“Zoe!” They all heard the fierce, sharp voice call so powerfully as everyone's heads turned collectively, to see him storming powerfully towards where they were as he stood in front of Zoe instantly. “I will be back grandfather,” he said to the old man, who was a little surprised by the sudden outburst of his grandson after his unexpected appearance. “Let us go,” Malcolm turned to Zoe sharply, as he grabbed her arm firmly, and pulled her away from the prying eyes and suffocating scrutiny of everyone. Everyone was evidently taken aback by Malcolm's sudden outburst and the way he stormed in to disrupt everything, when they were yet to get over the surprise of Zoe suddenly acting like she didn't remember her grandmother. “What are you doing?” Zoe exclaimed with shock and confusion as she stumbled to keep up with his forceful stride. Seeing that she was trying to struggle with him, he swept her off her feet and carried her in his arms up the stairs. “Put me down!” Zoe fought with a fr
“What is wrong with Erin's granddaughter?” Mac questioned his grandson, Malcolm, as he stood impatiently in the private living room on the top floor, his eyes twitching with suppressed worry about what was going on. “Zoe is doing fine,” Malcolm answered sharply, hoping in his heart that she had not too much impression that something was truly wrong with her. “She asked who her grandmother was. Like she didn't remember her or something,” Mac mentioned, just in case Malcolm had no idea what he was talking about. “She has gone through so much these days. Pretending that her pain doesn't exist is her coping mechanism. I hope you understand,” Malcolm defended instantly, his voice low and convincing, in such a way that his grandfather would not go back and forth about the issue. “Is there something like that?” Mac muttered to himself with heavy contemplation, not seeming impressed by what he was hearing. “Why have you come to see us, grandfather? It is unlike you,” Malcolm questioned i
“Something must really be wrong. Is she pretending on purpose?” Irina asked no one in particular as she pondered on what had just gone down in the living room with Zoe and Mac the previous day, barely eating any of the breakfast that had been served to them. “What about the way he praised only her?” Audrey cut in bitterly, still feeling so bad for her son from yesterday, “He belittled everyone.”“Something is off. Even the way Malcolm overreacted and took her away instantly was suspicious,” Irina mouthed again and turned to Isla, “What do you think?” “I don't have much in mind. We will find out everything that is going on soon,” she responded calmly, not wanting to speak too much. Out of everyone, she was more and greatly disturbed even if she never showed it. The secret that Zoe found out about her was too destructive if it got out. ‘She couldn't allow her.’ “Perhaps their remarriage is true? Maybe for Malcolm, though. He seems invested in everything about her these days,” Audr
“Why do I have to do this?” Zoe questioned her grandfather on the phone after Gary came to the Meyers mansion, and put him on for her. “There is no time, Zoe!” He snapped angrily, hating that he had to explain himself to her when he wanted to save her ass from being canceled, “Leave with him now and do what is required. Else, your life might be over if people find out that you are mentally unwell!” Those were the very short words she had in a conversation with her grandfather, in the early hours of the morning, when she demanded to know why she was being asked to suddenly leave the country together with Malcolm. The news of her losing her mind had taken over the internet, and the front of the major company, other subsidiaries, and the Sinclair mansion were swarming with reporters, wanting to know the validity of such news and if she was indeed crazy. However, the fastest solution that Francis could think of was for her to go with Malcolm in his private jet to Canada as fast as poss
“We aren't leaving now?” Zoe's eyes jumped in surprise to hear different news from Malcolm, as she tilted her head in anticipation of a reason from him. “Yes,” Malcolm answered her, already observing how irritated she was by his answer. “Why?” her eyes narrowed at him, her lips curving to her deep frown. “It has been a while since we have been on a trip together. We could take this opportunity.”“I have no time for all this. I have to be back home,” Zoe dismissed with a much deeper grimace etched upon her face, as she turned away from his sight and began to strut out of the building, only to find out that no one that she recognized seemed to be there. “What have you done?!” She turned to Malcolm, who was coming behind her when she realized what was going on, her eyes blazing murderously at him. ‘She truly didn't have time. She was yet to find out anything, and this man was talking to her about a trip?!’“The workers were all hired for an hour at most. They left after doing thei
Zoe stayed in the bedroom of the suite the entire time till evening, while Malcolm left with Edward for some business around, and returned late in the evening to see Zoe a little busy with some work too. A little uncomfortable by their silence, he ordered dinner to be brought in later, so that both of them could eat together at the same table.“Why are you not eating?” Malcolm noticed the entire time they started eating, that Zoe found it hard to stomach more than five spoons. “I do not have an appetite,” she answered him, suddenly feeling suffocated when she realized that his heavy gaze was on her. “You haven't eaten anything since I left. Aren't you famished?” He questioned, his questioning eyes gazing at her as his forehead wrinkled in surprise. “It doesn't matter how famished I am. I still cannot eat even if I want,” she picked up a glass of water and drank a little from it. “Since when has it started?” Malcolm questioned, his face wrinkling in worry about her. “That means yo
