CHAPTER 24: STAY AWAY FROM HER!
NOAH'S POV
I resumed work, feeling slightly more energized after my recent sickness. It is not my first time falling sick so getting back on my feet didn't take much longer. Also, I oversee the affairs of my establishment, which I don't joke with, so leaving things for too long without attending to them wouldn't be beneficial to me.
A few minutes after stepping into my office, I get a knock on my door.
"Come in," I order as I loosen my tie before slipping off my suit jacket, rolling my shoulders as I settle into my chair. The door is opened and my manager approaches my desk with a cautious look.
"Good morning, sir."
"Morning. What is it? Did your grandmother give birth this time around or did your cat die?" I query him as I reach out to pick up my pen before glancing at him briefly with a doubtful expression as he tries to defend himself by waving his hands, contrary to what I had asked.
"Not at all, sir." He chuckles, "It is just that Miss Marianne is here to see you. She insists it's urgent."
I sigh, rubbing my temples. Of course, she’s here. She’s been bombarding my phone with calls and messages these days, all of which I’ve intentionally ignored. I even wonder why she took this long to come and find me but now that she is here, I can feel a headache coming already.
I consider sending her away, but I know she won’t leave without causing a scene so...
"Let her in," I say, keeping my voice neutral.
"Alright, sir."
Moments later, the door swings open, and Marianne walks in, her heels clicking against the floor. Her arms are crossed, her lips pursed in irritation.
"So, you finally decided to show your face," she sneers. "Ignoring my calls? My messages? How could you have decided to embarrass me, huh? I had to seek permission just to see you. What kind of friend does that?"
I lean back in my chair, exhaling. "I've been sick, Marianne. Maybe you should care about my health instead of whining about unanswered calls. Don't be unnecessarily selfish."
Her expression darkens and she scoffs in disbelief. "Oh, so now I'm selfish? You expect me to believe you were too sick to send a single text or even reply?" She scoffs. "I came to your house, you know. But your little pet—" her face twists with disgust—"wouldn’t let me in. Did she tell you?"
I stiffen instantly. "Watch your mouth, Marianne, She isn't a pet."
She ignores me, pressing on, her voice rising. "Tell me about it. What exactly is she to you, huh? Don’t tell me this is just about some ridiculous debt. I can see it, Noah. The way she acts, the way you let her do whatever she pleases! That is disgusting! If only you had seen the way she embarrassed me that fateful day!" She throws her hands in the air as she starts to complain so hard.
"I had come to your house, hoping to see you, but Marco informed me that you were sick, and so I rushed to your bedroom only to find that worthless girl there. She stopped me from going in and insulted me. She even threatened to cut off my fingers." I can literally see the angry smoke coming out of her ears like a dragon as she continues to display.
"No one — I repeat! No one has ever spoken to me in such a disrespectful tone before. She is nothing but a mere servant. I had to leave without seeing you. If she owes you, there are plenty of other ways to make her pay. Or better yet—let me handle her. I’ll make sure she learns her place."
"Enough," I say sharply, my patience wearing thin.
She smirks, tilting her head. "What? Am I wrong? I don't understand what is happening to you. She’s nothing compared to me, yet you let her walk all over me—"
"Shut up, Marianne. I've had enough of your display already." My voice is cold, final.
She blinks, momentarily stunned. "What did you just say?"
I stand up, walking around my desk so that I’m standing directly in front of her. "I said shut up. Don’t talk about Rachel like that. Don’t tell me what to do, and don’t ever assume you have a say in my decisions."
She clenches her fists, her nostrils flaring. "Noah, you can’t be serious—"
"I am actually serious. You've been talking all through for minutes, and despite telling you that I have a headache, you still won't stop being selfish. Everything has to be about you and should revolve around you."
"Noah..."
"As for Rachel, Stay away from her," I interrupt, my voice quiet but firm. "I don’t want to hear you insult her again. In fact, I don’t think I want to hear from you at all."
Her eyes widen slightly. "You’re ending our friendship over some low-class girl?"
