Unknown POV******“I take that your breakfast went well.”“I see you’ve been demoted to a stalker now.” A pair of eyes set on the beautiful couple flirting outside the cafe. They belong to none other than the man's old flame, Layla Kingsley. “Someone has to be the good guy and ward off evil ones like Stallon.”“He’s not a bad guy, not any more than you, anyway.”“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Denzel jogs next to Naomi and entwines their arms together.Layla's eyes squint at that picture, her grip on the binoculars tightening.“Shall we head to our date now?” Denzel asks. The way he smiles almost makes Layla snicker. Since their time together, the only time she's seen Denzel smiling is after he's done torturing someone in the meeting room.She's never craved his affection. That isn't her mission. To her, Denzel is more like a pair of diamond shoes she was about to try, but someone else snatched it from the aisle first.“I don’t remember you asking me out or me saying yes.”Layla
I have been feeling guilty towards Marcus all night. Even though I made that Devil sleep on the couch and didn’t spare him a single glance this morning, my heart weighs heavy when I think of Marcus and how unfair I’ve been to him.Which is why the first thing I did in the morning was to schedule a meeting with him. I wanted to take Ben out as well, but Denzel probably knew about my intention and ended the discussion before it even came up.On the plus side, at least Marcus and I’ll be able to have a conversation like proper responsible grownups—on the downside, I won’t have any shield to hide behind.The bell jingles on the cafe’s door, warning us about a new presence. I look up and notice Marcus walking up to my table. For some reason, I can’t bring myself to smile.“Marcus, hey.” I speak, but even my tone sounds too monotonous. He nods, acknowledging my presence, but doesn’t speak up.Gathering courage, I say. “About last night. I’m truly sorry. Had I known beforehand, I would’ve d
Naomi West******“Let’s go Ben. Time for bed.” I intentionally don’t yell out my plans for tonight when I call for Ben. Denzel has been playing the role of a jealous and offended husband ever since we mentioned Marcus’s name this morning. It’ll only blow his head if he were to know what we’re going to do now.Ben finishes his dinner early and discards the dishes in the sink before running to his bedroom. With one more lookout for Denzel—still refusing to budge from the sofa and watching Frozen 2—I slip inside Ben’s room.He’s already sitting up on the bed under the covers when I enter. He excitedly looks at me as I approach my side of his bed and take out my phone.“Quick. Before daddy gets too weird.” He whispers, acting as if we’re kids watching a movie after curfew.I open my contacts and video call Marcus. I hand the phone to Ben as we wait patiently for Marcus to pick up. After three rings, he eventually does, but it changes to voice call.“Is it a bad time?” I ask, desperately
Unknown POV******Layla Kingsley stares dumbfounded at what she’s just discovered. After spending many weeks in isolation, plotting and planning and fearing for her life, it’s like she just hit a jackpot.But she never entered in the lottery, which is why the sight before her, the crucial piece of information, also gives her chills.This is it. This can change her whole life.She takes out her phone to capture this shocking moment. She continuously taps on the photo icon to take pictures from multiple angles.With a lingering look at the truth she’s just discovered, she walks away before anyone notices her presence. She laughs as she takes the street to her apartment. She’s been in so much pressure for the last few weeks, trying to come up with desperate measures to find something on the Flynn’s. But it’s been a pain in the butt with blondie and Davenport not picking up her calls. After her last meeting with Chloe, she made it clear that she wanted to come clean in front of her dea
Naomi West******I’m not mad. I’m not second-guessing my life choices at the moment. I’m only fuming with an uncontrollable amount of disappointment, hiding all of my viciousness behind a polite smile.I watch, standing in a corner as my dad empties my mom’s stuff from Denzel’s old room. He wasn’t exactly a cheerful lad when he found out that his wife has been living in a man’s room all this while, but one look at my face and he knows to keep his mouth shut about it.He only has himself to blame for what his wife has been through.But like myself, my mom isn’t one to hold grudges. My mom and dad had been MIA on me for three days since she went away with him and they only arrived this morning, that too, to fetch her things.I haven’t made peace with the fact that she’s so easily forgiven him, but who am I to judge, right? I can only bite my tongue and swallow my words for their happiness.“Did you eat a whole lemon for breakfast? Why do you look so sour?” My mom playfully bumps into m
Denzel Flynn******I never imagined Naomi’s father to run away like that. When I learned about his fleeing from the receptionist, it was bad enough. But when I overheard Mrs. West telling about their intimate moment from the night before to Naomi, it was a blow to my face.I’d warned myself to not get emotionally involved, but I end up being a part of this big drama, anyway. I guess that’s a package deal that comes with having a family.Mrs. West was not in high spirits after I broke the news to her but she was willing to spend the remaining days in the resort for the sake of our efforts. Even though we decided to stay and have fun, most of her time was invested in Naomi’s and Ben’s health.It was a nightmare to be short. If I exclude the morning picnics near the lake and occasional dinners and outing, we spent the last two days locked in our rooms.Now, it’s the seventh day, and we’re on our way to the court so little rose’s parents can finalize their divorce.The air inside the car