Chapter 3

Authors POV(the writer)

At the Rivera Mansion, Nicole sat down with a mug of coffee in her hand. After the rain last night, it calls for a warm liquid and what best to go than coffee. She scanned all the newspapers for the day, her eyes going beyond every question mark and full stop.

Delaney, the house help came in with a new stack of newspapers.

"There is sure a lot of news today" Nicole told her husband as he emerged from their room.

"I sure hope the stock market price has gone down. That'll be good news" Copper Rivera said. Ever since his big brother, Ethan died, he's been the one managing the Rivera company. He married Nicole a year after the incident and since then, they haven't had a child to call their own.

Nicole picked up the next paper, she read the headline.

The Seattle Prison burnt down yester -Night......

She flipped the Newspaper opened while calling her husband. Copper came closer so together, they read the news with wide eyes.

.....The Seattle Prison was almost completely burnt down last night. According to some surveillance, the fire started in the washroom and spread out toward the different cells. Some prisoners where found dead along with some police officers while some were badly injured. The total lives lost last night was;

8 prisoners and 4police officers

The number of people badly injured;

10 prisoners and two local guards.

Nicole shut the paper and stared at her husband in awe. "Isn't that the prison Elaine was sent to?"

"Yes. Let's just keep reading." Cooper pestered, so they went on reading.

According to some officers the fire was started by a local prisoner here in Seattle. Her file record were as proved.

Name: Elaine Rivera

Both readers gasped.

"Why would she do that?" Nicole asked her husband who was also confused.

Sex: female

Age: 26

Case: murdered husband, Ethan Rivera.

........

During the fire, Elaine tried to escape but was shot and fell into the Seattle river. Her body hasn't been found yet but with the heavy rain that fell last night, the river overflowed it's bank, we doubt she'll make it.

Nicole turned to her husband. "The news just pronounced Elaine dead" she gasped. 

"So it seems" Cooper kept frowning at the paper.

"Honey, do you know what this means?" She shook her husband gently. "This means we have every right to own Autumn now." She squealed. Yes! She's been waiting for this for years. She's a barren woman and had liked Autumn since she set eyes on her but she wasn't able to adopt her cause her mom was still alive. But now she's dead, she couldn't see why not?

"Autumn won't ever call you mom" Cooper sighed. "She's a stubborn seven years old" a trait she got from her mother. Ethan was never heady.

"She'd learn to call me mom as soon as she knows her real mom is dead. Thank goodness she can read now" Nicole smirked. She picked up the Newspaper and headed for Autumn's room.

The little girl was on the floor colouring. Immediately she spotted her aunt by the doorway, she frowned.

"Good morning aunt Nicole" she mumbled. Nicole bent down kissing the little girl's cheek.

"Good morning sweet cake. How was your night?"

"The rain couldn't let me sleep" Autumn said.

Nicole sighed. The very time Elaine was getting shot, Autumn was having a sleepless night. . What a connection mother and child had and she couldn't wait to experience it soon.

"That's too bad. Next time it rains, I'll stay with you ok?"

Autumn nodded and went back to colouring. Nicole stared at the drawing of a tall woman holding a little girl. Hope rose in her.

"Who is that sweet cake?" Nicole asked.

"That's my mommy and me" Autumn said making Nicole's face to fall but she brushed it off. Soon. That would be her.

"I'm going to give my mom this when she comes back home" Autumn finished coloring and wrote mommy and Autumn down below the paper before sticking it inside her drawer, along with other stuffs belonging to her mom.

"I see" Nicole sighed. Poor child! If only she knew her mother is dead. As happy as Nicole was to claim the little child, she couldn't just dump the news on her right away. She just patted her head and walked away.

°°°°°°

Elaine POV

    

Memory:

The rain hit against the glass windows and I went to pull the curtains together. I came back and sat next to Autumn. Together, we read her bedtime stories. The door to Autumn's room pushed opened and Ethan walked in.

Suit in hand and his hair a little wet. He held forward, a bag of chocolate dipped cookies and Autumn squealed in delight.

"Daddy daddy" Autumn rushed to hug him and he pulled her into his arms rustling her cherry brown hair.

"Cookies for my princess" Ethan chimed and handed the leather bag to Autumn. She licked her lips and hopped off her daddy's arms so she could nestle on her bed.

Ethan turned to me." And flowers for my queen" he said showing a single red rose from behind his back. I placed my hand on my chest. He knows I love roses. I simply adore them.

I planted a kiss to his lips and then inhaled the perfect rose. "I love it" I tell him and he grinned.

"I know you love roses" he said pulling me to his arms. "I also got another surprise for you " I stared at him and his eyes twinkled with love. 

"What's that? The rose is already perfect"

"I insist" he planted a kiss to my cold nose before pulling out a small box. A jewelry box. He opened it to reveal a diamond necklace. One that shone under the dim lighted room. It seemed to brighten the place up.

"It's a diamond. Oh Ethan" I threw my arms round his neck. A perfect red, love shaped diamond. Autumn sat next to me. Her huge blue eyes staring at the diamond. 

"It's pweety" she said in her cute baby voice. Of course she still can't pronounce a perfect 'R'. 

"I know darling" I kissed her cheek and she blushed scurrying back to her cookies. Ethan took my hand leading me to the mirror and there, he placed the jewelry round my neck. 

"Look at you...you shine like a diamond" he grinned and planted a kiss to my neck.

"We shine like diamonds" I smiled. 

*memory over*

My eyes flashed opened and I lay still, breathing hard. A big fat tear rolled down my cheek and i tried to wipe it away but I couldn't move. Then I remembered what happened. The shots, the fall and someone rescuing me. I screwed my eyes shut again letting memories wash over me.