Adenike Lydia Adediji

PROLOGUE. When I saw my husband kneeling in front of me, I screamed out of shock and fear making him kiss me. The kiss took me by surprise and I am not sure he knew this but that was my first kiss. After he explained everything that happened to him, to say I was angry was an understatement, I was furious but I didn't make it obvious. The force I used in standing up from his laps made him get up. I started pacing around the room complaining about how someone could do that kind of thing to their fellow human being. I was so angry that I didn't even know when I started shedding out tears. He came to where I was standing and pulled me to his chest,saying comforting words and telling me he will make sure they pay for their crimes. CHAPTER 1 Waking up this morning knowing that my life is going to experience a drastic change.My name is Noella and I am getting married to my boss Mr.Adrian King who has been bedridden for 6 months due to an accident he was involved in when going to work that fateful day. You might be wondering how I got into this situation. flashback I was in the kitchen preparing the meal my boss will eat when Mr. Panam called me requesting my attention. Mr. Panam is the right hand of Mr. Adrian. They are always together and even though he is way older than my boss, he works under him. I went to meet him in his home office located on the 3rd floor with my boss’s own. Knocking on the door, he told me to come in and take a seat. Panam’s POV Noella, you know all that has been going on in this household. Since the accident happened, a lot of people, especially the board of directors in Mr. Adrian’s company, have had their eyes on his wealth and position. Even his family is not helping matters as they are looking for ways to transfer his properties into their name. You know his personal doctor, Dr.Nelson came yesterday and did a series of tests on him and said the boss has less than 3 months to live. He said there has not been any improvement in his condition and it seems that even Adrian himself is not willing to heal. So he suggested he should live his best life within these 3 months and should be happy. Adrian has always wanted to get married even though all the women surrounding him are gold diggers. Even Erica, his current girlfriend has left him after finding out he is bedridden. Like we both know Noella, Adrian is the one currently paying for your university education and what better way to repay him than to get married to him and make him happy in his last days. flashback over. After Mr. Panam spoke to me that day, he literally did not leave me with any option other than to get married. He has assigned me a makeup artist and hairstylist to get me prepared for today. I already told him not to worry about a dress since it's going to be a court wedding, I have a simple dress i can wear. After all the preparation and going all about, it’s time to start going to the court. CHAPTER 2 The house driver, Drey, took me to the courthouse where I met with Mr. Panam, Dr. Nelson and the Lawyer, Miss Thelma. Adrian can't be present because he is bedridden so Mr Panam will stand in his place and his lawyer will deliver the marriage certificate so he can sign. The judge came and performed all the necessary things needed to be done and the ceremony was over. I am officially Noella Adrian King. Drey took me back to the house along with Mr Panam. On our way to the King Villa, Mr. Panam said that for the fact I am already married to Adrian, it doesn't mean that I will start behaving like the Madam of the house. I am only married to him by name and my duty still remains the same in the Villa. In his words,”Once a maid, always a maid”. He also told me that my things have been moved into Adrians’s room and I will be sleeping in his room henceforth. I was shocked by this because Adrian doesn’t like anyone invading his privacy. I tried bringing this to the notice of Mr. Pakam, but he didnt give me a listening ear. On arrival, I went to Adrian’s room and met with the doctor who gave me specific Instructions on how to care for him and drugs to use in particular order. Miss Thelma already explained all that happened to Adrian and he has signed the Certificate. I entered the room with fear because I know he is awake and I don’t know the way he will react to me in his room. CHAPTER 3 Adrian’s POV All that has been happening in my house for the past 6 months is not beyond my knowledge. Most of them do not know that I am fully aware of all because I decided to keep it that way. When Dr.Nelson told me about how Panam is planning my marriage with Noella, I was furious because he had to threaten the girl just because I am paying for her university Fees. Nelson, who also happens to be my best friend, has been keeping me updated of all the happenings. When Noella entered the room, I was looking at the reaction on her face and I saw fear and I know it’s because she knows I don’t like people invading my privacy. Noella’s POV Come and sit beside me was what I heard when I stood at the door for some minutes. I was surprised when he said so. I moved slowly till I got to the head of the bed and sat beside him. He lifted up his hand from under the covers and I held it firmly. He then asked me why I was so scared of entering his room. I told him because I don’t have any right to share or sleep in his room. Adrian told me that as his wife, I have access to everything that he owns. Hearing that from his mouth, I was so shocked and he asked why I was looking shocked. I told him that Mr.Panam said that just because I got married to him doesn't mean that my status has changed because once a maid, always a maid. Adrian’s POV I was so furious listening to what Panam told her. What right does he have to tell my wife that? Is it because he is considered my right hand and my PA? I told Noella “You are my wife and have absolute control over everything I have, even Panam himself”. I will make sure you are well respected in your home. Though you used to be my maid, I respect the sacredness of marriage which means I have to respect and accept you as my wife. As I was telling her all this, I was looking at the reaction on her face which still did not change from that of shock. I want to see if she is just like the other girls who are after money. I am going to test her for sometime because women, once they have an opportunity to elevate their level a little bit, their true character will start showing. CHAPTER 4 Adrian told me to go and change and prepare for bed. I went into his walk-in closet and saw my clothes which did not even fill one third of the space allocated to me. I changed into my sleepwear and went into the bathroom to wash off the makeup and remove the bobby pins in my hair. Coming into the bedroom, I saw he was still awake so I asked him if he had eaten which he said no to. I told him I was going to make something quick for him and he said he wanted something light. I made some noodles with boiled egg and brought it back to the room only to discover that he had slept. I woke him up to eat and he demanded I eat with him because he knows I haven’t had anything to eat. After we both ate together, I gave him his drugs to use as instructed by the doctor and helped him in sponge washing for bed. I was preparing to get the duvet in the closet so I can lay it on the floor so I can sleep. Adrian instructed me to come and lie beside him and told me that from then henceforth, I will be sleeping beside him. Lying on the bed, I was so scared and uncomfortable that I was cautious of my breath sounds. Looking beside me to check Adrian, I discovered he had slept and I couldn’t believe the happiness that flowed within me. I began to check him out noticing how handsome he looked and while doing so I didn’t know when I was carried away by sleep. Waking up the next day and checking the time on my phone, I discovered it was 6:30am and I had a morning class by 9:00am. Looking beside me, I saw my husband was still asleep and gently got up to freshen up and make breakfast for the day. Getting back into the room after making breakfast, I saw Adrian was awake and looking distraught. I asked him what was wrong and he said he was feeling some pains in his legs. I was so shocked hearing this that I forgot there was a food tray in my hands and it fell. As I was about to start picking up the broken pieces of the plates and tray, he instructed me and told me not to, that the maids will take care of it. I went towards the bed to check out his legs because according to the doctor, there was no more sensation in his legs as Adrian himself was not willing to get better. Checking out his leg and applying some pressure on it, he reacted and showed signs of pain which meant he felt what I was doing. In my happiness I was about to call unto Mr Panam to tell him about the latest update about Adrian when he stopped me. Adrian’s POV As I saw she was about to call unto Panam, I stopped her and told her not to call out to him. She asked me why and I told her I wanted this to remain a secret between us. She was confused as to why I wanted to keep this a secret and I simply said it was to surprise them of my recovery later on. Unknown to her all this was just to test her loyalty to her. I told her if Panam asks her about me, she should just tell him that there is no Improvement. She agreed and even supported the Idea of surprising everyone much later of my recovery and even promised to assist me as best as she can so I can have a speedy recovery. There was a particular statement she made which made me open my mouth in shock. She said and I quote “I am so happy at least now you are getting better and now you won't die and I won't become a Widow”. As she went into the closet to get her things ready for school, what she said was still flashing through my mind. Does it mean she wants to stay with me for life? or Does it mean she has hope for me?. All these questions just kept disturbing my thoughts. CHAPTER 5 Noella’s POV After packing all the things I needed for school and taking care of all he would need, I told Adrian I was set to leave. He told me to wait and I was thinking about what. He called Drey and told him to bring the car to the front of the house and also instructed him that from now henceforth he will be taking me to and fro from school. Where I stood, I was shocked hearing what he said and I started blushing. After dropping the call, he told me to open