There would be no more waiting, no more hesitation.


    from here on our


    4 was going to matter.


    Ethan nodded, his face etched with determination, though it was clear the weight of this mission had taken a toll on him. ¡°We go full throttle. No excuses. We can¡¯t afford to lose her¡­ or anyone else.¡±


    S


    Luke met his gaze, his eyes burning with a fierce intensity. We find Olivia. We get her out, and then we deal with the rest. But we do it our way, and no one, not even Marcus, will get in our way or things will get worse. His changed, no longer the man we know.¡±


    A heavy silence followed, each of us lost in our own thoughts, but united by the same grim resolve. We had a mission now, a dangerous, high¨Cstakes mission that could change everything. We had to find Olivia, and we had to do it before Marcus¡¯s wrath descended upon us all.

 Novel Payback 263

    Chapter <b>263 </b>


    OLIVIA


    It had been two days since Xander left, two days without food or water. My body had grown weaker with each passing hour, and I could feel every ache in my bones, every crack in my spirit. But there was a small sliver of hope amidst the physical torment: the sedative he had used to paralyze me was finally starting to wear off. I could feel a slight tingle in my legs when I pinched them hard, nothing much, but enough to give me the faintest


    glimmer of relief. Soon, I would be able to move again.


    That is, if I didn¡¯t copse from thirst and hunger first.


    The worst part of being in that hellhole wasn¡¯t the paralysis. It was the silence. The uncertainty. I had no way of knowing if it was day or night. Time had ceased to exist in that dark, suffocating tomb, and with each passing moment, I felt like I was slipping further from reality. I was literally buried alive, a prisoner in a catb of stone, with no one to help me, no one to hear my screams.


    I had almost given up hope of being found. It was bing harder to stay hopeful, especially when all I could think about was my children, my husband, how much they must be suffering, how they must have been searching for me. My heart ached at the thought of them, but the fear of never seeing them again was worse. I didn¡¯t know why things like this kept happening to me. Was it some sort of twisted fate? Maybe I had invited this nightmare into my life somehow, but I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that it was just my cursed luck.


    After Nick, I had promised myself that I would never be in this kind <b>of </b>situation again. I had learned to be stronger, more careful, more vignt. But here I was, trapped in the worst ce I could ever imagine. At least in jail, people knew where I was. There was a chance for rescue. But this? This was like living in a grave, a tomb where no one could reach me. I was like a vampire, hiding from the sun<b>, </b>a walking corpse living in the shadows, a forgotten soul.


    It was strange, but being trapped in that dark, damp hole had made me realize something deep within myself. I wasn¡¯t afraid of death anymore. Not in the way I had once been. But what terrified me more than anything was the thought of dying without anyone knowing, without anyone caring. To be buried alone in this tomb with nothing but my own thoughts. What if I died here? How would my children ever know where I was? How would Nick ever know the truth? I wanted them to be able to visit my grave when they missed once been.


    me, to remember me the way I had


    How could they do that if I died here, in the dark, forgotten by the wo?


    I was lost in these thoughts when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching. For a moment, I felt a rush of relief, thinking it might be someoneing to rescue me. But then I looked up and saw Xander standing in front of me.


    He wasn¡¯t there to release me, I knew that much. But seeing him meant that at least I wouldn¡¯t die alone in that ce. He had a cruel way of showing it, but there was a strangefort in knowing I wouldn¡¯t be forgotten in the dark.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± he asked, his voice cold and detached, as if my pain were nothing more than an annoyance


    to him.


    I lifted my head, feeling a mix of relief and bitterness. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m just thirsty and hungry,¡± I said, my voice hoarse and weak, the words scraping my dry throat.


    I


    Xander raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his lips as if he found my suffering amusing. For a moment, thought he might mock me, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he stepped forward and handed me food. The sight of it made my stomach churn with both hunger and disgust. I wanted, I needed it, but the thought of taking it from him felt wrong, like I was epting something from the enemy Still, my body demanded it, so I ate, each bite a painful reminder of how far I had fallen.


    Then, as if to add insult to injury, Xander injected me again, the cold needle piercing my skin with a sharp sting. Great. That meant he still had ns for me. I had no idea what those ns were, but the fear of what he might do next settled deep in my chest.

 Novel Payback 264

    Chapter <b>264 </b>


    It seemed that he wasn¡¯t done with me yet. Whatever twisted game he was ying, whatever sick lesson he wanted to teach, it was clear I hadn¡¯t reached the end of it. I didn¡¯t know whether I should brace myself for something worse or hold on to whatever small amount of hope remained, but as I sat there, my body heavy with the effects of the sedative, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much longer I would be able to endure this.


    As if he had heard the desperate thoughts racing through my mind, Xander¡¯s voice broke the heavy silence<b>, </b>cold and almost casual. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, the words dripping with a twisted sense of finality, ¡°today is ourst day together. I want you to tell me what you want before the day ends.¡±


    The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a moment, I couldn¡¯t breathe. It felt like time froze in that instant, the reality of his statement sinking in. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind scrambling to make sense of what he was saying. Last day together? What did he mean? Was this it? Was this the end for me? The way he spoke made it sound like I was being granted some kind of twisted mercy, a final request before my death, like thest meal of a condemned prisoner.


    I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I had to keep it together, even if the walls around me were closing in. I wasn¡¯t ready for this. Not yet. I wasn¡¯t ready to die, not like this, not in this cold, dark catb with no one to remember me. The thought of never seeing my children again, never being able to hold them or kiss them goodbye, tore through me like a jagged knife.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered, shaking my head, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. ¡°I¡¯m not ready. I don¡¯t want this. I¡¯m not ready to die.¡±


    Xander¡¯s face remained impassive, as though he was indifferent to my panic. But there was something in his eyes, something colder, darker, that made me feel like I was a pawn in a game he controlled. He wasn¡¯t offering me kindness orpassion; he was giving me a choice between suffering in silence or having the illusion of control in my final moments.


    ¡°Tell me what you want,¡± he repeated, his tone almost amused. ¡°Yourst wish. What do you want before it¡¯s all over?¡±


    The words burned in my throat. How could I possibly choose? What could I ask for in a situation like this? It felt like the world had turned against me, leaving me with nothing but this twisted, final ultimatum. I wasn¡¯t ready to face it.


    No. I wasn¡¯t ready to ept this. I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Please,¡± I choked out, my voice cracking, ¡°I want to see my family. I want to know they¡¯re okay.¡±


    Xander¡¯s gaze softened, just slightly, but there was no warmth in it. It was as though he was observing me from a distance, an emotionless spectator to my desperation. But instead of offeringfort, he merely nodded, as if acknowledging the request without any real intention of fulfilling it.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said, his voice a low murmur. ¡°But you should know, Olivia, I¡¯m not the one who decides what happens next.¡±


    The words felt like <b>an </b>ice<b>¨C</b>cold wave crashing over me, drowning me in uncertainty. I wanted to scream, to plead for my life, but I couldn¡¯t. It felt like my strength was slipping away with every passing moment.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for this. I wasn¡¯t ready to face the darkness without the people I loved, without ever being able to tell them how much they meant to me. My family, my children¡­ they would never know the truth, never understand why I couldn¡¯t be there when they needed me the most. The thought of never holding them again<b>, </b><b>of </b>never hearing their voices<b>, </b>twisted something deep inside me.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered again, my voice raw. ¡°Please, I¡¯m not ready to die. I can¡¯t die like this<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    But Xander was already turning away, as if my plea didn¡¯t matter, as if my fate had already been sealed. I had no more words left. No more hope. Only the cold, crushing silence of the tomb surrounding me.


    I wasn¡¯t ready. Not yet.

 Novel Payback 265

    Chapter <b>265 </b>


    MARCUS


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve arrived,¡± Steve said, his voice cutting through the thick fog of sleep that had settled over me. I blinked a few times, disoriented, before slowlying to. My body ached from the constant movement, the long days of traveling across continents, jumping from one city to another, chasing dead ends and half¨Ctruths. I hadn¡¯t gotten a decent night¡¯s sleep in days. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was the face of my wife, Olivia, fading from my thoughts like a distant dream.


    I rubbed my face with both hands, trying to shake off the fatigue. The exhaustion was getting to me, but there was no time for rest. Not now. Not until I had her back. My mind was a blur, constantly circling back to the same thoughts: Where is she? Why won¡¯t anyone tell me? The people who had information were all cowards, and none of them would speak up. It was maddening. The jet had be my only sanctuary, a mobile prison where I could close my eyes and pretend for a few moments that everything was fine. But even then, the quiet hum of the engines, the empty seat beside me, served as a constant reminder of the hole in my life.


    I nced out the window as the ne began its descent. The ind was beautiful. A tropical paradise, with lush greenery and the sparkling blue of the ocean surrounding it For a fleeting second, I allowed myself to feel something close to peace. If only it could stay this way, if only things could be normal again, maybe I wouldn¡¯t feel like a man driven to the edge of madness. But then the reality of why I was here hit me again. This ind had taken my wife, and if Nick had lied to me, if they were ying games with my family¡¯s lives, this ce would quickly be the site of my wrath.


    I stood, stretching the kinks out of my back, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. Steve moved aside, practically tiptoeing as if he were afraid to breathe too loudly in my presence. I didn¡¯t me him. In the past few days, I¡¯d changed, and not in a way that most people would want to see. The desperation and frustration of not knowing where Olivia was, the helplessness gnawing at me, these emotions had pushed me to a ce I wasn¡¯t sure I coulde back from. Steve had been with me for years, and I could tell he was seeing a side of me he wasn¡¯t used to, a side that was capable of making even the most hardened men quiver. But it didn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t going to stop. I wasn¡¯t going to rest until I had Olivia back.


    I walked towards the exit <b>of </b>the jet, and just as I reached the door, I stopped and turned back to Steve. He looked at me, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and uncertainty.


    ¡°Tell the pilot,¡± I said, my voice low and even, ¡°Don¡¯t let him rest until I give the word. We might need to leave this ce the same way we left the others.¡±


    Steve swallowed hard but nodded quickly, not daring to speak. He knew what I was capable of. He had witnessed the dark side of my determination, and it scared him. Good. I wanted him to be scared. I needed him to understand that I was willing to do whatever it took to get my family back, no matter the cost.


    I descended the steps of the jet and stood at the bottom, taking in the surroundings. The air was thick with the smell of saltwater, and the sound of waves crashing against the shore was both calming and ominous at the same time. This ce, the ind that had be my enemy, was now the center of my focus. It was a beautiful prison, but I wasn¡¯t here to admire the scenery. I was here for one reason only: to find Olivia.


    The car was already waiting for me, its sleek ck exterior reflecting the midday sun. I got in<b>, </b>mming the door shut with a force that seemed to echo in the silence. As the car sped off, I pulled out my phone and dialled Nick. The line rang a few times before he finally picked up. His voice was cool, too calm for my liking.

 Novel Payback 267

    Chapter <b>267 </b>


    MARCUS


    The drive from the airport to the hotel wasn¡¯t long, but for me, it felt like an eternity. Every passing moment added to my growing anxiety. I was desperate to find my family, but there was a nagging fear in the back of my mind, what if Nick had lied to me again? What if I was chasing shadows?


    But I held onto the thought that everything had been carefully nned. I had done everything right. Nick wouldn¡¯t lie to me, at least not this time. I could hear the fear in his voice when he spoke to me, and I knew it was real. Fear could break a man, and I believed Nick had broken. He had confessed, and I had to trust that. If I didn¡¯t, I would lose my mind.


    When we finally arrived at the hotel, the parking lot was almost full, but we managed to find thest avable spot in front of the entrance. I stepped out of the car, the weight of the situation pressing on my chest. But I wasn¡¯t alone, I wasn¡¯t just walking into a hotel room without backup. I had taken a page out of Luke¡¯s book and travelled with a small army of men for protection. I had left others behind to protect the other women in my life. Olivia would never forgive me if anything happened to them. When I found out she¡¯d been taken, I knew that the person responsible meant business.


    That¡¯s when I activated the Walker security protocols. Hence, the small army of men that followed me now. As we walked toward the entrance, I spotted Nick standing by the door, waiting. A wave of relief washed over me as I saw him. I had been holding my breath without realizing it.


    He hadn¡¯t lied, my family was here. They had been right under my nose all along, so close, and I had been searching for them without even knowing. They were just a stone¡¯s throw away.


    ¡°Nick,¡± I greeted him curtly, my voice low. I didn¡¯t wait for a response; I simply moved past him and headed inside.


    He followed, quickly catching up. ¡°Marcus, I¡¯m sorry, brother, I¡­¡± His words were lost on me. I was done with apologies. My only focus now was finding my wife.


    ¡°Where is my family?¡± I demanded, my voice firm, as I stepped into the elevator.


    Without a word, Nick pressed the button for the penthouse floor. The ride felt like it took forever, but it was quick enough. The elevator doors slid open, and we walked into the penthouse. I was already scanning the rooms, my mind racing.


    Luke and Ethan were there. ¡°You moron! Why the hell did you do that? are you a gangster now or trying to be, what gave you the audacity?¡± I wasn¡¯t listening to Luke. I was searching rooms for my kids. When I opened the third door, my kids were there sleeping.


    A smile formed on my face, and I sighed in relief. Now we just had to find their mother. I turned and walked past Luke, and he followed me. at least he had the sense to keep his mouth shut in the kid¡¯s room.


    ¡°Tell me why you did that, why did you act like a criminal when you are not!¡± Luke bellowed. ¡°Well, when you have as much money as do. You can do whatever you want. paused scanning their faces. ¡°Nick said to open a Walker branch here, but I found that news stations were a much better investment that I could use to manipte the news. Isn¡¯t that interesting?¡±


    I sank into a chair, my posture rigid, but there was no hiding the weight of everything I¡¯d just admitted. I let out a slow breath, watching as Nick¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, his voice thick with shock. ¡°You¡­ manipted the news?¡±


    I nodded slowly, letting the weight of my actions hang in the air between us. ¡°I did. And I used it to find you. I


    needed to get to you, and sometimes, you do what you have to do when there are no other options.¡±


    Nick¡¯s face contorted with a mix of confusion and concern, but I pressed on, not waiting for him to process it fully. ¡°I bombed a few fields. Made it look like a real attack. Then I set fire to a couple of old buildings I bought, just enough to make the visuals look convincing, to get everyone¡¯s attention. It worked wonders.¡±


    I could see the way his expression shifted, a wave of disbelief washing over him. It wasn¡¯t just about the news maniption. It was the fact that I was willing to go to such extreme lengths to find him. But that was the world we were in. There was no room for hesitation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t enjoy it, Nick,¡± I added quietly, my eyes locked on his, ¡°but when you¡¯re in the game we¡¯re in, sometimes you have to y dirty.¡±


    He stood there, frozen, unable to wrap his head around what I had just confessed. I could tell it was more than just the tactics that shocked him. It was the fact that I had used his own world, the media, the news cycle, the chaos of public perception, as a weapon.


    ¡°And you think that was the only option?¡± he asked, his voice barely a whisper now.


    I met his gaze without flinching. ¡°What would you have done?¡± I asked tly. ¡°We¡¯re talking about lives here, Nick. My family. Olivia. My kids. I had to get to you. I had to make sure we weren¡¯t toote.¡±


    He didn¡¯t respond immediately, the shock still written all over his face. But I knew the truth: there was no turning back now.


    They stood there, ring at me, their eyes filled with a mix of anger and disbelief. Luke opened his mouth, but his words didn¡¯t faze me.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, meeting his gaze with an unflinching stare. ¡°I had to find you somehow, and I used what I had at my disposal. Do you really think I would go around killing people for no reason? Please. I¡¯m not that kind of monster.¡± I paused, my voice growing firmer. ¡°Olivia already has a monster for a father. You honestly think she wanted another one for a husband? You must be out of your mind.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t ying games anymore. The tension in the room was thick, but I wasn¡¯t about to back down from the truth.


    Nick, however, just stood there, his face etched with disbelief. His eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and something else¨Csomething close to guilt. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t understand why I had done what I did, but I wasn¡¯t interested in exining myself any further.


    ¡°Now, what are we doing to find my wife?¡± Nick looked exhausted, his defeat evident. It was clear that the situation had taken its toll on him.


    I didn¡¯t have time for his uncertainty. I had already wasted too much time on exnations and justifications. We needed action. We needed answers.


    ¡°We need to stop wasting time,¡± I said, turning away from the group. ¡°We have no more room for mistakes. I¡¯ve found my kids, now we find her.¡±

 Novel Payback 268

    Chapter <b>268 </b>


    OLIVIA


    It had been two days since Xander had returned. Each day felt like an eternity. His visits were shorter, but he still came and went, often leaving me with more questions than answers. Something was different about him this time, he seemed stressed. There was a nervous energy around him that hadn¡¯t been there before. I couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint what was causing it, but I could feel it. His tension gave me hope. If he was worried, that meant my family, my people, were getting closer to finding me. His stress told me that his carefullyid ns weren¡¯t going the way he expected. That realization was both terrifying and a beacon of light.


    He returned again, standing in the doorway of the room, ring at me with that strange, manic smile. His eyes were wild, as if the weight of his own ns was starting to crush him.


    ¡°You know,¡± he began, his voice tinged with a sickly sweetness, ¡°I thought we¡¯d get more time together.¡± He took a slow step closer, a step that made my heart pound harder in my chest. His presence was suffocating. He stopped near my feet and looked up at me, his eyes cold, calcting ¡°But our time together hase to an end.¡±


    My heart dropped. Was he going to leave me here? What did he mean? Was this it?


    I felt my breath catch in my throat as he took another step toward me. That was when I saw it¨Cthe needle. My pulse quickened, and dread washed over me. I had started to hate needles, loathing the way they had be a regr part of my life. Xander noticed my reaction and smirked, as if relishing my fear.


    ¡°This is thest one, I promise,¡± he said with a grin that made my stomach turn. As if I had any say in the matter. As if I could stop him.


    Without another word, he jabbed the needle into my back, just like the others. He moved around to face me, staring at me with that unsettling intensity. I was growing used to that stare, but it didn¡¯t make it any less horrifying. His eyes never left mine as the drug began to take effect, and I felt my limbs growing heavy, my body going numb.


    ¡°I think it will be best if you lie down,¡± he said, his voice almost too calm. There was a quiet menace behind his words that made my skin crawl. Why? What was he nning<b>? </b>


    Confusion swept through me. Why did he want me to lie down? But before I could process the thought, I felt the effects of whatever he had injected into me. My arms lost all strength, and I struggled to keep myself upright. I reached out with my hands, trying to brace myself, but it was no use. My vision blurred as my body refused to respond.


    ¡°Trust me, Olivia. You¡¯ll want to lie down,¡± he repeated, his voice far too soothing for the situation.


    I couldn¡¯t even answer him. My head felt heavy, and my limbs were betraying me as I started to tip backward. My eyes widened in panic as I tried desperately to stop myself from falling, but it was toote. I hit the ground with a dull thud, my body uncooperative, my vision spinning.


    ¡°I warned you,¡± Xander¡¯s voice rang out coldly as Iy there, helpless, staring up at the ceiling, unable to move. He came closer, looming over me, his shadow falling over my vulnerable form. I wanted to scream, to fight back, but I was too weak, too trapped inside my own body. His face hovered just inches from mine as his words made my heart race with fear.


    ¡°How else am I going to make you watch as I ughter someone like a pig?¡± His grin widened, sickeningly gleeful. My blood ran cold. What did he nean? Who was he nning to hurt? Was he going to make me witness a murder? My mind screamed in horror at the thought.


    But just as quickly as he hade near, he turned away, pulling out a phone and making a call. I couldn¡¯t


    understand what he was saying, but the tone in his voice was sharp,manding.


    ¡°Get your people away from the cemetery if I¡¯m not taking her there,¡± Xander barked, his voice dripping with authority.


    What cemetery? What did he mean? Was he nning something even worse? My mind raced, but I couldn¡¯t make sense of it all, the drug in my system making it difficult to focus..


    Xander returned to me momentster, his presence heavy and unsettling. He loomed over me once again, this time with a sinister smirk on his lips.


    ¡°Oh, you must be the husband,¡± he said mockingly, his voice dripping with false sweetness. ¡°Good of you to join the party. You are just in time to say goodbye to our wife.¡±


    My heart leapt in my chest. Marcus. He was here. He hade for me.


    The sound of his name, spoken aloud, was like a lifeline. I had been longing for this moment, for him to find me, to save me. I had missed him more than words could express. The overwhelming rush of emotions nearly made me lose control.


    ¡°Marcus¡­¡± I whispered, my voice barely audible. My body was too weak to call out, but I couldn¡¯t hold back the flood of relief that rushed through me. He was here. He had found me. And somehow, someway, I believed we could get out of this. I wanted to see him, to feel his arms around me, to know that he was here to bring me home. No wonder Xander was so worried. Marcus must havee with more men to help track me down. The fear in his eyes made more sense now; he knew the game was up. There was no way out for him anymore. I had to wonder if that was why he had made a deal¨Cmaybe he thought taking me to the cemetery, returning me to my family, would be his only chance to escape the consequences before things turned even worse for him.


    But then, Xander let out a harshugh, and my stomach dropped. ¡°Counting your chickens before they hatch, are we?¡± he taunted, his voice full of mocking amusement. ¡°Don¡¯t smile too soon. You¡¯re still themb to the ughter.¡±


    My blood ran cold at his words, and a chill swept over my entire body. His smug grin was a mask for his own fear, but it didn¡¯t make the situation any less terrifying. The implications of his words sank in like a heavy stone, and my chest tightened. Whatever n Marcus had, whatever hope I clung to that he wasing to save me, it wasn¡¯t going to be easy. There was still a fight ahead, and Xander would make sure of that.


    ¥¹


    **

 Novel Payback 269

    XANDER


    I stood at the window, watching the sun dip lower on the horizon, casting an amber glow across the sky. The breeze was gentle, carrying the scent of fresh earth and the quiet promise of evening. I breathed in deeply, the cool air filling my lungs, and for a brief moment, I felt at peace. But that peace was fleeting. ¡®Today might be the day I join my father in the afterlife,¡® I thought, the weight of that realization pressing down on me. The sunset, beautiful as it was, couldn¡¯t mask the bitter truth gnawing at my insides.


    I let out the breath I had been holding and turned away, pushing the thoughts of death to the back of my mind. There was still work to do.


    I walked back inside, my footsteps muffled on the worn floorboards. Olivia was still lying there, her body tense, her face pale, eyes wide with fear. The sight of her like this, trapped in whatever dark corner her mind had retreated to, only fuelled the fire inside me.


    I closed the distance between us and knelt beside her, positioning myself so she could see my face. My eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, I saw her flinch. Maybe she was still processing the gravity of the situation, or perhaps she simply didn¡¯t know how to react. But it didn¡¯t matter. What I needed her to understand was this: she was not just a pawn in her father¡¯s twisted game.


    ¡°You know,¡± I began, my voice low and steady, ¡°your father¡­ he dug up my father¡¯s remains, all in the name of finding you.¡±


    I let that sink in, watching the slight tremor that passed through her. She didn¡¯t speak, but I could see it in her eyes, she hadn¡¯t known, or at least hadn¡¯t fully understood the depths of what her father had done.


    I leaned in closer, my gaze unwavering as I whispered, ¡°He disturbed the dead as if it were nothing. As if it wasn¡¯t enough that he took my father¡¯s life, but he desecrated his grave too. All because of you.¡±


    The words were sharp, and I knew they were hitting harder than I intended. But they needed to. She needed to understand what was at stake.


    Her eyes widened as the truth began to settle in, and I saw something flicker beneath the surface, regret? Guilt? I couldn¡¯t say for sure, but it didn¡¯t matter now. What mattered was what was about toe next.


    I scanned her face, searching for any sign of emotion, any reaction to the depth of her father¡¯s betrayal. But there was nothing. Her face was a mask, a wall she had built around herself to shield her from the horror she must have felt


    ¡°I know this isn¡¯t your fault,¡± I said quietly, trying to soften the edge of my words. ¡°But today, you and are going to show Luke that there are some things, some lines, that you just don¡¯t cross. Some things you don¡¯t touch.¡±


    I let my words hang in the air between us, a quiet threat lingering in the room. I wanted her to understand the gravity of what was happening.


    For a fleeting moment, I wished she would speak, to hear her voice again, the sound that had once been so soothing to me. I missed that. I missed the warmth of her smile; the kind that was so contagious you couldn¡¯t help but smile back when she smiled at you.


    But now, that smile felt like a distant memory. A pity, really, that someone as pure as her had been born of a monster like Lake


    1 straightened up, trying to shake off the ache in my chest. couldn¡¯t afford to let emotions distract me, not now. There was too much at stake. But a part of me wondered: would she ever look at me the same way again? Would we ever have a chance at something better than this?


    Those thoughts would have to wait.


    She wasn¡¯t going to live long enough for any of this to matter anyway. I had a promise to keep, a promise I made to my father, one I couldn¡¯t break. The weight of that promise settled in my chest like a stone, and the thought of anything else, anything resembling a future with Olivia, was just¡­ impossible. She was tied to a monster, and that alone sealed her fate. Her father had taken so much from me, and I couldn¡¯t afford to let her get in the way of the vengeance I owed my father. That was the cold, hard truth.


    I looked down at her again. Olivia¡¯s frail formy there, still Her once vibrant features were now dimmed by fear, her body weaker than when I had first brought her here. She had lost weight, I realized, a sharp pang of pity cutting through me. She looked so small now, fragile even. Poor thing. But none of it mattered now.

 Novel Payback 270

    Chapter <b>270 </b>


    The evening air had grown thick with the promise of night as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across thend. The darkness was creeping in, just as I had nned. It was time.


    Without a second thought, I approached her, bending down to scoop her up, throwing her limp body over my shoulder. She barely stirred; her body lightpared to when I had first brought her here. Maybe it was because of how weak she had be, or maybe I was just stronger now. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter.


    I moved quickly, my steps sure and steady, my mind focused on one thing, reaching my father¡¯s grave. I had to do this. I had to finish it.


    I navigated through the cold, damp passageways of the catbs, scanning the area around me to ensure no one was watching. The ce was eerily silent, the only sound the faint shuffle of my footsteps against the stone. When I was certain we were alone, I made my way into the night, emerging from the catbs into the open air. The moon hung high above, casting its pale light over the darkenedndscape.


    As I approached my father¡¯s grave, I saw what I had hoped for: it was empty. Luke¡¯s men were gone. The grave was untouched.


    A sick satisfaction twisted in my gut as Iid Olivia down next to the freshly disturbed earth. The dirt was loose where they had removed my father¡¯s remains, but it was the perfect ce for what I was about to do. The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air.


    I drew a knife from my belt, the cold steel gleaming faintly in the moonlight. My hand shook only for a second before I steadied myself. I had to do this.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Olivia,¡± I whispered, my voice raw. I didn¡¯t want this. I didn¡¯t want her to suffer, but it had to be done. ¡°I wish it didn¡¯t have to end this way.¡±


    The words were empty, empty because I knew that I wasn¡¯t sorry at all. I wasn¡¯t. My finger tightened on the handle of the knife, ready to bring it to her throat. I had made peace with this.


    But just as I moved the de closer, a deafening crack shattered the stillness of the night. The sound of a bullet splitting the air was followed by an overwhelming impact, something hard and searing mming into my side.


    The force of the bullet sent me crashing to the ground, my body crumpling in an instant. Pain exploded in my chest, and I gasped for breath, struggling to process what had just happened. My hand dropped the knife, and Inded hard on my ass, my vision swimming with shock and pain.


    A voice, one I didn¡¯t recognize, cut through the ringing in my ears, ¡°I would like to see you try,¡± the man said, his tone cold and mocking.


    I blinked, my vision clearing just enough to see the figure standing before me. He was tall, dressed in dark clothes, and his gun was trained directly on me. I didn¡¯t know who he was, but the anger in his eyes told me he wasn¡¯t someone I wanted to mess with. I opened my mouth to speak, but my body wouldn¡¯t cooperate. Blood was already seeping through my clothes, soaking into the dirt beneath <b>me</b><b>. </b>


    I had been shot,


    I tried to focus, tried to stand, but the world was spinning. The pain was too much, and the coldness in my limbs was spreading quickly. The knife was still within arm¡¯s reach<b>, </b>but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move.


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± I managed to rasp<b>, </b>my breath shallow and uneven.


    The man didn¡¯t answer right away. Instead, he took a step closer, his gun never wavering. I could hear his footsteps over the pounding of my heart in my ears. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± he said coldly. ¡°You are not going anywhere.¡±


    The air around me felt suffocating, the weight of everything pressing down on me. Oliviay there, still<b>, </b>as if nothing had happened, as if she hadn¡¯t even noticed the turn of events.


    I tried to focus, tried to find some way out of this, but all I could do was stare up at the man who had pulled the trigger, and wonder how much longer I had before this nightmare became my reality.


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 Novel Payback 271

    Chapter <b>271 </b>


    MARCUS


    The frustration burned deep in my chest as <b>I </b>paced back and forth, the news my men brought me hanging heavy in the air. They had scoured the <b>ind</b>, every inch of it, and still hadn¡¯t found Olivia. It was the same thing Luke and the others told me.


    But I refused to believe she was gone. I knew, I knew, she was still here, hidden somewhere we hadn¡¯t thought to look. Somewhere unexpected. Somewhere like the cemetery


    The team had reported that Xander had appeared there before, slipping through Luke¡¯s men as if he had melted into the shadows, One minute, they had seen nothing. The next, he was standing right in front of them. No one knew how he had gotten past the guards. No one had seen ame <b>or </b>go. That had to mean something.


    But the real clue came when he told Luke to pull his men out of the cemetery. That wasn¡¯t just a warning, it was a message. Xander had been close to the cemetery. He had been in it. And that was the one ce we hadn¡¯t searched thoroughly for Olivia. The cemetery was thest ce they would think to <b>look</b>, because it was <b>the </bst ce anyone would expect something like this to happen.


    I could feel the urgency wing at me. The longer we waited, the more chance Xander had <b>to </b>do whatever he was nning. I didn¡¯t trust him. Not for a second. After everything he had lost, I didn¡¯t think he <b>would </b>honour any deal he had made with Luke. Xander had a vendetta, and I was sure that whatever his n was, it was far more dangerous than anything he had promised.


    Without hesitation, I ordered my men to move out. We had to find him before he disappeared again. The stakes were too high.


    Luke had taken the south side with his men, splitting them into two groups: one would cover the southern perimeter of the cemetery, the other the eastern side. I took the northern entrance<b>, </b><b>and </b>some of my <b>men </b>fanned out to cover the western side. We were closing in<b>, </b>tightening the noose around Xander.


    Every step felt heavier as I made my way through the dark, the weight of the gun in my hand steady but ominous. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a reminder of the danger we were in, and of the woman I was trying to save. I knew Xander would be close, he had to be. I could feel it in my bones.


    Men like him couldn¡¯t be trusted, especially not after what had happened to his father. That anger had to be consuming him. He had made a deal with Luke, but I didn¡¯t <b>believe </b>for a second that he would follow through. Not with the rage still burning in his veins.


    My men moved silently around me, but there was something in the <b>air</b>, something tense<b>, </b>something that made. the <b>hairs </b>on the back of my neck stand up. I could sense it before I saw it, movement. A shadow darted in the distance, too quick, too deliberate. My breath caught in my throat as I watched the figure, my heart racing


    At first, I thought it was one of my own men, but then I saw it, he was carrying something. No one in my crew would be carrying anything other than their guns. This <b>man</b>, however, was carrying something else over his shoulder. I stepped forward, cautious but determined <b>to </b>stay out of sight.


    As I <b>crept </b>closer, I saw what he was doing. The figure moved swiftly; his pace unhurried as heid something down next to a gravestone. My blood ran cold when I realized what it was. Olivia.


    I didn¡¯t hesitate for a second. My instincts kicked in, and before I could think, I raised my gun and fired. The first shot hit him in the shoulder, sending him stumbling backward. He grunted in pain, but didn¡¯t fall. I fired again, this time hitting his side. He dropped to the ground with a heavy <b>thud</b>, the knife in his hand still <b>gleaming </b>in the


    moonlight.


    1 advanced, heart pounding in my ears. There was no time to waste. I knew he wasn¡¯t out of the fight, not yet, but


    there was no way he was getting back up. My eyes locked onto Olivia¡¯s still <b>form</b>, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from rushing to her side.


    I knelt beside her, feeling a sharp ache in my chest as I looked down at her<b>. </b>She was so pale, so lifeless, her eyes. distant, unfocused. She didn¡¯t recognize ine, not at first. M breath hitched In my throat.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± I whispered, my voice strained<b>, </b>almost broken. ¡°I¡¯s <b>me</b>, love. I¡¯m here.¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond right away. Her gaze seemed to look through me, as if I weren¡¯t even there. I shook her gently, desperation wing at me. ¡°My love, look at me,¡± I urged, by volce thick with emotion. ¡°It¡¯s Marcus.¡±


    For a long moment, she didn¡¯t react. Then, slowly, <b>her </b>eyes flickered, something registering in the haze of her mind.


    ¡°Marcus?¡± Her voice was barely a whisper, choked and uncertain.


    My heart twisted in my chest at the sound of my name on her lips, but the relief that washed over me was fleeting I could see the confusion still clouding her eyes, the fear etched deep into her features. She had been through so much. How much had she endured while I was searching for her?


    I reached for her, gently cupping her face in my hands. ¡°I¡¯m here, Olivia,¡± I repeated, my voice soft <b>now</b>. ¡°You are safe. You are with me.¡±


    But even as I said it, I knew. I could feel it deep inside. This wasn¡¯t over. Not by a long shot. Whatever Xander had nned, whatever Luke was still plotting, we weren¡¯t out of the woods yet.


    Still, with Olivia here, in my arms again, I had to believe we had a chance. And I wasn¡¯t about to let that chance slip away without a fight.


    through so much. How much had she endured while I was searching for her?


    I reached for her, gently cupping her face in my hands. ¡°I¡¯m here, Olivia,¡± I repeated, my voice soft <b>now</b>. ¡°You are safe. You are with me.¡±


    But even as I said it, I knew. I could feel it deep inside. This wasn¡¯t over. Not by a long shot. Whatever Xander had nned, whatever Luke was still plotting, we weren¡¯t out of the woods yet.


    Still, with Olivia here, in my arms again, I had to believe we had a chance. And I wasn¡¯t about to let that chance slip away without a fight. I tried to get her up, but her body was limp. What the hell did he do to her? I turned ring at him<b>. </b>

 Novel Payback 272

    Chapter <b>272 </b>


    MARCUS


    The sound of the gunshots echoed through the night, sharp and piercing, and it didn¡¯t take long before the others arrived, they must have heard the gun shot. The world around us stirred with movement, and <b>soon</b><b>, </b>the area was swarming with my men and Luke¡¯s. Nick, Luke, Ethan, all of them came rushing toward us, their boots crunching the dry ground as they closed in.


    When they saw Olivia in my arms, something shifted. The tension that had been thick in the air seemed to ease, reced by a wave of collective relief. I could see it in their faces, the way they exhaled, the way their shoulders loosened as if they had been holding their breath for days.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± Luke¡¯s voice broke the moment, mocking and dripping with disdain. He stepped forward, his gaze narrowing on Xander, still crumpled on the ground, clutching his side where I had shot him. ¡°If it isn¡¯t the tough guy, not so tough anymore.


    Xander¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and filled with fury as he red up at Luke, his body trembling with the effort of holding onto consciousness. Despite the pain, there was <b>defiance </b>in his expression. ¡°It¡¯s not over, he rasped, his voice hoarse, the words thick with anger and exhaustion.


    I watched him for a moment, my hand still gripping Olivia tightly, her limp body barely responding to the motion. heart thudded painfully in my chest as I thought about everything we had gone through to get here, everything Xander had done, everything Luke had done. But there was something in Xander¡¯s eyes now, something that told me his battle wasn¡¯t over.


    I didn¡¯t know what Xander was still holding onto, but I wasn¡¯t about to stick around to find out. ¡°I think it is very much over,¡± I said coldly, my voice cutting through the tension. Without another word, I hoisted Olivia up, cradling her against my chest as Ethan led the way toward the car. Some of my men followed closely behind, ready for whatever came next.


    ¡°Stay behind,¡± I ordered, my voice firm <b>as </b>I nced back <b>at </b>Luke. ¡°Help with whatever my father¨Cinw needs.¡±


    Ethan snickered, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. ¡°What?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    I was too tired to exin the significance of the words. Too tired to deal with Luke¡¯s constant presence in this mess. But the frustration was there, heavy, like a weight on my shoulders that I couldn¡¯t <b>shake</b>. It had taken me hours to plece everything together, to follow the <b>trail</b>, to finally find Olivia. Yet, <b>Luke¡¯s </b>team had been here for days and hadn¡¯t <b>even </be close to finding her. The irony of it all <b>didn¡¯t </b>escape me.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard you call Luke your father¨Cinw,¡± Ethan teased, a smirk <b>pulling </b>at his lips.


    I let out a shortugh, shaking my head. ¡°He will never hear me call him that,¡± I muttered, my tone low but with a touch of humour. ¡°But I do behind his back.¡±


    Ethanughed, and for a brief moment, it felt like things were normal again. Like we weren¡¯t just in the middle of a tense standoff with a dangerous <b>man</b>, like we weren¡¯t scrambling to save Olivia from whatever horror Xander <b>had </b>nned. It was a small moment of relief, a sh of light in the midst of everything that had happened.


    But then, my gaze shifted to Olivia again<b>, </b>and the reality of the situation hit me like a p. She <b>was </b>still so pale, so still in my arms. My chest tightened; a pain so sharp it almost felt physical. Why couldn¡¯t she move? My mind raced through the possibilities. Was she just weak from hunger and exhaustion, or was something more serious happening?


    ¡°Call the doctor,¡± I said urgently, my voice cracking with the rising panic I was trying to keep in check. ¡°She can¡¯t <b>move</b>, Ethan. I¡¯m <b>not </b>sure if it¡¯s from hunger and loss <b>of </b>energy, or if there¡¯s something else going on. Either way, I want her checked out.¡±


    Ethan didn¡¯t hesitate. He pulled out his phone<b>, </b>his fingers dying across the screen as he made the call. I could hear him talking to the doctor, his voice low but filled with purpose as he ryed the situation. In the distance, I heard Luke barking orders to his men, the mour of movement in the background, but none of that mattered now. Olivia was my priority. Nothing else existed but her.

 Novel Payback 273

    Chapter <b>273 </b>


    We walked quickly toward the car, the cold night air biting my skin as I held Olivia against me, her hand lifeless in mine. It was like holding a doll, her fingers stiff and unresponsive. Her body felt unnaturally cold, <b>as </b>if the life had been drained out of her. I could feel the chill of her skin through the fabric of my shirt, and my heart ached with every step..


    ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright, my love,¡± I whispered over and over, trying to reassure her, trying to calm the storm inside me. ¡°You are safe now. You are with <b>me</b>.¡±


    I kept repeating the words <b>as </b>if they could <b>heal </b>the wounds she had suffered. As If my voice could somehow bring her back to me, make her whole again.


    The car <b>finally </b>came into view, its headlights cutting through the dark like a beacon of hope. Ethan was already at the driver¡¯s side, his attention divided between me and the road ahead. I slid into the backseat, carefully positioning Olivia across myp, her head resting against my chest. I held her close, my arms wrapped protectively around her as if I could shield her from the world that had hurt her.


    Her hand was ice cold, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from pressing it against my cheek, desperate for any sign of life. But there was nothing. She didn¡¯t stir. She didn¡¯t move.


    I stroked her arm gently, trying to coax some warmth back into her skin, trying to make her feel alive <b>again</b>. Please, Olivia,¡± I whispered, my voice barely audible. ¡°Come back to me. Please.¡±


    My heart ached with every beat, a relentless reminder that she was still so far from me. What had they done to her? What had Xander done?


    I pressed my lips to her forehead, the coldness of her skin sending a jolt through me. I couldn¡¯t bear it. The thought of losing her was unbearable.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be alright,¡± I told myself, as much as I told her. The words tasted empty in my mouth, but I clung to them. I had to believe it. For both our sakes, I had to believe it.


    Ethan¡¯s voice broke into my thoughts as he spoke to the doctor on the phone, his words hurried and urgent. I could hear the concern in his tone. It was like the entire world was holding its <b>breath</b><b>, </b>waiting for the confirmation that Olivia would be okay.


    The drive felt too long, the distance between the cemetery and the clinic stretching endlessly in my <b>mind</b>. Every minute felt like an eternity, my anxiety rising with each passing second. I kept my eyes on Olivia, praying for some sign, some movement. But she remained still, her breathing shallow but steady.


    We finally arrived at the clinic, and the doors were thrown open before we even came to aplete stop. Doctors and nurses rushed out, ready to take Olivia from me, but I hesitated, my arms tightening around her.


    ¡°She¡¯s with me,¡± I said firmly, my voice hoarse. ¡°I¡¯m <b>not </b>letting her go.


    The doctors nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation, and they led us


    could.


    into the clinic as quickly as they


    As they took Olivia from my arms andid her <b>down </b>on a stretcher, I stayed close by her side, my heart still lodged in my <b>throat</b>. ¡°You are going to be alright, love. I¡¯m right here,¡± I whispered, not sure if she could hear me. But I had to say it. I <b>had </b>to keep telling her that she was safe, <b>even </b>when I wasn¡¯t sure myself.


    Everything had happened so fast, and now all I could do was wait, praying that when she woke up, it would be in a world where everything was okay. A world where we <b>could </b>start over, where this nightmare would be behind us.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if we <b>would </b>ever get there, but I wasn¡¯t giving up. Not now. <b>Not </b>when she <b>was </b>still with me. I couldn¡¯t.

 Novel Payback 274

    Chapter <b>274 </b>


    NICK


    Marcus¡¯s arrival had not been in vain. Because of him, we were able to find Olivia, and that in itself made every second of the chaos feel worth it. Seeing her alive, her breathing shallow but steady, was a relief that I hadn¡¯t known I had needed until I <b>saw </b>it. But even in my relief, couldn¡¯t shake the sense of unease that settled in my chest. Olivia <b>wasn¡¯t </b>moving, her eyes vacant, her body still There was something deeply unsettling about it. She wasn¡¯t the vibrant woman I knew, she wasn¡¯t responding to anything


    The worry gnawed at me. Something had happened to her. Something that had robbed her of the energy and life she once had.


    As we made our way toward the cars, I nced back at Marcus, still clutching her to him, the man who had done what none of us had been able to do. He had found her when the <b>rest </b>of us were too blind to see the clues. I watched him<b>, </b>and even in that moment of triumph, I felt a pang of jealousy twist <b>deep </b>inside me. He had been the one to save her, and she was his now, his wife, his responsibility. A life that should have been shared with someone else. A life that had slipped through <b>my </b>fingers.


    I wasn¡¯t a fool. I knew my ce. I knew where I stood in this story. But that didn¡¯t stop the knot of bitterness that tightened in my throat as I looked at the pair of them.


    Luke¡¯s voice broke through my thoughts, sharp andmanding, as usual. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go?¡± he asked, his toneced with something I couldn¡¯t quite ce, annoyance, maybe. His eyes flickered <b>toward </b>Marcus and <b>Olivia</b>, but his focus was entirely on me.


    1 raised an eyebrow in response. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®go¡®?¡± I wasn¡¯t in the mood for cryptic games or power ys. I wasn¡¯t in the mood for Luke, either. His presence always seemed to stir a mixture of frustration and resignation inside me. But I wasn¡¯t going to get into it now. Not when my mind was racing with thoughts of Olivia¡¯s condition.


    ¡°We are already going to the hotel,¡± I added, shaking my <b>head</b><b>. </b>¡°Where are you telling me to go?¡±


    Luke didn¡¯t answer right away, his face hardening as if he was calcting something in his mind. I was starting to feel like I was just another piece on his chessboard, a pawn for him <b>to </b>move around. He finally shook his head, his lips curling into a thin, knowing smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know,¡± he said, stepping in front of me and blocking my path. ¡°I know you want to follow her, Nick. You <b>know </b>damn <b>well </b>they didn¡¯t take her to the hotel, and you want to be where she is.¡±


    His words stung more than they should <b>have</b>. He was right. wanted to be with Olivia. I wanted to be there for her, to make sure she was okay. But I had no right to be with her not now. She had Marcus with her, and Marcus was her husband. Her real husband. She had her brother, and for all intents and purposes<b>, </b>I was an outsider to this whole situation.


    I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and tried to keep my voice steady. ¡°No, I¡¯m just concerned. But I want to be with my kids now. I need to tell them their mother is fine and that she will be home soon.¡± I tried to sound <b>casual</b>, as if this was just another day in a life that wasn¡¯t mine to im anymore. But the words felt hollow, as if they weren¡¯t even my own. Luke¡¯s eyebrow raised at my statement, an almost imperceptible look of amusement flickering in his eyes.


    ¡°You called them your kids,¡± he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°And you only mentioned their mother, not their father. Did you forget they didn¡¯t see Marcus, either?¡±


    The words struck <b>me </b>harder than I wanted them to. I stiffened, the weight of what I had just said settling heavily on my chest. I wasn¡¯t blind. I knew exactly what I had done. In my mind, they were both my kids. I had been there for them, watching them grow, helping raise them in the absence of a real father figure. But I couldn¡¯t deny what


    Chime<b>: </b>274


    Luke was <b>pointing </b>out.


    +25 BOHUB


    <b>I </b><b>had </b>never truly gotten over Olivia. I had tried to bury my feelings for her beneathyers of dental <b>and </b>rationalization. I had convinced myself that she had moved on, that I had to respect her marriage to Marcus. But In that brief moment of vulnerability, it had slipped out. The love, the hope, the desire. It was still there, buried deep


    inside me.

 Novel Payback 275

    1 sighed, a frustration bubbling up from somewhere deep inside. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± I muttered. ¡°It <b>mean </b>to¡ª¡±


    Luke didn¡¯t let me finish. He simply stared at me, his expression unreadable, his gaze like a silent reprimand. I hated that look. It was the same look he always gave me when he thought he had me figured out, when he thought he could manipte <b>me </b>into doing what he wanted.


    ¡°You can lie to yourself all you want,¡± Luke said, his voice low but firm, ¡°but you are not fooling anyone. I know what you are feeling, Nick.¡± His eyes narrowed slightly, his wordsing out slow and deliberate. ¡°And don¡¯t think for a second that I don¡¯t see right through you. <b>You </b>are jealous, aren¡¯t you? That it¡¯s Marcus with her and <b>not </b>you. The man who¡¯s had her heart all along, the man who she chose over you.¡±


    The words hit me like a punch to the gut. For <b>a </b>moment, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I wanted to deny it, tosh out at him for daring to speak the truth that I hadn¡¯t even been able to admit to myself. But there was no denying it. The jealousy was there, a gnawing, bitter thing that I could no longer ignore.


    I clenched my fists, my teeth grinding as I tried to keep my emotions in check. But it was getting harder to hold them back. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear this from you<b>, </b>Luke,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on? You think I don¡¯t know my ce in all this?¡± I motioned toward the direction where Marcus and Olivia had gone, my eyes hard. ¡°She¡¯s his wife. She belongs to him, not me.


    ¦°


    Luke didn¡¯t flinch. He just looked at me with that knowing smirk, as if he were enjoying this little game of ours. It¡¯s not just about what she belongs to, Nick,¡± he said, almost casually. ¡°It¡¯s about what you want. You want to be there for her. You want to be the one to take care of her. But you can¡¯t, can you<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    I wanted to shove him, to tell him to shut up, but instead, I just stood there, my eyes burning with frustration. Keep that to yourself, Luke,¡± I muttered, my voice low and defeated. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity.¡±


    Luke¡¯s expression softened just a fraction, but it was enough to make me feel like I was being looked down upon He shook his head as if he were watching a fool try to deny the truth.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything, Nick,¡± he said quietly, his voice losing its usual bite. ¡°But I will warn you, don¡¯t act on those feelings. Not now, not when you know where it will lead. She¡¯s with <b>Marcus </b>now. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s done.¡± The words <b>hung </b>in the air, heavy with meaning, and I knew they were right. It was over. It had always been over. I had been living in some fantasy, some wishful thinking that I could somehow have the life I wanted, even if it wasn¡¯t mine to take. I had convinced myself that maybe, just maybe, things would fall into ce, that Olivia would look at me and remember the past we shared. But the truth was, she had moved on. She had chosen Marcus. <b>She </b>had built a life with him, and I had no ce in that life.


    I didn¡¯t know how to let go of the feelings that still clung to me like a shadow, but I knew I had to. Because if didn¡¯t, I would lose myself in this tangled mess of jealousy, regret, and longing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t act on it,¡± I said quietly, more to myself than to Luke. My voice was heavy with the weight of everything I was trying to suppress. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    Luke¡¯s gaze softened just a little, and for a moment, I thought I saw something almost sympathetic in his eyes. But before I could think too much about it, <b>he </b>turned away, his back to me <b>as </b>he moved <b>toward </b>the car.


    ¡°You will get over it, Nick,¡± he said over his shoulder. ¡°Just give it time.¡±


    Time. Time was the one thing I didn¡¯t have. Not now. Not when Olivia¡¯s life was hanging in the bnce, and I wae still standing on the sidelines, watching as someone else took the lead.


    It hurt. More than I was willing to admit.


    Chapter 176.

 Novel Payback 276

    Chapter <b>276 </b>


    OLIVIA


    When we got to the cemetery and Xander ced a knife on my throat. I lost my mind; I didn¡¯t know what happened, but I think my brain blocked off everything for e. he numbed me because he wanted me to watch as he ughtered me like a cow.


    The man was sick and twisted beyond measure. Every moment that passed with the cold steel of the knife pressed against my skin only served to remind me of the darkness within him. He didn¡¯t just want to kill me, he wanted to watch me suffer, to break me mentally before he ended it


    I knew that I wouldn¡¯t feel anything once it was over. The far, the dread, it would all go numb once my body gave in. Yet, that knowledge didn¡¯t bringfort. I didn¡¯t want to endure it, not in the way he was forcing me to. Yes, death was inevitable, but I didn¡¯t want to feel the cruelty, the violence of the act. I didn¡¯t want to experience it, even if it was thest thing I would ever know.


    Then, the gunshot rang out. At first, <b>it </b>seemed distant, almost like <b>it </b>wasn¡¯t meant for me, but then the sound of it crept into my awareness, and I realized it was happening. I was frozen in that instant, suspended in an eerie silence. It was as if the whole world had stopped around me and in that moment, it felt like I wasn¡¯t even there anymore. Only my body remained an empty vessel. My mind had shut down, overwhelmed by the sheer terror of what was happening.


    Then, through the haze, I saw him, Marcus. My heart leapt in a strange, unfamiliar way. But as I focused, <b>a </b>wave of uncertainty washed over me. Was it really him? Or was my mind simply ying tricks on me? People say that when you are about to die, your life shes before your eyes, that you are flooded with memories and faces of those you love.


    I thought this was it, that seeing Marcus was my mind¡¯s final act of <b>grace</b><b>, </b>a reminder of the love and life I had lived. But instead of seeing everything, everything that I thought would matter most in that moment, I only saw him, Marcus. I waited for the next image to appear. I waited for the faces of my children, for the memories of our life together, but instead, all I saw were men in ck suits, their faces shadowed and cold. It was an image so strange and unsettling that it almost felt like a nightmare couldn¡¯t wake from.


    Why were they there? What did it <b>mean</b>? The figures in ck loomed over me, their presence making my heart race, but nothing made sense. This wasn¡¯t what I expected, not theforting images of my children¡¯sughter or the warmth of home. It was unsettling, wrong, even. And yet, there they stood, distant, faceless men who seemed to represent something far darker <b>than </b>I couldprehend. My mind struggled to piece it together, but the reality of the situation was slipping further from my grasp.


    I didn¡¯t know what was happening, if Xander managed to sit my throat and I was dying or if he shot me instead. I didn¡¯t know, I kept hearing Marcus¡¯s voice in the distance, soft and reassuring, telling me everything was going to be alright, that I was safe. It felt so real, soforting, and I clung to it like <b>a </b>lifeline.


    In the chaos of my racing thoughts, I decided to focus on that voice, no matter how fleeting or distant it sounded. Even if my mind was ying cruel tricks on me, weaving illusions to shield me from the truth, I refused to acknowledge the fear that wed at me, that I might be slipping away, that death was drawing nearer. Instead, I focused on the calm in his words, on the promise of safety, even if it was just a figment of my imagination.


    I was lifted gently, almost weightlessly, and then, as though moving through a dream, I felt myself being carried somewhere. The world around me was hazy, disjointed, like a memory I couldn¡¯t quite grasp. I could feel the motion, the movement, but everything else seemed blurry and distant.


    ¦§


    Suddenly, there were bright lights, piercing and overwhelming, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw the ¡°L that people talk about, the one youare supposed to see when you are on the verge of death, the one that leads. you to the afterlife. But the lights above me weren¡¯t a single beacon. They were scattered, disorienting, pulsing in


    A:Chapter 276.


    <b>every </b><b>direction</b><b>, </b>as though <b>I </b><b>was </b>floating among stars in some unknown ce, unable to tell what was real and what wasn¡¯t<b>. </b>


    In <b>the </b>midst of the light, the voice disappeared. That absence, that silence, sent a wave of panic crashing <b>through </b><b>me</b><b>. </b>Where had <b>it </b>gone? Was Marcus really there, or had 1gined him all along? My heart pounded, <b>my </b>chest constricted, and the emptiness of the moment began to swallow me whole. The sense of abandonment was unbearable. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was slipping away into something I couldn¡¯t control, something far beyond my grasp.


    Just then, out of the fog of confusion, I saw someone approaching, a figure moving toward me with a needle in hand. The sight of it was enough to <b>send </b>a jolt of pure terror through my body. I <b>screamed</b><b>, </b>my voice raw and desperate, a primal sound that tore through the silence. I wanted to be <b>free</b>. I wanted to feel something, anything, pain, fear, anger, because the numbness, the emptiness, was worse than death <b>itself</b>. If this person wanted to end my life, then why torture me further? Why leave me in this suffocating void?


    But then, from the chaos of my mind, the voice returned. ¡°Clivia, my love<b>,</b>¡± it said<b>, </b>gentle and soothing, like the warmth of sunlight breaking through the darkness. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m right here, baby. You are safe. You don¡¯t <b>need </b>to fight anymore. I¡¯m here with you.¡±


    The familiar sound of Marcus¡¯s voice broke through my panic<b>, </b>and despite every logical part of me screaming that I might be hallucinating, I felt a strange peace settle over me. It <b>was </b>as though, in the darkest moment, I <b>had </b>found a glimmer of light.


    I didn¡¯t know if I was truly hearing him, or if my mind was creating the illusion to keep me from losing myself entirely, but it didn¡¯t matter. In that moment, I chose to believe that it was real. I chose to believe that my husband <b>was </b>there, even if I couldn¡¯t see him, even if I didn¡¯t understand what was happening to me.


    The mind, after all, is a powerful thing. It has the ability to protect us, to make us see what we need to see, hear what we need to hear, even when the reality is too much to bear. It can createfort in the most unimaginable Circumstances, making us believe in the impossible. I wasn¡¯t sure if Marcus was really there, or if my mind had simply conjured him to ease my fear, but I held onto his words with everything I had.


    ¡°Stay with me,¡± his voice whispered, soft and steady, just like it always had been. <b>¡°</b>You are not alone.¡®


    And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I believed him.

 Novel Payback 277

    Chapter <b>277 </b>


    ETHAN


    Seeing Olivia like this nearly shattered me. I had never lunagined it could get worse than when Nick sent her to prison, but I was wrong. I had seen her suffering in that ce, seen the toll it took on her. I thought that was the worst of it, but this<b>, </b>this was something entirely different. The pain in her eyes was a level of brokenness I hadn¡¯t known existed. She was no longer just someone who had been wronged by the system. No, this time, she was truly, <b>irrevocably </b>broken.


    I stood outside the hospital room, the sterile, cold air of the corridor <b>pressing </b>down on me as I waited for any sign of rity. Inside, they were examining her, trying to assess the damage, trying to piece together the pieces of her shattered soul.


    Marcus wouldn¡¯t leave her side. He was there, steady and unwavering, even as I knew his heart must¡¯ve been breaking, too. I could see it in his eyes. He wasn¡¯t just her husband; he <b>was </b>the man who loved her beyond measure, the man who couldn¡¯t protect her from the horrors that had been inflicted upon <b>her</b>.


    And then I heard it. The scream.


    It wasn¡¯t just any scream. It was a sound so raw, so filled with agony that it felt like it was tearing through the very walls of the hospital. It was a scream that could onlye from someone who had been pushed beyond the point of <b>endurance</b><b>, </b>someone who had suffered a pain too great to bear. The noise was so soul crushing that it made my blood run cold. The sound reverberated in my chest, leaving a hollow emptiness behind. I had never heard anything like it in my life, and I prayed I would <b>never </b>hear it again.


    For a moment, there was nothing but silence. The kind of <b>silence </b>that followed devastation, the kind where everything feels suspended in time. My heart raced in my chest as panic wed at my throat. My legs moved before I even had time to think. It was as though my body had a mind of its own, <b>pushing </b>me forward<b>, </b>urging me to act, to do something, anything. I rushed <b>to </b>the door, throwing it open just as Marcus spoke to her in <b>soothing </b>tones, his voice gentle but strained, trying to reach her in her torment.


    When I <b>saw </b>Olivia<b>, </b>I froze. I could barely recognize her. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with terror, as if she <b>had </b>seen something unimaginable. She looked like <b>she </b>was barely holding onto herself, her entire being trembling with fear. I had never seen her like this. Not in prison, not after the loss she had endured, not even after they had taken something so precious from her. This, this was different. This was beyond anything I had ever seen, and it <b>made </b>my chest tighten with a sorrow so deep I thought I might drown in it. She wasn¡¯t just hurt; she was undone.


    The


    woman who had always been so strong<b>, </b>so resilient, so full of life and fight, was now <b>a </b>shell of herself. There was nothing but pure horror in her eyes, a look I had <b>never </b>thought I would see. It was like a part of her soul had been ripped away, and whatever was left was too fragile, too broken to ever heal fully.


    What had Xander done to her? What kind of monster could do this? I wanted to scream, to shout at the world, to find Xander and make him feel every ounce of pain <b>that </b>Olivia was suffering. The anger burned inside me, 50 fierce and hot that it threatened to consume me. If I could, I would drag him back to this room and make him suffer, make him pay for every second of terror he had put her through.


    But no, what he had done to her couldn¡¯t be undone by mere vengeance. This wasn¡¯t just physical <b>pain</b>. It wasn¡¯t <b>a </b>wound that could be healed with time or <b>even </b>with retribution. No, this <b>was </b>something deeper, something that went straight to the core of who Olivia was. It was as if he had torn through her very essence, leaving a gaping wound that no amount of anger or violence could ever fix.

 Novel Payback 278

    <b>Chapter </b><b>278 </b>


    +25


    <b>I </b>stood there, my hands clenched into fists, the helplessne choking me. I didn¡¯t know how to fix this. I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>how to help her. I wanted to reach out, to hold her, to tell her that everything would be okay, but the words seemed so hollow. There was nothing I could say to undo the horror she had experienced.


    My only thought was this: I would make sure Xander never hurt her again. I would hunt him down, make him pay for the pain he had caused her, for the nightmare he had dragged her into. But even that thought, revenge, felt up for empty, meaningless in the face of the devastation that stood before me. How could anything ever make what she had lost? How could I possibly take away the trauma he had inflicted upon her?


    As I watched Marcus crouch beside her, his hand gently brushing her <b>hair </b>back as he whispered soft reassurances, I realized <b>that</b>, no matter what I did, this wasn¡¯t something that could be fixed easily. The damage had been done, and all we could do now was help her plece herself back together, If that was even possible. But one thing was for sure, I would stand by her side, alongside Marcus, every step of the way. Whatever it took, I wouldn¡¯t let her face this alone. We would fight for her, even if she didn¡¯t know how to fight for herself right now. We wouldn¡¯t give up Not now. Not ever.


    Just as I turned to leave the room, I was stopped dead in my tracks by the unexpected sight of my best friend, Nick, standing in front of me. Luke was there too, standing just behind him. I didn¡¯t know when they¡¯d arrived, but it was clear they had heard the scream, the <b>same </b>heart¨Cwrenching, gut¨Cwrenching scream that still echoed in my ears, and had witnessed what I had. The look on their faces told me everything<b>. </b>


    Luke¡¯s expression was <b>one </b>of defeat, his shoulders slumped as though the weight of the world had been pressed down on him. But it was Nick who broke me. The <b>man</b>, usually so stoic, was standing there, tears streaming down his face. He didn¡¯t even try to hide it. There was no shame in his grief, no attempt to mask the raw, painful emotions he was feeling. He was crying openly, watching the woman he loved, no, the woman he still loved, suffer in a way that no one should have to.


    I didn¡¯t want to imagine what was going through his mind couldn¡¯t. The agony, the helplessness of watching someone you cherish in such a state of torment, it had to be unbearable. As much as I tried to focus on Olivia and her brokenness, the sight of Nick was enough to make my chest tighten. It was <b>like </b>watching a mirror image of the devastation she was enduring.


    I thought I had seen the shadow of Nick Jones when Olivia left him, the loss in his eyes, the emptiness that followed her departure. But I was wrong. What I was seeing now was not a shadow of Nick. This was the real Nick Jones. He had been broken too. Just like Olivia, he stood there shattered, stripped of all the strength I had once seen in him. He looked exactly like she did, vulnerable, hollow, and utterly destroyed.


    In that moment, I realized how much pain Nick had been carrying inside of him. <i>I </i>had always believed he was strong enough to handle anything, but now, seeing him like this, I understood. It wasn¡¯t just Olivia who had been crushed by what happened. Nick had been carrying his own grief, his own version of the heartbreak, and it had finally broken him.

 Novel Payback 279

    Chapter <b>279 </b>


    <b>MARCUS </b>


    I trembled with fury as I watched my wife in such a state. The sight of her, broken and trembling, filled me with at rage that burned so intensely, I could barely contain it. The urge to scream, to shout, tosh out at everything and everyone was overwhelming. I wanted to destroy everything, everything that had ever allowed this to happen to her. The world, my world, felt like it was copsing around me.


    My heart shattered, a thousand pieces falling away as I realized the depth of what had been done to her. That man, that monster, had done something unforgivable, something that should never happen to any person, let alone someone as good, <b>as </b>pure, as <b>Olivia</b>.


    What Xander had done to her was unimaginable. He hadn¡¯t just broken her physically, emotionally, or mentally. He had shattered her very soul, her essence, the very core of who she was<b>. </b>He had torn that away from her, and without it, I didn¡¯t know what was going to be left. I didn¡¯t know if she would ever be whole <b>again</b>.


    I kept trying to reassure her, whispering in her ear that she was safe, that I was here, and nothing was going to hurt her again. I held her trembling body close, feeling her fight against the terror that gripped her, but no words seemed to help. It was as if her mind had shattered into pieces, and I couldn¡¯t put them back together. I could see the fear in her eyes, something deeper than mere fright, something that made her recoil from everything<b>, </b>even <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    We had no idea why she had freaked out like that, why she was having such a severe reaction. It made no sense. But whatever had caused it, whatever had triggered it, wasn¡¯t something I was prepared to handle. The screams she had let out were unlike anything I had ever heard. <b>They </b>were raw, filled with pain and terror, and they shattered my heart with each one. I couldn¡¯t do anything but watch in helpless despair.


    And then, the doctor spoke. His words were cold and detached, cutting through the <b>chaos </b>like a de. ¡°I think she will need to bemitted to a mental institution. We are not dealing with anything physical here.¡±


    I froze. His suggestion felt like a p to my face, and every inch of my body went rigid with disbelief and fury. My vision blurred with <b>anger </b>as I turned to face him, my gaze sharp and filled with the kind of rage I couldn¡¯t


    suppress.


    <b>? </b>


    I straightened up, my fists clenching at my sides, the words leaving my mouth before I even had time to think. What did you just say?¡± My voice was a low growl, thick with venom. ¡°You want to have my wifemitted? Are you out of your mind? Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s terrified? She¡¯s traumatized, and you think the answer is to lock her away somewhere? To send her off to a mental institution?¡±


    The anger surged, a tidal wave crashing over me, but I couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°You want to send her away from her family, from me? After everything she¡¯s been through, you <b>want </b>to take her from the people who love her, who she needs right now? Again, what the hell is wrong with you?


    I could feel my pulse racing, blood rushing to my <b>head</b><b>. </b>The thought of her being locked away, isted in a ce like that, tore through me. I wasn¡¯t just angry at the doctor I was angry at everything, at Xander, at the world that had allowed this to happen to her. But <b>this</b>, this suggestion, this cold, clinical way of treating her, was more than I could bear.


    The doctor tried to remain calm, but his tone only made it worse. ¡°Calm down, Mr. Walker. Whether you like it or not, <b>your </b>wife has been through something extremely traumatizing, and this time, it won¡¯t just take her family to bring her back.¡±


    I could feel my anger turning into something darker, something that was edging into the realm of uncontrobie Every <b>word </b>he spoke only fuelled the fire inside me. I didn¡¯t care what he thought, what he believed was best. He had no idea what Olivia needed. No one did. The only person who truly understood her pain was the woman


    herself, and she needed me. Slie needed all of us.


    I started <b>pacing</b><b>, </b><b>my </b>mind <b>whirling </b>with the thought of wh was happening to <b>her</b>, to us. But as I walked, the weight of <b>his </b><b>words </b>didn¡¯t <b>lift. </b>They stayed with me<b>, </b>pressing <b>on </b>my chest like a heavy burden I couldn¡¯t shake. Would <b>it </b>be enough? Would I be enough to pull her back from the edge? Would we be able to fix her, fix us, before <b>It </b>was toote?


    His words were like a cold p. Did he honestly belleve <b>he </b>find the answer? Did he truly think that locking her away was the solution? I couldn¡¯t stand it.


    1 paced back and forth, the weight of the moment pressing down on me, when suddenly I heard gasps that stopped me in my tracks. My heart skipped a beat, and I spin around, my mind immediately going to Olivia. But to my shock, it wasn¡¯t her, it was Nick. He was lying on the floor by the door, unconscious, his body sprawled in an unnatural <b>way</b>.


    The room froze in a tense silence. A full minute passed with everyone just staring at him, and I couldn¡¯t move, couldn¡¯t process what was happening.


    ¡°What the hell are you standing there for? Help him!¡± Luke¡¯s voice thundered, breaking the silence and snapping me back to reality.


    When had they arrived? I hadn¡¯t even noticed. The doctors rushed in, shoving Ethan aside without a second thought. They were swift, working as a team to lift Nick and move him to the bed beside Olivia¡¯s.


