^^ AUSTRALIA ^^

“Put me down you creep!” Susan yell, continuously hitting Stanley on the back.

It wasn’t until he got to his car that he set her down and when he did, Susan grab a handful of his hair making him scream out in pain.

The taxi driver took hold of Susan hand, giving Stanley a chance to free himself.

“Let go of me! Let me go!” Susan yell at the taxi driver now holding her.

“Let her go” Stanley instruct and reluctantly the taxi driver did as he said.

Susan tried to run away but Stanley caught her by the waist and pull her to himself, his arms forming a barricade around her.

“What the hell are you doing!” Susan yell, glaring at him.

And at that moment, Stanley notice how deep brown her eyes is and how it brighten up whenever she’s angry and he didn’t miss out on her lips who was is currently cursing him, she has a curvaceous and tempting lips.

“Calm down you vixen. I don’t plan to hurt you but if you continue with this, I will have to” Stanley thr_@ten.

“I only want to take you to meet my boss and he only wants to talk to you and nothing else, Fannie Grey” Stanley said using that name again.

“I am not Fannie Grey” Susan said, calming down a little.

“You don’t have to lie to get….”

“It’s the truth, I am not Fannie Grey but Susan Grey, Fannie’s aunt. If you just let go, I can prove it to you” Susan said cutting him off.

Reluctantly, Stanley let her go and she move away from him making Stanley wonder why it felt a bit cold with her out of his arms.

“Here, this is my ID and passport” Susan said showing the two to him.

After confirming her name, the next thing Stanley take notice of is Susan date of birth.

She’s thirty five, six years older to his twenty nine years, Stanley thought handing her back her ID and passport.

“If you aren’t Fannie Grey then where is she?” Stanley ask.

“We didn’t book the same flight. She book the next flight which is arriving soon, if you don’t return to the airport ” Susan lied.

“Are you sure she’s on the plane?” Stanley ask, watching her doubtfully.

“Don’t you take my word for it?” Susan ask in return.

“Fine, I believe you. Do you want me to drop you off somewhere? Take it as an apology for our misunderstanding?” Stanley said softly.

“I don’t! I will take a taxi, a real one” she said hotly, sending a glare to the fake taxi driver.

With her luggage in hand, Susan watch them get into the car.

“Are you sure you don’t want us giving you a lift?” Stanley ask.

“I am and the earlier you leave, the better for me cause I don’t ever want to cross path with people like you again!” Susan yell at them.

“Fine then, your wish is my command” Stanley answer and drive off with the fake taxi driver following suit.

“Hope you grow old at the airport waiting for Stephanie” Susan mutter while hailing a taxi.

Unknown to her, Stanley and the taxi driver didn’t leave.

Instead, he got his car park on the other street and hail a taxi.

“Shouldn’t we be heading to the airport?” His companion ask as he got in with him.

“Can’t you tell by now that the airport is just a lie she made up. I’m pretty sure that she’s going to meet Fannie and so, we follow her” Stanley told him.

“I almost fell for it. She’s sneaky”

“Sneaky and beautiful” Stanley added, his eyes on the taxi which has Susan in it.

When Susan got out of the taxi in front of Saint Martin hospital an hour later, Stanley made a call to Ashton.

” I know where Fannie Grey is”

******
^^ SAINT MARTIN HOSPITAL ^^

“I just went to the cafeteria to get something to eat, I will be up soon” Stephanie said, ending the call to her aunt.

Ever since she arrive, she has been at Fiona’s bed side and it was the nurse in charge of Fiona’s ward that ended up persuading her to go get lunch.

She had reluctantly agree and ended up missing her aunt who just arrive.

Stephanie press on the lift button and got in, her floor was on the seventh floor but when she got to the third floor, the lift door open to someone who is also heading to the seventh floor.

Stephanie look up from her phone to see a familiar face watching her quietly.

Ever since she got to Australia, it has been her sole wish never to come across the people who hurt her but that wish is definitely not coming true, Stephanie thought as she keep starring at Ashton Maverick, the man who had hurt her years ago.

It wasn’t until he took a step towards the lift that she press the close button but it was too late, since he is in already.

When Stanley told him about Fannie Grey being in the hospital, he had think it to be his luck since he is currently in the same hospital to see his doctor.

He was heading to the seventh floor where he can get some info about Fannie Grey when he came across her.

Stephanie Roger, the woman who had claim him to be the father of her child.

How he seem to remember her name after five years puzzled him and her acting like she didn’t know him got him irritated.

Even though things ended in a bad way, they had had a night together. Shouldn’t she at least acknowledge him due to that? Ashton thought as he stare at the quiet woman beside him.

Well, he won’t give her the satisfaction, Ashton thought as he turn to her.

“Though it’s been five years since our last meeting, you couldn’t have possibly forgot me” Ashton said but Stephanie ignore him.

“How have you been coping during the past five years? Did you get to find your father’s child?” He ask again, hating the fact that she’s ignoring him.

