The Chase for Her Heart: A Billionaire's Dilemma

Fiona's peaceful morning was shattered when Fredrick stormed onto the balcony, his black suit a stark contrast to the serene atmosphere.

'Babe, I'm leaving for a friend's birthday party,' he growled, his voice low and menacing.

Fiona's grip on her coffee cup tightened as she asked, 'Which friend exactly is hosting a birthday party today?'

Fredrick's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in anger. 'Don't question me, Fiona,' he snarled, his voice rising. The air was heavy with tension as Fiona repeated her question, her voice trembling slightly.

Fredrick's hand flashed out, striking her across the face with a resounding slap. Fiona's head snapped back, her coffee cup shattering on the floor as she fell. The sound of broken ceramic and her own cry of pain filled the air.

Fiona struggled to her feet, her cheek throbbing in pain. Fredrick's eyes blazed with anger, his chest heaving with rage.

'The next time you dare question my authority, I will definitely skin you alive,' he hissed, his voice dripping with venom.

The threat hung in the air like a challenge, making Fiona's heart race with fear. She knew she had to escape, but her legs felt like lead, her body trembling with fear.

The sound of Fredrick's car roaring to life in the garage was a stark reminder of her isolation and vulnerability.

"Just as Fiona thought she was alone, Nelly appeared at the doorstep, her concerned expression a beacon of hope.

'Oh, Nelly, it's you,' Fiona said, her voice shaking as she tried to compose herself.

'What brings you here?' Nelly's eyes scanned Fiona's face, her gaze lingering on the red mark on her cheek. 'I came to give you a ride to work,' Nelly said gently, her voice a soothing balm to Fiona's battered soul."

Fiona still with the aura of the preceded event declined her request.

"I'm on my monthly leave. I will definitely resume next week," Fiona replied, her voice shaking as she tried to compose herself.

Nelly scanned her facial appearance as it pounder on her that all isn't well with Fiona.

"Is there anything you're concealing from me?" Nelly queried. The placidity of her voice ameliorate the effect of Fiona's current situation.

Fiona couldn't control her emotions. She flashes back the scene of what had just happened. "Just leave Nelly, I'm not in the mood to talk now," Fiona said, slamming the door. The cohesion between the door send down sensory tension travelling down Nelly's spine as she leave immediately.

Fiona went to her room and sleep off her worries. She had forgotten to go take David their son from school. The ten years old David waited for her mother to come pick him up from school, but all to no avail.

"What is mom still doing at home at this time?" David said solemnly, with a frown.

Mr. Newton, a close neighbor who lives few miles away from David house also come to pick his daughter from school step in to be the savior, "Hi David, what are you doing here?" Mr. Newton asked, stepping in to be the expected messiah.

The Juvenile was extremely famished, "sir, have been here couples of hours waiting for my mom. But I don't have any premonitions she's coming," David retorted, his voice growled more feeble and sapless.

Mr. Newton decides to give him a ride home, "get into the car, let give you a ride home," Mr. Newton chuckled, he nods his head in disappointed.

While driving him home, he stops at the shopping mall to buy an ice cream for his daughter. So, he decided to also get one for David.

"Here's an ice cream for you David," Mr. Newton uttered placidly, his smiles were so contagious.

David was excited as his face scanned the ice cream, "thank you very much sir," David replicated, his smiles were so hilarious and could make Lucifer fumble.

David arrived home safely. The sound of the door bell disrupt Fiona from having her rest. She was surprised to see David at the doorstep, immediately she opened the door.

"Oh! I'm sorry for not coming to pick you up from school," Fiona pleaded. The tone of her voice was placid and entailing regrets.

David scanned her mother's face and quickly detects the red mark on her jaw, adding another colouration to hrer skin.

"Mom, who did this to you?" David inquired, his voice were alarming and entails absolute care.

Fiona was flabbergasted, "Oh! The mark? I fell down at the kitchen," Fiona chuckled, she touches her jaw faking a smile in pretence. She sees her son eagerness to know what triggered the red mark on her jaw.

David believed his mother because there was no any other person to divulge the truth to him.

