The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

Novel The Lawyer’s Romance in Law is an amazing story about a young woman Elias Winters and rich people Amanda Bailey. After being secretly married for a year, Elias Winters brought his mistress home but was confronted by his wife, Amanda Bailey, who presented him with a positive pregnancy test. Falsely accusing her of infidelity, he vowed never to see her again. Four years later, Amanda returned to the country as a successful barrister, causing Elias to cling to her and beg for reconciliation. He even went as far as kneeling in the rain, seeking her forgiveness. However, Amanda remained unmoved. It was then that their child rushed out and asked about Elias. He was shocked because he had always believed that she had aborted the child. To his surprise, the little one standing before him was a spitting image of himself!

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 1 She’s Pregnant, so Let’s Get a Divorce

At the Winters Residence.
“Elias, when are you coming home? I have something to tell you.” A sweet smile appeared on Amanda Bailey’s face while she looked at the two lines on the pregnancy test.

The male voice on the other end of the call replied, “I’m already home. In the living room.” “Really? I’ll be right down.” She hung up the call and rushed out of the room with the pregnancy test strip in hand, eager to tell the man the good news.

She sprinted down the stairs but suddenly remembered her pregnancy and slowed down. Clutching the test strip in her hand, she wondered what Elias Winters’ reaction would be once he heard the news. Yet, when Amanda was halfway down the stairs, she saw two figures in the living room—Elias and a sexy woman. Slowing down her steps, she held the handrail tightly and felt her heart sink. That was because she saw her husband and the woman behaving affectionately as though they were a smitten couple.

The smile on Amanda’s face froze, and her thoughts were a mess. Both her legs felt heavy as she slowly made her way down the stairs.

“Elias—” As she finally made her way to the living room, she called him but was coldly interrupted.

“She’s pregnant, so let’s get a divorce.” Amanda stayed silent. The way he spoke was so straightforward and impatient, as though he had been eagerly waiting to break the news. That woman affectionately hugged his arm and smiled.

“Mrs. Winters, I’m sorry to tell you, but it’s time you make room for me.” With her eyes fixed on the woman’s hand, Amanda felt like her heart was being ripped apart. Her eyes gradually dimmed, and she began welling with tears. She clutched the pregnancy test and proffered it to him.

“What about our child? How could you be so heartless?” After glancing coldly at the pregnancy test with two lines, Elias snorted.

“There’s no way you’re pregnant. I’ve never slept with you, so don’t think you can fool me with this.” In reality, he would not have agreed to marry Amanda if his grandfather had not been seriously ill and threatened Elias with his life. However, who knew Howard Winters would miraculously recover right after Elias and Amanda married? There were times when Elias would suspect Amanda and Howard had been in a ploy to force him into marriage. His words shocked his wife, who retorted with wide eyes, “You did sleep with me! During the company’s celebratory dinner, you were drunk—”

“That celebratory dinner was held abroad, and you weren’t with me. How could I have slept with you? Let’s make things easy for us. You know I detest clingy women the most.” The man was merciless, and his eyes flamed with a slight impatience.

“I…” She wanted to explain she had gone to the celebratory dinner and cared for him while he was drunk. One thing led to another, and they slept together, impregnating her without knowing. However, his indifference prompted her to keep those words to herself. Wow. I give up. Forget it. What’s there to say to a scumbag who abandons his wife and child?

“Mrs. Winters, just agree to the divorce. Elias doesn’t love you, so there’s no meaning in prolonging this matter.” That woman daintily leaned onto his shoulder and grinned like a winner announcing her victory.

Drawing a deep breath, Amanda held back the pain in her heart and gazed at the man before her. “Let’s get a divorce, then. You can pick whenever you want to go through the procedure. I’m always free.” Once she finished, she left the villa without looking back. Tears fell the second she turned around, not wanting to let the man see her crying again.

Meanwhile, surprise flashed across Elias’ handsome face as he was not expecting her to agree so quickly. He wondered if she had always been this easily provoked. At first, he thought she would be overcome by greed and refused to discard her position as his wife because she was broke when she married him.

“Hurray! Elias, your wife agreed to the divorce! So, when will you marry me?” the woman asked with anticipation. Flinging her arm away, Elias glanced at her with disdainful eyes.

“Don’t worry. I won’t marry you even if you’re the last woman on Earth.” The woman was dumbfounded, unable to accept his sudden change in attitude.

“Elias… How could you say that? I’m pregnant with your child, and I—”

“The hell you are! Don’t you know whose child you’re bearing? Get out!” he roared at the woman before storming up the stairs. How could he let such a woman get pregnant with his child? What a joke.

After leaving the villa, Amanda headed straight to the hospital and underwent a series of checkups to prepare for her abortion. “Miss Bailey, you’re already seven weeks in. The baby is attached to your womb and has a heartbeat. Are you sure you want to abort it?” While looking at her abdomen, she caressed it and thought, Baby, I’m sorry I can’t bring you into this world. Then, she nodded determinedly.

“Yes, please schedule the surgery for me. The faster, the better.” Coldly, the doctor administered a surgery form. Since people were coming in every day to get an abortion, the doctor was used to it and did not find it strange.

“Come back tomorrow for your procedure. Remember to fast.”

“Thank you.” Amanda then took the receipt and left the doctor’s office. Right after she left, she received a call from Howard. After a brief hesitation, she answered the call. “Grandpa.”

“Amanda, come over for dinner tonight. I asked the kitchen staff to prepare your favorite food, and Elias would be joining as well.” As Howard was aware of the couple’s distant relationship, he deliberately created a chance for them to be together.

She was about to refuse, saying, “Grandpa, I’m busy this evening—”

“Don’t try to fool me. I don’t care what you have to do. Both of you must accompany me for dinner tonight, and that’s final.” Once he finished, he immediately hung up without letting Amanda reply, leaving her in a daze while staring at her phone.

The couple would not have gotten married had it not been for Howard’s insistence. Even then, she had no idea why he was so determined for them to get married.

That evening, night fell, enveloping the entire city in a bustling dark shadow. When Amanda arrived at the Winters Manor, she took one last look at the building, afraid it would be her last chance. The butler, Rylan Keen, immediately noticed her arrival and approached her with joy.

“Mrs. Winters, you’re finally here. Old Mr. Winters has been waiting for you.”

“Mr. Keen, sorry I’m late.” She gave him a listless smile. “It’s fine. All that matters is you’re back. Old Mr. Winters was afraid you won’t be coming.” Amanda strode into the dining room and saw Elias had arrived but did not spare her a glance. Only Howard rose to his feet and welcomed her.

“Amanda, take a seat. The food’s getting cold.” She went over, intending to sit beside Howard, but he forcefully pushed her onto the seat beside Elias.

“You married couple should sit together. Alright, let’s eat.” At the sight of them seated together, he finally smiled in satisfaction. On the other hand, Elias remained focused on eating, unwilling to look at her.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 2 I Find Them Dirty

Amanda sat beside Elias, feeling no sense of happiness like she used to. When she recalled the woman he brought home that morning, she could not help but gag. The words he said remained ringing in her ears

‘She’s pregnant, so let’s get a divorce.’ Screw this. I’ve lost my appetite.

Howard piped up, “Elias, you guys have been registered for a year. When are you going to give Amanda a ceremony? It’s unfair to her.”

She stayed quiet while Elias half-heartedly replied, “Not now.” Once they were divorced, a wedding ceremony would be redundant.

Howard’s smile instantly disappeared as he snorted. “Not now? How long are you going to wait? When will I get a great-grandchild?” This time, Amanda looked up and smiled before Elias could say anything.

“Grandpa, your great-grandchild will be coming soon.” Elias tensed up and looked at the woman beside him with a cold, vicious gaze as if warning her, You’re dead if you dare to spout any nonsense! However, she ignored him.

Isn’t that woman pregnant? Grandpa will soon have a great-grandchild that way. As for mine, I’m aborting it tomorrow. Ha. How ironic.

“Really? You guys have planned it? That’s great! I’ll get someone to create a name for my great-grandbaby.” Howard was grinning from ear to ear.

After dinner, Amanda and Elias left the manor together, and he stopped to mock her once they were outside.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to get yourself pregnant so you can manipulate Grandpa into maintaining our marriage.”

She calmly replied, “I’m not.” “Then, why did you say those words to him?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Aren’t you going to tell him your lover is pregnant?” That rendered Elias speechless as he thought Amanda would try something, but it turned out he was overthinking things.

After sneering, he retorted, “Of course, I’m going to tell Grandpa. I’ll get my lawyer to bring the divorce papers to you tomorrow. I can give you any compensation you want, including the villa you’re currently living in.”

“I don’t want anything from you. Please get everything done tomorrow morning. I have other things to attend to.” Though she seemed calm on the surface, her heart was bleeding because she had to visit the hospital for her abortion once she signed the papers. She could not help but wonder how her life became like this.

“Whatever,” he replied flatly and left.

The next morning, Elias sent his lawyer to the villa to finalize his divorce with Amanda. The lawyer handed her a divorce agreement to sign.

“Mrs. Winters, just sign your name here. Also, these properties, vehicles, and bank cards are compensations from Mr. Winters. He said you may do whatever you want with them.”

Without skimming them, Amanda readily signed her name on the last page.

“Please tell Elias I won’t accept these things. They’re too dirty to my liking.” Stunned, the lawyer nodded. After seeing the lawyer out the door, she packed her bags and took one last look at the villa she had lived in for a year. Her traces were everywhere, and she was a little reluctant to leave. Perhaps, she would never return here ever again. While she stood in the living room, she recalled the scene of Elias and his lover and felt her stomach churn. Elias Winters, our relationship ends here. Goodbye forever.

Amanda arrived at the hospital as scheduled and prepared for her abortion procedure.

“Amanda Bailey, it’s your turn. Come inside.” Hearing that, she was startled and jumped to her feet. She touched her flat abdomen and felt guilty because she was about to end a tiny life. While lying on the cold operation table, she heard the surgeon coldly instruct her, “Get on the table, take off your pants, and spread your legs…”

She stiffly followed the doctor’s orders. Unsure whether she was hallucinating, Amanda suddenly felt her abdomen move. But I’m only seven weeks in, so how can there be fetal movement? Nah. I’m hallucinating. When she shut her eyes, the scenes of her past with Elias uncontrollably appeared, filling her heart with hatred. Suddenly, she heard a cute voice calling her, “Mommy!” Her eyes widened frantically, and she looked at the blinding surgical lights as a thought emerged. Then, she shot up from the table and ran out of the operating theater

Four years later, at Imperia Airport. “Are you out? There’s not much time left. We still have to meet with our client to discuss the details. This time, it’s a huge client, so we’re gonna make a lot.”

“Okay. I understand. Come and get me.” Amanda donned a pair of black sunglasses that concealed most of her face, and she was pushing a suitcase with a yawning child on top. The child was her son, Aiden Bailey. He was three years old and resembled a certain scumbag the older he grew.

“Mommy, I’m tired…”

“Aiden, I have to meet a client later, so I can’t send you home and have to bring you with me. Be good, and I’ll get you something delicious after,” she cajoled the child like she was coaxing a baby. However, the child rolled his eyes at her.

“Come on, Mommy. I’m already three. I can understand if you speak properly. What’s more, I have always been good.” Speechless, Amanda sometimes felt that not only did her son look like that scumbag, but he also inherited the scumbag’s personality.

“Amanda! Over here!” Helean Connor, who was responsible for picking her up, waved at them. The smiling lady walked toward him with her luggage, which he then took and loaded into the car.

“Let’s head over and talk about the case with our client. They seemed quite anxious.”

“Let’s go.” Half an hour later, the car slowly stopped at the entrance of a skyscraper. “Aiden, you must stay close, or else I’ll get angry and punish you!” Amanda exhorted the excitedly jumping child beside her.

“Okay, okay. You nag too much, Mommy.” The two then entered the building. However, since it had been four years, she had no idea that the skyscraper before her was the new location for Winters Enterprise. In other words, Elias was inside this skyscraper at that moment. Helean went straight to the reception table and was greeted by a smiling receptionist.

“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?” “We do. It’s under Helean Connor from Justice & Associates,” he informed her. It was only then that Amanda noticed the stylish words behind the receptionist—Winters Enterprise! She instantly paled, and her eyes filled with surprise as she turned to Helean.

“So, our new client is Winters Enterprise?”

“Yep.” He was clueless as to how serious the matter was about to get. At that point, she had an urge to wheel around and leave.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 3 Nearly Exposed

That was what Amanda thought and did. She grabbed the child beside her and was about to flee the scene, not wanting to stay another second. The frantic Helean saw that and seized her slim wrist.

“Hey… What’s the matter? Didn’t we agree that you’d take on this case?”

“If you had told me it was Winters Enterprise, I wouldn’t have taken on this case.” They only told her a big client suddenly decided to change barristers but did not inform her it was Winters Enterprise. Even standing here made her feel uneasy.

Just as Amanda was about to lead Aiden away, Helean immediately knelt on the ground. “My dear Amanda, I’m begging you. This is a task from Simon. Do you think I can return to the law firm if I can’t even deliver this itty-bitty task?” As he begged, the seven-foot man attracted the attention and strange glances of the passing employees.

She stopped him. “Can’t you man up a little? How can you kneel so easily?” The child noticed Helean’s aggrieved expression and added, “Mr. Helean, men should only kneel when they do something wrong.” That rendered Helean speechless, while Amanda resignedly asked, “Are we going to discuss this case with that person?”

“Who?” He looked confused. Though it had been four years, she still refused to utter Elias’ name, for her stomach would churn whenever she thought of him. She wanted nothing to do with that scumbag!

“The heir to Winters Enterprise! Is he the one we’re meeting?” If it is, I’m leaving without any care of the world! Helean replied, “You mean the young master of Winters Enterprise, Elias Winters? No, he’s busy with day-to-day work, so we’re meeting the vice president.”

Though the information came as a relief to Amanda, the sound of the scumbag’s name remained revolting to her. Her beautiful eyes tinged with complexity, but disgust soon took over.

“Okay, but I’m only staying for thirty minutes, no more, no less.” Once she finished, she pulled Aiden’s hand and headed for the elevator. Helean watched the mother and son from behind and immediately felt relieved to have stopped her from leaving. Otherwise, he could kiss his job goodbye.

The three arrived at the higher-ups’ meeting room on the sixteenth floor. Suddenly, the kid made a request.

“Mommy, I want to pee! I can’t hold it in!”

“I’ll bring Aiden to the bathroom while you head inside to talk to them. They’ve been bugging me about this for a long time. Please, help me."

Helean picked Aiden up from the ground and ran toward the bathroom. Feeling resigned, Amanda shook her head and entered the meeting room. She did not anticipate Imperia’s drastic shift during the four years she left this city; even Winters Enterprise had moved. As planned, she spent precisely thirty minutes in the meeting room. When she came out, her cold expression immediately turned into a gentle smile after seeing her baby.

“Come on. Let’s grab something delicious.”

“Yay! Mommy, you’re the best!” A plump, tiny hand grabbed hers, after which she reciprocated with a firmer grip. Aiden had been her mental support for all these years, sustaining her through the endless darkness. Truth be told, she was relieved she did not abort him but chose to keep him on a whim.

“Aiden, what would you like to eat?”

“I want… ramen.” In the meantime, at a corner down the corridor, a group of people surrounded Elias while he strode over. He seemed to be heading to the meeting room while the people around him were competing to make their reports.

Amanda smiled dearly while listening to her son’s words, but when she arrived at a corner and looked up, her smile froze in trepidation. It’s him—Elias Winters. Guess I have no choice but to run into him after four years. What I dreaded the most finally happened. Instinctively, she retreated a few steps and hid herself. Then, she took out the sunglasses from her bag, confusing Helean.

“What’s the matter?” “Let’s take the stairs.” She picked up her son and turned around, heading straight for Plan B. Although she wore eight-inch heels, she still managed to pick up her kid and walk away effortlessly.

“Why are we taking the stairs when there are elevators? Also, you’re wearing heels. Isn’t that tiring?” Helean was flabbergasted but still hopelessly followed behind her.

“Mommy, I want to take the elevator. Taking the stairs is exhausting.”

“I’ll carry you.” She was determined not to let Elias discover her child’s presence. At last, the man arrived among the crowd of higher-ups. It had been four years, and Elias donned a black, perfectly tailored suit. He looked as elegant and handsome as always, but there was also a trace of maturity on his face.

Unexpectedly, he heard a cute voice yelling, “Mommy!” It caught his attention, so he looked in that direction and was slightly shocked. A woman’s figure appeared before his eyes like a blinding light. Though the sight of a woman was nothing surprising, she looked strangely familiar to the point that reality started to overlap his memories of his ex-wife, whom he had not seen for four years. Amanda? However, that woman seemed to be worried and glanced anxiously behind her. The problem was that her sunglasses were so huge that they covered most of her face. Elias reflexively took a step forward with his long legs, creating a distance between himself and the surrounding crowd.

“Mr. Winters! The meeting room is over here!” his secretary yelled behind him, but the man paid no heed. He followed the familiar figure to the stairs but did not discover anyone. Frowning, he wondered, Was I mistaken? He stared at the empty stairwell for a few seconds before leaving. When he thought about it, he found it ironic. That woman has disappeared for four years, so how could she appear here? During these four years, he had tried looking for Amanda, but she seemed to have vanished without a trace. His grandfather even nearly severed their relationship because of that.

Unbeknownst to Elias, Amanda was covering the child’s mouth with her hand while hiding behind the stairwell’s door at that precise moment. Even Helean was hiding beside her quietly. It was such a close call. If that man had walked two more steps, he would have discovered them. Meanwhile, the child in her arms blinked his large eyes, creating an adorable sight. Once Amanda heard the footsteps retreating, she removed her hand from his mouth and apologized, “Aiden, I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose. Did I hurt you?” He hugged her like a grown-up and soothed her.

“I will always forgive you, Mommy.” His comforting words elicited a stunned smile on her face. Yep, that’s my baby. Since Helean was clueless regarding the hide-and-seek, he questioned, “Amanda, why are we hiding? Even if we did bump into Elias, can’t we just greet him and get done with it? Do you have a social phobia or something?”

Too lazy to explain, she replied, “Yeah, sure. Yes.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 4 Getting Caught

The night soon fell, welcoming the banquet. “Mr. McCalister, about Winters Enterprise’s infringement case, I think it’d be better if another lawyer takes over. I might not be the best candidate for this case.”

Amanda went straight to the point and told her supervisor. After settling Aiden down, she came to the banquet, wanting to look for Jackson McCalister, her supervisor, to talk about handing her role to someone else. She dreaded handling Winters Enterprise’s case, or Elias might discover her. Meanwhile, Jackson had a glass of red wine in his hand and was surprised to hear that.

“Why? Infringement cases are your specialty, so this shouldn’t be difficult.”

“I… I have my reasons. I hope you can understand,” she replied. His eyes swept across her exposed shoulders as she spoke. Jackson was a crude man in his forties, and from what Amanda heard, he liked getting handsy with the women at the law firm.

“Oh, yeah? What would that be? You can tell me…” He placed his hand on her ivory arm. Subconsciously pulling away, Amanda insisted, “Mr. McCalister, anyhow, I can’t take this case.”

At the same time, Elias arrived at that very banquet. His black suit complemented his upright posture, but his handsome face seemed encased in a layer of thin ice. Just as he took a glass of wine from the waiter, his phone began ringing. He glanced at it and saw it was a call from Howard. Frowning, he answered the call and took a sip of his wine.

“What’s the matter, Grandpa?” “You bastard! I’m warning you! As long as I’m alive, that clown, Grace Murphy, can never join our family! The only granddaughter-in-law I acknowledge is Amanda!” Right after answering the call, Elias heard his grandfather’s angry roar. He could not help but pull his phone away and wait for Howard to finish his angry rants before placing his phone back to his ear, frustratedly asking, “Grandpa, what’s all this about?”

“Today, that clown revealed to the public that she’ll marry you soon. Where did she get the courage to do that? If you dare to get married behind my back, mark my words that I will break your legs!” With that, the old man hung up in a fit of pique.

Looking at the darkened screen, Elias let out a frown. It had been four years since then, but his grandfather only acknowledged Amanda as his granddaughter-in-law. That left him flabbergasted as he wondered what was so great about her that she could get all the Winters Family’s elders to accept her. At that moment, he heard a gentle female voice.

“Elias, you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you.” Grace Murphy wore a white halter dress and smiled sweetly as she approached him and hugged his arm. Her gaze alone revealed that she was looking at her world. The man hummed and asked, “Did you tell the press we’re getting married?”

The blushing lady whined, “Those reporters kept asking me, so I accidentally made a slip of the tongue. I’m sorry, Elias. I didn’t do it on purpose…”

“Let’s talk about it next time. Grandpa won’t agree to it as of now.” Then, he finished his red wine in one go.

At that, Grace’s sweet smile stiffened. What does he mean by next time? I’ve worked so hard to persuade Elias to marry me and even used all kinds of means and tricks, but now, he says we’ll talk about it next time? Even after getting rid of that worthless ex-wife of his, I still can’t get Old Mr. Winters’ approval. Tears began pooling in her eyes.

