“I cannot believe she refused to come home! What is she thinking?!” Francis Sinclair's voice boomed, reverberating through the house. His eyes were twisted in a blend of fury and bewilderment, as they blazed with scorching inferno, with the veins in his neck pulsing visibly. “I will try to convince her, sir,” Gary's eyes didn't meet his own, his voice calm and soothing. “She is hellbent on remaining there! I wonder what had come over her,” he barked furiously to no one in particular, his voice rising with each word.“I thought you wanted her to make a choice, sir,” Gary inquired indirectly, wondering what the old man was up to again, since he had not told him anything. If he remembered well, he was sure Francis Sinclair had just mentioned her return as a choice and not an obligation. “Because I was sure she would move back in, since she wanted to end whatever it was with Malcolm. And till now, nothing has been progressing! I have other plans already,” He almost lashed as his eyes
Zoe made her way into the mall with grace and elegance, her long, dark hair bouncing down her shoulders in glossy waves, perfectly framing her striking features. She was dressed in a stunning red dress that accentuated her curves with a sophisticated charm. Her high heels clicked rhythmically against the polished marble floor, each step exuding confidence and poise as she sauntered past. However, beneath the facade of composure, her mind was racing through so many restless thoughts. What had occurred the previous night played over and over in her head, and she blamed herself for acting rashly just because she saw the opportunity. ‘That was a close one,’ she heaved a sigh of relief again like she was reliving the moment, as she remembered how she had managed to escape such a crazy situation.“Isla. I thought you were inside,” she interjected instantly, leaving no chance for accusations or an overt display of guilt. “Why have you come here? If no one answered when you knocked you sho
“Do you want to play games here or can we leave now?” Zoe's brow furrowed with confusion, as she watched Martin, who had asked her to meet, playing a game at an arcade where she had gone in to meet him. She had expected a serious discussion over coffee or wine, and not a detour into this vibrant, chaotic wonderland.“You have not played this game before, right?” Martin turned to her, his eyes sparkling with excitement, her cute expression making him chuckle. “Looks childish to me,” her voice edged with frustration stated, as her pony farm style framed her beautiful face more overtly, highlighting her expressive eyes that incessantly darted around the room, observing that everyone seemed to be having fun. “What?” he laughed even harder, seeing how irked she looked, “It is fun. Try it and see,” he interrupted before she could even answer, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards a combat game console. “You are meant to be working, remember?” she argued sternly, still trying to make
“You cook so well, Zoe. How can you just navigate all these so easily?” Audrey's eyes glistened with admiration as she watched Zoe show her how to prepare the recipe she had chosen for the day. “You flatter me too much,” A warm smile curved Zoe's lips, as she glanced at Audrey teasingly, “We are making roast chicken with herbs and vegetables, as well as pasta too. To make this cooking perfect, we have to use fresh quality ingredients and to season everything well,” she showed Audrey how to do it. Audrey nodded as her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, ready to learn everything Zoe would be able to teach her. She had been trying to gain Irina's love and attention for as long as possible, so that her life would be much easier even if things went haywire in the long run. And since Zoe was willing to be friends with her, she thought that it was the perfect avenue to weaponize their friendship. Through her perfect cooking. “Since I have prepared the chicken, seasoning it with salt, pepper
The luxurious Maybach pulled up to the entrance of the opulent building, and the tall, able-bodied chauffeur who had driven it stepped out, and scurried to the other side of the back door to open it gracefully. From the vehicle emerged Zoe, who had been invited to the private launching of one of the biggest investment companies in the city, LASGOW.Dressed in a well-fitted floor-length black sleeveless dress intricately embellished with thousands of tiny black diamonds that shimmered under the light of focus which was on her, she exuded timeless elegance and a captivating presence that drew people's collective stare at her. Her subdued beautiful makeup screamed redundancy, which perfected the flawless look she radiated, and her hair, which was cut short to her chin, framed her face like a halo, making her look fiercer than she usually portended. Zoe sauntered into the banquet room, with the blinding lights of the cameras catching all of her perfection, as she carried herself with a
Zoe's heart skipped a breath, and she let out a soft gasp, because she had not expected to see him there. Yes, they were business partners to everyone. But, between both of them, they knew it was more than that. As crazy as it sounded, it was true that they shared the same bedroom. As insane as it was, she was his supposed fianceé whom no one knew about. As normal as it should be, she didn't want to see him at the moment when she was supposed to be away from everyone who knew her so much. ‘Shit! Why was he here?!’ A frown framed her face instantly, knowing what he was definitely capable of if he saw her. She didn't even want to speak to him. The instant plan was to retreat away from where he might see her since he had people still talking about his presence, and she tactically sidled away from those she was sharing light conversations with before he arrived, hoping to blend into the crowd and avoid his gaze or attention at all means. However, it was too late. Malcolm had already s
