Chapter 2 2

The test results were out, that which she had wanted ever since the day he denied he was present that night.

"Come in", a masculine voice uttered after she knocked on the door once and she immediately strode in. "You may have your seat", he gruffed and she took her seat opposite him with cold chills running through her spine in response to the seriousness across the man's face.

She couldn't wait to see the result and show Derek that she was right after all. After taking advantage of her drunken state five years ago, he could dare stand up to say he wasn't the father of her kids when she was sure he was the father of her children and no one else.

It was this assuredness that had led her to come with him and the children for a DNA test and made her decide to come for the results herself to prevent forgery.

"Miss Hepburn, here are the results of the DNA test you requested."

Audrey immediately received the sealed brown envelope once the doctor handed it over to her with nervousness and tore open the sealed envelope to bring out the paper hiding inside.

Scanning through it, she gulped and read the results over and over again to be sure she wasn't dreaming then after a few minutes, lifted her face only to reveal she was now teary.

"Doctor, this isn't real. Are you sure this results belong to me? Are you sure you haven't misplaced my document with that of another? The results here cannot be true," Audrey yelled with her tiny voice while hitting her fist against the table.

The doctor tried speaking but she rose from her seat and leaning over grabbed the doctor by his collar before he could reply.

"Miss, please get your hands off my clothing", the doctor slowly demands but she continues staring at him.

"Just tell me it isn't true," Audrey murmured softly when she finally spoke.

"It's true, Miss Audrey. All that's there is real," he replied in a calm voice and she pulled her hands off his collar angrily.

"If I later find out there was a mistake in this result, I'll sue you for inefficiency," she threatened and tossed the documents into her bag.

Minutes later, she was out of the office and was shutting the door of her car with a deep sigh. She threw her head backwards once the door was closed and sighed again with her eyes shut and her heart thumping hard.

'What if the results were real? What if she really had those children for an unknown man?', she mused and sighed.

She locked her seatbelt and was just starting the engine when her phone started ringing. She hissed on hearing the phone and started driving but when the call got consistent, she decided to pick up without staring at the caller ID.

"Yes, what is it?," she yelled venting her anger across the phone.

"Audrey, see me at my place as soon as possible," the voice from the other end requests and cut the call.

She bit her lips hard knowing who had just called her but not too sure if she wanted to do as he asked. How would she even be able to tell him what she had just found out?

The blaring honk of a car suddenly came from behind and she immediately realized she had blocked the path of exiting cars with her vehicle. She apologized to the car behind her with a wave and zoomed off.

Her head was burning hot stuck in between Derek and her small sharp kids who were already squeezing the life out of her from their questions as regards their father. Just when she thought she could be calm since she had found him, everything suddenly went back to being unclear.

She soon arrived at Derek's villa, parked her vehicle and walked in while buried in the thoughts of whether to own up to being wrong or keep the results to herself.

"I guess it's better he knows now than later, that will be the definition of a bigger fool," she muttered to herself just before walking into the study room as directed by one of the maids. "Here I am Derek, you called for me. I wouldn't be staying long as I have a lot to do."

She tried comporting herself before him, trying to avert the gaze which always made her blush years back. He shook his head and rose to his feet standing before her with a reasonable distance in between.

"I'm sorry for the hurts and the pains I caused Audrey," he muttered and clasped her hand in his.

She tried taking her hands off but his grip was too strong to resist especially since she was only partly struggling. She soon found herself relaxing as his strong cologne blew across her nose and his eyes brightened satisfiedly.

"I know the kids aren't mine, but I will take full responsibility for them," he concluded and locked his lips against hers in a kiss that left her breathless as she had always craved for a kiss from his soft and succulent lips.

'What the heck am I doing?', she mused but slowly surrendered to his grip losing her senses to his touch as the kiss got more intense. They broke off from the kiss minutes later breathing heavily and stared at each other.

"I'd take care of them as my own," his whisper came through and her eyes begin filling with tears as she stared into the same eyes she had been in love with five years ago.

*CHAPTER 1*

The car suddenly parked before the big mansion and the doors were flung open. Audrey whined in pain as she was thrown out of the vehicle onto the ground with her back against the floor by two burly men who concealed their identity with a mask.

She turned her head sideways looking around if she could find someone to help her but unfortunately, everywhere was clouded in darkness with an unusual silence that was laced with the sound of chirping birds.

The two burly men who drove her to that point got off the vehicle and took long strides towards her instilling more fear in her. Tears trickled down her cheeks blurring her vision as she clutched to her dirty clothes when a sharp pain ran across her stomach.

She cried out for help, trying to rise with her heavy stomach but her feet seemed too weak to lift her entire body. Going down on all four, she tried to crawl away when a callused firm hands grabbed her at both sides.

She slowly raises her face hoping she would behold mercy in the hands of her oppressors only to find vicious and intense-looking men holding tight to her arms. Their masks were no longer on them so she could see their faces through the moonlight and their countenance spoke a lot of terror like they were ready to do anything to her regardless of her heavy condition.

