Novels by Fiery pen

Her hands trembled slightly. She was staring out the window of her office at the academy but her mind was somewhere else entirely. She had been transported back in time to the fateful day two weeks ago when the doctor had made the announcement with a wide grin on her face. "Congratulations, Miss Vivian. You're ten weeks pregnant." She had said, flashing Vivian a genuine smile that reached her crinkling eyes. At that moment, a cold sweat had broken out on Vivian’s forehead as the doctor’s words hit her like a bomb. The words had been so unprecedented, so out of left field that it took her a long time to understand the gravity of the doctor’s pronouncement. When she had finally digested her words, fear caused a knot to form in her stomach."The baby is in perfect condition." The doctor had said and Vivian had smiled at her, happy but at the same time, uncertain. "Your husband must be so proud." She had said. But would he? Nate had been so vehemently against a child and even though

VIVIANI opened my eyes. But I was in an unfamiliar place. The darkness that surrounded me was not only palpable, it was suffocating. I tried to breathe but my lungs seemed to be constricted with something. I stretched forth my hands to guide my path but something seemed to be on my way. I tore at the barrier but it only grew thicker. It was the darkness. Was there any way out of here? How could I fight something I could not even see? I opened my mouth to scream but no sound would come out. I was stuck in this deep, dark pit with nowhere to go but down. Below me, it seemed like there was quicksand and if I did not find a way to get out of here quickly, I would be swallowed whole. I clawed at the space in front of me, beside me and above me but the darkness was too dense, too restricting. Where was help when I needed it the most? My determination had started to wane. My resolve which I thought was stronger than steel bars had become considerably weakened the more it dawned on me t

NATEI felt overwhelmed. I had not felt this way in the longest of times, not even when dealing with Richard's stupidity. Why were things going haywire all of a sudden just when I thought the dust had settled down? I could not pretend not to know why. Gran's announcement yesterday had triggered a lot of suppressed resentment and I just had to deal tactfully with it or everything I held dear would be taken away right before my eyes. I had been called to the company the day before because Aston was making trouble. Word had spread that he had gone around contacting all the members of the board and having a secret meeting with them. I was not sure what the meeting had been about but I could guess. "Let's hurry." I said to my driver as I looked through Vivian's mail for the umpteenth time. I was about to send a message thanking her for her hard work when my phone started to vibrate. It was a call from my personal assistant. "They are holding an emergency extraordinary meeting of the

VIVIANI typed away feverishly. I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, fueling my fingers and propelling me to think. What had this not occurred to me before? Why had I glossed over Emily's statement back then like it was nothing at all. Had I been too overwhelmed at the time that I had been unable to put two and two together? Unable to see what was right in front of me? Emily had said three companies. Three companies, but only two were behind bars. So what happened to the last one? It was a question I should have been asking for sometime now. Would I be able to find a connection that would reveal which company was the third? Would I find enough proof? I started by digging into the two companies. Their CEOs had been well known in the business world for taking over small companies after leading them into debt. There were many comments online laying complaints against them and a third name kept popping up. Could it be?... I changed the direction of my research. It w

VIVIAN It all felt awkward. Gran had made the announcement of the century and the room was thrown into chaos. Aston looked like he could combust in anger at any time and stormed off. Gran was unwilling to listen to Nate's protests and Nate's mother just looked surprised. I, on the other hand was unsure how I was supposed to react. I was not very surprised, considering how much affinity Gran held for Nate, I was only a bit skeptical about the timing. But what did I care? I was no longer a part of the family. I was practically a stranger who happened to witness the Stuart family going at each other and it didn't matter what my thoughts were. I just wanted to escape before anyone looked in my direction and thought to rope me into it. Gran shuffled out of the room, leaning slightly on his cane and I saw my chance. Nate was still looking around, confused as ever and there was just a general tension in the air that I was sure no one would notice my silent disappearance. It felt good n

NATEI swore internally. How had Ashton found out? But then again, the same idiot that had the temerity to give out company information had probably babbled again. Vivian looked stricken standing there, staring numbly from Ashton to my mother to Gran. She tried to say something but it seemed like the words would not come out. I wanted to hold her and calm her down like I did yesterday in the hospital but this was not the place or time and I was pretty sure she would push me away. Guilt weighed down on me heavily. This was all my fault. I had brought this situation on her and I wanted to fix it badly but I felt control slipping out of my hands. Ashton was pushing, tearing down the walls of support around me, trying to strip me of my confidence and painting Vivian as the black sheep. I could not understand for the life of me why he had suddenly turned bad. Or perhaps he had always been this way, lurking silently in the shadows, waiting for this chance to ruin me. "Vivian did nothin

