TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion
“Are you trying to punish me? I…I don't know how many times I can apologize even if it wasn't my fault that I almost—”
“I never asked you to. You do whatever you want, Niya, and I really don't care. Neither should you bother with what I do.”
“You're hurt. You're hurt, Alex, and you're acting out. Don't worry we could talk this through. This isn't you.” I try to reach him again but he shoots me a deadly glare that pierces through my skin like a dagger.
“Sure it is. You've just never seen me like this. You don't know what I look like when I'm not in love with you,” his brows grow together. “Now we’ve had enough of your drama. You'll find the papers and enjoy the party or use the fucking door.”
He pulls away and my eyes cloud again. My ears and heart find it hard to process what is actually going on. The looks on their faces tell me it is awfully too late—I have already lost everything.
“Niya, careful now,” my grandmother slowly tugs at my arm as if that will somehow make everything better. “We have guests. Don’t cause a scene.”
A scene? I have literally just seen a whole movie, ma.
*************
My name is Niya Kendrick. I’m 25, an author who once believed she had the perfect life. But how quickly can everything I love be stripped away in the blink of an eye? Or worse, what if the life, the family I’ve cherished has always been a blatant lie, a mere fragment of the truth? Now, I’m awake, and reality is far harsher than any dream.
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Chapter: CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Vantablack Temple.Palix scoffed. “You her handler now?”“No,” Rina continued smiling as she started towards him. “I’m the woman who decides whether you walk out of here with your face intact. So if you’re smart, you’ll sit your entitled ass down and remember that you’re here to do business—not act like a frat boy on spring break.”“Fuck,” Baldy clapped under his breath. Rina’s gaze darted towards him, pausing for a beat longer than necessary. For a moment, she could feel the pull in his ocean blue eyes like tide crashing at shore, sending beads of moist air against her skin. Rina didn’t understand it, but the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She shrugged it off, turning to her side.“She’s not yours. That’s your problem. None of the girls here are. And if any of you think you can treat them like dirt, try another club next time. Or better yet, grow up. Now if you're all done playing Who Can Get Sued First, I’ll be taking her.”Rina didn’t even look at him again as she looped an arm around Niya.Niy
Last Updated: 2025-04-11
Chapter: CHAPTER TWELVE: Marked."Look what you've done now, sweetheart," he said, fake-pouting, flexing his wrist like it had hurt him. That annoying word again. He said it like Alex used to—condescending, mocking, like he owned the right to address her however he pleased. His eyes stayed on her too long, raking over every part of her like she was already bought.Niya tried to steady her hand, but failed. The man’s sleeve darkened where the whiskey spilled, and she knew she was screwed.The others chuckled low and lazy, like a pack of dogs watching their alpha corner a prey.There were only three of them. Three devils sent from hell. The blonde one she was pouring a drink for led, while the almost-bald one leaned in with a pervy grin, eyes twinkling like he enjoyed watching women squirm. And the third, darker-skinned and muscular, lounged back with a cigar between his teeth.“What do you think, boys? I like her,” he continued."Not sure she can handle it, Palix,” the almost bald one shook his head, pushing his glas
Last Updated: 2025-04-10
Chapter: CHAPTER ELEVEN: Out The Door And Into The Fire.Her eyelids fluttered against the dull light flickering from the lamp opposite her. The room was still, but the noise hadn’t disappeared. It was just further away now, dissolving into the background. The sputtering sound of a washing machine, the ticking of a slightly off-kilter fan, and slight hum of the small, secondhand refrigerator. It was muffled save for the occasional drip from the bathroom faucet, pulling her halfway between sleep and wakefulness.Niya exhaled, groggy. The ache in her temples told her she hadn’t had enough sleep or maybe too much. She forced herself to move, blindly reaching for her phone out of instinct. But her fingers brush against a stiff, smooth surface. A note.Blinking against the dim light, she jammed on the lamp switch and its flickering stopped."Ouf!" Niya blew out a breath through pouty lips, squinting at the note propped against the vanity mirror. Pony’s handwriting was uneven, scrawled like she’d written it in a rush.‘Had to go see Mom. Don’t
Last Updated: 2025-04-02
Chapter: CHAPTER TEN: Did he kiss me?"The sudden change in Pacific Green’s stock is quite the tale." Alex leaned back in his chair, glazed at Dante pouring himself a cup of green tea, the same brand he’d been drinking since Alex was a teenager. He’d once mentioned that the Japanese monks who cultivated it swore by its calming effects, and it had became a ritual for him like everything else about Dante McFowler.Niya glanced between them, debating whether she should say something or stay silent. She settled for silence, since it wasn't like she had many options.“Market shifts happen all the time,” Alex stated. “I wouldn’t call it a tale.”Pacific Green Energies had been his father’s legacy, a powerhouse in renewable energy long before the market saw its full potential. When Alex took over, he’d expanded its influence, and with the upcoming gala in a few weeks, he planned to secure more international partnerships that could give the company access to more innovations. Still, the company was solid.EcoWave Technologies, o
Last Updated: 2025-03-27
Chapter: CHAPTER NINE: She wore the dress for him.It smelt deep and woodsy like the inside of an old wardrobe, but almost like the peel of an orange right after it’s been torn open.It had a citrusy bite, a little smoky, like the way the air smelled after resin had been burned but not quite turned to ash. It curled in the air around her, slipping into her narrow nostrils. It was frustratingly recognisable and that made her chest tighten.Niya’s fingers twitched as she inhaled again, slower this time, as if that would change anything. It didn’t. If anything, it made her stomach flip, because now the image of him was there."You can pick whatever you want," a raspy, velvety voice slipped through, immediately making her already-annoyed nerves bristle. Although, she couldn't explain why.She turned.Alexander stood a few feet away, one hand in his pocket, the other loosely at his side. His stance was casual, roughly 6’3, legs slightly apart, his muscular build filling out the black suit effortlessly.The wind came from nowhere, ruffling
Last Updated: 2025-03-27
Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHT: You too good to serve now?Niya pushed through the door too fast and nearly stumbled to a stop just outside Mr. Don’s office.She was seething. Her pulse pounded against her ribs, fingers curled into fists at her sides, and her breath uneven out. She felt a dull ache pressed against her temples, and her jaw locked tight.Cold fingers closed around Niya's wrist, suddenly yanking her back with just enough force to jolt her. A flash of heat ran through her, not just from surprise but from the immediate need to pull away.“What the hell are you doing here?” The voice slithered into her ear. Rina’s brows pulled together under widened eyes, but her grip didn’t loosen a notch. Her voice came out snippy. “Don’t go in there—” She stopped abruptly, glancing around before dragging Niya farther from the door, tucking them into the left corner.The fire on Niya’s cheeks died out. “What?” She winced, yanking her arm free. “You’re hurting me—”“You can’t just waltz in there, Niy,” Rina hissed, finally letting go. “Do you eve
Last Updated: 2025-03-06
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