“Mummy, Emily?” Ryan tried to call out to Emily, who usually came to get him up from his cradle each morning. “You miss Emily, don't you? Yes, you do.” She placed her mouth on his stomach as she tickled him. Ryan rewarded her with a loud baby babble, which in turn had Helen laughing.Finally, those CCTV cameras were going to be installed today… Helen took Ryan, to his one true love, Emily, whose eyes lit up at the sight of Ryan. “Oh, Emily, I brought someone.” Helen presented to Emily her gift, which she smiled into its face, lifting it like it weighed nothing. She looked better and the awful purple, around her eyes, had become a little faint. “You almost gave me a scare yesterday. I still find it difficult to believe that someone as meticulous and as careful as you are, tripped and fell. A high place. It doesn't sit well with me.” Helen's mode of getting her to open up still failed to garner the response she expected. Emily still stood on her previous testimony, not distorting or
Anna had a feeling Mr. Henry Neville had something to say to her behind closed doors and looked forward to their next meeting. He was an interesting man. Lucas's somber mood and lack of speech made her wonder if he was preparing himself for his day of reckoning, or probably considering taking flight or remaining rooted to fight like a man.“Your uncle is responsible for the shooting that caused Helen to be in a state of coma, he is one bad chunk of an alpha male.” She could not hold back how impressed she was by Mr. Neville. Prison life looked good on him as well, and he appeared to be receiving loads of preferential treatment. “He runs the prison as well… I can tell from his robust appearance.” She concluded. Anna heard of his prowess in the Churchill empire, his famous succession plan that ended up down the drain due to Aaron's arrival. The man's hatred for Aaron ran deeper than she could fathom. He was the best pawn in her game. He would blindly walk into puddles without think
“Ariel, thank you for coming at such short notice.” Aaron needed all the help he could get, the company's 100th anniversary was around the corner, and he needed to dust out the old shelves of the Churchill dynasty, especially those that came before him. “It is a pleasure, sir.” Ariel brushed his gratitude aside, maybe she felt indebted to his act of kindness, he had no idea.The day went slowly, with all the preparations overwhelming him and Helen in Helen's absence, Aaron and Ariel multitasked. “The event should be hosted with love and strictly on invitation. A large crowd is a bad idea.” He spoke while Ariel did the jotting. In between talking and typing on his system, he accessed his secretary, she looked way better than the last time he saw her. No visible baby bump, but he knew first hand, it would eventually appear.“You took my advice.” He applauded her for doing as he instructed. The office was rowdy as preparations for the event at hand had already begun.Aaron could feel t
“What did I miss, Mr. Gray field?” Aaron always got the truth in its original form from Mr. Grey Field, who made sure the details were correctly placed. “A fight broke out here, a week ago. Goodness, one of the men involved is still on suspension.” Aaron, shocked by the news, headed into the building, of course, prepared to query the head of security for withholding such crucial information from him.“Ariel, make a call to headquarters. All the guards should make themselves available.” He instructed his secretary who placed the call. An alarm went off in the building and with that, those present gathered at the round table. The murmurs and mumbling persisted. It was no news to them why they were all summoned. In no time, the round table gushed with men of different sizes and forms.“A fight ensued. How did this happen?” Aaron wanted to know what he was up against. With the anniversary at hand, he did not want a disruption or chaos. If the security team were at loggerheads, then the
D-Day was finally here. With all hands on deck, the occasion was going smoothly, food in different varieties, drinks, and assorted lucrative activities to engage in lightened up the 100th anniversary of the Churchill establishment, and its long and ancient lineage of franchise and newly obtained enterprises around the globe.Aaron, fully dressed for the occasion, walked hand in hand with his muse, Grandpa Adolph, right behind them as they graced the occasion with their presence. “This is huge,” Helen whispered into his ears, impressed by the massive turn-up even with the strict invitation. It was a massive turnup.Call it being comfortable or acting in sync with the occasion, but Helen displayed fragments of her old self. Her hands were enveloped with his and her hawklike eyes, which scrutinized the area, made him feel safe and secure. Grandpa Adolph mingled with the dignitaries in attendance and eventually got lost with the crowd.“Shall we?” Aaron invited Helen to the dance floor
Aaron held onto Helen's shaky figure, as she clutched onto him like he was the last grain of rice on her plate. “I'm scared.” She whispered into his shoulders, her fear palpable even without her saying much. If there was one thing Aaron was certain of, it was that Helen was no murderer and had no hand in the painful demise of the young lad that lay on the floor, lifeless and immobile.The paramedics were at the mansion in no time, and the wailing sound of the siren, caused some guests to head out to view the spectacle and decipher what had gone amiss in such a peaceful gathering as this. The stretcher was brought in as Aaron and Helen stood side by side, making way for the paramedics to lift the body of the dead stranger.“Miss Helen, were you the one that made the call?” The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Inspector Suarez, asked the couple who stood side by side with each other. One looked shaken up by the incident, her face, and hands enough proof that she had come
