Stand for Love Ch. 17

At the front of all, on a huge stage was a huge table with beautiful and wonderful flowers all over it. It had beautiful golden chairs where board members and other important guests sat to witness the whole event. It was the handing over ceremony of the company and it was gonna be a happy occasion.

The place was packed with some of the richest, famous and influential people throughout the country. They were chatting, drinking and laughing with others in the hotel. Photographers, editors, reporters and the media were all in that very hotel just to capture and report the whole thing to the world. After all, they were about to witness one of the most important handovers. A new name was gonna be made in the country so it was expected.

At exactly 6 pm, Nicholas and his family arrived at the party. Nicholas was still lost, looking down on the floor even while he walked. He was dressed all in white, a simple white outfit for mourning his husband. His hair was somehow combed by George. He had seized crying but the pain was still there and he hadn't uttered a word. He was only half conscious of his environment but the rest of his mind was still in shock, thinking about Adrian. He was being held by George who like him was also sad.

All his family members were all in white and they didn't like coming to the party either but after what the lawyer had told them...they had to come. Actually, it was not difficulty to bring Nicholas to the event since...he was kind of a robot now.

As they entered the huge event, they were already drawing the attention of people and reporters who came to ask. But thank God...Noah had come with tight security. They drove the people away and in no time they met the lawyer who took them to a table in front. They sat there, looking around in sadness. All they all wanted was to get over with the event and go to finish their mourning.

****

Victoria and her gang arrived at the event with their hearts throbbing in excitement. Victoria was dressed elegantly in a red designer's dress. It was really beautiful, going all the way down to the floor. It was designed beautifully, showing off her beautiful and sexy body with a slit from her thigh going all the way down. She was on white high heels which she had bought for that particular event. She had one of the classiest purses with her. Her makeup was on full view and she was stunning. Her hair was curled to perfection and then rolled. Cynthia and Jane had killed it too with the same look but in blue and yellow dresses.

Jake on the hand had his hair shaved on the sides and then he had it cut shot in the middle and gelled. All the bruises on his face had disappeared and his face was glowing. He was wearing a really tight shiny, black designer's suit, a light blue shirt which was equally tight and black designer's shoes with strands of white. His face was glowing with excitement and he was by his father's side that was in a blue designer's suit. His nose was in perfect shape too.

They were all looking really beautiful and when they started moving in, people's eyes were directed at them. That was because they were looking really wonderful, super cute and extremely sexy. With a killer smile and a walk of fame, they drove all the attention towards them. Cameras were on them, taking pictures. They paused for some photos, smiling beautifully and continued their way in. This was their party and nothing was gonna change that...ever.

Walking him as if they were celebrities...soon to be celebrities, they met with the lawyer who seemed a little too happy to see them. They all greeted him as cameras shuttered all over and he led them to the most beautifully decorated tables in the whole place in front. They sat elegantly, waving at the people who were probably admiring them.

Waving at the people while looking around, Victoria's eyes caught her family and her smile faded. They had their eyes on them but Nicholas seemed lost...like he was insane or something. She didn't like seeing him in that condition and she was gonna get him out of it soon. She was gonna make him forget about that cursed Adrian.

****

Noah had never thought he could hate someone that he had loved before that much. He hated his mother and whatever love that he had for her went away that very moment. Could a woman be anymore shameful? Her son...her family were mourning and suffering and all she had to do was show up dressed like the queen of the city? He was so pissed that anger mixed with pain.

"What are they doing?" Here granny asked, stifling her groan. She was more than angry.

"I don't know but..." George paused and gave everyone a look of horror. "...Oh my God," He exclaimed, panting. If not for Nicholas who he was trying to keep firm, he would have surely killed them.

"What is it?" Noah asked, clenching on his teeth.

"Could it...Todd is taking over the company?" George gasped, clenching on his fists.

"I swear I am gonna..." Before Noah could finish the sentence, he heard a voice from the microphone. He didn't care if he was disturbed but he was now certain that his mother had killed Adrian. And she was gonna pay for it too.

