THE ILLEGITIMATE HEIR'S REVENGE

The sunrise casted a soft glow on two bodies as they laid on the twisted silk sheets of a king-size bed breathless and entwined Dawn slowly creeping over the horizon, casted a warm golden light through the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the sea The air was thick with the scent of jasmine from the garden below, a sweet fragrance that mingled with the aftermath of their night of passion. Angela’s head rested on Richard's bare chest, her naked body pressed against his, their pulses gradually slowing down to normal. Both of them didn’t want to interrupt the silence because they were scared about possible consequences of it. Richard's breath heaved in his chest as he struggled to catch his breath. “Angela…” He trailed off, unsure of what to say next. There was no way back from this line they had crossed, and he couldn’t read her mind now that she was seeing things clearly. Angela felt herself blushing as she remembered how passionately she had given herself up to him, forgetting all about being professional and detached. “I… I don’t know what will happen.” She sat up pulling the sheet around her to cover her naked body. The gravity of what they had done sank in. Richard propped himself on an elbow, reached out and caught her hand before she could get away. “Please don’t do this Angela.” His voice broke with raw emotion. “Last night… last night was…” She turned to look at him, eyes filled with unshed tears. "What, Richard? It just happened? We were caught up in the moment?" She laughed bitterly. “We can’t change it now can we?” Richard shook his head adamantly, his eyes burning fiercely into hers. “You know that's not what I meant. Last night…Angela… I have been wanting this for so long.” The longing in his voice cut through Angela’s heart like a knife as he spoke with passion. “Richard, we cannot do this.” She swallowed hard; she was close to giving in. He sat up, the sheet falling down around his waist as he took her in his arms. "Why not?" He kissed her forehead, his hands stroking her hair. "We feel this way about each other and I've felt this way since the moment I met you." His confession hung between them like a storm cloud. Angela closed her eyes. “It is not that easy, Richard.” She got up and climbed out of the bed picking her clothes up from the floor beside her bedside drawer. “We both have our... responsibilities…” “Angela,” came Richard’s voice heavily laden with strong emotions and rumbling deep down inside him, “I have never felt like this about anyone else before.” Her eyes reflected the light of the bedside lamp, as she looked up to meet his gaze. "Me neither," she confessed. “But Richard, what are we going to do? You are engaged and I . . . I am your secretary.” His jaw muscles tightened as he climbed out of the bed naked and walked towards the window. "I don't care. I'm tired of living a lie." He looked at her, his determination intense and fierce. "Angela, I'm in love with you." The words were like an explosive device in the air but Angela did not move; her heart was stuck to her throat as she gazed at a man she had been secretly in love with for years. In her head, hundreds of thoughts rushed but they all didn't matter when it came to him, she loved him too. She took a step forward hesitatingly, drawing in breath quickly before saying softly, “I love you too.” Richard's face stretched into a broad smile, three strides carried him across the room His hands snatching her off the ground. "Then we’ll work it out." He shrugged as if it was as simple as that. “We could tell my parents everything. They’ll understand” Angela laughed aloud.” It’s not that easy Richard,” She sighed, the reality of their situation settling on her like a lead weight. "Your father... He'd disown you.” Richard sneered. “I don’t give a damn.” He said with contempt in his voice “I never cared about the company or the money” “I only stayed all these years because i thought it was my duty. But... but now... His eyes softened as he looked at her.” “Now all I know is that real happiness can only be found with you.” Angela’s heart leaped and broke at the same time. “Richard, this isn’t just about your dad,” she spoke quietly. “What about your fiancée?” Richard's expression darkened at the mention of the woman he was supposed to marry for a business deal he had no part in making. "Francisca is a cold-hearted gold digger.” he responded while barely spitting out the words as though it was a foul tasting saliva. “She doesn’t love me and will never do so anyway.” The only reason she agreed to marry me was because she only gets to inherit all her family's fortune by marrying into my family. Richard sat on one end of his bed and remembered back to the day when his father had proposed the marriage between him and Francisca Adams. It was a cold Friday evening in early August, he was surprised to see his father's call asking him to have dinner at the Hawke Estate. He rarely saw his father outside the office and he moved out of the Hawke Estate because it was hard enough to pretend to be a real family at the office. Living with his father was just too uncomfortable for him. The spacious dining room decorated with expensive statues and paintings was dead quiet save for the clinking sounds coming from his father's plate as he ate without looking up at Richard. He couldn't bring himself to take a bite out of the food gracefully displayed in front of him. Then his father broke the silence that felt like it could go on forever. “I think it's time you started playing your part as my son and the heir to the Hawke Empire.” he said