"Mom, why don''t you call Uncle Greg to find out if Dad is still with him or has left the hospital." David''s anxious voice cut into his mother''s thoughts, forcing her to snap her head from the window.

    "That''s a good idea. I will call him right away." Harriet stood up and reached for her mobile phone on the glass centre table. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest as she scrolled through her recent call contact in search of her brother-in-law''s number. She held her breath, pacing up and down in the sitting room as she dialled the number.

    When the senator didn''t take his call, Harriet let out a frustrated sigh.

    "What happened?" Elsie asked, staring at her mother''s flustered face.

    "Your uncle is not taking his call." Harriet lamented, tears rolling down her cheeks.

    "Why don''t you try his line again? Maybe he was busy the first time." Elsie came up to her mother ready to console her.

    "Okay." Harriet tried again, staring at her phone screen and praying desperately in her heart for the call to scale through.

    It rang severally before the senator finally picked up.

    "What is the problem, Harriet." Senator Gregory''s impatient and piqued voice echoed from the other end.

    "Good evening, brother-in-law," Harriet said in her most calm voice, masking the hurt. "I''m sorry for calling you at this hour. I just wanted to know if Desmond is still with you at the hospital."

    "Desmond!" The senator''s voice sounded a bit surprised. "What are you talking about? Isn''t he with you at home?"

    Harriet felt her heart do a fatal somersault as she replied. "No. He left the house three houses ago with Gwen, your wife and Pearl. They said they were going to the hospital to see Nana."

    "Is that so?"

    Harriet felt a chill run down her spine at the senator''s response. "Yes. I was hoping to know if he had left the hospital. The children and I are a bit worried."

    A bitter chuckle echoed from the other end before the senator''s chilly voice rapped in her ears.

    "Well, for your information, I haven''t set eyes on your husband since I left him back at my house. I recalled asking him to stay back and not bother himself with anything concerning our mother. I''m not aware of his current whereabouts, but I can assure you that he is not with my mother at the hospital. So, why don''t you call Gwen and her mother to find out where they took your husband?"

    "But I tried calling G....hello..." Harriet peeled the phone from her ear only to discover that the senator had ended the call. Sёar?h the N?vel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "What happened, Mom?" David asked.

    "He ended the call." Harriet cried out, looking at her son helplessly.

    "Did he say anything about, Dad?" Elsie collected her mother''s phone from her trembling hands.

    "He said he hasn''t seen your dad since the last time we all left the mansion." Harriet held her chest with both hands as if her heart was about to fall.

    "What!" Both David and Elsie chorused.

    "Where could dad be?" Claudia lamented, holding her biting tummy.

    A thousand and one scary thought crippled Harriet''s mind as she envisioned Desmond falling prey to his old habits that got him arrested in the first place.

    Without thinking she dashed into her bedroom and came out, holding her handbag and her car keys. She collected her phone from her daughter and hurried to the entrance door.

    "Mom, where are you going?" Elsie panicked, blocking her mother''s path.

    "I''m going out to look for your father." Harriet patted her daughter on the chin. "Stay back and take care of your siblings." She hurried past her to the door.

    "But mom..."

    "I promise, I won''t take long." Harriet cut off her son''s protest. "You can eat your food now." She hurried out of the house without a single clue where she was going.

    -

    -

    Meanwhile, at The Young five-star hotel and suites, Desmond was having the best time of his life, wining and dining like a king while getting an endless dose of sex from his lover.

    He was so drunk and carried away that he forgot the promise he made to his wife.

    Pearl, on the other hand, who was bent on claiming another woman''s husband, kept him caged between her thighs, giving him a steady dose of her sweet love while grinning evilly like a wild poppy flower.

    Regina, on the other hand, was getting all the love and attention she needed at the moment.

    Even though her former lover, Taylor Young was currently out of town, Gwen was able to fix her up with a young gigolo thanks to Tyler''s assistant.

    Although Tyler also claimed to be very busy at the moment, he gave Gwen access to his luxurious presidential suite, where she relaxed while she waited for her mum and aunt to round up their activities.

