Nobela ni Dahlia Chrisnova

Angelica"What is it like being a mother?"Klara paused with a spoon of chocolate ice cream halfway towards her mouth. I only realized how odd my question was when I saw how she was looking at me. I dug into my ice cream and shoveled a spoon into my mouth to calm myself down."Why would you ask?" she asked. "Are you planning to have kids?"I was glad I wasn't looking at her so she wouldn't read my mind—not that I still believed shrinks could read minds but it was awkward nonetheless."Maybe," I gave a vague answer. Considering Curtis's stance on kids, her surprise was understandable. However, I didn't want to tell her I was pregnant yet. It didn't feel right to tell anyone else before Curtis."Well," she shrugged. "That's a broad subject. But I had all these plans for my kids. Rowan and I always wanted two, close in age, and we planned everything including what parenting methods we would use, which schools they would go to, what kind of friends we would allow around them, how I would

Angelica I groaned as I forced my eyes open, adjusting to the blinding light that had just been flickered on. I didn't know how long I had slept. Hell, I wasn't sure if it was day or night. There was no window in this dingy cell and the door was a solid hank of metal that didn't allow any light through it. The only source of light was the offensively bright bulb above me, which had been kept off until now. I had alternated between sleeping and pacing in the dark the whole time and it was driving me crazy. The only thing I could feel was the chains around my wrists and ankles, reminding me that I wasn't dead yet. I didn't know how long had passed since Curtis interrogated me about The Viper. It could be a day, a week, or a year. Hell, it could be ten years for all I knew. I looked down at my stomach and my lips twitched. At least there was a way to know if months had passed. My belly would bulge out. This was Curtis's idea of torture.To be fair, solitary confinement was one of the

Curtis“Angelika Giannelli, Angel of Death…is there any other identity I should know of?” I mocked.“Tell me everything about The Viper,” I demanded.She averted her gaze, dragging the long chains with her so she would walk up to me. I smirked when she stopped, her radius finally running out.“Is this necessary?” She bit back.Yes, it was. This woman killed Miles right under our noses and we didn’t think she was at fault. She played us all like a violin with that innocent smile on her face, all while taking out one Arciero after another and pitting us against each other. However, that was not why I was here.I pointed at her chains. “That will be the least of your problems. Answer me.”She shook her head. “I can’t tell you anything. You’re going to kill me anyway. Just do it.”“I knew you would say that.” I grinned. Someone with her skill could endure a lot of pain.Besides, I couldn’t bring myself to torture her. At least not physically anyway, which was odd, considering how willing

Angelica I needed my head examined. Was I seriously considering having this child? I had bought a dozen pregnancy test kits in the hospital’s pharmacy and couldn’t wait until I got to my hotel room, so I took the tests right there in the hospital washroom. Unsurprisingly, all of them came positive. It was unbelievable. I didn’t know what I thought pregnancy felt like but this was not it. I had expected a little more drama. Aside from my boobs feeling like they were about to fall off, the doctor mentioned I was lucky enough to have a morning sickness-free pregnancy. Maybe that was why I still couldn’t believe I had an actual baby inside me. It sounded like a joke—until I remembered I had to tell Curtis. Between upgrading and downgrading my way through as many cars as possible in the last two months, and spending each of those nights at a different hotel, I had about a thousand dollars to my name. It was a drop in the bucket in relation to how much I needed to bring up a child. I

AngelicaI felt like crap. Where the hell am I? I wondered. I forced one eye open and squinted, wincing from how horribly my head hurt. I patted around for my phone and remembered dropping it the night before. I hadn’t stopped to pick it up. I was too busy running for my life with Curtis hot on my tail. I didn’t know how he found me but I wasn’t going to be able to hide from him forever, I guess. My plan was perfect if I do say so myself. I ran around the city, leaving Curtis a trail that would make him think I was headed for Arcron, then I circled back and returned to Silverwood, where I rented two apartments; one in my name and the other under Klara Arciero. I stayed at neither. I spent every night at a different motel far from both apartments. The apartments were only a way to keep Curtis busy if he found out I was still in the city. Which is why I couldn’t understand why the fuck I thought it was a good idea to check out my fake apartment. I was yet to enter the building when

CurtisTwo months later. Why was I still on this wild goose chase? I hadn’t caught a whiff of my wife even though I felt I had searched the whole of West Auburg. She couldn’t have left the country. There was only one person capable of helping her get a fake passport and he was currently on our side. Sometimes I could swear she was leaving me a trail. Though when I got to it, she was gone like a puff of smoke. I was more frustrated by the realization that the longer it took to find her, the farther away she could go. If she found a way to get a fake passport from somewhere else, she could be halfway across the country and there was nothing I could do about it. But I wasn’t giving up. I meant it when I said I would tear down the whole world to find her. I was not giving up now. I was still staring at the road with my hands gripping the steering wheel. What if I was approaching this from the wrong angle?I took a U-turn at the next exit and returned home. Klara was visiting, which was