***

"Ladies and gentlemen," the lawyer announced. "Thank you so much for coming to this important and wonderful event. This is gonna be an event in which we are gonna be giving you the new owner of Equilinias. This event is something that you are not gonna forget that easily."

Hearing the lawyer's announcement, Jake cleaned himself up, ready for his name to be called. He looked at Victoria and she smiled back. Then he took a glimpse of Nicholas who was in bad condition.

"What are they doing here?" Jake leaned to the side and whispered to Victoria, wondering. Victoria looked at her family and immediately moved her eyes away.

"Who cares?" She whispered back. "What else would they be here to do if not see us take over the company? They still love us and Nicholas has probably figured out he loves you so much. Now smile and enjoy the party."

That guy was gonna be his...again. He couldn't wait to have him in his bed. He shook his thoughts and concentrated on the announcement.

"For so long," the lawyer continued. "We have had no heir but today...that will change. This day will be something that you'll always remember in your lives." he chuckled, drawing cheers from everyone. It was so loud and some where whistling. "The board of directors and I will give you the new owner of the company. He is smart...handsome...sexy..." He paused and gave a long chuckle, making Jake blush. It was too much compliment for him. He couldn't wait anymore. "We know you are all eager to see who it is. But before that...we have a video that we would like to show you...compliment of...well compliments of Equilinias. This video is just a short visit of the past and then we'll give you what you want. This video will mostly be useful to the heir."

The whole crowd in the hotel began clapping and loving everything. It was too noisy to even hear.

"Almost there," Victoria chuckled.

"Alright," The lawyer said softly. "Sit back, relax and enjoy."

Then he chuckled and left the front. Just behind the table where the board of directors sat was a huge screen which was gonna allow everyone to see. They were all really happy, except for Nicholas and his family.

Victoria and her gang were happy. Just some few foolish visit in the past...blah-blah-blah and it was gonna be over. Then they were gonna own the biggest company ever. With a fond look and a happy face, Victoria looked at her gang and chuckled. Then they moved their eyes to the huge screen and smiled when the screen was switched on.

The video began with some few words about Equilinias, then they talked about how it began and for a few minutes they all just watched happily about the history of the company. Then as things started getting beautiful...the screen just went dark and suddenly the whole lighting in the hotel went faint. Victoria was sure it was all over.

"The time has come." Victoria said happily, getting her glass up. "To the future," She raised her glass up and toasted with the others happily. With their eyes looking at each, way from the huge screen, they toasted and enjoyed every bit of it.

Then it happened...something that scared them even more. Their glasses slipped out of their hands to the floor and then they started hyperventilating, sweating as if they were in an oven. What had happened had them all on their edge, shaking like leaves.

Just when they were toasting their glasses, the screen went on again, brightening the whole place but they continued toasting till they heard what scared them the most.

"You keep telling me about death. You might as well kill me. There is no point in trying to keep me here, causing me nothing but pain."

It was Adrian's voice and those words...they were the same words used by Adrian when they were telling him about the secret. They were screwed. Almost as if the hounds of hell were after them, they moved their eyes to the screen and...it was a video, a fucking video. It showed them clearly with Adrian tied to the chair just like they had tied him. The only question that was on their mind was, how did that video get out? They were so scared.

Seated on the chairs while shaking like leaves, they had their eyes on the huge screen while gasping and literally peeing in their pants...well almost. They were screwed.

****

The video ended with Adrian crying and the whole hotel became silent. They all had their eyes on the table where Victoria and the others sat. They were shaking really badly that even the table they sat on shook with force. They had their eyes on the huge screen.

Nicholas who had snapped out of the mood that he was in was staring at Victoria, tears flooding his eyes as he clenched his fists. He had never felt the way he did at that time. He had been right after all, his mother killed Adrian and not only that but...his father too. What surprised him the most was what had him bound on where he sat? It was intense pain, anger, rage and pure hatred.

"Mom," Noah gasped, quickly rising from the chair, clenching on the cloth that was on the table. "I always suspected that you killed Adrian and..."

"You killed both my son and my grandson?" Granny hollered out in pain, quickly rising from the chair. "What kind of human being are you?"