    Their movements were precise, but I couldn¡¯t keep up. They worked so quickly checking his vitals, cing monitors on him, and calling out orders. ¡°I think he¡¯s having a heart attack!¡± one of the doctors shouted<b>, </b>and before I could even process the words, nurses scrambled, pulling out equipment and handing them over. The flurry of action around him was so fast, it left me dizzy.


    I stood there, still in shock, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. And in the back of my mind<i>, </i>a thought flickered, <b>Damn </b>Nick and his heart. Always needing the spotlight, always dragging attention to himself.

 Novel Payback 280

    OLIVIA


    I couldn¡¯t tell how long I had been unconscions or why I had lost consciousness in the first ce. The confusion lingered in my mind, but when I finally opened my eyes, everything shifted. There, sitting quietly beside me, was Marcus, his head resting on the edge of my bed.


    His presence feltforting, but there was still a fog clouding my thoughts. How had he gotten there? When had he arrived? <b>Had </b>someone called him, or had hee on his own? I couldn¡¯t remember the details, but somehow, his quiet strength was grounding; me.


    As I tried to gather my thoughts, still struggling to plece together what had happened, Marcus stirred. A soft groan escaped him as he blinked, slowly walking up. His eyes met mine, and I <b>could </b>see the relief flood his expression. Without a word, he stood up, gently took my hand in his<b>, </b>and spoke In a low, soothing voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I


    my love. I am right here. I¡¯m not going anywhere. You are safe now.¡±


    The moment his words reached me; everything came rushing back, like a dam breaking open. The memories, the fear, the voice I had kept hearing¡­ It hadn¡¯t been some figment of my imagination or a trick my mind had yed on me. It was Marcus. He had been there with me the entire <b>time</b>, even when I hadn¡¯t realized it. He had never left.


    ¡°Home,¡± I rasped, my throat dry and scratchy. The word barely left my lips, but it was the only thing that mattered now. I didn¡¯t want to be in this godforsaken <b>ce </b>for another second. The ind, the istion, the nightmares, it all felt like a trap I couldn¡¯t escape from. I longed to return to some semnce of normalcy, to go back to my children, to go back to us.


    Marcus leaned closer, his expression soft yet concerned. ¡°understand. But the doctor said once discharged<b>, </b>we can leave.¡±


    e you are


    The <b>tension </b>in my chest tightened. I wasn¡¯t asking for a dy. I wasn¡¯t asking for any more time here. I just wanted to be gone, now. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the doctor said. I want to leave now. I don¡¯t want to be here another minute.¡±


    He paused, his brow furrowing slightly as he processed my words. I saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, perhaps a fear of pushing me too hard, but he quickly suppressed it. He knew me well enough to understand that when I said I wanted to leave, it was not something I could negotiate.


    I wasn¡¯t just running away from a ce. I was running away from the memories, from everything that had happened here. The trauma was still fresh, and I just couldn¡¯t bear it any longer.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± I repeated, this time with more conviction, ¡°to New Vige. I want to go home, Marcus. I need to out of here.¡± I wanted to be with my family, <b>see </b>who Lupita and grandma were doing. There was no point in being in that ind anymore


    get


    Marcus gazed at me for a long moment, his eyes searching mine as if he were trying to figure out what more I needed, what I <b>was </b>truly asking for. Then, slowly, he nodded. His hand tightened around mine as he said softly, ¡± Alright. As you wish<b>.</b>¡±


    I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying to steady myself, trying to calm the pounding in my chest. I could feel the tension in my muscles begin to <b>ease</b>, knowing that he was with me, and that <b>we </b>were going to leave. I didn¡¯t need to be here anymore.


    I was ready to go home. Marcus send a text I didn¡¯t know to whom and id didn¡¯t care, as long as he was getting us out to there.


    I leaned back against the pillows as Marcus stood, moving to gather our things. A <b>wave </b>of relief washed over me,


    Chapter


    though It was still tinged with the exhaustion of everything had been through. The doctor had already told me 1 <b>was </b>recovering, that the worst had passed. But how could 1 cover while I was still here? <b>Every </b>corner of this ce felt like a reminder of what had happened, what had been taken from me, and what I was still trying to forget,


    Xander. His face shed in my mind for just a moment, but quickly shut it down. I wasn¡¯t going to think about him. Not now, not ever again.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get everything ready,¡± Marcus said gently, his voice steady, though I could see the concern still lingering in his eyes. ¡°We will be out of here as soon as you are ready.¡±


    I nodded, though I wasn¡¯t sure how ready I could ever be. But I was going to do this. For myself. For my children<b>. </b>For my family. I needed to reim my life, and the first step in doing that was getting as far away from this ce as possible.


    Marcus returned a few minutester, holding my bag and the things we would need for the journey back. His face softened when he saw me looking at him, still lost in my thoughts. He moved closer and ced a gentle kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°We u


    will make it through this, Olivia. Together.¡±


    The words were simple, but they filled me with the kind of strength I hadn¡¯t realized I needed. As long as he was with me, as long as we were together, I could face anything. We would go home, back to New Vige, and rebuild what had been shattered. I didn¡¯t know what the future held, but I <b>knew </b>one thing for sure, I was ready to leave this chapter behind.


    And I was ready to start over. No more running away when things got tough. It was the running that had only brought more problems, and I was done with it. My family had suffered because of my inability to face the challenges head¨Con, but not anymore. No more avoiding the hard things. I was going to face them, for myself, for Marcus, and for our children.


    ¡°I will never leave you again,¡± I found myself saying, the words leaving my lips with a quiet but firm promise. It <b>was </b>a vow, not just to him, but to myself. I knew there would be difficult times ahead, but I also knew that we could weather them together. No more running, no more hiding from the pain. It was time to confront it all and rebuild what had been broken.


    Marcus, who had been standing there quietly, watching me, gave me a soft smile, his eyes filled with warmth and understanding. He gently squeezed my <b>hand</b>, as if epting my promise<b>, </b><b>and </b>in that moment, I felt the weight of everything we had been through, the heartache, the fear, the distance, begin to lift. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy, but with him by my side, I knew we could face anything.


    ¡°I know,¡± he whispered, his voice full of love. ¡°And I will never leave you either.¡±


    For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a spark of hope. We <b>had </b>made it through the darkest of times, and now we were ready to face the future together. I wasn¡¯t running anymore. I was ready to fight for us, for our family, and for a life filled with love and healing.


    And that was a promise I intended to keep.

 Novel Payback 281

    Chapter <b>281 </b>


    MARCUS


    ¡°Home<b>. </b>I want to go home.¡±


    Those were the first words Olivia spoke when she finally wake up. The urgency and exhaustion in her voice were clear, and it broke something in me to hear it. Home. The ce where she could feel safe again, where she could begin to heal. I didn¡¯t hesitate for a second.


    I reached for my phone and quickly typed out a message to my team, instructing them to inform the pilot that we would be leaving in a couple of hours. I knew the others might have wanted to wait until tomorrow, but I wasn¡¯t listening to anyone else. I was listening to my wife, and she needed to go home. Today.


    When she made that vow, ¡°I will never leave again,¡± her voice was full of conviction, as if the weight of her promise was settling into the very core of her being. It wasn¡¯t just words; it was a deration. In that moment, I knew something had shifted in her, she was no longer running. She was fighting. For us. For her family. And that made me believe that everything we had been through wasn¡¯t in vain.


    I could see it in her eyes, this wasn¡¯t the woman I had known before the ind. She wasn¡¯t herself, and I understood why she wanted to leave. The ind had taken so much from her, and every part of it had be a painful reminder of the darkness that Xander had cast over her life. But the fact that she was asking for home, that she recognized the danger of staying here, made me believe that I hadn¡¯t lost her. That she hadn¡¯t been consumed by the trauma. There was still a part of her that was strong enough to fight her way back


    I couldn¡¯t let that chance slip away. I wasn¡¯t about to dy our departure. We were leaving today, and nothing was going to change that.


    Nick, Luke, <b>and </b>Ethan hade on their own with Luke¡¯s jet, and I had arrived separately. That meant I could take Olivia, the kids, and <b>leave </b>without waiting for anyone else. This was my family, and I would take them home as quickly as possible.


    ¡°I will take you and the kids home<b>, </b>my love,¡± I told her, my voice steady but full of reassurance.


    For a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes<b>, </b>but before I could pinpoint what it was, it vanished. She gave me that look, the one that told <b>me </b>she was holding something back, something she wasn¡¯t ready to say just yet. It wasn¡¯t fear or uncertainty, but something deeper. Still, I could see the weight of everything she had endured in her gaze.


    ¡°They¡¯re safe, baby. Both of them are safe,¡± I added, sensing her concern about the children.


    She exhaled a heavy sigh, as if my words were a balm for the raw nerves inside her. I watched her push through the pain and the fear, her resilience shining through as she got dressed in the clothes I had brought for her. There was something about her that had changed, she was no longer the woman who had been lost, uncertain, and broken. Now, she was fighting, and I would fight beside her every step of thes way.


    ¡°Tell whoever is back there to bring them here<b>,</b>¡± she said with newfound determination. ¡°We are leaving from here straight to the airport. I¡¯m not going back to that <b>hotel</b>¡±


    I could hear the finality in her tone. She didn¡¯t just want to leave the ind. She wanted to erase every trace of it from her life, as if stepping away from this ce would allow her to put it all behind her. I understood exactly how she felt, and I couldn¡¯t me her. The ind had be a prison, and she wanted nothing more than to take our children and go home.


    ¡°I will make sure they are here as soon as possible,¡± I said, already walking toward the door to make the necessary calls.


    I was ready for this I was ready to take her back to the about waiting for the right moment on trying to pave about us, about out family 1 wen¡¯t going to waste


    I


    an


    feat familiarity of our home or ones, It wa


    Forster, want other sosely ft was about ne tr was about her


    on thisrutantting her out of here.


    As I stepped outside to make the arrangements, 1 condit¡¯p bave han bare at the door where she was getting ready. I felt a pang of gratitude and relief that the we, at fighting for us the w strangre than de knew. She had always been the backbone of che family, and how she was standing call again, reely to take con whatever came next. And I would be there with her, every p of the way


    This was the beginning of our new chapter. The past could longer hold as back, The ind, the pain, the fear, it was all behind us now. We were going home. The moment ett surreal, but as I turned theer, I bumped into Lake, and for a brief second, time seemed to stand still. Hipresence was a reminder of how much we had all been through together, and the strength we had found in one arsher.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, his voice heavy with gratitude. ¡°Thank you for finding her, for protecting her. Take her home and take Ethan as well. I will stay with Nick to sort everything else out here.


    Luke¡¯s gaze lingered on me for a long moment. There was something in his eyes, respect, but also something deeper, like he understood just how far I hade to get tothis point. He gave a small nod before responding


    ¡°You are a good husband and father, Marcus,¡± he said, his tone steady but sincere. ¡°Take care of your family, and we will meet up soon. Don¡¯t worry about anything else. I have already arranged for the nanny to bring the kids to you. They will be here soon.¡±


    His words were simple, but they hit me <b>hard</b>. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I needed to hear them until now. In th whirlwind of everything that had happened, it was <b>easy </b>to lose sight of the things that mattered most, my family. But Luke had a way of cutting through all the noise, reminding me of the core of what was important.


    ¡°I appreciate it, Luke,¡± I said, a weightlifting from my shoulders. ¡°You have done more than enough.¡±


    He gave me a small, reassuring smile before pping me on the back. ¡°Just focus on getting your family home, Marcus. We have got everything else under control.¡±


    As I watched him walk away, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the people in my life. They had helped me protect the woman I loved, and now, they were ensuring that our kids would be safe and with us. It was a small but significant reminder of the strength of our bonds, the kind of strength that was going to carry us through whatever came next.


    I turned back towards the room, ready to take Olivia and the kids home. It was time to start our new chapter, and nothing was going to stop us.

 Novel Payback 282

    Nick


    ¡°Nick, calm down. There was nothing you were going to do anymore. She left with her husband and kids to fix herself,


    here. You promised not to interfere with her fix her marriage. You don¡¯t belong there.¡±


    I stopped, the words hitting me like a p. I turned to re at him, fury bubbling in my chest. How dare he say that to me? How could anyone expect me to just stand by and let this happen? Why should I be lying here in a hospital bed and ept being told she was gone, <b>as </b>if that was some kind of solution?


    ¡°You forget, one of the kids you are talking about is mine! should have been with them. You should have put me on the damn jet with them!¡± My voice cracked with emotion Anger, confusion, fear, all of it was crowding my chest. How was Olivia going to take care of the kids in the state I saw her in? Sure, Marcus could handle them, but who was going to take care of her? She was the one who needled the most help.


    Lupita and her grandmother were still in deep slumber, knocked out by some medication or whatever Xander gave them. Who knew when they would wake up? <b>And </b>we all knew how things went when we trusted strangers. We had been burned before. No way in hell I was going to sit idly by and let them handle it.


    ¡°I know that, Nick. But you need to give them time to sort things out. You need time away from Olivia. Being around her is not good for your health. Your heart is deteriorating.¡±


    His words made no sense to me. Who cares about my heart? Right now, Olivia was my heart. How <b>could </b>I be expected to be okay when she wasn¡¯t? Did they <b>think </b>I was being overly dramatic when I said she was the center of my world? She was more than just a part of me<b>, </b>she was everything. If she wasn¡¯t okay, how could I ever be?


    ¡°Who¡¯s going to help them, then?¡± I asked, the words dripping with frustration and desperation. Luke turned his back on me without answering, and that was when I lost it. The bed, my hospital bed, was no match for my fury. I flipped it upside down in a single, violent motion, <b>the </b>metal screeching against the floor as it crashed over.


    ¡°You send Ethan with them and left me here? Why would you do that?!¡± I didn¡¯t even care that I was shouting or how irrational I sounded. My breath came in short, ragged gasps, and my chest tightened with the weight of my anger and confusion. I was drowning, and no one seemed to understand.


    No one understood that Olivia held my sanity, her very presence in my life calmed me. it calmed the beast inside me. I could endure anything including her being with Marcus, as long as I could see her, see that she was alright. But now, now she was far away from me and not doing well


    Luke didn¡¯t even flinch at my outburst. Instead, his face twisted in exasperation.


    ¡°Nick, you are going to make yourself sick. Stop this nonsense!¡± His voice was loud<b>, </b><b>almost </b>as if he were trying to force sense into me. But nothing could prate the turmoil inside my head, nothing could make me stop.


    I stood still for a moment, my breath shaky as the fury began to dissipate, leaving a dull ache in its ce. Then I spoke, my voice raw and bitter.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you have never been in love that you don¡¯t understand what I feel for Olivia. Maybe as her father, you get why it¡¯s important that she gets all the care she needs, without having to worry about the kids as well. You saw her at the hospital, Luke. You saw what state she is in. She is not alright. She is not fit to care for them, not the way she needs to. Marcus and Ethan are going to have to take care of her and take care of the kids. But what about Lupita and Grandma? Who is going to look after them?!¡±


    I took a deep breath, calming myself for a moment. But inside, I was still seething, still unable to shake the fr that everything was slipping through my fingers.


    I grabbed the clothes from the chair next to the bed, the familiar fabric feeling cold in my hands as I slipped them <ol><li><b>on</b><b>. </b></li></ol>


    ¡°What are you doing? You haven¡¯t been discharged yet!¡± Luke snapped, the irritation in his tone unmistakable. But I didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°If you had put me on the damn jet with them, you wouldn¡¯t be annoyed right now, would you?¡± My words were sharp, cutting through the tension in the room like a de didn¡¯t care about his irritation. What mattered to me was Olivia. And she wasn¡¯t here. She was there, on the other side of the world, in a ce I couldn¡¯t reach.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m going to the hotel to book a flight back home,¡± I said, not even bothering to look at Luke as <b>I </b>grabbed my bag. ¡°I will be damned if I stay here while my family is across the world, facing God knows what, without me.¡®


    ¡°Nick, you are not thinking clearly. You need to rest, you need to¡­¡±


    I


    ¡°No,¡± I interrupted, the finality in my voice making it clear wasn¡¯t open to discussion. ¡°You should have sent me with them. Now, I am going to fix it.¡±


    And with that, I turned and walked out of the room, knowing full well that nothing anyone said would stop me. I wasn¡¯t going to let Olivia down. Not when she needed me the most.


    ¡°He has people back home. We need him to tell us who they are and where they are located. It will be pointless going to Olivia when there¡¯s still a threat on her life!¡±


    The words hit me like a sledgehammer. I stopped dead in my tracks, my breath catching in my throat. My hands balled into fists, and anger surged through me, hot and consuming. Every muscle in my body tensed, the rage threatening to boil over. How could I think about anything other than protecting her?


    ¡°Take me to him,¡± I growled, the words slipping out through clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to make Xander talk. One way or another.¡±


    There was no other option. I couldn¡¯t sit by and wait any longer. If it meant breaking him to keep Olivia safe, then so be it.

 Novel Payback 283

    OLIVIA


    By the time wended back at New Vige, Luke¡¯s men were already waiting for us at the airport. The moment we arrived, Marcus spoke with them outside the car, while I settled inside with the kids. My baby girl was still fast asleep in my arms, and her brother had just started to stir as the ne touched down.


    It felt like a lifetime since I had seen them, and the relief of holding them again was overwhelming. Samuel¡¯s <b>eyes </b>fluttered open, and the instant he saw me, his face broke into the brightest smile. My baby. My heart swelled with gratitude, with love, with the simple joy of being reunited. thought I would never see them again, thought the world might take me from them forever. But now, here they were, and I could hug them again, feel their little bodies against mine.


    As Marcus climbed into the car next to me, he gently lifted Samuel into hisp. My boy rested his head against his father¡¯s chest, his small, tired frame curling into him as he drifted back to sleep. It had been a long flight, and I could tell he was exhausted, but at least we were home now At least we were safe.


    ¡°Are you alright, sweetheart?¡± I asked softly, ncing up at Marcus as I offered him a small smile. It felt strange to smile again, but it was a relief, a weightlifting from my shoulders. I didn¡¯t care how Marcus hade to be on the ind with us, what mattered was that he was here now with me and with our kids. He had been there when we needed him most, and that was all that mattered.


    Back when I had left him, when I had run away in fear, the reasons felt so clear in my mind, so necessary. But now<b>, </b>sitting here beside him, with Samuel in his arms, it all seemed like a distant memory, a blur of confusion that didn¡¯t quite make sense anymore.


    The car took a <b>sharp </b>turn, heading down <b>an </b>unfamiliar road, I didn¡¯t ask where we were going, assuming we might be headed to a hotel or somewhere safe for the night. But when the car eventually came <b>to </b>a stop, I was shocked to find ourselves in front of the most beautiful mansion I had ever seen. My breath caught as I stared <b>at </b>the imposing structure, its grand gates and lush gardens that seemed to stretch on forever.


    I looked at Marcus, my heart racing with disbelief. ¡°Is this ¡± I started to ask, my voice barely a whisper.


    ¡°It¡¯s our n


    <b>new </b>home, my love,¡± he <b>said</b>, <b>his </b>smile soft and sincere. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you <b>would </b><b>want </b>to go back to the old ce when you returned. I hope you like it.¡±


    His words should <b>have </b>reassured <b>me</b>, but the overwhelming beauty of the house left me speechless. I couldn¡¯t contain the smile that spread <b>across </b>my face, though. I loved it. I loved the idea of this new chapter in our lives. It was everything I had dreamed of and more.


    Marcus gently lifted Samuel from hisp and stepped out of the <b>car</b><b>, </b>moving towards the entrance. One of my father¡¯s men opened the door for me and helped me out of the vehicle. As I made my way toward the gate, I noticed another car pull up that I hadn¡¯t seen before. The door opened<b>, </b>and to my surprise, Nick¡¯s mother stepped out.


    <b>She </b>offered a tentative smile, the kind that spoke of uncertainty. ¡°I know you might not want me here, Olivia,¡± she <b>said </b>gently, ¡°but Nick said you and Marcus will need my help. So, I came.¡±


    Her words struck me in an unexpected way. I had always been cautious about her, unsure of her ce in Nick¡¯s life, and in mine. But now¡­ now, I understood. She was here to help, and I knew deep down that she was right. I was still shaken, frightened by everything I had been through. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was strong enough to care for the kids, especially with everything that had happened.


    I nodded, the gratitude for her presence welling up inside me. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice soft. ¡°Your help is much appreciated.¡±


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Nick had told her about Samuel being her grandson, but I was grateful all the same. The thought of more help, more support in a time like this, was something I could never turn down.


    As we entered the house, I was <b>in </b>awe of the beauty inside. The space was just as stunning as the exterior, with every corner carefully designed<b>, </b>every detail thoughtfully ced. Marcus had done this for <b>us</b>, for our family. I had to admit, he <b>had </b>done a fantastic job.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, my voice full of emotion.


    Marcus shook his head, as if dismissing my gratitude. ¡°No need to thank me,¡± he replied. ¡°You deserve this, Olivia. You deserve this and more. Our family deserves this.


    He smiled at me, that tender, loving smile that always made my heart skip a beat. ¡°Come on,¡± he said<b>, </b>taking my hand. ¡°Let me show you the children¡¯s rooms.¡±


    I followed him upstairs, my feet light with anticipation. We stopped at <b>the </b>first room, Lilly¡¯s room. It was decorated in soft shades of pink, with stuffed animals scattered on the bed and fairy lights twinkling along the walls. It was a room fit for a little princess, and my heart swelled with love for my daughter. This ce was perfect. I had never imagined anything like it


    Just as I was about to speak, Marcus¡¯s phone rang. He nced at the screen before answering, his face instantly bing more serious. ¡°Nick?¡± he asked, his voice low.


    I didn¡¯t mean to, but my curiosity got the best of me, and I turned to look at him. I couldn¡¯t hear Nick¡¯s voice on the other end of the line, but I could see Marcus¡¯s expression shift, concern, maybe frustration. Whatever Nick was saying seemed important.


    Marcus excused himself and walked a few steps away, his attention now fully on the conversation. I was left standing there, staring at the beautiful <b>room </b>around me, but my mind raced. What was going on? Why was Nick calling now? What had happened while we were gone?


    I didn¡¯t know what the future held, but I did know one thing I needed answers. And I needed them now.

 Novel Payback 284

    MARCUS


    ¡°Olivia, you¡¯re still not well,¡± I sald, my voice firm butced with concern. ¡°And yet, you want to know about that? I¡¯m not telling you anything right now. Recover first you want to be included. Until then, I¡¯m not saying a word.¡±


    I could feel my frustration rising. We had just gotten hoine. We hadn¡¯t even had a chance to properly rest, to take a bath, to breathe for even a second. And yet, there she was<b>, </b>ager to dig into everything that had happened while we were away, desperate to understand every detall.


    But I knew better than to tell her about Xander. I could see the tension building inside her whenever she thought about him, and I wasn¡¯t about to make her anxiety worse lig telling her the truth. She had been alright knowing that the Xander issue was left back at the ind. But if I told her the truth¨Cthat Xander¡¯s men had followed us, that the threat was still looming over us¨Cwhat would that do to her? I wasn¡¯t going to add that weight to her already fragile mind.


    She could hate me for keeping things from her. I didn¡¯t care. I couldn¡¯t risk her health. I wouldn¡¯t risk it.


    She stared at me, her gaze unrelenting. ¡°You were serious on the phone just now. It means whatever you spoke to Nick about is serious.¡± Her <b>tone </b>was sharp, insistent. But I wasn¡¯t backing down.


    ¡°What¡¯s serious,¡± I said, <b>taking </b>a deep breath, ¡°is the fact that we <b>need </b>a bath, we need to sleep, and we need to take care of ourselves. I¡¯ve already booked you an appointment with the doctor for tomorrow.¡±


    I could feel the weight of it all¨Cthe stress, the fear, the exhaustion. But none of that mattered as long as Olivia and the kids were safe. I didn¡¯t need to be reminded of the army of men guarding us, watching over every move we made. For now, my only focus was her. I was the one who got to care for her, to nurse her back to health, to make up for the mistakes I¡¯d made. That was my responsibility, and I wouldn¡¯t take it lightly.


    I nced over at the clock, wondering how much time we had left before we could finally get some peace. But even as the minutes passed, I wasn¡¯t about to let her get caught up in all of this. Not now. Not when she still needed time to heal.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, my voice softening. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Samuel¡¯s room yet, or ours. We¡¯ll go take a look, and you can see the rest of the house tomorrow¨Cwhen you¡¯re well¨Crested and ready to explore.¡±


    She opened her mouth, no doubt ready to argue, but I didn¡¯t give her the chance. I leaned in and kissed her gently, pressing my lips to hers, silencing her for a moment. I thought it was just a quick kiss to distract her, to shut down the conversation, but the moment our lips met, I wanted more. So much <b>more</b><b>. </b>


    She <b>was </b>my wife, the woman I loved, and it had been so long since we had been close like this. I could feel the heat rising between us, the unspoken desire we¡¯d both been holding back for far too long.


    I pulled back<b>, </b>panting, my heart racing. She let out a small whine, frustrated, as if she wanted to pull me back in, but I shook my head.


    ¡°You¡¯re still not well, my love,¡± I said softly, my voice hoarse. ¡°And if we keep going, I¡¯ll forget that you need to rest. I¡¯ll lose control, and that won¡¯t be good for either of us.¡±


    She


    gave me a look, her expression a <b>mix </b>of disappointment and longing. I could tell she wasn¡¯t happy with my decision, but she understood. At least, I hoped she did.


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, offering her my hand. ¡°Let¡¯s see Samuel¡¯s room. You¡¯ll get a chance to explore the rest of the house tomorrow. We¡¯ll take it slow.¡±


    I pulled her out of Lilly¡¯s room, careful not to make her move <b>too </b>quickly, taking the baby monitor with me to


    +25 BOHUS


    keep an eye on the kids. As we walked down the hall, I adjusted my pants, feeling the growing difort between us. The desire was still there<b>, </b>simmering just beneath the surface, but I needed to be patient. We both did.


    For now, I had to focus on what mattered most: Olivia<b>, </b>our lildren<b>, </b>and the <b>new </b>life we were building together. Everything else could wait..


    I would be lying if I said the issue with Xander didn¡¯t worry me<b>, </b>even with Luke and Nick handling it. Those people were here now, in New Vige, our territory. Anything could happen. And that uncertainty gnawed at me. I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down, not when it came to protecting my family.


    I couldn¡¯t let them get hurt again. Not after everything Olivia had been through on that ind, not after everything that man had done to her. It still ate at me. What had Xander done to her to break her like that? I wanted to know; I needed to understand.


    I could see it, even if she hid it well. On the surface, Olivia might seem like she was doing fine, after all, she was Olivia, the woman who always managed to hold it together. But I knew better. I knew there was more beneath that calm exterior, more that she wasn¡¯t letting anyone <b>see</b>.


    For her to ept help from Nick¡¯s mother without protest, without the usual resistance she would have put up, spoke volumes. That wasn¡¯t something Olivia would do if she were truly alright. She needed more than just space. She needed me to be strong for her<b>. </b>


    For our family.


    I had to be the protector now. I had to keep them safe, no matter the cost

 Novel Payback 285

    NICK


    ¡°Do your worst, Nick,¡± Kander sneered, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth as he spat it onto the floor at my feet. ¡°See now? You people shot me, and I haven¡¯t been able to contact my guys. The alert is out. It¡¯s no longer just about <b>Olivia</b>. Now, your whole circle is fair game¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but watch him closely. When I first walked in, he had looked like a man on hisst breath, weak, near death. Now, he was talking like he had all the time in the <b>world</b>. Like he was in control, ready to take on whatever came next, with a twisted confidence that felt like he had nothing to lose.


    I feared for the kids when he spoke of all of us being fair game. I hoped he was talking about taking our money but as he had already shown us, Xander didn¡¯t need out money. Je wanted to make us feel the most excruciating pain possible. The way Luke made <b>him </b>feel when he killed his father.


    I took a slow step toward him, watching as he narrowed his eyes, but I wasn¡¯t intimidated. Not by his bravado, not by his threats. I had been around men like Xander before. They used noise and anger to mask their fear, and it didn¡¯t fool me.


    ¡°You should have let me take my revenge on Luke,¡± he growled, his voice low and dangerous. ¡°That man killed my father and desecrated his grave. And yet, you protect him. No wonder people like him think they can do whatever they want with others. Billionaires like you protect him from the shadows.¡±


    His eyes burned with hatred, and I could see the raw pain behind the words. He still had that fire inside him, fuelled by revenge, by the past that had twisted him into the man he was now. The anger <b>had </b>consumed him, and in some sick way, I almost felt pity for him. Almost.


    I leaned in a little closer<b>, </b>letting the silence linger for a moment. ¡°Unfortunately, Xander, we don¡¯t choose our families,¡± I said, my voice calm and unwavering. ¡°I am sure you didn¡¯t choose your father either¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about my father!¡± he snapped, his voice booming with fury. It was a sharp contrast to the almost frail man I had seen when I first entered. Now, he was riled up, ready tosh out, but I didn¡¯t flinch.


    I continued without hesitation. ¡°If your father had been a good man, an ordinary man, he wouldn¡¯t have crossed paths with Luke. The fact that he had dealings with him says more about the kind of person your father really was than you probably care to admit.¡±


    His nostrils red, the was so angry that he was shaking.


    ¡°I SAID DON¡¯T TALK ABOUT MY FATHER!¡± His words were a cold, sharp warning. He was shaking with rage now, his body tense, as if he was just on the edge of breaking. He looked like he might lunge at me if he had the strength, but I wasn¡¯t concerned. This wasn¡¯t about physical threats, it was about the war that was raging inside his mind.


    I stood tall, my eyes never leaving his. ¡°Face it, <b>Xander</b>,¡± I said, my voice steady, ¡°you don¡¯t know why you hate Luke. Deep down, you know your father was exactly <b>the </b><b>same </b>as Luke. Am I wrong?¡±


    Xander inhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling with the effort to control his breathing. His body was trembling, not from weakness, but from anger. There was no need to get physical with him. I could see right through him. His rage wasn¡¯t just because of Luke. It was because of his father, the life his father had led, the choices he had made, and the way that life had ultimately shaped his <b>own </b>


    I pressed on, knowing the truth would sting. ¡°I believe you are angry with your father because of the life he lived. The life that left you to grow up in the system. The life that didn¡¯t change even after your mother died. And you know what? You are angry because he didn¡¯t take care of you. He didn¡¯t change his ways to protect you.


    His eyes went dark with fury, and his fists clenched. ¡°Shut up! I said don¡¯t talk about him!¡± He was seething now, his voice low and dangerous.


    But then, as <b>if </b>he was trying to regain control, a smirk spread across his face<b>. </b>It was a grimace, a sharp contrast to the anger that had been radiating off him just moments age


    ¡°I know what you are doing,¡± he said with a mockingugh ¡°You are trying to get me to crack, to make me tell you where my guys are, to stop whatever¡¯sing. But I am not that gullible, Nick. I didn¡¯t get this far in life by being naive, trusting, or gullible. I have learned how to y this game, and I am not falling for it.¡±


    His words were filled with defiance, but I could see the flicker of uncertainty behind his eyes. He was a man on edge, holding onto whatever pride he had left, even though everything else was slipping through his fingers.


    ¡°Do your worst, Xander,¡± I said, throwing his words back at him and leaning in a little closer, letting the threat hang in the air. ¡°But you are not the one in control anymore. You are just a <b>scared </b>little boy trying to avenge a dead man who never cared about you.¡±


    The smirk slowly faded from his face, reced by something far more vulnerable, fear. <b>Real</b>, raw fear. For a brief moment, I saw a glimpse of the man beneath the <b>anger</b>, <b>a </b>man who knew he was out of his depth.


    ¡°You should be at home, taking care of your kid,¡± I said, my voice cold, cutting through the tension like a de. Not ying this kind of game. People like Luke? They are masters at this. A boy like you? You will lose, badly. And like you, your son will grow up without a father. Is that really what you want for him?¡±


    I watched as his bottom lip trembled, the mask of bravado crumbling. It was the smallest sign, but it was enough. I had broken him. The anger that had once fuelled him now gave way to doubt, to fear, And I knew in that moment, he was close to talking.


    His confidence was gone, reced by something far weaker. He was on the edge, and all it would take was one more push.

 Novel Payback 286

    LUKE


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    I stood outside, listening to Nick as he worked on breaking ander down. The boy was good, too good for my liking. I never intended for those boys to be involved in myne of work. Keeping Nick behind was never meant to have him do this, it was meant to keep him away from Olivia. Being around her was slowly destroying him, and he couldn¡¯t even see it. Or maybe he could, but simply didn¡¯t care.


    He was still my nephew, and no matter what, I couldn¡¯t let him destroy himself over my daughter.


    Elodie and I had been working on rebuilding our rtionship, and if something were to happen to her son, ir would tear us apart beyond repair. But as I listened to Nick, began to wonder if it was already <b>too </bte.


    He seemed to relish the power, taking pleasure in breaking Kander, plece by piece. His face was cold, vold of emotion, as he spoke. He was a natural at this, like someone who had been doing it for years, a professional. Watching him behave like that scared the hell out of me, they said I was the heartless one, but what was Nick? He had always been a skilled businessman, but I never thought he would find this side of the work so easy. The detachment he disyed¡­ it was chilling. The boy got shiver running down my spine and no one had ever been able to make me feel that way besides father.


    Looking at Nick now, the boy looked exactly like his grandfather, whenever the man opened his mouth in front of his target, he made sure to make him imagine hell as if he was talking about a ce he had been. His home. The


    man was ruthless.


    Xander was struggling to breathe, blood staining his clothes as he gasped for air. But Nick remained unaffected, unmoved by the sight. Exactly like father, it was like looking at the old man at work. Which scared the living daylight out of me.


    ¡°Are you still going to waste my time?¡± Nick asked, his tone as cold as his gaze. He shrugged nonchntly, a grim smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. The little devil! ¡°Suit yourself. I am not the one who¡¯s dying. And it¡¯s not my son who won¡¯t have a father. Even if I died, my son would still have his grandfather, his stepfather, and his second father, Ethan. Who will yours have if you die?¡±


    Xander flinched, visibly shaken by Nick¡¯s words. I would be telling lies <b>if </b>I said I wasn¡¯t affected as well. Did I sound and look like that when working? It hit him harder than I thought it would. Nick knew exactly where to strike, and he used that weakness with precision.


    It was as if he had studied Xander for years, understanding his deepest fears and vulnerabilities. That was Xander¡¯s soft <b>spot</b>, and Nick was exploiting it without hesitation.


    ¡°Get me a doctor to stitch me up,¡± Xander gasped, his voice strained, ¡°and then I will tell you everything you want to know.¡±


    Nick chuckled darkly, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent room. chills! I found myself pulling my coat <b>even </b>closer to myself as if I were cold, ¡°You do realize, don¡¯t you, that if you are ying <b>games </b>with me, I won¡¯t stop Luke from doing whatever he wants to you?¡±


    He didn¡¯t need to threaten the boy using my name, he was doing a good job himself and Xander looked like he feared him more than he could ever fear me, what the boy had towards me was not fear but anger. Yet with Nick, I saw real fear in his eyes, the kind that got him rethinking everything he has ever done.


    I could feel the tension rise in the room as Nick¡¯s eyes flicked toward me. Our gazes locked, and I could see the subtle shudder that ran through Xander¡¯s body, like he <b>was </b>suddenly cold. I felt the same.


    ¡°Okay, Xander,¡± Nick continued, his voice now a chilling whisper. ¡°I hope for your sake, and your son¡¯s, that you


    <b>are </b>a man of your word. Because If you are not¡­¡± He let the threat hang in the air, his eyes cold and unwavering


    Then, without another word, Nick turned and began walking toward me. I followed him silently, my steps echoing on the cold concrete floor. When we were far enough from the door, he stopped and turned to face me, a look of quiet intensity in his eyes.


    ¡°Get him a doctor,¡± Nick said, his voice sharp and decisive I don¡¯t want to be responsible for a son losing his father.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, studying him carefully. When Nick spoke, it was hard to tell whether he truly meant every word or if it was just part of his calcted game. His demeanour wasposed, controlled, but there was


    ¡°What¡¯s something about him, a darkness in his eyes that made me question just how far he was willing to go. this? You are not a monster, just¡­ good with words?¡±


    He smiled slightly, though the expression didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°I am not a monster, Luke<i>. </i>I am just good at making people see things from a different perspective. Get him the doctor. And call me when his finished. I want to hear him talk.¡±


    With that, he walked away, leaving me standing there, his words lingering in the air like a weight on my chest. I watched him disappear down the hall, a question gnawing at the back of my mind. Did he really mean it when he said he was just ¡°good with words¡°? Or was this just a carefully crafted act to buy time, to make Xander believe there was hope when in reality, Nick was prepared to do whatever it took to protect Olivia? Nick¡¯s actions were rarely driven by reason when it came to her, and I wasn¡¯t sure where that would lead.


    As the silence settled in, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was watching something unravel in front of me. Something far darker than I had anticipated.

 Novel Payback 287

    MARCUS


    I regret ever listening. I wish I had kept my distance, stayed out of it, and resisted the temptation to eavesdrop on Olivia¡¯s therapy session. I only wanted to understand what that man, Xander, had done to her. I needed to know the depth of the damage he had inflicted upon my wife. Never in my wildest imagination did I think it would be anything like what I heard.


    How could he paralyze her like that? How could he trap her, making her lie on top of a grave? And locking her in a catb, forcing her to remain alone in that darkness¡­ Did he even realize the psychological destruction he was causing her? Or was that his intention all along? To break herpletely?


    Now, it all made sense. I understood why she had freaked out in the hospital when she saw a nurse holding a needle, walking toward her. In that moment, the only thing she saw wasn¡¯t a nurse. She saw Xander. She saw himing at her with that same paralytic <b>agent</b>, intending to trap her again, to render her helpless and trapped in her own body.


    Even Luke, the most ruthless gangster I knew, wasn¡¯t capable of something that cold, that malicious. He might <b>have </b>his own darkness, but this, this was on a whole different level. Xander had made her stay among the dead, forced her to confront the idea that she was already dead, even though she <b>was </b>still breathing, still alive. He wanted her to feel like she was already gone, counting her among the dead long before her time.


    The thought of it crushed me. I felt like the bathroom walls were closing in on me. The air felt thinner and if I was running out of it.


    I lowered my head putting it between my knees, feeling the weight of my heart break in my chest. Tears fell freely, and I didn¡¯t care who might hear me. I didn¡¯t care what anyone might think. I couldn¡¯t stop the raw emotion spilling out. How could he do this to her? How could anyone be that monstrous?


    I could feel the anger rising in me, burning <b>like </b>a fire that threatened to consume me from the inside out. I stood, my fists clenched, and without <b>thinking</b>, I punched the door, sending it flying off its hinges. My mind was consumed by red¨Chot rage. Xander didn¡¯t deserve to <b>live</b>, not after what he had done to Olivia, not after the terror and trauma he had forced upon her. He was no longer human. He was a monster.


    I wiped the tears from my eyes, my face contorted with fury, <b>and </b>I grabbed my phone. My hands were shaking, but I dialled Nick¡¯s number. It didn¡¯t take long for his <b>cold</b>,posed voice toe through the line.


    ¡°Marcus, did something happen?¡±


    Yes, something happened. That piece of trash, that animal, had damaged Olivia in ways I couldn¡¯t even begin to exin. He had shattered her in the most brutal way imaginable.


    ¡°He locked her in <b>a </b>catb, Nick. He made her lie on top of a grave, paralyzed, trapped in her own body¡­¡± My voice broke <b>as </b>more tears fell, the pain unbearable. My poor wife, I could imagine how she must have felt in the situation. ¡°How is she?¡± Nick¡¯s voice softened, the words feeling distant and almost hollow.


    ¡°Pretending to be okay,¡± I muttered through a sob. ¡°But I know she is not. I heard her crying in the doctor¡¯s room. She¡¯s not okay. She¡¯s¡­ not okay.¡± The weight of it all was suffocating. The knowledge that the woman I loved was suffering, was broken, because of Xander, it was more than I could bear<b>. </b>


    Nick¡¯s silence stretched on for a moment, but I knew he was processing it, just as I was<b>. </b>Then, finally, he spoke<b>, </b>his voice barely above a whisper.


    ¡®He can¡¯t live, Marcus. Not after this.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t <b>a </b>question. It wasn¡¯t even a suggestion. It was a statement. And I knew, just as I had feared, that Nick felt


    the same as I did. Xander had to die. There was <b>no </b>other choice <b>now</b>.


    I wiped my tears again, my body trembling with the weight of what had to be done. But before I could say another word, the line went silent. Nick had ended the call. He didn need to say more. We both knew the inevitable.


    Nick, like Luke and Ethan, was one of the few people who wouldy down their life for Olivia. For all his coldness, his ruthlessness, there was no one I trusted more when it came to protecting her. And now¡­ now we both knew that protecting her meant eliminating the source of her pain. Xander could never be allowed to live after <b>what </b>he


    had done.


    the


    I took <b>a </b>deep breath, trying to steady myself. The storm of emotions, of heartbreak and rage, raged inside me. But one thing was clear: Xander had made his mistake. He <b>had </b>touched the wrong woman, and now he would pay price.


    My phone buzzed in my hand, and I saw her name sh on the screen, my wife. She must have finished her session. I quickly <b>stood </b>up, my heart still heavy, and walked over to the tap. I sshed cold water on my face, hoping it would wash away the weight of everything. But no matter how much I tried to steady myself, my eyes gave me away. They were bloodshot, the aftermath of an hour filled with too many tears. I could already hear her voice in my head, asking why I looked so different.


    Dammit. I was supposed to be strong for her, to hold it together. Instead, here <i>I </i>was, falling apart, crying like some lost child. I ran my hands through my damp hair, trying to regain someposure. I couldn¡¯t let her see me like this, not now.


    ¡°I will be right out, babe,¡± I said, my voice sounding more fragile than I wanted it to, before I ended the call. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The man looking backat me felt <b>like </b><b>a </b>stranger, weak, defeated. I <b>didn¡¯t </b>like him. I hated him. I felt like I had failed her. She deserved someone who


    ended the call. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. The man looking backat me felt <b>like </b><b>a </b>stranger, weak, defeated. I <b>didn¡¯t </b>like him. I hated him. I felt like I had failed her. She deserved someone who could keep it together, someone who wouldn¡¯t crumble under pressure. And here I was, broken.

 Novel Payback 288

    OLIVIA


    When I stepped out of my therapy session, my husband was nowhere to be found. The weight of the session still lingered in my chest, but there was a subtle sense of relief, lightness I hadn¡¯t felt in weeks. I took a seat on the chair outside, the cool air on my face a stark contrast to the heat that had been building inside me for so long. I reached for my phone and dialled his number, my thumb hesitating as I pressed the call button.


    It didn¡¯t take long before he picked up. ¡°Hey, babe,¡± his voice crackled through the speaker, a mix of concern and uncertainty. ¡°You finished?¡±


    ¡°Yeah<b>,</b>¡± I said softly, trying to mask the exhaustion that was creeping in. ¡°Just waiting for you now.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mind the wait. I hade to terms with the fact that healing wasn¡¯t a quick fix. The session had helped, well, it was a start. We hadn¡¯t covered everything that had happened, of course. There was still so much left unsaid, but at least 1 had started the process. My emotions had gotten the best of me, and I had spent most of the time crying, leaving less space for words. I had talked about what I could, though, about the fears, the <b>pain</b>, the scars that Xander had left, even if they were mostly buried deep inside.


    I didn¡¯t want Marcus, or anyone else, to know the full extent of what had happened at Xander¡¯s hands. I couldn¡¯t let them see the fragility that had been embedded in my soul. After the whole imprisonment ordeal, they already treated me with <b>a </b>kind of gentle caution, like I was made of <b>ss</b>, waiting to shatter at any moment. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t appreciate their concern, but I hated feeling fragile. I hated the idea of being seen as weak. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to move forward, to carry on as if nothing bad <b>happened</b>, as if I hadn¡¯t been trapped on an ind, fighting for my life, for days on end.


    I wanted to forget it all, forget Xander, forget the ind, forget everything. But most of all, I wanted to forget the fear that had gnawed at me during those dark hours, the terror of wondering if I would ever see my children again. The thought alone was enough to send a shiver down my spine.


    As I waited, my thoughts drifted to my kids. They were the light in my life, the reason I had to keep going. The thought that I might never see them again had gued me during those days on the ind. The graveyard, the dark corners of that ce, the overwhelming sense of impending doom. Xander had intended to kill me, to ughter me like an animal. He wanted me dead. I could still hear his voice in my mind, cold and cruel, promising the end. I had been seconds away from it, and yet somehow, I had made it out. Somehow, I was still here.


    Even now, I woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest as I relived it all. The nightmares were relentless, haunting me every time I closed my eyes. But I refused to let them destroy me. I refused to let fear dictate who I was. I <b>had </b>endured too much, survived <b>too </b>much to let it break me now. Instead, I nned to use it. I would turn that pain into strength. The woman who emerged from all of this was going to be someone stronger, someone more resilient that I had ever been.


    I would show everyone who thought I was fragile, that Olivia Walker <b>was </b>anything but weak. I would prove them


    wrong.


    ¡°<b>Olivia</b>?¡± My thoughts were interrupted by the familiar sound of my husband¡¯s voice. I lifted my head and looked up to see him standing in front of me.


    Something was off. His face was tight, his jaw clenched, his eyes a little too guarded. The expression was a stark contrast to the warmth I was used to seeing in him.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I greeted him softly, but there was a hesitation in my voice. ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    at


    He looked at me, his expression shifting for just a moment, like he was deciding whether or not to tell m was really going on. Then he exhaled, shaking his head as if to brush off whatever it was that had been bothering <b>him</b>. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anything right now. Just tell me what you want, and I will get it. Anything. We will take care of it


    before we go to see Lupita and Grandma.¡±


    His words didn¡¯t sound entirely like him. There was a heaviness in his tone<b>, </b>ayer of something unsaid. I wanted to press him, to ask him what was wrong, but I held back. There were times when I knew that if I pushed too hard, I would only make things worse. And right now, I couldn¡¯t afford for either <b>of </b>us to break down at the same time. I had just started to get a grip on my emotions, and I wasn¡¯t about to lose it again, not when he seemed so¡­ fragile.


    I nodded, forcing a smile, trying to keep the tension from thickening between us<b>. </b>¡°Okay,¡± I said softly. ¡°Let¡¯s get a massage. My whole body is <b>sore</b>.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. After everything I had been through, the hard concrete of the tomb, the exhaustion from the travels, it was no surprise my body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder. I was sore in ces I didn¡¯t even know existed, and <b>a </b>massage was probably the best thing I could do for myself right now.


    ¡°Say no more,¡± he said, his tone a little lighter, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    He took my hand in his, and for a moment, everything felt like it might just be okay. We walked out of the doctor¡¯s office together, side by side. But even as I tried to focus on the task at hand, my mind couldn¡¯t let go of the nagging worry. Something was wrong with him, and I could feel it in the pit of my stomach<b>. </b>But I refused to press him further. Not now.


    We couldn¡¯t both break down, not with everything that was <b>at </b>stake<b>. </b>One of us had to be okay for the sake of our kids. For the sake of moving forward. And for now, I was determined to be that person for him. He needed me, just ¨¢s much <b>as </b>I needed him. We were in this together, no matter how hard it got.


    As we walke


    out into the fresh air, the sounds of the world around us seemed muffled, like I was hearing them through a thick fog. The weight of what we¡¯d been through, of what we still had to face, was still there, but I held on to the hope that we would make it through. Together.

 Novel Payback 289

    NICK


    Hearing the details of what Xander had done to Olivia nearly shattered me. Every word Marcus spoke felt like <b>a </b>fresh wound cutting deeper into my chest. My breath caught in my throat, and I had to hold myself back from crumbling under the weight of it all. I couldn¡¯t even let Marcus finish telling me everything, I couldn¡¯t hear more.. The images of what he did, the torture, the maniption, the terror, were too much. My heart was already breaking for her, and I knew that hearing more would break mepletely.


    I had once believed that Xander might change, that after everything he had been through, he mighte out the other side a better man. I thought maybe he would be better father, maybe he could still be a part of his son¡¯s life. I was wrong. So wrong.


    After hearing the horrors Olivia endured, I could no longer even entertain the idea of letting him go, of allowing him to walk free as if nothing had happened. He didn¡¯t deserve that. Not after what he had done. I was no longer filled with the hope that he could redeem himself. There was no redemption for him, <b>not </b>after the pain he had caused <b>her</b><b>, </b>not after the scars he had left. Olivia was going to carry those scars for the rest of her life, and no amount of time would ever heal that.


    With grim determination, I pushed myself to my feet. My blood was boiling, but I needed to stay focused. Olivia¡¯s pain, her suffering, it demanded action. It demanded justice. I couldn¡¯t let Xander just slip away into the world, pretending everything was fine. He had to pay for what he¡¯d done, <b>and </b>I was going to be the one to make sure of it


    I walked out of the room, my mind set. I headed back to the room where we had kept Xander, the one at the hotel. I had learned the night before that Luke owned the ce, which <b>made </b>things a little easier for us. The thought of Luke¡¯s involvement was reassuring. He understood the stakes, and he wasn¡¯t about to let Xander slip away either.


    I reached the door and shoved it open with such force that it mmed against the wall, then bounced back toward me. The noise was deafening, but I didn¡¯t care. Every inch of me was consumed with the need to make Xander face what he had done.


    Xander stirred as I entered, his eyes fluttering open. His face was l bruised, and there was a bandage wrapped around his chest and arms, evidence of the injuries <b>he </b>had sustained. He looked at me, his expression unreadable, like he was bracing for whatever woulde next. He thought he was going to recover, that he was going to walk away from this and return to his life. But he was wrong. He <b>had </b>no idea what was about to happen.


    ¡°Time to talk,¡± I said, my voice low and controlled. I hated the restraint it took to keep myposure. Every fibre of my being screamed at me to let go, to rush at him and make him feel the full extent of the anger I felt. But I couldn¡¯t afford that. I had to y this right.


    On the inside, I was burning with rage, every part of me wanting to grab him by the throat, to choke the life out <b>of </b>him slowly <b>and </b>painfully. I wanted to see the terror in his eyes as he realized that everything he had done to Olivia, everything he had put her through, was nowing back to him. I wanted him to feel the helplessness, the desperation, the same things he had forced Olivia to feel. I wanted him to know that his death would be a result of his own actions, and that it was all for Olivia.


    But I couldn¡¯t lose myself in the violence just yet. I needed him to speak. I needed him to confess everything. I needed to make sure he understood the gravity of what wasing.


    Xander¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he sighed, as if resigned to whatever fate was about to unfold. ¡°They must be in New Vige by now,¡± he muttered, his voice rough. ¡°They are originally from Summer Strand, where I¡¯m from. The n <b>was </b>to scout all your ces, take you out one by one.


    I froze for a moment, processing his words. His n had been to methodically take us out, eliminate u¡­e by one. The realization hit me hard, and for a brief second, the gravity of his malice struck me with full force. He


    wasn¡¯t just some maniac with a personal vendetta. This had been orchestrated, coldly and carefully. His only <b>goal </b>had been destruction.


    I took a step closer to him, my anger rising like a tide, but I forced myself to keep it in check. I had to be <b>smart </b>about this. I couldn¡¯t let him see how much his words had affected <b>me</b>, how deeply they cut. I had to stay in control. For Olivia. For the future<b>. </b>


    ¡°Thank you, Xander,¡± I said, my voice steady, almost too cm. ¡°I can see you are a man of your word. I used to be <b>one</b>, <b>too</b>. But men like you, they have this unique ability to change people. You have changed me.¡±


    I let my words hang in the air for a moment, watching him carefully, studying his reaction. There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, reced by the same cold<b>, </b>calcting demeanour I hade to expect from him.


    ¡°Did you really think,¡± I continued, my voice turning sharper now, ¡°that I was going to let you go after everything you did to Olivia?¡±


    The silence in the room thickened. Xander¡¯s expression regained unreadable, but I could see the subtle tension in his shoulders, the slight shift in his posture. I could feel the fear slowly creeping into him. He knew what wasing.


    For a moment, I let my gaze hold his, unflinching. I wanted him to feel every ounce of the anger I was holding back, to know that this wasn¡¯t over for him, that it would <b>never </b>be over.


    ¡°You are not going anywhere, Xander,¡± I said, my voice low but filled with undeniable intent. ¡°Not until you have paid for everything you have done.¡±


    I turned and walked out of the room, leaving him with <b>his </b>thoughts. I could feel the weight of the situation pressing on me as I made my way back down the hallway. This was it. There would be no turning back now. Olivia¡¯s <b>pain</b>, her suffering, those weren¡¯t things I could forgive. And neither would he.

 Novel Payback 290

    NICK


    I needed to find Luke. There was no time to waste. The urgency was eating away at me, knowing that Xander¡¯s men were still out there, a <b>threat </b>to everyone I cared about couldn¡¯t take action against Xander just yet, not until we had all of them in custody. It was <b>a </b>dangerous game, but one that had to be yed carefully.


    1 finally found Luke standing on the balcony of his room, posture stiff, his gaze distant. He was lost in thought, but 1 didn¡¯t have the time to wait for <b>him </b>to snap out of it. We had a situation that needed immediate attention, and I couldn¡¯t afford to waste another mini


    ¡°Luke,¡± I said sharply, stepping into his line of sight. He looked up, his eyes locking with mine, but there was something unreadable in his expression. It didn¡¯t matter. What mattered now was getting things done.


    Xander spoke,¡± I began, my voice <b>steady</b>, controlled, ¡°I want you to send your men to look for them, look for Xander¡¯s men. They could be hiding at my ce, my mother¡¯s house, Ethan¡¯s, and Marcus¡¯s new ce. My mom¡¯s there with the kids, helping with them<b>.</b>¡± I made sure to emphasize the part <b>about </b>the kids. They were vulnerable, and I couldn¡¯t let any of them be put in harm¡¯s way because of Xander¡¯s twisted <b>ns</b>.


    Luke didn¡¯t question me, didn¡¯t hesitate. Without missing a beat, he pulled out his phone and dialled. His fingers moved quickly over the screen as he started barking orders, his voice low butmanding, I could hear him telling his men where to go, where to search, and what to do once they found anything suspicious. It was a relief to know that Luke¡¯s people would be on it. They knew how dangerous these men could be if left unchecked. Still, the weight on my chest didn¡¯t ease. Olivia, the kids, Marcus, they were all vulnerable again, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they were being pulled back into the nightmare Xander had created. If one of these men managed to infiltrate Marcus¡¯s <b>new </b>ce, we would be facing more danger than we could handle. My resolve hardened. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I couldn¡¯t let Xander¡¯s madness spill over into our lives again.


    I watched Luke as he issued orders, my mind racing. I had to focus, had to wait. We couldn¡¯t act rashly. We couldn¡¯t risk losing everything before we had all the information we needed. Once his men found Xander¡¯s crew, I would be ready. But until then, I had to keep it together. The time for recklessness was <b>over</b>.


    Luke finished the call and looked back at me, his brow furrowing. He studied me for a moment, like he was trying to figure out something I wasn¡¯t telling him. ¡°Why the anger?¡± he asked, his voice calmer now, though the edge of concern was still there. ¡°It¡¯s almost over. We will find them, deal with them, <b>and </b>then the two of us can go home. It will be done.¡±


    I shook my head, my eyes narrowing. ¡°No, Luke,¡± I replied firmly. ¡°We are not going home yet. Not until we deal with Xander.¡±


    He gave me a questioning look, but I wasn¡¯t about to exin myself. Luke didn¡¯t know what Xander had done to Olivia<b>, </b><b>not </b>in the way I did. He didn¡¯t know the depths of the hell she had been through. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t be standing here calmly, offering words offort. He would understand why I wasn¡¯t willing to let Xander go. Why I was willing to go to any lengths to make sure he paid for what he had done.


    ¡°You forgot to tell your men not to kill them,¡± I said, my voice low but with an unmistakable steel behind it. ¡°I <b>want </b>to see them alive when I get back. Call them again and tell them.¡±


    Luke¡¯s expression shifted for a moment. He stared at me, like he was trying to make sense of my request. I could see the flicker of confusion, maybe even frustration, but I didn¡¯t care. My focus <b>was </b>sharp, my eyes hard. I wasn¡¯t going to make it easy for Xander¡¯s men. I wasn¡¯t going to let them slip away and leave us with nothing but dead bodies and unanswered questions. I needed them alive. I needed them to talk.


    Luke didn¡¯t say anything immediately. He just gave me a look, a look I couldn¡¯t quite decipher. But I wasn¡¯t going to waste time trying to figure it out. He didn¡¯t know Olivia¡¯s pain the way I did, the way Marcus did. If he did, he¡¯d


    <b>25 </b>BONUS


    have a much darker look in his eyes. He wouldn¡¯t care about getting answers. He¡¯d just want to end Xander¡¯s life, put an end to it all in one swift stroke.


    But we couldn¡¯t afford to act on anger, not yet. We needed patience. We had to take our time with this. We couldn¡¯t risk doing something rash and losing our chance to dismandle everything Xander had worked to create. I was focused, and I wasn¡¯t going to let anyone¡¯s emotions cloud that.


    Finally, Luke gave a short nod and dialled his men again, repeating the Instructions more clearly this time. I could hear <b>him </b>telling them not to kill anyone, to capture them alive, to make sure they could answer for what they had done. I knew it must have been frustrating for him to follow my orders when all he probably wanted to do was put an end to this once and for all. But I was in charge here, and wasn¡¯t about to let emotion rule the situation.


    Once the call ended, Laike looked at me again. His expression was different this time, more serious, more probing. ¡°Nick, I know something¡¯s off,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Something more than what Xander told you. Tell me what it is.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer immediately. Instead, I shot him a cold look my jaw clenching. I wasn¡¯t about to let him in on everything just yet.


    everything, we be wasn¡¯t about to risk him doing something reckless. Not when we were so close to getting


    everything, we needed from Xander. He could be lying to us manipting us. We needed the full picture before we did anything drastic.


    I could see Luke was smart enough to know that I wasn¡¯t going to open up to him right away. He didn¡¯t press, but the doubt in his eyes. He wanted to help, wanted to understand what had pushed me to this point. But I couldn¡¯t give him that just yet.


    ¡°I will tell you everything when the timees,¡± I finally said, my voice low but firm. ¡°But not yet. We can¡¯t risk losing control. We can¡¯t risk Xander lying to us and throwing us off course. We get everything we need from him first. Then we will deal with him.¡±


    Luke didn¡¯t argue. He simply nodded, his face hardening with the same resolve I had. He understood now. He knew that there was more to this than just taking down a man. It was about Olivia. It was about justice.


    And I wasn¡¯t going to stop until I had it.

 Novel Payback 291

    Chapter <b>291 </b>


    MARCUS


    Lunch with Olivia had been the calm I didn¡¯t know I needed. After her massage session, we had decided to enjoy a quiet meal together, nning to head over to visit Lupita and her grandmother afterward. We had found a little peace in the chaos of the past few weeks<b>, </b>and for a moment let myself believe that things might be returning to some semnce of normalcy.


    But that¡¯s when Nick¡¯s call came through, shattering the fragile calm. I could hear the urgency in his voice before he even spoke. My heart sank as the weight of his words hit ne. Yes, I knew that Xander¡¯s men had been in New Vige, but I didn¡¯t know they were <b>already </b>scouting us out watching our homes, waiting for the right moment to


    strike.


    I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor, and reached for my wallet. I pulled out some cash, cing it on the table, not bothering to look at Olivia. She was already standing next to me, sensing the change in my demeanour before I had even said a word. She didn¡¯t ask what was wrong, and I was grateful for that. She knew me well enough to understand that when something was wrong, words weren¡¯t always necessary. Without a word, we walked out of the restaurant, <b>and </b>1 led her to the car. As I started the engine, I dialled my security team. The moment I heard their voices on the other end, I gave them my instructions, sharp and quick.¡± Increase surveince. Make sure every entrance to the house is covered. I don¡¯t want any surprises.¡±


    Olivia sat quietly beside me, her eyes on the road ahead, but I could feel her tension. She wasn¡¯t asking questions, which, in this moment, was a relief. I didn¡¯t have the energy to exin. She trusted me to handle it. And I couldn¡¯t ask for anything more from her right now.


    On the road, I drove like a man possessed. My hands gripped the steering wheel with a force that made my knuckles turn white. I had to get home. I had to be with my kids. Whatever storm was brewing, I needed to be there to weather it with them.


    There was no doubt in my mind, <b>those </b>people weren¡¯t going to go down without a fight. If they were with Xander, they were as ruthless, as cunning as he was, if not worse. I didn¡¯t know what kind of threat they posed, but one thing was clear: they weren¡¯t going to hesitate. And I wasn¡¯t going to let them get anywhere near my family.


    As we neared the <b>house</b><b>, </b>I could see the heightened security. My people were already on high alert, walking the perimeter, their weapons out, eyes scanning the area. The sight of it brought a strange sense of reassurance, but it also made my stomach twist. Olivia looked at the men<b>, </b>her eyes flickering with unease. I could see the slight shiver that ran through her, and without thinking, I reached over and took her hand in mine, giving it a tight


    squeeze.


    She didn¡¯t need to say anything. The squeeze was enough. It was my way of telling her that I was here, that I would protect her, no matter what. That there was nothing I wouldn¡¯t do to keep her and our kids safe. We¡¯d gotten through so much together already, but this¡­ this felt different. We were on the brink of something much more dangerous.


    Once we were inside, I couldn¡¯t ignore the tension that hung in the air. Every corner of the house felt charged, like a storm was just waiting to break. I motioned for Olivia to sit down, and as we settled in the living room, I asked Ethan and Olivia to meet me in my study.


    When they arrived, I could see the concern in their eyes, but I couldn¡¯t give them thefort they were looking for. I needed them to be strong right now. We all had a role to y.


    ht of the


    ¡®Xander¡¯s men are here, and they have been watching us,¡± began, my voice steady but carrying the situation. I wasn¡¯t going to sugarcoat it. They needed to know the truth. ¡°Nick just called. So, no one goes out. If you need anything, ask one of the security guys to get it. Until Luke¡¯s men find them and take care of them, we


    will need to be on high alert.¡±


    <b>I </b>paused, taking a breath before continuing. Olivia didn¡¯t sig anything. She didn¡¯t argue. But I could see the flicker of fear in her eyes, and it made my chest tighten. This was the life I wanted for her, for us. But it was the reality now, and we had to face it head¨Con.


    I could feel the weight of my words on Olivia¡¯s shoulders. This was more for her than for Ethan. Ethan was used to this kind of danger, but Olivia¡­ she wasn¡¯t. She had been through enough already, and I hated that I had to expose her to this fear again. But I had no choice<b>. </b>She needed to know.


    ¡°Olivia¡­¡± I started, but she cut me off before I could finish)


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, babe. Don¡¯t worry about me<b>,</b>¡± she said, her vole soft but resolute. ¡°You both do what you need to do. I will be with the kids.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes stopped me. She was trying to be strong, trying to shield me from her fear, I couldn¡¯t fault her for that, and I didn¡¯t have time to press her further.


    Instead, I nodded, watching as she walked out of the room, heading upstairs to the children. <b>I </b>stayed in the study with Ethan<b>, </b>going over the n. The house had to be secured, and we needed to stay vignt. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose anyone. Not now, not when everything was on the line


    As the hours passed, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something wasing. I didn¡¯t know when or how, but I knew that Xander¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t wait forever. They would strike when they thought the time was right, and we had to be ready for whatever they threw our way.


    I didn¡¯t know how much longer we had before the storm hit, but I wasn¡¯t going to let it destroy us. Not after everything we¡¯d been through. We would fight for each other, for our family. We wouldn¡¯t back down. We couldn¡¯t afford to.


    Chapter <b>292 </b>

 Novel Payback 292

    Chapter <b>292 </b>


    ELODIE


    <b>+20 </b>BONUS


    I <b>stood </b>there in the middle of the room, my stomach churning, an unsettling feeling gnawing at me as I took in everything happening outside. The chaos unfolding before my eyes had the unmistakable scent of disaster, and deep down, I knew we had a hand in this. We were part of the storm that was now beginning to swallow everything in its path.


    I didn¡¯t know what was happening or how it started. But I had a feeling that Luke or myte father had something to do with it. these kids¡® issues always had to do with us, one way or the other we had some involvement.


    The street was alive with movement, too much movement forfort. From the windows, I could see the stark differences between two types of men, each poised for something terrible. Marcus¡¯s men were calm, controlled, their movements precise. They carried themselves with the kind of practiced case that only years of training could provide. Their weapons weren¡¯t just tools; they were extensions of their bodies. These men were soldiers in the


    truest <b>sense</b>.


    Then, there were Luke¡¯s men. They were rougher around the edges, less polished in their movements, but no less dangerous. Their eyes were sharp, scanning every corner, every shadow. There was a rawness to them, an edge of desperation. These men didn¡¯t hesitate. The streets they walked weren¡¯t the ones of training or discipline. They lived by a different code, the kind of code where hesitation meant death.


    I felt a <b>wave </b>of nausea sweep over me. I didn¡¯t want to be part of this. But I couldn¡¯t turn away either. The girl in my arms, small, innocent, shifted slightly, her soft breathing a stark contrast to the tension outside. I hugged her closer, holding onto her warmth like a lifeline. The reality of our situation was starting to settle in, and I had no idea how much longer I could sit idly by.


    Grabbing my phone, I dialled Luke, knowing full well the conversation I was about to have would be anything but,


    easy.


    ¡°Elodie, now is not the time,¡± Luke¡¯s voice came through the phone, tense, clipped. ¡°I have got a lot on my te right now.¡±


    Typical Luke, never one to recognize the urgency until it stacked him in the <b>face</b>. I wasn¡¯t in the <b>mood </b>for his usual dismissal.


    ¡°Luke, I think you will want to listen to what I have to say, <b>I </b>shot back, my voice firm, despite the fluttering anxiety in my chest.


    There was a long silence on the other end. I knew he was thinking. Processing. Probably <b>realizing </b>that when I spoke like this, it wasn¡¯t a request, it was an order.


    ¡°I will be taking charge here,¡± I continued, my voice cold. ¡°I am going out there with our men. I am not sitting in this house waiting for things to implode. That¡¯s not how we do this.¡±


    He sighed loudly, the frustration in his breath almost palpable. ¡°Ellie, this isn¡¯t the same anymore. You haven¡¯t been in the game for years. Things have changed.¡±


    Iughed bitterly, the sound echoing in the empty room. ¡°Has the criminal underworld changed, too? Or is it still the same vicious cycle?¡± My words cut through the phone line, sharp and unyielding.


    There was a brief pause before he spoke again. ¡°Ellie, you are a grandmother now. Maybe it¡¯s time to focus on your family. Leave the fighting to me and the boys.¡±


    The audacity of his words almost made me <b>snap</b>. Grandmother, he called me. As if that was some reas¡­ 10 sit back and do nothing.