Wendy had her eyes shut when he opened the bathroom door."What's the result?" He asked.She didn't intend to tell him without playing a guessing game with him, which he quickly found out. Luckily, it was only a two choice option."Is it positive?" He asked hopefully. She shook her head.His mood dimmed in the slightest but he still asked, "Is it negative?"She shook her head, and he was baffled. Was she going to make him have a gazillion options even though it was a question of yes or no?He tried again. "Were you unable to take the test?"She shook her head to that too, and he was about to ma

It had been several weeks since Mia learned the truth about the past but it was not in the slightest bit easier to bear. It was still hard to imagine that the woman she had hated all her life was also the one who had saved her life. She had not had the courage to tell Carlos about it. Maybe he already knew the truth but kept it to himself. It was probably one of the things that would become clear with time and she was not willing to pry into them before they naturally unfolded. It made her feel guiltier because they were growing closer by the day.They had agreed to be friends but spent a lot of time together, doing things that friends definitely wouldn't ever do—not that she was complaining.On Friday evening, she went to his office as soon as she clocked out. This was how it had been for weeks. He would either seek her or she would seek him, every day. They would either have dinner together or he would drop her off. On weekends—like today—they would coo

“What in the world…” Gemma was rendered speechless by the insanity she had just heard. “Why the hell would such a rule even exist?”The elderly lawyer had no definite answer to that, because it was not he who had written the will nor had he set the rules that his granddaughter was finding absurd. He could only hypothesize. “The old man didn't want his bloodline to go extinct. He had to set some rules, and you are lucky that he did not specify that you must have a son before inheriting his estate.”Gemma sighed when she imagined that such a thing was possible. She had not known her grandfather when he was alive, because her family was yet to find her when he passed away. From the tales she had heard about him from her parents and grandmother, she knew that setting such an absurd rule did sound like something he would do.Even so, it still made no sense when she thought about it. “But I'm a w

Mia translated the document and while she didn't think there was anything secretive about it that would make Carlos unable to give it to someone else, she got the work done within the deadline nonetheless. It was the only way to get him to stop seeking trouble. She hated having to do everything he asked of her but he was the boss and there was nothing she could do about it. At least not yet.He was still sitting at his desk when she returned."That took you half an hour,." He remarked when he saw her.She placed the folder on his desk. "I'm done." She muttered, wondering why he sounded like he was complaining when he had given her two hours. She had not even taken up half of the allocated time. Was he going to scold her for being too fast?"Thank you." He half whispered. It was the first time he was appreciating anything she did and she was baffled."You're welcome." She smiled. He was smiling back at her and for the first time as well. She not

She thought he would ask to spend more days of the week with her or something along the lines but what he said surprised her."Promise me that you will sue Declan and that you will definitely go through with it no matter what happens."She frowned. "How is that paying you back? It's in my favor either way." She looked at him in confusion. Did he have a misunderstanding about the meaning of paying back?"It does pay me back. It's a win-win situation for both you and me."She thought hard about it and still couldn't understand how that was remotely possible."Is it because the man who hurt the woman you love will be behind bars and you will no longer have to see his face around? or, do you have personal grudges with him? Are you planning to use his term in prison as a way to end him?He smiled at her vivid imagination. "It's nothing of the sort. Well, those would be added benefits of putting him behind bars but the main reaso

"You are so beautiful." Livian ran his hand down her shoulder and kissed her cheek. She would have thought that he was just saying it to get on her good side but when she met his gaze, she had to believe that he truly meant it. His eyes were filled with adoration and if it was humanly possible, his attraction for her seemed to have intensified after what they had just done.She purred like a comfortable kitten when he kissed her cheek. She was lying against his chest with her body half sprawled against his. She pulled her knee up against his thigh and it drove him crazy. He groaned in pleasure."You are insatiable." She chuckled. They had done it twice in a row and she was beginning to realize that it didn't take much for him to be hard again.He wrapped his arms around her waist and chuckled against her neck. "Who am I to blame for that? If the wife is too sweet, is it the husband's fault that he got addicted to her sweetness?"She looked

