I will get 50k words written this month. Tomorrow is my last day of work for the year. I have been working from home with Covid side effects. Love Billie
Weeks later, Noah found himself alone in the boardroom of one of his London hotels. Lost in his own thoughts as he gazed out the window. Everyone else had already left the room. As he sat there, deep in thought, the door suddenly swung open, and his personal assistant, Jarrod, walked in. Noah remained unaware of Jarrod’s presence until his name was called multiple times. “Noah.” Jarrod said again. Noah swung around to face Jarrod, who had a frown on his face at Noah’s lack of awareness. “What is it?” “Sorry to disturb you. Ryan Hawkins is on line two.” Jarrod told him before backing out of the boardroom. Noah frowned. It was unlike Ryan to chase him down when he was in another country away for work. Reaching across the table, Noah lifted the phone sitting there on the boardroom table. Punching line two to answer the call. Bringing the handset to his ear. “Hi.” “Noah, thanks for taking my call, mate.” Ryan sounded relieved. “I left my mobile with reception. I just wrapped up a me
The soft murmur of voices surrounded April as she stood by her father’s coffin, holding onto Tally’s hand for support. The church was filled with mourners, some family, some distant friends of her late fathers, but April’s attention was fixed solely on the casket before her. Her father, once a pillar of strength, now lay in quiet repose, an almost peaceful expression on his face. The thought felt wrong, too final. There was so much more to say, so much left unsaid between them. The last few years of sickness had been telling on him. Even if she wished for more time. This earth could not hold him. His mind might have been sharp until the end, but his body hadn’t been. Tally, ever the rock, stood by her side, squeezing her hand lightly in support. She hadn’t known Tally long, but in the time they had spent together, Tally had become April’s anchor. April’s heart felt heavy with gratitude, and yet the weight of her secrets almost choked her. Her friends from university couldn’t be with h
April made her way outside as soon as the service had finished. She had been relieved. It had started at the prefect time when Noah had said her name, not giving her time to talk. The courtyard was eerily quiet despite the low murmur of voices from mourners lingering nearby. The cold air wrapped around April, but she barely noticed. Her focus was on the man standing a few feet away, his gaze sharp, searching. Noah.He had followed her out after the funeral service, his long strides full of purpose. She could feel the weight of his presence, the tension radiating between them, thick and undeniable. He still didn’t know who she was, and she needed to keep it that way.April’s fingers curled into the fabric of her dress as she forced herself to remain still, composed. When she finally spoke, she kept her voice soft, careful. Not hiding her voice from him, but speaking softly instead, hoping that was enough. “Can I help you with something?” She said, spinning around to face him after she
On the drive back to the estate, she enjoyed the quiet and solitude. April sat stiffly in the back seat of the black town car, her fingers clenched tightly in her lap as she stared out the window. The funeral had been draining, but she had little time to grieve. Her father’s will was about to be read, and she knew it wouldn’t be a quiet affair. The rest of the mourners would be heading back for drinks and food, as her father’s lawyer read William Harrington’s will in the privacy of her father’s office.David had made it clear where he stood, and she had no doubt he believed himself entitled to everything her father had built. But William Harrington had never been a man to let others dictate his decisions. If there was one thing her father had been adamant about, it was control and there would be no splitting the estate.The estate loomed ahead, its grandeur somehow colder today. As the car rolled to a stop, April exhaled slowly. Tally was already waiting for her near the entrance, stan
The manor was filled with murmurs and the clinking of glasses as mourners settled into the grand halls and sitting rooms, drinking her father’s expensive whiskey and picking at the catered food. April moved through the crowd with a practiced ease, nodding politely when necessary but never stopping long enough for conversation. The years she had been away, she had learnt how to handle crowds. How to be polite during social gatherings. A funeral was no different.She had barely had a moment to breathe since the reading of the will. The weight of her father’s empire sat on her shoulders now, and she could already feel the vultures circling. Her uncle. His wife. Their spoiled daughter. Plus, she watched her father’s second in charge and CFO and their families.Let’s not forget the extended family that had only ever cared about William Harrington for what he could offer them. They were all here, their condolences empty, their eyes sharp with greed.Spotting Tally and Ryan near the grand fir
April held her ground as David’s furious gaze bore into her, his entire body tense with barely contained rage. The night air felt charged, thick with the weight of unsaid threats.April arched a brow at his last words. She would not regret anything when it came to him, refusing to let him see even a flicker of fear. “Don’t worry, David. I’ve never needed your help before, and I certainly won’t start now.”His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists, and for a brief second, she thought he might actually lose control. But before he could take another step toward her, Noah moved.Quick. Decisive.One second, he was standing beside Ryan, and the next, he was in front of her, blocking David’s path entirely. His voice was calm, but there was a lethal edge beneath it.“I suggest you walk away before you say something you’ll regret.”David let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You think I’m afraid of you, boy?”Noah tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. “No. I think you should