"Please have mercy!", she cried out as the men dragged her holding one of her arms each with her voice going faint as she felt weaker and weaker with every passing minute but it seemed every one of her pleas fell on deaf ears.

She gently and quietly obliged to their will only to find herself placed on a bed more like a hospital bed with her hands and legs tied to the bed stand. Her face was covered in sweat with the feeling of utmost surrender and she shut her eyes silently praying that someone would come to her rescue.

Soon the door flung open and a man in white with a stethoscope hanging around his neck walked in, accompanied by a lady carrying a tray. She thought she had found a savior only for the man to tear off her cloth and pick a bisecting instorement from the tray carried by the lady.

"I'm taking your babies," the husky voice pierced the air causing a scream from Audrey.

"Ahh," Audrey yelled and sat up covered in sweat and panting heavily just as a knock came heavily on the door.

When there was no response from Audrey, the door opened and a young lady walked in running towards her with a worrisome look.

"Ma'am, are you ok? Your scream woke me."

Audrey stared at Amy with a blank expression and her heart thumping hard just realizing that it was all a nightmare.

"Ma'am, let me get you some water," Amy offered and stormed out heading to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Soon enough, she returned then offered a glass to the still-dazed Audrey who gulped the water in a rush and held her head in between her palms.

"Ma'am are you better now?", Amy voiced out with panic only to receive a dismissive wave from Audrey and she understood that Audrey wanted to be left alone then walked out.

Audrey was still sweating profusely as a result of the nightmare and once Amy was out of the room, she gently strode towards the huge mirror in her room to stare at herself. She realized she cried a lot from her dream as her face had grown pale with swollen cheeks.

Tracing her lemon-shaped stomach which seemed bigger than that of someone who was eight months pregnant, a smile curved from her lips with tears trickling down her cheeks. Seeing her protuding stomach still intact left her at ease that the lives within her were still intact.

"My little cuties, no one would take you away from me"

She turns towards the AC to ascertain if it was on as she could feel hot and was even sweating profusely. She sat down a while trying to cope with the heat but it seemed unending so she moved towards the balcony behind her room to have some fresh air.

For a moment, her elegant face lit up in a smile as she watched the busy streets of Alaska and the houses around. The next day was the Halloween celebration and every single house had the Halloween symbol with lights in preparation for the big day celebration. Her grey eyes gleamed, visualizing how lovely it would have been if she had Derek by her side as a couple expecting their babies.

The scene of what happened back at the club flashed into her memory and she remembered how she had entered the club that night for the send-off party organized by Dawson's corporation for outgoing interns only to be informed by her best friend that Derek, their boss had been looking for her.

A cord of joy had struck her heart with the overwhelming thoughts that he was ready to own up to his love for her and she had gracefully walked over to his table with a blush thinking he was going to ask her out. However he had insulted her instead, telling her she was too immature to be tagged with him as a partner and they came from different worlds so she doesn't fit into his world.

She was so upset about his hurtful words that she drank to the point of intoxication and found herself waking up naked on a hotel bed the next morning with dollar notes beside her. Everything that took place the previous night were quick to resurface into her mind except the identity of the man she slept with.

However, she could clearly remember the smell of the man with her that night, and she knew it was that of Derek. He took her innocence and left her dollar notes as a pay.

She had gone to him what she found out she was pregnant, and yet he rejected the pregnancy with his full chest.

She sniffed away her sadness and wiped out the wetness on her delicate face. Her nose flared and she sighed looking heavenwards.

"I miss you, mummy. I wish you did not die, maybe things would have been a lot easier," she murmured remembering the death of her mum caused by her father when he decided to toture her all because she never gave birth to a male child. He kept torturing her physically and emotionally until she died, she remembered and more tears trickled down her cheek.

The little her mum had left for her and her savings was what she had used to start her architectural design company like she had always wanted, secure herself a house in Alaska and relocate from Western Blue to Alaska in order to completely avoid Derek.

For the early months when she discovered she was pregnant, she carried the pressure of aborting the babies or surviving with them but she made a motherly decision because something deep inside of her kept assuring her that the babies were hers to keep. She got pregnant at the age of 23 with no husband by her side.

While pondering about the horrors of her past, she felt a movement across her stomach and sudden hunger so strode towards the fridge to have some fruits. She would have called Amy to do that except that she considered that the girl would be fast asleep. She had employed Amy as a maid when she was getting heavier and could hardly do things herself.

She opened the fridge and picked out an apple then took her seat by the dining room. She had barely taken a bite when she noticed water dripping in between her legs. Chills ran down her spine as she realized her water broke because it was unexpected since she was only eight months pregnant.

The stomach moved again but this time it was accompanied by sharp pain and the next moment, she felt herself engulfed in the flow of heat.

