Clara's POV"Your job there is only to clean and nothing else," he said.What else did he think I would do, I wonder."I will make sure that you are fired and that you never work here again if you do anything improper or disobey any of my directions. Do you understand?" He made a threat.I gave another nod."Now get to work," he commanded. He slapped me out of my thoughts with a clap of hands.He gave me the penthouse access card.We weren't permitted inside his apartment until we were cleaning; it had its own private elevator. I pushed the elevator button to reach the top floor of the structure.He owned almost 10 mansions in New York alone, so I'm curious why he was travelling here. I've heard that he hasn't visited in the last three years. Everyone was shocked by this.This was advantageous for me in another aspect as well since I wouldn't have to deal with him and would just be cleaning the apartment before leaving before he came.After a protracted wait, the elevator doors eventua
Clara's POVTaking one last look around the apartment, I grinned. I was probably going to be here for the final time.I could hear conversations outside. Was Derek Montenegro here, could that be?Recalling Marcus's warmth, I was terrified—Derek shouldn't see me here. This job paid far more than the ordinary hotel, so I couldn't lose it. I would have finished much sooner if Waylen hadn't phoned. This was all his fault.I strained to think of what to do next, and my brain froze.I said to myself, "Hide."I bolted from the living room, hiding behind the wall dividing it from the hallway.There was so much space here that I doubt he could have found me.The sound of footsteps became louder as the door opened."This is what happens, sir, when you try to drink more than your cousin and grandpa together. They are both functionally intoxicated." Someone spoke.I glanced to see what was going on.Derek Montenegro was here, as certain as the day.He was with another man who carried him to the
Clara's POV"What are you doing in here!" Derek shouted.Derek sneered at me, staring daggers into my soul with narrowed eyes. His face became crimson in an instant, which I saw.He was totally nude! Beautifully nude, said a voice within my skull.I squinted my eyes and looked away, hoping that maybe if I worked hard enough, I might suddenly vanish from this circumstance. With my face against the wall and the water still pouring in, I was officially stuck. I lacked the courage to turn off the faucet. The water then came to an end. That's when I realised it was time to confront him.I turned to face him cautiously, my uniform now adhering to my body and my hair soaking wet.I raised my gaze for a brief while before lowering it to the floor.Now he had beautiful muscles, a naked chest, and his waist covered in a towel. He continued to glare at me, so it's likely that his rage was growing.I stood there with my hands clasped together like a schoolboy. Awaiting my sentence."What are y
Clara's POV His hands were clasped at his temples.If he was this logical when inebriated, I can't fathom what kind of person he was when sober. I had nearly forgotten he was inebriated. What are the possibilities that he would forget any of this occurred, with him this inebriated?"I'm having a headache right now because of you and your miserable life," he said, placing his palm on his forehead. "I need you to leave right now." He went on.He let go of his phone.Did he mention that he wanted me to go? He made no mention of firing me.No, I was misinterpreting; he most likely intended for me to go and never return. Stated differently, I lost my job."Please sir, don't fire me." I kept on pleading.The water trickling from my damp hair had become indistinguishable from my tears.With a groan, he left the bedroom.I kept up my tail and followed him.He had come past the living room, and I had halted in my tracks."Do I have to open the door for you to leave?" He exhaled."Please, sir,
Clara's POVI turned to face Derek's lifeless corpse on the ground. My heart pounded, feeling like it might burst from my chest. Waylen muttered, "I didn't mean to," as the awareness of what he had done suddenly dawned on him.I was frozen in place, unsure of how to react. "You killed him," I said in a whisper.Now pacing the room, Waylen raked his hands through his hair.I got down on my knees to make sure Derek was still breathing. It took some time, but eventually, I could feel his breath on my cheek. I picked him up and laid his head on my lap to feel his pulse. Everything seemed typical.I let out a breath of relief, glad that he was still with us. But he required assistance because I was still not a medical doctor.I said, "You have to call for an ambulance."Waylen paused and gazed at the phone resting on the counter.I yelled, "Now," startling Waylen out of his reverie.In a panic, he snatched the phone from the counter.He said, "We can't call the ambulance."I gave Wayle
Clara's POVI said, "You are a heartless monster.""Reduce your drama. It's likely that the booze has simply knocked him unconscious; he'll be fine when he wakes up in a few hours. I hope he forgets this whole thing that never occurred." Waylen said this casually.How had I missed this aspect of him before? I never got a good look at the man in front of me throughout the entire time I was with him. How could I have been so foolish and gullible as to fall for his ruses?"You wouldn't want your poor mother to find out that you are now a whore, would you? I'm just doing you a favour. The embarrassment you would cause your family. not to mention if you wind up in jail." He laughed.Though I felt absolutely helpless, I wanted to show him that he was mistaken, that his words couldn't weaken me, and that they were just meaningless threats. Perhaps because I knew he was only partly correct, Derek would undoubtedly throw the two of us in jail. Was there any way that stating the truth would hel
Clara POV"No Clara, don't act spooky," I told myself to back off.That he was still breathing gave me relief all over again.Perhaps he would wake up soon, and I would depart before he detected any movement on his part.The cold chattered my teeth. My body was hugged by my still-wet uniform. I had to take these clothes off before I became very sick. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, finding it drenched from earlier in the shower. When I tried to turn it on, it was unresponsive. Alright, yet another issue! I went to the restroom and got a towel. I then walked out of the room and into the laundry area. Typically, we send our visitors' stuff downstairs to the laundry area and they don't have washing machines or dryers in their suits, but this particular suit had almost everything.I felt a chilly airbrush over my skin as I undid my dress. I removed it and threw it in the clothes dryer. It would be dried and ready for me to wear again in a matter of minutes, I'm sure.All that was le
Clara's POVDerek placed the bucket on the ground next to him and gave me a furious look. He was still shirtless in his chest and wearing sweatpants.The first thing that struck me was that, thankfully, he was still alive. When it eventually dawned on me that I was half nude in his bed, I realised that I was not going to go to prison for helping to commit a murder. I could only imagine the multitude of ideas buzzing through his head. This time, I was screwed; there was no turning back. This is probably the point at which my life ends. I’m quite convinced we were going to wind up in prison after everything Waylen tried to keep 'us' out of there. Everything was going to come to light.His demeanour abruptly improved as he moved in closer and perched on the edge of the bed, appearing a little more composed."Are you going to explain everything that happened last night?" questioned the man. His gaze lingered on mine, waiting for a response.My heart felt like it was about to burst from
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