I shake my head. "I'm ending this toxic mess of a friendship because I refuse to tolerate this level of disrespect."
Marianne's face turns red with fury. "Oh, you’re making a mistake, Noah. You are making a very big mistake! You’ll regret this."
I gesture to the door. "I know. I've heard that countless times so I am less bothered. If you don't mind, I have been away from work for a few days, I need to get back to it, so kindly excuse me." I say politely to her even though I am not so sure how long my polite self would last if she doesn't get the hell out of my sight.
"You are sending me out? Because of her?"
" Leave," I repeat.
"I was even here to talk about my birthday and to invite..."
"I am not interested. I am asking you to leave right now because I value my professional relationship with your father so leave while I am still being nice."
She huffs, her lips parting as if she wants to say more, but instead, she turns on her heel and storms out, slamming the door behind her.
I sit back down, exhaling heavily. This was long overdue. No more indulging Marianne’s entitlement, no more letting her believe that she can dictate how I live my life.
For the first time in a long while, I feel like I just reclaimed a piece of myself.
How did I even bear with her all these years? But I am glad that all is over and I can move into the next phase of my plan.
Sometimes, what it is that we desperately want as humans can blind us into subjecting ourselves to unnecessary terms?
CHAPTER 25: DEATH ANNIVERSARY.AMELIA'S POVThe evening air is thick with humidity as I step out of the cab, clutching a bouquet of white lilies against my chest. My fingers tighten around the delicate stems, my knuckles turning white as I look around. The cemetery is quiet, the only sounds are coming from the rustling leaves and distant chirps of crickets. The fading sunlight casts long shadows over the headstones, and my breath comes out shaky as I force myself to take a step forward.I shouldn’t be nervous. It’s just my mother’s grave. I’ve done this every year, haven’t I? But I know it’s not her that has my heart slamming against my ribs. It’s him.As I walk down the gravel path, my gaze flickers ahead, and I finally see them clearly. Emily stands a few feet away, her arms wrapped around herself, eyes filled with relief as they land on me. And beside her—him. My father. He stands tall, rigid, his hands shoved into the pockets of his suit. He doesn’t look at me. Not even once as I
CHAPTER 26. HE UNDRESSED SSED ME?RACHEL'S POVThe morning light seeps through my curtains, casting a soft glow over my room, but it does nothing to chase away the lingering heaviness from last night. I turn onto my side, burying my face in the pillow, but the moment I close my eyes, my father's cold voice echoes in my mind. The ache in my chest tightens, and I inhale sharply, forcing myself to sit up. My body feels stiff, a dull reminder of the hours I spent crying in the rain.Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to remain there for that long and now I feel like I might not last long on Earth because of the issues I've been facing that seem to be affecting my mental health.With a sigh, I grab my phone from the nightstand. My heart sinks when I see several missed calls from Emily. I hesitate for a moment before setting the phone back down. I don’t know if I have the strength to talk to her yet.I know that her calls have to do with what happened last night but I am less interested. As
CHAPTER 27: FIRST KISS. RACHEL'S POVThe sound of the front door clicking shut breaks the silence in the living room. I glance up from the book I’ve been pretending to read for a while since I heard his car drive in, my fingers frozen against the page. I am wondering if he is just going to ignore me and walk away or maybe something might come up.Noah walks in, his tie loosened, his gaze steady as he looks at me. There’s no immediate irritation in his expression, no sharp words waiting on his tongue. Just silence. "Welcome back," I say to him and he nods. Well, that's a first. "Are you busy?" His voice is even, unreadable.I blink, unsure if I imagined the question. I look down at the book I am holding - do I look in any way busy?! "No... why?"He exhales as if debating his next words. "Get dressed. We’re going out."I stare at him, waiting for a smirk, a sarcastic edge—some indication that this is another joke. But to my surprise, none comes. Instead, he shrugs off his sui