At that moment, Elias inadvertently looked at the opposite side of the pool and was stunned once again. It was Amanda! The ex-wife that had been missing for four years! A touch of surprise and shock appeared in the man’s eyes because he had a clear view this time. That woman was indeed Amanda Bailey. His gaze was pinned onto that slim figure as though afraid she would disappear the next moment.

“Amanda, how about coming home with me tonight? Then, we can discuss why you refuse to take on this case.”

The obscene Jackson kept trying to trick Amanda into going home with him. By then, she was fed up with him. She knew going home with that pervert was no different from treading dangerous ground. In that sense, she would rather take on the Winters Enterprise case! With a polite smile, she retreated a step.

“Mr. McCalister, I’ll take the case. I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving now.” The second she wheeled around, she was stunned in place. Elias was passing through the crowd and storming toward her in rage. That’s right—storming toward me. Why does the universe hate me? What did I do to deserve this?! Amanda’s eyes widened in fear, and she could not help but take two steps back, landing straight inside Jackson’s arms. After helping her find her footing, he asked, “Amanda, have you thought it through? Are you willing to come home with me?”

“You’ve mistaken. I was just walking this way!” She pushed the lewd man away and hurriedly left in the other direction. No, no, no! Please don’t let me get caught! While pleading inside her heart, she picked up her pace, but her high heels stopped her from fleeing in success.

“Ahh—” She twisted her ankle and screamed in pain. The next moment, Elias’ large hand seized her shoulder before his deep, sexy voice came from behind her.

“Amanda! Stop right there!” She froze, not even having the courage to look back. Her heart raced as a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead. As despair dawned upon her, she closed her eyes in utter loss for action. Then, she heard a loud plop from the pool, followed by someone screaming, “Hey, isn’t that the celebrity, Grace Murphy? How did she fall into the pool?” The man released Amanda’s shoulder and ran toward the pool. As soon as the devil’s grip vanished, she finally opened her eyes in shock and turned around, only to see Elias walking away.

Phew! With that, she left the banquet and headed for the parking lot without turning back. It was a painful journey stumbling to her car as her sprained ankle consumed every bit of her motivation. Just as she was about to open the door, a man’s arm suddenly banged the door shut oppressively.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Raising her head, Amanda gazed into Elias’ obsidian eyes. Their proximity allowed her to sniff the clean minty scent of his body. Although her heart raced, she pretended to be calm.

“Sir, you’ve got the wrong person. Please excuse me.” My gosh. Just go away. He sneered and pinched her chin with his long fingers.

“Do you think I wouldn’t recognize my ex-wife? You’re questioning my intelligence!” Being pushed against the car, she struggled while screaming, “Elias Winters! What do you want from me?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 5 Why Did You Stop Pretending?

“Why did you stop pretending not to know me? If you keep up with the act, I might believe you’ve lost your memory.” Her futile struggle elicited an inexplicable sense of satisfaction in Elias.

“You bastard! Scoundrel! We don’t talk, and we don’t greet each other after the divorce! Don’t you know that simple rule of thumb?” Amanda glared at the shameless man before her. His well-defined features and perfect jawline seemed better than ever.

Meanwhile, he carefully studied the woman’s face and noticed she seemed different from four years ago. She had exquisite and light makeup on her pale, tender skin. Even the movement of her red lips seemed seductive. Back then, he had never taken a good look at her because he rarely went home. While he was in a daze, she shoved his tall frame away.

“Don’t touch me! You have no right to do that!”

For some reason, the words ‘no right’ angered him, and his brows raised at the sound of that.

“I have no right to touch you, but that sleazy old man does? You didn’t take a penny when you signed the divorce papers, saying they were dirty, but you’re now seducing old men? Isn’t that dirty?”

When the lawyer informed him Amanda did not take a penny and said his money was dirty, he was so furious that he lost his appetite the whole day.

Seduce? Those words are too exaggerated! she thought. “What does that have to do with you?” Looking at the work of art that was Elias’ face, she felt pity for him because under that handsome face was a scambag! He scoffed.

“What does it have to do with me? You used to be my wife, but why did your taste change so much after we divorced? How could you take a fancy to greasy old men?”

“You—” “Amanda, I’m warning you. If I see you hanging out with those old men again, you won’t be able to stand what I’ll do.” She laughed in anger.

“What will you do?” They were divorced and had nothing to do with each other. What else could he do to her?

Unexpectedly, the man replied, “I’ll move your mother’s ashes to a new spot.” Shocked, she did not resist roaring at him, “Elias Winters, you’re a monster!” How cruel can he get? This is inhumane! Once she finished screaming, she was about to slap him, but Elias stopped her.

“It’s good that you know. Don’t anger me because those who anger me will not have a good ending.”

“Bastard!” Amanda pulled her wrist back. Elias ordered, “Come with me tomorrow to visit Grandpa. Explain that we broke up on good terms so he can stop reminiscing about you.”

“I’m not going!” “I’ll be seeing you at the manor tomorrow. If I don’t, you know what I’ll do.” He was ready to leave, ignoring her refusal. While looking at the man’s cold back, Amanda felt like going up there and biting him. He is such a bully!

At that moment, a man resembling a bodyguard approached her.

“Miss Bailey, I’ll send you home.”

“Who are you? I don’t know you and don’t need you to send me anywhere.”

She was about to open her car door, but the bodyguard stopped her and announced, “Mr. Winters sent me to protect you until you safely arrive at the Winters Manor tomorrow night.” Speechless, Amanda complained, Elias is such a shrewd! It seems like I can’t avoid meeting Old Mr. Winters, but I can’t let the bodyguard send me home, or else he will notice my baby. Then, she called Helean and deliberately walked away before the call was answered. His voice came from the other end, and she quickly instructed, “Helean, I need to trouble you to take care of my son. I might not return tonight, so please take care of him.”

“Would you mind if I brought your son home with me tonight?”

“Sure. You just have to keep him company. He’s very obedient and would go to bed after drinking his milk.”

Meanwhile, Elias returned to his car and was relieved when he saw Amanda entering the bodyguard’s car after making a call. As for Grace, sitting in the passenger seat, she had witnessed everything that had happened and was bursting with jealousy. She deliberately fell into the swimming pool, thinking she could attract his attention. However, she did not predict he would still chase that woman to the parking lot. With a towel wrapped around her body, she put on a pitiful expression and sobbed, “Elias, are you going to get back with your ex-wife? Have you forgotten about that night at the ceremonial banquet four years ago? I even gave you my virginity. You said you would take responsibility and promised Yelan before he passed away…”

Elias used his long fingers to massage his forehead, seemingly frustrated. “Don’t overthink it, and stop mentioning that night. I know what happened and will take responsibility for my actions.” That was why he did not believe Amanda when she said she was pregnant because of that night four years ago. When he awoke the next day, he saw Grace lying beside him with her clothes all messed up. There was even a patch of red on the snow-white bedsheets. At that moment, he was stunned. However, Grace was Yelan Murphy’s younger sister, and Yelan was his most trusted bodyguard, who died a tragic death to save his life. Back then, he begged Elias to take care of Grace with his last breath

Hence, despite not having any feelings for her, he had to abide by his promise. Grace noticed there seemed to be a trace of frustration on Elias’ face, so she quickly explained, “I’m sorry, Elias. It’s because I was too afraid to lose you…”

“I’ll bring you home.” He turned on the engine and left. She wanted to stay a little longer, but when she saw his cold countenance, she decided to save it for next time.

In the evening of the following day Throughout the day, the loyal bodyguard Elias assigned to Amanda followed her around until he safely escorted her to the Winters Manor. She descended the car unwillingly and saw Elias standing outside the manor, waiting for her.

“Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey has arrived.” Elias hummed in response. “Good. You may leave now. I’ll send her home later.”

“Yes, Mr. Winters.” Noticing the bodyguard had left, Amanda wanted to slip away, but Elias grabbed her slim wrist.

“Amanda, do you think you can escape?” “Let go of me! I can walk on my own!” She struggled to free her wrist, but the man kept a tight hold on her. “Grandpa had taken great care of you when you were his granddaughter-in-law. Can you stand watching him so upset? He’s been hospitalized several times because he was worried about you.

Don’t you want to visit him?” “I…” She felt a lump in her throat. When she was still married to Elias, Howard was the nicest person to her, and she did feel sorry to leave without informing him back then. So, why not take this opportunity to explain everything to him?

“Let’s go inside. Grandpa is getting old, so let’s not make him worry about us.” Then, he pulled her toward the manor’s entrance.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 6 Make Sure You Get Back Together

Having not stepped foot in this manor for four years, Amanda found herself inexplicably sad. Her brows involuntarily tightened as she recalled many events from the past.

In the meantime, Elias tugged her into the garden. When she saw Howard’s hoary back from afar, she felt tears welling up in her guilty eyes. Hearing the footsteps, he turned around only to see his bastard grandson and snorted.

“Why are you here? Scram!” Since Elias’ tall figure was covering Amanda, he moved to the side and asked, “You don’t want to see me, but I bet you want to see her, right?”

Hearing that, Howard turned around again, shocked at whom he saw. “Amanda? Is that you?”

“Grandpa, It’s me.” Her voice sounded choked. He was ecstatic and strode over with his walking stick, but he pulled a long face and reprimanded, “Where have you been all these years? I’ve looked everywhere for you! I need to know why you guys divorced! Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t divorce him no matter what happened?”

When Elias saw how worked up Howard was, he was at a loss for words. It was as though Amanda was the Winters Family’s real granddaughter while he was picked up from somewhere.

“Grandpa, I’m sorry… I let you down.”

Back then, she had promised him that she would not divorce Elias no matter what happened, but the scumbag had gotten another woman pregnant! What was she to do besides divorcing him?

“Amanda, tell me the truth. Did this bastard force you into divorce? You’re a good child, and I know that brat’s character very well, so tell me the truth!” Howard looked at her anticipatingly because he refused to believe she would renege on her words.

Elias narrowed his eyes at her as if warning, “Watch what you say!” Since she did not want anything to do with him, she did not want to agonize the innocent Howard either.

“Grandpa, we broke up on good terms. I don’t love him anymore, nor does he, so we divorced. None of us forced the other.” She smiled while saying that, hoping he could find peace with this information.

Unexpectedly, he suddenly roared, “That’s impossible! Have you forgotten your promise to me? You said you’d love Elias forever and will still love him even if he doesn’t love you back. How could you change your mind so suddenly? I don’t believe you! That brat must’ve forced you into getting a divorce. Did he tell you to say that too?”

“Grandpa… That’s not it.”

“Amanda, have you begun lying to me as well? You’re not like that. You loved Elias to death, so why would you change your mind so quickly?” He could not accept Amanda’s explanation because it was a lie.

At his boiling point, Elias argued, “Grandpa, can you be more reasonable? You didn’t believe me when I said we broke up on good terms. How are you still so stubborn after Amanda told you the truth?”

“You bastard! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! Unless you anger me to death, that clown will never join the Winters Family! The only daughter-in-law we acknowledge is Amanda!” He did not forget to pat her hand, adding, “Don’t worry. He can’t do anything to you with me here. I will get you guys back together someday.”

Amanda was at a loss for words when faced with Howard’s stubbornness. Tired of pretending, she decided to tell the truth.

“Grandpa, we can’t get back together anymore. The child he and that woman had should be turning three soon, and you can’t expect me to become a stepmom, right? I can’t do that, so I’m sorry.” Remembering when Elias brought that woman home with the pregnancy news, she did a rough estimation and assumed the child might be the same age as Aiden. When Howard heard her, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped.

Similarly, Elias’ face instantly fell, and he pursed his thin lips. “A child? What child? Where did that come from? Did you and that clown have a child?” Howard glanced at Elias, unconvinced. Elias denied it, but his helpless visage sold him out.

“No.”

“You bastard! I’ll ask you again. Did you have a child with that woman? How could such a woman bear the heir to our family?” Howard screamed his accusation, pointing his walking stick at his grandson. Suppressing his rage, Elias attempted to defend himself again.

“We didn’t have a child together!”

“If you dare to get that clown pregnant, I’ll never forgive you. I…” Howard only spoke half his sentence before losing his footing and falling to the ground.

“Grandpa!” Elias’ obsidian eyes filled with shock as he ran over to catch Howard’s body. On the other hand, Amanda’s mind went blank at the unfolding scene.

“Grandpa…” … Outside Howard’s bedroom, the private doctor exited and stood before Elias and Amanda after thirty minutes.

“Old Mr. Winters was exasperated, causing his blood pressure to surge. I gave him medication to control his blood pressure, so he’s fine now. Let him rest, and don’t provoke him again.”

After listening to the doctor’s explanation, Amanda instantly felt relieved. Elias pushed the door open and peeked inside before closing it again upon confirmation that Howard was asleep. Turning to look at her, he offered, “I’ll send you home.” She did not respond and led the way. Now that she had calmed down, she suddenly remembered what Howard had said earlier

So, it turns out that Grandpa didn’t know about the child, but why did Elias deny the child’s presence? The clown Grandpa was talking about was called Grace. Could she be the woman Elias brought home years ago? A clown, Is she a celebrity? Fishing out her phone, Amanda searched her name and soon found results on Grace Murphy. Her eyes widened in shock because Grace was not the woman he had brought home four years ago! Abruptly, she halted her footsteps and turned to look at the tall man behind her.

“So, the woman you brought back four years ago wasn’t pregnant. Am I right?” There was never a child. Was all that just a ploy to push the divorce narrative and make way for Grace?

Elias coldly replied, “Yes.” Yes?! How could he be so calm? So, he made up a fake child and divorced me for the love of his life? And I had no idea about who my love rival was! Was he so in love with Grace that he would use such a despicable trick to end our marriage? I almost went and aborted my baby boy! At that instant, Amanda was overcome with rage and swung her hand at the man’s handsome face.

Unsurprisingly, he effortlessly stopped her and roared, “Are you crazy?”

“Elias Winters! You will never know about his existence!” After that, she stormed away, vowing that she and her baby would never forgive him.

The stranded man stood in his spot, staring at the furious figure. Whose existence?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 7 Here Comes the Love Rival

Amanda stormed away from the Winters Manor onto the deep, dark road. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Elias did not deserve to know about her child because he would never be a good father. Suddenly, a sense of chill enveloped her. She looked around, and not a single soul was present.

This was Imperia’s known wealthy corner, so there were rarely any cabs since the city center was far away. She would have to walk until dawn to get there. As such, she fished out her phone to call for help when she was interrupted by the honk from a car behind her, followed by the blinding car lights. A black Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped before her. The window rolled down, revealing Elias’ handsome but shameless face.

“Get in.” Without sparing him a glance, Amanda continued forward.

“I don’t need your help. Someone will come to get me.” He stopped the car and pushed the door open before approaching her. Then, he carried her on his shoulder and returned to his car. Feeling her body in midair, she was taken aback and subconsciously grabbed onto his suit.

“Elias! Put me down! Why do you even care about me? Don’t you remember we’re divorced?” She kept slamming her fists on his body.

Unfazed, Elias placed her onto the passenger seat and leaned forward to buckle the seatbelt for her. At that moment, they were so close that Amanda could see the man’s thick eyelashes.

“I brought you here, so I should bring you home safely. You’d better be good, or else I might move your mother’s ashes.” After that threat, he closed the door and went to the driver’s seat. Her eyes widened in disbelief, baffled that he was using her mother to threaten her again.

She looked at the man beside her and chastised, “Elias! I’ll never forgive you if you move my mother’s ashes!” However, the unperturbed man merely glanced at her.

“That depends on your behavior.” When her mother passed away, Amanda could not afford to give her mother a burial. It was Elias who arranged everything and helped her mother rest in peace. Thus, it was outrageous how he used a dead person against her for his convenience. What a scumbag.

Buzz— Buzz— Elias’ phone displayed Grace’s incoming call on the screen. Noticing the name, Amanda felt a pang in her heart. This is the woman Elias has in his heart… He did not hesitate and answered the call. Then, he heard Grace’s gentle voice from the other end.

“Elias, I had dinner with the film crew tonight and drank some wine, so I can’t drive home. Can you pick me up?”

“I’m not available right now. I can get someone to send you home, though.”

“I don’t want that. I want you. I’m drunk. How could you feel assured to let someone else take me awa” He stayed silent before instructing her, “Send me your address and wait for me there.”

“Sure. I’ll wait for you.” After the call ended, Elias continued to drive. Since it was dead silent inside the car that one might even hear a pin drop, Amanda naturally deduced the caller’s voice belonged to Grace. Her voice was gentle and sweet, like a woman in a happy relationship. Huh. I guess this is the stark difference between being loved and tolerated. He makes it so clear with his patience with Grace, but he barely made an effort to return home during our one-year marriage. Just thinking about it depressed her. She looked out the window and bit her lower lip, letting her thoughts go wild.

The man behind the wheel suddenly asked, “Whose existence were you referring to earlier? Who is ‘he’?” “What?” Amanda was momentarily stunned and looked at the man’s perfect, chiseled side profile.

“You said I will never get to know his existence. So, who is he?” She fixed her gaze on the fleeting scenery outside.

“No one.” Curiosity did not get the best of him, so he halted his follow-up questions. Fine. I don’t care. At that moment, Amanda’s phone rang. She looked at it and saw it was from Helean. She answered without hesitation but soon regretted it when she heard Aiden’s voice coming from her phone.

“Mommy! When are you coming to get me? Did you forget about me?” She reflexively covered the phone’s speaker and glanced at the man, afraid he would overhear the child’s voice. OK. No fluctuations. Eyes still on the road. Phew. She turned her back to him and whispered into the phone, “I’m coming to you now. See you later.” Once done, she decisively hung up, not giving the child any chance to speak. That action piqued the interest of the man in the driver’s seat.

Is she seeing someone? “Was it a man or woman?” he asked.

With a cold expression, she retorted, “What does it have to do with you?” Then, she received a message from Helean. It was an address for a restaurant, probably where he was having dinner with Aiden.

“Sorry to trouble you, but please send me to Nycinth.” I wonder if my baby has been good tonight. Meanwhile, Elias was intrigued. Nycinth? The address Grace sent me was also this restaurant. What a coincidence.

Half an hour later, the two arrived outside a restaurant named Nycinth. Amanda half-heartedly thanked him. “Thank you.” She unlatched her seatbelt and alighted from the car before heading into the restaurant without turning back.

The man could not help but scoff as he found her to be more arrogant after the divorce. She used to be nice and never pulled a long face at me. After parking his car, he made his way toward the restaurant as well. When Amanda entered, she began looking for her baby, but before she could find Helean and Aiden, she noticed Elias in the same space as her.

“Why are you following me?” she questioned in a panic. Oh my, oh my. Why is he here?! Did I make a slip-up earlier? Did he catch anything suspicious? He was displeased.

“Me? I’m here to pick someone up.” It was then a voice rang out. “Elias, you’re finally here!” Like a butterfly fluttering its wings, Grace threw herself into the man’s embrace and wrapped her arms around him.

However, Elias did not have much of a reaction and calmly hummed in response. When she noticed Amanda out of the corner of her eye, her smile instantly disappeared.

“Elias, you… Why are you here… with your ex-wife?” Tears immediately welled up inside her puppy eyes. When Amanda saw that, all she wanted to do was burst into laughter. So, she knew about my existence long ago, but I was the only one late on the memo.

Elias immediately felt a headache coming because he hated explaining things the most. “It was just a coincidence. We met each other at the entrance.” That white lie relaxed Grace a little.

“I see. I’m sorry I misunderstood you. You almost scared me to death. I thought you guys were contacting each other again.”

So how was that not implying that Amanda was trying to seduce her man?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 8 The Witty Young Child

Oh my gosh. Look at her. Fake as plastic. Turning around, Amanda wanted to find her son because they were now in a treacherous situation. It would be catastrophic if Elias found out about Aiden. However, Grace suddenly stopped her.

“Amanda, would you mind joining us for dinner?”

“Haven’t you eaten already?” Elias frowned. She smiled sweetly.

“But you haven’t. You never eat on time, and that will cause stomach problems. Since Amanda is here, why don’t we have a meal together? Even though you’re divorced, you can still be friends.”

Wow, The best of the best among fake bitches. She’s as bold as brass, Amanda complained inside. Then, she rejected her without hesitation. “I’m sorry, but no. I don’t want to have dinner with you guys.”

“Amanda, don’t tell me you’re still holding onto the old story? You should know that relationships can’t be forced. What’s the point of forcing a man who doesn’t love you to be with you?” Grace reasoned.

At that point, Amanda was beyond speechless. She suppressed her anger and smiled. “Miss Murphy, what makes you think I’m not over it?”

Then, she spotted Aiden’s small figure! Seeing his mommy from afar, the kid happily ran toward her and parted his lips, ready to shout the forbidden M-word. With disaster dawning upon her, the frantic lady immediately hinted at Aiden with her eyes, warning him not to say it.

No, no, no, no, no! “Mo—” He had only yelled half the word when he received his mother’s signal, so he improvised.

“Motherfucker!” After that, he turned around and hid somewhere Elias could not see. That cute-sounding curse attracted everyone’s attention, but Elias merely heard it without seeing the owner of that adorable ‘motherfucker’. Whose ill-mannered brat was that? How ridiculous. Amanda immediately stood before the man, stopping him from searching for Aiden at all costs.

