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RICHARD.I coiled my hands into fists, glaring at the bastard who was addressing the press like he owned the place. The moment he mentioned the partnership with Savvy Tech, the crowd went crazy. “Mr Hart, are you saying Mr X is willing to work with you?” One of the reporters asked. “Mr Hart, no one has ever seen Mr X. He’s a mysterious CEO who came out of nowhere. How did you manage to secure a partnership when you just returned to the country?”“How much is the partnership worth? Can we see the new product?” "You don't need to know the details. All you need to know is that Mr X and I are close. The partnership is worth a hundred million dollars and I have the contract with me. Mr X has already signed it, I just have to sign it and the deal is done,” Lucas replied arrogantly. I scoffed, my hatred for my so-called brother growing. How the hell did he manage to convince Mr X to give him a contract? Elias has been trying but he’s never gotten any response… not even a rejection. I
SOPHIA.“Congratulations on your first win, Luca!” I said the moment he walked through the door. “You were so cool!”He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. “You watched the press conference?” “Yes, I did. It was a chance to see Elias get defeated. It was satisfying to watch,” I replied, a huge grin on my face. I found out through social media that a group of protestors were making trouble at the Hart group, so I kept up with the news to see how it would turn out. For sure, Lucas didn’t disappoint. The way he handled the protestors… the way he handled the press and him slapping his brother and Elias’s face with a hundred million dollar contract… I wish I had been there to witness the looks on their faces myself. “This is just the beginning,” Lucas replied as he rolled his sleeves to his elbows. He looked at me, saying, “I hope you haven’t had dinner yet. I promised to cook for you.” “No, I didn’t. And I’m starving,” I replied, rubbing my stomach. “Then I better feed
SOPHIA.“Bon appétit!” Lucas said and I looked down at my plate filled with a well-done steak, mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies.I gulped, my mouth watering. Not only did it look delicious, but it smelled good too.Looking up at Lucas, I smiled. “Thank you for the meal.”Lucas sat across from me. We had moved to the dining area and I was still on my first glass of wine. I didn’t want to get drunk and misbehave like last time.We sat in comfortable silence and enjoyed the food.“I met the Adams Group CEO today,” I said after a while, my mouth full.Oh, that’s so ladylike Sophie. How can you talk with food in your mouth?“How did it go?” He asked in his deep voice before reaching over to wipe some sauce from my mouth.I blushed profusely but decided to play it cool.“She offered to help me win over the shareholders. I know I haven't been active for three years, it will take some time for me to earn their trust,” I replied.For now, I couldn’t show up at the company because Elias would
LUCAS. I awoke to a soft, warm body curled up against me. The TV was still on, still playing the series I had put on last night, but outside, the birds had already started chirping and soft morning light was beginning to seep into the room. I looked down at the beautiful woman sleeping beside me and arched my eyebrow. She had used my chest as a pillow and her leg was wrapped around mine like she didn't want to let go. It seems that while trying to watch the series, we somehow ended up falling asleep. I had promised her that I would leave once she fell asleep… but who knew I would be so relaxed with her next to me? I hadn't even realised when I had dozed off. Looking at her sleeping face, I couldn’t help but admire her. She looked so peaceful. Reaching up, I brushed the hair that had fallen on her face away before caressing her cheek lightly. She moaned in her sleep but instead of waking up, she tightened her hold around me and I gulped, my heart racing at the warmth radiating f
CARLA.“What are you doing here?” I questioned the man who was sitting in my chair like he owned the place. “Who let you in?” I had just returned from my secret meeting with Lucas Hart, the second son of the chairman of the Hart Group. When I got his invitation earlier, I wondered what he wanted to talk about but now that I knew he was on our side, I didn't have to fear the man seated in my office. “Carla Hopkins, you must have forgotten your place and started to think you’re a real CEO,” Elias Hart spat as he lightly swayed in my swivel chair. I clenched my hands into fists, glaring at him. “I was able to get this job because I was overqualified for any other job in this company. Don’t belittle me just because I’m a woman!” I spat. The man always came and went as if he was the actual CEO of the Adams Group. I tried my best to put him in line but there was only little I could do when he used his marriage to Sophia Adams to get away with anything. He let out a dark chuckle. “I f
SOPHIA. “The invitations to my welcoming party have been sent out. It will be held in three weeks,” Lucas said as he manoeuvred the car out of the yard. It took an hour for me to dress up for dinner and now, we were heading out to Lucas’s mysterious place. I had asked where he would like me to treat him to dinner and he said it was a surprise. I sighed at his words. “That night, everyone will know about our marriage,” I replied, suddenly feeling nervous. What would his father think? I had divorced his grandson and became his daughter-in-law instead.“Yes, and Elias will realise that you’ve upgraded,” Lucas remarked, smirking as he steered the car with one hand. “I hope you will be ready to face him then… it won’t be easy but it’s got to be done.” I bit my lower lip.The thought of seeing Elias again still made me anxious. But if I don’t brave myself and overcome my fears, he will hold me back forever. “I won’t back down! I can’t keep hiding forever. Besides, I need to return to
