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
My dear, beautiful readers;I’m deliberately keeping the chapters short to make it more affordable for all of you. Please bear with me.Also, all grammatical and spelling errors in the previous chapter has been corrected.Thank you for reading. I don’t take any of you for granted.***AMANILook, we all know I would never be able to reject Bhyron’s apology. The wedding between us will definitely hold because Aunt Ophelia and I are currently paupers who cannot boast of ten thousand dollars, talk more of repaying twenty million dollars. Big girls with empty bank accounts. Shameful, I know. But what can we do?The hosts of Angels have finally decided to smile upon this wonderful daughter of theirs and I’ll seize this opportunity to make sure Bhyron Macaulay suffers before the wedding.I can proudly say that the one thing I’ve learnt from Zuri is the extreme art of pettiness. And I’m about to display all my petty skills. I get to my feet, smooth down the fabric of my Chanel dress and g
AMANII assumed everyone at this table knew I didn't really want any of the things I just listed.I mean, what the hell would I do with a diamond as big as my entire head?But I don’t think Bhyron gets the gist. His shoulders are stiff and tense, his hands are firmly clasped in front of him, his eyes are dark and narrowed to slits and he’s currently giving off a very poisonous “touch-me-and-die” vibe.Okay. This isn’t going according to plan. At all.I open my mouth to clarify that I was joking but as usual, Bhyron is quicker than I am. He calmly gets to his feet and turns to Grandpa, totally dismissing me. “Please excuse me, grandpa. I’ve got an important matter to attend to.”My heart crashes and burns with jealousy as he turns to Sharon and gives her his hand. Ever eager to touch him, she places her hand in his and gets to her feet, her lips stretched in a coy, sensual smile.Sheila rises as well.“Grandma, grandpa, excuse us.” Says Bhyron, his tone cold and clipped.I sit there,
AMANI“I hate him, Zuri. I hate him.” I sob heartbrokenly against her chest. “How could he say something like that? It h-hurts.”Zuri pats my back soothingly, over and over again. “I’m so sorry, baby. I should’ve come with you.”I never knew I could outrun Bhyron, but I managed to make it to Zuri’s room and slam the door in his face before he could catch up with me. It’s been an hour and I’m still a wet, sobbing mess. It suddenly hits me that I’m not only crying because of Bhyron’s hurtful words. I’m crying because I miss my son terribly. I’ve held myself back from thinking about him for days, but all the memories slammed into me today with the force of a sledgehammer.My heart hurts. I want to hold him one last time. I miss my baby.After another twenty minutes of endless crying, Zuri becomes impatient. She pulls me away from her chest with a heavy frown and quickly wipes my face.“Did you kill your son?” She asks fiercely.I frown, my face crumpling in a fresh round of tears; “n-n
AMANII make sure to keep my voice cool and calm as I look over at Bhyron and ask;“Will that be all, Mr. Macaulay?”He takes another step in my direction and I have to bite my lower lip to force myself to stand my ground. I’m not scared of this man. He will never, ever take advantage of my emotions again.I lift a hand, stopping him in his tracks; “And where the hell do you think you’re going?”His hooded eyes search my face. It almost feels like he’s trying to figure me out. “I wrote you a note and you threw it into the fountain.” He says in a matter-of-fact tone, as if unable to believe my audacity.Surprised, I flick a glance at the fountain and sure enough, a white envelope floats amongst the petals. He really did write a note.Although I’m itching to know what he wrote, I force myself to appear unperturbed. I shrug;“A pity. Not that it concerns me.” I take a deep breath and instantly regret it as the intoxicating scent of his cologne filters into my nostrils, sending skitter
AMANI“Amani! Oh my god, what did he do to you?” Zuri runs forward and pulls me into a tight hug the second I walk into the dressing room.I’m still in a daze so I remain stiff and unmoving in her arms until she notices and releases me. “Hey, is something wrong? Did that bastard do something to you?” I look her in the eyes when I say this, hoping she can understand my confusion;“Zuri, he called a doctor to check on me.”My best friend blinks in shock.“Wait, what?”The dressmakers are still trying to set up the different dresses that I’ll get to choose from, so I have time to pace the room and just freak out.“I became a little light headed at his office earlier and almost fainted. He called a doctor… because I swooned a little bit.”There’s that painful feeling in my chest again. I press my hand against my heart and massage gently, hoping to ease the stinging pain.“I swear the man blows hot and cold like a bloody dead fuse. I cannot seem to understand him.”Zuri grabs my arm and