the bedside drawer on the left which I did and saw a platinum card. He said it’s his and now belongs to me. I should start using it to purchase whatever I want. Getting to school,I was dropped off at the parking lot by Drey and I met with my best friend Julian who I have known for 3 years now. Seeing me getting down from a luxurious vehicle, she screamed bloody hell and asked me how I did it. Laughing at her silliness, I had to explain everything that happened. Her mouth was wide open after the explanation and the next thing that came out of Julian’s mouth was “Noella is now a billionaire”. Immediately, I had to shush her up and asked her not to tell anybody as it was not a public affair. We went and attended all classes we had and met at the cafeteria for lunch break. After buying our lunch, we went to have a seat under our famous tree and I informed her about the card Adrian gave me and told me to use whenever I want. As the shopaholic Julian is we made a date to go to the mall together and get some few and necessary items. After school, I met with Drey at the parking lot and waited for Julian as we didn’t have the same classes together after lunch break. When I saw her, she was running as if she was being chased by a hired assassin. Entering into the vehicle, I told Drey we wanted to go past the mall before going home to pick up some things. Getting to the mall, I picked up some items with the help of Julian while making sure they were all discounted and cheap clothes. I told Julian that just because my husband has a lot of money doesn’t mean I would spend it all lavishly and she agreed. I also picked up some items for her as a thank you for being my friend and tolerating me. When we finished from the store, I passed through some men’s clothing and decided to get some clothes for Adrian. I told Julian my plans and she was in full support of it. I selected a whole lot of casuals for him as he rarely wears one. After all the shopping, we dropped off Julian at her residence and went home. CHAPTER 6 Adrian’s POV Hearing messages popping out on my phone, I decided to check it out only for me to see that the sum of $100,000 has been spent from my account. I was so furious because I was beginning to think that she was different from all other women. On the first day I gave her my card and she is already spending that much, only God knows how much she will spend in the remaining days. The money is not even the issue but I thought she will at least show some reservations in spending my money but all the same, Women are the same. When she arrived, I heard her asking the maids about me if I had eaten or not. She thinks she can keep pretending like the goody two shoes she is not. I heard her open the door to the room and when she saw I was awake, she smiled at me but I didn't return the smile. Her smile dropped and she told Drey to drop the bags and leave. I saw the amount of shopping bags she has and I cringed because they were too much and it’s making my room look cluttered. I told her to get all the rubbish she bought out of my sight because it’s irritating. She wanted to say something but I shouted at her and told her to leave my presence. I saw tears dropping from her eyes but like usual they are just pretentious tears. She took the bags and went into the closet but then I noticed some bags were left behind. I asked her why the majority of the bags were still left behind and she said they belonged to me. I looked at her like she was insane because how will shopping bags with items inside belong to me when i didn’t even make any online order. She then explained further that she went shopping with her best friend today and got some things for herself but as they were leaving, she saw the men's section and saw that it was attractive hence got all the clothes in the bag for me. Hearing this from her left me speechless because it was the least thing I expected from her. I was so ashamed of myself and my judgey nature. I had to tell her to call Nelson my doctor to tell him he should get her fast. She asked me if I was feeling pain in my legs but I insisted she called Nelson. Once Nelson arrived, she was told to excuse us because I needed to do a full body examination. After telling him to be careful with me, She left the room and Nelson locked the door. Confirming the doors were locked, I stood up from the bed and went to the restroom to wash my face. I told Nelson to have a sit that we have a discussion to clear out. I’m sure you will be wondering what is happening. Let’s take it back to the time of the accident. flashback March 26, I was going in my car to my office for an important meeting I had that morning. Everyone knows I like driving myself as I like being independent. As I was driving that fateful day, from nowhere a trailer just came in front of my vehicle and hit me. I was forced to jump out of the vehicle and lie low on the floor. I was bleeding profusely from my head and legs. As I lay still on the floor, I heard a man speaking over the phone saying he has been hit and if he doesn't die then he will be paralyzed. I pretended as if I had lost consciousness and called Nelson when the man left the scene of the incident. Nelson took up my case and made sure my real reports were not shared with anybody because we don’t know who is planning to kill me. 3 weeks after the incident I had fully recovered back to my normal self but we had to keep the pretense up saying that i have been paralyzed from my waist below and can’t walk again so as to be able to work undercover without anyone suspecting.All this while I have been lying on the bed, Nelson has been making some investigations and moves and has been giving me feedback. flashback over CHAPTER 7 I called Nelson to inform him about what happened today between me and Noella. He was furious with me because he had told me to be nice to her as she was a good girl who is after my well being. I told him I have realized and I want to involve her in our plans. He supported me saying that he can’t do it all on his own and he needs someone to watch out for me in this house so they won’t poison me. I asked him about his latest findings and he said that his eyes and ears are now on Panam as he has been behaving suspiciously especially regarding the marriage issue. I also informed him about what he told Noella on their way back from the court. I instructed Nelson to go to my office and collect all the original documents to my assets and bring them home. He then informed me that all accounts linked to me have been frozen except my personal account which no one knows of except me,him and now my wife. He said he is going back to the hospital and I should speak with my wife. On his way out, I told him to inform Noella to make dinner for us both and bring it to the room when she is done. Some hours later she came in with the tray of food and some juice apologizing for taking so long because she was making arrangements for freshly squeezed juice. She placed them on the bedside drawer and made an attempt to feed me but I stopped her. I apologized for shouting at her and made her understand that there was a reason behind what happened. I made her promise me to keep an open mind about what I wanted to tell her and what she might see. Looking confused about what I was saying, I told her to close her eyes which she did. I stood up from the bed and knelt in front of her holding her two little hands into mine and told her to open her eyes. Opening them and seeing me the way I was, she screamed. Immediately acting out of impulse, I kissed her and swallowed all her screams. Lost in the moment, the kiss elongated for some minutes and she relaxed, locking her hands in my hair, pulling me closer and my hands on her waist. After some time, I sat on the bed and pulled her down, making her sit on my lap and continued kissing her till we both were out of breath. She couldn’t look me in the face and upon lifting her head up,I saw my wife become pink from blushing which made me burst into laughter. I laughed until water started coming from my eyes and said to her, My wife is feeling shy. She was just looking at me and just blushing and asked me what happened. After I saw she was calm enough, I explained to her what happened from the time of the accident till this present moment. I made her know that the reason why I shouted at her was because I thought she was like the other girls who don't do more than shopping. I made her understand that Nelson was the one who first suggested I tell her about the plans so she can be on board. As I was telling her all these, I was looking at her face for any kind of reaction from her, but to my disappointment, she was blank. CHAPTER 8 Noella’s POV When I saw my husband kneeling in front of me, I screamed out of shock and fear making him kiss me. The kiss took me by surprise and I am not sure he knew this but that was my first kiss. After he explained everything that happened to him, to say I was angry was an understatement, I was furious but I didn't make it obvious. The force I used in standing up from his laps made him get up. I started pacing around the room complaining about how someone could do that kind of thing to their fellow human being. I was so angry that I didn't even know when I started shedding out tears. He came to where I was standing and pulled me to his chest,saying comforting words and telling me he will make sure they pay for their crimes. I just discovered that my husband’s hug is very soothing and I moved closer to him and he just laughed. He moved us to the bed and made me sit on his lap still hugging. When I became satisfied I released him and asked him what was the next move. He said we should eat dinner first and would discuss that later. Throughout the whole dinner time, I was restless and thinking about who it could be and why they wanted to kill him. Adrian cleared the tray from the bed and called me to come lie on the bed with him. I went to the other side to lay and he pulled me into his arms. He began telling me about what he and Nelson had done so far and their progress. So the next thing is to silently move his assets to an unidentified name and make sure his account is undiscovered but all this must be done without anybody noticing it. He also said that he wants to plant cameras in all the offices of the executives and even in this house because nobody can be trusted. As we were discussing this, a knock was heard from the door