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
Marcel sat on the balcony of his apartment with a weary expression etched on his face, the more he tried to call the same phone number he had been trying incessantly for days now, which kept giving the same response. As if that was not enough frustration, his mind could not drift back to the memory that he wished he could bloat out of his head, because he hated that it bothered him so much more than he cared to admit.‘What had he done wrong? He was pretty sure he hadn't done or said anything. So why?’ Were the questions that kept seeping back into his thoughts as much as he tried dismissing them. He dropped his phone angrily on the table that was before him, as he picked up the glass of champagne he had been drinking from initially, the fruity flavor he usually liked in the sparkling white wine, suddenly tasting sour because he couldn't stop thinking of Audrey. It had been days since they unexpectedly met in the restaurant where he had agreed to meet someone, and he moved on as us
“Oh, you think you can give me anything I want?” She had shot a mocking look at him, and laughed hysterically the moment, each intensifying by each passing minute causing Andre to stiffen in anger the more even if he struggled to hold himself while clinging tightly to the suit he was wearing. “Giving me what I want is not something you can do, Andre Meyer,” she suddenly got angry.“Then why are you threatening me?!” He demanded, unable to suppress what he was feeling, “You must want something, don't you?” Isla sighed dramatically, as if expecting him to ask her that, as she leaned back tiredly, “I would not have come this far if Mum treated both of us equally anyway,” she spoke calmly as if trying to savor the intensity of her words, “But seeing you paranoid makes me happy,” she chuckled. “You are evil!” He blurted lividly. “Is that so?” She laughed, as she suddenly began to waltz carefully around the room, her fingers brushing through the tip of everything unnecessary, “I want
Still lost in thought back at RINASHONE gallery, Isla's lips curled into a slow, wicked smile as the echoes of that delicious moment replayed like a favorite melody, the moment blood drained from her brother's face when she mentioned his nemesis. “Yes, you bloodthirsty fool! You murdered your wife, and just had to ruin my plans, did you not? Or do I have to remind you?!” she had yelled at his face. ‘Oh, how she wished she had captured his expression on camera. The way he went pale, and struggled to pretend like he didn't understand what she was saying. The delight he had given her when she taunted him more after sensing the quick, almost imperceptible stiffening of his shoulders.’She loved how her unexpected accusation had struck him like a whip, and how he blinked rapidly, his throat working as he tried to force a denial past his dry lips, as if he had misheard. His entirety had trembled with the shock of his life, and his eyes widened astonishingly, when he struggled to hide th
Meanwhile, at the MEL-CO headquarters company that morning, every worker scrambled quietly to get to the main building to clock in for the day with their employee’s card, where they could stuff themselves into the elevator and get to their respective offices before their working hours for the day would begin. Inside the private elevator which led instantly to the CEO's office was Malcolm standing without a word, and beside him was Edward, who was shuffling through a neatly organized tablet of notes, completely unaware of the storm awaiting them as the elevator went up with the speed of light. Reaching the top floor of the office building, the elevator doors slid open with a quiet dinger, and Malcolm stepped out, his polished leather shoes blending with a silent click against the marble floor. He was dressed in an impeccable dark navy blue suit, which perfectly complemented the crisp white shirt beneath, and the black tie that knotted his neck. Expecting to see the usual bustling
Amid the hubbub that had filled the city’s media outlets, Isla sat in her office, with her legs crossed elegantly behind her desk. Her lips were curved in a satisfied smirk, as she sipped delicately from the porcelain mug filled with tea that was hanging between her fingers. She drew deep breaths in and out as she closed her eyes to savor the rich aroma of the tea incessantly before each sip, with her eyes glistening in the amusement of the exciting news that filled her ears that morning. The huge television that was always buried within the walls of her office and had always just served for aesthetics, played out its first purpose of displaying the scandal regarding the person, whose downfall she wished for desperately. Her lips curled in a derisive, wicked grin, as she muttered, “So many people want her ruined too,” Isla thought with delight, “It is not just me. How poetic,” she tilted her head as the anchor’s voice droned on about the chaos at the mall. To her, it sounde
