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From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 24. Boutique
After the commotion died down, Van and Ivy left the hotel but rather than going right back to her place, they went to a nearby restaurant to talk. "First of all Ivy, let me apologize for all that transpired between us. Normally, I'm not the type of guy that would do anything to hurt a woman and honestly, asides from Bianca, you're the only other woman I've ever been with. I'm not trying to praise myself or anything, I just want you to know that I'm not a bad person.""Yeah, I hink I know that now." Ivy didn't want to admit it but Van felt like the perfect father figure for her kids. In fact, she was almost glad to have someone like him as their father. "Not to be rude or anything but you need a change of outfit. I wouldn't want our kids to see you wearing that."When she said 'our kids' rather than 'my kids', Van felt a warmness in his heart. He was a father, for real. It wasn't a joke or a prank, he really was a father. It was overwhelming but at the same time…pleasant. "Yeah, I fi
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 25. A Gift From The Heart
Van was surprised to find another of his classmates at the boutique. It felt like he had seen almost all the people he went to school with. "Jessica?""Oh wow, if it isn't my old classmate. It's been a while, hasn't it?""Yes. It really has. Have you been well?""I think that is pretty obvious. Don't you?""Well that's nice.""Would you let go of the poor security now? It's a bit rude to rough handle him like hat. Don't you think?"Back when they were in school, Jessica wasn't one of the Queen Bs but she came from an averagely okay family. Both her parents had to work hard to support her educational needs and she did her best to stand out from other students. Lacking in both fame and wealth, Jessica decided to stand out with brilliance. But even that was difficult for her, and so Van took on the job of tutoring her after class and during weekends. They never actually became close friends but among the others, she was the least annoying. Looking at her now, Van wasn't so sure if she
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 26. Van, A Mystery
Before Ivy got pregnant, her grandmother had arranged for her to get married. "But grandma, I can't possibly get married now, I'm only nineteen! There are so many things I would rather be doing with my life than planning a wedding.""Ivy, listen to me. As a businesswoman, I understand the idea of wanting to improve in what you do. I understand the way you feel, you want to make a name for yourself in the business world, you want to become the best at this. And I think I know why.""Look grandma, I really don't –""This is because of your grandfather, am I right? You feel bad about what happened to him so you want to live up to his legacy and probably even surpass it. You want to prove to your father that you are more than just the child of a mistress. Isn't it?Well sweetie, I understand that. But the longer you stay single, the more people begin to speculate that maybe you're just like your mother.""And what is so wrong with being like my mother?!" Ivy was always on the defensive w
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 27. The Promise
Ivy didn't know what to say, she just stood there, frozen in shock. Did he actually make the transfer? It couldn't be a fake alert right? There was no way Van would try to dupe someone like that…even if Pharrell was a huge asshole. But where on earth would he get such a huge amount of money?Pharrell and Jessica couldn't hide their surprises either. Their eyes were glued to the phone, reading the alert message over and over again. "I…impossible! This must be some kind of trick." Pharrell said, facing Van. "There is no way that a sorry looking person like you could ever afford such anount of money. This must be a fake alert!""Yes… that's true." Jessica agreed. "Even before he went to prison, Van was a nobody. And for the past five years, he has been in prison. So tell me, where does a prisoner get this much money?""A fake alert huh? Very well then. Shall we confirm? But keep in mind, once it's clear that it's real, you'll have to apologize to me and my wife for insulting us in publ
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 28. New Van
As Van walked through the little gates of his mother house, he noticed her standing by the door, a worried expression on her face. "Oh goodness me, you had been gone for so long that I was starting to worry." She said as he let himself into the little house. "Sorry about that mom, it has been a very long day. And in the end, I couldn't even get any shopping done. But it's alright, because I got something even better." He announced with a smile. "Oh? And that might that be?""Mom, we're moving out of this place.""What?"On his way back home, Van had placed a call to his chauffeur and asked him to contact an agent that could provide a new, comfortable place where he could raise a family. He was going to have to get permission from Ivy for that, but he just decided to get the place first. "I know it's shocking, but I want you to know that your son isn't doing anything illegal." That alone would not suffice as an explanation for his mother, and he knew that. "I met someone, a woman.
