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I walked Anderson out to the parking lot, standing there until he drove off. Once he was out of sight, I turned back toward the house, hoping to retreat to my room in peace. But as I entered the living room, I found Mother standing by the stairs, as if waiting for me. After everything that had happened, I wasn't in the mood to talk. What she did earlier was uncalled-for. Father has done so much for me, more than I could ever ask for. Yet, she had the nerve to question his role in my life, asking what he had really done for me. "Let’s talk for a few minutes." She said, her voice softer than usual. I said nothing and walked past her. She’s my mother, she should know me better than anyone. She should remember the life I have had, especially with my birth father, who never showed me any care or kindness. All he ever did was hurl insults, making me feel worthless. When I was six, I came home from school one day, and Mother told me he had died. That was the last I ever heard of him. Moth
It's crazy how everyone knew, but I didn’t. It was so embarrassing that I had to lock myself in my room all weekend. I’m grateful the weekend is over, and I will finally be leaving the house. I had been starving, but thanks to the junk food and water in my room, I managed to feed myself while staying indoors. Now that I'm going out, I plan to stop by a good restaurant and have a healthy breakfast. I woke up as early as 5:30 a.m. to get ready for work, knowing there will be a bunch of documents to go through since I spent the weekend doing nothing. It was supposed to be a relaxing, stress-free weekend, but that changed when I found out I had been deceived by the people I called family. I finished getting ready for work, applying a bit of lipstick and then checking myself in the mirror. Today, I decided against wearing a blazer. I was tired of them and thought I should try something more stylish and revealing. I had a few new outfits from Ethan that stopped just above the knee but ha
EthanThis wasn’t the plan—flying back to the country when I still had work to finish. But I have to clear things up with Emily. I didn’t expect her to find out so soon. Mother had sworn never to tell her about it, so what changed? What misunderstanding led her to reveal the truth about her father? If there’s anyone else to blame, it’s her ex-husband.I reached out to Lisa, who told me it started at the dinner they attended at the mayor’s villa. Thankfully, Emily didn’t go; it could have been even worse.My thoughts were interrupted by the surrounding movement. I looked up to see people leaving the plane, it had landed, and I hadn’t even noticed.I followed the crowd, picked up my bag, and made my way out of the airport. As I reached the exit, I spotted Father waiting with his guards. I had asked him to pick me up.I walked up to him, smiling before he noticed me. "Father." I called as I got closer."Ethan, welcome." He pulled me in for a brief hug. "Was your flight delayed? Why are y
Ryan I had concluded my meeting with my employees, ready to move on to my next appointment. Upon reaching the parking lot, I found Jasper still cleaning the car I had instructed him to prepare a few minutes before I wrapped up the meeting. Standing behind him, I spoke up. "What did I tell you? We are running late. If you can't get it done, let's go with the other car." I said. He paused, glancing back. "One minute, it will be done soon." He responded, his attention back on his work. I looked at the other cars in the lot; they were all clean. Why did he insist on taking this particular car? "Jasper, leave it. Let’s go with the other car." I instructed, marching toward the vehicles. I heard his footsteps behind me, following in my direction. As we reached the cars, I heard a horn, which made me halt. Turning around, I saw Ethan stepping out of his car, heading toward me. I knew he had been out of the country, when had he returned? He rarely stayed around. He marched up to me, stop
I was done with my client and headed to pick up Zara from her apartment. Seated in the car, I was still waiting for her to come out so we could leave for school. It was a two-hour drive to get there, and we needed to start before it got late.The creaking of the door caught my attention. As I looked in that direction, I saw Jasper helping her carry her bag out of the apartment, with Zara following behind.They dropped the bag into the car before settling into their seats."Why didn’t you get ready earlier?" I asked as she tightened her seatbelt.She glanced at me briefly, letting out a small sigh. "I’m sorry; I don’t feel like going. You said I would have to stay there until the weekend." She pouted her lips. This was her way of trying to back out, but it wouldn’t work. I had paid for her fees, accommodations, and everything she needed; there was no way she was getting out of this now."Are you happy being a dropout? Going back to school, isn’t that what your brother wanted?" I asked
"I think he's protecting someone from harm. He knows something he's not saying. He obviously ran into me that day, before I marched the brake." Jasper said.There’s no way he isn’t sure of what he’s saying. He was the one driving the car, while I was deep in thought, even though my gaze was on the road. He knows something he’s not revealing."Let’s starve him and see if he opens up. Somehow, I feel those gunshots were meant to harm me. Anderson hasn’t even come out to say a word to the media; he’s been invited but is avoiding them.""Nothing makes sense, the way the car broke down, the wait, how Anderson showed up and delayed you by the road. Nothing makes sense." Jasper replied. I believed him; this must be his instinct talking, and I have never doubted him when it comes to serious matters.I just hope Anderson has nothing to do with the gunshots. If he does, I won’t just cause him pain; I will make sure to ruin his company.I got into the car while Jasper drove me back to the office
