《My Emotionless Goddess》


 1

    ¡± Come on Miranda it¡¯s your turn now, is it a truth or dare.¡± Ava shouted in the loudest of her voice.


    The group of four besties were having the night of their life.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Miranda Lambert, CEO of the Lambert group. Ava Adams, The country¡¯s top model with the highest fan base. Lucia Mendez, the country¡¯s sought after designer and Stacy Carl¡¯s, the CEO of Hope group of hospitals and a world wide famous surgeon.


    ¡± Dare!¡± Miranda made the choice she would regret in less than 12 hours.


    How could they ask her such a question? they were supposed to be her friends after all.


    Dating Carlos? Even she wanted to date him but the guy tantly rejected her advances saying she¡¯s more masculine than him.


    That had been a huge blow to her ego.


    Yes, she admits that she dresses like a man but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s a man.


    ¡± Kiss the closest man wearing red.¡± Lucia gave the verdict with a smirk on her face.


    Their friend was already 26 years old yet she has never kissed anyone.


    The two friends erupted intoughter seeing Miranda getting roasted by Lucia. It¡¯s her bad luck for choosing dare over truth to Lucia¡¯s question.


    ¡± I can¡¯t do that!¡± Miranda protested but she knew there¡¯s no way Lucia would let her off.


    ¡± A deal is a deal Miranda. what? Are you chickening out because you are preserving your first kiss for Carlos? Does he know that? I think I¡¯ll call him and break the good news to him¡± Lucia said tauntingly.


    ¡± Okay, okay.. I¡¯ll do it.¡± How could Miranda allow Lucia to call that hateful Man, he might embarass her till she loses thest thread of dignity she has left.


    Turning to look at the crowd across the bar, Miranda spotted a man two seats away d in a red t-shirt and ck jeans. He was handsome or at least that¡¯s what she saw.


    ¡®it¡¯s just a kiss.¡¯ Miranda chanted in her mind to gather all the courage she needed for that one action.


    Jumping off the seat, she walked confidently towards the man while her friends cheered her up.


    She patted his back and just as he turned to look at her, she pulled him to herself and crashed her lips to his.


    The man in question stilled in ce as if he was glued. Justin felt something cold and soft smash to his lips. It wasn¡¯t a peck but the kiss wasn¡¯t deep either. He could feel her sweet taste of grapes spread through his mouth but before he could pull her to himself and deepen the kiss, she had already backed out and ran away from the club as if she was burning.


    The three friends seeing Miranda run off after kissing the man took that as their cue to leave.


    They picked up their clutches and Lucia ced a wad of cash at the table before they followed Miranda out, still giggling.


    Justin who was stupefied by their actions came back to his senses.


    He was out here to have a few drinks with his friends after pleading with his Manager and now he could not let a scandal appear in the tabloids tomorrow.


    He was afterall a top movie star and a model. If a picture of him kissing a woman circted in the entertainment tforms, then only god knows what will happen to the woman in question.


    Picking his phone, he made a call.


    ¡°Secure any picture that could have been taken tonight otherwise you will have a lot of exining to do tomorrow,¡± he instructed.


    His manager, June, was sleeping when the call came through.


    ¡± What did you do this time?¡± She asked.


    ¡± Who? me? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Justin defended himself.


    ¡± If you didn¡¯t do anything, why do you need me to secure whatever pictures were taken?¡± June asked back.


    Other Managers get to at least rest at night, but she on the other hand works 24/7


    ¡± I don¡¯t know what happened, ady just approached me and before I knew it, she kissed me.¡± Justin exined, trying toe clean before his manager misunderstands him again.


    ¡± Ady you say? Is she one of your many flings?¡± June questioned.


    ¡± I swear June, I don¡¯t have anything to do with her. I don¡¯t even know her.¡± Justin continued.


    ¡± That¡¯s what you tell me everytime.¡± June said uninterested.


    ¡± Believe me, I am telling the truth this time.¡±


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll see what I can do about that but I won¡¯t promise you anything.¡± said June before dropping the phone.


    ¡°Shit, she didn¡¯t believe me. But I am innocent this time.¡± Justin said, pouting gaining a pat from his friend.


    ¡± Do you want me to look into the identity of that woman?¡± Ronald offered his help to his friend.


    They two have been friends since childhood. While Justin chose to pursue his career in acting, Ronald inherited his father¡¯s position as a Mafia Lord.


    ¡± You can do that for me?¡± Justin eagerly asked.


    ¡± Of Course I can, I¡¯ll owe you one for that favour.¡± Ronald replied. He was a businessman after all and doesn¡¯t do anything for free.


    ¡± I knew it but I think it¡¯s okay, get me all the details about that woman before morning.¡± Justin replied.


    ¡± And by any you mean?¡± Ronald asked cocking a brow at his friend who could be considered as his brother.


    ¡± All details, her name, where she lives, where she works, is she married or does she have a boyfriend? if Yes then who¡¯s the partner, What she likes eating, her favourite song¡­. just get everything on her.¡± Justin replied.


    ¡± Sure, consider it done.¡± Ronald replied.


    ¡± I think we should call it a night.¡± Justin said, preparing to walk out of the club.


    ¡± What¡¯s the hurry? let¡¯s have two more shots.¡± Ronald tried to persuade him but Justin was adamant to leave.


    ¡± I have an early shoot tomorrow so I should go and rest.¡± He exined. Truth is he was far from resting tonight. Not with his emotions going haywire and a certain part of his body going in attention.


    He cursed softly when he felt his manhood bulging. He couldn¡¯t control it after that kiss he shared with that Mysterious woman.


    Justin was not new to women throwing themselves to him, but something about that woman felt different. She had an aura of secrecy and mystery surrounding her.

 2

    The three girls walked at a fast pace trying to catch up with Miranda who was for some reason making huge strides towards the parking lot of the club without looking back nor slowing to wait for them.


    Today being a Friday, the four girls had decided to take time out of their busy schedules and have a girl¡¯s day out. Miranda had suggested they book a private room at a hotel and hang out there but the rest didn¡¯t agree with her idea.


    ¡± Who goes to have fun in a hotel Mira, we aren¡¯t going for a business meeting you know!¡± That was Lucia¡¯s reply to her suggestions.


    ¡± I wanna blow off some steam and get to treat my eyes with some sexy bodies and where else can I do that except for a club?¡± Came Ava¡¯s reply joining Lucia to reject Miranda¡¯s absurd suggestion.


    ¡± I wanna loosen up to some good music and a little dance so there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to a hotel, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going on a dinner date with my boyfriend. I might as well find a good gigolo to getid tonight.¡± Stacy offered her reason, making the three girls snicker at her, to which she replied with a huge grin on her face.


    Who doesn¡¯t know that she hires young and beautiful men for nights and just makes them perform strip tease dances for her.


    Her friends would asionally tease her for having such a fetish.


    ¡± Mira, can you wait for us? Why are you running away? it¡¯s not like we forced you to surrender your first kiss.¡± Ava teased her earning a re from Miranda but achieving her goal because Miranda slowed down to allow them to catch up with her.


    ¡± Mira Mira Mira!! I can¡¯t believe just how lucky you are!¡± Ava dered dramatically, she¡¯s an actor after all and drama is part of herself.


    ¡± What do you mean? Lucia asked not understanding why their actor friend wouldbel Miranda lucky after offering her first kiss to a total stranger.


    ¡± Do you know who you just kissed?¡± Ava asked, sessfully piquing the attention of the three girls.


    ¡± Who? ¡± Lucia asked interested to know the identity of the lucky guy of the night.


    ¡± Justin Oliver , the country¡¯s most handsome and famous actor and model!¡± Ava dered happily. She couldn¡¯t believe it herself that the man their friend kissed randomly was the gem of the country¡¯s entertainment industry.


    ¡± What?¡±


    ¡± Oh no! This is bad!¡±


    Lucia and Stacy said at the same time. Miranda stood stupefied in ce, not knowing how to react.


    ¡± What¡¯s bad about that?¡± Ava asked Stacy and Lucia turned to look at the surgeon with a questioning gaze.


    ¡± You don¡¯t understand, do you? That man¡¯s fans are crazy. If a picture gets out of Miranda kissing him, I don¡¯t know what will happen to her.¡± Stacy exined.


    ¡± what do you mean exactly?¡± Lucia sought rification, not understanding why Miranda would be in danger because of such a small thing.


    ¡± Thest time ady was rumoured to be seen hugging him, his crazy fans attacked her. She was brought to the hospital with a broken rib and a bruised face. I performed the surgery myself.¡± Stacy exined leaving the two friends wide mouthed.


    Miranda who heard of the predicament of thest victim shivered. How could people be so crazy as to hurt someone just because she was spotted near their idol.


    ¡± I already told you that going to that club was a bad idea.¡± Miranda uttered, finally making the three friends snap their heads to her direction.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡± Do you regret it?¡± Lucia asked Miranda.


    ¡± Honestly, I don¡¯t know.. All I know is that I have lost my freedom from today if a picture by chance circtes.¡± Miranda said. She couldn¡¯t tell what it was she was feeling. She lost two things in a single night but what she didn¡¯t know was that she gained something she¡¯ll forever be grateful for the whole of her life.


    ¡± I believe nothing of that sort will happen, even if it does, you have the three of us. We always help each other and stick together.¡± Lucia said, pulling Miranda to herself and hugging her. The rest joined in the hug silently.


    No words were needed, the four of them always stood up for each other and supported each other.


    They were the sources of support for each other.


    ¡± Come, let¡¯s go home.¡± Ava said, pulling away.


    Since they were on a girl¡¯s date, it was a tradition that they finish the day together.


    Today, they were spending the night at Ava¡¯s house.


    Pulling away from the hug , the four girls headed to Miranda¡¯s car. They had rode one car together so as to spend each minute together.


    ¡± Give me the keys, I¡¯ll drive.¡± Ava said.


    ¡± Are you sure?¡± Stacy asked. Who didn¡¯t know of her crazy driving skills. She loved driving her car at a high speed. She was a public figure but would get herself into the police station due to over speeding.


    Stacy always wondered why she didn¡¯t be a racer Instead of an actor.


    If you ask her, she would prefer walking than riding with Ava.


    She still remembers that unforgettable day Ava offered her a lift only to arrive at her house sick. The speed at which the car was driven sent her vomiting and feeling drowsy.


    ¡± Yeah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be slow.¡± Ava said.


    ¡± No way, I still need to live to attend the uing Paris exhibition.¡± Lucia said, snatching the keys from Miranda¡¯s hands who was in no condition to drive .


    ¡± Hop on girls, I¡¯ll give you the most peaceful drive you¡¯ve ever had.¡± Lucia said, earning an eye roll from Ava.


    How could they doubt her when she says she¡¯ll be slow? Soon enough, she¡¯ll make them eat shit.


    The three girls settled in the car, with Ava taking the front passenger seat. Stacy and Miranda sat at the back.


    Twenty minutes to the drive, they approached an intersecting road which was the cue to branch left to enter Ava¡¯s Vi.

 3

    Just as the three were about to intersect, the car came to a screeching halt sending the girls flying in different directions especially Miranda and Stacy who were seated at the back. They had their heads knocked at the front passenger seats. It was a good thing the twodies at the front passenger seat had their belts secured.


    ¡± Damn it! Who did we offend tonight to keep messing with us?¡± Ava asked, obviously angry.


    Looking ahead, they saw a car parked In front of them. For some reason, the girls panicked worried if they havended themselves kidnappers.


    While they were contemting on what to do next, a young man stepped down from the sports car and started heading towards their car. Ava who was good at scrutinising people did not sense any malice from his leaking Aura. On the contrary, he seemed amicable but that did not stop her from fuming at him after he pulled that stunt on them.


    Ava was sure if she was the one driving tonight, then tomorrow¡¯s news would be painted with the pictures of the four of them in an ident.


    Unbuckling her seat belt, she pushed the door open and stepped down. She was determined to give that a**hole some lectures on not driving If he wasn¡¯t trained.


    Looking at their friend appearing like an angry lioness ready to pounce on whoever came across her, the three friends prayed that the man would not develop post traumatic stress disorder after Ava was done with him. They rxed on their seats ready to watch an interesting drama.


    ¡± Hey,¡± Ava shouted immediately as the man came close to her.


    ¡± Stand where you are, don¡¯t you daree any closer, you psycho.¡± Ava started her scolding.


    ¡± If you don¡¯t know how to drive a car why not employ someone to be your driver? If you have ns of getting yourself killed, you should just throw yourself at a river or off a building. Do you have to drag others to your ns ofmiting suicide, do you think we are all tired of living like you?¡± Ava scolded without giving the man the permission to defend himself.


    Ronald who for the years he has been alive never received a scolding not even from his mother was dumbfounded.


    He wondered what was wrong withdies these days? First, ady out of nowhere kissed his brother and now he was getting a scolding from another one who seemed even crazier than the first one .


    This was foreign to him so he stood rooted in one ce staring at this alien being In front of him.


    Seeing him staring at her without uttering a single word aggravated Ava¡¯s anger. The nerve of this guy.


    ¡± Hey i¡¯m talking to you, who are you looking at? Haven¡¯t you ever seen beautiful women? Do you want me to gouge those eyes till you can¡¯t gawk anymore.¡± Ava shouted but the man kept quiet.


    ¡± I¡¯m talking to you! Are you deaf or something? Are you guilty that you can¡¯t talk, are you?¡± she continued.


    Ronald was amused by her actions. He wondered how could ady be such a chatterbox bbing about and not minding her image? Aredies not supposed to be reserved and not too talkative? Then what was wrong with this one? Why was he meeting weirdos Tonight? He wondered inwardly.


    Taking a second nce, he found her quite familiar but couldn¡¯t exactly pinpoint where he saw her. If there¡¯s something Ronald wasn¡¯t good at was face recognition, that¡¯s why his secretary was always there with him, twenty four seven to do the remembering for him.


    Pushing that thought at the back of his mind, he turned to leave without saying anything. He hade to apologise for what he did but from the look of things, his apology will not be valued, worse is she¡¯ll curse him with his apologies.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    He had just taken three steps, when the chatterbox Opened her mouth yet again.


    ¡± Look at you? Acting all mighty. Don¡¯t you know how to say sorry when you do something bad? Is your ego so important that you can¡¯t bend it low to apologise?¡± Ava threw questions after questions mocking the young man walking away.


    ¡± Can¡¯t you behave like a gentleman?¡± She shouted and turned to head back to her car.


    Those words hit a spot in Ronald¡¯s mind and immediately turned and walked towards the retreating figure who was still raining curses on him.


    He reached out to her and pushed her harshly towards the car, holding her wrists that he was sure red marks would be left behind due to his grasp.


    Leaning towards her, he saw her shudder in fear and that made him happy.


    Yes, she reacted just how he loved to see people react upon seeing him.


    He loved it when people trembled in fear upon seeing him.


    ¡± Be a gentleman? That word does not exist in the library. The next you utter such words, I¡¯ll let you know how gentle manly I can be.¡± His voice sent ice daggers straight to Ava¡¯s body but she was not the one to back out it easily.


    Pushing him off her, she gave him a resounding p across his face. Her chest was heaving up and down due to anger.


    ¡± And the next time you try that shit on me I¡¯ll remind you how to respect Ladies.¡± With that, she opened the door and settled down. As if on cue, Lucia drove off immediately while the three girls couldn¡¯t control theirughter.


    Ronald, who had received a p from a woman, stood frozen. One could mistake him for a statue. He couldn¡¯t believe how bad his luck was tonight.


    ¡± Damn you!¡± He cursed but a small smile bloomed on his face.


    She was the first woman to p him and he swore he would make her regret ever crossing paths with him.


    He liked how feisty she was, she was just perfect, just how he liked his women. He swore by the time he¡¯ll be done with her, she¡¯ll be as good as a puppy, his puppy but who would have thought thatter, he would turn to be Avas puppy, wagging his tail and carrying out every one of her words just to gain her favour.

 4

    The following morning, the four Ladies woke upter than usual. It was the weekend after all and only Miranda was known to work on Saturdays. Stacy would at times be forced by circumstances especially Incase of an emergency surgery.


    Ava was still lying in bed but her thoughts had drifted to that encounterst night. She felt disturbed by his smirking face.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Yes she had acted on impulse but that is because that man¡¯s closeness brought about a weird feeling. When he leaned towards her, she smelt an enticing fragrance. That scent almost paralyzed her nerves. She had fought hard from sniffing him because that¡¯s what she felt like doing so as to keep her sanity, she chose offence over submission.


    ¡± What are you thinking about?¡± Stacy asked, drawing back her attention from that annoying Man.


    ¡± What else, she must be thinking about that handsome hulk she ppedst night.¡± Lucia said. Among all the three friends, she was the Keen observer and she didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her what their friend was thinking about.


    ¡± What? Did you get ensnared? And here I thought only our Miranda got hooked.¡± Stacy saidughing.


    ¡± Stop it you two! it¡¯s not funny besides who said I was hooked? What¡¯s there to be hooked about? it was nothing but a mere kiss, don¡¯t make things look moreplicated than they already are.¡± Miranda reprimanded the two of them sternly. She couldn¡¯t believe they had the audacity to make fun of their predicament.


    ¡± Why are you getting all defensive? Are you guilty?¡± Lucia asked back.


    ¡± Am I getting defensive? I just don¡¯t want you making fun of others.¡± Miranda replied.


    ¡± You are no fun!¡± Lucia said, pouting.


    Turning to the ever chatty Ava who had turned quiet all of a sudden, Miranda offered,¡± Should I look into his background, you would never know who you¡¯ve offended.¡±


    ¡± No need for that, he started it anyway and I am not scared of him.¡± Ava rejected politely. She would prefer to be kept in the dark than find out she had offended a powerful person.


    ¡± Who looks like a scaredy cat.¡± Lucia said snickering, earning a re from Miranda.


    ¡± What? Did I say something wrong?¡± Lucia asked upon seeing how Miranda looked at her.


    Before Miranda could say anything, the three turned to look at Stacy who squealed loudly throwing away her phone like she was scalded.


    ¡± And what drama are you ying? Did someone propose to you online?¡± Lucia asked sarcastically.


    Ignoring the sarcastic remark from Lucia, she was used to it by the way, Stacy picked her phone again, extending it towards the girls whose attention was squarely on her.


    ¡± Take a look, Miranda is trending everywhere!¡± she said half excited, half afraid.


    ¡± Who? me?¡± Miranda asked.


    ¡± Let me see,¡± Lucia said, grabbing the phone to see for herself and lol! She was greeted with the picture of Miranda kissing Justin.


    What surprised her most was not the picture but the heading.


    ¡± ANOTHER BITCH BY JUSTIN¡¯S SIDE!¡±


    The heading was even highlighted.


    The picture was clearly taken, one had to be a professional to take such a clear picture and the angle must have been perfect too.


    ¡± Oh no! This is bad!¡± The ever open-minded Lucia was scared. She was scared for her friend.


    She was very much aware of how celebrity fans can be dangerous, afterall their friend Ava belonged to that circle too.


    .¡± What should we do?¡± Stacy voiced her worries.


    ¡± Are you asking me?¡± Ava asked, shrugging her shoulders indicating she had no idea of what to do.


    ¡± I think we should first ensure that the picture is taken down immediately. This way it can stop circting.¡± Lucia reasoned out.


    ¡± I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. If we do that, we will bebelling Miranda as guilty of the usations.¡± Ava opposed.


    ¡°Then what should we do? I am at my wits end here.¡± Luciained.


    ¡± Let¡¯s not panic, nobody has ever seen me as Miranda in public. I always dress like a man when going out so finding out my identity will be hard.¡± Miranda reasoned out.


    ¡± I think Miranda is right, I didn¡¯t know that your weird behaviour of cross dressing wille at hand one day.¡± Lucia said, heaving a sigh of relief but things were bound to get uglier.


    ¡± Oh no! someone just exposed your identity. They have already dug up all the information about you and an article has been released saying that the rumoured bitch is the CEO of Lambert group who likes to dress like men.¡± Ava announced breaking the relief they had weed a moment ago.


    ¡± What? but not many people know about that! How is that possible?¡± Miranda said, losing her footing and almost falling down.


    ¡± Someone must have tipped them and it is someone who knows you too well.¡± Luciamended.


    ¡± But only a handful of people know about my real identity and gender!¡± Miranda wondered out loud.


    ¡± could it be Carlos?¡± Ava guessed.


    ¡± No, I don¡¯t think he will do that to me. He may be an assh**e but he¡¯s definitely not a snitch.¡± Miranda said in defence of Carlos.


    ¡± Even after rejecting you from time to time, you still want to protect him?¡± Ava asked, agitated. Apart from the three of them, only Carlos knew Miranda as a cross dresser.


    ¡± I think Miranda is right, Carlos is anything but a snitch. He will never do anything that can jeopardise Miranda¡¯s safety.


    ¡± Then who else could have snitched on us? I swear if I catch him or her, I¡¯ll skin them alive.¡± Ava swore.


    June, who was preparing breakfast for herself after fanning the mes and switching off her phone, sneezed.


    ¡± I wonder who among them is cursing me. I know it¡¯s Ava, that woman¡¯s mouth spews curses only.¡± June said andughed heartily. She was enjoying this little game of hers.


    Yes, June, who happens to be Justin¡¯s Manager, was the one who sent the picture to the media andter revealed the identity of the woman in the picture. Why? I even wanna know.

 5

    Justin was woken up by the sound of his phone ringing. Groggily sitting up, he picked the call without looking at the caller id.


    ¡± Hello?¡± he greeted.


    ¡± What hello? Are you determined to soil the family name with your scandals? Justin¡¯s father roared at the line.


    ¡± Your majesty, may I kindly remind you that Justin has no connections with your family name?¡± Justin replied in a bored voice.


    ¡± Absurd! Does that change the fact that you are of royal blood? is this how the prince of this kingdom ns to lead his life? scandal after scandal?¡± His father reprimanded but in a softer voice.


    ¡± You know me father, I don¡¯t have anything to do with those women. I n to follow your footsteps.¡± Justin replied, making his father chuckle at the other side of the line.


    ¡± I must say this time the scandal is Worth it, I love that girl. she would make a perfect queen for this kingdom.¡± Justin¡¯s father said.


    ¡± Stop it Dad, we don¡¯t know who she is and you are already thinking of her as your daughter inw? For all we know she might have been sent by our enemies to infiltrate our family!¡± Justin replied.


    ¡± We don¡¯t? But I know her identity, the whole world knows, maybe only you don¡¯t know.¡± His father argued.


    ¡± What do you mean by that?¡± Justin asked, sensing something burnt in the conversation.


    ¡± It is everywhere in the media but I must say your fans are going to sink their ws at her if they find her. As the king of this country, I task you with her safety. Nothing should happen to her.¡± His father said and dropped the call without waiting for his son¡¯s reply.


    Thinking about how his son insisted on following his dreams and refusing to take the crown, he could only shake his head. Maybe, just maybe thatdy was the lucky charm that could bring his son back home.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Justin knew the king¡¯s order was a king¡¯s order. It did not matter if that king was his father. If anything happened to thedy, then nothing could save him from the punishment since that could count as neglecting a royal edict. Thest thing he wanted was tond himself in the punishing rules of the royal family.


    Justin rose from hisfort zone like a prey escaping the hunter. Picking his phone he dashed downstairs. He didn¡¯t even do the most basic morning routine like washing his face. He raced all the way to the underground parking, got in and drove off with his Ferrari.


    Justin was certain that the media would be somewhere camping near his vi so he used the back emergency gate. Afterall he was going for an emergency rescue mission.


    After leaving his premises safely, he called his best friend and brother Ronald. On the second ring the call was epted.


    ¡± Send me her current location and address.¡± He barked the orders.


    ¡± I see the prince is back!¡± Ronald said tauntingly.


    ¡± Be serious, it¡¯s urgent.¡± Justin reprimanded his friend who seemed to be in the mood to Joke about his current predicament.


    ¡± I knew this would happen the moment I saw the news so I sent some of my men to secure the ce but she did not go backst night.¡± Ronald exined in a rxed voice.


    ¡± I am giving you ten minutes to find her current location.¡± Justin instructed yet again.


    ¡± Rx. What¡¯s the rush?¡± Ronald asked like the king¡¯s order was a joke to him.


    ¡± Don¡¯t tell me to rx, damn it! if something happens to her, be ready to face the king¡¯s wrath alongside me!¡±Justin replied.


    ¡± The ¡­ the King?¡± Ronald asked perplexed. If there¡¯s a person Ronald would rather take a long road so as not to meet him is the King. His name was enough to tame the wild Ronald.


    ¡± Yes, the king!¡± Justin replied not quite understanding why his friend will always stutter mentioning his father¡¯s name. Well that¡¯s a story for another day.


    ¡± I already sent you her location, should Ie with you?¡± Ronald asked his tone, taking a hundred and eighty transformation.


    ¡± No need, it¡¯s better to be low-key so as to not alert the media.¡± Justin gave the most usible reason. Truth was he didn¡¯t for some unknown reason entertain the idea of another man seeing her.


    ¡± Okay, inform me of the oue.¡± Ronald said and after exchanging a few more words, they ended the call.


    Justin changed direction by taking a shortcut to his destination.


    His car was practically racing, one would mistake him like a racer.


    In no time, he arrived at the designated location and sprang out of his car heading to the apartment door.


    Inside the apartment, the three girls were contemting on how to deal with their current predicament. The three genius business women had no clue on how to deal with a bunch of crazy fans and the only person who could be their saviour was as clueless as them.


    This was the first time for them.


    While the girls were racking their brains out, the main culprit wasfortably seated enjoying her ck coffee and a toast.


    ¡± Ah! life can be enjoyable sometimes!¡± June said stretching herself to adjust her position to a morefortable one.


    ¡± I hope you like my gift Miranda.¡± She said and smiled evilly.


    ¡± One day, you will thank me.¡± she added.


    The girls were seated in the sitting room by now when they heard the bell to the door ring. They all turned to look at Ava.


    ¡± What? I am not expecting any visitors!¡± She replied before they could even ask the question.


    ¡± Then who could it be?¡± Lucia asked sceptically.


    ¡± How should I know?¡± Ava replied with a question.


    ¡± What if it¡¯s the media?¡± Stacy asked.


    ¡± That¡¯s impossible! How could they know where Miranda is so fast?¡± Ava opposed the idea.


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll go check so you can all rx.¡± Miranda said, standing up to go open the door.


    ¡°No way!¡± The three girls practically yelled, horror written all over their faces.

 6

    ¡± Why not? I¡¯ll first peek at the pinhole .¡± Miranda reasoned out.


    ¡± Not happening. Go sit down, I¡¯ll open the door myself.¡± Ava said, walking steadily towards the door.


    She was surprised to see who was standing outside the door to her apartment. Who could have thought that the mighty King of the entertainment industry woulde to her doorstep.


    Composing herself, she opened the door smiling at the visitor.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± she politely asked. The two of them knew each other but not on a personal level. They had Once coborated in a shoot but that¡¯s all.


    ¡± Good morning to you too, Miss Ava, I believe you know the reason I am here.¡± not the one to beat around the bushes, Justin made his reason for visiting known.


    ¡± I like how straightforward you are,e on in.¡± Ava replied with a smile ushering the young Man in.


    ¡± Thankyou.¡± Without forgetting his gentlemanly gestures, he said his thanks.


    The two walked towards the rest of the group and one could identify their profession by watching them walk, like the models they were, even their simple walking style resembled a catwalk or a walk down the red carpet.


    After being in the Industry for long, they already adopted the¡± model ¡± style of walking.


    Upon entering the room, Justin¡¯s gaze was trained to Miranda, thedy who assaulted him yesterdaynding them to all this mess. He observed how she reacted upon seeing him but saw nothing, her face showed no changes. She just looked at him in a nd gaze not even sparing him a second nce.


    ¡® interesting.¡± Justin thought inwardly.


    He had anticipated a look of surprise upon seeing him¡­ happiness¡­ admiration¡­ anything else apart from that emotionless face.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    To say she was a goddess would be an understatement in his part, thedy was practically gorgeous, she was drool worthy.


    ¡± Ahem!¡± he cleared his throat to interrupt his train of thought.


    ¡± Miranda, you have a visitor.¡± Ava announced earning curious gazes from the three girls.


    ¡± Well as you can see he is your mysterious man fromst night.¡± Ava added.


    ¡± What? How could you let him in? who knows what his intentions are foring here.¡± The mother hen by the name of Lucia asked. She was the Master of making fun at others but was also the most protective of the four girls.


    .¡± Rx, I don¡¯t have any bad intentions.¡± Justin tried to exin himself but was cut short.


    ¡± How do we know you are not here to harm our friend? I don¡¯t trust men.¡± Lucia added defensively.


    .¡± Look here youngdy, I wouldn¡¯t show myself here if I wanted to wrong your friends, I am here on the contrary to save her. The More she remains here, the more dangerous it will be for her.¡± Justin replied, exercising his umted patience over the years. He couldn¡¯t snap at thedy who questioned his Intentions because he could see she was genuinely worried about her friend.


    He had received the file with all information about Miranda Lambert.


    An orphan, a master¡¯s holder in business administration, unmarried and single, no children, loves to crossdress ( no Wonder he has never seen her), loves painting, and has three girl friends.


    That is where he got to know that the four girls were sworn sisters.


    ¡± Let¡¯s hear your solution.¡± This time Stacy asked patting Lucia¡¯s hands to not talk anymore. Stacy knows that Lucia¡¯s overprotective behaviour coulde out offending the other party at times.


    ¡± I suggest your friend leaves with me. In the meantime, let her stay at my apartment¡­¡±


    ¡± What? isn¡¯t that even More dangerous?¡± Lucia half yelled. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the guy was offering a solution or making things harder.


    .¡± Don¡¯t you think by staying with you might add more to the already existing problem.¡± Ava politely asked.


    .¡± The most dangerous ce is the safest.¡± Justin gave a curt reply.


    ¡± I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Miranda who had been silent all this while finally spoke.


    ¡® Stay at a man¡¯s house? absurd!¡¯ She inwardly scoffed.


    ¡± It¡¯s not like you have a choice here, you are the source of all this mess and I just want to keep you safe.¡± Justin replied.


    ¡± And why would you want to keep me safe? it¡¯s not like we know each other?¡± Miranda asked, matching his serious gaze, all this while still wearing that emotionless face of her¡¯s.


    ¡± You are right, u don¡¯t know you but let¡¯s say, it¡¯s an order which I can¡¯t defer.¡± Justin replied.


    ¡± An order? From who?¡± Ava asked.


    ¡± That is confidential information, I can¡¯t disclose the identity.¡± Justin replied, his voice and expressions showing the seriousness of the matter.


    The three girls turned to look at each other silently asking for each other¡¯s opinion.


    ¡± I think it¡¯s better if Miranda goes with him. We do not have the slightest idea when those crazy fans will get a gist of your whereabouts. Thest thing we want is having your hair pulled by them.¡± Lucia offered her opinion.


    ¡± I also think that¡¯s the safer option. You can at least stay with him until things cool down. After that you cane back and continue with your life.¡± Stacy said.


    ¡± I also agree with Lucia and Stacy, what do you think of Mira?¡± Ava asked.


    ¡± What do I think? haven¡¯t you all made the decision for me?¡± Miranda asked sarcastically.


    ¡± Come on Mira, we are all looking out for you. I know Justin will keep you safe and will not try anything funny, right Justin?¡±


    ¡± Yes Ava, you can rest assured. I will keep her safe and you don¡¯t have to worry about me, I am a behaved Man.¡± Justin replied.


    .¡± Says the Man who changes women like clothes.¡± Lucia said out loud and snickered, earning an elbow kick from Stacy.


    ¡± What? Did I say something wrong?¡± Lucia asked.


    ¡± No, not at all but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll take advantage of your friend.¡± Justin replied tly but somehow, it didn¡¯t sit well with him. He wondered if that¡¯s how the public perceived him. Would anyone believe him if he said he was still a virgin boy? Definitely not!

 7

    Chapter 7: secure the whole house


    ¡± At Least he¡¯s honest and doesn¡¯t deny it.¡± Lucia grumbled.


    If it was up to her, she wouldn¡¯t allow their friend to go with such a man. A man whose reputation was soiled. The city Casanova. But she was aware that this was not about her, but about Miranda¡¯s safety. Despite her poor impression of the guy, she didn¡¯t have another choice. Lucia was no ignorant person, she understood clearly the intensity of their current predicament. She knew she had to swallow her judgemental words and focus on the greater good.


    ¡± I think we should get going, I guess you don¡¯t want the media and those crazy fans finding your location and storming here because trust me, it will be a traumatic experience.¡± Justin said.


    ¡± I need to go to my apartment and take a few things from there.¡± Miranda said, causing Justin to snap his head and look at her.


    ¡± Is there anything you are picking that is not avable in the market?¡± he asked.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡± No but I can¡¯t just go without even the basic necessities.¡± Miranda argued back.


    ¡± Are you ready to risk your life for a few things that could be bought at any convenient store?¡± Justin questioned, his voiceing out louder than intended.


    Truth is he was angry. He was angry that she still wanted to risk her life even after he warned her how dangerous it could be.


    ¡± No need for that Miranda, I¡¯ll send you anything you want, just text me the details.¡± Stacy said, trying to stop the argument that was bound to erupt soon enough.


    Stacy wondered how the two alpha males will manage to stay peacefully. Their friend was no pushover and never appreciated it when someone tries to control her life. She is a woman who has been in charge of her life since the death of her parents when she was only eighteen.


    Over the years, she has been responsible for thepany as well as her life. She¡¯s used to making decisions on her own.


    On the other hand, the man, Justin, seemed to be a control freak. What happens when two strong headed peoplee together, wasn¡¯t that the deration of third world war?


    She wished she could be there to watch them fighting over every single thing.


    ¡± I guess now we can leave?¡± Justin asked , cocking a brow at Miranda.


    Ignoring him, Miranda hugged her three besties. With the current development of situations, who knows when they¡¯ll meet again.


    ¡°Take care of yourself and don¡¯t forget to call us everyday.¡± Stacy said to which Miranda replied with a simple nod.


    ¡± If that guy dares y any tricks, just call me. I¡¯lle immediately to blow his brains or better yet to kick his ass.¡± Lucia added, earning a chuckle from Miranda.


    ¡± He can¡¯t try anything funny, otherwise it¡¯s me who will beat him up. The twodiesughed at that thought.


    ¡± Take this chance to fall in love, he¡¯s a great guy. It¡¯s about time you prove to Carlos that you deserve better.¡± Ava advised and smiled hoping that Lucia did not hear her.


    After hugging goodbye to her friends, Miranda walked past Justin and headed out.


    ¡± See youdies.¡± Justin said and hurried to catch up with thedy who was taking long strides without having the consciousness to wait for him.


    ¡± Can¡¯t you slow down? do you even know where you are going?¡± Justin asked in aining tone but Miranda just continued ignoring him.


    She walked towards the foreign car in the parking lot. Nobody needed to tell her that it was the man¡¯s car.


    With his reputation and career, Miranda expected to see him driving a shy car but was proved wrong. It was a sports car, yes, but very low key. If one was not familiar with car models, they¡¯ll think it¡¯s nothing expensive but Miranda knew better.


    Opening the front passenger door, Miranda made herselffortable. You could think that age owned the car.


    Justin, who had been following behind her, was surprised when she identified his car but was more surprised to see her open the door and sit down like she was the boss here while he was nothing but a chauffeur. And that¡¯s how Justin, the King of the entertainment industry and one of the powerful men was reduced to a mere driver.


    The drive to his house was quiet, each lost in their own thoughts.


    Miranda was trying to calcte how much loss thepany will incur due to the news.


    Since she couldn¡¯t go to the office now, she could only work from home. She will have to hold conference meetings for god knows how long. She only wished all this to end as soon as possible so that she could go back to her usual Life. But life had different ns for her.


    Justin used the emergency exit to enter his premises. He could risk being spotted with thedy once more.


    Parking the car, he stepped down and waited for thedy to also alight.


    After waiting for a minute without seeing any movement from her car, he walked back to the car and knocked on the window.


    When Miranda lowered the window, he asked,¡± Why are you not stepping down? Do you n on staying in the car?¡±


    ¡± Make sure nobody climbed the walls to your house waiting to snap a picture of you.¡± Miranda replied tly, surprising Justin.


    Thinking about it, he realised she had a point. The media these days was capable of doing anything just to get a scoop to report.


    Justin took out his phone from his pants pocket and dialled a number.


    ¡± Check all corners of the house, don¡¯t leave any ce unturned. Make sure we don¡¯t have the media sneaking around.¡± He instructed.


    After waiting for a few minutes, his cellphone rang indicating an iing call.


    ¡± Boss, we caught a suspicious man carrying a camera at the premises.¡± The man on the other end reported.


    ¡± Throw him outside and make sure he is sacked from his Job, let that serve as a warning to the rest.¡± Justin replied, disconnecting the call immediately.


    Walking towards the car, he was about to knock, when the door was pushed open.


    If it was not for his quick reflexes, he could have been smacked on the face by the swinging door.

 8

    ¡± Do you perhaps have a personal grudge against me that I don¡¯t know about?¡± Justin couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡± Rule number one, always keep a distance, even your closest friend could turn out to be the enemy.¡± Miranda replied and walked away leaving behind a dumbfounded Justin. Why did she sound a lot like histe Master?


    Ignoring that absurd thought, he trailed behind her.


    Miranda walked straight to the door and tried to open it but realised it was locked.


    She turned to look at Justin silently asking him to open the door.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Seeing her look at him, he decided to use this chance to get back at her. Instead of opening the door, he leaned on the door and cocked his brows at her, challenging her to beg him.


    Miranda, who was growing impatient waiting for the man to drop his childish acts and open the door finally realised that the man had no intention of opening the door.


    Retrieving a phone-like device from her bag, she connected a small wire-like string to the lock. After pressing repeatedly for less than half a minute, the door opened with a click.


    She pushed the door and sauntered inside like she owned the ce. Justin, who had been smug a while ago, was standing rooted to the ground. He had always bragged to Ronald that his security was topnotch but seeing the door to his house opened so casually, he almost vomited blood.


    He had spent millions of money on paying a mysterious man to improvise his security system in the house. He had even gone an extra mile to pay well known hackers to try to crack his security and no one was sessful.


    Then just how could she unlock the door so casually like she was cutting a birthday cake?


    Just thinking about it, Justin started having doubts. Maybe she had approached him intentionally, luring him to her well set trap. He thought that maybe she had him fooled. Anger spread in each organ of his body and he felt his heart constrict. What if she was here on a mission to kill him? What if she was in cahoots with the rebels and was here to infiltrate the royal house?


    Just thinking about it brought fear mixed with anger.


    Justin strode angrily towards Miranda who was by nowfortably seated in the sofa scrolling through her phone. She had no care in the world after pulling that stunt.


    Seeing her nonchnt expression angered Justin even more.


    He removed his gun and pointed it at her.


    ¡± Who exactly are you?¡± he found himself asking.


    ¡± You don¡¯t know who I am?¡± Miranda asked back, not flinching even with a gun pointed at her temple.


    ¡± Why are you here? Who sent you to assassinate me? the rebels?¡± He asked yet again.


    ¡± Assassinate you? Are you worth it?¡± Miranda nonchntly asked.


    ¡± Don¡¯t test my patience. you must be here for some mission. You better tell me before I blow your brains out.¡± Justin threatened expecting to see a change of expression on her face but boy, he was in for a disappointment.


    ¡± What are you? eight years old? Why are you ying with toys? A true man uses his fist to defeat his enemies. it¡¯s not safe either to go around pointing guns at other people, you never know when the gun willnd in your enemies hands.¡± Miranda said casually and before he knew it, the gun that was earlier in his hands was in Miranda¡¯s hands.


    ¡± Be careful handling these toys, idents do happen.¡± Miranda added but one could trace the warning in her voice. She was clearly warning him not to try that joke again.


    ¡± Show me to my room.¡± Miranda said.


    ¡± Do you think I¡¯ll let you sleep in the same house as me after what you pulled out earlier?¡± Justin sarcastically asked. He couldn¡¯t sense any malice in her but it was better to be careful than sorry, that he learnt from his grandfather.


    ¡± Do you mean me opening your door? That¡¯s simple, I am the designer, so I obviously know how to crack it.¡± she answered bored.


    ¡± You are not here to kill me?¡± Justin asked although knowing it was stupid of him to ask that.


    ¡± Why would I kill you? You are not rich nor important, why should I kill you and get nothing in return? Besides, I think you are goodlooking, it would be a waste killing you, I can just keep you as my gigolo.¡± Miranda said, making Justin¡¯s eyes widen.


    He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing! She wanted to turn him to her gigolo? The crown prince of the country?


    Okay, it¡¯s fine if she didn¡¯t know about his other identity but wasn¡¯t he a top figure I. the society?


    Justin figured out that only this woman saw him as a nothing. His fame! His money was not something she was interested in.


    He found her interesting and unique.


    ¡± Show me my room, I am tired and get me aptop.¡± Miranda ordered. She was after all used to giving orders.


    Justin chuckled. Thisdy sure had the balls. How could she turn him to her errand boy? Was she aware of who she was ordering around? Definitely not!


    ¡± Follow me.¡± He said, leading the way upstairs. He decided to keep her close by and observe her. As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.


    He also realised that he needed to carry out another background check on her. The report he received about her from Ronald was only a tip of the iceberg. He was sure she was hiding secrets from the world. Justin swore that he would uncover her secrets very soon. The Sooner, the better


    ¡± This is your room, everything you need is inside.¡± Justin Informed, pointing at the room opposite his master bedroom.


    ¡± Thank you.¡± Miranda said and without waiting for anything more, she walked inside leaving a dumbfounded Justin behind. Justin shook his head and cleaned his ears to make sure he just heard that arrogant and emotionless woman just say thank you.


    It was simply unbelievable!.

 9

    After Miranda entered the room, she shut the door behind her. She needed to call her assistant and make several adjustments to her schedule. Now that she can¡¯t go to the office, she¡¯ll be forced to work from home and that includes attending meetings online.


    Weeks went by with Miranda still staying at Justin¡¯s vi. For some reason, the news about the CEO of Lambert group being seen kissing Justin kept getting more attention every day. people were discussing why would an independent woman like her get involved with a scandalous man like Justin, ofcourse Justin¡¯s fans would stand by and use Miranda of seducing their idol.


    Some people even started specting that maybe she was ugly despite being rich, that¡¯s why she tried to create a scandal with Justin. Others said that maybe she was old and wanted to trap Justin into marriage using the scandal.


    Seeing the two presenters on TV talking about it, Miranda scoffed. How could people be so idle as to sit down and start discussing her? Were the media houses short of new scoops go broadcasttely. Then why not go to the orphanages and report the situation of those children to the masses.


    ¡± What are you doing?¡± Justin who just entered the house asked.


    ¡± Watching as people waste their time and your fans bing more stupid each day.¡± Miranda answered, her voice not oh so pleasant.


    ¡± Are you ming me?¡± Justin asked.


    ¡± How can I me you for your senseless fans, it¡¯s just that a person¡¯s character determines what kind of people support him or her.¡± Miranda attacked him tactfully.


    ¡± Are you perhaps calling me senseless?¡± Justin asked, his voice raised . He couldn¡¯t believe this woman. She was in his house but didn¡¯t mind filtering her words when talking to him. The past three weeks had passed by peacefully. Despite staying in the same house, the two of them avoided each other like a gue. They rarely talked except exchanging a few lines when necessary.


    Justin always wondered why she was so serious, always wearing an emotionless face but what made him wonder more was her glib tongue. Worst was that she didn¡¯t take him seriously. Justin was a man with a huge ego and was used todies dying for his attention but she was different. She would rather not be in the same space with him.


    One day he had decided to ask her why she ignored him and her answer baffled him at the same time angering him.


    ¡± Why do you keep avoiding me?¡± he had asked.


    Thedy walking upstairs by then had stopped walking before turning to look at him.


    ¡± Why shouldn¡¯t I? you are not Rich, not powerful, your looks are just average and your IQ is low.¡± she had dropped the bomb on him and walked away like she had just replied a good morning greeting.


    Justin had choked on his saliva as he felt a huge lump form on his throat.


    Not rich? wasn¡¯t he ranked in the top ten billionaires?


    Not powerful? wasn¡¯t he the crown prince of the country, of course she did not know that. Besides, his power was only in the name itself.


    He wasn¡¯t good looking? But why did he earn the title of most handsome in the entertainment industry?


    His IQ? wasn¡¯t he above average?


    Wasn¡¯t that akin to being called stupid?


    But Justin could do nothing but stomach those insults? What else could he do?Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡± You said so yourself, I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Miranda said with a straight face.


    Actually, Miranda was just angry that even after three damn weeks, she was still trending in the searches. She had thought that after a week, everything would go back to normal, that a new scandal would be out but nothing. It¡¯s like someone was fanning the mes behind the scenes and true to her thoughts, someone was indeed doing that. But who?


    ¡± Anyway I won¡¯t talk to you anymore, I don¡¯t want you projecting your frustrations onto me.¡± Justin said and started walking upstairs.


    ¡± It¡¯s not like I want to hear your unpleasant voice.¡± Miranda replied, although she said it more to herself, Justin still heard her.


    ¡± What did you say?¡± he asked even knowing she wouldn¡¯t reply to him and true to his thoughts, Miranda ignored him.


    ¡± I wonder who would Marry a woman like you, I pity your boyfriend.¡± Justin said intending to get back at her.


    When Miranda heard him, her brain got fried. Maybe he was right. Who could marry a woman like her? she might be beautiful, yes, but she was headstrong. She was the typical Alpha female. She also knew that she had trust issues not to mention that she rarelyughed. Her friend would tease her calling her the ice beauty. To get a reaction from her, you would have to sweat a lot.


    Miranda understood that men preferred charming and easygoing women, that¡¯s what Carlos told her, that he wouldn¡¯t want to take a stone back home, safe might turn his house into a freezer. Those words hurt Miranda the most, they were more hurtful than him telling her that he didn¡¯t want a fellow man in the house.


    It wasn¡¯t her fault that she grew up expressionless and Cold, the circumstances forced her to be like that. Since she was young, she was trained to be the queen, a queen to rule with an iron fist in her kingdom. Turning eighteen, she lost the only family she had, her grandfather, so she had to take over the Lambert group at such an early age.


    The business world was like a fierce martialpetition, it¡¯s either you win or die. She had to toughen up and take over the multi billionpany. It was no easy task dealing with those huge sharks threatening to swallow her whole but with an iron fist, she sat at the crown and manoeuvred her sailing ship safely.


    Not many knew the identity of the CEO of Lambert group until recently she got trapped in a scandal with this useless Man.

 10

    ¡± You are right, no man can tolerate me.¡± Miranda replied casually but Justin still heard the pain in her words.


    He was taken aback, it was the first time she did not utter arrogant words. He wondered what could be the story behind her pain.


    He has to figure it out.


    ¡°Am sorry, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Justin swallowed his pride and apologised.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to be.¡± Miranda replied, changing the channel to her favourite documentary station.


    Justin could only shake his head. Whichdy in her mid twenties watches documentaries? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be watching romance movies?


    But he knew from experience that Miranda was no regrdy he was acquainted with. She was not a normal case.


    He decided to leave her alone and head upstairs, he was tired from shooting all day long. It was at this moment when he thought perhaps going back and living as the prince he was was better.


    Justin went to take a rest while Miranda stayed in the sitting room watching documentaries. She was bored to death but couldn¡¯t step outside and roam the streets freely lest someone spots her and creates trouble for her. She has never craved freedom like this for thest three weeks. Staying cooped in the house made her envy the street children who could walk anywhere without any care in the world.


    Ava who had been walking on needles finally rxed. It¡¯s been three weeks and that stranger did note looking for her! Maybe he wasn¡¯t as powerful as   she had feared. She was rxing on her sofa when her manager called. She was on a week¡¯s vacation from work.


    picking the call, she answered grumpily.


    ¡± Hello?¡±


    ¡± Why do you sound pissed off?¡± her Manager teased her. She was damn sure that that little actress must be angry at her. Ava had instructed her manager to dare not call her within that one week unless it was something very important, it was just the third day, can¡¯t they let her take a break?


    ¡± It¡¯s because I¡¯m pissed off.¡± Ava replied back.


    ¡± So who¡¯s so unlucky to anger our Ava?¡± the manager teased her once again infuriating Ava even more.


    ¡± get to the point or hang up.¡± Ava threatened.


    ¡± You are reporting back to work tomorrow first thing in the morning.¡± She instructed.


    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Ava shouted.


    ¡± Calm down, why are you shouting at me?¡± her Manager.


    ¡± Don¡¯t you dare tell me to calm down, I mean how can I calm down. It¡¯s just the third day and you are asking me toe back?¡± her voice clearly spelt the anger she was feeling.


    ¡± That¡¯s the orders from above Ava, I tried exining to them that you were on leave and suggested they pick another model but the CEO said that the client wanted only you.¡± August, her manager tried exining to her.


    ¡± I don¡¯t care, the agency has more than enough models to take on that project.¡± Ava replied but her voice sounded defeated. She knows there is no way she¡¯s escaping that one.


    ¡°You think we haven¡¯t tried negotiating with him to pick any other model? The CEO even offered to lower the price of our services but he was hellbent on getting you for his project. He even threatened to shut down thepany if his demand was not met in 24 hours.¡± August exined, hoping that Ava would understand the intensity of the matter.


    ¡± Why does he want me only? Is he a sick psychopath obsessed with me?¡± Ava spected.


    ¡± How should I know that but I heard he¡¯s the CEO of a multinationalpany.¡± August tried to feed as many details as she knew.


    ¡± Okay, but after this, I¡¯ll take a two week vacation, it¡¯s either that or nothing.¡± Avaid down her conditions. She wouldn¡¯t let this chance slip off her to get another vacation.


    ¡± I knew you would say something like that so I already informed the CEO and he agreed that he¡¯ll grant you whatever wish you want.¡± August said, heaving a sigh of relief. She thought that she¡¯ll have to use hours convincing Ava to take the task.


    ¡± Okay, pick me up tomorrow morning.¡± Ava relented.


    ¡± copy that.¡± with that, she disconnected the call. Ava thought of who could give such ridiculous demands and even threaten others. She just hoped she didn¡¯t somehow attract the attention of a sick bastard. Thest thing she wanted was to kick someone¡¯s crotch.


    The following morning, Ava woke up early and prepared herself. Her Manager was time conscious and she didn¡¯t want to get an earful early in the morning for cking off. At eight sharp, the doorbell rang and Ava just picked her bag and left the house.


    The drive to thepany was silent as nobody spoke to each other.


    When they arrived, they found the CEO waiting for them.


    ¡± Mr Adams.¡± Ava greeted politely.


    ¡± Mmm, let¡¯s go.¡± He said after curtly replying to her greetings.


    ¡± Go where?¡± Ava asked, confused.


    ¡± To meet our client of course.¡± Mr Adams replied.


    ¡± Do we need to meet him, I thought I¡¯ll just sign the contract?¡± Ava asked yet again.


    ¡± The client requested to meet with the model to ascertain she¡¯s fit for the project.¡± Mr Adams replied with a straight face. Truth is even he was surprised with the clients requests. First, he asked for only her and her alone. That was fine, it¡¯s not the first thing clients made such requests but this checking out first thing made Mr Adams start to get suspicious. He wondered what was the rtionship between his top model and that mysterious client? But he was a businessman after all, and profits came before his curiosity. As long as he can make money, he doesn¡¯t care about the rtionship between the two of them. That was none of his business.


    ¡± That¡¯s absurd!¡± Ava said, danger bells started ringing on her head.


    Escape. Run away.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    Those were the thoughts upying Ava¡¯s mind now. For some reason she smelt trouble brooding in paradise.

 11

    But Ava still held it and decided to confront the devil himself. She was not one to cower in fear and sumb to her worries. If he dared to try something funny, she¡¯ll just retaliate.


    Twenty minutester, the convoy arrived at the entrance of apany. The three who had driven here by thepany van stepped down.


    ¡± THE JOHNSON COMPANY¡±


    Those were the words engraved on the entrance of thepany. Just who in the whole of Country A did not know of the Johnston family? Ava shivered thinking of a memory twelve years down the drain. She was 12 years old by then. Ava had gone to visit her grandmother over the school holiday. She had enjoyed her vacation but something happened on thest day of her visit. The vige was attacked or let¡¯s say the Vige was caught in between a crossfire between two mafia groups.


    She can still remember how people were gunned down before her eyes. She had gone to the vige yground when the whole thing started so she rushed back to seek refuge.


    She was hiding behind a tree when one of the goons noticed her. He had dragged her to Ally and was preparing to force himself on her. Ava was still young and there was no way she could fight against a grown up man but that did not mean she wouldn¡¯t fight back.


    She had tried to scratch the man off her but considering their strength difference, she was failing miserably. The man was hovering over her while Ava cried for help. She didn¡¯t want to be raped but she had no power to protect herself.


    Just as she had finally given up on herself, she heard a gunshot. The man who had beenying over her was then pushed off her.


    Ava opened her eyes which she had closed after hearing the gunshot and saw a Young boy extending his hands to hers. The young boy was about sixteen years old . He had Sharp eagle-like eyes and a handsome face.


    ¡± You don¡¯t want to stand up?¡± The boy had asked the dumbfounded Ava. It was until that moment Ava realised she was zoning out, but the hand offered to her was all bloody, correct that, the boy was covered by blood.


    Ava almost threw up at the sight of blood. She hated the sight of blood the most. The boy saw that the girl had no intention of epting his hand so he withdrew it but a sh of pain passed through his eyes. It was a fleeting emotion that even Ava did not see.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    ¡± Boss, we need to leave, we have cleared the area.¡± A man in a suit approached the boy and reported.


    ¡± Get the car ready, we are leaving in five.¡± The boy ordered, his voice full of authority, it was the kind of voice that you couldn¡¯t disobey.


    The man left and now only Ava and the boy were left alone.


    ¡± I¡¯m leaving.¡± He said although he didn¡¯t make a step to leave.


    ¡± Thank you.¡± Ava still thanked him, he had saved her after all.


    ¡± No need to thank me, I never let others have what is mine.¡± The boy replied, grinning at her.


    ¡± Huh?¡± Ava asked, not quite understanding what he meant.


    ¡± Ronald Johnston, don¡¯t ever forget that name, I¡¯ll make you mine on due time.¡± He replied, kissed Ava¡¯s forehead and left the stupefied Ava rooted on the ground.


    Ava shivered and halted in her steps, it¡¯s been 12 years already, could he be the one? She mentally asked herself.


    ¡± Miss Adams, are you alright? The CEO asked Ava.


    ¡± Yes Mr Adams, I am alright.¡± Or at least she forced herself to be.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go and get this done and over with.¡± The CEO said and proceeded to walk inside thepany building.


    When the trio arrived at thepany receptionist, they found someone waiting for them.


    ¡± Good morning Mr Adams, Miss Ava, the president is waiting for you, this way please.¡± A Lady dressed professionally ushered them to the elevator.


    ¡± Has the president been waiting for Long? I thought we were to arrive at nine thirty, is it still ten minutes earlier?¡± Mr Adams asked cautiously, he was afraid of angering the devil andnding himself in trouble.


    ¡± No, the president just arrived at the meeting room.¡± Thedy answered, making Mr Adams heave a sigh of relief.


    All this time, Ava remained quiet. She couldn¡¯t shake off this gnawing feeling. She was scared and at the same time filled with anticipation.


    A minuteter, they were ushered to a room which looked more like a conference room. A man was seated but his face was lowered making it impossible to see who it was.


    ¡± President, the team from blue ocean entertainment are here.¡± Thedy who led them reported.


    ¡± Okay, you can leave.¡± A maic voice echoed inside the room sending shivers down Ava¡¯s spine.


    She was damn sure that she had heard that voice somewhere, but where? Before she could contemte More, the man seated on the swivel chair swung the chair facing their direction.


    The sight of the man almost forced Ava¡¯s heart out of her chest. Damn it! How could she be so unlucky.


    She took a step back and stumbled on her feet, if it wasn¡¯t for August who was standing behind Ava, she could havended on her butt.


    ¡± Y. you? How could it be you?¡± Ava asked in a shaking voice.


    ¡± Miss Adams, we meet again. The world is such a small ce isn¡¯t it, isn¡¯t Mr Adams?¡± Ronald asked In a rxed voice enjoying the reaction from his beloved. Actually before that fateful night, he did not know that Ava was his childhood bride. Twelve years ago, he left her and decided to stay away from her to avoid getting her in danger. He knew that if he kept a tab on her, his enemies would somehow find out about her, so to protect her, he decided to wait until she was twenty five years old but who knew they would meet Sooner.


    She was supposed to be twenty four, one year more and he would go looking for her to make her his bride, but it seems destiny has different ns for the two of them.


    ¡± Yes, yes it is.¡± Mr Adams replied nervously. He was bright enough to know that these two definitely have a history or at least this isn¡¯t their first meeting. He could onlyment for getting caught between the two of them.


    ¡± Come and sit down, we have a contract to sign.¡± Ronald said smiling sweetly but only a fool could mistake it for a sweet smile, it was creepy and full of mischief.


    Ava decided to push her worries aside, she wouldn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of seeing her flustered. With her head held up high, she confidently walked to the seat offered for them, sat down and crossed her legs. She took a one eighty degree transformation from the scared Ava to a confident Ava. Looking at her you could mistake her for a queen but Ronald had a different thought in mind. What he was seeing was an enchanting queen, the queen of his heart.

 12

    Ronald then passed two contracts to Mr Adams. Looking at the contracts, one was written ¡± the model¡± and the other¡± blue ocean entertainment.¡± Not quite understanding why they were two he voiced his question.


    ¡± Mr Ronald, why do I see two contracts? I thought it should be a single one?¡±


    Ronald who had been busy admiring the queen of his heart was irritated hearing the question. He wondered whether the CEO was ignorant or in stupid.


    ¡± Different contracts for different parties. The agency has a different contract from the model¡¯s¡± He exined impatiently.


    ¡± Why should I have a different contract? I am signed under blue ocean so we only need to sign one.¡± Avained but Ronald remained quiet. He just nced at the CEO, his gaze was deep as if telling him to control his models.


    Mr Adams shivered in his seat. He could feel a thick cold sweat run down his back. Even after being in the industry for so long, it¡¯s the first time he encountered such a scary man. He himself wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with, after all you needed an iron fist to have a footing in the business industry. But it was his first time to meet a man who could scare you by his looks alone. The man¡¯s Aura was as strong as an alpha male¡¯s.


    Without doing much , he chose the safest way to silence Ava, he passed the contract to her and took out his pen and without reading, signed the contract.


    ¡± What a wise move Mr Adams!¡± The devil praised him but he was in no mood to ept hispliments. All Mr Adams wanted was to get this over and done with so that he could leave the ce as Soon as possible. He regretted epting the man¡¯s offer but who was he kidding, it was never an offer but a demand. He could only me his bad luck for crossing paths with him. Mr Adams was sure that if he continued existing in the same space with this man, he was bound to faint due tock of oxygen. His breathing was shallow and controlled, he dared not breath loud and attracted the man¡¯s gaze on himself.


    Ava who was reluctant to look at the contract finally picked up and opened. She braced herself to find ridiculous terms inside and just as she thought, the uses of the contract were out of line.


    ¡± What? I will be working exclusively for thepany for six months?¡± She read out loud.


    ¡± This ispletely insane!¡± She said angrily but insane was what the rest of the uses spelt. It was right to say that only the first ude itself was reasonable.


    use 2: The model will not only work exclusively for the Johnstonpany, she will be the CEOs personal secretary and an office shall be set for her in thepany.


    use 3: The model is not supposed to have a romantic rtionship with anyone and in case of an existing one, it MUST end with immediate effect.


    use 4: The model will have to move into the CEOs Private Vi for work efficiency purposes.


    use 5: The model shall report everything she¡¯s doing to the CEO whenever she¡¯s not at thepany, this includes at night.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    use 6: In case the model doesn¡¯t sign the contract, the earlier signed contract by the CEO should take effect immediately and the agency willpensate their client with one billion us dors.


    ¡± Ridiculous! This is utter nonsense. What do you think I am huh? Amodity you can buy over a contract?¡± Ava questioned angrily. She couldn¡¯t believe the nerves of the guy. How dare he?


    ¡± Calm down Miss Adams, a contract is a contract and I just offered my terms to which of course your CEO already signed. This is pure business, don¡¯t make it look personal.¡± Ronald said, an evil smirk painting his face. He was damn sure she¡¯ll react this way but that did not stop him from poking her boils. He also knew that this could draw them apart but he was willing to risk it all to make her his. This was part of his grand scheme to woo her and make her fall in love with him just how he was in love with her for years.


    ¡± Business my ass, I am not signing this!¡± Ava dered, picked up her purse and left the room.


    August, who had been a spectator of the whole fiasco, also sprung to her feet and followed her artist outside. Even she found the terms ridiculous. She had peeked, skimming through while Ava went through them and what she read left her bbergasted, Short of words. She had never seen such ridiculous terms in all the years she worked as a manager.


    Back in the conference room, Ronald looked at Mr Adams with his eagle-like eyes. The CEO trembled in his seat involuntarily. He could sense the killing intent emanating from his body.


    ¡± I¡¯ll give you 48 hours, make her sign that contract otherwise you can kiss yourpany goodbye.¡± What he dreaded to hear the most was what greeted his ears.


    ¡± I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Mr Adams could only promise.


    ¡± No trials in my assigned tasks, you either do it or wait to face the consequences. You don¡¯t want your two little girls living like street children, do you?¡± Ronald said calmly but Mr Adams was no fool not to hear the threat in his well uttered words.


    ¡± Okay.¡± He replied and remained seated, not dating to move even a finger.


    ¡± You can leave now.¡± Ronald dismissed him, taking that as the current to momentarily save himself, Mr Adams scurried away not daring to look back. He could only start devising ways to coerce his model to ept the offer. He himself knew that Ava had all reasons to decline that offer, but this was no longer about his model, it was about his life, hispany and his family.


    He had to somehow make her sign that damn contract, it was the only way to save everything at stake.

 13

    Ava took hurried steps out of thepany, she didn¡¯t want to spend a moment longer here. God knows what she can do to that man if she stays any longer.  One thing she was sure of now is that either he was out for revenge or he was here to fulfil his words from twelve years ago but irrespective of his reasons, he had absolutely no right to try and get her with such ridiculous terms.


    gging a cab, she didn¡¯t even wait for her poor manager who was on the run to reach her. As if the driver was sensing her distress, he does away leaving a dumbfounded August alone.


    After riding for almost ten minutes, Ava realised that he hadn¡¯t told the driver her destination but was somehow surprised that he was taking the exact route to her house. She shivered thinking that she could have earned herself yet another stalker. In showbiz it was not a new thing for a superstar to have crazy and obsessive fans turning to stalkers, she was once a victim of stalking. That crazy fan would stalk her all day and send her creepy messages that freaked the hell out of her. It hade to a situation that the police had to be involved. Just thinking about it gave Ava the chills.


    ¡± Mr. Do you know where my address is perhaps?¡± Ava asked nervously but she tried masking it not to alert him but who was she kidding, she was practically trembling and gave herself out.


    The driver turned to look at her and smiled politely. ¡± Don¡¯t worry Young Miss, the boss already gave the address where to drop his wife.¡± He replied, shocking Ava to the core. ¡® wife? Was this driver perhaps mistaken? She never had a boyfriend for once so howe all of a sudden she had a husband?¡¯ countless questions passed through her mind.


    ¡± Sir, are you mistaken? I am not married so I definitely have no husband. You must have got the wrong person.¡±¡®Ava exined seriously. Maybe he was no stalker but someone who mistook her for someone else.


    ¡°Young Miss, the boss already told me you like ying pranks and denying to be married to him so I shouldn¡¯t take you seriously. But I must say, your husband loves you so much to tolerate such behaviour. You are very lucky.¡± The driver replied not taking Ava¡¯s words seriously. At this point Ava was clueless on how to convince this driver who was hell-bent on not believing anything that came out of her mouth.


    ¡± I think you are making a mistake here, look.¡± She showed him her ring finger,¡± Do I look like I am married? Is there a married woman who goes out without her ring?¡± Ava asked, hoping that this stubborn bull of a driver would see sense in her words.


    ¡°The Boss already told me that you¡¯ll try to use your empty ring finger to convince me, so stop it, we¡¯re almost there.¡± The driver replied not bothered by Ava¡¯s tantrums. He was d that his boss was kind enough to remind him of all tricks his wife may pull out to fool him. He could only shake his head disapprovingly, young people these days were full of craziness.


    Ava could only give up at this point. It was of no use trying to talk sense to the Man. She would just let him take her wherever he wanted, once reality ps him that she has been right all along, then it will be her turn to gloat.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Residing to her fate, she rxed at the seat and closed her eyes. It¡¯s better if she thinks about how she¡¯ll get herself away from that Johnston boy. Twelve years ago, he had crushed her pure soul and forcefully made a ce for himself in her heart. Sincerely speaking, the reason Ava never considered dating was because she was waiting for him. Everytime her friends asked her why she didn¡¯t consider dating she¡¯ll say that she¡¯s busy with work and hardly has time for a rtionship but that was just a cover-up. Ava still remembered his words and had taken an oath to listen to him. It¡¯s just that how she always fantasised about their second meeting was far from the reality. First she scolded him and pped him but that was entirely his fault for bumping into them and acting like a pervert. But what she couldn¡¯t ept was how he thought that he could keep her near him against her wishes.


    Ava was not sure anymore of this was about three weeks ago or was about twelve years ago or maybe both.


    ¡± We are here.¡± The driver announced jerking Ava from her thoughts.


    ¡± Are you sure?¡± Ava asked. Before her stood a three storey Vi. It was huge and magnificent. The mansion screamed of wealth but one strange thing was that not even a single soul was visible around.


    ¡°What is this ce?¡± Ava asked no one in particr because the driver had already driven away and the gate closed.


    Ava stood in ce, if her intuition was true, then this house belonged to a big shot. You could even say it was a royal house. Fear gripped her heart, what if the owner found her here and used her of trespassing or worse, mistaken as a thief? Cold sweat trickled down her back. Just what wrong did shemit recently to find herself in such situations? First she encountered that handsome scumbag, then a driver who branded her as someone¡¯s wife and now this? Left in the middle of God knows where all alone and no route to escape. She could only cry inwardly cursing her luck. Just then her phone rang indicating an iing call. She removed it from her purse and checked the caller ID.


    ¡± A new number? Who could it be?¡±she asked no one in particr but still epted the call.


    ¡± Hello?¡± Her sweet voice greeted Ronald¡¯s eardrums making him smile involuntarily. Yes, that¡¯s the voice I wanna wake up to every morning. He thought

 14

    ¡± Do you like your new home?¡± Ronald asked.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡± It¡¯s you again!¡± Ava said, her voice trembling.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡± She asked.


    ¡± You are working under me and the contract dictates that you live with me of course.¡± Ronald replied nonchntly.


    ¡± I haven¡¯t signed the contract yet, this is considered as kidnapping, I could sue you.¡± Ava threatened but she knew very well that it was useless.


    ¡± Oh you can try darling.¡± Ronald replied and chuckled, annoying Ava even more.


    ¡± What exactly do you want? Please let me go?¡± Ava pleaded.


    ¡± Oh you know very well what I want, Ava Adams.¡± Ronald replied seriously.


    ¡± Is this about the p I gave you?¡± She asked, her voice shivering.


    ¡± Oh no darling, but I will collect my interest for that p you gave me.¡±


    ¡± Then what the hell do you want?¡± Ava asked, her voice raised.


    ¡± I want you my wife, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time I im what is mine?¡± Ronald replied.


    ¡± And is this the way you im a woman? By caging her using a damn contract? What am I? A ve who could be transferred from one Master to another?¡± Ava asked angrily, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was angry at him but more angrier with the method he was using to win her over. If only he could ask her nicely, she would have agreed right away, after all She spent twelve years of her life waiting for him without even knowing if he¡¯ll evere or even remember what he had promised her. But what did he do aftering back, forcing her against her will. He might be Rich and all but that did not give him the right to treat her like she was an item for sale.


    ¡°What do you want me to do? Besides, you¡¯ve always been mine Ava, only mine so stop talking about moving from one Master to another.¡± Ronald retorted angrily.


    ¡± I will never sign that stupid contract.¡± Ava dered.


    ¡± We shall see about that.¡± Ronald replied and dropped the call. It¡¯s not like he wanted to force her to be with him, it¡¯s just that being a mafia Lord from the age of fifteen years, he wasn¡¯t good with words. He was no normal Man and did not know about the normal ways to Court a woman. In his world, actions were proved to be more sessful than wasting your breath talking.


    Since she didn¡¯t want to do it the better way then he¡¯ll bring her back to him the hard way.


    While


    While Ava was contemting what to do next or should we say how to escape this hellfire, the gates suddenly opened. Without waiting for a second more, she dashed out of the mansion as fast as her feet could carry her. She stopped just steps away from the gate panting heavily. The run that took less than a minute seems like ten thousand miles run for her.


    She looked back at the huge gate that had closed automatically shielding the huge castle inside from the eyes of themoners. She thanked the heavens for whoever opened the gate for her. She wondered if the Man had finally realised that his actions were futile and decided to let her go. Pushing those thoughts away, She started walking away, she was sure her apartment was afraid blocks from here. There¡¯s no way she could get a taxi here so walking was the only method to leave this ce.


    A Man who had been inconspicuously hiding behind the bushes made a call immediately after Ava left.


    ¡°Boss, the young madam just left.¡± He reported.


    ¡± I know, follow her and make sure she doesn¡¯t notice you trailing her, she fears stalker¡¯s the most.¡± Ronald replied.


    The man could only grit his teeth silently. How was he stalking the young madam as introduced by the young Master. Besides, who gave him the task to spy on her? If it was up to him, he would prefer going to the battlefield to eliminate their enemies but here he was, wasting his talent spying on some woman his boss was infatuated with. But he knew better than to call this an infatuation, in all the years he had apanied his boss, he had never seen his boss pay any attention to the countless women who threw themselves at him, but here he was forcing ady to stay in his house and sending his best man to spy on her. He concluded that she must be someone very important to his boss and probably their future madam Boss.


    He was happy that finally his Boss will not be lonely anymore but that development came with a risk too. Thedy will be an Achilles heel to his boss, a loophole their enemies could explore to get back at him or get to him.


    Ava had been walking for thirty minutes, despite it being midmorning, she was sweating from the heavy heat. It was during the summer and the sun was zing hot. She finally arrived at the gate to her apartment. Taking the keys, She inserted it to open the door but it didn¡¯t not bulge. She tried again and again but the same thing happened. Then she figured out that the padlock must have changed.


    Removing her phone, she ced a call to her manager. When the call was connected she didn¡¯t even give the other party a chance to talk before questioning,¡± what¡¯s the meaning of this August?¡±: She inquired.


    ¡± The meaning of what?¡± Her manager asked, sounding confused.


    ¡± Don¡¯t you dare y jokes on me, why is the padlock to my gate closed?¡± Ava asked.


    August on the other side kept quiet, not knowing what to say.


    ¡± Say something August!¡± Ava yelled at her.


    ¡± Maybe you could call the CEO and ask him about that stuff because honestly I have no idea what you are talking about nor have I received anymunication from him ever since we left the Johnstonpany.¡± August replied honestly.

 15

    You are my manager. What do you mean you have no idea? Besides, why do I have to call the CEO? Since when did models start talking directly to the CEO?¡±: Ava questioned not quite believing her manager knew nothing about her predicament. Are they using such tricks to force her to sign the contract?


    ¡°¡®Am serious here Ava, I was told to go home until I receive a call from thepany so I know nothing of what is happening.¡±August insisted.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Ava said, disconnecting the call. It seems that this matter was out of the hands of her manager. She figured out the only way to know the way forward was to call the CEO directly. It¡¯s not like she had a choice. The call was epted immediately, making Ava wonder if the CEO had been waiting for her call and his next words proved her thoughts right.


    ¡± Ava dear, I have been waiting for your call.¡± The Man said, dropping the formalities between them. Mr Adams had figured out that if he wanted to be in a safe ce, he had to make Ava sign that contract. It doesn¡¯t matter if he had to beg her or even bootlick her, he would do anything as well as he can to save his family andpany.


    Ava was surprised by the tone of voice he used on her. Mr Adams was known to be strict to everybody in thepany irrespective of personal rtionships, so what was this? Him Calling Ava dear waspletely new or let¡¯s say alien in Ava¡¯s ears.


    ¡± Mr Adams, I was calling to inquire about my apartment, why is my gate padlock changed?¡± Irrespective of his earlier tone, Ava still asked the question she intended to ask.


    ¡± I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Mr Adams denied outrightly.


    ¡°What joke are you ying on me? Thepany provided a house for me after I signed my contract with blue ocean. I haven¡¯t yet retired nor is my contract void, so how do you go back on your words?¡±


    ¡± Miss Ava, I sincerely Know nothing about that. The moment I signed that contract, you are no longer under blue ocean entertainment for the next six months. Everything about you is now managed by the Johnstonpany and that includes your house.¡± The CEO replied.


    ¡°So you sold me to anotherpany? Just like that?¡± Ava questioned her voice turning cold. For a minute there, Mr Adams felt like he was talking to that handsome devil but he soon recovered after hearing the voice of a woman.


    ¡± Don¡¯t make it sound so ugly, do you think I had a choice from the beginning. It was never a request but amand. Blue ocean is a smallpany, do you think we have the guts to go against the legendary Johnston family? That¡¯s just akin to signing a death warranty. Miss Ava, you should know that this is no longer about you. It¡¯s about all the thousands of employees who get their daily bread from the blue ocean. It¡¯s about thepany I used half of my life to build. It¡¯s about my family and poor children. Mr Johnston threatened that if you don¡¯t sign the contract in the next forty eight hours, thepany will cease to exist. Think about how many people will lose their daily bread. Think of my poor children who will be forced to roam the streets hungry and without a roof over their heads. You know how it is to be hungry and without something to eat Miss Adams. Think about it and give me you answer tonight.¡± With that he dropped the call. Yes, the mighty CEO of blue ocean entertainment resulted in using emotional ckmail to get Ava to sign that contract. It¡¯s not like what he said wasn¡¯t true but he also knew it wasn¡¯t good to use someone¡¯s weaknesses to make them do your bidding. He was desperate, desperate to save hispany, his marriage, his family and the poor workers. He was desperate to save the effort he put in for years to build the now Blue ocean entertainmentpany.


    Mr Adams also knew that only Ava Adams could save them from impending doom. Only she was their saviour.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    Ava who had listened to each and every word Mr Adams had said stood rooted in ce.  One day, her parents were in this exact situation. Her parents were like any regr parents. They didn¡¯t own apany but a small bakery. Her father and mother worked in the bakery together to support the family. Their family was happy together with the little they had until one day a group of men approached their Small bakery demanding payment for whatever they called security payment. Their father had threatened them that if they didn¡¯t stoping to collect money from them and leave immediately, he would report them to the police. Those men hadughed and after that shot her mother and father right in front of her eyes.


    She wasn¡¯t in the vicinity so those men had failed to see her and that¡¯s how she got saved. She had watched silently as her parents¡¯ bodies turned cold before her eyes and she couldn¡¯t do anything. Ava was just fifteen years old and with nobody else to call family. Life had turned to be tough on her. She had to drop out of school and start working to support herself. She can¡¯t recall how many times she slept hungry or slept on the streets on rainy or chilly nights. The memory is still engraved in her mind like it happened yesterday. Ava thought that at this moment, even her dignity didn¡¯t matter anymore as long as she could save  someone from sleeping with a grumbling stomach or having to seek shelter from buildings at night. If signing that contract could save it all, she¡¯ll take it as an act of sacrifice, a way to repay Mr Adams for changing her life by offering her a Job at hispany. Yes, he was the one who took away from the slums serving as a waitress in a local food kiosk and signed her under Blue ocean entertainment. It might have been a selfish act of wanting to use her to make money but to Ava, it was a blessing.

 16

    Having made the decision, Ava turned back and started walking back to the house she had escaped from. She had two thoughts in mind, save what could be saved and give him another chance. If he treated her a little better, she was willing to let it go and start afresh with him. Just then, he phone rang. She was exhausted from all the walking earlier and then the emotional turmoil she just went through but she still epted the call.


    ¡± Hello?¡± She knew exactly who was calling. Was he calling to perhaps gloat at her? She hoped not. She was in no mood for that shit now.


    ¡°You sound tired.¡± Ronald said, his voice full of concern.


    ¡± Tired or not, that¡¯s none of your business.¡± Ava replied immediately, her voice full of irritation and impatience.


    ¡± That¡¯s where you are getting it all wrong Ava, everything about you is my business, you are mine Ava, always remember that.¡± Ronald dered possessively. He didn¡¯t want to argue with her, he just wanted to have a decent talk with her but why was she making things hard for both of them?


    ¡± Am not an item to be possessed by Ronald.¡± Ava said tiredly. This whole conversation was draining her energy.


    ¡± I never said you were an item, I only want you to know that only I can be your man. I am the only person who has rights over you.¡± Ronald dered.


    ¡°¡®Are you confessing to me now? Don¡¯t you think you are toote?¡± Ava asked, a glint of mischief shing in her hazel eyes.


    ¡± What do you mean I amte? I  Am warning you Ava, if I ever find you with a man, I swear to you that I¡¯ll First cut him to pieces and feed him to the dogs then as for you, oh Ava dear, you wouldn¡¯t like what I¡¯ll do to you.¡± Ronald said sinisterly, his words scaring the hell out of Ava and burning to ashes her earlier n of teasing him.


    ¡± Whatever!¡± He was such a party pooper. Couldn¡¯t he stomach at least a few jokes.


    ¡± You are going back to the house now, I am sending you my driver to pick you up, don¡¯t walk.¡± He instructed, his words leaving no room for negotiation.


    ¡± Wait, what about my clothes zi need to pick a few things from my house.¡± She negotiated.


    ¡± No need, I¡¯ll apany youter to your house, now be a good girl and go home to wait for your husband.¡± Ronald said, a smile gracing his beautiful face. His ever stone faced face looked better when smiling, that¡¯s what his assistant thought when he entered the office to be met by his boss¡¯s smiling face.


    He disconnected the call and his face turned to normal cold and scary.


    Ava waited and in a few minutes, a car was parked right before where she stood scrolling through her phone. She had earlier nned to call her friends and inform them of her current situation but gave up on the Idea almost immediately. She couldn¡¯t always trouble her friends with her own issues, besides they were busy with their own things.


    Miranda was still dealing with the aftermaths of her scandal from three weeks ago which surprisingly hadn¡¯t stopped hitting the headlines. Thinking about it, Ava figured out that maybe there was more into the story. Someone must be fanning the mes as she watched with glee.


    Lucia on the other hand was busy with her summer fashion show. This was the time of the year when Lucia was as scarce as a frying pan on Christmas day. Stacy on the other hand had gone overseas for a medical conference which would besting a week so practically, she was the free one.


    The driver stepped out and opened the door to the back passenger seat to Ava who had epted the kind gesture with a simple thank you earning herself some marks from Ronald¡¯s driver.


    Without saying a word, the driver drove towards Ronald¡¯s mansion. All this time, Ava was thinking how within a span of hours, her life took a turn. This morning, She woke up with the intention of going to work but now here she was , going to a man¡¯s house to live with him.


    Residing to her fate, she decided that whatever the future holds for them, for her, she¡¯ll take it and embrace it.


    Ronald, who was still seated in his office, couldn¡¯t concentrate on his work anymore. The office all of sudden started being suffocating. Tugging his tie off, he called Justin his best friend.


    ¡± How¡¯s our Mafia Lord doing, it¡¯s so rare for you to call me at this time.¡± Justin said immediately after he received the call.


    ¡± You talk too much.¡± Ronald scolded not in the mood for Justin teasing.


    ¡± Something the matter? You sound lost.¡± Justin inquired seriously. It was very rare of him to hear Ronald sound so¡­ worried?¡­ lost? He couldn¡¯t quite ce his finger on that emotion disyed by Ronald.


    ¡°I found her.¡± Ronald started.


    ¡°¡®And?¡± Justin asked.


    ¡± I found a way to take her to my house.¡±Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡± And that way? I just hope you didn¡¯t force her?¡± Justin.


    ¡°Of Course not, oh well I didn¡¯t drag her there but I pulled some strings to achieve that.¡± Ronald defended himself.


    ¡± I don¡¯t believe you. What did you do Ronald? She¡¯s not one of your everyday targets in business that you have to indirectly Force her to do your bidding. She¡¯s the woman you Love for crying out loud. She¡¯s your special one, your better half. You should have used gentle methods and took it slowly.¡± Justin berated his Best friend, sometimes he wondered if he reasoned with his dick. How could he treat the woman he loved like just any other of his businesses.


    ¡± Cut the crap with being gentle, I don¡¯t know what gentleness means besides what has taken things slowly to help you? Ha! Staying with a woman you like in a house for weeks and you dare not make a move? Isn¡¯t that being a coward?¡± Ronald said tauntingly.

 17

    ¡± My situation with Miranda is different from yours Ron, besides how did it change to be about me?¡± Justin asked mortified. That guy Ronald had a way to get to his nerves.


    ¡± Nothing is different Justin, you are just being a coward. What? The country¡¯s casanova is now scared of women?¡± Ronald jabbed him More.


    ¡± I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore, just a piece of advice bro, women don¡¯t like to be forced when ites to matters of the heart. Continue with whatever you are doing and don¡¯te to me crying that she left you, I am warning you.¡± Justin said and dropped the call. He couldn¡¯t continue talking with that Savage guy. He had a way to rub salt to his already open wounds.


    Ronald chuckled after Justin hung up on him. It wasn¡¯t his intention to taunt him, not at all. Being friends for years with him, Ronald could proudly say he knew Justin More than even how his parents knew him. He knew that the reputation he had earned for himself was nothing but a facade he used so thatizens could not question his sexual orientation. That doesn¡¯t mean Justin was gay, no, he was the type of man who would date only once in his life. He was the kind of man who valued rtionships and marriage. He was the kind of man who would only marry for love.


    Ronald also knew that Lambert Lady was the First woman who had caught Justin¡¯s attention. What he couldn¡¯t understand was why even after weeks were gone, he hadn¡¯t made a move on her? Him taunting Justin was meant to serve as the little push his friend needed to approach the woman he was interested in. He hoped that Justin could finally get the love he has always been craving for. He might be a prince yes, but that did not mean he got to be pampered and spoiled rotten. On the contrary, if there¡¯s something Justincked in his life was parental love. His father being the king of the country Left him busy with State affairs to have enough time for his son. He had also lost his biological mother at a young age and didn¡¯t get along with the king¡¯s second wife.


    His friend has always longed to experience the kind of love that existed between his parents. Who in the whole country did not know that the king was still in love with the dead queen? It was also known that the king married the new queen just because the country needed a Queen. Those close to the king will also tell you that ever since the king married the queen, he had never stepped foot in her Chambers. His heart belonged to his former Queen.


    But in this world it was hard to find such pure and honest love but Justin still believed that it woulde his way. Ronald himself wished for the same thing. Despite his own parents being old, they still Loved each other. After Ronald reached twenty years, his father Peter Johnston had retired from the mafia world, took his wife and started touring the world together. It has been eight years and for those years, he can count with his fingers how many times he saw his parents.


    The couple decided to tour the world together. Eight years, eight different countries. Since their son was grown up and they had nothing else tying them down here, as his father always said, he decided to fulfil a promise he had made to his wife when they were young. Truth is he envied his parents a lot. He also wished he could have her by his side always but also knew that it could bring her unnecessary trouble so he held on for twelve years but not anymore.


    Ronald was determined to keep her by his side by peace by force. He remembered how he had met her.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    shback


    Fourteen years ago.


    He had been sent on a mission, his first ever mission downtown. He was going to assassinate a drug lord who had been terrorising the residents there and forcing people to act as human transporters for his drugs. He had managed to silently kill that bastard but his subordinates discovered him and chased after him.


    He could have gotten himself killed if it was not for the little girl who pulled him to a small house that looked like a child¡¯s yroom.  Inside the small room was a small bed which he was forced to hide beneath until those men went away.


    ¡± I should go now.¡± He had informed her when he thought the coast was clear.


    ¡± You should wear this otherwise they¡¯ll catch you.¡± The girl had said, passing him a cute Pink dress.


    ¡± I am a boy, how can I wear that?¡± Ronald had asked her.


    ¡± Exactly why you should wear it. Those bad guys usually check out everyone entering or leaving the neighbourhood, if you go with your clothes, you will be discovered.¡± The little Ava reasoned.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Although reluctantly, Ronald had still picked the dress. There was some sense in her words and now his gun was not loaded so he couldn¡¯t risk being discovered.


    ¡± Okay, turn around, I want to change.¡± Ronald had instructed.


    ¡± Where do I turn to? This is a  doll¡¯s house, only one person can fit.¡± Ava had said.


    Resigning to his fate, Ronald had stripped his shirt and trousers while the curious Ava decided to fry his brain with questions.


    ¡± Hey brother, why is your pantie different from mine and why do you have something swelling in your panty? Are you injured?¡± The little devil asked, poking Ronald¡¯s little manhood.


    ¡± Stop it! What are you doing?¡± Ronald asked angrily shielding his little thing from being poked anymore but if you could watch him carefully, his ears had turned beet red.


    ¡± Why are you angry? I just wanted to see if you are injured. Dad said that if you are injured, you should treat it immediately to avoid infection.¡± Ava replied innocently. It was at this moment that Ronald realised that he might have overreacted.

 18

    ¡± Am sorry for shouting at you but do that next time, not everything you see is harmless, some are snakes and you might find yourself bitten.¡± Young Ronald had said seriously.


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll listen to big brother.¡± Ava replied.


    After changing his clothes, to a girly pinkish dress, Ronald took a one hundred and eighty degree transformation. The cold beauty before turned to a chubby little princess. Ava was really amazed. ¡± You are so beautiful big brother.¡± She said her eyes worshipped the figurine before her. Ronald blushed hearing herpliments. He felt like a young bride who dressed purposely to attract attention and seek praises from her groom.


    ¡± I¡¯m leaving!¡± He dered. He had to leave because something about the little girl affected him. He was at the age of fourteen where boys started experiencing adolescence. He could feel something arise from the depths of his body. He concluded that the little innocent girl was toxic to his body.


    ¡± Wait! You haven¡¯t told me your name.¡± Ava shouted from her doll house when her big bro was leaving.


    ¡± I¡¯ll tell you when we meet next, thank you!¡±Ronald said and walked away or should we say he practically ran away. From that day, Ronald would visit her from time to time and only watch her from far. He had turned too possessive of her that he would threaten any male species that darede near her. From that day in the small doll house, he had already dered her as his future.


    He hade to his hideout one day and found her missing, after asking around, he was told she was taken to the vige to stay with her grandmother over the school holiday. Without thinking of the repercussions, he had brought a few of his men to the vige to see her but who would have thought that his location would be leaked and an attackunched? It was there that he was forced to reveal his ugly side to her, not that he wished to hide it, he just wanted her to know in due time but life was no follower to people¡¯s wishes. He had been forced to kill before her eyes just to save her.


    Ronald could still remember the look of fear she had in her eyes when she saw him covered in blood. Until now, he still regrets making an abrupt decision to visit her, if something ever happened to her, he didn¡¯t know how to continue living.


    sh back ends


    Ronald picked his car keys and strode out of the office. He couldn¡¯t concentrate on work knowing that his beauty was waiting for him at home. His excitement to see her could level a groom¡¯s first visit to their Chambers after marriage. The drive home lessened with fifteen minutes on a normal day. The gates to the mansion opened automatically for him and he drove in. Parking the car, he half walked half run to the house and the sight that met him made his heart skip a beat and brain fried.


    Laying on the sofa was his Ava wearing only one of his t-shirts that covered barely anything. He could see her nipples poking the T-shirt sending an invitation to him to suck them dry. The T-shirt was long enough to cover her private areas but made no effort to cover those milky thighs.


    ¡® oh Lord, help me!¡¯ Ronald yed inwardly. At this moment, he was damn sure that just a little more push and he¡¯ll bend her over that couch and m his already hardened d**k to her cunt.


    Ava watched each and every reaction he gave her with satisfaction. Yes, she decided to tease him. If he thought he was in control forcing her to stay by his side, then he was disappointed. By the time she is done with him, he¡¯ll be crawling on his fours begging her. She loved it when she was in control.


    ¡± Wee home Boss.¡± Ava said, dragging thest word that it left Ronald imagining naughty things. He wondered how it would feel for Ava to call him that while he worked on her.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Ava?¡±: Ronald called but Ava ignored him.


    ¡± As your loyal servant, I prepared lunch for us. I figured out you¡¯ll being and just as expected, here you are Ronald,e over.¡± She said, sending a wink to him as she sashayed to the kitchen, her hips swaying from Left to right.


    Ronald followed her movements with his eyes. He was damn sure she was teasing him and god! It was working. He could feel his trousers tightening from the impact of his hardened manhood. He was not sure if he could restrain himself for longer. All his life, he has never felt attracted to any woman like he felt with Ava. People thought in his line of work he must have encountered lots of women, which was true. Ronald had met countless women, sexy, seductive, bitches, beautiful, virgins but not a single one excited him. He wouldpare them with his Ava and conclude that not a single one was like his Ava.   He had also sworn to never touch ady who was not Ava. That¡¯s how loyal he was. But now seeing his woman tease him so repeatedly, he could only curse and pray that the day ends without him doing unthinkable things to her.


    ¡± Ronald! What are you thinking about? I have been calling you.¡± Ava¡¯s sweet and melodious voice arose from his stupor.


    ¡± It¡¯s nothing!¡± He curtly replied. Oh well, he couldn¡¯t tell her he was thinking about what he can do to her right?


    ¡± Are you sure?¡± Ava asked, eyeing him suspiciously. He was such a hard liar.


    ¡± Yes, let¡¯s eat.¡± Ronald then stepped away from her and walked to the dining table. He had to keep as much distance as possible from her because she was a raw temptation and he was afraid of getting tricked like how Adam was swindled eternity by a woman. Ronald could now agree that women are dangerous species.

 19

    ¡± Run my little kitten, run! Soon enough, I¡¯ll have you where I want you to be.¡± Ava thought with a smirk. She wondered how long he¡¯ll have to escape her? Will hest long before sumbing to the temptation? ? She¡¯ll Just wait and watch.


    If he wants to y, then she¡¯ll y along. ¡® two can y this game Ronald.¡¯ Ava thought, taking her seat.


    The two ate their lunch in silence. Ronald enjoyed everything his woman had prepared for him. He could even taste love in the dishes or was that ridiculous? He wished that the rest of his days could be spent just like this. He and Ava, seated together, sharing everything in life together.


    ¡± When are we going to pick your stuff from your house?¡± Ronald asked. It would do him good if Ava could wear at least a dress. That could cover her a little More. ¡± What¡¯s the hurry? I find your clothesfortable.¡± Ava¡¯s reply came with a subtle wink.


    ¡± You can¡¯t be going to thepany wearing my clothes.¡± Ronald reasoned out loud, the truth was he just couldn¡¯t stomach another person seeing Ava like this.


