AMANITHE NEXT DAYIf I give my best friend one more call and she doesn’t respond, girls and boys, I’m calling the police.Last night was hectic. After trying hard to convince Bhyron to let me go home alone, he still stuffed me into one of his cars with Jay and made sure that after dropping me off, that poor man stayed outside my house on guard duty until the crack of dawn.I went downstairs by three AM to offer him a compensatory glass of cheap wine and convince him to go home. I even swore on my mother’s pretty grave that I wouldn’t tell on him. Not only did that cold-eyed man reject my precious wine, he also refused to go home. I gave up and tried to go to bed, but Bhyron’s subtle threats and my worry for Zuri kept me up all night.I tried calling her and Duke’s phone numbers over and over again. It just went straight to voicemail.Now, it’s almost twelve noon and I’m over here, nearly going out of my mind with worry and wondering if I can find Duke’s office address on the interne
AMANI“How did you find out about this?”Duke scoffs;“I’m insulted that you would ask me that. Anyways, I received inside information from Sky Valley bank that twenty million dollars left Zuri’s company account. According to them, the money is on its way to a private account.The entire situation seemed suspicious as hell, so I contacted my inside person in Zuri’s accounts department. Luckily for me, my contact had facilitated the transaction himself. According to him, the money was sent to a private account. On further investigations, I found out that the account is owned by one Ophelia Thorn, and the title of the transaction was: ‘debt payment.’How much is Amani owing you again?”Anger swirls in my throat, hot and venomous. But I can’t ignore the pride beneath that anger.Little Caramel really thought she could escape my trap so easily. I did not wait for her so patiently for six years only to be defeated just like that.“I can hear your devious mind scheming. What’s your plan?”I
AMANI“Did you say ‘Bride?’”Zuri sniffs. “Yes. A mysterious blog called Bride published the news early this morning. Now it’s trending everywhere.”I get to my feet once again and pace the room, trying hard not to jump into conclusions. “Have your tech guys investigated this blog?”“They did… at least they tried. Whoever is behind it must be some kind of tech. genius. The IP address is blocked and their firewall is too complex to be broken into. It just seems so strange. Why would someone create an indestructible, untraceable blog just to spill lies about me?”I’m about to say something in response when Rihanna’s “Desperado” pierces the air. It’s Zuri’s phone. “It’s Joanne.” She whispers as she answers the call and puts it on speakerphone. Joanne is her personal assistant.“Miss Bentham, things are getting worse. We really need to stop this persons before he ruins all your hard work.” She sounds panicked as hell.All this bad news is not good for my blood pressure. My stomach tigh
AMANII’m playing with fire and I know it. But I will never be able to live with myself if something bad happens to Zuri’s hard earned business because of me.I cross my legs and my short skirt rides upwards in the process, revealing my soft, smooth thighs to the men close by. Within five minutes, I can guarantee that thirty percent of those men are too busy salivating over the sight of a woman’s naked thighs instead of focusing on the numbers on Bhyron’s screen.Yes, my actions may be shameless, but this is the only way I can get Bhyron’s attention. Subtle violence.At the same time, how on earth will my plan work when the man I’m trying so hard to annoy pays me zero attention?Despite all my tactics, Bhyron completely ignores me. It’s almost like I’m invisible.I’m brainstorming new ways to grab his attention when suddenly, the doors slam open revealing a group of six men garbed in all black suits and armed with dangerous weapons. The men are led by Bhyron’s secretary. Her expressi
AMANIThis man better be joking.I’m stunned. No, that’s a gross understatement. I’m flabbergasted. I’m appalled.I take a step backwards, almost stumbling into the table behind me. In the last second, Bhyron grabs my wrist and pulls me against his chest.I try to escape but he clamps an arm around my waist, holding me captive. The darkness in his eyes sets my teeth on edge. “Did I say something surprising?” His voice is soft, but there’s no denying the darkness underneath.“I’m confused…”“Don’t be.” He releases me. “The twenty million dollars you owe me has never been a problem. I can afford five times that amount and even more. You’re what I want, Amani. Not the money. You. And Zuri’s offer is standing in the way of what I want.”My shock expands with every word that leaves Bhyron’s mouth.“You can’t do this. I’ll report you to the police.”He smirks.“You’re very much welcome to try. Please report me. No problem. But where’s your evidence? No one will believe you. The officers wi