"Oh no, Amy!," she cried out as the pain intensified. "Amy," she cried the second time, struggling to reach for the door to Amy's room. Fortunately, Amy trudged out with heavy eyes which soon widened on seeing Audrey's condition.

"We need to get you to the hospital ma'am," Amy blurted out heading towards the phone to call a dispatch rider as she wasn't skillful enough to drive Audrey's car.

The phone rang severally with no one to answer and Amy groaned realizing that since there was a celebration the following day, there might be no one to answer.

"Call the ambulance," Audrey whined out in pain and Amy quickly obeyed.

In less than thirty minutes, the ambulance arrived and she was wheeled in on a stretcher. However, less than five minutes after being hurled into the ambulance, her contractions began to set in accompanied by tears and screams.

"The baby is crowning," a nurse announced. "I don't think she will make it to the hospital before she gives birth."

The senior nurse decided to take her delivery and the nurse began pulling all windows of the ambulance shut...

"Nurse, are my babies going to be fine?", Audrey yelled in between her contraction pain with tears trickling down her cheek.

Every single pain she had passed through came running into her mind and she became greatly determined to birth her babies. In each push she made, she shed a tear and in each cry that left her lips, she internally swore that it would be the last cry from the remembrance of her past.

"You are almost there dear, almost there push more," the older nurse encouraged.

With a scream, she pushed with all strength in her and her first child came forth with a cry.

"It's a baby boy," she heard one of the nurses say but couldn't process anything as she was still in pain, there was still a baby left to be delivered. She pushed a little while and the second child came forth.

"Another baby boy," the nurse announced again and at this point, she got confused that the contraction was still there, meaning there were more babies to come.

Throughout her antenatal program, the scan had always picked just two kids and here she was after birthing two, she was still having contractions. She pushed a little more and another came out.

"Another boy," the elder nurse announced again with a smile.

Her pains were getting more than before so she screamed pushing the hardest when the fourth came, a girl and ten minutes later, another girl came forth.

"Congratulations Audrey," the nurses declared as the mother and children were hurled into the hospital for cleanup.

After the cleanup, she requested that the children be brought to her and she counted them one after the other. She couldn't believe she would be a mother of five when all along the scan had always shown two. She cried her heart out, planting a kiss on their foreheads.

"Thank God, and welcome to the world my little cuties," she purred and began naming them according to alphabetical order. "It's nice to meet you; Anthony, Brayn, Callen, Debbie, and Emma," she voiced out pecking all of them once again before the nurses returned them to their cots and then she fell into her bed with tears.

'You have to be strong Audrey, strong for yourself and your kids. You need to prove to the world you can be a great mother', a voice from the innermost part of her mind told her and she sighed sliding her eyes for a rest with a vow internally to prove to Derek that she would be successful even after he rejected her.

They might be from different worlds but she was capable enough to become someone like him. And to her father who believed a female child wasn't a child at all, she was ready to prove him wrong.

*CHAPTER 2*

*Five years later*

Audrey was silently working on her laptop in her room when her eldest child, Anthony ran into the room.

"Mum, can we go play in aunt Annie's compound?"

Carried away with her work, she refused him an answer but Anthony didn't give up and instead went to call on the other two boys. They all flocked to harass their busy mum and by the time they dragged the laptop from her lap, she was forced to acknowledge their presence.

"Babies, what's the problem? You can see mum is busy," she complained trying to furrow her brows but soon turned it into a smile as she knew the children needed something whenever they tried frustrating her.

"Mum, we request to go play in aunt Annie's compound," Anthony, the most intelligent spoke up giving room for others to join and soon Bianca's ear was tickling from their enormous baby voices as they started chattering so much that she had to hold on to her ears with her palms.

"Alright, that is fine," she voiced out after some time and they quiet. "You can go but play carefully okay."

"Thanks, mum," they yell and were about to leave when she called them back.

"Anthony, take good care of your brothers, not a single scratch okay?", she warned knowing that Anthony was a really smart kid and she didn't needed to explain further before Anthony would understand what she was driving at.

At the end of her words, they all bolted out with loud yells slamming the door behind. She sighed softly needing no one to tell her that raising kids not to mention five kids wasn't an easy job. The boys were out now but she knew the girls would also be coming for her soon.

She had barely returned to her work when she noticed a twist on the door handle.

"As anticipated," she mutters to herself.

"Mum, I can't find my towel with the Pepa pig," Debbie announced followed by Emma.

"Mum, I want some strawberries."

Audrey felt like crying at their disturbance but these kids were her only source of joy. Seeing them every day made her appreciate her mum. Motherhood wasn't an easy job. Thankfully, she hired a nanny to watch over them whenever she wasn't home.

The two girls were so identical with their uniform long hairstyles and the identical dress they wore although Debbie who took preference in yellow was wearing the yellow coloured version of the dress while Emma who loved pink was wearing pink.

She stared into the eyes of both girls which were already watery and it dawned on her that if she refused them what they wanted now, the whole room would be filled with cries. Over the years, she had taught them to deal with it when there's nothing and cope with life when they get something great but she knew she could afford what they requested this time around.

