Today was the wedding day and Isabella's voice kept ringing in my ears, "Everything had to be perfect today." That was what she had told me last night.I went to conduct a final check of the wedding hall just as she had instructed me to do, to ensure everything had been decorated the way she wanted it to be.Everything had to be perfect, and not a single flower or chair out of place, if anything was out of place, Isabella would never let me live it down.She would even go as far as accusing me of trying to ruin her perfect wedding day and that couldn't be any farther from the truth, I was nothing but happy for her.She was my only sister, though we didn't have the same parents, as I was adopted from the orphanage when I was little, it still didn't change anything. Isabella hadn't accepted me as her sister yet, she never failed to remind me of where I was from every chance she got, but I would continue to support her in everything. I was more than happy to help too.I was still examin
I snatched the envelope from her and opened it as quickly as I could. It was still sealed, so I knew they hadn't opened it yet. I found a handwritten letter inside, it was written in Isabella's writing, I started reading:"Mum and dad, I'm sorry, but I can't marry Blake, I know this might come as a huge shock to you but this is what I want, I hope you'll understand why I had to do this. And don't look for me please, I'm fine. I'll come back when I'm ready." She hadn't even bothered to mention me in her letter.Of all the things I expected to go wrong today, a missing bride was not one of the things I planned for. How do I do damage control to a missing bride situation?I ran to our parents room, we needed to come up with a solution and we needed to come up with it fast, I knocked once and entered. On entering, mum was seated at a vanity table, retouching her makeup while dad was sitting in one of the chairs, reading a newspaper. "Mum? Dad?" I called out to them and they turned to me
I heard the crowd murmuring behind us, they were wondering what was happening. Blake took another look at me and I don't know why he changed his mind but he stepped forward and held his hand out for me to take.I sighed inwardly in relief and took his hand, mounting the alter with him.Throughout the entire service, he didn't even look at me. To the others, it looked like he was staring into my eyes but he was actually looking over my head.The service ended after the priest pronounced us as husband and wife and before we could do anything, Blake grabbed my hands, and pulled me out of the wedding hall. My parents and his dad were right behind us as well, when we were now in a secluded area he turned and addressed the small crowd that had gathered around us. "We're meeting back at the ballroom in the next ten minutes." That was what he said and stormed off."What trick are you trying to pull on us Mr and Mrs Davies?" His father also asked before turning in the opposite direction and
They didn't hug me goodbye or anything, if I didn't know better, I'd say they had been waiting for an opportunity to dump me all this while and the right opportunity just presented itself in the form of Blake Robinson. I didn't say anything, I just nodded, turned around and followed Blake out of the room. A sleek black car was waiting for us at the main entrance and when we entered, the car zoomed off immediately to God knows where, I wanted to ask Blake where we were going but I had a feeling he wouldn't answer, so I decided to keep my mouth shut instead. The air in the car was filled with thick tension and I wished I could say something to Blake.He must have read my mind because he set his phone down on the middle console before turning to me, "I have to say, it's a nice trick you and your family pulled on me, I didn't realise it was a family of foxes." What he said sounded like a compliment on the surface level but I knew better, I heard the insult in his words from miles away
I made sure to only leave my room to eat when I knew he already had his meal and that he was done eating. He usually retired to his study after every meal and I knew those periods were my safe time. It was those few hours I had to do as I pleased without judgment or complaints from anyone. Today was Monday though and it was time to go back to work. I was nervous about going to work today, probably because I knew the whole office would have heard about my wedding to Blake Robinson. It was bad enough that some people already thought I didn't deserve the position in our office. They claimed I should allow someone who really needed the job to have it, instead of me who already had everything. Only if they knew the truth.I shook off those comments immediately and focused on getting dressed. I was a computer technician at a small firm that recently hit the market. When I was finished dressing, I knew the possibility of running into Blake this morning was high, so I composed myself and
I looked up to him and saw my phone in his hands, "Call your workplace yourself and tell them you quit." He demanded and tears welled up in my eyes again. I had gotten a job in that company through my hard work. I didn't get it through any connections whatsoever, so the fact that he was making me do this was gut wrenching. I took my phone and dialed the CEO's contact. He picked up immediately, "Helen, what the fuck? I've been trying to reach you all day. So you suddenly marry Blake Robinson and our small firm isn't good enough for you anymore?" He lashed out. This was all a misunderstanding and I wished I could clear up the misunderstanding but there was nothing I could do, my hands were tied. "I'm sorry Daniel, but I quit." I whispered into the phone. "You know what, you can go fuck yourself Helen ." He hung up the call and Blake started laughing. He was laughing at my misery. He didn't say anything again and wordlessly left his study, with the door wide open. I slowly rose to
