Zoe walked into the quiet and elegant café that had a great ocean view, her luxurious flats barely making any sound against the polished floor, the ambiance around filled with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the faint sound of a piano playing a classic song in the background. Her eyes found Martin at the perfect corner after looking with his back facing her, as she strutted straight to where he was sitting. As she got closer to the table, she could hear his voice, low and intense, speaking to someone on the phone, his right index finger tapping on the table furiously as he spoke, not noticing her arrival yet. “You do not get to decide how I run my affairs or do my things! It is either you calm down and give me time, or give me space!” he muttered furiously. Zoe paused a few steps away as soon as she heard that, not wanting to interrupt his heated conversation, as she watched as Martin ran a hand through his hair frustratedly, and talked in a stern way she had never hea
“Zoe! Wait!” The loud, piercing voice struck Zoe by the ears, as she turned her head sharply to see who was calling her, but her eyes were only met by a crowd of people, walking to and fro through the bustling lobby, the sounds of their footsteps and muted conversation blending into a distant hum. She turned face away instantly with the thought that she had heard wrongly, as she urged Zara, who had asked what the problem was, to keep moving, until she suddenly heard her name again, but at a much closer range this time around. “Zoe,” she heard the familiar voice call her name, and her head turned sharply again to see who it was, her heart sinking in disappointment at the sight of the person that was running after her, the memories of their last encounter flashing through her eyes. “Please, Zoe. I need just a few minutes. I just want to apologize to you,” he finally reached her, slightly befuddled and out of breath, his expression one of earnest desperation. “What the hell, Marcel
Zoe sat by the window of the airplane on the business class flight they were seated on, her focus intensely on the laptop she had placed on the tray table before her, as her fingers worked on the keyboard with speed and precision. She was busy reviewing every document that needed to be acknowledged and corrected from spreadsheets, to presentations and emails as well, as if she were at the office, while sipping from the mug of coffee that was placed beside her at intervals. Beside her, sprawled in a rather unprofessional way was Zara, whose head was lolled to one side of her chair, mouth slightly open, while in a deep sleep, with her blanket barely covering her body properly in the way in which she had slept. Hours passed as Zoe continually stretched her neck and rolled her shoulders to keep herself going, each time she felt her bones ache in fatigue and weariness. And the moment one of the dignified flight attendants came to her with a welcoming smile, presenting her with a be
It was almost three days after Zoe departed without talking to anyone before and during the trip, and she returned on a Saturday evening, back to the house of the Meyers, which she had not been to for almost a week. It kept everyone on their toes, especially the maids when they saw her make her way into the mansion, every one of them rejoicing inwardly because peace could finally reign in the mansion. The ambiance that caused anger and malice was palpable in the mansion during her absence, but was more intense for the past three days with vicious rages flying everywhere. From what they could decode, it seemed like the boss of the house, Malcolm, had been distraught ever since she suddenly disappeared without telling anyone as they all gossiped about the information they all secretly picked from the family's conversations. “I heard she doesn't even love Mr. Meyer,” one of the maids stated as they all gathered briefly to gossip. “What?! Such a gorgeous man? How is that even pos
“How much did you tell her?” Irina sat by her bedside as one of the maids in the mansion oiled her legs smoothly and gave them a soft massage, her posture rigid and her eyes sharp as she scrutinized Audrey. “I told her nothing. I swear,” Audrey, who had been standing before her for what felt like hours after she sent for her, gave a response, her cowering eyes twitching under the weight of her mother-in-law’s scrutiny. Irina's lips curled into a tight sneer, her eyebrows arching high so contemptuously, “How am I supposed to believe you?” her tone dripped with condescension and suppressed disdain. “I promise I didn't,” Audrey raised her eyes to meet Irina's in a convincing way, even if she knew there was no way to move the frigid woman's heart if she chose not to believe her. Irina's eyes narrowed doubtfully, and she tilted her head slightly, studying Audrey with a critical gaze, “You both were seen together in the kitchen, and she talked over your shoulders,” her voice was grave
Zoe drove down the sloppy, lonely road, through the beautiful sea that seemed to bring some kind of happiness that she couldn't quite describe. The beautiful sight of the water made it feel like she could breathe without being under the scrutiny of anyone she knew at that moment, as she moved along the road leading into the small countryside town where she was led to by what was mentioned on the news Martin showed her. She stepped out of the car, her eyes scanning the old, quaint houses that were around, nestled between rolling hills and vast fields of wildflowers. Cobblestone streets meandered through the town, flanked by charming cottages with ivy-clad walls and neatly trimmed gardens arranged in vibrant blooms.The town seemed eerily quiet with quite a few shops along the main street, barely with any customers, the smell of newly baked bread waffling from the small bakery which stood in an open space, while the local café which was a few feet away, seemed to have a few people seat
