“I am Max.” Kelvin lied and rose to his feet.Max's face contorted in surprise. “Wait, you're Max too?”Kelvin shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, we're Max together, stuck together, aren't we?”Max chuckled softly, “I didn't know you were Max too.”“That's because I didn't tell you, my bad. Grandmother gave me that name. Quite a lovely name, isn't it?” He smiled.Max grinned, the little boy as happy as a clam.“We should leave; it's getting late. Why's your sister Anya always late anyway?” Kelvin asked.“She must be cooking,” Max said with a small smile. “Her food is always delicious; will you have lunch with us?”Kevin's lips thinned flatly as he thought of how to reply. “Perhaps, someday,” he finally replied.Max grinned, “I am so glad you're going to meet her; she's so lovely. I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you too.” Kelvin returned his bright smile.They entered the worn-out car he borrowed from an old man two weeks ago, paying him twice the car money.The thing was, he needed to st
The morning sun filtered through the cracked windshield, casting a warm glow across Kelvin’s face. He shifted uncomfortably with a low groan and squinted, trying to adjust to the daybreak light.The stiff car seat did nothing but little to ease the kink in his neck. His neck was killing him—stiff from sleeping upright in a car seat that hadn’t been kind even when it seemed new.The air was still. The street was quiet. And the sleepy neighborhood was just beginning to stir.He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand and sat up, adjusting his rumpled shirt, as he muttered under his breath, “Great. Real smooth. Sleeping in a car like a damn drifter.”He glanced at the dashboard.Still dead.The engine was still dead—he’d tried twice last night, before giving up. And honestly, he didn’t know what to do exactly at that moment. He didn’t even know why it had to stop here, of all places.He was tired, and perhaps staying put was just the best option, or maybe it was simpl
It was late in the middle of the night.Ariel wasn't sleeping, her mind reeling, recalling how it all started.She got herself in a huge mess, but too sad, she realized it late.Acting all lovey-dovey with Johny was the worst challenge of her life.She'd have to put up with Johny's narcissism to prove to the world they're truly in love. They even kiss occasionally, on camera.As far as she'd known Johny, he could go to any length, any length at all, to get power, and that's what he's doing now, threatening her with Max, the reason she signed the contract in the first place.Her son is the reason she's here, sleeping beside a beast. A beast in sheep's clothing.A tear trailed down her face as her thoughts swirled back to when she got a call that Max had been hospitalized.She remembered her whole world came to a halt. Her son was the sole reason she was here, and honestly, she couldn't wait to see this whole charade end, and she got to see her Max again.She was still deep in her th
Ariel’s lids unclasped slowly to the brightness of the room. The morning sun had slipped through the curtains, casting the room in a bright orange glow.She squinted, her eyes heavy with sleep.She’d been awake the whole of last night — her eyes closing from time to time, but her mind reeling as she recited the message in her head over and over again.Remembering it again made her heart jump.Who could have sent her that message in the middle of the night?One thing was for sure… it wasn’t Johny. Johny was sleeping beside her yesterday, drunk and heavy on sleep.There’s no way Johny would have sent the message.But who could it be? No one had her contact except for Anya and Johny…Wait, could it be Luis? No way. Could Luis play this on her?And how did he get her new contact exactly? She changed her contact info because of Luis.If there’s a way Luis could have gotten her number, it’s through Anya.She needed to give Anya a call immediately.She grabbed her phone from the table and
“Hello ma'am, how can I help you? Ariel approached a confused-looking woman who was contemplating which shoe she should buy. “Which of these shoes would you recommend for me to buy? I love both.” The woman responded. “This black Yves Saint Laurent heel is a limited-edition, made from quality leather, and comfy insole. Favorite among celebrities and fashionistas alike.” Ariel explained applying a delightful and friendly smile. “This nude Gianvito Rossi heel is best known for its modern take on a classic style, perfect for making statements, attention-puller but is quite selective when it comes to dress pairing. Now you can choose based on their features.” She added. “Can I wear them to test?” The woman asked. “Of course Ma'am, but only the Gianvito Rossi, customers can test goods but not the limited version ones.” “?” The woman's eyes narrowed, her eyebrows squinted. A sense of fear and warning gripped Ariel as the woman stared at her grumpily. “How dare you speak to m
At her front was her belongings thrown out recklessly on the ground scattered, beside it was a letter to vacate the building. She already knew it would happen as she has been behind on rent for the past 2 years. Just that she didn't expect it to be today, not when her day was long. Ariel's trembling hands dug in her bag to reach for her phone with the intention to plead with her landlord. She dialed the number countless of times but no one picks. She reached for one of her pillows for a comfy sit. ‘Sigh' She exhaled sharply and shut her eyes closed. The faint sound of cars blaring from afar mingled with the rhythm of her heart, as she lost herself in the wilderness of her thoughts. Amidst her chaos with her thoughts, Her phone buzzed, interrupting her. She opened her tired eyes and stole a glance at the screen which revealed her bestie's name, a beacon of hope in her darkness. She swiped to answer the call. “Girl what's up, are you good, just wanna check up before I go
