“I haven't committed any felony.”Noah finally spoke, grinding his teeth with anger; knowing that no matter what Eliana was going to say, there was no chance they would believe her.And the thought of her being heartbroken because of this reaction from her family, was making him so anxious that he had been standing quietly till now… thinking that if his silence could make things easier for her, then he was going to stay silent till eternity.But when he heard Sabreena continuing this pointless blame game, he understood that no matter how long he kept his silence, she wasn't going to give Eliana the respect of at least hearing her out without interrupting her at every word… then he could forget about anyone believing Eliana! It didn't matter if God himself came down to earth to testify in his favor, Sabreena still wasn't going to let go of her rant about how she was there to take him to the police station and get him arrested in exchange for her daughter.As if the legal system actual
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy there, angry young man! Just look, who is getting furious while defending his honor! The only man in this house, or should I say, the only man in this world who has received a check for eight million dollars along with his appointment letter! Even before his first day at the job… I mean, damn! I haven't even heard a stripper getting this much for her private show… you must have something special, Noah, isn't it?”Ruppert spoke, as he winked at Noah to humiliate him even more, as he compared him to a stripper.This time, Eliana was the one who opened her mouth. She had been trying to hold her tears for the last hour, since the moment Sabreena had started blaming her, immediately on arrival.She had been thinking that it was just their anger and dislike towards Noah, which was making them act like this.But after this statement from her uncle, she was sure that it wasn't just their anger, frustration or dislike… they couldn't see him happy at all.No, happiness w
Noah was completely fed up with all this drama, when he had originally wanted to leave as quickly and quietly as possible.In any case, the blame for theft was something that had always managed to trigger him. And today, he has also faced his childhood trauma associated with the same blame…Probably, this was also one of the reasons that he was already a little irritated. And so, the moment he heard Sabreena taking out her frustration on Eliana, he lost it completely.He had been trying his best to tame his temper; even though he knew the intentions of Sienna and her mother had never been good, regarding Eliana. But still, he hadn't ever wanted to make it obvious to her, knowing that it would hurt her sentiments. However, the water had already gone overhead now, and he couldn't possibly care about saving her from getting drenched, when she was about to get drowned.Frustrated by all of this, he suddenly did a complete 180° on his character and switched his usual habits and behaviors
Even though Eliana had said that she will be leaving with Noah, she had this belief that her family would now realize their mistake after this announcement of hers, and would definitely apologize to Noah.Yes, they might be mad at Noah for not being good enough according to their standards and preferences, but still they loved Eliana; after all, she was the daughter of the family.Just like Sienna, and the way they all are ready to do anything to save her, they would definitely realize that probably, they have started off on the wrong foot, but Noah wasn't lying and Sienna was really in the wrong, that's why she is in jail. They would surely reconsider everything after hearing that not only Noah but she is also ready to leave the house. Because they all knew her, she had always supported the truth and she would always support it.No matter who was standing on which side, she would be standing on the side of truth.But no one said anything in response to her announcement, not even her
Eliana finally stepped out of her room, her purse slung over her shoulder and a small trolley in tow. She paused at the door, her hand touching the door frame for support, as he took a deep breath. Noah was waiting for her by the door, his eyes filled with concern for her and determination to save her from this toxic mess of a household. He straightened up, and without asking or saying anything, he just offered her a smile before taking the trolley from her hands. And she let him; her hand lingered over the handle for a moment before she let go, walking beside him as they went downstairs. The house was eerily quiet, like the empty walls were mourning the fact that she was leaving so unceremoniously, even though her own family hadn't said a single word to stop her. They moved towards the side door, not wanting to go through the main door and directly confront the people gathered downstairs, no doubt looking for another opportunity to humiliate Noah. Their footsteps echoed in the s
Eliana looked at the car in complete disbelief: the glossy maroon body had been polished thoroughly, not a single scratch or even a speck of dust on the exterior which was gleaming under the moonlight and the dim glow of the mansion’s lights.The windows were tinted just enough to offer privacy without appearing too dark, and there were smart, shark-like fins positioned gracefully along the roof. It wasn't just an expensive car, but a customized one, too. There was no doubt in her mind that it was the most expensive car among all the cars standing in the parking of their wing of the mansion, or maybe the fleet of cars standing inside the whole mansion itself!She couldn't believe her eyes for a moment, before a realization hit her hard, along with a creeping fear in her heart: there might be a chance that Noah had rented this car!She swallowed hard, feeling a knot of anxiety tightening in her chest. She glanced at Noah, who was busy opening the trunk and placing her luggage inside,
The new voice had come from somewhere behind her, and Eliana thought she recognized it perfectly in one go.It belonged to her aunt, Sabreena Frost.But she still turned around with some doubts lingering in her heart. Was it possible? No, she might have misheard someone else's voice.Or maybe, her mind was toying with her after she was so emotionally vulnerable, and it was just a hallucination that was making her hear the things that couldn't even exist. She was absolutely sure about the fact that no matter how angry and upset her family was with her, they would never entertain the thought of her stealing something else, and that too, from her own house! Then accusing her of it wasn't even possible. Sure, just a few minutes ago, her family had set up a front against Noah to blame him for theft, but that was because in their eyes, he was still an outsider.Her husband had never been able to integrate into the family due to being poor, an orphan and a stay at home husband, but that di
Noah had been standing towards the trunk of the car, when the second stage of this drama had launched with the arrival of the servants.He was standing there silently, out of sight but keenly observing everything. And currently, his mind was trying to find out the reason for this sudden outburst of Sabreena.As far as he knew her, this was highly unexpected from her– not because she loved her niece so much! But she was one of those people who never said something bad to your face or let it show it through their actions, no matter how much they really want to humiliate you from the core of their hearts.But Sabreena’s coming out into the open, that too in such a loud and carefree manner, was something that had been bugging him.But the moment Eliana brought up Sienna's name, he noticed a change in the colors on her face. Within seconds, he understood the real matter: she was doing this because she was still angry about the arrest, and was now afraid of the scandal that was surely goin
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