Victoria couldn't even raise her face to look into the eyes of the people that were talking to her. Her body was weak and she was convulsing as if she was having a seizure. Then her whole hair felt as if it was a burden on her. She was practically stuck on that table.

"What did he ever do to you?" Noah sneered, breathing like a terrible warlord. "You are...I can't even say but you need to..."

"I'm going to kill you." Nicholas grabbed the knife from the table and began rushing to his mother. He was fuming...grunting and panting like a terrible beast. He had his knife held high and he was ready to stab her to death. His eyes were of nothing but rage and...he hated her like no one else in the whole wide world. "I am going to kill you." He was rushing to her, knife held high and shaking like a leaf.

He had almost reached her before some people grabbed him and held the hand he was carrying the knife the knife. He was struggling and he didn't care what or who was holding him. What he was interested in was killing his mother.

"Let me go," Nicholas' anger was beyond control. "Let me kill this bitch...I will kill her before...let me go. I am going to kill all of them."

Victoria slowly moved her sweaty face and looked at the others. They were visibly shaking and probably had the same expression on their faces. How did that video get out?

Victoria slowly moved to see her son's anger...his eyes were red. Veins had shot up in his eyes and his breaths were so harsh that they brought so much fear to Victoria. Whoever had...no, it was impossible. She even looked around and saw the people that were gathering around them. She was dead but maybe she could...

"Bitch!" Nicholas hollered. "All of you are murderers and I am going to kill you. You killed my Adrian."

"How can a woman be so evil as to kill her husband?" Some people commented, snapping their fingers at Victoria. "I have never seen a woman as evil as her."

"Can you imagine?" Another said. "She even killed her son in law. And she calls herself the queen. She is nothing but a devil if you ask me."

Those comments were getting to Victoria and beyond that fear was the anger that she felt. She quickly raised her face in front and gave the lawyer an angry look and then she moved her face away. She was all sweaty and the groans and screams from her son was not helping things.

"My son," Granny cried, clenching on her fists while moving closer to Victoria. "You killed my poor son. And you had the guts to kill my grandson. You are going to pay for this. I am going to kill you myself..." She then picked a knife from the table and began rushing to Victoria before some people grabbed her as well.

"Calm down people." The lawyer announced in the microphone. "Actually we held this event to expose these people who you have seen in that video. They have been killing for a long and we..."

"No!" Victoria quickly rose from the chair, screaming like a mad woman. She wasn't gonna give up that easily. "That is all a lie. That video is a fake. I don't even know..."

"You killed my Adrian," Nicholas' voice was giving Victoria creeps but she wasn't gonna give up.

"That lawyer is lying. I am sure that..."

"Ladies and gentle men this woman and her gang have been killing just to get the company."

"It's a lie," Victoria breathed, pointing to the lawyer. "That man is a liar and..."

"We are gonna have to see that when the police comes here."

"Let them come," Victoria yelled out. "They had been watching us when all that was going on. You have to believe us. Someone is trying to make us look bad. Why would I kill my husband? All of you know that he died in an accident."

"Yeah," Jake got up confidently. "Why would we do that? We don't even know..."

Nicholas was at the top of his anger. If not for the people that were holding him he would have stabbed those bitches by now. He just wanted to kill them all for killing his Adrian.

"Leave me alone," Nicholas shouted, kicking the people that were holding him with his feet. "Get the fuck off me." He cried out in excruciating pain. "They killed my Adrian. I will not spare any of them."

Cameras were shuttering and all the photographers and media people were busy capturing everything. Victoria wasn't gonna give up that easily. She quickly walked to her son who seemed mad and like a beast.

"You have to believe me." Victoria begged, breathing harshly. "I wouldn't do..."

"We all know how you are," Arianna snapped. "You are nothing but a backstabbing...bitch!"

That word hit Victoria like a million flaming arrows. Her daughter had just called her a bitch.

"Sweetie..."

"Don't call me that?" Arianna snapped as a million tears flooded her face. "I wouldn't have a mother who is as evil as you. You are such an evil woman."

"Your game is over," The lawyer who was now near said. "You will pay for killing our heir. The police are already here and..."