I needed to know what the actual terms of this contract were though, I needed to know what both parties were getting from this arrangement and see if there was a way I could use it to my advantage. Two years wasn't a long time if I was being honest with myself, but was this how the next two years of my life was going to be? With walking on eggshells around who was supposed to be my husband? I couldn't do it, I needed to do something about my current predicament, I needed to find a way to free myself, that was the last thing I thought about before surrendering to the darkness. "Hey, wake up! Did I tell you, you could sleep?" I heard a voice from a distance and something poking my back as well. I groaned out in protest and even turned in the opposite direction, oblivious to the fact that I was not on my bed at the present moment, "Pathetic." The voice said before walking away. And there was perfect silence and peace I thought. Before I could get too deeply engrossed with my sleep a
Before I could get lost or dwell too much on what working here would mean for me, Blake's words interrupted my thoughts, "Why are there reporters out here again? I thought I told the PR team to take care of them?" He asked the person behind the steering wheel. "Yes you did sir, but they insist you be the one to address them. They said they won't stop till you give them an audience." The man explained. Blake was annoyed, there were stress lines on his face too, "Fine then, let's get this done and over with once and for all." He said and I didn't know what he meant by that, but I knew he was up to something. The car came to a stop in front of the building, and he turned to me, "Stay here, follow my lead and talk only when I ask you to." He instructed me and I knew he was very serious. I didn't want to defy his serious and direct orders, I didn't want to know what the consequences of doing that would be.The reporters swarmed around the car like hungry bees, thankfully, the security
Blake's POV "Wait! Wait! Wait!" Dad's eyes sparkled with shock as he faced me fully, focusing all of his attention on me. "So you mean to tell me that Dominic is accusing me of lying again, Helen? You mean the one person you called your best friend has the nerve to belittle my person?" Dad asked."No, Dad. That isn't what I meant. He didn't accuse you per se. He just mentioned that he had overheard you talking with the accountant to send some funds to Helen's account. He had simply mentioned that to try to rationalize why there was a transfer from the company's account to hers." I said, trying to save Dominic from the wrath of my father's anger.Moreover, at this point, Dominic's words had checked out with Oscar's revelation. I just needed Dad to admit to this, and hopefully, I can find a way to ensure the FCI killed the case, and we could all go back to our normal lives."Oh? And where did he overhear this conversation? How is he certain it was indeed me he saw?" He asked. I let o
Blake's POV "Well, I haven't heard a word about this from my dad, but I will make my findings and get back to you. Thank you for telling me this." I said, after processing his words. He had no reason to lie to me. He was my best friend after all. His accusation against my dad may not be true, but it didn't mean that I wasn't going to check it out. If the accountant had made that transfer to her account, he had better tell me why and who had authorized the transaction. The money was no longer in Helen's account as it had been moved to a crypto wallet long ago. Our company didn't pay money into crypto accounts as they were hard to track and trace. With the amount of funds my company dealt with, it would be very dangerous for us to make such transactions that were hard to trace. "Fine. Do what you have to do, but always remind yourself that Helen is no thief. She is an honest woman and the best you would ever get out there." He said and walked out of my office. He had not left the o
Blake's POV "What's wrong man? You look so stressed out right now." I said to him immediately that he was seated opposite me on the chair. "I am stressed out, but I am more worried about you." He said and fixed his focus on me. I let out a sigh and relaxed against my chair. "It's nothing to worry about. The authorities would thoroughly investigate these allegations against Helen and the company and I am certain the truth would come out soon." I said to him, trying so hard not to think about how badly these allegations were affecting us. A lot of brands and companies we were working with were already reaching out to us, asking sensitive questions. I could hear the distrust in their queries, and if this case wasn't well handled, we could lose a lot of deals, and I wasn't ready for that to happen. My dad and I have worked so hard to bring this company to where it currently is. There was no way in hell I was letting anyone take what belonged to us. "Don't you think the authorities
