"Are you crazy?" Clara shouted angrily.
Avi and Kevin both raised an eyebrow. Did Clara just curse at Alex banks. Clara had had enough of people playing her so she didn't care anymore. "Fine I'll take down the video, but on one condition" Alex said. This was definitely his opportunity to have this girl. "Okay, what condition?"Clara asked finally cooling off. "Let's make a deal, be my girlfriend and I'll take down the video"Alex said leaving everyone shocked. Alex was clearly proposing to Clara. "You can as well leave the video on the internet" Clara response brought disappointment to all in the office. Even Kevin expected her to say Yes. She pulled Avi's arm and turned to leave. "What if I help get revenge on that bastard?" Alex said not wanting to miss this opportunity. Clara turned to look at Alex, her face was lit up indicating that she loved the idea. "What are you getting at?"Clara asked "Jeremy works in my company, I could fire him and even blacklist him if you want. Jeremy's family isn't going to stop bothering you, I'm the only one who can help you "Alex banks said trying to sound very convincing. Kevin shook his head, the almighty Alex was nearly begging just for a girl. "I can also help you "Avi said not wanting to feel left out." Alex banks signalled Kevin and Avi to leave. After they left,He continued. "I'll help you get back at Jeremy and his family. I'll also sue his girlfriend for defamation." "Fine, I'll do it. I'll be your whatever." Clara responded. "You can text me anytime to meet up,so I can know more about you." Clara added. "Okay beautiful " Alex said. Clara rolled her eyes and said"Don't call me that you shameless man ". Alex laughed, he loved it when Clara tried to act stubborn. "Don't you have a job?"He asked. "I don't have a job, I just sit around all day doing nothing" Clara responded with a hint of sarcasm. "Should I offer you a job?" Alex said trying to impress Clara. "You fool,I work from home as an author, publisher and editor." Clara said and walked out of his office slamming the door. Alex banks smiled, that girl is so wild. ****** "What did you two talk about?"Avi asked as they got home. "Nothing much, I agreed to be his girlfriend and told him we had to meet up to get to know each other." Clara said. "That's all?"Avi asked. "Of course, that's all. What else were you expecting?"Clara said. She looked closely at the dirty minded Avi and pinched her cheeks. "Stop being dirty minded Avi "Clara said. "I'll go take a shower now" ***** Clara got out of the bedroom and wore her nightgown. She took out her laptop and opened it. She had been busy all day and didn't get the chance to review the file forwarded to her. As she buried her head in her work,her phone rang out. She looked at the caller ID,it was an unknown number. She hesitated before she picked up the phone "Clara speaking,Who are you?"Clara asked. "It's your new boyfriend." Alex said. "Alex??” "Yes,it's me. Did you already go to bed?"Alex asked. "No, I'm working." "Look out your window" "Why?"Clara asked. "Just do as I say" Clara got up and looked out the window. She saw Alex waving at her. She laughed"What are you doing here?" "I just wanted to see you one more time before going to bed"Alex said. "Then , you should've done a video call. Why come all the way here?" "I just miss you that's all, good night "Alex said and waved Clara goodbye.Chapter 162 – Full Circle The morning air was crisp, filled with the scent of gardenias and warm sun. In the kitchen, Clara hummed softly as she swayed with Hope on her hip, the baby’s sleepy weight nestled against her. The doorbell rang, and when Clara opened it, she was met with a warm, familiar smile.“Anna,” she breathed, delighted.Alex’s mother stood poised as always, elegant in her tailored coat, but her hands trembled slightly as she stepped inside and caught sight of the baby.“My granddaughter,” Anna whispered.Clara gently passed Hope into her arms. Anna held her as if she were made of glass, tears welling in her eyes.“She looks like Alex,” she said softly. “But she smiles like you.”Clara blushed. “She’s named Hope. Hope Vivienne Banks.”Anna smiled through her tears. “A beautiful name. For a new beginning.”She brought out the gifts—a hand-knitted pink blanket, a gold bracelet etched with Hope’s initials, and a tiny book of fairytales. “For her dreams,” she said. “For a
