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
AMANI“Oh no, she didn’t!” “Oh, yes, she did.” I confirm.“That dehydrated, cross-eyed donkey!” Zuri sounds angry as hell. “I swear, I’ll show her back to the stables where she belongs!”She shoots to her feet and makes to leave the room but I grab her wrist just in time, pulling her back into the padded chair. She lands with an angry “huff!”“Why are you stopping me? I’m trying to teach that thirsty bitch a lesson.”I almost roll my eyes. “Zuri, I heard Bhyron and Grandpa invited a lot of important guests for this party. Please don’t go out there and ruin things. Sharon isn’t even worth it.”She stares at me incredulously. “Since when do you care about Bhyron and his guests?”I swallow thickly. Zuri is extremely observant. I don’t want her to know about my new feelings for Bhyron just yet. “I don’t care about him. I only care about Grandpa.” The makeup artist is finally done with my makeup and I get to my feet. “Besides, we don’t have any proof, and even if we did, Bhyron will alw
AMANI“…Bhy, Amani is very disobedient.” She says accusingly. “You choose the colours of the day yourself and she deliberately went against your wishes. She’s embarrassing you before all your guests…!”The room is as silent as a tomb. The only audible sounds are that of my heart pounding with rage.My eyes stray to Sharon’s arms that are firmly interlocked with Bhyron’s and the red in my eyes burn even brighter. I fist my fingers to tamp down on my temper and retain my composure.Sharon’s right after all. The colour for the bride-to-be was cream and Bhyron had already chosen a simple yet beautiful cream dress for me. I hate him but gotta admit, he’s got great taste.Anyways, I’m currently dressed in a floor length dress that’s completely bare at the back and extremely revealing in the bust area — the complete opposite of Bhyron’s dress which was very modest.The icing on the cake? The dress is blood red — Bhyron’s most hated colour — and so are my lips. I’m evil, I know.Bhyron’s eye
AMANDAI pull my hoodie over my ears to cushion the harsh effects of New York’s cold night wind, still struggling to believe my stroke of luck.My plan was to come here, get my inheritance, go straight to the hospital and pay off my sister’s medical bills. Being “the child who was never wanted,” I was fully ready to find out that I was left out of the will.I also prepared myself just in case I was included in the will but only given a miserly sum. After everything I’ve been through, I vowed never to return to my biological family, talk more of begging them for money. But just a moment ago, I was prepared to go down on my knees and beg for money for Imelda’s treatment. Now, barely an hour later, I’m going back five million dollars richer. It feels like a dream.At first sight, Mr. Bhyron Macaulay is intimidating as hell. He had long hair in all the pictures that Caspian, my lawyer, showed to me, but his short cropped hair gives him the appearance of a seven star general in the army
BHYRON“Mr. Macaulay, your wife is suffering from severe dehydration and heartburn. That’s why she passed out. However, we have it all under control. She’s been stabilized and should be discharged tomorrow.”I sit before Dr. Samantha, Chief Medical Practitioner at one of the top private hospitals in New York, my heart beating a restless rhythm against my ribcage. The past two hours have been hell. I thought seeing Amani injured and bleeding in that horrible room was a nightmare, but I nearly lost my damn mind when I was forced to stand back and watch them strap her almost lifeless body to the stretcher.“And our baby?” I ask, tapping my feet anxiously.If anything happens to our child…The doctor flips through a couple of documents on her desk. “It’s still too early to tell. Once we conduct all the relevant tests, you’ll be the first to know.” Ten minutes later, I’m walking down the hall, intent on seeing my wife after being told I wouldn’t be able to see her for the next five hour
BHYRONThe woman on the floor lies completely still and unmoving. Her face is covered by a curtain of blonde hair and her long, graceful legs are twitching.Amani.A horrific roar tears from my throat and I attack blindly. One second, I’m standing by the door, fists clenched by my sides, and the next, I’m flying across the room, knife unsheathed. The gory sound of my blade slicing into something soft pierces the air as I tackle Antonio to the ground. Yes, I sliced off his useless manhood. And the wet sound it makes as it lands on the wooden floor does very little to soothe the beast inside of me. Pain filled moans bubble up his throat and I punch him there, forcing the bastard to stay silent.“What did you do to her, you neanderthal?! How dare you touch her!” I don’t give him the chance to fight or protest. I hit him blow after blow until his moans become off-key gurgles and his face is wet with blood; soft and disfigured beneath my fists. Even then, my anger is not soothed. Image
