BHYRONI fall on my knees and await my punishment, head bent. I can feel Duke hesitate above me, but I know he’ll eventually give in. He knows that this is the only way I can pay for my sins. The only way I know.“Can you at least tell me what happened?”I look up and hold his gaze; “I whipped Amani. I hurt her.”Duke lets out a low curse. “How? Why?”I shake my head and stiffen my shoulders. “I’ll give you all the details later. Just… do as I’ve asked. Please.”There’s a moment of tense, choked silence. Then Duke finally responds;“Okay, then. Since this is what you want.”I hear the “whooshing” sound as the whip flies through the air before it lands on my back. Pain erupts on my skin like a burning furnace, licking its way up my arms and penetrating my muscles.Duke whips me mercilessly even when I fall and writhe on the marble floors. I don’t make a single sound. I swallow the pain. I deserve it.The last time I made him do this, I had blood on my hands. I was guilty of a horrendou
AMANIFor lying to us and getting our hopes up only to end up doing us dirty like this, wherever Bhyron’s lawyer is right now, I hope his coffee is always cold before he even gets the chance to take the first sip.The moment Bhyron reveals himself, the atmosphere visibly shifts, becoming tighter, laced with electricity. He stands tall and powerful beside his car, looking down on us like we’re unworthy peasants at his noble throne.When his eyes fall on me, I’m pretty sure he expects me to look away, but I stand firm and hold his gaze despite my shaky fingers.What happened last night will remain in the past. It’s a brand new day and I’m ready to move forward. I guess.“Do you have my money ready?” He asks without mincing words. I open my mouth to speak but Aunt Ophelia pulls my arm, signifying that I should keep silent while she steps forward and addresses Bhyron;“Mr. Bhyron, please don’t do this. Give us a few more days, please. I promise we’ll have the money ready by the end of t
AMANI“Aunt, don’t even think about it.” I say in a warning tone three minutes after Bhyron leaves the premises.Aunt Ophelia hurries to my chair and scoots down on her haunches, grabbing my arm. “Look, sweetheart, you have every right to be upset with Bhyron. All I’m asking is that you give this a thought. It’ll take a magician and some serious black magic to come up with twenty million by noon tomorrow. Besides, the marriage is fake and it’ll only last for six months. By then, we would’ve paid off the ten million with interest.”I give her an odd look. “Sometimes, I wonder if you even love me at all.”Aunt Ophelia gasps, her eyes narrowing with hurt. “How can you say that? Of course I love you. Everything I have done until this time had been in your best interest. Can’t you see?!”I get to my feet, pointing a shaky finger in her face as anger unfurls in my chest; “no, I can’t see anything, aunt. If you loved me, you wouldn’t even think of asking me to go into any kind of relationsh
AMANI“… this is the woman I’m in love with. Her name is Sharon and we’re getting married in a month's time…”It’s been six years. Six full years and those words still ring in my mind like a death bell.Sharon taps her perfectly manicured nails against the table, her cat-like eyes firmly fixed on my face, gauging my reaction.“Hello, Amani. Welcome to Imperial Couture.”There’s a burning sensation in my chest that I cannot seem to get rid of.My anger should be focused on Bhyron for betraying me, but something about this woman just makes me incredibly bitter.“You contacted me? Why?” I ask bluntly, feeling my excitement drain away.Sharon frowns. “I don’t get it. I was looking for a perfume brand, I loved your portfolio and decided to give you a call.”I nod, my lips twisting in disdain. “Sure. And I assume you send a limousine to pick up all your intending partners, huh?”I knew there was something off about that limo. Sharon’s slight hesitation is all the answer I need.I take a dee
AMANIYou know that feeling when everything seems to be going great in your life, then suddenly, something evil sneaks up on you out of nowhere like bad juju? Yes, that’s exactly how I feel as I throw my robe on and make my way to Will & Julia Perfumety by two forty-five in the morning, terrified as a chicken that’s being led to the slaughter.I’m already halfway there when I realize that I don’t have any shoes on, but there’s no going back. I keep my teeth gritted to hold back my whimpers of pain as rocks jab into my feet on the dark street.Thirty meters away from the company, I can already see the thick cloud of black smoke in the air and a blurry line of crimson in the distant skies. My heart almost stops beating.By the time I arrive at the gates, I’ve gone into full panic mode. I called 9-1-1 but they’re yet to arrive. How can I be faster than the damn police?Aunt Ophelia was right. Only our factories, our main area of production is currently burning. The main buildings where o
BHYRONThe chances that I might develop a heart attack soon is exceedingly high.During the short twenty minute drive to Will & Julia Perfumery, I mobilized my company’s personal fire service to the site of the incident. I’ve conjured every single horrible scenario possible. Amani trapped and scared inside one of the burning factories. Amani trapped underneath a falling building. Amani already burning to death.I know how it feels to be trapped. How it feels to struggle for oxygen. It’s a horrible feeling that still haunts me to this day. And the thought that Amani…“Who the heck let her into a burning building?” I ask one of my private detectives who’s already at the site. “Wasn’t anyone there to stop her?”“Only Miss Amani and her aunt were here, sir. According to her Aunt, she’d tried to stop her but Miss Amani was too stubborn.”I can imagine that. Amani’s stubbornness has probably grown by a thousand percent since I last saw her.Now she wants to worry me to death.***The mome