Since he already knows, I figure there’s no need to play dumb. "Yes." The answer doesn’t displease him. On the contrary, he smirks. "Loosen my tie." I do as I’m told, all too aware of what it seems like for my hair to be bunched in his fist like that. No one told me to unbutton his shirt, but I do, revealing a sliver of skin with each button. On the fourth, Rhys grabs my hand. "What will I do with you, my naughty Kira?" The rasp of his voice makes me tremble—not in fear. What I’m feeling is perhaps the strongest surge of pleasure I’ve ever felt. Rhys grabs my shirt on both sides and yanks it open, sending buttons flying.The sound of my phone ringing pulls me out of my thoughts, and I realize all this time, I’ve been touching myself.I have scribbled countless diary entries with Rhys Redmond at the center of them, but never have I touched myself thinking about him. I’m caught between embarrassment and excitement. On one hand, this isn’t right. I should be ashamed of myself for th

KIRA "I am not a wanted criminal playing hide-and-seek with the police, if that’s what you’re asking," I attempt a joke. It's not funny to Rhys. The brooding man doesn’t so much as grunt, but again, he could listen to a five-minute-long report without the slightest reaction. It unnerves me all the same.Rhys will strangle me if I tell him about my past. Who wants to associate himself with that kind of trouble? At the same time, avoiding the question will only make him investigate me. Rhys is the kind of man who always looks over his shoulder. He has a ton of skeletons to hide, after all. There is always someone trying to cause trouble or take his life. If he sniffs anything that makes him think I might be working with his enemies, I’m dead."Bad breakup," I lie, trying hard not to avert my gaze. I hope he will believe me or respect my decision to keep the details a secret.He doesn’t say anything for a while, making my heart speed up. What is he thinking? Is he wondering what kind of

RHYS"So her credentials are fake.""Everything about her is fake. I doubt her name is Kira Davidson."Just like I thought. My lips twitch. I would like to stop by her desk and ask her who she stole the name Kira Davidson from, but that would be reckless. If she is a spy, as I assume, she is not working on her own. I should use her to lure out the mastermind.Thinking about it, making Kira my fiancée would have been the perfect chance. I would make her live here under my roof and monitor everything she does. Her phone calls and mail would be under surveillance without her knowledge. It would take at most a week to discover everything, and I wouldn’t even need Shane.Instead, I snuff the thought out and tell Shane, "Keep digging. I want answers by the end of the week."He gasps like I have uttered profanity. "It took over a week to find out her background is fake, and now you’re giving me only two days to uncover everything else? That’s too little!""Then get to it before time runs out

RHYS REDMOND Asking Kira to be my fiancée has to be one of the worst mistakes I have ever made.I didn't lie about her not being my type—I prefer women who don't work for me. In all the years I have worked at Phoenix Industries, I have never dipped my pen in company ink. In fact, I don't even go out with women from the same industry.A certain little blonde, however, has been getting under my skin ever since she became my assistant. When I questioned what strings she pulled to get the job, Kira made it her mission to prove me wrong; always doing things before I asked them of her. The way she grumbles about what an asshole I am when she thinks I'm out of earshot makes me want to spank her sexy ass.That thought alone is enough to get me slapped with a lawsuit.My dick doesn't seem to understand that. I was hard for hours after Kira left my office yesterday and all I could think about was those lips she kept licking wrapped around my cock.Just when I manage to get her out of my mind a

I've made up my mind by the time my workday ends. I can't investigate Rhys Redmond without putting myself at risk, but my limited knowledge offers some clues. Rhys must be under pressure from his family to get married, but the man would rather mail a bride than find love like a normal person. He plans to use me to calm his family down, so why can’t I do the same?I know of the secret forces Mr. Redmond is affiliated with. They are the very reason I chose to work for him—no one will ever lay a hand on me on his turf. I can be the fake fiancée he wants me to be, and in exchange, I will get his protection. At the end of the arrangement, we will separate amicably, and I can continue working for him. If not, I will ask him to get me to a safer place.I’m so lost in my fantasy of things that are less likely to happen than a blizzard in summer that I don’t notice my broken window until I’m sitting on the couch.There’s a rock the size of a golf ball in the middle of the house, probably throw

I must be dreaming, because this is exactly how most of my fantasies start; with him summoning me into his office. He would glare at me, but there would be more than just anger in his eyes.In reality, there is none of that. His eyes trail my body up and down, as though observing a piece of art at an exhibition. After what feels like ages but is probably only a few minutes, he seems satisfied with his findings and says, "Have a seat."I do, but my butt is basically hovering over the chair. I can’t bring myself to relax in the presence of this man. The first thing I can think of is, I’m getting fired!I’m pretty sure it’s not about the diary entries. No one has ever caught a whiff of them, and Rhys Redmond is the kind of asshole more likely to make fun and punish the heck out of me—not in the fun way I envision—before throwing a shitty recommendation letter my way. At the very least, the letter of dismissal wouldn't come as a surprise."Did I do something wrong?" I attempt to ask. If I