“Alright. I’ll have dinner with you!” she suddenly announced. A surprised Grace stopped looking for the kid and asked, “For real? Since Amanda agreed to eat with us, will you agree too?”

“Sure,” Elias replied half-heartedly. He did not have much appetite, but he thought it would be nice to steal a few more glances at his ex-wife.

The atmosphere inside the private room was awkward. Amanda occasionally looked at the time on her phone, wondering if Helean had brought the ‘ticking time bomb’ away. She picked up her phone and texted Helean, telling him to send Aiden home and that she would be back soon.

When Elias noticed her uneasiness, he asked, “Whom are you texting?” Has this woman stooped so low that she’s seducing those old men? He had noticed her strange tone when talking on the phone earlier, and it sounded like she was doing something unseemly in secret.

“No one. Why hasn’t the food arrived? Let’s get this over with and go home.” She put away her device. In the meantime, Grace smiled as she poured Elias a cup of tea, suggesting, “I think Amanda might be seeing someone and is texting him.”

His brows furrowed in displeasure as he retorted, “And how do you know that?” “It’s because I’m a woman, and a woman’s sixth sense is always right. Am I spot on, Amanda?” That’s such a fake smile

Amanda was too lazy to argue, so she went with it. “Yes, you’re right. I’m texting my boyfriend.”

“Don’t tell me it’s the old man from the banquet. I warned you to leave those old men alone!” Elias ordered. That made Grace, sitting by the side, subconsciously grip the hem of her dress.

She reasoned gently, “Elias, don’t be so mean. Amanda can like any man she wants, and she’s your ex-wife, so it’s not your place to order her around.” Without saying anything, he felt a rage of fire burning inside him, and he downed his cup of water in a huff.

“I need to head to the bathroom. Excuse me.” Suddenly, Grace rose to her feet with a courteous smile before leaving the room. In actuality, she wanted to know the unfiltered situation between Elias and Amanda, so she left her recording phone in the room, knowing that those two would not let on anything in her presence. Hence, she excused herself to let them talk it out.

As expected, Amanda looked at the man before her once the door was closed. “How long have you known her?” Pouring himself another cup of water, Elias took a sip before answering, “Many years.” Her bright eyes had a trace of surprise. Many years.

How many years is that? Did they know each other since they were young? Did they grow up together? If that was the case, does it mean he didn’t cheat on me because they’d been together for years? While she was lost in thought, her eyes dimmed, feeling a sense of bitterness.

“Since you love her so much, why did you agree to marry me and not her?”

“Grandpa forced me to.” That answer was straightforward but hurtful. His tone was filled with resignation and void of any emotion. When Amanda recalled how Elias pushed her to agree to the divorce, she felt endless hatred filling her heart. He had kept Grace so well protected and pampered her like a princess that she did not have to take part in all that fiasco.

She suddenly taunted, “Do you think she would cry if I tell her you brought me home to Grandpa?”

“Don’t you dare make her cry!” He slammed his cup onto the table, making a loud bang. God, no. Her cries are annoying. Who knows how long she’s gonna whine about it if she finds out? No, I’m not dealing with that. Yet, in Amanda’s eyes, his strong reaction froze her heart. He’s so protective over that woman, so kind and gentle. With me, though, he was always angry, oppressive, and cold. Perhaps, this is the difference between love and tolerating.

At first, she thought she would have forgotten about these feelings after four years, but the pain caught her by surprise. Drawing a deep breath, she rose and reprimanded, “Please don’t ever appear before me again. Seeing the two of you makes me want to puke!” With that, she took her bag and left the room. Bang! The door was closed again, leaving Elias alone in utter silence.

Finally, Grace returned. When she noticed Amanda’s absence, she asked, “Elias, where’s Amanda? Where did she go?”

“Something came up, so she left. Let’s go, too.” The man stood up and exited the room.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” “No.” Grace grabbed her bag and glanced at her phone before turning off the recorder.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 9 Grace Fainted In Her Office

After arriving at Lotus Waterfront, Amanda opened the door and saw her son sitting on the couch while watching television. Upon her return, he ran over to her and yelled, “Mommy!” Hugging her cute son, she let out a genuine smile.

“Aiden, were you a good boy at Mr. Helean’s house last night?”

“Of course!”

She caressed his tiny face and praised, “Good boy, Aiden. I’ll prepare your milk.”

“Mommy, did I do a great job just now?” His face filled with pride as though he had done a brilliant job. Recalling her son’s quick reaction at Nycinth, Amanda gave him a thumbs up. But where did the little brat learn to curse like that? Thus, she put on a stern face and questioned, “Aiden Bailey, when did you learn to curse? And who taught you to say that?”

“Uh… Mommy, let’s not dwell on this matter, alright?” The kid began to avoid her gaze and pretended to be focused on the television.

She cupped her son’s chubby little face and lectured, “Don’t ever curse again, understand? It’s not polite, and I don’t like that.”

“Alright…” Aiden observed his mother’s expression and asked, “Mommy, about the man we encountered just now, did he bully you?” The man? Is he talking about Elias?

She laughed. “Why would you say that?”

“I think that man’s a bad guy, so you should leave him alone.” His puppy eyes were filled with seriousness. Hearing that, Amanda could not take it anymore and burst out laughing. Is this what he thinks of his biological father?

“Alright, I’ll stay away from him, and you should too. Turn around and walk away whenever you see him, alright?” He nodded in agreement.

“Okay. Then, you should get closer to Mr. Simon.” Simon Nicholson

This little brat loves Simon so much that he wants him as his daddy. Feeling helpless, she changed the topic.

“I’ll prepare your milk, and you should go to bed after drinking it. Stop watching the TV. It’s bad for your eyes.”

At the same time, Grace had returned home, and the first thing she did was search for the recording earlier, desperately wanting to know what Elias and Amanda had talked about.

Then, she hit play and listened to the entire recording. Once the recording ended, her expression was as dark as soot. Just like she thought, those two secretly kept contact with each other, and Elias even brought Amanda to visit Howard! What does that mean? Old Mr. Winters hates me and still refuses to acknowledge my existence after four years. He insists that he only accepts Amanda as his granddaughter-in-law. Now that she’s back, will my chances of marrying Elias become even slimmer? Old Mr. Winters will certainly try to get them back together! No way! That can’t happen! She bit her lip in dissatisfaction, vowing to win Elias’ heart and become the Young Mistress of the Winters Family!

Early the next morning at Justice & Associates, it was Amanda’s first day at work since her return. Just as she was about to enter her office, a secretary approached her and informed her, “Miss Bailey, Miss Murphy said she had made an appointment with you and is now waiting for you in your office.”

“Miss Murphy?” Amanda was confused. She had just returned to the country, and the only case she had on hand was Winters Enterprise’s case, so where did this Miss Murphy come from?

“Okay, thank you. I’ll go check her out.” When Amanda entered her office, she saw a woman in sunglasses sitting on the couch.

“Excuse me, but you are…” The woman removed her sunglasses and raised her head, revealing a heavily made-up face. Grace. Amanda’s expression instantly turned cold.

“Why are you here? Are you looking for trouble?”

“Why did you leave last night? I had so much I wanted to talk to you about.” With a fake smile, Grace looked pure and innocent. Sitting on the opposite couch, Amanda put on a serious attitude.

“Miss Murphy, is there anything I can help you with? Since it’s office hours, we’ll only talk about work.” Without Elias, Grace could not care less to put on her harmless front. She took out a card and placed it on the coffee table.

“Amanda, I don’t know why you returned, but if you’re here for money, I can give you however much you want as long as you stay away from Elias.”

“How much is in here?” Pfft. Grace thought she had successfully tempted Amanda. “1.5 million.”

“Do you think you can get rid of me with only 1.5 million? Is Elias only worth this much to you? You must know that the Winters Family is extremely wealthy.” Amanda’s tone was overflowed with mockery. Widening her eyes in shock, Grace did not expect Amanda would say such a thing.

“Elias doesn’t love you. Otherwise, why would he divorce you? The Winters Family’s riches have nothing to do with you, so you’d better not be too greedy! 1.5 million is a lot!” Amanda chuckled.

“If that’s how it is, why are you so afraid?”

“Am I?” Grace’s guilty conscience was unconcealable as she feared Elias would remarry Amanda.

“What’s with this money, then? Are you afraid we’d get back together?” By then, Grace was so pissed that her nails dug into her palms. She sternly demanded, “I don’t want to see you pester Elias and affect our relationship! I hope you can disappear from his world!”

“I hope the two of you can disappear from my world even more. If there’s nothing else, please leave. I’m busy.” The fake bitch had consumed all of Amanda’s patience, prompting her to stride toward her desk. Meanwhile, Grace shot up from her seat in a fury.

“What you’re saying is that you’ll continue to bother Elias and use Old Mr. Winters’ fondness for you to get back with him?” I give up. Why does Grace keep thinking that I’m clinging to Elias?

“So what if I am? If I win his heart, I can still get the extremely wealthy Winters Family. Why would I be interested in that 1.5 million you’re offering? Take your card and scram! Elias can pamper you all he wants, but I have no obligation to spoil you!” Then, Amanda sat down and was prepared to look through her documents when Grace suddenly seemed out of breath. She clutched her chest and stammered while pointing at Amanda, “You You”

The next moment, she fell to the ground with a loud thump and fell unconscious. When Amanda saw that scene, she was dumbfounded. The hell? Is she for real? A few seconds later, she went over and called out to Grace, “Miss Murphy?” Her visage was pale as a sheet, and her body lay still on the ground like a rock. OK. She’s out. Flustered, Amanda hurriedly took out her phone and dialed 911 before contacting Elias. Surprisingly, he was still using the same number from four years ago. The call went through after a few rings.

“Who is this?” The man’s deep and cold voice came from the phone.

“It’s me. Grace fainted inside my office. I’m sending her to the hospital now, so you should hurry up and meet me there.” She was at a loss for words. What on earth is happening right now? As expected, the angry man started questioning her, “Why would she faint inside your office? And why are you two together?”

“Let’s talk about this at the hospital.” Amanda hung up the call because this was not something she could explain over the phone.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 10 Come At Me With Your Grievances

Outside the emergency room at the hospital, Amanda waited by the bench on the side. Suddenly, a series of rushed footsteps echoed in the hallway, prompting her to look up and see Elias approaching her. He had a gloomy expression and barked, “What did you do to her? She has a heart condition!” Huh. Such unconditional trust for Grace. He doesn’t even know the whole truth, and he’s already accusing me of provoking her.

“Why don’t you ask why your girlfriend would come to my office and cause such a commotion during working hours?!” She had had enough and was fed up with these two, but Grace just had to show up at her doorstep! At that moment, the ER door opened, emerging a doctor who asked, “Family of Grace Murphy?” Elias went forward.

“How is she?” “She has congenital heart disease and might’ve been triggered, causing her emotion to surge and eventually faint. I’ll keep her for two nights and observe her situation. Remember, do not trigger her again.” Once the doctor left, Elias furiously turned to glare at Amanda.

“What else do you have to say? What exactly did you put her through?”

“You can ask your lover once she wakes up.” She turned and was ready to leave. Moreover, how could she have known that Grace had a heart condition? Why come to my law firm stirring up trouble if her heart can’t take it?

“Ahh—” Just as she turned around, she was tugged back and pressed onto the cold wall.

The man’s long fingers pinched her chin while he screamed, “You can come at me with your grievances, but don’t provoke Grace! Her condition can’t handle it!” When her body slammed into the wall, she felt immense pain in her back.

“Elias, how dare you accuse me of provoking her when you don’t even know what happened? Let me reiterate that she was the one who appeared at my office. I’m not the one harassing her!”

“What was she there for?” He stared into her eyes while questioning.

“To shove money in my face so that I’ll stay away from you! Do you think I was provoking her now? Be a man to your woman so that she’ll stop interrupting my work!” She pushed him away and stormed out of the hospital. The solemn man sent a heavy punch into the wall.

Inside the VIP ward, when Grace opened her eyes, she saw Elias’ back while he stood before the French window. Smiling, she called out to him weakly, “Elias…” When he heard that, he turned around and approached the bed.

“Amanda and I are divorced, so you have no reason to confront her.” She was taken aback.

“Elias… I’m sorry. Are you mad at me?” He seemed displeased.

“What do you think? Don’t you know about your condition better than anyone?” “I just don’t want you to contact each other anymore, but Amanda said she wants to get back with you and pester you. She wants to break us up. That’s why I was so worked up…”

“That’s impossible,” Elias denied. Grace was shocked because she discovered that he had subconsciously believed in Amanda over her. She struggled to get up and acted like she was looking for something but was too weak to do so. Pushing her shoulders down, he asked, “What are you trying to do?”

“Do you think I’m lying? I have a recording as proof! Amanda said those words herself and vowed to use Old Mr. Winters to accomplish her goal of getting back with you!” She grabbed her bag and took out her phone before playing the recording. She had expected Amanda’s reluctance to take the money and disappear, so she recorded their conversation in advance. With a skeptical attitude, Elias watched as she played the recording of their conversation, especially the part where Amanda said, “So what if I am? If I win his heart, I can still get the extremely wealthy Winters Family. Why would I be interested in that 1.5 million you’re offering? Take your card and scram! Elias can pamper you all he wants, but I have no obligation to spoil you!” His expression altered slightly as he frowned in displeasure. Then, she embellished the matter.

“Did you hear that? That’s what Amanda said! I wasn’t telling lies!” Without saying anything, the man frowned deeply, lost in thought. Did Amanda return to remarry me and get back her place as Mrs. Winters?

Back at Lotus Waterfront, Amanda returned home after a busy day but could not find her son anywhere in the room. When the nanny saw her, she greeted Amanda.

“Miss Bailey, I’ll get going since you’re home.”

“Where’s Aiden? Why don’t I see him anywhere?”

“Aiden is in his room, making a call, and he doesn’t want me to listen. Your child is so adorable. He’s like a little adult,” the nanny commented happily.

Amanda could not hold back her smile either because her son indeed liked pretending to be a grownup. When she approached Aiden’s room, she heard his cute voice saying, “Uncle Simon, I missed you!” Uncle Simon? Is that little brat on the phone with my boss? Pushing the door open, Amanda saw Aiden, hiding in the corner with the phone, suddenly spring to his feet and quickly dash toward the balcony with his phone.

While running, he yelled, “Mommy, don’t take away my phone. I wanna talk to Uncle Simon!”

She was rendered speechless as she wanted to stop Aiden from disturbing Simon’s time. It was already tiring for him to work the whole day and still have to make time to chat with the little brat. Since the phone was on loudspeaker, they heard a man’s gentle and low chuckle.

“Aiden, be good and give your mommy the phone. I need to speak with her.” The child pouted and muttered, “Alright. To let you and Mommy bond, I’ll put up with it just this once.” Boy, what? Is it just me, or my baby knows a little too much? Aiden proffered Amanda the phone.

“Here, Mommy. Uncle Simon wants to talk to you.” She felt resigned and placed the phone to her ear. “Mr. Nicholson.”

“Your son calls me ‘Uncle Simon,’ but you call me ‘Mr. Nicholson.’ Do we have to be so estranged?” The man’s voice from the other end was attractively gentle.

She smiled. “Aiden’s young and insensible. Don’t mind him. He just dreams to have a father figure in his life.” Sometimes, she felt sorry for her baby, always having to admire other children for having fathers. A low chuckle came from the speaker.

“I think Aiden’s quite sensible. He knows you’re having a hard time caring for him, so he wants to get a father to help you.” When the man described it that way, Amanda felt warm and inexplicably touched. That brat is indeed obedient, but sometimes he’s a pain in the butt.

“You’re right. My son is quite sensible.” She chuckled. “How are you coping over there? I still have two months of work here. You can ask me for anything.” Simon was the real boss behind Justice & Associates. Moreover, she was content enough to be able to join the country’s top law firm right after returning, so she could not ask for anything more.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 11 Close Call Inside the Conference Room

“I’m doing well, and everything’s going fine. Baby and I will personally welcome you when you return.”

“Sure. Wait for me.” After hanging up the call, Amanda saw her son standing before her. He was looking up and grinning at her.

“What’s with the silly grin?” The child was ecstatic, smiling charmingly while asking,

“Mommy, do you think Mr. Simon’s a great guy too? Did you bond with him?”

This kid “What are you talking about? Go take a bath and go to bed early. You’re going to the kindergarten tomorrow!”

Then, she picked up her son and headed for the bathroom. Aiden was unconvinced and continued asking, “Mommy, is your heart made of stone? Mr. Simon is such a great guy. You should capture his heart quickly, or he’ll become another kid’s father!”

“Alright, alright. Let’s continue after your bath, okay?” She couldn’t win against her stubborn son, but on the other hand, she felt quite sorry for him. It seemed like he really wanted a father

Early morning the following day, Amanda sent her son to kindergarten and got ready to head to the law firm. When she got into the driver’s seat, her phone rang. It was a call from Helean.

“Hello? I’m about to head to the law firm.”

“Wait, Amanda. Come straight to Winters Enterprise. There’s something we need to discuss about the infringement case.” Another trip to Winters Enterprise! Amanda didn’t want to take on this case, but when she remembered the perverted Jackson, she thought it would be better to make that trip.

“Fine. I understand. You should get there soon, too.”

“I’m already here. I’m currently inside the company’s high-level conference room. Come over, quick.”

“Okay.” After hanging up, Amanda drove her car toward Winters Enterprise.

On the other hand, Elias was working at his desk in the president’s office at Winters Enterprise. At that moment, the secretary entered and informed him, “Mr. Winters, do you want to sit in during the infringement case’s negotiation session? The lawyer responsible for this case, Amanda Bailey, will be ” Before the secretary finished speaking, Elias’ pen tip stopped at the signature line, and he asked, “What’s the lawyer’s name again?” The secretary was terrified. She didn’t know what she had done wrong, so she carefully repeated, “Amanda Bailey from Justice & Associates.” Amanda again!

A flash of surprise appeared inside Elias’ obsidian eyes as he wondered, Amanda became a lawyer after four years? He faintly remembered Amanda graduated from the Imperia University of Political Science and Law. However, could it be a coincidence that she was the lawyer responsible for this infringement case? At that moment, he seemed to recall the words Grace said yesterday and the recording he heard there. Did Amanda really return to get back with him and regain everything she lost? Putting his pen down, he instructed the secretary, “Make the arrangements. I’ll be sitting in during the negotiation.”

“Got it, Mr. Winters.” The secretary was almost scared to death. She thought she had made a rookie mistake. Luckily, everything was fine, and she brought the documents Elias signed and quickly exited the president’s office.

In the high-level conference room. Amanda rushed all the way here and entered the conference to find the other party’s lawyer and the person in charge had already arrived. A taboo during legal negotiations was being late, but Amanda just happened to get stuck in a traffic jam on her way here and got delayed.

After composing herself, she sat beside Helean and explained herself, “My apologies. I got caught in a traffic jam just now.” The opposing lawyer smiled without saying anything, indicating that it was fine.

Helean whispered, “Let’s get started. Winters Enterprise hopes we can achieve a preliminary result after the first round of our first negotiation.”

“I understand.” Amanda took out her documents and got ready to start working. But at that moment, the conference room door suddenly opened, and someone came in. Since Amanda was busy organizing her documents, she had no time to look. Unexpectedly, everyone stood up in unison and respectfully greeted, “Mr. Winters.” Mr. Winters! Amanda, who was organizing her documents, was so surprised that her eyes widened. Could it be

The moment she turned around, she felt like dying. It was Elias! She got up unwillingly and shot Helean a death stare before whispering in a voice only they could hear, “Didn’t you say Elias was busy with day-to-day work and wouldn’t participate in this case? What is he doing here then?” Feeling wronged, Helean shrugged as if saying he didn’t know what was happening.

Meanwhile, Elias immediately spotted Amanda. This was the first time he saw her in a professional suit, and he discovered she seemed more charming. She wore exquisite but light makeup, and her waist-long hair was worn down. As for her attire, she wore a nude pink chiffon shirt with a white skirt that hugged her hips and a pair of black heels. Her waist was so slim that it seemed like he could break it with a slight pinch, and her long, beautiful legs were very attractive. That woman seemed to have changed a lot in the past for years. To be more precise, she became more beautiful. Back then, Amanda never wore any makeup and only wore tacky clothes. It was completely different from now.

Elias withdrew his gaze and sat in an empty seat before saying, “Please continue. I’m just sitting in.” He was exuding a majestic aura, and the chair he was sitting in didn’t seem like a chair but a throne. His strong temperament felt suppressive to everyone present.

Meanwhile, Amanda was a little out of it. How could she focus on her work with Elias sitting there? She wanted the floor to swallow her up, but she still forced herself to get into working mode. Looking up at the lawyer opposite her, she said, “Let’s begin. We don’t have much time.”

An hour later. The negotiation process lasted an hour, and Elias’ gaze was glued to Amanda’s side profile the entire time. After the negotiation session ended, the other party’s lawyer and the person in charge left.

“Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey and I will also make our leave,” Helean announced respectfully.

Unexpectedly, Elias smiled and ordered, “You head outside. I would like to have a private conversation with Miss Bailey.”

“Uhm… Sure.” Helean glanced at Amanda and left.

