"Sir, we've located them at the airport," one of the guards said into his phone, his eyes fixed on the couple standing in front of him. "They were about to board a flight to the Philippines using fake passports."Timothy moved to shield Althea, his hands outstretched in front of her as if to protect her from the guards. His eyes were wide, his body tense, ready for whatever might happen next, ready to attack."Bring the girl back to me, unharmed," a voice on the other end of the line said, the words dripping with menace. "I don't want a single scratch on her, or you'll regret it."The guard looked up from the phone, his eyes cold as he took in Timothy and Althea. "The boss says you're to bring the girl back to him," he said, his voice hard and unyielding. "What about the boy?" he asked, his eyes fixed on Timothy. "What do we do with him?"“Teach him a good lesson!” Adam, the voice on the other side, ordered as he ended the call. He was in a room at the hotel, fitting into his wedding s

Adam and Maxwell entered the room, and Althea, the cleaning lady, quickly moved to the corner, trying to avoid their gaze. Adam looked around the room, and then turned to face the others. "We need some privacy," he said, his voice authoritative. "Can you please leave us alone?"Althea felt her heart skip a beat. She didn't want to be in the room while these two men were talking, but she didn't want to cause a scene by leaving. She glanced at Maxwell, hoping he would take the lead.Althea was relieved when she heard Adam's request for privacy. Her eyes lit up in delight knowing that she would be able to leave without being noticed. She quickly gathered up her cleaning supplies and made a beeline for the door, careful not to make any noise while Maxwell followed suit. As she turned the handle, she let out a silent sigh of relief. She went her way,abandoning the cleaning equipment, heading down the stairs and out the back door, feeling like she had just escaped something terrible.She f

Althea reached the rear entrance and was confronted by two intimidating bodyguards employed by Adam, daring her to approach and attempt to pass through them. They blocked her path, their eyes hard and unyielding and it made her heart race.Oh no! Althea said in her mind as the guards began to approach her, taking a step further. Althea's mind raced with worry as the guards advanced towards her, causing her to recoil and swiftly turn around. She sprinted back towards the stairs, unsure of her next move or destination. In a moment of panic, she spotted two guards approaching from a nearby corner and hastily made her way towards the entrance. As she turned to the entrance, Althea found herself face to face with Adam, his arms folded and his expression impassive. Before she could react, he swept her up in his arms and threw her over his shoulder. She kicked and screamed, but he carried her easily, his grip firm but gentle."Put me down!" she yelled, her fists pounding against his back. B

As the priest said the words that would make it official, "You may kiss the bride," Althea closed her eyes, unable to bear the thought of kissing Adam. A single tear rolled down her cheek, landing on her white dress. It was a small drop of moisture, but it felt like a river of sorrow running down her face.But then, something happened that she didn't expect. Instead of a harsh, cold kiss, she felt Adam's lips brush against hers softly. It was a gentle kiss, full of tenderness and care. And for a moment, she forgot about everything else - the forced marriage, the pain of being trapped in this nightmare. In that moment, it was just her and Adam, and it felt like the world had melted away. She found herself drawn into the kiss, savoring the feeling of his lips against hers. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like the most natural thing in the world.But then, the moment was over. She opened her eyes, and reality crashed back in. The wedding guests were staring at them, and she could fee

Adam stood up from the chair and cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on Althea. "I'll leave you two to get to know each other better," he said. As he walked toward the door, Althea's curiosity was piqued, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him where he was going. She was determined to stick to the agreement they had made.Before Adam could leave, Hilda spoke up. "Sir," she said, her voice tentative. "May I ask a question?”Adam turned to face Hilda, his expression unreadable. Hilda took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on her mind. "Where are you going, Adam?"Althea silently thanked Hilda for asking the question she wanted to know the answer to. She couldn't bring herself to ask, but she needed to know.Adam let out a small smile, the first genuine smile Althea had seen from him. "I have a meeting with Mr. Carter," he said. "I'm going to see him now.”Althea was surprised to hear Adam refer to his father by his name instead of "Dad" or "Father." She wondered if th