Ariella expected to see Kelvin still standing outside but he was nowhere around the area. She could not help the feeling of relief that washed through her. Even though she had been ready to damn the consequences during the confrontation with Hannah, she was glad it didn't result in her fear for the past few months.Hannah was a very malicious person and with what she had just told her about using Kelvin, Hannah would go to any length to ruin them if she knew that she was pregnant with Kelvin’s child because it would ruin her plans.Ariella hurried back to the private room and spotted him at the table, sitting with his back to her. As she rushed to him, she realised he was on a phone call. In any other cases, she would have let him finish but not today. She tapped him and he looked at her and gestured that he was on the phone. She ignored his action, “We need to leave now!” Ariella insisted, pulling his arm. “A minute, it's important,” he told her with a deep frown etched on his h
“I met Hannah,” Ariella repeated.“Did she…?” Mariam licked her lips and gave a nervous laugh, “Did she see the both of you together?”“No. Thankfully, she didn’t. My legs were swollen this morning, so Kelvin was worried and would not listen when I said it was just pregnancy and all its troubles. He decided to take me to the hospital. We had to stop by a restaurant because I was hungry, but all the food there smelled bad, and I felt like throwing up. I rushed into the female bathroom, not knowing she was in the one next to me. We bumped into each other when we were coming out to wash our hands.”“Nah, that was so wrong,” Mariam groaned, “What did she say? What did she do? I know she would never let you leave without saying anything. That bitch,”Ariella narrated the whole event to her, and by the time she was done, Miriam was vibrating with anger on her behalf. “The audacity of that woman! Why didn't you break those skinny bones of hers when she grabbed you?” Mariam gritted through c
Hannah sat with her hands clasped in her laps and with a dark look in her eyes as she watched her personal bodyguard approach her with a dull look.She already knew what that look means. There was bad news and Hannah was unsure if she was prepared to hear it because something told her it would not only ruin her day, but it would ruin all her future plans and would make all the hard work of the past look like a failure.“Miss Bailey,” her guard, Jordan called as he came to a halt in front of her. “I…” he trailed off as he took in a deep breath.“It’s that bad, huh?” Hannah asked him with her face wrinkled in a frown. “It is really bad, Miss Bailey,”Hannah shut her eyes for a moment as she prepared her heart for what was to come, “Shoot,”“As you feared, Ariella is really pregnant with Mr. Patrick’s child.”Hannah could hear the sound of her heart dropping from her chest to hee stomach and then down and splattering on the floor in shattered pieces.“I’m so sorry, Miss Bailey,” Jordan
“Kelvin wants us to return with him,” Ariella said two days later while she and Mariam were having breakfast after Kelvin had left for wherever he went every morning. “And before you start complaining, he said we can come back anytime we want. Well, after I have given birth.”“Great,” Mariam dropped her fork and placed her hands on the table before clasping it together, “He was the one who wanted you to stay longer, and I was beginning to think that he was trying to get rid of you. His behavior since two days ago says otherwise. It showed that he actually cares about you and…”“Mariam,” Arialla shot her a dirty look.Mariam ignored her and continued to speak like Ariella did not try to stop her, “Did you ask him why he suddenly wants you to go back?”“I did not ask him, but I think it has something to do with me bumping into Hannah at the restaurant two days ago,”“Yeah, right. That bitch. She is the reason we’ve been indoors for two days. She just had to appear everywhere we are and
Ariella felt her throat close up, and she swallowed thickly and folded her arms across her chest, “Alright, shoot,”“Don’t you think you need to sit first? Don’t want you to fall and blame your miscarriage on me,”“Are you cursing her?” Mariam growled in anger.“Take it as you like, but I won’t say anything unless the both of you are seated,” Hannah also folded her hand across her chest as she watched Mariam and Ariella look at each other. Ariella nodded at Mariam before the both of them sat on the couch opposite Hannah’s.“We are both seated. Now talk,” Mariam said.“Hmm,” Hannah bit her bottom lip, “I am not here for any reason. Just came to visit my dear pregnant friend,”A deep scowl appeared on Mariam’s face, “Don’t okay with us. Say what’s on your mind or make use of the door,”Hannah turned to look at Ariella, completely ignoring Mariam, “I asked you the other day in the bathroom, but you refused to answer me. I’m here to ask you again and for the last time. Who got you pregnan
“Her visit is strange in so many ways?” Mariam said minutes after Hannah left as she paced in front of Ariella.“What do you think is so strange about it? I knew she would find a way to locate me,”“Hee appearance is not that surprising. For one, Hannah is someone who is manipulative and would do shit to your face without thinking twice. When I told you not to say who got you pregnant with your mouth, mg kind told me she might be recording it to use it against you,”“Oh, hell. Why didn’t I think about it like that?” She’s been so focused on hearing what Hannah had to say she did not think twice. Thank God for Mariam.“Yeah. It was strange that she wanted you to say it when it was plain already who the father of your child is,” Mariam paused right in front of Ariella, biting her finger in agitation. “From the little I know and have heard about her, Hannah prefers to partake in cat fights, she’s never been the calm type but she’s calm right now. She is planning something, I just know it
