Novels by Helen Ene

Leo looked back to see Felix walk into the office with a smug look on his face. "Felix! Where have you been?" Leo asked before looking to see Ellen pointing at Felix with a look of panic on her face again. "Why are you pointing at Felix? Ellen, what is going on? Are you sure this isn't just an act?" Leo asked, stepping away from her. "It's him; he is behind it, Leo," Ellen said, speaking up. Leo shook his head in amazement and replied, "If this is some sort of joke, would you please stop it?" "I am telling you the damn truth; would you for once believe me?" Ellen shouted at him. Leo paused for a minute, then turned to look at Felix as he asked, "What the hell is she saying?" Felix shrugged and said, "I don't know Leo; I think she needs to go to the hospital; it's probably a panic due to the pregnancy." Leo turned to Ellen, concern etched on his face this time around as he said, "Ellen, I think we should get you to the hospital." Ellen screamed, beating Leo on the chest as she

Downstairs, Felix navigated through the crowd as he tried to avoid mingling. Everyone was having a light conversation while they all waited for the host."Felix? Over here," Mr. Phillips called from the crowd.Felix waved and smiled, hoping he would be able to slip away without having to go over, but Mr. Phillips had other plans."Felix, what a lovely event you have here. I must say that these past few days have made the Haven hotel the talk of the town," Mr. Phillips commented."I'm glad the event turned out better than we imagined," Felix replied, trying to keep his smile in place."I'm sure Leo is glad to have you on this; truly, two good heads are better than one," Mr. Phillips added."Felix, have you really been around? It's almost like you don't stay in New York," Viva said as she joined them with a glass of wine."I am Viva, but you only have eyes for one person; I guess that's why you haven't noticed me," Felix replied with a charming grin.Every other person in the group chuc

Ellen could feel her inside running faster than her physical legs could carry her."I should go home; yes, that's what I should do." Ellen murmured and walked out of the restaurant.She couldn't look back, for fear of seeing Felix come out of the restroom already.Ellen hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of her house."Alright, ma'am," the cab driver said, and he drove back onto the road.It was then that Ellen had the courage to look back, and she saw Felix walking out of the restaurant."This could just be a misunderstanding, right? I mean, what if I'm just mistaken? What if it's pregnancy hormones?" Ellen murmured.“I think I should have stayed to ask him,” Ellen muttered, adding, “It felt so real.”"I should tell Leo right; he has every right to know; he needs to know," Ellen whispered to herself with determination.She looked at her phone and realized it was too late to head to the hotel. She picked up her phone and dialed Leo's number. It rang for eternity, and nobody

Suddenly, fear gripped Ellen, her heart skipping as she looked back at the person behind her."Did I really scare you?" Felix asked, a broad grin on his face as he enjoyed the look on Ellen's face."What the hell was that about?" Ellen exclaimed, placing a hand on her chest as she calmed herself."I didn't mean to scare you; I just wanted to pull a prank on you," Felix explained as he laughed at her."That was not funny, Felix," Ellen told him, feigning anger."I know, but the look on your face was cute," Felix replied.Ellen turned and continued walking. "I thought you were too busy to come here," she said.Felix hurried after her and said, "Yeah, I had some things to take care of, but now I'm here and I'm taking you for dinner.Ellen paused, stopping in her tracks. "Dinner? All of a sudden?""Yes, you're done for the day, right? Let's go. I'll treat you to a nice meal," Felix said, grabbing Ellen's arm as he started walking towards his car.*******In Leo's office, he was going over