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°Do you hear yourself?¡± I asked, the mockery clear in my tone. ¡°Yes, I am a grandinother, but that doesn¡¯t make me any less dangerous. I¡¯m not going to cower in this house, Luke. I¡¯m going out there to do what I was trained to do.¡±


    Another silence, thick and loaded with the weight of his unspoken thoughts. I could almost hear him gritting his teeth on the other end of the line.


    ¡°I¡¯m my father¡¯s daughter, Luke,¡± 1 added, my voice lowering, steely with resolve. ¡°Did you forget that?¡±


    Before he could respond, I ended the call, not waiting for him to talk me down. His frustration was evident, but there was no changing my mind. If he wanted me to be something I wasn¡¯t, he should¡¯ve raised me differently.


    I ced the baby back into her crib, my heart aching with the knowledge that I was leaving her behind, leaving them all behind, just like my father had left me so many times before. But there was no choice now. There was no waiting. It was time to take action.


    As I stepped into the corridor, I bumped into Olivia. She looked at me, her brow furrowed with concern. ¡°Look after the kids,¡± I told her, my voice soft but firm. ¡°I will be back <b>soon</b>.¡±


    Before she could say anything else, I was already walking out the door, the weight of my decision pressing heavily on my chest.


    I dialled his number. It didn¡¯t take long for him to answer, his voice soft, almost tentative. ¡°Elodie?¡± He knew me well enough to understand that this wasn¡¯t just another casual call.


    ¡°I need eyes and ears in and around my location<b>,</b>¡± I said, my tone leaving no room for argument. ¡°I¡¯m going hunting.¡±


    There was a pause on the other end. I could hear the hesitation, but I didn¡¯t give him time to protest. Before he could go into ¡®father mode¡® on me, I ended the call. It was easier that way.


    He had watched my father, his brother, raise me, shaping me into someone who didn¡¯t bend or break when it mattered. If he wanted me to be different, he should¡¯ve taken more responsibility. But now, it was toote for that.


    I stepped outside and met the boys waiting for me. Their faces were stoic, ready for whatever came next. I didn¡¯t need to say much. They knew what I meant when I said, ¡°We are going hunting.¡±


    Without a word, they piled into the cars, following me as I led them into the heart of the storm that was about to unfold.


    The world outside wasn¡¯t going to wait, and neither was I.

 Novel Payback 293

    NICK


    ¡°What, what were you thinking?¡± I hissed, my voice a mix of frustration and disbelief as I paced back and forth. I could feel my blood boiling in my veins. Luke had just told me that my mother, my mother, was out there acting like a teenager running after trouble. After those men. Did he think she was still some young, untouchable mafia queen? Didn¡¯t she realize how dangerous this was? She had retired for a reason. Just because Dad wasn¡¯t here didn¡¯t mean she could suddenly jump back into the game. She was too old for this.


    ¡°She¡¯s acting like she¡¯s twenty¨Cfive again!¡± 1 continued, barely able to keep my voice from shaking, ¡°Who does she think she is, going after those men? She¡¯s not in the field anymore! She doesn¡¯t need to be out there<b>.</b>¡±


    Luke¡¯s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing as I ranted He didn¡¯t like seeing me this upset, but honestly, I didn¡¯t give a damn. This was my mother we were talking about. The woman who had always been everything to me, fragile, gentle, normal. At least, that¡¯s how I saw her. The one who loved her garden, her books, and <b>her </b>quiet life. The one who had barely raised an eyebrow when I care to her for advice on how to handle <b>a </b>crisis at school. The one who spent weekends with the kids, ying board games or baking cookies. That was my mafia legend, some cold¨Cblooded criminal.


    you


    y mom. Not some


    Luke¡¯s voice cut through my thoughts; his tone sharp but <b>tinged </b>with something I couldn¡¯t quite ce. ¡°Don¡¯t


    dare raise your voice at <b>me</b>, Nick. This is Elodie we <b>are </b>talking about.¡± He stepped closer, his jaw set. ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t try? I tried everything to stop her. You think didn¡¯t warn her? She¡¯s stubborn, you know that. Telling her no just made her more determined to do exactly what she wants. Always has been like that<b>.</b>¡±


    I stopped in my tracks, feeling a knot tighten in my chest. My mother had always been strong, stubborn, wilful. But this¡­ this was different. This wasn¡¯t the same as stubbornly insisting on having <b>a </b>second helping of dessert. This was life or death. And I didn¡¯t care how many times Luke tried to exin it to me, I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it. My mother, the mother I knew, was out there in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by men who would sooner slit her throat than let her walk away.


    I ran a hand through my hair, exasperated. ¡°Damn it, we need to work faster to find Xander¡¯s men,¡± I muttered, my mind racing. ¡°This ind is no longer working for us. We have been stuck here long enough.¡± My words felt hollow, lost in the air as I turned to face Luke, my eyes searching his for some sign of reassurance, some way to deal with the disaster unfolding. But all I found was his usual calm.


    There was nothing about this situation that made sense. Nothing that could exin why my mother, my fragile mother, was out there <b>chasing </b>after danger like it was some thrill she was craving. I had grown up knowing the stories, hearing the legends about her past. I¡¯d heard the whispers of how she used to be a force to be reckoned with, a woman who could kill without hesitation if it meant protecting her


    FOWIL


    But I had never seen that side of <b>her</b>. To me, she had always been the one who tucked me in at night, who cared for my cuts and bruises, who helped me pick out my clothes when I was a kid. I didn¡¯t know the woman who had been feared and respected in the underground world. I only knew the mother who looked after me, who spoke softly and gave me a sense of normalcy, of stability. She was the one who smiled when I came to her for advice about my first crush, who helped me with my homework. Not the cold¨Chearted criminal queen <i>I </i>had heard about in stories.

 Novel Payback 294

    Will she be <b>alright</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>The words escaped me before I could stop them, soft andced with more worry than <b>I </b>cared <b>to </b>admit.


    A smile crept across Luke¡¯s <b>lips</b><b>, </b>and it was that smile that made my insides churn. It was a proud smile, but there was something wrong with it. ¡°Boy,¡± Luke sald, his voice most teasing, ¡°your mother is one of the best. I¡¯m more worried about those boys than I am about her. Trust e, in our world, your mother is a legend.¡±


    A legend. A legend?


    I couldn¡¯t believe it. That was my mother he was talking about. The one who had raised me, the one who had been nothing but gentle, nothing but caring and protective. And here was Luke, as if he was discussing some stranger, <b>as </b>if it were all so damn casual. ¡°A legend,¡± I repeated under my breath, the word tasting bitter in my mouth.


    I red at him, the urge to punch him right in the face rising inside me. ¡°A legend?¡± I spat; my voice harsh<b>. </b>¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about her being a legend in your world. My mother is out there, and she could be in real danger, and you¡¯re smiling about it like it¡¯s some kind of joke. What the hell is wrong with you?¡±


    Luke just chuckled, unfazed by my anger. ¡°You don¡¯t get it do you?¡± He leaned back, crossing his arms. <b>¡°</b>Your mother chooses to be who she is. She¡¯s always chosen that fe. That¡¯s who <b>she </b>was meant to be. You may see her as fragile, but the world sees her differently.¡±


    I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. What could I say to that? Luke was right about one thing, my mother had always chosen this life, even if I hadn¡¯t been around to see it. But that <b>didn¡¯t </b>change the fact that I was terrified. Terrified that my mother, my fragile mother, was in the thick of a war she had left behind


    years ago.


    I clicked my tongue in frustration, turning <b>away </b>and heading for the door. Luke¡¯s words echoed in my mind, but they didn¡¯tfort me. They only made the pit in my stomach grow deeper. I needed to <b>do </b>something. I needed to


    fix this.


    I pulled out my phone and dialled Marcus without <b>thinking</b>. The phone rang three times before his voice came through.


    ¡°Nick?¡± His voice was calm, but there was a hint of tension beneath it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she left. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m losing it here, Marcus. How do you control a woman like her?¡±


    Marcus sighed on the other end. ¡°Nick, your mother <b>is </b>a force of nature. She¡¯s always been this <b>way</b>. going to listen to anyone telling her what to do.¡±


    I rubbed my eyes in exasperation. ¡°She¡¯s going to drive me insane.¡®


    She¡¯s not


    ¡°I get it, but we can¡¯t focus on that right now. We have to finish this job before more people get hurt. You know how this works.¡±


    I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breath. I was running out of time. The more I thought about my mother, the more I realized I was powerless to stop her. She would do what she wanted, and all I could do was watch.


    ¡°Look after her for me,¡± I said, my voice tight with frustration. ¡°Just¡­ keep her safe, okay? Please.¡±


    There was a long pause on the other end. ¡°We¡¯ll take care <b>of </b>it, Nick. You don¡¯t <b>have </b>to worry about her. Focus on what needs to be done.¡±


    I hung up without saying another word, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. My mother out there, chasing danger like it was something she craved, and there was nothing I could do to stop her.


    But I <b>would </b><b>never </b><b>stop </b><b>trying</b>.

 Novel Payback 295

    Chapter <b>295 </b>


    Olivia


    I kept the mask of a brave face firmly in ce, hiding the storm of emotions brewing within me. I had to; for my husband, Nick, and for Ethan, who seemed so unaware of the deep fear wing at me. The reality was, though, that I was crumbling on the inside.


    It wasn¡¯t just the men Nick and Lake had sent to keep watch over me. It wasn¡¯t even their looming presence. outside the house that had me on edge. It was the ever¨Clooming possibility that Xander might escape, escape from whatever dark hole he had been burled in, ande to New Vige to finish what he started.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to face him. Not yet. Hell, I wasn¡¯t sure I would ever be ready. I had only just begun therapy to heal the trauma he had inflicted on me, but the thought of encountering him again made the pit of my stomach twist painfully. I couldn¡¯t even wrap my mind around how much further my sanity would unravel if I had to see him, lef alone face him.


    I had been through hell once already. No, scratch that, I had been through hell twice. The first time, when he had ruined everything, I held dear, and the second time, when I had to w my way back, piece by broken piece. I thought I had recovered, thought I had escaped.


    But <b>now</b>, with his name creeping back <b>into </b>my life, I felt the icy tendrils of dread wrapping themselves around my heart again. It wasn¡¯t just about surviving anymore. It was about living with the knowledge that he could return and when he did, I didn¡¯t think I would be able to bear it.


    As I stood by the window, the sky growing darker with every passing minute, I couldn¡¯t shake the images from my mind. The shadows of men moving around the house, Nick¡¯s mother being escorted away, and the constant flurry of activity outside, recing one set of bodyguards with another.


    For a moment, I almostughed, thinking that if anyone were to look at this, they might think the president himself had taken residence in my home. But there was no humour in it. There was no escape from the dread <b>that </b>clung to the air like <b>a </b>fog, choking any semnce of normalcy.


    Lilly stirred in my arms, <b>moving </b>restlessly. Even she, my precious little girl, could feel the tension. Her small body shifted ufortably, and she let out a soft whimper as though mirroring my own unease. It broke my heart to see her like this, unsettled by something she couldn¡¯t understand<b>. </b>Thest thing I wanted was for her to sense the fear that coursed through me, but I couldn¡¯t help t. It was everywhere. It was suffocating.


    I needed everything to be <b>over</b>. Now.


    ¡°Mam,¡± I heard a voice crackle through the air, pulling me from my thoughts.


    I froze, heart hammering in my chest. I looked around in confusion before my eyesnded on the walkie¨Ctalkie next to the crib, the device seemingly out of ce but ominously present.


    ¡°Mam, are you there<b>?</b>¡± the voice repeated, more urgent this time.


    I hesitated, my breath shallow. My hand instinctively reached for the walkie¨Ctalkie, my fingers trembling as I gripped <b>the </b>cold stic.


    ¡°Yes, who is this?¡± I asked, my voice shaky, trying to maintain some semnce of control.


    ¡°It¡¯s James, mam. At the gate. Your son is here.¡±


    The words hit me like a thunderp. My whole body went cold. No. That wasn¡¯t possible. My son<b>, </b>Samuel, was asleep in his room. He was safe<b>, </b>tucked in tight under his nkets, his little chest rising and falling <b>in </b><b>a </b>peaceful rhythm. He couldn¡¯t possibly be outside. Not now. Not with everything going on.


    ¡°No¡± I whispered shaking <b>my </b><b>head </b>as If denying it would <b>omehow </b>make it untrue ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b>not possible. My son is sleeping.


    <b>I </b>rushed toward Samuel¡¯s room<b>, </b>my heart pounding with every step, the dread swelling inside me like a tidal wave. The walkie<b>¨C</b>talkie crackled again, but I didn¡¯t wait to hear what James had to say, I had to make sure Samuel was safe<b>. </b>


    I flung open the door to his room, but my heart stopped in my chest. The room was empty.


    Empty.


    My stomach twisted in <b>a </b>sickening mot. The alt seemed to press down on me, heavy with the weight of <b>panic</b>. My eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for any sign of my son. The bed was untouched, the nkets still neatly folded, but there was no sign of him. The siletice in the room was deafening.


    ¡°No,¡± I whispered, my voice cracking as my mind raced. ¡°Where is he?¡±


    Before I could gather my thoughts or figure out what to do next, the unmistakable <b>sound </b>of gunfire shattered the stillness. A rain of bullets erupted from the outside, a barrage of gunshots that seemed to echo through the walls


    of the house.


    My heart mmed into my chest, my breathing in shallow gasps. I dropped to my knees, panic wing at my throat. The room spun around me as I tried to make sense of what was happening. Gunfire. Samuel. My son. Where was he?


    Tears welled up in my eyes as the images of Xander¡¯s cruel face flooded my <b>mind</b><b>. </b>Had hee for me? Was he behind this chaos? My body shook with the realization that everything I feared <b>had </be true, my worst nightmare was unfolding before my very <b>eyes</b>.


    I scrambled to my feet, barely able to breathe as my thoughts spiralled out of control. I had to find Samuel. I had to make sure he <b>was </b>safe.


    But where could he be with all those shots? The gunshots outside were relentless, the sound of chaos <b>and </b>violence raging just beyond the walls. My heart clenched in terror as I realized <b>that </b>in the midst of all this madness, my little boy was out there somewhere. Was he hiding? Was he scared?


    The images of Xander, of his cold eyes <b>and </b>twisted smile, shed before me again. I couldn¡¯t let him hurt Samuel. He hurt me but I was not going to let him hurt my son.


    I rushed to the door, my body trembling as I moved through the house with a sense of urgency I had never felt before. I didn¡¯t know where to go. I didn¡¯t know what was happening outside, but all I could think about was Samuel.


    ¡°Please,¡± I whispered, my voice breaking as I called his name. ¡°Please, God, don¡¯t let anything happen to him.¡± But I didn¡¯t have an answer. I didn¡¯t have any answers. Just fear. Just the overwhelming fear that something terrible had already happened, and it was my fault for not protecting him sooner.


    The house felt like it was closing in on me, the walls pressing down with every step I took. The sound of gunfire outside seemed to grow louder, more intense. I could feel the heat of it on my skin, the danger too close forfort.


    <b>And </b>still, no sign of Samuel.


    Where was he?


    Every moment felt like a lifetime, and I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that I was losing him. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I wouldn¡¯t.


    I had to find him. Now.

 Novel Payback 296

    Chapter 296.


    Chapter <b>296 </b>


    Olivia


    <b>¡°</b>Olivia! Where are you going? Can¡¯t you hear the gunshots outside?¡± Marcus¡¯s voice was frantic,ced with desperation as it cut through the tense silence that had gripped the house. I didn¡¯t have time to stop. I didn¡¯t have time to exin. I was already halfway to the door, driven by a single thought, Samuel. My <b>son</b>. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I could feel it reverberating in my throat.


    1 nced at Marcus over my shoulder, barely registering his words. ¡°Samuel is out there,¡± I muttered, though I wasn¡¯t sure if I was speaking to him or to myself. The words felt empty, hollow, like an echo of the dread that <b>had </b><b>taken </b>root in my bones.


    His eyes widened in shock as realization hit him. He took step forward as if to stop me, but I didn¡¯t have time to wait. My legs were already carrying me toward the front door. I reached for the handle, my hand trembling, and pushed the door open.


    What greeted me outside made my blood run cold. It was worse than anything I had ever seen. Worse than the worst scene from any movie. It was <b>the </b>aftermath of something I couldn¡¯tprehend. It was like stepping into a war documentary, one that captured the raw brutality of conflict, but with the horrifying difference that the war was not over, it <b>was </b>still happening.


    Istaggered back, my breath catching in my throat as I looked out at the chaos unfolding before me. The front yard was littered with bodies, men, bloodied and broken<b>, </b>scattered across the ground in every direction. The stench of death filled the air, thick and suffocating. The world outside my front door had be a battleground. But the worst part? The war wasn¡¯t over. It was still <b>ongoing</b>.


    I scanned the area, my eyes darting frantically over the scene, desperately searching for any sign of Samuel. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my heart raced with the unbearable weight of my fear. But all that greeted me were the dead.


    Bodies in various stages of lifelessness, sprawled across the ground in grotesque, unnatural positions. I recognized some of them. The men in all ck, Xander¡¯s men. Their cold, unfeeling eyes now staring into nothing. <b>And </b>then there were Marcus¡¯s and Luke¡¯s men, their uniforms slightly different, but no less grim in their finality.


    I wanted to scream, wanted to cry out for Samuel, but I couldn¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t let fear consume me. I had to find him. I had to make sure he was okay.


    My mind raced. I couldn¡¯t understand how many men Xander had sent. How had he managed to orchestrate such a brutal attack? Had he known that his n on the ind would fail and devised a contingency n, a backup strategy to guarantee his victory here? How far had he gone to ensure his sess?


    The questions tumbled in my mind, each one more disturbing than thest. But I couldn¡¯t waste time thinking about that. Not now. I had to find Samuel.


    I moved quickly, my feet barely touching the ground as I crossed the threshold of the house, stepping out onto the blood¨Csoaked earth that had once been a safe haven. My breath wasing in shallow bursts, and my stomach churned with the gnawing sensation of panic. Every second felt like an eternity. Where was he?


    I scanned the bodies, trying to make sense of the chaos around me. My eyes locked on the small figures lying among the men, the smaller bodies tangled in a way that sent an icy shiver through my veins. Ithought I saw something, a sh of a small hand, a flicker of movement, but it was just a shadow, a trick of the light.


    Where was my son?


    F


    Samuel, please be okay. Please be safe.


    +25 BONGS


    took another step forward, every movement more oment, but the ringing in my ears didn¡¯t. The silence


    My <b>heart </b>felt like It was going to burst. My legs wobbled as desperate than thest. The gunshots had stopped for the <b>was </b>just as deafening as the sound of the firing guns had been.


    Charter 297


    Chapter <b>297 </b>


    And <b>then</b>, just when I thought I was losing <b>my </b>mind, I hear a volce. It came from behind me, faint but clear, cutting through the chaos.


    ¡°<b>Mail </b><b>We </b>are here.


    I whipped around, my heart leaping into my throat. There, partially hidden behind arge flowerpot near the entrance, I saw the guard, James. His face was ashen, his eyes wide with concern. I could barely <b>focus </b>on him, though. My gaze shifted immediately to the small figure standing beside him.


    And there, finally, was Samuel.


    I could hardly believe it at first. My legs almost gave out bebeath me as I rushed toward him, my heart swelling with relief. Samuel was standing there, his wide eyes filled with confusion and fear, but he was alive. He was alive. My son was alive.


    ¡°Samuel!¡± I cried, my voice cracking with emotion as I reached him. I dropped to my knees, pulling him into my arms. He stiffened for a moment, then clung to me, his little arms wrapping around my neck as if he never wanted to let go<b>. </b>


    I held him tightly, feeling his <b>small </b>body trembling against mine, and I whispered soothing words into his ear, anything to calm him. ¡°You are <b>okay</b>, <b>baby</b>. Youa re safe. I¡¯m here.¡±


    By the time I had gathered myself, Marcus was there, his footsteps heavy on the ground as he approached us. He looked at Samuel, then back at me, his expression a mix of relief and concern.


    ¡°We need to go inside. It¡¯s not safe out here<b>,</b>¡± Marcus said, his voice low and steady despite the chaos around us.


    I nodded, still holding Samuel tightly. He didn¡¯t let go of me either, his small face buried in my shoulder. Marcus moved quickly, guiding us back toward the house. I followed him, my legs feeling like lead, my heart still racing in


    chest. The house, which had once been a ce offort and safety, now felt like a prison. But it was


    all we had.


    my


    As we reached the door, Marcus turned to face me. His eyes were grim, the weight of everything that had happened hanging over him like a dark cloud. ¡°Go upstairs and stay there<b>,</b>¡± he instructed firmly. ¡°Don¡¯te down until I say it¡¯s safe.¡±


    I wanted to argue, <b>wanted </b>to tell him that I couldn¡¯t just stay hidden away while all this violence unfolded around. me, but I knew he was right. There was nothing more I could do out here. Not now.


    I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. ¡°I will stay with him.¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t say anything more. He gave me a brief <b>nod</b><b>, </b>then moved quickly back outside, disappearing into the chaos. I watched him go, my mind still racing. I could feel the weight of the world pressing down on me as I slowly ascended the stairs with Samuel still in my arms.


    Once we reached the safety of the upstairs, I gently set Samuel down on the bed and pulled the covers over him. He was exhausted, his little eyes already fluttering closed, the trauma of what he had witnessed today weighing <b>heavily </b>on <b>him</b>.


    -I stayed by his side, my hand resting gently on his small back as I watched over him.


    But in the silence of the room, my mind couldn¡¯t rest. I couldn¡¯t shake the images of the bodies outside, the fear <b>that </b>Xander might still be out there, lurking in the shadows waiting for the next move.


    And I couldn¡¯t shake the nagging feeling that this was only the beginning. The calm before the storm.

 Novel Payback 297

    Chapter <b>297 </b>


    And then, just when I thought I was losing my mind, I hear a voice. It came from behind me, faint but clear, cutting through the chaos.


    ¡°Mam! We are here.¡±


    I whipped around, my heart leaping into my throat. There, partially hidden behind arge flowerpot near the entrance, I saw the guard, James. His face was ashen, his eyes wide with concern. I could barely focus on him, though. My gaze shifted immediately to the small figure standing beside him.


    And there, finally, was Samuel.


    I could hardly believe it at first. My legs almost gave out beneath me as I rushed toward him, my heart swelling with relief. Samuel was standing <b>there</b>, his wide eyes filled with confusion and fear, but he was alive. He was alive. My son was alive.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Samuel</b>!¡± I cried, my voice cracking with emotion as I reached him. I dropped to my knees, pulling him into my arms. He stiffened for a moment, then clung to me, his little <b>arms </b>wrapping around my neck as if he never wanted to let go.


    I held him tightly, feeling his small body trembling against mine, and I whispered soothing words into his ear, anything to calm him<b>. </b>¡°<b>You </b>are okay, baby. Youa re safe. I¡¯m here.¡±


    By the time I had gathered myself, Marcus was there, his footsteps heavy on the ground as he approached us. He looked at Samuel, then back at me, his expression a mix of relief and concern.


    ¡°We <b>need </b>to go inside. It¡¯s not safe out here,¡± Marcus said, his voice low and steady despite the chaos around us. I nodded, still holding Samuel tightly. He didn¡¯t let go of me either, his small face buried in my shoulder. Marcus moved quickly, guiding us back toward the house. I followed him, my legs feeling like lead, my heart still racing in my chest. The house, which had once been a ce offort and safety, now felt like a prison. But it was all we had.


    As we reached the door, Marcus turned to <b>face </b>me. His eyes were grim, the weight of everything that had happened hanging over him like a dark cloud. ¡°Go upstairs and stay there,¡± he instructed firmly. ¡°Don¡¯te down until I say it¡¯s safe.¡±


    I wanted to argue, wanted to tell him that I couldn¡¯t just stay hidden away while all this violence unfolded around <b>me</b>, but I knew he was right. There was nothing more I could do out here. Not now.


    I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. ¡°I will stay with him.


    Marcus didn¡¯t say anything more. He gave me a brief <b>nod</b>, then moved quickly back outside, disappearing into the chaos. I watched him go, my mind still racing. I could feel the weight of the world pressing down on me as I slowly ascended the stairs with Samuel still in my arms.


    Once we reached the safety of the upstairs, 1 gently set Samuel down on the bed and pulled the covers over him. He was exhausted, his little eyes already fluttering closed, the trauma of what he had witnessed today weighing heavily on him.


    I stayed by his <b>side</b>, my hand resting gently on his small back as I watched over him.


    But in the silence of the room, my mind couldn¡¯t rest. I couldn¡¯t shake <b>the </b>images of the bodies outside, the fear that Xander might still be out there, lurking in the shadows waiting for the next move.


    And I couldn¡¯t shake the nagging feeling that this was only the beginning. The calm before the storm.


    +25 B¨®NUS

 Novel Payback 298

    <b>Chapter </b><b>298 </b>


    ELODIR


    ¡°How the hell did Luke train you? you are all such morons! How could you let them slip through your fingers like that, are you blind?¡± I was livid, they were supposed to be the best and yet I felt like I was dealing with armatured! When father was still alive, men like these died every day. They never survived. ¡°If something happens to any of the people back at the house, I swear to everything that is holly, I will send you to meet your ancestors!¡±


    The men stood there, eyes downcast, like chastised children. It was infuriating to watch. Did I have to tell them everything? Were they really so incapable of taking the Itive? I could practically feel the disappointment rolling off me in waves.


    ¡°What are you standing there for?¡± I seethed inside, my patience already stretched to its breaking point. ¡°Did we get all of them?¡± I asked, the question more rhetorical than anything, but still, the men hurried to the cars, desperate to salvage whatever remained of their shattered pride.


    We managed to catch a few of them, but some slipped <b>away </b>and I knew exactly what they would do next, they would call in reinforcements. The ones who had been responsible for the attack <b>on </b>Olivia¡¯s house.


    My heart twisted with worry. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose anyone, not after everything that had happened. I hoped against hope that nothing else <b>would </b>go wrong. But deep down, I knew it was only a matter of time before things escted. If anything did happen, Nick wasn¡¯t going to be pleased. And if I didn¡¯t do something about it, I would be the one paying the price.


    I didn¡¯t want to ruin my rtionship with my son, it took a while for him to warm up to me again after what I did to Olivia. His heart.


    I slid into the driver¡¯s seat of the car<b>, </b>my fingers trembling as <b>I </b>dialled Luke¡¯s number. The phone rang twice before he answered.


    ¡°Elodie?¡± he said, his voice heavy with frustration. I could hear the <b>strain </b>in it, but I didn¡¯t care. I was beyond caring at this point. <b>We </b>were both on edge.


    <b>¡°</b>How the hell did you train these men?¡± I demanded, my voice sharp. ¡°Have you gone soft, Luke?¡± There was a brief pause on the other end. I could practically hear him grinding his teeth, but I didn¡¯t care. I was too angry to soften the blow. ¡°What happened to the men you trained? You know the standard. How could they let this happen?¡±


    Silence stretched between us, thick and ufortable, but <b>wasn¡¯t </b>about to back down. I needed answers, and I needed them now.


    Finally, Luke¡¯s voice broke through the tension. ¡°You know better <b>than </b>anyone <b>how </b>we train our men, <b>Elodie</b><b>,</b>¡± he said, his words clipped, as though he were trying to hold his own frustration back. ¡°Nothing¡¯s <b>changed</b><b>, </b>and you know <b>what </b>you have to do. If they did something to put everyone in danger back there, you know what needs to be done. Don¡¯t call me for nonsense again.¡±


    I clenched my jaw, <b>the </b>weight of his words settling over me like a heavy cloak. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I muttered, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. But Luke wasn¡¯t finished.


    ¡°You are old now, Elodie,¡± he added, a thin edge of sarcasm creeping into his voice. ¡°<b>Make </b>the call.¡±


    The words stung more than I would care to admit. But he was right. I knew what had to be done. I wasn¡¯t some young recruit anymore, trying to prove myself. I was the one in <b>charge </b>now. And I had to take responsibility, not matter <b>how </b>hard the decision was<b>. </b>


    I hung up the phone, my mind racing as I nced at the men outside, preparing for the next <b>move</b>. The situation


    <b>was </b>spiralling, and I knew we had only one option left: to deal with the consequences, clean up the mess, and make sure we didn¡¯t <b>lose </b>anyone else.


    H

 Novel Payback 299

    <b>Chapter </b><b>299 </b>


    I had no choice now. The call had to be made, and I would be the one to make It. There was no turning back. The weight of the decision pressed down on me, but I didn¡¯t hesitate. This was part of the job now, the hard part. And if I was going to carry the weight of this family, this operation, then I had to act decisively.


    Without another thought, I drew in a deep breath, steadying myself, and picked up my phone once more. My fingers moved quickly over the screen, dialling the number hat would seal their fate. There was no room for mercy now. No room for hesitation. I was done ying nice


    The phone rang, and then his voice came through the line, little more <b>weary </b>than usual.


    ¡°Tell me what the mice are saying,¡± I demanded, my tone sharp, clipped, all business.


    There was a long, drawn¨Cout sigh on the other end. The man didn¡¯t seem surprised by my demand, but I could hear the tension in his voice. It didn¡¯t ease my frustration.


    ¡°They are gathering,¡± he said, the words slow, heavy with the weight of bad news. ¡°Looks like they are waiting for reinforcements. Things didn¡¯t go as nned at the house. The operation¡­ it fell apart. A lot of casualties on both sides. Many dead, including some of our ownL


    The report hit me like a punch to the gut. My mind raced, reying the scene at the house, trying to piece together what had gone wrong. The chaos, the bloodshed. And now<b>, </b>the ones who survived were trying to regroup, trying to hold on to whatever scraps of control they had left


    ¡°Reinforcements?¡± I asked, my voice colder now. ¡°So, they are expecting backup. How many?¡±


    Another sigh from the man. ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure yet. But they are mobilizing. If they are waiting for backup, it could be worse than we thought<b>.</b>¡±


    My anger red again, sharper this time. If they thought they could regroup ande back at us, they were sorely mistaken.


    You


    know what needs to be done,¡± I said, my tone now unwavering, even ruthless. ¡°I want all the intel on their positions. I want it now.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± the man replied, his voice tinged with urgency. ¡°We are already moving in to track them down.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for more. I ended the call, my mind already calcting the next move. The enemy was regrouping, waiting for reinforcements, but that gave me an advantage I could take them out before they had a chance to organize. I would make sure they paid for what they had done. The men who failed me were going to wish they never crossed me.


    I leaned back in my seat for a moment, trying to calm the storm inside me, but it was no use. I knew what had to be done, and I was going to make sure it was done right. No more mistakes. No more mercy.


    The time for hesitation was over.


    He cut the call not giving me a chance to say some more. I didn¡¯t care, he didn¡¯t mention any of the family members being <b>injured</b>. That meant everyone was safe even though might be a bit shaken. But they were alive. Maybe Luke was right, maybe I was grown now and didn¡¯t have the spirit I had before. If it was back then, I would <b>have </b>killed those men no questions asked.


    Their recklessness put the family in danger. ¡°Shit! shit, shi!¡± I cursed hitting the steering wheel. Well, Nick wanted them alive, but Luke just pissed me off treating me like the little girl he once trained. I needed somewhere. to vent my anger, and those men looked like they would do,


    I drove off heading to the warehouse, I was going to make them sing, tell me where the other are hiding then get


    §³§á§Ñ§â§ä§Ñ 200


    rid of them, they made me look stupid to my brother and men. No one does that to Elodie ck and get away <b>with </b>it.


    Chapter 2nd


    ***25 BORUS

 Novel Payback 300

    <b>NICK </b>


    When I heard about the shooting at Olivia¡¯s house, my mind went nk. Samuel had been outside at the time<b>. </b>The thought of what could have happened made my blood boil. Without hesitation, I stormed into the room where we kept Xander.


    The moment I saw him, rage took over. By the time I realized what I was doing, my fists were already mming into him. He had been asleep, only to wake up to a beating. My arm ached, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Xander groaned, coughing. ¡°Nick, I¡¯ve told you everything know. What more do you want?¡± His voice cracked, his eyes pleading I didn¡¯t think men like him could plead.


    ¡°You¡¯ve tortured me enough. I didn¡¯t even torture Olivia this much. Just kill me if you have to, but stop dragging this out.¡±


    I chuckled darkly. ¡°Funny how people like you <b>hate </b>the pain you so easily inflict on others.¡±


    He said nothing, just stared at me with hollow eyes.


    ¡°Your men shot up Olivia¡¯s house today,¡± I said coldly. ¡°They almost killed my son.¡±


    His eyes widened, and he shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    h, it¡¯s very possible. And you¡¯re going to tell me exactly where they¡¯re hiding in New Vige.¡±


    ¡°oh,


    Xander let out a dry, humorlessugh. My stomach twisted. He had no remorse, no understanding of the destruction he¡¯d caused. I punched him again, harder. His head snapped back, blood trickling from his lip.


    He spat at the <b>floor</b>, then straightened, looking at me with dark, soulless <b>eyes</b>. ¡°How am I supposed to know where they are? I¡¯ve been locked up here.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t lying, but the way he said it made my jaw clench. He could still be hiding something.


    Xander smirked. ¡°You came in here to beat me up for your team¡¯s failure? That¡¯s rich.¡± Heughed like I had told a joke. ¡°You act without nning, and when things go south, you me me?¡±


    I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like hearing the truth, do you?¡± He exhaled. ¡°Here¡¯s a thought¨Ctake a long, hard look at yourself instead of using me as a scapegoat. Maybe then you¡¯ll figure out what really <b>went </b>wrong.¡®


    Every word out of his mouth was fuel to my fire. He was right about <b>one </b>thing¨Cit wasn¡¯t just about the failed. attack. It was about Olivia. It was about how his twisted thirst for revenge had started this entire mess.


    I took a slow step toward him<b>. </b>¡°If I were you, I¡¯d be grateful I¡¯m still breathing.¡±


    Xander tilted his head. ¡°You say that, but you haven¡¯t done anything yet. When the timees, will you even be able to do it? Or will you leave it to your big, bad mafia boss <b>Luke</b>?¡±


    He was testing me.


    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won, don¡¯t <b>you</b>?¡± I whispered.


    <b>Xander </b>grinned. ¡°Oh, Nick, I actually feel sorry for you. But let¡¯s wait and see if you have the guts to take a life. It¡¯s not for everyone<b>.</b>¡±


    I clenched my fists.


    Graper 300.


    ¡°Also,¡± he added casually, ¡°If <b>you¡¯re </b>going to keeping in here just <b>to </b>beat me <b>up</b>, <b>maybe </b><b>wait </b>until it¡¯s actually <b>time </b><b>to </b>kill me. Until then<b>, </b><b>I¡¯d </b>appreciate some peace and quiet


    I let out a dark chuckle. He thought he <b>was </b>some guest at a hotel. How Itonic,


    Walking to the door, <b>I </b>ced my hand on the handle but paused. ¡°You think Luke should handle this?¡± I nced over my shoulder. ¡°Luke isn¡¯t capable of what I n to do to you. He doesn¡¯t have the stomach for it. But don¡¯t take my word for it¨Cwait and see.¡±


    With that, I walked out, mming the door behind me.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Payback 301

    <b>Chapter </b><b>301 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>301 </b>


    <b>OLIVIA </b>


    As a mother seeing my son like that broke my heart. I was helpless <b>in </b><b>the </b>situation; <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t even take him to therapy as we didn¡¯t know what would happen if we left the house<b>. </b>Those men could still be out there for all we knew. I didn¡¯t want to put my son through more¨Ctrauma..


    But what was I going to do? Watching him curled up into a ball in his bed shaking in fear because the might mares was not something I wanted to see. I wanted to see my son sleeping peacefully a night. He was so traumatized that he wet his bed. Samuel stopped wetting the bed a long time ago. I couldn¡¯t stand what was happening and I wanted it to end.


    My son didn¡¯t do anything to deserve that. he was afraid to sleep, and I didn¡¯t sleep at all watching him. to be there for him when he woke up crying at night from a nightmare Marcus and I would have to look for another house again because Samuel would never feel safe there again.


    Those were the results of my father¡¯s past doing and his work. That man targeted me because of him and now it was affecting my children, and I couldn¡¯t have that. Samuel might not have understood what was going on or why it was happening, but he knew it was wrong, and he could feel the heaviness in the air, the tension in our home.


    Xander shouldn¡¯t have gone that far, capturing me, and torturing me for days should have been enough for him. my son was innocent just like his was.


    And yet he didn¡¯t think of that and here we were, with my son too young to fully grasp the depth of the danger around him, living in constant fear in his own home. All because of that man.


    When he brought war to my door, Xander must have expected me to do nothing because I still feared him because of what he put me through. That was the truth, I feared the man, but I was not going to let him get away with traumatizing my son like that.


    I might have been afraid of him, but I was a mother first, when my children were put in danger, fear disappeared, and I faced the challenge head on. Xander was my challenge now and I had to put the fear aside and deal with him.


    My hands clenched into fists; anger surged inside me like a wave. ¡°Olivia, my love. I know that look and I ask that you forget whatever you are thinking, I know sitting around doing nothing is difficult. But trust me, we are doing something and soon we will be able to go out there and take our son to the doctor without fear.¡± Marcus¡¯s voice was soft andforting.


    He could tell that I was getting ahead of myself.


    I turned to him, eyes glittering with tears, but I didn¡¯t want to let them fall, I didn¡¯t want to appear weak because my son needed me to be strong for him. I was frustrated and felt helpless all those feelings were overwhelming.¡± Marcus, he has gone too far. He is a parent too; how can he do something this? How can he put my son through this? How would he feel if his was put in the same situation?¡± My voice cracked, and my tears fell.


    Marcus stood up and he crossed the room to me. He wrapped his arms around me, embracing me, his hug felt like a shield protect me and our family from the dangers outside. I felt safe in there. ¡°Calm yourself, sweetheart. Everything is going to be okay and this will be over, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± His voice was said soft andforting.


    Marcus held me tighter caressing my back. I let out a breath feeling like the tension was leaving me, ¡°Xander doesn¡¯t deserve more of you, of us. It is time to forget him and focus on our family, our kids. We have been through so much together and I believe we will get through this as well.¡± My husband was right, as usual our children needed me more than Xander did. They were the ones I had to worry about now.


    Xander wanted me to hide, to cower in fear. I was going to do that if he didn¡¯t involve the house, I lived in with my


    +26 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>301 </b>


    <b>children </b><b>that </b><b>was </b>the <bst </b><b>straw</b>. Now he wasn¡¯t going <b>to </b><b>ge </b><b>that </b>satisfaction of seeing me <b>hide</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>I </b>know <b>this </b><b>might </b><b>be </b><b>a </b>long shot<b>, </b><b>but </b>do you think we can get a child therapist to <be </b>and see him at <b>him</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>It </b><b>was </b><b>time </b><b>for </b>me to act and stop fearing what Xander <b>and </b>his <b>people </b>might do, <b>my </b>child was suffering and was my <b>job </b>as his mother to make him feel better. <b>¡°</b>Why didn¡¯t think <b>of </b><b>that</b>, I will make the arrangements<b>.</b><b>¡± </b><b>Said </b>Marcus smiling. He kissed me on the forehead before leaving.


    I went andid next to my son then held him close to me.¡°am here with you baby<b>, </b>sleep now, you are safe, you don¡¯t to worry about anything.¡± I whispered to him brushing his back. I felt him <b>rx </b>and a smile formed <b>on </b>my <b>face</b>.


    He was going to be alright; we were getting him the help he needed, and he was going to be alright. A few minutester. He straightened andid properly, no longer curled into a ball and that warmed my heart.


    Marcus walked in and smiled seeing us. ¡°I got a doctor; I offered her more than her standard rate for her toe out. She agreed and will be here tomorrow.¡± My chest warmed. ¡°Thank you.¡± he nodded.


    ¡°I am going to check on Lilly, you should also get some rest, you haven¡¯t been sleeping my love.<b><i>¡± </i></b>How could I sleep when my son didn¡¯t sleep? ¡°Alright, I will try.¡± He walked out, my sweet Lilly<b>, </b>it was a good thing she was still so young and would remember any of this.


    I thought Sandra was evil back then, but she was a saintpared to Xander. The man was the devil¡¯s <b>spawn</b>.

 Novel Payback 302

    NICK


    1 grabbed the toolbox the one from the tomb, the one had wed on Olivia My hands rightened around the cold metal. It was time to turn the tables, Time to wake his feel what he¡¯d done


    Luke stood a few feet away, watching the. His eyes narrow, But he didn¡¯t say anything. Feould tell he wanted to He always did. But this wasn¡¯t his fight.


    ¡°I just want to see what¡¯s in here,¡± I said, my voice lowe. I m¡¯t sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.


    Luke nodded slowly, his gaze still fixed on the toolbox. He didn¡¯t trust me. I didn¡¯t me him. I didn¡¯t trust myself either.


    I moved toward the door, the toolbox heavy in my hands. Every step felt like the air was pushing back. My heart pounded, my breath shallow. The door was close, but it felt like it was miles away.


    ¡°Nick¡±


    1 froze. Luke¡¯s voice cut through the silence. I didn¡¯t turn around.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± he said, his tone softer now but still firm ¡°I want to see too.¡±


    I nced at him over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, the words sharp.


    Before he could react, I sprinted toward the room. Luke wasn¡¯t going to stop me. I wouldn¡¯t let him.


    I mmed the door shut behind me, the lock clicking into ce. The sound echoed in the small room. It was just me and Xander now.


    He sat in the corner, his posture rxed, like he still thought he was in control. But when he saw the toolbox in my hands, his smirk faded. His eyes flicked to the box, then back to me.


    ¡°Are you here to y again, Nick?¡± he sneered, but his voice wavered.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I set the toolbox down and opened it, the cold metal tools glinting in the dim light. Xander¡¯s eyes widened, his bravado crumbling.


    I raised my finger, pointing directly at the toolbox. He followed the movement, his eyes narrowing as he registered what I was indicating.


    For a brief moment, his confident fa?ade cracked, and his face drained of colour. The blood seemed to drain from his face, his bravado fading as fear began to take root in his eyes.


    ¡°You like these, don¡¯t you?¡± I said, my voice calm. ¡°You used them on Olivia. Now it¡¯s your turn.¡±


    He tried to stand, but I was faster. I shoved him back into the chair, my hands gripping his shoulders. His face paled, his confidence gone.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re untouchable,¡± I said, leaning closer. ¡°But you¡¯re not.¡±


    He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.


    For the first time, Xander looked scared.


    He was no longer the one in control. Now, the tables were turned. And I would make sure he knew exactly what it felt like to be the victim.

 Novel Payback 303

    <b>Chapter </b><b>303 </b>


    LUKE


    From the moment Nick grabbed the toolbox<b>, </b>I knew something was wrong. He wouldn¡¯t look at me, his movements sharp and deliberate. There was a darkness in his eyes I hadn¡¯t seen before. I followed him<b>, </b>trying to figure out what he was nning. I couldn¡¯t <b>let </b>him do something reckless.


    But then I heard it¡ªthe m of the door, the click <b>of </b>the lock, Nick was inside with Xander. My stomach dropped. This wasn¡¯t just a confrontation. This was something worse


    I rushed to the door, pounding my fists against it. ¡°Nick! Open the door! We need to talk!¡± My voice echoed in the hallway, but there was no response. Just silence.


    ¡°Nick!¡± I shouted again, louder this time. ¡°He¡¯s not worth it! Let me handle this!¡±


    Still nothing. I pressed my ear to the door, straining to hear anything. Then it <b>came</b>¨Ca sound that made my blood run cold. A cry, raw and guttural, like nothing I¡¯d ever heard. It wasn¡¯t human. It wasn¡¯t animal<b>. </b>It was something in between.


    I stepped back, my heart pounding. Was that Nick? Xander? <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t tell. The sound was twisted, unrecognizable. It wed at¨Cme, digging into my chest.


    ¡°Nick, please!¡± I begged, my voice shaking. ¡°Olivia wouldn¡¯t want this. Your mother wouldn¡¯t want this. Don¡¯t do something you can¡¯t take back!¡±


    Another cry tore through the door, sharper this time. I flinched, my hands trembling. ¡°His men shot up Olivia¡¯s house,¡± Nick¡¯s voice came through, broken and raw. ¡°My son was outside.¡±


    The words hit me like a punch. Samuel. My mind raced. What if he¡¯d been hurt? What if he was still in danger? I slumped against the wall, my legs giving out. ¡°Oh, God,¡± <b>I </b>whispered, my voice barely audible.


    Nick¡¯s voice cut through the silence again, cold and final<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Go away, Luke. This animal deserves everything he¡¯s getting.¡±


    I didn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t. The weight of his words pinned me to the floor. Something in Nick had shattered, and there was no pulling him back now.


    The cries from the room grew louder, more desperate. I couldn¡¯t tell who they wereing from anymore. Nick or Xander¨Cit didn¡¯t matter. The sound was unbearable, like nails scraping against my skull.


    I pushed myself up, my legs shaky. ¡°Nick, stop!¡± I shouted, mming my fist against the door. ¡°This isn¡¯t you! Don¡¯t let him turn you into this!¡±


    No answer. Just the muffled sounds of struggle, of pain. I pressed my forehead against the door, my breathing in short gasps. I couldn¡¯t let this happen. I couldn¡¯t let Nick destroy himself.


    But what could I do? The door was locked. Nick wasn¡¯t listening. He was too far gone, consumed by rage and grief. I thought about Samuel, about Olivia. This wasn¡¯t just about Xander anymore. It was about Nick losing himself.


    The cries stopped abruptly, reced by an eerie silence. I froze, my hand still pressed against the door. ¡°Nick?¡± <b>I </b>called, my voice barely above a whisper.


    No response.


    I stepped back, my mind racing. I had to do something. I had to stop this before it was toote. But as I turned to leave, the door creaked open.


    Nick stood there, his face pale, his hands stained. He didn¡¯t look at me. He just walked past, his steps heavy<b>, </b>his


    <b>Chapter </b><b>303 </b>


    <b>eyes </b>empty<b>. </b>


    I <b>nced </b>into the <b>room</b>. Xander <b>was </b>on <b>the </b><b>floor</b>, unmoving I didn¡¯t need to check <b>to </b>know <b>he </b>was gone<b>. </b>


    <b>Nick </b>had <b>crossed </b>a line.


    26 <b>BONUS </b>

 Novel Payback 304

    Chapter <b>304 </b>


    LUKE


    I knew <b>Nick¡¯s </b>pain. I¡¯d felt it myself years <b>ago </b>when I found out what my father had done to Olivia. That kind <b>of </b>rage doesn¡¯t leave you. It festers. And when it boils over, you do things you never thought you¡¯d do. I¡¯d been there. <b>I¡¯d </b>crossed that line. Now Nick was about to do the same.


    Nick always believed people could change, even Xander. He wanted to see the good in him, wanted him to be a father to his son. But Xander crossed a line no parent could ignore. He brought the kids into this. And now? There was no going back.


    My legs gave out for a moment, the weight of it all crashing down. I steadied myself, hands shaking<b>, </b>vision blurring. The fear for the kids, the anger, the helplessness it hit me all at once. I couldn¡¯t fall apart. Not now.


    I had to call Marcus. I had to know about Samuel and Olivia. My fingers trembled as I dialed. He answered fast.


    ¡°Marcus, how are they? I heard Samuel was outside during the shooting,¡± I said, my voice tight.


    There was a pause. ¡°Physically, he¡¯s fine. But emotionally. Marcus trailed off. ¡°They¡¯re a mess, Loke. This has to end. We can¡¯t keep living like this.¡±


    I exhaled, relief mixing with dread. Samuel was okay, but Olivia¨CGod, Olivia. Her life had been nothing but pain. And now this. It was my fault. My past had dragged her into this.


    ¡°Marcus, Nick¡¯s going to kill Xander,¡± I said, my voice breaking. ¡°He¡¯s not the same. I don¡¯t recognize him anymore.¡±


    The line went silent for a moment. Then Marcus spoke, calm but firm. ¡°I¡¯d do the same <b>if </b>I were there. Samuel¡¯s his son. All he¡¯s thinking is, what if Samuel had been shot? What if he lost him?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I know,¡± I said, frustration rising. ¡°But if Nick does this, he¡¯s gone. The Nick we know¨Che¡¯ll be gone forever.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll be alright,¡± Marcus said. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time.¡±


    The words hit me like a punch. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®this isn¡¯t the first time¡¯?¡± I demanded. But the line went dead before I could get an answer.


    I paced, my mind racing. What had Nick done before? What made Marcus so sure he¡¯de out of this okay? I didn¡¯t have time to figure it out. Nick was about to do something he couldn¡¯t take back, and I didn¡¯t know how to stop him.


    OLIVIA


    I sat in Samuel¡¯s room, the silence pressing down on me. My mind raced, torn between worry for my son and the storm of thoughts about Marcus and Nick. The call I¡¯d overheard between Marcus and my father yed on repeat in my head. Nick had killed someone. Sandra. The pieces clicked together, and the realization hit me like a punch to the gut.


    I tried to push it away, but Sandra¡¯s face kept shing in my mind. They¡¯d told me she was dead years ago, and I¡¯d never asked how. Now I knew. Nick had done it. The man I¡¯d once been married to, the father of my child, had taken a life. And Marcus¨Cmy husband¨Cknew about it.


    I didn¡¯t know how to feel. Nick was out of my life, but this¡­ this changed things. He loved Samuel, I never doubted that, but he was still capable of something so dark. And Marcus? He¡¯d kept this from me. How was I supposed to reconcile that? Could I just let it go because he wasn¡¯t the one who¡¯d done it? The questions swirled


    were <b>no </b>answers.


    there


    ** +20 BONUS


    <b>Chapter </b><b>304 </b>


    <b>Would </b>I be a bad <b>person </b><b>if I </b>ignored it? If <b>I </b>pretended I hadnt heard that call? Could I really move <b>on </b>like <b>nothing </b>had happened? Or would it haunt me every time I held Lilly every time I looked into her Innocent eyes?


    A part


    <b>of </b>me had been relieved when Sandra died. It meant the end of a painful chapter, the end of her threats. But now? Now everything felt different. The truth had unraveled something inside me, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could <b>put </b><b>it </b>back together.


    Ignorance had been easier. I¡¯d convinced myself I didn¡¯t need to know the details. But now that I did, I couldn¡¯t escape it. Could I live with this<i>? </i>Could I carry the weight of knowing my husband had been part of something <b>so </b>dark?


    I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. I wanted to believe I could bury it, move on, leave the past behind. But deep down, I knew better. The truth was there now, heavy and unshakable. I couldn¡¯t un¨Cknow it. And I wasn¡¯t sure if I had the strength to carry it¨Cor the strength to let it go.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± I jumped slightly, startled out of my thoughts.


    <b>C </b>

 Novel Payback 305

    <b>Chapter </b><b>305 </b>


    <b>¡°</b>Olivia!<b>¡± </b>


    <b>I </b>jumped slightly<b>, </b>startled out of my thoughts. My gaze snapped <b>up</b><b>, </b>and there stood Marcus, his face lined <b>with </b>concern. He had been calling my name, but I hadn¡¯t heard him. ¡°What are you thinking?<b>¡± </b>he asked, his voice <b>softer </b>now but tinged with worry.


    I didn¡¯t know how to respond. The words I wanted to say tangled in my throat. I was <b>still </b>trying to wrap <b>my mind </b>around what I had just learned<b>, </b>still unsure of how I felt.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± he called again, his voice more insistent now. His gaze was fixed on me, and I could see the worry deep in his eyes.


    Finally, my mouth moved, though it felt like the words wereing from someone else. <b>¡°</b><b>Tell </b>me what happened to Sandra.¡± The question came out almost like a whisper, but it carried the weight of everything I had been holding inside.


    Marcus hesitated for a moment, his face shing with an array of emotions I couldn¡¯t quite decipher. Then, as if he had figured it out, he looked at me more directly. ¡°You heard my conversation, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to answer. His expression told me he knew I had overheard everything.


    He sighed, stepping closer to me and sitting beside me on the edge of the bed. ¡°We have a lot going on right now, love. But I promise I will tell you everything once everything settles down. It¡¯s not what you think.¡±


    I stared at him, my mind racing. His words didn¡¯t reassure me as much as they should have. He seemed to be hiding something, and I could feel it in the air between us.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill anyone, babe,¡± he said softly, as if trying to ease my worries. ¡°Believe me. You can even ask her doctor. We didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    His words didn¡¯t immediately bring me peace. I furrowed my brows, unsure of what to think. If they didn¡¯t kill her, then why had Marcus said what he had on the phone? He had mentioned that this wouldn¡¯t be the first time for Nick. I already knew that Nick wanted to kill Xander, if he did, Xander would be his second victim. But Xander wasn¡¯t exactly an innocent bystander, was he?


    A wave of frustration washed over me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to overreact again,¡± I said, the wordsing out strained. We are in this mess because I overreacted before, and it led to that ind, where Xander saw my father and me. And that¡¯s when he decided to go after us. So now, I just¡­ I just want to trust you. Trust that whatever happened won¡¯te back to haunt us. Because I¡¯m tired, Marcus. I can¡¯t deal with this anymore. I just¡­ I yearn for peace.¡± My voice cracked as I finished speaking, the exhaustion of if all sinking into my bones. I longed for relief, for a moment where I didn¡¯t have to worry about the past catching up with us.


    Marcus¡¯s eyes softened, and without another word, he pulled me into his arms. His embrace was warm and solid, like a promise that everything would be okay, that, despite all the chaos and uncertainty, we would find a way through it together. His arms around me felt like a shield against the storm, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a flicker of hope.


    He kissed the top of my head gently, his voice low and soothing. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this, Olivia. Together.¡®


    And in that moment, I wanted to believe him more than anything. I clung to his promise like a lifeline, praying that we could find the peace we both so desperately needed.


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>206 </b>

 Novel Payback 306

    <b>Chapter 306 </b>


    NICK


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>am not sure why you are making such a noise when you said I <b>didn¡¯t </b>have the stomach for something like this.<b>¡± </b>I was busy skinning him using a scalpel as if I were skinning an animal. <b>To </b><b>me</b>, he was an animal<b>. </b>


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mock me about it a few days ago?¡± I asked wiping the blood off the scalpel I used. He was having the time of his life that day as if the day was not going toe when he would have to pay for what he did. ¡°Nick<b>, </b>you know I was only trying to make you realize that doing this is not who you are. Why don¡¯t you listen to Luke, huh?¡±


    The look of desperation in his eyes was satisfying. Olivia must have had the same look and begged him to let her go but he didn¡¯t. that thought alone made me want to strangle the life out of him, but I held back. That would be too easy for him, mercy if you will.


    This day, I was not in the business of mercy or being merciful. Especially towards the likes of an animal like Xander. ¡°We are just starting; I can¡¯t invite Luke in just yet. He wanted Luke in because he knew Luke would just kill him and be over with. That was the mercy he was looking for, but he was not going to get it.


    ¡°Is this the paralytic you used on Olivia?¡± I asked with my head tilted slightly to the side. I was holding a small bottle of whatever it was he used to trap my heart into her own body making her feel as if she was going to die. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>wouldn¡¯t want to use something different you know. Mistakes can happen and I might end up killing you. I want the exact drug and measurements.¡±


    Xander looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. Good, he might have thought he knew me when he did a background check on me, but he knew nothing of the man standing in front of him. the man kidnapped the woman I love and put my son in danger. <b>¡°</b>Nick, you are cruel. You have Olivia back and you have tortured me enough. You don¡¯t have to go too far!¡±


    he was yelling in anger, yet his eyes were pleading with me desperate for me to stop. The audacity of the man. I ignored what I was saying because it meant nothing to me.


    ¡°I want to apologize; this room isn¡¯t the catb. But I promise to bury you with whoever it was you put Olivia with. Am sure you both have a good rtionship and will enjoy each other¡¯spany in the afterlife. Isn¡¯t that great?¡± I smiled widely like a crazy person; I might as well have been at that moment.


    I moved closer to him, my boots steady against the cold floor, the sharp glint of the scalpel in my hand catching the dim light as I continued where I left off. The de cut through his skin with surgical precision, peeling it back in slow, deliberate motions. His cries of pain filled the room, each one more desperate than thest, but I felt no sympathy. No remorse. Just cold, hard satisfaction.


    The same way he must have felt the day he pealed and cut off her toenails with that very same scalpel. Now that the tables had turned, he was crying like a bitch. Typical. Those who enjoyed inflicting pain, usually didn¡¯t like being in pain.


    I paused for a moment, wiping the de clean, my eyes never leaving his battered form. I let the silence hang between us, heavy and oppressive. ¡°Oh, my bad,¡± I said, my voice deceptively light. ¡°I thought I used the one you told me about, but I must have used the one with water. I am sorry for the pain.¡± I smiled slightly, knowing full well he could see through my false apology. His re was sharp, but I could see the fear in his eyes too, buried beneath the anger. The realization was setting in, and it was only a matter of time before he broke.


    He struggled against his restraints, his voice hoarse and ragged. ¡°Nick, I never did something like this to Olivia, you are doing this because of her then you are going about it the wrong way¡± the wrong way, he said. Iughed. I held the de hight checking it out, it glittered when the sun hit it giving me the satisfaction I want¡®


    ¡°I know you paralyzed Olivia to make sure she didn¡¯t feel pain. I should be doing the same.¡± His words earlier were an attempt to regain some control<b>, </b>some semnce of power, but it was futile. The desperation in his voice


    if


    told me everything I needed to know.


    <b>*</b>


    I stopped what I was doing, standing tall as I observed him. The man who once thought he could control everything, now reduced to pleading. I slowly walked toward the door, each step measured, deliberate. I stopped just before reaching it and turned, meeting his gaze with a calmness that only made his fear grow.


    ¡°But you changed me, Xander,¡± I said, my voice soft, but carrying a dangerous edge. ¡°Do you remember me telling you that? You made me like this.¡± I let the weight of my words hang in the air, knowing they were cutting deeper than any of the physical pain I had inflicted on him.


    He blinked, confusion and realization shing across his face. He had never fully understood the consequences of what he had done. He had pushed me too far, and now, there was no turning back.


    I walked back to him taking slow small steps and I saw terror in his <b>eyes</b><b>. </b>I was not leaving. If I did, Luke woulde in and stop my fun, I was not ready. ¡°I can¡¯t leave now, I didn¡¯t do the back.¡± Tears fell from Xander¡¯s eyes. Right then, at that moment, he realized that there was no escaping from me and the torture I brough to him.

 Novel Payback 307

    LUKE


    The faces of my men were unsettling, their expressions ashen, pale, like they had just seen a ghost. I had trained them all to withstand a great deal of stress, to face death head¨Con without flinching, but there was something about the look in their eyes now that didn¡¯t sit right with me. I could see it¨Cfear. Real, raw fear. The kind you don¡¯t see often in our world.


    As I approached, one of them, Victor, looked at me like he wanted to speak but couldn¡¯t find the words. I raised an eyebrow, my instincts immediately alert, sensing that something had gone terribly wrong.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, my voice sharp. It was supposed to be a simple job, guard Xander, keep him under control, and wait for further orders. But these men, these hardened soldiers, looked like they had just witnessed something that shattered their very foundation.


    Before I could get an answer, the sound hit me, a heart¨Cwrenching, gut¨Cwrenching cry that tore through the stillness of the hall. It wasn¡¯t just a cry, it was desperation, agony. It was the kind of cry that only came from someone who was at the brink, pushed past every boundary of their will to survive. It made my stomach twist and my thoughts scatter. I stopped dead in my tracks, the echo of that sound reverberating through the walls, making my chest tighten.


    What in the hell was Nick doing in there? The question hit me like a lightning bolt. I knew Nick had a certain dark streak in him, hell, I had encouraged it when we were together. His mother and I were raised in this brutal world wherepassion was a weakness and survival was the only rule. But this? This wasn¡¯t just ruthless. This was beyond anything I had ever imagined.


    I had built a reputation for being ruthless, cold, methodical willing to get my hands dirty when the job required it. The men who worked for me knew it, feared it, respected it. But what Nick was doing to Xander? That was a different level. It made my reputation, the reputation I had spent years building, look like child¡¯s y.


    Nick wasn¡¯t just acting like a man who had a dark side, he was acting like a seasoned professional, like he had been doing this for years. His actions were so calcted, so precise, that for a moment I had to wonder if I was even fit to be in charge anymore. He was handling this situation as if he was the one with all the power, and I was just his number two.


    The thought made a cold chill run down my spine.


    It reminded me of the Don, the old man, my father. There were times, back in the day, when the sound of screaming and agony would echo from the catbs beneath our family estate, and it was always a reminder of who controlled everything. It was a sound we had all gotten used to, a part of the world we had inherited. The Don, with his unyielding, cold demeanour, would orchestrate these torturous sessions with the precision of a maestro. No one dared question him, and no one dared stop him.


    Now, here I was, hearing the exact same kind of soundsing from that room, except it was Nick behind the door. It was Nick, not the Don, controlling everything. The realization hit me hard. If I wasn¡¯t careful, if I didn¡¯t take a step back and reassess what was happening, I might lose him too.


    I nced at my men again. They were all standing there, silent, their eyes darting between each other. The fear was palpable now. Victor looked like he was about to speak, but the words caught in his throat.


    ¡°Do you want to mess up again and join him in that room?¡± I barked, my voice sharp and full of authority, hoping to pull them out of whatever trance they had fallen into. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was more angry with them for not controlling themselves or more angry with myself for allowing this to happen. The moment Xander was brought


    into that room, I should have known things would spiral out of control.

 Novel Payback 308

    They <b>all </b>exchanged nervous nces<b>, </b>confused looks spreading across their faces. It was clear they had no idea what was going <b>on</b>, or at least they weren¡¯t sure how to process <b>the </b>situation. Their confusion shifted <b>to </b>unease when they realized what I was implying. I could see the horror begin to creep into their eyes, a realization dawning on them.


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re all shaking like leaves in the wind,¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°You better tell the others what happens when you mess up, especially when ites to things rting to the Don¡¯s grandson.¡± I looked <b>at </b>them one by one, making sure they heard every word I said. ¡°Tha boy¡­ he¡¯s his grandfather¡¯s copy, only worse.¡±


    I had no idea why I was saying it. Maybe it was the fear that had started to rise inside me, the realization that Nick, for all his potential<b>, </b>was slipping away from us. Or maybe I was just trying to project my own fear onto them, make them understand the gravity of the situation.


    They seemed to get the message. Horror filled their eyes. One of them, Carlos, visibly shook his head in disbelief.¡± No way¡­ he¡¯s too young, too¡­ too¡­¡±


    ¡°Too what? Too innocent?¡± I cut him off, my voice low and harsh. ¡°He¡¯s not innocent. Don¡¯t you <b>see</b>? He¡¯s been trained for this, just like we were. Just like we all have been.¡± I paused, the weight of my own words settling heavily on me. ¡°You think he¡¯s just a boy? No. He¡¯s bing something far worse.¡±


    Iwasn¡¯t sure if I was trying to convince them or if I was trying to convince myself. But the truth was undeniable now. Nick wasn¡¯t the young boy I used to watch grow up. He wasn¡¯t the kid who would smile andugh with the `rest of us. He was bing something darker, something more dangerous, and it terrified me.


    A sharp, blood¨Ccurdling cry echoed from the room again. I flinched, despite myself. It was a sound I had heard too many times before, one I had conditioned myself to ignore. But this time, it rattled me to my core. It was so raw, so full of agony, that even I couldn¡¯t push it out of my mind


    I cursed under my breath. I should have thought ahead. I should have installed cameras in that room. The thought of what was happening in there, what Nick was doing to Xander, it made my stomach churn. But it was toote now. There was no stopping it.


    I nced at the men again, all of them standing like statues, their faces pale and frozen. ¡°You think this is bad? Just wait. When he walks out of that room, nothing will be the same,¡± I said, my voice cold, like a prophecy. I didn¡¯t know what exactly Nick was doing to Xander, but whatever it was, it was clear that Nick was enjoying it. He wasn¡¯t bothered by the screams. He wasn¡¯t flinching at the pain, at the blood.


    The realization sent a shiver down my spine. What would Nick be like when he finally emerged from that room? What would be left of him?


    I didn¡¯t know. And that uncertainty, that fear, was something I hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. It unsettled me. Nick was slipping away, and I wasn¡¯t sure I could pull him back. He was bing something that even I might not be able to control.

 Novel Payback 309

    <b>Chapter </b><b>309 </b>


    <b>NICK </b>


    The sound of Xander¡¯s breathing, shallow andboured, filled the otherwise quiet room. I had worked on him for hours, taking my time, careful to ensure that he stayed alive, just barely. His body had been through a lot, more than anyone should ever have to endure, but that was nothingpared to the pain he had inflicted on others. I had worked him to the brink <b>of </b>copse, keeping him conscious just long enough to get the answers I needed. But I needed him alive, at least for now.


    He had finally passed out. I wiped my hands clean on the cleth I kept nearby and connected the IV drip to his arm. The needle slid into his skin with ease, an almost mechanical motion, as <b>if </b>I had done it a hundred times before. <b>I </b>wasn¡¯t proud of this moment, but there was no turning back now. What I had to do was far from over.


    I took a step back and nced at him, lying motionless on the cold floor. His face was bruised and battered; evidence of the struggle I had put him through. I didn¡¯t want to think about it. I never wanted to do something like that to him. But somewhere along the way, things had changed. Somewhere along the line, I had made a decision. And now, had to see it through.


    My goal was simple: Find Olivia. Bring her home to her children. That was all. I hadn¡¯t asked for any of this<b>, </b>none of the pain, the mess, the lies. I just wanted Olivia safe. But somewhere along the way<b>, </b>this had turned into something else. Something far darker.


    I didn¡¯t want to think about Xander any more than I had to. Luke could deal with him. This was his mess, his business. He was the one who had dragged me into this mess in the first ce, and now it was his responsibility to clean it up. But even as I thought this, I knew there was no easy way out.


    The problem was, Xander wasn¡¯t just a man. He was a symbol, of everything that was wrong, of every twisted thing that had happened to Olivia and to others. And when heard the details of the horror, he had subjected her to, the full extent of his cruelty, something inside me broke. That was when I decided that society would be better off without him. But even then, even after everything I had learned, there was still a part of me that hesitated.


    I hadn¡¯t known what I was capable of until I heard the news


    Xander¡¯s men had taken it too far this time. They had gone too far with Olivia¡¯s house. And not just her house. They¡¯d involved my son.


    The thought of my son, standing outside Olivia¡¯s house when those bullets had rained down, hit me like a ton of bricks. What if a stray bullet had hit him? What if it had torn through his body, taken him down? What if he had been paralyzed, unable to walk again, trapped inside a body that didn¡¯t work? Or worse, what if he had died?


    The very thought of it twisted my insides. It had been Xander¡¯s doing, all of it. Every part of it. He had put my son¡¯s life in danger just to get at me, to hurt me, to break me. And what if it had worked? What if I had lost him?


