Andrea Cromwell’s POV
My phone buzzed incessantly as I wrapped up the design I had been working on since morning. As the Founder and CEO of Ratio Architects, I didn’t have a moment of respite! I preferred it that way! Keeping myself busy helped me mend my shattered heart. It took me five long years to achieve my dreams. Yes, I was proud of my achievements!
Entrepreneurship was an arduous journey with more bumps than a smooth sail, but I had soldiered on single-handedly. I was grateful to Sebastián Conrad, the CEO of Conrad Architects Worldwide, for giving me an opportunity! The alliance with Conrad got me a regular flow of work, money, fame, and success.
When I started, I had nothing apart from a broken heart, tears, and a difficult pregnancy to deal with. It was a fierce battle for me so far, but I emerged as a winner! I could prove to the world that it wasn’t so easy to break me.
I glanced at my phone to notice my grandpa Vincent Cromwell’s number flashing across the screen. A sense of dread swept across my mind. I had left my four-year-old twin boys with him to wrap up the work at Conrad Architects Worldwide, our main associate.
They were a worldwide architectural solution provider and trusted me with projects all the year round. I couldn’t disappoint them. With the final presentation an hour away, I crossed my fingers that they approved my design. The money involved was too much to ignore.
I sighed at the phone constantly buzzing away, knowing I had to take this. The moment I accepted the call, I knew something was wrong.
“Andrea, where are you?” I massaged my temples, wondering what was up now.
“At Conrad, grandpa. Is everything alright?”
“No, can you come over to Medicaid? Adrian fell from his bike!” My motherly instincts were immediately on high alert! Being a single mother to notorious twin boys with a business to manage simultaneously was the toughest thing to do!
“God! I’ll be there right away!” Closing my laptop, I locked the office room before rushing down the elevator to the parking area. I didn’t have a minute to spare! I would return before the presentation and deal with it!
“Andrea, the conference!” reminded Diane, the receptionist, as I rushed out. She wanted to say more, but I had no time to stop and gossip.
“I’ll be right back!”
Soon, I was bracing through the Downtown LA traffic to reach Medicaid, the reputed medical center in Crescent Drive, Beverly Hills, near grandpa’s house. I felt guilty for leaving my children and going to work when I could have opted for an easy way out.
I didn’t want an easy way out, nor did I want any financial help from my family! It annoyed them, especially my twin brother, Knox, but I paid no heed to his rantings. My grandpa Vincent Cromwell and my twin, Knox, wanted me to look into the family business, but it didn’t interest me.
Five years ago, I handled the R&D sector of Cromwell Reckitt Group of Companies, our FMCG business, but it wasn’t my niche! I sighed at the memory! That was before my life turned upside down!
In twenty minutes, I parked at Medicaid and rushed inside to see Adrian in a wheelchair with his leg wrapped up in a cast. Grandpa Vincent and his second wife, granny Catherine, stood by him with grave expressions on their faces. A gasp of horror escaped my lips as I stopped before them.
“What happened to him, grandpa? Why is he in a wheelchair? Has he broken his leg?” I kneeled in front of my boy, who strangely watched me with a grin instead of tears. In fact, he looked proud of his injury!
“No, mom. Chill! It’s just a sprain.” Tears of helplessness welled up in my eyes as I touched his leg. I should have been more careful. I was surely a terrible mom! “Don’t cry, mom! I’m fine.” He reached out to wipe my tears away.“Sprain? Then why have they put up a cast?” I rose to face grandpa, not convinced at all.
He gestured to Granny Catherine to take Adrian away. She nodded and pushed Adrian’s wheelchair towards the exit while grandpa turned to face me.
“Don’t panic, Andy. There’s a hairline fracture on his knee. The doctor has suggested a complete bedrest for two weeks. I didn’t want to scare him. As it is, he’s trying to look brave for your sake.”
“Fracture? Oh, my God! I knew they would be up to something with those new bikes.”
“It’s okay. These things are a part of growing up. You can talk to his doctor. We’ve got this Andy! You can go back to work now.” I blinked at my grandpa, still in a dilemma.
“Are you sure? Where’s Zayden? Is he okay?” Zayden was Adrian’s twin and the more notorious of the two!
“He’s at home with Mrs. Hamilton! Don’t worry about him.” I released a sigh of relief and helped them to the car. I trusted Mrs. Hamilton, my grandpa’s housekeeper, more than anyone in the entire world. She has been a constant in our lives, having brought Knox and me up since the day we were born! She was more like a mother to me than my biological mom had ever been! After my parents’ death, Knox and I looked up to her for everything.
After grandpa drove away, I had a word with the doctor about Adrian’s condition. The fracture would take time to heal. Until then, the doctor advised rest! I knew what that meant! Adrian wouldn’t be able to go to school! How would I skip work for a week? The only option would be to let the twins stay with grandpa at Cromwell Mansion until Adrian recovered.