AMANIThis better be a bad dream. Or better still, a hallucination… because I would kick Henry’s dusty ass if I ever saw him in my dreams. I try to sit up but pinpricks of pain shoot up and down my spine. My legs hurt, my feet hurt, my arm hurts, my throat hurts. Everything hurts. Now, I have to deal with the one person that I’d rather die from smoke inhalation than talk to.“Careful there. You might hurt yourself.” His voice sounds like a horrific version of static in my ears. Crap! It wasn’t a dream after all.Henry tries to help me up but I give him a death stare and that has him freezing in his tracks.“Don’t you dare touch me.” I say on an almost growl.After struggling to sit up by myself, I turn to him and lift a brow; “what are you doing here?” He has the audacity to smirk at me. “You’re my wife, Amani. You’ve been particularly stubborn and annoying for the past few days, but I still care about you.”I almost choke on my own soot-flavoured spit. Unlike other people who wa
AMANIThe moment Henry and Laura exit the ward, a strange feeling of overwhelming exhaustion crashes on me and I lean back against the pillows with a strained sigh.I shut my eyes, trying to recover from that disaster when my vision suddenly darkens. My eyes fly open and my toes curl in surprise when I see Bhyron hovering over me. His sharp blue eyes are dark and intense as they rove over every inch of my body.“What are you doing?”His eyes meet mine and butterflies erupt in my belly. “Did he hurt you?”“What?”“That bastard, Henry. Did he put his hands on you?”My blood runs cold. “Uh… no. Why would you ask me that?”“Don’t lie to me, Amani. I saw you crying when I walked in.”I force myself to hold his gaze, despite the exhaustion in my limbs and the dread in my bones. I don’t want Bhyron getting involved in whatever issues I’ve got with Henry. Things could get incredibly messy.I clear my throat, deciding to change the subject; “why did you save me?”Bhyron’s eyes darken dangerou
“Have you perhaps forgotten the terms of our deal?” I ask through gritted teeth exactly ten minutes later as Bhyron expertly spins me on the dance floor.He looks down at me, his eyes gleaming with disinterest as he asks; “what deal?”I’m a second away from bashing his head in, God help me.“This marriage is only supposed to last two years. It’s in the contract. You can’t go around saying stuff you don’t mean to grandma. It’ll be even harder for us to separate if you get her hopes up like this. The song suddenly changes and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” slowly filters through the speakers, making the entire atmosphere appear even more romantic.My heart tightens as Bhyron presses me harder against his chest, giving me the full impact of those bright blue orbs. He leans closer and I stiffen in awareness as his hot lips brush my ears. When he speaks, his warm breath flows down my neck and I tremble in his grasp.“You should know by now, Little Caramel, that I’m a man of my word.” His voice is
AMAYAEvery bride is always excited to see her groom on their wedding day. But the only emotion that flows through my veins right now is nervousness.Instead of staring at my groom with love in my eyes, I keep my gaze firmly trained on the guests as I walk down the semi-long aisle with grandpa by my side.While some of the men look back at me with genuine happiness and awe, I can’t say the same about the ladies. Most of them are young, about my age. The only people I recognize in the sea of faces are Sharon, her sister and Brielle. The rest are strangers. The ladies do not bother hiding their smirks and tiny frowns of jealousy and displeasure as I walk past. They’re all upset that New York City’s most gorgeous bachelor is going off the market… and I’m the reason for that.If only they knew the battle of confusion that currently brews in my heart. I would gladly exchange myself with any of these women in a heartbeat.“Remember, Amani,” grandpa whispers gruffly, snapping me to the pres
BHYRONAmani left with grandpa a few minutes ago but I’m still seated behind my desk, staring at the CCTV footage on my computer and watching the bags I bought go up in smoke.My intention was to apologize to her. I guess that failed, woefully.I don’t give a shit about the amount of money I spent. I can make that back in seconds. What matters is the look of pure hatred I saw in Amani’s eyes. That will haunt me forever.I bury my face in my palms and take a deep breath. Amani looked angry. Enraged. How she knew I was watching her through the CCTV, I’d never know. But for a moment, it felt like she was looking straight into my eyes, like she knew I was there. I get to my feet and pace the room. My wedding is set to happen in the next thirty minutes. I’m already dressed up and waiting to be notified to come downstairs for the ceremony. My long term goal of marrying the one woman who has the power to set me ablaze with just one look is finally about to be fulfilled, but I’m restless.Dr
