The clock struck midnight as Ryder unlocked the door to his own apartment. He had realized earlier that his parents would have been informed about his meeting with the directors today and he didn’t want further questions from them about him getting a wife. With that, he decided to spend the rest of the week in his personal apartment, which in turn, was closer to the company anyways.The dim light from the hallway casted eerie shadows across his room but he didn’t bother turning on any more lights. He was exhausted. The only thing he needed was to get into bed and forget the world for some hours.The soft cool breeze from the open balcony door drew his attention . He walked forward and squinted his eyes. There on his balcony, stood a figure he knew all too well, her figure silhouetted by the city lights.“What are you doing here Racheal?”“Your parents told me that I’d find you here. They told me about the meeting and how it would stress you out. And, guess they were right.”“Well I
“What do you mean you haven’t told him yet?”, Ash repeated her question to Lily.Lily rounded the table and made way to the boiling kettle, she avoided Ash’s eyes,” I mean, there hasn’t really been time for that. Besides, I haven’t gotten any threatening texts since then.” She shrugged.“All the same Lily”, Ash’s voice was calmer,” he ought to know.”Lily retook her seat beside Ash and slid a mug of coffee to her,” How am I meant to tell him when he still pretends like he doesn’t know me. It’s as if what we had never even happened.”Ash stirred her coffee gently, “ Well if he wouldn’t bring it up, then you should.” She said firmly.“What? That’s my boss Ash. What if he gets offended?”“If he’s a real gentleman Lily, your safety to him will be of utmost importance.”Lily was about to speak when she was interrupted by the doorbell.“I’ll get that”, Ash said, hurriedly making way for the door.“Who was that?” Lily asked , listening as the door shut quietly behind Ash.“Um-just Ricky “Li
“Are you sure you’re okay?”Will asked Lily who had just zoned out for the second time in ten minutes.“Hmm?”Lily's eyes immediately met his as she snapped back to reality . She gave a fake smile ,” Of course Will. Why do you ask?”“You seem…distracted. I was asking if you wouldn’t try out the food.”“Oh!”. She looked down at the brown paper bag on the table between her hands,” it’s just that I had a large breakfast today.”“Oh, that’s fine you can try it later”, he tried to hide the hurt in his voice but Lily noticed it.“You were about to invite me to something yesterday?”“Oh”, Will’s eyes lit up,” yes we went to an arcade but we could still go together today and probably get food afterwards?”“Sounds great”, Lily beamed.“So we leave by 7?”“Sure thing”.she smiled as Will smiled back and got up, exiting immediately.Within the next few hours, Lily got some work done with only a few thoughts of her boss intercepting her mind. She wondered often, if he was thinking about her too.It
Lily already knew what was going on when she got home and saw Ash arguing with Ricky in front of their house.Ash immediately stopped when she saw Lily in Ryder’s arms,” Lily? What happened??” She rushed over to them.“I’ll tell you inside”, Lily managed to muster.Ash went ahead of them to open the front door. Ryder went in first with Lily and placed her on the couch gently.Ash turned to Ryder,” You look familiar”, then her eyes lit up immediately like she had just remembered who he was” you are-““-my boss”, Lily cut in.“Of course” Ash said and stretched out her hand “Nice to meet you sir.”Ryder shook her hand briefly,” Nice to meet you too” He turned towards Lily “ you have time off until you get better. I’m so sorry about all these.”Lily nodded gratefully and watched as Ash escorted him out.It was a long ten minutes before Ash came back in.“What did Ricky want?”Lily asked, her eyes closed.Ash paused,she was obviously thinking on what to say.“And don’t lie to me Ash”,Lily a
“Honey, you haven’t touched your food “Ryder looked up to the two blonde heads staring right at him, one more look into their eyes and those stares will pierce right into his soul.“Uh- I’m not hungry.”Ryder shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to avoid the penetrating gazes. The restaurant, usually filled with warmth and laughter, now felt like a stage with him as the unwilling actor under the spotlight."Are you sure, honey?" Racheal asked with concern etched in her voice. "You’ve hardly eaten anything at all.”Ryder forced a smile, hoping it would be convincing enough. "Yeah, I’m just... tired, I guess."Reneé, Racheal’s mum narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Tired? Or is it something else?"Ryder's grip tightened around his fork. He hated being interrogated by Reneé, she always asked him questions like she knew him better than himself and it felt suffocating. "No" he replied shortly, his eyes darting to the untouched plate in front of him. "I’m tired and that’s all.”Ryder h
The clouds darkened as Ryder began to drive with Lily by his side. Low thunder rumbles could be heard from a distance. Rain.Ryder glanced at Lily who was busy reviewing some documents,” I think it’s about to rain “Lily looked up at the clouds ,”Yes. Do you want us to go back?”“No, I think we should keep going. Although, there are no umbrellas here.”“Hm.”The rain started, first with little droplets on the roof then it started pouring heavily.The rain was so loud that it was all they could hear, the environment was very dark too.The windshield wipers were working overtime and Ryder’s vision of the road decreased as he drove on.“I think we should park for a while”, Lily shouted so he could hear her.“Okay! Maybe somewhere in front!” he shouted back.Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the air as a massive branch broke off a tree. Lily screamed as the branch fell rapidly, crashing onto the road right in front of them.Ryder swerved sharply to the left to avoid the branch but wi
