Chapter 36 Rowan Priest POV Sitting in my office waiting to hear back from Missy. Today was Grace’s first day of classes. I feel like a concerned father. I hope she’s made at least one friend. I didn’t expect she’d want me to walk her to class. I expected her to want to walk alone so she could separate her home life from her school life. I didn’t expect her to be that scared and nervous for classes to begin. She’s been so excited for months and now she’s scared of classes? "Ro Honey why don’t we have lunch together?” my mother asks walking into my office. I didn’t even hear her walk in... I stand nodding. One doesn’t say no to Sandra Priest. Plus, I’m not getting any work done because I’m worried about Grace. Once we get into the hall my mother pauses. “Do you think anyone would cause trouble for Grace at the school? I had to stop your father from going to check on her…” my mother asks. I stop dead in my track and look at her in shock. "Dad going over there would cause more pro
Chapter 37 Grace PriestPOV“Did you listen to the song I sent you this morning?” Amara asks as soon as she sat down beside me.I nod with a bright smile. “Yes, I listened to it while I was brushing my teeth. Rowan wasn’t very happy with me. He was trying to speak to me, but I couldn’t hear him.” I pout.Rowan was on edge this morning, everything worked on his nerves.“Did you like it?” Amara asks.I nod. She sent me Ariana Grande – Everyday.I really liked it. I don’t always like the songs she sends but I did like this one.Amara leans forward, her elbow resting on the desk. Her chin resting in her hand. “Tell about your mom?” she asks.“My mother?” I ask, taken aback by the sudden subject change.She nods.“My mom, Melissa…” her name tastes as bitter on my lips. “There’s not much to know about her. She’s into the bad things. I don’t like talking about her actually…” it’s the first time I’ve ever refused to tell Amara something. But talking about Melissa upsets me. Rowan told me if
Chapter 38 Third Person POV “What have you planned for Halloween?” Andre asks Rowan as they sit in one of the rooms in the warehouse. Rowan shrugs his shoulders, he never cared for Halloween. “Nothing. I still have to go to work.” He watches their men unload a van from the screen in front of them. He nods, “What is Grace doing for Halloween?” he asks. Rowan’s head snaps toward Andre. “What?” I ask. “Well, she’s a college girl now, what if her friend drags her to a party for Halloween? You remember college right there were parties everywhere on Halloween.” Andre reminds Rowan. Rowan distracted looks at Andre not knowing what to say. If Grace wanted to go to a party, he would let her as long as she returned safely. He knew she wouldn’t want to go though; she didn’t do well around loud music or large crowds. Not yet. He was rooting for her though, one day she’d be able to stand in front of a crowd without fear. He wasn’t going to rush her though. “It arrived.” Andre says pointing
Chapter 39Damian PriestPOVOn my tenth birthday my father told me, I had to make sure I acted differently from my brother in public. We needed to be distinctive. Even though we were identical twins my parents never dressed us the same. My brother was older by a couple of minutes and for that he was crowned King. Rowan grew up with a lot of responsibility whereas I was treated as secondary. Rowan shouldered everyone’s burdens whether it was because he cared or out of duty he’d always be there when you needed him.Why am I thinking about that now? While my brother was in surgery? I knew what it meant for my future… My father would have me replace my brother in meetings, travelling in front of the media.My father and mother walks in hand in hand. He looks at me. My mother runs to me. I hug her.“Any word yet?” My mother asks.I shake my head.Andre is sitting not far away. His head in his hands.“Rossi.” My father calls out to him.Andre stands up straight. His hair was a mess, blood
Chapter 40 – Nightmare Rowan’s dream… “Angie, I’m telling you don’t do this…” I sigh raking my fingers through my hair. I was so frustrated having the same argument over and over again. Angie rolls her eyes. “You can’t stop love and she’s in love. Why would you stand in her way. I thought you loved her. you sure as hell don’t seem like it now.” “Of course, I love her. It doesn’t make what she’s doing right. Stay away from here Angie.” I warn her. Angie shakes her head before storming out of the house. Frustrated with my wife I storm toward the gym. I was going to work out all of this pent-up anger I have building within me. I’m set to take over from my father in just a few years, yet no one trusts me to do a good job. They say I’m too soft for this business. Yet I’d killed a rat when I was just ten years old like they wanted. I’d passed all the tests they set out in front of me, yet I was too fucking soft because I allowed Angie to speak back to me at the meeting last mont
Chapter 41One week laterDamien PriestPOVLeaning sideways my head resting on my fists, listening to the directors report a bunch of bull. To be honest I have no idea how my big brother listens to any of this shit. It sounds like they are talking out of their asses half the time.I look at Rayna beside me. She meets my eye and nods.“Mr. Reyes what are the projected sales for the plan?” she asks.He looks startled. He looks at us wide eyed… “Mr. Priest… My team is working on…”Rayna cuts him off. “You presented us an incomplete proposal?” She asks.He stutters.I shake my head getting up. I tie the two buttons on my suit jacket. I leave the room.The only reason I haven’t said a word during the meeting is. Because my voice is deeper than Rowan’s and I haven’t gotten Rowan’s voice down perfectly yet.“That’s went well…” Rayna says.I roll my eyes. “Wanna get naked in my office?” I wink at her.She looks over at me and pulls a face. “Fuck it’s creepy fucking someone with my bosses’ fa
Chapter 42HEADLINESROWAN PRIEST SEEN LEAVING WORK EARLY AFTER BEING AWAY FOR A WEEK WITH FLU.DAMIEN PRIEST ROWAN PRIEST’S YOUNGER BROTHER HAS GONE CAMPING AND WILL BE OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.ROWAN PRIEST LOOKS HEALTHY AND BACK AT WORK. NOTABLY GRACE PRIEST HAS BEEN ABSENT FROM CLASSES WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS SICK WITH FLU.IS THERE TROUBLE IN PARADICE? POWER COUPLE MARCUS STANLEY AND DIANE CRICKET SEEN IGNORING ONE ANOTHER AT THE MET AFTER PARTY.==============GRACE PRIESTPOVI bite my lip as I watch the news. It took me seconds to see that’s not Rowan.Should I say something? It’s been over a week and all the lessons I took to make Rowan cakes, pies, and muffins. I couldn’t deliver any of them.Andre won’t let me see Rowan. He said Rowan needed his rest, but no matter how many times I’ve begged and even though they said Rowan would be back at work but no matter how many times I’ve paused the scene and pressed play it’s still looks like Damien and not Rowan. Ho
Chapter 43 – Hannah’s planTwo weeks laterHannah SmithPOVMy hands wrap around the steering wheel as I try to call Rowan once again, he must be with her. The bitch! She must be making Rowan ignore me. There’s no way Rowan would just throw me away for her. What happened to the video I sent her before they got married, did Rowan get it before it could get to her? He would have said something if he did. So, she just ignored it? Did she ignore it because she’s after his money? She ignores his cheating for his money.My blood boils. My entire body trembles with anger. Why would he like her and not me. I'm hotter. I'm so much hotter than her. Grace is nothing but an innocent naïve little girl. She can’t satisfy Rowan the way I can. I want nothing more than to wrap my fingers round her neck and squeeze the life out of her. Watch as she dies before my very eyes.Rowan is mine. I was with him long before she was around. My Rowan! He met her while he was fucking me. And I’m supposed to take t