Edward intentionally didn't mention Zoe's name straight up, so that it might not end up sparking rage in Malcolm, considering that he still could not figure out what was going on between the two after the hospital incident. Upon hearing that, Malcolm's eyes snapped up the moment he processed and the tension in his body accelerated instantly, as his intense gaze made Edward swallow as he quickly continued. “She is involved in a scandal that is on the verge of ruining her reputation now and is being investigated for attempted murder. Mrs. Audrey Meyer, who she is friends with, was pushed from the mansion's terrace during Mrs. Meyer’s birthday party, and now she is in a coma. The press is all over it, and... your family has been making sure she stays at the center of it. They are pushing for her to be charged for it,” he quickly rushed his words without taking a sip of breath. For a moment, the room fell into an agonizing silence, as if Malcolm went momentarily deaf, as he tried to pr
Instead of going to the Meyers mansion as intended, Zoe thought long and hard about it, and thought of how she could leverage her chance of going back to the mansion to settle things out.With the ongoing case, it would be much more difficult to get by because it would seem as if she had returned to her crime scene, but she was still very much disturbed about Audrey, even if she should be more worried about herself, and wondered who on earth could have pushed her from the terrace. Taking care of Aaron had not been easy either, because she couldn't leave the house with him because of the reporters that were always after her, could not hire a housekeeper because of trust issues, and could not leave the country with him because of the travel ban that had been placed on her. Nothing seemed to be working at all, and she was in a difficult pickle which was so hard to get out of, considering that the investigation had not led to any other clue that might suggest another person was the pe
Irina sat alone in her room in the most terrible state for the first time in a very long time while sipping from a glass of whiskey, her facade crumbling into shambles the more she tried to pick herself together, and her heart pounding louder with each passing second, because of Isla's sudden confrontation that left her cold with fear and unrest. For years, she had carefully guarded so many secrets away from her daughters, and had thought that there was no way they would ever know if she never told them. However, she was overthrown twice in the most shocking way, by her daughter, whom she even thought was most oblivious to what was going on in the house. It made her heart ache so restless, and fear gnawed at her heart, while twisting violently in her stomach. ‘How did she know? What else does she know? How much did she know?! How long had she known all this and kept to herself only to reveal them so casually?!’ Irina almost went crazy with numerous questions in her head, her mind
Ivy had been suffocated and frustrated for days, barely talking to any of the family, and had marginalized herself without giving anyone reasons why she had been like that. And since everything seemed to have turned upside down with the ongoing case with family, no one seemed to care too much because they all had a lot of issues going through their minds and heads. Her mind had been racing through a thousand thoughts, but it had always been revolving back to the same agonizing possibility, which was a truth she feared more than anything. ‘Were they really together? Was it even possible? Did it even make sense?!’ Ivy trembled as she bit at her nails nervously, again and again, the same way she had been doing for days. The thought of Marcel and Audrey being in a relationship was like a poison that wouldn’t leave her mind, and the memories of Audrey’s denials played on her mind endlessly for days. She said she didn't even know him at all! But then, thinking about it, the signs
Martin had been trying so hard to meet Zoe ever since the news of her involvement with an attempted murder came out, but it had been so difficult because she seemed to be busier than ever. She could barely reply to his text messages or come to see him, and he could barely give her an answer concerning what she had asked of him. That day, after she revealed everything about herself that she had been keeping to herself, he found it so overwhelming that he had not expected her to tell him at all. However, when she asked for his help to take her revenge, he chickened out because of fear of the Meyers, knowing that he had much less power compared to them. And ever since he told her he would think about it and reconsider, she has taken his answer for no, and quickly scrapped the part where he helped her by drawing her plan again where he wasn't involved. When he tried to get across to her to tell her that he was willing to give it a trial after days of putting thoughts together, it was
Dressed in a long, white coat, with her hair carefully and neatly tucked beneath a surgical cap, while having a white face mask covering half of her face and leaving only her eyes visible, Zoe slipped through the hospital corridors, and sauntered with confidence like any other normal doctors around. With her heart beating in unrest even if she managed to maintain composure, her hand tightened around the clipboard she had picked up to complete her disguise, as she continued to move tactically, with only one place in her mind. With a VIP card that belonged to one of the top doctors that could access the elevator which led to the floor where Audrey was admitted, she was able to scale through successfully without being detected, as she approached the room in her mind.Standing in front of the formidable door at the left row of the long hallway for a few seconds, she pulled herself together as she drew in a short breath, and with a glance down the hall, slipped into the room before closi
