"Allow me to introduce my wife, Nicole Hales, mother of our twins. I have loved this amazing woman for years, starting from our college days." His voice dripped with adoration, each word a dagger to her heart. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the painful truth hit her, while she had devoted herself to making his dreams a reality, he had been building a life with someone else. Eight years, eight whole years and she ended up a mistress. Alexa had sacrificed her fully paid college scholarship to support Steven's dreams, she had even taken on the role of a mother to the twins he had claimed were adopted, And now, he was ready to discard her like trash. She had built the stage where they stood in blood and sweat, she would ensure it burned to ashes. Luke was cast aside as a child by his father, Owen Hales, who had married Luke's mother only for her wealth and inheritance. After exploiting her, he brutally murdered her. Luke, who was a young boy then was thrown into an orphanage and left to fend for himself. After years of hardship and struggle, Luke was now one of the most powerful men globally and he was back for revenge determined to make Owen and his family pay. Luke observed the scene unfolding before him with great interest. His nephew, Steven, was being crowned the new CEO of Hales Enterprises, but what caught Luke's attention was the young lady who slipped past him, her eyes brimming with tears. He smiled, Steven had made a grave mistake. He had chosen the wrong woman. Amidst the tangled web of revenge and deceit, could love be found or would they be destroyed by the hatred that drove them?
View MoreToday was the day I have been patiently waiting for. After eight long years, finally, I will officially become Mrs. Hales.
I made my way through the crowded room, exchanging warm smiles and greetings with the familiar faces. "Greetings, Mrs. Jones," Most of the guests greeted me warmly. I had grown accustomed to being the face of the company, having handled most of the business dealings over the years. I scanned the room for my family, Micheal and Michelle were seated with the Hales family. They were the twins Steven adopted four years ago. We had decided to raise them as our children. I searched for my mother, sister and brother who were seated at one of the tables at the end of the hall. It seemed the Hales still refused to acknowledge my family but that ends today. I had caught glimpses of Steven here and there, but unfortunately, I had missed the chance of talking to him. The emcee's voice filled the room as he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we finally reached the reason for your presence tonight. Please join me, and let's welcome Steven Hales, our company's new CEO!" The room erupted into applause as Steven walked confidently onto the stage. His majestic presence commanded attention, and I couldn't help but feel proud. He was six feet tall, brown hair, and piercing green eyes, clad in a tailored black suit, he radiated with an aura of success and authority. My sister's words echoed in my mind "You sacrificed a lot for him" but as I gazed at Steven, I knew at that moment that it had all been worth it. I shifted my attention to Steven on stage, he was almost at the end of his acceptance speech. "Thank you all for this honor," he said. "I am greatly grateful for the unwavering support. But I couldn't have done it without the help of my family. And now, it is my pleasure to introduce to you my lovely wife and children." The room fell silent, all eyes fixed on Steven as he swept his gaze across the audience, a warm smile spreading across his face. I couldn't help but smile too as I thought about the promises we had made, the struggles we had overcome, and the successes we had achieved together. And now, I can officially call him mine. The whispers intensified, most were surprised at the fact that the young bachelor was not only married but with children. I rubbed my hands together anxiously, my eyes scanning the room for Michael and Michelle. I spotted their nanny, busily tidying up their clothes, and I started to make my way towards them, eager to join Steven on stage. But the next statement stopped me in my tracks. "Let me introduce my lovely wife Nicole Hales, I have loved this woman for many years." He smiled, his voice was filled with warmth and adoration. "We got married immediately after school, and we made a decision to keep our relationship private. Finally, I am so happy to finally introduce her to the world." The room erupted into a collective "aww" and applause, with guests smiling and nodding in approval. I mentally froze, everything