AMAYAOne night, when I was six years old, my parents and I were playing in the snow. I don’t know what happened or how it happened, but my parents got a business call, left me outside and completely forgot about me for three hours.I almost died in the snow. I was cold to my small, brittle bones. I screamed and cried for help, but no one heard me in the blizzard until I passed out.As I stare at Bhyron’s still bleeding wound, I realize that the last time I feel such bone chilling cold was that horrible night. I’m frozen to the spot, my eyes eyes darting from the gun in my hand to the wounded man in front of me.It all happens in a blur. One moment, I’m trying to gather my scattered thoughts and the next, strong arms envelope my shoulders from behind and I’m slammed against a hard, heaving chest.Shocked, I try to speak but a cold, hard object is pressed against my temple. A man’s hot breath wafts across my ear and my shock intensifies at the voice that filters into my eardrums;“Sinc
AMANIIt’s safe to say I now understand why Miley Cyrus screamed at the top of her lungs when she sang “I came in like a wrecking ball!!!”Despite my fear and utter confusion, it still registers in my brain that there’s really no difference between Duke in motion and a flying wrecking ball as he waves both his guns in the air like a damn trophy.Bang!! Bang!!Within seconds, a single bullet whizzes past my head and Mario’s tight grip around my shoulders loosen immediately. His yelp of pain is almost eerie. I turn just in time to watch him crumple to the ground in a messy, bloody heap.The bullet pierced perfectly through his forehead. My throat tightens with dismay as I watch thick, coagulated blood spurt from the finger sized hole.I don’t know if I should be dismayed at the fact that Duke handles guns like an experienced gang leader and he seems to be interested in my best friend.It is scientifically proven that I might be crazy sometimes, but not crazy enough to wish a relationshi
AMANIIf anyone had told me that Mr. Ayutthaya would one day slap his own grandson because he hurt me, I would’ve laughed in their face. For a moment, the room is as quiet as a graveyard. Everyone is too stunned to speak. I’m pretty sure Bhyron’s bodyguards have gone into epileptic shock. “Let this be the first and last time you ever lay your hands on Amani violently. Do you understand?” Grandpa growls. “And another thing. The wedding is off. There will be no wedding until Amani decides on her own that she wants to marry you, or you tender a heartfelt apology to her.”My heart freezes in my chest. Are my ears suddenly malfunctioning or did grandpa just call off our wedding?This night has been nothing short of one crazy disaster after the other. I can feel Bhyron’s eyes on me. I can tell that he’s murderous after the cancellation of our wedding, but I keep my eyes firmly lowered to the ground, choosing to avoid his gaze while struggling to process everything that’s happened.I thi
AMANI“Amani, come quickly. Bhyron has refused to let a doctor check on his wound. He said he’d only listen to you. Please, come out! His condition is critical and he won’t let anyone into his room…!”I hate Bhyron Macaulay. I swear I do. But the second those words fall from Duke’s lips, I open my door faster than Flash himself. I should be ashamed of my weak self-will but there’s no time.Panic engulfs my thudding heart as I step into the hallway. Duke is still dressed in his rumpled three piece suit, but his entire expression is twisted with worry. I look down, noticing a bunch of keys in his grip.“Duke? What happened? Where’s Zuri?”“Zuri is absolutely fine. She’s asleep in my room. But Bhyron is an entirely different case. He was responding to us until ten minutes ago. I don’t want to be negative, but I really think he’s not okay. He was bleeding profusely. If he continues like this, he’ll die.”He’ll die. Those words should bring me immense satisfaction. Instead, a strange, pa
AMANIDuke appears beside me in a flash, stretching his hand towards Bhyron, his face twisted with worry;“Bhyron, let’s get you to a hospital. You need to treat your injury. If it gets infected…”Bhyron staggers backwards, his face firmly lowered to the ground. My heart tightens painfully. At that moment, he looks nothing like New York’s most eligible bachelor or the dark, gorgeous anime character that I’ve come to know. He looks nothing like the confident, fearless Bhyron Macaulay. Instead, he looks small… defeated.He finally lifts his eyes to mine and the wounded expression in his eyes ignites the guilt already festering in my chest. He stretches his injured hand to me and my gaze falls on his blood soaked shirt. His suit is nowhere to be seen. His once sparkling white shirt is ruined with bloody, crimson spots. Finally, I make up my mind. I turn to Duke and say as bravely as I can; “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him.”I hear Bhyron’s hiss of relief and it only adds to the bu
AMANITHE NEXT MORNING“Amani!! My daughter’s home!” Those are the first words I hear when I walk down the grand stairs at exactly ten AM in the morning, and it comes from Mrs. Alice Ayutthaya. Bhyron’s grandmother.My heart tugs with happiness at the sight of her. Grandma Alice is a sixty year old tall glass of beauty. I kid you not, at the age of sixty, her hair is long, healthy and lustrous, her skin is shining, her green eyes sparkling brighter than a glass held up to sunlight and her face is devoid of wrinkles.Grandpa Ayuttahaya calls her his jewel, and he prides himself in how well he takes care of her. “Grandma.” I whisper as I quicken my pace towards her.I pause in front of her, unsure of what to do. After Bhyron ghosted me, I disappeared for six years and cut off contact with everyone related to him. I was too heartbroken to check in on his grandparents. I don’t know if Grandma Alice is genuinely happy to see me again. But all my confusion is sorted when her eyes soft
AMANI The tension that hovers over the dining room is so thick, it can be sliced through with a blunt knife. I feel like I’ve been thrust into a soap opera with infuriating, never ending drama… and I’m the main actor, of course. Standing beside Bhyron is Sharon, and her sister Sheila. Sheila is Sharon’s carbon copy. Same dark hair and intense gray eyes, same slim model-like figure, same radiating beauty. But she’s older. She’s three years older than her sister, and the fact that she’s a class A bitch makes this entire situation even more interesting. If Sharon is a bitch, then Sheila is the grandmother of all bitches. She’s a bossy snob and has a penchant for looking down her nose at people whom she considers “not up to her class.” “Good morning, everyone.” Bhyron’s deep voice shatters the silent atmosphere once again. “I’m sure you all know Sheila and Sharon Armstrong. They’re my special guests and will be staying here until the wedding is over.” Zuri grabs my arm and m
AMANI “…no apology, no wedding!” Beside me, despite the uncomfortable tension in the room, Zuri guffaws. She loves dramatic moments like these. “Mrs. Alice, you look utterly delicious this morning. May I say something, please?” Zuri requests, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear and lifting her chin like a queen. Grandma Alice smiles. She loves Zuri; “of course, darling.” “Thank you.” The moment she focuses her attention on Bhyron, I already know she’s bringing the heat; “Mr. Macaulay, seeing that I passed out last night and you gave your best friend the permission to manhandle me however he liked, I believe you should render two apologies before us today. The first one to my best friend whose feelings you hurt and whom you also manhandled last night, and the second, to me.” Sharon gives Zuri a cold-eyed stare and I shake my head, stifling a sigh. She shouldn’t have done that. Just as I expected, Zuri’s ever sharp eyes notices the glare. She forgets about Bhyron com
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