AdrianI watched as her jaws tensed and her nostrils flared as she tried to keep herself together. But I wasn't lying. She did look like she'd pass out, soon. She looked different from the composed woman I'd met the previous day. Her face was pale despite the flush of the skin, her hair tussled, and her eyes were filled with exhaustion.This made me wonder what happened within the twenty hours after our discussion that forced her to change her mind.My eyes trailed from her face to her upright posture, her muscles were stiff. I knew she didn't want to be here but she had no choice. Her defiance though, was still there, a fire that I wasn't used to seeing from her. One I would have to quench because although I needed her, she needed me the most.The door opened and Lana walked in, holding a tray carrying a glass of cold juice. She closed the distance and placed it in front of Ara before leaving.Ara stared at the drink for a moment, scowling as she pushed it to the side."I don't need
Arabella:I stared at my reflection, barely seeing the dress clinging to my body. A simple white maxi, silver stones trailing to my ankles. My hair was pulled into a sleek bun, my makeup subtle, making me look like the perfect bride.The dress was beautiful, elegant, and perfect. Too perfect for something so fake.But fake or not, it was happening. I was going to walk down the aisle with Adrian Davidson. It was ironic that I'd once dreamed of this moment with him but now, the thought left a bitter taste in my mouth."I must say that of all the women he has brought for me to dress, you are the most stunning," A heavily French-accented voice said behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. Lifting my eyes, they clashed with Brigitte's sharp gaze through the mirror.As Adrian's stylist, she had done a good job transforming me into his perfect bride. And now, I also know that she'd dressed numerous women for him. For some reason, that made my stomach tighten.Brigitte scanned me in approva
Arabella:I froze when I opened the door to my apartment. Sky and my grandma were pacing about in the living room area with their phones glued to their ears and when they saw me, their movements halted.My heartbeat quickened, my hands shaking on the door handle. What was Sky doing here? I wasn't ready to face her yet."Bella, where the hell have you been?" Sky asked, her face softening with relief as she dropped her phone. "Ruth has been worried the whole day"My gaze shifted to my grandma, who was staring at me inquisitively, then to the clock on the wall behind her. I noted the time. I had been gone for almost seven hours. She was bound to be worried, especially as I'd run out this morning without saying a word to her."I just stepped out for a while to get something done. You shouldn't have called Sky to bother her about this" I tried avoiding Sky's sharp gaze, scanning me as I walked into the house. My steps almost faltered as I stepped around her.I thought she'd be at work. I w
ArabellaThe last thing I expected as I arrived at Nathan's apartment was the sound of moans that filled the air. The living room was messed up with a woman's bag and shoes tossed carelessly; used wine glasses lying on the couch with an empty bottle of wine on the floor.My pulse raced as I stood frozen in the middle of the room with multiple thoughts crossing my mind about who was in. I'd come over to set up a romantic atmosphere for Nathan, my fiance's birthday. He had no idea that I'd be here, but then, he was currently on a plane back home after a one-week business trip. It couldn't be him.It couldn't be him...the thought brought me momentary relief.Perhaps, a friend of his brought a woman over. Nathan had friends who could do something like this. I just wondered why whoever it was didn't caution the woman about her loud voice or why he didn't take her somewhere else in the first place.Should I call them out?... I contemplated, rolling my eyes at the mess they made.The moans o
Arabella( A Month Later...)"Will you marry my grandson?" Hallie asked as I adjusted the bed to her preference. Her words were playful but they had thrown me off. My eyes swiftly met hers in confusion.Despite the playfulness that laced her words, her eyes held a glimmer of hope that made me reluctant to respond."Uh... only if he is good-looking," I said trying to mask my unease. I took a step back when a nurse walked into the room."Trust the genes, Bella. I mean, look at me, I'm seventy-six, but I could be mistaken for those sexy models, couldn't I?" Hallie asked, the corner of her eyes crinkling as she smiled at me.I couldn't help but laugh. She wasn't lying. She was stunning, aged just like fine wine. Her agility at such an age was commendable. I envied her strength and the heck of a core she had. I'd seen her sit up for an hour and not slouch.If I could look half as good and strong at her age, I'd consider myself blessed.The nurse proceeded to check her vitals."Um, I'll get
ArabellaMeeting an eviction notice hanging on the door of my apartment after leaving the hospital was not what I expected after learning that my Mom needed surgery and the cost was ridiculously high. But it was there.Honestly, I had forgotten about my pending rent. My landlord had gotten tired of my excuses and this time, he was clear about his decision.I had promised him a month ago that I would pay but things didn't turn out as planned. I had no savings. All I had saved had been channeled to Mom's treatment and stay in the hospital for the past year. There was pretty much nothing left of our insurance.Now, instead of half a million, I had to realize about a million if not completely, but from where would I get that amount? The bank? I owed them as well.What do I do?what could I do within two weeks?The clattering sound of my penholder falling from my desk snapped me out of my thoughts. Yes, I was back at work. It was a terrible move after pulling an all-nighter, but that was n