In another part of the busy city was a black Audi A8 followed by a white 2025 Mercedes Maybach S-class, which was driven down to the entrance of a five-star presidential suite. Four huge muscled men in black suits stepped out heavily from the Audi A8, lined up in a two by two formation waiting for their master. A middle-aged man came down from the front seat of the limousine and quickly ran forward to the back seat door. He opened the car door and a manlike figure who stood at approximately 6’2 tall came out. His navy blue suit could be recognized as one of luxurious materials. His lustrous black hair complimented his piercing ocean eyes, sharp broad shoulder, and perfectly traced thin lips with a jawline. Anyone could feel intimidated by his mesmerizing appearance. Each of his steps into the suite was followed by his bodyguards alongside his secretary. His powerful aura called for the attention of the people in the reception. Everyone could feel goosebumps as he p
Ariel then got up from bed and headed straight to the door. A familiar figure appeared in her front, she squinted trying to place the memory. “Hello Ms, I am here to get you, please kindly follow me.” The man uttered. Now she could remember vividly judging with the voice. Anya stood at her back staring at the thought provoking looking man too. ‘Bang!’ Ariel hastily shut the door back. “The man that handed me the card.” She said as she widened her eyes in disbelief. “Omg! Get dressed, put on back your clothes and follow him.” Anya suggested. “Give her five minutes.” Anya opened the door back. To her surprise the man didn't move an inch, he stood there patiently. His face was hidden behind sunglasses, not allowing them to be able to read his expression. In a few minutes Ariel was done, then took her CV, Anya quickly handed her two toasts to stay stabilised. She followed the man who came along with three other men who dressed like him. Anya watched as t
Ariel’s lids unclasped slowly to the brightness of the room. The morning sun had slipped through the curtains, casting the room in a bright orange glow.She squinted, her eyes heavy with sleep.She’d been awake the whole of last night — her eyes closing from time to time, but her mind reeling as she recited the message in her head over and over again.Remembering it again made her heart jump.Who could have sent her that message in the middle of the night?One thing was for sure… it wasn’t Johny. Johny was sleeping beside her yesterday, drunk and heavy on sleep.There’s no way Johny would have sent the message.But who could it be? No one had her contact except for Anya and Johny…Wait, could it be Luis? No way. Could Luis play this on her?And how did he get her new contact exactly? She changed her contact info because of Luis.If there’s a way Luis could have gotten her number, it’s through Anya.She needed to give Anya a call immediately.She grabbed her phone from the table and
It was late in the middle of the night.Ariel wasn't sleeping, her mind reeling, recalling how it all started.She got herself in a huge mess, but too sad, she realized it late.Acting all lovey-dovey with Johny was the worst challenge of her life.She'd have to put up with Johny's narcissism to prove to the world they're truly in love. They even kiss occasionally, on camera.As far as she'd known Johny, he could go to any length, any length at all, to get power, and that's what he's doing now, threatening her with Max, the reason she signed the contract in the first place.Her son is the reason she's here, sleeping beside a beast. A beast in sheep's clothing.A tear trailed down her face as her thoughts swirled back to when she got a call that Max had been hospitalized.She remembered her whole world came to a halt. Her son was the sole reason she was here, and honestly, she couldn't wait to see this whole charade end, and she got to see her Max again.She was still deep in her th
The morning sun filtered through the cracked windshield, casting a warm glow across Kelvin’s face. He shifted uncomfortably with a low groan and squinted, trying to adjust to the daybreak light.The stiff car seat did nothing but little to ease the kink in his neck. His neck was killing him—stiff from sleeping upright in a car seat that hadn’t been kind even when it seemed new.The air was still. The street was quiet. And the sleepy neighborhood was just beginning to stir.He rubbed the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand and sat up, adjusting his rumpled shirt, as he muttered under his breath, “Great. Real smooth. Sleeping in a car like a damn drifter.”He glanced at the dashboard.Still dead.The engine was still dead—he’d tried twice last night, before giving up. And honestly, he didn’t know what to do exactly at that moment. He didn’t even know why it had to stop here, of all places.He was tired, and perhaps staying put was just the best option, or maybe it was simpl
