“What is wrong, Audrey?!” Zoe tapped her as she jolted her out of her deep thoughts, the moment Zoe shook her by the shoulder. “Yes,” she breathed out. “You seem lost.” Taking a deep breath, Audrey began to speak, her voice low but urgent, “I know you don't remember much about your past, Zoe, but I will tell you the little I can right now,” She hesitated, as if gathering the courage to continue, “This family... they weren't always kind to you. In fact, they were downright cruel.” “What do you mean?” Zoe's voice was barely above a whisper. Audrey looked away for a moment as the muscles along her jawline clenched, before she turned back with a fierce and resolute expression, “Everyone has hidden a lot from you, Zoe. Everyone! And that is all of us, including Malcolm, and your grandfather,” she pursed her lips, as if under pressure. “The way they treated you... it was horrible, Zoe. They belittled you so much, made you feel like you weren't worthy of being here, blamed you for th
Audrey blinked in shock as she struggled with the tears that had pooled behind her eyelids and were struggling to spill, her heart pounding in her chest, a rapid, painful rhythm that seemed to echo in her ears. For a moment, she could only stare at Ivy, whose eyes blazed with anger, her eyes wide with disbelief and pain. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on her, as she struggled to find her voice, “Why did you slap me, Ivy?” “Utter another word and I will finally ruin your face!” Ivy threatened, glaring at her. “I... I don't understand. What is going on?” her voice trembled as she spoke, feeling utterly exposed, and vulnerable in a way she hadn't felt in years. The humiliation of the slap in the presence of a maid was the one that hurt more. “You vile, deceitful woman!” Ivy spat, her accusatory voice cutting through the air like venom, “What did you do to Mother? What did you put in her drink?! Are you trying to kill her?!” She raged viciously. Audrey's breath cease
Zoe stumbled into her bedroom, her head almost blowing from the devastating truth that she had just been told by Audrey, her legs and body failing her in swift mobility. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to process the information, which left her gasping for air and struggling to keep the tears that stung behind her eyelids from falling. She felt a lump form in her throat which made it hard to breathe, as her throat suffered a patch that made it hot and dry the more she thought of how everything she had thought in her head had been confirmed. ‘How could that happen? How could everyone deceive her like that? She understood that she and her grandfather never saw eye to eye about things, but still? How could he?’ Zoe's mind tumbled in so much pain and wretchedness, the more she tried to comprehend and grasp the affirmation of her truth. ‘So the room that was hers in his damn mansion was fake? The pictures and setup too? The schools they claimed she went to? The awards? The
“What?!” Ivy stared in horror, her large eyes growing into wide circles, as her palms clamped over her mouth in bewilderment, upon hearing what her sister had just said.“Lost all of her memories?” The words sounded foreign to her lips. Are you kidding me?” She stared at Isla, who remained so unperturbed despite the fact that she had just dropped a shocking revelation. “I am leaving,” Isla rose to her feet instantly, her face stoic and hard as ever, as she sauntered past Ivy, who was quick to grab her by the arm in an instant. “Isla, wait,” Ivy stopped her from leaving, as she sidled to her front, “Is this true? I thought she lost just the bad ones,” Her desperate eyes filled with questions searched Isla's own, somehow wishing it was a joke. Something Isla said just to make her stop panicking. But, she knew Isla was not the type to make jokes. Isla shot a cold look at Ivy instantly, and she instantly let go of her arm, “Sorry,” she said casually, more interested in what she had j
Like any other work day, Zoe left home as early as possible the next day and arrived at her office two hours before the time for normal working hours would start. She sat at her desk, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of her, entirely disconnected from everything that was around her, her life colored with so much sadness. The truth of her life, which had come to light the previous day, had shattered her world, and left her more heartbroken and more disoriented than she could handle. Her life had been a web of deceit and betrayal, and the truth was too much to figure out even when she already knew that fact. The fragments of her memories now made sense the more she thought of it, and it was so overwhelming to understand that the pain her heart could feel wherever those floating images and words came, were once hers. Zoe had cried bitterly the entire night so miserably and was barely able to stand on her feet the next morning. She didn't know how to comprehend the fac
Audrey sat in front of the dresser in her room with her eyes swollen and red from hours of crying, as she stared blankly at the surfeit skincare products, perfumes, cologne, facial masks, and all kinds of beauty products, her mind far from the direction of her eyes, but the painful memories of her betrayal flashing before her eyes. Hot, incessant tears streamed down her cheeks, as she buried her face in her hands, barely breathing properly, her heart twisting in so much pain as if she had been struck with a dagger. She thought of the pain she had put Zoe in because of her actions, and how it was so sad to see her helpless without her memories. She remembered the look of confusion that lingered in her eyes when she told her half the truth, and the image of her pained expression haunted her mind. It made her realize that she had just been so mean to Zoe just to be on the good side of the Meyers, so that she would not be the one to go through all of that. She was the one that receive