AMANIJay flinches at my harsh tone but stands his ground. “Miss Amani, I assure you that the boss does not consider you a whore. These are just wedding presents and he’d be pleased if you accept them.”I tilt my head to the side, struggling to rein in my temper. That’s the thing — I never, ever want to partake in any activity that pleases Bhyron Macaulay. I still regret my little mistake from a few hours ago.I wanted to please him and it backfired right in my face.I look up and my eyes coincidentally lands on the CCTV camera positioned high up on the west wall. My fingers twitch with annoyance as a devious thought suddenly crawls into my mind.“Your boss is watching us right now, isn’t he?” I ask Jay, not bothering to take my eyes off the camera.Jay follows my line of vision and lets out a small curse when he realizes I’ve seen the camera. His tone suddenly changes, becoming defensive;“Miss Amani, I…”I shoot him a look filled with annoyance and he clamps his mouth shut.“There’
AMANITHREE HOURS LATER…My wedding is set to hold in the next two hours and I’m an emotional wreck.I stare at my swollen eyes in the mirror, willing my mind to forget everything that happened in that room three hours ago.“Girl, we don’t have time for this. The makeup artist has been waiting for you for almost two hours. You haven’t even tried out your wedding dress. I’m not sure you’ve even taken a bath!” Zuri half-yells, pacing the room nervously.“At this pace, we’ll never be ready on time. Not that I want you to marry that sonofabitch, but grandpa will be upset…”I keep staring at the mirror, trying to figure out the hollow-eyed woman who stares back at me.Anger, bitterness and shame swirls in my guts when I remember the smugness in Bhyron’s eyes after he successfully fooled me. The bastard tricked me. Once again, he proved that I can never trust him.“…and you won't even tell me what happened! Where were you this morning? What happened to you?” Zuri babbles non stop, pacing r
BHYRONI don’t know how much longer I can keep this up and I think it’s high time I told myself the truth.Hurting Amani’s feelings is not as satisfying as I thought it would be. Taking my revenge does not fill my heart with joy like I thought it would.The hurt and confusion in her eyes breaks me every single time. This was supposed to be easy, goddamnit! I was never supposed to feel anything for her. My job would’ve been goddamn easier if those bright, chocolate eyes didn’t appeal to my dark soul every single time.My goal was to take revenge for all the pain that Amani and her family caused me, but I barely stopped myself from pulling her into my arms just five seconds ago. All I wanted to do was clean her up, hold her and make sure she got a few hours of sleep before the wedding. And that was not the bloody plan!I slam the door behind me and lean against it, trying to calm my pounding heart.Anger, raw and venomous stirs in my veins. I’m angry at myself for hurting her and furiou
AMANI“…suck my dick, Amani. If you’re able to make me cum, I’ll let you wear the dress.” Shock, mixed with violent arousal explodes in my belly, leaving me weak and temporarily unable to think properly.My arms around Bhyron’s neck slips but he catches me at the last minute, cupping my lower back and pulling me against his chest in a half-embrace. I’m completely enveloped in his intoxicating heat and my heart is a large, melted puddle of goo. If not for his support, I’d have fallen flat on my face a long time ago.I should slap his face and stomp out of the room, but my brain is already conjuring images of his thick, swollen cock deep inside the walls of my throat. I gulp helplessly.It’s settled. I’m fucked.“What’s it going to be, little caramel?” He whispers huskily, trailing his fingers across my heated cheeks. “Will you suck my cock or do you want to live without my forgiveness? I can already feel your wetness on my thigh. If I touch you down there, my fingers will come back d
AMANI“You can forget about the dress. It’s not for you. You don’t have to wear it…”I never wanted to wear Bhyron’s dress. I never wanted a dress that was made specially for some strange woman whom he’s obsessed with. But those harsh words coupled with his cold expression hits me like a goddamn punch in the gut.He’s clearly saying I’m not worthy enough to wear the same dress as the woman of his dreams. Jealousy burns like a fever in my throat. I’ve never wanted to beat up an imaginary woman so badly in my entire life. I’m almost ashamed of myself. Almost.I stiffen against him, holding his gaze while trying not to burst into stupid tears. I wouldn’t even know why I’m crying in the first place. So what if Bhyron is in love with some unnamed dancing bride? I don’t like him. I shouldn’t be bothered.The logical thing to do would be to step away from him and lick my wounds while I still can, but the last time Amani was logical, George Washington was still president.Instead of counting
AMANIBefore I can get my thoughts together, Aunt Ophelia hurries forward and grabs my arm, her eyes wide with a haunted expression that sends chills down my spine; “Amani, dear, you have to leave. You cannot be seen in here.”Now I’m more confused than ever and even more determined to find out what the hell is going on. I’m convinced that Aunt Ophelia knows something. She’s definitely hiding something from me.She tries to pull me towards the exit but I stubbornly dig my feet into the ground, refusing to move. Noting my hesitation, Aunt Ophelia looks over her shoulder and lifts one questioning brow; “Sweetie, what are you doing? We have to leave.”The forced cheer in her voice and the tiny, fake smile plastered on her lips makes me even more resolute to go nowhere.I pull my arm from her grip and fold them, looking her straight in the eyes;“Okay, aunt. Spill. What are you hiding?”A flash of panic lightens her eyes before she’s able to hide it beneath a confused expression.“What