AMANI “You did what?!!” I’m currently standing before Zuri and Aunt Ophelia, my heart racing like a wild horse on the Fourth of July. I lower my head and whisper; “Look on the bright side. The blog has tendered a full and unreserved apology to Zuri. Her angry fans have apologized for their actions, the brands that canceled their contracts with her company are back and even asking to double the price of their investments and she’s now twenty million dollars richer. That’s a good thing, right?” Zuri climbs off her perch on the settee, her eyes glowing with rage as she stalks in my direction. “But at what cost, Amani? Yes, I’ve gotten my reputation back, but at what cost? How could you sign two years of your life over to that devil like it’s nothing? After what he did to you, you should know better.” My eyes sting with tears that I hurriedly blink away. “But you got hurt because of me. Your business was targeted because of me. I couldn’t bear to stand back and watch you l
AMANII’m walking through the entrance of Imperial Couture some thirty minutes later because Sharon has refused to answer my calls and I’m not about to play these games with her.“Ma’am, do you have an appointment?”“No, I don’t.” I repeat for the umpteenth time. “I’m telling you that your boss transferred forty million dollars into my bank account thirty minutes ago. I’ve shown you the evidence. I need explanations.”Sharon’s receptionist has been wasting my time for ten minutes now. “Okay, ma’am. Hold on while I confirm from the accountant.”That does it.The moment she turns away, I slip past her and hurry into the elevator as fast as my legs can carry me.“Hey, ma’am! I never said you could go in!” She yells, just as the doors slide shut.I’m becoming quite skilled at this hide and seek game. Good for me.By the time I arrive at Sharon’s office, I’m almost out of breath. I did not have the time to pay attention to my outfit today, so I’m dressed in a flannel shirt, joggers and s
AMANIDid Sharon apologize to me? Yes, she did.Was I shocked to my bone marrow? Yes, I was.Did Bhyron refund her money? Yes, he had his accountant transfer eighty million dollars to Sharon’s bank account right in front of me.I know she only apologized to get herself into Bhyron’s good books after the horrible statement she made, but an apology is an apology. I’ll take it.Even after he announced our marriage, it’s obvious that Sharon still believes she has a chance with Bhyron. If her harsh glare did not confirm my suspicions, the manner in which she persistently clung to him while I was still seated right there, pretty much did.Right now, I’m seated in the backseat of Bhyron’s Roll Royce, staring straight out the window and trying to forget there’s a dark god seated next to me while being driven home.“We need to talk about your choice of clothing.” His dark tone suddenly shatters the calm atmosphere.Surprised, I turn to find him staring at me. He was working on his iPad just a
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
AMANII’m shocked to my bones. I’m in awe. I’m blown away.I move closer to get a better look. The closer I go, the grander it becomes.I barely have the words to describe it — It’s beautiful. It’s gorgeous. It’s definitely expensive… and also seems familiar as hell.I search my memory on a quest to figure out where I’ve seen it before. It’s very unique, very unlike anyone of its kind out there. A second later, it finally dawns on me, leaving a strong bitter taste at the back of my throat. I remain rooted to the spot, blinking rapidly in shock as the pieces slowly fall into place. The current object of my obsession is a wedding dress. It sits alone on a raised platform in the middle of the room, sparkling and shimmering like a rare creature in all its glory. The platform is made of black onyx stone and probably costs far more than what my parents’ entire company is worth.And the dress itself… I lack the words to describe it. It sparkles from top to bottom, and a closer inspection
AMANII can’t sleep. I tried to, but images of Grandma Alice crying her eyes out against Bhyron’s chest literally chased me around a rocky path in dreamland, armed with a sharp knife.I shoot awake some moments later, breathing like I just engaged in a sumo wrestling contest. Sweat pours down my face in torrents despite the cold AC that blows my heated skin.Looking around the dark room, goosebumps rise on my arms and my heart tightens with fear at all the shadows hanging around. I hate darkness with a passion that rivals Hades. I cannot sleep without the lights on and practically glaring. Zuri hates me for it, which is why we can never share a room.The only reason the lights are off is because Zuri opted to sleep with me tonight after I practically clung on to her when everyone left. My chest tightens painfully as I recall the strange feeling of abandonment that weighted my shoulders when I realized the entire family was upset with me, Aunt Ophelia inclusive.Memories of that sla