which made me sit upright. I helped him move back under the covers of the bed and made him look as if he was truly sick. I went to check who was on the door and discovered it was Panam. He said he wanted to see his boss and Adrian told him to come inside. He moved towards the bed and sat at the end of it. Some moments after I didn't hear any word , I looked up and saw him staring at me. He asked me to excuse them that they want to have a private discussion. Adrian wanted to object but I signed to him not to say anything. I discreetly kept my phone on recording and hid it behind the pillow, picked up the tray we used to eat and left the room. Few hours later, I made myself comfortable by watching some movies in the living room. He came out and sat beside me on the couch saying I was becoming too comfortable in my position as the wife of Adrian King. That I shouldn’t think he is not aware of any and everything that happens in this house because he has eyes and ears everywhere. He said he knows that Adrian assigned Drey to be my driver and take me wherever I want, but I should not forget my status because I will be nothing but a maid. He then gave me a medicine box that was from Dr.Nelson and the instructions were that he should be given morning and night before meal. So as his wife, it is my duty to do so and should he find out I don’t give him, he will make sure I regret ever being born. Shakily, I received the medicine from him and told him I will do as instructed. He also said that Drey won’t be driving me up and down again and I shouldn’t inform Adrian because Drey works for him alone. He said all he is doing is for the betterment of Adrian as he doesn’t want him to become too attached to me and vice versa, so that when he dies, I won’t become depressed and continue to live my life as if nothing ever happened and if come to worse he will replace him as my husband and remarry me. Hearing him say all that left me annoyed and surprised, but I didn’t let it show on my face. After spitting rubbish out of his mouth, he kissed my cheek and left. I rushed upstairs in fear of what he could have done to my husband and saw him still lying on the bed the way I left him. He asked me if Panam had left and he said yes. Getting up from the bed, he asked me what he told me and I related all back to him. I went to the bedside and removed my phone under the pillow to stop the recording. CHAPTER 9 Adrian’s POV I was shocked to see Noella removing her phone from where she hid it. My mind didn’t even go to recording our conversation for proof letting me know my wife is damn smart. I watched her as she listened to the recording and her facial expression was straight. My wife is very good at keeping an expressionless face and will make her a good business woman because people will have difficulty reading her and knowing what her next move is. After she was done, she told me we should go to bed and that by tomorrow she will have a plan ready. She also instructed me to have Nelson here by three am tomorrow morning. I asked her why that early and she said that important and hidden works are done in the middle of the night. Staring at what my wife has become, she asked me If we have a back gate in which I told her yes but we have security guards stationed there also. She said I should call Nelson now and put him on loud speaker. I did exactly as she instructed and kept the phone on speaker still trying to picture what she had in mind. Nelson picked on the third ring and asked why I was calling him at this time of the night. I told him it was Noella that wanted to speak with him and asked me to call him. Noella’s POV I collected the phone from Adrian and started filling Nelson on what happened with Panam. He was so furious that he was calling Panam all sorts of names. I told him to calm down and let him know I have a plan. Adrian looked at me like what was I saying, So I started laying out the plans to them. I told Nelson to get to the back gate on or before 2:30 am and wait there till we came out. Adrian asked me how we would leave through the back gate without the guards knowing and I told him to leave that to me. Looking at the time, I saw it was around 9:45 pm so there was still time to implement my plan. I told Nelson and my husband that once we move from the house, we are going to Adrian’s office to pick up important files, go through the suspected people's computer and attach a camera and microphone to their offices. Since Adrian is an IT guru, that would not be a challenge for him. Then we will make sure to replace all documents taken from Adrian’s office so as not to make it suspicious. Nelson was in full support of the whole idea and even said he will make orders for the camera and microphone and will bring along his nephew to help fix them up. Adrian said making up the documents will not also be an issue because he will just make some alterations to the real documents. Once all these were confirmed, I asked Adrian if he has a property that is not linked to his name which he said yes and asked what I wanted to use it for. I told him that it will be used as our meeting place. Nelson said I should explain more and I did that by telling them that Panam made me understand that he has eyes and ears everywhere which means my husband and I are not safe in this house. So, Nelson will tell Panam that since his days are limited, he should change the environment and be moved to a place where he will not be disturbed and have total peace. It will give us more time to plan and also monitor whatever is going on from their end. I also made them understand that cameras and microphones will be placed in every room at home and Adrian will remove important documents and replace them like what will be done in the office. After all has been said, we called it a night to Nelson and ended the call. Adrian said he will start working on the files and going through their computer’s as he has access to their backend. He told me to go ahead and sleep but I told him not yet as I have unfinished business. He asked me what it was and I told him that something has to be done for the guards not to give us issues when we want to move and that is what I want to do. Leaving the room, I went to the kitchen and made a nice meal for my husband as he will be working till late making sure I added that of the guards because I will be adding sleeping pills to their food but only to those working in the back gate. After making sure they were well fed, I left them and went into my room with my husband’s meal. He was still working on the job, I just placed his food on the table, kissed him and went to bed. CHAPTER 10 Panam’s POV Coming out of the King’s Villa, I entered my vehicle and got a call from an unknown number. Picking up the call, I smiled when I heard the voice behind the call and what the person had to say. Agreeing to meet up with the person, I drove out of the compound and got to the meeting point. Entering the building, I saw my fellow people and the meeting began. I am sure you are thinking about what is happening. Well, I and some people known as Lucian,Greg,Aless and Blake who are part of the representatives in Adrian’s board of directors have been in cohort for some years now in order to bring down Adrian. Adrian is a type of person who doesn’t care about anyone except himself. He is rude, arrogant and proud. He will never apologize for his mistakes and will always claim that so far we are under his payroll,he is superior to us. Just because of a little mistake I committed 2 years ago, he cut my salary into two even after telling him such won’t occur again, yet he told me that every sin requires a punishment. Since then, I have been looking for ways to punish him for that sin and that was when I was approached by Lucian who witnessed what happened. He explained what their plan for Adrian was and I immediately agreed because they want to kill him and inherit all that he has, then the proceeds will be shared equally amongst us. As I am always close to him, I inform them of all his activities and where he keeps his important document. Infact, I made sure I knew all his passcode and bank details as they were what was needed for the plan to be in motion. Once all necessary information was gotten, we set the plan in motion. The day he had that accident, I had cut the brake pads of his vehicle and told the guy we hired for the hit and run that he was on his way. When the accident happened, we all thought he was dead but before we got to the scene of the incident, he was already taken to the hospital. We all were disappointed when we discovered he wasn’t dead but it was still a win when we were told that he is paralyzed and won’t walk again with his legs. Moving him to his house, I made sure he remained bed ridden and took over the affairs in his house and home office, While, Lucian and the rest took charge of his business. As he is the only one remaining in his family, he doesn’t have anyone who will come look for him except his best friend Nelson who also works as his doctor. Money was moved gradually from the business account into an untraceable offshore account. At some point, when Thelma, his lawyer, became aware of unaccounted money being wired from his account, we had to bring on board and also promised her a huge amount of money. All of us are in these together and plans are fully in motion. I made sure to pay some of the maids, guards and Drey in the house so as to monitor whatever happens in the house. Even getting Adrian married to Noella was a new idea after his doctor said he has just 3 months to live and must be made happy. Noella is a small case for I have her in mind and she will become mine after that stupid idiot is dead. We all gathered at Lucian’s house to discuss the next phase of the plan which was to invade his office and pick up all the necessary documents we needed. I gave the passcode of his safe and computer to Lucian and also the files he will need to pick up from his system. Once that is done, we will make sure all the remaining money is wired completely, sell all his assets and leave the country. The portion I gave to Noella is not to make him better but it’s a drug to make him lose his memory and he won’t even remember who he was talkless of him being ever rich. Lucian is in charge of selling all his business as he has some connections in the business world while Aless is in charge of selling his properties because he works in