"After we examined the cause of the explosion, we found the remaining scrap of wires from the car remains and also a screw driver."

Lea groaned as she shifted around to make herself comfortable on the sofa in the family parlour. Every of her family had rushed home when they learned of her almost-death experience. Although her bodyguard had taken the impact of her fall, Lea still managed to get a broken arm and third-degree burns on her right leg. The family had assured her family that the scar would fade with time, but Lea wasn't sure if she would forget the explosion anytime soon.

She still had nightmares about it. Always replaying the scene each time.

"Which meant that someone planted a bomb in the car?" Pablo Mendoza, her oldest brother, asked with a frown. "How did no one notice someone getting into the garage?"

The guards remained quite and kept their heads bowed. Of course, they knew better than to say anything. Not when the boss' first son was angry. Pablo Mendoza was known for doing something drastic in a fit of anger.

Levi Palacios, Marleen Mendoza's husband who also happened to be Lea's sister, pointed a finger in Pablo's direction with a shake of his head.

Lea rolled her eyes. "You're acting as if I was dead, when I'm not. Who do you think would want to hurt me,huh?" She raised a brow in Tue general direction of her father and brother. "Probably one of the people you keep making enemies with."

Marleen nodded. "She's right,papa. Although they've never come after our family, or focused on one of us before. It's quite strange."

"Or the people she might have pissed off with her cheery little-do-good attitude." Armando Mendoza, the second son and second child of the family, said.

"Shut up, Mr-i-like-to-kiss-my-papa's-ass." Lea snarled. "You're not the one to talk."

"Shut up!"

All eyes turned towards Mendoza, who was pacing to and fro in the room. "What's wrong with all of you?" He paused to glare at them before resuming his pacing. "Armando, your sister almost lost her life and all you think about is the fact that she's a goody shoe?"

Armando had the grace to look sheepish. "I apologize,papa."

"What do you propose we do?" Fredericka Mendoza, their mother, asked calmly. "At least, until you find out about who tried to kill Alejandra."

"I have been thinking long and hard and I have decided to send Alejandra to Panama for the time being."

Lea shot up in her seat, wincing when she bumped her bad arm against the sofa. "What?! I still have to attend Ansela Mckade's parents anniversary."

Mendoza turned his flashing eyes on her. "Are you crazy? Your life is in danger and all you think about is a wedding Anniversary?"

Armando scoffed. "Told you she was two-goody shoes."

"Mandy," Marleen warned.

"Don't call me that!" He whined.

Pablo rolled his eyes at the pair. "Alea would go to Panama,papa. But she needs guards."

"Which is why I got her four." Mendoza gestured to the waiting guards. "Bring them in."

"Yes, boss."

"But papa, I have to. . ." Her words trailed off when four men walked into the room. They were dressed in charcoal gray suit with royal blue shirt underneath except for one of them.

He was wearing an aquamarine shirt and matching shoes. His hair was shaved down at both sides,leaving the middle full and black and curly. A lock of his hair rested on his forehead,and her fingers itched to brush it back, to test if his hair was as soft as it looked. A scar, thick and still pinkish around the edge, ran from the left side of his jaw, up across his nose until it disappeared into his hairline. It was as if someone wanted to draw a'X' mark on his face but forgot about the other line to complete it.

He was not handsome in the most conventional way. No. His eyes were so little that if he closed them a bit than they were, they would disappear completely. His nose was small for his large angular face. His mouth was too wide and his lips were also black as if he had smoked his fair share of cigarette all his life. He was built too. Like a boulder or something, if his broad shoulders was anything to go by.

This man was not handsome at all.

But there was something about him that drew her like a moth to a flame. Suddenly, Panama wasn't such a bad idea anymore.

"This are your new bodyguards." Mendoza said as he went to sit on what Lea liked to call his throne. "Go on and introduce yourselves to your new, Donna."

Lea glared at her father at the title he used, but she didn't comment. She sat forward as her eyes fell on this bewitching man once again. His face was hard like granite, giving nothing away about what he was thinking. His eyes met hers though, and the corner of his lips tilted down as if he didn't like that she was staring at him. But she didn't care.