The night was drawing nigh. The shadows of evening was still across the sky. Fiona heard the roaring sound of a car in the garage.

"Dad is back," Fiona said, her voice was feeble, she feels Fredrick might deal with her again.

David quickly rushed out to welcome his father. "Daddy, you're welcome," David said, he was paralyzed with happiness seeing his father.

Fredrick embrace him. "Daddy, I really missed you," David enunciated with exceedingly joy and happiness. The scene entails he hasn't set his eyes on his father for months, but it was just only a day.

Fredrick sees that her wife has been gloomy ever since he slapped her. He was struggling with his emotions. The spirit of guiltiness deluge him.

He needed to apologize for what he has done. Fiona was in the garden watering her pineapples and cucumbers. He couldn't hold it any longer, he walked up to her at the garden.

"Baby, I'm definitely sorry for the way I reacted. Please forgive me, I won't repeat it again," Fredrick said, his voice trembling slightly. The placidity of his voice could only entails repentance.

Fiona stared closely at him for a while, "this is what you keep saying all time? Is this just to entice me to bed tonight or are this words from the dept of your heart?" Fiona inquired, expecting a genuine answer from him.

Fredrick adjusted himself closer to her. "If truly you love me and still see me as that man who was the only best for you, among the thousands please forgive me," Fredrick stammered, tears begin dripping down his cheeks.

She couldn't stand and watch her husband on his kneels. Crawling after her like a little baby. "Babe, please get up. Don't under estimate yourself. I've definitely forgive you," Fiona unleash the startled news which gladden Fredrick's hearts.

He stand up from the floor, embrace her closer to himself and kiss her passionately. The both switch to the whirlybird dance.

They are walking back home together, holding each other like two loves birds.

Fiona has a washing machine which is at the laundry room. David remind her about it, "Mom, it's been while you check your washing machine," David said, just like waking up a sleeping Bull. His voice quickly stirred up the interest in her mother.

Fiona make her way down to the laundry room downstairs. The room is adjacent to the kitchen exit.

Entering the room, she begins examining the washing machine. She finds a secret drawer lying besides the washing machine.

Opening the drawer, she sees a document inside it. Fiona was feeling anxious to know what's the content of documents is entails.

Fiona opened the document and began reading it content. Suddenly, she screamed at the top apex of her vocal cords.

Tears began cascading down her cheeks. She's breathing spasmodically.......

Fredrick came back from seeing his close friend at the neck of the woods. Fiona couldn't hold her patience any longer.

"Fredrick, so you have secret babies outside our marital home?" Fiona inquired, her voice erupted like a volcanic eruption.

She fling the documents at him. Fiona felt betrayed and humiliated. It was crystal clear in the documents that Fredrick has secret babies.

Fiona never knew about this. "Fiona, come on, hear me out first. I know you have every reason to be mad at me," Fredrick pleaded, he try getting close to Fiona, but she resisted her badly.

"What else Fredrick did you have to tell me except your fat lies and flimsy excuses?" Fiona inquired with expectancy. Tears were dripping down her cheeks.

Fredrick took over, "the documents was given to me by the law court when I coincidentally impregnated the lady whose name is the documents," Frederick retorted, his voice were cracking.

"What happened?", Fiona asked, her mood was sombre. .

Fredrick was sweating profusely at this time. "she charged me to court after putting birth twins. I legally signed to be paying some certain amount of money to her every month for the children up," Fredrick narrated.

The aura of the current atmosphere wasn't friendly. Even Fredrick herself sense that Fiona wasn't impressed with what has happened.

"Where are they now?" Fiona queried, her voice was feeble and sapless.

"Australia," Fredrick mumbled icily.

Anger and rage was troping in her veins like a fiery furnace. Fiona couldn't hold back her anger, she tender a strike on Fredrick's jaw with her hands.

Fredrick touched his jaw with his right hand to mitigate the effects of the pains. "I hate you Fredrick," Fiona screamed, anger and hatred thrumming in her veins....