"Alright girls, you know what? Go to the fridge and serve yourselves some ice cream. When mummy gets back from work, she's going to get a new towel and strawberries. Is that okay?", she pacified with a small smile on her lips and they immediately accepted the offer.

"Yes! Thanks mum, you are the best," they chorused and leaped for joy, planted a kiss on Audrey's cheek on both sides then headed for the fridge while humming the words: 'Mummy is the best' as they took their exit.

Audrey fell back into the bed placing her head against the bedrest with stress well-written all over her face. She needed to take a little rest, she realized and was about to do so when her phone rang.

It was her secretary, she wondered why her secretary would call her on a weekend. She let the first time go such that it was a missed call but the secretary was insistent and kept calling making it seem urgent.

She then picked up the call only to get informed that her presence was needed at the office as soon as possible. The secretary's voice conveyed nothing else but panic. She changed into a more suitable outfit and picked up her bags and her car key.

"Anthony," she called as she knew he would certainly hear her voice since aunt Annie's house was just beside theirs. Just as expected, he came running in with his brothers.

"Mum, are you going out?", Anthony scowled. It was a custom that she stays at home during the weekend to spend some time with them.

"It was an emergency call okay? Mum will be back soon," she explained.

Lifting her head, she could see the girls afar off too. Peeking into the face of each of them, she saw displeasure as they all frowned.

'Gosh! What do I do?', she thought then she leaned forward to kiss all of them on their forehead.

"How about I get you all new caps on my way back?", she suggests and all of them yelled in jubilation. Making them happy was her priority and it was after they smiled she felt free to drive out.

"Mummy is always working, always too busy and I hate it so much. Busy at work, busy at home," Callan pouted while puffing his cheeks like a little puffer fish but Anthony was quick to caution him, placing his hand on his head and speaking softly.

"Mum works day and night not just for herself but for us. She always wants to give us the best. We all have to satisfy her by being obedient," he declares. "Everyone, March in right now!" Anthony commanded.

*********************************

Bianca had always craved to be an independent woman, working under a boss was out of her plan as she had always wished to be a boss of her own.

Before the birth of her babies, she had applied for a loan in addition to the money she had left after settling down in Alaska and started her architectural studio since she majored in architectural design right from college. She got to employ Grace, her secretary to ease the burden of the work which was tasking.

She paid Grace while she learned from her as an intern. With her excellent work, she had been specially invited by several international enterprises to become a special consultant and have enormous influence in foreign construction circles. Apart from her kids, nothing more seemed to make her happy other than her architectural studio.

She was close to signing her first project that month which would give her access to the domestic market when abruptly, her secretary's call came through that she had to rush to the office, only to get informed that her partners suddenly put an end to their cooperation.

She did some quick research only to find out that the director was currently in town at the office. She hurried over to talk about the reasons behind them backing out. She drove into the work environment, introduced herself to the securities and hurried into the office of the director of Erox Corporation.

She rang the doorbell and sighed slightly, projecting a smile on her face then the door opened. She walked in only to notice a handsome man with a decent suit and sharp facial features standing right next to the door glaring at her with a sharp and deep countenance more like a hawk.

She walked past him and soon enough, she found herself sitting before Erox, the director of the almighty Erox corporation. He excused himself to answer an incoming call and strode towards the window that was behind his office chair.

It was then she began to examine the cloth she wore making quick use of the opportunity as she never knew what her secretary called her for would warrant her ending up in the Erox corporation. She carefully surveyed her body to know if her outfit was nice enough or at least presentable.

She had barely finished taking a proper glance at her outfit when her eyes fell on the magnificent office setting. The office was really big, painted in cool colors and of course, every single piece of furniture that complemented the room's beauty was not cheapskate furniture.

The wall paintings were not left out in complementing the beauty of the office and there were a few decorations on the table along with some other necessary office items. Behind his mahogany desk was a chair and behind the chair was a transparent sliding door that led to a balcony like a window.

She silently wondered what he could be doing at the office on a weekend but his mahogany desk where his laptop lay with some files proved that he had a lot to handle just as something to her left caught her attention.

There was a chocolate brown shelf with papers and books neatly arranged there and on it too stood awards in different shapes and sizes. All of this made her mouth watery. Unlike her own office which was sparsely made up of furniture, different paintings, and flower decorations, everything she set her eyes on here put her in awe.

She was about to shift focus when her eye fell on something by her right. To her right was a medium-sized fridge and next to it was an adjoining door leading to a place she didn't and would probably never know.

Behind her was a different area itself. The visitor's area contained three couches and a sofa with a table in between which had a flower vase on top coupled with a TV set hung on the wall with a minibar close by.