“What are you doing here, Martin? I didn't expect to see you,” Zoe gasped softly, her eyes widened in surprise and a sweet smile curving her lips to see him there. “To surprise you,” his left eye winked at her before he stretched his hands out to give her a hug, and then planted a friendly kiss on the cheek. Her delicious scent clung to his nostrils and munched on his mind, that it took him willpower to separate so easily from her after a few seconds. He wanted them to stay longer like that. “Be serious. Are you close to the host or something?” Her questioning eyes were on him, still in awe of suddenly seeing him at the party that she reluctantly attended just to fulfill all righteousness. Seeing him in a white tuxedo which clung to his muscle-toned body that made him look so perfect, was different from the usual plain tees and pants he usually wore. It made her see him in a different light. “Something like that,” he chuckled, as he took her right hand unconsciously in his, which
“Why are you in my skin, Malcolm?! Why are you trying to be rude to my friend?!” Zoe yelled at Malcolm the moment they got to a corner far from the banquet hall which she felt was secure enough. Her eyes took time to look around and study if there was no one coming or no cameras around, before she pulled him into another segregated hallway that led to a private balcony. “That is your friend? The one you have been talking to since all these days?” Malcolm spoke as soon as he saw that she was done checking over and over again to be sure no one had followed them. In a way, it pained his heart to see if that was how badly she wanted no one to know that they were nothing but business partners. Weren't they what they really were?“Yeah? Is that a problem?” She cocked a derisive brow at him, her guts patiently waiting for him to utter any word out of place so she would set a boundary immediately. ‘Trying to pretend like they would always be on good terms was harder than she thought!’ Z
Tension fell into the air as soon as Zoe's rigid voice pierced through the atmosphere, and demanded from her grandfather, the question he was not sure he had ever imagined that he would be asked. Francis Sinclair, a little taken aback even if he didn't show it, turned his head to look at her, as if wanting to decipher the reason she asked him that question just by looking at her face. “Why that question?” he responded with a question, and it made Zoe's heart tremble even more with bated breath when she had waited to hear just the truth. “Just answer!” Words slipped out of her lips weaker than she intended, as her voice trembled in the fear that he would say no, “Truthfully,” she whispered, with a silent plea in her eyes. As much as she resented him so much in her heart, she couldn't bear to hear that he wasn't her grandfather. That had manipulated the DNA results to save face, and that she was not his son's daughter. She feared that she would totally be alone in the world withou
Ever since the previous day after the art exhibition ended, Andre Meyer had been restless. He had seen Zoe at the closest distance for the first time, and even if he didn't get to talk to her, he didn't like the aura she radiated. It was almost as overbearing as Malcolm's. Intimidating. Without wasting further time, he had called for his lawyer to see him as soon as possible the next day, and had waited impatiently for him to arrive at his office by canceling almost all his schedules for the day. At the arrival of the lawyer, Andre ushered him to take his seat on one of the leather couches in his huge office, as he sat across from him with signs of desperation and restlessness visibly written on his face. “Concerning what you inquired about last night, Mr. Meyer,” the man began, as he pulled out some files in his briefcase and placed them on the table. “I need to know, Harris,” Andre interrupted almost immediately, “Can I fight for custody of my son and win?” His eyes studied the
The executive team of the ELVA was seated patiently in the conference room awaiting Zoe, who entered just right in time with a sullen expression on her face, as she signaled they would begin the agenda of the meeting without saying much. Each head of the team presented updates on the plan for the launch of their latest jewelry collection in two days, which included detailed market strategies, production timelines, and promotional campaigns that she had demanded of them. But as they each shared their insights and strategies through the hologram before them, her mind was elsewhere. Even if she was staring at everyone as if she were listening, her mind was far away from the room. Her head was melting and floating at the same time. The message she read from the previous night thoroughly shook her bones, that they tightened so hard and painfully with trepidation at the processing of it. Her head expanded with the dire gravity of what she had read. ‘How? How on earth? Just how much did