Late into the night after preparing dinner and taking care of her usual work around the house, Audrey walked to the front of her mirror after she had dressed in a red, sequin, backless dress shortly after she took her bath. It had been so long since she had taken the time to dress up to feel beautiful, the same way she usually did when she was not yet tied to her loveless marriage.She smoothed down the sleek fabric of her dress that accentuated her figure, and fastened a pair of earrings to her ears, as well as a bracelet to her wrist, while gazing at herself even more. Carefully, she sat in front of her dresser and began to apply makeup on her face as she perfected the foundation, concealer, blush, and blood-red lipstick that ran across her heart-shaped lips, baking her face into a perfect radiance. With a deep breath, she picked up her brush and hair straightener, as she began to work on her hair, carefully styling it into loose waves until it framed her face perfectly. And as
Marcel insisted on settling both their tabs when they were about to leave, and allowed her to walk before him as they strutted out of the bar together almost at the same pace, looking like stunning couples that had come in together to have the best time of their lives. The city lights twinkled around them as they strolled down the street, their hands brushing occasionally, with Audrey's heart almost exploding out on the spot, as a flutter of excitement that she hadn't experienced in a long time began to build in her heart. She felt a connection with Marcel that she hadn't felt in years, and she was eager to see where it would lead. It had been so long since she felt that way after her high school sweetheart, before she was married to Andre, and everything about her pleasure as a woman ended. They reached a quiet corner where a sleek, black Bentley was packed, and Marcel suddenly turned to her, his orbs boring deep into her like an enchantment, “I had a great time tonight, Audrey. D
But Zoe didn’t move. Instead, she just stood there, staring at the flowers with her mind tangled in a mess of resentment and something she refused to name as she rose to her feet. And somehow, her feet carried her toward the kitchen instead, as her eyes caught sight of the china and teacup. The ones she had planned to return also. ‘Goodness! Just why would he do all this without even asking her first?!’ Zoe screamed in her head even if her tired lips could utter nothing as she began a careful deliberation in her mind concerning how she would return it, knowing that she wanted to have no business stepping into his house.And just right at that moment too, the small green packet next to her microwave caught her eyes exactly where he had left it, and it was the herbal tea he had sent to her. The note he had attached to it lingered in her head and it made her scoff. ‘What business does he have with her insomnia?’And yet, her hands moved on their own, filling her kettle, lighting the
The black car glided softly into the estate as Dylan steered it through the silent, tree-lined road that led to Zoe's mansion, and pulled up smoothly to the front entrance of her house, his movements smooth and controlled, just as they always were. His eyes flashed to the front mirror for a few seconds as he turned the car off, before he reluctantly stepped out, and smartly walked around the car to the right side of the passenger seat. He hesitated for a few seconds before he pulled the door open towards his direction for Zoe, and then waited for her to step out as usual. And for a few seconds, Zoe remained sitting without stirring, as her eyes dimmed into a distant gaze as if her mind had pulled her entirety into an abyss. She was lost somewhere in her never ending thought, and Dylan knew that look. He had studied it more times than he cared to admit. His usual mask of indifference switched that moment for a few seconds as his gaze lingered on her, with a longing mixed with so
It was late in the night already, and Dylan was just driving Zoe back home. She sat in the back seat and slouched her back comfortably against the leather chair, with her neck hanging sideways against the closed window in the most elegant way ever. Somehow, she was trying not to think of it earlier. She was trying not to think of having to sit before Andre in her office, and talk so casually. It reminded her of Audrey. It reminded her of the woman whose dreams were stolen, and a woman whom somehow no one seemed to remember. It made her heart ache that even her husband seemed to have no ounce of sadness for her death. His expression turned even colder at the mention of her name. As much as Zoe tried to push the thoughts and triggering insinuations that kept creeping into her mind because of the silent investigations she had been doing, she couldn't help but remember what Audrey told her. That someone had threatened her after her encounter with Marcel, and sent an anonymous message