"You seem a lot familiar, have we met before?",

*CHAPTER 3*

Audrey returned home late in the night. She needed to sort out plans for the new week with her secretary which took much of her time. Opening the door to the living room, she was greeted with yells from her children, every one of them hugging her excitedly begging to be carried. She drops the paper bag with her on the table and lifts just the two girls in her arms.

"So now tell me, why aren't you all asleep? And where's Amy?"

"Mum, we love you so we decided to stay awake waiting for your arrival. We promised Amy we would be gentle while we wait for you allowing her to rest," Emma explained with her small angelic voice.

"Mum, where's the strawberries you promised?", Debby asked.

"Mum our caps, our caps....", the others chirped and she carefully dropped the two girls, took her seat then brought out the caps from the paper bag.

Callan collected the caps from her immediately and tried fleeing with them but before he could, Anthony gave him a heavy smack on the head.

"Will you return those caps to mummy and stop be ing too forward?", he scolded making Audrey laugh her stomach out surprised at Anthony's level of maturity.

"Now children, this is it. The cap with a male mickey mouse belongs to the boys while that with the female belongs to the girls," she announced sharing the caps amongst them.

They begin thanking her happily and are still talking when Bryan asked a question that left Audrey speechless.

"Mum, where's dad?"

"Yes, mum where's dad?", the rest of them raised their voice in unison leaving Audrey dumbfounded.

She hadn't expected that question so didn't know if she should just tell them a lie. She wasn't ready to do that however since she knew if she did, sooner or later they would find out and that singular action might erase the trust they've long built together as a family. The voices continued and she finally came up with something.

"Now everyone come around, come around," she muttered and from the eldest to the youngest, they all came running around. "How about we do it this way? You all retire to bed now, I read you a story..."

"Jack and the beanstalk," Bryan cut in earning him a smack from Anthony.

"Be calm," Anthony hushed and Bryan pushed his lower lips forward in a pout, continuously rubbing where he was smacked.

"Anthony, c'mon you've got to handle your siblings with care ok?", Audrey cooed and Anthony nodded in assertion. "Back to my words, wait, have you all taken a shower?", she asked just before she realized they were all in their pajamas: Amy would never allow them in their pajamas without bathing.

"Yes mum, but we could have a rebath right?", Emma regarded as the youngest spoke up and Audrey smiles happy she was able to shift their focus from the previous question.

"That's great, you all have a bath then I read the girls Cinderella story while the boys Jack and the beanstalk"

"Yay!" they all yelled in response going for their towels while Audrey smiled going for the boys first as she loved spending longer time with the girls.

"Cinderella and the prince lived happily ever after. Their reign became the fairest and nicest season of rule. Dreams do come through only if you have courage and you are kind enough to everyone that surrounds you," she said as she finished reading them their bedtime story and closing the book, she soon discovered that her baby girls were fast asleep.

She kept the book on the shelf where she arranged all their storybooks and covered them properly with the duvet then planted on each of their foreheads a goodnight kiss.

She wished she could offer them a reasonable answer as regards who their father was. How would she tell them she was drunk when she had sex with their dad and since then she hadn't set her eyes on him again.

She strode towards the living room only to check the wall clock and realized it was past one a.m then strode to her room and fell on the bed exhausted, remembering every single word from the kids about their father. Her kids were her world and she would do anything to protect them, but it would have been preferable if Derek were around to take over the duties as a father.

She started to imagine her worst nightmare begin, her experience at the office today was crazy.

"What a happy family we would make," she thought to herself getting carried away as she snored off, forgetting to have her bath.

************************************

At noon, Bianca suddenly noticed the three brothers walking in with a fallen expression. Their fallen countenance drew her attention as she inquired what the problem was.

Anthony, the eldest refused her an answer but instead threw himself on the sofa and proceeded to play his favorite car race game.

"Anthony," she called.

"Mum, I'm good, it's nothing, feelings change."

She wasn't surprised at his answer as she knew Anthony always concealed things like an adult. She drew Callan and Bryan closer to herself and inquired what the problem was. Callan, who was the most emotional among the boys, had begun to shed tears.

She had to draw him close and pacify him as she placed him on her lap. Only then did they reveal that their neighbor whom they played ball with suddenly called them bastards and collected his ball from them.

Audrey felt broken after listening to those words, wondering what to do to at least ease the children the pain of thinking about their father.

"Don't bother, I'd get you guys new balls okay?", she consoled and patted their heads before they walked off to their room.

"Mum, what about dad?", Anthony asked from where he sat, leaving Audrey speechless.

She slowly walked up to him and took her seat by his side on the sofa. She took hold of his little hand and clasped it in hers while staring into those little ocean blue eyes just like that of Derek.

"Anthony, very soon we will meet your dad okay? You all should exercise patience with mummy while she sorts things out, then we would go live with dad," she stated looking into his eyes to figure if she won his heart knowing he could handle his siblings once she won him over.

Anthony gave her a smile from the corner of his mouth and rising on his toes, he carefully snuggled himself into Derek's embrace. Derek's heart melted and tears trickled down her cheeks. Her nose became watery as she sniffed but she carefully wiped her face with the back of her palm. Anthony was however smart enough to notice her sniffing.