the real estate business. We all discharged ourselves and made sure to look around so as not to make anyone suspicious of us. CHAPTER 11 Noella’s POV. By 2 am, Nelson called to inform he was already on his way to the house. I woke Adrian up and told him to dress up because Nelson had already called. He looked tired after working till late but went into the restroom to wash his face and I helped him pick his clothes from the closet. Once I was done dressing, I went into the restroom to wash my face and brush my teeth and saw Adrian looking at me through the mirror. Turning my face towards him, I asked him why he was staring at me and he said “ Damn, you look so beautiful this morning”. I just burst into laughter and told him it’s too early to start flirting. As we were still making jokes, Nelson’s call came through and he informed us that he was packed at the back gate with his nephew Daniel. We tiptoed from our room gently till we got to the back gate and saw the guards there sleeping. Adrian looked at me like how did I come up with this type of solution and I just shrugged my shoulders. He picked up the keys from one of their pockets, opened the door and locked the gate back. We met up with Nelson and Daniel, greeted them and asked if everything was in place and enroute to the office. Getting to the office, we packed at Adrian’s parking space and used his personal elevator to his floor while also checking for any intruder. Daniel immediately began working on installing the cameras and microphones in Adrian’s office while Adrian started on replacing the original files. Nelson and I went to the other offices to snoop around and try if we could see anything suspicious. We were checking around a particular office when I saw shredded paper on the table and out of curiosity, I picked it up. Checking it out, I discovered it was not completely torn and it’s fixable, so I brought it to the notice of Nelson. As we were checking it out, Adrian and Daniel came to us letting us know they are through with the other offices and this is the last one. Adrian said he has copied all the files onto his harddrive and will check them out later. Nelson attached the paper together and called us to check it out. It was discovered on its list of all businesses attached to Adrian’s name and other partners collaborating with him. We were surprised at how this list got out as it was not meant for public knowledge. Adrian said this list was always inside the safe in his home office and whosoever has this list also has access to his home office. Looking at each other, we all called out one name “PANAM”. My husband was so furious that I had to hold onto his hands so he wouldn't start breaking stuff. Daniel had to bring to our notice that it was already past 4 in the morning and we needed to start going. On our way home, I told everyone that we needed to move fast as our enemies are also not relenting. I told Nelson to call Panam tomorrow and inform him of Adrian needing to leave the house for his final rest and we will take it up from there. Adrian will also have to change Important documents from his home office so there will not be any unaccounted loss. Dropping us at the back gate, we went inside and discovered the guards were still sleeping and tip-toed back to our room. We changed out of our clothes and were preparing to go to bed when I remembered to tell Adrian to quickly change some files in his office. He told me he can’t do that again as Panam already had access to it and will already know the contents of the files but he has a plan in mind. I saw him picking up his phone and was wondering who he was calling at this hour. Adrian’s POV Picking up my phone, I called Becca who is Nelson’s fiancee and also a lawyer. She is also a very good friend of mine who would have been my lawyer if not because I already had Thelma before she started dating Nelson. She picked up the phone after a couple of rings and started shouting at me why I called her by that time and disturbing her so called beauty sleep. Apologizing, I made her understand how important it was and could not wait, so I started filling her up on what has been happening in my life and how I am also suspecting my lawyer to be involved. She said what needs to be done is to change ownership of all my properties without anyone knowing and once that is done, no one will have access to any of them except the new owner. I asked her to draw the contract and send it through Nelson, also promising to meet up with her soon. CHAPTER 12 Noella was not aware of my plans with Becca, I just explained who she was to her and told her that I will be requesting legal advice from her and she agreed. I had to text Becca when she went to bed to put her name as the new owner of all the wealth and also asked if it is possible to change the signatures on all my accounts to my wife also. I told Becca to arrange for this as soon as she can and she promised me 2 days. Two days later, Nelson came to my house informing my wife and I that he had spoken to Panam about me leaving the house to rest and he agreed immediately saying a dying man’s wish must be fulfilled. He even suggested Noella went with me so she can also serve as my live-in caregiver. Nelson said he told Panam that the location must not be disclosed as it is my last moments, so for the next one month only Me,Noella and Nelson my doctor will be with me. I asked him what was Panam 's reaction to that and he said he was skeptical about that but later agreed as he had no choice so he will come to see me before going and also leave Noella with some instructions. Nelson also informed us that the moving will come up 2 days later so our plans can fully be in motion. Noella excused herself to go get refreshment for us and he used that moment to give me the documents from Becca. He asked me if I was sure of what I wanted to do as it was very risky and once she signs them, it means she has full control over everything I own. I told him that I was 100% sure of this and I trust her. As I was going through them, Noella walked back in and dropped the tray of snacks and drinks on the table. She saw me reading the file and asked what it was and I told her she needs to sign them. She said she won’t sign them except she knows what it contains and I told her to trust me because I will explain later. After some time, she signed the documents and demanded an explanation. I told her the documents she just signed proves she is now the owner of everything I have including businesses, accounts and properties. Out of anger, she slapped me and asked how I could make such decisions without informing her. She was furiously complaining to both I and Nelson, even insulting us about how we could do this and why Nelson will allow me to do this. Allowing her to become calm, I told her it was the best thing to do according to Becca at least till everything dies down. I apologized for keeping her in the dark about this but knowing her she won’t have agreed and it needs to be done one way or the other. Noella finally accepted what happened and asked what was going to happen next. I called Becca to inform her the documents were signed and she told me to fax them to her so she can start working on them. I asked for her fax number and sent it to her which she confirmed seeing and informed me that Noella has to go to the bank in company of her to change signatories. Noella told her she will be available by 10am and will go to school from the bank. Nelson said he was about to leave to complete the arrangements of the house we are moving into and dropped the camera and microphone Daniel gave him for me and instructions on how to do it. Noella’s POV After the stunt Adrian pulled, I understood his intentions even though he kept me in the dark about it. The following day, I did all the necessary things in the house and bid farewell to my husband letting him know I am on my way to the bank. Leaving the house, I came across Drey and he asked me where I was going. I told him I had lectures to attend in school and left him standing because I was running late to meet up with the bus. As I went towards the bus, I noticed some strange movements but didn’t take note of it. CHAPTER 13 I sat inside the bus and we started going towards the bank. Looking out of the window while listening to some music, I noticed a car that seemed familiar following the bus. Checking closely, I noticed it was Drey on the driver’s seat and immediately developed fear in me. I was so scared that the guy seated beside me asked if I was alright as I was shaking. I told him I was fine and told the bus driver to stop because I wanted to alight. Getting down from the bus, stylishly I looked back and saw him packed a few meters from my stop, so I called Adrian and explained everything to him. He was scared for me and started asking if I was alright which I confirmed that I was. He told me he will sort it out and I should give him a few minutes. He instructed me to keep pretending like I'm on the phone so he will not suspect I know he is trailing me. After dropping the call, I pretended like I was still on the phone while still being cautious. Few minutes later, he called me saying that Daniel will come pick me up now and will disguise himself in a hoodie so he won’t be recognized. He said once I meet up with him, I should do anything he says. It wasn't up to 10 minutes when I saw Daniel approaching me and I smiled because I started feeling safe again. Upon reaching me, he hugged me and whispered in my ears that I should hold him tight and act like we are in love. Shocked, I did what he said and we stood for some time before he left me, held my hand and we started moving towards a direction unknown to me. After quite a distance, we entered a very nice looking compound gate and I stood looking in awe. While entering the compound though, I saw Drey still trailing behind us making me uncomfortable. We entered the house and I asked who owns this place and he said my husband. I asked how that was possible, he then told me that Adrian gave the house to him to stay when he had issues with accommodation and since he was Nelson’s nephew it was easy. I told him to explain fully to me how he was able to reach me so quickly, then he told me that Adrian used my location to detect where I was and since it was close to his side, he sent the coordinates to his phone and told him to pick me up and keep me safe. He also said Becca was informed