“You are here,” Ariella said as she stood up and watched Kelvin walk towards them with his hands shoved inside the pockets of his suit pants.“Hannah was here,” Kelvin said when he got to them.It wasn’t a question but a statement. Mariam and Ariella shared a look before Ariella replied.“Yes, Hannah was here.”“And what did she say she wanted?” “She found out you were the one who got me pregnant. She came to warn me to stay away from you because you belonged to her,”“I don’t belong to anybody. She asked you to stay away, how?”Ariella shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe you should ask her since the both of you are—” “Ariella,” Mariam called, stopping her from completing her sentence.“What?” Kelvin asked Mariam with raised brows, “Let her finish it. I want her to,”Ariella sighed, “Don’t worry about what I was going to say. She just asked me to stay away from you,”Kelvin looked like he was going to push and insist that she complete her sentence that she left hanging but thought better
They were up and arranging their luggage to leave the next morning and the ones they couldn’t take with them at that time so as not to miss their flights were left behind. According to Kelvin, someone would pack it up and send it over for them.The flight back home was very quiet except for when Ariella had to throw up because of the smell of the plane and then the food that was served. And also when Mariam was having a little conversation with Ariella.“My manager who was even calling to ask that I extend my vacation is suddenly all over me and telling me she has a lot of things planned out and that I won’t be free until a very long time. What’s wrong with her? Why do I suddenly have my plate full when it was not like this two days ago?” Mariam complained as she glared at her phone. “She told me this last night and I’m in a piss poor mood,”“Uhmm, maybe she accepted all the jobs that came in last night after she heard that you were coming back. You like the job, why are you suddenly
Sophia’s POVThey did not know. I could see it in their eyes as they looked at one another and as they whispered. I knew that my mother and father could hear everything they were saying but these people seem to have forgotten as they continued to talk in hushed tones among themselves.It's been three days since my mother walked into my room and found me looking like I was well over thirty five years. She had immediately raised alarm and called my father into the room. He was just as shocked as we were when he saw my appearance. He stopped at the door as his jaw dropped open in shock before he rushed over to me and grabbed my face in his hands, his eyes wide in alarm as he turned my face left and right the same way mother did. Three days later, I looked like I was over forty five to fifty years old. The first day, we kept it a secret among the family as they tried to analyze the situation and check if I was using something that was making my face look old but nothing I had was harmful
Joanne's POVThe sun shone through my window early the next morning, throwing the light across my room. I woke up feeling refreshed but also aware of the chaos from the night before. My head was still buzzing with thoughts about Poppy and Collins. "I need to blend in today," I told myself as I got out of bed.After getting ready, I decided to keep things simple. I pulled on a comfortable outfit and tied my hair back. “Just a quiet day,” I said, nodding at my reflection. “Nothing too dramatic.”I made my way through the halls of the hotel, trying to avoid any unnecessary attention. As I walked, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Mia catching up.“Joanne!” she called out, her face a mix of concern and fear. “I’m so glad I found you! I wanted to talk about what happened last night.”“Hey, Mia!” I replied, forcing a smile. “Don’t worry about it! I’m fine.”“No, I really need to apologize,” she insisted, her hands waving in front of her. “I should have immediately when you saw al
Joanne's POV As the night wore on, I felt energy pulsating around me. The music, the laughter—all of it made me want to keep going. But I noticed Mia and Lila starting to sway a bit on their feet.“Hey, you two,” I said, waving them over. “Are you alright?”Mia yawned dramatically. “I think it’s time for us to call it a night,” she said, stifling another yawn. “I’m so tired!”“Yeah, I’m with you,” Lila agreed, rubbing her eyes. “Tonight was fun, but I can’t keep my eyes open.”“Alright, get some rest!” I replied, grinning. “You both deserve it after a long night of dancing!”Mia smiled back. “Thanks, Joanne. You did amazing tonight!” “Yeah, you really showed Poppy! I can’t wait to hear about all the chaos you plan to cause!” Lila laughed, throwing her arms around me for a quick hug.“Trust me, I have plans for the next two weeks,” I said with a smirk. “Poppy’s going to know exactly who she’s dealing with.”“Good luck with that!” Mia joked. “Just don’t let her drive you crazy!”“Neve