I pulled up in the parking lot, stepped out of the car, and made my way to the entrance with deliberate calm. I couldn’t afford to draw any unnecessary attention. I moved straight toward Alex’s office. Reaching the door, I knocked gently and waited.Before I could get a response, the door swung open, and there was Alex, grinning at me.“I got your message. Where is she?” I asked immediately, but he only laughed, strolling back to his desk.I stared at him, feeling a surge of irritation. Was this some sort of joke? I had left my work and driven here, putting everything on hold. I drove at a high speed, risking my life.Stepping inside, I closed the door. “Tell me this isn’t a joke. What was that message about?” I wanted to believe he was just testing my patience, that she was here, and he was just waiting to get a rise out of me.“You had her for four years, and you signed the damn papers. Why are you still looking for her?”I felt a flare of anger. Did he really think I would linger o
"What are you talking about? Warned by whom?" She asked, but my eyes were drawn to her pink succulent lips. I so wanted to ravage and devour those lips, I was nearing my moral limits.Heat filled my groin. Fvck! This girl is driving me nuts."I have been having messages to stay… I'm sorry I have to do this." I said, and next thing, I crushed my lips into hers, with our tongues interlocking. She stiffened momentarily and melted in my kiss. I got so deeply engrossed that I closed my eyes to savor the moment while it lasted."Stop." She then recoiled like she realized something and pushed me away. The sparkle in her eyes said otherwise, so I attempted to near her again, but she took a step back."Is this why you have been wanting to see me? Why would you do that? You claim you are getting threat messages, but this is what you have in mind?"I didn’t know what had come over me; I wanted to stop, but I couldn’t. Seeing her now felt dangerously intoxicating. I wanted her in every way imagin
It had been two days since I announced the launch of the new refinery, and today it was happening live. I had invited a few people to grace the occasion, and I was pleased they all showed up to celebrate with me. Most of the invited guests had already left, leaving me with just a handful who stayed behind to keep me company while I addressed some issues. One of them was Mr. Fernandez.I had sent him an invitation, hoping he would come, and to my greatest surprise, he did. I spotted him earlier when most of the guests had gathered. At the time, I was busy inspecting some equipment and walking around the machines when he and his group arrived."Mr. Ryan." one of them called, catching my attention. I stepped back to meet them, extending my hand for a handshake."I'm honored you showed up. Thank you for sparing some time from your busy schedule." I said."You are welcome! Keep up the good work. We will be on our way now." Mr. Fernandez replied.I nodded, gesturing toward the exit. "Let me
I arrived home and made my way upstairs to freshen up before thinking about grabbing dinner. It had been months since I last cooked, but making something tonight didn’t seem like a bad idea. I dropped my phone on the bed and proceeded to strip off my clothes. While reaching for my T-shirt, I thought I heard some commotion outside. The voices sounded distant, and it would take a minute to get downstairs to check. I ignored it and turned to walk into the washroom when a knock on my bedroom door halted me. "Jasper, is that you?" I asked, waiting quietly for a response. "Yes, we have a problem." He replied, and I immediately thought about the voices I had heard. "Anderson showed up and refuses to leave until he meets you." Anderson? What does he want? Could the police still be watching us? Does he want to get dragged in for questioning? It’s only been a few days since his accomplice died—why is he showing up at my house now? I need to warn him. "I will be downstairs." I responded. He
Ryan It was late in the evening. I had been indoors working all day, but an idea suddenly popped into my head, prompting me to step out. The death of the figure we held hostage still lingered in my mind. I decided it was time to find out more about the kind of person he was and the people he worked for. If Anderson was truly one of them, then it’s likely they worked together before he was killed. I recalled keeping a business card belonging to one of the men from the abandoned estate where the figure resided. He had claimed he wasn’t a killer, and if he was telling the truth, then I needed to uncover who he really was before that bastard ended his life. I have tried every possible way to catch the perpetrator, but nothing has worked so far. What other avenue is left for me to explore? I was a peaceful young man during my school days, with no issues or conflicts with anyone. Yet here I am, entangled in a web of betrayal and violence. In my line of business, there are many who have