NATALIEI was home now. But it didn't quite feel like home.It felt different, not unfamiliar, but just slightly altered. As if someone had taken something from the atmosphere, something invisible, and replaced it with something else. As if the walls had shifted a few inches while I was gone and were waiting to see if I would notice.I closed the door behind me, slowly and carefully, my hand lingering on the handle as I adjusted my balance. I thought I had gotten over the robbery/abduction but stepping into my house brought the memories flooding back. After all, we were in this predicament because of that one incident.My body felt weak, a dull ache bloomed along my side and radiated down my leg. I limoed slightly as I crossed the living room, but it wasn't unbearable. In the midst of everything, it was easy to forget I had even hurt my leg."I'm fine," I muttered to myself as if there was anyone throwing questions at me.I dropped my bag on the couch and sank down beside it, letting

NATALIEThe room was quiet except for the hum of the machines and the low murmur of the television mounted across from my bed.I lay there, half propped on pillows, my side still aching dully in that insistent way of pain when it wanted to give a reminder that it wasn't gone but it still wasn't quite ready to consume you.The screen went blank for a while and the words: SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION crawled lazily across the screen.I wondered what could be happening but I was too exhausted to react. They were going to announce the winner soon and I was more nervous than I cared to admit.After a while, the broadcast resumed and the judges were standing up on the stage. My breath caught in my throat and I found myself clutching the edge of my blanket tightly."And the winner of this year's competition is..."I leaned forward despite the pain it caused. My heart thudded painfully in my chest, every beat echoing in my ears."...Ms. Natalie Caldwell, ably represented by Mr. Valen Gravestone

VALENI watched as Vanessa took the stage and began to speak.Her posture was perfect, her voice clear and confident, her timing impeccable. She moved across the stage with a practiced ease as she picked stone after stone and stated facts. Each breath served a purpose, each word carefully chosen. I wondered how many times— hundreds, maybe thousands that she had rehearsed this speech.The crowd leaned in, listening carefully, Natalie's presentation probably already shoved to the back of their minds, to be revisited later, on the way home or in the shower at night, long after the winner had been chosen.The judges nodded, leaning towards one another to exchange whispers. On the surface, it all seemed so flawless. But I wasn't operating in surface level. I wasn't just listening to the delivery. I was listening to the entire project, and it didn't sound like hers.From the moment she started to speak, I knew that something was wrong even though I couldn't quite place a finger to it yet. T

NATALIEI felt a suffocating heaviness. It wasn't pain, at least not yet. It was something deep and weighty pressing down on my bones, my muscles and every organ in my body. It felt like gravity had visited and decided to settle in my body and refused to leave.My eyelids fluttered, slow and stubborn and when I finally forced them open, the world came into view slowly and fragmented. The white ceiling, the lights that blurred and focused and blurred again, too harsh. The soft, rhythmic beeping of a monitor somewhere to my left.I blinked rapidly as someone called my name. "Ms. Natalie Caldwell."The voice sounded distant, stretched thin by cotton and fog. I turned my head slightly and the effort sent a full ache crashing through my side. I inhaled sharply and clenched my jaws."Easy now," the voice spoke again, closer now. "I see you're awake. The surgery was successful."The surgery.Of course, I had just gone in to donate my kidney. Malcolm.My heart lurched at the thought of his na

VALENI watched the screen. For a fraction of a second, the world narrowed to only her face. Calm, composed, professional.I had been there when the video was filmed, working the camera and yet, I still felt moved. It felt different, perhaps it was the experience of watching it at the place it was meant for. Even now, it still felt perfect, ingenious.Her posture was straight, her hands folded lightly in front of her, eyes steady as though she was staring directly at the audience instead of a camera lens.The room went completely still. I felt the shift in the air physically, the collective attention snapping into focus. Side conversations died mid whispers, programs were lowered and even my mother who had been rigid moments earlier leaned forward almost unconsciously.Natalie began to speak. Her voice filled the entire hall, warm and clear, carrying that calm authority with which she spoke when she talked about her craft. It wasn't loud, not forceful. Just sure. She knew what she was

VALENI stood in front of my mirror, pacing my breathing. The evening had arrived too quickly, and with a weight that pressed down on every bone and joint in my body.The competition carried enough pressure to break anyone but it wasn't just that. It was everything else layered underneath. Malcolm's surgery, Natalie's predicament, mother...I thought about the last time I had seen her, the last time at home with father recoiling at the mention of Natalie. The issue still hung over all of us, like a fragile glass balanced on a flimsy thread. I didn't want to think about it, especially not on a night like this one. Not on this night when my life and the life of everyone else dear to me hung precariously on the balance.I was fastening the cuff of my shirt when my phone rang. I stared at the screen and for a moment, I froze. Mother. It was almost as if she knew I had been thinking of her. My fingers stilled as I hesitated.I almost wished the call was a mistake and that she would end it