After returning from the garden, Anthea cooked another meal for Nevaeh while the little girl kept sitting on the kitchen island with Rayan standing beside her. Nevaeh kept asking Anthea all kinds of questions, to which Anthea patiently replied. Rayan helped her here and there with the cooking, which she didn't refuse in front of Nevaeh. If she was being honest, she seemed to have softened around him a lot since the previous night after he proved he wasn't involved in her father’s case. After cooking and feeding Nevaeh dinner, Rayan fed her the medicine, which made her fall asleep quickly. Anthea left Nevaeh’s room to find her phone, which she hadn't seen for more than a few hours because she was occupied with Nevaeh. She made her way back into the kitchen, where she previously thought she had left her phone. However, after searching for a while, she still couldn't find her phone, which made her groan in frustration. “Where did I put it?” She asked herself while trying to remember w
Anthea left Rayan’s penthouse in fury before driving straight to her apartment. After getting off the car, she made her way upstairs before heading straight inside her home. The moment she pushed the door and stepped inside, all the heads waiting in the living room turned towards her. “Oh my God! What happened to you? Why do you look so pissed?” Emilia was the first one to speak, as she questioned her with a concerned expression. “What happened, Thea? Roman also asked his sister as he got up from the couch. They were all gathered together in her living room, patiently waiting for her to come back. Anthea didn't tell Roman where she went, but he already found out her whereabouts, and the pissed look on her face drew his attention. “He never submitted the divorce papers. He says I'm still his fucking wife. How could I be so stupid?” Anthea informed in a high-pitched tone, her voice lacing with frustration and anger. The room fell into a moment of silence as all of them tried to proce
The next day, Anthea got back to her work. When she walked through the office, she could feel all the eyes on her; they were all stealing curious glances at her while whispering different types of gossip. She pretended not to notice their stares and whispers as she confidently walked towards her cabin with a straight face. Just a while ago, she had to avoid swarms of reporters waiting outside their company building for an interview. She was already aware of all the things she was going to face after Rayan’s sudden move. For a moment, she decided not to respond to anything and lay low. However, after she reached her floor and got out of the elevator, she directly made her way towards her cabin while once again trying her best to avoid people’s curious eyes. “I don't pay anyone to stare or gossip. If anyone has leisure time to waste, they can leave my company.” Anthea barked with a poker face, fed up with their unprofessional behaviours. She wasn't going to pay them to gossip about h
“Lily?” Anthea heard Rayan’s voice as soon as the call was connected. She had put the call on speaker for everyone to hear while holding it in her hand. “Yeah, it’s me. Where are you right now?” She responded before inquiring about his whereabouts. “I'm going to attend an important meeting in a few minutes. What's the matter?” Rayan answered over the phone. His reply made Anthea pause as she glanced at Aurelia and Sarah, whose smiles widened after hearing Rayan’s response. “Nothing. Can you come over to my office?” Swallowing the sudden hesitancy, Anthea demanded. A small, provocative smile played in the corner of her lips. “Right now?” Rayan sounded a little surprised by her demand. Anthea bit the corner of her lips before responding. “Yeah. Right now. I will see you in 15 minutes." She didn't give him the chance to reply, as she announced before cutting the call. Deep down, she was afraid he would turn her down with an excuse, which would lead to her getting humiliated in f
“Where's the first aid kit? Rayan asked as soon as they stepped inside Anthea’s office. She glanced at him before rolling her eyes. Her lips pressed in a hard line as she tried to process all the things that happened in the last half an hour. “Answer me, Lily.” He narrowed his eyes at her when he didn't get the answer from her. Anthea heaved a sigh at his persistence. “No need. It will be fine in a moment.” She replied nonchalantly while walking towards her desk. She placed her bags and phone on the table before turning around to face him. “It’s bruising. How did this happen, and where were your bodyguards? Why didn't they protect you?” He questioned her at the same time, his eyes fixed on her face. His face turned grim at the sight of her bruised face while he scolded her for being careless. “Ask your sister. Besides, I never thought I would be needing protection in my own company.” Anthea’s response was filled with sarcasm as she leaned back on her desk. Her head was running wil
Right after Rayan left her office, Anthea heard a sudden knock on her door. She heaved a sigh while running her fingers through her hair. She felt exhausted to meet anyone right now. “Come in.” She cleared her throat before asking the person to enter. The door opened, revealing Silas, who smiled at her as soon as their eyes met. Anthea instantly relaxed before smiling back at him. “Hey.” He greeted her while closing the door on his back. Anthea was a little surprised to see him dressed in casual clothing instead of his usual business attire. It was a rare sight. “Silas!” She acknowledged him while walking a few steps before welcoming him with a warm hug. It's been a while since they last met in person. Besides, she had a small argument with him a few days ago, which made her kind of ignore him. Anthea instantly felt guilty for treating him so poorly when he had been a great friend and a mentor from day one. “I just met Rayan on my way. What was he doing here?” Silas inquired as th