about the latest update and will pick me up from his house. I asked him why he then hugged me as I didn’t know the use of it and he then said he suspected Drey was following me to get information for his boss and they might use whatever it is against me or for a blackmail and he was correct because when he hugged me, he discovered Drey taking pictures of us and will use it as a blackmail maybe even saying I am cheating on Adrian. Looking at Daniel, I was so amazed at how intelligent he was and how he could come up with such a plan within a short time. He told me to have a seat and went to get something from the kitchen. Using that as an opportunity, I looked around and saw him working on some files on the dinning as it was filled and scattered with papers making his Laptop the center of attraction. When he got back, I asked what he was working on that made the dining room look untidy and he said it’s Adrian's work because he is helping him wire back all the money they took from his account and kept in a foreign account. I asked how possible it was and he said he was tracking the IP address and once he gets that, he will do some other things and that at least he has retrieved 65% of the money. While we were talking, we heard a knock and he went to check who it was. Coming back, he came in with a lady who had on her hand a shopping bag. Looking at her,she introduced herself as Becca and came to give me a hug saying how she has heard so much about me from Adrian and Nelson and confirms I am as beautiful as they said. Hearing her say that brought a smile on my face and I also told her how I heard she was Nelson’s fiance. As we were about to start chit chatting, Daniel made us understand we had no time on our hands and we needed to move quickly to save time. Becca handed over the shopping bag to me and told me to wear the dress inside so as not to be noticed by whomever might be tailing us. Daniel led me to a room to change and when I was done, Becca and I left Daniel’s house in a car that was tinted round enroute to the bank. CHAPTER 14. Panam’s POV. Our plan was going into motion today so I went to the office and entered Lucian’s cabin to meet up with him. Entering into his office, I met him looking disturbed searching his office so I asked him what he was searching for. He said the list of businesses I gave to him was what he was searching for. I asked him how it happened and he said after checking it out, he tore it into pieces and kept it somewhere but he couldn't find it. I told him to forget it, maybe the cleaner disposed of it and it shouldn’t delay us. Quickly, we moved into Adrian’s office as I had the access to it as his PA and went straight to his safe box. I entered the code and brought out all the files inside the safe and we started going through them. While doing that, I received a call from Drey telling me he trailed Noella and discovered something. I asked him what happened and he said when Noella left the house this morning, she said she was going to school and he followed her to the bus stop but noticed she didn’t enter the bus going in the direction of her school. He said he grew suspicious of her actions and started following the bus and saw her getting down at a particular junction. He said he parked at a distance and was watching what her next step would be when he saw a guy approaching her which made him take out his phone to record all what was happening. I told him to send all he got to me and I will know what to do. Thanking him, I ended the call and explained to Lucian what it was all about. I received the message from Drey and saw compromising pictures of Noella and a guy hugging in public. Lucian smiled and said we will use this as evidence to prove that she is indeed cheating on Adrian. Once we gathered all the files we needed, we left Adrian’s office and went into Lucian’s. Going through them, we found different contracts of partnership, files on Adrian’s business and different accounts. Looking at Lucian, I told him we had done our part of the plan and it’s Thelma’s turn. We called her to inform her about all we found, so she said she will draw out a contract and I will make Adrian sign it stating that Lucian is the owner of all he has and once that is done, we can start the selling of the businesses and shares and it will also give us easy access to his other accounts. I told her that I will personally deliver the files to her office on my way home. I picked the files up and told Lucian about Nelson’s advice to move Adrian to a secluded environment for his last days and he said it’s okay because it means there won’t be much disturbance in our plans but we have to move fast to make him sign the ownership before he leaves but we must also put people to trail him because we must never be caught unaware. I told him not to worry about that as I will get it done. Adrian’s POV Nelson and I listened to all conversations held between Lucian, Panam and Thelma. Nelson said I am so lucky to have someone like Noella as a wife because how did she quickly come up with such a plan to switch all the documents to original. I told him thank God we did it that soon because if the documents had reached their hands, it’s already over for me. He asked me where she is now and I told him she and Becca went to the bank to change the signatories as she is now the sole owner of both private and business accounts. Nelson asked if the bank manager was aware and I told him yes because I already called him and explained all to him. He was always informing me of any money wired from my account and I told him already to allow it so they won’t be suspicious from their end. I told Nelson that his nephew Daniel said he could trace the foreign account and wire the money bank and was already working on it. Nelson said everything was set in the house we want to move into for the plans and the only thing remaining was the occupants in it. CHAPTER 15 Noella’s POV Getting to the bank, Becca and I went directly into the manager’s office as instructed by Adrian. We met with his secretary and gave her a fake name that was also provided by Adrian as people who have set an appointment to meet with the bank manager. She let us in and told us to have a seat while we waited for him as he was in a quick meeting. Waiting for 10 minutes, the manager came to join us in his office and introduced himself as Mr. Nino. Going into the business of the day, he requested for the change of ownership documents from Becca which she gave him and he went through it. While reading it through, he was letting us know that once this was done that even Adrian won’t have access to all accounts except I approve which we told him that we know. Once all the papers were reviewed, he brought out a file from his drawer and gave it to Becca. She reviewed it as the lawyer and told me to also read through them myself. After reading, I appended my signatures and completed all necessary formalities. Mr. Nino filed them up and said it has been set and can start giving orders like the boss I am making us all burst into laughter. Still laughing, we stood up to take our leave and he escorted us and told us to always watch our backs as we don’t know who is watching. He also said he will keep updating Adrian about any latest development. We bid him farewell and drove off to the house. Becca dropped me at a distance to the house as she cannot be seen with me so as not to make our plans flop. I changed back to the outfit I wore when I left home at the back of the car,thanking her for her help today. I alighted from her vehicle and started the journey home. Getting home, I met Drey on my way inside and he asked me why I was back home early as I don’t close from school this early. I told him that I went to let them know in school that I will continue my class online because of Adrian. He said okay and I went inside the house to go check on Adrian. Entering the room, I met him under the duvet lying still like he was really sick. Upon seeing it was I who entered, he stood back up and came towards me. I locked the door and met him halfway only for him to pick me up and kissed me. I was not expecting that but I went with the flow. After some time, he dropped me down and asked me how my day went. I explained everything that occurred today at the bank to thim and all what Mr. Nino said. He said he has known Nino since his days in school and he is very efficient in what he does and trusts him to a certain level. Agreeing with him, I also asked him what he did while I was gone and he made me understand that the prey had fallen into our trap. He told me all what they did and discussed today as both he and Nelson via the microphone and saw them through the cameras. Listening to all he said, I thought it through and came to a conclusion. I asked him how many people are involved in our plan and he said 5 people including us both. He said since Becca is now the lawyer handling the case, she is already included in the plan. I told him everyone included in the plan will move into the house except Nelson as he is your doctor and will not move out till the mission is accomplished. I made him understand that since Lucian had told Panam to make people trail our movement, it means they will know where we are located and anybody who moves into and outside the house will be reported back to them. So since we are moving in two days time, they will move in a day before so nobody will know they are in the house with us. Adrian was just looking at me like how the hell did I come up with this idea from. Immediately he picked up his phone and called all of them via conference call. They all picked up and Nelson asked why we were calling them all at once and Adrian told him a new development came into the plan. He explained all that I told him about Lucian’s plan and the solution I came up with, making them understand that Nelson won’t be going with them as he will be required to follow him as his personal doctor. He pleaded with them that they should please do this for him because he knows he has been tiring them with his problems. Becca told him not to say that he had been a good friend to her and it’s not an issue while Daniel said Adrian has always been an elder brother to him providing for him like it’s his duty. Nelson said the only thing he wants after all these is a destination wedding for him and Becca and Adrian will sponsor it. We all bursted out in laughter and Becca called him a fool