Sabreena hesitated in the doorway, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she clutched a large bouquet of white lilies. She took a deep breath before stepping into the living room, her eyes darting around nervously and scanning the faces: her brother was looking at her with confusion, while Olivia’s gaze was sharp, Eliana’s gently curious, and Noah was stoic and calm; although his calm demeanor wasn't exactly helpful in taming her anxiety.Finally, with a forced smile, she spoke up. “Oh, come on, Olivia…” She started awkwardly, the bouquet trembling slightly in her hands. “How long are you going to hold on to some… some small incident from ages ago? Why would I insult him? I… actually, I have come to thank No- I mean, Mr. Kingsley.”Eliana shot her mother an amused glance, while Noah remained silent, his face unreadable as Sabreena took a few steps forward, extending the bouquet of lilies towards him. Olivia crossed her arms and cut in sharply, “Well, I can’t exactly let it go
“Killed him? Dad!! You are saying you killed him… wasn't his death an accident? Then how is it possible that you are the reason behind–”Liam didn't even realize that he had started to interrogate his father under the effect of his anxiety on hearing the last words spoken by him.Till now, he had been thinking that they were standing on the right side of the situation as well as the history that was yet to be written. He really believed that they were the oppressed ones who had always been discriminated against, trying to fight for their rights which had unjustly been snatched from them.But after hearing his father's nonchalant response, he wasn't able to think straight anymore. He was ready to go to any extent to get what really belonged to him, but killing someone was something he could never imagine doing… nor was he able to digest the fact that his father was a murderer.But before he could have completed his statement, Otis interrupted his rambling. “Yes! It was an accident, a
Noah was sitting in the garden, trying desperately to calm himself as he had been feeling a little uneasy because of the way things had unfolded.He had spent most of his life away from home, this is why, he knew the value of family. He had also met several people who were dark to the very core, but for some reason, he thought that Liam was different…Noah had a feeling that everything he had been doing so far, was just because something that he thought would always remain his, had been snatched from him in the middle of all the succession drama… and especially because of Noah himself.So it was a logical thing that he hated him from the core of his heart… but he had also seen his affection towards their grandpa. He was lost in his thoughts, staring off into the distance… when he noticed some disturbance near the ivy vines, lurking by the southernmost boundary of the garden.He rose from his seat and started walking towards the boundary; and Ben snapped to attention.He had been stan
"I should take the blame!?"Noah Smith frowned and looked at the old lady sitting on the upholstered sofa.The old lady casually sipped her tea and said lightly, "Yes, and what part of this you are not understanding? It's about the reputation of the Frost family, and you know very well that I don’t want any stain on our legacy… So just take the blame for Henry’s fault. Don't worry, the whole scandal will be forgotten soon, and you will also come out in a few years. You are still young, you will still have plenty of time.""What the hell? Really! Age! You are asking me to take the blame because of my age... If this is your logic behind all this, then Henry is two years younger than me!" Noah roared."Jerk!"The old lady’s son, standing on one side, said coldly, "Do you think a gutter rat like you compares with our precious Henry?""This is a chance for you to become useful for once, and pay off some of your debt to us; after all, you are the son-in-law of the Frost family. Didn’t y
"James Clifton? Are you really talking about James Clifton, of the Clifton Group?" Everyone was taken aback with surprise, including Lady Hyacinth Frost, the matriarch of the family."Of course!"Henry confirmed their doubts and said proudly, "I had a few drinks with James yesterday. He was very friendly and introduced me to his friends. He also said that he might consider a collaboration with us in the future!"The hall suddenly became quiet, and everyone was amazed to hear these words… Could it be true?! The Clifton family was not just famous, but they were one of the top three elite families in Edinburgh!In their eyes, the Cliftons were the perfect example of a rich, cultured family. "There is one other thing, though. James has a crush on our Eliana. As soon as she gets divorced, she can marry James, and everything will become alright again!"On hearing this, all the pairs of eyes focused on Eliana's face, which had gone pale. Especially her mother, Olivia, was now looking at
Noah was lost in his thoughts for a second, while the old man continued to sob uncontrollably on the other end. "These people think that they can bully my wife and pressure her into leaving me… just to marry that filthy bastard! And only because they think I'm a nobody. But I'm just waiting for the day they find out my real identity…"Noah Smith was actually Noah Kingsley, the heir to the Blue Whale Corporation and the Edencrest Estate! Not just any ordinary company, but one of the most mysterious ones in the world! The Blue Whale Corporation commanded over half of the world's wealth– even a million dollars was just like a drop in the vast ocean of their wealth! And yet, nobody knew anything about the family at all… Back when he was just five years old, he had been disowned by the family and kicked out of the house– after being told that he had nothing to do with the Edencrest family from this point forward.However, some time ago, Stuart, the housekeeper of Edencrest Estate found