Meanwhile, Amanda ignored Elias and exited the conference room after packing her things. The man suddenly stood up and blocked her way. At the same time, he pulled her into his embrace and pinned her to the conference table. Amanda’s eyes widened as she panicked.

“Elias, are you crazy? What do you think you’re doing?” She struggled to get up but couldn’t move because the man had pinned her to the table.

“Isn’t this what you’re after? Didn’t you want to get my attention? Why are you acting innocent now that you have it?” Elias held her slim waist and caressed it.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 12 Kissing Amanda

Amanda tried to break free while hitting Elias’ shoulders, screaming. I think you’ve gone mad! Why would I want to get your attention?

Are you sure? You didn’t want a penny from me when signing the divorce papers, but now you’re here earning my money. Don’t you find that intriguing?”

Elias punitively tightened his grip on her slim waist.

Looking at Amanda’s face in such a close range, Elias discovered she had clear, bright doe eyes and snowy-white skin that was delicate and smooth. In addition, her moving lips seemed very tempting.

“Do you think I did this willingly? I never wanted to take on this case. It was before Amanda could finish her words, Elias sneered and took out his phone to play the recording Grace showed him yesterday,

Amanda instantly turned ashen while her eyes were filled with shock at the fact that Grace had recorded their conversation.

Observing the changes in her expression, Elias was a little disappointed and mocked, “Why did you stop? Surprised that Grace recorded everything? Are you trying to deny the words you said?”

Those those were words of anger! I didn’t mean it!”

Amanda turned her face to the side, embarrassed.

She didn’t expect Grace to record their conversation, and everything she said was spoken out of anger. There was no way she would get back together with Elias!

Then, Elias pulled her face back and asked, “Do you think I would believe that?”

“What will it take for you to believe me? I told you. Those were words of anger, and I never wanted to remarry you. I’ve finally escaped a living hell, so why would I return to that situation?”

Living hell? Elias was pissed. Countless women didn’t even have the chance to get in his bed, but Amanda described him as a living hell?

Amanda’s shirt was ripped open, and her eyes widened in shock while she silently screamed, “Elias Winters!”

I would like to see whether your body is more honest or if you are just being stubborn. Aren’t you looking to remarry me? I’m giving you a chance to let me see what you’ve got.”

Right after he finished, he unexpectedly lowered his head and forcefully sealed her lips.

He had been staring at her lips for a long while, and they seemed fatally attractive, evoking his desire to taste them.

The moment Elias kissed Amanda, he discovered he seemed to have fallen for her.

Those lips were soft and sweet… He was a little reluctant to let her

“Uhm… you bastard!”

Amanda’s eyes were wide as saucers. Her whole body felt like being electrocuted, and she bit down hard.

Then, she heard the man groan in pain and tasted blood inside her mouth before she was finally released.

Slap! Amanda slapped Elias, creating a loud sound that echoed inside the giant conference room.

The force of the slap turned Elias’ face to the side and woke him up from his trance. There was trance. also a blood stain at the corner of his lips.

“Elias Winters! You’re a jerk! Don’t you worry. I won’t come to you even if you’re the only man in the world!”

Once she was done screaming, she held her ripped clothes together and hurriedly fled the conference room. Her frantic figure was obviously filled with terror.

She didn’t expect Elias would dare to make such an outlandish move inside the conference room!

On the other hand, Elias plopped onto a chair and sneered while gently wiping the blood from the corner of his lips.

Had he gone mad? How could he suddenly have the urge to take Amanda right here?

That slap came at the right moment, or else he didn’t know what he might do.

The conference was dead silent, and no one dared to enter without his consent.

In the meantime, Helean was pacing outside the conference room and occasionally checked the time, wondering what Amanda and Elias might be talking about inside.

“Why isn’t she coming out…” Helean muttered and then heard the door behind him opening.

He turned around happily but saw Amanda coming out in a disconcerted state. She was covering her chest like she had been taken advantage of, and her hair was messy.

“Amanda… W-What happened? What were you and Mr. Winters talking about inside?”

With a pale complexion, Amanda headed straight for the elevator, not wanting to say another word.

“Amanda, talk to me. What happened?”

By now, Helean felt a little panicked. He promised Simon he would care for Amanda before his return…

“Nothing happened. I just want to go home. I’ll head to the law firm in the afternoon.”

Since that scumbag had torn her clothes, she had no choice but to return home and change her clothes.

However, it was a small world indeed. Amanda didn’t expect to see Grace standing before her when the elevator doors opened.

Grace stared at Amanda standing outside the elevator with a shocked expression. “Amanda… Why are you here? What are you doing here?” Since she found this place, it’s clear that she’s trying to get back with Elias!

Suddenly, Grace noticed Amanda’s messy hair, swollen lips, and blood at the corner of her mouth.

What does that mean? Why does she look like she has been kissing someone?

At that moment, another elevator opened. Amanda didn’t want to speak a word with Grace and only wanted to go home.

She turned around and entered the other elevator while Helean quickly followed.

“Amanda! Explain to me why you’re here!”

Wanting to know what had happened. Grace chased after them, but the elevator doors had already closed.

What the heck is happening here?

Confused, Grace decided to ask Elias about it and went straight to the conference room.

Back inside the conference room, Elias had his arms propped on the table while massaging his temples with his fingers, seemingly resting with his eyes closed.

Suddenly, the conference room doors were opened again.

Elias opened his eyes and saw Grace in front of him, asking. “Elias, I just bumped into Amanda. Why does she-”

Before she finished, she noticed the same blood stain at the corner of Elias’ lips.

Her eyes contracted suddenly, and her mind went blank.

Amanda also had a blood stain on the corner of her lips, so what did that imply?

The scene of two people kissing appeared in Grace’s mind!

She suddenly lost her balance and stumbled backward. Then, she lost her cool and loudly accused. “What… What were you guys doing just now?”

“Why are you screaming?” Elias seemed frustrated as he lazily rose to his feet.

Tears streamed down Grace’s eyes as she sobbed. “Elias, you told me you never had feelings for her, so why did you kiss her? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why did you kiss her?” Grace felt overwhelmed with pain. It was like her heart was being ripped into pieces.

Elias avoided her question. “Why are you here? You’ve just gotten discharged, so shouldn’t you be resting at home? I’ll send you back.”

While he spoke, he turned to leave the conference room.

But Grace pulled his arm. “You won’t abandon me, will you? You promised Yelan you would care for me. He even sacrificed his life for you!”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 13 Grandpa Invited Her to The Birthday Banquet

“You don’t have to remind me again. I’ve never forgotten about it! I didn’t say I’d abandon you!” A wave of irritability surged into the man’s heart. He never ignored Yelan’s entrustment before he died, but he hated her repeated reminders.

Grace panicked upon seeing Elias’ state, trembling as she said, “Elias, don’t be upset. I have no other intentions; I’m just too afraid of losing you…”

He looked back at the girl behind him. This was Yelan’s only sister, and he could not let him down no matter what. After all, he died too tragically, and he died for him.

“Hey, I’ll take you back. You just got discharged and need some rest,” said Elias.

“Okay, I’ll listen to you. Don’t be upset. Please don’t abandon me.” Grace nodded obediently. It was rare for this man to behave so nicely because everyone knew how bad his temper was.

She walked out of the meeting room while following behind the man. Yet, when she thought of the hickeys on the corners of Elias and Amanda’s mouths, she felt as uncomfortable as a bug sting on her heart. Wait for this, Amanda! Don’t ever try to take Elias back or remarry him!

Over at the parking lot, when Helean saw Amanda like this, he couldn’t help but worry. “Amanda, are you okay? There’s no one here. Can you tell me what happened in the conference room just now? Did Mr. Winters do something to you?”

Anyone with a keen eye could tell that she had been humiliated based on her appearance. Still, he could not figure it out as Elias did not look like that kind of person. How could this be?

“I’m fine. Please apply for a leave on my behalf. I’m not feeling well and wanna head home to rest. I’ll go to the law firm in the afternoon.” She sat in the driver’s seat and drove away immediately after that.

She was frustrated throughout the journey as her thoughts replayed the scene where she was under the man on the table back in the conference room. The kiss…

After returning home, she took off her torn clothes before heading into the bathroom to turn on the shower. She shut her eyes and felt the cold water pour, hoping it would wake her up.

Suddenly, she yelled out irritably, “Argh!”

How could I still feel something when that sc*mbag kissed me in the conference room? This cannot be! The same mistakes cannot be repeated!

The thought of the man ripping her clothes and kissing her passionately sent her blood pressure sky-high. After flushing herself with cold water, she exited the bathroom and changed into a new set of clothes. With some light makeup on, she was ready to return to the law firm. Can’t have people talking when I’ve just joined, right?

When Amanda arrived at Justice & Associates, she received a call from the nanny. “Hello, Miss Bailey. Something came up at home today, and I’m afraid I can’t pick up Aiden. Would you be able to do it? I won’t be taking the wages for today. I’m so sorry.”

Amanda looked through the day’s schedule and realized she could leave work on time in the afternoon, so she agreed. “Alright, I’ll pick him up.”

“Thank you, Miss Bailey. You’re such a nice person.”

After hanging up the phone, she continued her work. She had to speed up that day to pick up her kid from school. Before the end of school time, the preschool called, saying that Aiden had fought with another child at school.

Consequently, she hurried to the kindergarten and stopped at the gate when she saw Howard standing there. Why is he here? Is he picking up his kids too? Whose child is he picking up?

Just when she was wondering how to sneak in, he turned around with a lonely face and saw her figure at a glance. Instantly, he smiled and shouted, “Amanda!”

Her plan to hide from him failed, so she had no choice but to walk over with an embarrassed smile. “Grandpa, why are you here?”

On that topic, Howard became angry. “I want to see some lively children. If you hadn’t divorced, my little great-grandson would have gone to school by now,” he complained like a grumbling Woman. Amanda could only laugh awkwardly.

“Why are you here? This is a kindergarten. Did you give birth to Elias’ child four years ago?” He suddenly became emotional, as if he wanted to see through her at a glance.

“No! I’m going there to do something!” She was so frightened that she almost stuttered and pointed to the office building opposite.

Wow. He’s spot on. Her little heart was about to jump out, hoping he would not question her further and render her in a tough spot.

Hearing her answer, Howard sighed in disappointment and answered, “I thought you secretly gave birth to my little great-grandson.”

“I’m sorry for disappointing you, Grandpa.”

He waved his hand and replied, “Forget it. You’ll give birth sooner or later when you guys remarry. By the way, I’ll be having my 70th birthday in a few days. See you there.”

“Grandpa, I can attend your birthday banquet, but let’s forget about the remarriage. We have our separate lives now.” She took the chance to destroy his fantasy. Why is he always insisting we remarry?

“Okay, let’s not talk about the remarriage. You must come to my 70th birthday. Since you promised me, you must not back out! I must see you that day! Otherwise, I’ll send someone to tie you up! That’s it! I’m leaving!” As soon as Howard gave the order, he left without waiting for her reply.

This domineering and powerful attitude is comparable to Elias. It’s no wonder that the grandfather and grandson are alike. It turns out that their temperaments run in the family.

Anyway, Amanda finally breathed a sigh of relief as she could pick up her son after seeing Howard escorted into the car by the bodyguards. Then, she hurriedly paced toward the school.

Inside the classroom, Aiden’s small body stood against the wall, pouting in grievance with his puppy eyes full of defiance. Meanwhile, the teacher was holding another little boy, trying to appease him.

When Amanda came in, she saw the scene and immediately went over to hug her son, anxiously asking. “Baby, are you okay?”

The teacher, however, was harsh. “Aiden’s mother, your son hit another child, so how could he not be okay?”

Amanda ignored the teacher and patiently asked her son, “Why did you hit him?”

The little boy pouted and said in an aggrieved tone. “That’s because he said I don’t have a dad and. that I’m a wild child. Mommy, am I a wild child?”

Hearing that rendered her speechless. The pitiful tone of her baby left her stunned, feeling at sharp pain in her heart. She stood up indignantly and looked at the teacher beside her. “Excuse me. Did you teach them to use the word ‘wild child’ against my son?”

“Nonsense!”

“Then, why did you only punish my son while coaxing the other in your arms?” Amanda’s anger surged. I cannot believe this.

“Since he was the one who started it first, and they couldn’t be separated, I had to-

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 14 Can You Become Mommy’s Husband?

The teacher had not finished speaking when Amanda picked up her son and angrily exclaimed, “If all the teachers at this school have your work ethic, I’ll have to consider switching my son to a different one. I didn’t pay for him to come here and be humiliated.” She left with Aiden in her arms.

Amanda carried her son outside the school gate and placed him on a bench by the roadside. She gently rubbed his little head and said, “Aiden, it’s wrong for them to call you a wild child, but it’s also wrong for you to hit someone. Do you understand?”

He sat on the bench, swinging his short little legs adorably. The pouting kid did not respond and merely turned his head away.

She smiled helplessly and concluded, “Alright, I know you’re upset. Are you hungry? Mommy will take you to eat something delicious.”

“Mommy, I don’t want to return to that place!”

“Okay, Mommy will find you a new school tomorrow, okay?”

Aiden finally smiled and nodded happily, then jumped off the bench and shouted, “I wanna eat steak!”

She felt a twinge of pain in her heart as she watched her dear son. He must’ve felt awful when others called him a wild child. Is it time for me to find him a…. dad?

After returning home that night, Amanda bathed and changed her son into his pajamas before putting him to bed. “Baby, read your book for a while. Mommy will go take a shower.”

“Okay.” He obediently took out his picture book and started reading, but as soon as she entered the bathroom, he secretly dialed Simon’s phone number using her phone.

The call was quickly answered before a man’s gentle and charming voice came through. “Amanda, why are you still up so late?”

“Uncle Simon, it’s me!”

Upon hearing the adorable voice, the man chuckled and asked, “Little guy, why aren’t you asleep yet? Don’t you have school tomorrow?”

“Uncle Simon, can you be my mommy’s husband?” Aiden asked seriously into the phone.

Simon had long been the perfect candidate for his father, but his mommy was not making things happen! How frustrating!

The man’s voice was full of indulgence as he laughed and asked, “Little guy, do you want me to be your dad?”

“Yeah, if you marry my mommy, you can be my dad, and we’ll all be perfect. Besides, you don’t have a baby or a wife.” Aiden blinked his big eyes and felt that he had a valid argument.

At that moment, Amanda walked out of the bathroom and overheard his words. “Aiden Bailey, what are you talking about?” She walked over and snatched the phone away from him.

The kid looked at her with a pitiful expression and shouted, “Mommy…”

“Go to sleep! Mr. Simon is very busy. Why do you keep bothering him with phone calls?” she scolded him. Embarrassed, she took the phone to the balcony and awkwardly explained, “I’m sorry, this little brat keeps bothering you with his calls.”

“It was nothing, so don’t be angry at him.” The man chuckled.

“Well… Don’t take to heart what he said earlier. You know how children can be,” she said.

She knew she was not good enough for Simon and had never thought otherwise. He was so outstanding while she was a divorcee with a son. How could she be worthy of him?

On the other end of the phone, he surprisingly said, “What if I told you that I did take it to heart?”

“Huh?” She was stunned and did not know how to react for a moment. What does that mean?

“You should go to bed. Goodnight. I’ll get back to work.”

“Okay.”

Amanda hung up the call, still confused. She laughed in resignation as she did not believe Simon was serious. I’m way out of his league.

Soon, it was the day of Howard’s birthday banquet. Before Amanda had even finished work at the law firm, he phoned her, after which she answered, “Grandpa.”

“Amanda, today is my birthday banquet. Since you promised to come, you must be here. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Grandpa, I-

“Don’t make excuses! Can’t you even attend my birthday banquet? I’ve doted on you for nothing.”

She was rendered helpless and laughed. “Okay, I’ll be there on time, Grandpa.”

“Good! I’m waiting for you.”

After hanging up the phone, she opened her office drawer and took out a black velvet box. It was à birthday present she had prepared for Howard four years ago, but she never got the chance after her divorce.

This was the perfect opportunity to deliver the gift to him, but that was all-she planned to hand over the present and leave right away.

What she did not know, though, was that he had set a trap for her and was determined to get her back together with Elias!

Night fell, and Amanda handed her kid over to the nanny. She changed her clothes and set off for Howard’s birthday banquet. As she arrived at the hotel banquet hall, she saw Elias and Grace in attendance. This is awkward… I can neither walk nor back off.

Luckily, Howard spotted her immediately and walked over with a smile. “Amanda! You finally made it. I’ve been waiting for you. I thought you weren’t coming.”

She smiled and said, “Of course, I came, Grandpa. I always keep my promises. Happy birthday to you. I wish you a long and healthy life.” She took out the birthday gift she had prepared long ago and handed it over. “Grandpa, this is a rare Moldavite pendant I sourced for you. I hope you like it.”

When Elias saw her, a hint of displeasure crossed his handsome but frowning face; he did not expect her to show up. Meanwhile, Grace’s face was even uglier. Amanda’s presence felt like a deliberate attempt by Howard to embarrass her. He was cold to her but warm to Amanda, clearly trying to make her look bad in front of the other guests.

Howard accepted the gift and opened it, revealing a pleasantly surprised expression. “Amanda knows me best.”

Grace glanced at it with disdain, thinking it was just a piece of rock. What’s so special about it? She could not help but chime in. “You know, Grandpa, the Kashmir sapphire I gifted you were sold for four million at the auction. I—”

As soon as she spoke, Howard became unhappy and retorted unkindly, “Did you buy it with your own money? Wasn’t it bought with money from Elias? Why not just say that it was a gift from my grandson?”

Her face instantly turned pale, and she was speechless in response.

Elias roared, “Grandpa!”

“Am I wrong? She spent our family’s money on a piece of sapphire. Do I not know how to spend my money? Do I need her to do it for me?” His words were full of sarcasm, and he completely looked down on her.

“Elias, stop it. It’s my fault…” uttered Grace as she grabbed the man’s arm, her face as pale as paper.

Amanda was a little frightened when she saw the scene, not expecting Howard to be this good at pissing someone off.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 15 Amanda and Elias Got Locked In (1)

She didn’t want to get involved in this matter, and she could sense that it wasn’t safe to stay around for too long. I’ve already received the gift, so I should come up with some excuse to leave now. Amanda pretended to glance at her phone before looking up at Howard. I’m afraid I have some matters to handle at work, Grandpa. I think I should...

Howard cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “Are you going to leave now? How could I allow that? What company is this-how could they take up your personal time now that it’s past working hours?” Howard wasn’t about to let Amanda off just like that. He had to go on with his initial plan for the night.

“I just started this job a while ago, so it’s a little more hectic, Grandpa, I’m really sorry” Amanda uttered in an awkward tone.

Howard, on the other hand, spoke in a much firmer tone. “Who’s your leader?”

Jackson’s voice came out of nowhere. “I’m Jackson McCalister from Justice & Associates, Old Mr. Winters. I have the authority to let Amanda off work for today, so she can spend your birthday with you. She won’t have to work overtime.”

She was too stunned to speak after she turned around to see Jackson stepping out of the crowd. I can’t believe Mr. McCalister is at the party too!

Howard grinned with satisfaction when he heard Jackson’s words. “Look at that, Amanda. Your leader gave you his orders! You can stay since you don’t have to work overtime,” he said.

“I…” Amanda could no longer find another excuse to leave. I can’t say I have a baby at home to care for, can I?

“Why don’t you just stay around to spend Old Mr. Winters’ birthday with him, Amanda?” Jackson could tell that something was up when he saw how much the Winters Family cared for Amanda. The law firm happened to be targeting Winters Enterprise as one of its legal clients, so Jackson saw this as the perfect opportunity.

“Okay…” Amanda had no choice but to nod in agreement.

“Come here and take a seat beside me. It’s been a while since we last had a chat.” Howard led Amanda to take a seat at the table with him.

Grace happened to witness this scene, and she felt extremely aggrieved at the sight of what was going on. She bit her bottom lip so hard that it nearly bled. “I need to use the washroom, Elias.” With a sullen look on her face, Grace walked over to the washroom. She had the urge to walk over and start an argument with Howard, but she could only force herself to keep it all in because of where they were at.

Elias had his usual icy look on his face as he shot the woman a glance before he quietly shifted his gaze back to Amanda. Amanda was dressed in a light blue dress that showcased her slim figure and her curves. She had slender, fair thighs that caught everyone’s eyes and soft silky curls that went down to her waist. She gave off a feminine but sexy aura, especially with her makeup that enhanced her clear, bright eyes. One would find it hard to tear their gaze away after looking at her.

Meanwhile, Grace quietly sobbed to herself in one of the cubicles in the washroom. Her tears were ones of resentment and sorrow. Right then, she overheard a conversation that was going on outside.

“What a joke. Did you see the look on Grace’s face earlier? She looked utterly furious! Old Mr. Winters doesn’t seem interested in her at all, and he even placed all his focus on some other woman just to make things awkward for Grace,” someone said.

“Exactly! It was hilarious. If I were Grace, I would have been too embarrassed to even stay around and just left,” another person said.

“I’m sure Grace will never be a part of the Winters Family!”

“There’s really nothing special about her. I have no idea why Elias chose her! She’s just some rookie celebrity in the entertainment industry, and she only got to where she is because of all the money Elias invested in her.”

