Ch. 91..95: Trapped in a Secret Marriage with a Dangerous Billionaire Chapter 91-95
Chapter 91: Condolence Visit
"Did you forget our plan because of this?" Olivia asked, pointing to her stomach.
Stella’s gaze followed her hand to where it was pointing, before moving up to her face. "My girl, our plans changed exactly because of that. You will win Xander’s wife over as planned, but you can’t divorce Owen until you give birth to your child."
Olivia refused to back down and said she couldn’t bear having Owen’s child because their relationship had broken beyond repair, and she didn’t want to carry any burden from him along.
"Think of the bigger picture, Olivia," Stella said with a little push in her voice. "You will give birth to your child and just when Owen thinks he has an heir, you will divorce him and take the Swift’s family great-grandchild with you. What do you think?"
Olivia’s gaze wavered for a second, thinking of the greatest revenge to give Owen, but just when her mother thought she had bought her idea, she dashed her hopes.
"Mum, I will have an abortion as soon as possible and I will divorce Owen after three months as we initially planned," Olivia insisted without missing a beat.
Both mother and daughter exchanged heated glances, none, refusing to bow to the other. After a moment had passed, Stella said, "Girl, you will listen to your mother on this one." Then she snapped her gaze to the side to look out through the window.
---
As soon as Abigail got Aurora’s text, she abandoned her lunch in the dining room and went straight to her bedroom to pick up her bag. But as soon as stepped out of the house, she saw her mother coming out of her car.
"Mum, you’re back?" Abigail greeted breathlessly as she approached her.
Evelyn smiled brilliantly. "Yes, I am."
"How was the conference? I didn’t follow up on the news," Abigail asked.
"It was successful just like I expected," Evelyn replied as her smile died down, picking up the slight furrow in her daughter’s brows. "Your face doesn’t look good. What happened, and where are you going in such a rush?"
As soon as she was asked that question, a deep sigh escaped Abigail’s lips. "Aurora’s father was murdered last night."
"What?!" Evelyn exclaimed as her gaze widened in utter shock. "H-How did this happen?"
Abigail shook her head. "I will explain everything when I come back home. Aurora just texted me, I have to go back to bed with her," she explained in a rush, not wanting to leave her best friend alone for a moment.
"I will come with you to give my condolences to the Swift family, and you will explain the details in the car," Evelyn said, stepping back into the backseat of her car.
She had just come home after a long exhausting flight but didn’t mind going to visit her daughter’s best friend because that’s just how much she cares about her affairs.
Abigail rounded the car and got in from the other side and together, they left for the Swift’s residence.
---
Arriving at the Swift residence, Abigail and her mother were welcomed in and led to the sitting room where Stella and Stephanie were sitting.
After exchanging simple polite pleasantries, Abigail and her mother settled down on the couch and faced the two other women.
"I just returned from a conference abroad when my daughter told me what happened. I’m so sorry for your loss," Evelyn said with a solemn look.
"Thank you," Stephanie thanked her with a small nod. "The incident is an unfortunate one that we can never forget throughout our lifetime. My brother’s death hit us hard."
"I know," Evelyn nodded in understanding. "If we all feel saddened by the ugly event, what more you, Mr. Swift’s family members."
Stella watched as Stephanie and Evelyn chatted for a moment before interrupting them. "Mrs. Miller, thank you for coming, but we would wish you keep the cause of my husband’s death to yourself. Your daughter happened to learn about it because she’s Aurora’s best friend, and we appreciate her for stepping in to stay with her during these times."
"Of course, I wouldn’t say this anywhere," Evelyn promised as her expression turned serious while Abigail almost rolled her eyes at Stella for insinuating that her mother would spread the Swift family’s news outside.
Stephanie, knowing that Evelyn might be offended by Stella’s statement, gave the latter a subtle warning glance, but was ignored.
Just then, Aurora came to the sitting room after being notified of Abigail’s presence.
As soon as they saw her, Abigail and her mother stood up to greet her. Evelyn opened her arms and welcomed Aurora for a hug.
"I’m sorry about your loss, be strong," Evelyn whispered as she embraced her warmly.
"Thank you, Aunty," Aurora replied before releasing herself from her embrace, and then they all sat on one couch.
