Chapter - 12
As Alex was leaving the building, he thought it would be nice to bid farewell to his only friend here, Susan. But when he made his way to the reception, he found her nowhere, and someone else was seated there in place of her. A bit disappointed, he decided to leave.
It was already three in the afternoon by the time Alex left the building, and since none of his parents would be at home, he was in no hurry to rush back. He walked around the streets, ate snacks, did some shopping, bought things for his parents and even purchased the grocery.
After getting discharged from the hospital after the accident, when Alex was adopted by the Rutherford couple, he didn't want to be a burden and extra baggage for them to carry. So whenever he got the chance, he would try to help out with chores in the house. Alex would help clean the dishes, do the dusting and even cook meals. In no time, he was so proficient in cooking that he was made responsible for at least one meal a day and sometimes all. Because of this, Mrs Flores, their housekeeper, has been complaining about him a rather lot these days.
Alex spent the next few hours wandering around the streets, the malls and other random places. It was only when the clock struck six did he decide to hitch a taxi back home.
Just as Alex got off the taxi with all the bags in his hand, another car drove by him and stopped in front of Margaret's house. Curious as to who would visit her, instead of walking into his house, Alex stood there to see.
A man got off the car from one side. Alex remembered seeing this guy hanging around Margaret's house quite often. Unlike other suitors of Margaret, who are not seen after a couple of times of rejection. This guy was the most persistent one. And for some reason, even Margaret never pushed him away.
The man dressed in a black tuxedo was way more stylish and mannered than Alex. He walked to the other side of the car to open the door. He reached out his hand, and a slender hand emerged from inside the car and held his hand. With the help from the man, Margaret, dressed in a black backless dress, got off the car. The way the two of them were dressed made it look like the two of them had just come from a party, as couples.
Irked by how the two of them stood there, chatting like a couple, Alex decided to head inside. But before he could disappear from there, Margaret saw him.
"Alex!" Margaret called out from behind, waving towards him.
Now that she has seen him, he can't just walk away like this. 'Well, a simple hello should be enough '.
Alex turned around, and without moving an inch in her direction, he yelled from the same place, "Good evening, Miss Cole."
'Again, Miss Cole?' Margaret was clearly dissatisfied with the way he addressed her but keeping that aside for a while, she started walking towards him, "How was your interview? Knowing you, I am sure you must have nailed it," Margaret said.
Just as she was a few steps away from him, Alex said, "It was okay. Now, if you will please excuse me. I have some matters to attend to," Alex said this, being as formal as possible for him and without giving her a second look, walked inside his house.
"Weird, what happened to him? Did he bomb his interview? It's hard to believe he did," surprised by Alex's unfriendly behaviour, Margaret muttered to himself. While she was muttering, the man walked beside her and listened to her.
"Should I look into it?" The man asked respectfully.
"No need, I am sure he will be fine by tomorrow. Now you can leave, and don't forget to get that matter sorted by tomorrow," Margaret ordered the man.
"I will," the man said and nodding at her, he soon drove away from there.
Margaret gave one last look to Alex's house before sighing and walking inside her house.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just as Alex entered the house, he was greeted by Mrs Flores, their housekeeper. Mrs Flores was a lady in her sixties or seventies with a face that dripped with kindness. But contrary to her looks, she was the scariest woman out there, and except for Alex, she would not give in to anyone.
"You are back! How was the interview," Mrs Flores, when saw Alex, made her way towards the kitchen while asking.
"It was fine, I suppose," Alex crashed on the couch to give his body the rest from all the walking around.
"Well, no need to fret over it. I am sure you will do just fine," handing him a glass of water, Mrs Flores said. Then she looked at all the bags kept beside him, "Looks like I will be having an early day today. You are going to cook?" Mrs Flores asked.
Alex nodded, "I was thinking about it. Why don't you join us?" he suggested.
"Your cooking is delicious, I will give that to you. But since I can leave early, I would rather spend time with my grandson," Mrs Flores said.
"You and your love for your grandson," Alex shook his head. Then he grabbed one of the bags and began shuffling through it.
"Here it is," taking out a packet he gave it to Mrs Flores, "He loves these chocolates. Tell him that Uncle Alex bought it for him," Alex said.
"Now I know why despite all the love I shower him with, he likes you more than me," Mrs Flores said, complaining, but there was no menace in it.
"It's the generation gap, Mrs Flores, the generation gap," Alex said, teasing her.
"Whatever," Mrs Flores made faces hearing this and left.
After Mrs Flores left, Alex placed the groceries in the kitchen, went back to his room upstairs and crashed on his bed. Though he was laughing and making fun of Mrs Flores, all this time, he could not help but think about Margaret. He was thinking about her, and the uncomfortable feeling he had since he saw that man beside Margaret kept on building up.