    Unbeknownst to all three women, their atrocities were been filmed live on camera.

    -

    -

    After almost seven hours of induced sleep, Amelia slowly opened her eyes to the familiar setting of her bedroom.

    The subtle scent of lavender with a hint of mint, the warm glow of her maroon night lamp, and the soft feel of the plush beddings filled her with a sense of tranquillity.

    But amid this serene environment was a lingering ache, a pain that seemed to rip her heart apart. It made her head feel very heavy, and her body achedd all over as if she had been engaged in a marathon.

    A metallic taste lingered in her mouth as though she was coming down with a fever, and a progressive dull pain radiated from her lower abdomen.

    When she tried to move her right hand, she observed that a cannula was fixed to her right arm, and an intravenous drip was supplied steadily into her system.

    "What happened?" She queried her thoughts weakly.

    As if in response to her question, she heard her father''s calm voice coming from her left side, forcing her to tilt her head in that direction.

    "You were sedated by Doctor Vanessa." Senator Gregory left his seat for Amelia''s bedside. He gently sat down holding her broken gaze and stroking her left hand.

    The sight of her father''s downcast face triggered Amelia''s memory, replaying everything she desperately wanted to forget.

    "Oh, Dad..." Fresh tears trickled from the side of Amelia''s reddened eyes.

    "Shh... Please don''t cry, my princess. I know you''re hurting. But you need to be strong." Senator Gregory brought out his handkerchief and gently dapped Amelia''s tears.

    "He raped her," Amelia whispered, her heart shattering afresh. "He defiled her on the eve of her wedding. He hired people to do the same thing to me. Why? How is his actions justified?""

    Senator Gregory fought back his tears knowing breaking down in front of his daughter would only intensify her pain.

    "For years, Mum bore this grief alone. She kept it hidden from us. She suffered in silence. She tolerated Grandma''s antagonistic attack. She tolerated his presence in our home. But deep down, she was broken, bitter and in pain. Mum may have died of leukaemia but her spirit has been dead for a long time."

    Senator Gregory lowered his head, his guilt eating him raw.

    "This is all my fault. I failed your mother. I allowed that animal I once called a brother to hurt and destroy my family. But not anymore." He looked up to meet Amelia''s moist gaze. "I promise you this, my princess, I''m going to make things right. I will avenge your mother even if it''s the last thing I do on earth. I will avenge her for us. I will make Matt regret ever touching my wife and hurting my daughter."

    Amelia nodded her head, more tears flowing down her temple and disappearing into the pillow.

    "But I need you to be strong, Amy." Senator Gregory continued, stroking her hair tenderly and staring into her eyes. "I don''t want this to get the best of you. I don''t want it to ruin your health or your chance of being a mother. Promise me you''ll try to take things easy on yourself."

    "I''ll try." Amelia sniffled.

    "That''s my, girl." Senator Greg kissed Amelia on the forehead.

    At that moment, a brief knock on the door forced the senator to look up. The door was quietly pushed open and Maria walked in, closely followed by Dr Vanessa, Judith, Hilary and Henry.

    "She is finally awake." Maria hurried to the bed, beaming. She lowered herself on Amelia''s right side and pecked her on the forehead while the senator watched them affectionately.

    "I''m so sorry for everything, my love."

    "Thanks, Mum." Amelia smiled amid tears.

    One by one Judith, Hilary and Henry took turns in cheering Amelia up.

    "Please, don''t cry. I''ll make sure that the monster pays dearly for what he did to my sister. I promise." Judith said, making room for Doctor Vanessa to re-examine Amelia''s vital.

    Afterwards, Amelia was informed of the relocation plans which she didn''t object to.

    "When are we leaving?" Amelia asked weakly.

    "Tomorrow morning, sweetheart," Maria replied, a masked excitement in her voice. "Everything is set."

    "Okay." Amelia barely noticed Maria''s excitement.

    "And you don''t have to worry about your company. It''s in good hands." Henry reassured Amelia.

    "Thank you."

    "Now, I''ll have to ask you all to leave. I need some time alone with my patient." Dr Venessa shooed everyone out of the room.