for asking his best friend that. I promised Nelson that his wishes will be fulfilled and Adrian will even be the father of the day as he is the one paying for the wedding. They all cracked at what I said and we called it a night after they all agreed to meet at Nelson’s house by 8 at night as he is the one who knows where it’s located. Dropping his phone on the bedside table, I told my husband that there is only one move remaining for it to be a check and mate. He said once all this is over, he will give me a proper wedding and we will start our life afresh. Agreeing with him, I went to do my nightly routines and we both went to bed. Waking up to tickles from Adrian, I begged him to let me go so I won’t pee on the bed and he let me go while stealing a kiss from me. I told him to also get up as we had to pack up things today and we had to do that before Panam brought the papers for signing. He stood up and went into the closet to start packing while I went into the restroom. As I was taking my bath, I heard Adrain asking if he could help with my things too and I said it was fine. Leaving the restroom, I saw our bags were both packed and kept on one side in the room. He went to take his bath while I dressed up and packed other things he didn’t remember to pick up. I went to make some food for my husband and I found 2 other maids in the kitchen making food. I greeted them and started picking up ingredients for his food when one of them called Lisa told me they had already made Sir Adrian’s meal. I told them it wasn’t necessary as I always made his food and the other maid called Julie called me out that we all are maids including me and it’s all our duty to make Sir’s Adrian food as it was not allocated to just one person and since he is leaving the house today, they decided to cook a farewell meal for him and I should just allow them do their job as I will be the only one cooking for him once he has gone. Startled at the way I was approached, I allowed them to do their jobs and picked up the tray once they were done with it and told them thanks. CHAPTER 16 Going back inside the room, Adrian had already tucked himself into the duvet thinking it was someone else coming into the room. Seeing it was me and looking at the expression on my face, he asked me what happened and I explained it all to him. He said Lisa and Julie have never prepared meals for him as their jobs were to always do the laundry and clean the rooms. I told him that was true because we all had sections we managed. I disposed of the food inside a polythene bag as I suspect it’s been tampered with and they work for Panam. I promised to make food for Adrian once we got to our destination and he said not to worry. While making sure I left nothing unpacked, footsteps approaching our room were heard and Adrian tucked himself back into the duvet. Entering into the room with confidence was Panam with some files at hand making his way towards Adrian. Seeing me where I stood, he asked me if I was ready to move with Adrian and started giving some set of do’s and don'ts for where we are going. I listened to him like I cared to and behaved like a diligent maid. He asked me if I was giving Adrian the drugs he gave me that was sent by a doctor and I replied yes. He gave Adrian the files and told him they were some office work that was pending and he needed to append his signature before going. He said he could have waited till later but Nelson said no one was allowed to visit him as it was a secluded environment for his benefit. Adrian told him that he informed Nelson to involve him as he is his PA but Nelson said it’s for his mind and doesn’t need a crowd around him. Panam said it’s okay that he understands where Nelson was coming from and he will stay behind to take care of things in the office and also at home here. Adrian appended his signature to the documents and Nelson walked in at that moment saying it was time for the movement. He told some people to come inside and I saw they were paramedics with a stretcher at hand to move Adrian into the ambulance. Panam excused himself saying Adrian to take care that he needs to submit some files. Once he left, the paramedics did their work and Nelson assisted me in moving our belongings to the car. I stayed with Adrian inside the ambulance while following behind Nelson as he was the one who knew the direction. We had to keep up with the pretense as the fewer people who knew he could work, the better for us as we didn’t know who we could trust. Few hours later we got to the location and I got down to assist Nelson move the luggage inside while the paramedics moved Adrian down from the bus. I told Nelson to call Daniel and Becca to stay in their rooms and clear anything that will make it obvious we have people in the house and he did just that. Once we were confirmed good to go, Nelson led us to the gates and opened it using a key. As we were moving inside, I saw a vehicle discreetly parked at the corner of the road and thought they may be the men Lucian and Panam sent to watch us. Adrian was wheeled into the house by the stretcher and taken upstairs into his room, placed on the bed with the assistance of the medics after which Nelson escorted them out and waited till they drove off. Locking up the gate, Nelson came back and confirmed they had left, also letting us know he saw a strange looking vehicle parked at a corner in the street. I also told him that I saw it when we were moving and suspected it to be Lucian’s men. Nelson told us to arrange our things and get settled while he goes to meet up with Becca and once we are done we should all meet downstairs. After arranging all that we brought, Adrian said he was hungry and I told him we should go downstairs and I would whip something up for him. Getting to where the rest were spotted, I asked where the kitchen was located and Becca volunteered to show me the way saying she will assist me in making food for everyone. I saw the kitchen was fully stocked with food items that could last for months, picking up needed ingredients for pasta, we started cooking. Couple of hours later, Becca went to tell the boys food was ready and set up the dinning while I dished the food into a casserole. Daniel strolled into the kitchen saying Nelson said he was in the mood for some wine and they all agreed to drink so he came to pick up a wine from the fridge. Adrian came after Daniel left saying he would help me move the food into the dining. We got to the table, everybody dished out their food and we started eating. While eating, Daniel said he has moved all the money successfully into the account back and he made it untraceable so it won’t lead back to him. Adrian thanked him alot for his help and promised to compensate him for all his troubles. I told everyone that from tomorrow, plans will be in motion as they will not delay from their end and once they see all their efforts are wasted and they have been double crossed, they won’t leave us alone which means we must be alert. Adrian said he already thought this through so he informed Nino of a plan. Discussing all that we needed to say, we departed to our various rooms. CHAPTER 17 Panam’s POV Today is that day where we have been waiting to reap all the plans we have been sowing for 2 years now. Once Adrian signed those papers, Lucian instructed Aless to start selling the properties and gave him the documents he would need. He also instructed and directed Blake and Greg on how to start selling all the shares he has in different companies and organizations. Lucian,Thelma and I went to the bank to change signatories and successfully move money out without any suspicion and nobody will question why we are doing so. Getting to the bank, we were told to wait at the reception by the secretary as we did not make a prior appointment before coming. We told her to inform her boss that it's a prospective client that wants to see him and it’s urgent. Few moments later, we were told we could go in and meet the manager sitting. Seeing as we approached him, he stood up and stretched forth his hand for a handshake and Lucian shook it introducing himself as Mr. Lucian while the manager called himself Mr. Noni. He offered us seats and asked the reasons for our visit. Thelma told him we came to change the signatories to Adrian’s accounts as he had transferred all he had to Lucian. Mr. Noni said he knows Thelma as Adrian’s lawyer as they have met a couple of times with Adrian so why is she acting as Lucian’s lawyer now. She replied and told him that she came to bear witness on the order of Adrian that he truly relinquished all he had to Lucian because Adrian knows he will ask some questions. She also made him know that he had left the country to a secluded environment for his last days that’s why he gave Lucian his properties. Submitting the documents to him, he went through them all and asked where we got all these from which Lucian said it was Adrian who gave them to him. Mr. Nino said Adrian couldn’t have given us these documents as they were fake. Lucian stood up immediately and locked his shirt saying he doesn’t trust him and he noticed Nino acting strange since we arrived. He told Nino to do his job and stop poking his nose in businesses that don't concern him. Thelma and I begged Lucian to release Mr.Nino and allow us settle this amicably. Thelma asked Nino why he said the documents were fake because as a lawyer, she knows the difference between a fake and original certificate. She said the documents were checked out carefully before bringing them over and even Adrian’s signature was appended on them all, so what was his point? He made us understand that the transfer documents were original because he presumed Thelma drew it up and she replied yes. He then said the other documents of his registered companies and accounts were fake. He made us understand that Adrian is no more the owner of his accounts as the change of ownership was done two days ago. Thelma said that was not possible as she would have known as his lawyer and he couldn’t have done that as he was bedridden so what was happening. Lucian said he was lying as he wanted to have access to Adrian’s account because he knew he was dying soon. Noni told us to wait and he went outside for a few minutes and came back with a file at hand giving it to Thelma so she can go through it. Thelma’s expression of a shocked face made Lucian collect the files from her and he started shouting that it