Chapter 34"You would have to go to the school. You were invited," Yvonne told me, giving me a pleading look. I didn't want to. The last one I went to, I regretted it but it was for the best. I knew that. I wanted to shake my head but agreed later. The event had to do with encouraging younger generations to have ambitions and aim higher. I knew this was helping my reputation but it was hectic and strategic, not manipulative. Finishing up the files that needed attention, I rose to my feet and exited the office. Making my way to the car, Yvonne had already settled at the front. I entered, exhaling deeply as I pulled out my phone to check the stock exchange rate and also go through the news. Yvonne tried to fill me in on the issues with other clients but I stopped her mid way. I needed to focus on the script I would reading to the kids even though she had taken care of it. I needed to make sure it was proper and not excess. Finally, we reached the entrance and we were let in. One of t
JESSICA’S POV “Good morning,” Brian greeted the moment he stepped into the office. I glanced up at him and took note of his dressing pattern. If there was one thing to always adore about Brian Knox, it was his style of dressing. It was always distinct and HIM. I schooled my face into indifference and didn't bother standing to take his hand. He stopped before my desk, staring at me with... Cold eyes? I blanched but caught myself. “You have your seat.” At least he knew proper etiquette. He sat, splaying his arms on his thighs as he looked up at me. “I'm sorry the notice came late to meet. Bishop has been busy with taking care of some things and I didn't get the time to talk to you.” I apologized first. It has been two weeks since our meeting at the party and he must have thought that I was avoiding him because of what had happened. I didn't blame him. He shouldn't have lost control like that. “I understand. I've also been busy with other things. Let us get straight to the po
ANGELA’S POV My feet tapped against the floor as anxiety gnawed at me. My heart beat erratically in my chest as I stared down at the caller’s ID brightened on my phone screen. Why was he calling me? Hasn't he done enough? The pain? The torture? The torment? Is it not enough? I hated biting my nails but here I was biting them like they were the only things that ascertained the fact that I was alive and not dead. Royals was doing way too much and I was running out of time. If I didn't get what I wanted, I might have to bend to his will. The ringing stopped and relief washed through me. It was short-lived because he dialed it again and the ringing tone of my phone blared loudly. With trembling hands, I picked it up and answered, hoping my voice didn't give away how fearful I was. If he noticed, he would prey on it and that would be worse than it was already. I swallowed hard, clearing my throat. “Why are you calling me? Aren't we done already?” I asked him almost immediately. He
BRIAN’S POV I watched the ladies who were busy clinging to stupid men who did nothing but spend their money drinking and whiling away time. I scrunched my nose in disgust as the ladies giggled and the men laughed out loud. I let out a hiss as I twirled the glass of whiskey. “You really should not have overacted in that way.” David chastised as we both sat before the counter. I knew it was just a matter of time before he would talk about it. I closed my eyes briefly, hating the fact that I was reminded again.BRIAN’S POV I watched the ladies who were busy clinging to stupid men who did nothing but spend their money drinking and whiling away time. I scrunched my nose in disgust as the ladies giggled and the men laughed out loud. I let out a hiss as I twirled the glass of whiskey. “You really should not have overacted in that way.” David chastised as we both sat before the counter. I knew it was just a matter of time before he would talk about it. I closed my eyes briefly, hating the
BRIAN’S POV “Brian, do you think I should wear this dress?” Angela asked for the umpteenth time, showing me a purple dress I knew that it would not fit her but I nodded a yes because I wanted to be done with all these. After she had dragged me to the boutique, all I wanted was to leave as soon as possible. A frown crossed her features and I momentarily held my breath to see whether she wanted to continue or just pick the damn gown and get out of this place. Thankfully, she took it and we headed to the receptionist. After paying, we exited the boutique and drove straight for the house. There was a business party and I was invited. I couldn't go there without a date so I asked Angela to accompany me. She went on to ramble on how she didn't have the perfect for the party. I got tired and took her to the boutique. On reaching the house, I went to my office to sort a few things before going into my room to change. The event was happening in the evening which was a few hours from
Chapter 39 BRIAN’S POV Freddy stepped closer to me, holding my stare as a smirk curled on the edges of his lips. “What do I want?” He asked quietly. I arched my brow. “Yes, what do you want exactly?” “How does it feel to watch your wife hanging around my arms, huh? You must feel extremely jealous.” He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. I knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to rile me up and I would not lie, he was doing a great job at it. My fist clenched tight in a grasp as my jaw hardened, glaring daggers at him. I was not going to act on impulse. This would only make Jessica weary of me. I should not… “Have you ever thought of how she moans in my bed? When I take her deep and hard? How she begs to control her? Dominate her? Ruin her?” He leaned closer as he whispered the last words. “Do you even want to know how she looks forward to sleeping at night with me? How she send me love texts every now and then at work? Guess, you missed all of that when you were