"What do you want, Sandra?" Ellen said, looking at Sandra, who showed up from nowhere to stand in front of her."You've grown some guts, Ellen; I thought you were banned from coming to this hotel." Sandra glared, stepping closer to her."Sandra, is there something specific you need or want to tell me?" Ellen asked calmly."You think I would have something important to talk to you about?" Sandra mocked."Whatever this is, I really don't have the time for it," Ellen informed her, stepping backward to create space between them.Sandra laughed mockingly, "What do you have if not time? I mean, with that pregnancy and all, I doubt if anyone is going to look your way.""Do you feel better from being mean?" Ellen asked.Sandra's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What did you just say?"Ellen struggled to remain calm. She looked at Sandra and smiled. "It's fine; we can't all have it perfect."Sandra's face went rigid. "Leo will never come back to you; I'll make sure of it," she hissed.Ellen looked

Leo brushed a hand through his hair and said, "Grandma, Ellen is...""Ellen!" Mrs. Grater exclaimed before Leo could finish his statement.Ellen? Where? Leo wondered as he looked towards the door, but there she was, in flesh."Uhm, hi, Mrs. Warner," Ellen said, stuttering as she tried to put on a smile for Mrs. Warner."How are you doing? Leo has been busy with school, you know; he has not come home. Why didn't you bring him home?" Mrs. Warner asked Ellen.Ellen didn't know how to explain it, so instead, she replied, "I'll make sure he comes from now on."That put a smile on Mrs. Warner's face as she pulled Ellen back to the lounge with her."Leo, see, it is Ellen." Mrs. Warner announced as if Leo was blind and hadn't seen her."Yes, grandma, it's Ellen," Leo replied, gesturing with his hand towards her.As Mrs. Warner pulled Ellen down beside her, they heard a commotion at the door."No, you can't do that now; it's supposed to be later today," Alex said as he walked through the door

"In as much as I love to watch what is going on, I really do think we need to take this somewhere else," Bella whispered to Elliot, stepping between him and Daphne.Elliot's eyes were unreadable as he kept staring at Daphne, wondering what was wrong with her."Hey, see, it's time to go for lunch break," Mick said out loud, drawing the attention from Daphne and Elliot."Yes, it is.""Hmm, hmm,"Were the responses from some persons in the group, while the majority still had their eyes on the two whose gazes were still locked in a fierce fight?"Everyone, we would just have a few minutes break, and then we would get back to deciding who the winner is," Mick announced, smiling nervously at the group.There were reluctant murmurs of disapproval as everyone around them walked away. Some glanced back to see what was going on while others walked out of the building to go get lunch.Emily and Mirabel stayed behind, with Emily staring daggers at Ava while Mirabel stood clueless as to what was g

Mr. Clark was at a loss as he stared at her, unsure of what she was asking."Could you repeat what you said?" Ava asked."I said they are requesting a refund," Mr. Clark replied."Yes, I heard that. It's the part of the money that I did not get," Ava responded."Oh, okay, it's a million dollars," Mr. Clark said again."How were we unable to make a delivery worth that amount?" Ava asked, looking around the room.The room fell silent as everyone stared at Ava. The department involved didn't know how to respond as it was their first time dealing with the new CEO."Is there no one who was in charge of it?" Ava asked."There is, um, that would be the head of the team," Mr. Clark replied."And who is that?" Ava asked."That is me, ma'am," someone said with their hand raised.Ava looked over and saw an elderly lady. She looked to be in her mid-forties."Okay, could you give me a rundown of what exactly happened?" Ava asked."Yes, I could," she replied."Hmm, please tell me your name," Ava re

The sun was up and the skies were clear, creating a beautiful backdrop for the day ahead. The gentle breeze rustled through the trees, bringing a sense of calm to the morning.Ava rolled to her back, staring at the ceiling as she thought about all that had happened yesterday."It's a new day to start fresh," Ava grumbled as she reached for her phone on the nightstand.Just then, it started to ring, signaling an incoming call. When she checked the caller ID, it was from Lilly."Tell me you found out who it was," Ava stated."Not yet, but it seems we would have to reveal a statement ourselves if we do not want people to think otherwise," Lily stated.Ava closed her eyes for a minute, her thoughts racing at what her next steps should be."Is there no way we can just deny it later by our work?" Ava asked."From what I saw, this is pretty high level, and if that brand chooses to come out into the limelight, then there is no amount of convincing that would correct that," Lily stated.Ava op