    ¡± Okay, I will goter. I need to rest now.¡± Ava said, pouting. What¡¯s wrong with him? Can¡¯t he see that she was in mission mode? ¡® mission seducing my boss¡¯


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll head upstairs so you can rest.¡± Ronald said and dashed upstairs not wanting to spend one more minute with her. Ronald admonished himself. Why was he even acting like a scaredy cat? It¡¯s not like Ava was some carnivorous animal? Wasn¡¯t he the one who fought tooth and nail to bring her to his house? Then what exactly changed? Wasn¡¯t he a hypocrite calling Justin coward? Wasn¡¯t he the Coward now? He could only sigh and shake his head for his absurdity.


    Stripping his clothes, he entered the bathroom. His aim was to take a cold bath and relieve himself. His c**k had been hurting like shit. He was damn sure if things continued this way, he was bound to have blue balls.


    Ava who had watched Ronald running upstairs with a smirk tiptoed upstairs and into Ronald¡¯s room. Shefortablyid herself on the bed and pretended to sleep but the anticipation of seeing how Ronald would react seeing her in his bed wouldn¡¯t let her sleep. Thirty minutester, Ronald was done showering and stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.


    He was so engrossed in drying himself that he did not notice the intruder in his room. Walking to his closet, he pickedfy cks and a t-shirt. He removed his towel casually and disappointment hit Ava. She was expecting him to be naked underneath so that she can have an eye feast of his toned body and butt.


    ¡® ! Why are you so disappointing? ¡® shemented but Ronald smirked inwardly. He was a mafia Lord so how could he not feel the presence of another person in his room. Since she wanted to be sneaky, he¡¯ll entertain her.


    After he finished dressing, he walked back to the bed maintaining a straight face to mask the excitement he felt seeing her in his bed. ¡± What are you doing here? ¡± He asked tly.


    ¡± To rest of course, why else would I be here?¡± Ava retorted, bouncing the question back to him.


    ¡± I don¡¯t know, you tell me.¡± Ronald said, pissing Ava.


    ¡± I said I wanted to rest so here I am resting.¡±


    ¡± You can rest anywhere, why in my room?¡±


    ¡± I happen to like this room the most,¡± she replied, smirking at him, then without warning, pulled Ronald to herself.¡± Now lie with me, don¡¯t be such a dick.¡± Ava said.


    ¡± Is that an invitation?¡± He asked, looking directly into her eyes. Looking at him at such a close range, Ava realised that the Man before her was a piece of art. He had the most beautiful silver orbs she has ever seen. It was very rare to find someone with silver coloured eyes. His jaws were well sculpted not to mention his sharp nose bridge. His eyshes were thick causing Ava to be jealous of him. Out of reflex, Ava found herself trailing her fingers in his face admiring each and every part of his angel-like features.


    ¡± You are very beautiful.¡± She said, still in a daze. Those words brought Ronald back to fourteen years ago.


    ¡± Tell me Ava, do you remember me? Do you remember how we First met?¡± He found asking the question involuntarily but still yearned to hear her reply.


    ¡± You mean three weeks ago or twelve years ago?¡± Ava replied with another question.


    ¡± I mean fourteen years ago, you were ten years old by then.¡± Ronald replied and could see the confusion in her mind disyed in her eyes.


    ¡® she didn¡¯t remember,¡¯ he concluded.


    ¡± I First saw you back at the vige when you saved me from¡­ from¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Thinking of it gives her the chills.


    ¡± That was the second time we saw each other.¡± Ronald cut her short.


    ¡± Really? I don¡¯t remember ever meeting you before that day.¡± She replied, still confused.


    ¡± Forget about it if you don¡¯t remember .¡± He said Ava still sensed the disappointment in his voice but she wouldn¡¯t dwell on the past, she wanted to know what was awaiting for them in the future.C0pyright ? 2024 N?v)(elDrama.Org.


    ¡± Now it¡¯s my time to ask you questions, Ronald.¡± Ava said.


    ¡± Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Ronald said, smiling at her.


    ¡± Don¡¯t try and change the subject Ron, I want to Know why you brought me here? Don¡¯t give me the shit of it¡¯s business, I won¡¯t buy that.¡± Ava asked, looking him straight in the eye.


    ¡± What did you just call me Ava?¡± Ronald asked, leaving Ava puzzled.


    ¡± Ron?¡± Ava said not so sure what he was asking about.


    ¡± Do you know how sweet it soundsing from you? Damn it, I am getting a hard on just hearing that.¡± Ronald said.


    ¡± Come on Ron , I am being serious here.¡± Ava facepalmed. Of all things she said, was that the only thing he heard?

 20

    ¡°Call me that once More Ava, I swear you wouldn¡¯t know how I stripped you and buried my c**k deep inside your p*say.¡± Ronald threatened making Ava swallow heavily. There¡¯s something about his threat that turned her on more than scaring her.


    ¡± And about your question earlier, I think you already know what it is that I want Ava.¡± He seriously said looking straight into her eyes, baring his heart to her to either take care or trample on it. Ronald, the formidable Mafia king who was feared by people, whose enemies will shiver upon seeing him, was now showing his woman that he was at her Mercy. That before her, he was no King, he was just a regr man begging to be loved back by the only person he ever loved in his life.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    His gaze was enough to drench Ava¡¯s knickers with her sex juices. She thought she was in control but damn, she was so wrong about that, he was still in control, in control of her heart, her body, her reactions. Twelve yearster and the sight of him was awakening something she never thought she could feel. Yes, for the first time in her twenty fours of existence, her sex throbbed with need, aching¡­ begging him to take her and fill her hole with his cock.


    ¡± Are we okay now? I mean the contract¡­¡±


    ¡± You still have to sign the contract Ava¡­ It¡¯s necessary.¡± Ronald interrupted her question.


    ¡± Why is it necessary? I already agreed with us, do you want to insist on purchasing me as somemodity?¡± Anger filled her hazel orbs. She thought they had walked past that. She willingly agreed to be with him so why would he need that damn contract? Was he hell-bent on ruining things just after they settled them?


    ¡± Listen to me Ava, I don¡¯t want to buy you, I  will never do that. The reason I offered that contract was my way of freeing you from your work from the time being. I wanted to spend the six months with you. after that I¡¯ll let you make a decision on what you want to do in the future. Whether you want to go back to your career or change to something. Truth is I would prefer you change your career altogether. I hate seeing you almost naked with countless eyes gawking what is mine.¡± Ronald exined. All his life, he never needed to exin why he did something. His words were treated like orders and no one, absolutely no one was allowed to question his words, yet here he was. Exining himself to her.


    He knew that she was an independent woman and could make her own decisions and would never Love to be controlled, that¡¯s why he was exining himself, not to be taken for a controlling freak.


    Ava smiled after hearing his exnation. It seems she misunderstood him. Ava could see his anxiousness as he awaited her to reply to his long speech.


    ¡± Okay, I understand. Sorry for misunderstanding.¡±


    ¡± No need to be. I know I have been forceful since we met again but I didn¡¯t know any other way to bring you by my side, forgive me.¡± She could sense the sincerity in his voice and that alone warmed her heart.


    ¡± Why did it take you so long toe find me?¡± Ava asked, pouting lightly.


    ¡± You were waiting for me all along? Is it why you never had a boyfriend?¡± Ron said with a mischievous smile on his face to which Ava nodded shyly. She saw no need to hide that from him, after all it was the truth.


    ¡± Does that mean I¡¯ll be the one to pop the cherry?¡± Ronald asked, grinning foolishly. He couldn¡¯t believe his luck. His woman had been waiting for him to take her to the magical garden of Eden, to experience their little heavens on Earth together.


    ¡± You told me I was yours alone.¡± Ava replied. The bold Ava before lunch was no longer, she was reced by a shy little bride waiting for her newly wedded bride in their Chambers.


    ¡°My woman is so loyal. I never thought you took what I said seriously.¡± Ron said, taking Ava¡¯s knuckles and cing a chaste kiss on each of them earning a blush from Ava.


    ¡± What about you? How many women have you served?¡± Ava asked usingly, making Ronaldugh. Her eyes were more like seducing him than ring at him. He knew he was crazy thinking that. Seeing himugh so carelessly, Ava couldn¡¯t believe that this was the same man she met in the morning. They were like cat and dog arguing this morning but here they were now, sharing a bed and being all lovey dovey. He seemed like apletely different man from the one she saw in the morning. He was even sexier with this calm and careless demure.


    ¡± Why are youughing? I asked you a question.¡± Ava reminded him.


    ¡± If I say I have never bedded any woman in my life, would you believe me?¡± Ronald asked, looking straight to her face, his eyes boring through her heart to identify any mistrust from him. ¡± You want to say you are a virgin? At this age?¡± Ava asked, mouth hung up low.


    ¡± Why? Is it a sin to be a virgin at my age? If my wife is a virgin? Why can¡¯t I?¡± Ronald flooded her with questions wondering why she made that face.


    ¡± No reason, it¡¯s just that people say that a virgin man past twenty five was either sick or poor in bed.¡± Ava blurted out loud but regretted it the next moment because Ronald pressed his body to hers and she could feel something hard and hot poking her abdomen.


    ¡± I don¡¯t have a problem with my dick and if you want, we could test and see if I am poor in bed.¡± Ronald whispered in her ear, blowing some warm breath to her ears. Ava shivered and could feel another release of sex juices wet her knickers. Oh dear!

 21

    Today, Miranda woke up in high spirits. She washed her face and made her way downstairs. She went straight to the kitchen to make them breakfast. Today, She was in high spirits and decided to do what she does whenever she wakes up this excited, Make a new dish.


    Those who knew Miranda knew that she was a disaster when it came to cooking, okay let¡¯s not exaggerate things. She knew atleast how to prepare noodles and some fried eggs but that was where her skills exceeded.


    Everytime she entered the kitchen, her friends would tease her if she¡¯s going to concote poison. But Miranda had one policy in life, practice makes it perfect, that¡¯s what her grandfather would always tell her so she decided to practise that policy in honing her cooking skills.


    She of course didn¡¯t leave behind her co- Cook, her phone. That¡¯s where she¡¯ll be getting her new recipe. Opening her cooking app, age browsed through what could be perfect for breakfast. She was also doing this to thank thed upstairs who had amodated her for the past few weeks withoutining. She knew that she had acted bitchy whenever she was angry but he never for onceined. She also knew that she was intolerable at times but he stomached it all. She would make him a delicious breakfast to serve as her thank you and apology.


    ¡± Found it!¡± She said happily. She just came across the simple recipe of something notplicated. A bowl of rice porridge and steamed buns.


    Following the recipe, one hourter the rice was ready and she was preparing to put the buns in the oven to Cook. She then prepared two cups of steaming hot coffee and added her specialty of fried eggs. The sweet Smell of something baking woke Justin from his sleep. After brushing his teeth and washing his face. He went downstairs to see what¡¯s cooking. Today, he was not working so he decided to sleep in just for today. But who would have thought that hisziness earned him free breakfast.


    ¡± Morning?¡± Miranda greeted him happily when she spotted him at the stairs. She was amidst arranging the table.


    ¡± Morning, what¡¯s the asion?¡± Justin asked. It was the First time he saw her prepare anything in this house after she arrived three weeks ago.


    ¡± Nothing serious, just thought of doing something for you. I know I have been such a bitch and all, I hope this meal Will serve as me saying sorry to you.¡± She replied and for the first time, Justin caught a fleeting emotion on her face other than her stone face she always wore before people. And then she smiled at him, making Justin hold his breath. He never knew that she could smile at all and that smile, oh go! It was driving him nuts.


    ¡± You look beautiful when you smile.¡± He said but regretted it the next minute. The magnificent and alluring smile he just Saw a second ago disappeared like it never existed. Her beautiful face was then reced by her usual emotionless look. He wondered what could have changed her to this kind of a person she was today. He was damn sure she wasn¡¯t like this always but he wouldn¡¯t let his curiosity get the better of him


    She was only here for protection which to him seemed absurd because the Miranda he had got to know these few weeks was someone who didn¡¯t need any protection. She was capable enough to protect herself. He had seen her train, seen her spar with some of his security details and was amazed to see her tackling two at a time and putting them down like they were some kids in school.


    ¡± Let¡¯s eat.¡± Her voice reminded him toe back to his senses. He¡¯ll seek answers from his best friend soon.


    Justin pulled a chair for himself and served porridge in his bowl and picked a bun. He eyed the scrambled eggs on the te and decided not to try them. They looked burned and he didn¡¯t want to get himself to the hospital from food poisoning. He brought the bun to his mouth and couldn¡¯t help but salivate at how inviting it appeared. He took a big bite intending to savour the taste of it. After all, it wasn¡¯t easy and every day he got to taste a beauty¡¯s cooking. His expressions, however, changed drastically after taking a single bite.


    He turned to look at Miranda who was eyeing him expectantly. He could only straighten his expressions and force his head to nod. To neutralise the salty taste, and I mean extreme salt, in the bun, he scooped the porridge and ate it thinking that at least his poor tongue would not suffer anymore but the next moment, he regretted that move. The contents in his mouth came flying out andnded on the bowl. At this point, he cared less about table manners. His tongue was as hot as the contents flowing out of the Menengai crater.


    He poured himself a ss of water at a threatening speed and gulped it down. After three sses of water, the burning sensation in his mouth lessened. He thenid on the table, exhausted. After seconds of calming himself down, he looked up to the culprit before him but the look of remorse shut him up. It seems that it wasn¡¯t intentional.


    ¡± Were you cooking for a horse maybe? That food is as good as poison Miranda.¡± Justin berated her gently.


    ¡± Am sorry, I was just trying to make you something good to apologise for my past behaviour, who could have thought I¡¯ll make things worse.¡± Miranda said guilty.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay, just don¡¯t enter the kitchen again. Leave all the cooking to me.¡± Justin said.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Now what do we eat? I spent the whole morning cooking. Am sure I followed every step they wrote.¡± Miranda said.


    ¡± What? You cooked following online recipes?¡± Justin asked surprised.


    ¡± How else do I cook? I never Cook so I don¡¯t know how?¡± Miranda defended herself, surprising Justin even more.

 22

    ¡± I can¡¯t believe you. At this age, you don¡¯t know how to cook?¡± Justin asked even though knowing his question was gender biassed.


    ¡± What? Who said a Lady must know her way in the kitchen because she¡¯s ady? Which primitive era are you still living in? Miranda questioned angrily. His question poked a sore spot on her heart. Among the reasons Carlos rejected her was because as a woman, she didn¡¯t know how to cook. He had asked her how she would take care of him then?


    ¡± I didn¡¯t mean it that way Miranda.¡± Justin tried to mend the situation but Miranda ignored him and removed her phone to order take out.


    Justin mastered all the courage he had to appease her. He can still feel his blood boil after Ronald used him of being a coward. He could take such insults lying down. It¡¯s not just that they knew it was about time he confessed to her how he felt about her.


    Walking to her side, he hugged her from the back tightly enveloping her in his embrace. ¡± I would never say anything to hurt you Mira.¡± He said softly.


    ¡± Do you also think like him?¡± Miranda suddenly asked, confusing Justin.


    ¡± Him? Who?¡± He wondered out loud.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡± Do you also think like Carlos? The guy I courted? He said that as ady I couldn¡¯t cook so I was incapable of taking care of him. Is that all they look for in women? Her abilities in the kitchen? Is that what we are worth in the eyes of men? A servant to take care of their masters?¡± Miranda asked, although Justin couldn¡¯t see her face, he was sure she had a pained expression on her face. The way she asked the questions spelt nothing but pain. He cursed whoever made her feel this way. He could feel the degrading self worth.


    ¡± I don¡¯t know about others but I can tell you that I believe a man and a woman shouldpliment each other. Do not let whatever he said doubt what you are worth Miranda because to me, you are a queen, a queen am willing to worship even the grounds she steps on. Who cares whether you don¡¯t know how to cook, I can always cook for us. Even though I am not perfect and in my imperfections, my better half shouldplete me. That¡¯s why a Man exists with a woman beside him.¡± He moved and now he was facing her.


    ¡± Please Miranda, give me the chance to be with you, I like you, scratch that, I love you. I loved you the moment you kissed me and fled away. At that moment my mind screamed to me that you are the one for me. You are the one I want to share this life with. You are the one I want to wake up to every morning beside. You are the one I wanna share my bed with. Miranda, you are the one u wanna take home to my parents and proudly announce to you as the love of my love. It¡¯s only you I want to see walking down the aisle,ing to me dressed in all White. So Miranda Lambert, will you give me the honour to apany you for the rest of our lives?¡±


    Justin trained his eyes on her, looking straight to her face so that she could see the seriousness in his words.


    ¡± Justin¡­¡±


    ¡± Please don¡¯t Miranda. Don¡¯t deny me the chance to make you happy. I just want to see you smile for me. Allow me to brighten up your world. I don¡¯t know what happened that caused the change in you but please, allow me to heal you with my love. Allow me to get entangled in your life. I swear to spend my life making you happy and loving you.¡± Justin cut her short. He knew she wanted to throw him the excuse of giving me time to think but that was not what he wanted to hear. It was his first time falling in love and definitely thest and he couldn¡¯t take no for an answer.


    Miranda stared carefully at the Man standing before her, she scrutinised him like an eagle to detect any lies in his words but couldn¡¯t find any. Don¡¯t get her wrong, it¡¯s not like she didn¡¯t trust him. On the contrary, she trusted him as much as she trusted her friends but this was about her future, their future and she couldn¡¯t afford to make any wrong or rash decisions. For the first time, she decided to throw caution to the wind. There was nothing wrong with trying if it could work. Miranda was also aware that she had a thing for Justin. At that moment she had kissed him, she had felt the spark. It was strong and unyielding. She can¡¯t count how many times she found herself in a daze fantasising about that one kiss and wishing for more. She was clear that she had been swallowed by abbyss called Love. That¡¯s why they say falling in love because the moment you fall, it messes up everything including your sanity.  Here She was, standing before a man ready to make a decision that will either build her or break her to pieces.


    ¡± Okay.¡± She replied with one word but that one word was Justin¡¯s verdict. Any other person couldin why after saying too much she replied with one word but definitely not Justin. He was thankful that the answer he had been waiting for finally graced his ears. It was okay if she was poor with words, he was there by her side. She needn¡¯t talk and anything her heart ever desired would be brought for her.


    ¡± Thanks so much my love, you will never regret choosing me, I will never give you the reason to regret this Mira.¡± Justin said, pulling her towards himself. He hasn¡¯t been this happy for a long time. He felt like everything was unreal but having Miranda in his arms confirmed everything.

 23

    Week¡¯s passed by and the rtionship between Justin and Miranda continued to grow. Even though they couldn¡¯t go public, that did not stop Justin from spoiling his woman and showing her just how much he loved her, how much important she was in his life. The news about Miranda died down after Ava announced publicly that she will be working exclusively for the Johnstonpany and will not take jobs for the next six months. They say that a scandal covers another in the entertainment industry and that¡¯s what happened in Miranda¡¯s case.


    She could finally Walk free on the streets and to her office but Justin being the protective man he was did not allow her to go alone. He made sure that she was apanied by a few bodyguards. The funniest thing is that even after everything settled, Miranda did not leave his house. Why? Because Justin practically begged her not to and Miranda gave in. Truth is even she was reluctant to leave his side. He had been nothing but good and caring towards her. You could say apart from her grandfather, Justin was the second man who treated her like she¡¯s someone special.


    Today, they had nned to have a date. Justin had promised to take her out and instructed her to wear something sexy for him. Miranda had called Lucia, her best friend who was a designer, and requested a dinner dress be sent to her office. She highlighted that it should be sexy. Even though her friend teased her endlessly, she still did as requested. So now, here she was, in front of a mirror in herpany¡¯s restroom meant for her. She was looking at the reflection on the mirror and couldn¡¯t quite believe that the woman in the mirror was actually her.


    This was the First time Miranda was wearing something like this.  All her life, she never had the luxury to enjoy Life like any normal child. She was trained to be the protector of the crown. From birth, her life was never hers. She was born with the mission to die protecting the royal family. Her grandfather was also a royal protector and died in the line of duty. What was strange was that, eight years after her grandfather¡¯s death, nobody from the royal family contacted her. Yes, she knew the rules, those from the royal family remained hidden. Only the Prime Minister was known to the public. It may sound weird but that was a policy meant to protect the royal family from their enemies. She wondered if dating Justin was eptable but pushed those thoughts immediately. Since the royal family was in no threat, she will take this time and experience life, when duty calls, she¡¯ll respond to it but for now, she just wanted to spend this moment with the Man she loved.


    A ding from her phone interrupted her train of thoughts. She picked up the phone and read the message.


    ¡® downstairs waiting for my queen.¡¯ It read. Miranda smiled at that. He was a simple man and though rich did nothing special to express his love for her. He was very simple and Miranda loved this simplicity.


    Picking up her purse, she strolled out of the room and out of the office. It was seven in the evening so everybody had Left thepany except a few security details taking patrols around thepany.


    Miranda boarded the elevator and pressed the underground button. For privacy, the two lovebirds use the underground parking lot whenever Justin drops her to work or picks her from work.


    The drive to the underground seemed longer than normal to Miranda, she was excited to see Justin and at the same time nervous about what he¡¯ll think of her dress. She heaved a sigh of relief when the elevator finally arrived and opened. Stepping down, she felt butterflies in her stomach upon seeing him. In front of her was the man she hase to love and depend on in all glory. Justin was wearing a navy blue suit which hugged his toned body perfectly. Looking at him, he was drool worthy. It was no wonder magazines featuring him would sell at a terrifying speed. The thought of other women seeing his sexy body brought a sour taste to her mouth.


    She didn¡¯t like it one bit. She nned to talk to him about changing his career in the near future. He was hers and hers alone. She will not allow just anybody to see his body, not even for work purposes. Justin watched as his woman stood at ce admiring him. This is what he loved about his woman, she was honest with her reactions when ites to him. He was also aware of the fact that Miranda appreciated his body a lot. It¡¯s not the first nor the second time she would roam her eyes all over his body with a look of appreciation. He smiled inwardly but saw her frowning immediately. Her frowns meant that she thought about something unpleasant and Justin racked his brains to see whether there¡¯s something he didtely to displease her but came up with nothing.


    And as if that frown was nothing but an imagination, it disappeared and she was back smiling at him, that one smile that rendered his body weak. He had noticed that ever since they started dating, Miranda would asionally smile More. She also didn¡¯t try to hide that she was happy. She was easy to please. Miranda was not the type of girl who needed fancy things to make her happy, Justin understood that. The things you would consider petty and simple in a rtionship was enough to paint a beautiful smile on her face. Money, jewellery and other luxurious things were unimpressive in her eyes, after all she was Miranda Lambert, the CEO of Lambert group. She was definitely loaded. Justin could proudly say that his woman was richer than him but that did not make him feel inferior, on the contrary, it  brought a feeling of pride to him.


    ¡± Hi?¡± Miranda greeted him awkwardly. She was never good with words that he knew but it Made her cute in his eyes.


    ¡± Hi my queen. How was your day?¡±


    ¡± Good, I guess.¡± Miranda.


    ¡± You guess?¡± Justin asked, cocking a brow at her but Miranda kept quiet.


    ¡± You look hot and sexy today.¡± Justin said and pulled her to himself and kissed her. It was a brief kiss but passionate. Miranda had lost count on how many times Justin kissed her these past few weeks but she liked it. His kisses were addictive, leaving you yearning for more.


    ¡± Thank you, you look good too.¡± Miranda replied after they broke apart.


    ¡± Just good?¡± Justin decided to tease her a little.


    ¡± And handsome.¡± She added.


    ¡± I only look handsome now?¡± Justin whined pouting.


    ¡± You always look handsome m¡± Miranda replied ever so seriously sending Justin to a feat ofughter. She was too cute. Howe She didn¡¯t realise he was only teasing her?


    ¡± Okay, let¡¯s go before we gette.¡± He said taking her hand and leading her to the car.


    ¡± I brought a driver today to drive because I want to spend the whole evening with you.¡± Justin said seriously, causing Miranda to blush.


    The two exchanged a few words with Justin doing the talking. Miranda would only reply with two or one word or just smile at Justin.


    Minutester, they arrived at their destination. ¡® Marble Arch hotel¡¯  was the name of the hotel the two will spend the evening at. The driver parked the car and Justin stepped down before circling the car to help Miranda down.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Due to the need for privacy, the manager of the hotel was already waiting for them at the lobby. He ushered them to the private elevator used by VIPs. They boarded the elevator and in no time, they arrived at the rooftop of the hotel.


    ¡± Everything is ready as you instructed.¡± The manager respectfully said and walked away after Justin dismissed him.


    ¡± Come.¡± Justin said, taking Miranda¡¯s hand and leading her towards the table erected in the middle of the rooftop.


    Miranda took in the appearance of the ce. The floor was covered with scattered rose petals. The table was arranged with red candles which were glowing red bringing about a romantic ambience to the air. At the far end, a live band was ying soothing and sweet melodies painting the whole atmosphere with passion. Miranda turned to look at the Man besides her and was greeted with the sight of her man, holding a single Rose at her.


    ¡± This is for you.¡± He said, handing the rose to her to which Miranda epted gratefully.


    ¡± My sun shines whenever I am with you¡± Justin added to which Miranda tranted to be the meaning of the single rose.


    ¡± Thank you.¡± She could only say that. She felt countless new emotions flooding her but she didn¡¯t Know how to express them. She felt like crying but forced those tears in. She can¡¯t cry at this point. That would ruin the night for them and that¡¯s thest thing She wanted.

 24

    Justin led Miranda to their chairs. He pulled a chair for her like the gentleman he was. After she was settled, he then took a seat on his own chair. On the table was a cake in the shape of the heart and a ss of wine.


    ¡± Today is our day Mira, let¡¯s enjoy and forget about all the troubles, just for tonight.¡± Justin said and Miranda nodded giving her approval.


    ¡± Come on, have a taste and tell me if you like it.¡± Justin encouraged her. The cake was inviting, making Miranda salivate. Taking her spoon, she scooped a little of the cake and ate it. She felt the cake melt in her mouth. It was soft and fluffy, just perfect.


    ¡± Mmm, it¡¯s good.¡± She replied.


    ¡± Then eat more. I ordered an appetiser, the main course will be here soon.¡±


    And true to his words, The main course arrived minutester. Medium cooked steak with fried broli toppings. The two lovers savoured the delicious meal together, asionally gazing and smiling at each other.


    After the meal, the two started sipping their red wine. Steak was no steak without a cup of red wine to apany it. They had a piece of chocte cake cake for dessert. Even if Miranda never said it, Justin knew she had a sweet tooth and cakes were her favourite. So he made sure to order her favourites tonight, after all it was a special day for the two of them.


    ¡± Thanks for everything, I appreciate it.¡± Miranda said, extending her hand over the table and grasping Justin¡¯s hand on the table.


    ¡± The night is still young, let¡¯s have a dance.¡± Justin said standing up, their hands still joined together.


    ¡± But I don¡¯t know how to dance.¡± Mirandained and that¡¯s The truth. While other girls were attending dance sses and music sses, Miranda was being trained with guns and knives and how to be the next Royal protector. Dancing was something alien in her world. After the death of her grandfather, she concentrated on running thepany and had no time to catch up with whatever she had missed in her childhood, not like she was interested. She never thought a day like this would evere, she¡¯ll be embarrassed by herck of dancing skills.


    ¡± No need to worry, I have got you covered. Just take my lead.¡± As much as he was disappointed, he didn¡¯t show it. Being a prince had garnered him a lot of skills with the exception of fighting.


    Taking her hand and cing it on his shoulder, he held her waist as they swayed to the music. At first, Miranda was very awkward and continuously stepped on his feet a bit as time moved on, she adjusted. She was a quick learner. One song, second song, the third song, they danced,fortable in each other¡¯s arms until Mirandained of her feet hurting. Then the music stopped and Miranda took that as a cue to go and rest but just as she turned to go away, She heard the sound of fireworks. She wondered who could be lighting fireworks in the middle of summer but turned to look anyway and what she saw took her breath away for a minute.


    ¡± MIRANDA LAMBERT, WILL YOU MARRY ME¡±


    Those were the words disyed by the firework. For a minute there, she doubted whether she was still sober. The alcohol may have messed up her mind. She had to pinch herself hard to confirm that she wasn¡¯t dreaming then the realisation hit her, this was no dream. Justin was really proposing to her. If someone was to tell her two months ago that she¡¯ll be getting a proposal, she¡¯ll probably brush it off as a wild imagination but here she was, looking at the sky painted her name in capitals.


    She then slowly turned to look at the Man standing behind her and was surprised yet again. Justin in all mighty was on one knee, holding a red velvet box which housed a beautiful but simple ring.


    ¡± Miranda, I am not the Man to keeps wasting time. The moment I fell in love with you was the moment I made the decision to make you my wife.  In this life, only you can be my wife and the mother of my children. I swear to love and protect you for as long as I live. I don¡¯t have anything fancy to offer to you but I can promise you my unwavering and unconditional Love. I don¡¯t know if forever exists but I promise you a forever together. So Mira will you grant me the honour of growing old by your side?¡±


    At that moment, Miranda felt like Justin destroyed everything after mentioning children. That¡¯s what she feared most. She didn¡¯t think she could ever be a good mother to her children because she dreaded the Idea.


    ¡± What if I don¡¯t want to have children?¡± Sfe opted to ask. She couldn¡¯t promise him that anyways. Justin was taken aback by her question but soon figured out that maybe she was scared of having children but that was no problem. He would help her ovee that.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to have children, we can adopt a few of them.¡± He said meaningfully.


    ¡± That¡¯s not it, I don¡¯t think I can make a good and reliable mother for them. I don¡¯t want to neglect them.¡± Miranda voiced her thoughts.


    So that¡¯s it? Justin pped inwardly. He had thought for a moment there She was scared of the process of giving birth itself, now it turns out she was most scared of parenting.


    ¡± I can assure you that you will be the best Mommy in the world.¡± Justin consoled her but deep inside he was drafting ways to make her pregnant immediately.


    It was until then he realised he was still kneeling and that his knees were getting numb. ¡± Am still waiting for your answer Miranda.¡±: Justin politely reminded her.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡± Yes, I¡¯ll MARRY YOU¡± she happily replied.


    ¡± Thanks alot sweetheart.¡± Justin said standing on his feet, slipping the ring on her ring finger and proceeded to seal the promise with a kiss. The kiss this time was long, passionate and demanding. Itsted for as long as they could hold in their breath.


    After their kiss, Justin led Miranda to the door exiting the top floor. The night had been long but enjoyable but it was time to rest now. He then informed Miranda that they¡¯ll Soon n to visit their parents to which Miranda replied that she didn¡¯t have any living members of her family. Justin still insisted that they visit their tombs so that he could pay his respect and ask for their hand in marriage. But who would have thought that that same day, he would uncover something he never knew about.


    After they arrived at the house, they bid each other goodbye. Despite being Lovers, the two never shared a room. They both slept in different rooms. Justin wanted to take things slow so he did not push her to move in with him, nevertheless, he would asionally sneak to her room and spend the night with her. She neverined nor kicked him out so he assumed it was fine with her. He would have loved to sleep by her side tonight but he knew he had to inform his father about the engagement before he heard it from someone else.


    Justin took a bath and sent a message to his father requesting for a video call. In no time, his father called him back. Justin was so excited to tell his father that finally he had found his better half. The two might not be exceptionally close but they shared everything about their life. To Justin his father was a buddy more than a dad.

 25

    The king was pleasantly surprised but happy at the same time. He had been worried that his son would not get a woman to love sooner if he still insisted on waiting for his other half. The reason why he married Early himself was because he and the former queen had been childhood sweethearts and proceeded to lovers at the age of eighteen and got married at twenty but his son¡¯s case was different. He had no interaction with the female gender. Justin was known for his passion in horse riding and hunting.


    ¡± I am happy for you my son and am sure whenever your mother is, she¡¯s proud of you.¡± His voice was full of pain and longing. Justin knew that his father was loyal to his wife but he also knew that too much pain could be poisonous.


    ¡± Father, why can¡¯t you just move on, it¡¯s been years?¡± He asked but regretted asking the next moment.


    ¡± If I were to ask you to forget about her, would you do it?¡± His father countered with a question that Justin knew the answer very well. No, even if his Miranda was no more, he could never see himself loving another woman just as much as he loves her.


    His silence was the answer his father sought for. ¡± You see, you aren¡¯t married yet but you can¡¯t picture a future without her. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you were still young and the country still needed me, I would have already followed your mother. Only by her side do I belong.¡± The King replied.


    ¡± Please father, don¡¯t say that.. not only the kingdom, even I need you so please stop saying such inauspicious things.¡± Justin pleaded.


    ¡± My son, I know as a father I have failed you. I was never the father you wanted me to be. I was absorbed in dealing with the country¡¯s matters and my grief over your mother that I neglected my fatherly duties. If there is a next life, I¡¯ll make it up to you¡­¡± His words were cut short by his violent coughing. Recently, the king¡¯s health started to deteriorate. The doctor¡¯s had said that the King was suffering from heartache and that no medical skills could cure him. When Justin received the news, he had silently wept. His father was the only person remaining as family and he didn¡¯t want to imagine the chaos that would cover thend Incase he died. He was the pir holding the State together and Justin also knew that he wasn¡¯t the right one to take the crown, he was never interested in state affairs but also knew that he had no choice. He was thest direct descendant to the throne and sooner orter, he¡¯ll have to stand in position as the next thing that he dreaded the most.


    ¡± My son, I know I don¡¯t have much time left. I can hear your mother calling me and the only thing that has been stopping me from joining her is your marriage. Now that you¡¯ve found her, hurry up and bring her home so I can give you my blessings. You should also consider retiring from your hobby and take State matters seriously. You are afterall the next King.¡± His father said in a weak voice.


    ¡± Okay father, I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± He has to. For his father to rest assured, he had to. For the sake of millions of people who depend on the Royal family for their safety, he can¡¯t allow the rebels to exploit his father¡¯s weak health as a loophole to attack the country.


    After the father and son duo chatted for a while, they dropped the call with Justin promising his father that he¡¯ll be bringing Miranda home the following weekend.


    Justin then decided to call Ronald, his buddy. He wanted to share the good news with him but much less to rib it to his face that his baby steps finally paid off.


    ¡± Howe his highness decides to call me thiste?¡± The mocking voice of Ronald greeted Justin the moment the call was answered. ¡± Why? Can¡¯t I call you, I am the future king and I can do what the hell I want!¡± Justin retaliated. He knew that Ronald was out to taunt him but the reason remained unknown to him.


    ¡± Oh it¡¯s nothing your highness, just wondered if you need more advice on how to approach your tigress.¡± Ronald replied.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have to worry about that, my looks and confidence are enough to bring any woman I want on my knees. I dare not ask for your shitty advice.¡± Justin bit back. The two always ended up arguing all the time but this time no one seemed to want to back down.


    ¡± Did I tell you? The call was on recording, I wonder if I should send this to Miss Lambert?¡±


    ¡± You dare?¡± Justin said threateningly.


    ¡± Why wouldn¡¯t I dare your highness, it¡¯s you who said it not me.¡± Ronald taunted.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you determined to ruin things so much for me? Are you really my brother? Forget it, I¡¯ll let it slide for now. Anyways, I have good news to share.¡± Justin said excitedly, his voice taking a hundred and sixty degree turn.


    ¡± Shoot, I don¡¯t have a whole night. I still need to finish my business here and go cuddling with my dearest.¡± Ronald replied impatiently. He had Left on a business deal and now he was dying to go back home to his Ava.


    ¡± No need to throw dog food at me, I also have a woman and unlike you, I can spend the night in her arms doing anything I want to her.¡± Justin retaliated. Ever since his Best friend got reunited with his childhood sweetheart, they can no longer hold a decent conversation without hearing the name Ava somewhere.


    ¡± Okay go ahead and try something funny with her, let¡¯s see if you won¡¯t get your balls kicked.¡± Ronald replied with a stifledughter that annoyed Justin the most.


    ¡± Whatever! I just wanted to tell you that I proposed and she said yes to me. You might have started your rtionship first but I¡¯ll be the first one to get married.¡± Justin said proudly. Actually, he just wanted to make Ronald unhappy with the news. He was quite aware that his friend had agreed with his girlfriend that they¡¯ll take things to another level after six months. This was the second month, four to go.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Despite his displeasure, Ronald still congratted his buddy for taking another milestone in his life.


    ¡± Does that mean anytime uncle will be stepping down from the crown?¡± Ronald asked.


    ¡± Yes, it¡¯s about time I take up My responsibilities. My father is in bar shape right now and his health is getting worse each day.¡± Justin replied.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ll always have me to support you in every step of your path.¡± Ronald assured him. They have been friends from childhood and the Johnston family has always been the biggest backer of the royal family from behind the scenes.


    ¡± But I should warn you Justin, the rebels have started making their moves. It seems like they are well informed of the king¡¯s health condition, thanks to your step mother. You will have to tread carefully from now onwards.¡± Ronald added.


    ¡± I know that Ron, it seems like they are worried that they¡¯ll no longer have any benefits now that my father¡¯s health is deteriorating. I still think my father¡¯s move of marrying a rebel daughter was very risky.¡± Justin mumbled.


    ¡± But that was the only way to restore peace back then. The rebels had been on the neck of your father. His own protector died protecting him, for the sake of the people and you, he made a deal with the devil and brought the enemy to this


    House¡± But that was the only way to restore peace back then. The rebels had been on the neck of your father. His own protector died protecting him, for the sake of the people and you, he made a deal with the devil and brought the enemy to this that was the only way to restore peace back then. The rebels had been on the neck of your father. His own protector died protecting him, for the sake of the people and you, he made a deal with the devil and brought the enemy to his house. Now I am sure your step brother will fight tooth and nail for the position as the next thing.¡± Ronald replied.


    ¡± He¡¯s not of royal blood Ronald.¡± Justin defended.


    ¡± But your father was forced to announce him as one and he¡¯s the known prince of the kingdom while you remain in the shadows. Nobody knows you so if war breaks out, he¡¯ll have the support of the people.¡± Said Ronald, reminding him of the repercussions of staying hidden.


    ¡± I¡¯ll figure a way out of this, besides my protector will be by my side all through. I won¡¯t allow myself to lose to that bastard. Who knows what they might turn the country to if they ever gain its control. The royal family has kept the State safe and peaceful, I¡¯ll ensure to do the same.¡± Justin said, his voice determined.


    ¡± That¡¯s the Spirit but I would advise you not to rely too much on your protector. It¡¯s been eight years since the death of the previous protector and he never showed up, who knows whether he is still loyal to the Royal family?¡± Justin spected.


    ¡± The State has been peaceful so there¡¯s no need for him to show himself. He¡¯s our trump card and can only be revealed after everything has been utilised.¡± Justin defended. For some reason, he found himself defending this Mysterious protector.


    ¡± Am just saying you should be careful. You should start mobilising your own army. Yes, the Royal army is at your disposal but I wouldn¡¯t advise you to depend on them. The rebels must have infiltrated it and ced their secret spies there. It would be disastrous if you solely depend on them. I don¡¯t need to tell you the consequences of that Justin¡± Ronald said.


    ¡± But you know I can¡¯t start doing that, that will cause rm to the rebels.¡± Ronald said, letting out a frustrated sigh.


    ¡± Of Course you can¡¯t do that personally, that¡¯s Why you need someone you trust for that task, someone who won¡¯t be traced back to you.¡± Ronald advised.


    Thinking about whatever Ronald said, Justin saw the facts in it. He knew that war was inevitable after his father passed away do he could Just start preparing himself for it. He wouldn¡¯t let themoner¡¯s suffer due to greed of power of a few people.


    ¡± Thanks Ron, I don¡¯t know what I would do without you.¡± Ronald said


    ¡± Eeeew! Stop that, it¡¯s disgustinging from your mouth. I would appreciate it if it¡¯s Ava saying that but definitely not you.¡± Ronald replied, faking disgust.


    ¡± Ohe on, I am Just trying to appreciate your advice. Anyways, I have the perfect person for that job. I think it¡¯s high time I call him back to prove his loyalty. I will need to trouble you to arrange a secret meeting for us. Ensure Nobody knows about it, not even my guards.¡± Justin said seriously.


    ¡± Consider it done, your highness.¡± Ronald said and both men chuckled. Despite the seriousness of the matter, they¡¯ll always end up making fun of each other. That¡¯s the Bond of their brotherhood.


    ¡± Okay, it¡¯ste now. I think it¡¯s about time we get some rest.¡± Justin said and they dropped the call. But this was bound to be Long for Justin. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder how Miranda will react after she knows that he was no regr Man or the model everyone thought he was. He just hoped she wouldn¡¯t get mad for hiding his true identity from her. He knew that secrets were harmful for rtionships and in worse case scenarios, they could break them but he knew his Miranda was intelligent and thoughtful, he just hoped she¡¯ll understand his reasons eventually.

 26

    Sleep caught up with Justin at the wee hours of the morning. After pondering alot, he finally decided to let it go and embrace whates his way. The following morning, he woke up refreshed and decided to make something delicious for his darling. Justin walked to the kitchen intending to prepare Miranda¡¯s favourite chocte cake and some healthy breakfast. Maybe she¡¯ll forgive him after seeing how sincere he was with her. He did regret not telling her his true identity earlier but what could he do? That was something only a handful people knew about.  That was a secret he had hidden from the world for decades. It was also a measure to his safety and privacy if people did not know the identity of the rumoured crown prince.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    What Justin didn¡¯t know was that just like him, Miranda had hidden secrets from him. She too had spent the longer hours of the night pondering whether she shoulde clean about her other identity as the royals family¡¯s protector. She could tell, from her observation of course, that Justin was no ordinary model as the workers knew him. He was far from a normal man in the entertainment industry. Which model carries a gun whenever he goes and it was no ordinary gun, it was a custom made gun. Which model has the topnotch security lock for his house not to mention that she herself made that lock and if she can remember, billions of money were spent to acquire it and the buyer was anonymous. Having weighed the pros and cons of revealing her secret, she decided against the idea. Until she knows from which side he came from, the rebels or the royal family, she¡¯ll keep that secret hidden for life. Afterall that¡¯s what her grandfather instructed her to do, keep that secret till herst breath. It didn¡¯t help that the rebels had started to make a move already and Soon enough, she might be needed to perform her state duties. It¡¯s been eight Years since her grandfather¡¯s demise


    With that thought in mind, she finally slept.


    Miranda woke up to the sweet smell Coming from the kitchen. Nobody needed to tell her that her husband, wait? Husband? When did I start calling him husband? Oh nevermind, soon enough, I¡¯ll make him my husband¡¯s officially.¡¯ She thought and smiled. Not wanting to be anyter Miranda rushed to the bathroom and did her morning routine in a sh. Then she dashed downstairs like an excited little girl who finally got the permission to go visit her crush.


    Justin, who was setting the table, was surprised to see Miranda so happy. She was practically jogging downstairs which was risky.


    ¡± Slow down, will you? You might trip and fall down.¡± He reprimanded and Miranda just giggled happily. Justin who was watching her felt his heart drumming loudly in his chest, his brain shut down a few seconds while his mouth and eyes widened. This was the first time he ever heard giggling happily and smiling so brilliantly. He thought that she was beautiful even with her emotionless face but now he clearly understood the meaning of beautiful. The woman before him resembled an angel from a fairy tale. She was beautiful, enchanting and bewitching. Her smile exposed her pearly white teeth and two adorable dimples. Her million dor Worth smile could brighten even the darkest of alleys. For a minute there, he thought he was dreaming but was cruelly woken from his stupor when Miranda tripped and started falling.


    He stretched his hands and effectively caught her wrist. His other hand securely held her waist stabilising her.


    ¡± I told you to be careful, you almost fell down.¡± He softly berated her, not what she  did next Left him dumbfounded. Miranda pulled him closer as she imed his lips without warning. Justin could feel his mind reacting like aputer that has been invaded by a very powerful virus and that virus was Miranda. He never expected such a bold move from her, much less at a time like this. While he continued to be dumbstruck, Miranda explored his sweet tasting mouth. She suckled and nibbled his lips like they were some delicious candies. Justin who had been kissed from nowhere started regaining hisposure and a very ridiculous thought shed in his mind causing him to push her away.

 27

    Miranda¡¯s expression turned cold as a zing murderous aura emanated from her body. Justin on the other hand was scrutinising her trying to figure out how someone was able to impersonate his Miranda so well. His Miranda rarely smiled, not to mention giggling so happily. The Miranda he knew never initiated anything intimate so how could he ept her kissing him out of the blues. His Miranda was not clumsy so how could she trip over the stairs. Everything was so unlike so he justified his stupid spection but the next moment he straightened his back.


    Justin felt his heart drumming loudly in his chest and a cold sweat dripped down his spine. ¡± Oh no no! What have I done?¡¯ hemented inwardly. He could only weep silently at his bad luck. Just how stupid and absurd was his earlier thoughts of someone impersonating Miranda. He knew very well after interacting with her for the two months that if anyone dared to, then it must be because that particr someone had a death wish.


    ¡± Why? You don¡¯t like it? Do you think am disgusting or not experienced like your former women?¡± She asked coldly but there was another feeling incorporated in her words but deeply hidden, hurt! That was what Justin deciphered of the concealed emotion. He knew he had to somehow salvage the current situation or else his Miranda might misunderstand him and worse, reverse and go back to her old self.


    ¡± Baby¡­¡± He started but Miranda was not having any of it. ¡± It¡¯s not what you are thinking, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± He trailed off when the coldness did not disappear.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Stop looking at me like that baby you know nothing from, you disgusts me.. besides I already said that you are the first woman who stole my first kiss, I am not experienced either so don¡¯t think like that.¡± Even after exining, nothing showed on her face making Justin sigh helplessly.


    ¡± For a minute there, I had this weird thought that maybe you are not my Miranda but an impostor.¡± Justin said and Miranda gazed at him, question marks covering her face. ¡± I mean like you were giggling and that¡¯s my first time hearing you do that. And then¡­ And then out of the blues you kissed me! I don¡¯t need to remind you that it¡¯s always me who initiated the kisses, you can¡¯t me me for thinking that way, right?¡± Justinpleted his sermon¡¯s long justification and looking at her, she seemed convinced and pacified, making him let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he was holding. ¡® phew! That was close. I almost sounded like a cheating husband caught red handed by his wife in the act.¡± He said, patting his chest to calm his racing heart.


    ¡± I was happy because you cooked for me and wanted to reward you.¡± Miranda said and turned to look away untangling herself from him. She didn¡¯t want him to see her embarrassed and red face.


    ¡± Really? But how do you know I cooked for you? I might be expecting visitors for all we know!¡± Justin said carelessly and regretted it the next minute. Miranda¡¯s cold aura that had somehow dissipated came bursting, this time more murderous than the previous. ¡± You are cooking for other people?¡± She asked inly but how could justin not sense the dread in her voice.


    ¡°Eer!! That was an if statement, no need to take things so seriously. Of Course, I¡¯ll never cook for anyone apart from you, my queen. Only you can taste my great skills in the kitchen.¡± Justin said, trying to pacify yet again the roaring lioness In Front of him.


    ¡± That¡¯s more like it.¡± Miranda said and went to sit down on her chair. The sight of food was enough to send a signal to her salivary nds and in no time she was salivating. Seeing her reaction towards his work, Justin felt proud of himself. They say that a way to the man¡¯s heart is through his stomach, but why did he find it the opposite in his case, the Way to Miranda¡¯s heart is through her stomach. Take for example, he was smooched after he prepared something for his wife.


    ¡± What are you waiting for? Come and sit, I am hungry already.¡± Miranda beckoned him to take his position so that they could start eating. She was getting impatient and wanted to dig in already. Justin walked and took his seat. He had observed that Miranda would never take the first bite whenever they ate together. It seems like she was taught the same as him, that the man takes the first bite. Not wanting to keep her waiting for long, he scooped himself some porridge and served his bowel.


    Today, Justin had gone all out in preparing breakfast. Everything was avable on the table from drinks, snacks, healthy foods and fruits. He had prepared millet porridge, bacon, boiled yams, eggs, grapes for fruits and fresh squeezed orange juice. At the centre of the tabley a te, neatly covered not revealing its contents. Miranda just  thought it wasn¡¯t part of the course.


    Breakfast was eaten in  Total silence with each person concentrating on their own food. The silence was not awkward and for some reasons, the two enjoyed it. After breakfast, Justin took the well covered te and passed it to Miranda. ¡± Here, take this¡­ It¡¯s an apology if at any time in the future I will hurt you by not revealing some things to you.¡± Justin said seriously.


    ¡± What do you mean?¡± Miranda asked, rmed. She had this gnawing feeling in her heart. ¡± It¡¯s nothing special Miranda but you might discoverter in our rtionship that I concealed done fact¡¯s from you. When that timees, remember this cake was made by our Love and that I¡¯ll never do anything to intentionally hurt you.¡± Justin said.


    ¡± So you are hiding something From me?¡± Miranda asked, looking straight into his eyes.


    ¡± I would rather use the word conceal. It¡¯s just for the meantime, I¡¯ll tell you everything in the future.¡± Justin replied, trying to smile but he failed miserably and his smile was ugly than a crying face.


    ¡± Okay, I understand.. I am also hiding something from you so I guess we are equal.¡± Of Course thest part of the sentence was said Inwardly. It was good that both were hiding something from each other, that way she won¡¯t feel like the traitor. To say he was surprised by her answer was an understatement. He was pleasantly shocked. She said she understood him and Justin couldn¡¯t be any happier. He didn¡¯t want to hide it from her but it was not the right time reveal it either.


    ¡± Okay, open and see whether you like it, ¡± said Justin, urging her to uncover the cake. ¡± I would always love anything from you.¡± Miranda said. Her voice was amazingly sincere but innocent too. Maybe she didn¡¯t know what it meant for a person to hear that from their own partners. Her awkwardness and ignorance was doing things to his poor heart. It didn¡¯t help that she smiled at him saying such cheesy words to him.


    Uncovering the te, she used a spoon to scoop a Small piece of the cake and she couldn¡¯t help the moan that escaped her mouth. Justin who heard the weird voice and from acting knew what could be tranted of that couldn¡¯t help but blush. His naughty mind started picturing his Miranda beneath him wriggling and moaning his name out loudly. Just the thought of it gave him a hard  on. He cursed inwardly and pushed those thoughts away from his mind.


    ¡± Don¡¯t do that again Miranda, people might misunderstand.¡± He cautioned her softly. If it happened outside their house, he would rather not risk people hearing her sweet moans.¡± Huh?¡± Miranda¡¯s expression showed confusion.

 28

    ¡± That¡¯s moaning my love and it is a bedroom voice, you shouldn¡¯t do that in the open.¡± Justin said but his ears turned red from embarrassment. Miranda immediately realised what she just did. She was innocent and new to matters between men and women but notpletely clueless. Her two friends Ava and Lucia shamelessly discuss those things so of course she picked one or two things from listening to their tant talk. From what she learnt, she knew that a woman produces those sounds if sexually aroused or to indicate sexual satisfaction. She couldn¡¯t believe she just did that. But hers wasn¡¯t a sexual thing, it was more of a tease to her taste buds. The cake was perfectly baked so that she could just sit all day and savour its taste.


    ¡± We are eating and we are alone, nobody will hear or misunderstand.¡± Miranda brushed him off but the truth was she was embarrassed herself and didn¡¯t want to continue with that topic. The sooner they dropped it, the better.


    ¡± But Miranda, even I get affected when you produce those sounds, they are kinda inviting.¡± Justin countered with a glint of mischief.


    ¡± Affected? How can that affect you?¡± The ever clueless Miranda sought rification.


    ¡± You are a woman, a beautiful and attractive woman at that and I am a man, a mature Man with feelings. What do you think will happen when I hear you make such alluring sounds?¡± Justin asked, controlling theughter that threatened to erupt from him from seeing how Miranda¡¯s face turned from bewilderment, to realisation then how she scrunched it up and looked at him with disdain.


    ¡± Can¡¯t you control your thoughts, sex is nothing but a mentality. If you can¡¯t control yourself, will you always react whenever you hear a woman moaning?¡± Miranda asked, her voice cold and threatening. Justin wondered how it turned out to be about him getting turned on by moans anytime he heard them. He was clearly talking about how her moans could affect him but he didn¡¯t remember saying each moan could turn him on. He figured out that Miranda had a way of twisting logic to fit her imagination.


    ¡± Baby, when did I say that moans turn me on?¡± He asked.


    ¡± You said it just now, how would you react if I made those sounds!¡± Miranda retorted, her voice was usatory.


    ¡± That¡¯s it baby, your moans! Not Just any other woman. We were talking about you.¡± He yed with words and justified himself rendering Miranda speechless. Miranda couldn¡¯t recognize herself anymore. She was not one to loseposure over trivial matters buttely, it¡¯s bing very hard to control herself when ites to Justin. Is this what they call love? That raging desire to conquer and own? She couldn¡¯t tell. Maybe her rtionship gurus, Ava and Lucia could advise her on this. Thinking about those two, she wondered when they¡¯ll see each other. It¡¯s been close to three months now without getting together.


    The weekend was spent peacefully between the two couples. They had fun together watching movies, gardening and nting flowers. Justin even taught Miranda how to cook which proved to be a More hard task than he thought. She will either mistake salt for sugar or add more spices. He finally gave up but consoled her that he will always cook for her so there¡¯s no need to tire her pretty little hands.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    The following week started peacefully. Justin continued in his modelling career as usual. He was nning to quit but that would be after he was done with the current projects. He didn¡¯t want to leavepanies hanging or looking for cover models. He alwayspleted what he started. He had given his manager the information that she didn¡¯t have to ept more contracts because he was nning on quitting the entertainment industry. He has however instructed that this news be kept a secret in the meantime.


    Miranda on the other hand worked as usual in herpany. The Lambert group had taken a one hundred and eighty degree turn like a month and so ago. The ever serious and terrifying devil started to be soft and Cool. She was feared most for being ruthless when dealing with anybody irrespective of their personal rtionship which of course, nobody had in thepany. She never gave anybody second chances, if you messed up, you are screwed. The employees were surprised when one day a child strolling in thepany ran into the devil. Everybody expected hell to break loose but the awaited drama did not unfold. Instead, the devil crouched down and spoke to the child gently Patting her Head lovingly. Those who Saw that scene were thunderstruck, not wanting to believe what they were seeing. The child was then invited to the CEOs office and rumour has it that the CEO paid a Nanny for one year and the mother was allowed to clock out one hour before the official closing hours. The CEO who never tolerated children in thepany by saying they would ¡® inconvenience¡¯ the working structure and environment actually treated a child so  nicely. The gossip mongers started specting about the reason behind the sudden change. You wouldn¡¯t me them for their curiosity. They were used to a cold and ruthless Miranda but still appreciated the change. It brought a rxed and harmonious rtionship in thepany.


    Friday came soon. Today was the day Miranda was taking Justin to Lambert¡¯s ancestral home to pay respects to her parents as requested by him. They arrived at the house and Justin was surprised to see the simrities between the house and the pce. He could confidently say that the architect who designed the houses was One and the same person. But What caught Justin¡¯s attention was not the house but the pir at the entrance of the house. It was engraved with a big dragon. Dragons in the state and Asian culture tranted to protector. He wondered if this was just a pleasant coincidence or there¡¯s More to the mark.

 29

    Justin curbed his curiosity but took yet another nce at the dragon mark before following Miranda. Miranda ofcourse saw the interest in his eyes when he saw the Mark. Actually, she had purposely used this route to the ancestral hall. This was the South Wing and the hall was at the East Wing of the Hall. She had decided not to have him investigated but that did not mean she wouldn¡¯t try luring the fish out with some worms and just as expected, he reacted. That confirmed her earlier suspicions that Justin was well acquainted with the royal signs. That could mean that he¡¯s either the rumoured crown prince or among the rebels. He could either be someone close to the royal family.


    She wondered if it ever turns out that Justin was among the rebels, will ite to a point that she¡¯ll fight him toplete her life mission. But she decided to let that worry her another day. Miranda led Justin to the East Wing passing through the servants quarters. The servants, especially the butler, were surprised to see her. She knew why they seemed surprised, she didn¡¯t call to inform them of their visit. Miranda was never fond of how the servants in the Lambert castle always lined up to greet their masters so she would sneakily avoid them.


    ¡± Good afternoon Miss.¡± The servants who saw her greeted her happily. To them, she was their master and despite her Cold nature, they were used to her. Miranda could only nod at them to indicate she received their greetings.


    ¡± Good afternoon Young miss, you didn¡¯t tell me you wereing.¡± The old Man came rushing towards Miranda.


    ¡± Uncle butler, I didn¡¯t want to disturb you, besides I am only dropping by, I won¡¯t stay for long.¡± Miranda said and smiled at him.


    ¡± Still, you could have told me so that I could have your favourite cake prepared.¡± The old man said, faking a pout. ¡± It seems the Young Miss no longer loves this old geezer.¡± Heined.


    ¡± Don¡¯t say that, you know that¡¯s not true. You are the one I Love most.¡± Miranda said acting all cute was something that threw Justin into aughing fit. It¡¯s because he never for once saw Miranda act so spoiled and somehow.. coquettish to another person, not even him. But the next moment, theughter died down after what she said registered in his brain. She just confessed to another man Infront of him. That wasn¡¯t even a problem considering that the man was old, what made him eat vinegar was the fact that Miranda never for once told him that she loved him. That sounded unpleasant in his ears.


    ¡± What did you just say?¡± He asked his face sour but the two people ignored him and continued talking like he was non existent. He could only grit his teeth and clench his fists in anger. How could she ignore him immediately when she saw her ¡® beloved¡¯ ? But what he could do, he could only swallow his grievances and follow behind them like an obedient pet.


    After walking for a few minutes, the two approached the ancestral hall. Miranda halted in her steps to allow Justin to catch up with them. She also wanted to introduce him to her old Man who was like a second grandfather to her. Justin was wearing a fake mask of pain, he pretended to be like an abandoned kitten causing Miranda to facepalm. But she¡¯ll indulge him for now. ¡± Justin, meet uncle Butler.¡± She said, dragging him to herself and holding his hand intimately.


    ¡± Hello Uncle?¡±  Justin greeted, despite his displeasure, he was taught to respect elders. ¡± Young Man, do you think you are worthy of our Miranda?¡± Uncle Butler asked Justin disapprovingly. He eyed Justin from head to toe shaking his head.


    ¡± Eeer uncle, what¡¯s about me don¡¯t you like?¡± Justin asked awkwardly. How could that old fellow ask him that? He is the crown prince of this State and the most handsome man in town. Countless women would die to have him even look their Way twice.


    ¡± Your face is too catchy. I don¡¯t want my little girl to have to fight to keep Ladies out of your pants and bed.¡± The old Man said seriously, causing Justin to be hit by a wave of shock.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have to worry about that uncle, only Miranda can get to My bed and pants.¡± He replied shamelessly, shocking both the old man and Miranda. The old man was sent to a coughing fit by Justin¡¯s words. Miranda rushed to his side and started rubbing his back to soothe him while ring at Justin. Seeing her sending res at him, Justin wondered what he could have possibly done wrong. Finding no fault in his words, he could only rub his neck awkwardly. After the old man stabilised his breathing, he raised his shaky fingers and pointed Justin while saying usingly, ¡± shameless! How could you say that so openly? Aren¡¯t you afraid of what others will think of you after hearing your words?¡±  He was agitated but in reality the Old man was rejoicing inside, atst, the young Miss found someone who loves her and values her. Now, he can rest in peace and be able to proudly meet his friend in the other world. He had been worried that due to Miranda¡¯s social awkwardness and her ever stone face, she might end up scaring suitors away and remain unmarried all her life. But it seems that she found someone perfect for her. Although he was rejoicing inside, he could only wear a stern face to try ¨¤nd intimidate the young Man.


    ¡± But you were the One who said¡­¡±


    ¡± Shut up will you?¡± Miranda shouted at him but on closer look, her beautiful face was as red as a tomato. She was embarrassed by Justin¡¯s words. How could he utter such words openly like it was no big deal. Justin could only mp his mouth shut after he was berated by his woman. He didn¡¯t think he was wrong but he wouldn¡¯t argue either. His father always reminded him that the woman was always right. That was a basic rule for a peaceful marriage.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

 30

    Uncle Butler watched as the young miss berated her boyfriend and the Man turned silent without argument. He Marvelled at how easily the man seemed to obey the young miss. Ofcourse, he knew that the young Miss was a person who didn¡¯t like to be deferred. It seems like the boy was well behaved. ¡® good, good! A true man knows when to take a step back.¡± He rejoiced inwardly.


    ¡± Anyways Young Miss, go ahead and do what brought you here. I¡¯ll go and see what to get you.¡± Butler¡¯s uncle said and Miranda smiled at him. She didn¡¯t try to persuade him not to because she was damn sure her efforts would be fruitless. Her old man will never listen to her especially when ites to pampering her. After the butler Left, Miranda held Justin¡¯s hand and led him in. He had brought with him a bouquet of flowers. They walked past countless tombs until they came to two graves opposite each other. ¡± Ann Lambert and ke Lambert were engraved on the tombs with their pictures on each.


    ¡± Mom, dad. I brought someone to visit you today.¡± Miranda said facing the two tombs where her mother and fatherid.


    ¡± How time flies? I remember I was Just ten when you two left me but now am all grown up, I even have a fiancee now. Do you miss me as much as I Miss you?¡± She said and by now she was breaking down. Miranda might be cold and heartless but that was to the world. Regardless of who she was now, she is still Human and humans are bound to have emotions and feelings. Right now, she was longing for her parents¡¯ presence in her Life but she knew that was impossible so the pain and anguish. Every Time she visits them, age would end up breaking down and crying her heart out. Age would voice her grievances and wishes but today she controlled herself. She didn¡¯t want to show Justin this vulnerable side of her. What she didn¡¯t know was that Justin was just as observant as her. He had already noticed her trying to hold in her true feelings.


    Justin walked to her side and knelt down just as Miranda was doing. He then pulled her to his arms and started rubbing her back saying,¡± let it all out Miranda. There¡¯s no need to hold back when you are with me. After you cry it out you¡¯ll feel better. Crying is not a sign of weakness, it¡¯s a confirmation that we are still human with feelings and a heart to feel pain.¡± His words were all it took for Miranda topletely break down to tears. Her cry earlier was restricted but now, she let it all out. She cried thinking of her birthdays that she no longer celebrated after the death of her parents. She criedmenting theck of parental care as she grew up. She cried to dissolve the pain of having an iplete family. She cried for missing her parents hugs and kisses. She cried longing for the ¡® I love yous¡¯ her parents always told her. She cried toment the unjust Fate bestowed to her. She cried thinking of the days she¡¯ll wish her parents were still here to help her solve problems and advise her. She cried questioning the heavens why they had to take her parents at such an early age. She cried for having cried many times in the past and the many times she¡¯ll cry in the future. The void Left by her parents still remained unfilled in her heart. It didn¡¯t help that she had to be trained for a mission while still mourning her parents death.


    Justin, who had embraced Miranda as she poured her heart out, couldn¡¯t control the lone tear that slipped from his eye. It pained him alot to see her breaking down like this. He could feel his heart wrench in pain watching her heartbreaking cries. He couldn¡¯t have imagined even in his wildest dreams that the ever emotionless Goddess in his life could show such strong emotions. He was d that he was here with her but also regretted insisting theye visit gee parents. Maybe if he didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be crying her eyes out here.


    ¡± You know Justin, they left, leaving me here all by myself. I was Just but a small girl when they Left. My grandfather was the only family I had left but he was always busy running thepany and other stuff. I knew at that time I had to toughen up and face reality. I had to engrave it in My heart and brain that they were no more. That I will never see my father give me a piggyback ride. I had to ept that I would never see nor taste my mother¡¯s chocte cakes. Life was never the same anymore after they left. I had to be trained as the next sessor of the Lambert group. I had to be strong for my grandfather who was the only family I had left. Having to endure all this, I opted to remain oblivious to many things and harden my heart because I could no longer act soft. But even with everything, The pain is still there. It hurts to be lonely and with the whole world on your shoulders.¡± Miranda said.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡± I had to learn to be independent and that nobody woulde to my aid because I was nothing but an orphan.¡± She added and Justin couldn¡¯t listen to her sad and depressed voice anymore.


    ¡± The past is gone now Miranda and now we have a future together. The pain will not go away immediately but I would love to request that you give me the chance to heal you. I will keep youpany and you will not have to worry about loneliness anymore. I will share all your burdens and responsibilities, I will always be there anytime you need me Miranda. I don¡¯t want to take your parents¡¯ position in your heart, I just want a small space in your heart to settle down and make you happy and not feel lonely.¡±

 31

    ¡± you promise you won¡¯t ever leave me?¡± Miranda asked with a pleading voice and Justin realised that she was most scared of being Left alone. Maybe that¡¯s the reason she had few attachments, because she was insecure. His heart ached for her. Miranda knew that what she was asking was kinda stupid bit right now, all she wanted to hear was him promising never to leave her . She had loved in the past and all her loved ones finally left her all alone in this deste world. ¡± I promise you baby, In Front of your parents grave and in the name of the highest, if I ever leave you, may lightning strike¡­¡± He did not get to finish his words before Miranda covered his mouth, horrified.


    ¡± Never ever wish yourself something like that. I wouldn¡¯t even wish my enemies that.¡± Miranda said in a stern voice. She just wanted his word, she never asked him to swear on that. ¡± I want to show you how serious I am about it, Miranda. I want you to feel my sincerity towards you .¡± Justin said in all seriousness. He wanted his Miranda to rest assured that only death could tear them apart, even in death or hell, he¡¯ll still fight for them to be together. That¡¯s how much he loved, valued and treasured her. To him as early as now, she came first, not even the kingdom couldpare to her. No amount of money or power could overshadow her Worth in his life. Justin was a hopeless romantic just like his father. Once he fell in love, he fellpletely with every fibre of his being. He would remain loyal to one woman all his life.


    Miranda could only smile helplessly hearing his words. She was very much aware that Justin hade to be One of the most important people in her life. He had found his way to her heart. He slowly crawled his way to her life without her even realising it. The man had changed her in ways she would have never imagined. He had lighted her dark world and given her a reason to live. In the past, Miranda had merely existed. She existed for the country. As the royal protector, she had a mission to the world and that had be the sole reason for her breathing but now, with the presence of Justin in her life, things changed.


    ¡°Hi Mom, hi Dad.¡± Justin said, turning to face the two graves opposite each other. He ced the flowers on his mother inw¡¯s grave. ¡± I am here to pay my respects to you and thank you for giving birth to such a wonderful woman who¡¯s now my better half. I also want to ask for your blessings for our marriage. If it¡¯s okay with you, I would like to, with your permission Marry your daughter and make her the queen of my life. I want to apany her and make her happy as long as I live.¡± He then bowed three times, an Asian way of paying respects to the dead.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    After saying their goodbyes, Miranda led Justin to the house and found the butler waiting for her. She was about to speak when the butler uncle beat her to it.¡± I know, I know you do not have the time, that¡¯s why I packed the snacks for you. You can have them after they go back but remember to visit regrly. This Old man won¡¯t be around for long.¡± The butler said with a smile.


    ¡± Don¡¯t say that, you are as strong as a mule and still have many years to live uncle.¡± Miranda retorted, epting the bag passed to her.


    ¡± I would live long if the young Miss gave me a reason to continue living.¡± Butler said meaningfully and the ever slow Miranda did not decipher the meaning behind his words. On the contrary, the ever sharp Justin immediately understood what the butler uncle said and he grinned mischievously.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry uncle, we are working on that, soon enough, you¡¯ll hear the good news.¡± Justin said with a meaningful smile causing the butler tough too.


    ¡± Hahahaha that¡¯s good to hear, at least you are not good for nothing.¡± The butler said, wagging his imaginary fox tail. Miranda remained clueless and wondered why the two of them seemed to be conversing in proverbs or was it a secret coded message? She didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t bother to find out either. She termed it as none of her business without knowing it was all her business.


    The two went back to their house for the night. Tomorrow, they will be preparing to visit Justin¡¯s parents. Miranda was anxious and scared at the same time. What if his parents disapproved of their rtionship? What if they did not like her one bit and forced her to break up with Justin. Will she be able to bear separating with him? Her insecurities came flooding her mind. Miranda suffered from separation anxiety and that¡¯s Why she tried as much as possible to limit any attachments.


    ¡± You seem worried about something, baby.¡± Justin noted. He was very attentive to her and could sense her restlessness.¡± Are you scared to meet my family?¡± He inquired.


    ¡± Honestly, I am. What if they don¡¯t like me ¡­¡± She didn¡¯t get to finish her what ifs because Justin pulled her to himself and imed her lips. His kiss was gentle and sensual and before she knew it, all her worries flew away and were reced by a burning passion. She opened her mouth and granted Justin the permission to get sought. Justin explored every corner of her mouth tasting her sweetness. It was after the two ran short of air that they separated to catch their breath. He leaned his forehead to hers and caressed her cheeks lovingly.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have to worry about my family not liking you. What¡¯s there about you not to like? And if they don¡¯t like you, I like you a lot ¨¤nd that¡¯s what matters. It¡¯s me you¡¯ll marry not my family Miranda.¡±

 32

    Justin¡¯s words somehow calmed Miranda  although she had this gnawing feeling that something was bound to happen tomorrow. She didn¡¯t know whether it was positive or negative but she was not the one to let her fears cloud her reasoning. She wasn¡¯t a weakling either and could take any shit the world threw at her.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Justin also had a Long night. He didn¡¯t know what to think of the dragon Mark engraved on the pir at the entrance of the Lambert Vi. He could understand the simrities between the two houses as one being a copycat of the other. Alternatively, the designer could have been one and the same person but that dragon Mark brought question marks. A dragon was a symbol of royalism. It was the symbol of the protector of the crown in their country. He wondered what could be the hidden rtionship between the Lambert family and the royal family.


    The Lambert family was known as business people in the country who always maintained a low profile. They had no entanglements nor rtionship with the ruling family. You couldn¡¯t imagine the shock he had when he saw that Mark. He had spected that maybe the Lambert family was the mysterious crown protector but dumped that thought immediately. The Lambert family did not have a single direct descendant male so how could they be the protectors of the crown? It was simply unbelievable.


    He also had something fishy at the ancestral hall of the Lambert family. The man introduced as Miranda¡¯s grandfather resembled histe Master but he was damn sure that Austin Lambert was not his name. He wondered whether two people could look exactly the same if they weren¡¯t identical twins. He was almost convinced that that man and his master were one and the same person despite the different names until he looked at the date of death. It was one year earlier than the death of his master, making him more confused.


    Despite his confusion and numerous questions, Justin decided to remain mum about it. He wouldn¡¯t risk his rtionship with Miranda to satisfy his curiosity. He also knew that investigating Miranda Once again was uncalled for. He trusted her, blindly. He could even use his life to swear on her words. He was never one to trust people easily especially considering his identity, but for some inexplicable reasons, he felt safe and protected around her, absurd right? But that¡¯s how he felt. He decided to let nature take its course. Miranda was not a bad person, he believed that ¨¤nd that alone was enough to cover his heart with peace. He knew that she would eventually open up to him when the right time came. Even if that time neveres, he was okay with it nevertheless. As long as she loved him, nothing else mattered.


    Miranda woke up earlier than normal the following day. That nagging and unsettling feeling still ploughed her brains. She decided to go exercise and try to blow some steam and probably get rid of that negative vibe off her system. She would have opted for training on normal days but she was sure now was not a good time to practise. She would lose herposure or be agitated amidst sparring and she could end up hurting someone, Justin¡¯s security detail in this case.


    After an hour of running on the treadmill, Miranda finally felt better. Her earlier tensed up muscles were already rxed. She then proceeded to the punching bag to vent and did that until she was finally calm. It was already six when Miranda stepped out of the inbuilt gym. She went back to her room to take a bath because she was smelling. They would be having lunch with Justin¡¯s family so she expected they would Set off by ten in the morning.


    As usual, Justin had woken up and prepared breakfast for them. Miranda couldn¡¯t get used to these sweet little gestures. Her heart overflowed with gratitude.


    ¡± Good morning my queen, you look radiant and glowing today.¡± Justin said, moving to kiss her lips . He would always make sure to kiss her a good morning kiss everyday ever since they started dating


    ¡± Good morning handsome, you don¡¯t pale in looks either.¡± Miranda replied back with a smile. After interacting with Justin for the past months, Miranda learnt alot about conversation rules. She¡¯s no longer awkward as before and can still manage to hold a conversation for a few minutes, something she couldn¡¯t do in the past. ¡± Have a seat, I prepared your favourites.¡± Justin said, pulling a chair for her to sit.


    She said her thankyou and turned her attention to the food before her. David wasn¡¯t kidding when he said he made her her favourite. On the table were pancakes sprinkled with strawberry jam and a ss of freshly squeezed orange juice. A chocte cake ofcourse did not fail to grace his preparations. Nothing made Justin happy like cooking for his wife. Watching her look at the food with sparkling and worshipping eyes, he couldn¡¯t be shy happier.


    ¡± Come on, dig in.. we have a journey to embark on.¡± Justin said and joined her on the table. After the meal, Miranda offered to do the dishes. Justin had taught her how to do that using the dishwasher and by luck, she understood that. Miranda saw it necessary to assist Justin with doing the dishes m since she was a terrible Cook, she could render her help this way.


    Hourster, the couple left the house heading to Justin¡¯s home. Miranda had already prepared several gifts for the family. Justin had been against that idea saying it was unnecessary but Miranda turned a blind eye to his words. Growing up, she w taught that visiting empty handed was a show of disrespect. It was also her first time visiting his parents so she had to maintain the image of the perfect daughter inw. Miranda could only shake her head to her sudden change. Since when did she ever need approval from other people? She was always in control of everything and that¡¯s how age liked things. But here she was trying to do everything to impress her future inws. They say that first impressionsst and she wanted her first impression to be perfect. What she didn¡¯t know was that all this was not necessary. Her iw knew her from her diaper days.

 33

    Justin¡¯s home was located a little far from the city which happened to be the state¡¯s capital. The royal pce was built on top of a hill. It was raised above the ground making it strategically easy to defend during attacks. Two hours into the journey and Miranda had dozed off somehow. She was leaning on his shoulders. Miranda had barely had any sleepst night while getting herself all nervous and excited at the same time. It did not help that even after catching sleep for a few hours she woke up earlier than usual to exercise. She waspletely worn out and her body could not handle the exhaustion.


    The convoy finally arrived at the gates of the pce and after the security check were allowed to pass. At some point in the journey, the security details of the royal family had joined the entourage . Justin was d that Miranda was asleep now, he was not ready to exin his identity to her, he preferred that she figured things out on her own. Despite arriving home, Justin still remained in the car. That¡¯s because he could not bear to wake her up. She was enchanting even in her sleep. She looked peaceful like the sleeping beauty in the tales of snow white. Miranda who was very perceptive even in her  half consciousness realised that the car was no longer moving causing her to open her eyes.


    ¡± You woke up?¡± Justin asked, sounding disappointed. He had seen exhaustion in her eyes and hoped she could sleep for a while but now here she was, eyes fully open and leaving no trace of evidence that she was asleep just a moment ago. ¡± Have we arrived?¡±Miranda asked back to which justin nodded lightly. ¡± why did you not wake me up?¡± hse asked flustered. How could he let her sleep in the car when they had already reached their destination? ¡± You were sleeping peacefully. i could not bring myself to interrupt that.¡±Justin replied in all honesty. ¡± But we came here to visit your family Justin, how would they react knowing that I dyed you by sleeping in the car?¡± Miranda asked with a helpless sigh but Justin¡¯s reply caught her off guard. ¡± Why should you care about what  other people will think? it¡¯s enough what i think about you. The rest do not matter at all.¡± justin said, his voice turning gloomy all of a sudden. He was never the one to care about what other people think of him, with the exception of his father ofcourse. knowing his step mother and brother, they will have quite a lot to say about his miranda. He did not want her to take them seriously so he could only indirectly tell her she only needed to please him and not his family.


    ¡± Come, let¡¯s go. They are waiting for us.¡± he said, helping her down . The two then intertwined their hands together giving the message that they were a couple to whoever saw them. The first thing Miranda noticed after stepping down was the kindness of the ce. even the passerways screamed of opulence. She also noticed people in uniform, the uniform she could recognize even in her dreams. Her grandfather made her memorise everything about the royal family. From the rules to the different ranks and uniform for each and every rank of royal workers. For example, the men patrolling the area in deep blue shirts and ck trousers were the royal guards group b. She was damn sure by now that they were at the royal pce. Her heart for some reason started drumming and the earlier feeling of unsettling and restlessness came flooding her heart and body.


    justin felt her grip on his hand tighten after seeing the royal guards, he could sense no fear from  her but another concealed emotion. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, bringing Miranda back from her thoughts. ¡± umm yes, i am okay.¡± she replied. A lie! she lied to him. Justin was familiar with Miranda to realise when she was telling the truth or hiding something from him. He knew her that much and today was one of those moments she lied and faked being okay, he could tell but he would not expose her now. Hand by hand they walked through the hallway to the receiving chambers. This is where visitors were brought to and today, miranda was a visitor. When they entered the room, they found everyone waiting for them. an elderly man dressed in what miranda identified as butler uniform bowed lightly to greet them. ¡± wee home your highness, young miss.¡± and miranda just confirmed that justin was the rumoured crown prince. Her heart started palpitating. She knew what that meant, it meant that Miranda, the next crown protector, was Justin¡¯s shadow guard.


    ¡± please rise!¡± and just as the royal he was, his demeanour and aura instantly changed from the yful model Justin to the next king of the country. Miranda could not tell whether her current situation was a blessing in disguise or a curse. Who could have thought that of all women, Justin fell in love with his shadow guard. She started wondering if all this was a coincidence or a well thought of n but then she shook her head realising how ridiculous her thoughts were. He did not need to use such ways to have her, she was his in the first ce. But then, will her rtionship be a problem or against the rules? her grandfather never said anything about that matter. she figured out she will have to talk with the king about that matter. Miranda then raised her head to look at the people in the room but what greeted her eyes made her ever emotionless face shine like it had been lit. Before she knew it, her legs had already moved like they had a mind of their own and clutched the king¡¯s hands. ¡± Little uncle, what are you doing here?¡± Her excited voice surprised the people in that room but what shocked them was the title she used to address the king. little uncle? What the hell?Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 34

    ¡± Missmbert, please respect the royal crown.¡± The queen who was displeased by how casually the mannerlessdy addressed the king reprimanded. Her voice was stern andced with deep jealousy. Even though she was married to the king, she was never allowed to act casually around him, she couldn¡¯t even call him casually or else she would have to face punishment. thinking about it, how could she allow just any Dick, Harry or Tom to address the king so casually. ¡± It seems thedy the prince brought home is wild and uncultured and needs to be taught royal manners. she should be punished for breaking the royal rules..¡± she dered bitterly earning a deadly re from justin but she ignored him and looked at the butler who was known to be strict with royal rules.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡± Sophia, that¡¯s enough!¡± The king said in his calm andposed voice that Sophia knew very well. That voice was meant as ast warning so despite her displeasure, she could only seeth in anger quietly. The king then turned to look at Miranda only to realise that her excited face was nowhere to be seen. He had expected this much from her. All thanks to his bitchy Queen, she seemed to have created a distance between them and that hurt him but he concealed it with a smile. ¡± am so happy to see you again bumpkin, you have grown so much.¡± he said smiling, his eyes twinkling with excitement. ¡± It has been years my king, i was bound to grow bigger.¡± Miranda replied, sounding as formal as ever. ¡± You know you don¡¯t have to be so formal with me, our rtionship is beyond king and subject.¡± the king replied and Miranda immediately deciphered the hidden message in his words. right, they were more than king and subject, they were more of an uncle and his favourite doll but most importantly, they had a blood bond, not by kinship but by promise.


    ¡± Wee to the family . I was so excited to hear Justin finally found his better half but my happiness multiplied hundred fold when I got to know it¡¯s you my dear. You don¡¯t know how happy I am to see you again.¡± The king said excitedly. Justin, who had been ignored by the two important people in his life, was seething with jealousy. His father would always wee him home with a huge and warm hug but it seems he forgot all about him when hended his eyes on miranda. And that fiancee of his! She had a habit of ignoring him whenever she found her favourite people. He felt like an abandoned puppy after his owner acquired a new pet. But above all, he was surprised that Miranda and his father, the king, knew each other at a personal level. Miranda had addressed his father as a little uncle while his father repeatedly called her pumpkin, that just indicated how close the two were in the past considering his father said something like it¡¯s been a while since he saw her.


    ¡± Brother, why are you standing here eating vinegar? it¡¯s not like your father is snatching your woman away!¡± Niki teased. ¡± Oh! I get it . It¡¯s because nobody is paying attention to you anymore right?¡± Niki added and stifled aughter riling up justin. He knew just the right buttons to press to get Justin all worked up. He had after all spent his days observing Justin¡¯s every move and he loved to use that knowledge to the fullest. Justin was about to retort when Ronald¡¯s words echoed in his mind. ¡± he loves to rile you up so that he can get to see your reaction. By reacting, you make yourself predictable that¡¯s why it is easy for him to n how to attack you knowing well how you will react.¡± Justin decided to keep his cool and not give the bastard the satisfaction he was seeking. ¡± I don¡¯t need to seek attention like a certain someone. She¡¯s my wife and he¡¯s my father. Why should I get jealous of their good rtionship? It¡¯s actually good that they are getting along really well.¡± Justin replied and he watched as the man looked at him with disbelief until the corners of his mouth curled up revealing a smile. The smile justin hated the most . He wished he could wipe that smirk off his face but held in. All will happen, but in due time and when that timees, he will be having the finalugh.


    ¡± Not bad! but i have to admit that she is a beauty. No wonder our virgin prince fell for her. i wonder how good she is in bed though.¡± Niki said with a devious smile, his gaze towards Miranda was lustful. ¡± Don¡¯t you dare harbour any designs on her, she¡¯s my woman!¡± justin said in a low and threatening sound. He could take any shit from his stepbrother but definitely not him eyeing his Miranda. ¡± we will see about that justin and a point of correction, she is not yours. the two of you ain¡¯t married yet. watch and see.¡± He replied straightening his suit jacket. Niki then walked towards the  king and Miranda with a fake smile stered on his face. ¡± Your highness, don¡¯t you n on introducing the rest of us to your sister inw?¡± he said smoothly, no hint of his earlier yfulness in his voice. looking at him, the king could tell why he was doing this and a look at his son¡¯s sour face confirmed his spections. The two never coexisted in peace. They were like water and paraffin, never mix.


    The king was well aware of the enmity between the two but decided to give his family some face. Turning to Miranda he took the liberty to introduce his other members of the family. ¡± She¡¯s the queen, queen sophia.¡± he said, pointing at the woman standing at the far end of the room busy admiring her nails. ¡± And this is Prince Niki.¡±

 35

    ¡± It¡¯s a pleasure to meet  you, Miss Lambert. I was wondering that a woman to capture the heart of our crown prince should be special and special you are.¡± Niki said with a gentle smile extending his hand to Miranda for a handshake. Instead of taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles, maintaining eye contact with her. Someone watching from the sidelines could mistake it as an intimate act between lovers. Miranda scrutinised the man before her and knew that beyond that gentle smileid the real him. She could tell that he was hiding something behind that mask of gentleness. She didn¡¯t need someone to tell her that the man was bad news and the far she stayed from him the better.


    Looking at the second Prince act so tantly, the King knew that something was cooking in his mind. He was familiar with the conflict between the two brothers. While Justin preferred to be silent, Niki was good at pushing people to their limits and poking them. Niki was always mischievous and loved seeking trouble just like he was doing right now. Looking at his elder son¡¯s face that had turned ck in anger, the king couldn¡¯t do anything but shake his head at his helplessness. He of course did not forget to send a warning re to the second Prince. Sophia, who was watching the interaction between her son and Justin¡¯s woman, narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She knew Niki very well and could tell when something intrigued him or amused him but although he was still wearing his mischievousness face, another emotion was well hidden, interest! That¡¯s what she interpreted it to be. No, she had to warn her son From having any designs on Justin¡¯s woman.


    It was time to concentrate on their mission to overthrow the Royal family and she wouldn¡¯t let anythinge in their way. She knew that for their n to seed, Niki had to have zeromitment to anything much less a woman. The rebels had already started to mobilise their army, awaiting for the perfect chance to attack and that time was soon approaching. The king¡¯s health was worsening each day and soon enough, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold power and that would leave the clueless Justin to handle State affairs. That would then be the perfect time to strike.


    Justin who was gritting his teeth in hate and annoyance fought to keep in his emotions. He still remembered how Ronald warned him about reacting every time Niki attacked him. He couldn¡¯t let the bastard have the satisfaction of seeing him riled up but it was taking all the self control not to match go that idiot and punch some senses in his brain.


    After the introduction and catching up, the four people proceeded to the table to have their lunch. Justin was just pulling a seat for his Miranda to sit besides him when the king spoke,¡± Pumpkin, how about youe sit besides me, I hope Justin wouldn¡¯t mind?¡± The King said his eyes wandered between Justin and Miranda. ¡± Of course, I don¡¯t mind dad.¡± Justin replied but his voice was strained. Everybody could feel how displeased he was with the arrangement but could only agree to it, it was a request from the king afterall.


    The meal was taken in a peaceful atmosphere. Everybody had different thoughts going through their mind. The queen of course was unhappy about the differential treatment Miranda was getting from the King. She could count the number of times with one hand fingers when she sat next to the king. She couldn¡¯t help but get angry at how a certain someone was allowed to break rules after rules and receive no punishment. Justin on the other hand was wondering if bringing Miranda to meet his family had been a bad move on his side. Ever since they arrived here, she totally forgot about him. She was happy by his father¡¯s side. He even got angrier when his bastard brother tried to flirt with his woman in front of his eyes. He wished he could just match to him and beat the shit out his dumb mind but he couldn¡¯t do that, for now.


    The king was happy to have Miranda by his side. She was like the daughter he never had. He also knew of her identity as Justin¡¯s shadow guard. That was a matter he wanted to discuss privately with her, something he¡¯ll do after the visit is over. Niki on the other hand was admiring Miranda¡¯s beauty. He had met countless women but no one was like thedy sitting across him. Her beauty was unparalleled. She was exuding an Aura of mystery. Looking at her, he knew that there was much more to her. She was no regr CEO. Nothing caught Niki¡¯s interest like a mystery. He liked the challenge and he was hellbent on uncovering the mystery behind Justin¡¯s woman. He couldn¡¯t deny that he felt attracted to her but he would never do something despicable like eye the woman his brother was in Love with. Yes, he was an asshole. That he knew very well but he¡¯ll never do anything to hurt his brother. If anything, he was forever his guardian angel, always removing troubles in his way but nobody knew that, not even Justin himself, not even his mother. To him, Justin was like an idol, he admired his courage and beliefs. He had sworn to protect him as long as he lives but that was a secret he¡¯ll take to his grave. He will always remain the asshole in everyone¡¯s eyes. As long as he could protect him, people¡¯s judgements did not matter. They may not be rted by blood, they maye from opposite sides but that will never be a stumbling block to him. He could not let danger befall him nor the people of this kingdom just because his mother and her aplices were greedy for power.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    After they finished having lunch, the queen and Niki excused themselves. The king also went back to his study room but after instructing Miranda to see him alone before she could leave.

 36

    Justin took Miranda for a tour around the pce. It was already the evening when they were done so Justin escorted Miranda to his father¡¯s office. He was curious what his father wanted to talk about with Miranda so he insisted that the conversation was strictly between the two. He had seen his father¡¯s serious expression when requesting Miranda for the audience. Even with the itch to eavesdrop, he decided to respect the king¡¯s orders so he went back to his room. He had of course instructed Miranda to meet him at his room after she was done.


    Miranda who was standing at the office door could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She was anxious because she had an inkling why the King called her. She was about to knock when the door opened revealing the Pce Butler. From the look of things, the butler was on his way out. The two bowed to each other and the butler stepped out walking away leaving Miranda all alone in the hallway. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, Miranda lifted her hand to knock when the king¡¯s voice interrupted her. ¡± You cane in miss Lambert.¡± He said and from the tone of his voice and choice of name, Miranda confirmed that she was here for official business. She forced herself to calm down. She had prepared herself for this day for a long time but didn¡¯t know that it woulde so soon. Honestly, she was always looking forward to the day she will bemissioned officially as the protector of the crown.


    ¡± Have a seat.¡± The King said ushering Miranda to a seat located directly opposite to his royal seat. The two of them were facing each other directly. ¡± I believe that you have an idea Why we are having this conversation now, Miss Lambert?¡± The king asked but it came more of a deration.Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ¡± I do.¡± Miranda replied.


    ¡± That¡¯s good. For years, the Lambert family has been the candidates for the crown protector. This is not something that started yesterday with your grandfather, it has been the policy for generations. In the past, we¡¯ve only had male descendants acting as the shadow guards but fortunately or unfortunately, the Lambert family does not have a direct male descendant to take up the task, that¡¯s why for the first time, we have a female shadow guard. In this era, we no longer have clear cut roles between the males and females. That¡¯s why I epted you for my son¡¯s shadow guard. As a shadow guard, I don¡¯t need to remind you of the roles and responsibilities. That is something that you¡¯ve grown to memorise, I believe.¡± The king paused to take a sip of his water.


    ¡± But that¡¯s not the main reason you are here. I know you are aware that the rebels have already started to make a move to overthrow the Royal family. The Royal family or let¡¯s say the king is the unifying factor of all the tribes existing in this country. He, apart from running the country through the help of ministers, is responsible for maintaining peace and unity In the state. Justin is my son and I know him, he is not ready to take up the role of the king. I, on the other hand, don¡¯t have a lot of time left so I need to leave a ruler. I need to make sure that the country is in safe hands. That¡¯s Why I want you Miranda to be the queen of the kingdom. I want to leave this country under your leadership.¡± The king said seriously, his words shocking Miranda to the core. This is not what age expected of their talk today. All she could hear in her brain was an echoing sound of the king¡¯sst words.


    Under your leadership.


    Under your leadership.


    Under your leadership.


    Like a broken drum, the king¡¯s words send Miranda in a state of shock and disbelief. The king who had been watching Miranda carefully noted the surprise on her face when he uttered those words. He expected that much from her. He knew that his request or rather his deration was out of line but he had to do it. He had to do it for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of the millions of citizens and for the sake of his son.


    His heart constricts in pain remembering what Justin said one day casually. ¡± If people were given the chance to choose where to be born, I would never agree to be born a prince. I just want a normal life, be a good husband and a good father go my children.¡± Those were Justin¡¯s exact words. The king knew that Justin was never interested in State affairs and paid little attention to it. He wanted to somehow fulfil his son¡¯s wish as the only thing he could do to his son, allow him to live a normal life. That could only be possible with him not taking over the crown.


    ¡± My king, I am only a loyal servant to the crown, how could I ever think of leading the country? I know nothing about state affairs.¡± Miranda said, hoping the king could change his mind about it.


    ¡± Should I take that as you disobeying the king?¡± He questioned Sternly. He hadn¡¯t pulled strings to bring Miranda and Justin together for nothing. Yes, the king was the one behind the continuous discussion about Miranda and Justin in the tv channels and newspapers. He had pulled some strings behind the scenes to ensure that their scandalsted for a long time. This was a strategy aimed at keeping Miranda by Justin¡¯s side for as long as possible. He had done that and left the rest to fate if the two will end up together and ce wasn¡¯t disappointed. Here he was, talking to his soon to be daughter inw.


    ¡± I dare not.¡± Miranda replied almost immediately. She was very much aware of the consequences of going against the royal king.