“I am Max.” Kelvin lied and rose to his feet.Max's face contorted in surprise. “Wait, you're Max too?”Kelvin shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, we're Max together, stuck together, aren't we?”Max chuckled softly, “I didn't know you were Max too.”“That's because I didn't tell you, my bad. Grandmother gave me that name. Quite a lovely name, isn't it?” He smiled.Max grinned, the little boy as happy as a clam.“We should leave; it's getting late. Why's your sister Anya always late anyway?” Kelvin asked.“She must be cooking,” Max said with a small smile. “Her food is always delicious; will you have lunch with us?”Kevin's lips thinned flatly as he thought of how to reply. “Perhaps, someday,” he finally replied.Max grinned, “I am so glad you're going to meet her; she's so lovely. I'm sure she'll be happy to meet you too.” Kelvin returned his bright smile.They entered the worn-out car he borrowed from an old man two weeks ago, paying him twice the car money.The thing was, he needed to st
It's closing time at Max School. The children were happily bouncing their way home, their parents or aides carrying their backpacks and lunchboxes for them.Like every other child, Max was also grinning ear to ear as he bounced his way home.But unlike the other children, he wasn't accompanied by a parent or aide. Instead, it was Kelvin—his support teacher assigned to him by his class teacher.And now, he was escorting him back home.As they strolled home, the warm sunlight cast long shadows behind them.Kelvin nodded toward a cluster of boys taunting a younger child, the sound of their snickering and teasing echoing through the air.“You see that boy crying over there?” Kelvin gestured towards the group of boys surrounding the younger child.They were bullying the boy, who seemed quite younger than they were.They were kicking him and laughing so hard at his predicament.And now that they were leaving, he couldn't stop crying.Max's face lit up with a mix of surprise and curiosity. “
Luis swallowed his composure on the edge of shattering into pieces. “She means everything to me,” he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.Ricardo's voice cracked into a mocking laugh. “Yeah, that's what I said too after my second divorce. Fathering someone else's child all my miserable life, Ricardo blurted like it's nothing, his voice devoid of any emotion.Luis tilted his head a little, surprise and a little curiosity etched on his face, before he looked away with disinterest.“Want to…”“I don't want to hear your little story, Ricardo; all I'm interested in is finding Ariel. There's no way I'm believing that shit you told me.”Ricardo sighed, and his parting shot was a final blow to Luis. “I… was going to say, want to know how long they've been fucking? Google it; she's Ariel Lucas now.” Luis's eyes flashed with anger, but he managed to keep his cool.“That last name is heavyweight,” Ricardo added and started to walk away but turned back to Luis.“One last thing, I want my p
Luis strode into La Belle Boutique, its opulent interior bustling with customers chatting with the attendees.The air was thick with the scent of designer perfumes and the soft hum of hushed conversations.Luis was looking ever so elegant in his black tailored suit, his broad shoulders accentuating its flawless fit.He was carrying a sizable briefcase, his gaze fixed intently on the future as he navigated through the crowd with ease straight to Elena's office.He knocked, and Elena's melodious voice invited him in. “Yes, come in.” Luis entered, dropping the suitcase onto the table with a soft thud. His eyes locked on Elena, who lounged in her chair, sipping wine with an air of nonchalance.She wasn't the only one in the room, though; a young man was sitting across from her, enriching each other's company with a bottle of wine.Matteo—Elena's partner in crime and lover too.“You've become ever so dutiful, Luis,” Matteo sneered, a smug smile twisting his lips. “Heard you're looking for
Alex sat in his worn, everyday chair, surrounded by the familiar comforts of his office.His desk, typically cluttered, was tidy and organized, with documents neatly stacked and aligned, giving the impression that it had been touched for days.A lone ashtray on the edge of the desk held a smoldering cigarette, its thin stream of smoke curling lazily into the air. And a cup of whiskey was sitting right beside the ashtray.His eyes were closed, fingers steepled, head bent subtly as if whispering a silent prayer.He wasn't sleeping—or perhaps he couldn't.Memories of Ariel flooded his mind, taking over his sanity in a very drastic way that he couldn't figure out.It was so unfortunate that he had searched for her all over the world, and when he finally found her, she was tied to her brother.The most painful part was she couldn't recognize him.A low growl rumbled in Alex's throat. “Asshole,” he murmured, his jaw clenched at the thought of Ariel sharing a room with Johnny.His nerves spi
The morning sun cast a golden hue over Mr. Gerald's villa, but the light did little to soften the dark intentions brewing around it. Mr. Gerald sat on the grand balcony of his villa, sipping his morning tea with a satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.The message had reached him moments ago that Johny had acted just as he predicted."A reckless fool," he murmured, swirling the tea in his cup. "So easy to control.”He leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with anticipation. The boy had no idea he was walking straight into a trap. He mused inwardly. A deep, guttural laugh rumbled from his throat as he envisioned the chaos that was about to unfold."Oh, Johny," he muttered, "I knew you would take the bait.”He set his cup down with a quiet clink, his fingers drumming against the polished wood of the table. The satisfaction of seeing Johny so desperate, so predictable—it was intoxicating.But amid his amusement, a spark of irritation crossed his mind.His jaw tightened. The thought of