around me melted away, leaving only a deafening silence. I reached out instinctively, grasping the nearby pole to steady myself. Married? Immediately after school? Private relationship? None of this made any sense to me. I stared at Nicole, radiant and poised on stage beside Steven, as if she belonged on that pedestal beside him. The way he looked at her ignited a fierce burn in my chest. Did he just call her his wife? What was happening? Was this some kind of cruel joke? Mother of his children, I examined Michelle and Michael carefully, their blue eyes and blond hair were identical to Nicole. What a fool I am. I remembered the day he had brought those babies to me, he claimed he had found them and their mother starving in the cold. I had raised them as my own while he studied abroad. A bitter smile graced my lips. So he was married all along, I laughed as it all came pouring back to me. Nicole was a famous model. It seemed after having the twins, Nicole pursued her modeling career, and I was left to care for the children. A high-profile model like Nicole wouldn't want to raise children, so she handed that responsibility over to me. I felt a wave of anger and betrayal wash over me. I had been played and used. I felt my energy drain away, and the room began to spin. I crumpled to the floor, but before I hit the wall, my sister caught me. I buried my face in her chest, whispering, "This can't be happening, Lala. Steven betrayed me. Why did he lie to me?" My sister didn't answer, instead, she held me close. The applause faded away, and my heart sank as Nicole stepped forward, taking Steven's arm. Her eyes shined with pride, and maybe even a hint of triumph. I turned to face Steven, and our eyes locked. I gave him a bitter smile, and his face went pale. He had the audacity to look scared. It was infuriating. I unconsciously moved, my feet carrying me across the hall towards the podium where Steven and Nicole stood. "Congratulations, Mr. Hales," I said, my voice slicing through the crowd's murmurs. I wasn't even sure of what I wanted to say. Everyone turned to face me. "Alexa, what are you doing there?" Steven's voice trembled, I enjoyed the fear I saw in his eyes. But he quickly recovered, masking it with a charming smile, the same smile that had once melted my heart. "I'm here to offer my congratulations," I said, my tone surprisingly steady. The room was also surprisingly silent, so I took the opportunity to continue. "Let's raise a toast to this lovely family, shall we?" "Do we all remember that interview where Grandmother Hales credited her grandson's success to a special woman," I said, and the room erupted into whispers as people nodded in agreement. "I am honored to finally meet the legendary woman who has selflessly sacrificed everything for her husband's success." "Come on, everybody, let's give a round of applause, shall we? After all, we owe our jobs to Mrs. Hales' sacrifice and hard work." The room erupted into applause, and Steven's face turned even paler. I remembered how he had told me that his grandmother had been referring to me during that interview. The memory of his deception burned within me. I stood confidently, a smile spreading across my face as I gripped the microphone tightly. Imagining the chaos that would follow after I revealed my truth.(ALEXA'S POV)"I need you to secretly install cameras in my mother's room and the hallway," I instructed Sylvie as I sat in our office at The Dove. "Tell the soldiers at the door to be less vigilant. I want it to be easy for someone to sneak in."The Dove was my creation, a company that operated in the shadows, a subcontractor with sectors in everything, but not dominant in any.My thoughts shifted. "Have you taken care of Brandon's scholarship?" I asked. "I need him out of the country. The sooner, the better.""Of course," Sylvie replied, it would hurt without her, she was always efficient.I looked at her, my eyes heavy with unwashed tears. It felt like yesterday that I, a fourteen year old, had met a six year old Sylvie. All the money I earned went to her, to make sure she had a life I never did. When I started working for Steven, I brought her here, to a better school, to be closer to me."Sylvie," I said, my voice gentle. "You are twenty now. It's time for you to go further with
