LOGIN[Adam’s POV]“Are you sure the records you’ve unearthed are watertight?” I asked Clinton, once again.“Absolutely,” came the firm reply.I held in my hand a rather thick dossier of documents, the result of months of painstakingly investigated, covert lines of enquiry. Buried records stealthily uncovered that were never meant to see the light of day.I knew it was not the only copy.“And you’ve secured copies where no-one can gain access?” I asked.“Yes. Not only a sealed set lodged with my personal lawyer, but also another set stashed in a foolproof hidden location. And I won’t tell even you where it is.”“Perfect,” I said.Clinton Schmidt was a deep-dive forensic auditor. The smartest of his kind – and while there are very few of his kind in the world, they are all very smart.I found Schmidt when Elias insisted I step in as the CEO of his corporation. Outwardly, I was the model son, learning the trading intricacies of his global empire, sitting on the board of directors, taking cont
[David’s POV]By Wednesday afternoon, I had not heard anything from Alice.If I had fostered any suspicions that she would contact me and ask me to reconsider when she learned her funding was cut, I was wrong. Not a word.For once, I had no idea what was happening and the loss of control was an uncomfortable feeling. After all, my actions could have life-threatening implications, and yet, still no word.Had the clinic not told Alice?Has she left the clinic?What is happening with her health care? It is a critical time for Alice.I told myself it wasn’t my problem anymore. And yet, there was a baby to consider, and Camilla. I would rather not think about her losing her mother. And I was acutely aware that Lily would not make a suitable substitute. She was too focused on herself.I picked up my phone and called the Clinic La Prières. I had a direct number for the registrar, Alain Müller.“Good afternoon, Mr Newcombe,” he said in his clipped German tones.“Ah, Müller, sorry to disturb y
[David’s POV]When the wedding was disrupted, Lily cried all the way back to the manor.She leaned on me as I guided her inside. She sounded like she was heart-broken.Her lovely gown was looking crumpled from being scrunched into the passenger seat of my car. Her makeup was running and her tiara was no longer sitting straight in her hairstyle.In the drawing room, I said, “Do you want to go upstairs and get changed?”She retorted, “Why bother? Everything is ruined!” She threw herself down on a lounge chair and shucked off her shoes. She tore off the tiara and veil.What was she upset about the most? The public humiliation? The gossip and scandal that will follow? Or, missing out on marrying me, which seems to have been her goal for quite some time now.“Why? Why would that bitch say such a thing, David?” She beat her fist against the arm of the chair. More tears flowed.I fetched her some tissues then sat on the couch opposite her chair, waiting for the sobs to subside. I felt powerl
[Alice’s POV]Everything around me looked blurry, and sound seemed to be coming at me from a long way away.I shook my head, tried to sit up and fell back down against the pillows. My vision quickly cleared. I was in a recovery room, with a nurse in attendance.“Good afternoon, Alice,” she said cheerfully. “Would you care for some hot tea or sparkling mineral water?”“Ah, yes, a cup of tea would be nice, thanks.”I looked down at my body, under the white linen covers. The big baby bump was gone. Under the covers, I felt down my abdomen and my fingertips encountered bandaging.“My… where’s my baby?” I cried.“It’s okay, don’t worry. The baby has been taken to the NICU.”Adam walked into the room and crossed to my bedside. He leaned over and gently kissed my forehead.“You’re awake,” he exclaimed.I tried a smile. “Adam, the baby…?”“He’s doing well,” he said with a grin.“He? I’ve got a little boy?”“A very little boy. Sure, he’s underweight but we knew that. But Alice, he’s perfect!”
[Alice’s POV]After Adam instructed the director of the board of the Prières clinic, to address all ongoing charges to my account now, things started moving.Before dinner, there was a knock on my door and my oncology specialist, Doctor Ibanez, joined me.“Hello, Alice,” she said, sounding a little contrite. “I’m sorry I didn’t make our morning appointment. I er…”“It’s okay,” I interrupted. “There was a mix-up, that’s all. So, I missed this afternoon’s scheduled operation. How soon can you reschedule it?”She smiled. “I’ve already got you into theater at 11.30 am tomorrow morning.”“That’s marvelous,” I said, even though I had my reservations.While I wasn’t looking forward to facing the surgeon’s scalpel, I was eager to have the whole thing done, so I could move forward.And also, I wanted to meet my baby.“Mr Müller has scheduled a meeting for Doctor Baxter and I, as soon as she arrives from Munich, in the morning. Then we can get you prepped.”“What can I expect, doctor?” I asked.
[Alice’s POV]When I woke up this morning, I was feeling a little apprehensive about this afternoon’s operation.A caesarian delivery and a hysterectomy. Followed by a full-scale program of radiation and chemotherapy.It was going to be a challenging time. And top of that, there would be a newborn to care for.I had breast-fed Camilla but Professor Baxter warned me that I wouldn’t be able to do that, this time, it would drain too much of my strength and the baby would need supplementing, anyway, to bring it up to a healthy birthweight.A nurse bustled in with a loaded tray, for my breakfast.“Thank-you,” I said, as she left.I considered all the implications of the challenges ahead of me. With any luck, my ovaries would be cancer free and they wouldn’t remove them. So, I won’t be plunged into instant menopause. Yet, I will never have another child. While I felt that two children were enough for any working woman to cope with, in the back of my mind I wondered if Adam would want a biol
[Lily’s POV]There was still a lingering burnt smell in the air, in the manor’s main bedroom, reminding me of that heart-stopping night. Restoration had been swift. It was nearing completion and the main areas of the big house were habitable once more.I’m sitting up in the large bed; my right hand
[Alice's POV]The dull pain in my stomach struck again, more intense than at any time before. I staggered for a moment, and Adam firmly supported me.“You need to get checked out right away.” Adam’s tone was serious. “You’re paler even than Lily.”“Could you take me back to Lily’s room? I’ve left m
[Alice’s POV]Adam’s car was a sleek, refined, dark gray Volvo. Just as he gave off the feeling of safe, steady, and possessing the right amount of restraint, so too did his car.The moment the door closed, the bothersome noise that had assailed me, those false compliments and malicious speculation
[Alice’s POV]Sirens cut through the dull night sky of Boston.David obviously didn’t expect Adam to actually call the police, much less that the police would arrive so quickly. When the alternating red and blue lights reflected off the body of his top of the range Rolls-Royce, the malevolence on h