Evelyn spent a few more minutes with them before deciding to take her leave. Stella’s attitude wasn’t enough to chase her away, but she was exhausted and needed to rest as it was beginning to tell on her body.
Abigail didn’t leave with her mother since she had come back to stay with Aurora. As soon as Evelyn left, they went up to Aurora’s bedroom.
"Did your stepmother say anything to you while I was gone?" Abigail asked as her weight sank into the bed.
"No, she didn’t. I believe she is wise enough to know how to behave at this time," Aurora sighed before her mind drifted back to the scene of Stella accusing her of killing her father yesterday.
"That’s good to know," Abigail said, taking her hand. "How long do you plan to stay here?"
"Actually, I’m leaving today." Aurora met her gaze. "Xander is coming to pick me up this evening."
Surprise contoured Abigail’s face. "I’m happy that he has finally decided to drop this secret marriage bullshit and acknowledge your marriage publicly," she said, shaking Aurora’s hand excitedly.
"No, it’s not that," Aurora said and instantly her smile fell.
Chapter 92: Battle for Authority
"What does that mean, Aura?" Abigail raised a questioning brow with disappointment laced in her tone. "I know this is bad timing for this conversation, but what is Xander’s reason for keeping your union a secret?"
Aurora sighed and took her hand instead while meeting her questioning gaze. "Abby, even I don’t want to be publicly acknowledged as his wife now. I’m not in the mood. I just want to be left alone to mourn my father’s tragic passing."
"I understand," Abigail sighed, slowly calming her nerves down as she hugged her. "I’m sorry for bringing that up."
Aurora shook her head, clearly not offended by that. But she felt a little bit guilty for keeping some things out of her best friend’s ears. But there was no way she would ever mention Xander’s secret identity to her without his permission.
Also, there was still about a month left until he could publicly acknowledge her, so what’s the rush?
---
Late noon, Owen and his parents arrived to pay the Swift family a condolence visit along with Xander.
They were welcomed properly into the sitting room and served only water, but Stella was relieved to see them even though she didn’t show it.
"How could something so horrible happen just a few moments after we left?" Patricia asked, her entire face contoured in a frown.
"We have to blame it on fate for being so cruel to us," Stephanie said, the rims of her eyes turning red.
Stella looked between Stephanie and Patricia and seeing how well they were getting along, she decided not to be left alone in that conversation.
"My husband didn’t deserve to die like this," she said, wiping a tear from the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief, a contrast to the black dress she was putting on.
Every member of the Swift family, including their servants has been on black outfits with no jewellery and makeup to show they are mourning their great loss since this morning.
"Mr. Swift was a good man," Richard said with a soft sigh. "Once again, we are sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," Stella said almost immediately, stopping Stephanie from responding.
Patricia asked Stella about Olivia. "Owen told me she fainted yesterday. She must have been so shocked to see the scene."
Just then, Olivia and Aurora appeared together and went to sit on the same couch which was rare. Their father’s death must have struck a strong cord in them, temporarily removing their odds against each other.
Aurora exchanged glances with Xander before quickly greeting Owen’s parents. Olivia did the same and turned her gaze away.
"My heart goes out to you both, be strong in these trying times," Patricia said to them.
"Thank you," they chorused.
Stella stared at Olivia for a moment before shifting her gaze back to Patricia. "I know our children just got married, and that Olivia should return with you, but unfortunately, I can’t let that happen."
"It’s fine," Patricia said, locking gazes with her husband and son. "We understand the situation. It’s fine for Olivia to stay here for a few days."
Stella exchanged gazes with Olivia who narrowed her eyes at her slightly, before turning back to the family of three.
"I have only Olivia now," she said, totally excluding Aurora as her close family. "Apart from the fact that I need her company, I am worried about her health and want her close so I can take care of her now that she’s pregnant."
As soon as Stella broke the news, everyone in the room exchanged surprised glances before casting their eyes on Olivia.
"Mum!" Olivia called, totally disappointed and furious. She wasn’t expecting her mother to make the announcement to everybody without her permission.
Stella only spared her a glance before continuing, "We found out this morning after running a few tests at the hospital. On one hand, we have bad news that we are still not over with and on the other hand, we have a piece of good news. It’s confusing, not knowing what emotions to maintain."