 37

    ¡± It¡¯s settled Then.¡± The king said happily. He knew that the decision of changing the country¡¯s monarch has always been the reason why the rebels were fighting. He also knew that his son was tooid back to deal with state affairs. He needed someone to rule the country with authority. Someone who was prompt in making decisions and wise decisions at that in times of urgency and Miranda was just the perfect person for that. He had done a lot of things just to have Miranda married to Justin.


    ¡± My king, don¡¯t you think you need to consult with the prince before making this decision?¡± Miranda voiced out.


    ¡± Oh trust me, Justin will be thrilled to hear this.¡± The king said with surety. He could still remember what Justin had said casually one day. ¡± If we were given the privilege to choose where to be born, I would never have chosen to be a royal. In this life, all I want is a life of a normal man who gets to spend enough time with his family. I want to be a good husband and a good father to my children.¡± Till this  date, those words still keep pounding and ploughing the king¡¯s mind.


    ¡± But my King, what will happen to my secret identity?¡± Miranda asked. She wanted to know where her mission would go after she was forcefully crowned as the next ruler. Thinking about it, this conversation was absurd . She was a leader yes but only to apany and a group of boys who worked for her. She was not confident in her leadership skills if extended to a country.


    ¡± You will still be the crown protector Miss Lambert but This time not like a shadow guard to the ruler but the ruler.¡± The king exined.


    ¡± But won¡¯t this cause a problem among the people? This is like abolishing the monarch which has been there for generations.¡± Miranda asked. She could see a problem arising.


    ¡± That¡¯s the idea Miranda. I want to abolish the monarch but the family should remain in power that¡¯s why you the future Queen will  marry the crown prince ¡± The King exined. He knew that he was being unfair to Miranda but at the same time he knew that she was the Best person to lead this country.


    ¡± I will think about it my King.¡± Miranda decided to take a step back for now and try analysing the pros and cons of this proposal. She was never interested in power but she was a loyal servant to the crown. She admired how the king kept the country peaceful for eight Years. Miranda also understood where the king wasing from. She knew very well that this kingdom needed someone to lead it and keep the people safe.


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll give you one week to think about it. Remember Miranda, you don¡¯t have the whole year to think about. The country may be stable for now, but this won¡¯tst for long. You know that the rebels are on their toes. The queen¡¯s patience and tolerance to me has finally worn out. I want to believe she has also reported about my poor health to the rebels and anytime from now, they will prepare to attack. I know Justin is incapable of keeping the country safe but he can be the best ally. We have to think about what will be at risk if the country goes on a war. It would be better if the people attacking us are neighbours because we could have the advantage of terrain to defend but they are unfortunately part of our citizens. If a war breaks, the people will suffer, deaths are inevitable not to mention war drags back the economy of a country.¡± He exined. He just hoped that she could see matters from his point of view and ept the decree. He would then issue a Royal decree after the two got married. The king was  sure that appointing her as the overall ruler will halt the rebels n to attack.


    ¡± I understand my King.¡± Miranda said bowing to the king and walking away. The king did not stop her from leaving. He knew she had to think about it carefully. After Miranda left the king¡¯s study room, she felt exhausted. She just wanted to go andy in Justin¡¯s arms as she thinks about what they discussed with the King. Walking to Justin¡¯s room which was in the West Wing of the pce, Miranda came across Niki. From the look of things, he must have been waiting for her. Miranda came across him and stood In Front of him. ¡± I guess you have something you want to tell me.¡± She said looking him straight in the eye wearing her emotionless face as usual. Niki smiled hearing her words. ¡± You are straightforward, I like it.¡± Niki said with a smirk.


    ¡± Cut to the chase and talk, I don¡¯t have the whole day at your expense.¡± Miranda said, her voice oozing with impatience.


    ¡± I want to make a deal with you.¡± Niki stated and Miranda looked at him like he had grown horns.


    ¡± What deal?¡± She asked, herposure back to normal. She had expected anything but not a deal proposal from Niki. She wondered what games he was trying to y with her.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 38

    ¡± Stop Justin From Taking up the crown.¡± Niki said and shrugged his shoulders. His words did not surprise her at all, she expected it from him. Being a member of the rebels, what good was she expecting from him anyways. But she decided to y along and not expose him. ¡± What do you have in mind?¡± She seemed interested but Niki knew Just what her intention was.


    ¡± That will be Left for you to figure out the way to aplish that.¡± Niki stated.


    ¡± Why should I do that. I will be the queen after Justin seeds the throne why should I throw that away?¡± Miranda asked outrightly. She realised that there was more to this deal Niki was not telling her . ¡± It¡¯s simple, if you fail, you lose him¡± Niki said in all seriousness earning a re From Miranda. ¡± Are you perhaps threatening me?¡± Miranda¡¯s voice was threateningly cold surprising Justin for a minute before his expressions turned to those of amusement¡± I wouldn¡¯t dare threaten the crowns protector?¡± Niki asked casually and the everposed Miranda almost stumbled on her feet. He knew? How could he know of her secret identity? Not even Justin knew her as the secret shadow guard of the crown holder. Did that mean her identity was already exposed to the rebels? Just thinking about it made a cold shiver run down her spine. With her undercover blowed, then Justin was exposed to more danger. It was enough that the rebels were targeting him, if it ever happens they attack knowing who she was to the crown, there was close to no possibility of the two if them making itThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Why should I do that. I will be the queen after Justin seeds the throne why should I throw that away?¡± Miranda asked outrightly. She realised that there was more to this deal Niki was not telling her . ¡± It¡¯s simple, if you fail, you lose him¡± Niki said in all seriousness, earning a re From Miranda. ¡± Are you perhaps threatening me?¡± Miranda¡¯s voice was threateningly cold surprising Justin for a minute before his expressions turned to those of amusement.¡± I wouldn¡¯t dare threaten the crowns protector?¡± Niki asked casually and the everposed Miranda almost stumbled on her feet. He knew? How could he know of her secret identity? Not even Justin knew her as the secret shadow guard of the crown holder. Did that mean her identity was already exposed to the rebels? Just thinking about it made a cold shiver run down her spine. With her undercover blowed, then Justin was exposed to more danger. It was enough that the rebels were targeting him, if it ever happens they attack knowing who she was to the crown, there was close to no possibility of the two if them making rebels were targeting him, if it ever happens they attack knowing who she was to the crown, there was close to no possibility of the two of them making it out alive.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have to worry, apart from me nobody else knows about your precious secret.¡± As if knowing what was running in her mind, Niki spoke. Miranda could only look at him with  distrust.¡± How do you know that you are telling the Truth?¡± She asked. She was sceptical about the whole thing and had to make sure Niki was not bluffing but after knowing him today, he didn¡¯t look like a man of empty words.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have to know that, just trust me and  part.¡± He said, his voice collected, one would think they were exchanging memories.


    ¡± Why?¡± Her curiosity ignited. There were a lot of things that still remained a mystery to her.


    ¡± I simply want him not to seed, no special reasons.¡± He lied with a straight face. ¡± And you think I¡¯ll believe that crap?¡± Miranda asked. She could tell that there was more to this whole thing but couldn¡¯t figure out exactly why he proposed the deal to her. If she was in his shoes and waspeting with a person over something, the best thing to do is remove that thorn from your side, only then would you have the victory. She expected the same from him since he was part of the rebel group. They could simply kill Justin since he was the remaining direct descendant from the royal family who could contest for the crown.


    ¡± Believe it or not, it¡¯s your choice. If you still want your lover boy alive, make sure he doesn¡¯t step up for the crown.¡±


    ¡± I will never believe a word you say, afterall aren¡¯t you all waiting to dethrone the royal family after the demise of the current king? Don¡¯t talk as if you care alot about Justin¡¯s safety.¡± Miranda replied and strode away but deep inside herself, she knew that she believed him somehow.


    ¡± When have I never cared about Justin¡¯s safety?¡± Niki mumbled and a sh of pain passed in his eyes. After being asshole for years, of course nobody would believe him not that he wanted them to believe him, he just wanted to keep his brother and idol safe.

 39

    Ava had been bored for a whole week after Ronald went for a business trip. She had always been craving for a vacation  where she could go and rx but here she was free but indoors for a whole week. She had called him earlier today but he had confirmed that he would only arrive in the country the following day. She got bored to the extent of calling her friends requesting a night out but as expected, the three of them were busy with their own things. She decided to do something to distract herself and what¡¯s better than cooking.


    Born from a family where baking was the source of livelihood, Ava had learnt all the recipes. She could bake a variety of snacks. Today, she¡¯ll prepare some cookies. She had noticed that Ronald liked eating cookies. At first, she had thought it was a coincidence but heter informed her that all her favourites had be his favourites too over time. He argued it was the only way he could feel connected to her despite their distance. Since Ronald would be arriving tomorrow morning, she decided to make him his and her favourite snack.


    She prepared all the ingredients for the baking process and to make things spicier, she decided to y her favourite music. She had set the music system to a loud volume so that she could hear it while in the kitchen. Ava was engrossed in kneading the floor while shaking her waist to the rhythm. She would asionally sing along especially the chorus which was of course the only thing she could understand since the song was partially English, partially foreignnguage.


    All my worries worries


    Am gonna leave them behind


    Leaving them in the city city


    Leave them in somebody else¡¯s mind


    Gonna get get up, am gonna jump off the ne


    Leave my troubles a million miles away.


    When you can lead your life


    Stuck on a traffic light


    Walking down crowded streets


    I¡¯ll be at the seaside, sitting on the sand drinking Mai Tai.


    Walking and soaking in the sunlight, Sunlight


    I¡¯ll be at the seaside watching the seagulls flying so high.


    Looking at my future looking so high, so high.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I¡¯ll be seaside.( A song adopted from Rita ora and Diana warren, I¡¯ll be seaside)


    Ava¡¯s waist was swaying from right to left as she continued kneading the flour. She was so engrossed in her acts that sfe did not realise that Ronald was already standing by the kitchen door.


    Ronald who had decided to surprise his woman bying a day earlier was greeted by the loud music immediately he entered the premises. He wondered what could Ava be doing to result to turning the hoofer so loud. He expected maybe go find her dancing by the sitting room but what greeted him was a sight to behold. He never knew that his woman was so good at shaking her bum bum and swaying hips. The scene In Front of him mesmerised him. ¡® If this is how I get to be weed back home, I think I should increase my meetings abroad.¡¯ he said inwardly.


    Ronald could feel a fire so strong that it threatened to burn him alive being ignited in his body. It didn¡¯t help that his junior woke up from slumber watching the woman who has been guing his dreams dance so carefree, without any care in the world. Just looking at her turned him on in ways no other woman has ever done. He couldn¡¯t hold himself any longer so he took hurried steps towards her like someone was chasing after him and back hugged her.


    Ava who had been invested in her work was jolted by the sudden intrusion. She tensed and tried to resist until Ronald¡¯s natural body scent hit her nostrils. She rxed and allowed him to hug her. Ronald lowered his head and leaned it on her neck. Ste could feel his warm breath caress her neck sending electric shivers down her spine. He sniffed her hair, taking in as much as possible. After staying with him, Ava hade to realise that Ronald had a thing with her hair. He would sniff it or alternatively just run his slender fingers through her silky air.


    ¡± I would give anything to always have you wee me like this at home.¡±  Ronald whispered, blowing air to her ears. Ava could feel her sex juices drip hearing his husky voice teasing her. She was damn sure that her knickers were dropped by her fluids. It has always been like that. Sfe couldn¡¯t help herself whenever she was in his arms. A simple thing from Ronald was enough to send her brain, body and sex begging him. Sfe was a ve to her body and Ronald¡¯s. It was only this Man who could turn her on like this. Her resolve around him would always crumble to nothingness.


    ¡± I thought you were arriving tomorrow.¡± She said just to change the subject. She was afraid she would jump on him and kiss him senseless if he continued teasing her like this. ¡± I wanted to surprise you but was surprised instead. You never told me you could shake that ass until I get a hard on just from watching.¡± Justin replied and Ava regretted trying to change the subject. His words left her flustered even more but who was Ava? If he could tease her, she could do the same to him.


    ¡± Oh really? I never knew that a bouncing ass was all you needed to get hard!¡± Ava said, turning to look at him. She then started trailing her fingers from above his knees going up slowly.


    ¡± Wrong! Looking at you turns me on Ava.¡± Ronald replied and Ava suddenly grabbed his manhood in a tight grip forcing Ronald to let out a loud groan as he threw his head back. She then removed her hands from his dick but not without stroking it. Ronald swore that one more stroke from her sinful hands and he wille undone shooting his load on his pants.

 40

    ¡± You are such a tease, but I like it. ¡± Ronald whispered to her ears yet again and Ava wondered what kind of a game he was trying to y here. Without giving her time to react to his words, Ronald grabbed her and pulled her towards himself. He then mmed his lips on her, tasting her sweetness. His skillful tongue thrusted deep into her mouth once granted entrance, exploring every corner of her mouth. Ava felt her knees buckle and turn jelly. She clutched Ronald¡¯s shirt tightly as if her Life depended on him. Just a kiss. A kiss from Justin was all it took for her to melt in his hands. It was like his kisses were her stimnt sending her to a sexual fervour.


    Ava let out a muffled moan amidst their kisses. Ronald was kissing her aggressively as if he was punishing her for whatever reason, but she wasn¡¯tining. She liked every bit of it. Ronald was itching to explore her whole body so he moved his hands which were resting on her waist and grabbed her butt cheeks squeezing them gently. He loved how they felt in his hands. Ava was gifted with a round soft butt, just like how he liked it.


    He spanked her gently causing her to jolt and break the kiss but not after letting out an uncontrolled moan. Ava who had just received a p on her butt could swear that it was very wet down there. That simple act was nerve wracking. She could attest that she had cum.  ¡® oh dear!¡¯ she could only cry at how her sex started throbbing. Even though they had been dating for months, the two of them never went past kissing and making out. Ronald had told her that he¡¯ll wait until she was ready. Ava wanted to protest that she was ever ready for him but decided against it. She was scared that he would see her as a cheap woman but now, she was regretting it. Ronald had been pushing her to her limits and leaving her hanging. She knew that it was a way to push her in his hands but she had decided to y along and see how long he could restrain himself. It is just now she realised that only she was in the test and not Ronald at all.


    ¡± Touch me.¡± She said softly. Yes, she was at the breaking point of her sanity. If she didn¡¯t get to have her release, she was sure she would have a long night.


    ¡± What¡¯s that? I didn¡¯t hear you?¡± Ronald replied. He was enjoying this but at the expense of his dick hurting like hell. His raging member was pleading for him to take care of it, of course he knew at this point not even a cold shower or hands could save him from this hard on. His only and final result was to push his woman to the end and force her to give in and From the look of things, his n was going exactly at the right path.


    ¡± Touch me , please.¡± Ava said pleading. She didn¡¯t mind begging as long as she could get what her body was craving. She wasn¡¯t ashamed of begging him as long as she could be driven to the edge by him.


    ¡± Where should I touch you, be specific baby.¡± Ronald cooed his sexy voice sounding like an ideal bedroom voice.


    ¡± Here.¡± Ava took his hands and directed them to her core. Yes, that was the ce that was begging to be touched. Without wasting another moment, Ronald pulled down her shorts exposing her well shaved sex to his eyes to feast on.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± You are very beautiful Ava, just perfect.¡± He said worshipping her body with his eyes. Ava blushed hearing his words. She had shaved her private area awaiting for him to return. Ava had initially wanted to seduce Ronald after his return. She had been feeling impatient with all the waiting. She wanted to give herself to him and belong to him fully. Ava was no traditionaldy who would wait until marriage to make love to the man she loved. As long as she wasfortable and had no regrets, she would dly give herself to him. She had been waiting for him for years and now that they were finally together, why take things slow?


    Ronald took his time admiring and tracing his fingers on Ava¡¯s sex. He then inserted one finger in her p*ssy and Ava sucked in a long breath.


    ¡± You are dripping baby, so very wet.¡± Ronald said, removing the finger and tasting her while looking straight into her eyes,¡± And taste good too.¡± He added and Ava¡¯s face turnedpletely red like a red tomato. She hadn¡¯t expected such a  move from Ronald. He swirled his tongue around the finger and sucked it like it was the most delicious snack he had ever tasted. Ava could feel her muscles clenching and her walls tightening just watching him.


    ¡± Spread your legs wide for me.¡± And just like an obedient pet receiving instructions from its master, she spread her legs to grant him better ess to her sex. Ronald inserted his middle finger in her sleek and wet p*ssy and Ava groaned in pleasure.


    ¡± Is it painful?¡± Ronald asked concerned, he mistook her groan of pleasure for pain. When Ava shook her head in denial, he started moving his finger in and out driving the poor maiden in his arms nuts. By the time Ronald added the second finger, Ava was a moaning mess. The pleasure was too much that she felt she could die. After a few more thrusts, Ava¡¯s walls tightened around Ronald¡¯s fingers sucking him. She could feel something inexplicable umting in her stomach and just like that, her sex juices drenched Ronald¡¯s fingers while others trickled on her thighs. She took in deep breaths to stabilise her  breathing and regain her senses which had flew through the window due to the unmatched release she just had.

 41

    Ava¡¯s knees were still trembling so Justin offered to support her. That climax had hit her hard, exhausting her. It was the first time she experienced something like that. The feeling was beyond exnation orprehension. It was a feeling mere words could never exin. Ronald lifted her up the floor and carried her bridal style towards their bedroom. Pushing the door open, he walked towards the bed and ced her carefully on the bed. He knew that she was exhausted so it was impossible for them to go all the way through. His raging manhood was so aroused that it started to be painful. He could only result in taking a cold shower to relieve himself. Ronald was pretty sure that if things proceeded this way, he was bound to have blue balls. He had just taken a step when Ava pulled him back to the bed. He fell straight on top of her. Looking at her face questionably, he waited for her to say what was that for.


    ¡± Let me help you.¡± Ava said blushing. Are knew that he was intending to go and take a cold shower. He had satisfied her so how could she let him deal with his hard work alone? ¡± Are you sure? He didn¡¯t want her to feel obligated to help him but at the same time he hoped to receive a positive answer. Having sex was not the only way to relieve a man. He was hoping she could extend her help to him because honestly, he knew the cold shower wouldn¡¯t help him much. Ava nodded her head and smiled. ¡± Do you trust me?¡± He asked and she nodded yet again. ¡± Theny on the bed.¡± He instructed and Avaid straight on the bed. Ronald stripped his trousers and chuckled seeing how  eyes widened and how sfe gulped down seeing his manhood. He found her actions amusing.


    ¡± You want to touch it?¡± He asked and without waiting for her answer, took her hand and ced it on top of his member. Instinctively, Ava stroked it and Ronald groaned. ¡± It¡¯s too big and soft ¡± sfemented but deep inside sfe was wondering how something as big as that would be able to fit in her small pussy. Ava continued stroking it after sfe realised that Ronald loved what she was doing to him. She took in all the expressions he made while she concentrated on pleasuring him. It didn¡¯t take long before her hands got tired.


    Ronald could tell that her little hands were tired so he decided to help her. He held his manhood and positioned it between her thighs and started thrusting. He did not invade to get honey pot after all that was a task for another day. After a few More thrusts, he felt his balls tightening releasing his cum and after one powerful thrust, he came, spilling his cum between her legs while others reached the bedsheets. He then helped Ava remove her shirt before removing his. Now, they were stark naked. He carried her to the bathroom to clean themselves. He was sure that her thighs were somehow red now from him rubbing himself against them.


    Ronald decided that soaking would be much better than a shower so he filled the bathtub with lukewarm water. Ava stepped Inside the tub and made space for Ronald to join her. The tub was huge enough to hold three people so it was easy for them to fix themselves. Taking the scrubber, hethered it with soap and started scrubbing her softly. The two of them bathed each other while kissing asionally until the water started turning cold. Only then did Ronald step out before helping Ava out and turning on the shower to rinse themselves.


    Ava enjoyed being pampered by him. Ronald was a man who knew how to take care of a woman. Sometimes she would even start doubting whether she was the first woman he ever took care of to which Ronald assured her from time to time that she was the first woman in his life. He argued that when you love someone, some things will juste naturally. It was not a matter of practice for perfection.


    Carrying her to their bedroom, Ronald plugged in the drying machine and started drying her hair. This was something Ava noted that Ronald loved doing. Anything to do with her hair, he was very much interested.


    ¡± My parents areing back to the country to meet and get to know you.¡± He dropped the bomb on her. Hearing that, Ava was surprised ¨¤nd scared at the same time. Surprised that his parents would suddenly return to the country after eight years of roaming the world, and for what? To meet and get to know her? She couldn¡¯t control the nervousness she felt. Ronald had told her once the story of his parents, how after he turned twenty and tookplete control over the family business, they went away and never returned to the country for years.


    She was scared after thinking what if his parents did not like her for Ronald. Ava was very much aware of how the rich viewed the poor and orphans.  The only thing she had was money, no family connections, no degree or special skills to offer. She couldn¡¯t even be of any help to Ronald in his business. All she knew to do was look pretty and take a few snaps and money would be added to her ount.


    Her sudden silence was misinterpreted by Ronald. ¡± You don¡¯t want to meet my parents?¡± He asked with a dejected voice. Maybe she didn¡¯t like his parents or sfe didn¡¯t value him enough to be interested in his family. Those were Ronald¡¯s thoughts in response to her silence.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± I am just scared of Ron.¡± Ava finally uttered.


    ¡± Scared? Scared of what? My parents?¡± Ronald asked his voice, passing the message that he would find it unbelievable if she was scared of his parents.


    ¡± Of Course not, how could I be scared of your parents? Am just afraid that, what if they dislike me and think that am not good enough for you?¡±

 42

    ¡± Trust me my parents will like you very much, especially my mother. She¡¯s excited to meet you. Ever since I told them about you, she has been insisting theye home to meet their daughter inw.¡± David said, his words sounded sincere and Ava believed him. She will have to look for a Way to make her inws like her.


    Sunday arrived. It was the day the girls had agreed to meet up and catch up. It has been two months since thest time they met. Stacy was finally back in the country. Lucia was still preparing for the Summer fashionunch but everything had been taken care of. The only remaining thing was to send invitations to their guests. Ava was free as well as Miranda since now she could walk freely without being afraid of crazy fans ambushing her.


    After contemtion, they decided to meet at Miranda¡¯s house. That was because Miranda was strictly warned by Justin that she can only stay at his watch when with her crazy friends as he called them. Miranda could only agree to his arrangements and talk them into epting to meet at Justin¡¯s house. The house was big enough to amodate more than ten people. One by One, the girls started arriving before noon but two of them surprised the remaining two. Ava and Stacy came apanied by a man each.


    Coincidentally, the two pairs arrived together making Miranda and Lucia who were earlier to look at them with questioning eyes. Stacy could only shrug her shoulders. Frustration could be seen written all over her face. Ava on the other hand introduced Ronald as her boyfriend catching the others off guard. Lucia red at her and Ava could only say sorry to the girls. Stec Was sorry for not informing them that she already had a boyfriend but that was not her fault. They were all very busy to listen to her gossip. While the atmosphere remained tense, Justin walked down the stairs and went straight to Miranda¡¯s side pulling her into his arms. Now it was Miranda¡¯s turn to receive questioning looks from her friends and sfe remained speechless. She didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡± Does this mean that I am no longer needed in this ce as a single dog?¡± Lucia asked, her voiceced with sarcasm.


    ¡± Single? How could you be so heartless? Do you n to keep me as your gigolo then?¡± A clear crispy manly voice echoed in the room causing the seven people In the room to turn and look at the approaching man whose face had turned sour from hearing Lucia¡¯s words.


    ¡± Kiel? Why are you here?¡± Lucia asked after recovering from her momentary shock.


    ¡± Why am I here? If I didn¡¯te, how could I know that I mean nothing in your life?¡± He asked back but you could hear the hate as well as sadness in his voice.


    ¡± What is going on here Lucia?¡± The ever curious Ava inquired and Lucia just shrugged her shoulders.


    ¡± What¡¯s going on here? I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The man earlier called Kiel by Lucia started but was interrupted by Lucia before he could say anything more.


    ¡± We already agreed on the terms of our agreement, Kiel.¡± Lucia warned him sternly.


    ¡± Yes we did but I never promised to abide by them nor did we sign a non disclosure agreement.¡± The man retorted, his veins bulging. One look at him and you could tell that he was angry.


    ¡± But I have always kept my end of the deal.¡± Lucia said helplessly with a defeated tone.


    ¡± Really? Then tell me when you were going to tell me that you are pregnant with baby Lucia. Were you waiting until you aborted the baby? Huh?¡± He asked and strode towards where Lucia was standing. At this point, the room fell silent. One could hear the sound of a grain of rice falling down. To say that Lucia was shocked was an understatement, she stood frozen in ce. Her mind could not process anything. He knew! He fucking knew her secret! She had thought she had hidden it from him so well so just how did he get to know? She was sure that apart from the doctor nobody else knew about her pregnancy. She had gone to the hospital to book an appointment to get rid of the baby. The operation was in two days time and then the nightmare that has been ploughing her brains will be handled. She couldn¡¯t let anyone know that she was pregnant. Not when her father had already arranged a marriage for her. Lucia was sure that if news of her pregnancy reached her father¡¯s ears, she would be as good as dead. The same goes to the father of the child. That was why she took the decision to be a killer and save her poor child from criticism and him From being hunted down like a criminal.


    Thinking about all this, big fat tears rolled down her cheeks and she started sobbing. Seeing her tears, Kiel regretted saying those harsh words to her. He knew she was in a tight spot but he couldn¡¯t erase the pain of knowing that she almost killed their baby and that too without informing him.


    ¡± Am sorry baby, please don¡¯t cry.. am sorry please I didn¡¯t mean to make you feel bad.¡± He said, hugging her tightly in his arms. Lucia didn¡¯t stop crying, on the contrary she sobbed harder. Hisforting words were what she had been yearning for the past few days.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Shhh¡­ Please don¡¯t do this baby.. it hurts to see you cry like this.¡± Kiel said,forting her.

 43

    It took several minutes for Lucia to finallye down. She didn¡¯t want to break downpletely in front of everyone but she couldn¡¯t help it. She could only me the pregnancy hormones for fanning her tears and sobs. After she finally calmed down, Kiel pulled her and sat at the empty coach. The rest of the people had already settled on their seats and were watching the show with interest. Looking at her friends, Miranda realised that Just in a span of two weeks, their lives had changed drastically. She has a fiance herself, Ava had found herself a boyfriend, Lucia was pregnant for God knows how long ¨¤nd Stacy, her condition seemed more absurd. It seemed like Stacy had acquired a stalker¡­ No no.. that man was a loyalp dog, following Stacy wherever he went.


    This was supposed to be a girl¡¯s day out, it has turned into a reunion event.¡± Ava said giggling.


    ¡± Says the one who got a boyfriend and chose to keep us in the dark.¡± Stacy snorted.


    ¡± What are you snorting about, aren¡¯t you the same? Bringing your pet to our meeting?¡± Miranda said, rolling her eyes at Stacy surprising her friends. She was never the one to do girly stuff like eye rolling.


    ¡± Okay girls, you don¡¯t need to argue. The boys and I will leave you alone to do your thing. I just wanted to warn you not to get my Miranda in trouble like what you all did thest time.¡± Justin said and the girls rolled their eyes on him rendering him speechless. What do they mean by rolling their eyes on me? Didn¡¯t they hear me talk? He wondered.


    ¡± Stop that already. It was your woman¡¯s decision to take the challenge and I think you are the one who benefited from that scandal. If anything you should thank them for bringing the two of you together.¡± Ronald said, earning approval nods from the other two girls.


    ¡± Whatever let¡¯s go boys.¡± He said, gesturing to them to head upstairs. Kiel who had Lucia in his hands was adamant to let her go but he knew that he had to. They could spend time togetherter on but by now he had to leave. He hade here because Justin had summoned him back from abroad. ¡± Baby, I have to go¡­ I wille apany you as soon as am done.¡± He said kissing her forehead and standing to leave.


    The three boys though not reluctant to leave their women had to, they had crashed their girls day but since they had important matters to attend to, they could only force themselves to leave their sides. But the man by Stacy¡¯s side did not make a move to leave, causing the girls to look at him awkwardly.


    ¡± You can follow the boys, we need time alone to catch up.¡± Stacy gently said to him and he shook his head.


    ¡± We need to discuss private matters with the girls or do you want to eavesdrop?¡± Stacy asked raising her voice and the man shook his head again.¡± Then follow them.¡± She said pointing to the three men who had somehow stopped by the stairs and we¡¯re now looking at them but the man shook his head yet again. He looked at Stacy as if he was a puppy about to be abandoned by its master. Stacy ran her fingers through her hair letting out a frustrated sigh. ¡± Look here, I am not going to run away, I already promised you that I will be responsible, I just need little time with the girls and take a fresh breath from having you on my neck twenty four seven.¡± She said and thest part of the sentence was of course said inwardly. Stacy could only cry inwardly cursing alcohol for dragging her to this mess. She vowed to never touch alcohol ever again.


    The man removed a note and a pen and scribbled something before showing it to Ava.


    ¡® I don¡¯t want to go with them, I only want to stay beside you.¡¯ the note read and Stacy gritted her teeth after reading it. She couldn¡¯t understand how a mature man could be this clingy. ¡± I am really going to get mad if you don¡¯t listen to me and you don¡¯t want to see me angry.¡± Stacy said in a threatening voice and the man finally stood up, looking like a dejected small child. He then walked like a programmed robot towards the three men and Stacy finally heaved a sigh of relief. She could not believe why of all men in the world, she had to be tangled with this One.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    After the men disappeared in the hallway, the three girls turned to look at Stacy, their faces filled with anticipation and questions.¡± Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± Stacy said but she knew there was no way the girls were letting him go without spilling the truth. ¡± Come on, you know what we want. Shoot!¡± Ava said, her words representing what was going on in the other girl¡¯s minds.


    ¡± I don¡¯t even know how I ended up in this situation. All I remember is walking to a bar and having a few drinks. I remember leaving the bar and meeting a man seated outside the bar as if he was waiting for someone and I mistook him for an escort. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I woke up in my bed, with a man besides me and that¡¯s how I earned myself a shadow.¡± Stacy exined.


    ¡± Oh ! I didn¡¯t know you were into these things Stacy? Howe we never realised this before?¡± Ava asked jokingly. She couldn¡¯t control her urge to tease Stacy.


    ¡± I have never done that before, that night I just found him too handsome and with the alcohol manipting my mind, I dragged him to my bed.¡± Stacy said, frustration in her words.


    ¡± Okay, let me get this straight. It¡¯s you who took him to your house?¡± Miranda asked, seeking rification.


    ¡± ording to him, I lied to him that I was taking him to his home because he was lost by then and then I ended up doing that to him.¡± Stacy said, embarrassed by her own actions.


    ¡± So you practically raped him?¡± Lucia asked, speaking for the first time after her breakdown earlier.


    ¡± He¡¯s a man so how could I possibly rape him? I bet he was enjoying himself. He was so rough that I had to spend two days in bed. What is worse is that I don¡¯t have a recollection of what happened after I took him to my house.¡±

 44

    After Stacy realised what she had blurted out , her hands flew straight to her mouth and her eyes widened. Age could see her friends looking at her like she has grown a second head.


    ¡± Hehehehe Stacy? Who would have thought that you are so dominant? Howe we never realised that? Ava asked yfully.


    ¡± I don¡¯t remember exactly what happened after we arrived at the house, how could I know who was dominant?¡± Stacy asked, covering her face.


    ¡± What¡¯s the deal then? Why is he trailing behind you like a pet?¡± Miranda questioned.


    ¡± Oh well, he insisted I take responsibility for sleeping with him.¡± Stacy said casually making Lucia spit the juice in her mouth. She coughed violently. She cursed Stacy for saying such things so openly.


    ¡± What?¡± That was Miranda and Ava¡¯s response to her answer.


    ¡± You see? I was even shocked to hear those words. What¡¯s worse is that it was his mother who insisted I take responsibility for robbing him of his virginity. You can¡¯t believe how shocked I was but I could only ept it, I had no other choice.¡± Stacy said frustrated.


    ¡± His mother? You already met his mother?¡± Lucia asked after recovering from her fit.


    ¡± Yeah, his mother was one of the Head professors. She is a neurologist and my senior.¡± Her voice was dejected.


    ¡± Holy shit! Just how did you get yourself in this mess? Ava asked. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the ever careful Stacy got herself in this situation. A man following her demanding she takes responsibility. Their story was the opposite of how it appears in the novels Ava has been reading. Isn¡¯t it supposed to be the man offering to take responsibility after sleeping with the female lead? How did it turn out to be the girl taking responsibility? Just how fucked up was this mess her best friend found herself in? Ava wondered.


    ¡± Alcohol dear, just a single bottle messed everything up. My brain, my body and then it didn¡¯t help that he was so hot and handsome standing by the roadside all alone. I am paying the price for a momentary pleasure.¡± She said,


    ¡± Oh well you can¡¯t deny the fact that he¡¯s hot and handsome. He¡¯s quite a catch.¡± Ava said and giggled.


    ¡± What does he do for a living or he¡¯ll be a live-in husband?¡± Lucia asked jokingly.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Gab is a scientist and is well established in the research department. He spends most of his time researching.¡± Stacy replied with a hint of pride that even she didn¡¯t notice but her friends caught it and looked at him with a knowing smile.


    ¡± What?¡± She asked but her face was so red that it seemed like blood would start oozing out from her tiny pores. ¡± Gab huh?¡± That was Ava. She couldn¡¯t let go of this chance to tease her.


    ¡± You are already hooked up, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lucia joined her Friend to tease Stacy while Miranda kept quiet, just watching them silently.


    ¡± What? No way!¡± Stacy said, seeming horrified by the idea. Her? Falling for Gabriel? He wasn¡¯t the kind of man sfe ever wished to marry. ¡± Don¡¯t fight it Stacy, it¡¯s clear that you are in love.¡± Lucia said seriously.


    ¡± I second Stacy, you are already trapped by your one night stand boy.¡± Ava added.


    ¡± What one stands? It¡¯s no longer a one night stand, it¡¯s everyday nowadays.¡± Stacy said and snorted. Since he presented himself to her on a silver tter, why not take whatever she wants from him. Wow! So our girl here knows the taste of this things huh!¡± Lucia teased.


    ¡± Hump! You talk like you don¡¯t. When were you nning to tell us about your pregnancy?¡± Stacy retorted, silencing Lucia. This was what Lucia was dreadful of . How was she supposed to answer that now?


    ¡± This is not about me, it¡¯s about you Stacy.¡± She tried diverting the attention back to Stacy but she knew her actions were futile.


    ¡± She¡¯s right Lucia, were you nning on never telling us about it. I thought we were sisters?¡± Miranda asked and you could feel that she was hurt. Lucia assumed that that was exactly how the rest were feeling. ¡± It¡¯s not that we are sisters but my situation is tooplicated.¡± Lucia tried to exin.


    ¡± She¡¯s right Lucia, were you nning on never telling us about it. I thought we were sisters?¡± Miranda asked and you could feel that she was hurt. Lucia assumed that that was exactly how the rest were feeling. ¡± It¡¯s not that we are sisters but my situation is tooplicated.¡± Lucia tried to exin.


    ¡± Irrespective of howplicated things were, you could have trusted us with anything. We took an oath to always be there for each other.¡± Ava added.


    ¡± Come on girls, don¡¯t make me feel worse. The guilt has been gnawing at me but I can¡¯t let people know that I am pregnant. My father will kill me if he ever finds out.¡± Lucia said, sniffing back her tears.


    ¡± So what that guy said was the truth after all? You wanted to end the life of an innocent creature just to avoid facing your father¡¯s wrath?¡± Miranda asked, Lucia could feel the disappointment in her voice. She, herself was disappointed in her actions but what could she do? To her father, nothing mattered more than the family¡¯s reputation. He would never allow anybody to ruin the reputation of the family he had tried to build for decades.


    ¡± Do you think I want to? It¡¯s my baby so of course I want it to live and be born. I want to watch him grow up, take his first step, grow the first tooth, I want to see himughing over silly things and kissing his cheeks goodnight. I want all that but reality is different. A baby born out of wedlock is considered an outcast. I don¡¯t want my baby to grow up being called names left to right. I would never wish that for him.¡±

 45

    ¡± The baby obviously has a father and from the look of things, he¡¯s willing to do anything to have both you and your baby. He loves you Miranda so you can give your baby a stable family.¡± Stacy said, looking her in the eye.


    ¡± You don¡¯t understand, do you? I am already engaged to someone else, although there¡¯s no love between us, he¡¯s my fiance. If word got out that I am pregnant, not only will I be in trouble but the father also. I Love him, that¡¯s why I can¡¯t keep this baby. The three of us will never be safe. Even if my father let¡¯s us go, that Man has a ck heart, he won¡¯t take the news lying down.¡± Lucia exined. How could she make them understand from her point of view? How can she exin to them that Kiel will be dead before he knows it if he was identified as the father of her child. Lucia knew there was a possibility that even the baby would be in danger. She wouldn¡¯t be safe either.


    ¡± You could have talked to us, Lucia. Every problem has a solution. What you need to do is tell them the truth. Only the truth will set you free.¡± Stacy said and the two others nodded agreeing to her words making Lucia speechless. Did her friend forget their ears somewhere beforeing here? Are they just ignorant or don¡¯t want to believe what she just said?


    ¡± She¡¯s right Lucia. You should confront them and tell them the truth. He might be your father but he is not you, he won¡¯t experience the life meant for you. And that Man, he¡¯s nothing but a fiance, not a husband. It¡¯s not like you cheated on him because I want to imagine this was an arranged marriage. If they try harming you or your baby, we are here as your sisters. We will fight against them. They might be men but we are also men in disguise.¡± Ava said.


    ¡± You know you have our back anytime Lucia. You should chase what makes you happy, not what makes other people happy.¡± Miranda added.


    Lucia knew they were right. She hadn¡¯t thought as much. The moment she knew she was expecting, she panicked and all reason flew away but now hearing their words, she developed a new spirit. A spirit to fight what it is she wanted. A spirit to keep her baby and her man. It didn¡¯t matter who would be displeased with her decision. To hell with everyone else, not even the reputation of the family her father fought for will stand in her way of happiness. And she was sure her happiness was in his arms and with their child by their side but¡­


    ¡± There¡¯s something else.¡± Lucia announced and all eyes turned to look at her prompting her to continue. ¡± Our rtionship is not as simple as you think.¡± She revealed.


    ¡± What do you mean by not normal? Talk in humannguage so that we can understand.¡± Ava said.


    ¡± Our rtionship is based on a contract.¡± She blurted out.


    ¡± What? He made you sign a contract? How could he?¡± Stacy was getting aggrieved just thinking about that. What kind of man enters into a contract with a woman? Only men whores or those purposely keeping a woman as a child making machine do that.


    ¡± You misunderstood, I made him sign the contract. We slept together and for some reason I felt like keeping him. The sex was good and that was what I was after. To safeguard my reputation, I Made him sign that contract. It¡¯s been years and our rtionship has been going well so far. We had agreed that no strings attached nor children¡¯s involvement in our rtionship.¡± Lucia exined and the girls¡¯ jaws dropped.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡® what the hell!, Was I wrong saying they only whores keep people tied down by contracts? Isn¡¯t that as good as calling Lucia a whore? Aaaah! Am just lucky I didn¡¯t say that out loud.¡¯ Stacy thought.


    ¡± Are you serious? I Know that you are a bold woman and like to be in control but don¡¯t you think that¡¯s unfair to him? He seems like a fine man, why would he agree to such a ridiculous agreement?¡± Ava questioned. She was known for always saying what was in her mind without caring whether it was offensive or not.


    ¡± I was only attracted to him and how good he made me feel but I was already engaged. What could I do? That was the only way to keep him without having to worry about my secret getting out and dirtying my reputation.¡± Lucia defended.


    ¡± Yeah sure, keep lying to yourself. Was the sex was good? That¡¯s all? You think sex alone is enough to keep a man tied to you? No my dear. He must have seen something else in you, maybe a future with you. That¡¯s why a man of his calibre will be reduced to a sex thing. He can have countless women in his bed, so sex isn¡¯t what keeps you two together. You know that very well.¡± Stacy said, rolling her eyes on Lucia.


    ¡± Does that mean you are also with your boy toy because you see a future with him?¡± Lucia retorted with a smile.


    ¡± Honestly Yes! Gabriel is not my ideal man but he¡¯s good enough for me. He¡¯s kind and treats me well. He lets me do whatever I want with his body. He¡¯s all mine to possess so why should I let him go. That fateful night has turned out to be a blessing in disguise for me. Now, I get to sleep cuddled. He helps me in my operations and makes me feel like never before.¡± Stacy replied with a straight face. She sounded like someone who finally agreed to her fate.


    ¡± Since he wants to be tied to me, I¡¯ll tie him by my side forever. I wouldn¡¯t exchange such good sex for anything else in this world.¡± Stacy added surprising the girls, even Lucia who was the most shameless could feel that that title will soon not be hers anymore.

 46

    The girls could only shake their heads from her words. She was no longer the reserveddy Stacy they knew before. She had turned into something new and hard toprehend.


    ¡± What? Stop looking at me like that. I already figured out what I want and a life with a submissive husband and good sex is what I want. Just thinking about how I will ride him at night makes me so wet, damn!¡± Stacy said out loud.


    ¡± Enough enough! That¡¯s enough please.¡± Ava begged. Her words were making her imagine the naughty things she had done with Ronald yesterday and damn it! Her body was starting to crave for him again.


    ¡± Why? You don¡¯t want to hear it? Wait until your boyfriend ms himself so deep in you, just thinking about it will make you cum.¡± Stacy said shamelessly and Lucia opted to cover her ears. She knew that feeling too and it was something she has been craving for the past few weeks. Kiel hadn¡¯t visited their love nest and her insides were now starting to itch. Miranda who was foreign to this kind of thing listened but couldn¡¯t help but blush. She remembered the conversation she had with Justin the other day.


    ¡± Baby.. I feel like I¡¯m running out of patience, I want you.¡± Justin had said. The ever ignorant Miranda had not contemted what the Man meant so she answered carelessly. ¡± I am always here, why do you want me, you can always have me.¡± Her words had brought pure excitement but at longst, he had resulted in taking a cold shower. Miranda had pushed him away after he started grinding himself with her and touching her all over.


    She had warned him to stay away from her if that¡¯s what he wanted. Honestly, it¡¯s not like she wasn¡¯t willing to give it to him, it¡¯s just that she had a lot on her mind. With the king¡¯s proposition plus Niki¡¯s deal, she had been in deep thought and ignored Justin unintentionally.


    ¡± That reminds me, the two of you have boyfriends but you did not bother to let us know?¡± Stacy said, looking to ¨¤nd from Ava and Miranda.


    ¡± I had video called all of you to share the news with you but all of you were busy gossiping so I nned on telling you all about it.¡± Ava said, defending herself.


    ¡± So tell us your love story. He is kinda scary by the way.¡± Lucia said excitedly like a small child waiting for her grandmother to tell her the fairytale of Snow White.


    ¡± Ronald is not scary, he¡¯s the sweetest Man you could ever find.¡± Ava said ring at Lucia.


    ¡± Yeah yeah the sweetest! Tell us what we are more interested in.¡± Lucia countered.


    ¡± Oh well, there¡¯s nothing special about our story, just that we met at the vige when I went to visit my grandmother. He saved me from being raped and said that I was his but disappeared after that. Twelve yearster, here we are. After pping him that night, he sought me out and offered a ridiculous contract that trapped me, so here we are now.¡± She finished.


    ¡± You want to tell me, he is that man you pped that night after we left the club?¡± Lucia asked, surprised. What a pleasant coincidence!


    ¡± Fortunately, yes.¡± Ava replied.


    ¡± Is he a gangster or something?¡± Stacy couldn¡¯t keep that question to herself. She had this nagging feeling that that Man was no ordinary Man.


    ¡± He¡¯s the king of the underworld.¡± Miranda started with a straight face. Looking at her face showing no emotions uttering those words, you could think she just answered a ¡® what¡¯s your name¡¯ question.


    ¡± How did you know?¡± Ava asked, surprised. Not Many people knew the identity of Ronald. He was known as the only heir of the Johnston family and the CEO of the Johnstonpany.


    ¡± I have my ways.¡± She replied inly.


    ¡± So what¡¯s the n now? Are you dating or what?¡± Lucia inquired.


    ¡± Yes we are officially dating and his parents areing back to the country to meet me, ¡± Ava said, not trying to hide the happiness radiating on her face.


    ¡± Is he the reason you never dated before?¡± Stacy inquired.


    ¡± You could say so. I liked him back then and his words always rung in my head wherever another man tried courting me.¡± Ava exined.


    ¡± What about you Miranda? What¡¯s up between that model and you?¡± Lucia asked.


    ¡± We are dating and he proposed to me and I said yes.¡± The ever straightforward Miranda replied, making the girls gasp.


    ¡± You two are engaged now?¡± Ava asked after recovering From her shock. Miranda was thest person they expected to enter in a rtionship in their group. After she was rejected by Carlos, she had been downcast so hearing that she was engaged brought huge question marks on their heads.


    ¡± Did you ept him because you felt something for him or because you wanted a husband ?¡± Lucia asked. She couldn¡¯t understand how just like yesterday Miranda had been downcasted because of another man but now she was happily engaged to another. That will trante to either her crush wasn¡¯t that strong or she wanted something from him and when she didn¡¯t get it went to another target. But Miranda was different from that so the first option was fit for her.


    Upstairs in Justin¡¯s study room, the three men were seated around a table sipping their wine while the fourth One sat far away staring at One ce. Justin, Ronald and Kiel could tell that he was far from this. Maybe on Mars trying to examine the creatures existing up there.


    ¡± Is he dumb or mute?¡± Kiel couldn¡¯t control his curiosity.


    ¡± No, just introverted. He never talks to any random person, only a few of them.¡± Ronald replied.


    ¡± How do you know him?¡± Justin wondered out loud. Was there someone his Buddy didn¡¯t know about?


    ¡± Remember the project in the country M I was talking about? He was the pioneer. He invented the system of generating power from still water. All thanks to him that country now can produce its own power and supply it. It was a very helpful project and saved the country a lot of resources.¡± Ronald exined. This was one of the guys he respected a lot.


    ¡± So that makes him a what?¡± Kiel asked.


    ¡± Actually, he¡¯s many things. He is aplished in the field of medicine and research. He¡¯s an astronomer. He has invented countless things ranging from programmed robots, to security devices to weapons.¡± He¡¯s a genius.¡± Ronald exined. ¡± The Only problem with him is that his mind works so much that he forgets to talk or should I say he finds talking exhausting ¡± Ronald added.


    ¡± Is that impressive?¡± Kiel eximed.


    ¡± Yes, but he is socially awkward. I am sure he can¡¯t even court a girl , not just that, he¡¯s actually scared of girls.¡± Ronald said and chuckled as if remembering something funny.


    ¡± Then why is he even here? I think he has been out of the country looking at his pale skin.¡± Justin wondered out loud.


    ¡± Actually what you should be worried about Is the rebels capturing him. If he falls in the hand of the wrong people, he can destroy the world.¡± Ronald said seriously.


    ¡± Is that impressive?¡± Kiel couldn¡¯t believe that.


    ¡± How about you try sneaking to him and see for yourself.¡± Ronald challenged and with the warning bells ringing in his mind, Kiel remembered that curiosity killed the cat.


    ¡± No need, hehehe!¡± He saidughing awkwardly while scratching his nape.


    ¡± If he is that dangerous, why is he allowed to roam the streets freely?¡± Justin asked. He couldn¡¯t understand why a person as dangerous as that was walking without any security details to protect him.


    ¡± He always has several security guards, so I assume he sneaked away, ¡± Ronald spected.


    ¡± Why would he do that? That¡¯s akin to risking his life.¡± Justin asked.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± It¡¯s simple, a woman. They say that a woman is the deadliest weapon against Men. It has been proven. Prominent people fell out of grace all thanks to the daughters of jezebel. Samson is a good example ¡± Ronald said and the three of them couldn¡¯t agree less. They themselves were in that group of pussy whipped men. They could do anything for their women.

 47

    ¡± A woman?¡± Eximed Justin and Kiel in unison.


    ¡°Mmm.¡± Ronald repliedzily making the two men pause to ponder on what he meant by that.


    ¡± You want to tell me that the reason he¡¯s here is because of that friend of Lucia? The doctor?¡± Kiel asked, his voice and facial expressions full of disbelief. How so?


    ¡± You figured it out yourself.¡± Ronald said with aid back tone.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± But why would he follow her all the way here without caring much for his security?¡± Justin still couldn¡¯t rte those two things.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one reason¡­ Attachment¡­ And that can happen after engaging in intimate things so my guess is that the doctor took advantage of him and deflowered him. To him, it¡¯s a big deal and would want to stick to the person who made him experience it for the first time.¡± Ronald spoke his mind.


    ¡± She didn¡¯t take advantage of me, it¡¯s me who followed her and allowed her to do that to me.¡± At that moment, a voice was heard, making the room turn pindrop silent. Everyone turned to look at the man who just spoke for the first time since they arrived, of course with the exception of Ronald. He wasn¡¯t surprised one bit, he knew that mentioning that issue would earn a response from the introverted guy.


    The room fell to silence as a nosy Crow flew past their heads. ¡± So you are saying you nned all that?¡± Kiel asked mischievously. His mischief knew no bounds and his gossiping stomach was growling for some good gossip. Gabriel blushed hearing that, it¡¯s because he remembered that fateful night he couldn¡¯t control himself after his crush pressed her body to his and requested him to eat her. He then remembered how she has been devouring him every night these days. Each day they would explore something new and his little brother who was non existent for years started throbbing again. His face turned red like cooked prawns. Seeing this, Kielughed out loud.


    ¡± Hey man! Tell us honestly¡­ What naughty things are you thinking about now to blush like this? Kiel asked, he teased the guy mercilessly. Gabriel who was never used to such casual talks swallowed heavily only to be choked by his saliva.


    ¡± That¡¯s enough Kiel, Leave the poor guy alone.''¡± Ronald interrupted but Gabriel retorted seriously.¡± I am not poor.¡± For the second time in the day, his words left everyone dumbfounded but this time, the silence was broken when Kiel Burst outughing. He couldn¡¯t believe how innocent a thirty year old guy could be. It was hrious that he didn¡¯t seem to understand Humannguage at all. Kiel wondered which the creature before them came from.


    ¡± Am serious. Although I don¡¯t own many properties, I have invested my money.¡± Gabriel exined and seeing the nk expression in Ronald and Justin¡¯s face paired with the weird gaze the other boy was throwing at him, Gabriel realised that maybe they didn¡¯t trust his words.¡± It¡¯s true, I have invested a lot, in real estate, banking and many others. My mother said that I need to have money to marry the mother of my children.¡± Gabriel replied, his face serious as if he was exining a certain important concept making Kiel grin mischievously.


    ¡± The mother of your children? Who is she? Is it that doctor downstairs? But I heard she already has a boyfriend?¡± Kiel said out of impulse not knowing the intensity of his words to the poor guy.


    ¡± B. boyfriend? She has a boyfriend?¡± Gabriel couldn¡¯t form aplete sentence. Those words shocked him to the core. How could she have a boyfriend and still do those things with her? Did she not see him worth enough? Was it because he was introverted? Was it because he wasn¡¯t like any other normal person? Was it because¡­.? Countless questions shed through his mind and he felt his heart clench in pain. Those words assaulted his ears, shed his heart and shut down his brain. He felt like he wanted to cry but he couldn¡¯t cry, not because he couldn¡¯t but because he didn¡¯t know how to do it.


    He had thought that she was finally okay with marrying him so what happened? What was he in her life? To him, she was the first woman to ever make him see ady beyond the dressing code. She was the one who invaded his body and awakened desires he never knew existed. She was what gave his life meaning once again. But¡­. She had a boyfriend?


    Battling with the intense emotions clouding his mind and not knowing how to express them, Gabriel stood, clutching his chest and took hurried steps outside the room. We could say he practically ran off. He couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. He couldn¡¯t look her in the eye knowing sfe had another person in her life. He couldn¡¯t do those things that made him feel alive with her anymore because she wasn¡¯t his. Now, he even felt guilty for heeding his mother¡¯s advice of asking her to take responsibility. Maybe he had pushed her to be with him??


    Gabriel dashed downstairs and through the entrance door. He didn¡¯t even stop to look at thedies seated chatting by the sofas. His emotions were going haywire. He had never felt this awful before. He ran away, not looking back nor caring about the curious nces he got from passersby. He didn¡¯t even know where the hell he was going, but he knew he had to get away, far away from her. He can¡¯t continue insisting on being with her nor was he worthy of fighting for her¡­ Fighting? That word sounded alien to his ears but that¡¯s what his mother told him. That he has to fight for what he wants but was that possible? Did he even have the chance to fight here? Most importantly, was he worth fighting for her? The best he could do was just surrender his body to her, he had nothing else to offer. He couldn¡¯t even hold a decent conversation with her, not to mention her friends. Wouldn¡¯t she turn into aughing stock for being with a person like him? He hadn¡¯t considered that but now that he did, the reality struck him hard. He wasn¡¯t worth and would never be worth of her.

 48

    Gabriel ran and ran, not stopping to breathe, until he came to a dark alley. It was then he realised he seemed to be lost. Honestly it didn¡¯t matter whether he got lost or not, but he wouldn¡¯t want to make Lucia worry about him. He patted his pockets and did not find his phone, it¡¯s then he realised that he had left his phone behind when he was trying to escape his security details. He had made that decision on a whim, not caring about his safety despite knowing that he was a wanted person. Terrorists and rebels hunted him because he could help them achieve a lot through his scientific breakthroughs. But now, he regrets it.


    Back in the study room.


    ¡± I think I have messed up!¡± Kiel said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He was damn sure that his words triggered something in that man¡¯s mind that¡¯s why he ran away like a rejected pet.


    ¡± You just didn¡¯t mess up dummy, you messed up big time. You should pray nothing happens to him otherwise you¡¯ll learn the consequences of your poor jokes.¡± Ronald said sternly and then removed his phone and called one of his men.


    ¡± Follow him. Make sure you don¡¯t lose sight of him. If anything suspicious happens, act ordingly and inform me.¡± He barked the orders and cut the call.


    ¡± Why?¡± Justin asked. From the serious tone of his friend¡¯s voice, something was off. Something was wrong.


    ¡± The rebels have been keeping a close watch on him since he came back to the country.¡± Ronald replied with aid down voice.


    ¡± Shit!¡± Kiel cursed out. He was very much aware of what could happen if the guy was captured by the rebels. It was already hard now to try and fight them, what could happen if they managed to capture him and force him to work for them? Kiels heart dreaded the oue.


    In an underground basement.


    A man was seen typing furiously as the screen of theputer disyed various images. He suddenly came to a halt and zoomed the picture.


    ¡± I got himmander. He¡¯s heading south to the port ¡± the guy reported and the so calledmander burst outughing


    ¡± What do you think Niki? It was pretty easy to locate him ¡± the man boasted.


    ¡± Scar, I would suggest you celebrate after you capture him. You never know who¡¯s lurking in the darkness protecting him. A man like that will never walk without security and talk less of exposing his whereabouts ¡± Niki said, his voice neutral. You could sense the dread and fear in his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but curse his brother. How could he let such a walking weapon roam the streets? Was he so eager to have the country torn down by rebels?


    ¡± What do you suggest?¡± Scar asked respectfully. After All Niki was the queen¡¯s only son and their future king.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Send the best, you should also tag along and capture him. We have to force him to be on our side.¡± Niki ordered and themander bowed before leaving the room.


    After the scar left, Niki red at the Man who Just exposed the infamous scientist to the rebels. The guy could feel death daggers thrown at him but couldn¡¯t turn to look at their boss. He knew that the boss could be scary, more or less like a grim reaper.


    ¡± Leave!¡± It was only one word but it carried the sentence to his life. Without wasting a single second, the guy scurried away like a wounded little tigress. He didn¡¯t dare look back at the Boss. Niki picked his phone and sent a message to someone before deleting it immediately. He left the rest of the matter to her hands and God¡¯s hands. That¡¯s the best he could do for her.


    Miranda, who was drinking water Heard her phone ding indicating an iing message. She immediately took it and opened the message app.


    ¡± DANGER! REBELS OUT TO CAPTURE HIM.¡±


    Simple, short and bold.


    Nobody needed to tell her who the message was referring to.


    ¡± Putting the phone to her pants pockets, she ced the ss on the table with a thud.


    ¡± Rescue mission.¡± She yelled and the three girls didn¡¯t need to be told it was action time. Their movement was synchronised as they walked out of the house.


    A minuteter, a red sports car left the mansion at a terrifying speed. Ava was on the wheels and everyone knew that they were in for a crazy fight.


    ¡± Details?¡± Lucia asked.


    ¡± You should have stayed in the house. You are risking the life of your child.¡± Stacy reproached her.


    ¡± I know how to take care of myself, don¡¯t worry. You should be worried if your needles are stocked before you run out of your poison in the middle of the fight.¡± Lucia admonished her mercilessly.


    ¡± Shut up! Am concentrating here. Miranda, details!¡± Ava interrupted. These two were at it again.


    ¡± Target:, Gabriel Collins, enemy: rebels, location: south to the Port.¡± Miranda reported.


    ¡± Damn it! How could I be this careless?¡± Stacymented.


    ¡± Yes, damn you! How could you keep that kind of information away from us! Do you want to get us all killed?¡± Ava roared.


    ¡± Am sorry!¡± Stacy said and the whole car fell to utter silence. Stacy was really remorseful. How could he let him walk away just like that? She didn¡¯t even make the effort to follow him even knowing that something was wrong with him.


    The men who were sitting in Justin¡¯s study room Heard the sound of an engineing to life and the next thing they saw was a car leaving the vi at an extremely fast speed.


    Ronald could only curse. He knew that that was definitely his Ava on the wheels. He had investigated her after they met and came to know that she was a qualified racer but never enrolled for any races. He contemted why she would certainly be interested in racing today then, realisation hit him.


    ¡± Shit!¡± How couldn¡¯t he realise it?


    ¡± Get the chopper ready and track my car ¡± he ordered and immediately walked away in hurried steps. Kiel and Justin could only run after him wondering why all of a sudden everyone was seen walking away.

 49

    ¡± What is happening Ronald?¡± Justin asked. Just a moment ago, he saw a car sped off From the premises but did not think too much about it. He assumed that maybe the girls went for a ride.


    ¡± He¡¯s under siege.¡± Ronald briefly answered and the two men didn¡¯t need to be told who they were talking about. Just then, Ronald¡¯s phone rang and without wasting time he received the call. He needed to know what the situation was.


    ¡± Boss? We are surrounded! More than hundred rebels suddenly appeared. They are armed while I only took seven men with me.¡± The man on the other side of the phone reported. Ronald could trace panic in his voice.


    ¡± Remember what I always tell you, you fight to the death if need be.. try holding them while we get there.¡± Ronald spat and immediately hung up. He had to rescue that man and his people as soon as possible. He knew his men were well trained but we are talking about one hundred rebels against only seven, well eight considering the target but who knew if the man could fight. What Ronald knew was that the rebels Will have a hard time capturing him if they don¡¯t inject him with drugs.


    In no time, the chopper was flying heading to the port. It would take approximately ten minutes to get there. Hopefully they¡¯ll make it in time.


    Near the alley to the Port, Gabriel was panting when he realised that he was already surrounded by what seemed like an army. Surprisingly, a group of well built Men dressed in ckbat pants were trying to protect him.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± I want the man alive, no shooting.¡± A mask covered man barked orders. From the look of things, he was the leader of the gang. Gabriel didn¡¯t need to be told that the people were after him. How could he be so careless? How could he leave the house and run away without anyone to protect him? But at that time, his security was thest thing he thought about. He had been in so much pain that he had to get away somehow and this is where getting awaynded him. In the middle of God knows where without his security details or a phone. At that moment he remembered that he still had his signal sending watch so he pressed it and a red sh of light shot high to the sky and then bursted, releasing red mes which resembled fireworks. He had to somehow alert his bodyguards that he was in danger. He had ditched them aftering back to this country ¨¤nd moving in with Lucia. Now that she had someone else, maybe it was about time he went back to his life and shut himself in hisboratory doing his research.


    ¡± Fuck! Capture him, he¡¯s trying to ask for backup!¡± The leader yelled again and everyone charged to the eight men standing in the middle with seven of them surrounding One and forming a protective barrier to him.


    The fight was intense with Ronald¡¯s men being cornered but irrespective of that, they fought with determination. It was a slogan that you either win or die trying.


    When the men were almost surrendering to their fate, they heard a roaring engine rushing on their way and threedies stepped down. They weren¡¯t dressed in anything serious, just casual pants and shirts but their aura at that particr moment resembled that of evil gods right from hell. Miranda, Stacy and Lucia were the first to step down. Two guns in Miranda¡¯s hands, one shot, one kill. Lucia on the other hand held a pair of twin daggers. She was rolling them casually and then throwing them randomly. One would think she was being reckless but everytime a dagger escaped her hands, someone¡¯s muscle, ligament or chunk would go missing. The atmosphere became chilly. Death invaded even the air surrounding the port while the pungent smell of blood wafted in their noses.


    Stacy was no expert in shooting like Miranda or using knives like Lucia, she was best atbat skills and poisoning. The moment they arrived, she had moved like lightning and started tackling the men who were about to grab Gabriel. She could feel her heart constrict painfully. Maybe if she had tried following him when he left the house, this wouldn¡¯t have arrived. She knew his skills were something everyone was eyeing. She should have never let him out of her sight. She promised his mother to take care of him.


    She was invested in her anxiousness and guilt in trying to knock the men as fast as possible so that she did not see a man trying to sneak an attack to her. It was toote by the time she realised it and tried to dodge but she knew that knife shing her body was inevitable. She closed her eyes expecting the pain to register in her mind but that pain did not arrive. Instead, she was enveloped in a warm embrace. It felt so good and soft that she didn¡¯t want to ever let go but she remembered that they were in the middle of a fight. She reluctantly pulled away and was shocked to see Gabriel sliding slowly to the ground.


    ¡± Gab!¡± She frantically called his name as she moved to support him. His face was Serene despite the blood oozing from his shoulder. He took the knife for her! Stacy could feel tears threatening to fall from her eyes but she held them in. She had to deal with whoever did this to her beloved. How could he stab him? They just found each other. They weren¡¯t married either. She hadn¡¯t had her fill of his sweetness and neither did they have a child.


    With that rage, Stacy turned around and saw that the culprit was standing frozen in ce. Angrily, she pulled one of her syringes. He deserved to die. Nobody touches what¡¯s hers and lives to tell the tale. Red eyed due to anger, she stabbed the man mercilessly on his neck and pushed the contents in the syringe before kicking the Man far away. She turned and Saw the other men had somehow stopped fighting just looking at her. At that moment, her ck long hair was moving with the air creating a one in a million sight but thedy was no longer appealing, not even with her drop dead gorgeous face. She was more like the angel of death from the depths of hell ready to destroy everything that was breathing. Everything else disappeared from Stacy¡¯s mind and the only thing that remained was thirst for blood. She would kill all them. All who dared attack her man, she¡¯ll wipe them all from the surface of the earth.

 50

    With that thought in mind Stacy dashed towards the closest man, punching him before twisting his neck effortlessly. She killed one after the other, blood covered her clothes and wails of agony and pain could be heard from everyone she came across to. That was the scene that greeted the eyes of the three men who just dropped from the chopper. It had only been a span of five minutes since the girls arrived but the difference could be seen. Dead Bodies, severed body parts and bloody on the ground giving the air a stench smell. The once beautiful Port courtyard suddenly turned to a war zone. Justin couldn¡¯t watch anymore. He hated these kinds of scenes the most. Upon seeing the ce, he turned and wretched his guts out.


    ¡± Your highness, you could have just stayed back.¡± Ronald said, his voice full of sarcasm. He was the prince of the country, the next ruler, yet he couldn¡¯t stand the sight of blood. How ironic!


    Miranda, who had been watching Stacy¡¯s movements from the corner of her eyes, couldn¡¯t help but get worried. It never ended well whenever Stacy¡¯s emotions went haywire in the middle of a fight. She can remember thest time it happened. They wereing from school and the four of them were attacked. Stacy, Lucia, Miranda and Stacy¡¯s younger brother. They were only sixteen years old and couldn¡¯t defend themselves well when faced by a group of hooligans. It was until her brother was stabbed on his stomach and blood gushed out of the wound like an overflowing dam. Stacy had watched with her two eyes when her brother bled to death. Helpless, she wailed begging him to wake up but he was no more. It was at that moment that the cool and gentle Stacy turned to a maniac, thirst for blood. All the hooligans ended up either Dead of disabled Forever. The two friends had watched as their friend Stacy, turned to something inexplicable. Something dark and evil.


    Now, it seems like history was repeating itself. She was on the verge of being consumed by darkness and Miranda had to do anything to avoid that at any cost. She still remembered how after she dealt with the hooligans back then she fell into a three montha. That was thest thing Miranda wanted for their best friend. She swiftly shot those standing in her way and kicking the rest obstructing her From getting to Stacy.


    Reaching by Stacy¡¯s side, she tapped her shoulder but was responded to by a punch which Miranda blocked effortlessly. Stacy was good atbat skills but Miranda was two times better at using guns to make her kill. Miranda trapped Stacy¡¯s hands behind her. ¡± Listen Stacy, he¡¯s still alive. You can save him so stop this madness. If you insist, he¡¯ll definitely die.¡± Miranda practically roared, not caring to mince her words. It was the only way to snap the demoness to reality and true enough, Stacy was jolted awake by Miranda¡¯s words. She quickly looked at where Gabriely. His hands were stretched to her, calling her.


    Without wasting a moment, she sprinted towards him and embraced him. ¡± Am I going to die?¡± Gabriel asked with a timid voice and Stacy bobbed her head up and down repeatedly. ¡± I don¡¯t want to die yet.¡± Gabriel said and Stacy could no longer control the tears. Sfe let them flow down.


    ¡± You are not going to die. I won¡¯t let you die nor are you allowed to die either. If you die, I¡¯ll go looking for your ghosts and punish you.¡± Stacy said amidst her heartbreaking sobs. Gabriel couldn¡¯t understand why she was sobbing so much, his muddled mind when ites to human emotions could not let him think that he was the reason she was crying.


    ¡± Why are you crying?¡± He then asked and Stacy fought the urge of smacking his dummy head. Why was she crying? Wasn¡¯t it obvious?


    ¡± I am not crying, justughing!¡± She dered and when Miranda Heard what she just said fought the urge to roll her eyes on her friend¡¯sck of humour.


    ¡± You should send him to the hospital. I¡¯ll give him first aid, move aside!¡± Miranda ordered coldly. Their friend was the doctor here so how could she not know that something ought to be done to stop the bleeding or else there was no guarantee the Man would survive this ordeal.


    Stacy was in no mood to argue so she stepped aside but not after ring at Miranda sending her a message that he was her man so she should be careful on what she was doing and Miranda rolled her eyes at the girl¡¯s irrationality.


    Minutester, the girls were rushing to the emergency room of Hope hospital. This was one of the most effective private hospitals not to mention Stacy was the CEO and owner. Being the boss came with its benefits. On their way here, Stacy had called and instructed all the top experienced doctors to be ready to attend to a patient and that¡¯s exactly what happened.


    Upon arrival, Gabriel was wheeled to the emergency room and More than five doctors started analysing his situation. He was treated as a VIP and of course he was. Afterall he was the Man Stacy lived with.


    Two hourster, the doors opened and the doctors strode out looking weary and tired but most importantly they were scared. Scared of what would have be of them if they were unable to save the young man. His life was hanging on a thread and they had been tense throughout the surgery. From the tone their CEO had used, they could swear that the man lying on the bed had a special rtionship with the CEO. It was afterall the first time they saw or even heard a man being associated with their CEO.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± Doctor, how is he?¡± Stacy asked anxiously and the doctor at question froze. She had addressed him respectfully and not with a haughty tone. She was never rude but this was the first time she addressed him so politely.

 51

    After the doctor recovered from his shock, he answered , ¡± The young man is out of danger but has to be observed incase his wound gets infected.¡± He said and strode away. Stacy could not breath at ease. She was worried that something would happen to gabriel. After the girls made sure that the guy was alright, they bid their goodbye and left with their partners. Now only Stacy remained at the hospital to take care of her man. She pushed the door open and entered the room as quietly as possible. She did not want to disturb his sleep. Stacy moved near the bed and pulled the chair closer before sitting and holding his hands. The remorse of letting something happen to him was gnawing at her heart, making her ufortable. It did not help when she remembered that Gabriel was in this case because he had tried to protect her by taking the knife. The sight of him lying on the ground, covered in blood made her take a memoryne back to the day she lost her younger brother due to a simr incident. That thought was enough to trigger her mania which she had suppressed for years. she knew she could not bear to lose him. He was important to her. Although the two got entangled in an unpleasant manner, the guy had made a ce in her heart without her knowing.


    At first, Stacy thought it was about the sex. It was great but recently, she started missing him, especially when she went to work and he was left alone at the house. She would find herself trying to finish her work earlier so as to go back to him. She enjoyed teasing him, making him all flustered. She also loved hispany even when everyone was busy doing his or her own things. Even with the silence, it was stillfortable. She loved it when she took care of him as a dutiful wife. But it was only today, when he was wounded and struggling to live telling her that he did not want to die that she realised she also could not take it if something happened to her. it was until that moment that she realized he was more of a fuck buddy. he was the man she loved. That realisation had been a huge blow to her mind but was thankful she realised it before it was toote.


    Holding his hands ever so gently, Stacy started caressing them lovingly. He was the man for her. Her better half and from today onwards, she would do anything to keep him happy. she decided. Looking at his pale face, she found him beautiful. He had the sexiest lips she has ever seen, they tasted good too, she could affirm that. His brows were well crafted and his eyshes resembled butterfly wings. His nose was pointed and had well prominent cheekbones. calling him handsome was belittling him. He was a piece of art, more of a male fairy. Her little fingers found themselves tracing every contour of his face. If beauty was a sin, then Gabriel was a big sinner. God surely took his time and effort in crafting him. Stacy remembered a poem she learned in her literature sses back in senior secondary.


    Unparalleled beauty, worth the praise


    a maiden, resembling a starry night


    beautiful to gaze, forbidden to touch


    a deadly weapon, to the mankind


    But in this case it was not maiden, but a man . Whose beauty was intoxicating, like a thousand old wine. This beauty was hers. Here¡¯s to corrupt, hers to own, here¡¯s to possess, hers to dominate and she couldn¡¯t be any happier.


    Lost in thoughts, she did not realise when two people entered the room. Twodies. It was until she saw an elderly woman standing on the other side of the bed that she regained herposure. ¡°doctor Rose.¡± stacy greeted. Thedy before her was her senior in the field of medicine and also Gabriel¡¯s biological mother. She was the samedy who urged stacy to take responsibility after identally sleeping with Gabriel. The woman said nothing to acknowledge Stacy¡¯s greetings and Stacy concluded that she was angry. Who would not be? This was her son after allying in the bed unable to wake up. ¡± What happened?¡± She asked after watching her son for a while. ¡± Attacked by the rebels.¡± Stacy answered. Silence enveloped the room after stacy answered. She did not know what the other party was thinking about so Stacy opted to remain quiet. ¡± I am taking him back abroad. It is not safe here and you are incapable of protecting him. I can¡¯t let anything happen to him .¡± her words echoed inside the room slicing through Stacy¡¯s heart like poisoned arrows. She could feel the immense pain shooting from her heart and spreading all through her body.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Stacy wanted to open her mouth and say that she was capable of protecting Gabriel but decided against it. It was of no use. Doctor Rose was known for being stubborn and not changing her mind, but she still said atst. ¡± can you wait until he wakes up, i have something to tell him.¡± She could only negotiate because persuading the elderly woman was nothing but a waste of time. ¡± I don¡¯t have much time here, if he does not wake up by tomorrow, I will leave regardless.¡± The woman said with absolute finality and Stacy could only hope Gabriel wakes up as soon as possible. ¡± Aunt, why did you agree with her? Gab is already in danger and staying here even for hours is like putting him in more danger..¡± A crispy voice echoed in the room and Stacy turned to look at the source of the voice. a young and beautiful woman dressed in a white dress stood there with a worried expression on her face. But Stacy will not fall for her fakeness. She was an ideal lotusdy. Stacy snickered inwardly. she must be someone with inappropriate intentions towards her man.

 52

    Stacy hated this type of girl the most. Looking at her fake worry, Stacy felt disgusted. ¡± I don¡¯t remember asking your opinion Cassy.¡± Doctor Rose spoke coldly and from that conversation, Stacy could tell that the doctor was not fond of thedy. She must have seen through her cover. Cassy felt wronged but could only grit her teeth in hatred. If it was not for Gabriel, she would not tolerate this old hag but she could only suppress her anger and reply sweetly. ¡± Aunt, I am just worried about Gabriel. As his fiancee, am I not allowed to worry.¡± she said loud enough for Stacy to her while emphasising the word fiance. she had to let this bitch know that Gabriel was her man. How could doctor Rose not know what the scheming woman intended to achieve by saying that? she felt more repulsed for even staying in the same room as her. But she could not do anything. That was a decision made by elders and her husband seemed to be indulgent of this conniving bitch but she will never allow this kind of woman to enter into her family not to mention be married to her son.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Fiance or not, you don¡¯t have the right to offer your opinion to me and besides, Gabriel will be the one to decide who to marry.¡± Doctor Rose said bluntly, not bothering to coat her words. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned heavy and Stacy, who had been quiet all this time, decided to break the silence. ¡± I will go get you something to drink.¡± she said and without wasting any second, walked out of the room leaving the two in the room. She walked to the pantry shop and ordered two cups of coffee and some snacks before requesting them to be sent to the room. She figured out she had to give the mother and son some time alone so she proceeded to her office. hourster, Stacy was walking towards Gabriel¡¯s room when her cellphone rang . Her expression changed after the person on the other end of the line spoke. She then turned back and walked away hurriedly. She had an emergency surgery to do. she turned at the end of the hallway and took thest nce at Gabriel¡¯s room and left. She hoped the surgery would not take long and she would still see him.


    Gabriel opened his eyes and felt a hand ced in his. At first he thought it was Stacy¡¯s but was disappointed when he found it was not her. He then withdrew his hand as if he was burned jolting  awake. When he woke up and found another woman holding his hand, he suddenly felt like he was doing something wrong so the reflex action of withdrawing his hand. ¡± Gab, you are awake?¡± her shrill voice echoed in the room forcing doctor Rose who was taking a nap to forcefully open her eyes. she was displeased by the woman¡¯sck of manners. She wanted to scold her but seeing her son awake, she forgot about it and walked to her son¡¯s side. ¡± Are you feeling better?¡± she asked and Gabriel just looked at her puzzled. He was tongue tied and could not say anything. ¡®` What? you don¡¯t want to see me anymore?¡¯ Doctor Rose asked, feigning a hurt expression on her face, making Gabriel immediately shake his head. Although he rarely talked, he never failed to answer his mother. ¡± Where is stacy?¡± Gabriel found himself asking. He wondered where she could have gone. ¡± She left when we arrived. She seemed tired of taking care of you and couldn¡¯t wait to ditch you at the first chance she got.¡±Cassy answered without giving Gabriel¡¯s mother to say anything.


    Although that answer was in his imagination, it still hurt to hear it. It didn¡¯t help that Cassy said it so tantly as if she was insulting him for being stupid. What was he expecting? That she would stay by his bed awaiting him to wake up? She had another man in her life so she didn¡¯t need him. With a heavy heart, Gabriel looked up to his mother and said.¡± I want to leave.¡± His voice was full of finality. He couldn¡¯t stay here any longer and keep having thoughts about her much less see her and remember what they have been doing for the past few days they stayed together.


    He would not deny it, those were the most beautiful days of his life. It was the only time he felt wanted, it doesn¡¯t matter if she was using him. He dly let her use him but not anymore. He could feel the attachment developing towards her, something he never felt even to his closest family members. Looking at her son¡¯s pained expression, doctor Rose knew that he was hurt. ¡± Are you sure? Ain¡¯t you going to wait for her and say goodbye?¡± His mother probed. Actually, she felt bad for his son. Growing up, he never had anyone to apany him except for the maids. Her husband and her were busy with their careers neglecting their son. He then became an autistic child not to mention the disaster that befall him years ago. After he was rescued, he became more alienated from other people and would stay in his room reading or be working non-stop in hisboratory. It was the first time she ever saw him do something else apart from locking himself experimenting and inventing.


    ¡± No need. I want to go back.¡± He replied and his mother could only marvel at how Many words he managed to utter in a span of one minute. But, something felt wrong here! Why did it sound like he was purposely trying to avoid Stacy? Did something happen that she¡¯s not aware of? Doctor Rose wondered but knew that asking the Man would yield no results so she gave up. They were not that close as mother and son and doctor Rose knew that it was all her fault. ¡®If only we could turn back time, I would never have chosen my career over my son.¡¯ shemented inwardly but what¡¯s done is done, nothing could undo it.

 53

    ¡± I also think you should leave here immediately. Your life is in danger and yet she left you all alone and went to her business. Who knows, she might be meeting with her boyfriend while youy in bed in pain.¡± Cassy added, fanning the mes.


    ¡± Nobody asked for your opinion so do me a favour and shut your mouth before I throw you out of this room.¡± Doctor Rose said sternly. She was getting irritated by the woman¡¯s irresponsible words. How could she not know what the woman was doing? After all, she wasn¡¯t born yesterday and could tell one¡¯s intentions with a single nce. Cassy who was reprimanded decided to shut it, she didn¡¯t want pushing her luck too much and besides, she had already achieved her goal. Gabriel was going home and that too without seeing the bitch.


    After settling the discharge papers, the three boarded a limo and went straight to the airport. While their Private jet was ascending high in the sky, Gabriel couldn¡¯t help the tightening in his chest. It felt painful, like someone was repeatedly stabbing poisonous daggers in it and twisting it ruthlessly. She was his momentary happiness but now, she was no longer his, she was never his. He curled himself on the bed specially erected for him. The pain from the knife stab was iparable to the pain in his heart.


    After ten hours of surgery, Stacy finally emerged from the surgery room looking exhausted and spent. Who wouldn¡¯t be? Performing surgery for ten hours was no joke. She was hungry and sleep deprived. She walked to her office intending to take a quick shower. After showering, she donned on a in blue dress and walked towards Gabriel¡¯s room. It wasn¡¯t morning yet so she assumed he was sleeping but upon opening the door, she found the bed empty. Her heart sank.


    He Left! That was the first thing that registered in her mind. He left, just like that. He didn¡¯t even wait to see her before leaving. Downhearted, she tookzy steps back to her office. She walked directly to the bed attached to her office andid down. She couldn¡¯t help the loneliness that invaded her every nerve. Just yesterday, she was with him, clinging to her like he always did but now, he was nowhere to be seen. A lone tear slipped down and she let it fall. She missed him.


    Stacy did not know when sleep overtook her senses. She woke up the following morning with the sweet aroma of food assaulting her nose. Instinctively, her stomach grumbled. Sitting up, she saw Miranda sittingfortably on the coach opposite her bed reading what seemed like a newspaper.


    ¡± Good afternoon. I figured out that you haven¡¯t eaten anything so I brought you Early lunch.¡± Miranda said, looking at Stacy with her usual expressionless face but with a fleeting emotion of indulgence. She was never the one to show her emotions openly. She had no open book.


    ¡± Thankyou.¡± Stacy said sitting up and without wasting time, took the spoon and started to dig in. She was so hungry she could eat a bull. Stacy figured out she must have been sleeping for eight hours or so. She had finished the surgery almost dawn and it was twelve in the afternoon. She felt refreshed and energised after the long sleep. She needed it, her body needed it.


    Miranda watched as her friend gulped down the food like she was dying of hunger. ¡± Slow down! You will choke!¡± She reminded her but Stacy didn¡¯t seem to hear what was being said to her. She still ate the food like someone was chasing her. The scene before Miranda wasical. The young miss of the Carl¡¯s family and CEO of Hope group of hospitals was eating like an uncultured country bumpkin? It was unbelievable. After she finished the treat, Stacy burped udylike while rubbing her stomach. ¡± That was so delicious!¡± She remarked. ¡± Was it delicious or were you hungry such that you didn¡¯t realise I made that food?¡± Miranda mocked mercilessly making Stacy widen her eyes like saucers. No way! No fucking way.


    ¡°You are kidding right?¡± Stacy asked, her face turning that of horror like she just swallowed a handful of flies. Did she just engulf Miranda¡¯s concocted poison and dered that it was delicious? Does that mean she¡¯ll have to stay indoors the whole of today making countless visits to the loo?. Seeing the horrific expressions on her face, Miranda inwardly smirked. She was finding it fun to watch Stacy disy these kinds of expressions. She purposely did not respond to prolong the agony in Stacy¡¯s mind.


    ¡± Hehehehehe you were just pulling My legs, right?¡± Stacy asked cautiously while smiling to hide the nervousness in her voice but Miranda just raised her brows and said nothing frustrating Lucia even more.


    ¡± Does it matter?¡± Finally, Miranda opened her mouth and asked her question, throwing Stacy off the hook. What does she mean by if it matters? Ofcourse it matters alot? Stacy could only cry inwardly without shedding any tears. ¡± I guess it doesn¡¯t but Miranda just be honest with me. Are you the one who cooked that?¡± She was anxious to know the answer.


    ¡°We just have to wait for ten minutes and know the results.¡± Miranda said with a shrug and her answer rendered Stacy speechless.


    ¡± Anyway, I came here for something different. I need to talk to your little boyfriend. I need to discuss something important with him about his security men.¡± Miranda said seriously, switching to professional mode


    ¡± What is it about? Is it something I need to know?¡± Stacy¡¯s heart was now beating like crazy! Gabriel¡¯s security detail? What could it be? Safe couldn¡¯t help but worry, afterall, he was no longer by her side.


    ¡± There is a mole in his security. That¡¯s why the rebels could Trace him easily.¡± Miranda said seriously


    ¡± Now that you say so, I did not see them while the fight was going on neither did they visit him in the hospital .¡± Stacy said,ing to a realisation. She was so upied to have noted such a small detail.


    ¡± He sent the panic alert after he was surrounded but as his personal bodyguards, they did not appear to protect him, that seems suspicious to me.¡± Miranda added.


    ¡± I would like to discuss this matter with one of his guardians if you don¡¯t mind. He has to be secured. The country is already facing the problem of the rebels and having him kidnapped is thest thing we want. You do know how dangerous he is.¡± Miranda advised.


    ¡± What do you mean by dangerous! Gab is not dangerous, in fact, he¡¯s the most gentle and noble man I have ever said.¡± Stacy said,ing into his defence. She couldn¡¯t stomach hearing anybody badmouth her man.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± This is not the time to let our personal emotions and feelings cloud our reasoning Stacy. You and I both know that if yesterday the seizure was sessful, the country will soon be chaotic. With his brain, he can destroy this country in seconds ¡± Miranda¡¯s voice was stern while reprimanding Stacy. She couldn¡¯t believe at a time like this, when the security of the whole country waspromised, she would be defending her Man.


    ¡± Am sorry!¡± Upon realising her mistake, Stacy apologised. She knew Miranda was right. With Gabriel¡¯s medical and physics skills, he could turn the world upside down. He had the knowledge to create atomic bombs that could wreak havoc in cities and countries. He was always low key untilst year someone discovered his terrific skills and snitched on him. Since then, he was forced to go on hiding. Things had finally started settling down until he was attacked yesterday.


    ¡± I need to talk to his family ASAP Stacy. He has to somehow leave the country. Now that his identity has been revealed again, he might start to be hunted down.¡± Miranda said but looking at Stacy¡¯s dejected face, she halted.


    ¡± What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked moving to where Stacy was seated and gathered her in her arms¡±


    ¡± He left! Just like that as if I was nothing to him. He did not even wait to see me.¡± Stacy¡¯s pained voice rang in the room. Miranda was Lost on how tofort the person in her arms. She was not the one to sayforting words but that didn¡¯t mean she was unfeeling. It was something she developed after her grandfather¡¯s death.


    ¡± It is better that he left.¡± Her words sounded cruel, but Stacy knew that it was also better that way. What she couldn¡¯t fathom was why he would leave silently without a word, even a simple jow would do. Did that mean that he never felt anything special for her? But she could swear that he would always look at her tenderly. Sometimes, he would be lost just staring at her face and whenever he found out that he was caught staring, he would blush. So why could they just leave like that, like they were practically strangers. They had shared a bed and done things only couples could do. Was the taking responsibility talking all trash or what changed between them. Stacy couldn¡¯t understand. Thinking about all these, she felt like crying but restrained herself from doing so. This was not the time to cry. They had a mission ahead of them. Maybe after the mission, she would then go looking for him and seek an exnation from him, that is if she could ever find him.


    ¡± I know.¡± She replied but her voice sounded like it was covered with a fog of sadness.

 54

    ¡± Regardless, you should inform his guardian about that matter. It is of great importance. We don¡¯t want himnding in the hands of other terrorists. It¡¯s a good thing he already left the country otherwise the rebels would still make an attempt on him. We already have a lot on our te. This is a crucial moment and we don¡¯t want any more distraction.¡± Miranda said seriously. She knew that Stacy¡¯s office was soundproof so nobody could eavesdrop to their conversation. It was a matter of national security and had to be handled in the most discreet way.


    ¡± Talking on our current problem, I recently got information from my boys that the rebels are using the Morgan corp to smuggle firearms in the country. Is seems like they are preparing tounch another attack to the royal family.¡± Stacy said seriously. ¡± I still don¡¯t get it Miranda, why are you keen on protecting the royal family? We are your associates so the least you could do us tell us the reason why it¡¯s us trying to protect them and not the royal army.¡± Stacy questioned. Their group of four was formed four years ago. Their main aim was to keep a track on anything unusual happening in the country and report it to Miranda. Their concentration was more on the rebels¡¯ hut for thest four years, there was no news about the group until recently, they started making a move.


    ¡± Tomorrow, meeting at the base, I¡¯ll tell you all the reason.¡± Miranda said and walked away. She was furious inside. How could that bastard from Morgan corp result in colliding with the rebels just to be on top. He had challenged Miranda that in two years time, Morgan corp will be at the top of the chart while Lambert group will be nowhere. Was this how he nned to do it? Sacrifice anything just to get to the highest point of the socialdder. Was fame and wealth more important than humanity? But Miranda wasn¡¯t surprised. That guy always loved to y dirty in everything but even with that, she didn¡¯t expect him to bent so low just for mere papers.


    Driving off from the hospital, Miranda went straight to the Lambert group. She needed to do something about the Morgan corp. She had tolerated that guy for long but enough was enough, no more. She will deal with him without mercy. Just how he did not have Mercy for the poor citizens by importing firearms, she will not have an ounce of mercy for him.


    Miranda¡¯s face was dark and an extremely bone chilling and threatening aura was emanating from her body. Everybody who saw her would stumble and run away for their dear lives. She was like a devil sprout from the deepest abyss of hell. She was oozing darkness, suffocating and choking darkness.


    ¡± To my office.¡± She barked the order to her secretary who was also trying to scurry away and hide from their demoness. Today, she was looking like a devil and she wasn¡¯t trying to conceal it. Hazel, who was trembling all over, took hurried steps, fearing that a secondter, her head would be chopped off and Fed to the crocodiles. Miranda was unaware of the deadly Aura she was emitting. She could see her employees running away from her the moment they spotted gee but she didn¡¯t care. She was so angry that if that Morgan bastard was presented to her this very moment, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to snap his neck and kick him mercilessly. She was just trying to restrain herself from rushing to the Morgan corp which was theirpetitor and beat  shiteour if his stupid brain.


    She sat majestically on her throne, opened herptop and started typing furiously on the keyboard. Hazel who was trembling a second ago couldn¡¯t help but look at her boss with awe and worship in her eyes. Her speed was something that amazes her each and every moment she sees her boss working on theputer. Less than a minuteter, Miranda pulled out a USB disk and handed it to the dumbfounded Hazel.


    ¡± Send the information in this disk to allmunication houses in the country, small or big, then contact the taxing offices and send them the evidence in that disk. You only have five minutes.¡± Miranda said and returned her attention to theptop. Hazel picked the USB with shaky hands and walked away immediately. From the tone of the boss, someone will be facing their doom in five minutes time. She wondered just who was stupid enough to cross paths with the demoness. He must have had a death wish. Her curiosity was satisfied secondster when she inserted the USB and opened the contents of the USB. ¡± Evidence against the Morgan corp.¡± Hazel eyes bulged out! Morgan corp? Wasn¡¯t that Lambert¡¯s group toppetitor untilst year when they stoppedpeting with Lambert group? Then why was the boss targeting them all of a sudden?


    Hazel knew that her boss would never do anything without a solid reason. She could only say a rest in peace prayer before executing the instructions given by the boss.


    Five minutester, the media went into a frenzy.


    ¡± MORGAN CORPORATE EVADES TAXATION FOR TWO YEARS.¡±


    ¡± MORGAN CORPORATE INVOLVED IN MONEY LAUNDERING.¡±


    ¡± THE CEO OF MORGAN CORPORATE INVOLVED IN CASES OF RAPE AND MURDER.¡±


    In five minutes, the Morganpany was transformed to a hot topic search with countless shares andments. Theizens started criticising and cursing thepany.


    The public rtions in thepanyndline bursted with countless calls from business partners, reporters and shareholders.


    Miranda who saw the result she wanted smirked and left the office. Now, she just has to visit her grandfather before going to meet the king. Some matters had to be handled as soon as possible. She passed by the liquor store and bought her grandfather¡¯s favourite liquor before driving straight to the Lambert ancestral house.


    Arriving at the house, sfe parked the car and hopped out walking away to the ancestral hall. Age first paid her respects before walking straight to her grandfather¡¯s tomb. She sat elegantly and poured a cup before setting it In Front of the tombstone


    ¡± Old Man, I am here to see you.¡± She said and paused before scrutinising the unsmiling and ever serious picture of her grandfather. ¡± I think I inherited everything from you. The looks, temperament and of course your unsmiling face.¡± She said sarcastically.


    ¡± Anyways I am not here for that, I am here to talk about something important about the kingdom. You trained me from a young age to always do anything to keep the country safe irrespective of how hard the thing is or how dissatisfied I am. Now, the king said I have to be the next queen and lead the country against the uprising rebel attack but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s my task. I am the crown¡¯s protector and not the crown owner. I am confused, I don¡¯t know what to do anymore. I wish you were here and tell me what I ought to do. I want to save my country but being the queen will be something I have never thought about. Grandpa, what do I do?¡± Miranda showed her vulnerable side to the only man who taught her to never be weak.


    ¡± You should do what it takes to keep the country safe. That is your task and not being the crown protector. Your destiny was decided a long time ago and sealed. There¡¯s no need to run away from it anymore my dear.¡± A voice interrupted Miranda¡¯s train of thought. She turned only to see uncle butler standing there looking at her with gentle eyes.


    ¡± Uncle butler?¡± Miranda asked, unsure if it was still the lovely Man who always took care of her while growing up¡± yes my dear.¡± He replied with his gentle voice and smile. Something preserved for Miranda only.


    ¡± What do you mean?¡± Miranda asked not sure if she understood what the old Man was talking about.