AMANIA sliver of hurt flashes across Bhyron’s expression. For the next three seconds, my bitter words hang between us, fueling the explosive electricity that lingers in the air.My heart twists with a hint of guilt but I harden my jaw and hold his gaze. I want to hurt him. I want him to feel even the tiniest percent of the pain that’s currently festering in my heart.I can’t beat him up, so I’ll just use my words.“What are you waiting for?” I taunt, thrusting my hips against his. “Move! Hurry up! Fuck me and leave.”His eyes are currently the darkest I’ve ever seen, filled with anger and something else. Something even more disturbing.I fully expect him to climb off of me and leave in a fit of rage. However, Bhyron’s cock grows even harder and he pins me against the bed with ruthlessness in his eyes.Icy fear crawls up my throat as he leans over me, dragging his tongue and teeth across my chest.“Is this what you want?” He growls, slipping one of my nipples into his mouth and suckin
AMANIFear is the only emotion that clouds my senses when Bhyron snags me against his chest. Fear and the irrational need to escape.I don’t pause. I don’t let myself think. I just fight.I kick and buck and struggle against Bhyron’s fierce grip, desperate for freedom.“Let go of me! Let gooo!!”I aim for his shin but he’s bigger and faster. Bhyron swings me into his arms, bridal style, and lifts me towards the bed like I weigh nothing. The same bed he threw my best friend like she was nothing but a sack of potatoes.Unlike what he did with Zuri, he lays me gently against the pillows. Thinking I have a chance to escape, I try to roll off but a startled squeak escapes me when Bhyron climbs in, laying his entire body’s weight on top of me.I freeze, trying to scream but unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Horrifying images of being strangled or suffocated to death with a pillow has my veins thrumming with fear.Is this it? Has he finally decided to kill me and take his revenge?
BHYRON“…your presence irritates me…” Those fiercely muttered words burn through my heart like acid. For a moment, I freeze up and just stare at her, hoping she’d tell me that this is all a joke.But the only emotions in Amani’s eyes are anger and annoyance. She really meant what she said. The realization is like a blow to my stomach.I shut my eyes for a second, temporarily at war with myself. Should I just get up and leave or should I keep trying to reason with her?But even as I ask myself that question, I already know the answer. I’m not leaving. Amani can call me names from the pits of hell and try as hard as she can to push me away, but it’s not happening. I won’t go away. Not anymore.So I grit my teeth and steel my heart against the influx of hurtful words I know she still has in store for me.“What are you still doing here?! I asked you to leave.”I grit my teeth and lift a hand to grab her flailing arm. Maybe she’ll return to her senses if I touch her. Maybe she’ll recogniz
BHYRONOne of my sex workers at La Marièe almost got assaulted by a client tonight. She raised an alarm and the entire situation spiralled out of control within seconds. The news somehow travelled to the guests downstairs and the cops got involved.I spent the past four hours trying to stop La Marièe from getting closed down because of an issue that could’ve been handled with better care. Now I’m exhausted and all I want is to hold Amani and go to sleep.After taking a quick shower, I don boxers and climb into the huge bed, pulling Amani into my arms and cuddling her against my chest. She lets out a soft mewling sound that tugs at my heartstrings but settles down quickly, wrapping her arms around my middle.I’m enveloped in her scent, swathed in the softness of her skin and there’s nowhere else on this goddamn earth that I’d rather be.I’d love nothing but to shut my eyes and let sleep take me, but deep down, I know I cannot afford such luxury. I know the darkness will come… and so wi