SOPHIA. “I just heard your voice and had to see you right away! So, how have you been? We haven’t talked in a while,” the woman said before Lucas could even respond. She was facing him, completely ignoring my existence. “Hello,” Lucas replied nonchalantly. He glanced at me. “Try the noodles, love. Aunt Elena makes the best noodles in the city.” I smiled but before I could respond, the woman placed her hand on Lucas’s arm. “Lucas, I know you love Mom’s noodles. This has been your go-to restaurant for years now. I learnt Mom’s recipe and my noodles taste the same as hers… I’ll be preparing them for you from now on.” I felt an odd twinge in my chest. Picking up the chopsticks, I twirled my noodles before taking them into my mouth and chewing them with fake calmness. My eyes subtly fell on her hand that was on Lucas’s arm and inexplicable anger rushed through me. Why was he letting her touch him like that?Lucas shook her hand off. “Kimberly, meet my wife, Sophia Adams,” he said,
SOPHIA. “Earth to Sophia!” Carla’s voice reached my ears, bringing me back to the present. “Um... I’m sorry. Where were we?” I asked, looking down at the documents on the table. Carla raised an eyebrow. “I can’t believe I spent thirty minutes talking to myself,” she complained. “You’ve been absent-minded since we started.”I sighed. “That’s true... I’m sorry, Carla. I called you all the way here and I’m not even paying attention.”My mind drifted to Lucas and what he had said when we left the restaurant the other day. “I’m all yours, Soph.”What did he mean?Those words had given me sleepless nights as I tried to figure out their meaning.A few days passed since that night. Lucas and I continued to live under one roof and I soon adjusted to my new life. Despite Lucas being extra busy now that he was working on a new project for the Hart group, he still made time to have dinner or lunch with me. Sometimes he cooked for me and I found myself wanting to eat the food he cooked more
ELIAS. I stood at the altar, my heart rejoicing about how things were working in my favour so far. With Mr X coming to personally hand me a contract next week, my position in the family was as good as sealed. Today, I made sure all of the company’s shareholders had been invited to the wedding. My plan was to talk about my heir at the reception to impress the shareholders. The shareholders cared a lot about reputation, and a CEO who was a family man with good morals was their ideal type of leader. I could still hear Dad’s warning in my ears when we talked earlier today. “After today, don’t create any more scandals. We can’t afford to have any more stains if we are to chase Lucas out of the family. Don’t disappoint me.” It was the first time I saw a proud look on his face. Although he didn’t approve of Violet because of her background, he still tolerated her because she was carrying my heir. My child...Or so I thought. I didn’t expect her, of all people, to lie to me. When So
SOPHIA. It had been a few days since I opened Dad’s safe, and it took everything in me to hold back and not confront the culprits. Having them arrested immediately would be going too easy on them. Elias, especially, since he loved stabbing people who were good to him in the back, I wanted him to know how it felt to be betrayed. As the officiant was giving his speeches, Lucas grabbed my hand, squeezing it in assurance, and I looked up at him, giving him a small smile. I got this. Compared to what Elias and Violet did to me, this was nothing. "Since there's no objection. I will proceed with..."“I object!” I yelled, getting to my feet. Gasps echoed around the venue. I could feel all eyes turn toward me as I slowly walked towards the altar. Elias glanced at me with wide eyes while Violet’s face turned pale as if she had been drained of all blood. “May I ask who you are and why you object to this wedding?” The officiant asked, clearly shaken by the interruption. He must have been
VIOLET. “You look beautiful,” the makeup artist said after doing my makeup. A small smile crossed my lips. "Thank you. I've always wanted to be a bride."I glanced into the mirror, looking at the pretty face that looked back at me. Finally, the day of my wedding had arrived. Although Elias and I had already gotten married, this wedding was more of a confirmation of my position in the Hart family. As the first grandson of the chairman, Elias still had some sort of power in the Hart family. It’s the first heir who always inherits a family legacy anyway, so ninety percent of what Steven Hart owned would belong to Richard, and in the end, Elias would be the benefactor. I was having this wedding not to wait for the two old geezers to die, but for me to have an opportunity to get rid of all of them. What if I died first and ended up not getting anything? I needed to secure the future of my child. At least, he should have a different life from the one I had. As Mrs Hart and the mother
