As Isabella attempted to find solace in the embrace of sleep, a persistent knock echoed through her room, disrupting the fragile peace she sought. Groaning, she mustered the energy to answer, opening the door to find her mother standing there. "Mum, what's it?" Isabella asked, her voice tinged with a mix of weariness and irritation.Eleanor, unimpressed with her daughter's greeting, entered the room with an air of authority. "Is this how to greet your mother? Rude!" Isabella rolled her eyes but chose not to engage in a morning quarrel. "What do you want, Mum?" Eleanor got straight to the point. "Where did you go last night?"Isabella, quick on her feet, responded, "I slept over at Kia's." Eleanor eyed her daughter with a raised eyebrow. "Wild night, huh?" Isabella, feeling no inclination to share the details, simply replied, "Really wild."Not one to dwell on her daughter's escapades, Eleanor shifted the conversation. "Well, Maria is downstairs to see you." "Maria? What's she doing he
As Alex savored the rich aroma of his morning coffee, the butler entered the kitchen with a respectful greeting. "Morning, boss." "Good morning," Alex replied, taking a sip of his coffee. The butler, with an air of concern, inquired, "How was your night?" "Not bad," Alex responded casually. Sensing a deeper inquiry, the butler continued, "Well, I came to check in on you last night. You were not in your room. Everything okay?""Of course," Alex reassured him, a slight smile on his face. "Had to take care of some things last night." The butler nodded in understanding. "Okay. Your mother wants to speak with you about the company." "Alright," Alex acknowledged. "Tell her I'll join her in a few, and please, be present there." "Very well, sir," the butler replied, then promptly left the kitchen. As Alex took another sip of his coffee, he couldn't help but marvel at the contrast between his current life and the one he had known before.In the elegant living room, Grace, Alex, and the butler
The rain drizzled lightly as Maria approached Zac's house, as she drove in the quiet street. She pulled her coat tighter around her, a futile attempt to shield herself from the damp chill. Frustration marked her face; her attempts to reach Alex had been in vain, his number persistently unreachable.With a determined resolve, Maria reached Zac's doorstep, her knuckles rapping a staccato on the door. The door swung open, revealing Zac's puzzled expression. He seemed genuinely surprised to see her, his eyes widening momentarily before he awkwardly closed the door and promptly reopened it, as if uncertain about his actions.Maria's brow furrowed at the peculiar encounter, and she couldn't help but blurt out, "Hey, what's going on?" The confusion lingered in her voice as Zac, still slightly befuddled, stammered a response, "Hey, umm...sorry, I just...didn't know...umm...you're Alex's in-law, yeah?"Nodding in confirmation, Maria replied, "Yeah, I was here the other day with your friends. R
Maria couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions—relief that Alex was safe and on his way, yet a lingering sense of curiosity about the events that had unfolded. "Is he okay?" she asked, unable to conceal her concern. Zac nodded, a reassuring smile on his face. "Yeah, he's on his way here. Said he called the guys too."As the door swung open, revealing a rain-soaked Alex, Zac greeted him with a hearty welcome. Pleasantries exchanged, Alex's eyes widened in surprise as he spotted Maria in the room. "Hey, Maria! Good to see you. What are you doing here? Are you two...?" he trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air.Maria, her hands slightly raised in a defensive gesture, responded with a chuckle, "Oh God, no. I mean, he's not bad, but not what you're thinking." Alex nodded, a hint of amusement playing on his lips. "Right."Curiosity lingering, Maria got straight to the point, "I've been trying to get a hold of you for a while now. Everything okay?" Alex reassured her with a
A heavy silence descended upon the room, broken only by the pattering rain outside as Daniel, the outspoken one, voiced the collective shock. "Hold on, you mean to tell us you've been lying to us all along?" Alex, his gaze steady, responded, "I didn't lie. I just didn't want this part of me out."Zac, recalling Maria's revelation, interjected, "Maria did mention it when she was here. I said it can't be true." Aaron, catching up on the unfolding drama, queried, "Maria was here?" Zac sighed, "Long story."Daniel, attempting to maintain order, exclaimed, "Guys, hold on! Alex, what other thing did you keep from us about you that we don't know?" Alex's voice, tinged with regret, replied, "This is the only thing, and my ex-wife doesn't know about this either."John chimed in, "So you've been fake with us all along?" Alex defended himself, "Again, guys, I wasn't. I only did it to protect myself." Daniel, seemingly unconvinced, retorted, "Yeah, but we've all been buddies for years now. How ar
As they arrived at the hospital, the atmosphere was tense with worry. Alex wasted no time and sought answers from the butler, his concern evident. "What happened?" he asked urgently.The butler, a look of genuine concern on his face, shared, "I just met her in her room, on the floor, passed out." Anxiety tightened its grip on Alex's chest. Just then, the family doctor entered the scene, providing a glimmer of reassurance. "She's stable. Thank God you brought her in the time you did," the doctor said.A visible sigh of relief escaped Alex's lips. "Thank God. So, what happened to her?" he inquired, anxious to understand the cause of his mother's sudden health scare. The doctor, adopting a professional demeanor, explained, "It's a heart attack, and your mum won't exercise. You really have to convince her to."Alex, fully aware of his mother's stubbornness, nodded gravely. "You know how she gets. I'll try my best." Eager to see his mother, Alex asked, "Can I go see her now?" The doctor, a
In the opulent living room, Eleanor lounged on the couch, engrossed in her favorite show, a bowl of popcorn in hand. She wielded her authority effortlessly, sending Tes on trivial errands around the house. The atmosphere, however, was disrupted when Sebastian, sauntered in, appearing disheveled from a night of revelry.Eleanor immediately interrogated him, "Where the hell are you coming back from?" Sebastian, seemingly unfazed, responded, "From a party. I told you this before, Mum." Eleanor, not buying into his nonchalance, retorted, "Yeah, you didn't mention overnight party." Sebastian, with a casual shrug, stated, "Well, I'm here now, Mum. What's up?"Eleanor, her patience waning, directed him to prioritize personal hygiene. "Will you go on and freshen up? You reek of alcohol," she scolded. Sebastian, seizing the moment to address more pressing matters, added, "I'll do that, but I need some cash. I'm flat for this month." Eleanor, unimpressed, reminded him of the allowance he'd rec
After the call with JJ, Sebastian mulled over the likelihood of his mother disapproving of him going out. The need for cash, however, outweighed the potential consequences. Summoning his resolve, he decided to take the chance. As he made his way out he unexpectedly encountered Isabella. "Hey, I've been looking for you. Can you help me buy fuel for my car? I don't think there's any in that trunk," Isabella requested. Sebastian, caught off guard but eager to assist, replied, "Oh my goodness, of course."Isabella, aware of Sebastian's peculiar demeanor, sought reassurance. "Okay, but hope you're not busy or something," she inquired. Sebastian, with a genuine smile, countered, "How can I be busy for you? Of course not. Where is your key?" Isabella handed him the key, and with a sense of purpose, Sebastian ventured out to fulfill the unexpected task.Passing by his mother on the way out, Sebastian offered a quick explanation, "Isabella needs me to help her fill her trunk with some fuel. I