The first bodyguard, a white-haired mocha skinned man, bent at the waist before straightening up. "My name is Manuel Costa. It's my pleasure you serve you, Señora Mendoza."

"My name is Kia Styles." The second one said after he copied the Manuel's bow. If his pretty face and lean physic was anything to go by, he was from Asia.

"Murdoch Slykovania." Yep. Definitely Croatia. People with the name that ended with the 'ich' thingy. He was also a fine specimen, but he didn't hold her attention for long.

Lea stared at Scarface expectantly.

His face remained impassive. "Knox Marsden." Was all he said. Of course, he did the bow thing, but it was like watching an aluminum bend. He was as stiff as a corpse.

"Where are you from?" She found herself asking before she could comprehend what she said. She heard Armando snicker, and she threw a middle finger in the direction she know he would be.

"America."

Lea eyed him. "When did you say we are leaving for Panama again, papa?"

Pablo turned to their father with an amused smile. They exchanged knowing glances.

"In two days."

Lea stood up. "Make it tomorrow. I suddenly want to see the beach and tan so bad." She winked at Knox,before turning her her heels and stalking out of the room already thinking of what and what clothes we would take with her.

She missed the smirk Knox threw at her retreating figure.

*    *    *

"Ah, home sweet home." Ella took a deep breath as she was led to the bed in her room in the family house. "I never thought a day would come where I would miss this place so much."

She got back from the hospital last night and the family hadn't stopped fussing over her. They even made sure to keep the children away so that she could rest. But now, they went out for some family time, after Cassie had fussed over Kaden's sling, of course. Arabella had asked them to have some bonding time and rest. Ella was grateful because it was the first time in five years that she didn't have to worry about the children; there was also the time alone with Cassie which rarely happened anymore.

"I would always miss it." Cassie smiled. She helped Ella under the covers before sitting beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than I was yesterday." Ella smiled. "I guess dying isn't as easy as people believe it to be. Who knew that dying would make you so tired."

Tears welled in Cassie's eyes. "Don't go around joking about something like that,El. It's not nice."

The smile melted off her face. "Um, I'm sorry Cassie. I- I didn't mean to make you cry."

She sniffed. "I know. It's not your fault either. But watching you die wasn't easy for me."

Ella opened her arms. "Come here."

Cassie shuffled around so that she was laying beside Ella with her arms around her. "I'm sorry for being so emotional."

"Or maybe you're up the duff again." Ella teased. "The last time you were this emotional you had Shane."

Cassie laughed wetly. "No, I'm not. Besides, Cani is still a baby."

"Are you saying that you would have another one if Cani wasn't a baby?" Ella faked-gasped. "Cassie, you filthy girl! Are you and Kaden trying to raise a football team?"

"Of course not." She rolled her eyes. "We decided that no more babies after Canishia. Shane and Bell are handful enough as it it. And now that Ana is nearing her teen years, Kaden is more worried than ever. Says he won't let any boy near her."

"Typical father." She giggled. "How old is she again?"

"Nine. She would be ten by November twenty-third." Cassie sighed wistfully. "They grow up really fast, don't they?"

"They do." Ella voice sounded so far away that Cassie tilted her head back to see her.

"What is it,El?"

She shook her head. "Am I a fool for forgiving Liam so easily after he hurt me so much?"

Cassie brushed Ella's hair back with her fingers. "No." She said softly. "No. To be honest, I expected you to be angry with him and not forgive him at all. Make him grovel a little. But you're not a fool for forgiving him."

"Really?" She asked doubtfully.

"Yes,dear. It means that you love him. You won't forget what he did, but you forgave him. It makes you the better person. It shows that you're the matured one between you two. The children would love seeing you get back together again."

"I miss my babies." She smiled at the mention of her girls. Her gaze fell on her still pudgy belly. "I miss him too." She began to cry. Her fingers resting on the place where her baby boy was once upon a time. "I miss him so much."

Cassie sat up with her back against the headboard and pulled Ella into her arms. 'It's okay to miss him, El. He was your son. Let it all out."

"I already p-picked out a name for him." She sniffed. "B-bought many clothes for him. He was going to be named after your father; Rodger. Prince Rodger Mckade."

Cassie subtly wiped her own tears away. "That's his name,Ella. Maybe when you're feeling better, we could make his own little grave. We can mourn him properly. Take fresh flowers to Rodger every time."

