Clara's POVI couldn't believe it.Derek knew about Leonardo all along.How many people knew about this while I was clueless this whole time?What else did he know about me?I stopped in my tracks, anger rushing to my face as I continued listening to the rest of his conversation.I've never told him anything about it, and I know he was his partner long before I knew about it.It makes sense now. He was so invested in knowing about my family before meeting my mother. He must have had me investigated. Who knows what kind of information he must have had about me?"It's ridiculous of my grandfather to even think I'd use Clara to get the contract." He said next. "Before you forget, I want to know exactly what business my mother has with the doctor Clara and I visited." He added.I nearly gasped.He was even closer to the truth than I would have ever thought. Was he investigating me this whole time?It felt like a lot for me to process at once.I took some steps back, walking back to the ba
Clara's POV "Mr Montenegro had someone pick out a few dresses for you for the charity ball this evening." She said as she pointed at a pail of clothes, all covered in their suit bags.Hadn't I told him I wouldn't be going? What made him think he could go along and find me a dress anyway?Poor Cassia didn't seem like the right person for me to be having that argument with."He left you a note too," she pointed to the letter at my bedside. "He is such a romantic, isn't he?" She giggled.She stared at me with a wide grin before deciding to leave my room.I waited for Cassia to leave before reaching for the letter.Breakfast in the garden, please join me.-DerekHis letter read.I returned the letter to the bedside as I jumped off the bed.After last night, I was still unsure how to feel about everything. I'd be a hypocrite if I tried to call him out for being a liar or for hiding things from me. He wasn't my favourite person either at the moment.But I was hungry. Besides, I wasn't goin
Clara's POVAs far as Derek was concerned, just one second of me looking at a wine bottle would be enough to send me to rehab."Clara doesn't drink," Derek answered, his tone definite."Come on, Derek, let the girl have more fun." She winked."She is pregnant," Derek clarified.Jocelyn's eyes widened. We were all in awkward silence for a while.I was going to have to lose the baby. If everyone found out, I'd never be able to walk the streets again."So..." Mike cleared his throat. "I heard that your grandfather would be joining us, Derek," Mike said."You know him. He likes making appearances," Derek answered.His grandfather was coming. Why doesn't he tell me about these things? I'd have liked a fair warning if I was potentially meeting any new people, especially family members. Was I being naïve in hoping that his grandfather would be just as nice as everyone else in his family?"His presence would surely be good for our business. You know he attracts a lot of clients," Mike added.
Clara's POV"Noemi, you remember Derek Montenegro, right?" Jocelyn asked."Of course, who doesn't know him?" Noemi responded."Well, she is his little... project." Jocelyn hesitantly answered.I didn't want to be that girl from the hood who ended up beating up a bunch of rich snobs, but right now, the thought seemed tempting. Why kill someone with kindness when you can just knock them out with your fist?The two ladies had their eyes widened; they didn't need anyone to invite them for a seat."That explains the clothes," Ellianna answered."Don't be so mean. She is pregnant, and you wouldn't want anything happening to her baby." Jocelyn laughed."Oh, how far along are you?" Noemi asked. A more serious expression now occupied her face."About five weeks," I replied hesitantly, tracing my lie."Oh, you look a lot bigger than I would've expected," Noemi commented.Why had I even bothered entertaining them? This was all my fault."Don't be so mean, Noemi, and it's not her fault the poor t
Clara's POV"She will be alright. Her pulse and breathing are back to normal." I heard a muffled voice.There were a few sounds soon after, followed by the door closing.I was feeling a lot better than I had earlier as I began regaining consciousness."You are awake," Derek said, his voice alarmed.He began pacing up and down, looking over at me in panic."What happened back there?" He asked as he continued pacing.He barely gave me time to respond, and he was already on his next point. "You should have been more careful. Your mother would have killed me if you had died.""I'm alright," I answered as I sat up straight.He paused, staring at me in disbelief. "Your face had turned blue. I thought you were going to die." He reasoned."I had a panic attack." I finally answered.He sighed, his body relaxing a bit. He then approached me before settling himself right next to me."Do you want to talk about it?" He offered.I was silent for a while, fidgeting with my fingers, thinking about wh
Clara's POV “Clara," she said, drawing me out of my thoughts."Yes," I answered with a sigh."I love you. I couldn't have asked for a better sister," she said. "I'd also love you a lot more if you could find me a European boyfriend while you are there," she added."Do you only love me when you need something?" I asked."Of course not. I will hang up now because I'm hoping you'll make me an aunt by the end of your trip." She said,I sighed again."Okay, bye. You are supposed to be in class." I reminded her."I was too depressed today. I'll decide if I want to tomorrow." She answered.I was starting to regret leaving her alone.She hung up the phone after having our final goodbyes. It made me feel a lot better knowing that she was okay. I'd be a lot better off if I were out of here.Derek came back not too long after. He looked a bit frantic and out of breath. "Unfortunately, I have to show up at the auction tonight. I'll only be in and out of the event. I'll be back in a few minutes.