Joanne's POVI sat in the garden, tears pouring down my cheeks. The news about the tournament cancellation hit me hard, and I felt lost. After everything I had hoped for, this moment seemed unbearable. I tried to wipe my eyes, but every thought about the tournament made my heart sink deeper.“Joanne!” I heard Silver call from a distance. I looked up and saw her rushing toward me, worry etched on her face.“What’s wrong?” she asked, kneeling next to me. “You look devastated!”“I am,” I admitted, sniffing. “They canceled the tournament! Everything I prepared for is gone!”“Hey, hey! Don’t cry!” Silver said, her tone soothing. “Wipe those tears away. We need you calm down and see poor Cassian, he is a blubbering mess!”“I don’t even know how to feel,” I said, my voice shaky. “It was everything I wanted. Now it’s all up in flames!”“Maybe it’s not over yet!” Silver said. “You don’t know what might happen next.”“I can’t believe this,” I whispered, struggling to calm down. Silver put her
JOANNE The maids went on to assign us to rooms as they read from their tablets our names and the room we were to be in. “I'm still quite surprised that you followed me all the way here,” I whispered to Amara who stood beside me. “ You make it look like I haven't been here since,” she replied. “ You know, you don't have to accompany me,” I said, genuinely not wanting to burden her. Since this was a contest to select the bride for the Lycan King, we'd be staying at the palace until the contest is over. “ It's a little too much to be saying accompany, though you're not wrong,” she nodded her head not wanting to admit that she was worried. “You make me wonder if I'm weak,” I mumbled. “I heard you by the way and you know that's not the case,” she folded her arms. “I simply need to ensure that you are safe and I mean, knowing how unsociable you are, it would be a lot easier for you if you had your best friend with you,” she gave me a thumbs up and
As Ariella moved from boutique to boutique, buying both the things she wanted and the things she needed, swiping Kelvin’s card here and there, it almost felt like the burden she’s been carrying inside of her was lessening. It was the same as when people cut themselves to bleed out so that they could feel better.Her driver for today was not the one she was familiar with. Anytime she picked something, his eyes would widen but she did not care. She did not know if he was surprised because of the multiple things she was buying or the prices of these things. She was trying hard not to look at the price herself because anytime her eyes went to the price, she could feel her heart beating faster than normal in her chest. He was following her so closely like he was her bodyguard. Maybe Kelvin did care about his child after all. She’s never seen this man before so he might as well be a bodyguard disguised as her driver. This made her relax a whole lot and enjoy her shopping. She ignored Mar
Joanne's POV Silver had already left the room and I was as exhausted as fuck. I wanted to take a walk to clear my head After spending some time in the garden and then at the party, I finally made my way back to my room for probably the 100th time today. I slumped onto my bed, feeling a mix of exhaustion and lingering tension. The events of the day swirled in my mind, and I needed a moment to regroup.“Ugh, what a day,” I muttered to myself, staring up at the ceiling. I rolled over and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. “Maybe talking to Nathan will help me clear my head.”I dialed his number and waited. It rang a couple of times before I heard his familiar voice. “Hey, Joanne! What’s up?”“Nathan! Just checking in,” I said, smiling a little. “How's everything back at home?”“Busy as usual,” he replied, sounding cheerful. “Dad is still buried in those pack reports, you know how he is. But Mom misses you! She keeps asking when you’ll be back.”“I miss her too! I can’t wait to see h
The people around them let out loud gasps of surprise at the same time Kyra did.Her hand slowly lifted to touch her burning cheek as she winced in disbelief. “How dare you suggest that we find a way to clean up my dress? We? Clean? Do you know how much I got this dressed? It was tailored just for me to wear to this party, yet you ruined it by walking around like a blind bat!” The lady yelled, her face creasing with angry lines.Kyra was still dumbfounded by the slap that she just kept on staring at the lady without a word making its way past her lips. “What? Cat got your tongue now?” The lady continued to yell as if oblivious to the fact that all attention was on them or that Anton was now walking down to where she and Kyra were standing. “Just a few days ago you were sold off like a slave because you shamelessly went to get yourself pregnant with Tristan’s child, and today you think you are a princess again because Alpha Anton bought you and brought you to this party? Better think
Ariella fidgeted nervously and wiggled her hands together. She had received a call from the hospital five hours ago that her mother collapsed. Her mother's surgery that was scheduled for five weeks later has been brought forward because of this. The doctor was demanding money for the surgery, and she also had outstanding debt for the drugs her mother's doctor was kind enough to give to her on credit. After her father's death, Ariella's mother fell ill, so she had to drop out of college and look for a job. In the process of looking for a job, she met an agent, who helped her secure a position to become a model. Since Ariella was beautiful and had a good shape for modeling, she was able to get a spot in the company, but she could never go far. She had no connection, she was not willing to sell her body. Most of her resources were snatched by the other models. Even after two years in the modeling industry, she was not making enough money to take care of her mother's medical bills