SOPHIA. “I came as soon as possible,” Lucas said as he entered my office. I had been stuck in my chair for close to an hour, replaying the video I had found over and over again after copying it to my laptop. I looked up from the laptop, my eyes blurry from the tears I had been shedding. “You were right,” I said, sniffling. "Elias was involved. Dad found out what they were up to, but he still failed to prevent his death.”Lucas approached me, worry flitting through his eyes. He grabbed my hand and helped me up before sitting on my chair and placing me on his lap. He then coiled his arm around my waist, looking down at me with a gentle gaze.“I’m going to make him pay. I’ll destroy him,” I said, tears rolling down my cheeks. My father was betrayed by his friend just because he couldn’t give him a job he wasn’t qualified for. That man worked with Elias to get rid of my father… They even had the guts to stick around and try to take over the company. Dad was good to Elias, but how c
SOPHIA. My heart pounded in my chest as I opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. It seemed it was written a week before Dad and Mom had the accident that claimed their lives. My dear sweet little angel,My eyes stung, and I sniffled to hold back my tears when I read the first line. This was so Dad… still calling me his little angel when I was a grown woman. I guess to him, I was still that little girl he taught how to walk or ride a bike... I was daddy's little girl till the very end.My chest constricted with pain. I miss you, Dad…If you’re reading this, it only means I’m no longer in this world, and you’re now ready to take over the family legacy. Don’t feel bad if it took some time for you to take over, it’s never too late to find the right path. I know you must be married now. With me gone, I trust you made the right decision and married the right man for you… The one who makes your heart skip a beat. If he looks at you the way I looked at your mother, then you’re in
SOPHIA.I took a deep breath as I stood outside my late father’s lawyer, Abraham Marshall's, office. After Daniel Walter left my office earlier, I kept recalling how his gaze shifted to the bookshelf behind me when he thought I couldn’t notice. Since he was once my father's close friend, he must have known there was a hidden safe in the chairman's office. And from the way he was giving the shelf secret looks, he surely knew what was inside that safe. Perhaps that could be the reason he’s been hanging around the company a lot despite not having any position there. That was the reason I chose not to waste time and came to see my late father's lawyer.The sooner I found out about what was in the hidden safe, the better. I raised my hand and knocked on the door. Twice. And then three times. After a few seconds of silence, a deep voice echoed from inside the office. “Come in.” I opened the door and walked in, finding Abraham Marshall seated behind his desk. He was an elderly man i
SOPHIA.My heart ached. So all this while, I thought Elias saved me, but it turned out he had taken the credit when it wasn’t his to take in the first place. I know I was the one who mistook him for the man who saved me, but why didn’t he correct me? He just went along with me, pretending like he was the man I thought had come to my rescue. As it turned out, it was Lucas all along. “Why didn’t you tell me? I ended up falling in love with the wrong person,” I asked, tears rolling down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe I had wasted my time, my emotions and my love on the wrong person. There were so many wasted years...Lucas was silent for a few seconds. He frowned, looking at me. “If someone else saved you today, would you fall in love with him?” I furrowed my eyebrows, shaking my head. “No, I wouldn’t. Why would I fall in love with just anyone because they saved me…” I trailed, realising why he asked that question.He arched an eyebrow. “You see? I don’t think you fell for Elias b
##Flashback to nine years ago##LUCAS's POV. I had just gotten off Dad’s private jet when I saw Caspian waiting for me near his Lamborghini. “Hey bro!” He yelled, waving at me like a fool. I shook my head. This fucker loved getting on my nerves. So he came all the way here just to embarrass me? When I reached his side, he spread his arms wide. “Aren't you gonna hug your best buddy?” “Fuck off,” I said before getting into the car. Caspian entered the driver's side car and drove off. I glanced at him, saying, “Let’s stop at a flower shop.”“You just returned, and you can’t wait to see your first love? Are you finally going to confess your feelings?” A small smile crossed my lips. “Yes, I am. I can’t hold back any longer. I missed her so much.” “What if she doesn’t like you that way?”A lump formed in my throat. That was a possibility. But I wouldn’t know unless I tried, right?“We shall cross that bridge when we get there,” I said, looking out of the window. Dad had sent me abr
LUCAS. I froze. I hadn't expected that we would run into Sophia's high school tutor, much less that he would bring up the past. “What do you mean? When did Lucas save me?” Sophia asked him, giving him a questioning gaze. I gave the man a pointed look, hoping he would keep his words to himself. However, he chuckled when he saw my glare, looking back at Sophia. “Don’t tell me you forgot. Lucas once saved you when you were attacked on your way home,” Adil Patel uttered, ignoring the daggers I was shooting at him with my eyes. Sophia gasped, glancing at me with rounded eyes. “Is that true? Were you the one who saved me that time? How... it was clearly Elias...”Alarm bells went off in my head at those words. What the hell did that mean? Was she about to say Elias was the one who had saved her?Adil laughed. “I see.... Lucas must have kept it a secret because he didn’t want you to feel burdened."He chuckled again, glancing at me. "How noble. I’ll see you around, and congratulation