Sometimes in life, we have to make tough choices. It might not even be the right one at that moment, but the damage is done, and you have to live with it and try to make the best of your decision. "I'll pick you up at six." Lorenzo says as we come to a stop outside Shane's apartment. "Okay." Lorenzo jumps out of the car and walks to my side, to open the door for me. He offers me his hand and with a blush painting my face I gently take it and step out of his car. Lorenzo brushes his lips against my knuckles. "I’ll see you tomorrow night. Rest well baby girl.” I inhale sharply as he lets go of my hand. "Let me get your bag." "Thanks." I stood there on the sidewalk, smiling foolishly at him. Lorenzo grabs the bag from the tailgate and drops it on the floor as he gently cups my face in his hands. "You are so beautiful, Lilly-Ann." He whispers running his thumb over my lips. His touch is so warm, it engulfs my whole being. He gently place his lips on mine, I feel all my worries melt
The night grows weary as we come to a halt, outside Starlux Hotel. The people are cued up to enter the luxuries palace all dress in astonishing ball gowns and fancy tuxedos, with glamorous masks covering half of their faces. Rayon hands me a beautiful black mask to match my dress as he straps on his own. Tonight’s event is more like a brag then a charity. A lot of important people are here, throwing their cash around while sipping on very expensive beverages that’s being served as we wait for the doors to open. Finally, after what felt like an hour, the dark wooden doors swings open and a welcoming aroma streams out of the hotel, as the melody of a piano bounces off its walls, greeting its guest with a cheerful and lively song. "Ready?" Rayon asks, holding out his hand to lead me into the dragon’s dungeon."Yup." I give him the best smile I can manage as I take his hand. My heart is sprinting, and I have to admit, I am a bit nervous."Deep breaths." Rayon whispers as he place his h
Fear does not stop death, it only stops us from living.My body trembles as a wave of fear washes over me. My hands shaking uncontrollably and my heart is racing in my chest. My eyes start to dart around the room for any sign of danger. I need to get back to Rayon, he needs to know what happened.My body hunches as it is ready to jump in to action, I inhale sharply to calm my nerves, You’ve got this, I tell myself over and over again. As I rise to my feet the Russian woman comes sprinting back in, she is in quite a hurry. Dead focus on the task at hand, she doesn’t even spot me. One of the papers she carried falls to the ground and without thinking twice, I rush to pick it up and make my escape through the curtain where Rayon is still waiting for me.“Ann!” Rayon grabs my arm as I exit. “What happened? You---” He examines me as a concern look pulls on his face. “Ann, Is every thing all right, you look like you just seen a ghost. Come let’s get you some water.”“He killed them.” I mum
Regret, yeah that's one thing that comes too late and you can't change it. I can't really say I regret going to the charity last night, but I can say I regret the way I left Lorenzo."Lilly-Ann, Rayon told me what happened last night, did you see anything or maybe got a picture?" Regina asks as I enter her office.I take a seat and let out a sigh. "No, sorry ma'am, I didn't." I know this means we can't use anything until we have hard proof.She narrows her eyes at me. "Lilly-Ann, this job is hard as it is and sometimes, we have to sacrifice a lot to get a story. We need to take risks, go where others don't want to, and ask questions no one else is willing to. That is why there is no room for mistakes, we speak for the people, Lilly-Ann, and we rip the masks off those devils and if you're not strong enough or focused, you'll get trampled. So, you can choose, get your head in the game, or leave my office without a job?" She said dead seriousI look up into those mahogany brown eyes of h
Sometimes you need to be naughty, to see how a person will respond and I wanted to be naughty with him.I thought Lorenzo will take me to some fancy restaurant or candlelit dinner on a rooftop, you know like in the movies, but to my surprise, we drove up to his mansion. "Need to pick up more papers?" I ask smiling sarcastically.He lets out a huff and kills the engine. "Come." Lorenzo hops out and walks to my side. "Tonight, we will dine here." He says, reaching his hand out for me to take. Without any hesitation, I place mine gently in his. Lorenzo’s touch is warm and firm but gentle. "Sounds good." I can't stop the butterflies in my stomach, as a foolish smile spreads on my face. "Order in?" I ask as he opens the door to his mansion."Oh no, I'll cook for you, baby girl." Lorenzo gives me a seductive smile as he gently runs his tongue over his upper lip, with a sexy lustful fire dancing in those eyes.Geez, he's hot, rich, and he can cook, what's wrong with the world? We walk to
The next morning, I woke up in his bed, next to only the memories of last night's crazy sex. The best sex I ever had in my entire life. My legs are still jelly even after a genuinely nice nap. "Shit." I jump up right, my hair must be a real mess. I started searching for my clothes."Morning, baby girl." Lorenzo strolls in, with only jeans on. Carrying a glass filled with orange juice. "I don’t know how you take your coffee, so I bought you juice." He says placing it on the bedside table. Lorenzo plots down next to me and kisses my forehead. "Did you sleep well?""Uh, yes." I smile sweetly, sipping on the juice as last night’s event plays off in my head. Lorenzo’s phone starts to ring. "Well, shower is in there, you can grab one of my shirts if you’d like." He points towards the bathroom and stands as he plants a kiss on my head, leaving me alone in his huge bedroom, that smells of his cologne. A shower will be great. I grab the black silky sheet and wrap myself in its luxurious e