"We are not going anywhere because we haven't done anything." Victoria shouted, looking all around the gathering crowd. "We never did anything. We are still confident because we are innocent."

"Yeah," Todd and the others quickly got up. "Adrian was my nephew...why would I kill him."

"That video is nothing to prove that..." She paused and then gulped. "...we all know anything can be made on the internet and..."

"You will explain that to the police." The lawyer said. "They are already here..."

"We haven't done anything so..."

What followed made Victoria to stop talking and just freeze, trembling in fear. She swore that something crept up her skin. It was a voice, a really familiar and scary voice. Victoria and her gang were convulsing and shuddering in fear. The voice was like death calling to them.

"Blah-blah-blah-blah, yeah, yeah, same old Victoria," The voice said loud and clear.

The whole hotel went dead quiet after that familiar voice spoke. No voice could be heard. Even Nicholas who was shouting out and screaming was dead silent, looking in the direction of the voice. The whole crowd was silent, looking to the direction of who had spoken.

Victoria's breaths became pants...her body was now shaking terribly...her heart was pounding badly and she was at the verge of peeing herself. She was now sweating terribly and her eyes were about to pop out of her sockets. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and the same went on for her gang. They were all sweating and literally peeing themselves.

Everyone who saw him began panting. Some where even crying and some had their hands on their mouths. It was unbelievable. How can Adrian who had died suddenly appear to them, looking like a king?

Adrian was coming in with four body guards, walking like he was on a run way. He was putting on a tight black designer's suit, bright pink tight shirt and white shoes. His face was glowing with a beautiful smirk and he was looking gorgeous and super sexy. His hair was curled and then tied into a beautiful ponytail. In other words, the man who was coming near everyone was gorgeous, just like a god. He caught the attention of everyone in the hotel.

On the other hand, Nicholas was frozen. He couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't even believe his ears. Adrian was coming inside with some guards and he was glowing. Nicholas even saw the light that made him glow. Could he be a ghost or something else?

Nicholas' heart then started pounding in his chest like never before. Suddenly, the pain and anguish that he had felt melted completely and now he was like a vessel full of joy, intense joy like never before. But what surprised him was the wind that he felt on his face. It was a powerful wind, rendering him helpless and weak. That same thing that he was going through could be felt by other family members.

"Ghost," Victoria shouted. Her face was already dripping wet with sweat. "Please...don't kill me."

The whole gang was screaming out in fear, begging not to be killed. Seeing what exactly they were doing, Adrian chuckled. He came near them and they were already on the floor, covering their faces while begging not to be killed.

"You don't believe in ghosts but this ghost is haunting you." He laughed, dismissing his guards to go a little further.

Hearing Adrian's voice, the gang felt the urge to pee but they were shaking badly. Their body movements were quite painful and they literally died by just listening to him.

"Please," Jake cried, shaking on the floor. "We didn't...please,"

"I told you I would kill you even in my death, didn't I?"

"You are...dead," Victoria's voice was filled with horror. She was sweating. "You can't..."

"Oh stop being drama kings and queens," Adrian shrugged, rolling his eyes in frustrations.

"Please..." Victoria cried. "You are already dead and..."

"Me?" Adrian chuckled. "Everyone else can see me. So stop being a drama queen and get up," Adrian yelled, totally losing his cool.

"I saw you," Victoria cried out. "You died in that fire. I saw your ghost the day before."

Adrian nodded and then moved towards Victoria, tapping on her back. Feeling a hand on her back, Victoria screamed out in horror and got up, shaking like a leaf.

"Are you now convinced that I am alive?"

"But how?" Victoria quaked, quivering as if she was having a tremor. "That building exploded and I saw you..."

"Did you actually see me dead?" Adrian chuckled nervously, passing his finger through his soft hair."

"How you...when did you..."

Adrian loved hearing Victoria's shaky voice. It was music to his ears and he loved the fact that she was actually scared of him. Ghost! What an idiot to believe ghosts existed. And he had thought a woman like her was strong and what's that she calls herself...yes, iron lady? Guess she was the plastic lady now.