was not possible. I collected the file from him and went through it seeing Noella’s name as the new owner of his accounts and her signatures. I was so shocked that I didn’t notice Lucian taking the file from me and tearing the documents up. We all stood up surprised he did that, making Nino call the security on us to be escorted out of his office. He made us understand that the document Lucian tore was a duplicate and not the original and if he was seen around the bank premises again, he will be handed over to the police. After being escorted out by the police, we went into the vehicle and started thinking about how all these happened. I had to give it to Noella, she was smart on her end but how was she able to get all the documents as they were in Adrian’s main office. So I came to the conclusion that she couldn’t have done it alone, she had help. Lucian was blaming Thelma for not knowing the documents were fake and she calls herself a lawyer. As the both of them were throwing blames on eachother, I was thinking why Adrian will have a fake document inside his safe as he was not someone to work that way. I called both of them to order and told them that instead of us fighting each other, we have a common enemy and we need to find out how all this played out as Noella couldn’t have done it alone. I made them realize that it was not possible for Adrian to keep fake documents in his safe so what really happened. CHAPTER 18 Lucian said it could be Nelson as he was Adrian’s best friend and he could have access to his files. I made him understand that Nelson rarely came into the office when Adrian was on his feet and since he became bedridden, he hasn’t been seen in his office. Thelma said maybe someone in the office was the rat and I made her understand no one knew the passcode to the safe. It took me over a year to discover his passcode as Adrian was not careless and he made sure he only had access to those files. Lucian said then it was Adrian that gave his wife the passcode which we all agreed but how was she able to take the originals, go to the bank and change ownership and we were not aware. Thelma said her concern was who helped her draw up the transfer papers because she would have needed a lawyer. As we were deliberating all what was happening, Lucian received a call from Aless that he was in the police custody and we should come bail him out. We rushed down to the station thinking what could have led Aless to the police and Lucian was angry because he was meant to sell Adrian properties today and not land in the police cell. We branched Thelma’s office for her to draw up the bail papers before going to the station and on arrival, we saw Aless behind the cell at the police counter stand. Thelma submitted his papers and they released him to us and returned his items back. When we got into the car, Thelma asked him what happened and he said everything was a sham. Lucian started shouting at him saying all he had to do was just monitor things because he had placed all the properties for sale and held an auction for it to be sold. Aless said when he got to the auction site, he met with different businessmen who were ready to buy the properties at any given price. He said the auction started and he has sold up to 7 of the properties and had received their cheque when one of the buyers shouted that it’s all a lie because the documents I gave him were fake which made everyone start checking theirs out and confirming from their lawyers. Aless said all their documents were confirmed as fake and he was held down by one of them security while they called the cops on him. He said all the checks were collected from him and he was also beaten by those guards. He said people are withdrawing from his real estate and he has lost a huge sum of money. We all began to wonder what was happening because it was becoming like a dream only that it’s not. Lucian said we should move to his house so we can think about all that is happening. Enroute to his house, I was thinking of how all this happened in just a day when I received a call from Greg asking where we were and I told him we were on our way to Lucian’s house and he said they would meet us there. I told the other people in the car that Greg called and said they will meet up with us. We saw Greg’s vehicle parked in the compound when we arrived and went inside the house to meet up with them. Blake saw us first and he rushed towards me landing a punch to my face. Startled by that, I landed on the floor and as he wanted to continue hitting me, Greg and Thelma held him back, preventing him from continuing with his assault. Getting up from the floor seeing Blake was calm, Lucian told us all to sit and asked Blake why he was violent. He said that when he and Greg met up with the people who wanted to buy the shares, He told them the amount of shares that Adrian had in each company and their worth and upon calling those companies to confirm them, It was discovered that he doesn’t have any shares with them anymore. Greg continued from where he stopped by saying he showed the documents to those men and it was confirmed that it was fake. Infact, one of the companies said that ownership of shares was done just yesterday and so it doesn’t belong to Adrian anymore. He said he even insisted they tell him the name of the new owner and they said it can’t be disclosed. Blake started shouting that those people started calling them all sorts of names and embarrassing them, making them leave with their heads bowed in shame. He said I’m a traitor because I had access to those documents and went behind them to betray them. As he was speaking, Aless interrupted him telling him and Greg what also happened to him today as we just bailed him out of Jail. He also supported Blake in calling me a betrayal that I had done all the transfers and kept fake documents in the safe to deceive all of them. Lucian cut him short saying if he did not discover a new thing that he would have also believed them, but in the bank today we saw that Noella was the new owner of all Adrian’s accounts and business. He said we were also escorted out of the bank today after confirming our documents were fake also. CHAPTER 19 Lucian told me to call those men we put on Adrian and Noella to ask for any update which I did and they confirmed since they have gone inside, no one has come out so there are only 3 people inside the house including Nelson. I informed Lucian what I was told and he instructed Thelma to go and make another transfer of ownership because either by hook or crook, we are going to get that ownership. He said he doesn’t want to delay things on our end and all these must end today. I asked him what he had in mind and he said once Thelma is through with the papers, we are going to that house where Adrian and the rest are, so our men should send us their location. On getting there, we will make sure Adrian forces Noella to sign the transfer document by showing him those pictures of her in a compromising situation after which we kill them all since Adrian is dying anyway. I told him not to kill Noella as I want her for myself after all these are completed and Lucian was looking at me like I had lost it. I explained to them that it’s not as if I love her but she is just too beautiful to be wasted. After perfecting our plans, we all went to our various houses to get ready and meet up back at Lucian’s house. Adrian’s POV I received a call from Nino saying the plan is falling into place and they have known Noella is now the new owner of my wealth. Hearing that, I told him to move into phase two and he said he has people on them already and they placed a tracker on their vehicle. He said the police are already on the move and he is coming behind them. I told him to let me know when they are 5 minutes away but they shouldn’t come inside until Daniel calls him to. I called Becca and Daniel letting them know it’s happening and should stay at the spot allocated to them. Daniel said he has set the camera and microphone in place to record all what they will say as evidence and will call Nino once i give him the signal to do so. Becca asked me why I didn’t involve Nelson and Noella and I made her understand that I needed their reaction to be natural. If I tell them, they won’t react as expected and Lucian is so smart to know that we are aware of their coming and might do the unexpected. But if we give him the satisfaction of the reaction he wants, he will feel he has won it all. I discharged them and went towards my room only to see my wife sleeping on the bed. Gently, I touched her face and placed a swift kiss on her lips. Looking at her for some time, I went outside and met with Nelson who said he was coming to look for me and I asked why. He said he was not feeling comfortable with how relaxed we were because Lucian and his group won’t rest until they get what they want. He also said he knows I have something up my sleeve and whatever it is, I should be careful. Seeing my foolish best friend saying this made me realize he knows what I can and cannot do. The Idiot just came towards me and hugged me saying he doesn't want to lose me and I assured him that he won’t. We were gisting about old times when Becca and Noella came downstairs and went towards the kitchen to work on dinner,asking us to call Daniel and not leave the guy out of our talk. Nelson said he can’t wait for all this to be over and live his life to the fullest and I just started laughing asking him when he ever lived his life to the fullest. Daniel came downstairs and joined us on the couch at the same time Becca walked in with the food in her hand and went towards the dinning. Noella joined her with the plates and we started eating when I received a message on my phone from Nino that Lucian and his people had already left and on their way to our location which means by midnight they will arrive. After acknowledging it, I continued my dinner like nothing ever happened enjoying the banter between Becca and Nelson. We had fun talking about past memories that were enjoyable and all that. The boys volunteered to do the clean up as the girls have been taking care of us since we arrived. Finishing with the clean up, we called it a night as Becca said she was feeling sleepy. I carried Noella bridal style and she became shy, hiding her face on my neck making me chuckle till we reached our bedroom and sat her on my lap. I held her close to me, making her a promise to give