CHAPTER 28: BURNING FIRERACHEL'S POVThe moment I wake up, my mind betrays me. The kiss replays over and over, filling my chest with a warmth that I don’t know how to process. I roll on my mind, trying so hard not to scream. So last night was a bit hot...I found myself kissing my boss and we were not even able to resist each other. I groan and cover my face with my pillow due to embarrassment because of the kinds of thoughts that I have.Was it a mistake? Was it because it just seemed like we were both drowning in the moments of our desires instead of running away? A slip in judgment? Or was it something more? Something I’m not ready to admit?I shake my head, forcing myself out of bed. It was just a kiss. Noah hasn’t exactly given me any reason to believe it meant anything. He was cold before it happened, and he’ll be cold after. Nothing’s changed.Somehow, I pray that I would be proved wrong as hoping for the positive might actually change things.As I step into the kitchen, I see
CHAPTER 29: A TASTE OF SOMETHING NEW.RACHEL'S POVI sit on the couch, waiting for Noah to return. The house is unusually quiet, and I find myself glancing at the clock every few minutes. My fingers trace the rim of my phone absentmindedly when it suddenly vibrates, making me jump from the sound.I exhale softly in relief when I notice that it is just a phone. An unknown number flashes on the screen. My instinct tells me to ignore it, but curiosity gets the best of me. I hesitate for a moment before swiping to answer. "Hello?" My voice comes out wary.A sluggish, slurry voice responds on the other end, almost incoherent. It takes me a second to recognize it, but when I do, my heart clenches. "Rachel… Rachel, I—" There’s a pause, followed by a heavy sigh. "I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have said those words to you… I still—still love you. I promise that (burps) I promise to do better. We can both do it. I promise to release you from the shackles of that manipulator."Liam.My
CHAPTER 30: FOR THAT LONG?RACHEL'S POVI stroll into the office, already bracing myself for the usual chaos of the morning shift. But today feels different. There’s a buzz in the air and somehow, I can guess correctly what the noise is for. I notice the younger girls from the kitchen department gathered by the coffee station, their excitement practically radiating off them. A few of them are whispering, but the minute they spot me, their conversation rises in volume. "Here she comes. She knows much better than we do," one of the girls pulls me closer to them, and I smile. "Isn't it too early to be involved in gisting or gossiping?" I playfully ask them. "It is for a good cause, okay?" “Rachel, you’ve gotta tell us!” one of them says, eyes wide with anticipation. “Have you ever gone to the Hotel's Annual Summer Fest & Charity Gala?”I freeze. That event. It’s one of those high-profile occasions that the hotel puts on every year, and everyone talks about it like it’s the eve
CHAPTER 31: SEDUCTIVE LIPS. RACHEL'S POVThe morning air feels heavier than usual, thick with the weight of anticipation. As I stand before my closet, my fingers hover over the dresses hanging inside, yet my mind is still processing what happened last night.I had been ready to sleep, my thoughts already tangled with the coming trip after Beatrice had announced to me that I had been successfully chosen to go along with some people to the event when an unexpected knock at the door pulled me out of my daze. At first, I considered ignoring it. It was late, and no one ever really came to my room. But something about the rhythmic tapping made me move.Well, who else could it be?When I opened the door, Noah stood there, his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was steady but unreadable, a stark contrast to the slight stiffness in his posture. "Hi," I greeted, eyeing from the top of his head to the toes that were currently out of his footwear, wondering why he was standing there. We
CHAPTER 32: WHY ARE YOU WITH THE BOSS?RACHEL'S POVThe moment I step out of the car, I feel the weight of their eyes on me. A few of my colleagues are gathered near the entrance. I believe they just arrived a few minutes before us as they are yet to even settle down or compose themselves.Their conversations come to a sudden halt as they notice me coming out of Noah’s sleek black car, which is behind me, heading towards the general parking lot. The unspoken question is written all over their faces, and before I can make a discreet escape, one of them, Claire by name, steps forward. "Rachel?" she says, her tone laced with curiosity. "That's suspicious. Did you just get out of that car? Our Boss's car?"I school my expression into something neutral, feigning nonchalance. "Oh, yeah," I answer, shifting my purse on my shoulder. "Mr Noah happened to see me looking for a cab and offered a ride since we were heading in the same direction."There's a moment of silence as they process my w