    All the remorse I had ever felt for Xander vanished in an instant. There was no room forpassion anymore. No room for hesitation. He had crossed a line, a line that could never be uncrossed. And as I sat there, I felt the anger in me rise, hot and overwhelming.


    I could have lost my only son because of this man, and here he was, hidden away in some dark corner, still breathing, still safe. And my son? He couldn¡¯t even sleep without waking up in fear, terrorized by the thought of Xandering for him next. The injustice of it all made my blood boil.


    <b>Chapter </b>310

 Novel Payback 310

    Chapter <b>310 </b>


    <b>I </b>stood up suddenly, the sound of <b>my </b><b>boots </b>against the cold concrete echoing <b>in </b>the room. <b>I </b>walked toward the door, my mind set on what I had to do. When I opened <b>it</b>, <b>I </b>found Luke standing there with two <b>of </b>his men<b>. </b><b>Their </b>faces <b>were </b>pale, <b>their </b>expressions anxious. <b>I </b>could feel the concern in the air<b>, </b>thick and <b>palpable</b>. They <b>didn¡¯t </b>know what I was about to do, but I did. And they couldn¡¯t stop me.


    ¡°Nick,¡± Luke started, his voice cautious, ¡°Samuel¡¯s fine. Why don¡¯t you give him a <b>call</b><b>? </b>It will help ease your mind. I promise you, he¡¯s fine.¡±


    I could see the way he was trying to distract me, trying to take my mind off <b>of </b>Xander. I wasn¡¯t fooled. He thought I was too emotionally attached, too vulnerable, to go through with what <b>was </b>necessary. But I wasn¡¯t in the mood for distractions. My son¡¯s safety had beenpromised, and I wasn¡¯t going to let Xander escape justice. Not <b>now</b>. Not after everything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask any questions, Luke,¡± I replied, my voice sharp ¡°Just get me what I need, and you can leave. I <b>will </b>deal with this. You don¡¯t need to stay.<b>¡± </b>


    Luke opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off before he could speak.


    ¡°Get me a bucket of water and salt,¡± I demanded.


    The guard closest to me hesitated. I saw his confusion. I didn¡¯t care. They could question me all they wanted, but there was no going back now. This was my decision, and I wasn¡¯t going to justify it.


    ¡°Just get it. Don¡¯t ask,¡± I repeated, my tone leaving no room for debate.


    The guard hurried off, and Luke stood there, a quiet frustration in his eyes. He didn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t understand. But I didn¡¯t have the time or the patience to exin. The guard returned quickly with the bucket of water and a packet of salt. I took the items without a word and mmed the door behind me, dismissing them all.


    I didn¡¯t need anyone watching over me while I did this.


    Once the door was shut, I set the bucket down, the cool metal of the container a stark contrast to the heat building inside me. I opened the packet of salt, letting the grains pour slowly into the water. I stirred the mixture with a steady hand, watching as the crystals dissolved.


    And then I looked down at Xander, whoy unconscious on the floor. He had no idea what wasing. And that, in a way, made it worse. He wasn¡¯t going to get a peaceful death. He wasn¡¯t going to be spared any of the consequences of his actions. Not while I had anything to say about it.


    I picked up the bucket and walked toward him, my steps slow and deliberate. The anger inside me burned like fire, but there was something else, too. Something darker. Something more primal. I poured the saltwater over his body in one swift motion, watching as it sshed across his skin.


    Xander shot up, his body jerking violently as the salt burned his wounds. He screamed, his voice raw with pain and confusion. His eyes darted around, wide with panic.


    But there was no sympathy in me now. None. Not for him. He had put my family at risk, and now he was going to suffer the consequences.


    ¡°Stay awake,¡± I hissed, the words escaping my lips like amand. ¡°You don¡¯t get to rest. Not after everything you¡¯ve done.¡±


    Xander¡¯s body jerked again, but his screams only fuelled my resolve. I wasn¡¯t going to let him slip back into unconsciousness. Not while he was still breathing.


    No sleep for the wicked. Not anymore.

 Novel Payback 311

    <b>Chapter </b><b>311 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I poured a cup <b>of </b><b>tea</b><b>, </b>my hands shaking. The house was silent, too silent. No more sounds <b>of </b>Samuel running around. Just quiet. The kind <b>of </b>quiet that makes you feel like something¡¯s wrong, even when nothing¡¯s <b>happening </b>


    The door opened. Nick¡¯s mother walked in, her clothes covered in blood¨Cblood that wasn¡¯t hers. She looked like she¡¯d juste from a fight, like she¡¯d been in the middle of something dangerous. Her hair was messy, her face pale, and she stumbled like she didn¡¯t know where she was


    I froze. ¡°Why did youe here like this?¡± I snapped, my voice sharp. I didn¡¯t mean to sound so angry, but the sight of her like that¨Cit set me off.


    She stared at me, confused. ¡°I didn¡¯t think,¡± she stammered. ¡°I had to deal with the men we caught. I thought I could check on the kids. I didn¡¯t realize I still had blood on me.¡±


    I cut her off. ¡°You didn¡¯t think? Samuel¡¯s still scared after the shooting. And you show up like this? What if he sees you? How do you think that¡¯ll affect him?¡±


    She stepped back, looking guilty. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡±


    ¡°Get out,¡± I said, my voice firm. I didn¡¯t want to hear her excuses. Not now. Not after everything.


    She hesitated. ¡°Olivia, please-¡±


    I turned away, not wanting to hear it. I walked toward the stairs, but her voice stopped me. ¡°Olivia, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose!¡±


    I turned back. ¡°Where were you during the shooting? You chose not to be here. You were out ying gangster while we were here, living through it. You couldn¡¯t even handle one day with the kids, could you? Go back to your life. That¡¯s what makes you happy, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Her face paled, but I didn¡¯t care. I walked upstairs, heading to Samuel¡¯s room. He¡¯d seen too much¨Cthe gunshots, the blood, the bodies. He was just a kid. He shouldn¡¯t have had to see that. But he did, and now he couldn¡¯t sleep. He flinched at every loud noise, and his nightmares kept him awake at night.


    I stopped outside his door, listening to his quiet breathing. <b>He </b>was trying to sleep, trying to forget. But I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Kids don¡¯t just forget things like that They carry it with them, even when they don¡¯t talk


    about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she called from downstairs. But I didn¡¯t go back. I¡¯d said what I needed to say. Now, I had to focus on Samuel. On helping him heal. Because in this house, we couldn¡¯t let the past take over. Not now. Not when my son was still so young.


    I knocked softly on his door. ¡°Samuel? It¡¯s me. Can Ie in?¡±


    There was a pause, then a quiet, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I opened the door and saw him sitting on his bed, his knees pulled up to his chest. He looked small, too small for everything he¡¯d been through. I sat down next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders.


    <b>¡°</b>You okay?¡± I asked, even though I knew the answer.


    He shook his head. ¡°I keep hearing the shots. And I see¡­ the blood.¡±


    I pulled him closer. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>know. But you¡¯re safe now. I¡¯m here, and I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything, just leaned into me. I held him tight, wishing I could take all the fear and pain away. But I


    * 4


    <b>Chapter </b><b>311 </b>


    <b>couldn¡¯t</b>. All I could <b>do </b><b>was </b><b>be </b>there <b>for him</b>, <b>help </b>him <b>through </b><b>it</b>.


    <b>Downstairs</b>, <b>I </b>could still hear Nick¡¯s mother moving around but I ignored her. She¡¯d made her choices<b>, </b><b>and </b><b>now </b>she had to live with them. My focus was on Samuel. On <b>making </b>sure he felt <b>safe</b><b>, </b>even when the world <b>felt </b>anything but.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>want to talk about it?¡± I asked him.


    He shook his head again. ¡°Not yet.


    <b>¡°</b>That¡¯s <b>okay</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I said. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    We sat there in silence for a while, just holding onto each other. The house was <b>still </b>quiet<b>, </b>but it felt a <b>little </b>less heavy. Samuel¡¯s breathing slowed, and I could tell he was starting to rx.


    ¡°Mom?¡± he said after a while.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±

 Novel Payback 312

    ¨C


    <b>Chapter </b><b>312 </b>


    ELODIE


    What was I thinking? Olivia was right, I should have <b>been </b>there when that <b>incident </b>took ce. I did <b>go </b>there to take care of the kids, then why was it that I felt the need to go out there by myself. What was <b>it </b><b>that </bpelled me to leave what I went there to do and go after criminals.


    Luke was right, I shouldn¡¯t have gone. I should have focused on being a grandmother. But what was the <b>point </b>of what if¡¯s now? the damage had already been done. There was no going back. I took out my phone and <b>dialled </b>Luke.


    I was sitting in the car in front of Olivia¡¯s house. ¡°Elodie, what now?¡± he sounded annoyed by the mere fact that I called. Like my brother didn¡¯t want to hear from me, which hurt. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try harder to stop me from going out there and hunting those people?¡± a sighed left him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I felt a lump in my throat forming and a lone tear escaped my eye. I wiped it off. I had no right to cry, I got myself in that position, what right did I have to cry? ¡°It doesn¡¯t <b>matter </b>what happed, but it made me realized that I have not changed much from the reckless teenager I was before.¡±


    I did whatever I wanted back then because I had Luke, he was always there to clean up after me. I got used to that and when I left home, I had my husband to clean up after me. having to take responsibility for my actions like that was not something I was used to.


    ¡°Elodie, I know that things didn¡¯t go as nned with the guys and that ended with the shooting at Olivia¡¯s house


    <b>}</b><b>) </b>


    I cut him short, I knew what happened, I knew my failures, I didn¡¯t need him to repeat them to me. ¡°That is not why I called, Luke. I don¡¯t need you to remind me of what I happened, I know, I was there.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you want from me?¡± he snapped, he was also frustrated. Sometimes I forgot that for him. it was not only Olivia who was put at risk, it was his grandson too. Samuel. ¡°I told you not to go but because you are a hardhead, you didn¡¯t listen. Now things didn¡¯t go as you nned. You are ming me, for what?¡±


    His words hit hard, I knew I was wrong to me him but damnit. Who else was I going to cry and vent to if not him. ¡°Olivia might never let me see my grandson again.¡± I told him, my voice low and heavy with emotion.


    It hadn¡¯t been long since Olivia came clean about Samuel being my grandson and soon after, they are left New Vige. That was my chance to build a rtionship with my grandson but me being stubborn. I left him when he needed me most.


    I thought just sitting back was not enough, I thought being out there and making things happen by myself was going to put an end to the whole thing. I was wrong. Those men managed to slip through our fingers and go shoot up a house.


    The very same ce I thought I was protecting by going out there myself. my grandson whom I thought would be safer if I handled things myself, almost got killed. What use was I to them then?


    I wouldn¡¯t me Olivia if she never let me see him again. ¡°You know Olivia is not vindictive. Eventually she will let you see him. for now, go home and give her time to deal with everything that happening.¡±


    My brother¡¯s wordsforted me, but the thought of all the time away from them hurt me. Nick was never going to be happy with what I had done, what I had allowed to happen. He too, would be angry for a long time.


    ¡°Thank you, for theforting word brother. But sitting back and waiting is going to be extremely hard for me. I have already lost so much time with both Nick and his son. <b>He </b>even moved to summer strand and now this.¡±


    ¡°Now you are annoying!¡± Luke snapped making me remove the phone from my ear and looked at it. w theforting me a minute ago? ¡°Feeling sorry for yourself and acting like a victim is unlike you. take responsibility


    28 BONKA


    <b>for </b><b>your </b><b>actions </b>and <b>stop </b>bothering <b>me</b>.<b>¡± </b>


    He <b>paused</b>, <b>I </b><b>could </b>hear him breathing on the other end of the line<b>. </b><b>I </b>on the other hand was too shocked to say anything. <b>¡°</b><b>Elodie</b>, <b>I </b>have a lot to deal with here. <b>I </b>don¡¯t have time for this now call me unless <b>it¡¯s </b><b>a </b>matter of life


    and death<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>With </b>that, he cut the call. I was left shocked and still holing my phone. I didn¡¯t realize I was acting like a <b>victim</b><b>. </b><b>I </b>ced the phone on the passenger seat and looked at myself. I was a mess<b>, </b>no wonder Olivia freaked out.


    I started the car and drove off. my phone rang, I nced at it and frowned. What could he want? I answered, curious to know what he wanted to say, ¡°I found them.<b>¡± </b>his words got me hitting the breaks so hard the tires screeched on the road, bring the car to an abrupt stop.


    <b>¡°</b>What happened, are you all right? Elodie!¡± jeez, why was He yelling. It was not like I <b>had </b><b>an </b>ident or hit someone. ¡°Am fine, tell me where they are.¡± Luke¡¯s words rang in my head and wondered <b>if </b>I should be the one to go after them or let the men deal with them.


    I was the one who let them get away, why wouldn¡¯t I take responsibility for it and end this? Luke and everyone else were going to forget the mistake I made when I inform them that I got those monsters.


    I could hear how frustrated Luke was, <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t imagine how Nick was. He didn¡¯t do well when he was away from Olivia. They both wanted toe back. I could make that happen for them. ¡°Tell me where they are.¡±

 Novel Payback 313

    NICK


    Six days had passed, and this was the seventh day. Thest day of torture for Xander. I tortured him for the exact number of days he kept Olivia in that catb. Made him have a taste of his own medicine. It seemed my dear Xander only knew how to dish it out but not take it.


    I tried wiping the dried blood off my hands but failed. It needed water, hell, I needed water, not only to drink but to bathe as well. Seven days without bathing sure can make a person stink. I went to the door, turning the key and opening it.


    Luke, was standing on the other side, looking fresh and as <b>if </b>he were about to knock. He covered his nose with a disgusted look on his face. ¡°Damn Nick, you stink!¡± I furrowed an eyebrow. What did he expect from someone who had been locked up in a room for seven days?


    Yes, the room had everything, and I could have used the facilities in there to get cleaned up. But that was not my priority, I had work to do, and I was focused on that. seeing that I wasn¡¯t responding, Luke continued. ¡°We would have left the ind three days ago, but you ignored me.¡± that could only mean one thing.


    Xander¡¯s men had been found. ¡°What happened?¡± Luke smirked looking proud with his hands shoved into his pockets. I was not even sure I asked, I didn¡¯t care what happened. I cared that I was going home. To see my son.


    I was about walked past him when he said something that got me to stop in my tracks and whip around to face him. ¡°You mother happened.¡± I looked at him, I thought mother was only there to supervise the men. How did she end up causing all the trouble.


    ¡°Calm down, she got the intel as to where they were, and she went and took them out.¡± He chuckled; proud smile of an older brother stered on his face. What weird siblings they were. Proud of one another for nonsense like


    that.


    ¡°Is my mother alright, Luke?¡± his smiled widened. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she be? she is a ck after all.¡± I shook my head walking away. I didn¡¯t even know why I asked. ¡°Nick, this guy looks dead, did you kill him!¡± he called after <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    But I did not stop, I continued walking away. If he wanted to see if he was alive or dead, then he was going to have to ignore the smell and walk in there to check for himself. If he could manage the smell I had to endure for seven days.


    Well, with me wanting to make Xander feel less of a human, humiliated in the worst way possible. I had to deny him of his natural rights, the right to go to the bathroom and relieve himself. He did everything on himself. Animals of his calibre did not need to be treated differently. They needed to be treated like the monsters they were.


    ¡°Nick Jones! just how the hell did you survive seven days in this shit!¡± I chuckled shaking my head. ¡°This damn room needs to be burned to the ground, no one could ever get this smell out of it. you are a monster; you were literally sitting in shit!¡± Luke continued to shout and curse now standing outside the room.


    ¡°Youe back here and sort this mess out. It is your mess you clean it.¡± he continued to shout, yell, and curse until I turned a corner going to my room. I bumped into two of our men. ¡°Get me bath salts.¡± They quickly nodded and hurried away.


    The looks on their faces were almostical; they looked terrified to see me at first and then the smell hit. A sh of disgust showed then they remembered who I was and tried to smile but ended up grinning like fools.


    T


    I wanted tough but I had no energy to do that. I just smirked and got into my room. it smelled fresh, I could tell it had just been cleaned that very morning. My phone neatly ced on the bedside table. I went to the ¡°hroom first and ran a bath for myself.


    ¨C


    <b>*</b>


    Washed my hands then went back and checked my phone. It had many missed calls and text messages. Most from Marcus, some from my mother. I kept scrolling hoping to see one from Olivia but there was nothing. I ced the phone back to where it was and went to attend to the knock on the door.


    ¡°Sir, your bath salts.¡± He handed me the paper bag. I took it and shut the door. I went to the bathroom and added the salts to the water. Just as I was stripping, my phone rang. I went to it and saw it was Olivia calling. My lips curved into a smile.


    ¡°Liv,¡± I answered. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t kill him.¡± Her words bit me like a punch on the gut. Her tone was using, as if she knew something. It was also cold, too cold for the Olivia I knew. My heart was a warm¨Chearted person.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± that came out like a question rather than an answer. ¡°Why do you sound so unsure? It¡¯s simple, is he dead or not?¡± many scenarios ran through my mind, trying to figure out what she was using me of. Her questions and how cold she was seemed like she had more to say or ask.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. you can ask your father if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± I paused still trying to figure out what I had missed in the past seven days. Did something happened that I didn¡¯t know about? ¡°If he is dead, then it¡¯s not because of me.¡±


    I did what to kill him, that I could admit. I wanted to strangle the life out of him and watch as he took hisst breath. That was what that monster deserved. But I felt I had tortured and humiliated him enough. By the time I felt that room moments ago.


    The Xander she knew was no longer there. I strongly believed that I had killed him. Not literally, of course. ¡°I don¡¯t need to ask him anything. I just couldn¡¯t live with myself knowing that you had killed a man because of what I said in a moment of anger.¡±


    Moment of anger or not, that man deserved to die. I wanted to get rid of him way before she told me about what happened to Samuel. Her telling me that only gave me a push to go through with what I did to him in that room. I have to go.¡± I cut the call.


    There was something else she was not telling me. Yes, she might have been worried about what she said but there was something else, something I couldn¡¯t ce my finger on. What was it?


    (6

 Novel Payback 314

    Chapter <b>314 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I didn¡¯t know if I could trust Nick, not after what I heard. The way they told me about Sandra being dead and showed no emotion and yet he killed her. It told me he could not be trusted. If he could go <b>on </b>with his life as if nothing happened after killing Sandra it meant he could lie about Xander as well.


    What Xander did hurt me, and it also hurt my son. I wanted him out of our lives the same way I wanted Sandra out of our lives. But after thinking about it. after saying that to him, the man dragged my husband with him<b>, </b>if he was dragged, and they went and killed Sandra.


    Neither of them seemed worried or abnormal as if they had taken a life before Sandra. I told Nick what I wanted when I was angry about what Xander did and after a while thought about what happened with Sandra and called him.


    I didn¡¯t want him killing people because I told him I wanted them out of my life. He was not Luke, he was not a murderer, well, was not a murderer. That was before Sandra. But even the way he answered when I called, he seemed fine as if he were telling the truth. The question was, could I put my trust in him and take his word for it?


    ¡°Mom, want ice¨Ccream.¡± Samuel snapped me out of my trance. We wereing from seeing his therapist, for the first time outside of our home. I thought taking him out of the house as the therapist suggested would be good


    for him.


    He seemed livelier and I liked that. To me, it meant my son was getting better. But we couldn¡¯t be sure since it was still early days. ¡°Okay, baby, we can get ice¨Ccream.¡± He grinned. God! I missed seeing him smile like that.


    I was starting to forget what his smile was like. The past week my son has been the shadow of himself. A frightened little kitten that needed protecting. It broke my heart to see him that way. I had been sleeping in his room, so I could be there for him when he woke up from a nightmare.


    But sometimes, he wouldn¡¯t wake up. He would shake and dry in his sleep until he wet the bed. I felt a hand on mine. I snapped out of it and looked. It was my husband¡¯s hand. When I turned to him, he wiped a tear that had fallen from my eye.


    He gave my hand a little squeeze. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright.¡± he whispered. My heart fluttered; butterflies swum in my stomach. That was the yearning I felt when I was back at the ind. The yearning to be close to him.


    The presence I felt through him holding my hand like that, hearing his voice and seeing his reassuring smile. I needed all that. I needed my love with me to feel whole again. I didn¡¯t know how much I needed it until I heard his voice when I was so out of it that I didn¡¯t know if I was hallucinating and hearing things or just in crazy.


    Our love was that strong. He stopped at the ice¨Ccream shop, never letting go of my hand as he drove. ¡°Want me to go and get it?¡± I looked back at Samuel, and he was already on his feet, excitement covering his face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± I couldn¡¯t wait until Lilly was that age, then we could go out together and have ice¨Ccream.


    By the time we got home, the street was filled with cars parked. I had forgotten it was the day when my father and Nick came back. We had left Lilly with Ethan. We could hear the noise before opening the door.


    Marcus gave me an apologetic look. I was annoyed; it was as if those people didn¡¯t have their own homes to go to. They had just arrived, why couldn¡¯t they go to their homes and rest? They could have visited another day.


    ¡°I will ask them to leave.¡± said Marcus opening the door. As soon as Samuel saw Nick, he let go of my hand and ran to him. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I didn¡¯t know they had gotten that close.


    I felt pang in my heart, I regretted separating them but was also grateful to Luke for telling him about Nick and showing him pictures. It helped with their rtionship. ¡°Let them stay.¡± I whispered to Marcus, an


    nodded.


    Luke came toward us seeing that we were still standing at the doorway. He opened his arms wide, I wasn¡¯t going to hug him, but he had a vulnerable look in his eyes. He looked as if he were about to cry.


    I handed the bag I was carrying to Marcus then went and threw myself at him. His hold tightened around me. He kept kissing the top of my head and whispering, ¡°You are alright. Thank God you are alright.¡±


    I melted into his arms and tears fell from my eyes. Luke had never been the affectionate type, or I never allowed him to be. He was the father who left me and my mother, the one who came into my lifete.


    I thought I was protecting myself by keeping him at arm¡¯s length. I didn¡¯t know I was depriving myself of a father¡¯s love. I thought I didn¡¯t need it, yet when I was in trouble, he was the first person I called.


    Even at that moment, when he opened his arms for me, I did not want to go and hug him. I didn¡¯t know I needed it until his arms were wrapped around me holding me tight as if I would disappear again if he let go.


    I never once thought of how my disappearance affected him. I only thought of myself and my kids. ¡°I am okay, the kids are okay as well.¡± I assured him, it seemed like he needed to hear that. <b>¡°</b>I am d.¡±


    ¡°Hey Luke, please let go of my wife.¡± Marcus shouted from across the room. ¡°I also want a hug, but it seems Luke wants to keep his daughter to himself.¡± I chuckled as everyoneughed. My dad didn¡¯t respond immediately.


    I heard him sniff and his arms loosened around me. He held me by my shoulders removing me from his chest gently. He looked at me and his eyes were bloodshot red. I wiped his tears. I always saw him as strong.


    He was the Don after all. I had forgotten the man behind the title. ¡°I am alright.¡± I reassured him again. He nodded. ¡°You all can wait, this my daughter after all.¡± He yelled over his shoulder making everyugh. ¡°Be well, alright? And I am right here whenever you need me.¡±


    X

 Novel Payback 315

    Chapter <b>315 </b>


    MARCUS


    The moment between Olivia and Luke touched me. I thought I was caring for my wife well enough. I thought I knew what she needed, but seeing her with Luke like that made me realize that I had missed some things. Like the rtionship she should have had with her father.


    Luke was the only family she had left besides the one she chose for herself: Lupita and her grandmother. As her husband, I should have helped her nurture that rtionship, but I missed the signs<b>. </b>Yes, Luke was in our lives, but not in the way he was supposed to be. Not as Olivia¡¯s father.


    We had been treating him like a close friend instead, which was wrong of us, of me.


    ¡°Are you alright, man?¡± Nick snapped me out of my trance, breaking my train <b>of </b>thought. I nced at him. He seemed fine, but when I looked closely, he looked as if something was bothering him.


    I guess we were all still bothered by what had happened. I envied the people living simple lives sometimes; they seemed happier than we were, more content, and enjoying life more than we did. ¡°Come on<b>, </b>let¡¯s grab a drink.¡± I could tell we both needed it.


    He stood and followed me to the bar area. I fixed us a drink and handed him a ss. ¡°I wanted to ask, did something happen that I need to know about?¡± I was sure he was asking because of the missed calls he got from <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    ¡°I wanted to warn you, Olivia knows about Sandra.¡± Nick paled. I didn¡¯t know what was going on with him, if he would ever get over my wife. I didn¡¯t want to keep a snake close to me only for it to bite me when I least expected <ol><li>it. </li></ol>


    Nick couldn¡¯t hide his feelings for my wife as much as he thought he did. I could see right through him.


    ¡°Does she know I did it?¡± I shook my head in the negative. He looked worried, as if he had done something wrong to Olivia, or as if he were a man afraid of his wife finding out he was cheating.


    ¡°Then what does she know? Tell me exactly.¡± I was not in the mood to do that.


    ¡°She knows one of us killed Sandra, but she doesn¡¯t know which one.¡± Nick looked as if he just recalled something.


    ¡°So, that is why she spoke to me like that. As if she was using me of something. And she was very cold and distant as well.¡± Why did it matter to him how my wife reacted toward him? She was no longer his to care for.


    ¡°Nick, don¡¯t look so worried. I will take care of my wife.¡± I had to emphasize the fact that she was my wife, not his.


    ¡°I know, man, but she is the mother of my kid, and I don¡¯t want to get on her bad side. It could affect my rtionship with Samuel.¡± He paused, looking frustrated.


    ¡°Already, she hid Samuel from me once. Well, not once, but twice. She gave birth to him and never told me she was pregnant to begin with, or that she had a baby. When she finally admitted to it, she imed he was not mine. I can¡¯t risk something like that happening again because of that.¡±


    As a father myself, I understood where he wasing from But that didn¡¯t give him the right to lust over my wife and even show it.


    ¡°What are you two doing here alone when everyone is out there? Are you discussing who to kill next?¡± Olivia¡¯s voice cut through the tension building between Nick and me.


    I managed to smile, chuckling. I rounded the counter and walked to her. I nted a kiss on her for lead. ¡°No,


    we¡¯re discussing areas where I can buy our new home. We can¡¯t stay here<b>, </b>not after what happened.¡±


    She looked between Nick and me. Nick stood and opened his arms, just like Luke did earlier. I furrowed my eyebrow, wondering what the hell he was up to.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t give me a hug when I got here. I missed you as well.¡± Olivia looked up at me with pleading eyes.


    I knew she was notfortable with Nick yet. After she heard, she might have doubts about him. I pulled her to me. ¡°Nope, she is my wife. I¡¯m tired of you, Luke, and Ethan iming her all the time. This time, I am putting my foot down. I refuse.¡±


    Nick chuckled, lowering his arms. I could see the disappointment in his eyes, even though he was chuckling as if he understood. His eyes fixed on my wife, who let out a breath when I refused for her to hug Nick. I was right, she was ufortable.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go out there before they miss us. Nick, send me the information about the areas<b>.</b>¡± I didn¡¯t wait for him to respond and took my wife away from there. Nick should be one of the people who limit their visits to my home.


    But how was I going to do that? He was Samuel¡¯s father after all. He would want to visit his son. What about my wife then? It was a dilemma.


    Nick soon joined us; he was sitting opposite us with Luke. ¡°Marcus, Olivia, I wanted to give you this.<b>¡± </b>Luke handed us a big brown envelope.


    I took it and opened it. Inside was a deed to a house. Actually, it wasn¡¯t a house. It was a mansion, bigger than the one we were currently sitting in. That thing looked like some president¡¯s residence. I handed the papers to Olivia.


    I was going to buy my wife a new home. I didn¡¯tck money Was he being forward? I kept my mouth shut and waited for my wife to be the one to make the decision. In the end, I was going to go with whatever made her happy, She nced at me after reading the papers. ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    Nick grabbed the papers out of Olivia¡¯s hands. ¡°This is too much, Luke. You can¡¯t do something like this as if Marcus can¡¯t afford to buy a house for his family. In fact, we were discussing that in the bar just now. You didn¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Lukeughed. ¡°Nick, you are the one who can¡¯t do something like this because Olivia is nothing to you. Not unless you will be buying property for Samuel. But I can do this and more for my daughter. Just because she is married doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do anything for her. In fact, I haven¡¯t done anything for Olivia. This is only the start.¡±


    Nick looked as if he had been pped in the face. Ethanughed, earning himself a re from his best friend. ¡°He is right though; you don¡¯t have a say in this. Her father buying gifts like these is not wrong. He also knows Marcus can afford it. But I don¡¯t think this is about Marcus, but a father wanting to make up for being absent in his daughter¡¯s life all these years.¡®


    Ethan made a good point. I never thought of it like that.


    ¡°Well, thank you. It¡¯s huge for our little family, but ites from the goodness of your heart, so we will ept it.¡±

 Novel Payback 316

    OLIVIA


    I thought my husband would be offended and wouldn¡¯t want to ept the gift from my father. I thought that his pride as man would be bruised, but that was far from the truth, Marcus surprised me and epted. I offered him a warm smile; it seemed as if we were bing more like a real family.


    However, I didn¡¯t understand Nick¡¯s behaviour. Why was he opposed to my father giving me a gift, what was that any of his business? The man had no right to interfere in my affairs, but he inserted himself and was now in the middle of it.


    I nced over at him, and he looked sad. ¡°Nick, can I have word with you?¡± being alone with him made me ufortable however, the issue with him needed to be addressed. Things could not continue the way they had been. That was my home, and he was the fact of my child. We could not afford to be at odds with each other.


    He followed me to the salon, I took a seat and looked out at the city. For the first time in months, I found myself breathing freely. ¡°You know, I remember the time when I looked forward to seeing you, to having dinner with you at the end of the day, to start our own family.¡± I nced at him with a smile on my face.


    Things between us weren¡¯t all bad. ¡°We had good times Nick, and I still remember those times. However, they remain a part of my past. I wouldn¡¯t change anything about what happened between us, my time with you gave me our son and I wouldn¡¯t change that for the world.¡±


    ¡°Olivia¡­¡± my name came out as a whisper; I offered him a smile waving him off. ¡°Even after we divorced, you still looked out for me, and I appreciate that. but I it¡¯s time you moved on. There is no longer Olivia and Nick Jone anymore.¡±


    I paused letting my words hang in the air. ¡°Our chapter ended a long time ago, it¡¯s time for you to let go now, Nick. You and I will never go back to what we were. It¡¯s time for a new chapter in your life as well.¡± I stood and went to stand by the rail then turned to look at him.


    He looked hurt by my words, I didn¡¯t know what he was expecting, we had been divorced for a couple of years now and I got married again. Did he think there was still a chance of us getting back together?


    The man was delusional, truly. ¡°I want us to set some rules to make things easy for us, you, Samuel and I.¡± he looked up at me, eyes blood shot red, pain written all over his face. It was as if we were only breaking up then.


    ¡°I need you to call in advance when youing to visit Samuel. Even then, I don¡¯t want you staying in my house during your visit. I want you to take him, go somewhere with him then bring him back home. You are only allowed toe into my home and stay for a couple of hours when my husband invites you for whatever. However, even then, I don¡¯t want you staying longer than you should.¡±


    The man looked so broken that I even felt as if I was being too harsh on him. but I believed I was doing what needed to be done. Moreover, I felt that if I wasn¡¯t honest with him, then he was never going to move on. That he was going to keep having hope that something might happen between us if we stayed single.


    That was not what I wanted, I didn¡¯t want options as I was content with my husband. ¡°Olivia¡­¡± the sadness in his voice when he called my name. he looked as if tears would fall at any moment. ¡°I forgive you, Nick. I am not longer angry and resentful. Now, my only wish is for you to be happy as well. Our marriage was not meant to be and that is alright. It¡¯s life and we must ept the things we cannot change.¡±


    He stood. ¡°But we can change this, if you want it, we can be together again, a family as it should be. just yes, my heart and we will make it happen.¡± He extended his hand to me. ¡°All you have to do is take my hand and we can make it happen.¡± I felt sorry for him.


    ¡°If you had offered me your hand back then when I needed you to believe me as my husband, I wo


    have been


    thrilled and remained by your side for the rest of my life. but that time has passed. You missed your moment back then. We can¡¯t go back now. am sorry.¡±


    His arm fell on his side as if it lost all strength. I used to love that man<b>, </b>he once meant the world to me and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, grow old with him. However, life and fate had other ns for us.


    ¡°Nick, some people don¡¯te into our lives to stay, they onlye to teach us lessons then move on. We are meant to learn from those lessons as they will help us to navigate our lives going forward. I hope you <b>can </b>learn whatever lesson our marriage has taught you and move on


    I could not stay any longer, the look on his face was too sad to look at. I walked away but just as I got back into the room. I saw my husband standing there. He looked worried. ¡°Am fine.¡± He nodded taking my hand.


    A minuteter, Nick appeared. He didn¡¯t say a word to anyone. He took his jacket and left. ¡°Ethan, go after him, make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything stupid. He still has a son who needs him.¡± Ethan stood and followed.


    Luke sighed. ¡°I do believe that boy never stopped loving you, even when he sent you to jail, I believe in that twisted mind of his, he believed he was doing the right thing.¡±


    ¡°Which side are you on, Luke?¡± Marcus asked looking offended. ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything by it, Marcus, don¡¯t take offense, I am just saying that sometimes we do things thinking they are in the best interest of those we love. We don¡¯t know we are hurting them in the process. Look at what I did when I tried to get Olivia away from Nick? I almost got her killed just like I did with her mother. Of course, I never meant for her to get hurt but it happened.¡±


    That he did, the car ident and everything else with Sandra¡¯s sister. I sighed; I didn¡¯t see what part of what he did looked like he was protecting me in his eyes. ¡°Make sure Nick, knows his boundaries. I want us to remain civil with each other as Samuel¡¯s father. But if I must cut him off our lives for good, then I will.<b>¡± </b>

 Novel Payback 317

    Chapter <b>317 </b>


    ETHAN


    When I got outside, Nick was leaning against his car looking up in the sky as if he was a wolf about to howl to the moon. The door closing him alerted him of my presence. He looked over at me then opened the backseat, throwing his jacket in. ¡°Am fine, Ethan<b>, </b>go back.¡± He got into the car and drove <b>off</b>.


    I could see he was not alright; the man had been my best friend since high school, I knew him better than most. I got into my car and followed him. the route he took got me thinking he was going to a bar to drown his sorrows. However, he took a turned heading to the Walker Memorial hospital. Where Lupita and her grandma were.


    I wondered what the hell was he going to do there. I followed him into the underground parking lot. Ten minutes passed and he wasn¡¯t getting out. So, I got out of my car and when to check. The man had a bottle in hand and was drinking.


    I didn¡¯t know when or where he got the bottle of brandy from. But it seemed as if he had been drinking all the while he was driving there. It got me anger because anything could have happened on the road, he could have gotten into an ident or caused one.


    I knocked on his window with my stomach in knots. Did the man think at all. ¡°Nick,e out, now!¡± he looked up at me then pushed the door open. ¡°It wasn¡¯t locked, you idiot.¡± He stabled out. ¡°I told you not to follow me, why are you here?¡± I had no words for him, I just red. He shrugged with no care in the world.


    ¡°Why are you here, Nick? You should be going home.¡±


    He walked away as I spoke. ¡°I going to wake sleeping beauty.¡± He stumbled but steadied himself before he could fall. What in the heavens name did he mean by that? I hurried and grabbed him by the arm stopping him.


    ¡°Let me take you home.¡± He roughly pulled his arm away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home. I want to do onest thing for Olivia before I be a stranger to her.¡± he chuckled. ¡°A stranger.¡± He whispered as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°I know Olivia left me a long time ago, but I still held on<b>, </b>I continued to love her from a distance with the hope that she wille back to me one day.¡± Heughed mockingly. ¡°I was wrong, she is noting back.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°So, let me grieve.¡± A lone tear fell from his eye. He didn¡¯t bother to wipe it off. I still followed him into the hospital and all the way to the sixth floor. ¡°So, what are you nning to do here.¡± I seriously had no idea what his n was.


    He mentioned doing one more thing for Olivia before they became strangers, however, Nick was no doctor. He had no clue what was to be done in that situation. ¡°Just wait and see.¡± I leaned against the door and watched as he went and took a seat next to Lupita¡¯s bed.


    ¡°You must wake up now, Olivia needs you. she is surrounded by men who only know how to provide and protect. She has no one to talk to, she needs you. so, wake up.¡± What ame n that was.


    Did he, in his drunk mind think Lupita was going to wake up just because he told her to? The doctors had been trying everything to wake them up for weeks now and they had not woken up. Yet, there he was, acting as if his words had some magical powers. That they could reach Lupita in her deep slumber and wake her up.


    What a moron, my friend was when he was drunk. ¡°My son almost died not so long ago. If you were there, looking out for him as you always have since he was a baby. None of that would have happened. He wouldn¡¯t been seeing a therapist now, because you would have been there, protecting him.¡±


    A tear fell, he was hurting. Many things were on his mind. ¡°Nick,e on man. Let me take you home.¡± He ignored mepletely, as if was not even there. ¡°So, before I disappear from Olivia¡¯s life, I need to wake up


    4


    ¨C


    and be there for her. or you know I will not leave her alone. He chuckled.


    *75 80**


    More tears came, I didn¡¯t know how long my friend was going to cry and grieve for the love he lost for. ¡°I won¡¯t leave her alone Lupita because I believe the only people who know how to take good care of her, are you and L. so, how can I leave when you are not there to take over?¡±


    Wow, so, to him we were just there but he did not trust us enough to care for Olivia, Nick could be so full of himself. I walked over to him feeling annoyed by his words They said drunk men spoke no lies and I knew Nick, all that he said was how he truly felt.


    ¡°Come on<b>, </b>now. let¡¯s go. You have said enough and am sure Lupita heard you.¡± he looked up at me. ¡°I said I came here to wake her up, does she look like she is awake to you?¡® he took swing from the bottle then went back to looking at Lupita.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t wake up on your own then I am going to kiss you.¡± I was stanned. What hell was he talking about. ¡°I mean, the movies and fairy tales can¡¯t be far off.¡± I couldn¡¯t help it then, I burst outughing, Was that his n? Nick was stupid.


    Nick stood then leaned in. I stoppedughing stanned. In my head I was telling myself that he was not going to do it. Nick leaned in more, getting closer and closer to Lupita¡¯s lips. Then, he kissed her, he then whispered, well, thought he was whispering.


    ¡°Wake up now love, for Samuel and me. wake up.¡± Nick kissed her again. By that time, my eyes were wide as if they were going to pop right out of their sockets. The man seemed to enjoy kissing her as he didn¡¯t immediately


    move away.


    I took a step forward to pull him away when Lupita lifted her hand. I stop in my tracks. <b>¡°</b>Nick¡­¡± he didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Nick!¡± I called louder this time, and he moved away from her. ¡°What¡­¡± he couldn¡¯t finish as Lupita touched his arm; her eyes still closed. Shit! he did it, he really woke up her.


    I was beside myself. not sure what to do. Nick had a huge grin on his face looking satisfied with himself. ¡°Told you, it will work.¡±

 Novel Payback 318

    Chapter <b>318 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I couldn¡¯t believe it when I got a call from Ethan telling me that Lupita was awake. That Nick woke her up. I had so many questions but no time to ask them. I wanted to see for myself that she was awake and doing well. My dad and I rushed to the hospital leaving my husband with the kids.


    Upon arrival, we found Lupita awake and talking. I couldn¡¯t be happier seeing that she was doing well. ¡°Oh, Lupita, you don¡¯t know how worried I was about you. Thank you foring back to me<b>.</b><b>¡® </b>


    ¡°You should be thanking me; I am the one who woke her up.¡± Nick said proudly on the side with a proud smile on his face. He smelled like brewery and that told me he went drinking before going to the hospital. ¡°Alright, Nick Jones the miracle worker. Why don¡¯t you go and wake up grandma as well?¡±


    His eyes widened then a disgusted look appeared on his face. He stood waving his hand. ¡°No, I think I have done enough, I will leave grandma to the doctors.¡± He walked towards the door standing there as if he were getting ready to run. Iughed. ¡°Lupita, let me go hear what the doctor has to say, I will be right back.¡±


    She nodded with a smile on her face. God! I missed her smile; I was worried that I might not her it for a long time. I walked out of the room and bumped into the doctor. ¡°Mrs Walker.¡± He greeted with a warm smiled.


    ¡°Hello doctor, I wanted to know that the situation is with Lupita.¡± Heughing as we moved away from the door a bit. ¡°She is perfectly fine and can even go home now. she was never sick to begin with just asleep for a long time. But her limps might take a couple of days to get back to normal again.¡±


    That was understandable as they had not been used in a while. ¡°Nick says he woke her up.¡± The doctorughed. ¡± Let him take the credit, however, she has been showing signs of waking up and whatever he said to her gave her the edge to wake up.¡± I wouldn¡¯t tell Nick that, he would be disappointed.


    There was no harm in letting him blow his horn for a while. ¡°What about grandma?¡± the doctor¡¯s face changed, and I knew it wouldn¡¯t be good news. ¡°Her situation is deteriorating instead of improving. We think she was allergic to whatever sedative she was given. Some people don¡¯t wake up even under general anastatic. We are worried she might be one of those few people.¡±


    My heart ached, how was I going to tell Lupita that my carelessness might cost her grandmother, the only family she had her life. how was I going to face her? ¡°Is there anything that can be done for her?¡± I was willing to try anything.


    ¡°No, unfortunately there is nothing we can do for her at this point. At first, we thought her situation was the same as her granddaughter¡¯s but when she started showing signs of waking up and her grandmother didn¡¯t. we knew that something was amiss.¡± The doctor looked back at Lupita¡¯s ward.


    ¡°We can¡¯t test to see if she is allergic to anastatic as this point, but everything points to it. she is deteriorating and fast. I was going to call today and inform you of her condition. You might have a week at best with her or less.¡±


    Oh, dear heavens, I thought we had more. Time to find something to help her but now, I was going to have to tell Lupita the news. She was going to hate me for it. I took them out of the country and took them to that damned ind.


    Now her grandmother was dying because of me. ¡°I am sorry, Mrs Walker. I wish I had better news.¡± The doctor tried tofort me before walking away. I stood there for a while not knowing that to do.


    I turned and looked at the ward, Lupita wasughing at something Ethan said. She looked so radiant and happy to have woken up. I wished I didn¡¯t have to take away her smile. However, I had no other choice but to do just that.


    She would hate me even more if I hid the truth from her, took away the time she could have spen


    th her


    grandmother if I didn¡¯t tell her. I sighed deeply. My feet felt heavy as I walked back inside. She smiled at me and my heart broke.


    ¡°Guys, could you please give us a moment.¡± Ethan looked at me with a questioning look and I shook my head. It was not the time for him to ask. They left closing the door behind them. I sighed and took a seat next to Lupita¡¯s


    bed.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± I couldn¡¯t even look at her. ¡°I am sorry to do this to you now. I know you just woke up and if I could, I would keep it a secret, but I am afraid it will be toote if I do that.¡± Lupita frowned. ¡°It¡¯s grandma, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I lifted my head to look at her. she didn¡¯t look angry just sad ¡°She is not getting better; The doctors believe she had an allergic reaction to whatever Xander gave you two. They don¡¯t think she willst a week, Lupita. I am sorry, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±


    Lupita said nothing, I lowered my head in shame not sure what else to say or do. ¡°If I didn¡¯t take you two with me, none of this would have happened. I am sorry I caused this. She sighed.


    ¡°I wish I could curse and me you for everything. But grandma wouldn¡¯t want that. As much as I am angry, my anger is not directed at you. Xander did this, he and only him is to me for what is happening.¡± Lupita was a good person just like her grandmother.


    ¡°I will go and see her. But I will ask that you make funeral arrangements. Grandma told me once that if she were ever in a situation like this, I should let her go. I am going to do as she asked. Make the arrangements.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help the tears that fell from my eyes. Why did things have to be this way? Why did I have to leave home and go to the ind and why did I bring Xander into our lives? I felt her hand on mine, and I stiffened. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Olivia, it¡¯s what she wanted. We have to say our goodbyes now and let her go.¡±

 Novel Payback 319

    MARCUS


    ¡°What can I do?¡± I asked feeling helpless. My wife was ming herself for what was happening to Lupita¡¯s grandmother. I understood why but I med Xander. He went and used innocent people in his game and those were the results. Grandma was old and sick already. Top that with whatever Xander gave her made things worse.


    Then there was Nick, I didn¡¯t know if he was there tofort Lupita or if he was there for my wife. Olivia made if clear to him just the other day but there he was. In our home again with an excuse that he came for Lupita and my wife was too out of it to say something to him.


    I didn¡¯t even know if saying something myself at the time like that was the right thing to do. Nick could be so annoying. ¡°No need to re, he has done nothing wrong. He has not gone anywhere near your wife.¡± Sometimes I didn¡¯t get Luke character.


    ¡°No need to re at me either. Nick is going to move on this time. Look at him, he is not fighting anymore.¡± I nced back at Nick who had Lupita in his armsforting her. The man took the fact he woke her up very seriously. He was acting like her protector.


    ¡°Well, Nick is full of surprises. Who knew that he still had a thing for my wife after all this time? Even now, he could be faking all this, letting us forget before he starts again. Your nephew is shameless.¡± Luke chucked.


    ¡°You are one to talk.¡± I red at him; what did he mean by that? ¡°Why are you looking surprised when you took Olivia from Nick?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe he said that to me. ¡°There you go again looking surprised. Marcus, you couldn¡¯t even wait for then to be divorced before you made your move. Isn¡¯t that why you are so insecure now?¡±


    He was right about one thing; I was insecure and that was because Nick was always around. However, I knew that my wife loved me and would never leave me for Nick. We had been through so much together and I had made my fair share of mistakes that could have led to our divorce.


    However, even through all that. We were still going strong; our bond was stronger than ever, and no one could deny that. ¡°Luke, do you want Olivia to get back together with Nick?¡± heughed, a mocking like ofugh that got my insides twisting.


    ¡°You talk as if I have a say in what my daughter can and cannot do. Olivia chose you, so stop being so insecure and trust her. Leave Nick alone as well while you are at it. He is hurting enough as it is without you rubbing it in.¡±


    He than walked away as if nothing happened. I stood there ring at Nick, I didn¡¯t know why I was feeling that way. My wife had already made things clear with Nick but his sudden interest in Lupita the past couple of days made me wonder what he was up to.


    ¡°You look like someone stole your toy.<i>¡± </i>I nced at Ethan then back at Nick. He followed my eyes then sighed. ¡± Don¡¯t do that to yourself. It¡¯s not worth it.¡± Of course, why did I think he was going to take my side in that situation when Nick was his best friend.


    ¡°This is a memorial service, Marcus. Leave Nick be and let Olivia and Lupita grieve their loss.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡±


    ¡°No buts, imagine what your wife would think if you caused trouble here, today? Don¡¯t do something like that man. It¡¯s not worth you fighting with your wife over. Let it go.¡± I clicked my tongue, went to the bar area, and got myself something to drink.


    Pour me one as well.¡± I red at him. He shrugged and went around then poured himself a drink. ¡°You know, one would swear that you are dating Olivia and not married to her. What I don¡¯t understand is why you don¡¯t trust her. She has not done anything for you to doubt her and I find your distrust in her quite annoying


    +25 BORBIS


    How dare he? ¡°I never said I don¡¯t trust my wife, it¡¯s Nick lon¡¯t trust, not Olivia!¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice, remember where we are.¡± He reprimanded me, in my ow house, the man reprimanded me. Wow! ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you trust Nick or not, but he has not done anything wrong. He has not made a move on Olivia or anything. He has been nothing but respectful towards you even when we were on the ind. Think about that before you re at him next time.¡±


    He then walked away. Was I being unreasonable? Maybe I was but Nick was not someone who would just let things be. I genuinely believed he was nning something<b>, </b>and he was going to use Lupita to achieve it.


    I left and went to check on my wife. She was with Lilly feeding her when I got upstairs. ¡°How are things down there, how¡¯s Lupita?¡± She was hurting yet she was hurting herself. ¡°Lupita is fine, Nick is taking care of her.¡±


    She said nothing, just looked at me for a moment. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked now feeling like I had done something wrong. ¡°I should be asking you that, you don¡¯t seem like yourself. What happened?¡± I couldn¡¯t tell her what I was feeling.


    It would seem as if I didn¡¯t trust her. ¡°Nothing, I was just watching Nick and how protective he has been of Lupita.¡± She hummed. ¡°I don¡¯t want problems here Marcus, I don¡¯t know what is going on but not today.¡±


    I took a seat on the bed next to her. Maybe I was wrong. Everyone was telling me to stop maybe I should. ¡°Nothing is going to happen, my love. I promise.¡± I sat there looking at my wife and daughter wondering what in the heaven¡¯s name was I worried about?


    The woman epted my daughter as her own and took me back after the shit I put her through. Why was I looking for problems where there aren¡¯t any? ¡°I love you, Olivia.¡±

 Novel Payback 320

    <b>Chapter </b><b>320 </b>


    NICK


    It¡¯s <b>been </b>two months since Lupita¡¯s grandmother passed and I had been spending a lot of time with her. At first, it <b>was </b>my <b>way </b>in, to get close to Olivia. However, Olivia did not give me the chance <b>to</b>, she stuck to her guns, told me <b>to </b>call when I wanted to visit Samuel<b>, </b>and I must take him away then bring him back.


    It was my first time doing such things, I needed help and Lupita needed to get out of the house. To stop thinking too much about what had happened to her grandmother. Olivia easily agreed for her toe with us when I visited, and she had great rmendations of ces I could take Samuel to.


    In the time we spent together, I got to know her more, not just as my son¡¯s nanny but as a woman. She was an amazing young woman with a degree in business. I couldn¡¯t understand why she was looking after kids when she had a business degree.


    She told me she started looking after kids because she couldn¡¯t find a job, moreover, her grandmother was sick, she had to make a living somehow in addition to that, she had to take care of her grandmother. She casually told me. ¡®Bills had to be paid.<b>¡® </b>


    She found a job looking after a neighbour¡¯s child and ended up loving it. She now called it her true calling. She said she could not imagine herself doing anything else, let alone being in an office dealing with adults who had issues.


    She was right about that, dealing with adults was difficult, kids were easy to please and didn¡¯t have the baggage adults had. They were pure at heart and would make you smile without even trying. I respected her for that.


    Now, I found myself looking forward to our conversations. Making excuses to see her all the time, wanting to visit my son all in the name of making up for lost time, knowing that I was going to be able to see her.


    My phone pinged indicating an iing text, Iughed reading the text, it was a picture of Samuel with his face stuffed with cookie daw. He looked like a chipmunk. ¡°And now?¡± Ethan questioned; he had been spending a lot of time with me.


    Maybe that was what Olivia told him to do because she was worried, I might do something stupid. I turned the phone and showed him the picture. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything funny in that.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± He furrowed his eyebrows, he fully turned to look at me. ¡°Or maybe it is not the picture that made you smile like that. Maybe it¡¯s the person who sent the picture, who is responsible for that smile.¡± I frowned cing the phone beside me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this out to be a big deal when it¡¯s not. Lupita and I are just two lonely people bonding over Samuel. She needs to keep her mind upied and so do I. I am trying to get over Olivia as best I can. I would appreciate it if you would let me do that without judging how I am doing it¡±


    They kept pestering me, telling me to forget Olivia and move on. I was trying to do just that, but they still had an issue with that as well. Ethan lifted his hands up in surrender. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean anything by it, man. Forget I said anything.¡±


    it I stood and went to the bar area, poured myself a drink and took a sip. I thought about what Ethan said, no, couldn¡¯t be true. I just decided to give up on Olivia only two months ago. I couldn¡¯t be thinking of such with the nanny of all people.


    We were only enjoying each other¡¯spany, nothing more. Then why did I smile like that, was it the picture? I went back and took my phone. I checked the picture, for a dad, the picture was indeed funny.


    Therefore, it couldn¡¯t have been Lupita who made me smile, not that there was anything wrong with it, but it was definitely the picture. I nodded convincing myself. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you truly believe it was the picture then why I you looking


    <b>Chapter </b><b>320 </b>


    <b>at </b>it again?<b>¡± </b>


    Ethan was beginning to piss me <b>off</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>I </b>will have you know that the person in the picture is my <b>son</b>¡­¡®


    ¡°Our son.¡± He cut me short just to insert himself as MY SON¡¯s father as well. ¡°Yes, Ethan<b>, </b>it is our <b>son </b>on the picture, and I quite like having his pictures, no matter how silly they are.¡± He nodded. ¡°How <b>is </b><b>Lupita </b>doing<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you so defensive? You <b>are </b>the one who has <b>been </b>spending a lot of time with her. We hardly see her and Samuel since this thing between the two <b>of </b><b>you </b><b>started</b>.¡±


    ¡°There is nothing between us.¡± I snapped. Ethan shook his head. Shit! why did I snap like that? ¡°Again<b>, </b><b>no </b><b>need </b>to snap at me or be defensive. I am just asking about her state of mind. Her grandmother was the only family <b>she </b>had besides Olivia.¡±


    I ran my hand through my head. Just what the fuck was wrong with me? ¡°She seems fine with me.¡± I poured myself another ss. Ethan was trying to taint what Lupita and I had. We shared a bond now that could not be easily broken.


    I brought her back from the dead and we were bonding over my son. There was nothing sinister about that. ¡°Don¡¯t over think it, Nick. Even if something were to happen between the two of you. All of us will be happy for you<b>.</b>¡± he patted my shoulder.


    ¡°No one deserves happiness more than you do, both you and Olivia do, and you don¡¯t need to be together to have that. You finding someone for yourself will be a good thing I clicked my tongue annoyed.


    ¡°Yeah, am sure you will all be happy. What about you though?¡± He gulped down the drink in his hand. ¡°We are not talking about me here, let¡¯s not confuse things.¡± Iughed.

 Novel Payback 321

    Chapter <b>321 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I was busy changing Lilly when Lupita walked in. She looked like she had something to say but did not know how to say it. She kept ncing at me then when I looked at her she would avoid eye contact. She looked the same when we first met, she couldn¡¯t look me in the eyes, she was so shy.


    ¡°If Nick is here for Samuel again, you can go, you don¡¯t have to ask me. Nick is his father, and I have decided not to interfere with their rtionship anymore. They are father and son; I can¡¯t change that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± she was quick to answer, and I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh, then tell me what you need, you don¡¯t have to be shy about it.¡± She went back to being shy again and ying with her fingers. I even finished changing Lilly and started feeding her with her doing the same thing.


    ¡°Lupita, we have known each other for a long time now, you can tell me anything.<i>¡± </i>It got me worried that maybe she wanted leave, her grandmother did die because of me, maybe she didn¡¯t want to stay with me anymore. Maybe she wanted to go back to Summer Strand.


    I would be sad if that were the case, but I would understand ¡°Lupita, talk to me, you are scaring me now.¡± Where would I find a friend, sister, and confidant like her again If she were to leave me? ¡°I wanted to ask if¡­<b>¡± </b>She stopped herself.


    My mind was already thinking of many scenarios in my head and none of them good. They just made ma anxious. What do you want to know, tell me.<i>¡± </i>She sighed and took a seat. ¡°Look, if I am crossing the line then I want you to tell me and I will stop.


    I frowned wondering what line she could be talking about. Lupita was a good person, and I believed with everything in me that she would never do anything to hurt me. So, what line could she have been worried about crossing?


    ¡°Talk to me, what line, what happened?¡± I was getting anxious and worried. ¡°Would you be offended if something were to happen between Nick and me? Not that something has happened, don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± I sighed releasing the breath I didn¡¯t realize I was holding.


    ¡°Lupita, you know better than anyone that things between Nick and I ended a long time ago. I don¡¯t want Nick the way you might think, I just like him as a friend and my son¡¯s father. Other than that, there is nothing between us and if something happens between the two of you, I will have no problem with it.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°Did something happen between you two or do you feel something for him?¡± She lowered her head blushing. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, I had never seen Lupita like that. ¡°Nothing happened and he hasn¡¯t said anything.¡±


    She lifted her head to look at me. ¡°It¡¯s just that the time I have spent with him, I got to know a side of him I didn¡¯t know. Before, I only knew the wild side of Nick buttely, I have been seeing the gentle and kind side of him.¡±


    I smiled, she was falling for him and that was why she was asking me. She didn¡¯t need to, I wanted her to be happy, she deserved to be happy. ¡°It seems as if you have started developing feelings for Nick.¡± She blushed. ¡°Is that weird?¡± Iughed shaking my head.


    ¡°There is nothing weird about that Lupita, Nick is a good man even thought he has a side to him that I don¡¯t like. A side you know very well. If you are okay with that and you can be with him despite his ws, then go ahead.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I was more than sure, I didn¡¯t want Nick back, I loved my husband, and I couldn¡¯t see my life or future without him in it. ¡°I am sure, Nick and I are over.¡± She sighed. ¡°Okay then, I will let you know if something happens.¡± I shook my head.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to report to me, this is your personal life, and you deserve your privacy. That is why <b>you </b>have your own space in this house and a separate entrance. For you to have your own life without us.¡± She <b>teared </b>up. ¡°Thank you, Olivia. With you, I have gained a sister, I am sure grandma is resting in peace knowing that she didn¡¯t leave me alone but with good people who take good care of me.¡± It was my turn <b>to </b><b>tear </b>up.


    <b>¡°</b>I hope so, or I would be guilty of the rest of my life for what happened to her. I hope you know I never meant for any of it to happen. I just wanted to breathe and be alone, I didn¡¯t know Xander would¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t think about that now, you did nothing wrong, ander is the one to me. We didn¡¯t leave here because you forced us to or go there looking for Xander, he found us and did what he did. We can¡¯t me ourselves for that.¡±


    I hugged her tight, she was a sister to me, and I loved her. Thank <b>you</b><b>, </b>Lupita, that means a lot to me.¡± She


    <i>With </i>her father, <b>you a </b>chuckled pulling out. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go dump I deserve a ss of wine.¡±


    I chuckled; she was right. I needed it as well. <b>¡°</b>Come on, let¡¯s go find him.¡± I was happy for her, if she and Nick ended up together then she would have someone else in her life other than me. She would have a family to call her


    own.


    A husband she could ry on, well, if their rtionship ended up going that way. We found Nick in the lounge. Here, take Lilly, we are going to have some wine.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I am calling Luke then; I can¡¯t sit here alone listening to youughing all afternoon.¡±


    I shrugged, Lupita and I left going to the bar area. We needed to unwind; it had been a long and difficult couple of months for the both of us.

 Novel Payback 322

    apter 322


    <b>Chapter </b><b>322 </b>


    LUKE


    ¡°Does a person¡¯s skin grow back?¡± Ethan frowned, I didn¡¯t know if I asked the question correctly, but I thought I did. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I was going to kill Xander, I really was. But when I found him, he was skinned and looking all¡­meat. I couldn¡¯t do it, I just couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I mean skin Ethan, when it¡¯s pealed off, does it grow back¡± Ethan folded his arms looking at me funny. ¡°Why would you ask something like that, are you nning on skinning someone alive?¡± I red at him, who the hell did he think I was<b>, </b>did he honestly think I had the patience to be skinning people alive.


    <b>¡°</b>I think I have to show you for you to understand.¡± His frown deepened; he was really confused. ¡°Just follow me.¡± I led the way to the car, Ethan reluctantly followed looking unsure. I wouldn¡¯t have been myself if I were in his shoes. Someone asking me about skin growing back then asking me to follow them.


    I wouldn¡¯t trust the person, I would have been thinking about my skin the whole way. Ethan did the same, he kept ncing at me as we drove, he looked as if he was on edge. didn¡¯t know what he thought he would do then because he was already in the car, and we were on our way.


    If he didn¡¯t trust me, he shouldn¡¯t have gotten into the car in the first ce. ¡°Luke, are we in danger?¡± I didn¡¯t know what he meant by we, did he mean him and me or the whole family. I had no energy to deal with him, so, I let my silence do that talking for me.


    ¡°Jeez! Are we ever going to have peace, who is it this time?¡± Ethan could be such a moron sometimes, I never said we were in danger. ¡°Ethan, shut up and stop jumping to conclusions.¡± He red then huffed looking out the window.


    I parked in front of the warehouse, now the man didn¡¯t want to get out of the car, he hesitated before getting out and following me inside. ¡°Brace yourself.¡± I warned before opening the door going inside.


    I looked back only to find the man still standing by the door. <b>¡°</b>What are you doing?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Trying to figure out if I want to send myself to the ughter.¡± What a moron! ¡°If that was the case then you shouldn¡¯t havee. Now stop ying games ande in here.¡±


    He walked in looking around as if something were going to jump out and attack him. I led the way to the back of the warehouse then stood in front of the locked door. I nced back at Ethan, and he looked nervous.


    I opened the door then stepped aside for him to see. Without question, Ethan poked his head inside but immediately stepped back then vomited right there. He was red in the face. I just shook my head, went, and took a bottle of water and handed it to him.


    He took it, cleaned his mouth then red at me. ¡°What the hell did you just show me, Luke? What is that?¡± ¡°Not what, but who?¡± His eyes widened in shock taking a few steps back. I didn¡¯t think he realized that he put a good distance between us. ¡°That is a person?¡± He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°That is not those medical things like you see on the posters in the hospital?¡± I shook my head in the negative.


    Ethan¡¯s frown deepened looking deeply disturbed. ¡°Who is that, Luke? And how the hell did you manage to do that to another human being? Damn man, I knew you were heartless, but I didn¡¯t think you were that heartless.¡± He said pointing to the door.


    Did he really think I did something like that? just how cruel did they think I was? ¡°Firstly, that in there is Xander and secondly, I didn¡¯t do that to him.¡± Ethan frowned; it showed in his face that he did not trust me.


    I took a step toward him, and he took two steps back. I stopped. ¡°Then why did you ask about skin growing back if that is not your handy work?¡± He paced, frustration written all over his face, it was clear the man was not going to


    sleep a wink that night.


    <b>¡°</b>It doesn¡¯t matter what happened, but you don¡¯t do something like that to another human being. We don¡¯t skin humans like animals, you must be the most twisted mother fucker to be able to do something like that, with how that man looks, <b>I </b>can tell you took your time doing that shit you are messed up man and you need help!¡±


    I folded my arms and waited for him to stop pacing and face <b>me</b><b>. </b>I was deeply offended; <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t stomach seeing him that way and he thought I did that? really? He stopped pacing when I didn¡¯t answer and looked at me.


    The look he gave me was different, as if he were now afraid of me for some reason. ¡°I am not the one who needs help here, Ethan¡­<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Right, do you think you are normal? That, in there, is not normal Luke, you need help bro because you scare the hell out of me. If you can do something like that, then I don¡¯t want to know what else you are capable of.¡±


    ¡°I said, I didn¡¯t fucking do that!¡± I raised my voice; I was fed up with being used of something I was too weak to do. In front of my men, I would have taken the credit for Nick¡¯s work just to keep them on their toes but that was not the time to take credit for messed up shit like that.


    Ethen must have been startled because he kept his mouth shut and looked at me with fear in his eyes. I sighed; I must have scared him. ¡°Nick was the one who did that after finding out Xander¡¯s people shot up the house and that Samuel was outside when it happened.¡±


    Colour drained from Ethan¡¯s face; he looked as if blood had been drained from his face<b>. </b>¡°Nick¡­¡± He looked at the door then back at me. I nodded. ¡°Shit!¡±

 Novel Payback 323

    Chapter <b>323 </b>


    ETHAN


    The drive back was a silent one, I couldn¡¯t get the picture of Xander like that out of my head. I knew it was going to haunt me for a very long time. I thought Luke was the one who did that, but I was wrong, ¡°How could you allow him to do something like that?¡± Luke gave me a side nce then shook his head.


    ¡°Allow you said?¡± He chuckled darkly. ¡°Nick is a grow man in case you forgot, he is not a child, and I didn¡¯t have to give him permission to do anything or allow him to do anything. He does what he wants and that has nothing to do with me.¡± He clicked his tongue.


    ¡°How could I allow him, is Nick my child that I must keep an eye on? Don¡¯t piss me off Ethan.¡± He was angry but I didn¡¯t care, he should have found a way to stop him. If he could do something like that to another man, that meant he snapped, something in him snapped.


    ¡°Still, you should have found a way to stop him. you were the only one there with him and the only one who could have stopped him.¡± I wasn¡¯t looking at Luke, but I could feel his re. ¡°If he did something like that, I don¡¯t think he is alright in the head, Luke. We should get him help.¡±


    Lukeughed, like a full bellyugh as if I had told him the funniest joke he has ever heard. ¡°Help him, you said?¡± He continued tough but I didn¡¯t see anything funny in what I said. ¡°Since he has been back, have you noticed anything different about him?¡±


    I thought about it but there was nothing, he seemed fine and if Luke hadn¡¯t shown me Xander like that, I wouldn¡¯t have been having the thoughts I was having. ¡°Exactly! Nick is fine because what he did back then, didn¡¯t affect him at all. You are worried for nothing because that man is fine.¡±


    It was my turn to send a re his way, how could he say something like that about someone who skinned another man like an animal? What in his world about that was alright? ¡°re at me all you like but you know am right, Nick is fine because doing something like that is in his blood. Second nature. He didn¡¯t need to be taught what to do to inflict pain on Xander and make him pay.¡±


    Luke shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe Nick was capable of such, I couldn¡¯t either. ¡°I thought Xander was sick and twisted son of a bitch, but he has nothing on Nick, he is worse than his grandfather. If he were alive, he would have been proud of his grandson¡¯s handy work. Now, that son of a bitch was twisted.¡±


    I thought he hated his father but the way he spoke about him was with pride. I could never understand Luke. ¡± There is nothing to be proud about in this, Luke. Don¡¯t you see?¡± He frowned looking confused.


    ¡°If Nick can do something like this, it means his dark side is worse than yours and you are at fault for bringing it out. I me you for this. All the time you spent with him in Summer Strand. You did this.¡± Lukeughed mockingly.


    ¡°If you must know, I didn¡¯t let Nick anywhere near my business in Summer Strand, ask Owen if you don¡¯t believe me. Face it, Ethan, this is who your friend is, there is no one to me for it but himself. So, stop trying to shift the me on me and find out what his next n is because he seemed to enjoy doing that too much if you ask me.¡±


    ke that, he He shook his head as if he were thinking about what had happened back then. ¡°I had never seen h ? worked in silence, only Xander¡¯s cries could be heard from that room. The horrific cries that still haunt me to this day. I thought he woulde out of that room a changed man but¡­¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°But when he finally came out, after seven days, he was fine as if nothing happened. The only thing that stood out was that he had a terrible smell. Nothing else changed, the man was the same. See Ethan, you can only pull off something like that ande out on the other side still the same if you have a heart as cold as a corpse¡¯s.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like that analogy, the Nick I knew wasn¡¯t like that. I refused to believe he was a cold¨Chearted beast as Luke imed. He couldn¡¯t be. ¡°I see you are in denial, which is fine. He is your friend, you have known him for many years, but I think he only let you see what he wanted you to see not all of him.¡±


    I ignored Luke until we got back to his ce. I got out of the car without saying a word. ¡°If you want your friendship to continue the way it is, I suggest you don¡¯t bring Xander up to Nick.¡± Luke called after me. I stopped briefly but went into my car.