her enjoyable memories once all these are over. She told me she only needed one thing from me and that was to never leave her alone as she had never had anyone commit to her completely. I made her a pinky promise to never leave her ‘cause she is stuck with my arrogant self till death. Laughing and getting up from my lap, she went to change into her night dress and I laid on the bed waiting for her. She came to bed and I drew her closer to me and we went to bed. At exactly 1am, I received a message on my phone from Nino that they are close, meaning it was time for the last phase. I messaged Becca and Daniel to move to their place of hiding and wait till it’s time to come out. Not less than 5 minutes later, I heard a bang on the gate and I called Nelson on his phone to go and check who was there as he is the one with the key. I woke Noella up telling her someone is banging on the gate and Nelson has gone to check it out. As we were talking, we heard a shout from Nelson saying what was going on. Noella ran out the room and I stayed behind as I had to pretend to be bedridden. CHAPTER 20 Noella’s POV Running out of the room to where I heard Nelson shout from, I saw him being tied down and held at gunpoint by Lucian’s men. Standing inside the living room were Lucian, Panam and 3 other people I know are in cohort with them and their men who are holding guns in their respective hands. Lucian told me not to move as any movement will cause the death of Nelson and even mine as well . I asked him what was going on and how he even located this place and he said nobody can hide away from him because he is everywhere. He asked about Adrian and I told him that he was asleep and pleaded not to disturb him because I don’t want him to be hurt but he didn’t listen to me and instructed 4 of his boys to go and bring him downstairs. I started struggling with them not to touch my husband when Panam came towards me and backhanded me, telling 2 of those men to hold me down. Crying profusely, I looked at Nelson and saw him fuming in anger and also looking helpless at the same time when I heard footsteps and I looked back to see them carrying Adrian down the stairs and they placed him on the couch beside me. Lucian went to where Adrian was placed and sat in front of him laughing at how helpless he looked when he always behaved like the whole world was on his shoulders. Adrian asked him what was going on and why I and Nelson were tied up. Looking around, he saw Thelma and Panam asking them what they were doing with the board of directors. Panam told him to sit back and enjoy the show. Adrian’s POV Lucian came towards me and started telling me how they came together to go against me and destroy me so they can acquire all that I had and when I asked what I had done to deserve this, he said I was a selfish bastard who doesn’t want progress for anyone except myself. He said getting people to go against me was not hard as a lot of people had me in mind because of how I carried my arrogant self around, so he brought the group together and they have been on this plan for years now. I pretended like I don’t know what he was talking about and asked him what plan was that and angrily, he said the accident made me stupid because now I should have known that they were behind the accident that happened and if not because the guy contracted didn’t do his job well, I was meant to die in that accident but then again he was happy seeing me become a living vegetable. He said after the accident happened, he took charge of the office and started wiring money out of the account into foreign one through the help of the Company’s accountant who he bought over with some money. He started explaining how Thelma became involved when she discovered a whole lot of money was leaving your account and he had to promise her a whopping sum of money for her to be on his side. Lucian said his biggest help and support was Panam because he made his plans easy and was always ready to deliver. He diligently served me so he could know the codes to my safe and how I operate my business so they know where to target. Blake had to call Lucian back to order telling him time was going and they needed to do what they came for and not start explaining all they had done. Lucian asked me if I knew my wife was a golddigger and I answered saying she was not one. He said Nelson and Noella are both in cohorts to extort me and transfer all my properties to their name. I had a look of shock on my face and said it was not possible which made him show me a set of pictures involving Noella and Nelson hugging themselves. They had attached the face of Nelson to Daniel's face and were using it to blackmail me. I started shouting at both Noella and Nelson asking how they could betray me in this manner, after putting all my trust in them. They both were looking at me like why was I saying that?. Panam then said that they went behind my back, forged my signatures and took the documents to the bank to do transfer of ownership into Noella’s name. Lucian said he is not interested in any love or sob story and what he is here for is that Noella signs the ownership back to him or he tells his men to kill both I and Nelson and they will do it. Nelson told Noella not to sign it and he instructed one of his guys to shoot Nelson in his arm which he did. Shockingly, as that was not part of my plan, Lucian said the next one will be through his head and he won’t survive it. I was praying earnestly for Nelson to be okay, while Noella took the papers from Thelma and signed them with tears in her eyes. Once I saw what happened, I immediately shouted NOW and all of them were surrounded by the cops and Nino. Becca and Daniel rushed down the stairs to release Nelson and Noella while Nino held a cloth to Nelson’s wound to stop the bleeding. Lucian and his group of people started wondering what was happening and I stood up from the couch taking them all by surprise. I made them understand that I was never bedridden and I started discovering their plans when the guy who caused the accident received a phone call that it was done. In order to save my life, I had to pretend I was paralyzed and started monitoring all what was happening till date. I told them of the idiom that says ‘He who laughs last, laughs best’ and I made sure I got the final laugh. I made them all understand that all what they have said has been recorded and will be delivered to the cops and I will make sure they each serve at least 25 years of sentences. I instructed the police to take them away when Lucian grabbed a gun from the police beside me and wanted to shoot me, but Nino was faster than him shooting him in his hands. The cops grabbed and cuffed each of them and took them out. Once the living room was cleared, I went towards Nelson to check how he was doing and he told Daniel to get the first aid kit and will sort himself out as it was an open wound. Becca was crying telling him to go to the hospital for proper treatment and he says he will go tomorrow. Daniel brought out the kit box, taking it from him. I assisted him to remove the bullet and clean up the injury. Assisting Nelson to the couch, he said I should start explaining what was happening. I explained to them all that after we made those plans, he thought of what would happen when Lucian and the rest found out their plans had flopped because they won’t keep quiet about it. I knew they would go to the bank first to have access to the accounts so I called Nino and explained all to him. He was the one who gave the advice of them being tailed when leaving his office and involving the police. He also made sure a tracker was placed on their vehicle so as to know where they are at all times. Daniel set up a camera and microphone in the living room to present to the cops as evidence and I told them both to hide away because nobody knew they were present in the house with us. After explaining all to them, Noella rushed into my arms saying how scared she was for me and thought that was the end of it all and told me never to keep her in the dark again. Nelson said he always knew me as a cunning bastard always having something up my sleeves making us all laugh. While laughing, Noella asked Nino where he got a gun from and he said it’s for his own protection and has a license for it. We all called it a night as we were tired from all the happenings and Nino slept with Daniel in his room. EPILOGUE Noella’s POV Seeing Becca walk down the aisle with her father brought out tears from my eyes. A lot has happened where we had to clean up all the mess Lucian had caused in Adrian’s businesses. Adrian had to do a lot of press conferences after coming out of his supposed bedridden state. The court proceedings was the last of it all where Lucian was pleading not guilty, but because of all the evidence gathered against him, he had no reason to be considered not guilty and was charged with 45 years in prison with no parole. Panam and the rest as accomplices were charged 25 years with no parole. Adrian did damage control in his office and at home by uprooting the weeds planted as spies and working against him. After all this was done, we all flew to Greece for Nelson’s and Becca destination wedding sponsored by Adrian as promised or should I say me because my dear husband actually left me as the owner of all he had saying he doesn’t need more enemies in his life and it’s better that way as only few people knows I now own all he has. Still in my thoughts, I heard Nelson shout I do making us all laugh at how eager he was and Becca just shook her head at his antics. After the I do’s and the kissing, we all ventured to the hall for reception where Adrian as the best man gave a speech about Nelson and all his bachelor adventures,wishing the new couple a fulfilled married life. During the couple dance, Adrian came to me requesting I dance with him which I did and followed him to the dance floor. As we were dancing, I just saw my husband going down on his knees bringing a box from his pocket, opening it to discover an engagement ring. He said he promised he would wed me in the proper way and that's what he is doing,so I should please give him a chance to prove his love for me and I shouted YES that I would marry him. He put the ring on my hand and we all continued the reception while I was thinking how happy I felt. I know this is just the start of good things in my life because I have a new set of family to call my own.