    ¡± It¡¯s about time you know the truth.¡± He said,


    ¡± Wait, what truth are you talking about? Is there something I don¡¯t know about?¡± Miranda asked, confused.


    ¡± Yes my dear, you, my daughter , is not a Lambert!¡± Uncle Butler revealed and paused to let thedy before her digest everything he said.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± What? No no no! This is a joke.¡± Miranda said, shaking her Head, disbelief painted on her face.


    ¡± I don¡¯t believe you! That¡¯s a lie! All lies!¡± She said hysterically. How can she ept that the family she grew up in was not her family. How could she ept that the name she bore and was most proud of wasn¡¯t her¡¯s. What was this? An extract from a y of a novel? Or a joke? No, even if this was a joke, it wasn¡¯t funny at all. She only hoped this was a dream, a stupid dream that she¡¯ll soon wake up and heave a sigh of relief and say¡¯ it¡¯s finally over.¡¯

 55

    But reality was too harsh.


    ¡± Listen little Miss, this was for the best. After you were born the royal family was under attack from time to time. Your mother was in poor health and giving birth to you lessened her life expectancy. Being the only heir to the Royal family, your mother asked her best friend who is now your mother to take care of you. You were secretly transferred from the pce to the Lambert family and Justin, who was your mother¡¯s adopted son, was taken to rece you as the king¡¯s son. I left the Lambert family and became the butler here to take care of you.¡± Uncle Butler exined hoping that the princess would understand why she had to grow away from her family and why she had to hide her true identity.


    ¡± Princess, it¡¯s not your parents¡¯ wish to grow without their child but you had somehow to stay safe for the future of this family. ¡±


    ¡± Princess!¡± Miranda said andughed bitterly. ¡± Was it to just keep me safe or you only wanted the heir protected and keeping the lineage so as to ensure that the monarchy did not get abolished?¡± Miranda asked with a wry smile. She felt defeated just thinking about how in a matter of minutes, her life changed.


    ¡± It¡¯s unfair to think that way. Your mother gave up seeing her daughter even on her deathbed only for you to be safe.¡± Uncle Butler tried to reason with the princess.


    ¡± What about my grandfather! Which part did he y in this deception?¡± Miranda asked.


    ¡± Your grandfather was the crown protector and his duty was to train you and prepare to take the crown when you be of age.¡± He replied.


    ¡± Okay, I get it. I am leaving.¡± Miranda said and turned to Walk away but the butler¡¯s words to her.


    ¡± A royal family member either by name or by blood will always remain to be one and has a duty over the people. It is not about your life alone but countless people waiting for you to show them the right path.¡±


    Miranda walked away after hearing the words without uttering a word, not looking back. Her head was In a mess. She was angry but not with the people she considered family but with life itself. Why was she born in the royal family? Was her sole duty in the world to save others? But what could she do? If it was her destiny then she¡¯ll agree and embrace it.


    After leaving the Lambert ancestral home, she drove straight to the pce. She had matters to discuss with the king. This was not the time to brood about the deception she has lived in but think of a way to ensure that the country was peaceful.


    Arriving at the pce gate, she lowered the car window but before she could be checked out, Niki walked towards the guards and instructed them to let her in. Without much ado, the gate was opened and Miranda drove in. She parked the car and stepped out and was met by Niki¡¯s smiling face.


    ¡± Wee home Princess.¡± He whispered and Miranda¡¯s eyes widened. Just how informed was the man?


    ¡± I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Miranda said and walked away.


    ¡± You know very well what I am talking about Miranda Lambert ¡± Niki shouted and Chuckled mirthlessly.


    Miranda ignored the man and walked towards the king¡¯s office. She was in no mood to start bickering with annoying flies.


    Miranda was weed to the office of the king by the family butler who also functioned as the king¡¯s secretary.


    ¡± Wee home Princess.¡± He greeted and Miranda just ignored him. She was in no moods to exchange pleasantries either. Walking straight to the king¡¯s office, she saw him seated flipping through some documents. He looked weaker than thest time she saw him.


    ¡± Greetings your majesty!¡± She greeted me by bowing down.


    ¡± Come here, no need to be formal. Let dad hug you Princess.¡± The King said, the kingly Aura he always emitted nowhere to be felt. Now, he appeared like a loving father eager to embrace his long lost daughter. Miranda took no effort to walk towards him prompting the king to walk to her instead.


    ¡± Are you angry with me?¡± The king asked with a dejected voice. He did not Miss how his daughter just stared at him with her signature poker face like nothing in this world could faze her. He was afraid. Afraid of how she was feeling right now. He already got a call informing him that she already knew the truth and that her reaction wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°No, I Just want to know if it was necessary.¡± Finally, she replied. She wasn¡¯t angry, how could she? She just wanted to know if the separation was necessary. Justin managed to stay at the pce unscathed so was it really that important they separate her from her family.


    ¡± It was very much necessary my dear. At that time, your mother was bedridden. She was sick and did not have much time left so I opted to stay by her side all the time. Your mother became afraid because the Pce was constantly under attack so she asked her best friend to take care of you. I was already busy handling the country and your mother. I couldn¡¯t protect you so I agreed. We switched you with Justin and he came to live in the Pce as our child because Nobody knew the identity of our child. Yes, that was a selfish move but I always made sure that he was well protected.¡± The king exined. He was eager to clear his name in his daughter¡¯s hands. He couldn¡¯t bear her misunderstanding him.


    ¡± Is that why you would visit me secretly from time to time?¡± Miranda asked. She could still remember how he visited her disguised as an uncle. Was that his way of keeping herpany as her father?


    ¡± Yeah, sometimes I would miss you so much and could onlye to see you.¡± He replied honestly.


    ¡± It doesn¡¯t matter anymore. What we need to concentrate on is curbing the rebels¡¯ attack. I prefer to cut the bud before it sprouts to something big.¡± Miranda said her voice now serious as if she was uttering sacred vows.


    ¡± What do you have in mind?¡± The king inquired. He knew how his daughter¡¯s mind worked. She was able to analyse information ande up with countless scenarios in her little head predicting what would be the oue of a particr matter.


    ¡± Cutting off their supply of arms.¡± Miranda stated with finality, her aura turned chilling.


    ¡± Haven¡¯t you done that already?¡± The king asked. He was very much aware of how his daughter dealt a huge blow to the Morgan corp fir colliding with rebels and snuggling weapons to the country.


    ¡± No, that¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg. Morgan corp is just one among the many who supply arms to the rebels. Someone in the government is supporting the rebels. They cannot be so discreet and informed if someone wasn¡¯t tipping them the information. That someone must have a high ranking in the government to be able to hide so well and remain undetected for so long.


    ¡± What do you suggest we do?¡± The king knew perfectly well that his daughter would have thought of a solution to any problem she encountered.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Arrange for a meeting and announce that you are finally stepping down and letting your son take over. My guess is they are not fully prepared for the attack yet and they will start to panic. They must be nning to attack the night after the coronation of the next King when the Pce is full of foreign visitors and citizens. This is the best moment because the royal army will be torn between protecting the royal family and the visitors from other countries. By doing this, they are bound to make a mistake as they try hastening their n to attack.¡± Miranda exined the n and the king marvelled at how detailed everything was but he was still worried.


    ¡± Won¡¯t announcing the coronation out Justin into danger?¡± The king asked. ¡± Don¡¯t get me wrong, he might not be my son but he¡¯s the boy I havee to love and ept as my own. i have used him for long, I don¡¯t want to keeps losing him anymore.¡± The king exined.


    ¡± Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s toote for that father? Besides, I will never let anything happen to my future husband .¡± Miranda dered possessively surprising her father and prompting him to just shut his mouth. She rendered him speechless.


    ¡± In the meantime, my friends and I will work hard to ensure we cut off all the supply of firearms to the rebel group. The ball is now in your coat, your highness.¡± Miranda said.


    ¡± After everything is over, I want you to bring your friends over. I will reward them for always standing up and defending our country. That is if I¡¯ll still be around.¡±

 56

    ¡± You will live long to see your grandchildren. ¡± Miranda cut him off. Regardless of whether she grew up in his care or not, he was after all her father m They say that blood is thicker than water. Despite her anger which of course she didn¡¯t show, she still held him special in her heart. It¡¯s no wonder she felt pulled to him andfortable around him back when he visited her as a little uncle.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± I would love to believe so but I can feel your mother is desperate for mypany. I never apanied her enough and all I want is to join her and keep herpany in heaven.¡± The king said, his eyes turned gentle but had a hint of grief in it.


    ¡± You loved her!¡± Miranda stated her observation. It could be seen written all over his face. Her mother must have been the most precious person in his eyes.


    ¡± Very! It¡¯s a pity she left so Young.¡± The king said and his eyes suddenly turned gloomy.


    ¡± Do you me me?¡± Miranda asked again. She was afterall the reason her mother¡¯s life span was shortened. Having a tumour in her womb and insisting to give birth to the child was the reason she didn¡¯t stay alive for long. Maybe if she decided to get rid of the child, she might have lived longer or even underwent treatment to get rid of the tumour.


    ¡± I don¡¯t me you at all. You are the best thing that your mother blessed me with. You are the fruit of our love. The sign that I once had a loving woman in my arms who would do anything to ensure I am happy.¡± The king exined. me her? He never did. Although he first felt that his wife was more important than the baby, his wife convinced him that that baby will be the recement of her love for him. She was the sign that she once Loved him more than her life. He hade to ept that fact and love Miranda a lot. Seeing her brought a huge smile on his lips. It was an added blessing that his daughter was a replica of his wife. Looking at her, he could still feel the presence of his wife in his life.


    Miranda didn¡¯t know what more to say, afterall she was not one to engage in emotional talks. ¡± I would like to see her pictures.¡± She finally uttered what she had been intending to say for a Long time. The picture of the previous queen was something you would never find in the search tablets. Miranda couldn¡¯t tell if it was because she was a private person or the information was deliberately pulled down.


    ¡± Of Course, I have plenty of pictures of your mother. I can lend them to you.¡± The king said earning a raised brow from Miranda. ¡± You¡¯ll still own them when am gone, for now, let her apany me in myst days.¡± The king defended himself. He had seen how his daughter seemed dissatisfied by only being lend her mother¡¯s pictures for awhile.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Miranda finally conceded. Although she didn¡¯t appreciate the continuous talk of her father about leaving the world, she still knew it was inevitable. Her father was no longer the mighty and feared king who ruled the country with an iron fist. Looking at him now, he was feeble and had lost the will to live. How could he not when all he ever talked about was joining his wife in heaven.


    After collecting a few pictures, Miranda strode away. She was still awkward with this new identity and did not see any need to hug her father good-bye. This was not something she was ustomed to and she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d be anytime soon.


    She was about to unlock her car when the annoying fly in the name of Niki approached her. She wondered what could be wrong with this guy. He was unpredictable and unfathomable. She could never tell clearly what his intentions were. One minute he¡¯ll sound serious, the other he¡¯ll be nonchnt like nothing in this world could faze him.


    ¡± You did it right?¡± He asked, his voice rxed. Miranda could not sense panic or anger in his voice, it was simply in. Looking at him, Mirandapared Niki with a nk book. You could never tell whether it was not written or coded with Mysterious message. She didn¡¯t need him to say it all to realise who he was asking about.


    ¡± Yes!¡± Without beating around the bush, she gave an honest and straightforward answer. She was already aware that ying mind games with him will be useless. A direct approach was far more useful to this type of person.


    ¡± You have the guts Princess but don¡¯t you know that a wounded and cornered animal is the most dangerous?¡± Niki asked unfazed.


    ¡± Desperation leads to mistakes. That¡¯s the loophole I intend to exploit.¡± Miranda answered not trying to hide her n from him.


    Niki burst outughing. The princess was more interesting than he thought. She was fearless and that¡¯s what he liked most about her.


    ¡± You believe I am one of them, don¡¯t you think by telling me your n, I¡¯ll foil it or warn the others to be careful?¡± He asked.¡± You are wee to try.¡± Miranda challenged him and Niki burst outughing yet again.


    ¡± Tessa Rogers AKA scorpion, secure her before it¡¯s toote.¡± Niki said seriously, patted Miranda¡¯s shoulders and walked away leaving a dumbfounded Miranda. If she was not wrong, scorpion was the name of a bomb expert who was running away from her country after she was used of colluding with terrorists and bombed a city in country A. Did that mean sfe had been hiding in the country for all those years? But Miranda had no time to contemte that. She needed to act asap. It seems like the rebels were targeting people with extraordinary skills in assembling and creating bombs. Just yesterday, it was Gabriel and now it¡¯s another.


    ¡± I¡¯ll send you a picture. Trace that person, irrespective of where he is hiding, I need the exact location in two hours.¡± Miranda ordered before cutting the call. She was about to enter the car when she caught a shadow somehow hiding behind a bush. He must have been eavesdropping on her conversation. It seems like the royal guards have been infiltrated by rebels. Anyways that was expected. To seize the pce, there was the need to seek internal spies to report each and every move in the pce.


    Miranda paid no heed to the person and left with her car. She wouldn¡¯t be bothered by him since no important information was passed in that call. Something clicked in her mind. Could it be¡­? It must be. But how could her father not notice? Anyways she¡¯ll talk about that when she drops byter.


    Miranda drove straight to their house. Their house? When did she start referring to Justin¡¯s house as theirs? . Upon arriving she found him in the kitchen busy engrossed in whatever he was doing. Shedding and getting a trench coat and shoes, she walked to the kitchen and leaned on the door frame. Her Man looked sexy and hot while stirring something in the pot and alternatively chopping vegetables. After admiring him to her heart¡¯s fill, sfe walked and hugged him from the back.


    Justin, who was always conscious of his surroundings, had already sensed and identified her scent. He wanted to see what she¡¯ll do and was pleasantly surprised that after gauging him, something he knew she did from the piercing gaze from her eyes, she hugged him. It was very rare for Miranda to initiate anything intimate so he quietly savoured her warmth on his body.


    ¡± You¡¯re back?¡± He asked and was answered with a simple mm.


    ¡± Go and sit down, I figured out that you¡¯ll be hungry so I prepared something for you.¡± He coaxed her . He could feel that she was tired.


    ¡± I am hungry but I don¡¯t want food.¡± Miranda replied. She was hungry but More importantly, she felt worn out and wanted to recharge herself and what better than getting a couple of kisses from her man?


    ¡± Then what do you want?¡± Justin asked in his voice, sounding like he was telling her that anything she wanted he¡¯ll get it for her.


    ¡± I want you!¡± Miranda said in a whisper and Justin felt like his brain fuse just exploded. He stiffened and a certain part of his body abruptly stood alert. Anyways you can¡¯t me him, it¡¯s not everyday he gets to hear Miranda say such things. The Miranda in his mind was reserved and would never utter such kind of words not unless she was possessed or an imposter. Thinking about impostors, he forces his brain to wipe away that idea. He can still remember what happened the other time he had that idea. He still got the chills.


    Forcing himself to calm down, Justin turned to look at his woman who was all of a sudden having a sweet mouth.

 57

    ¡± Did something good happen?¡± Justin could only ask. He would never get used to a sweet miranda. It was until yesterday he saw how skilled his baby was. Be it inbat skills or shooting, he could swear that her precision was better than his. He was rumoured to be the best shooter but that was until he saw Miranda in action. She was talented in almost everything and that included driving him crazy with desire, just like what she was doing now. The worse thing was that even she did not know she had an effect on him . She was ever clueless.


    ¡± Nothing serious, just that I came to know that I am not the real daughter of the Lambert family.¡± she said casually like she was reporting the number of absentees in a meeting. ¡± what? you are not from thembert family?¡± Justin asked with disbeliefced in his voice. What was this? a soap opera or what. Was it the scene where the female lead discovers that she was adopted and angrily leaves the house feeling cheated? Maybe it was. He did not ever imagine such a drama happening in his life. But who would have thought the same absurd plot would unravel in his life within twenty four hours.


    ¡± Mmm.¡± Her casual reply baffled him. He would never get used to someone taking such serious matters so nonchntly like it¡¯s nothing. ¡± How do you feel baby, be honest with me?¡± Justin still worried that she would keep everything bottled up together and lick her wounds while alone in a corner. After All, that was a big revtion ¨¤nd any normal human will definitely be sad or better yet angry and feel betrayed. What he didn¡¯t seem to understand was that Miranda was far from a normal person. She was never normal.


    ¡± Nothing, whether I am Lambert or not, changes nothing. Am I still me.¡± Her answer was straightforward and it rendered Justin speechless. Okay, now he wouldn¡¯t ask anymore because it seems like only he treated that as a big deal. The victim was not showing signs of dissatisfaction or difort with the news anyways.


    A call interrupted the peaceful moment of the two couples hugging each other by the kitchen. Miranda fished her phone and immediately answered the call.


    ¡± Boss, target locked.¡± Came the report.


    ¡± Okay, you know what to do. Clean work, don¡¯t leave any evidence behind.¡± Came her strict orders. At that moment, Justin looked at Miranda and found her even more alluring. Standing two steps away from her, she was emitting the Aura of a powerful ruler. A king who wouldn¡¯t tolerate any bullshit from his subordinates. A king who would do anything to keep his kingdom safe. It was a pity she wasn¡¯t born in the royal family. She would make a better King than him. Justin always dreaded the day he¡¯ll have to take the crown. That was something he would exchange anything in this world to avoid. All his life, he only wanted to be a good husband and father. He was least concerned with state affairs.


    Justin could still remember how Ronald helped him sneak away from royal sses. He would rather go hunting with Ronald than sit down for hours reading thoseplicated and boring files. He only wished to stay free like an eagle and fly to all parts of the world without worrying about anything else. But s! He was a caged bird or was he not? His father was strict with him but not always. Sometimes he would give in to Justin¡¯s absurd requests. For example, he agreed to Justin¡¯s request of joining the entertainment industry and pursuing his career despite being the future king. He was expected to be learning different tactics on how to handle national matters but here he was, busy modelling and acting. Sometimes, he feels like a failure, like he has failed his father, he has failed the people of this country but what to do? He was not One to get interested in politics. He termed them as a den of hungry wolves. It was here that One did not care about familial or blood rtions. He had seen people killing each other and doing other unforgivable things just to be in power. To him power was akin to a devil channel of recruiting More demons to his army. He would never want to be involved in such filthy business but he also knew he had no choice. As the crown prince, Sooner orter, he would have to do it. For the people, his wishes were the least considered.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Justin was d that Miranda came to his life. She brought out the best in him. He had a nagging desire to protect her and to do that he was willing to do anything, including taking up the position of the king. He would never let anything happen to his beloved. But he also knew that Miranda actually didn¡¯t need his help. She was more than qualified to protect herself but still as a man, he had to protect his woman. She brought forth his protective instincts.


    Miranda had already finished her call and turned to go back to Justin¡¯s arms. That had be one of her favourite ces to be. But she halted in her steps, that is because he had his gaze fixed on her but was not exactly looking at her. He had a far away look and seemed to be contemting on something. He appeared to be troubled. Looking at him, she pitied him. He was raised in the royal family for years learning about things that did not belong to his world. From what she saw, Justin was very much attached to the King. What will happen when he learns that he isn¡¯t who he believed he was. Actually, the reason she decided to mention about not being a daughter of the Lambert family was to test his reactions. He did not disappoint her and gauging from his earlier reaction, he would definitely be hit hard after knowing that he wasn¡¯t the king¡¯s son.


    ¡± What are you thinking about?¡± Walking to him, she inquired. ¡± I was wondering how it would feel to have just you and me, in a far away country, away from everything. Just the two of us and our children.¡± He honestly said his thoughts. He thought that that kind of life will be beautiful and fulfilling. Miranda who was now caged in his arms tilted her head to look up to him.


    ¡± Are you saying this because you will soon be crowned as the next King? Justin, rx okay, leave everything to me, I Will never let you do what you ain¡¯tfortable with. I want you to live your life to the fullest, leave all your worries to me.¡± Miranda said lovingly. Her Man has suffered alot bearing a Cross that doesn¡¯t belong to him. He was never allowed to live like any normal child all thanks to her. While he led his life like a caged bird, she was free like a phoenix and her heart bled thinking about this Injustice. ¡® As long as I live, I will not allow you to bear other people¡¯s crosses even if that person is me. I will ensure you enjoy your freedom.¡¯ Miranda made a promise to herself.


    ¡± If you do that, what will that make me? I will be the wife and you the husband who protects the family?¡± Justin joked. ¡± People will start belittling me.¡± He added yfully but those words enraged Miranda.


    ¡± Who dares say that about you? Husband or not, you are my beloved and I will not let anyone nder you irrespective of who they are.¡± All of a sudden, her aura darkened and she was surrounded by a chilling air.


    ¡± Aww, my baby is so overprotective.¡± He wasn¡¯t scared of her transformation, she was his woman and irrespective of who or what she was, he will always love and cherish her. Miranda did not understand what he meant so she blinked her eyes innocently. Justin¡¯s heart was filled with warmth, his poor heart could not handle her oozing cuteness. One moment she was a tigress, the next she transformed to a harmless little kitten. He was falling in love over and over again.


    At that pure moment of bliss, Miranda¡¯s stomach chose to protest by gurgling loudly. She lowered her head to look at it and blushed profusely. How embarrassing! ¡± Someone said a while ago that he wasn¡¯t hungry for food but what is it that I am hearing? While her embarrassment was kicking in violently, Justin chose to tease her, making Miranda clear her throat awkwardly. ¡± Okay, go and get settled, I¡¯ll finish this in a minute.¡± Justin said. With the level of hunger of his baby, he had to give away the idea of preparing a sumptuous meal for her and make do with the already prepared dishes. In a matter of minutes the food was ready and served. Miranda did not waste time before digging in. She was so hungry she could finish a bull. g

 58

    Back at the Morgan corp


    The police sirens could be heard approaching thepany. After getting the evidence incriminating the CEO of thepany, they came here in full force. It didn¡¯t help that even the officers from the tax offices also arrived.


    Tax evasion was something that could lead to the bankruptcy of apany. From the provided evidence, thepany had an unpaid tax of three years. The penalties would be higher. The CIA agents and FBI were also present. Human trafficking and murder not to mention arms smuggling was a Capital crime that could earn one a life imprisonment.


    Immediately when Daniel received this news, he was in a hurry to leave thepany, but who would have thought that thepany would be seized in Such a short time? Before he could escape, his personal secretary who also acted as a bodyguard came rushing to his office. He practically barged in without knocking, something Daniel hated to the core.


    ¡± Boss, we are surrounded!¡± He reported.


    ¡± So what? Look for a way to distract them while I escape.¡± He said nonchntly. Infact, Daniel was always prepared for this day. He knew that this day woulde, just that he did not know it woulde too soon.


    ¡± B. Boss?¡± The man stuttered.


    ¡± Don¡¯t just sit and do nothing, it¡¯s either you look for someone or you too can pose as me as I leave thepany.¡± He said he wasn¡¯t trying to ditch one of his men to save himself.


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll get to it.¡± The man said and tried walking away to execute the instructions but Daniel stopped him midway.


    ¡± No need, it¡¯s toote to look for another person, you do the task.¡± He stated with finality. His words were like orders, no One could defy them.


    Resigning to his fate, the man knew that it was over for him. He could only smile bitterly. At the end of it all, after everything he had done for the boss, he didn¡¯t bat an eyelid before ditching him and saving himself.


    Minutester, the police kicked in the door to the CEOs office and found someone already waiting for them. ¡± Freeze! Mr Morgan, you are under arrest!¡± The policemander barked.


    Moving steadily but with caution they approached the man who was sitting on the CEOs chair with the back facing them. Actually, themander sensed that something was unusual about the whole set-up but couldn¡¯t put his finger on what was wrong exactly.


    In no time, Daniel¡¯s secretary was surrounded and when they finally managed to turn the chair, they found that it wasn¡¯t Daniel but his personal secretary. Just then, thendline phone rang and themander cautiously walked over before answering it.


    ¡± Himander, did you like my surprise?¡± A voice bloomed before heughed hysterically. ¡± You thought you could catch me? Am not that stupid to sit and wait for you guys to throw me to jail you know? The game is on, catch me if you can ¡± he said and disconnected the call immediately but not before sending a warning. He said,¡± tick tock tick tock, you don¡¯t know when an ident will urmander, see ya!¡± Ahd just immediately, a bomb exploded. The police had run to take cover but the intensity of the bomb still hit them. Surprisingly, no destruction was made but their ears were ringing loudly threatening to burst their earbuds. It was a noise bomb. It was made to distract them as he escaped.


    ¡± Damn it! He escaped!¡± Themander shouted frustrated. He couldn¡¯t believe the guy had escaped their clutches so easily.¡± Take him away.¡± He instructed referring to the man impersonating the CEO. It was his first case after arriving at the capital after getting his promotion. He couldn¡¯t mess things up. On their way back to the police station however, the police car transporting the man was attacked. After an intense battle between the police special forces and the rebels, the police had two casualties while the rebels left unscathed but the man escorted by the police was shot dead. In Fact that¡¯s the main reason for the ambush. To silence the Man to avoid him exposing them to the police. Daniel always believed that prevention was better than cure. He would always say that a dead man gives no tales and today, he acted upon his belief. This was something that enabled him to stay out of the police radar for a long time. Whenever they were almost caught, he would sacrifice One of his Men to save himself.


    Outside thepany, countless Media houses lodged there to get a juicy scoop for their next headline. Others were here to witness the downfall of the Morgan corp. Live feeds were being transmitted live andizens could see everything happening. They were very much angry with the Morgan corp that some came with banners and started protesting. They requested, no they demanded the immediate arrest of Daniel Morgan, the CEO of the Morgan corp.


    ¡± I can¡¯t believe someone could be so evil. Not only did he evade tax payment, he even engaged in drug trafficking and smuggling. He is purely evil.¡±


    ¡± He¡¯s the ideal sheep in wolf¡¯s clothing. He always appears like a honest and magnanimous person, who would have thought that his heart is so corrupted ¡±


    ¡± People like him are what pollutes humanity. He should be charged with treason!¡±


    ¡± I can¡¯t believe the man I always admired and respected turned out to be aplete scumbag.¡±


    ¡± From today onwards, I am never going to use anything under Morgan corp.¡±


    ¡± I think the whole Morgan family should be chased away from this country. We don¡¯t need people like them!¡±


    ¡± I still can¡¯t believe someone would be inhumane to coborate with rebels to overthrow the government, you say that he is evil, but I disagree, he is the mother of all evil!¡±


    Comments from theizens showed just how much the Morgan corp had fallen out of grace.


    Two hourster, another piece of evidence surfaced. The evidence showed the brutal murder of a famous model who was rumoured to have been pregnant. It was a video showing how the model had begged the Man to let her go and she will disappear but even after begging him to have mercy on her and their unborn child, he still killed her atst.


    This new piece of evidence came with a small note. ¡± Please help me seek justice for my sister.¡± It read. The sender was anonymous meaning that it couldn¡¯t be traced back to that person. The video was then verified to be true. The inte burst out yet again.


    ¡± I don¡¯t want to imagine how a person can kill without batting an eyelid. Much less kill his child.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± When the death of the model was announced, it was said that she was kidnapped then murdered. Who would have thought that she was killed by getting involved with the demon.¡±


    ¡± Killing that man is considered a good punishment, he should be left in the hoods to be devoured by wild animals.¡±


    ¡± Killing an innocent child? Dontiu think this person has even the least ounce of humanity?¡±


    ¡± It¡¯s very clear that he¡¯s not Human. Maybe a demon incarnate or something!¡±


    The citizens were raging mad. Miranda saw this and was pleased. She of course knew the power held by the public since she was in that situation not Long ago. It was scary. Now, step One is done. Daniel could go to hell for all she cares. She was sure that now that he was exposed so mercilessly, the rebels will not stay in touch with him anymore. They will try to limit their contact. He will be on his toes to even care about the coup anymore. With the police, FBI and CIA on his back, Daniel will be upied.


    It was time to execute n two, announce the crowning of the next King. By doing this, they will be able to uncover the mastermind behind this coup. The rebels might be behind the attack but that could only happen under someone¡¯s orders. That particr somebody needed to be identified. Eradicating him was the fastest and efficient way of disabling any attack.


    Miranda was sitting In Front of herputer formting her next move when her phone rang. She had been expecting a call from the group she sent to arrest scorpion. It has been more than an hour without any news from them. Maybe they were calling to report the sess of the mission. Without bothering to check the caller id, she immediately picked up. ¡± Have you secured the target?¡± As straightforward as ever, she inquired.


    ¡± Miranda oh Miranda! Are you talking about me? I guess not because if you are, I will have to disappoint you, nobody can get their hands on me!¡± The voice said before letting out a thunderousughter that sent goosebumps all over Miranda¡¯s body.


    ¡± Daniel?¡± Miranda asked, not sounding so sure.


    ¡± The One and only Miranda, did you miss me?¡± His nauseating voice echoed from the other side of the phone.

 59

    ¡± why are you calling me?¡± Miranda inquire. She wanted to y dumb and maybe she could prolong the conversation long enough so that her special team could trace his whereabouts but s! The man was no fool. ¡± Don¡¯t bother trying to locate me sweetheart, it¡¯s of no use, afterall i am careful not to be caught¡± Daniel said before bursting outughing like the maniac he was. Miranda cringed hearing the name he addressed her with. It left a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. She hated it most when he called her that. ¡± What do you want Daniel?¡± Miranda asked, her voice impatient. she was in no moods to keep the conversation any longer after her n was seen through. Miranda knew that Daniel was a witty and resourceful person. He was one who loved to y hide and seek and was very good at that game.¡± I get turned on when I hear my name rolling off your tongue so sweetly. Damn! it¡¯s so intoxicating.¡± His dirty mouth spewed garbage and miranda wished she could just a dirty rag and cover that filthy mouth. He always makes her feel disgusted. ¡± shameless!¡± Miranda spat angrily. She did not try to hide the disgust in her voice.


    Daniel was not angered by her words, on the contrary he found her interesting. Hearing her words, he burst outughing like a crazy man. ¡± Shameless? i have always been like this. Do you find me disgusting because you are fucking that little prince?¡± Daniel asked leisurely causing miranda to raise her brows at his words. ¡± its none of your business?¡± Miranda spat out angrily causing the man to burst out in another round ofughter. ¡± How can it be none of your business? you are my favourite doll after all!¡± the man said his tone of voice suddenly turning to be dangerous by miranda was not fazed nor did she show any hint of fear. ¡± I . AM. NOT. YOUR . DOLL.¡± She enunciated every word showing her displeasure. ¡± What do you want? I will hang up if you don¡¯t say.¡± Miranda was getting irritated and impatient. she had no time for this kind of bullshit. ¡°It was you right?¡± He was on the verge of losing it now. Actually, he did not need to call and ask because he knew the answer to that question already. Nobody in this country had the guts to go against him and morgan corp with the exception of Mirandambert!


    ¡± I dont know what you are talking about.¡± Of Course she would not admit to it. Why would she? it was all the same. She knew that he was damn sure that it was her doing so the questioning was unnecessary. ¡± ying the ignorant here, are we? you don¡¯t need to answer me, i know the answer very well.¡± He said. Just then, Justin entered the room he had converted into miranda¡¯s study room with a te of cookies in his hands. ¡± Honey, i brought you some desserts.¡± He announced sweetly. He was not aware that his woman was in the middle of a call so when he realised it, his expressions changed apologetic and turned to go back but Miranda gestured to him toe in. Ofcourse, the man¡¯s voice was not missed by the viin on the other end of the call. ¡± seems like our little prince has turned to a service boy and ve.¡± Daniel taunted. ¡± Okay, i will leave you two lovebirds to enjoy while you still can. Remember miranda, i always collect my debts in one way or the other. You don¡¯t know when you will lose something dear to you.¡± Daniel said and the air surrounding Miranda immediately turned cold.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± Are you threatening me?¡±Her voice was unbelievably calm but Daniel was sure she was restraining herself . ¡± Easy now! Don¡¯t scare your little lover boy, he is afterall a scaredy cat.¡± with that the call was dropped. Miranda stared at her phone for a few seconds and by the time she turned her gaze to Justin, she was smiling. Justin could tell that she was trying to hide her true emotions from him and he did not like it one bit. He could tell that whoever was on the call made her angry, her nose always red out whenever she was angry. ¡± who was on the call just now?¡± he did not want to sound intrusive but his curiosity was getting the better of him. ¡± Nobody of importance.''¡± came her nonchnt reply and Justin just looked at her with a meaningful gaze meaning that he was not buying that. Miranda saw that Justin was not going to let this matter especially after he heard her ask if she was being threatened. She decided toe clean with him.


    ¡± That was the CEO of Morgan corp.¡± She answered honestly. Justin was taken aback by her words. Wasn¡¯t the same person on the run after being used with countless offences . Most importantly, he was supporting the rebels by importing arms illegally to equip the rebels. So how was his woman connected to such a conniving person? ¡± M-miranda..?¡± Justin stuttered but was interrupted by miranda. ¡± I provided the police with evidence against his crimes so that¡¯s why he called to confirm or rather to tell me he knew I am responsible for his current plight.¡± Miranda exined and Justin was thankful that she somehow interrupted him. He thanked the heavens for sparing him from doom. This is because his imagination had run wild somehow. He had thought that maybe Miranda was finally showing her true coloursmunicating with the country¡¯s threat. He had for a minute thought that she was one among them, the rebels. But still, he could feel that maybe his woman knew that man on a personal level. ¡± You guys know each other personally?¡± he asked. His poor heart was beating erratically waiting to hear her answer. He was afraid and felt something inexplicable. His heart felt sour and heavy. He could not understand why he was feeling this way.

 60

    Miranda thought that it was just a casual question so she answered honestly. ¡± Yeah, I went to the same school and university.¡± Justin could not tell why but after hearing that, his already bitter mouth started getting hot. This was no longer about the rebels but himself, a man to Man. His woman was sexy, beautiful and intelligent too. She was skilled in gifting and making money too. Any man would admire Such a woman and he was no exception. He did not want to think about his Miranda getting courted by some other guy. He was jealous. The realisation hit him pretty bad and he smiled bitterly.


    ¡± He is a wanted man and I hear is no good. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t take his calls anymore.¡± Justin advised with a straight face hiding the nervousness he was feeling inside. ¡± Mm.¡± Came the reply from Miranda who did not seem to understand why all of a sudden Justin was telling her this.


    ¡± Miranda..¡± Justin called softly while moving towards her. He then lowered himself and loomed over her. Miranda did not move, she just kept her gaze to him. Amidst everything, she still got him. He was the man she loved and she was afraid that when the truth surfaces, the two might fall apart. Miranda wanted to do everything it takes to give Justin a reason to still hold on to what they have despite everything. Her heart started beating erratically when she saw him lean in. She was damn sure she was going to be kissed. She loved his kisses but she wanted to give him more, More of herself. She had alreadye to this resolution and nothing would stop her from doing as nned. She was desperate and desperation called for desperate actions.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Without giving him the chance to kiss her first, she captured his lips in hers. Now, she was like a romance professional. Actually toplete this task, she had asked for advice from her three good friends. They all agreed to her that if that¡¯s what she wanted, then safe should go for it. Ava was so kind as you send her several videos on how to turn on a man and all skills needed in bed. She of course, who was the queen of perfection, had gone through the videos one by one and learned everything. Now, she was equipped with all knowledge to conquer her man.


    Justin was taken aback by her wild kisses, she seemed to be getting good at this and he smiled at that thought. He let her take control and dominate him. He knew that his woman is the dominant one so he was fine with being the submissive in this rtionship. That did not make him feel inferior, instead it gave him happiness knowing that his woman desired him just like he did to her. Miranda was fully drawn into kissing those plump and Sweet lips that tasted like honey while Justin felt intoxicated. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was happening. Amidst their kisses filled with need, Miranda executed her next move. She flipped them over and now Justin was seated on the swivel chair while Miranda straddled him. Through the fabric of her clothes, she could feel something poking her sex and being the intelligent although ignorant girl she was, knew exactly what that was.


    Justin was taken aback by her wild kisses, she seemed to be getting good at this and he smiled at that thought. He let her take control and dominate him. He knew that his woman is the dominant one so he was fine with being the submissive in this rtionship. That did not make him feel inferior, instead it gave him happiness knowing that his woman desired him just like he did to her. Miranda was fully drawn into kissing those plump and Sweet lips that tasted like honey while Justin felt intoxicated. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was happening. Amidst their kisses filled with need, Miranda executed her next move. She flipped them over and now Justin was seated on the swivel chair while Miranda straddled him. Through the fabric of her clothes, dte could feel something poking her sex and being the intelligent although ignorant girl she was, knew exactly what that was.


    Amidst their kisses filled with need, Miranda executed her next move. She flipped them over and now Justin was seated on the swivel chair while Miranda straddled him. Through the fabric of her clothes, she could feel something poking her sex and being the intelligent although ignorant girl she was, knew exactly what that was. Amidst their kisses filled with need, Miranda executed her next move. She flipped them over and now Justin was seated on the swivel chair while Miranda straddled him. Through the fabric of her clothes, dte could feel something poking her sex and being the intelligent although ignorant girl she was, knew exactly what that was. She started unbuttoning his shirt and Justin¡¯s heart pace raced. Miranda raised her face and her eyes collided with Justin¡¯s. He could see the desire and lust in her eyes and was surprised. After she removed his shirt and sent it flying, god knows where, she started unbuckling his belt and Justin was immediately jolted to reality and held her hands almost immediately. No, this is not how he wanted to have their first time.


    Sensing his reluctance, Miranda decided to take it slow but that did not mean she was giving up eating him clean today. Come raine sunshine, they will have to do the deed. Since he seemed not ready, she swore to make him beg her to take him in. With that, following the video she saw about seduction, Miranda started grinding herself making sure that their sexes would collide and reunite even through the fabric. She knew that soon, his resolve would crumble and she was right. Despite struggling to keep his sanity, Justin was finding it hard to control his desire, not when she was grinding on him. He inwardly cursed, gritting his teeth.


    It was unbelievable how his woman was acting today. Who would have thought that she was Such a tease and a seductress because god, he was falling for her seduction. He could feel his dick throbbing hard threatening to tear the fabrics and free itself. He regretteding into this room but was still happy that he came. Otherwise, how would he ever know that his woman was so wild and needy. Actually Justin already figured out that Miranda wanted them to go all the way through but he was a traditional man. He wanted to Marry her before taking her as his wife but with the look of things, maybe that wouldn¡¯t be possible anymore.


    Miranda remembered reading about sensitive parts. The article said that a man had sensitive spots that could render him powerless. The parts ranged from the earlobe, back of the ear to the neck andstly the nipple. She decided to employ this trick and see whether she would still continue resisting her. Using her sinful tongue, she licked the back of his ear and Justin stilled after letting out a sexy throaty moan. He was not expecting that move from her and gosh, she was driving him crazy. Miranda could tell that her move had an impact on him. She heard how he tensed and she smiled evilly inwards. ¡® let¡¯s see how long you¡¯ll resist.¡¯ she thought with an evil smirk.


    One confirmed, three to go. Moving from the back of his ear, sfe gently put his earlobe before blowing air on it and his honest body responded to her actions. Justin felt that this was no longer seduction, it was pure  Sweet torture. If this continued, he might as welle undone on his trousers. That would be embarrassing for him as a man. ¡± Miranda..¡± he could only call with his hoarse and croaky voice. One could feel the amount of restraint he was pulling out but Miranda was determined to crumble it to dust. ¡± Mmm ¡± she replied and moved and before Justin could gather hisposure, she bit him hard on the neck and started licking it with her warm tongue. The pain was pleasurable and he felt his dick nod in appreciation.


    Justin¡¯s restraint was finally torn into pieces when Miranda started licking and sucking his nipples. He couldn¡¯t control himself and moaned loudly. He cursed himself for being so weak. Throwing caution to the wind and kicking to hell his earlier plot of waiting till they get married, Justin lifted Miranda  before spanking her buttocks. ¡± You naughty girl!¡± He said but his voice was full of indulgence and love.


    ¡± To the bedroom.¡± Came the instructions from Miranda and Justin being the honest good boy carried Miranda to his bedroom. It was the first time he brought her here since he was always the One sneaking to her room. He lowered her softly to the bed and tried to stand but Miranda was fast enough to Cage him with her long slender legs.

 061

    Justin could swear that his cock twitched in anticipation. It wasn¡¯t helping that after she pulled him to herself, his cock positioned itself on her entrance and he could feel her warmth through the fabric. Gosh! This was getting out of hand. His emotionless Goddess just turned to a lethal seductress and he was helpless when it came to her.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Stroke him, slowly and lightly, apply pressure from time to time.¡± She remembered another way to seduce a man and send him over the edge so she dived in to explore. She was excited with this new experience but damn it, she was loving every minute of it. She stroked him but not gently, she squeezed him not too tight but enough to send Justin jerking and arching his back. Amidst the pleasurable pain, he savoured the restrained sweetness of having his junior securely on her palm. It was painfully pleasurable and he was getting affected. His brain was now fogged with lust and pure desire. He imagined how he would so love to hold her in all fours, mming his thick little brother into her sleek and tight c*nt. Just the thought of it threatened to send him to the edge.


    Miranda was loving this torture she was inflicting on her beloved. It was priceless watching his face muscles twist in what she believed to be painful pleasure. The look on his face when she squeezed him was a sight to behold and then she saw the change in his expression. Desire. Lust. Passion. She could very much see those raw emotions painting his face and she smirked. He was finally where she wanted him. Without wasting time, she pulled him in for a kiss and when he let his guard down, she unbuckled his waist belt at a terrifying speed. You would mistake her for a pro in doing such tasks.


    She was, it¡¯s not her first time to do that but it was the first time she did it to someone else. She was a cross dresser earlier so she was conversant with men¡¯s wear. Justin felt her unclick his belt but the Sweet taste of her mouth and intoxicating scent of jasmine mixed withvender had already knocked him senseless. He was there, but subconsciously, everything had already been plugged into utter bliss, that including his sanity. In no time, his trousers were sent lying on the floor and her dress followed, she had practically ripped it apart, her heart not bleeding over the price of it. At this moment, eating this man, possessing him and smearing her scent on his body was more valuable than some pieces of paper. She was a billionaire afterall and money was never a problem.


    Naked In Front of hisdy with only a boxer to cover his nakedness, Justin melted in her embrace but Miranda had a different n for this. Out of nowhere the man was flipped, now he was below her with Miranda straddling him. Before he could register what was happening, with a click, his two wrists were bound by a cuff making his eyes widen . Never in his wildest dreams did he ever imagine a woman doing this to him. She had turned him to be the submissive one and god! He loved it.


    ¡± Good boy.¡± Miranda praised and produced a blindfold. ¡± Due to your earlier resistance, I¡¯ll punish you baby, but don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll enjoy this punishment, you¡¯ll even beg for more before I am done with you.¡± She purred in his ears like a little kitten earning an honest reaction from her man. Justin¡¯s d**k twitched with that promise, it was dark with a promise of utter darkness but his stupid body was dying of anticipation. He was blinded and bound, what more could be waiting for, he wondered.


    Miranda lowered herself and started trailing kisses on his face then down to his neck, to his corbones and Justin writhed and wriggled anytime she bit and licked his sensitive spots. He wanted to hold her butt cheeks and squeeze them but he was bound. The frustration was slowly getting to him like a hypnotic drug. To his nipples, she used her tongue to swirl around it, licking it, bitting it and sucking it. Her other hand gave the exact same pleasure to his other nipple. Pinching it before rubbing it is sensual and circr motions.


    His moans were restricted at first but at this point, he threw caution to the wind and moaned for his woman. It couldn¡¯t be helped, she was so damn good at this that his honest body responded.¡± You like it?¡± Miranda asked, her voice seductive. Justin could not form coherent words at this point so he chose to just nod but she was not going with that. ¡± I need to hear you say it, or else I¡¯ll stop.¡± She threatened and how could he allow her to stop tormenting him, not when it was this damn good. ¡± Yes baby, I like it very much.¡± He practically shouted intending to show her that he was powerless when it came to her.


    Miranda smiled broadly at his answer. He was so adorable. With one movement, the only remaining piece on Justin¡¯s body was done away with. Now, he was Stark naked before her. Despite being blindfolded, he could feel the piercing gaze of her eyes on his little junior. He proved himself for being massive. ¡± Like what you are seeing?¡± He shamelessly and tantly asked with a teasing voice and Miranda blushed hard. Yes, she was appreciating this heavenly thing that Will soon plunged deep Inside her core. She almost salivated at the sight of it and licked her lips sensually. She could already imagine how it would feel to sit on that well nourished cucumber as she drove herself to the edge riding him like a cowgirl. Gosh! She could only facepalm at how wild her thoughts were. The ever clueless Miranda had turned to a professional in this area. She thanked Ava for sending her Such profitable information, not forgetting that online search she did. To prepare for this day, Miranda had done intensive research. She was never the One to go to war unprepared and this conquering was an exciting war she would fight with her Man.


    Author¡¯s Note


    Hi my lovely readers, it¡¯s my prayer that you are all good. I appreciate those who have joined me on this journey of my emotionless Goddess. I have decided to make a few changes to the characters to make the story more spicy.. our Miranda has Just turned into a seductress¡­ We shall have others too. Stay tuned and see what graces us next. Don¡¯t forget to check my other two stories here: seducing My Heartless Husband and Lucifer¡¯s redemption.

 062

    ¡± Yeah, I like the view, just how I love it.¡± Miranda shamelessly replied. Listening at her, she sounded perverted. Justin did not like what she said, the first part of the sentence was right, but what did she mean by just how she loves it? Isn¡¯t he the first one to be naked Infront of her? Was she all this while pretending to be innocent in his eyes? How many others did she see, or touch! ! This was driving him crazy.


    ¡± Have you seen others before?¡± His curiosity wouldn¡¯t go away if he did not hear her answer. ¡± Not really, but I have crashed several of them.¡± Miranda repliedzily and Justin shivered at her words. ¡® heh! Just what did I get myself into? What if one day she gets bored with me and crashes my little brother?¡¯ Just the thought of him sends millions of ripples of fear in his body. No, his Miranda Loved him, there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll do that to him. He consoled himself. If Miranda could get a glimpse of his mind and hear his thoughts, she would pass out of anger. ¡® ridiculous!¡¯ he scolded himself inwardly. He found his thoughts to be absurd.


    Miranda was back to straddling him, she grazed the tip of his manhood that was dripping of precum to her sex. That simple action sent electric shivers down her spine. These kinds of emotions were something foreign to her but it felt so damn good. Justin was struggling with the cuffs binding his arms. He could feel that they weren¡¯t strong, something he could easily break but he was restraining himself. He wanted to see how far this game of teasing would go. His junior brother was getting impatient and was throbbing hard, but he had to restrain himself somehow. He couldn¡¯t be irrational with her.


    Miranda started grinding herself at Justin¡¯s body asionally making contact with their sexes and she had to admit that it was getting harder to do this. At first, she thought she was in charge of this little game but she could feel herself losing it. The pleasure was too much that she was seeking for a release. Just as she wanted to tease him longer before she could give in, her phone rang loudly, interrupting the ambience. She wanted to ignore it at first, but the tone was a specific one for emergencies so she couldn¡¯t ignore it.


    Stepping away From Justin, she walked ¨¤nd picked it up. ¡± Hello?¡± She asked sullenly. She was really annoyed by whoever interrupted her little game. ¡± Boss, we retrieved the target but got ambushed on our way back to the base.¡± A frantic voice reported and the calm demeanour changed to something dark and sinister.


    ¡± Location?¡± It was a one word question but carried the weight of a thousand kilogram metal.


    ¡± Third street, west of city stadium.¡± With that she hung up. She was trying to control her bloodlust in order not to rm Justin but who was Justin? He was the Man who came to know her like the back of his Palm.


    ¡± Any problem?¡± He questioned, his voice worried. His woman might be a skilled fighter but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t worried about her safety. He had seen how badass she was in a battle but that did not change the fact that she was a woman at the end of the day. His father, the King, always told him that women are meant to be loved, pampered and protected. It was the duty of the Man to keep their women happy and safe.


    ¡± Yes, something came up, I have to go!¡± By the time those words left her mouth, she was already dressed in cargo pants and boots paired with a ck t-shirt. She hastily moved and removed the blindfold from Justin¡¯s eyes. ¡± I want to go with you.¡± Miranda was expecting that but she wouldn¡¯t allow him to risk his life. Not when he was needed for the grand n of capturing the leader of the rebels. ¡± No dear, you are staying here and waiting for me toe back and continue with our little fun.¡± Miranda said and kissed his forehead lovingly before tucking two pistols on her waistband.


    Listening to her words, Justin thought that she sounded like a husband forcing his woman to study in the house and behave. Why did it seem like the roles were reversed somehow? That was supposed to be his line? Forget about that, how could a grown man let his woman face danger all by herself while heid in bedfortably waiting. No! That¡¯s not like a typical Justin.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Miranda, allow me to go with you.¡± This time, he pleaded but Miranda was not having any of it. ¡± It¡¯s dangerous and I am not taking you with me! That¡¯s final!¡± She said and walked away leaving a fuming Justin behind. After she walked out, a glimmer passed through her eyes but still continued to Walk away. Her guess was that Justin would still follow her despite her instruction.


    Regardless, she walked to the garage and picked Justin¡¯s racing car. It was the fastest and she needed it in this mission but another reason was, she wanted to dy him in her pursuit. If her guess was right, Justin¡¯s will break free in less than ten minutes. That will be enough to drive to the target location. Using another car would slow down Justin and that will be enough to sessfully retrieve her target and deal with those assholes. But for the first time in her life, Miranda made the wrong calction because before she could even drive for three minutes, Justin¡¯s was behind her, his car roaring to life like it had a living engine.


    She would let it go but he would be punished for disobeying her. In less than eight minutes, the car arrived at the third Street. Although not many people inhabited this ce, there were still civilians and because of this, they were stuck in the middle of the two powerhouses fighting. The battle was intense. The rebels seemed desperate, so they were attacking mercilessly yet trying not to harm thedy l.

 063

    The mission was a sess and Justin proved to be very useful. Using his sniper skills, he managed to take on several sneak attacks while Miranda protected Scorpion and brought her to safety. Miranda had resulted in luring the enemy away from the civilians in order to avoid casualties.


    After sessfully rescuing the little woman who was trembling all over, Miranda instructed his head man to transport her to the base. She will be questioned the following day. Just then, the King called Miranda. Justin and her were heading back home in one car after she instructed someone to drive the other back to the vi.


    ¡± Greetings your highness!¡± She said upon receiving the call. Before being a father, he was a king so despite the blood rtions, she ought to be formal with him. ¡± My dear, I heard about the attack in the city, are you alright?¡± The king¡¯s frantic sound could be heard. Judging from the tone of voice, you could hear the worry deeply etched in it. But Miranda was alien to that emotion. Fear and worry. That¡¯s something her grandfather or should she say old man Lambert trained her to fight against.


    ¡± Thanks for your concern, your highness, everything is fine.¡± Her emotionless self was back yet again. Justin couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the king was calling Miranda personally. ¡± Is Justin there with you?¡± The king asked after a Long pregnant pause.


    ¡± Yes your highness, Prince Justin is here with me.¡± Miranda replied honestly. Even after learning the truth about his and her identity, Miranda still  addresses him as the prince. He was the prince whether of royal blood or not. He was also the prince of her heart.


    ¡± I think we should talk to him now, we have to hasten the n otherwise things might go south.¡±


    ¡± Do you think this is the right time for that?¡± Miranda couldn¡¯t help but ask and turn to look at Justin. She hadn¡¯t yet aplished her mission, she was afraid of his reaction. She was an insecure woman who suffered from separation anxiety. If Justin ended up cutting all ties with her, she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d still survive. She was attached to him already.


    ¡± I think the earlier, the better. We can¡¯t dy this any longer. I will do the talking, you can pretend not to know anything about it if you are afraid of his reaction to the news.¡± Her father understood her worries. They were valid, of course he knew about her separation anxiety disorder so he could rte it to the reluctancy. But things were getting out of hand and had to be solved with immediate effect.


    ¡± No need, I¡¯ll stay by his side.¡± She said and they said their goodbyes.


    ¡± Let¡¯s go to the castle, the King is waiting for us.¡± Miranda turned to say, smiling sweetly at him. Justin frowned. Something was weird here. He could feel it. His sixth sense was telling him that today something will happen that will change his life but he had no idea what. Her Sweet smile was also overdid. What was she hiding from him? Miranda saw him frown and chastised herself. Did she overdo it? She was not one to smile a lot, maybe that gave her away. But she was nervous! Nervous on how he would react to the news.


    The two drove silently, thirty minutester, they were already at the castle gates that served as the Pce. They were granted entrance easily since it was the prince. Today, Justin did not bring his entourage. He felt that it wasn¡¯t needed. Ever since he met her, he  has been in herpany alone rather than having countless vehicles following behind him. He understood that it was a protocol but he found it unnecessary.


    After they stepped out of the car, Miranda held Justin¡¯s hand into hers. Countless emotions invading her heart. Looking directly into his silver eyes, age enunciated every word. ¡± No matter what happens, always remember that without you I am nothing.¡± She said seriously, hoping he understood the message she tried to convey. She wanted Justin to know that nothing will ever change in her. She will ALWAYS need him in her boring life. He was the flicker of light that illuminated her rather dark and deste world. For him, she was willing to Open up her heart which had been closed for years. For him, she could face the whole world head on just to secure him. She could do the unthinkable to keep him by her side.


    Justin¡¯s heart started beating erratically. If he had suspicions earlier, then words confirmed everything. What was it that she knew and he didn¡¯t know? He wondered. He opted not to reply and squeezed her palm in his. That was enough for Miranda, at least he heard her words. They walked hand in hand not caring about whoever saw them. That did not matter to the two.


    The King¡¯s butler cum secretary weed them to the office. ¡± Greeting princess, my prince!¡± He was respectful. Justin caught a change on how Miranda was addressed but shrugged it. Maybe she earned the title of princess after they got engaged. Yes! That should be it. He reasoned inwardly.


    The king was not sitting on his throne today, rather, he upied one of the sofas in his study room. When the two arrived, he stood and hugged the two of them. Something Justin felt like it¡¯s weird but ended up shrugging it yet again. Two servants arrived carrying refreshments. After they served the three people in the room, they left after being dismissed.


    ¡± Miranda dear, I prepared your favourites, have a taste and see if they¡¯re to your liking.¡± The King said endearingly. His eyes spoke of the immeasurable gentleness that was depicted even in his actions. Not standing on the ceremony, Miranda took a bite of the desert, letting the sweetness caress her pte.


    ¡± How is it?¡± The King asked anxiously. It¡¯s the first time he treated his daughter to a dessert. He had made sure it was well prepared personally.


    ¡± It¡¯s good.¡± She replied and turned to look at Justin who was looking at them weirdly. Why do I think that they are closer than before? He questioned himself.


    ¡± Justin, the coffee is to your liking, try it.¡± The king then shifted his attention to his adopted son. He was feeling remorseful at this point for caging him with the title of a crown prince.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

 064

    ¡± Thank you, father.¡± Justin politely received the cup of coffee from his father¡¯s hands. It¡¯s not always that the king treated him to a cup of his favourite beverage. Although he felt that something was awfully wrong, he still enjoyed the coffee to thest drop. His father may not treat him right always but whenever he did, he would make him feel special. After everyone was done with their drinks, the room fell awfully quiet. No One said a word until the king cleared his throat to gain the attention of the two.


    ¡± I have something to confess to you Justin.¡± He started and Justin¡¯s breath was caught in his chest. The feeling of dread increased rapidly hearing those simple yetplex words. ¡± Yes, father.¡± He responded, his voice soft. The King lowered his head in shame. He was finding it hard to look Justin in the eye without feeling the guilt gnawing his heart. He had lied to the boy for as long as he can remember, it was not intentional but that did not mean he wasn¡¯t guilty. ¡± You are my adopted son!¡± He blurted out the words after gaining as much courage as possible. The moment those words left his mouth, his heart felt a little lighter.


    Justin mind was trying to process the new information he was told. His mind was now like a brokenputer. He couldn¡¯t exin if what he heard was true of a figment of his wild imagination. ¡± Someone pinch me!¡± He said dramatically and moved to pinch Miranda¡¯s thigh. Miranda jolted from the sudden invasion of pain. She looked at the culprit who by now had a disappointed look. She wondered why the expression? She expected that by now he would be fuming mad or better yet, have stormed out of the room angrily.


    ¡± I thought I heard the king say am adopted!¡± He inwardly questioned with a puzzled look and the two people in the room stared at each other before looking at the man like he was an alien.¡± I just pinched myself to feel the pain and see if it¡¯s true, turns out I was imagining things.¡± Justin said, sighing heavily, his looks dejected. ¡± You Just pinched me, it¡¯s only practical I feel the pain and not you.¡± Miranda scolded. She couldn¡¯t help but shake her head at his childish reaction. Miranda¡¯s words switched a fuse in Justin¡¯s mind. ¡± You mean to say I heard it right?¡± He turned, now clutching Miranda¡¯s hand tightly. One could unmistakably see the anticipation in his eyes.


    Now, it was Miranda¡¯s turn to be dumbstruck! What¡¯s with the reaction? Why did it appear like he would dance hearing that he was an adopted child. This was not the reaction they expected. That¡¯s Why they had been careful, keeping everything in the wraps to avoid hurting him. Miranda could only nod to answer his question. ¡± Really?¡± He had to have that assurance. ¡± What¡¯s wrong with you, are you alright?¡± Miranda was worried. She was worried that the news had driven him nuts. ¡± Ofcourse I am alright baby, just answer my question.¡± David insisted.


    ¡± Yes Justin, you are my adopted son.¡± The king chose to answer him at this point. He wasn¡¯t expecting such a reaction but either way, he would rify things with Justin today. ¡± Look, I never meant to tell you this kind of information this way nor was it my ¡­¡± Before the King could finish his well programmed speech, Justin dashed to him hugging him ever so tightly, surprising the two people in the room. The King was caught off guard and Justin¡¯s Young bones crushed to his Old and brittle ones making him lean on the sofa for support. He was taken aback by the reaction he got from Justin. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that he would get a lovely and warm hug from his adopted son after finally revealing the truth. He has pictured this moment countless times but this was the only reaction that never passed his mind. Miranda who was watching the scene unfold could swear that someone watching this would mistake it as a reunion. A warm reunion. Her mind was going hazy Just watching this.


    ¡± Thanks father, you don¡¯t know how happy I am to hear this!¡± He said breaking to a huge smile. He was akin to a convicted inmate being dered free of any guilty. His reaction was supposed to relief the king but somehow, he felt stung by it. It would have been understandable if Justin just cursed him and called him names. Who would have thought that he would be so excited to hear he was of no royal blood. ¡± Did you hate being a royal that much you¡¯ll be happy on the first revtion you ain¡¯t one?¡± The king asked sullenly. Justin was taken aback by the king¡¯s question. He was too upied with his happiness that he forgot about the king¡¯s loneliness. ¡± Of Course not father, i am happy to be your son but more importantly, I can finally be free to roam the world with the love of my life.¡± Justin replied tantly. The King expected that kind of answer from Justin afterall he was never interested in State affairs. He had a dream he lived for and that dream was his next focus.


    Miranda finally heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Justin¡¯s words. She was relieved that he took the words positively. ¡± You don¡¯t even want to know who is the rightful heir to this kingdom?¡± The King then asked and Justin shrugged. ¡± The only thing I could do is to apologise for taking his position in his life.¡± Justin replied straightforwardly. As long as he was free from royal duties, nothing matters to him anymore. Justin¡¯s words surprised not only the king but Miranda as well. He wasn¡¯t even interested in knowing the king¡¯s next of kin? If he remained this nonchnt, how were they going to execute their next n?Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.

 065

    ¡± You don¡¯t harbour any resentment or hate towards me son, afterall I caged you here making it impossible for you to have a normal life?¡± The King wanted to be sure that his son harboured no ill feelings. Justin could see the uncertainty in the king¡¯s eyes so he walked back to him and side hugged him. ¡± Father, I really don¡¯t have anything against you, if anything, I should thank you for raising me with love and care. I enjoyed the title and privilege of being a royal, I can¡¯t be any luckier.¡± Justin said, his voice full of conviction and gratitude. He couldn¡¯t get angry at the man who gave him family, love and care for all those years.


    ¡± Don¡¯t you want to know your family?¡± This time, Miranda asked the question. She had not asked the king about the roots of Justin but that didn¡¯t matter to her. Irrespective of where he came from, she would never let go of him. Hearing her question, Justin was stunned and then shrugged nonchntly. ¡± I don¡¯t think I need to look for my real family. I don¡¯t even know whether they exist, I have my father, the queen of my heart and my friends, that is enough for me.¡± He said seriously. He didn¡¯t want to start venturing into unknownnds looking for a family he wasn¡¯t sure existed. The people he cared for and loved were enough of a family to him.


    ¡± If that is your decision, I will respect that.¡± The King said helplessly. He


    His attitude towards the subject of discussion once again stunned the king and Miranda. That was beyond their expectations. He should at least want to know his roots, right? That was the question running in the mind of the two stunned beings in the room. Niki, who was about to knock on the king¡¯s door asking permission to enter, halted in ce hearing the words that came out of Justin¡¯s mouth. His heart clenched and a fleeting emotion of pain passed in his face but immediately masked it with a smile. A wretched smile. He turned back and walked away, his heart heavy .¡± If that is your decision, I will respect that.¡± The King said helplessly. He showed pity on his face, but to whom was he pitying?


    ¡± That¡¯s not the only reason I called you here my son.¡± The king added after recovering from his momentary shock. ¡± Am a listening father, ¡± replied Justin, giving the King utmost attention. ¡± I want to announce you as the new king, the crowning of the new King will be taking ce soon ¡± The King decided to breach the issue at hand. His eyes were fixed on Justin, trying to read each and every reaction from him. To say that Justin was disappointed would be an understatement, he was drained. He thought that everything was settled, so why was the king talking about weird stuff like this. ¡± Your majesty, I don¡¯t understand you. Since I am not a royal, I don¡¯t qualify to be the next King, so why do you insist on this matter?¡± His voice was sullen now, just when he was celebrating his freedom, just when he thought he was free from any royal duties, the king purposely and mercilessly threw him in a freezingke.


    ¡± I am not done talking yet Justin, you can try and be patient until am done here, okay?¡± Despite signs of annoyance, the king said in a low and gentle voice. ¡± Sorry about the interruption ¡± Justin apologised. He knew that it was not allowed to interrupt his highness, the king, but at that moment she felt cheated and betrayed and couldn¡¯t help but voice out his question.


    ¡± Yes, I will announce you as the next King and set the crowning day but this is a decoy to lure out the leader of the rebels or rather the person supporting them behind the scenes who Miranda guessed should be in my government. We will use that to our advantage and once and for all clear rebels in this State.¡± He gave a brief exnation, not going deeper into the details. His daughter will do the rest. Justin was surprised to hear that but at the same time relieved. He didn¡¯t mind being used as a bait to capture those people threatening the safety of the country. He might be least concerned about state affairs, but that did not trante to him not caring about the state. He would do anything for the safety of the people ¨¤nd country he loved.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± So, what am I expected to do?¡± He asked, giving a go signal that he agreed to the n. ¡± You are doing nothing. You just have to officially resign from your job, the royal family will then announce the name of the rumoured crown prince and the date of coronation. For now, you will have to move back to the castle, leave the rest to us ¡± Miranda was the one who spoke this time. The nning and execution of the n was her role, the rest had to just follow the instructions and y their part well. Looking at her talking seriously, Justin admired his woman. She was surrounded by a regal air of nobility. She was like a queen, ready to take over the reins if her kingdom. She resembled a phoenix, spreading it¡¯s majestic wings, preparing to soar high in the sky. But something sounded strange about her words.¡± Why is it you doing everything, you know that this is dangerous. You can¡¯t involve yourself in this kind of things honey.¡± Justin was very considerate and caring of his woman. There¡¯s no way he would let her fight against the rebels.


    ¡± An sorry Justin, let me introduce to you the heir and the future Queen of this country, Miranda Reigns.¡± The king¡¯s voice bloomed in the study room. There was a tinge of pride and happiness in his voice as he introduced his princess. A huge pleasant smile painted his face. The news was like a bomb detonating in Justin¡¯s mind. He looked at the king, who was smiling broadly, then to Miranda, who wasposed, with a nk expression on her face and his brain forcefully shut down.

 066

    One second. Two seconds. ten seconds. Thirty seconds. One minute. It took one plus minute for Justin to process the new Information Fed to him. His mind was shutting down involuntarily like aputer that has been invaded by a virus. Like, was life ying a joke on him? He was sincerely happy that he was no royal but he knew what it meant to be One. How could he be happy with his woman miraculously turning out to be one. His work life was already dramatic, he didn¡¯t need drama in his real life.


    ¡± Wait, what?¡± He practically roared, causing the king and Miranda to flinch at his offending noise. ¡± You heard me right, Miranda is the princess of the family. She was separated from us for her own safety.¡± The King exined. He wasn¡¯t sure what was with Justin today. When they expect him to be angry, he¡¯s rxed but the moment they expect him to be maybe happy or relieved, he seems¡­ Sad? He couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡± No no no! This is not happening right? I must be dreaming, I swear.¡± He entered a state of denial. Miranda was worried about him so she moved to sit next to him and hold his hand. ¡± Come down, okay? What¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask. He was confusing her for a big time. ¡± Don¡¯t you dare tell me to calm down!¡± He shouted, pulling his hands away. Miranda could tell that he was angry but why? Was it because she turned out to be a royal and he wasn¡¯t? Was that it? But the Justin she knew was not a petty person and that would be the least of his reaction.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Do you know what it means to be the princess of this kingdom? Miranda, do you know that will be akin to exposing yourself to danger? I can¡¯t bear to lose you, I Just found you.¡± His voice was almost a whisper. His heart ached thinking about what his woman will have to go through. Justin¡¯s words warmed Miranda¡¯s heart. It turned out he was worried about her but he didn¡¯t need to, she was very much capable of taking care of herself.


    ¡± You are not going to lose me, I will always apany you.¡± Miranda said, caressing his cheeks to ease his worries. But Justin was not epting this. ¡± No Miranda, I can¡¯t let you risk your life like this. Dealing with the rebels will be hard, I can ept everything as Long as you don¡¯t get involved in this.¡± Justin spoke again.


    ¡± So what¡¯s your great n? You know that the country is jeopardised. If we do not deal with this crisis, the matter will go south.¡± The king spoke with authority.


    ¡± The King is right! This is a matter of national importance, I can¡¯t neglect my duty and let everything my ancestors build be destroyed in the hands of rebels just because I¡¯m scared. Of Course, fear is thest emotion a warrior has. She was willing to risk it all as long as the people she loved could be safe. As long as the country was safe, she would even put her life in the line.


    ¡± But Miranda¡­¡± He was cut short before he could even speak his mind. ¡± No buts Justin. I will be safe, I promise you. Nothing can happen to me when you are by my side. All I ask is your support, together we will keep this country peaceful and prosperous.¡± Miranda said this time pleading. Watching this scene the king could only sigh helplessly. He understood that they loved and cared for each other but this was a serious matter. They couldn¡¯t let their emotions and fears get the better if them.


    ¡± Okay, I will support you but on one condition.¡± Justin finally relented. Miranda did not say anything, Just cocked her brows with him. ¡± If worsees to worst, leave this ce immediately.¡± He stated and Miranda nodded. She did not take his words seriously but also knew that she had to show her cooperation.


    After they reached an agreement, the ns started to be executed. Within a month and a week, they were able to identify several rebel hideouts and attack them. They also blocked any ess to more firearms by securing all the country¡¯s entry points, including the ports. That was a task carried out by Ronald. He was in the underground business and knew many partners who fed him with the information he needed.


    Kiel¡¯s team was responsible for the attacks while Miranda and her group collected the necessary information. After several attacks from the government, the rebels were weakened. This was One of the expected results from Miranda¡¯s war strategy. Pushed to a corner, the leader finally decided to call their overall leader and request for reinforcement. With the crowning of the King fast approaching, they had to get ready irrespective of the damages caused.


    The frequent attacks intensified their hatred of the royal family even More. What they didn¡¯t know was that they were falling straight to the trap Miranda had weaved specially for them. It didn¡¯t take long for the traitor to be identified. It turned out to the king¡¯s most trusted minister, the minister of defence. No wonder the rebels could smuggle firearms unnoticed into the country. The minister had other aliens in the government.


    The King had suggested they take him on but Miranda disagreed arguing that by doing that, it would alert the others and catching them would be close to impossible. The day of crowning was nearing. Justin officially resigned from the showbiz and announced that the reason he was resigning was to go and take his duties as the future king of the country. This news spread like wildfire and theizens were astounded. He was after all the rumoured crown prince of the kingdom who nobody set their eyes on. Some people had even assumed that maybe he didn¡¯t exist only to hear that their model was also the prince who never made a public appearance.

 67

    The Long awaited day arrived and although it was a public activity, every citizen would be able to attend, this time things were very different. The King officially announced that the country was under attack from the rebels and that every citizen was expected to stay indoors to avoid being caught in the crossfire in case a fight ensued. The crowning ceremony would be broadcasted In every television and any other channel. Preparations were made but again there was a change at thest minute. It was announced that the crowning would no longer take ce at the City stadium as usual but the location remained secret.


    Miranda¡¯s group was divided into four teams each with their respective tasks. Miranda would remain at the castle together with her men. Ava and Stacy where to stay hidden and charge together with their men after the war started. Kiel was tasked to protect the king and the prince with his life while Ronald was required to apprehend the traitors and help block any paths the rebels may try to escape through.


    Niki walked to the queen¡¯s quarters all dressed up. He was wearing a dark blue robe which was made for the iing queen.


    ¡°Are you ready my son?¡± The Queen asked sweetly with a loving smile on her face which almost made Justin throw up.


    ¡°Yes mother.¡± He replied calmly, trying not to give anything away. ¡± Good. I believe you haven¡¯t forgotten Why you are here even though you are just a worthless dog?¡± Her tone of voice changed and her face too. She was the exact replica of the queen everyone knew. She was far from the pitiful queen she presented to the people. Ofcourse, that had always been a strategy to evoke pity from the people ¨¤nd let the people think that the king was heartless for ignoring his queen.


    ¡± Yes, my Queen.¡± He dared not address her as mother anymore. She wasn¡¯t his mother. She was far from the mother he had and remembered in his dreams. His mother was loving, Sweet and caring. She would Cook Sweet and delicious food for him and his brother. She would read them a story before going to bed and make sure she tucked them safely.


    She was theplete opposite of this vile woman who did nothing but punish him harshly whenever he made the simplest of mistakes. She would flog him harshly and tell him that as a royal prince, he should act like One. He never wished to be one, but for the sake of his brother, he endured it all. As long as he could watch his brother from afar, everything was worth it.


    ¡± Today, the whole country will be covered with blood. The royal family will cease to exist and then after I eradicate everything possible threat, I will take over the country and rule it. I can¡¯t wait to see that bastard prince dying. As for that Man, I¡¯ll make him regret ever rejecting my affection. I will keep him alive and let him watch as I take everything he worked so hard for.¡± Then she burst outughing hysterically like a mad woman. Herughter was eerie, like it emerged from the depths of hell.


    Niki clenched his fists tight and controlled the urge to Just straggle her to death that instance. He knew that he had to control his impulse or else his blow would be blown. He couldn¡¯t afford to expose himself and put the rest into trouble. He had waited for years for this day, a few hours wouldn¡¯t affect anything.


    ¡± As you please my queen.¡± He straightened his posture and controlled his voice while talking.


    ¡± Get ready, that useless prince should already be done. We will be leaving in a few minutes.¡± The queen said dismissing him. She was never fond of him. If it was not that she wanted his help on bing the overall ruler, she wouldn¡¯t have taken him in in the first ce. She needed him to fight her battles and then she¡¯ll just sit and reap the benefits.


    Niki Left the queen¡¯s quarters with a man strolling behind him.¡± Your highness, what do we do now?¡± The man inquired. Niki halted in his steps and without turning back said in an extremely unfriendly voice. ¡± Call me that again and you won¡¯t know how you died.¡± Niki hated it when anybody addressed him as his highness, no, he loathed that name. It reminded him of the fact that he was somebody¡¯s pun.¡± Forgive my manners, Niki.¡± The man corrected himself instantly. ¡± That¡¯s more like it.¡± Niki beamed. ¡± We stick to the n. Gather your Men, ensure that she doesn¡¯te out of this house. Lock her and then you know what next.¡± He instructed. Niki swore that he would let the queen¡¯s evil ns seed.


    ¡± Yes, master.¡± The Man bowed respectively. ¡± Should I arrange some Men to escort you to the ceremony?¡± The man asked yet again, you could see concern In his eyes. After All this Man took him in when he was desperate and about to give up in life. Niki had treated him like family. To him Niki was his saviour, his brother and family.


    ¡± No need, I just take two men, they¡¯ll be enough. Afterall I am on their side.¡± He replied, shrugging his shoulders.


    ¡± You should be careful, master.¡± The Man said and bid goodbye before walking to make the necessary arrangements.


    Justin had just finished dressing up. He was ready to leave for the ceremony. He was dressed in a Royal Blue robe embedded with rhinestones and other valuable stones on it. If sparkled under dim light giving it an ethereal look. Although he was not born royal, he had an aura of nobility. You couldn¡¯tpare it to Miranda¡¯s who was born from royal blood but that did not mean it paled inparison. He appeared majestic in that kingly outfit. He had always thought of this day as the day his life would be caged by royal duties, but things were different now, he was dressed like this to help liberate the country. Maybe this was my purpose in life all through. He thought.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    He was lost in thoughts when a Cold metal barrel was pressed on his head and the next thing, darkness.

 68.

    ¡°Justin Reigns, you are under arrest for stealing my heart and soul.¡±Justin heard the ever sweetest voice ring in his ears. A huge smile stered on his handsome face. Her words were sweet like honey making his whole body smell of sweetness. Her voice resembled a sweet melody yed by a zither creating a sweet cello.


    ¡°Am sorry sweetheart , i give you permission to cage me.¡± justin replied. He could see that his wife was in a good mood. ¡°Oh trust me i will, i will take your heart, body, mind and soul into hostages. Then i will own every part of you, not even a strand of your hair will be left without being painted me.¡± Miranda replied leaning close and kissing Justin¡¯s temple.


    Justin was pleased by her actions. He obediently sat and enjoyed his wife¡¯s hands and mouth all over him.¡± Are you ready?¡± Miranda asked after pulling away. It was about time justin left to the secret crowning arena. Even though all the necessary arrangements had been made, Miranda was still afraid. She was afraid that things would go wrong at the crowning ceremony. If that happened, she was not sure whether Kiel and the others would be able to keep the king protected. She wanted to be there with them but it was not possible. She had to stay behind and safeguard the pce. If the rebels managed to seize the pce, even if the king was still alive, it would be difficult to take it back. The pce had all important files of the kingdom. it also guarded secrets that would be disastrous if it fell in the hands of the wrong people.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry hun, I¡¯ll be fine. Trust me, i wille back to you in one piece. I wouldn¡¯t dare to die on you.¡± Justin jokingly said earning a smack on the shoulders by Miranda. ¡± Don¡¯t say such inauspicious things.¡± she reprimanded him. After chatting and saying their goodbyes, Miranda was extremely reluctant to part with justin. Justin had to coerce her repeatedly and assured her more than ten times that he woulde back safely. He would protect himself. She finally let him go. She escorted him to his entourage.


    Miranda hugged her father and wished him good luck. It was the very first time she took the initiative to hug her father, making the king extremely happy. ¡± I love you father, pleasee back to me safely.¡± she whispered in his ears and the king could not control his tears. He let them flow freely. His happiness knew no bounds. Atst, he was able to hear the words he had been longing to hear from his daughter. Looking up, he smiled gently, his eyes shining like broken pieces of mirror.


    The father and son duo finally left the pce. Niki, who had been hiding, emerged and walked towards miranda. ¡± Reluctant to let your lover boy go? Then why don¡¯t you just join them?¡± Niki asked amused. He could not believe that the no nonsensedy who was known as the demoness or the emotionless goddess in the business world could soften up for a man. It seemed that Justin was the wine that softened her hard bones.


    ¡°Why do you like poking your nose in my affairs? don¡¯t you have something better to do?¡± Miranda questioned angrily. The man was addicted to pissing her off every time they met.


    ¡± Why are you being so grumpy like an old woman? I just came to give you an honest suggestion .¡± Niki replied nonchntly.


    ¡± Did I ask you for your shitty suggestion?¡± she was fuming mad. Actually she was not angry with Niki, she was just frustrated and paranoid. Her anger had nothing to do with him, she knew that she was dealing with her issues by transferring them to Niki.


    ¡°Easy there tigress, i did note here to argue with you. I have something important to tell you.¡± Niki says, his voice and expressions serious this time. There wasn¡¯t a single trace of his earlier yfulness.


    ¡± I¡¯m listening.¡±This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Let us talk in my car.¡± Niki said, gesturing her to his car. Miranda could tell that whatever he intended to say was serious. She did not fully trust him but this man had proved to be helpful in their earlier missions. He had provided them with important intellect that enabled them to ambush several of the rebel hideouts.


    She followed him without questioning to his car. Niki held the door for her, she was after all the princess and the future ruler of this country. After they both settled, Niki did not waste any more time and spoke. ¡± The queen at the banquet will be an impostor. I have made ns to capture the queen and lock her and rece her with one of our own people.¡±


    Miranda was surprised to hear that. That was a dangerous move on his side. If discovered, he could lose his life. ¡± If the rebels get to know of your betrayal, they could kill you.¡± Miranda stated inly. Niki chuckled, ¡± you should be worried about yourself and your friends. Your identity is bound to be exposed today, i think you should worry more about yourself princess.


    ¡± Are you sure your recement can be trusted? She could be in cahoots with the queen. You know we can¡¯t overlook that matter. The queen is cunning, are you sure your cover has not been blown?¡± Miranda asked. She just wanted to be sure. She liked to be in control of everything.


    ¡± Are you doubting my abilities, your highness?¡± Niki asked in a mocking tone, making Miranda roll her eyes on him.


    ¡°why are you doing this?¡± Miranda couldn¡¯t control her curiosity and asked.


    ¡± Doing what?¡± Niki decided to y dumb despite understanding what she meant.


    ¡± Why are you helping us? You should be working with the rebels to usurp the throne.¡± she tantly asked, not trying to coat her words.


    ¡± Don¡¯t get me wrong, your highness. I am not helping you, i am helping myself.¡± Niki replied.


    ¡± Whatever reason there is, thank you. I will count on you to protect justin since you will be attending the ceremony.¡± Since he was not ready to open up, Miranda did not probe anymore.


    ¡± You don¡¯t need to tell me that, I will always protect my¡­¡±

 69

    ¡± protect yours?¡± Miranda caught the slip in his tongue and probed.


    Niki cursed inwardly. He almost let his stupid mouth reveal everything. It did not help that the princess was watching him with hawk-like eyes anticipating his answer.


    ¡± Protect my prince of course.¡± Niki masked every expression and answered. He knew that his answer was unconvincing but there was no way he would say the truth.


    ¡± Are you hiding something from me?¡± Miranda asked dangerously and Niki almost shivered from the coldness of her voice. He knew that she was not the kind ofdy anyone would want to mess with. He had seen her in action. How she had made men wail in pain and that was thest thing he wanted to experience.


    ¡± What¡¯s with the questioning? don¡¯t make it sound as if i am your boyfriend and am hiding secrets from you. I am just extending my help to you. That does not mean I have to tell you everything about me.¡± he defended himself.


    ¡± you better not do anything to cause harm to my justin otherwise i will let you experience hell on earth.¡± Miranda informed sending a dangerous re to the man.


    ¡± Are you threatening me?¡± Niki asked with a teasing smile lingering on his lips. Actually, it was a way to hide his nervousness. He would not lie to say that he was not scared of the beauty before him. He was.


    He knew that Miranda was five times scarier than the queen, no wonder she earned herself the name demoness. She was a she demon in disguise as a beautiful woman. You would not know when she sucked your blood dry.


    ¡± You can take it however you want, just remember that I will never forgive or forget betrayals.¡± She replied, stepped out of the car before mming the door shut.


    ¡°quite a temper huh!¡± Niki said, shaking his head and patting his heart. He could not understand how Justin managed to tame that little beast to a wild cat. After Miranda disappeared, he ignited his car and drove off. He had to get to the ceremony and keep an eye on justin. He could never let anything happen to him otherwise the princess might skin him alive. He chuckled helplessly listening to his thoughts. How did his lifelong mission turn out to be a mission delegated by the princess?


    The queen was thest to leave her chambers heading to the ceremony. She was dressed to kill. Someone could mistake her as the next tomand. She was dressed in a ck royal dress. The train behind her dress had a big red conspicuous phoenix embroidery. The design was a replica of what queens wear during their crowning ceremony, the only difference was that it was ck and royal blue. Her lips were also painted ck. Looking at her, she seemed to appear like the queen of darkness.


    Her expressions were sinister mirroring her dress . She was walking with the help of a maid when one of her trusted people and allies, the minister of foreign affairs approached her.


    ¡± Greetings my .¡± he greeted me politelyy.


    ¡® What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s dangerous to be seen together. People might start suggesting nonsense.¡± She was annoyed and reprimanded him harshly.


    ¡± Forgive my manners but the boss has instructed me to bring you to meet him before heading out.¡± he smoothly replied.


    ¡± What¡¯s wrong with you people? I thought I made it clear that we should not meet. This could arouse suspicion.¡± she berated the guy but still gave in.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Lead the way.¡± She said and the minister started walking towards the north wing of the pce. This was the section that housed different dungeons that were used as prison for traitors. The queen started feeling that something was odd about all this meeting thing but brushed off the feeling as paranoia.


    She followed the man until he pushed a door open and ushered her inside. The room was dark making the queen hesitate for a while but the next minute, she was forcefully pushed to the dark room and before she could register what happened, the door was locked with a click and darkness engulfed her. She tried walking to the door but she suddenly felt her muscles turning into jelly and her brain muddled. She did not need someone to tell her that she was double crossed by her ally or was she?


    The guy who had just pushed the queen inside the room was no other than the man apanying Niki earlier. He pulled off the mask he had used to disguise himself and removed his phone to call his boss. ¡± mission aplished.¡± he reported and the call was immediately disconnected.


    what he did not know was that someone had followed him secretly and had seen what had transpired. A maid was on her way to her task when she saw the queen looking around sneakily following another man . It was known in the pce that the queen was sleeping around as a way to get back at the king for not paying attention to her. Rumours had it that the king never touched the queen nor shared a room with her ever since they got married.


    In the past, although the queen would sleep around, she was discreet about it until recently she started doing it tantly. The maid had intended to follow them and see if it was true but she did not expect to see something different. She gasped when she identified the man who had kidnapped the queen as prince Niki¡¯s right hand man.


    Ofcourse, she was very much aware about the threat from the rebels but it was never mentioned of the queen¡¯s involvement in that matter. She concluded that the Prince was probably in cahoots with the rebels and that¡¯s why he sent his man to kidnap the queen to threaten the king. But it still did not make sense, why would the king save the queen knowing that he was forced to marry her? Everything seemedplicated.


    Afraid of getting herself entangled in royal issues, she turned and started walking away but did not expect the moment she turned around toe face to face with a man¡¯s smiling face.


    She was about to scream but her move was anticipated so her little mouth was covered. ¡± Do you intend to disturb the royal ancestors from their sleep with your shouting?¡± the man leisurely asked.


    The maid was so scared she started trembling uncontrobly. ¡°mmm¡­ mmm.. mm¡± she replied in mumbled sounds, shaking her head desperately. She was very much aware that whatever she saw could cost her her pathetic life. She regretted satisfying her curiosity. If she did not stupidly follow them, maybe she could live longer but now all hope was lost.


    ¡°What did you see?¡± the man asked dangerously.


    ¡± Nothing! I saw nothing.¡± the maid desperately replied hoping the man will be magnanimous enough and let her go.


    ¡± Good. Now run little kitten. Run as fast as you can and don¡¯t dare to look back.¡±

 70

    Mark was amused to see the little maid running away. He was walking away after calling his Boss but realised a hem of a loth floating after being flown by the wind. He figured out someone must have followed him and saw everything. He couldn¡¯t let any mistake happen so he was determined to dispose of that person. What he did expect was toe face to face with a little Maid.


    He had noticed her the moment she entered the pce. That¡¯s because he knew her from somewhere.


    shback


    Years ago he was a street child who lived on pickpocketing and begging on the streets. One day, he was so hungry that he was prompted to steal from a fruit vendor.


    Unfortunately, his little action was seen through and the fruit vendor caught him in the act. He started beating Mark and the only thing he could do was curl himself and endure the beating. At that moment he was about to pass out from the beating plus the hunger, a girl dressed in tattered clothes but clean appeared and offered to pay for the apple he had stolen.


    The vendor had epted the money and after cursing Mark finally let him go. He was helped up by the little girl who seemed to be almost four Years younger than him. He felt embarrassed. The guy noted his difort and consoled him. ¡± It¡¯s okay to be hungry, but you can¡¯t steal from people. It¡¯s bad behaviour.¡± The girl reprimanded him softly. She had already taken him to her house which was of course an abandoned warehouse with just an old mattress, a single bedsheet, a basin ¨¤nd a jerry can of water.


    ¡± What do you know? If I don¡¯t steal, how am I supposed to survive?¡± He retorted. He was annoyed after getting lectured by a girl and that after she saved his ass.


    ¡± I don¡¯t steal, but I survive. you can also do it.¡± The girl said softly. ¡± Look at you, you have many wounds and scars.¡± She said while cleaning marks bruises he earned from the vendors beating.


    ¡± I am a man , I can endure it. This is nothing.¡± He replied. Truth is he was ashamed of borrowing on the streets and  just pickpocketing.


    ¡± As a man, you should work hard and be honest.¡± She retorted. After cleaning him, she served him what seemed like leftovers of rice and beans with carrots. He was so hungry that he didn¡¯t bother whether the food was good or not. He bobbled it hungrily. The girl just watched him eating with a smile.


    He was already done when he realised maybe he could have eaten everything leaving the girl with nothing. He looked at her awkwardly and started rubbing the back of his nape.


    ¡± I ate everything, I am sorry.¡± He said sheepishly.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay, I already ate, I guess I don¡¯t have breakfast anymore.¡± She said,


    ¡± I will go look for food.¡± Mark proposed.


    ¡± Forget it, you won¡¯t find anything at this hour. Besides it¡¯s dark, and the police are patrolling at this hour, you might end up getting caught and I heard they sell people nowadays.¡± The girl said worriedly. Recently, the police had been patrolling and gathering the Street children and taking them to children homes. She was afraid that the police would capture her.


    ¡± Okay, we will go looking for food tomorrow.¡± He said.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Okay, I heard the radio say that today there might be a storm in the City, we should go to bed early.¡± The girl had said.


    ¡± Okay.¡±


    ¡± By the way, what is your name?¡± The girl asked him.


    ¡± Mark, my name is mark.¡± He replied.¡± What about you?¡± He asked.


    ¡± Me? I don¡¯t have a name.¡± She replied shyly.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have a name? Howes you don¡¯t?¡± That was unheard of. Everybody got a name after they were born, howe she didn¡¯t have one? He wondered.


    ¡± Nobody gave me a name.¡± She replied avoiding looking into his eyes.


    Mark smiled sweetly at her,¡± okay, then I shall give you a name.¡± He said and her eyes twinkled happily.


    ¡± From today onwards you will be called lily.¡± He said and she smiled ever so pleasantly at him. ¡± Lily..¡± she tested the name on her mouth and she found it likeable.


    ¡± Do you like it?¡± He asked.


    ¡± Yes, I like it. ¡± She liked it very much. Mark found her beautiful. He was already fifteen years old when boys and girls started experiencing adolescence. He found her lovable and wanted to take her for his wife when they grew up. But he did not voice that thought. She was after all very Young and wouldn¡¯t understand the matters between men ¨¤nd women at her age, not that he himself understood anyways but he developed a strong attraction towards her.


    The two had spent days together. They would wake up in the morning and go looking for food and money. They begged on the streets and did tasks in exchange for a few cents. That was how their Life progressed. They lived like husband and wife. Lily would follow him everywhere calling him elder brother.


    During that one year, they raised enough money and enrolled in school. They would go to school in the morning and work in the evening. The routine progressed until one day Lily Left to hug groceries from the market and never came back. Mark searched for her everywhere and couldn¡¯t find her. He asked around the streets and the neighbouring Streets but she was nowhere to be seen. Nobody saw her. It seemed that she had disappeared into thin air. It¡¯s been thirteen years and he still hasn¡¯t stopped looking for her. He never gave up looking for his little woman.


    He would go back from time to time to the old abandoned warehouse to see if maybe she was back. Of Course the warehouse was no longer standing. It had been demolished and apany built there. He still hoped that one day she¡¯ll remember her elder brother and uphold the promise they made to each other.


    During the time they stayed together, he had finally revealed to her that he wanted to Marry her when they grew up. She had agreed and promised to wait for him to get big and secure a Job.


    shbacks end.


    ¡± Now I am all grown up and have a Job. Do you still remember the promise we made to each other lily? Or only I am holding up to that childish promise?¡± He mumbled to himself. He was old enough to get married but he dared not get married to any other person apart from his promised bride. Now that he finally found her again, he was sure to make their promisee true. Now, he was capable of protecting and providing for her. All she needed to do was stay home and be a good wife and mother to their children.


    Realising that he had strayed away from the matter at hand, Mark berated himself but smiled faintly. ¡± Wait for me, my little bride. I will take you home soon . After everything is settled, I will marry you and we will live happily together.¡± He said to himself, more like he promised himself before walking away to join the other soldiers to protect their country.

 71

    Justin arrived at the venue with the entourage escorting him together with the King. He helped him out and supported him to the podium. The king¡¯s health was deteriorating and he seemed to be getting weaker. Despite his poor health, his kingly Aura still leaked forcing everybody to bow to him.


    The podium was slightly raised allowing the king to have a view of the whole decorated arena. After helping the king settle down, Justin then sat at the chair right to the King. That was his rightful position as the crown prince of the country. At first, he was reluctant to sit there knowing that  position was no longer his but after seeing the look the king shot at him, he immediately sat down.


    The left side was reserved to the queen who was yet to arrive. It was always known that the Queen loved a grand entrance. She loved it when the whole attention was directed to her so she often arrivedter when everyone was settled. Niki sat at the far end next to the queen¡¯s seat.


    The minister of defence also vying for the congressman in the next election snickered upon seeing the royals acting all dignified. He hated them to the core. He had worked diligently for the government hoping that his hard work would be recognized but the king remained oblivious to his efforts. He always wanted to be elected as the prime minister, the second Inmand after the king but that has remained to be a dream.


    The queen came to him one time seeking his coboration to usurp the throne and he agreed immediately. He had always thought of doing that butcked trusted allies. Now that the queen who was the closest to the King was willing to join hands with him, why wouldn¡¯t he agree.


    But the thirst of power had clouded him and he betrayed his country. He coborated with the rebels and nned to harm the people. He went against the oath he took when taking over the defence unit. He now no longer wished to be the prime minister, but the king. Today was finally the day that all his years of nning will bear fruits.


