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
"Come back here! Where is the dessert I asked for?! And how many times have I told you that mother doesn't like her kiwis cut this way?! Are you going to be dumb forever?" Audrey, the first daughter-in-law of the Meyer family, yelled at the beautiful young lady who was multitasking as she served different dishes in front of different people at the same time and pace. The hardworking lady had woken up at 4:00 am to get started in the kitchen, while preparing the different dishes that were eaten by each member of the Meyer family. And she had to make sure she served it fast and got back to work, which included fixing Aaron's school uniform for the day and whatever errand they all wanted her to do. There were a variety of Fresh berries, Granola for crunch, Poached eggs on English muffins, Canadian bacon, smoked salmon, sautéed spinach and kale for general feeding, and on the other hand, for the saucy sisters, there were bagels with cream cheese, burrito, omelet, and baked buffalo win
Gossip was flying around the mansion of the Meyers and transmitting with the speed of lightning, as soon as one of the maids saw Malcolm making his way into Zoe's room, which was stationed in a hallway, different from the members of the family. They all wondered what was going on as they tried to think and figure out reasons, Malcolm would suddenly come back from work and go straight into her room. It had never happened before. For him to enter her room ever since they had been married. Their voices rose in speculation. "Is he finally seeing her as his wife?" One whispered as she scrubbed the same spot in the kitchen over and over again. "Or does he have something important to tell her?" The younger maid insinuated. "Could he be mad at her for something she did, and have decided to scold her secretly, unlike the rest of the family?" Another one guessed. "What could it be? Or does he suddenly need sexual relief?" The tallest of them smirked with a seductive grin tugging her lips,
"She must have clearly lost her mind.""Reject a hundred million? Can her family ever get a quarter of it till they all die?""But are you sure, Mrs. Meyer has not gone mad from the aftereffects of too much suffering? She suddenly looked prideful when she asked to eliminate the compensation part from the papers." "Is that not a foolish way to deal with things? Choosing her pride over millions?"The maids around nudged themselves and whispered into each other's ears as low as they could, wondering what was going on in Zoe's head. It was clear to them that she would rather become a penniless, divorced outcast than take the Meyers money. Malcolm was still sitting in his comfortable position like a king's figure, inwardly shocked by Zoe's request not to receive a dime from him. Though his face was cold and etched with an expression as stoic as ever, he smirked maliciously and thought to himself that she was trying to pull silly tricks. Edward met the eyes of his boss with uncertainty a
It has been two weeks since Zoe left, and the difference in the ambiance around the Meyers mansion was evidently palpable. The maids had returned to their post as usual trying to catch up with everything they had left for so long, and things became difficult because there were barely enough hands to handle all the jobs at once. It had them all wondering endlessly, how Zoe had managed to juggle everything by herself at once. It was difficult. The chefs had been unable to prepare meals to suit everyone's palate and taste buds, and they could not afford to set the table as early as Zoe cooked all meals because of the difference in everyone's preference. The maids that were hired hastily in a few days to cover up for the job, had broken almost all the precious glassware collections in the kitchen. There was always too much confusion in one morning, with vicious rages flying around from every member of the family, and the maids to be the receiving end of every complaint. They had no clu
Everyone was charmed and impressed beyond their expectations to see the stunning female stand before them and give her speech as the new heiress, while the entire family of the Meyers was about to lose their minds as they tried to comprehend the scene. It was too much for them to bear and handle at once. They couldn't even fully grasp the shock. Their breath hitched collectively caught in their throats in a suspended moment of silence as if the shock had momentarily stolen the very sound of their voice, when they realized the reality of their ex-daughter-in-law standing before them, and was introduced to everyone. Audrey and Ivy clamped their palms over their lips with their eyes widened in disbelief, while Irina lost her footing as she froze with her muscles locked in a momentary paralysis. Only Malcolm and Isla remained comported irrespective of how they were feeling, while Aaron was too carried away by his video game to even realize the disorientation his family had been plunged
Every member of the Meyer family alighted from the luxurious car in front of their mansion after the party in the same way they went, and they all sauntered into the living room silently with so much silence that was stifled with heavy tension, through the grand double doors of their opulent mansion which swung open.The family's footsteps echoed on the marble floors with their heels and shoes clicking rhythmically, with the force under their feet evident as they made their way in, each stride a confirmation of the restless anger coursing through their veins. "Do you all believe what you just witnessed at that banquet?!" Ivy, who never took her time to speak her mind among everyone in the family, suddenly lashed out as soon as they all got to the living room."Is it even possible for someone to suddenly change within two weeks, and go from being a wretched lady from the countryside to the heiress to the Sinclair wealth?! Can you even comprehend the possibility?!" She continued with a
In the hushed ambiance of the standard luxurious suite where soft rays of blocked sunlight filtered through the deluxe curtains into the room, Zoe lay in a peaceful repose on the plush bed, sprawled tiredly on every part of the bed. The soft sheets cradled her body into a gentle sensation of warmth and comfort, with her head buried into the huge pillows that decorated the bed in an opulent decor. And for hours since dawn, her eyes had been wide open and staring at the white ceiling. She couldn't sleep further no matter how she tried. The distant hum of the air conditioner was the only thing that she could hear in the deep silence that settled in her room, and it wasn't like the way she had lived her life in the past two years with constant buzziness. She tossed endlessly to the other side of her bed and shut her eyes tightly to find some sleep, but nothing was helping matters even if she tried and wished. Her sleeping pattern had become haphazard ever since she got married to Malco
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
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