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
“I didn't expect the news to escalate in just a few days. I cannot believe we got rid of those pests once at a time,” A haughty grin split Ivy's lips as she spoke, her full focus on her phone as her fingers typed fast. She sat across from Isla in their private living room, while Irina slouched comfortably on a deluxe couch, at the opposite side of the living room, while demurely sipping from the cup of strawberry milkshake she had had, grasped in her right hand. It was the first time the family gathered after the entire hubbub that occurred at the birthday party and turned the media upside down, which left them vulnerable to intrusive reporters who wanted an exclusive, and giving statements about what happened at the police station. It has been quite a lot to deal with. Irina's face contorted into a disdainful mark upon hearing what Ivy said, as the deaf maid in the room massaged her head skillfully even if her eyes were closed, “That is why I need to make sure that good for noth
It felt like a bomb had been dispelled into the room at what Isla said, and it was almost impossible to take her seriously immediately, because she was never in the position to care if Aaron was truly missing or not. However, the expression she had on her face was too stern to be fake. “What? Are you serious now?!” Ivy looked up from her phone, confusion etched across her face, waiting for Isla to say it was a joke, even if she knew her sister was not the type to make one. “Apparently, his mother told his school that they were moving to another country, and received every necessary school report and document for him,” Isla appeared so calm and spoke softly as if she was saying the most natural thing ever. “What?! Audrey did what?!” Irina finally found her voice after processing what she had just heard, her eyes jumping wide open in shock in a way none of them had ever seen, as she signaled to the deaf maid to leave instantly. “Yes. He is nowhere to be found, and the supposed camp
“Sit and eat your food,” Zoe instructed Aaron, whom she called from his room, after she served breakfast on the table. “I will not eat!” Aaron declared with an impassive expression on his face, as he stood up from the chair he was sitting across from her, ready to leave. “Then you can starve,” she muttered coldly as she stared at the immature child, before she put her face down and began to force the food before her down her throat even if she was not willing to eat. “I am going to my room,” he muttered sternly as he sauntered past her, but Zoe said nothing and just continued to eat her food. When he was out of sight, she instantly got on her feet, packed the untouched food in the kitchen, and carefully sorted everything back in its right place, before she left for the room she used upstairs, knowing he would still come back to eat the food. A few minutes after she was done taking her bath and dressing up, Zoe sat in front of her dresser afterward to touch her face and s
“I heard you delegated the conglomerate to a professional management!” The voice from the other side of the phone raged, as soon as Zoe picked up the phone, “What the hell do you think you are doing?! Leaving my conglomerate in the hands of those management professionals? Have you lost your mind?!” he fumed uncontrollably, unable to contain his fury. Remaining unfazed by his exasperation, she remained composed as she sat back in the back seat of her car as Dylan drove, and spoke calmly, “Yeah. Before the scandal. Those dimwits that are busy holding meetings to take me out should have gotten the news now.”“Are you trying to ruin the conglomerate?!” He was so pissed that he didn't allow Gary to speak on his behalf this time around. “I never knew you cared so much about the conglomerate in the first place, Mr. Sinclair. Considering how you have put me through hell for the past months of running it,” her voice dropped heavily with sarcasm, her face contorting to a mask of indignation
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 why I
Malcolm's face turned pale as soon as she heard her question, and cats got his tongue so bad because he had not even expected her to ask on such a serious note. Words suddenly eluded him and his mind became a blank mark. “I just had to ask you know,” She let out a breathy, humorless laugher, the wine making her bold, or maybe just honest, “I mean my life is still pathetic even if I am rich, and I still cannot be happy. You would never even be happy with me. Just like we never were,” she smiled. Malcolm's heart sank the moment she said that, and his eyes, dark and weighted with things he never said, locked onto hers.“Find another woman,” she murmured as if compelling him, “One you don’t have to share so much guilt with, and have to atone to, for the rest of your life. And maybe I might find someone too someday. Someone I don’t have a love-hate relationship and very bad memories with.” “Love-hate?” Malcolm echoed, his voice less composed, or quiet now, his confusion betraying his co