There are times when we wish we can rewind the clock and get back the time wasted on ridiculous people and stupid mistakes, but those are the times that make us or break us. It's all up to you. You are your own worst enemy."Lorenzo!" I storm into the room without even knocking. Lorenzo jumps to his feet and rushes to my side."Lilly-Ann?" He wraps me up in his arms. "What is the matter, baby girl?""I need you to take me to my sister, please." I can feel the tears burning in my eyes."Yeah, come let's go." Lorenzo grabs my hand and pull me out of the office, Jaxon sit still, staring as we exit. His blank expression confuses me, Jaxon looked surprised at first but he didn’t utter a word, was that fear in his eyes or something else?We step into the garage, my eyes widen at his impressive collection. Who needs this many cars? There must be twenty or more, neatly parked cars stack in the garage as they gleam in the dim lit space. Varied of colors and models, from sleek sports cars with
The atmosphere is one of constant motion, with reporters typing away at their computers, making phone calls, and interviewing sources. This is the first time the office came to life, like hell, everyone is working even the slackers. A soft chuckle escapes me as my eyes scans over the busy office. Something is up, this is not normal, not for this place at least. I make my way to the elevator. "Great, why must the elevator be out of service today of all days." I pout and start to jog upstairs."What's going on?" I ask Will breathlessly as I reach his desk."Oh, the big boss is coming in today, or should I say the new big boss." Will rolls his eyes. "He some hot shot from England.""What?" I frown, what the hell does he want with a newspaper from New York?"Lilly-Ann!" Regina calls my name but with a hint of anger and irritation in her voice."Well, I need to go." I widen my eyes at Will; he fully understands the, oh shit, expression on my face."Shut the door," Regina says as she gaze t
Three years have passed since the death of Gustav it went public but they say it was suicide, he couldn’t take the loss of his dear wife, Lorenzo’s mother, and shot himself. I realized then how much power Lorenzo has and I have to admit it scared me a little.Anyway, Clara and Nick got married soon after returning from Finland, where they hid from Gustav. They have a beautiful baby girl named Anika. Ricardo is very protective of his baby sister. Nick was a doctor without borders, which I did not know. But he settled when they got married, and they still live in New York, he bought a house not far from us and we almost see each other on a daily bases. Clara loves the peaceful life they created together and she’s a full-time mom now.Rayon is still in the picture though, he comes to visit Ricardo a lot. He surprised me with how a good father he is, I never expected him to be so caring. He is still staying in New York as well, he met someone and seems to be happy. I didn’t see her yet th
The sun is shining brightly as the guests arrived at the grand estate for Tomson's sixth birthday party. The driveway is lined with fancy sports cars and limousines, and the valet attendants were busy parking them. As we walked up to the front door, we are greeted by a team of butlers who handed us champagne flutes filled with sparkling cider.I'm dressed in my gorgeous black gown Shane got me and Shane is dressed in his stylish pink and white tuxedo. "Wow." Shane's stunned at how many people showed up for this, but I'm used to it. Yeah, my dear friend, this is Vicky for you, she loves big events and glamor.Inside, the house is decorated with balloons and streamers in Tommy's favorite colors, and a huge banner that read "Happy 6th Birthday Tomson!" hung from the ceiling. The place is stacked with people I don't know, I scan the room for Vicky or Chad but they are nowhere to be seen. I spot Jena standing in the far corner of the living room dressed in a beautiful navy blue dress. watc
Motherhood changed me, it made me stronger.Clara, Nick, and Ricardo come strolling out of the arrivals gate of the airport. Yeah, I dialed Clara and told her to come pick up Ever-Lee and keep her safe, I will come find her when this is resolved. So they made a pit stop picked her up and flow to who knows where. She gave me a be careful speech after realizing my mind is made up, I will not run anymore. I smothered Ever-Lee with kisses and shed a few tears as I watch them disappear.“We should talk,” I say over the phone as Lorenzo answers on the first ring. “Meet me at the office.” I end the call, I didn’t give him a chance to replay or to even say a word, I’m out for blood and Gustav is at the top of my list, but I will need help, and who better to ask than a mafia boss?I have a solute plan in mind the when, where and everything. Now all that’s left is the manpower. The only way this nightmare will end is to destroy him, destroy everything he holds dear, his company, his reputation,