This was another event in Fiona's relationship which broken her heart more than ever before. Fiona couldn't eat or sleep. She lost appetite even for her best delicacy.

ATLANTIC MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC, NEW YORK

Fiona was a medical staff at the Atlantic Medical Diagnostic in New York. She resumed from her monthly leave. Getting back to work wasn't a bed of roses for her.

She couldn't even concerntrate at work any more. In the afternoon she supposed to represent the CEO of the company in a conference. But all to no avail, she couldn't made it there.

"Sir, I won't be able to make it," Fiona uttered dejected. The current status of her marital home was so detrimental to her emotional, social, and mental well being.

Even her co workers figured her out as a topic sentence everyday to discuss about her marrying a disgraceful and poor husband......

"Her husband is such a lunatic. He can't even treat her with care?" A receptionist said.

Meanwhile she wasn't cognizant of Fiona approaching her from the foyers ...

Fiona couldn't hold back her rage. She confronted her verbally, but the words she pointed out at Fiona's marital weakened Fiona's morale.

She quickly walked back to her office in tears. Every workers in various departments would gossiped about Fiona's matrimonial home.

Nelly could always come around at her leisure time to keep her busy. In some occasions she took her out to recreational center.

"Fiona, you gotta be strong. Don't succumb to the current situation you find yourself. It will definitely be off at the appointed time," Nelly encouraged, her words were season with flavor of happiness.

Fiona would alway feel loved and cherished again, "thank you Nelly. You're such indeed a good friend. I'm glad having you around always," Fiona applauded, her spirit was flying.

FIONA'S MANSION, NEW YORK

Darkness deluged the entire face of the earth. Frederick was yet to return from a movie audition. Fiona felt so worried about her husband, and was voracious to know her whereabouts.

She called him a million times, but he solemnly rejected her calls. Fredrick preferred spending time with actors and actresses around New York than his wife and child.

He drank himself to stupor that very night. Frederick was drunk.

"What hampered you from coming home on time?" Fiona inquired.

Fredrick flared at her wife's question, "when did you become my time keeper?" Fredrick asked, his voice snarled with tension. Fiona was frightened and trembling with fears.

He locked her up in the kitchen that very night. Fiona screamed through out that night, but Fredrick got her mind made up.

The next morning, he managed to open the door for her. Frederick apologize to his wife for what he did to her. Fiona didn't hesitate accepting his apology, because she really loves him.

Fredrick took it upon himself to prepare to prepare breakfast for his wife and child that very morning.

"I don't want you to stress yourself this morning. Go get ready for work, while I will handle the breakfast," Fredrick giggled, adding surprise to their faces.

Fiona doubted her husband's generosity. For the past eleven years of their abusive marriage, he has never for once boil even hot water.

"I strongly believe you're not up to something fishy?" Fiona doubted, her premonitions were negative.

Fredrick chuckled, "I dare not try such," his voice trembling slightly. Fiona and David left him in the kitchen to make breakfast for them, as he insisted.

Fredrick aimed was to poison his wife and child to dead. In other for him to claim all her wealth. So, he make it looks like an accident or tragic mistake.

After he prepared the breakfast and poisoned the food. He brought it to the dinning room and invited them to come and eat.

Fiona's hands trembled as she takes the breakfast, her mind racing with doubts. But it was too late now. The food was on the table, and David was already taking his first bite.

Fredrick smiled, his eyes gleaming with a sinister light. "Bon appétit, my dear," he said, his voice dripping with malice. Fiona's heart froze as she watched her son chew, her mind screaming in terror...

Fredrick knew definitely that the poison is a slow acting one and will take time to act fast on them. "Oh! Baby, I need to go get David's sport vest at the laundry room," Frederick grimaced, his voice dripping with pretence.

All he said was fallacies. He was only making out an opportunity to escape the outcome of his atrocious act.

Suddenly, Fiona felt a creeping numbness in her limbs, followed by a searing pain in her abdomen. Her vision blurred, and she struggled to breathe. She knew something was terribly wrong, but she couldn't pinpoint what was happening to her body.