“I need the attorney up here immediately,” Aaron spoke to the head office of the M&G legal service team, the beat legal agency in New York. He paced down and up the hallway, antsy and worried about Helen, who seemed shaken up by the ordeal at the mansion. He wondered and pondered on who could cause such a gruesome scene, walked away unfazed and without an iota of guilt, and came up with no one.Attorney Jean arrived right on time, Aaron had no time for pleasantries as he pointed towards the door, evading his attempt to approach him. With a nod, he entered the investigation room. Hopefully, Helen would feel safe with an attorney by her side.Aaron's assertion was wrong. He knew it was his queue to barge into the investigation room. Helen needed him. He lifted her like a bride, as far as he was concerned, the investigation was over until Helen dimmed herself fit to dive into the conversation. “Apologies, sir, she wanted to speak.” Attorney Jean tried to defend his end, but his gibbe
Aaron, after a little struggle with his inner demon, took a step backward, giving the inspector space and a second chance to do the needful. “Walk away inspector. She will pay a visit to the station, once she is fully awake and sober.” He assured the inspector, who appeared to realize Aaron meant every single thing he said and would not mind throwing him off the premises without thinking twice.“I'll be back by noon tomorrow. I am certain she will be well rested and fully conscious to answer my questions and come with me to the station. Like I said earlier, I am just doing my job, Mr. Churchill.” The average height, tanned-skinned middle-aged man, walked away, finally, but his retreat did not signify defeat. He most certainly would be back.Aaron opened Helen's room, her peaceful face and light snores almost caused him to laugh, but the situation was dire and not one that required some form of comic relief. Helen slept soundly on the hospital bed, her worries temporarily thrown out t
Weeks passed, and the world seemed to have returned to some semblance of normalcy. Anna was receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital, where she struggled to come to terms with the fact that she had lost everything. Meanwhile, Henry's whereabouts were still unknown, and the search for him had gone cold.Lucas had been discharged from the hospital, and he was determined to start over.Suarez had returned to his job as a detective, eager to put the past behind him and focus on the future. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't forget the case that had brought so much turmoil into his life. Henry was still out there, somewhere, and Suarez couldn't rest until he was brought to justice. Meanwhile, Danny and Soli had moved far away from the city, hoping to put the past behind them. Aaron watched as Helen played around with their son, a wide grin spreading across their faces. The little boy's laughter filled the room, and everyone in attendance seemed to be genuinely happy. But de
Ariel stood by the desk, watching Lucas with an air of suspicion. He seemed to be acting strange and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. “Mr Churchill left a while ago," she said, her voice carefully neutral. Lucas’s brow furrowed and his lips pursed in thought. He seemed anxious, almost twitchy, and it set her on edge. “Is there anything you'd like me to tell him when he returns?" Lucas paused, his expression unreadable. “No, there's nothing," he said, his voice tight. “Thanks” Ariel nodded, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. She watched Lucas leave her desk, there was something up with the way he asked for Aaron’s presence Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, so she made a straight dial towards Aaron. Helen could feel the warmth of Aaron's body as he wrapped his arms around her. She let herself relax into his embrace, feeling safe and protected. “Are you hurt anywhere?" Aaron asked, his voice gentle but urgent. Helen shook h
Anna had majestically returned to Aaron’s mansion like nothing happened, without being discharged from the hospital. Light makeup and a nice dress fixed her physical state but definitely could not take away the misery she was feeling in her heart or make the earlier scenery disappear from her memories. Julian’s brother, Danny had abducted her while doing some grocery shopping, she tried fighting off the young man all by herself but ended up losing her child before Lucas could come to her rescue. Lucas had overheard Henry encouraging Danny on the phone to take his revenge on the real killer of his brother Anna and with a flash the young man went after her. The thought of prison terrified Anna, she would be at the mercy of the system. She knew that she couldn't bear the thought.But there was another even greater fear. Aaron would find out the truth about the miscarriage. He would discover that she had lied to him, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.Her mind raced, try