He’s used to people giving him attention and suddenly being ignored by this lady is making his anger boil.

“Is it a new habit to ignore someone when they talk to you?” Ashton ask and that finally got Stephanie to reply.

“And is it in your masochistic world to force someone to talk to you when its obvious that she doesn’t want to?”

The lift door open to the seventh floor when she said that and not waiting for his reply, Stephanie walk out of it.

Ashton got out too, the thought of Fannie Grey out of his mind as he went after the woman walking off.

” A hello would have been a pleasant reply, afterall we were once….close and also,I am not a masochist” Ashton said, wondering why her words unnerve him.

“It’s not a crime wanting to know what happen to the child you claim to be mine. Did you find the father or did you abort the child? Judging by your profession, It wouldn’t be a surprise to know that you got rid of the bastard when you failed….”

A resounding slap ended wh@??ver Ashton was going to say.

Surprise by this attack, he stared at Stephanie only to receive another slap.

A angry Stephanie raise her hand to give him the third slap when he caught it.

“Two slap in a row is enough” Ashton said, letting her go.

“Insult me all you want you creep but don’t you dare call my child a bastard or I will plug out your eyes!” Stephanie thr_@ten, her eyes glowing due the anger she felt.

For a while, Ashton stared at her in silence. He remember she had been a nervous little wreck when she came to see him years ago and now, after five years, she’s a feisty cute little thing.

Somehow, he seem to like the new her.

“Fine. I accept, I deserve the slap and I apologize for my rudeness”

“But if you had only answered my question then I wouldn’t have…..”

“Why should there be a need for me to answer you? Who exactly do you think you are? What exactly are you to demand such a thing from me!” Stephanie ask with so much pent up anger.

If someone had ask him such question, Ashton would have been annoyed but hearing it from this feisty lady got him feeling pique with interest about her.

“Wake up and come out of the bubble you’ve build around yourself. Not everyone likes you Ashton Maverick, not everyone falls for your charm and there are some certain people who h@?? your very existence starting with me” Stephanie told him, still boiling with anger.

When he said nothing, she tried to leave but he stop her by holding onto her hand.

“Let go of me! Let me….”

“Miss Fannie Grey, I need you to sign this form for me” a nurse approach them, calling her by her artist name.

If she had a choice, she would have use Stephanie Roger but her real name had no connection to help Fiona.

But when she use Fannie Grey, that alone had brought her daughter to be amongst the first three children waiting for a donor.

“What’s the form about?” Stephanie ask the nurse who answered both oblivious to Ashton watching them.

“And if you don’t mind, can I get your autograph, it’s just that have been a fan of your song” the nurse said as Stephanie sign on the nurse book.

“You are Fannie Grey?” Ashton ask, bringing her gaze back to him.

She didn’t bother to reply, instead she turn to leave but he came after her, obstructing her path.

“If you are Fannie Grey then I hope you we can talk” Ashton said quickly.

“I don’t want to talk to you. All I want is t
for you leave me alone”

“I don’t think that will be possible. You see I….”

“Help me! Someone please help!” Stephanie sudden scream got some few people coming to her aid.

🗣️ “What is going on?”

🗣️ “Are you okay Miss?”

🗣️ “Do you need any help?”

“It’s this man. I don’t know him but he keeps following me, I don’t know what to do to get him away from me” Stephanie said as the few people who came to her aid turn to Ashton.

🗣️ “Quit bugging the girl”

🗣️ “Stalker like him should be thrown behind bars”

🗣️ “Someone call security”

” Now hang on a sec. I am not a stalker and I know this woman” Ashton explain but no one believe him.

The security guards showed up, seizing him by the arm.

“This is the vip ward and you are disrupting the peace of everyone” one of the security men said as they began to drag Ashton out.

“Let go of me! I can walk on my own” Ashton said, pulling out of their hold.

He turn to Stephanie, his eyes train on her as he said.

“This isn’t over. I will be back”

As he went off with security, Stephanie wondered why his words had her scared and unedge.

*******
^^ ROMAN MEDIA ^^

An older Bobby Cruise sat behind his desk while his secretary brief him on his schedule.

The arrival of a man by the door got him sending his secretary out.

“Got anything yet?” Bobby ask Peter, his private Investigator.

“Yes boss. Turns out she arrive to Australia this morning and she’s currently at the hospital” Peter inform.

“Hospital? What’s wrong with her?”

“According to my source. She’s not there because she’s sick but because of someone else and I also found out something else”

“What? Is she married?” Bobby ask, his heart tightening in fear just by that thought.

“No. Stephanie is still single but she turns out to be Fannie Grey, the popular song writer in New York” Peter inform.

“Really?” Bobby ask, a smile appearing on his solemn face.

“Yes boss”

“Good job Peter. For now, keep a close eye on Stephanie, I don’t want her going off again, do I make myself clear?” Bobby said as Peter rose from the chair.

“Yes boss”

🔥T. B. C🔥