On the other hand, The poison coursed through David's veins, leaving him feeling weak and disoriented. His thoughts were cloudy, and his memories seemed to slip away like sand between his fingers. He was trapped in a haze of confusion and fear.

"Mom, I'm dying," David screamed, his eyes sparkling with despondent. Fiona couldn't say anything to her son.

David tried yelling at his father, but he got no respond from him. Fiona's limb were weak, so this hampered her from walking. She managed to crawled to were her phone was and called Nelly who quickly come to their aids.

Nelly took Fiona and her son to the hospital. She was diagnosed of a food poison, likewise David.

"Doctor, what the hell is happening to my friend?" Nelly inquired, her voice trembling with fear. She was dreaded of loosing her.

The doctor, based on the diagnosis divulge the effect of the poison on Fiona's body systems. "Ma'am, her chances of survival is limited, likewise that of her son. The poison they ate has affected their kidney," The Doctor elucidated, imposing Nelly with more worries.

"This is your profession doctor, you need to do something before the eleven hour," Nelly compelled, her countenance depreciating to an atomic structure.

The doctor injected them an antidote which would neutralised the poison. Nelly stayed in the hospital with them to witness improvement in her friend's health and that of her son.

Fredrick's face lit up with a sinister grin as he thought about the poison he had slipped into their food. He had planned this moment for months, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. And now, it had finally come.

"Fiona and David are finally out of my way," he thought to himself, his mind filled with a sense of triumph. "I've managed to get rid of them once and for all."

He poured himself a glass of scotch, savoring the taste of his victory. As he raised the glass to his lips, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. He had outsmarted them all, including his wife and son.

"I've won," he whispered, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. "Nothing can stop me now. I'm free to do as I please, without anyone to hold me back."

Fredrick took a sip of his scotch, feeling the liquid burn down his throat. He closed his eyes, savoring the moment. He had never felt so alive, so powerful.

As he stood there, basking in his triumph, he couldn't help but think about how far he had come. He had clawed his way to the top. And now, with Fiona and David out of the way, he was free to live his life without any obstacles.

He opened his eyes, looking around the room with a sense of satisfaction. Everything was perfect, just as he had planned. The poison had worked its magic, and his wife and son were no more.

Fredrick took another sip of his scotch, feeling a sense of contentment wash over him. He had done it. He had finally achieved his goal.

But as he stood there, basking in his triumph, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. A nagging sense of unease crept into his mind, making him feel like he was missing something.

He tried to brush it off, telling himself he was just being paranoid. But the feeling persisted, gnawing at him like a rat in the walls.

Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. He spun around, his heart racing with fear. But there was no one there.

Fredrick let out a sigh of relief, telling himself he was just being silly. But the feeling of unease lingered, refusing to go away.

And then, it hit him. A realization that made his blood run cold. Fiona and David might not be dead after all.

Fredrick's eyes widened in horror as he realized his mistake. He had underestimated his wife and son, thinking they would be easy targets. But they had outsmarted him, surviving the poison and leaving him to believe they were dead.

A cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he realized the gravity of his mistake. He had thought he had won, but in reality, he had just begun to play a dangerous game.

The next thing he did was to go upstairs to Fiona's room and search for all her documents.

Initially, due to the love Fiona had for him. All her salary was paid into Fredrick's bank account. He as always been the one in charge of the money, even when Fiona is the one working and earning for it. Fiona didn't conceal any thing she has from him. She made him her next of king over her properties.

He took all the documents belonging to the house and every other things. Frederick claimed ownership of everything, forging a dead news. over his wife and son.

"Oh yes! I'm now the one who's fully piloting the affairs of everything," Frederick grimaced, his smiles and happiness could produce million rays of lights.

Frederick was still eavesdropping his ears around every corner to properly verify if his wife is still alive or dead.

But he was so heartless and had no conscience.

ONE MONTHS LATER

Fiona and David recovered from the food poison. But they were yet to be discharge from the hospital.

The doctor requested them to stay a bit longer in the hospital, so as to receive proper treatment which will hamper the effect of the poison from effecting her again.