Patricia understood and comforted Stella seeing a tear stroll down her cheek. On the other hand, Olivia bit her lower lip. She knew what her mother was doing. She was trying to prevent her from aborting the child by announcing her pregnancy to the Swift family.
Meanwhile, Owen had mixed feelings about Olivia’s pregnancy because he had already made up his mind about her only to learn that she was carrying his child.
"I can only release Olivia after my husband’s funeral," Stella finished, relaxing her back into the dark brown couch.
Patricia and Richard exchanged uncomfortable glances before turning to Stella. "Has the funeral date been fixed?"
Stephanie shook her head and was about to say ’not yet’ when Stella answered with all confidence, "Yes. The funeral date has been fixed for this coming Friday."
"So soon?" Richard inquired.
"Yes," Stella confirmed with finality. Surprise crossed Xander’s face as Stephanie narrowed her eyes at Stella.
"What?" Aurora and Olivia exclaimed as their gaze darkened. "When was this discussed and who agreed to it?" Aurora asked as she looked between Stephanie and Stella.
"Even, I would like to know that," Stephanie said, fixing her gaze on Stella, silently demanding an explanation.
Stella finally let her gaze fall on them before saying, "I made the decision myself for our good. Is there a problem?"
"Of course, there is a problem," Aurora replied, her gaze icy. "How can you bury Dad so soon when he hasn’t received justice? What’s the rush?"
Stella fixed a gaze on her and said without a care in the world, "The criminal who wronged us has confessed, and will soon be brought to justice, so we are right on track."
Aurora clenched her fists, not wanting to explode right in front of everyone, she got off the couch and stormed off. Olivia followed her next, clearly not in support of her mother’s decision.
Feeling the heated atmosphere that hung above them, Richard rounded up their conversation and got ready to leave with his family.
Chapter 93: The Face-off
Aurora stormed into her bedroom furious and immediately went straight to her nightstand to pick up her phone and her purse.
Feeling the weight of the aura she came into the room with, Abigail who was lying with her back on the bed, quickly sat up.
"Aura, what’s wrong? What happened downstairs?" She asked with concern laced in her tone.
"Stella just fixed my Dad’s funeral for Friday without consulting anyone, not even my Aunt," Aurora revealed as the feeling of heaviness washed over her.
Her father was just murdered last night and her stepmother was already exercising rights she didn’t deserve and taking decisions that weren’t beneficial without asking for anybody’s opinion.
"Are you kidding me?" Abigail jumped off the bed, her brows furrowing. "Wait a minute, who allowed her to decide on that alone?"
Aurora shrugged as her eyes turned teary. "Apparently, she’s my Dad’s wife. Which other right does she need to decide what she wants?"
Aurora can already start to understand how the family her father worked so hard to raise would soon crumble under Stella’s leadership.
It was already fortunate for her that she was married to Xander who would protect her and do anything for her otherwise, Stella would ride her until she gave up and abandoned everything, including her job at Vintage Cellar.
Her father’s death has now turned into an opportunity for Stella to reign and show her prowess, and Aurora was sure she wouldn’t spare her.
"What’s your Aunt saying about this? Is she going to let your stepmother have her way?" Abigail asked as anger coursed through her veins.
Stella is evil and her next steps are already predictable. Since she had never hidden her hate for Aurora, she was now going to deal with her properly.
"What will my Aunt say?" Aurora shrugged. "Well, I’m sure she wouldn’t want to cause a ruckus with the guests present."
Abigail shook her head in disappointment and regret. "My dear friend, Stella is going to press down on your neck now that your father is gone."
"Thank God I have Xander," Aurora stated without a smile. Then she grabbed her dress from last night which had already been dry-cleaned and said to Abigail, "Let’s go."
---
"Mrs. Swift, Mrs. Coker," Richard rose to his feet and immediately, Patricia and Owen followed. "My family and I will take our leave now."
"Thank you for coming," Stella said, rising to her feet along with Stephanie. "We won’t walk you to the door."
Richard nodded in understanding before leading the way out.
Stella and Stephanie turned their gaze to Xander who remained sitting, wondering what he was still waiting for.
"Mr. Scott, is there something more you would like to—."