    My n was to go and see Nick but what Luke said stuck with me. Who else knew about what he did, who else did Luke inform about that? I wondered if I should go to Olivia¡¯s ce and ask Marcus. A knock sounded on my window, I looked up and Luke was standing there.


    I lowered the window. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go have a drink. It¡¯s clear you don¡¯t know what to do or where to go from here.¡± He walked away and I got out of the car. I followed him. ¡°Why did you tell me? I was fine not knowing, why did you have to ruin my friend¡¯s image to me like that?¡±


    Lukeughed and nced at me over his shoulder. ¡°How do you think I felt having to carry this on my own? Now I have you to talk to about it.¡± he shrugged as if it was nothing.


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 Novel Payback 324

    <b>Chapter </b><b>324 </b>


    OLIVIA


    <b>My </b>dad and Ethan came in veryte looking drunk. It was around ten at night when they came acting all suspicious, asking to talk to Marcus in private. I was dying <b>of </b>curiosity, but I held back, each time I got curious about their things<b>, </b>I ended up getting hurt. Instead <b>of </b>insisting they let me in on whatever they were talking about.


    I took Lilly up stairs to her room and put her to bed. Then went to check on Samuel, my son was fast asleep. I liked that he slept now but he still couldn¡¯t sleep through the night, he still woke up in the middle of the night. He was better though; I could see the difference since he started seeing the therapist.


    What I did now was sleep in my room but had a baby monitor for his room like with Lilly, so I could hear him when he woke up and I would go and calm him down. ¡°What are they doing here thiste<i>?</i>¡± asked Lupitaing in and handing me a cup of camomile tea.


    ¡°Beats me and I don¡¯t want to know. When they are acting all secretive it¡¯s normally nothing good. This time, I am not getting involved, I am still dealing with the aftermath of what Xander did, I don¡¯t need more. My te is full.¡± Lupita chuckled looking at me as if she didn¡¯t believe a word <b>I </b>said.


    ¡°Trust me, Lupita, this time, I am not getting involved.¡± She shrugged. Why was it so hard for her to believe me? I had learned my lesson with Xander. Getting involved with him even after my husband warned me against it, got me into so much trouble and got other people involve as well.


    Grandma was no longer with us anymore because of that. If that didn¡¯t teach me a valuable lesson, then I was never going to learn. ¡°Is Nick here as well?¡± Iughed, I should have known she came in just to ask about him.


    She must really like Nick. ¡°No, it¡¯s only my dad and Ethan. You know Nick doesn¡¯te here without calling anymore. But, if he gets involved in whatever they are talking about down there, then we should be prepared because that would mean it¡¯s something serious that could affect us.¡±


    She frowned taking a seat, she was as tired as I was of everything. ¡°You must regret ever getting involved with this family sometimes. We have brought you nothing, but trouble and I am sorry about that.¡± She waved me off.


    ¡°Stop apologizing, you gave me a family and each family has it¡¯s own challenges. I don¡¯t regret anything.¡± I took a seat next to her. ¡°You know¡­¡±


    ¡°Olivia!¡± Before I could finish what I wanted to say, I was called downstairs. Lupita and I shared a look. ¡°Nope, I am not going there. You can go and hear what they have to say if you want to. But I am staying right here.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t take on more, those men down there knew that. I nced over at Lilly¡¯s bed, my baby had grown in the past months, she was more human, and Luke couldn¡¯t get enough of her now. Nick, who used to call her a rat now called her a doll.


    She was that beautiful with chubby cheeks. ¡°There is no point in me going there because they are going to ask for you anyway.<b><i>¡± </i></b>I shrugged; I wasn¡¯t going. I refused. ¡°Olivia! My dad called again but I pretended not to hear. Lupitaughed on the side.


    ¡°You know that he cane up here and find you, right?¡± I knew that but I was still stubborn, I didn¡¯t want to hear it.


    Indeed, my dad soon appeared at the door. ¡°Olivia, didn¡¯t you hear me calling you?¡± I sighed; I thought it would take a little longer for him toe find me. ¡°I heard you, but I was busy putting the baby down.¡± I lied but he saw right through me.


    ¡°Right, Marcus said we should ask you, if we want to wake up the chef to make us something to eat.¡± I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding until he said that. ¡°We ate take out today, so, I don¡¯t think he will mind making


    <b>Chapter </b>324


    <b>you </b><b>something </b><b>and </b>he sleeps <bte</b>, <b>he </b>should <b>still </b><b>be </b>awake


    He grinned <b>like </b>a child in a toy <b>store</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>You are the <b>best </b>daughter, <b>a </b><b>father </b>could ever ask for<b>.</b><b>¡± </b><b>He </b>turned <b>to </b>leave <b>but </b><b>popped </b><b>his </b>head back in. ¡°Do you want something from <b>the </b>kitchen<b>? </b><b>I </b>can bring it up.¡± <b>I </b>nced at <b>Lupita</b>, <b>and </b><b>she </b>shook her head in the negative.


    <b>¡°</b>We are fine dad<b>, </b>enjoy your meal.<b>¡± </b>He nodded and left. ¡°You were scared for nothing; they are <b>just </b>hungry and behaving.¡± <b>I </b>gave her a look andughed. ¡°<b>If </b>you honestly believe that, then <b>you </b><b>still </b>don¡¯t know this family <b>very </b>well. They are hiding something, and they think I care. <b>I </b>don¡¯t.¡±


    Lupita looked distracted. ¡°Call him.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Iughed, I knew what it was like when you missed the one <b>you </b>liked, wondering when you were going to see them again. If they were even thinking about you. I knew the feeling. ¡°Call Nick, <b>I </b>can tell <b>you </b>miss him.¡± She blushed covering her face with her hands.


    God! her innocence was so refreshing, I had never heard her mentioning a boyfriend in the past or anything like that. Which made me conclude that she had never dated before, yet Nick was her first, somehow that got me worried for her.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>will just text him, he might be busy<b>.</b>¡± She took her phone and texted. Then her phone never went back to where it was, she kept checking for a reply. She got it bad; I felt sorry for her. That stage of uncertainty, not knowing the right thing to say or do. It was excruciating.


    Instead of a text, her phone rang and the smile on her face told me it was Nick. I stood and left the room quietly to give her some privacy.


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 Novel Payback 325

    <b>Chapter </b><b>325 </b>


    <b>MARCUS </b>


    ¡°Just how bad is it that Ethan would be <b>like </b>this?¡± I failed to understand <b>the </b>severity of the situation or even <b>try </b>to grasp it, I thought Ethan was exaggerating, it couldn¡¯t have been that bad. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go there and see for yourself Marcus. Maybe then you will stop judging me and start seeing the man for who <b>he </b><b>is</b>.<b>¡± </b>


    Luke raised an eyebrow looking interested suddenly. ¡°And who is he?¡± Luke questioned, he was bing more and more defensive when it came to Nick. I didn¡¯t know when or how their rtionship developed to that point.¡± A monster, he is a real¨Clife monster, because no human being with a good heart would do something like that.¡±


    They spoke of Xander being skinned like an animal but couldn¡¯t picture it, was it that horrible that Ethan would call his friend a monster? ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± He burped, he was quite drunk and with reason<b>, </b>ording to Luke.


    ¡°I love Nick, he is my best friend and all that. But I hate, no let me rephrase that. I am scared to death of that side of him. I am even afraid to close my eyes and sleep because see him. meaty looking Xander sitting there leaning against the wall. I don¡¯t even know how he is able to even lean, the pain he must be feeling.¡±


    He shook as if he were cold. I nced at Luke. ¡°I gave him something for the pain<b>, </b>the noise he was making bothered me.¡± Now Luke seemed to be the one with a beating heart. But I still couldn¡¯t understand why he was protecting Nick. If he went too far as Ethan said, then he needed help not to be shielded.


    ¡°He needs help, but Luke doesn¡¯t think so. He thinks Nick <b>is </b>fine, but I disagree. If he could do that to another human being, then something is wrong in his head.¡± I got where Ethan wasing from but who was going to help him? it was not like we could just send him to therapy, the man would be arrested.


    ¡°Is that why you are all gathered here, to discuss Nick?¡± We all turned, and Lupita was standing behind us with a look I couldn¡¯t decipher. We shared a look stunned. Lupita was a quiet type, only spoke when spoken to most of the time.


    But Olivia would disagree, so I guess she was like that with me and the guys. ¡°Lupita, you have gotten close to him over the past couple of months, how does he seem to you. Is he alright?¡±


    With her hand on her waist and a look of disgust on her face, she answered. ¡°Why don¡¯t you all just call Nick, meet up with him and talk to him like men, friends. instead of sitting here gossiping about him like women?¡±


    I frowned; I was deeply offended. ¡°Lupita, you are out of line.¡± I warned. She turned to me. ¡°I respect you Marcus, I do. But don¡¯t make me lose the respect I have for you by doing something like this. Talking about a person behind his back is beneath you.¡± She paused letting her words hang in the air.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t particrly like Nick, and I understand why. But he is still Samuel¡¯s father. If you all think he is a monster, then what¡¯s next? Stopping him from having a rtionship and seeing his son? How is that fair?¡± She scanned our faces.


    I was shocked that she could talk that much. To me, the woman never said more than five words and that was it.


    ¡°Do the right thing, talk to him, and maybe try to understand and support him. I am not saying condone his wrongdoings but try to understand where he ising from. This is Xander we are talking about, and he has done horrible things to this family. My grandmother died because of what that man did. I don¡¯t me Nick; I am grateful to him. He did what none of you were able to do, Punished an animal the way it deserved.¡±


    She then walked away leaving us stunned. ¡°Nick might deny it, but something is definitely going on between him and Lupita.¡± said Ethan in his drunken voice.


    ¡°I think so too because that was not the Lupita I know. That was a tigress!¡± Luke concurred looking pleased.


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>325 </b>


    <b>¡°</b>I <b>don¡¯t </b><b>agree </b>with <b>how </b>she <b>spoke </b><b>to </b>us, I <b>feel </b>it was disrespectful<b>. </b>But I do agree with one thing she said. We <b>should </b><b>talk </b><b>to </b><b>Nick</b><b>, </b>see <b>if </b>his behaviour would <b>affect </b>Samuel in the future or¡­¡±


    ¡°So, you think Nick would hurt his son?¡± Luke cut me short with the coldest voice<b>, </b>stern and sounding malicious.


    <b>¡°</b>That is not what I am implying but let¡¯s face it, we don¡¯t know what is going <b>on </b><b>in </b>his mind. And it¡¯s not like we can take him to therapy to talk about his problems so we can avoid the issue. If the thing with Xander is as <b>bad </b>as you say, then Ethan is right, Luke. Nick ne


    our help.¡±


    Luke stood, looked between Ethan and me then shook his head. ¡°Then <b>call </b>him and ask him <b>to </b><b>sit </b>here and talk about his feelings like a woman. Tell me how that goes, am going to bed.¡± He left us there.


    I nced at Ethan; he was so drunk that he was falling off the couch with the way he was sitting. ¡°Do you think he will listen?¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I guess we will find out. I don¡¯t like that we are on our own in this thing though.¡± What else could we do when Luke saw nothing wrong with what Nick did?


    Ethan ended up falling on the floor with his butt. It was about time that happened.


    you going to bed?¡± He


    I didn¡¯t know how he was sitting on that damn couch. He didn¡¯t bother getting up. ¡°Are looked up at me withzy eyes. ¡°Are you going to be there with me in case I have nightmares?¡±


    ¡°Of course, not!¡±


    ¡°Then no, I am not going. I am sitting right here and drinking until I ckout.¡± I shook my head and left him there. I had a wife; I was not about to sit there with a grown man.

 Novel Payback 326

    Chapter <b>326 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I was going to get myself a ss of water when I overheard the conversation between Lupita and the guys. Well, it wasn¡¯t really a conversation<b>, </b>more like she was reprimanding them, which was quite shocking. She was like <b>a </b>different person altogether<b>, </b>standing there all confident and giving them a piece of her mind.


    I didn¡¯t like how she spoke to them, though. As my husband said, it was disrespectful. I understood she had feelings for Nick, but I didn¡¯t think that was the right way to address the issue. Hearing her, I got curious, wanting to know what Nick had done,


    Then she mentioned her grandmother and all that curiosity went out the window. How was I supposed to stand in front of Lupita and tell her how wrong Nick was when Nick was the one who punished Xander and got her justice.


    After I put them both in danger. I had no right to, if I were a good person<b>, </b>I wouldn¡¯t be able to stand in front of her and tell her what. So, I quietly went back upstairs without anyone seeing me. Guilt eating me alive.


    ¡°What is bothering you.¡± I turned and my husband stood there watching me, leaning against the door frame. He looked so handsome that I momentarily forgot what I was thinking. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± He pushed himself off the door and came closer.


    ¡°Now, you can fool anyone, but you cannot fool me, now tell me. what is wrong?¡± I sighed, I didn¡¯t know what to say or how to exin it without making the whole thing spiral out of control. We had been through so much<b>, </b>we needed peace.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. I am just missing grandma and thinking about the conversations we have had together.¡± Marcus nodded taking me into his arms. ¡°She was a good woman and a great person.¡± That she was.


    A calm and pure soul. ¡°Why are you suddenly thinking about her?¡± I pulled out away. I missed the contact as soon as I did. But I needed to look him in the eyes before saying what I wanted to say.


    ¡°Lupita has feelings for Nick.¡± He didn¡¯t look surprised by my words, I guess her outburst down there made that clear. ¡°I don¡¯t want us to have issues with her, not after everything.¡± A sighed left him, by then he knew that I heard their conversation.


    ¡°I understand that you might still be feeling guilty about what happened to her grandmother. But it was not your fault, my love. The only person to me is Xander.¡± I knew he was going to say something like that to make me feel better.


    Just like Lupita had been doing. ¡°I understand that but, did you hear the way she brought up her grandmother? She is still angry about what happened to her, and I understand where she ising from.¡± I sighed not really sure what else to say.


    ¡°Olivia, are you telling me to forget how disrespectful she was because of that?¡± I shook my head in the negative. ¡± That is not what I am saying, you can talk to her about it tomorrow, but I don¡¯t want you to make it a big deal.¡±


    The whole thing was frustrating, Lupita was like a sister to me, and I didn¡¯t want anything to ruin our rtionship. Also, not addressing what she did was not going to help the situation. I wanted peace in the house but that did not mean I should overlook what she did.


    ¡°She is grateful to Nick for whatever he did.¡± He opened his mouth to say something, but I stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me anything, I don¡¯t want to know. I am talking about Lupita here, not Nick.¡± I went and stood by the window looking out.


    I still had to call the movingpany toe and help us move. I didn¡¯t want to be in the house anymore. Looking out from that window was no longer a calming feeling. Now, all I saw were the dead bodies that were


    once there.


    It being dark like it was at that moment, made me strain my eyes looking in the yard as if something were going to jump out of there, like something wascking in the shadows, watching, and waiting for the right time to strike. ¡°Where did your mind go now?¡± asked Marcus pulling me away from the window. He must have figured it out.¡± We were talking about Nick and Lupita.¡± I nodded trying to get the thoughts of the day out of my head.


    ¡°As I was saying, talk to her tomorrow and talk to Nick as well. If he says he <b>is </b>fine, then don¡¯t push it. just keep an eye on him and when something happens. You will see it sooner and act ordingly.¡±


    He pulled me towards him enveloping me with his arms. ¡°Thave the smartest wife<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>He said kissing the top of my head making me blush.


    ¡°I will do as you say, I don¡¯t want to it appear as if we have somethingainst him as well or that we want to use


    what happened to prevent him from having a good rtionship with Samuel. Your way will ensure that.¡±


    I was d he understood, it was not like we could just cut those people off, they were in our lives and yed significant roles in them. they were important and needed to be treated as such. With family some issues needed to be handled delicately, or they would spiral out of control.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to bed.¡± I turned to him. ¡°Did my dad and Ethan go to bed already?¡± Marcus nodded. ¡°Luke went to bed, but Ethan refused saying he will drink until he cks out. He is traumatized.¡± I felt sorry for him.


    ¡°Then let me get him a nket, it can get really cold at night.¡± I went to the spare room and got a nket and a pillow for Ethan. Then went downstairs, he was half asleep when I got there. ¡°Here, take the pillow and nket.¡± He groaned. ¡°Could you please cover me? I don¡¯t have the energy to get up next to him then lifted his head up to put the pillow under his head for support, but Ethan did the unthinkable.


    noeling sorry for him, I kneeled


    I was


    He pulled me closer to him and smashed his lips onto mine kissing the living hell out of me. my eyes widened in shock, but I didn¡¯t react fast enough as my brain was still trying to catch up and process happening when I heard Luke¡¯s voice. ¡°Just what the hell are you two doing?¡±


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 Novel Payback 327

    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>327 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>327 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I jumped back<b>, </b>tripped on the nket, andnded with my <b>ass </b>on the tiled floor. I nced at Ethan, and he was now snoring softly. What a piece of shit! leaving me alone in a mess he <b>created</b>, fuck Ethan!


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± What was he thinking, jeez my own father would think I was a slut sleeping will all those men! ¡°Yeah? What am I thinking?¡± He asked, head tilted slightly to the side, arms folded in chest.


    I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking but I could assume. ¡°Ethan¡­¡± I pointed at him trying think fast and exin everything. But the moron was now fast asleep. Jerk! He¡­I was helping him with a pillow, he is drunk<b>, </b>you see?¡±


    I looked at him to make sure he was following, why did I feel fluttered when I did nothing wrong? Ethan kissed me but I didn¡¯t kiss him back. Why was I behind interrogated? He just pulled me and kissed me.¡±


    I looked up the stairs after saying that worried sick that my husband might have heard me. I did nothing wrong, but he already had a problem with Nick, I didn¡¯t want him having issues with Ethan too. What the hell was that moron thinking!


    I wanted to kick him where heid. Jerk! ¡°And what did you do?¡± What? ¡°Nothing, not that I didn¡¯t want to do anything that I was enjoying it. it¡¯s that¡­¡± I sighed getting up and sitting properly on the couch. I red at Ethan sleeping at my feet.


    ¡°I was shocked dad; I didn¡¯t process what was happening fast enough, so it looked like I did nothing to stop it.¡± He chuckleding around and sitting opposite me. ¡°And you did?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You did do something to stop him, is that what you are saying.¡± What, no, I didn¡¯t know what I was thinking, I wasn¡¯t thinking I was flustered. ¡°I didn¡¯t react fast enough to do something. Besides, you came in and even if you didn¡¯t. I would havee to my senses and stopped him. eventually.¡±


    I said thatst part with a muffled voice, it was true, eventually my brain would have started working and I would have stopped Ethan. Why the hell did he have to do something like that. we were busy trying to sort shit out with Nick and he did this.


    Then in the morning he was going to act as if nothing happened, and I would have to start that awkward conversation that is only going to make us both ufortable and maybe avoid each other for a while.


    ¡°Olivia, stop over thinking!¡± I jumped a little, why did he have to yell? I was right in front of him. talk about being dramatic. ¡°I know it didn¡¯t look right; in fact, it wasn¡¯t right. I don¡¯t know what to tell you because I wasn¡¯t expecting it to happen.¡±


    Luke didn¡¯t reply, he just sat there looking at me as if he were judging me for what happened yet, I wasn¡¯t at fault, Ethan was. ¡°Don¡¯t tell your husband.¡± I frowned, why wouldn¡¯t I tell him? Marcus and I didn¡¯t keep secrets from each other.


    ¡°Olivia!¡± I looked up at him. ¡°Why can¡¯t I tell him? I know it will be awkward between him and Ethan, but I can¡¯t keep it from him.¡± my dad looked at me as if I were the biggest moron he had ever seen.


    ¡°Olivia, your husband got you from Nick and he has been having a tough time with it. You have seen it. How do you think he is going to react to this. No, leave his reaction. How do you think he is going to feel. His wife, with all these men who are supposed to be his friends.¡± I didn¡¯t think of it that way.


    I just wanted to be honest with my husband, ¡°But what will be the benefit of hiding it?¡± Luke clicked his tongue. Do you think Ethan did that on purpose, that he would have done it if he wasn¡¯t drunk out <b>of </b>his mind and traumatized by what he saw during the day?¡± that felt more like an excuse than anything else.


    ((


    <b>Chapter </b><b>327 </b>


    <b>425 </b>BONUS


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b><b>can </b><b>see </b><b>you </b>want <b>to </b><b>tell </b>him, go ahead <b>so </b>that you don¡¯t me me when he finds out <b>on </b><b>his </b>own and say <b>I </b>told <b>you </b><b>not </b><b>to </b><b>tell</b>. But you are going to hurt that man<b>, </b>and he is never going to trust Ethan again. Ethan <b>is </b>the only one that <b>your </b>


    husband truly trusts now, you know he never <b>really </b>trusted Nick. But you want to take that away <b>from </b>him.¡±


    ¡°Whatever it is, I want to know.¡± We both turned and Marcus was standing on the stairs, when did he get there<b>? </b>I thought I was checking!


    my dad looked at me then stood. ¡°Your choice, Olivia.¡± He said then walked away.


    <b>¡°</b>I saw you were taking time, and I came to check.<b>¡± </b>I couldnt even look at him, I kept my eyes on a sleeping Ethan cursing him in my head. ¡°Olivia, you don¡¯t have to tell me anything, let¡¯s just get to bed.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t, I stood. ¡°Ethan kissed me.¡± I said it, I knew if I continued thinking about it then I was going to end up thinking what my dad said was right and start keeping secrets from my husband. I didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I still couldn¡¯t look at him. I didn¡¯t want to see the pain my dad was talking about. <b>¡°</b>Ethan kissed me, I was helping him with a pillow, and he just kissed me.<b>¡± </b>silence followed my words.


    I looked at him and his eyes were not on me but on Ethan¡¯s sleeping form. He looked at him for a while that I wondered what was going through his might at that point. Marcus,¡± I called his name, he nced at me then looked aback at Ethan.


    Then without a word to me, he walked away, back upstairs and I was left standing there not knowing if I should follow him or¡­


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 Novel Payback 328

    <b>Chapter </b><b>328 </b>


    <b>OLIVIA </b>


    <b>As </b>I sat there not knowing what to do, I began to think that Luke was right about not telling Marcus anything, Anyway<b>, </b>I didn¡¯t tell him anything, he found out on his own and was now angry. I didn¡¯t know who his anger was directed. It was not like I did anything wrong; Ethan was the one who kissed me.


    I didn¡¯t kiss him back, why did I have to act as if I had done something wrong. I stood with a newly found determination; I wasn¡¯t about to sleep on the couch or guest bedroom when I had a perfectlyfortable bed. I climb the stairs, even my steps were those of a confident woman.


    I opened the door to our room and my husband was nowhere to be found. But then I heard the shower running. Usually, I would have joined him in the shower, but I didn¡¯t think he would have appreciated that on that particr day.


    I sat ufortably on the bed waiting for him to finish so could take my shower as well before going to bed. When the shower stopped running, my nerves returned, my palms got sweaty and sticky. Damnit, what happened to the confidence I hading up those stairs?


    He came in with only a towel covering his lower half. I swallowed hard with my throat suddenly getting dry. ¡± Don¡¯t look at me like that if you know I am not the one you are actually looking at.¡± Everything went out the window when he said that, and I stood.


    ¡°I get that you are angry, but I will not tolerate being spoken to in that manner. Ethan kissed me, I did nothing to provoke it, I don¡¯t appreciate you insinuating I did. If you don¡¯t believe me then there is nothing, I can do about that. But I will not be spoken to like that, not by you. Nick was the first and thest man to do that.¡±


    I then stormed off and got into the bathroom. I meant to apologise to him, I might not have done anything wrong, but he got hurt and I was his wife. I had to make him feel better, to assure him that something like that would never happen again.


    I was going to do all that but not anymore. He pissed me off by saying that to me as if I asked Ethan to kiss me or kissed him back. He was acting like a victim when I was the victim in the story.


    I heard the shower door opening and I turned. Marcus stepped into the shower, I just looked at him waiting for him to say something. But he said nothing, he looked at me for a while before pulling me into his arms, holding me tight.


    ¡°Mine, you hear me? you are mine Olivia.¡± I said nothing, there was nothing to say. Being his didn¡¯t mean he could talk to me anyhow. I was not about to tolerate that kind of behaviour. ¡°Olivia?¡± still, I kept my mouth shut.


    He held me tighter, ¡°Am sorry, I didn¡¯t mean what I said. I am just so angry. I don¡¯t know what these men take me for. If they could do something like that to you knowing very well that you are my wife, means that they don¡¯t respect me or our marriage.¡±


    He pulled out and looked at me. ¡°I know all of them mean a lot to you, but something is got to give Olivia, I can¡¯t tolerate this anymore. First it was Nick, I know you did nothing to provoke it just like now, but he didn¡¯t respect me as your husband or our marriage. Now that Nick is moving on, Ethan is starting his own shit as well.¡±


    He looked so frustrated, I sighed. He was right, what both Nick and Ethan did was disrespectful toward my husband and they needed to be told. Nick was already moving on with Lupita and I was happy about that.


    But what Ethan did was like he was waiting for Nick to step aside so he could try his luck. ¡°When I ask him about this in the morning, he is going to me it on the alcohol, but I know for a fact that when you do something like that, its usually something you have been thinking about for a long time. The alcohol just gives you the courage to act on it.¡±


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Marcus </b>continued. ¡°It makes me so mad because <b>I </b>see <b>them </b>as <b>my </b>friends and Ethian is the <b>guy </b>who <b>helped </b><b>you </b><b>when </b><b>you </b><b>had </b><b>no </b>one. <b>I </b>don¡¯t want you to lose him in your fe, but something¡¯s got to <b>give</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>A </b><b>sigh </b><b>left </b>me. Why did those guys have to keep messing <b>up </b>Couldn¡¯t they just behave for once and let me have some peace?


    <b>I </b>got done and we went to bed. By the time I woke up in the morning, my husband was not on the bed. I got curious but then stopped myself from going to look for him. There was no point, I was going to let him deal with Ethan however he wanted.


    <b>I </b>dealt with Nick<b>; </b>he could deal with Ethan himself. Beside im being <b>one </b>of the people I trusted the most, Marcus was my husband and his friend. What he did hurt him. I showered and went downstairs for breakfast.


    Movers wereing to help us move the necessary stuff we wanted to take to the new house. I wanted to <b>eat </b>something before it got busy. When I appeared in the kitchen, Ethan was there making breakfast.


    He didn¡¯t look different and that made me assume Marcus Had not spoken with him. ¡°Good morning, Olivia. Though I hear it might not be.¡± He raised an eyebrow looking at me as he got busy. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I wanted to be sure we were talking about the same thing.


    He shrugged. ¡°Marcus gave me an earful saying I kissed youst night.¡± I said nothing but looked at him. He ced a te of food in front of me followed by a cup of coffee. ¡°I won¡¯t deny what I did, and I won¡¯t me the alcohol. I knew what I was doing.¡±


    There was one thing I liked about Ethan; he was a straightforward guy. ¡°I won¡¯t justify it, I did it because I wanted to. It had nothing to do with Marcus or your marriage or the disrespect about he was referring to. Though I understand why he might feel disrespected. You are his wife after all. But I always wanted to kiss you, but I never got the opportunity to do so. Last night I did, and I took it.¡±


    My mouth hung open, shocked to the core by how straightforward he was about everything. ¡°But worry not, it won¡¯t happen again. I don¡¯t want a rtionship, and I am not obsessed with you. I just wanted a kiss, and I got it. End of story.¡±

 Novel Payback 329

    Chapter <b>329 </b>


    MARCUS


    I wasing from the cold storage to get some bacon when I heard Ethan talking to my wife. I fumed in anger and my hands curled into fists. He had no shame and no remorse for what he did. He didn¡¯t regret a thing. When I spoke to him, he apologized saying he didn¡¯t mean to offend me. Even then, he was not remorseful at all.


    He apologized just to get me to shut up and out of his face. You have no shame, do you know that?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see it that way, since when is it shameful for someone to go for what they want?¡± He took a sip of his coffee. I didn¡¯t even know why he was still there.


    ¡°Ethan, I tolerated Nick because he is Samuel¡¯s father, but will not tolerate disrespect from you. In this house, you are nothing but a friend¡­¡±


    ¡°See, that is where you are mistaken, I am more of a father to Samuel than you and Nickbined. I am not just a friend here; I am a father. I already told you that I am sorry for what I did and assured you that it will not happen again. Yes, it was wrong because the woman I always wanted to kiss is your wife. But stop being insecure, its not attractive at all.¡±


    ¡°Ethan!¡± Olivia reprimanded on the side. ¡°No Liv, Marcus acts like everyone is out to get him. We have known you for an exceedingly long time, way before you met him. I kissed you because I knew I will never get a chance if I didn¡¯t that time. I didn¡¯t want to live my life with regrets. I know you will never be mine; you made that perfectly clear, but I needed closure as well. That kiss was my closure.¡±


    He then turned to me. ¡°I told you this, so stop acting all insecure like now I am going to be after your wife. I won¡¯t do that because she doesn¡¯t want me. I am going to check on my son.¡± He walked away with coffee in hand.


    I turned to my wife and her mouth still hung open. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± I didn¡¯t know what to think, I just felt disrespected as a man in my own home. It wasn¡¯t a nice feeling. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±


    Asked my wife, I could tell she too, didn¡¯t know what to do or how to handle the situation. She was shocked. She might have thought that Ethan would show remorse, apologize then leave immediately.


    But that was not how things happened, the man made breakfast for all of us, even when I spoke to him, he didn¡¯t deny what he did. He just apologized and told me it wouldn¡¯t happen again. I pushed wanting to know why he did it. All he told me was that he wanted to.


    How was that not disrespectful? ¡°I don¡¯t want Ethan in my house, I will not be disrespected in my own home.¡± Just as I turned Ethan was standing there. He shook his head in disapproval.


    ¡°You like being dramatic, I know what I did hurt your pride but do you have to go this far?¡± I chuckled, so now I was being dramatic. I had never seen that side of Ethan, but I was d to be seeing it now.


    ¡°I think you and your friend both need help. Better yet, find yourselves woman and stop obsessing over my wife!¡± Ethanughed throwing his head back, he was mocking me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even see what is going on, do you?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°Nick is falling for Lupita, which means he is still going to be around here until they take their rtionship to the next level. I am still going toe around and be there for Samuel just like I have always been.¡±


    He shook his head looking at me with pity in his eyes. ¡°I will not abandon my son to make you feel better Marcus, I know what I did was wrong and I apologized to you. Why are you taking it too far, what are you hoping to gain by doing that, getting rid of us? That is not going to happen.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know when I got to him, but I punched him on the jaw. He stumbled back a little then looked back at me. Did that make you feel better? Do it again if you still have anger you need to let out.¡± I punched him again just for


    being smug.


    I was waiting for my wife to step in and try to stop us, but she did none of that. When I nced where she was, she


    at the same ce with her back on us sipping on her coffee as if nothing were happening.


    stills


    I wondered what was going through her mind. ¡°Leave my house Ethan, I don¡¯t want to see your face here.¡± He nodded. ¡°Fine, I will leave for now, but I will being to your new ce over the weekend to see my son.¡±


    He grabbed his jacket and walked out. I was left cursing him in my head to hell and back. I went and took a seat next to my wife. ¡°Feeling better now?¡± she questioned not even looking at me. her voice calm, so calm that it got me scared a little.


    ¡°A little bit.¡± She nodded standing up. ¡°Do whatever you need to do to feel better, the movers areing in an hour. I am going to wake the kids.¡± Her silence, not knowing what she was thinking got me a little worried.


    I didn¡¯t know where her mind was at, if she was mad at me for punching Ethan or if she was mad at Ethan for what he did or both. ¡°Nice going, son inw.¡± Where the hell was he hiding anding out only now.


    ¡°Not now Luke.¡± He nodded going around the kitchen counter pouring himself a cup of coffee. ¡°So, what is your n?¡± his question pissed me off. I just stood and followed my wife up the stairs. ¡°It won¡¯t go away because you don¡¯t want to deal with it, am sure you know that!¡± Luke yelled but I ignored him.

 Novel Payback 330

    Chapter <b>330 </b>


    NICK


    4


    ¡°Why would you do something so selfish!¡± He raised an eyebrow even tilted his head to the side slightly, he had this questioning looking at if he had a deep question for me to answer. ¡°Look who¡¯s talking, you are calling me selfish?¡± He chuckled, went around the counter, and poured himself a drink.


    He then turned to me. ¡°How dare you call what I did selfish Nick, you of all people should be thest person to talk when ites to matters like this. You have done worse things to hurt Olivia and Marcus. Weren¡¯t those selfish?¡± He must have thought I did those things because enjoyed them.


    I didn¡¯t, I was only fighting for the woman I loved. While he acted like a teenager, stealing a kiss from the girl he liked but could never have. ¡°So, what are we doing? Are we ying who can hurt Olivia and Marcus the most?¡± He shrugged.


    I wondered how Marcus must have felt about what Ethan did, the man didn¡¯t like me being around his wife and with good reason. I had be obsessed with Olivia because I felt like we deserved a second chance at love.


    A chance to be happy together, a chance to rectify the mistakes of the past and move forward. Together. But I was mistaken, we didn¡¯t need a redo of our rtionship, we needed to learn from the mistakes we made and try not to repeat them in our future rtionships.


    Olivia understood that earlier on, but I was too stubborn to listen. But now I understood perfectly. ¡°You know Ethan, I am not proud of what I did to Olivia and Marcus because everything I did to Olivia, was not only hurtful to her but was disrespectful to her husband as well and¡­¡±


    ¡°There we go about this disrespect thing! I am so tired of hearing it and I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t repeat it again.¡± I sighed, he was not getting the point if I didn¡¯t make him understand now, he was going to repeat his mistakes and not see anything wrong with them.


    ¡°Okay Ethan, you have kissed Olivia and gotten what you always wanted. Now what?¡± He frowned, I knew what he was thinking, this behaviour meant only one thing.


    ¡°You want to do it again, don¡¯t you?¡± He downed his drink then poured himself another. ¡°We have been so obsessed with Olivia because of her energy, how strong she is and how good of a person she is. But there are many good women out there, just as strong if not stronger and just as selfless.¡±


    I went around the counter and stood next to him. ¡°I have wasted so much time clinging to the past that I didn¡¯t see any other woman besides her. My life revolved around her¡­.¡±


    ¡°So, you are saying that she is no longer your heart? That you are really over her and if the opportunity presented itself for you to be with her again, that you will let it pass?


    ¡°I would and you know why?¡± He looked as if he didn¡¯t believe a word I said. ¡°Because now I understand why I can¡¯t have her back. Even if I did, our rtionship can never be the same, to her, I will always be the guy who sent her to jail. She will never befortable with me or be able to trust me like she did before. But she never stop being my heart. There will always be room for her there.¡±


    He ced the ss on the counter with a sigh. ¡°I know I disrespected Marcus and Olivia. How I behaved was just a defence mechanism, the truth is that I want to kiss her again and maybe have her kiss me back. To feel her warm lips against mine and just savour the moment.


    I knew it, he wanted to do it again. I knew what it felt like having a taste of something you always wanted to do and finally getting it felt like you just came out from under water, and you could breathe freely again.


    It was an addictive feeling. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you need to take a step back and think about what is best for Olivia?¡±


    He poured another ss. ¡°Sometimes I feel like Marcus doesn¡¯t deserve her, just like you never did.¡±


    <b>He </b>never hid that from me, he always told me straight up that I didn¡¯t deserve her, and I didn¡¯t because <b>in </b>the end, I hurt her, badly. ¡°That kind of thinking is only going to make you see only the wrong in Marcus and justify your stupidity by saying you want to protect Olivia. Does that sound about right?¡±


    He downed his drink and ced the ss on the counter with a loud click. He was annoyed. I could tell. ¡°I wish you could see things about yourself the way you are seeing them with me now.¡± I frowned; I wasn¡¯t sure what he was talking about.


    ¡°I will apologize again to the both of them and this time I will mean it. but before that, let us talk about Lupita, you like her, don¡¯t you?¡± I wished I knew how I felt about upita, all I knew was that I enjoyed herpany, talking to her on the phone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, I just enjoy spending time with her. I ain learning and getting to know a side of her I didn¡¯t know. Well, I never cared to know until we started spending time together. Maybe it¡¯s because of the fact that I saved her life.¡±


    I smiled proudly. Ethan cleared his throat. ¡°Actually, the doctor said she was already showing signs of waking up and your kiss just gave her the push she needed to wake up. You did nothing special, my friend.¡±


    Oh, the bastard, not wanting to be miserable alone. ¡°That means I did something too.¡± Heughed. But then as if he thought of something, his face changed, he was now serious. ¡°What about the way you skinned Xander alive, do you have an exnation for that?¡±

 Novel Payback 331

    Chapter <b>331 </b>


    ETHAN


    I could tell the question caught him off guard, which was good, he had no time to ponder ande up with excuses as to why he did it. He poured himself a generous amount of alcohol and drank it in one go. ¡°Why would you ask me that?¡± He couldn¡¯t even look me in the eyes and that told me, he didn¡¯t enjoy or was proud of what he did as Luke seemed to think.


    His hesitation told me that he didn¡¯t do it as effortlessly as Luke made it sound. ¡°It was a different time back then and I did what I had to do.¡± That was a very vague thing to say, why did he have to do it? nobody pointed a gun to his head and insisted he do it.


    ¡°Stop making excuses, Nick. I want to know the real reason you did it.¡± He red at me. ¡°I did it because I wanted to punish the bastard in the worst way possible. What he did to Olivia was inhumane and then his people shooting up her house with my son outside? That was thest straw. I wanted him dead.¡±


    His eyes were blood shot red, cold, and distant. Looking at them sent a shiver running down my spine and I realized at the moment that I might have been afraid of my good friend. ¡°After pealing off his skin, I wanted to strangle him to death with my bare hands. I wanted to look at him in the eyes as I do, I wanted to see the life drain out of his eyes and I wanted him to cease to exist.¡±


    The anger. He was not loud or anything. Just his clenched fists, his cold and distant eyes, his voice cold and stern promising nothing but danger. It was all there, he was still angry, and my question just pushed that anger right to the surface.


    I should have listened to Luke and not asked any questions. But then again, how was I supposed to help him if I didn¡¯t ask questions? ¡°Nick, calm down. I know what happened must have made you incredibly angry. However, what you did to that man is not something a normal person does.¡±


    I let my words hang in the air, letting him think about what he did, hoping that he would see his mistake and meet me halfway and ask for help. ¡°Then I guess I am not normal<b>, </b>in fact, I want to do it again and again. Just to make sure he learns his lesson, if he dies, even better.¡±


    I was taken back by what he said but then I thought about it, those were the words of an angry man and father. it did not mean he actually wanted to do those things. ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean that, also, I think you need help.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°I did get help Ethan, every time I feel angry, I go to the freezer downstairs and look at Xander¡¯s skin.¡± I took a stap back shocked by the revtion. What kind of sick game was Nick ying?


    ¡°What? you want to know something else about me Ethan?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know what else he was thinking, the man needed serious help!


    ¡°I killed Sandra, I showed her mercy since she was Lilly¡¯s mother, if not. I don¡¯t know what kind of hell I would have put her through.¡± My mouth hung open in shock, people said taking a life changed a person, but I didn¡¯t think it was the same with Nick.


    I think he had always been that way but had no reason to kill until Sandra happened then Xander. Lord! I was worried about him skinning Xander alive but that was just the tip of the iceberg. Why didn¡¯t I know about this.


    Who else knew? ¡°Who knows about you killing Sandra?¡± I was worried sick about my friend. I never thought I would go through shit like that.


    Nick just smiled. ¡°Luke and Marcus. I think they didn¡¯t tell you because, well¡­you are weak? No, you can¡¯t handle these things, you are too sensitive. Look at you now.¡±


    ????? 3],=??m [?]


    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing, what was Nick saying ¡°Last I checked, you didn¡¯t do these things as well. What changed?¡±


    He chuckled darkly. I looked in his eyes, but I only saw cold distant and darkness swirling behind those eyes. That was when I realized the man standing in front of me was not my friend. Something in him changed and it was scaring the shit out of me.


    ¡°Where have you been these past couple of years of me suffering? You were there when I sent my innocent wife to jail because of Sandra. How she suffered in there because of Sandra and my grandfather. When Xander happened and did what he did. How are you asking me what changed as if you were not there experiencing everything with me.¡±


    He sounded like someone who had been thinking about that for a long time. Xander and Sandra just gave him a push. What else was the man capable of.


    ¡°Okay, I get why you did it but why keep the skin? That is sick man, you must know at least that much.¡± Heughed.


    ¡°Oh, but I can¡¯t get rid of the skin, it makes me feel better when I start to get angry about what those two did. So, I am getting help you can say the skin provides me with some sort of therapy.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stay there anymore. I rounded the counter then rushed out of there like a bat out of hell. the way Nick wasughing as I left told me that he was too far gone.


    I drove like a mad man to Olivia¡¯s ce hoping to catch them before they left for the new ce. It was a bit further, and I didn¡¯t think I could wait that long. When I got there, the moving truck was leaving. I stopped in front of Luke and got out.


    I took his hand and pulled him away from others. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I ignored him and continued to pull him away. When we were further away, I stopped. ¡°Nick is a psychopath.¡±


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 Novel Payback 332

    <b>Chapter </b><b>332 </b>


    LUKE


    My mind went nk, and I just stared at Ethan. We both agreed to get Nick help, and he was the one who was insisting on we do that. I didn¡¯t know what changed between then and now. could they have met, and Nick <b>said </b>something to make his best friend think he was a psychopath?


    ¡°Luke, please believe me. I know you like Nick, he is your nephew. But I am not making this up, I don¡¯t know how <b>I </b>didn¡¯t notice this before, but then again, psychopaths are maniptive and are incredibly good in making people believe and see what they want them to see.¡±


    Goodness! He was serious, what the hell did Nick do to get than so spooked? ¡°Calm down Ethan and tell me what happened that got you so worked up.¡± He sighed<b>, </b>opened, and closed his mouth like a fish out of the water.


    Ethan was shaken when he saw the state Xander was in, but he was not as spooked as he was <b>at </b>that moment. <b>¡°</b>Do you have something to drink in your car? I need it.¡± I opened the car, took out a drink in the glovebox, and handed


    it to him.


    He drank a mouthful of that thing and didn¡¯t even seem to feel the burning sensation in his throat as it went down. Well, I guess it didn¡¯t burn that much since it was good whisky. ¡°He still has the skin.¡± Now he was not making sense.


    It looked like I wasted my drink on him. it was supposed to calm him down, but it was making him confused instead. Do I indulge him or just ignore him and leave. ¡°Luke, Nick still has Xander¡¯s skin!¡± Shit!


    ¡°Oh shit! Ethan, do you mean the skin, skin? The one he pealed off him?¡± my mind was going a hundred miles hours, racing and different scenarios ying in my head, but <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t concentrate on one thing.


    per


    ¡°That is what I mean, psychopath!¡± Why would Nick keep the skin? The boy was now behaving like a serial killer keeping souvenirs from his kills. Just what the fuck was he thinking?


    ¡°What does he do with the skin, why keep it?¡± Goodness! Just thinking about it made my stomach churn. ¡°That is what I am saying! He told me that it helps calms him down, who does that?¡± No, it could not be.


    If that were true then it would mean my nephew was sick in the head, twisted and very scary. ¡°Luke, what are we going to do? When I spoke to him, he made it sound like he wanted to kill again. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that he killed Sandra?¡±


    The whole thing was just driving me insane. How could this be? ¡°Are sure you he wasn¡¯t pulling your leg? Said all those things as a defence mechanism, like you did when Marcus confronted you about kissing his wife?¡±


    Ethan red at me, how did he think I was going to do? I wasn¡¯t about to just blindly believe that my nephew was something¡­heartless and cunning. ¡°I thought so too when he mentioned it. but anger like that cant be faked. He was really angry and when he spoke about the skin, he looked satisfied and¡­happy.¡±


    Oh Lord, no it could be true. I would have to go and see for myself. ¡°Even if that is true, what can we do? It¡¯s not like we can send him to therapy, that will get him arrested very quickly.¡± Ethan who now looked drunk.


    I couldn¡¯t believe that one drink got him drunk, maybe he drank something beforeing to see me. ¡°It¡¯s like you don¡¯t understand the severity of this thing. The man is a danger to society and we as the people close to him have a duty to help him and prevent him from harming people.¡±


    ¡°Ethan, tell me something, do you truly think that he is a danger to society or a danger to the dangerous people who target those he loves?¡± I didn¡¯t know why I asked that maybe I was trying to justify what he did or maybe I didn¡¯t want to believe that he could be capable of something like that.


    ¡°What are you talking about, is this about Nick?¡± I froze, that was Olivia. I didn¡¯t want her to get the wrong idea


    about Nick, he <b>was </b>the father <b>of </b>her kid and if she thought he was dangerous, then Nick, might lose visiting rights


    <b>to </b>his son.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Yes</b>, <b>it </b>is about Nick, he is not well I believe he is a¡­¡±


    ¡°A nuisance! Ethan tried talking to him about an issue, but he wouldn¡¯t listen. But don¡¯t worry<b>, </b><b>I </b>will talk to him and make sure he understands.¡± I cut Ethan off, he sent a re my way. He wasn¡¯t happy that I was hiding the issue from Olivia<b>. </b>


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we need to leave now and Ethan. You are driving with my dad, you are drunk, I don¡¯t know why you would drink so early in the morning.¡± She said then walked away, leaving Ethan mumbling something under his breath.


    ¡°What is wrong with you, are you a doctor?¡± He frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t go around saying Nick is a psychopath when you have not gotten him diagnosed by a doctor, right now, what you said is just an assumption. If you tell Olivia this now, she might stop Nick from seeing his son fearing that he might hurt him. <b>Do </b>you think that is fair?¡± Ethan didn¡¯t reply to me immediately, he just looked at me to a point that I got nervous for some reason. ¡°You don¡¯t have a sense of urgency, Luke. Nick already killed someone and skinned another alive. Kept his skin and keeps looking at it and doing God knows what else with it. do you think someone like that deserves to have children or be around them?¡±


    Now he was being ridiculous. ¡°Think about it, we might not know what is really going on in his mind, but can we take that risk?¡±

 Novel Payback 333

    OLIVIA


    <b>I </b>hated my timing<b>, </b><b>I </b>always had to appear at the time when people were talking about something I shouldn¡¯t hear. Just like now, I shouldn¡¯t have heard anything about Nick being a psychopath as they believed. Now since he is Samuel¡¯s father, I needed to get involved with him again,


    Try to figure out how much of what I heard was the truth and decide what to do next. I was married to the man but during that time, I never saw anything to suggest that he was what they said he was<b>. </b>Or did the symptoms appear in adults of triggered by something?


    I had to admit, the skin thing got my own skin feeling like had little ants crawling all over my body. It was sick and very disgusting. ¡°What is the matter, what did Ethan do this time?¡± I didn¡¯t like how Ethan managed to make my husband an insecure man.


    ¡°Ethan did nothing, he is just drunk and remorseful about what he did. He was asking now if he could talk to you and properly apologise to you. But I told him to give you some space and that you will <b>let </b>him know when you are ready.¡± I lied; I had no choice but to lie.


    To him<b>, </b>it was going to appear as if I was trying to find a way to bring Nick back into my life, or that I was jealous now that he was moving on and trying to get close to him to prevent him to doing so.


    As I said, those men and their actions turned my husband into someone insecure. I didn¡¯t like it, but it was my duty as his wife to assure him that I wasn¡¯t going anywhere and part of that meant that I had to be mindful of what I did with them and how I interacted with them.


    ¡°Marcus, I need you to talk to Nick, see where his mind is <b>at</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>He nced at me. ¡°You guys have not resolved the issue you had with him. He spends a lot of time with our son, and I want to know what he is safe when he is with him. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t want to know what is wrong with him or want to get involved in this. That is why I am asking you to sort it out, so I don¡¯t have to.¡±


    He looked pleased by my answer or maybe it was how considerate I was being. ¡°I will dly do that, after we have settled in our new home. I will invite him, I don¡¯t want something formal, he might not talk.¡± Maybe that was why he spooked Ethan then.


    Maybe something casual would work. I was hoping it does, I didn¡¯t want to take extreme measures.


    ¡°Olivia, do you think something is wrong with Nick and if that is the case, do you think you can stay out of it?¡± I didn¡¯t know how to answer that question. How long was my reach, did I want to get involved more that I was.


    The biggest one was, did I need to get involved as the mother of his child or should I let my husband deal with it since I had nothing to do with the man anymore. ¡°I will have to stay out of it, I think it¡¯s time you dealt with everything Nick rted. I can¡¯t keep being sucked into Nick¡¯s life like that. He is moving on and to help him to do. I must keep my distance as well and stay within boundaries.¡±


    Marcus didn¡¯t say a word as we pulled up to the house, our eyes were fixed on the expensive looking mansion ahead. I was in awe of the structure, I nced at Marcus, and I could see the shock on his face too, the thing that stood before us was no house, far from it.


    That thing was like <b>a </b>castle from a fairy tale movie, majestic and magical looking the picture did not justice to it, the thing looked way better in person.


    The thing was not only massive, but it was also elegant and grand. I couldn¡¯t wait to host in that ce.


    ¡°Lupita has the kids,¡± I said under my breath, my voice was soft, and my confession has a motive behind. I hoped my husband got it. I nced at him, and I could tell he got the meaning behind my words.


    Chapter <b>333 </b>


    4


    He turned to me, the seriousness gone reced with a mischievous look. <b>¡°</b><b>Do </b>you <b>mean</b><b>¡­</b><b>?</b><b>¡°</b>.


    I nodded<b>, </b>not needing to be told twice, my husband jumped out of <b>the </b>car, and I did the same. He took my hand, and we rushed into the house. Anticipation started building in ces <b>I </b>could not mention<b>. </b>


    I needed that, I hadyers <b>of </b>stress and tension build up I wanted to get rid of. That was going <b>to </b>allow me to do just that. I think my husband needed it too.


    When we stepped inside, silence wees us, I didn¡¯t care to look inside, that could be der <b>on </b>after we have gotten rid of the tension and stress. My focus was solely on my husband <b>not </b>the house, everything about it faded to the background. Only him and I remained.


    It had been too long since we had been intimate, alone, bonding in ways a married couple should. Between our kids, the shooting at the house, and the chaos that is my life, we hadn¡¯t gotten time for ourselves. To reconnect.


    Stopping to look around or take a tour was thest thing in our minds, we moved with a purpose in life, heading to the furthest room in the house, one we knew would take time for anyone to find us. By then, we would have been done.


    The moment we got to the door, he pushed it opened the and didn¡¯t bother to lock it. He smashed his lips on mine, and I lost all my senses. The kiss was not the slow kind, no. it was rough and urgent. Just what I needed to get rid of all the tension I was feeling.


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 Novel Payback 334

    Chapter <b>334 </b>


    NICK


    I stopped in front of Olivia¡¯s mansion; it was breathtakingly beautiful. I was jealous, Luke did well, and the ce was secured. I got out of the car and was met with a drunk Ethan and Luke. ¡°Are we celebrating already?¡± Luke just shook his head and focused on the doll in his arms.


    I scanned the area for Samuel and Lupita. ¡°They are already inside, if you are looking for Lupita that is, but if you are looking for Olivia then I have no idea where she and Marcus disappeared to.¡± I didn¡¯t know what he was ying at, but I wasn¡¯t about to entertain him.


    I took a step closer to them, but my best friend took a step back. I stopped and observed him. ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t youe near me.¡± At that time, he couldn¡¯t even stand straight, he was like a tree in the wind moving side to side as


    he stood.


    ¡°I see, are you afraid of me now, Ethan?¡± I knew he was. I spooked the hell out of him. Where did he get off asking me about such things. His job was to sit behind the screen and do as much damage as he could without physical


    contact.


    He had no idea what went on when you torture a human. The emotional strain one took and the mental strain. One had to be strong both emotionally and mentally or you could be destroyed, changed forever and I tried my best not to let that happen.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be? after what you did to Xander and how you have been acting. I am scared the shit out of you, and I don¡¯t want you anywhere near me. We can talk on the phone but that¡¯s about it!¡± I chuckled, I wished I were that drunk.


    ¡°Tell me, how true is what he told me?¡± I should have known he went and bbed to Luke about everything I told him. The way he ran out of my house should have told me that he was going to Luke.


    ¡°Am not sure how much he told you, but I will tell you what is true. I am still mad as hell at Xander and wish I killed him. But Olivia wouldn¡¯t have forgiven me if I did, and she might have never let me anywhere near my son again. I also have his skin, which is the only thing I can keep calming my anger. I couldn¡¯t kill him, but his skin serves as a reminder that I have done enough.¡±


    Luke shook his head; I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. I had to wait for him to say something, I hated that I couldn¡¯t read him. ¡°You do know that keeping the skin is not normal, right?¡± <b>Of </b>course, I knew that. What did they want from me? I wasn¡¯t crazy!


    ¡°I know Luke, what do you want me to do? Go to therapy or go kill Xander? Because I don¡¯t even know why you are keeping him. Send him out into the world and let it deal with him if the families of the men he sent here to be killed don¡¯t get him first.¡±


    If he were the boss, which could be the case since they followed his instructions then he was going to be just fine. The families might be afraid to cause trouble with him. if not, then I wished with everything in me that they kill the bastard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do, get rid of that damn skin and I will get rid of Xander the only way I know how. I don¡¯t want the likes of himing back here and causing trouble again.¡± He lifted his head and looked at me.


    His jaw tightened, which meant he was getting angry. The interrogation he subjected me to was not what I went there for. I went for the house, no. the mansion. Because that was no house. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past him to want revenge or for his thirst for revenge to intensify. Mine would if you had skinned me alive like that.¡±


    Well, he brought that all to himself, I didn¡¯t care how he got rid of him as long as the man was gone. Far away from my reach because I didn¡¯t know how long I could hold out. Knowing that he was there, alive and well. Got me


    <b>anxious</b>.


    <b>¡°</b>When I know he <b>is </b>gone, I will burn his skin.¡± Luke clicked his tongue and walked <b>away</b>. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t leave me here with him.¡± Ethan yelled following him. I just shook my head and took out my phone. I dialled Lupita, she answered almost immediately.


    ¡°Where are you? I don¡¯t see you and Samuel anywhere.¡± Olivia emerged from the house <b>and </b>looked in my direction. Then I remembered that I wasn¡¯t invited, and it was not my turn to have Samuel.


    She walked towards me. ¡°Lupita, let me call you back. I think I am about to be kicked out.¡± I didn¡¯t wait for her <b>to </b>reply as I cut the call and waited for Olivia to get to me. When she got to me, she looked me dead in the eyes and asked. ¡°Are you a psychopath?¡±


    That had Ethan written all over it. I shook my head in the negative, though I had not been diagnosed by a doctor, I was sure that <i>I </i>wasn¡¯t crazy. ¡°Words, Nick. I want you to use words.¡± Wow, she was still intimidating.


    ¡°I am not a psychopath, Olivia. You were married to me, do you think I changed overnight?¡± a sigh left her. <b>¡°</b>I have done many questionable things that may make someone think of me as such. But they were all for a good, reason, to protect you and the kids. I am tired of you getting hurt all the time Olivia.¡±


    I scanned her face; she looked as if she were thinking about what I said. ¡°I know I wasn¡¯t invited, and I will leave now, but stop getting hurt and I will stop having to hurt people. I don¡¯t want our son to grow up without his mother.¡± I then got into my car and drove off.


    AVA

 Novel Payback 335

    <b>Chapter </b><b>335 </b>


    <b>OLIVIA </b>


    ¡°You chased him away, didn¡¯t you?¡± I turned to find Lupita standing behind me looking angry. It made me wonder if she was angry with me or something happened before she went there. ¡°No, he decided to leave.¡± She scoffed as if she didn¡¯t believe a word I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s because you never wanted him here, if you did, you would have asked him to stay. Seeing that he is gone, 1 guess you really did chase him away.¡± I disliked Lupita¡¯s attitude these days. I didn¡¯t mind that she was saying what she wanted, but it¡¯s how she was saying it that bothered me.


    Also, the house was mine and I had the right to choose who to invite in and to whom not. However, this time, I did not have to chase anyone away, Nick, knew thating to my house unannounced was wrong and left on his own.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your problem is, but I will ask that you not take it out on me. You know the agreement I have in ce with Nick, I didn¡¯t have to chase Itim away, he knew he wasn¡¯t supposed to be here, and I don¡¯t even know why he came.¡± I walked away feeling the tensioning back.


    Damnit, I had just released that damn tension, but it was back again, and it hadn¡¯t been an hour yet! ¡°Olivia!¡± She called out to me, I hesitated trying to decide if I should stop or keep going, but she was with my son.


    I didn¡¯t want him getting the wrong idea that maybe we weren¡¯t getting along. I stopped and turned to look at her. She was alreadying my way; I watched her closely just trying to see if I could spot any changes from her.


    I saw nothing different, and I concluded that it was only her behaviour that changed. It was funny how we changed when there were men involved in our lives. That¡¯s how much impact they had on us. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I folded my arms in my chest and looked at her.


    I wanted to know what she was apologizing for. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t haveshed out on you like that. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t seen him in almost a week and when he said he was here. I got excited thinking I was finally going to see him. But¡­¡± Nick was driving off when she arrived at the gate and thought I chased him away.


    I sighed. ¡°Lupita, I told you that I don¡¯t have a problem with you seeing Nick and that means, I will not interfere with your rtionship as long as he follows my rules. When hees, he calls and you two can leave with Samuel.¡±


    I sighed feeling exhausted already, I hadn¡¯t even taken a tour of my house to see what it was like. When we went in there with Marcus, our goal was not the tour but a different one. Now that was over, I wanted to see and admire my new home.


    ¡°I know all that and I am sorry. That was uncalled for.¡± I sighed feeling both frustrated and defeated. ¡°But this is not the first time you have done something like this, spoken out of turn because of Nick. You did the same thing just the other day to my husband.¡±


    She looked embarrassed, I was sure she did not expect me to call her out for that. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to apologize because apologies don¡¯t help with anything if the behaviour is not corrected. I don¡¯t want us to be at odds here.¡±


    We had been through so much with her and I didn¡¯t want something like that to get between us. ¡°I understand, I don¡¯t know what is wrong with me now. I am not this person.¡±


    I knew exactly what was wrong with her. ¡°A man, Nick is what is wrong with you, specifically your feelings for him makes you want to protect him. but the way you are going about it is wrong. What you said was right though but how you said it was wrong.¡±


    I paused and looked at her. I wanted to see <b>if </b>my words were registering to her, that she understood what I was trying to tell her, the lesson I was trying to teach her. ¡°You when you say things in that manner, it doesn¡¯t matter


    if they are right or wrong. They will not be taken into consideration because the only thing people will be thinking about is how inconsiderate and disrespectful you were when talking to them. Do you understand that?¡±


    She red at me, for the first time since we have met, Lup red at me. ¡°I am not a child Olivia; I am <i>a </i>grown woman. You don¡¯t have to talk to me like I am a child. What they did was wrong and I couldn¡¯t control myself and just said what I felt at the time. But¡­¡±


    She paused and looked me dead in the eyes. She was angry, was taken back to a point that I didn¡¯t know how to


    react.


    ¡°If those men are as grown as they seem to think, then they will think about what I said and rectify their actions. Keeping Nick around, only to talk behind his back when they feel something is wrong with him is wrong in itself. It¡¯s immature.¡±


    ?


    Lupita shook, clearly that incident still made her incredibly angry. ¡°I know what they are capable of, and I also know how kind they are. But we shouldn¡¯t overlook their ws. They need to be told as well when they are wrong, don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    I regretted even talking to her about that. I seemed to have brought back all that anger. Which I didn¡¯t understand where it wasing from. ¡°I never said what you said to them was wrong, I would have done the same thing as well. But how you said it was. You are family and as a family, we must treat each other with respect.


    She sighed. ¡°I understand, I was angry and let my anger get the better of me.¡± I took her hands in mine; they were shaking indicating that she was still angry. ¡°I understand.¡°I had nothing else to say, it felt to me like she just wanted to be understood.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Novel Payback 336

    Chapter <b>336 </b>


    OLIVIA


    Lupita walked away, just when I let out a breath, my dad appeared out <b>of </b>nowhere. ¡°You gave me a fright.<b>¡± </b>I was still traumatized by what happened at our previous home. People appearing out of nowhere still scared me.


    ¡°Am sorry.¡± I took Lilly from him; my baby had grown but hated that she grew while we were on the road and different homes. ¡°I think it¡¯s time she left.¡± I was taken back that I looked up at him. My dad was tall, while I took after my mother, not that short though, I stood at five foot eight.


    ¡°She is acting like a teenager in love while you are acting like her mother. She will resent you for saying no and for sounding like you are siding with your husband on issues like this and not her, she will also, like a teenager, resent you for not letting Nicke here to visit her.¡±


    My mind went nk, was I truly treating her like a child and I, her mother? That was not right, Lupita was a grown woman, and I didn¡¯t want there to be tension between us. What was I even saying? There was already tension gathering on my shoulders as we spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know dad, I like having her around.¡± He said nothing but leaned against the car. ¡°I am around as well; <b>I </b>will be staying in the west wing, and the mafia business will be taking a step back. I want to focus on my family now, being a father and grandfather to your kids.¡±


    I liked that, we had lost so much time together and having him around had been nothing but great. He was trying hard, and I appreciated his efforts. But I liked having Lupita around as well. I couldn¡¯t just kick her out because she was now dating.


    <b>¡°</b><b>To </b>her it might seem like I don¡¯t want her to be with Nick When she leaves this house, I don¡¯t want it to be about Nick or an argument we had. I want her to leave when she wants to. Kicking her out is not an option, she is family now and I can¡¯t do that to her.¡± My dad nodded.


    <b>¡°</b>You are good at this parenting thing.¡± I smiled, I was still not used to gettingpliments from him and when I did get them. they always made me happy. ¡°So good that you are now parenting old women acting like teenagers.¡±


    The excitement vanished; I didn¡¯t know that was where it was going. ¡°I am not good at this parenting thing because I haven¡¯t been doing it for long. But as an outsider looking at things neutrally. I suggest you stay out of it.¡±


    I frowned, I didn¡¯t know what that meant. He clearly heard me talking to Lupita about it and now he was telling me to stay out of it. How? ¡°Olivia, I know you, let Lupita handle her rtionship with Nick if you don¡¯t want her to leave.¡±


    He pushed himself off the car and took my hand. We walked hand in hand towards the house. I felt like a child again. ¡°Let Nick visit whenever he wants to, don¡¯t make it seem like your rules are designed to keep them apart.¡±


    Marcus was not going to like that at all. As if he could hear my loud thoughts he said. ¡°Marcus will understand. Nick is moving on as you can see and there is no need for him to be insecure anymore.¡± Was it that obvious?


    My dad wasn¡¯t the first person to say this. Ethan said it as well. ¡°I will talk to him.¡± he shook his head stopping. No, I will talk to him.¡± I didn¡¯t want to know how that will go.


    (e


    ¡°Talk to whom and about what?¡± Marcus also appeared from behind us, I needed to tour that damn house and figure out how people were appearing like magicians. ¡°You about Nick.¡± My dad responded without even looking


    <b>at </b>him.


    Marcus came and joined us taking my other hand. Now I was in the middle. ¡°Letting Nicke here whenever he wants to.¡± I nced at him, but he looked fine to me. ¡°This is about Lupita, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°See, I told you he was not that stupid.¡± My dad said making Marcus scoff. ¡°I understand, I was going to talk to


    my wife about it as well. This Nick thing seems like we are putting restrictions on their rtionship. As long as Nick stays clear of my wife, then I have no problem with highing here.¡±


    That was easy<b>, </b>Lupita was going to be happy to hear that. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Lupita.¡± Both my dad and husband said at the same time. I stopped to look at them with a frown on my face. ¡°Why?¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>just told you not to get involved, Olivia. What part of that didn¡¯t you hear?¡±


    ¡°Now look who¡¯s acting like a parent.¡± My dad stopped. ¡°What do you mean acting?¡± I frowned, ¡°I am not acting here, Olivia. I am the parent, and I will protect you from the stupid situations you always manage to put yourself in. Grow up!¡± he looked angry.


    I didn¡¯t know why he would be angry because we were just talking. ¡°You have kids now; you are a mother. Stop putting yourself in situations that might take you away from your kids.¡± Okay, it wasn¡¯t about Lupita anymore, it was about everything else.


    ¡°Luke, I think you are¡­¡±


    I squeezed my husband¡¯s hand; he nced at me, and I shook my head. He frowned; I was sure he was wondering why I was stopping him from defending me. But my dad needed to vent, things, horrible things had happened that threatened my life.


    During that time, his focus was on finding me just like everyone else. When I was found, he didn¡¯t even see me for ten minutes before I was gone, and he had to stay behind and fix the mess I made.


    Yes, I was aware of the fact that I got myself kidnapped. If I didn¡¯t go looking for Xander, none of that would have happened. Then when everyone else was breathing and starting to rx, he couldn¡¯t. He had to find me a new and safe home.


    A parent¡¯s worries never end. ¡°I am sorry dad; I promise never to put you through something like that again.¡± He looked shocked that I called him dad and that I was apologizing. I rarely called him that and it still came as a shock to him.

 Novel Payback 337

    Chapter <b>337 </b>


    LUPITA


    Who the hell did she think she was? Now I understood why Sandra hated her guts. Olivia thought she was better than everyone and acted like she was a saint. Those men around her made her feel entitled like a fairy princess. She always acted like a good person, but she wasn¡¯t, it was all an act.


    To think I forgave her when she caused my grandmother¡¯s death and now, she had the audacity to treat me like a child. She was even younger than I was. What gave her the right to talk to me in that manner?


    She was a miss know it all pulling the strings of those men like a puppet master. They danced to her music and hung on her every word. I have been with her for a while now and I had seen the good in her but sometimes she could a real bitch.


    I was also, tired of the way she treated Nick, the man couldn¡¯t evene and visit me because I was staying in her house, and he was not allowed to go there. Why did she even say she didn¡¯t have a problem with us dating if she knew she was going to make it impossible for us to see each other?


    That was like giving candy to a kid and taking it back just when they were starting to enjoy it. She was being cruel.