Anthea drove straight to the Allen Corporation after getting out of her company. Without wasting a single moment, she reached the floor where Rayan’s office was located. Her heart beat erratically with each step she took towards his cabin. Layla was sitting at her usual desk while doing something attentively on her laptop. However, once she heard Anthea’s footsteps, she raised her eyes before looking at her. “Is Mr. Allen inside?” Anthea inquired, her voice lacing with impatience as she glanced at the closed door of his cabin. “Yes, he just returned from his meeting.” Layla answered with a smile while standing up to greet her. Anthea wasn't in the mood for formalities, nor did she have the time or patience. Each moment felt like an eternity for her. “I will be inside then.” She informed her before turning around. “Yes Mam. I will just inform him." Layla couldn't even finish her sentence properly, as she was about to grab the intercom to inform Rayan. However, she stopped in the mi
Anthea slowly opened her eyes, feeling a little thirsty. The first thing that caught her eye was the plain white ceiling. She tried to clear her throat to get rid of the hoarseness while trying to get up and sit straight on the bed. As she looked around her surrendering, she realized she was in a hospital. Her sudden movements caught Rayan’s attention, who was standing in the furthest corner while talking to someone over the phone with his back facing her. As soon as he heard Anthea clearing her throat, he turned around to look at her. “Are you okay? Do you need something?” Rayan immediately rushed to her side after cutting the call abruptly and putting his phone in his pocket. Anthea looked at her with clouded eyes while shaking her head slightly. “Water.” She managed to mumble the words while trying to clear her throat again. Her mind was still hazy, making her feel slightly dizzy. “Wait a minute,” Rayan urged before quickly moving to the other side of the bed. He quickly grabbed
"Why are we here, Rayan?" Anthea asked the moment she realised where Rayan had brought her! This was the place she dreaded coming to the most.Her father’s grave! Anthea’s mind went blank just thinking of this place. She had never visited this place in the last six years. She just couldn’t go there. Never. It had given her so many memories, sorrows, and pains, along with happiness. "Just trust me, please, baby.""But Rayan, you know I can't." Anthea shook her head; her voice sounded broken and vulnerable. Rayan quickly hugged her, rubbing her back to calm her down. "I know it's hard. But you have to be strong. You are strong. It's high time, Anthea; you need to let this heartbreak go and confront your fear. He's waiting for you, baby," Rayan encouraged while caressing her hair lightly. "You know I can't. It's too painful. I just can't face him, Rayan. How am I going to answer him? He's mad at me, I'm sure. Anthea let out a sob as tears slowly started to fall from her eyes. "Don't
“How did it go?” Anthea asked anxiously as soon as Rayan stepped into the living room. He smiled at her before pulling her into a tight hug. “Everything went well. I have already submitted all the evidence and they are taking the case directly to the court. He wouldn't be able to escape this time.” He answered while burying his face in the crook of his neck, trying to relax. Anthea let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god! You should have taken me with you.” She expressed it heartily while hugging her arms around Rayan’s back. “No! I don't want his dirty eyes to land on you, even for a second. I will take care of everything from here while you just stay here and take care of Nevaeh and our family.” Rayan raised his head and shook it before speaking. Anthea sighed again, totally understanding his concern. “I'm glad finally it's over with the Jones and we can relax.” Anthea smiled, changing the subject as they broke the hug while walking towards the couch. No one was present in the livi
Sebastian just got out of his car and was about to enter the Jones Corporation when a few men walked towards him before blocking his path. “Mr Jones.” One of the men called him before flashing him his ID card. Sebastian, who was surprised by the sudden unwanted visit, looked at the ID card of the man and realised they were from the Central Bureau of Investigation. “What brings you here, Officer?” Sebastian asked, trying to smile politely at them, but deep down he already had an ominous feeling rising inside his chest. “You are under arrest. Please raise your arms and cooperate with us.” The officer announced this loudly, grabbing some passersby’s attention who let out visible gasps while witnessing the scene. Sebastian was quite startled too, as he didn't expect some CBI officer to suddenly appear and tell him that he was being arrested. “What?” He looked at the officer in confusion, not understanding what was going on. “Handcuff him.” The officer ignored his words as he gestured