Despite the seeping feeling of cold air into the atmosphere in the office of the CEO of the RINASHONE art gallery, it did nothing to ease the storm that was brewing in Isla's heart, who sat slouched against her chair.Her eyes which had been narrowed by a disdainful glare stared again at the chart that was before her, and she could not help but scrunch up her face the more she read those numbers before her. ‘Ridiculous!’ She almost scoffed, ‘The gallery’s earnings for the month were barely enough. Barely enough!’ her eyes glanced through the pile of invoices again, and then glared at the final figure. “This is not good. Not nearly enough,” she muttered spitefully, the more she thought of her debts which loomed over her like a noose. The ones that had given her sleepless nights because somehow there was nowhere she could have pulled the funds from. Isla leaned back in her chair and gritted her teeth angrily, thinking of how the numbers were still low with the exhibition they held an
The bright lights of the city shone against the tinted windows of the car that drove through the highways of the city, but it didn't do anything to catch the attention of the man who sat back in the backseat of his luxurious car, while rubbing his temples absently with one another.As he remained mute without uttering anything all through the journey back home which was unlike his usual self, his mind momentarily flashed back to the event that happened earlier that day, as he steamed with the remnant of his frustration.It was the second time he had a face-to-face conversation with her. He had stormed into her mall straight from work with his pulse hammering with frustration without even thinking too much about it, the moment he realized that yet again, there was no reply. He was so pissed. For days, she had ignored his email. And when he was told that she asked him to be let inside at once, he was quite taken. He had expected that she would prove so difficult so that he would be ab
Her shortcomings. That had been her concern all afternoon. Not the great news Hepzy went back and forth about. Rather than the joy and excitement that usually came with it, she just felt relieved. Relieved that she was doing well. She wasn't happy about it. There was nothing to be joyful about. As she sat at her desk surrounded by neatly stacked reports and a laptop screen glowing with financial projections before her, the numbers stared back at her. Poor and unproductive in her dictionary. As much as it looked impossible, she had always aimed for every venture she had mapped out in the mall. It wasn't just a mall. It was an empire. The one that billions had been finished off on, and it would end up swallowing more if poured into it. Pulling off something that huge had taken so much willpower and mental strength even if every social psychology quotient of hers was always fluctuating. The ice skating rink and the luxury car exhibition space were doing the lowest. 8% returns was all
The faint aroma of herbal tea lingered in the air of the office, where Zoe sat uprightly behind her table, with her poised demeanor betraying no sign of the turmoil that had lingered over her for the past few days even till the night before.Across from her, Zara, who was holding a notepad clutched to her chest, continued to stare at her so overtly, while wondering what kind of woman she was. “You have been watching me like a hawk,” Zoe, whose gaze was fixated on what she was looking at on the tablet that was before her, “Spill it.”Zara hesitated before speaking, as she stared at her, with a concerned expression, “I don't want you to say I bother too much, but I really cannot help but be so worried. I mean you suddenly made me book a flight after the launching, and then left. You came back and told no one. You came in looking so sick and pale, and now you are doing so much work already. You are asking if things you've never……..”“Can you catch your breath, Zara?” Zoe cut her off ins
It was so dark in the night already, and barely anything could be heard around the estate anymore except the branches of trees moving in the movement of the wind, and the sound of crickets that buzzed amidst the gardens that were around. Malcolm was seen returning to Zoe's house after he had left many minutes ago, with big bags in his hands as he made his way to the front of her mansion. Slipping in through the front door now that he knew its password, he stepped in casually and locked the door behind it. Since he left the other inner door that led to the living room open without closing it when he left earlier, it was easier to just enter on tiptoe without disrupting her. Catching a sight of her still sleeping on the couch in her living room, he dropped the bag he was carrying on the cold, marbled floor, and walked over to her side to feel her temperature. He noticed that she was still burning with a fever. Carefully, Malcolm carried her the same way he had done the previous day,
Malcolm had stood by the window of his mansion all evening after returning from work, with his fingers tapping idly at the corners of it which he had never noticed before, but was as sparkly as ever because the cleaning services that usually cleaned his house were perfect at their job. His eyes had fixed on the road outside as he waited restlessly, with his thoughts sinking into a tangled mess of concern and yearning for the woman he had been bothered about more than ever all day because of the articles that were published. And just at the moment when his eyes caught the sight of a car which rolled into view and drove past his mansion, his heart skipped in relief, before he instantly turned away from the window and hurried out. ‘She was back.’He walked fast, and even almost ran, hoping that he would be able to still meet her outside before she entered her house. In the opposite direction, her car drove past him as he walked, and he didn't even mind anything apart from her. His ey