    I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialled Nick, it was time toy my im on him before the vixen made him go crawling back to her like a lovesick puppy. ¡°Lupita, am sorry I had to leave before I could see you<b>.</b>¡±


    That was his reply, he was a good man, and I didn¡¯t see the evil side Olivia always said he had. With how she was behaving, I was starting to think that she did something for Nick to send her to jail. Maybe he wanted a break from her, who knew? <ol><li>1. </li></ol>


    ¡°Please,e pick me up, if I stay a minute longer in this house, I will lose my mind.¡± I needed to breathe and be as far away as I could from Olivia. ¡°Lupita, did something happen?¡± that meant, ¡®is Olivia alright?¡± women like Sandra and I would always live in Olivia¡¯s shadow when ites to Nick.


    The woman had his heart and there was nothing I could do about it. ¡°Everything is fine, I just need some air, I am not in a good space right now<i>.</i>¡± I could hear him sigh on the other end of the line. See, now that he knew his heart was safe, the man could breathe again.


    I wondered what Olivia fed him to make him that way, maybe I should ask her to give me some so Nick could love me that way, look at me the way he looked at her. Jump when I was hurt the way he did with Olivia.


    ¡°I will be right there, meet me at the gate, you know I am not allowed in there.¡± That was another thing that pissed me off, Nick and could have made such progress in our rtionship if he were allowed toe and go as he pleased.


    To see me and spent time with me. But no, the madam wouldn¡¯t allow that, sometimes I think Olivia is still in love with Nick. Or maybe it was that insecure husband of hers making thing difficult for him.


    Couldn¡¯t he see that Nick was moving on with me? ¡°I will be waiting.¡± I cut the call then walked towards the gate. If I wanted Nick to be my man then I was going to have to put in the work, make him forget about Olivia and the love he once had for her.


    I want to show him that there are better women out there that could love, respect, and cherish him like he deserved. Show him he didn¡¯t need Olivia to be happy. I took out my phone and texted her. ¡®Going with Nick, don¡¯t look for me.¡®


    Like a child that she thought I was, I had to report because mom was going to be angry If she looked for me and couldn¡¯t fine me. Arrogant bitch, maybe it was time I used the money I earned from her and bought myself a


    house.


    Find a job in the profession I studied <b>for</b><b>, </b>my grandmother was no longer there, <b>I </b>didn¡¯t have to be a nanny anymore. If I was going to stand next to a man like Nick Jones, I had to up my game or he was going <b>to </b>continue seeing me as the nanny.


    I didn¡¯t want that; I wanted him to see that I had value. His car came to a <b>stop </b>next to me and I got in. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He questioned looking genuinely concerned. It fell good. ¡°I just missed grandma so much today. Something happened earlier between Olivia and I. grandma would have known what to say in that situation. What advice to give me to make things better.¡±


    I cried, I wanted to see how much he cared about me. ¡°I curse the day we thet Xander, if it weren¡¯t for him<b>, </b><b>my </b>grandmother would still be with me. he took away the only family I had left Nick; I want him dead just like she is.<b>¡± </b>I cried even harder.


    He took me into his arms andforted me. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay Lupita¡­¡± I cut him short. ¡°How can anything be okay when that man is still breathing, how much more <i>do </i>we want him to take from us before we wake up and do something about it. look at what he did to me and to Olivia. Don¡¯t you think <i>it¡¯s </i>unfair that we must carry the pain and trauma while he lives?¡±


    His hold tightened around me. he was holding me like he was afraid I would disappear. <b>¡°</b>To be honest, I don¡¯t like that he is still alive either, but Luke said he will take care of it.¡± I pulled out of the hug and looked at him.


    ¡°Do you think Luke would ever do anything to make Olivia sad? Olivia doesn¡¯t want Xander to be killed so Luke is not going to kill him. he is going to let him go, what then?¡± his jaw clenched, and his hands folded into tight fists. Good, now we were getting somewhere.


    +25 <b>BONUS </b>

 Novel Payback 338

    NICK


    Lupita was right, Olivia didn¡¯t want Xander to be killed. She was too good for that, no matter what Xander did to her, that good heart of hers would not allow her to wish death upon him. Luke knew that every well. Why did I believe him when he said he would take care of it, did he honestly think that letting Xander go would be a good idea?


    ¡°Would it make you feel better if Xander was dead?¡± I didri look at her, she might think that I was crazy like Ethan did. Luke was getting weak and now didn¡¯t want to do what needed to be done. Killing Xander was going to ensure that he never bothered us again.


    It was like they didn¡¯t learn anything with Sandra. We gave her chances upon chances hoping she would change but each time, she came back worse than before. I wasn¡¯t about to let that happen with Xander.


    The man was dangerous, and we all knew just how dangerous he was. ¡°Yes, I would sleep better at night knowing that he was noting back. Do you know that I can¡¯t drink anything given to me by someone because I am scared that I would sleep and not wake up this time like my grandmother?¡±


    I hated seeing her that way, how much more was Olivia suffering because of that man? I wondered if Luke even cared about that. She might have been putting on a brave face in front of us, but what happens behind closed doors?


    Only Marcus knew how she was, how much sleep she got every time. How many times she woke up crying and better that monster in her dreams to stop and let her go? I didn¡¯t want her to live like that.


    She had endured so much with me and in Sandra¡¯s hands. Looking over her,shoulder each time she disappeared worried about what she would do when she came back again. I didn¡¯t want that for her. not this time.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be scared anymore. I have to go somewhere, can we go another time?¡± she shook her head, she must have really been sad to not want me to leave like that. it was my first time seeing her that vulnerable.


    She has always been the one to take care of everyone. ¡°I want to go with you, I don¡¯t care where, I just don¡¯t want to be here. Please Nick.¡± I couldn¡¯t say no with her looking like that. she looked hurt and desperate.


    I wondered what happened between her and Olivia for her to miss her grandmother that much. The woman had been a rock,forting Olivia, and making sure she didn¡¯t feel guilty about what happened to her grandmother. Though she was hurting herself.


    It was time someone took care of her, she needed it. she needed to let go and just be herself. ¡°Alright, but I need you to stay in the car when we get there.¡± She nodded eagerly. I started the car and drove off.


    I guess it was time for Xander to leave this world, cease to exist, his time on earth was over. Lupita was right, an animal like him who had no problem hurting the elderly and kids. Didn¡¯t deserve to live. No matter the circumstances.


    I drove straight to the warehouse where Luke was keeping Him. On the way, no one said anything. We drove infortable silence as I held her hand to reassure her that everything was going to be alright, that she was not alone and that I was there for her.


    I parked in front of the warehouse. ¡°Stay here.¡± She nodded and I got out of the car. I went to the trunk and took out my toolbox, I might need it. I then walked to the door, one of the men seem terrified to see me.


    He quickly opened the door and stepped aside. I walked in and went straight to the back room. it was locked, as I suspected. ¡°Who has the key?¡± the guys looked at each other but no one answered.


    They looked so terrified as if I would do something to them. ¡°I am not going to ask again, who has the fucking


    key?¡±


    ¡°The boss does, sir.¡± I should have known. I ced my toolbox on the floor looked for something to break the lock with. I found a carjack; I took it out then pounded on the padlock until it broke. I removed it cing the carjack back into the toolbox.


    I opened the door and the skinless Xander was revealed. He looked up at me and he shook in fear moving backwards. I didn¡¯t know where he thought he could go in that small room. ¡°Hello Xander, we meet again. Oh, how I missed you.¡±


    By this time, Xander was visibly shaking. ¡°Please, Nick. Am sorry, okay, please.¡± I scoffed, he had a big mouth back at the ind and he would mock me each chance he got. He showed <b>no </b>remorse for what he did and now he was asking for forgiveness, really?


    ¡°Okay, I will forgive you on one condition.¡± Hope returned in his eyes; he looked alive again. Hope sure was a funny thing. ¡°Anything, I will do anything you ask me to do just name it and it will be done. I promise.¡±


    I hummed as if I were thinking about it. he was stupid though, how could one promise something when they. didn¡¯t even know what it was.


    ¡°Anything, are you sure?¡± he quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, anything. You name it.¡± I nodded getting closer to him then bent to be in his eye level. ¡°Bring back the old woman your sedative killed.¡± His face paled and the hope he had a minute ago vanished.


    ¡°Oh, Xander, how can you make a promise a minute ago and want to break it a minuteter?¡± I slightly tilted my head. He was no longer looking at me now. he hung his head low looking defeated.


    ¡°She died and now it¡¯s time for you to die.¡± I went back out; took the carjack I used to break the padlock. Then went back inside. When Xander saw it, he shook his head vigorously. ¡°No, Nick, please no!¡± he begged.


    I was going to enjoy killing him and making him feel all the pain he caused Olivia. Before closing the door, I yelled to the men. ¡°Don¡¯t open this door no matter what you hear. I didn¡¯t wait for them to respond as I closed the door behind me. ¡°Time to y, Xander.

 Novel Payback 339

    Chapter <b>339 </b>


    LUKE


    ¡°What the fuck did you say?¡± I paced feeling hot suddenly, what in the devil¡¯s name was Nick thinking. ¡°Fuck!¡± <b>I </b>cursed under my breathe. ¡°He told us not to open on peak at the door no matter what we hear, boss, he might be doing the same thing he did in the ind.¡± Bloody hell!


    I cut the call and just stood there not knowing what to do. It didn¡¯t matter if I rushed there, it might already be toote. What was he thinking? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you look stressed.¡± Marcus asking handing me a drink.


    I downed it in one go, the burning sensation in my throat felt good, just what I needed. ¡°Nick is at the warehouse.¡± He looked confused, ¡°Okay, so?¡± I knew he didn¡¯t get it. ¡°The warehouse Marcus, where I am keeping Xander.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed under his breath running his hand through his hair. ¡°We should get there now.<i>¡± </i>yes well, it might just be a waste going there. ¡°We will have to go together, Ethan is already freaked out by Nick, this will just send him over the edge.


    I thought he was going to wait for me to take care of things, why did he go there by himself. Did he thinking I was taking too long with it? ¡°I know, let¡¯s go. I will call Olivia on the way. But what exactly is he doing, did they tell you?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if telling Marcus was a good idea, but then again, what was the point of hiding it when he was going to see it when we got there. ¡°The same thing he did on the ind.¡± Marcus frowned. He didn¡¯t get it.


    ¡°What he did at the ind was inhumane, it was like he was ughtering a pig only to find out after his done that he was skinning the man alive. Now, Xander has no skin, what do you think he is doing to him now?¡±


    Marcus sighed, on the road I was driving like a mad man, I didn¡¯t know if it was to protect Xander or Nick. He shouldn¡¯t go that far; he was going to regret it if he did. Marcus didn¡¯t say another word until we stopped at the warehouse, right next to Nick¡¯s car.


    Just we got out, Nick appeared, hands and arms bloody as if he were bathing in blood. My heart raced in my chest so fast that I could hear it in my ears. ¡°Jesus fucking Christ! What the hell have you done?¡± Marcus yelled the moment he saw him.


    He was mortified. ¡°Hello Marcus, Luke.¡± He stood in front of us, toolbox in hand and looking satisfied. ¡°What have you done, Nick?¡± I asked with my voice calm, but that was just it, my voice was calm but on the inside a storm was brewing.


    I was angry that he did what I thought he did, him giving in to the dark side, it was not an easy thing to deal with and that was why I told him to get rid of the skin and I was going to get rid of the owner.


    ¡°I killed the bastard.¡± He answered calmly as if he was not affected at all. I wondered if he was putting on an act or what. ¡°How did you even kill him? you look like you were ughtering a pig!¡± Marcus paced.


    He was only seeing the blood now, he didn¡¯t see what we saw back at the ind. ¡°He was a pig.¡±


    ¡°Jeez! Do you even feel anything?¡± he shrugged as if nothing happened. ¡°Help me wash my hands quickly, I don¡¯t want Lupita to see me this way.¡± I looked back at his car and there sat Lupita.


    I narrowed my eyes looking at her, did she maybe have something to do with this? ¡°You brought Lupita here? What is wrong with you?¡± Nick said nothing. ced the toolbox at my feet then walked away leisurely to the tap outside.


    Opened and took his time washing the blood off his hands and arms. ¡°Luke?¡± Marcus called my name. I didn¡¯t say it might be toote by the time we arrived, and it was. Nick looked fine though, but I wasn¡¯t sure how fine can one


    be after killing another human being.


    ¡°Was he not like this after killing Sandra?¡± Marcus paused as if he were thinking about it. ¡°He was fine, he didn¡¯t seem different at all. What are you thinking?¡± I shrugged; I wasn¡¯t about to give my son inw ammunition to use against my nephew.


    Nick was a loose cannon, and he was getting worse by the day. I could not longer sit back and watch anymore. Something had to be done. The man was a billionaire and a public figure. He shouldn¡¯t be doing things like those.


    He came back, ¡°It was nice to see you both, but I must leave now.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Why did you do it?¡± something shed in his eyes, but it was gone before I could notice what it was. ¡°Because you were taking your sweet time dealing with it even after I told you it was bothering me.¡±


    He paused then smirked. ¡°They say, if you want something done right, you do it yourself. I got rid of Xander, you take care of the body. See you.¡± He got into his car and drove off. ¡°Wannae and see the damage his caused?¡±


    Marcus hesitated but then followed me inside. The men stood by that door looking horrified. I could only imagine what they were looking at.


    We got closer and they moved aside. Marcus moved past me and peaked inside. He quickly took a couple of steps back with his mouth hung open. I wondered if it was worse than skinning him alive.


    I moved closer but regretted it the moment Iid my eyes <b>on </b>him, well, what used to be him. you couldn¡¯t even recognise the face. Now he was just something with arms and legs. I took out my phone and dialled Elodie.


    ¡°Brother,¡± she sounded cheerful. ¡°Your son is a fucking monster, D monster.¡± Silence followed my words. ¡°He was never trained Luke, my father never saw my son and we got rid of the serum. How can he be the Don¡¯s monster.¡±


    ¡°Well, he is.¡± I cut the call.

 Novel Payback 340

    LUKE


    The Don used to experiment on some of our men, those he deemed strong and capable. He got that thing from Russia, and it was bad. It turned the men into unfeeling animals, no feelings, not emotions, they were not that far off them robots.


    The way Nick was behaving reminded me of those men, which made me wonder, did he truly send Olivia to jail because he wanted justice for Ethan like he said, or he did it because he wanted to.


    That part got my stomach twisting in knots. ¡°Luke, what do you think about this, is this normal, have you ever seen something like this in you line of work?¡± I had, long time ago, those men the Don injected had a thirst for blood.


    ¡°I have a long time ago. Wait here, I need to get the guys to clean up that mess.¡± I walked away with a heavy heart. Many things were on my mind, and I didn¡¯t know which to believe. If Nick was what I thought, he was then he was more dangerous than we initially thought.


    But where could he have gotten the serum? We destroyed everything with Elodie back then. The Don was so angry that he locked us in a cage in the mountains for almost three weeks without food or water.


    When he tried to get it again, he couldn¡¯t. that made him even angrier. All the families in our world feared us because of those men. When things settled, father sent them to various ces to open new regions.


    Two of them died and four are still alive and managing those regions. ¡°Clean up that mess.¡± I instructed before turning around going back to join Marcus. He looked pale. ¡°Something is up, what is it?¡± I said nothing but got into the car.


    ¡°Luke, I know you are hiding something from me, what is it?¡± that had nothing to do with him, the only thing he had to worry about was his wife and kid. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I am just as shocked as you are, and wondering is Ethan calling him a psychopath was a mistake or if he really is that.¡±


    Marcus sighed; he looked out the window as we drove. My phone rang, it was Elodie. I didn¡¯t want to answer but it was going to look suspicious if I didn¡¯t. ¡°Elodie, I am driving, Marcus is going to send you the address of his new home. Meet me there.¡± I cut the call and nced at Marcus.


    ¡°I will send it. do you think his mother knows something we don¡¯t?¡± I didn¡¯t respond to that, there was no need to. Elodie was as surprised as I was, worse part was that I never told her about her son killing Marcus¡¯s baby


    mama.


    Getting back to the house, I parked and got out heading straight to the west wing. I needed to be alone to talk freely to Elodie. I didn¡¯t wait long before my sister arrived. Tell me what happened, why did you say that?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t even sat down before she started asking questions. ¡°Hello Elodie, would you like something to drink?¡± she red at me taking a seat. ¡°There is not time for that Luke, tell me what is going on?¡±


    A sigh left me. I didn¡¯t know how she was going to take that ¡°Nick, killed Sandra.¡± I started with an easy one, but Elodie didn¡¯t react. ¡°I would have done the same if I were in his shoes, that woman caused my son a lot of pain. He doesn¡¯t have a wife today because of that woman. If you called me here for that, then I will take my leave.¡±


    I stood and went to get a bottle of whiskey. ¡°I didn¡¯t call you here, you did.¡± She scoffed. I took a seat. ¡°Him killing Sandra is just a start, looking at this.¡± I handed her my phone with the pictures of Xander after Nick skinned him.


    ¡°Did one of the Don¡¯s robots do this? Do you still allow such things?¡± I just looked at her until she looked up at me. ¡°No, Luke, no.¡± I kept staring at her, there was nothing for me to say. She already knew. ¡°Nick wouldn¡¯t, did he?¡±


    Her face, she looked horrified. ¡°Did we leave some of that thing?¡± I shook my head in the negative. ¡°He couldn¡¯t, Luke.¡±


    ¡°He could, and he did.¡± We both turned and Nick was standing by the door. He walked in poured himself a drink then took a seat next to his mother.


    ¡°I know that you are here discussing me, and I thought it¡¯s only right that I be here.¡± His mother had this funny look on her face. I couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking. ¡°I did whatever Luke told you and no, I am not crazy.<i>¡± </i>


    He poured another drinking, downed it, and looked at us. ¡°In business, there are rules, written and unwritten rules but rules, nheless. We follow those rules and expand our businesses using our wit, strategy, and intelligence.¡±


    He paused then scanned out faces. ¡°But then what do you do when your world of rules is met with the cunning, despicable underground world where the rules you are used to don¡¯t apply and human life means nothing. What do you do then?¡±


    He downed his drink. ¡°I just followed the norm of the world I didn¡¯t know and mastered it. they didn¡¯t care who they hurt; I had to be like them to show them that we too can do what they do. That we are not afraid just choose not to. But that man pushed me to the edge, and I responded in kind.¡±


    He paused then stood. Walked to the door that I thought he was leaving, but he turned back ande toward us.¡± Does my response make me heartless, maybe. Does it make me evil, maybe, does it make me a psychopath with a thirst for blood, definitely not!¡±


    ¡°If you are going to sit there and judge me instead of doing what needs to be done when the both of you know how your world is, then we are doomed.¡± He walked out leaving us there with our mouths hung open.


    X

 Novel Payback 341

    OLIVIA


    Something was happening I could feel it, I might not have known what it was at the time, but I knew something was up. obviously, I was curious to know what it was and if it meant danger to us and if we would have to move again. Which I didn¡¯t want.


    First, it was Lupita who just left with Nick, I understood that they needed to spent time together and I didn¡¯t have problem with her leaving. Ethan was with me even thought he was drunk out of his mind and passed out on my couch. He was there, I felt safe.


    My husband was around as well as my dad. The kids and I were perfectly fine. But my husband and dad left in a hurry without saying a word to me. He only sent me a text when he had already left<b>, </b>meaning he was worried that I might be worried if he told me where he was going to my face.


    That was not a problem for me either because there was security in the house and Xander was locked up. Things were quiet or was I fooling myself. which I believed I was judging from the way they looked when they came back.


    All of them, my dad, my husband and Lupita. It was like they had a secret they didn¡¯t want me to know about. Of course, I was curious again, but I held it in. ¡°Lupita, do you want some tea or wine? We haven¡¯t spent time together and I feel like we need it.¡±


    She gave me a look I didn¡¯t understand, it was like she was looking at an enemy for a second there but then that look was gone. I couldn¡¯t me her thought because I too acted the same way sometimes.


    Especially if I had a nightmare and Marcus woke me up. I would still be seeing Xander in his face until the sleep clears from my eyes. ¡°I will take wine please.¡± If she wanted wine, that could only mean one thing, she was distressed, and I felt guilty.


    I took my son and myself to therapy, but I never asked her if she needed to see one. She went through the same thing I did and was as traumatized as much as I was if not more. She did lose her grandmother because of that incident.


    I handed her a ss of wine then took a seat next to her. ¡°Lupita, I never asked this but, do you need to see a therapist? I know you went through the same thing I did, I know how strong you are but there might be somethings you would like to get off your chest but not to me. to a professional who will help you make sense of everything.¡±


    I felt like the most selfish person in the world, I didn¡¯t think of Lupita because she always appeared strong, but I forgot that even the strongest of people do go through hard times. I shouldn¡¯t have known that better than anyone.


    ¡°I am sorry I took so long to ask, I think I got fooled by the fact that you are always so strong and taking care of everything and fixing things for everyone. When a person is like that, we tent to forget that they get hurt too and through hard times. I am sorry for forgetting that.¡±


    Lupita didn¡¯t reply for a while only focusing on her wine. I even thought she was angry and with reason if she was. Eventually, after what felt like forever, she ced the ss on the table and looked at me.


    ¡°Thank you, Olivia. I appreciate you offering, now that I think about it, I do need to see someone. I have been angry, a lot and might have done or said something that influenced someone else to do something bad because of my anger.¡±


    I was taken back, what could she have done, who could she have influenced? Was it Nick and what did he do? That got me worried, but I wasn¡¯t about to pry. If she wanted me to know, she would have told me.


    ¡°Then I will give you my doctor¡¯s number or you can look for your own doctor and we will pay.<i>¡± </i>She filled her


    ss again, she must have been really stressed, Lupita never drank more than one ss of wine.


    Or maybe, I had put so much responsibility on her that she never had the chance to just unwind and enjoy herself. Had I been selfish that whole time she had been with us? I felt bad. ¡°How about shopping? Retail therapy always works to make us feel a little better. I know it¡¯s not permanent, but I don¡¯t want us being depressed.¡±


    I always said Lupita was like a sister I never had but I had been treating her like an employee all along. I might have taken her everywhere I went but that was for the kids, it was never about her enjoying herself wherever we


    went.


    ¡®Just has your mind been at, Olivia?¡® I felt so guilty.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that tomorrow, right now, I would like to take a nap, if that is okay with you.¡± I quickly nodded feeling like the biggest fool in the world. ¡°Yes, of course, you don¡¯t have to ask and don¡¯t worry about the kids. Take your time.¡±


    She stood and left. I was left feeling like crap. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked my husband sitting next to me. ¡°Marcus, you are usually the first person to notice things and tell me about it.¡± he nodded. ¡°Then why haven¡¯t we both. noticed that we have not been treating Lupita right?¡±


    He shifted ufortably on his seat. ¡°We haven¡¯t been treating her life family at all, not giving her time to do the things she likes, going out on her own, enjoying her life, we even put restrictions for the man she likes. What kind of people are we?¡±


    ¡°Olivia, as much as we treat her better than other people, like the member of this family, she is still an employee we pay to look after our children. Yes, we can change things and be more lenient if that is what you what. But we have been treating her better than most and that is something.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want her to be treated better than most, I wanted her to feel at home and be happy. ¡°I would like us to treat her like a member of this family, change some of the things we have been doing with her. treat her better.¡± My husband nodded but I could tell he was not telling me something.

 Novel Payback 342

    LUPITA


    The good Olivia appeared again today, making me feel guilty for what I had done. For what I made Nick do. I acted and made a decision while I was angry and now, I was regretting it. But I didn¡¯t regret that Xander was dead. That man deserved to die, but maybe Nick wasn¡¯t supposed to be the one to do it.


    I saw how he looked when he came out of the warehouse, I didn¡¯t think I would ever be able to get that look out of my head for a very long time. But what disturbed me the most was the fact that he looked like nothing happened when he came into the car.


    Or was it all an act in front of me, to seem strong for me as if nothing happened. As if what he did because of me didn¡¯t bother him, to protect me from feeling guilty for making him do it. Or maybe <b>I </b>just wanted to see the good in Nick and prove to Olivia that he was not as bad as she thought he was.


    I didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. A knock came to my door, and I thought it was Olivia corning to check on me. I invited the person in, and Nick walked in. I quickly sat up on the bed confused as to what he was doing there.


    He had been through a lot that day and he wasn¡¯t invited to the house. Olivia was going to freak out when she found him there. ¡°Don¡¯t look so worried now, Marcus told me I cane and go as I please.¡± <b>I </b>sighed letting out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, but why are you here, is everything alright?¡± He didn¡¯t respond, he came toward the bed and took a seat. He looked at me for a moment without saying anything. I felt naked and exposed with him looking at me that way.


    ¡°Are you alright? I know what happened back there couldn¡¯t have been easy on you. I know you saw me and my appearance might have even scared you. so, I came to check how you are doing.¡± My heart warmed.


    He cared for me just as I wanted. I might have gone about it the wrong way to get him to pay attention to me, see me the way he saw Olivia. But it still felt good hearing him ask about me. ¡°I am fine, I have a lot on my mind, I admit, but I will be fine. I am going to therapy soon.¡±


    He looked worried when I mentioned therapy. I offered him a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried, I have been through a lot just like everyone here, I didn¡¯t take time to grieve my grandmother¡¯s passing properly and I think I still have some anger because of that. I want to get that resolved before it gets worse.¡±


    He took me into his arms and held me tight. ¡°I will take you to therapy, just tell me when and I will be here to pick you up.¡± He rubbed my back humming a little, but I couldn¡¯t make out what song he was humming.


    ¡°You are such a strong woman Lupita, and I admire your strength. Maybe would have broken down if they had seen what you have seen and gone through what you have been through. I want you to know that you are not alone. I am always here for you, whenever you need me.¡±


    Tension left me and all those doubts and negative thoughts I had vanished. He made me feel as if I were the only woman in the world for him. ¡°Thank you, Nick. I appreciate everything you have done for me. I am also, sorry for making you do¡­that. I¡­¡±


    He cut me short. ¡°Shhh, not need to thank me, I am tired of people thinking they can hurt this family and there be no consequences. All of us have been hurt, mostly you and Olivia. You both didn¡¯t deserve that, and we should have done a better job protecting you both. I am sorry we failed.¡±


    I pulled out shaking my head. ¡°No, you did nothing wrong. We are fine and alive. That is all thanks to what you all have done. Don¡¯t me yourself for things you had no control over, you have done all you could.¡±


    He offered me that magnificent smile of his, damn, he was handsome. ¡°Want me to stay until you fall asleep?¡± He


    asked with his eyebrow raised. I nodded, I wanted him to stay, I was enjoying the attention he was giving me.


    He got to bed andid next to me. ¡°Want me to put on a movie or do you want me to sing for you until you fall asleep?¡± Iughed, could he even sing?


    ¡°Don¡¯tugh, I can sing, ask Samuel, he knows.¡± Iughed even harder; I had never heard him sing. Not once<b>.</b>¡± Okay, whatever you say.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Huh, I will show you then, just listen.¡± He started and he sounded horrible.


    He was singing a children¡¯s song for starters, twinkle, twinkle. I couldn¡¯t stopughing. Heughed as well kissing the side of my head. It was the first time he did that My chest warmed and my heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Fine, maybe I can¡¯t sing. But I am here, I will talk to you until you fall asleep.¡± I didn¡¯t want to sleep anymore; I wanted to talk to him for hours. Laugh like we were doing. Another knock came to my door, and I got annoyed.


    Nick invited the person in, Olivia walked in with drinks and snacks. ¡°Sorry, I am just here to drop this off.<b>¡± </b>she ced everything on my dressing table. ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you, Olivia.¡± Nick responded pulling me closer to him as if he wanted to show Olivia that we were together. That warmed my heart. He was iming me, and liked it. Olivia didn¡¯t stay, she quickly left.


    Nick kissed my forehead again. ¡°Lay on my chest and listen to my heart beating, it will get to sleep faster.¡± I was more than happy to do so.

 Novel Payback 343

    Chapter <b>343 </b>


    ELODIE


    ¡°Well, he is a grown man now brother and he is telling us he is alright and not crazy. What more can we do?¡± I was relieved to see that he was alright and to hear his reasons. But was that enough, was he really okay, or did everything haunt him behind closed door and kept him up at night?


    That was what worried me the most. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try and matching your words to your energy. You are saying everything is alright and you are fine with his exnation, but I can see the worry in your eyes. You are worried about the same thing I am. What is happening when he is alone.¡±


    He always could read me well. ¡°I wish I can be a fly on his wall just to see if he is really okay, he is the only one I have left Luke and if he is not okay. I would like to know on time so I can get him help. Taking a life is not easy, you and I both know that. How can he be fine after taking two and not having anyone to held him deal with it after?¡±


    Luke hummed, he knew how messed up I was when I did it for the first time. I couldn¡¯t sleep, I saw the man everywhere I went. But because of who my father was, or the man who raised me. I had to get over that every quickly.


    He gave me a week but when I didn¡¯t get over it as quickly as he wanted me to. He kept sending me with the men, asking them to let me be the one to do the killings. By the end of the month, I was numb, I couldn¡¯t feel anymore, and my reputation grew from there.


    But that was not what I wanted for my son, the reason I felt the family was for my kids to not grow up in that environment. Seeing how things turned out, I can say I failed.


    ¡°I tried you know.¡± Luke started, he must have been feeling guilty as well. ¡°When Ethan told me he was a psychopath I didn¡¯t want to believe it.¡± Nick said he was not a psychopath, and I believed him.


    My son just took care of the problem, and I saw nothing wrong with that. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to believe it because he was as convincing with me as he was now with us. One of the traits of a psychopath is that they are very cunning and maniptive. They knew just what to say to get people on their side.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe what he was saying, I thought he understood Nick¡¯s reasons like I did. What changed, why was he suddenly saying those things. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I like my nephew and want to be wrong about this, but we won¡¯t know until we get him professional help.¡±


    I stood, I felt like I was not drunk enough to hear the nonsense he was spewing. ¡°I have already contacted someone, his going to have a session with Nick and determine whether he is a psychopath or not. If we have something to worry about or not.¡±


    I poured myself a drink. ¡°Tell me something, do you want Nick to be a psychopath, will that help you in running the organisation? I heard what happened back at the ind, what he did and how much our men respect and fear him now. is that what you want, to use him.¡±


    Luke looking at me then shook his head. ¡°You can be very stupid and childish sometimes. Why would I look for a doctor for him if I was nning on using him? I would have suggested he take over the organisation already if that was my n.¡±


    I scoffed; he was the cunning one. I couldn¡¯t be sure what he was thinking. ¡°Elodie, we are grandparents now, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time we left that world? It¡¯s hurting our kids and grandchildren now. do we want to be looking over our shoulder all the time at this age?¡±


    He paused looking at me, trying to read my face. ¡°I want to be grandpa now; I want to take my grandchildren out without being followed around by that army of men out there. I want peace now, to enjoy life with my daughter


    and her kids.¡±


    He sighed leaning back on the couch. ¡°I have lost too much time with Olivia because of the Don, now, I have no excuse as to why I can¡¯t be a better person, I am the Don now and I make the rules. Helping your son is also helping my daughter and her son. I don¡¯t want them to be dealing with a sick man.¡±


    I red, he might have been right, but I didn¡¯t like that he called my son a sick man, that was not confirmed yet. ¡°Fine, he can see the doctor and after that. no matter what the results are, I need him to go back to taking care of thepany. I have been standing in for him for a very long time. Nick was fine when he was running thepany, and I think it¡¯s time he went back.¡±


    Luke nodded, ¡°I agree, with you on that. he must go back to his routine. Whether here or back in Summer Strand.¡± ¡°No! Summer strand is a no go, that is where the family and the business is. He might get even more involved if he went there. So, no. he must be here.¡± Lukeughed.


    ¡°As if you have a say in that, Nick is a grown man, and he will decide where he wants to live.¡±


    ¡°Then what makes you think you can make him see the doctor? He is a grown man as you said, not a child that can be told what to do and when.¡± That shut him up very quickly.


    I sighed, ¡°There is no need to bicker about this, lets just ask him but I would prefer he stays here, he is over Olivia now. He doesn¡¯t have to go back to Summer Strand.¡±


    ¡°That is what you and everyone else thinks.¡±


    Chapter <b>344 </b>

 Novel Payback 344

    LUKE


    Elodie left huffing and puffing. Angered by what I said, but was only telling the truth. I loved my nephew; everyone knew I did but I wasn¡¯t about to turn a blind eye to his weaknesses. Nick loved Olivia with all his heart, even being with Lupita now out of all the women, I felt it was a ploy to get close to Olivia.


    No one could just get over an obsession overnight, Nick was no exception. They say a mother knows best and my sister believed she knew her son better than I did. That might be true, but I doubted it in that case.


    I walked out and stood by the pool staring at the horizon. I wished we could have more peaceful days like those. No drama, no violence of kidnappings. Just normal lives and everyday quarrels with out loved ones.


    ¡°Penny for your thoughts?¡± I didn¡¯t have to look to know that was my daughter. ¡°Just thinking about what it would be like if we had more days like this one.¡± She stood next to me, arms folded to the back.


    ¡°It is a beautiful day, indeed.¡± I wondered what it would have been like had I raised her. The memories we would have made. The adventured we could have had. ¡°I miss mom today and grandma<b>.</b>¡± I turned to her, it was my first time hearing her talk about her mother.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she nced at me; she looked fine though and that made me wonder what brought the memory of her mother. ¡°Nothing happened, am just thinking that she would have liked the house, living like this, baby sitting for me. grandma too.¡±


    I pulled her into a warm hug, ¡°Your mother and grandmother both live through you now. they are living this life with you, in good and tough times, they are with you. giving you the strength you need to get through everything. Anyone else would have broken by now if they went through what you have, been through.¡±


    I only wished her happiness, but it seemed that was still too far from her reach. Now the people who threatened her happiness were those around her. Nick and Lupita. That woman had changed, and no one seemed to notice.


    I saw how calm she was when Nick came out of the warehouse all bloodied as if he were ughtering a pig. That woman didn¡¯t seem fazed at all. It was almost like she enjoyed what she saw, which made me think she was the one who said something that made Nick want to get rid of Xander himself.


    ¡°Thanks dad, I do appreciate your words and you being in my life.¡± those words warmed my heart. I never thought I would ever hear those word from her. she resented me when she found out I was her father and even more when she heard I was involved in her mother¡¯s death.


    Even though it was not intentional, I still had a hand in the ident that imed her life. that was something that still haunted me to this day.


    ¡°I will always be here for you, my darling. I know that sometimes, I will do things that will make you angry and resent me. just know that whatever I do, it will be for your own good, not to harm you.¡±


    She pulled out of the hug, looked me dead in the eyes. I offered her a smile. she did not need to worry about anything, she only needed to worry about herself and children, getting better and being the best mother she could be to them.


    Everything else, I was going to take care of myself. she needed not to worry about that. ¡°Dad, is there something you are not telling me?¡± Olivia, aways curious and getting herself in trouble because of it.


    She was like me that way, ¡°Nothing is wrong, and I am not hiding anything from you. it just feels, different and weird not doing what I used to do.¡±


    She furrowed her eyebrows, I knew I couldn¡¯t easily fool her. she was too smart for that. ¡°I know it¡¯s not something you are used to, and it might take time to adjust. But I ask that you hang in there, to persevere. It will


    Chapter 344.


    all be alright. I don¡¯t want to be Olivia the daughter of a mafia king pin.¡±


    Iughed, as if she were ever called that. ¡°Right, you won¡¯t be anymore, you are Olivia, Marcus the billionaire¡¯s wife. No association with me at all.¡± Sheughed.


    .


    ¡°Sometimes I forget how wealthy the man is. To me, he is just an ordinary man, it also feels good not tock anything. I must say, I am fortunate.¡± I was d and I wished I could provide more for her. but she never askes for anything and I never knew what to get her.


    ¡°Dad why is it that you never dated after mom?¡± the question caught me off guard. I thought about making an excuse, but we were building a rtionship and that required honesty.


    ¡°Because your mother was the only woman for me. looking <b>for </b>someone else after her death would have been a waste of time. I am one man woman; I am like Nick that way.¡± Shit!


    I cursed under my breath; I shouldn¡¯t have said thatst part. She thought Nick was moving on.


    ¡°I disagree, Nick is not like you, he is moving on now and looks happy.¡± Oh, my darling daughter. I wished would open your eyes.


    you


    Nick was only happy to be near her nothing more. Lupita gave him the perfect excuse to continue being close to her. A man like Nick and I were the same. We didn¡¯t give up easily.


    I might have been away from Olivia, but I kept an eye on her and her mother for years. Never been with any other woman besides her. ¡°I will take your word for it. you know him better than I do.¡± She looked at me as if she had something in her mind.


    ¡°Come on, I want to see my grandchildren.¡±

 Novel Payback 345

    Chapter <b>345 </b>


    OLIVIA


    I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that my dad was hiding something from me. I didn¡¯t want to pry but if it had anything to do with me then I would have liked to know. I did understand as well why he wouldn¡¯t tell me. Every time they told me something, I ended up wanting to resolve it myself hus getting myself into trouble.


    I didn¡¯t want that; I had promised my husband that I wouldn¡¯t do something like that again. I watched as my father yed with my son and daughter. You couldn¡¯t tell he was the same man who couldn¡¯t even be in the same room with Lilly. Now he was obsessed with her.


    My shifted to Sandra, wondering what kind of mother she could have been. Would she have loved Lilly as much as I did. Would she have changed for her, to be a better person, a better mother to her. would she have left her past behind and focused on being a better mother?


    I


    guess I would never know, I just hoped she was happy with the way I was raising her daughter. ¡°What are you thinking about.¡± I felt a hand on my shoulder, when I looked up, my husband was standing next to me with a worried expression on his face.


    1


    ¡°Sandra and what we are going to tell Lilly when she asks about her one day.¡± Marcus took a seat next to me. ¡°We won¡¯t have that conversation with her because you are her mother, and I am her father. no one else.<i>¡± </i>I wished we could do that, burry the truth deep where no one would ever find.


    ¡°In a perfect world, it would have worked but people talk. When that happens, I would like to be prepared.¡± My husband took my hands into his giving me a little squeeze. How about we deal with that when the timees. Besides, telling her that her mother died during childbirth will be the only thing we tell her.¡±


    I opened my mouth to say something, but my husband got up and offered me his hand, silencing me in the process. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go have lunch, Lupita and Nick cooked.¡± I frowned, I thought they wanted time alone, that was why I got them snacks and took them to her room.


    ¡°Are you okay with that?¡± he did say he didn¡¯t mind having Nick in our home anymore, but I wanted to be sure. He nodded, ¡°Yes, I am fine. Now let¡¯s go eat, I am starving.¡± He took my hand and led me to the kitchen.


    We heardughter before we could appear, I turned to look at my husband giving him a questioning look. He just shrugged and walked ahead. I followed behind and we appeared. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the sight.


    Nick and Lupita were both wearing apronsughing together at something one of them said. They looked so good together. A smile formed on my lips, I wished they had found each other sooner.


    Nick would have gotten over me sooner and he would have been happy sooner. ¡°What are standing around here for? I though we were going to eat.¡± Asked my father walking past us. The chefs saw him and stoppedughing.


    ¡°Something smells good in here, what did you make?¡± my stomach grumbled embarrassing me. everyoneughed. ¡°It¡¯s braised pork and some vegetable. Come on, sit down and I wish dish for you.¡± Lupita said.


    I went and took a seat and waited for my te. Nick was avoiding eye contact with me that whole time. ¡°You can rx Nick, I will not chase you away.¡± He lifted his head to look at me then he smiled.


    That smile was full of mischief, and I wondered what the hell was he thinking. ¡°Nick, give me some food there.¡± My dad said with a cold voice. I nced at him; he didn¡¯t look good at all. I was right, something was bothering him.


    Could it have been something to do with what Nick did or why they left in a hurry here yesterday? I wanted to ask but I held back, he didn¡¯t tell me when I asked and that meant he was not ready to talk about it.


    Lupita ced a te of food in front of me. it smelled so good that my tummy grumbled again. ¡°Olivia, feed that


    monster already.¡± He sounded annoyed. ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t dad me, just eat your food, you like doing this, going for hours without eating, just eat.¡± <b>I </b>shut my mouth and ate my food. Marcus nudged me, I nced at him, and he gave me a questioning look.


    I shrugged as I didn¡¯t know why my father was acting that way, he was fine when we were talking outside and now, he looked annoyed.


    Nick ced a te in front of my father, their eyes locked for a moment, they looked as if they were having a secret conversation and that lone got me curious. I wanted to know what was happening between them.


    I nced at my husband beside me, but he was focused on his food and wasn¡¯t seeing what was happening right in front of him.


    ¡®Stop being nosey Olivia, it has nothing to do with you. mind your own business.¡® I scolded myself<b>; </b><b>I </b>needed to remind myself that not everything was about me. the people around me had their lives and they didn¡¯t have to involve me.


    When we were done eating, Marcus and I left, my dad left first. But then I wanted a ss of wine so, I turned back to get some. But then I heard them and stopped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± That was Lupita ¡°Don¡¯t act with me, I can see right through you, and I am watching you. if you do anything to hurt my daughter, I will put you down like a dog.¡± My dad threatened.


    Was he threatening Lupita, why? ¡°Luke, I don¡¯t think that is necessary, you know Lupita would never do anything to hurt Olivia.¡± Nick intervened ¡°Whatever you say Nick, but you, I hope you heard what I said, do something to hurt my daughter, I kill you.¡±

 Novel Payback 346

    * Chapter 346 13.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>346 </b>


    <b>OLIVIA </b>


    <b>I </b><b>couldn¡¯t </b>believe what I heard<b>, </b>my dad threatened Lupita, why did he do that, did Lupita do something to make him threaten her that way? No, Lupita was not that kind of person<b>, </b>she was good, she had no evil bone in her body<b>, </b>then why would my dad threaten her with death?


    ¡°I told you to stay out of things that don¡¯t concern you, what are you doing here ears dropping on other <b>people¡¯s </b>conversations?<b>¡± </b>shit! ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go, this is how you get yourself into trouble.¡± Marcus too my hand and just <b>as </b>we turned to leave Nick spoke.


    ¡°If you did something to hurt Olivia, you will not only have to worry about Luke, but you will also have me to deal with as well.¡± His voice was so cold and detached that it set cold shivers running down my spine. Just what could Lupita have done to make those men angry?


    I nced at my husband; confusion decorated his face with his brows furrowed. Whatever it was with Nick, my dad and Lupita. My husband had no clue about it. ¡°Nick, why would you readily believe what he said instead of listening to me. why is it that when Olivia¡¯s name is mentioned you turn into this animal?¡±


    That cut deep, how could she? Nick maybe be anything, but he was no animal. The man had his good side and everything that he and all the men in my life had been involved in was to protect me<b>, </b>us and yet Lupita has the audacity to call him an animal.


    I didn¡¯t feel like it was fair on Nick<b>, </b>he was trying and everyone could see that. I took a step, but Marcus held my arm. I looked at him and he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s none <b>of </b><b>your </b>business. Let¡¯s go.


    ¡°<b>> </b>


    He was right, Nick was none of my business and whatever Lupita was up was none of my business as well. We walked away, I thought we were going upstairs but my husband led me outside.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± he asked as soon as we got outside. ¡°Am sorry I¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need apologies right now, I need to know what is wrong with you, what business do you have with Nick that you would want to interfere with him and his rtionship?¡±


    I frowned, was he being jealous and insecure again? ¡°Answer me, Olivia. Do you like it when Nick is running after you like a lost puppy that you don¡¯t want someone else to have him?¡± I felt offended by his words.


    ant to


    ¡°No, you have no right to look as if you are wronged, why did you go in there? Was it because Lupita called him an animal?¡± I said nothing. ¡°Marcus chuckled. Well, she wasn¡¯t wrong, and she was talking about something she saw, yet you were ready to run in there and defend him as if the man in there is the Nick you once knew. News sh, my dear wife. That Nick Jones, the one you used to know. Is gone.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what he meant about that, I wanted to ask but I knew it was only going to fuel the fire that was already burning.


    ¡°I am sorry, I wasn¡¯t thinking, and yes, you are right. Whatever is going on between them has nothing to do with me. also, I don¡¯t want Nick back if that is what you are thinking. I am happy that he is moving on. I think I overreacted when she called him an animal.¡±


    My husbandughed as if he were mocking me. ¡°What is wrong with her calling him an animal? You used to call him that as well. What¡¯s new now, or did you forget what kind of an animal he was back then?¡±


    I kept my mouth shut, I shouldn¡¯t have acted or done anything. I did say that my curiosity always got me into trouble. ¡°Marcus, I swear that is not how it is. Nick has done a lot for us, you all have. I think I just felt the need to protect him.¡±


    He chuckled shaking his head. ¡°Did you hear what Lupita said?¡± I heard it, loud and clear. She felt threatened by <ol><li>me. what had I done to make her doubt me and my intentions. ¡°The woman you want us to wee into this family with open arms, said that your ex¨Chusband turned into a monster when your name is being mentioned. Care to exin that?¡± </li></ol>


    What was there to exin? Nick had always been that way. But also, what was I thinking? What had gotten into me?


    ¡°I see the wheels are turning in that head of yours, good. Think about what you did and why you did it and when you find the answer. Tell me, I am sick and tired of dealing with everything to do with Nick and you.


    Marcus was angry and I got here his anger came from. Marcus shook his head then walked away. ¡°He is not over you.¡± I turned and my dad was behind me. I wondered how much he heard from what Marcus said.


    ¡°He is moving on dad,¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± I kept quiet, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°If he were moving on, he wouldn¡¯t have said what he said back there.


    I had no words; no wonder Marcus was angry. ¡°Get those two people out of this house, Olivia. I don¡¯t care where Lupita goes, but I want her gone and if you want to keep her safe. You will do as I say.¡¯


    What could Lupita have done, why was my dad so angry with her? ¡°Tell me what she did?¡± I couldn¡¯t just chase her out. ¡°Get rid of her, Olivia. For your sake and hers, I hope you listen this time.¡± He walked away.


    I was so confused, what the hell had been happening right under my roof. What had Lupita done, did she really want to do something to me? I couldn¡¯t believe that I didn¡¯t want to, Lupita wouldn¡¯t do something like that. We had been through a lot, she, and I. she wouldn¡¯t betray me, I trusted her.


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 Chapter 347

    MARCUS


    I knew my wife didn''t want Nick back; I knew that good heart of hers was what made her want to defend Nick. But I hated how na?ve she could be sometimes. I wished she could just wake up and see Nick for what he was. A people killing monster with a heart as cold as ice.


    Something must have happened between him and Lupita. Something that got to Luke acting all angry and defensive, that was why he had turned into a bid bad wolf in seconds. Threatening to devour Lupita and tear her to shreds if she dared mess with his daughter.


    If Lupita knew what was good for her, she would listen to Luke and do as he asked. I heard it in his voice, that threat was real. It got me scared, I never wanted us to go back to the Sandra and Jeniffer saga.


    Getting through that was hard enough and it almost broke my family apart, I never want something like that to happen again.


    I didn''t want the past repeating itself and that was why I wanted Lupita gone. I was nning to give her the old house we just moved from. The further way she and Nick were from us, the easier I would breathe.


    "You f*e the same way I do, don''t you?" I turned, my father-inw stood there, calm expression on his face but I knew better, the man was far from calm, there was a storm brewing and if I wanted to stop it from hitting us.


    I needed to get rid of the problem. "I don''t know how you feel, Luke, I am not a mind reader.¡± He chuckled; he knew that was just me being defensive. "Whatever you say Marcus, now tell me your n."


    Did he always have to know everything, couldn''t a man just n something on his own and execute it without him being involved? Who was I kidding? Luke was the best man to execute my n.


    If I didn''t want to get into trouble with my wife, then I had to use her father. "I want to give Lupita the old house. I want her to move in there as soon as possible. Between the four of us, I am sure can manage with the kids."


    He furrowed his eyebrows. "Four of us?" he questioned.


    "Yes, Ethan lives here now as you can see, what Nick did traumatized him so


    much that he can''t sleep in his house." Luke shook his head.


    "Not so long ago, that man disrespected you and now you count him in the people who live in this house, are you okay with that?"


    I knew what Ethan did was disrespectful, but it was time I stopped being insecure and trust my wife. But only with Ethan, he was not a snake like his friend. "Ethan has been through a lot just like we all have and not being able to ry on Nick currently is killing him. let him be Luke, he is harmless, and you know that."


    Luke shrugged as if he were saying, your funeral. "I hear you and you are right. Olivia is no longer working, and we don''t need to work. We are always around; Lupita doesn''t need to be here." I was d he agreed.


    "Give me the keys to that house, I want her gone today. I don''t want to wait any longer." I hesitated before telling him where the keys were. He walked away going to get them as I followed behind.


    My wife was going to be pissed but we were doing that for her own good, Olivia was too trusting and that trait of hers had gotten her into so much trouble already. This time, I needed to protect her as her husband.


    I was tied of ying defence aways acting after the fact. I wanted to y offense for a change, prevent things from happening and not wait for them to happen to act. Luke took the keys then turned to me.


    "Go call them." I was like a kid''s being sent on errands by his father. but I didn''t question him, I did as told as I also didn''t want to get into trouble with my wife. I knocked on Lupita''s door twice before Nick opened.


    It looked as if he were sleeping. "Luke is asking to see Lupita." Nick frowned but nodded. "We will be right there." I turned and left. I didn''t care that he was tagging along. The situation affected him as well.


    I got to the lounge and sat next to Luke. We didn''t wait long before they came following each other. Lupita didn''t look good at all. She looked terrified and I


    wondered what it was that she did to make Luke react that way.


    They took a seat on the couch opposite us. Luke ced the key on the coffee table in front of Lupita. She nced at it then looked back at Luke. That is the key to the old house." He said then took out car keys and also ced them on the table.


    "These are the keys to one of the cars in the garage." He told her then sat back. Lupita looked confused. "Do you want me to fetch something from the old house?" she questioned innocently looking genuinely confused.


    I nced at Nick, and I could tell he knew exactly what was going on but kept his mouth shut. "No, I want you to move in there. Today, don''t worry about the kids, we will take care of them you will visit when you want to but call first and we will continue to pay you until you find new employment."


    She nced at Nick, but he kept his eyes on me, as if he knew that was my doing. Like he could see right through me. "Go pack your bags, Lupita." That was all he said to her, all without looking at her.


    Lupita stood and walked away without saying a word. "Does Olivia know about this?¡± his question just ticked me off. "She will know when I want her to know, for now, take your girlfriend and leave."


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 Chapter 348

    NICK


    I asked about Olivia knowing to get Marcus''s reaction and he got me exactly what


    I was looking for. He was trying to get rid of Lupita, he might have overheard Luke threatening her and he must have heard me too. Now he was being proactive and getting rid of her before she could cause anymore problems.


    I got where he wasing from and for the first time. I liked what the man was doing, protecting his family and my son in the process. For that, the man would always have my respect.


    Then there was Luke, he was too quick witted for his own good. The man could see right through me, while Marcus thought he was helping him get rid of Lupita, Luke had his own agenda, he was getting rid of me.


    He wanted me far from his daughter because he knew that being with Lupita was my way of staying close to her. "When did you figure it out?" I asked looking at him dead in the eyes, I didn''t want to miss anything.


    Luke just smirked leaning back on the couch. "There are reasons why young people are always advised to listen to their elders. That is because we see everything, and we know best." He was avoiding the question.


    There was a possibility that he knew from the start. "What is going on? I saw Lupita packing her things and when I asked her about it. She said I must ask my father." Luke straightened from the couch.


    I watched him attentively curious to know how he was going to answer his daughter. "She is moving to the old house." Olivia frowned. "Why?" Luke leaned back, "I have my reasons and on this, don''t you dare try to talk me out of it or make excuses as to why she can''t go."


    His voice was stern and the finality in it gave no room for negotiations. Luke sighed. "She can visit, and you can visit her too when you miss her. there is no need for her to stay here, Lupita is an old woman, and she needs her space. She doesn''t need you to be her mother, but her friend and you can do that even when she is not here."


    Luke was being a father now and Olivia was listening to him. She was also acting the role of a daughter listening to her father. It was a new side of her I didn''t know, I wondered when their rtionship progressed so much.


    "Looking at me like that is not going to make me change my mind, Olivia. Just give up and go look after my grandchildren." She scoffed like a little girl and left. Interesting, I thought she was going to put up a fight, but she didn''t.


    Marcus seemed relieved that Olivia didn''t throw a tantrum. I chuckled. "I am going to miss being in this house and around all of you."


    "I bet you will. But worry not, I will call you and invite you from time to time." Lupita came down pulling her suitcases. I stood and went to help her. the gentlemen just sat there watching. They were being funny.


    But what they didn''t know was that they could never get rid of me that easily. Olivia was the mother of my son and the woman I loved. Nothing they did could make me forget her. Lupita looked sad to be leaving.


    I left like I needed to say something. "Look at it this way, now I don''t have to call beforeing to visit you and I can spend the night if I want to." Why the fuck did I say thest part? Shit!


    She smiled. "You are right, I am getting a beautiful house and a car. I will also continue to get paid until I find a new job and I have you, what else can a woman ask for?" she can be independent and stop being delusional.


    I didn''t respond, I opened the door for her, and she got in. I jogged to the other


    side, got into the driver''s seat, and drove off. I left my car there so I could have an excuse to go back. She looked happy as we drove.


    I hated what was doing to her,


    using her like that. but I shouldn''t be feeling bad, she used me too. Did she actually think I killed Luke for her? no, I did that to protect my family. She opened my eyes to something Luke would have done.


    Which was to release Xander back to society, if he had done that, we would have continued looking over our shoulder, wondering when he woulde back and what he would do when he did.


    Xander was not only unscrupulous, but the man was also evil to the core. Sandra taught me better than to give evil people second chances. Not unless you wanted to die and or be tricked into a sticky situation like she did with Marcus and Olivia.


    I had learned my lesson; I didn''t know why the others didn''t. it was like they were


    not there when all of that happened. "What are you thinking about? You seem distracted." I nced at her; she was not bad looking at all.


    If only my heart knew that and loved her. but it didn''t, it was focused on it''s owner


    and there was nothing I could do about it. "The fact that now you can use the


    degree of yours and show the corporate world what you are made of."


    Her smile widened. "Do you really


    think I can do it?" I nodded. "Of


    course, in fact. I will give you a job at Jones Enterprises, it will be an entry level job, you will have to prove yourself from there and grow within thepany." If I were going to dump her then I might as well give her a job as a parting gift.


    "I would love that, thank you Nick, I really appreciate it." I grinned; she was so


    na?ve.

 Chapter 349

    OLIVIA


    Something was going on, and I wanted to know what. I was tired of being in the dark. Someone had to tell me something, anything. Lupita was being chased out of the house, and I didn''t know why. They were treating me like a child, and I didn''t like it.


    Even the way my dad spoke to me was like he was talking to a child. I might have been his child, but I was not one, I was a grown woman, married with kids. I deserved to know why the woman who had been like a sister to me for a couple of years now was being chased out.


    What had she done that was so bad that she had to be kicked out? Why were they hiding it? Lupita was a good woman, and they all knew that. I was sure whatever mistake she made could be forgiven. It couldn''t have been that bad.


    Marcus walked in while I was busy pacing the room, so frustrated that I didn''t know what to do with myself.


    "You will drive yourself crazy if you continue this way."


    I stopped. He might know what was happening, he was there. He must have heard.


    "Before you ask, I don''t know anything. If you want answers, go to your father and ask him."


    I looked at him, trying to read his face, but he gave nothing away.


    "There is no way you allowed my father to kick Lupita out without knowing why. Tell me, what did she do?"


    Marcus hesitated, and that told me he knew something he didn''t want to tell me. I needed to know what.


    "I don''t know. Your father didn''t tell me, and he didn''t need to. When he told me it was to protect you, I didn''t need to know more. Your safety is my priority."


    For how long were they going to keep using my safety as an excuse to keep my circle small, to make decisions for me?


    "I will go and find him," I said, just as I walked past him. He held my hand, and I stopped.


    "Why are you acting like you''ll never see Lupita again? Is she not going to the old house?"


    I frowned but said nothing.


    "You can see her anytime you like, and she can visit too. I''m not sure what it is


    you want to know. Is it why she was sent to the old house, or are you just trying to insert yourself into a situation that doesn''t concern you?"


    I looked at him.


    "Don''t look at me like that. You like acting na?ve sometimes and putting yourself into these situations where you get hurt in the end. Do you think that''s fair to us? I know you don''t ask for these things to happen to you, but damn it, Olivia. Sometimes it''s like you go looking for them."


    Now he was the one pacing, and I was just standing there, listening like a child being scolded by her father.


    "Do you even like or want peace?"


    I frowned. How could he ask me that?


    He didn''t wait for me to respond, he continued.


    "I like that you have a good heart, I do. But sometimes I wish you could be selfish, Look at Nick, we banned him froming into our home, but because of Lupita, we had to go back on our decision. We are always amodating others, and it''s not fair."


    He paused and looked at me.


    "Olivia, your father is not stupid. He wouldn''t have targeted Lupita for no reason. She did something, and that was why she also didn''te running to you when Luke chased her out."


    Why didn''t shee to me? What was it that she did?


    "Think about it. You will go and fight


    tit


    with your father on her behalf, but why don''t you ask yourself why she never said anything and just listened to Luke when he asked her to leave? It was because she knew that Luke had every right to kick her out."


    I sighed, taking a seat.


    "Who am I going to trust, then, if I can''t trust Lupita?¡±


    My husband came and joined me.


    "I''m not saying don''t trust her, but I''m asking you to be careful. You''ve been through a lot with Lupita, but maybe losing her grandmother did more damage than we initially thought. She might me you for what happened."


    "That means having her close and in this house... I will be giving her all the time she needs to n her revenge if that''s what she wants, and how to do it."


    "My father saw it best for her to leave this house before she could get used to it and know its weaknesses," I finished for him.


    Now that I was thinking about it, I couldn''t believe Lupita would do something like that. Yes, she might be angry with me, even resentful, but she was not evil.


    "Olivia, it''s time we put ourselves first, and our children. Let''s not put ourselves in situations that may harm us or even take us away from our kids. They deserve better than that, don''t you think?"


    I nodded. I didn''t know what else to do. How was I supposed to act around Lupita now? Was I supposed to act like nothing happened or try to address the issue? If I did, where would I even start?


    It was all soplicated. Why did it have to be soplicated?


    "I know how you''re feeling, and I know you want to protect Lupita, and I know you


    still feel guilty about what happened to her grandmother. But Olivia, I think we''ve done more than enough. There''s no need to feel guilty anymore."


    It was easier said than done.


    "I''ll go and see her tomorrow and..."


    "Give her a week to settle in first before you visit. Give her time and space to adjust to everything. Then you can go to her. But don''t bring up what happened. If she wants to talk about it, then she will bring it up herself. Remember, you are not at fault, and you did nothing wrong.¡±


    I did nothing wrong.


    That repeated in my mind. I wondered if Lupita was going to see it that way. I


    didn''t want her to be my enemy because of this.

 Chapter 350

    LUPITA


    I tired, God above knowns that I have tried. But Olivia and her family don''t like it when people are good to them. She got my grandmother killed and yet know I had not right to retaliate or to feel anger about that because it''s Olivia, the mafia don''s daughter.


    I clicked my tongue in anger. The woman should have been grateful to me for everything I had done for her. I treated her like a younger sister and my grandmother treated her like her younger granddaughter.


    Now she had the audacity to let her father kick me out of her house. How dare she! I raised her son for two years while she was locked up in prison, I was more of a mother to that child than she can ever be.


    Now that things were going well for her, other people like me and Nick had no right to be angry about the painful things she did to us? Who did Olivia think she was?


    I thought she had nothing to do with her father kicking me out, but her noting to see me for a week now after I left made me think that she was the one who asked her father to kick me out. She no longer had use for me now.


    "You look angry." I turned to look at Nick, I didn''t even know when he arrived. "Of course, am angry." I crossed the room and got to me. "What is the matter?" I liked how worried he looked, it showed how much he cared for me.


    "Olivia," I only mentioned her name and his whole demeanour changed. I chuckled shaking my head. The man was still very much in love with Olivia, why did I ever think he could have a thing for me?


    How na?ve of me! I looked him dead in the eyes, I wanted him to see that I was not na?ve, that my eyes were wife opened, and I could see right through him. what I didn''t know was why he was after me.


    It was not for a rtionship that was clear. He cleared his throat. "Did you get into a fight with Olivia or something?" my lips curved into a condescending smile.


    Nick thought he was smart just like Olivia. "No, but I am mad as hell at her for getting me kicked out of the house. I thought it was all Luke but her noting here tells me that she was involved."


    He furrowed his eyes brows. "I think you know why Luke kicked you out, why are you bring Olivia into it." that was what I wanted, for him to show his true feelings, to stop hiding and show me what his true intensions were.


    "I know what I did, Nick and that is why I didn''t fight it when Luke asked me to leave. But I thought Olivia didn''t know about it, if that is the case then why hasn''t she called or visited?" Nick''s facial expression changed.


    It was the same expression he wore when he was reprimanding me at Olivia''s house. Well, that wasn''t a reprimand, it was the threat. "Why is it that people like you can never be grateful?" Iughed.


    There we go, that was what I wanted, the real Nick, the monster to appear. "Grateful, people like me? what does that supposed to mean, Nick?" He clicked his tongue.


    Now he didn''t bother to hide his distain, that hurt, I had to admit. I know he didn''t love me, but I didn''t think he resented me.


    "Olivia gave you this house, you can never afford to live in a house like this even if you used all your saving and took a loan on top of that. then she gave you a car, it''s new and one of a kind. Then, she paid you more than any nanny is paid. You lived in her house for free, your grandmother got free medical


    treatments. Even now, they are


    willing to pay you until you find


    another job. What more do you want from them, from her?"


    His words hurt me more than I had imagined. "So, it doesn''t matter that my grandmother died because of her. I should just be grateful for the material things I got. Will they bring my grandmother back?"


    Nickughed mockingly, now I could see why Sandra went crazy, those people didn''t care about anyone else other than the queen bee, Olivia. Everyone else was disposable to them.


    "You know the circumstances surrounding that, also, you both went with Olivia to that ind willingly. No one forced you. I don''t understand what it is you want now. Do you want more money, what is it, tell me?"


    He was now angry; he looked at if he could get violent. I stepped back creating as much distance between us as possible. Heughed. "Oh, you scare now?" he raised his eyebrow looking at me.


    I didn''t like the look in his eyes, it was like he wasn''t seeing me as a human being


    at all. It was like he was looking at an obstacle he needed to remove.


    Heughed. "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. want to know why?" he raised an eyebrow. I said nothing. I was so ufortable with him being there. I wanted him to leave already.


    Nick was a killer; I might not have seen him do it, but I saw how he looked after getting out of the warehouse. He was bloodied, I was freaking out, but I thought I could handle it as long as he loved me.


    But I didn''t think it through, he was more than I could handle. "Olivia, she cares so much about you that she would resent me for the rest of her like if something were to happen to you the same woman you now hate forno reason."


    I kept my mouth shut, I wasn''t going to do anything to her, I just wanted to cut ties


    with her. "I don''t hate Olivia; I am just angry about what happened." Heughed.


    "I don''t care what you are feeling, I


    am going to warn you for thest time though. Don''t mess with Olivia, You wont only have to deal with me, you will have the ck mafia and the Walkers after your ass. You know better than anyone of what we are capable."


    He paused and gave me a look that send cold shovers running down my spine. "Choose carefully, it''s either you are a friend of a foe. Your choice." He walked


    away.

 Chapter 351

    NICK


    I thought I could hold it in a little while longer, keep pretending to like her but when she mentioned being angry with Olivia. I couldn''t hold it in anymore. Who the hell did she think she was? She couldn''t evenpare to Olivia.


    Yes, her grandmother died, but that was not Olivia''s fault. That was what she kept telling her as well but now she was changing and ming her. I couldn''t ept that. I didn''t get what she wanted from Olivia.


    I knew for a fact that she wanted to go and visit her. it might have been Luke or Marcus who stopped her from going there. I took out my phone and made a call to one of Luke''s men. "Mr Jones." he answered.


    "Keep an eye on the nanny, she is in the old house. Anything out of the ordinary, contact me." I cut the call. I didn''t want to wake up when it was already toote with Lupita. If she was going to be a threat, then I would have her removed before she could do damage.


    My phone vibrated in my hand and Ethan''s name shed on the screen. Oh, now he wasn''t scared of me, the moron. "Ethan?"


    "Where are you?"


    "You know where I am, let''s not pretend like you are not keeping tabs on me." silence followed, I wondered when he was going to get over that fear nonsense. "Don''te to the office today." I frowned.


    If I didn''t go my mother was going to nag me again. She wanted me to focus on business again, I got where she wasing from, and I didn''t want her to stress or worry about me. so, I agreed to start today.


    I went to Lupita to take her to the office with me, but she ruined it. "Why?"


    "If you areing then tell me in advance so I can leave." He was at the


    I wasn''t going to tell him shit, he needed to get over himself and get used to having me around. I was lonely while he was busy being scared for no reason.


    People like Lupita were the ones who made people like me appear to be monsters when they were the ones who brought out the monster in us. I was nice to her, but she didn''t appreciate that.


    She wanted more and I couldn''t give her that. how na?ve could she be to think I would even look at her when she knew exactly that my heart belonged to Olivia?


    epting that she would never be mine again didn''t mean I would suddenly fall for her. Luke knew that. I was sure Ethan knew it as well; he just kept his mouth shut to see how far I was going to take that thing with her.


    Unfortunately, she ruined it all. I parked in front of thepany and walked inside. Everyone was busy going about their business. It felt strange being there again after such a long time. I was used to our offices in Summer Strand.


    "Mr Jones! wee, sir." The receptionist was the first to spot me and everyone turned to look. then they scattered. I still got it! I smirked as I walked to the


    elevator. ''Sorry Ethan, you will have to face me today.''


    I got into the elevator whistling, it had been a while since Ist saw him, he avoided me like a gue. Well, not today. I smirked.


    The elevator pinged and I got out and headed to my office. "Don''t forget to tell me when he arrives, keep him at her desk until I get out." That was Ethan talking to my secretary. Toote, my dear friend. Am already here.


    I opened the door and they both looked. Ethan paled and I smiled. He was being


    funny. "Good morning, you, get me some coffee." My secretary quickly walked out, and I was left with my terrified looking best friend.


    I stood a few feet from the desk; he


    was sitting on my chair. "Hello Ethan, long time, my friend." He said nothing just looking at me. I sighed; I missed hanging out with him. the whole thing had to stop I was getting lonely.


    "What do you want me to do for you to stop this?" it was like my words brought him back from the dead. "Go see a therapist, in fact, I will go with you just to make sure you attend all your sessions."