By the time Ava got home later that night, it was already late."Mummy," Jenna grumbled when Ava went to kiss them good night in their room."Love you, sweetheart," Ava muttered before closing the door behind her."Would you like Lucy to get anything for you?" Bella asked."No, hmmm, I'm full; I don't think I can stomach anything right now again."Alright, so how did it go?" Bella asked."you tell me, how did it go on your end? Were you able to go with Brad?" Ava asked."Yes, we were, and it was a lot of fun," Bella said with a wink."That sounds interesting, or did something else happen?" Ava asked."Yes, something did happen," Bella said with a grin."Spill, what is it?" Ava asked curiously."Now, remember what I asked you about in the garden at the back?" Bella asked."In the garden?" Ava muttered, trying to clarify."Yes, I was able to get an opportunity today. Guess who we saw at the program," Bella stated."Who did you see?" Ava asked.After a moment of thought, Bella shook her

Brad looked at the picture with him once again and then at the amused look on Amber's face.The picture was of an island with mountains surrounded by a lot of trees."Bella, it's a deal then," Brad said, looking up at her.Bella looked distracted as she looked past them at something."Bella?" Brad called, waving a hand in front of her."Hmmm, yes, of course, it's a deal," Bella said."Good, I'll get to work with other tables then," Amber said as she walked away.Bella glanced back again before returning to her table."Are you okay?" Brad asked."Yes, I am," Bella responded."Okay," Brad replied and got to work.Bella kept glancing back, her eyes fixed on him. For a minute she had thought it was Jordan, only for her to realize it was Nathan's son."Aunt Bella, see," Jordan called, showing her the start of his work."Good, don't worry. Ms. Amber will come check it, okay?" Bella said to him with a smile."Okay," Jordan said, returning to his painting.Over at Thomas's stand, he looked co

"Ava! Watch out!" Noah called out, pulling Ava just before the doors closed.Ava looked horrified as she realized she had been standing in between the door."What were you thinking?" Noah asked, his face filled with concern as he stared into her eyes."I wasn't, obviously," Ava mumbled as she stared at the door."Are you okay?" Noah asked."Yes, I am. What was I thinking?" Ava muttered, finally stepping away from Noah's hands."You should know better than to be on your phone when you should be focused on where you were going," Noah cautioned."I was lost in thought," Ava mumbled, smiling as she added, "I'm sorry, I scared you.""It's fine. Are you sure you can do dinner tonight?" Noah asked."You already made plans; I would not want to ruin…" Ava tried to say."Plans can be changed; you obviously have your mind on other things at the moment. Would you like to go for a walk?" Noah asked.Ava smiled and nodded, "Yes, thank you."They walked out of the building, the night air blowing gen

Shawn and Tobias looked back instantly, and the shock on their faces was so appealing that it brought a smile to Lily's face. "Laura? What are you doing here?" Tobias asked, looking shocked. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Laura said as she walked over and sat in front of them. Before they could answer, they heard a knock at the door, and Laura said, "Oh, that must be him." "Aunt, I thought you said she left," Tobias said, looking at Lily. Lily remained silent and only responded with a shrug. Laura opened the door, and Jason walked into the office, a sight that only made Tobias more scared and Shawn visibly angry. "You were saying something about my family," Laura said, addressing Shawn. "What is going on here? Why does this feel like a trap? Are you suspecting us of something?" Shawn asked, standing up suddenly. "Nobody is suspecting you of anything; we are just asking you about your last statement," Lily said, breaking her silence. "You know what? I'm leaving. I only