Ella cried harder. "My baby. I didn't get to see his face. H-he would have been s-so-sso handsome. Just like his father."

"Shh." Cassie combed her fingers through Ella's hair repeatedly; she dropped a kiss on her head frequently. "Let it all out, sweetheart."

It took sometime before Ella's tears finally reduced to hiccups. Then she fell asleep while Cassie hummed an off-beat song to her. When she was finally asleep, Cassie tucked her lax body under the covers, dropped a kiss on her head once more before heading out of the room.

The bodyguards by the doorway nodded in her direction when she shut the door behind her. "She's sleeping now, but make sure you keep an ear out for when she wakes up. I'm going down to the kitchen."

One of them, Harry, stepped forward. "Mr. Mckade gave the instruction not to let either of you out of our sight."

Cassie rolled her eyes at him. "I am going to the kitchen alone. There are only two of you here in the house and I don't want only one of you to leave here. Ella's weaker that I am right now."

"But-"

"No buts. Just do as you're told. Stay here, if I need you I'll holler your name."

He hesitated. "Mr. Mckade won't like this if he finds out that I let you walk alone."

"The key word there being if. He won't know nothing if you don't tell. I'm not in the mood for this." She said. "I'm hungry and tired. Do you know that breastfeeding a baby isn't an easy job and it makes you so hungry?"

"Huh. . ." The poor man turned so red that Cassie feared his was suffering some kind of seizure.

"Uh. . ." she giggled nervously. "I'll just go now." She started to walk away but paused when Harry made to follow her. "Alone!"

Skipping down the hallway, Cassie hummed a merry tune. Feeling so young and carefree. It was a refreshing feeling and although she missed her children, she was happy with her children-free day.  She bounced down the stairs and started for the kitchen.

The front door flew open, and crashed against the wall from the force which it was opened. Cassie froze mid-step and turned around slowly, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

At first she didn't recognize the person standing in the doorway clutching something to her chest. Dark hair fell over the person's face and her body and clothes were covered in bits of dust. Her feet were bare of any shoes, and were bleeding.

"A-are you alright?" Cassie took a tentative step forward. "Who are you?"

The person took a shaky step forward, and another until her legs gave out from under her. She fell onto the floor in a heap. Throwing caution into the wind, Cassie rushed forward to where the lady laid unmoving.

Harry and his partner came rushing down the stairs. "Mrs. Mckade, step back!"

"Call the ambulance!" She yelled back as she knelt beside the still body. She frantically brushed her hair away from her face and pressed her hand to the girl's temple feeling for a pulse.

There was nothing. Although she was breathing right before she collapsed,Cassie got nothing.

The girl was dead.

Harry grabbed Cassie from under her arms and started to pull her away from the body. "Rick called the ambulance and I called Mr. Mckade. The family would be here soon."

Cassie's eyes took in the girl's bruised face for the first time and she felt all the air leave her body in a loud whoosh. Her body went numb in Harry's arms.

No way. I-it couldn't be.

"Annie?"

*      *      *

"I've done my part of the deal," Lukas said as he checked himself in the mirror of the men's bathroom. He stroked his beardless chin. "It's your turn now."

"Ha ha. I never knew you could act so fast, Lukey."

He scowled at the mirror. "Don't call me that shit."

"Where is she?"

"With me. We're in Philadelphia on our way to her parents house. She trusts me so much because I defended her from my clueless cousin."

"Ah,love! Such a stupid,brainless feeling. I always wondered why people waste their time on that shit. It's totally exhausting and meaningless. Take Annie's case for instance."

"What are you going on about now?"

"She loved your dear cousin so much she withheld information from him to keep him alive, and where did that get her? He dumped her the first chance he got. Poor girl is alone now."

"She's pregnant."

"What?!"

Lukas held the phone away from his ear with a wince. He glared at it for sometime before holding back to his ear.

". . . She won't be alone anymore or even pregnant when I get her. Or better still, she can give birth to her little bastard in hell."

"Listen, Feisty Queen. I have to go now. Just make sure you do your part. This thing is taking far too longer than I like "

"Of course, My Dear Lukey. It's time for Plan B."