"Ahhh!" letting out some frustration, Alex yelled, 'I better divert my mind to something useful,' Alex thought.
Since it was already close to seven, he knew the perfect way to divert his mind and cool his head. Alex brushed away his thoughts, went to freshen up before he headed downstairs to prepare dinner.
* * * * *
Chapter - 13 In the evening, when Martha and George returned home, they were greeted by the fascinating aroma of the food made by Alex. The dinner was already served and placed on the dining table, and Alex was busy in the kitchen with the last of his masterpiece, the tomato spinach soup with saffron. "Why are you the one making dinner? Where is Mrs Flores? Wasn't she supposed to get dinner ready before she leaves?" Martha asked as soon as she saw Alex working in the kitchen. "I was done with my interview quite early, so I bought a bunch of stuff on my way back and decided to cook for you guys," Alex said, picking up the soup and carrying it to the table. "But you must be tired. You should have let Mrs Flores do the cooking," Martha said. "It's fine. Now you better freshen up before the food gets cold," Alex urged her to leave.
Chapter - 14'God! Why? Why today of all days?' "Alex?" Margaret was confused as to where Alex was lost."Miss Cole, Why are you here?" Alex asked, averting his eyes from her chest."Why do you think?" Margaret asked."I don't know, but I got to go," Alex said and tried to run away."Where?" Margaret was not going to let him leave so easily.Alex was regretting coming out. He was better off settling the dispute between his parents than stand here in front of Margaret face to face."Father asked me to run some errands for him. I better get going, or I will be late," Alex said and again tried to run away, but this time Margaret was prepared for it. She had her arms interlocked with his, not letting him leave."I won't let you run off. Not before you tell me what's wrong with you?" Margaret
Chapter - 15 The following days passed by, and a game of hiding and seeking began started Martha, Margaret and Alex. Whenever Alex came across anyone of them, they tried to talk to him, he would slip away from there as fast as he could. To avoid Martha, Alex would leave the house early in the morning in the guise of hitting the gym. He would only come back when he was sure that nobody would be there. As for Margaret, although they lived next to each other, the association between her and the Rutherford's was only up to the level of greeting each other whenever they crossed paths. Alex was the only one she had a friendly interaction with. So she can't just walk up to Martha or George and ask about Alex and his whereabouts. Like this, five days had already passed, and like always, Alex had just slipped into the house after making sure that none of his parents was at home. First, he cleaned himself up, then ate what M
Chapter - 16"You? Why are you here?" Alex asked, looking at the person in front of him.Martha also followed behind him, and she was also surprised to see the person at their doorstep."Margaret?" Although Martha was surprised, she didn't forget to smack Alex for Asking such a silly question, "Why would you say such a thing, instead of inviting her in?"."I..."Martha glared at Alex, making him eat his own words."It's alright, Mrs Rutherford. I was just here to give you this," Margaret said and forwarded a small bag towards them."What is this?" Taking the bag from her, Martha asked. Inside it was a bottle of wine."I got this bottle as a gift from my friend, but you see, I am not a big fan of wine, and since I live alone, there is no one I can share this bottle with," Margaret said, "Then I thought maybe you and Mr
Chapter - 17Alex followed behind Margaret to her door. No one spoke a word all along. Margaret in the front would occasionally look back at Alex, thinking on how to bring forth the matters she needed to clarify. On the other hand, Alex looked everywhere except at Margaret. He wanted to turn around and run away as fast as he could.When they reached her door, Alex finally spoke, "Well then, Good night Miss Cole," Alex greeted her and hurriedly turned around to leave.But Margaret had it enough, and the dam of her patience finally collapsed. She could not take this game of silence anymore. She grabbed Alex by his arm, pulled him towards her and pinned him against her door. With her arms on either of his side, she even blocked his escape routes."Wha... What do you want? Why... ar... are you doing this?" With his back against the wall and nowhere to escape, Alex nervously asked. Being a movie buff, he
Chapter - 18In the morning, when Martha walked out of her room, there was no sign of Alex. At first, it was unusual, but she has grown accustomed to it for the last few days. She had gotten used to seeing Alex making breakfast the first thing on most of the mornings for the past one year. But after that day, she has realised that Alex was purposely avoiding her.The day after that awkward incident, when Martha did not find Alex up and cooking, the first thing she thought was that Alex might be having one of those nasty nightmares. Nervous and worried, she hurried to his room only to find no one there. She then went around the house to look for him, only to find no clue at all. This was odd. Even if Alex was going to go outside, he would have left a note to make sure they knew where he was and what he was up to.Clueless, she went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. There she found a note stuck to the refrigerator.