The dancers were already positioned at the center when Ryder and Lily re-emerged.“Where do we sit?”Ryder whispered to Lily.“Over here”, she gestured to a cozy corner beside the fireplace.They made their way quietly to the corner Lily had suggested and sat together. The warmth from the fire helped remove the remaining chills from the cold.Ryder glanced at Lily,her eyes shone with excitement as the dancers began to dance.A server approached them with a warm smile,” Hot cocoa”“Thanks”, Lily received the two mugs and handed one over to Ryder.“Have you ever been to a place like this?”Lily asked Ryder as she took a sip from her mug.“No”, Ryder said, staring into the cup which was filled with a swirl of whipped cream and cinnamon. He took a sip,”But, it’s nice. I wouldn’t mind coming here sometimes ""With you”, he added.Lily tried to hide her smile and looked away quickly.They sat in complete comfortable silence, sipping their hot cocoa and watching the dancers perform.The music s
Racheal’s room was a picture of opulence. The walls were adorned with intricate gold leaf patterns, and the ceiling boasted a grand chandelier that cast a warm, luxurious glow over the space. Plush velvet drapes in deep burgundy framed the tall windows, and a massive four-poster bed with silk sheets and an abundance of pillows dominated the room. Expensive artwork hung on the walls, and a large, ornate mirror reflected the grandeur of the room.Racheal paced back and forth, her designer heels clicking on the polished marble floor. She stopped in front of her friend, Emily, who was lounging on a chaise longue, sipping a glass of champagne."I just don't get it, Emily," Racheal said, her voice tinged with frustration. "Ryder used to be so devoted to me. Now he barely even looks my way."Emily raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of her drink. "Maybe he's just busy, or tired like he said Racheal. You know how things must be now at the company ."Racheal shook her head, her perfectly s
Racheal sped into the Banks family hallway like she was being chased,” Mrs. Banks? Mrs. Banks??”“I’m sorry Miss. The lady of the house just stepped out .”Racheal turned to see the door man who she had almost pushed off his feet behind the door,” What did you say? She told me to meet her right here in an hour.”“Yes Miss.But, she left indicating that your meeting with her would be held at dinner with the whole family tonight.”“Tonight?”“Yes miss, with Mr. Ryder and his new wife.”“Don’t call her that!”, she warned with her index finger,” she’s not his wife.”The doorman swallowed but didn’t say a word.Racheal stood still , thinking for a moment. Dinner with the whole family was even a better idea. Mrs. Banks loved her and whatever she had in mind was even going to be a better plan.“Okay then. I’ll be back”Ryder walked down the stairs slowly. He heard indistinct sounds from below- people whispering. It was 6:48pm now, almost dinner time. He was going to check on Lily. He met his
Racheal bolted up from the bed immediately her mom barged in, shouting at the top of her lungs, “RACHEAL!”A maid came running in too.“Open the curtains!”, Reneé ordered furiously.The lights almost blinded Racheal as the maid drew the curtains wide open.“Mom, what is it?”, Racheal slurred sleepily.Reneé was red with anger,” I thought you said you had the Ryder situation in control.”“I do mom”“Then, EXPLAIN THIS!”, she dumped a large news paper on Rachel’s lap.Ryder’s heart plopped into her stomach as she mouthed the headlines:‘HIGH PROFILE BILLIONAIRE HEIR, RYDER BANKS, TIES KNOT WITH MYSTERY WOMAN’Rachael stayed staring at the newspaper like she was still dreaming. Slowly she felt anger and frustration well up inside her with each second passing by.“How could he do this?”, she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief. She crumpled the edges of the newspaper, her knuckles turning white.Reneé's eyes narrowed as she watched Racheal's reaction. "I truste
Lily closed her eyes as the civil registrar enclosed the last document,”All set. You’re married now.”She heard Ryder’s mother whisper something to his father but she couldn’t make out what.Ash’s words kept ringing in her head throughout the arrangement,’you don’t have to do this Lily, you really don’t have to’She wished Ash was here by her side, maybe she wouldn’t feel as empty as she was feeling now. Sadly, Ash couldn’t be here as Ryder’s mother insisted that the abominable marriage shouldn’t be known by many.She was clearly upset about everything but time was running out for her son to find true love.“It’s going to be okay”. She looked up at Ryder who had just spoken to her and gave a weak smile.She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The room was filled with a tense silence, only broken by the occasional whisper and the rustling of papers. She felt Ryder’s hand gently squeeze hers, a small gesture of comfort amidst the chaos of her thoughts. They walked out of t