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 29. Elaine
Elaine decided to go shopping to clear her mind. She hadn't been able to get Van out of her mind. To think that he would boldly turn down the offer to marry a woman like her, and in front of people too! The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. What did Ivy have that she didn't? Was it beauty? She was very beautiful, and she wasn't just praising herself. Different companies had approached her with various offers for her to become the face of their products. She had even reached the top five of most beautiful woman every year for three years in a row. Was it intellect?She graduated at the top of her class in highschool and college. Her father was always commending her on how she was doing a good job managing his business. She had even come up with some ideas that fetched millions for her father's business. Or was it wealth? It was no secret that her family was filthy rich. And everything her parents owned also belonged to her. Plus, she could say that she helped in gett
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 30. Family
After getting their outfits and jeweleries, they were done. They got a taxi all the way back to Oakland and made their way to Ivy's residence. When they got there, Van suddenly started to feel nervous, like he was going for a job interview or auditioning for a movie role. He cleared his throat as he knocked on her door. A couple of seconds later, the door was opened and behind it, a little girl with a few missing teeth smiled at him. "Are you my daddy?" She asked, a confused expression on her face. "Yes. Yes I am." Van replied with a soft smile. "Mommy! Mommy!! It's daddy, daddy's here." She announced with an enthusiastic excitement, running from the front door over to Ivy and back. "Daddy?" A little boy stared at Van, and tears began streaming down his face. "Is daddy going to get a hug?" Van went down on his knees and opened his arms, hoping the kids didn't actually hate him for not being around all those years. Taking one cautious step after the other, both kids approached h
From Prison Bars To Gold Bars. 31. Heavenly Wears
"What?" Ivy had to take a minute to fully understand what Van said. "You…you want to take the kids with you?" She asked. She knew what he meant but she just wanted to be sure. "No, of course not. I want all of us to live together. You and the kids, me and my mom …as a family. I already asked someone to contact an agent and when there's an available place, we can go and check it together.""So …you want to live with me.""Yes. Don't take this the wrong way, this isn't me asking you out." He explained. "Oh." Ivy didn't know why but she felt disappointed when he said that. He seemed to notice too because he quickly added. "Not that I'm not going to ask you out– I mean, I'm not going to ask you out if you don't want —what I'm trying to say is this. I want us to bond as a family. I want to spend as much time as I can with the kids, and I also want to spend time with you. I want to get to know you better, I want to be your friend…and if our relationship blooms more than that, being your
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- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
89. Girl's Secret
"What?!""I know, it's a big deal. Jasper said he doesn't like the fact that he has to ask me for money whenever he needs it, so I thought, 'why not operate on a joint account?' that way, he wouldn't have to ask me when he needs money.""Wait, I don't understand. Why does he ask you for money?""I already told you, his parents are trying to teach him a lesson on discipline, they're not giving him enough money. I really think that's stupid by the way. Why restrict your son's account just because you want to teach him something?"Ivy had to act fast, if they opened a joint account, there would be no stopping him from taking all her money, and he'd just disappear. But she couldn't come out and say something like that without proof. "Macy, let's tell Van." If Van was aware, she would be able to tell him her worries about Jasper, and he might be able to help. "What? No. Ivy, you promised.""No Macy, hear me out. If I tell Van, I know how I'm going to convince him so he'll be on your side
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
88. Helpless Romantic
Van had to take a moment to understand what Ivy meant by her statement. "No." He said firmly. "Ivy, I made a mistake, I know I did. But you can't break up with me, not because of this. I am sorry, I was an asshole, I should have talked to you, I should have told you the truth, I don't know why I didn't. But I swear to you, there is absolutely nothing between us.""Van, that still isn't a clear answer.""Okay, you're right. Look, I met her at the grocery store and she helped me pick the milk when I told you I'd go shopping that day, and when she tried to ask for my number, I clearly told her that I was married and didn't want anything to do with her. But I don't know if she's trailing me but I've been running into her almost everywhere. Honestly, it's tiring. I am so sorry I didn't say anything when you asked. I should have told you about her right from the first day, I just never thought she would be a persistent problem.""So she's just another Chris?""Yeah, I guess.""Van, I'm sor
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
87. Doubt
Ivy had been gone for more than an hour, and Van was starting to get worried. He didn't like the fact that she was alone outside when that pervert was probably still looking for her. The fact that they fought also didn't help in putting his mind at rest. He decided that he was going to go and look for her. He should have just told her the truth when she asked about Cynthia earlier. Van wasn't cheating on Ivy, and he didn't have the intention of ever doing so, he just didn't know why he was so hesitant to tell her about it. He grabbed his coat and went outside but he was shocked to find Cynthia seated on the porch. "You, again? What the hell do you want from me?" He questioned angrily. "I thought I already made myself clear when I said I wanted nothing to do with you.""Relax tough guy, I'm not here to seduce you or anything. Just think of me as a friend for now." She smiled, rising to her feet. "What do you want?""Here." She handed him her phone. Van was reluctant to take it at
