Liliana walked up to them and hugged them.She checked them from head to toe, much to the boy’s embarrassment. When she was satisfied that they were unharmed, she spanked them.Li looked at his mother incredulously, but she glared back at him.“How dare you run away? Didn’t you know the address of your home? If you encounter something you can’t handle, you come to me. Is that such a difficult concept to grasp?”“Look at how filthy you have become! Is this how you plan to set an example for your siblings?”Kyle hugged her and sobbed, “I am sorry, Mommy.”Li did the same, and Liliana hugged the two children close.Liliana exclaimed, “Ah! It reminds me of when we had just returned to P city. Jo - that traitor, left me for her father. I had the two of you to hug.”She led them to the ensuite bathroom and asked them to clean up. She sat them down and asked them to drink water and eat the pies she had made that afternoon.After the kids were well-fed and hydrated, she sat on the couch with
Liliana began when Liam stalled for time.“Kyle, your mother comes from a long line of military spies. You know what a spy is, right?”Kyle nodded.“Traditionally, only men are sent as spies because women are physically more vulnerable and comparatively more emotional. However, during your mother’s time, there was a very powerful mafia in Z city. He was extending his terror in P city. He had bribed and coerced many people at higher positions - so he would not get caught. Someone inside the Military betrayed us, and he found our spies.”Liam added, “He killed 25 of our most trained and skilled spies within a week. It left the P City Military in a very vulnerable position. My father was the Army Commander at that time. My Grandfather was in a higher position, and the mafia approached my grandfather for something. When he refused, he killed him.”“Among the 25 spies, three were from your mother’s family. Apart from them, almost 100 people from the force - Police and Military - lost their
Liam took a while before he braced himself for the next part.“My mother thought my father was cheating on her with Aunty Keira.”“My father kept everything about Aunty Keira a secret because he hadn’t identified all the people on the inside who worked for him. So for her safety, he dealt with everything directly. He had created a fake ID and passport for her for an emergency. If she ran into any trouble, or if he died, then she could flee and settle down abroad.”“My mother thought he was planning to elope with her. She went after him when he had sneaked out, and she took photos. The next day, she posted all those photos in the newspaper calling Aunty Keira a bad person for flirting with a married army man and ruining a military marriage.”“Naturally, everyone found out, and the bad people captured and bullied Aunt Keira.”“The plan was almost complete. As per military protocols, my father had to prioritize the mission. My father had the last bits of information in place. So he hasti
Liam finished his narrative and went close to Kyle.He knelt beside his half-brother and said, “Kyle, you are my brother by blood. But in my heart, you have always been my son.”“I will do anything and everything for you. Not because I feel obligated or you were a responsibility thrust onto me, or because my mother ruined your mother’s life. But because I love you from the bottom of my heart. If anything happens to you, I will lose my mind.”“What happened to previous generations is their karma and their lives. What we do defines our life and our karma.”“You are my son and will remain so until you return to P City Military as the Colonel. Until then, you mustn’t tell anyone about it.”“I never told you about your mother because I have immense respect and compassion for her. I did not want to lie to you or gloss over her story. I wanted to tell you when you are older, so you can appreciate her sacrifices.”“Nevertheless, you will always be my son and my highest priority. I love you so
“And now I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The priest announced. Jonathan looked at his bride, the angelic face and clear eyes of the woman who had schemed and forced him into marriage. He wasn’t sure how she managed to sway his grandmother and his parents, but she did, and here they were. He leaned into her for the kiss. For a second, he was distracted by her nervousness and loud heartbeat that spiked by the second. He had to, yet again, remind himself not to fall for her facade. He planted his lips against hers and told her exactly what he thought. “Did you think you could be my wife because you schemed and trapped me into this? You can enjoy the vacant position of Mrs. Smith that you covet so much. But you will never have a place in my heart and life.” He saw the shock and pain in her eyes, but it did not last long as she scanned the surroundings and sighed in resignation. She took a deep breath, and her eyes held determination. He was correct! She wa
Liliana Green looked at her little girl running to a toy showroom. She had only loosened the grip as she had to pick up a call. Six years old Joyanna Green had taken advantage of her mother’s relaxed hold and ran ahead. She had to buy toys for her twin brother, who was too sick to come to the shopping mall. But before she reached the store, she ran into a pair of long legs. A stern, good-looking man picked her up, and his eyes widened seeing her. He poked her face and asked, “Who are you?” Jonathan Smith looked at the little girl in front of him in shock. She looked exactly like the girl in his memory. Before the little girl could reply, the woman beside him, Vivian Stone, grabbed her arm and separated her from him. Joyanna cried in pain, “Ouch, that hurt.” He wanted to stop Vivian, but before he could respond, an alarmed voice came. Liliana cried, “Jo!” She had been stunned seeing the man her daughter had run into, even more so seeing the woman holding his arms. But she was
Jonathan tried to catch Joyanna, but Vivian threw herself at him. He missed at the last second. He pushed Vivian away and rushed towards Joyanna, but Liliana beat him to it. She clutched Joyanna, who was rolling towards the escalator, and tried to balance herself but failed. Liliana realized they were going to roll down the escalator. She bent her body and shielded her daughter’s small frame completely. Jonathan ran towards them and held them, but they had already tumbled halfway through. Liliana had no time to look at Jonathan as Joyanna was wheezing. She ran, ignoring her wounds, and got her bag. She assembled the inhaler and cradled Joyanna in her arms. “C’mon, Jo, breathe. Take a deep breath, Jo. Look at me, sweety.” She coaxed Joyanna and patted her on the back, soothing her. With her other hand, she called Henry Qazi, “Henry, come to the Western Mall, 10th floor, in front of Crosswords. Jo tumbled down the stairs. She isn't breathing well. Send someone to bring Li as we
Henry took Jo from Liliana’s arms and only then noticed Jonathan. “Jonathan, what are you doing here?” Henry asked. “Survey. Smith Group will acquire this.” Jonathan replied succinctly. “Oh. Yeah! I forgot you were expanding in Maple city,” Henry said. “Is she okay?” Jonathan asked about Jo. “Yeah, she will be fine. Why don’t you come to the hospital with us? Her twin has the same blood type as you.” Henry asked. “Okay,” Jonathan replied before Liliana could interject. She only frowned but did not say anything. She had already gathered her purse and phone. The rest of the shopping bags were with her bodyguard. Jonathan took her frowning to mean she was in pain, so he offered his help. “It’s fine. I can manage.” She cut him off but limped the next second. He took her purse from her and hung it in his arms before picking her up. Liliana widened her eyes, but Henry showed Jonathan how to hold her without hurting her injuries. She could only shut up and not overthink. They arri