BHYRONRamiel looks exactly like he does in the few pictures I’ve seen — angelic. Glowing.He’s dressed all in white just like I expected. A pure white African Kaftan covers his broad shoulders, flowing all the way to his ankles. His shiny blonde hair is perfectly styled and bounces on his shoulders as he walks towards us.When he gets within talking distance, I rise from my seat and Duke follows suit. Besides my grandfather, I never rise to greet anyone whether they come to meet me or I go to meet them. The thought of my old man sends a sliver of choking pain through my guts.But there’s something about Ramiel Castello. Maybe it’s those piercing blue eyes or the invisible glowing ring above his head, but I feel like I’m in the presence of royalty. “I never thought a day would come when the Bhyron Macaulay would ask to see me.” He says graciously, motioning for us to take our seats.Not one to mince words or waste time, I decide to go straight to the point.“Well, I’m sure you alread
BHYRONFinally, after twenty-five gruelling minutes, we arrive at the luxurious five-star hotel. The moment my driver opens the door and I climb off the car, my nerves twist violently as a strange sensation fleets through my heart.Silently, I turn to Duke and find him surveying our surroundings, forehead knotted in a frown.“You feel it, too?” I ask when he comes to stand by my side.“Yes. There’s something very wrong about this place. It gives me the ick.”The Crystal City Hotel is one of the most successful hotel chains in New York. Owned by a renowned Mexican businessman, the towering high rise boasts of modern, world-class amenities that are hard to find in any other hotels in the city, including expertly programmed robots instead of human attendants and complimentary self-driving cars for high-paying clients.To the ordinary eye, everything seems perfect. But to Duke and I, something is wrong.Wait…“Bhyron, take a look at the cars. Notice anything strange?”There are five iden
Starting now, I’m going to try to make this story as fast paced as possible so buckle up, readers!A lot of secrets will be revealed, characters will die, characters will be betrayed and in the end, the truth will finally be revealed.***BHYRONMy shoulders are already stiff and thrumming with tension when I arrive at the sitting room. I feel a presence behind me and turn to find Duncan a few feet away, hands tightly clasped at his back.“Return to the room and keep watch. I need you to pay special attention to Zuri. Make sure the door is open at all times and she doesn’t say or do anything fishy to my wife.”He bows. “Yes, boss.”He’s just about to leave when I stop him.“Can I trust you this time, Duncan? Will you fail me again?”He lifts his head and holds my gaze. There’s no iota of fear in his eyes. Just confidence and respect.“Last night was a stupid mistake, boss. I assure you that it will never happen again.”Three seconds tick by, heavy with mistrust, then I nod and step ba
AMANIMy eyes are firmly shut as I thrash around on the bed in search of my anchor, in search of my source of strength. But he’s not here. He’s gone. I know he is. When he was here, the piercing pain in my heart had reduced to a dull throb. The dirty, contaminated feeling that tainted my soul stayed far away, too scared of his darkness to come close. The heavy feeling in my limbs had disappeared, too. When he was here, he protected me. He shielded me from Antonio’s grubby hands. But now that he’s gone, I’m being bombarded with everything at once. The excruciating discomfort is back. My demons have returned to attack me and he’s not here to fight them off.I can hear voices in the distance and even though I’m clutched in the throes of a horrible nightmare, I still call out for him. I need him. I listen carefully, hoping I hear his voice, hoping he comes back for me.When the pain becomes unbearable, I curl into myself and hot tears slip past my tightly shut eyelids. My soul takes a
BHYRONI hear Amani’s screams from down the hall and it tears through my soul like a fiery blade. I run blindly and don’t stop until I’m storming into the master bedroom. The sight that greets me shatters my nonexistent heart to pieces.Amani is writhing and shaking in bed. The once perfectly laid sheets pool around her legs and arms, evidence of her distraught.Without uttering a word and driven by an urgency that makes my blood boil, I take off my shoes and climb into the bed with her, pulling her trembling body flush against my chest. Her eyes are firmly shut but the second I touch her, tears still manage to leak through.The sight of her wet cheeks unravels an animalistic intensity inside of me, but I have to tame it and take care of my baby. Amani is my only priority. She’s more important than even my darkness. “Bhyron…” she whimpers, clinging onto me like a baby monkey. “It hurts. It hurts so much. I can’t take it anymore. Please, make it stop.”I hug her fiercely and kiss her