Chapter - 19Parking the car, Alex soon joined Martha outside the mall. The mall was one of the largest in the city and was quite popular because of the number of residential areas close by.Walking inside the mall, the first thing Martha did was complain like a typical mother, "If you had a girlfriend, why would I be here? Ahh... I am not getting any younger, but I still have to help my son buy clothes".Everyone, from the employees to the customers, when heard Martha grumbling, was surprised.'So this handsome guy is still available, the almighty sure is kind,' that was the thought most of the girls had in their mind.'Woa... man. This chick's his mother? Bullshit... it must be a prank, no fucking way it's possible. At max, she is his older sister,' this was what the men thought. Being into a MILF was a right and duty of every boy out there, and if she was som
Chapter - 20 Monday, The most awaited day for Alex finally came. He got up earlier than usual, prepared breakfast, and by nine o'clock, the whole family was ready to leave for work together. After breakfast, when Alex and George were waiting for Martha to come, George dragged Alex to the sides. "Son, listen to me and listen very carefully". George said. Alex had never seen George talk to him with such seriousness. He nodded and forwarded his ear towards him, listening to him attentively. "Work hard". George said. "Yes, Dad," Alex nodded in affirmation. He was going to do that even if he did not say that. "But don't just focus on work". George continued, "I don't want you bringing work to this house. The moment you do it, I will throw you out of this house, no questions asked." George warned Alex. "Uhh..." Alex was left speechless. He looked at George with the strangest expression he could come up with. "Why are you looking at me like that?" George asked with his brows raised.
Chapter - 203 As Alex and Damien cautiously followed the big man into the dimly lit alleyway, a sense of unease settled deep in their guts. The flickering lights cast eerie shadows, making the whole place feel like a freaking horror movie. The big man, looking like a giant beast, led them further into the narrow space. "Alright, cough it up, you little prying rats. What the hell do you think you're doing, snooping around in other people's business?" The big man roared at them, his voice booming with aggression. "Who sent you? Dogs of Hell?" Damien furrowed his brow in frustration. "Dogs of Hell? Who in the hell are they?" he retorted. "Look, man, like we said earlier, we are not here to cause any trouble. We're sorry if we crossed a line." Alex interrupted, trying to lighten the tension. "Dogs of Hell? That's a funny name," he remarked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Wait... If you think about it, it's actually cool... Dogs Of Hell." The big man ignored Alex's attempt at hu
Chapter - 202"Dude, this is messed up. I can't believe we're actually doing this. Stalking her? Seriously? If we are caught, we won't get out of it easily," Alex and Damien rode Alex's motorcycle and followed behind Audrey's car as soon as she left the house."Oh, come on, Alex! Don't be such a buzzkill. It's not like we're doing anything harmful. I just want to find out more about this Audrey girl and see what she's up to," Damien gently tapped Alex's shoulder and urged him to hurry up."I get it, curiosity can be compelling, but this feels wrong. On top of that, if we are caught, it won't end up with just a beating. Haven't you been on the internet lately? Even looking at girls in the gym apparently is a crime these days," Alex spoke up as he drove."Look, Alex, I get it. But Mom is involved in this. I want to find out every nook and cranny about this girl who appeared out of nowhere," Damien said, "And you get beat up in the process. I am sure it's worth the sacrifice. Don't you t
Chapter - 201"Ah... Look at the time. It's already this late. I had so much fun that I lost track of the time, "After dinner, everyone was laughing among themselves, having a good time when Audrey finally took note of the time."Oh, c'mon, it's not even nine. Stay for a bit more," Martha who was sitting beside Audrey held her hand and said, "Or even better, just stay the night here.""I would love to but I have already made some plans with a friend of mine," Audrey expressed her regret, "If I had known it would be such a pleasant evening, I would have definitely ditched her earlier. But it's too late to cancel now.""I hope you understand," Audrey asked."If you say it like that, there is nothing more that I can say, "Martha was downcasted, but she had this simple smile on her face, "But promise me that you will visit more often while you are in town.""Absolutely," Audrey agreed as she gracefully stood up, "With how funny your son is, there is no doubt that I am going to visit again
Chapter - 200"Audrey? I didn't think you ever mentioned about her," Alex asked."Oh, she is a friend I made recently. You know, when you were away for three months," Martha told him, "We met at the hospital, and I was instantly drawn towards her. After all, she is just the sweetest girl I have ever met.""Oh... It was when I was away," Alex turned his attention towards Audrey and looked at her with squinted eyes."You... Don't look at her like that," Martha left Alex's side and walked beside Audrey, placing her hand over her shoulder, "You better not be rude to my friend over here.""If she is not a fraud," Alex mumbled."What? What did you say?" Martha frowned."It's okay..." Audrey put her hand over Martha's hand, which was on her shoulder, and lightly squeezed it, "I am sure he is just caring for you in his own way.""And don't worry, I am sure I will win him over in no time," Audrey looked at Alex and said, looking meaningfully at Alex, "Just like I charmed you.""Oh! You certain