CHAPTER 51: SHE'S NERVOUS.NOAH'S POVThe nightmare comes again, the same relentless images that chase me through the dark. I wake up with a start, breath heaving, sweat clinging to my skin. I guess my plans to move in might have brought it back again. My heart is heavy, the weight of something old and unshakable pressing against my ribs. I reach for the glass of water on the nightstand, drinking it down in quick gulps. The silence of the room is stifling, but I force myself to sit still, to let the remnants of the nightmare settle before checking my phone.A message from Reeves. "Hey, so you are leaving today. I just wanted to remind you. Don't waste your time at the family house dealing only with that issue. Don't forget about our plans. And make sure you take good care of Rachel. She's not strong enough to face them alone."I stare at the message for a few seconds longer than necessary before responding with a simple, "Thanks. I won’t forget the plan." I put the phone down.With
CHAPTER 50: MOVING OUT. RACHEL'S POV.Dinner is as miserable as ever. The silence stretches between us like a thick, unbreakable wall. I focus on my plate, forcing myself to chew and swallow despite the weight in my stomach. Noah, as expected, doesn't spare me a single glance. He eats in his usual composed, almost mechanical way, making no effort to acknowledge my presence. I should be used to it by now.But I’m not. I have tasted the benefits of his warm presence so much that I wanted it to remain that way. I guess the universe is not on my side.When he finishes his meal, he places his cutlery down with a deliberate slowness. I expect him to leave, to walk out as if I don't exist, like he always does. Instead, his voice cuts through the quiet air, catching me off guard. "Get ready," he says flatly, wiping his mouth with a napkin before pushing his chair back. "For what?" I ask him with a soft tone. "We’ll be moving to my family’s house for a few weeks." he breaks down th
CHAPTER 49:DO YOU LOVE HIM? RACHEL'S POV.The café is warm, and the scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, but it does nothing to comfort me. My fingers tremble as I stir my drink, watching the milk swirl into the dark liquid before fading into a murky brown. My chest feels tight, my throat raw from holding back the sobs that threaten to break free. Emily sits across from me, her eyes soft with concern, waiting patiently for me to finish speaking. “I just... I just don’t know, Emily,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. I wipe my tear-stained cheek. My fingers tighten around the warm cup as I blink rapidly, trying to stop more tears from slipping down my cheeks. “I couldn’t just ignore the call. Dorcas sounded so desperate. I was afraid that she was going to get hurt because of the screams. Elvis was wrecking things... I—I had to go. I had to help him. Am I at fault?"Emily sighs, reaching across the table to take my hand. Her grip is gentle but firm. “Rachel, list
CHAPTER 48: BACK TO SQUARE ONE.RACHEL'S POV.My eyes snap open immediately after my phone's alarm rang. I am not sure if I have properly gotten enough sleep, but my eyes are heavy, and so is my heart. I remain in the same position that I slept in - chest up and hands below my tummy, almost like the position of a dead one. "I don't want to move," I whisper to myself as I try to hold back a tear that is threatening to fall off my eyes. Is this probably the storm that Diva mentioned that I was going to face when reading my card? So, it wasn't fake after all.I push myself from the bed and head to the bathroom to shower. While brushing my teeth, I flashback to yesterday's event.I was still speaking with my colleagues when my phone's brightened screen caught my attention so I had to pay attention to it. I clutched my phone tightly as I stared at the message on the screen. It was an unknown number, crying for help with Elvis's name attached to it—it was enough to make my entire body te
