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
Zoe's eyelids suddenly fluttered open and her head, which was dangling slightly, throbbed with a dull ache, as she raised it up to full length, her eyes, which were blurred, suddenly became more sharp and attentive. She tried to move instantly with the aim of scratching the itch she felt on her face, still disoriented a bit, only to find out that her limbs were restrained, and that her wrists and ankles were bound tightly to a cold, metal chair. Panic surged through her veins, and she struggled against the bonds which only tightened with every wiggle and struggle, her memories taking her back to the last thing she remembered from the previous night. ‘Yes! That was it! Someone had covered her mouth and knocked her into unconsciousness,’ she suddenly realized, as she gasped for sure in shock of the reality that just hit her. She looked around instantly to see if there was anyone, but soon figured out that she seemed to be left alone in the vast amount of space that felt like an aban
The faint light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room as Audrey suddenly stirred awake, her eyes flickering open in an instant. She felt body soreness as she tried to stretch, while trying to be fully conscious of her environment. For a few seconds, she remained fixated on that spot, her eyes gazing at the ceiling of the room, as the memories of the previous night flooded her memories. How she met Marcel, the guy from the elevator, how they started talking and enjoyed each other's company, and how she followed him home in the end. Her heart skipped a beat the more she remembered how things had played between them after their ferocious kiss at the door, her cheeks turning red at the mere thought of it. She pinched her lower lip with her teeth the more she remembered it. How he planted spine-curling kisses on every part of her body, leaving no area unturned, tingled and stimulated her sensitive mounds and folds with his tongues, lips, and hot brea
“So you are trying to say you are going to kill me, right?” Zoe questioned further, her gaze still unwavering, even if she was terrified now, “What do you get out of it?” She wanted to know. “And how is that any of your business?” The man standing before her retorted sharply, causing her heart to quiver instantly. “How much were you paid? And if you are going to kill me, at least you can tell me the name of the person that sent you. So that I can come back as a ghost and haunt them,” Her eyes scanned around briefly to see if there were agents that could be used to carry out her killing process. “Now, that, young miss, is private information,” he answered, still musing that she was not begging for her life just when he talked about killing her. “Can I at least get a hint about the amount? Know if it is worth the price of killing someone like me?” Zoe proved further, hoping that she might at least be able to buy them out because that seemed like the only way. There was definitely
Several days had passed and things had been quiet around the Meyers mansion more than usual, except for the extravagant plans that had been put in place and were being set up for Irina's birthday, which was coming up soon. Amid the endless preparations that had begun in the early hours of the morning, going on in every part of the mansion, Ivy walked through the grand halls of the mansion, her heels clicking softly against the polished marble floors. Her eyes watched as servants moved briskly through the mansion, arranging lavish floral displays, and hanging intricate large-tier chandeliers to change every interior in the mansion, hanging golden fondant and edible pearls. She sauntered carefully through the hallway and made her way to Isla's room instantly, the bothersome issue in her heart, engulfing her into restlessness in ways that she was unable to hold her curiosity any longer. Pushing the door open gently, Ivy stepped inside Isla's room, her eyes taking notice of the
Malcolm stood at the edge of the bed in the large deluxe room, his heart heavy with an unbearable weight as he watched her lying there, unconscious and pale against the white sheets, with different kinds of tubes connected to her from the life machines that beeped slowly beside the bed. His eyes traced the contours of Zoe's facial features with so much pain in her heart, and he felt a pang of longing mixed with an overwhelming sense of guilt. His eyes were clouded with an unbearable sadness, and he couldn't bear the cold silence that permeated the ambiance of the room while she laid there. He moved closer to her, and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers trembling as they touched her ashen skin. Her face was marred by the deep bruises and cuts that had yet to heal from the beatings, as well as the ones that were around her wrists and ankles caused by the bounds. The swelling around her eyes seemed to have lessened in size, but still had the light black-purple d
Audrey has been the most distressed about Zoe's sudden absence from the mansion for the past days, and had been endlessly worried with guilt gnawing into her heart, that she was the reason Zoe suddenly left without telling anyone. Tears welled in her eyes with profound sadness suffocating her so much, the more she remembered that she had lost everything and the one person that she could always count on.Without shame, she had sent several messages to Zoe and begged for forgiveness, even if she knew that she could not be forgiven for all that she had done. She knew that she had risked the only fruitful relationship that she could ever have in her life, by sticking to the bidding of the Meyers who cared less about her. She had endured their cruelty for weeks and spent crying alone in her room, even if that was less compared to the psychological abuse she had ensured for the past years of being married to their family. ‘And now, she was free. Free from their control, their venomous wo
The room was eerily silent at evening, and the soft sounds of birds chirping and whistling could be heard from the room, as well as the rhythmic beeps of the life support machines that were planted beside the bed, while monitoring the rise and fall of Zoe's heartbeat. She had been lying there for what felt like an eternity, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths that seemed barely strong enough to keep going. And by her side was Malcolm, whose hand was wrapped gently around hers in the same way it had been for hours, his eyes fixated and never leaving her. He was hoping desperately in his heart that she would wake up, since it had been the tenth day already without any hope of her waking. Just as he was about to adjust the covers that her fragile body was wrapped in between, his heart skipped a beat, upon noticing what he thought he had hallucinated about. Her fingers twitched at the slightest movement, but it was enough to send a jolt through him as he turned instantly
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