Zoe sat on the edge of her bed, her mind troubled with the weight of the news she had just heard at the hospital, and her heart raced erratically, the surfeit thoughts in her head, jarring her from the possibility of sleep. “Audrey is pregnant,” The forbidding words that the nurse revealed to the doctor had been echoing in her mind like two stones blasting heavily against one another.‘Audrey was pregnant? How? Since when?!’ Her stomach churned with anxiety as she paced the length of her room going back and forth.Restlessly, in the suffocating silence of her room, Zoe’s thoughts screamed at her louder than anything, ‘The news was not only a shocking one, but also dangerous as well.’‘The Meyers could never find out! If they did, they would do anything to twist the situation to their advantage if they found out. They might brand Audrey the worst name ever, ruin hers and Marcel’s reputation, and destroy so many plans that had been lying ahead!’ The thought of what they could do sent
Zoe sat across from Marcel in his private suite where they agreed to meet after her successful sneaking into the hospital, and her heart was heavy with guilt as she struggled to meet his gaze. She had a lot to tell him, and nothing much to say at the same time. It was the morning of the next day after she left Aaron at home since she didn't have any work to go to, and it had been weighing heavily on her heart that she just had to see him and give him feedback. She observed the tension that coursed through his body even if he tried to maintain maximum composure, his eyes meandering endlessly across the room even if he had nothing to look at, as if he was waiting for her to speak first. Marcel's desperation to hear something positive from her was palpable, and Zoe could feel it in the way he kept shifting in his seat, as she struggled with how to start the conversation in her head, in a way that would not end up ruining things if she divulged too much. “Were they able to clear the f
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
Meanwhile, Isla, who was the last to catch sight of what was going on as she was too engrossed in her explanation, froze momentarily the moment her eyes came in contact with Zoe. Instantly, the bright smile on her lips died and her eyes widened in bewilderment. She never in her entire life would have expected to see Zoe attend her art exhibition, since the last time they met was the day she took over her company through Mason's help. The memories of their past encounters, rivalries, and deep-stemming hatred flared in her mind as her heart skipped so hard. ‘What was this bitch doing here?! Why was she here?!’ Isla almost lost it on the spot as her entire body began to shake uncontrollably, while her fists clenched hard in anger the more she stared at Zoe from where she stood. As their eyes locked for a few seconds, Zoe paused, just long enough for Isla to savor the effect of her presence, with amusement dancing in her gaze, before she tore her gaze away and channeled her attention
It was RINASHONE’s first art exhibition of the year, and the halls of the grand hall of the huge art gallery which was shining with the beautiful lights that radiated from the crystal chandeliers off the polished marble floors, were abuzz, and filled with A-list socialites that had been invited for the grand event. All perfect preparations had been made in the space of a few weeks after Isla became the new director, and all that was left for the art exhibition was to be a wonderful and satisfying one where both the host's and guests' needs would be met. The walls of the huge art hall were lined with bold splashes of abstract colors, still life paintings, and realistic portraits of serene landscapes by renowned popular artists, which garnered attention from the guests. They were amazed by the beauty of each wonderful painting, while muttering a few words to one another and exchanging pleasantries, only to be interrupted by the host of the exhibition, who had a big smile on her face.
Unable to sleep the entire night, Zoe ran through her whole schedule for the day and the ones for the next few days, as she worked tirelessly with a virtual assistant she also hired remotely. The next morning, Dylan was already waiting outside the house for her together with the chauffeur this time, and they barely said anything to each other except exchange pleasantries. “Thank you, Dylan,” Zoe finally remembered as she sat back in the car, while going through her schedule for the day which Zara had forwarded already. It was almost like she hadn't gone through a mental breakdown the previous day. “For yesterday,” she added after pausing for a few seconds, as if trying to process the remainder of the information she wanted to pass across to him even if she knew what she wanted to say. “It is my pleasure, ma'am,” Dylan answered, unsure if he should be appreciated for that. It wasn't an obligation. He just wanted to do it. “It is Zoe. Just Zoe,” she corrected for the nth time, even
Nothing made sense even more after the curiosity that took Zoe back to her home led her to hear new information, and she had to confirm using whatever unnoticeable means she could to get information about the two legendary friends. Her mother, Emily, and her friend, Jasmine. ‘Was Jasmine really pregnant as rumored then?’ She wondered, ‘But the other aged people she asked said Jasmine returned to the countryside after the rumor and lived there for about three more years, but they saw no child with her? What then happened?’ She was restless in her thoughts. Dylan drove the car while she sat at the back, silent and still, her heart aching with even more confusion. She sat back against the car seat and stared blankly outside the car, unable to even think properly if she wanted to. More than anything, she felt so lonely. She felt like she had no family or anyone to turn to. As much as she thrived and was happy at her magnanimous success in the eyes of others, her heart felt no warm