    I nodded, I didn''t care, I would do it that would also make Olivia and Marcus trust


    me more as well if I went. "Make the booking." He squinted his eyes looking at me. he must have thought I was joking.


    "Make the booking, Ethan. If going


    means I will regain your trust, then I will go. I just want my friend back. He actually took his phone and made the booking on my behave. "Since when do you have therapist''s numbers on your phone?"


    He shrugged, "Since I started a killer for a best friend." We heard a shuttering noise behind me, and I turned. My secretary had dropped the tray she was carrying with my coffee and muffins. She still knew what I liked.


    "Oh Gill, you know your boss is not a killer." I turned to Ethan. "You should stop with this dark humour of yours, it''s not funny to other people and I like Gill here, I don''t want to lose her over nothing."


    Ethan quickly apologised, I knew he didn''t mean it. "Leave it Gill, just get the janitor toe. You can go and get some fresh air.¡±


    "Thank you, Mr Jones." she quickly walked out. I looked at Ethan and he shrugged. "Don''t look at me like that, you are a killer and that is why I am scared


    to death of you now." wow! He was never going to let it go.


    "I already agreed to go to therapy, what else do you want from me?" he just stared


    at me as if he were looking at a stranger.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 352

    OLIVIA


    I woke up early, got myself and the kids ready. By the time Marcus woke up, we were already in the kitchen having breakfast. "Where are you all going without me?" I just smiled and served him breakfast. I had been missing Lupita a lot since she moved out.


    I had given her time to settle in like my husband suggested but I couldn''t take it anymore. I missed her so much and Samuel had been asking about her. He missed her too. "We are visiting Lupita."


    "Do you have to?" I looked up and my dad was standing by the kitchen door. I didn''t respond to him as I ced a cup of coffee in front of my husband. My dad was not going to stop me from having a rtionship with Lupita.


    She was the only person I had to talk to, and I was not about to give that up. He walked further in and sat on the chair next to Marcus. I poured him a cup of coffee as well and ced it in from of him. "What would you like for breakfast, dad?"


    I knew that softened him up and I called him that on purposed. "Give me whatever you made." I served him his breakfast then cleaned up a little. "Well, I will see you both in the evening." I rounded the kitchen counter and went to take Lilly.


    "Don''t you want me to drop you off?" My husband asked. I shook my head in the negative. He already had a hand in getting Lupita kicked out of the house. I wasn''t about to rock up at her ce with him.


    "No, we are fine, the driver is taking us and before you say anything. I am going with six men, three from the ck mafia and three from the Walker elite. Is there anything else I am forgetting?"


    My dad and husband shared a look, but no words came out. "Good, then we are leaving. Come on Samuel, we are leaving. Say bye to dad and grandpa." My son just waved at the both of them as he walked away.


    I followed with his sister in her car seat. "Olivia, if something..."


    "If something happens, I will call you, I know dad." I cut him short, but I didn''t stop. We went out the kitchen door and the driver were already waiting for us. I strapped Lilly in and Samuel. Marcus came out in a hurry.


    I cursed in my head. "Love, aren''t you forgetting something?" such a big baby, didn''t he know I just wanted to get the hell out of that house? I walked over to him and gave him a kiss. But the man deepened the kiss, making me moan in his mouth.


    I pulled out pushing him away a little. "I will never leave if I allow you to continue kissing me that way. Bye love." I gave him a kiss on the cheek then turned and got into the car. "Drive." I Instructed; nothing was going to keep me from visiting Lupita.


    She might have already been feeling abandoned but that was not the case. We drove out of the house and headed to the old house. I was worried that we might find Nick there since we didn''t call.


    But I didn''t care, I wanted Lupita to know that I didn''t abandon her. when we got to the old house, the gate opened before I could call and tell her we were at the gate. I smiled, happy to have found her home.


    We drove in and parked in front of the house. Lupita walked out; I was happy to see her until I looked closely. She looked as if she had lost weight. I hurried out of the car and threw myself at her.


    "Sis am here. What''s wrong?" it took her a second before she hugged me back. "Am fine, Olivia. Let me see my babies." She pulled out and went to open the car door.


    Samuel was already out of his seat belt and threw himself at Lupita the moment she opened the door. My son much has missed her as much as I did. "Oh, my baby, aunty Lupita missed you so much, are you okay?"


    Samuel kept nodded. I went and


    took Lilly out. "I am sorry if we are intruding but I have waited the whole week toe and visit you. I wanted to be here the very first day you move in, but Marcus wouldn''t let me. He said I should let you settle in first."


    She offered me half a smile, something was wrong with her, I could tell. But I didn''t pry, I knew she was going to tell me when she was ready. "I am d you are here." She said but she didn''t look so happy to see me.


    She might have been going through something. Lupita was good at hiding her own feelings. "Me too and you have an appointment tomorrow at three in the afternoon. I will go with you. I will leave the kids with their father."


    She looked shocked, she might have thought I had forgotten, but I would never forget anything to do with her. We walked inside with Lupita and Samuel chatting away holding hands as they walked in.


    Lilly and I walked behind them. Something was definitely wrong with her, maybe being alone made her feel lonely and brought back all the memories of when she used to live with her grandmother.


    I should have visited her sooner. When we got in, Lupita and Samuel forgot we were there and started ying together. They missed each other and I understood that.


    I sent a text to my husband. "We are fine, don''t bother the guards." I knew he was going to keep asking them if we were alright every five minutes.


    I went and poured myself a ss of wine. I was d Nick was not there as well. I didn''t want an awkward situation with them. Soon Samuel fell asleep. Lupita went and put him down upstairs. Lilly was sleeping next to me.


    She came back and took a seat


    beside me. "Are you alright, Lupita? I feel like something is wrong with you." she looked at me for a while without saying anything. Before l could ask again, she opened her mouth and said something that broke my heart.


    "I am not okay, I love that you came and brought the kids with you. I missed them. But I would appreciate it if you didn''te here anymore. I no longer feel safe having you around me. So, please. Don''te back here again."

 Chapter 353

    OLIVIA


    I straightened on my seat looking at her for a moment without saying anything. I knew she was hurting, and I wanted to find the right words to say to her. "I know I have put you through a lot, being around me has put your life in danger many times and I am sorry I neglected you in all those times."


    I was the worst, I didn''t me her for not wanting anything to do with me, I wouldn''t either if I were in her shoes. Many things had happened since she joined our family, her life had been in danger a couple of time and each time. I only cared about making sure that I was alright.


    I didn''t care to ask about her, how she felt and what she needed to feel better. "I have been a horrible friend and the worst sister. In all that has happened, I only cared about myself and neglected you. I am sorry for that, and I am working on it. I am trying to make it up to you for everything I did. Starting with this therapy."


    All the while I spoke, she was looking at me as if she were seeing me for the first time. ¡°You know, at first I didn''t me you for what happened to my grandmother but as time went by, I started ming you."


    Her words cut through me like a sharp knife, but I said nothing. I gave her a chance to speak her mind and finally say what was bothering her. "Living with you has been an adventure, I didn''t know my life was boring until I met you and you showed us a different side of life. a beautiful yet dangerous side."


    She looked up at me and offered a small smile. but it didn''t reach her eyes, it was a sad smile. "It was thrilling at first, seeing and experiencing all those things, I thought your life was easy, I mean, who wouldn''t? you are a wealthy woman married to an outstanding man. Friends with the likes of Ethan and had Nick Jones as your ex-husband. People I had seen only on TV and magazines."


    She smiled, a genuine one this time looking through me as if she were thinking about something good. Something she liked and enjoyed. That made me happy knowing that she had some good moments while with me.


    "I never thought I would ever meet those people or even meet a real-life mafia boss. But with you, I got to meet them, I got to travel the world even though it wasn''t for fun, but I got to see ces and experience new things. Stayed in beautiful hotels and ate as amazing."


    food, it


    She looked at me again her smiled vanishing. "But that life, came at a high price. I had to pay for it with my grandmother. I thought I could get over it and continue to live a good life by your side and taking care of these beautiful children.¡±


    She nced at a sleeping Lilly beside me before looking back at me. "But I can''t just get over it, as time went on, I kept thinking about it and it made me resentful towards you. I had Nick Jones showing interest in me, I thought it was a good thing until I figured out, he was only using me to get close to you."


    My heart ached, how could Nick do such a thing, was he pretending the whole time? How could he. "Don''t me him, I think you know by now that no other woman will ever take your ce in his heart, and you know he would do anything to remain by your side. Including using people like me."


    She gave a sad smile. I didn''t know she was going through so much; how could have not seen what Nick was doing. "I don''t me these men for being obsessed with you. I would


    be


    too if I were them. you are a good person Olivia, but I don''t think I can continue living in your shadow. Being used by the likes of Nick to remain by your side. I want my own life, see what I can do, what I can achieve on my own."


    I opened my mouth to say


    something, but she lifted her hand


    silencing me. I guessed she still had


    things to say. "I am not mad anymore, I am just scared that if I continue staying by your side, I will resent you like Sandra did, do


    horrible things to you like Jeniffer did. I don''t want that. so, to prevent myself from turningpletely evil and resentful. I must stay away from you."


    Her words hit me hard, like a punch on my stomach that left me without air in my lungs. They hit so hard that I was left gasping. Not knowing what the right thing to say was. If I was such a good person as she said.


    Then I would have seen what I was


    doing to her the pain I was causing her together with the people in my life. "I respect your decision, Lupita and Ipletely understand. I am sorry things turned out this way. It was never my intention. I hope to see you again one day. Share aughter with you. I hope you achieve everything you ever wished for."


    A lone tear scaped my eye, I never wanted to lose Lupita or anyone else in my


    life. Sandra turned on me, I didn''t know why but now I think I did. I think I got why she turned on me. I did to her what I did to Lupita.


    I neglected her, maybe acted superior without realizing and that caused resentment. I wished she had told me, just as Lupita did. "I will go get Samuel." She stood, "I will go and get him." she went up the stairs and I watched as she left.


    She cared for my kids and did so much for me. if it weren''t for her, I didn''t know what would have happened to Ethan and my son back then. I owed her so much more than the house; the car and money I was paying her.


    Soon she came back with Samuel on her back. She liked carrying him on her back like that. she escorted me outside. The driver looked at bit shocked to see us so soon. I told him we would be leaving in the evening and yet in just a couple of hours we were already leaving.


    She helped Samuel into the car and kissed his forehead. I strapped Lilly in then turned to look at her. "Can I at least get a hug?" she smiled and hugged me. "I am truly sorry Lupita and if you ever need anything. Call me." she nodded. I got into the car and drove off with a heavy heart.

 Chapter 354

    OLIVIA


    I was holding tears the whole drive home. My chest burned and my heart was sore. Our families and those closest to us could deceive us sometimes. Tell us we were good, doing good, but they failed to point it out when we were doing wrong. When we were hurting those, we imed to love.


    No one told me I was being selfish, not my husband, father or my friend Ethan. No one asked, what about Lupita. No one asked how she was doing not even Nick, who I believed knew exactly what she was going through and decided to use her instead of helping her.


    Instead ofing to me and telling me that she was suffering. My family chose to hide it from me, they chose to protect me instead of telling me what Lupita had done. I knew she did something and instead of telling me about it.


    Thinking about where she wasing from and why she did it. they thought of me, how to protect me, forgot everything she had done for me and my son. For all of us. How she always stepped up when I couldn''t and took care of my children.


    I knew they would argue that it was her job, but I beg to differ. They knew what she meant to me and yet no one said anything. I could have fixed things, but how could I when no one told me anything.


    I didn''t me them alone; I med myself too for only thinking of my pain and what I was going through and forgetting she was going through the same if not worse. She lost her grandmother and only everyone including myself could think about was how Xander kidnapped me.


    When we drove in, my father, husband and Ethan were standing outsideughing and talking. Anger rose from the pit of my stomach as I watched them. happy with their lives and having a good time.


    Did they even think about what Lupita was going through? I think not. Ethan spotted the car first and told the others and they turned to look. worry covered my husband and father''s faces. The car came to a stop in front of them.


    I got out, "Get the kids." That was all I said as I walked past them going into the house. I didn''t want to talk to them. not when I was that angry. One of them followed me, I didn''t know who and I didn''t care to look.


    I went up the stairs taking them two at a time. When I got into my room, I closed the door right in his face. It was Ethan. "Olivia, what''s wrong?" I said nothing as I stripped and went into the shower.


    I sat under the running water crying. I wasn''t only angry at them; I was angry with myself as well. Of how selfish I had been. My grandmother would be turning in her grave to learn that I had be that kind of person.


    She taught me well, taught me good values, taught me that people were more important than material possessions. That I should take care of those closest to me, protect them as much as I protected myself.


    She taught me to never look down on anyone. She taught me that when I started bringing Sandra home with me every day after school. Somehow, I had forgotten everything she had taught me. I hit my chest with my fist.


    It hurt, I let her and myself down. Lupita did a lot for me, took good care of my son when I couldn''t. even though she was paid to do so, she did more than just what nanny did. She treated him like her own.


    Stayed up with him when he was being fussy, took good care of him when he was sick. When I couldn''t be there, she was a mother to him. but what did I do in turn?


    I turned my back on her, forgot she was human too and had feelings.


    I hated that I did that to her. I


    thought I valued her, but I couldn''t see it when she wasn''t happy, I couldn''t see it when she was being used. Eventually, I stopped the water and walked out. My husband was sitting on the floor by the door when I opened the door.


    He stood when he saw me, sadness shed in his eyes when he saw me. I must have looked horrible. "My love, what is wrong, did something happen to Lupita?" I walked past him, went to my dressing table andthered lotion on my skin.


    "Olivia, talk to me, please." He begged but I wasn''t ready to say anything. I was still angry, and I med him too. Instead of asking questions and finding out what happened to Lupita, he pushed her out.


    "Baby, please, You are making me worry, what is wrong with you, did Lupita do something to you?" I


    red at him. "What do you think et


    she could do to me? I am Olivia Walfker, daughter of a mafia kingpin, ex-wife of the maniptive and cunning Nick Jones, my friend and brother is Ethan. Tell me, what could Lupita possibly do to me?"


    He looked taken back by my outburst. "Leave me, I would like to be alone." I walked past him to the bed. He followed and that just irritated me to no end. I didn''t want to end up saying things I would regret to my husband.


    I wished he would listen and just let me be. "Marcus, please, leave me alone. I don''t want to talk right now. I just want to be alone." He stood next to the bed for a while. "Marcus, let her be, she will talk when she is ready."


    That was when I spotted Ethan standing by the door. Why couldn''t he have been the one to fall for Lupita. He was good, he would have treated her well and loved her. what was I even thinking.


    Ethan was no different from Nick, that stolen kiss told me that he too still wanted me. no wonder Lupita resented me, it was because of them and that stupid obsession they had with me. I didn''t even know


    what made them develop that stupid obsession.


    Marcus tried to kiss me, but I avoided him. I knew his kisses were only going to


    weaken me. I also knew that what I just did hurt him.

 Chapter 355

    MARCUS


    Anger, that was what I felt as I left that room. leaving my hurting wife behind not knowing what the hell happened to her while she was away. She was happy when she left, she couldn''t wait to see Lupita. What did that woman do to her?


    I walked downstairs with Ethan following me behind. "How is she?" asked Luke as soon as we got downstairs. "Not okay, where is that damn driver, I want him to tell me what the hell happened to my wife!"


    Luke and Ethan followed behind as I rushed outside. I swore I was never going to let Lupita go if she did something to Olivia. I didn''t care what Olivia thought, I was going to teach her a lesson she was never going to forget.


    No one touched my wife, hurt her that way and got away with it. The driver was still outside talking to the men. "Hey, you!" they all turned. "Come here?" he pointed to himself, and I just red. He rushed to us.


    "Tell me what happened to my wife in that house." He looked confused. "I don''t know what happened sir, everything was fine when we arrived, they seemed happy to see each other. Even when they came out. They gave each other a hug before we left. Even though mam seem sad."


    That didn''t tell me anything, did that mean Lupita did nothing to her, then what happened? "Was Mr Jones there?" he shook his head in the negative. "We didn''t see Mr Jones until we left." He was useless, it also meant that whatever happened.


    It happened while she was alone with her in the house. What the fuck could have happened? "Nothing happened." Luke and I turned to Ethan. He was carrying that tablet of his, I had forgotten there were cameras at that house.


    "Come see for yourself." Luke and I went. The footage showed Olivia and the kids arriving. Lupita and Samuel ying. Then Olivia and Lupita talking. Whatever they were talking got my wife angry and sad.


    My heart ached, what could Lupita have said to her? "She said something to her, look at how sad she looks the whole time she is talking. Lupita said something to Olivia that made her that angry and sad." Luke stated the Obvious.


    I turned to him; it was time he told me why she wanted her gone and out of the house. "Tell me what she did that made you want her away from us." Luke chuckled. "I believe you wanted the same thing as well. Why make it sound like I am at fault here now. why did you want her gone Marcus?"


    Luke shot back. "I wanted her gone because we heard you and Nick threatening her. you and Nick know something about her we don''t. what is it?" Luke hesitated. "She was bing evil." I just looked at the man.


    He continued. ¡°Lupita was the one who convinced Nick to kill Xander." We all wanted the man dead, but we held back because of Olivia. We all knew that she would have been angry knowing one of us killed him.


    "It was not the only thing, I saw her a couple of times, how she looked at Olivia with so much hatred in her eyes. She was angry at Olivia, maybe for getting her grandmother killed or because she realized that Nick was using her..."


    "What the hell are you talking about, Nick was using her how?" Both Luke and Ethan looked at me as if I was the stupidest person they knew. "Don''t tell me you couldn''t see that Nick was only with Lupita to stay close to Olivia."


    Bloody Nick fucking Jones! I fumed in anger. Feeling very stupid for believing at he was moving on.


    "And you didn''t tell me this


    because?" Luke shrugged, "Yol


    wanted to believe it and so did


    Olivia. I was also tired of this back


    and forth between the two of you. it was putting strain on your marriage, and you didn''t see it."


    jet


    Fuck! I cursed under my breath, "So, do you think Lupita is ming Olivia for what Nick did?" Luke nodded. Shit! "I would me her too, Olivia is married and yet a bachelor like Nick was doing everything in his power to stay close to her, including using innocent people. How do you think she felt when she found out?¡±


    She must have been very angry; I am angry too. Nick Jones was going to be the end of me. the man was going to turn me into a killer. "I don''t know if I should me Nick or Lupita in this situation. We also don''t know what she said to Olivia and going there to find out will anger her even more."


    The whole thing was frustrating. "I think she asked Olivia to leave and ended their friendship. I also wouldn''t keep someone like her next to me. Someone I felt had everything I wanted and there was nothing I could do to change things. I would want to keep my distance and stop remaining in that person''s shadow."


    Ethan spoke as if he had experience. Now Luke and I were looking at him. "What? that is what I would do. I used to feel that way with Nick, girls wanted him even back at college. It was all about Nick Jones. even though I was from a wealthy family as well, but no one saw me, showed interest in me. it was all Nick."


    He sighed. "I resented him too at some point. But then I realized that it wasn''t his fault. That he did nothing to warrant that behaviour from.


    others that it was just how theol. no


    saw


    him. that everywhere he went he shined bright and that my light was just not as bright. When epted that, I was okay with my friend."


    I was at that stage now, resenting Nick Jones with everything in me. the man never gave up no matter the odds. "I think it''s the same with Lupita, she wanted Nick, but he was using her to remain close to Olivia. That must have hurt her and wanted to stay away from Olivia."


    "Olivia knows?¡± we all turned, and Nick was standing there looking frightened.

 Chapter 356

    MARCUS


    I looked at the man, the audacity he had toe into my house after everything he had done. He even looked scared as if he were a man caught cheating by his wife. What the hell was going through that moron''s mind?


    I couldn''t even be angry at him anymore, it was no use, Nick was obsessed with my wife, but I had to admit one thing. Even though he had done everything in his power to stay by her side. He had not crossed the line.


    Not with my wife at least, he had crossed the line when he used someone that close to my wife hurting her in the process. "How the hell did Olivia find out?" he asked pacing, none of us said a word. We just watched him making a fool of himself.


    "Let''s go Nick." Ethan said, stopping Nick from his pacing. He ignored Ethan and looked at me. "Marcus, I swear I didn''t do anything. You guys were pushing me away even though I have been behaving. I have epted that Olivia is yours and that I can''t have her back. But I can''t be away from her, that is one thing I can''t do. But I didn''t cross the line. I have been respectful."


    In his mind he might have truly thought that what he was doing was not crossing the line, that he was being respectful. But none of what he was doing was healthy, us tolerating it instead of addressing it head on might have yed a role in convincing him he was doing right when he wasn''t.


    "Nick, you promised, now let''s go." Ethan insisted, I didn''t know what they promised each other, and I didn''t care to know. "Where are you two going?" Luke questioned; curiosity written all over his face. "Therapy."


    I turned to look at Ethan, if they were going to therapy then that was good for them. they would get the help they needed and maybe they would stop obsessing over my wife. "It''s good that you two are seeking help. Acknowledging that you have a problem is the first step to getting your life back on track."


    Both Nick and Ethan looked at me. "I am not going to see the therapist, Nick is. I don''t have a problem, he does." I shook my head in the negative but before I could say anything Nick protested.


    "I don''t have a problem either, I am only going because you are forcing me to." I shook my head, both of them had a problem and yet they couldn''t see it. "You are both going and you both going to see and talk to a therapist for at least a year."


    They all looked at me now. Luke raised an eyebrow as if he were asking. ''What the fuck are you up to now Marcus?''


    "I am tired of your obsession with you my wife and I am tired of condoning your behaviour. You are grown men and yet you have no meaningful rtionships besides being in my home and obsessing over my wife."


    I sighed, it was time, the situation we were in was not healthy or normal. I was Olivia''s husband and yet I kept men who were obsessed with her close to me as my friends. who did something like that?


    "You, Nick, have been divorced from Olivia for a couple of years now, she


    is married and yet you are still obsessed with her and even using people close to her to remain by her side. Lupita cut her off because of you and maybe not entirely but you are the main reason. My wife is hurting and wont talk to anyone because she lost yet another person, she cared about because of this messed up situation."


    "Ethan, you are the same, but you are able to hide your feelings to well and Nick


    is making it easy for you to do so because his gestures are so loud and dramatic


    that we forget that you are the same."


    I scanned their faces, but they couldn''t even look at me. "I appreciate the help and you being there through the difficult time and helping us out. But I don''t want you in my house. If we are going to have friendship, then I want it with healthy people who are not looking at my wife and I waiting for the time when things are not going well to swoop in and take her from me."


    Ethan opened his mouth to say something, but I lifted my hand silencing him. "I don''t want to hear it. if you want to keeping to this house and us to remain friends. you will seek help, fix your lives then we can talk about hanging out. Until then..." I pointed at the gate.


    The two friends shared a look. "About time." Luke said and walked away. I waited for the two thinking they would say something. "And my son, what about Samuel?¡± another excuse, Nick was good at that.


    "He will be here when you are done with therapy. He looked like he


    wanted to protest. ¡°Samuel needsa healthy father, mentally and


    physically. After three moths of therapy, you can start visiting him again, but they will be supervised visits. Not unless you want me to use what you have done to take him away from you and make sure you never see him again."


    He fumed in anger closing the distance between us. "You wouldn''t dare!" his


    nostrils red. I smirked; I got him exactly where I wanted him.


    It was either he was going to man up and do what was right or I was going to make sure he never got to see his son. Nick was so used to being spoilt that he thought he could get away with it.


    "Try me, I still have evidence and don''t worry. I won''t be implicated; I am the honourable Marcus Walker, and you are the man who had been seen by the media walking around and spending time with a man who has been used of having ties with a mafia. Who do you think the court will believe when I apply for full custody?"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 357

    NICK


    I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face with a punch, who the hell did he think he was? to ckmail me like that. Using my son! I looked him dead in the eyes ready to punch him. "Go ahead, punch me. it will be more evidence against you." He smirked, "See these cameras around?" the bastard looked serious.


    Was he that insecure that he would do something like that to me. Force me to see therapists when he knew if I disclosed everything to them, I would be sent to jail if not the mental institution. Was his n to get rid of mepletely?


    "If I talk to the therapist, you know what the results will be, I will be sent to jail!" He shrugged as if he had no care in the world. "Be creative, you are good at that." Then he tilted his head slightly to the side. "Though going to jail wouldn''t be such a bad idea for you. You did send Olivia there, why can''t you go?"


    I clenched my fist, Marcus was pushing it, he was pushing me, and I was about to break. "Nick, he wants you to react, don''t give him that. Let''s just do what he says for Samuel''s sake. He is my son too and if I am not allowed here then that means I won''t get to see him as well."


    Ethan, ever so sensible. I hated that fucking trait of his sometimes!


    "This isn''t over!" I turned to leave but Marcusughed. "I think it is." I stopped in my tracks trying to calm myself down. I turned to look at him and he had this smug look on his face like he had won. He then shoved his hands in his pockets and whistled walking away.


    I punched the bo of my car in anger. ¡°That is another evidence of your violence. Stop doing shit like that and just go." Ethan got into the car. I hated that he was not bothered by the situation.


    How could a grown man tell other grown men what to do and they would just listen and obey as if he were their god! "Get in the fucking car Nick!" I turned and red at him. What the fuck was he angry at me for?


    He was calm when Marcus was ordering us around and now, he was angry at me? what the fuck did I do? I got into the car, and he started the car and drove off. "Are you really taking us to therapy?"


    Ethan said nothing. "I will not, and we cannot let Marcus dictate to us. We are grown men, and we can make our own decisions. We don''t have to do what he said."


    He Ethan brought the car to an abrupt stop then turned and punched me straight on the jaw. I was so shocked that I just looked at him. He then punched me again and again and the only thing I could do was block the punches.


    "You are so fucking selfish, do you think this is about you alone? Did you think about Samuel, how he would feel not seeing us for three fucking months! The boy


    is only starting to get to know you and now you are not allowed to see him. what do you fucking thing that will do to him?"


    I said nothing, didn''t think of it that way, I was just angered by Marcus and how he threatened me using my whe son. "Marcus is not wrong; he wants your son to have a better father not the blood thirsty animal you have be!"


    I looked at my friend shocked, was that what he really thought of me? I thought of his fear towards me was just a joke, just something to punish me and stay away from me for a while.


    He usually did things like that, even when I was with Olivia, if I had done something he was not happy with, he would keep his distance thene back again. I didn''t think it was that serious this time as well.


    But I was dead wrong, my friend really feared me and thought of me as blood thirsty. Had I be the monster I thought Luke was, the very monster I thought my mother and grandfather were for what they did to Olivia.


    The monster thought Xander was, had I turn into that and didn''t even


    realise it? "Drive us to therapy." I


    didn''t know what I was going to say


    when@got there, I didn''t know if


    telling half truths about whathad


    happened would help but was willing to do it.


    If my friend thought, I was a monster then what did my son think of me? I was afraid to even imagine it. I had gone so much astray that I didn''t even see it. now I was in so deep that I thought my actions were justified.


    I had killed a man, skinned him alive and bashed his head in until he was unrecognisable and yet, I slept peacefully at night as if nothing happened. Oh Lord, I was the monster Ethan said I was.


    Normal people wouldn''t have done what I had done, and they wouldn''t have been able to sleep at night after. But I had been sleeping well with no problems at all. What the fuck had I be?


    When we got to the hospital, I was the first to get out of the car. Determined to do whatever it took to be a better person. Or at least go back to the Nick Jones who was respected by the people not feared because he was a monster.


    All the way to the doctor''s office no one spoke when I got there, the doctor looked shocked. It might have been my appearance; I was sure I looked horrible after the punches I got from my friend.


    But she was sensible enough not toment on it. "We can start whenever you are ready, this is a safe space."


    I nced at the door. "Can my friende in after me? I know you might have another appointment after me, but I think he needs to talk more than I do right now."


    She hesitated. "Alright, I will see him."


    "Thank you, could you please make our appointments one after the other next time, we will being together from now on." The doctor agreed and I was grateful. It was time to change, for my son.

 Chapter 358

    OLIVIA


    Thest three months had been...I didn''t know how to describe them. Quiet was not the right word, maybe lonely would have been better in that situation. It took a while for us to get used to being alone, just us. It had never been just us since we got married. Nick and Ethan always hung around our home and Lupita had always been there.


    But in the past three months none of those people were around. Lupita kept her words and stayed away. Not even a phone call. I missed her dearly. Then Nick and Ethan. The first two weeks they woulde around, park their cars outside the gate and just stay there for hours.


    I almost broke a couple of times, but Marcus stopped me, eventually they stoppeding. I wondered if they were alright. But I was enjoying my peace too much to be worrying about them. I was finally able to breathe in my home, finally felt what it was like to have peace in my home.


    I was finally getting to feel what it was like to be a married woman living with her husband. My father kept his distance, giving us time to bond as a family. I was loving it. "Baby we are going to bete if we don''t leave now."


    We were taking Samuel to hisst therapy session, then we were going to celebrate after. My son and I hade a long way. I was proud to say we were doing well, much better than before, no nightmares, less thinking about the past.


    We were happier than ever, "Okay, I am ready, let''s go." We left the house and went to therapy. After we were done, we went to the restaurant Marcus had booked for us. But when we got there, Nick and Ethan were there.


    They looked good or maybe it was because I hadn''t seen them in a while. Samuel was happy to see his father, we told him he was on a business trip and would be back soon. "How is therapy?" I asked not sure if it was an appropriate question to ask.


    I didn''t even know they would be there but knowing that their three months was up it was no surprise they were there. "It''s good, helping surprisingly." Ethan answered, Nick was busy with his son not paying attention to us.


    I didn''t mind though, they missed each other. While we were ordering a woman came to our table. Ethan stood with a smile and weed her. I was shocked to say the least. "Everyone, I would like to introduce my girlfriend, Emily. This is Olivia my sister and her husband Marcus. These are their children. That one is my son Samuel; I told you about him and the princess is Lilly."


    Ethan did the introductions, Emily seemed like a nice woman. "Hey Em." Nick greeted, the way he was casual about it told me they already knew each other. "Mrs Walker, it''s a pleasure to meet you." she looked shy, but I was sceptical.


    Jennifer was the same and I had missed a whole lot of things. I wasn''t about to make the same mistake with thatdy. Experience had taught me to be weary of people. Ethan leaned in and whispered. "I did a background check, a thorough one, she has no ties to anyone with know not even Luke."


    I just smiled and nodded. Whatever rocked his boat, we thought we did thorough background check on Jennifer as well and she turned out to be a monster after my life. I was good, done with making such friends.


    I was happy for Ethan, but he better keep that woman away from me and my children, "So, how did you two meet?" Marcus asked breaking the ice, I on the other hand was just being polite but wishing she was not there. That they were all not there.


    I just wanted to celebrate with my children and husband. Before Ethan could speak, Nick spoke first. "They met at a nerd convention." Ethan red, I wouldn''t have been able to tell, thedy looked nothing like a nerd.


    "Oh, you look good together." Yes, they did. But I was worried, did he meet her and got together with her because he liked her or was it the same thing Nick did with Lupita. To deceive us and her for whatever reason.


    ¡°Olivia, I am happy." Ethan suddenly said, he had this look in his eyes, a pleading look. why was he pleading and what was he pleading for? I just looked at him not knowing what to say. "Sis, she makes me happy." He said again and I was still confused.


    What was he trying to say, was he asking for my approval. "Mrs Walker, Ethan told me that you are the most important person in his life. He said if you didn''t approve of us then we will have to end it. it''s only been a month, but I like him, I enjoy hispany and how he makes me feel. Please, give us a chance."


    I red at Ethan, what gave him the right to act as if I were an obstacle in his way.


    I never asked him not to date or interfered with his life whatsoever. What the hell was he getting at, did he want to me to approve or disapprove as a way for him to end it? did he want to end it and wanted to use me as an excuse?


    It was all too confusing. I didn''t want to guess so, I stood. "Ethan, let''s talk.¡± I walked away towards the balcony and stood outside. Ethan soon joined me. "What is this?" He sighed. "I like her, and I want to be with her."


    "So, what does that have anything to


    do with me?" He hesitated, "I want you to approve, not because I still have feelings for you or anything like that. Kam working through all of that confusing thing. I want to be with Emily, I have feelings for her. I want you to approve because when we get serious, I would like to spend time with her and Samuel. I can''t do that if you don''t approve of her."


    So, it was about Samuel. "Ethan, you know better than anyone what I have been through, trusting people has done nothing for me but bring me trouble. Be with your woman but you being alone with Samund her is not going to happen now. I need time to learn the kind of person she is and see if she can be trusted. My son just finished therapy, and I don''t want him going back."

 Chapter 359

    MARCUS


    I sat there and watched my wife. From the first moment we arrived at the restaurant, and she saw the guys to the moment that woman arrived. When she saw the guys, she had been disappointed, she wanted the celebration to be just


    us.


    I got that but I didn''t want theming to our home, I had promised they could see Samuel after three months of therapy. I had been watching them, keeping tabs on them and making sure they were going.


    They never missed a session, and I had to keep my word as well and let them see the Samuel. My wife didn''t like that especially because I didn''t tell her they would be there. I was going to fix that when we got home.


    Then when that woman came and joined us then Ethan introduced her his girlfriend. I could see the fear in her eyes. My wife had been through so much that she was now weary of everyone. Both men and women had hurt her, badly and now she didn''t trust anyone.


    Then Ethan said those things, I didn''t know what he was thinking, I didn''t know what he wanted from my wife. But I hated it, he was making her someone people could hate, they were using her as a shield once again and I was not going to tolerate that.


    He could see that I didn''t like it. "She is one of the good ones, we can trust her." Nick said, as if I were just going to ept that. "You of all people know who we are and what happened in the past when we brought new people into our circle. No offense to you Emily."


    She looked so ufortable but that was just the beginning, when Luke met her, he was going to grill her, put the fear of God into her and make her understand that if she ever crossed a line then she was good as dead.


    "I get that Marcus, but we did due diligence, we wouldn''t have brought her here if we didn''t trust her." Nick tried to reason with me. "We trusted Jennifer as well and look where that got us, am not repeating the mistakes of the past."


    I turned to the woman. "You are not allowed in my home or anywhere near my kids. Break that rule and you will see a side of me you wont like." She started shaking like a leaf where she sat. kept looking in the direction where Ethan and Olivia disappeared to.


    "Emily, remember, we warned you about this. The family has been through a lot and if you want to be part of it then you will have to prove yourself.¡±


    He looked up at me, I was looking at her dead in the eyes. She looked as if she were going to cry. "Hey Samuel, go look for mommy, she went that way." The restaurant was empty with only us around. I didn''t worry about him getting lost.


    "I get where you areing from Marcus, but could you please ease up? give her


    a chance to..." I cut him short, I was tired of us doing the same thing repeatedly. It wasn''t working and yet we kept doing it.


    "If we ept her into the circle, you are out. If she does some shit, you clean it up, no questions asked and noints." Nick looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "I mean it, if she is in, you are out and that means you don''t see Samuel for as long as she is here. Which one will it be?"


    Nick looked at me for while not saying a word. It was like he was weighing his options, I didn''t know what was difficult about it. did he like the woman that much?


    "You know Marcus, this thing of you using my son to control me is getting old and soon it won''t work."


    I smirked. "I can''t wait for the day it doesn''t work so we can keep Samuel away from you. keep him so busy and happy that he forgets you even exist. You can meet him when he is eighteen and a legal adult. How about that?"


    He didn''t re like I had expected him to. He just quietly looked at me. "I thought you said we should start living our own lives and when we do. You put more obstacles in ce for us. What exactly is it that you want?"


    I hummed as if were thinking. "Well,


    I want you guys to get the help you need, for Samuel to have all his fathers and for us to stop inviting trouble Learn from the past mistake and do better. We have been hurt enough, and it has to stop. It won''t stop as long as we keep bringing strangers like her in like it is nothing."


    The woman was now crying. Ethan arrived and took her into his arms andforted her. "I get it, okay. I get it. it''s too soon and I get it." he kept saying that. But I paid him no mind, I just kept scanning the room looking for my wife and son.


    "You should have known this would happen, or did you think Olivia was going to say it''s okay for her to stay because she is good and sees the good in people?" I chuckled. "Well, she has learned that people are not to be trusted. people, men and women alike hurt her. you know that."


    Ethan looked hurt, maybe because I made his woman cry or maybe he was starting to understand that things were going to be different now. He stood. "I am taking her home." I nodded but called after him.


    "Remember, you are only seeing Samuel a month from now." he stopped in his tracks, it was time he prioritised himself and stop caring too much for a child that


    is not his. It was time he cared for his woman and make his own child.


    He hesitated until my wife spoke out of nowhere. "Take your woman home."

 Chapter 360

    ETHAN


    Pain, that was what I felt when Marcus used Samuel to tame me and Olivia letting him. I got where he wasing from, and I got where Olivia wasing from, but my Emily was different, and we were working on ourselves. Going to therapy as they requested, there was no need for them to go that far.


    Olivia seemed to forget who was there for her when she had no one, she forgot who took care of Samuel until he was two years old, she forgot that I was his father first before Marcus or even his biological father, Nick.


    They needed to stop controlling our lives the way they did. It was not fair on us; they wanted us to change and live our own lives and when we were doing exactly that. they still had objections, what the Hell did they want from us.


    "Tell me again why you worship that woman? Because I didn''t see anything special about her." I didn''t want to get into it with Emily, she knew nothing of what we went through. Olivia might have pissed me off, but that didn''t give her the right to interfere.


    "She didn''t even acknowledge me as if I were something beneath her shoe, she thinks she is better than everyone, she..."


    "I think it''s best you keep quiet." I didn''t want to argue with her, she knew nothing about why Olivia acted that way. "Are you taking her side? After she treated me, us like that, are you serious right now, Ethan?"


    I wished she didn''t push; I didn''t want to get into it with her. "I don''t want to talk about it, and you wouldn''t understand." She turned fully to me as I drove. "Why can''t you exin it to me then, make me understand why all of you listen to her so much. One word from her and you turned into a different person."


    I took deep breaths trying to calm myself down. I liked Emily and I didn''t want to say something that would offend her. But if she kept pushing, I would end up saying something we would both regret.


    I kept my mouth shut. "Wow! Really? Are you just going to let it go, well, you are not the man I thought you were, I thought I was getting a man, but I was wrong, I am getting a sub that obeys everything the master says, and the master spoke, and the sub had no choice but to obey."


    My grip on the steering wheel tightened. I was trying really hard not to lose it, but I was close, and I hoped she could see that I was trying and stop talking. The shit she was saying was pissing me off.


    I thought she would wait until I was ready to exin our weird rtionship with her. "I am so disappointed, you know, when we see you guys on tv and magazines, we think you are men but nope, you are just dogs on a leash..."


    I hit the brakes hard, and the tyres screeched as the car came to a stop. I didn''t turn to look at her. "Get out." My voice was low, cold, and stern. "Really? We are in the middle of nowhere! How the hell do you expect me to get home?"


    If she was worried about that, she would have stopped talking when I asked her, but no, she insisted on talking shit! "I am not going to repeat myself" she folded her arms in defiance. "I am not going anywhere; you took me from my ce and that is where you are going to drop me."


    I chuckled darkly; the woman didn''t know me at all. I was willing to give us a try and she was showing her true colours. "I will take you home but the rest of the way you shut the fuck up or I will leave you here and not look back. Got that?"


    I wasn''t looking at her when I spoke,


    I didn''t want her to see the monster I could be, might have been theputer guy, but I had seen a lot of shit to know what monsters were like. Hell, my friend turned into one. And she was slowly pushing to see the kind of monster into which I would turn.


    Emly was the kind of woman who would push and push just to see how far she can get, what you can do. But she was not ready to see what I could be. when she didn''t respond, I started the car and drove off.


    I was willing to fight for our rtionship, but she went and called me a fucking sub. What the hell did she know about me to call me that. she knew nothing.


    When she got to her ce, she turned to me. "Don''t even think of calling me, we are over." Iughed. "Did you think I was going to bother with you after you showed me who you really are? Please. Get the fuck out."


    She looked offended, I liked her, I really did. I thought we could build something, but she was too narrow minded and impatient for me. she opened the door and got out. She left the door opened as she huffed and puffed going to her door.


    I closed my car door and drove off. fuck! Maybe it was too soon to introduce her to the others. My phone rang, it was Olivia. I sighed, she too hurt me. I hesitated before answering. "Olivia?"


    "Samuel wants to see you. he is angry that you left without ying with him." my heart ached, Marcus didn''t want me to see him until the month end. "I am not in a good space right now; I wille over tomorrow."


    There was silence on the other end


    of the line that I thought she might


    have ended the call. "Ethan, she does look like a good woman, Emily, I mean I am sorry for the way reacted; I am just weary of bringing strangers into our circle. Many horrible things have happened because of that. I know that I am the one who has brought many of those strangers."


    She paused. "It was wrong of me to judge her without giving her a chance. I would


    like to meet her again this weekend just to get to know her." I cut the call and hit the steering wheel hard. "Fuck you, Olivia!"

 Chapter 361

    OLIVIA


    "When will you stop controlling people? These are not your employees Marcus;


    they are our friends. what you said to her was wrong, I too was not going to let her be with the kids, you didn''t have to treat her like a criminal when she has done nothing."


    I sighed putting my phone aside after Ethan hung up on me. ¡°I am protecting this family, and I did what you wanted as well. You didn''t seemfortable the moment you saw them it was worse when that woman came. What did you want me to do?"


    I didn''t want her there while the kids were there as well, I wanted her gone, that I admit. But I had already spoken to Ethan and was going to make time to meet her without the kids a couple of times. Get to know her for Ethan''s sake.


    "That is all true, but you didn''t have to use Samuel, he was already leaving, and we had already spoken. You didn''t have to use Samuel; Ethan has been more of a father to Samuel than anyone else and he is going to therapy to stay close to him. stop using him like that."


    My husband looked at me as if I had lost my mind. Maybe I had, we had been through so much with strangers but none of them were brought by Ethan, it had always been me and Nick. Ethan and the rest always worked on cleaning up after


    us.


    "You are unbelievable, you know that?" he then walked away. "We are already getting help, loosen up a bit." I turned to find Nick standing there. He walked further into the room. "I just put Lilly to sleep."


    I nodded and poured myself a ss of wine. "How have you been?" I sat on a bar stool sighing. "I have been well. I can see you have as well." He sat next to me pouring himself a ss as well. "I have been learning a lot about myself and behaviour. It has been an eye-opening journey."


    I couldn''t remember thest time Nick looked the way he did. He looked well. "I am d you are getting help, Nick. As someone who has been to therapy, I can say it''s not an easy journey but its worth it." he nodded.


    "Am sorry, Olivia. You are the most important person in my life and yet I have hurt you the most. I don''t know how I didn''t see how much I was hurting you until now. Forgive me, I can''t promise not to hurt you again. I promised that before but ended up hurting you again. But I will try by all means not to hurt you this time."


    I didn''t want an apology from him, all I wanted was for him to be a better person, a better version of himself and a better father to Samuel.


    "I didn''t ask you to work on yourself for me, I asked for you to be a better father and role model for our son. That is all I ever wanted; the grudges I held against you are all forgotten. I realised that I would never move on if I continued to hold grudges against you."


    He looked so guilty, the funny thing was that I had seen that look many times from Nick, but it never really meant anything, it has always been just a temporary thing from him then he would go back to being and doing the same things.


    "I hope you mean it this time, Nick. I have heard those words many times and nothing changed, but this time, you will not be disappointing me but your son. Samual is growing up and can now see things. Be careful from now on."


    He nodded looking guilty. "Talking to him is like talking to a brick wall, nothing changes." Marcus walked in with Lilly on his arms. "She woke up." he said handing her over to me. then went and warmed her bottle.


    "I won''t argue with that Marcus because that is how it has been but the difference this time is that I am getting help. I didn''t thest time." Marcus just nced at him then shook his head. He didn''t trust him.


    "Samuel and I are going camping over the weekend." Wow, now he was inviting him camping. "I would like to join you guys if Ethan will be there too." Marcus took Lilly from me and went to sit on the couch feeding her.


    "He cane "I found myself


    missing Lupita. We would have been together over the weekend with the kids while the guys were away. Now, I was going to be by myself. "Nick, can you invite your mother to help me with the kids while you guys are away?"


    Nick looked shocked by my request, since that incident I had never


    invited his mother toe, even to visit the kids. "Are you sure?" I nodded. "Take dad too, he might like to go as well.¡± Now it was my husband''s turn to look at him as if I had lost my mind.


    "I don''t feelfortable leaving you alone here without even Luke to take care of you.¡± I needed to learn to be alone. I always had people around me since the whole Xander saga. I had never been alone.


    "I will be fine; Nick''s mother and the men will be here." My husband looked ufortable. I had learned my lesson, no more strangers, I had been hurt enough and if I had not learnt this time then I was never going to learn.


    "I promise, I will be all right, there is no Xander and no Sandra or Jennifer. What could happen in one weekend?" they shared a look as if they didn''t trust me.


    "A lot!" they said at the same time. I raised an eyebrow. "No offense Olivia, but you are a ma for bad guys. It''s like they are attracted to you and leaving you alone for two days is more than enough for you to


    attract another moron."


    I felt offended, why did people always start with a "no offense when they were


    going to offend you.?"


    "Well, not this time."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 362

    ETHAN


    Olivia opened the door when I got to her house, it was early morning, and I was sure they were not expecting me after cutting the call like that. "Good morning, I wasn''t expecting you so early, in fact, I wasn''t expecting you at all.¡±


    She was smiling, that beautiful smile of hers that used to get me weak to my knees. One that used to make my heart skip a beat. It was still beautiful though; I would give her that. But it didn''t have the same effect it used to have on me.


    The doctor was right, I was just in fluctuated like a teenager longing for thetest trend and wanting to look cool. "Good morning, I am here for Samuel." She yawned sleep still visible in her eyes. She must have woken up to feed Lilly and was going to go back to bed.


    "His still sleeping, it''s too early." I nodded as she moved aside letting me in. "Am sorry Ethan but I am still very sleepy. Make yourself at home and I am going back to bed." I watched her leave without saying a word.


    I realized I was still very angry with her; she had to make up her mind when things had already gone to shit with Emily. "I will make breakfast so long." I called after her, she just waved me off as she went up the stairs.


    She said to make myself at home and I intended to do just that. besides, Samuel was going to wake up hungry as well. I wanted him to have something to eat before we leave. I took off my jacket and ced it on the couch then folded my sleeves and went to work on breakfast.


    "I can do groceries for you if you don''t have food at home." I didn''t have to lift my head to know who that was. He came and poured himself a ss of water. I didn''t even know why he was at the main house when he had everything in the west wing of the house.


    "I couldn''t sleep so I came here, what is your excuse?" I nced at him. he was still in his sleepwear. "Same." I went back to what I was doing. "Is something bothering you?" I chuckled; it was not like there was something he could do even if I told him.


    "There is always something wrong Luke, you know all the things that could be bothering me, so take your pick and guess which one gave me nightmares and got me here this early."


    "You don''t have to be sarcastic about it." he poured himself a cup of coffee. I moved around him as I prepared breakfast. "You cook like a chef, I must admit, I missed your cooking. The chef here is good but there are some things he can''t make better than you do."


    I wondered why he was trying to flutter me. maybe he could tell how pissed off I was or maybe he was just being a moron. I didn''t bother to respond and that gave him the opportunity to continue.


    "I heard about yourdy, I did a background check on her and besides her being a spitfire, she is one of the good ones." My hand tightened on the knife. I looked up at him and forced a smile.


    "Thanks, though there was no need for you to do that. Nick and I did a background check on her and she came up clean. We did a thorough one. But we didn''t need to since all the shit we have been through has been caused by your daughter." C¨®ntent


    The look on his face told me that he was catching on. He could now tell how mad was. "I don''t know the details of what happened but try to understand. Yes, Olivia caused all the shit we have been through as you said. But she is now being cautious and trying to be careful. Try to understand."


    I was tired of always being the one to understand all the time. I wanted to be respected and considered a human being with feelings as well. I respected all of them enough and yet they didn''t respect me.


    It was all well and good, but it was time they all learned to respect me and value me. "I don''t want to talk about it." I finished everything then took off the apron. "Serve yourself, I am going to wake Samuel and give him a bath."


    I left before he could respond, time was not on our side, and we needed to leave as soon as possible. By the time I got to his room, my little man wasing out of the bathroom. "Hey little man." His eyes lit up when he saw me.


    "Daddy, you came." He came and threw himself at me. "Of course, I came. I will alwayse for you. don''t ever doubt that." he gave me a wide smile. now that smile still warmed my heart in ways I never thought it could be warmed.


    "Now, how about we get you cleaned up and fed. You and I are going away. Just the two of us." His smile widened. "Really, where are we going?" I pretended to be thinking about it, hie little eyes wide in anticipation.


    "We are going far away." He pped his hands in excitement. I gave him a bath and got him changed before going down for breakfast.


    Marcus was already there stuffing his face with food. I didn''t bother with him but put Samuel down and he went to greet him as I went around the kitchen counter to get him food.


    He ate and when we were done. I wore my jacket. ¡°Are you leaving already?" Luke asked. ¡°Yes, we have a lot to do." Marcus frowned, ''I dare you to object Marcus, please object so I can give you a piece of my mind.''


    "Are you going with him? I thought you would be staying here."


    "No, I am taking him away." He nodded; I took Samuel''s hand ready to leave when Marcus spoke again "We are going camping over the weekend, you shoulde." I didn''t bother to respond, Samuel and I were going to have our own camping trip.


    We left the house and headed straight for the airport.

 Chapter 363

    OLIVIA


    I was anxious, very anxious but trying to keep it together. Two days had passed and there was no sign of Ethan with my son. It was the weekend of the camping trip, but Ethan was a no show, and his phone has not been going through.


    We had been trying to get in contact with him to no avail. Nick even went to his ce, but he wasn''t there. I knew he would never do anything to hurt Samuel, but the silence was killing me. many thoughts ran through my mind and none of them good.


    They could have been involved in an ident but then again, there had been no idents reported, and all his cars were there ording to Nick. "I think it''s time we take this seriously now; it has been two days, and we haven''t heard from him, his phone is disconnected, and he is making no attempt to contact us."


    That was Elodie, Nick''s mother. She came to help with the kids as we thought the guys would be going camping together. "He didn''t look well when he was here, he was angry and hardly spoke. When he did, he was all sarcastic as if he didn''t even want to respond to me."


    That was my dad, the more they spoke the more anxious I got. "Come on, this is Ethan we are talking about, he wouldn''t do anything to Samuel, and he might just be on his way here to will give us a reasonable exnation to all of this."


    When Nick said made a lot of sense and calmed me down. It was Ethan, he was more of a father to Samuel than any of those guys there and he knew him best. They had a deep connection as he raised him for two years.


    "I still think we should look into this, I have a bad feeling about it." I red


    at Elodie didn''t want to think negatively but she was forcing me to. "Don''t look at me like that, we all know this family has been through a lot, but we are a ma for bad people. Anything could have happened."


    She was starting to piss me off, how could she say something like that. Marcus came to my side, he could see I was getting angry and wanted to calm me down. He knew me too well. "Let''s all calm down and give it an hour. It''s still early and if he is not here in an hour, then we can act.¡±


    I got out of Marcus''s hold and went upstairs and got busy with Lilly. Marcus walked in right after me. "Don''t worry too much, this is Ethan, he is the best of us. Calm and rational. He wouldn''t do anything to hurt Samuel as well. That man would rather die than let anything happen to Samuel."


    He didn''t have to convince me of that, I knew it all too well, but I was worried about the fact that he had not contacted anyone, and his phone was disconnected. They could have been kidnapped or something.


    "Olivia, I know how you can be, stop overthinking. Our enemies are all dead and Jennifer is still in the Caribbean. We are safe my love, I promise." I sighed. "I know what you are saying is right and I want to believe it but why hasn''t he called. It''s been two days Marcus, two."


    I could see he was worried too but trying to stay strong for me. I took Lilly and we went back downstairs. I wanted to be with people to stop myself from thinking too much.


    They tried to pretend as if everything were okay when we got there but I could see it in their faces. They were as worried as I was about what was happening.


    "I know we all trust Ethan, he is a good boy, he grew up with Nick and has always done good. But this is unlike him, we must start looking for them." I nodded my head; I didn''t want to wait anymore.

 Chapter 364

    I didn''t even want to think about where they could be. "Let''s start looking. Luke, you take the morgues." I cringed when Elodie mentioned the morgue, what the hell was the woman thinking? "I know this may sound like I think they are dead, but we have to cover our bases."


    I said nothing but I was fuming with anger. Why was she even there if she believed they were dead already?


    "Nick, check the airports, he might have travelled out of the country and that is why we can''t get him on the phone." That could be, but why would he take Samuel out of the country without telling us?


    Ethan wouldn''t do something like that, but we were covering our bases as Elodie said. "Marcus, check hotels and everything rted to that. if they are around, they are staying somewhere, find the ce."


    I wondered who put her in charge of everything, but I had to admit that she was covering everything, and she was the only one of us who was thinking rationally at that moment.


    "I will cover everything else, now let''s get to work." Everyone took theirptops next to them and some from under the couch. They had already started working while Marcus and I were upstairs.


    If it were any other moment, I would have been angry, but I wanted to know where my son was and if he was safe. "He travelled out of the country, look!" Nick suddenly yelled and everyone stopped what they were doing and went to gather around him.


    "His jet was one of the flights that left that day."


    My hands shook, why would he take my son out of the country without telling me? "Where did he go?" I was ready to go and get my son right at that very moment.


    Before Nick could respond my phone rang, it was an international number, and I knew it was him. "Ethan?"


    "Put me on speaker because I don''t want to repeat myself." he didn''t sound like himself, but I did as he asked. ¡°Am I on speaker now?"


    "Yes, why didn''t you tell us you were leaving the country with Samuel?" I questioned. I wanted an exnation.


    "Why would report to you when ! take my son somewhere?" we were all stunned, I thought I heard wrong. "Ethan, I am Samuel''s mother and deserve to know when he is being taken out of the country."


    He chuckled. "Come on now buddy, I know you are angry about the Emily thing, but Qlivia is worried about Samuel, we all are." Ethanughed. "What right does Olivia have to worry about my son? What right do all of you have anyway?"


    Again, we were stunned. "Stop looking for me, Samuel and I will be back when he wants toe back. For now, he is having too much fun and doesn''t want toe back."


    "Ethan, what you did could be considered kidnapping. Now I don''t know what came over you but please, bring my son home and we can talk about how I offended you and your girlfriend."


    Heughed mockingly. "There is no need to talk, and I don''t have a girlfriend anymore because of you Olivia. So, let me spend time with my son and heal." I couldn''t believe what he was saying.


    "You leave me no choice but to call the police on that side and force you to bring my grandson back home." My dad was now furious. Ethan on the other end justughed.


    "You are taking it too far Luke, let me remind everyone, Samuel is my son, I am registered as his father on his birth certificate and if you remember correctly Olivia, you told me not to register you as his mother because you didn''t want Nick to find out about him. so, technically, I didn''t kidnap him, I am a father on vacation with his son."


    He cut the call leaving us stunned and without mouths hung open.

 Chapter 365

    OLIVIA


    "What happened, somebody tell me what the fuck just happened?" I was going crazy, what was happening, what the hell did Ethan just say and why was he saying it? what the fuck did we do to deserve what he did?


    "I think Ethan just stook a stand." My dad said looking awfully calm for my liking, the situation should have pissed him off, but he was calm. "What the fuck is your friend thinking, Nick, does he think he can get away with this?"


    Nick seemed calm as well, as if he were someone who knew what was happening or had a hand in it all. "I don''t know what he is thinking but I get where he ising from." I threw a re his way, he was Samuel''s father and yet he was acting like nothing was wrong.


    Like his son was not kidnapped by his friend. "What the hell are you saying now, Nick? Do you realise that my son is in the hands of your friend in a God forsaken country!" my dad just shook his head.


    Nick''s mother took a seat saying nothing, yet she was the one who had a lot to say before. "Dad, why are you not doing anything? This is your grandson we are talking about!" what was everyone thinking?


    Why were they not taking the situation as serious as it was, why were they so calm about everything? "Tell me something, Olivia. Is there anything from what Ethan said that is not true?" I drew a nk, everything he said was the truth.


    When everything settled more issues a raised and the issue of registering as his mother took a back seat, mainly because I never thought something like that would ever happen!


    "Your silence says it all. Ethan told us the truth and there is noting we can do but wait." I fumed in anger pacing the room. just when I had nothing to say or do, my mind not working properly, my phone rang once again.


    It was the same number, and I picked up and put it on speaker. "Ethan, thank God you called again."


    I was so relieved that he called, hoping that he had gotten back to his senses. "Why would you thank God that I called? I am not some kidnapper you know." Judging by the way he sounded; I could tell nothing had changed.


    He was still the same guy who called a few minutes ago. "Listen to me Ethan and listened well..."


    "Oh, shut the fuck up Marcus, I am so tired of hearing your voice, of hearing you dishing out threats when you are the same person who asked for our help when you fucked up and had a child with fucking Sandra. So, stop talking because your damn wife is still raising a child that is not hers because you didn''t listen to your damn gut and investigate!"


    Silence followed his words, no one could dispute what he was saying. "You want to know why I did this, Olivia?" I didn''t know if I wanted to know. Judging by the way he spoke to Marcus and shut him up just now told me that Ethan was on a war path.


    I didn''t want to be in the crossfire with a man who was in the middle of a war. "I will tell you any way, even if you don''t want to hear it but I think it''s time you heard it."


    He paused and I held my breath waiting for his cruel words. "You have forgotten everything." He started and I wondered what he meant by that, what had I forgotten? "You forgot who was there for you when you had no one. When that damned husband and father of yours weren''t there."


    Those words hit hard, they took me back to my helpless self in prison, pregnant and worried about my next meal and if my next meal was going toe. If I was going to be able to bring my baby into the world alive.


    "You forgot everything, you are worse than a dog Olivia, you want to know why?" worse than a dog, those words got me weak to my knees and I thew myself on the couch feeling like my knees would not be able to hold my body up anymore.


    "A dog, you feed it once and it never forgets. It always shows it gratitude by staying by your side, protecting you. it never leaves no matter how many times you chase it away. It''s not because of the food, even though it needs that too, but its because of gratitude and loyalty to the person who helped it when it was at its lowest."


    My heart ached; Ethan never caused trouble besides the time he stole a kiss. But he never did anything to bring me harm. He always protected me, being there for me no matter what was happening in my life, he always stood by me.


    "But you, Olivia. Forgot who was there, you started taking me for granted and all because of something you caused yourself. Weren''t you and your ex-husband the ones who caused all the shit you went through?"


    I had no words, all that he said was the truth. "Now, when I am, well, when I was trying to build a life of my own, you couldn''t even give me the same courtesy and respect I had given you. the benefit of the doubt and allow me to be happy. You had to take that away from me when I had never asked for anything before."


    There were no words, by now I was crying. I thought I had learnt my lesson with Lupita, but I was wrong, I had learned nothing. I had treated Ethan the same way I had treated Lupita.


    Just what the hell was wrong with me? "You let your husband, someone you met ten seconds ago use my son, the one I raised from birth to threaten me, me Olivia, what the fuck is that?"


    He paused, I could hear the anger in his voice, and had no words to calm him down. "I am not going to take Samuel away from you, but do want some respect from the both of you and some little consideration and amodation. I am not some stupid guy who can be overlooked Olivia, and your happiness is not the only one that matters."


    He paused once again. "We have been treating you like a queen, not because your deserved it but because we love and care for you. we sympathise with you for everything you weren''t through and want you to be happy. Why are you selfish now and forgetting that we too deserve the same happiness you have?"


    All I could do at that moment was cry. I had no words, he was telling the truth, the kind I had overlooked and the kind none of them had ever cared to tell me.


    I was selfish and only thought of only myself and my wellbeing. "Think about that and the people who have been through hell and back with you the next time you decide to be all high and mighty As I said, I am not taking Samuel away, I need him to help me cope with the fact that you fucked up my rtionship before it even began!"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 366

    OLIVIA


    After Ethan cut the call, silence remained in the room with only my sniffing could be heard. To say I was hurt would have been an understatement. He was right, we always overlooked him, maybe it was because he never caused trouble or maybe it was because he was the level-headed one.


    I didn''t know. All I knew was that after my life settled, I forgot about him and the role he yed in my life. the role he yed in Samuel''s life and how I got to be where I was. How my son got to live after those harsh conditions in prison.


    When things were going well for me, when I was happy, I forgot that he needed to be happy too. That he craved the same happiness I had. I dismissed his woman, didn''t listen when he begged me to let him be with her.


    He didn''t need to do that, I was not his mother, and he didn''t need my permission to be with her, but he asked for it because he cared about what I thought. But what did I do with that? I threw it back at his face.


    All because of my fears, he was right about the fact that he did nothing to hurt me in the past and all the shit we went through was mainly caused by Nick and I. yet, he never med me, not even once.


    Instead, when there was trouble, he jumped in headfirst and asked questionster. "There you have it." I red at Elodie, what right did she have to say anything at that point when she too turned her back on me?


    "I don''t think you should be saying anything at this point, you too were quick to turn against me and take your son''s side, resenting me and making my life hell. Ethan was the one who was by my side even then. You have no right to say anything in this situation as you are exactly like me."


    I was shaking in anger; I knew that my anger was not only directed at her. I was angry with myself as well for what I had done. Ethan resorted to such extreme measures because of what I had done.


    "Honey, calm down." I threw a re at him. I told him to stop controlling people. I told him those were our friends not his employees. But then again, I said that toote, when the damage had already been done.


    "What is the point of being angry and crying over spilled milk now? the damage has already been done. The good news is that Samuel is safe and having fun with his father. what more can we ask for?"


    I looked at my dad, I was no longer anxious about my son''s whereabouts. I was sadder about the falling out I was having with Ethan. For him to go that far meant that I had really hurt him.


    "Don''t worry, he will be back as he said. He does things like these when he is angry. He has done them a lot to me in the past as well. But this time, he sounds really angry and disappointed. I know his anger is not only directed at you, Olivia. But at me too."


    He sighed running his hand through his head. "I was the one who created this situation and that means I have to take some of the me for what is happening now." we all knew he was at fault as well. There was no need for him to say anything.


    He and I had caused our family and friends so much trouble that it was nowing back to bite us in the ass. ¡°I had a hand in him falling out with that woman as well. I was too harsh with her. threatened her and I am sure after they left, she told Ethan everything."


    I threw a re his way. I then sighed, there was no point in being angry with him.


    it was not going to change anything; I was the one who allowed everything to happen the way it did.


    I was the one who gave him the power to act the way he did with Ethan. "The question now is how do we fix this? Can we talk to that woman and try to get them back together?"


    That sounded like a good idea, that was until Nick said. "I don''t think that will work them breaking up after meeting all of you means that words were exchanged, things that can not be taken back. I don''t think talking to her and trying to fix things is going to be enough and I don''t think it will work either."


    Guilt ate away at me when he said that. my talk with Ethanbined with what my husband said to her was enough for her to want to run for the hills. "The sad part about this is that Ethan really liked her. She is the first woman he has taken seriously since college; you messed up on this one Olivia and I don''t think there is any way you can fix this."


    "You don''t have to put all the me on her, I had a hand in this as well.¡± Marcus countered. There was no point in arguing about who did what. "Why don''t you stop trying to fix things for once and start listening."


    We all turned to my dad. "If you heard him right, Ethan said he wanted courtesy, consideration, and respect. What part of you trying to fix his love life is covered in those?" silence, he was not helping but he was not wrong either.


    "Why don''t you just sit back and wait for him toe back then talk to him. apologize for forgetting everything he has done for you. he has been there for you through your toughest times and when he needed you." he shook his head making me feel even worse.


    "You turned your back on him, in my world, that gets men killed. But in yours, you lose friends and the most important people in your life. I hope you will learn from this and do better going forward."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


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 Chapter 367

    MARCUS


    Everything had be such a huge mess, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that Ethan would ever do something like that. the man was not capable of hurting my wife. Nick could do it and everyone else, me included but not Ethan.


    That man cared deeply for Olivia, and it wasn''t something that developed now. It had been there since she was with Nick. Beside Luke and I. Ethan was the one guy who put Olivia''s needs first. That was one of the reasons why my wife never saw a reason to change the birth certificate.


    Well, that was what I wanted to believe, the truth of the matter was that I didn''t know why we never thought about it until something like that happened. I turned to my weeping wife. Now sniffing as if she had a cold.


    "I am sorry, I know I yed a huge part in this and that is why he is so angry." She gave me a look I didn''t understand. I knew my wife and I could read her like a book but not at that time. The way she looked at me had a little resentment to it and that hurt me.


    "I don''t think I am the one you should be apologizing to. We both owe Ethan an apology not sitting here trying to make each other feel better about what happened. We messed up and we can''t run away from that, not this time."


    She said we both had to apologize to Ethan yet, the look in her eyes told me she resented me more than the man who took our son without our permission. "I know we have to apologize to him, but I am not going to sit here and watch you hurting like this."


    Again, that look. did she not get how much it hurt me when she looked at me that way? Or was hurting me the point of it all?


    I tried to calm myself, there was no point in us both getting angry. "Olivia, you are my wife, and your happiness matters to me. please, stop being angry. We may not be able to fix things with Ethan and his girlfriend, but we can fix our friendship."


    I had to try and make her understand that things could still turn around. ¡°Ethan didn''t say he was taking Samuel away from us, he just wanted to teach us a lesson and we have learnt it. now it''s time we move forward and try not to repeat the same mistakes again."


    Wife stood and walked away without saying a word, it was like she didn''t even like that I was talking to her. Nick chuckled and that pissed me off even more. I didn''t even know why he was listening to our conversation to begin with.


    I threw a re his way and he lifted his hands in mock surrender. "But man, you have got to understand that anything you say now is going to piss her off." he crossed the room joining me on the couch.


    "She is not angry with you, but she is angry and disappointed with herself. Olivia doesn''t like disappointing those around her. she judges herself harshly for it and now she is not going to be okay until she talks to Ethan and this matter is resolved."


    I knew that much but I think she was going to push me away as well. But she should have known that I wasn''t going to ignore her when I could clearly see she was hurting. I was her husband after all.


    "I know how you feel, believe me. I do. But you won''t achieve anything with her


    now. all you must do is wait." I didn''t need his advice about my wife. He knew her then, but he didn''t know her now.


    "Nick is right, let her be for now."


    Luke saiding in. I didn''t get why he was so calm, I thought he would be going crazy now and threatening to go and get his grandson himself. "Why are you looking at me like that?¡± I averted my gaze without saying a word.


    But the ever-ready Nick responded. "I am sure he is wondering why you are not going crazy now." he could be thinking the same thing I was, how else could he know what I was thinking?


    "Why would I be going crazy over this? No one is in danger. What, I am a lunatic now that is going to go crazy over everything, give me a break." He took a seat opposite us.