All of a sudden, a loud slam filled the washroom as Grace threw her cubicle door open. “What are you guys talking about? Do you think I’d be afraid to slap all of your faces?!” she cried.

The two women who had been chatting let out a shrill scream when they turned and saw Grace. They were so terrified that they scrambled out of the washroom immediately.

At the same time, Amanda was seated in a tense posture beside Howard in the dining hall. She felt especially uneasy as she could sense Elias’ gaze on her. Is he mad because I showed up and took the spotlight away from Grace? I didn’t want to do this!

Amanda subtly turned her body sideways just to avoid the man’s sinister glare. Then, she pulled her phone out to send the nanny a text, telling the nanny to stay a little longer with the baby as she might be home late that night.

While Amanda was on her phone, one of the bodyguards walked up and whispered something into Howard’s ear. Howard nodded and gave the bodyguard a look that told the bodyguard to stand down. A complacent grin formed on the old man’s face, and moments later, she let out a loud gasp. “Ah!”

Howard had accidentally spilled a glass of red wine all over her dress.

“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry, Amanda! I didn’t mean to do that. Are you okay? You should get changed.” He wore an innocent look on his face as he repeatedly apologized to the woman.

Amanda wiped off some of the wine with a napkin. “I’m fine,” she replied with a smile.

“Please bring Amanda over to the guest room where she can get changed.” Howard called for the bodyguard to come over, and a burly man stepped forward “This way, Miss Bailey.” A huge section of her dress was stained, so Amanda had no choice but to get changed.

Elias frowned as he watched the woman walk off. “You did that intentionally, didn’t you. Grandpa?” he muttered in a deep voice. He had witnessed the entire scene, and he saw how his grandfather had intentionally tipped the glass while he was holding it earlier.

Howard’s expression was calm as he spoke. “I’m getting old. Isn’t it normal for my hands to tremble a little?” Howard took a glance at Elias’ wine as he spoke. Elias was almost done with his glass.

After a short while, Howard spoke again. “Why isn’t Amanda back yet? Why don’t you go check on her, Elias?”

Elias was speechless, Isn’t Grandpa being a little too obvious with his intentions? He’s clearly trying to give me and Amanda a chance to be alone. “I don’t want to check on her. Women take forever to get changed, anyway.”

Howard fumed at Elias’ words. “You little brat! Are you going to make me mad even on my birthday? Do you want to give me a heart attack? My blood pressure is getting higher nowadays…”

Elias was silent for a moment before he lifted his wine glass and finished the rest of his drink. Then, he got up and left the table. Howard couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw Elias’ empty glass.

Once Amanda got to the presidential suite, she froze at the sight before her eyes. Gosh, Old Mr. Winters sure leads a luxurious life, but I just need to get changed. Why did he take me to the presidential suite? And… where is my change of clothes?

Amanda waited for a while more, but no one brought her clothes at all. She wanted to head out to ask around, but she then realized that she couldn’t open the door! Her eyes widened in shock. What does this mean? And why does my head feel like it’s spinning… That’s weird.

At that moment, the guard was keeping watch by the entrance. Elias showed up at the end of the corridor before he walked over.

“Isn’t she out yet?” Elias glanced at the bodyguard.

“She’s not,” the guard replied.

Elias frowned at this, a hint of confusion in his gaze. Regardless of how slow a girl can be, she should be done by now. What’s going on?

He wanted to go in to take a look, so the guard pulled out the keycard and tapped him in.

Elias was suspicious for a brief moment, but he ended up walking in anyway. The moment he entered the room, he heard the door closing behind him, and a loud click sounded as the door

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 16 Amanda and Elias Got Locked In (2)

Elias didn’t think much about it at first-he simply walked into the room. However, he then noticed that Amanda seemed to have fallen asleep on the bed. Did she really fall asleep here? No wonder she’s been gone for so long. Elias walked over to glance at the sleeping woman, and he realized how her cheeks seemed rather flushed. She was mumbling something in her sleep…

“Amanda? Wake up,” he called. Amanda still seemed rather drowsy as she mumbled a few words. “Switch on the air-conditioning. It’s too hot…” Hot? Elias looked around the room to realize that he was in a presidential suite. Grandpa put in this much effort, huh? The man patted the woman on her cheeks as he gave her orders in a stern voice. “Wake up right now!”

Amanda seemed to sober up a little after that. She weakly pushed herself into a sitting position before she took a good glance at the man before her eyes. “When did you come in?” she gasped.

“I came to check on you because I was afraid that you might sleep through the night here.” The man’s tone was harsh, and his demeanor was as cold as ever. All of a sudden, Elias realized how warm the room was. He loosened his tie with a frustrated sigh before he turned to leave the room. He wanted to step out for some fresh air. However, when he got to the door, he realized that the door had been locked from the outside. This is a hotel, so for the door to be locked from the outside… It has to be one of the staff members who did it. Does this mean that all of this is part of Grandpa’s plan?

At that thought, Elias couldn’t help but curse to himself. “F*ck!”

Amanda dragged herself over to the man before she addressed him in a weak voice. “Is it locked from the outside? I couldn’t get out earlier-that’s why I was so surprised when I saw you in the room.”

Elias was speechless for a while. It seems like Grandpa planned this whole thing out. Elias sensed that there was something wrong with the way his body felt, and he then recalled the glass of red wine he drank in the hall earlier. Could Grandpa have drugged us? The man lost his temper immediately. How could Grandpa drug his own grandchild? He sure is a reckless man!

“Open the door. Open the door now!” Elias kicked the door hard, but the guards outside didn’t respond to his protests at all. Amanda only realized what was going on then. Was this all part of Grandpa’s plan? “Is Grandpa the one who locked us in?” she asked.

Elias tried his best to contain what he was feeling. “He even drugged us!” he hissed through gritted teeth.

What?! Amanda widened her eyes in shock before she stumbled a few steps backward. She couldn’t believe that Howard would do such a thing to them. He’s really trying to get us back together! That explains why I’ve been feeling so dizzy and uneasy. I can’t even describe how I feel now. “I’m warning you, Elias! Don’t you dare come near me! You can take a cold shower if you feel unwell. Just don’t touch me!” she cried.

Then, Amanda took a pillow and held it in front of her chest as if it would shield her from the man. The man turned around with a dark gaze in his eyes. A look of disdain formed in his expression when he saw how cautious and alert Amanda seemed.

“I never laid a finger on you, even when you were my wife. What makes you think that I would touch you now? You think too highly of yourself?” he hissed.

“Have you forgotten how you bit me like a wild animal back when we were in the meeting room?” she snapped.

A wild animal? Elias felt rage building up in his chest as he stormed over and reduced the gap between Amanda and him. “How dare you call me a wild animal, Amanda? You sure gained some courage, huh!” The more he looked at the woman’s pink cheeks and her moist, soft lips; the more he felt like kissing her.

Eventually, he pushed her back down to sit on the bed. She figured that it was best if she kept her lips sealed. Elias had also been drugged, after all Amanda knew that she would be no match for him if he were to lose his cool and succumb to the effects of the drug.

Grace was beyond puzzled when she returned to the dinner party. Where did both Amanda and Elias go? Did they just disappear while I went to the toilet? Grace started feeling rather anxious after waiting around for a while more. She called Elias, but she couldn’t get through to him at all.

“Where did Elias go, Old Mr. Winters? Did he have something to do?” she asked Howard with an awkward smile on her face. Howard felt annoyed just at the sight of the helpless and meek look on the woman’s face. “Do you expect him to stay by your side all the time? He’s a man, and he’s the heir of Winters Enterprise!” Howard replied sternly.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa. I was just curious,” Grace muttered. She had intended to ask about Amanda’s whereabouts as well, but she stopped herself after seeing the way Howard responded to her. She had no choice but to continue calling Elias. However, her call still didn’t get through, and even when it did, no one picked up the call. What is Elias up to? Why isn’t he picking up his phone?

The guests began to leave after the party ended, but even then. Elias and Amanda were still nowhere to be seen. Grace was close to panicking at this point, and she couldn’t contain her worry for much longer. “Why isn’t Elias back, Old Mr. Winters? Everyone’s about to leave. Also, where’s Amanda? Has she left?” Grace asked Howard.

“Perhaps they’re handling some business,” Howard replied with a serious tone. However, a rather sinister smirk then formed on his wrinkled face. Judging by how long they took, I’m sure they’re feeling the effects of the medication, he thought. Grace froze upon hearing the old man’s words. “What do you mean? What business do they have to deal with?”

“You should give up on your dreams of marrying Elias. You won’t get to do that as long as I’m around. I’ve already arranged for Elias and Amanda to share a room tonight, and I want them to give me a grandchild before remarrying each other.” Howard was transparent with his wishes. He no longer felt the need to hide anything-he wanted to make it clear that he didn’t like Grace.

Grace felt as if an explosion had just gone off in her head. She looked shocked and felt her legs. turning weak. They… They’re sharing a room… Amanda and Elias?!

Tears started gushing down Grace’s cheeks as she wailed. “How could you do such a thing. Grandpa? I’m the one that Elias loves! Why would you force him to marry a woman he doesn’t like? Why would you force him to have a child with someone he doesn’t love?” Upon finishing her sentence, Grace turned and hurried off. She had to find Elias-she didn’t want him in the same room as Amanda.

“Stop her and send her home! I don’t want her to roam around!” Howard gave orders to his bodyguards. The two bodyguards immediately rushed over to hold Grace back. She couldn’t escape their grip, so all she could do was cry and wail frantically. “This is unfair, Grandpa! How dare you ruin my relationship with Elias? How could Amanda do this? Elias doesn’t even love her! Elias belongs to me! I’m the one he should marry!”

“Stop dreaming. I’d never let some actress like you into the Winters Family.” Howard could no longer be bothered to deal with Grace, so he simply turned to leave the hall. The bodyguards hauled Grace out of the hall, and she couldn’t free herself no matter how hard she tried. Hatred surfaced in her eyes as she stared at the old man and her cheeks were stained with tears. That damned old man! I won’t be able to enter the Winters Family as long as he’s around. What if I kill him? A sinister idea began to form in her mind.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 17 Let’s Go Along With Grandpa’s Wishes

Meanwhile, the air in the presidential suite was warm and filled with sexual tension, although both Amanda and Elias were silent. Amanda had gotten back into bed and wrapped herself tightly with the sheets while Elias sat on the couch. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he eventually took his tie off as he felt too suffocated by it.

“What are you doing? Don’t you dare remove your clothes!” Amanda assumed that he was about to start stripping when she saw his actions and her eyes widened with fear. They were starting to feel the full effects of the drugs, and they were both clinging to their final bit of sanity. Elias had finished his entire glass of red wine, so he was feeling a lot more of the effects. The horrible sensation spread across his entire body, and he eventually got to his feet before walking over to the bed.

When he saw Amanda, who was all wrapped up in the large, comfortable bed, he couldn’t help but let out a laugh. “Why don’t we just go along with Grandpa’s wishes?”

What?! Amanda was stunned. “Have you lost your mind?” Elias bent down to press his arms against the bed and edged his flawless face a little closer to Amanda as he spoke in a seductive tone. “You were once my wife, yet we’ve never slept together. Come to think of it, it’s a pity,” he whispered.

Amanda was speechless for a while. I don’t understand. Why won’t he admit to what happened during the celebration four years ago? If we never slept together, then where did the baby come from? We only slept together that one time, and I got pregnant immediately after that, she thought. She couldn’t contain her frustration when she saw the shameless look on Elias’ face. “A pity? What nonsense are you talking about? Fuck off!” she hissed as she sent a kick toward his groin area.

At that moment, he lurched forward and pulled her over to lie on top of him. His six-foot-tall figure seemed especially powerful and domineering at that moment. “Elias!” Amanda let out a scream. Elias seemed to have lost his mind at that point, and he leaned in to give Amanda a kiss. His sharp jaw and the veins on his neck made him look especially sexy then.

Amanda quickly turned away before growling at him. “You can look for Grace if you’re that horny! Aren’t you deeply in love with her? I’m sure she’d love to sleep with you!”

The man’s expression changed immediately. “Shut up!” he shouted directly in Amanda’s face. Then, he sat upright before storming over to the washroom with a hard, cold look on his face. He no longer looked at the woman on the bed after that. Soon enough, Amanda heard the sound of the shower being turned on in the washroom.

After all the wrestling that happened in bed earlier, a layer of sweat had formed on Amanda’s smooth, pale forehead. She was still dazed after Elias shouted at her-she had no idea how she had triggered him.

Meanwhile, Elias turned on the cold shower right after he got into the washroom. He stood still as the icy water splashed all over him. For some reason, his head ached whenever he recalled the whiny look on Grace’s face. He could hear her wailing and begging for him to take responsibility. She’s probably going to cry to me again after tonight. Just the thought of it made him frustrated.

Elias spent about half an hour in the shower before he stepped out of the washroom in a bathrobe. Amanda was alert from the moment she heard sounds coming from the washroom, and she quickly sat upright even though her entire body felt weak and shaky. “I’ll sleep on the couch. Don’t worry, I won’t lay a finger on you, Elias muttered in his deep and raspy voice. Then, he walked toward the couch before lying down. When he pulled his phone out to take a look, he realized that there was no signal on his phone. Well, Grandpa sure is one heartless man. Is he trying to get himself a great-grandchild by tonight?

Amanda, who was still on the bed, stared at the man’s figure for a long while. She only heaved a sigh of relief after the man was motionless for a long while. Then, she mustered her last bit of energy to bring herself to the washroom to take a cold shower. However, she simply couldn’t stand on her own two feet-she felt like her whole body was being eaten up by tiny ants at that moment. Without warning, she fell onto the ground.

Amanda could no longer bring herself to move-she didn’t have the strength to even crawl into the washroom. Upon hearing the noise, Elias walked over to check on her. “Do you need help?” His figure towered above her. “No… Go away…” Amanda didn’t have the energy to shout, so her voice was soft and weak. The very next second, Elias bent down and picked her up before bringing her to the washroom.

“What are you doing?” Amanda was close to panicking. I know my Grandpa well-he probably used really strong drugs in our drinks. Your body can’t handle it. You need to take a cold shower.” Elias helped her into the bathtub before he began to fill up the tub. She felt much better after lying down in the tub. It felt as if she had finally found an oasis after being in the desert for days.

Elias made sure that the tub was filled up with water before he gave her instructions. “You can stay for about half an hour. I’ll help you out after that,” he uttered before turning to leave the washroom. Amanda felt rather puzzled then. Why does Elias look completely fine? Did the drugs wear off for him already?

However, outside the washroom, sweat continued

Stream down Elias’ face. Only the heavens knew how much he had been controlling and restraining himself when he carried Amanda into the bath earlier. He felt as if his entire body was about to combust into flames. He could feel himself heating up and was desperate to get himself inside of her.

The next morning, Amanda slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying in bed. She gazed toward the couch to realize that Elias was no longer there. With a look of confusion on her face, she sat upright in bed. She couldn’t recall how she got into bed the night before. Elias was probably the one who helped me to bed. But… Can we open the room door now?

Amanda threw the sheets aside and walked over to try the door handle. As expected, the door was no longer locked. They had survived the long night. All of a sudden, Amanda was reminded of her child! I wasn’t home the whole night. I bet that little baby threw a tantrum!

Meanwhile, Grace was seated on one of the couches in the president’s office of Winters Enterprise. She had arrived earlier that morning with a pale look on her face and dark circles under her eyes. She hadn’t slept at all the night before, but she kept her gaze fixed on the door as she waited for Elias to show up.

All of a sudden, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Grace shifted her gaze up to see Elias walking in. Tears streamed down her cheeks immediately and she threw her arms around Elias the moment he stepped into his office. “You’re finally here, Elias! I stayed up the whole night for you! Why did Grandpa have to do that? I don’t understand. Why does he have to torture me?” Grace wrapped her arms tightly around Elias as she cried her heart out.

“Alright. Stop crying.” Elias stroked the back of Grace’s head. When Grace thought about how Amanda and Elias might have slept together the night before, she pushed him away from her. “Last night, did you and Amanda… have any…”

“Nothing happened between us,” Elias explained. Then, he walked toward his table as if he was no longer interested in discussing this matter.

“How could that be? Don’t lie to me! You guys were drugged, so how could you guys have controlled yourselves? Elias!” Grace shouted like a mad woman. She was acting just like how Elias had expected her to-she showed up to cause a fuss early in the morning. He massaged his brows before speaking in a rather annoyed tone. “I’m telling the truth. Do you think I’d lie about sleeping with a woman?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 18 I’m Angry! I’m Sad!

When Grace noticed the look of frustration on Elias’ face, she panicked a little. “Okay. I’ll trust you! But… Wasn’t it hard for you to hold yourself back last night, Elias? How did you control yourself?” Grace asked in a cautious tone. She didn’t want to make him angry. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him-it was simply that she couldn’t trust Amanda! That was the perfect chance for Amanda to reconnect with Elias. Why would she give up on such a good opportunity?

“I took a cold shower, Elias muttered flatly. Grace felt a lot more relieved after hearing his explanation. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t bother to explain himself if he had slept with Amanda-he would’ve just admitted to it instead. Elias wasn’t a man who liked explaining himself, after all.

A smile surfaced on Grace’s face as she walked over to Elias. “Do you still feel the effects of the drugs now, Elias? Do you feel better.?” she asked bashfully.

“Yeah.” Elias sat down on his office chair to prepare for work. He had a meeting with higher management later that day. “If you need anything, I can help you feel better, Elias. I’m your girlfriend, and I…” Grace was too shy to even look him in the eyes. Elias had never once laid hands on her, and she couldn’t seem to get him to do it no matter how hard she tried.

Up until then, Grace was still lying to him about the night of the celebration four years ago. Would Elias still feel responsible for me if he found out that he didn’t sleep with me at all that night? Grace was too afraid to imagine how Elias might react if he ever found out. So, she knew that she had to sleep. with him before he found out about the truth. Otherwise, she would be at risk of getting dumped by him.

Grace’s fists were clenched as she waited anxiously for the man’s answer. Elias, who was signing some documents with a pen, halted his movements for a second. “There’s no need for that. I’m fine.” An awkward silence filled the air after that.

A look of disappointment and shame appeared on Grace’s face. It was embarrassing enough for a woman to be the one making such suggestions, and it was worse to be rejected! In an attempt to deal with the awkwardness, Grace changed the topic. “Are you busy this afternoon? Can you spend some time with me? I need you.”

Amanda hurried back to her house in Lotus Waterfront to find the nanny and her baby having breakfast together. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that the nanny had stayed the night. “Why are you only home now, Miss Bailey? I nearly called the cops! The baby was crying for you, and I didn’t want to leave him alone.” The nanny couldn’t help but complain when she saw Amanda.

Aiden’s big, round eyes lit up when he saw his mother, but he then turned his head away grumpily. He didn’t want to look at her. Amanda gave them a helpless smile. I’m sorry. I couldn’t come home last night as something came up. Thank you for staying around to care for the baby. I’ll give you an extra allowance for it, she told the nanny.

“It’s not about the money. I was just worried about you! I’m glad you’re back. I guess I should leave now-I have a bunch of things to do at home, too, the nanny uttered.

“Alright. Thank you for last night. Goodbye. After sending the nanny off, Amanda came back to the dining table to find Aiden stuffing his face with breakfast. The young boy hadn’t met her gaze since she came home, and it was obvious that he was angry at her. Amanda couldn’t help but giggle when she saw her son’s chubby and smooth cheeks. “Why won’t you look at me. Aiden?”

“Hmph!” The young boy grunted at his mother before he went back to eating his breakfast. He didn’t want to speak to Amanda at all.

“Aiden? Are you really going to ignore Mommy?” Amanda tried her luck again. The child was throwing a pretty bad tantrum as he was persistent in ignoring her. “Baby? Don’t ignore me. Didn’t you say that you’d always forgive me?” Amanda knew that the boy had every reason to be mad at her, yet she couldn’t help but feel amused at how adorable he looked when he pouted. In the end, she couldn’t contain her laughter, and she chuckled while pinching the young boy’s chubby cheeks.

Aiden responded with an impatient cry. “Hmph! I’m angry! I’m sad!”–

“What do I have to do to make you happy again? Should we go to the theme park later today?” Amanda offered. Upon hearing her suggestion, Aiden’s round eyes sparkled with interest, but he forced himself to put on a nonchalant look right after that. “You’re the one who wants to bring me there. I don’t really feel like going at all,” he mumbled.

Amanda burst into laughter. The young boy’s cuteness was simply irresistible. “Sure, sure. I’m the one who’s forcing you to go to the theme park, right? For my sake, would you let me bring you there?” she asked.

The young boy’s spirits lifted after that. “Let’s go right after I’m done with my meal!” He grinned. excitedly.

“Alright. You should finish your meal now, then. I’ll go get changed,” Amanda replied.

“Okay!”

Amanda spent a few hours under the hot sun, and she felt like her legs were about to give way at any moment. She had brought Aiden to the theme park for some fun, but Aiden made it his mission to try out every ride at least once. “Mommy’s going to use the washroom for a while, Aiden. Can you stay here and wait for me?” Amanda uttered.

“Sure. Hurry up, Mommy. I’m hungry, and I want some food,” Aiden replied.