Noah stared at the woman in front of him.April.May.They were the same person.His chest tightened as he stared at her—the long black hair spilling over her shoulders, the striking sea-green eyes he could lose himself in. His mind reeled, scrambling to make sense of it, but the truth was already staring him in the face.The lighting in the club that night and later had been terrible. If he had seen her eyes in daylight, he would have known.He took a few more steps forward, making sure he wasn’t seeing things. No. It was plain as day now.Standing in front of him was the woman he had been trying to find for months.May Jones was April Harrington.He hadn’t slept with some stranger in a nightclub. He had slept with his wife.April’s expression shifted from surprise to guarded caution as she stood from the chaise lounge, her movements slow. She didn’t take her eyes off him. She didn’t speak right away, but he saw the tension in her frame, the way her fingers clenched at her sides.“Noa
April’s hands curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she stared at the man in front of her. The man who had been her husband for four years. The man who had humiliated her, ignored her, and lived his life as if she had never existed.“I can get a divorce if I want one, Noah. Nothing can stop me. You think this changes anything?” she asked, voice sharp. “You think just because you found out who I am, suddenly things are different?”Noah’s jaw tightened. “I think it changes everything.”April let out a bitter laugh. “Of course you do. Because now the joke isn’t on you anymore, right?” She took a step closer, anger and hurt burning inside her. “But let me ask you this, Noah. Would anything have changed if you had known back then? Would you have treated me differently? Or would you have still taken my father’s money and done exactly what you did?”His eyes flickered with frustration. “April—”“You did take the money, didn’t you?” she pressed, her voice shaking.
A tense silence filled the boardroom, thick and suffocating. The weight of what had just happened settled like a storm cloud over the table. April sat motionless, watching as David fumed, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His breathing was shallow, the vein at his temple pulsed dangerously. He was trying to mask his anger, but she saw the barely restrained fury in his eyes.He had lost. And he just didn’t know it yet.Neil Harper broke the silence, his voice smooth but firm. “As per David Harrington’s request, do we have a second for a no-confidence vote?”April looked around the room, waiting, her gaze sharp. The silence stretched unbearably long. David looked shocked when no one raised their hand straight away, and for a brief, satisfying moment, she thought maybe even his allies were hesitant. But then, the oldest board member, Arnold Hayes, lifted his hand.Of course, it was him.One of those men who had built his career in an era where women were nothi
April adjusted the cuffs of her blazer, smoothing the lapels as she stared at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows of Harrington Enterprises’ top-floor boardroom. The city skyline stretched behind her, but she barely saw it. Today wasn’t just any meeting… it was war.She had been expecting resistance, but the more she uncovered, the more disgusted she became. Her uncle, David Harrington, had been scheming for years, waiting for the day her father would pass so he could claim what he saw as his rightful place. But William Harrington had left everything to April. The company. The shares. The legacy.And David was furious.April turned away from the window, her heart steady despite the storm brewing inside. Across the boardroom table sat the key players in today’s power struggle. Her former father’s right-hand man, Fred Coolman, the now-disgraced CFO, Mitchell Grant, and a handful of board members she knew had aligned with them. They just didn’t know it yet. They had no idea sh
The laughter still echoed through April’s brownstone as the night stretched on, the conversation growing more relaxed now that the big revelation was out in the open. April had expected more resistance, more anger, but after the initial shock, her friends had simply adjusted. It was strange…almost too easy, but maybe that was what real friendship was.They had known her for a few years now, after all. May Jones, April Harrington, like Tally had said, she was still the same person.Trent leaned back against the couch, swirling his wine. “You know, I keep thinking about something.”April sighed, already bracing herself. “Should I be worried?”Trent smirked. “You’re always worried. But no, it’s just… I remember reading some gossip piece a few years back about you. April Harrington… I mean, you.”April tensed, her fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. “Oh?”Poppy arched a brow. “Wait, I remember that too. Something about April Harrington getting married to some rich heir and the
April wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, glancing at the dining table one last time. Everything was perfect. The table was set; the wine was breathing, and the scent of roasted garlic and herbs filled the air.So why did she feel like she was about to walk into an ambush?“April, breathe,” Tally’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.April turned to where Tally stood at the counter, slicing fresh bread with practiced ease. Unlike April, who had been running around the kitchen for the past ten minutes like a chicken with its head cut off, Tally looked completely relaxed.“I am breathing,” April muttered, running her hands over the front of her dress. “I just... I don’t know how they’re going to take this.”Tally had offered to be here tonight. A quiet pillar of support for what April was worried about what would be a difficult conversation. How did you explain to your friends that you’d been keeping your identity a secret? That the May Jones they had known for years was actually A
Noah pulled up in front of Ryan and Tally’s house for the second time in a week. But this time, his gut wasn’t twisting with dread. He wasn’t walking into a nightmare. No life-shattering news awaited him.And yet, he still sat in his car for a moment, gripping the wheel, exhaling slowly as if trying to steady himself.His mind was still reeling from what he had learned the last time he was here. He had fathered a child—a child he had never known about, never even had the chance to fight for. And now, he never would. That reality wasn’t something he could just shake off. It clung to him, burrowed deep into his chest like a wound that refused to close. The fact that he had been kept in the dark only made his hatred for Ashley even more raw.But he wasn’t here to drown in that grief today. He had drunk enough this past week to sink any ship. But it hadn’t helped. He needed to deal with it and move on. Like Ryan had. For years, his best friend had believed the baby was his.Then Ryan had t
Noah pulled up to Ryan and Tally’s house, cutting the engine. He sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, his gut twisting. Something was off. He had heard it in Ryan’s voice when he called earlier today.“Come over for dinner,” Ryan had said. “There’s something we need to talk about. Something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you sooner.” And that was the problem.They were close, always had been. Ryan could tell him anything, and yet here Noah was, parked outside his friend’s house, gut churning with unease. It had been two days since William’s funeral. If Ryan had waited this long, it meant whatever he had to say wasn’t just important—it was something Noah wasn’t going to like.Exhaling sharply, Noah pushed open the car door.Before he could even knock, the front door swung open. Tally stood there, arms crossed, her expression too careful, too controlled.That was the second sign something was wrong.“Hey, Noah.” Her voice was soft, deliberate.His brows
April’s hands curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms as she stared at the man in front of her. The man who had been her husband for four years. The man who had humiliated her, ignored her, and lived his life as if she had never existed.“I can get a divorce if I want one, Noah. Nothing can stop me. You think this changes anything?” she asked, voice sharp. “You think just because you found out who I am, suddenly things are different?”Noah’s jaw tightened. “I think it changes everything.”April let out a bitter laugh. “Of course you do. Because now the joke isn’t on you anymore, right?” She took a step closer, anger and hurt burning inside her. “But let me ask you this, Noah. Would anything have changed if you had known back then? Would you have treated me differently? Or would you have still taken my father’s money and done exactly what you did?”His eyes flickered with frustration. “April—”“You did take the money, didn’t you?” she pressed, her voice shaking.
Noah stared at the woman in front of him.April.May.They were the same person.His chest tightened as he stared at her—the long black hair spilling over her shoulders, the striking sea-green eyes he could lose himself in. His mind reeled, scrambling to make sense of it, but the truth was already staring him in the face.The lighting in the club that night and later had been terrible. If he had seen her eyes in daylight, he would have known.He took a few more steps forward, making sure he wasn’t seeing things. No. It was plain as day now.Standing in front of him was the woman he had been trying to find for months.May Jones was April Harrington.He hadn’t slept with some stranger in a nightclub. He had slept with his wife.April’s expression shifted from surprise to guarded caution as she stood from the chaise lounge, her movements slow. She didn’t take her eyes off him. She didn’t speak right away, but he saw the tension in her frame, the way her fingers clenched at her sides.“Noa
April held her ground as David’s furious gaze bore into her, his entire body tense with barely contained rage. The night air felt charged, thick with the weight of unsaid threats.April arched a brow at his last words. She would not regret anything when it came to him, refusing to let him see even a flicker of fear. “Don’t worry, David. I’ve never needed your help before, and I certainly won’t start now.”His jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists, and for a brief second, she thought he might actually lose control. But before he could take another step toward her, Noah moved.Quick. Decisive.One second, he was standing beside Ryan, and the next, he was in front of her, blocking David’s path entirely. His voice was calm, but there was a lethal edge beneath it.“I suggest you walk away before you say something you’ll regret.”David let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “You think I’m afraid of you, boy?”Noah tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. “No. I think you should