Jasmine drove her car along the quite busy street that led to her flower shop in the morning after dropping Raine off at school, while tapping her fingers on the steering wheel absentmindedly, her thoughts still muddled from a restless and sleepless night. She didn't sleep well the entire night. She had too many worries buzzing around in her head, even if no one could tell just by looking at her merely. She looked as radiant as ever, her auburn hair loosely tied into a bun, and lips a perfect curve in the usual alluring manner. The tires of her car glided right across the front of her shop, and she pulled up outside it, the brakes letting out a faint squeak as the car staggered a few miles to the back before it finally came to a halt.Turning to the back to grab her bag from the passenger’s seat, she stepped out of her car and waited a few seconds before shutting the door behind her, as a brief weariness weighed against her heart.Jasmine drew in a deep, sharp breath and shut her ey
The drive to the mall had been a lot for Zoe, who was driving with the intensity that she wanted to solve what was going on in her company, only to be rammed with a memory she wanted to be very sure wasn't hers. She tried to block the absurd drunken memory that flashed through her mind out of her head as she drove and switched lanes aggressively, while jerking her steering wheel left and right. All through her drive, she was calling back a few of those who had called her incessantly to give them an order about what to do. “Come up with the fastest way to mitigate the effect of being sued by the victims, before we get to the bottom of this,” she informed the legal team. “Secure the footage for the past two weeks at the food storage and distribution centers, with the past few days in focus. Contact the heads and receive their logs for the past few days instantly, so that we can know what distribution unit brought it to the mall,” she told Hepzy, her general manager, whom she was sure
“What happened?” Zoe questioned, her voice calm and collected, even if her head was already conjuring up the worst case scenarios. “One of our food products….” Zara exhaled sharply, her head spinning with worry, “It landed three children from different homes in the hospital yesterday night. Severe food poisoning. A mother went public about it, and now it is everywhere on social media, and news outlets. The two other moms joined in too, and now it is a crazy business. The mall is being dragged through the dirt, and people are canceling their orders. Many people are saying a lot of trash, and calling for a boycott. It is crazy!” She narrated without taking a breath. Zoe's head almost tumbled hearing that, but she remained composed regardless, “Which store?”“The gourmet section. It is the new frozen chicken which was just added to the line. They said they all had it for dinner yesterday night, and that was the food they had in common. I truly hope that there will be no more casualtie
The morning sunlight filtered through the floor-length curtains of the living room which were usually barely opened, with its mild rays radiating heat against the body of the lady that was sprawled on the couch, her tightly shut eyes squinting endlessly. Unable to cope with the intensity of the sunrays, Zoe tried to turn to the other side the way she usually did on her bed, when her other hand suddenly landed on an open space causing her heart and eyes to jump open at the same time. ‘Shit. Where was she?’ she wondered, as her eyes which were initially struggling to open parted instantly from the shock that she landed on the floor from the chair. ‘She was sleeping in her living room and not her room?’ Zoe panicked, as she pulled her body up instantly, and looked around, wondering if it was truly morning already. ‘How long did she sleep?’ she wondered, her eyes scanning around as if she could tell just by that. She could tell from how she was feeling in her body that she slept a lot
“You know her?” Jasmine asked reflexively, before she shook her head, realizing what a weird question she asked, “I guess she is so popular that you even know her,” She shook her head again, “It is no news if a child born today knows her.” “Ye…es. Yes. Yes, I do,” Justine answered, almost stuttering, her voice and gaze a little distant as if she was getting lost in the thoughts of something else. Her face suddenly stiffened in a more deepened shock. “She is. She is somehow the daughter of my first love, and friend who betrayed me so terribly. It is crazy how life turns out,” she continued to rant endlessly, deeply bitter because she just couldn't help but wonder how. She ran a thumb along the rim of her glass, staring at the city as if the answers were out there somewhere, and continued to speak, “And I know that it is not the child's fault that all this happened, but I cannot help but be resentful,” she paused again, her head spinning. “Sometimes I get sentimental, which is