Thomas disconnected his mom's call again with annoyance.
"Why can't she just be patient for heaven's sake?" he wondered in anger.
Truly, he had told her that he would give her some money when he got back from where he was going, but he was not back yet.
Was he?
He had not bothered to tell her where he was going.
He doubted that she would have approved of it if she knew.
She had begun to grow some annoying conscience about him recently.
She might have stopped him from going but after he got what he wanted and she was reaping the benefits, he was sure that she wouldn't mind.
Especially when he got her some new clothes and some imitation jewellery to match.
Yes, she would ease off on his case so there was no need to pick up her call now.
Now was the time to focus on his game plan.
He looked over at the woman, who had now laid the baby in her play pen and was cooing to her.
Thomas tried to think his plan through but he knew there was no time for that.
They would all be back soon, and then everything would be ruined once again.
He would not allow that!
He looked over to see that Reyona had really slept.
It was almost as if the b*tch was pregnant. He thought in mockery.
"Keep it up, sleeping beauty," he muttered.
Celia looked up from where she was bent over her baby and asked. "Are you talking to me?"
"No, I wasn't. I was about to anyway. I need to leave here with my wife," he said simply as he moved closer to Celia.
Celia didn't show any sign of fear as she said, "That is not likely."
"Really? Who is going to stop me?" Thomas asked in a move to intimidate her.
Celia simply folded her arms around herself as she said, "Me. And Athena, of course."
"So, a baby and a woman, who might as well be a baby herself, would stop me?" He asked in mockery.
Celia only shrugged.
"Look here. I know you just gave birth and all that. Congratulations! I appreciate mothers, you see, but then I hate it when people stand in my way. Just step out of the way and look elsewhere while I take my wife out of here."
"Your ex-wife, you mean?"
"None of your business," he snapped, then looked towards the bed just to be sure that Reyona was still sleeping.
When he was sure that his slip of control had not woken her, he faced Celia back "So, which way is it going to be?"
"Any way that could make Beatrice remember you for the asshole that you are and get you to walk out of that door without ever coming back? That is the way I choose."
"You have made your choice," Thomas said, repeating what Maxwell had said earlier.
In a fast move, he pushed Celia out of the way and reached for the baby.
"Take your filthy hands off my baby!" Andrew Jordan yelled as he entered the room.
Thomas's hand froze just above the playpen as six men dressed in black suits followed the Multilinks CEO in.
Andrew rushed towards his wife and straightened her, just as two of the men descended on Thomas.
They pulled him away from the playpen while he was yelling.
"What is going on?" Reyona asked in wonder from the bed.
No one answered her yet, as the nursemaid that followed them in quickly carried the baby out of the room before Thomas started swearing.
"Are you okay? I told you not to put yourself in harm's way, didn't I?" Andrew said as he patted her all over as if looking for a hidden wound.
"I am fine. I am... Drew," she called urgently, holding his face so that he was looking straight into her eyes. "I am fine," she said emphatically.
He nodded curtly as he said, "Good.".
Then he swung around with all the fury in him.
The men holding Thomas pushed him forward and Andrew punched him hard.
He went flying with a yell of pain.
"What is going on?!" Reyona asked more forcefully this time as she sat up in bed.
"Beatrice, calm down, okay?"
"How did you even know that my middle name is Beatrice?" Reyona asked in confusion. Then she looked back at the commotion. "Why is that man beating my husband?"
"That man is my husband and that asshole is your ex-husband. Ex, babe. He was just about to kidnap my baby because I wouldn't let him take you away."
"Thomas?"
The sound of a car approaching the house came from outside.
"Stop hitting him, okay?" Reyona said from the bed as she held her head. "Just please stop."
Celia looked at her husband, and the latter's hand halted in the air as he was about to deal Thomas another blow.
Andrew threw Thomas towards the four men standing apart.
Their hard grip on him made Thomas yell out. "Reyona, can you see what they are doing to me? I told you they all hated me!"
His shouts were only making Reyona's ears ring. Reyona held her head and her vision wavered for a moment as she saw the door open behind the men.
The men dragged Thomas aside so that the woman rushing forward could pass.
The resemblance between mother and daughter was undisputable as the middle-aged, classy woman dressed in cargo pants and a sweatshirt rushed towards Reyona. "Oh, thank God. Oh, thank God," was all she could say before she hugged Reyona to herself and started crying.
Reyona patted her back awkwardly as she said, "Mummy, I am fine."
Carlisle looked at the sweaty Thomas with tight lips as he said, "I did not expect to meet this useless trash here."
"He was just on his way out, sir," Celia said as she unclipped the recording device in the form of a necklace.
"I am not going anywhere. I have to stay with my wife!" Thomas struggled to win a lost battle.
"You still have the effrontery to call her your wife after all you pulled her through? You would stoop so low to take advantage of my daughter because of her amnesia? I wish I could see your mother's face right now, you useless boy." Gladys said with a shake of her head.
Thomas ignored her as he looked at Reyona "Reyona, Reyona, can you see what I meant? They are trying to separate us, baby. Don't allow this! I am your family, remember?"
"I know you can't remember right now, Rey." Carlisle said simply: "But I need you to believe me... to believe us when I tell you that this trash here does not even deserve to breathe the same air as you, girl. This piece of nothing here broke your vows most horribly. The two of you are divorced."
"Reyona, don't listen..."
"Give it up, asshole," Toria said as she backhanded him.
Everyone looked at Reyona to see what she would say.
Reyona looked at everyone around her, then back at Thomas, who was yelling in pain like Toria had hit him with a ton of bricks.
Even she could see that he was exaggerating his pain.
She turned back to face her father and asked, "I agreed to the divorce?"
"You initiated it, my dear," Carlisle answered. "With good cause too."
"You will let me see the evidence later?" Reyona asked.
"Your lawyer is on his way as we speak," Carlisle answered.
Even though indescribable pain lanced through Reyona's heart at the fact that her marriage could really be over, she turned to look at Thomas.
He shook his head frantically as he said, "Baby, don't do anything stupid. This is all a..."
"Thomas, you should go." Tears spurted out of her eyes as she looked away from him.
"C'mon, you will let them do this to us?!
"Time to park it up, pal," Maxwell said as he held Thomas by the band of his jeans and dragged him out. "You and I have a little score to settle."
The six men followed them out.
Thomas's yelling protest stopped immediately after they were out of the room.
Reyona didn't even want to think of what they probably did to him.
"Mum," she managed to say before her emotions overwhelmed her.
"I am so sorry," Gladys said as they held each other while Reyona cried her heart out.