The smell of coffee and freshly baked croissants fills the air as we enter. Vicky is carrying Ever-Lee to an open table in the corner and I place an order for us. That is when my eyes caught the newspaper.I grab it from the counter and my whole world comes crashing down. Gustav Lenkov, realest from prison, he is a free man. “No this can’t be happening.” My hands are shaking, he will be out for blood and Rayon will be the first one he wants revenge on. “Ricardo,” I mumble and scramble to fish my phone out of my pocket. My fingers are numb and I can’t seem to dial.I inhale a long sharp breath, calm yourself Lilly-Ann, you're jumping to conclusions again, he might be a changed man and won’t even hurt a fly. But just in case, I hit the call button.“Hey, sis.”“Clara, are you okay? And Ricardo?”“We are fine, what’s wrong Ann, did something happen, you sound terrified.”“Did you see the newspaper?”“Oh, n hadn’t had a chance.”“Gustav is out of prison, I think he might try something, pl
The next morning I’m like a lovesick puppy, racing through the apartment to get everything done, so I can go to work and see Lorenzo again. I had no shut-eye I couldn’t stop thinking about him and his promise, which I want to talk to him about. How close of an eye did he keep on me, is my apartment bugged and do I have people following me? And then the question that has been bugging me the whole night, what happened with his engagement? I haven't seen him in the tabloids at all, it’s like he disappears from the face of the earth, poof gone.“So is that a yes or a no?” Shane asks, drumming the kitchen table with his fingers.“Uh, maybe,” I replied a bit confused.“You didn’t hear a word I said?”I sip shyly on my coffee hiding my face behind the cup. “Sorry.”“What has gotten into you? You are acting weird. Is it a man?” Shane grins and moves closer to me.I almost choke on my coffee.“I knew it.” Shane slams on the counter making m and Ever-Lee jump, “Is it someone I know?”Ever-Lee s
Every piece of my being is consumed by his darkness, it is arousing every piece of light I had and changing it into his.His dark eyes are pulling me in, like a moth to a flame. I’m lost in his presence, my heart is pounding out of my chest as he slowly stalks closer to me. “Stop,” I warn breathlessly. My heart, mind, and soul want to leap into his arms and wrap myself up in his warmth but…. “You have no right showing up here.” I’m a mother now and he is a threat to my only piece of happiness.“I have all the right in the world, baby girl,” A smirk pulls on his face as he looks at me.“I’m not baby girl, I’m Lilly-Ann, Lilly-Ann Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of The money maker magazine,” I say proudly narrowing my eyes at him as he slowly walks towards me with a proud smile on his face.“I know.” He whispers in a mischievous tone. “And you will always be my baby girl.” A grin that can light up the whole of London paints his face, he stops right in front of me, his eyes burning into my sou
It has been a year, Ever-lee Anderson, had made her way into the world. Yeah, not Eva or Eve-Lee. Shane said Ever-Lee because she took forever to emerge. I didn’t have the energy to fight him on the name so Ever-Lee stuck. My sister and Ricardo visited for a few days after Ever-Lee’s birth but with all the drama with her work she couldn’t stay long, but I think she missed Nick too much to stay longer, she just use work as an excuse. Chad gave me a month's leave from work, he has been so giving and kind since I started there.My big green eye baby girl has some much of her father’s looks it’s scary. Today is her four-month celebration and my return to work, I’ve been in and out, but today I’m ready to stick around, which I’m a bit nervous about. I know Jena, my geeky PA, had everything in control while I was absent, but for some reason, my nerves are chewing at me like a puppy dog with a new toy. Chad also insisted that I bring Ever-Lee to work, he set up a cot and everything I need in
Dusk brushes over the city and for the first time in a long time, I feel lonely. I had just made an agonizing decision, one that I might regret in the near future. I walked away from the man I loved, I had known for a while that our paths can not intertwine any longer. My heart feels heavy with the overwhelming love I still feel for him. I sink my head into the pillow and feel the anchor pulling me deeper into the realms of loneliness.A familiar creak of the door closing reverberates through the stillness. I jerk up to see who my intruder is.“Ann? You still awake?” Clara whispers as she tiptoes to my bed.“Yeah…” I flick the bed lamp on and push my body up. “I don’t think sleep is an option for me.”Clara sit next to me and looks at me worried. “You need rest, it's not good for you or the baby.”Easier said the done, I can’t get his face out of my head, that shattered look in his eyes. ”I know.” I pull my pillow to my chest and hug it tight, “But you didn’t see him.”“Ann, he is eng
Have you ever experienced one of those earth-freezing moments when time and everything around you seem to come to a standstill? Well, I just did. My hands press hard against his strong chest as I try to breathe. He grips my wrist in his hand and bends down to my ear.“Not in public, baby girl.” His breath fans over my skin leaving goosebumps in its wake. I blink my eyes rapidly as I gulp down the last of my sanity. “Now if you would please excuse me.” Lorenzo strolls away leaving me spellbound, with my fingers prickling from our touch.Clara comes strolling by. “Hey, what’s the matter?” She furrows a brow, “Are you feeling sick?” “Huh?” I jerk my head in her direction as I lose sight of him. “Did you say something?”“Ann, what’s going on?” She looks at me with a concerned look in her eyes.“Nothing, nothing at all.” I know Clara only met him once but fuck he is not the forgettable type, how could she invite him. I check the guest list to see if his name is on it, but it’s not.“