CHAPTER 54Jayden left the house after taking one last look at Bella.“Sorry ass,” he whispered before shutting her bedroom door gently. “Not that I care what she does with her life, but I still feel hurt that she is becoming a social nuisance,” he muttered to himself in a soliloquy.Amber was already outside waiting in his official car with the driver.When she saw him coming towards the car, she rushed to his side and took his briefcase.“Good morning young master,” she bowed with respect.“You do not have to call me that anymore, Amber. Mr. Jayden would be just fine.”“No—I mean, I owe you respect and honour,” Amber stuttered, feeling slightly embarrassed.They were already seated in the car and moving towards the Gracehill Corporation building.“You do not owe me anything else apart from doing a great job in your roles,” Jayden corrected her immediately. “You do not serve me in that capacity anymore. Hence, you will not be seen referring to me in that manner. Okay?” Amber nodded
CHAPTER 55“A lawsuit was slammed at you and you did nothing Bella?” She stood before her friend, Woody.“It has been forever since the badbitch I knew manifested,” Bella replied to her friend with a shrug of her shoulders.“You cannot tell me that crap, Bella. Forever was just a few months ago that you abandoned Jayden and walked out of the poverty stricken relationship…”“Your advice, Woody. And here I am today drowning in misery because it appeared that I made the most horrible mistake of my life.” She was pained and sadness was etched on her face.“You cannot entirely blame me,” Woody snapped. “You already had your head out of the game and stuck with Will's son.”Woody was whisking eggs in a bowl and trying to whip up something for brunch. Bella said nothing else.“How is your mother? Have you spoken with her?” Woody asked with care evident on her face.Bella began crying. “My world is falling apart Woody,” she lamented and lay down on the kitchen top, messing it up with her tears
CHAPTER 56 Bella got to the hospital in Woody's car and sat back in the car for a while.“You do not want to get down,” Woody asked curiously. “Or do you need me to come along with you?”“I would appreciate that,” Bella replied with a calm voice. She seemed overtaken by self pity and withdrawn as a result of the anxiety of meeting her father and wondering how to feel around his presence.“Is this about Mr Desmond Moore, your father?”“You already know Woody. I feel angered at how he has treated me these past few days but again, I feel guilty that I am the burden he and my mother have. I am not sure how to react if he is there at the hospital.” She spoke solemnly.“Well, you would still have to face him eventually. I would suggest you do it now. So, gather up yourself and get down, we have to go in there and see him and your mother,” Woody was trying to encourage her to be courageous.“What would I say to him if he starts making angry comments or saying things?” Bella asked anxiously.
CHAPTER 57The board meeting had become heated and Amber was asked to walk out for decisions to be made.Tom Hardy and Barrack were warring against Jayden and Thompson.Others picked sides.Jayden was exhausted by everyone's thinking.“At what point did the Honourable board members begin to entertain such levels of chaos during meetings?” Sir Thompson yelled on top of his voice.“Since you began to stand for a young man who has little or no experience, running a company!” Barrack snapped at Sir Thompson.“What you do not know is that the worst is yet to come,” Tom added arrogantly.Jayden put his face down. “A house cannot be divided against itself,” Jayden mentioned with a deep voice. “Whatever this is, we need to unite. I am not your enemy,” he pleaded.“Why do you want your grandfather's company secretary badly?” Tom Hardy asked scornfully. “A company you spitefully abandoned for a long time, suddenly you want to rip off all that the old man laboured for while he still lives?”“I d
CHAPTER 58Jayden was shocked to see his grandfather and so were a few other board members.“You all look too surprised to see me. Am I unwanted or simply in the wrong room? Or perhaps, looking ghostly, considering my travails in the past few months.”Even though his voice was frail, he still wielded the Kind of authority he had prior to the incident.Jayden sat on the edge of the long board table, trying to put his thoughts together.“We are not displeased to see you…,” Sir Thompson started to speak but Lord Barracks cut him off. “I and a few others are more than pleased that you showed up at such a critical time but there is this other few that I am sure are biting their lips from the misery they feel because you have returned,” he turned over to sir Thompson and Jayden and shot a spiteful look at them.“Why would anyone dislike the fact that I am back?” Sir Benjamin asked, sitting on what has always been his chair, his symbol of authority over the Gracehill Corporation.“Nobody is
CHAPTER 59Bella and Woody were in the room where Allen was admitted. Allen was pale and unconscious.Bella stood at the rear end of the room, weeping uncontrollably.“You gotta stop, Bella. This is not what your mother needs right now.” Woody tried to comfort her.“I had no idea she was this sick,” Bella cried out from a deepened frustration. “She always put up a strong face like all was well.”“That is why she is a mother. She cannot run off her pain on you especially seeing that you were also going through a lot emotionally.”“But she could have confided in me atleast. I mean, that may have helped us to get her help immediately.”Woody became quiet. She moved Bella's head to her shoulder and rubbed her back, trying to calm her down.The doctors walked into the ward.“We are moving her in now for surgery. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow,” the doctor said, readjusting her plugs and electronic life savers.“Is she going to make it?” Bella asked with her voice shaking from the ex
CHAPTER 60As Bella and Woody sped away from the hospital, the tension between them and Bella's father lingered in the air. Bella couldn't shake off the weight of her father's words, and the reality of being disowned settled heavily on her shoulders. She knew what her father was capable of doing especially when he was angry. Allen Moore had been the anchor between the father and daughter but now that she was struggling for her life, there is no telling what Bella's father would do to her."I can't believe he said those things," Bella muttered, wiping away a fresh set of tears. "I just wanted to be there for Mom, and now... he's pushing me away."Woody glanced at her friend sympathetically. "Bella, your dad is going through a lot too. People say things in the heat of the moment. Give him time, and he might come around. Besides, I haven't seen him change your name yet to god knows what he will change it to." Wood said with a smile."I don't know, Woody. It's like he's determined to cast
CHAPTER 61Jayden was frustrated that his grandfather's attitude towards him was unthinkable. Amber looked at him, " You are in no state to drive around, boss. I know how you feel and I would feel the same way if I were treated the way you had been."" Get out of my way Amber, I am in no mood for this." Amber moved out of the way as Jayden packaged all his bags and baggage into his new Porsche car. " Can you at least tell me where you are headed?" Amber asked, feeling sad to see Jayden leave the Gracehill Mansion." I will call you," Jayden replied with a cold voice and drove out of the compound almost as Sir Benjamin drove in.Sir Benjamin got out of the car and walked inside without taking a lot at Amber. As he was about to walk into the mansion, Sir Benjamin looked at Amber, " What gives you the right to take the position of my niece? You should know your place or I will put you in it. I expect you to be out of this mansion by tomorrow. Your boss is gone, so I see no reason to ha