Clara’s POV Did I look that bad? I thought the two ladies had done a good job."You can't go wearing that." He answered with a straight face."Why? Is it that bad?" I asked, my mind racing.He was now approaching me, taking small steps at a time.I didn't have time to change. I'd have to redo the make-up, too, and I'm sure that by then, the event will be over.He was now only a few inches away from me. His presence became more demanding. His strong scent filled my nostrils. "There is no way you can go there looking this gorgeous." He whispered. His breath brushed against my ear, sending tingles down my spine.I stepped away from him, slapping him gently on the shoulder. "You can't mess with me like this," I answered, my heart rate returning to normal."I'm serious. Isn't there some law in this country that says it's illegal for you to look this good?" he replied convincingly.Thank goodness for makeup. My cheeks would probably be bright red right now."Come here," I heard him say. Be
Clara's POV"I don't know what I did to her," I whispered with a sigh."Don't worry, she is just bitter because her husband has taken on a mistress because she can't have any children." She answered. "You shouldn't let people talk to you like that, you know?" she said."I was about to punch her in the face," I answered."Then maybe we could light her cheap hair extensions on fire," Nicole added.I stood silent, not knowing how to react. It was a bit too violent, but I liked where she was going with this."Maybe that's a bit extreme," she admitted. "I'll just get some popcorn and watch. Punching her implants out of place would also work just fine." She laughed."We could have worked with that," I answered.I turned away, paying attention to Derek delivering a speech."How do people stand to be around him?" I heard Nicole whisper. "He looks like a representation of every hair commercial." She added."You don't like him, do you?" I asked her.She turned around, giving me her full attenti
Derek POV The things he is willing to do make me sick to my stomach, and I'm finally done. He deserves everything coming to him. I was glad that the trial with Maddison's mother went smoothly. Turns out, there is nothing Maddison loves more than her reputation and money, and for that, she is willing to let her mother rot and make herself the victim.I was finally done with the cooking and dished our food in the dining room.I slipped my hand into my pocket, ensuring the ring was safely secured.Clara voiced her approval. I'd made a Pad Thai dish for her, knowing it was her favourite. I finally influenced her. "If my mom calls, please tell her I'm not pregnant." She stated this in the middle of her dinner.I nearly choked on my food as my eyes widened."Are you pregnant?" I questioned, puzzled. "Of course yes. She came over the other day and found a pregnancy test in my bathroom." She explained."Oh," I noted, amazed. "That explains why she's been texting me a lot more often." I am
Derek’s POVI must have looked at my watch about five times in the same minute. Why was I nervous? I've made far more risky decisions, and none have ever made my heart beat this fast. The house had already been set, our dinner table was perfect, and the garden was just as I had instructed. Clara would be arriving any moment from now, and I was almost done cooking. Everything was perfect, so why was I this nervous?I wiped the sweat off my brow. Vincent was right; my idea was stupid. What was I thinking about planning a proposal here? Surely, I could have thought of a better idea.I needed to calm down. Hopefully, she had another busy night, and she wouldn't show up.Maybe I should turn off my lights and pretend I wasn't home. But she'd walk in. That's what I get for giving her an extra key.Since we've both been tied up with work, we have dinner almost every evening. It made sense that we'd both have the keys to each other's apartments after she moved out of her mother's.I needed to
Derek POV About a month ago, my mother decided that the best way to end her obsession was to start a new one. She went and got herself a replacement kid. I don't know who in their right mind decided that it was okay for her to adopt a ten-year-old kid. I'd be fine with all this, except the kid hates me. I've done nothing wrong to him. Maybe I'm a bit biassed, but it only took one visit to know there was no longer any space for me in that house."You should be happy about this," Vincent laughed. "Your mother will finally get to fix all the mistakes she made with you. It happened to me, too." He laughed.The secretary walked in to announce that an old friend of ours, Dexter, had arrived. We were working on a new business venture, and we had been waiting for him to start our meeting officially.Dexter walked into my office as laid back as usual. He had barely changed much since I'd last met him. He had a few classes in college together.We exchanged greetings as Dexter settled himself i
Derek's POVSOME MONTH LATERI swivelled in my chair, fiddling with my pen as I tried to develop ideas. When I needed my brain the most, I couldn't think of anything. I've never felt this anxious about anything before."Are you certain that's a good idea?" I inquired of Vincent, who sat across from me.He had visited my office to discuss our new business deal. We just happened to have moved on to the next item on the agenda.He looked at me in disbelief, as if there was only one obvious answer. "Yes, which woman wouldn't want you to take her to Paris and propose to her in front of the Eiffel Tower?" He answered sarcastically. He threw his hands in the air in disbelief.As incredible as his idea sounded, that didn't sound like something Clara would want. She wasn't that sort of girl.I leaned into my chair and stared at the ceiling. I always thought the proposal would be the hardest part, but I guess so was how to propose."If you think that is too cliché, you can go on a private islan