Chapter 161 – RebuildingThe nursery was quiet except for the soft creaking of the rocking chair and the content sighs of the infant bundled in Clara’s arms. Pale morning light filtered through the gauzy curtains, casting the room in a warm, golden hue. Clara’s gaze was fixed on the tiny face resting against her chest. Hope’s eyelids fluttered as she dreamed, her fingers curled into miniature fists. Each breath she took was a quiet miracle.Alex stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame, arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t speak right away. He didn’t need to. His expression—full of awe, love, and something that felt like peace—spoke volumes.Clara looked up and smiled when she caught him watching. “She’s finally asleep,” she whispered, brushing a fingertip across Hope’s downy cheek.Alex crossed the room in a few slow strides and knelt beside them, his hand resting lightly on Clara’s knee. “You’re incredible,” he said softly. “Both of you.”Clara’s smile deepened. “You say th
Chapter 160 – Quiet After the StormThe morning was unusually still, as though the world itself was pausing to breathe.Sunlight bathed the Banks estate in gold, and the air carried the scent of new beginnings—lavender from the front garden, the faint perfume of fresh laundry from the windowsill, and something softer, more sacred: the warmth of home.Clara stepped through the doorway of their home with a soft gasp. In her arms, swaddled in a pale pink blanket, was their daughter, Hope Vivienne Banks.Alex followed closely behind, one hand steadying Clara’s back, the other carrying the diaper bag that weighed far less than the emotions he carried.They paused in the foyer, surrounded by a silence that was suddenly alive with purpose.“This is it,” Clara whispered, her voice breaking slightly. “She’s home.”Alex wrapped an arm around her shoulders, staring down at the tiny bundle. Hope stirred slightly, letting out a gurgle, her fingers curling into miniature fists.“She’s perfect,” he
Chapter 159 – Hope Is BornThe wheels of the gurney screeched against the polished marble floors of the hospital corridor, their sharp echoes bouncing off sterile white walls and fluorescent lights that flickered too brightly. Every overhead lamp Clara passed under was a blinding reminder of time slipping through her fingers—seconds stretching and folding like waves crashing onto a shore. Her grip on Alex’s hand was desperate, nails digging into his skin, as if the anchor of his touch could ground her in the eye of the storm tearing through her body.“Keep breathing, Clara,” one of the nurses urged, jogging alongside the gurney. “Almost there.”But breathing was impossible. Every breath was fire. Every contraction stole the air from her lungs. Her body was no longer her own—it was a battlefield, muscles locking and spasming with pain so raw it pulled a scream from her throat.Alex ran beside her, panting as much from the adrenaline as from trying to keep up. His right arm, still wrapp
Chapter 158 – The Final Madness The early light of dawn filtered through the hospital’s large glass windows, casting streaks of pale gold onto the cold tile floors. The antiseptic scent was sharp and sterile, almost offensive in its cleanness, but after what Clara had just survived, it was oddly comforting. She sat curled up on the hospital bed, dressed in a gown that hung loosely around her frame. Her skin was pale, her body sore, her mind a storm of everything that had just happened. But she was alive. And Alex was near. He stood by the window, speaking with Kevin in hushed tones. His right arm was in a sling, his shoulder heavily bandaged. Clara watched him silently, memorizing the way the light cut across his jaw, the worry lining his face. Everything had led to this moment—lies, betrayal, love twisted and burned into something unrecognizable. Maya was gone. Dead. Shot by the very sister she once manipulated. But the world hadn’t stopped. It never did. The door creaked ope
Chapter 157 – The ConfrontationThe night air was thick with fog, a ghostly shroud that clung to the trees and muffled every sound. It was nearly midnight when Alex crouched in the underbrush just beyond the estate’s perimeter, a black silhouette blending with the forest’s shadows. His breath came in shallow bursts. The pain in his left shoulder was worsening—he’d wrapped it tightly to slow the bleeding from the earlier gunshot—but adrenaline was overriding most of it.Beside him, Kevin watched through binoculars, his voice barely above a whisper."East wing. Same light on. She's still in there."Alex nodded. The house loomed ahead, dimly lit from within. The place had been resecured after their earlier breach, new guards stationed outside, more vigilant this time. Maya had tightened her defenses. Clara was now confined to an upstairs bedroom—cleaner than the basement, but no less a prison.Alex reached for the earpiece tucked behind his right ear."Move in when you hear the second sh