As soon as they were alone, Jason turned back to Laura and said, "Let's hear it."Laura shook her head and replied, "Jason, up until this morning, I didn't have the information I have now. I was actually trying my best not to be angry at you.""Why would you be angry at me? If for anything, I should be the one pissed, because you were not picking up my calls and you left without any notice from the event that day.""I know, but if you hear me out, then maybe you will understand my reasons," Laura said, holding up her hand."Okay, you have the floor," Jason said as he took his seat a few feet away from her."I came back to town to find my mother and to find out what happened to me seven years ago," Laura said.Jason was silent as he watched her speak, his expression neutral. Laura brushed her hair behind her neck and continued to explain her mother's relationship to Lily."Suffix it to say that I found my grandmother, but I was not able to find out what happened that one night that I c

Grace walked into Jared's office, demanding to have an audience with him."I'm sorry, ma'am, but you can't go in now; he is not on sit," the receptionist said apologetically."I know he is in there; tell him that if he does not see me now, he won't like the next news he hears," Grace responded.Having no choice, the receptionist put a call through to Jared's office again and relayed the message.After a few minutes, she dropped the phone and said, "You can go in, ma'am.""I thought as much," Grace replied, and she walked straight to the elevator.It had been radio silence since her last confrontation with Jared, but now she was going to rain down all the anger she felt within on him."I told you not to come here, Grace," Jared said as soon as Grace walked into his office."I don't give a damn what you say any longer, Jared," Grace replied with scorn."What exactly do you want, Grace?" Jared asked."What do I want? Huh, that's rich coming from you." Grace replied, adding, "You know I h

Lily was surprised to hear that, so she gripped her hand tightly and asked, "What else is there that I haven't said?"Laura shook her head and replied, "No, not you; it's from me.""Oh, what is it?" Lily asked.Laura pulled her hand from Lily's grip and brushed it through her hair as she sighed deeply."Actually, I came back to town because of two things. The first was because of the note you sent to me about my mother, and the second was because I wanted to find out what happened to me about seven years ago." Laura explained.Lily's face squeezed in confusion as she asked, "Something happened to you? What might it be?""Well, I don't know either; all I know is that I got pregnant after, and that was what resulted in my father sending me away from town," Laura replied."What?" Lily exclaimed in shock."Yes, you see, I was betrothed to Jared Tuner, but my stepsister set me up that night," Laura said, explaining what Grace had told her about the same night.There was more confusion on L

"Jason?" Tim called, wondering what was wrong."Okay, Liam, thank you for calling me. Do you know where you stay?" Jason said this on the phone.Tim realized he was talking to Laura's son and shrugged, hoping he got the answer he was looking for."No, that's fine. How is Lisa?" Jason asked.Just like magic, the hard look on Jason's face cleared as he spoke with the children. After a few minutes, the call ended."So?" Tim asked."They are leaving in two days," Jason said."What two days?" Tim replied, surprised."Yes," Jason replied, his voice sounding dejected."Oh, oh," Tim muttered."What did Gift say?" Jason asked."Nothing, just like I told you she would," Tim replied, adding, "Don't the kids know where the house is?""They don't; I think Liam called me from the card I gave him sometimes back," Jason replied."Hmm, well, I think you have tried all that you can," Tim said encouragingly.I am really going to lose Laura, Jason thought as he sat there, staring into space.*************

When Jason walked into the office that morning, everyone who saw him knew something was wrong."Jason, you don't look so good," Tim whispered behind him as they walked through the building lobby."You look like you did not get any sleep last night," Tim added as he noticed a few people staring at Jason."That is of less concern right now, Tim; I need you to get Gift here today," Jason replied as they boarded the elevator."Gift? You mean the same Gift Hatcher?" Tim asked."Yes, I need to ask her about Laura. She mentioned some time ago that they had been childhood friends," Jason replied.Tim shook his head, knowing that was not going to be a good idea, considering the outcome of the last meeting Gift had with Jason."I can basically feel you shaking your head from here," Jason muttered."Uhm, I just don't think Gift would be a good idea; I mean, after the last time, she would not be so keen to see you." Tim explained.Jason was at his wits end, and he was only trying to hold it all t