"The press conference has been getting a lot of positive feedback, sir," Ariel said, looking at the numbers on her screen. “Views are well into the millions, and the comments have been overwhelmingly positive." Aaron looked up from his laptop, a slight smile playing on his lips. “That's great to hear," he said, his voice warm with approval. "You did a fantastic job putting that together." Ariel blushed at the praise, feeling a rush of pride. "Thank you, sir," she said, her voice full of gratitude. "I'm glad to be of service."As Aaron looked at Ariel, his eyes caught on a small bump in her stomach. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. And it reminded him of Helen when she was pregnant with their son. He remembered the joy he had felt, the anticipation of becoming a father, and then the thought of having another baby with his ex-wife. He pushed the thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on the past. But they lingered, just beneath the surface.Ariel cleared her throat, breaking t
As Anna sipped her wine, she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She was surrounded by opulence and luxury, but she knew that the man she was with was evil. Henry studied her, his eyes narrowing.“You only ever visit when you need my help," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What do you want from me this time?"Anna's fingers curled around the stem of her wine glass, and she took a deep breath. Anna smirked at Henry's words, allowing him to bask in his pride. He dared to imply that she was weak, without even saying it outright. But Anna knew better. She was a woman who had been through hell and back, and she wasn't about to let an old man like Henry tell her what she was or wasn't."It would be the other way around, Mr. Neville," she purred, a faux smile on her lips. Henry's eyebrows shot up in confusion. He wasn't sure what Anna was getting at.“You're the one who needs my help," she said, her voice cold and confident. Henry couldn't help but laugh. "You've got to be kidding
News reports of Dragon's image flashed across the screen, the word "WANTED" in bold letters underneath. A reward of a billion naira was offered to anyone who could provide information that would lead to his capture. Grandpa Adolph shook his head, a look of concern on his face. "That's an awful lot of money to put on a murderer's head," he said, his voice heavy with worry. "What if someone gets hurt in the process?""I know it's a lot of money," Aaron replied, his brow furrowed. "But we have to do everything we can to bring him to justice and also whoever is instructing to kill. He's a dangerous man, and we can't let him get away with what he's done. I know it's risky, but it's the only way we can make sure he's caught and punished for his crimes."Grandpa Adolph sighed, knowing that Aaron was right. But he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that was settling over him. He knew that this was only the beginning and that things were about to get much worse. “I hope you know what you
“Sit down, boy” Henry barked, his voice filled with irritation. Lucas was pacing the room, his hands running through his hair, his face pale and drawn. He looked like he was about to have a panic attack. “I can't," Lucas said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can't calm down!" Lucas exclaimed, his frustration spilling over. "Your lackey killed someone! The plan was to beat him up, not to shoot him !" He glared at Dragon, who stood sheepishly next to Henry.Henry's face hardened, his eyes blazing with anger. "So, are you guilty?" he demanded, his voice cold and unforgiving.Lucas looked down at the floor, unable to meet Henry's gaze. The truth was, he was guilty. He had been a part of this, even if he hadn't intended for things to go this far. But he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. "The inspector deserved what he got," Henry sneered, his words dripping with hatred. "If he dies, it's a win for us. He won't be able to tell anyone what he knows." Dragon nodded ea
It was late at night, and Suarez was still hard at work, even though he'd rather be home in bed. But the pile of unsolved cases on his desk was a constant reminder of the work that still needed to be done.Just then, there was a knock on his door. “Come in," he said, not looking up from his work.It was Ritz, his partner. "I'm heading out," he said. "Are you coming?""I'll be right behind you," Suarez replied, still focused on the task at hand."Don't work too hard," Ritz called out as he left the office. But Suarez knew he wouldn't be able to follow that advice. He was too determined to solve these cases, even if it meant sacrificing his time.As he continued to work, Suarez couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. These cases were tough, and he was starting to feel like he was getting nowhere. But he wasn't going to give up - not now, not ever. He was determined to solve these crimes and bring justice to the victims.Just then, something caught his eye. A small detail that he h
Roger, one of Henry's men, ushered Aaron into the mansion. The sound of splashing water filled the air, as Henry swam in the pool. The old man Neville has been having a good time since he came out of jail. “Mr. Churchill, it's nice to see you again," Henry called out, his voice carrying over the water. “Care to join me for a swim?" Aaron felt his temper rising. He wasn't here to socialize with the enemy. He was here for answers. “I’m not here for a swim, Mr. Neville," he said, his voice tight with anger. "I'm here to ask you about Dragon." Henry's expression turned serious suddenly, worried, and anxious in a rush but decided not to show the fullness of his anxiety, and he got out of the pool, dripping water onto the marble floor. A maid brought Henry a towel, which he used to dry off his dripping hair and body. His boxers were soaked through, revealing the outline of his genitals beneath the thin fabric. Aaron averted his gaze, feeling a bit uncomfortable.Henry seemed obliviou