EXPLOSION

EXPLOSION


New York
Michael’s POV
I stepped out of the vehicle followed closely by Madison. I held her hand and together, we walked toward the house while Ferdinand drove the car toward the parking lot.
We returned to New York about three days ago and since then, Madison and I have been on a roller coaster of dates and romantic getaways. First, we spent a night at the lake house then I took her to dinner in the most fancy cafeteria in town, and now, we’ve just returned from a beauty care parlor where she got pampered.
We stepped into the living room and met Georgia standing in the hallway.
“There you are!” she said with a bright smile and came forward. “All arrangements in the hall are done and we would require you to inspect them,” she said.
“Of course,” Madison replied and took the lead. I walked closely behind them.
Madison and I decided to throw a party tonight. We have invited a few friends and loved ones like Richard, Carissa, and Frazier alongside others to celebrate with us tonight.
We are expecting a baby. The outcast situation in London was tackled, thanks to Lord Worthington’s softened heart. Our life is amazing and most importantly, we have a charity fund to launch so tonight is going to be epic. Tonight, we have every reason to celebrate.
We went into the hall and were swooned by its decoration. Georgia and the team we hired had done a fantastic job on the place. They turned the modest hall into an exquisite event center.
Madison turned her eyes around the place and then came to me. I held her hand.  “Our dream is finally coming true,” she said.
I smiled. “After tonight, everything will fall into place,”
She hugged me. “Thank you so much, Michael,”
I hugged her more tightly. “Thank you for walking into that hospital that night. Thank you for picking up that surrogacy flyer and above all, thank you for being my better half. I promise to love and cherish you for the rest of my life,”
\~~~~~
It’s 7pm and our guests are already trooping into the house. Luxurious Cars were parked in front of the house. Georgia and some of the domestic staff were leading the guests into the hall.
The disco balls were already in action and chatter and laughter filled the room.
Madison was wearing a beautiful silk dress while I was dressed in a black branded suit. I was standing by the mirror to fix my cufflinks when Madison appeared with a tie.
“A red tie to match my dress,” she said and began to tie it around my neck.
I quickly slipped my cuff links and tied my hand around her waist. “Red is my color and right now, I want to devour you because I can’t take my eye off you,”
She smacked me playfully on the chest. “Don’t be silly. We are running late,” she placed the necktie around me, hung it properly, and then took my hand.
“Ready?”
“More than ever,” I replied and stepped out of the room with her hand tied in mine.
We made our way to the banquet hall where a handful of our guests were already seated. The moment Madison and I walked into the room, everyone stood up to greet us with a standing ovation.
They clapped and cheered.
Ferdinand came forward with two glasses of red wine and handed a glass each to Madison and me.
“Thank you!” I raised the glass to my face.
Everyone sat.
I moved closer to Madison and slipped my hand around her waist. Then I cleared my throat loudly and began.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you all for honoring our invitation. Tonight, we are all gathered to eat, make merry, and crack jokes,”
Everyone laughed. 
I cocked my head to the right. “Or maybe not,” I sighed and turned to Madison. “My wife and I are happy to announce the launch of our charity fund,”
Cheers and applause reigned while Madison beamed.
“Our charity fund will serve as a landmark for the charity organization we plan to set up. Madison and I have been talking and finally, we’ve stopped talking. We want to act,”
The crowd roared with laughter.
I turned to Madison. “We have seen the bitter side of life and we don’t wish that upon any soul. We want to make the world a better place the best way we can,”
Madison nodded repeatedly.
I turned to the crowd. “And that’s why, we will be launching a charity fund that will provide aid to orphans across New York City. We will see to it that the funds are disbursed to the right channel and every penny is accounted for,”
The crowd clapped.
“In this regard, we will be launching this initiative with the sum of 100 million dollars,” I announced.
The crowd went wild.
Madison gave my hand a tight squeeze.
I took several sips from my glass to catch my breath. “Thank you so much everyone and please, don’t just support this initiative with laughter and cheers. Your donations will go a long way,”
Everyone laughed.
I turned to Madison. “Do you have anything to say, my love?”
She shook her head. “You’ve said it all my love,”
The host who happened to be Richard walked to the stage and cleared his throat loudly.
“Thank you, Mr and Mrs. Harrison. You can now take your seats,”
Madison and I smiled and were about to head toward the table reserved for us when Richard called out to us.
“On second thoughts, you guys might want to stay back to give us the first dance,” Richard said and turned to the band at a corner. “Music, please”
Madison and I held each other and then moved to the center of the stage. I held her hand when the violin began to play. I looked into her eyes and smiled, feeling grateful for the moment she walked into my life.
I was about to profess my undying love to her when I heard a loud explosion. I saw dark then I felt Madison’s hands slipping away from my grasp. The whole house shook violently and the last thing I remembered was hitting my head against the floor.