AdrianAra.Out of all the people I could've run into tonight, it had to be her.She stared at me, her eyes wide with shock, and then narrowed, laced with a mixture of anger and disbelief she was trying to rein in.I dragged in a breath, watching her contain herself. I was five years away from this city, and the first person I ran into was her. Fate has a twisted sense of humor.The loud music blurred into the background as we stood there, frozen in place. My eyes unintentionally dropped as I looked her up and, for some reason, lingered longer on the way the jeans she wore hugged her curves.She hadn't changed. Well, no, that wasn't true. She was still Ara, but... more. There was more confidence in the way she carried herself; the way her eyes were boring into mine, unyielding proved this. She used to be timid back then. I'd thought that wouldn't change but I guess I was wrong.My eyes returned to her face, which still held the same look of confusion, anger, and hatred that had just a
ArabellaI thought I had imagined it. That Adrian was just a fragment from my imagination, that he couldn't possibly be there but that swift punch to the man's face was too vivid for any hint of a doubt.It was him.I couldn't stop picturing him even with the loud blaring of car horns trapped in the heavy traffic.He had used me; he had taken my virginity and tossed me aside, saying the most hurtful things that broke my entire being which eventually sent me to therapy. Still, after five years, I couldn't bring myself to ignore him. I should've left the moment I saw that he was the one, but for some reason, my feet remained glued to the floor, and I kept staring at him.The way he had been looking at me brought back all the memories of his hurt and betrayal. No matter how I tried shaking the look away, it was burned into my mind and I couldn't stop thinking about him.My day had gone from worse to terrible. I mean, I met him, and all of a sudden, I was stuck in traffic that wasn't here
Arabella:I froze when I opened the door to my apartment. Sky and my grandma were pacing about in the living room area with their phones glued to their ears and when they saw me, their movements halted.My heartbeat quickened, my hands shaking on the door handle. What was Sky doing here? I wasn't ready to face her yet."Bella, where the hell have you been?" Sky asked, her face softening with relief as she dropped her phone. "Ruth has been worried the whole day"My gaze shifted to my grandma, who was staring at me inquisitively, then to the clock on the wall behind her. I noted the time. I had been gone for almost seven hours. She was bound to be worried, especially as I'd run out this morning without saying a word to her."I just stepped out for a while to get something done. You shouldn't have called Sky to bother her about this" I tried avoiding Sky's sharp gaze, scanning me as I walked into the house. My steps almost faltered as I stepped around her.I thought she'd be at work. I w
Arabella:I stared at my reflection, barely seeing the dress clinging to my body. A simple white maxi, silver stones trailing to my ankles. My hair was pulled into a sleek bun, my makeup subtle, making me look like the perfect bride.The dress was beautiful, elegant, and perfect. Too perfect for something so fake.But fake or not, it was happening. I was going to walk down the aisle with Adrian Davidson. It was ironic that I'd once dreamed of this moment with him but now, the thought left a bitter taste in my mouth."I must say that of all the women he has brought for me to dress, you are the most stunning," A heavily French-accented voice said behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. Lifting my eyes, they clashed with Brigitte's sharp gaze through the mirror.As Adrian's stylist, she had done a good job transforming me into his perfect bride. And now, I also know that she'd dressed numerous women for him. For some reason, that made my stomach tighten.Brigitte scanned me in approva
AdrianI watched as her jaws tensed and her nostrils flared as she tried to keep herself together. But I wasn't lying. She did look like she'd pass out, soon. She looked different from the composed woman I'd met the previous day. Her face was pale despite the flush of the skin, her hair tussled, and her eyes were filled with exhaustion.This made me wonder what happened within the twenty hours after our discussion that forced her to change her mind.My eyes trailed from her face to her upright posture, her muscles were stiff. I knew she didn't want to be here but she had no choice. Her defiance though, was still there, a fire that I wasn't used to seeing from her. One I would have to quench because although I needed her, she needed me the most.The door opened and Lana walked in, holding a tray carrying a glass of cold juice. She closed the distance and placed it in front of Ara before leaving.Ara stared at the drink for a moment, scowling as she pushed it to the side."I don't need