“I got it…” It was a nightmare to spend a day out with a young boy like Aiden-Amanda was physically drained to the point where she felt like puking. Meanwhile, Grace happened to be on the phone in the washroom. “Where are the reporters that you’ve hired? Are they all prepared and in their positions?” she asked.

“Don’t worry. They’re all in their spots, and they’ll upload the pictures after they snap them later. I’ve contacted the other magazines and entertainment media as well,” the person on the other end. of the call said.

“Great.” A cunning smile formed on Grace’s face after she ended the call. I want the rest of the world to know who Elias is really dating! Unfortunately for Grace, Amanda happened to walk into the washroom at that moment. Grace wiped the smile off her face when she saw Amanda. “Amanda?“

“What are you doing here?” Amanda froze when she saw Grace. She hadn’t expected an actress like Grace to show up at a public space like the theme park. When Grace recalled how Amanda and Elias had shared one whole night together, she couldn’t help but feel hatred toward Amanda. “Hmph! I bet you were disappointed last night, Miss Bailey. Elias didn’t lay a finger on you even when you guys were in the same room. How embarrassing is that? Do you think you’ll get to remarry Elias just by getting on Grandpa’s good side? Elias doesn’t like you at all!” Grace cried.

Amanda stared at Grace as if Grace were an idiot. Amanda had no intentions of speaking about what happened the night before, but she figured that she had no reason to hold herself back since Grace was being so pushy. “How are you sure that he didn’t touch me?” Amanda asked.

“Elias told me about it, of course! He didn’t touch you at all!” Grace was firm with her tone as she had complete trust in Elias.

Amanda let out an icy scoff. “Do you believe everything that he says? We were locked up together the whole night! The drug took effect later that night. Do you think he managed to hold himself back?”

“What do you mean?! Elias would never lie to me. Stop trying to ruin our relationship!” Grace cried. She felt as if her mind was about to explode at that moment. Just the thought of Amanda and Elias messing around in bed gave Grace a mental breakdown.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 19 A Lesson Taught

“Oh, come on. Do you think I have nothing else better to do than drive a wedge between you both? Keep your man in line and tell him to leave me alone. Amanda shuddered at the thought of Elias’ shameless act of forcing a kiss upon her in the meeting room the night before.

When everything is over, I’m going to take Aiden with me and head to someplace abroad once Simon is back, the lady thought to herself. She was determined to cut ties with Elias.

“Don’t worry. Elias will leave you alone. If Old Mr. Winters hadn’t gotten in our way, we would have gotten married a long time ago. Hmph!” Grace turned around and left the bathroom.

In the meantime, the little boy was waiting for his mother outside the restroom, and he caught sight of Grace walking out the door angrily. When Grace left, she glanced at the boy beside her and stopped in her tracks for a while, finding him somewhat familiar. Have I seen this brat somewhere before? For some reason, he reminds me of someone.

When Aiden realized the lady was staring at him, he only grunted coldly and looked the other way. Meanwhile, Grace didn’t dwell on it any longer as she quickly moved on and made her way toward Elias, but little did she know that the child was the son of the man she loved.

A few seconds later, Amanda came out of the restroom and saw her son waiting for her obediently. “Let’s go, Aiden. We’re going to grab something to eat at the cafeteria over there.”

“Sure, but I’m not having a kid’s meal.” The boy looked at Amanda with a skittish expression on his face, acting like someone arrogant yet familiar to his mother.

Suddenly, Amanda stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar silhouette. It turned out that she had spotted Grace walking into the cafeteria with a man who looked like Elias. In that instant, her eyes widened in disbelief. Damn it! That’s Elias. What am I going to do now? What if he sees my boy?

“Mommy, can we hurry up? I’m getting hungry now.” Aiden seized Amanda’s hand, his stomach growling desperately after playing for a few hours.

“Baby, why don’t we dine somewhere else? Let’s call it a day for now. I’ll promise to bring you back here again.” The only thing that Amanda had in mind was to leave the place with Aiden, for she knew it would be over for her if Elias saw her son. After all, she would be no match for him in court due to the Winters’ influence and power.

Aiden was angry as he pouted bitterly. “Hmph! You’re making empty promises, Mommy. You said we’d be here until night, so I’m going to eat here and continue playing after that. I haven’t had enough yet!”

“But you’ve already played for hours, and I’m getting tired.”

“Well, you can rest in the cafeteria, Mommy.” Aiden was adamant and determined to do what he wanted, reminding Amanda of his father.

Knowing that she couldn’t change her son’s mind, Amanda came up with an idea. “Alright. Wait for me outside the cafeteria while I get some takeaway for you. We’ll dine elsewhere, okay?”

“Alright…”

“Good boy. Wait for me right here until I come back, okay?” Amanda then entered the restaurant alone, thinking she would just let her son play for a bit after lunch and take him home. Well, what are the odds of us running into each other? The theme park is packed with people, after all.

She decided to take her chances, though she didn’t want to risk losing custody of her son to Elias. Nevertheless, it would appear that fate liked to prank her as she bumped into Elias and Grace almost immediately after she stepped into the cafeteria. What a small world!

“Oh, it’s you.” Elias paused when he saw Amanda. After all, he didn’t take her for a woman who liked spending her time in a theme park. While the man wasn’t implying anything with his brief response, his words somehow made Grace feel jealous, reminding her of the same thing Amanda said to her in the restroom earlier.

Seriously? This is too much of a coincidence.

“Yeah, I’m here to have some fun, just like everybody else. Amanda walked toward the cashier briskly, wanting to place an order before getting out of there.

Nevertheless, Grace tried to play on Elias’ sympathy and said. “Elias, there is something I want to talk to you about. I ran into Amanda in the restroom earlier, and she told me what happened last night was not like what you said. Are you hiding something from me?”

When Elias heard that, he felt helpless, wondering why she had to give him a headache. Oh, boy! Here she goes again.

“What did she say?” He turned to look at Grace,

“Amanda said that you guys did it last night!” Grace pretended to look sympathetic.

Elias knitted his eyebrows and looked at Amanda, asking in a deep voice, “What do you mean by that?”

“Seriously? Do you really want me to tell you what we did last night? Are you sure about that?” Amanda was disgusted by Grace’s pretense. Goodness, how did this bitch get so good at acting?! She can be such an innocent little girl in front of Elias but act like a bitch when I’m around.

At Amanda’s words, Grace was overwhelmed by disappointment, feeling as if she was about to fall apart. Did Elias lie to me earlier? Did they sleep with each other?

“Amanda!” The man gritted his teeth, thinking he would have choked the lady right away if they hadn’t been in a public area.

“I’m busy right now, and I don’t have time to waste on your nonsense.” Amanda made her point and headed toward the cashier.

“What are her words supposed to mean, Elias? What did you do with her? What did you guys talk about?” Grace’s eyes were filled with tears in that instant.

Elias eventually grew tired of Grace’s fuss and snapped at her. “Do you trust her or me?! Because if it’s her whom you trust, you should stop asking me stupid questions!” He turned around coldly and headed toward a table by the window.

In the meantime, Grace was left behind with her eyes fixed upon the indifferent man as her heart was filled with rage and bitterness, but even so, she was forced to suppress her emotions.

Meanwhile, Aiden, who was watching through the window from the outside, witnessed the entire confrontation between his mother and the duo. Although he had no idea what was going on, he could tell that the two adults were bullying Amanda.

Hmph! How dare you both bully Mommy?! I’m going to teach you guys a lesson now. He then opened the door and sneaked behind Amanda, who was busy ordering food, making his way toward the window.

At that moment, Elias was already seated while Grace was just heading his way to grab a seat. Then, Aiden quickly sneaked behind the lady and pulled her chair away just when she was about to sit down.

“Ah!” Grace immediately fell to the ground and collapsed on her butt, but Aiden had already run away with a cheeky chuckle. At the same time, her loud screech instantly drew the attention of all the patrons in the cafeteria.

“Wait a second! Isn’t that Grace Murphy, the celebrity?”

“Yes, that’s her! How did a grown adult like her fall on her butt? Haha…”

“Isn’t she concerned about her image? By the way, the man sitting opposite her is so handsome. I wonder who he is…”

Hearing those murmurs, Grace got up from the ground in a clumsy manner just as the other tourists started to take pictures of her. She felt embarrassed. Oh, this is humiliating! I wish I could just dig a hole and bury myself in the ground!

On the other hand, Amanda hurriedly left the cafeteria upon retrieving her orders out of fear that Elias would discover Aiden’s existence. Therefore, she didn’t notice what Grace had just gone through moments ago. Soon, she exited the cafeteria and saw her son chuckling, wondering what was so funny. “Why are you laughing, Aiden?”

Aiden pretended as if nothing happened when he saw his mother. “Nothing, Mommy. Let’s go. I want to have my lunch and continue playing after that. I don’t want to waste more time because time is precious. Isn’t that what you always say?” The boy then seized Amanda’s hand and walked away.

Not long after that, two people happened to walk out of the cafeteria while gossiping about Grace’s embarrassing situation. “The woman who fell onto the ground earlier was Grace Murphy, the celebrity, right? It was hilarious, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I saw a boy sneaking behind her back before he pulled her chair away. Kids are naughty. aren’t they?”

“By the way, the man sitting opposite Grace Murphy looked so handsome. Is he the wealthy boyfriend she’s said to be dating?”

Amanda’s face darkened when she overheard their conversation. Needless to say, Aiden, who noticed his mother’s expression, quickly tried to change the subject. “I’m getting hungry, Mommy. I want to eat now. Let’s go over there.”

Amanda grabbed her child and questioned, “Hold it right there. You were the naughty boy who pulled the chair away, weren’t you?”

“No!”

Then, Amanda pretended to be mad and pointed at the boy’s head. “What have I always told you? Never lie to me!”

Aiden immediately gave in and pouted. “Fine, it was me, but I just wanted to teach them a lesson. since they were bullying you.”

Although Amanda was supposed to be angry, she felt touched and amused by her son’s response. Unable to bring herself to lecture the boy, she took Aiden elsewhere and gave him the hamburger and coke she bought earlier. “You mustn’t do that again, Baby. That isn’t the right thing to do.”

Deep down, Amanda was more afraid that Elias would discover Aiden’s existence, thinking her innocent, cheeky son was playing with fire. Phew! Fortunately, Elias didn’t see him at all, or things would have gotten ugly.

“Alright, Mommy. I heard you, and I won’t do it again.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 20 Someone Else i…

“Good boy! Once you’re done with your food, you can play for a while longer before we head back, alright? I’m getting really tired now.” Amanda was too worried to stay there any longer, fearing that Elias would run into Aiden by accident.

Despite Aiden’s desire to continue playing, he reluctantly nodded when he noticed the tired look on Amanda’s face. “Alright, then…”

“That’s my boy! I’ll bring you here again next week, okay?”

“Mommy, why does that man keep bullying you?” Aiden suddenly asked while taking a bite of his hamburger, staring at his mother while waiting for her answer.

Amanda was stunned for a second before she realized Aiden was referring to Elias. She then chuckled and said, “Nah, he wasn’t bullying me. We were just having a conversation. Don’t worry. Your mommy is strong, and no one dares to mess with me.”

Aiden grunted coldly and asked, “Mommy, are you trying to make that man your husband? No, I will not have it that way! I want Mr. Nicholson as my daddy.”

What’s this little guy thinking? What makes him think I was trying to make Elias my husband? Amanda speechlessly thought to herself. “You’re reading too much into it. I won’t let that man be your father.”

At that. Aiden let out a sigh of relief and took a bite of his hamburger. “That’s great, Mommy! I want Mr. Nicholson to be my daddy. You guys are a perfect match.”

A perfect match? What is this boy thinking? He’s way more mature than he should be at his age now, isn’t he? Ring! Ring! Amanda took a look at her phone and realized that Howard was calling. However, she lacked the courage to speak to him when she thought about what he had done to her and Elias the night before.

You took it too far, Grandpa. After hesitating for a while, she decided to answer the call.

“Hey there, Grandpa.”

“Amanda, I’ve booked a table at a restaurant. Why don’t you join us for dinner tonight? I’d like to have a word with you.”

Great! I’ve been looking for a chance to tell Grandpa about my stance. Amanda wanted Howard to quit playing matchmaker for them, and she was determined not to remarry Elias. “Alright, send me the address, Grandpa. I’ll be there tonight.”

When evening came, the entire city was lit up with beautiful streetlights, and it presented a spellbinding night view. Upon arrival at the restaurant where Howard had booked a lounge, Amanda opened the door, only to feel a sudden urge to turn around and leave. What is Elias doing here?

“Here you are, Amanda. Finally! Come on in and have a seat.” Howard was seen with a long face until Amanda’s arrival put a smile on his face.

Amanda slowly walked into the lounge, feeling reluctant. “Grandpa,” she called out to Howard and sat beside him.

When Elias saw Amanda, his eyes were slightly filled with surprise, but even so, he was quickly able to fathom what his grandfather was up to.

“So, what’s next for the two of you?” Howard placed a teacup in front of Amanda and asked.

“What’s next?” Amanda and Elias responded simultaneously and looked at the old man at the same time.

“Well, you guys are reacting in sync. It looks like you both must have had a great time last night.” Howard chuckled, amused by the duo’s synchronized movements. “Of course, I’m talking about you both getting remarried. What’s wrong? Don’t you want to be responsible for what you did last night?” The old man spoke threateningly while fixing his piercing gaze on Elias.

“You’re overthinking things, Grandpa. Nothing happened last night.” Elias grabbed a teacup and guzzled the liquid down his throat..

As the air stiffened around the two men, Howard stared at his grandson and questioned, “Come on, are you a real man? How can you not do what you’re supposed to with her even when you’ve been drugged? How useless of you!”

When Amanda heard what Howard called his grandson, she couldn’t believe her ears.

“Come on, Grandpa! Are you seriously proud of what you did to us? You drugged us! Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?!” Elias grew furious at the thought of Howard’s cheeky plan the night before.

Howard became even angrier as he smashed the teacup onto the ground. “How dare you talk to me like that?! Whom do you think I did that for?! I did that for both of you! Why must you make me worry all the time? I created such a perfect opportunity for you both, yet you did nothing at all! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!”

Elias was helpless, unable to talk sense into Howard’s head at all.

While the conflict appeared to escalate further and further between the two men, Amanda. coughed and replied, “Can you hear me out, Grandpa?” Only after she started talking did Howard calm down a bit.

“Alright. I’m listening, Amanda.” Howard gasped for breath and looked at Amanda with a tender look on his face.

“I appreciate what you’ve done for us, Grandpa. I also know you love me, but Elias and I have divorced. We can never be together again, and I don’t want to remarry him either. He has someone else in his heart, whereas-”

“What about you? Is there someone else in your heart too? Are you in love with another man?" Howard’s heart pounded rapidly.

Is there someone else? Likewise, Elias felt his heart skipping a beat, overwhelmed by an unspeakable sense of disappointment. He then fixed his gaze on Amanda and waited for her answer. Why does it hurt so much to think that Amanda is in love with someone else?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 21 Out of Jealousy

If admitting that will make Grandpa stop what he so doing no I gladly do it. At the thought of that, Amanda took a deep breath and replied. “Yes, that’s right. I’m in love with somone else?

When Howard heard Amanda’s words, his face was filled with dubeled. At the same time he was stunned and unable to react. Meanwhile, Elias only stared at Amanda without blinking, seemindy trying to see through her soul. Deep down, he was overwhelmed by a stab of pain that he couldest explain why

While the two men fell silent in a preoccupied manner. Amanda seemed a little shocked by their reactions, wondering what was going on. This creepy. Say something fellas. Stop staring at me in eerse silence.

Feeling uncomfortable, she probingly said. “As you can see, Grandpa, there’s no way we’re going to remarry each other. Thus, I’d like you to stop wasting your time.”

Suddenly, Howard slammed the table with his palm and grunted. “Unless you show me the man you’ve fallen in love with. I won’t believe you. I want to see how he managed to replace Elas in your heart. Don’t tell me the feelings you had for Elias were all fake. How did you move on so easily!! I don’t buy your story!”

Amanda was speechless at Howard’s stubbornness, wondering where she could find a man to play along with her. “I. He is a busy man, Grandpa. He’s now somewhere abroad, and it’s probably going to take him a while until he comes back.” She came up with an excuse to convince Howard.

“No problem. I’ll wait for him to come back. I will only believe you when I see him in person. Otherwise. I’m convinced you’re lying right now,” Howard answered.

On the other hand. Elias squinted before grabbing his teacup to take a sip of tea, wanting to question Amanda like he was interrogating a criminal. He asked. “What’s his name and job? How much do you know about his family background? How old is he? Is he a disciplined man who doesn’t mess around with women?”

Amanda became annoyed with Elias interference. What are you doing!! Are you out of you something? It’s bad enough that Grandpa doesn’t buy my story, yet you’re trying to make things more dificul than they already are.

“That’s none of your business! Who do you think you are? A police officer interrogating a suspect? What does it concern you?” Amanda wished she could just tape the man’s mouth and shut him

Elias grunted in response. “You’re in love with a man whom you barely know anything about. Where is your brain? Do you still think you’re an 18-year-old or something?”

“Elias!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Shut your mouth up!”

The man sniggered. “Your mom would probably die twice if she knew about this,”

What’s with the abusive words?! Is it necessary to bark at me like a crazy dog. Elias?! All I did was just say that I’m in love with someone else. It’s not like I messed with you or something. Fine, I’ll just stay away from you, knowing I can’t mess with you.

Amanda left the lounge angrily without even saying goodbye to Howard. Not long after that, Elias rose from his seat and grabbed his vest, whereupon he headed toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Howard, who witnessed the duo’s reaction, asked.

“I have a dinner appointment to attend, so help yourself to the food. The guards will take you home when you’re done.” Elias left the lounge as soon as he finished speaking.

Howard was the only person left in the lounge, but after seeing Amanda and Elias arguing, he chuckled happily, believing it wouldn’t end so easily for the duo. After all, Howard knew his grandson so well that he could tell Elias was insulting Amanda out of jealousy.

Amanda was still furious when she walked out of the restaurant, but even so, she had nowhere to release her frustration, especially when she couldn’t flag down a cab. Suddenly, a white sedan pulled up right in front of her, whereupon the car window was rolled down. Then, Elias’ annoying face came into view. “Get in.”

Nonetheless, Amanda ignored the man and continued to walk forward. Elias followed behind her in his car with one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the window, propping his face. “If you’re not afraid of holding up traffic, carry on with what you’re doing.” As soon as he finished his words, loud honks began echoing throughout the street from behind.

When Amanda turned around, she began to realize why traffic was holding up. Elias cruised slowly on the narrow street, worsening the traffic even more. As the cars behind him continued to honk, she was quickly overwhelmed by the noise pollution. Then, she shifted her gaze to the man sitting inside the car through the window, noticing his shamelessness as though he had no qualms about creating the traffic jam.

Fine, I’ll put up with it! It’s not worth my time fighting with him. I have better things to do, after all. With that, Amanda took a deep breath and suppressed her anger, opening the car door before she sat in the passenger seat.

Seeing Amanda’s annoyed look somehow put a smile on Elias’ face. He then curled his lips and accelerated, leaving the narrow street. “Where are you going?”

“Paradise Night Club!” Amanda answered in frustration.

Elias furrowed his eyebrows as surprise flashed across his face. What a coincidence! That’s where I’m heading as well.

“I’m going there too. Why don’t I give you a ride?”

Amanda glared at the man coldly without saying a single word. Deep down, she was reluctant to accept Elias’ ride, thinking she would resign from her job and disappear with her son as soon as Simon returned from overseas. I mustn’t let the Winters discover Aiden’s existence, or they will take him away from me.

Upon arriving at Paradise Night Club, Amanda immediately unfastened her seatbelt and opened the car door, walking off without looking back as Elias watched speechlessly.

“Mr. Winters, I didn’t expect you to be so punctual. How rare!” Aiden ran into his friend, Lazarus, who greeted Aiden sarcastically the moment he stepped out of his vehicle. Then, Lazarus walked up to Aiden and smiled cunningly, his eyes fixated on Amanda’s back.

“It looks like you have a new target, Mr. Winters, but I would give up on her if I was in your place. After all, she is promiscuous, and who knows if she’s carrying any sort of disease?”

Elias knitted his eyebrows and gazed at Lazarus, baffled. “What are you talking about?! Do you want me to rip your mouth apart?” Although Amanda was his ex-wife, he didn’t allow anyone to degrade her like that. He had kept it a secret when he married Amanda back then, so not many people were aware of their marriage.

Nevertheless, Lazarus didn’t seem surprised. Instead, he acted as if he knew Elias’ secret. Then, he said in a hushed voice. “This lady may be a beauty, but a few years ago. I saw her at the hospital. Back then, it seemed like she was preparing for an abortion. Can you imagine how messed up her personal life must be? We’re all people who have great things to inherit, so women like her are not worth it…”

Elias squinted in shock and asked, “Wait, did you just say abortion? Are you sure she was the one you saw?”

An abortion? Amanda? A few years ago? His mind was overwhelmed with confusion as his old memories came back to haunt him. At that, he had a flashback to when Amanda presented him. with a positive pregnancy test the moment he asked for a divorce.