After the dinner ended, everyone was sitting around and casually chatting when Roman got up from his seat before walking towards Rayan, who was talking to Elijah. “Can I talk to you for a few minutes?” Roman asked Rayan after reaching him. He excused himself from Elijah before nodding politely at Roman. “Of course.” He answered, making Roman nod. Elijah excused himself before giving them some space to talk. “Let's go somewhere quiet.” Roman offered, making Rayan nod. They were about to walk out of the VIP dining lounge when Anthea’s sudden voice stopped them. “Where are you two going?” She asked, looking at them with a frown. Rayan was about to answer her when Roman beat him to it. “Smoking!” Rayan blurted out while trying to cover something from Anthea. The moment the answer left his mouth, Anthea’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her husband with a scowl. “Rayan! I told you to quit smoking.” She glared at him, looking totally pissed. Rayan sighed as he looked at her angry expre
“Anthea, Rayan!” Athena greeted her enthusiastically as soon as Anthea, Rayan, and Nevaeh stepped into the private dining room. “Hey!” Anthea smiled while walking towards her, while Rayan stayed behind her, holding Nevaeh. “We were waiting for you!” Athena said, smiling heartily. Anthea smiled back, her eyes shifting to Roman, Elijah, and Emilia, who were already sitting on the chairs. Emilia waved her hand slightly when she met Anthea’s gaze. “Oh my God! Is that our little princess?" Athena exclaimed in joy when she caught sight of Nevaeh, who was walking beside her father, looking like an angel. Athena was totally awestruck by the sight of Nevaeh. “Yeah!” Anthea nodded with a chuckle, while Rayan smiled. “Nevaeh, say hi to your uncles and aunts." Anthea turned around before instructing Nevaeh with a smile. She looked at her mother before looking at Athena, who was still looking at her with a smile. “Hi!” She grinned shyly while trying to hide behind her father. Rayan let out a
“You didn't tell me you were coming here.” Rayan asked in surprise when he met Anthea in the hallway of the hospital. He was just returning after checking in with his father. He thought she would be going to the office directly after meeting Silas. “Because I knew I would find you here.” Anthea replied with a barely visible smile on her face. Rayan already noticed her dim expression, causing him to frown in concern. “Is everything okay?” He asked, walking towards her before holding her hand. Anthea glanced at him before nodding her head slightly. “Yeah. How is Mr. Allen?” She asked, trying to change the subject. Rayan also realised it but said nothing. He quietly followed her back to the VIP ward. “Better than before. He will be moved to the general word tonight after they did some last inspection.” He replied while intertwining his hands with her. “That's good news.” Anthea nodded, a genuine smile spreading across her lips at the good news. It didn't even pass 48 hours and his c
“You know where. How could you forget what you went through because of him? If it wasn't for family and me, Silas didn't finish his sentence and stopped midway when he noticed Anthea's eyes glaring sharply at him.“So you really think that just because you helped me in my darkest phase, you have some sort of right over me?” Anthea asked, her eyes flashing with coldness at the sudden realisation. “Anthea!” Silas uttered, looking at her with a blank expression. Anthea couldn't read what was running inside her head but at the moment, she barely cared. “Answer me, Silas. Is that what you think?” Anthea pressed further, her expression remaining the same. At that moment, she was sure about one thing: Rayan didn't lie or misunderstand anything. It was she who was blind and delusional. She couldn't see the truth, which was already before her eyes. “Did Rayan tell you this?” Silas suddenly asked back, his expression hardening. He didn't expect that son of a bitch, Rayan, to vomit every sin
“Drop me at this address.” Anthea said this while showing Rayan an address on her phone. “Why? You are not going to the office?” Rayan, who was driving the car, asked before taking the phone from her hand and then glancing at the address. “No. I'm going to meet Silas.” Anthea answered with a sigh. She noticed Rayan’s face hardening as soon as the words left her mouth. For a moment, he didn't say anything. “Okay. I'm going to the hospital to check on Dad. Call me if anything happens.” He nodded after a moment of silence while focusing on the road. “Okay. How is your dad?” Anthea nodded back before inquiring about Benjamin. She didn't receive any news on him from the moment she left the hospital with Silas. “He's improving.” Rayan muttered while taking a turn. The address Anthea showed him wasn't far. “I'm glad to hear that.” She sighed in relief, knowing Benjamin was getting well. She just hoped nothing bad would happen and he would eventually recover. Last night, they talked, an
“Because Silas told me you were in his house and you were going to stay with him when he came to pick Nevaeh up.” Rayan answered, feeling angry and helpless. He shouldn't have listened to that bastard in the first place. He should have known better. “What the hell!” Anthea stared at him in shock. “You don't believe me?” Rayan’s face hardened as he noticed the disbelief in her eyes. She was unwilling to believe him, which meant she trusted that bastard over him. Anthea shook her head immediately. “No! It's not like that. Why would he say something like that?” She denied it before inquiring. Rayan’s expression changed again as he took a step back from her; however, his eyes never left her. “Because he wants to provoke me and create misunderstandings between us.” He answered while grinding his teeth. Anthea frowned as disbelief crossed her eyes. “What are you saying, Rayan? Silas would never do something like that.” She shook her head, trying to deny everything Rayan just said. Ther