    He will abolish monarchy and make the country a democratic country. He nned to create history with his achievement. He was hellbent on achieving his goal that he never cared about whose life will be Lost¡­ whose blood will be shed.. whose family will be broken¡­ Which children will he leave homeless.. how many children will be orphans.


    As Long as his goal was achieved, he termed the losses as mere coteral damage. Truly, his logic was twisted. In his mind he was doing the country a huge favour.


    As per usual, every national events, performances were a not missing item. Countless groups came to perform ¨¤nd finally, it was time for the closing dance. Everybody interested in dancing was allowed to participate. The minister of defence was in a good mood today, afterall he could smell his victory in a few hours toe so why not indulge himself. He paired himself with One of the female dancers and started swaying to the music.


    The queen chose to make her entrance at this point. Today, she wasn¡¯t shy at all. She wore a red cheongsam, with little feathers embroidered on it. Her hair was packed in a simple bun and her face was makeup free. She was not wearing her usual sparkling diamonds. Looking at her, everybody held their breath. She was the perfect description of pure and untainted, like a blooming lotus flower in the pond.


    The King of course was not left behind. He was stunned after seeing her. Why was he seeing the image of histe wife in the queen? He wondered but quickly shook his head to clear those stupid ideas from his head.


    ¡± Father, don¡¯t you think the queen looks different today?¡± Justin leaned on to ask his father who seemed distracted watching the queen making her entrance.


    Niki, who was a few metres away, heard that and his heart sank. If Justin could point out that fact, didn¡¯t that mean that their n would be uncovered. He hoped not to, otherwise he didn¡¯t know how to deal with the consequences.


    He immediately thought of Miranda¡¯s questions whether his n was feasible and the threat of his life and he shivered. Even with the hot sun, Niki felt Cold.


    Actually he didn¡¯t know the woman he had hired to impersonate the queen. He had Made a background check on her and nothing was rming. She was a woman who harboured deep hatred for the queen. After investigating, he found that the husband to thedy had an affair with the queen and when everything blew Into proportion, the man had sacrificed himself to save the queen leaving behind a pregnant wife with no one to support her. That was why he thought that she was perfect for the task.


    But now he regretted not beingprehensive in his background checking. He just prayed that she stayed loyal to him.


    Mina, who was disguised as the queen, was about to take thest staircase to the podium but for some reason, she halted, then turned and headed straight to the dance floor. It was no secret that the queen sucked in dancing. No matter how many dance sses she took, she couldn¡¯t seem to rte to the dancing. Seeing her walking to the dance floor, everybody was surprised, the king was not excluded.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± What is she trying to do? Does she want to be embarrassed so much?¡± Justin muttered. It¡¯s true he never liked that woman, but he wouldn¡¯t want her making a fool of herself In Front of the cameras.


    Niki clenched his fists. He wondered what the woman was trying to achieve by doing that. He wished he could just walk and turn her to look at him. Only that way could he still know if she was still game.


    Mira, oblivious of What others were thinking, walked to the dance floor, her eyes set to the congressMan. She walked and stopped two steps away from him.


    ¡± May I have this dance?¡± She politely asked, extending her arm and bowing slightly like a gentleman. The minister was momentarily stunned but recovered immediately and chuckled.


    ¡± It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± He replied taking her arm in his and they started swaying to the music. Thedy who was earlier dancing with him seeing this stomped her foot angrily and walked away.


    ¡± Your dance partner seems angry at you.¡± Mira stated the obliviousness.


    ¡± Since when did her highness care about what others feel?¡± The minister replied.


    They continued dancing quietly until Mira decided to break the silence.


    ¡± Is everything ready?¡±


    ¡± it is, we are only waiting for the right time to strike.¡±

 72

    ¡± Good. Make sure everything goes well. We can¡¯t miss this chance. And¡­¡± She whispered in his ears evilly,¡± don¡¯t think about betraying me.¡± After saying that, she smiled broadly at him and Left the dance floor with her head held high.


    Actually Mira found it fun toying with these people. She enjoyed every expression the Man showed and that just confirmed her earlier theory. They were really untrustworthy people who wouldn¡¯t mind betraying each other for their own good. When she was hired, nobody told her theplexities of the matter. She was just provided with the information she needed to know. But after interacting with the man, ofcourse she had purposely came to him earlier with the purpose of getting to know her opponent better, she could tell that he was untrustworthy and anytime he could go back and stab the queen on the back.


    It was better, that way the queen could have a taste of her own medicine, but she was not the queen. She did not want to find herself in the middle of a betrayal incident. She didn¡¯t know if the prince could save her ass if that happened. Prevention is better than cure, that¡¯s why she opted to warn the guy to drop any funny ideas in his miOblivious to the turmoil going through in Niki¡¯s mind, Mira walked to the podium and sat down gracefully on her seat. She ignored the Kingpletely. A third person looking at that scene could mistake it as arrogance but mira was nervous. She was trembling inwardly. After All this was the King of the country sitting besides her


    It was better, that way the queen could have a taste of her own medicine, but she was not the queen. She did not want to find herself in the middle of a betrayal incident. She didn¡¯t know if the prince could save her ass if that happened. Prevention is better than cure, that¡¯s why she opted to warn the guy to drop any funny ideas in his mind. Oblivious to the turmoil going through in Niki¡¯s mind, Mira walked to the podium and sat down gracefully on her seat. She ignored the Kingpletely. A third person looking at that scene could mistake it as arrogance but mira was nervous. She was trembling inwardly. After All this was the King of the country sitting besides


    Oblivious to the turmoil going through in Niki¡¯s mind, Mira walked to the podium and sat down gracefully on her seat. She ignored the Kingpletely. A third person looking at that scene could mistake it as arrogance but mira was nervous. She was trembling inwardly. After All this was the King of the country  besides Oblivious to the turmoil going through in Niki¡¯s mind, Mira walked to the podium and sat down gracefully on her seat. She ignored the Kingpletely. A third person looking at that scene could mistake it as arrogance but mira was nervous. She was trembling inwardly. After All this was the King of the country sitting beside her.


    He was not just any man but the ruler of this state who garnered respect from his subjects and people from other countries. How could lowlife vige girls like her act normally in his presence. Furthermore, she knew that if discovered, it could cost her Life. This was a Capital offence. She just hoped that everything would end sooner.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The King was taken aback yet again by the strangeness of his queen. She always tries to gain his attention every Chance she gets so why was she avoiding him? He couldn¡¯t ce his finger on the reason why he chose to ignore it. Afterall, that¡¯s how it has always been. Everybody minded their own business. At the end of the , it didn¡¯t matter whether she ignored him or not, she was his queen only on paper.


    Niki who was finding it hard to calm down leaned towards Mira and whispered,¡± what the hell was that?¡± She asked dangerously. Mira looked surprised but she could rte what he meant. The dance was something that wasn¡¯t included in the n. But she chose to y stupid for a while.


    ¡± I don¡¯t understand what you mean, my son.¡± Thest part of the sentence was stressed, it came out as a mockery. Hearing her words, Niki¡¯s lips twitched and his anger rose. He could tell she was ying with him but he was not in the right mind to swallow jokes. The veins on his forehead started popping out one after the other. Mira could tell that he was fuming mad but what could he do? In Front of so many people, could he dare act reckless? Of Course not.


    Mira was having fun ying around. It was not everyday she got to y mind games with a powerful man like Niki. It was exciting. While the guy was boiling in rage, Mira looked at him with an ¡® I dare you¡¯ look and Justin could only grit his teeth in annoyance.


    Even though watching his annoyed face was fun, Mira knew that it wasn¡¯t a good idea to prolong the pretence for long. Besides, she found it necessary to let the man know about her new discovery.¡± I believe the minister has ns of betraying the queen and taking up the crown.¡± She whispered  that the king and Justin could not hear.


    Niki turned to look at her with utmost interest. He wondered how she came to that conclusion. He had spected about it earlier but then ignored it, but now that second person had the same opinion, maybe there was that possibility.¡± Oh.. how did youe to that conclusion?¡± He asked and Mira shrugged.


    ¡± After tasting betrayal all your life, you get acquainted with it Such that you can smell it a thousand miles away.¡± Mira answered and her words amused Niki. ¡± So what do you suggest we do?¡± Maybe she could offer a solution to that new development.


    ¡± It¡¯s simple, make him feel like we are aware of his two sided face, that way, he¡¯ll act earlier. Obviously the queen controls the rebels or atleast the bigger percentage. If they fall out, the two groups will start fighting against each other. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone.¡± Mira said smiling.


    Niki marvelled at her thinking capacity. That was indeed a good n executed well. That way, they can spare soldiers from getting harmed since the rebels will fight against each other. But..


    ¡± He¡¯s a wise man, do you think he¡¯s so stupid to tantly go against the queen?¡± Niki voiced his concern.


    ¡± Leave that matter to me.¡± Mira said, smiling broadly. It¡¯s like she was enjoying this game of hide and seek and truly she was.

 73

    ¡± Then I shall thank you in advance. Just make sure to be safe.¡± Niki said seriously. She might be Just someone he hired as a tool to his ns but that did not mean he was uncaring. He still wanted her to emerge from this battle safe and sound and celebrate her victory.


    Mira smiled at his words. She was touched. Rumours said that the second son was rude, arrogant and unfeeling. Every bad character was associated with him in the tabloids but after associating with him for a few days, she could say that everything was exaggerated. It was never a good idea to listen to gossip.


    The man before her was nothing but caring towards her. He was not good at expressing himself but his few words would touch the depth of your heart.


    ¡± Are you worrying about me?¡¯


    ¡± Of Course I have to worry about you, if you end up dead before the mission ispleted, where will I get someone to rece you?¡± Niki replied with a smirk but Mira just smiled, she knew that wasn¡¯t what it meant.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Yeah sure.¡± She said, rolling her eyes at him.


    The emcee took over the ceremony after the dance was over. He would be the one to preside over the swearing in of the new King. After testing the mic, he started,¡± To the King andmander in chief of the armed forces, the queen, the crown prince, the prime minister, the Ministers and every other person in attendance, good morning?¡±


    ¡± We are gathered here today to celebrate a big milestone in the governing of our state. Today, we are celebrating our new King. This day serves to end the era of one king and a start for another. Our country has been monarchical. Under the leadership of the Royal family, the State has seen much development and growth. The Royal family has stood up on their backbone to ensure that the citizens of this country have a better lifepared to yesterday¡­¡±


    The speech went on and on as the emcee recounted all development projects initiated by the government under the leadership of the King, what it has achieved and what is stillcking. Other members of the government were also called upon to give their speech.


    Hourster, the mic was back to the emcee again. ¡± Now, it¡¯s time for the next royal blood to take over the office and allow our current King who has recently been having health problems. This year, we are going to do things differently, let the show begin.¡± He said confusing people.


    Then the arena was covered with darkness for a split second then a huge screen showing a swearing in speech lit up. But this time, it was not Justin being shown taking the vows. Instead, it was a petite woman dressed in a Royal Blue robe with diamonds embedded on it. There was a fiery red phoenix neatly embroidered on the robe making her look ethereal.


    ¡± I Miranda Sophia Reins, as the only remaining royal Princess, takes the oath, before God, my ancestors and my people, to safeguard and protect the sovereignty of our country. To help fight the rebels, to promote peace and Love among my people, to oversee development, to rule with justice, to promote public rtions and work towards achieving an all round developed country, so help me God.¡± Her voice was crisp but full of authority. Her looks, demeanour and Aura was unquestionable. Nobody needed to doubt that the royal blood ran in her body.


    The priest overseeing the swearing in then presented the royal crown to the King who then put it on the sworn in king as per tradition.


    ¡± I give you this crown, as a symbol of duty and responsibility. Protect our country and our people and uphold justice to all citizens.¡± The King said and Miranda kneeled down while the crown was put on her Head.


    ¡± I, Prince Justin of Royal blood by name, swear to stand by and support the newly crowned King. I pledge my loyalty to the Royal family.¡± Those were Justin¡¯s words after Miranda received the crown.


    Back in the arena, everybody was beyond surprised but some had an idea what would be happening. Silence filled the whole arena and nobody dared to make a sound. So this was the mystery behind the secrecy of the ceremony. So now, They had a new King who was also a new face.


    The CongressMan was the person beyond surprised. How could that be possible? How could the dump boy not be the royal Prince and sessor of the crown. It was easy to snatch the position from him. He understood instantly that he was ying. The queen¡­


    The queen had told him something about betrayal. Did that mean she knew all along but did not inform him so that she can eliminate him? How could he let that happen? He had painstakingly nned this for years, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll let this slide. He had to think harder. Now, the little prince was useless to him. But not the King, if he could kidnap the king, he could Force that little girl to hand over the throne.


    He slipped away from the arena without anybody seeing him. He made a call after he stepped out,¡± Change of ns, attack the castle now!¡± He ordered. It was a risky move but a big help if they seeded to capture the pce. If he could take control of the castle and have the king in his hands, he could use the king¡¯s life to threaten that little girl. She was a girl after all and couldn¡¯t stand a chance on him or so he thought.


    That particr moment he stepped out, mira called scar, the Head of the rebel group led by the queen. ¡± Do not take any orders from congressman, he betrayed us ¡± it was short but full of authority. Scar served the queen and only followed her instructions. The rebel group was divided into two, those led by Congress Man and the group led by the queen. Although the queen was the overall ruler, he did not haveplete control of the rebels, especially the group led by the congressMan.


    They were bound to sh somehow. The moment the orders were issued, the two groups obviously started arguing between each other resulting in a fight breaking out. Of Course the congressman was unaware of what was transpiring in the castle. He then caddesi the rebels around the arena to attack.


    The broadcasting was over and theizens, though surprised, were d to have another king. Meanwhile, in less than five minutes, a fight broke out in the arena. The special army police in charge of the king¡¯s safety rushed to protect the King. It didn¡¯t help that the ce was all crumbled.


    The King was rushed to safety but the rebels were targeting him. It was also proving to be hard with the presence of other important figures from other countries and the business world.


    The fight went on for hours. Kiel arrived on time with his army to aid in the protection of the King and the others. The arena had a safety passage that was built underground Incase of an attack. That was One of the reasons Why Miranda had chosen that ce. It could allow the King and the others to leave safely.


    In the crumpled path which was poorly lit, the King and the rest tried walking but at some point, the King couldn¡¯t continue. With his poor health coupled with inhaling the dust in the path, he became breathless.

 74

    The King was asthmatic and the dust did nothing but to worsen the situation. He started breathing with difficulty and in no time he fainted. Justin, who was supporting him all this time, had to catch the king from falling.


    ¡± Father!¡± He shouted. Panick painting his face. He could not let anything happen to the king.


    He kept shaking the King, prompting him to wake up but the King was unresponsive.


    Niki, who was closely following the duo, stepped ahead and tried feeling the king¡¯s breathing by bringing his finger near the king¡¯s nose.


    ¡± He is still breathing, let¡¯s hurry up. We are almost at the exit, he can be saved.¡± Niki urged the man. Without waiting for another word, Justin lifted the King and was helped by Niki to put him on his back. The path was already crumpled, so with Justin carrying the King, it proved to be hard. But he was determined to get him to the hospital. He couldn¡¯t let his woman lose her father yet. Besides, the king raised him for years and made him whoever he is now. He was a father to Justin before being a father inw.


    Carrying the King slowed the whole journey. Someone was getting pissed off by the slowness. He was impatient. He understood why his Boss said that they should keep the King alive but with the current situation, he wasn¡¯t sure anymore the King would make it. He wanted to get to the other side and get free from these people. Staying with your enemy in the same ce was torturous to him.


    He looked at the queen and surprisingly, she was calm. He didn¡¯t expect that from her. She was supposed to be ecstatic about the current development but why did he see worry in her eyes? Who was she worried about? She always remained indifferent to everything, so what changed now? Was she having second thoughts about the whole thing? He couldn¡¯t tell so he kept quiet and endured his annoyance.


    After walking for God knows how long, they finally reached the exit. Justin pushed the metal gate covering the path and was assaulted by the light from the sun. They had taken turns carrying the King and his breath at this point wasboured. It seemed like if he didn¡¯t receive any medical help soon, they might lose him.


    Justin wanted to hurry up and send the King to the hospital but was met by a surprise after he emerged from the cave.


    ¡± I have been waiting for you for so long, your highness.¡± A voice taunted him. Justin looked up to be met by the face of the traitor. He was surprised for a split second but immediately put his emotions at bay.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± What congress man do you want?¡± He questioned coldly, his fists clenched tightly. He was itching to punch the bastard on his face but he had to control his anger for now.


    ¡± What do I want? Of course I don¡¯t want that pathetic half dead Man. Hand him over to me and I will leave peacefully.¡± He said seriously.


    ¡± ¨¤nd you think I will allow you toy your filthy hands on my father?¡± Justin exploded. His eyes emit fire balls, literally.


    The Congress Manughed like he heard the most ridiculous thing in his life.¡± Your father? You¡¯ve got to be f*cking kidding me? You are a piece of trash he picked up from the streets to serve as a distraction to keep his stupid daughter alive. Now that she has already been crowned, what are you still pretending about? Do you think you are still the mighty crown prince anymore?¡± The man mocked Justin.


    ¡± He raised me, that is enough to make him my father. I don¡¯t care what reasons he had for adopting me, but as long as I am alive, I am not letting you touch him.¡± Justin growled, his actions surprising the congress man but he immediately recovered from the shock. He had initially thought that the little dumb prince would be hurt by the king¡¯s actions of crowning someone else besides him but it seems like he was wrong.


    It was either the boy was a muddlehead or he was good at pretending. But that didn¡¯t matter anymore. Since he could manipte him into handing over the Old Man, he¡¯ll just get rid of him.


    ¡± Don¡¯t force me to shoot you.¡± He said with an evil smile but his voice was serious.


    ¡± Stop this madness!¡± The queen roared. Of course, it was Mira. The Congress man¡¯s attention shifted to Mira now and he smiled yet again. But this time, it was sinister.


    ¡± Oh! I almost forgot about you, my queen!¡± The man said mockingly. ¡± You almost fooled us all. You caused a huge loss on our side but you will pay for it, you will pay it for impersonating the queen, Mira Howards.¡± He said with a dark voice. It was a promise. A promise of pain and cruelty. Mira shivered.


    ¡± What I don¡¯t understand is, whose orders are you following?¡± The Man added.


    Despite the nervousness, Mira still stood her ground and denied all the allegations.


    ¡± I think you are out of your mind now. I fooled you or are still being fooled? Think about it, how do you impersonate the queen? That¡¯s even absurd. Nobody has the guts to do Such a ridiculous thing.¡± Mira said with a straight face although she was shivering inwardly. It seems like her cover was already blown. She didn¡¯t know for how long she can still continue pretending. But One thing was certain, the man was not aware of who she was working for.


    She wanted to turn and look at Justin, but she fought the urge to. That might blow his cover too and that¡¯s thest thing she wanted, being pushed to a corner helpless.


    ¡± How did you know where we were?¡± Justin asked a silly question. Ofcourse, it must be because someone betrayed them. What else could it be? But the aim was not to look stupid. He wanted to stroll through time and maybe, just maybe, the reinforcement could reach them. He didn¡¯t want to die here in the middle of nowhere. He had a fiancee to go back to. He had dreams to fulfil. He wasn¡¯t married to the love of his life. He hasn¡¯t travelled around the world with his girlfriend so how could he die? Most importantly, he promised Miranda that he will go back to her safe and sound. Thest thing he wanted was to break his promise to her. It would haunt him even in hell.


    ¡± Little Prince, you are dumb, aren¡¯t you?¡± He mocked, thenughed hysterically like he had lost his mind. ¡± Then, I will enlighten you. Someone tipped me off about your location. Do you want to know who?¡± He jabbed Justin. He derived pleasure from taunting him.


    ¡± Who?¡± Justin asked. He wanted to know who betrayed them, even if he died today, that person would pay for his betrayal. It didn¡¯t matter if he had to turn to a ghost just to take his revenge.


    ¡± You don¡¯t need to keep searching, I did it.¡± At that point, a familiar voice reached Justin¡¯s ear and a Man walked from behind and went to stand by the congress man¡¯s side.


    ¡± p. peter?¡± Justin stuttered, not believing what he saw and heard.

 75

    ¡± The one and only.¡± The man replied with a grin. To say that Justin was shocked would be an understatement, he was beyond shocked. He felt like his brain was being fried in hot oil and his eyes probably covered with fog. He got to be dreaming. Peter was thest person he ever expected to betray the King. Even Niki was surprised by that revtion.


    This was the man the King trusted with his security. He was the head of security in the castle and the king¡¯s senior most bodyguard.


    Seeing the shocked expression on Justin¡¯s face, Peter was very much pleased with himself.


    ¡± You don¡¯t believe it, don¡¯t you, your highness?.. Oops! Sorry you are now longer eligible for that title. You are nothing but a pauper in the eyes of that stubborn Old Man. A chess piece in his Game just like how he treated us.¡± The man said tauntingly. His words were full of malice and bitterness.


    ¡± The King trusted you¡­ You were like a brother to him. He never treated you as a servant¡­¡± Justin tried pointing some sense to the man¡¯s barren brain. As long as he can remember, the King always treated Peter as an immediate friend and brother and not like a servant. So what could have prompted him to betray the King? That was something he would never understand even if he racked his brain for a thousand years.


    ¡± Oh shut up!¡± Peter interrupted him harshly. ¡± What do you know? Treat me like a brutgeri! Ha! That¡¯s the joke of the year.¡± Peter spat bitterly. ¡± Everyday I have to wake up in the morning to protect him¡­ Year to Year but what did he do? After everything I did to him, he only promoted me to the senior bodyguard. I worked so hard for him and this country, is that all am worth in his eyes.¡± The man was practically roaring like an angry lion at this point.


    Justin chuckled bitterly. At this point, he Lost all hope of staying alive anymore. Even if reinforcement dide, they might only be greeted by their dead bodies. There was no Way they would escape this. They were doomed to die here today. The only regret he had in life was not getting married to Miranda Sooner and reproducing a small bun.


    ¡± At the end of the day, it was all about power. You are so hungry for power that you don¡¯t rethink before betraying those who treated you as family. Do you think they won¡¯t betray you the same way all of you have betrayed the King and this kingdom?¡± Justin questioned angrily.


    ¡± Oh shut up already, you are so annoying! Don¡¯t preach on me, I know how to deal with my problems.¡± The man said irritated. Of Course he had an inkling that maybe he would be betrayedter on but that didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was someone reminding that to him.


    ¡± Hand over the King to us and maybe if I am in a good mood, I might let you walk away safely.¡± The congressman said. Impatience was clearly depicted in his voice.


    ¡± Like I said earlier, OVER MY DEAD BODY!¡± Justin stood his grounds. If he was to die, he would die protecting the King. There¡¯s no way he would let anything happen to the king as long as he was breathing. He would not forgive himself for that.


    ¡± Then so be it!¡± The congressman said, cocking his gun and aimed it at justin. All he needed to do was pull that trigger and everything would be settled.


    ¡± Wait a minute!¡± A loud voice bloomed at a short distance from where they were. A man dressed in a crisp ck suit marched towards the group. ¡± Congressman, how could you have fun here excluding me?¡± The man¡¯s yful voice asked.


    ¡± Oh Mr Morgan, I didn¡¯t know that you are interested in these kind of games.¡± CongressMan said fawningly.


    ¡± Oh I usually don¡¯t. But I have a prey I intended to hunt here, so here I am.¡± The man said nonchntly as if he just said he was checking up on people.


    ¡± Oh! So hood this interesting species that brought the almighty CEO down here?¡± Congressman asked curiously. It was not everyday the young CEO mentioned about preys nor associated himself with these kind of matters.


    ¡± I am here for the little Prince. I want to see how the crowned Queen will react after I send her a present of her lover¡¯s boy¡¯s head as a congrattions gift.¡± Daniel said and chuckled as if what he said was nothing serious. He was talking about a human¡¯s head and not a bird¡¯s.


    His words of course surprised the CongressMan and Peter.


    ¡® Things are bing More interesting. It turns out the little prince is still useful after all. Who would have thought that his bead-like brain could capture the Queen¡¯s heart.¡¯ he thought inwardly and started conjuring methods of using Justin as a leverage to keep the queen at bay.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Oh! So the little prince is actually our Queen¡¯s lover boy?¡± He asked meaningfully.


    ¡± You didn¡¯t know?¡± Daniel turned to look at him like he was an alien. How could he not know but then he understood. Miranda was a secretive person, it¡¯s hard to get through her. He was also surprised to know that Miranda was actually the king¡¯s only child. They had hidden that fact so well. Impressive. He had to give it to them.


    ¡± I heard it now.¡± The congress man replied.


    ¡± Anyway, I am not here to chat. Just hand over the little prince to me and I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± Daniel said. ¡± Too bad he has to die to pay for his woman¡¯s sins.¡± Daniel said leisurely. He can still remember how he had to hide from the authorities. He still felt bitter after his freedom of roaming freely was snatched away from him. Since he couldn¡¯t get to Miranda, the little prince will be sacrificed to satisfy his thirst for revenge.


    ¡± And who do you think you are toe and im me as if I am property?¡± Justin finally talked. His voice, his face was grim. One could tell that he was almost exploding.


    Danielughed briefly after hearing Justin retort. But that smile was wiped away quickly and reced by an evil smirk. ¡± I can see that you have grown some balls, little prince.¡± He muttered dangerously but Justin was unfazed. ¡± I have always had balls but I doubt that about you.¡± Justin retorted.


    ¡± Do you believe I will kill you here right now?¡± Daniel thundered.


    ¡± I was wondering who was spitting threats here, it turns to be you Mr Morgan.¡± A sweet voice was heard and a silhouette walked leisurely towards the group. Seeing who just arrived, Justin breathed a sigh of relief. Finally

 76

    ¡± And who the hell do you think you are to barge here without any ounce of respect?¡± Daniel was beyond angry. He hated it when someone interrupted his fun moments. His eyes were spitting fireballs, literally, threatening to burn the intruder alive.


    ¡± You are very ignorant Mr Morgan,¡± the person said chuckling evilly,¡± thest person who asked me Such a stupid question is yet to be found.. and do you know why?¡± He paused dramatically,¡± because I fed him to the whales and sharks in the sea.¡± The voice was dangerous, dark and sinister as if it came from the depths of hell carrying with itself all the evilness.


    Daniel was slightly taken aback, only few people could talk to him that way. The first one was Miranda Lambert and the other was the legendary mafia Boss and CEO of Johnstonpany. Of Course, he never had the chance to see the second person so how would he know if this was him. But the Aura emanating from his body was oppressive, forcing someone to bow and give in. It was not something every Dick and Tom possessed. It was something that came from years of dominance.


    ¡± Who are you?¡± Daniel found himself asking. He couldn¡¯t ignore Such a man.


    ¡± Who am I? Tsk! I am disappointed with you. Is there anybody in this country who doesn¡¯t know of my name?¡± Ronald asked leisurely. ¡± But I¡¯ll save you the hassle, afterall you are nothing but a child¡¯s y in my eyes. Call me Don Ronald Johnston.¡± Ronald answered, the air surrounding him was oppressive making Daniel to Lower his eyes.


    ¡± Now, where were we? ¡­ Oh yes.. you wanted to im the life of our prince? Are you qualified to do that?¡± Ronald spat. He was beyond angry when he heard the bastard say that.¡± You talked about revenge? Is it because the queen never took you seriously so you are bitter because she chose Justin over you?¡± Ronald asked tauntingly. He knew how best to get a reaction From his enemies and took pleasure taunting them.


    Daniel¡¯s face turned beet red from anger and jealousy. Yes, he had tried to suppress his feelings for Miranda for years but still sent her little gs to show her that he was interested in her. But that woman paid no heed to his actions. She never considered him man enough. In her eyes, he was less Man, she never noticed him.


    When he got news that Miranda was dating Justin, he smashed everything in his reach. How could he not hate Justin? He hated the boy to the core for snatching away his bride.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Daniel asked . He won¡¯t let the guy have the satisfaction of seeing him angry.


    ¡± I Know much to realise that you are obsessed with our new queen. But you should give up, you don¡¯t deserve her.¡± Ronald said inly, not trying to cover anything. He enjoyed taunting people the most


    ¡± You¡­.¡± Daniel said angrily. He couldn¡¯t get his mind to say anything to refute Ronald¡¯s words. He felt tongue tied.


    ¡± What about me? Am I wrong?¡± Ronald said leisurely. Daniel couldn¡¯t take the insults anymore and decided to act. He skillfully retrieved his gun and pointed at it directly to Justin and then.. bang!


    The whole thing happened so fast that even Ronald waste to react. Before he could stop the man, the bullet was already fired. Justin on the other hand was worried sick about the King who stilly unconscious in hisp. All his attention was on the King so he didn¡¯t see who the bullet was aimed at. He heard a gunshot and raised his eyes to see who the unlucky person was only to see that the thing was pointed straight to him.


    Before Justin could react, someone already did. Niki had been quietly listening to the men argue until he saw one remove a gun and point it at justin. He did not have a second thought before throwing himself before Justin and taking the bullet for him. If he didn¡¯t take that decision, he was damn sure that Justin would be dead by now. The guy must be a skilful shooter. He had pointed directly at Justin¡¯s heart. That was a one shot kill.


    Justin closed his eyes expecting the pain but that pain did note. One second. Two seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Thirty seconds, still no pain. From the calction of speed in his mind, the bullet would take two to three seconds to hit it so why was there no pain? Or was he already Dead? He wondered and then slowly opened his eyes.


    When Justin opened his eyes, he was met by a scene of Niki clutching his chest. Blood was oozing From the gunshot wound. He gasped and felt an excruciating pain in his heart. It felt like his heart was ripped open mercilessly. Without thinking, he rushed towards the Man. Somehow, tears started rolling down. He couldn¡¯t seem to control them, so he let them fall freely.


    His hand trembled as he touched Niki¡¯s wounded chest. Surprisingly, the guy had a huge smile on his face. Justin had learned first aid techniques so he helped Niki lie t on the ground and started applying pressure on his wound. He did it once, twice, thrice but the blood seemed to have continued to flow even More.


    Niki stretched his other unbloodied hands and tried holding Justin¡¯s cheek.


    ¡± My brother¡­ My little brother.¡± He said with a smile surprising Justin. Yes, they were brothers but they were never that close. All the years they knew each other, Niki would always tease Justin in the Pce. Niki being the queen¡¯s son, Justin avoided him like a gue. He never liked the queen and the feeling was mutual, she never liked him causing the two brothers to avoid each other.


    ¡± Andrew.. I.. I .. pro.. promised o-ur parents too. Al.. ways.. protect you.. I have¡­ do- done my Job.. till my ..st breath¡­ You must promise¡­ Me to.. live.. happily¡­ be happy.. and always smile.. am. sorry..¡± He stopped  coughing violently, blood spurted out of his mouth.


    ¡± A.. I¡¯m sorry¡­ B. big.. brother .. cannot.. apany you anymore¡­ If .. I meet.. our parents¡­ I will tell.. them.. how big.. you have.. gr.. grown..¡± he said and smiled.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Justin¡¯s tears were rolling down uncontrobly Washing his face and Niki¡¯s too. Taking a chain from his chest, Niki handed it to Justin. ¡± This is thest thing.. I.. have from our¡­ family¡­ Keep it safe..¡± Niki said and smiled again. The smile was forced and beads of sweat were seen painting his face..

 77

    Justin received the chain with trembling hands and like a trigger, countless images started running in his mind making him feel dizzy.


    ¡± Big brother, u want to eat noodles ¡±


    ¡± Big brother, carry me.¡±


    ¡± Big brother, let¡¯s y..¡±


    ¡± Big brother, I want to climb that tree.¡±


    A four year child kept bugging her brother to do this and that.


    He was always very naughty, but his Big brother indulged him nevertheless.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Then it came to a scene where their house was attacked by people. Her mother immediately pushed the two children away..


    ¡± Niki, take your brother away.. anytime your father will not be able to hold them.. I stay behind to help him.. please take care of your brother, okay?¡± The beautiful woman said to the elder son.


    ¡°I promise you mother, I¡¯ll take care of Drew.¡± The elder son said and the woman patted their heads and kissed them. She then removed a chain from her neck and handed it to her elder son,¡± keep this safe with you.¡± She said then pushed the two to hide in the chimney.¡± Don¡¯t be scared, I am here with you. I will always protect you.¡± The elder boy assured the younger one and he nodded meekly.


    After what felt like hours, the elder boy woke the young one up. ¡± Come, we need to leave from here.¡± He said helping his Young brother to climb down their hideout.


    ¡± Why are we leaving? What about mommy ¨¤nd Papa?¡± The young boy asked.


    ¡± They have gone for a journey and wille backter. They said we should get away from the house.¡± The elder boy exined.


    They left the house with nothing ¨¤nd started wandering the Streets. They lived in the Streets for some time until e evening, his elder brother told her that they would be leaving for the city and that¡¯s how they found themselves in the capital city.


    The elder brother took care of the Young One until I One night, he was running down with a fever. The elder boy Left to go get medicine but stayed longer. The young one got scared and Left their hideout to look for his elder brother.


    That¡¯s how they got separated and Justin had run Into a woman, Mrs Lambert, who took him home and adopted him. The next time they met, Justin had already forgotten about his elder brother.


    The memories unfolding in his mind Made Justin tremble. So he had been staying with his brother all these years and could not recognize him? What kind of a brother was he?


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry brother for not recognizing you earlier¡­ Please I beg you.. just hold on for me.. I¡¯ll get you to the hospital.. Please don¡¯t Leave me alone.¡± Justin begged pitifully. Gone was the elegant crown prince. Now, his face was tear stained and covered with snot.


    ¡± Am g . d that.. that.. y. you. finally remembered me.. I can die peacefully..¡± Niki replied.


    ¡± Please, I beg of you.. don¡¯t leave me big brother¡­ I wouldn¡¯t know what to do without you.. please stay with me.. I promise, I¡¯ll be good this time.. I will not make trouble for you again..¡± he desperately begged his elder brother.


    ¡± Silly.. boy, wh.. who said br.. brother hates it.. when.. you make.. trouble.. d-don¡¯t.. cry, you,, don¡¯t look.. handsome.. when you cry..¡± Niki could feel that his life wasing to an end. He couldn¡¯t bear to leave his little brother behind but life had different ns for them.. ¡® in the next life, I still want to be your brother.¡¯ he thought inwardly as tears streamed down his face.


    He had imagined countless times how their reunion would be but this was thest thing he ever imagined would happen. There was no doubt that his departure would hurt his brother but he did not regret taking the bullet for him. He will heal with time.


    ¡± S.. smile for me. one..st time.¡± He begged and Justin forcefully lifted the corner of his lips attempting to smile.


    Niki chuckled seeing the ugly smile..¡± it¡¯s .. very ugly.. I l.. love you.¡± He said and his body went limp.


    Justin cried, shaking his brother¡¯s body but no matter what he did, Niki didn¡¯t smile nor talk to him anymore. He was still in denial that his brother whom they reunited with today Left him. It was painful.


    Justin finally stopped crying and sat there, holding his brother¡¯s body, which had already turned cold. Hour¡¯s went by and he remained in that position. When darkness came and he showed no signs of standing up, Miranda finally decided to approach him. The war was finally over with the rebels being defeated. Even though Miranda¡¯s side suffered losses, they emerged victorious.


    The congressman was captured together with the other government officials who had betrayed the government. The queen managed to escape somehow and she was on the run. The King was rushed to the hospital and his life saved. The country was peaceful yet again without any threats of the rebels but the hearts of the seven friends were heavy. They were hurting because of one of their friends¡¯ loss.


    After settling everything, they all rushed here to be with Justin and support him. It came as a shock to them all knowing that prince Niki was Justin¡¯s blood brother. That was a twist they would have never thought about.


    Miranda approached Justin, crouched down and tapped his shoulder. Justin turned reluctantly to look at her but looked away immediately. That simple action was enough to throw Miranda¡¯s heart into turmoil. Was he ming her for his brother¡¯s death? She wondered.


    ¡± Justin, let¡¯s go home.¡± Miranda urged him but the Man seemed not to have heard her. He ignored her.


    ¡± It¡¯ste. We should leave from here.. you should also let go of your brother, he needs to rest and so do you.¡± She said yet again but the response was still the same¡­ Silence.


    ¡± It¡¯s getting dark and we are in the middle of nowhere.. do you want your brother to stay in this kind of ce.. wild animals roam at this ce at night.¡± Miranda added and that got a reaction from Justin. He stood up and tried to lift his brother¡¯s body but before he could do that, darkness clouded his mind and he fell down unconscious.


    Miranda was quick to hold him from falling down ¨¤nd hurting himself. Stacy rushed to them and took Justin¡¯s pulse. ¡± His body is extremely weak and exhausted. We have to rush him to the hospital.¡± She informed them and the group finally left the forest.


    When they arrived at the hospital, the girls went to the emergency room with Justin while the boys took Niki¡¯s body to the morgue for preservation.


    Two hourster, all seven were in Justin¡¯s ward. Justin was still unconscious and an intravenous drip was connected to him to supply him with water and glucose.


    ¡± You should go home and rest, I will take care of Justin tonight, I¡¯ll inform you when he¡¯s awake.¡± Miranda urged her friends andrades.


    ¡± I will stay and take care of the king.¡± Stacy volunteered.


    ¡± I¡¯ll stay behind too.¡± Lucia said stubbornly.


    ¡± You are pregnant, you should take care of your health if you don¡¯t want to get sick.¡± Stacy reprimanded the careless mother in the room.


    ¡± I am just pregnant, why is everyone treating me as a patient?¡± Luciained.


    ¡°Because you are a patient hunny,e, I¡¯ll take you home.¡± Kiel tried forcing her but instead got yelled at.


    ¡± Who is your hunny, you dumbass.. if it¡¯s not for you, will I be in this situation?¡± Recently, her mood swings were worsening and Kiel was on the receiving end, but he dared notin.


    ¡± I know Hun, am stupid, a dumbass, a bastard, name it all but will you please take care of our baby?¡± Kiel has learned how to bootlick and coerce the mother of his child. It was hard at first but he took it as a consequence of his doings and was bing so good at it.

 78

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. Hump!¡± Lucia said and Kiel¡¯s lips twitched. But what could he do? He could only endure this suffering if he wanted to be a part of his child¡¯s life. He loved her, despite their weird rtionship. He went against his family for her. He refused the arranged marriage with the daughter of a wealthy man just to stay loyal to her. In this Life, he swore that she will be the only woman he will ever have. She will be the mother to his children and his only wife.


    ¡± Yeah, I know all that. Can we go home now, I¡¯ll cook for you delicious food.¡± Kiel tried forcing her even More. Lucia¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard of the delicious food. She was never a foodie but after she got pregnant, the word food was enough to put her into a good mood. It seems like she was pregnant like a foodie.


    ¡± Really? You¡¯re gonna make me delicious food?¡± She asked, excited.


    ¡± Of Course honey, when have I ever lied to you?¡± Kiel assured her.


    ¡± Okay then hunny, let¡¯s go.¡± Lucia said happily and even gave Kiel a loud smacking kiss on his cheek. Taking her hand in his, he led her away.


    The rest in the room were forcefully fed a handful of dog food by the couples PDA.


    ¡± Aaaaw, they are so Sweet! Hunny, will you also make me delicious food?¡± Ava said enviously and turned to look at Ronald full of anticipation. Ronald flicked her forehead Instead asking,¡± are you pregnant?¡±


    Ava¡¯s facial expressions fell.¡± How will I get pregnant when all you do is escape from new every night. Maybe I should ask Lucia to share her Man with me. Maybe then, I can be pregnant.¡± Ava murmured to herself that everybody in the room heard her.


    Stacy fought as hard as possible to swallow theughter that was threatening to bloom from her vocals while Miranda maintained her poker face, like she heard nothing.


    Ronald was embarrassed after what his girlfriend said but when he heard the second part of the sentence, his face darkened. He red angrily at Ava who seemed to be pouting and seriously contemting on something. He wondered if she was thinking about how to convince her friend to share her Man. Just the thought of it made him crazy.


    ¡± You are bing more unruly everyday. It seems like I have been spoiling you alot.. if I don¡¯t teach you a lesson tonight, then I am not the mafia king.¡± His voice carried a promise, a promise safe wasn¡¯t sure she would like.


    Ronald pulled Ava away so harshly that she had to jog to keep up with his pace. ¡± Aiyoo! What¡¯s the rush about? I seriously doubt you can perform well in bed, are You rushing me to showcase your poor abilities to me?¡± Ava said not taking not of the man who immediately halted in his tracks making her to bump into him.


    The pain from the collision was too much that her eyes welled with tears. Her nose had hit his hard back.


    ¡± What¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you know how to walk?¡± She asked him angrily, rubbing her nose with a pained expression. Ronald dares not turn and look back at her. He was trying very hard to stabilise his anger which was triggered by her words. He was fighting the maddening urge to grab her and take her roughly so that she would not dare ridicule him about his bad performance.


    He was fighting the beast residing in him from taking over his body and wronging her, but her repeated Insulting words were doing nothing to help him, instead they were provoking him again and again.


    ¡± What¡¯s wrong, cat got your tongue? Am asking you something here?¡± Ava shouted at him after the man ignored her.¡± Ava, donyiu believe me when I say I sew your mouth with a needle? If you don¡¯t know how to use your mouth, Just shut it.¡± Ronald said. He was the most feared Man in this country. His presence was enough to send people trembling. His words were treated like sacred vows. He was the Man who didn¡¯t bat an eyelid killing his enemies. He was a ruthless Man who no One dared to Cross and whoever did was sure to regret it. Yet, here he was, trying his best to control himself from strangling the little woman to death. She was challenging him again and again and testing his patience repeatedly but s! There¡¯s nothing he could do other than threaten her or endure it.


    ¡± Why are you so mad?¡± Ava said and snorted. Ronald resumed his journey. He pulled her but this time gently. No matter what she did or said, he would never get mad at her, even if he did, he would end up just sighing helplessly. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to hurt her. She was his Life, his world. She was someone special and could never bepared with others.


    He might be a powerful and ruthless Man, but to her he was just a regr lover. She never cared about his position or riches. She was herself. She would scold him if angry, she would tell him on , she would ignore him, she would cry andugh whenever she felt like. It was her genuineness that drew him to her years back. The only shoring she had was her glib tongue. She could offend people with her sharp tongue.


    She was never like this as long as he can remember. She was reserved and spoke less, so what changed her? But Ronald knew that to survive in the entertainment circle, one had to be able to defend themselves, maybe that¡¯s where she learned that. Despite it all, he loved her nevertheless. It wasn¡¯t her character that he loved, rather, it was her as a person.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Back at the hospital ward, Stacy finally Burst outughing a bit that didn¡¯tst long. ¡± They have Such a good rtionship, I hope¡­¡± She dared not finish her words.


    ¡± You wish that Gabriel was still here?¡± Miranda asked and Stacy nodded. ¡± Then why don¡¯t you go looking for him? If you like a person, it¡¯s better if you let them know before it¡¯s toote. Live your life wisely and never have any regrets.¡± Miranda advised her.


    ¡± You know it¡¯s not that easy to be with him.. I¡¯ll put his life in danger.¡± Stacy said worriedly.


    ¡± The threat has been eliminated, what else are you scared about? You just don¡¯t have the courage to face him.¡± Miranda admonished her and she wondered why her ever so intelligent and wise friend became a fool once it came to her love life .


    ¡± I¡¯m scared Miranda, what if he doesn¡¯t want me back. After all, there were no feelings between us.¡± Stacy voiced out her concern.


    ¡± You mean to say there were no feelings attached from his side?¡± Miranda asked and Stacy nodded. ¡± I think you are getting stupid everyday. Why would a man who rarely got himself involved with women clinch to you like glue? Why would he leave everything important to him behind and follow you here? Why would he demand you take responsibility for him? Obviously that can¡¯t be because you fucked him, right?¡± Miranda analysed everything to Stacy, making thetter to widen her eyes at the realisation.


    ¡± You mean to say¡­¡±

 79

    ¡°Yeah.. if a Man doesn¡¯t feel anything for you, leave alone following you, he won¡¯t even have time to look at you. You are a wisedy, you should take this chance before it¡¯s toote.¡± Miranda advised.


    ¡± But.. he already has a fiancee.¡± Stacy said in almost a whisper.


    ¡± So just because he has a fiance you are giving up? He still had a fiance when he was following you all the way from abroad. The fiance was still there when he was sticking to you every minute. I can¡¯t believe how slow witted you¡¯ve turned to be after falling in love. If your father knows this, he¡¯ll surely disown you after breaking your bones.¡± Miranda said, aggrieved. Never in a million times did she ever think she¡¯ll be the one giving advice to her friend.


    ¡± Okay, I get you.. it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s engaged or not. As long as he¡¯s not married, I still have a chance. Don¡¯t worry, after we settle everything here, I¡¯ll go back and woo him.¡± Stacy said finally feeling enlightened. She would not give up without trying. If he felt the same, she was sure they would be together.


    ¡± Go ahead.. check up on father before getting some rest.. It has been a Long day, and we still have a lot to do tomorrow.¡± Miranda urged her friend whoplied immediately. She was now left alone in the room with a sleeping Justin.


    Miranda watched as Justin¡¯s brows furrowed even in his dream. His face contorted as if he was in pain. He was mumbling incoherent words. She moved and sat on the hospital bed and held his cold hand in hers.


    ¡± Am here Hun, I¡¯ll never leave you.. I¡¯ll always apany you so don¡¯t be afraid, okay?¡±


    Her sweet melodious voice reached Justin¡¯s subconscious and he rxed. Looking at his handsome face, her heart ached for him. His life has been more like a soap opera. He never experienced real happiness in his life. Miranda swore that she¡¯ll be the source of his happiness. She will apany him in his darkest of days, in his sorrows and instability. She will be his guardian angel in this life, never leaving him alone.


    The following day, Justin opened his eyes and saw a nurse changing his IV drip. He tried to lift his hand and that¡¯s when he felt the tight grip enveloping his hand. He looked down and was met by an angelic face sleeping peacefully with her head on the edge of the bed.


    Miranda, who was a light sleeper, already noticed the presence of the nurse in the room but she felt so exhausted from lifting her head so she continued lying there. A minuteter, she felt a movement from Justin. He was awake. She wanted to lift her face and look at him but was worried that he would ignore her like yesterday.


    Justin wanted to wake up and go to the bathroom but when he saw Miranda sleeping peacefully, he couldn¡¯t bear to wake her up so he stilled in. Time passed by and Miranda was getting impatient waiting for Justin¡¯s next action after waking up. The anxiety was torturing her nerves. Not able to hold it any longer, she raised her head and looked at the man.


    Justin was spacing out. His brain finally registered what happened yesterday. They were in the middle of a war and were trying to escape. Then they were surrounded by rebels and a man was hellbent on killing him. Then.. then Niki took the bullet for him and revealed that they were blood brothers but he .. he left him.


    He couldn¡¯t control himself from silently sobbing but dared not make noise in fear of waking up Miranda. That was the scene that met Miranda when she looked up. Her fiance was crying again but this time silently. Her heart clenched in pain seeing him this way. she wished there was a way she could share his pain. Ofcourse, the death of Niki hurt her, he was her ally and treated her better. He was useful in the war against the rebels.


    He had helped her alot along the way, who would have thought he was doing this for his brother¡¯s sake. She remembered asking him why he was helping her and he said he was not helping her, he was helping himself.. so that was what he meant, he was protecting someone dear to them both by coborating with her.


    Thinking about how amiable he was with her even after being known as the most rude and unfeeling Prince, he must have done that because she was not the princess, but his brother¡¯s woman. Then, Why did he take all that time to reveal himself to Justin? She wondered but no One would help her answer that.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Miranda watched Justin for a while before waking and engulfing him in a tight hug. She wished to share his pain but didn¡¯t know how to, so hugging him was the only thing she could do tofort him.


    Justin smelled the familiar scent engulfing him and his heart warmed up. Yes, she was here with him. She did not Leave him even after seeing him broken. His elder brother asked him to be happy and she was his happiness. He must be strong for her. Justin lifted his free hand and hugged her back.


    Miranda was surprised by the gesture but More importantly, she was happy. He didn¡¯t loathe her for causing the death of his brother. She might have not killed him directly but in One way or the other, she was the main cause of it all. If she didn¡¯t have to be raised away from the Pce, Justin wouldn¡¯t have gotten entangled with the royal family, so Niki would not have entered the Pce to keep watch on his brother. If that didn¡¯t happen, then there¡¯s no way Niki would die protecting Justin. She loved him, but at the end of the day, she was the main cause of his misery and pain.


    ¡± Am sorry¡­ Am so sorry Justin..¡± Miranda apologised and before she knew it, a dam of tears broke and she started crying, trembling. Justin was taken aback! He couldn¡¯t understand Why his woman was crying so much. She seemed like a child who had been bullied. Anyway, the reason didn¡¯t matter at this point, she would tell him after she recovered. What was important now was helping her stop crying.


    ¡± Sssh Hun!¡± He said, rubbing her back. ¡± Don¡¯t cry Please, it¡¯s all my fault, stop crying.¡± He thought she was crying because she saw him crying earlier.


    ¡± Am sorry Justin.. and sorry for causing you pain.. If it wasn¡¯t for me, Maybe¡­ Maybe..¡± her words were choked by her sobs. Justin was confused at this point. He didn¡¯t understand what rubbish she was talking about. What did she mean by causing him pain?


    ¡± What are you saying, Hun. You did nothing wrong. Am sorry for making you worry.¡± Justin tried pacifying her.


    ¡± No Hun.. I am a sinner.. I am the main reason you lost your brother.. if it wasn¡¯t for me¡­¡± She didn¡¯t get to finish her words because Justin pushed her away, his expression l not so good making her gulp¡± listen to me and listen very carefully.. My brother¡¯s death has nothing to do with you. don¡¯t take me for things you have no control over. Maybe that was his purpose in life, since he fulfilled it with dignity, allow him to rest in peace.¡± His voice turned softer as he continued talking.


    ¡± Ever since we were Young, he always protected me, he would take the me and punishment for me. He took care of me after the death of our parents. He has always been the elder brother who would sacrifice anything for me. At the end of it all, he even sacrificed his Life for me. I feel indebted to him. ¡± Justin said, his voice mncholic.

 80

    ¡± I owe my life to my brother, so will live it the way he wants me to. He told me to be happy and that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll fulfil hisst wish for me.¡± Justin said with determination. He will not sit and wallow in self pity. Since his brother sacrificed his Life for him to have a happy life, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll let his sacrifice go in vain. He will live his life to the fullest. He will live for his elder brother.


    Miranda didn¡¯t know whether tough or celebrate. This was not what she expected from Justin. She¡¯l thought he will be broken and she will have to do anything to make him recover from the loss. But now, it was Justin pacifying her and consoling her. She was quite useless.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± I need to get away from this bed as soon as possible. I want to prepare my brother¡¯sst send off.¡± Justin added.


    ¡± Okay Hun, I¡¯ll be here, whatever you need of me, I¡¯ll do it.¡± Miranda offered her unconditional support. Justin felt warm Inside. She was forever supportive of him, but as a man, that was his responsibility.


    ¡± I only need you to stay by my side. Forever. Never leave me. Can you do that?¡± He tenderly asked and Miranda nodded instantly.


    ¡± Yes, I promise to be here with you, always.¡± She replied happily. She was exhrated that he was picking himself and trying to be strong. That was so responsible of him, of course, her man has always been responsible and considerate as long as she can remember.


    ¡± That¡¯s enough for me. Your presence is what gives me strength. So please Hun, I am begging¡­ Never leave me alone.¡± He said in a pleading voice. She was thest best thing he had in his life. Losing her was akin to losing thest reason to live. He would die from the pain and heartache.


    ¡± I can never think of leaving you Hun.¡± Miranda assured him.


    Just then, the door opened and in came Ava followed by Ronald who was pulling a long face. He was in a bad mood today after what Ava made him go throughst night.


    shback ofst night.


    Ava and Ronald¡¯s Vi.


    After they entered the house, Ronald roughly pulled Ava to himself forcefully iming her lips. Today, he was determined to teach his insolent woman a lesson. How dare she ridicule him on top of spouting nonsense. He had figured out that if he didn¡¯t assert his dominance tonight, then Ava would never take him seriously.


    ¡± Mmmm!¡± She moaned into his kisses fanning the already burning fire in his body. He was losing control of himself. He carried her, legs tightly wrapped on his torso to their bedroom. He threw her roughly on the bed making her bounce. Ofcourse, that earned him a re from her but he ignored it. He has been too lenient on her, making her not take him seriously.


    Taking no time to undress her, Ronald tore everything on her body until only her fiery red Lacy underwear was remaining. Every part of her snow White body was at his disy, and she was at his mercy. Seeing her all naked stimted his nerves like he just had an highly impotent aphrodisiac. Every part of his body was screaming from the heat.


    You can¡¯t me him, his woman was the true definition of a fairy. She had the best sculpted oval shaped face. Her eyebrows resembled butterfly wings. Her lips are plump and pink. Her chestnut hair cascaded down to her waist like water Waves. To say she was beautiful was quite the understatement. She was what we call a perfect piece of art. Something that was crafted with the best of materials, with utmost carefulness and plenty of time.


    She had everything that a Man desired in ady. A perfect coca-c bottle body shape, well proportioned hips Without an ounce of extra fat. Her burst was Just perfect for hisrge hands. It¡¯s like she was Made only for him.


    Her Snow White body glistened under the day dim lighting in the house. He Just sat back to admire the perfection In Front of him.


    ¡± Are you done staring?¡± Her teasing voice woke him up from his reverie. She was damn sure that he admired her body, of course, he never hit that from her. He was very vocal with hispliments.


    Ronald resumed his initial task, punishing her. So hetched himself and in no time, her pink nipples were in his warm mouth making her arch her back. Ronald was pleased with her responses. His woman responded right to his ministrations. She never held herself back when it came to her. He had been restraining himself from taking her but not anymore. Since she provoked him, she might as well bear the consequences.


    The two made up for minutes but just when Ronald was about to remove thest piece of clothing and im his prize, Ava pushed him away and ran straight to the bathroom. He wondered what could have gone wrong until he heard her yelling at him to get her some sanitary pads and a clean pair. At that time, he realised that he was doomed for the night.


    After he helped her sleep, he then entered the bathroom to take a cold shower. He ended up staying in the cold Waters for a long time so here he was, with a running nose.


    End of shback


    ¡± Good morning Miranda, Justin.¡± Ava greeted the duo and walked to the table to ce the fresh flowers and fruits she brought with her.


    ¡± Morning.¡± The two replied together.


    Justin then turned to look at his friend who seemed to be sulking. ¡± What¡¯s with you Man? Are you alright?¡± He asked concerned but Ronald red at him making him confused. What¡¯s wrong with this guy? Justin wondered with a frown marred on his face.


    Ava saw the awkward behaviour from Ronald and she shook her head. Seriously? This man acts like a child. She muttered inwardly, rolling her eyes at his childishness.


    She walked to him and jabbed his shoulder. ¡± Behave ¨¤nd be good.¡± She chastised him but Ronald only ignored her and went to sit at the sofa. Ava could onlyugh awkwardly and exin. ¡± He¡¯s not feeling well so forgive his bad manners.¡±


    When Ronald heard her, he didn¡¯t know whether to cry orugh. He remained awake the whole night because his little brother wouldn¡¯t relent and stay Cool. It didn¡¯t help that Ava snuggled to him asionally rubbing his little junior unknowingly. It was a torturous night for him. He didn¡¯t have a wink of sleepst night. If that was not enough, she woke him up and rushed him to the hospital. How could he not be in a bad mood?

 81

    ¡± What¡¯s wrong with him? He¡¯s so grumpy like an old man this early morning!¡± Justin murmured to Ava, trying to avoid Ronald from hearing their conversation.


    ¡± Don¡¯t mind him, he¡¯s in his periods.¡± Ava said with a straight face making Justin choke on his saliva. Ofcourse, Ronald heard the whole conversation and he could only cry silently.¡¯ Who between them was on their periods? Wasn¡¯t she the One who tortured him the whole night after provoking him? Nevermind. Since I am magnanimous, I¡¯ll let it slide. ¡® he consoled himself.


    Miranda listened but remained unbothered. She knew that Ava must have done something to the sulking Man but that¡¯s none of her business. They could sort their shit alone.


    Lucia also arrived in tow with Kiel who was carrying a food container. They exchanged greetings. Stacy was thest to arrive. She had just passed by the king¡¯s ward to check on him.


    The friends chatted happily until Kiel couldn¡¯t hold in his guilt anymore.


    ¡± Did you talk with your boyfriend?¡± He asked, looking at Stacy. She of course felt ufortable hearing someone mention Gabriel¡¯s name. She was still trying to fight her demons to go and approach him. It wasn¡¯t easy.


    Seeing that her friend was ufortable, Lucia elbowed Kiel but the man did not realise what she was trying to do, afterall, she had been violenttely.


    ¡± I am sorry.. I was ying a prank on him ¨¤nd told him that he has a boyfriend and that¡¯s why he ran away that day.¡± Kiel confessed. The guilt had been eating him out like bugs crawling on his body making him ufortable. He needed to take it out or he¡¯ll go nuts soon.


    ¡± You what?¡± The four girls yelled in unison, an indication that Kiel was in for the dance.


    ¡± Are you out of your mind? How could you do that?¡± Lucia questioned him angrily. She couldn¡¯t believe he would be so careless to spout nonsense.


    ¡± I was just joking with him okay, u didn¡¯t know that he can¡¯t swallow jokes.¡± Kiel tried defending himself. How was he supposed to know the guy would run away after hearing that?


    ¡± Jokes or not, you can¡¯t go and tell yourme jokes to everyone. Not everyone can understand the truth and jokes.¡± Lucia reprimanded him again.


    ¡± Am sorry, okay.¡± Kiel said helplessly.


    ¡± Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier?¡± This time Ava asked. Her heart was aching for her best friend. Turns out the Man Left after misunderstanding her.


    ¡± I was feeling guilty okay, besides, everyone was busy with the war, so it slipped off my mind.¡± Kiel exined looking at Stacy apologetically.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay, at least he was honest.¡± Stacy said, making everybody look at her with pity.


    It was hard to clear a misunderstanding especially when a third person was involved. Afterall, they say that there¡¯s no ce for a third party in the world if Love.


    ¡± Excuse me.¡± Stacy said and left the room. When she arrived at her office, she called herwyer. ¡± Draft me a marriage agreement, I¡¯ll send you the details.¡± She said directly and hung up. She then searched her contacts and found Doctor Rose¡¯s number. Her finger hovered over it until she finally gathered the courage to call.


    ¡± Hello Stacy.¡± A sweet melodious voice greeted her ears, caressing her earbuds.¡± Doctor Rose.¡± She said nervously.


    ¡± How may I help you?¡± She sounded very professional that Stacy had a bad feeling about it.


    ¡± Can I talk to Gabriel?¡±


    ¡± I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea Stacy, am sorry.¡± Doctor Rose replied. Stacy could sense that something was wrong. Very wrong.


    ¡± Please I beg you.. this will be thest time.¡± Stacy swallowed her dignity to beg. She was the almighty CEO of Hope group of hospitals and begging was never her option but here she was, begging to talk to a man Onest time. She knew that the future of two people depended on this.


    ¡± Gabriel is going to be engaged tomorrow, the family is preparing for that. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to help you but I don¡¯t want you Messing around with my son. I don¡¯t know what happened between the two of you. After we left, he changed. Now, he rarely talks with anyone, not even me, his mother.¡± She sounded pained, after all that was her son, her flesh and blood.


    ¡± I beg you, just this Once, I will never disturb him again but I need to tell him something.¡±


    ¡± It¡¯s not convenient to talk over the phone, why don¡¯t youe over, I¡¯ll send you the address. Make sure you get here before the ceremony.¡± Doctor Rose said, deep Inside her heart, she knew that only Stacy could save her son from an unhappy marriage.


    ¡± Thankyou.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but express her gratitude.


    ¡± Am counting on you, don¡¯t fail me Stacy.¡± Doctor Rose said before hanging up. Stacy understood what she meant. It was up to her to determine the fate of Gabriel and she was determined to make him happy. It didn¡¯t matter if she had to sacrifice thest bit of dignity in her, she would do it.


    The following day, Stacy arrived in country X at eight am. She had taken the night flight so as to get here on time. The engagement party was starting by noon so she had time to rx and prepare herself.


    At 12:10 noon, Stacy arrived at Davoon hotel where the engagement party was being held. She was dressed in a yellow sundress and ankle length boots. A cream trench coatpleted her looks. The hotel was a parking lot. At the entrance, she was requested to produce her invitation card, ofcourse doctor Rose had sent her one. The security granted her entrance. But Stacy did not go straight to the party, instead she walked to the hotel bar. She wanted to calm her nerves so she ordered a ss of lemonade. That was not the only reason for not going directly to the party.


    She wanted all attention on her when she decided to grace the party with her presence. She wanted what we call a grand entrance. She had figured out if she wanted to win this battle, she had to use every opportunity and skill she had mastered all gee life. The sess of her n today would be determining the future of three people, of course she had to nail it.


    After waiting for almost twenty minutes, the time and hour finally arrived.


    ¡± It¡¯s time for the man to put an engagement ring on his future wife.¡± The emcee announced.


    Gabriel stood robotically, took the Ring presented to him before walking to where Cassy was standing. Her cheeks were all flushed up and she was blushing.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Gabriel was about to slip the ring on her finger when¡­


    ¡± STOP.¡± A voice rang at the entrance of the big Hall. Everybody turned to look at thedy who was taking measured steps towards the stage. People present started murmuring in low voices wondering the identity of thedy who just arrived.


    When Gabrielid his eyes on her, his heart leapt with joy and his dim eyes shone.


    Cassy on the other hand looked at the intruder with hateful eyes. If looks could kill, then Stacy would be bearing a thousand holes on her body.

 82

    Stacy walked with measured steps, her head held up high. The whole hall was as quiet as a grave as she made her way to the front. Her eyes were kept on the man at the end of the podium. She was keen on observing any micro expression from his face. Ofcourse, she did miss how his face lit up after he saw her. She smiled at him sweetly and Gabriel stiffened. It was the first time she smiled at him so she understood his reaction. She couldn¡¯t help but me herself for not treasuring him before and letting go. She should have chased after him or better yet, not taken long beforeing to find him. They say that you understand the value of some things in your life after it has been taken away. Now she understood the value of Gabriel in her life. So, here she was,ing to make things straight. She just hoped it was notte for that.


    After she was standing in front of him, Stacy did not waste time before pulling him to herself and iming his lips. The sweet taste of strawberries assaulted her mouth. It was familiar yet unfamiliar. Stacy did not linger for long and pulled away. The kiss was short and brief but expressing the longing she had for him. At that moment she kissed him, Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened threatening to pop out of their sockets. He understood that it was wrong to allow another woman to kiss you on your engagement but he did not push her away, if anything, he enjoyed the short kiss. This was Stacy and leave alone his engagement, he would even consent her to have her way with him on his wedding night. That¡¯s how crazy he was for her. Only that he did not know how to tell her that.


    Stacy lifted her hands and started caressing Gabriel¡¯s cheeks. They were separated for a month yet he changed so much. His stubble was overgrown now and his face was dark . He must have not been having enough resttely. ¡°darling, i came.¡± she said ever so softly. The crowd that was earlier shocked after witnessing a kissing section was stumped hearing what the new girl said. Why did it sound like she was here to ascertain her im on her man? They started whispering to each other.


    ¡® it seems like the two have an ambiguous rtionship¡¯This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡®Definitely! Didn¡¯t you hear what she called the man¡¯


    ¡®I wonder who the boy is going to choose among the two¡¯


    ¡® But isn¡¯t this considered cheating? He already has a woman, so why is he getting engaged to another?¡¯


    ¡®Young people nowadays, do things without considering the consequences.¡¯


    ¡®What do you know, two beautiful women vying for a man¡¯s attention definitely boosts a man¡¯s ego.¡¯


    ¡® Shut up before you lose your tongue. You know how foul the old man¡¯s temper is.¡¯


    At this point, old Mr Whiteman, was fuming in anger. He stomped his cane on the floor and roared.¡± Insolent! how dare you barge to my grandsons engagement party and act so audacious.¡± After staying in the army as a general his whole life, his aura was not something any ordinary person could tolerate, but Stacy did not flinch. Afterall, she was not a normaldy.


    ¡±Forgive my manners grandfather, let me introduce myself. I am Stacy Carls.¡±Stacy respectfully said. Old Mr Whiteman was very fond of respectful juniors so he instantly took a liking to Stacy¡¯s good mannerism but¡­


    ¡± It doesn¡¯t matter who you are and who your grandfather is. I don¡¯t care about the rtionship between you and Gabriel so I suggest you end it now and leave from here when I am still being polite.¡± The old man said but this time, his voice was softer. It wasn¡¯t aggressive like before. Stacy was not ready to back off, her victory this time will determine the fate of not only one but three lives.


    ¡±It¡¯s true, I have a rtionship with your grandson. Some months ago I slept with him and he insisted I take responsibility so I agreed. After some time, he left me without saying anything, so I am here to ask him to take responsibility for us.¡± Stacy camly said.


    Doctor Rose was the first one to notice the w in Stacy¡¯s words so she immediately stood up from her seat making a squeaking noise. She walked towards Stacy in long strides . She immediately pulled her into a hug surprising everybody in the hall. ¡± Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were pregnant dear? i can¡¯t believe this.¡± One could see how happy she was. She teared up out of happiness. She caressed Stacy¡¯s still t stomach, ¡± so my grandson is finallying?¡± Finally, finally her useless son did something worth praising


    Old Mr Whiteman finally recovered from his shock and walked hurriedly, faster than how his age allowed him. He had a wide smile stered on his face. ¡°Bring a ss of water for my grand-daughter-inw. she must be tired and get that chair over here, she cannot remain standing for long, my great grandson may not grow well .¡± Stacy watched warmly as the old man ordered people around to cater for her. She knew that the child in her belly was the cause of this differential treatment but it did not matter. She was willing to incorporate her child in this as long as she could keep gabriel. She looked down at her belly and thanked the child foring at this time.


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t untilst night she got to know about her pregnancy. She was still fighting her demons on whether to approach Gabriel or not. It was very hard to clear misunderstandings between people especially if it consisted of a third party. Afterall, they say that there is no ce for a third party in the world of love. but after stumbling on the fact that she was expecting Gabriels child, she had made the decision to swallow her pride ande to him. so, here she was trying to make things right.


    ¡± Tell me, child, how old is the pregnancy?¡± Old MrWhitemans asked.


    ¡°Yeah, maybe the child isn¡¯t Gabriel¡¯s.¡±Cassymended earning a re from Dr Rose while the old man simply ignored her remarks. He was too excited to listen to some bitter words from a spoiled brat. He never liked the girl but still epted her since she was the bride histe wife chose for Gabriel. Now that the bearer of the future heir of the Whiteman family was here, why bother himself with annoying flies.


    ¡± It must be my baby, i was the first man she slept with.¡± Gabriel did not know when those words came out of his mouth. All he knew was that he couldn¡¯t let anyone nder Stacy especially now she was carrying his child. He never thought of having children before but hearing the news, he felt a surge of excitement.


    ¡± Aiyoo! Do you have to say that and embarrass her?¡± Dr Rose softly reprimanded his son. Stacy who heard Gabriel¡¯s words flushed red out of embarrassment. He said the words so casually but she was embarrassed to look others in the face.


    ¡± Five weeks pregnant.¡± Stacy replied, still looking down, not daring to look up.

 83

    ¡± Hahaha! That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great. Finally the Whiteman has an heir.¡± The old man was beyond pleased. He only had one son and his stubborn son only gave birth to one son and if things couldn¡¯t get any better, that grandson was a loner. He never interacted with people and would prefer to stay locked doing his research. It was always a blessing to have a genius in the family but the old man felt like it was a curse to him. He wanted an heir to the big Whiteman family but no one was suitable to do that. His only hope was Gabriel but he was a socially awkward person who didn¡¯t even know how to hit on girls.


    He had already lost his hope to have great grandchildren in this life. Even the arranged marriage gave his heart no sce until the gem of the family arrived bearing the best news ever. This day was definitely a blessing.


    ¡± Dad, don¡¯t you think you changed so easily. Just now, you were yelling at thedy telling her to get lost, now see yourself.¡± his son Edward whiteman mocked the old man causing him to be embarrassed for a while. But that embarrassment did notst for long before the old man found aeback. ¡± What do you know? At Least your son is man enough than you, giving me grandchildren before even getting married. If it wasn¡¯t for you waiting until you lost your manly powers, would i be worried about having an heir?¡± The old man was ruthless with his words leaving his son no room for retorting. Edward was rendered speechless by his father¡¯s words, he could only look away awkwardly.


    They had dyed having children and by the time they wanted a second child, it was impossible since his sperm count was low, not to mention Rose was almost in menopause. The doctor informed that ate pregnancy could be dangerous so they gave up that idea but his father bore resentment to him for that. He would always me him for being weak as a man.


    ¡± Grandpa!¡± Cassy decided to make her presence known after being ignored for long. Old Mr Whiteman turned to look at her and said,¡± I think you can see that there¡¯s no way you can get engaged to my grandson. He is already a father and I can¡¯t allow my future heir to be raised without his two parents. I will give an exnation to your family soon.¡± The old man finished saying and turned his attention to Stacy. Cassy felt wronged but what could she do? Her grandfather was against the idea of her marrying Gabriel but she insisted, He finally gave up on her so who could she turn to at this moment. She stomped her foot and walked away.


    ¡± Father, what about the engagement party? the guests are still here.¡± Dr Rose reminded the old man and it was then he realised they were in the middle of a ceremony. He turned to look at the guests still murmuring. ¡± Am sorry for the interruption but as you can see, the ceremony will not take ce but don¡¯t worry, the party is still on. Join me as we celebrate the arrival of another member of the Whiteman family.¡± the old man announced happily. He was happy and proud at the same time.


    The party went on as normal. everybody was happy. Some guests approached the Whiteman family members to congratte them. The old man went to his group of old friends in the army and started bragging.


    ¡± Old man Liu, look how old you are? Are you nning to die without great grandchildren? Of course that useless grandson of yours knows how to go racing with cars, I pity you.¡± The old man did not spare hisrades. The man referred to as old Liu could only grit his teeth, of course his grandson was useless, all he ever did was go racing cars, never bringing a wife home. ¡± Wait until i get him a wife, we shall see if you can still boast in front of me.¡± Old Liu retorted.


    ¡±Don¡¯t bother yourself, I bet he¡¯ll choose his cars over a wife. Other than driving cars, does he even know how to treat a woman?¡± The old man was hellbent on making the other puke blood. The group bantered and at the end of the day, old man Liu went home extremely angry. He couldn¡¯t wait to find his grandson and ground him home until he gave him a fat grandson.


    ¡± Old man, do you have to anger him so much?¡± Another old man defended hisrade.


    ¡± What do you old men know? You are too ignorant that if I don¡¯t push your buttons, you¡¯ll never know how to deal with your stubborn children.¡± The old man righteously replied, making it sound like a parent educating his ignorant children. The other old men couldn¡¯t help but look at him with resentment. Teach them my foot, it was more like rubbing salt to their freshly cut wounds.


    The day ended pretty well with Gabriel taking Stacy to his house. He stayed alone, away from his parents house so Doctor Rose insisted on tagging along, something that Old man Whiteman refused.


    ¡± But father, she is pregnant now, she needs someone to take care of her.¡± Doctor Rose reasoned.


    ¡±That¡¯s why her husband is there. He will take care of her. It is better while on it, they try adding another grandson for me hehehe!¡± The old man said,ughing with glee.


    ¡± father.¡± Doctor Rose and Edward said.


    ¡± Grandfather!¡± Gabriel said while Stacy¡¯s face burned with embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t believe the old man.


    ¡± What?¡± The Old man snapped at them . He just wanted plenty of grandchildren, what was wrong with that?


    ¡±Forget it.. remember Gabriel you cannot try that kind of thing for now, at least until the first trimester is over. I know you understand what i mean.¡± Doctor Rose warned Gabriel sternly and the guy could only nod.


    After that everybody dispersed to their houses. Stacy was so tired from all the activities of the day not forgetting the morning flight. She was on the verge of dozing up when she remembered she hadn¡¯t informed her besties about her development. She logged in to her whatsapp and wrote to the group chat, ¡® target locked, mission aplished.¡¯ looking at the message, one could mistake it for a soldier¡¯s report to her superiors.


    After aplishing that, she turned the phone to silent mode and dozed off leaning on Gabriel¡¯s shoulders. In less than five minutes, Gabriel felt her breathing turning slow and peaceful indicating that she was fast asleep. He looked at her beautiful face and fought the urge to caress her. He wondered what their rtionship was now. She might be pregnant with his child now but what would happen after she gave birth to their child? Was she going to get together with the man she loved? That thought enough was enough to make his stomach churn and his chest feel squeezed. If only he could convince her to choose him and their child but he loved her, there¡¯s no way he would force her to sacrifice her happiness for his selfish reasons. He still believed in ¡± If you love her, then set her free.¡± He was going to abide by that. His pain didn¡¯t matter, only her happiness mattered to him. He was still in his thoughts when he heard her say..


    ¡± I love you¡­¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    His heartbeat quickened

 84

    Gabriel did not know what to think of her whispers. She was obviously asleep, right? So did that mean she mistook him for that guy she was Inlove with and was confessing? All of a sudden, his heart constricted in pain and his mouth turned bitter. He was here with her, why did she have to think of another man? It was okay if she loved another man, he could ept that, but hearing her confess love to another person was too much.


    He adjusted her until she was sleepingfortably on his shoulder. He decided to ignore everything, maybe, just maybe, if he abstains from thinking about it, it would be less painful, it would be tolerable. But who was he kidding, it still hurt like hell. He epted that in this life, he wasn¡¯t lucky with love, he should just be content that he¡¯ll be having a baby with the only woman he ever Loved. That will be enough, at least, the baby will always remind him of his beautiful but unattainable Love.


    In no time, they were already at his house. He carried Stacy in his arms straight to his bedroom. He had thought of asking a maid to prepare a guest room for her but he remembered she was pregnant and needed his care, so he changed his mind. He Just hopes that when tomorrowes, she won¡¯t get mad at him for making that decision.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Stacy sleptfortably through the night. For some reason, she feltfortable and extra warmth. The following day, she opened her eyes and saw the most beautiful green eyes looking at her. Gabriel was watching her sleep beautifully. He had woken up at his usual time but did not go to theb to do his research. He couldn¡¯t bear to leave her alone.


    ¡± Good morning.¡± Stacy greeted propping herself to kiss his enticing lips. Gabriel¡¯s brain circuited. A morning kiss? He wasn¡¯t expecting that at all. He recovered quickly from the surprise but his cheeks were red, he was blushing profusely.


    ¡± Good morning to you.¡± He replied looking down, not daring to look at her eyes. He was aroused by her small gesture and his little brother was saluting for the queen. It¡¯s funny how in the past one month his junior did not erect at all but now a small kiss from her was enough to arouse the hidden desires in his body. It didn¡¯t help that she looked more beautiful with her still sleepy eyes and messed up hair.


    ¡± Aaaaw, ain¡¯t you too cute my Love?¡± Stacy fawned, pinching Gabriel¡¯s cheeks. She couldn¡¯t imagine a man, thirty years old, could still blush like a teenager. He Heard her, he heard her call him my love but he shrugged it off. Maybe she was confused but he loved it.


    ¡± Breakfast is ready, should I get it or are you going downstairs to have it?¡± He asked, trying to change the topic.


    ¡± I would rather eat you for breakfast, I missed you.¡± Stacy said, grabbing his junior who was standing proudly. Gabriel¡¯s eyes widened when he heard her, of course he wasn¡¯t stupid to know what she meant by that bit before he could recover, she grabbed his soldier and stroked him emitting a grunt from him. It felt so damn good.


    Stacy continued to stroke him through the fabric. She knew that Gabriel was weak in that area. She liked it when he was at her mercy. Gabriel could only close his eyes enjoying the service from his queen. He moaned everytime she stroked and squeezed him.


    ¡± You like it?¡± Stacy decided to tease him but also to handle their misunderstanding. She was sure with this, she was in control. Gabriel, the ever honest mommy¡¯s boy nodded in agreement, of course he was loving every bit of it. His balls were aching, begging for release.


    ¡± Do you like my body?¡¯ if they were to do this, she might as well know if he liked everything about her. Gabriel did not disappoint, he nodded yet again, of course he loved every inch of her delicious body.


    ¡± Gabriel, do you love me?¡± She finally asked the question she wanted to know most. He of course was taken aback. Why was she asking him this? She already had someone she loved, what difference will it bring if he admits to loving her, if anything, it will onlyplicate matters and put her into a difficult ce.


    ¡± I ¡­ I .¡± He couldn¡¯t form coherent words to reply, he didn¡¯t know if he should be honest with her or lie to avoid futureplications. Stacy took that reaction as a no. She withdrew her hands with a hurt expression on her face. So it turns out he only loved her body and what sfe could do to him and not her as a person? To say she was disappointed would be quite an understatement, she was hurt and broken. He was the first Man she ever loved. He was the first man to sleep with her, now it turns out she didn¡¯t mean Much to him.


    Gabriel saw her turning away from him with a sad expression. He couldn¡¯t fathom why she seemed sad. After All, did his love ever matter to her? She had someone else in her heart, he was only the father to her child, so why the reaction?


    Stacy was disappointed. She thought that she already won this battle but it seems she was so wrong to make that conclusion. She was a woman with dignity, ofcourse she wouldn¡¯t force herself on a man who didn¡¯t like her.


    She left the bed, leaving Gabriel hanging and confused. She wanted to take a breather and think of her next step. She was about to leave the door when strong arms engulfed her petite body. Gabriel was hugging her tightly. She was surprised at first then felt warmth spread at every corner of her body.


    ¡± Please don¡¯t Leave me.¡± Gabriel did not know when those words left his mouth. He was ready to beg her to stay with him.¡± At Least until our baby is born.¡± He added. Stacy could not believe what he was saying, so after all it wasn¡¯t about her but the baby? He was just like everyone else, epting her for the baby. She was okay with the others doing that but him? It hurt.


    She could feel her heart wrenching in pain as if someone stabbed her straight and twisted the knife cruelly on her poor heart. She chuckled. Laughed at her stupidity. Laughed at how it was easy for her to be swayed by his words. Sheughed at her expectant heart.


    Stacy pushed Gabriel away and walked out with a heavy heart. Maybe it was a bad idea toe here. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have listened to Miranda but she knew that her friend had the best interest in mind. Maybe it would have been better if she just stayed in her country, gave birth to her child and raised her.

 85

    Gabriel¡¯s who was pushed away roughly stumbled and almost fell. Even though he was a man, his strength couldn¡¯t bepared to Stacy¡¯s. She was a woman who exercised daily and was experienced inbat skills. Their energy difference was iparable. He stabilised himself and leaned on the door. Why did she treat him that way? Was he that loathsome in her eyes? It¡¯s okay if she didn¡¯t love him, he could try to stomach her but why push him away after he practically begged her.


    Gabriel was a man who was new to worldly pleasures. He spent his life in the Lab either researching or inventing. It was the first time he ever got entangled with a woman and the experience was something pleasant. He had led a straight and holy life until that night he got a taste of the forbidden fruit. And just like Adam, he devoured it. Now, he was facing the consequences of it.


    He stayed in that position for god knows how many hours until his uncle AJ, who was the butler and head security of his team tapped his shoulders. Uncle AJ wondered what could have happened between these two. Two hours ago, he saw their madam leaving the house looking dejected and broken. He had witnessed the same look from his Young master weeks ago after he came back from his little escape.


    After yesterday, it was only then he got to know the reason their young master had been depressed was thanks to the young madam. After reuniting, he hoped they would live together happily especially now that they were having a baby but looking at things, maybe they went from bad to worse.


    ¡°Young master, you should have your breakfast.¡± He said hoping that he wouldn¡¯t starve himself after having a fight with the Young madam.


    ¡± Did she have her breakfast?¡± He asked instead of answering. Uncle AJ didn¡¯t know if he should tell the truth or lie but at the end he chose to say the truth.


    ¡± No, the young madam left immediately. She didn¡¯t have anything to eat before leaving.¡± Hearing those words, Gabriel picked himself up and walked towards hisboratory. That¡¯s where he locked himself for hours or even days when he wanted to be left alone.


    ¡± Young Master, your breakfast!¡± Uncle AJ tried reminding him hoping he¡¯ll at least listen to him this once and eat something.


    ¡± Am not hungry.¡± He politely declined without looking back. Truth is, he was in no mood to eat anything. Uncle AJ could only sigh helplessly. ¡® Young people nowadays, too pigheaded.¡¯ heined inwardly and left. He knew no amount of coercion would make that guy change his mind. He wouldn¡¯t start doing impossible missions.


    Stacy went back to the hotel she had reserved for herself after arriving in the country. Good thing she didn¡¯t check out earlier or she¡¯ll have to go through the trouble of checking in again. She walked to the hotel restaurant and ordered her favourite pasta and steak. After the food was served, the smell of pasta hit her nose making her feel nauseous.


    She immediately dashed to the washroom and wretched, vomiting everything present in her stomach. Since she hadn¡¯t had anything to eat since morning, she could only vomit watery substances. After staying in the bathroom for almost ten minutes, Stacy felt better. She washed her face which had turned pale with Cold water and went back to the table. Covering her nose, sfe requested the service girl to remove the food away from the table. She then ordered a bowl of chicken soup.


    She was hungry but had no appetite. As a pregnant woman, she had to take care of herself since she had another life developing inside her. She was forced to eat a few bits of fried rice. After having breakfast, she went to her room and slept. She has been feeling tiredtely and sleepy. As a doctor, she understood that those were signs of pregnancy.


    Stacy slept throughout the afternoon and woke upte in the evening. After taking a shower, she decided to roam the streets and explore. She had been to this country but not to city T. So she took the chance while still in the little vacation she had rewarded herself to look Into different ces and buy a few souvenirs for her friends.


    She was intending to stay for three days and rx before going back to her country to attend Niki¡¯s send off ceremony. She had hoped Gabriel would apany her but since that wasn¡¯t possible anymore, she could only brace herself and do it.


    Stacy visited one ce to the other buying whatever pleased her eyes. She was tired but still in the mood to keep going. She then walked and discovered what seemed to be like a ck market. She had never been in ces like this before, afterall she was born in a rich family where she had everything she wanted. Going to a ce like this never crossed her mind. Tonight she decided to do something new so she ventured to the market.


    There were different types of things sold here ranging from essories, jewellery, clothes, street goods and even games yed. The ce was very crowded and lively. Experiencing something like this made her happy. She ate different street foods that pleased her eyes, bought a few clothes and other items. It was nine in the evening when she decided to call it a night.


    She walked trying to remember the path she had followed but she seemed to have gotten lost.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She searched her purse to use her phone to look at the directions but her phone was no longer with her. While she was still stranded, four men approached her. She didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that they were good people. Their facial expressions spelt bad intentions. Stacy was never scared of getting attacked, actually others feared her but this was foreign soil not to mention she couldn¡¯t act recklessly because she was pregnant.


    ¡± Hey beauty! Wajt some help?¡± The first guy who was burly with bulging muscles said with a crooked smile.


    ¡± No thankyou, I can manage.¡± Stacy tried to keep her irritation at bay.


    ¡± Ohe on beautiful Lady, we can see you are Lost. From the look of things now, you must be lost, am I right?¡± A second man said, licking his lips. Looking at their faces, Stacy felt like vomiting. They were gross.


    ¡± I said I can manage, so get the fuck out of my face.¡± Stacy snapped. She was never one to be impolite to people who came looking for trouble with her.


    ¡± Hahahaha, she¡¯s a feisty one, I bet she¡¯s damn good! I wonder how it feels to have my d*ick burried Inside her.¡± The first Man who was like their leader said eyeing Stacy with lustful eyes.


    ¡± She must be damn hot! We can have her after the boss has finished ying with her.¡± A third Man chipped.


    Just listening to their delusional talk, Stacy snickered. ¡® oh yeah! We will see if your dicks will ever function after I am done with you assholes.¡¯ Stacy thought


    Before she could make a move, a voice, crisp but soft, greeted their ears.


    ¡± I was wondering who was making trouble in my territory, it seems it¡¯s your blockhead. You never learn do you?¡± He said and the group of four upon seeing the boy who emerged took off in their heels without looking back.

 uncle AJ

    ¡± Wow! I can¡¯t believe they Just run away after seeing such a pretty boy, does your look poisonous?¡± Stacy turned to look at the boy who saved her the hassle of beating those dumbasses into a pulp.


    ¡± For ady like you, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s dangerous to roam the streets at night and alone at that? The boy snickered.


    ¡± Why should I be worried about that when there are pretty boys to save my asses?¡± Stacy made hereback smiling brightly. She was amused by the teenagers¡¯ Savage words.


    ¡± Are you trying to flirt with me? Am I still Young for a big sister like you.¡± He said, blushing causing Miranda to chuckle and flock her forehead.


    ¡± Ouch! What was that for?¡± Heined while the other two boys with him giggled happily.


    ¡± Am trying topliment you here, okay? How dirty is your mind?¡± Stacy replied. The boy was interesting.


    ¡± Anyways, what are you doing here at this hour of the night?¡± Stacy asked, she was curious.


    ¡± To rob you of course.¡± The boy answered sarcastically. They were only taking their patrol before going to bed when they came across her being cornered by thugs.


    ¡± Then, why aren¡¯t you doing it then?¡± Stacy countered, rendering the boy speechless.


    ¡± Am sorry sister, let me introduce myself. I am Leo, he¡¯s Leon and that¡¯s Kyle.¡± Another boy took the initiative to introduce themselves to the beautiful sister In Front of them.


    ¡± Oh so Leo, what are you doing at this hour? You should be sleeping, tomorrow is school day. I can see you are all still Young.¡± Stacy asked, this time concerned.


    The boy referred to as Leo rubbed his head awkwardly. He didn¡¯t know what to answer.


    ¡± We don¡¯t attend school.¡± The third boy who had been quiet all through answered and Stacy finally turned her attention to him. He looked like a replica of the boy Called Leo.


    ¡± You two are twins?¡± Stacy asked the obvious.


    ¡± Why is it only them? We were born at the same time, it¡¯s Just that I look different from them.¡± The first boy called Kyleined.


    ¡± Oh so you are triplets?¡± Stacy confirmed and they all nodded.


    ¡± Okay, back to my question.. ¡°What are you doing here at this time?¡± Stacy¡¯s voice turned serious all of a sudden, almost frightening the three boys. They were just around fifteen or sixteen years old and we¡¯re very pretty.


    ¡± Doing patrol, ¡± Kyle answered.


    ¡± What about school?¡± She asked again.


    ¡± We don¡¯t go to school.¡± Kyle answered yet again.


    Stacy didn¡¯t probe anymore about their Life but something seemed off about them. ¡± Okay, how about I borrow your ce to sleep for the night?¡± Stacy asked. She felt pulled to the boys.


    Now her question stumped the three boys. They looked at each other with bulging eyes and looked away immediately. Stacy was amused by their reaction but that confirmed her theory, they were street children.


    ¡± Why? You don¡¯t want to invite me?¡± She pressed.


    ¡± We don¡¯t have a house, we sleep on the streets.¡± This time Leon answered.


    Even though she expected it, hearing them say it brought pain to her heart. They were so young and lovely, why was life so cruel to them? At this time, they should be attending school but here they were, roaming the streets at night, homeless.


    ¡± Okay, how about we go to my ce and rest for the night?¡± She offered.


    ¡± Really? Can we do that?¡± Leo asked enthusiastically but her excitement died down after her brother Leon elbowed her.


    ¡± Thank you for the offer, but we will pass.¡± Kyle politely declined her.


    ¡± But why? You can sleep in a bigfortable bed and have lots of delicious food in the morning.¡± Stacy tried tempting her. There¡¯s no way she was leaving them behind even if it meant dragging them away.


    ¡± No, our sister told us to stay away from people and never ept to go with them.¡± Leon exined.


    ¡± Your sister? Where is she?¡± Stacy inquired.


    ¡± She.. she was killed.¡± Kyle answered this time.


    Stacy felt sad for them. She couldn¡¯t believe how pitiful they were.


    ¡± Not everyone is bad in this world.. I promise that I am not a bad person, I Just think you are too pitiful and I like you, so I want to take care of you..¡± Stacy said honestly.


    ¡± And what do we give you in return.. we have nothing valuable.¡± Kyle asked suspiciously. The sister before them did not look like a hard person but he could never risk the life of his brothers.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± It¡¯s simple, be my children and good brothers to your future brother or sister.¡± She said, rubbing her stomach.


    ¡± You are pregnant? Then why is your stomach so small?¡± Leo asked excitedly but confused.


    ¡± That¡¯s because it¡¯s still very small. When the baby grows up, the stomach will be big. What do you say? Do you want a small brother or sister and a Mommy?¡±


    The boys finally nodded, making Stacy sigh.


    ¡± So should we call you Mommy?¡± Leo asked excitedly. They never had a mommy and didn¡¯t know how it felt to have One. ¡± Definitely, now that you are my babies, I am your mommy of course.¡± Stacy said happily.


    The three boys and Stacy went back to the hotel. It was almost past ten when they arrived. Stacy¡¯s hotel room was a two bedroom ensuite. When she checked in, it was the only remaining one, who would have thought it coulde at handter.


    The following morning, Stacy opened her eyes to three heads surrounding her, at first she was confused until it registered that she was a mother to three teenagers overnight. Their eyes were very innocent, making her smile.


    ¡± Good morning my babies?¡± She said kissing each one of them on the cheeks and that¡¯s the scene that greeted Gabriel when he entered Stacy¡¯s room. He stumbled on his feet and almost fell if it was not for uncle AJ who was behind him.


    Seeing three teenagers being kissed so sweetly by the mother of his child, he felt blood run to his head. He stomped into the room and before anyone knew what was happening, the three boys were pushed away from Stacy at a terrifying speed. They were sentnding on their butts two metres away from the bed.


    Gabriel then wrapped his hands possessively at Stacy while sending res to the three boys. Uncle AJ who watched the whole scene couldn¡¯t control himself andughed his ass off. He couldn¡¯t believe his Young master who was devoid of any emotions actually got jealous of three teenage boys. It was simply hrious.


    The three who were thrown away from their Mommy and we¡¯re now sitting on the floor rubbing their asses wondered what was wrong with this strange Uncle. He seemed unfriendly to them, making them confused, but they didn¡¯t dare protest, they could only turn to look at their mother pitifully.


    Stacy couldn¡¯t believe Gabriel could do that. Sfe turned to look at him angrily and pushed herself away from him. ¡± What the hell was the meaning of that?¡± She practically yelled at him.


    Gabriel felt wronged. His face was all crunched up. ¡± I can understand if you go looking for a tall handsome and strong man who is better than me, but I can¡¯t ept these small boys taking you away from me..¡± Gabriel retorted.


    ¡± I Love you so much, I am willing topromise with anything with the exception of this.¡± He added pointing at the boys looking at him with confused eyes.