Arabella:Javier Ramirez was the kind of man you didn't want showing up at your doorstep because when he did, it meant trouble.I was in trouble.I'd taken money from him. It was a desperate, reckless decision that kept me afloat. If he was here now, it meant a year had already passed and he was here to get back his money."Won't you let me in, amor?" He asked smoothly, his thick Spanish accent unmistakable. His voice was laced with something that sent a shiver down my spine.I gripped the door tighter, my pulse hammering against my neck. Letting him in was a mistake but keeping him outside might be worse. He was a dangerous man.Standing face to face with him now, one question bugged me. What was I thinking going to him for help?His gaze remained trained on me as he waited for me to decide. Swallowing hard, I took a step aside silently inviting him in. He stepped inside with the deliberate grace of a man who knew he owned any room he walked into. Only then did I notice another man t
Arabella:My whole body tensed as the door clicked shut. He was gone but his words were still ringing in my head. I closed my eyes, taking in a deep, shaky breath to calm myself, but that didn't work. My thoughts were spiraling.Ten million.The amount made my heart race. Ten whole million just to get married to him, or in his words, pretend to be someone who was in love with him. The offer was tempting. So fucking tempting that if it were anyone else and not him, I would've taken it without a thought.But it just had to be him.It was laughable that after all my efforts to manage the situation didn't prevail, the only ray of hope I finally got was from the man I despised the most. A deprecating snort left my lips.The sound of hurried footsteps clicking against the marble floor, followed by Mr. Hart's overly excited voice, snapped me out of my thoughts."Bella, I don't know how you did it but the most expensive piece from our latest collection has been purchased"Mustering up a small
AdrianBella.It sounded foreign – I'd never really referred to her as that.She was the Bella who Grandma spoke so much about. So much so that she felt sad she hadn't seen her before getting discharged from the hospital. She'd even left her a gift. It was rare to see Hallie Davidson soft towards someone since her major trait was being deviously calculative. But Bella, somehow, made her a big pile of mush.I should have known that it could've been her since Sky worked at the hospital but I'd brushed it off, thinking Sky would never let her get close to anyone related to me.Though I'm betting she did try but Ara was either too stubborn to listen or Grandma was insistent – as always.But whatever it was, she'd launched herself into my world – again – the moment I received a mail with her name on it and picked her miserable little life apart. It took barely seven hours to find out what I wanted and twelve to walk in here and make her an offer that threw her off.I watched her, picturing
Arabella"I hope I'm not interrupting something shamefully intimate?" Adrian asked, his voice calm but with a mocking edge to it.His eyes locked onto mine, and his lips twitched ever so slightly; I almost missed it. There was, as always, an unreadable expression on his face which made me wonder what was going on in his head.I didn't notice when Nathan had released his grip on me and stepped back but when I did, I quickly moved away from him, scowling as I rubbed the spot on my arm where he had tightly gripped."Don't stop on my account, Wilde. You put on a pleasant show which is rare these days. Please continue," Adrian said, and my eyes narrowed at him, my breath hitching when I found that he was staring back. His eyes were dark with an intensity that made me squirm in my spot and, for some reason, think to explain the situation."It's not what..." Nathan cut in before I could finish, his voice dripping with animosity. "What I do is none of your business, Davidson."Adrian's eyes
ArabellaThe free day had flown by, and I was back in my cubicle, typing away. After spending time with Sky, I should have felt better but no – My lips were pressed into a tight frown as my fingers moved over the keys.Grandma had seen the eviction notice. The landlord even confronted her last night. She told me when I rushed home to grab my bag. Her solemn expression and the way her eyes watered burned into my soul.I told her not to worry and made sure she ate before I left, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Then, as soon as I arrived at work, Dr. Khalid texted, asking if I'd deposited the money for Mom's surgery as her condition had gotten worse.As if that wasn't enough, the bank called. The loan I'd taken? It was time to pay up.Today had to be the worst morning of the month. Everything was caving in, and there was no way out. I was trapped and getting mocked by the very life I was trying to hold together.What do I do? I was at a dead end.The buzz of my phone drew me out o
Arabella‘She can die for all I care.’Mom's words wouldn't stop ringing in my head no matter how hard I tried pushing them back. I could feel her hostility through them and they clung to me, sinking deeper like a dagger in my chest.I forced my feet to move as fast as they could towards the door. My vision had blurred at the edges, but I had to reign the tears until I stepped out of there. My chest burned and my heartbeat roared in my ears.This wasn't the first time my mother had sounded indifferent about me. It had been the case since I turned thirteen. One day we were good and she loved me with all she had. The next, she looked at me with so much hate as she hurled curses at me. But today, she wished for me to die and that annihilated the little will I had left. I was wrecked in the worst way possible.What had I done to deserve this? All I ever wanted was to make her happy even though she never cared. Then why?"Bella!"I froze as my name echoed across the room. My gaze flicked t