Noah was startled on hearing that Stuart had arrived, and hurriedly whispered, "Stop right there, don't come in. I'll come out by myself!"After hanging up, he hurriedly found an excuse to leave the house.One of Eliana's friends called at this time and said admiringly, "Wow! Eliana, I didn't expect you to know such a powerful person, who even dared to confront the Clifton family directly. It's really great!""Ah? I… actually, I don't know who it is!" Eliana was stunned."Oh, come on, don't pretend. I have been hearing all sorts of things this morning, about how this mysterious man has been making waves in our social circles! Apparently, he also mentioned your name while beating up James Clifton!Oh, Eliana! Do you know what I think, maybe this man has loved you in secret all these years, but couldn't get the courage to say it to your face. Instead, he has always watched your back like a loyal bodyguard. Ah, it's just like the movies– I really envy you right now!"“……”Eliana was ev
Noah glanced towards Stuart with panic written all over his face. After years of working for the family, the old man was quite used to such situations. Thinking on his feet, he immediately pretended to be ill and slouched in his seat.After faking a loud bout of coughing, he placed a hand on Noah's shoulder as he began to speak;"Oh, young man, I can't thank you enough! If you hadn't helped me out and told me about the remedy, I… I am afraid that I wouldn't even be here anymore.""Ah, please don't say this, you are most welcome."Noah was also quick to react, and slid into the newly assigned role with ease.Then, he turned around with a smile and said to Eliana, "Honey, I just met this old man, and he was having a heart attack! So I helped him out, and thankfully, he is feeling better now. "The lie was justified.Back when Noah was a child and was living under a bridge, feeding himself on scraps, an old man had noticed him. The man had taken Noah with himself to his village, and ha
Noah was sitting in the garden, trying desperately to calm himself as he had been feeling a little uneasy because of the way things had unfolded.He had spent most of his life away from home, this is why, he knew the value of family. He had also met several people who were dark to the very core, but for some reason, he thought that Liam was different…Noah had a feeling that everything he had been doing so far, was just because something that he thought would always remain his, had been snatched from him in the middle of all the succession drama… and especially because of Noah himself.So it was a logical thing that he hated him from the core of his heart… but he had also seen his affection towards their grandpa. He was lost in his thoughts, staring off into the distance… when he noticed some disturbance near the ivy vines, lurking by the southernmost boundary of the garden.He rose from his seat and started walking towards the boundary; and Ben snapped to attention.He had been stan
“Killed him? Dad!! You are saying you killed him… wasn't his death an accident? Then how is it possible that you are the reason behind–”Liam didn't even realize that he had started to interrogate his father under the effect of his anxiety on hearing the last words spoken by him.Till now, he had been thinking that they were standing on the right side of the situation as well as the history that was yet to be written. He really believed that they were the oppressed ones who had always been discriminated against, trying to fight for their rights which had unjustly been snatched from them.But after hearing his father's nonchalant response, he wasn't able to think straight anymore. He was ready to go to any extent to get what really belonged to him, but killing someone was something he could never imagine doing… nor was he able to digest the fact that his father was a murderer.But before he could have completed his statement, Otis interrupted his rambling. “Yes! It was an accident, a
Sabreena hesitated in the doorway, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she clutched a large bouquet of white lilies. She took a deep breath before stepping into the living room, her eyes darting around nervously and scanning the faces: her brother was looking at her with confusion, while Olivia’s gaze was sharp, Eliana’s gently curious, and Noah was stoic and calm; although his calm demeanor wasn't exactly helpful in taming her anxiety.Finally, with a forced smile, she spoke up. “Oh, come on, Olivia…” She started awkwardly, the bouquet trembling slightly in her hands. “How long are you going to hold on to some… some small incident from ages ago? Why would I insult him? I… actually, I have come to thank No- I mean, Mr. Kingsley.”Eliana shot her mother an amused glance, while Noah remained silent, his face unreadable as Sabreena took a few steps forward, extending the bouquet of lilies towards him. Olivia crossed her arms and cut in sharply, “Well, I can’t exactly let it go