CHAPTER 47: BIRTHDAY DISASTER (2)NOAH'S POVI slam the door shut behind me, my breath ragged as fury claws at my chest. The house is silent, but I do not mind it; I am used to that kind of life. I can’t even think straight. My mind is a hurricane, spinning out of control, each gust of anger fueled by the images of Rachel that had been sent to me.Marco looks up, startled. So he knows about the birthday party. He probably wasn’t expecting me home so early. Neither was I. Today was supposed to be my birthday. A day I never really cared about, but somehow, I let myself believe—for a brief moment—that it could be different. That maybe, just maybe, I could enjoy something normal. But I was a fool. “Sir? Why are you back this early?” Marco takes a cautious step forward.I ignore him, heading straight to the wine cabinet. My fingers tremble as I grab the first bottle of strong whiskey I can find. The cap clatters onto the marble countertop, forgotten as I pour myself a heavy drink. The a
CHAPTER 46: BIRTHDAY DISASTER (1)NOAH'S POV. Rachel walks toward me, carrying the birthday cake with both hands. The cheers died down instantly as they all expected my reaction. The flickering candlelight casts a soft glow on her face, and for a moment, everything else fades. She stops just in front of me, her voice gentle as she says, “Happy birthday, Mr. Noah.”It's been a while since I heard her call me that but I get why she did. I don’t respond right away. I just look at her, at the sincerity in her eyes. Then, with a slow breath, I close my eyes and make a wish—though I have no idea what to wish for. Maybe peace. Maybe clarity. Maybe something I’ll never have. I don't know. It never actually works. It's just a facade. When I open my eyes, I blow out the candles.The room erupts in cheers and applause. The sound is loud, yet strangely distant, like I’m underwater. I nod slightly, forcing a small smile, not because I’m comfortable with this, but because I recognize their
CHAPTER 45: SURPRISE BIRTHDAY FROM WIFEYNOAH'S POVI jolt awake, my entire body drenched in sweat, my breath ragged as I struggle to shake off the remnants of my nightmare. The darkness of my room offers no comfort, the dim glow of the bedside lamp casting long shadows on the walls. My heart pounds erratically as the echo of a child’s terrified screams still rings in my ears.I swallow hard, forcing myself to sit up. "Not again," I mumble helplessly as I try to gain control of my senses again. Leaning forward, I rest my head on my lap, my hands gripping the sheets as I try to calm down a bit. Even with the air conditioning humming in the background, the cool air does nothing to ease the clammy heat enveloping me. I stay in that position for a moment, trying to slow my breathing, but the weight in my chest refuses to dissipate.Eventually, I reach for the drawer beside my bed, pulling it open with shaking hands. That is my last option right now.My fingers close around a familiar
CHAPTER 44: PREPARATION.RACHEL'S POV "Wait, what?" I blink at Liam, utterly baffled. "Noah’s birthday is next week?"Liam smirks, leaning back against the counter like he’s just delivered the most important news of the century. "That’s right, Mrs. Sinclair. Your dear husband’s special day is right around the corner, and lucky for you, I’m here to spill the beans."I gape at him, feeling a mix of excitement and disbelief. "Why am I just hearing about this now?"Liam stretches lazily, his grin widening. "Because your husband is a cryptic, brooding man who doesn’t exactly throw confetti at the thought of birthdays. Why do you even think he is going to open his mouth and tell you about it?"I cross my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. Well, he is right. "And you’re telling me this now because…?" "What do you mean by that? Do you mean that you would have preferred if I kept it away from you?"I quickly shake my head, "No, not at all. I didn't mean that. I apologize if my words sound
CHAPTER 43: YOU ARE BLUSHING.RACHEL'S POVIt has been a week since I arrived at the house with Noah. Surprisingly, things have been going well between us. He hasn’t been as cold, and while he still keeps his distance, there’s a certain ease between us now that wasn’t there before. It feels...different.On this particular Saturday, I prepare to leave for an outing. I had promised Emily to come and see her when I came back from the event. As I make my way through the house, I ask Marco if he has seen Noah. Before leaving, I decide that it is best to let Noah know since I didn't speak about wanting to leave the house earlier this morning. "He's in the guest room with someone," Marco informs me. I pause, wondering if it’s even necessary to interrupt him just to inform him about my plans. Would he even care?But something inside me urges me to go, so I do. I find myself standing outside the guest room door. Taking a deep breath, I knock and push it open.As I step into the guest room,