 Saved

    Stacy couldn¡¯t quite believe what Gabriel said. He loved her? Maybe he Just said that in the heat of the moment but this is Gabriel we are talking about. The man who rarely spoke. She couldn¡¯t believe all she had to do was make him jealous to hear a confession. She looked at him, blinking her eyes to confirm the authenticity of her seeing abilities. She then rubbed her ears to see if they weren¡¯t deceiving her. It was simply unbelievable.¡± Gabriel, repeat that again.¡± She requested looking at him with anticipation. Now it was Gabriel¡¯s turn to be confused. He said a lot, ¡°What exactly did she want him to repeat. The four intruders in the room looked at Gabriel like he was some fool.¡± Uncle, you are not only weird but stupid, Mommy wants you to say you Love her again.¡± Kyle spoke.¡± But wait, if he loves Mommy, doesn¡¯t that mean he will be our father in the future?¡¯ Leon asked.¡± He is too dumb to be our father.¡± Leomented. Hearing the nastyments, Gabriel snapped at them. ¡± Shut up before I throw you out.¡± His patience with them was thinning. First, they were getting kisses from his woman and now they were criticising him, calling him dumb? How insolent?¡± What¡¯s his problem, we are helping him here. He can¡¯t win mommy¡¯s heart with that level of stupidity.¡± Kylemented and snickered but their mother send them a re forcing them to shut up.¡± Uncle AJ, please take them to buy new clothes and everything they need. Don¡¯t forget to take them to have breakfast. Be careful, don¡¯t lose One of them.¡± Stacy instructed the butler.¡± Rest assured Young madam, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± Uncle AJ replied. Turning to look at the boys she said,¡± follow your uncle AJ, go buy whatever you want then have breakfast. I need to have a chat with this uncle over here.¡± Stacy said and the boys Left obediently without urging and followed uncle AJ out. Now, the only two were the ones remaining in the room. ¡± Can you say it now?¡±Stacy asked, she couldn¡¯t help but want to hear those magical words she had been longing go gear from Gabriel¡¯s mouth.¡±I said I Love you and I will tolerate¡­.¡± He was cut off when Stacy ced her finger on his lips, shushing him.¡± I only wanted to hear that. I don¡¯t want you to tolerate anything else.. I Love you too Gabriel, let¡¯s get married.¡± She tantly proposed marriage. She didn¡¯t want him Changing his mindter.¡± What about your boyfriend? Won¡¯t he get mad at you after you marry me?¡± Gabriel asked looking away. ¡± What boyfriend? I have never had another Man in my life apart from you!¡± Stacy replied annoyed. Must he ruin such a wonderful moment with that kind of talk?¡± But.. but your Friend said..? ¡± So you believe words from another person rather than what I tell you?¡± Sfe questioned irritated. Running away from her without confirming anything? Was she Such kind of a woman in his eyes?¡± If I had another man, Why would I bother running after you here after you left me without a word? Why would I leave behind mypany toe here?¡± She snapped at him. Gabriel could see that she was really angry with him but he deserved it. He did not believe in his love and came running back here. It was so wrong of him.¡± The next time you have a misunderstanding, it¡¯s better if we address it, see how much time we have wasted over some stupid joke you were told and you believed it.¡± Stacy continued. ¡± Okay, am sorry.. I promise that I will always ask you before deciding on anything.¡± Gabriel answered feeling sweet inside. His stupidity and cowardice almost costed him his love. The next time, he¡¯ll always listen to Stacy.¡± When do we get married?¡± Gabriel breached the contract again. ¡± Don¡¯t I need to go visit your parents first?¡± He asked sheepishly. That¡¯s what his mother told him. That if he found a woman he liked, he should Inform them so that they can visit thedy¡¯s family to propose marriage.¡± At Least you have some knowledge about that.¡± Stacy replied sarcastically.¡± Of Course, my mother told me that a proper Man visits his bride¡¯s family to seek blessings from the parents.¡± Gabriel replied.¡± I will be returning to the country the day after tomorrow, I would like you to stay behind and take care of my sons¡¯ adoption documents. Then after that you cane meet my parents. I need to inform them first.¡± Stacy exined.¡± Sons? What sons? Our child is yet to be born..¡± he was really confused by her words Stacy couldn¡¯t believe how dumb he was. Maybe her sons were right, he was too dumb. Sometimes she wondered was the need of being a genius if that mind couldn¡¯t be used for simple reasoning? ¡± My sons who just left with uncle AJ. I am adopting them.¡± Stacy patiently exined.¡± You mean they are not your lover boys?¡± Gabriel asked but deep inside he was celebrating.¡± Gabriel Whiteman!¡± Stacy called him in his full name meaning she was pissed off. Seriously? Lover boys? Was he nuts of something? Gabriel could only clump his mouth shut for fear of spouting More nonsense and fanning the mes.¡± Go get be food, am hungry.¡± Stacy ordered and Gabriel scurried away immediately to serve her highness hoping she could calm down after seeing his obedience. After having breakfast, the two decided to rest for the day. Hourster, the three boys came back carrying shopping bags looking all neat and handsome. Stacy marvelled at their beauty. She was damn sure that her mother would love them to no end. Yes, she was nning on giving them the Carlsst name. She was the only child of the Carls family. After growing up and moving out of the family, he parents were often very lonely. Having three boys would be a great distraction to them.¡± Come here boys, let me introduce this Man to you. He¡¯s Gabriel, my future husband, the Father of your little brother and your daddy.¡± Stacy said enthusiastically but her face fell immediately seeing the expressions on the face of the boys.¡± What? You don¡¯t like him?¡± She asked. Gabriel had Made a first bad impression on them so they would have a hard time epting him. ¡± Mommy, couldn¡¯t you have found someone better? We can help you look a better Man. He looks weak, how will he protect you mommy from bad guys when you get up at night?¡± Leo voiced out his concern and the two nodded in agreement. They were worried their Mommy would get bullied and the Man won¡¯t be able to protect her. Stacy was touched by their words and it turned out they were Only concerned about her safety and apparently Gabriel from the look of things was useless in that sector.¡± Don¡¯t worry, I already have the three of you to protect me, that¡¯s enough.¡± Stacy said warmly even though she was capable of protecting herself. She was no damsel in distress awaiting to be saved.


    She looked at him, blinking her eyes to confirm the authenticity of her seeing abilities. She then rubbed her ears to see if they weren¡¯t deceiving her. It was simply unbelievable.


    ¡± Gabriel, repeat that again.¡± She requested looking at him with anticipation.


    Now it was Gabriel¡¯s turn to be confused. He said a lot, what exactly did she want him to repeat.


    The four intruders in the room looked at Gabriel like he was some fool.


    ¡± Uncle, you are not only weird but stupid, Mommy wants you to say you Love her again.¡± Kyle spoke.


    ¡± But wait, if he loves Mommy, doesn¡¯t that mean he will be our father in the future?¡¯ Leon asked.


    ¡± He is too dumb to be our father.¡± Leomented. Hearing the nastyments, Gabriel snapped at them. ¡± Shut up before I throw you out.¡± His patience with them was thinning. First, they were getting kisses from his woman and now they were criticising him, calling him dumb? How insolent?


    ¡± What¡¯s his problem? We are helping him here. He can¡¯t win mommy¡¯s heart with that level of stupidity.¡± Kylemented and snickered but their mother sent them a re forcing them to shut up.


    ¡± Uncle AJ, please take them to buy new clothes and everything they need. Don¡¯t forget to take them to have breakfast. Be careful, don¡¯t lose One of them.¡± Stacy instructed the butler.


    ¡± Rest assured Young madam, I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± Uncle AJ replied. Turning to look at the boys she said,¡± follow your uncle AJ, go buy whatever you want then have breakfast. I need to have a chat with this uncle over here.¡± Stacy said and the boys Left obediently without urging and followed uncle AJ out.


    Now, the only two were the ones remaining in the room. ¡± Can you say it now?¡±Stacy asked, she couldn¡¯t help but want to hear those magical words she had been longing to get from Gabriel¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I said I Love you and I will tolerate¡­.¡± He was cut off when Stacy ced her finger on his lips, shushing him.


    ¡± I only wanted to hear that. I don¡¯t want you to tolerate anything else.. I Love you too Gabriel, let¡¯s get married.¡± She tantly proposed marriage. She didn¡¯t want him Changing his mindter.


    ¡± What about your boyfriend? Won¡¯t he get mad at you after you marry me?¡± Gabriel asked, looking away.


    ¡± What boyfriend? I have never had another Man in my life apart from you!¡± Stacy replied, annoyed. Must he ruin such a wonderful moment with that kind of talk?


    ¡± But.. but your Friend said..?


    ¡± So you believe words from another person rather than what I tell you?¡± Sfe was irritated. Running away from her without confirming anything? Was she Such kind of a woman in his eyes?


    ¡± If I had another man, Why would I bother running after you here after you left me without a word? Why would I leave mypany behind toe here?¡± She snapped at him.


    Gabriel could see that she was really angry with him but he deserved it. He did not believe in his love and came running back here. It was so wrong of him.


    ¡± The next time you have a misunderstanding, it¡¯s better if we address it, see how much time we have wasted over some stupid joke you were told and you believed it.¡± Stacy continued.


    ¡± Okay, am sorry.. I promise that I will always ask you before deciding on anything.¡± Gabriel answered feeling sweet inside. His stupidity and cowardice almost cost him his love. The next time, he¡¯ll always listen to Stacy.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± When do we get married?¡± Gabriel breached the contract again. ¡± Don¡¯t I need to go visit your parents first?¡± He asked sheepishly. That¡¯s what his mother told him. If he found a woman he liked, he should Inform them so that they can visit thedy¡¯s family to propose marriage.


    ¡± At Least you have some knowledge about that.¡± Stacy replied sarcastically.


    ¡± Of Course, my mother told me that a proper Man visits his bride¡¯s family to seek blessings from the parents.¡± Gabriel replied.


    ¡± I will be returning to the country the day after tomorrow. I would like you to stay behind and take care of my sons¡¯ adoption documents. Then after that you cane meet my parents. I need to inform them first.¡± Stacy exined.


    ¡± Sons? What sons? Our child is yet to be born..¡± he was really confused by her words


    Stacy couldn¡¯t believe how dumb he was. Maybe her sons were right, he was too dumb. Sometimes she wondered was the need of being a genius if that mind couldn¡¯t be used for simple reasoning?


    ¡± My sons who just left with uncle AJ. I am adopting them.¡± Stacy patiently exined.


    ¡± You mean they are not your lover boys?¡± Gabriel asked but deep inside he was celebrating.


    ¡± Gabriel Whiteman!¡± Stacy called him in his full name meaning she was pissed off. Seriously? Lover boys? Was he nuts?


    Gabriel could only clump his mouth shut for fear of spouting More nonsense and fanning the mes.


    ¡± Go get be food, am hungry.¡± Stacy ordered and Gabriel scurried away immediately to serve her highness hoping she could calm down after seeing his obedience.


    After having breakfast, the two decided to rest for the day. Hourster, the three boys came back carrying shopping bags looking all neat and handsome. Stacy marvelled at their beauty. She was damn sure that her mother would love them to no end. Yes, she was nning on giving them Carl¡¯sst name. She was the only child of the Carls family.


    After growing up and moving out of the family, he parents were often very lonely. Having three boys would be a great distraction to them.


    ¡± Come here boys, let me introduce this Man to you. He¡¯s Gabriel, my future husband, the Father of your little brother and your daddy.¡± Stacy said enthusiastically but her face fell immediately seeing the expressions on the face of the boys.


    ¡± What? You don¡¯t like him?¡± She asked. Gabriel had Made a first bad impression on them so they would have a hard time epting him. ¡± Mommy, couldn¡¯t you have found someone better? We can help you look a better Man. He looks weak, how will he protect you mommy from bad guys when you go out at night?¡± Leo voiced out his concern and the two nodded in agreement.


    They were worried their Mommy would get bullied and the Man won¡¯t be able to protect her. Stacy was touched by their words, it turned out they were Only concerned about her safety and apparently Gabriel from the look of things was useless in that sector.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry, I already have the three of you to protect me, that¡¯s enough.¡± Stacy said warmly even though she was capable of protecting herself. She was no damsel in distress awaiting to be saved.

 Leo

    The boys were very happy to hear that their new mother trusted them to keep her safe. It was what they could do after she took them in. Their new father could just rx and rest assured that they will keep mommy safe.


    A certain someone was sulking at the corner. Gabriel felt bitter in his heart hearing the conversation. Why were they talking as if he wasn¡¯t present at all? Why did they sound like he was good for nothing and couldn¡¯t protect his wife? Yes, he was no pro in martial arts, actually, he knew nothing about that but he could make a variety of tools that could be used by Stacy for protection. Besides, did his woman need to be protected by those three little brats? She was very capable of keeping herself safe and he was proud of that.


    Despite hisints and grievances, he dared not make them known. He was afraidThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    his woman would find him petty and thest thing he wanted was to have a bad impression in his queen¡¯s heart.


    ¡± Okay mother. If you put it that way, we are relieved. We promise to keep you and our young brother safe.¡± Kylemented.


    ¡± Yeah, we will always keep you safe from bad guys.¡± Leo added. They were trained in martial arts from a young age. Theirte sister always told them that in society, the weak were bullied and the strong were the ones who survived. She was the one who personally trained them because she was an expert. She ran a small martial school. That¡¯s where she would coach others and get money to raise her siblings.


    Their sister had taken them in after they ran away from an orphanage when they were just six years old. The matron of that orphanage had wanted to separate them, something they never appreciated. So, the night before Leo and Leon could be taken home by their adoptive parents, the three sneaked away and escaped sessfully.


    They roamed the streets for three days until they met their sister who took a liking to them and took them home. She enrolled them to school and took care of them until early this year she died of sickness and they were back to the streets again.


    ¡± That¡¯s good then, say hi to your daddy Gabriel.¡± Stacy urged them but¡­


    ¡± Mother, are you and uncle Gabriel married?¡± Leo asked. Without knowing why the boy asked, Stacy simply shook his head. After all, they were not married.


    ¡± Then we can¡¯t call him Daddy until he marries you.¡± The boy, Leo Said and the two others nodded in agreement.


    Stacy couldn¡¯t help but smile at their words. They were too informed and preferred to employ logic in each matter but they were right. ¡± That¡¯s right, then¡­ You call him uncle Gabriel for now.¡± Stacy obliged. Stacy to spend the day with Gabriel. They visited old Mr Whiteman because Stacy wanted a favour from him. The Man epted to help her handle the matters about adopting the three boys legally and their passports.


    The following day, Stacy left the country. She left the boys at Gabriel¡¯s house and assured them that immediately she could take them to another country, she woulde for them. The boys promised to behave and be good to their uncle. Gabriel wanted to apany Stacy back and even at the airport while sending her away, he was sulking.


    ¡± I promise, I wille back after everything has been settled.¡± She tried to pacify him.


    ¡± But you said I coulde to visit your parents?¡± Gabriel questioned.


    ¡± Yeah yeah if I dy, you can bring the boys after the documents have been processed. Until that happens, stay here and wait for me¡­ Of course, if you want us to get married, you should think of relocating. I can visit regrly but can¡¯t definitely stay in this country.¡± Stacy said.


    ¡± That¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ll go wherever you go.¡± Gabriel answered quickly fearing that she might take back her words.


    ¡± Okay then, I need to leave. The ne is about to take off ¡± Stacy informed and moved to hug and kiss Gabriel. She then bid goodbye to the three boys and uncle AJ before walking to the checkpoint and disappearing in the airport.


    Gabriel watched until she was not anywhere in the visibility. Even after she couldn¡¯t be seen, he was still watching the direction she took. The moment she walked away, he felt like a part of him had been taken away, making him feel iplete.


    ¡± Young Master, if you want to see young madam again, Why don¡¯t you ask your grandfather to use his connections and get the matter done as soon as possible.¡± Uncle AJ advised his Young master who seemed like his soul had left together with the Madam.


    ¡± You know him, he will not agree to the matter.¡± Gabriel said, sighing helplessly. Was she punishing him? He wanted to see her as soon as possible, why did he have to wait until the boys could be allowed to leave the country? That was torturous. He turned to re at the brats who were the cause of his misery right now.


    Seeing their uncle ring at them, the three teenagers could only hide behind uncle AJ wondering what was wrong with their uncle gab.


    Seeing the situation, uncle AJ scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.. Why was the young Master being petty with the boys? ¡± Young Master, you should stop that. You are scaring the poor boys.¡± He tried reasoning with this adult baby.


    ¡± I am? They don¡¯t look scared to me?¡± Gabriel stubbornly replied, surprising uncle AJ. He was veryzy to talk in the past? Where did he get all this eloquence from? Or was anger the trigger to it?


    ¡± They are scared. That¡¯s Why they are hiding behind me.¡± Uncle AJ exined and seeing that the young master didn¡¯t want to heed to his advice, he decided to use the only name that could tame him. ¡± I don¡¯t think the young madam will be pleased to hear that you were bullying their children. You might have to wait for a year then without seeing her.¡± Uncle AJ said with a serious look.


    Seeing the seriousness and the intensity of his uncle¡¯s words, Gabriel withdrew his piercing look and even smiled at the boys. The transformation was so big that uncle AJ doubted that maybe his young master developed split personality disorder.


    Looking at how their uncle changed after hearing their mommy¡¯s name, the boys were wise enough to know that their mommy¡¯s name was what it took to restrain their uncle. With that discovery, they smiled inwardly. Gabriel tasked uncle AJ with the obligation of persuading his grandfather to persuade the old man to fasten the issuing of the rted documents to the boys. He took the boys with him because he did not trust Gabriel to take care of them.


    When uncle AJ arrived at the Whiteman residence, the family was gathered for breakfast. Old Mr Whiteman, Andrew and Rose were all seated at the table enjoying their breakfast as a family. The family of three took an instant liking to the three boys, who wouldn¡¯t be? They were pretty and charming even at their age. ¡± So this are the boys my granddaughter talked about? I must admit they are very lovable, not like some ice blocks i have for grandsons.¡± The old man said directing his gaze to his son who ignored his fathers mean remarks. He was used to it anyways. If the old man was notining about the presence of only one grandchild in the family, he would beining about how rigid the grandchild was which was true. Andrew could never have words to refute his fathersins, he dared not.


    His wife on the other and would silently watch him get roasted by his father as if the talk had nothing to do with her. ¡°Grandpa, are you uncle Gabriel¡¯s grandfather?¡± Leo found himself asking. Uncle AJ had informed that they were visiting Gabriel¡¯s grandfather so he figured out that this should be the man. ¡±Yeah, i am. what is your name young man?¡± he asked.


    ¡± I am Leo¡¯s grandfather.¡± Leo answered.

 Idea

    ¡± Oh what a nice name, representing the lion in the zodiac sign, the king of the celestial jungle.¡± Old Mr Whiteman said, smiling pleasantly. ¡°It¡¯s perfect match for your character, brave and noble.¡± He added.


    The old man was liking the boys. ¡± So tell me, why is it Gabriel and not daddy?¡± The old man inquired .


    ¡± It¡¯s not daddy because he hasn¡¯t married Mommy yet.¡± Leon answered, making the old manugh at their bluntness.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡±So until your uncle Gabriel marries your mommy, you won¡¯t call him daddy?¡± Doctor Rose asked amused. ¡± It¡¯s only right grandma.¡± Kyle answered. ¡± Oh i like this one.¡± Doctor Rose said, referring to kyle. The boys were fun to chat and be with, leaving the old man in good spirits after they left. ¡±What nice kids.¡± The old man said looking at their disappearing car with fondness.


    ¡± They are your grandchildren now.¡± Andrew triedforting his father.


    ¡± How is that possible? after they leave the country, i might never see them again.¡± The old man said regrettably. ¡± I wish I had met them before, I would have adopted them into the Whiteman family immediately.¡±He added.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry father, soon a new member will be joining the family.¡± Doctor Rose said, referring to Stacy and Gabriel¡¯s baby. ¡±Yeah, i can only count on my good granddaughter inw to give the Whiteman many fat grandsons.¡± The old man agreed.


    After flying back to the country, Stacy went straight to the hospital. The king was discharged after his condition improved and so was Justin. The friends were busy arranging everything to send off Prince Niki. It was announced that the prince died fighting against the rebels and as a royal, he would be buried at the royal pce. Although Justin was against the idea, he finally consented. As a close friend to Justin, she couldn¡¯t miss to attend such a function.


    The funeral was conducted. A mass was organised to send off the dead in the christian way as he had led his life. Many people attended in memory of their hero whoid his life to protect the country. After the mass, only a few people attended the funeral procession to the pce where his body wasid.


    A weekter, everything was settled and the trial for the captured rebels and traitors was held. The queen alongside the congressman and the king¡¯s right hand man were sentenced to a life imprisonment with corporal punishment and hardbour. That was made to serve as an example to others who had the same intentions in the future. The king officially stepped down, giving full authority to the queen who was his daughter. Before officially stepping down, he awarded all the young people who fought for the safety of the country.


    ¡± I announce Stacy Carls as the second princess of the country. From today onwards, she¡¯ll bear the name princess Stacy carls.¡±


    ¡± I announce Lucia Mendez as the third princess of the country. From today onwards, she will bear the name Princess Lucia Mendez.¡±


    ¡± I announce Ava Adams as the fourth princess of the country. From today onwards, she will bear the name princess Ava Adams.¡±


    ¡± I announce Ronald Johnston as the third prince of the country. From today onwards, you will bear the name Prince Ronald Johnston.¡±


    ¡±I announce Ezekiel Greene as the fourth prince of the country. From today onwards, you¡¯ll bear the name prince Ezekiel Greene.¡±


    ¡± Due to the selfless contribution of Mark Williams in the war, i now appoint him as the Commander of the army.¡±


    ¡±You may all proceed to receive your crowns.¡±


    With peace restored and everything going back to normal, their lives also resumed to their normal.


    The girls decided to have a girl¡¯s day out as per olden days. They arranged for a pool party.


    ¡± A pool party? i dont think thats a good idea.¡± Miranda rejected the idea instantly thinking that they were too old for such kind of stuff.


    ¡±What¡¯s not good about it? After dealing with state matters all day long, don¡¯t you feel tired?¡± Ava chastised her. Ever since assuming office, you¡¯ve be more rigid than before. We no longer go hanging out at clubs anymore.¡± Avained.


    ¡±You know that she cannot do that anymore.¡± Stacy reasoned out.


    ¡±That¡¯s why we are going to have a pool party. We can rent the whole hotel, just for us. I can even ask my boyfriend to allow us to hold our party in one of his hotels, i know he won¡¯t say no.¡± Ava countered. She was hellbent on having that party and nobody would tell her otherwise.


    Seeing her determination, Lucia decided to lend her a hand. ¡± I think Ava is the right girl, we need this. It¡¯s a good way to rx and a certain someone tell us what she has been hiding from us.¡± she said looking at Stacy meaningfully.


    ¡± what do you mean?¡± Ava asked, confused.


    ¡± Whoever it is knows what I am talking about.¡±Lucia added vaguely.


    ¡± I also support the idea.¡± Stacy said but not without ring at lucia. A Few days ago, Lucia had stumbled upon Stacy¡¯s secret. It was not necessarily a secret, it¡¯s just that she thought it wasn¡¯t the right time to inform her friends, at least until Gabriel joined her.


    ¡± But I suggest we dont let them know about this. Let¡¯s have some fun. I know a good agency that offers good male strippers, let¡¯s hire  to entertain ourselves.¡± Lucia was excited about the idea.


    ¡± No way!¡± Miranda refused outrageously.


    ¡±What do you mean no way? I think the idea is perfect. Just imagine those sexy arbs and asses. I am  the idea.¡± Ava said, almost drooling, imagining that scenario.


    ¡± Your boyfriend has abs and an ass too, why don¡¯t you ask him to strip for you?¡± Stacy asked, shaking her head at her friend¡¯s wildness.


    ¡±What do you know? it¡¯s boring to keep seeing the same thing allday, it¡¯s no harm treating your eyes to some good view, right? Ava exined.

 Complain

    ¡± I bet that Mafia Don will go nuts if he hears you say that.¡± Lucia said smiling.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± Oh don¡¯t mention that jealous freak. imagine I can¡¯t even watch my favourite BTS songs anymore. He forbade me from watching anything with a sexy Man. All my pictures of my favourite BTS hotties have been deleted. He¡¯s such a control freak. Seriously, he is pissing me off.¡± Avained, pouring out all her grievances against her boyfriend.


    ¡± You chose him yourself, bear with it, ¡± Miranda said casually. She was one who believed that everybody should be responsible for their choices in life. if her Friend chose that control freak then she shouldn¡¯tin.


    ¡± Yeah but who am I? I still watch my favourite . I secretly bought another phone for that only. He had my other phone connected to his. I can only result from such means to watch my oppa shake his ass.


    ¡± I think you are Just obsessed with that group of dancers.¡± Stacymented. She wondered why her best friend would go to an extra length to buy a phone secretly to watch that group dance and the only exnation was, obsession.


    ¡± I¡¯m not obsessed, I¡¯m Just in Love. You guys will never understand so forget it.¡± Ava said feeling aggrieved by her friendsments about her secret lover boys.


    ¡± Let¡¯se back to the main topic here, I support s¡± Let¡¯se back to the main topic here, I support Lucia. We shouldn¡¯t let the boys know otherwise we can forget about having a great time.¡± Ava could already imagine Ronald bursting out in rage knowing that a man was strip dancing Infront of his girlfriend but the idea also excited her.


    ¡± I agree. I have an announcement to make so let¡¯s make the day lively. Tomorrow we meet at seven, it¡¯s perfect.¡±


    The girls finally convinced Miranda and the party was set for tomorrow evening. They also agreed that this was to remain a secret between the girls.


    Stacy arrived home tired. without any Care, she kicked the shoes and walked straight to the sitting room and flopped herself on the sofa. The day was tiring and she was missing a special someone together with her sons. She didn¡¯t bother switching on the lights. All she wanted was to take a nap before thinking about what to eat for supper.


    She had just closed her eyes when,¡± Surprise!¡±


    Those familiar sounds served to clear away all the exhaustion she felt in her body. She opened her eyes and saw four smiling faces looking at her expectantly.


    ¡± When did you arrive?¡± That was the first question that came from her mouth. She spoke to them during the day and they had informed her that they wouldn¡¯t be flying to the country until three dayster, so what were they doing here?


    ¡± Don¡¯t you like our surprise Mommy?¡± Kyle was the first to voice out his question.


    ¡± Ofcourse I do but I wasn¡¯t expecting this.¡± Stacy answered.


    ¡± That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a surprise.¡± Leonmented, grinning mischievously.


    ¡± And I am pleasantly surprised.¡± Stacy replied beckoning the boys toe closer. She hugged the boys. She missed her babies a lot.


    ¡± I missed you Mommy.¡± Kyle spoke.


    ¡± I missed you too Mommy.¡± Leon added.


    ¡± I¡¯m still missing you.¡± Leo said and they all burst outughing. Everyone wanted to be unique expressing their feelings.


    ¡± I miss you all very much, my babies.¡± Stacy said, embracing the boys yet again. If there was something she didn¡¯t regret was choosing to adopt the three of them. They brought immense happiness to her and she was sure her parents were going to Love them alot.


    Gabriel who was Left behind was sulking at the corner. She was his wife and mother to his children, so why was he thest of her priority? Why did she ignore him after seeing the three brats? Gabriel figured out that he had to send the boys far away from his girl if he wanted to monopolise her.


    As if finally sensing his presence, Stacy looked at him. His face was covered with grievances. ¡± Ain¡¯t you going to give me a hug my Love?¡± She asked, trying to cate the brooding Man.


    ¡± I thought you forgot about me.¡± Gabriel murmured but was still heard .


    ¡± Aiyoo! Why do I smell sour in the room? Can you smell it too Leon?¡± Kyle started.


    ¡± Yeah, it smells like vinegar.. someone is drinking vinegar here ¡± Leonmented.


    ¡± What vinegar? That¡¯s the smell of jealousy.¡± Leo said and the trio burst outughing.


    Stacy could only shake his head helplessly. The boys were at it again, making fun of Gabriel.


    ¡± Don¡¯t make fun of your uncle, otherwise I won¡¯t save your asses if he decides to spank you.¡± Stacy could only interfere, saving Gabriel from their savagements.


    ¡± Come Hun, give me a hug.¡± Stacy said and Gabriel finally moved to her, shoving the boys away.


    The hugsted for minutes with Gabriel snuggling at Stacy¡¯s .


    ¡± They have be bigger than before.¡± Gabrielmented earning a re from Stacy. Her ears were red as a ripe tomato. The boys were still in the room, why didn¡¯t he know how to mince his words and spare her the embarrassment? But Gabriel has always been autistic and his emotional quotient was lower than that of an average person so those were things he couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡± Eeer, we are leaving.¡± The boys scurried away after hearing their uncle start speaking about adult matters. It was about them leaving the couple alone. The boys went to the guest house Gabriel had instructed them to prepare for themselves. They were tired after travelling for hours by ne, they could use this time to rest.


    Only Stacy and Gabriel were Left in the sitting room. ¡± You didn¡¯t tell me you areing?¡± Stacy inquired. The Gabriel she knew never did anything without informing her, at least that¡¯s how their rtionship was.


    ¡± They said that Ladies love surprises and suggested we surprise you.¡± Gabriel answered, rubbing his neck awkwardly. It seemed that Stacy didn¡¯t like their idea, he would deal with those brats for misleading him.


    Stacy didn¡¯t need to be told who this was. It was definitely her three sons. It seemed like they were secretly helping Gabriel please her. She marvelled at how thoughtful they were. Ofcourse, Stacy wished that her Gabriel could be as thoughtful as them but that was hard, he was not familiar with the matters of the world and only knew about experimenting and creating stuff.


    Sigh! Her love life was doomed to be boring but she wasn¡¯tining, as long as he was there with her, everything else woulde with time.


    Stacy learned to kiss him when,¡± growl!!!¡±

 Safe?

    The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward ¨¤nd Stacy wished she could dig a hole and bury herself in. Her stomach chose the worst time to show its protest.


    ¡± I am hungry, I¡¯ll go look for something to eat.¡± She started and made to leave when Gabriel pulled her back to the seat.


    ¡± I¡¯ll bring you something to eat.¡± He announced.


    ¡± You don¡¯t even know how to light up a stove, how are you going to make anything edible?¡± Stacy mused. She had spent time with Gabriel before and that guy only knew how to operate machines and apparatus. He had zero skills in cooking and she dared not trust her kitchen with him lest she regrets itter.


    ¡± The boys helped me cook supper for you.¡± Gabriel announced surprising Stacy. But she still doubted his words. The boys helped him? Or they did the cooking? She knew the answer deep down but still kept mum about it. She didn¡¯t want him to feel useless.


    ¡± Okay, I am waiting. Don¡¯t take long.¡± She answered, positioning herself properly to await her treat.


    Gabriel entered the kitchen. This was a strangely new ce for him. All his life, he never stepped foot in a kitchen let alone know the operation done here. But after spending weeks with the boys, they introduced him to the alien house section called a kitchen. They started from teaching him what every appliance was used for and showing him how to use them.


    They then taught him how to prepare simple meals. They Insisted that the way to a woman¡¯s heart was through the stomach and of course, being the socially detached person he has been all his life, Gabriel believed them. Ofcourse, they had twisted the saying to fit his situation.


    After debating and brainstorming, the three boys finally decided to help their uncle who was Such a dummy to win their mommy¡¯s Love. They had realised that the man was practically useless in everything except when in that white painted room of his. But his genius mind was not what their Mommy wanted.


    They understood that their Mommy wanted a man who could take care of her and what better than having her meals prepared by her husband ? So they had practically pulled their uncle forcefully from the Lab and lectured him, threatening him that if he didn¡¯t treat their Mommy well, they would be looking for another good man for her.


    Not wanting to lose the woman who bore a child for him, Gabriel was convinced and started taking cooking lessons from the boys seriously.


    It¡¯s not only cooking, they also taught him how to massage her when tired and so forth. Now, he was fully equipped to serve his pregnant wife.


    Switching on the microwave, he warmed the dishes, one after the other. He had made chicken breast soup which Kyle said was good for nourishment. Actually, every dish tonight was cooked ording to Stacy¡¯s preference and needs. She was now pregnant, so the foods were ideal for pregnant women.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Minutester, a tray was presented to Stacy with three dishes and one soup. He didn¡¯t forget to bring her favourite White grapes.


    Stacy devoured all the food. She was hungry and also the child growing in her stomach needed to be Fed. Recently, she has developed quite a big appetite. It could only be associated with her pregnancy.


    ¡± I¡¯ll peel them for you.¡¯ Gabriel offered, taking the te of grapes and peeling them before feeding Stacy. She loved grapes but could only eat them peeled, that¡¯s something he learned after staying with her.


    Stacy allowed him to indulge her. It had been a Long time since someone spoiled her so she weed it. She felt warm in her heart. This man was still the One who would rather keep staring at One ce lost on thought before. It seemed that he was growing up and adapting to live like a normal human.


    ¡± Gabriel, you are bing better everyday. You even know how to take care of me.¡± Stacymented.


    ¡± I have to. If I don¡¯t, your sons will find you another husband.¡± Gabriel replied aggrieved. He was threatened into this but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t liking it.


    ¡± They told you that?¡± Stacy was amused at her sons¡¯ antics and how easy her hubby was to fool.


    ¡± Yeah, besides, they told me the way to a woman¡¯s heart is through the stomach.¡± Gabriel added seriously, causing Stacy to burst outughing. Now that was funny! How gullible could he be?


    ¡± Yeah, they are right. You should treat me and our child better otherwise I¡¯ll look for another Man.¡± Stacy joked but seeing the dejected look on his face, she felt pity.


    ¡± Okay, okay. I won¡¯t look for another Man. You are the only one for me.¡± She decided not to tease him anymore, afterall, his emotional quotient was something to facepalm about.


    Gabriel was ted hearing her words. She said he was the only one for her. He believed her.


    After dinner, the two retired to bed. It was the same bed they had used to be intimate on. Looking at it and remembering the memories, Gabriel blushed. She was very demanding in bed, making him exhausted but making Love to her was something that had be a habit everytime they were free.


    Sometimes, she would even drag him here during the day and chain his wrists to the bed posts monopolising him. He neverined. He loved every bit of it.


    ¡± Don¡¯t think about it, we still can¡¯t do it.¡± How could Stacy not know what he was thinking about with his cheeks flushed and ears red. She also missed their intimate moments but the step was in her first trimester, and the baby was not stable so they couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡± Will we do it after you are safe?¡± With his shy voice and eyes lowered, Gabriel asked. He was getting hard on just thinking about those moments.


    ¡± Aren¡¯t you bing shameless?¡± Stacy asked amused. In the past she never asked for it but never denied it whenever she initiated. He was growing some balls and she liked them. She never abhorred the fact that he was timid in bed but that didn¡¯t mean that she wouldn¡¯t love his boldness in that sector.


    Gabriel lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her like a child that has Just been reprimanded making Stacy think that she said something wrong.


    Moving to him, she grabbed his erection through the clothes making Gabriel¡¯s breath to hitch.


    ¡± You are hard love.¡± She started casually and gently squeezed his balls earning a throaty and sexy moan from Gabriel.

 Release

    Pushing him gently, hended on the bed, bouncing from the impact of the soft mattress.


    She moved to straddle him making sure that her centre aligned with his crotch. She could feel how erect it was from the fabric of the clothes. It didn¡¯t help that it kept twitching arousing her. She was hungry for him, if it wasn¡¯t for the safety of the baby, she would have thrown caution to the air and devoured him whole. He was so sweet that she was addicted to him. Too bad. She had to control herself.


    ¡± I can help you honey, do you want to?¡± She purred in his ears, igniting another wave of lust from Gabriel. Even the simplest of actions from her was enough to send him on the wedge. His di. ck was begging for a release.


    Without wasting time to be asked for the second time, he nodded. He didn¡¯t want her changing her kindter. He didn¡¯t mind showing her this wild side of him only she could tame nor was he afraid of disying his weakness to her.


    Leaning in, Stacy kissed him passionately. The kisses were wild and I restrained myself. They were also aggressive, as if she was punishing him for god knows what. But he liked it. Everything about her turned him on. She was like a microwave, immediately warming him up.


    Amidst their kisses, Stacy unbuckled Gabriel¡¯s belt and lowered his pants. Then his briefs followed. His member sprung bouncing, hitting his navel. Stacy appreciated the view. He was blessed with a desirable junior. Its mushroom tip was covered with precum making it glisten.


    Then she lowered herself and kissed the tip, making Gabriel let out an unrestricted moan. It wasn¡¯t the first time she was sucking his little junior but everytime she did, it was like a whole new experience to him.


    ¡± Let me cum before you develop blue balls.¡± Stacymented mischievously, this time using her tongue to sensually lick his length. Judging by his facial expressions, Stacy could tell that Gab liked anything she did to him. She took pleasure in pleasing her hubby. It was something she loved to do.


    Taking his length in her mouth, Stacy could only manage to handle only half of it. It was big and there was no way it could fit in her small mouth. She used her hands to massage his balls lightly while her tongue worked on his member. Gabriel¡¯s moans and groans filled the entire room, making Stacy feel thankful that at least her room was soundproof, otherwise, the boys would be greeted by the nasty sounds Gabriel was making.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Gabriel to release thick cum all over Stacy¡¯s face and mouth. She swallowed whatever ended in her mouth while cleaning the rest with a towel. Gabriel who just had a release after a month plus of abstinence could only lie in bed, panting heavily like he just won a hundred metre race.


    ¡± Seems like your stamina is weakening. You need to start working out.¡± Stacymented leisurely. Gabriel was delicate, like a beauty. Even his face was pale. One would mistake him as a Young maiden. Despite being thirty years old, his face still reflected a twenty year old boy. Maybe after spending time in theboratory and not getting exposed to the sun caused all this.


    ¡± Working out?¡± He asked, confused. It was the first time he was hearing that.


    ¡± Yes, you should start jogging in the morning for at least thirty minutes or go to the gym. I will require a lot of servicingter.¡± Stacy said winking sultry to him, making him blush.


    Ofcourse Gabriel understood what she meant by servicing. She had used the same term whenever they were intimate..¡± okay.¡± He agreed. Anything for her.


    ¡± Let¡¯s rest. Tomorrow, you are meeting my parents. ¡± Stacy announced.


    She wanted to introduce him to her parents. After she told them about her pregnancy, her parents were overjoyed. They asked her to bring their future son inw home. Her parents were not old fashioned and didn¡¯t reprimand her for getting pregnant before marriage. If anything, they were happy that their daughter was no longer invested in her work to the extent of forgetting her social Life.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Gabriel agreed, feeling ted. His Mother and the boys had taught him on how to Please his future inws. He was prepared to impress them tomorrow.


    The following day, the two people woke up and were greeted by the sweet smell of food. Due to her pregnancy, her sense of smell had heightened.


    Stacy wondered who could be preparing breakfast since the space beside her was still warm. Ofcourse, Gabriel had his hands ced on her stomach as if afraid that the baby would be taken away from them. Stacy smiled at his protectiveness. They say that maternal instincts kick in immediately when a woman is pregnant but it seemed Gabriel¡¯s paternal instincts also appeared.


    Turning softly to face him, she admired the serene view In Front of her. Actually, Gabriel was good looking but he could be described as being beautiful. He didn¡¯t have distinct features a man possessed with the exception of the stubble that graced his face. It would be difficult to tell whether he is a man or woman if he didn¡¯t have that manly feature. His eyebrows were sword shaped and his eyes were amber, bringing out some mysteriousness. His eyshes resembled butterfly wings and his full plump lips were arch shaped. Looking at him, she felt a sudden urge to kiss him. She lowered herself and just when she was about to kiss his lips, his eyes fluttered open so Stacy could only result to kissing his forehead.


    ¡± Good morning dearest husband.¡± She greeted me. She was in a good mood. Who wouldn¡¯t be? Waking up to a warm embrace and a beautiful view, her day was blessed.


    ¡± Good morning.¡± Gabriel replied shyly. The way she called her husband awoke something in him and his dick sprung to life. He was embarrassed at his low self control but you couldn¡¯t me him. Her groggy voice came out seductive. Ofcourse, Gabriel knew that it wasn¡¯t intentional but med his responsive body for the results.


    ¡± I can see you had a wonderful sleep.¡± Stacymented. It was evident from how rosy his cheeks were. Thest time she visited him abroad, he had huge dark circles under his eyes, a clear indication that he was sleep deprived.


    Gabriel nodded. For some reasons, his insomnia would vanish the moment she was in his arms. As long as Stacy slept besides him, he would lose himself to sleep quickly. Maybe, she was the key to the cure of his Insomnia. Gabriel concluded

 Jam

    ¡± That¡¯s good. I can smell something delicious downstairs, I wonder who could be cooking, maybe the boys.¡± Stacy said walking leisurely in her sexy nightgown that did nothing to hide her perfect body from Gabriel¡¯s eyes. Hearing her words, Gabriel was downcasted. Those brats managed to outsmart him. Well thanks to her body scent which had a touch of medicinal scent in it, he managed to sleep like a baby. Gabriel didn¡¯t reply. He waited until Stacy entered the bathroom before jolting downstairs. He wouldn¡¯t miss a chance to impress his future wife.


    Downstairs the boys were busy preparing breakfast. Kyle was flipping pancakes while Leon was squeezing fresh orange juice. After their secret job of undercover, they got to know that their Mommy Loved pancakes sprinkled with plum jam and fresh orange juice. To make her happy, the triplets woke up early to prepare their mother¡¯s favourite breakfast hoping to earn extra marks.


    Gabriel arrived at the kitchen but nobody seemed to notice him. The boys were busy preparing breakfast. Clearing his throat noisily, he finally got their attention.


    Kyle was the first to say,¡±Good morning uncle Gabriel?¡± He greeted me politely. Gabriel did not reply, he was wondering how sly the boys could be? They had promised to help him with their mother Sooner, so why were they doing what he should be doing but he wouldn¡¯tin, thanks to hisziness, he just woke up.


    ¡± Good morning boys, what are you preparing?¡± Despite his foul mood, he put up the best of his smiles which rarely graced his lips. At the end of the day, the smile was more suited to be a scowl.


    The boys flinched seeing the crooked smile. ¡± Uncle Gab, it¡¯s better if you practise smiling. If you smile like that to mommy, I am sure you¡¯ll scare her away.¡± Leomented, making the others giggle at his words. Gabriel was aggrieved but he wouldn¡¯t show that to them, he still needed their ideas to conquer his woman. ¡± My pretty smile is only reserved to your mother. I don¡¯t have time to smile at you.¡± He replied, masking his irritation.


    ¡± I hope so.. That smile just now was horrible.¡± Leon added.


    ¡± What are you preparing?¡± Gabriel asked again, not wanting to dwell on that topic about smiles which was sure to trigger his unhappiness.


    ¡± Pancakes for mommy.¡± Kyle replied.


    ¡± Am squeezing fresh orange juice for her. It¡¯s mommy¡¯s favourite.¡± Leon said.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡°Mommy likes eating grapes, so I am washing them for her.¡± Leo said.


    ¡± What about me?¡± Gabriel asked unhappily, making the boys stop in their tracks and look at him.


    ¡± What about you?¡± Kyle asked, wondering what their weird uncle was asking about.


    ¡± What should I prepare for her?¡± Gabriel said with a bitter voice.


    After a two minute silence, Kyle spoke. ¡± Ain¡¯t you supposed to be preparing a bath for mommy and preparing her clothester? You should also help dry her hair. That is your duty as a husband.¡± He snorted after saying that while the other boys eyed at him as if he was an idiot.


    ¡± I understand that you are not normal but uncle, isn¡¯t this the most basic thing a husband does to dote on her wife? Howe you don¡¯t know?¡± Leon asked, not able to rte what the hell was wrong with the Man.


    Gabriel felt like a bucket of cold water was just poured on his body on a chilly morning. Prepare a bath? Prepare clothes? Dry her hair? Wouldn¡¯t that be intimate and a good way to show his love for her? How could he not think about that? Here he was, getting angry at the boys for intervening in his tasks yet he couldn¡¯t perform the most basic ones. He lowered his eyes in shame, not daring to look up and see the mocking looks from the boys. They were the epitome of mockery, he wouldn¡¯t be spared especially after failing to please the woman he loves.


    ¡°What happened?¡± The voice of uncle AJ was heard as the well built man sauntered to the kitchen with long and heavy strides. The effects of being in the army for Long.


    ¡± Good morning uncle?¡± The boys chorused. There was a distinction on how they treated their uncle AJ and uncle Gabriel.


    ¡± Mmmh, good boys. Why is the young master sulking?¡± Uncle AJ asked, seeing the downcasted expression on Gabriel¡¯s face. After staying with the big fire for twenty years, he treated Gabriel like a son.


    ¡± Uncle is sad because he failed in his manly duties.¡± Leo reported making uncle AJ cough with embarrassment. Obviously, he misinterpreted the words.


    ¡± What do you mean by that?¡± He probed. He didn¡¯t want to fill his brain with weird ideas. He wouldn¡¯t let his imagination run wild at this point.


    ¡± Uncle is supposed to prepare the bath for mommy and help dry her hair but he let her do it herself.¡± Leo rified and only then did uncle AJ realise that he really did misinterpret everything.


    ¡± Young master is not familiar with these things. After All, this is his first rtionship.¡± Uncle AJ tried defending Gabriel and bit the boys but his exnation, definitely not.


    ¡± I don¡¯t have a girlfriend but I know. It¡¯s the most basic information everyone should know.¡± Kyle argued. Yes, they knew that their uncle was no normal person but that did not exempt him from learning the ways of the man, right?


    ¡± Okay, instead of criticising your uncle, you should try helping him out to fix that.¡± Uncle AJ proposed. Even at forty years plus himself, he knew nothing about wooing a woman. He never did so he had zero knowledge about that stuff. He was of no use to Gabriel nor was he different. He could only try cating the boys to help out. They were so experienced in this despite being at sixteen. It seemed like they had attended romance sses.


    ¡± I Know what to do!¡± Kyle eximed, making all the heads turn in his direction.


    ¡± What is it?¡± Gabriel asked eagerly. He could take any advice as long as it could help him solidify the rtionship between Stacy and him. He wanted to Bond her to his side forever.


    ¡± Breakfast in bed.¡±Kyle revealed and Gabriel¡¯s eyes finally lit up. ¡® such a good idea,¡¯ he thought.


    ¡± I¡¯ll pay you extra million if I seed.¡± Gabriel announced, making the boys squirm with happiness. They had decided to help him, but that came with a price of course. They had nned to buy their Mommy a gift for taking them in but they had no money. Uncle AJ overheard their conversation and proposed the deal to help Gabriel win their Mommy in exchange for money. Their uncle Gabriel ofcourse readily agreed to the deal.


    ¡± Okay young master, you should hurry up and serve the young Miss.¡± Uncle AJ reminded the overly excited Gabriel. It was the first time he saw his young master keen on aplishing something away from his white prison. He seemed happy too so uncle AJ was happy.


    ¡® Finally, he also deserves a happy ending.¡¯ uncle AJ said looking at Gabriel with a satisfied smile who was now busying himself serving pancakes and sprinkling them with plum jam.

 Come in

    Stacy had Just emerged from the bathroom with a bathrobe tied securely around her body. A towel at hand was drying her wet hair. She was walking to the hairdresser when she saw Gabriel already holding her hair dryer. It was plugged in and a chair pulled facing the mirror.


    ¡± What are you doing?¡± Stacy asked puzzled. Gabriel strode to her after putting down the dryer. Without saying anything, he pulled and made her sit on the chair. After she was settled, he switched on the power socket and started drying her hair. His movements were gentle and sensual. Gently massaging her scalp. She didn¡¯t question him anymore. Stacy decided to rx and enjoy the treatment from him. It was not everyday she got to be spoiled by a man, talk less of the only Man she ever Loved. His little actions made her feel special and Loved.


    ¡® it¡¯s so great to have someone who loves you.¡¯ Stacy thought. Minutester, her hair was dry and straightened. Gabriel took a three in oneb andbed her hair letting it flow down to her shoulders.


    ¡± Don¡¯t tie it today, you look beautiful this way.¡± Gabriel said. Stacy would always have her hair securely tied in a high ponytail due to work. He always thought that her hair was more suited to be let free, just like how he Saw her the first day, free and unruly, without a touch of professionalism that she exuded while in the hospital. That was one of the reasons he followed her to the club that fateful night.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Stacy replied shing him her dazzling smile, the reflection in the mirror creating a beautiful image of an ethereal beauty with a magnificent smile. She agreed easily. After all, as her man, she should listen to him.


    ¡± Come, I brought your breakfast.¡± Gabriel said, leading her to the edge of the bed, helping her settlefortably. He then presented to her, a tray well arranged with her breakfast.


    ¡± It looks yummy.¡± Shemented. Everything about the arrangements screamed Love. From the well cut pancakes and the love design used to sprinkle the jam, to the single Rose that was ced on the tray. Yes a single rose was included toplete everything. Ofcourse, this was made possible by the boys.


    shback


    Gabriel had just finished arranging everything and was about to head upstairs when Kyle stopped him.


    ¡± Wait, I think something is missing!¡± Kyle said, eyeing the tray with a contemting look.


    ¡°Something is missing? I don¡¯t think so.¡± Uncle AJmented.


    ¡± I also think the same, I get the feeling that the set-up is iplete.¡± Leon seconded. Something felt off from the whole set-up but what? He couldn¡¯t tell.


    Gabriel, who couldn¡¯t see any problem with his hand work, frowned. He sure couldn¡¯t see anything missing just like uncle AJ.


    ¡± I Know!¡± Leo shrieked, jolting the four upants awake from their thoughts.


    ¡± What is it?¡± Asked Gabriel who was overly anxious. He wanted to make everything perfect for his queen and couldn¡¯t tolerate any mistake.


    ¡± Flowers.¡± Leo revealed grinning from ear to ear , proud that he could spot the issue at hand without wasting time or brain cells.


    ¡± Exactly. The whole breakfast in bed set-up is to impress mommy and also, to show her how much you love her. Flowers have been used since time in memorial as a representation of Love among other purposes. Of Course, every flower has a distinct meaning from another. This is what we call thenguage of flowers.¡± Kyle narrated.


    ¡± They are just flowers, do you have to make everything seem soplicated?¡± Uncle AJ groaned, not quite understanding why people have to be so strict on such Minor things like flowers.


    ¡± What do you know?¡± Leo snorted.


    ¡± We understand that your life and world have been loveless, otherwise you could understand this.¡± Leon mocked uncle AJ mercilessly. The two men were the weirdest beings the boys ever met.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± Okay, let¡¯s get back to the task at hand. Where do we get flowers from?¡± Uncle AJ asked the boys and they smiled mischievously.


    ¡± Leave that to us.¡± Kyle said meaningfully. Just then the doorbell rang. Kyle dashed to the door and opened it immediately.


    ¡± Gabriel White man?¡± The delivery guy asked.


    ¡± My father. I¡¯ll sign the delivery note.¡± Kyle said shing the delivery guy one of his cutest smiles.


    Few secondster, Kyle emerged to The kitchen with a bouquet of red roses at hand.


    ¡± Problem solved.¡± He said smugly.


    ¡± When did you order flowers?¡± Uncle AJ asked, puzzled. The boys seemed to amaze him more everyday. They were very meticulous in everything they did.


    ¡± A woman loves flowers. Red roses represent affection. Uncle should give Mommy roses often.¡± Kyle said, offering the flowers to Gabriel who was standing rooted on the ground.


    Gabriel received the flowers and tried fixing them on the already upied tray, it proved to be hard and messy.


    ¡± You should try to improvise, if all the flowers can¡¯t fit, just give her one rose stalk, it represents giving out your heart.¡± Leon said, controlling the urge to roll his eyes at his uncle¡¯s dumminess. Ofcourse, Leo was practically facepalming. He couldn¡¯t stomach how ignorant his future Daddy was. With his intellect, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how he managed to hook up with an intelligent, sweet and caring woman like their mommy. It was unbelievable.


    End of shback


    ¡± Do you like it? Gabriel asked, blinking his doe like eyes. His expression was full of expectation.


    ¡± Yeah, I like it very much.¡± Stacy replied coquettishly. After all, this was what her hubby prepared out of love. ¡± Come, I¡¯ll reward you.¡± Stacy added, pulling Gabriel towards herself and locked his lips with hers in a passionate kiss. By the time they parted, Gabriel¡¯s face was beet red.


    ¡± Hahahaha, you are such a shy guy. One would think you are my girlfriend.¡± Stacy teased him.


    ¡± I can be your girlfriend..¡± Gabriel stuttered. If she liked, he could be the submissive one in the rtionship.


    ¡°What are you saying? You are my man. My husband and the Head of our family.¡± Stacy rebuked him. How could she let him be the submissive one? As a woman, she took pride in being the helping hand to her man. She is the neck and he¡¯s the head.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Gabriel replied, not wanting to say anything More, unless he says the wrong thing again.


    After breakfast, the family of five boarded Stacy¡¯s Maserati and headed to Carl¡¯s family house. Uncle AJ and two other bodyguards drove in another car. Stacy was driving today, of course that was because nobody else could drive the car. With the boys being underage, Gabriel didn¡¯t possess a driving licence and of course didn¡¯t know how to drive one.


    ¡± Uncle, why don¡¯t you help Mommy. She¡¯s pregnant after all.¡± Leo inquired.


    The car suddenly fell into a pin drop silence. Stacy chuckled, knowing very well that her hubby was about to get roasted again.


    Kyle, who was seated next to Leo, nudged him to drop the topic but the teenagers did not understand the hint.


    ¡± What is it Kyle, are you squeezed?¡± Leo asked innocently, making Kyle roll his eyes on him.


    ¡± I think the reason why uncle isn¡¯t driving is because he doesn¡¯t know how to.¡± Leonmented and a gasp left Leo¡¯s mouth.


    ¡± Really uncle? You don¡¯t Know how to drive?¡± Leo asked yet again, not quite believing it.


    ¡± I don¡¯t.¡± Gabriel answered. He wondered if the boys were hell-bent on making fun of him? Wouldn¡¯t they spare him even when about to reach his inws house.


    ¡± Leo, remember I told you that your uncle Gabriel is different. He never had a normal childhood and adulthood when growing up?¡± Stacy asked, hoping to spare her hubby future embarrassment.


    ¡± Yes, Mommy said that uncle is a superhero and dedicated his life to saving people and had little time to live normally.¡± Leo replied, repeating the exact words his mommy told him before.


    ¡± Yes, your future Daddy is a superhero and has helped a lot of people across the world. He has dedicated his life for others, that¡¯s why he isn¡¯t acquainted with the things normal people do, because he is above normal just like Superman. It¡¯s Normal if he doesn¡¯t know how to cook or drive but mommy will teach daddy how to do this things slowly, okay?¡± Stacy patiently exined, sounding like a mother educating his five year old boy and not a sixteen old boy.


    ¡± Okay Mommy, I will help you teach daddy everything he needs to do.¡± Leo offered his help unconditionally. He quite liked his future Daddy alot and would love to help him fit in their world.


    ¡± Now that¡¯s my good boy. When we arrive home, don¡¯t talk I¡¯ll of your uncle Gabriel, otherwise you¡¯ll make things hard for him.¡± Stacy coerced. Her father was a sucker for perfection, with the many ws Gabriel had, he might change his mind despite his earlier eptance.


    ¡± Okay Mommy, we understand.¡± It was Leon who answered.


    ¡± Good boys.¡± Stacy praised. She loved how obedient they were.


    Minutester, they arrived at a huge magnificent gate that was five feet tall. The design screamed of opulence. The door automatically opened and Stacy drove in followed by uncle Ajs car. She parked at the empty parking slot and stepped down. One by one, the rest stepped down with Gabriel taking the lead and Leo being thest to alight.


    ¡± Wow, it¡¯s so beautiful here.¡± Leomented with a fawning gaze.


    Carl¡¯s family house was situated away from town but not in the suburbs. It was built on three acre Land. Well manicuredwns, flower garden, an orchid garden and a fountain surrounded the four directions of the house. The Vi was a European styled Vi. Painted with grey and a touch of gold, it was ethereal. The fresh air blown from the pine trees brought the scent of Jasmine and dandelion flowers.


    ¡± Aiyo, why are you still standing outside,e in.¡± A woman in her early fifties greeted them with a huge smile which Kyle tranted to be the Ideal blinding smile he read from thetest novel of his favourite author.


    ¡± Aunt Martha.¡± Stacy politely greeted.


    ¡± It¡¯s nice to see you back young Miss.¡± Aunt Martha said hugging Stacy who hugged her back.


    ¡± Aunt, this is my boyfriend Gabriel.¡± Stacy introduced her guests to her favourite aunt.


    ¡± He¡¯s such a fine young Man, he¡¯s beautiful.¡± Aunt Marthamented, whispering to Stacy and to get twoughs together.


    ¡± Hi Gabriel, you can call me Aunt Martha.¡± She introduced herself.

 Resist

    ¡± Hi Aunt Martha?¡±Gabriel greeted back, offering her a polite smile.


    The group then proceeded to enter the house where the others were waiting for them. Upon entering, Stacy was surprised to see close to thirty peoplefortably seated on coaches, all looking at them. She stood rooted on the ground cursing her parents softly.


    She only informed her mother about Gabriel¡¯s visit yesterday, just when did she manage to gather the whole vige here.


    ¡± Stacy my dear daughter.¡± Mrs Carls, her mother, sauntered to her, smiling broadly. Despite being in herte forties, Mrs Carls still had fair skin like a teenage girl. She had maintained herself very well.


    ¡± Mother.¡± Stacy greeted back with a stiff smile on her face. Count on her mother to make everything a big deal and extravagant.


    ¡± Wee home.¡± Mrs Carls offered her a sweet bear hug.


    ¡± Just what is everyone doing for her mother?¡± Stacy questioned in a whisper.


    ¡± My daughter is bringing home her future boyfriend. I invited everyone here to wee my son inw home.¡± Her mother did not lower her voice and answered loudly, making Stacy embarrassed.


    ¡± Stacy, don¡¯t you want your uncle to take a look at your future husband? We have to make sure you find yourself a fine Young Man, only then can I rest assured.¡± A middle aged man said, feigning a hurt expression.


    ¡± How can that be your third Uncle, it¡¯s his first time visiting, I Just didn¡¯t expect to see you all here.¡± Stacy replied, trying to salvage the situation her mother put her in. The Carls family was a big extended family that was United. Although it was involved in business, there were rarely family grudges since each family was stable. Their rtionship was good.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay my dear. Your uncles and aunts are here to celebrate your milestone in life as well as to wee the new members of the Carls family.¡± Mr Carls, Stacy¡¯s father, said hugging his wife protectively. He was known as a ruthless businessman in the corporate world and a wife ve at home. He was the one to support everything his wife did, it didn¡¯t matter how unreasonable or absurd the thing was.


    ¡± I assume this is Gabriel Whiteman? When I heard you are Stacy¡¯s boyfriend, I left everything and came to see you. I like all your inventions. Thanks to you, I managed to develop mypany in country B. You don¡¯t Know how helpful your power project was.¡± Mr Peter Carls said with a fawning expression on his face.


    ¡± Hubby, is he the genius you have been talking about non-stop?¡± A blonde haireddy asking, referring to Mr Peter Carls, Stacy¡¯s second uncle.


    ¡± Of course honey he¡¯s the one. I have been trying to locate him and wanted to marry our Esther to him.¡± Peter added.


    ¡± Little brother, are you nning on stealing my daughter¡¯s husband?¡± Mr Carls joked, making everyone burst intoughter.


    ¡± How could I? I¡¯ll never want to mess with your daughter¡¯s man. She¡¯s my daughter too and marrying into Carl¡¯s family is enough.¡± Peter replied.


    The family chatted and weed the three boys to the family. Of course, Mrs Carls was the happiest to see a new addition to her family. Mr Carls being the wife ve he had had no option but to ept the boys. Not that he didn¡¯t like them, it¡¯s just that he hatedpeting with others for his wife¡¯s attention.


    Stacy left in the evening and drove to the agreed hotel with her girlfriends. Gabriel and the boys would be spending the night at her parents house as agreed.


    She arrived at half past seven and everyone was waiting for her.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± Sorry, amte.¡± She apologised. She was known to be the most punctual after Miranda.


    ¡± What took you so long? It¡¯s unusual for you to be even a minutete.¡± Ava probed.


    ¡± Had a hard time shaking Gabriel off. He¡¯s acting clingy again.¡± Stacy replied.


    ¡± Gabriel Azin, that lover boy?¡± Lucia asked.


    ¡± What lover boy? That¡¯s my boyfriend and the father of my child.¡± Stacy announced with pride. She had wanted to reveal the good news to her friends but never got the perfect time to. Today seemed like a good time to make the announcement.


    ¡± Wait.. are you saying that you are pregnant?¡± Ava asked, her face painted with disbelief.


    ¡± Of course dummy.¡± Lucia replied smacking Ava on her back yfully.


    ¡± What the heck!¡± How? When? Howe I didn¡¯t know? ¡± Ava asked, she couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡± What¡¯s with the questions? How and when shouldn¡¯t be her secret. Do you also want to know how the baby was conceived?¡± Lucia mocked, enjoying the expressions on their friends¡¯ faces.


    ¡± No, this is not possible! I mean like how? You guys only got together for a period of time and you are already pregnant? I have been living with a man under the same roof for months and leave alone being pregnant, I still have my v card intact!¡± Ava shrieked, sounding aggrieved.


    ¡± You should learn a few tricks from us or maybe your mafia boyfriend cannot perform in bed.¡± Lucia said, not sparing a chance to taunt their overspoken friend.


    ¡± Or maybe am not charming enough to arouse him?¡± Avamented. She was jealous of her friends. Turning to look at Miranda who hadn¡¯t made a single sound all through the conversation, she asked usingly,¡± what about you? Are you also pregnant, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you are.¡±


    Miranda shook her head with her face flushing red. Matters between men and women was not something she could stomach discussing casually like her friends. She would always get embarrassed.


    ¡± Thank God you aren¡¯t. It feels bad to be the odd one out.¡± Ava said, consoled.


    ¡± With Justin¡¯s character, she might hit thirty with her v card intact.¡± Lucia said and snorted. After knowing Justin for the past months, she hade to learn that he was a reserved Young man and respected Miranda alot. He would never cross that border unless their friend allowed him to. Coupled with the queenly duties that came with the crowning, Miranda was bound to be busy and ignore such matters. How pathetic.


    ¡± That will be such a waste.¡± Avamented.¡± But how am I different from her? I really need to master a few tricks of seduction. If that man doesn¡¯t want to approach me, I¡¯ll approach him myself. Gone are the days women couldn¡¯t ask for what they want.¡± Ava said, her voice full of conviction. She was determined to conquer that ice block.


    ¡± You should take things slow. Maybe he has his reasons.¡± Stacy advised.


    ¡± Reasons my foot! I want it. After waiting for him for twelve years, I am at the limit of my patience. If he finds me unattractive, I¡¯ll just look for another man, period.¡± Just thinking about it made her angrier. What was he dilly dallying about? She was already twenty four and she wanted to explore the garden of Eden. She was of the right age after all. Coupled with the fact that two of her friends were pregnant, she felt aggrieved and wronged.


    ¡® Let¡¯s see how long you will resist after I am done with you.¡¯ Ava thought inwardly, smiling slyly.

 Couple

    ¡± know that look. What evil ns are you concocting on your tiny little brain?¡± Stacy said, eyeing Ava suspiciously. That sly look on her face was not foreign to her. It was a show that someone would be getting it rough soon. Stacy thanked God that she wasn¡¯t on the receiving end of those ns.


    ¡± Nothing to worry about. Just strategizing.¡± Ava replied smiling, her smile dazzling overshadowing the smirk earlier. Seeing her innocent sweet smile, you could mistake her for a fairy or a goddess.


    ¡± Don¡¯t bother with her, you wouldn¡¯t like her ideas. Let¡¯s head upstairs, everything is arranged.¡± Luciamented.


    The four girls then headed upstairs to kick off with their party. It was their time to rx after the hectic rebellion suppression.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    It was an outdoor pool with beautifully crafted and manicuredwns. Food, drinks were already served on arge dinner table.


    ¡°How¡¯s the arrangement? I specifically hired an event nner to do this.¡± Lucia asked with pride. As a fashion designer, she observed perfection Even to the tiniest of details.


    ¡± It¡¯smendable.¡± Ava honestly replied. After being in the entertainment industry for Long and getting to attend countless events, she was immune to this kind of setting. To her, they all looked eerily familiar, without any distinction except for designs used and colour.


    ¡± It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Stacy replied. Being a doctor, red and white apanied her boring hospital life. Seeing a mixture of dazzling colours arranged together was pleasant to see. It was a treat to her eyes.


    ¡± Good eveningdies, everything has been arranged as requested.¡± The hotel Manager informed, bowing his head.


    Looking around, Lucia was satisfied with the arrangements. A table filled with different types of foods, drinks and fruits was ced at the edge of the pool. The area was all lit; you could mistake it as daylight.


    ¡± Okay you can leave. Ensure nobody enters here without our permission. There should be someone Left at the receptionist Incase we need something.¡± Lucia instructed.


    ¡± Understood, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±


    ¡± Go ahead.¡±


    The Manager walked away. He expected thedies to be arrogant and demanding just like how the upper societydies tended to behave. When he got the report that the hotel would be booked tonight, he assumed that they would be serving spoiled second generationdies with absurd demands. Who would have thought that they were such polite and well mannered Ladies.


    His president had told him that the guests were to be served with utmost respect and diligence. Their identity was however concealed for security reasons. Only now did he know why that arrangement.


    It turned out that among thedies zedge Queen of the State was included. To him, it was an honour and blessing to serve her highness the queen. Of Course, he recognized the three otherdies, afterall, their names were well known in the state and neighbouring states.


    Princess Lucia, princess Stacy and princess Ava who were recently crowned by the King for fighting hand in hand to dispel the rebels threatening the security of the state. They were the heroines every citizen, old or young was praised for their bravery.


    Faced by the four nobledies, his president would need to bow, talk less about a mere hotel Manager like him. Hosting them was a privilege not every hotel in the State could enjoy


    ¡± Let the party begin!¡±Ava announced, stripping her dress revealing a yellow, sexy two piece bikini underneath. She then jumped unceremoniously into the pool sshing water and wetting the girls clothes.


    ¡± Always wild.¡± Luciamented and the two others chuckled. That¡¯s how they managed to stay together, understanding each other. The three Ladies had different characters and personalities but despite that fact, they remained bonded. Miranda, the ever quiet Individual. She preferred watching at the sidelines and talking when required. Ava, unruly and wild. Quite the temperamental one and blunt with her statements. Allergic to coating words. Lucia, the social butterfly. She can fit anywhere, loves being sarcastic and very meticulous in everything, and that includes mocking you. Stacy, the workaholic. Advice giver and easy to cate.


    Looking at thedies who were not mindful of their identity and having fun, one would mistake them for college girls who sneaked out to have fun. There was no trace of a queen nor a CEO. You couldn¡¯t see a famous designer or a supermodel, only girls trying to have fun and spend their time to the fullest. The pleasantughter and giggles from the girls was a clear indication that they were having the night of their life.


    With their phones on silent mode to avoid distraction, they were determined to rx, after sessfully curbing the rebellion that threatened the State.


    Same city, in a club.


    ¡± You seem upied? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Justin probed his friend Ronald who was swirling his ss of whiskey gently with a far away look on his face.


    ¡± It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ronald replied, taking a sip from the ss and frowning after the burning sensation travelled from his mouth, down the throat.


    ¡± Come on buddy, you can¡¯t lie to me. Do you have problems with your woman?¡± He asked. Knowing his friend for years, nothing close to business could make him wear such an expression.


    ¡± She is insisting on bing intimate with me.¡± Ronald revealed.


    ¡± And what¡¯s wrong with that? You two are a couple after all?¡± Justin couldn¡¯t understand why such a matter was giving his friend trouble.


    ¡± You don¡¯t understand.¡± Ronald retorted.


    ¡± Then make me understand. I don¡¯t see a problem in that.¡± Justin leisurelymented while sipping his wine.


    ¡± We aren¡¯t married yet.¡± Ronald blurted out making the wine in Justin¡¯s mouth toe sprawling on the ground.


    ¡± What the hell men! Are you serious?¡± Justin said after recovering from the shock.


    ¡± What do you mean if I am serious? Do I look like I¡¯m joking to you?¡± Ronald asked, annoyed.


    ¡± Okay, let me get this straight.. you are at loggerheads with your sister-inw because you don¡¯t want to make love to her?¡±: Justin needed the rity, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t understand what his best friend meant.


    ¡± Of Course, we ain¡¯t married, I want to make our wedding night special but she seems to be hell-bent on making things hard for me. I don¡¯t know what to do?¡± Ronaldmented, with an aggrieved look on his face


    not giving him a chance to utter his useless excuses


    ¡± I don¡¯t think that should be an issue. If she wants it, give it to her. Afterall you are a couple.¡± Justinmented.


    ¡± I Just want to¡­¡±


    ¡± Forget about what you want my dear friend, just give her what she wants already. Otherwise when things go South, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± Justin interrupted him harshly, not giving him the chance to utter his useless excuses.


    ¡± You should go home now and do that. If you keep denying it to her, she¡¯ll find someone else who is willing. With her beauty and looks, men will be flocking to serve her.¡± Justin mercilessly said, not daring to mince his words.


    ¡± She¡¯s not home yet.¡± Ronaldmented.


    ¡± Then try calling her, it¡¯s that simple.¡± Justin was seriously doubting the integrity of his friend after falling in love. He seemed to be bing more stupid everyday.


    Once. Twice. Thrice.


    No reply.

 Good boy

    ¡°How dare she ignore my calls.¡± Ronald said furiously. His expression turned a shade darker and ice covered his whole face. He was seething in anger.


    ¡± Calm down.. maybe she¡¯s busy with something important.¡± Justin tried reasoning out with his friend who wore a killing expression on his face.


    ¡± Calm down my foot. She leaves the house without telling me where to and ignores my call? What is she trying to imply?¡± Ronald was beyond rationality. His anger clouded his reasoningpletely.


    ¡± You have to tone down your anger. It won¡¯t help in this situation. You should try to rx.¡± Justin practically yelled at him. His best friend was acting like an ass now.


    ¡± Take a deep breath and breathe out.¡± He instructed. ¡± Yes, again¡­. Now try and think where she could be if not at your house?¡±


    ¡± Maybe out with her friends.¡± Ronald spected. ¡± You should call your woman and ask her about her whereabouts.¡± Ronald added.


    ¡± Why do you think Miranda knows where your woman went?¡± Justin asked amidst retrieving his phone and cing a call across.


    Once, twice, thrice.


    The call went through but nobody epted.


    Justin became rmed.


    ¡± She¡¯s not picking up.¡± He tried to call her yet again and the same thing happened, nobody received the call.


    ¡± I can see that I am not blind nor am I deaf.¡± Ronald replied sarcastically.


    ¡± Something smells fishy here. Try calling Kiel and see where the other girl is.¡± Ronald proposed and Justin did as instructed.


    ¡± Hello? Is Lucia with you?¡± Justin went straight to the point after the call was connected.


    ¡± No, she¡¯s working overtime tonight.¡± Kielzily replied. ¡± Can you try calling her and find her exact location? I can¡¯t seem to get through to Miranda and Ava too. We are worried.¡± Justin added.


    ¡± Okay, give me a minute.¡± Kiel said, disconnecting the call.


    Two minutester, Kiel called back.


    ¡± She¡¯s not picking her call. Maybe she¡¯s busy.¡± Kiel replied.


    ¡± I knew it! Those women must be up to something. They can¡¯t just disappear all of a sudden at once. I smell a rat here.¡± Ronald yelled, his voice full of frustration.


    ¡± Justin, what is he talking about?¡± Kiel asked, not quite understanding what the mafia was mumbling about.


    ¡± I l think the girls lied to us and went out together.¡± Justin said sceptically. Now that he thought about it, whatpany got together would Miranda attend. She was never one to make her appearance on such asions. Considering the fact that she was now the queen, that was such ame excuse she came up with. He believed her, afterall, she never heard anything from him. The whole matter could only be tranted to one thing, they were doing something forbidden.


    ¡± Am tracking down her phone.¡± Ronald announced, happy that he had secretly installed a tracker on her phone and ne. Don¡¯t get him wrong, this wasn¡¯t meant to spy on her, it was for tracking her down Incase she ran into trouble. He was a Mafia Lord and had Made many enemies over the years. She could be used as a leverage to get to him. She was his Achilles heel and using her, he could be dealt a serious blow by his enemies.


    Meanwhile at the Carls family house.


    The family of five had just finished their dinner when Mrs Carls saw that his son inw was in a bad mood.


    ¡± What is it son, do you miss Stacy already?¡± She asked Gabriel and he nodded honestly.


    ¡± Then why didn¡¯t you just go with her?¡± Mr Carls said displeased. He was in Ava¡¯s mood after his wife ignored him for her son inw.


    ¡± She said I can¡¯t go because it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Gabriel replied honestly. Before she left, Stacy had informed him that the reason he couldn¡¯t tag along was because she was going on a dangerous mission and taking him with her would endanger his life. He believed her and stayed behind.


    ¡± Huh! I guess watching male strippers dance is dangerous.¡± Mrs Carlsmented with a snort.


    ¡± What do you mean?¡± Mr Carls asked, wondering what the hell his wife was talking about.


    ¡± I overheard her talking with her friends. From what I heard, they¡¯ll be hosting a pool party with a lot of male strippers.¡± Mrs Carls reported. Turning to look at Gabriel, she added,¡± am telling you, if you don¡¯t go find your woman, she¡¯ll see handsome men with a great body and that¡¯s how she¡¯ll leave you and go to them.¡± She said seriously.


    Gabriel felt his heart constrict in pain. Handsome and good-looking men? He couldn¡¯t allow them to take away his woman. Not when he was trying his best to make her fully ept him. Thinking about her earlier words of increasing his stamina and working out for a good body, he wondered if she liked well built men. If so, he was willing to do anything as long as she doesn¡¯t go watch other men secretly.


    ¡± Stop scaring the poor boy.¡± Mr Carls nudged his wife. Even though he didn¡¯t like his son-inw for taking his wife¡¯s attention from him, he couldn¡¯t watch his pitiful look after hearing his woman was out admiring other men. He as a Man of course understood the pain associated with those words. He had experienced it first-hand years ago. His wife was fond of going to stripper¡¯s clubs to watch male strippers pole dancing. To satisfy his wife¡¯s weird hobby, he ended up learning how to do pole dancing. For a regr Man that would be embarrassing but he was no normal Man, he was a wife ve. Anything for his wife.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Well I am saying the truth. You should hurry up and find her, otherwise don¡¯t cry to meter. I won¡¯t help you.¡± Mrs Carls said with an exaggerated serious expression. She was determined to ruin the pool party for her daughter after thinking that she couldn¡¯t join her. Ofcourse, she wanted to, but her husband wouldn¡¯t let her, so why would she allow her daughter to have the fun alone?


    ¡± Where can I find her?¡± Gabriel asked with a worried expression on his face. He would not watch as his woman slid away from him.


    ¡± Good boy. I¡¯ll ask the chauffeur to take you to the hotel. ¡± Mrs Carls announced. Her mission was a sess, she was gloating inwardly. After Gabriel left, only the two of them were left in the room.


    ¡± What?¡± She could feel the piercing gaze from her husband Even without looking at him.


    ¡± Do you have to ruin it for your daughter?¡± Mr Carls asked.


    ¡± Do you have a problem with that?¡± Mrs Carls challenged.


    ¡± Of Course not.¡± Mr Carls denied immediately, not wanting to get to his wife¡¯s bad side.

 Eat and drink

    Back at the imperial hotel. The girls had just finished swimming and changed to dry and warm clothes for the night.¡± An fucking hungry!¡± Avamented, making the other girlsugh. ¡± That¡¯s something you¡¯ll never leave behind.¡± Luciamented. ¡± With the amount of food you take, I wonder why you haven¡¯t be a pumpkin.¡± Stacy added.¡± It has a strong and good metabolic system. I don¡¯t need to limit my food intake.¡± Ava said proudly. She could eat about anything and everything and you¡¯ll never see her gaining weight. Being in the entertainment industry, weight maintenance was very crucial but not to Ava. That was the least of her worries.¡± Let¡¯s eat and drink. The night is still young. The strippers will be here in an hour.¡± Lucia announced and Ava whistled. She was very much excited for tonight. Getting away from that control freak of a boyfriend sounded like a good n and fun.¡± Go ahead. I¡¯ll see if I received any important calls.¡± Miranda said trying to excuse herself only to be pulled back by the three girls.¡± Forget about your phone for tonight and just rx.¡± Stacy said. She was the workaholic in the group yet she managed to keep her phone away just for tonight before she could receive an emergency call seeking her attention. That¡¯s how the girls ditched their phones for fun not knowing that their partners were anxiously trying to get through to them. thtThe girls had just finished swimming and changed to dry and warm clothes for the night.¡± An fucking hungry!¡± Avamented, making the other girlsugh. ¡± That¡¯s something you¡¯ll never leave behind.¡± Luciamented. ¡± With the amount of food you take, I wonder why you haven¡¯t be a pumpkin.¡± Stacy added.¡± It has a strong and good metabolic system. I don¡¯t need to limit my food intake.¡± Ava said proudly. She could eat about anything and everything and you¡¯ll never see her gaining weight. Being in the entertainment industry, weight maintenance was very crucial but not to Ava. That was the least of her worries.¡± Let¡¯s eat and drink. The night is still young. The strippers will be here in an hour.¡± Lucia announced and Ava whistled. She was very much excited for tonight. Getting away from that control freak of a boyfriend sounded like a good n and fun.¡± Go ahead. I¡¯ll see if I received any important calls.¡± Miranda said trying to excuse herself only to be pulled back by the three girls.¡± Forget about your phone for tonight and just rx.¡± Stacy said. She was the workaholic in the group yet she managed to keep her phone away just for tonight before she could receive an emergency call seeking her attention. That¡¯s how the girls ditched their phones for fun not knowing that their partners were anxiously trying to get through to them.¡± Found them.¡± Ronald eximed making Justin to snatch his phone and see the location disyed on the GPS tracker.¡± Imperial hotel? What could she be doing there? Did she decide to look for an ¡­..¡± Before Justin could finish his spection, Ronald blocked his mouth with the palm of his hand, not wanting to hear anymore. He didn¡¯t want to be cursed with that fate.¡± Am heading out now.¡± Ronald announced picking his car keys and taking long strides walking away.¡± Wait for me.¡± Justin could only shout at the retreating back. He pulled a wad of cash and ced them on the table before running after his Best friend. If Ava was in the hotel, it was more likely that Miranda was also there, he could bet on that. On the way to the hotel, Justin confirmed to Kiel the location of the girls and he promised to meet them there. Ronald drove at a terrifying speed. What was supposed to be a thirty minute drive turned into a fifteen minute drive. He couldn¡¯t settle until heid his eyes on his little woman. He was determined to punish her until she begged for forgiveness, making him anxious and intolerable. The boys had just arrived at the hotel entrance when they found what seemed like an argument.¡° I am here for Miss Carls. Her parents send me here to fetch her.¡± The Carls family chauffeur exined to the well built men standing on guard at the entrance. They seemed pretty strong, above average for a security detail.¡± Am sorry but you have to leave. I have strict rules from the event hosts that unless you have the red passcard, you ain¡¯t allowed to enter.¡± The guy replied respectfully.¡± What¡¯s going on here ?¡± Ronald asked the two people who were arguing to and forth.¡± I wanna make entrance and take my little miss home but they wouldn¡¯t let me.¡± The chauffeurmented.¡± Oh, is that so, mark? It turned out the well built and masked was nobody else than the newly crownedmander. His presence alone confirmed the presence of the queen and that tranted to finding that little disobedient woman.¡± Am sorry but the queen specifically instructed that nobody should be allowed in, irrespective of their status or rtionship with her.¡± Mark exined hoping the gentlemen would understand and not make things hard for him. gw to g


    The girls had just finished swimming and changed to dry and warm clothes for the night.


    ¡± An fucking hungry!¡± Avamented, making the other girlsugh. ¡± That¡¯s something you¡¯ll never leave behind.¡± Luciamented. ¡± With the amount of food you take, I wonder why you haven¡¯t be a pumpkin.¡± Stacy added.


    ¡± It has a strong and good metabolic system. I don¡¯t need to limit my food intake.¡± Ava said proudly. She could eat about anything and everything and you¡¯ll never see her gaining weight. Being in the entertainment industry, weight maintenance was very crucial but not to Ava. That was the least of her worries.


    ¡± Let¡¯s eat and drink. The night is still young. The strippers will be here in an hour.¡± Lucia announced and Ava whistled. She was very much excited for tonight. Getting away from that control freak of a boyfriend sounded like a good n and fun.


    ¡± Go ahead. I¡¯ll see if I received any important calls.¡± Miranda said, trying to excuse herself only to be pulled back by the three girls.


    ¡± Forget about your phone for tonight and just rx.¡± Stacy said. She was the workaholic in the group yet she managed to keep her phone away just for tonight before she could receive an emergency call seeking her attention. That¡¯s how the girls ditched their phones for fun not knowing that their partners were anxiously trying to get through to them.


    ¡± Found them.¡± Ronald eximed, making Justin snatch his phone and see the location disyed on the GPS tracker.


    ¡± Imperial hotel? What could she be doing there? Did she decide to look for an ¡­..¡± Before Justin could finish his spection, Ronald blocked his mouth with the palm of his hand, not wanting to hear anymore. He didn¡¯t want to be cursed with that fate.


    ¡± I¡¯m heading out now.¡± Ronald announced picking his car keys and taking long strides walking away.


    ¡± Wait for me.¡± Justin could only shout at the retreating back. He pulled a wad of cash and ced them on the table before running after his Best friend. If Lava was in the hotel, it was more likely that Miranda was also there, he could bet on that.


    On the way to the hotel, Justin confirmed to Kiel the location of the girls and he promised to meet them there.


    Ronald drove at a terrifying speed. What was supposed to be a thirty minute drive turned into a fifteen minute drive. He couldn¡¯t settle until heid his eyes on his little woman. He was determined to punish her until she begged for forgiveness, making him anxious and intolerable.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    The boys had just arrived at the hotel entrance when they found what seemed like an argument.


    ¡± I am here for Miss Carls. Her parents send me here to fetch her.¡± The Carls family chauffeur exined to the well built men standing on guard at the entrance. They seemed pretty strong, above average for a security detail.


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry but you have to leave. I have strict rules from the event hosts that unless you have the red passcard, you aren¡¯t allowed to enter.¡± The guy replied respectfully.


    ¡± What¡¯s going on here ?¡± Ronald asked the two people who were arguing to and fro.


    ¡± I wanna make entrance and take my little miss home but they wouldn¡¯t let me.¡± The chauffeurmented.


    ¡± Oh, is that so, mark? It turned out the well built and masked was nobody else than the newly crownedmander. His presence alone confirmed the presence of the queen and that tranted to finding that little disobedient woman.


    ¡± Am sorry but the queen specifically instructed that nobody should be allowed in, irrespective of their status or rtionship with her.¡± Mark exined hoping the gentlemen would understand and not make things hard for him.

 Limits

    ¡± Does everyone also include me?¡± Justin who just arrived heard the conversation between his best friend and histe brother¡¯s right hand Man who was now the head of security for the queen.


    ¡± Prince Justin.¡± Mark greeted politely, with his head held low.


    ¡± Answer the fuc. king question damn it!¡± For the first time in his Life, Justin cursed making Ronald look at him with a smirk on his face and mark to widen his eyes. It was the very first  ever gracious prince Justin cursed, that was a clear indication that he was pushed to his limits.


    ¡± Yes, the rules state that no one is to be granted entrance except the group of dancers invited by the Ladies.¡± Mark reported only to realise that he had spilled the beans.


    ¡± What dancers?¡± Ronald asked, squinting his eyes dangerously. He was getting a wrong vibe from all this.


    ¡± ¡­ I can¡¯t say More, it¡¯s confidential.¡± Mark replied trying to put up a brave stand In Front of the mafia Lord but truth is he was trembling inside. Who didn¡¯t know the reputation of the Johnston family which was singlehandedly led by the devil AKA Ronald Johnston. His name was enough to make people pee in their pants. Mark felt that if this continued, he might not be able to take the pressure and might end up fainting. It didn¡¯t help that the gentle Prince was now zing like a cksmith¡¯s fire.


    The men were busy ring daggers to each other when Kiel arrived. Walking towards the boys, he could feel the tension in the air. It was suffocating.


    ¡± What¡¯s the matter Justin? Have you found the girls already?¡± Kiel asked.


    ¡± Yeah.. it turns out they booked a whole hotel to Host a party. Only God knows what they are doing now.¡± Justin replied. He trusted Miranda to be a rational woman but with the other three girls in the picture, he wondered what ideas they managed to put in her head. He didn¡¯t trust that wild girl Ava, she was a dangerous species but he wouldn¡¯t voice out his opinion to his already brooding friend, he still wanted to live longer after all.


    ¡± They are responsible girls, I wonder why you are worried. You should Just let them rx if that¡¯s what they needed. The reason they didn¡¯t tell you was because they wanted their alone time. You should learn to trust and respect their choices as their partners.¡± Kiel said. To him, Lucia was the most responsible woman he had met. In the years of their contractual rtionship, she never looked at other men aside from him. She treated him with respect as if he was her lover. So how could he not trust her?


    ¡± You do have a point.¡± Justin finally came to his senses. ¡± We should go back and wait for them at home.¡± He added.


    They were about to leave when Gabriel finally stepped out of Carl¡¯s family car. The chauffeur had instructed him to stay put as he tried to find a way in. He witnessed the three other men arrive and be denied entrance but seeing them Leave, his worries intensified.


    Walking towards them, Kiel was the first one to spot him.¡± Yo, loverboy! Why are you here?¡± He asked enthusiastically. He was d that they finally got back together otherwise he would me himself for their separation Forever. But before Gabriel could answer, a van halted at the entrance.


    ¡± Are the strippers already here? The girls are getting impatient.¡± The Manager who was under pressure rushed to the entrance. He personally checked their redpass before allowing them entrance.


    The Men stood frozen on the ground after hearing the words of the Manager. Strippers? How could they?


    Ronald who was about to enter the car took a sharp turn back and strode to the gate. The Manager who was about to leave saw an extremely angry Man walking to his side, fury painted on his face.


    ¡± Sir, how may I help you?¡± Despite the intimidation, he gathered his courage to ask. Working as a Manager for years, he had met countless different people and learned to mask his emotions very well.


    ¡± What strippers are you talking about?¡± He asked, his cold and menacing voice sending chills to the manager¡¯s body.


    ¡± It¡¯s confidential.¡± The Manager replied. He was on the verge of breaking down facing the intimidating giant In Front of him. Of Course he recognized this man as the mafia Lord and the third Prince of the state.


    ¡± I don¡¯t like asking a question Once. Answers or your family!¡± Ronald threatened, his expressions resembled a grim reaper all the way from the depths of hell.


    The Manager understood the threat. It¡¯s either he spills the beans or his family would be put in the line. He was torn between his loyalty to the queen or the Life of his family members. As a family man, he could only silently apologise to the Ladies in the heart before spilling the beans.


    ¡± Those are the male dancers specifically hired to entertain the guests Inside.¡± He said in one breath. Yes, he chose to be a traitor and save his familyThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Good, now I want you to open this gate. We are going in ¡± Ronald announced. It was no longer a request, it was amand and from the look of things, a no would result in serious consequences.


    ¡± But¡­¡± Mark tried interjecting but was short of a warning re to stay out of the issue. Mark understood very well when to take a step back. He knew both sides from a personal level and understood the rtionship between the boys and the Ladies. He could only surrender and allow them to pass.


    The four Men took hurried steps. You could think that they were going  rescue mission. Their expressions were ugly, even Kiel who had convinced them to trust their women no longer had that thought in mind.


    Arriving at the poolside, what they saw made their blood boil with fury. The music was loud and Men were seen on the floor grinding their hips and shaking their ass. es while the girls kept throwing notes on them whileughing happily. They were behaving so wildly, of course Ava¡¯s situation was worse. While the stripper danced, she couldn¡¯t stop her itching hands from feeling his abs with a fawning expression on her face. Seeing this, Ronald finally exploded.

 Cheeks

    In less than three minutes, the once Happy atmosphere was filled with shrieks as the strippers were manhandled. The lucky ones ended up plunged in the pool.


    not less than three minutes, the once Happy atmosphere was filled with shrieks as the strippers were manhandled. The lucky ones ended up plunged in the pool. s than three minutes, the once Happy atmosphere was filled with shrieks as the strippers were manhandled. The lucky ones ended up plunged in the pool.


    ¡± Scram!¡± Ronald roared menacingly. If those men stayed a minute more, he was bound tomit murder and that¡¯s thest thing he wanted his little woman to see. The beast in him was something he wouldn¡¯t want to show her. She would be scared and run away from him if that happened. And that¡¯s thest thing he wanted from her.


    Ava could see the fury burning in Ronald¡¯s ck orbs. For a minute, she thought that they had changed colour from ck to white. She was terrified. She knew very well that she was done for, they were done for. There was no way to escape. She tried freeing herself from his tight grip only to have him tighten his hold on her.


    ¡± Let me go.¡± Ava said, struggling. She would rather run for her dear life than get confronted by the angry beast before her.


    ¡± Be good or I¡¯ll drown you in this pool.¡± Ronald threatened. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to coerce her, in circumstances like this, only violence could work. Ava understood the intensity of his words, with his personality, he could carry out his threat. On such a chilly night, who would want to get drowned? She stood still.


    After the male dancers scurried away, the atmosphere instantly turned quiet. Nobody said anything, only res from the men and lowered heads from thedies remained.


    ¡± What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Justin finally broke the silence, directing the question to no one but of course, the girls knew that it was their query to answer.


    Silence. No answer.


    ¡± Am asking a question and I demand answers.¡± Justin said yet again but still, nobody was willing to answer. He turned to look at Miranda who was still seated in her previous position, not caring about anything as she sipped her wine. Feeling the heated gaze directed to her, Miranda looked up and only shrugged innocently, like everything happening around had nothing to do with her.


    Justin could tell that he was not receiving any answer from his stubborn mate, so he turned to look at the other girls.


    ¡± Don¡¯t you have eyes? We were obviously having the night of our life if you didn¡¯t barge here like madmen and interrupted everything.¡± Lucia yelled, pissed.


    ¡± Does the night of your life involve inviting naked men to dance for you?¡± Kiel asked. He was angry but he couldn¡¯t afford to piss his woman. They already interrupted their fun, he was sure she was fuming inside.


    ¡± Yeah, that involves everything you saw. What?¡± You don¡¯t like it?¡± Lucia questioned angrily. After nning for everything, how dare they interrupt their fun and act like they were offended.


    ¡± Do you all realise that you have partners and shouldn¡¯t be doing some things?¡± Ronald barked.


    ¡± So what if we have partners! We ain¡¯t married yet.¡± Stacy confronted him, not backing down despite the re from the mafia Lord. Gabriel, who was hugging Stacy in his arms, flinched after hearing her words. He never knew sfe could be this fierce. The Stacy he knew was very gentle and hardly got mad. Ste seemed to be pissed off.


    ¡± Irregardless of whether you are married or not, you shouldn¡¯t be behaving like wild teenagers.¡± Ronald said, his voice gentler than before. Ofcourse, they were just mere boyfriends and didn¡¯t have full authority over them.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have the power to dictate what the hell we do or don¡¯t do!¡± Lucia said angrily.