The familiar ceiling that met his eyes when they opened reminded Ryder instantly of where he was. Immediately, everything came rushing back into his mind from when he found Lily. He sat up immediately,” Where is she?”“Second room on the second floor sir. Should I send for her?”“No”, he replied the staff sharply,” I’ll go see her myself “Ryder wondered what time it was when he knocked on Lily’s door. He was about to knock the second time when she opened the door slowly. Her face was a swollen red-like she had been crying.Ryder felt an instant pang of guilt. He shouldn’t have been so hard on her. She suffered also and almost got raped. He was too ashamed to even apologize to her.He took a deep breath, trying to adjust his nerves,”I’m really sorry Lily. Please can we talk?”Lily shifted to the side, letting him inside before shutting the door quietly. She stood there, silent.Ryder walked a few steps before stopping in his tracks to look at her,” You can’t go back there.”“Please do
It was the third and final night of Ryder following Lily to the shelter. He had confirmed it, this was where she was staying. He had also gone as far as checking her old house and found out that there were indeed new residents staying there. He decided to bring it up to her the next day, even if he knew she’d be angry that he had been following her.He watched her step down from the bus and make way to the shelter. But, she stopped to receive a call from someone and didn’t go in immediately.She was alone outside. Ryder decided to make sure she watched her go in before driving away.He watched her from a distance. She was pacing to and fro and laughing at intervals during the call. The thought of her flirting with some guy made him feel a huge pang of jealousy.He was still watching her before he realized that he wasn’t the only one watching her too. Across the road from him, there was a shabby looking man watching her too.He looked suspicious, his eyes darting around nervously. Ryde
“Is there a problem Mr. Banks?”, Lily asked as she was shocked to see Ryder standing in front of her office door on her way out.“I told you that you could call me Ryder just between us,”“I'd rather keep it professional sir.”“Hm. I need to talk to you but it seems I never see you after work these days.”“I’m here to talk sir. You can come in”, she shifted and opened the door wider to let him in.“No. I meant outside the company. Can I take you home?”“No!”, she said a little too fast.“No?”“No?” Ryder echoed, raising an eyebrow.Lily took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. “I appreciate the offer, but I prefer to keep our interactions strictly professional. It's better that way.”Ryder looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “I understand. I just wanted to make sure you're doing okay. You’ve seemed a bit distant lately.”“I’m fine, really,” she insisted, forcing a smile.“Alright, can we talk tomorrow? Immediately you come” he said, turning to leave.“Of cou
Ash stood on the doorstep, the weight of the travel boxes and bags making her departure feel more real. As she shut the door behind her, she noticed a car drive in.She stopped in her tracks and watched the man in the passenger seat get out. It was Lily’s boss, Ryder.“Lily’s not here”, she said flatly. Her tone expressed a mix of anger and frustration.“Oh-I was wondering why she closed so early today. I wanted to-““-why she closed so early?”, she gave a cynical laugh, dropping the large bag in her hand to the ground with a loud thud. “ She closed early because she’s meant to close by 6pm on Fridays, that’s why.”Ryder looked taken aback at Ash’s rudeness,” I know, we sometimes have business outside the company.”“With all due respect sir,I don’t think that’ll be happening anymore ““Excuse me?”“You know, sometimes I wonder how she’s able to stand you. From the first night at the bar, to pretending you didn’t know her at the office. Then repeating the same thing two nights ago? How
The sun ray pierced Lily’s eyelids, nudging her awake from a deep slumber. She blinked a few times, her vision slowly adjusting to the soft, golden light that filled the room. The scent of aged wood and the faint aroma of breakfast wafted through the air, making her feel both comforted and slightly disoriented.She turned her head and saw Ryder standing by the window, his back to her as he buttoned up his shirt. The morning light cast a soft glow on his silhouette, highlighting the strong lines of his frame. His movements were deliberate, almost methodical, as if he had done this countless times . Right then, the realization hit her that he was preparing to leave."You’re leaving ?" she called out softly, her voice was a broken whisper, almost a cry. He turned to face her, a mixture of surprise and something else she couldn't quite place in his eyes, then he looked away immediately.“You’re doing this again?”“I don’t know what you mean.”“Well of course you do”, Lily said, gettin
Racheal’s room was a picture of opulence. The walls were adorned with intricate gold leaf patterns, and the ceiling boasted a grand chandelier that cast a warm, luxurious glow over the space. Plush velvet drapes in deep burgundy framed the tall windows, and a massive four-poster bed with silk sheets and an abundance of pillows dominated the room. Expensive artwork hung on the walls, and a large, ornate mirror reflected the grandeur of the room.Racheal paced back and forth, her designer heels clicking on the polished marble floor. She stopped in front of her friend, Emily, who was lounging on a chaise longue, sipping a glass of champagne."I just don't get it, Emily," Racheal said, her voice tinged with frustration. "Ryder used to be so devoted to me. Now he barely even looks my way."Emily raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of her drink. "Maybe he's just busy, or tired like he said Racheal. You know how things must be now at the company ."Racheal shook her head, her perfectly s