I hated dumping my responsibility on others. For the last five years, I hadn’t moved into Cromwell Mansion but bought an apartment with my hard-earned money. My family didn’t understand my need to be financially independent! To them, I was reckless, stubborn, and temperamental, but I knew what I wanted. It was only to achieve something and prove to someone my worth. That someone was none other than my brother’s best friend, Zion Concorde, the father of my children!
Sadly, he never even took an update on me or his children. In fact, he didn’t even consider them his own.
I blinked those unwanted thoughts away and rushed out of the medical center towards my car. I had buried that part of my life five years ago. Now, at the mature age of thirty-four, my priorities had changed drastically. I didn’t care about myself! I lived only for my two little boys! They meant the world to me! There was no place for Zion Concorde in our world.
I was already five minutes late for the presentation, but Sebastián Conrad liked my work too much to protest. Having known one another for almost four years, he knew he could depend on me. As I drove on, I groaned at the traffic conditions. At this rate, I would arrive late!
Just as I expected, I rushed into the office almost twenty-five minutes later! There was a pin-dropped silence all around as everyone sat in their cubicles with grim faces. Was Conrad mad at me today?
Just then, his PA, Laura Westwood, emerged from the conference room and sighed with relief at seeing me. “Where were you?” she whispered, her face pale and solemn. Something was terribly wrong today! I had never seen Laura this serious in all my three years of association with her. She was an easy-going, happily married woman, unlike me!
“I’m sorry! I got held up. Is Mr. Conrad mad at me?” I rushed to my office to get my laptop while Laura followed me inside.
“Oh! Don’t you know? Mr. Conrad is in New York. He hasn’t been coming to the office for almost a week. There’s a rumor that he has sold off the company to some global architectural giant!”
I gaped at Laura for a split second, trying to absorb the news. I had been so preoccupied with the latest project that I had no time to meet Mr. Conrad lately. With a degree in engineering, he was never interested in Conrad Architects, his father’s business. “Sold off? To whom?”
“You’ll find out everything at the conference. Please hurry! The new CEO is here already, and he’s mad at all of us!” My heart sank at the prospect of facing a stranger. Surely, today was the worst day of my life. My feet trembled with apprehension as I followed Laura to the conference room. She pushed the door open for me to enter, but I was already a nervous wreck. Would the new CEO insult me? Would he refuse to work with my company again?
“I hate tardiness! I must say, I’m quite disappointed with everything here.”
I froze at the doorstep on hearing the voice. It was one I could recognize, even in my dreams. It was the voice of Zion Concorde, the man I least wanted to meet! Why was he here? After he destroyed me in every way, what did he want from me now?
“Sir, Ms. Cromwell is here!” announced Laura before I could stop her. Now there was no escape. I would have to face him after five long years!
Andrea’s POVAll eyes were on me, and I had no option but to step into the room. My glance immediately flew towards the far end where he stood, brooding like a dark angel! He still looked the same. Furious, rebellious, and arrogant. How had I expected him to change? My heart sank, and I felt like the rug had been pulled from underneath my feet. His blue eyes locked with mine, making my heartbeats run amok. My posture stiffened as his eyes seared into mine. My breath settled near my collarbone. All the memories flooded my brain at that moment. Those memories left me dizzy, hurt, and numb with longing. So many years have passed between us, yet I struggled to hide the emotions choking my throat. The reason was obvious! I loved him with everything I possessed. Despite his rejection, I hadn't been able to move on from him.Was he really here? The short black hair, the thick dark brows, the long curled eyelashes, the chiseled face, and the full lips were still the same! He was still the mo
Andrea’s POV “Andrea, is everything alright?” Granny Catherine’s voice brought me out of my daze. Ever since that phone call, I hadn’t been able to stop worrying about the next day’s meeting. I knew Zion was upset at seeing my lack of interest. Did he seriously think I would do his bidding? After my rebuff, he had just agreed to meet me tomorrow and disconnected the call. Ever since I had no idea what was going on in his mind. It was strange he didn’t specify a time for the meeting. “Yes, granny!” I blushed under her scrutiny. How did she figure out I was going through mental turmoil? After all, I hadn’t interacted with her for quite some time. Grandpa Vincent married Catherine Shelby six years ago. I left for Athens immediately thereafter. We could hardly bond with one another. Yet she was now an indispensable part of our family, taking care of my boys and Knox’s children, too. With Knox and his fiancée, Danielle Hartford, away on a vacation, I could hide from his relentless inter