“Don't you like the scenery? Everywhere looks beautiful,” Malcolm sparked up a conversation, not wanting to make every moment they were spending together boring as they walked out together. He was so glad that she chose to walk outdoors with him, and there seemed to be comfortable clothes waiting for her to change into which Malcolm had prepared already after he went out. “I do not know. I think it is cool,” she answered, feeling so bored by a conversation with a man she really wanted to be away from. “You seem to not know a lot of things that you like,” Malcolm pointed out, having noticed her attitude towards having things she liked from their few conversations. He wasn't even sure she had a hobby. All her life, she had always done things she had to do, and not things that she loved doing. “What else is left of someone who has lost herself alongside her memories?” Zoe muttered sarcastically. Those words suddenly made Malcolm, and he didn't like to hear her speak like that. He wa
Zoe had been sitting in front of the dresser in the suite for many minutes, carefully rubbing a night lotion into her face in bits, her mind drifting into random thoughts that were quite hazy in her mind. Through the mirror, her eyes traveled beyond focusing on her image as it landed on Malcolm, who was sitting comfortably on the couch, seemingly busy with work, his eyes fixed on the tablet that was placed on his lips. Her mind went back in time to almost an hour ago, after she had unexpectedly kissed him when they were both lying on the sand, and his reaction after she separated from him and stood up, confused her a bit as she struggled to process if she had seen rightly. For as long as she could remember, she didn't think she had ever seen Malcolm in that way before. She saw him flustered! ‘He was flustered? But why? Their lips touched more than twice even if it wasn't pleasant, but still, he was the one that initiated it. And if they were truly dating, they would probably have
The small studio apartment Ivy sat in was dimly lit, because she left the lights off, with only a small table lamp to illuminate the room. The air of the surroundings was heavy and filled with the staleness of days-old dishes in the sink as well as the faint scent of spilled wine on the threadbare carpet. Every surface of the apartment bore the weight of her gloom with stacks of unopened bills, piles of dirty laundry, and empty bottles left lying on the floor which portrayed too many lonely nights. For weeks, she had lived this way. Isolated, enraged, shrouded in bitterness, and sinking in despair, ever since the incident with Isla that made her get on Malcolm's bad side, and Andre's sudden return which she never expected in her life to see coming. And even if she had been so joyful to see her brother who was back from his supposed death, after they had mourned him for years, she could not believe her mother would quickly replace her with Isla, who she had condemned just a few w
“You are around,” the gloomy and almost fading voice mumbled with a heavy heart, as soon as he heard the phone click on the receiver of his call, just a few minutes after dialing. It was at the most unexpected moment when he had tried the same line he had been trying again and again in futility for the past months, that it went through and the owner of the phone answered. It took him willpower to hide his shock. “Yes,” Zoe's voice came out placidly, devoid of any overt emotion as she answered curtly. Malcolm's eyebrows arched so high in astonishment because he had expected a sarcastic reply from her or a brutal hangup, as his brain ran out of the right words to articulate as a response to the answer she gave him. His voice crackled through the line of sullenness, laced with an uncharacteristic mix of vulnerability and hesitation as he said the most random thing that came to mind, “Your things are still in the room as you left them,” he informed her as if she didn't remember. “You
In just a few days of Zoe having her hands so busy with signing deals and contracts after the launching of ZOELVA, it was already becoming the busiest, most-talked-about destination in town.Shockingly, some of the most iconic foreign brands began to set up their flagship stores with massive storefronts and bold displays, their designs extravagant yet tasteful there, as if they had all been waiting all along. Top-tier local designers and retailers held their own space also, blending a cosmopolitan elegance with a touch of local charm. From the management to the customer service desk that began work in just two days, every employee worked with an intensity that matched the mall’s electric energy, and quickly adapted to the pace, which was astonishingly fast given how new everything was.With their unique uniforms and all of their movements conveying confidence, they smoothly guided people, answered questions, and handled endless transactions with ease. Media houses, and top magazines