"Mum, are you okay?", he asked withdrawing from her embrace with a worried look.

"I'm fine, I just love you all," she mumbled with tears trickling uncontrollably this time.

"We all love you too mommy," Anthony whispered into her ears, planting a kiss on her left cheek.

The girls soon appeared and immediately she noticed them approaching, she quickly wiped her tears but Emma and Debby were so engrossed in what they came for as they began to tell her about the storybooks they read.

Audrey listened and laughed tirelessly at the way they spoke with their infant voice and the strength at which they put into showing the actions which lifted her burden. The boys soon came running out asking all sort of childish questions but yet she always did her very best in answering them no matter how dumb it was.

After a while, Amy requested their presence as she had already prepared them lunch. She was about to take a turn from her position when she heard a knock on the door.

She wondered who the visitor could be as she wasn't expecting anyone nor had she made intimate friends who could come visit. She opened the door and before her stood a middle-aged tall lady with long light brown hair.

"Audrey," the lady screamed in excitement and Audrey raised a brow trying to figure out where she knew the familiar face. She hadn't thought for long when the face flashed back into her memory.

It was Annie, her very close friend back in college. In an instant, the two ladies snuggled themselves into each other's embrace. Audrey quickly let her in and offered her a seat. Annie was her bosom friend back in her college days whom she had shared many things with but after graduating, somehow they both lost contact.

"So tell me Annie, how did you get to know I lived here?", Audrey asked excitedly.

"I didn't know you live here, I only came to apologize for what my son did and how he spoke which was rude. Wait a minute Audrey, don't tell me all of those three boys are your sons."

"Yes, they are," Audrey replied with a broadened smile all over her face.

"OMG Audrey, I've always thought that the parents of these little kids are really lucky to have them, they look cute," she exclaimed. "There are also two small identical girls I see around, are they your daughters too?"

Audrey gave a nod and Annie's mouth fell open making Audrey smile then taking a hold of Annie's wrist, she led her to the dining.

"These are my quintuplets," she smiled admiring her kids.

"Quintuplets, that's so cute," Annie purred as she took a second glance at the kids who sat on the dining table engrossed in their lunch. "Children, I'm Addy's mum. Please forgive him for not letting you play with him, I rebuked him already and such won't happen again," Annie pleaded.

"Aunt Annie, such won't happen again because our mum already promised to get us our balls," Bryan spoke up but Anthony pinched him with his nails and he cried.

"Learn to shut up sometimes," Anthony whispered into Bryan's ear and Annie marveled at their level of intelligence.

Annie and Audrey retired to her study room where they had the opportunity to chat freely, speaking of what they passed through since leaving college till date. Audrey opened up to Annie that she slept with a man when they were both in a state of inebriety which resulted in the five kids but she never disclosed the identity of their father. Annie was glad to see Audrey and she was even happier that she was blessed with intelligent five at once.

"So how about we go to the club together tonight? We could catch the vibes of old times. What do you say, Audrey?," Annie pouted and Audrey went into silence for a while with different thoughts beclouding her.

She remembered it was a club she went to for the internship send-off and here she was with five kids without a father while Annie watched her trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"I... don't think..."

"Audrey, the only thing I suppose you've done since the past five years is to work and spend your free time with your kids. A day at the club wouldn't harm you," Annie pleaded. "I'm also a single mother yet I try passing my time at the club on Wednesdays or Sundays like today."

"How about the kids?", Audrey tried for an excuse.

"Audrey, come on, I learned you have a nanny. I also have a sister to stay back home so that side is settled"

A part of her wanted to hang out with her old friend yet she was scared, with her fears beginning after the last day she visited the club but in truth, she had been bored for the last six years.

A couple of hours later, they arrived at the club with Audrey dressed in a skimpy black dress coupled with black heels and her hair positioned in wavy curls. Her lips weren't left behind as they sparkled in red glossy lipstick since right from time, she was used to dressing according to occasion style. However, Annie was simply dressed in a cotton blue armless gown revealing her broad shoulders with black heels.

The effect of the loud jingle could be felt everywhere with lots of bums and coochies alongside different men making Audrey uncomfortable but Annie, on the other hand, was already used to coming around so none of the activities seemed odd to her.

They found seats at the rear end of the club far away from other people after getting drinks and Audrey's lips curved into a smile as she watched different folks dancing. Annie requested that they join the train but Audrey declined as she felt more comfortable watching from afar.

While randomly looking around with a smile, her face soon deepened into a frown when she felt pain across her stomach. She tried suppressing the effect of the pain when she felt a spill in her pants.

"Are you ok Audrey?", Annie who had an eye on her all this while asked with a line across her brows.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... I guess I miscalculated my period. I need some clean-ups," she explained and excused herself for the ladies.

Feeling much more relieved as she took her exit from the ladies, she was just getting to the pathway when the lights suddenly went off.