Chapter 40 JESSICA’S POV “How did the business party go last night?” Bishop asked, taking me by surprise. He never asked about things like that but then… “Met with some of father’s business associates and I asked them to support me when the need arises.” I sighed, taking off my glasses. “Those old men cannot be fully trusted. Seeing the way they turned on your father when he died, I would say you shouldn't trust anyone of them. They are all twisted.” He explained. I nodded, taking in what he said. Over the past few years, Bishop has made sure I didn't have to depend on any of them and he kept reminding me why I should not depend on them. They were nothing but wolves looking for who to prey and considering the way most of them were against my taking over the empire, I learned the hard way. At some point, I took it upon myself to prove to them that I was more than that but after Bishop lectured me. We had lost a million-dollar deal to one of them and I had been depressed, worrie
BRIAN’ S POV “Yes, Violeta. Send the emails to them and make sure to finish up the files.” I said as I walked into Holly Empire, barely responding to the greeting from a passerby. “Also, make sure that the files with Holly are done before tonight. We are lagging behind.” I told her. “Okay, sir.” She responded. I disconnected the call, swiping my access card on the access control. I walked into the elevator, letting out a deep sigh as I clicked the ninth floor. Just as the elevator closed up, someone pushed their leg forward, stopping it from closing and I lifted a confused look up to see Bishop who tilted his head to the side. He came to stand beside me, dipping one of his hands into his pocket. “Good morning,” He greeted. “Morning to you too,” I replied, keeping my focus forward. We didn't talk to each other after that. Reaching the seventh floor, Bishop stepped out while I continued to the ninth floor. I had a meeting with Jessica and I knew I was on time today. Getting the
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expres
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expression
The quiet hum of the office enveloped Jessica as she worked diligently at her desk. The papers strewn before her detailed the intricacies of her latest case, but her focus faltered as her mind wandered. The events of the last few days had been overwhelming, to say the least. The precinct was still reeling from the chaos surrounding Angela's arrest, and tension hung in the air like an oppressive fog. Jessica leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples as a faint headache began to pulse. She was no stranger to pressure, but something about this situation felt more complex than usual, as though there were pieces to the puzzle she hadn’t yet discovered. A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. She straightened her posture, masking her fatigue with a professional demeanor. "Come in," she called, her voice steady. The door creaked open, and Bishop stepped inside. He moved with the calculated confidence of someone who always knew more than he let on. His expression w
BRIAN’S POV I stared at my phone, tapping my fingers against the desk as the ringtone droned on for the third time. No answer. Grey wasn’t exactly the most reliable guy when it came to picking up calls, but this felt different. The longer the silence stretched, the tighter the knot in my stomach became. He should’ve answered by now. Something wasn’t right. I hung up and dialed again, muttering under my breath. “Come on, Grey. Pick up.” Still nothing. Before I could decide whether to leave another message, my phone buzzed in my hand. An unknown number lit up the screen. For a second, I debated ignoring it, but instinct told me to answer. “This is Brian,” I said sharply. “Brian, this is Officer Carter from the precinct.” The name took a second to register. Carter. I’d spoken to him before—back when Angela first got arrested. His tone wasn’t urgent, but it wasn’t casual, either. “What’s going on?” I asked, already bracing myself for bad news. There was a pause
**Angela’s POV** The metallic clang of the prison gate echoed behind me, a sound I thought I’d never hear again. For three long months, those gates had been my reality—cold, unyielding, and suffocating. Now, they were shutting behind me, leaving a hollow sense of disbelief in their wake. I took a hesitant step forward, my heart pounding in my chest as I squinted into the sunlight. Freedom felt foreign, as though I’d stepped into someone else’s life. A black car idled by the curb, sleek and polished, standing out against the drab prison exterior. I had no idea who was responsible for my release. The last time I’d heard from anyone, it was Brian's failed attempt to see me, blocked by the guards. I thought about him for a brief moment, then quickly shoved the thought away. The driver exited the car and opened the back door, gesturing for me to enter. I hesitated until I saw her. Sophia White. My mother. She stepped out of the car with the grace of someone who always command