Liam threw down the glass vase which was placed on the side table in his room, sending it crashing to the floor, as soon as he noticed his parents trying to enter his room once again.It had been four days since his return- or to be honest, the rather rude way in which he had been thrown out, not just from the party but from the city itself. The security had unceremoniously dumped them on the first flight back to Edinburgh, without caring which class tickets were available. And apart from declaring in front of his parents that he had failed miserably, he hadn't given any specific details to his parents. Instead, he had locked himself in his room, boycotting everything: from eating properly to speaking to his parents.In fact, since last night, he had not even touched the food, even for once… and this was making both Otis and Viola more and more tense with every passing second.Even though they were aware that the deal had slipped out of Liam's hands, they were still trying to keep th
“What? Richard Jensen was there too?!” Eliana’s voice burst out in surprise from Noah's phone speaker, her lovely face filling the screen of their video call as she heard the entire story from his mouth. She leaned closer, her eyes wide with disbelief, while Noah glanced into the screen as he replied while preparing to go to bed. “Oh yeah! And he had plenty to say against me at first, calling me a scammer and whatnot. But as soon as Grandpa Omar and Norm showed up, he went quiet and practically disappeared into the crowd, fearing for his own safety.”Eliana burst into laughter, covering her mouth. “After what happened last time, I can’t believe he had the nerve to show up and then also splash mud on you! I mean, did he get the guts?”Noah chuckled. “Apparently, he bribed the event organizers for an invitation. And I guess he was really feeling frustrated after our last meeting, and thinking that he had nothing more to lose now, just vented out all his anger. His little scam was
“I understand, Grandpa Omar, that you’re not much of a drinker.”Noah continued with a steady voice, meeting some raised eyebrows from the people gathered around there. He continued, knowing that his words were surely having some effect, since Norm and Omar were looking at him with curiosity now, instead of suspicion. “I am also aware that you, Grandfather Norm and my grandfather have planned to visit Edencrest Estate together after the signing of the deal, and finally share the bottle of wine purchased so long ago. That is why I have ensured that the other bottle has safely been delivered at your residence, as the homage to that promise.”He glanced at the broken necklace on the floor, and everyone else's eyes followed; to the place where Sienna had thrown it after snapping the string and causing the pearls to scatter in all directions. “And I apologize for the condition of the necklace. It was a vintage heirloom, and though it was meant to be my gift to Eleanor, I shall make sure
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Noah blinked before responding. “Of course,” he said smoothly. “I am happy to answer any questions you might have to help you see that I’m speaking the truth.”Blaine folded his arms, looking Noah up and down, an expression of irritation on his face. Clearly, he thought it was nothing more than a waste of his time to entertain him, but he had no other choice. “Fine! Then show me what you have brought as a gift for my niece. If you are truly the heir of the Kingsleys, you would know better than to show up empty handed, wouldn’t you?”Noah inclined his head, unbothered by Blaine’s mocking tone. “Certainly, uncle. I’ll show you the gifts I have brought.” Turning slightly, he motioned to one of his guards, who stepped forward, handing him a wine bottle wrapped in elegant packaging. Noah held it, his fingers lightly wrapping around the bottle— the vintage wine he had personally unearthed that morning.He extended the bottle toward Blaine. “This
Sienna’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as she looked at the scene in front of her. Just this morning, this idiot Noah had been roaming around the city, trying to get access into a high- end bank.And now, he was supposedly surrounded by an army of guards? Something was really fishy…Just then, her eyes landed on the man at the front of the group, and recognition flashed in her eyes. She clenched her fists, it was him! The same gullible bodyguard from the bank earlier that morning; the one whom she had already fed lots of half- truths and mostly lies about Noah, painting him as a dangerous criminal.She had tried to make sure that he wouldn't slip away by any means, but he had. And now she knows how! Feeling a pang of betrayal and anger, she couldn't hold herself back from commenting;“Oh! I see, he has managed to fool you all too! And now you’re siding with him?” Her laugh was bitter, remembering the way this guard had promised her that he would call the police on Noah and that the
At the time when Noah had entered the venue, hardly anyone had noticed him in the middle of VIP guests, each more prestigious than the last.As long as he had an invite and the security had allowed him in, only a fool would waste their time questioning a nobody instead of making the most of this opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the most important people in the world. However, as Liam and Sienna started to mock and humiliate Noah out loud in the open, a crowd slowly started to form around them.The guests started to point him out specifically, murmuring about the possibility of him being a con man and still dodging the security arrangements at this venue.Meanwhile, Noah was standing at his place, completely unfazed by their speculations and instead maintained his calm with a smile that didn't even budge for a single moment.“And do you mind telling me, when will she become your wife? Because as far as I know, my sister in law was already married to someone else. So I'm assum