"Goddamn!", she exclaimed and opened her handbag to take her phone only to discover she left it on the table. She slightly sighed in frustration left with no option but to try finding her way out in the dark.

Shoes cluttered behind her and her heart leaped with the thoughts of having a partner who could assist with light so she made an abrupt pause.

"Hello, can you help with your phone or something?", she called out expecting an answer but got none.

She was just beginning to continue walking while wondering if her imaginations of hearing footsteps were real when she got grabbed by the wrist and pinned to the wall making her gasp in panic.

"Leave me alone," she shrieked internally praying that someone came to her rescue.

The man before her was filled with an acrid smell of alcohol and he deepened his face into her neck while sniffing her.

"I know you, you smell like that lady whom I had fun with five years back. What have you come for again?"

Her heart skipped racing so fast as she wondered how he was there. His smell perfectly fitted that of Derek and she knew she couldn't mistake him for another.

"Derek, let go of me," she shrieked and the figure before her tried pulling up her gown.

"That same fire of aive years ago, let's rekindle it," the man laughed and she felt a hot sensation inside of her.

Not letting herself get carried away, she quickly reminded herself where she was just as an idea popped up in her mind and she kicked him on his balls. He whined in pain as he fell to the ground and she began running as fast as she could taking off her heels to ease her exit. She was just getting to the main club when the lights came on.

The rate of her movement as she approached her table surprised Annie so much that she almost choked on her drink.

"Let's go," she ordered as she grabbed her phone and bolted out of the club.

*CHAPTER 4*

Audrey drove wildly with the intent of eluding all available vehicles to reach her destination without delay while ignoring Annie's unending questions. She skillfully drove into her compound and parked the vehicle throwing her head backward with a sigh of exhaustion now finally slightly relaxed.

"Gosh!", she exclaimed clasping her head in between her palms while panting and trying to control her heart which was thumping so fast.

"Audrey , what's this about?", Annie asked softly but Bianca only blinked, fluttering her lashes.

"It's nothing Annie," she spits and hot anger immediately spiraled through Annie. Annie tried controlling her emotions but she was soon speaking out of control busting as loud as she could.

"What do you mean nothing? You went into the ladies, spent a whole lot of time in there then you came rushing out in panic driving us as fast as possible till we got here and you sit here telling me it's nothing. How best do you expect me to believe that?", Audrey yelled.

"If you hadn't insisted that we leave for the club, none of this would have happened Annie, none! How many times would I tell you I'm fine? I'm okay," Audrey fired back in return while hitting her hands on the steering wheel.

"So you blame me for whatever happened now right? Goodnight Audrey," Annie muttered and began finding her way out of the car.

The slamming sound from the door showed the anger in Annie's actions and Audrey sighed, shutting her eyes in confusion with her head against the seat. She realized she had spoken out of control to Annie and tried separating her lips for a speech in apology but it seemed heavy.

Moreover, Annie had taken a lot of steps away from her so it was no use. She felt depleted and broken.

'The kids should be in bed now so they wouldn't notice me, she thought to herself and began pushing her weary self into the living room then locked the door behind her.

The lights were off, the handiwork of no one else but Amy who had it as her custom to do that when everyone had retired to bed. Everywhere also seemed silent so the kids were asleep and she decided to throw herself on the sofa for a while to catch her breath before heading for a shower. She had barely spent five minutes on the sofa when Anthony came for her in the sitting room.

"Mum, you are late," Anthony's voice came drawing her back to herself and Audrey drew her hand out to rub his head gently.

"Mummy will try coming home early next time. Is that okay with mummy's boy?", she asked feigning a smile.

"Great," Anthony nodded only to discover a few bruises on her wrist making him immediately become nervous. "Mummy, you are hurt!"

Even Audrey never knew she was bruised until Anthony discovered it so she was surprised but yet tried to conceal it by placing her palm on her wrist.

"No, it's okay, mummy is not hurt. You only misread the situation," she replied and pushed Anthony towards his room. "Alright boy, remember early to bed, early to rise."

Anthony frowned but concealed his questions and after coaxing the child back to sleep, she retired to her room and then took out the small medicine box to apply a healing lotion on her skin.

"Damn it! Such a jerk. I never knew he hurt me this much."

She lay on her back staring at the ceiling. She would have loved to see the face of the man who held her wrist.

"Even if it were Derek, why couldn't he just come out straight in the open instead of pinning her to the wall in the dark? I wouldn't mistake him for anyone," she muttered to herself with a frown just before remembering the innocent Annie on whom she had passed her aggression.

"Gosh! Annie, I'm so sorry okay," she mumbled to herself as she rolled against the bed.

**************************************

The next morning Anthony woke up and immediately moved to wake Callan.