Clara's POV I leaned on the door and peeked through to stare at Derek's motionless body. My eyes were quickly whelmed in tears. I never wanted things to end this way.Without thinking, I pushed open the door and walked in.I collapsed into his chest, held onto him tightly, and sobbed."Please wake up and get back to me; I'll do anything. I love you." I whispered. I held onto him even tighter.I wish I'd said this when he wasn't fighting for his life. There were so many things I would have loved to have done differently, but now I can't take any of it back.I suddenly froze as I felt a hand patting my head.I looked up.I blinked at Derek, who was staring back at me. For the first time, I saw clearly. Derek wasn't covered in bandages or had wounds all over his face, as I expected."It's okay, I'm alright." He answered.I wiped away the tears, my vision becoming clearer. "You are not hurt?" I asked, finally realising what had happened."No, but I will be if you continue squeezing me li
Clara's POVDAYS LATERIt took a few days before the doctors could clear me out and send me home. I was being discharged today, and I had decided it would be the start of my new life.Derek hasn't come over as much, at least not to see me. It meant he was starting to get it. This way, we'd both be able to move on eventually.I was packing the few items Mom had brought to make me more comfortable when I heard a knock on my door. Layla peeked through the door before walking in.She has been responsible for ensuring a fresh batch of flowers in my room every day. She visited me a few times. I was glad she never pushed anything between Derek and me. Without me explaining, she said she understood.Today, there was something different about her. She didn't look like she was dressed for the runway, nor did she carry around her fancy handbag. She was wearing flat shoes. I noticed her eyes were red."I'm so sorry I haven't visited you much in the last few days. How are you, sweetheart?" she ask
Clara’s POV I was relieved when the nurse announced I'd have a visitor until I saw who it was.The sound of the walking stick should have been enough to know who it was. I could have used the time to pretend I was dead or, better still, leave the room,m but I was foolishly hopeful.Derek's grandfather walked into my room with his usual sinister look and a mightier-than-thou attitude.He looked over at me and smirked. "You don't look too bad. I guess everyone exaggerated how bad you were." He commented. If my hand weren't connected to an IV, I'd be the one leaving this room. He was here for a peace offering."Why are you here?" I asked."Don't worry," he replied, raising his hand. "I won't be here for too long. I wanted to be here in person to ensure my message was clear. I hope you liked my flowers." He smiled. "It's funny how I've tried to make sure you and I don't end up as a family, yet here we are." He chuckled. "You've cost me a lot lately, you and all your recent drama." He pau
Clara's POV I understood him, too. I made many bad decisions that I thought were good at the time, and he reacted that way because of it. I should have never done any of what I did, either. I know and understand that lies can never be good.But I wish things were different."You should leave," I finally replied. My mouth became dry, perhaps because I knew I was about to tell one final lie."Of course, you need some rest. I'll see you in the morning." He concluded. He smiled weakly and leaned in to kiss me on my forehead."You shouldn't come back," I added as he pulled away.He stared at me with confusion, but he dismissed whatever he was thinking as his face lightened up. "Of course, I'll be here," he answered.I shook my head at him. "You shouldn't come back to see me, not today or ever. We should end this. Everything that did or didn't happen, all of it." I explained."You should get some rest. We are not thinking right now; so many things have already happened on the same day," he
Clara's POVI woke up to a beeping sound and bright lights around me.All the anxiety rushed in. It took me a while to calm down and realise I was no longer tied up there. I was safe. I still couldn't close my eyes and not reimagine everything. I wish I could forget everything. About a month ago, I never imagined my life would turn out this way.The sedatives were wearing off when my family came rushing into my room.Mom and Katy were the first to strangle me with their hugs and kisses. Soon enough, my room was covered in flowers and soon balloons got well.It was a relief to see everyone again. I thought I never would.We spoke for hours and even cried. You never know how to appreciate these small moments until they can be taken away.I was glad to hear that the woman had finally been arrested. I hope she is locked away somewhere she can never hurt anyone again. Although everything seemed to settle, I couldn't help but think the real storm would soon follow.A nurse stopped by multip