[ Adeline Linwood ]"Ma'am, are you okay?"I heard a woman's voice. I recognized her as our maid. I slowly tried to open my eyes and shut them instantly as I felt a sharp pain in my head."Ahh.." I groaned and tried to wake up.I found myself on the floor while my house staff was staring at me with concern."Are you okay, Ma'am? You're laying on the floor." The maid asked me.I recalled Addison's impulsive act. She came here with a vendetta to kill me."I just..I just passed out." I made an excuse because I didn't want my parents to get worried and hate Addison more but it doesn't mean that I'd let her walk away easily. She messed up with a wrong person."Help me." I requested her to help me to get up.They helped me and I sat down on the sofa. My head was throbbing with pain."Here, take this, Ma'am. It'll subside the pain." Another maid handed me a glass of water with a painkiller.I quickly swallowed it and suddenly remembered. I was going to the party but attacked by my lunatic si

[ Adeline ]The night was excruciatingly long for me as sleep was far from my eyes. I was tired yet I couldn't sleep. Throughout the silent hours of the night, many thoughts were stirring in my mind.Xavier, Arthur, Addison and my future, they kept pulling me into a myriad of conflicts. I slipped out of my bed around four thirty when I felt I couldn't sleep anymore. I wore my jogging shoes and workout clothes and came out of the mansion for a run. I had been working out after the divorce to keep my body in good shape since Addison and Arthur used to ridicule my plump body.I ran faster on the deserted streets. There was no one to disturb me. The sweat and tiring muscles, they couldn't stop me from draining myself out.I ran for almost two hours and when I returned, it was already early morning. I was covered in sweat, so I decided to take a long shower first. "Good morning, wife. If you had told me, we could go together for run." I heard Xavier's smooth voice thus stopping me from

Adeline ]“Do you have any idea why your father is calling all of us for a family dinner?” I asked Xavier who was sitting quietly beside me while the driver drove the car towards Arnold’s house.“I have no clue just like you. My father has a habit to surprise us with his decisions. I just hope he doesn’t drop a bomb over our heads.” He sighed. He reeked of cigarette.I have observed him. He drinks or smokes whenever he’s stressed over something.“Xavier, you know you can tell me anything unless it’s too personal.” I tried to scratch the hard surface of my husband.He craned his neck in my side and shook his head, “It’s nothing, Adeline. I just don’t want to be around Linda and Arthur. The make me feel outcast. They tried their best to turn my father against me and to some extent, they succeeded. Dad sent me to boarding school and then to London for my higher studies I used to crave for my father’s love since my mother died.” He looked down on his lap.A powerful and intimidating man

[ Adeline ]"This is nonsense! I won't accept this sham." Arthur threw the papers in the air."Yes, it's unacceptable, Mr. Linwood. How can you do this to us?" Addison exclaimed beside us.Linda’s expressions weren't different but she refrained herself from bursting out like her son and daughter-in-law. She seemed cry in anguish any moment."Please, calm down, my young bloods. I have edited my will for a reason." Arnold was extremely calm in this situation."Dad, why are you doing this? You know, I was satisfied with whatever I have received from you." Xavier said very calmly but his voice was thick with emotions."Honey, you could have thought about it before writing your will again. You're practically throwing our son out of your inheritance." Linda said in a low voice."Linda, you're my wife and an amazing life partner that I could ever ask for and that's why I gave you the villa and 10,000 acres of fertile land on our Texas property. A sum of 30 million will be paid to you annuall

[ Adeline ]“I love this place, I mean it.” I looked around the small diner, it was homely and the mouth watering aroma of pizza and pasta intensified my hunger. We gave our orders and waited for it to arrive with a bottle of local Italian wine.“I told you and it’s been a very long time since I last ate here. I actually wanted to bring you here.” He said with a small smile.“With Emily, I guess.” I said giving him a raised look.“Yes, it was the night of Valentine’s Day. We escaped the crazy party of our friend because they were drunk their butts. It was the night when she broke the news of her pregnancy. It was the happiest night of our lives.” He told me with a flash of sadness and I regretted my question.“I am sorry, Xavier. I shouldn’t have brought the subject. I know she is a sore subject for you since you madly loved her. I promise I’ll be more careful with my words.” I apologized feeling guilty. He somehow felt light after the hearing the devastating news of his father’s incu