Isla bolted out of her room almost at the speed of light as soon as her eyes caught the most shocking news of her life while surfing the internet, and getting prepared to leave the house. Her face instantly flashed with an overwhelming shock and a mix of disbelief after she had checked more than ten media outlets to confirm the news, and scrolled endlessly while watching videos from the launching event from the previous night. Her lungs dropped to her heart and her stomach sank with fury and a profound shock that stole her entire breath away, as she charged down the hallway of her room toward her mother’s room while holding her phone tightly in the grasp of her hand as if she was going to crush it. Her thoughts tumbled over each other, each one more impossible than the last, as she tried to process the news that had shattered her world and left her almost insane with hatred. As soon as Isla abruptly parted the grand doors to her mother's room open and left them swinging with a ter
“I am sorry to inform you, but the blood test results of persons A and B did not match. They are not biologically related.” Zoe stepped into her house after the launching party had ended, and somehow the excitement she had in her all night after her grand launch became the talk of the town, died instantly. As she stepped inside her new home, an unexplainable heaviness washed over her.Her phone vibrated just as she sauntered in and slouched upon her favorite chair in her living room, and as she glanced at the screen and picked up, she heard the most confusing words she couldn't even grasp almost immediately. “What did you say?” she pressed the phone closer to her ear to be sure she heard right, her eyes twitching uncontrollably. For a moment, she didn’t breathe.“I am sorry to announce to you that the two people in the results that have been forwarded to your email are not biologically related. Therefore, the bone marrow transplant cannot proceed.” A few weeks ago, when Zoe finally
The golden air at the moment, which held an air ambiance that opened the world of grand luxury and sophistication, filled the nooks and crannies of the new mall where its launching event was being held, whose name had just been announced a few hours ago. ZOELVATop elites began to saunter into ZOELVA mall, where every inch was polished with fine marble, and was designed with mind-blowing architectural expertise that exuded grandeur, designed to leave them thoroughly marveling and awed by the sight that stole breath from their lips. The glass walls had clear panes that were interspersed with opalescent beams that captured and reflected light in all directions, and giant tiers of diamond chandeliers hung in the main atrium, each crystal strand swaying subtly with a familiar melody, while casting the most artistic light pattern on the marble floor below. The huge ballroom for the event was alive with whispers, laughter, and small talk from the elites that were in attendance, ranging fr
It was impossible to miss. The newest, grandest mall which stood in gleaming glass and steel splendor of great luxury and opulence, with its gigantic structure, stretched so wide, and covered an almost unimaginable number of square meters. The intricate details in its architecture whispered of wealth and exclusivity, and every floor was rumored to be filled with unique boutiques, lavish dining experiences, an indoor oasis lined with lush greenery and trickling water fountains, an entertainment area with a cinema of virtual reality lounges, and a rooftop garden overlooking the city below. The construction of the mall had been shrouded in secrecy for months after the redevelopment of the area was instantly announced, and now its opening and launching event was the talk of the town, flooding every news outlet and social media platform. Everywhere, people wondered what conglomerate owned the huge work of art. #Mall of century #Biggest in the city #Magnificent Mall #Top entrepreneu
The grand front door of the Meyer swung open with force and rattled against the wall as Isla stormed into the grand lobby, and then the stairway, her heels striking the marble floors with a force that echoed through the long hallway, revealing the intensity of her anger. Her face was scrunched up in anger and despair, and her voice was loud and quivering with frustration, as it dissipated into the air before anyone had even noticed her arrival, knowing she would definitely find them there. “She is back!” she cried out in frustration, as her fists clenched her sides, and her body quivered with anger, as she strode into the living room where her mother and brother sat, “Zoe is back, mother!” Ever since Andre returned home and the family ended up dividing, the only person who was not shocked by the announcement or new arrangement was Isla. It was as if she had known what had been going on behind the scenes before the plan finally became public, and couldn't help being bothered like
Sitting in the comfort of his office, which was nothing short of sophistication and opulence, a gorgeous man, calm and composed, his suit impeccable, his perfectly waxed hair neatly in place, had just ended a conference call with the company headquarters in China. His mind was still basking in the serenity of the silence around him while refreshing his email with the hope that he had gotten a reply, when the grand door to his office suddenly flew open without a knock, as a fuming man stormed in, barely able to contain his fury.“What the hell, Malcolm?!” he snapped, voice filled with anger as he crossed the room, his face twisted with fury, and his fists clenched at his sides, “Why did you reject my proposal? Again?" His voice was a low growl, though it trembled with a barely contained rage.Without sparing him a glance, Malcolm remained calm as he switched off his computer, and he settled back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other with practiced ease. When he finally looked