    ¡± Calm down hun, nobody is dictating what you want to do or not. Think about the baby and don¡¯t get too upset.¡± Kiel could only try and cate his raging wife.


    ¡± Besides, we are free women. You don¡¯t even treat us as your partners, what¡¯s with the questioning tone?¡± Ava finally found her sound and pushed Ronald away. ¡± Do you remember the reason I am here in the first ce?¡± She added, looking at Ronald with anger.


    Ronald could only sigh with frustration. Of Course he knew why she was here in the first ce. He had refused to be intimate with her and she Left . Now she could only ease his anger and take a step back.


    ¡± Okay, I admit to my mistakes. Let¡¯s go home and talk okay?¡± Ronald said, moving to embrace Ava from behind.


    ¡± Talk? Talk about what? I thought you said that that topic was out of discussion?¡± She questioned, her arms akimbo.


    ¡± Come on baby! Don¡¯t make a fuss over nothing, okay, let¡¯s go home First.¡± As a mafia Lord, words were the least he used in conversations. He preferred actions than words but in a situation like this, his mafia skills were of no use.


    ¡°I am making a fuss? Who¡¯s making a fuss between the two of us? First you don¡¯t agree to my requests and when I go out to blow off some steam, you follow me, ordering me around as if I am your little daughter?¡± How could Ava back down and let the Man go Scot free.


    After serious arguments between the couples, the matter was finally resolved and each partner took their Lady home.


    Justin drove home quietly as Miranda rested her head on the window sill. No one spoke throughout the journey. Instead of driving to the castle, Justin drove to their Vi. He wanted to spend the night by her side, something that was impossible at the castle. With his father-inw the King keeping his hawk-like eyes on him, there was no way he could sneak to the Queen¡¯s chamber. He missed cuddling with her and since the opportunity was presented to him, why not exploit it to the fullest.


    At night, they were cuddled together when he decided to approach the matter concerning tonight.


    ¡± Honey, can you not go to such parties in the future?¡± He cautiously breached the topic.


    ¡± Hmm?¡± Miranda hummed.


    ¡± Don¡¯t go to such parties, I really feel ufortable.¡± Justin exined.


    ¡± Why?¡± Miranda tly asked. She didn¡¯t see anything wrong with the party. Actually, she had to admit it was fun until the boys decided to ruin it for them.


    ¡± Because I am jealous.¡± Justin admitted.¡± I only want you to see my body, touch only me. Only I can see your beauty ¡± he dered possessively, making Miranda smile.


    ¡± Okay.¡± She replied.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± Really hun? You promise to never attend such parties in the Future?¡± Justin couldn¡¯t control the excitement in his voice, a reflection of how happy and satisfied he was with her answer


    ¡± I promise.¡± Replied Miranda. Ofcourse she had decided however fun the party was, she wouldn¡¯t attend such in the future. Afterall she had responsibilities as the Queen of the State and a royal reputation to safeguard.


    ¡± Thanks hun.¡± cing a smacking kiss on her cheeks, Justin finally gave in to drowsiness.

 Family

    Miranda and Justin¡¯s story.


    Everything was running well with State affairs. After Miranda took charge of the State. However, a monthter, the news about the king¡¯s departure circted around the State. A period of one month was set in honour of mourning the departed king. That had marked the end of the era of king Edward Reign that was peaceful and the start of the era of princess Miranda Sophia Reign who was now the newly crowned prince.


    After taking office, Miranda had a lot to do. From cleaning all departments, recruiting new leaders and doing away with the moles associated with the rebels. Miranda was extremely busy and hardly had time to rest. Justin who was now the new CEO of Lambert group wasn¡¯t spared either. With the Lambert group cooperating with the government on various projects, as a CEO, he was busy overseeing every operation.


    Six monthster, everything was settled. The country was at peace and the economy was growing. Everyone was happy with the new government and praised the queen who, despite being ady, proved to be a capable leader.


    Miranda had just finished attending the court hearing. Today¡¯s case was hectic. The State had a disagreement with the neighbouring country about border issues. The negotiation had failed and the neighbouring country decided to take them to Court. Of Course, the union of southern States would be judging who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong. The dispute involved a piece ofnd that was believed to be rich in oil. Of Course, the two countries seemed to disagree on which State thend belonged to since it was on the borderline.


    Miranda was very exhausted. She slumped on her seat while rubbing her temples. She could feel a migraine threatening to invade her senses.


    Miranda felt two warm palms start massaging her temples in a circr motion.


    ¡± Having a headache again?¡± Justin¡¯s pleasant voice greeted her, making her look up only to be greeted by his smiling handsome face.


    ¡± Mmmh.¡± She curtly replied.


    ¡± You should take a break from time to time. Don¡¯t tire yourself too much.¡± Justin said still massaging her temples.


    ¡± After the matter about the border is resolved, let¡¯s go on a vacation.¡± Miranda proposed. She wanted to have alone time with him. After she took office, she had been so busy straightening things up and growing the economy that she spared no time for them. Even though Justin neverined about her busy schedule, she knew he had his grievances at heart. She ignored him and his feelings in the quest to make the country a better ce for its citizens. Now, she could create time for him and their family.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Justin didn¡¯t reply. He had something else in mind.


    ¡± When are we going to get married?¡± Justin finally asked the question that was troubling him. He wasn¡¯t getting any younger and needed to have a stable family, have children and fulfil his dreams of fatherhood.


    ¡± Let¡¯s get married thising summer.¡± Miranda announced. She seriously had thought about marriage and saw that this was the best time for them to settle. With the state affairs progressing well, why not get married.


    ¡± Are you serious? Isn¡¯t it too early?¡± Justin asked doubtfully. Summer was fast approaching, only a month before it started. They hadn¡¯t prepared anything for the wedding, wasn¡¯t it such a short time to prepare for a royal wedding?.


    ¡± You don¡¯t want to get married this summer?¡± Miranda asked with a frown, she thought this was what he wanted.


    ¡± Of Course I want to get married, but how are we going to make all the preparations? As the Queen, you should hold a royal wedding. That needs time to be nned.¡± Justin reasoned out, not wanting to be misunderstood.


    ¡± A simple wedding with only close friends is enough. I don¡¯t need anything Fancy and definitely not a royal wedding.¡± Miranda said. All her life, she loved staying low-key. Things wouldn¡¯t change just because she was the queen. A simple summer wedding has always been her dream, she wasn¡¯t going to give that away for anything in this world, not even some shitty royal rules.


    ¡± Thanks hun, I¡¯ll start making The preparations.¡± Justin replied happily. She was still the Miranda he knew months ago. Nothing changed in her, She liked simple things. Even after bing the queen of a state, she still opted for a simple wedding. Only a few Ladies could still uphold their values after bing so powerful. Miranda was not among such Ladies.


    ¡± I Miss you.¡± Justin said, looking at her ever so affectionately. After being apart from Long, each busy with their matters, he missed her. He was no longer residing in the castle, Afterall, Miranda was rarely around. To fill the void in his heart, he had moved back to their Vi in the city and started living in her old room. The bed, sheets, bathroom had her scent. He could still feel her presence even when she was away. That¡¯s how he managed to survive for months amidst seeing her from time to time.


    Miranda could only smile at him. Of Course she missed him. Before, she never knew how it felt to kiss someone until she got together with Justin. After staying inseparable for months, she had gotten used to his presence in her life that she would miss him when he wasn¡¯t around. It was until recently that she learnt that missing could be suffocating. She was addicted to his handsome face and the little things they did as lovers. Not being able to see him or touch him Made her heart feel empty.


    Months ago, if you told Miranda she could be addicted to seeing a person, she would have justughed it out as bullshit but now, she believed it.


    ¡± I also missed you, very much.¡± Miranda replied coyly. She shed off her calm and Royal demeanour. Now she was More of a youngdy, acting coquettishly to her lover. There was no trace of the ice queen who governed the state within iron fist and amazed the people with her brilliant administration and development ideas. She was his woman, his little fragile woman who needed his care and protection.


    ¡°Spend the night with me here, don¡¯t leave.¡± Miranda asked, blinking expectantly. Ever since she took office and resumed royal duties, Justin moved to the Vi leaving her alone at the castle. She wouldn¡¯t be selfish to ask him to stay since she knew she wouldn¡¯t have time for him so she let it be. But that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t long for his presence at night. She wished she could apany him every night but that would be a bad impression especially because they were only engaged and not married. The King or ruler of the State was only allowed to take one partner and only after marriage, could they start living together. Although Miranda never liked the royal rules, she wouldn¡¯t do something to break the rules and tarnish the good reputation associated with the royal family.

 An item

    ¡± Anything for my queen.¡± Justin dly replied. He was happy that she was inviting him for a sleepover. That was enough for him, as long as he could sleep cuddled in her arms. Even after dating for almost a year, the two were yet to take thatst step in their rtionship. He respected her and respected her wishes and never for once Made her feel obliged to satisfy his sexual desires. Talking about the period of dating, Justin remembered that their first adversary was uing. He was not sure if she remembered some milestones in their life but he remembered, he clearly remembered. Justin had The thought of making it a special day for them. It marked theirplete year of being an item.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Miranda said with a smile. She was happy that her Man always gave in to her requests.


    The couple chatted for a while before Justin left Miranda to finish state matters that were pending. When he left however, Miranda inclined on her royal chair as she made a call.


    Since it was working hours, She decided to call Lucia¡¯s office number. The call was connected after three rings.


    ¡± Butterfly designs, how may I help you?¡± Lucia¡¯s secretary and assistant answered After greeting Miranda softly.


    ¡± May I talk to the chief designer?¡± Miranda requested.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± Am sorry ma¡¯am but the chief designer is upied right now. If you want, I can take your order and pass it to herter.¡± She answered.


    ¡± No need, help me pass the information that her presence is needed in the royal castle. I¡¯ll arrange for my secretary to make an appointment with her.¡± Miranda replied. Since she wanted Lucia¡¯s services on a professional level, she might as well be professional and schedule an official appointment with the designer.


    ¡± Okay, thanks for calling me butterfly designs, have a good evening.¡± The secretary professionally ended the conversation.


    After a few minutes, Miranda¡¯s personal phone rang. She frowned upon seeing Lucia¡¯s iing call.


    ¡± Hello?¡± She answered tly, without any emotions in her voice.


    ¡± Hello to you too emotionless Queen.¡± Lucia greeted back sarcastically. Even after all these years, their best friend never changed. After getting a boyfriend , her character changed Abit. She became a little warm but that vanished after she became the queen. The countless meetings and conferences she got ustomed to attending reverted her back to her emotionless state.


    ¡± I heard from my secretary you called asking for an appointment?¡± Lucia confirmed. Although it was Miranda¡¯s style, she still thought that after all these years, she¡¯ll learn to be more social and informal.


    ¡± Yeah, I need you to design my wedding dress.¡± Miranda revealed.


    ¡± Wow!¡± Lucia gushed. ¡± Have you finally decided to leave behind bachelorhood?¡± Lucia teased.


    ¡± Mmmh.¡± Miranda replied, her words irking Lucia who was itching for some good gossip.


    ¡± What¡¯s with your own word reply? Why don¡¯t you spill the juicy details about the wedding?¡± Lucia asked, annoyed.


    ¡± There¡¯s no details. Just a simple summer wedding with only close friends invited.¡±Miranda replied.


    ¡± Just that?¡± Lucia was puzzled. As the royal Queen, Lucia was expecting Miranda to hold what they call a wedding of the century. How did it turn out to be a simple summer wedding? She couldn¡¯t stomach such news and was confused.


    ¡± Mmmh.¡± Cmae Miranda¡¯s one word reply.


    ¡± And Justin is okay with that?¡±


    ¡± Mmmh.¡±


    ¡± Okay, let¡¯s drop that topic before you anger me to death. I still want to see my daughter being born.¡± Lucia announced. Her friend¡¯s one word answer was her signature anger dessert. She wasn¡¯t in the mood to get angry.


    ¡± Do you have any specific details for your gown?¡± Lucia decided to focus on the task at hand, momentarily giving up on her questioning section since she wasn¡¯t getting any decent answers.


    ¡± Nothing. Just design something of your choice. I am not picky.¡± Miranda replied. She was confident in her friend¡¯s designs and knew she could count on her on that matter. Ofcourse, Miranda was clueless when it came to designing and fashion and could only count on the gurus to help her out.


    ¡± Are you serious? A wedding is a one-time event. You should be Keen on some of these things. You¡¯ll never wear a wedding dress ever again.¡± Lucia reprimanded her friend. Her nonchnt behaviour was getting out of hand.


    ¡± You should know the reason I decided to contact you. I Know nothing about designs and everything looks the same in my eyes.¡± Miranda finally replied. To her no matter how beautiful or well crafted a cloth was, to her what mattered was if it was wearable or not.


    ¡± Okay, leave everything to me, I¡¯ll make sure you look like Cindere on your wedding day. And Miranda, it¡¯s been long since we went out, we should meet and catch up with the rest of the girls.¡± Lucia added..


    After that fateful night like six months ago, everybody got busy and hardly had time for hanging out. But despite their busy schedules, they would still create time to video call. That was the most they couldmunicate and meeting was close to impossible. Miranda was busy with State affairs while Lucia was concentrating onpleting the orders before taking her maternity leave that woulde in two months time. Stacy on the other hand was busy with her own hospitals, not to forget she was also pregnant and expecting in three months time. Ava had finally Made the decision to be a stay home wife and quit the entertainment industry. She was also four months pregnant with triplets.


    Afterining and throwing tantrums about her boyfriend¡¯s reluctance to be intimate with her, he finally gave in, shooting three little buns into her womb. Although she was only four months pregnant, her belly was bigger than Lucia¡¯s who was almost seven months pregnant. Now, all she did wasin how tiring the pregnancy was.


    ¡± I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Miranda replied before disconnecting the call.

 Get sorted

    A month passed by and summer arrived. The day of their wedding finally arrived. The girls were seated around a table having a girl¡¯s talk. They had wanted to throw a bachelorette party for Miranda but the boys refused with the excuse that they were pregnant. However, they were allowed to spend time together on the night before the wedding, here they were, catching up and reminiscing about their olden days.


    ¡± I can¡¯t believe Miranda is finally getting married.¡± Ava said happily. She was happy with her friend.


    ¡°¡® Me too. I was afraid she would remain single forever. With her character, of course one couldn¡¯t help but worry.¡± Luciamented.


    ¡± She deserves it. Everyone deserves to find their other half and live happily.¡± Stacymented.


    ¡± What about you? When are you getting married?¡± Lucia asked, directing the question to Stacy.


    ¡± Who? Me?¡± Stacy asked, trying to about their gaze. A clear indication she was guilty of something.


    ¡± Who else if not you?¡± Ava retorted, narrowing her eyes at Stacy.


    ¡± I am already married.¡± Stacy finally announced making Ava and Lucia gasp loudly while Miranda just stared at her, no emotions on her face.


    ¡± Traitor! How could you get married without telling us?¡± Ava said in an usatory tone.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    ¡± I was ckmailed to getting married okay, I also don¡¯t know how it happened.¡± Stacy replied, heaving a helpless sigh.


    ¡± What do you mean by that?¡± Lucia was the one who asked for rity.


    ¡± That old fox pretended to be on the verge of dying and begged me to marry his grandson. They were in cahoots with my parents so I gave in to make him happy. Only to realiseter I was tricked.¡± Stacy narrated.


    ¡± How could you fall for such a cheap trick? You are a doctor afterall.¡±Lucia was finding it hard to believe how dumb their friend could get to fall for such. Even she could tell that it was all a calcted move.


    ¡± me the pregnancy hormones. I used emotions to think rather than my head. So here I am, a married woman with no marriage ceremony.¡± Stacy said,menting her fate. But above everything, she was happy nevertheless. It didn¡¯t matter how they got married, to her as long as Gabriel was the groom, she would willingly marry him even without a wedding ring. That¡¯s how much she loved her man.


    ¡± Aren¡¯t you going to have an official wedding ceremony? We took an oath to be each other¡¯s bridesmaids.¡± Ava said.


    ¡± After I give birth to my baby. They said that I could ask for any wedding I want. But I am in no rush, wedding or not, I am happy he married me. I¡¯ll wait until my child is big enough to be the ring bearer.¡± Stacy said proudly.


    ¡± You are whipped. I can see that.¡± Luciamented. She could see the happiness and affection glittering in their friend¡¯s eyes whenever her husband was mentioned.


    ¡± I wouldn¡¯t agree less.¡± Stacy confirmed.


    ¡± We are happy for you girl.¡± Ava said emotionally. The girls who met and became friends finally were growing up and forming their families. She couldn¡¯t be happier.


    ¡± Okay, let¡¯s eat and celebrate our friendship. After tonight, I don¡¯t know when we will get the time to sit together again.¡± Lucia said emotionally. The older they grew, the more responsibilities piled up and the less time they could spend together.


    That night, the girls chatted untilte at night before they decided to retire for the night. Tomorrow, one of them will be leaving their bachelor¡¯s State. The girls were happy.


    The following morning, the girls were woken up by the sounds of the chopper.


    ¡± It¡¯s barely four in the morning, what¡¯s with that noise?¡± Ava grumbled softly.


    ¡± Good morning my future wife.¡± A chirpy voice greeted me.


    ¡± What the hell Justin! We are trying to get some rest here.¡± Lucia yelled frustrated.


    ¡± Wake up and get ready for sleepyheads. The wedding starts in an hour¡¯s time.¡± Kiel replied. He was damn sure that his wifey was fuming mad. If you wanted to get Lucia¡¯s bad book, all you had to do was interrupt her sleep and you¡¯d get it.


    ¡± It¡¯s barely five in the morning.¡± Ava shouted ¡± leave us alone.¡± She was sleepy and the morning chilliness was doing nothing to help. Their house was located near a Beach and the cold waves from the Sea were killing them to sleep some More.


    ¡°The stylists will be here in five minutes, get ready.¡± Justin announced and the girls heard their retrieving steps.


    ¡± Aaarrrgh! This is frustrating!¡± Avained.


    ¡± Who gets Married at this hour, I think that guy has gone nuts.¡± Lucia added, earning a sharp re from Miranda.


    As promised, the stylists flooded the room in five minutes time. Every girl got to be attended separately by a different stylist.


    In an hour¡¯s time, everybody was ready with the exception of Miranda who was getting dolled up. Of course, the girls understood why the extra attention, after all she was the ceremony girl.


    Thirty minutester, she was ready. The stylists left the room immediately after their work was done.


    ¡± You look so beautiful Miranda.¡± Ava was the first one toplement the wedding girl who blushed. Even she couldn¡¯te to terms with the fact that thedy in the reflection was really her. It was unbelievable.


    ¡± Yeah I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you Miranda. The wedding gown is a perfect match. Whoever chose it has good eyes.¡± Stacy added. The dress was beautifully designed. But wait¡­ Something felt eerily familiar with the design.


    ¡± Is this your work Lucia?¡± Stacy inquired after realisation hit her.


    ¡± I would have been disappointed if you didn¡¯t recognize my creation.¡± Lucia said with pride.


    ¡± I must say that I am impressed. You took on ount every feature of her body while designing this. ¡± Said Stacy. The dress was a perfect fit. It entuated every curve on her body as it clung on her like a second skin. It was embedded with rhinestones and rubies, but not enough to corrupt the purity of the dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and was backless. The dress gave off the vibe of an ice cold Queen, perfectly matching her emotionless Aura.


    ¡± Of course, I have to make sure that my friend looks the most beautiful on her wedding day.¡± Lucia said brimming with pride. As a designer, she was dedicated to her work and Loved it whenever peoplemented nicely on her work. It gave her the motivation to work harder.


    ¡± I want a dress like this one on my wedding.¡± Ava said, pouting lightly. She was envious of how good looking her friend was in her wedding dress.


    ¡± Definitely, you just need to say the word and you¡¯ll get sorted.¡± Lucia assured.


    The door to their room was knocked lightly before someone sauntered inside.


    ¡± Miranda my old friend.¡± August greeted me. She was Justin¡¯s Manager back in the days he was in the entertainment industry. She was also the one who fanned the news about Miranda kissing Justin on that fateful night. But she would never admit that to anyone.

 Brave

    ¡± What are you doing here?¡± Ava asked, her voice hostile.


    ¡± Rx girl, I am here to inform her that it¡¯s about time she walked down the aisle. We might not like each other but we share amon important person, Justin. He¡¯s going to be your husband, he was my boss and my friend so how about we bury our differences for today. I don¡¯t see why you would still dislike me, you have Justin now and he¡¯s a great guy.¡± August Said in one breath.


    ¡± She¡¯s right. I don¡¯t hate her, I don¡¯t have a reason to. Carlos Made the choice. It has nothing to do with her.¡± Miranda finally said. She never hated August for getting chosen by Carlos over her. Come to think of it, if it wasn¡¯t Carlos¡¯ rejection, that night, they wouldn¡¯t have gone to the club and meeting Justin would not have been possible. It was in a way, a blessing in disguise.


    ¡± We should listen to Miranda, if she says it¡¯s alright then let¡¯s let it slide. But that doesn¡¯t mean I like you.¡± Stacy reasoned.


    ¡± Okay, just for today. After today, I would prefer not to see your face. ¡± Lucia added.Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Seeing that all her friends had been bewitched by the evil snake, Ava could only grit her teeth in hatred and finally give in. She would do this only for Miranda¡¯s sake, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t want to exist in the same space with this woman. Ofcourse Ava understood that it wasn¡¯t the Ladies fault that Carlos chose her over Miranda but that did not ease the dislike in her heart.


    Her presence in Carlos¡¯ life was the reason Miranda was rejected and humiliated. She could still remember how downcasted Miranda was that night before they decided to go out and drink.


    ¡± You didn¡¯t forget how harsh Carlos was to you because of her right?¡± Ava reminded Miranda of the bitter reality.


    ¡± How can I forget? But I also know that matters of the heart cannot be forced. Even if she was out of the picture, Carlos would have turned down regardless. So why should we me her for what she can¡¯t control?¡± Miranda patiently exined. It was until recently she understood the magical word of love. When you Love someone, you do everything to win their attention. You try harder to make them see the goodness in you. Love makes one wanna give his all for their special one. It was a sweet feeling, not something superficial. After meeting Justin, Miranda started to question what it is she felt for Carlos.


    After getting together with Justin, she started experiencing foreign feelings, feelings she was sure she never felt for Carlos. That was when she realised that she never Loved Carlos. Maybe she admired him but that was all, no love existed even from her side.


    ¡± Okay fine. For your sake, I¡¯ll shut my mouth.¡± Ava finally gave in.


    ¡°¡®Thanks, I promise to make myself scarce From your life after today.¡± August Said gratefully. Despite knowing that they only relented because of their best friend, she was happy nevertheless they chose to be rational.


    ¡± We should be leaving, but before that,¡± removing a white blindfold from her porch, She used it to cover Miranda¡¯s eyes.


    ¡± Is this necessary?¡± Ava grunted.


    ¡± Ofcourse, otherwise the surprise would be ruined.¡± August replied, leading the girls to the Bentley parked outside. It was decorated with flowers and balloons pink in colour matching the bridesmaids dresses.


    The drive to the venue took exactly five minutes before August announced their arrival.


    The girls were the first to step down and what they saw made their eyes widen, pleasantly surprised. They couldn¡¯t control the gasps that escaped their mouths.


    With the help of August, Miranda stepped out and the blindfold removed. She blinked her eyes repeatedly trying to adjust to the sudden invasion of light. After  seconds, her sight was recovered. Looking ahead of her, she saw the most beautiful sight she had everid her eyes on.


    A venue was magnificently erected at the beach with the blue ocean water reflecting countless colours to the White clothes tied beautifully on the poles. The White sand glittered under the dim light making the whole area flow beautifully.


    An altar was erected a few centimetres above the ground. On both sides, six foot flower vessels could be seen. Flowers of different colours were then carefully arranged creating a beautiful contrast with the White covering the venue.


    Two rows of seats were arranged, each covered with a white cloth and a Pink ribbon tied behind it. She could see that everybody was already seated and watching her with turned heads


    Miranda¡¯s eyes wandered to the Man standing before the altar in his ck tuxedo suit which hugged his perfect and lean body. A white tie was carefully tied on his neckpleting his looks. He was smiling at her, and she smiled back. Her heart skipped a beat seeing him all ready, waiting for her at the altar to make the marriage vows.


    Miranda couldn¡¯t believe she was the one about to take the steps down the aisle to the Man of her choice. She couldn¡¯t believe that in a few minutes, she would be Mrs Miranda Sophia Justin. It was like a dreame true for her. She looked at the Man of her dreams with pure affection in her eyes. He was the man who taught her how to love and how it feels to be loved. He was the Man she chose amidst thousands of other male species, to love and cherish for as long as she lived. He was the Man who taught her how to be happy, how to Love. He was her Man.


    ¡± Go girl. Go to your Man.¡± August Said softly and only then did Miranda regain her senses. The three girls led the way looking all cute in pink dresses except for their bulging bellies which were making it hard for them to Walk properly. Then the music started, soft and soothing, bringing out wedding moods.


    Heart beats fast colours and promises


    How to be brave


    How do I love when I am afraid to fall?


    One step. Two steps. As Cristina Peri¡¯s song, a thousand years yed, Miranda took slow and calcted steps towards the man who was waiting for her by the altar.


    Looking at him she felt emotional. Today she will cease to be a Reign but nobody was besides her to Walk her down the aisle. Her father was no more. She was the only remaining descendant of the reign family and had no one by her side. But she was also thankful that her best friends were here with her on her special day. They were people she could always count on. Looking up at the sky, she said softly,¡± Dad, mom.. I am finally getting married. I wish you could be here but I Know you are watching me from the heavens. I promise to live happily, please give me your blessings.¡± She inwardly said and a lone tear slipped away from her eyes.

 Inside

    Justin watched as the woman he adored most in this world took slow steps matching towards him. Despite the calm demeanour disyed on his face, he was trembling with nervousness. He secretly wiped his sweat but that action did not escape his Best man Ronald who was standing besides him.


    ¡± Calm down before you faint.¡± He was amused. Justin could only re at Ronald for making fun of him. Here he was nervous and instead of gettingforted by his friend, he didn¡¯t forget to tease him.


    ¡± Wait until you are in my situation.¡± Justin retorted, making Ronald shut up immediately. Justin swore to take his revenge in the future.


    Time stands still


    Beauty in all she is


    I will be bravePlease check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    Yes, she will hold his hand and walk bravely on this long journey of life.


    I will not let anything take away


    What¡¯s standing in front of me


    The man standing in front of the altar, waiting for her could only belong to her. She would brand his mine and together, they¡¯ll live happily


    Every breath


    Every hour hase to this


    One step closer


    I have died everyday waiting for you


    For twenty six years, she had waited for him. Waiting for him to locate her and take her home as his bride.


    Darling don¡¯t be afraid


    I have loved you for a thousand years


    I¡¯ll love you for a thousand More


    It was a promise she was making before God and the witnesses. To love only him for the rest of her life.


    Step by step she walked and while Justin¡¯s mind and heart were all jumpy, she was there¡­ Standing before him.. looking at him as if he was the only person in this big world, and sure at that moment only Justin existed in Miranda¡¯s world.


    ¡± You look beautiful today¡± After regaining his senses, Justin opened his mouth with difficulty and said. He felt like his brain was suddenly fried and couldn¡¯t find the correct words to exin how beautiful she looked in white.


    ¡± Thank you.. you look dashing yourself.¡± Miranda replied, not forgetting topliment him too with her reddening cheeks. The two shared a brief hug before the priest announced themencement of the wedding ceremony.


    Everybody settled and the priest read a sermon from the holy Bible about marriage. Now, the time of taking vows hase.


    Kiel was the one who brought the rings for the couple then the officiator started.


    ¡± Do you Justin Reign, take Miranda Sophia Reign as yourwful wedded wife. To love and to hold, in good times and in bad times. In sickness and in health until death separate you?¡±


    ¡± I do ¡± Justin replied almost immediately making the crowd burst intoughter followed by thunderous ps.


    ¡± Do you Miranda Sophia Reign, take Justin Reign as yourwful wedded husband. To love and to hold, in good times and in bad times. In sickness and in health until death separate you?¡±


    ¡± I do.¡± Miranda replied with a smile and the sounds of ps anddies ulting could be heard.


    ¡± It¡¯s time to exchange rings.¡± The priest announced.


    Taking Miranda¡¯s hand, Justin said.


    ¡± I give you this ring, as a symbol of undying love andmitment. From today, I will respect, love and honour you as my wife.¡± Then he slid the ring on Miranda¡¯s ring finger and kissed it afterwards making the crowd cheer on loudly.


    ¡± Take this ring, as a symbol of my love and submission to you. From today onwards, I will Love, respect and honour you as my husband.¡± Miranda said, repeating what Justin did to her ring finger.


    ¡± By the power infested in me by thews of this state, I pronounce you husband and wife.¡± The priest said with a smile.


    ¡± You may now¡­.¡± Before he couldplete the sentence, Justin had already unveiled his bride and captured her lips with his.


    Just at that moment, the first ray of the sun shone reflecting on the couple that was kissing without any care in the world. They sealed their promises with the sun as their witness.


    The priest could only shake his head after witnessing the couple¡¯s impatience. But he wasn¡¯t offended, on the contrary he was happy. He could see a happy future for the newlyweds.


    After the couple separated, Justin immediately picked Miranda princess style making her gasp out loud.


    ¡± Hubby, where are you taking me?¡± Miranda asked since Justin was walking away from the wedding venue.


    ¡± To our wedding night ofcourse.¡± He replied as if it was the most normal thing to do.


    ¡± But we haven¡¯t attended the reception yet.¡± Miranda inquired. It was custom that after a wedding, the reception followed. So how could hepletely ignore the tradition? Besides, what wedding night? It was already morning and night wouldn¡¯te until a few hourster.


    ¡± Oh!¡± Justin put her down with a downcasted expression on his face. He was getting impatient already and wanted their honeymoon to happen as soon as possible.


    The couple did not stay for long at the reception. After toasting to a few of the important invited guests, they left, leaving behind the others to attend to the guests.


    Boarding a private jet that belonged to the Lambert group, they left the Beach.


    ¡± Where are we going?¡± Miranda asked, curious. Justin had been discreet about everything. She wasn¡¯t aware of the wedding venue until she saw it, but she had to admit that his preparations came as a surprise for her, a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find out when we get there. For now you should rest.¡± Justin said, pulling her into his arms. Miranda gave up on fishing information from him, she was sure he wouldn¡¯t spill the beans so she decided to take his advice and rest. She didn¡¯t get enough sleepst night and she could really use a few minutes of rest to replenish her energy.


    Two hourster, the jet finally descended to what looked like the middle of a forest.


    Looking around, Miranda was confused as to why they werending in the middle of nowhere.


    ¡± What is this ce Justin?¡± Miranda couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s safe here. I discovered this ce some years ago when we were ambushed and I identallynded here with my parachute. I stayed here for a week. After I was rescued , I sought the owner of the ce and bought it. I also built a house here so we will have a roof over our heads.¡± Justin exined. This ce was once his safe haven and after staying here for a week, he came to love the ce.


    ¡± Oh!¡± Miranda replied. She was fine with anything as long as she didn¡¯t encounter snakes while moving around. That was her biggest nemesis. The only thing she could never stand.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry, there aren¡¯t any snakes around here.¡± As if sensing her fears, Justin assured her.


    The ne was gone after dropping them off with their luggage. A maid approached them and helped them carry their stuff to the house.


    Miranda was expecting to see a mediocre house carelessly erected but what she saw made her fall in love instantly. The house was beyond her imagination. It was a ss house that resembled a dome. A bridge separated the forest with a big clearance that was upied by nothing but pure flowers. The wind blowing brought about a refreshing set of flowers. Miranda could see arge extension of what looked like¡­ Blue roses???


    ¡± Are those Blue roses?¡±Miranda asked, amazed. Even if she understood little about flowers, she knew that blue roses were rare and that¡¯s because they were selective and required a lot of attention and care. That¡¯s why people abandoned them and concentrated on growing the other type of flowers


    ¡± Yeah, do you like them? Justin inquired tenderly, seeing the amazed expression on his wife¡¯s face. He was happy that she liked what he prepared for her.


    ¡± Of course, they look so beautiful. The house is beautiful too. I think everything here looks beautiful.¡± Miranda gave her honest answer.


    ¡± I¡¯m d you like it. I prepared it as my wedding gift to you. I couldn¡¯t think of anything better, so I did this.¡± Justin exined remorsefully. He wanted to give her the best but couldn¡¯t think of anything at the moment. He ended up transferring the deed to this piece ofnd to her as her wedding gift. At first, he was afraid she wouldn¡¯t like it, afterall she was a woman who grew up with everything at hand. She was also the queen of a State, he was afraid his gift would be mediocre. But since she confirmed to like it, he was very happy.


    ¡± Come, let¡¯s head in. I know you must be hungry, I¡¯ll cook something for you.¡± Justin said, taking her hand and leading her inside.

 Abandon them

    Four yearster.


    ¡± Daddy, do you think mommy will make it to my birthday party?¡± A three year old bubbly girl asked tugging her father¡¯s shirt while the man was busy checking out his phone.


    ¡± Ofcourse Mommy wouldn¡¯t Miss your Party for anything in this world.¡± Her father replied brushing her hair lightly.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if he was convincing his daughter or himself. Of Course he knew that she was busy but he still hoped she could make time for their daughter.


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll go y with Robbie.¡± She announced and slid away to join her friends.


    ¡± Justin, do you think Miranda will being? Is it past the time scheduled for the party?¡± Ava approached throwing the question to Justin who was still holding his phone staring at it intently.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± She wille.¡± Justin said with certainty. He knew Miranda Loved their daughter alot and wouldn¡¯t miss her important day without a concrete reason.


    After waiting for thirty minutes More, Justin decided to start the party. The children were getting tired and hungry too


    ¡± Okay, let¡¯s invite the birthday girl here so that she can blow the candles.¡± Justin announced stering a stiff smile on his face. Just as lily was about to blow the candles, the doors finally burst open and a graceful figure appeared dressed in her royal blue attire.


    ¡± Are you nning to start without me?¡± Miranda asked, smiling apologetically to the guest.


    ¡± We have been waiting for you.¡± Justin¡¯s eyes finally lit up.


    ¡± Mommy Mommy.. You finally Made it.¡± Lily said, rushing to her mother¡¯s arms who hoisted her high while tickling her silly.


    ¡± Of Course I would make it to my precious daughter¡¯s party. I wouldn¡¯t miss it for anything, sorry for beingte.¡± Miranda said gazing at her daughter affectionately. She was the fruit of the great love between Justin and her. She was turning three this year and Justin had organised a party for her as usual. Miranda had nned to be among the people weing the guest until her secretary called her With an emergency at the office. She had to leave abruptly and take care of the emergency causing her to be two hourste.


    ¡± It¡¯s okay Mommy, as long as youe, it¡¯s alright.¡± Lily replied with a smile. She was a sensible little girl and grew up knowing that her Mommy had responsibilities to the State and would be busy often.


    Miranda felt a pang of pain hit her upon hearing her words. She was rarely there for her daughter and Justin was left to be the mother and father to their daughter Lily.


    ¡± I will take you and Daddy for a vacation soon.¡± Miranda said. She couldn¡¯t keep ignoring her family. She promised to create time for her family.


    ¡± Okay Mommy.¡± Lily was happy to hear that from her mommy. She longed for her mother¡¯s Love and attention. She was still a little girl afterall.


    ¡± Come baby, make a wish.¡± Miranda encouraged her daughter.


    ¡± I want Robbie to make a wish with me..¡± lily said shyly. Robbie was Lucia and Kiel¡¯s son. Yes, Lucia gave birth to a son and not a daughter as she wished. Their son was a good looking Young chap and lily had took a liking at him and befriended him.


    ¡± You want Robbie to join you?¡± Miranda asked. She had taken note of the fondness her daughter had for Lucia¡¯s son and was not against anything.


    Lily nodded shyly, making Miranda smile knowingly.


    ¡± Okay, let Robbie apany you.¡± Miranda said and beckoned Robbie toe forward which he did immediately.


    The two silently made a wish before blowing the candles together and a loud apuse followed.


    ¡± Robbie, what did you wish for?¡± Lily asked, blinking her eyes.


    ¡± It¡¯s a secret.¡± He replied, making lily pout.


    The birthday party continued untilte evening before the children dispersed to their homes. The kids were so exhausted that some even fell asleep.


    At night, Miranda had Just taken her bath after putting Lily to sleep when she saw Justin seated in bed, seemingly waiting for her.


    ¡°Honey, can we chat a bit?¡± Justin requested. Miranda walked to their bed, a white bathrobe tied securely around her body.


    She Sat at the edge of the bed, looking at him.


    ¡± Mmmh.¡± She announced that she was ready to listen.


    ¡± I don¡¯t want to sound like I amining or nagging you but honey, do you think you can find time and spend it with our daughter?¡± He asked and continued without giving her the time to reply,¡± I know you are busy but don¡¯t we also deserve your attention as your family?¡± Justin voiced his grievances. He tolerated her busy schedule because he understood that it was her duty and the country needed her but that didn¡¯t mean she could abandon them.


    ¡± Am sorry Hubby, I know that I have neglected you and our daughter these months. I also want to spend time with you but recently, state matters have been piling up but don¡¯t worry. As soon as I am done here, we will go on a vacation, just the three of us.¡± Miranda replied, her voice full of guilt.


    She felt bad for not creating time for her family but she was also torn between her responsibilities to the country and as a family wife and mother.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Justin gave in. Pulling her in his arms, he asked,¡± don¡¯t you think we should n for another baby?¡± Justin asked, gently kissing her neck.


    ¡± Let¡¯s n for a baby next year.¡± Miranda replied, trying hard to control the moan that threatened to escape her lips as Justin gently bit her earlobe.

 Helpless

    l Ava Smith and Ronald Johnston¡¯s story.


    The drive back home from the imperial hotel was quiet. Nobody uttered a word. Ava was leaning on her seat with crossed arms around her bosom. She didn¡¯t have any intention of talking to the Man besides her. She was still pissed off after they interrupted their fun night with the girls.


    Ronald on the other word Chose to remain quiet in fear of aggravating the already fuming Ava. He didn¡¯t want to be scolded because he knew her, her fiery temper will allow her to scold him for hours. He was also thinking about what was said at the club. Yes, he was just but a boyfriend to her who could be changed anytime she got tired of him. It didn¡¯t help that he had been hard on her requests.


    After tonight, he knew he had to fulfil her wishes as soon as possible unless he was ready to lose her, something he dreaded the most. All his life, he had been a one woman man and despite his reputation as a heartless mafia, he never took any woman to his bed. He remained faithful to her. The Mafia world came with acts of violence and as the leader, people believed that he was immoral, maybe changing women faster than how he changed his underwear but that was not the same for his case, whenever he thought of that lovely little girl who saved him that day he was pursued, he couldn¡¯t allow Even his horny self to betray her. He belonged to her as much as she belonged to him.


    After arriving at their house, Ava stepped out first and headed straight to her room, locking the door behind her. Just remembering how their fun was interrupted, her anger intensified. She also didn¡¯t like how controlling Ronald was. She was in a rtionship with him, not prison where she could only move under restriction. The thing Ava hated the most is being controlled. Be it her parents or at work, you would bring out the worst in her if you tried asserting your control on her.


    She loved her freedom alot and would never want to live like a caged bird who could only move within the four walls of its prison. At first it was fine with her. She knew that Ronald was a domineering man, so she followed his arrangements but it was bing too much, using threats to make her do his bidding and wishes. She would never take that lying down.


    To show her dissatisfaction with his behaviour, she has decided to give him the cold shoulder, the silent treatment until hees to his senses on where he was wrong. Until then, he could sleep in the guest room or wherever he deemed fit, that was the least of her concerns.


    After Ronald parked the car, he took his time walking to the house. He walked straight to their room and tried twisting the knob, s! The door was locked and no sound wasing from the room.


    ¡± Ava darling, please open up the door.¡± He said, knocking at the door slightly but no reply came.


    ¡± Please, Ava, I Know I was wrong, okay, please open the door. Let¡¯s talk okay?¡± He pleaded, again no reply. Ronald couldn¡¯t believe himself to be begging a woman to let him into his house, his room. All his life, he never begged and words like please never existed in his vocabry but now here he was begging earnestly and repeating the word please in a sentence. If his subordinates got wind of this, they wouldn¡¯t believe it or would be shocked to the core. But now, his manly ego could only be tossed otherwise he would be losing the only woman he ever Loved in his life.


    ¡± Ava, open the door. I won¡¯t leave until you let me in. Let¡¯s talk about it, I promise I¡¯ll be a better man for you.¡± Ronald pleaded.


    ¡± I don¡¯t want to talk with you. Go and reflect on yourself and leave me alone.¡± Ava finally replied but her words brought a bitter taste to his mouth while he felt his stomach churn. His heart felt ufortable just listening to her words.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± I already Know my mistake honey, please open the door.¡±


    ¡± The more you beg the more pissed I¡¯ll be, do I suggest you go and calm down. Let¡¯s talk tomorrow.¡± Ava said with finality and knowing her, Ronald knew that no amount of begging could get her to change her mind. She might be an obedient woman to his instructions, but she also got a temper and was headstrong. Once she made her mind on something , it was hard to change her. Resigning to his fate, he slid and sat down on the floor, leaning on the door. He counted on her caring heart to have pity on him and let him in so they could talk. What he didn¡¯t Know was that today was not one of those days. She would let her heart control her feelings.


    The following morning, Ava woke up early. Actually she was woken up by her grumbling stomach. She had eaten very little at the partyst night and now she was feeling hungry. Walking to the bathroom, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. She intended to make breakfast for them. Despite being angry at Ronald, she still cared about his well being and took it upon herself to take care of him. Since she wasn¡¯t going to work anymore, cooking and other house chores kept her busy. He had insisted they hire a maid since he didn¡¯t want her to tire herself but she didn¡¯t agree to that n.


    Changing out of her pyjamas, Ava worefy pants and a t-shirt and left for the kitchen. She had just opened the door when somethingnded on the ground with a thud. Looking down, she saw Ronaldying on the ground, motionless.


    ¡± Oh my God, Ronald!!! Wake up!¡± She frantically tried shaking him with no avail.


    Feeling his forehead, Ava immediately retreated her palm as if she was scalded.


    ¡± Oh dear Lord,! You are burning up!¡± She said, trying to lift his heavy weight from the ground.


    ¡± How could you be so careless? Sleeping here the whole night, do you want to get sick so badly.¡± Ava scolded him harshly. She couldn¡¯t believe he could be so careless as to sleep outside the whole night in such cold weather.


    Ava couldn¡¯t help but me herself for his current predicament. If she didn¡¯t behave so headstrong, then Ronald wouldn¡¯t beying here motionless. After struggling with his heavy body for almost ten minutes, Ava managed to put him to bed. She then took her phone and called Stacy. She was the only person Ava could think of in this situation. Stacy promised to be there as Soon as possible. ava was helpless and didn¡¯t Know what to do, she started crying regretting her silly actions. If only she knew that would happen, she wouldn¡¯t have let him stay out.


    ¡± It¡¯s all my fault honey. Am sorry.¡± She started mumbling sobbing softly.


    Ronald could hear her soft voice sobbing in his subconscious. Although he couldn¡¯t open his eyes, he still felt a pang of pain hit his heart. He had decided to wait for her to open the door for him but didn¡¯t Know how he ended up falling asleep. The weather was cold and sitting on the cold floor with only a tee forced him to develop a fever.


    He wanted to open his eyes and wipe her tears, assuring her that it wasn¡¯t her fault but his stupidity that led him to the current predicament, but his eyelids felt heavy. He was unable to flutter them open. He wanted to confirm her but couldn¡¯t . He was helpless.

 Annoyed

    After waiting for almost thirty minutes, Stacy arrived at the Vi carrying her bag. She had rushed here immediately after receiving the call from Ava who was crying. Walking upstairs, she headed straight to the only room whose door was ajar. She figured out that it was the master bedroom and true to her assumptions, she saw her friend sitting on the edge of a bed, holding a towel and gently dabbing it on the sleeping man¡¯s face.


    ¡± What Happened Ava?¡± Stacy asked with concern. It was under rare circumstances that Ava resulted in breaking down. It meant that the situation was serious.


    I- I don¡¯t-k-know¨C I -j-j-just woke up and found-hi-him lying on the-floor unconscious.¡± Ava stuttered. She was so worried that her speech was incoherent, coupled with her sniffs and sobs, Stacy hardly heard what she was saying.


    ¡± Calm down and tell me what happened to him. I need to know before administering medicine, ¡°Ava said.¡± Take a deep breath¡­ yes that way.. and then exhale¡­ Yes, just like that¡­ Now tell me what happened Ava.¡± Stacy instructed, helping her with her breathing that calmed the nervousness in her.


    Stacy¡¯s technique seemed to work magic on her and Ava soon calmed down.


    ¡°¡® I don¡¯t know what happened, I opened the door and found him lying on the floor unconscious. He was burning up when I found him.¡± Ava exined.


    ¡± Why was heying on the floor instead of the bed?¡± Stacy inquired although she had an inkling of what transpired between the couplest night. She knew Ava for years and was well acquainted with her bad temper and headstrong attitude. Stacy wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Ronald was forced to take the floor throughout the night.


    ¡± We quarrelledst night and I locked him out and told him to go sleep in the guest room. I didn¡¯t know he would be so stubborn as to sleep on the floor outside our room.¡± Ava narrated but Stacy said nothing, just narrowing her eyes on him.


    ¡± What?¡± After Stacy said nothing and only stared at her friend, Ava got irritated and snapped at her.


    ¡± Don¡¯t look at me like that zi know it¡¯s my fault and I am sorry. I¡¯m already feeling guilty.¡± Ava added with a soft voice. She couldn¡¯t project her frustrations to others.


    ¡± I have warned you to think about the consequences of your actions, see where itnded the both of you ¡± Stacy said retrieving an IV drip and connecting it to Ronald¡¯s wrist After injecting some antibiotics on it


    ¡± I already know that I don¡¯t add to my frustrations. I know I was wrong but I just wanted him to learn his lesson. Who would have thought he would teach me a lesson instead?¡± Ava mumbled dissatisfied. She only wanted to cool down for the night before having a proper conversation with Ronald the following day while he was supposed to take that time to reflect on himself, who would have thought the guy would stupidly wait for her by the doorstep all night long, finally getting sick.


    ¡± You are no longer a teenage girl anymore. You should know that you can¡¯t always act on impulse. When a couple fight or have a misunderstanding, the best way is to sit and talk their problems out. Otherwise things will just escte. Now look, your boyfriend is paying the price of your anger.¡± Stacy softly reprimanded Ava. As an elder sister, Stacy took the responsibility to educate her impulsive young sister.


    ¡± I now know that, I will follow your advice next time and not repeat my mistake.¡± Ava said remorsefully


    She could still hear the echo in her ears how Ronald had begged herst night. With his personality, she knew it was hard for him to beg yet he did it but what did she do, she let her emotions get the best of her and refused to open the door. It was her stubbornness that led them to this.


    Stacy could see the remorse in her eyes and she melted and gave up on reprimanding her More. She wanted to give Ava an earful but decided against it.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry, he will be fine. He will wake up in less than two hours. Make sure to remove the drip once it¡¯s done. Prepare something light for him to eat. He shouldn¡¯t take heavy meals for two days and ensure he takes plenty of water. He should also rest, don¡¯t force him to do it yet.¡± Stacy instructed and sniggered after thest instruction.


    ¡°Are you making fun of me? Do I have the moods or energy to do those things?¡± Avained.


    ¡± Who knows? Isn¡¯t that the root cause of all this ?¡± Stacy questioned, cocking her brows at Ava and smiling lightly.


    ¡°You should leave. You are disturbing the patient.¡± Ava could only result in chasing Stacy away lest she made fun of her to no end. Indeed, all this mess had its roots on that matter but as a woman how could she admit that openly?


    ¡± Are you chasing me away after using me? Why are you so heartless?¡± Stacy jokes.


    ¡± Do you have to make it sound so horrible? I just want you to leave so that Ronald can rest while I get busy preparing something for him. Nobody will be left here to attend to you. Besides, your darling is waiting for you at home.¡± Ava countered. The Sooner she chases Stacy away, the faster she¡¯ll be at peace.


    ¡± Okay, okay you don¡¯t have to throw me out, I am leaving by myself. Call me when you need anything. Don¡¯t forget to check on his temperature regrly.¡± Stacy said, walking away with Ava trailing behind her.


    ¡± Got it now, your sweetheart is waiting for you.¡± Ava said and locking the door immediately Stacy stepped out.


    ¡± This girl nah! Discarding me after am no longer important? Who was calling me crying her eyes out? Tsk! I better go to my darling.¡± Stacy said, opening the door to her car and driving off.


    Ava went to the kitchen and prepared pumpkin soup for Ronald. She served it in a hotpot and carried it upstairs. Ronald was sweating profusely so Ava helped him remove the T-shirt he was wearing. She then used a wet towel to wipe the sweat off his body. His well tanned skin glistened with sweat looking attractive.


    Ronald had a perfect body. It was well proportioned, without an ounce of extra fat in it. He possessed sexy six packs and a lean waist with broad shoulders. Looking at himying in bed all defenceless, Ava thought that he resembled a prey, awaiting to be pounced on by a bad big wolf that was her. She swallowed heavily looking at his deep v line that disappeared on his pants.


    His body was drool worthy. It was the kind that would make a woman drip wet just looking at it and she was no exception. But today, her thoughts only amodated worries. She had in the past fantasised many times how it would feel to have her body pinned below his masculine one. That thought alone was enough to send her sex dripping wet and her knickers filled with her juices.


    But Everytime she makes a move on him, he¡¯ll probably tell her to stop messing around or brush her off. She almost started wondering if he was sexually inactive but brushed that thought off because every morning, he would wake up with a hard on. She could also swear that whenever she teased him, he would get excited. Ava wondered if he was alright, then why did he ever give in to her advances. She had shown him severally that she wanted him but he wouldn¡¯t pay any heed to her. She even though at times that maybe she wasn¡¯t sexy enough to entice him but that wasn¡¯t true. As a woman, She knew her charm.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    She tolerated him until she decided to confront him and the answer she received Made her More angry. Not the right time? Ava wondered what bullshit was he spewing? When two people loved each other and felt mutual attraction, was there a right time to make love? To her, Ronald didn¡¯t pass as those traditional boyfriends who would wait until marriage, then what the heck was this not the right time?


    Just thinking about it Made her angry. Ava was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not realise the Man had already opened his eyes. She was still wiping his body carelessly and due to her inattention, she was wiping the same spot all along. Ronald stared at her beautiful face that had different expressions shing. From being calm, to frowning, to anger. He knew that she must be annoyed by something or someone.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ronald finally decided to break the silence, making Ava immediately jolt from her thoughts. He seemed to have startled her.

 His business

    ¡± Did I scare you?¡± Ronald asked, his voice was hoarse and cracking. His once pink lips were now White had cracks. Ava wanted tosh at him for startling her but she remembered that he was lying in bed thanks to her, her heart softened.


    ¡± No, I was lost in thought and worried about you.¡± She chose to lie. Ofcourse, Ronald could tell she was lying but he chose not to pursue the matter anymore.


    Ava stood up and walked to the bedside table. She poured a ss of water for him and handed it to him. Although she pretended to be fine in front of him, Ronald could tell that she still hasn¡¯t forgiven him. He couldn¡¯t allow her to continue being angry at him so he racked his brains, trying to find out something to improve her mood or atleast get her to not be mad anymore.


    He did not make any effort to take the ss and just stared at Ava with pitiful eyes. He wasn¡¯t that weak to not drink water but he wanted her to feed him instead. Ava Saw that Ronald had no intention of picking the ss. She knew that he wanted her to help him drink from the ss. She was reluctant but at the same time, felt responsible for his condition. She sighed helplessly and helped him sit up before arranging pillows to support him and helping him drink water.


    Ronald gulped down the entire ss and felt better. cing the ss on the table, she used it to clean his mouth. She was about to get up when Ronald grabbed her wrists.


    ¡± Honey, are you still mad at me?¡± He asked in a low voice, a voice enough to evoke pity even from a cold-hearted person. Ava did not answer. She just stared at him with countless thoughts shing in her mind. She could see that Ronald was going out of his way to show his remorse to her. Even if her heart was covered with ice, his efforts were enough to thaw that ice away.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± No, I am not mad at you.¡± She finally said in a rxed voice brimming a sweet smile on his face.


    ¡± Honey, I know I was wrong, I promise I will always respect your wishes and opinions.¡± Ronald added.


    ¡± That¡¯s just not it.¡± Ava said, serving him the pumpkin soup she prepared earlier.


    ¡± That¡¯s not it? Then what is my love?¡± Ronald inquired, confused. He thought she was still angry over what happened yesterday, so if not that, then what was it? He tried thinking if he had done something else wrong but his mind processed only two incidents, either the club matter or the issue about their intimacy. His eyes widened at the realisation.


    ¡± Is it because I ¨C I -¡­¡± Ronald stuttered.


    ¡± No silly. What are you thinking? I am mad because of the stunt you pulledst night. What were you thinking about sleeping on the Cold floor the whole night? What if it wasn¡¯t just fever you contracted but pneumonia? What would I do? Do you know how scared I was?¡± Ava poured out her frustrations and fears. If she didn¡¯t, she was afraid the stupid Man would repeat the same thing in the future.


    ¡± Am sorry, I just wanted you to let me in so we could talk.¡± Ronald said, his eyes lowered.


    ¡± Didn¡¯t I tell you we would talk the following day? You could have just headed to the guest room and waited until morning.¡± Ava reprimanded


    ¡± But I can¡¯t fall asleep without you near me.¡± Ronald defended earning a scoff from Ava.


    ¡± Didn¡¯t you sleepst night on the cold floor?¡± She questioned.


    ¡± That¡¯s because I knew you were just a wall apart from me.¡±


    ¡± You are unbelievable!¡± Ava couldn¡¯t believe his logic. To her that was such a twisted logic. He could sleep on the floor because only a wall separated them but couldn¡¯t fall asleep in the guestroom that was literally on the same house and floor.


    ¡± Come on honey, don¡¯t be mad anymore!¡± Ronald tried coercing her. He didn¡¯t want to continue fighting with her anymore, it made him feel ufortable.


    ¡± Drink the soup, you are dehydrated.¡± Ava said scooping the soup with a spoon and bringing it near his mouth but Ronald was reluctant to drink it.


    ¡± I will drink it if you forgive me.¡± Ronald said stubbornly, he knew he was pushing it but what to do, he couldn¡¯t feel any better until she said she forgave him.


    ¡± Don¡¯t push my buttons.¡± Ava threatened but the man child remained unmoving.


    ¡± Okay fine, I forgive you, happy now?¡± Ava questioned helplessly. ¡± Can you eat your soup now?¡± She added.


    ¡± Not until you kiss me.¡± He gave him yet another demand annoying Ava but she couldn¡¯t show her anger. Ava swallowed her anger and kissed him briefly on the lips. They were chapped but still soft and sweet as she remembered.


    After receiving the kiss, Ronald ate his food obediently. After the drip was over, Ava helped him remove the needles, blowing his hand gently.


    Ava took care of Ronald for three days. Of Course the guy felt better on his second day of nursing but because he enjoyed being taken care of by his woman, he pretended to be still weak until he was called to thepany for an emergency.


    Ava had just finished preparing lunch for Ronald and was taking it to their room as usual when she was surprised seeing him all dressed.


    ¡± What are you all doing dressed up? You are still recovering.¡± She questioned with concern.


    ¡± There is an emergency at the office. Don¡¯t worry, I feel just fine.¡± Ronald answered.


    ¡± But you said you feel drowsy just a while ago?¡± Ava asked, confused. She couldn¡¯t rte how a person who wasining of drowsiness not long ago was up and moving stably¡­ not unless he was¡­ pretending? But Ava dismissed that thought immediately.


    ¡± What about your lunch.. you could leave after having lunch at least.¡± Ava proposed.


    ¡± Thanks wifey, just pack it up for me, I¡¯ll eat in the office.¡± Not wanting to waste his wife¡¯s Goodwill and effort, he thought of carrying a packed lunch forter. He wouldn¡¯t know if he¡¯ll get time to have lunch so he could as well have his wife¡¯s food for lunch at the office.


    ¡± Oh okay, I¡¯ll go pack it up for you.¡± She said walking away and back to the kitchen to pack his lunch.


    Ronald walked downstairs, ready to leave. He was in his usual suit and briefcase. The car keys were dangling on his fingers. Kissing Ava, he grabbed his lunch and headed out.


    ¡± Drive carefully.¡± Ava said, escorting him to the door, like a dutiful wife.


    ¡± Mmh I will. Don¡¯t stay upte. I mighte backte tonight.¡± He said bidding her goodbye before getting to his car and driving off.


    Ava watched until the car disappeared on the huge gates before they closed automatically behind it. She sighed helplessly pitying him. He was still unwell but also had to take care of the family business. It was at moments like this she felt helpless and useless for not being able to help him in his business.

 a trap

    That night, Ronald did not go home but called Ava at night and they chatted for an hour. He reported that his other business overseas was encountering some problems and he had flown over to attend to matters little did the two know that it was nothing but a trap set for them.


    The following morning, Ava woke up and after preparing breakfast, she decided to go grocery shopping. Ronald would be arriving in the evening and she wanted to prepare something delicious for him. With that thought in mind, she donned a pair of ragged trousers, a white tee andpleted the look with White sneakers. Since the grocery store was less than ten minutes walk, she decided to walk there instead of using the car. It was a good way to kill time and keep fit too. As a former model and actor, She cared about her body weight the most. It came as a habit after being in the entertainment industry for Long.


    After walking for five minutes, Ava Saw a white van approaching her at a terrifying speed from behind. She walked away from the road and stood as far as possible to avoid getting hit in case the crazy driver lost focus.


    ¡± There are so many crazy drivers recently on the roads.¡± She murmured. Just as the car was about to reach her, it suddenly slowed down and two bulky men stepped out pointing guns at her.


    ¡± Holy shit!¡± Ava cursed wondering why of all people she managed to catch the attention of these crazy bastards.


    She was roughly dragged and dumped to the van before the van sped away. She was still wondering if this was another case of kidnapping that had been rampant in town when one of the men removed his phone and made a call.


    ¡± Boss, we captured the bitch.¡± He reported immediately the call was connected and that¡¯s when Ava realised that this wasn¡¯t any random kidnapping, she was the Target. But who could hate her so much to kidnap her? After being in the entertainment industry, she could count with her fingers the number of people she offended and none was powerful enough to orchestrate a kidnapping.


    Then her mind immediately runs to one person, Ronald. Ofcourse, Ava was aware of Ronald¡¯s second identity as the Mafia Lord but that never bothered her. Their rtionship was never public afterall. She remembered how she had dismissed his idea to have bodyguards following her saying it was creepy. Turns out he had an idea I could be in danger anytime as long as I remained by his side.


    ¡± Copy that.¡± The man answered after listening to instructions which Ava assumed were from the Boss and the person who wanted her kidnapped. She could only pray that Ronald realises that she¡¯s missing andes to rescue her.


    ¡± To the warehouse near the port.¡± The Man barked the instructions and the van took a sharp u turn throwing me off bnce, sending me flying and hitting my head.


    Nobody spoke throughout the journey. I could feel a sticky liquid dripping down my face and I didn¡¯t need anyone to tell me that I was injured. I could tell from the head splitting pain I felt earlier after bumping into the metallic body of the van.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    Lifting my head, I tried looking at the four masked men who kidnapped me and was shocked to see a familiar face, or rather a familiar scar. I could recognize that ugly scar anywhere even in my dreams. But what is he doing here, was I really kidnapped by the rebels? That scarred Man was among the people sent to kidnap Stacy¡¯s boyfriend, Gabriel. Everybody thought he died, turns out he was still alive. Ava couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the scumbag had nine lives like a cat. How could he escape danger Every Time?


    ¡± What are you looking at bitch?¡± The scarred Man asked, irritated, sending a flying p to Ava¡¯s face which immediately turned red with a big handprint on it.


    ¡± What are you doing? The boss said not to injure her?¡± Another Man reprimanded. The same Man who Made the call. After getting a hot p, Ava dared not look up anymore before she drew that psychopath¡¯s wrath again.


    The van came to a stop and Ava was dragged like a rug. They entered what appeared like an abandoned warehouse. It was dimly lit and had old corrugated metals. One could tell it used to be apany before abandoned for whatever reasons.


    ¡± Go lock her up. The boss will meet herter. Don¡¯t try anything funny with her.¡± Their leader instructed and the scarred Man manhandled Ava, pushing her towards what seemed like an isted room. The door was unlocked and Ava was roughly pushed in before the door was immediately locked. Due to the intensity of the push, she lost her bnce and fell to a metal scrap which scratched her elbow that it started bleeding.


    The room was pitch ck, no source of light at all. She started trembling while hugging her legs and cing her head between them. Ava was scared of darkness. It was a psychological reaction since she was young. She also hated staying in enclosed spaces but here she was, in darkness and a small enclosed four walled room. She curled herself to a ball, trembling like a leaf in winter. She felt broken and could only call Ronald¡¯s name, hoping he could hear her ande to her rescue.


    In country B.


    Ronald received a tip about the whereabouts of one of his enemies. He flew to country B and mobilised his army to n a surprise attack. He was giving instructions on how to proceed with the ambush when his cellphone rang. He wanted to ignore but something else told him to pick up so he did and what he heard Made his blood boil with fury.


    ¡± Don¡¯t you darey your filthy hands on her or else I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Ronald roared angrily.


    ¡± Easy there lover boy. I must say it was fun ying with your mind. For the first time, you fell for my trap hahahaha!¡± The manughed like a maniac.


    ¡± I swear if youy your hands on her¡­¡± Ronald was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.


    ¡± You don¡¯t have any power to threaten me. I can do what the hell I want with her. You and her will pay the price for killing my brother. An eye for an eye, a Life for a life. You chose between the two of you, who will be dying today.. I¡¯ll be waiting, don¡¯t take long.¡± And with that the call was disconnected.


    Ronald threw his phone to the wall smashing it to pieces. He was so angry that his body trembled.


    ¡± What were those idiots doing when she was kidnapped?¡± He yelled to no one in particr, making his men flinch. Their boss hated ipetence the most. He never tolerated it and those who cked off in their duties suffered serious consequences. Seeing his anger, they silently uttered a rest in peace to those concerned.


    ¡± Prepare the choppers, we are going back.¡± He barked the orders and left. He didn¡¯t exin and nobody dared ask for an exnation, that would earn you a death sentence.


    The journey to the country took three hours. Ronald had already called Justin and Kiel asking for their help. He was aware if he wanted to save his woman faster, then he needed Miranda¡¯s help. Not because she wielded a lot of power as the queen but because he needed her hacking skills. He couldn¡¯t rx until his little woman was back again in his arms safely. He regretted not insisting on having bodyguards everywhere she went. He knew she wasn¡¯tfortable with that arrangement but for her safety, he should have insisted.

 Rebellion

    Landing at the helipad of the Johnston group, Ronald went straight to his office and found out that his friends were already there. When Justin saw the dishevelled Ronald, his heart ached for him. Of all people, Justin knew the story between Ava and Ronald the most. He knew how Ronald had to stay away from the woman he loved to protect her. They got separated or rather let¡¯s say, he Made himself scarce in his life because he didn¡¯t want her to fall victim to his enemy¡¯s revenge but at the end of the day, it still happened. He also knew what Ava meant to Ronald. She was what held him together. She was his sanity, her presence alone taming the beast in him. Justin didn¡¯t want to think what would happen if something bad happened to Ava. He was sure that Ronald would bring hell on earth. That¡¯s thest thing the State needed after his woman, Miranda did everything to restore peace in the State after suppressing the rebellion.


    Without much to say, nothing was needed to be said, Justin pulled Ronald to a brotherly hug. He wanted him to know that he can always count on them for anything. It was also a method of telling him that everything would be alright.


    ¡± I can¡¯t lose her.¡± Those were the words that came out of Ronald¡¯s mouth when they pulled away. They were full of pain.


    ¡± You are not going to lose her brother. We will save her Even if that¡¯s thest thing we do.¡± Justin assured him.


    ¡± You can count on us to save your Life.¡± Kiel added. Yes, they will do anything to rescue Ronald¡¯s life. She was his Life and her absence would turn Ronald to a robot, w lifeless structure.


    ¡± Location found, no need to be emotional. Ava has a darkness phobia. Am worried about her psychological health at this point.¡± Miranda, whose fingers were ying on herptop at a terrifying speed, announced.


    ¡± The warehouse near the port, the same area where we fought the rebels. The total number of men is twenty or so. I think they are nning on ambushing you, he never wanted any negotiations.¡± Miranda reported.


    ¡± How¡¯s the terrain?¡± Ronald asked the most important question. That was the most crucial thing in a battle. Since that man chose that ce for exchange as he suggested, then it must have its advantages. Either hard to attack or easy to defend.


    ¡± A high raised terrain. The warehouse is elevated making it easy for those inside to locate approaching people from far. On the East, there¡¯s a Forest, not More than ten acres, nothing else seems special.¡± Miranda reported.


    ¡± In that case, this is a setup.¡± Justin concluded.


    ¡± Regardless, I have to save her. I can¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± Ronald stated with certainty.


    ¡± I already sent my drones inside for a patrol, let¡¯s wait and see how the coast looks, then we can decide the best approach to attack.¡± Miranda proposed. The scenes on the screen changed and everything seemed dim.


    Meanwhile


    Meanwhile, in the abandoned warehouse.


    Ava couldn¡¯t tell how much time passed. She was slowly drifting away from her consciousness. The room was all dark and the sounds of menughing loudly while talking dirty invaded and plunged her brain like a curse. Tears streamed down her already pale face. She was scared. She was scared that today might be thest day for her. She still had a lot of things to do.


    She couldn¡¯t ept death. She was yet to Marry Ronald in church. They were yet to be intimate. If she died now, she would go to the afterlife with so many regrets.


    The door was suddenly pushed open and a masked Man dragged her away. He didn¡¯t bother to be gentle and in the process he squeezed Ava¡¯s injured elbow making her hissed in pain.


    She was pushed to the group roughly as if she was a sack of potatoes. The men here were the epitome of uncivilization.


    ¡± Don¡¯t be so harsh on the beauty. We still need her beautiful face.¡± A voice invaded Ava¡¯s ears and she lifted her eyes to look at the owner and Even if twelve years had already passed, that face still brought nightmares to her whenever she dreamt about that incidence. But how could this be possible? He was dead? She had watched his body turn limp with her own two eyes so how on earth is he alive or why is he perhaps a ghost?


    ¡± Surprised to see me? I like that face you guys give whenever you see me. I am just sad that your lover boy wouldn¡¯t let me see that. After killing so many people, he can¡¯t remember some insignificant details.¡± The man spoke again. His voice was soft and sweet, like a siren. He was lean, with a beautifully Crafted angr face making Ava doubt if the two were still the same person from that man twelve years back.


    ¡± Oh don¡¯t be surprised. Am not him. Just his lookalike ¡± the Man answered Ava¡¯s unasked question whileughing softly. Looking at the Man, you could mistake him for an Angel. He resembled one. You would never in your wildest dreams think that he was the orchestrator of the whole kidnapping matter.


    ¡± Why are you doing this?¡± Ava gathered a little energy to ask the question. She didn¡¯t want to die without knowing why she died. Even her corpse would riot in her grave.


    ¡± Wrong question darling.. you should ask what I want to do to you.¡± The Man answered with an evil smirk stered on his pretty face making him look harmless.


    ¡± U don¡¯t give reasons for my actions, I find it boring ¡± he added walking towards Ava leisurely. When he squinted his small Amber orbs, he resembled a hunter closing in to its prey, readying himself to pounce on it.


    ¡± Who are you?¡± Ava asked yet again, making the man burstughing hysterically like a mad man. Oh well, Ava was sure he was a mad man despite his innocent looks. Then the devil stoppedughing and matched her. Using his hand, he lifted Ava¡¯s Chin and the once yful look on his face disappeared, only to be reced by a ferocious look resembling a wounded beast.


    ¡± Who am I? I am a vengeful ghost. I am your nemesis.¡± He replied coldly before pushing her away, causing Ava tond in the ground with a thud. That was the first scene ying on Miranda¡¯sptop as the four people in the room watched.


    ¡± Get ready, we are leaving.¡± Ronald announced.


    ¡± Good luck, I have arranged my snipers to help you. Bring her back, I¡¯ll update you on the development.¡± Miranda said. She also understood that there wasn¡¯t more time to waste. If they did, the possibility of finding a corpse was high. After observing for a while, Miranda could tell that Man was a psychopath who wouldn¡¯t bat an eyelid to kill ady in cold blood. She silently said a prayer for her friend praying for her safety.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Thirty minutester, the team separated to three. Justin would lead the snipers team, he was good at shooting himself and could help in taking down their opponents from afar.

 Worth it

    tr The second team was led by Kiel, they were toy low and barge when the crossfire started. Ronald led his elite team to attack first. He didn¡¯t forget to bring along his bomb experts. In missions like this, it was better to be prepared for any possibility.


    Ronald and his team advanced stealthily. They were camouged and were hard to detect. Under the guidance of Miranda, they managed to execute, kill and proceed effectively. They managed to sneak to the warehouse and easily spotted Ava, tied to a post and gagged.


    ¡± Ava!!!¡± Ronald shouted running to her rescue but Ava shook her head vehemently trying to warn Ronald not to get near but the man was only concerned about her, ignoring her gestures.


    The first thing he did was to remove the rag stuffed in her mouth.


    ¡± Leave! Leave immediately!¡± Ava said, trying to push Ronald away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry hun, I¡¯ll get you out of here.¡± Ronald said  a dagger to cut the nylon rope tied around her wrists and ankles.


    ¡± Wow! What an emotional reunion. Am touched.¡± A devilish voice which sounded angelic resonated in the room and the once dimly lit room was filled with light that it was blinding.


    ¡± You bastard, I will kill you.¡± Ronald roared, anger momentarily clouding his mind. All he wanted now was to rip that bastard who daredy his filthy hands on his woman.


    ¡± Oh dear, I am afraid you¡¯ll be the first to die here. Until we meet in hell, adios.¡± The man said and the ground on which Ronald stood immediately copsed, taking Ronald with the debris.


    ¡± Ronald!!!!¡± Ava shouted before finally allowing darkness to consume her.


    ¡± Boss!!!¡± His subordinates cried but before they could register what was happening, bullets started raining on them and they rushed to take cover while firing.


    Thirty minutester, the warehouse exploded. Kiel and Justin watched as the warehouse burnt down to ashes. Tears streamed down their eyes freely. Memories of how the three of them grew up together, learnt shooting together, went hunting together, fought alongside each other. Now, their Friend was no More. He was gone. Perished.


    They had managed to escape unscathed together with the unconscious Ava after an intense battle with the enemy and managed toe out victorious but their Boss and friend were unlucky.


    A subordinate had tried going down the hollow tunnel that swallowed Ronald but the heavy scent of sulphuric acid from down the tunnel was so strong that he couldn¡¯t continue. They could only guess the fate of their Boss if what they assumed to be concentrated acid was what filled the tunnel well. But why would apany have an underground tunnel that is more less filled with acid? After contemtion, they figured out that was the devil¡¯s n all along. Kill them all in that damned ce considering how many bombs they had to diffuse.


    Ava was immediately sent to the hospital. She stayed unconscious for three days and three nights. When she finally woke up, the scene of Ronald plunging deep to the well the devil had said contained sulphuric acid reyed in her mind. The devil had said that it was impossible for anybody toe out alive but she believed in her man. He was no ordinary man, he would definitely survive.


    Ronald crawled for hours on what seemed to be an endless tunnel. It was dusty and full of insects but he was hell-bent oning out alive. He could feel the exhaustion hitting every muscle of his body but still continued. He couldn¡¯t give up. Not when his Ava was waiting for him. Thinking about her gave him the energy to keep moving.


    After what seemed like eternity, he finally exited the tunnel but was met by pitch darkness. He was in the middle of God knows where. Hisbat clothes were tattered. His body was dirty with countless bruises and cuts. He looked like a mess. Despite losing a lot of blood, he was still standing. Since it was nighttime, he decided to take a rest. His stomach was grumbling due to hunger but that was the least of his concerns. All he wanted was to get some rest and replenish his energy so that he could continue with his journey back.


    Then his mind travelled to the Man who had kidnapped Ava. He remembered that face clearly as if it happened yesterday. But something didn¡¯t seem right with his new appearance. He looked familiar yet oddly unfamiliar. Ronald remembered very well that he had put a bullet in that man¡¯s head, silencing him forever when he tried assaulting Ava twelve years back. Twelve yearster, a face identical to that kidnapped Ava, using her as bait to capture Ronald. But Ronald was not the only person the devil spawn wanted, he also wanted to get rid of Ava, but why?


    After joining the dots, Ronald correctly guessed the motive behind the kidnapping. That guy must have wanted revenge for what happened in the past but getting rid of both Ronald and Ava therefore killing two birds with one stone. He would then be the most powerful mafia Lord after Ronald, afterall, that Man twelve years ago also wanted to get rid of Ronald and take over the underworld. How unlucky! Despite his meticulous nning for years, he still failed in the end.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Using tree branches and twigs, Ronald erected a house andid down to rest. He had been trained to survive anything in the past, he would be fine. Keeping his subconscious alert, Ronald went to sleep.


    The following morning he woke up feeling refreshed. Looking around, he spotted a few herbs which he used to nurse his injuries. He knew if he left them unattended, they were likely to be infected and that was thest thing he wanted, to be slowed down in his journey. He wandered around and managed to gather wild fruits to eat. After he was done eating, he pocketed a few if he fruits for ater time if at all he didn¡¯t manage toe across other sorts of food.


    The Forest was thick and eerily quiet as a death den. But what frustrated him was walking in circles. He would always find himself at the same destination after walking around. Night came without making any progress. He rested again, hoping tomorrow, he could figure out a way to get the hell out of the forest.


    After trying for two days without avail, Ronald finally realised a way to get him out of the forest sessfully. Since he couldn¡¯t use the sun rays to know the direction because of the density of the trees preventing any sub rays from reaching underneath, he started marking his way out. Using his dagger, he left behind carved marks on the tree trunks. Whenever he came across a marking, he would change direction. After a day plus, he finally managed to exit the forest. It was the fourth day after he went missing, he was sure his Ava was worried to death about him.


    His clothes were tattered and dirty and even his body was smelling but that did not bother him, as long as he could get home and see his woman, all the struggle was worth it.

 Sleep

    Today was the fourth day after that tragic ident at the warehouse. Ava was finally discharged from the hospital and went back to their Vi. Stacy was worried about her mental health so she apanied her. It was also convenient for her to check on her and dress her wounds that hadn¡¯t healed yet.


    Stacy


    Stacy had just finished preparing breakfast and served it to Ava but the woman spared the food no nce. She just sat, staring at nothing. asionally, she would just burst to tears that wouldst for hours.


    ¡± You should eat your breakfast.¡± Stacy informed the woman who had a far away look on her face as if she was on Mars.


    Seeing that Ava had no intention of eating nor talking to her, Stacy lost her temper. Yes, she could understand her pain, afterall losing the person you love hurts like hell but that was no excuse to neglect one¡¯s health especially now that sfe was still recovering.


    ¡± You better eat your food and face the reality Ava. We are also hoping that Ronald survived and is out there making his way back to you but it¡¯s been four days already. We have searched every neighbouring town but there is not a trace of him. Do you think he¡¯s happy wherever he is seeing you neglect your body like this?¡± Stacy bursted. For three days, Ava survived with only the intravenous drip connected to her. Now that she was awake, she had to take food to replenish her energy and recover faster.


    ¡± No, Ronald is not dead. He can¡¯t be dead.¡±Ava said, crying hysterically.


    ¡± I never said he¡¯s dead.¡± Stacy retorted.


    ¡± But your words suggest that. Ronald cannot die on me, he can¡¯t bear to leave me alone.¡± She said, sobbing hard.


    ¡± Okay, since you believe he¡¯s alive. You should eat and regain your energy so that you can go looking for him.¡± Stacy coerced softly. She understood that her friend was hurt but she couldn¡¯t let her continue hurting herself more.


    Stacy¡¯s suggestion sounded like a good n to Ava. Since they couldn¡¯t find her Man, she should get well and go looking for him herself. She believed that she had higher chances of finding him. Afterall she could feel it deep inside her that he was alive somewhere, waiting for her toe to his rescue.


    Without waiting to be fed, she picked up the cutlery and started digging in with gusto. All she had in mind was regaining her energy and going to look for her man. Looking at her devouring the food, Stacy was d the strategy to get Ava to eat worked. She knew that psychological maniption will do the trick otherwise the food would remain untouched which was not good for her health.


    After taking her breakfast, Ava obediently took her medicine without making a fuss. The medicine Made her feel drowsy so Stacy helped her upstairs and stayed with her until she fell asleep. She descended the stairs nning to go wash the dishes when she caught a figure seatedfortably on the sofa. Stacy jumped on her feet uponying her eyes on the Man.


    Then she carefully studied the man and her eyes widened in shock as she rushed to the man.


    ¡± R- Ronald!!¡± She stuttered, not quite believing her eyes. For a minute there she thought she was hallucinating or perhaps her eyes were ying a prank on her until she poked his chest and he felt real.


    ¡± What the hell happened to you? Where have you been?¡± She asked without giving him time to answer. She was shocked silly but at the same time, relief washed her mind seeing him alive. She was happy.


    ¡± Which one do I answer first?¡± Ronald asked weakly. After walking for hours, he finally got home. He could feel all his muscles on fire and body worn out. He couldn¡¯t contact any of his men to help him because he didn¡¯t have a phone in the First ce. The people he met didn¡¯t spare him a second nce and avoided him as if he was a gue. Of Course, who wouldn¡¯t be? He was covered with dirt all over his body, his clothes were tattered. He had a four day old stubble and hair unkempt. Under those circumstances, even he would think that he was crazy.


    After finding his direction, he walked back home avoiding the clear paths, afraid that those bastards would still be in search of him.


    ¡± Don¡¯t answer.. go take a shower first, you really stink.. then I¡¯ll dress your wounds.¡± Stacy said, covering her nose. She was pregnant and sensitive to any smell and the foul smell of dirt and sweat was nauseating.


    Knowing her condition, Ronald did not pick a fight with her, he was too exhausted to do that. He walked to the guest room on the same floor and took a bath. Good thing he had his clothes there otherwise it would have been awkward calling for help.


    After he cleaned up, he felt better. Stacy served him piping hot porridge which he devoured like a hungry beast. He was hungry after not having a decent meal for four days. His wounds were dressed and he was given a tetanus shot.


    Stacy left since her work there was done after reminding him to call if anything happened. After he bid her goodbye, Ronald pulled his body upstairs and entered their bedroom. He saw his woman sleeping peacefully like a baby. Crawling to her side, he nted a gentle kiss on her lips before pulling her to himself and allowing sleep to take over.


    Ava was the First to stir after the effect of the medicine wore off. She tried moving only to find out she was locked in a tight embrace. She panicked but when the familiar body scent hit her, she momentarily rxed before her eyes widened in surprise .


    That scent only belonged to Ronald, there was no mistaking but how? Turning slowly, she was greeted by that all familiar Greek god face. He was sleeping with a content expression on his face. Like he was in his safe Haven. Ava couldn¡¯t control the tears streaming down her cheeks. She let them flow freely because they were tears of Joy. The joy of seeing her man alive.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    The silent sobs awoke Ronald up. He opened his eyes groggily and saw the most beautiful and attractive woman by his side. Even her cries were beautiful. Without thinking much, he pulled her into his arms and consoled her.


    ¡± Shhhh!! Don¡¯t cry beautifully.¡± Ronald said, rubbing her back in a circr motion to help her stop crying.


    ¡± Did i Wake you up? Do you want to sleep some More?¡± While he was concerned about her, she was worried that she woke him up without getting enough sleep.


    ¡± No, I¡¯m fine. I just want to watch my beautiful woman.¡± Ronald said with a smile, an attempt to cheer her up.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Ava said, a blush spreading throughout her face painting her red.


    ¡± Come lie down with me, I missed you.¡± Ronald said and Avaplied. They lied, without talking, enjoying each other¡¯s warmth.

 Card

    The news about Ronald¡¯s narrow escape spread like wildfire. His friends came to visit. It is then that he learnt that the other group was exterminated, including the man who kidnapped Ava. It is then he learnt that the lean guy and the muscr Man twelve years back were brothers and he wanted to get rid of both Ava and him to avenge the death of his brother.


    After Ava fully recovered, Ronald took her to a surprise vacation. They went to Maldives and Ronald finally decided to fulfil Ava¡¯s wish to be intimate like couples. After narrowly escaping death during the warehouse incident, he kicked away his reservation and decided to live for the moment because tomorrow was unknown.


    One monthter, Ava discovered that she was pregnant. She was overjoyed and video called her girlfriends to announce the mood news to them.


    ¡± What¡¯s up Ava, you are a glowing girl.¡± Lucia chimed.


    ¡± Yeah, she seems different. Happy and¡­ well fucked I mustment.¡± Stacy said with a teasing smile. As usual Miranda said nothing. Just listening to her friends with a straight face.


    Ava on the other hand blushed profusely after hearing Stacy¡¯s words. Ever since Ronald popped her cherry, he had be addicted to making Love to her. During that one month, they had explored every part of the house, making love in every end of the house. The sofa, bed, bathroom, dining table and even the kitchen counter. He would make her scream her lungs out moaning in ecstasy. Just thinking about their sexual life, she felt her sex release its juices, a normal reaction nowadays.


    ¡± See, she¡¯s blushing!!! Tell us girls, how is he? Is he good in bed? Does he pound you until your waist hurts? Gabriel always does that.¡± Stacy said with augh. She was also enjoying her sexual life with Gabriel. She was out of the first trimester and it was safe to be intimate with her partner. Recently, they have been having sex like bunnies in heat. With the boys living at the Carls mansion, they had all the house to themselves.


    ¡± Gosh Stacy! Don¡¯t talk like that.. you are tainting Miranda.¡± Lucia said with augh.


    ¡± Okay girls, don¡¯t make fun of me, I have some good news to announce, at the same time, I need your help with something.¡± Ava finally decided to stop their teasing. She knew if the two started, they could go on until tomorrow.


    ¡± The good news first.¡± Lucia dered.


    ¡± I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Ava dropped the bomb and sure it exploded, leaving the area pin drop. No gasps of surprise, no shocking sounds, nothing.. just pure silence.


    Ava waited for someone to break the silence but no one was doing that. They were all looking at her as if she was an alien.


    ¡± Come on, say something.¡± She finally said wondering what was with their stupid reaction.


    ¡± What the fuck girl!! Are you sure?¡± Lucia finally opened her mouth to say.


    ¡± Are you cheating on Ronald?¡± Stacy questioned sternly, her words infuriating Ava to no end.


    ¡± What do you mean if I am cheating on Ronald? Ofcourse am not!¡± Ava shrieked, fuming mad, throwing death daggers to Stacy through the phone.


    ¡± Don¡¯t get her wrong girl, I am also wondering the same.. weren¡¯t you the oneining that he can¡¯t perform in bed like two months ago. You also said that no matter how much you seduced him, he never gave in so how the hell did you get pregnant? I believe it¡¯s not a Holy Spirit pregnancy like Mary¡¯s?¡±Lucia expressed her opinion.


    ¡± Oh well.. I didn¡¯t need to seduce him, he seduced me instead and we did it.¡± Ava exined proudly.


    ¡± Expound, I don¡¯t seem to understand you.¡± Stacy said. The words though in and straight seemed twisted to her.


    ¡± I mean to say, Ronald took me on a vacation and we made Love. It turned out he wanted us to get married First but he changed his mind after the day I was kidnapped.¡± Ava expounded.


    ¡± So you mean to say he never had erectile dysfunction?¡±Lucia confirmed.


    ¡± Are you kidding me, my Man never had a problem with his di. ck.¡± Ava yelled frustrated.


    ¡± You don¡¯t need to shout, we can hear you perfectly well.. I am surprised, really! That guy never passed as the traditional one.¡± Stacy mused.


    ¡± Okay, what help do you want from us?¡± Lucia asked.


    ¡± Well I haven¡¯t told Ronald about my pregnancy.. I do want to tell him in a special way so I wanted your suggestions.¡± Ava expressed her main reason for calling.


    ¡± It¡¯s just announcing pregnancy, do you have to make it special?¡± Lucia asked.


    ¡± What do you know? Of Course it Should be special, after all, it¡¯s his first time being a father.¡± Stacy chimed in, reprimanding Lucia.


    ¡± You can choose to Cook a nice meal and tell him the good news after you are done.¡± For the first time, she finally made her voice heard.


    ¡± Isn¡¯t it too casual?¡± Ava asked. It sounded more of a date than a revtion.


    ¡± At Least she has an idea.. I don¡¯t think I can be of any help here. My announcement was made in attempt to win my man back, it was nothing special except that it was before a crowd.¡± Stacy said apologetically.


    ¡± Am clueless. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to announce myself, sorry.¡± Lucia added. They never knew about such things and were least informed.


    Although dejected, Ava thanked them nevertheless. After they said their congrattions, they hung up.


    ¡± ! Now what to do¡­¡± Ava said frustrated trying to think of what to do to surprise Ronald then an idea hit her, ¡± why didn¡¯t I think about that earlier? Although I¡¯ll be copying, I¡¯ll try to improvise a little and make it different.¡± That afternoon, Ava spend making calls, ordering different things and decorating their house to fit the asion.


    At three in the afternoon, she called Ronald and asked him toe back home early because she wanted to tell him something which he readily agreed.


    At six, she was done preparing dinner for them. She Made sure everything was ready before going to take a shower and wear the dress specifically ordered for this day.


    She was antsy as she waited for Ronald. All the lights were switched off and red coloured candles lit Illuminating the whole room.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    At seven past quarter, she heard the sound of a car. She knew very well that it was Ronald¡¯s new sports car. She was familiar with the car engine sound.


    She hid herself when she heard the door creak open.


    Ronald opened the door wanting to check on Ava knowing that she had darkness phobia only to be greeted by a dreamy scene. The house was decorated with flowers and red scented candles.


    Then he remembered she had told him about wanting to tell him something, his heart began pounding heavily in his chest.


    Walking slowly, he stepped on something. Stopping in his steps he looked down and saw¡­ a card. It was pink in colour with a white ribbon tied around it. He bent down to pick it. Contemting whether to read it or not, he decided to check the contents of the card.

 Lotus

    ¡± I only wish to be by your side in this life.¡± The card read. Ronald smiled at her words. His woman was outspoken and would always tell him how important he was to his Life. She was never shy when confessing to him, so what¡¯s with this new style of sweet talking?


    Taking the card with him, he walked further only to step on another card. He picked it up and opened it to read it. This time, it was a red card, with a rose engraved in it.


    If he was a flower


    He would be a lotus


    Pure and untainted


    Its purity brings sanity to my darkened world.


    If this was a dream


    I wish to never wake up


    Indulging to the beam


    Living for the moment


    A dream without you


    Will always lose my favour


    Wifey


    Ronald was grinning from ear to ear upon reading the love letter. He never knew his wife had a poetic nature in herself. That came as a surprise, a pleasant surprise. He might be a powerful man feared by people but at the end of the day, he was human and craved for some sweetness and spice in his life. Moving in with Ava was one of the things that made him happy, now she made him even more happier. Having someone like her by his side, he counted himself a lucky bastard.


    Proceeding with his walk, he came across another card.


    I will stand by you in every milestone of life.


    The card read that and for a minute there he was confused on what it meant. Ignoring his confusion, he walked to the table which had More decorations. Even amon person would know something specialy down that White tablecloth. He removed the white cloth covering the table and s! What he Saw confused him.


    On the tableid a cake, with a topping decorated like an infant¡¯s shoe. A Small dress that could probably be worn by an infant was also there. He also Saw a picture which was ck and white with nothing showing apart from some dots thenstly he spotted a card. Since all this set-up was confusing to him, he picked up the letter hoping to get some rity in it and he did. The letter was written in bold this time.


    ¡± WE ARE PREGNANT.¡±


    Seeing those words, a tingling sensation spread throughout his body and before he knew it, he broke to a huge smile. A smile that was dazzling and blinding. Watching him smile so happily, Ava¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was nervous about how he would react to the news knowing that a baby was never in their ns but it seemed like he was excited.


    Coming out from her hiding ce, she walked to the man who was smiling like a fool to the card and checked out the picture simultaneously. Hugging him from behind, she nuzzled her head at his broad back. At first he stiffened then immediately rxed.


    ¡± Honey, you have given me the best gift of my Life.¡± She uttered lovingly. She had always been longing to be a mother and take care of her own children. He made her dreame true, she was the happiest woman in this world.


    ¡± And you have given me the Best news of my life honey, I don¡¯t know how to express my happiness.¡± Ronald said, turning her to look him in the face.


    ¡± You have made me the proudest Man on this.¡± He added.


    That night they celebrated the news of their pregnancy. Ronald informed his parents who promised to be there the following day. He could feel their excitement.


    Eight monthster.


    ¡± Ava darling, don¡¯t be stubborn. It¡¯s dangerous to climb a tree with your condition.¡± Mrs Johnston pleaded with the heavily pregnant woman who was trying to climb a tree with adder to pick a ripe Mango from the tree.


    ¡± Dear, listen to your mother. It¡¯s very dangerous to do that. Let the maids do that.¡± Mr Johnston was wiping sweat from his face repeatedly. Over thest seven months they have been living with their son and daughter-inw, their life though happy was dramatic. Their daughter-inw was a wild one and would asionally make them have a heart attack.


    ¡± No way, I can¡¯t let others hold my fruit.¡± She refused. She had spotted a yellow juicy mango up the tree and she wanted it and she¡¯ll rest if she gets to pick the mango.


    ¡± Don¡¯t worry mother, I¡¯ll be very careful while at it.¡± She assured them with a smile. The old couple could only look at each other helpless. They only hoped that their son could get there as soon as possible. Only he was capable of talking his wife out if something.


    Ronald was going through some files when a maid barged in panting heavily. He hated it when someone interrupted him but seeing her, he Saw the fear and urgency in her eyes.


    ¡± What¡¯s the matter.?¡± He asked in a hurried manner.


    ¡± Master.. the mistress¡­ The mistress is trying to climb a tree.¡± She reported amidst her stuttering.


    Before She could catch her breath and exin the details, Ronald had already bolted out of the room at a terrifying speed.


    ¡± Don¡¯t do this dear, your husband will kill us if anything happens to you.¡± Mrs Johnston pleaded. She was almost bursting in tears watching her future grandchildrens¡¯ Life on stake.


    ¡°Come in mommy z, there¡¯s no way Ronald will know about it. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± She said preparing to climb thedder when a pair of strong hands engulfed her body in a tight hug.


    ¡® oh no, he¡¯s here.¡¯ she screamed inwardly.


    ¡± Honey what are you trying to do?¡± Ronald asked in his deep, husky voice which was full of nervousness. He was scared out of his wits earlier when he Saw his pregnant wife trying to climb a tree. For a minute there, his heart had missed a beat as he sprinted to stop her.


    ¡± I Just want to pick that Mango.¡± Ava replied innocently.