"Callan, wake up," he whispered trying to be gentle so Bryan did not get up inclusive. Luckily for them, Audrey had left for Annie's house to apologize. "Callan, you've got great hacking skills, go investigate to see who got mum hurt last night"

"Mum got hurt? How?", Callan wheezed wiping his drowsy eye with the back of his palm, causing the sleeping Bryan to moan at the disturbance.

"Shh Callan, be quiet with your words."

The duo got off the bed and hurried to the study room to turn on the computer. Callan sat comfortably in the study chair with his hands clattering on the keyboard with Anthony by his side whose gaze was also fixed on the screen.

"Anthony, the last place mum went yesterday is the club, I can't tell who got her hurt."

The children out of love had carefully implanted a tracking device in their mum's car without her consent and Callan played the recorded audio from the previous night which was the discussion between Audrey and Annie.

"Anthony, I guess the only person we could reach out to is aunt Annie," Callan concluded and the duo nodded in assertion then carefully crept out of the study room as they heard their names called by Amy.

It didn't take long after Amy had served the quintuplets breakfast before Anthony noticed his mum walk in together with Annie.

"Aunt Annie," he exclaimed from his seat with Annie replying to their greeting with a curved smile across her lips.

"Alright kids, come over. Aunt Annie has one vital information to pass across," Audrey pronounced and the chairs clattered as they each found their way to the living room sitting as though they were to be interviewed for a job.

"Now kids, I'm so sorry it's coming urgent but I'd be leaving for Westen Blue tomorrow. I'd be coming home once in a while so..," she was saying when the children began rumbling amongst themselves.

Aunt Annie had been one of a kind and was the only neighbor whom they got the chance to play with.

"Aunt Annie, are you leaving with Addy too?", Callan voiced out trying to conceal the pain of not playing ball with the young lad anymore.

"No, but he wouldn't be staying here anymore. My sister would be coming for him before I leave as he didn't want to go with me"

To Audrey's uttermost surprise, Bryan, one of the least emotional among the five burst into tears and Audrey drew him close but he refused to be pacified.

"Mummy, may I go with Aunt Annie?", he pouted.

"Honey, you can't follow aunt Annie, she's going to work not on holiday," Audrey declines softly and Bryan burst out crying again with tears trickling down his cheek.

"Audrey's let him follow me. I'd take good care of him, we both will be fine together since Addy refused to come," Annie offered and a red flush flowed through Audrey's cheek.

She wasn't comfortable with her children leaving her presence as it had never happened before.

"Mummy, what about us?", Emma complained and Audrey picked her up from her seat to her lap, gently stroking her hair.

"You'll go someday, princess," Annie coos and it was settled.

Bryan slept that night sleeptalking about visiting another city and his face broadened with a smile when he rose from bed realizing it was daybreak after rising from bed before his brothers which were unusual.

"Mummy, it's morning," he exclaimed pulling off the duvet from Audrey and jumping into her bed.

Audrey sluggishly opened her eyes as it was a working day and even she needed to get prepared for work. She grabbed Bryan's wrist, pulling him into her embrace.

"Come here little prince, you seem very happy this morning," she teases while tickling his nose which influenced immediate giggles from him as she spoke. "You're going to another city, be a mummy's good boy. Report of you being stubborn and outrageous shouldn't get to me," she advised when she finally stopped and Bryan nodded with smiles clouding his face exposing his dimples which only he and the girls had.

In a couple of hours, Annie came for Bryan in her car and the honk from her car indicated she was ready. Audrey had already packed all the necessary items needed by Bryan into a suitcase and she couldn't help but wave her hands when the engine spluttered in readiness for Western Blue. None of her kids had ever left her presence.

Annie was offered an apartment by the company she was going to work with so spent the whole day keeping an eye on Bryan and organizing the place. At dusk, however, she put a call across to Bianca who had called severally upon their departure and arrival to North Hill.

Sooner than expected, Audrey picked up the call in a rush and began asking after Bryan; his feeding, welfare, and clothing while Annie could only snicker in return assuring Audrey of her son's safety.

At dawn, however, it was her first day at work she needed to be there on time.

"Aunt Annie, would you take me along to the office?", Bryan asked as she got him dressed in a sweater and khaki pants after packing a bag filled with satisfying goodies for the whole day.

"Sure, Bryan."

Her thoughts focused on leaving him with the receptionist while she deals with her day's work and early enough, she arrived at her place of work with Bryan. Signing in for the day, she leaves Bryan at the receptionist post and leaves for her office.

The staff wondered if the little boy belonged to her but left the boy to himself. Soon the child gets bored of playing computer games on his iPad and Bryan rushed off his seat after seeing a man dressed in a suit walk into the organization.

"Hey Mister," he kept shouting as he ran towards the man and the man stopped abruptly swerving his head towards the direction where the words came from.

He was dressed in a black lapel suit against his athletic body with his black colored hair and ocean blue eyes. He could see his receptionist calling after the young lad as she shivered from the CEO's indefinite reaction and slowly turned to the little boy who was now stretching his sweet to the man.

"Hello, young lad."