Chapter - 199"Ummm..." Karen slowly popped her eyes open."Yo, you're finally awake," but before she could fully open her eyes, Karen heard a voice. She turned her head towards the sound and saw it was Alex. But then, her eyes went wide open again. When Karen looked down, her robe had disappeared, and she was only covered in the damn white hospital sheet."What the... How... Where the hell are my clothes?" Karen pulled up the sheet, clutching it tight to her chest, and gave Alex a bewildered look."You don't remember?" Alex chuckled, finding Karen's reaction amusing."No..." Karen wanted to deny it, but suddenly everything came flooding back. The moments she spent in Alex's arms not too long ago became crystal clear in her mind."We..." Karen began to piece it together as she looked at Alex with questioning eyes."Yeah, we did..." Alex nodded, understanding what she wanted to ask even without Karen finishing her sentence."It wasn't a damn dream?" Karen still couldn't wrap her head a
Chapter - 198 "Alex," Karen whispered softly, her voice filled with longing. "I've been waiting for this moment." Alex's heart skipped a beat as he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers in a searing kiss. Their mouths melded together in a fiery embrace, their tongues dancing in a sensual tango. Karen's hand slid down from his cheek, tracing a path down his chest and resting on his firm abdomen. She could feel his muscles tense beneath her touch, igniting a hunger within her. Without breaking the kiss, Alex's hands roamed over Karen's body, finding the curve of her waist and pulling her closer to him. Her body pressed against his, and he could feel the heat between them intensifying with each passing second. Karen's fingers found their way to the buttons of his shirt, eagerly undoing them one by one, revealing his toned chest. Alex's hands moved to the tie of Karen's gown, and with a deft movement, he loosened it, revealing her ample cleavage. He couldn't resist, and his mouth d
Chapter - 197Karen lay in her hospital bed, her mind racing with thoughts and her body aching from the accident she had been in. She couldn't wait to get back on her feet and leave the sterile hospital environment behind. She was bored and restless, longing for some human interaction beyond the nurses who came in and out of her room with their cheerful smiles and professional demeanour.'Why did he have to leave without a word?' Karen thought about a certain someone, her eyes expecting to see him.And as if on cue, there was a knock on her door, and in walked Alex, her cure. The tall and handsome man, with a pleasing presence around him.Karen had her eyes on him from the moment he joined the company. He brought joy to her ever so mundane life. She couldn't help but be drawn to his fresh good looks. His grey eyes looked so lonely, yet so warm, and the subtle smile that always played on his lips."Good evening, Karen," Alex said. His tone was deep, velvety, his eyes fixed on her as he
Chapter - 196"Can you get me?""Umm... I think I am somewhere outside the city. Just track my phone.""And yes... Bring me a shirt as well."~ ~ ~ ~ ~Out in the boonies, Alex stood under a tree, looking at his watch restlessly."What is taking him so long?" It had been more than thirty minutes since he called Damien, but this lazy slob was nowhere to be seen. But just as he was about to call him again, Alex saw a light beaming at him from far away and coming in close.Soon, the light got brighter and brighter before a motorcycle stopped in front of him."What took you so long?" Alex could not help but throw his arms."Don't complain to me. How do you think I got here? I had to tell so many lies because of you." Damien threw a bag at Alex and said, "And I am sure Mom is going to grill us even more when we reach home.""I am sure you can handle that. I have faith in you," Alex hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt and, turning his face away from the road, changed into a new one. It was alrea
Chapter - 195 "Umm..." A man painfully groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He felt groggy, and disoriented. "Ugh... Why is it so dark? Aahh... Where am I?" The man tried to look around, but it was all dark. The man tried to move, but he realised that he was tied to the chair. And there was a cloth covering his face. Panic set in as the man realized that he was in trouble. How did he get here? The man could not remember how he had ended up in this mess. The silence was overwhelming, and the only thing he could hear was his own rapid breathing. "Help! Help me!" The man shouted, his voice echoing off the walls of the building. But there was no response, and the man began to feel even more scared. He tried to wriggle free, but the ropes were too tight. It was a dark, abandoned building out in nowhere, with not a single soul to be seen in miles. But the man did not know as he continued to struggle. He struggled for what seemed like an eternity to him with no luck. He was about