Tired of spacing out and getting roped into more confusion, Zoe made her way back to the large oak tree that had stood at the entrance of the town, and parked her car a few miles away from it. She slumped against its sturdy trunk that had been made into a fine chair, and stared at the patchwork of fields and meadows that were around where she sat, as the scent of wildflowers and fresh hay filled the air, mingling with the distant, earthy aroma of tilled soil. As she gazed out at the peaceful landscape, trying to enjoy the sight that she was looking at, the silence around felt so heavy upon her, reminding her that she might have been plunged into an illusion that had been created in her head just because of some cheesy news. Zoe struggled to focus on the beauty of what she could see and not the pain that had settled in her heart, as she brought out one of the breads she had purchased a few hours ago, and began to eat the cold dough. Sighing wearily and heavily the more she thoug
Malcolm had been unable to come to terms with the fact that Zoe had asked to stay separately, and it had been eating him up in sadness even if he didn't show it. It was so unexpected that it was the first thing she requested after she returned home, which to him was a way of severing the smallest tie they had with one another. He thought of how cold and lifeless his room would be once again without her, even if he had loved his space in the past without any disruptions in the order of things. But now, he loved sharing his space with her more than not doing that. His mind had been trying to piece together the puzzle of her sudden coldness and distancing, which had him wondering where she had gone to, and what she had gone to do. The thought of saying yes to her gnawed at him as a persistent and painful thought, and saying ‘No’ to her wasn't even a choice, because he was now learning to respect her decisions and wants, regardless of how inconvenient it was. ‘What could she be up to
Unable to book a flight to where Emily was admitted, was the hardest thing for Zoe to do in the past few hours after she left her grandfather's place. There was just a day left until the launching of her newest jewelry collection, and she could not afford to miss the launching party. Not as the CEO. Curiosity had made it difficult for her to focus on work throughout the office the next day, because she just wanted to know the truth about her birth once and for all.The only hypothesis that was ringing in her head after putting so many pieces together as a possibility, was a reality that was enough to drive her insane just at the mere imagination of it. It was too heavy to even accommodate her thoughts. She had asked Zara to plan her entire schedule for the day and next, as well as book a flight for the night after the launching party for her. She planned to get to the root of her confusion once and for all. There were still many answers she had unanswered already. As Zoe checked th
Marcel struggled against her tight, feisty grip as he grabbed her hands and overpowered her, before jerking himself free from her grip, almost causing her to fall back. His breath came fast, his chest rising and falling with fury, “I have nothing to say to you,” he said calmly, as he began to straighten the creases that formed on his shirt because of the way she had grabbed him. “What?! You have nothing to say to me?!” Isla lashed out angrily, seeing that he was about to enter his room, as she dragged him back from leaving with every ounce of her power and might. “After what you did to me? After you betrayed me and joined forces with my enemy to take over my company?!” she spat with a fireball of fury, her eyes threatening to scorch him on the spot, “You, of all people, knew what that company meant to me. Why would you do it?! I had to travel miles just to come and see you in this rat hole you have pathetically hidden.”“Do what exactly?” he continued to speak with a low, enthusias
As the bright rays of sun bounced against the reflective glasses that made up the gigantic hotel building, a lady stood in front of the building, as her eyes, which were protected by the dark shades she had on, read the name of the hotel in her mind, her lips twisting into a smirk. Dressed in a stunning white dress, Isla observed her surroundings for a few seconds, before she raised the slip of paper she had slipped out of her white clutch bag to her face, reading the three digits number that had been scrawled on it to remind herself of where she was going. Without hesitation, she strode forward and went straight into the hotel through the revolving doors, as her red heels echoed against the marble lobby floor, a huge frown now scrunching up her face. She pressed the buttons to the nearest elevator, and stepped inside as the door began to close slowly, before she pressed the button for the floor that she was going to.Isla's head jerked to the right in an instant and her eyes caug
A small laugh tugged his lips, when he thought of how she initially barged into the library to ask him that question, “You were thinking that somehow you weren't Fred’s biological daughter?” he searched her eyes, wondering what she was thinking. Zoe rolled her eyes at his question before she threw her gaze away from him, as her lips twisted into a small sneer, “I knew you wouldn't even take me in if I wasn't. You once abandoned me. It is not news,” she muttered under her breath, her eyes finally basking in the beauty of the library as she looked around. “I didn't,” Sinclair cleared his throat heavily as he walked in slow steps, even if he knew she wouldn't be convinced, “I didn't mean to,” he added. “Why did you treat me badly then?” She suddenly asked him even if she didn't intend to, her voice growing sour just from her question, “You never showed me love or acted like I was wanted by you. You were going to throw me out and replace me if I didn't live up to your expectations!” Zo
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