MasukMadelyn was about to make Ian and Leslie leave when Nicholas walked right back in. It surprised her.“What’s going on? Didn’t they just arrest you?” she asked, blinking like she was dreaming. Even Ian turned around in shock, wondering how Nicholas was back in just a minute.“Nicholas is my man now, so he’s my client,” Isabella said as she walked in. Since she was a lawyer, it instantly made sense.“Great, another copy. Who are you again?” Madelyn said, sounding bored. “Isabella, yes. So you think just because you went to law school and practice here and there, you can challenge me?”“No, I can challenge you because I’m not only smarter but I actually know the law.”“They had a valid arrest warrant,” Madelyn said. She was a little shocked too, why had they let Nicholas go when they had a valid warrant?“Well, guess what? I didn’t see any grounds for them to arrest Nicholas. So I threatened them. If they took him, I would have their jobs taken. And…” Isabella stepped forward, getting cl
It had been about an hour since Raphael’s call. Nicholas had tried everything. He called everyone he knew, but nobody had heard from or seen Fatima. Ian had even come to the house. Now both men were pacing around the living room, still on their phones, trying again and again.“When was the last time you saw her? She was with you, right?” Leslie asked Ian. He was the one who said he had seen her last.“I was going to come with her,” he said. He didn’t owe Leslie any explanation, but right now he was doing everything he could.“And you didn’t call to check if she reached home safe?” Nicholas asked. His voice was full of judgment. “Do you realise she is the mother of my kids?”“Nicholas, now is not the time to point fingers,” Leslie said. She could see Ian was in pain too. “We are all worried.”“Oh, you are worried? Imagine how I feel. Those kids are upstairs…” He pointed toward the stairs. “…waiting for me to tell them where their mother is. She always calls, but she hasn’t today.”“Rap
Back at Nicholas, he and the kids had enjoyed a wonderful day together. Not only had he taken them to the park for a picnic, but he had also treated them to some light shopping with the little money Fatima had given him.It was safe to say it was one of the most peaceful days he had experienced in a long time. Even Isabella had left him alone, too busy building her case against Ian. As long as she knew his location, she seemed satisfied.Nicholas had bought Bonnie a bird and Wave his favourite puzzles. The day had been well spent. By evening, he returned home with the kids, only to find that Fatima was not back yet.“The kids are ready to leave next week. I think Fatima and I need to speak,” he told Mrs Wilson while Bonnie and Wave settled into their bedroom with their new pet. Wave was already eagerly trying to assemble his puzzle. He truly loved puzzles.“I have tried calling her. I’m sure she’s just busy,” Mrs Wilson assured him. She could hear the worry in his voice.“She should b
Out of a million things one could have seen coming, Leslie and Fatima working together like this was not one of them. The way they plotted, laughed genuinely, and bounced ideas off each other was a sight to behold.“Wow, she has definitely met her match,” Fatima said, clearly impressed. “I can’t believe you used those tricks on Nicholas and he actually fell for them.”“Well, I majored in psychology before switching to office management,” Leslie replied with a grin. They both laughed again before getting back to work, finalising the plans for the official opening of the hospital. Madelyn’s scheme was already in motion, and they needed to be ready.They worked for nearly three hours, even skipping lunch. Once everything was set in motion, Fatima finally let Leslie go.After Leslie left, Fatima sat down for a quiet moment. She took several calming breaths until she felt steadier, then reached for her phone and called Ian.No answer.It was beginning to bother her now. At this point, Ian
While Fatima tried to process what Madelyn had meant, Ryan sat across from her, openly expressing his joy.“Honestly, there was even a moment when I thought she had purposely left, that she faked her own disappearance,” he said.“And now?” Fatima asked.“She’ll explain everything to me. She said she just needed time. A lot has happened to her, you know? It’s understandable.” Ryan was already making excuses for her. “She was supposed to get married, and then she got into that accident. It was a lot.”“I see.” Fatima tried to keep her voice steady and act as if everything was perfectly normal. “So… she didn’t say anything else?”“I know she didn’t try to reach out to you, and that’s unfair, but please try to understand her for my sake. She’s spent her whole life taking care of you and your family. She deserves this one time to focus on herself.”“What are you talking about?” Fatima frowned. “Did you forget that she and Nicholas hooked up?”“That was years ago,” Ryan replied dismissively
It was the next morning. Fatima had barely slept the night before. Since she didn’t take any sleep medication, it was even worse. She kept turning, but as a mother she still had responsibilities, even with Mrs. Wilson there. As soon as her seven a.m. alarm went off, she got up and started her day.After a few minutes to get herself ready, she went downstairs. She found Mrs. Wilson already in the kitchen. Breakfast was made.“You don’t seem to have had a good night’s sleep,” the woman said, handing her a cup of coffee.“Thank you.” Fatima took the cup, sat on the kitchen stool, and took a sip while Mrs. Wilson continued working. “Are the kids awake?”“Yes. They already had their morning bath. Ms. Bonnie is helping Mr. Wave with his shoes. She insisted.”“Alright. Um, so I have an awkward question.” Fatima started. The woman nodded. “You worked for my parents, right?”“I’ve been with the family for years, Mrs. Kingston.”“Fatima. I keep asking you to call me Fatima.”“I can’t.” The woma
They had been in one of Ian’s clubs, one that had just opened at the time. It was a boys’ night out, Ian, Nicholas, and Ryan seated at a VIP table, drinks in hand, talking business. Somewhere between contracts and numbers, Nicholas brought up his problem.His mother had made it clear: he needed to
Nicholas walked back to his seat, running a hand through his hair. He was just about to sit when a call came in. It was his source.“I swear, if it’s bad news, I’m deducting your pay,” he warned as he picked up. This whole situation was humiliating to him, his ex-wife, whom he had barely divorced,
***“Hold on, you’re really going to pretend I’m not here?” Leslie asked for the fifth time, but Nicholas didn’t respond, his eyes still glued to the screen. “I can’t believe you,” she scoffed. “I thought us coming here would mean we’d spend more time together.”“I didn’t invite you on this trip, L
But those were thoughts she wanted to save for later. Quickly, even with the mask still on her face, she rushed to the door, and when she opened it, she found her adorable babies standing there, bright smiles lighting them up.“Mommy!” they cried in unison.Fatima dropped to her knees and pulled th