    "I am impressed actually, I never thought he has it in him to do something like this." Impressed?


    I stood now feeling my own anger rising. "Impressed, how can you even say something like that? this is not something to be impressed about Yes, legally the child is his but Nick


    biologically he is not the fath the nest


    is and my wife is his mother. He


    might have paperwork, but what he did, is wrong."


    Nickughed, "Why are you so angry when I am not?"


    "That''s because Ethan is your friend." Nick straightened on his seat. "So? That doesn''t mean anything. He was right, he is more of a father to that kid than both of usbined. Being the biological parent means nothing when you have not been there for the child. Take me, it''s not like I didn''t want to be there, but I didn''t deserve to be."


    It was good he knew that. ¡°I understand all of that and what he said but let''s not


    be impressed by the wrong things here. Ethan is a grown man, he could have spoken to us and told us what was bothering him.¡±


    "I don''t understand why you are so angry Marcus, are you sure you angry at us and what I said, or you pissed because Ethan hurt your wife, and you don''t know how to make her feel better?"


    I sighed and took a seat, which might have every well be the case. Luke nodded.


    "I get your frustration but grow up yourself and stop acting like a kid."

 Chapter 368

    OLIVIA


    Day six and still no call from Ethan. I thought they would have been back by now, but they were not. I missed my son much that I hear his voice sometimes and I would smile and look only find nothing. I went to his room every morning, but his scent was starting to fade.


    I wanted to call so many times to beg him to bring my son back, but I stopped myself every time. The man had been my rock when I had nothing, and I treated him like nothing. He had a right to be angry and I had to take it.


    "Mom! Mom we home!" there it was again, his voice, was I going crazy, why did I keep hearing it? I stood and went to stand by the window looking into the backyard. "Mom, are you home!" no, I was not hearing things.


    I hurried to the door and just as I opened my son was standing there. When he saw me, a huge smile broke on his face. I kneeled and hugged him. I missed him so much. "I missed you, mom." I teared up.


    "I missed you too, big boy. Did you have fun?" he pulled out of the hug, huge smile on his face. "Mom, we had so much fun, we did a lot of this and even went skiing!" the excitement in his voice, the sparkle in his eyes and the huge smile on his face.


    That all told me that he had a st, no wonder he didn''t want toe home. The trip did a lot of good for him after thest trip we had that ended in disaster. "Am d you had fun baby." He left and rushed to his sister''s room.


    I followed behind, he went to her bed. "She is sleeping, I brought her a doll." I smiled. Lilly was too small to y with a doll, but her brother got it for her.


    "Yes, you can show her when she wakes up.e on, I want to hear everything that you did on your trip." We walked out and down the stairs with him tell me about the adventures he had with Ethan.


    The skiing, camping, hunting, and ying games. I couldn''t remember thest time my son was that excited about anything. Not since the incident. It was good to see him that way. Ethan was sitting on the couch.


    I hesitated not knowing what I would say to him and if I was ready to face him. "Ethan." I greeted and went to sit on the couch. "I didn''t want to leave my son; it seemed like there was no one at home."


    "No, am here, Marcus went to the office and Nick, I think. My dad went back to Summer Strand he had something urgent to deal with there."


    He hummed. "Well, I just came to bring the boy, I am leaving." He stood and started walking towards the door.


    "Ethan!" he didn''t stop, I thought he didn''t hear me. so, I called again. ¡°Ethan! I called louder this time.


    "Heard you the first and I don''t want to talk or hear your excuses. And by the way, you can try and change the birth certificate to keep me from doing this again and that is fine. But be sure not to try and keep me way from my son, I will give one fight you will never win."


    All the while talking, his back was on me. didn''t look at me like he didn''t feel like seeing my face. Like I disgusted him. he then walked off.


    I stood there not knowing how to feel. I had hurt him badly and now he was only fighting and not willing to talk. I stood there hurt but Samuel called me, and I stered a smile on my face before turning to look at him.


    I went and yed with my son. But Ethan''s words still rang in my head. I never had intentions of cutting him out of Samuel''s life. was he fighting because he though I would do that due to the recent events.


    Did he really think I was that heartless?


    Whatever it was, I needed to talk to him, make him understand and apologize for what I did. He even called me a dog, that was how disloyal he thought I was. I didn''t like that, and I never wanted us to have a falling out like that.


    I respected him even though he didn''t think so. "Samuel, buddy, you back!" said Marcusing in. Samuel stood and went to hug him. he must have missed all of us just as much as we missing him.


    Marcus looked around, "His gone." I told him. he kept looking at me, I was sure he wanted to know if Ethan and I spoke.


    Eventually he came and sat next to me. "How are you feeling now that his home?" I offered him a smile, I was happy, I missed him.


    "Am happy his back and looking this happy. It has been a while since Ist saw him this way. It warms my heart seeing him like this. I guess he needed the vacation more than I thought he did."


    Marcus looked at him ying with his new toys. "Thest trip wasn''t exactly pleasant." I nodded.


    "So, did you and Ethan talk?" I was expecting that. I shook my head in the negative. "No, he wasn''t interested in talking. I think he is still angry@bout everything and thinks I am going to cut him off Samuel''s life. he sounded like he is prepared to fight me on that one."


    Marcus sighed. ¡°But he has no right to fight you on anything, Samuel is your son and Nick is his father. we know what he did and appreciate it but that is no way to


    act."


    He wasn''t getting it. "This is not about fighting for custody or anything. Even if it was, I would lose because my parental right, I signed them off to him, I didn''t know how long was going to be in jail for and I wanted my son to have a good life and be away from Nick. That is why I asked him to register Samuel as his."

 Chapter 369

    OLIVIA


    The next day, I called Ethan toe over to my house, but he refused. He said if I wanted to meet with him then I would go to his house. Which I found fair. I told Marcus and he wanted to go with me. He and I were the reason Ethan was acting that way and going to meet with him together and apologize was a good idea.


    "Do not expect me to be nice, I will apologize but I will also tell him what I don''t like about his behaviour and him threatening us like that." I also didn''t expect him to bow his head to another man. I expected him to apologise for his wrongdoing.


    Ethan was not an unreasonable man, but I believed he was going to be difficult this time as we were the cause of his rtionship failing. We were current on the road driving to his house, Nick and my dad were looking after the kids.


    "Stop the car." Marcus looked at me confused. "I see Lupita!" Marcus stopped the car; I got out and called her name. "Lupita." She was about to get into her car. She stopped and turned my way.


    She looked so beautiful wearing a business suit. I waved at her smiling; I took a step towards her, but she opened her car and got in driving off. I stood there disappointed. I didn''t know she wanted nothing to do with me not even to greet me when she saw me on the road.


    ¡°Come on babe, lets go.¡± Marcus said. I got into the car feeling hurt, my dad was right, my behaviour was costing me my friends and the closest people to me. I got into the car and my husband drove off.


    "Am I that bad?" seriously, if Lupita whom I had known for years was not even willing to acknowledge me on the road, then that mean I was worse than I thought. Which made me wonder why the men close to me were obsessed with


    me.


    There was nothing good about me, or were they so used to me that they thought my behaviour was normal and eptable. That could have been the case.


    "Nothing is wrong with you, and you are not bad at all. Lupita might still not be ready to face you yet but that doesn''t mean there is something wrong with you." He was my of course, he was going to say something like that.


    "Ethan is the second person I am having a falling out with, the second person who has been there for me through hard times and the second person I have neglected and taken for granted. Tell me how am I a good person if my friends keep saying otherwise?"


    I could not keep ignoring it anymore, I was the problem, and I was losing people because of it. "Olivia..."


    "No, don''t try to make me feel better, right now, I want to know my blind spots, things that I am not aware of that I do. Things that hurt my friends because most


    of them I do without realizing they are hurting the people I care about."


    I paused sighing, the whole thing was weighing down on me. "All of us have our blind spots Marcus and if those closest to us don''t point them out, then we will continue to hurt others without realising. I have already lost Lupita because of them, and I must have done the same to Sandra and that is why she ended up resenting me. I don''t want that to happen with Ethan as well."


    I was tired of being treated like an egg that was going to break, them tiptoeing around me as if the truth was going to break me. We got to Ethan''s house before Marcus could respond to me.


    We got out of the car and went to knock on the door. Ethan opened wearing shorts and a vest. He just looked at us and walked back into the house. Marcus and I followed him to the lounge. He was watching football.


    "Can I get something to drink?" I felt like my whole mouth just went dry, I didn''t know how the talk was going to go, and I was getting nervous. "You know where everything is, get it yourself." I felt like he was trying to show us who was calling the shorts.


    "I will get it." Marcus got me water and a beer for himself. We sat there not knowing what to say or how to start the conversation. The silence was too much and if the tv was not ying then I didn''t know how awkward everything would have been.


    "Ethan, I came here to apologise, not only for the way I treated Emily but for how I treated you as well. You were right, I did forget where I came from, I forgot you and for that I am sorry."


    ¨¦t


    He nced at me. "Are you not going to apologize for threatening me to using our son?" I shook my head in the negative. He raised an eyebrow. "I never used our son to threaten you, Marcus did andthat was wrong. I won''t speak for him; he is here, and he can speak for himself."


    Marcus shook his head. "I will not apologise as if we are women man, I was wrong


    to use Samuel, I admit that but would you and Nick have gotten the help you need if I didn''t use him?"


    Ethan chuckled. "You are right, we wouldn''t have but there is no need to use now, he is still my son and for the mere fact that I only visit and not staying with him like


    I should be. should make the both of you grateful."


    I didn''t say a word, there was no need to. "I know that man and no one stopped you from visiting. Well, I know I did before and from now on, I will not tell you when to visit, you can do that whenever you want to but man, you have got to stop cursing like that."


    Ethan looked at him as if he was annoyed. "Why would I stop when I can see that is the onlynguage you and your wife understand?" I wasn''t stunned anymore, clearly it as because this time I listened.


    "About Emily..."


    "Don''t talk about Emily, you managed to chase her away as if I am your boyfriend and she was some side chick wanting to take your man."

 Chapter 370

    OLIVIA


    I knew he was only saying that to hurt me, but Marcus couldn''t take it, he was my husband after all, and he couldn''t just sit back and watch while I was being disrespected. ¡°That is both rude and disrespectful, Ethan. That is my wife you are talking to like that."


    He was angry but trying extremely hard not to make things worse than they already were. "Oh, so, you do know what disrespectful means, which means you were disrespectful and said hurtful things to her on purpose knowing what effect they would have on her."


    That was exactly why I didn''t say anything, I knew it woulde out where it was now. "Marcus, you are quick to defend your wife yet when you are dealing with others, you don''t consider their feelings. To you everyone else can get hurt as long as your wife is okay, is that it?"


    I felt like we were going around in circles. We were not making progress at all. It was not that I wanted to resolve the matter quickly dismissing Ethan''s feelings, but at the same time going around in circles was not helping with anything.


    "Marcus, I know you want to defend me, and I appreciate that. But for now, I would like us to deal with what we came here for." I could tell he wanted to protest but when he looked at me, I gave him a pleading look.


    The man was already angry and anything we say to him was not going to change his mind right at that moment or appease him. he needed time, all we needed to do was to apologize for our wrongdoings.


    "As I said, I am sorry Ethan, I made a mistake. Please forgive me and I am willing to go and apologize to Emily as well. Exin to her why I reacted the way I did that day." He sighed looking frustrated.


    He might have really liked Emily and my husband, and I ruined things for him. "There is no need to apologise to Emily. We already broke up, there is no need to go there. But you have not only disappointed me with your selfishness. You have hurt me as well. I never thought you of all people will be one to cause me pain."


    He stood and crossed the room going to stand by the window with his back on us. "You were always considerate, always thinking of others and putting others before your own needs. That is what made us obsessed with you. Thatpassionate and considerate Olivia was who we would have followed to the ends of the world if she needed us to. But this Olivia..."


    He turned to look at me, but the look was not a pleasant one, he looked disgusted. That hurt, Ethan had never looked at me any other way but with a smile on his face and sparkle in his eyes. But not this time.


    "This Olivia, the person you have turned into, I don''t like her very much, this Olivia is selfish and only thinks about herself and her family. This Olivia hurts her friends, she disregards their feelings, use them then throw them away when they are no longer needed."


    I choked on my tears. "That is not fair..."


    He cut me short rudely. "Fair, you want to talk about fair. Then let''s talk about fairness Olivia, tell me, where was fairness when you didn''t listen to me when I pleaded with you, when I told you I wanted to be with Emily?"


    I kept my mouth shut, nothing I said was going to be effective. "You looked annoyed the moment you saw her as if you were a jealous girlfriend. Then you wouldn''t agree to give her a chance then your husband insulted her. tell me, which one of those was fair on both me and Emily?"


    Silence, both Marcus and I said


    nothing. There was nothing to say. "None of f that was fair and now youe to my house and talk about fairness? Please, give me a break. If you want to talk about fair, then let''s talk about you taking Samuel from me then setting timetables for when I can see him when he is legally mine."


    That was another bait he was setting for us. Marcus opened his mouth to say something, but I held his hand. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head.


    "Oh, no. let him talk, let him say what he wants to say." My husband squeezed my hand in a reassuring manner.


    "Look man, I didn''t know we have hurt you this much, I thought I was doing the right thing, we have been through a lot, not just my wife but all of us. Bringing in new people has brought us nothing but trouble. I may have gone overboard, and I am sorry for that. but please stop with the insults, I am her husband, and I don''t like seeing her hurting like this."


    Ethan clicked his tongue. "Get the fuck out of my house." I stood and went to him. "Ethan, I get that you are angry, and I get those things got to this point because of what Marcus and I did. We will leave, but please, find it in your heart to forgive us. I have already lost Lupita; I can''t lose you too."


    I sniffed; I had lost so much too soon. Grandma, Lupita''s grandma then Lupita. I didn''t want to lose Ethan too. Lupita was already ignoring me as if we were strangers. "Please Ethan and I know you don''t need permission, but no one will ever stop you froming to see Samuel. Not again."


    He chuckled looking at Marcus, waiting for him to say something that was going to escte everything. But he said nothing, and I was grateful. "Are you not going to ask me about changing the details in his birth certificate?"


    I wouldn''t dare ask him that, not when he was that angry, that would only make him fight me even more and I didn''t want that. "I have no right to ask you that, if you want to change anything then you will do it yourself. I only came here to apologize and fix things with you."


    He nced at Marcus one more time, but my husband said nothing. "I will think about it, for now, please leave my house."

 Chapter 371

    ETHAN


    Olivia and Marcus left. They left me with all the anger I felt before I left with Samuel, all the work I had done to try and get over what happened had gone down the drain. I lost the woman I liked because of them; we ended up saying things we couldn''t take back to each other because of them.


    Shit! I punched the window breaking it in the process. The ss cut my knuckles, but that pain was better than the one I felt in my heart. I didn''t think I liked Emily that much, but I think I did. I got out of the house and drove to her ce.


    I never got to say what I wanted to say to her that day; I was pissed, and she was too. It was time I said what was in my mind then maybe I was going to be fine after. I parked in front of her ce, right behind her car.


    She was home, good. I didn''t think I was going to be able to go back there if she weren''t. I got out of the car and went to knock on her door. She opened the door, and I pushed her aside getting inside. Not giving her a chance to close the door on my face or say something else that was going to piss me off.


    "What the hell are you doing here, Ethan, I thought..."


    "Shut up, shut the fuck up and listen to me." she looked taken back by my outburst, but I didn''t care, it was my turn to talk. She said all she wanted to say that day and insulted me as much as she wanted.


    "You called me a dog that day," she opened her mouth, but I lifted my forefinger silencing her. "You called me a sub being controlled by Olivia." That part hurt and pissed me off more than anything.


    "Who the hell do you think you are to say those things to me?" her face changed, and I could see she was ready to say something mean once again. "If you dare open that mouth of yours and say shit again, I swear to everything holy, I will deal with you in ways you have never been delt with, I will show you what a dog and a sub can do."


    I paused; this time she looked spooked, good. "That mouth of yours is going to get you into shit one day." I chuckled. I was sure I looked like a mad man at that point. "What am I saying? It already hasnded you in shit, with me."


    I closed the small distance between us. She took a step back and I took another step then held her hand to stop her from moving.


    "Why the hell are you running now, weren''t you the one who opened that big mouth of yours and said all that shit?" she swallowed hard. Good, we were getting somewhere.


    "I liked you, but you couldn''t even give me time to make things right. You kept yapping away like an annoying dog instead of trusting me to fix things for us." I let go of her hand and moved away from her creating a bit of a distance between us.


    "You are a nobody to us, you are not in our level and trusting you was going to take time but once you were in, it would have been for life. you would have gotten yourself a strong support system, friends that would go to war for you and a man that would have crossed the world to make you happy."


    "Ethan..."


    "I said shut the fuck up, I am not done talking."


    Fuck! I cursed under my breath feeling my anger rising even more. Why couldn''t she fucking wait?


    "If you had given me a chance, I would have shown you love you have never had before. But no, with one meeting you wrote us off, wrote me off and for what? couldn''t you just shut the fuck up and trust me?"


    Why was I even wasting my time on that fucking woman? She didn''t trust me, called me names. Why the fuck was I even wasting my breath on her for?


    "Why do you think I said all those things? I was angry, disappointed, and most importantly. I felt small. Your friends made sure to make me feel small, like I don''t belong..."


    "You don''t fucking belong! How the hell did you expect him to treat you? it was their first time meeting you, they know nothing about you. do


    ven


    you think our kind just trust strangers and wee them with open arms? Are you stupid? We have enemies for fuck''s sake!"


    Why couldn''t she use her brain, what was it there for, decoration? "Our enemies can use anyone to get to us, that is why I told you I was going to do a background check on you and I told you my friends will do the same as well because we have been through hell."


    I paced running my hand through my head. "Why didn''t you think about all of that when he was saying all those things. Why didn''t you think that hewas being defensive and needs time to get to know you, do his background check. Why did you have to be a bitch about?"


    I could see that hurt her. "Why did you not trust me?"


    "Talk! Why didn''t you fucking trust me?"


    She jumped a little as my voice was a bit on the loud side. ¡°I was hurt Ethan, the things he said and how his wife acted hurt me. she looked like she hated me." Iughed. What the fuck was she saying?


    "If I remember correctly, Nick did the exact same thing when he first met you. asked you a whole bunch of questions and not in a nice way. Why did you trust me then and not when we met Olivia?"


    She furrowed her eyebrows. "Olivia is different, you and Nick made it sound like her approval is everything to you. I knew when I met her that she didn''t like me, what was the point of me trusting you when I knew you were going to leave me anyway since she didn''t like me?¡±


    Iughed, seriouslyughed. "You are such a moron."


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 372

    ETHAN


    She threw herself at me and hugged me tightly. I was taken back by her behaviour, I wanted to push her away, but my heart started beating radically, stupid disloyal organ! "Am sorry." She whispered, I felt myself calmed down, my heart started to slow and stabilise.


    What the fuck was going on with me, that was not what I went there for. "Please, forgive me, I was just scared you would leave me." My arms moved on their own and I found myself hugging her back, which was when I knew I was done for.


    I liked her more than I realized, my behaviour, the sudden anger even with Olivia who always knew how to calm me down. How to get me to settle, her tricks didn''t work because she was not what I needed, that, right there, was what I needed.


    "Don''t ever do that again or I will walk, and you will never see me again." Was I ever going to be able to do such a thing when I wasn''t coping when we broke up and had not seen or spoken to each other for a week. I didn''t think so.


    "Not again, I wasn''t coping without you, I missed you too much." My heart warmed, the warmth spread across my chest, and I knew that was where I belonged, to whom I belonged. I was never going to tell her that though.


    The doctor was right, true feelings were different from what I felt for Olivia. I think she was talking about how I was feeling right at that moment. Content, at ease like everything was well with the world again.


    She was what I needed to feel whole and saine again. It was not Olivia''s apology that I needed but hers. "Am here now." my hold tightened around her, it felt like if I dared loosen my hold on her, she was going to disappear from my life again.


    "Can we try again? I promise to be more understanding this time and trust you more." Those were ordinary words; same words Ethan and Olivia has said to me once at some point in our friendships. But why did they sound differenting from her.


    Why did they feel like they had a different meaning than what I knew? The doctors were right, with the right person, even the most mundane thing feels like the most special thing in the world.


    ¡°Please, Ethan, I can meet with Olivia and her husband too. I will let them grill me as much as they want, do as many background checks as they want. As long as I get to be with you again, those things don''t matter to me."


    A smile formed on my lips; I was happy. I pulled out of the hug and looked at her. god! she was one beautiful creature! I couldn''t believe she wanted to be with me. "Of course, we can try again but I don''t want us to meet with them just yet. I just want it to be just us for now, then we can meet them again at ater stage."


    She smiled back at me. I never thought I would see her smiling at me like that again. Now that I was there with her, seeing her smile at me like that, I couldn''t even remember what we were fighting for to begin with.


    I didn''t know why we wasted out time being angry and fighting instead of just


    loving each other. Why did it matter what Olivia and Marcas had to say. If they didn''t want to ept my woman then I didn''t need them as well.


    "I am happy with that. I went by your ce, well, didn''t go in, I just drove past." Oh so I wasn''t the only one


    who was going crazy over our breakup. "What did you want?"


    blushed. "I wanted to see you even If it was in passing."


    She missed me, my chest warmed, the tension on my shoulders lessened. She


    was mine and I was never going to let her go again. With us, it''s going to be forever, she just didn''t know it yet.


    "Let''s not fight anymore, I don''t want to go through that again." Her smile widened. "I am happy with that. I was cooking, are you going to stay for dinner?" I was staying, I wanted to spend more time with her.


    "Of course, I want to taste your cooking." Sheughed and went to the kitchen, leaving me in the lounge. I had a stupid smile on my face as I sat there. A knock came to the door, and I went to open. Nick was standing on the other side of the door.


    "Why are you here?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "I was looking for you and I tracked you here." I frowned, what could have been so urgent that he would track me there.


    "Oh, don''t worry, there is nothing wrong, I just came to make sure you two made up. you have been a pain since you two broke up."


    "Go home, Nick." Just as I was about to close the door, he blocked it with his foot. I got annoyed and opened the door. "What!"


    Heughed, annoying the shit out of me. ¡°So, are you going to tell Olivia that you fixed things?" I didn''t want to think about Olivia.


    "Your silence tells me that you still want to make her feel guilty." He raised an eyebrow, and I said nothing.


    He ran his hand through his hair. "I


    am not here to tell you what to do, but she is hurting, she lost Lupita and her grandma. She can''t handle losing you too man. I know you will


    fix thing with her in your own will


    But letting her wallow in misery like this is not right too. If you are going to forgive her, then do it sooner rather thanter."


    What right did he have to lecture me. "Ethan, I have wronged you many times and Olivia is the only other person you know always had your back even back when we were married. Don''t let this ruin your rtionship. Say hi to Emily for me.¡± he turned and walked away.

 Chapter 373

    NICK


    I was left with the kids when Olivia and Marcus went to see Ethan. I had hoped everything would go well and we would be back to what we used to be. I hated the in fighting, it was not who we were. Our disagreements didn''tst even a day and would get resolved. Ethan was doing the most.


    I knew he liked that woman, but I didn''t know he liked her so much that he would fight with his friends and call them out like that because of her. I decided not to get involved and let them sort it out.


    But I couldn''t sit back and watch anymore, not when I heard Olivia crying painfully and talking about how Lupita ignored her. I couldn''t say Lupita was wrong for ignoring her, she had her reasons. But it was me who used her not Olivia.


    It was not fair that she was punishing her for something I did. So, I left her house and went to look for Ethan. I wanted to give that friend of mine a piece of my mind and tell him where to get off.


    But he wasn''t at his ce, when I checked the car on the car that was not on the driveway, I saw that she was at Emily''s house. That told me they had made up and he was just making Olivia miserable on purpose.


    I thought that was the reason he didn''t want them to apologise to her, because he knew they had already made up and wanted to make Olivia pay for refusing to ept her.


    After leaving him, I went to Olivia''s old house, where Lupita was currently staying. For the first time, I didn''t use my key, it was not my ce, and Lupita was not my friend.


    I pressed the buzzer at the gate, I wanted her to see that I didn''t go there to fight, it took a while before her voice could be heard. "What do you want, Nick?" even her tone, I could tell she was not happy to see me.


    "I just want to talk, please let me in." either way, I wasn''t going to leave, if she didn''t want to open the gate, I was going to open it myself. I wasn''t going to leave without talking to her.


    Seeing Olivia like that, made me realize my own mistakes and how I contributed to what was happening between her and Lupita.


    "I don''t want to talk to you, please leave." I really didn''t want to do that; I didn''t want to force my way into her ce. "Lupita, if I wanted, I would have gotten inside without knocking or pressing the buzzer. I am trying to be respectful here. Let me in."


    I was working on myself, trying to be a better person but people would work on your nerves so much that all the work you are doing goes down the drain.


    After what felt like forever, the gate opened. Excellent choice! I drove in and stopped the car in front of the house. The door opened and she stood there looking at me.


    She was crazy if she thought I was going to talk to her at the door. I got out of the car and went to meet her at the door. ¡°Hi Lupita, you look good." She red, well, she must have still been holding a grudge against me.


    "What do you want, Nick?" I chuckled; she really was mad. "Let''s talk inside." I pushed the door to open further then went inside. She closed the door and followed me inside. I went and sat on the lounge.


    The house looked different, where Olivia and the kids'' pictures were, was not filled with pictures of Lupita and her grandmother. She made it her own and it looked good. I was getting to see her style and taste.


    "Could you stop looking around and say what you wanted to say and leave." It was going to be harder than I thought.


    "I am seeing a therapist.¡± She raised an eyebrow. I was sure she was cursing me out in her mind. Asking what the fuck did that have anything to do with her. "And I have learned many things there and that is part of the reason I am here."


    Sheughed, "Are you sure this has nothing to do with Olivia?" since when has anything not have anything to do with Olivia.


    "It does and it doesn''t." she furrowed her eyebrows. "Look, I came to apologize to you for what I did. I not only used you, but I threatened you as well I hurt your feelings and that led to your friendship with Olivia to end the way it did. I am sorry Lupita.¡±


    She just sat there ring at me, if looks could kill, I would have been dead a thousand times. "What I did was wrong, I used you to stay close to Olivia, pretended to like you more than just as an older sister. Led you on and that was wrong."


    She looked hurt by what I said, she was older than me and I had never seen her as more than just an older sister, I was being honest, i liked getting to know her as more than just Samuel''s nanny.


    "Nick, please leave." I couldn''t, I knew she wouldn''t forgive me from the start, but I didn''t want to leave just like that. "I am not leaving, not yet."


    She stood, "Still this is about you and Olivia. You want to force me to ept your apology then tell me to stop ignoring Olivia. For us to be friends again. Am I wrong?" she wasn''t but I didn''t think it was sinister to do something like that.


    "You are not wrong, but the apology is sincere, when I heard you ignored her, I knew I had to make things right with you. I am the one who wronged you not Olivia. I am the one who did all those things to you. Lupita, you know me, I am not good at keeping and protecting those around me. I end up hurting them all in the name of love."


    She clicked her tongue then went to the door and opened it. I stood and walked to the door. "I hope you will one day stop being angry, Olivia is a good friend to have, don''t let things people like me ruin your rtionship. I am a mess, and I am going to continue to mess up. but always felt better when I hurt Olivia because she had you tofort her and talk to about things she can''t talk to her husband about."

 Chapter 374

    OLIVIA


    I was busy with the kids when the security informed me that I had a guest. Which got me curious as I knew no one who would visit my home. All the people who visited my home, I knew them and could count them in one hand. I went and checked, and I almost got a heart attack when I saw who it was.


    "Hello Olivia." Lupita, that was the same person who ignored me as if she couldn''t see me only a week ago. What was she doing there? "Can Ie in?" I snapped out of it and moved aside for her to enter.


    I stood there watching her walk to the lounge until she disappeared from my sight. I didn''t know what to think or how to feel. She ignored me, like I didn''t exist. Yes, she asked for time, but I didn''t think that meant ignoring each other on the road.


    She and I came a long way and had been through hell and back together. I understood when she told me her issues and gave her the time she needed. But I thought when we needed each other we would be there for one another.


    I sighed following her to the lounge, she was sitting like a guest, like someone who had not set foot in my ce before. That alone got me pissed off, I might have done things that led to our rtionship being strained like that, but I was human too.


    I had feelings and they did get hurt sometimes. "What brings you here?" I had to ask as she was not saying anything. I wanted to know why she was there, was she feeling guilty or what. "I don''t know."


    I frowned, she didn''t know. That to me didn''t make any sense. She came all the way from wherever she wasing from for no reason? I doubted it.


    "Nick came to see me." she continued, I wondered what that had to do with her being in my house. "He made me understand somethings I may have overlooked. No, I didn''t overlook them I just didn''t want to see them."


    Still, I had nothing to say. What was there to say about that? nothing if you asked me. to me, it was like she was venting.


    "He reminded me that you were not at fault on some of the things I med you for." she told me she was starting to resent me because of what Nick did. That people treated me differently because of how others treated them because of me.


    I didn''t get what she was trying to say now. "I won''t sit here and lie to you. what Nick did pissed me off and made me resent you.¡± she already said that, and she was saying it a second time now. "I think resenting you was easier than facing the fact that a man I wanted didn''t want me. that he only wanted to stay close to the love of his life by using me."


    She paused sighing heavily. "I know Nick, I have known him for a while, and I know what he is capable of. I know he loves you and, in his life, there will never be anyone else other than you. I knew that. but for some reason, I decided to forget that fact when he acted like he wanted me."


    I found myself getting bored because I still didn''t know where the whole thing was going. ¡°I guess what I am trying to say is that it''s easier to me someone else when things don''t go well for you. I med you."


    I already knew that I had been feeling guilty that whole time thinking about how I ruined our rtionship, how the people closest to me ruined our rtionship. I took all the me for that, but it wasn''t mine to take.


    "You know, you right when you said you knew what Nick was like when you got involved with him. I don''t get why you med me when he didn''t live up to your expectations. I took the me for that and apologized to you, but we both know that was not my me to take. I was being arrogant and thought if I just apologized everything will be okay but no, am done with that."


    I was starting to really get pissed off, I had a real issue with Ethan, and I got where he wasing from because I was directly involved in what happened, that was the me I should have taken on me not the one with her and Nick.


    "Lupita, I think you used my goodness knowing very well that I would try to make things right and take the me for everything when you knew I wasn''t at fault. You and Nick didn''t inform me when you were starting whatever you were starting. I just saw you changing and defending him even when he was wrong. Even then, I tried to make


    things right and easy for you, but


    you still med me."


    I stood feeling like sitting down was suddenly suffocating me to death. Why did I even take the fucking me when they got together without me knowing. Only told me when she developed feelings for the man.


    "Olivia, I know you are angry..."


    "No, you don''t, you thought you wille in here and tell me what Nick said to you and how you realized that you were wrong. Then expected me to take you into my arms and tell you how happy I am to have you back in my life. that is what you expected. Is it not?"


    She said nothing, she knew what I was saying was the truth. "I do like to have you back into my life but when you did, making me look like a fool ignoring me and getting into the car feaving me there was hurtful. If you were ming me for your grandmother''s death, I would have understood but you are ming and resenting me for a man, you knew very well the kind of monster he was like is unfair."


    I chuckled. "You thought you and Nick were going to be Bonny and Clide that is why you encouraged him to kill Xander that you would bond over that but when it didn''t happen that way you got angry and med me for it. am done with that. please leave, if you want toe back you can but get your shit together before you do."

 Chapter 375

    LUKE


    A smile formed on my lips hearing my daughter putting Lupita in her ce. I was proud, she was growing up and starting to stop that habit of hers of trying to please everyone. Olivia had lost many people in her life and was afraid to lose


    more.


    That was why she develop that tendency of taking the me for everything that goes wrong in the lives of those closest to her. for that they took advantage of her, and she let them because she didn''t want to lose anyone else.


    Also, the issue of the people closest to her hurting her more was one of the reasons why she always wanted to keep them safe, protect and please them even at her expense. Now that I have seen how tired she was of doing that. I could interfere and stand up for her as well.


    "Princess, I will be right back, I am taking the kids with me." she raised an eyebrow, I could see how angry she still was. ¡°Don''t worry, I am going to pick up Elodie, you rest, and we will be right back."


    Her frown deepened, I know how she and Elodie didn''t get along as well as they used to, but she needed time to herself. Get angry and drink if she wanted. It was time I took care of her now. she did her best, apologised, and degraded herself.


    Now it was time for her father to y his part to fix things for her. "Dad..." I lifted my hand silencing her. "Don''t worry about anything, just rest, the kids and I will be fine." I didn''t wait for her to say more.


    I pushed the stroller out followed by my grandson. We got into the car, and I strapped them in before driving off. I went to Elodie''s ce and dropped off the little princess. Then drove to Ethan''s ce with Samuel.


    My man already informed me that he was home with his woman. Talk about being selfish, my daughter was going crazy there over him and the woman and they were having fun.


    I knocked on the door then let myself in. "Who the fuck is..." he shut his mouth when he saw me. "Good to see you too." I went and poured myself a drink. That woman looked as if she wanted to disappear.


    It was my first time seeing her in person. My men only showed me a picture of her. "What is it like being back together?" Ethan focused on Samuel as if he didn''t hear me. I chuckled; the boy was really trying my patience.


    "Ethan, I need to talk to you. give Samuel his game and let him y while we talk. You?" I pointed at the woman. "Look after my grandson for a moment." She quickly nodded. I walked away going to his study.


    He soon joined me with a drink in hand. He always respected me for as long as I had known him. he took a seat in front of me. he didn''t seem to mind that I was sitting on his chair, in his study.


    "Tell me, when are you going to end this shit with Olivia?" he looked offended. "I took your side before because what you said made sense and Marcus did go overboard. Don''t you think you are the one going overboard now?"


    He lifted his head to look at me, he looked angry. I tilted my head to the side watching his every move. The boy was good, but he did have a tendency of taking things too far when he puts his mind to it.


    But this was one of the things he would have to stop while at it. "Olivia did me wrong." I nodded. "I never said she didn''t. that was why I took your side, but tell me, is it worth it using that boy in there to threaten her, are you not doing the same thing Marcus did to you?"


    He looked as if he had a light bulb moment, it was easy to judge when something was being done to you, but when you were the one doing the same thing, it was hard to recognise it as wrong.


    "I want you to give Olivia her rights, she will never ask you to do it herself because she doesn''t want to seem ungrateful for what you did for her. but I can ask you that on her behalf. How do you think she felt when you reminded her that you could take her son away from her if you wished?"


    Now he looked guilty, as I said, he was a good man. "You two have hurt each other enough now. stop. Register her as Samuel''s mother in his birth certificate. Give her the rights to her son back and never threaten her with something like that again. That makes you no different from Nick. He is the one who does things like that not you."


    He stood, "I was hurt, and I guess I wanted to hurt her back. I didn''t think about how it would make her feel threatening to take Samuel from her. I did exactly what Nick did to her; I was selfish and only thought of myself and my own feelings."


    That was what I liked about Ethan; he was not an unreasonable person. "I don''t want to hear that, as I said, you have both hurt each other but you can put a stop to it now. Olivia has learnt her lesson. You know she will never do something like that again."


    He nodded, "I will register her as Samuel''s mother and bring her the new birth certificate." I stood. I wasn''t going to stay; I just went there to talk some sense into


    him.


    "You are a good man Ethan, don''t waste your time being angry and focus on that woman in there. I can tell you love her, and she makes you happy. Focus on those happy moments and forget everything else. It''s not worth it."


    He nodded with a little smile ying on his lips. walked out with him following me behind. "Don''t bring


    that woman to Olivia again, you


    don''t need her approval on rtionship. If you want to keep being friends with her you can be, but don''t expect her to be friends with your woman as well when she is notfortable with it."


    He frowned; he didn''t look happy with that. what a fool. "Ethan, it''s enough that you love each other, everyone else and their opinion should not matter. If you make each other happy, focus on that because that is all that matters." I took Samuel and left.

 Chapter 376

    ETHAN


    "Phew! Who was that?" asked Emily as soon as Luke left my house. What he said didn''t sit well with me. "That was Olivia''s father." she looked spooked. "I don''t know what it is with him, but his aura is heavy, and his temperament is...I don''t know but there is something about him that makes the hairs at the back of my head stand."


    It might have been all the blood in his hands, or maybe the spirits of all those people he has killed over the years. But I never said that to Emily, I was just thinking it. "Well, he is not someone to be messed with." She shook as if she were cold.


    I remember feeling the same way when I first met Luke. "What did he want?" Was


    I supposed to tell her the truth or lie? "Has something happened?" I sighed taking


    a seat. I couldn''t take what he said out of my mind.


    Did he want me to stop being friends with his daughter, was it a warning or what the hell did he mean. "Ethan!" I snapped out of it. "Yes?"


    "Where is your mind at, what did that man want?"


    There was no point lying to her. "He came to talk sense into me." she frowned. "Did he threaten you?" I didn''t know what it was, could it be called a threat or just a fatherly advice. "I don''t know really, he told me to stop taking you to meet Olivia."


    She looked hurt, I knew she wanted Olivia to like her. she knew how important she was in my life. I made it clear to her when we met. "Is it because she doesn''t like me?" I didn''t know myself; I haven''t had a proper conversation with Olivia in a while.


    "I don''t know about her not liking you and I think that is exactly the point he asked me not to bring you in front of her. he said the fact that we make each other happy should be enough and we shouldn''t care about what others think."


    She smiled, for some reason that smile didn''t sit well with me. it was like she was happy that Olivia and I had a falling out. Or maybe she was happy that she wouldn''t have topete with Olivia even though she knew we didn''t have that kind of rtionship.


    "You know there is nothing going on between Olivia and I., right?" she nodded, "But that doesn''t mean she is not important to me. we have been through a lot, and I love her as my friend, and I want us to have a good rtionship. Having you and her not getting along is not sitting well with me."


    She didn''t look happy about that. I didn''t know what I needed to do to make them both understand how important they were to me.


    "Emily, Olivia is the mother of my first-born son. He might not be mine biologically, but he is mine. I respect her and I would like to sit in the same room with the two of you one day. Sharing and meal, drink, and augh together. But with how things are going, I don''t think that will happen any time soon and that bothers me."


    She came and sat next to me. "I am willing to meet her halfway but there is nothing I can do if she doesn''t like me. her father is right, she should not be forced to deal with me if she is notfortable with me."


    I frowned looking at her. she acted as if she didn''t know what Luke and I spoke about and now this. "Sorry, I heard some of the things he said, and I agree with him."


    "I have a call to make."


    I stood going back to my study, I was going to call mywyer to do what Luke said, maybe that was going to work in my favour. "Ethan?" I turned to look at my woman. §Ö "Sometimes we should let things be, let nature take its course and let things fall into ce on their own. Forcing them might just damage them more." I smiled; she could be wise when she wanted to.


    "I will keep that in mind, thank you." I walked into the study and sat down. I took out my phone and called Nick. It didn''t take long before his voice could be heard. "Miss me?" I


    chuckled. "I know you don''t since


    you have your woman back. Now I


    lost my best friend."


    Iughed, maybe being alone and lonely was going topel him to find his own


    woman and live his life and stop living through Olivia.


    "Are you ready to find your own woman yet?"


    "Oh, hell no! am good man. I have done that once and it didn''t work out. Am not doing it again. I know I am the poison, and I don''t want to poison another good woman and ruin her life." I was d he knew that.


    "Any way, why did you call? I know it was not to check on me, you don''t do that anymore." I sighed feeling frustrated. "Luke was here."


    "Oh, man. Did he threaten you?" I didn''t know what to call it. "He did, didn''t he?"


    "I don''t know man. He told me not to bring Emily in front of Olivia anymore. Said I should live my life and not care what others think."


    Silence followed my words, did he think I should do that as well?


    "I think he is right, but I don''t think that is what you want." I shook my head as if he could see me. "Listen Ethan. Why don''t you focus on your rtionship with Emily and forget Olivia for a while. Not going to her with Emily should not make you doubt your friendship with her, just give it time. Things will work


    themselves out."


    Why was everyone saying the same thing? I cut Nick''s call without saying


    goodbye. I dialled Olivia. She didn''t pick up and I called again.


    She still didn''t pick up. then a text followed, and it read. "Need sometime. Call you


    back when I can." That drove me crazy, did I take things too far?


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 377

    OLIVIA


    When Ethan''s calls came through, I was on my second bottle of wine. I was drunk but still had my sense. I was the honest drunk at that time not drunk out of my mind yet. If I had answered his call, I would have said things I was going toter regret.


    It was better to keep things as they were instead of making them worse. That man reminded me of who I was, what I had lost and how easy it was to sign my parental rights away when things were tough.


    He reminded me of my lowest point in life when things were going to shit, and I had no hope of ever being anything other than the jailbird ex Mrs Jones. when my own survival in prison was and revenge when I got back were the only things about which I could think.


    Back then I had nothing and no one to hold on to. I couldn''t see my grandmother and my husband abandoned me. he reminded me of a time in my life I never wanted to think about. Because back then I didn''t only lose my son but my ability to carry my own children ever again.


    Those memories took me back to a time when I had to watch my husband ying house with another woman in my own home. A time when I felt like a stranger in my own home.


    "Olivia, where are you? I am home baby." That was my husbanding home from work. I crossed fingers hoping he didn''te into the salon. I didn''t want to see him, that was not the right moment to see him.


    That issue with him and the events after were what led to what happened to me, Xander and Lupita''s grandmother. He came in, stood by the door. Noticed the two bottles of wine on the small table next to me.


    "Can I join you?" I shook my head in the negative. He walked further into the room, took a seat opposite me. "Why are you drinking alone, what is bothering you?" he was never going to stop asking questions.


    "Lupita was here." He frowned.


    "After ignoring you, she had the nerve toe here, what did she want?" I was trying hard to shake the images of the past events. But the alcohol kept bringing everything back to the front of my mind.


    "To apologize but I ended up giving her piece of my mind and kicking her out."


    "And now you are feeling guilty and regretting what you did?" I shook my head in the negative. I didn''t regret a thing. "No, I don''t regret it, was about time I spoke my mind and said how I really felt."


    He raised an eyebrow. Yeah, he probably couldn''t believe I did that. "Where are the kids." He changed the subject. "With my dad." He nodded standing up. "I am going to change and shower, don''t open another bottle until Ie back."


    I nodded and watched him leave. I poured thest ss in the bottle that was opened then took another, opened it, and filled my ss.


    I wanted to be drunk out of my mind by the time hee back. In fact, I wanted to have passed out by the time he came back.


    My mind was ying tricks on me and making me think of things I thought I had forgotten or maybe I never forgot, just buried them deep enough so I didn''t think about them.


    Where did I get the guts to want another child back then when I signed away the rights to my first born. Why didn''t I think about it until Ethan reminded me of it. what kind of mother did that?


    "Olivia, you forgot because your son was with you regardless of you signing away your rights to him." I spoke to myself, yep that was what happened. What a fool.


    "I told you not to open another bottle until I came back." I lifted my head to look at


    him and my breath got caught in my throat. I forgot how to breathe.


    The man only had a towel wrapped around his lower half. Drops of water looked like shiny beads on his chest and arms. His hair wet and


    pushed back showing his whole face and giving me a full view of his jawline.


    Something itched between my legs, and I crossed them leaning back on my chair.


    He didn''t move from where he stood as if he wanted me to drool as much as I wanted. Check him out as much as I wanted.


    All the thoughts of what he did before vanished. "Do you want me to lose the towel?" my breath hitched, and my mouth suddenly got dry. My eyes went down his torso to the V that disappeared under towel.


    I swallowed hard. "Olivia..." his voice was suddenly low. I lifted my eyes and met his. "Do you want me to lose the towel?" I didn''t answer, it was not that I didn''t want to,at was that I couldn''t.


    My mouth was dry. I gulped down the remaining drink in my ss. I tried cing it on the table, but I somehow missed the table, and the ss fell and shuttered into pieces on the floor.


    I paid it no mind as I took steps towards my husband who remained where he stood. "What do you want?" did he think I had time to answer that?


    When I got to him, my hand went to the towel with the intention of removing it. but he caught my hand before I could reach it.


    "Tell me what you want, and I will do it." I lifted my head to look at him, our eyes locked. "Remove the towel." His eyes never left mine and he loosened the towel, and I felt it fall to my feet.


    "Pick me up and take me to bed.¡± With no questions asked, he picked me up and walked out of the salon with me in his arms. I could feel the heating from his body and I could feel the heat between my legs.


    When we got to our room, he gently ced me on the bed. "Now, make love to me, make me feel like your woman again." I whispered. "You are my woman...''

 Chapter 378

    ETHAN


    "Where are you going so early in the morning?" Emily asked, I had been waiting for so long, well, some would say three days was not a long time, but it was for me. I had asked mywyer to sort out Samuel''s birth certificate for me so I could give it to Olivia now that it had arrived. I couldn''t wait to give to her.


    I wanted to see the look on her face when she saw it, how happy she would be and, she would realise just I how sorry I was for what I had done to her. "I am going to the Walker mansion." Emily didn''t look pleased by my response.


    I wish she and Olivia could both understand how important they were to me. I wanted them to get along so I could stop being in the middle. I got where Luke wasing from and why he said what he said but I wasn''t ready to give up my rtionship with Olivia.


    The two of us hade a long way for us to part like that, I still valued our friendship and wanted to keep going with her.


    "Do you have to go this early?" I didn''t know why she was still at my ce. I enjoyed herpany, and I liked spending time with her. but I needed my space sometime and not to be questioned when I stepped out of the house.


    "The earlier I got, the sooner I will return." I took my keys and headed to the door. "Ethan, are you sure there has never been anything between you and Olivia?" I stopped in my tracks. I wished there were because then, I wouldn''t have had to exin myself all the time.


    "I will not dignify that with an answer." I walked out, got into the car, and drove off. I realised on the way that the way I responded to her might make her think I had feelings for Olivia that went beyond friendship.


    I called her, it rang a couple of times before her voice came online. "Am sorry." Silence followed my words, she was offended. "I didn''t mean to offend you. I am just trying to keep the people in my life and keep the peace. Olivia and I had been at odds for a while now and I want it to stop. And no, there has never been anything between us."


    She sighed, "It''s just that you and Nick care about her so much. I understand Nick, he was her husband and still has lingering feelings for her. but I don''t understand you. your attachment to her and it makes me jealous."


    I knew she was jealous, and I didn''t want her to be. I wanted her to be safe with me and not worry that I might leave her someday. "You have no reason to worry or to be jealous, Olivia and I are just friends nothing more."


    Yes, I had a crush on her but that had been gone a long time ago. I couldn''t tell Emily that either as she would think I still had something for Olivia every time I would do something for her or when I visited Samuel.


    That could cause issues in our rtionship, and I didn''t want that. "You are the only woman for me, Emily, I don''t want you to forget that, and I need you to trust me." I understood the jealousy, Olivia seemed as if she didn''t like Emily when they first met and that still haunted my woman.


    I had no parents, Nick and Olivia were my family. Her not getting along with someone that important to me, might make her


    you also, I won''t be here when you get back. I am going to my ce."


    ufortable. "Okay, I will ine


    Oh, thank the Lord, I didn''t know how married people did it, but being with someone also the time was exhausting. I need space to breathe.


    "Alright, I wille and check on yourter, Okay." I then cut the call as I drove into the Walker mansion.


    I met Marcus at the door just as I was about to knock. "Hey man, what are you doing here?" where the hell was, he going that early? "I should be asking you, where are you going?" he gestured to his clothes, and I didn''t see anything wrong with them.


    "I am going to work Ethan, why are you here." Oh, did he still go to work? I didn''t know he went back. "To see my son and your wife." He frowned. "I can goter." I chuckled.


    Why was e working any way. He had people taking care of business, he didn''t need to go to work and yet, there he was going to work. "I have questions." He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you running to work?"


    He shrugged. "My wife doesn''t seem to like having me around all the time now. so, I go to work to give her the space she needs." I knew they couldn''t possibly endure being with each other all the time. It was too much.


    "I get it, Emily has been with me since we got back together and it''s driving me crazy." Heughed. "Wow, it''s good to see you like this, I never though I would get to talk to


    your guys about women other than


    my wife."


    Iughed, who knew. "Well, you should have warned me and told me it was not all roses and happiness. That there was jealousy and mood swings." Marucsughed so much. He was right, that did feel good.


    "Then we wouldn''t be having this conversation if I did, and I would have missed out." Iughed and he opened the door and we both walked inughing. ¡°Love, I thought you left, did you forget something!"


    Olivia yelled from the other side and when she came to view, she stopped in her tracks looking between me and her husband.


    "Sorry, I met Marcus at the door, and we got talking. By the way, I came to give you this and to say am sorry." I handed her the envelope.


    She opened it, looked at the document then without a word, she turned and left. "What did you give her?" asked Marcus. "Samuel''s birth certificate."

 Chapter 379

    OLIVIA


    It felt like a dream, like I would wake up and it would be gone. But nope, I was wide awake, and the birth certificate was still in my hand. Written on it was my name as the mother and Nick as the father. Ethan had just given me back something I thought I didn''t deserve. He gave me back legal rights to my son.


    Leaving them like that didn''t mean I was ungrateful for what he had done. But I just wanted to be alone for a minute and process. Make sure it wasn''t my mind ying tricks of me. I walked back and they were now having coffee with gloomy expressions.


    I didn''t mean to seem like I was angry. "Ethan?" I called his name; he ced his cup on the table and stood. I rushed to him and threw myself at him. "Thank you, this means so much to me. thank you." I held him tight burying my face in his chest.


    Ethanughed; I could hear hisughter vibrating in his chest. But while I was still listening to that I felt someone prying my armes away from Ethan. "You are a married woman; you only bury your face in your husband''s chest."


    He was holding me. Ethan and Iughed. "Weren''t you going to work?" Ethan teased. "Why would I go to work and leave my wife with a man she is grateful for? I might juste back to find her sitting on yourp if I go."


    Ethanughed so hard throwing his head back. I couldn''t remember thest time I saw himugh like that. "Shit, I had forgotten how crazy you can be Marcus." He said between hisughter.


    "I have a woman now man, I wouldn''t dare keep yours on myp or chest. I still want to live." We allughed. "Thank you, Ethan. But I don''t feel like telling Nick that he is on the birth certificate as well. He might just take it too far."


    Ethan chuckled shaking his head. "He won''t, this time, he is getting help and acting more responsibly." I nodded. It felt so good to be able to talk to him like that again. ¡°Babe, you are going to bete if you don''t leave now."


    Marcus frowned. "I am not going." I raised an eyebrow. "You are fine now; you don''t look annoyed anymore and that means I don''t have to go to work and give my stuff a tough time because of my frustrations. I want to stay home and help with the kids."


    Unbelievable! Was I that bad? well, it didn''t matter, everything was all right now, and I was happy. "Alright then, how about to we go to the park with the kids. The weather is beautiful." Both men were more than happy to go.


    "I am going too." My dad saiding in. "I swear sometimes I feel like you have bugs in this house." He chucked kissing my forehead before pouring himself a cup of tea. "You never listen, do you."


    Ethan just shrugged. "Somethings you just can''t give up on." My dad just nodded. "Okay, get the kids ready and I will pack some snacks for us."


    Ethan and Marcus went upstairs, and I was left with my dad. "You look happy, what happened?" I was happy, the issue with Ethan was weighing on me. not to mention the fact that I forgot about signing rights to my son away.


    It made me doubt myself and if I was a good mother to my kids. "Ethan and I


    made up and he registered Nick and I as Samuel''s parents." My dad nodded.


    The way he was acting it was like he knew something about it. I didn''t care though whether he knew or not was not important. What was important was that my son was back to being mine both biologically and legally.


    Nothing else mattered more to me than that. "Do you want to invite Nick as well?"


    I didn''t answer, he didn''t have to be involve in everything we did. I wish he could find someone like Ethan did and be happy.


    He needed to stop living his life for Samuel and I., but Nick would never listen, and I was not about to get myself involved with him like that. "I will take your silence as a no." he said.


    Ethan and Mareus came down.


    Ethan and Samuel were arguing. I raised an eyebrow looking at Marcus Samuel wanted to carry his sister down the stairs, Ethan told him he was still young and will drop his sister. That''s where it started.¡±


    What? I shook my head. "You said I am a big boy, you said I must watch over Lilly now you don''t want me to carry her. Am her brother!" I stopped and watched them arguing as if they were the same age.


    "I know you are her brother, I just wanted to help you carry her down the stairs.


    You can now go sit down and I will give her to you."


    "You still treating me like a baby, why must I sit down to carry her?"


    "Samuel Jones Walker!"


    There was only one person who called him that. Lupita. "Aunty!" he looked guilty as if he had done something wrong. Then he hurried to the couch and took a seat. "Give him the child now." Ethan like an


    obedient child went and gave Samuel his sister.


    Usually, I am always there, and Lilly would beying on the floor or the bed next to me. I had never seen Samuel carrying her. but damn it my body carried his sister nicely supporting her head.


    It couldn''t believe it. "Remember what I told you before?" he nodded. "Words boy, use your words."


    "Yes, aunty I remember." Lupita went and sat next to him.''


    "Then tell me, why did I walk into that?" Samuel looked at Ethan for help. He walked closer to them. "It was my fault I was..."


    "I was talking to Samuel." Wow! I forgot how strict she could be. "Am sorry aunty it won''t happen again; I will never put my sister in danger again. I will protect her." my heart warned.


    "Good boy." My family wasplete again.

 Chapter 380

    OLIVIA


    "Lupita, what are you doing here?" She crossed the room and walked over to me. "I came to talk to you." I was truly happy; I felt like things were going back to how they used to be. "Before that, how did you get in here?" that was my dad. I didn''t know why he asked that, how else was she supposed to get in.


    "The men let me in." Lupita responded looking confused, I was as well. I didn''t know what my dad wanted to do. "Come on, we can talk in the salon."


    "Wait, before you go talking." My dad again, he was on the phone with someone and in a few minutes the head security as we call him, but he was far from being the head of security, he was one of my dad''s men.


    "How did thisdye in here." My dad asked, the guy looked confused. "We let her in sir." As they should have, they knew Luputa and had no reason to not let her in. "Who did you inform before letting her in?"


    Okay, my dad was going too far now. "Dad..."


    ¡°Shut up, Olivia. You get hurt and get everyone hurt because you are too trusting.¡± I was taken back by his outburst, it was Lupita we were talking about, why was he being like that. He turned to the head of security.


    "I asked you a question and I am not going to repeat myself." the man swallowed hard, I nced at Lupita, and she looked nervous. I scanned the room for Ethan and the kids, but they were long gone.


    I appreciated that, I didn''t want them to see what my dad was doing. "No one sir, it''s just that we know her and what she is to the family." My dadughed as if the man had told the funniest joke in the world.


    "I want you gone in the next hour and I want someone more capable recing you." I was taken back, why was he reacting that way as if the man let in a thief in the house. The man agreed and walked out.


    My dad turned to Lupita, he looked angry, and I was curious to know why. He knew Lupita and if he was still angry about what she did before then he should give her a chance to apologise before dismissing her like that.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and temperament something I had never experienced before. I had heard the guys talking about it, but I never got to experience it myself.


    "I came to apologise and fix things with Olivia." My dad smirked as if he were mocking her. I didn''t like it because it seemed as if he didn''t want me to fix things with Lupita.


    I was already alone surrounded by them; I needed a woman to talk to as well. Why couldn''t he understand that?


    "Why do you want to fix things with her now?" what kind of question was that? I threw a re his way, but I ignored it as if he didn''t see it or me.


    "I realized that she was not the one I was angry with but Nick. I know she didn''t ask Nick to do what he did and ming her for it is wrong. That is why I came."


    My dadughed this time, he was starting to annoy me because I didn''t know what was funny about what Lupita was saying. "Really, then tell me, who are the men you have been meeting?" men?


    "Mr ck, have you been following me? also, why does it matter who I have been meeting, am I not allowed to meet people now and why do you care about that, this is my life, is it not?" I didn''t know if I was confused or just dumb.


    Why would my dad be following Lupita, did he still not trust her?


    "I know it is your life, and I don''t care who you associate with, but I do care when youe here after meeting them all this time acting like you want to fix things."


    Okay, I didn''t know where the whole thing was going but it was starting to worry me, what the hell was going on.


    "Unlike you and your family. I don''t have anyone to depend on, if I want to start a business, I need to look for suppliers myself, I need to make my own connections and


    acquaintances. I don''t have rich friends to call and ask for help.


    Moreover, I am not going to stand


    here and exin myself to someone


    who doesn''t understand."


    Lupita was starting a business. I wish she had told me; I would have helped her. I


    owed the woman a lot after everything me and my family had done to her.


    Now my dad was questioning her


    like a criminal making her feel even worse. "Dad..." he lifted his hand "Dad...


    silencing me. that annoyed me to no


    end. He could have just let me talk and say what was on my mind. Why did he have to silence me like that as if I were a brainless child


    "I find that very interesting, Lupita, you know why?" he came closer to us, closing the distance and looking Lupita dead in the eyes. I could tell how nervous she was and how she was trying not to show it.


    "Because your so-called acquaintances, some of them are Xander''s men, do you have something to say about that?" my eyes widened in shock, I thought we dealt with all of Xander''s men and why was Lupita involved with them?


    "What can I say? Do I have a way of knowing who they are at first


    nce? No because I don''t belong in that world, and I won''t know just by looking at a person that the are criminals. I also, don''t have Ethan who can do a background check on a person in minutes." She sighed looking frustrated.


    I didn''t know what to think at that point. "Really, so what you are trying to say it that you didn''t know that the men you have been meeting are Xander''s men, the very same men who got your grandmother killed. Is that what you are telling me?" Lupita looked angry. "Just when I thought I coulde back here and fix things you use me of shit like this?" she clicked her tongue and walked to the door. She opened it then turned to look at us.


    "By the way Luke, Olivia, your daughter is the one responsible for my grandmother''s death. Xander just helped."

 Chapter 381

    OLIVIA


    I threw myself on the nearest chair, feeling like my knees were going give out at any moment. They felt so weak, and I knew if I continued to stand, they were not going to hold my body any longer.


    My head was buzzing, many thoughts flooded my mind, I couldn''t concentrate on just one. I kept seeing Lupita''s face before she left. She didn''t look like the woman I used to know. She had changed and that look on her face got my insides cold.


    The way he said Xander just helped and how she looked at me when she said it got my stomach twisting in knots. My dad was right, I was na?ve, I thought my family wasplete when I saw Lupita.


    I was so happy after the gift Ethan gave me, and I thought things were going back to normal. But oh boy, was I wrong. "Don''t look so disappointed now, you should have expected this." I looked at my dad. Who or what did he think I was.


    I was nothing like him, I didn''t suspect everyone I met and besides, it was Lupita we were talking about. How could she have changed so much in just a short space of time.


    "Dad, please tell me everything. Why were you having her followed, did you expect she would do something like this?" he shook his head. "I didn''t have her followed, Nick did. I don''t know why he did, you will have to ask him that."


    He paused and looked at me with pity in his eyes. "The men reported to me when they couldn''t get hold of Nick, and I asked them to continue to follow her and report back everything they find." ''Nick, why the hell did you have her followed.''


    I didn''t know whether to be angry or grateful for what he did. "Can you please ask him toe here. We all need to talk." My dad still gave me that look, I didn''t want his pity, I wanted solutions, and I wanted to know what was wrong with me that each friend I made wanted to hurt me.


    "I haven''t been able to get hold of Nick for the past three days. But don''t worry, my men are looking for him." what the fuck was going on, where the hell did Nick go?


    "Ethan!" I needed to find him, I needed to know what the hell was going on. "Ethan!" I was pacing and I kept calling for Ethan. "Ethan!"


    "Am right here, jeez! Olivia. Why are you calling my name like that as if I have done something wrong?" I ignored his questions and asked mine instead. "When did youst see Nick?"


    He thought about it. "About a week ago when hee to see me. wow, I wonder why his been so quiet.?" I looked at my dad.


    Thest time he saw Nick was three days ago and thest time Ethan saw him was a week ago. Something was not right, Nick never stayed silent for that long. Why didn''t we notice he was gone?


    Well, I had my own things to deal with, I had no time to think about anyone else but myself the past couple of days. "Get Marcus''sptop and locate him." Ethan lost all the humour and looked at me with a serious expression.


    "Olivia, what is going on?" I shrugged, I wished I knew but I knew nothing at that point. I just knew that no one has heard from Nick in days.


    "I have not heard from Nick in days, I have called and gone to his ce, but he is not there. Theyst saw him two weeks ago at work. I didn''t want to call my sister and ask. I didn''t want to worry her for nothing."


    Hearing that, Ethan didn''t wasted time and went upstairs. "What is going on dad, how long has Lupita been meeting with those men?" he shrugged. "I don''t know, but from what my men told me, she met with them four times. They are not sure if it was them who still went to her house or what."


    They went to her house? What was Lupita up to? "My men are not sure because the men who went in there were dressed as delivery guys. They couldn''t be sure if it were the same people or not."


    My insides ran cold. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing, if she were meeting with Xander''s men, what was her end game. What did she want? Ethan came back.


    "I can''t locate Nick; everyone''s tracker is live but his. It''s like it was taken off and destroyed." My stomach surged. Something was wrong and I had a bad feeling.


    We all installed trackers on ourselves in case someone got taken like I was. We wanted to be able to locate them and find them in time.


    ushad


    Everyone of us had it even the kids. Now Nick''s was off. "Lupita knows about the trackers." My dad


    reminded us. It was not as if it didn''t cross my mind, I just didn''t want to


    think about it. "When was thest time it was on?"


    I ignored my dad and asked that instead. "Three days ago. At his ce." Lord, what the hell was happening. why couldn''t we just have peace.


    "If he was taken then Lupita was involved. She knows about the trackers and am sure she told whoever took him about it. that is why it was removed before they took him from his ce" I hated my dad for saying that.


    "What is going on here Luke, where is Nick?" Ethan asked as if we knew more than he did. ¡°Lupita has been meeting with Xander''s men." Ethan looked as if he had seen a ghost.


    "Olivia, I am sorry, but this sounds like an emergency, and I would like to have Emily here to keep her safe." He looked desperate, his Emily was not priority, Nick was but I knew he was never going to concentrate on Nick for as long as his mind was on Emily.


    "Call her and tell her toe." My dad was already without, and I was assuming


    he was busy with the men. I went upstairs to inform my husband.


    "Hey babe." He turned to look at me then frowned. He stood and came to me. "What''s wrong?"


    "Nick is missing, and Lupita has been meeting with Xander''s men." I told him.


    "Fuck!"


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 Chapter 382

    LUPITA


    "I failed, that damn man was having me followed." I was worried about him knowing where we were. If he had me followed, then he must have known where we were. ¡°It''s just a matter of time now before they figure out, we have Nick."


    Fuck, I wanted Olivia or one of the kids, now I was going to have to settle for Nick. But then again, he was the one who used me and took me for a fool. What better way to get my revenge than dealing directly with the culprit.


    "What do we do now?" asked Lorenzo. "The only thing we can do. Those people killed your boss and left his son without a father. Nick was the one who killed him, why not kill Nick and make sure his son too grows up without his father."


    Lorenzo smirked. "An eye for an eye. I like it." I smirked, damnit. Luke ruined my n. Even going there, I had to take back roads and make a coupe of stops and change cars just to make sure I wasn''t followed. But that wouldn''t matter if they knew we were already.


    "Since they might already know where we are. I suggest we move. Tell Tylor to leave with child, we are going to leave right after we make sure they are far from here and safe." Stefano clicked his tongue.


    "Since when do we take orders from you, who made you our boss? You are one of them and you are only doing this because they made you angry. If pushes to shave you will side with them and sell us out."


    The sceptical bastard. "I got you the man who killed your boss, didn''t I?" I went and closed the distance between us. I had nothing to lose and no one to cry for me even if I were to die. They say someone who has nothing to lose fears


    nothing.


    They were right, I was putting myself on the line knowing very well that it might get me killed but I didn''t care. Nick hurt me badly, he thought just because I had no one, he could just use me like that and nothing would happen.


    He got it so wrong this time. He was not going to get away with using people, not this time. "You did but what is your agenda, why are you turning on them now, what do you want out of this?" he was not only annoying but nosy too.


    "I have exined this when I came here, I am not going to exin myself again. If you want Xander''s son safe, then you will do as I say. I know these people better than you do." He red at me but went and did as told any way.


    I sat there waiting for them to tell me why were boarding the flight before dealing with Nick Jones. "What do you think their next move will be?" asked Lorenzo. He was a loyal dog that one. It would have been nice if he were one of the good guys.


    What was I even thinking, I had switched sides, I was not one of the good guys anymore. Whatever the good guys were, Olivia and her team also thought they were good, but they didn''t spare anyone who got in their way.


    Did that still make them the good guys? To me, the term was rtive. Everyone thought they were good, and their actions were justified. If we looked at it that way, then we were also the good guys, doing what we believed was right.


    My phone pinged indicating an iing text message. I checked and it was Tylor telling me they have boarded and were about to take off. I nced at Lorenzo, "It''s time." He stood ready to act.


    "We can''t do it here, get in car." He nodded and left. I got out and taking the keys to one of their cars. I was not bout to take the one they gave me. they could easily track that one and find me before I could take my revenge on Nick.


    When I got outside Lorenzo was shoving an unconscious Nick in the trunk of the car. "Follow me." I told him before getting into the car and driving off. Lorenzo followed behind.


    I thought of my grandma and how she would have been ashamed to even look at me if she knew what I was doing. Good thing she was dead.


    I drove out of the city and in the middle of nowhere. I stopped and got out of the car. Lorenzo stopped right behind me. it was already getting dark and there were fewer cars on the road.


    "Open it." he opened the trunk. Nick was awake. "Lupita, what are you doing?" he looked so humble, if I didn''t know better, I would have thought he was a good guy. But I knew better, and I knew what a pig he was.


    "Do you have anyst words?" he looked at me, but I wasn''t smiling or joking around. "Lupita don''t do this. You will regret doing this and this is not you." I clicked my tongue annoyed.


    "Are those yourst words?"


    He saw how serious I was, but he was still trying to talk his way out of the situation. I shot his right on the shoulder. "Do I look like I care what happens to me after this? Now will ask you onest time. Do you have anyst words.?"


    He was grinning in pain. He couldn''t even hold his shoulder to stop the bleeding since he was tied up.


    "Tell my son Lam sorry and that I love him." he winced in pain. "Tell my mom not to seek revenge, it''s not worth it tell Luke I said thank you for being@father after mine died and


    tell Marcus to take care of Olivia. Tell


    Ethan not to spend a lot of time


    being sad, tell him to be happy."


    I got tired of hearing his lengthy message. "I didn''t say give me an essay, you


    piece of shit!." That was all I said before I put a bullet between the eyes.


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