Blake's POV I woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. My eyes had a hard time adjusting to the light and I feared that something terrible must have happened to me. I looked around and through my foggy haze, I saw that I was in my bedroom. Slowly, memories of last night drifted into my head, and I let out a painful groan. I had gone out and gotten drunk when I knew I was coming home to a house without Helen. The urge to call her and beg her to come back home was so strong and it took everything in me not to fall in for it. Gaining enough momentum, I sat upright, and only then did I notice the body beside me. "Jesus!" I yelled out in shock, wondering who was lying beside me. I didn't remember calling Helen and asking her to come home with me, so who could be lying on my bed right now?My scream startled the person and she jumped awake. My fear immediately morphed into anger as soon as I realized it was Isabella lying beside me. "What the hell are you doing here and on t
Isabella's POV I glared at Blake's housekeeper who had been keeping tabs on me ever since he left. She had voiced out to me several times since he left that I needed to leave the house, but I paid her no heed. This wasn't her home and there was no way a lowly maid like her would try to tell me what to do. The other maids who worked under her had all kept their cool and avoided me, but she was trying to act as though she owned the house and could do whatever she wanted with it. "Ma'am, I do not want to get into any trouble with Mr. Blake Robinson. I am certain you heard his warning before he left. Can you please leave now? My boss can be pretty unpredictable, and he could come back here anytime. I do not want him to get angry on seeing you here. He is currently going through a lot and would appreciate whatever rest or break he can get." She came over to me one more time and asked. If she wasn't so old, I would have said she was trying to score Blake for herself. Well, even if that
Helen's POV I laid on the same small thin mattress I had managed while living with my parents. Despite not sleeping on this old thin mattress for months, my body had quickly acclimatized to it, knowing fully well that it was the only mattress my parents were willing to offer me. I was lucky to have a roof over my head and was currently thinking up plans on how to make a living. My account has been frozen by the orders of the FCI and knowing my family, I was bound to have it really bad surviving. My phone rang for a second and went off, grabbing my attention. I picked it up and found a missed call from the last person I ever expected to call me.My fingers shook as I stared at the words I had used to save his number, My World. He was my world and had made my life worth living, even if it was only for a few months. Well, not until now that he asked me to leave. Staring at my phone's screen, I wondered why he was calling me. What did he want to say? Did he want me back home? I wonde
Blake's POV I sat on my bed, lost in thoughts. The numerous happy memories Helen and I always had in this room flooded my head. All I wanted right now was to be with and rest my head in the cocoon of her hands. I always enjoyed laying in the bosom of her breast, but with the current situation of things, it was impossible. "She is gone, Blake. Get a grip on yourself and get to work." I pulled myself out of the reverie and looked down at the tie in my hand. Helen had always tied my tie whenever I was heading to work. Her absence was a strong blow to me and I was having a hard time adjusting. I finally managed to get the tie on and picked up my office bag. "Have a nice day at work, Mr. Robinson." Felicia waved at me with a pitiful glance. Was Helen's absence this bad on me? God, I needed to get a grip on myself.I pulled the front door open, and the sight that greeted me caused a deep, sour scowl to appear on my face. "Why the hell are you acting as though you have just seen a gho
Isabella's POV A smile was etched on my face as I scrolled through the AI-generated photos of Blake and me in wedding clothes. We were the perfect match. We looked so good together and I wished he could see exactly what I saw."Very soon, Isabella. Very soon, you will be together with the man you love." I motivated myself.I was about to slide to the next batch of photos I had created when my cell phone rang. Of course, it was my mom calling and I scrunched up my nose in disgust. Dad has been using her to pester the living hell out of me and I was super tired of being berated. They wanted me to come back home and I did not. Being at home would be a constant reminder that Helen was living my life and I didn't want that. "What do you want?" I barked into the phone as soon as I answered it. "Can you just stop being so harsh and unkind to your mother? What's with the attitude?" She reprimanded."I am being harsh to you because you are being unkind to me. If you are calling about berat
Helen's POV I wasn't surprised by my mom's words, but I at least expected her to show some empathy to me. I was the reason they still had a roof over their heads. She may hate me, but according to the law, I was her daughter, and she ought to take me in. "Mom, you can't say that. You are my mom. This is my family home, I should be welcome here." I said, hoping to change her mind. "You are my daughter, but it doesn't mean this is your home. You are married now. Your home is wherever your husband is. Why aren't you with your husband?" She asked.My eyes dropped to the floor as I gathered the courage to tell her the truth. "Blake asked me to leave," I confessed. "What?" She screamed and burst out into laughter. "You don't mean that, do you? Oh my God, your dad needs to hear of this." She chortled harder, laughing like the maniac that she was. "Mom, this isn't something to laugh about. Someone is doing something sinister to my reputation and my life. We need to stick together to fin