 

[Gily]

My friends welcome. Thank you for joining our site. I hope you also like this other story

aecton1921
Ains
AmAR
dindin97
Dr Kong
ely
Grumpy_Toad
Joseph
kingadetayo
louisorleans Moin.khan.safi.12
Na'ole Boy
nightsirk
nyl kevin
ppeter01
Rayy
Rizwan
trblig
Adamu

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 22 Were You Really Pregnant?

I’m certain! Back then, I saw her at the hospital, thinking she was really hot. It’s a pity she went in for an abortion. Do you think I’d forget such a hottie? But it seems like she’s even hotter than before. Although she’s beautiful, she’s toxic We can’t get involved for the sake of our well-being” Lazarus was completely immersed in his world as he talked to himself.

At this moment. Elias mind was filled with the scene from four years ago. What about our child? Are you that heartless? The woman’s pitiful and sorrowful voice echoed in his mind, but he paid zero attention back then, only wanting to pressure Amanda into signing the divorce agreement quickly.

Was Amanda really pregnant back then? But I’ve never touched her, so where did the child come from? Was it mine!

“Hey! I’m talking to you. What’s on your mind?” Lazarus had been going on for a while, only to realize that Elias wasn’t concentrating. The next second, Elias turned around and rushed into the club.

“Hey! I’m still talking here. Where are you going?!” No matter how he shouted, Elias didn’t even look back. The way he sprinted anxiously seemed as if he had something more important than life itself.

On the other hand, Amanda was walking toward a private room, for she had a meeting with a client tonight. After glancing at the time, she thought to herself, I’ll try to finish the meeting within an hour so that I can go home and put Aiden to sleep.

Just as she was about to enter the private room, a figure rushed toward her and pulled her aside. unexpectedly.

“Ouch!” Her body was forcefully pressed against the wall, causing her back to ache. She looked up while furrowing her brows, only to realize it was Elias. Immediately, her anger flared up. “What are you doing? Are you crazy?!”

While pressing her against the wall, he stared at her eyes intently and gasped for breath as if he had run all the way. However, he simply stared at her without saying a word.

What the hell?! She struggled to push him away, but he held her firmly against the wall, rendering her unable to move. “What the f*ck do you want? Are you trying to annoy me? Is this your way of seeking revenge because I let Grace misunderstand us? You-”

Before she could finish her words, he suddenly asked. “Were you really pregnant four years ago?”

She froze in place upon hearing that, her eyes widening. How did he know? At once, she panicked. Her palms turned sweaty, and every nerve in her body tensed up. Does he know about the child? Is he going to take my baby away?

Noticing her silence, he angrily shouted at her, “Speak up! Did we have a child four years ago Were you really pregnant? Did you go to the hospital for an abortion?”

“Didn’t you refuse to believe me? Why are you asking me this now? She wanted to push him away, but he seemed possessed at that moment, desperate to seek an answer.

“Answer me! This is the last time I’ll repeat my question. Were you really pregnant four years ago? Was it mine?”

Amanda was slightly startled, feeling that if she didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t be able to get through tonight. As such, she pretended to remain calm and countered, “Whose child could it have been?”

“But I don’t remember ever touching you, so how did you become pregnant with my child?” Elias couldn’t seem to figure this out. No matter how he searched his mind for any recollection of when he had touched her, he couldn’t remember anything at all.

When she heard his words, a bitter and desolate laugh escaped her lips. After four years, he still hasn’t changed one bit. He’ll never admit that he has touched me.

“I just want to know why you’re suddenly so hung up on this question now, Elias. You doubted me like this four years ago, and now you’re doubting me again. We’ve already divorced, so why are you asking me this?”

As she recalled everything from four years ago, she wanted nothing more than to rip the man in front of her to death. He was incredibly heartless for using all sorts of despicable tactics to force me into getting a divorce.

As he held her slender shoulders tightly, a glimmer of anticipation appeared in his black eyes. “So… where is the child?”

At this moment, she couldn’t help but swallow nervously. As expected, he was asking about the child. Although she was extremely nervous, she remained calm on the outside, afraid that he might see through her. “I aborted it. When you forced me to divorce, I went to the hospital and had it done.”

For a slight moment, she seemingly saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes, and he appeared to be hurt.

Suddenly, Elias felt his heart wrench. I had a child four years ago, but it was aborted. Not only that, I was the one who forced Amanda to do it. I never knew that she would get pregnant.

When Amanda saw his despondent expression, she thought, Did he believe me?

Gradually, he released his grip on her shoulders and asked in a deep voice, “Did it hurt…… during the surgery?”

Hearing his question, she couldn’t help but laugh sarcastically. “What do you think? Did you think. it would be comfortable?”

“Do you hate me?”

She was momentarily taken aback, then replied. “To the core”

His emotions were incredibly complex at that moment. I indirectly caused the death of my own child. Had he survived, he would probably be in preschool by now….

Suddenly, Elias lost control of his hot temper again. “Why didn’t you explain it to me back then? Why didn’t you show me the ultrasound? How am I supposed to believe you with just a pregnancy test?”

Hearing his words, she nearly laughed out of anger. Is this scumbag blaming me now? Where did he find the confidence to be so self-righteous?Smack! Amanda mercilessly slapped the man’s handsome face, and he turned his face to the side. “Elias Winters! What right do you have to say such things to me now? How dare you blame me! You brought another woman home and told me she was pregnant, asking me to divorce you and get lost. Do you know how I felt at that time?”

He had no comeback. As he closed his eyes, he regretted yet another matter in his life.

“You told me to stop pestering you and to be dignified, so how could I explain anything to you? You never believed I would get pregnant. How could I have explained it? Tell me, how was I supposed to do that?”

The tall figure of the man standing in the corridor looked as though it was overwhelmed by loneliness and desolation.

“The child has been aborted, and there’s no point in talking about this now.” After she regained her composure, she adjusted her emotions and turned to enter the private room. She still had to meet with her clients and return home to be with her baby tonight. She couldn’t afford to waste even a single second.

As the door closed, the entire world seemed to descend into a profound silence.

Elias slammed his fist forcefully against the wall. It emitted a muffled sound, and blood soon. flowed from his knuckles. It hurts! Of course, it would hurt! That was my child! He never imagined becoming a father briefly four years ago, but he simply abandoned the child. How did she feel when she went to the hospital alone to get the abortion? She must hate me to the core….

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 23 Drunkenly Calling For Amanda

In one of the private rooms at Paradise Night Club, Elias cat in a corner as he drank himself ally. downing one glass after another with a solemn expression.

His group of brothers couldn’t bear to see him like this “Why are you drinking alone here. Mr. Winters? What’s weighing on your mind?”

“Yeah, you don’t usually join us when we invite you. Now that you’re finally here, you’re just drinking alone in a corner. What’s the matter?”

After observing him for a long time, Lazarus walked over to him sneakily and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? Are you still thinking about that hottie? I’ve told you-you can’t touch her She’s toxic! What if you catch a disease?”

Suddenly, Elias glared at him with a death stare and bellowed, “Shut the fuck up!”

“Okay, I’ll shut up. Go ahead and drink. Lazarus realized that Elias was quite drunk, so he didn’t want to argue with him. After all, Elias’ temperament was well known within their circle-he was violent, cruel, and cold-blooded.

Just then, the phone beside Elias started vibrating, and Grace’s name flashed across the screen. Elias glanced at it indifferently and had no intention of answering her call. Instead, he poured himself another glass of wine and continued drinking.

“You’re not even answering Grace’s call, huh? Are you really enchanted by that hottie?” Lazarus couldn’t help but comment.

Everyone knew how important Grace was to him. No matter how Elias’ pals convinced him to stay, a call from Grace would typically make him leave. What’s happening to him today? He isn’t even answering Grace’s calls.

The phone kept vibrating, but Elias refused to answer, only drinking glass after glass of wine.

As Lazarus looked at the man drinking excessively, he shook his head helplessly and got up to walk to his side.

On the other hand, Grace was almost going crazy, for she had been unable to reach Elias all night; it was as if he had vanished into thin air. She could only keep dialing his number over and over again.

After some time, Elias was still drinking, and he seemed intoxicated at this point.

When Lazarus walked over, he noticed that the phone on the table was still vibrating, displaying Grace’s name. “These two are persistent,” he murmured. One is persistent in bombarding Elias with phone calls, while the other is persistent in refusing to answer.

He couldn’t bear it any longer, so he picked up the phone to answer the call. However, even before he could speak, Grace’s breaking voice came from the other side of the phone. “Why aren’t you answering my calls, Elias? Where are you? Why won’t you answer my calls? Have I done something wrong?”

Her series of questions left him dumbfounded. After he cleared his throat, he said, ‘Umn, Miss Murphy, this is Lazarus, Elias is drunk. You should come and pick him up. Otherwise, he’ll keep drinking until the next day.”

“What? Okay, I’ll come right away. Please send me the address”

Half an hour later, Grace arrived at the club with red-rimmed eyes. It was clear that she had been crying for a long time.

As she pushed open the door to the private room, she found only Elias inside as he lay on the single couch, still holding a square-shaped glass in his hand. There were even several empty bottles on the table. How much did he drink?

At once, she walked over and snatched the glass from his hand. “Elias? Why are you drinking so much? I’ve been calling you, but you won’t answer. What’s wrong with you?”

At this moment, Elias’ vision was blurry since he was completely intoxicated. “Give it back,” he uttered in a deep and ominous voice.

“No! How long do you want to keep drinking? You’re already drunk. You can’t drink anymore. Let’s go home.” She tried to pull him up, but he pushed her away and picked up a bottle, directly pouring the wine into his mouth.

Grace was stunned by the sight before her, for she had never seen him like this. Even though he would occasionally drink, he always maintained the image of a wealthy young gentleman and never went overboard. As such, seeing him completely intoxicated like this was a rare sight; it was something she had never witnessed. “What’s wrong with you, Elias? Why are you drinking so much?”

When Elias looked at the woman in front of him, he seemingly saw multiple silhouettes belonging to Amanda.

“Please stop drinking. I beg you. You’ll get GI bleeding if you keep drinking like this!” Grace cried. as she tried to snatch the bottle from his hand.

“Don’t touch me!” he roared all of a sudden, accidentally dropping the bottle to the ground and shattering it.

Shocked by that, Grace screamed and was unable to contain her tears anymore since she was already feeling upset the entire night.

The moment he saw her cry, his black eyes paused slightly. Amanda… He gently touched Grace’s check with his large palm, stunning her for a second. However, to her surprise, he said, “Amanda…”

At once, she froze in place. Amanda? Is he calling out for Amanda in his drunken state?

Before she could react, he forcibly pulled her into his embrace. As he caressed her head with his big palm, he said in his deep and seductive voice. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that we had child four years ago? If I had known earlier, perhaps I wouldn’t have chosen to get a divorce..”

When she heard that, her eyes widened in shock, and her mind was in complete chaos. The information was too overwhelming, and she had trouble processing it. What does this mean? Was Amanda pregnant with Elias’ child four years ago? It felt like a bolt from the blue to hear this piece of information.

Instantly, anger surged within her, and she tried to push Elias away. However, he held her tightly. in his arms, and he even whispered, “Why didn’t you persist with me until the end, you fool? Why didn’t you explain it a few more times to me? Our child was aborted just like that. How much pain he must have felt…”

Meanwhile, her heart was torn apart after being mistaken for Amanda, and she listened to Elias” deep remorse in his embrace. How did he come to know about the child? Did Amanda tell him on purpose? Is she trying to make Elias feel guilty, then use this opportunity to reconcile? There’s no way I’m letting her do that!

Grace felt that she couldn’t just sit around and wait anymore. If things continue to progress like this, Amanda will have his heart completely. They once had a child, after all. Elias is a man with a strong sense of responsibility. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done so much for me based on Yelan’s dying wish, I can’t lose Elias. Absolutely not!

At the same time, Amanda walked out of another private room. Well, my hopes of ending the meeting within an hour failed because of that bastard, Elias. She glanced at the time and hurriedly made her way toward the elevator.

As she passed by the private room named ‘Dream Room, she noticed that the door was open. Inadvertently, she caught a glimpse of what was happening inside, causing her actions to come to a halt.

She saw Elias holding Grace tightly in his arms, looking so loving and affectionate. At that moment, her heart seemed to skip a beat, and her gaze flickered for a moment.

Although she had already anticipated this scene, seeing it with her eyes still caused momentary pain in her heart. At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling slightly disgusted.

He had just been pressing her for answers about their child a moment ago, seemingly full of guilt toward the baby, but now, he had another woman in his arms. I want to tear open his heart to see what he’s truly feeling. Does he even have a heart at all?

Every additional second of watching this scene made her heart wrench, so she quickly turned around and left.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 24 Elias Is at the Door and She’s Extremely Nervous!

The following morning, Elias slowly opened his eyes to find that he was lying on the club’s couch. a crystal chandelier hanging above his head.

He suffered from a splitting headache due to the hangover. He sat up while propping his forehead against his hand before shaking his head, but the headache didn’t go away.

Just then, Grace’s voice rang out from beside him. “Here you go, Elias. Something to cure your hangover.”

The man looked up and found Grace holding a cup of liquid. When did she come?

“What are you doing here?” he asked while leaning against the couch. The splitting headache made him frown.

“I called you last night, but Lazarus answered it. He said you were drunk, so I came to take care of you.”

“Busybody.” Elias muttered with displeasure.

At that, he took the cup from Grace and took a few sips before placing it on the coffee table.

“I’m heading to the office. Should I send you home or…” he asked while grabbing his suit jacket. and wearing it in one swift move.

“I’d like to go to the office. I have a variety show to record.”

Elias grunted in agreement as he headed out. What he didn’t know was that Grace’s smile disappeared the second he turned around.

“Get me a cemetery plot now,” Elias ordered over the phone as soon as he stepped out of the room.

A cemetery plot? Grace was baffled. Why would he need a cemetery plot? He’s not finding one for the baby Amanda gave up, is he? But is it even necessary?! That fetus wasn’t even fully formed when he was taken out! It can’t even be considered a human, yet Elias wants to give him a proper burial?!

The young woman grew panicked by the second, as she could tell Amanda still meant something to Elias. It was just that he didn’t realize it yet.

I’ll have to do something before he’s aware of his feelings toward Amanda!

At that, Grace pulled her phone out and sent a text. Initiate the operation!”

Meanwhile, in Lotus Waterfront, Amanda found her child was still asleep when she went into his room.

She came in to awaken Aiden half an hour ago before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast She did not think that her little munchkin would still be asleep even after she returned.

“Aiden, you’d better wake up or you’ll miss kindergarten!”

However, Aiden was having the sleep of his life, lying on his little tummy. But I’m sleepy. Mommy. I don’t want to go..” he mumbled.

“No way. Get up, or you’re really going to be late!” At that, she picked him up and dressed him up before carrying him to the bathroom.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Amanda assumed the nanny had arrived. Hence, she squeezed some toothpaste onto the toothbrush and handed it to Aiden. “Here, be a good boy and brush your teeth. I’m going to open the door for Mrs. Colette. When I come back, I want to see that you’re done with brushing your teeth.”

“Okay..” Aiden slurred groggily, brushing his teeth half-heartedly.

Meanwhile, Amanda went to answer the door. Sure enough, it was the nanny, Colette.

“I got Aiden some breakfast, Miss Bailey. He hasn’t eaten, has he?”

“That’s really sweet of you, Mrs. Colette. The breakfast I made happened to be a little simple and I was worried he wouldn’t be full,” Amanda replied with a smile.

She was pretty pleased with Colette, for the older woman did a great job at caring for Aiden.

After entering the house, Colette went to Aiden, and Amanda was about to get changed when the doorbell rang again.

Huh? Who could it be this time?

Meanwhile, the doorbell rang ceaselessly. Whoever it was, they seemed to have a bad temper, and it seemed that they were hell-bent on pressing the bell until it broke.

“Who is it?!” Amanda froze the moment she opened the door, and her heart nearly stopped when she realized who it was.

Bam! She closed the door at once. What is Elias doing here?! What does he want?! Aiden’s at home right now. My lie will be exposed if he finds Aiden!Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Elias hadn’t even said a word when the door was slammed in his face. Understandably, he was grim.

That said, he wasn’t giving up. He pressed the doorbell for a long time again before Amanda finally answered it, and she looked pretty nervous.

What is she so nervous about? Is she hiding a secret lover in the house?

Amanda had gotten changed at this point and after answering the door, she stepped out, having no intention of letting Elias in.

“What are you doing here? How did you find my place? What the heck do you want, Elias Amanda was freaking out right then, for only a door separated the father and son Elas would learn of Aiden’s existence as soon as he barged in, which explained why she was a nervous wreck.

“What are you so nervous about? Are you not going to invite me into your house?” he asked, causing Amanda to stand her ground, making sure he couldn’t go inside.

“W-What are you talking about? I’m not nervous. Why do you want to go inside? I’m in a hurry to get to work now. If you have something to say, say it now.”

Meanwhile, Elias scrutinized her expression and couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was hiding something.

“Come with me. We’ll talk downstairs. It won’t be good if the neighbors see us.” At that, Amanda grabbed Elias’ arm and dragged him to the elevator. Talking at the door would only make her even more nervous.

Elias, on the other hand, simply let her take him to the reception room in the lobby via the elevator.

Finally, Amanda heaved a sigh of relief and asked, “What are you doing here? Make it snappy. I’m pressed for time.”

“What? Are you hiding a secret lover in your house? Why are you so nervous?”

“What is wrong with you? Do you have something to tell me or not?! I’m leaving if you don’t!” With that, Amanda turned to leave, but Elias grabbed her hand. “Clear your schedule for the day and come with me.”

With that, she was dragged out of the building.

“Where are you taking me? I have a case to get to!”

“I’ll give you a day off.”

Amanda fell silent at that. She was indeed working on the Winters Enterprise’s case, and she would have to head to the company for negotiation later.

An hour later, they arrived at a graveyard in Imperia, and she was stupefied when she got out of the car. Why has Elias brought me here? The place is so eerie and lifeless.

“Why have you brought me here?” Suddenly, a thought occurred to Amanda and she snapped, “Don’t tell me you actually moved my mother’s grave?!”

After all, the man had threatened to move her mother’s grave a few times.

“Am I that evil to you?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

“You were the one who threatened to move my mother’s grave a few times. Why would you bring me here if you hadn’t done it?”

At that, Amanda couldn’t help wanting to visit her mother. However, she hesitated, worried she would cry.

Meanwhile, Elias said nothing and only headed into the graveyard.

At that, she followed him, her mind filled with questions. What in the world is this scumbag trying to do?

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a grave, and so did Amanda. She found a picture of her mother smiling on the tombstone, looking gentle and amiable.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 25 Elias Erected a Tombstone for His Son

“Mom….” Tears welled up in Amanda’s eyes when she saw her mother’s tombstone.

At that, she looked up to force her tears back. She didn’t want to shed any tears in front of Elias. She didn’t want him to see her vulnerable side.

“Cry if you want, Elias murmured when he saw her holding her tears back. “It’s just you and me here.

“But you’re here!” she retorted before asking, “Why in the world have you brought me here?”

Elias did not say anything. He only walked over to the adjacent grave and stood there, his tall, handsome figure shrouded in loneliness.

Baffled, Amanda followed him and when she saw the words engraved on the tombstone, she was dumbfounded.

Here lies the beloved son of Elias Winters’

The corner of Amanda’s lips twitched in response. This… He… What blasphemy is this?! How can Elias curse my son?!

“W-What is the meaning of this? Why erect a tombstone? Is it even necessary?”

Despite being a lawyer, Amanda was at a loss for words and her thoughts were scattered. She wasn’t sure how to feel anymore.

I can’t possibly tell Elias that our son is still alive and that he’d only be cursing the little one by erecting a tombstone in his name, can I?!

“This is proof that my child existed,” Elias muttered as he fixed his profound gaze on the empty tombstone, rendering Amanda speechless.

You’ve got to be kidding me! She, on the other hand, didn’t like this idea. After all, the little brat was alive and kicking at home. You… This… He…

Amanda cleared her throat and attempted to dissuade Elias as she looked at his handsome side profile. “Um… Hear me out, alright? I was only a little over a month into my pregnancy back then. The fetus wasn’t even fully developed yet. If anything, it was only the size of a blueberry at most. It technically couldn’t even be considered a fetus, so you don’t have to do this. You’ll have other children in the future.

“So what?! It won’t be the same! They won’t be this little one, no matter how many other children. I have! You’re his mother. How can you be so heartless? How can you not stand seeing a tombstone erected for him?! Elias hit the roof, suddenly thinking that the woman before him was rather ruthless. Why haven’t I noticed it before?

Amanda, on the other hand, was stumped by Elias’ accusation. Me? Heartless? Who was it who refused to believe we had a child together and led me to nearly give up on Aiden?! But the key now us that Aiden is alive and kicking, and an adorable little munchkin at that! How rude of Elias to erect a tombstone in Aiden’s name!

“What does this have to do with me being heartless or not? Why did you have to erect this tombstone? Aren’t you just upsetting people? Does it not make you upset when this constantly reminds you of the child you gave up?” Amanda nearly blurted out the fact that Arden was still alive. Thank goodness….