We spent the entire day moving from one orphanage to another, distributing the items I had asked Ethan to arrange for me. I hadn’t been to the office all day. Though it was the weekend, I still had work to catch up on. As soon as I left the house, we headed to the store where the items were packed.Father was kind enough to hire some guards to accompany me on the journey. I went out with a convoy of vehicles, which I hadn’t expected until they showed up at the location where the goods were stored.The guards helped load everything into the cars, and we set off to deliver the items to the orphanages. It had been a fun and fulfilling day since morning, though I had overheard some of them complaining about being hungry.We had breakfast before leaving, but I guess going there and here, had made them all exhausted. They made a great team, I wasn't just going out with them, they were all entertaining and fun to be with.We were headed to a Christian orphanage run by a group of reverend sis
As we arrived at the courthouse, I spotted the lawyer outside, engaged in a conversation with an elderly lady. The area was slightly crowded, making me wonder if the session had already concluded.Stepping out of the car, my gaze shifted to Adams, who was emerging from the courthouse exit. His expression was dark, and moments later, his father followed behind him, both looking tense. I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to put them in such a mood.I walked toward the lawyer, who waved me over. As I approached, I noticed Adams heading in my direction. Ignoring him, I focused on the lawyer."Don’t tell me I’m late. I left as soon as I called you." I said, standing beside the elderly lady he had been speaking to, exchanging greetings."When you called, we were about to enter the courthouse. The evidence you provided was strong enough to wrap things up quickly." He replied."Emily, I need to talk to you." Adams interrupted, his voice firm."I'm sorry, you can't see her. Please lea
EmilyIf I hadn't grown up a bit before Father left us, I wouldn't have believed what Mother told me a few hours ago. I had a rough childhood, and he was never there for me. Mother wasn’t allowed to show me love, which I guess was why she lied to me—saying he had died—and ran away with me.But did he really tell her he wouldn’t come home unless she sent me back to the orphanage? Did he divorce her because of that? How could he have trust issues when he knew she liked his friend before he made his intentions known to her?Two best friends fell in love with her, but she ended up with him. Such a miserable man I call Father. How could he even think Mother slept with his best friend when she was married to him? Was he that insecure because he was lucky to wed her instead of his friend?Mother did the right thing by leaving him. I'm glad I didn't grow up with him. Who knows, he might have killed me by now and claimed it was an accident. I have a father who cherishes me, I should hold him d
Ryan I sat in the car, waiting for Zara to come prove she was in her hostel and not somewhere else. The clip my men sent me played on repeat in my head, a video of her walking out of Empire Company. What was she doing there? I had warned her countless times to stay away from Emily. The last time she interfered in Emily’s business, she got a punch for her efforts. And now, she had the audacity to go all the way to her company. For what exactly? I sent Zara to this school for a reason, to study and, most importantly, to stay away from Emily. But clearly, a two-hour drive wasn’t enough of a deterrent for her. If she needed anything, why couldn’t she have called Jasper? Or me? Instead, she chose to disobey, as if my warnings meant nothing. She had claimed she was in her hostel over an hour ago, saying she needed to freshen up before coming out. But the timeline didn’t add up. It was clear she hadn’t been in her hostel, at least not the whole time. And now I was left to wonder how man
As I swiped it open, a video clip popped up, and I proceeded to play it. The sight of what I saw almost made me drop my phone. Remembering I was still in the reception area, I hurried down to my office and shut the door behind me. Watching the clip, I clutched my chest, struggling to breathe. This has been happening right under my nose, and I’m just finding out? How long has he been sleeping with her? Did he really sleep with her? Unable to take it any longer, I let the tears roll down my cheeks, crying out the pain that surged through me. Is this why he never looked at me with love? I tried for four long years, was I never good enough for him? What did I do to deserve this? Was liking him my mistake? Has he been with her all these years? Where? How? And why am I just finding out now? I reached for my face and wiped my tears away. He’s not worth it. Why should I cry? It’s been months already, but I still can’t get over him, no matter how much effort I put in. Fine, we are divorce
I woke up to voices drifting from another room—or so I thought. It wasn’t until I jumped out of bed and made my way downstairs that I realized the voices were real. Following the sound, I marched into the living room, only to find Father and Ethan fully dressed, with Biggy standing beside them, arms folded.I froze, furrowing my brows as I scanned the room. They were deep in conversation, so much so that none of them noticed me standing there."You are all dressed? Are you heading somewhere? It’s still early to go out." I said, breaking the conversation and drawing their attention.Father turned, smiling faintly as I stepped closer. I wrapped him in a quick hug. "Good morning." I greeted, pulling back."Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" He asked."I did," I replied, then turned to Ethan, who patted my hair lightly."Hope you are okay?" Ethan asked.I nodded but kept my focus on them. "Where are you all going?"Father cleared his throat. "We are heading out. Mr. Lincoln wi