The balcony doors of the Grand MEL-CO suite were open on the fifteenth floor to the cool night breeze, which carried the faintest scent of the sea not too far away from the beautiful view. Seated there comfortably were two dear friends, who took the evening to meet up and get lost in the reverie of the moment while sharing how their days had gone without seeing one another. A glass of whiskey sat between the fingers of Justine, a stunning woman at forty-nine with beautiful striking features, as she leaned back against the cushioned chair she was sitting on, with two of her legs stretched out to the front, while delicately swirling the stem of her half-empty wine glass. A long, satisfied sigh escaped her, as she stretched her arms overhead, her eyes glistening with admiration of the beautiful sight before her. “You have no idea how much I needed that spa today,” she mused, tilting her head toward her friend, “I swear, Jasmine, it was divine. You would have loved it.” She sighed d
“My new life here,” Malcolm mentioned casually, his eyes still studying her quietly, wondering what she would say. Zoe tilted her head slightly, thinking and considering what she would say, “It is very nice, I think,” she mumbled quietly, with a modest grin that just reflexively graced her lips, and he instantly noticed just when he was about to thank her for her kind word. It surprised him almost to see that his suspicions were confirmed the moment he saw her gazing at the interiors and arts in his house in a different way from her usual demeanor. “You seem different from your usual self,” his eyes studied her expression, but Zoe was not looking at him again, her eyes lingering around the living room as if nothing else mattered. However, she raised a brow when she heard him say that, and a sarcastic laughter escaped her lips, as she raised her glass to the light which was a reflection from the chandelier above, and did a little swirl before mumbling, “More broken, I guess.”“No,
The moment Zoe stepped into Malcolm's house, the door shut behind her with a quiet click, sealing her inside a space she never thought she would ever step into, as Malcolm walked behind her. It wasn’t just that the space was as familiar as hers, it also had similar interiors, exteriors, and dimension placements that it almost felt like she was entering her own house. However, the outlook was completely different. His, had a quiet, effortless luxury woven into every inch of it and smelled everything like him too. Her own house had remained untouched ever since she moved into the space she lived in but never truly settled into, but his own had undergone a completely crazy transformation. Even if it was painted in dull, lifeless hues of grey, cream, and black color in a way she used to hate, seeing how everything in his house blended so perfectly, warmed her heart.As Zoe further made her way to his living room, she noticed that the floors shone beneath her feet in a way that was poli
As Zoe drove through an unfamiliar street, something in a store window caught her eyes which had not, even when she walked around her mall. It was a massive, intricate diamond chandelier, with its glass crystals catching the light in a way that made them look like frozen wings of butterflies. It was huge and extravagant in the way she had never wanted her things, but she wanted it. It didn't have to be from her mall. She didn't have to preorder it. She just wanted it right at that moment. And without a second thought, she pulled over, walked in, and bought it. On her way home too, she stopped to do a fifteen-minute grocery shopping that she could have done at her mall in the neighborhood store and purchased a lot of things she wasn't even sure she needed. By the time she got home by evening, she regretted not asking for help carrying the chandelier in. The lightning fixture was so heavy in her arms when she tried to pull it, that she knew there was no way she could wrestle it thr
It was late in the evening already by the time Zoe finally decided to clock out from the office, and she just took her private elevator to the underground parking lot of the mall to avoid attention since the mall was usually more parked in the evenings and also nighttime when people were just leaving their workplaces. Dylan, who had been waiting by the side of the car, straightened at the sight of her and instantly walked to open the door for her, as he stood by the other side waiting with one hand holding the door and the other resting around his stomach region. However, he noticed as she got closer, that there was something a little different about her manner of walking and her demeanor. Usually, his keen eyes could decipher when she was not in a good mood, times she was glad about something, and times she was sad. Most of the time, she was usually distant and beyond sad. But now, he saw that her lips, which were always pulled into a thin straight line of seriousness, held the fa
“You don't call me anymore,” The voice of the lady on the phone filled with a silent and low resentment, questioned with a very low tone, as if what she was talking about was not brewing fierce anger within her heart. “You know I told you I have been busy,” the voice came from the other side of the phone.“Fuck you and your silly busyness,” Isla scoffed, the softness in her voice suddenly dissolving, “You pick up my call after days only to tell me bullshit? You think you are too important now? Too good to pick up the damn phone?!” A bitter laughter rolled out of her lips again, as if trying to understand the absurdity of the situation. “You are my plaything, remember?” her lips curved into a derisive smirk, as her voice went low while dripping with a menacing reminder, “I own you, and every damn thing you own! Every damn thing! And you are going to be doing every fucking thing I ask you to do every time I call. I shouldn't be the one chasing you,” she spat. A deep suffocating silen