“Being upset is good. It’ll remind me to never make this mistake ever again,” Elias commented with great remorse as he continued to latch his gaze on the empty tombstone.

Why did I refuse to believe Amanda was really pregnant? Why didn’t I question it? Even for one second…

Amanda fell silent at that. It seemed that there was no way around this unless she told him the child was still alive.

Whatever. If having Elias live under the illusion that the child was lost four years ago means that I can keep Aiden by my side forever, so be it. It will be good for everyone too. Ring! Ring!

Just then, her phone rang, and she found it was a call from Howard.

“Grandpa!” Amanda greeted, drawing Elias’ attention. With that, he fixed his gaze on her.

Suddenly, she turned shocked and repeated with incredulity. “You want to set me up on a blind date? Please tell me this is a joke, Grandpa. W-What are you doing? I told you I already have someone I like. He’s away on a business trip… No, I’m not lying to you, I swear…”

Amanda felt beyond exasperated. First, Elias set up a tombstone for their ‘dead’ son and now, Howard wanted to set her up with some man!

What is with all this hullabaloo?! I swear these two Winterses are sent by the heavens to torture me!

Out of the blue. Elias snatched her phone and caterwauled furiously to the phone. “What kind of mischief are you up to again. Grandpa? Who said you could set Amanda up with other men?!”

“Why are you with Amanda?” Howard asked with displeasure when he heard Elias voice coming from the other end of the line. “Last time I checked, you two have divorced. What are you doing. badgering her?!”

“Are you out of your mind? What are you thinking, setting Amanda up with other men?” Never had Elias thought his grandfather would come around overnight when the elder still wouldn’t give up keeping him and Amanda together just the day before.

Set Amanda up with another guy? What is this old man up to?!

Suddenly, a bodyguard’s voice came from the other end of the line. “Old Mr. Winters? Old Mr. Winters, are you okay? Wake up!”

At that, the bodyguard said directly to the phone, “Mr. Elias, Old Mr. Winters has fainted. Please come over!”

“Passed out? Send me the address!” Anxiety overcame Elias at once. Howard wasn’t always in the best shape and he would suffer from high blood pressure now and then.

Amanda, too, became anxious when she heard Howard had fainted. “What are you standing here for? Go to your grandfather!” she stated as she retrieved her phone.

With that, the two left the graveyard in two shakes, leaving the empty tombstone behind, looking oh-so-ridiculous….

Meanwhile, a certain child having fun in kindergarten sneezed several times in a row.

On the other side of the town, in Bamboo Hall, Howard gave his bodyguard a thumbs latter ended the call. “Good acting up after the Lo and behold, the elder was doing just fine. It was just a plot tricking the two into coming over.

However, the bodyguard felt somewhat worried. “Will this really work, Old Mr. Winters? What if the two separate for good because of this?”

Howard, on the other hand, was confident. “Don’t worry. This is called going against the tide. I’ve figured it out. The more I force them together, the more they resist me. It’s time to try a different approach.”

“But Mr. Elias’ temper.”

“I figured it out last time. That rascal still cares about Amanda and is very jealous. Hmph! Let him worry, or he’ll really think no one else other than him would want Amanda.” Howard smiled smugly with his hands behind his back.

Things will be easy as long as that rascal still has feelings for Amanda. I’d like to see him remain calm when his competition really shows up.

Sometime later, Elias and Amanda arrived at the private room Howard had booked.

“Grandpa!” Amanda shouted once she entered, thinking the elder had passed out. To her surprise, Howard was sipping his tea leisurely.

Elias, on the other hand, blew a fuse and couldn’t help storming, “Do you think this is funny? How can you be at this again?!”

“How is this not funny? Will you two come obediently if I don’t fake it?” Howard retorted with the teacup in his hand.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 26 Howard Set up a Blind Date for Amanda to Intentionally Provoke Elias

“Grandpa… You….” Howard’s behavior left Amanda at a loss for words, unsure of what to do with him.

I really shouldn’t have left home today! Why has this grandfather-grandson duo decided to screw with me today!!

On the contrary. Howard was in seventh heaven as he got up and led Amanda to the dining table “Come, Amanda. You really are a sweet child,”

At that, the elder gazed disdainfully at his grandson and muttered, “Go on! Your business is done here. Go back to whatever you were doing and don’t be an eyesore. Amanda and I have something to discuss.”

Bewildered. Amanda looked to Elias, who was behind her. He then sat directly opposite her with seething rage. “Why have you tricked us into coming here?”

“Correction, I only asked Amanda to come. You invited yourself. I already said it over the phone, haven’t I? I want to set Amanda up with a fine young man,” Howard announced, deliberately aggravating Elias and making the latter frown in response.

“You’re being ridiculous!” he snapped.

Someone’s getting feisty, Howard chuckled inwardly. He knew his grandson still cared about Amanda; he was just unaware of it.

That said, Howard remained plain on the surface. “How is this ridiculous? I handed Amanda to you a few years ago, thinking you were a decent, responsible man, but look at what you’ve done to her! Look at how you bullied her! I’ve resigned to fate now. It’s fate that you two can’t be together, and I won’t force it on you two anymore. Since you can’t give Amanda the happiness she deserves, I’ll find her the man who can. It’s only then I can be at ease.”

While Elias was rendered at a loss for words, Howard turned to Amanda. “I know you don’t like him and have no intention of remarrying him. I won’t force you anymore, but I also know you’re lying when you say you have a boyfriend. Do you think I can’t tell? That’s why, my dear, I have to find you a good man you can rely on for the rest of your life.”

“Grandpa, I… It’s fine, really. I can look for one on my own. These things depend on fate.”

Amanda genuinely felt defeated. She couldn’t believe Howard did a one-eighty overnight. How can the elder want to set me up on a blind date now when he was still doing everything to have me and Elias remarry yesterday?!

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll just have a chat with him. If you think he’s not the one, we’ll move on to the next one. I have many fine men here, and I promise we’ll eventually find someone better than that rascal,” said Howard, not forgetting to roll his eyes at his grandson.

Meanwhile, Elias gazed silently at his grandfather with a tense expression, waiting to see what the elder had up his sleeve.

Amanda, on the other hand, just wanted to escape this situation. “Grandpa, I’m kind of busy lately. I don’t have the time-”

“He’ll be here soon,” Howard murmured. “Give him a chance, okay? I think this young man is pretty decent. He’s outstanding in many ways.

At that, he turned to Elias. “What are you still sitting here for? Shoo! Don’t bother Amanda on her blind date. Go back to whatever you were doing.”

“Do you think this is fun, Grandpa? Setting up a blind date for someone without their consent?”

Though Elias had nothing to do with Amanda anymore, he still felt inexplicably vexed to see her on a blind date.

“What does it have to do with you?” Howard snorted disdainfully. “What? Do you still have feelings for Amanda? Does it upset you to see her on a blind date?”

“No!”

Then shut up and get out! Don’t interfere with our business!” Howard would like to see how long Elias could remain obstinate.

Just then, the door opened, and a gentleman in a suit came in. No doubt he was the man Howard had set Amanda up with.

“Sorry for being late, Old Mr. Winters.”

“Brooklyn, come, come!” Howard greeted the man with a smile. “You’re not late. We’re just early. Let me introduce you to Amanda Bailey. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she? She’s a lawyer too. I’m sure you two have a lot in common, seeing that you’re both lawyers.

Amanda was dumbfounded, unsure of how to react. Grandpa went to great lengths this time. He even found a fellow attorney for this blind date!

“Amanda, this is Brooklyn Wrenn, a grandson of my friend. He’s one of the partners at a law firm. and a pretty outstanding young man,” Howard mentioned while observing Elias’ expression. At that point, Elias was thunderous.

Elias scrutinized the man before him judgingly and came to a conclusion-unworthy. This man is unworthy of Amanda.

Meanwhile, Amanda smiled awkwardly, then gazed toward Elias for help as though asking him to do something about his grandfather.

Elias wanted to interject as well. However, given Howard’s current state, nothing he said would get through to the elder.

Sometime later. Howard suddenly suggested, “Now that you two have gotten to know each other, you should go out for a stroll and spend some alone time.”

“Grandpa… very well.” Amanda felt so awkward at this point that she wished she could bury herself in a hole. Still, she obliged and just like that, she headed out of the private room with Brooklyn.

Howard, on the other hand, sipped his tea leisurely while observing his dear grandson’s reaction.

Suddenly. Elias got up and got ready to leave.

“What do you think you’re doing? Sit down and don’t cause trouble!”

At that, Elias glanced over his shoulder and snarled, I’ll go be the chauffeur!”

As if I’ll let Amanda be alone with that man!

Amanda wanted to leave after following Brooklyn out. However, she couldn’t come up with a good excuse.

Just then. Elias’ deep, alluring voice rang out from behind her. “Amanda, I’ll send you home.”

Amanda’s eyes lit up at once and she turned to look at Elias, who pulled her behind him and said to Brooklyn. “She already has a boyfriend. You’ve lost your chance.”

Then, he dragged Amanda toward his vehicle, leaving a shouting Brooklyn behind. “But Old Mr. Winters asked me to come on a blind date!”

“And now, I’m asking you to go back,” Elias said without looking back.

Amanda was then shoved into the front passenger seat. Looks like this b*stard is as overbearing as ever!

With that, Elias ignited the engine and slammed on the gas, leaving the wretched place.

All this while, Howard continued to sip his tea leisurely.

“Sir, Mr. Elias forcefully took Miss Bailey away.” the bodyguard came in and reported, causing Howard to guffaw. It seemed that he had foreseen the situation as he mumbled to himself, “I knew he still has feelings for Amanda. He just doesn’t know it! This reverse psychology trick will soon be effective.”

“You truly are amazing, Old Mr. Winters. The bodyguard was genuinely impressed. “You still know Mr. Elias best.”

At that, Howard fiddled with the teacup in his hand smugly. “I watched that rascal grow up before my eyes. As if I can’t tell what he thinks!”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 27 Simon Is Finally Returning

Later, the vehicle slowly came to a stop outside Lotus Waterfront. Just as Amanda was about to get out, Elías asked, “Have you really gotten yourself a boyfriend?”

“Sorry?” His question caught Amanda off guard.

“What I’m saying is if you have really gotten a boyfriend, you can bring him over to Grandpa and put an end to his attempts to set you up on blind dates,” said the man who secretly hoped Amanda didn’t actually have a boyfriend. In fact, Elias wanted her to personally deny it

“Got it. Amanda opened the car door, then suddenly recalled the wretched tombstone. At that. she turned around. “Is the tombstone really set in stone? No room for negotiations?”

“No.”

Amanda said nothing more. She got out of the car and headed straight into the compound while Elias stared at her retreating figure for a long time from inside his car.

Why would Amanda reject the tombstone so strongly? Can it be that she thinks our child doesn’t deserve a proper burial? But little did Elias know that said child was never forsaken. In fact, he was already three.

When Amanda arrived home, she found that Colette had already sent Aiden to kindergarten. As such, she decided to take a nap before heading to the law firm.

Just then her phone rang, and she checked it out to find that it was an international call from Simon.

She answered the call immediately. “What can I do for you, Boss?”

A gentle chuckle escaped Simon and he asked, “It’s nearly 12.00PM back home, isn’t it? Have you had your lunch?”

As if she had the time to eat, thanks to the morning episode. Still, Amanda lied, “Yeah, I’ve eaten. Have you called me for something?”

“I may be coming back early. Someone will take over the things on my end.”

“Really? Congratulations!”

“As we agreed, you and Aiden will welcome me back when I return. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“Of course not!” Amanda chuckled. “How could I forget? When are you coming back? Aiden and I will pick you up at the airport.”

“My flight is the day after tomorrow. I should arrive at around 8.00PM.”

Simon is finally returning, which means I can flee this place once I’m done with the work at hand!

“Alright. Aiden and I will pick you up the day after tomorrow, then.”

“I’m going to bed. See you in two days.”

“See you.”

An idea struck Amanda after she hung up. If Grandpa forces me into another one of his blind dates, can I ask Simon to pretend to be my boyfriend? Either way, Simon will be coming back in two days. If I leave Grandpa be, I certainly won’t get peace of mind during my time in the country.

No way did Amanda want another episode from the Winterses like this morning again.

At the thought that Elias erected a tombstone for their ‘dead’ son, she couldn’t help feeling both amused and frustrated. Yet, she couldn’t speak the truth.

Oh, how I wish I could just tear that tombstone apart in the middle of the night! Seriously, what father curses their child like that?

As she lay on the couch and scrolled aimlessly through her phone, a viral headline popped up on her screen, titled, ‘Grace Murphy’s wealthy boyfriend revealed! It’s actually him!”

Amanda didn’t even need to click on it to know it was Elias. Yet, she still did, and sure enough, the news article described in great detail the power and wealth of the Winters Family and how Grace would marry into wealth soon.

The question was whether this was Elias’ doing or Grace’s.

At that, Amanda recalled how Elias and Grace fell into a deep embrace.

Ha! How could I have forgotten that Elias is deeply in love with Grace?! That man can do anything for her. No doubt the tombstone for Aiden is merely a pretentious act to appease his consciousness of being with Grace.

At the same time, Grace also saw the entertainment news that popped up on her phone.

This was her operation. She wanted the whole world to know Elias was hers, and if Amanda ever dared to interact with Elias in private, she could just call Amanda out as a homewrecker who wanted to take her place. By then, the public would be on her side for sure, and there was no way Amanda could withstand public criticism.

Just then, Grace’s phone rang. It was a call from Elias.

Upon seeing the caller ID, the young woman burst into laughter and answered the phone after collecting herself. “Elias!”

“Are you free tonight? Let’s go out for dinner.”

“Sure, I’ve got time. I’ll make time for you even if I don’t.”

“I’ll send someone to pick you up tonight.”

“I’ll be waiting for you at home.”

Grace was on top of the world after hanging up. I knew it! Elias still loves me. Amanda is only intentionally getting in our way!

On the other hand, Elias wanted to make it up to Grace because he thought he had neglected her a little lately.

Before long, night had fallen Grace deliberately donned a sexy strap dress and some glamorous makeup before being escorted by Elias’ bodyguard.

After delivering her to a hotel, the bodyguard said, “Please take the elevator directly to the rooftop. Miss Murphy Mr. Winters is waiting for you there.”

“Alright.” Grace smiled gently before heading into the hotel.

She was surprised that Elias was beginning to show some interest and had chosen a romantic rooftop restaurant with a view of the whole city.

When Grace arrived at the rooftop, she looked around and sure enough, the man was sitting in a corner. At that, she walked over to him with a smile and purred. “What’s the occasion, Elias? To think you’d pick such a romantic restaurant.”

“You call this romantic?” Elias asked with a frown after turning away from the night cityscape.

His secretary had recommended this place. It was his first time here.

“Yeah. Women love dining in this kind of place.” Grace had a feeling she could get Elias to stay over for the night, and the thought of it excited her.

An attendant came over with the menu while Elias asked casually after checking his phone. “Did you leak our relationship to the press?”

The news stirred the entire showbiz, so he naturally received a push notification.

At that, Grace stopped flipping the menu for a second and feigned innocence. “Was it not you? I would never release that kind of news without your consent, not to mention I want to leave a good impression on Grandpa.”

After a moment of silence, Elias commented, “Let’s order.”

Just then, his phone, which was on the table, vibrated. The voice of Howard’s bodyguard came as

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 28 I Already Have a

Boyfriend! He’ll Be Returning in Two Days. Anger consumed Elias after the call ended and he immediately got up to leave.

“Elias, where are you going? Didn’t we agree to have dinner together?” Grace couldn’t help asking.

“My grandfather’s forcing Amanda into another blind date. I’m going to check it out. You go ahead and cat. I’ll come back as soon as I’m done.”

With that, he left without looking back.

What? He did not just leave me here! We have already agreed on having dinner together! Amanda Bailey, it’s you again! Grace sank her nails deep into her palms. You’d better not be doing this on purpose!

At that, she grabbed her bag and chased after Elias. “Elias, wait! I’m coming with you.”

At the same time, inside the car. Howard sat in the back seat with his eyes closed as he rested. The bodyguard in front turned to him after making the call. “Mr. Elias sounded pretty agitated over the phone.”

“Good!” Howard guffawed. “Let’s put on a good show tonight and let them realize their feelings for each other.”

The elderly man refused to believe Amanda had moved on. No way would the girl stop loving Elias just like that!

Soon, the car slowly came to a halt in front of a corporate building. One of the offices inside was the law firm Amanda worked for.

Howard had long monitored everything and knew Amanda would be coming out soon.

Sure enough, the young woman came out of the lobby and headed toward the parking lot as soon as Howard’s car pulled up.

On the other hand, Amanda found Howard coming out of the vehicle right as she came out of the building.

No way! She widened her eyes in shock. What is Grandpa doing here? Is he coming toward me?

“Amanda!” Howard called out with a chuckle, and Amanda replied with an awkward smile. “What are you doing here, Grandpa?”

I’m worried for you, of course. I heard your date with Brooklyn in the morning was a no-go,” Howard commented with feigned innocence. Even the bodyguard was wholly impressed. You have to hand it to Old Mr. Winters for coming up with such believable acting!

The night breeze blew gently, tousling Amanda’s soft long curls, yet it couldn’t conceal the embarrassment on her cheeks.

“Grandpa… you can’t force love…”

“I know, and that’s okay. I have plenty of fine young men on my list. You’ve gotten off work now, haven’t you? I’ll take you to another one. I promise you this one will be a keeper!”

Again? Amanda felt distressed. Goodness! Somebody save me! Why do I have to go on another blind date?

“Grandpa, please spare me…” She was genuinely on the verge of begging.

Just then, another luxury car pulled up nearby, and one glance was all it took for Howard to know it was Elias’ car.

Sure enough, Elias slammed the car door shut and strode over angrily, with Grace following right behind.

“Just what are you trying, forcing Amanda into another blind date, Grandpa?” Elias raged. “Will it please you more if she marries right here and now?!”

Of course, Howard was pleased to see his grandson infuriated. However, when he saw Grace standing behind Elias, he snorted disdainfully. “What’s it to you? I didn’t force you into a blind date, did I? I just don’t want to see Amanda live out her life alone. What’s more, you’re such an irresponsible man

“Grandpa, please don’t talk about Elias like that, Grace interjected in a whisper. “He has his reasons. Love isn’t something that can be forced.”

“Shut up! You have no right to speak here!” Howard roared angrily, and Grace shut up at once. After all, the elder never liked her.

“Please watch your attitude, Grandpa!”

“If you have a problem with my attitude, take this clown away with you! I didn’t beg you to come here!” Howard was vexed at this point, and seeing his grandson and Grace together made him feel uncomfortable all over.

“Grandpa…” Tears pooled aggrievedly in Grace’s eyes, and she looked piteous.

Amanda, on the other hand, thought her head was going to explode. How did the Winterses end up arguing again?

“Grandpa, stop it! That’s enough!” Amanda finally spoke up. “I already have a boyfriend, and he’ll be coming back in two days. I’ll bring him over for dinner the night he returns if you don’t believe me!”

At that, the entire world fell into silence, and Elias and Howard both stared silently at her for what felt like a century.

Amanda, on the other hand, felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

It looks like I really need Simon’s help, or the blind dates will never end! Then again, why have these two frozen over?

“Grandpa? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

At that, Howard shifted his cane and asked, “Didn’t you say he’s busy with work overseas? How come he’s coming back in two days? You’re not lying to me, are you? You’re never one to lie!”

A hint of guilt arose within Amanda at once, but this was her last resort. She would not be able to stand it if Howard were to force her into a series of blind dates.

“I swear I’m not lying to you, Grandpa. His flight will land the night after tomorrow. I’ll bring him to you then. How about that?”

However, Howard didn’t believe her at all. “Very well, then. Bring your so-called boyfriend over to my place the day after tomorrow. I’d like to see who you have gotten as a boyfriend! I will know if he’s just an actor. Don’t think you can fool me.”

With that, the elder turned to his vehicle.

Just then, Elias let out a disdainful sneer before mocking. “You really spare yourself no mercy. Whom do you plan on bringing to be your actor?”

“What’s it to you? Am I not allowed to have a boyfriend?!” Amanda snorted, then headed toward the parking lot, leaving Elias behind to fall into a deep thought as he watched her retreating figure.

Is she telling the truth? No… That’s impossible! There’s no way she will have found a man in just a few days!

“Elias, maybe Amanda has really gotten herself a boyfriend. After all, she is a bombshell and a lawyer at that. She has many chances to interact with the rich and powerful. Who knows, someone might have wooed her.” Of course, Grace wanted nothing more than for Amanda to get herself a boyfriend and stay far away from Elias, whose dashing face was currently enveloped in grimness, growing increasingly upset at Grace’s words.

Amanda was indeed a bombshell. In fact, she could survive in the entertainment industry with just her looks alone, and she would have a better chance of becoming popular than Grace.

“Enough!”

“Elias…” His exasperation startled Grace. Does it upset him so much to hear Amanda being wooed by other men?

“Are you still hungry? Let’s go back to the restaurant,” Elias muttered as he headed back to his car.

Grace, on the other hand, fell silent for a few seconds before catching up to Elias. However, her sense of crisis was growing stronger by the day, as she was certain Elias still had feelings for Amanda.