BHYRON“…your wife is pregnant.” The quiet world around me disappears and all that’s left is the loud, eerie buzzing in my ears. My eyes are glued to Duncan’s lips, my heart pounding an erratic rhythm as I wait for him to laugh it off, because I do not find this situation funny in the slightest.When seconds tick by and he still doesn’t attribute that statement to a failed attempt at mirth, white-hot mortification burns a hole straight through my chest.“Are you being serious?”Duncan nods, appearing braver. Or maybe he’s finally accepted that I might slash his head off of his neck very, very soon.“I’m really sorry that you have to find out this way, sir.”I take a threatening step in his direction but he stands his ground.“You’re sorry? You’re bloody sorry? This is insane!”I press two fingers against my eyes and draw several deep breaths. Amani is pregnant. My woman is carrying our child! My heart sinks with the recollection that the last two times we had sex was without protec
BHYRON“Sir, sir, I found something!”It’s been three hours since I personally set the Gunam Brother's seventh warehouse on fire. Unfortunately, the fire grew uncontrollable and gutted the warehouse beside it, burning it to ashes. That warehouse belonged to Bethel Washington, a renowned American drug and arms dealer. I’ve been trying to reason with his men for the past hour. Thankfully, the warehouse was empty and not much was lost. I only returned to my office thirty minutes ago and the police were already waiting for me, desperate to pin me for arson and send my ass to prison. My lips twitch at the thought. I don’t pay Axel millions of dollars, complete with paid vacation trips at luxurious islands to just sit around doing nothing. My alibi was ready even before I arrived at the warehouse and I just handed it to the police when I returned.The disappointment on their faces was almost laughable.Right now, I’m hunched over Axel’s computer, staring at the incomprehensible strings of
BHYRONI can count on my fingers the number of times I’ve been terrified. Five times. Five horrifying moments when I endured torture and darkness and hunger for weeks. But none of that compares to the feeling of utter, pure and undiluted horror that snakes through my bloodstream as I watch the video. My eyes are glued to the screen while the horror unfolds. My heart is barely beating as I take in the sight of Amani kneeling on the dirty floors, a group of masked men holding her down while another unknown man whips her mercilessly. The fucker blurred out his face. “No…” I whisper, my throat clogged, my lungs faltering. “No, no, no. God, no.”Memories of the horrific moments I spent in captivity, chained and whipped day and night assail my mind and I stagger backwards. I almost gave up during those horrific nights. Imagine what Amani must be feeling.Her cries are like little, venomous knives stabbed through my heart. I shut my eyes, already prepared to throw the phone across the roo
BHYRON“Mr. Ahmad, you can be rest assured that this project will rake in millions just like La Marièe. I’ll personally direct every single proposal and you’re guaranteed maximum profit.”Ahmad, one of our Arabian investors, had indicated interest in funding my new club months ago. He has the billions to spend and I’ve got the brains and man power to make sure we open another club by the end of this month that will probably earn ten times more than La Marièe.Ahmad nods, seemingly satisfied and about to give me a response when the sound of the door violently crashing against the wall rents the air.I rise from my seat, my heart pumping madly the second I lay eyes on Duncan and his grim expression. Duncan would never, ever interrupt my international meetings, talk more of slamming my door. Something’s wrong.Amani. Why is that the first thought that crawls into my mind?“Sir, I’m afraid we have a problem.”Dread settles like boulders on my shoulders. “Where’s Amani?” I ask through cle
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A BIT OF PHYSICAL ABUSE. **AMANII made a deal with Antonio Gunam and ordinarily, I shouldn’t be scared of him. But there’s something in his eyes. Something dark and ferocious. A wild, unhinged emotion that makes my strained arms tremble. I cringe away from his touch, my heart beating wildly when he presses closer. Of course the bastard doesn’t get the hint. His lips twist in a smirk and he runs a finger over my damp, sweaty chest. When those disgusting fingers almost touch my boobs, I pull backwards and a pained hiss escapes me as my skull slams against the drywall.He bends over, giving me a strong, involuntary whiff of his designer perfume. “You’ve gotten braver since the last time I saw you, little kitten. Have you forgotten how you writhed beneath me that night?” I bare my teeth at him, hiding the excruciating throbbing of my head with a snarl; “Why am I naked, Antonio? What’s going on? This isn’t what we agreed on.” He leans back with a wicked
AMANIYesterday was grandma Ayutthaya’s funeral but I wasn’t in attendance because Bhyron obviously felt I did not deserve to be there. He didn’t let me visit grandpa at the hospital either. He hid grandma’s dead body from me and now, I missed her funeral. An hour later, I’m still in the same position that Jay left me after he spilled the news. I’m shocked and cold. So cold. I only jolt back to reality when my phone rings. It’s a strange number. I pick up the device with shaky fingers. “Hello?”“Hello, kitten.” A breathy rasp filters through the speakers.My limbs turn to ice. That voice. It’s the devil himself.“Antonio?”He chuckles, a light dangerous sound that has goosebumps spattering across my flesh. “You remember my voice. Should I be flattered?”His flirtatious tone almost makes me gag. I shut my eyes and push back the horrible, dark memories that threaten to escape.“What do you want? I’m supposed to get the money to you tomorrow. I still have time.”“No, you don’t. In fa