“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
ZOELVA’s luxurious structure, erected tall, reflected the shining bright lights of the afternoon sun from the east, with its luxurious designs radiating across the core and surroundings far and beyond the huge city. Inside, shoppers went from floor to floor, wandering wide corridors that were lined with top-tier brands, with staff moving around to guide and direct everyone in the most orderly manner. Groups of families made their way to food stands, their laughter and shouts mingling with the savory scents of sizzling burgers, crispy pizza, and sweet, sticky treats. On another side, fashion enthusiasts, elites, and socialites were gathered around numerous designer boutiques, their eyes fixed longingly on the glossy displays of haute couture, while others anticipated getting their hands on the most sophisticated top-notch tech devices. Amid the crowd’s awe and excitement and the hubbub of purchasing endlessly and engaging so many sections in the mall, a moment of stillness fell int
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