Stella was still in the middle of asking her question when Aurora returned with Abigail in tow. Seeing the stuff in her hands, she looked back to Xander as her brows slightly furrowed.
"I’m ready," Aurora said calmly to Xander. "We can leave now."
Xander nodded, his gaze softening as he rose to his feet. And almost immediately, Stella understood they were leaving together.
"Mr. Scott, where are you taking my stepdaughter?" She asked Xander, her tone slightly authoritative.
Xander cast his gaze on her and said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "If I heard you clearly, you told my brother that you only have Olivia left. And since that is the case, I will escort Aurora since she wants to leave."
Stella was stunned into silence. She wasn’t expecting that he would use her words against her. But just as he took a few steps forward, she stopped him in his tracks with her next statement.
"I heard you are married, but you seem to have a good relationship with my stepdaughter. Is your wife aware of this special bond you have with another woman?"
Xander spun to face her. "Why are you interested in what my wife thinks? Should you be concerned with that in this tragic time?"
Stella’s lips twitched. "I am afraid that my stepdaughter will do something wrong that will cause our family to lose face," she said to him before glancing past his shoulder to fix her gaze on Aurora.
"I hope you will be mindful and not embarrass your father by breaking another woman’s home."
Instantly, Aurora’s gaze turned ashen. She felt dizzy and staggered backwards but her arm was immediately caught by Abigail.
"Are you okay?" Abigail whispered as her brows furrowed in concern. Aurora nodded, regaining her balance.
Aurora was guilty of what Stella said, but it did remind her of what she talked about with Adam a few minutes before he was killed.
He had mentioned that her mother was her biological father’s mistress, and remembering that revelation hit her hard.
Stephanie caught Aurora’s reaction and turned to Stella. "Enough! You like making trouble, but remember that my brother who is your husband, is still lying cold in the morgue. Respect what has happened and be mindful of your actions."
"I think you should tell that to your niece so she doesn’t embarrass us!" Stella said and turned her back.
Xander gave Stephanie a curt nod before striding straight to Aurora. He took the stuff she was holding in her hands and walked ahead while Abigail led her towards the door while still holding her arm.
As soon as they were out, Stephanie walked back to Stella and stood in front of her with a dark gaze.
"How dare you fix my brother’s funeral without consulting me? Whom did you discuss the date with?" she asked, confronting her about her decision.
Immediately, Stella met her gaze. "I don’t need to discuss Adam’s funeral with anyone before picking a date."
"Do you realize that I am Adam’s immediate sister and your elder? Who the hell do you think you are?!" Stephanie snapped, her icy gaze threatening to spit glaciers at her.
"I am Adam’s wife, and I have all the rights in the world! I don’t need anyone’s input! If you don’t like the decisions that I make, you are welcome to take your leave!" Stella fired back with animosity in her tone.
Chapter 94: A Little Disagreement
"I know what you are after." Stephanie’s eyes narrowed into splints. "You are after Adam’s Will right? Since the lawyer mentioned that it would be read out the morning after my brother’s funeral, you have been anxious about it, so you decided to bury him so soon."
Stella smirked, wrapping herself with her arms. "You are right. That’s my aim," she admitted. "We need to know what my late husband wants, especially regarding the company’s future."
Stephanie slowly nodded, her heart beating louder than normal. "Let me warn you, just in case you are high up in your delusions. Don’t forget who I am, and what I can do. You should be mindful and keep your attitude in check otherwise, I will no longer pay mind that we are still mourning my only brother."
"What are you going to do?" Stella barked, her eyes wide in a challenge.
"You don’t want to know, Stella. And I think you know way better than to cross me," Stephanie reminded. "And as for wanting me to leave this house, dream on!"
After saying her piece, Stephanie turned to leave, but suddenly stopped in her steps and turned around after remembering something left unsaid.
"Don’t try to make any other decisions regarding my brother’s funeral without consulting me otherwise, things will be bad."
Stella snorted as she watched Stephanie walk away, her hands falling to her side.
"Let us see how long you are going to stay here. You will have to leave eventually," she mumbled to herself.
---
On the ride back to their residence, Xander held Aurora in his warm embrace, never letting go. He patted her arm gently in a comforting manner. Then he asked about her visit to the police station.