    Seeing that their son was finally here to their rescue, the old couple went back to the house paying their chests. Their daughter-inw¡¯s stunts exhausted them mentally.


    ¡± You could have asked me to pick it up for you.¡± Ronald said gently. He dared not raise his voice on her unless she burst into tears. Thest thing he wanted was to see his beautiful wife in tears.


    ¡± But you were busy with work, I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± Came Ava¡¯s innocent reply.


    ¡± You know I am always free when ites to you. Don¡¯t ever do that again. You scared me. What if something happened to you or our babies? I don¡¯t want to lose any of you.¡± Ronald scolded her with tenderness. The doctor had said that these were pregnancy hormones in action but he was scared. Her hormones were always driving her to do dangerous stuff. The other time she climbed a stool trying to change the bulb in their room. She stumbled and almost fell. If it wasn¡¯t for his coincidental appearance and fast reflexes, only God knew what could have happened.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Ava meekly replied. She knew that she was getting unreasonable each day but she wasn¡¯t to me for that. She was acting on impulse.


    ¡± Wait here, I¡¯ll pick the mango for you.¡± Ronald said easily climbing the tree to pick the mango for Ava.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

 Wedding

    Three weekster at the hospital.


    ¡± Honey, you can do it. A Little bit More and the baby will be out.¡± Ronald begged his wife who wasying in bed, surrounded by doctors. She was inbour.


    ¡± Painful¡­ Very painful..¡± Ava said amidst her cries. She had been inbour for hours and she was getting exhausted. The doctors had said it was risky to have caesarean birth. With her blood pressure shooting up, she could only result in giving birth to the triplets naturally.


    ¡± Mrs Johnston, the baby is almost here¡­ Take a deep breath and when the pain hits, push harder.¡± The doctor instructed.


    With the help of the doctors and Ronald apanying her, Ava gave birth to three bouncing babies. They were all healthy. Two boys and a princess.


    Four yearster.


    ¡± Nelly, where is Nelly and Kelly?¡± Ava asked her older son.


    ¡± I don¡¯t know, maybe they went pranking the maids again.¡± The boy called Nelly answered. He was the eldest of the triplets.


    ¡± But I told you to look after them!¡± Ava said.


    ¡± You do know if they want to be sneaky, no one can contain them and that includes you Mommy ¡± the boy replied maturely. While her other two children liked to y around, pranking the maids, Nelly on the other hand was reserved and loved watching others. He wasn¡¯t social and his Aura despite being young wasparable to his father¡¯s. He was cold and withdrawn while the other two were bubbly and easygoing.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± But today is mommy¡¯s wedding, they promised to behave.¡± Nelly added.


    ¡± And you believe that?¡± Ava asked with doubt.


    ¡± They will.¡± Nelly said with certainty and Ava believed him. If there was someone who could tame those two devil spawns, that would be their elder brother Nelly. Even she, as a mother, couldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡± Okay dear. Make your brother and sister don¡¯t make a mess, Lily and the others will be arriving shortly.¡± Ava informed Nelly who for a minute had a glint of light passing through his eyes before it dimmed.


    ¡± Okay.¡± He replied.


    Nelly liked Lily but she never spared him a second nce. All she did was follow Robbie, aunt Lucia¡¯s son Calling him brother. That action irked Nelly but there was nothing he could do about it. He did everything in his power so that Lily could see him but that never happened. As a result, the two boys were always in the cold war.


    Evening came and the wedding was scheduled tomence anytime. Ava and Ronald¡¯s wedding was the opposite of Justin and Miranda¡¯s wedding. While Justin and Miranda married at twilight, they on the other hand chose to marry at sunset. The onlymon thing was the venue of the wedding, it was at the same beach Justin and Miranda wedded.


    The guests started arriving at the wedding venue at five in the evening. Three yachts were prepared for reception. After the wedding, the guests would proceed to the yacht and sail overnight.


    In a room, three Ladies were talking as their makeup was being done.


    ¡± It¡¯s finally your turn now Ava, are you excited to be Mrs Johnston?¡± Lucia questioned.


    During those four years, Lucia¡¯s life took a drastic change. She knew that she would never be happy like her best friends but that did not stop her from being happy for them.


    ¡± I am happy.¡± Ava answered. Of Course she was happy and excited about tonight. She had waited for six years by Ronald¡¯s side to finally be his wife. Despite being parents and living together, that was just it, she was never Mrs Johnston in paper. Now Ronald was giving her the title she deserved, how could she not be happy?.


    The wedding procession was colourful. The girls danced to Willy Paul and ine¡¯s song, yes I do as they escorted Ava to the altar.


    After exchanging vows and rings, they were dered husband and wife. The newly wed then led all friends and guests to the for the receptionist. It was a wonderful night for whoever attended the wedding.

 Ignore her

    Lucia and Ezekiel¡¯s story


    Ezekiel was busy preparing supper while Lucia just sat on the couch watching her favourite band performing. After getting introduced to BTS by Ava, the band became her favourite. She would squeal Every Time she saw them performing something that of course brought bitterness to his mouth.


    ¡± Honey,e and see.. I hope is such an amazing dancer. Wow and those abs, jungkook is sure to be hotter everyday.¡± She yelled much to Ezekiel¡¯s displeasure but what could he do other than stomach it. He couldn¡¯t make his woman angry by disying his jealousy. So he did what he always does. Ignore her.


    The doorbell to the house rang but Lucia who was so engrossed in listening to Rm¡¯s solo on boy with love ofcourse did not hear it. Switching off the stove, he cleaned his hands and walked to see who decided to visit with an apron on.


    Without looking at the peephole he opened the door and behold, in front of him stood his parents . His father was wearing his signature poker face indicating that he was forced to be there while his mother wore a sweet smile on her face.


    ¡± Mom, dad, why are you here?¡± Ezekiel frantically tried to block the view to the house with his body.


    ¡± What do you mean by why are we here? Is it a crime to visit our son?¡± His mother¡¯s expression changed drastically and now she wore a displeased look on her face.


    Realising that he might have asked a wrong question, he awkwardly scratched his neck not knowing what to do. With his mother¡¯s temper and character, he couldn¡¯t allow the two women to meet.


    ¡± I mean why didn¡¯t you tell me you will being? Besides, how did you know I¡¯m here?¡± Ezekiel found himself asking only to regret it immediately the words left his mouth.


    ¡± So you admit to hiding from us huh?¡± His mother questioned angrily.


    ¡± Of Course not.¡± Ezekiel answered immediately, trying to salvage the already worsening situation.


    ¡± Ezekiel Greene!¡± His mother, Mrs Greene yelled, pulling his ears harshly.


    While they were at it, a car came to a stop not far away from the door and two elders stepped down. A beautiful woman who seemed to be in her forties and a man who seemed to be at the same age walked to them.


    ¡± Honey, why are there people at our daughter¡¯s door? Did we get the wrong address? ¡± The Lady asked, puzzled.


    Ofcourse Gabriel recognized the two people who just arrived. He cursed me for being so unlucky tonight.


    ¡± Who are you?¡± Mrs Greene was the first to ask the Intruders. The two families were from two different cities. The Mendez family, Lucia¡¯s parents, liked to remain low-key so it was obvious the Greene family wasn¡¯t familiar with them.


    ¡± We are here to visit our daughter. My son said she lives here .¡± Mrs Mendez replied politely. She was a reserved and well mannereddy from a wealthy society.


    ¡± But this is my son¡¯s house. You can also see that.¡± Mrs Greene replied politely. ¡± Kiel, tell them this is your house. Maybe the got the wrong house.¡± She added.


    Kiel could only look down awkwardly when the four pairs of eyes turned to look at him waiting for an answer.


    ¡± Eeerr¡­¡±


    ¡± Honey, what took you so long? I¡¯m hungry.¡± Lucia chose to speak at this moment as she walked to the door to see what was keeping Kiel so Long at the door. If it was just receiving a delivery, wasn¡¯t he taking quite long?


    Lucia peeked at the entrance and what she saw made her eyes widen before running away.


    ¡± Lucia!! Come back here!¡± Mrs Mendez was so angry that she forgot to remain calm and yelled. She didn¡¯t need anyone to tell her that her daughter was living with another man while she was engaged to another. That was uneptable.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Since the matter had been blown to proportion and couldn¡¯t be hidden anymore, Ezekiel ushered the elders in. The reason his parents were still quiet was because they were fuming. He was sure to get scornful from them.


    ¡± Mom, Dade on in.¡± He gestured to his parents.


    ¡°Mrs Mendez, Mr Mendez, please.¡±


    After the six people settled, the room was filled with silence. Nobody said anything, only res were being exchanged from each side. Ezekiel and Lucia who were seated together were looking down, not daring to look up at their parents¡¯ faces. Lucia was afraid of seeing the disappointment in her mother¡¯s eyes.


    ¡± Speak, exin the meaning of this!¡± Mr Greene finally broke the silence, demanding answers from his son.


    ¡± What¡¯s there to exin father? You can see it for yourselves, I am living with Lucia now.¡±Ezekiel gained confidence and answered. He couldn¡¯t let anyone wrong Lucia and to avoid that, he had to Man up before his parents and defend the woman he loved.


    ¡± What Kind of an answer is that? You are already engaged, how could you go behind your fiance¡¯s back and live with another woman?¡± This time, his mother asked.


    ¡± She¡¯s no other woman Mom, she¡¯s the woman I love and the woman I¡¯ll marry.¡± Ezekiel said confidently.


    ¡± Are you out of your mind? You knew that you already had someone to marry and still went ahead and befriended some random woman?¡± Mrs Greene yelled.


    ¡± Don¡¯t talk about my daughter in that tone, I don¡¯t appreciate it one bit.¡± Mrs Mendez said in a Cold and domineering voice. Even if she was disappointed by her daughter¡¯s actions, she wouldn¡¯t let anyone use uncouth words while describing her daughter. And from what she heard so far, this Ezekiel boy didn¡¯t seem like a good man at all.


    ¡± Tell me sweetheart, did this boy Force you to be with him?¡± Mr Mendez softly asked his daughter. She was the apple of his eye and he loved her the most.


    Lucia shook her head.


    ¡± Then why did you get together with him? Do you love him?¡± He asked yet again. If his daughter loved the boy wholeheartedly, he would give them his blessings. He was an open minded person and his daughter¡¯s happiness mattered the most.


    His question earned him a pinch from his wife. Despite the pain, he didn¡¯tin. He knew that his wife had chosen a fiance for their daughter. He wasn¡¯t against her idea but he hoped his daughter would be privileged to choose the Man she wanted to spend her life with.


    ¡± What do you mean by being in love? That¡¯s not an excuse for her to cling to an engaged Man.¡± Mrs Greene retorted. It¡¯s not like she didn¡¯t like Lucia, she did but she was afraid of letting down her best friend whom they had agreed to have their children married ages ago.


    ¡± Mom, I never agreed to marry the woman you chose for me. I never promised her anything nor do I know her. I love Lucia and I am the one clinging on to her, not the other way round. We are expecting a baby together and I can never leave my baby just to fulfil a promise Made in my absence. ¡± Ezekiel dered.

 Best time

    ¡± What?¡± The four elders said at once, each having their own thoughts in mind.


    ¡± You heard me, Lucia and I are expecting a baby. So Mom, drop the Idea of me marrying your selected bride.¡± Ezekiel replied, giving his parents a Stern look, especially his mother.


    ¡± What do you mean? Who said anything about marrying her? My daughter inw is already here with me, why would I want you to marry someone else?¡± Mrs Greene said happily. She immediately stood up, walking towards Lucia before hugging her intimately.


    The woman¡¯s change of attitude surprised everyone including Ezekiel. This was the least of his expectations. Knowing how headstrong his mother could be, he expected this meeting to end on bad terms.


    ¡± Wait a minute!!! What daughter-inw? You just said that your precious son can¡¯t be with amon woman just a moment ago or is your memory that bad?¡± Mrs Mendez argued. As the women argued, the men silently watched. They dared not interrupt.


    ¡± Come on Mrs Mendez. You know that I was just spewing nonsense earlier right?¡± Mrs Greene saidughing lightly.


    ¡± Nonsense! I don¡¯t think so. My daughter is Just but a regr woman, she doesn¡¯t deserve your mighty son.¡± Lucia¡¯s Mom retorted. She was still angry with the woman for belittling their daughter.


    ¡± I apologise for my behaviour. She is carrying our grandchild who happens to be your grandchild too. Do you want him or her to grow up with an iplete family?¡± Mrs Greene reasoned out.


    ¡± The Mendez family is capable of raising our grandchild. We don¡¯t need help from others.¡± Mrs Mendez retorted, not giving the other woman any chance to continue talking.


    ¡± That¡¯s not right. He is our grandchild as much as he is yours, if you raise him, then what does leave us with?¡± Mrs Greene tried persuading the other stubborn woman. There was no way sfe was losing the first grandchild of the Greene family.


    ¡± Since your son is already engaged, he can go see other children with the other woman.¡± Mrs Mendez said with a hump.


    ¡± Mom!¡± Lucia interrupted earning a re from her mother.


    ¡± You shut up! I can¡¯t let you be wronged. Isn¡¯t she epting you because you are pregnant? The child is what matters, what about you? Will they treat you right in their family?¡± Her mother reprimanded her, shutting her down immediately.


    ¡± I don¡¯t know about the others but I love Lucia as much as I Love our child. I will never allow her to suffer any grievances in my family.¡± Ezekiel said looking straight to Lucia¡¯s Mom.


    ¡± Please give us your blessings. I would love to marry Lucia as soon as possible and make her my wife.¡±Ezekiel added.


    ¡± Definitely, my son is responsible and you don¡¯t need to worry about her getting wronged. She is the Greene¡¯s family Jewel now, right honey?¡± Mrs Greene nudged her husband to support her in convincing their inws to let their children get married.


    ¡± Ofcourse, she is.¡± Mr Greene seconded. He had liked the girl the moment heid his eyes on her. She was the perfect choice for his son coupled with the fact that they loved each other, which made it even better. But he had his fears in his heart and he had hidden a secret about his son to everyone and was worried what would happen to the Lady after everything came to light.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡± I am still not satisfied with¡­¡± Before Mrs Mendez could finish her sentence, her husband interrupted her.


    ¡± Okay honey, don¡¯t make it hard for them.. I think he¡¯s a good boy and since the children love each other, we should let them get married and raise their children.¡± Mr Mendez softly said, trying to coerce his wife into epting the boy as their son inw. Knowing his wife, he was sure she also liked Ezekiel for her daughter, it¡¯s just that she wanted to make things hard for them purposely because of what Mrs Greene said earlier.


    ¡°Are you that eager to marry off your daughter?¡± Mrs Mendez rebuked him. She expected him to support her till the end but knowing how rational he was, he was bound to ditch her and support his daughter.


    ¡± It¡¯s not about being eager. She¡¯s already of age. She¡¯s even older than when I married you.¡± Mr Mendez reminded his wife.


    ¡± Where did our marriagee about in this conversation?¡± Mrs Mendez asked, displeased.


    ¡± What I am trying to say is we should allow the children to be together and start their family. It¡¯s about time afterall.¡± Mr Mendez reasoned out and Ezekiel¡¯s parents nodded in agreement.


    ¡± Okay fine but I am warning you, if my daughter is treated, I won¡¯t think before dragging her away from your family.¡± Mrs Mendez finally gave in, making the people in the room heave a sigh of relief.


    ¡± Rest assured Mom, I¡¯ll treat Lucia very well.¡± Ezekiel tried to hug Lucia only to be stopped by her mother.


    ¡± Stop right there. Did I give you the permission to touch my daughter? Am taking her away until you propose to her m until then keep your distance from her.¡± Mrs Mendez sternly warned Ezekiel making him nod respectfully. At Least they agreed to their union, that was what mattered. As for proposal, he will be arranging it without dy.


    Although Lucia didn¡¯t agree with her mother¡¯s n, she dared not voice out her objection.


    ¡± May I suggest we hold the proposal next weekend?¡± Mrs Greene chipped in excitedly.


    ¡± Isn¡¯t it too hurried?¡± Mr Greene asked, earning a re from his wife.


    ¡± What do you know? If possible they can marry this month too.¡± She said, She was hearing wedding bells ringing in her mind. Ezekiel being the only child of the Greene family, she had high expectations for him. Now that he was getting married, she was very much excited to n the wedding.


    ¡± I think we should wait until Lucia gives birth. ¡± Ezekiel dered. The two of them had discussed this matter among themselves and came to that conclusion. She didn¡¯t want to hold her wedding with a bulging belly, who would have thought that she woulde to regret her decision in the future.


    ¡± Have you decided that?¡± Mrs Greene questioned, looking at Lucia instead. She appeared to have lost her spirits after hearing her son¡¯s deration.


    ¡± Yes. We talked about this matter.¡± Lucia affirmed.


    ¡± Okay, it¡¯s decided then. I also think that¡¯s the best time for them. Although the engagement has to be held as soon as possible.¡± Mr Greene supported their decision wholeheartedly. He could understand his wife¡¯s eagerness to n the marriage but it was better to leave some of these decisions to those involved.


    The two families finally made peace and agreed on letting their children get married. What was left was the cancetion of the respective engagements which the parents promised to handle the matter.


    It waste at night when they decided to resign for the night. Lucia and the apartment was a one storey building with three guest rooms at the ground floor. The parents were led to their respective rooms before the two lovers went upstairs to their bedroom much to Mrs Mendez ¡®dissatisfaction.

 Doctor

    A weekter, the Greene family arranged an engagement party for the two. Everything was settled on each end and nobody opposed their engagement. After the two were finally engaged, Lucia was allowed to stay with Ezekiel under Stern rules by Mrs Mendez to take care of her to which he agreed readily.


    Ezekiel was in his office reviewing documents when his nose started bleeding. He had been experiencing the same thing recently. Although at First he simply brushed it off as being under the weather or simply tired buttely, the bleeding had be rming.


    His secretary Who was waiting for the signed documents, was the First one to notice his nose bleeding.


    ¡± President, you are nose bleeding again.¡± Only then did Ezekiel touch his nose and felt the sticky warm liquid flowing before a dropnded on the files.


    Removing his hand, he covered his nose while leaning on his chair to help backflow of the blood.


    ¡± You should see the doctor.¡± The secretary advised. He was worried about the health of his boss.


    ¡± Don¡¯t exaggerate things, it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± Ezekiel casually brushed him off but deep down he was wondering if he was convincing the secretary or himself. He could tell that something was very wrong with his body. The asional nosebleeds he has been trying to hide from Lucia and body weakness. He would feel tired even in the morning upon waking up.


    ¡°But president¡­¡±


    ¡± Okay don¡¯t make a fuss about it, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Kiel interrupted him. He didn¡¯t want his secretary thinking that it was something serious. With his nature, Lucia would be knowing about his condition sooner, something he didn¡¯t want because he didn¡¯t want to add to her problems especially now that she was pregnant.


    A month passed by slowly and  nosebleeds were getting even more serious. His secretary resulted in threatening him to see the doctor and have himself checked orelse the Young madam would be hearing from him. Finally, after getting a doctor¡¯s appointment, he dragged himself to the clinic.


    After exining his condition, he saw the doctor¡¯s expression turn grim. That sends warning rms to his mind.


    ¡± Be honest with me doctor, what is wrong with me?¡± He asked with a dread filled voice. Even a normal person without any medical knowledge could feel that something was terribly wrong with his body. The splitting headaches and drowsiness were bing more frequent apanied by heavy bleeding. In the past, he would bleed for at least ten minutes, now it has changed to thirty minutes and More. He was losing a lot of blood not to mention that he would have cases ofplete darkness Even during the day. That was what was worrying him the most.


    ¡± I can¡¯t tell you for sure but I would like to look at your nasal cavity and your brain. You will get x-rayed and after obtaining the results, only then can I tell you how your condition is. Epistaxis is not a serious condition but sometimes things are moreplicated than what we think. Try to be positive, all will be well.¡± The doctor said smiling at him, but Kiel could spot the fakeness in his smile. Something must be terribly wrong.


    After the two x-rays were done, Kiel was so tired that he went back home to rx. Lucia was busy at her shop so he decided to rest at home as he pondered about his health. The doctor told him that the temporary blindness could be as a result of one of his optic nerves being injured but he could tell there was more to that. He arrived home after struggling to stay awake while driving and went straight to bed before he sumbed to sleep. Recently, his body felt weak.


    A week passed and the day to collect the results finally arrived. He woke up feeling edgy and antsy. After going to the office, hepleted his work before making his way to the hospital but before that,¡± under no circumstances should I be disturbed today, it doesn¡¯t matter the reason Even if thepany is facing bankruptcy.¡± He instructed his personal secretary before leaving.


    ¡± Do you want me to apany you to the hospital?¡± His secretary asked out of nowhere, as a person who knew Kiel for years, he could see his nervousness despite him trying as much as possible to conceal it.


    Kiel cocked a brow at him wondering how he knew about his doctor¡¯s appointment but knowing that his secretary was an intelligent man, he concluded that he must have figured it out.


    ¡± No need, I can handle this myself. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± Kiel lied before entering the elevator and left.


    ¡± Why do I feel like you¡¯ve changed and sound like a defeated person?¡±the secretary mumbled to himself before minding his own business. He was truly worried about his boss but to reduce his boss¡¯s work, the best he could do was to finish all his work. That way, his president wouldn¡¯t be much busy and would get ample time to rest because he looked like Haggard and was sleep deprived.


    Kiel made his way to the hospital. For some reason, he felt disturbed and unsettled. His eyes were twitching repeatedly, a sign of bad news on the way. His nervousness increased tenfold. After waiting for ten minutes, he was finally ushered in.


    The doctor who was in a white coat greeted him warmly and tried making little conversation with Kiel. But how could he not realise that the doctor was trying to prepare him for something maybe¡­ unbearable??


    ¡± You can stop going around in circles, doctor and tell me what¡¯s wrong with me.¡± Kiel interrupted him and said calmly. He appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was beating erratically, threatening to pop out of his chest.


    Sighing heavily, the doctor intertwined his hands on the table and looked at Kiel seriously. ¡± The two results are out and things don¡¯t look good at all.¡± He finally revealed, his face showing a trace of helplessness and¡­ pity. Kiel could feel his heart constricting painfully but he pushed everything aside and asked,¡± how bad is my condition?¡±


    Taking another look at the X-ray results sitting on his table, the doctor said,¡± it¡¯s not good at all. The continuous bleeding has been caused by a rapture of your nasal membranes.¡± He paused before his expressions turned a shade of darker.


    ¡± There¡¯s been a backflow of blood to your brain and you Know what that means.¡± The doctor added. Kiel went silent for a while. Of Course he understood the consequences of backflow of blood to the brain. No wonder his headaches have been frequent and consistent.


    ¡± What about the temporary blindness you have been experiencing?¡± He asked yet another question.


    ¡± That¡¯s because the blood has clotted one of the veins bringing blood to your eyes. As a consequence, there is ack of blood which carries ox.


    gen to your eyes hence the split blindness episodes.¡± The doctor replied.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡± How much time do I have Left?¡± Kiel asked the question he has been dreading a lot. Some conditions could be dealt with medically but without asking , he knew his case was hopeless . Nothing could be done and death was inevitable.


    ¡± Three months before your brain bes unresponsive, one month before you lose your sightpletely.¡± The doctor honestly replied. He knew that bluntness to their patience could cause unimaginable consequences but the man before him was holding on just fine¡­ Was it him?

 Blissful

    Ezekiel left the hospital and didn¡¯t Know how he ended up at Lucia¡¯s shop. He was in a daze the whole time trying to digest the words of the doctor. Three months? That wasn¡¯t enough time until his daughter came to this world! Did that mean he will never set his eyes on his beautiful daughter¡¯s face. Securely locking the results in thepartment of his car, he checked himself in the mirror and tried fixing himself before going to meet Lucia. He didn¡¯t want her thinking that something was wrong. He smiled but his smile was do ugly that it resembled a scowl. Stepping down, he Made his way to the shop but just as he was about to enter, his vision cked out causing him to stumble and knock a flower vase by the door. The case fell with a ng rming everyone in the shop.


    ¡± Oh no please! Not now please.¡± He pleaded with himself. What wrong timing for his vision to ck out? He couldn¡¯t let Lucia learn about that but he knew at the end of the day he would have to tell her. He was reluctant to because that would be a huge blow to her. Remembering her condition, his heart ached most. If only he knew about his condition earlier, he would have kept his distance from her and not made her pregnant. What was good news a few weeks ago turned out to be his regret.


    ¡± Honey! What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucia rushed upon seeing Ezekiel stumble upon the vase. She was worried maybe he got hurt.


    ¡± Please pleasee back!¡± Ezekiel prayed inwardly. His eyesight was failing him and he was anxious about Lucia finding out. Just when she was about to touch him, he regained his senses.


    ¡± What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± She softly reprimanded him, holding him arm and helping him avoid the shards scattered all over the entrance.


    ¡± Get someone to clean that up.¡± Lucia said to her secretary Who moved to action immediately.


    ¡± Why are you so clumsy? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Lucia asked, feeling his forehead after helping him settle at the sofa.


    ¡± Nothing is wrong, probably tired.¡± Ezekiel replied calmly, maintaining hisposure lest she bes suspicious of him.


    ¡± You should not overwork yourself. Take a break and rx honey. Life isn¡¯t all about work.¡± Lucia advised. She was worried that her husband would end up copsing while working.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Ezekiel meekly replied. In any case, he wasn¡¯t sure for how long he would continue working with his eyesight gone.


    ¡± Why are you here?¡± Lucia asked. It was a rare thing to see Ezekiel visiting her in her work ce. He always gave the excuse of not wanting to disrupt her while working. It¡¯s not she minded anyway, just curious.


    ¡± Can¡¯t I drop by and visit my Queen?¡± Ezekiel replied feigning being hurt by her question. Of Course he expected a question like that, he never for once dropped by her workce just picked her out of the shop after work.


    ¡± No no that¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. You can¡¯t me me although, you¡¯ve never stepped foot here before.¡± Lucia exined.


    ¡± I missed you so I came to see you .¡± Ezekiel finally said. But what is missing her? Definitely, at a time like this, he only missed to see her, be in her arms, have herfort him but did he deserve all that? Afterall, he was hiding his condition from her.


    ¡± An ain¡¯t you being too sweet today?¡± Lucia said blushing.


    ¡± Am always sweet to you.¡± He replied but those words came with a twist in his heart. He didn¡¯t have time to keep her happy and be sweet. His death awaits him in three months time and the only thing he will leave her with is the burden of raising their child alone and eternal pain.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡± How about we head home. I don¡¯t have much to do here anyways.¡± Lucia proposed to which Ezekiel agreed immediately.


    They were driving home and Ezekiel was praying fervently that his blindness episodes don¡¯t strike during that time. He didn¡¯t want Lucia finding out about it. He was able to hide his nosebleeds From her for months now, he hoped he could still keep his illness a secret till hisst breath. He hated the emotional good-byes and wished to never have one. After thinking, he had made up his mind. In theseing three weeks, he will use that time to spend more time with her and their child and then he¡¯ll be gone before he loses his sight and goes far away from here. He wouldn¡¯t let her see him in his dying bed, all helpless and weak.


    As a Man he hoped he could keep the good image she had in her mind. That was hisst wish.


    ¡± Honey, you seem distracted.¡± Luciamented. She had observed that her Man was getting lost in thoughts frequently since he picked her up. Even a fool would notice something was wrong with him.


    ¡± It¡¯s nothing just thinking about work.¡± Ezekiel lied with a straight face. He couldn¡¯t let himself be discovered this early.


    ¡± Are you sure?¡± Lucia was sceptical about his answer.


    ¡± Yes honey, I¡¯m sure, don¡¯t worry.¡± Kiel replied.


    They were passing when Lucia saw an ice cream parlour.


    ¡± Honey, can you get me an ice cream? I am craving one.¡± Lucia requested. After seeing that shop, Lucia had the urge to eat ice cream.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Ezekiel Who usually denied her eating ice cream, was very cooperative today. He stopped the car and jogged across the road to the other side where the ice cream shop was located. The line was huge and he had to wait. After thirty minutes, he walked out of the shop with a piece of paper. He found Lucia already asleep leaning on the chair. He entered the car and admired the beauty before him. This was the woman he chose to spend a lifetime with, unfortunately, his lifetime was too Short and he couldn¡¯t keep his promises of growing old with her.


    Thinking about how lonely she will be, his hands that were stretched to caress her were retracted immediately. He ignited the engine and drove home, asionally stealing nces at the sleeping beauty. If he was given the chance to do things all over again, he wouldn¡¯t have signed that contract that bound them together. If he could change things, he couldn¡¯t have gotten her pregnant. What was supposed to be a happy asion afterbour would turn to loneliness moments as she takes care of their daughter all alone. He couldn¡¯t give her the blissful Life anymore.


    After arriving home, he carried her upstairs to their room andid her in bed. He tucked her properly and stood to leave only to have his wrist clutched strongly by her. Resigning to his fate, heid down and scooped her into his arms and snuggled. He might as well enjoy this moment while itsts. With those thoughts in mind, he allowed exhaustion to take over and slept peacefully next to his darling.


    Lucia heard his breathing be calm. She figured out he was finally asleep. Plopping herself in her arms, she looked at his handsome face. Something was troubling her deep down. ¡± What exactly are you hiding from me Kiel?¡± She asked no one in particr.

 appetite

    Lucia had this unsettling feeling that something was up with Ezekiel but she couldn¡¯t say what exactly. How did she know? His frequent out of mind moments. She had caught him staring at her with pity filled eyes. Sometimes, his expressions would spell sorry. She couldn¡¯t quite understand why he looked sorry towards her.


    Pushing those thoughts at the back of her mind, she decided to go prepare something for him to eat once he woke up. He had been the one taking care of her all these days so while he rested, she figured out she should return the favour. Another reason was because she had noticed that his body was declining and his appetite poor. These days, he hardly eats anything and would always say he¡¯s full. That was rming ording to Lucia


    She cooked his favourite chicken rice and veggies. She didn¡¯t forget to prepare pumpkin soup which was known for increasing appetite.


    Evening came and Kiel had slept for six good hours, something that added more to Lucia¡¯s suspicion. Despite how tired he was, Kiel would sleep for a maximum of four hours at night and two hours during the day which of course was very rare. Sleeping for six hours definitely spelt red alerts. But what could be the problem? Lucia pondered but came up with nothing.


    Lucia walked upstairs to wake him up to eat his supper. She walked to their room and heard sniffing soundsing from the sleeping Man. She was rmed and rushed to his side only to realise that he was weeping in his dreams. Lucia felt her heart constrict in pain as if someone stabbed her mercilessly. For a strong man like Kiel to release his emotions in his dreams, the matter must be weighing heavily on him.


    Sitting by the edge of the bed, she started patting him on how a mother pats a child and soon enough he rxed and stopped sobbing. Figuring out that this wasn¡¯t the best of times to wake him up, Lucia went to the bathroom to clean herself. She felt mentally exhausted so she decided to soak in the bathtub.


    Even while soaking, all her thoughts lingered on Ezekiel. She could feel in every nerve that something was definitely wrong with Ezekiel but she couldn¡¯t ask him directly. That would be a tant disrespect to his personal space. Just because they were engaged, that did not give her the right to question him. She respected him and that respect meant that she could wait until he was willing to tell her whatever was troubling him.


    After soaking for about thirty minutes, she emerged from the bathroom with a bathrobe tied securely around her body while holding a towel which she was using to dry her hair.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Her eyes involuntarily travelled to the bed and she saw that Ezekiel was already awake. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and staring directly at her with lust filled eyes. Seeing him looking at her so passionately aroused something in her. It had been weeks since they were intimate with each other and she wanted to feel him unite with her.


    Walking straight to him, she untied the robe and let it slip past her body andnd on the floor. She watched as Ezekiel swallowed heavily while his Adams apple bobbed up and down. She could tell he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Walking towards him, Lucia made sure to sway her hips which she wasn¡¯t sure were noticeable anymore due to her bulging belly.


    She sat on him making sure her sex aligned with his bulging manhood before they started grinding him, earning a sexy throaty moan from the man. Ezekiel was losing it after the temptress started doing what was Best in, seducing him. He med his resolve which seemed to crumble to smithereens Every time Lucia started to tease him sexually. Sometimes, she didn¡¯t need to do anything, even her mere existence was a seduction on its own.


    ¡± Honey, it¡¯s been a long time since west made love.¡± She whispered in his ears, licking softly the ce below his ears. She was an expert in finding all his sensitive parts of his body and that was her favourite.


    Ezekiel drowned in euphoria. Her little actions were enough to send him to the edge. ¡± I want to feel you deep inside me as I milk you to thest drop.¡± She was an expert in talking dirty and that did nothing to help, it only fanned the mes of desire in him leaving him in her Mercy.


    Lucia didn¡¯t get any reply from him and that made her frustrated. In the past whenever they met, Ezekiel would make love to her until she lost count of how many times came in a night. That happened until she got pregnant. For some reasons known to her, he started avoiding their intimacy in the name of the first trimester was risky, she understood and let it pass. But now she was in her second trimester and sex was safe so why was he avoiding making love to her as frequently as before? Even when they finally did it, he would stop after the second round leaving her hanging.


    As a woman, she started to be insecure about her body and ability to satisfy her man. She had even at some point started thinking whether Kiel was keeping another woman and that¡¯s why he was tired of her. But she immediately dismissed that stupid thought. Kiel was a man who believed in one woman. He was a faithful Man and wouldn¡¯t try to cheat on her.


    He had shown her from time to time how much he meant to him and treated her as a Queen, his Queen.


    ¡± Don¡¯t you want to make love to me? Don¡¯t I excite you anymore? She finally found the courage to ask the question that had been pondering in her mind.


    ¡± What are you talking about? Why would you even think that?¡± Kiel was utterly astounded by her train of thoughts. Is that what she has been thinking abouttely? If that is so , didn¡¯t he get misunderstood and his actions misinterpreted?


    ¡± I don¡¯t know but you¡¯ve changed. Our sex life has also be inactive. You would sleep or just ignore me whenever I give you hints of wanting to be intimate with you.¡± Lucia replied. She was the one to face a problem head-on. She never appreciated beating around the bush as much as she never liked misunderstanding others.


    ¡± You are thinking too much. I have just been upiedtely. Forgive my ignorance.¡± Ezekiel said, kissing her lips passionately. That night, they made love like olden times. Reminiscing how it was when they met. The two bodies tangled under sheets, baring their love to each other. Dinner was long forgotten. For that night, Lucia forgot all about her worries, insecurities and fears. Ezekiel proved to her over and over again that no other woman was able to make him feel what she made him feel. He loved her without restraint, clearing her doubts of being unattractive. He made her feel special.


    Indulging in her warmth and love, he forgot about the bitter Truth of his life and the painful reality awaiting him in three months¡¯ time. Lucia finally fell asleep in the wee hours due to exhaustion. Ezekiel gazed at her lovingly and tears streamed down his cheeks. He didn¡¯t want to die, not yet. He was too young to die. He still wanted to watch his woman walk down the aisle dressed in Whiteing to him. He still wanted to hear his woman say yes I do to him as he slid a ring on her finger. He wanted to apany her during thebour period as they weed their child together. He wanted to watch as his child took every step of life with her by his side but that was now impossible. It was a dream. A beautiful dream that will never be a reality.

 Regret

    The following morning, Ezekiel was the first to wake up. By the time Lucia woke up, she found Ezekiel ready with two packed suitcases.


    ¡± Good morning my Queen.¡± Ezekiel greeted pecking her lips.


    ¡± Morning.¡± Lucia replied, eyeing him then added,¡± going somewhere?¡± She inquired. Yesterday, he didn¡¯t mention going anywhere. What was more surprising was the fact that one of the suitcases belonged to her.This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    ¡± Yes, we are going somewhere.¡± Ezekiel replied with a smile on his face. Afterst night, he figured out that before going to meet his maker, he might as well fulfil some of the wishes piled up. He had always wanted to tour the world with the woman he loved. He still had like three weeks beforepletely losing his sight, he might as well take advantage of that avable time and fulfil that wish.


    ¡± You didn¡¯t mention something about that yesterday!¡± Lucia stated.


    ¡± I decided on it overnight. I want to take you on a vacation as we tour the world together. After this month, I¡¯ll be busy withpany matters so what better time than now?¡± Ezekiel said excitedly but how could Lucia not notice the sadness between his words. The unsettling feeling ploughed her heart yet again but she did her best to smile at him.


    ¡± You are so thoughtful. How did you know I wanted to do this?¡± Lucia said, kissing his cheeks loudly.


    ¡± I only get a kiss?¡± Ezekielined with a pout.


    ¡± What else do you want?¡± Lucia asked and the thoughts of their bed activitiesst night shed in her mind making her face turn beet red like a monkey¡¯s butt.


    ¡± This is what I want.¡± Ezekiel said and without waiting captured Lucia¡¯s lips with his in a passionate kiss. The kiss was deep, expressing feelings of longing and desire. They separated to breathe.


    ¡± We are leaving at twenty. Get ready, I¡¯ll pack your breakfast.¡± Ezekiel informed and left the room downstairs to give her time to prepare herself.


    Minutester, they drove to the airport. The flights were already booked but they had to wait for twenty minutes before the ne took off. Ezekiel preferred boarding public nes other than Private nes. Since they would be travelling from one ce to another, he figured out that a public ne would be more convenient considering that some countries had strict rules governing private jetsnding in their soils.


    ¡± To Mexico City?¡± Lucia asked, staring at the boarding pass in her hands.


    ¡± Yes baby, to Mexico City.¡± Ezekiel replied excitedly.


    The flight took off at the scheduled time. After four hours of flying, the ne finallynded in the Mexico City international airport. Kiel, as the ever meticulous person, had already booked their hotel room and arranged for the hotel van to pick them up at the airport. Lucia, who had been sleeping throughout the flight, was wide awake as she appreciated the beauty of the city through the car windows.


    ¡± Mexico City is one among the world¡¯s most visited tourist centres. Its buildings and other structures scream of ancient culture.¡± Luciamented. She had read history in her higher secondary and Mexico City was discussed. Although she loathed the subject back in the days, sfe still paid attention to the things that piqued her interest.¡± You are right about that. Although when you hear the word Mexico, all you think about is drug trafficking ,


    ¡± Mexico City is one among the world¡¯s most visited tourist centres. Its buildings and other structures scream of ancient culture.¡± Luciamented. She had read history in her higher secondary and Mexico City was discussed. Although she loathed the subject back in the days, sfe still paid attention to the things that piqued her interest.¡± You are right about that. Although when you hear the word Mexico, all you think about is drug trafficking, it is still a major tourist attraction site. Art and culture are deeply rooted in the city, not forgetting that if you want the Best reggaeton music, then Mexico City will be your best choice.


    ¡± Is that why your first stop was this City?¡± Lucia asked the obvious. Ezekiel was fond of reggaeton music. That was something you could never miss in his phone. Everytime be drove, he would connect his phone with the car system and y songs by his favourite reggaeton band, CNC O.


    ¡± You Know me best m CNCO will be performing tonight, i booked us a VVIP spot so that you can apany me.¡± He replied. It was his dream to watch his favourite band perform live on stage, so when he got a notificationst night about their surprise concert, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from attending .


    After arriving at the hotel, they were received well and led to their ensuite where they would be spending the night. He then ordered lunch for both of them. After lunch, they took a walk down the streets of Mexico admiring the deeply rooted culture embedded in every building standing in the city. In the evening, they took a nap and only woke at seven to prepare for the concert.


    Being VVIP, thest of their worries was arriving early to look for good spots. Their spot was already reserved which had the best view and very few people making itfortable for Lucia who was pregnant. She was thankful that he did everything with her in mind. At eight thirty, the cloth covering the stage was lowered revealing the band members who were looking all dashing and handsome. The crowd shouted, filling the whole hall with noise.


    Tonight


    Tonight, the band was set to perform three songs. The first on the list was Hey DJ which just happened to be Ezekiel¡¯s favourite song. He sang alongside them. The second to follow was reggaeton lento and tan  saw the show to an end. The audience was screaming wildly as they danced to the tunes. Even Lucia found herself enjoying tonight. Seeing Kiel Happy brought contentment to her. They returned homete and due to exhaustion, they immediately fell asleep.


    The following day they toured different ces surrounding the magical City. In the evening, they took a flight to Beijing, China.


    Ezekiel had always wanted to visit the great Wall that was believed to be thousands of miles long. Since with Lucia¡¯s condition they couldn¡¯t Walk, he hired a private jet to get them around. They also visited the Tang¡¯s dynasty royal pce where it was believed to host the kings and Queens in the ancient times. Through their visit at the pce, they learnt a lot about Chinese culture, food and dressings. They also learnt that a dragon represented the king while a phoenix represented the Royal Queen.


    The following day, they flew to Japan. Ezekiel took Lucia to the temple to pray. They also went to write their wishes at the wishing pavilion. It was believed that writing your wishes to the wishing pavilion, the Buddha would fulfil them for you. Ofcourse Ezekiel didn¡¯t believe in that but he knew Lucia was a believer so he went there purposely to apany her. In his wish list he wrote the only wish he had in mind. He wished that after his death, Lucia would forget him, move on and be happy. Ironically, Lucia wished the opposite. She wished for her heart to always remember the days he made her happy and forever be bound to him, heart, body and soul.


    The two continued touring different countries. They would capture those memories with the camera Ezekiel bought. When Lucia asked him why they needed to document everything, Ezekiel replied that they would show their future daughter about their family moments. Who would have thought that it was just an excuse he gave to hide his condition from her. To prevent his nose bleeds during their vacation, Ezekiel had taken a strong medicine the doctor had said that it could suppress the frequent nosebleeds but would worsen his situation and lower his days of being alive. But Ezekiel took the medicine nevertheless, as long as he could spend some quality time with his beloved, shortening his life span didn¡¯t matter. Afterall, he was bound to die. A Few days earlier Made no difference to him. They would spend the day touring and make love at night. Then he would stay awake admiring the woman in his bed as guilt and regret ate him up. He was reluctant to leave her, he didn¡¯t want to be separated from her but what options did he have? The grim reaper would Soon visit him iming his life. So he could only stay awake admiring her, making sure that her image was deeply imprinted in his mind. Even in death, he wanted her picture to be the only thing that apanied him to theherworld.

 Dream country

    Tomorrow marked the second week of their long vacation. Ezekiel was very secretive of theirst destination. He told Lucia that it was meant to be a surprise for them and he didn¡¯t reveal until they were receiving their boarding pass. Upon checking theirst visiting destination, Lucia¡¯s eyes widened with both surprise and excitement. Of all ces, Ezekiel decided to close their vacation by taking her to Africa and precisely to Kenya, her dream country.


    ¡± Honey, did you do this on purpose?¡± She asked, tears of happiness streaming down without restraint. Ste was deeply touched by his consideration. Along the way he had taken her to ces sfe wished to visit but she never in her wildest dreams think that he would take her to visit Kenya as theirst destination. She couldn¡¯t help but kiss him In Front of the people.


    ¡± This was supposed to be our vacation, not just mine. I have known for a long time that you have always dreamt of visiting that country so I chose it as ourst destination.¡± He exined.


    ¡± I never told you that, so how did you know?¡± Lucia asked sceptically. The only people who were aware of her wild dream were her three besties. Ofcourse they discouraged her especially Ava who would asionally remind her about the al shabaab terrorising the country which of course was baseless rumours. Stacy on the other hand would warn her about the tropical disease there while Miranda would only talk about snakes, the only thing she dreaded in this world. But that did not stop her from yearning to visit the country. Now it was like a dreame true for her. What was even better was the fact that she was finally visiting the ce with someone special by her side, Just as she had always wished.


    ¡± You underestimate your man honey.¡± Ezekiel replied with a grin. Lucia did not continue to probe any further, she was too happy to assume her detective role.


    They boarded the ne. As always, Ezekiel booked the first ss seats. They were morefortable and less loaded. The services were topnotch toopared to the economy ss. The journey was set for thirteen good hours. After the ne took off, Ezekiel urged Lucia to take a nap but thedy was too excited to even wink.


    ¡± No, I want to stay awake.¡± She didn¡¯t want to sleep, not on this journey.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡± The journey is long and I know you are exhausted. Take a short nap, I¡¯ll wake you up when we cross the Indian ocean.¡± Kiel coerced her. As a pregnant woman, she ought to rest and allow proper development of the baby. The baby he will never get to see with his eyes.


    ¡± Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Lucia finally gave in and fell into slumber.


    The nended at Jomo Kenyatta international airport at eight in the evening. Ezekiel helped Lucia to drag her suitcase as they headed to the waiting lobby where a taxi was waiting for them.


    At the exit, a loud voice announcement was made. ¡± Dear passengers, we thank you for choosing Kenya airways for your flight, feel weed here.¡± The voice said then a trantion in kiswahili was made.


    ¡± Wapenzi wasafiri, tunawashukuru kwa kuchangua shirika ndege Kenya airways kwa usafiri wenu. Karibuni Kenya.¡±


    ¡± Whatnguage is that?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡± That¡¯s Swahili. One of the fastest growingnguages. Even China has embraced it. It¡¯s good to listen and romantic too.¡± Lucia praised.


    ¡± I didn¡¯t hear anything romantic though.¡± Ezekiel casuallymented, making Luciaugh.


    ¡± You didn¡¯t understand a word they said that¡¯s Why.¡± Lucia answered. If you get to listen to their music, I bet reggaeton will be your second best.¡± Lucia added with a smile.


    ¡± I doubt that.¡±


    The two bickered on their way to the waiting lobby. There were many people standing holding calling cards and Lucia was the first to spot the handsome ck Man holding a card bearing their names.


    ¡± Over there.¡± She said, dragging Ezekiel along.


    The driver spotted peopleing his way meaning that his clients were finally here.


    ¡± Good evening? Am Maxwell From Hilton hotel transport staff and am here purposely to ensure that you reach your destination safely.¡± The ck guy greeted and introduced himself.


    ¡± Hujambo Max, habari ya jioni?( Hello max, how¡¯s your evening?)


    Lucia greeted with a smile, making the guy widen his eyes in surprise.


    ¡± Habari yangu poa. Sikujulishwa kwamba unakifahamu kiswahili


    ( Good evening ma¡¯am, I didn¡¯t know that you are familiar with Swahili?


    ¡± Naelewa kidogo tu. Nina mengi ya kujifunza bado.


    ( I do understand Swahili though Just the basics. I still have a lot to learn) Lucia answered.


    ¡± Hamna haraka utakielewa ipasavyo. Karibu Kenya? Max said with a smile.


    ( You have time to learn to perfection. Wee to Kenya.¡±


    Lucia smiled at his courteous words and turned to introduce Kiel to their designated driver tonight only to realise he had a dark expression on his face. Of Course Lucia understood that he was jealous. She could smell something sour in the air.


    ¡± By the way Max, this is Kiel, my boyfriend.¡± Ste said, holding Ezekiel¡¯s arm intimately.


    ¡± Hi Kiel, I am Maxwell. Pleased to meet you. Your fiance is a wonderful woman.¡± He saidplimenting Lucia only to have  expression darken.


    ¡± You two look perfect together.¡± Max added and only then did Ezekiel smile at him.


    ¡± Pleased to meet you Maxwell.¡± He dropped his defences after hearing thepliment and replied politely. The drive to the airport was apanied by Lucia and Maxwell making casual talks. Ofcourse Ezekiel wouldment whenever they weren¡¯t conversing in that foreignnguage. The car radio was ying a song by Rayvanny featuring  the number One.


    ¡± That¡¯s quite a romantic song.¡± Lucia casuallymented.


    ¡± Yeah, it¡¯s a song that every lover should dedicate to their special One. Its lyrics are full of words of love and passion.¡± Replied Max.


    ¡± Oh really?¡± Ezekiel asked.


    ¡± Yeah, I took my girl to the club and asked that song to be dedicated to her. I danced with her and that¡¯s how I got myself a wife. That song is my lucky charm.¡± Max exined,ughing.


    ¡± I quite like you, you are a funny One.¡± Ezekiel said. He rarely gets impressed by people and this ck Man really impressed him tonight.


    ¡± Thank You sir.¡± Maxwell replied. He was also finding the couple likeable. After being in the transport sector for years, he met with all kinds of people. Some were rude, others liked toin even over the pettiest of things while others got irritated easily. But this couple was Nice and civilised.


    The following day, the two started their tour. They visited the Kenyan Coast and got to swim in the Indian ocean and taste the Swahili specialities. Ezekiel immediately fell in love with Swahili pu while Lucia couldn¡¯t get enough of the spiced crabs cooked in the restaurants. They visited Maasai Mara where they saw different animals ranging from elephants, lions, the ostrich and Many More. The rift valley did not escape them either. Ezekiel was amazed by the formation of the valley and thekes situated within it. They visited  crater, hell¡¯s gate, the fort Jesus and the steam producing dam of masinga was theirst destination. While touring all parts of Kenya, they came into contact with differentmunities and cultures. The Masai caught Lucia¡¯s attention from how they wore decorations . She even bought local jewellery as souvenirs to her friends back at home, ofcourse she didn¡¯t forget to buy beaded maasai sandals which she found to be beautiful. Their toursted five days ¨¤nd they were finally flying back home. Although tired, Lucia was happy. Ezekiel on the other hand could feel his condition worsening. Even though the drug he took before starting their three week tour had boosted his energy and prevented his nosebleeds, he knew its effect was wearing off. On their way however, he felt a splitting headache hit him but before he could wake up and rush to the bathroom, his sight became blurred and before he could register what was happening. The doctor among the crew attended to him and helped him stop his bleeding. After two hours he finally woke up.


    ¡± You are awake? How are you feeling? The doctor said nothing is wrong, just exhausted.¡± Lucia who was seated on a chair in the emergency ward bombarded him with questions immediately he woke up. Hearing her words, Ezekiel heaved a sigh of relief. It seems like the doctor was wise enough to keep his secret.


    ¡± Am fine. It¡¯s just as the doctor said, am Just exhausted, nothing serious.¡± He replied, shing her aforting smile.


    ¡± You scared me.¡± She confessed. She was very scared when she Saw him bleeding profusely and unconscious until the doctor assured her that he was fine. Only then did she rx


    ¡± I am fine, no need to worry too much.¡± Thest thing he wanted was to make her worried.

 Thankyou

    Ezekiel thanked the doctor for keeping his health condition from Lucia but the doctor informed him that he did it for her. Seeing that she was pregnant and knew nothing about his condition, he decided to keep it a secret from her. He then urged him to break the news to her because ording to his diagnosis, he barely had two months to live. Ezekiel assured him that he would definitely discuss the matter with Lucia and thanked him yet again before leaving to Join Lucia who was waiting for him in the waiting lobby.


    ¡± That took you a long time to just say thank you.¡± Luciamented. He had been gone for fifteen minutes which ording to her was a long time for just a thank you.


    ¡± He was upied and I had to wait for him.¡± Ezekiel replied casually trying to keep a straight face. Lucia didn¡¯t probe further and dropped the topic. She was so exhausted and jetgged that she went to bed immediately after they got home.


    After ensuring that she was asleep, Ezekiel took his phone and went to the garden outside their Vi. He sat down on a bench and called his father. Something was bugging him ever since hisst visit to the doctor. The doctor had revealed to him that the reason he was still alive was because he was given a life prolonging pill when he was younger, that tranted to the fact that someone in the family knew about his condition but chose to keep it a secret.


    Ezekiel concluded that only his father could bear to keep such a matter a secret for a Long time. He doubted that his mother knew about his health condition.


    The call went through and on its second ring, it was connected.


    ¡± Hello son?¡± His father, Mr Greene, greeted. Ezekiel could feel the faint worry in his father¡¯s voice.


    ¡± Hello dad, how have you been doing?¡± He calmly asked.


    ¡± Am good. How was your vacation?¡± His father inquired.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    ¡± It was good. I tried spending thest of my days making the woman I love happy because I don¡¯t know how Long I can do that for.¡± Ezekiel replied. The other side of the call went silent for a minute before he heard his father sigh heavily.


    ¡± So you know?¡± He asked the most obvious question. His voice was deeplyced with remorse.


    ¡± I do.¡± Ezekiel replied and a Long stretched silence ensued between them.


    ¡± Why father? Why did you hide something as serious as that from me, from us? I bet mother knows nothing about it.¡± Ezekiel asked the question he had been yearning to ask. He wanted to get the answer, and only his father had the answer to his question.


    ¡± I¡¯m sorry son but I had to do it. I had to do it for you and your mother. After you were born, your mother was dered incapable of getting pregnant again but looking at you, she was so happy that at least she had you. A month after you were born however, you developedplications and we rushed you to the hospital. The doctorter reported to me privately that you were a sickly child and was born with a ruptured nasal membrane. He said that you wouldn¡¯t live past three years but also mentioned a herbal pull that could help prolong your life. Without thinking, I went and emptied my savings and acquired that pill. I did all that in secret. I couldn¡¯t bear to watch your mother sad knowing that the only child she could ever bear wouldn¡¯tst long.¡± He took a pause to arrange his emotions which were going haywire as he remembered the past.


    ¡± You were my only son, the child I hade to love so as Long I could have you by my side for much longer, nothing else mattered. The doctor said that you would grow but not past 26 years old. ording to me, that was already a blessing so I took the risk. I Know I should have told you about this but as a father, I couldn¡¯t watch you get depressed daily knowing that your end is near. I have been living the past two years worried, praying that you continue to live longer or maybe what happened back then turns out to be a dream but I can see, the reality is here. Am sorry.¡± Mr Greene exined.


    ¡± Tell me father, is that the reason you never supported the Idea of me getting married?¡± If Ezekiel could remember well, while his mother continuously nagged him to get a wife, his father would protest saying that it was still early. That had be a topic of resentment between his parents.


    ¡± Yes. I didn¡¯t want you to leave behind a broken heart when the time finally came.¡± His father gave him an honest reply.


    ¡± Then why didn¡¯t you stop the engagement between me and Lucia?¡± Ezekiel inquired. His father seemed rather okay with that.


    ¡°What can I do? The inevitable already happened. The two of you were already deeply in love not to mention she was already pregnant with your child. I also want you to have someone apany you in your darkest moments. I know that¡¯s selfish of me but what can I do son, I can¡¯t bear to watch you leave this world, lonely.¡± His father answered.


    ¡± She¡¯s already pregnant with my child and I can¡¯t tell her to abort the baby. She¡¯s too stubborn. I don¡¯t want to be her burden, having the baby without me is already hard enough for her. How can I ask her to apany me to my deathbed?¡± Ezekiel asked bitterly. If time could be reversed, maybe it was better if he never got saved while he was young and left to die. Maybe then, he wouldn¡¯t have to leave Lucia in such a predicament.


    ¡± You won¡¯t be around while she gives birth? But she¡¯s only three months due. Does that mean¡­.¡± Mr Greene couldn¡¯t bring himself toplete his statement.


    ¡± Yes father, I only have two months to live or even less. I am almost losing my eyesight as well.¡± Ezekiel confirmed his father¡¯s fears. The Truth was painful and devastating but what could he do? His fate was already determined and sealed. There was nothing he could do to change that. He was never one to sumb to fate, but at this point he had no energy left to Even think about that so-called fate.


    ¡± Do you n on not informing her about your situation?¡± His father asked. ording to him, if two people Loved each other, then they were supposed to share the good times and bad times together. Having Lucia by his side would probably make hisst days Worth remembering.


    ¡± How can I be so selfish to tell her something like that? Isn¡¯t it already hard enough to leave her behind to take care and raise our child all by herself? How can I still dare to ask herpany in myst days. It is better she hears about my departure than watching me take myst breath.¡± Ezekiel was so emotional that his breathing became rugged.


    ¡± Okay calm down. Whatever decision you make, I¡¯ll support you but Ezekiel, you can¡¯t keep your mother in the dark for Long. She deserves to Know about your situation.¡± His father gently reminded him. He could chose to hide it from his woman as a way to protect her but the woman who gave birth to him deserved to know the truth


    ¡± Okay I understand. I will head over to see Mom tomorrow after I am done here.¡± Ezekiel replied. The two of them then bid goodbye to each other with the promise of seeing each other the following day.


    Morning came and Lucia woke up to see her man staring at her longingly. She got the impression of someone looking at the other for thest time but immediately shrugged those silly thoughts out of her mind.


    ¡± Good morning my Queen.¡± Kiel greeted, pecking her lips lightly.


    ¡± Morning my king.¡± Lucia replied. They had gotten used to Calling each other King and Queen because they were the king and queen of each other¡¯s life


    ¡± Breakfast is ready.¡± Ezekiel announced taking the tray holding her breakfast and cing it on the bed.


    ¡± Wow! Breakfast in bed? Ain¡¯t you pampering me alot today?¡± Lucia unceremoniously asked, ofcourse it was a casual question but Ezekiel tensed hearing it wondering if she figured it all out. But looking at her broad smile, he was convinced that she just casually mentioned it.


    ¡± If I don¡¯t pamper you, who else will I pamper?¡± Ezekiel replied with a smilepletely silencing her. After feeding her breakfast, he volunteered to help her bath before drying her hair and choosing her clothes for the day. Since her belly was getting bigger, we had bought her maternity dresses which allowed her to move freely and were extremelyfortable.. He also helped her wear t shoes which were easy to walk in with her condition.

 Tonight

    , After dropping Lucia off to work, Ezekiel went straight to the office. He had a few things to do before taking his leave away from his family, his love. He ringed hiswyer and instructed him to prepare a ownership transfer of all his properties, including thepany.


    He also called a number and when the call was connected, he briefly said. ¡± Meet me at my private Vi by the beach tonight.¡±


    Arriving at the office, he called his secretary to give him a few instructions.


    ¡± I have transferred ten percent of thepany shares to your name. I am resigning and nevering back. Please be here to guide the person who will take over after me and probably when my heir finally seeds, support him too. Take care of yourself and your young madam while I am away.¡± Ezekiel instructed his secretary to widen his eyes in astonishment.


    ¡± Boss, are you going anywhere? Why don¡¯t you let me apany you?¡± He asked. After working with Ezekiel for years, he had gotten used to him. Their rtionship was More than Boss and subordinate, they were More of friends.


    ¡± I might be going to a ce of no return. Your task is here so please stay. That¡¯s my only request to you.¡± Ezekiel said in a begging tone.


    ¡± Okay.¡± The secretary finally conceded. He didn¡¯t Know why he felt like this was thest time he was seeing his boss. And what did he mean going to a ce of no return? Was it what he was thinking? He hoped not.


    After meeting with hiswyer and getting everything solved, Ezekiel drove to the mall and went directly to the children section. He was nning on buying clothes and other necessities for his daughter. He also wished for her to feel his presence even in his absence.


    After buying literally the whole Mall, he gave the address for delivery and instructed the delivery to be made tomorrow. He finally drove to their house and picked a few necessities and packed them. He was nning on going away and never turning back. He then wrote a letter addressed to his wife. After cing the letter at a conspicuous ce where she could easily  it, he drove to his parents house


    He had alreadymunicated with his father and told him to inform his mother about his visit. Arriving at their home, he was warmly weed by his mother by pulling him to her arms. He savoured the warmth of his mother¡­ Maybe for thest time.


    The family then had dinner together before Ezekiel mustered the courage to reveal his condition to his mother.


    ¡± Mom, I have something to discuss with you.¡± He started sessfully gaining his mother¡¯s attention.


    ¡± What is it son? Have you decided to hold the wedding Sooner.¡± Mrs Greene asked, excitement clearly written on her face.


    ¡± No, it has nothing to do with my wedding. I am sick and wouldn¡¯t live much longer.¡± He announced and silence ensued in the whole dining house. The silence was so severe that one could even hear the sound of a pin dropping.


    ¡± W.. what a.. re you t.. talking about?¡± Mrs Greene stuttered. ¡± Can you stop pulling my legs?¡± She added not quite believing a word from her son¡¯s mouth.


    ¡± Am a serious mom, as for the details, you can ask your husband.¡± Ezekiel said and without waiting nor saying anything, he strode away leaving his father cursing him for selling him out and leaving him in a difficult ce. He didn¡¯t want to see his mother breaking down because of him.


    Ezekiel was tired but still struggled to drive to his Vi. He knew that in a few days time, he would bepletely blind and useless. Upon arriving at his house, he found his cousin Tony anxiously waiting for him at the entrance.


    ¡± What happened to you? You gave me a scare with your call?¡± Tony asked.


    ¡± Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Ezekiel was in no mood to answer his cousin¡¯s countless questions but he knew that it was inevitable.


    After exining everything to his cousin, he added. ¡± That¡¯s why I asked you back. I don¡¯t have time and you are the closest to a brother to me. I want you to take over thepany as the CEO. I already made the arrangements and delegated someone to assist you. Thepany will be in Lucia¡¯s name but you are a shareholder. I trust you to help her manage it until my childes of age.¡± Ezekiel said.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡± I don¡¯t believe you. You are definitely lying to me. I saw you less than a year ago, how could you be dying the next time we see each other. I refuse to believe that.¡± Tony was so emotional that he couldn¡¯t control the tears in his eyes. How could it be possible? He was just fine thest time they met so how could his health deteriorate so fast?


    ¡± But it¡¯s the reality we have to ept. We can¡¯t change the fact that I am dying.¡± Ezekiel said sadly, hoping the reality of his life will sink in his cousin¡¯s mind.


    ¡± I have one final request, Tony.¡± Ezekiel said seriously.


    ¡± What is it? Tell me and I will do anything in my power to fulfil it.¡± Tony replied earnestly.


    ¡± I want you to marry Lucia.¡± Ezekiel dropped the bomb exploding in Tony¡¯s mind.


    ¡± What?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but scream. He couldn¡¯t believe what his cousin was requesting of him.


    ¡± All my life I never asked you for anything in my life, this is my only request please. I beg of you.¡± Ezekiel pleaded, holding his cousin¡¯s hands.


    ¡± How can you ask me something like that? I can¡¯t.¡± Tony refused. Although he never met Lucia, he saw her as his sister inw so how could he marry her? That was simply impossible.


    ¡± I beg you please Tony. I can¡¯t bear to leave her alone.¡± Ezekiel pleaded.


    ¡± So because you can¡¯t bear to leave her alone, you want to transfer her like she¡¯s some kind of a property. You can¡¯t treat her like that Kiel. She¡¯s a human with feelings and I can¡¯t do that to her.¡± There¡¯s no way Tony would be agreeing to his cousin¡¯s request. Anything but that.


    Ezekiel finally gave up on convincing him since it seems that no words could change his mind.


    Meanwhile Lucia was almost closing up but was yet to receive a call alerting her of his arrival to pick her up from work. It was like a tradition ever since she got pregnant. Kiel would drop and pick herter, not allowing her to drive.


    Everybody was packing up one by one before bidding her goodbye. Her secretary offered to drive her home but she politely finally decided to give him a call, maybe he forgot or got caught up in something. After the third unanswered call, She finally gave up and decided to book a cab home. Along the way, she could feel fear and anxiousness creeping in her heart and bones. It was the first time her call went unanswered. It was the first time she learnt to feel anxious over a mere phone call. Countless questions shed in her mind but she didn¡¯t have an answer for a single one of them. Despite the situation caught up in, Ezekiel would always try to answer her call. A bad premonition started flooding her mind. After paying the cab fee and tipping the driver, she took hurried steps to the house. Her heart was palpitating as she felt her blood pressure rise and fall rhythmically.


    The door was closed so she used her keys to unlock it before sauntering straight to their bedroom even without remembering to remove her shoes. For some reason, Lucia felt that she would get something after visiting that room. She could feel that some kind of revtion would be made in that room. She was still hopeful that everything was fine and her heart and emotions were ying with her but she could still not ignore the dread she was feeling in her heart.


    gging the door open, everything seemed in order and neatly arranged. The bed was also Made with clean sheets. But wait¡­ The wardrobe.


    Matching to their wardrobe, Lucia anxiously opened it and only then did she realise that some of Ezekiel¡¯s clothes were missing. Most of the missing clothes were the clothes personally designed by her or either bought by her. Then her dread heightened. Walking back to the bed, she spotted a neatly folded letter addressed to ¡± My Queen.¡± With trembling hands, she opened it and read.

 Departure

    ¡± I Know by the time you get this letter I will be away, far away from you and my daughter but will be thinking about you.


    I am sorry my love, I know sorry will not fix anything and you must be cursing me for being a scumbag, which I am .


    I love you Lucia but I will not be a burden in your Life just because I love you. I set you free, live your Life and take care of our daughter. I already sent an engagement cancetion request to your parents and exined myself. I hope you can forgive me. All arrangements for her future have been made, you don¡¯t have to worry about her finances, ofcourse I know that¡¯s the least of your worries.


    I left a video, let her watch it when she turns twelve, tell her that Daddy loves her the most and most importantly, don¡¯te looking for me.¡±


    Ezekiel.


    By the time she finished reading the letter, streams of tears were flowing down, wetting her clothes. So that¡¯s it? Was that the end of it all? Why didn¡¯t he wait for her and tell her those words instead of leaving a lousy paper with little exnation about his actions?


    She could tell from the letter something was wrong with him but why did he choose to go alone and face it instead of letting her apany him? Was her Love so little that she could be shaken by a small obstacle? But was it really a small obstacle??


    Lucia did not know for how Long she had wept. Just the thought of not seeing Ezekiel again for whatever reason pained her. It felt like someone was stabbing a poison coated knife to her heart repeatedly. The pain was unbearable.


    Taking out her phone, she called the only people who could advise her on what to do. She ced a conference call to her three friends.


    The call was immediately epted by Ava, thest to receive was Miranda ofcourse.


    ¡± Hello girl, What¡¯s up?¡± Ava greeted.


    ¡± He left.¡± Lucia blurted out sniffing, trying as much as possible to hold her tears and not burst any moment.


    ¡± Huh! What do you mean he Left? Who left?¡± Stacy asked, puzzled, representing the others¡¯ questions.


    ¡± Ezekiel, he Left. A letter was all he left behind for me.¡±Lucia said bursting out in tears. She sobbed uncontrobly.


    In the background, she could hear shuffling sounds and nobody needed to tell her that her friends were making their way to her.


    The call wasn¡¯t disconnected and Lucia continued crying out all her pain.


    ¡± Don¡¯t cry too hard, it¡¯s not good for the baby. Try to rx, we will figure this out together.¡± Stacy tried consoling her. She was pregnant and although she was in her second trimester, stress and overexerting oneself could harm the baby.


    When Lucia heard about the baby, she forced herself to calm down. The baby was the only connection she had with Ezekiel, the only proof that she once had a man who Loved her but brutally abandoned her. She couldn¡¯t let anything happen to her.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Minutester, three cars stopped at the entrance one after the other. Although the three came from different locations, their arrival difference didn¡¯t exceed five minutes.


    The three girls went straight to the bedroom. It was already dark but the house had no single light switched on. They found Lucia seated at the edge of the bed, eyes red and swollen from crying but the Most heartbreaking scene was her Faraway look she had on her face.


    They pulled her, hugging her to show their support. After they separated, Miranda was the first to spot the letter that was lying on the floor carelessly. Moving to pick it, she skimmed through it and clearly understood what was happening. It seemed like Ezekiel left to face something on his own fearing to be a burden to Lucia.. but what?


    Passing the letter to the others, they all read the contents.


    ¡± The letter doesn¡¯t exin anything but I can tell Ezekiel is going through something and wants to keep it away from Lucia.¡± Avamented


    ¡± Yeah, but what could it be? Have you realised something abnormal from himtely?¡± Stacy directed her question to Lucia who just nodded.


    ¡± What is it? Maybe we could figure out what¡¯s the matter here.¡±Miranda urged.


    ¡± It could be something serious if he¡¯s talking about not being able to see his daughter ever. Did you see any problem with him health wise?¡± Stacy inquired.


    ¡± Yes, recently he has lost a lot of weight and he would sleep for longer hours than normal.¡± Lucia exined. ¡± Yes, I remember I severally found his handies covered with blood.¡± Lucia added. ¡± But that was before we went to our vacation.¡± Lucia said.


    ¡± Am starting to think it¡¯s no longer a vacation but a goodbye.¡± Ava said. ¡°Wait a minute¡­. I should have known something was off when he asked me that question!¡± Ava said as realisation hit her.


    ¡± What question?¡± Stacy and Miranda asked simultaneously while Lucia just looked at Ava waiting to hear more.


    ¡± I remember Ezekiel called me one night. I was already asleep by then, he was asking something like what Lucia wanted to do most so I told him about her dream of visiting Kenya. He was talking about fulfilling ast wish for her.¡± Ava exined.


    ¡± It seems like he had it all nned out.¡± Stacymented.


    ¡± Okay, that narrows things for us. He must have encountered the setback before they Left for the vacation. Maybe he just wanted to spend some happy days with you before leaving. That leaves us investigating him before the trip.¡± Stacy reasoned out.


    ¡± We have to look for someone he had a good rtionship with or someone who we spend a lot of time with.¡± Ava added.


    ¡± Do you Know of such a person?¡± Miranda asked.


    ¡± What about Justin or Ronald? They¡¯re best friends after all.¡± Stacy suggested.


    ¡± I don¡¯t think so. I haven¡¯t heard about Justin talking about meeting him.¡± Miranda informed me.


    ¡± Me too. Ronald wasining about the two cutting him off so definitely not him.¡± Ava added.


    ¡± Then who else?¡± Stacy wondered out loud.


    ¡± His secretary.¡± Lucia mumbled softly but the girls were able to catch her words.


    ¡± Exactly, we should start from there. Thepany and also his parents. He might have informed them about his departure.¡± Stacy reasoned.

 Nothing

    While they were still contemting on where to start their investigation, the doorbell rang.


    ¡± I¡¯ll get that, ¡± Ava said, walking downstairs. Looking through the peephole, they saw Lucia¡¯s parents standing at the door, worry evident in their eyes. She opened the door and offered them a polite smile.


    ¡± Aunty, uncle you are here.¡± She greeted with a bow.


    ¡± Yeah, we came as soon as we got the letter. What¡¯s happening here my daughter?¡± Mrs Mendez asked. To her, the four Ladies passed as her daughters.


    ¡± A letter? From Who?¡± Ava asked, puzzled.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± From Ezekiel. He said he wanted to officially break the engagement and set Lucia free. He also talked about taking care of his daughter for him.¡± Mrs Mendez replied.


    ¡± It seems he was really prepared to leave.¡± Ava mumbled but her words were caught by Mr Mendez.


    ¡± What do you mean dear, where is he going and why does he have to cancel the engagement if he would being back.¡± Mr Mendez asked, puzzled.


    ¡± Aunty, uncle it seems like Ezekiel is noting back. We suspect that he¡¯s in some difficulty or rather is terminally ill. He is not a coward or an irresponsible person and we both know he loves Lucia. Only something big can make him take such a drastic decision.¡± Ava exined their assumptions.


    ¡± What?¡± Mrs Mendez was so shocked that she almost stumbled and fell down if it wasn¡¯t for her husband supporting her.


    ¡± How is that possible? He was fine just the other day. How could he fall sick so sudden?¡± Her heart was tearing up painfully. He was such a fine young Man, how could he fall sick all of a sudden?


    ¡± We are just making assumptions, nothing is certain yet. Don¡¯t panic, maybe that¡¯s not the reason for his departure.¡± Ava tried to console the woman who seemed heartbroken from the news, who wouldn¡¯t be? That was their son inw and the father to their grandchild.


    ¡± Where is my daughter?¡± After reigning on her emotions, she finally asked. If this is how she felt, how worse was her daughter? They were almost on the verge of tying the knot and weing their first born. She must be heartbroken from her fiance¡¯s sudden departure.


    ¡± Lucia is upstairs with Stacy and Miranda. I think they should be putting her to sleep by now. She is exhausted and too much crying will endanger the baby.¡± Ava replied, apanying the two elders to settle at the couch.


    ¡± Can I go see her? I want to be with my daughter.¡± Mrs Mendez requested. She just wanted to stay by her daughter¡¯s side andfort her.


    ¡± Honey, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. Your presence might aggravate her situation.¡± Mr Mendez replied. He had seen the begging look Ava had on her face when she heard his wife¡¯s request and understood at once that they couldn¡¯t see their daughter at this time.


    ¡± Why is that? I am her mother. I should be with her now.¡± Mrs Mendez tried protesting to only have her husband wrap his arms around her waist.


    ¡± Think about it darling, if you were sad and trying to get over it then your Mom appears, what would you do?¡± He tactfully asked, baiting on his wife.


    ¡± I¡¯ll definitely break down.¡± Mrs Mendez honestly replied.


    ¡± That¡¯s what I mean hun, she¡¯ll just continue crying if she sees you then their efforts would be wasted. Allow her to rest tonight, we wille back and see her tomorrow.¡± Mr Mendez exined and finally she gave in.


    The two bid Ava goodbye with the promise of visiting the following day.


    When Ava went upstairs, Lucia was already sleeping soundly with Stacy and Miranda by her side.


    ¡± What happened?¡± She whispered, not wanting to raise her voice and wake the already sleeping Lucia.


    ¡± Let¡¯s talk downstairs.¡± Stacy said, motioning the two friends to follow her. The three friends walked down stairs and settled on the sofas before a dead drop silence covered the room. Everybody was in their thoughts until Ava decided to break the silence.


    ¡± Ezekiel sent a letter to Lucia¡¯s parents cancelling the engagement between the two families.¡± Ava reported.


    ¡± He what?¡± Stacy almost jumped on her foot upon hearing those words.


    ¡± Yeah, it seems like he¡¯s very serious.¡± Ava replied then the silence stretched yet again.


    ¡± I suggest tomorrow we visit thepany, only there can we get any useful information to solve this issue.¡± Miranda proposed.


    ¡± You two handle those matters, I will stay behind and apany Lucia at home. With her condition, she can¡¯t be left alone.¡± Stacy Informed and they agreed upon that.


    ¡± Ava, you will be responsible for talking to his secretary. I have to talk to hiswyer. I am sure he must have said something to him.¡± Mirandaid out the n.


    ¡± Okay.¡± Ava readily agreed.


    That night, the three stayed upte nning on their next move and only slept almost at dawn.


    The following morning, the country woke up to the news of Hawk constructionpany¡¯s CEO stepping down and the appointment of his cousin Tony Greene as the next CEO. This news shocked the country and debated on why the young CEO would resign when he was at the peak of his sess. Some said that maybe he was forced to step down by the family, others assumed he was maybe stepping down to enjoy time with his fiance and wee their child but nobody knew the truth.


    Lucia saw the news while browsing through her phone out of boredom. Thinking about him, she burst crying. Why did he have to hide everything from her and disappear from her life? She could feel it inside her that he was fading away but couldn¡¯t understand why he couldn¡¯t be honest with her. They may not be married but she already took him as her husband. It was for worse or for goodness. She was willing to apany him to the depths of hell if need be but he chose to face everything away from her, like she was an insignificant part of his life. Like she and her baby meant absolutely nothing to him.

 Presence

    One week. Two weeks and the news about Ezekiel¡¯s whereabouts never reached the girl¡¯s ears. They followed thewyer who was the legal advisor of Ezekiel and the Hawk constructionpany but never got to trace Ezekiel. The newly appointed CEO also refused to say anything about Ezekiel¡¯s whereabouts. The secretary knew nothing about his boss¡¯ departure.


    Lucia tried begging Ezekiel¡¯s parents but they refused to talk saying they respected their son¡¯s decision. The four girls were seated together with their fiances and husbands. They had tried looking everywhere for Ezekiel all in vain .


    ¡± He must be somewhere in the country. I already checked every record from the airport. Ezekiel never Left this country, but where could he be hiding?¡± Miranda wondered out loud.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a ce, Maybe a property he bought secretly?¡± Ronald asked Justin who had a contemting look on his face.


    ¡± Now that you mention it, he once talked about a beach house he liked and was nning to buy. Back then he said it was Ideal for hiding from the world.¡± Justin revealed.


    ¡± Where is this beach?¡± Lucia asked eagerly. She could feel that they were about to find him.


    ¡± South of pirates beach. It¡¯s secluded and the only house around that ce.¡± Justin recalled how Ezekiel exined the location of the house he intended to buy.


    ¡± Now that we have an idea, let¡¯s leave and find him.¡± Lucia urged her to take her purse and car keys.


    ¡± Are you sure you want to do this? We could go and confirm if he¡¯s there first.¡± Justin asked doubtfully.


    ¡± Then by the time I get there he flees, no way am going now.¡± Lucia replied with certainty.


    The seven people drove in two cars heading to the pirates beach. It was a two hour drive from Lucia¡¯s Vi. The whole journey, Lucia was preupied thinking about his reaction when he sees her. Will he be Happy to see her and their child or will he be angry at her for not heeding to his words? But there was no way she could be at ease without knowing where he was or whether he was doing alright. As long as he was alright, if he insisted she leave then she¡¯d do it. If staying away from them was a decision he Made without being influenced by anything, she would respect that and leave him alone, but until then, she would stick to him like glue.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    The cars finally arrived outside a Vi. It was a one storey building. It was a European design house painted with grey and ck giving a deste vibe. It was in the evening and the sun was setting. The sun rays reflected in the blue Sea water created a beautiful scene. The salty water smell Carried by the ocean breeze signalled that they were standing on the shores.


    The gate was not closed so Justin pushed the door and the rest followed him inside. They didn¡¯t need to walk inside, they spotted Ezekiel seated on a lounge chair facing the Sea. Today he was wearing a casual ck T-shirt and cks giving a carefree vibe.


    They all stopped in their tracks and observed him. Although only his back was facing them, they could see loneliness reflected by his figure.


    Lucia was the first to take steps towards him alerting Ezekiel of the presence of someone around him.


    ¡± Tony, is that you? Why are you back so early? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll bete tonight? Ezekiel inquired without turning to look back. Lucia found his behaviour strange. Not only Lucia, the others too.


    Ezekiel waited for an answer but did not get any. He was used to Tony announcing his arrival whenever he got home, so why was this person not saying anything? Could it be that it wasn¡¯t Tony but someone else? But who could it be? Nobody apart from Tony knew of this house, not even Justin which made it the Ideal location to spend hisst days without anybody seeing his pathetic self.


    ¡± Who is it?¡± Ezekiel asked but still got no reply. He could hear subtle footsteps approaching his way, they were light and¡­ familiar? ¡® oh no no! I can¡¯t let her see me like this.¡¯ he said inwardly as panic settled in his heart.


    ¡± Stop where you are Lucia! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± He said, pleadingly making Lucia to halt in her steps. Her heart clenched in pain hearing his words. What broke her more was the fact that Ezekiel didn¡¯t turn around to spare her Even a single nce. Was she so disgusting in his eyes that he couldn¡¯t bear to look at her anymore?


    Before She knew it, tears were already flowing from her eyes. She was heartbroken. Her silent sobs immediately turned loud and heartbreaking, even Ezekiel Who was prepared for this couldn¡¯t bear to chase her away. Standing from his chair, he picked his walking stick and Made his way to her. When he turned around, only then did Lucia and the others see the white cloth covering his eyes.


    For a moment, Lucia thought like she was dreaming, or perhaps her eyes were ying a trick on her. How could he be blind? While lost in thought, Ezekiel stumbled upon a stone and was about to fall when Justin dashed forward at a terrifying speed and supported him, stabilising his footing.


    ¡± Be careful.¡± Justin reminded him. He didn¡¯t Know what he was feeling or how to feel upon seeing his friend in that situation. He couldn¡¯t help but take a good look at him. Aside from the White cloth covering his eyes, he had lost a lot of weight. His skin colour was also pale, like an anaemic patient.


    ¡± Justin! What are you doing here?¡± Ezekiel asked, surprised. ¡± Who else is here?¡± He added, one could tell that he wasn¡¯t happy to see them here.


    ¡± Hi Ezekiel, Long time. we came to visit you.¡± Ava greeted making her presence known.


    ¡± So you are all here?¡±


    ¡± Yes.¡± Ronald replied. He couldn¡¯t help but pity his friend. Who knew he was living his life like a blind person? Was that why he chose to hide away here? Away from his family? Away from his friends? Away from the people who cared about him?.


    Right at that moment, Tony arrived. He was surprised to see two cars parked outside and had hurried to check on his cousin. He didn¡¯t expect to see all of Ezekiel¡¯s friends here.


    ¡± Why are you here?¡± He asked the most stupid question of the century. He was greeted with disapproval looks from the visitors and could only lower his face guiltily.

 The end

    After the ring contest ended, Justin helped Ezekiel to the house. They all sat on the couches and silence reigned in the house. No one said anything, nothing could be said either way.¡± Now that we have found Ezekiel, I think we should leave the couple alone. I am sure they have a lot to say to each other.¡± Miranda finally proposed and they all agreed. Minutester, only Ezekiel and Lucia remained in the house.¡± Why honey. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Lucia tried to gather herposure and try not to break down in front of Ezekiel. At this point, she understood that he needed her support more than ever.¡± I thought this is the best way to not burden you. I knew that I would lose my eyesight anytime soon. I am also about to leave this world. What¡¯s wrong with wanting to spend myst days alone?¡± Ezekiel replied. He didn¡¯t like this topic but he knew he couldn¡¯t avoid talking about it either.¡± If it was me in this situation, will you abandon me?¡± Lucia Inquired calmly.¡± Ofcourse I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Ezekiel retorted almost immediately. There was no way he could ever let her suffer alone as long as he was alive. What he didn¡¯t Know was that his actions brought more suffering to her. He thought he was protecting her while actually he was hurting her More.¡± Then why did you make that choice for me? Why did you push me away and stop me from taking care of you and being with you? Do you think your actions were heroic and I should thank you for that? Is my love lesser that I can¡¯t stay with my Man when he is faced with difficulties? She didn¡¯t want to break down before him, but she couldn¡¯t help the tears that flowed freely from her orbs. He might have thought he was doing her a favour by staying away from her but he was just hurting her Even more. Ezekiel panicked when he heard her crying. He pulled her to his embrace tofort her. Honestly, his intentions were pure, he didn¡¯t Know he was inflicting pain to her.¡± ! Please don¡¯t cry honey. Am sorry about making the decision for you. I know I don¡¯t have the right to choose for you but I did it to protect you. I wanted to protect you from the pain of seeing me lose my life before your eyes. Please forgive me.¡± Ezekiel coerced her.¡± Don¡¯t cry anymore my love. Please think about our daughter.¡± He said caressing her bulging belly. Lucia calmed down after hearing her baby being mentioned. Her baby was enough to calm her nerves. But she was still angry at him.¡± Do you still think that it¡¯s better I stay away?¡± She asked. One wrong answer and she would give him the beating of his life irrespective of his condition. Ezekiel knew she was testing him so how could he give the wrong answer? ¡± No, I know I was wrong and shouldn¡¯t have  that decision for you.¡± He replied tactfully.¡± Good that you know. I decide what I do and my decision is to apany you until when I can¡¯t anymore.¡± She was settled with talking about his death and couldn¡¯t bear to say it directly. The following day, the two went back to their house in the City. Lucia took a break from her work to take care of Ezekiel. Her parents together with Ezekiel¡¯s parents visited them often. Her friends too would drop by and apany them. Ronald and Justin would take Ezekiel out to talk about manly stuff. That¡¯s how two weeks passed slowly. Everyday, Ezekiel¡¯s condition was getting worse. His nose bleeds were frequent and although the regr blood transfusion helped prolong his life, his body was slowly giving up. He could feel it. On a Wednesday evening, their friends had just left. Ezekiel could feel that he couldn¡¯t make it to the following day. ¡± Honey,e watch a movie with me.¡± He called Lucia Who was washing dishes. He had always wanted to take her out to watch movies. He never got the time nor the chance to do so, he thought that he could as well spend thest moments of his life fulfilling his dream. Lucia didn¡¯t question why he wanted to watch a movie when he couldn¡¯t see. She walked towards him and prepared the movie he requested. It was a movie called myst wish. She could feel her tears brimming but she stopped herself from letting them down. She could only smile bitterly as she switched off all the lights and settled next to him while the movie yed. They watched the movie in silence, enjoying the presence of each other. Lucia undoubtedly knew that this was theirst night together but she still pulled herself together. Hands intertwined, they sat in silence. Ezekiel felt his breathing in gulps. The moment was finally here. The moment he would leave his beloved ones in pain. He wanted to plead with all the gods and angels to give him one more day but what could that do, in the end, he would perish. As a lone tear escaped his eyes, he breathed hisst, weing darkness to ovee him. His head dropped,nding on Lucia¡¯s shoulder. Lucia who had been observing Ezekiel from the corner of her eyes witnessed everything. She saw him take hisst breath. She couldn¡¯t control herself and finally broke down, crying. She cried for the loss of her beloved. She cried for her daughter, who would never ever set her eyes on her father. One hourter, she gathered herself and called her father inw who answered immediately.¡± He left.¡± She reported before disconnecting the call and continued holding his dead body in her arms as she sobbed. Three dayster, Ezekiel was finallyid to rest in the Greene family residence. The news of his death shocked everybody but what could they do, death knows no King and once ites knocking, who could say no. When his body was being lowered, Lucia felt a sharp pain hit her and she crouched down, trying to support her. Miranda was the first to see her discover her difort.¡± Hurry, call the ambnce, she¡¯s going intobour.¡± Miranda announced. ThatThT


    ¡± Now that we have found Ezekiel, I think we should leave the couple alone. I am sure they have a lot to say to each other.¡± Miranda finally proposed and they all agreed. Minutester, only Ezekiel and Lucia remained in the house.


    ¡± Why honey? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Lucia tried to gather herposure and try not to break down in front of Ezekiel. At this point, she understood that he needed her support more than ever.


    ¡± I thought this is the best way to not burden you. I knew that I would lose my eyesight anytime soon. I am also about to leave this world. What¡¯s wrong with wanting to spend myst days alone?¡± Ezekiel replied. He didn¡¯t like this topic but he knew he couldn¡¯t avoid talking about it either.


    ¡± If it was me in this situation, will you abandon me?¡± Lucia Inquired calmly.


    ¡± Of Course I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Ezekiel retorted almost immediately. There was no way he could ever let her suffer alone as long as he was alive. What be didn¡¯t Know was that his actions brought more suffering to her. He thought he was protecting her while actually he was hurting her More.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡± Then why did you make that choice for me? Why did you push me away and stop me from taking care of you and being with you? Do you think your actions were heroic and I should thank you for that? Is my love lesser that I can¡¯t stay with my Man when he is faced with difficulties? She didn¡¯t want to break down before him, but she couldn¡¯t help the tears that flowed freely from her orbs. He might have thought he was doing her a favour by staying away from her but he was just hurting her Even more.


    Ezekiel panicked when he heard her crying. He pulled her to his embrace tofort her. Honestly, his intentions were pure, he didn¡¯t Know he was inflicting pain on her.


    ¡± Shh! Please don¡¯t cry honey. Am sorry about making the decision for you. I know I don¡¯t have the right to choose for you but I did it to protect you. I wanted to protect you from the pain of seeing me lose my life before your eyes. Please forgive me.¡± Ezekiel coerced her.


    ¡± Don¡¯t cry anymore my love. Please think about our daughter.¡± He said caressing her bulging belly. Lucia calmed down after hearing her baby being mentioned. Her baby was enough to calm her nerves. But she was still angry at him.


    ¡± Do you still think that it¡¯s better I stay away?¡± She asked. One wrong answer and she would give him the beating of his life irrespective of his condition.


    Ezekiel knew she was testing him so how could he give the wrong answer? ¡± No, I know I was wrong and shouldn¡¯t have made that decision for you.¡± He replied tactfully.


    ¡± Good that you know. I decide what I do and my decision is to apany you until when I can¡¯t anymore.¡± She was settled with talking about his death and couldn¡¯t bear to say it directly.


    The following day, the two went back to their house in the City. Lucia took a break from her work to take care of Ezekiel. Her parents together with Ezekiel¡¯s parents visited them often. Her friends too would drop by and apany them. Ronald and Justin would take Ezekiel out to talk about manly stuff. That¡¯s how two weeks passed slowly. Everyday, Ezekiel¡¯s condition was getting worse. His nosebleeds were frequent and although the regr blood transfusion helped prolong his life, his body was slowly giving up. He could feel it.


    On a Wednesday evening, their friends had just left. Ezekiel could feel that he couldn¡¯t make it to the following day.


    ¡± Honey,e watch a movie with me.¡± He called Lucia Who was washing dishes. He had always wanted to take her out to watch movies. He never got the time nor the chance to do so, he thought that he could as well spend thest moments of his life fulfilling his dream.


    Lucia didn¡¯t question why he wanted to watch a movie when he couldn¡¯t see. She walked towards him and prepared the movie he requested. It was a movie called myst wish. She could feel her tears brimming but she stopped herself from letting them down. She could only smile bitterly as she switched off all the lights and settled next to him while the movie yed.


    They watched the movie in silence, enjoying the presence of each other. Lucia undoubtedly knew that this was theirst night together but she still pulled herself together.


    Hands intertwined, they sat in silence. Ezekiel felt his breathing in gulps. The moment was finally here. The moment he would leave his beloved ones in pain. He wanted to plead with all the gods and angels to give him one more day but what could that do, in the end, he would perish.


    As a lone tear escaped his eyes, he breathed hisst, weing darkness to ovee him. His head dropped,nding on Lucia¡¯s shoulder.


    Lucia, who had been observing Ezekiel from the corner of her eyes, witnessed everything. She saw him take hisst breath. She couldn¡¯t control herself and finally broke down, crying. She cried for the loss of her beloved. She cried for her daughter, who would never ever set her eyes on her father.


    One hourter, she gathered herself and called her father inw who answered immediately.


    ¡± He left.¡± She reported before disconnecting the call and continued holding his dead body in her arms as she sobbed.


    Three dayster, Ezekiel was finallyid to rest in the Greene family residence. The news of his death shocked everybody but what could they do, death knows no King and once ites knocking, who could say no. When his body was being lowered, Lucia felt a sharp pain hit her and she crouched down, trying to support her. Miranda was the first to see her discover her difort.


    ¡± Hurry, call the ambnce, she¡¯s going intobour.¡± Miranda announced.


    That night, Lucia delivered a baby boy safely. Yes, a boy and not a girl as the ultrasound had indicated. Lucia named the child Robby in memory of her husband¡¯s second name


    Gabriel and Stacy¡¯s story


    The Whiteman family flew from abroad to officially meet their inws. The engagement was set but old Mr whiteman was still unsettled. He was worried that his ipetent grandson would court his granddaughter-inw until his death, so he orchestrated a n and feigned sickness. As ast wish, he requested Stacy to at least acquire the marriage certificate together with Gabriel. Ofcourse, this was made possible through the cooperation of the Carls family, especially Mrs Carls who had taken a liking to his son inw and was very much satisfied with him.


    Although Stacy could smell a rat, she still went ahead and got married to Gabriel. Afterall sooner orter, they would be married, so what¡¯s the point of dying the whole thing?


    Monthster, Stacy gave birth to twins. The Whiteman and the Carls family was so happy that old Mr whiteman threw a huge party for the 100th day celebration for the twins.


    The three boys who were now seventeen and were learning about the family business were so happy to be uncles. They took turns carrying the twins.


    For family reunion purposes, the Whiteman family relocated to the country. The old Man was so excited about the new addition of the family that he came up with the relocation proposition, surprising everyone.


    The official wedding was held after the twins were four years old. It was a church wedding unlike Ava and Miranda¡¯s beach wedding. The two twins were the ring bearers. The two finally got married in church and were blessed to have a happy family.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!