Zoe's sleek car cruised down the quiet road before her, as her hand gripped the steering wheel of her car tightly, her mind swirling with anxiety as she approached the agreed-upon spot. The rate of her heartbeat quickened for a few seconds, as she sighted a black SUV with tinted windows that came into view right before her while droving slowly. She pulled up just right by the car and rolled down her window just enough to receive the parcel that was being passed through, and the exchange that occurred momentarily was swift and silent, with no exchange of words As soon as she received the package, she drove away instantly, her chest tightening with unease as she tossed the box to the backseat, resisting the urge to open it right there, and instead, drove straight to her villa. Finally, as Zoe reached the gates of the secluded villa, she pulled into the garage and halted the car, as she sat in silence for a moment, and turned to stare at the parcel that had been resting on the ba
A scream threatened to tear through Zoe's throat at the moment, but only a strangled sob escaped her, unable to process the excruciating pain that she had been plunged into, as she gasped for breath, her body convulsing with the overwhelming surge of pain and despair. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she crumpled unceremoniously to the cold floor as the marriage certificate slipped from her trembling fingers, fluttering carefully to the floor in the way her dreams had been shattered. Instinctively, her hands gripped the floor and her clothes for support, the more the reality of the memories came flooding while she fought for air, the world spinning around her and the betrayal of her mind suffocating her.The first memory that she had partially seen as soon as she woke up from her near-death experience at the hospital, was herself in a wedding dress and with a man, whose face she didn't see properly. It scared her so much because it was the first time she had seen it that clearly.
Ivy stared blankly out of her window, a champagne flute perfectly arched between her fingers, her mind lost in disturbing thoughts that refused to stop badgering her head. Her encounter with Marcel played over and over in her head like a broken record stuck on repeat, as she tried to understand why his demeanor changed instantly upon seeing a glance at Audrey’s picture who had called her at the moment. He remained unfazed when she told him of Isla's plans. He had seemed so calm, so collected up until that point, and it was as if the name and the contact photo on her screen had flipped a switch on him, releasing emotions that had been buried in him. He left shortly after without saying much after she told him she was a wife to her brother, and did not even give her a reasonable answer when she asked if he knew her, causing her more confusion than ever. And even if she didn't want to bother about it, her chest couldn't help but tighten with the speculations that occurred to her, h
Standing in front of the dresser was a breathtaking figure of masculine grace and charm who was busy adjusting the lapels of his impeccably tailored suit, his eyes barely noticing the usual perfectness he usually wanted in place regarding his appearance. As he fastened the last button of his crisp white shirt and clasped his watch around his wrist, Malcolm's eyes darted to an almost perfect reflection of himself that also stared at him, betraying his elegance with the deep sadness that was deeply engraved in his eyes. His mind could not help but wander back to Zoe, and he could not help but wonder where she had been since the last time they saw, and what she had been up to. He had tried to bury his emotions under endless work, meetings, and exhausting deadlines, telling himself that it was best that he tried hard to respect her decisions, but no matter how hard he tried, thoughts of her always found a way to sneak into his head. She had that effect on him, like a rippling water ef
The entrance to the beautiful mansion of the Meyers was nothing short of grand, totally different from what it usually portrayed during the daytime, as guests pulled into the sprawling driveway with their luxurious cars and stepped into the limelight of being seen by others. The exclusive event was flooded with A-list elite guests dressed in their finest attire which exuded an air of regality, and they all made their way into the fine outdoor garden where the birthday party was in full swing already, with every step graceful, and each conversation filled with concealed power and influence. Dressed in crisp white and black uniforms were waiters and waitresses, who glided between the guests with silver trays carrying delicate hors d'oeuvres and crystal flutes that contained vintage champagne. At the far end of the garden, beneath an ornate gazebo, a live string quartet played gentle, classical music that floated across the space, their notes blending perfectly with the laughter that
Sauntering into the grand event which he had no business with and was totally uninterested in was Marcel, whose heart pounded beneath the layers of his tailored suit, his eyes scanning the opulence of the occasion and guests that were around. Though he loathed events like that and had little or no interest in them, he couldn't help but want to be there. He was there for just one reason.Meeting with Ivy days ago when she desperately asked to see him was something he would not have done on a normal day even if she said it was urgent, considering that it was the tactics most of his ex-girlfriends used whenever they wanted to see him again. However, he had a change of mind when she mentioned the jewelry company he was making investments in, and he knew that, regardless of what bait she might have planned with that after so long of stopping to contact one another, it wouldn't hurt to hear what she had to say. However, never would he have expected that Audrey, who he had been hoping to
Right at that moment when Marcel was trying to get Ivy out of his way, Irina, who was standing before everyone, had begun to give her speech, her eyes darting around so softly looking for the one person that was supposed to be at her party but seemed to be nowhere. She was dressed in an exquisite gown that flowed elegantly around her, shining with unmatched elegance, and had the perfect glamorous outlook that made her exude a timeless charm that made her look younger than her age. Her lips curved into a smirk as she raised her champagne glass, and began to give the speech in appreciation to everyone who attended, “Thank you, everyone, for being here tonight,” she spoke eloquently, her voice smooth and steady, with a calculated pause, following every few words, “It means so much to me to see so many familiar faces. Friends, acquaintances, family,” she continued. When she mentioned the word ‘family,’ the guests were amused and surprised that the most significant member of her family
In just three days, everything had turned upside down in the city, and there seemed to be no way out of the investigation that was ongoing, concerning the incident that occurred at the Meyers mansion on the night of Irina's 60th birthday party. Every guest that was invited to the party was all under thorough investigation, and with their alibi being proved one after another, they employed the services of their best lawyers to be free from the humiliation of being a suspect in an attempted murder case. The Meyers had been restless for days with the sirens of the police constantly visiting the neighbourhood and mansion, thoroughly investigating what could have prompted the fall from the terrace, considering that every CCTV camera at that moment was suddenly not working. Unfortunately, the area of focus in videos that were also captured during the event was mainly the party grounds, which left one person as the suspect. The only person that was with her on the terrace at that moment