( ALEXA'S POV)“Uhhhhhhh, Michelle gave it to me," I said, trying to sound as innocent as possible."It's beautiful," he said softly, passing it back. I sighed in relief as I took it, my fingers wrapping tightly around it."Lala called," he said. "Your mom has stabilized and will be out of the hospital soon. Do you want to go see her?"I sat down on the bed, thinking. This was the one thing I have been desperately trying to avoid. "I guess I should," I mumbled, the words feeling heavy on my tongue."You don't sound happy about it," he observed, turning to face me. His eyes narrowed slightly. "By the way, what did Steven want in exchange?"My heart hammered against my ribs. I had meant to tell him yesterday, but right now, I couldn't find the courage. "Nothing," I insisted. "He just did me a favor.""Really?" One of his eyebrows rose in disbelief."Yes," I said confidently. I moved behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my face into his back, hiding from his questio
(ALEXA'S POV)He looked up, his eyes filled with sorrow. “They have her.”A gasp escaped my lips. “They do?” I asked my voice filled with disbelief.“Yes,” he confirmed. “But she is safe, as long as I remain under their control.”I chose my next words carefully, my eyes fixed on his troubled face. “Have you seen her?” I askedA flicker of pain crossed his features. “Yes, I see her when I can. She is living in Mr. White’s house, working as a maid. But she is fine.”The name sent a wave of shock through me. “Mr. White? One of the highest lords?”He nodded grimly. “He trained me personally.”“So, have you been with your mother ever since you left the Garden? You were never separated?” I asked once again, just to be sure.He tilted his head, looking at me curiously, but answered without hesitation. “I lost contact with her during my training in the kingdom of Lanka. But I could see her whenever I met with Mr. White.”“Are you sure she is your mother?” I decided to ask boldly.He lifted hi
(ALEXA'S POV)"Moon" I hugged him tightly "Why did you lie to me? Why did you hide?" I asked in frustration. “You know I have been searching for you.”He looked away for a second, his jaw tightening. "It was selfish of me to even look for you in the first place, little dove. You left clues for me, and I tried so hard to ignore them, but I couldn't. Then I saw you with Steven, and I thought maybe it was fate. You had fought so hard for your freedom, and I knew I should let you go. But then, that day, you walked into my company's lobby, asking for my help. I couldn't stop myself. I had to have you back. I am sorry. It was selfish.""Is that why you hid who you were?" I cried, my voice filled with fear and anguish. "You should have told me, Moon! I searched everywhere for you.""I am an Orchid Lord, Dove. I am always being watched," he said, his voice calm. "It was safer for you if you never knew. You went through too much to gain your freedom, and I couldn't be the one to drag you back
(ALEXA'S POV)"Hello," I said cautiously, my voice barely a whisper.“Hello, pretty lady,” she replied.“What is your name?” I asked, praying she had a normal name.“Iris,” she answered, her smile bright. “And you, pretty lady?”I hesitated, the necklace I held burning in my palm, like a warning. I held it tighter, deciding to go with the safe option. "Alexa Jones," I said.“That's a pretty name, Alexa,” she said, her tone genuine.“So, what are you doing here, Iris?" I asked curiously. The Garden never let the young ones out, not until they were trained into the perfect, deadly flowers that were ready for missions. So how did she get out?“I am here with my mother. We are looking for my father.” she replied.I stared at her in shock. "Mother?" I asked, since when was the Orchid allowed contact with the outside world, we were all raised orphans. No parents, no family. “You have parents?” I asked once again, losing my composure.“Yes,” she replied with a simple nod, as if it were th
(ALEXA'S POV)I raised an eyebrow, directly staring at him. "So, how did you conclude that we are related after all the negative results?" I asked.He smiled, a hint of admiration in his voice. "I was in the hospital bed when you climbed past my window with a skill that few can master. I waited to see what you were upto, then news of your brother's release and the death of two Orchid members were everywhere, meanwhile you came out unscratched. That proved I wasn't dealing with an ordinary person."He leaned in, his eyes locked on mine. "So, I got your results and blood tests and sent them to a lab under our family. They ran new tests, and that's when we found the connection, Aconite."I tried to rise from my seat, shock and surprise written all over my face. "How?" I demanded. He leaned forward. "I have data on all the flowers," he explained. "When your blood tests came out, I checked. You were identified as the deadly flower Aconite.That's when it all made sense. All of it."I stare
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