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
86. The Beach
Ivy frowned but she didn't say anything else because the bus had arrived, and it would only be pointless and embarrassing to fight on the bus. The ride home was quiet and it felt longer than it should be. Ivy knew something was up, Van would never get so worked up over nothing. She wasn't trying to insinuate that he was cheating on her or anything like that, she just wanted to know what happened between he and that lady. The rest of the day was ruined for Ivy and she couldn't even eat. Van didn't say a word to her, and she didn't bother to ask him anymore. The silence in the house was killing her, and she desperately needed to clear her head. "Where are you going?" Van demanded as she walked towards the entrance. "Nowhere." She replied without looking at him. "Ivy, about what happened this morning –""It's nothing right? That's what you said, isn't it? Yeah, I've heard." She slammed the door as she walked out. The night was fast approaching so Ivy didn't want to venture too far
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
85. Breakfast
Ivy could barely sleep all through the night, Jasper's words still echoed in her head. What bothered her more was the fact that he was right. Macy was so in love with him that she would believe what ever he said in a heartbeat. To say something like that and expect Macy to believe her, Ivy would need proof. "Hey you," Van kissed her forehead. "How was your night?""It was good." She hated lying to Van, but it was Macy's wish to do so, so she had no choice. "Where did you run off to so early in the morning?""I went for a little run. Just needed to stretch my limbs for a while." He had met Cynthia again, and Van was convinced that she was spying on him. He just wished he had a way to permanently shake her off. "Are you okay?" It seemed like something was bothering him, but anytime Ivy asked what it was, he would just smile and say it was nothing. "I'm okay." He smiled. "You know you can tell me anything, right?""Of course. And I will, if anything happens.""Okay. So what are we do
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
84. A Shady Heart
"Well hello Mr 'I'm a married man', what are you doing out here on this fine day? Shouldn't you be at home snuggling with your wife?"Van had noticed Cynthia about five minutes earlier but he intentionally ignored her, walking off in the opposite direction to avoid her talking to him. "Hi." He said without looking at her. "What's wrong? You look worried. Wanna talk about it?""I'm fine. I should go." Van started to walk away but Cynthia ran to his front, blocking his path. "Listen to me, I don't know why you're doing this, but I assure you, I'm not a bad person." Her smile was still on her face but her cheery voice was sounding more forced, like she was trying not to get angry, or to show that she was already angry. "I never said you were. Now, may I go?""Oh come on, you don't have to be so difficult. There really is nothing wrong in you making friends. It's not like I'm asking you to chase away your wife or anything.""How did you know I'd be here?""What?" She looked shocked by
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
83. Pregnant
"Ivy, are you free today?"Macy told Ivy that she would arrive in Hawaii the day before, but her flight was delayed so it took another day. "Hmm I'll have to think of what to tell Van, but, I guess I could try.""Think of what to say? Since when do you need permission from Van to leave the house?""It's… complicated. Don't worry, if I'm able to convince Van, I'll fill you in on all the details.""Okay, I'll text you the address.""Alright." She hung up and let out a sigh, the whole 'Macy mystery' was still bothering her. "Who was that?"Ivy jumped as she heard Van's voice, she didn't know when he walked in. "It was no one, just a friend." She lied. "Okay well, I need to go out for a while." He said, grabbing his coat from the closet. "Oh? Where are you going?""Boyd asked me to meet him at the beach, he said there was something he wanted to talk about.""I didn't know you and Boyd were that close.""We're not. I just want to hear what he has to say, plus, it'll be rude to just igno
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
82. The Seductress
"Hey Ivy, where exactly are you in Hawaii?""Uh in a small town, uh Kailua Kona, I think." When Van first told her about the place, she was surprised as to how he even knew about it in the first place. He said he chose it because it was rich in Hawaiian culture and history. Then they had the best stores and restaurants. "Okay," Macy replied. "I'll stay somewhere close by, so it'll be easy for you to come to me. Let me know where you're staying so I can make living preparations too.""Uh Macy, what exactly is going on?" The mystery was making Ivy crazy. She wanted to know what the issue was, and Macy was seriously avoiding that topic. "I already told you, it's not something we can discuss on the phone. We'll be there today, and we can talk better then.""Okay, wait today?!" When she said she wanted to fly over, Ivy never expected it to be so quickly. And did she say we? "Wait Macy, aren't you the only one coming? You said we.""Like I said earlier, we'll talk when we land."She said
- From Prison Bars To Gold Bars.
81. Picnic
Van couldn't believe what he was hearing. How dare he boldly say such a thing to him?"You know you have some nerves, my wife is not an object you can just buy." His voice had an edgy tone to it. "Everybody has a price, Van. Just name yours, and I'm ready to pay."Van felt his blood rising and he had the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face, multiple times. He was about to say something else when he felt Ivy's touch. Ivy knew what was likely to happen next if she didn't do anything. She grabbed hold of Van's arm, keeping him from doing anything rash. "Let's just go, Van."He glared at Chris for a second before turning to face Ivy. "Yeah, let's just go."They had started to walk away when he spoke up again. "Just know this, Van, Chris Efron wants that lovely lady, and Chris Efron always gets what he wants."★★★Van had been pacing for almost ten minutes, and he wouldn't calm down no matter what Ivy said. "Really Van, don't get yourself worked worked up over nothing.""Over noth