Aurora told him everything that happened before mentioning the waiter’s confession.
"I-I am so confused. I am sure he pointed that gun at me and Dad had to jump in to shield me from the bullets, but why did he confess to Dad being the target?" Aurora said, obviously worried about the events at the police station. "He claimed this to be his first time handling a gun, hence the mistake with his aim. I-I mean, is that possible?"
Xander nodded. "It’s possible, but only dependent on the distance between you and your father." Thinking for a moment, he asked, "Sweetheart, can you tell me what you and your father were discussing before the incident?"
"He was telling me about my biological father and my mother’s past, but he never got to give the name I wanted before the waiter came in," Aurora replied.
Xander’s gaze narrowed as his silence lasted more than five seconds which bothered Aurora. In the end, she lifted her gaze to meet him.
"Is anything wrong?"
Xander shook his head. "I’m still thinking."
---
The Swift Family’s Residence.
After her fight with Stephanie, Stella went up to Olivia’s bedroom to check on her. As soon as she knocked on the door and helped herself in without getting permission she was met with her daughter’s back to her.
Olivia stood in front of her bed and backed the door. Her brows were deeply furrowed and as soon as she heard the door open, she turned around only to see her mother and immediately, her gaze darkened.
"Did I say you could come in?" Olivia barked, gesturing with her hand.
"What are you so mad about?" Stella inquired. Olivia scoffed, staring at her in disbelief. "Mum, don’t pretend like you don’t know why I am mad at you."
Stella shrugged, feigning complete ignorance. "Why don’t you tell me to save both of our time?"
Olivia put her hands on her waist and asked without backing down, "Why would you tell others about my pregnancy without my permission? Why would you do something like that?"
"I did the right thing, daughter. Your in-laws have to know that you are now carrying their precious seed, so even if they don’t like you, they will have no choice but to take care of you now," Stella explained.
Olivia face-palmed her forehead and turned around in frustration. "I don’t care if you had good intentions, you should have asked for my permission first before doing that. And what’s with Dad’s funeral date? Why did you fix the date so close when the murder case hasn’t been closed yet?"
"Your father’s killer has been caught by the police and he has made his confession. It is only a matter of time before the case is closed. Also, we have to bury your father before tongues will start to wag."
"Is that all?" Olivia asked, meeting her gaze head-on with tears in her eyes. "Is that your only reason?"
Stella stepped forward at that question and added in a low tone, "We have to know what your father has written in his will immediately to enable us some time to our next step. If Aurora has more rights than you, then even we won’t be able to do anything for a while."
Olivia wiped her tears the second they streamed down her cheeks. Then she strode to the door and opened it before turning to her mother.
"Please, leave me alone right now," she said without missing a beat.
The mother and daughter pair stared at each other for a moment before the former relented. "Okay, we will continue this conversation some other time."
---
Xander’s Residence.
As soon as she stepped into the house, Nene offered her condolences to Aurora and then proceeded to prepare a warm bath for her.
In the meantime, Xander called Liam into his study to chat about the new development.
Xander informed Liam about everything Aurora told him in the car before concluding., "Stella Swift has a hand in Mr. Swift’s death. Interrogate the waiter. Check his bank accounts. Investigate him without missing a thing."
"I will, Sir," Lima replied. "I also think that Mrs. Swift caused Mr. Swift’s death. If Ma’am said the waiter had aimed at her, plus given the kind of conversation she was having with her father before that incident, then it’s likely true."
Chapter 95: Xander Discovers the Truth
Xander maintained his gaze on Liam as he tapped his fingers on his desk. After a few seconds, his lips slowly parted.
"I think Stella knows the identity of my wife’s biological father."
---
The Swift Family’s Residence.
Stella stormed into her bedroom, her entire face, twisted in anger. Immediately, she plunged on her bed, gritting her teeth.
"No, Olivia, we cannot afford to disagree in a time like this." She shook her head and picked up her phone.
Stella dialed Victor’s number but the line wasn’t connecting, so she tried it a few times but failed to reach him in the end. Out of anger, she threw her phone to the bed.
"Where has he run off to without finishing the task I assigned to him?!"
Thinking back to the scene of Xander comforting Aurora in the evening that Adam died and also the scene of him taking her away earlier today, Stella felt that there was something going on between the two of them.