Andrea’s POVZion’s eyes glittered as they focused on me, holding my gaze, challenging me to look away. I couldn’t because the memories of the little time I shared with him came rushing into my mind. My emotions were all over the place! I tried hard to keep them at bay, to maintain a cold, professional front, but my heart gave me away. He was the father of my children, after all! ‘You shouldn’t forgive him for what he’s done to you. He doesn’t even accept them as his own!’ reminded my inner mind. I blinked the emotions away. I had to be stronger if I wanted my revenge. “You know me so well, Andrea! Yes, there’s a catch, but don’t worry. It’s not a daunting task to do.” He leaned towards me, but I didn’t back off, facing him bravely. “I will help your business in every way as long as you stay with me in my house here. I want you to move in with me! The moment you leave, I’ll stop providing you with work.” My jaws dropped with shock. “What the f*ck! Why would I do that?” I felt like
Zion’s POV “Damn! Why hasn’t Mr. Robinson arrived here yet? The restaurant project should be ours at all costs.” Charlie Martin, the marketing manager of Conrad Architects, stammered, having to deal with me for the first time. He had no idea how difficult I would make his life if I didn’t get what I wanted. Yes, I wanted to see Andrea accept defeat and bow down to my terms and conditions. She might consider me evil, but I didn’t care. I was helpless five years ago, but not anymore. I wanted her back in my life! “He called to inform us he would be the twenty minutes late, sir.” I punched the desk in frustration. “I hate tardiness. Didn’t you tell him that? What about the other projects? Did you follow up on those?” I had appointed my trusted PA, Steve McGuire, to track down all the projects Ratio Architects took up. I knew I could blindly trust him and he lived up to my expectations, giving me a detailed report on the subject.“All have agreed to work with us except Edward Sterling
Andrea’s POV “Andrea, Michael has emailed you his resignation before leaving! Have you checked?” asked Roberta as I went through the terms and conditions of the Wells Group project. After all the deals went out of our hands, this was my only hope. It was obvious Zion was deliberately trying to force me to surrender to his wishes, but he had no idea about my patience. After raising the twins single-handedly since they were born, I had loads of it. I wasn’t the immature, reckless Andrea I used to be. However much he tried, I wouldn’t rise to the bait. Now, this fresh piece of news shattered my inner resolve. How could Michael backstab me? How could he leave Ratio now, when I needed him the most? “Are you sure? I have received no email from him yet.” Roberta looked uncomfortable while I gave her a suspicious look. No, there were no emails from Michael. “How do you know about this? Did he tell you he will leave Ratio?” I was now sure this was a joke. I trusted Michael even with my eyes
Andrea’s POVA sense of dread spread over my mind as I watched Mrs. Hamilton approach the door. No, I couldn’t face him. “Please deal with him, Kathy. Tell him I’m busy!” I dashed off towards Adrian’s room to avoid Zion at all costs. The therapist had completed his work and got up to leave. I could hear the main door close. So Zion had left! Granny Catherine was arranging Adrian’s duvet and cushions, so I followed the therapist out. “Call me if he faces any discomfort. Otherwise, I’ll come over after two days to check up on him.” “Thank you so much for coming over at such short notice.” He smiled and nodded at me.“It’s my job.” As we walked out of the room towards the main door, I froze at the sight of Zion, sitting in the living room, maybe waiting for me. What was he doing here? Didn’t he know I was busy? The therapist took his leave while I walked over to Zion, glaring at him all the while. “What brings you here, Zion? There is nothing to discuss. I’m busy!” I continued to glar
Andrea’s POV I felt relaxed, rested, and much better! The soft bed I was lying on didn’t seem mine! Where was I? I remembered falling unconscious in the office! After that, everything was hazy. I had no memory of anything whatsoever. Immediately I opened my eyes with a start as a feeling of dread clutched at my heart. I looked around the tastefully done-up room. Where was I? This wasn’t my room or Cromwell Mansion! With its neutral shades of beige, it looked more like a man’s bedroom. My heart constricted with fright. I dreaded accepting the obvious. Did Zion bring me over to his house? After all, he was the only one present near me when I lost consciousness. No, I had to escape. I didn’t want to stay here a second longer to confront him. My head swooned as I tried to get up. It was a futile effort, and I fell back on the bed. I knew I was burning with a fever, but I had to leave. If I stayed here, I would go crazy. I made repeated attempts at getting up on my feet. At last, I sto
Zion’s POV Mad fury coursed through my body as I realized what she had done. How dare she hit me? I would punish her right away! No one could get away after messing with Zion Concorde! Maybe she hadn’t gone far without a car or her bag!I was about to open the door and run after her when a phone buzzed somewhere on the floor. I felt my phone in my pocket. It wasn’t mine. I looked around to find Andrea’s phone lying outside the main door. She might have dropped it in her haste. Then how would she summon help in her condition? I walked out of the penthouse, picked up the phone and glared at the screen. The name Adrian flashed across the screen, immediately making me see red. At that moment, I could have killed the guy with my bare hands. I was about to accept the call immediately, intending to blast him for calling at odd hours, when my gaze fell near the elevator. A gasp of horror escaped my lips at the sight of Andrea lying near my private elevator. I knew she was burning with feve