curtly. “I do my best at the office, I believe you know that” Richard replied calmly. Immediately his father stopped eating, dropped his cutlery and looked at him. “That is not what I'm talking about, we need to expand our business or we'll stop growing and die” Richard looked at him trying to figure out what he was getting at. Then he said it, the sole reason why he called him over for dinner, “I have arranged for you to get married to Francisca Adams” Richard couldn't believe his ears, as he replied in shock “what?!!... You what?...” “Anyway it doesn't matter, I'm not doing it” He said as stood up to leave His father looked at him his gaze full of warning, telling him not to get him angry as he said “It's a done deal, I and her parents have agreed on the date” “I just thought it was fair I inform you” “Fair?...” Richard thought. There was nothing fair about this He felt trapped and suffocated but under his father's stern look he could not muster enough courage to say no. His father, the chairman of Hawke Empire, was a ruthless businessman who cared little about his son's happiness and only about the growth and expansion of his company. When he saw an opportunity to use Francisca's family connections to launch their company into international markets, he didn't hesitate to strike a deal that included the marriage of his son to Francisca. He knew that he could never really love her like she wanted. Her heart was cold and greedy and she only sought after how she could secure her family’s wealth by marrying into a rich family like his. But Richard had no choice in the matter. His father made it clear that this marriage would be necessary for their company's success. And so, Richard found himself stuck in a loveless engagement with Francisca while secretly yearning for Angela. He couldn't even imagine telling his father about their relationship because he knew it would mean losing everything – his inheritance, his position in the company, and potentially even Angela herself. However, with Angela standing right there before him expressing her love and willingness to risk everything on them, Richard became more determined than ever before. He couldn’t keep living a lie anymore. All he wanted was happiness and that is what he would have with Angela besides him. He got up from the bed and took Angela’s hand in his. "We'll figure this out together," he said firmly. "I won't let anyone come between us.” Angela looked at him, trying to fight back the tears that wanted to run down her face. She knew it would not be easy but she was also was ready to fight for their love. “I trust you,” she said quietly. They stayed wrapped in each other’s embrace until the early hours of morning, talking about their future. It has been two months since that night when something happened while she was busy at work sorting out files for Richard’s board meeting in the office. Again, an overwhelming feeling of Nausea came over Angela — the third time within 2 days. The scent of freshly printed paper filled the air mingled with a faint fragrance of Angela's perfume. As she rushed to the restroom, her nostrils were hit by a strong smell of cleaning products and bleach. The office smelled like old paper and ink, with slight traces of coffee and perfume mingling in the air. Above all she noticed a weak sourness coming from her stomach. Angela's hand clutched her stomach as she ran down the hallway towards the restroom. Her heart throbbed in her chest and her hands were clammy with sweat. She felt a mixture of anxiety and nausea that made her stomach churn and twist. As Angela walked into the restroom, she was greeted by the strong smell of disinfectant and toilet cleaner, causing her nose to wrinkle in response. She pushed open the door of a stall, kneeling before the toilet seat with trembling hands, she gripped tightly and dry heaved. She struggled to suppress the feeling of vomiting as the bitter taste of bile remained in her mouth. She forced herself to swallow, attempting to push away the distasteful flavor. As the bitter taste of bile intensified in her mouth, she decided to give up and vomited into the toilet, feeling her throat on fire. She tried to deny the symptoms, but she knew deep down inside. That night, Angela was in her cozy bathroom, prepared to confront reality. With trembling hands, she held the pregnancy test, her eyes filled with surprise and fear as she gazed at the two pink lines. She glanced at the clock on the bathroom shelf, noticing its red numbers shining in the dim room. She sat on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the plastic stick in her hand, the two pink lines affirming her greatest worry, she felt shock and disbelief as she tried to comprehend the reality of the situation. A wave of emotions washed over her, making her body shiver and her skin tingle. Standing up, she unconsciously reached for her stomach, sensing a subtle sign of a tiny bump starting to develop. Instinctively, she placed her hand on the small bump, picturing the life that was beginning to grow inside her. It was then it dawned on her. She was pregnant with Richard's child. It was a shocking revelation, that sent a lightning bolt like feeling coursing through her body, leaving her breathless. A million thoughts raced through her mind, but all she could concentrate on at that moment was the sensation of new life developing within her. The air surrounding her, seemed to crackle with energy, a fierce and powerful force that she couldn't quite name. Standing there in the bathroom, with her hand on her belly, she realized that her life was about to change forever.