"You both can’t be ordinary friends. I refuse to believe that," Stella concluded to herself and stood to her feet to pace about in her bedroom.
~***~
MONDAY.
The next morning, news of Adam Swift’s horrible demise broke out on the internet and even in the newspaper headlines.
"It is with deep sadness that we regret to announce the sudden demise of Mr. Adam Swift who was gruesomely murdered at his residential home on the night of his second daughter’s wedding."
~TVC News.
"The CEO and Chairman of the famous million-dollar wine company, Vintage Cellar, Mr. Adam Swift has passed away on the night of his daughter’s wedding celebrations. Although his family is yet to release a public statement regarding his death, our sources tell us he was murdered."
~The Nations Paper.
"Our heart goes out to the Swift family on the sudden death of their patriarch, Mr. Adam Swift. Please, accept our condolences in this trying time."
~News Daily.
Adam Swift became a hot topic and the most searched name on the internet from the early hours of the morning of Monday morning.
A lot of Wing City’s citizens expressed their shock at the news and demanded clearance as most of them couldn’t believe it. They hoped the news was false and asked the Swift family to confirm it.
When Stephanie saw the news on the tabloids, she knew there was no hiding the gruesome reason behind Adam’s death, so she had to release a public statement, but not without telling Stella about it.
"We are not going to mention the cause of his death. The statement will only confirm his death. Already, the company stocks are plummeting, and something needs to be done about it fast."
Stella had no compromising opinion, so she accepted Stephanie’s plans. Stephanie had their family lawyer draft an official statement and went over it herself before approving its release.
---
Aurora was saddened by the news making waves on the internet about her father’s death. She couldn’t even go to the company as she had yet to recover from the ugly incident.
She stayed almost all day in her room as Xander left home to give the report he was due to present after the success of his mission.
As soon Xander got back home, he went to check on Aurora having seen the comments on the internet regarding Adam’s, murder.
"Please, don’t go on the internet for the time being. You have to protect your mental health no matter what," he said, bringing her into his embrace.
Aurora accepted with a nod even though she wasn’t sure how she was going to go about it. As she released herself from Xander’s embrace, he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Sweetheart, everything is going to be all right," he promised while looking into her eyes.
A few minutes later, Xander received a text on his phone and excused himself.
"Liam has some work information to update me with, I will come back to your side soon," he said to Aurora and kissed her forehead again before stepping out of the bedroom.
---
Xander stepped into his study and saw Liam already waiting. He accepted his greetings and went to sit behind his desk. Then lifting his gaze, he asked, "What do you have for me from the task?"
"The waiter was tight-lipped and refused to say a word... Further investigations proved a lump sum of $300,000 was wired into his wife’s account from an offshore account on the same night Mr. Swift was murdered..."
As Xander listened to Liam’s report, everything became clear to him, including Stella’s initial plans and how it all went wrong.
It was obvious to him that Stella knew all about Aurora’s biological father’s identity and for whatever reason, tried to prevent her from knowing it and decided to kill her. But what she didn’t see coming was Adam taking the bullets instead.
"This woman is vile," Xander said thoughtfully. "I haven’t met someone like her in a long while."
Liam agreed with him and asked what to do next regarding the case.
"Make the waiter confess and bring the evidence to me. Adam Swift’s murder will have to be reinvestigated," Xander instructed.
---
Meanwhile, at the same time, Stella finally got approval from the detective to meet the waiter, so she rushed over to the police station.
Stella was taken into a small room with only a table and two chairs in it and was asked to wait for a bit. She sat down, and a few minutes later, the waiter was brought into the room by a police officer, and his hands cuffed.
"Mr. Detective, I would like to speak to him alone. Maybe he will be able to relax and give me the answers I need," Stella said, wiping her tears with a white handkerchief.
The detective looked between her and the waiter and nodded. "Mrs. Swift, this man is a murderer, please be careful with him. My men will be right outside the door."
"Thank you," Stella thanked him with teary eyes and as soon as the policemen left and shut the door, she turned to face the waiter, completely dropping her act.
"I told you to take care of my stepdaughter, but what did you do to me instead?" she interrogated, her gaze fierce as she seethed in rage.