It had been so long since he sat open in the serenity and basked in its beauty, that he had even forgotten how to do that. He had forgotten how it felt to sit comfortably in the repose of his mind, without having to think of anything at that moment. The sounds of rustling leaves, the distanced chirping of birds, the beauty of flying fireflies, the buzzing of distant insects, and the humming of a cold evening breeze all created a beautiful backdrop that seemed to catch Malcolm's attention, as he sat back on the reclining chair in his garden, his right hand wrapped around a half-empty glass that contained the scotch whiskey he was drinking. As he stared at the swaying of the beautiful flowers in his garden, with their branches fluttering with soothing sounds, he wished he had heard sooner. It had taken him years to sit in this peace, and finally understand the bondage he had been plunged into. He couldn't understand why he had spent so long living in a mansion he was barely at peace
“Excuse me,” Zoe walked away from the company of those that she found herself in at the moment, “Will be back in a jiffy,” she informed with a smile. She sauntered away elegantly and made her way into the nearest ladies’ bathroom as she entered the place. Sticking her hand under the faucet which detected her presence immediately, she watched her hands delicately in water for a few seconds. Right in the moment, the air around suddenly became heavy as someone made their way inside behind her, and instantly scanned through the entire bathroom to be sure no one was there. Standing rigid, Isla's arms crossed tightly against her dress, her voice dripping with contempt, “What the hell are you doing here?!” she demanded, her gaze burning with a fierce intensity that could scorch Zoe on the spot. Zoe paused as a smile curled her crimson-painted lips, while staring at Isla through the mirror that was facing her, as her eyes danced with amusement, “How are you, Isla?” “I asked what yo
Meanwhile, Isla, who was the last to catch sight of what was going on as she was too engrossed in her explanation, froze momentarily the moment her eyes came in contact with Zoe. Instantly, the bright smile on her lips died and her eyes widened in bewilderment. She never in her entire life would have expected to see Zoe attend her art exhibition, since the last time they met was the day she took over her company through Mason's help. The memories of their past encounters, rivalries, and deep-stemming hatred flared in her mind as her heart skipped so hard. ‘What was this bitch doing here?! Why was she here?!’ Isla almost lost it on the spot as her entire body began to shake uncontrollably, while her fists clenched hard in anger the more she stared at Zoe from where she stood. As their eyes locked for a few seconds, Zoe paused, just long enough for Isla to savor the effect of her presence, with amusement dancing in her gaze, before she tore her gaze away and channeled her attention
It was RINASHONE’s first art exhibition of the year, and the halls of the grand hall of the huge art gallery which was shining with the beautiful lights that radiated from the crystal chandeliers off the polished marble floors, were abuzz, and filled with A-list socialites that had been invited for the grand event. All perfect preparations had been made in the space of a few weeks after Isla became the new director, and all that was left for the art exhibition was to be a wonderful and satisfying one where both the host's and guests' needs would be met. The walls of the huge art hall were lined with bold splashes of abstract colors, still life paintings, and realistic portraits of serene landscapes by renowned popular artists, which garnered attention from the guests. They were amazed by the beauty of each wonderful painting, while muttering a few words to one another and exchanging pleasantries, only to be interrupted by the host of the exhibition, who had a big smile on her face.
Unable to sleep the entire night, Zoe ran through her whole schedule for the day and the ones for the next few days, as she worked tirelessly with a virtual assistant she also hired remotely. The next morning, Dylan was already waiting outside the house for her together with the chauffeur this time, and they barely said anything to each other except exchange pleasantries. “Thank you, Dylan,” Zoe finally remembered as she sat back in the car, while going through her schedule for the day which Zara had forwarded already. It was almost like she hadn't gone through a mental breakdown the previous day. “For yesterday,” she added after pausing for a few seconds, as if trying to process the remainder of the information she wanted to pass across to him even if she knew what she wanted to say. “It is my pleasure, ma'am,” Dylan answered, unsure if he should be appreciated for that. It wasn't an obligation. He just wanted to do it. “It is Zoe. Just Zoe,” she corrected for the nth time, even
Nothing made sense even more after the curiosity that took Zoe back to her home led her to hear new information, and she had to confirm using whatever unnoticeable means she could to get information about the two legendary friends. Her mother, Emily, and her friend, Jasmine. ‘Was Jasmine really pregnant as rumored then?’ She wondered, ‘But the other aged people she asked said Jasmine returned to the countryside after the rumor and lived there for about three more years, but they saw no child with her? What then happened?’ She was restless in her thoughts. Dylan drove the car while she sat at the back, silent and still, her heart aching with even more confusion. She sat back against the car seat and stared blankly outside the car, unable to even think properly if she wanted to. More than anything, she felt so lonely. She felt like she had no family or anyone to turn to. As much as she thrived and was happy at her magnanimous success in the eyes of others, her heart felt no warm