David in the hospital was expecting to see his father. He couldn't hold it any longer, but divulged his feelings. "Mom, why's dad not coming to see us? Have been expecting to see him all this while," David cried, his voice meowing like a little cat crying.

Fiona stared closely at him for a while as tears rushed down her cheeks. She pulled her hands out and placed his head on the bottom of her chest. "He will soon be here," Fiona said, her voice bleeding with agony.

Nelly didn't say anything. She was also in the pool of tears. David saw the aura of the tragic atmosphere.

He dawned on him that something definitely is wrong. "Mom, why are the both of you crying? Is dad dead?" David inquired, his voice dripping with expectancy.

Fiona held his hand and stare passionately into eyes. "Dad isn't dead," Fiona replicated.

"Then, why's he not here with us?" David inquired, his voice erupting like a volcanic eruption.

Fiona couldn't conceal the secret again. "Dad poisoned us. That's why he's not here," Fiona narrated, her voice dripping with pains. She couldn't hold back the river of tears flowing down her cheeks.

The ten years boy, doubted her mother telling her the truth. Nelly had to convinced him to listen to his mother, by asking him who prepared the food. In which David replied it was his father.

David for his father finds its square root that very moment. He wished to see him sooner and tell him to his face how badly he regret having him as a father.

Fiona and her son David was about to discharge from the hospital in two days times. Frederick got informed about this, so he planned not be cognisant of the whole tragedy that happened.

Frederick decided to travel out of New York City to California. He made his way to the airport and scheduled a flight for himself.

He clandestinely travelled out of New York City to California that very evening. After two days, Fiona and David was discharged from the hospital as they went back home.

Fiona didn't see his husband. She wondered where exactly he was. It all dawned on her that Frederick's dismissal from home is part of his poisoner plan.

Fiona feels it's time she divulge all what she has been through to her son.

If he will have a better suggestions of an idea that would mitigate the current situation, rather than getting worst. "This is what have been through for the past eleven years of marrying your father," Fiona wept, her voice dripping with agonies and regret.

David felt so much for her mother and didn't want her to continue in this hazardous marriage. "Mom, he might try killing us again. I suggest we run away from him," David pinpointed, his mother doubted his suggestion.

Fiona was short of words. "Run away? Can't you see it's very detrimental for us to do that," Fiona retorted dejectedly.

"If only you don't want me to be motherless mom, let us leave this house this very minutes. He might be up to something more delicate than this," David preached, his voice dripping with phobia.

The last word David said captivated Fiona's mine. She accepted to escape with her son. "David, get your luggages ready. We're leaving this very minutes," Fiona ordered, leaving for her room upstairs.

Just then, the door creaked opened and Fredrick walked in languidly. He was paralyzed with the aura of atmosphere he witnessed at home.

David noticed his presence and went out to confront him. "Dad, I regrets having you as a father. I hates you wholeheartedly. You had the audacity to poisoned your own wife and child," David bawled, his voice bleeding with pains.

Fredrick acted in pretence. " Hey kiddo, what exactly are you insinuating?" Fredrick yelled in pretence.

"Mom, and I are leaving this house for good. We will never return again. Keep prospering with your evil plans and agendas," David cried out loud.

Just then, Fiona came downstairs with her luggages. He led David by his hand approaching the exit. Fredrick quicky rushed to them. "Baby, please I'm very sorry for all the things have done to you. You both mean so much to me and I don't want to lose you. Please forgive me, I'm now a change person," Fredrick pleaded, his voice grasping for breathe.

"To hell with your meaningless apologies. I can't forgive you," Fredrick drew closer to them, but he was restrained. "Get your flirty fist off me you devil incarnate," Fiona bawled, her voice dripping with tension.

Fiona grabbed David's hand, and they sprinted down the dark hallway. Footsteps echoed behind them. "Hurry, David!" she whispered, her voice trembling. They burst through the front door, slamming it shut behind them.

The lock clicked just as Fredrick's fist pounded on the other side. "Run!" Fiona yelled, pulling David toward the car. The engine roared to life, and they sped away into the night, leaving the terror behind... for now.